#crystal sun dancer

[birindale]

As the third and final wave of toys launches, we must once again reckon with a 'new' She-Ra. The people of Etheria throw the 'Parade of Happiness' and march across the land, until Catra attacks with her sinister Shower Squirter, getting all the princesses soaking wet. Bubble Power She-Ra and Noble Swift Wind save the day with infinite bubbles, face-kissing, and rainbows. 

You can't make this stuff up, folks. 

Transcript/Image ID below the cut

[Image Description: 14 comic pages from the She-Ra mini-comic, “Don't Rain on My Parade!”.

Cover: Bubble Power She-Ra holds the Sword of Protection aloft, posing heroically in the Whispering Woods. Shower Power Catra lurks behind her in the trees with a sinister smile. At the top of the page is the "Princess of Power" logo, and at the bottom in tangerine is the title of the issue, "Don't Rain on My Parade!". Below that is the copyright information: "Illustrations (copyright symbol) Mattel, Inc. 1986. Hawthorne, CA 90250 U.S.A. PRINTED IN TAIWAN. All Rights Reserved (registered trademark symbol) and (trademark symbol) designate U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc." 

Page 1: Adora stands atop a small rock, waving at a crowd of revelers in golds and oranges. Her own cape is a high-collared golden affair, matching her boots and bracers. Both she and the crowd are dwarfed by the enormous blue trees of the Filmation-styled Whispering Woods. 

A pale blue caption box reads, "Princess Adora stood at the crest of Whispering Woods. Never had Etheria looked more beautiful and never had she felt so excited! The sweet sound of music filled the air and hundreds of people lined the path below her. "There are Frosta and Perfuma!" Adora cried, waving. "And Bow and Peekablue! Oh, I can hardly wait for the Parade of Happiness to begin!""

End Page 1. 

Page 2: A pale blue caption box reads, "Bustling about, Glimmer and Flutterina groomed Enchanta for the day's festivities. The winged creature had never looked more beautiful! She was decorated with elegant ribbons and flowers. And the horses? Why… Spirit, Moonbeam and Sun Dancer had never looked more dashing!" Glimmer ties a bow in Enchanta's mane, while SweetBee does the same for Crystal Sun Dancer. In the foreground, we can see that Spirit is no longer crystal, instead a pink-tinged white with a hot pink mane. Enchanta, a maned swan vehicle from all the way back in wave 1, is a little off-model; she has her saddle and bridle, but her beak isn't pink and frankly doesn't look much like a beak. 

"Adora will certainly be proud to lead this year's parade!" says Glimmer. Her hair has shifted a few shades lighter between panels. 

"...if only Catra doesn't spoil it!" says Adora, with a fierce scowl. 

End Page 2.

Page 3: A pale blue caption box reads, "Joining her friends, Adora leaped to Spirit's back. "Let the parade begin!" she cried. In an instant, she was off. A cavalcade of horses, floats and merrymakers fell in behind her." 

Adora, cape how red, hops onto Spirit's back, waving at the crowd. Behind her, SweetBee, Glimmer, Bow, and Frosta look on with beaming smiles, and a few civilians with page cuts smile at her and play buisines. Several hanging banners bear an orange flower, outlined in yellow, against a pink background. Glimmer has a green basket full of flowers tied around her waist, and she appears to be grabbing handfuls and tossing them like a flower girl at a wedding.

End Page 3.

Page 4: A pale blue caption box reads, "Together, they marched happily for many miles. "Thank goodness! For once, Catra has left well alone," Adora smiled. But, as Spirit rounded a turn in the road, the fair Princess heard a terrible commotion behind her. She looked over her shoulder and was dismayed by what she saw." 

Adora rides astride Spirit, leading a procession of flower-draped Etherians. Peekablue, her tail feathers reduced to a fan-shaped hair ornament, is riding Enchanta. Glimmer rides Crystal Sun Dancer, and Bow rides Crystal Moonbeam—although they were sold in gift sets with SweetBee and Peekablue respectively so that would be a strange choice even if Arrow didn't exist, but it's fine. It's whatever. 

There's someone with a portable lap harp, just walking around like that's a thing people play in parades usually. Another fellow with a buisine, hanging off of a float.

"By Etheria… noooo!!!" says Adora, as she and Spirit look behind them. 

End Page 4. 

Page 5: A pale blue caption box reads, "Everywhere, people were running in every direction. Frightened horses threw their riders from their backs. And the reason for their fear was just indeed, for there stood Catra, scowling. "Rebels!" she cried. "You dare defy The Evil Horde with all your fun and merriment? Well, I shall put an end to that!" "

Shower Power Catra looms over Bow and SweetBee, arms raised but claws sheathed. Glimmer and Crystal Sun Dancer startle slightly in the background, but Glimmer remains un-bucked. Bow is pushing himself up on his elbows, glaring up at Catra. SweetBee appears to be swooning. There's a man with a stringed wishbone which may have been intended to represent a harp running away in long sleeves and no pants. Your typical parade, really.

"Now you wait just a minute…" says Glimmer, glowering at Catra. Crystal Sun Dancer scowls disapprovingly. 

End Page 5.

Page 6: "Glimmer! No!" says Bow, horrified beyond reason. 

A pale blue caption box reads, "But Bow's warning came too late. Catra paid no heed as Glimmer tried to reason with her. "Foolish child," she hissed. "A little Shower Power will put a damper on your rebel spirit!"" 

Catra sprays Glimmer and Crystal Sun Dancer, both of whom barely flinch, with the Shower Squirter—basically the fantasy equivalent of a Super Soaker. 

End Page 6.

Page 7: A pale blue caption box reads, "In an instant, Catra had drenched everyone and everything in the parade with a blast of her Shower Power. Poor Perfuma's lovely locks crinkled! Enchanta's pretty bows wrinkled! And Moonbeam and Sun Dancer's shiny crystal coats beaded!" 

Catra is laughing maniacally and everybody is soaking wet. Sad wet Bow. Sad wet crystal horses, who aren't beading because why the hell would they, sad wet bannerman in the background with a sad wet banner which is indistinguishable from a happy dry banner. 

End Page 7.

Page 8: Oh it's a two-page spread. Yes, more sad wet parade-goers. Perfuma's got a bit of a coloring error on her skirt but perhaps the paint got sad and wet too. Sad wet Enchanta, sad wet SweetBee. Glimmer looks moments from tears. Loo-Kee is here and guess what? He's sad. And wet. There's a soggy float and a few more wet people in the background.

End Page 8. 

Page 9: A pale blue caption box reads, ""Come on Spirit," Princess Adora cried. "You know what we have to do! " [sic] Quickly, the noble steed made its way into a grove of fruit trees. There, where no one could see them, Adora summoned all the powers of Etheria. She and her horse were swiftly transformed. "For the honor of Grayskull, I am She-Ra! Come on Swift Wind! There's not a moment to lose!"" So I guess she gets her powers from Etheria now? And not the sword? You'd think it would be because she's Bubble Power She-Ra now and has a different weapon but no, still lifting the sword. 

Swifty is now Royal Swift Wind, with hot pink secondary coverts and a golden harness with some drapey bits that I'm not sure how to describe. Sorry. I took Ornithology but must have missed Horse Fashion 101. Bubble Power She-Ra is holding the Bubble Blower in her left hand. 

End Page 9.

Page 10: A pale blue caption box reads, "Full speed, She-Ra and Swift Wind flew to the aid of their friends. The Princess of Power raised her Bubble Blower and let loose hundreds of perfect bubbles."

They do that. 

Catra looks kind of indignant but not surprised or particularly angry to see them, and Bow is still dripping wet in the foreground. 

"You can try to burst my bubbles, Catra," says She-Ra, "But don't rain on my parade!" Booooo. One at a time, girl, you gotta let them breathe! 

End Page 10. 

Page 11: A pale blue caption box reads, "Catra aimed a steady stream of Shower Power at She-Ra's lovely bubbles. Pop! Pop! Pop! The fearsome feline's aim was perfect. Several bubbles burst at once but, try as she might, Catra could not break them all." 

Catra sprays She-Ra and her bubbles, clearly unhappy, while She-Ra continues to use the Bubble Blower against her. A few of the bubbles pop. 

End Page 11. 

Page 12: A pale blue caption box reads, "She-Ra's Bubble Blower worked its special magic. A crystal clear shield formed around her frightened friends. Even Catra's strongest blast of Shower Power could not penetrate it. Kissing their sad faces gently, the bubbles made Glimmer and the others smile." 

Catra claws ineffectively at a series of bubbles around SweetBee, Crystal Sun Dancer, uh. Perfuma? With red hair? Maybe? Like they didn't line her well so they just colored everything red? But also there are lines on her shoulders as one might see in a jacket. Also Glimmer is there. Only SweetBee is smiling, and it looks kind of scared tbh. 

"Why, Glimmer—would you take a look around us?" asks a startled Bow. 

"Ooh, that tickles!" says Glimmer, smiling brightly. Bubbles are touching both of their faces. 

End Page 12.

Page 13: A pale blue caption box reads, "No one had ever seen the likes of it! The light of their smiles had turned Catra's drenching drizzle into rainbows—hundreds of them! Etheria's good citizens were merrier than ever. The evil she-cat's dark plans had failed." 

This might be the gayest minicomic. It's hard to move past 'Catra gets a bunch of women wet' but they're literally just holding a parade under a giant rainbow and blowing kisses, I mean bubbles which kiss you. Ahem.  

Not some of Skip's stronger work though, he stuck too closely to the color palette he'd set with the 'yellow sky' thing and just added some alternating stripes of blue. But with all the characters on this page I imagine he had his work cut out for him… probably wanted to keep it from getting TOO chaotic. 

Everybody's smiling at each other, including the bubbles, which is… I mean I guess they're reflecting the revelers' smiles? I don't THINK they're sentient. Bow, Peekablue, that guy with the wishbone instrument and the pageboy haircut, Royal Swift Wind, Bubble Power She-Ra, Frosta, SweetBee, Crystal Sun Dancer and a couple of incidentals are all officially cheered up. 

"Bubbles! Bubbles! For all my trouble… I am undone!" says a scowling Catra. A bunch of smiling bubbles float past her face. Probably going in for a kiss, huh. 

End Page 13. 

Page 14: A pale blue caption box reads, "So it was that She-Ra led the grand parade. And though their spirits had been dampened for a time, no one was the worse for wear. "Long live the Rebellion!" Bow shouted, and the crowd joined in his cheer."

Honestly if there were any place for a two-page spread I'd say it was here, but whatever, not my circus not my monkeys. SweetBee is flying overhead, Peekablue is climbing the float in a new, orange top, Swift Wind is blond, Enchanta, Bow, She-Ra and Glimmer are all beaming. Frosta is there, except she's even blonder than She-Ra. I think the yellow wash may have gotten away from Skip here. The float is back, and the flowers appear to have dried off too. Crystal Moonbeam isn't smiling, but he looks fancy again so I'm sure he's fine. 

