#but square really needs to re-focus

[littlestarxmilkyway]

And there it is. I didn't expect Square Enix to release information like this so soon, but that timing is interesting. Between the cancelled titles, and Nintendo saying when they're going to announce the Switch's successor. (And the timeline that they'll be implementing these plans...)

Multi-platform being highlighted in this would be a given. Fresher hardware on the next Nintendo console means the games will keep up a little better and have more ~fidelity~. I know how important that is to SQEX. But I also can't help but think they realized how well their own multi-plat and exclusive Switch titles were doing. It would be silly and remiss to neglect the successor. And while I don't think X-box sales are going to have any kind of impact on software in any region, it really doesn't hurt to include them more often. (Presumably? Maybe it is that expensive.)

"focusing its development efforts and investments on titles with substantial potential to be loved by customers for years" This may be fluff and amount to nothing, but I dearly hope they mean it. I hope they deliver. One thing that saddens me the most about the changes in SQEX and Bandai Namco lately, is simply how boring they've become. Bandai treating the Namco titles how they do is one thing, but Square Enix is so baffling. FF has been drained of identity, SaGa struggles for scraps, Mana and Star Ocean are in a wayward space. Anything else pre-PS2 and not those titles really doesn't get any acknowledgement. But each of those properties is so beloved now because of a robust legacy of beloved titles. Even the least beloved games along them still has a sizable and devout fanbase. But newer FF entires don't do anything to build on the franchise in a meaningful way. I don't think XV and XVI are worthless, but they also just fall short of really delivering what keeps FF going strong in my mind. I have to wonder if they've really sat down and thought about the longevity of their older titles and characters. The only exception lately is Asano's works. He's somehow managed to use nostalgia to create something fresh with the Bravely and Octopath series, and has created two new brands and franchises with it that already show enduring love of customers for years.

"First, mindful of the need to launch HD titles that help attract additional fans to the Group, the Group will regularly release AAA titles in its major franchises to maintain and build upon its fan base. In addition, the Group will strive to increase its success rate in SD games by launching a carefully curated selection of titles. It will additionally explore ways to leverage its rich library of IP." Yeah, I bet! The HD stuff will be there. But their mobile/social games sector is hitting the big decline. I think it's a combination of trying to force some games out and probable mismanaging, but it's also just a shame that they have all this potential to be doing more when they're realizing all these new titles. (And celebrating old stuff in some ways.) I sincerely hope we see them also use their backlog of other titles and IPs. I'm super elated Chrono Cross got a remaster, but where in the world is Chrono Trigger? That should have had some sort of port at the height of Another Eden's popularity and a tie-in. I'd love for Dewprism to come back! Some things won't move much now probably, but they really are sitting on a potential treasure trove.

"The Group will retire its business unit-based organizational design and strive to establish an operationally integrated organization with the goal of revamping its internal title development footprint and bringing more capabilities in-house. In addition, while keeping balance between the creativity of its individual employees and the management centered on the organization, the Group will transition to a project management structure. To that end, the Group will redefine the mission for producers and other related employees and organize its internal supporting structure. Also, the Group will improve its development investment efficiency, by reviewing the overall management process of title development." If it's true that they've kept most of their team from Remake and Rebirth to cut costs on "Reunion," then they probably realized how smart that is financially, but also for how well that works for dev cycles. And if that's what they're alluding to a little more here, that's only wise. Hard to say completely, but I am curious what internal shifts will happen and what consumers will be able to see of it.

" The Group will build its flat organization by increasing opportunities of promotion by selection in order to pursue a new talent at our company and streamlining the process of decision-making. Specifically, it will roll out a new human resources system in line with integrated management of development functions, building a new system for hiring, promotion, and appointment of management. Moreover, the Group will rebuild training system for new graduates and introduce internal education programs to enhance capabilities of junior and mid-level employees." That sounds amazing on paper, and I hope it's carried out well. It's not as though everything sounded perfect all the time under Sakaguchi's management, but I do think their philosophy at the time (and in a way, the whimsy) helped them cultivate their incredible library to what it is now. Back in the day, people were given a lot of freedom to create, even while being forced on a project. But they also had so much room to grow and were being allowed to do things while also being taught things. It just doesn't sound like Square Enix does that anymore. Even Nomura said they have a hard time keeping (new) talent. I think part of that is probably the Rock Star Syndrome that always plagued the company, but was amplified after people like Sakaguchi kept leaving and leaving. Not enough people were reigned in. But Square back in the day was on a roll, and I think if they bother to nurture and cultivate some good in-house talent now, and especially do so on the creative front as much as the technical (and let them bleed over into each other!), they'd be able to repliate their previous success.

[ririblogsss]

Danny the park crazy guy

Ok this follows Danny with him deciding he needs to get out of Amity Park cause he's parents are getting more and more obsessed with catching Phantom. And the plans he'd over heard were sending him into panic attacks. Not only that a new management was placed for the GIW, and with that they had become more brutal and accurate with their capturing. Danny couldn't make sure ghosts were safe and protect civilians, so Danny made a deal with Technus in exchange for most of the tech Danny has made in the past 6 months Technus has to hack into the portals that his parents and Vlad owned and permanently destroy them. Technus also made sure to wipe all the information on how to re-build the portal and planted a bug that will corrupt any file trying to mimic the portals code/mechanics. 

At first Dannys plan was to play the part of the defenseless boy who just witnessed his parents whole life work go down the drain, and pretend that ghost never happened. He's parents were sad (understatement of the century) but they soon found something to hyper focus on, before becoming ecto-biologist, they were trying to find ways to make liquid that would dissolve plastic in a non-lethal and non-toxic way. So after 2 months of not doing anything and only staying in bed eating ice-cream and fudge its like a light bulb turned on onto of their heads, and Madeline and Jack went back to their old selves. They still had moments were they would gaze back at their projects with heartbroken eyes, and Danny could help but blame himself for his parents suffering. 

Its like one day everything was close to normality (as normal as amity park could be) people weren't mentioning ghost in fear that one would appear out of spite. Classes went uninterrupted people were actually happy for that. 

But then the GIW started making moves, as they were getting more and more restless with no ghost sightings in the last 6 months. 

Then 3 months ago everything went to shit......

Danny could only explain it as if the Salem witch trials had started. But instead it was the 21st century and people were being accused of being / cooperating / aiding ghosts. The GIW had stormed into the town hall and had claimed that Amity park was in full quarantine. No one in no one out. Vlad was taken in for 'investigation' accused of working with the ghost because he never helped the GIW or offered funds, hence committing treason the US government. 

After that People would be taken out of their homes and obligated to take tests to prove they weren't with the enemy, if they passed they went back to their homes traumatized. if they failed.... Well no one really knows, but one might guess from all the screaming. 

Ironically. Dannys parents were the fist accused of cooperating with the enemy. The GIW stated that they seemed suspicious from the start as they never truly caught anything. he hadn't seen them since they were drugged and stuffed into the back of a van. Danny was thankful that Jazz (for collage) and Dani (traveling in Bangladesh) were out of Amity, but it wasn't like he could contact them and tell them what was happening. 

The GIW had cut all contact to the rest of the word from Amity Park probably because what they were doing was considered illegal and definitely were crossing human rights. 

Luckily Sams and Tuckers family were able to come to an agreement with the GIW so they could be exempted from the quarentine (buy themselves a way out). Unluckily Danny like most families didn't have those types of resources. 

But Danny isn't a Fenton for nothing, craziness, gull and genius ran through his veins. So every morning when they were obligated out of their homes and made to sit on the grass of the park square while the agents searched for any 'evidence' in their homes. Danny would use his core to emit a frequency that only other ghost and some metas could hear. But that wasn't what Danny was communicating to no. 

He was sending commands to all the animals he had befriended the last 15 years of his life. You see ever since Danny was a kid he loved how one could be able to domesticate any animal as long as you had food. So Danny when he was a kid applied The Operant conditioning to all the animals he crossed paths with. 

A few weeks after his accident (death) when Danny was making his daily feeding times for the animals in exchange for trinkets and money he realized something. He could understand what the animals 'spoke' and the animals could understand him through the vibrations of his core. When he asked CW about it he only told him that ghost speak allowed him to communicate with anything and anyone if he had a close enough relationship towards them. 

Basically this meant that Danny had hundreds if not thousands of animals (rats, street dogs and cats, pigeons, squirrels ect.. ) at his disposal. The only reason he never used them when fighting Ghosts was obvious he wasn't going to risk the life of his friends. 

And right now his friends were making underground escape routes for all of the Amity Parkers. The plan was already being set in motion. Everyone knew their part. 

One group would be distraction, a group of kids would scream and point in the opposite direction of the escape route and say they had seen a ghost and it was trying to hurt them. The GIW would be guided into a wooded area were they would be attacked by the more predatorial animals. Making them call for back up. 

One group would composed of the most athletic adults / young adults would go into the main base of the GIW (check for survivors and help them get out). 

Another group (the elderly) was in charge of checking that everyone was accounted for. 

Mothers, would be evacuated first with their children, they would be the get away drivers. Different drivers would take different routs. Some left the country other the continent itself. Some when to larger cities for hiding amongst the crowd. But the main goal was stick to your family and preferably if you can go alone. The less people the less likely you are to getting caught. 

And the teenagers from casper high, would ensure all their traces were lost making sure all phones and gadgets were left behind, as to avoid getting tracked down. 

And that's how Amity Park became a dead town (pun intended) in less than 60 minutes. 

This leads us to the present. 

It had been 7 months since Danny had left Amity park. he hadn't seen anyone or contacted anyone from there since. The over all consensus was that everyone had to go no contact with one another as to not raise awareness as to why so many people from different places were constantly calling one another. Danny was certain that Jazz and Dani had been contacted by Sam and Tucker about the situation in Amity. What he wasn't sure of is if they knew he was out of Amity or even alive for that matter. 

Danny was not dealing with what happened well. One of the guys who went into the Town Hall pulled him a aside for a second when they were evacuating to tell him. That he had seen both his parents bodies. They had not survived. Not many who were taken against their will into the Hall came out spared. 

Danny was devastated with his parent untimely death, he only hoped they had a humane one. 

So no Danny was not ok. he knew Jazz would criticize his copping methods. But if taking over a park in the middle of a crime riddled city was sooooo bad then why did he have the support of the Bats. (not the vigilantes the actual cave bats). 

Danny had gotten to Gotham not too long ago (about 4 1/2) months, and decided that the GIW wouldn't dare on their life go into a city were the 'wolds greatest detective and most feared man live'. Danny made an abandoned building overlooking the park his own. he quickly became allies with the fauna there and soon his rein over the part began. 

---

It started slowly, honest to god not a single local though anything of the bony kid laughing his ass off as he oversaw birds and other critters alike help him build what looked like a greenhouse. They did what any Gothamite would do mind their own damn business and go on with their day. 

It wasn't unlit the trees and torn plants started to build a wall like structure around the park that they started to think that the kid was going to be the next Poison Ivy. Worst of all they some have speculated seeing Pamela and Harley go in and out of the park... both smiling like proud parents. Some say that the kid was an ex Wayne kid that was sent into an asylum, and was kept quiet. Some speculate that the kids a meta that controls all animals. Some state they saw the kid talk to the animals and the animals actually listened and did word for word what he asked. 

But Gothamites weren't that worried if they were honest. The kid (Danny as he was now known) brought more entertainment (of the good kind) to Gotham he fit right in. The only thing that made him stand out was his mid-western accent. When asked where he was from he would only stare at you while an animal (different every time mostly racoons) would chase you away. Other than that the kid was a sweetheart he would often bring the veggies and fruits he cultivates in the park to homeless shelters so that the residents would have a 'more nutritious and full diet'. 

The kid would send animals to keep watch on kids and be alerted if any were at risk he would drop in and help in a very unusual way. And he always traded money for little things and bottle caps anything handmade (especially by kids) was infinitely rewarded with money and an automatic meal. 

Danny was known as the Gotham parks crazy. But he was their crazy and no government (illegal) agency of a brigade of bats and birds was going to take him away from them. 

(waaa this was way longer that expected I only wanted to write a sentence of local crazy Danny, and I just ended up writting mostly art other stuff)

[harmoonix]

Astrology Notes ☙

By Harmoonix ❣️

☙ The beauty people with Pluto in the 1st house😍😍 These people can be very pretty and can have a very Scorpio Energy even if they don't have Scorpio Placements at all. But if you have Scorpio Placements and Pluto in the 1st house omggg this is too 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

☙ Did i forgot to say that Taurus Moons signs can be very possessive of their partners 👀, they are not toxic but they can get very possessive and jealous, they can be overprotective too. They can be extremely lovely and protect you with their own life

☙ You know you are the IT definition when your chart ruler is the Sun or Venus, or if you are Leo and Libra/Taurus Risings. These people are so popular and liked by everyone around

☙ Do you can know how hot Capricorn Risings can be???🔥🔥👀👀👀 They are from another planet i swear most models are having this ascendant and they look 💥💥💥💥🤯🤯🤯 AMAZING. Capricorn Risigns you are BLESSED

☙ Mars square Ascendant is a very hot aspect, most people with with this aspect look very attractive they can have high succes in media, because they can get a lot of people attention, this will sound funny but they look gorgeous with sun glasses on 😍

☙ Jupiter - Mars aspects have a really big high drive, they can be very horny, can have a very horny personality, it depends what people are they attracted because they can manifest their partners and they love to explore their sexuality too

☙ Uranus - Sun aspects, you just know they are unique and strong, nothing can stop them, these people radiate electric energy, just because Uranus and Sun together can have a very big and warm energy 💞

☙ I have seen people talking so bad about the 8th house placements, and I want to confirm that they are not right at all. People with 8th house placements are very powerful people especially if you have luminaries (Sun/Moon in the 8th house) or the chart ruler in the 8th house. They are like a phoenix and they re-born themselves if they are hurt. Karma is coming back for you very fast if you hurt such people.

