#credit: starry eyed

[clustermuck]

So I needed something to help me with my Polin brainrot and the only thing left for it was to find another show and couple I could obsess over while we wait for season 3, part 2 and I found it…

Y’all, I highly recommend you watch The Artful Dodger on Hulu/Disney+ if you want another adorable couple getting into crazy hijinks together.

I have no idea if this show will get another season (crossing my fingers it does) because these two are SO CUTE! I mean, come on: check out this spoiler-ish fan vid (though not really, there’s hardly any context if you don’t already know the show) and tell me that couldn’t warm your heart once our arduous wait for Bridgerton season 4 begins…

So, if you’re like me and need a bridgerton distraction before and/or after part 2, get involved in another show and maybe with enough numbers, Hulu will do the inevitable and give us more!!

♥️

[anneapocalypse]

At the end of the day you can use "Varric is an unreliable narrator" to overwrite literally any part of DA2 that you don't like. Like you can say, "Oh of COURSE Varric isn't actually against mage freedom! He just said that he objected to Hawke freeing the mages because Cassandra was interrogating him." And sure, I can't prove to you that he isn't lying about that. I can't prove to you that Varric isn't lying about anything. I can't prove to you that the entirety of Inquisition isn't also Varric making things up because he did also write a book about that and we hear Cassandra reading it in the end credits. At the end of the day if you want to you can basically wipe out Varric's entire character as presented to us and say, "Actually he was lying! He's really this."

But at a certain point you do also have to acknowledge that the frame narrative is a storytelling device that's meant to enhance the story, not like... erase it. Or at least I prefer to acknowledge that, because going too far the other way basically guts the story of all meaning. If Varric is a character we are meant to engage with on any level--and I think it's clear from his prominence in the franchise that he is!--then at least some of what we see him say and do needs to be able to meaningfully interpreted, even if we second-guess him, even if we can pick out half-truths here and there, even if we cross-check our interpretations against how he behaves in other parts of canon.

Like at least some of what we're given about Varric has to be meaningful to his character, or why even bother, I guess is what I'm saying.

[chuluoyi]

✎ baby to the rescue

- gojo satoru x reader

in which gojo recruits your baby son to “save” you from a credit card salesman

genre: immense fluff !! baby gojo and dad!gojo shenanigans~

note: based on this and this reel. with this i hereby declare that anything past chapter 235 is null and void HAHA anyway, i truly want to post remarried empress au by this week but since 261 leaks hurt me so much, i need more fluff so have to postpone it to next week :') tagging @karikari19hikariiii <3

a part of gojo's love entries

general masterlist

Your husband Gojo Satoru... is handsome as hell, which means your baby son is also undeniably good-looking.

"Why do you pout at me?" Satoru poked his squirming baby's cheek while pursing his lips too. "C'mon, smile! That auntie is smiling at you!"

Everyone who passed by them in Shinjuku shopping district turned heads to admire him and his pumpkin just a little longer, and Satoru visibly enjoyed the attention. He smiled back at them, occasionally winking even.

If only they knew how pretty his wife was too...

Wait, no! On second thought, if they know how hot you are, there will be problems!

You had left him to go to the nearest pharmacy to restock some things, while Satoru decided to entertain his baby in the toy section. He basked in the starry-eyed looks people were giving him... until he heard some strange sounds and turned to his baby boy—

—who was chewing the beak of a duck toy with all his might. Satoru was mortified.

"—! Let that go! Your mama will beat me if she sees you eating this!"

Your baby paid him no mind though, desperately pushing the duck into his mouth. Satoru sat him on one of the empty racks and began the tug of war—

"Let go!" he reprimanded. "You're so naughty, gods—!"

Some people were now openly giggling at both of them. His son tried to resist by rolling, and Satoru clicked his tongue. He then yanked the toy away until his baby finally let it go, sniffling sadly that his papa wouldn't let him have the duck.

"Oh, you..." he picked him up again and consoled the pumpkin. "You can't do that, you hear? First, it's not clean. Second, mama will grow two heads to chew you and me both, understand?"

No, your son totally didn't understand a thing. Satoru sighed, seeing his little blue eyes welling up with tears. He ruffled his head and pulled him close. "There, there... I'll get you ice cream, okay? Now let's go."

Satoru was determined to turn his son back into a smiling, happy baby. But just as he was about to head towards the ice cream parlor, he encountered the most unbelievable sight—

"Miss! I guarantee you'll love this credit card features!"

You. That was clearly you, and a salesman (or a bozo, in Satoru's eyes) was trying to bother you.

You raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no— thank you—"

Yet the bozo was still persistent, like the pesky fly he was. "You can use it to pay for your monthly beauty treatments! Someone as pretty as you..." He eyed you from head to toe, blinking suggestively. "Oh my! Your skin is flawless! You have to maintain it this way! I can also give you recommendations for—"

You were wearing a flare dress that made you look so young and petite, and obviously, Satoru too was lusting after you. And true, your skin was smooth like a soft serve of mochi, but still!

You are meant for him and his eyes only! Oho, this bozo would get heavenly punishment.

He had to get to you somehow, but this was public space and if he cooked up some sort of shenanigan, you would put him in sex ban. I can't have that! so Satoru wracked his brain to think of another way...

Once again, his gaze fell on his now calm baby, who was also looking at his mama over there with utter curiosity. And an idea immediately popped up in his mind.

"Hey, kiddo, look at that, a bad man is trying to take your mama," Satoru nudged him as if trying to egg him on. "We can't let that happen. Will you help me to save her, hmm?"

"Mama..." your baby looked back at him so innocently before smiling. "Mamaaa!"

"Good boy." Gods, his baby was so adorable, he almost felt bad for doing this but...

Swallowing his guilt, thinking he would make it up later, he pinched his son's butt a little too firmly—

"WAAAA!" and suddenly, the little boy burst into tears, and even Satoru was surprised by the sheer volume of his wail.

The sudden inconsolable sound of your baby sent you scrambling in panic, your eyes wildly searching for him, completely disregarding the credit card man. "My baby!"

"Eh?" the credit card man was visibly surprised. "Oh... so, you're married...?"

You immediately made your way towards Satoru and snatched your baby from him, hugging him tightly. "Oh, there, there... What happened to you?" you shot your husband a distaste look as your son kept wailing. "Satoru, why is he crying?"

He nonchalantly shrugged. "Maybe missing his mama? Dunno~"

By now, you had completely forgotten the credit card bozo, but he still looked at the three of you in mild surprise. Satoru took this chance to approach him and whisper in his ear:

"You see, my wife doesn't need your credit card," he whistled. "My cards or lumpsum money will do more than enough."

After seeing how pale the bozo looked, Satoru chuckled darkly... before leading you and your son away from the crowd, with one arm possessively around your waist.

Epilogue

"I'm sorry— I'm sorry, okay!?"

Satoru looked down at his son in utter hopelessness, as the little boy refused to be held by him, looking at him with teary, resentful eyes, and backing away from him in his playpen.

Can babies hold a grudge? Satoru didn't know, but his son definitely was not happy with him, and he couldn't think of any other explanation other than his sin against him back this afternoon.

"I've bought you mochi ice cream!" he opened his palm to reveal the treat. "Don't you want some? Papa will give you some, yeah?"

Baby looked skeptical now, and at that moment, he resembled you so much—accusing eyes, pursed lips, exactly like the expression you would pull when you were unsure of what Satoru might do next. He almost chuckled at the resemblance, feeling giddy.

"C'mon, forgive me, yeah?" he patted his son's little beanie and offered his hand for him to take, eyes crinkling in fondness. "Now, here comes your treat, come closer?"

Your baby crawled closer, seemingly accepting him, and Satoru was all smiles, until—

Whack!

It happened in a flash. He could have avoided it, but he was too taken aback. The pain exploded in his jaw, so intense that he grunted loudly.

"What the—?! You... you—! You kicked me— in the face!"

[hoonieyun]

now playing...

last night's mascara - griff

pairing: lee heeseung x reader x sim jaeyun

warnings: toxic relationship between jake and yn, profanity, our girl yn is going through it, sadness, depictions of mental illness/depression, overall 18+

pls ignore any possible typos and time stamps lol

masterlist - back - next

hoonieyun notes: now playing is back!!! and so is the dramaaaa!!! hehe i really suggest you guys listen to this song because its not only so good but the lyrics are so heartfelt and emotional i swear i cried so many times listening to this song lol of course, the credit of this song and lyrics goes to the artist and those who worked on it, i'm not claiming this song as my own whatsoever

taglist: @17ericas @wave2hoon @nikiswifiee @kitzzenz @jae-n0 @dreamiestay @milanco @thinkinboutbin @who-tf-soddhi

@yourssincerely-mimi @m3wkledreamy @aespaqq @isa942572 @riribelle @st4r-g1rlllsblog @heartheejake @pochakkeu

@nyxiebabyyy @l1vw00n @ningningiloveumarryme @softchannie @fgumi @jakeyverse @payformycoffeeandleave @alpha-mommy69 @starry-eyed-bimbo

@insommni4 @wiccangirl29 @firstclassjaylee @right-person-wrong-time @blockbusterhee @heeaxvhhoon @yjngwon04 @mingyudids

@zyvlxqht @sxnmavi @poeticjustice1010 @paririnnn @1starqi @whoa-jo @y4wnjunz @secretlypartofthisfandom @nshmrarki @r1kification @tya0 @notab1tchwho @4jaeyun @rairaiblog @leiclerc @heekilrvs

perm: @zootedmiah @jiiyen @jnysaln @xh01bri @rairaiblog @laurradoesloveu @17ericas @manaah02

copyright 2024 - present © hoonieyun all rights reserved all writing here is fiction & not in any association with characters mentioned. if you enjoyed reading this please consider reblogging and following <3

[marwhoa]

request: You write the turtles boys so well! I literally can't stop smiling when I read your fics - they're so sweet and endearing. I was wondering, only if it strikes your interest of course, if you'd consider writing about the boys being jealous of each other when the reader spends time with them one on one? Like, maybe a slot for Leo where he thinks reader finds Donnie funnier? Or one for mikey, where he thinks that reader likes how big raph is? Or for raph, where he thinks reader is more enamored with Leo? Or Donnie, where he worries that Mikey is flirting with reader? Of course they're all misunderstandings, and maybe it could end all fluffy with confessions and comforting their respective boy? If not, don't worry, but if so, thank you! 1 look forward to whatever you put out next.

🝮 “ green with envy ”

rise!boys x y/n

author’s note: screaming profusely !!! eeeee !!! So hey yeah here’s a fic, this took a while because it sat in my notes for days before I finally posted it, my bad. This was kinda hard cause I’m not experienced in the realm of jealousy—hopefully y’all like it? ᗡ: also does envy even fit this scenario? Lmao I just be naming these fics any thing, can y’all tell?

word count: 6.1k

┆ ── ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ — Leo 💌

Leo never expected he could ever become… jealous, not him—no, no, NEVER him. He had too much pride, too much confidence. There should have never been any room for doubt in his ability to keep you focused and adoring on him, and him alone.

But, perhaps he had given himself too much credit? Or, maybe he had given his twin too little credit.

It wasn’t as though you were his. Just friends, and technically that meant you belonged to the whole family, not just him. But, no one could blame him for coveting you. From how starry-eyed you looked at him to how genuinely you laughed at his jokes, Leo found out too late that he had been falling for you, and here he was still falling. The way your nose crinkled when you laughed, or how your face lit up during Mikey’s dinner times, even down to the wheezing laugh you would give into if he pushed his jokes on too long, all of it spelled out lovely disaster for his heart.

But, fear not, he thought. He was the face man and the funniest turtle, surely there was no competition? No one could be better than him at getting you to make the faces you did.

Or well, it should’ve been no one. He wasn’t even all that funny, but Donnie managed to get you to keel over to some stuff he said—and he didn’t even intend for them to be jokes! A natural comic, can you believe the nerve of this guy?

So, yeah, Leo never expected himself to be jealous, and especially never towards his own brother, but god the way you were showing that tickled-silly expression to Donnie, wiping tears as he confusedly asked what was so funny? It had him gripping the arm of their couch, digging his nails into them. He wasn’t going to take this any longer! Sure Donnie meant no harm and would never try to swoop in and steal the prize he had his eye on, but Leo couldn’t help but still be… aggravated.

The pent-up annoyance was dispelled by the red-slider leaping over the couch, sassily walking over and snaking his arm across your waist.

“ Yeah, whatever, Donnie is sooo funny, but hey, Y/N, let me show you something better! ”

Never mind the fact that he had nothing planned as he twirled his katana in his other hand, slicing the air until a blue portal shimmered into existence. You glanced back and waved good bye to Donnie, fully intrigued by whatever it was Leo wanted to show you.

“ Oh—okay! What is it? ”

“ Who am I to ruin a surprise? ”

He cocked a brow at your question, tugging you through the portal and stepping out into the courtyard of the Witch’s city. While amazed, you wondered just what this had to do with anything—but, of course that was a comment you would keep to yourself until having fully exhausted the excitement of exploring not just any random town, but rather a town of witches!

“ Oh, Leo, finally! I’ve been begging you to bring me here for weeks! ”

Before he could even say anything, you were quickly rushing up to the nearest shop and sparking up conversation. Such a busy bee, but it was just another aspect of you he was captivated by. However, with such an impromptu visit to a rather overwhelming area, he found chances to spark conversation and get you to laugh to be stretched few and far between.

“ Oh wow, this store really doesn’t leave mushroom for walk-through, huh? ”

He gestured to a potions-ingredients shop, which, you guessed it, specialized in all things fungal-based. His shoulders drooped as you continued ahead, not even hearing him. That joke was gold! Huffing, Leo caught up with you and laced his fingers around your wrist, effortlessly stopping you in your tracks.

“ Mm? Leo? ”

You stared up at him with such a look of focus, all your attention finally fully on him, and he had to fight his legs not to reduce to jelly instantly. Instead, he took a deep breath, cocked his head, and insisted you follow him.

Down weaving alleys, through crowds of people, eventually you reached a park unlike any seen on the surface. The paths were lined with thick, luscious plants cultivated through the town’s magic. Foliage swayed with no wind, as though dancing like silk fabric to whatever music only they heard.

Your attention only left the plants when you heard Leo start clearing his throat and then flashing you a look that you recognized all too well. A grin was already tugging at your lips, and Leo finally felt like he was the only one in your world again. His hands held onto his belt and he kicked out his legs, faking as though he were tipping a hat. It seemed like some western cowboy impersonation?

“ What in carnation? ”

There you went, first with a light and short laugh.

“ Well I do say, I took a leaf of faith bringing you here,”

Which then melded into a series, topped with a “ Wait, Leo, hush—please! ”, all stuttered and peppered through your increasing laughter.

“—but, beleaf it or not—“

He wasn’t even able to finish the entire spiel before you were holding onto him, laughing with such a melodious voice. Which, of course, devolved into your trademark wheeze n’snort after dragging on too long.

“ Pwffhaaha!! Leo, wha-what’s with you today? ”

You wiped away a tear, and suddenly Leo was finally brought back to reality. Your hand on his forearm lingered, and he was just completely beside himself with how the glowing willows beside the garden softened your face ever-so-perfectly.

“ Y/N… ”

His voice was so uncharacteristically soft that it had you a tad bit spooked, hand gripping a teensy tighter. Your head cocked slightly in confusion.

“ I.. Ugh, okay, it’s—it’s dumb! But—“

He dragged his hands down his face, groaning exhaustedly.

“ I thought, maybe, you might’ve… Liked Donnie, more than me. ”

“ Huh? Why would you think that, I love all of you guys? ”

“ Yeah, but I love you, and—“

The shock painted on your face had him holding his breath. Alarms went off in his head, telling him he maybe should have held his tongue, not jumped ahead so quickly. The two of you searched each other’s eyes in silence, you recovering from what he said, and him preparing himself for what you would say. Soon enough, your face twisted into a confusion tinged with a bit of playfulness.

“ Wait a second.. You’re jealous, aren’t you? Of Donnie? What for? ”

“ What? What do you mean what for? You, you’ve been laughing at everything he said all day, don’t you think he’s funnier? Don’t you like him more?! ”

If it weren’t his dumb puns and act earlier, it was this that would do you in.

“ Leo, you dummy! Sure I was laughing, but that doesn’t mean I like him more than you, I just, well… ”

It was your turn to be a bit bashful as your eyes looked everywhere except him.

“ I, well.. You’re my favorite, Leo, not Donnie.. ”

As you batted your eyes at him, hoping he would connect the dots thoroughly, your answer was given in the form of his beaming expression as he swept you into his arms, spinning.

“ Ah-hah! So you do like me—and I’m the funnier turtle!? ”

“ Oh no, I shouldn’t have said anything, now you’re too powerful! ”

Playfully you cried, leaning back with your hand dramatically draped across your forehead. Leo chuckled at your antics leaning in to lay his head against your stomach as he tightened his hold firmly.

This was definitely something he would rub in his brother’s face later on—and said brother would be profusely confused by what brought it on???

┆ ── ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ — Mikey 💌

Mikey was the last turtle you ever considered could suffer from the classic ailment of “ jealousy ”, and you couldn’t help but feel both ashamed yet intrigued.

While you weren’t too sure what it was that had got him so riled up, you were observant enough to see the way his eyes lit up with a startling emotion. At first it was impossible to pinpoint, just a glimpse of something indiscernible yet startling that crept into his blue hues at the oddest of times.

The first time you had seen that frightful emotion peek its head was during a date. The two of you had decided to hit a bar late at night, him donning a cloaking brooch, of course.

When you arrived, the loud music was entrancing, luring you both onto the dance floor to get lost in each other’s arms. The music coiled around you both, closing the gap to a suffocatingly tight end, as if either of you couldn’t stand any sort of distance apart. The floor vibrated, from both the booming speakers and the music reverberating the whole building alongside the dancing bodies around you both.

Mikey beamed with the brightest smile, and you just knew he was laughing, albeit drowned out from the ambiance. You were both having the time of your lives. Absorbed into a bubble fit for only the two of you, eyes locked on each other, neither party was ready for the stranger’s hands that snaked around your waist, pulling you in without any mind paid to you already having a devoted dance partner.

Chills set in and you turned to Mikey instantly, locking eyes, but the look in his eyes was enough to have your voice hitch in your throat.

That night ended with you both getting kicked out after Mikey wailed on the guy, but after a while, you both laughed and talked all about the fight on the way home.

The next time you saw that look was when you were hanging out with Leo while waiting for Mikey to return back from patrol. He had invited you over, and you planned to do it after wrapping up a few things, so he figured he could finish a patrol and be ready for you when you got done.

Unfortunately for him, you happened to finish your escapade much too early, and thus were at the lair awaiting his return. Leo happened to pass by, so you roped him into a conversation to bide the time. When Mikey did eventually come home, he stepped in to see you nearly keeled over in laughter.

You had been laughing so hard that when you noticed Mikey, you gave a weak wave and continued dying. He was curious what the joke was, but Leo simply shook his head and left, his own laugh dwindling down the hall. Once you recovered and were on your feet, you caught that same scary emotion swirling in his eyes. He tightened his lips and only softened when he turned to you.

More and more questions arose as you came to experience this look time and time again in all kinds of situations, but the one that finally made all the clicks pop into place was his outburst after you were with Raph.

He had been taking care of some villains on patrol with Mikey when you had ended up in the wrong place, wrong time. Their battle had turned to a violent one, with the villain bashed straight into a wall. Debris crumbled down right as you turned the corner, eyes shooting up to see parts of the building falling towards you. There was no time to move, so you just closed your eyes shut right and braced yourself.

But, no pain ever came, just a bit of dust. You opened your eyes, seeing a huge shadow casted over your body, and when you looked up?

It was Raph, who blocked the falling debris with his mighty shell.

“ Raph! “

You yelped, heart thundering in your chest, and Mikey misunderstood the shimmer in your eyes as Raph rose to full height, throwing the concrete off and away. He misinterpreted why you hugged him so tightly when he scooped you up, taking you away from the damage and ushering you to run the other way.

When you’re focusing on the wrong things, it’s easy to get the signs wrong, and boy had the ache in Mikey’s heart got everything so totally wrong. You liked Raph, didn’t you? Why else would you look at him like that? Did you like it when folks were bigger than you, unlike him who simply had an inch or two on you?

How could he be so stupid?

So, that’s how you ended up where you were now, seconds from entering your apartment when Mikey met you with a sour look on his face. You noticed that same glint in his eyes, still trying to piece together what it meant.

“ Why didn’t you tell me? ”

His voice wavered, and you responded with a hum of confusion. Inviting him in, he closed the door behind you both. His lips tugged down as he searched everywhere for the words to say. Finally, he found them and settled back on you as you were putting things down and unwinding.

“ With Raph! You like him, don’t you?! ”

“ Wha? ”

“ You—You! ”

He seemed frustrated, wracking his brain until finally he threw his hands out and shouted.

“ DO YOU LOVE RAPH MORE BECAUSE HE’S SO BIG?! ”

Silence blanketed you both as you processed his words. Finally, you placed a word on the emotion you always saw in his eyes. Struggling not to laugh at the absurdity, you snorted and shook your head.

“ Jealousy! That’s wh—wait, no, Mikey, no, I don’t ‘Love Raph cause he’s big’ ”

“ Then why do you like him more!? ”

“ Where is this coming from, Mikey, I don’t like Raph like that—I like you. ”

You stepped closer, and Mikey let you in. Your hands reached up, cupping his cheeks, and he leaned into them with such a desperation that you felt bad for finding this whole situation so silly.

“ Just, you always seem so happy when he’s around, and whenever he saves you instead, you always.. ”

His eyes were elsewhere as he spoke, almost as though he were seeing the absurdity in it all now with a clearer mind.

“ Ahh, mhmm, yup, alright so Mikey usually people are very happy when they’re saved from danger—and I mean, I probably look happy cause I’m friends with him too, but I’m dating you, silly. ”

You booped his snoot, smiling as his eyes lit up with the love you were accustomed to seeing them full of.

┆ ── ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ — Raph 💌

If there was any one of the brothers full of insecurities, it would come as no surprise as the spotlight shone upon the red turtle, atop the winner’s pedestal. As someone who once led his brothers in the face of battle, who grew up with the elder sibling curse of forced parenthood, it came as no shock that there were a couple of problems sprinkled into his character.

While he had spent much of his life up to this point recovering and healing from what dared chip at his exterior, there was more than a few bits of stubborn grime that lingered on his surface. It ate away at him, leaving behind vulnerabilities.

Then you came along, and throughout the honeymoon period he experienced nothing but delights. Never had the negative Nancy in his brain perked up to talk her shit, misleading him in circles until he was a mess of unbundled, tangled up rope.

You were a light, something that seemed to power wash the grime away, cake over it with your delicate touch and sweet words. Much smaller than he, you were probably one of the kindest humans he met, someone he cherished more than life itself.

And that, in and of itself, was a vulnerability. You were his weakness, and the shrewd dark spots in his brain couldn’t wait for the rose-colored glass to shatter and let them sink their teeth into this beauteous opportunity.

The sensible part of him knew your kindness knew no ends, that it wasn’t limited or excluded to simply him or a select few. In fact, your sweet demeanor shared with his brothers? It was a breath of relief—it was an understatement to say he had been nervous to introduce you to the family. You were okay with him because he saved you, but his brothers and father weren’t present. They hadn’t been the heroes slamming down against concrete, scaring away the silverfish that preyed upon you one fateful night.

Turns out the trash-eaters had a hankering for good food, and you, all alone, on your way back home with a doggy-bag from Cleo’s Beach Shack, served to be the perfect target.

The night had been quiet, albeit suspiciously so, but your full tummy and weary limbs had their guard fully down. You daydreamed of the bed awaiting you at home, arms beckoning you forth with pillowy softness.

That delightful image was disturbed by the sudden rustling and clank you heard from behind. Turning, your eyes shooed away dreamland and were alert. An empty can rolled from a bush, tinking into someone’s trash can at the curb. Not a soul in sight, so surely it must have been one of New York’s infamous rats? Y’know, that creature that is practically extinct in this city, like there’s no way you would ever see them—definitely not at the metro nor the coffee shop, and surely never this residential street with primo rat hot-spots such as unsupervised trash cans full of food waste.

Yeah, of course, must have been a rat. You’re so paranoid, just hurry on home, nothing bad will happen. Nothing bad ever happens to pretty little guys like you, alone on dimly lit streets, lined with houses whose doors are locked to high hell.

Nothing bad, especially not like the cold metal that clamped firmly on your ankle. Never anything as worse as the chilling growl from whatever tripped you up, glaring with red eyes and flicking a long, sharp-looking tail.

“ Oh sh—“

Your voice feebly complained, raising into a scream to the heavens above as it lunged towards you.

Or well, towards your to-go bag, but who’s paying attention to the little things like that when your life is flashing before your eyes?

Thankfully, the end never came. There was the sound of a growling struggle after a tremor shook your shivering frame, and as you opened your eyes to peek at whatever held up your attacker, a silhouette towered over you. He casted a long shadow over you, which should have been intimidating as hell, but instead it left you feeling…

Safer?

In his hand laid two identical buggers, squirming and chomping with animalistic hunger. This had to have been worse than the rats, you’d take the rats any day, at least they weren’t massive.

… well okay, they are, but this is a whole ‘nother level.

The most shocking part was this giant hero taking a step back, assuming the position of a pitcher, and launching the creatures into the distance. There may have been a glint shining, and was that the cheer of an audience you were hearing? No, that was your imagination, obviously.

But you were not imagining this guy in front of you. Much too tall to be human, unless it was some basketball lead who somehow had balls of steel to save a stranger.

Every warning sign imaginable was washed away without a trace as your savior turned around and shot a shaky smile, warm as a summer sun.

“ S-Sorry about that, are ya okay? ”

He spoke with the timidness of someone a fourth his size, and you couldn’t help but be completely charmed to death.

From that day you would see him more and more, to the point that it felt as if maybe he had been appointed your personal body guard. Ah, but, you didn’t really mind, did you? You loved his company and his toothy grins. You adored his warm, gentle hugs, and it was too sweet how you could feel his hands tremble as they held yours ever so delicately.

So yeah, he worried to introduce you to his family, but the way you brightened up the room instantly had him starstruck. You’re perfect, that’s it. That’s the tweet.

The rosey glass shattered after a few lingering months of dating. His insecurities reared their heads, resting sharp grips on his shoulders as they whispered in his ears all kinds of falsities. You liked his brothers, but maybe you liked his brothers? Why else would you be so nice to them?