Some guy is playing the flute in the foreground. He's wearing the same style hat as the wishbone guy, and his sleeves are… hm. You know, he kind of looks like Willawind. I don't think it IS him, but there's a resemblance.

"Loo-Kee here. Did you spot me on page 8?" asks Loo-Kee. Yes, you patronizing little beast, we did. "Now for the moral of this tale: A smile's a frown turned upside down. Wear one each day—you'll chase your troubles away." 

End Page 14.

End ID]

[onewiththestarss]

[ponyvilleparty]

Pssssst.. Did you know that you can still play the G3 My Little Pony browser games, even on your phone?

Thanks to Web Archive and a Flash emulator called Ruffle, some of the 2000s web games still work! You don't even need to install Ruffle to do this, Web Archive's got you covered!

Here are some useful links:

The playtime home page, for selecting games

The Matching Game

Ponyville Forever Interactive Sticker Book

Friendship Ball Interactive Sticker Book

Twinkle Twirl's Dance Studio

The rest of the games can be found in the Flashpoint Archive, including the interactive coloring books!

Amusement Park

Butterfly Island Adventure

Ponyville Minigames

G3.5 My Little Pony Dancer

G3.5 Matching Game

Crystal Princess Coloring Book

Holidays Coloring Book

Fun in the Sun Coloring Book

On the Go Coloring Book

Party Time Coloring Book

Sleepy Time Coloring Book

Winter Fun Coloring Book

G3.5 Meet The Ponies Coloring Book

You can view most of the webpages as well, they are not very interactive, but it's a wonderful trip down memory lane :)

[rorja]

pirate!suguru is a man who easily commands attention.

his name echos on the lips on children, stuffed dangerously close to the edge of searocks, in plein water — risking so just to take a peek of the legendary ship he owns.

the women of the village, even though tired and with fingers all shriveled from washing linen on the shore, try their best of luck. walking amongst the folks on the streets, holding their wicker baskets and their heads low to not meet strangers eyes. their whispering close to themselves with a hand in front of their mouths.

suguru walks, as if the bath of the onlookers on the main square is nothing more than droplets amidst the salty air kissing his skin in the early morning. as if tales about his birthright place amongst the many sons and daughters of the olympus have not been widely spread throughout the small village. and it’s frustrating. infuriating.

you envy the sea. to have birthed such a dutiful son, to be the one who’s solely holding his heart.

because suguru looks like a god — something divine that could only come from the finest of paintings, but he always has been so. from the days he used to sport an haircut perhaps too uneven, gotten from the only pair of scissors that could be found in the third drawer of the kitchen. from the bun he would tie his hair in, on days he would run between the freshly washed linen and big, colorful skirts of many dancers on the main square amidst the village’s main festivities.

you watch him from afar, wondering if the people who now blushed at his mere presence remember the kid he used to be. the one with a tooth missing and some bruises on his knees because of clumsiness.

(the one who always held your hand— guiding you through a labyrinth of salt and sheets hung to dry. scattered kisses from the sea drying somewhere between your small toes and ankles.)

you wonder if he still cling to the memories of sunsets and handmade seashells necklaces— all of what remains of a youth that resurface every time when his name is mentioned, or when the moon hangs lonely in the deep sky.

but he doesn't. in your heart, you can feel this answer growing louder like the sole of his footwear on sand. jewelry tingling, dancing under the warm rays of the sun altogether with the one too many knives hidden in his bizzarre and dirty clothes.

(he chose the sea. he chose the sea, leaving you behind.)

suguru walks, never once turning back to mourn the life he had bargained for his freedom. he belongs to the sea. and it's painfully visible in his stance, in the white crystals among his hair, in his longing eyes.

the grip around the seashell on your necklace tighten. suguru left you behind— and yet, you can't help but fall for the ghost of this stranger once again.

a/n : don't ask me what is this...... i literally have no idea..... i just had a vision and ran with it TT

[mintmatcha]

a meet cute

cw: cisfem reader, reader is part gnome, dungeon meshi universe, it's about an insane side character, sorry

A gentle breeze cuts across the shop, just over the front counter. You have to lean into it to get any sort of relief from this summer's heat. Your shop door's bell chimes as a customer walks in. It's unusual that anyone is out this time of day in this type of heat, let someone fully robed, scarf and hat included. He's dressed in dark, rich colors, the types of dye that drip with indigo and money, a contrast to the reddish tuft of hair of his head.

He'd be cute, you think, if he wasn't a gnome.

It's not that you don't like gnomes-- you are one, mostly-- but gnomes around your age are boring. The men nod along to anything you say, try to impress you with pleasantries and tidbits, all with that glint in their eye, they've found their next wife. They are dictated by societal niceities and traditions, topped off with a strange sense of superiority, all while they still eye you like a piece of meat-

But this gnome isn't looking at you like that. No, he's marveling at your wears.

The stranger tilts the glass in the sunlight and rainbows refract across the floor, dancing in looping, wonderful patterns long after his movement has stopped. Figures of dancers twirling around each other, bowing and dipping with ease, disappate into the air. His hands are actually a bit small for a gnome, thin fingers, uncalloused and delicate with the way he inspects the magic.

"The runes on this are subtle," he notes, mostly to himself. "Gnome magic on elven crystal."

"You have good taste." You lean more forward on to the oak surface and he jumps a bit, as if he hadn't noticed you were even there. "And a keen eye."

The man melts into a polite smile. His eyes are downturned and his cheeks are round, tickled pink from the sun. He approaches you, a prickle of chill following suit. There must be some elemental magic sown into his clothing or something.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you," you say. "It's my work."

"You have a talented hand for magic, then."

"And you have a talented eye."

His nose wiggles in that delightfully gnomish way that only old men do. "No talent, all practice."

You give him your name, he gives you his. Holm. Classic. Boring. Standard.

"Is this a gift for your wife?"

"Oh, I'm not--" He waves that thought away with disinterest-- which happens to peak yours. "My party mate is getting married."

"An elf?"

"Dwarf, actually." He twirls to glass again and the waltz of light resumes. "To be honest, we aren't very close. I don't really know what she likes, I just think she deserves something nice."

"The effect won't be as brilliant for her, because dwarfs don't tend to have a very good mana flow, but it'll still be pretty. A couple glasses for her and her beau-" You wipe away a bead of sweat that's begun to roll down the side of your neck. "And maybe a bottle of chilled wine. I think that's a very good present for anyone."

He nods, button nose crinkled with delight as he places the glasswork on the table before you. "I'll get a sex then."

A beat passes. You can't help the wild smile that sneaks out. "What was that?"

"Hm?" He hasn't moved, frozen in place, still holding the glass. His expression doesn't change, but you swear there's a touch of pink creeping over his ears.

"You said a sex."

"No, I said a /set./"

"No, you didn't." You cock your head to the side in the way that makes your neck look long and your smile charming. "Are you thinking about sex, Mr Holm?"

He swallows and you think maybe you've gone too far. Your brand of needling is more of a half foot type of humor, which isn't universally appreciated, to say the least.

"I'm- I don't--" Holm surprises you by laughing at him self. "I don't do that."

Interesting. A gnome with a sense of humor. You didn't know those existed. You lean back, trying to bite back your smile as you speak. "What? Think about sex?"

"Or anything else to do with that word."

You inspect him a bit closer. The colors, the hat, the symbol burnt into his pouch-- they're religious symbols. He's a spirit worshipper, one of the religions in the south. You aren't sure of all of the intricacies, but you know the most devout are completely celibate.

Holm shrugs rather casually. "Close enough."

"Oh, you're one of those monk-things, aren't you?" For some reason, you're a bit disappointed. Of course the man you have a nice rapport with is one that won't fuck you.

Not that you want to fuck him.

"So, you must think about sex a lot." You call as you walk to your backroom. There's a couple of different versions of the glasses, so it takes you a moment to find another set of dancers. Really, this guy has nice taste; this is your favorite piece. "Since you can't have any."

"Probably less than you do-" he calls back. "Since you heard is when I clearly said set."

Despite yourself, you laugh. It's not particularly funny, but there's butterflies in your chest and a tremble in your hands. You wrap the glasses in pieces of cloth and ribbon-- purple, to match his scarf-- before bringing them back up. The stranger is still watching you with that look on his face, the crinkle in his eye-

"It's on the house," You slide the gift wrapped presents over to him.

"I couldn't possibly."

"Just come back again some time. Or buy me a beer if you see me at the bar."

You both know that isn't a fair trade. Crystal is expensive, magic work even more so; you could charge him a couple hundred gold if you wanted, but... conversation is sometimes more valuable than money.

"I don't drink." He rubs the back of his neck, almost sheepish. "I eat, though."

The flutter in your chest gets worse. "Food then."

He nods. Taking the gift, he picks it up and starts towards the door, a hum on his voice and a deeper smile creeping up on his face. When he gets to the door, he puts up an arm to open it, then pauses.

He turns back around.

"I want to pay." The strange says, firmly. "I'll still buy you food, but I want to pay for these."

He pulls a bag of coins from his belt and presses them into your hand. It's heavy with gold. He doesn't pull away until you meet his dark, stern eyes and close your hand around the bag.

"I don't want to lead you on," he says, softly. "I find you very..."

He says more with silence than his words.

"Don't worry," you say, even though a worry does creep up your spine. "I'm not so desperate that I'll fall in love with a priest."

"Not a priest, but thank you." His cheeks puff with smile and you immediately know that you may have lied.

[zhounauts]

SYNOPSIS kim minji was privileged. and she was your best friend. born to the top percent, she was born to go to decelis academy, a school built by and for the elite. yet she wasn't. you were instead. and you were attending as her. GENRE mystery, rich kids au!, slight romance, angst FEATURING YN LN, MEMBERS of NEW JEANS, MEMBERS of ENHYPEN, MEMBERS of IVE, AND MORE WC 3.45k WARNINGS cursing, lying , mentions of food, death A/N VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY experimental fic, lmk how it is

THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL —

elite.

that was what decelis academy was. an academy built by and for only the most privileged and elite in the entire world. money, power, and status ran deep in the school, evident in its gold embellishments on the wall, crystal chandeliers and the tall, high ceilings.

decelis was known world-wide, a prestigious school for academics, sports, art, and everything else you could think of.

and it was where you were now enrolled, taking the place of your best friend kim minji who had run away.

decelis was a school meant for only the elite and privileged. that was rule number 1, and you had already broken it.

july had always been hot and humid, the sun blaring down onto you, not faltering. but this year, it seemed even hotter than before. it felt like the entire world was on fire, it felt like your life was at a boiling point, reading to overflow, and bubble over.

and on july sixth, it did.

