#eve perfume free gift set

[caesium-55]

—seven days. [ ii ]

pairing: max verstappen x manager! reader.

summary: as the third time world champion, max verstappen's manager, you function on the belief that whatever max verstappen wanted, max verstappen shall get. but this time, after four years of working as his manager, you can't give him what he wants anymore and that was to stay.

author's note: not beta-read. not edited. here's part 2 folks. part 3 is on the works now. did i write this fic instead of studying for my important quiz tomorrow? yes, yes i did. pls pray for my score.

masterlist.

For Christmas in 2019, Max has gotten you an apartment near his in Monaco. It is a loft apartment good for one on the 8th floor, a building away from where Daniel and Max lived. Originally, he wants to get you the unit a floor below his. You decline quickly, insisting that you are very fine with rooming with Julia and Kendall, who are both members of the Red Bull PR team whom you have gotten close with since your first year working with Red Bull. Max may have beef with the PR team for making him do a lot of embarrassing shit for the views but you're besties with most of them and actually thank them for making Max suffer through PR stuff because you cannot afford therapy and watching Max suffer through PR-related activities is a good form of free therapy. Also, Monaco apartments are fucking expensive. Red Bull might be paying you well but not well enough to afford an apartment in a country as expensive as Monaco.

“I want you close,” he tells you. If you did not know any better, you'd have butterflies fluttering in your intestines right about that moment. Sometimes, Max utter the most heart-fluttering of nonsense without meaning to. It causes your heart to stutter more times than you would like to admit.

“Well, I don't want you close.”

Max will never ever win an argument with you. He knows that. You know that. The best he can do is come to a compromise, a compromise that is usually tailored to suit whatever you want.

So you got that small loft apartment a building away, good for one person only. It's easy to clean and it's cheap, Max already said that, which makes you happy because you can set a payment plan for that. An apartment as a Christmas gift is already too much, borderline giving you a heart attack already. Rich people spending their money give you, a person of the middle class folks, heart attacks. Why can't Max be normal and give you a normal gift? A bracelet? A bag? You’ll even accept it if he gave you a slice of cheesecake. Not even your parents can buy you an apartment.

It has only been three years since the keys are passed on to your ownership and people say three years is enough time for a person to make a place home. But your apartment doesn't even feel like home, only a place you’ll sleep in if you happen to be in Monaco for the evening.

Home is that humble, two-storey house painted in red and yellow in Lynnwood Avenue, Vista Del Pueblo, Austin, a total picture of a picket fence dream. Home is Abuelo's old farmhouse in El Paso where you spent your childhood riding horses and driving ATVs across the dusty dry earth. Home is the retro milkshake place owned by the sweet old couple that has been in the neighborhood longer than your entire existence. Home is the tree-lined streets where you walked the family senior dog, Niko. Home is the Austin Fire House, your Dad’s workplace that you visited a handful of times back when you were a child to deliver cookies that your Abuela baked so your Dad could share it with his co-workers. Home is your mom’s clinic in the middle of downtown, always smelling like eugenol, disinfectant, formaldehyde, and her perfume. Home is not glitz and gold and glamor and cash cash cash. Home is not seeing wealthy people left and right. Home is not Monaco.

And it is not like you stayed long in your place either. You're always off traveling around the world with the Red Bull team and accompanying Max wherever he needs your presence. You don't even spend your breaks in that apartment because you immediately fly home to your family once a break is graciously given to you before flying off again to watch Max collect trophy after trophy.

Six days from now, you're going to be flying off to Texas. That means you have six days—less than six days actually—to pack all your crayons and go. Of course you're going to pack up the day before you leave. Doing shit last minute makes your life exciting, and it's not like you had a lot of shit to pack anyway. All your belongings can be tucked into a total of three suitcases. Three years worth of belongings in three suitcases.

you: you doin good there?

Max has been holing himself up in his penthouse since your arrival from Abu Dhabi, probably dealing with his breakup with Kelly. A shame, really. You thought the two looked good together. (Do they really? the asshole part of your brain thinks.)

And P. Thank God for that child’s existence. You hate children but P is an exception. P brings the best out of Max. Max has gotten the chance to act as the father he never had. It's heartwarming, to be honest.

him: not really no

him: can you bring me coffee

you: on it champ

Fifteen minutes later, you’re knocking on the gigantic double doors of his penthouse, a tall styro cup of espresso from that cute café two streets down and a slice of blueberry cheesecake because you’re thoughtful enough to buy him his favorite cake. You experienced a breakup before. A cake and an icecream work wonders when it came to healing broken hearts.

“You're fast,” he immediately says after opening the door. You kind of expect that he’d look worse, snotty and messy and looking like he ran from hell and back. But no, he looks……fine? His sweater and shorts look absolutely neat and comfortable and dry of snot. His hair is a little fluffy from lying on his bed but not too messy. He doesn't even look like he was crying. No red-rimmed eyes. No red nose.

You fake gasp, putting a hand on your chest for additional dramatic effect, “The fastest racer in F1 callin’ me fast. Truly honored.”

A smile plays on his lips, sidestepping and beckoning you in.

You frequently come by Max’s home, for work purposes of course, but you still cannot help but be amazed by the enormity of it every time you enter. Max’s penthouse is twenty times bigger than the apartment you currently live in. One man and a big house—it must be very lonely now that P and Kelly are no longer around. Now, you’re even more worried about what will happen the moment you go back to Texas.

Oh… You still haven't told him yet.

“Coffee,” you hand him the warm styro cup to which he accepts gratefully. He utters his thanks, taking a whiff before sipping, letting out a pleasured moan.