And, maybe that’s why you were smiling at Leo like that? Raph is right here, so why were you talking to his brother? He couldn’t even focus enough to heard you both holding the most mundane conversation ever about some shop that opened up over on Moore’s. He steeped in the tea of jealousy, filling his senses to the brim with worry.

The worst part about it was that if you liked Leo, he couldn’t even blame you. Leo was like water, while Raph was stone. Raph stood still, he could be bossy at times, while Leo was a spunky little river that would keep you on your toes. Leo was never boring, and he could keep a smile on your face for as long as the day lasted..

But he didn’t want any of that to be true. None of it.

The conversation was stopped by a meek voice asking for your time, attention shifting from Brother Blue to your beloved, clad in what became your favorite color in these past few months.

“ Y/N, can we talk? ”

Ignoring Leo’s nudge and teasing “ ooooooohs ”, you nodded with a smile, following Raph with a pep in your step.

“ Of course, dear. ”

That lead to the silence you currently shared—with him leaning against the wall of his room, gaze fixated on some smudges on the floor. That should be cleaned up, he thought, trying to not think of how you were sat on his bed, awaiting whatever it was he needed off his chest.

“ Raph? ”

You were the first to talk, already well acquainted with your love’s tiptoeing when it came to any sort of conversation that might be unsavory. You watched as he twisted his expression, tightening his lips—whatever it was, it was bothering him profusely, and you couldn’t help the pang gripping your heart..

“ Raph…? ”

Again, your voice seemed weaker this time. That was what gave him the drive to speak, he couldn’t handle leaving you in such a state, he needed to know if these worries of his were dumb!

“ Do you like Leo? ”

“ What. ”

Your response was so fast and curt, the product of being completely taken off guard with a left hook. There were plenty of other ideas you had for the direction of this conversation, such as having beaten his leftovers last week or how you have his favorite hoodie in your laundry basket right now. Maybe even the secret trips to Donnie’s, who was currently helping you get together a gift for Raph’s birthday next month. A particularly low worry even fretted that this might be a conversation about your relationship and how it should end.

But, instead it’s about Leo? What an easy question to answer!

“ Sorry, I didn’t mean that, I mean to say no. ”

Raph’s shoulders loosened and a breath of relief slipped out of him—when had he even started holding his breath?? Never mind that. You snorted at the absurd thought of liking Leo of all people.

“ Why would I like Leo? Raph, c’mere. ”

You held your hands out, and the way his hands fell into yours spelled out a desperation to be close to you. With a gentle tug, he climbed onto his bed, and you melted into his chest. A storm was brewing in his chest, his heart thundering nervously.

“ Ya just, Raph don’t know, something—he, just… Raph was worried, s’all. Afraid ya preferred him over a… ”

While he was searching for whatever word to insult himself with, you captured his attention with a gentle peck on the lips. Your fingers gently held his chin, turning his focus to lay fully on you.

“ Over a charming, handsome hero? ”

There was that adorable smile, peppering his lips as a light laugh erupted from his chest.

“ You think I’d prefer Leo, who is a risky little ticking time bomb, over my knight in shining armor? ”

He whispered a rebuttal, something along the lines of “ he really is, huh? ”

“ Oh Raph-a-doodle, never could I want anyone other than you. ”

Leaning up, you pressed your forehead against his and gazed into his eyes. They searched yours for a hint of deceit, for anything to latch onto and spiral about, but all he found was warmth.

Thus, the jealousy flame died out, and he plummeted backwards against his bed, dragging you down with him. He gave a heavy exhale as you giggled atop his plastron, scolding him for being so silly.

┆ ── ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ — Donnie 💌

The green of jealousy was a hue you never expected to be painted across the purple canvas you called your boyfriend, but surely there is a chance for any reality to blossom true, right?

Jealousy had sewn seeds far before either of you could catch on, oblivious to the roots which spiraled and narrowed vision to see only one option as opposed to the myriad of other reasonings. You had poured love into your dearest Donnie, so much so that you couldn’t even fathom any room for jealousy. How could he ever be jealous? Surely he knows full and well just how you look at him? Obviously he knows just how only he can pluck the strings of your heart, strumming love with each touch, in a way unlike any other.

Why, if you were Excalibur, then he was your King Arthur.

So, yeah, may the gods above forgive you for not considering a jealous Donnie as a reality to worry about—though, is it really too worrying? Your boyfriend being jealous? Kind of interesting, doesn’t it just trip up your heart into a flurry of skips?

No? Just me?

Anyways, you had missed entirely the shifting of his gaze when Mikey would enter the room. The low growl, the holding of his breath, none of it had appeared in your mind as you laughed along with whatever silly antics the youngest brother would get up to. Sometimes you would even entertain him! I mean, he is your boyfriend’s little brother, so it’s only right that you laugh at his jokes, get along with him, and all that good stuff.

But, jealousy was the type to hold someone still, to draw their gaze upon one stiff perspective and allow no other reasoning. For a man of science, even he was not above the laws of insecurity in relationships, so when he saw how bouncy his brother was around you, never did he contemplate the obvious. Nary a thought shall he consider that it was simply his brother getting along with his brother’s girlfriend, nor did he consider maybe you were being nice. No, the sour, bitter green dipped his head in the nastiness of jealousy, and all he could consider in this moment was that you must have liked his brother more.

Or maybe, his brother liked you and intended to steal you away? Why else would you laugh so heartily at whatever nonsense his brother spouted? Whatever reason was there for the times he would find you in the kitchen, fixing up dinner alongside Mikey? What else could explain you returning home with topside art supplies and personalized tips to his youngest brother?

Obviously the jealous mind of Donatello Hamato was going to omit one important factor: you did this with all his brothers. If they told a good joke, you would laugh. If Mikey made dinner, you were guaranteed to be in the kitchen helping by fixing you and Donnie’s plates to your liking. If there was something on the surface any of the brothers needed, you would totally put it on your errand run, delivering it during your next visit.

But, jealousy cares not for easy explanations. It craves the most dramatic interpretations, and in this case?

The juiciest interpretation was that Mikey had set his eyes on you, Donnie’s prized lover, and you had fallen for him hook, line, and sinker.

No, no, no, Donnie says, not on his watch would he let you be swept off your feet by anyone else.

“ Y/N. ”

Donnie leaned forward, fingers firmly locking with yours and giving an urgent tug. There was a thickness layered in his eyes that left Mikey shrinking away, confused as to what he could’ve done wrong.

“ Let’s go,”

Straightening up, he couldn’t help the grin widening on his face in a “ I’ve won ” type of manner. You simply waved to his brother.

“ You haven’t forgotten why you’re here, have you? ”

The look in his eyes caused your heart to skip, unprepared for such a heavy gaze that you hadn’t yet experienced. A nervous smile rose on your expression as you looked anywhere but the face giving you a look that would serve to make you fall even harder.

“ Of course not, Dee. ”

Donnie noted your refusal to eye contact, and instead of assuming it was one of your usual bashful moments caused by yours truly, his thoughts were plagued with theories of Mikey somehow worming his way into the heart Donnie swore was his.

“ Right. ”

He muttered in a curt fashion, leading you both to his lab.

The uncomfortable awkwardness blanketing the atmosphere had not gone unnoticed as you followed him, thumb stroking loving little hearts upon the upside of his palm. Usually he would meet this with a firm squeeze, but you could recognize when your genius had his mind up in the clouds. He wasn’t even paying attention to you, was he?! And to think you came all this way to entertain his experiments, hoping to get a kiss or two, only to be met with unnecessary coldness?

What the heck, man?

“ Prepare to behold the wondrous creations of the genius, Donatello. ”

Whatever stink he had been brewing in just seconds prior had evaporated as he unveiled his newest creation: an air-fryer that could quite literally create anything from thin air.

You tried to ignore the distant shout of the youngest brother, something along the lines of “ Hey! Where’s the air-fryer?! ”

Donnie had not ignored it, nor had he dismissed the stifled laughter from you that he surely knew the cause of. His hands clenched, wrapping into crossed arms as he leaned his weight into the table.

“ Annoyed sigh. ”

While rolling his eyes, he muttered an annotation to the peeved groan slipping his lips. There it was again, you noted with a narrowed gaze, that odd discontentment he’d been soaking in this night.

“ Alright, spill it. ”

You mirrored his lean, relying on one of the structural pillars in his lab to hold your weight. Your fingers thumped impatiently against your bicep as your eyes soaked in Donnie’s body language. He seemed to stiffen, either nervously or defensively, you didn’t know.

“ Spill what? ”

He spoke with such an accusatory tone that you were almost ticked off. You held your tongue, hoping to keep this civil and not devolving into mindless argument.

“ Spill wh—?! ”

Sputtering, your hands gestured wildly before quite literally framing him. He knew what you meant, he wasn’t dumb!

“ Whatever is making you so, so—so THIS! ”

His brow raised, and he almost seemed insulted as you threw your hands up with a frustrated growl.

“ Why are you so upset with me right now? What did I do? ”

That seemed to do the charm of dragging out what you’ve been looking for, the explanation, as he straightened his posture and pushed off the table.

“ Oh save me the innocent act, Y/N,”

Confusion painted your face, and for a moment he physically faltered, unsure to continue after such a clear display of hurt across your pretty face. After a second, his mouth tugged into a frown, shaking off the hesitation to continue his claim,

“ I know you like Mikey, so just do us both a favor and go scurry along after him. ”

Donnie waved his hand off, pointing to the door. Whatever look you had on your face at that moment must have embodied just how deeply the pain in your heart crawled, right on down to your very core, because he seemed to balk at his own words. A bit of regret wrapped around him as he muttered something too low for you to hear.

Tightening your lips, you straightened this time and took a few steps to close the gap between you and him.

“ You will not talk to me like that, and what’s this about me liking Mikey? Your little brother? ME? You think I like him?! ”

There was no way, right? He couldn’t be serious? You, liking Mi—he might as well have been your brother too! You could never like him over Donnie?! What an outrageous claim, you thought, standing your ground in front of Donnie. This could have been avoided if he had just not been such, such a…

“ Obviously! Why else would you be bringing him gifts and helping him out in the kitchen? ”

You opened your mouth to speak, only to be interrupted as he continued with an accusatory finger pointing no where specific.

“ And I’ll have you know that I have read about ‘Cooking together’ and I know how much of an intimate bonding experience it is! ”

The childish stomp he gave, throwing his fists against his sides stiffly, served to diminish almost all the frustration bubbling up. You snorted at the sight, causing him to loosen up, confusedly tripping over his words to sputter out a “ Wh-What, what is this, what’s so funny? ”

“ … You’re a riot, Dee. ”

Wiping away the tiny tears pricking from such a hearty laugh, your eyes met his with less of anger and more of the warmth he was far too familiar of.

“ Since apparently I’m the only one of us with some sense, I’ll have YOU know that I do that for all of y’all! ”

Sheepishly, he seemed to curl into himself as you poked your index finger right into his plastron to emphasize the “ you ”.

“ I bring you gifts all the time—April, Raph, Leo, hell, even Splinter, too! ”

Jealousy was starting to burn away, leaving behind the bashful shame as he started to finally contemplate the more reasonable explanations for your behavior. Silently he condemned himself for starting up this whole dumb debacle with such a blatant disregard to the facts.

“ And of COURSE I help Mikey with cooking. You have a specific palette that he doesn’t always remember fully, so it’s up to me to make sure you get a fulfilling meal you’ll actually eat, dummy! ”

Ah, now that was the part that did him in, something he didn’t even know. Just as you were going to continue, he stepped closer.

“ Wait, you do? ”

“ I do—do what? I said a lot of things, Donnie, be specific. ”

Derailed, you stumbled over your claims, lost suddenly at which point he had cling to.

“ I thought Michael was just inconsistent in his preparation of my dishes, but since you say that, I do recall my meals being much better when you were around. ”

His hands had found their way upon your shoulders as he spoke, gaze flitting all across the lab as he collected his thoughts.

“ I had suspected meals were just better when you were around because, well.. ”

You softened as his gaze fell onto you.

“ Because you were there.. ”

Silence fell upon you both, except more comfortably this time. He exhaled deeply, marked with his trademark “ relieved sigh ” then smiled at you.

“ Oh Y/N, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into such a ridiculous argument. I was just… ”

“ You were just… Jealous? ”

Your teasing gaze was searing through him, so much so he shut his eyes tightly and groaned annoyedly.

“ As much as I would wish to not admit it, yes. I may have been experiencing,”

He waved his hand in the air, as if collecting his words.

“ Jealousy, towards your interactions with Miguel.. ”

Donnie was relieved as you laughed away all his worries, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. The moment lingered for a few, as if desperately needed to mend this situation, stopping only when you pulled away.

“ Alright, you’re forgiven… For now—BUT! Next time just talk to me, dummy, you got me all riled up for no reason. ”

With that, you gave a playful shove that had him gasping as though he were insulted, and quick to rush to his experiment’s side with more questions than he could keep up with.

Not like he hated an attentive and questioning audience, though. Much appreciated.

[with-my-calamitous-love]

I WAITED AGES TO SEE YOU THERE

hitoshi shinso x reader

celebrating his first official year as a pro hero, you and your childhood friend-turned boyfriend share an intimate moment.

inspired by you’re on your own, kid

summer went away, and now, and hitoshi had completed his first official year as a pro hero.

rent is enough to bring people to tears. and though you two have been lucky enough to score a cozy, one bedroom apartment. it has beautiful open windows, a warm space just fit enough for a young couple. you’d tell yourself anything to ignore the fact that it was barely furnished.

you two sat on the living room floor, lit by a few faulty lights and some candles. you’re surrounded by tax papers, bills, and old grocery lists. but its still romantic, because its hitoshi.

you’d dress nicer if it weren’t for the new autumn chill. so instead, you’re wrapped up in one of his sweaters while he pours you both glasses of cheap rosé.

once it’s filled, you lift the glass and clink it against his. “1 year.” you smile.

“one year of being a pro-hero.” he says. “still can’t believe its been that long.”

and it’s true. he still doesn’t actually believe he’s been saving lives for one full year, with more to come. he’s learned that his dreams aren’t rare, that every starry-eyed kid wants to be a hero. but now, he’s actually doing it.

“this goes without saying, but,” you start, taking a sip of your drink. “i am so proud of you.”

he feels his heart swell, looking at you with admiration. he’s played it cool, he’s waited patiently, and now he’s here with you. “thank you… you know i couldn’t have done it without you.”

that part resonates with you. from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes, you’ve seen his journey. you set your glass down before speaking again: “i’m not just saying i’m proud of you as your partner, or anything like that. i say that as your best friend, too.”

lilac eyes pause, remembering the fond memories you’re bringing up with your words. “i still remember the day we first met, we were 6. you said you wanted to be a hero.”

he chuckles, fondly staring out the window as if re-living his lofty, childhood dreams. “i did, didn’t i?”

you nod. “and since then… i have seen you get your ass beat and heart broken trying to achieve that dream. you’ve been shoved down and told you’d never be a hero because of your villainous quirk.”

villainous in heavy quotations.

his expression turns more contemplative, reflecting on those times. he would never admit it, but he sometimes wondered if they were right, after all. he gave his blood, sweat and tears for it, to fight back and prove those assholes wrong.

and now that he’s made it, no one really knows what to say- not even him. but your smile and proud, teary eyes tells him all he needs to know.

“it broke my heart everytime they said it.” he admits, his voice coming out in a slow, steady breath.

“but you didn’t let it stop you.” you remind him. “you proved them all wrong, even when you didn’t believe in yourself.”

somehow, you vindicate all his worries. his hands intertwine with yours.

“that’s because of you.” he smiles. “you believed enough for the both of us.”

you chuckle, not wanting to take credit. but honestly, hitoshi gives you all of it. you stood by him. you held his hand. you picked up the pieces of him and kept him going all this years.

“i waited ages to see you there.” you hum, happily. “you’re my best friend, and the love of my life.”

he nods, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “you are the one thing they’ll never take away from me, [y/n].”

his hands accidentally touch a stack of papers, creating a crumpling sound. when you two look over, you see the official papers documenting him as a pro hero. one year ago today, you were there when he received them. and you’re just as proud now as you were then.

you smile fondly at them, remembering that day and everything he did to get here. “everything you lost to get here was a step you took, love.” you say. “i am so, so proud of you.”

he honestly isn’t sure how to place his gratitude into words anymore. he doesn’t have any reason to be afraid, because he knows you’re his safe place. you’re the one thing that will never change. he will always have you.

“i love you.” he whispers just under his breath, pressing another kiss to your forehead. and when you respond, he pulls you closer to him, cheap rosé long forgotten in the night.

after a few beats of silence, some catching up and lamenting his dumb jokes, you decide to bring up the one thing thats been on your mind.

“can i ask you something?”

“anything.”

“um… at that work party the other day… i overheard you talking with izuku and denki.” you mention, mind wandering back to that exact memory from a few days ago. you two were separated, your boyfriend catching up with his old colleagues.

his eyebrows furrow curiously, wandering what you overheard. “yeah.. what about it?”

“you told them that… that becoming a hero wasn’t the best thing thats ever happened to you. i got pulled away before i could hear what you meant.”

hitoshi is quiet for a moment, his mind racing as he tries to figure out how to explain his statement. a mixture of emotions flit across his face, embarrassment. he sighs softly and looks away, his face slightly flushed.

“i… i did say that, yes," he admits, his voice soft. "i guess it just slipped out, i didn’t mean for you to hear it."

you quickly shake your head, taking his hand again. “no, no. i’m not mad, or anything.” you chuckle.

“i’m just… curious. if not becoming a hero… whats the best thing thats ever happened to you?”

the fact that you’re asking, as if it isn’t already obvious, is nothing but endearing to him.

“meeting you, love.” he says, voice soft and sincere. “becoming a pro-hero is a dream come true… but being with you? it does’t even compare. its not even a contest, [y/n]. its you.”

your mouth goes slightly agape, your chest fluttering before looking down. your lips curve into a flushed, embarrassed smile. “oh, shut up.”

he laughs at this scene of you, how even after all this time he still manages to make you nervous. instead, he opts to cup your face and press his lips to yours.

and its a perfect kiss, the kind that saves you. its the kind that turns the pages, that heals all the pain of the past. its the kind of kiss that makes all of it worth it, that lets him know that he isn’t on his own.

[geekgirles]

The Doll and the Dragon

Chapter 11: Intertwined

Word Count: 26,955

Read on AO3

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Chapter Summary: "Sacred Dance Day has arrived! A starry-eyed Amalia finds herself amidst all the decorations and preparations for such a momentuous occasion, both excited and worried for what the future might hold for her and her standing with the Eliatropes. Will she be able to find the perfect way to contribute? And what about Yugo? Is it possible that this year's celebration has a special meaning for him as well? And what could it be?"

At the very beginning, there was nothing. Scientists and religious leaders alike have long theorised there was only darkness, void and lifeless. A darkness so all-encompassing it couldn’t be described. It would be senseless, after all. What was the point of speaking about the vast coldness, the neverending silence, or the seeping hopelessness if none of those concepts even existed yet?

But then, nobody knows exactly when, something nothing short of miraculous happened. 

Nobody knows or will likely ever know how it happened or where they came from, but the two very first souls came into existence. Both of them beings of great power and the source of the two quintessential energies of what would later become the known universe. Both of them the other’s complete opposite in every regard. 

One of them was feminine in nature. She encompassed concepts that would later become known as ‘love’ and ‘space’, with the astonishing ability to travel to any plane through portals. Her bright, turquoise hues represented life and creation, a clear symbol of her motherly nature. She was the Great Goddess Eliatrope, the source of all wakfu in the universe, of all life and mobility. 

The other was masculine in nature. With his ethereal and evasive, yet reptilian, form, the first dragon was born. The powerful magenta of his form bore the power of destruction and stability. He was the Great Dragon, the source of all Stasis in the universe, the origin of death itself. 

Wakfu and Stasis. The two primordial energies in the universe; two sides of the same coin. The eternal balance between life and death, of endings and new beginnings alike. 

Perhaps it was because they were the only two souls in existence, or maybe it was that that old saying about how ‘opposites attract’ is indeed as old as time, or in this case, even older, but Eliatrope and the Dragon fell in love. 

With not much to do during a time when nothing was everything and everything was nothing, the two beings found themselves drawn to each other. And so, they began to dance. The more they danced, the more they loved each other, until they became intertwined, both their forms woven into one, forever sealing their fate as life and death would become inseparable from that point onwards. What death did, life couldn’t undo, and wherever death visited, life would flourish anew. 

It was from that dance and the unshakable balance it created that the Krosmoz was born. Where there used to be nothing but darkness, now were millions upon millions of shining stars, illuminating the endless vastness of space. Solid celestial bodies would become planets, patiently waiting for their time to harbour life. And the first ever souls, those that would eventually become the twelve gods and that would eventually spawn countless more, were first created.

The eternal balance between life and death had been established, and with it, its cycle could finally begin. 

“And that is why we celebrate Sacred Dance Day.” Yugo finished his retelling, leaning over the railing in Amalia’s balcony with the doll by his side. 

He couldn’t help to preen himself under her admiring gaze, shining like the stars above. Although he couldn’t take all the credit of mesmerising her to himself—the ambience had really helped. With the stellar mantle hovering overhead from where they stood at her balcony, the light coming from her room illuminating their profiles, it felt as though they had been there, witnessing the very birth of the Krosmoz. 

“Amazing…” Amalia breathed. Her full attention was on Yugo, her head resting in her palm as she listened to his tale. “I don’t think Twelvians have anything quite like it. Maybe Huppermages, but they care more about the Krosmic Balance itself than its creation…” She trailed off, her nose scrunched up in thought. 

The Eliatrope just chuckled softly and gave a helpless shrug. 

“Well, unlike the Twelvians, we Eliatropes and our dragons actually worship the Great Goddess and the Great Dragon. It’s only natural we would take certain things more seriously than them and vice versa.” As if to emphasise his point, he opened a small portal, no bigger than the palm of his hand. 

“Touché.” It was Amalia’s turn to shrug. “When did you say the celebration will take place?” 

“A week from now.” 

She blinked as realisation dawned on her. “It’s that why the entire village is decorated?” 

She’d been meaning to ask for a while now, having first taken notice of the festive ambiance one day when she was headed to the forest located at the outskirts of town, where Glip’s training took place. Between her lessons, tending to her garden, and other distractions, she never had the chance to ask. 

A wry smile made its way to her lips when he began to sheepishly rub the back of his head in that way that was so characteristically him.   

“Yes, sorry for not telling you sooner.” Her smile dimmed a little when he winced. “I meant to do it earlier, but… life got in the way.”

The doll refrained from pointing out how they had actually been spending a lot of time together lately. For some reason, there seemed to have been a shift in Yugo’s demeanour, and the rest of the Council of Six’s, too, for that matter. Everyone appeared to be more… vigilant, more alert, if that was even possible. With Yugo and Adamaï choosing to spend most of their free time with her—which, while always a welcomed thing, stoked her suspicions—, and even the guards being more attentive of what she did than ever. 

But seeing as such an important celebration was just around the corner, she shrugged it off as them simply being on edge trying to make sure everything went off without a hitch. She tried to ignore the small pang of guilt she felt when she realised her presence had probably derailed their usual plans quite a bit. 

Instead, she simply leaned closer to Yugo and put a comforting hand on top of his, and softly said, “It’s alright. Thank you for telling me. Thinking back, I should have known, seeing as I am already familiar with this piece of your history and culture.”

Even as he drew lazy circles on her skin with his thumb, his eyebrows still shot up in surprise, “You do?”

Another shrug. “From Glip and Baltazar’s classes.” In retrospect, she was a little disappointed with herself for not connecting the dots sooner. Shaking those thoughts away, she sent her friend a coy look. “So, tell me. How do you celebrate Sacred Dance Day, exactly?”

The king was only taken aback for a few seconds before he let out a puff of air that soon morphed into quiet laughter. Holding the doll’s hand in his until they were dangling from the balcony—and secretly relishing when her mesmerised eyes followed the movement and the sweetest blush lit up her cheeks—, he started, mirth shining in his eyes:

“It’s always the same, to be honest. Although that doesn't make it any less special.” He was quick to point out. 

The doll nodded. “Of course not.”

“Of course not.” His smile widened a little. “As you’ve already seen, it’s tradition to decorate our homes with silks, sheer and edged in gold, and charms carved in stone in the shape of a portal. Now that I think about it, we still have to decorate the palace—I’ll talk to Nora about it.” He added, as if thinking aloud. Then, catching himself, he went on with his explanation. “But that’s only the beginning, and it’s something we actually do before Sacred Dance Day actually arrives.

“On that day, families will spend the morning together, celebrating what life has given them. But it’s in the evening when the fun really starts.” He smiled devilishly at her, his pearly whites peeking through his lips in a way that sent butterflies to her stomach. Why, the doll didn’t know. But she did know she liked it when Yugo made her feel like that. “That’s when we all gather together around the temple, in the middle of the main square. I officially inaugurate the festivities with a little speech, and the fun begins. 

“There’s games set out for young and old alike, music fills the air, and everyone mingles and enjoys themselves. Following that, we all share a hearty dinner filled with laughter, relishing in the ironic intimacy of a full-blown party. And then, the real magic happens.”

His wording had the desired effect. Amalia’s eyes were shining with anticipation. “What do you do?”

“It’s Mina and Phaeris’ turn to lead the ceremonial aspect of the festivity.” He revealed, his tone almost conspiratorial. “They deliver this wonderful, heartfelt speech in honour of the Great Goddess and thank everyone for their offerings. And then, they lead everyone in our annual reproduction of the first Sacred Dance.”

The doll positively lit up, a dazzling smile splitting her face in two. “You guys dance! Oh, that sounds so fun! I haven’t danced since the banquet at Bonta.” 

Shyly looking away, Amalia allowed herself to get lost in the memories for a few instants. It really had been long since she last danced. Not only with Yugo—the thought making her heart ache with longing—, but herself. She remembered quite fondly those times where her father would lead a dance with her and her sisters. Those moments always filled her with a sense of peace like she hadn’t felt in a while. 

It was funny, now that she thought about it. She hadn’t realised how much she missed it until Yugo brought it up. 

Her gaze snapped back at the king in surprise when he rushed out to clarify. “Erm, well… Yes and no.” His heart dropped to his stomach when timid disappointment flashed across her face. 

“You don’t dance?”

“No, no! Of course not!” He blurted, only to throw his head back in frustration when his unfortunate wording only disheartened Amalia further. 

