#did i forget to draw their headbands? perhaps

[solradguy]

Please at some point if you can write about how those 2 panels in beginning and what they mean to you the begin content is always so good and also really enjoy how rough the drawings where for it UGH

Yess god I love Begin so much. Honestly, it's like a 7/10 star scifi novel at best; it's a pretty standard "guy gets monsterified by evil science" plot. But Sol/Frederick means so much to me and that book did more for his characterization than almost any other piece of GG media has before or since, imo.

I picked this thing apart like a carcass so readmore because it goes on for miles. A thorough dump of my thoughts on what I have labeled as "begin pic 12" in my GG Begin scans folder. Vague suicide mention warning for when I start talking about the personal stuff near the middle.

What I love about those two panels is that it's the first time we get to see Sol after he gets turned into a Gear and it's a downtime moment. It's 6 months after Asuka betrayed him and he just finished whatever mechanical process was required to complete the first Gear cell suppressor headband. He's actually unplugging it in the second panel on the left. There's a third panel below these where he's picking up the headband and there's a strong focus on how monstrous and gross his hand is as an effect of the Gear cells, but it's not quite as interesting as the first panel here.

It's so small. This is the only time we ever see or hear a (canon) description of what Sol's personal living space looks like. They DO show him at some kind of house at the end of Strive, but it's barely fleshed out. There aren't that many details or strong hints in that scene like there are here.

I've talked about this potted plant in the window a lot, it's my favorite detail in this illustration.

It's not clear what kind of plant it is though. Maybe some kind of succulent with how stiff and solid the leaves look? Something Sol doesn't have to worry too much about taking care of—low effort in case he has to leave for a long time or forgets to water it. But like... Where did he get this plant? The building he's living in is described as a rusty shack out in the middle of nowhere, so I doubt the plant was there when he moved in. He must've picked it up somewhere and brought it back. Why?

Sol calls himself a monster multiple times throughout Begin and it's pretty clear how keenly aware he is of his rapidly vanishing humanity. He knows his time is running out and he's trying to slow it down by making the limiter headband but that's only a temporary fix. Asuka betrayed him, Aria might be dead (or worse), he can't even blend in with normal humans anymore, and the only animals that are like him are mindless war machines. Sol is completely and absolutely alone.

Except he's got that plant.

The plant doesn't have feelings, it can't judge him. If he goes mad and becomes a rampaging animal like the bear Gear at the end of Begin, the plant won't know or care. Sol got that plant from somewhere and whether he takes care of it or not, it's something else for him to think about. A single purely organic thing in his rusty, machine-littered, shack. If he can't bring himself to do anything else on a given day, if the Gear cells are screaming too loudly and he just wants to say fuck it all and rip everything apart, he's got that tiny little potted thing that only needs sunlight and water. Daisuke probably didn't even think about it that hard when he was designing this scene, but I have hahah I appreciate this little plant. There is a lot of thought put into the layout of the things on Sol's desk though, so perhaps Daisuke did have a motive putting the plant there too.

Sol's desk space is about what you'd expect. A tiny toolbox under the light, notes, wires, balled up scrapped papers, books (likely on magic and software engineering, probably something on wiring), the corkboard up above that has a map with marked out locations that are implied to be locations of places Asuka might have gone since the research lab him, Sol, and Aria worked at exploded (referenced in the epilogue). The rolled tubes on the right may be maps or computer schematics for Sol to reference for making the suppressor.

Based on the position of his hands in the other panels, that thing near his elbow must be whatever was compiling something onto the suppressor headband. I don't know what those are directly in front of him by that dark tower. They look sort of like computer chips/boards? Too low detail to know for sure.

The rest of the scene around his desk are just cabinets and drawers without much unique/outstanding detail. Nothing unique or outstanding enough to base anything off of, just set pieces.

For purely personal reasons, I love this illustration because I spend a lot of time sitting at my own cluttered, dimly lit, desk working on projects that keep me sane haha. Sol's arc through Begin is relatable too, in a way, with regards to gender and body stuff. It's easy to read a lot of the Gear things as an allegory for transitioning for people that didn't have a very smooth transition or that took a long time to accept that's what they are. I fell into that latter category for a long time. Once puberty hit, I realized that I didn't want to be like a woman, but being trans was bad? All depictions of trans people that I knew were jokes or were things like drag, and none of them were women into men. I didn't know a single depiction of a trans man until I went looking for it myself as an adult. They were all tomboys that rescinded their masculinity and became petite girls in pastels. Or they were villains that died and were made fun of.

So. I just didn't know you could do it. I thought that maybe there were just never any women that felt like men or that they were something other than a woman. There was no one to talk to about it, no resources to look up, I hated myself over it because it was a bad thing meant to be kept to yourself. I grew my hair really long to cover my chest and only wore baggy/layered clothes to smooth out my unfortunately curvy waist. On top of this, I have also been 6'5" since I was about 14. I didn't fit in with the women at school because they saw me as a man and I didn't fit in with the men because, biologically, I was a woman. Through all of this, I had to move with my mom across the country to live with a literal nazi because I knew if I didn't, she'd do something stupid (I was right in that she didn't want to because I was there). My friends wanted me to stay and live with my dad but I didn't know how to tell them that I couldn't. I didn't tell them when I was leaving and just left.

I had no friends, no one else was physically like me, there was nothing for me to relate to or find inspiration in. I don't know what kept me going, in hindsight. Everything pissed me off all of the time. All I had was my sick cat, metal playlists, and art. Man, did I have art though.

My art teacher let me skip Art 2 to go from Art 1 directly into Advanced Placement Art (AP Art) because I was graduating that year and she saw potential in me. For our AP Art final portfolios, we had to do a certain set of pieces with fixed themes (portrait, abstract, specific mediums, life study, etc) and then another set of something like 12 that were wholly original illustrations connected through a single, personal, theme. The theme for my original pieces was that monsters have no friends because they're big and scary and no one else is like them, but that they still need love because they're just trying to find their place in the world. Lol. I wish I still had the short essay I wrote about it, but it was so long ago...

I don't really know what was keeping Sol going at the end of Begin either, when he's living in that shack so far from his own home, alone. But I get it though. Sometimes something activates in the human spirit when shit's got it out bad for you that makes you want to keep going. It ended up working out for me. My mom's still alive, I have friends again and I know who I am now despite being a weird biological anomaly. It's working out pretty well for Sol now too, it seems, despite it all.

[stellalimned]

This is... not the type of establishment to which I am accustomed.

It makes a certain amount of sense: many students of the Officers Academy are nobles, raised in luxury and surrounded by servants to fulfill their bidding. Since humans are creatures that appreciate familiarity, it would stand to reason that the wealthier ones would feel more comfortable being waited on as they would be back in their homes. In addition, other students who have not been able to experience such a thing would no doubt be curious and wish to try it for themselves. All in all, I suppose it is an understandable venture.

Lord Nergal did not have me carry out such tasks, but I was still his finest servant. Surely I will succeed at waiting on others and become the best employee of the cafe?

The black-and-white uniform they offer me comes with feline ears on the frilly headband and a matching furred tail attached to the outfit. That is, as I understand it, one of the draws of this particular cafe, and while one might wonder why they didn't simply hire an all-feline-laguz staff, perhaps they couldn't find enough, or the candidates they found were uninterested. In any case, within minutes I finish dressing myself and examine the result in the changing room mirror for several long moments. When I am satisfied that my appearance is worthy of Lord Nergal's preferences, I exit and follow the senior employee to the kitchen, where she proceeds to give me a training session on bussing and waiting tables. As I take in the information, I notice that the other employees appear far more personable while attending to their own guests. They act playful and friendly, full of life and vigor as the living do, to the customers' pleasure... I have my work cut out for me, it seems, in order to surpass them.

Another employee enters, prompting the trainer to wave them over. I glance at them while the trainer introduces them as another newcomer and am met with familiar black hair, pale skin, and gold eyes. Features the same as my own, a face I could not forget for the fact that we once served the same master. What has brought the speaker here to Fodlan? Did our master direct things such that they would find themselves with his most trusted?

"... Denning."

closed starter | @beholdenning

✧ two creepy goth maids to go, please

oct. anniversary commission | ft. limstella, denning | +1 any

[tsu-toko]

@sasuhinamonth​ 2021, Day 7: The Genin Era

[quibbs126]

I drew some more stuffs

So the first one (top left) was from me thinking of a hypothetical scenario where Layton was the elder sibling, and Desmond the younger. Just based on what we know a lot would be different if that were the case, one thing in particular being that Hershel Layton would almost certainly not be Theodore Bronev, but more likely the actual Hershel. The most likely scenarios I could come up with are either only Hershel gets adopted, leaving Theodore behind, they both get adopted by the Laytons, or perhaps the Laytons find another family close by them who can take in Theodore. The drawing here’s basically supposed to be when the Laytons show up, coming to adopt Hershel, but he’s hesitant to leave his brother, while Theodore looks concerned for him, wanting him to go with them to be safe

Next I drew Curious Village Lucy, because I wanted to draw Curious Village characters yesterday. Granted that didn’t end up happening because then I just decided to draw Des’s family, but maybe next time. I don’t know how to draw poppies. Maybe I should have draw forget-me-nots instead

Then I tried to Eileen in the Layton style, but I don’t think I did that well, especially with the eyes. I think I need more practice with this style. She just looks off

Then I just randomly decided to draw Eileen and Des waking up in the morning, because why not? I like Desmind with long hair

Then I drew a slight redesign of Eileen, mostly because a: the ponytail is difficult to draw, and b: I wanted to give her a popped up collar. Note, she’s supposed to be wearing a dress, sort of like Emmy, but I never draw her bottom half so you can’t see it. The glasses are still a pain

Finally, I decided to draw Des with his daughter, whom I have redesigned for the third time, and at this point I think I’m just gonna go with CV Lucy being his daughter (if you wanna know thoughts on that here’s the link), because I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who thinks it and I like it (I do plan to make a follow up to my theory now that I’ve played through Curious Village). I think I’ve finally settled on a design I like. Also I decided to make her headband red so that each member of this family has a splash of that red in their designs; Desmond with his tie, Eileen with her glasses, and now Abbigail with her headband. I didn’t give Desmond glasses because I’m sticking with the idea that he wears them solely for show, and doesn’t actually need them, it’s just part of the disguise, so him not wearing them is him being more genuine

Anyways, hope you like! Sorry, I don’t have much to say this time

[wangxianslillotus]

Au where Wei WuXian doesn't go to Nightless city after Wen Qing, Wen Ning and the remaining Wens. Instead he runs away with A-Yuan and the granny. They stay hidden for years in a humble house in between a forest and a river at the border of Qinghe Nie and LanLing, away from Yiling.

Wei Ying tries to stay away from the towns after hearing about the burial mounds being attacked, of course that there would be those who search for the stigean seal, "That Yiling laozu, he disappeared in the night! Who knows when he's going to appear again to cause more trouble!!" He hears, "He's preparing to take revenge, he hasn't learned from the last time!!" . But he doesn't want revenge, he just wants to raise A-Yuan. After that, he knows that he has to hide, and ends up avoiding all contact and interactions with the world, but he remains doing his research in demonic cultivation, enough to train and develope new things that they will need for protection, but never enough for it to attract any attention.

Granny passes away after taking care of her boys, and when they find themselves in the winter out of provisions such as food and others, Wei WuXian makes his trip to the market for the first time in almost seven years. He wears a disguise, but he can never be completely sure that they are safe. Of course, he takes his son along, because he can't leave him alone. He's never sure.

A-Yuan has come with granny before, he knows the people in town, and they pretty much adore him just as the people loved Wei WuXian at the old pier market. Wei WuXian watches him and lets him lead the little trip to town with a bright smile. They buy the necessary things for a couple of cold months, and go back home at night. But as they are leaving, they catch a glimpse of gold robes in one of the streets. Wei WuXian drags A-Yuan to a dark alley to hide, until the cultivators of LanLing pass by without noticing them. After that, they don't go to the town anymore for a while.

A-Yuan doesn't ask, he never does, he respects that his father has a very mysterious past that he wants to hide, to forget if possible, and that if something happens, he will have to run away with the stigean seal. He knows that, but being aware of the pain that crosses his father's eyes is hard. But he doesn't ask even when Wei WuXian starts to train him to be a cultivator, not just for fun anymore.

He developed a golden core very young, but never used it for anything more than some night hunts at the near forest and protection. Now, they are preparing just in case those golden robed people got closer, he knows that much.

He practices archery, calligraphy too ("A-Yuan, even if dad can't write like he draws, you should do it properly. Maybe I can't make it look good, but I know how it should look.") and his father lends him his sword from time to time, for him to learn how to transfer energy on the blade, how to fly, and how to retrieve it if he sent it flying for attack. Suibian accepts him, almost knowing that he's his owner's son. Wei WuXian teaches him everything he knows about cultivation, that is not little knowledge, on the contrary, Wei Yuan ends up learning so many things, even about different sects. His father teaches him about the Lan Sect and Jiang Sect more than any others, he hears about a big library where he used to copy 3000 rules from the Lan Sect, watched closely by the most gracious man that his father has ever seen. Wei Yuan learns that his father often thinks about this Lan man, when the moon rises fully in the night sky, drinking some alcohol if they can allow it.

He learns enough demonic cultivation too, enough to prevent accidents from happening, enough not to panic, and enough to suppress the stigean seal if needed. Of course, he can't do that alone, it's only to help his father. "Never use it, A-Yuan, you know how if feels now, so you can identify it, but never use it. You can think of better ways."