You make your way to his gigantic kitchen, navigating your way through his cabinets in search of a plate and a fork. You slide the cheesecake on the plate towards Max, who followed you to the kitchen and sat on the empty stool in the kitchen counter.

“Thank you,” he says, picking up the fork and taking a bite. He glances at your feet, eyes trained on your YSL. The obnoxious sound of the heels clicking against the floor as you walk probably is the one that caught his attention.

“You know, you've been wearing the same shoes since 2019.”

Points for Max for noticing. These YSL Opyum heels are the first luxury items you bought for yourself after saving for three years to buy one pair. You saw a rich international student wear it once back in university and you liked how sophisticated it looked compared to all the pairs of converse or platform boots you owned. So you made it your life’s goal to own one. In 2019, after doing tons of part time jobs in university and working with Red Bull for a whole year, you managed to buy yourself one on your birthday and you’d been wearing them to work ever since.

Your regular work uniform consists of a Red Bull polo shirt, a pencil or a slit skirt, and that specific pair of heels. Around 2021, you bought another pair to replace the old one because the old one broke. And 2022 again.

“What's wrong with ‘em?” you ask, brows furrowing as you followed his train of sight. Your heels might be a year old already but they still look fine.

Max blinks, “No, there's nothing wrong. Just…Do you think you would want to wear some other design?”

“No,” is your reply. “I like ‘em just the way they are.”

“Okay.”

Your conversation drifts into something else as Max finishes his coffee and cake. You spend the rest of the day in Max’s penthouse, lying on his plush couch while a slasher movie from the 2000s played on his wide TV. He has given you access on his Netflix account so you abused it to your heart’s content because you don't even have. a Netflix subscription. You can absolutely afford one, you just choose not to. You have opted in using your phone mid-movie because the movie is beginning to get real scary but you do not want Max to think you're a coward so you acted like you're disinterested instead.

“Oh look, Charles is also back in Monaco. Do you want to hang out together?” you nudge Max with your foot, who swats it away from him, face contorting in disgust. You show him the post on Charles private IG—yes, you were mutuals in each other's private IG because whoever is friends with Max was friends with you by extension—on your phone.

“Stop makin’ that face, my feet are nice.”

Your toenails are a glorious red now. Ferrari red actually and they suit you better than the Red Bull red. Huh, maybe you should have considered applying for Ferrari instead of Renault in 2018.

“No, it isn't.”

You roll your eyes, pulling it away from him and sitting up, “Do you want me to schedule you a dinner with Charles? You might need the bro time, you know? Dad said bro times are also important, but not as important as family time, of course. My bro broke up with his sweetheart back when I was still in uni and his best buds were the reason he was back up in tippy top shape by the end of the week.”

Max stares at you blankly, “I think I understand the words individually but not the sentence entirely. I don't know if it's the accent or you Americans just have a strange way of structuring your sentences.”

“Point is, hang out with a friend because a friend can help you move on from a pussy.”

Max hurls a throw pillow at your direction, which you luckily avoided thanks to your non-racer level but still considerably good reaction time, but unfortunately, this action causes your center of gravity to shift and before you know it, you're falling from the couch. Unconsciously, you grab Max but then Max doesn't expect that you’ll grab him so now, you’re both falling off the couch and onto the floor.

You groan.

“Fuckin’ ass, man. That was uncalled for.”

He flips you off.

Nevertheless, Max ends up following your advice though and calls Charles to hang out the next day. Lestappen fans should be thanking you on Twitter the next day for bringing those two together on an off-day in Monaco. Maybe they'll hang out and eat together in a restaurant? Maybe they'll go on a yacht picnic?

Except Max sends you a message at high noon.

him: sos

you: is your kitchen burning

him: no

him: but this is still an emergency and you need to come quick

him: he’s with his girlfriend and i don’t want to thirdwheel

you: succ it up

him: you can’t do this to me

him: i just got my heart broken in abu dhabi

you: where are you

him: home

him: i also need help in cooking

Charles is the one who answers the door when you knock. He looks genuinely surprised when he sees you and you deduce that Max hasn't told him that you're coming over.

“Babe, who’s that?” you hear Alex’s voice behind Charles and you light up immediately, quickly moving past Charles to throw your hands around the sweet young woman.

“Alex!” Alexandra laughs and hugs you back. The sound of her laughter is as pretty as she and God definitely has favorites because why did he sculpt this twenty-one year old like the daughter of the Aphrodite while you look like you were born from one of Hephaestus’ sperm that lost the gene pool contest? The world is unfair. You always get the short end of the stick, may it be career-wise or appearance-wise, and you can't even bring your personality to the table because normally, without the whole act of professionalism and sophistication you put on, you act like an extroverted American frat boy on a good day and a sassy drag queen slash war freak on a bad day so yeah, you guess that's the short end of the stick, too.

“Seriously?” you look up and saw Max holding a frying pan, staring at you unimpressed. You roll your eyes and slowly pull away from the hug, gaze returning to Alexandra.

“How’ve you been, sweetie? Been a while since I last saw you.”

You didn't get a chance to talk to her in Abu Dhabi and in Las Vegas.

“Good,” she replies, smiling sweetly and ugh, you want to pinch her cheeks so bad. But Charles is pulling you away from Alexandra before you can do so.

“No, no, she is mine, yours is right over there,” Charles says, pointing at Max, who's still standing there in the corner. “Go on. Shoo.”

You roll your eyes before walking up to Max, “‘Sup?”

Max raises a brow at you, “So Charles’ girlfriend gets a hug and I get a sup?”

“Well, she's Alexandra Saint Mleux and you’re just….” you look him up and down. “Nevermind, what you trynna cook?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“I thought you said you were cooking.”

“I said I needed help with cooking.”

Your eyes narrow into slits, “You’re going to let me do the cooking, aren't you?”