☙ Jupiter Retrograde in a chart can means that you need to focus on your self and your goals more and you can see the luck coming for you, especially on traveling, try to travel to explore to go in search of new things because there is a high chance you will find luck there

☙ People with Venus in Cancer Degrees: 4°, 16°,28°, can get attached very fast to their partners, they give such "mom energy" they might like to take care and protect their partners a lot, nurturing them, but these people wanna feel secure around their partners either they can be very anxious about their relationshis

☙ Cancer in the 5th/6th house can have a big big big love for pets, they can have a lot of pets around them and there is a big chance these natives grew around animals in their childhood, maybe they had a lot of pets at home 🙀

☙ Mars in the 2nd house can help you with getting money fast at your job and at manifesting money, Mars in the 2nd house can be very influential if you wanna have a big wallet 🤩

☙ Pisces in the 10th house is a sign that you can be very good at singing. singing can help you to develop a career in singing or voice acting. 🎸. Painting and arts can apply too and also if you have the Midheaven at Pisces Degrees (12°,24°)

☙ Aries Risings OMG these people are like born with fire in their eyes and hearts, i swear all you need to do is to look in their eyes. Their looks is very mesmerizing, the 1st house feels so good in the sign of Aries ♈🐏

☙Capricorn Suns are having a very warm side too, there are many people saying "Capricorns are cold", "Capricorns are mean".... These people are humans after all and still have feelings? And of course they a soft side like all zodiac signs do. They can be very sweet with you, if you start to know them better and better you see they are not cold. These people are very sweet in all the ways posibile 💎

☙ People with 2th house Stelliums are here to be rich and expensive they do not joke when they wanna get that cashhhhhhh, get that cash guyssss. Applying if you have the North Node in the 2nd House too focus on being financial secure and don't depend on anybody 🌈

☙ People with a 12th house Stelliums can be very spiritual and connected to the spiritual world. They can see spirits or shadows and they can get body sensations like goosebumps very randomly

☙ Mercury in Scorpio can be very hard and fast at cussing people, when someone does them wrong or dirty they can come very fast to cuss them 🤣

☙Can we all appreciate how Aquarius Moons can stay so calm even in bad situations? Their calm omg and positive mentality is helping them a lot trough their situations

☙Ascendant at Libra Degrees (7°,19°) gives natives a very natural charm, they can have pretty lips and big eyes 👀. They can also have a good fashion taste, they can be very organised and take things veryyy seriously.

☙Ascendant at Aquarius Degrees (11°, 23°) gives natives very unique features, they can have bulging eyes/the eyes can have a very nice shape. The natives can be very tall and intelligent, good at working in online media. They can also be very good at making friends and having a social group around them. ✨

☙ Ascendant - Mercury aspects natives can be very easily for them to talk and to express themselves, they can be social butterflies. They are very smart too and very wise. These natives have a good knowledge and they can mentor other people and help them by communicating their feelings.

☙ People with Sun and Moon harsh aspects they are not having good either because they can face personality problems and they can find themselves struggling a lot. This aspect is the definition of Brain (Sun) vs - Heart (Moon) fight, who you gonna listen and choose to guide you first? Your heart or your brain? They can also have family problems (Sun - father) - (Moon - Mother). But these people are very strong ones because imagine to have both luminaries aspecting each other, is definitely not for the weak 💎💎💎

☙ Virgo Risings are having a highly feminine energy and aura. Doesn't matter the gender,if you have a Virgo Rising you have a high feminine energy. It's a very nurturing placements in harmony with nature and Virgo Risings can have an amazing hair like omggg 👀👀👀 how does y'all's hair look so good ???

🔥Mature Content🔥

☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙☙

☙ Mercury in 8th house might talk a lot about sexuality and taboo things, they try to communicate while using dirty talk and flirting too 👀😍 these people are having a very sexual of communicating and expressing themselves but they are also very powerful in talking. They can give good speech and make people to listen to them

☙ Venus in Leo/5th house might like/have a tendency to be naked a lot around their partners, not 100% naked but wearing clothes who can highlights their bodies and the same can apply to Venus in Sagittarius or in the 9th house. Let's just say that people with these placements might like to tease their partners a lot 🔥👀

☙ Jupiter in Capricorn/Taurus or Jupiter in the 2nd/10th house natives might get spouse/husbands with big...👀👀👀 You know what's coming after..🔥🔥🔥 your husband can have great body/bones can be muscular too

☙You just know that people with heavy Scorpio placements have a lot of kinks and BDSM, it just happens for them to like it rough

☙ Aquarius's placements (mostly in big 6: Sun,Moon,Rising,Venus,Mars, Mercury) are highly kinky too and very passionate, when it comes to 18+ in Astrology, Aquarius Placements are highly underrated, these people can make you feel like heaven, so they are 100% very hot people 🔥👀

☙Neptune in 8th/12th houses are very sexual OMG these people are MY people 😍. Because they can spend all day dreaming about their partners, they can also have a lot of dreams and fantasies about their partners these people are intense at a very different level. Very intense, very hot, very charming 😍

☙ NEPTUNE IN THE 7TH HOUSE OMG these people can create a very big soul bounding with their partners they crave for love from their partners and they love little things in relationships. But these people are blessed getting such attractive spouses 😭 because Neptune can mean attractiveness too and in the 7th house of relationships and partners omggggg

☙ HEAR ME Y'ALL: JUNO - NEPTUNE ASPECTS mostly harmonious aspects (Trine,Sextile, Conjunction) similar to what i said about Neptune in the 7th house these people create a soul bounding with their partners and they can attract such hot SPOUSES 🔥😍🔥😍🔥😍 their spouses can be very sensual too. I feel this is also a very karmic placement because is also spiritual you can be connected spiritual with your spouse if you have your Juno/Neptune in the 12th/9th houses 😍😍😍 y'all these aspects are sooo hottt i love them (Juno asteroid code 3)

☙ JUNO - MARS aspectsssss another intense placements it can show your spouse can be EXTREMELY SENSUAL AND PASSIONATE, a lot of kinks omg😍😍😍 they can make you feel like heaven. Spouse can be hella attractive, pretty charming flirting everything sensual...THEY HAVE ITTT ALL. YOUR spouse is having a very attractive personality. So far one of the best Juno Placements to have (Juno asteroid code: 3)

☙ I heard Gemini's Placements are very good in bed too 👀, they can be very focused on what are they doing, they might not have such as many kinks are Scorpios but they are more into positions they like to try a lot of things and to experience a lot, they might not have many kinks but they are highly ROMANTIC.

☙JUNO IN THE 1ST HOUSE 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Definitely one of the most sensual placements to also if you have Juno here.... YOU ARE VERY desirable, a lot of people can wish you for them to be their partners. I'm not joking people with this Placement are having many admirations. BUTTT THEIR SPOUSESSSS 🔥🔥🤯🔥🤯🔥🤯🔥🤯🔥🔥🤯🤯🔥🔥🤯🔥 OMG your spouse can be very needy of you very lovely, high attraction to eachother, good pleasure time too 👀🔥👀🤯👀🤯👀 y'all are luckyyyy your spouse can also be very popular and a lot of people can know him. I adore this placement 💋

I will make more and more notes about a lot of placements because i have many many ideas about it. Don't worry if you don't have any placement here i have more posts about it;

Here too part 1 and 2;

Here is part 2💋💋💋💋

Hope you gonna find something you like in these posts and i have a lot more to make and post 💋💋💋👀👀👀 just wait for it because i have so many ideas.

With love, Harmoonix ❣️

[bloatedandalone04]

Never Let Me Go

➪the one where you and leon reunite.

Part 1

Warnings: angst, fluff, re themed topics, mentions of death, descriptions of injuries, mentions of injuries, making out, sad boy leon

Word Count: 3k

Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine <3

The feeling of regret followed Leon for weeks. 

He regretted not doing more to get you back to him, whether that was to take the fall for you or to simply go in after you, it didn’t matter. He just couldn’t believe he was right there when you lost your grip and fell into the void of rock and rubble. 

Leon found himself thinking back to the length of your involvement with one another, from his first day with you to the final one. He wished he could go back years ago and ask you to be his way back then. Why he had waited five years to develop the partnership into something more, he had no idea. 

He hated the fact that you could’ve been his and you could’ve been together way sooner had he pushed aside his commitment issues faster and realised just how amazing you were. 

He didn’t even get the chance to tell you that he loves you and had for many years now. 

The trip back home was brutal. 

He didn’t say a word as he stared out the window, his heart feeling like it was about to burst at the fact that he was leaving you behind in the mess while he lived on. It would take weeks for the rescue crew to locate and retrieve your body, if they ever found it, and he almost wished they wouldn’t. He couldn’t bear the thought of burying you for the second time, nor could he stand the thought of not giving you a proper funeral.

He just wished it never happened. He wished he never went on this mission with you and he wished he was the one who got buried that day. He would give anything to go back to the day you were assigned the mission. He would flat out refuse it and take you away, somewhere safe and where he could protect you. Not that you needed it. You could take care of yourself just fine, but you were reckless. You didn’t care what happened to you, as long as you were able to save someone.

And if he couldn’t refuse it, he’d stop you from going after the kid. Whatever it took; tying you to a post, dragging both you and Talia away from the site, or even going in to save the kid himself. Anything to keep you alive and safe. 

What was the point? 

He can wish all he wants, you’re still gone and he’s still here. You’re just someone else he couldn’t save. 

Seeing how Leon lost his partner, in more ways than one, he hasn’t been assigned any new missions. He was both grateful and frustrated at that. On one hand, your absence would make him lose his mind and he wouldn’t be focused like he normally was, and on the other, he was used to distracting himself by throwing himself into his job. He needed a sense of familiarity as he tried to face this new world - the one without you there to keep him grounded. 

Hunnigan was becoming more and more worried about him. He wasn’t able to focus on anything, he was at home more than he was at work, and he hadn’t filed or done research on any of the cases she sent his way. It was concerning, to say the least.

She entered the briefing room to find him still there. The meeting was long over, something she was surprised he actually showed up for, yet he hadn’t moved since it was cleared. Instead of sitting where he usually did, he sat one seat over. It was where you usually sat, your place secured next to his in the back row. 

His legs were stretched out and resting on the back of the chair in front of him, his hands on his stomach as he played with a ring. He found it in your office when he went in to ask the staff to stop cleaning the space out. Well, he didn’t really ask. No, he told them to get the fuck out and to close the door behind them. 

He stayed there for a good portion of the morning, sitting at the desk he had watched you organise too many times to count. After memorising every square inch of the room, he was about to get up and leave when something caught his eye. 

On the top shelf of the desk, next to a framed picture of the two of you - one where you were both covered in dirt and grime and dust but still smiling because you were together - was a ring he had seen you wear many times. When he asked you about it, you told him it had no meaning to you, it was just pretty and something you found on sale. 

It was a silver band with a few lines carved into it, and you only took it off when you went on missions. 

Leon grabbed it without thinking twice and left your office, turning the light off and closing the door behind him.

He was twirling it around his fingers when Hunnigan walked up to him, a folder in her hand. “Kennedy,” she said in both a greeting and warning. She felt for the guy, but was also trying to do her job and he was making it more difficult than it needed to be. “The meeting is over. What are you still doing here?”

Leon didn’t look up at her as he pulled the ring off of his finger. It was far too small for him and only reached just past the tip of his finger. Maybe he could find a chain to attach it to. 

Ingrid was about to speak again when he finally answered her. “I’m reminiscing,” his tone was cold and sarcastic, so unlike how he usually sounds. 

She clears her throat before opening the folder and trying to ignore the fact that Leon had yet to look at her. “I have a new case for you,” she says, reading over the file before continuing, “It’s one that requires both you and your partner to attend.”

Leon looked up at her and the dark glint in his eyes had her shoulders tensing. After trying to get him to look at her all morning, she wished she would’ve known what she would be met with when he finally did. He stops twirling the ring around his finger and holds it in the palm of his hand. “My partner is dead,” he muttered, glaring at her as he leaned up in the chair. 

Ingrid knew he would never hurt her, so maybe that was why his harsh words didn’t make her back down. “Just come with me,” she says and turns around. “We’re going over it somewhere more private.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed at her retreating figure. He breathed heavily through his nose before pocketing the ring and standing up, ignoring the way his lower back ached from how long he was sitting for. 

He followed her down the hall and into the meeting room, letting out a huff of annoyance when the door closed behind him. “How is this more private?” He asked as they made eye contact.

Ingrid just shook her head, a small smile on her lips. “It’s not, really,” she answered. “I just wanted to formally introduce you to your partner.”

Leon refrained from rolling his eyes. “I already told you, my partner is dead-”

The side door opened and in walked someone he never thought he’d see again. 

The words die on his tongue as the person looks up and at the woman beside him. “Hey, I think I left some of the papers back at the-” 

Your eyes meet his and your grip on the folder falters. Almost instantly, Leon’s blue irises are covered by tears and you let go of the file completely. It falls to the floor, making Hunnigan bite back a cry of shock as she spent damn near all morning putting that together. She lets it slide as she quietly excuses herself and leaves the room.

Within seconds, Leon crosses the room and closes the distance between you. His arms wrap around your waist while yours grip his shoulders, your legs closing around his hips. You let out a happy sob when his arms tightened around you, his hands grasping at you with a desperation you had never seen or felt before. 

Even the feeling of your shirt getting caught in the stitches on your hip wasn’t enough to pull you away from him. Leon feared that if he were to let go for even a second, you’d be gone again and he’d be alone. If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that a life without you was one he could not live in. 

Your tears dampen his shirt, making the fabric appear even darker. His own fall from his eyes and gather in your hair, his nose inhaling the scent of the vanilla soap that quickly became your signature smell. 

He wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not, but he knew he never wanted to wake up. It was such a difference to the countless nightmares he’s had since he lost you, each one being a replay of what actually happened to you. He would happily live in this dreamland with you forever. He never wanted to witness you dying ever again.

You died. 

How were you even here?

Leon pulled away, using nearly all of his self control to do so, and looked at each inch of your face. Your bottom lip had a cut going through it, your cheek was a horrid shade of green and purple, and your left eye was bloodshot. “How?” He asked desperately. “I don’t understand-how are you-”

You just shake your head, your hands stroking his hair a few times before you bring him into a tear-tasting kiss. Leon kisses you back with everything he has, his legs moving before his mind has a chance to catch up with them. 

He blindly reaches for the handle to the door and when he finds it, he stumbles into the break room with your hands tightly gripping his hair. His teeth clash with yours before they tug on your bottom lip, careful as to not rip the cut open. 

He sets you down on one of the tables and one of your hands leaves his hair, your palm flat against the surface behind you as your lips messily meet. Your legs tighten around his middle and tug him even closer as his hands caress the sides of your face, his lips still locked with yours. 

You pull away for air and have little time to react before Leon’s lips attack your neck. He kisses every inch of your skin as if it were the last time he would ever be able to. He was still in disbelief that it was really you in front of him. You, with your legs wrapped around him. You, with your hand tugging on his hair in the way you know he loves. You, with his saliva coating various areas of your neck as his lips made work of your skin.

Your shirt falls off your shoulder and it was then he saw the bandage that covered a large portion of your collarbone. 