He rubbed his hands down his face, exasperated with himself. Ever since he realised his feelings for Amalia, he felt clumsier than ever. He took one deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly, trying to compose himself. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t explain myself properly.” He told the doll, who hung onto his every word. “What I meant to say is we do dance, only that’s actually how the night ends. Let’s just say it’s only part of our way of honouring the Great Goddess and the Great Dragon.”

“Oh. I see…” Amalia said tentatively. Her spirits lifted at the idea of getting to dance after all, the corner of her lips twitched upwards into a small smile. “Then what’s the whole picture?”

“‘The whole picture’?” Yugo repeated, tilting his head in confusion. 

“Yes, you know, if dancing’s only part of it, how do you honour Eliatrope and the Great Dragon?”

“Oh, right.” He cleared his throat and nudged her playfully. “This is actually the pièce de résistance of the whole event, Amalia, you’re going to love it.”

Giggling at his theatrics, she simply gestured with one hand for him to get on with it already. 

He chuckled. “Right. Well, as I said, Mina and Phaeris lead the whole ceremony. So once they’re done giving their speech, they lead us all to raise our hands in the air and will our wakfu to manifest.”

“Wait,” The doll interrupted him, blinking rapidly. “That’s it? You guys just create portals?”

“I never said that.” The Eliatrope chastised her lightly, booping her nose a few times to get his point across. They both averted their eyes bashfully when his actions fully registered in their minds. 

Amalia, who kept threading her fingers through her evergreen hair nervously, was the first to break the silence, “So, if you guys don’t create portals, what do you do?”

That seemed to bring Yugo back to reality, who jolted in place. He cleared his throat in an attempt to appear nonchalant, “W-what we do is we project our energy unto the night sky, and with Mina and Phaeris’ help, those wisps of wakfu are shaped into a representation of Eliatrope and the Great Dragon as they dance together.”

“Oh.” Was all Amalia could say. Because, what can you even say to that?

“And then we dance under them.” Yugo finished, already anticipating she’d want to know about that little detail in specific. 

“Good.” She nodded so resolutely that Yugo couldn’t help but snort. “Dancing is what distinguishes good parties from mediocre ones.”

“You really love to dance, don’t you?” He smirked. 

She smirked right back, though hers held a touch of mystery. “It's a Sadida thing.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Please, do.”

They managed to hold their laughter in for all of two seconds. The quiet of the night was broken by their breaking down in hysterics, with Amalia playfully shoving Yugo away when he started making faces just to make her laugh harder. All tactics that worked flawlessly, much to her chagrin. Eventually, they quieted down, although their cheeks still flushed from mirth and they were holding onto their aching stomachs. 

As his uproarious cackles faded into chuckles, Yugo wiped a tear off his eye. “You’ll have to tell me what’s so important about dancing one day.”

Hiding her giggles behind her hand, Amalia returned his affectionate gaze with a mischievous one of her own. “Maybe one day you’ll find out by yourself.”

The grin he answered with was so tender she could feel herself melt. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

The doll’s breath hitched in her throat, and she scrambled to tear her gaze away from his, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she willed her heartbeat to go back to normal. Hard as she tried, she just couldn’t understand what happened to her whenever Yugo was involved. Her mouth would dry, her heart would start thumping wildly in her ribcage like an untamed Dragoturkey, she would be both incredibly comfortable and bashful in his presence, and she was constantly flushing like an idiot. 

At first she thought that was normal between friends. Yugo was quite literally the first person she interacted with outside of Inglorium, where she would spend most of her time with her father and sisters, anyway. She assumed all those butterflies in her stomach were the usual elation from making a new friend, someone to spend your time with and to cherish. 

But the more people she met, the more she began to doubt her theory. 

Even though it was true she still spent most of her free time with Yugo, she had also been branching out to other people in the span of the last few months. People she felt comfortable with and, if not friends, she believed she could at least call acquaintances. People, who, regardless of the appropriate terminology to refer to them by, welcomed her with open arms. 

Adamaï, Baltazar, Glip (eventually), the children, Chibi, Grougaloragran, Kérubim and Atcham, Alibert and Ruel… Nora was difficult to define: Amalia had the feeling the pink-eyed Eliatrope held no grudges against her, but she was bound by her loyalty to her brother, who very much hated her. All that led the doll to think of her relationship with Nora as bittersweet, even if it was no fault of hers.

She shook those thoughts away. She refused to let Efrim damper her good mood yet again. Especially when she still had much to figure out.

The truth was, she enjoyed their company, and she wanted to believe the feeling was mutual between them. And yet, despite their supposed friendship, she certainly didn’t feel the same way about any of them as she felt about Yugo. 

To say the questions left her flummoxed would be an understatement. Why was Yugo so different from everybody else? Why was it that only he could lift her spirits up when she was lost in despair, at the same time as the idea of losing him felt like a knife in her heart? Would this have anything to do with what her father said about suitors and brides—?

“A little tofu told me you had a hand in the creation of the Magnolias.” Yugo’s voice cut through her pondering like a knife. Suddenly, she didn’t remember what she’d be wondering about in the first place. 

Blinking blankly as she regained her bearings, all Amalia could offer was a weak, “Huh?”

“Chibi and Grougal.” He clarified. “They told me all about the Magnolias.” He smirked, leaning his head against his knuckles as he scooted a little closer to her side. “Gotta say, I’m not all that surprised. It definitely has your mark.”

Feeling shy under his praiseful look, Amalia tried to play it off by turning her back to the balcony, her hands resting at both sides of her on the railing. “Yeah, well. After we almost died in a work-induced fire, I’d say anything that doesn’t involve being burnt to a crisp is a vast improvement, don’t you think?”

Yugo’s eyes widened like saucers, his very being trembling in alarm. 

“Come again?” He choked out. 

But Amalia didn’t elaborate. “But really, it was a joint effort.” She waved the mere notion off dismissively. “After Chibi and Grougal explained how the Wik-Fi Network worked and their issues with finding replacements for their usual materials here, all I really did was provide them with the means necessary to achieve their goal. I’m sure they would have managed just fine even without me.”

It was clear Amalia wasn’t going to assuage his fears concerning the very real possibility that she was almost burned alive, so he chose to stow his questions for later. He’d have a word with Chibi and Grougal on proper safety measures and on finally adding some darned windows and sprinkler system to their workshop later. For now, he contented himself with squeezing the doll’s hand in his, his heart fluttering at the adorable squeak of surprise she let out at the contact. 

“Nevertheless, it was a success.” He told her softly. “I know for a fact they were struggling with it, and thanks to you, my people can finally communicate just like they did back home. It’s a small taste of familiarity in a whole new world, but a needed one nonetheless.”

There! There right there was the source of her turmoil! 

Oh, how in Sadida’s name was she supposed to make peace with the mysterious yet exhilarating way Yugo made her feel, if he kept making her little Ogrine heart race with just a few sweet words?! 

It was downright torturous at this point. An agonisingly sweet torture. 

Her mouth feeling like cotton (something she usually only experienced in her rag doll form), it was a miracle when she finally managed to change the topic. “So…um…” She coughed awkwardly. “Uh, anything else that you’d like to tell me about Sacred Dance Day?”

Mimicking her position, his back now to the railing as well, Yugo just shrugged nonchalantly. “Not really, no. That’s everything important.”

She had just given a noncommittal nod when he rushed out to add, “No, wait. Sorry. Now that I think about it, do you think you could help us decorate the palace? My siblings and I have had our hands full lately and couldn’t do it until now.”

She beamed at him. “Sure thing!” Then, she let out a wistful sigh. “Anything to get to experience Sacred Dance Day, even if it’s only a little and from my room.”

The king raised a confused eyebrow. “What are you talking about? Amalia, you’re invited to the celebration. You know that, right?”

With a small gasp, her whole demeanour lit up like the stars above them. “Really?!”

His own expression softened. “Yes, really.” He surprised even himself when his body moved on its own accord and closed the distance between them just so, enough so their faces were one breath away from each other as he whispered, “That is, if you want to.”

Amalia didn’t even have to think about her answer. Thank Sadida, because with Yugo at such close proximity she wouldn’t have been able to form a single coherent thought even if she wanted to. “Of course I’d love to go.”

And then, right before they could close the distance between them completely, a jolt went through both of them, causing them to all but jump away from each other, their cheeks on fire and hearts hammering in their chests. Whatever moment they had was now lost. 

“G-great!” The Eliatrope said, his voice cracking embarrassedly. “T-then, I’ll… I’ll see you there!”

“You bet!” Amalia squeaked, wishing a carnivorous plant would swallow her whole when she realised she had just used finger-guns with Yugo, like some awkward loser with no social skills. 

The king was saved from further embarrassing himself when he remembered something important. 

“Oh, just one last thing.”

“Hm?”

“Since this is actually quite an important day for us, it’s tradition that we all dress to the nines for the occasion. And since you’ll be participating too, I guess that includes you.”

“I see… I suppose, then, that I can’t exactly wear my adventuring outfit to the ceremony.” Amalia guessed.

“Considering my sisters would kill me if I let you wear nothing short of regal to the festivities, I’m afraid that no, you cannot.”

Her nose scrunched up in thought for a moment as she held her chin between her thumb and index finger. “I suppose I could always come up with something else.” She splayed her hands in surrender, though her stance was resolute. “I’m sorry, Yugo, but I categorically refuse to wear the same dress as my arrival or the banquet at Bonta for something as important as Sacred Dance Day. It’s a matter of principle.” She asserted, arms crossed over her chest, indicating she wouldn’t budge on the matter. 

“Never crossed my mind.” He said instead, honestly taking her by surprise. “I was actually thinking along the lines of sending the royal tailor to your chambers sometime this week so he can sew a new, custom-made outfit for you from scratch.”

The Divine Doll’s reaction was instantaneous. No sooner had the words left the Eliatrope King’s mouth, did she begin to squeal excitedly and to thank him profusely. As she prattled on and on about all the ideas she already had for her dress—because it had to be a dress, she wouldn’t take no for an answer—and that she wanted to discuss with the tailor as soon as he arrived, Yugo was rendered helpless in her presence. 

As Amalia excitedly shared her plans with him, all he could do was stare adoringly down at her and privately think about his own reasons for looking forward to Sacred Dance Day. 

..........................................................................................................................

Amalia couldn’t help but find it ironic how, despite being the daughter of a literal god, that is to say, an object of profound, spiritual admiration with festivities revolving around the very notion of worshipping him, she actually knew very little about what honouring a god entailed. 

Mainly, she had been completely blindsided to find out part of celebrating Sacred Dance Day was a mandatory holiday period where businesses would either close early, or take the day off entirely. Same with Glip and Baltazar’s classes. Apparently, it was tradition to relax and spend the week preceding the festivity with one’s family, even when that meant putting a temporary stop to the cultivation of knowledge and physical training. 

The very next day after the holiday was also free, since the Eliatropes would be too tired from partying to be productive. 

And that is why Amalia suddenly found herself with little to do. With her afternoons now free from having to train (although Glip had strongly encouraged his students to work on what they’d learned the very last class before their little vacation period), the Divine Doll found herself with a lot of time in her hands. Time she mostly dedicated to her garden, but there was only so much she could do before Qilby and Shinonomé could finally pay her that one visit where they were supposed to share what kind of plants their clinic needed from her. 

Normally, she would have taken advantage of her nearly empty schedule to spend more time with Yugo, and hopefully figure out what that feeling she experienced around him was at last; but he and the rest of the Council were busy preparing for their roles to play in the upcoming celebration. 

According to the palace staff, while the king and Adamaï were busy overseeing everything, Mina and Phaeris barely left the temple. They would depart at the break of dawn, and return well after sunset, when the sky was pitch black except for the moon and stars illuminating the night. 

While a part of the doll told her that was the Ochre Twins’ responsibility and they knew what they were doing, she still couldn’t help but fear for their health. She just hoped they ate and slept well enough. 

All in all, despite her undeniable excitement over getting to witness what Sacred Dance Day was like firsthand, Amalia would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bored from the lack of activity. 

Hence why, despite her reservations, she jumped at the chance to help Nora decorate the palace when she came knocking on the door that afternoon and told her Yugo had asked her to go look for her. To be honest, she had almost forgotten about that. 

And that was how she found herself carrying boxes filled with delicate fabrics and ornate decorations all around the palace. Her arms ached from the weight, but it was better than tracing the murals on her wall for the umpteenth time. At this point she was probably capable of drawing those paintings herself with her eyes closed…

The two women’s efforts were currently focused on decorating the large, majestic columns lining up the main hall that led to the throne room. Amalia couldn’t help but be grateful that Chibi and Grougal’s common sense hadn't been abandoned for this wing of the building and they didn’t forget to add windows. That way, she could just summon her vines from outside for help. That made everything so much easier. 

She was perched on a ramble, its ends wrapped snugly around her form like a harness, as it guided her along the height of the column she was currently working on, draping the fabrics and hanging the stone-made ornaments along the polished marble. Another pair of thinner, more manoeuvrable vines acted as a second pair of arms, rummaging through the boxes on the floor in search of more materials to hand over to her whenever her current stash ran out. 

Nora completed the same task through the use of her square-shaped portals. But when the pink-wearing Eliatrope had offered to do the same for Amalia, the doll had politely but adamantly refused. At her swift yet resolute response, Nora couldn’t help but feel grateful for the mask covering her face—she wouldn’t have been able to hide her amused grin otherwise. 

Thank goodness she hadn’t offered to carry the doll around as she floated in the air! She had a feeling that would have ended up doing Amalia in for good. And something told her Yugo wouldn’t take it kindly if she upset the Divine Doll, especially not after the shocking discovery he and Ad made. 

Securing the knot joining two different pieces of silk together, Nora’s light mood darkened slightly as the reminder sobered her up. She sneaked a glance towards Amalia, taking in the way her tongue stuck out cutely as she directed all her focus on hanging one of the stone portals. 

It was both astonishing and relieving to see how she remained unaware of the going-ons around her, especially when she seemed to be at the centre of it all. 

Once their king and his dragon twin had found out about their mysterious intruder, they wasted no time calling an emergency council meeting and warning their siblings of the possible danger in their midst. They didn’t even flinch before the Council’s scandalised reactions upon finding out their—or rather, her— target had been Amalia. Even as Efrim set out to exteriorise his disapproval of the Divine Doll as per usual, it was Adamaï who promptly shut down his attempts, pointedly reminding him their top priority right now was ensuring her safety and with it, that of their people’s.

For his part, Yugo didn’t waste a second in organising everyone so Amalia would be watched over at all times. Whoever was in charge of patrolling each week would keep an eye out on her chambers in particular, and the rest of the Council was to find a way to remain close to her. For the most part, it didn’t pose a problem for anyone, since whenever Yugo himself wasn’t there by the Sadida Doll’s side, her training sessions with Glip and Baltazar meant they had it covered. But now that classes were out due to the upcoming holiday, they had to get creative. 

Asking Amalia to help out with the preparations for Sacred Dance Day was an idea equal parts ingenious and subtle, Nora admitted to herself. That way, Amalia remained blissfully unaware of the potential danger she was in, at the same time as it allowed for whoever was in charge of guarding her to remain close without their behaviour coming off as suspicious or unusual.

Bright pink eyes blinked rapidly as the doll’s sweet voice broke her out of her thoughts, “So, I’ve been meaning to ask… Why fabrics?”

“I beg your pardon?” Nora raised an eyebrow, uncomprehending. 

From where she was, held securely by her vine, Amalia held up the piece of silk in her hands, “Why do you use fabrics to decorate for Sacred Dance Day? I can understand the ornaments, since they’re clearly modelled after your portals, but this…?” She trailed off meaningfully. 

Eyes widening slightly in understanding, Nora nodded. “It’s in honour of Eliatrope.”

It was Amalia’s turn to blink, confused. “But isn’t that what the portal decorations are for?”

The pink-eyed Eliatrope couldn’t help but laugh lightly at her earnest confusion. “They represent different things.” She said simply. Pointing her open palm at the box on the floor near her, she summoned a small portal, a piece of silk and a stone ornament landing neatly into her outstretched palm. “The portal represents the Great Goddess’ power, her gift to us; whereas the silk handkerchiefs represent the goddess herself.”

The doll’s inquisitive eyes darted back and forth between the objects in her companion’s hands and her placid smile, her mind scrambling to understand what she was trying to say, until… “Okay, I give up. How does a handkerchief represent a goddess?”

“Don’t masks represent your father?” Nora shot back knowingly, only for Amalia’s swift counter to cause her smirk to drop from her face. 

“My father always wears a mask. It’s practically his trademark. And with good reason, too—anyone who stares at Sadida’s bare face suffers a fate worse than death.”

There was a moment where all the Eliatrope woman could do was openly gape, either at the revelation or the nonchalant fashion in which the doll uttered it, she wasn’t sure. In the end, all she could say was, “I suppose you learn something new every day…”

“So…” Amalia trailed off meaningfully. 

Nora, recovering from her previous shock, raised an eyebrow, “So?”

“So…” The doll repeated pointedly. “How do silk handkerchiefs represent your mother?”

The other girl just chuckled. “Our mother is different from the other gods in a lot of ways. For starters, she lacks a humanoid body.”

Even though a part of Amalia couldn’t help but wonder how in the World of Twelve Nora knew that when she was pretty sure she had never met the twelve gods, she opted to stow that away for later and asked, “Then what does she look like?” 

Her face scrunched up in confusion when Nora pulled a face of her own, making a so-so gesture with her hand. 

“To be completely honest, like a porcelain doll’s face with a giant, bright blue wig.” She nodded solemnly when it was the Sadida Doll’s turn to pull a face. “Yeah, I know.”

“But I thought a god’s followers were supposed to take after them in terms of powers and appearance? You certainly inherited her powers, but you guys look… Well, like that,” she pointed meaningfully to all of Nora, “while she looks like, well, like you said…” She finished lamely, looking down while fidgeting with her hands. 

The Eliatrope just smirked coyly. “That coming from the doll whose father always wears a mask while his followers are essentially green-haired, dark-skinned humans.” She was quick to point out. 

Amalia splayed her hands in surrender. “True, true. There’s no denying you have a point there. But Sadida men do have their faces covered by their manes, and we are essentially tree people, my father’s domain. By contrast, you don’t even have blue hair, that’s the Feca.”

“Touché.” Then, seemingly processing her words, she tilted her head, unsure. “What’s up with that? Isn’t their goddess a brunette?”

The doll shrugged. “Beats me.”

There was a moment where an awkward silence fell over them, neither of them knowing what to say or how to continue with their bizarre conversation. At least, until Amalia broke the quiet:

“...if it’s any consolation, Xelor’s face is on his chest. When he moves his pectorals, his eyes blink.”

“Ew.” Nora oh-so-eloquently replied. She absent-mindedly thought back to the Xelor royals and aristocrats they met at Bonta. Even with their bodies covered in armour and enough bandages that her first instinct was to wonder what kind of horrible accident they had been in, from the look of things, that was still nothing compared to their patron god’s eldritch qualities. 

“I know.” Not sure if that little titbit of gossip had been of help or only made things worse, the doll just pushed through, hoping to have her curiosity sated so they could both finally move on from the awkward conversation. 

“So!” She and Nora both winced, having been a tad louder than she intended. She tried again at a more acceptable volume. “So you use silk to represent the Great Goddess’ more…ethereal form?” She offered. 

“In a way.” Nora said, thankful for the much needed change of topic. She turned her focus back to the piece of fabric in her hands, her fingers delicately running along its surface, the material making a rustling noise under her fingertips. “As you can imagine, Eliatrope’s unique physical appearance sets her apart from the rest of the gods.”

Even though the doll’s inner thoughts commented dryly on the fact that she was probably hairier than even Ecaflip, on the outside she was smart enough to muse, “I suppose that’s true, yes.”

“Unlike the twelve gods, who all have at least one pair of arms and a physical body, the goddess Eliatrope has neither—her vast mantle of hair stands in for both.” Taking advantage of Amalia’s momentary state of shock—and mentally lamenting she couldn’t see the look on her face, with her wide eyes and gaping mouth—, the pink-eyed council member continued. “That’s what the silken handkerchiefs are supposed to represent; her hair.” Floating closer to a still bewildered Amalia, she traced the fabric with her fingers as she explained, “See? That’s why it’s a rich shade of turquoise with golden edges, because that’s how our mother looks.” Then, softly, so softly the doll wouldn’t have heard her if she hadn’t been paying attention, she added, “It’s a small comfort during these trying times; a way to say she is still with us.”

Brown eyes softening, empathising with the meaning behind the tradition, though not without a small pang of longing as she thought about her own divine father, Amalia called after Nora as she went back to decorate her side of the hall. “Has it been long since you last saw your mother?”

While she posed her question hoping for Nora to speak fondly of their mother and assure her she was always looking over them, Amalia couldn’t shake this cynical feeling at the back of her head, gnawing at her with the possibility of the Great Goddess Eliatrope being as neglectful to her children as Kérubim, Atcham, and Harebourg accused their parents of being. A sinking feeling rooted itself in her heart when the Eliatrope’s words failed to assuage her fears.

“Since shortly before the war with the Mechasms.” She admitted, her voice distant as she once again lost herself in a sea of painful memories that threatened to drag her down below and drown her. Chancing a glance towards the doll, she winced at her disheartened expression and braced herself for the uncomfortable questions she would have to shut down. She really wasn’t in the mood to think about the war right now. 

Only to be pleasantly surprised when all the doll asked instead was, “Do you miss her?” 

The question still hurt, as it unintentionally opened old wounds that had yet to heal, but it was still far more manageable. 

“I do. We all do, really.” She sighed, and for a moment it appeared as if she alone carried the entire weight of the world on her tiny shoulders. “She was our mother, and we all loved her deeply, almost as much as she loved us. Though I will admit we in particular shared a special bond with her, one unlike any of our siblings’.”

“Oh, you were closer to her than the rest of your siblings?”

“Yes, but even our bond was nothing compared to her and Efrim’s.”

As soon as the name rolled off her tongue, the two of them stiffened up, the air around them becoming charged with unspoken tension. 

Pink eyes frantic at her slip of the tongue, Nora turned to face Amalia, her gaze searching hers, and she cursed herself when she found her rooted to her spot, completely frozen yet her whitened knuckles showing she was holding onto her rambles for dear life. The Eliatrope girl could feel the knot forming at the pit of her stomach at the sight of the doll’s bark-like complexion blanching, gaining an almost deathly parlour. 

Who could blame her? Her dragon twin had become off-limits as a topic of conversation between them ever since their last encounter. 

Rushing to her side, Nora reached out to the Divine Doll but never made contact with her skin, her hand hanging almost uselessly in the air as she tried to apologise. “Amalia, I… I’m so sorry. I…I mean… Forget I said anything. I just…”

As if awoken from a dream, Amalia began to blink rapidly, slowly but surely regaining her bearings. Even though she still looked mildly surprised when she took notice of the pink-clad Eliatrope’s close proximity, jolting slightly in her makeshift seat, her shock melted into understanding at the sight of her. 

Taking pity on the poor girl’s frazzled state, knowing full well it was due to feeling guilty over accidentally putting her on edge, the Sadida Doll offered her a small but kind smile as she gently lowered her outstretched hand. 

“Nora, I’m fine. Don’t beat yourself up about this.” She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s my own fault for being so sensitive when it comes to… your twin.”

“But—.”

“Not ‘buts’.” She told her kindly but sternly, sending her a look. “Besides, I should really stop being so on edge around him, lest we risk Yugo catching wind that something is definitely wrong between us.”

While she tried to imbue her voice with some humour, it rang hollow even to her ears, causing her to wince and to avert her gaze. While she absentmindedly rubbed her arm for comfort, accidentally dishevelling one of her wristbands, Nora remained afloat, biting down on her lip behind her magenta mask and fidgeting with her fingers nervously, almost too afraid to ask. 

At last, she mustered up the courage to voice the difficult question right at the tip of her tongue, begging for release. “Speaking of Yugo… Does he, you know, know?”

Amalia’s voice was distant yet unwavering. “No. He doesn’t know.” Nora flinched when she set her searching brown eyes on her. “Isn’t that what we agreed on? That we couldn’t tell Yugo what happened so as to not worry him when he’s already so busy?”

It was Nora’s turn to break eye contact, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin for some reason. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Once again, silence settled between them, heavy and oppressing as it weighed heavily over both women. Their minds elsewhere, Amalia was completely taken aback when she suddenly registered the lack of light coming from the windows. Frowning in confusion, she turned her head in search of the sun casting its rays down on them, only to start when all she saw instead was the faint glow of the moonlight and far away stars. 

They must have been working on this area of the palace longer than they realised. 

Hovering behind her, Nora must have reached the same conclusion. Her heavy sigh drew the doll’s attention back to her, only to see her uselessly trying to tuck a strand of pinkish white hair behind her covered ear right before she stretched, making her bones pop!, and turned around. She watched her go even as she called out to her over her cloaked shoulder, “We should really hurry up and finish this hall already.”

Despite the emotions brewing inside her, inside both of them, Amalia acquiesced. She guided her verdant helping hands in their task of finding and handing her more decorations, but the faint light of the moon wasn’t helping. Even when her sight had finally adjusted to the darkness, she still had to squint her eyes as she tried to tie the knots connecting the pieces of silk, or when she searched for the nails she could hang her stone portals from. 

Noticing Amalia’s struggle—most likely due to her constant grunts of effort and frustration—, Nora peered over at her from over her shoulder. For a moment, she stared questioningly at the doll and the trouble she seemed to be having all of a sudden, not really comprehending, until one last glance over the hall helped her realise the relative darkness they were working in surely had something to do with it. 

Perhaps out of the two of them it was Efrim who possessed night vision, but one didn’t get to carry out as many successful night patrols as Nora had under her metaphorical belt if they couldn’t manage themselves in the dark. That was why she hadn’t even taken notice of the fact that the torches lining up the walls had yet to be lit up since it was still early for the guards’ night shift. 

Shaking her head fondly at the struggling doll, she chose to take pity on her and be merciful for once. “Amalia, do you want me to light up the sconces so you can see?”

“That’s alrig—.” Amalia began to say, only to cut herself off and do a double-take when her companion’s choice of words began to sink in. “Wait, how come you don’t have a problem with it?”

She could only gape as the Eliatrope shrugged. “I’m used to working in the dark.” 

“Care to elaborate on that?” Amalia deadpanned, bemused. 

A special kind of outrage rooted itself into her heart when all Nora did in response to that was smirk. 