He learns about talismans, more than any other Sect may even know that exist, his father is proud of that. And he is too. His father knows so many things that A-Yuan is enchanted with everything he learns. He is a good boy.

......

When A-yuan is close to become 13, Wei WuXian goes back to the town and orders a sword for him, one similar to suibian in terms of speed and weight, but black. It was going to be ready in a month and a half, the shopkeeper said. And it was going to be expensive. But it was worth it, Wei Ying knew, anything for his little boy. Besides, winter didn't had many hunting opportunities, it was a good timing.

When the time passed, Wei WuXian took A-Yuan with him to the town. They sold some talismans during the day, bought food and some warmer clothes that would be useful since there was starting to snow already in the forest, and then, they stopped by the smithy. Wei WuXian gave his son an excited smile.

When A-Yuan received the sword, he was more than happy. He was jumping like he was five again, hugging his father like he would never let go, so happy that he cried a little. Wei WuXian laughed at him for that, but he was equally happy just by watching his son. He knew it was worth it.

On the following days, Wei WuXian trained him with his sword. He couldn't use Suibian properly since he couldn't transfer it any energy, and using resentful energy didn't work at all on the blade (he had tried, it didn't went well.) But he could use it as a normal sword, and he was good at it. Better than the good ones. They sparred until his father said it was good enough to go for a nighthunt in the following days.

Little did they know that they would split, running from a Yao that had really long claws, just as large as Suibian, and creept at fast speed. It was a dangerous one, climbing the trees and jumping at them from above. The beast followed A-Yuan at first, be could hear it growling right behind him. The boy ran away at his father's order, and the beast got distracted after a while thanks to his father's music. A-Yuan ran until stopping at the entrance of a cave, listening attentively to the dizi in the distance, just in case he heard another order from Wei WuXian.

The snow was freezing his feets, and he was already wet to the knee, some of his back too because he had rolled over avoiding the Yao's claws. The dizi went silent abruptly, but it wasn't always a bad thing. It probably meant his father had killed the beast using resentful energy. He waited for about ten minutes before deciding he would go back, but as he was about to go the way he came from, he heard steps behind.

Too close to avoid to be seen, too close to run away successfully. A-Yuan turned around, ready for a fight when he saw a boy his age, dressed in white, with a headband matching the could embroidery of his robes. A Lan. It was a Lan. They couldn't find his father.

Turns out, it was a friendly Lan, that gave him a look and then proceeded to explain that he was lost. "We were nighthunting, but I got lost following the tracks of a Yao." He had said. "Honestly, I fell into a pit when I was running away, and when I got out, it was gone. Have you seen it, perhaps?" But A-Yuan lied, said that he hadn't. That he was fighting a ghost. The ones that didn't let traces behind. At this, the Lan shivered, murmuring something about hating ghosts, and A-Yuan couldn't help it, he laughed hard. He was absolutely stressed from running, ten minutes more would probably help his limbs, he thought.

The Lan got flustered at his laugh, not used to such displays of emotions from others, but he ended up laughing too. They talked for an hour or so, until A-Yuan realized that his father must have been searching him like a madman. He apologized to the Lan boy, grabbed his sword, and run away in a hurry, leaving a very confused cultivator behind. When he arrived his home, it was almost sunrise already. Wei WuXian was waiting for him in front of the door. When he saw him appear, he run towards him and hugged him hard.

Again, A-Yuan didn't ask. He knew his father's pain without need of explanation. He hugged back, letting the bad feelings go at once. They slept side by side that night, like when A-Yuan was a toddler, holding all their memories together. Keeping them warm.

.......

A couple of months later, the spring came back, and A-Yuan was more than happy to help his father with the orchard. They played in the river too, hunted some pheasants and rabbits that started to reappear from their hibernation, and Wei WuXian allowed A-Yuan to go alone to the town. He knew it was a big thing, because his father thought of his petition for about a week before answering. He had to be careful, "there are really bad people out there, my radish." But if he could nighthunt, he could take some walks around the market and enjoy tasteful food once in a while, he thought.

In one of his expeditions to the town, he met that Lan boy again. "This one is called Lan JingYi, since you ran away last time I couldn't tell you that, but we spoke about good food, and you mentioned this inn." He said. And A-Yuan smiled. He didn't say his name, but it was enough that the owner of the inn saw him, invited them both to take a seat and eat, calling him "A-Yuan". He had to be aware from his last name.

Nonetheless, he shared with Lan JingYi a good meal, happy when his new friend complimented his good taste with food.

It was not the last time they met. Lan JingYi usually appeared at the town from time to time after sending him a letter to that inn, that the owner gave him when he arrived the town. He was happy to have a friend, so Wei WuXian allowed it. It was good that his son had a dependable friend. Even if it was dangerous, he thought that some meals and sporadic letters couldn't do any harm to anyone. As long as A-Yuan was happy, he would comply. He wanted his son to have everything.

Time passed by quickly, they knew. They sold more talismans at the market, nighthunted anything and everything that they could, shared stories about their days when they were apart, ate delicious foods at the inn sometimes, and trained. They trained a lot.

In was when they turned 15 that Lan JingYi gave A-Yuan an invitation to study at Cloud recesses.

And Wei WuXian had to decide new plans.

[alleunwalk]

tokyo revengers idol au hcs part 3 that no one asked for AGAIN here’s part 1 and part 2 to get a better understanding.  this is what the members would be doing alongside their idol promotions+ what they would post on social media  toman tbh these guys are all just so damn funny on their own that they would constantly be invited to comedy variety shows. maybe perhaps doing something similar to seventeen or wanna one where they even have their own variety show on youtube (ie. seventeen’s-going seventeen series or wanna one’s show on mnet)  mikey-he would post basic food pics like of his parfaits or taiyaki but also it’s rare because he’d constantly forget his password. however on important days he’ll post long emotional and sentimental posts that hit you in your feels thanking his members and fans always. he also has a youtube channel posting random funny vlogs. draken- he has his own personal soundcloud to upload solo mixtapes/songs feat diff members. posts photos of his bikes and different tattoos he would be getting. responds with 1-2 words to fans during fansigns or ig comments but like mikey, once in a while, will also write heartfelt posts thanking everyone.  baji- his ig feed is filled with animals + dance practice vids. also has his own soundcloud too. trolls his members by commenting on their stuff. “delete this u ugly mf no one wants to see this”.  takemichi- very chatty, (sometimes too chatty where he’ll end up accidentally spoiling their next album info) and interactive on social media to his fans. tries his best to respond to most comments or ama ig stories questions. posts a lot of selfies and photos of his members. king of fan service.  chifuyu- beautiful photos of the sky a lot on his ig (in canon he wanted to be a pilot :,) ) along with cute soft selfies. (which baji and kazutora troll and comment being like “damn....u ugly AF!” “lmao stop pretending to act cute u loser”  kazutora- his ig is filled with pure chaos. just pics of him catching his members slipping (sleeping photos where they’re drooling or have their eyes slightly open or making ugly faces behind the scenes). also has photos of cursed memes and memes made by fans. he’s a literal enigma.  mitsuya- very wholesome ig photos- lots of photos of his family, group photos, sometimes cool artsy edited selfies. occasional photoshoot photos.  hakkai- ig is filled lots of #ootd photos and occasional photos from his modeling or acting gigs (he’s the visual, duh!) gets a lot of sponsorships from big brands.  pah-chin: has a joint youtube channel with peyan. they do silly challenges but will sometimes post dance videos (feat. baji) since they’re the main/lead dancers. fans love him because of his “matter-of-fact” responses that are funny without even trying. (example- fan comment: omg i love u guys soooo much u guys are the best in the whole world!!!<333 toman OUTSOLD!.  pah-chin: idk about best in the world but we’ll just take “the best in our neighborhood” for now i guess. thanks.”)  peyan: joint youtube channel with pah-chin. at fan signs mikey has to warn him to chill out cuz peyan will accidentally yell and scare fans without meaning to, but he’s just really excited to meet his fans is all ^_^   angry: posts a lot of wholesome photos like mitsuya (selfies with smiley) and writes a lot of motivational sweet captions cheering fans up and reminding them to always be happy :,)  smiley: joint youtube account with angry. smiley does a lot of prank videos and angrys just usually in the back like  🧍‍♂️... he also does tiktok- he would be doing all the dances, memes, and trends.  inui: ok hear me out, i mentioned before inui has similar vibes as cha eunwoo so i’d figure his ig would give the same vibe as his (iykyk). since he’s the other visual he would be getting a TON of acting and modeling gigs. idk why but i feel like inui would be a great actor (his facial expressions during tenjiku arc, the range!). actor of the year. gets a lot of skincare commercial deals too. 

black dragons shinichiro- photos of bikes, cars, and photos where hes pretending to do a cool pose but his members (+mikey) would troll and comment “LAME!!!!!” “why tf do u look like that?” “hey leader, it’s not too late to delete this now bestie :)” does fun ig lives. on variety shows as a joke his members tease him there as well. really great at fan-service and pulls the whole “pretend boyfriend” scenario with fans (the delusional fans are gonna act up if he keeps this up...).  taiju- (if shinichiro did not exist in this au OR if you wanted both in the group) photos of him at the gym, photoshoot photos.  inui- similar to if he was in toman, his ig would just be a lot of cool and cute photos of him from behind the scenes of dramas or photoshoots. a soft visual king. occasional selfies with koko and bike photos.  kokonoi- has a personal youtube channel but he would be Drowning in sponsorship videos all from high-end designer brands. he’s just casually flexing that PPL in his vlogs. ig feed is a lot of #ootd photos or pics taken with inui. him and inui would be makeup brand ambassadors or faces of brands (ex: like jennie from blackpink represents chanel). in this case kokonoi would be the face of fendi (he wears fendi slides in the manga cover) and inui would be the face of jimmy choo (his heels in the manga cover looked like jimmy choo but i could be wrong.. but u know what i mean) 

tenjiku  izana- pretty leader has a very artsy ig feed. extremely photogenic like inui. has photoshoot photos and candid pose photos. acts in dramas time to time (gg second male lead syndrome).  kakucho- posts gym or dance practice videos on his feed but he posts rarely because he’s just too busy or forgets he actually has an ig. loves commenting on takemichi’s posts “haha no wonder ur called baka-michi!” as a joke.  kanji- posts gym photos but it’s rare because he always forgets his password.  ran- the other visual. he would be modeling for high-fashion brands and go on runway shows. also definitely gives off actor vibes (he would be constantly casted in dark action movies hahaha). loves giving fan service.  rindou- in contrast to his brother, rindou when it comes to fan service, he loves trolling fans. also he’s really good at drawing a line between fans (y’know, keeping the delusional ones in check...which means he ‘friend-zones’ them but it’s for their own good tbh idols need to remind people their boundaries). has a youtube channel where he just posts random dance practice vids and occasional vlogs. also comments under his brothers ig posts “you look stupid af in this wtf”. on variety shows people find their brotherly banter hilarious.  mutou- posts gym photos, also really awkward selfies (he doesn’t know what his angle is lmao). another member who also reminds fans of their boundaries and keeps it real. (sanzu always likes his photos though and hypes him up in the comments).  sanzu- shy baby. constantly following mutou around. posts a lot of cute selfies and random pics of shogi stuff (he tags mutou in it of course). during fan signing/autograph sessions they love putting cute headband props on him like this or this. 

bonten because this group’s concept and aesthetic is mysterious, mature, artsy, gloomy, and dark they will take this concept to the grave. (minus a few exceptions) they are invited to variety/talk-shows but never make an appearance because they want to keep the air of mystery around them. (it’s a good marketing technique).  mikey- does not have any social media. he does have a private account to lurk around but no one knows what it is.  kokonoi- has a youtube channel but it’s locked and you have to pay to get into it. posts super short vlogs and teasers. thats it. (the ultimate scam! but their fans love them too much to notice). lots of sponsored #ootd posts on ig.  kakucho- he would be modeling ONLY high fashion brands and high end editorial places. his instagram is just his exquisite and expensive modeling photos whether it be candid backstage photos from shows, candid runway walk pics/vids, pics of diff photoshoots you name it. doesn’t really comment much.  ran- visual. similar to kakucho- modeling ONLY high fashion brands and editorial places. instagram is filled with modeling photos but also some artsy scenery pics he took.  rindou- posts short artsy dancing clips (like modern dances in black&white filter) on ig.  sanzu- since he’s the other visual, he also posts a lot of his modeling/acting photos on instagram. also pretty chatty (he’s the exception) on social media and loves teasing and trolling fans. posts with a lot of random cute emojis on everything. “just ate lunch and now im off to practice hehe 🍜🍇🤟💃🤠🧚‍♂️💞🦋” no one really knows why he uses random emojis but it’s just endearing lmao.  kanji- no social media at all.  akashi- manager....or if you made him the rapper in this au then he too would also not have any social media. 

[3wisellamas]

(Spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk if you haven't finished chapter 2 yet!)

Kris is the Knight, Gaster is the Knight, Ralsei is sus...

How about I throw an oddball one at you? What if Dess is the Knight?

In chapter 2, Queen implied that only a Lightner can actually create more dark fountains, and literally any Lightner can if they have enough determination and a blade of some kind. And she was VERY interested in Noelle specifically for the task, touting her strength and potential, without even considering the other three Lightners right in front of her.