“You know that pasta you made in September that you said was your mother’s recipe?”

A sigh escapes your lips as you roll the sleeves of your button-up to your elbows and power-walked your way to the kitchen, the sound of your YSL heels clicking against the floor bouncing against the walls of Max’s kitchen.

Lunch goes great. Charles and Alexandra love your cooking. Max has even asked for seconds. Good to know that he's eating well. Somewhere down the line, champagne is served even though it’s mid-afternoon and the four of you're sitting in Max’s balcony, staring at Monaco scape below. Thankfully, it is a cloudy day in Monaco. The heat of the sun isn't too harsh on the skin. Despite that, you hand Max a sun screen.

“Sorry about Kelly, by the way,” Alexandra says. Your conversation has drifted towards Max’s failed relationship now.

“That is very nice of you to say,” replies Max, smiling slightly. “But I’m okay.”

You give him a look, clearly unconvinced. Admitting vulnerability gives him hives so he's definitely lying.

“You look too okay for a guy who ended a three-year relationship,” Charles muses and his words get you immediately thinking.

Oh? So they’ve been dating that long? You never noticed.

“Even [Name] looked worse when she broke up with that Williams mechanic two years ago and they dated for like what? Barely a year?”

“Unprovoked!” you exclaim. Alex and Max laugh.

But yeah, Charles is right. When you broke up with Leo in 2021, it was not the prettiest sight. He entered Williams mid-2020 as a mechanic and he immediately caught your attention. He's kind and handsome and a very sweet guy. You have similar interests—engineering—and a similar sense of humor and you just….work so well together, you know? You were sure he was your soulmate the moment he cracked up that Physics pickup line and you know it was the same with him. You swore to God that you’d run away from all the British charming assholes but Leo made you eat your own words and gave you a run for your money.

But alas, 2021 season came and Red Bull Racing became busier than ever because Max and Hamilton got crazily competitive and Max demanded your full attention, needing you as a support system to win.

And Leo. Well, he’s busy, too. Engineers are always busy. But he felt neglected because all your attention was on Max. He felt like he was competing with Max for your attention and it shouldn't even be a competition in the first because Leo was the boyfriend and Max was not. And you cannot even deny that you prioritized Max that year. You wanted Max to win. You needed Max to win, so he can finally ask Horner to move you to the engineering team.

Losing Leo is devastating but Max won the WDC title that year and while you spent nearly a month crying over Leo after the breakup, you're hoping that at least, in 2022, you’ll finally get that damned engineering position at the cost of losing your soulmate. That the tears you shed and the broken heart you carried inside your ribs will be worth it if it was in exchange for your dream. Then, it does not happen. The job isn't given to you and you spent the early months of the 2023 season wishing that you have chosen Leo instead of Max Verstappen.

“You’re still friends with him, right?” Charles turns to you.

“Of course,” you say honestly. You're still mutuals on IG and he still hearts your IG stories at times. You still talk, too, on the freer nights where there's a lot of time to waste. “We ended on good terms.”

“How about you, Max?”

“Can we not talk about this please?”

The four of you empty that bottle of champagne and once the sun has begun retiring for the night, Alex and Charles also left. You're soon to follow, fixing your tote bag and going through the mental checklist in your head so you will not forget anything and not waste energy returning here to pick it up.

“You can stay for dinner.”

Max’s offer surprises you.

“No.”

His face drops as quickly as your answer came.

“You're goin’ to let me cook again.”

“No, I’ll cook.”

You give him an unimpressed look. Clearly, you're not convinced.

“I swear, I’ll cook.”

“What if I get poisoned?”

“You won't get poisoned.”

When you continue staring at him, he sighs.

“Just stay please?”

Of course, you stayed. He asked after all.

You keep your eyes on him as he makes dinner with clumsy hands and a bit of unsureness behind his actions.

“You're goin’ to burn it, honey,” you point out.

“What honey? I didn't put any honey in it.”

You blink. He blinks back.

“You’re gonna give me aneurysm one day.”

Shaking your head, you walk into the bathroom at the end of the enormous hallway, lock the door behind you, lean your back against the door, and slowly slides down until your ass meets the cold bathroom floor. You slap a palm against your forehead and purse your lips to stop a scream from erupting.

God fucking dammit, Max is too adorable back there and this is not doing good things for your heart.

[harmonysanreads]

Okay legit I had an idea and I'm sending it to the first hsr related blog I found.

Sunday, but with amnesia.

Like, say he somehow got attacked and hit his head hard enough to mess with his memory. He remembers some things, but can't recall others.

Unfortunately, his datemate/spouse is someone he forgets.

He's able to go about his days and work just fine, but he can't help but feel like something is missing. He doesn't recall why he wants to hold their hand or accidentally let slip an affectionate petname. He's confused when he sees photos of them on his desk. No matter how hard he tries, he can't recall who they are. He knows that he loves them, he's been told by everyone (including his sister), but he just can't bring back the memory of them.

One day, while he's making his bed, he comes across a familiar gift. It's a plushie that had been pushed under his bed at some point. He doesn't recognize the character. It certainly wasn't from the Clockie cartoons. Even so, it's soft and warm and impeccably maintained, even if it shows signs of being well loved. He holds it to his chest, and he catches a whiff of familiar perfume, one that brings a single word to his mind.

"Angel."

(As you can probably tell, I've been gnawing on this idea for at least a minute)

Anon, I think you can see the future because this would be perfect to think about after that quest.

It is often said that as long as there's someone who remembers you, you'll live even after you've passed the borders of life. But, is it still ‘living’ if everyone remembers you except the person who's carved a home in your heart? And can that person ever be the same ; breathing, working and going through life with the aching vacancy of a home?