“i don’t want to go to decelis,” minji whispers, “i don’t want to leave everything behind,”

“minji. . .” you trail off, “listen, i get it. you’ve been here your whole life, but it’ll be okay, it’s just a new, fresh start,”

“i can’t stand it,” she says quietly, “i can’t handle all of that pressure yn. i’m not insanely smart, insanely athletic, or anything like that. i can’t live up to those standards. those kids are going to eat **me alive,”

“minji—”

“i wish i was like you. you’re smart without having to study, you’re athletic you’re*. . .”* she stops “you’re everything decelis wants.”

“oh come on, don’t dismiss your own achievements. minji, listen i get it’ll be hard for you to adjust—”

“it won’t have to be,” she suddenly says, excited. “yn, you are everything decelis wants!”

“so?”

“swap with me,” she begs, “you are everything they want,” and in the scorching heat of early july, the boiling point of your life, your world boiled over. you were going to decelis. you were kim minji.

maybe you should’ve thought out this idea a little more before committing to it, because now that you were sitting in the front of minji’s car, acting as her chauffer, you can only shift nervously. the two of you constantly send glances at one another in the rear mirror, unable to say anything with both her parents in the car.

you’re ready to dip, yet you know you can’t betray your best friend like that. you knew how minji was. she was kind, sometimes too kind, and you knew a school like decelis was definitely not for her. but it also wasn’t a school for you. you weren’t rich. you weren’t elite. sure you had the skills, but when it came to background? you’d be eaten alive if you were found out.

yet, this was also a good opportunity for you. in fact, this would let you take classes from some of the top professors and teachers in the world, and you’d have access to opportunities many others could only dream of. the plan was simple, as a ‘chauffer’ you’d help minji unload her bags, escort her in, rush into the bathroom, swap outfits and be on your merry ways.

minji had told you that she’d be leaving for a flight promptly as soon as she got home, planning to go to America and meet up with an old friend to pursue her dreams of being a dancer. you knew how much minji loved dance, and while her parents supported her in it as an extracurricular, a hobby, they absolutely refused for her to go professional. you’d heard it one too many times, from all the times you’d hung out with her.

“it’s an unstable job, there will always be someone younger, someone better than you,”

“dancing will not make you successful in life,”

“you aren’t good enough anyways to be like the pros,”

ouch, you think to yourself, recalling the insults they had thrown at her. her parents were harsh. they were stereotypical as well: strict, stubborn, unmoving, unloving. in comparison, you didn’t have parents. they had passed long ago, and you had been passed on to your mother’s then twenty-two year old sister.

she knew about the plan, you had fought with her over it. yet, you didn’t back down and the day before you left she wished you good luck, pulling you into a tight hug, whispering to you things you could not understand.

“stay safe, stay low, don’t step out of line, don’t be like ahra,”

the mere gate of the school leaves you in awe, it’s incredibly large, with the decelis enbelm in the center of it all. your heart races. you watch as the two men in front of you open the gates, revealing a long pathway, nestled in a large amount of trees.

driving up the driveway only makes you more and more nervous, making you gulp in fear. you check on minji in the rear mirror, and you can see how scared she is as well. she doesn’t look at you, but by the way her eyes goggle at the school, you can tell she’s intimidated. you’re not sure, how long you drive up the winding path for, but the school is even more amazing.

it’s sat on top of the hill, so incredibly large, practically a castle, and you can see even taller buildings behind this main one. you pull in slowly into porte cochere, a ton of other fancy cars pulling in as well. you watch the students who step out, all of them dressed in the same uniform, only with different patches and symbols marking your year. they’re all chattering and smiling with one another. you gulp.

“chauffer?” mister kim calls out.

“right, sorry! miss minji, let me get your bags for you,” you quickly hop out of the front of the car, adjusting your cap and wig, and heading to the back. you watch as minji approaches you, scanning the school around her. she would only be going to decelis her final year of high school. her grades had always been average, and because of that her parents were always too ashamed to send her to develop. yet after one more try at the entrance exam, which you had actually done for her, they finally sent her, or well, you.

belift academy was not a bad school, ranked top fifty in the world still, yet her parents wanted her to reach new levels, to meet other kids in her circle. you pull out her luggage, setting them onto the ground, scanning the school yourself behind your sunglasses. you watch as minji’s parents approach her, talking to her. you can only watch them from the side. they don’t hug her, they only lecture her.

“mister and missus, i’ll help miss minji take her bags in, and i’ll be straight out,” the two of them nod at you, only staring at minji. you grab ahold of her two luggage, trying to pretend they aren’t heavy. as soon as the two of you enter the school, you search for a secluded place and dash to it. the two of you had practiced this earlier today, and you quickly slip on her uniform, the blazer, skirt, socks, and clunky shoes. you stare at minji, you can barely tell its her, with the stupid sunglasses and goofy wig.

you bring her into a hug.

“thank you so so so much yn,” she whispers, “i don’t know how i can ever repay you,”

“just be happy, and achieve your dreams,” you smile, “you can repay me that way,”. you pull away from the hug, and the two of you stare at each other one last time. you grin. “i’ll be fine minji, update me as much as you can,”

“of course,”

the school is huge and despite being in your final year of high school, you’re still a new student, so you head to the orientation, sitting in the new students section. you analyze everything, your eyes scanning the crowd to see someone you could talk to.

“are you a third year?” you whip your head around quickly, staring at three girls who stand behind you. they’re dripping in luxury, shimmery jewlery, polished hair, and glossy lips. if it were not for minji giving you her things, you would’ve looked incredibly out of place.

“yeah, i just transferred here,”

“i’m kim chaewon,” she starts, “my parents own kim food corporation,”

“danielle marsh,” the other girl says, “my parents own hyundai, plus i’m from australia”

“and i’m hwang yeji!” the third girl says, “my parents own TOI media,”

okay. holy fucking shit. you think to yourself. “nice to meet you!” you exclaim, putting on a smile, “i’m. . .kim minji. my parents own WQ group,”

“ooo!” chaewon chirps, she smiles, “your third year of high school, but first year here?’ she asks. and despite the kind smile on her face, you know she’s analyzing you.

“Yeah, I guess it is kinda weird,” you shrug, “but i’m here now and that’s all that matters,”. the three girls stare at you, and nod. yeji claps her hands together and smiles.

“find us after the orientation! we’ll be outside waiting for you,”

you watch as the three girls skip away together, and as nice as they seem you know that deeper down they’re judging you. they’re assessing you, seeing if you live up to the standards first, then if you’re worth keeping around. you grit your teeth. you had been here for less than twenty minutes, yet you knew you’d have to play it safe, keep a low profile. and most importantly, keep that smile on your face and act like you were just like them.

you meet the three of time as soon as the orientation ends, and as promised they’re standing outside the large auditorium. danielle gives you a smile, “so, where’s your dorm room?”

“uhm. . .” you mutter, taking out your sheet of information, “it says i’m in summa hall,” the three of them whistle.

“you must’ve scored high on the entrance exam,” you nod, sweating at the memory.

“you never told me that i’d have to take their entrance exam minji!” you hiss.

“you’re academics are better than me! and plus you’re the one going really,”

“aughhh!” you exclaim.

“what does summa mean?”

“it’s latin, summa cum laude, with highest honor. and then theres magna cum laude, which is with great honor. then there’s what we just call cum laude, with distinction. then at the bottom is Infimus, which just means the lowest,” she explains, “and you, minji, are in summa meaning you’re one of the top in school,”

“impressive,” chaewon whistles, “most kids enter their first year way lower, and work their way up. it’s amazing you did it in one try,”

“that entrance exam was hard though. . .” you mutter.

“guess not hard enough,” yeji laughs, “all three of us are in summa,”

“right, yeji’s rank 7, chaewon 6, and danielles 5,”

“the ranks are based on the entrance exams everyone takes before school starts, they can change after ever marking period though, based on popularity, and extracurriculars” yeji groans, “it’s hard to maintain, but the benefits are endless. plus! the summa dorms are the nicest, so enjoy it!”

yeji was right, the summa dorms were top tier. you never knew another bed could be even comfier than your own back at home, and the fluffy pillows were to die for. summa dorms only had twenty rooms, ten for the top girls, and ten for the top boys. you were still unsure where you were in this whole caste like hierarchy, you didn’t really care, the bed was enough to keep your mind off things.

you wake up at the ass crack of dawn, five thirty in the morning, to get ready. you knew impressions were everything at this school, and even walking by those of the lower ranks, they were dressed up as well. you sigh, looking at your closet, filled with minji’s things. you sigh. this was going to be a long first few weeks.

by the time you’re done with your makeup, hair, accessories, and all, it’s already seven forty, meaning breakfast would be served at eight. you grab minji’s backpack, shuffling out of your room, your shoes halfway on.

“you new?” you hear suddenly. you whip around, to see a second-year boy, standing in front of a dorm that’s six doors down. you jump.

“uhm, yeah?” you analyze him, head to toe. he’s decked out in expensive jewelry as well, and you gulp underneath his stare.

“and you dethroned leeseo ,” he grins.

“what? who?”

“well her name’s actually lee hyunseo, she was the number one girl, but now you took her place,”

“i’m. . .what?”

“danielle i’m number one?”

“you didn’t know that??” she asks, staring at you wide eyed, “what do you think the numbers on the dorms meant!?”

“w-what the!? i thought they meant just your room number! like suite one or something!” you exclaim, “i didn’t know! and now who the hell is lee uhm lee hunsoo???”

“you mean lee hyunseo??” danielle says, fake shuddering, “she’s a bitch. she’s been number one ever since first year, she’s been in that room for years,”

“shit,” you mutter, “i don’t want enemies!”

”oh please, don’t worry,” danielle says.

“i am worrying. . .” you murmur, but danielle ignores this, only dragging you faster to the dining hall. you can’t help but think have the worst feeling in your gut that this lee hyunseo, leeseo, girl wouldn’t let you take her spot so easily.

“ooo! fresh build-your-own omelettes! minji hurry up!”

being a summa means essentially all your classes, except for electives, are seperate from everyone else. you have the better classes, better teachers, and overall better programs, and it makes you feel absolutely gross.

despite having yeji, danielle, and chaewon now you still didn’t trust them. sure they were nice to you, but that was only after they knew who your supposed parents were, after you had revealed you were a summa to. you trail behind them, danielle by your side chattering to you about some trip she had taken to aruba a couple months back. and while you could care less, you nod and give short responses, letting her chatter on.

all the summa classes are in the north building, in apollo hall. you can feel the difference in atmosphere as soon as you set foot in the hall. it’s much quieter in comparison to the rest of the school, it’s decorations even more intricate, and the school’s motto is engraved into the ceiling.