Noelle was Dess' younger sister. And from context in this chapter, it looks a lot like whatever happened to her, happened when Noelle was very young -- before her first spelling bee, at least, since that's where she froze up (pun not intended) on the word 'December.' But, the most important part, we don't know WHAT exactly happened to Dess. One could assume she died, either in an accident or of whatever illness Rudy has, but as others have pointed out, there's no grave for her in the graveyard. And, like, yeah, she could've been buried elsewhere, but the simplest conclusion to draw from that is that she's still alive, but either went missing or ran away from home.

She was also stated a couple times to be close to Asriel, even going to the bunker with him, Kris, and Noelle at one point. (Remember, the latter two would still have been very young children at this point, and Dess and Asriel might have been teens, around the age Kris, Noelle, and Susie are now.) And from that one scene with MK and Snowy, we know that something very bad happened there once involving Kris...perhaps this was a reference to that same event?

If so...what if the four of them opened the bunker, and Dess went inside? Or maybe Kris even went in too, and Dess went after them to bring them back? It's pretty much a given that there's gonna end up being a Dark World inside, there's just too much building up to it at this point, so if either of them went in, they'd have a hell of a time getting back out! Kris came back, perhaps even traumatized into the weird kid they are today from the experience, but Dess ended up lost in the dark...a lost girl.

(Hm, wasn't that Noelle's song? I don't think it was really Noelle's at all. Sure, she got kidnapped a couple times, but at no point was she ever "lost"...)

So, here's where I'm going right off the deep end into conjecture. Dess disappeared, and since Asriel was so close to her, he begged his father, police chief Asgore, to find her, which he never did, and might have even tried a few things that ended up getting him fired. Like, maybe even going into the bunker himself, experiencing the Dark World within, and coming back and making all these crazy claims that no one else believed except for maybe his children? That'd definitely be reason to remove him as chief of police, and also affect his and Toriel's marriage.

So, after this, Asriel, a Lightner stricken with grief and Determined to find his friend...went to the dark supply closet at his school, armed with a knife (and maybe his little sibling's old red horn headband, if you want to incorporate the theory that that's where Ralsei came from), and stabbed the ground.

Bam, dark fountain, and Ralsei's kingdom. Unlile Dess, though, Asriel came back, not having found her either, and eventually moved on and grew up, but the fountain he made persisted -- after all, while any Lightner may be able to create a fountain, Ralsei implies very early in chapter 1 that only a human like Kris can actually SEAL them!

But, this is a theory about Dess, not Asriel. Just making one fountain might make you a knight, but not The Knight -- lookin' at Kris here. At some point, Dess, still lost somewhere in the Dark World, either gets desperate to find a way out and return home, enough to try and cover EVERYTHING in darkness despite the danger it poses, or...grows to like it there, a little too much, sorta like what Susie brought up at the end of chapter 2, making more fountains so the whole world can be as fun as it is in there. Whatever the reason, Dess realizes she can create more fountains, and, Determined, goes ahead and does so. And she spends a little time in each of the worlds she creates, manipulating events to serve her desires to reach the Light World again or cover it in darkness, and even telling a few specific people, who are lonely outcasts just like her, about her home outside of that world, and the things she's learned in her time away from it all. Things she may or may not have learned herself from a certain odd man hiding behind trees in secret rooms, and giving away eggs...

Or, another possibility, she's doing it all to try and lure the people she used to know to her by creating Dark Worlds where she thinks they'd be, like, say, her sister, and her sister's friend Kris, and possibly even Asriel -- remember, the first happened to be straight-up connected to the Dark World in the school supply closet. Man, it's 2021. We ALL know just how crazy being isolated from everyone you know for so long can make you, and Dess has been lost for YEARS. But, however lost we feel as we explore all the different Dark Worlds, don't forget, she's with us in the dark...

Also, one last kicker that I couldn't really stop thinking about. The Fun Gang/F$?! Squad/Whatever are supposed to banish the "Angel's Heaven", right? Well, didn't Dess and Noelle make an angel for their dad once, which is in his hospital room? And if everyone speculates she's dead after being missing for all these years, that makes her an Angel...and the Dark Worlds she creates are her Heaven.

Okay, one last LAST kicker, since I was replaying the start of chapter 1 as I was writing this and noticed it. The Knight jailed the other three kings of the classroom Dark World and put King Spade and his "strange son" into power, right? And might have even stayed around the castle for a little while to help steer the King's actions towards the Light World, and mess with Jevil?

Guys, Lancer knows the Knight. Personally. He would have said something by now if the Knight was in our party, or if we encountered them in either of the Dark Worlds we visited. So, the Knight is definitely NOT someone we've seen yet. Furthermore...remember when we first met the kid, and his catchphrase was "Ho ho ho!" And how Susie told him he sounded like a baby Santa Claus? Wouldn't it be a nice little coincidence if he picked that up from someone literally named December, whose entire family is Christmas-themed...

[quetanto]

The latest chapter from Five Ways. Hope you like it!

***

You can’t remember much Before There were lights bright lights And colours All the colours of the world A man you called Dad He could do magic He could turn fire into anything A dragon flowers a friend warmth You remember concentrating with everything you had trying to be like Dad You closed your eyes You opened your Eye Everything is connected

Now there’s just The Mission You have your cage And the Headband You hate the Headband Dad never made you wear a headband But Dad trusted you And you killed him Master doesn’t trust you You’ve always known that So he puts the Headband over your eye every time you’ve accomplished your Mission And he blinds you to the world outside It’s only fair It’s only fair A life for a life You owe him your life when anyone else would have killed you and left your freakish body in the gutter Blocked by illusion

And then One day The fight starts and you attack from afar And a man throws something at you and it hurts It’s like the Headband but sharper harder quicker there and gone You try to See The explosion rocks the world around you

and there’s a man there when you wake up.

he’s short and stocky and bald. he’s nothing like the Warlord. he’s not like Dad either. he gives you water and food. you threaten him with a look and tower above him. he doesn’t move. he doesn’t flinch. even the Warlord flinched. he doesn’t talk much about anything. just the odd question. you don't answer for a long time. and then he just sits there and takes books and reads. the Warlord could read but he never taught you. you’d never need it. but this man reads and he reads aloud. he never tries to touch you. never tries to hit you. never puts a Headband on you.

one day you go over and point to the characters, two boxed-in little shapes.

自由

he says they mean “freedom”. you don’t know what that means. you ask him. he smiles, a big goofy grin. weak. foolish. lost. calm. kind.

"To be free is…to be like the wind. Everything in the world open to you, nobody holding you back, or holding you down. To be free is to know that nothing and nobody can stop you from being who you want to be.

”Everyone has a right to be free. Everyone should make decisions only for themselves.”

The man’s dressed in long white robes with a hint of purple. But he usually takes them off when he visits you, and leaves on a brown shirt and pants. Loose clothing, good for movement and breathing.

After a month you realize you’ve been counting days again. And you remember what a month is.

And you realize that you're in a room. Not a cell, but a room. There are no bars on the window. The walls are stone, but covered in white paint. There's a mat on the floor where you sleep, and a pillow. There's a table where you sit to eat. There's a door there, and it's never locked. You can leave when you want to.

You don't want to.

There are burn marks on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. You don’t remember how they got there.

The man starts to bring people to see you. A lithe but muscular man with long hair, who always feels so warm. A short woman with a face sharp enough to cut, whose hands leave patterns of cool water in the air. They joke. They laugh. You begin to smile.

After two months, you can write your name.

"P'Li," says the man. Your friend. He smiles at you.

You smile back, and nod.

He takes his time, and draws two characters.

杷力

Then you write the two characters. They're not as pinpoint precise as the ones in the man's books. They're not as flowing as when your friend writes, brush darting across the page like a leaf in the wind. But they're yours.

You read them aloud, proudly.

"P'Li."

There's that wonderful smile again.

You reach out, hesitating. He takes your hand. The hand is rough. The touch is gentle. So different, so familiar.

He bows his head.

"It is an honour to know you, P'Li. I am Zaheer."

***

150 AG

Years pass.

You learn that Zaheer and his friends belong to a group called the White Lotus. They serve the Avatar. It's a thought that makes your knees buckle. The Avatar, living spirit of the planet itself. Zaheer read to you the stories of an Avatar called Roku, who could turn mountains to dust with a gesture and diverted a typhoon that would have destroyed the east coast of the Earth Kingdom. His last act was saving the Fire Nation from a volcano big enough to plunge the world into an age of ice. You can't imagine what that kind of power would be like to hold.

You learn Firebending again, from another woman who comes by every so often. Zaheer never comes to those lessons, not until you ask him to. Seeing him around makes it easier to warm instead of burn.

You learn, from Zaheer, a story of a woman long ago who had eyes that could pierce through flesh and stone, like yours can. But a kindly monk, from the Southern Air Temple, had taught her to gaze more deeply instead of more strongly. To learn to see into a world of spirits.

You learn to love that story, and the woman whose eyes pierce like your Eye, and the monk. (And you learn that on your own, every character from that little book etched in your mind so you’ll never forget the words.)

You learn that Zaheer rescued you from the man you'd always thought of as Master. He'd been a renegade Fire Nation officer, trying to carve out his own petty kingdom in the north. He'd come across you in an accident. As far as they can make out, he'd broken you in. Used you as a weapon of war against those who would take apart his empire. One day, the Avatar was called in to take him down, and he had brought with him the White Lotus.

"Zaheer over here had heard the stories," says Ghazan one night. "He wanted to see you first, I think. And he'd heard the stories of Chief Sokka taking down a Combustion Man with only a boomerang. I think he wanted to try it out for himself."

Zaheer looks so ashamed. "I regret that deeply, P'Li. I was expecting a fully-grown warrior, and--"

"And instead he got a kid just a little younger than him," says Ming-Hua, grinning. "You could literally feel the blood drain from his face."

"I could have killed you."

You hold his hand. "But you didn't," you say, squeezing it gently. "You saved me."

He blushes at that. Ghazan and Ming-Hua smirk at one another. You're not entirely sure of the cause of either reaction.

"Anyway," Ghazan continues, "after that the White Lotus kind of had to stay in the open. Too many people had seen them, and the new members. Which was handy, for a while, but come on, we're supposed to be protectors here. Not glorified bodyguards for the Avatar."

You look puzzled. "Is it wrong, to look after the Avatar?"

"It's disgusting," spits Ming-Hua. "He ignores everything the Fire Nation did, and the Earth Kingdom is doing, so he can focus on 'harmony' and all that crud. It's hypocrisy. He's trying so hard to preserve the old ways that he's forgotten everything bad that happened back then. And now."

Ming-Hua's family had been captured by the Fire Nation too, you learn later. Nearly eighty years ago, her mother had…fallen in love with her father, who was a Waterbender in the prison, Zaheer says. Their kid had been secreted away. And years later, there was a Waterbender born on a volcanic island, who didn't know what to do with herself.

"And that's why we're meeting with this Xai Bao," Ghazan reassures her. "He says he's got an answer to this problem. And he's got friends on his side, like the prince of the Northern Water Tribe."

"Tonraq?" says Ming-Hua, surprised. "Never thought that oaf would be much of a rebel."

"Nah, the other guy. Kinda scrawny."

"Unalaq," says Zaheer. He doesn't much like him for some reason.

Zaheer usually has good instincts.

"But what does this have to do with me?" you ask.

They all look at one another.

It's Ming-Hua, of all people, who speaks up gently. "It’s because of you, P'Li. The Order's been getting cranky about new members. They say you've been living on their dole for too long now. They want to make you a member."

"Isn't that good?"

"No, it's not," says Zaheer. He's angrier than you've ever seen him. "Because you deserve better than this, this cage. I’ve been trying for years to get them to let you out of this compound. You're not a weapon. You shouldn't have to be someone else's enforcer."

"Enforcer?" you ask.

Ghazan looks stone-faced. "There's this other guy in the Order, Gong Zhi. Completely out of his skull, brought in as a master Earthbender after King Bumi passed on. But he wants to use you as a guard in the White Lotus. There's plenty of them, lots of grunts, but you'd be…special division, he calls it. A tactical line of offence against the warlords."

"Why not? I want to kill warlords." And you do. You really do. You can't think of anyone else wearing a Headband to be controlled.

"P'Li," says Zaheer, pleadingly. "You won't be used against warlords. You'd be used against everyone around them. The people, the armies who don't have a choice but to fight for them. It wouldn't be attacking the warlords. You'd be sent to kill children while the Order," he spits, "arrests their masters, instead of giving them what they deserve."

You think about this.

"Is he wrong?" you ask the other two.

Ghazan doesn't say a thing. Ming-Hua shrugs.

"It's the way of the world," she says. "At least, this world."

"Then perhaps Xai Bao can lead us to a better one," says Zaheer. "Because I'm not abandoning you." He turns to you. "I made a promise that you would be free, P'Li. I'm not going to let some old men and women in those ridiculous robes decide your fate like you're a tool."

You think about that, too.

Finally: "Maybe we can listen to him, at least."

***

The Spirit World, 157 AG

She closed her eyes.

She opened her Eye.

Zaheer loved this place, Xai Bao's grove. Always so peaceful. So true to the spirit of the man who'd shown them the way.

P'Li had only been here once or twice before, but somehow she never felt out of place in this peaceful little valley, despite having every reason to. She was a warrior, not a guru. Could never be a guru.

But she could enjoy the sunshine, at least.

There was Unalaq, walking out from the forest. There was always something so…dark about the man. A midnight blue surrounded him, through her Eye, even without any water to Bend.

Zaheer, sitting cross-legged beside her, bowed his head to the man. "You bring news, then?"