Sunday might've been shaken from the events of the Charmony Eve, but he's conscious enough to suspect that his impromptu transformation could've altered his memory. It's a simple conclusion, if you're feeling empty, then it's clear there was something occupying that space. And if the vacancy is so painful that you can't shake it off — then that missing object, or person, was undoubtedly important.

Still, it's nonetheless difficult accepting the fact that he ever loved someone that intensely. While he is open to hearing your side of things and believing in the stubborn stains you left around the corners of his life — he just can't quite believe the entirety of the truth.

There's another nagging thought slowly taking root in his subconscious after the Nameless proved their the strength of their ideology. Suppose, he accepts that he truly did love you more than the air he breaths, but, should he continue keeping you in his watch, integrated in his renown as vehemently as he'd done before? Or, should he set you free? Should he respect whatever decision you make and wherever you choose to go for once in this dreadful life?

Whatever conclusion Sunday inevitably arrives at, it's best to not expect its arrival very soon.

[lya-dustin]

All is Bliss

Chapter 39

Cw:mentions of death in childbirth and actual death(aftermath of the Battle of the Gullet)

Taglist: @mercedesdecorazon @darylandbethfanforever9 @aemondx @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @alexandria-millie @ewanmitchellcrumbs

Gif by @nastasyafilippovnas

They need the courtiers, the council and as many lords as they can.

Jena and Samantha brought the young women to her side with ease, but the older generations were very set in their ways.

Aemma had really given it her all with New Year’s Eve gifts, a special mass and ending the celebration with a tasteful feast.

Not that it moved the hags, most of them thought Aemma was too much like her mother to even give her a chance.

Free bread and ale were given to the smallfolk, servants and serfs were given a bonus and whatever complaint the Small Council had against the spending, the young queen would look at her husband or her lover and ask them if they remembered whose bright idea was to split the treasury.

For effect, Jena had recommended that she hold her hand over her belly now that she had begun to show.

And it had worked.

The Casterly Rock reserve had been recalled given the danger it posed to have the Red Craken getting it as he took Lannisport and used to replenish the stores for winter.

And, because Aegon wanted to throw a tourney in a week for Aemma’s eight and tenth nameday and he wanted to be generous to all and give the city something nice to say about him.

A wonderful thing Alicent will return to, a celebration thrown in someone else’s honor and Ser Criston being told that he must crown Aemma because his king commands it.

If Cole knows what’s best for him ---whatever arrangement he has with the Queen Mother hinged on his devotion to her--- he will lose the tilt and let anyone else win.

Jena’s money and emerald bracelet is on Aemond winning.

It’s the sort of bad luck these two lovers have around them like nasty perfume.

“Don’t wait up, darling. Kiss the children goodnight for me.” Jasper said as he hurried out the door and left her with an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “The prince has called for a meeting.”

“Will you tell me about it when you return, my love?” she asked, affixing his cloak on his shoulders before sending him on his way.

She had a hunch that Aemma would not be told of it, battles and things relating to the war are things that bar her from the small council on account of being the enemy’s figurehead.

“I will, make sure Prudence has her unicorn and Olyvar isn’t breaking into my solar again and we have a deal.”

Same deal as always, be the mother of my children, and I will be your coconspirator.

The Triarchy is closing in on the Gullet as they speak.

Sharako Lohar has been sent along with ninety warships to break the blockade and open the trade routes.

He had fought Daemon before, claimed to be behind a tear in Vhagar’s wings when he nearly shot Laena Velaryon out of the sky and promised to have control of the Gullet by the fifth day of the new year.

That was tomorrow.

Aemma’s nameday is the day after that, on the sixth.

Lohar hopes the king will have more than just the queen’s name day to celebrate.

Great fucking gift the Myrman has planned, with any luck he may only bring her brothers as hostages and not trophies.

“I think it would be beneficial for the queen’s health that she be told of this. The surprise may cause a miscarriage.” Orwyle is the only one to ring up the elephant in the room: Aemma. “Give her grace time to come to terms with their deaths instead of having it all done on her nameday of all days.”

It would have been better, but they’d never agree to it.

Aemond would have to be the one to tell her and he can’t face her when it would destroy her to know Lucerys and Jacaerys are dead when he doesn’t truly grieve their loss.

Jena would be the one to tell her, the look he shares with Ironrod says it all.

Oh, fuck.

Can’t even have a normal nameday in this family.

Everyone is acting strange around her, walking on eggshells and treating her as if she might shatter.

She is only turning eight and ten tomorrow. Sure, Daella Targaryen died at that age, but really, the young queen doesn’t know what’s going on with everyone.

Aemond had come to her bed after his meeting last night, not because he wanted to bed her, just to hold her.

For a man who claims not to have a romantic bone in his body, he was quite the romantic.

Jena has been trying to tell her something, but she cannot get a word in edgewise all day.

Now that she is taking a break from having her hair braided, Aemma finally gets to know what she has been trying to say before someone interrupted her.

“My husband and Aemond asked me to tell you before you learn of this tomorrow. The Triarchy has agreed to work with us, apparently Ser Otto sent ravens to them, and they have only just responded.” The blue-eyed woman looks at her with empathy and something that looks like pity.

Aemma hates pity.

“What?” Aemma asked, hoping she heard her wrong or that the fleet is still far far away from here.

“They are taking the Gullet as we speak.” Jena answered and Aemma feels herself grow faint.

But she doesn’t faint, no, she holds on to the back of her chair and prays the Kingdom of the Three Whores takes hostages instead of trophies.

If they were seeking Daemon, he was back at the Riverlands waiting for Aemond to come to him and fall into his trap.