Sapientia Potentia Est.

wisdom is power. . . you gulp. danielle pulls you slightly, nudging you to hurry up. you want to laugh at how untruthful the school’s motto seems, sure wisdom was power, yet in decelis that wasn’t the case. wisdom wasn’t power.

money was power in this school, and while wisdom would get you somewhere, in the end it all boiled down to your background. you look at the motto once again, engraved in the door above your classroom. you scoff.

the classroom is suffocating. despite the friendly chatter going on around the classroom, you can feel the difference almost immediately. as friendly as these kids were acting, behind their smiles, their laughs, they were all watching one another carefully.

and all eyes are on you, the new student, kim minji, who placed first in the entrance exam, and was now ranked number one in the entire school. this was not the lowkey life you had originally planned for yourself, and you realized that because of this you were going to be noticed. you would be under a spotlight.

fuck. . . you think to yourself, sighing. you bury your head into your arms at the classroom’s seats.

“kim minji?” you look up only to meet eyes with a girl you’ve never seen before. she’s pretty, really pretty. her hair is glossy, her lips and cheeks are rosy, her lashes are long, and she’s also decked out in dainty, yet glimmering, expensive jewlery. you look at her, discreetly looking at her nametag. lee hyunseo.

“yes?” you answer sweetly, smiling, “you’re, leeseo right? sorry i’m still new,”

“yes, that’s right,” she smiles a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, “i’m lee hyunseo, but you can just call me leeseo. congratulations on your entrance exam score,”

“thank you,” you tell her, “it was a really difficult test,”. you put that stupid, sickly sweet smile on your face again, not showing any emotion. you’ve gotten used to reading others. you were a scholarship kid at belift high, the only one in fact, and ostracized. you weren’t rich enough to afford anything at belift, and because of that you were judged. it got even more intense when you became friends with minji, who was well known in the school. you knew leeseo’s facade, what she truly implied. she was feeling you out, establishing you as her competition.

“it is,” she says, “i hope you enjoy your stay in the number one dorm, it really is as nice as others say, amirite?”

“yeji told me about it and i didn’t believe her,” you answer promptly, “i was truly surprised,” she nods.

“don’t get too comfortable,” she laughs and then she walks away. that was a threat. enjoy your stay, but you’re going down

“man. . .she’s intense,” chaewon mutters, “making her move already,”

shit. you think to yourself. leeseo had said little, but the meaning behind it said so, so much.

your original had been simple. stay low profile, make a couple friends in the lower ranks, pass classes, join a sport, and live your life here.

it was simple.

but fate had other plans for you. you were now the new girl who had scored the top grade in the entrance exam, shoved into the spotlight of the entire school alongside with other elites of the school. as much as you wanted to keep it lowkey, it was all too late now.

you weren’t going to back down now, especially since leeseo was high-tailing your ass. even if she didn’t directly say it, you knew what she meant. it meant more than just getting her rank back, she was going to bring you down as far as she could. she was threatend.

for some reason, the thought makes you laugh. you were poor, if she knew where you really were from she’d laugh at you, and step all over you. the fact that some girl who had it a thousand times better than you was threatened and jealous of your presence made you happy.

“kim minji?” you turn around, to see the boy you had talked to earlier in the morning. you recognized him from some of your classes as well. he smiles at you.

“yes. . .?’

“i’m kim sunoo,” he smiles at you, “i’m a second year,”

“ah, nice to meet you. i’m minji,”

“right. . .i’d like to be straightforward with you,” he says, and you stare at the boy. he has an oval face, fox-like features and his hair’s styled down. he has a friendly face, but his eyes say otherwise. he wants something. “i don’t like leeseo,”

“. . pardon?” you blink.

“you heard me,” he sighs, “i don’t like her,”

“and. . .?”

”you’ve taken her spot,” he smirks, “i can help you keep it,”

the offer hangs in the air, it’s unexpected, strange, suspicious even. you find yourself caught off guard by his proposition, and you can only stand there, unsure of what you should do. his straightforwardness startles you, and the way his eyes gaze at you makes you nervous.

“keep her spot?” you repeat, trying to remain nonchalant, “what do you mean by that?”

sunoo laughs “you know exactly what i mean, kim minji,”

“right. . .”

“i know how she operates,” he says, “she’s not as innocent as she seems. she's ruthless. to other’s she’s just another stuck-up girl, but now that someone’s really dethroned her, she’s scared now. she’s going to do something,”

“and why are you helping me? what do you gain from all of this?”

“i have my own reasons, kim minji,” he says. there it was again. kim minji. it rolled off his tongue in a way that irked you, and the way he constantly repeated it made you fidget. it made you think he knew something, yet you couldn't be sure. “don’t wonder about me too much. i’m helping you, giving you a warning,” you narrow your eyes at him.

“who ever said i wanted to keep that spot?”

“why wouldn’t you want to?” he asks, you watch as he looks around, scanning your surroundings. he leans in close next to you, his mouth right next to your ear. you gulp.

“hey what—”

“and plus, it was your mother’s spot,” he whispers.

DECELIS BOYS TOP 10 —

??? 6. ???

??? 7. ???

??? 8. ???

KIM SUNOO 9. ???

??? 10. ???

DECELIS GIRLS TOP 10 —

KIM MINJI 6. KIM CHAEWON

LEE HYUNSEO 7. HWANG YEJI

??? 8. ???

??? 9. ???

MARSH DANIELLE 10. ???

a/n spring break = no school = time to write = clear head to write new ideas and stuff = no writers block

literally grinded this all day without stop cause i had nothing else to do, ngl i'm proud of it, but at the same time idk what i want to do with it so like. . .??? + like i said in first a/n this is a very experimental fic and i prob won't continue it, but anyways PLEASE share thoughts on this

networks @a-dream-bookmark

[lmk-oc-competition]

LMK OC COMPETITION - ROUND 1

click to see full image

Yan Yu Ji belongs to @thesleepingdramaqueen

Lǐ Nà belongs to @violina08

Learn more about them below the cut!

Yan Yu Ji:

She a white monkey demon with light blue eyes, she's an ambivert and limits her trust solely on her closest friends, she's a descendant of the monkey zodiac but is considered an outcast due to the fact that she's a half-human, her mom disapeared during her childhood and her human dad wasn't very present in her life so she has abandonment issues and suffers from small spectrum, she is often being looked down upon by other zodiac families but dosen't really care,she stopped school at 24 due to pressure, she lives in the monkey house with her veterian uncle, retired grandpa,three big brothers and little monkeys, she has a nice job in the noodle shop across pigsy's and tries her best to avoid her few exes ,her power is to bend sand(she is called the sand dancer) and her weapon is a sword called the crystal blade, her story begins when she stumbles upon some of her mom's secret research that could possibly lead to her and when she encounters a certain shadow simian.

Lǐ Nà:

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

ೃ⁀➷ __ʙᴀꜱɪᴄ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ__ ꜰᴜʟʟ ɴᴀᴍᴇ:Lǐ Nà ɴɪᴄᴋɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ / ᴛɪᴛʟᴇꜱ: Flashy ᴀɢᴇ: +20 ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ:she/her/herself ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ:Poly/Pan

ೃ⁀➷ __ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ__ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ:5'3

ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ: she can cause lighting in every second but that will cost her much of her powers, at first Lǐ Nà is struggling to control her powers but by the time she uses it, she also gets used to the power and in the end she can control it perfectly.

ꜱᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜꜱ: she isn‘t weak but not SO strong at the same time. but the flashes she can cause can burn really bad, she’s can be really smart in serious situations but not always.

ᴡᴇᴀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱᴇꜱ:When someone puts her friends in danger or threatening them, but she can’t help them, nor the people she wants to help. She wants to save everyone,||but who saves her.?||

ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ: Lǐ Nà since she was a little child, she’s quite enthusiastic and all fun! But sometimes she can be really emotional! Doesn’t matter what she can always cry, even if she sees some kitties. She acts like a little child, she needed attention, also Lǐ Nà can also range. There may be situations where she wants to kill someone so bad for hurting her loved ones. She’d do everything for them.

ꜰᴇᴀʀꜱ:Thinking that she’s not good enough…Thinking that she can’t save everyone, thinking that her friends may just turn away from her, ignoring her, despite her..She also has a big fear of spiders and insects!

ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ:she absolutely adores animals for example kitties, their silly cute lil faces are just so cute to her! Lollipop is her favourite snavk, she can eat it whenever she’d like. If someone is baking her the chocolate cake she’ll gift the person soooo many things! she’s nice to people who are nice to her!

ᴅɪꜱʟɪᴋᴇꜱ:Spiders/Insects, she also despises sudden loud noises. It also annoys her when people and underestimate her.

ೃ⁀➷ __ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘꜱ__ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ / ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ: she has a mother but she doesn’t know her at all, her name is BeiPan(背叛).

ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ: The whole town are her friends! but especially MK and Sun Wukong !

ʟᴏᴠᴇʀ(ꜱ)*: none yet! (yet…heheh..)

ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ: The Lady Bone Demon, the bull king family and BeiPan.

ᴀɴʏ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?:

• Lǐ Nà likes holding hands or hug! Thats making her feel safe:3!

•A grandma in her village raised her, and her village she was born in was helping her and treated her like treasure

•she isn’t really a fan of apples and bananas, its just not what she would always eat

•She always has lollipops with her

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

[healingfairy000000001]

Minnie series, witch straw hat, we can spend the night in my dealers house.

Ahh yes, Alabasta the land of sand, belly dancers clothes given to me by sanji and Vivi's country!, but most importantly lizards! tail's for distracting potions maybe a smokey corpse smell, it's eyes for and limbs for stealth ohhh~what I will do~

Ace was looking at her creeped out, she had a creepy aura around her as she looked around the ground,

"Don't mind her she get's like this sometimes" said nami patting his shoulder before continuing walking.

"she won't boil us alive, right?" he asked to conform his suspicions.

"don't worry ace, Y/N is my friend!" comforted him luffy, before they continued there march.

Y/N ignored them but focused on her hunt as chopper stayed by zoro, but vivi got dragged into helping her.

and though vivi was creeped out by decapitating lizard she couldn't bring her self to refuse helping her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun sat down and the wind's slowed down the night sky came with the light of the moon and a bit of cold, they found a spot to camp, sanji was cooking a warm meal, zoro was napping by the rocks, nami was comforting a crying vivi from cutting lizards tails and limbs all day, while ussop helped sanji out, Ace and chopper on the other hand were curious about Y/N need for the creature.

"What do you plan on doing with this?" asked Ace looking at her storing them in jars.

"Lot's of things! smoke screens with a heavy smell, it's limbs for a scripture to walk on walls" she explained holding different jars for each purpose chopper seemed more curios about magic looking at her jars before pointing at something

"what's that?"

"dried bat brains" she answered with a huge grin as everyone twitched a bit, except Ussop who looked scared as hell

"WHY DO YOU NEED THAT!"

"greater hearing and night vision"

silent fell before luffy broke it "can I eat it?"