Unalaq nodded back, barely spared her a glance. That was a sore spot between him and Zaheer, and P'Li wasn't going to apologize for that.

"I do bring news," said the Crown Prince of the Northern Water Tribe. "The Avatar has been found."

P'Li felt her heart skip a beat.

"It…hasn't reached our channels in the White Lotus yet…" said Zaheer.

"That's because I was one of the first to hear about it," said Unalaq. "My father was so proud," he spat, "of his little granddaughter."

"Then–"

"Yes. It seems as though the spirituality of the noble lineages has brought another Avatar to the fore again. My niece, Korra, is the new Avatar."

"And at the South Pole," P'Li pointed out. She didn’t like that point about “noble lineages”. Neither of them did.

Unalaq smiled wryly at that, acknowledged her for the first time. "Yes, well. Not for long. We're going to have to ensure that she's ready to let Vaatu forth by the time Harmonic Convergence comes to the fore."

"So that the Avatar may truly be useful again," said P'Li, determinedly.

"So the world may taste freedom," said Zaheer, hopefully.

"So humanity will finally reconnect with the spirits of the world," said Unalaq, gravely. "Are your people ready, Zaheer?"

"My friends will do what they can, Unalaq," Zaheer replied, just a hint of disapproval in his voice. "But the White Lotus is crafty. They'll probably be keeping an eye on her. And so will Chief Sokka and Lady Katara." This last was spoken with a hint of guilt that only P'Li caught.

"Chief Sokka," said Unalaq with a sneer, "is pushing on seventy years and has barely a dribble of energy flow within him. He'll be no trouble. Katara is an old woman, grieving as she watches her husband toddle around someone else's house and burn things and offer insult as easily as breathe. As for the rest…well, that sloppiness in training is why you left, isn't it Zaheer?"

Zaheer pursed his lips. "Something like that, yes."

"Then it's settled. We'll gather together again soon, once we can work out a plan. And the Avatar," said Unalaq, "will learn how to properly restore balance to the world."

P'Li was warm in the Spirit World. Zaheer was a flickering flame, warm and wild and free (and yet somehow constrained, somehow always missing something).

So why, whenever she looked Unalaq's way, did he feel so cold?

[stillebesat]

The Interview (2/5)

Sanders Sides: Logan, Patton, Virgil, Roman Blurb: A normal day at StoryTime! Inc. takes an unexpected turn when Logan goes to investigate why his coworkers have made a bet using Crofters as the prize. Fic Type: General, Human!AU Warnings: None

To Catch Up: Chapter 1

“He’s standing again!” Patton’s voice echoed down the hallway as Logan approached.

He? Who was ‘he’? And why did they care if this ‘he’ was standing or not?

“Come on! Come on!” Callie encouraged as she stared out the window to the courtyard below.  “You can--aww.” Logan paused in the doorway as Callie slumped, twisting her headband in her hands.

“He left. HUZZAH!” Reese declared triumphantly from where she sat across the room, her feet propped up on her desk.

Callie shook her head as she took her seat, turning to Reese. “No, no. He’s back to circling the bench again.” She said, slipping her headband back on. “Poor thing is going to create his own moat around it at this point.”

Patton exhaled, resting a hand on the window he was seated near, the sketchpad on his lap teetering on the brink of falling to the ground as he pressed his head against the glass. “You were so close, kiddo.”

“I told you.” Reese lazily tossed a stress ball up in the air, catching it with ease. “He’s not going to come in, you might as well pay up now, Pattey-cake.”

Patton shook his head, most of his attention still on the scene below. “Nu-uh, Reese, be Reeseonable. He hasn’t left yet. He could still come in.”

“Oh, please.” She scoffed, tossing her curly hair over her shoulder. “It’s been, what? Two hours now. If he had an appointment here, he’s waaaaaaayyy overdue. Pay up.”

“You said when he left. He hasn’t left.” Patton pointed out, tapping his fingers against the glass.

“You said when he came in. He hasn’t come in!” Reese retorted, raising her arm to throw the stress ball at him.

Logan cleared his throat.

Callie jumped at his voice, letting out a sound that could only be described as a squeak. She blushed, one hand rising to cover her mouth as she looked away.

“Dare I ask what’s going on?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. Usually Callie was a bit more aware of his comings and goings being closest to the doorway. What had her so distracted to not notice him?

Reese froze, slowly rolling her head back to look at Logan upside-down before she shifted her eyes to Patton and straightened, tossing the ball at him. “You gotta be kidding me.” She muttered, dropping her feet from off the desk. “Do you really have a sense about when we talk about jelly, Specs, or is Pat somehow cluing you into it?”

Patton turned in time to avoid the ball, giving Reese a wide-eyed innocent stare as he picked it up and lobbed it back to her. “Me?”  

She narrowed her eyes, catching the ball and placing it on her desk as she leaned forward. “You. You are doing something.”

“Or I happened to be stretching my legs.” Logan remarked, adjusting his glasses. It wasn’t their fault Reese remained unaware of connection between their two watches. It had been Patton’s idea in the first place to tinker with the devices until they could send small soundbites to each other through them. A secret communication system as it were. “What’s this about jelly? Who’s outside?”

“We have a bet going on whether or not the kiddo outside will come into the building.” Patton replied, picking up his sketch pad, twisting it to show a roughed out drawing of a young man in an ill fitting suit, with dyed hair, his bangs covering his eyes. “He’s…”

“A basket case?”

Patton frowned to Reese. “A little anxious.”

Reese snorted, idly tapping a couple keys on her keyboard. “A little? If we had been filming, we could have had a full two hour storyboard on him by now.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Storyboard?” What could the kid have been up to to warrant that?

Patton shrugged, adjusting his own glasses. “Well, he’s quite expressive.”

“Good movement. Great for figure sketching.” Callie softly added with a shrug. “I noticed him first.” She gestured to the window when Logan looked at her.  “He keeps attempting to come inside, but then doesn’t. I think nerves are getting to him.”

“Told you.” Reese said, spinning in her chair. “Basket case. He’ll fail the first deadline.”

“Give him a chance.” Patton murmured scooting to the side as Logan came up next to him to see for himself. Sure enough, the young man was there, pacing around one of the benches in the plaza, a large folder gripped tightly against his chest.

Large enough to be a portfolio. Thick enough that it would hopefully show a variety of artistic styles and not just the one or two other potential hires thought they could get away with.

Maybe if they’d been applying to some of the other animation studios that would have been enough, but not StoryTime!. They were always looking to tell their stories in new, unique ways and using a variety of art styles was often key to that.

“He’s certainly not the most anxious one we’ve seen.” Logan said in an undertone.

Pat chuckled. “For sure. Remember the incident with the palm tree?”

Logan winced, automatically rubbing his wrist. “How could I forget?”  

“Maybe he’s a vampire and needs to be invited inside.” Reese threw out, her cheek resting against her hand, curly hair covering half her face as she fiddled around with the computer mouse, staring at the computer screen in front of her. “Two handfuls of my Halloween candy says he is.”

“Two handfuls of my Christmas candy that he’s just shy.” Callie countered.

Reese grimaced. “You can’t offer Christmas candy before Thanksgiving, Cal!”

She raised an eyebrow. “I just did?”

“Is it last year’s Christmas candy?”

Callie made a face. “No, and Ew! Who keeps Christmas candy uneaten for a year?”

“That would be a tragedy.” Patton agreed.

“As will be your loss when I get your six jars of Crofters and your Triple Death by Chocolate Brownies, Pattey-cake” Reese shot back, pointing a finger at him.

Logan’s eyebrows shot up. Six? He mouthed in surprise. This was serious. Patton never involved more than four jars unless he felt strongly he’d win. What was it about the kid that had him so confident?

Patton nodded. “He’s going to come in. I know he will.” He said, a determined glint in his eyes as he stared down at the young man.

Reese scoffed again. “No. He won’t.”

“And you guys think he’s here for an interview?” Logan asked as the kid below collapsed onto the bench, head in his hands.

“Have you seen anyone else carry a portfolio that large?” Patton asked, giving him a soft smile.

“It’s large enough to paper the entire office.” Reese remarked.

Callie nodded, fidgeting with her headband. “Which means it has to be for Roman.” She said, barely loud enough for Logan to hear.

They had lost a couple of people in his department recently due to Roman being his usual extravagant self with his high expectations. It would definitely explain the nervousness to come inside too. His brother had quite the reputation for being difficult to work with on good days. Bad days...well a Dragonwitch was a more favorable being to face than Roman when he was in one of his perfectionistic moods.

Reese shook her head, tapping her foot against her desk. “If he is here for him, the poor guy’s a goner already.”

“Reese.” Patton again chided, intent on the boy below. “He hasn’t left yet.”

Logan pursed his lips. That was true. The fact that the young man hadn’t yet come in pointed to him already knowing this wasn’t going to be an easy interview. However. Patton was right. He hadn’t yet left.  

He nodded to himself. Perhaps all he needed was an encouraging push in the right direction.

“What?” Reese asked, sitting back in her chair. “It’s true. Roman expects perfection. This guy can’t even come inside a building on his first try. He’s going to bolt faster than that last dude did after Roman was done with him.”

Callie winced. “The poor thing.” She mumbled. “Broke a glass door and dropped his portfolio down the stairs fleeing from ‘The Prince.’”

“Exactly. Two minutes tops. Another jar of Crofters that I’m right.”

Patton shook his head. “What do you think, Lo?” He asked quietly, glancing to him, tilting his head to the window. “You think he has a chance?”

Logan sighed, taking off his glasses, cleaning them with his shirt as he stared down at the young man, watching as he took four steps towards StoryTime!’s entrance before turning right back to the bench to circle it.

He had never had liked judging a book by its cover. You never knew the true contents until you looked inside and he wasn’t going to learn anything about the kid while he was up here.

“I think.” Logan slipped his glasses back on as he turned away from the window, rolling up his sleeves. “That I better get a couple jars of that jelly from one of you when I get back.���

To Be Continued Chapter 3

Taglist in Reblog

[starblazerm31]

Head canon of both of your OC as devil version would their lover join them in their realm or stay behind?

You challenge me with my own OCs, anon.  Well done.  And you made me think dir-tay things as well below the cut!!!

Azalea

(honestly, Azalea wouldn't absorb the Devil's power.  But this is a 'what if' scenario)

Lucio tears the Devil's heart out with his magical gauntlet.  Azalea takes the heart into herself and transforms.

Lucio is terrified but turned on at the same time when he sees her new form.

She tells him that she could send him back to Vesuvia, but she has to stay here for all time.

Lucio refuses to leave.  She was the only person who ever really gave a shit about him, why would he ever leave her?

Azalea is surprised but very grateful for his decision.

They spend time training; sparring each other, Azalea teaching Lucio magic and how to see through the deceptions of the magical realms.

The other Arcana eventually come around, and Azalea gives them an outsider's perspective on how they can become stronger.

And if they deal with mortals, for fuck's sake, read their heart first.  Don't just jump into deals.

And let's not make deals against each other as well, okay?  That's just rude.

Lucio is always by Azalea's side.  But his collar isn't visible to everyone else.  ^_~

Imalia

(For this one, I need to explain that Imalia has already made a deal with and is 'possessed' by the Lord of Nightmares, a black and gold Eldritch horror.  She wears LoN's symbol on her headband.)

She and Asra boldface walk into the Devil's realm.  They spend a while throwing shade at each other until the Devil decides he's had enough of them.

He begins to use his powers to crush them when suddenly he finds his heart sticking out of the front of his chest, held by a sleek black tentacle.

The tentacle leads directly from Imalia's back.

Asra freaks out.  What did Imalia just do?!

The Devil's realm begins to crumble around them, and the Devil's body fades in a cloud of black smoke.  Drawing the tentacle back to her, Imalia takes the heart in her hand.

She apologizes to Asra about this, she knows he may never forgive her.  But she already possesses the power of The Lord of Nightmares; containing the power of the Devil won't be any different.  At least everyone she loves will be safe.

Asra watches as Imalia eats the Devil's heart.  In a swirling red fog, she transforms.

She gazes upon Asra with new dark eyes.  But instead of red on black, they are gold on black with the goat pupils.  The power of LoN has merged with the Devil's power.  Eight long black tentacles fan out of her back, and smaller tentacles coil around her four new horns.  More tentacles wrapped around her arms and legs.

She looks sadly at Asra and tells him that he should leave.  She can make him forget her if it will make things easier.

Asra calls Imalia cruel for trying to cast him out.  She has taken on far too many burdens, and this is one he will not let her carry alone.  If she wants him gone, she will have to throw him out herself.

Imalia doesn't know how to take this.  She thought for certain that he would hate her.  Perhaps some part of her wanted him to hate her.  Now she could never go back home.  But she could never willingly cast Asra out.  She loved him too much.

"Maybe Azalea will find us.  She has the power of The Fool.  She can get us out of here someday."

Imalia spends her days teaching Asra the secrets of the Arcana, and they traverse the magical realms together.  They help the other Arcana regain their power, then chide them on being so detrimentally introverted.

On a personal note, Imalia thinks long and hard about bringing her father back from the dead.  Vesuvia could really use him...but she decides against it since he would have to go through the same ordeal that Azalea did.  And the thought of her own father not remembering her...that thought makes Imalia desperately sad.  Best to just let him rest.

And OF COURSE, you made my mind go here.  XP  NSFW drabbles below the cut.

Sexy Times NSFW

Azalea

Lucio has no problem bowing to her.  In fact, on his knees in front of her has become a favorite position.  So many things happen there...