He didn’t even want Aemond, he wanted Criston. Criston who engineered Rook’s Rest. Daemon may have been looked down on by Rhaenys and Corlys after Laena’s death, but Rhaenys still had been his only living cousin.

Fire and Blood extends to vengeance too.

“Where’s Baela, she needs to know as well.” The queen steels herself and has them summon her cousin and stepsister because she has to know that they may lose more family today.

There is smoke in the horizon by the time Baela comes, she spends time in the tiltyard whacking at strawmen with a wooden sword under the watchful eye of Willis Fell and Cousin Daeron.

“I heard already, they have set Spicetown on fire, they say, they say---” Baela cannot say the damn words and crushes her in a tight embrace and says the words they both had been dreading, “--- they, the Myrmen killed Jace.”

[indiagiftsonline]

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[janetteuniverse-blog2]

Perfect Mothers Day gift

[crashdevlin]

Bah Humbug!

Author’s Note:  Written for @avengerscompound ‘s Cards Against Humanity Challenge. My prompt was A big brain full of facts and sadness. I was really just wanting someone to save me from my job when I started writing this and I was gonna make it this super smutty thing, but I couldn’t smut because... IDK, it just wouldn’t happen, so this is not the best thing I’ve ever written... 

Summary: Y/n meets Tony Stark at her job and somehow catches his attention. Y/n’s a bit of a Grinch, but when Tony Stark invites you to a party, you go.

Pairing(s): Tony Stark x Reader

Word Count: 2868

Story Warnings: implied smut

You weren’t a fan of Christmas. You’d been working in retail since your first job at fourteen years old so you’d had your fill of jingle bells and gay apparel and if you never heard ‘Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer’ again, you’d die happy. You hated Christmas, so how did you end up spending your Christmas Eve at the biggest, craziest, loudest Christmas party on the East Coast?

Tony fuckin’ Stark, that’s how.

You were working the jewelry counter at the big box retail warehouse you hated to call your place of employment when you met him for the first time. There was no way to not recognize him, but you didn’t mention it as he approached the counter.

“Let me know if there’s anything you wanna see up close, sir.” Polite greeting, let him know you’ve seen him, but don’t be pushy. You kept your distance, not crowding him.

He nodded in acknowledgment and leaned down to look at the watches. “What kinda commissions you make here?” he asked, not looking up at you.

“None. It’s just one of the ways we keep our prices low, sir.”

“That sucks. I’m looking at this Breitling.” He jabbed his finger against the glass. “My friend wants the Galactic 36 Rose Gold one and you guys are the first ones who’ve had it.”

You walked forward, going to your tiptoes to see which watch he was pointing at. “We’re the only ones who have it because that’s a two year old model and most of our members can’t afford to drop $12,000 on a watch, so it’s been sitting around for a while.”

“So, if I buy out the whole case, do you get to go home early?” He looked up at you with a smile and you got a little lost in his whiskey-colored eyes.

You chuckled. It wasn’t the first time someone had made that joke, but this was Tony Stark and he might actually do it if you gave the encouraging answer you usually responded with, so you shook your head. “No. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I know about 85% of the positions in this place, so if you bought us out, they’d just have me shut down the register and… put me on a forklift or something and that is not something I want to do in a dress and heels.”

“I feel like that’s somebody’s kink, somewhere. Not mine, that I know of. Can I get this watch?” He said it all very quickly and it took a minute for your brain to catch up and cause your cheeks to warm as you pulled out your case key and started to pull the watch out. You walked to the register and rang him up, marveling at the way he managed to get the e-payment from his smartwatch to work on a card reader that never took Samsung, Apple or Google Pay. “So, if Happy doesn’t like it, do I just bring it back to you, y/n?”

You kinda loved the sound of your name on his lips. “If your friend doesn’t like the $12,000 watch you tracked down specifically for him?” You laughed. “Yeah, you just bring it back to the jewelry counter. If you hold onto the receipt, it’ll make it easier on us to return it, but we can do a return without it.”

“Yeah, but are you gonna be here if I have to come back?”

You shook your head. “Unlikely. I’m usually not jewelry. Like I said, I know most of the jobs in this place, but I’m usually a floor associate.”

“Where on the floor?”

You set the gift bag with the watch down on the counter in front of him, smiling across the glass at him. “I’m usually either stocking or cashiering in our liquor store, Mr. Stark.”

“Oh, so you do know who I am.”

“I got your name off of your membership card. Should I know who you are?” you teased, smirking.

He chuckled. “So this place has a package store, huh?”

“Yep. Turn right at the exit. It’s right there.”

“Bet’cha don’t stock my scotch.”

“I won’t take that bet, ‘cause I’m certain we don’t.”

He smiled, picking up the bag. “Well, it was good talkin’ to ya, y/n. I’ll have to check out the liquor, just in case.”

“Okay. You have a good day, sir.”

The next time you saw him was a couple weeks later, when he came strutting into the liquor store like he owned the place, which it seemed like Tony Stark felt like he owned every room. “Hey, y/n! You really do work everywhere, don’t you?”

“I did say that I was usually in the liquor store, didn’t I?” you responded, with a smile, excited that he remembered you, remembered your name.

“Yes, you did. You have Blanton’s?” He pointed at the steel shelf with the 750ml bottles and strode over as a tall, broad-shouldered man walked in with a flatbed cart. “Nobody has Blanton’s. This is a $200 bottle of bourbon.”

“Oh, really?” You knew that. Of course you did. The first time it came in, it was gone in an hour because it was so cheap. “Well, I mean, not here, it’s not.”

“So, this is what we get for them not giving you commissions, huh? $68 Blanton’s.”

“Yes. That’s exactly how they get you $68 Blanton’s, by not paying a living wage or giving raises, commissions, or real benefits. Oh, god, you don’t know the Waltons, do you?” You grimaced.