"why would you want to eat it!" scolded both nami and ussop

Y/N was having a good laugh while the rest continued on their work, with vivi trying to calm down nami and chopper helping in storing everything.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As dinner was eaten and everyone was ready to sleep under the star light having a moment of tranquility cut short by Ussop, "DAMN COLD!" he stood up shouting gerly being fed up with the cold, vivi tried to re-explain "the desert is Hot as fire in the morning and cold as Ice in night"

"that doesn't make any sense!" he protested, while nami and sanji tried to deescalate the situation

"well what other choice do we have? suck it up" nami said tierdly

"we can sleep in a whale" Y/N said standing up while opening her bag, her words struck the crew as a joke but her seriousness was evident

"you do realize were like, far away from the ocean?"said Nami as the rest agreed but luffy and chopper got exited,

"YOU CAN SUMMON WHALES!"

"that's so cool!"

as she looked at them she got out a crystal ball blue in color and smooth in texture, "it's my dealer, I buy stuff I can't gather there" this seemed to gather the two interest even more, while the rest had one common thought 'what are those ingredient's?'

"Yeah I can you come here? I need a favor to ask" she spoke to the crystal as it glowed a soft light, "here we go"

a few moment's later a sudden ripple split the air, and with a thunderous splash, a starry-blue whale materialized out of thin air, casting shimmering reflections from its body.

While nami and Ussop were panicking, zoro,sanji and Ace being on guard, the rest were curious

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

"Gernario mardo evou" she yelled and the while opened it's mouth the woman simply walked in, "WOAH! Y/N why didn't you show us this before!" yelled luffy following in, and though the rest felt reluctant Ace zoro and chopper followed closely.

The inside of the whale was like stepping into a dream; a flat surface of shimmering water stretched beneath their feet, while tiny fireflies flitted around, casting gentle reflections on the liquid ceiling, this seemed to put everyone in awe.

"WELCOME travelers" said a man's voice from deep inside, "what might you need" he asked

"yeah, uncle goerg can me and my friends spend the night here? it's cold outside" using her best puppy dog eyes the man appeared in front of her, with a bold head and a long beard with bare feet he looked at her un-amused

this 'uncle george' was walking and smelling everyone, some pushed him away while some hid behind the other, "those are....Human's" he said the word human with disgust before going back to his customer

"how dare you bring strangers into my domain here, this ain't a hotel, shoo"

as he started to push her and the crew out with strong winds coming from inside the whale with a snap of his finger looking at the witch in displeasure, she pulled out her final card, "I'll pay!"

"no we won't!" protested nami

"I don't need your worthless berries humans"

"no! it's two jars of high quality lizard limbs collected by the princess her self!"

he raised an eyebrow, before she looked at her semi flying before giving up, "and my prized bat's brains!"

taking a moment to think, he looked at vivi and nami then at luffy before agreeing, with a snap of his fingers the wind stopped letting everyone fall to their face as a bedroom was dragged in with a hand sticking out

"You and your lizard limbs, kid. Fine. But keep your humans away from my stash, now give me the jars"

"here" she gave in reluctantly, satisfied with his prize he left them alone, "Y/N-Chwaaannnn~you got us a room for free~" said sanji swooning over the depressed girl

"tell me if you want anything Y/N-chan" even nami was swooning a bit for the 'free' room

soon everyone looked around in peace with the disappearance of the old men with the jar, there were enough bed's for everyone a table of fruit's and a bathroom.

"wait you could've done this before?" asked nami

"yeah, I knew him since I was 7"

"why didn't you do this before!" nami, ussop beat her up in anger "I could've died of the cold!" adde'd ussop

"hey! I lost two of my prized stuff! have some decency!"

"shut up!!"

it was rowdy and chaotic but soon everyone found some comfort to fall asleep.

[definegodliness]

Inner realms

The meadow's comforting Mint green; Zephyr stirred blades, Surrounded by rustling Late spring lush age old oak trees; I see Their winding branches In my most private escapist Fantasies.

Unchartered territory; unshared, if you will.

With the sun On my back — always Shunned for its blatant Eye-piercing brightness — I could Watch The stark blue of, Above, the spotless sky, In attempts to quiet my racing mind, But I find this heaven's endless emptiness Only irks me.

Baby blue, I know you; The shimmering crystal castle at your heart And the lazy lamb clouds Drifting by.

I have seen

Underwater realms Where orbs of light guide All those who can breathe, so allowed.

I have seen

Lands of slate stone frothing waves Where white cliffs weather ongoing rage; Fantastic spectacles Of lightning and Rain.

Realms of perpetual flame, Soothing to the touch, where music plays For phantasmagorical dancers.

Realms of coal and blood.

All, unique, and charming, I'm sure, yet not For me. Not specifically, at least.

My retreat Is the oak embraced meadow With its Interchanging shades Of soothing green. Empty, so empty, And yet sometimes all of the sudden Bestrewn with daisies.

Then, I think:

'This is where we'll fall in love.'

That is What I believe in.

--- 8-3-2024, M.A. Tempels ©

[seriously-siri]

Back on the robit train and I'm still bitter they never developed Harmonex up for more than getting crushed by Cybertronian Godzilla.

Changed that. (Spoiler alert: it still gets crushed later, but it just hurts more)

_______

Starscream never outwardly shown when he was impressed. He found it was always better to act like you didn’t care much, that way people were always trying to make you care or were trying to impress you instead of getting the satisfaction of having you owe them a compliment. Harmonex, though. Harmonex never ceased to impress even the most hardened and bleak soul. Even before the main central tower was in sight, Starscream could hear the hum of the crystals that made up the city and had he not been flying, you would have seen a small, impressed smirk tug at the corner of his mouth.

There was nothing like it in the Universe and even though Starscream had never left Cybertron, he’d bet his wings on that. No matter the time of day the buildings glowed with soft, ever changing blues, greens, purples, and silvers. It was never too bright, even when the sun was up, and it was never too dark no matter how bleak the night got. The streets lit up under your feet and when the wind blew waves of light blew across the walkways and buildings, proceeding the gust like the white caps on a wave ready to break the shore line.

Then, there was the music.

It was rumored that Harmonex’s foundation and the crystal used to build it up towards the stars were sparks that never got a chance to be cultivated. Back in the days when Cybertron didn’t have cities, a hot spot met its end in a fiery explosion and what was left behind, what those unborn souls gifted Cybertron, was a crystal that sang in perfect harmony with the wind.

It wasn’t always an audible song. Only when the wind blew hard enough did the melodies drift out of the city, riding the air like wayward particles from the sea of rust. And it was beautiful; better than any choir or voice or instrument that Starscream ever heard. Most of the time, though, there was a silent hum; a vibration under your feet and it was never uncomfortable and it never got annoying. It was soothing and warm and wrapped around you like a warm updraft on a cold day. It could catch you off guard if you didn’t know it was there, but Starscream knew and as he touched down just outside the gates of the city he smiled.

Just a little.

He made his way through the gates, only quickly flashing his I.D to a security officer and bee lined down the main road straight towards his destination.

The city of Harmonex was considered a city of art and education. Artists, dancers, and most musicians either hailed from the city or traveled there to learn and master their craft. It was no surprise that the main structure in the middle of Harmonex, a tall, jagged looking tower, was one of the most renowned universities on Cybertron. The tower itself wasn’t constructed initially, but was the result of the rumored hot spot explosion and the founders of the city decided to hollow it out and mark it a symbol to all of Cybertron. A memorial to the sparks that never got a chance to learn their trades.

It didn’t take long to reach the tower and Starscream dodged in and around students, teachers, and a few tourists towards the lifts and up to the thirtieth floor of the tower. Taking a right off the lift he headed around the circular hall. He almost missed his destination because the light just outside the office was blown out. It was only because the door was slightly ajar, letting the light from the windows of the room spill out into the hall that Starscream didn’t walk past it in his haste. Peering through the gap in the door he caught some movement off to the right and without knocking, pushed the door open.

Starscream waltzed into the room and peered around, barely acknowledging the office’s owner, a minicon flier up on a ladder against a wall of books, boxes, and trinkets. “Professor.”

Slipknot let out a surprised yelp and almost toppled backwards off his high perch where he was trying to reach a box on the top shelf. Just catching himself the little bot turned to see who the unexpected visitor was and frowned.

“Starscream. Ah wait-” Slipknot let go of one side of the ladder and did a mock bow. “I apologize, I mean, Senator. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Oh stop it. I don’t want to be here as much as you don’t want me here.” Starscream stepped up to the ladder and held up his hands, offering to help the minicon down.

Slipknot raised an eyebrow and simply jumped backwards, landing quietly on the floor. Pulling the ladder to the side he pointed up at the box he had been trying to grab earlier. “Will you get that for me?”

Starscream reached up and easily grabbed the box and handed it to the little professor. He followed Slipknot as he walked around to the other side of his desk, disappeared behind it and then reappeared on the chair which he used to help climb up onto the desk. He put the box down, walked to the edge of the desk and sat, his legs dangling.

“This...isn’t your old office.” Starscream commented as he looked around at all the furniture. It was what you’d expect to find in a teacher’s office; a desk, chair, some log cases along the wall, an extra folded chair off to the side for visitors, but that was the problem. It was a “normal” office. It was for “normal” bots like himself. At least the normal that was his height.

Slipknot was a minicon and not only that, he was mini for a minicon. He barely came up to Starscream’s knee joints and even though the little guy had wings he still wasn’t nearly as wide as Starscream’s legs put together.

The little bot looked around and shrugged, but his wings drooped slightly. “Yeah, I got an ‘upgrade’ along with my tenure.” Sighing he reached behind him and grabbed the box and set it in his lap. “They didn’t see the need to move my old furniture to my new office since this one was already furnished.” He pointed to the ladder. “But hey, they bought me that, at least.”

Starscream grit his denta. The functionalism had finally made it to Harmonex. All the way out to where everyone was sure it couldn’t get its foot in the door. A place of art and a city that celebrated freedom and free thinking and differences had finally succumbed to the blight that was quickly killing Cybertron’s culture. “Why are you putting up with this?”

“You know why, I don’t have a choice in the matter.” Slipknot took the lid off his box, but didn’t go any further before catching Starscream’s angry gaze. “Now, why are you all the way out here in Harmonex, at this school, in my office?”

“You’ve been ignoring Prowl.”

“Yep.”

“Well, he got annoyed by that and contacted me.”

“Sorry to put you in that situation.”

“No you’re not.”

“Nope.”

Starscream grabbed the folded chair and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest and a leg over the other. “You can’t ignore this, unfortunately. He needs you to run on a mission with his team in Kaon and do your mapping thing.”

“My mapping thing?” Slipknot rolled his optics. “We invented GPS droids to do exactly that for everyone!”

“Those droids can’t put in the tactical advice that you can provide. He needs your skills.”