Like kissing her from her hooves to her thighs, then she spreads her legs and her taloned fingers weave into his hair while he goes down on her.

He's her favorite throne cushion.  He sits on the throne, and she sits on his cock.

Her fangs grazing his cock while she sucks him.  He's got a firm hold on her horns too.

That collar?  Yeah, it's a cockring.  A magical cockring.

She loves it when he straddles her lap while on her throne, and she slowly slowly strokes him until he cums.  She loves to hear him beg her to be rough, but he only gets that if he's been very good.  And let's face it...Lucio does like to be a little bad.

Imalia

Fanged nips to Asra's neck, especially his beautiful divot

Imalia sitting on her throne while she utterly ravishes Asra from top to bottom with her tentacles.  He is suspended, tentacles gently wrapped around his waist, chest, and thighs while one tentacle strokes his cock and another pegs him.  He reaches for another and greedily starts to suck on it.

Tentacle shibari.  Oh yes.

Asra gripping Imalia's horns while he pounds into her from behind

The most intense stimulation magic Asra has ever experienced.  Full-body orgasms.

[clairles]

So, khmm. I kind of created my Discosona, and because I can’t draw, I decided to write about her. 

I present to you:

Dana, The Lorry Driver  (Her stats: Int-2, Psy-5, Phy-1, Mot-4. Signature skill- Inland Empire) ** In the morning mist, between dozens of lorries, there was almost silence.

The “almost” was a result of one old, indistinctive lorry, the one facing the peculiar, half finished monument. 

The “almost” was a rhythmic, tragic beat coming from its cabin.

In contrast to the outside, the cabin interior was invitingly warm, scent of apples and fuel filling the air. Half the space was occupied with firm seat, covered with pillows, each of them in different shade of red and green. The back of the cabin, except of the driver backseat, was covered with countless polaroid pictures, every one of them with different sight, all connected by the small and loopy handwriting. The place and the date. 

Sad FM was blasting from the radio, filling the small space with weeping violin and martyred voice. The woman, occupying the front seat was looking out of the window, completely unmoved by the distraught voice in the speakers. Her green eyes, hidden behind the cat eye glasses, was glued to the statue before her. Legs crossed, eyes haunted, she meditated. 

She sat without a move for a long time, her mind filled with thousands of thoughts concerning the past, lost battles and secret drug addictions. Her fingers, lost in too long sleeves of too colorful sweater, beat the chaotic rhythm on her knees. 

Suddenly, she shook her head, previous trance immediately forgotten. There was a new day, and she prayed to the fortune gods to solution for her Martinaise problem. She looked at her reflection in the small mirror; her red, curly hair was a mess, the humidity not doing them any favors. She sloppily used her thin scarf as a headband, put her long, leather shoes on and got out of the warmth to face the reality. 

The outside greeted her with cold breeze, which reminded her of the old, leather jacket hanged on her backseat. It was few sizes too big, but the weight and scent of apples and memories was comforting. The small tag was sewn on its front, announcing everyone who its owner was.

“Dana. The Lorry Driver.” 

Out of habit, she put her hands into the pockets. Both small notebook and polaroid camera was safely hidden into the depths of the bottomless pockets.

Her shoes sunk into the ugly mud-snow muck with every step. The small raindrops settled on her glasses. 

Dana shivered, missing the warmth of her cabin already. At least her walk wouldn’t be long.

Tommy, her new friend and lorry neighbour stood at the same place she had found him past days. He was humming under his nose, unlit cigarette forgotten between his fingers. 

She came closer, without disturbing him. His voice was soothing. She could’ve listen to him for hours. 

He noticed her, but spoke only after finishing the song. “Hello, Sunny girl,” he smiled. She returned the gesture.

“Still nothing?”

“Gate’s still closed.” 

They sat on the back of his lorry, Tommy sharing his cigarettes with her. He lit hers first, then his own. 

Then, there was silence. 

Past two days, Dana did nothing more than sat on the back of that lorry, looking into the distance and ripped her soul out in front of that man, in return getting no less than the same. They understood each other, on that floating, meaning full or less level, and she knew that her spirit would remember him always.

“What do you think, how long will we hover in that limbo?” Tommy asked, the air thick from smoke between them.

“I don’t care,” she replied, eyes on the grey sky above. “I like it here. It’s real, you know? Reality harsh and bare, you know? You don’t need to pretend to be someone, you can just sit and watch,” she let out the smoke. 

“I feel you, girl,” he nodded, his long fingers beating some rhythm on the metal. “ We’re still young, still have the time to wait, yes. What would you do, if you won’t be stuck here?” 

“Travel, somewhere else, as I always do. Don’t have a place in world yet, so there is no barriers. There are so many things I haven’t seen yet, you know? So many adventures to have.” she thought about something, making vague shape with her left hand. “So many things nobody ever saw… Maybe I would see some of them, you know?”

For a moment, there was a silence, but in her mind, there was a storm. All the thoughts, compiled in one. Which one to say? Which to forget? She had to say something, or she would explode. “I want to have a boat, you know? I would live on it, take all kinds of people in the deck and sail with them, wherever the wind would take us. Maybe, perhaps, finally, would see the pale and it’s magnitude. Just imagine…”

Tommy nodded, lost in his own thoughts. He was visibly tired, even she noticed. Different than a day ago, when they talked about dreams and past and their beloved lorries, conversations without a purpose or syntax. She didn’t want to ask; not yet. Their friendship was still fragile, still fresh.

The cigarette burned her finger; she forgot about it, driven by her restless mind. It was hard, sometimes, to keep track of her thoughts.

But the smile, the smile was always there, on her face.

“So many mysteries, Sunny girl,” Tommy muttered, watching the clouds go by. “Around us, in us. Just imagine, understanding all of that, would be…”

“Wow…”

“Yeah, that.”

Around them, the silence abruptly end. First, the flock of seagulls screeched, then the loud sound of a machine filled the air. Beautiful, blue car parked outside the Whirling-in-Rags, and the noise stopped.

“Ahh, the Coupris Kineema again?” Dana muttered, watching the man with orange jacket getting off, heading to the hostel entrance without any side glances. 

“Ten says he won’t find what he’s looking for, again.” Tommy said, but she just shook her head with a laugh.

“I am so not gonna bet on something we both know is true,” and they were, of course. 

The same day, the sun finally found its way towards the Martinaise. The same day, she argued with racist lorryman and listened to scabs. The same day, she bought another ugly sweater and wore it with pride.

The same day, Dana took the photo with her and Tommy and the sea of lorries behind. The same evening, she pinned it onto her cabin wall, signing it with small, loopy letters:

Martinaise, March 13th, ‘51.

[markofkaine]

@belovdzofia

There was a tunnel inside Fear Mountain.

 As a child, when her mother had been well, Lilli had often accompanied her on her expeditions. She had a mischievous streak, as many children do, with nimble hands and a small frame to find herself in all manner of places she wasn’t supposed to be. She was an uncommonly lucky child, seldom facing any consequences for her playful trickery. Still, it had been easier to put her to work rather than allow her to run free through the village causing all sorts of troubles. She’d been good at it, too, assisting. She learned quickly which plants were edible, which were poisonous, which could be used for medicine, and which were only useful as fertilizer.

Yet, the one place she never followed was to Fear Mountain. It’s too dangerous, her mother had said. It’s easy to get lost inside, and I never want to lose you, Lilli. And so, dutiful though she seldom was, Lilli had obeyed, never setting foot upon the mountain with so ominous a name.

But times had changed. It had been a decade since she’d heard her mother’s voice. It had been weeks since she’d been grabbed from the streets and taken to a dark temple she didn’t recognize. It had been days since her throat had been slit and a ritual initiated as she bled out upon a cold stone slab, her skin becoming blue, a fiendish green eye tearing itself out of her forehead. Rigel had changed. Her country, her home, was no longer as she remembered it.

And so, she fled to Fear Mountain. The sluice gate was slammed shut, meaning the only way to cross into Zofia would be to hope, desperately, that whatever tunnels she found would lead through the mountain range to Rigel’s eastern half. They were just as maze-like as her mother had warned, and Lilli felt her chest heave with each breath she took, fingers held tight against her neck to try and control the pain.

There was a shrine in the tunnels, or something like one. The alters had water, and though it was stagnant and bitter, she drank, feeling her strength begin to crawl back to her with each drop that passed her lips. Yet, her moment of relaxation was brief, as all such moments were, as the earth shook and the walls cracked in a titanic quake. Her leg was pinned beneath a piece of rubble, and lamenting the luck that seemed to have abandoned her since her childhood, Lilli watched falling rocks descend upon her, wishing she could be anywhere but there.

A moment later, she felt the earth grow still beneath her and no debris holding her down. Rather, she’d moved past the collapsed tunnel altogether, as if her thought alone was enough to transport her through any obstacle. The tunnel behind her was caved in, as if to tell her there was no point looking back, and every reason to keep moving forward whatever the cost.

In the weeks that followed, Lilli had found her way through her nation’s eastern side, contending with bandits emboldened by their emperor’s focus on war and dread cultists of an apocalyptic sect alike. It was then that she found the fell magic that came easily to her fingertips, sickly greens and miasmatic purples, to say nothing of the destructive wave that burst forth from her wicked third eye. Though she had not asked for these dark gifts, and knew not what they could ask from her, to be able to defend herself in these strange and twisted times was a blessing she wouldn’t quickly forget.

The crossing into Zofia was near, only a day’s walk or so. She’d need to pass by the Temple of Mila there, perhaps no easy task with her strange appearance. Yet, witches did not yet plague the country of her father (to her knowledge) and so perhaps it would be easier to pass unhindered through its bountiful lands.

It was unfortunate, then, to encounter a contingent of the Duma Faithful so near the border. They were unaccompanied by Jedah, or Tatarrah, or any of the others whose names she knew and whose faces were burned into her memory. Without leadership, easy targets. That they seemed readying to war with another armed group drew little notice. If Duma Faithful and bandits made war against one another, then she’d simple raze them both to the ground.

Her headband slipped easily from her forehead into her pocket, as her fingers curled into a spellcaster’s position. “Be unmade, wretched stain upon this land.” In an instant, she vanished, reappearing at the side of one of Duma’s ghoulish arcanists near the side of the battlefield. “Die!” Exploding from her extended palm, a warped mass of dark energy encompassed the mage, drawing the life out from his until all that remained was a withered husk. “Now... what’s next,” Lilli asked herself as she turned all three of her eyes towards the rage of battle.

[phaedrecameron]

House of Fraser Chpt 16 - The First Six Months

Lallybroch – The Holidays

“Fergus, trobhad!”     

Jamie fastened the buttons of his quilted Barbour jacket as he kneeled and clasped a leash to the dog’s collar. Slamming the door of his Da’s ancient Rover, he looked up the small path leading to the stones at Craigh na Dun. Fergus whined as he sat near his owner’s leg.  Jamie scratched his ear, “it’s okay, boy. I’ve finally lost my mind.”  Fergus didn’t appreciate the joke.  

Jamie did, in fact, feel ridiculous. Roaming around ancient stones in search of their connection to Claire? He chuckled to himself thinking of her face when he shared the story of The Woman from Balnain. She was very respectful, listened carefully, but plainly thought it a fairytale – an eccentricity she was willing to accept to be with him. He prayed that’s all it was, but Frank was no fairytale.

He led Fergus slowly around the stones. Nothing unusual, nothing like what he experienced, or perhaps imagined, on Leòdhas. Suddenly, Fergus jerked away. Jamie followed his gaze to a large stone with a cleft. He moved toward the stone, but Fergus wouldn’t come.  Jamie slackened the leash and touched the stone. A sudden vibration.

“Christ!”

Fergus growled and barked, ready to defend them both.

Jamie realized it was the mobile in his pocket. He laughed at his foolishness, but his heart was still pounding when he checked the screen.

STUBBORN SASSENACH Didyou make it ok?

Jamie began to type a quick reply.

“A mhac!”

Jamie looked up to see Brian Fraser cresting the hill. He released the leash to allow Fergus to run to his father.

“Da, what are ye doing out here in the cold? Come, Mam will kill us both.”

“Oh, I wanted to see how yer research was goin’?” Brian patted Fergus’ head. “Any inspiration?”

“What? Och, no much. Let’s go.” Jamie led his father to the vehicles. “Da?”

Brian’s dark features trained on his son, “Aye?”

“Nothin’. Glad to see ye is all.”

London – Winter Date Day

“What was your favorite part?” Claire asked around a large bite of churro.

“The King lookin’ like a pompous jackass.” Jamie pulled her close and licked the cinnamon-sugar from her lips. “Lafayette was good too and of course Hamilton was a Scot.”

Claire smiled to herself as they walked through London’s West End. She wasn’t sure Alexander Hamilton was rightly identified as a Scot, but she knew better than to get between Jamie and the love of his country and its people.

“Thanks for skipping work to come to a matinee,” she grinned and grabbed his hand. “Tea?”

Since his return from Scotland, they’d been on four dates. On all four occasions their plans were modified because they ended up having sex before they could get out the door. Her physical need of him was only outpaced by his growing stranglehold on her heart. When she spoke, he listened. He wasn’t thinking about how to refute what she’d just said or what he planned to say next; he just listened. That simple act completely disarmed her.

But today, on their fifth date, Claire was determined to keep to their original plan. She made Jamie meet her at the theater - they could have sex after.

“Are ye sure we have time for tea? Ye said ye wanted to be at the hospital by 5am tomorrow?”