“Nah. Not all billionaires know each other, you know.”

“How am I supposed to know that?” you responded, shrugging.

“Hap, you got the list?” The broad man held up a tablet as Tony picked up several bottles of the bourbon. “Go ahead and start loading it up.”

“There’s a list?” you asked, as he set the bottles on your counter and fiddled with the horse and jockey on the stopper. “Stocking up your wet bar or are you hosting an event?”

“Christmas party,” he answered.

“Oh, sounds… fun.”

“Liar. You’re a Grinch, aren’t ya?”

You pursed your lips. “Little bit, yeah. You wouldn’t know this, but Christmas sucks if you work… you know, a rea-… non-superhero job.”

“What, you don’t have family to be Christmas-y with?”

You shook your head. “Not in New York. Everybody’s back home in BFE.”

“Middle of nowhere, huh?”

“That is what BFE means. Management won’t approve time off in December so I can’t go home. Might be part of why I’m a Grinch, but it’s mostly, you know… working in retail.”

“So, you don’t have plans Christmas Eve?” Tony asked. You shook your head. He tapped the watch on his wrist. “Then, you’re coming to the party. FRIDAY, add Miss y/l/n to the guest list.”

Your eyebrows went up. “How do you know my last name?”

“You were such a help with Hap’s Christmas present and I felt bad you weren’t gonna get rewarded for it, so I wanted to send you a card, but I can just give you your card at the party.”

“You just assume I wanna go to your party?” you asked, as Happy walked up with a flatbed full of liquor.

“Of course you do. Just so that you could call home and tell them you got to go to a party at the Avengers Compound.”

“And if my family thinks the Avengers are a bunch of vigilantes who should be arrested for taking the law into their own hands?” You signed into your register and grabbed the scan gun.

“Even more reason to come to the Compound. Give those jerks in BumFuck Egypt something to gossip about.” You shook your head, chuckling as you started to ring up boxes and boxes of bottles of booze. “I’m serious. I want you there, y/n.”

“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll fit right in with all the superheroes and super-geniuses and supermodels that are gonna be at your party, Mr. Stark,” you said, sarcastically.

“Don’t fit in. Who wants to fit in?” He swiped his watch over the card reader to pay for the liquor and you set the receipt on the counter in front of him. He smiled as he picked it up. “Thursday. 6 o’clock. Women wear red. If you bring a date, he’s gotta wear green. Dress code.”

“Of course rich people’s parties have dress codes.”

“See you Christmas Eve.” He walked out before you had an opportunity to argue any more and you were faced with the question of going to the party or sitting in your pajamas having a Doctor Who marathon on Christmas Eve. But who could pass up the opportunity of free booze, free food, and the chance to tell everybody back home that you weren’t a complete failure at life.

Which is how you ended up in a slinky red dress on Christmas Eve. You took an Uber to the Compound. You knew you were going to be drinking and you didn’t even want to be tempted to try to drive home at any point in the night. You waited in line to get in, your stiletto boots already hurting your feet as you stood, wrapped in your thick coat. You were mildly surprised when they actually let you in at the door, almost not believing you were actually on the list until the doorman allowed you through.

You checked your coat and headed, immediately, for the closest wet bar. There weren’t as many people as you’d expected, but the people you could see? You recognized almost every single one of them. Models and actors and heiresses and scientists… and superheroes. It seemed so surreal that you could see Steve Rogers laughing fifty yards away, that the redhead dancing in the far corner was most definitely Natasha Romanoff, that you could see Clint Barton watching her from a perch on the back of the sofa closest.

You were on your second drink when Tony approached on your left side, the bartender immediately handing him a tumbler of whiskey without prompting. “Wow, y/n! You look good. I mean, I already knew you looked good out of the blue smock, but you went all out… with the makeup and the hair and what’s that perfume?”

“Something cheap. It smelled a bit like Eternity, half the price tag, so…” You shrugged. “You, of course, look amazing as always, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re off the clock and at my house. Call me ‘Tony’.”

You smiled, biting your lip slightly. “Okay, Tony.”

“So, you likin’ the party? Highlight of your life?”

You laughed. “Yeah! I mean… it’s a party… with a bunch of people I don’t know and have absolutely nothing in common with, but… sure.”

“Uh, yeah, you don’t need to have anything in common with these people. I only invited you for me, anyway.”

You blanched. “What?”

“Yeah, I was hoping you would show up alone and, hey, here you are.”

“Wait, are you hitting on me?”

“Since the moment I met you. They grow ‘em oblivious in BumFuck Egypt, huh?”

You scoffed, a bit overwhelmed. “Uh, I don’t know about, um, oblivious. I just… I mean… you’re Tony Stark. You’re Iron Man. I’m… Minimum Wage Barbie.”

“I’ve had plenty of Barbies. You’re better than Barbie.”

“How do you know?”

“I’m a good judge of character.” You raised your eyebrow. “Okay, I’m usually a good judge of character. Sometimes, I get blinded by people I have history with. I don’t have history with you, so I can be objective about the fact that you’re hot and smart.”

“What now?” Your eyebrows shot up. “How could you possibly know anything about my intelligence?”

Tony smirked. “You’re joking, right? You know who I am, don’t you? I got access to your high school transcripts and your SAT scores. You shoulda gone to college.”

“I didn’t have the money for college, Tony. I never have the money for anything.”

“Yeah, you need a better job. Speaking of, come with me. Let’s get your Thank You note.” You followed Tony as fast as you could on your stiletto boots with two drinks in your system, ending up in his office a good minute behind him. He was sitting at his desk, a cream-colored envelope of thick paper in his hand. “Here.”