“Nope.” She said, popping the ‘p’.

Still gaping and feeling personally affronted for some reason, Amalia huffed and, arms crossed over her chest, she turned back around. “Fine. Whatever. See if I care.” Much to her chagrin, her face heated up with indignation when she heard Nora snickering behind her.

As much as Nora would have loved to laugh at Amalia’s haughty little number—if it were up to her, she would have been going at it for hours—, she knew they had a job to finish. Although she supposed there was no real rush, seeing that as long as Amalia had someone near watching over her, she was still technically fulfilling her mission of keeping her safe. 

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to sober up a little. “Amalia, are you sure you don’t want me to light up a fire or something?” She actually flinched at the unamused glare the doll sent her over her shoulder. 

“After your brothers and I almost died in one the other day?” She deadpanned dryly. “No, thank you.” Wincing at the reminder, Nora was about to apologise when Amalia, a mischievous grin on her face, cut her off. “Besides, I got this covered.”

“Huh?”

Face scrunched up in confusion even behind her mask, the pink-eyed Eliatrope could only look on as the Divine Doll splayed one hand palms-up. Before she could question her on what she was doing in the first place, a small bud made out of leaves materialised on her mahogany palm. As it opened, revealing a small, floating orb of light, Nora’s astonishment was such that she actually lowered her mask as she stared at the sphere in awe. Her bright magenta eyes followed it in wonder when it left its creator’s hand and began to float all around the space until making its way back to Amalia, who directed it to hover above her and light up her way. 

Amalia’s pride and joy at the sight of her latest development managing to render her companion speechless was somewhat doused when the Eliatrope woman blurted out, “What does light have to do with plants?!” Pointing at the luminous sphere in bewilderment, her pink eyes darted back and forth between the Sadida Doll and her… Whatever it was. Her mouth agape. “How did you even do that?!”

Huffing with a roll of her eyes at her reaction, having hoped to bask in the glory of the moment for a little while longer, it was the doll’s turn to smirk smugly. Despite everything, she had to admit she enjoyed knowing something Nora didn’t for once. 

“As a matter of fact, plants and light have a lot to do with each other.” Amalia pointed out matter-of-factly. “Remember? Most plants practice photosynthesis, the natural process of changing sunlight into chemical energy—you know, food.” She snickered to herself, almost as if she’d just remembered a funny joke. “If you think about it, there are few things that are more connected to each other than plants and light.”

“Yeah, but that still doesn’t explain how you got a plant to blossom into your personal flashlight!” Nora shot back, growing a little miffed at the doll’s condescending attitude just because she wasn’t intrinsically connected to plant-life.

But Amalia just raised a finger up. “I was getting there.” She chided her playfully, earning herself a raspberry that, after a small, offended gasp, she returned quite fervently. “As I was saying,” she made sure to draw out the words to emphasise her point, ignoring her companion’s groans, “there actually are several plants and fungi capable of emitting light. As it happens, a prime, available example would be the bulbshrooms in my room.”

Nora blinked. She had honestly forgotten about those. 

“Is that one of the plants capable of emitting light?” She inquired, the initial shock and aggravation in her tone replaced by genuine curiosity. 

Amalia’s smile was so bright it almost put her plant to shame. “Not exactly. It’s something I’ve been working on.” She beckoned the orb closer to her and showed it to Nora, who had closed the distance between them and was hovering in mid-air. “Normal bioluminescent plants do just that, give off light. This little guy right here could be used for so much more! I just need to keep working on it.”

“Really?” Nora raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Well, if everything goes well, they could also give off heat, almost like a mini sun.” She explained. “That way, I could grow plants that only grow in warm climates even during the cold season.”

The pink-clad girl hated herself for having to burst her bubble. 

“...you do know we live on a tropical island, right?” She pointed out. “We don’t exactly have cold seasons.”

But much to her surprise, the doll just shrugged nonchalantly. “I know.” Then, she flashed her a knowing look. “But not everyone lives on a tropical island, right? I figured you could establish a solid trade with the Twelvians if you offered them the chance to grow produce all year round in exchange for their alliance or whatever you need.”

Nora was so taken aback by her logic, by the way the young, naïve, inexperienced Divine Doll somehow managed to be three steps ahead, that she didn’t hear her question. 

Blinking rapidly, she asked her to repeat herself almost absentmindedly. 

“What do you think? Do you like it?” Amalia repeated her question. There was so much hope and anticipation in her brown gaze that the Eliatrope knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if her king had seen it, he would have keeled over. She’d be lying to herself if she said she couldn’t relate to the feeling, to be honest…

Luckily for her, this time she could afford to be as honest as she wanted. “It’s wonderful, Amalia. Like a small Sadida star.”

Yugo’s heart would have stopped at the way she beamed under the praise. Hers sure did.

After that, the two agreed that it was high time they really focused back on their task and completed it once and for all. So, turning back to their respective pillars, the two women went back to decorating, Amalia’s little star lighting up the hall and making things easier for them. Even if Nora wouldn’t admit it was actually more helpful than her own, trained sight.

They had been working in silence for a while, making steady progress, when Nora sensed it. A rather pronounced shift in Amalia’s wakfu and the air between them. The light-hearted atmosphere had turned heavy and stifling, and she already knew what the doll was going to say before she even opened her mouth. 

“Nora,” she started, and the Eliatrope braced herself. “Do you really think it’s best to leave Yugo in the dark regarding what happened with Efrim?”

Steeling herself, she repeated the same reasoning she gave her when it all happened. “Yes, Amalia. Trust me. My brother already has a lot on his plate, the last thing he needs is to worry about his little brother.”

“I know, it’s just…” A pregnant pause. Even if she didn’t turn around, Nora was listening intently. “I just don’t feel comfortable hiding things from him, that’s all.”

“Well, don’t be. You’ll see, all Efrim needs is a little time to get over himself and get used to you. Before you know it, he’ll be fully accepting of you and it’ll be like that little incident between you two never happened.” She tried to imbue her voice with as much reassurance and confidence as she could, her own concerns calming down when the Divine Doll finally relented, muttering how she was probably right. 

This time, the pang of guilt she felt over her own selfishness hurt a little less.

.........................................................................................................................

There were many upsides to having her own garden. The chance to truly test her limits and explore her Sadida magic to its full potential was the most obvious one. Even if she maintained she wanted to grow her plants the traditional way and give them time to blossom on their own unless it was absolutely necessary to speed up the process, Amalia still got to experiment with them a little. 

First were her Sadida dolls, all of them acting nearly independently from her despite being bound to their mistress. Those little rag dolls were the best assistants a Sadida could ever ask for! While some of them remained near her to lend a raggedy hand as she worked on her latest project, many others busied themselves around the garden, tending to its various needs—controlling irrigation, working the ground for new seeds, measuring each plant got the necessary sunlight and the ground’s pH levels, fertilising the crops…

She had yet to work out the final kinks on her explosive dolls, but since it wasn’t a priority, Amalia wasn’t worried. 

Another reason to be thankful for her garden was that she felt like she could really make a difference with it. While her training with Glip and Baltazar was her way of helping herself, her garden opened countless possibilities for the Eliatropes. Thanks to her instinctive knowledge of nature and her innate green thumb, Amalia didn’t just know what to grow to meet their needs, but she was also capable of anticipating them before she was even informed there was a need for anything at all.

And right now, they needed medicinal herbs and plants they could extract healing substances from. All she had to do was wait for Qilby and Shinonomé to pay her their long-awaited visit and inform her of what exactly she had to grow. As deep as Amalia’s connection to plants was, she had to admit she wasn’t confident enough to act on her own and impose her gut feeling on them. Rather, she preferred to trust their judgement, as the Crimson Twins were their people’s medics and, judging from what Shinonomé told her all those weeks ago, their knowledge on medicine would rival even the most powerful and experienced of Eniripsas. 

Perks of living thousands of years and remembering every single lifetime, she supposed. Although she could never shake the feeling that there was something more going on beneath the surface. The graveness in the dragoness’ voice as she shared their story etched onto the lines of her long, elegant face kept flashing through the doll’s mind.

Shaking those memories away, for it would be of no help to dwell on them now, Amalia focused back on the task at hand. She let out a blissful sigh as she relished the feeling of her hands coming into contact with the soft grass. That gentle coolness as the blades caressed her skin. Already they had so much to tell. 

By far, the best thing about having her own garden was the fact that it allowed her to connect with nature on a much more personal level, easing her Sadida instincts as they finally answered plant-life’s call, listening intently to its soft, yet lively, voice. 

As much as she’d come to like Oma Island and its many wonders, nothing could beat the feeling of becoming one with Sadida’s treasures. What good was it to know the language of the trees if you could never hear them because you were too far apart? Even as she stood on her balcony, her body leaning forward precariously to the point where she constantly risked falling down, all that managed to make its way to her were soft murmurs. There simply was no comparison with the symphony of voices reaching her now. 

While a Sadida’s link to nature couldn’t be broken even by death itself, staying away from the greenery was still unnatural. Sadida knew it best—the best way to keep your feet on the ground was to go barefoot so you’d be able to feel its many wonders. 

Oh, how had she missed the ever-present embrace of plant-life in her daily life! It was such a stark contrast going from being surrounded by otherworldly plants and trees in her father’s dimension, to being enclosed in stone walls here at the Eliatrope palace. Even her adventures with Yugo were but an appetiser. Something meant to make her work up an appetite as she waited for the main course. 

But now, her meal was finally served, and all her needs were finally sated. 

That was when she felt it, that familiar pulse going through her that never failed to disorient her at the same time as it grounded her. 

A small gasp escaped her lips, not because she was genuinely surprised—she had been waiting for the next time it would pounce—, but because, even then, she could never predict when the pull would manifest itself again. 

Yet, there it was. As usual, she could sense the energy radiating from it was fainter than what it should actually be, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still powerful, all-encompassing, beckoning. The pull circled all over her form like a snake, coming to rest over her heart, only she wasn’t afraid. Whatever it was, something deep inside her told Amalia she should never fear it. So, she didn’t fear it. 

Instead, she followed it. 

Hands still resting against the floor, she focused all her attention on the burst of energy coming from within and expelled it. Suddenly, the pull gained volume, form, morphing from a simple feeling into a thread, something she could follow and trace back. It wasn’t enough so she could have a clear reading on its origin, but it was more than she had had in months. 

Taking one last deep breath to steel herself, Amalia chose to follow its lead. 

She was immediately mesmerised by what she saw through her third eye. That thread, a thin, nearly unsuspecting thing of emerald green, seemed to be connected to everything! Wherever she looked, every root, every flower, every bush and tree and even weed had at least one tendril of the same strand coming out of them and convening at the same cord. That same, all-consuming cord tracing back as far as met the eye. 

Using every ounce of concentration she possessed, she tried following it to its very origin. Perhaps if she quite literally followed the thread, she’d be able to unravel the mystery. 

Her brow furrowed in deep concentration, Amalia followed the filament back to what felt like entire continents, each plant it was connected to telling a completely unique story. She was getting closer, she could feel it with every urgent thumping of her heart. It was as if all she had to do was reach out her hand and—.

“Did we come at a bad time?”

Just like that, like someone had cut the connection with a pair of scissors, the thread was gone. Caught off guard by the sudden change, Amalia snapped her eyes open, letting out a small gasp. Blinking wearily a few times, she turned her head every which way, trying to find her bearings. It took her a little longer than she cared to admit to taking notice of Qilby and Shinonomé looking down at her with varying expressions of intrigue. 

When she finally did, it was like a slap on the face. 

She hastily sprung up to her feet, muttering rushed apologies and sheepish explanations of what she’d been up to and how time seemed to get away from her, all the while she nervously dusted her clothes off. 

When she finally (begrudgingly) understood she wouldn’t be able to look any more presentable than she did already—her pants stained with grass at the knees, dirt underneath her fingernails, beads of sweat pooling under her bangs, and her green ponytail askew and dishevelled—, she tried to clear her throat in an attempt to appear nonchalant instead. 

“Qilby, Shinonomé! It’s great to see you again! What brings you here?” She internally winced the moment the words were out of her mouth, her brain too slow to catch up with her tongue. 

As always, Qilby was kind enough to remind her exactly what brought them there. 

“My, Lady Amalia! We’re here because we had agreed on coming to tell you all about the plants we need you to grow for our clinic. Do Divine Dolls have such bad short-term memory?” He adjusted his glasses smugly as he regarded an uncomfortable Amalia like she was one of his souvenirs, only to let out a yelp of protest when his sister elbowed him softly. 

Without even sparing him a glance, the dragoness smiled down at the doll. “Do forgive my brother, my Lady. You know how he can be; he just loves to tease!”

“Right. Of course…” Amalia muttered, not too convinced but eager to move the conversation along. Perking up again, she gestured for the twins to follow her. “If you please, I’d like to show you the space I have prepared in anticipation of your visit. As soon as you tell me what you need, I can start working on it.”

With quiet agreements and nods of assent, Qilby and Shinonomé followed the Divine Doll to a remote corner of the garden. One look at the ground beneath their feet was enough to know the earth had already been worked on in preparation for the upcoming crops. 

“As you can see, we’ve organised the ground into different sections,” she pointed at each of them. “Each one will hold a specific species you’re in need of. Thanks to this separation, they won’t steal nutrients from each other and harm their development.”

“Quite ingenious, my Lady.” At least, it would be if it weren’t because their people had been doing the same thing for generations. Qilby had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, in fear of his sister delivering another painful elbow to his side. 

To his surprise, the doll just waved his praise off. “Not at all! These are all very common agriculture techniques. Even your farmers use them.”

While her twin was left floundering like a fish, Shinonomé intervened. “That is quite true, Lady Amalia. Thank you for taking it into account.”

She shrugged, smiling, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” This time, both of them were taken off guard by what she said, “Besides, most plants like it better this way. It’s the most fair solution.”

“Right, I forgot she speaks plant.” Qilby noted sarcastically, his dragon twin agreeing through their psychic link. 

“Well!” Qilby clasped his hands loudly to get the doll’s attention, the grin on his face just a tad too big to be genuine. “As fascinating as this all is, my sister and I would truly hate to impose on you for much longer. So if it is alright with you, we have taken the liberty of listing everything we need. We hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, no. That’s quite alright, and very thoughtful of you.” She took the piece of paper out of Shinonomé’s proffered hand and skimmed over its contents with a critical eye. Then, she snapped her fingers, summoning a group of Sadida dolls to aid her—making both siblings jump; Qilby clutching his chest— and, without further ado, set out to work.

As Amalia instructed her little helpers to get the seeds and tools they would need and they scurried off to complete their assigned tasks, Qilby and Shinonomé kept trying to sidestep the dolls as they came and went. At one point, the dragoness had to grab one by the tail and, with a stern look and a puff of smoke in warning that made it flinch in fright, set it back on the ground. Qilby had half the mind not to summon a portal and have all the enchanted toys tumble out of its other end. 

They couldn’t afford to look too impatient or purposeful. They had chosen that day specifically to visit the Sadida Doll for a reason, and they weren’t going to let such a perfect chance go to waste. 

None the wiser to the Crimson Twins’ struggles with her dolls, Amalia had once again crouched down on the ground, her hands gently setting the earth apart to plant the seeds she would need. At first she’d been worried she wouldn’t have everything they needed and would have to create those species from scratch—not an impossible task, but one that would require a lot more time and dedication. Fortunately, the worst didn’t come to pass; she had every plant and herb they needed right in her garden. All she had to do was grow them. 

With that problem taken care of, her mind wandered to tackle the next issue. The matter with irrigation. While she had access to plenty of water and she just needed to ask the guards to fetch her some more whenever she was running low, the doll still didn’t feel comfortable relying so much on the Eliatropes for that. 

It was true neither the village nor the castle seemed to suffer any sort of shortage in water, but she still had no idea how they managed. After all, they lived on an island—yes, they had plenty of water around, but it was sea water. It wasn’t exactly low on sodium.  

Maybe Chibi and Grougal had developed some sort of cutting edge filtering system?

With a sigh, she shook her head from those thoughts. It wouldn’t do much to overthink things. What mattered was that she could water her garden. Although, a part of her couldn’t help but wish she were friends with a Cra. She heard from the Matriarch back at Bonta that they sometimes shot rain arrows for the Sadida whenever their crops risked suffering due to a drought. 

“We really hope we aren’t keeping you away from anything too important, Lady Amalia.” Shinonomé told her kindly, coming to stand beside her before crouching down as well. The Divine Doll looked up in surprise when she began to help her with the seeds her dolls kept bringing. 

Once her initial surprise had worn off, she just shook her head. “No, not at all. I’m really glad that you came to me about this.”

“We simply don’t wish to impose.” Qilby interjected, coming to stand behind his sister as he observed the scene. “You must be so busy these days…” 

Amalia ducked her head shyly, an opportunity the Crimson Twins used to exchange smirks while she wasn’t looking. Through their bond, Shinonomé told her brother to wait a little while longer, for the perfect cue. 

Eventually, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, the doll just waved it all off. “It’s no problem, really.  I’m sure you are probably busier than me, with preparing for Sacred Dance Day and all…” Unbeknownst to Amalia, the twins’ smirks widened, a sly glint in their eyes as the perfect opportunity presented itself. They quickly schooled their faces back into friendly neutrality when she turned back to face them. “Yet you still took the time to prepare this and come see me. Really, I should be the one thanking you.”

“Well, we did keep you waiting long enough…” The dragoness commented airily, standing up and dusting herself off. 

“So how about we say we’re even?” Qilby offered. His eyes wrinkled from behind his glasses. “Although… It is true Sacred Dance Day tends to take a lot out of us.”

Shinonomé, reading her twin’s cue, continued without missing a beat, “How could it not? It’s such an important holiday, after all!”

“Yeah, Yugo told me all about it the other day.” She giggled excitedly. “I can’t wait to see it for myself!”

Shinonomé, golden eyes glinting, leaned closer to Amalia, her ruby-hued claws grabbing onto her shoulders like a bird of prey. “Oh, did he tell you about how everyone comes together to make the ceremony a success?”

The doll nodded. “Something like that, yes.” Then, after a moment of consideration, “He said you guys recreate your goddess and the Great Dragon’s first dance, right?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise…” She trailed off meaningfully, letting go of Amalia as she strolled around her garden, pretending to show interest for her plants. “It’s much better to see it with your own two eyes, you know. Though I suppose I should tell you the real beauty of Sacred Dance Day is how it brings all of us together.”

“Really?”

“Why, indeed!” It was Qilby who answered, adjusting his glasses. “At the height of the night, we all come together to recreate one of the most pivotal moments in our entire history! That’s why it’s so important we all work together, because it reminds us that we’re one and the same and brings us closer.”

Amalia felt her heart warm up at the sentiment. She could already picture it all so clearly. Families huddled closer together as they watched the show. Couples, young and old, celebrating by dancing underneath it all. The older generation reminiscing on the good times. Yugo’s presence by her side filling her up with comfort and that weird feeling she didn’t understand but deeply cherished… She could hardly wait. 

Qilby, who had been watching Amalia’s wistful expression for an opening, had to suppress his smirk when he casually, almost too innocently, mused, “And this year promises to be quite intriguing indeed.”

Broken out of her stupor, the doll raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

He just looked at her meaningfully, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And, in a way, it was. 

“Why, because of you, my Lady!” He exclaimed jovially, gesturing at her. “It’s the first time we ever have one of Sadida’s Dolls with us. And since your magic doesn’t work like ours, that means it will also be the first time not all of us get to participate in the recreation.” Wincing with fake sympathy, he crossed his arms and held his head in his palm. “Such a pity. Nothing says ‘togetherness’ like Sacred Dance Day…”

It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over Amalia. Just like that, all of her previous fantasies had vanished in a puff of smoke. Now, instead of the comforting warmth and electric anticipation she had been feeling these past few days, all that was left was the freezing grip of disappointment cracking open her heart. She had never felt more alien to the Eliatropes as she did in that moment. 

Shinonomé, sensing she was at the verge of her breaking point, schooled her calculating features into a pitying yet empathetic look. Stepping closer to Amalia, she brought a hand to her chest, her voice reassuring at the doll’s side. Eyes glinting like a snake about to swallow her prey whole, she went in for the kill:

“But don’t worry, my dear. Just because you can’t do anything for us on such a special day, it doesn’t mean you’re not part of our community. It just means that we might need more… time to get used to your presence, that’s all.”

That finished doing her in. Her Ogrine heart thudded painfully against her ribs. 

There it was again, that familiar feeling of hopelessness, of uselessness. The same nagging reminder of Efrim’s cruel words as he pinned her against the cold, hard floor and his ice cold eyes bore into her soul. Mocking her and her efforts to fit in. 

“You know nothing!”

“Some demigoddess you are.”

“And to think you have the gall to say you understand.”

She winced at the familiar venom that intoxicated her mind and coursed through her veins, turning her blood ice cold. Biting down on her lip hard enough to draw blood, she had to suppress the urge to bring her hands to her ears in an attempt to drown it all out. Partly because she was still aware that she had company, and the last thing she wanted was to worry Qilby and Shinonomé. But mostly because she already knew that wouldn’t be enough to quiet the echoes of Efrim’s taunts. 

The Crimson Twins’ words had struck a chord within her, and the chord had snapped. 

They were right, of course they were! Everyone was doing everything in their power to make this year’s Sacred Dance Day truly memorable. Not only would they be celebrating it in their new home—which had yet to fully accept them—for the first time, but they were still recovering from the war with the Mechasms. 

Amalia may have never been involved in a war, but even she understood trying to find joy amidst all the chaos and destruction had to be a specially grueling and challenging task. Something that truly tested the limits of your hope and faith. So celebrating their most sacred holiday now, away from home where it actually meant something? That had to be the very definition of bittersweet. 

She just wished she’d realised all that sooner. 

The doll bit down on her lip even harder as soon as the easily recognisable sting of tears pooling in the corner of her eyes made itself known. It took everything in her power not to cry out of frustration with herself. But she couldn’t cry, not when the Eliatropes had already lost so much and they still remained strong. She couldn’t cry, no matter how chagrined she was for not being able to do anything to soothe their pain and contribute to the ceremony. 

She blinked rapidly, keeping the tears at bay still, when she felt someone tugging at her pants. Looking down in surprise, she smiled faintly at the sight of one of her dolls trying to get her attention, its large, little head tilted in curiosity as she peered up at her. 

“That’s right”, she tried to tell herself. “I’m already doing my best to help them. I help the Council navigate the tangled world of Twelvian politics. My garden and my expertise are entirely at their disposal. I help around the palace whenever it’s needed…”

But a voice that sounded surprisingly like Efrim’s kept whispering at her that ‘It wasn’t enough’, and ‘She certainly wouldn’t be much help during Sacred Dance Day.’

Her hands curled into fists at her sides, her teeth gnashing together in aggravation. No, it wasn’t enough. She needed to find something to do for Sacred Dance Day, to show Yugo and his people how much she appreciated everything they’d done for her and how much she respected them, but what?

Her back turned to them as she pondered on what to do, Amalia failed to notice Qilby and Shinonomé sending each other triumphant glances as they observed her fidgeting, relishing in her internal conflict. 

“She makes it so easy to toy with her, I almost feel bad for her.” Qilby smiled at his twin. His glasses glinted maliciously as he adjusted them. “Key word being ‘almost’.”

“She truly is too naïve for her own good.” Shinonomé agreed, her hands clasped before her and her back straight as an arrow. The only thing differing from her regal and composed exterior were the subtle flickers of her tail that betrayed her own self-satisfaction. 

“Well, that just ensures our plans go off without a hitch, doesn’t it?” He looked at his nails, almost bored. 

The dragoness’ expression darkened. “Don’t call victory quite yet, my dear Brother.” She warned, her tone growing serious and stern. “Just because she’s easy to manipulate doesn’t mean the war is already won. You forget Yugo.”

At that, the bespectacled Eliatrope couldn’t find it in himself to care about holding back a derisive scoff, clearly offended. He likewise ignored it when his dragon twin shhed him to be quiet. 

“Please, Sister. You know I could never forget about anything. It’s our burden, remember?” He asked rhetorically, his words laced with a sarcastic sing-songy tone. His ironic smile dropped off his face. “Besides, with his little flower taken care of, Yugo won’t take much convincing to finally leave this dump and reclaim our rightful place amongst the stars.”

His twin hummed thoughtfully, her golden gaze watching him intently. “All I am saying is that we had better not grow too cocky. Overconfidence can cost us everything.”

But her brother just waved her concerns off, causing her to narrow her slitted eyes on him. While she was the only person Qilby actually listened to without any ulterior motive, there were times where even her warnings went unheeded. She honestly feared the kind of trouble he would get up to if she weren’t around to keep him in line. 

“You worry too much, Sister.”

“And you worry too little.” 

He tsked his tongue, not appreciating the interruption. “Nevertheless, the seeds of doubt have already been planted. Amalia is bound to sabotage herself in her conviction that she’s not good enough for our people, let alone Yugo. And Yugo will begin to lose faith in her when he realises his precious doll is keeping things from him.” He traced his finger over the length of one of her horns with purposeful strokes, a self-assured grin plastered over his face yet again. “Trust me. Whatever relationship might be blossoming between our dear King and Sadida’s little girl will be over before it even has a chance to start.

“And the best part of it all?” His smirk turned down-right dark, the shadows falling over his face giving it a sinister quality that sent a shiver down even Shinonomé’s back. “It will die by their own hands. Delightfully ironic, don’t you think?” Even the red-scaled woman had to admit it was kind of creepy how chipper he sounded all of a sudden, but she just shrugged it off. She was used to far bigger discrepancies when it came to her Eliatrope twin. 

However, as her golden eyes settled back on Amalia as she got back to work—her almost robotic actions and nearly blank expression that contrasted greatly with the demons in her gaze a reflection of the whirlwind that probably was her mind—, all Shinonomé could do was hope her brother didn’t forget how most seeds died sooner or later without the appropriate care. 

Her eyes flickering to the position of the sun as it filtered through the windows, and seeing as their job there was done, she found it was finally time to wrap the conversation up. 

“You’ll have to forgive us, Lady Amalia, but we have a meeting to get to.” She began, already turning on her heel and making her way out of the garden. “The Council wishes to discuss possible ways to earn the Twelvians’ trust and, naturally, Qilby and I can’t miss it.”

“Please, do keep us informed of your progress.” The eldest Eliatrope called after her over his shoulder as he followed after his sister. 