It really was you. A broken and beaten version of you, but still you. 

He lifts one of his hands and lets his fingers gently brush over the white bandage, his eyes full of different emotions. Love. Anger. Guilt. Relief. “What happened?” He asked quietly, tracing the edges of the white fabric. 

You look down at him, confused as to why he stopped kissing your neck. Your eyes soften when you see the guilt swimming in his and you gently place your hands against the sides of his face, tilting his head up so you could talk to him face to face. “I’m okay,” you murmur, your lips brushing against his. “I promise. I’ll tell you everything, I just need you. I need to be close to you.”

Leon pulled back, his hand moving up to brush your messy hair away from your face. “I love you,” he says with no hesitation. He should’ve said the three words years ago, maybe then his heart would’ve been able to grieve differently after he thought you died. 

It didn’t matter. You were here, with him, and he was never letting you go.

Your lips quiver as you take in his words, your eyes flickering between his. You search for any indication that he was lying but find nothing but the truth. A grin breaks out on your lips as you gently tug on his hair. “I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that,” you whisper and watch as relief floods his eyes. “I love you, too.”

Leon laughs quietly before he presses two chaste kisses to your lips, his hands gripping the fabric of your shirt and tugging it upwards. 

-

“So, as I fell, the ground opened up and I landed on the floor of some underground lab. The rubble and debris piled in and covered the way back up, so I was left to find another way out,” you say, your fingers playing with the hair on the back of Leon’s neck. His arms were wrapped around your middle as he gently swayed the two of you on your office chair. 

The door was closed and the blinds were shut, the only light coming from the small lamp you had on your desk. It felt like you were in your own little world, like the other agents outside your office weren’t hurriedly gathering information for their next missions, like Hunnigan wasn’t a few doors down reorganising the file you dropped. 

With your legs draped over his thighs and your side pressed to his front, neither of you cared that you were still at work. Too much time had passed since you last saw each other and you weren’t about to waste anymore. “While I was looking around, I found file after file about the illegal testing they were doing in the village. It was everything we could’ve possibly needed to shut these guys down for good,” you continue, your eyes casted down as you replayed your experiences in your head. 

Leon looked up at you, his hand absentmindedly tracing shapes on the skin of your thighs that your skirt didn’t cover. His eyes trailed all over you, from the bandage peeking out from under your shirt, to the multiple marks he kissed into the skin of your neck, to your swollen lip. 

Scratching at his scalp before smoothing your hand back over it, you turn to face him. “I grabbed everything I could and tried to find a way out, but the next thing I knew…I was being cornered by the scientists who had survived the collapse. I bargained with them for a while before they let me go, but not without dislocating my shoulder and threatening my life a couple times,” Leon’s eyes darkened at that, his jaw clenching as he stopped swaying and tightened his hold on you. “I was kept down there for a few days before the rescue team finally found me, as well as all the evidence, and then the scientists were cuffed and taken out.”

Leon shifted slightly, his hand going back to running up and down your thigh. “They told me that they couldn’t find your body,” he mumbled, making your heart ache at the sadness that dripped from his voice. 

“I was put under witness protection for a week or so after I was brought back home,” you say just as quietly. 

His eyes met yours again. “You have no idea how many times I threatened to go back to that place and look for you myself. They were giving me nothing to go off of. They just said you were probably crushed by all the rubble and that it could take weeks to recover your remains-” he cut himself off as a dry sob nearly slipped past his lips.

Your eyes sting as you push his hair up and press a kiss to his forehead. “I’m so sorry,” you mumbled against his skin. “I wanted to come back to you every second of every day, but they wouldn’t let me. They said it was too soon, too dangerous and to wait a few more days. I just had to hold onto the thought of seeing you again. It’s what kept me going.”

Leon looked down at his hand as it neared the hem of your skirt. “I thought I lost you,”

“I’m right here,” you say and turn his head so he was looking back at you. “I’m here and I’m never leaving your side. Not until you tell me to.”

He shakes his head, his hand falling from your thigh as he fumbles around in the pocket of his jeans. You furrow your brows as he pulls out a small object. He held your ring in between his fingers and lifted it up so you could see it.

You let out a small laugh, your hand quickly wiping away your tears as you looked between the ring and him. “My ring,” you hum, returning your hand to his hair. “I was wondering where that went.”

Leon stayed still as he grabbed your hand and slid the ring on your finger. “Marry me,” he said quietly and you could’ve heard a pin drop as silence took over the space of your office. 

You shifted on his lap and moved his head so you could look him in the eyes. He was serious. “What?”

“Marry me,” he said again and held your hand in his. “I don’t want to go that long without you ever again. I can’t.”

You let out a laugh of disbelief before cradling his face in your free hand. “Yes,” you say, more tears gathering in your eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you say and wrap your arms around him, pressing your body impossibly closer to his. “I’ll marry you.”

-

I don't have a tag list but thank you for the support on part 1 @taken-by-the-wind <3

[janeyseymour]

Hii

Can you write a Mel x reader where they go to the PECSA and there is only one bed available? They describe themselves as reaaaally good friends until everything changes.

Can you make it with a happy ending? Ty ❤️

I hope this is what you were asking for!

What happens at PECSA...

WC: ~3k

“PECSA,” Melissa grins. “Here we come!” She turns in her seat to glance at you sitting in the back. Barb and her had been kind enough to let you tag along with them.

“Oh, Y/N,” Barb chuckles as she drives. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into tagging along with the two of us.”

“I know what I got myself out of by not going with Janine and Jacob,” you giggle. “I still don’t know how Gregory puts up with the two of them sometimes.”

“Love does weird things to that man,” Barb makes a face. “God, I can’t wait to not have to listen to those lectures and relax in a hot tub instead. I’ve been around a while, I don’t know why I’m still required to go to these things”

“I’m ready for a couple of math-o-ritas, and then I’ll be schmoozing all of the different companies to get them to donate supplies to Abbott,” Melissa cheers from her seat.

You, on the other hand, aren’t quite sure what to expect. The last time you went to PECSA, you mostly just kept to yourself and kept your head down. You were a new teacher, and you figured you should at least look like you were trying. But that was last year. Now, you have Melissa and Barbara to help you out, and if the three of you get caught not participating... you’re sure one of them will get you out of the sticky situation.

It takes you a bit longer to get to your destination, and both senior teachers are all grins once you’re finally there.

“Oh, PECSA,” Melissa sighs in content as she grabs her bags. “How I’ve missed you.”

“Come on, Melissa,” Barbara laughs. “If we want to be able to raid the minibar before the opening dinner, we have to get in there! Now!”

The redhead all but rolls her eyes as she moves out of the way, allowing the kindergarten teacher to grab her various bags.

“Jeez, Barbara,” you laugh as you look at the amount of things she’s packed for a weekend. You have one duffel bag and a backpack filled with everything you could possibly need, and she has... is that really five bags?

“I’m very serious about my nighttime routine, Y/N,” she says lowly. “I don’t look this good by doing nothing, you know.”

“C’mon, you two,” the redhead teases the two of you. “Let’s go check in and get settled in.”

You let Melissa and Barbara check in first before you step up to the counter. 

“Checking in for Y/N,” you say politely.

The clerk clicks around a few times on his computer before giving you a look. “I don’t have a reservation under that name.”

You look baffled. You had booked your room months in advance- you had booked it with Melissa’s guidance because she knew a guy who could get you a good deal. “That’s impossible, you say softly. I booked my room months ago.”

“Did you get a confirmation email?” The concierge asks.

“I did,” you mumble as you pull out your phone, searching for it. You pull it up as proof.

Your coworkers are watching curiously. It hadn’t taken that long for them to check in.

“You think she’s okay?” Melissa leans in close to Barb.

“I’m not sure,” the kindergarten teacher replies. “She looks a little frazzled.”

“I’ll check on ‘er,” the redhead tells her friend. “Watch my stuff.”

“You okay?” Melissa comes up behind you and sets a hand on your shoulder.

You take a shaky breath. “Fine. They just messed up my reservation, so now they’re looking to see where they can put me, and they’re figuring out how much I get back since I won’t be put in as nice of a-”

“They fucked up your reservation?” the redhead cuts you off. “Oh... Vinnie’s gonna get an earful about this one.”

“It’s okay,” you lay a hand on her arm. “It’s fine. It’s all gonna get squared away, and then we can focus on having a good time at PECSA.”

“No, I’m gonna-” Melissa looks like something has triggered her ‘fight-or-fight’ response.

“It’s okay,” you promise her. “It’s all gonna be fine. Things happen, mistakes happen.”

She doesn’t look very happy, but she does take a breath. If you say it’s fine, she’s trusting you. She goes over and tells Barb what’s happening, and they both come and stand at your sides.

Except then the clerk is coming back over to you, and he doesn't look too excited to share whatever news he has with you.

“Miss Y/N, I am so sorry,” he states quietly. “We’re operating at maximum capacity for this weekend due to the conference, and we will not be able to fit you in. We are in the process of providing a full refund to you as we-”

“What the hell?” Melissa asks from behind you. “How’d you goof up that bad?”

“Mel, it’s okay,” you say quietly. “I’ll just find a different hotel to stay in.”

“No, you’re not,” the second grade teacher bites out. “Because you’ll be staying with me in my room.”

“And we expect a full refund for her,” Barbara cuts in. “And some sort of credit. It’s the least you can do for the poor girl.”

“Guys, it’s fine,” you turn red. They’re fighting for you, and the idea of staying with Melissa? Well... you’ve had a thing for her since you first started at Abbott, but it’s never gone anywhere past coworkers. Staying with Melissa could be dangerous territory if you weren’t careful.

“Like hell we’re gonna let you stay somewhere,” the redhead tells you seriously as she picks up your bags. “The plan is to get hammered, and there ain’t no way I’m lettin’ you take an Uber to and from a different hotel.”

“She’ll be accepting an apology in some form of credit,” Barbara hits the concierge with a stern look again before the three of you walk away.

“Maybe I should just go-”

“Go where, kid?” Melissa rolls her eyes. “Barb drove, so you’re stuck here. Might as well make the best of it, yeah? Now, are you gonna share a room with me, or spend your time on one of these nasty ass couches in the lobby?”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” you ask.

“Nope,” the redhead pops her ‘p’. “Let's go, hon. If we hurry we can still get a couple of glasses of wine in before tonight’s event.”

The three of you get into the elevator and head for your rooms. 

“I’ll meet you down at the pool in an hour?” Barb asks. At yours and Melissa’s nods, she lets herself into her room next to Melissa’s... and now yours too.

The redhead unlocks your door and gestures for you to go first. You look around. This place is... wow. It’s really nice. Whatever her cousin Vinnie did to get her this nice of a room had to have been pretty big. You set your things on the floor over by the rather uncomfortable looking couch that is taking up space on the other side of the room.

“Oh come on, Y/N,” Melissa chuckles. “You can put your stuff on the bed.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” you mutter nervously, tucking a hair behind your ear and rubbing your collar bone gently.

“You ain’t intruding. I invited you to stay with me for the weekend,” she says pointedly. She glances at where you’ve decided to set your things. “And you’re not sleeping on that ratty ass couch, so don’t even try it.”

“You don’t think this is... weird for us to share a bed?”

“It ain’t weird if you don’t make it weird,” your colleague shrugs as she reaches for her bag. She pulls out a couple of shooters. “Now, are you ready to get PECSA weekend started or what?”

You, Barb, and Melissa end up by the pool an hour later. You had made your appearance, and now you were fully taking advantage of the fact that everybody else was so preoccupied with PECSA events that you had the entire pool room to yourselves.

“Best weekend of the year,” the kindergarten teacher raises her glass. 

“Seriously,” Melissa responds. “Bottomless margs, a heated pool, and a relaxing weekend with two of my favorite people.” While Barb smiles, you blush. You didn’t know you were that high up on her list. You honestly weren’t even sure you were on her good list to begin with, so hearing that you were in ranks with the kindergarten teacher definitely took you by surprise.

“To PECSA,” you say quietly and take off your coverup before reaching for your book. You miss the way that Melissa’s eyes check you out, just like how you had missed it in the hotel room.

You end up falling asleep not much later, a glass of mimosa sitting next to you, and your novel is open and laying on your chest.

Melissa looks over to you. “Wow.” She can’t remember the last time she’s seen you so still- so at peace. You were always running around at Abbott, and even when you were sitting, a part of your body was almost always bouncing up and down. Now, you just look calm. You look... gorgeous. Even with your hair tied up carelessly and no makeup on, Melissa thought you looked absolutely stunning. 

“Poor girl’s been working herself so hard this year,” Barbara tuts. “She’s been exhausted lately.”

That was not what the redhead was referring to, but she’ll play along. “I know,” she laughs nervously. “We’ve barely been here for an hour, and she’s already fallin’ asleep on us. Hope she can keep up with us later tonight.”

“It’s a good thing we were there when the clerk told her there wasn’t any more room,” Barb says, lips turned up. “Otherwise the poor thing would’ve probably Ubered home and not enjoyed this weekend with us.”

“Yeah,” the second grade teacher says noncommittally. She’s still got her eyes on you. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen you looking more beautiful than you do dozing off in the lounge chair. 

“Are you gonna be okay this weekend sharing the place with her?” She knows about Melissa’s little thing for you. She knows how much the redhead cares about you, and she understands how strong the other woman’s feelings are for you.

“I’ve held it together for this long, I can do it for another weekend,” Melissa rolls her eyes. “I have to. I ain’t jeopardizing our friendship.”

“But this weekend you have to share a room,” the kindergarten teacher argues.

“A bed,” Melissa coughs out awkwardly. “We’re sharing a bed. It's totally normal. Friends share beds all the time. I told her I wasn’t going to let her sleep on that ratty ass couch they have in there. But I’ll be... I’ll be fine.”

“You sure about that?” Barbara teases. 

“I’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. Everything will be just... I’ll be fine.”

“Say it one more time, and I’ll believe you,” the older teacher chuckles. 

“I’ll be fine,” Melissa huffs. She takes her eyes off of you to take a sip of her drink. “I just can't get too hammered now.”

That’s what she said. But that was also four hours ago, and five drinks ago. You three are currently down at one of the parties. Barbara is speaking with a few of the handlers from different supply companies, you have had your fair share of drinks and are starting to stumble, and Melissa refuses to leave your side. She glares down pretty much anybody who even thinks about trying to talk to you.

Someone from Addington decides that they don’t give a damn about Melissa’s harsh looks and has to come over to attempt to flirt with you. You’ve made it quite clear you are having no parts of it, but he just won’t leave you alone. Melissa doesn’t like this one bit. She doesn’t intervene just yet though. She knows you are a strong independent woman who can handle this- unless you give her some sort of signal to ask for help.