You licked your lips and leaned against his desk as you slid your finger under the edge of the envelope. “What is this?”

“An appointment with my Head of Human Resources.”

“I- what? You wanna hire me?”

“Definitely. I’ve looked into your background, y/l/n, and you deserve better than what you’ve got now.”

You scoffed, shaking your head. “I can’t accept this, Tony.”

“Why not?”

“Well…” You smiled and set the envelope on his desk. It might have been the alcohol, or it might have been the attention Tony Stark was paying you, but you suddenly felt very bold. “If I work for you, I can’t sleep with you.”

“Says who?” he responded, smiling. “If you promise not to sue me, we’ll be fine.”

And that’s how you ended up waking up alone in Tony’s King-sized bed. You knew that, once upon a time, this would’ve been the point where Pepper Potts would guide you out. You, instead, elected to guide yourself out. You dressed quickly, grabbing your boots from under the bed and pulling them on.

“Mr. Stark’s in the lab, Miss y/l/n. He requests yer presence before you leave the Compound. Do you need directions to the lab?” the accented A.I. FRIDAY asked.

“Oh. Uh. Yeah, I guess.” You followed FRIDAY’s directions to Tony’s lab and watched him through the glass for a few moments. He was tinkering with something, some component of one of the suits. You weren’t sure what it was and it didn’t really matter. What mattered was watching Tony Stark, the real Tony. Not Iron Man, or the false persona he put on to keep people from getting too close lest he be betrayed again. You were getting to see Tony as he was when he thought he was alone, and that Tony was sad. “Hi,” you greeted, finally entering the lab instead of just watching.

“Sleeping Beauty awakes.”

“You look like you’ve been up a while.”

“Yeah. I’ve trained myself to live on four hours of sleep. You look great, though. That dress looks even better the second day.”

“Thanks. I mean, I wasn’t exactly expecting to wear it Christmas morning, too, but-” You shrugged. “How are you, Mr. Stark? You looked, uh, off when I walked up.”

His perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised. “Off?”

You took a deep breath, unsure if you were welcome to share your insight. You barely knew the man. But… you were screaming his name six hours before. “You’re sad. You don’t show it, but you’ve got, like… a big brain full of facts and sadness.”

“Definitely got a big brain full of facts, but I don’t agree on the sadness. I’m me. What do I have to be sad about?”

“I could start listing things, but I feel like it’s not very nice to bring up someone’s regrets and fears.”

“Who cares about nice?”

“Generally, I do.” Tony smiled, softly, and set down what he was working on. “And I think you do, too, Mr. Stark.”

“That better be you preparing for calling me that at work, because I'm stealing you from the Waltons. I won't take ‘no’.”

You scoffed a little. “You really want me to work for you, Tony?”

“Yes. For me, with me, under me, whatever you want. Just… don't go back to your old job. They don't deserve you. I bet not a single one of them has ever even made you scream.” He put his hand on your shoulder, catching your eyes. “Tell me none of your bosses have made you scream.”

“In frustration, maybe, but not the way you did.”

“See? You deserve a boss that will tend to your needs while also attending his own. I am that boss.”

You sighed. “I'll sit down with your HOHR, but I'm sure they're gonna take one look at my CV and laugh.”

“Put me down as a reference and you'll get hired.”

“To do what, though? Tony, I have a high school diploma and no marketable skills.”

“You've got plenty of skill and if this were Nevada, they'd be completely marketable, but… we can give you an entry-level position as… my assistant.”

“Oh, really?” You smirked. “You want me to be your assistant? Isn’t FRIDAY your assistant?”

“I could never take the place of a flesh and blood assistant, Miss y/l/n. I think you’d make a lovely PA.”

“I thought Happy was your flesh and blood assistant.”

“Then you could be Happy’s assistant.” He ran his hands down your arms to take your hands in his. “Come work for me.”

“Can you promise I’m not gonna hate my job?”

“Nope! Happy’s gonna make the job tough. But I can promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

“How could I say ‘no’ to that?”

And that’s how you ended up in a new job, with a new relationship, for your new year.

KITCHEN SINK TAGS @heyitscam99 @wonderlandfandomkingdom @unlikelysamwinchesteronahunt @mrs-meghan-winchester @henrymorganme @lonely-skys @allykat2108 @mogaruke @flamencodiva

[168p]

A Guide To Costume National Perfume For Christmas

Christmas is a time for celebrating with family and friends. It’s also a time when we dress up to show our festive spirit. But not all of us have the luxury of being able to go out and buy a brand new outfit every time we want to wear something different. This is where costume national perfumes come in. These fragrances are designed to replicate the smell of different types of costumes, so you can dress up as your favorite character without having to spend tons of money on a brand-new outfit. In this blog post, we’re going to give you a guide to costume national perfumes for Christmas. We’ll cover the different types of perfumes and what they smell like, as well as some tips on how to use them effectively.

What are the different types of perfume?

There are three main types of perfume: eau de cologne, eau de toilette, and perfume. Eau de cologne is the most common type and is simply a water and alcohol blend. It's meant to be worn on the body as a spray. Eau de toilette is a more concentrated version of eau de cologne and is meant to be worn on the wrists or neck. Perfume is the most luxurious type of perfume and it consists of various scents blended together.

How to choose the right perfume for your holiday outfit

There are many elements that go into choosing the right perfume for your holiday outfit. In order to help you make a perfect choice, consider what type of holiday you're attending. If it's a religious celebration, like Christmas, then choose something with a traditional scent. If it's a more festive occasion, like New Year's Eve, then go for something brighter and more uplifting.

Once you've determined the type of event, another factor to consider is your personal chemistry. What smells good on one person might not smell as good on another. This is why perfume testers are so important! Test out different fragrances until you find one that smells great on you and makes you feel confident and beautiful.