“Isn’t he literally a tactician?”

“He still doesn’t have your acute knowledge of everything about the city. He transferred to Kaon barely a meta-cycle ago.”

“For what exactly? He didn’t get into specifics in any of his messages and he can’t just annoy me until I say yes.”

That’s definitely his strategy.

Letting out a frustrated groan Starscream thought for a moment. “He didn’t tell me a lot, either, but from what I can gather from our conversation and knowing what is the bane of Kaon right now, he and Sentinel are going after the fighting ring.”

“The makeshift arenas that keep disappearing?” Slipknot looked surprised for a moment and then he nodded. “Makes sense. The champion there is gathering quite the following. Even all the way out here, I’ve seen graffiti of his symbol pop up on back alleyway walls.”

“Sentinel is getting paranoid about him. About Megatron.”

Slipknot smirked. “He named himself after the fallen Prime? After Megatronus? I like it. It’s very fitting.”

“I don’t care about the historic symbology.”

“Well I am a history professor.”

“That’s just because you’re old.” Starscream waved a hand in the air to dismiss the quickly derailing topic. “I am worried that if you don’t agree now, Sentinel will lash out at you. Prowl dropped his name at least twice in our conversation so if you don’t say yes to me, you won’t have a choice once he asks and you know he won’t actually ask. He’ll just threaten you until you have to comply.”

Slipknot frowned. “I thought after what happened with Nominus Prime we’d have a better leader, but apparently they’re just getting worse.”

Starscream uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “He’s going to either revoke your exemption status as a minicon or do something to Byte.”

That caught the minicon’s attention. “I’d like to see him try.” Slipknot hissed between his denta.

“He can and he will. Byte works for the archives, right? Sentinel could have him transferred to Iacon and then tell you your status is null and void outside of Harmonex. You two would never get to see each other.” Starscream smirked and sat back. “But if you’d like to push your luck…”

“Frag you, Starscream. You sound like you’re just here to relay Sentinel’s threats to me before they become official.”

“I am not. I’m simply stating the extent of what he could do to you.”

Slipknot narrowed his optics. “And why are you pretending you care? You don’t. I know you, my former student.”

“Because despite what you think, I still represent you.” Starscream reached out quickly and flicked one of Slipknot’s wing tips. “And I am getting sick of watching Sentinel and the rest of the senate abuse us for what we are and not acknowledging who we are.”

Starscream’s wings twitched, a movement that didn’t go unnoticed by Slipknot, but the little bot didn’t say anything. Starscream was trying to not let too many of his personal emotions rise up. He hated the senate and he hated Sentinel even more. He hated everything about this society. About the people who stuck him in his cold, uncomfortable frame. He’d only ever confessed this to a couple of bots. Thundercracker and Skywarp, of course knew, but he once told a history professor who was willing to listen to a rant that had both nothing and everything to do with history in the making.

Slipknot sighed looking down into the box still sitting on his lap. Reaching into it he pulled out a small translucent black and green marble and held it up to catch the sun’s light from the window behind him. “I got this as a gift from Senator Shockwave for giving a lecture at his academy. I have no idea what it is and he didn’t either, but it’s pretty and old so he thought I’d like it. It was just before the senate got to him.”

Starscream frowned. If only Slipknot knew what the old ‘senator’ was up to now.

The little bot placed the box behind him and stood up on the desk gripping the marble in his hand. “Kaon it is, then. Let Prowl know I’ll be there in the morning.”

Starscream nodded. “At least Jetfire will be going with you.”

Slipknot smirked. “Oh, well why didn’t you just say that in the first place.”

_____

Someone help I wanna write more with these two.

[birindale]

As we enter the second wave of toys, a new She-Ra and Swift Wind have to be explained to the consumer, so Adora and Spirit wander through an interdimensional portal into a beautiful land called Crystal World. Josh is there. 

Transcript/Image ID below the cut

[Image Description: 14 comic pages from the She-Ra mini-comic, “Across the Crystal Light Barrier”.

Cover: Starburst She-Ra stands with arms spread high to show off her sparkles, Crystal Swift Wind at her side. They’re standing atop a mountain made of glittering crystal, beneath the Princess of Power logo. At the bottom of the page, “Across the Crystal Light Barrier” is written and actually outlined, though still definitely not the color I would have gone with. Beneath that, in a small font, it reads, “Illustrations: (copyright symbol) Mattel, Inc. 1985 Hawthorne CA 90250 U.S.A. PRINTED IN HONG KONG. All Rights Reserved. (registered trademark symbol) and TM designate U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc. 

The coloring style from this issue on becomes more pastel, and the gouache is blended more, giving it a softer feeling.

Page 1: A pink caption box reads, “Outings in Etheria are always very special and today’s picnic had been no exception. Adora smiled as Josh and Bow leaned against a fruit tree, the picnic basket empty and their bellies full. Spirit and Arrow stood nibbling at the lumps of sugar Glimmer held out in her hand.” Which pretty much covers the illustration. Adora is sitting on a blanket with the empty picnic basket.

Josh was apparently slated to be the Robin to Bow’s Batman at one point, but he never did get an official design, so this is just ‘generic blond man’. A second pink caption box at the bottom of the page contains the credits, “Produced exclusively for Mattel by: Writer… Tina Harris & Eric Frydler. Penciler… Jim Mitchell. Inker… Todd Kurosawa. Colorist… Charles Simpson. Editor: Joan Dumbauld & Lee Nordling”. 

“Want to race, Adora?” asks Glimmer. The composition on this page is leaps and bounds over the previous issue. Whatever Jim Mitchell was doing between waves one and two, I appreciate it.

“Sure! Come on!” says Adora.

End Page 1. 

Page 2: Adora and Glimmer mounted up. The second Bow fired his starting arrow, they took off! Galloping down the orchard path, they disappeared from sight. Neck-in-neck [sic], they raced against each other. Adora and Glimmer sped over field and stream, dashing wildly along the winding path.” So apparently we’re just going for outright narration. That’s cool. Kind of a weird decision in a comic, but I’m not a cop. Bow shoots his starting arrow and the girls take off, Adora on Spirit and Glimmer on Arrow. 

A beautifully colored panel of the race in partial silhouette. 

A rounded white caption box reads, “Suddenly, a mysterious burst of light appeared from nowhere!” and we see Adora rear back on Spirit, who balks at a stylized glow. 

End Page 2.

Page 3: A pink caption box reads, “Adora and Spirit slowed their pace. Startled, Arrow bolted, throwing Glimmer from his back”. Arrow is rearing and our heroes are walking sedately into the light.

End Page 3. 

Page 4: A lavender caption box reads, “Rounding the bend, Josh and Bow hurried to see the race’s finish. They found Glimmer on the ground and helped her to her feet. "Where is Adora?" Bow asked. "I don’t know," Glimmer replied. "She just disappeared!" "Over here!" Adora cried. I’ve crossed the Crystal Light Barrier." Missed some quotation marks there. Another reason not to use them in caption boxes. Adora and Spirit’s silhouette is distorted by the field of light and Josh’s hair is brown now. 

“Spirit and I are lost in a strange and wondrous land!” says Adora.

End Page 4. 

Page 5: A lavender caption box reads, “There Adora and Spirit stood, across a bottomless crack. "Arrow and I will save you!" Bow exclaimed. Glimmer begged him not to go and Adora breathed a word of caution. "She’s right. It’s much too dangerous. We’ll have to find our own way back to Etheria."" Adora and Spirit stare down into a foggy abyss, surrounded by crystal.

“Come on, Spirit! Maybe we can find someone to help us,” says Adora. 

End Page 5. 

Page 6:  A pink caption box reads, “Adora and her faithful steed wandered for many miles. Above them shone a bright rainbow sun. All around them, jewel-like mountain tops and petrified flowers glistened under the strange light.” over an illustration of exactly that.

“How beautiful!” says Adora, smiling.

End Page 6.

Page 7: A lavender caption box reads, “Soon they came upon a dazzling sight–a glittering herd of horses, unlike any they had ever seen before! Each horse had a color all its own–and each one shone like crystal! "Spirit, look!" Adora cried. "We’ve found help at last! But who can these beauties be?"" Adora points at a group of seven sparkling steeds, each with a pair of feathered (crystalline) wings.

“We are the Guardians of Crystal World,” says a voice from off panel. 

“Who…? What…?” asks Adora, looking around. 

End Page 7. 

Page 8: A lavender caption box reads, “The voice belonged to a sleek, crystal horse named Crystal Moonbeam. Adora quickly spoke to him. "We came across the Barrier and now we can’t get back." The lavender stallion nodded. "Recrossing the Crystal Light Barrier is certainly most difficult."" And I have to tell you, this horse is not lavender. His toy is a translucent violet, but this comic has him a soft periwinkle, cut through with orange light because he’s made of crystal. 

“Quite soon, you and your horse will become like us,” says Crystal Moonbeam, ominously.

“You mean we will turn into crystal?” asks Adora. Neither she nor Spirit seem thrilled at the possibility. 

End Page 8. 

Page 9: A pink caption box reads, “Crystal Moonbeam nodded gravely. "Yes. Anyone who touches the ground of Crystal World must change." But Adora hadn’t changed at all!” There was plenty of room for dialogue boxes saying this. Why even make this a comic? 

“I haven’t stepped from Spirit’s back,” says Adora. “I haven’t touched your world."

“Then, there may be a chance,” says Crystal Moonbeam. 

End Page 9. 

Page 10: A lavender caption box reads, “Dashing to his herd, Crystal Moonbeam returned with a sparkling filly. "This is my sister Crystal Sun Dancer," the lavender horse whinnied. "She knows the way across the Crystal Light Barrier."" The still distinctly un-lavender Crystal Moonbeam introduces them to a slightly smaller, yellowy orange horse.

“But to cross the Barrier again, you must have the power to fly!” says Crystal Moonbeam. 

“The crack is too deep to risk crossing it any other way,” says Crystal Sun Dancer.

End Page 10.

Page 11: Adora raises her arms and becomes Starburst She-Ra, with a long flowing cape with two wrist loops. Swift Wind becomes Crystal Swift Wind, a transparent pink plasticine version of himself. Herself? What are Swift Wind's pronouns this wave? The horse is see-through now. They have wings and a golden pleather mask, complete with unicorn horn. Light and sparkles radiate off the pair of them as they transform.

A pink caption box reads, "Adora unsheathed her Sword of Protection at once and raised it to the sky. In an instant, she and Spirit were transformed. Crystal World echoed with her powerful cry. "For the honor of Grayskull, I am She-Ra!" 

End Page 11. 

Page 12: "Swift Wind! Walking here in Crystal World has given you a crystal sheen!" says She-Ra, smiling as she reaches around to touch Swift Wind's face. 