And with that, they left her alone with her thoughts and feelings of inadequacy.

....................................................................................................................

It was Adamaï who alerted him that something was wrong. 

At first, Yugo feared whoever had been spying on Amalia had returned—and he told Ad as much—, but his brother was quick to reassure him it wasn’t like that. But it definitely had something to do with Amalia.

“She seems… worried about something.” He began, rubbing the back of his head as he struggled to find the words. “Like there’s something on her mind but she doesn’t know how to deal with it. And have you noticed how fidgety and intense she’s been lately? I don’t know, Lil’ Bro, but something’s off.”

Now that Adamaï mentioned it, he had definitely noticed something strange with the doll’s behaviour. All of a sudden, she was very insistent on doing whatever she could to help with the preparations for the upcoming festivity. She went wherever an extra pair of hands was needed, regardless of if she’d been asked to or not. 

At first he just shrugged it off as her being very excited for Sacred Dance Day, but Ad was right. That level of overzealousness was just odd. He’d better talk to her about it. 

And by ‘he’, he meant ‘they’. 

Of course, Adamaï had tried to protest at first, but the moment his brother pointed out the fact that Amalia could easily brush his concerns off as him overthinking things, so he would need all the back-up he could get, he finally relented. …and he may or may not have played the King Card on him to get him to cooperate. But, hey! Ad had been using the Older Brother Card to get away with a lot of things back when they were kids. It was only fair. 

She had been helping the kitchen staff carry the ingredients the chef would need for the celebratory banquet when they found her. Her head snapped up when he called out to her, a small smile that tugged at his heartstrings spreading over her lips when her brown eyes met his. 

“I’ll be right back, Serviette.” She told the maid kindly, who freed her from her literal burden by opening a portal and dumping the ingredients in it (since they were close enough to the kitchen by then).

Dusting her hands off from any remaining flour or crumbs, she made her way over to the king and his dragon twin and beamed up at them. “Yugo, Ad, hi! I didn’t expect to see guys here.” She tilted her head to the side, her smile now growing tentative as she raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

After much consideration, Yugo came to the conclusion that the best course of action was to rip the band-aid off as soon as possible. 

“We actually want to know if you’re okay.” He blurted out. 

“Smooth…” Adamaï muttered sarcastically as he leaned closer to him. 

He received an elbow to his rib for his troubles. 

Amalia panicked at his question. Still, she managed to maintain a façade of calmness long enough to shoot back, “What do you mean by that? I’m perfectly fine, guys.”

Both brothers wore matching wincing expressions. Yugo sighed heavily when Ad sent him a meaningful look and nodded towards the doll with his head—saying something about how he ‘was only there for moral support’. The king was so busy pinching his nose in frustration at his brother’s lack of actual support that he almost didn’t see a bewildered Amalia begin to take a few steps back. 

“Well…” she drawled out, taking measured steps and pointing behind her with her thumb. “Not that this hasn’t been fun, but I should probably get back to work. See you later!” She gave them a friendly wave and was about to make a run for it when Yugo’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. 

“Amalia, wait. Please.” There was so much feeling in his voice it physically hurt her to even think about getting away. So she didn’t. Her cheeks warmed a little when, noticing this, he rewarded her with one of his sweet smiles. 

Her own smile faltered when he started talking about her recent behaviour. She had hoped he wouldn’t notice it, but one sideways look at Adamaï’s nodding form was all she needed to know everything in relation to her would always find its way back to Yugo one way or another. 

The doll felt the unreasonable urge to call the dragon a traitor in her mind, even though they had never agreed on keeping quiet about anything. She fought back the urge to pout; it just made her feel better. 

Unaware of her current train of thought, Yugo chose to finally address the dragon in the room (aside from Adamaï, of course). “We’re just a little concerned, that’s all. And we were wondering if there was anything you wanted to talk about?”

She chose to play dumb. “No, not at all. What makes you think that?”

She didn’t expect Ad to be so blunt. 

“Because you’ve been helping out on the preparations for Sacred Dance Day.” Before she could ask what was wrong with that, he cut her off by raising a claw. “Normally, that’d be fine and dandy—the more, the merrier, as they say! But, don’t you think you’ve been a little too…” He trailed off, struggling to find the words. He doubted she would appreciate being described as ‘manic’ or ‘obsessive’...

“We think you’ve been a little too eager to help.” As always, Yugo came through for his twin, who sent him a grateful nod. 

Amalia sputtered, incredulous. “‘Too eager to help’? How in the Doll Master’s name can someone be ‘too eager to help’?” She air-quoted sarcastically before crossing her arms in a huff. “And how is that a problem?”

“Normally, it wouldn’t be.” Yugo started off diplomatically. He winced when all the doll did was curl in on herself tighter, her walls coming up. That wasn’t good. She was growing defensive and that was the opposite of what they wanted. He had to do something to get her to open up, and soon.

So he did what he did best in times of crisis. He took action. 

He could already feel her defences dissolve when he gently grabbed her by the shoulders, his voice impossibly soft as he tried to coax her into talking to them. Understanding what he was trying to do, it wasn’t long until Ad followed his lead, coming to stand beside Amalia and wrapping his tail around her form comfortingly. 

Still, she was one stubborn doll. “I’m only trying to help.” She insisted. 

“We know, and that’s great! We really appreciate it.” Yugo assured her, Adamaï nodding by her side. “We just think you might be overworking yourself.”

Amalia was about to protest when Adamaï pointed out. “Just yesterday, you were helping Bartoloblé bake some cookies for the party. The second you were done with that and you  heard Marie say she needed help taking some last minute offerings to the temple, you volunteered yourself.”

“That’s not such a big deal.” Amalia retorted. 

“It is when right after going up and down about two hundred steps, you offered to help set up the stands for the games.” Yugo shot back without missing a beat. “You’ve been running around like a headless chicken for three days straight with barely a break! Do you understand why we’d worry?”

His brown gaze bore into hers as he asked her the question, and Amalia could hardly stand it. Eventually, she lowered her head in shame and she began to play with her bangs. The concern reflected in Yugo’s eyes was almost unbearable, more so because it was directed at her and the last thing she ever wanted was to make him worry. 

“Amalia, whatever it is that’s on your mind, you can tell us. You know that, right?” 

There was so much tenderness in his voice she had to muster every ounce of self-control she possessed not to cry. More so when Adamaï leaned closer to her and whispered softly, “We’re here for you.”

The doll considered this. She considered confiding in the Emerald Twins her fears and concerns regarding the upcoming celebration and her role in it—or lack thereof. Was it really okay if she couldn’t participate in the recreation of the First Dance? Was there anything she could do to make up for it? 

She had been trying to amend her shortcomings these past few days, hence why she volunteered herself to help with whatever she could get her hands into. She had baked so many cookies, she feared she had lost her appetite for them forever. Climbing and going down the stairs leading up to the temple while carrying offerings just had to count as cardio and weight-lifting, she had the soreness in her body to prove it. Somehow, she got a splinter from helping out with the stands. How was that even possible?! She was a Sadida Doll, for crying out loud! Trees and the wood they produced were her domain!

And the worst part was that, no matter how much she exerted herself, it never felt like compensation enough. 

Eyes glittering, she looked up at Yugo, mouth already parted to tell him everything, when—

“Yugo won’t always be there to protect you, you know?”

And just like that, her resolve to be honest with Yugo, to burden him with her problems, was gone. 

Yugo and Adamaï knew it was coming before she ever even opened her mouth. One moment, there was a resolute fire in the doll’s eyes, a determination they naïvely believed meant she would finally reveal what was tearing her up inside. And the next, that same fire flickered out of existence. Like it had never been there.

She smiled up at them—a sweet little thing, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you, but I really am fine.”

The Emerald Twins could only frown sadly as she got back to her previous task of transporting ingredients. Once she was out of earshot, Adamaï clamped a hand on his twin’s shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up. 

“Don’t worry too much about it, Lil’ Bro. I’m sure she’ll come to you when she’s ready.” His heart squeezed in sympathy for his brother when his dejected gaze remained on the spot the doll had occupied just moments before.

“Then why does it feel that whenever something’s on her mind, I’m the last person she wants to go to for help?” He mused aloud, his hands going to toy mindlessly with what was stored in his cloak pocket.

His eyes following the movement, the white-and-blue dragon tried to instill some positivity into the conversation. “I’m sure all she needs is time. Deep down, she’s only known us for a few months. Before you know it, you two will be like two peas in a pod.”

The corners of the king’s lips turned up slightly, a flicker of hope returning to his eyes. “Do you really think so?”

“I know so. You’re already halfway there.” He smiled back. Then, eying the object in his twin’s hand, he nudged him playfully. “At the very least, I’m sure your little present will help you bridge that gap.”

Now smiling more genuinely, if a little bashfully, as he looked down, Yugo sincerely hoped his brother was right. They’d bridge that gap. Together.

.......................................................................................................................

Any other day, Amalia would be buzzing with excitement at the prospect of getting a fitting session with the palace tailor, Mr. Needlesworth. The idea of getting to discuss fabrics, shapes, styles, and accessories with such a knowledgeable fashion guru usually sent a thrill down her spine. It was kind of ironic, that a Divine Doll, someone who didn’t have much use, let alone opportunities, for shopping would come to enjoy the process of designing and creating an entirely new outfit from scratch so much. But there she was. 

The only real downside was having to remain completely still for hours on end as Mr. Needlesworth sewed the materials together or added the last finishing touches. It was especially gruesome to feel his needles prickling her skin. It reminded her of when she was first created, and there was something odd about remembering your own birth. 

But now that her mind was exhausted from dodging Yugo’s questions and battling with herself over pouring her heart out to him or not? Now that her body was sore from running around for several days trying to help, sometimes without even using her powers?  

The moment she opened the door to the dexterous Eliatrope and welcomed him into her room she already knew she was most likely going to fall asleep standing while he worked on her dress. 

She had already been about to nod off a few times while they were discussing how she wanted her dress to look like. Even in her half-delirious state, she had found it odd that he didn’t insist on adding anything even remotely Eliatrope to the design. Unlike the last time she had to dress up, there was no sign of even their emblem on her person. 

And the worst part was that Mr. Needlesworth wasn’t dumb. On the contrary, he was acutely aware of her subdued attitude and the heaviness of her eyelids. A stark contrast to her usual enthusiastic self. 

More than once, he would question her as politely as possible, “My Lady, are you quite alright? Because if you’re too tired, we could always postpone this to another day. I’ll make sure to reserve some time for you.”

And each and every time she would offer him a weak smile and insist, “Sacred Dance Day is in two days, Mr. Needlesworth; we don’t have much time left. Thank you for your consideration, but I’m perfectly fine.”

The bushy-haired, stout Eliatrope would then regard her with worried icy blue eyes, his compassionate smile small but kind even as the ends of his moustache dropped in sympathy, before focusing back on the task at hand. 

It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, but to the sleep-deprived doll, it felt like an eternity. 

First, they discussed the kind of outfit she wanted. Amalia barely gave the tailor enough time to present all the possible options before she blurted out she wanted a dress. To his credit, while the doll blushed sheepishly, all Mr. Needlesworth did was chuckle and say, “Of course.”

With that out of the way, they could choose the materials. While the first thing the talented couturier did upon entering was assure the doll that she had the final say in the design of her outfit, Amalia also recognised he was the expert, so she listened intently to all his suggestions and the reasons behind them. Even though the Eliatrope holiday took place in the Twelvian month of Descendre, which marked the beginning of winter and its cold temperatures, the fact that they lived on an island meant they remained largely unaffected by the inclement weather. Meaning it would certainly be too warm for thicker fabrics; instead, he suggested cooler ones like cotton, lynen, satin… In the end, she went for georgette. 

Then, came the colour. 

At first, the Divine Doll wanted to go for a beige and orange ensemble, but Mr. Needlesworth wisely shut that idea down. He explained it wasn’t bad per se, but since she spent most of her time with her adventuring outfit, which combined beige, orange, and white already, she might want to choose something different and ‘spice things up a bit,’ as he said. 

Amalia considered his words, her thumb and index finger holding her chin pensively, and found he made an excellent point. When she asked for his opinion, the tailor suggested she chose green instead, seeing as it matched her hair and created a lovely contrast with her dark skin, as well as the fact that she made quite an impression with her dress for the banquet at Bonta, which also included green. If she was being honest with herself, Amalia had to admit she didn’t really wear green that often, even though it was the colour of life, a symbol of Sadida and his followers. And even though a small part of her cringed at the idea of standing out as an even bigger outsider amongst the Eliatropes, the rest of her resigned herself to her fate. 

What was yet another reminder of her otherness at this point?

With the basics out of the way, it was time for designing the dress itself—by that point, Amalia was fighting the urge to just drop dead with every fiber of her being. Immortality be darned. 

After inspecting some sketches Mr. Needlesworth had been so kind as to bring along with him, the Sadida Doll opted for a floor-length, full circle skirt. Thinking back to what he said about tropical weather, she decided to be a little bold and, instead of a full top, she asked for the dress to be backless, while two pieces of fabric tied around her neck by a chain exposed her collarbone and midsection. Her cheeks grew warm when she realised the garment would only really cover her breasts, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t like the final result. Moreover, Mr. Needlesworth’s moustache moved alongside his approving grin, and he assured her it would be nothing but tasteful. 

Now all that was left was the accessories. To be perfectly honest, the Sadida Doll was at a loss in that regard. She was used to wearing wristbands and anklets as means of accessorising, but given her dress’ overall design, combining the two would clash—her long skirt would hide her anklets from view, and her usual wristbands just didn’t match the general aesthetic. 

Massaging her temple, she had to cover her yawn behind her hand. “I must admit I have no idea what I want…”

“May I offer a suggestion?” Mr. Needlesworth proposed, to which the doll smiled and nodded as energetically as she could muster given her drowsy state. 

“By all means! Your expertise has already helped me so far, I’m sure whatever you had in mind will be wonderful.”

“Oh, I’m not worthy of such high praise coming from you, my Lady.” He said modestly, rubbing underneath his nose shyly. “However, if you permit me…” He took out his previous sketches of the dress and showed them to Amalia again, who peered down at them curiously. Under her intent gaze, he pointed at the chain holding up her top. “If you ask me, I would say more metal adornments might be a great touch. Not only is jewelry incredibly flattering on most women, but it would also help make the incorporation of the original chain all the more seamless.”

Amalia considered this, her eyes glimmering as she pictured it. “What kind of jewelry did you have in mind?”

The couturier shrugged, pleased to see the approval in the doll’s eyes. “Anything, really.” He pointed at the waist of the sketched dress. “I would start by adding a matching belt, and from there it could evolve into armlets, bracelets, maybe even a headband like the one you sometimes wear but with metallic pieces dangling from it…”

The poor man barely had the time to finish listing his ideas off when the doll leaned closer into his personal space, her brown eyes starry and an almost manic grin on her face. “You had me at ‘anything, really’!”

And so, Mr. Needlesworth got to work. As he traced careful lines in search of the perfect outline for the jewelry Amalia would be wearing, the doll wondered aloud if it’d be possible to add a shawl to it. At first, she winced, for she didn’t mean for that to slip out and she was perfectly aware her Bonta dress had one as well, only to do a double take when the tailor shrugged nonchalantly yet again with a simple, “Sure, we could do that.”

Perplexed, she asked if he was sure, and he explained it would be easy enough to make a shawl that would differentiate itself from the previous one. Then, without even looking up from his sketchbook, he began to list all the possibilities available to make it just as unique—it could be a different yet complementary shade of green; instead of being tied around her neck, it could always hang from her arms; they could even incorporate it into her accessories…

The possibilities were endless as far as Mr. Needlesworth was concerned. 

Once he had the general outline of the dress down, the bushy-haired Eliatrope had to excuse himself for a moment as he went back to his atelier and gathered all the materials he would need, from his sewing kit to the actual fabrics from which to make the dress. When he returned, he dismissed the apparent lack of metal as his needing to ask a blacksmith friend of his for a favour, but it shouldn’t be long and, most importantly, Amalia would get her dress just in time. 

(He also wisely chose not to say anything when he witnessed, clear as day, how the sound of the door closing behind him as he returned had startled the Divine Doll awake, almost causing her to fall off from her chair). 

And so, the real torture began. 

Amalia had to fight her tiredness with everything she possessed so as to not fall asleep right then and there as the stout yet talented man worked on her dress. Although the feeling of being pricked with a needle every down and then certainly helped her keep her eyes open. 

Unfortunately, the stillness and quiet didn’t just have the unfortunate side effect of threatening to send her straight to Draconiros’ realm. They also gave her plenty of time to think. And, as of late, her every thought had been dedicated to what she could offer to Sacred Dance Day. 

Preparations were officially over. Every crook and cranny of Oma Island had been decorated with the traditional portals in stone and silken handkerchiefs. The stands for the games and similar activities leading up to the pièce de resistance had been all set up. The chef had already decided on what dishes to serve as well as he already had all the ingredients and kitchen tools needed for them. Mina, Phaeris, and Yugo were all hard at work for their respective roles in the ceremony, but that wasn’t something she could help in, anyway. The temple was nearly overflowing with offerings for the Great Goddess…

Indeed, there didn’t seem to be anything for her to help with anymore. 

And yet, that fact unsettled her more than it calmed her. 

There was just nothing she could do for the Eliatropes on such a special day!  And worst of all, Yugo had noticed something was bothering her—because he always did—, and instead of coming clean about what was on her mind, she just smiled and lied—just like she always did. The guilt had been eating her alive ever since that night, when she finally had some time to think back on the day’s events and realise what she’d done. She already felt horrible for hiding what happened between Efrim and her from him, and now she added this onto her plate. 

The only reason she didn’t smack her forehead was because Mr. Needlesworth would reprimand her from moving too much. 

Oh, why had she let Efrim’s words get to her yet again? Would there ever be a time where they wouldn’t haunt her? 

Too tired to care anymore, she let out a heavy sigh, her gaze downcast as she pondered on whether she should go look for Yugo after her fitting and tell him everything or face the consequences of her own actions. She was too engrossed in her mental debate, she missed when Mr. Needlesworth’s gaze flickered upwards and his brows furrowed into a concerned frown at her despondency. 

“A flower this beautiful shouldn't look this sad so close to Sacred Dance Day.” He thought to himself. Then, with purposeful pricks as he adjusted the fabric around her skin, he set out to cheer her up as best as he could. 

“You know, Lady Amalia, I should probably thank you.” He started off casually, yet sincerely. Perking up at his words, the Divine Doll tried to look down at him, but he merely shushed her and told her not to move. 

Her spine so straight it threatened to snap any moment now, Amalia breathed out, “Thank me for what, Mr. Needlesworth?”

“For letting me make your dress for you.”

“Oh, no. It’s—,” she tried to shake her head, but once again the tailor wouldn’t let her. “It’s me who should be thankful that you’d agree to take the time out of your packed schedule to sew a dress for me. I can only imagine how busy you must be these days.”

“You’ll have to forgive me, my Lady, but I beg to differ.” He looked up from his task long enough to send her a kind smile from underneath his moustache. “You have no idea of the opportunity you have granted me with your request.”

Luckily, she was allowed to raise her eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

He chuckled and threw his arms to his sides, needle and thread still in hand. “Look around you! Do you see any other races besides our own around?”

“Um, no?” 

Did dragons count?

“Exactly.” He nodded solemnly. “This is the first time in my life I get to design for someone who isn’t an Eliatrope. In fact, as a designer—as an artist—, one of the highlights of my job is getting to be as creative as possible and to take my designs to a whole new level. 

“Adding something new and unique to a tried and true style is challenging enough, but getting to create something based on a whole different culture?” He chuckled, his mind going back to all the suits, and capes, and hats, and dresses he’d created over his life; now that he was working for a Divine Doll, he couldn’t help but feel they would always pale in comparison to whatever he came up with for her. “Now that’s what I consider the peak of my career.”

Humming noncommittally, he abandoned his place at the foot of the stool Amalia was standing up on to pick up some scissors to cut the excess of georgette fabric off the skirt. His back was turned to her as he rummaged through his sewing kit for the necessary tools. 

“In my humble opinion, your presence here does us a lot of good.” He admitted, smirking in satisfaction as he took the scissors out of the kit and turned back around to continue with his work. 

The doll’s eyes widened at his words. Deep down, she already knew that. The very reason for her presence in Oma Island was to help Eliatropes and Twelvians alike in their new coexistence, and she remembered how thankful the villagers had been to her for what the banquet at Bonta meant for them. But to hear Mr. Needlesworth say that aloud, completely unprompted, without Yugo around to perhaps make him praise her out of loyalty for their king… It made warmth spread all over Amalia’s chest as grateful tears pooled in the corner of her eyes. 

“You really think so?” She asked, her voice quivering with emotion. 

“Oh, I’m positive.” He insisted, a huge grin on his face. “The fact that you’re a—what was the word again? A Sadida Doll?—,” she nodded, “is just what we needed: a chance to live amongst someone different from us for a change and to be prepared for when we’re finally accepted by this world’s natives.”

Then he moved his hands to work on her top, their movements careful and respectful as he deliberately kept his eyes on her face. 

“It’s a real shame we didn’t take your presence into account when organising the festivities this year, my Lady.” The tailor mused aloud, threading the fabric together with an expert hand. “Sacred Dance Day could have really used a Sadida touch as a symbol for new beginnings…”

Her emerald eyebrows shot to the ceiling. “You really think so?” 

‘A symbol for new beginnings’... She found she quite liked the sound of that, of being able to add her own touch to the celebration. But alas, she had to suppress a resigned sigh and her hands curled into fists involuntarily at her sides. It wasn’t like she was any closer to discovering what she could do to contribute to the celebration when her magic worked so differently from theirs. 

Later, she would attribute what happened to her father looking out for her, because at that point she had been so close to just giving up…

Instead, for some reason, she smiled down at the tailor at her feet and asked out of genuine curiosity. “What’s your favourite part of Sacred Dance Day, Mr. Needlesworth?”

“My favourite part?” He parroted, taken off guard by the question. Humming in thought, he brought a thimble-clad finger to his moustache and began to stroke it best he could. “I’d say it has to be the recreation of our goddess and the Great Dragon’s first dance.”

“I see.” Amalia snickered, not at all surprised by that answer. “Anything in particular you like about it?”

His next answer, however, did succeed at taking her aback. 

“I suppose I just enjoy imagining what it was like, you know?” He let out a wistful sigh, his mind distant as he tried to picture how it all began. “I wonder what those first stars after the Krosmoz was created looked like… So ironic, one of the most beautiful things in creation, and nobody was around to see them.”

It was like a lightning strike. 

The moment the white-haired couturier uttered those words in his reverie, the memory from the other day echoed in her mind, her eyes widening as realisation hit her. 

“A Sadida star…” She murmured, her mind already whirling as the perfect plan materialised right in front of her. 

“Huh?” Mr. Needlesworth tilted his head. 

Just then, however, his confusion turned into shock and even mild alarm when his model suddenly hopped off the stool and, without much of an explanation, but with a hastily uttered apology thrown over her shoulder, she dashed right out of the room with her unfinished dress still on her person, the fabric fluttering behind her. 

Expertly dodging the bewildered palace staff, she made it to her garden, where, after asking Mina and Phaeris for their opinion and receiving their approval, she remained all night as she set her plan in motion. Her previous exhaustion forgotten as the exhilaration of finding the solution to her troubles finally revealed itself to her. 

At some point during the night, Mr. Needlesworth had to knock on her garden’s door to politely demand she hand her dress over to him so he could finish working on it—and to prevent it from getting dirty from being in contact with grass and dirt. Amalia at least had the decency to look embarrassed as she gave in to his more than justified request. 

..........................................................................................................................

The air was bubbling with excitement, the party in full swing all around her. 

Finally, Sacred Dance Day had arrived, and everyone was celebrating at the town square. Located at a far corner, an orchestra played wonderful melodies that accompanied the merriness of the holiday. Women and men alike mingled about, sharing their mornings with their families and reminiscing on previous years. The children’s laughter filled the square as they ran about and played, both with each other and with the many games set up around town. A few of them almost bumped into Amalia as they chased after each other; thankfully, the doll always managed to sidestep them before laughing and gently reminding them to be more careful. 

While Amalia took the chance to have a look around, her grin more genuine than it had been in days thanks to the awe she felt at the sight of the festivities, the real crowd of people formed around the Council of Six. Every single member was surrounded by their own loyal entourage of subjects, who either congratulated them on a job well done in organising everything, or tackled issues pertaining to the area of expertise of each of them. 

The doll couldn't help but smile proudly as the Eliatropes congratulated their king on his opening speech. For his part, Yugo looked beyond sheepish, clearly grateful for the praise, but still feeling a little self-conscious despite his clear experience on the matter. She wasn’t the only one that could be read like an open book—his boyish grin and his near constant rubbing of his neck gave him away. 

Then again, it wasn’t like his subjects were wrong for looking up to him or complimenting him for his speech. Amalia stood a little ways off to his side from her place on the temple, just enough for her to be presented to the village while making sure their leaders remained front and centre, and his words still reached her as if they’d been dedicated solely to her. Try as she might to remain composed and with an elegant smile on her face, it didn’t take long for it to turn watery and for her to blink back the tears threatening to spill. 

It was a very beautiful and impactful speech about the many, many hardships they had endured and how, despite it all, they still lived to celebrate another Sacred Dance Day. Regardless of the pain, and loss, and suffering, they were still standing, and nothing would ever bring their spirits down. By the time the Eliatrope King was done, he didn’t just receive thunderous applause and loud cheering from a kingdom that certainly adored him and who resonated with his message, but even the Divine Doll was clutching at her heart in admiration. 

And with that, the celebration could commence. 

Now that Yugo’s attention was elsewhere—after briefly glancing around to make sure no one was watching her—, Amalia let her gaze travel over the length of him, taking it all in. Even though she hid her disappointment well, she was more than a little chagrined when Mina and Phaeris ushered them outside before she got the time to admire how he looked.

While the rest of Oma Island got to spend the first half of the day with their family and loved ones, the palace was a flurry of activity. The staff ran about from one wing to the next as they tended to their leaders’ needs and demands as a result of their being busy with last minute adjustments to their outfits or the final revisions of what they would need. 

The doll knew for a fact Yugo would be busy revising his speech, as would Mina and Phaeris with theirs and the preparations for the ceremony—she could have sworn she watched them leave the throne room carrying a large chest between the two of them—, what she didn’t know, however, was what everybody else was up to. Knowing she wouldn’t be getting any answers then, she eventually just shrugged it off and focused back on her own last minute check-ups. 