“I’m really okay,” you slur out. “I don’ wan’ another. Thanks-s though.”

He just keeps trying to get you to drink another one, trying to make conversation with you even though you aren’t interested. He’s ignoring the fact that the redhead is right there with you too. You give Melissa a look that she interprets to be a plea for help. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but that’s how she takes it.

“Hey, asshole,” the second grade teacher finally taps his shoulder. “She said she ain’t interested, so beat it.”

“And who are you?” he looks her over. “Old, washed up-”

“I’d watch it if I were you,” Melissa glares him down. “Now get outta here, before I help you outta here.”

“Who even are you?” the charter teacher asks. 

Melissa, thinking that you are too inebriated to remember this tomorrow, bites the bullet. She wraps her arms around your waist and helps to steady you. “Her girlfriend. Now, seriously: beat it before I beat you.”

“Damn,” he puts his hands up in surrender as he walks away. “The hot ones always turn out to be gay.”

You’re intoxicated, but not because of the copious amount of tequila you’ve had tonight. No, it’s because of a certain coworker's arms being snaked around your waist and holding onto you tightly. 

“I think maybe it’s time for bed,” Melissa tells you gently as she continues to hold you up. You giggle as you lean into her, fully embracing how close you are and loving it.

“You’re- you’re warm,” you tell her. “I like that about you.”

“Well, yeah,” she laughs as she guides you towards where Barbara is sitting. “Hey, Barb. I think this one’s had enough, so I’m gonna take her up to the room and get her to bed, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Barb!” You try to launch yourself at the veteran teacher.

“Oh! Y/N!” the kindergarten teacher laughs. She lets you hug her, quietly mouthing, ‘Is she okay?’ to Melissa. At the redhead’s nod, she mouths, ‘Are you okay?’ to which Melissa nods again.

“Alright, sweetheart,” the second grade teacher helps pry you off of Barbara. “I think it’s about time we get up to our room and into bed.”

“Mhmm,” you hum. “As long as- as long as you stay with me.”

“I never said nothin’ ‘bout leaving,” she assures you. “Now c’mon.” 

The two of you somehow manage to get back up to the room, and at this point, Melissa is practically dragging you. She keeps one arm looped around your waist while she tries to open the door for you. It unlocks, and she pushes it open before guiding you to the bed.

“Sleep, hon,” Melissa instructs. 

“Don’ wanna sleep in this,” you gesture to the dress you’re wearing. She can’t necessarily blame you- it doesn’t look terribly comfortable.

“Okay, hon,” she sighs. She opens your duffel, blushing immediately. “Is there anything specific you want in here?”

“My t-shirt,” you mumble, already curled up on your side of the bed. She digs through your duffel bag, only to realize you forgot to pack a night shirt. Thank god she packed an extra. She quickly goes to her side of the bed and finds the spare shirt. 

She throws the shirt at you and instructs you to change, but you’re still struggling after several minutes. With a sigh, Melissa knows she’s going to have to help you change. She wishes she was undressing you, not helping you redress.

Once you’re finally changed, she helps you slip into bed and pulls the blankets up and around you. The teacher moves a few stray hairs away from your face before tracing a gentle line down your cheek with the pad of her thumb.

“Mel,” you whine when she pulls her hand away from your face. “Don’t go.”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart,” she promises you. “I’m just gonna change for bed myself, and then I’ll be right back, yeah?” You nod, and she walks into the bathroom with her own pajamas.

She takes a long time in the bathroom. You’re struggling to keep your eyes open, but you don’t want to fall asleep without her arms around you- they are safe. Secure. When she comes out, she’s shocked to see that you’re still awake.

“Hey sleepyhead,” she chuckles. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“Waiting for you,” you try, but fail, to stifle a yawn. “C’mon.”

She climbs into bed, and you waste no time wiggling your way into her arms. You tangle

your legs together and force her to hold you as you rest your head on her shoulder.  

“You good, hon?” Melissa asks you gently, just barely daring to press a kiss to your hair.

“Wish we could do this sober,” you mumble, sleep threatening to take you. “But ‘m too nervous to say anything to you when not drunk.”

The redhead is fairly certain she’s hallucinating. Did you just admit you wished you could cuddle with her? Lay in bed with her and fall asleep in her arms?

“Well, sweetheart,” the second grade teacher sighs heavily. “Let’s just get past tonight, see what you remember tomorrow, and then we can talk.”

You nod. You’re still drunk, but you’re pretty aware of everything that is happening, and you know you’ll remember all of this tomorrow. But it’s that extra little bite that liquid courage gives you that allows you to say, “I love you, Mel,” before you tighten your grip on her and give in to sleep. 

Melissa’s eyes widen slightly, but she doesn’t hesitate in saying, “I love you too, Y/N.” She presses a sweet kiss to the side of your head, and prays to God that when the two of you wake up everything is okay.

Next

[sadie-the-dragon-slayer]

Self / Independent Learner's Guide to Language Learning From Zero

-a mini study plan I used this for Spanish, French and Italian, it is my favourite way of starting to learn. It won't teach you the langauge but if this is your first time, if you feel confused and don't know where to begin, this is for you! -this is kinda romance langauge based but might give you ideas if you are learning from a different family too -this is very notebook / writing based since i prefer learning that way Step 1: Preperation

First of all, ask yourself "do i already have some amount of immersion in this langauge?" As humans, we learn from immersion a lot. Songs, but especially visual media is incredibly heplful. I never studied japanese but after watching a few animes i picked up 5-10 random words. Passive vocabulary, being familiar to most common words will be your biggest friend. If the answer is no, before start studying ANYTHING do some immersion. e.g. I watched dix pour cent for French and learned arrêt which means stop because characters were shouting to each other all the time.

After making sure you have some immersion or if you already have some, PREPARE YOUR RESOURCES. Make a file in your computer, reblog tumblr posts, save links. Search for pdfs in google. (x language a1 pdf / x langauge a1 grammar book / x language a1 reading) Free PDF's and and useful websites. The more the merrier. Why? Because when you actually start learning you will slowly realise them half of them are not actually useful, too advance, too simple, not in your preffered style etc. You will en up using same handful amount of resources again and again but before that, you have to TRY EVERYTHING. You are unique and so will be your learning process.

Google x language A1 curriculum. (you can try adding "pdf" at the end of sentence as well) It "probably/ hopefully" exists. If you can't find that way, learn which offical exam is necessary (e.g. for French it's DELF/DALF, in english there is IELTS and so many more) If you are lucky, you can find a langauge teaching enstitute's curriculum and you can find in what order they teach things. This was very helpful for me because sometimes you don't know what to study next, or just want to visualise what do you need to learn, it is helpful. I printed one out and paste it to the back cover of my notebook. You won't need this one YET. I'll explain in a second. Keep reading.

Get a notebook. I don't prefer books while learning from zero because it will be filled with vocabulary you don't know. My pereference is no squares no lines empty ass notebook and colorful pens. I'm a person of shitty doodles. I love to draw and visualise things. It really helps my brain. In A1, your knowledge is absouletly zero and your brain is about the explode with realising GREAT MASS of knowledge you need to learn in order to be "fluent" . So keep things away from being "too much" if you want to avoid a burnout.

Set a timer. If you want to avoid burnout, the secret is always quit when you feel like you can go another round happily. Quit when you are dopamine high. If you study too much, next day you'll wake up tired, want to rest etc. and make it harder for you to create a habit. I did this mistake with French by studying 4-5 hours everyday for around 30 days. I completed my challenge, completly quit and then didn't come back for MONTHS.

You will be re-studying A LOT. Language learning is repetition. You will start by studying "the A1 curriculum". But, because this is your first time your focus will be on the vocabulary and general comprehension. You are trying to re-wire your brain, and learn a different way of thinking and living. It's not easy. It will take time. It will be painful at times. But it is 100% worth it.

After you finished studying your curriculum, you'll take a short break and then study the curriculum AGAIN. For a second time. Because you already know the basics, this time you will be able to focus more on the little things you weren't able to comprehend the last time. e.g. articles or whatever little frustaring thing your langauge has. Also focus more on basic prononciation and especially reading aloud. Find a realistic text-to-reader. Copy-paste a text. Listen and repeat.

Get a new Youtube and Instagram account dedicated to langauge study. How many good resources exists and where they are is really depens on which langauge you are learning. For english, youtube is better. For French, instagram is better. You have to see for yourself. If you get a seperate account for your langauge algorith will learn faster and you won't be distracted by other stuff. Short form engaging videos are the best for absolute beginners. Re-watch things and try to repeat them out loud. It's called shadowing and is your future best friend.

If you want to learn how to speak, you first need to how to write. If you can't write sentences without looking at google translate (or reverso) you won't be able to make up sentences in your head. If you want to learn how to write, your first need to learn how to read. You need to start in this order but also don't be perfectionist. Do it even if you do it wrong. They will be fixed eventually and won't stick. Record yourself speaking even if the text you are reading is 90% google translated. Why? Beacuse speaking will enhance your vocabulary in a way no other thing can and that's the core of reading. So this isn't a linear thing. It's actually a circle!

Step Two! Ok, Sadie, i got my notebooks and read through all the warnings where do i start? *First page: [] means written is target langauge

[x notebook] x= your target langauge

Add something cute and make you feel happy to open up the notebook. It can a drawing, a picture, anything. First page is your entrance to your new home. Make it welcoming.

*[My name is X. I am Y years old. I live in Z.] *Greetings. Main articles if there are any. Yes, no, please, thank you. *What is your name, what do you do for living, how are you, where are you from, how old are you, how many langauges do you speak, numbers from 0-100. If there are multiple way of saying these things and probably there are, just write one. You will eventually learn others. Baby steps. *write a basic ass text of two people having a conversation asking and answering these questions.

*the alphabet and how to pronounce the letters. basic letter combinations that change into a different sound. a youtube video about this 100% exists.

*personal pronouns and if there is a "am/is/are" verb the conjugation of it. (in spanish there is two unfortunately) *artciles and basic noun endings. a couple exemples of nouns in x form but takes y article. *first 5 most common verbs. learn the conjugation, try writing basic ass sentences. (e.g. to come, go, have, speak)

*three more verbs (e.g. to eat, can, to want)

*take some time to fully comprehend. check your curriculum list to look and see if you want to add anything. e.g.for spanish that can be ser vs estar, for spanish is can be "how to ask questions in french" becaue it's way harder compared to other langauges.

*take some break from grammar and learn some vocab maybe. it can be colors, or feelings. (i am sad, i am hungry etc.)

*start studying most common verbs. usually a form of categorization exists. usually it's verb ending. (unless it's a language like turkish where every verb either ends with -mek or -mak lol.) Start with 10- 15 most common verbs. You will also be learning some vocabulary by default. (try to stick to regular verbs if you can, if not that's fine) (Do not learn any verbs you won't be able to use immediately.)

*Learn basic adjectives and how they work so you can form more detailed sentences.

*After comprehending how to form basic positive negative sentences and some verbs, congratulate yourself, because you deserve it! *Learn how tell time. "What time is it? It's x'o clock."

*learn clothing and how to simply describe physical look e.g. hair color, eye color, beard, glasses...

*learn the verbs of daily routine. be able to write a generic ass "i wake up, i do breakfast, i eat lunch at school, i sleep" sort of text.

*demonstratives. this that. these. those. you can add some vocabulary you like. this is a cat. this is a tree. you can add placement adjectives now or later. (the cat is under the sofa. the bird is on the table etc.)

*Now you know a lot of things! Take some time and focus a bit more on the vocab, let your brain process things, do some passive immersion. avoid a burnout at all costs. *learn how to say "there is" (if you want more vocab transportation and city centre themes can be included.) *learn how to talk about your hobbies. This is the generic A1 curriuculum. You are able to understand basic things, you have a generic comprehension. That's all it takes to be considered A1. If you want to pass it though, what you need is a good grammar source. For French and Spanish Kwiziq was very useful. I couldn't find a good online grammar resource for Italian yet. (please ask more experienced langblrs for recs.) Slowly learn more vocab (since A1 is more vocab based. If you hate Anki and Quizlet stuff check Linguno. Actually check Linguno anyway it's a banger and i'm gonna die on that hill.)

If you don't have have native friend to ask questiones and you don't have any ethical concerns ChatGPT can be useful. I'm using it for French for months. Why are we using this particle here, why this and not that, can you give me some example sentences.... you can play guess the animal, ask for writing prompts and then make ChatGpt find and explain your mistakes to you. It's very handy.

*Don't be scared to share about your journey on Tumblr and most importantly ENJOY!

[notsocooljess]

Re(liability)

here’s a one shot i wrote of katniss trying to find her place in the rebuilding efforts in district twelve!

it’s the main story for my drabble “Whatever”

i hope you like it!

Rebirth. Restructure. Restore. Relearn. Rejoice.

Those are the Five Rs, the pillars of New Panem. President Paylor and her cabinet wasted no time sharing their plans for the country. Rebirth as a new nation. Restructure the government so all people, Capitol or District, are treated as equals and valued the same. Restore the Capitol and districts to be even better than they were before. Relearn our history, both that which formed Panem and which came far before, so we do not allow our recent past to happen again. And rejoice in our success as one.

I’d find it more comforting if the slogan didn’t sound like a perfectly punctuated line from a propo. I can almost hear Plutarch’s pleased chuckle when he and Fulvia presented the work to the new president herself.

Beyond my own grievances, Paylor and her new government have been leading an extensive rebuilding project, and District Twelve has been at the forefront of many of the volunteers’ efforts, so I often try to bite my tongue and not cringe when I hear the motto repeated on my television nightly.

Rebuilding District Twelve has been a process, which really isn’t hard to imagine when all Snow left us to work with were bones and ash. But no matter how destroyed it is, and no matter how depressing it is for natives to see, so many people come back to help pick up the pieces. Delly Cartwright and her brother. Ripper and her sons. Even the Hawthornes, after a brief stint of residing in District Two with Gale, come back. This is home, and we all agree we need to fix it up for those of us who no longer can.

I thought seeing the Hawthornes would be hard. Before the games, their house felt like my second home. I know Gale must’ve told them about some of what had gone on between us, about why we have gone from best friends to strangers. I didn’t know how I would face them again. But I don’t hold the sole torch of being changed by the war. We have all been hurt, damaged, and altered from the past two years. We are all handling grief in our own ways. And I realized this, that things could be alright between us, when Hazelle grabbed me in a tight hug the first night I saw her back in Victors Village, and instead of stiffening up, my body immediately eased into her motherly warmth.