“Well, yes…”

“Because I plan to make ye quiver and scream my name at least twice.” He casually checked the time on his mobile. “And ye struggle to rise even after a full night of sleep, so…?”

Jamie’s Flat -Burns Night

Bloody hell!

Fergus whined in sympathy as he watched Claire stare helplessly in the large saucepan on the stove; pieces of exploded haggis floating to the surface.

She heard Jamie’s key in the door. Shit! Shit! Shit!

Fergus leapt to greet Jamie and provide Claire a minute to compose herself.

“Claire? What are ye….” His dining room table was draped in Grant colors; flowers, candles, and a bottle of whisky in the center.

He found her fashed in his kitchen. She was wearing a tartan skirt in MacDonald colors and a Cameron patterned head band.

“Happy Burns Night,” she blurted as she nervously blocked his view of the stove.

Every time Jamie thought it impossible to love her more, his heart simply grew more chambers for her to fill.  He glanced over her shoulder at the ruined haggis, then gathered her in his arms. “Happy Burns Night to ye.” He brushed ground oatmeal from her cheek. “Dinna worry over the food,” he touched her headband, “yer an ignorant sassenach, ye need training is all.”  

She smiled, “I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise…”

He silenced her with a kiss. “‘Tis perfect, truly. Come, let’s have a dram.”

“I really must love you to drink that battery acid.”

Jamie felt a pain in his chest – another chamber added.  

She wound her hands around his neck, “I love you, Jamie.”

Hospital Lounge - Valentine’s Day

“Is that…it canna be?” Geillis asked in wonder.

Claire brushed the powdered sugar from her chest and held up a pair of scrubs.

“The man sends ye flowers, donuts and designer scrubs?!”

Claire smiled as her fingers traced the soft tartan lining. She grabbed the note, Geillis looking over her shoulder.

Sassenach,

To keep you warm when I’m not with you & to help with your training – these are Fraser colors!

Happy Valentine’s Day

J

Jamie’s Flat -Milan Fashion Week

“Yer sure it’s alright? Marsali or my sister..”

“It’s fine,” Claire pushed him toward the door, “you know I love Fergus. Hurry, you’ll miss your flight.”

“Okay, I’ll call ye when I land.” Jamie pulled her in for a kiss, “once more?”

“James Fraser, I will not be responsible for you missing your own show. Go!”

“I’ll be quick.” His hands dropped to her arse.

She snorted and nipped his ear, “I’m not interested in quick. And here, don’t forget your sketchbook.”

“It’s for ye – the designs I’m showing.”

He’d never before let her see one of his sketchbooks. Claire tucked the book under arm. “I’ll miss you, Jamie. Come back to me.”

“Always.”

Once he left, she curled on his sofa and opened the book. She sniffed as she knuckled away tears. There were dozens of drawings - dresses, trousers, skirts – all in different colors and textures, but always her. She could see the mole on her back, or the smile that broke free when he called her sassenach, her hair in the wind, her crooked pinky finger. She fell asleep, Jamie’s book clutched to her chest, Fergus at her feet.  

Jamie’s office - A Spring Day at HF

“Ssshhh.” Claire’s hand went to Jamie’s mouth. “Someone will hear you.” She ducked back under his desk and between his legs.

“Let em. They all know.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Up, up. I want ye from behind.”

Jamie helped her to stand in her stilettos and flipped her around.

“What do you mean, ‘they all know’?” Claire asked over her shoulder as he kneaded her bottom.

She felt him chuckle against her back as he pushed her thighs further apart.

“Sassenach, ye show up here in nothing but yer wee trench coat, stilettos, and the look of determination on yer face. They all know what yer about.”

“Wot?!” She turned around, eyes to her hairline.

“Come now,” he kissed her nose, “ye know that’s why ye do it – so everyone knows I belong to ye.” He flipped her around once more.  “And I dinna mean for ye to waste yer time doing so.”

She groaned loudly as he thrust home.

“Claire.” Marsali and John said in unison as Claire emerged from Jamie’s office.

Claire pulled the knot tighter on her trench, nodded in response, and causally walked toward the exit.

A few moments later, Jamie appeared. Marsali laughed, rolled her eyes and walked to the back row of computers. John handed Jamie a tablet of new designs, “so does Claire have a brother?”

Speyside Whisky Festival, Scotland – Jamie’s birthday

“We could go to the Seeldh?” Claire pointed to the brochure as Jamie pulled the hired Rover up to their B&B.

“Ceilidh, lass. And that we could.”

She leaned over and kissed him, “ceilidh, huh? Well, you choose – your birthday, my treat.”

*** Jamie smiled as Claire pretended to drink her dram. She was so stubborn. He tried to dissuade her from gifting him a whisky festival for his birthday, but she insisted she would grow to appreciate the drink. Jamie decided to hedge his bets and secreted three bottles of wine in his suitcase.

“I need the loo,” Claire whispered in Jamie’s ear. “Do you want the rest of this?”

“Aye.” Jamie took her dram and watched her arse as she disappeared into the crowd. ***

“Is that yer match? The tall ginger lad?”

Claire turned while washing her hands. A small, mousey brown haired woman stood at her side.

“I suppose he is.”

“Och, dinna worry. I’m no tryin to take yer man, it’s quite clear that would be impossible. I’ve just never seen a matched pair from the same side. Rare.”

Claire took a step back.

The woman’s grey eyes moved to the silver strands at Claire’s temple, “‘tis okay, my cousins are travelers also. Do ye dream of going?  Where is your other?”

“If you’ll excuse me.” Claire brushed past the woman.

“Sassenach, what’s wrong?”  Her skin was cold, her whisky eyes gone drab.

“Too many Scots,” she laughed weakly. “Do you mind if we leave?”

Lallybroch- Summer

Claire’s grip tightened on the strap of her crossbody as she stared out the windshield. Today was the day she was to meet Jamie’s parents at his childhood home. She tried to focus on Jamie’s words, but all she could hear was the thrum of her heartbeat in her ears.

“Claire? Come, ‘tis just my parents. They’ll love ye as I do.”

“But what if…I…Jamie I don’t have a family! What if I do it wrong?”

Jamie reached over to fix the wide collar of her jumper. “They’re easy, ‘tis my sister ye’ll have to prepare for.” He tried to wink and unclipped her seatbelt.

Claire grabbed his hand and followed him up the gravel walkway. Her pace slowed as she took in the enormity of Lallybroch. “You grew up here? Can we see the tower?”

“I’ll show ye round the grounds after. The weather’s nice. I’d like to see yer bare skin against the heather.”

“That’s not what I want to see!”  She began poking him on the side. “You can set your bare arse on some sticky plant.”

“Jamie!” Brian Fraser waved from the doorway.

Claire would be damned if she’d cower behind Jamie. She straightened her shoulders and walked directly toward Jamie’s father. “Hullo Mr. Fraser, it’s so lovely to meet you. Please, call me Claire.” She felt Jamie’s hand on her lower back.

“Likewise, lass. And it’s Brian.”

His handshake was firm and his voice was warm honey, just like Jamie’s. She stood still as he looked her over. He glanced to Jamie and a broad smile transformed his face. In that moment, they could have been brothers. Brian engulfed Claire in a bear hug.

“I’m so very glad yer here Claire. We wondered when…”

“Da! Dinna smother her.” Jamie chuckled.

Brian released Claire. “Sorry, sorry. Come inside.” He turned and went inside.

Jamie touched Claire’s arm. “Are ye alright?  Dinna know what’s gotten in to him.”

She brushed a curl behind her ear, a slight blush on her cheeks. “It’s okay, haven’t you brought home a lass before?” She teased.

His eyes narrowed, “no, yer the first.”

Pleased, she wrapped her arm around his and pulled him inside. They were met by Ellen in the large open living room area.

“Hello, dear. We’ve been waiting for Jamie to bring ye around.”

Claire stared. The resemblance was unmistakable. She was as beautiful as Jamie was handsome. Tall and regal, she reached out and touched the swatch of silver at Claire’s temple. “Ye’ve a long time still.” Claire remained silent. “Yer eyes are remarkable..’tis almost a shame yer bairns will have Jamie’s color.”

“Christ! Mam!” Jamie nervously laughed and tried to pull Claire away from his mother.

Claire wouldn’t budge.

“It’s okay.” Claire reached out and grabbed Ellen’s hands. She was jolted by cold than warmth.

Jamie watched in confusion as the two women seemed to silently communicate.

Brian brought a hand to Jamie’s shoulder, “come son, I’ve somethin ye need to see.”

Jamie hesitated.

“Dinna worry, yer Mam will look after Claire.”

With a backward glance, Jamie followed his father to the attic. He hadn’t stepped foot in the attic since he was wee.

“Give me a hand, will ye? Brian was struggling with a large chest.

Jamie rushed over to help his father pull the chest into the light.

“Da, what…”

“Do ye love Claire?”

Jamie looked toward the attic stairway. “Aye.”

“Ye want to marry her?”

“Da, I’m grown. Whatever talk ye’ve been preparin’..”

“Ken everythin’ do ye?” Brian smiled and opened the chest. He pulled out a plaid, “here, do ye recognize it?”

Jamie ran the well worn plaid across his hands. MacKenzie colors. It was nearly threadbare and the ends were frayed. He moved it closer to his face.  There was something odd about its smell and the color was muted, but not from age, it was as though it had been improperly dyed.

“When yer Mam was pregnant, she would wrap herself in that plaid and sing to ye. When you were born, ye wouldna sleep unless that plaid was around ye or in yer crib.”

“I dinna remember.” Jamie sat down the plaid as Brian handed Jamie a thick woolen skirt. It too was unusual. He checked the seams- it wasn’t commercially made.

“Yer Mam loved to show ye that. I thinks it’s why ye took to clothes.”

“Da?”

Brian placed a women’s corset in his son’s hands. “What do ye see lad?”

Jamie eyes dropped to the garment. It was an accurate representation of stays used by mid 18th century Scottish women of high birth. There were no zippers or metal clasps. Jamie ran his finger along an edge of frayed material. He felt a sharp pain as the whale bone nicked his finger.

Jamie bunched the corset in his hands, denying the truth of it.

“Da, what is this? Where did ye..”

“They’re yer mother’s. She was wearing them when I found her; when she came through the stones. 

[gal-liveblogs]

A parting gift from an old flame, it was given to one of my splinters in a distant timeline before ending up in my posession via lots of complicated shit that I don't wanna get into.

O.K. So someone gave some version of Dirk Hussie painting of a quarterback fighting a horse. I have an intense desire to know who.

"Dear Dirk, In memory of our precious time together. When you look at it, think of me, and be reminded that while we breathe, we Hope." -B.O

Oh fuck me, it was Obama. Jesus Christ, I can’t.

O.K., I had been wondering what this stuff in the corner was, but didn’t comment as I couldn’t think of how to describe them. Now, though, we have a bigger picture and that’s a cherub paint set and an old troll horn headband. Probably Calliope’s stuff.

This set of paints and the charred remains of my HORNED HEADBAND are the only surviving relics of the first and last WORLDWIDE INTERSPECIES ROLEPLAYING SESSION we ever attempted on Earth C.

Oh. Not Calliope’s. They are, in fact, Dirk’s. The Interspecies Roleplaying Session was probably orchestrated by Calliope, though.

Calliope got it into their head that dressing up in cosplay would be a fun community activity.

Right on the money!

In other news Dirk’s trollsona has a unicorn horn. So it’s not that the headband was tilted and the other horn was hidden behind the paint set like I thought. Also Dave’s trollsona has dick horns. I am not surprised. Weird how Dirk, Dave, and Rose didn’t bother to give themselves black hair. Rose gave herself yellow scleras, but couldn’t commit to the black hair it seems.

Vantas had some very uncharitable things to say about the idea, and for once in his life I think he was right.

I mean, it’s like when white people dress as Native Americans for Halloween. I can understand his anger. Though even if he didn’t have a good reason Karkat would have still been angry, I’m sure.

Plants are basically the ideal friends. They don't constantly question your decisions, or try and undermine your authority, or suggest that perhaps you should try talking about your feelings every once in a while.

I think Dirk’s issue with Homestuck getting too feelings-y was that he doesn’t like talking about his own feelings.

Wait. Does Terezi have some form of narrative control? She made it clear in one of the Epilogues that she was aware of Dirk’s narration. I’m going to assume that while Terezi herself can’t narrate, she can submit commands.

DIRK: I see you've found the command terminal.

Oh. So she can submit commands not through her own power, but because there’s one of those exile command terminals things on this ship. O.K. They have everything else on this ship, might as well have one of those too.

TEREZI: 1T S33MS TO M3 L1K3 L3TT1NG M3 BOSS YOU 4ROUND FOR 4 F3W M1NUT3S 1S TH3 L34ST YOU COULD DO TO M4K3 UP FOR WH4T PROB4BLY 4MOUNTS TO TH3 MOST BOR1NG 1NT3RG4L4CT1C VOY4G3 1N TH3 H1STORY OF SP4C3 TR4V3L

I don’t know, I think Jade’s voyage after Davesprite and John blew up might be a good contender for that title. Then again Jade had practice not having anyone with a degree of intelligence around to talk to. Then again she still had the internet on her island and could talk to her friends, unlike on the Prospit ship.

TEREZI: 4ND CONS1D3R1NG TH4T ON3 OF MY TWO PR1OR 3XP3R13NC3S 1NVOLV3D SCOUR1NG TH3 FR4CTUR3D, D1S1NT3GR4TING CORPS3 OF P4R4DOX SP4C3 FOR... WH4T F3LT L1K3 4N 3T3RN1TY,

Oh yeah, I guess that would also be a contender too.