Would it be too vain of her to say those last minute check-ups consisted of looking at her reflection in the mirror from all possible angles? Because, Sweet Sadida, Mr. Needlesworth had done an outstanding job with her dress!

As they had agreed on, her dress consisted of a stunning floor-length skirt and a crossed halter top tied around her neck by a medallion connected to a chain and a pear-like hue, revealing her back. As promised, the look was bold and perfect for the warm weather, yet the design was nothing but tasteful, making sure to expose only what she wanted to be seen. The skirt was cinched around her waist by a matching belt adorned with the same crystals as the medallion keeping her ensemble together. But that wasn’t the only accessory she was wearing that day. 

Amalia wouldn’t have been able to keep herself from whimsically flailing her arms around even if she wanted to. True to his word, Mr. Needlesworth added the shawl she wanted: a delicate, lime-green tulle cloth that emerged from her matching pair of bronze bracelets and armlets on each arm and trailed behind her. She was mesmerised by everything, but her breath was especially taken away when she saw the wonderful headband the immensely talented tailor had designed for her. 

True to his word, it resembled the one she wore when she first arrived at Oma, but it was far more elaborate. The white antlers didn’t stick upwards like Osamodas’ horns, rather they curved inwardly and branched out like an Elante’s, emerging from a flower crown like two imposing trees sticking out of a garden in bloom. Dangling from the antlers were several little silver chains from which hung pendants in all shapes and forms. And to really drive the point home that she was a Sadida, Mr. Needlesworth had gone the extra mile and added leaves all over her dress. 

With her long, chartreuse hair down, she seriously doubted she had ever looked half as beautiful as she did in that moment. She only felt even more pleased with herself, her cheeks colouring and heart skipping a beat, when Yugo’s eyes landed on her right before they had to leave and they widened, his face going crimson. His blush—and her giggles—only intensified when, numbstruck at the sight of her and incapable of tearing his gaze off her lovely form, he collided against the doorframe. 

Amalia had never felt more smug than she did at that moment. She didn’t know why, but she received an ego boost from seeing how much power she seemed to hold over Yugo. It was intoxicating. 

Although she couldn’t deny that her intoxication might have been a result of seeing Yugo in his own suit for the occasion. But alas, before she could properly drink it all in and express her own admiration (which, for some reason, made her mouth go dry), they were told they had better get in the way and she didn’t get another chance…

Until now. 

Now she could feast her eyes on the elaborate ensemble the Eliatrope King wore. Because it was truly worthy of a king. 

Much like she was wearing green, the colour most associated with Sadida, he wore the characteristic turquoise of the Eliatropes, the hue he always wore. Amalia couldn’t help but smirk fondly at the sight of him. One way or another, his wardrobe seemed to consist of nothing but variations of his battle suit, the only real difference being how formal or informal the garments actually were. 

In this case, the doll was reminded of the iconic outfit because his ceremonial robes combined the same vivid turquoise and the darker peacock hue of his suit. Draped all over his body was a light blue tunic with white hems that reached down his ankles yet had large vertical slits for better mobility. Secured around his form and highlighting his athletic build was a matching waist belt, while his glowing tattoos were exposed thanks to the slits of his sheer bishop sleeves. If her eyes trailed downwards, she could see dark blue pants and boots underneath his tunic and through its slits. 

It vaguely reminded her of Chibi’s own body suit. 

And it wasn’t the only thing reminiscent of it, either. Yugo seemed to have taken a page out of his brother’s book and incorporated his hood onto his undershirt, for it was the same peacock colour as his tights, yet it was decorated with exquisite shapes and forms of a lighter hue. 

There was something about seeing Yugo in formal clothing that simply set her heart ablaze. Maybe it was the way it complimented his boyish charm while highlighting his own regality. Or the way his every garment seemed to draw attention to his sculpted physique. Or maybe she just thought Yugo looked handsome in everything he wore. The doll honestly didn’t know, but it wasn’t like she cared that much about it either. She couldn’t suppress a dreamy sigh from escaping her mouth. Whatever it was, Amalia found that she really liked it whenever her friend looked his best. Almost as much as she liked it when he appreciated her good looks. 

Her daydreaming was abruptly stopped when she heard snickering not far away from her. Her cheeks burning, she quickly averted her gaze from the man of the hour, hiding her face behind one hand, and began to look around for her own mysterious watcher. 

She blinked blankly when she made eye-contact with Old Biju, the kindly old man from the jewelry store she met during her first visit to the village. The same man she had yet to visit again to design and purchase one of his exquisite pieces. 

Normally, that wouldn’t be so bad—whether it would be mortifying or not to be caught gawking at the king was a whole different story. The weird thing, however, was the fact that he was grinning from ear to ear underneath his greying beard, followed by him sending her a double thumbs-up and a wink before walking away with his family. 

Her brain still trying to catch up to the unusual interaction, her face the perfect definition of ‘confusion’, Amalia eventually just shook her head to clear her thoughts. Still embarrassed for her little indiscretion, she tried to play it cool by pretending to be as entranced by the rest of the Council’s ensembles for the night. 

A small smile curled at her lips and she snorted softly. It seemed whenever it was time for them to dress up, the Council of Six always followed a theme. 

Everyone was wearing similar outfits to Yugo, only in their respective colours and with very small variations. Qilby wore an actual white ceremonial robe with crimson red embroidery, the same sheer material as his brother’s sleeves was used to display his sternum. Nora wore a bright magenta leotard with matching bishop sleeves and pantalons, her toned limbs in full display. Mina wore a light teal, floor-length dress and the same kind of sleeves as her brother and sister. Chibi was clad in a black and golden, open-chested vest, with light beige pantalons secured by a striped, red and gold sash, and brown boots twirled at the tip—his sleeves were almost the same as Yugo’s. Glip was the only one who didn’t use the same material as his siblings. Instead, he simply wore an olive green tunic not too dissimilar from his usual look. 

And, of course, they all had their heads covered by their hats and hoods. 

Meanwhile, their dragon siblings didn’t really wear any special clothing. They looked like they usually did save for the painted markings trailing all over their bodies. The only exception was Shinonomé, who wore a yellow dress similar to Mina’s, only much shorter, drawing attention to her long, ruby-coloured legs. 

It was truly fascinating how they always found a way to stand out from the rest of their siblings while keeping a common factor that made it evident they were all in this together. 

“Then again,” Amalia mused to herself. “I suppose I have the same thing with my sisters. Even if I don’t really show it…”

Smiling to herself, the doll decided, albeit reluctantly, that it was high time she tried to immerse herself a little more into the ceremony. Everything was beautifully decorated, and there were so many fun things to do, she could hardly wait!

And so, she began to look for ways to entertain herself until it was dinner time. 

She tried some of the games, and was pleasantly surprised to find out she was a natural at scoring a basket at the ‘Travelling Portals’ game. A very fun game that only required you to throw a ball through a blue ring. Although it was a little awkward when the man manning the stand sheepishly offered her a doll as a prize. Luckily, nobody seemed offended when she gave her prize to a little girl staring at it with glittering eyes. Instead, they all cooed as the child hugged her new toy tightly. 

She also got to spend some time with a few of the adults. They asked her about her day and her daily routine, and in turn she showed interest in their lives. Apparently, one of them, Araknya, was the village’s most talented seamstress, and back in the day, it had been her who’d sewn all the silken handkerchiefs they still used as decorations. Another one, Mona, was a passionate artist who tried a little bit of everything—painting, sculpting, carving, metal work… And then, there was Trina, who was an accountant.

Honestly, from what she’d told her about her job, the doll couldn’t help but privately wonder how come there weren’t more accountant Enutrofs. Getting to count money all day long had to be paradise for them!

She also shared some pleasantries with Bartoloblé, who still lamented the fact that his children were growing up too fast for his liking when they ‘ditched’ him to spend time with their friends. But then he offered the Divine Doll some freshly baked bread to snack on while they waited for dinner, and he seemed to get over it. For now. 

Then, when her guard was low, the children all worked together to take her by surprise and bombard her with requests to play with them. Amalia lasted for all of two seconds before they pulled out the big guns and she was forced to admit defeat in the face of countless adorable puppy-wow-wow looks. Before she knew it, she was gleefully dancing in a circle, hand-in-hand, with a group of giggling, singing children. Or summoning her vines to carefully lift them up so everyone would look like insects from where they were. Or even playing with them at the stands, trying to win some more prizes for them—and getting completely demolished when Grougal came strutting by and won every single game without breaking a sweat. 

He had to close her gaping mouth himself once he was done handing out plushies and toys for every kid. In response, she crossed her arms and pouted. “Show-off…”

But what truly made her heart flutter and immediately improved her already wonderful evening was when Yugo would get a few minutes to sneak away from his adoring subjects and check up on her. The first few times he did it, it was small things. Like asking if she was having a good time, to which she would assure him that she most definitely was. Or he would recommend some of his favourite past times, and even go with her and spend some time together whenever his presence wasn’t required elsewhere. And other times, they’d get more time together and they would chat the night away, just like they usually did from her balcony. 

Even though all the while she still felt a pang of guilt for not coming clean over her unease of the last few days, it was nothing compared to the longing that would take over her heart whenever her eyes, treacherous as they were, trailed over to what would become the dancefloor and back at Yugo. Would it be wrong to want him to ask her for a dance? 

There was nothing she wanted more than to dance with him. The last time they did so was back in Bonta, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss the feeling of swaying in the Eliatrope King’s arms, where she felt protected, cared for, l—.

Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Nora and Efrim announcing dinner was served. The corners of her lips turned upwards a little when Yugo placed a polite hand on the small of her back and led her over to her seat at the table. She was seated next to Mina, who flashed her a knowing smirk behind the rim of her cup that made her skin feel too hot even under the light fabric of her dress. Two other Eliatropes she didn’t recognise but would surely come to know by the end of the night were located at her other side and right in front of her. Even the musicians left their position for the time being to enjoy some food. 

Once everyone was in their place, the royal chef listed off the many mouthwatering dishes he’d prepared for the night. Gobball stew—Amalia, Yugo, and even Adamaï shared mischievous glances; it wasn’t bad in any sense of the word, it just wasn’t as good as Alibert’s—, stir-fried vegetables, grilled Kralamoure—this time, the doll and the king had to do everything in their power not to break down laughing at the way Adamaï blanched even whiter than he already was when presented with the dish—, roasted meats with caramelised onion, soups, bread from Bartoloblé’s bakery, and the most artistically baked desserts Amalia had ever seen in her life. 

As everybody ate and shared stories around the meal, the doll felt pleasantly full. Her heart in particular threatened to burst from joy as the most wonderful feeling of belonging enveloped her. 

And just when she thought the night couldn’t get any better, Mina and Phaeris announced it was finally time. 

Perking up with a huge grin on her face, Amalia mimicked everyone around her and stood from the table. Since they would lead the ceremony from the temple, the Council of Six were the first to make their way towards the sacred building. But not before Yugo reached out for Amalia and gently took her hand in his to make sure she wouldn’t be left behind amidst the crowd and she could be watching alongside them. 

As soon as their leaders had begun making their way over to the temple, their subjects followed. They calmly abandoned their own seats and filed out of the dining area. While the Council climbed the stairs leading to one of the highest floors of the temple, ensuring everyone would be able to see perfectly, the Eliatropes all crowded around the main square. The perfect view of Mina and Phaeris as they took a step forward to address their people. 

As his subjects murmured impatiently from below, Yugo’s eyes were on Amalia, watching her every reaction intently in order to file it away in his mind for eternity. He smiled at the thought of her dazzled face when she finally saw the true magnificence of Sacred Dance Day for the very first time. He knew from experience it would stick with her for years to come. 

His affectionate grin faltered slightly when she caught sight of the engraved chest being passed over to Mina and Phaeris. From the look in her eyes, he could tell she recognised it, but couldn’t imagine how that was even possible. Even though she had been in the throne room before, he had never told her of the secrets the Eliatrope throne held. There was simply no way she could know about the Dofus. 

As if reading his mind, the doll leaned closer to him to whisper, “I saw Mina and Phaeris carrying that out of the throne room earlier today.” Okay, that explained a lot of things. “What’s inside of it?”

Even though her unintentional explanation managed to assuage his worries, the king still understood his people held secrets he couldn’t reveal just yet. Especially when Efrim was around watching them like a hawk. As much as he would have liked to reveal everything to Amalia, he knew he couldn’t. 

“Now, now, Amalia. That would ruin the surprise…” He winked down at her, relishing the way she blushed the softest shade of pink even as she pouted. 

A terse but meaningful grunt from Phaeris was all they needed to know they were about to start, so it’d be best if Amalia retook her previous position and stood back. No matter how much he lamented watching her go, Yugo knew it was the right thing to do. However, he didn’t miss the way she seemed to grin impishly to herself, the mysterious action causing him to raise an eyebrow at her retreating form. 

As always, he could count on his brother to ground him back to reality with a subtle, yet not-so-gentle, flick of his tail against the back of his head. His go-to method to get his Eliatrope twin to look forward and pay attention.

As soon as Amalia had returned to her previous position from Yugo’s opening speech, Mina, as if sensing this, addressed her subjects, her arms extended to her sides welcomely. 

“Dear friends, thank you all so much for joining us in the celebration of Sacred Dance Day once more. Your devotion and faith in our mother, the Great Goddess Eliatrope, is not in vain.” At her words, the people gathered at the feet of the temple lowered their heads in a silent prayer, their hearts with their goddess. Mina’s smile widened at the sight of her people’s loyalty. It only lasted for a minute before her expression turned somber. 

“As our king said before, I know I need not remind you of the many hardships we have endured. In what feels both like seconds and several lifetimes, we lost those we considered our friends, our world, and we were forced to begin a long voyage in search of a new place to call home.” Amalia couldn’t help but wince at her quiet admission, her heart going out to the wonderful nation that had taken her in. “In a way, even now we’re still searching.”

Although she lamented having to admit they still had a long way to go before they could say they belonged in the World of Twelve, Mina’s voice remained clear and unwavering even as bitter tears sprung from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. But the silver-haired priestess carried on, emboldened by her people’s faith in them and her brother’s silent support in the form of the comforting touch of his wing against her back. 

“But today we are here to remind you how hope is not a weakness!” She declared, raising one fist in the air to show her conviction. “And neither is it to trust the Great Goddess. Now more than ever, hope and trust give us strength. The strength needed to face each new dawn with motivation and optimism, knowing we can make each day better than yesterday. Our past may be tinged with loss, but the future belongs to us!”

“And we have our goddess to thank for that!” This time, it was Phaeris who took the floor, his solemn roar reverberating throughout the space. “Even if her presence is not as powerful as it used to be, even if she does not hold the same power in this world as she did in our own, let no one ever doubt that she remains with us. Let no one ever doubt that she is still looking over us.

“For if we are all gathered here today, celebrating life despite our many losses, that is precisely because Eliatrope has led us directly to this moment. Even in her absence, us, her children, will forever be her top priority!”

The teal dragon’s conviction resonated with everyone listening. While his siblings and their subjects all cheered and loudly proclaimed their agreement with what he said, Amalia could only glance upwards. As her gaze remained fixed on the night sky, she couldn’t help but wonder if her father was also watching over her despite the distance. A small smile curled itself on her lips at the sentiment. 

“That is right!” Mina concurred, stepping forward with her hands outstretched towards her kingdom. “Eliatrope has blessed us with the chance to start over. Therefore, let us celebrate her grace and compassion by honouring the event that started it all—her sacred dance with the Great Dragon that gave birth to the Krozmos!”

Amidst all the cheering and clapping, the Ochre Twins exchanged a meaningful look. Gripping each other’s hand tightly, they raised it high above their heads and exclaimed, “For new beginnings!”

“FOR NEW BEGINNINGS!” Everyone chorused immediately after. 

Amalia watched from her position as Mina instructed everyone to follow her lead. Her palms facing outwards, soon enough, they turned wakfu-blue and began to emit a shapeless mass of energy that floated skywards. The doll’s brown eyes widened in awe and she craned her neck when, one by one, her fellow Eliatrope members of the Council copied her actions, their own wakfu coming to join hers high above. 

And yet, that was nothing compared to the veritable spectacle that was seeing every single Eliatrope gathered around—regardless of age, size, or gender—contribute with their own energy. Before long, they were all standing under a cloud of the purest hue of turquoise that lit up the night. 

The only thing that succeeded at getting the Divine Doll to tear her gaze away was the sight of Mina elegantly and measuredly waving her arms around as she commanded the wakfu cloud. It was like watching the waves crash against the shore—beautiful and calming, yet extremely impactful. Amalia could only gasp as she finally realised what the priestess was trying to do. She was moulding their combined wakfu into a more refined shape. One that, only enough, resembled a face with extraordinarily long locks of hair.

Her eyes widened in realisation yet again. “The Eliatrope Goddess!”

It was at that time that Phaeris took action. Effortlessly dragging the mysterious chest in front of him, he bent down and unclasped the lock. When he stood up, he was carrying six colourful eggs the size of boulders in his arms. But if Amalia thought that was strange, it was nothing compared to the shock she felt when he willed them into forming a rotating circle all around him. 

The doll could only watch on, mesmerised, as the Ochre dragon clearly used every last drop of his concentration to keep the eggs under control even as they began to spin faster around his form and glow ominously. At last, he seemed to achieve his goal, for with a draconic roar that sent tremors down to her very core, Phaeris spread his arms and wings wide as a great burst of energy was released from both his body and the eggs. 

And yet, that was nothing compared to the astonishment she experienced when the blue energy the eggs had been operating with suddenly turned purple. Her hairs stood up on end and she instinctively brought her arms around her torso to hug herself at the sudden shift in the atmosphere. She could just feel it. 

But before she could so much as ask about it, the eggs—the Dofus, she realised. Just like the one her sisters and Osamodas’ dragons had created all those years ago—began to move about, purple energy trailing after them. Her eyes remained snapped open in bewilderment, for she feared missing anything if she so much as blinked, as the currents began to mount and spike up. Just as she was about to run for cover, fearing the worst, her concerns proved unfounded when the Dofus turned into a giant, ethereal dragon made out of the very same purple energy they emitted. 

And even that was nothing when the Great Dragon and Eliatrope Goddess’ recreations began to dance, taking her breath away. 

It was like nothing she had ever experienced. Craning her neck so far back a subconscious part of her was sure she would feel it in the morning, Amalia wouldn’t have been able to tear her eyes away to save her life. She followed the two lovers’ every movement, mesmerised, as the Ochre Twins directed them high above. All around her, the delighted murmurs coming from the Eliatropes watching from down below echoed her own sentiment. 

It was truly breathtaking. 

A pleasant warmth spread all over Yugo’s chest when, having discreetly flickered his eyes towards her, he got to see the amazement plastered all over the doll’s face. The Council of Six had witnessed the traditional recreation of the Sacred Dance so many times, he knew exactly what would happen next without having to look. 

First, Mina and Phaeris would wield the wakfu from the Eliatropes and the stasis from the Dofus into taking the form of their parents. Next, they would recreate their first meeting by guiding both constructs to stand (or would it be more accurate to say ‘hover’?) on opposite ends. Slowly, they would draw them both near until they were face to face. Just like Eliatrope and the Great Dragon, upon seeing each other for the first time, the constructs would lunge at each other and form a perfect spiral as they began their mystical dance. Little by little, their ethereal forms would undulate and shoot upwards, purple and blue becoming interwoven for eternity in the form of a whole new universe where life and death were intrinsically linked. 

And although he was sure he would never tire of seeing it, for it never failed to be absolutely beautiful, this time it somehow still paled in comparison to getting to see Amalia see their union for the first time.  

Knowing this was usually the part where his siblings let loose of their hold on the energy constructs and allowed them to move on their own as the commemoratory dance began underneath their light, Yugo felt tempted to take Amalia aside and give her his present then. 

Only for something so unexpected not even Chibi would have been able to predict it to happen. 

As scripted, Mina and Phaeris dropped their hold on the wakfu and stasis clouds at that moment. But then addressing their people like they did was completely unscripted. 

As usually, the first to speak was Mina. “My dear people, normally, this would be the time when we got the actual dancing of the holiday underway.”

“However,” Phaeris continued, dutifully ignoring the confused glances being shared even amongst their siblings. “This time, there is one more surprise waiting for us. But why doesn’t Phaeris allow the person behind it to step forward and share her idea with us?” When he gestured to his side and Amalia stepped forward, shyly waving down at the Eliatropes, there wasn’t a single jaw that didn’t drop at the sight of the Divine Doll seemingly organising something for their special day. 

Yugo and Adamaï’s were certainly only centimetres apart from the floor. 

“Thank you, Mina. Phaeris.” Her nervous heart racing wildly in her ribcage, Amalia discreetly took a deep breath to steel herself as she slid up beside the Ochre Twins. Remembering what they said about projecting her voice, she addressed her audience with as much poise and confidence as she could muster. “I would like to start by thanking you all, from the bottom of my heart, for allowing me to share such a meaningful occasion with you. Truly, I am not worthy of such honour.”  Placing a hand over her chest and lowering her head solemnly, she didn’t miss the way Efrim seemed to agree with her statement, but she didn’t let that deter her. 

She was done letting him get into her head. That, and the soft huff of air that left his maw when one of his siblings nudged him in his side certainly helped. 

“However, I have not come here today to talk about what I am lacking, rather, to share what I can provide for you instead. All I ask in return is that you place your trust in me for a few scarce moments.”

Not waiting for an answer, indistinguishable from all the chatter crowded down below, she looked over her shoulder at the Ochre Twins and offered them a curt nod. 

“Do you have any idea what she’s up to?” Adamaï questioned him. His brother had to admit his stoic façade did a wonderful job at hiding his own bewilderment. 

“No, she didn’t mention everything all day.” Blinking in surprise, Yugo’s gaze flickered over to his silver-haired sister and, her hand behind her back, she opened up a portal. 

His dirty-blond brows shot up to the nonexistent ceiling when it became apparent she had actually created one large portal that stood amidst their mother’s offerings and it then dissolved into innumerable smaller ones all over their audience. Despite his many questions, his mind immediately drew a blank when a portal opened right in front of him and deposited a small, leaf-like package in his hands. 

…did Amalia organise some sort of cabbage exchange, or something?

His head snapped over to Nora. “No way! Is this—?”

“What you have in your hands is my present to you.” Amalia continued, the only one who didn’t have a cabbage-like thing in her hands. Instead, hers were splayed at her sides, her palms up. Not unlike how Mina herself had initiated the ceremony. “This is my way of saying ‘thank you’, for everything. I know it’s nowhere near as impressive as the magnificence of the dance that created the Krosmoz, but someone made me realise that, perhaps, that was exactly what was missing—the Krosmoz.

“Now, if you would all be so kind as to raise what you’ve been given in the air…” She gestured for them to follow her motions, raising the mysterious present high above their heads. Her smile widening at the patches of green greeting her from down below, illuminated from the still moving bursts of blue and purple energy, she knew everything else was up to her. 

Amalia placed her extended palms in front of her and, much like Phaeris had done before her, she began to concentrate all her energy into that indescribable source that connected all of plant-life together. The very same source she felt deep within her core ever since the Leafy Godl himself brought her to life. 

In a way, she was literally pouring everything she had into this, and that alone gave her enough hope to believe it would work. 

At first, she heard it rather than saw it. 

A surprised gasp, soon followed by another, and another. Soon enough, the sounds of curiosity were replaced by joyous laughter, loud hollering and cheering, little kids telling their parents to ‘Look!’, and the excited chatter she had been looking for. A huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

She could only chuckle when she heard Chibi exclaim, “What does light have to do with plants?!”

“That’s what I said!” That was Nora. 

Despite everything, the Divine Doll still was almost too afraid to look. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally peeked one eye open, and soon it was her turn to grin broadly at the scene in front of her. 

From where she stood, dozens of golden, little dots lit up the town square, but all she could see were the delighted expressions of the Eliatropes as they stared at the glowing orbs in awe. Amalia wouldn’t have been able to wipe the smile off her face even if she wanted to. Her plan was a success! She had contributed something of value to Sacred Dance Day all by herself!

Now, there was only one thing left to do. 

“My dear Eliatropes, I give you…” With a fluid motion of her hand, her plant-based lights took off into the night sky, “the first stars in the Krosmoz!”

From where he stood, watching alongside his husband, Mr. Needlesworth had to wipe a tear off, a huge, touched grin breaking out under his moustache. He and his love leaned into each other at the view, holding each other close. 

While her subjects erupted in even more gasps and cheers, Mina took the chance to draw their attention back to her once again. Her own gaze followed the orb she had previously held as it floated away. 

“I believe I speak in the name of all of us when I say it is us who are grateful for you and everything you have done for us, Lady Amalia.” She placed a warm hand on top of the Sadida Doll’s shoulder, smiling warmly down at her. From the genuine glint in her dark eyes, it was easy to see she meant every word. She turned to her subjects. “And with that, may the dance commence!”

No sooner did the words leave her mouth that the Eliatropes began to celebrate underneath their Great Goddess and the Great Dragon, only this time, countless Sadida stars served as their witnesses. It was incredible how something could go from solemn to immensely festive so quickly. One minute, everyone watched and listened attentively to everything the Council of Six had to say, and the next, people were coupling up, or forming rings, or even going solo to dance the night away. 

Not for the first time that week, Amalia’s heart squeezed in longing as she observed their almost crazed movements. Not only did she miss dancing in the ridges alongside her family as the breeze gently swayed flower petals behind them. But, watching the couples sway softly to the music, she yearned to be able to do the same with Yugo. 

As pleasant as that feeling he elicited was, a deep loneliness enveloped her whenever he wasn’t there with her. Was it normal to miss someone you saw almost every day?

Unbeknownst to her, she wasn’t the only one observing. A little ways off from his siblings as they celebrated and congratulated each other on yet another successful Sacred Dance Day—except Nora, Chibi, Grougal, and even Baltazar; who had teleported themselves to the dancefloor—, Yugo’s eyes were on Amalia, his heart thundering against his ears. 

He had long known she was beyond beautiful. One only needed to ask around for a little bit and it soon became apparent he found her to be bewitching from the very moment he first laid his eyes on her human form. As a matter of fact, with each passing day, he only found her lovelier and lovelier, proof enough of that was the way his brain stopped working as soon as he saw her in her new dress. 

But after what she did today for them… He was convinced she had never looked more beautiful. 