A pink caption box reads, "Crystal Sun Dancer, Crystal Moonbeam, She-Ra and Crystal Swift Wind glowed with an unearthly energy as they leaped toward the deep opening. With a brilliant burst of color, they broke through the Crystal Barrier and vanished—gone!" as we see all three winged horses take flight, Swift Wind carrying She-Ra, surrounded by glowing and sparkles. 

"We'd better change back fast before our friends find out our secret!" says She-Ra, dismounting from Swift Wind and spreading her arms to show off her new starburst cape. Crystal Moonbeam and Crystal Sun Dancer aren't in frame, but they're still around, I promise.

End Page 12.

Page 13: A pink caption box reads, "Meanwhile, in Etheria, Bow, Glimmer and Josh had been looking high and low for Adora and Spirit. Suddenly Bow heard a rustling sound behind him." Right, Josh is here. I forgot about him already. He's a brunet now. He's holding onto his belt and kind of pouting at the panel gutter, while Glimmer stares forlornly at her staff (here a pink and blue rendition that looks more like a clock than the toy-accurate rose-with-jewel). Bow looks over his shoulder at the approaching Adora, Spirit, Crystal Sun Dancer, and Crystal Moonbeam. A mountain range towers behind her, and the few trees we can see are full of orange… bubbles? Transparent fruit? They've missed a few of the leaf portions. Sloppy work, Skip, but you were dealt a poor hand here. 

"Adora! Where have you been? We've been worried," says Bow, with an uncomfortable smile.

"Oh Bow! I've been in a wonderful land called Crystal World," says Adora. These last two panels were just close-ups, but the backgrounds have some really beautiful gradients on them. It really seems like they were going for more of a 'storybook' feel from this wave on. 

End Page 13.

Page 14: A lavender caption box reads, ""Tell us, Adora, who are your new friends?" Bow asked. Adora made introductions all around and Glimmer fairly gleamed. "Oh Spirit, with your crystal coat, you're more beautiful than ever!"" Josh and Arrow smile on as Glimmer and Bow greet the new, shinier version of Spirit. Adora has an arm slung around Spirit's neck, while Crystal Sun Dancer and Crystal Moonbeam watch with smiles of their own. 

"It is exciting to see another land…" says Adora.

"But it's so much better to come home to my friends!" she finishes, in the traditional red used for a minicomic's 'moral'. So… I guess the moral is don't wander into interdimensional portals? Traveling might seem cool but you're going to enjoy going home way more? Who knows. Bow, Glimmer, and Josh have all shuffled places, but they're crowded around Adora now, horses nowhere in sight. Everyone's smiling contentedly. 

End Page 14.

End ID]

[candiedspit]

You thought you found the thing, I said out loud to the garbage cans, the vaguely threatening spikes of the fence guarding the park, the elderly man at the end of his millionth cigarette.

You thought you had found the thing that was going to keep you alive, I continued, waving my cigarette around as I spoke.

The girl you had been waiting to meet your entire life. The crystal to your ball. The one who knew the way you grooved, who understood the world as you knew it, saw the fissions in the skyline, watched the sun dribble down like a belly dancer with her foreign diamonds, tasted the same heat, heard orchestras in building demolitions, the melodies in a cup of black coffee as you weep in the living room, hungover and sweating you are done with the beast. But going back and back like a wounded dog. And she wanted the same things. To be taken by a UFO at the end of a long summer day; the wheat standing still in the cool night. She wanted an easy exit. She wanted to be anybody else. She wanted to dream as you wanted to dream. She shared the same language, the tones of people trapped in a burning room.

And you had her; for a year, you were in the same room, I said, speaking to the trees.

Licking the same piece of licorice, falling into the same wondrous and terrible sleep. Sometimes too altered to speak. Not needing to speak. You shot her up on Christmas Eve, her face glistening with hushed pinks from the lights you convinced her to get. You wore her panties around the house. Filled a plastic kiddie pool with water from the hose and waved, handed out lollipops to the kids next door and to whoever you saw. Opioid receptors. Movies you would forget you watched. Fights over a gram. Slow dancing in the kitchen to Sinatra records, kissing her exactly where she wanted to be kissed. Staying together on the couch, watching the world pass through you.

We never wanted that world, she said one evening as the newscast told us about terrorism, wars. We never wanted that stupid world.

There’s no room for us, I said and held her close.

You wanted to be an eyelash on her face. She was petroleum. She was cake. She taught you how to use a needle. You had figured out a way to live. And could see yourself living in the trailer park for years to come.

And eventually you and her would kick the habit.

This was a secret desire. A week of atomic bombs and shallow waters. But you would get clean and meet her parents. There would be large thanksgiving dinners, happiness.

And when she ended things, you bought a gun. But you were rushed to the clinic before you could smear yourself out of existence. You mourn her at night. You smell her milk. You hope she is in a field, watching the light lounge over the grass. You hope she is alive. You hope she wants to be. As for yourself, the bomb could go off and you would light another cigarette, watching the fallout blot the sunlight with a famed nonchalance. And as the fire reached you, you would picture her in your mind. The only miracle you’ve known.

[valscigarette]

Say That I Tried (Drugstore AU)

Most of Vox’s customers have an exaggerated sense of self-importance, forcing him to toe the line between sycophantic and contemptuous to get through each transaction. He’s used to it by now. Good at it, even, given the way he’s turned the derelict corner market into one of the busiest drug stores in Pentagram City and his boss has gifted him a glossy manager’s name tag despite having no co-workers on site to manage. For once, he seems to be coming up in the world, and greatness is so close he can taste it. It’ll all be worth it in a couple years.

He knows this store inside and out, regulars included. A new customer always catches his eye, especially one as pretty as the doll that waltzes in not twenty minutes after Valentino’s nightly run, who smiles at Vox with straight white teeth over her bulky camera. Vox knows she’s a pap immediately. Enough of them chase after Val for him to know. But paparazzi need drugs too, and they’re usually not bright enough to notice an upcharge, so Vox draws up his most charming smile.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he purrs, leaning onto the counter. “Did the sun rise early, or is it just your smile?”

She rolls her eyes and snorts. “Take it easy, cowboy.”

Okay, flattery isn’t the way to go- Vox can adjust to that, though he wouldn’t mind taking her out or out back if he can win her over. He’s the drug guy and addicts give it up easily to their suppliers. Still smiling, Vox straightens up and fixes the collar of his polo.

“My apologies, darling.” She doesn’t look like she believes him, but he doesn’t need her to in order to make the sale. “What can I get for you today?”

She walks all the way to the counter before she answers, close enough for Vox to count the eyelashes sewn into her smooth plastic face. Oh, she’s beautiful. She’s one of the most stunning sinners Vox has ever laid eyes on. He activates his new VCR–an upgrade he splurged for with his first post-promotion paycheck–to burn her image permanently into his system.

“Do you have a few minutes to chat, actually?” she asks. “I’ve got a business idea I think you’d be interested in.”

Vox raises an eyebrow. If she’s not a customer, then she’s definitely trouble. He should’ve known that; she wouldn’t be sexy if she wasn’t going to fuck him over. “You wanna talk to the owner.”

“No, I wanna talk to you,” she says, her eyes darting down to his nametag, “Vox. Unless you want to manage a drugstore for the rest of eternity, in which case, I’ll be on my way.”

He sighs.

“You have until a paying customer walks in.”

“Great!” she chirps, spinning on her heel to go turn off the neon OPEN sign in the window and ignoring the squeal of Vox’s irritated feedback.

Until now, only Valentino has had the audacity to close the store when he wants undivided attention, and it’s only because this customer is as ridiculously hot as Val that Vox doesn’t launch himself over the counter to throttle her for it.

“About your customers…” she continues, “they include, like, every famous face in the entertainment district, right?”

Vox nods. “We cater to high-end clientele these days.”

It’s mostly dancers. Val has talked all his fellow strippers into buying here, and with the best known whores darkening his doorstep, other sinners creeping toward the limelight have been quick to follow. Sometimes, Vox thinks a little too long about how much he owes his success to Valentino, and winds up jerking his frustrations into the bathtub while staring at magazine spreads of Val in skimpy outfits, until he once more convinces himself he could have done it alone.

“I thought so. I’ve got these pictures, you see,” the customer tells him, dropping her camera to hang from its neck strap as she digs a print from her coat pocket. “There’s this moth demon, Valentino, and you wouldn’t believe how much people will pay for a photo of him beaten bloody.”

She produces a print taken through the shop window, Val perfectly framed between a poster for crystal meth and the windowpane with all the bruises of a rough shift in glorious technicolor. Vox reaches for it without thinking, but she’s faster, whipping it out of reach and smirking triumphantly at his desperation.

“Ah-ah-ah,” she teases. The photo disappears into her pocket once more, and Vox grips the counter so tightly, the linoleum cracks under his hands. “You can have it when you agree to my idea.”

A growling chuckle rumbles through Vox’s speakers but his mouth doesn’t move until he asks, “What’s stopping me from taking it, princess?”

“I won’t give you a cut of the profit,” she answers simply.

With a final glance at the dark sign in the window, Vox gives up and nods for her to come behind the counter. “We’ll talk in the office,” he relents. “What was your name?”

“Velvette.”

She follows him to the cramped room he calls an office, but functionally serves as a broom closet. A few weeks ago, he shoved an end table and two overturned wastebaskets to have somewhere to sit while he tends Val’s worse injuries. It’s not much, but it’s his, and he turns away from Velvette to fix the security camera in the corner while she drinks in the sight.

“This is sad, Vox,” she sniffs.

“I wasn’t expecting company,” he mutters, “You didn’t exactly call ahead.” Once satisfied with the camera, he turns back around to see Velvette leaning against the wall, staring distastefully at the bloodstains and loose screws on the floor. “It’s the only privacy we’re getting at the store other than in the bathroom.”

“Right. Well, I noticed that Valentino comes in here, like, every day.”

Vox nods, unease creeping up his spine despite his confidence he could take Velvette down if necessary. “He’s one of my regulars.”

“And,” she drawls, “he spends at least an hour in your store. Funny enough, you never spend that long at his clubs.”

When she pulls more photos from her coat, Vox grabs her wrist and steals them faster than she can react. He won’t be made a fool of twice. But as he sorts through the prints, he notices the edges of his own body in frame too many times to be pure coincidence. Val has told Vox not to worry, that no one would notice the way their orbits have begun to revolve around one another, but Vox should’ve known better than to trust that idiot.

To his surprise, Velvette doesn’t even try to recapture the prints; she must have backups elsewhere. Instead, she says, “I could make good money off these, but intimate photos would sell better. You wouldn’t even have to be in frame.”

Vox’s fingers tighten around the photos, crumpling them and smearing the ink.

“I…” He glances at Val’s blurry face in one the top image. “I need a couple days to think about it.”