DIRK: What, Heart and Mind?

TEREZI: M1ND 4ND H34RT, Y3S

I have a feeling Terezi purposefully switched them around to make her aspect first and to just be a tiny annoyance to Dirk.

Dirk, how dare you use Complacency of the Learned to even out a chair! Does Rose know you’re using her book like that?

> L1B3R4T3 L4LOND14N L1BR4RY

Thank you, Terezi.

TEREZI: DO3S ROS3 KNOW YOUV3 B33N US1NG ON3 OF H3R NOV3LS TO PROP UP TH4T DISGUST1NGLY T4CKY CH41R?

Terezi and I are one.

DIRK: (I captchalogue the book into my MSPA MODUS. Forget HASH MAPS, PICTIONARY, or any of that shit. This thing is where it's at.)

What the FUCK does MSPA Modus entail???

TEREZI: 4W WH4T TH3 H3LL

TEREZI: TH3 CH41R W4S SUPPOS3D TO F4LL OV3R

DIRK: I'm not sure I understand. Why would it? The four legs are all touching the floor.

TEREZI: ...

DIRK: Try not to think about it too hard.

Ha!

TEREZI: FOR SOM3ON3 WHO CL41MS TO KNOW 4 LOT 4BOUT JOK3S YOU SUR3 H4V3 CONT1NU3D TO S4Y B4S1C4LLY NOTH1NG FUNNY 3V3R

Oooh, burn! When I get around to doing my fourth read of Homestuck I’ll have to tally any instances of Dirk telling a funny joke just to see if this holds up.

For a second there I was really confused over what fractal nonsense was happening here, but then I remembered Dirk is controlling the narrative. That includes the pictures, not just the text.

DIRK: Not many really understand that when pleasure is taken seriously enough, it can easily mimic the appearance of business, just as when irony is practiced with enough passion, it becomes indistinguishable from sincerity.

So Dirk’s idea of loosening up and having fun, whether for the irony or sincerity of it, is drawing himself in romantic situations with Jake. Yeah, that pans out.

(Seriously, why is Jake such a heartthrob? John is described as dorky looking and he and Jake are practically carbon copies.)

TEREZI: DO YOU... W4NT TO T4LK 4BOUT 1T...?

DIRK: Absolutely the fuck not.

Terezi, did you seriously expect him to answer with anything else?

This feels like a meme image.

TEREZI: TH4TS TH3 ON3 TH1NG 1 4LW4YS FOUND D1FF1CULT 4BOUT M4K1NG COM1CS W1TH D4V3

TEREZI: YOU H4V3 TO DR4W 333333V3RYTH1NG >:[

God, hard agree. This is why I could never have a comic. As much as I’d like to I just get burnt out with all that tedious drawing.

DIRK: Exactly. But sometimes, visuals are just a more effective way of doing things.

DIRK: So finding the right combination of words and pictures to communicate an idea efficiently is where the artistry lies.

DIRK: And sometimes that means dispensing with one or the other entirely when appropriate.

See, this is why the Homestuck style comic is so interesting. I don’t think other comics combined panels and text like Homestuck did, and now there are so many copies of the style out there!

Woah, I feel like I just got whiplash with the disappearance of the panels!

For the sake of precedent, I'm saying that we can cloak the visuals entirely and continue with narration alone, replacing the panel with a block of text like this, which we can call a “prattle” from now on.

Right, so when we go into a more book-like format it’s a prattle. Got it. Good name, since it’s just Dirk droning on to himself.

So then Dirk narrates Terezi using the command terminal to get him to do a slew of bizarre actions. He says it’s to show how much can be done in a short amount of time (a single block of text as opposed to 50 panels), but I have a feeling the real reason is so that we, the readers, don’t actually get to see him doing any of this stuff. He doesn;t get an audience to such an embarrassing display and he gets to rub our faces in it.

She has me undertake the most intense workout routine paradox space has ever seen, all while whistling the entire discography of the Swedish pop group ABBA, which she's taken a liking to recently for some god forsaken reason.

Terezi likes ABBA? That’s amazing. I need a video of Terezi singing and dancing along with Dancing Queen now.

(... And which coincidentally was a favorite cultural weapon of Her Imperious Condescension back on Earth, centuries ago. Mamma Mia in particular was repurposed as a sugar-coated propagandist piece, calling for worldwide submission to the Batterwitch's dictatorship. "My my, how can I resist ya," as the old saying goes.)

HOLY SHIT. Now I just had a headcanon that all trolls love ABBA.

DIRK: I told you I could have fun.

TEREZI: Y34H YOU SUR3 SHOW3ED M3 1 GU3SS

Dirk, are you saying Terezi purposefully trying to torture you was actually fun? ... Are you secretly a masochist? Do you... Do you like being bossed around and forced to do ridiculous stunts? I am learning so many things about Dirk I never expected.

TEREZI: WH4TS TH1S TH1NG OV3R 1N TH3 CORN3R

TEREZI: UND3RN34TH TH1S B1G SH33T TH1NG

DIRK: Don't look in there.

TEREZI: OH SHHHH 1M ONLY T4K1NG 4 P33K

DIRK: Terezi.

DIRK: Listen to me.

TEREZI: 1M JUST L1FT1NG UP TH3 COV3R 4 L1TTL3 W4YS!!!!

DIRK: Terezi please stop talking right now.

TEREZI: D1RK HOLY SH1T

TEREZI: W

Well that sounds sinister. With Dirk I would think ti was a robot of some kind, but given his new hobby of collecting things from various timelines and his skill in building it could literally be anything.

At first I was confused at the three panels that follow, showing Dirk’s room in disarray, but then I rememebered that Dirk did a whole bunch of shit we didn’t get to see because we were in Book Time.

ROSEBOT: So, I guess today is finally the day everything's been heading towards.

I honestly thought she was going to say “today is finally the day we fuck everything up”. Not sure if the actual line counts as a callback or not now.

ROSEBOT: Instead, it feels like the very notion of fortune is simply out of the question as a means of describing the potential outcome.

ROSEBOT: As though in this moment, luck isn't either strictly real or not real, or somewhere inbetween, but absent of meaning completely.

ROSEBOT: Luck took one look at our itinerary from here on out and said you'll just have to go on without me.

So it’s Schrödinger's Luck of Who Gives a Shit? Been reading so much Dirk I tried to channel my inner Strider there. Moving on I feel like this is a very bad situation for Rose to be in. Her Aspect is luck, so what does it mean for her when she’s in a position like this?

ROSEBOT: You aren't going to believe this, but it turns out that the deranged horny ramblings of a spurned anime-obsessive have essentially no therapeutic properties whatsoever.

Rose is a gift.

I wish I could copy and paste Dirk’s whole spiel about the ocean, both literal and metaphorical, but since it’s Dirk it’s just way too long. Suffice to say I thought it was some lovely writing and really got the the meat of who Dirk is as a character. His loneliness, his fear, his eventual peace, what it means to be an ascended Prince of Heart. Good stuff.

DIRK: What's that noise I'm hearing.

DIRK: It sounds a little bit like a cat being caught in a ventilation fan. A sort of...

DIRK: Inhuman screeching, combined with the grinding of metal.

DIRK: Are we even going to make it to the ground?

ROSEBOT: Oh, no,

ROSEBOT: The ship's fine as far as I can tell.

ROSEBOT: That's just Terezi laughing.

Terezi is also a gift.

Then we end with a rather pretty image of the ship coming in for a crash landing on an Earth-like planet. I would share it, but it’s a tall panel and this post is long enough as it is. Very curious what this planet is. I would guess it might be a Earth, but the landmasses don’t look like any on Earth. Could be artistic license,  but I feel like we have too many Earths as it is. Let’s get some new planets up in here!

[vios-rockland-corner]

My Rockland OC Sasha Holmes.

I was in another small drawing mood and wanted a tiny break from writing another Zeitgeist thought post.  Tried a new position again, but didn’t really feel like drawing full body or coloring it this time.  I also drew her without her headband this time so I can get comfortable with the fact that it’s not something constantly glued to her.  She wears it a lot though because she likes using it to keep her bangs out of her face.  I just put her in a tank top/pyjamas to switch things up too.

I drew this because of my self-made rule, “I can’t talk about Sasha unless I draw something for her too.”  I actually came up with a possible backstory for her, and that’s really what I wanted to spend my time writing about anyway so I don’t forget it.

It’s not really important for anyone else though, and it could very well get scrapped later.  So I’ll just place it below to save space (it’s stupid long for personal reference only).

Why I have Sasha

I’m just reiterating here.  I don’t really insert myself in these stories, and I don’t like disrupting the canon either.  Sasha’s going to be more like an NPC in the Rockland universe that is capable of OBSERVING certain events and characters, but will probably never end up interacting with any of them directly.  That’s probably for the best anyway because let’s be honest...there’s a good chance she’ll die if she ends up meeting the wrong character, haha.

If I do commit with her, I could actually utilize her as another type of post whenever I’m low on ideas or lack the motivation for a full thought post.  Basically, journal entries made by a character in universe.  Sasha would basically be doing...the same kind of thing I actually do with the thought posts.  Now one might say, “Isn’t that kind of lazy?  Like you’re just duplicating your own content?”  And I say, “Kind of, yes.”  

Fun fact about me though, I’m not really a creative writer.  Most of the writing I’ve done has been for more scientific papers.  With those, you’re just getting the facts in.  Now my thought posts are a little more carefree and show a bit of personality in them I think.  Basically, tumblr is intended to be my “lazy time.”  Still, I’ve hardly ever tried to write in first person from a character’s perspective.  Also, while I myself would have a wider grasp of the Rockland universe and its characters, I would be placed in a challenging position with Sasha where I can only have her commentate on events and characters revealed in canon that...basically COULD be fair game as “news” or “rumors” around town.  For example, she’s not going to know about an MC’s personal experience with a character after they’ve been kidnapped (and they don’t escape).  But if there’s some news or rumors around town that people are disappearing, that’s fair game for her to speculate about.

The Misfits actually I think have the most potential for regular civilians to have an idea that they exist.  One story even had the police investigating them, so you know there’s probably some curious individuals that start gossip as a result.  So I will probably end up having Sasha in the general vicinity of wherever most of the Misfits’ activities take place.  

Oh yeah, the Rockland universe is going to have so many characters, groups and likely locations.  Sasha’s only human, and it would be WAY too much of a headache for me to actually have her contemplating more than one aspect of the universe.  Looking into the possibility of angels existing vs. supernatural beings existing (Hand of God) vs. a dangerous/unruly group of killers (Misfits) is just...that’s too much, haha.

I know Zeitgeist is coming out first, but I’m pretty sure the Misfits will be introduced more formally once that game is complete.

Now then, I still want to make the best of Sasha as a brain exercise.  What’s the point of having a character if you can’t develop a personality, history and motivations for them?  Character creation isn’t my forte,  but if I can establish a solid background for her, I think it’ll help have the character stand on their own better.  Even without interacting with any of the other characters.

Possible Backstory for Sasha

This is pretty rough, but here’s what I have so far.  Sasha herself and her life in general was pretty average growing up.  She was taught the usual ideals of: work hard in school, get a job, be nice to others, don’t do drugs, just anything that helps a person be, “a good civilian.”  Don’t worry, it wasn’t a strict military household or anything, just one where the parents wanted their kids to live happy lives, make friends and hopefully be working a job they love when they grow up.  

Now Sasha had one sibling: her older brother.  They were very close and did everything together.  Her brother always seemed “perfect,” to Sasha.  He had a fun personality, he looked out for her, his grades were good, he wasn’t bad at sports, and he was good looking.  Stereotypical golden child, I know.  Just bear with me here for a second.  During these years, Sasha and her brother never opposed anything their parents taught them.

Eventually her brother went off to college away from home.  Sasha was sad, but otherwise fine with this.  She knew they could keep in touch through the phone and internet easily.  So they did, and everything was fine for awhile...but slowly the calls, emails and text conversations would become fewer and fewer.

Eventually a point hit where the communication stopped.  Sasha began to get antsy, but figured when all her attempts at contact failed, she might be bothering him.  Perhaps he was just focusing harder on his studies?

Time passed and suddenly...her brother was back home prior to when he would have been graduating.  Sasha and her parents were very surprised to hear that he had been kicked out.  Of course, they tried to comfort him and assured him that everything would be okay.  He could stay home as long as he wanted until he got back on his feet.  No one’s perfect.

Sasha was actually happy for a few days to have her brother back home, but...he was different.  He wasn’t quite as social as he was before.  In fact, he hardly seemed to want to do anything with his family.  And gentle coaxing from her parents about how things were going during dinner was rebuffed by her brother.

He’d go out frequently, day...and VERY late at night.  Sasha was making sure to keep her own life in order, but she couldn’t help but become curious as to what was going on with her brother.  Sometimes, she’d follow him out secretly.  The people that he was hanging out with now weren’t like his old friends.  There was something unsettling about them.  She became more alarmed when she noticed small red stains on his jacket once when coming home.  The next time he was out, she snuck into his room.  After sometime, she found a plastic bag with some old clothes of his she noticed he’d stopped wearing.  They all had the same red stains on them.  It was blood.