It’s been over a year since I’ve returned to Twelve, and everyone who has returned before me and since has been trying to play their part and help where they can. People are building and cleaning and feeding and trading with one another to make sure we’re all meeting our needs (though our needs are being met far more consistently with scheduled shipments of supplies from the Capitol). We are working every day to make our district function better than ever before. So much has changed, yet still so much needs to be done.

The square is teeming with new shops. Some of them are running, like Peeta’s bakery, which was one of the first storefronts to be designated. Many others have their walls being put up every day. The focus seems to be on priority: the bakery and the grocer were top of the list so people could get their food. Delly and her brother are selling shoes and garments as we wait for more business to open to separate the two commodities. An apothecary shop was opened by a transplant from District Eleven as the Capitol engineers make progress on the development of the new medical factory near the old mine entrance.

Between the ongoing rebuilding and shopkeeping and caring, it seems like everyone has found their stride in helping except for me. Sure, I am able to hunt, but I’m only me. While the Capitol is working to rebuild all districts, District Ten’s livestock numbers are still suffering. Apparently with all of their technology, the Capitol can’t figure out how to make the baby animals grow any faster, so we need to wait it out for the numbers to climb. With that, and even with some supplementary shipments from District Thirteen, fresh meat is one of the only commodities we’re still struggling to consistently obtain. Even with our low population, it’s hard for me to help each household get some form of meat more than once a week.

That’s why I’m taken by surprise when Thom approaches me with a proposition.

Keep reading here :)

[fireflyatlast]

As promised: Rite Here Rite Now Review

Spoiler free above the cut, spoilers WILL be under the cut. (Word count: 1110)

Wow wow wow. In simple terms, RHRN was incredible. The recordings were edited very well, the crowd was great, the vocals were amazing as always, and the long-awaited continuation of the chapters was very satisfying.

As a newer fan (really started listening right when Re-Imperatour was ending) I unfortunately never got the chance to ever see any shows live. However, despite my newer status, I have made Ghost a key part of my interests. (ask any of my lovely irl friends, they've had the misfortune of hearing my rants.) I've watched countless interviews and old rituals in order to make up for lost time, but never have I felt more immersed in any Ghost media than I did when I saw the KIA shows on the big screen. It didn't feel like I was in row G seat 12 of my "local" mall's Regal Cinema, it felt like I was right there in LA.

The opening 5 minutes as Square Hammer plays softly in the background was great. Because there wasn't much going on on the screen, everyone in the theater that I was in was softly humming or singing to themselves quietly (Side note: I was worried that people would be super disruptive as the movie was going on, and I was really happy to not have those worries realized. My theater was respectful for the most part, and the only time anyone sang was during that five-minutes of not much.) It felt very nice to belong amongst such a nice community irl. As an introverted neurodivergent, sometimes I struggle to find places or people welcoming or sharing my interests. So being in a theater full of people who love the same thing as me, as much as me, was such a nice feeling.

The cinematography during the entirety of RHRN was great, with my personal favorite segment being Con Clavi Con Dio. The editing was really nice for the most part, and I love the development Cardi was given throughout the movie. I feel my one gripe with the filming is that while we did get great perspective shots on the ghouls, we didn't get much of their personalities. And yes, I get that technically they are just hired musicians and not the main focus by any means, I think it just would have been nice to see more than just a handful of clips of them interacting with each other or Papa.

All in all, RHRN was a wonderful experience and I strongly suggest any Ghost fan out there gives it a watch.

And now its time for my more story-based review. Spoilers under the cut!!

Again, wow. I was pretty excited to finally get some more of the chapters, I'm a big fan of anything that has "lore" even if it doesn't need it, so I definitely owe the chapters a thanks for really getting me into Ghost.

I was thrilled to find that we finally had a true conformation of Cardi's parents. I had always theorized that while Nihil was Copia's father, Copia had come from an affair with the audience members in the Kiss the Go-Goat music video, and that Imperator was Copia's adoptive mother after Nihil's abandonment of him. It's good to know I was wrong rather than not I guess.

Something I also enjoyed was the constant foreshadowing of Sister's death. It wasn't very subtle, but its definitely something I only connected the dots to at the end. Whenever we saw Sister, we saw pills. Lots and lots of pills. I had originally brushed this off as a background joke, but once Cardi reads her note, I realized that the pills were for her unnamed "condition." I think going into it, all of us knew someone would die, I just personally thought that someone would be Copia, not Sister.

That after-credit scene was amazing too. I loved Cardi's new outfit, and the conformation that yes, there will have to be another papa. Which obviously, yes, of course there has to be a new papa, but now, it just feels so much more real. Speaking of the new papa I WISH WE COULD HAVE SEEN HIM AAH! I get cliffhangers, but he was RIGHT THERE!

I'm excited for the next era and the next papa, the next costume of the ghouls. I have a theory though. I see a lot of people being stressed about the changing of the ghoul costumes with the new era, but I think we have one more cycle with the Impera masks. I've noticed that each mask and costume stays the same for two cycles. Opus to Infestissumam, the only thing that changed was the costumes becoming more remnant of Catholic ministry-wear. From Meliora to Prequelle, the masks stayed mostly the same, now with an added more feminine looking mask and more "suit like" outfits over religious attire. I definitely think we have one more era with the Impera masks, but different costumes. Also speaking of the ghouls one of them talked!! I think it was Mountain, but honestly I have a shit memory and it could have been anyone.

Onto my focus on who Cardi actually is. I am so happy we finally got more of a look into his mind now that he is papa. I feel like his personality when he was Cardinal was very timid and awkward, however I never thought he would stay that way at all. I like that he's way more confident now, to the point that he's questioning the higher authority of the ministry and their ways. I love that this confidence is partly just a mask to keep his fears of death hidden. I think his fears manifesting as an angry, questioning personality gives him a lot more depth than if he just gained confidence through his performances, which obviously happened too, don't get me wrong.

The last thing I want to discuss is the credit song, "The Future is a Foreign Land." First off, loved it. It was great musically, and the uncertainty in the lyrics fit very well with all of our uncertainty about the next cycle. Second off, I can't be the only one who think it sounds very similar to Subvision. I personally love Subvision, and even if its only for that one song, I'm super glad that style was revived for Ghost.

In conclusion, I love the developments made in RHRN, and I am more than excited for whatever is next. I think my brain will have to marinate on what I saw a bit more, maybe then I'll have some actual theories.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Sorry if you've already talked about this but I just found your blog and I have a question. I basically stopped watching the show and Gang of Secrets but I'd like to know your thoughts on how the show handles secret identities?

Personally I really like secret identites as a trope and the way you can use it to make different character dynamics, and I feel like the show underutilizes it at best and at worst seem actively annoyed by the constraint they gave themselves.

Like this is somehow a show where when Alya and Nino found out each other's identities, it directly contributed to them each getting taken out in Heroes' Day, and when Marianne got Akumatized she instantly spilled the Guardian's existence, and both time the two leads have had identity reveals it lead to a world-destroying catastrophe, and yet half the fandom and seemingly the writers act like it's at most and inconvenience?

Let me know if I'm off or seasons 4 and later do anything to contradict me but it was one of my issues at least and I felt like there were so many fun things they could have done with the set up. Sorry again if this is too long/rambly or whatever lol

Long asks are fine! Heavens knows I tend to make long posts. It's why I use the queue instead of just posting things as I get them.

Anyway, secret identities and identity shenanigans are the things that brought me to this show. They're nothing new in superhero setups, but most shows in this genre have the identity stuff as more of a fun bonus element than the main focus. The idea of a show that was more centered around these concepts via a romance plot sounded like a blast!

It has not been a blast.

The main problem with the identity stuff is that the show's guiding rule seems to be maintaining the secret identities at all cost because a reveal means no more love square and, at this point, it's pretty clear that thy're going to drag the love square out until the bitter end. This means that they actively avoid anything which puts them into a position to push a reveal. The problem with that is that the love square isn't some cute running gag that has no real impact on the plot. The love square is the show's main focus, so you cannot treat it the way you normally treat an identity shenanigans setup.

To give an example for contrast, the show Phineas and Ferb has a running gag involving the titular characters' pet platypus Perry. Unbeknownst to the boys, Perry is a secret agent who saves the world on a regular basis while his "owners" remain oblivious to the fact that Perry is anything more than a normal pet platypus. It's a good running gag because there's no reason why the boys need to find out Perry's secret. There is no overarching plot that's in limbo until this moment happens. It's just a silly thing that could be completely removed from the show without any major impacts.

Consider the difference between that and the love square. You remove the love square and you have a wildly different show because the love square isn't a gag, it's a plot and plots need to progress to feel meaningful. Marinette and Adrien should be growing closer on at least one side of the masks and they should be doing so in a way that makes it feel like the reveal is drawing ever closer.

For example, the fact that they're now dating should be a source of tension. The last time these two dated someone, they both ended up single due to the lies that come with a secret identity. But while Lukanette and Adrigami both lasted a few weeks at most, Adrienette got a whole season without a single identity-based conflict because acknowledging the identity conflict means progress on the reveal and we can't have that because the reveal is apparently being saved for the end of the show.

We don't even get much in the way of developing their relationship because letting them grow closer in a meaningful way means knowing more about each other which, once again, means that a reveal becomes inevitable. This is probably why we got the Derision retcon where Marinette suddenly couldn't talk to Adrien while dating him. No talking means no growing meaningfully closer means no reveal.

It's incredibly frustrating because reveal plots simply aren't structured to be long running plots. This is why most identity shenanigans media either focuses on the reveal and ends up relatively short (ex: the movie You Got Mail) or does the running gag thing where the identity stuff is a source of comedy, but the actual plot is something else that would technically work perfectly fine even if you removed the identity hi-jinx (ex: the anime Spy X Family).

When it comes to the love square, my preference is to take the first option and make it resolve within the first few seasons, but if we must draw it out until the show's end, then I would make all of the following changes to turn the square from a serious plot to more of a running gag:

Do NOT let Chat Noir confess. Instead, make it that he's always setting up romantic dates or confessions for Ladybug that end up stopped because of an akuma or fans or whatever. This would make Marinette's ongoing failures feel more balanced as they're both doing the same thing. It would also turn the confession into more of a comedy element instead of a dramatic one.

Focus more on plot elements unrelated to the love square, distracting the audience from the romance with shinny subplots like a Lila take down.

Don't have the secret identities be a source of conflict. Have Chat Noir totally uninterested in a reveal.

Have Hawkmoth be someone other than Gabriel. The less serious the show's basic setup, the less serious audiences will expect it to be

Of course, all of those are pretty massive changes to the show's basic setup, which is why I say they should have just let the reveal happen. Then they could have actually let all sorts of fun moments happen as we build to the reveal because it's no longer a thing that they writers have to avoid. As someone who has written multiple stories with a reveal, the fun really is planning it all out so that the tension and/or the comedy builds and builds to a dramatic crescendo where everything feels oh so satisfying.

When you live in fear of the reveal and awkwardly shoehorn things in, you get boring things like Gabriel's identity being leaked from a random play, Marinette's crush being revealed by freaking Andre, and Nino's identity reveal leading to nothing interesting because it can't because then we'd be drawing closer to a love square reveal and, well, you know the drill. It's also why you get messed up crappy episodes like Chat Blanc and Ephemeral. Episodes that are just there to prove that the reveal is a bad thing you shouldn't want!

There actually is solid logic as to why a reveal might not be the best move, but we don't even get to see that discussed. Chat Noir just pushes for a reveal because love while Ladybug stays focused on risk mitigation and it's so boring because a good show would let them have an honest discussion of the risks verses the rewards to help drive the conflict leading towards a reveal as a lot of the rewards are only realized if these two already know each other, which is a great tension build! But we can't build tension like that because then you'd be letting them have actual team dynamics where they talk about things and talking about things means bonding which means a build up to reveal and I think you know the drill by now...

This was a bit of a ramble, but hopefully it addressed your question! This is a broad topic that has a lot of ground to cover, so feel free to clarify if you wanted my thoughts on something else. I love identity reveals, so I am happy to babble about them. There's nothing more satisfying then setting up a good one, even if it takes tens of thousands of words to make it hit just right!

[pepsiiwho]

I've been re-listening to Brandy's Cinderella and I am, unfortunately, incredibly weak for the Cinderella story now that I'm older and done being an edgy teenager at all times. Now that I am an adult who is drinking and mildly tipsy, I can combine my favorite current thing (HADES 2) with my favorite princess trope right now (CINDERLLA)

So theres the Hypnos version and the Melione version. Honestly, I'm a bit more taken by the Mel version right now because reverse love stories just move me horribly. So that'll be the focus.

WaxWitch under the cut, no spoilers for Hades 2 other than characters who appear and possible canon interactions compared to this au. Long post WOOP WOOP...

So obviously Cinderella in this au is Icarus and The Prince, now Princess, is Melione. Icarus wouldn't really be the step child under the wicked step mother but just because I'm iffy on the actual lore of the myth and his canon relationship with his father during life in the game, I'll be taking to liberty to say it wasn't great and he very desperately wants to get out of his house and 'spread his wings', so to speak (crowd loudly cheers because I said the thing).

Anyway so similar to the plot of the film, Melione is the princess and daughter of the king and queen. This could be a simple, "Mom, Dad and Brother are back and life is good" set up or "Mel is all that's left of the royal line with her tutor/ god parent turned Adoptive mother as queen" either works, doesn't reeally make a difference. whatever,

So they meet in the main square and Melione is instantly taken by the tinkering boy who dropped his basket of apples or whatever he was doing. They get to talking and eventually one of them has to go but they promise to meet again.

So they do. Again and again and again. For years they continue meeting once a week, every week, regardless of everything else. Melione finds someone soft and kind, someone with a mind that never stops moving and expects nothing from her in terms of revenge or strength. She finds someone painfully mundane and it's refreshing, at first, to be around someone so simple. As they grow together she wishes her dearest Icarus could have more, could have everything this world has to offer. Everything he deserves and more.