The weight of what he carried around in his breast pocket heavier than ever, the king made up his mind. He had to give it to her now before he lost his nerve. There wouldn’t be a more perfect moment. 

Sliding up to her and clearing his throat, he almost felt bad at the way his unexpected company made her jolt in place. Although it was kind of adorable how it took her a little to regain her bearings and notice his presence. 

“Oh, Yugo! You scared me!” She chided him lightly, slapping him on the arm without any real force behind it. 

“Sorry, Amalia. That wasn’t my intent.”

“It’s alright.” She smiled. “Did you need anything?”

And just like that, his mouth went dry at the moment of truth. 

“Y-yes, actually.” He stammered. He tried to hide his blush behind his fist. “I was wondering if you would come with me? I’d like to talk to you in private.” Was it just him, or did a flicker of hope just die out in her eyes?

“O-oh!” Now it was her turn to stammer. “S-sure, I mean…” She waved her hand lazily. “Lead the way.”

With a nod, Yugo did just that. He tried not to think about her squeak in surprise when he snaked a hand around her waist and pressed her flush to his side. Or how right it felt when her arms came to circle around his torso and to hold on tight when he jumped off the temple and onto a lower, more isolated platform. 

The moment Amalia let go, he immediately missed her warmth. 

The doll looked around in confusion for a minute, before turning back to the king with a raised eyebrow. “So? What did you want to tell me?”

She could only blink blankly at his answer. 

“Remember when I first took you to the village?” Yugo blurted out. 

Okay… That wasn’t what she’d been expecting, but she’d play along for now. “Yes, of course. How couldn’t I? Not only was it a great day, but I’ve been coming back quite often ever since.” She tilted her head to the side. “Why do you ask?”

“Remember when we were about to leave but we stopped for a minute to talk with Mr. Biju?” He prodded. “You know, the jeweller known for his literally one-of-a-kind pieces?”

“How could I forget? I saw him earlier.” She chose not to say anything about his weird behaviour then. But her tone grew wistful. “I have yet to visit him again to commission him something for me…”

At her words, Yugo’s smile softened. “Well, to tell you the truth, I’m kinda glad you didn’t?”

“Huh?” Amalia blinked, more confused than ever. “Really? Why?”

“Because of this.” He said simply. He brought his hand to his breast pocket and took something out of it. Something he placed into Amalia’s open hand. Her eyes flickered back to the lukewarm, sleek object in her hand for a fraction of a second, before her head snapped up back at him in wonder, her mouth slightly agape.

The king shrugged so nonchalantly it just didn’t fit what he’d just admitted to doing for her. “What can I say? I wanted to do something for Sacred Dance Day for you too.”

Still incapable of forming a single coherent thought, Amalia’s astonished gaze returned to the object currently holding her attention. There, laying in her open hand, was a beautiful pendant. While the chain itself was fairly simple, what truly caught her eye was the intricate design of the charm. It somehow managed to be both simple and breathtaking. Glinting in her palm was a golden spiral, but what made it truly memorable was how the outer lines consisted of jagged edges, highly reminiscent of an Eliatrope portal; while the inner ones curled in on themselves into the shape of a leafy vine, like the ones she would summon. 

With a start, she realised it was supposed to represent them and their bond. As she reached that conclusion, words failed her, although she still gave it her best shot. 

“Yugo… I… This is… I-I don't know what to say!” Her voice, though tremulous, was full of emotion. 

“Do you like it?” He asked simply with a smile. If he were being honest with himself, he wasn’t faring much better. 

“I love it. It's… It's beautiful!” She assured him, and he immediately felt ten times lighter. “But, I didn't get you anything…”

“Are you kidding me? You did all of this.” He opened his arms wide and gestured around. “Even though you didn't have to.”

But she shook her head. “It was the least I could do after you all took me in and were so kind to me.” At least, most of them were. “I couldn't possibly do nothing for you on such a special day for you. I—.”

“Amalia, you're a Divine Doll.” He reminded her gently, lifting her chin with his thumb so she would look at him. So she would see the seriousness and sincerity in his eyes. “You didn't even know about Sacred Dance Day until very recently! Nobody would've put it against you if you didn't do something to celebrate with us.”

“Still…”

“Is that why you’ve been so off lately?” The king finally questioned, and the doll had to suppress the urge to gasp when he hit the nail on the head. Instead, she tried averting her gaze again, but the thumb under her chin wouldn’t let her. “Amalia. Please, talk to me. Do you have any idea what knowing that you don’t trust me does to me?”

Her answer was immediate. “But I trust you!” He was probably the person she trusted most on Oma Island. Nay, the entire World of Twelve!

“Then why don’t you ever come to me when you have a problem?” Yugo prodded, hopeful at what seemed to be progress between the two. 

Amalia’s voice was so small he almost didn’t hear her. “Because you’re a king, you’re already dealing with so much, and I… I don’t want to worry you.” She started when he actually snorted. 

Flinching under her disbelieving glare, he tried to wave it off. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just…” He let out yet another chuckle, though a mirthless one. “If the reason you don’t tell me what’s bothering you is because you don’t want me to worry, then I’m sorry to tell you you’re being counterproductive.”

“What do you mean?” The doll tilted her head, the pendants hanging from her headband dangling with the movement. 

“Amalia, if I see you’re worried about something but you don’t tell me what, I’m only going to worry more!”

Oh. When he put it like that, maybe trying to be the strong and silent type that didn’t really open up wasn’t the best solution she could have come up with. 

“Yeah… You might have a point.” She winced, instantly regretting all the secrecy from the past few days. Looking back at Yugo, she let out a rueful sigh. “I’m sorry, Yugo. You’re right, I should have told you how I felt about not being able to collaborate much from the beginning. It would have saved us a lot of trouble….”

“I’m kind of glad you didn’t, actually.” Again, she was looking at him like he’d grown a second head. He could only laugh. “Don’t you see? It was thanks to that that you ended up organising all this!” He pointed at the glowing orbs high above. “It’s the first time we’ve ever deviated from our traditions, and I must say, I think this is our best Sacred Dance Day yet.” He smiled down at her, winking knowingly. “I’d say it’s quite fitting, given the circumstances.”

Knowing exactly what he meant, a soft blush on her cheeks, Amalia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just glad you guys liked it. After everything you’ve done for me, this was the least I could do.”

They were quiet for a little while after that until Yugo broke the silence, his voice kind yet full of meaning. “But seriously, from now on, if you have a problem, don’t hesitate to come to me, okay? I feel much better knowing I can at least offer some support than watching you agonise from the sidelines.”

After a beat, a small smile stretched over the doll’s lips as she glanced back up at him. She was done letting Efrim dictate her life. If he wanted to blame her for all of his misfortunes, so be it. But she wouldn’t let him affect her friendship with Yugo anymore. 

“I promise.” And just then, without a warning, she threw herself at Yugo’s arms, who, despite his initial surprise, automatically held her against his body just as tightly. Her warmth seeping into his body, her emerald hair tickled his nose, her natural floral scent with tinges of sunlight so intoxicating he had to (very reluctantly) place her back down lest he got dizzy. 

Once her feet were on the floor again, he softly asked for her permission to let him help her with her necklace, which she happily granted. Tucking her hair in front of her to facilitate the Eliatrope’s access, she felt a tingle of excitement run down her back as his bare hands grazed her skin while he tried to clasp the chain around her neck. 

When he finally stepped away to see how it looked on her (beyond gorgeous), Amalia picked it up and stared at it intently. However, for some reason, an unreadable expression settled on her face the more she stared at the necklace. Seeming to realise what she was doing, the doll sent her a small yet soulful smile, but that only soothed his worries a little. 

“I still feel a little bad for not getting you a present.” She confessed.

Yugo frowned. He gave her that necklace hoping to convey how much she meant to him and how much he appreciated having her in his life, even if he couldn't say it out loud himself. It tore at his heart to see his gift causing her grief of any kind. All he wanted was to take all her worries away and help her enjoy herself after the absolute wonder she had just performed. 

His eyes flickered away for a moment, drawn by the lights, music, and laughter to their side, and his concerned frown melted into a mischievous grin as an idea came to mind. 

“Do you really want to do something for me?

Amalia blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. She nodded vehemently when the words registered in her mind. “Yes, of course! Anything!”

She raised an eyebrow when all Yugo did in response was chuckle fondly, only to let out a quiet gasp when he held her hand in his and his other one snaked around her waist, bringing her flush against him. Her cheeks burned from the intimate contact. 

Her heart was thumping in her ribcage so loudly, she almost didn't hear him say, “Then come dance with me.”

An ear-splitting grin broke across her face, her brown eyes shining with elation. All night she had been staring longingly at the dancefloor, secretly hoping Yugo would ask her to dance with him. And he just did! Oh, sweet Sadida above, she was so happy she might as well burst. 

Unable to contain her squeal of excitement, Amalia broke the embrace Yugo had her in. Before a confused king could ask her about it, she grabbed him by the wrist and practically dragged him to the dancefloor as she hurriedly climbed down the stairs leading to it. Not like Yugo was complaining. Only when they made their way between the throngs of spinning dancers, did they retake their previous position. 

And so, they danced the night away between festive cheers and elated cries. Every time Yugo spun her away before bringing her back to his side, Amalia couldn't help but giggle, a huge grin splitting her face. And all Yugo could do whenever she came back to her senses and realised her hair must be a mess from all the dancing was stare down adoringly at her, quietly hoping that would be the first Sacred Dance Days of many they’d get to spend like this. 

And all the while, the pendant around Amalia's neck would glint softly under the moonlight and party lights. A clear reflection of the connection between Sadida and Eliatrope the two of them were forging together.  

[eighthousewonder]

ʚ 🌕 ɞ 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 pt. 2

( ˙ ˘ ˙ )ﾉ pt. 2! happy reading!! - eight 🌟

p.s i’m black, and let me know if you want to be added to my taglist! 🌚

━━━━ ━━━━ ━━━━ ━━━━ ━━━━

LIBRA MOON: you can trust in me

SCORPIO MOON: i might forgive it, i wont forget it

SAGITTARIUS MOON: fortune favors the bold

CAPRICORN MOON: i need my credit, niggas hate that

AQUARIUS MOON: starry-eyed and otherworldly

PISCES MOON: make a wish

[bluecatwriter]

Yeah Quincy has so much responsibility when both his friends rely on him on their adventures... And also Seward notes that while he believes that Quincy is in emotional pain from Lucy's fate, he admires him for shedding no tears and being an "emotional viking" who chews on his tobacco and spits it. Seems only Mina both noticed and decided to do something

"He bore his own trouble so bravely that my heart bled for him. I saw the manuscript in his hand, and I knew that when he read it he would realise how much I knew"

Only when she actually offers him comfort and kisses him does he show vulnerability.

"The tears rose in his eyes, and there was a momentary choking in his throat;"

It's as if both of them have a principle to never cry for their own accord

I love these observations! So much of Quincey's presence in the story is narrated by Jack, who is very obviously starry-eyed over him because Quincey fits the Masculine Ideal he's built up in his head. Meanwhile, Mina sees him with a lot of admiration but also more nuance, seeing his insecurity* and offering him reassurance. (Jack does mention Quincey crying at least once, along with everyone else in the room, and possibly more, but I can't remember— Jack seems to believe there are a few instances where crying is okay even for a manly man.)

*Quincey's line, "No one but a woman can help a man when he is in trouble of the heart; and [Arthur] had no one to comfort him" is so interesting to me. I get the sense that he's been raised with strong gender roles and ideas of women being "comforters" in a relationship, but beyond that, he doesn't consider the comfort that he's been offering Arthur the past week to be worth anything, even though he's literally sleeping over at his house to help Arthur deal with the grief. Give yourself some credit, man.

And ooh, the parallel of neither Mina nor Quincey crying for themselves! I think you're right. They've both definitely got some emotional repression going on.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

One more from (mostly) climate journalist David Roberts:

"I haven't written much about politics since the debate, mainly because I'm so overwhelmed by disgust & contempt toward this country's media & commentariat that it has rendered me inarticulate with rage. Twitter probably doesn't need more rage. I do just wanna make one point tho.

To be clear up front: I don't give one tiny hot fuck who the Dem nominee is. I truly don't. Biden's fine. Harris is fine. A warm puddle of vomit is fine. *There is no conceivable resolution to the nomination fight that could change the basic calculus of this race.*

Preventing a fascist takeover of the US is my top priority--as a journalist, as a voter, as a human. If it isn't yours too, you should feel bad about yourself. If you haven't made the stakes of this election clear to everyone within the sound of your voice, you should feel bad.

But I'm not gonna rant. [breathes deeply] Just gonna make my one point, which is this: the idea that that the process of jettisoning Biden & choosing someone else will go well -- will be *allowed* to go well -- is a deeply deranged fantasy.

The idea that Dems will do this & will end up feeling unified, that Harris will come out popular, that "the dynamics of the race will shift," all of that ... fucking deranged. Deranged in such a perfectly characteristic Dem way.

"This person/policy/slogan/approach has been irredeemably slimed by Republicans & a hostile media -- let's throw it overboard!" That's the Dem way. Always with this starry-eyed hope that they can reset, start over, get it right this time.

Just as one example -- other people have aggregated these -- there have been "calls" for every Dem nominee of the last 30 years to step aside. Dems practically delight in abandoning their own people, policies, & principles in response to bad-faith pressure. They f'ing love it.

But, as I've been saying for, oh, 20 years now, the situation is structural. The current situation is an outcome of a particular incentive structure & that structure will remain exactly the same if Harris takes over the ticket.

For centrists, journalists, pundits, *even Dem electeds*, the way you prove you are a Reasonable, Serious Person in DC is by shitting on Dems. For the left, the way you prove you are a true radical is by shitting on Dems. For the right ... well, obviously.

Everyone's professional incentives are to shit on Dems. Dwelling on Trump & his fascist movement -- however justified by the objective facts -- just doesn't bring that juice, doesn't get the clicks & the high-fives, doesn't feel brave & iconoclastic. It's just ... no fun.

So, say Biden stepped aside in favor of Harris tomorrow. How long until the vapid gossips we call political reporters find something wrong with her, some alleged flaw they just have to write 192 stories about? How long until the hopped-up mediocrities we call pundits ...

...find some "counter-intuitive" reason that the new Dem ticket is flawed after all? How long until the irredentist left gets over the temporary thrill of its new Harris memes & remembers that she's a cop & turns on her? How long before the ambient racism & misogyny in the US...

... lead center-leftists to conclude that, sure, they'd support a black woman, just not *this* black woman? In other words: how long before everyone reverts to their comfortable, familiar identity & narratives?

About 30 f'ing seconds, is my guess.

Dems uniting, feeling good, telling a clear story, receiving credit for their accomplishments--all of that is *impossible* in the current environment. It won't be allowed. Dems can punch themselves in the face all they want, abandon whoever they want, apologize all they want...

... they simply will not be allowed to turn the page & start fresh, because everyone's incentives remain the same. If they did that, elites, including media elites, would have no choice but to openly & frankly grapple with Trump & what he represents & they *don't want to*.

Everyone feels comfortable shitting on Dems -- it's just a cozy professional space. You get to feel brave & independent (just like all the replacement-level pundits around you) with zero risk.

Yes, it's abysmal, contemptible cowardice on a genuinely embarrassing scale ...

... but it is what it is & we should have no illusions that it will change with a change in the top of the ticket.

As @whstancil has been trying to tell you people (good god how he tries), the information environment is thoroughly corrupted.

@whstancil For some reason, left pundits are pathologically averse to acknowledging that fact. And so they grasp at these straws -- if we could just get rid of Biden, we could have a reasonable conversation! Yeah, sure. You absurd summer children.

@whstancil This election is not a choice between two individuals, it's a choice between worldviews, between futures. Do we want to continue down the path to multiethnic democracy or do we want to impose a white patriarchal Christian autocracy?

@whstancil At stake is the entire federal civil service. The machinery of state built since WWII. Freedom & dignity for millions. Yes, democracy itself. That's not an exaggeration. Yet this country's elites have utterly failed to convey those stakes to the populace. A *grotesque* failure.

You can not look at this extraordinary media freakout this last week and not psychologize, not see all kinds of displacement. They can't or won't be serious about Trump & so they are fucking *giddy* at having permission to scold Dems again. Their safe place.

Anyway, my point is just: none of this will change if Harris replaces Biden at the top of the ticket. The idea that the media -- with these soulless careerist court gossips in charge -- will allow it is just fantasy. They *need* Dems in disarray & so they will engineer it.

The US is right on the precipice of falling into bona fide fascism & *the vast majority of the voting public doesn't even know it*. That speaks to a deeply diseased information environment. Until Dems do something about that, all their self-flagellation will buy them nothing.

Not knowing what else to do, Dems shit on their own

(Rebecca Solnit)

[dreamlessimp]

— special

summary: you always thought you were special to reo

warnings: mikage reo x gn reader, poorly written light angst, sfw, reader goes to hakuho, unrequited love, nagi seishiro did nothing wrong, 0.7k wc

if anyone asked, you would have said you were close to mikage reo. the two of you had been friends for years, and still going strong.

maybe you even would have said you were special to him.

the smiles he aimed in your direction made your heart flutter. his grin never failed to brighten your day, somehow managing to improve your mood in a short glance.

he often partnered up with you in class for projects. you weren’t the best in class, but somehow reo’s eyes almost always landed on you when it was announced you were to choose your own partners. he chose to be with you, and you were never complaining.

you worked well together.

needless to say, you were down bad for mikage reo. and small part of you, a stupidly hopeful part, thought there may have been just the slightest chance that these feelings were reciprocated. 

“who’s he?” you asked reo, gesturing at the tall, distracted boy stood next to your friend.

“nagi seishiro.” he replied. “i didn’t tell you about this, but we’re gonna win the world cup together!”

“since when do you play football?” 

“well, i don’t really play football. yet.” he said, obviously excited. he pulled at the shoulder of nagi’s uniform, tearing his attention from his phone.

“you made me die.” he said, not even bothering to hide his boredom.

“nagi, you should join our studying.” he nodded at you, as if asking for permission. you quickly smiled and nodded back. “i’m curious about how you study considering you never take notes.”

“huh? i don’t really study.” nagi responded flatly.

“how are you out-scoring me?” reo asked, appalled.

“i dunno. i read the textbooks if it’s important.”

besides laughing when appropriate, you weren’t a part of their conversation. they seemed to converse so easily, even if they had just met. you credited reo, and the fact that they just seemed to be good together.

“we can sit at this table here.” reo said, pointing at a rectangular table in the library.

“okay.” the quiet one said, choosing a seat to sit down in before pulling out his books and phone. he agreed to go, but blatantly planned to study as little as possible.

“mhm.” you said, walking behind reo as he chose the seat next to the other. you sat across from him and pulled out your books as well.

what you thought would just be studying with a bit of conversation, quickly turned into a largely one-sided conversation between the other two at your table.

you were there, but not to reo.

from there, it only got worse. the two of them spent practically all their free time practicing. 

reo still spoke to you as if it was no different. nothing about how he treated you changed, and you hoped he could say the same about you.

it was okay for the most part.

until he approached you after class.

“hey! can we talk?” he yelled as he caught up to you in the halls.

“yeah, okay.” you said, turning to face him. “what’s up?”

“how do you think nagi views me?” he asked, face flushed. you hoped it was from running.

“i think he thinks highly of you.” you responded.

a pretty smile grew on his face. “great, thanks.”

he started walking forward, waving his hand as an invitation for you to walk alongside him.

nagi was walking in the opposite direction, his eyes buried in his phone. once reo spotted him, he walked over, shoulders pushed back in confidence. “hi nagi.” he said happily.

“hey.” nagi said, tearing his eyes from the manga he’d been reading. “are they moving practice again?”

“no. i was just wondering about that move you did yesterday. where you trapped it from the side.” reo and nagi began walking in the opposite direction reo came from.

you stood still and silent as they walked right past you.

you’d always thought you were special to him, to reo. but based on the way he was looking starry-eyed at the white-haired boy in a way you’d never seen him look at you, you felt tears prick at your eyes as you realized he’d always thought different.

[t0ast-ghost]

Umm STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE THOUGHTS!!!!

You thought this series was dead and buried? Well maybe it is. This may stay in my drafts forever. But I suppose if you’re reading this it’s not.

Warnings for a flashing gif

and spoilers (obviously)

So enjoy and forward we go:

- They kinda just make you watch stars with nice background music for *checks time* two minutes and fifty seconds (no, there are no credits during this time)

- I’m so hyped for this, the credit music is so nostalgic and amazing

- Tron ass graphics <3

- Evolved Klingon design! Let’s go! Also they’re speaking Klingon which I think star trek is super proud of creating

- It’s so alien (as in the movie alien)

- Is that the lizard head rock from the Apple? No it’s Vulcan- damn what’d they do to Spock?

- It’s giving the dark crystal or labyrinth

- THEYVE GOT A VULCAN LANGUAGE?! I mean I knew they would but they created one for the first movie???

- When the Vulcan Master (it’s what imdb calls her) is reading Spock’s mind then the shot goes back to her face and she looks down and there’s a fucking vine boom and she smiles slightly at him like ‘THIS FUCKER IS HAVING GAY THOUGHTS’

- Jim is calling him <3

- It’s interesting how they pronounce Spock’s name differently

- Life is a Dream is my favourite song (It’s the one with the horns)

- Omg hi Kirk hi

- They gave him another Vulcan? Kirk must miss his husband so much

- imagine ten years after your favourite show ends, they make a movie and there are all your favourite guys again! I would have screamed

- Hiya Scotty

- Kirk looks so unhappy. Hmmm wonder why

- Aww this is such a cute conversation between Kirk and Scotty

- KIRK GETS TEARS IN HIS EYES SEEING THE NEW ENTERPRISE OMG. HE LOVES HER SM

- This is the slowest fucking shuttle ever

- I like how there’s just guys floating in spacesuits around

- ….Welp that’s over now. The ship has docked. Finally.

- oh the elevators are just voice controlled now. No handles.

- OMG HI UHURA!!! HI CHECKOV! HI SULU!!!

- Kirk’s about to go fire someone. This’ll be fun.

- Yeah Decker does not take this well. Kirk is just a petty bitch who loves his ship too much and definitely misses his husbands

- WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? Wha- who- no wonder people don’t like using transporters that’s horrifying

- OMG THATS JANICE RAND!!!

- Kirk has turned into the idiot admiral that he used to hate dealing with

- OMG HIIIII BONES HES GOT A BEARD. They drafted him???? Wait no. JIM BROUGHT HIM BACK hehe

- “Damn it, Bones. I need you. Badly!” He missed his husband so he made him come back to fight a war

- That was such a normal moment between Kirk and McCoy. Sooo normal. I’m normal about it. Sooo normal.

- THAT LITTLE DUDE IN SPACE JUST DID A FLIP

- hi bones hi

- “Jim. You’re pushing.”

- They gave McCoy a better perch, he’s got a railing that’s closer to Kirk now

- time to ask: what is happening

- “Tor-pe-do away!” The slow voice really added to that

- Why is McCoy just there on his knees?!?

- Bones is NOT happy to be here. This is why he divorced Kirk (he’s still married to Spock though)

- McCoy can see that Jim is being unreasonable. But what is that stance and why aren’t they looking into each others eyes? (Edit: not sure what stance I’m talking about but yeah, why aren’t they?)

- It’s been 50 minutes literally nothing has happened except reintroductions

- HI SPOCK HIII HES SO HOT WHATS HE DOING HERE?

- damn why’d Spock just ignore Chekov like that

- Jim is so desperate. He wants this man so bad. He’s like literally starry eyed

- For Chekov this is like the worst high school reunion ever

- HI CHAPEL HAIII

- damn why is Spock ignoring his husbands :(((

- Bones looks so sad. He missed Spock

- Kirk and McCoy are about to interrogate their long gone ex husband. “Will you please sit down.” This is pretty much exactly what it would be like if they got divorced and didn’t see each other for awhile. Spock is trying to separate his emotions from the situation, McCoy is trying to be playful but sneaks in a question about what he’s been doing, and Kirk just wants them back he’s so desperate

- Not gonna say what I’m thinking cause I think that would be disrespectful

- “I believe they may hold my answers.” “Well, isn’t it lucky for you that we just happened to be heading your way?” “Bones! We need him. I need him.” Jim if you say that while staring into Spock’s eyes it’s a bit queer (happy pride month)

- They got the new Apple watches

- Spock is pulling a Deanna Troi

- They brought back Spock to wear the finest eyeshadow and serve silent cunt

- Shapes and colours by the likes of which I’ve never seen!

- I like how Bones just came onto the bridge FOR NO REASON but to kinda look shocked when Kirk was about to do something silly

- Most of this movie feels like, ‘look at this cool set/effects thing for a very long time’ and they are cool

- I now truly understand what a ‘long shot’ is

- Uh oh Kirk. Your husband got zapped!

- huh? whuh? Why’d it take Ilia?

- Everyone that comes onto the bridge takes a second to go what the f-

- Wow that’s just a pussy- *gets schmacked*

- Did Spock just fucking blue screen?

- just noticed Kirk in short sleeves <3

- ILIA BURST THROUGH THE WALL

- Why did they replicate her into high heels

- I love Star Treks idea that love can bring anyone back. Like if anyone is dead and someone loves them enough there’s no way they’re staying dead. And if you bring up Tasha, technically she didn’t die right there and then. And if you bring up Jadzia, fuck you

- What is Spock doing, why’s he mutineering

- They successfully contacted Ilia. There’s something so sad about it being her but not her at all

- Omg. Spock why would you do that?

- “That’s Spock. Damn him! Bring him back here.” Gotta wrangle your husbands

- I was going to say something about pussy and then Spock said “penetrated” so-

- Pussy so good you get blasted backwards- I’ve got to stop

- Spock laughing omg omg

- jaw dropped. That was gay. That was so gay!

- I like how Kirk just has these two guys around to explain things to him

- “It knows only that it needs, commander, but like so many of us, it does not know what.” Do you need something, Spock? What are you trying to say? Do you need the love of your husbands?

- HES JUST GONNA BLOW UP THE SHIP???

- I got legitimately jumpscared by Spock’s tear

He’s really pretty tho and they’re observing him

- “Is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?” This is the greatest moment in the whole movie thus far because it goes back to really what star trek is about. Talking about life through aliens.

- He’s bringing his husbands with him awwe

- woah how are they on top of the enterprise?!Okay I guess this is happening now

- VOYAGER??????????? Oh wait this is a real ship, isn’t it?

- So Decker is going to sacrifice himself to join with V’Ger, isn’t he?