Sasha keeps the discovery a secret from her family, but she starts to watch her brother with eyes like a hawk.  He starts to notice and eventually asks her what’s up one day when they’re alone in the house.  Snapping, she admits to what she found and ask him why he’s acting so strange.  He doesn’t take this well and they get into a massive argument.  After what felt like an eternity, it ends with both feeling physically exhausted from the emotional outburst.  After a few minutes of silence, the brother says he’s needs to head out tonight to finish something up.  Sasha gives him a sad look and asks him quietly, “Come back safe, please.”  He’s a little taken aback by this, but nods and promises he’ll be home in a little while.  He leaves.

Sasha’s brother never returned home that night, or ever again.  [Author’s note:  I have not decided yet, if he’s been flat out murdered, or he’s still alive but just never came back- both change a lot about the story]

This messes up Sasha.  Everyone she knows consoles her and says they’ll be there if she needs them.  On the outside, Sasha keeps up a strong front and continues on with her life.  She knows he’s gone and she doesn’t want other people to worry about her.  Life has to go on anyway.  She wants to keep being a “good civilian” and not fall like...

Sasha was slowly becoming obsessed.  Not simply with what might have happened to her brother like most people thought.  No, instead she became focused on why did her brother change so much?  She started getting curious.  She had a feeling that he was doing some very unlawful...very awful stuff.  She would never have guessed though in her younger years that her brother would even be capable of such things.  She wondered if something bad had happened at school.  Did his confidence get shot?  Did someone influence him?  Was the stuff he started doing now more appealing than being what they had always been taught as children?  That last one in particular settled in a part of her brain uncomfortably.

Obviously, she’d never get the answers now that she wanted from her brother.  She’d have to find another way to get into his head.  Perhaps...figure out people who may be similar to him?

How the heck am I linking this to the Misfits?

Sasha basically sees herself as an average “good civilian,” as I’ve stated before.  The Misfits, she’d view as a group of people that are generally “bad.”  Degenerates you wouldn’t want to associate with or become.  However, after everything that happened with her brother, she’d now view the Misfits with an unhealthy curiosity.  She’d view them with disdain, but is compelled to figure out what makes them tick.  She absolutely refuses to believe her brother was some sort of sociopath or psychopath all along.  She’d never want to place him as the same group of the Misfits, but she thinks that maybe there’s some allure that pulled him into that lifestyle.  She also wonders, “Are these people who were always like this, or became this way overtime?”  Characters of the latter she’d feel would be more useful for understanding her brother.

Now I have two options for why she knows the Misfits exist:

Option 1) She has always lived in the town where the Misfits currently exist, and they’re a recent development after her brother has gone.  Pretty standard.

Option 2) She finds a note with the word crumpled up in one of her brother’s jacket pockets.  It’s not his handwriting, more like a note someone else gave him.  It said the name, “This Misfits” on it as well as “This is where you want to go” and lists a city and state.  That’s it.  This prompts Sasha to MOVE to where the Misfits are.  She doesn’t know anything about them, but wanted to know why her brother was curious.  No, I would NOT be making her brother a Misfit in this case.  More like...it’s possible he was interested in being part of the group.  Possibly.

Please note that this ENTIRE backstory and mindset of Sasha is completely capable of being scrapped.  Why?  I still don’t entirely know what the Misfits are all about.  I need to have at least a decent grasp on the group’s general atmosphere, goals, personality, etc.  Without knowing that, I can’t say this backstory would suffice for Sasha.

If this backstory DOES work, the benefit is that Sasha then clearly has her own issues and a personal goal of closure.  Thus, her not interacting with canon characters at all wouldn’t necessary stunt her as a character.  At least I think so?

Well at the very least, this was kind of fun to write.  It’s a lot, so I had to write it down if I didn’t want to forget it.

If anyone actually decided to read this (this was more for own personal notes), uhhh hope it was fun? XD

Now to continue waiting for the next game.

[tsundere-model]

Happy Birthday Izumi 2k18!- Ponsol and Jupiter

((This is for the regular AU that we have. I decided to put Jupiter and Ponsol’s together— for reasons fufu. Read on to find out why~))

He’d done something last year, so it didn’t feel right to not do something this year for the model’s birthday. He may run the risk of being called ‘stingy’ or even ‘forgetful’ if he didn’t do anything this year.

Ponsol will have you know that he had an impeccable memory, essentially photographic. He was excellent when it came to remembering names, faces, and places— if it had any relevancy in his mind. If he didn’t think you were worth the brain cells, then he wouldn’t bother trying to remember you (but chances were he’d remember you anyways).

The very last year, he made a kitty plush for the model with a red hood that had a striking resemblance to a certain hood that a certain model wore at a CERTAIN HALLOWEEN PARTY days prior.

Did you truly think that Ponsol would not attempt to make a jab at the model? Of course he would. He had to work hard to finish it in time (even forfeiting some sleep for this project), but he made it. Just barely.

Vaguely he recalled something. There was one time, when he’d answered the door, not expecting to see him, and he was dressed very casually. Perhaps he was busy working when Jupiter had asked to see him and he opened the door thinking he would be face to face with ‘the angel’, but instead he saw a smiling demonic heir instead.

Well, Jupiter was there too, but who wouldn’t lose their focus and only pay attention to Ponsol if he were around? It was only common sense.

Thinking it over, he thought of something he thought would be an interesting sort of gift. Perhaps it would be something that would upset Izumi all the same, on top of it being cute and useful? Even better…

This project shouldn’t be nearly as difficult as last years was going to be, but that wasn’t important. Above all else, he was taking time out of his precious day to make something and that was the biggest point.

It didn’t take long for him to make the gift, but he did take the time to make sure the materials he used were of excellent quality. Nothing he made was allowed to be subpar, that’s for sure. When he’d finished the gift, he had waited until it was the day of Izumi’s birthday to gift it to the model.

Of course, while he’s at it, he had Jupiter tag along this time around. He was curious to see how this would pan out.

He was at the door, and he knocked on it, before he ducked aside. If Izumi looked through the peep hole, he’d only see Jupiter standing there with a bag in her hand.

She was patiently waiting for the model to come out while curiously wondering why it was that Ponsol ducked out of the line of sight.

Sure, he could have tried to give Izumi a heads up of their impeding visit, but he didn’t want to do that. Where’s the fun in that? He would much rather have Izumi scramble to get to the door and then get surprised to see that Ponsol was there as well.

Maybe his hair was full of pins like it was that one time?

Ha, that would be an interesting sight to see, that’s for sure.

The door opened to reveal the model from behind it, looking rather pleased to see Jupiter there, but then he noticed Ponsol who stepped out from the side when the door finally opened.

looking at him rather skeptically, wondering what it was that he was there for. “I figured you wouldn’t be so quick to open the door if you knew I was on the other side.” Cue the casual shrug. Jupiter stared at him with her own skeptical look, wondering if the reason he asked her to come at this time was so that he could tease Izumi.

Don’t you go using her to tease her sensei! She’s going to tell on you, you know?

“Jupiter, you should give your ‘sensei’ your gift first. I’m sure he’d enjoy getting your gift.” Ponsol reminded her and she turned her attention to Izumi instead. That’s right! She had something to give to her sensei! She worked really hard on this, you know? It was hard, but she managed to make it!

It was difficult working around her mother’s schedule, but she had help from her mother to make it! She handed Izumi a bag and started to rapid fire sign some words out. Seeing as Ponsol was going to be there, she could simply have him translate for her rather than having to carefully write everything out.

“She’s saying how she and her mother worked on your birthday gift together. She hopes that you like it, and she hopes that it fits just fine. If not, she can alter it.”

Inside of the bag was… an apron! The color was sky blue with a white lacey frill going along the edge of the apron. In the center was a square pocket witch a cute white cat sewn onto it. It looked as though she cut out the shape of a cat with felt and sewed it onto the pocket sleeve and then drew on the felt with fabric marker to draw the details of the cat onto it.

As Izumi was pulling out the apron out of the bag, Jupiter tugged on Ponsol’s sleeve and signed something to him quickly before she reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, tapping away at it. She was looking for a picture.

“Now isn’t that cute? Show him the picture, Jupiter.” Izumi finished pulling out the apron and he was watching as Jupiter was signing something to Ponsol. Izumi gave Ponsol a curious look, so that meant he was ready to know what was going on.

Jupiter turned her phone so Izumi could look at it so see a picture of the young blonde posing for the camera with her own apron. Hers was pink and had a white bunny on the pocket. “You have matching aprons. So when she comes over for baking lessons, both of you can wear matching aprons instead of her borrowing one of yours.”

Didn’t she do a good job? This wasn’t a project that she asked Ponsol to help with, but she still made something wonderful and he patted the top of her head like Shugarl normally would to show her how he thought she did an excellent job.

“… Ha— … ppy … Bir—day, Sse—sei!!” It was a bit quiet and strained, and she even messed up, but she did her best! She’s been practicing, and she’s slowly getting more comfortable with speaking, one syllable at a time.

“You did well, Jupiter. Good fight.” Ponsol offered her another pat on the head which brought that Angelic smile onto her face.

Now that she had delivered her present, it was Ponsol’s turn.

“It’s your birthday, is it not? The gift is simpler than last years, but I think this one will be far more useful than the kitty plush I made last year.”

Handing Izumi a small box, he waited for the model to open it to see what it was. Jupiter was rather curious as well to know what Ponsol made this year.

Inside of the box looked to be some kind of headband of sorts, but it was scrunched up together like it was some scrunchy. It also had… what looked to be… two triangle shapes on top?

It couldn’t be–?

Oh… but it was! They were cat ears!

“It’s an elastic headband that you can use to pull your bangs back. The elastic will keep it in place, and the material used is very soft fabric, so it shouldn’t leave any markings onto your skin.

The headband was also wide, so it was going to be able to hold back a lot of Izumi’s hair/bangs.

“Instead of using all those pins to hold back your bangs, you can simply use this.” Ponsol explained with a small grin on his face. Surely you know what he’s referencing to? “Happy birthday, Izumi.”

He chose a material that had the color closest to Izumi’s hair color so it would hopefully blend in. Once he put it onto his head to pull back his hair, the cat ears on top would stick out to make it look like he had cat ears on his head. It was cute… and functional.

For good or for bad, Izumi had ended up with a photoshoot even in his birthday. With Arashi around -and for that matter, all the other young and promising models that swarmed the agency- he couldn’t help but worry about his future, taking on every chance he had to proof his worth and skill. Prove that he wasn’t ready to be left behind.

Hair on point and light make-up on, Izumi was in the middle of deciding for a coat and boots when he heard the knock on the door. He felt rather tempted to ignore it and continue with his choice making but something told him he should go right away.

Looking through the peephole, his gesture lightened up at the sight of the angel, quickly opening up to greet her. It was only then that he noticed his neighbor was there as well. Shoulders jerking up, he unconsciously reached up to fix his hair and pressed his shirt with his hands, glad to have been almost ready to go out when he was called to the door instead of half-dressed or something.

“Hah? Stop making it sound as if I purposefully leave you waiting or something” he huffed lightly. If he had to dress up a bit better and make sure 3 times he was presentable before opening the door for Ponsol, that wasn’t his own fault. In fact, Ponsol should appreciate the level of work he put in looking good for him.

… thinking it better, he better not say that last part out loud.

“Gift?” Izumi looked at Ponsol curiously before switching to the little girl. Receiving the bag he stared to the signs perplexed until Ponsol gave the appropriate translation

“You did? Thank you Jupiter-chan~ I’ll open it right away, okay?” he commented in a cheerful tone, unable to wait for later to see what the adorable present might be. It felt soft so maybe something made with fabric or plush? Working gently on the bag so it wouldn’t break, he peaked at the inside, the first thing to come to sight being the felt cat. Cute… just like Jupiter herself.

Pulling it out of the package, he finally realized it was an apron. Maybe a bit too frilly and adorable for him, he thought, as cute didn’t really look good on him, but he wasn’t about to tell that to her. Specially not when he saw the picture of her wearing a matching one in pink, the bunny detail really popping up.

“That’s so cute Jupiter-chan~ Thank you, I’m very happy we get matching aprons!” he commented sincerely, a warm smile on his lips. Wanting to really drive the point home, he put on the apron over his clothes, ironing it a bit with his hands so it would properly fit his figure before giving a small twirl for her. “Does it look as cute on me as it does on you?” he asked happily -completely forgetting the heir was also there to see him being silly and embarrassing.

His smile just as soft and warm when he heard her voice, he smiled gently and tilted his head ever so slightly to the side “Thank you Jupiter-chan~ Your voice is really cute” And it was then that he remembered Ponsol was also there.

Cheeks a light red and smile turned into a pout as Ponsol presented his own present, he silently accepted it. A moment of hesitation he decided to open it as well. It was harder to tell the shape without taking it out so he did exactly that, fingers soon feeling the soft texture of the fabric.

Oh, he had seen some of these. In fact he was pretty sure Arashi had a pink one… but the fabric and finishing touches seemed different. Clearly hand-made. Another handmade present it seemed -and with an embarrassing touch as well, considering the ears placed on top for no apparent reason besides bothering him.

“Y-you! Forget about that already! How long ago was that?” no need to go out of your way to remind him, he hasn’t forgotten the embarrassment of that occasion.

Still, and even if it was just some form of elaborate teasing, it made him happy to have his birthday celebrated by Ponsol. It really did.

“T-thank you…” he did the effort to mumble those words before adding in a more cheeky tone “Too bad you won’t ever get to see me wear it, huh?”

Yes, he seems to have forgotten he has the apron on. Quite embarrassing too. May the day come when he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of the heir.