Icarus is instantly in love with her. First because the pretty young princess is talking to his pitiful self, both of them the tender age of 15 with nothing to show for it but difficult personalities and a need to prove something, but his love for her just grows and grows with each passing day. He pushes himself to create more and more to amuse Melione with little bobbles and simple wooden figures, then to help Melione ease the day to day humdrum of her classes with paper weights and dynamic knife sheathes, then to aid with her trainings then to help rest her mind. He loves how she laughs and how humble she is even though she of all people need not be humble. How she insists on cleanliness and everything being in its rightful place. How she's such an ass about gardening and how specific soil must be and how seeds are placed. She has a mole on her wrist and she always blushes and groans when her aid called her 'minnow'. How she would have these moments of contemplation, of grief and mourning for a family she never knew. Everything about her entranced him and it somehow just got worse with each years they knew each other. And with that longing came the gap between them widening. Eventually her royal training lessons began, to prepare her to take the throne one day, and that only solidified the distance between them. Maybe that's why things went wrong.

Shit hit the fan during their last day together. He flew too close to the sun with one project, inviting on strengthening himself with her help. Maybe he knew, even then, that he was too weak to be hers. Maybe he was just a headstrong child. Doesn't really matter either way. She got hurt, lost and arm, and he made himself scarce. It was pretty cut and dry (ha) by that point.

A few years later and Melione is at an age to find a consort. Continue the line. No one catches her eye, no one can after the one boy who had her heart left her without even a final goodbye.

So her mother plans a ball to find her a consort. Any and all eligible youth in the kingdom are invited. It's a massive affair. Icarus wasn't going to go, how could he in his ratty ruined inventor's clothes and scorned name. Why, the guards would probably pierce him dead the moment he walked up to the steps of the palace. Rightfully so, of course, but he can't shake this feeling that he needs to go. To see her again.

That's when his fairy god mother appears, [I am not at all picky about who, I think Aphrodite because LOVE idk, but anything works] and she convinces him to go even though he thought it was impossible. He's dressed to the nines, perfectly clean and gorgeous. He barely recognizes himself without the grease one his clothes and bags under his eyes. He rides a wax carriage, and is warned that by 12 everything made for him will melt, leaving him bare, wanting and painfully himself. He sets off at once.

Somehow, Melione doesn't either. A few years and a change of clothes does a lot clearly. But the moment they lock eyes as he comes down the stairs, clad in blue and glass slippers she's entranced. They dance and dance and almost struggle to share words because they're too busy basking in each other's company. It's just so easy. Melione hasn't felt ease like this since... well.

After hours together they escape to the garden, to enraptured with the other to allow another suitor to steal a glance, let alone a dance. They begin talking about their lives and what they want from this ball, and they get close as they speak in hushed whispers between them. Eventually the moment gets too tender, too sweet and they kiss, lulled into each other. Its heavenly.

But, it's late. Too late, even. Icarus can't bare to say who he is and Melione can't bare to let him go. Time, unfortunately, cares for neither. With a final kiss Icarus leaves and Melione is left watching as he runs away, leaving nothing but a single shoe on the steps...

[mentallyinvernation]

Dreamling Bingo WIP - Library

This one is a snippet but it’s going to eventually turn into something like ‘5 Times Someone Finds Out Hob Gadling Is Engaged, and the 1 Time Hob Gadling Finds Out He’s Engaged’. 

The fill will be used for my @dreamlingbingo square - C1 Library

｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. 

“So, run by me again why Hob is allowed to distract you from running a kingdom, but when I say let’s go on a boy's night out, suddenly it’s a problem?” Matthew complains, really just for the sake of complaining because he’s bored.

“That would be because you are my raven and Hob is my fiance.” Dream murmurs distractedly, still pouring over the book he’s been engrossed in ever since he got back from the shores of creation and sequestered himself away in the library.

“Yeah, but I’m your best -” Matthew’s entire world comes to a screeching halt, the last part of that sentence hitting him with all the force of a brick wall. “Come again?”

Corinthian - who up until this point has been loitering nearby like a child put in time out - immediately perks up at the direction the conversation seems to be heading in.

Dream glances up, a tiny furrow creasing between his brows. “You are my raven.”

“Yes, I know that part! I meant the fiance part! What - you mean you’re - you’re getting married?”

“That is what fiance would imply, yes.”

There’s a stunned beat where Matthew just gawks at him, desperately trying to shape his mind around this information because it’s certainly news to him - probably to the entire realm.

And then he explodes.

“Since when? Oh, my god, there’s going to be a wedding. I love weddings. Why didn’t you say anything sooner? More importantly, why didn’t Hob say anything? I swear, I’m going to kill him. That fucker didn’t even have the decency to ask for your hand.”

A tiny smile tugs at Dream’s lips. “And my hand is yours to give away, is it?”

“Obviously. I’m your best friend. That’s what I was trying to say before, and why we should definitely have a boy's night out in the near future but we’ll stick a pin in that for now because what the shit, boss? You got hitched? You’re like tying the mother-fucking knot? Dude! I’m going to be a best man. Oh my god. Bachelor party in the Dreaming. Give me free rein for one night - just one - and this place will be party central.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.” Corinthian cuts in smoothly. “I already called dibs on best man.”

“What? No. Fuck off. You can’t just dibs best man. That’s not how it works.”

“Pretty sure it is.” Corinthian shrugs, scratching his neck. “There’s always best raven, though, right?”

“I’m sorry but weren’t you re-made like literally an hour ago? You’re a baby. You’re literally the baby. You can’t be the best man if you’re already the baby.”

“Says who, exactly?” Corinthian challenges, looking very much like he might stab whoever says so, which, you know, considering he wanted Dream dead not too long ago, this is a very new and strange change of pace for them, but Matthew’s not going to question it, because that’s above his pay grade. And his pay grade is nothing. “I’m still me. I was just gone for a while. Think of it like waking up from a nap.”

“Yeah, and you know who takes naps? Babies take naps. Toddlers.” Matthew snaps back, knowing full well he used to nap on the job all the time back when he was human, but that’s not important or useful for his argument. He ruffles his feathers and faces Dream again, who honestly looks a little discombobulated by their argument, and somewhat surprised to have two people fighting for the honour of being his best man - which is endearing and sad at the same time. “Anyway. I’m best man. End of. Moving on to what matters -”

“You’re not.” Corinthian mutters in the background.

And you know what, Matthew’s going to be the bigger person here because he is the best man, that’s basically already established without saying, Dream doesn’t even need to ask, and as the best man, he’s going to focus on what’s important.

“So? When did Hob ask? I want details.” Matthew says.

Dream arches a brow at him, tilting his head faintly. “Why do you presume it was Hob who asked?”

“Because - “ Matthew cuts himself off, beak opening and closing a few times. “Because it’s…Hob?” He finishes a little lamely. “Hasn’t he been planning to go down on one knee for you since the stone age or something? Wait - you’re saying that you proposed?”

“Is that so difficult to believe?” Dream replies, voice clipped as he juts his chin in that snooty little way of his. Matthew can see the underlying anxiety creeping into the stiffness of his shoulders, though.

“No,” He quite wisely says, “No, it’s just… I mean fuck, good on you, boss. You got your caveman. It’s just… I expected - hm. How to put this. Well, usually, you’re a little more…dramatic? When you do things. It becomes an event, you know?”

Dream frowns. “I do not know.”

Which is honestly impressive given that Hob gave Dream a flower once and the castle was overgrown with it for days.

The first time they fucked there was fireworks.

The Dreaming didn’t give off nearly enough theatrics recently to suggest there was a proposal. 

“I bet Hob cried. Did he cry? He definitely cried.” Matthew snickers. “Wait, so, why didn’t you tell me you were going to propose?”

Dream blinks, which is a little comical and definitely a human mannerism he’s unconsciously picked up from Hob. “Was I supposed to inform you?”

“Yes!” Matthew exclaims, throwing his wings out wide. “Well, no. Not if you didn’t want to. That’s fine, obviously. But you told Corinthian before me? Corinthian?”

“Watch it, bird brain.”

“Watch your face.”

Corinthian rolls his - well he rolls his head to mimic the motion of rolling his eyes. “Stop getting your feathers in a twist. It’s not personal. I only just got re-made, if you recall. We had a bonding session on the beach. Real tear-jerker moment, you know? He didn’t even mean to tell me. It just slipped out with all the other gross feeling stuff we were talking about.”

“Why don’t we do gross feeling stuff?” Matthew whines at Dream.

“I will endeavour to make room for it in my schedule.” Dream responds flatly. “If you must know, I did not intentionally keep this from you. It happened only last night and I had no such plans of proposing until I was doing so.”

“Oh, nice. Spontaneity is a good look on you boss. You should try it more often.” Matthew chirps, giving Dream’s arm a little headbutt and earning another of his tiny smiles. “Congrats, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Dream says, and he sounds so fucking proud that Matthew’s chest wants to burst with warmth.

So, for all of two seconds, everything is perfect, and there’s going to be a wedding, and Dream is clearly over the fucking moon about the whole thing because this is genuinely the happiest Matthew has seen him.

And then Matthew remembers this is Dream.

“Wait,” Matthew starts, and instantly the Corinthian fixes him with a sharp grin that only widens as the cogs start to turn in his mind. “Wait, wait. You did ask him, right? Like you properly asked him?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Yeah. Good. Um. But what did you like - what did you say to him? What words exactly?” He presses as carefully as possible, suspicion a wire coiling up his spine that only tightens the more Corinthian looks at him like he’s waiting for the pin to drop.

Dream doesn’t huff because he’s a king and a personification but it’s damn well close. “Must I apprise you of every detail, Matthew? It is quite simple. I said: would you marry me? And Hob said: yes. He woke before we could make any further plans.”

Would not will. 

Oh, sweet Jesus.

There’s a lot to unpack in that. Matthew doesn’t want to unpack that. For one fleeting moment, he has so much sympathy for Jessamy, his darling predecessor, who somehow put up with the drama that is Hob Gadling and Dream of the Endless for nearly six hundred years. Matthew has been dealing with them for a couple of months and he’s already exhausted.

Corinthian looks fucking elated.

“So, um,” he clears his throat. “You asked him in the Dreaming, huh?”

Dream nods, looking pleased, as though they’re now all on the same page. He shuts his book and rises. “If your curiosity is satisfied, perhaps you could now escort Corinthian back to the nightmare realms.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.” The Corinthian gripes.

“Babies don’t get to decide that.” Matthew retorts automatically, and then, “Wait why do I have to be the babysitter?”

Dream gives him a withering look. “I have a matter to attend to elsewhere. Queen Titania has been demanding an audience with me for some time. In the spirit of maintaining relations between realms, I must…indulge her.”

And with that, Dream sweeps out the room, robe flaring behind him as he leaves Matthew and Corinthian. Only once Dream is gone does Matthew sigh.

“Hob has no idea he’s engaged, does he?”

“Not a clue.” Corinthian confirms.

“And Dream doesn’t realise?”

“Not at all.”

“Does Lucienne know?”

“Nope.”

Matthew groans because now he’s going to have to go and track down Lucienne in this maze of a library that stretches on to fucking eternity, just to tell her that there’s a high chance there’s going to be a royal wedding in the nearby future, but one of the people getting married doesn’t know. And he has to tell Lucienne because Lucienne is the only one brave enough to tell Dream that he’s potentially not quite as engaged as he thought.

“Fuck my life.”

[tj-dragonblade]

Fic Talk

Tagged by @seiya-starsniper @dsudis and @valeriianz - thanks! This is a fun new set of questions I haven't seen circulating before!

How many wips do you have currently? …Uhhhhh. Ahaha. Let me go calculate just a minute. Okay. There are 13 wips that are proper individual files with varying probabilities of actually getting finished. There are three additional individual files that are not proper wips, just notes/synopsis of ideas I've had and would like to write. Then there is the original 'Scribs' file that I originally started jotting notes in with ten more 'wips' that may or may not ever be finished, plus three more of the notes/synopsis-level ideas, and a handful of one-line or song-title ideas.

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish? Why do you think that is? Any of the older ones, honestly, entirely for lack of focus. I am hoping to force myself into giving at least one of them the attention it needs for a bingo square. Because when I make myself focus on one, make myself buckle down and work on it, I can usually make it happen. I can do it for Fluffbruary; therefore I can do it elsewhere too. But there is always some new idea coming along that is very distracting and then there's the problem of Which Do I Want to Work On? and getting a burst of idea for this one and then a few lines of inspiration for that one and I wind up with far too much time spent re-reading all of them and, if I'm lucky, adding a line or two to a handful of them.

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you? Obsessively typing away at my phone, frequently (and unfortunately) when I'm meant to be working. Trying to capture as much of the momentum as possible while it's there.

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different? No. I have a couple different playlists of 'Dreamling Vibes' that I will sometimes put on, but nothing really fic specific. But chances are if a song is part of the springboard for the fic, I have put it on repeat at least half the time I was writing. 'Bus Stop' broke into my top 25 most played songs while writing its fic, for the record.

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organised? There is very little about my process that can be called organized. I write whatever's coming to me and make notes about things I wanted to do that I didn't get written out yet so I don't forget the next time I come back to it. It's frequently non-linear. I'm easily distracted by shiny new ideas. I count it a feat worth celebrating when I actually get something finished and posted.

Tagging, no obligation, tag me into your already-existing posts etc: @chaosheadspace @staroftheendless @teejaystumbles @the-apocrypha @kydrogendragon

[check-ur-squad]

Hey there! |˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉﾞ

It’s Roselei Respect Day, and I’m here with a silly little guide for every Charlotte unit in Black Clover Mobile. Some are incredibly useful, some a little less so, but all of them fill a particular niche that might help you out as you play the game! I’ll be posting one/two Charlotte(s) a day, so please stay tuned!

One thing to note before we start: ALL CHARLOTTES ARE ATK BASED. You don’t necessarily want to build some of them as attackers or damage dealers, but if you’re going to have main stats on small (four-square) pieces, you’d preferably want them to be ATK and NOT MATK. This gives damage-dealing Charlottes a latent advantage since the majority of units in the game are still MATK based, despite big names like Black Divider or Disloyal Rhya. 

Now, let's begin!

<CHARLOTE ROSELEI>

Type: Red Debuffer 

Niche: One of the best units for new players. Her [Mark] debuff allows you to get multiple extra turns upon killing an enemy, and this WILL save your bacon. She’s also free, so building her early on is a big deal. On her combination attack (not the one with Sol, the regular one), she puts an [Incapacitate] debuff on an enemy, which increases the damage they take by 70%. Even in the late game, this Incapacitate buff is one of the only ways I’ve made it through some levels. 

Main Stats to Focus on: SPD, DEF, ATK, CRIT RES

Enhance?: Not necessary. Doesn’t provide you with much of an advantage. 

Skill page?: Not necessary. I would recommend the Breath of Darkness ATK skill page for beginners and the Moonlight Necklace DEF page for late stagers, but if you want the extra 10% Reduced DEF debuff that’s good too. Remember that it’s better for her to be chonky, since she’s not going to deal significant damage compared to most attackers. 