- He rolls back to his husbands

- “As much as you wanted the Enterprise, I want this.” Jim did really want the enterprise, but he also just wanted love, same with Decker, they both just want their loves back.

- Shiny

- Kirk and McCoy staring, jaws dropped like, ‘What is this shit?’

- “And a lot of foolish human emotions, right, Mr. Spock?” “Quite true, Doctor. Unfortunately we will have to deal with them as well.” THEY’RE FLIRTING AGAIN YES!!!!

- It’s a little funny that Spock definitely arrived on the ship ready to stay. Like he cut his hair and everything just to see his husbands.

- “The human adventure is just beginning” what does THAT mean?

Well okay. Time to watch Wrath of Khan, I guess. I hear it’s better…

Masterpost

[glitcheslikeslego]

Show Me Your Moves! (Chapter 16)

AO3 STORY

Chapter 16 : Shadow Down

A shadowy aura’s energy cuts the opponents defence in half. Can only be used by Shadow-type Pokemon, and has no effect on the type.

Turns out, to your unlucky win, you had indeed broken canon.

You were on the news for days because of your win, from being the underdog newbie to the race, to winning the very first time you participated. 

You felt like you were being watched now. That everytime you turn around, someone’s going to be there just staring at you. And while that kind of was the case, you felt like it was more than just the neighbours who would look at you all starry eyed.

Sandy helped you close up shop early so you could get your grocery shopping done before the shops closed, and that’s where it all began.

You felt like someone was just staring into your soul, but every time you turned around, there would be no one staring at you other than some starstruck kid who thought you were so cool during the race.

But you felt like it was actually something much more sinister.

The next day, you voiced your concerns to Sandy, who immediately called up MK to ask him to watch over you and make sure that you were safe.

MK got Mei into it and the two began tailing you wherever you went in hopes of catching this person stalking you in the act, but it’s as if they just disappeared when the two heroes began following you.

A few days passed without your mysterious stalker following you around, so you declared Mei and MK had done a job well done, and it was all finished.

…Right?

Wrong…

The day after, your stalker started back up again, but this time, seemed a lot more present. Instead of them just disappearing as soon as you turn around, you spot a figure wearing all black simply standing there, turned away so you’re unable to get a good look at their features.

You were tempted to get MK and Mei to come around again, but not wanting to bother them again, you decided to stay quiet, which in your humble opinion, probably wasn’t the greatest idea.

And now to today.

It’s been about three days since you had MK and Mei stalking your stalker, and said stalker has begun making advancements. 

Even one moment when you turned around and found them waving at you, a sinister smile on their face. You could barely make out peeks of black hair under their hat before they turned a corner to disappear.

All of this certainly made you paranoid, so much so that you ordered out from Pigsy’s much more often than you normally would just so you wouldn’t have to leave your apartment.

Despite trying to hide it, Sandy was a lot more perceptive than you give him credit for, and despite brushing off his worries about you, you’ll just continue to go about your day, attempting to ignore the feeling that you’re still being watched.

It wasn’t until you were forced to go Pigsy’s in person to retrieve your order that this entire situation came to a head.

You bumped into your stalker.

Physically.

“Ah, sorry about that. Wasn’t looking where I was going.” The stalker said, and now that you got a better, close up look, your heart dropped.

Fucking Macaque.

“Heheh, it’s no problem! Don’t worry about it!” You reply nervously before running off in the direction of Pigsy’s, completely ignoring the look that Macaque had given you.

Of course it was Macaque stalking you, of-fucking-course. Who else could it be?

~~~

<PREV ~ NEXT>

[simplegenius042]

OC/s as Greek Deitiey/s, Flower Aesthetics and "How Does My OC's Story End?" Quiz

Tagged by @raresbaby and @josephseedismyfather

Tagging Tagging @voidika @icecutioner @inafieldofdaisies @socially-awkward-skeleton @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @direwombat @strangefable @strafethesesinners @rhettsabbott @josephslittledeputy @imogenkol @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @shellibisshe @deputy-morgan-malone @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @sleepyconfusedpotato @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink and @thesingularityseries + anyone else who wants to join. Taglist here.

Three OCs for each one of these, all coming from The UnTitledverse, The Silver Chronicles, Life, Despair & Monsters, An Old Ballad Of Chance And Ember Hearts and A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore. You can find the Quiz Here. Continue below the cut:

For the "OCs as Deities" I included OCs from The UnTitledverse, The Silver Chronicles and An Old Ballad Of Chance And Ember Hearts. Rule and stuff below:

bold = applies, italics = somewhat applies, strike = does not apply

ARCHIBALD THANATOS (THE UNTITLEDVERSE [THE OMNISCIENT RULE SAGA])

EROS: • scornful jealousy • pink • presents a certain decorum • heavy air in a nightclub (less so than his brother, Osmund Thanatos) • has a tattoo they regret (and he was born with it) • sex & love therapist for their friends (less so than his niece, Willow Thanatos) • juvenescent • uses enchantments • aloof • wears rose-coloured glasses • velvet, latex, & lingerie• milk baths with champagne bubbles • impetuous in love • intense eye contact is a sport • kinky • soft lips • wears stacked rings • sets fashion trends • graceful movements • marble floors • heavy perfume or cologne • deeply emotional • born glamorous •

HECATE: • prefers canine companions • wears symbolic jewelry • can see spirits • melting wax • uses hexes • feels most comfortable at night • smell of cinnamon • moonlight • red wine • understands poisons & herbs • collects bones or feathers • partakes in rituals • black • fog at night • is aware of their shadow self • embraces the unknown • enjoys collecting secrets • approves of necromancy (he's the current Head Patriarch in the House of Thanatos, he hates this shit) • meditates • has prophetic dreams • lace • knowing too many secrets • fishnet stockings •

PAN: • enjoys poetry & prose • wool • smell of decaying leaves in autumn • prefers to be barefoot • tends to overindulge • easily excitable • thriving in social circles (as one of the few Old God Houses left, by process of circumstantial elimination he is, but he doesn't necessarily enjoy being involved in the politics itself) • loves being around campfire • antlers • dirt paths • the sound of wind chimes • penchant for sticky fingers • pine trees • stamina for days • falls in lust • vagabond • physically stronger than given credit for • foxglove • welcomes luxury • non-confrontational • charming words • talking to animals • nature for jewelry •

NEMESIS: • angry • protective of their values • balance & harmony (key to being an (Old) God of Death) • looks like an angel but isn’t • more perceptive than people realize • snow capped mountains • grey • wears leather • silver jewelry • likes snakes • can’t stand ignorance • believes in retribution • analytical of own emotions • well read • marble columns • has very rigid morals • bruised knuckles • humorous under the sarcasm • clean workspace • everything in moderation • cold morning air • resting glare face • fluent in curse words •

HYPNOS: • very calm demeanor • easily overwhelmed • relaxing is their vice • transactional friendships • has a soft voice • head in the clouds • carries drugs with them • has a sibling they’re close with • drawn to winged animals • lavender • has plush furniture/blankets • starry eyed • horrible money management • gives amazing hugs • dreaming big as a full time job • wears comfy or loose clothes • existential questions (appropriate for the current God of Death) • not good at memory based skills • fairy lights • can’t sleep somewhere unfamiliar • crystalline chandeliers • dislikes bright sun • fluttering eyelashes •

IRIS: • life’s a technicolor spectrum • has a lot to say • beaming smiles • always has candy with them • flirting by accident • walking to the beat of their own drum • gossamer curtains • has a surprising amount of connections • blushes very easily • confident laughter • uses a staff • fresh fruit slices • decorated handwritten letters • a social chameleon • blood made of honey • treating people with kindness • sentimental heart • vases full of wildflowers •feels fulfilled when helping others • has a healing aura • always traveling • stained glass windows • just trying to be a good person •

PHILLIP (THE SILVER CHRONICLES AU [FAR CRY 5, FAR CRY NEW DAWN])

EROS: • scornful jealousy • pink • presents a certain decorum • heavy air in a nightclub • has a tattoo they regret • sex & love therapist for their friends • juvenescent • uses enchantments • aloof • wears rose-coloured glasses • velvet, latex, & lingerie• milk baths with champagne bubbles • impetuous in love • intense eye contact is a sport • kinky • soft lips • wears stacked rings • sets fashion trends • graceful movements • marble floors • heavy perfume or cologne • deeply emotional • born glamorous •

HECATE: • prefers canine companions • wears symbolic jewelry • can see spirits • melting wax • uses hexes • feels most comfortable at night • smell of cinnamon • moonlight • red wine • understands poisons & herbs • collects bones or feathers • partakes in rituals • black • fog at night • is aware of their shadow self • embraces the unknown (more than the Voice does at least) • enjoys collecting secrets • approves of necromancy • meditates • has prophetic dreams • lace • knowing too many secrets • fishnet stockings •

PAN: • enjoys poetry & prose • wool • smell of decaying leaves in autumn • prefers to be barefoot • tends to overindulge • easily excitable • thriving in social circles • loves being around campfire • antlers • dirt paths • the sound of wind chimes • penchant for sticky fingers • pine trees • stamina for days • falls in lust • vagabond • physically stronger than given credit for • foxglove • welcomes luxury • non-confrontational • charming words • talking to animals • nature for jewelry •

NEMESIS: • angry • protective of their values • balance & harmony • looks like an angel but isn’t (he's a New God but yeah Phillip isn't as all-knowing and selfless as he should be) • more perceptive than people realize • snow capped mountains • grey • wears leather • silver jewelry • likes snakes • can’t stand ignorance (but ignores the fact he's ignorant himself) • believes in retribution • analytical of own emotions • well read • marble columns • has very rigid morals • bruised knuckles • humorous under the sarcasm • clean workspace • everything in moderation • cold morning air • resting glare face • fluent in curse words •

HYPNOS: • very calm demeanor • easily overwhelmed • relaxing is their vice • transactional friendships • has a soft voice • head in the clouds • carries drugs with them • has a sibling they’re close with • drawn to winged animals • lavender • has plush furniture/blankets • starry eyed • horrible money management • gives amazing hugs • dreaming big as a full time job • wears comfy or loose clothes • existential questions (appropriate for a New God) • not good at memory based skills • fairy lights • can’t sleep somewhere unfamiliar • crystalline chandeliers • dislikes bright sun • fluttering eyelashes •

IRIS: • life’s a technicolor spectrum • has a lot to say • beaming smiles • always has candy with them • flirting by accident • walking to the beat of their own drum • gossamer curtains • has a surprising amount of connections • blushes very easily • confident laughter • uses a staff • fresh fruit slices • decorated handwritten letters • a social chameleon • blood made of honey • treating people with kindness • sentimental heart • vases full of wildflowers •feels fulfilled when helping others • has a healing aura • always traveling • stained glass windows • just trying to be a good person (in the wrong way possible)•

DISCORD, THE MAD KIN OF CARNAGE (AN OLD BALLAD OF CHANCE AND EMBER HEARTS TRILOGY)

EROS: • scornful jealousy • pink • presents a certain decorum • heavy air in a nightclub • has a tattoo they regret • sex & love therapist for their friends • juvenescent • uses enchantments • aloof • wears rose-coloured glasses • velvet, latex, & lingerie• milk baths with champagne bubbles • impetuous in love • intense eye contact is a sport • kinky • soft lips • wears stacked rings • sets fashion trends • graceful movements • marble floors • heavy perfume or cologne • deeply emotional • born glamorous •

HECATE: • prefers canine companions • wears symbolic jewelry • can see spirits • melting wax • uses hexes • feels most comfortable at night • smell of cinnamon • moonlight • red wine • understands poisons & herbs • collects bones or feathers • partakes in rituals • black • fog at night • is aware of their shadow self • embraces the unknown • enjoys collecting secrets • approves of necromancy • meditates • has prophetic dreams • lace • knowing too many secrets • fishnet stockings •

PAN: • enjoys poetry & prose • wool • smell of decaying leaves in autumn • prefers to be barefoot • tends to overindulge • easily excitable • thriving in social circles • loves being around campfire • antlers • dirt paths • the sound of wind chimes • penchant for sticky fingers • pine trees • stamina for days • falls in lust • vagabond • physically stronger than given credit for • foxglove • welcomes luxury • non-confrontational • charming words • talking to animals • nature for jewelry •

NEMESIS: • angry • protective of their values • balance & harmony • looks like an angel but isn’t • more perceptive than people realize • snow capped mountains • grey • wears leather • silver jewelry • likes snakes • can’t stand ignorance • believes in retribution • analytical of own emotions • well read • marble columns • has very rigid morals • bruised knuckles • humorous under the sarcasm • clean workspace • everything in moderation • cold morning air • resting glare face • fluent in curse words •

HYPNOS: • very calm demeanor • easily overwhelmed • relaxing is their vice • transactional friendships • has a soft voice • head in the clouds • carries drugs with them • has a sibling they’re close with • drawn to winged animals • lavender • has plush furniture/blankets • starry eyed • horrible money management • gives amazing hugs (these hugs kill) • dreaming big as a full time job • wears comfy or loose clothes • existential questions • not good at memory based skills • fairy lights • can’t sleep somewhere unfamiliar • crystalline chandeliers • dislikes bright sun • fluttering eyelashes •

IRIS: • life’s a technicolor spectrum • has a lot to say • beaming smiles • always has candy with them • flirting by accident • walking to the beat of their own drum • gossamer curtains • has a surprising amount of connections • blushes very easily • confident laughter • uses a staff • fresh fruit slices • decorated handwritten letters • a social chameleon • blood made of honey • treating people with kindness • sentimental heart • vases full of wildflowers •feels fulfilled when helping others • has a healing aura (quite the opposite actually) • always traveling • stained glass windows • just trying to be a good person •

For OCs as Flower Aesthetics I chose OCs from The Silver Chronicles, Life, Despair & Monsters and A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore. Rules and stuff below:

Rules: bold what applies to your oc. italics if somewhat applies.

MERCY OMAR-SEED (THE SILVER CHRONICLES [FAR CRY NEW DAWN] ❀ Daisy: Wears their heart on their sleeve. Soft voice. Minimalistic clothing. Laying in a field of tall grass. Walking barefoot. Puts other people’s happiness above their own.

✿ Bellflower: Very consistent friend. Happy face with sad eyes. Careful touches. Hiding a blush. Light giggles. Makes friends easily. Knows how to make you smile.

❀ Bleeding Heart: Hopeless romantic. Still laughs at dirty jokes (tries to hide it). Believes they can change the world. Caring looks. Dyed hair. Kisses on the cheek.

❀ Protea: Proud. Big gestures. African heritage. Blushes easily. Tries to look tough but is really just a big softie. Content where they are. Doesn’t love easily, but always deeply (nah loves easily and very deeply).

✿ Moonflower: Knowing smiles. Doesn’t open up easily (just like her mothers). Late night. Tired eyes. Soft skin. Not as innocent as they seem (having Azriel as an older sister doesn't really give a chance for this). Loose clothing.

✿ Sunflower: Big smiles. Always looking for the positive (desperately, especially for Silva). Lots of friends. Warm afternoons. Basking in the sun. Stares off into space a lot. Sitting in comfortable silence.

❀ Dandelion: Wishing for the impossible. Shooting stars. Light breezes through their hair. White clothing. Whispered secrets. Far off looks. Kind eyes.

RICO (LIFE, DESPAIR & MONSTERS)

❀ Daisy: Wears their heart on their sleeve. Soft voice. Minimalistic clothing. Laying in a field of tall grass. Walking barefoot.Puts other people’s happiness above their own.

✿ Bellflower: Very consistent friend (Johnny got lucky). Happy face with sad eyes. Careful touches. Hiding a blush. Light giggles. Makes friends easily. Knows how to make you smile.

❀ Bleeding Heart: Hopeless romantic. Still laughs at dirty jokes. Believes they can change the world. Caring looks. Dyed hair. Kisses on the cheek.

❀ Protea: Proud. Big gestures. African heritage. Blushes easily. Tries to look tough but is really just a big softie. Content where they are (who the fuck wants to be in Night City?). Doesn’t love easily, but always deeply (V and Sydney are his favorites and misses Johnny).

✿ Moonflower: Knowing smiles. Doesn’t open up easily. Late night. Tired eyes. Soft skin. Not as innocent as they seem. Loose clothing.

✿ Sunflower: Big smiles. Always looking for the positive. Lots of friends. Warm afternoons. Basking in the sun. Stares off into space a lot. Sitting in comfortable silence.

❀ Dandelion: Wishing for the impossible. Shooting stars. Light breezes through their hair. White clothing. Whispered secrets. Far off looks. Kind eyes.

FINIDY MONA (A RADIOACTIVE CALAMITY OF LOVE, BOMBS & GORE [FALLOUT 2])

❀ Daisy: Wears their heart on their sleeve. Soft voice. Minimalistic clothing. Laying in a field of tall grass. Walking barefoot.Puts other people’s happiness above their own.

✿ Bellflower: Very consistent friend. Happy face with sad eyes. Careful touches. Hiding a blush. Light giggles. Makes friends easily. Knows how to make you smile.

❀ Bleeding Heart: Hopeless romantic. Still laughs at dirty jokes. Believes they can change the world. Caring looks. Dyed hair. Kisses on the cheek.

❀ Protea: Proud. Big gestures. African heritage. Blushes easily. Tries to look tough but is really just a big softie. Content where they are. Doesn’t love easily, but always deeply.

✿ Moonflower: Knowing smiles. Doesn’t open up easily. Late night. Tired eyes. Soft skin. Not as innocent as they seem. Loose clothing.

✿ Sunflower: Big smiles. Always looking for the positive. Lots of friends. Warm afternoons. Basking in the sun. Stares off into space a lot. Sitting in comfortable silence.

❀ Dandelion: Wishing for the impossible. Shooting stars. Light breezes through their hair. White clothing. Whispered secrets. Far off looks. Kind eyes.

Here are results for the "How does your OCs story end?" Quiz for OCs from The UnTitledverse, The Silver Chronicles and Life, Despair & Monsters. Results below:

JOAQUIN COBALT (THE UNTITLEDVERSE)

In The Perfect Storm and The Omniscient Rule sagas, sure (and even then those aren't at the end of his story), but other than those Joaquin's story doesn't end with betrayal, rather on a lighter note.

SILVA OMAR (THE SILVER CHRONICLES [FAR CRY 5, FAR CRY NEW DAWN])

No. After everything Silva goes through, that'd be too cruel. I've got plenty of other characters for that. Closest thing this relates to Silva is "questions unanswered" and "desires unfulfilled"; Silva doesn't get satisfying answers after the Collapse and the tragedies she experienced prior, and she mourns the normalcy she only got to live for such a sparse time before tragedy, the Apostles, Eden's Gate, the Congregation and the Collapse denied her that chance. But she does get a rather good ending, a happiness she deserves.

HAOYU ANABUKI (LIFE, DESPAIR & MONSTERS)

Haoyu's fate in the last installment of Life, Despair & Monsters is left ambiguous and up for interpretation and never answered, just like everyone else who remained with them. However, Haoyu is not left alone in the dire situation they had no choice but to run in to, nor do they plead or cry, just accept whatever result comes next (though begrudgingly given Haoyu does just want to live).

[unchataparis]

What's the Deal With Sabrina?

Sabrina is a villain.

She appears like a victim because she yaps quite loudly, is easy to cry, and is constantly seen cowering under Chloé, but if you ignore how she acts and focuses on what she does, it's quite clear that Sabrina is not only an active participant but an enjoyer of the bullying of Collège Françoise Dupont students.

Le Dessinateur

In Le Dessinateur, the audience sees Sabrina's first on-screen example of defying Chloé. Paired together in a group project with Chloé and Marinette, Chloé demands that the other two girls complete all the work while she only takes the credit. Marinette stands up for herself and Sabrina, and apparently this is the first time anyone has told Sabrina that it's not okay to be used in this manner (realistically, I highly doubt it. Schools would usually have plagiarism/cheating lectures at this point, and Sabrina's father is a police officer). Starry-eyed, Sabrina decides that Marinette is her new Chloé, following her around and even completing her homework in the same manner she once did for Chloé. However, once Marinette disappoints by failing to live up to the standards set by the ultimate Queen Bee, Sabrina willingly goes back to Chloé, even though she has other options, even though Marinette has offered an extended olive branch.

Ladybug et Chat Noir

In the first episode of the two-part special of Season 1, the audience receives a glimpse into life before the Miraculous, before Le Papillon's invasion of Paris. Marinette's life is lonely and suppressed. She apparently has no friends in the class and has remained Chloé's favourite punching bag for four consecutive years. For the rest of Season 1, Sabrina has always been scuttering under Chloé, completing her tasks and being treated like nothing.

The audience always wonders, why does Sabrina stay with Chloé when she's being treated so awfully?

Well, Ladybug et Chat Noir finally provides an answer. With Chloé, Sabrina can indulge in the darker aspects of her behaviour, joining in on haranguing Marinette out of her seat.

While the episode itself only provides a short 10-second clip of this part of Sabrina, we can deduce that this is behaviour Sabrina frequently engages in and has become good at, judging by the fluency of her threats, her perfect sneer, and matching tone.

The argument that Sabrina is being forced by Chloé to partake could still be raised at this point. But it's clear that Sabrina's most useful quality to Chloé is her willingness to do chores. Doubling in on her threats is only an added bonus, one that Chloé will snippily warn Sabrina away from if she feels like Sabrina is trodding over a line where she doesn't belong. Therefore, Chloé has not required that Sabrina bullies with her, it's a behaviour Sabrina willingly chooses to engage in.

Derision

Despite being from the last season, Derision stretches far back to the past more than any other episode. Here, we see what life was like for the students before the new school year. Rose had longer year, Marinette didn't wear pigtails (yet), and their class was partially attended by nameless background characters.

Derision offers a explanation for Marinette's stalking and obsessive behaviour (it's a terrible explanation, trauma should never be a counter-argument, but that's not the discussion we're having here), all of it stemming from Sabrina, Chloé, and Kim's action, a prank they pulled on her which sent Marinette spiralling, causing her to close in on herself and doubt anyone who appears outwardly nice to her.

Kim and Chloé are rationalised, one is oblivious and the other strives on cruelty, but why did Sabrina partake?

Sabrina laughed at Marinette when she got paint on her clothes, to no one's command, Chloé even had to reprimand Sabrina from being too obnoxious; Sabrina willing taped Marinette falling into the swimming pool, grinning gleefully as she does it.

At no point does Sabrina appeared to be coerced or troubled by these acts.

I think because Sabrina is often overshadowed by the flamboyant and glamorous Chloé, her actions are often underlooked. In multiple fan-creations, I have seen authors portray Sabrina as a nagged victim, this belief even manifests in canon, where in the episode Confrontation, Sabrina is even praised for her bravery of daring to 'go against' Chloé.

Cynically, I would like to say that Sabrina isn't 'going against' Chloé because she finally found her nerve, but because the relationship is no longer beneficial for Sabrina. It's not a coincidence that Sabrina left Chloé when Lila comes into the picture, a new best friend, a new impressive best friend means less time for Sabrina to be appreciated and considered.

Sabrina isn't an especially impressive villain with her mousy appearance and terrible fashion sense, but the predator that lurks undetected is more dangerous than the predator who stands in the light.

[puppy-steve]

fic recs | answered asks | venmo | my posts | bsky | graphics | pillowfort

DNI: minors, terfs/radfems, HP blogs

..............................⋆⁺₊❅. ao3 fics .❅₊⁺⋆.................................. (registered users only)

+ starry eyed love - G, 1.1k, complete outsider pov, established relationship, corroded coffin

+ haunted by the ghost of you (take me back to the night we met) - T, 2k, complete kas/vampire eddie, established relationship, temporary character death

+ the magic that we'll feel is worth the lifetime - M, 7.7k, complete established relationship, eddie's birthday, post season 3/pre season 4

+ constant, pleasure - E, 3k, complete dom/sub, daddy kink, praise kink, spit kink, dry humping, babygirl steve

+ silent spark - G, 4.1k, complete animal crossing au, aspec steve, lex's spicy six summer fanworks challenge

+ there's comfort in the panic - G, 1.2k, complete hurt/comfort, panic attacks, established relationship, lex's spicy six spring fanworks challenge

+ they said it all comes down to you - T, 1,5k, complete demon eddie, sacrifice steve, soulmates

+ she put her love down soft and sweet - E, 5.7k, complete modern au, dom/sub, aspec steve, transmasc steve, daddy kink, emma verse

+ i'll be yours if you'll be mine - E, 1.9k, complete hand kink, spit kink, daddy kink, secret relationship

+ it's the spirit of the season - T, 3.8k, complete established relationship, christmas fluff, crack treated seriously

+ sugar sweet as dixie crystal - E, 4k, complete established relationship, high school sweethearts, transmasc steve, aspec steve, daddy kink, nipple play, emma verse

+ a whole lifetime - E, 1.6k, complete rockstar eddie, older/married steddie, daddy kink, dom/sub, babygirl steve, birthday sex

+ mamma mia (spit your love on me) - E, 1.8k, complete transmasc eddie, puppy play, dom bottom eddie, sub top steve, mommy kink, breeding kink

+ gold-skinned eager baby - M, WIP series rewrite, childhood friends, secret relationship

.............................⋆⁺₊❅. tumblr fics .❅₊⁺⋆............................. (clink link for more fics)

+ i saw daddy kissing santa claus - modern au, pibble dad eddie, fluff & humor + counting constellations - fluff, established relationship, eddie loves steve's moles + eddie my love - new years kiss, fluff, established relationship + honkytonk badonkadonk - established relationship, fluff & humor, steve's ass appreciation + jezebel munson - crackfic, raccoon dad eddie, established relationship + strawberry wine - famous corroded coffin, hurt/comfort, established realtionship, songfic + good 'ol boys, never meanin' no harm - eddie & uncle wayne, appalachian eddie, post season 4, eddie lives + friend of dorothy - gseb verse, robin pov, established steddie, secret relationship + single dad eddie - fluff, parental comfort, transmasc eddie + surprise - established steddie, platonic stobin, stobin as excited puppies + the seventh son - appalachian eddie, traditional folk medicine, appalachian folklore, established steddie + capital P - platonic stobin, established steddie, robin being a clothes thief + found out - established steddie, steve's parents find out,steve has decent parents + er nurse steve/security guard eddie - established relationship, secret relationship that's not so secret, steddie dads + tear us apart (baby i would rather be dead) - post season 4, eddie lives, established relationship, gseb verse, hurt/comfort

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