[cats-are-grey]

FFXXIV Directory - Ley Qunya

Art by @minoruru

Roleplay and Inspiration Blog for Ley Qunya, FFXIV RP character on Balmung (Crystal). Most things are queued. Occasionally NSFW.

Ley is the reclusive and somewhat aloof owner of Spell Bound, a small bookstore specializing in rare, powerful, or lost tomes, for those who know where to look for it.

Carrd Playlist Screenshots and Art Prompts and Asks My Art (Coming ... Eventually) Writing OOC Tumblr

Name: Ley Qunya

Age: Unspecified Adult

Nameday: 16th Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon

Race: Miqo'te (Keeper of the Moon)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Demi Bi (Polyamorous)

Relationship Status: It's Complicated

Server: Balmung

IC Jobs: Scholar, Summoner, Dancer

Art by @the-sycophant

Appearance: Ley is a fairly unremarkable Miqo'te, aside from the fact that she is nearly all grey. Her hair is well cared for, long and silky and cut in a straight line across her back, the silvery tone nearly identical to her skin. Paler clan markings flow across her body and marks her face, along with a small teardrop shape at her forehead.

Eyes: Grey

Favored Clothing Style: Ley's clothing preferences falls somewhere between Hobo Wild Witch and Dark Academia Prodigy.

Common Accessories: She almost always carries a tome tied to her belt.

Profession:  Rare book dealer. Author.

Hobbies: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ley reads a lot. What may be less expected is that in her spare time, she finds a decent amount of guilty pleasure in reading romance novels, preferably with an adventure spin. She also plays the cello.

Residence: Gridania, though she spends a decent amount of time traveling

Birthplace: The Black Shroud

Patron Deity: Menphina, the Lover

Spouse: No. Marriage is not a part of her culture and while relationships are not out of the realm of possibility to her, she values her independence and mostly solitary lifestyle too much to give it up.

Children: None, and no plans for that to change.

Parents: She doesn't know her father, but she grew up in a small family clan with her mother and a couple of aunts, who co-parented all the children.

Siblings: Ley has several sisters, and while they don't always see each other a lot, it's not uncommon for them to check in on each other once in a while. She also has a brother she has not seen since he became an adult and left their clan.

Other Relatives: A bunch of cousins she also grew up with.

Pets: While not exactly a pet, Ley is often accompanied by a small faerie named Nox, and a Carbuncle. She also has a silvery Chocobo named Andraste.

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Smoking Habit: None

Drugs: It depends. Not regularly, but she can enjoy certain kinds of drugs.

Alcohol: Rarely.

Spell Bound: Ley runs a small bookstore called Spell Bound, specializing in rare and sometimes dangerous (and sometimes illegal) books, tomes, and grimoires. Appointment required.

Forged in Ink: Ley is a fairly decent forger of books and documents if she can be convinced to take on the work

Wild Steps: Ley's tribe traveled heavily through the Black Shroud, and traded with other Keeper tribes. She may be familiar to other Keepers of the Moon.

I am generally open to RP and connections, but I work a lot so I'm not always around. Contact me here on tumblr or find me in game is the best bet.

I do have a Discord and I do RP on it. I don’t give that information out right away though. I’d like to interact in game or through tumblr a few times before I feel comfortable giving that information out.

Player is +30. I am open to most kind types of RP, but please don't expect immediate romance, Ley is a pretty reserved character.

[winxngasks]

Tattoo Headcanons!

Following after the previous piercing headcanons, finally here are my tattoo headcanons for the main cast! Like I mentioned on that post, similar to their civilian fashion posts these are just my general ideas and they don't take place at any specific point in time/season. But, you can consider these as all the ones they will have in the future, with many getting them done here-and-there throughout the seasons/their young adult years. Also, there are specific characters I chose to give multiple tattoos to for their own reasons(for example, a couple of them I just see really being into tattoos), but some characters have multiple tattoos simply because I just came up with multiple design ideas for them lol.

I hope you enjoy reading these! :3 If there are any other canon characters you guys want piercing and/or tattoo headcanons for, feel free to send them in an ask!

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- The Winx Club

* Bloom: dragon tattoo on left hip, fiery nymph on back between the shoulder-blades, and daphne flowers on right forearm

* Stella: moon with sunflowers on right upper-arm and sun with moonflowers on left upper-arm, and triple goddess-moon symbol on the back of her neck

* Flora: family tree on her back down her spine, flowers on both sides of ribcage mirroring/matching each other, flowers on back of neck, her family's birth flowers on her right leg, and Helia's + her future children's birth flowers on her left leg

* Musa: giant lotus on back, two sleeves that spill onto the back(one of music notes, traditional Melodian flowers and birds, and the other of other random things she likes), and random ones all-over her legs

* Tecna: binary code on left forearm, geometric heart on back of the neck, motherboard details on right forearm, qr code(specifically spelled to change to whatever she currently likes) on the inside of the left upper-arm just above her elbow, and simplistic blackwork cybernetic design on side of right calf

* Layla: yin yang fish on her left collarbone near her shoulder, ocean wave on the side of her left foot, the word "freedom" turning into birds on the inside of her right wrist, an Androsian rune on the inside of her left wrist, and an outline of a dancer between her shoulder-blades

- The Trix

* Icy: snowflakes on her left hip, and a matching tattoo with Darcy and Stormy to represent their coven, on the back of her neck

* Darcy: delicate and minimalistic tattoos on her fingers and wrapping around her hands and wrists of occult symbols, a cauldron brewing up a poison-skull on the side of her left calf, an armband of the moon phases wrapping around her left forearm, a witch hat inside a crystal ball on her left upper-arm, purple crystals on her right upper-arm, moths on her right hip, and a matching tattoo with Icy and Stormy to represent their coven, on the back of her neck

* Stormy: storm clouds on both upper-arms, lightning starting from both ankles and shooting up the lower-legs, and a matching tattoo with Icy and Darcy to represent their coven, on the back of her neck

- The Specialists + Nabu

* Sky: Erakylon prayer of protection down the spine

* Brandon: sword tattoo going down almost the entire side of his right calf, and right sleeve of a forest/mountain scene with a silhouette of someone rock-climbing

* Helia: his favorite short poems on his back, outstretched bird wings above the poems, an origami bird on the left side of his ribcage, a quill writing "love and peace" underneath his origami bird, flowers Flora drew on his left forearm, and flowers his future children drew on his right forearm

* Riven: Red Fountain's motto across his shoulders on his back, a giant griffin taking up most of the rest of his back, two sleeves made with heavy blackwork; one with a wolf and skull, the other in a more Japanese-style with swirly elements and pops of red, a sword on the side of his left ribcage, and random ones over his legs and chest

* Timmy: a small blaster-gun on the inside of his right arm above his elbow

* Nabu: matching purple tattoos that span across the entire length of his forearms and onto his hands a little bit; they consist of a butterfly with swirly leaves and energy swirls, and wizard runes/glyphs on the side of his left calf

[reflections-in-crystal]

💫 OCs 💫

Renoki

Name: Renoki Sinro

Race/clan: Miqo'te/Keeper of the Moon

Gender: Male

Age: Mid-twenties

Nameday: 7th Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon

Guardian: Halone, the Fury

Main job: Dragoon

Personality/overview: Laid-back, friendly, gets distracted easily, easy to please, protective. Cares deeply about his friends and loved ones and tries to see the best in people.

Overview: Very close to G'raha and Y'shtola, and sees Alphinaud and Alisaie as his younger siblings. Frequently returns to the Crystarium and spends a great deal of time there. Renoki owns a house in the Empyreum and often visits Aymeric (and Aymeric often visits him in his house). Renoki and his sister are orphans and were raised in Tailfeather following their parents' deaths. He left Tailfeather for Ul'dah to learn the art of Thaumaturgy so that he could better provide for his sister, but ended up following the path of the Dragoon instead. Renoki is very expressive, and the positioning of his ears and tail are very telling of his current state of mind. He is noticeably more cat-like in his mannerisms than many other miqo'te.

Rinoka

Name: Rinoka Sinro

Race/clan: Miqo'te/Keeper of the Moon

Gender: Female

Age: Early twenties

Nameday: 17th Sun of the 1st Astral Moon

Guardian: Halone, the Fury

Main job: Dragoon

Personality: Feisty, resilient, protective, boisterous. Has a tendency to keep people at arm's length and is slow to trust them.

Overview: Suffered severe amnesia after the Calamity due to being hit by rubble and rendered unconscious, leaving her unable to recognise her brother, Renoki, despite his fame as the Warrior of Light. She remembers her life as a child and remembers her family's faces (and her parents' fates) but is unable to recall their names. Usually hides her amnesia from others to avoid unwanted questions. Rinoka learned to wield a lance during her time in Tailfeather, and has recently come to Ishgard following a long stay in Meracydia.

Y'rhuna

Name: Y'rhuna Tia

Race/clan: Miqo'te/Seeker of the Sun

Gender: Male

Age: Late teens

Nameday: 32nd Sun of the 1st Astral Moon

Guardian: Thaliak, the Scholar

Main job: Paladin/Scholar

Personality: Cheerful, ambitious, slightly naïve, optimistic. Driven by his determination to prove his ability as a fighter.

Overview: Born and raised in Sharlayan, has lived quite a sheltered life. Always looked up to the likes of G'raha Tia and Alphinaud Leveilleur, and is very keen to show everyone that he can be skilled both academically and physically. Idolises G'raha Tia in a similar way to how G'raha Tia idolises the Warrior of Light. Commissioned a tailor to make him a copy of the Crystarium gear after he saw the Warrior of Light wearing it.

Lyra

Name: Lyra Tachibana

Race/clan: Viera/Rava

Gender: Female

Age: Around 120 years old

Nameday: 11th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon

Guardian: Althyk, the Keeper

Main job: Dancer

Personality: Charming, strong-willed, calm, proud. Tends to be quite secretive.

Overview: Elegant and graceful, Lyra is used to being underestimated when it comes to her prowess on the battlefield. Like the Warrior of Light, she is able to travel between the First and the Source, and it is rumoured that she fled to the Source some time before the Crystal Exarch arrived in Norvrandt.

Faelene

Name: Faelene Sinwood

Race/clan: Viera/Rava

Gender: Male

Age: Mid-thirties

Nameday: 15th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon

Guardian: Oschon, the Wanderer

Main job: Lancer/Archer

Personality: Shy, thoughtful, introspective, curious. Very considerate of others and good at empathising.

Overview: Longing to explore the world outside of his native forest, Faelene set off alone to venture into the heart of Eorzea and learn more about the different races that inhabit it. He decided to become an adventurer after hearing adventurers share their tales in the various taverns he visited. Despite discovering that he could further advance his mastery over the bow and the lance to become a Bard and a Dragoon, Faelene decided to continue to fight and hunt in the ways he had been taught as a kit. Even with his gradual acclimatization to the bustling settlements of Eorzea, he retains the somewhat reticent nature of his people.