Gear Sets: You can either choose to go with 2 pc ATK set, 2pc DEF set, and 2 pc SPD set if you want more variety for her build, or go with a 4pc SPD set for an even faster Charlotte and top it off with DEF or ATK. The nice thing about this unit is that she’s not dictated by any one build – you can adjust her depending on what role you want her to play in the game. 

Talents: For Defense (blue one), DEF + 20% and (DEF + 4% CRIT RES + 4%). For Attack (red one), ATK + 7% and DMG DEALT + 5%. For Support (green one), DMG RES + 10% and ON GOD AND MY MOMMA YOU BETTER PUT THE SKILL II COOLDOWN DECREASE ON THERE THATS SO IMPORTANT FOR HER. I recommend the SPD stone, the DEF stone, and the ATK/MATK stone if you have them, but don’t worry too much if you don’t. 

How (?) to play (new players): For new players, Charlotte’s burst/Special Skill isn’t as important as her Skill II and I. You want to hit the enemy with her Skill II first (I would recommend leveling up this talent first before any other unit’s in the game) and then spam her Skill I to do as much damage as possible. If an enemy is really giving you trouble, use her Combo. 

How (?) to play (late players): If the Tower is giving you trouble or you really want to make Langris regret getting out of bed this morning, run Charlotte with at least one Buff-removing debuffer (I’d recommend Rill or Lotus), a healer if you need one, and then either Black Divider, Fuegoleon, or your choice of DPS. Set up your nuke however you do depending on what unit you have, hit the combo, and then have a very good time :) 

There's the first Charlotte! I'm gonna go through in chronological order so <Academy Charlotte> is next :)

[zenithabovemarshland]

Replying after this post on Pluto in Aquarius & fame

@luciddownloading said:

Great post! Something I wanted to add about the opposing signs is that my studies have shown me that the sign opposite from Pluto dictates a lot about the culture. It's no shock that throughout Pluto in Capricorn, there has actually been a more sensitive approach to social issues, a desire for more "accessible" celebs and an obsession with remaking films/shows from the past. All Cancer vibes So, continuing that theory, I actually think Pluto in Aquarius will make society and pop culture more Leo-like in many ways. Hopefully, more of a focus on individuality and not needing to look like everyone on IG, more actual creativity in Hollywood, etc. I think I will do a post on this in a day or so because I love this subject, too.

I didn't think of that! You're so right! And I have heard that before, too, that big planet transits can't be messing in one sign without dragging on the opposite sign, too. @corvoidea mentioned that Pluto in Cancer era was also really about the end of WWI, which makes a lot of sense bringing in what you said about the opposite sign affecting culture. Government and welfare, emphasis on the roles of family, etc. Those are absolutely way more Capricorn things than Cancer things.

Re: Leo-Aquarius axis part, that is so fascinating! And so true, too. Aquarius and Leo are outcasts and oriented around watching and being watched. Leo wants to express its authenticity and specialness, which absolutely matches the glitz and glamour of the period. But you're so right that we have been made to take those images as examples to model, reach for, and emulate, which is totally Aquarian. We're needing the shock to the system!

Like I said in my original post, I've been watching what's been happening to the idea of "celebrity" and trying to find patterns, but you've already got a hypothesis! Have you noticed anything so far that is inching towards what you've hypothesized? (If you wrote this in a post I hope I can find it on your blog, I'm scrolling but I may have missed it.)

Something comes to mind for me. I've heard talk about how AI could eliminate the need for actors, for example. It would be able to superimpose images of yourself and others of your choosing onto any frame and tell a story with your own face on the hero. Personally I don't think that would ever become commonplace. But I do wonder about how that affects story, and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, and our capacity for change (Scorpio things, which would be square in Pluto in Aquarius). This kind of thing may be very Leo.

[dutifullynuttywitch]

Close Call - Part 1

Wake the Dead

Pairing: Eva Archer x Troy Hassan

Rating: Teen (cw swearing)

Word count: 2,000

Summary: Eva is terrified that something may have happened to Brynn while out scouting.

A/N: Wake the Dead AU, takes place before WTD events. Can be read as a single shot, builds on my previous WtD fics Starlit nights, Sisterly Advice.

Art by the supremely talented @oh-so-youre-a-nerd 💛

Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations @wakethedead-group-re-read

Eva paces back and forth nervously across the small room she shared with Brynn.

Her sister and her crew were out on a scouting expedition a days’ drive from the Tower. They had been expected back three days ago. It wasn’t the first time they’d been delayed, forced to lay low after encountering too many drones or car issues. But they’d always radio back.

Not this time.

Her mind hadn’t stopped spinning through increasingly dire scenarios as the hours went by. She’d gone through her pest control shifts on autopilot and spent the nights wide awake, too worried to sleep. Staring at that damned door, willing her sister to barge through it with her typical bravado and yet another hair-raising story to tell.

She feels a bubble of panic constrict her chest. She has to do something.

Squaring her shoulders, Eva strides across the crowded hallways over to the airlock entrance. She spots Andrew Scott, head of scouting units in a heated discussion with one of Blackstock’s goons.

“ – been having some radio issues but hopefully comms’ll be up and running again in no time. That damned antenna’s on its last leg…”

“Hey! Andrew! When the hell are you going to send a crew out there to help my sister?”

Andrew whirls around, a sympathetic look etched across his features.

“Eva –”

He’s interrupted by Blackstock’s lackey.

“Watch your language, you insolent brat. We’re not going to put another crew in danger because you decided to throw a little temper tantrum. Now run along unless you want to be put on waste disposal for the month.”

Furious, she rounds on the little man.

“Listen here, asshole, my sister and her friends are the reason the Tower even has resources like medicine, food, weapons. They risk their necks every day for this colony and you’re just gonna leave them out there?”

Andrew intervenes just as the now red-faced man signals over to two burly guards.

“Oookay, okay Eva, Melvin, let’s everyone take a deep breath. No need to escalate things, I’ll handle her.”

“Deal with her, Scott, or I will.”

The little man stares daggers at her before stalking away haughtily.

Andrew waits a beat before turning his focus back to her.

“Eva, how long have we known each other? Ya need to trust me to look out for my crew. I already asked a team to detour to Brynn’s last known location yesterday. But this, pissing off the higher-ups – not helping. You gotta tone it down. Especially if you still want to join our team in a few years.”

The towering man squeezes her shoulder sympathetically.

“I’m sorry, Andrew. I’m just really worried about Brynn… Please let me know as soon as you have news?”

“Of course. Now scram before you get us into any more hot water.”

Eva slowly walks back, dejected. She detours by the supply depot, hoping to run into Troy.

“Hey, Archer! Been wondering when I’d see your pretty face around here.”

Troy’s bright smile quickly turns into a concerned frown.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Brynn, she… they’ve gone missing.”

He steps out from behind the counter and wraps her in a tight hug. Eva melts into his warm embrace, letting his familiar scent surround and comfort her.

Troy’s heart breaks for her. He’s used to seeing her so strong, fearless. But right now, she feels small and fragile in his arms.

He tightens his hold on her, burying his face in her hair. She smells good, with just a hint of lavender from the contraband soaps he’d gifted her.

That scent had been driving him crazy for months.

He’s been captivated by Eva for years now, really, if he’s honest with himself.

Troy is not exactly sure when their friendship had blossomed into something more for him.

It had been gradual.

He first noticed those lovely dimples whenever she smiled. The way her blue eyes sparkled with mischief when she thought of a new prank to drive her sister up the walls.

He started getting unpleasant pangs of jealousy whenever Eva dated other men.

But it was that first evening he took her stargazing months ago, alone out on that windy balcony, Eva wrapped snuggly in his arms, he’d come to the realization he had truly fallen for his best friend.

And it had terrified him.

Eva and Brynn were the most important people he had in the world. Ever since he pantsed little Eva Archer back in first grade.

She had stolen his ration bar; Troy had reacted without thinking. After the initial shock had passed, Eva pulled her pants back on and ran after him like a little devil, yelling in outrage. Backed into a wall and terrified of this tiny red-haired tornado, Troy quickly apologized. She sized him up for a moment, then said “I’m not gonna hurt you, silly!” Little Eva wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug and gave him back the bar. He broke it in half, “Here, lets share.” From that moment, they had been inseparable.

Brynn, noticing their camaraderie and realizing Troy was all alone in the Tower, started looking out for him. She’d invite him along for meals, making sure he had his rations. Got him new clothes when his were becoming too worn down. Scolded him and Eva when they got into trouble – which was a regular occurrence. And, more recently, nagged him for his not-so-legal hobbies.

They had become his chosen family.

What if he fucked it all up?

He had a tendency to do just that, as his exes would point out.

Plus, there was the little matter of the side hustle he ran behind Blackstock’s back. God forbid they’d associate Eva too closely with him if things went south.

“Hey, watch it!”

The sudden bustle of people at change of shift snaps him back to reality.

Reminds him he’s standing in the middle of a busy hallway with an upset Eva in his arms.

He releases her clumsily, trying to clear the unwelcomed thoughts.

Troy ushers her into the confines of the supply depot, lowering the shutters for good measure. He sits her down on a tattered couch and settles in next to her.

“Eva, what happened?”

She looks down at her hands, eyes glistening.

“Andrew lost contact with Brynn and her crew three days ago. There’s another team out searching the area, but I’m worried, Troy. What if they don’t find her? What if they’re too late?”

“Hey now. Your sister’s the second most badass person I know, right after you. I swear the two of you are like fierce amazon warriors.”

Eva rolls her eyes, sniffling lightly.

“I’m not even gonna ask.”

“The point is, I know Brynn’s alright. She’s one of the best scouts the Tower’s got. And she’s careful. They’re most likely laying low somewhere. She'll be back in no time busting your ass for even worrying about her.”

“I… I’m sure you’re right, Troy. She is good at what she does. So are the others. I guess I... needed to hear it from someone else. Thanks for always being there for me.”

She forces a smile, her glistening eyes sparkling in the dim light of the cluttered room.

“Always, Eva.”

He gazes down at her, tenderness and concern reflected in his soft brown eyes as he pulls her closer into his arms, tracing soothing circles along her back. He wipes a tear from her cheeks, fingers lingering along her cheekbone.

Her breath hitches as she loses herself in his soft gaze and the warmth of his embrace.

Eva feels like a bundle of nerves from the stress, and the tingles she’s feeling from Troy’s caresses are messing with her usual self-control.

Right now, she wants to feel less the nerves constricting her chest, and more of Troy’s comforting touches.

On impulse she reaches up, tracing lithe fingers along his cheek and the dark stubble across his jaw. She unconsciously chews her lower lip.

He stares, entranced. God how he wants to reach out and kiss those lovely lips. He wonders what they’d taste like. Possibly those berry-flavoured ration bars she enjoys so much.

“Eva…”

Troy murmurs, lips ghosting hers.

She lets her instincts guide her, a need she’d been burying for so long. She closes the distance, soft lips meeting his.

Troy’s eyes widen in surprise. He cups her cheek as they kiss gently, tentatively, lips exploring in soft caresses. Bodies tingling with delight at the new but somehow familiar sensations.

“Hmm, Troy.”

He deepens the kiss at her inviting sigh, finally tasting her. Salt from her tears.

And cherries.

Troy loses the last of his self-control. His kisses become heated as he slips a hand below her shirt, skirting her lower back. Eva clings to him, responding to his every touch.

Just as their caresses become more feverish, they are startled apart by a loud banging against the shutters.

“Oi! Hassan! Open up! We’ve got crews reporting back with equipment.”

They glance at each other, eyes wide, breathless.

Troy is the first to recover, filling the awkward silence with his usual banter.

“Well, that was something, Archer… I knew you couldn’t resist this.”

He gestures at his handsome features, grinning.

Eva chuckles, cheeks flushed.

“God you’re insufferable…”

The banging against the shutters intensifies.

“Hassan!! What’s the hold up?!”

“Dammit! Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

Troy doesn’t want to let Eva go.

He’s scared that she'll realize how big of a mistake this was. Head still spinning, he quickly makes his way up to the counter.

Eva watches him go, flushed, heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Oh god, what just happened?

He pulls up the shutters and stops in his tracks, eyes wide with relief and a hint of guilt.

“Brynn!! Boy, am I glad to see you.”

At her sister’s name, Eva rushes up to the front and crashes into her arms.

“Brynn, you’re okay! What the hell happened? You had me worried…”

Brynn winces, and Eva lets her go quickly, giving her a once over. Her sister’s shirt is tattered, a dark bruise appearing to cover much of her right side. Dirk hovers protectively. Cassidy cradles an apparent broken arm as Brienne helps her stand.

Tony’s crew are right behind, carrying both teams’ weapons and crates of canned food and medical supplies.

“We were picking out meds in an outlet mall when the roof collapsed, must have been water damage. Bunch of drones fell on top of us from the second floor. Cassidy and I got trapped under a shelf. Dirk and Brienne managed to drag us out. We hid in a storage room hoping the drones would forget about the yummy human-sized snacks...”

“Looks like we got there just in time. There must have been two dozen of em’ packed into that little pharmacy. Had to lure them out to get to you.”

Tony chips in, dropping off the weapons and supplies onto the counter.

“We owe you one, Tony.”

Brynn pats him on the shoulder, grimacing through the pain.

“Nah, just glad you’re all still on the side of the living. You and Cass should hit the infirmary. You look like you’ve got a couple of cracked ribs and I’m pretty sure arms don’t bend that way.”

“You don’t say.”

Cassidy growls, clutching her bandaged arm.

“Come one, I’ll take you.”

Eva tenderly supports Brynn, avoiding the bruises.

She hesitates a moment, looking back at Troy, cheeks flushed.

“Talk later?”

“Yeah... sure.”

Troy rubs the back of his neck, dreading that conversation. He was an idiot to kiss her when she was at her most vulnerable, worried about Brynn. What if she regretted it? Hated him for it?

He sighs miserably and starts cataloguing the equipment.

The taste of salt and cherries lingers on his lips.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Chapter 9- Clandestine

Guys, I've discovered Lana Del Ray. So if this chapter is a bit emotional, blame her. Okay, CW: LOTS of dysphoria, as well as a lot of discussions about binding, safe binding, and depictions of unsafe binding. Blink-and-you-miss-it misgendering. Some quick medical stuff. Anxiety, depression. Hints at self-harm, but not really.

Second year was not much different from first, if Regulus was honest. Rooming with Barty and Evan. Walks with Sirius.

He didn’t feel older. Classes weren’t much harder. He enjoyed being back. He felt safe.

But he struggled in some ways. Namely, with his body, which still insisted on betraying him daily.

Being in a room with Barty and Evan was wonderful in many ways. It was a reminder that he was considered a boy, here. That people looked at him and saw a boy. That he fit in with the other boys.

Bit it also made him ache, in a way that was difficult to describe. He watched Barty and Evan continue to change in the open room as he shed his clothes in the safety of the bathroom. He stared in the mirror for far too long, changing into shirt after shirt, wondering if he could actually see a small curve on his chest, or if it was his brain playing tricks on him.

Sometimes he had to sit on his hands to resist the urge to claw at his very skin. It wasn't that he wanted to hurt himself. It was just that his body kept changing, kept getting worse, and he sometimes felt the primal urge to just–

Sirius and Pandora and Dorcas were so well-meaning. They listened to him rant and rage and scream. They helped him on days when he just felt wrong, like a square peg in a round hole. They comforted him.

He’d taken to hiding the rock Potter had given him for his birthday in his pocket. When he got anxious or particularly nauseous when looking in the mirror, it helped to worry it in his hands. Flip it over and over. Feel the smooth surface. It was calming, somehow. It allowed him to focus on something else, anything else, besides the way his body didn’t fit.

He slept in the bandages almost every night. He knew it was bad for him. He felt the way his chest bruised and his back ached and the rashes and scratches burned. But he found that he needed it. He felt so invalid, like he wasn’t truly a boy without them. If he thought too much about it, he found himself close to tears- why did he have to go through this just to achieve the same feeling most people naturally had?

But he pushed that resentment down, and just re-tightened the bandages daily, forcing himself not to think about it too much.

It could be worse, after all.

--

“Did you hear?” Evan asked, one October evening as the three of them lay lazily in bed avoiding homework.

“That you’re a prat? Yes,” Barty replied lazily, dodging the pillow that Evan threw.

Regulus snorted.

“No, that Potter is replacing DeSilva this year on Gryffindor,” Evan clarified, scoffing a bit.

It had been a huge topic of conversation amongst anyone who followed the Quidditch games- Gryffindor had always been alright, but their Chasers had been lacking. A good Chaser would make them a problem, especially to Slytheirn, whose Keeper was shit. People had wondered why DeSilva hadn’t been kicked off in previous years, but Gryffindors were too nice, and had the policy that once you got a position, you kept it, as long as you didn’t do something morally wrong.

Of course, Regulus had watched Potter play. So, he knew they were a bit screwed, now.

So, why was he excited at the news?

“Potter’s not bad,” he commented, trying to keep his voice even.

“We’re fucked. Between Flint and Goyle, there’s no way,” Barty grumbled.

“Flint’s gotten better at covering the right hoop,” Evan said reasonably. “Too bad Goyle’s captain, or they could kick him off. He’s such shit. But I heard his daddy bought the whole team new brooms, so we’re stuck with him until he graduates.”

Barty grunted in frustration. “Maybe he’d catch the snitch if we charm it to make whistling noises. Always thought he followed Crabbe around like a puppy.”

“Next year, he’ll graduate and Reg will be Seeker. Then, we’ll stand a chance,” Evan shrugged. “Until then, I’m betting on Ravenclaw. Pandora says their Seeker is decent.”

Regulus nodded vacantly, reaching into his pocket to turn the rock over and over.

Privately, he was betting on Gryffindor.

--

Pain.

All he felt was pain.

Crawling up and down his ribs, punching at his back, stabbing at his chest.

It was jarring. Scary. Terrifying.

It hurt to move, hurt to moan, hurt to breathe.

He’d never woken up to pain like this.

He needed help, and he knew it. But his entire being shied away from waking Barty and Evan. He didn’t want to bother them (both were not ones to be awoken before absolutely necessary) and he was terrified they’d ask to see or touch where it hurt.

But as he tried desperately to sit up only to fall back in a groan of agony, his gulps of air causing shooting aches, he knew there was nothing for it.

“Help,” he croaked, even the movement of his talking searing his entire torso.

He had to call twice more before Evan’s grumpy-but-concerned face stuck through the curtains. He immediately went pale. “Reg? What- what’s wrong?”

But he was starting to feel faint. He couldn’t escape the pain, and he was starting to feel almost claustrophobic with it. Like he could either breathe and hurt or hurt less and have no oxygen. There was no way out.

His head spun. He tried desperately to stay conscious. He couldn’t let them see. What if they saw?

The last thing he remembered before passing out was Evan yelling for Barty.

--

“You fucking idiot.”

He opened his eyes to sunshine and mumbles and his chest feeling far too exposed and empty, even with the blanket covering him. The bandages were gone. “That’s my line to you,” he sleepily shot back to his brother, blinking, trying to get Sirius’s face into focus.

“Not when you break your own ribs,” Sirius said roughly. Admittedly, Sirius looked like he was the one who should be in the hospital bed. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, and the deep circles under his eyes made him look almost skeletal. His hands, which had wrapped themselves around Regulus’s forearm, all had fingernails that were bitten down raw. He looked distraught. “I gave you that fucking bandage to help you, Regulus. How tight–?”

“It’s not your fault, idiot,” He murmured, looking down. Perhaps he had been keeping the bandage a bit too tight.

“I didn’t know,” Sirius whispered, looking like he was trying to convince both of them of the fact. “I had no idea that- that this could happen.”

Regulus chuckled, ignoring the small twinge in his healed chest. “Same. I suppose Pomfrey is pissed?”

“I convinced her not to owl mother,” Sirius shrugged. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You…erm…might have to lay off the bandage for a while. Pomfrey said something about permanent damage to your back. If you….y’know…keep it up as much as you have.”

Remulus blinked, trying and failing to fight against the despair creeping into his brain as the tears formed. “So…so….” he mumbled, unsure about how to put his thoughts into words.

“Maybe…only a few hours a day? Or…a bit looser?” Sirius suggested hesitantly.

Regulus balked, feeling the anger and fear and disgust all bubble within him, his self-control wavering. “And then what, Sirius? How do I explain to Barty and Evan that I’ve suddenly got tits?”

He felt the nausea build within his stomach and he almost choked, picturing for just a moment having to walk around with an unbound chest. Picturing the looks. The reactions. The disgust.

“You…you don’t have…” Sirius argued weakly, looking as if he truly had no idea what to say.

“I do! I do, and there isn’t a thing I can do about it, because our parents will never let me take the potion. So I’m stuck like this until I turn seventeen!” Regulus said loudly, allowing some of his carefully-controlled anger to boil over. “And you tell me, how many people in Hogwarts would honestly be okay rooming with me, knowing that? Who thinks that’s normal?” Sirius sighed, looking helpless.

“You are normal, Reg. There’s nothing about you that’s–that’s bad or wrong.”

“Tell that to our parents,” Regulus spat, turning away from Sirius a bit. “Tell that to my body.”

Sirius inhaled a bit. “Just….just promise me you’ll keep it a bit looser, okay? I can’t…I can’t bear it if something were to happen to you.”

The genuinely terrified look on his face was what broke Regulus from his anger. He deflated, allowing the defensiveness to flow out of him. “Alright,” he murmured, allowing Sirius to pull him into a hug. “That hurts, you prat,” he whispered as Sirius squeezed him tightly.

But when Sirius made to let go, he felt sad, as if he wished his brother hadn’t let go.

--

Regulus stayed in the Hospital overnight that night. Something about 'making sure his blood vessels were okay', or whatever.

His friends visited, and he reassured them that he had been out the night before practicing Quidditch (true) and he must have hurt himself during a particularly crazy dive (false). Barty and Evan seemed to buy it, but Dorcas and Pandora gave him maddeningly disbelieving looks throughout their visit.

It was a different visitor, though, that made him much more nervous.

Remus Lupin entered the Hospital Wing late the second night, definitely after curfew, and certainly after Pomfrey had gone to bed. He made Regulus emit a small yelp of shock when he showed up, as he hadn’t been expecting the taller boy to show up at all, let alone at such an hour.

“It’s just me, sorry,” Remus muttered, as if he often visited Regulus at midnight in the Hospital Wing. “Sorry, it’s just arrived, or I would’ve been sooner,” he continued vaguely, waving a small package around.

Regulus eyed it curiously.

“I….I need to tell you something,” Remus continued, sitting gently on Regulus’s bed. Regulus pulled the covers over his chest more securely, a bit nervous about how close someone else was while he was so….exposed.

“Go on,” he nodded, wondering what was so important that Remus had to sneak into the Hospital in the dead of night. “Has Sirius done something stupid?”

Remus snorted. “No…Sirius wanted to tell you himself, but…” Remus trailed off, and Regulus momentarily worried Sirius had gone and gotten hurt or something, but then Remus met his eyes. “I was there. Last night when they brought you in.”

Regulus felt his heart sink. He’d been so nervous that Barty and Evan would have seen too much when he was brought in. He hadn’t even thought about another student being there already.

“I…I came in at around 4:30…with a migraine,” Remus murmured.

He really did get a lot of migraines, Regulus thought briefly.

“Sirius came with me. So…we were already there. When you came in.” Remus looked a bit awkward as he spoke. As if he wasn’t sure how much to reveal. “They made your friends wait outside. But Sirius refused. And I was…well, I couldn’t leave.” He looked apologetic, now. “They….they healed you. And then…Sirius got very upset, and…well, you should know he did everything possible to protect you. He argued with Pomfrey and Slughorn for a good ten minutes about contacting your parents. He won, in the end. Well, you know how stubborn he is.” Remus shrugged a bit awkwardly.

Regulus waited quietly for the other shoe to drop. He had a sinking feeling, from how Remus was speaking and acting, that there was more to it.

“You should know, Regulus…I’d already guessed. Before last night,” Remus finally sighed, meeting Regulus’s gaze.

His heart sank. He’d guessed? He’d known?

“How?” he whispered. If Sirius had told, he would…he didn’t know how…

“Sirius talked about you, in our first year,” Remus shrugged. “He mentioned…well, he mentioned a sister.”

Both Remus and Regulus winced at that.

“And then he came back from Christmas and he insisted that he’d only ever had a brother. I’m guessing that’s when you…?” Remus asked gently, raising his eyebrows a bit.

Regulus nodded.

“Yeah, so…I tried to ask, but he didn’t seem to be willing to talk about it and…dunno, it’s not my business, is it? So I figured I'd let it go,” Remus shrugged. As if it was the simplest assumption in the world. That it wasn’t his business, so he should just let it be.

Regulus was again overwhelmed by the feeling of thankfulness for Remus Lupin. He was so unassuming…so kind. He’d known (or guessed) for years and had said nothing. Because he’d guessed, rightfully, that Regulus would be uncomfortable with it.

“But it’s my business now, Regulus, because Sirius is going a bit spare,” Remus said a bit louder, looking stressed. “He said…I mean, feel free to tell me to fuck off, but…he said you’re using a bandage for your…?” he used his hand to gesture to his own chest.

Regulus nodded, looking down. “There’s a potion,” he found himself volunteering, strangely comfortable talking about it with Remus. “But I can’t take it. Mother and Father…they’d probably rather I was dead,” he chuckled humorlessly. “Barty and Evan don’t know and….I don’t…they can’t. So this is what I have.”

Remus studied him for a moment, then handed him a package. “You know there are people like you in the Muggle world too, right? My mum’s Muggle, so I was raised in both.”

He shrugged. He’d never really thought about it. “I guess…sure.”

“Well…what do you think they do? Surely they can’t take a potion,” Remus said patiently, like a Professor trying to talk a student through a difficult question.

“They cry?” Regulus volunteered, snorting at his own humor.

Remus smiled a bit. “Well, probably. But also, they have other options.”

“Like?” Regulus asked, feeling a strange bubble of hope in his chest.

“Well, some of them take medicine. It’s like potions for Muggles,” Remus shrugged. “Some of them just….cut things off.”

“What?” Regulus yelped loudly.

They both realized his mistake and whipped their heads around to Pomfrey’s door, but they heard no stirring.

“You’re fucking with me, surely,” he mumbled a bit quieter. How on Earth did Muggles actually survive without accidentally killing themselves?

“Nah,” Remus grinned. “I have a….cousin, I think? She told me about it.”

Regulus gaped for a minute before looking down at the package. “So, what’s in here? A knife? Gonna help me chop off my–”

Remus scoffed. “Sirius would kill me. Plus, Muggles have professionals that do that. No, she also told me about those,” he said, gesturing to the package. “I wrote her for one this morning. Said it was for a friend.” He shrugged.

Even more confused, Regulus ripped open the package to find–

“Is this a fucking bra?” he asked, barely controlling his embarrassment and anger. He almost threw the offending garment across the room in disgust.

“What? No!” Remus said, shaking his head vehemently.

It…looked like a strange mix of a tank top and a sports bra. But, it was missing some of the things Regulus remembered from seeing his mother’s bras. There were no cups, no small hooks, no lace or femininity. Instead, there was just a zipper on each side. And it was…less stretchy? The material had give, but it was a firmer stretch. Like it wasn’t meant to give much leeway.

“It’s a binder,” Remus shrugged. “Muggles use them. They kind of….” he gestured to his own chest again, “suck it all in.”

Regulus stared at the fabric for a few moments. “There are things that are meant for that?” he asked, though it was more out of wonder. Clearly, there were.

“Yeah, so…this is better than what you were using before because it’s meant for that purpose. And these zippers here,” Remus pointed at the two zippers on each side, “loosen it when you need a break. So you don’t end up back here.”

Regulus laughed, half-shocked and half-ecstatic. “Why did you do this for me?”

Remus gave him a weird look again. “Well….first, Sirius has been driving himself crazy. All he wants to do is to help you. To make sure you’re happy. And safe.”

Regulus felt a pang of guilt at that.

“But also….” Remus continued, looking emotional, himself, now. “I…secrets….secrets are hard. And I can…I can…well, I can imagine what it might feel like. To have a secret that you’re so…so scared about people finding out. But it’s…it’s a part of you, and you can’t change it.”

He looked so genuine. So empathetic. So understanding. Regulus swallowed thickly, trying not to let any tears fall.

Remus sighed, “It’s hard, erm, I imagine…when you have a secret like that. And if you can find something that helps…people who support you…I would think that would make it…so much easier. Right?”

There was emotion there. Raw and real, and Regulus had a feeling Remus had his own experiences with secrets. But he was so thankful to have Remus accept him and help him with his own that he decided not to push. For now.

--

Guys I can't with this chapter. Remus is just so amazing and we love him. Read the full WIP or leave comments or kudos here!