Finally, think about what image you want to project. Are you looking to be seductive and alluring? Or do you want to be cheerful and festive? Choose accordingly!

How to put together a festive fragrance wardrobe

Put your best foot forward this holiday season with a festive fragrance wardrobe. Whether you’re dressing up as a traditional Christmas character or going for something more contemporary, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to scent.

Here are five tips for putting together your fragrance wardrobe for the holidays:

Choose a Fragrance Oil Candle

Candles have become incredibly popular as holiday gifts, and they’re perfect for creating your own personalized fragrance. Plus, they’re easy to transport and set up anywhere in your home. Choose a fragrance oil candle that matches your outfit or personality type. For example, if you’re dressing up as a mermaid, go for scents like pearls and aquatic notes.

Add Some Eau de Toilette Perfume

Eau de toilette (EDT) perfumes are another great option when it comes to choosing your personal fragrance. They can be expensive, but they last longer and offer more versatility than most candles. Be sure to pick one that blends well with your other fragrances in the wardrobe and is light enough so you won’t feel weighed down all day long.

Invest In A Good Perfume Sampler Set

If you don’t want to commit to buying individual perfumes, consider investing in a good perfume sampler set. This will give you the opportunity to try out different scents without spending a lot of money. Plus, it’s a great way to get to know which scents work best for you.

Grab Some Fragrance-Free Body Sprays

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution when it comes to fragrance, consider grabbing some fragrance-free body sprays. These sprays are perfect for applying to your skin before you go out or when you need an extra boost of scent. They’re also great for keeping pesky little smells at bay while you’re out and about.

Choose A Fragrance Rollerball or Pen

If you want to bring your own fragrance with you wherever you go, consider choosing a fragrance rollerball or pen. These products are easy to carry and can be filled with your favorite scent. Plus, they’re perfect for times when you don’t want to take the time to apply a full bottle of perfume.

The different ways to wear perfume

There are a few different ways to wear perfume, so you can find the perfect scent for your outfit. For example, you can spray it on your wrists and neck before a formal event, or use it as an added layer of fragrance while shopping. You can also spritz it in the air to create a festive atmosphere. And finally, some people like to carry a small bottle of perfume with them at all times in case they want to freshen up. There’s no wrong way to enjoy perfume – just choose what works best for you!

Tips for using perfume safely

When it comes to using perfume, there are a few tips that everyone should follow to ensure safe use. First and foremost, never spray perfume directly onto your skin - always apply it to a cloth or sponge. Second, make sure you read the ingredients list carefully before purchasing any scent - many fragrances contain dangerous chemicals that can be carcinogenic. Finally, always keep the perfume in a clean and dry place when not in use - heat and sunlight can degrade its scent significantly.

[turnipsummer14-blog]

Christmas gift guide: what you can order just FOUR days before December 25th

Still have presents to buy? The best Christmas gifts for last-minute shoppers that will arrive in time for December 25th - and they cost as little as £10

Vouchers are the way to go if you're sweating slightly about presents arriving in time for the big day

Online retailers are still offering presents with a guarantee of arriving at your door by the 24th December

Our picks include a day out at The Bear Grylls Adventure in Birmingham to hand-made chocolate truffles

Cost-conscious gifts include engraved perfume from £35 a bottle...and beer in the post for £29.90

By Jo Tweedy For Mailonline

Published: 07:50 GMT, 21 December 2018 | Updated: 15:21 GMT, 21 December 2018

Advertisement

The man in red is already packing up his sleigh...but what if, with just four days until the big December 25th, your present bag is still dismally bare?

Fear not, for online shopping truly offers last-minute Larrys a life-line, for there's a whole raft of internet purchases that can be made on December 21st...and still find their way to your loved one well in time for Christmas Day. Zero to hero in the click of a mouse!

Here, Femail rounds up the best last-gasp purchases you can still make... 

UNDER £50

Nuxe Christmas cracker featuring four mini products £10.00

Ideal for travellers looking for some soothing treats in a smaller size, this Nuxe gift-set includes mini versions of luxurious products including a hand and nail cream, a honey face cream and a dry oil splash.  

Order by 4pm on the 23rd (£4.95 charge) for next-day delivery 

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Hand-made truffles including a Brussels sprout flavour  £10.00

The sophisticated alternative to a selection box? Hand-made chocolate truffles with a Christmas theme include Raspberry Champagne, Prosecco, Milk Champagne and, wait for it, Brussel Sprouts! The box is geometric-trendy too.   

Order by By 3pm on the 21st for tracked next day delivery 

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Tickets to see the Nutcracker live at London's Albert Hall   From £35.00

Forget Hollywood's version, the Nutcracker will play out to awe-struck crowds from the 28th to the 31st December at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The best news? You can pick tickets up straight from the box office... perfect for johnny come-latelys.

Order online and receive by post or direct at the box office 

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Commemorative First World War cut-glass Tommy figure  £29.99

Made by veterans, all profits from this commemorative WW1 Tommy figure go to charities across the military and mental health sector. This 10"/25cm high Perspex Tommy figure is delivered in beautiful packaging. This would be a lovely gift for many, especially to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War this year. 

Order by December 21 for delivery before Christmas

Shop

Tile Pro device to stop you losing keys and phones  £30

This handy device is ideal for keeping track of items that easily get lost including house keys and luggage. The tile uses Bluetooth to make a loud sound that identifies the location of a lost item as well as shows positioning on a map. 

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Braun Series 3 ProSkin 3080s electronic shaver £49.99

Perfect for the man on the go, the Braun Series 3 ProSkin 3080s has advanced MircoComb technology that reduces shaving time by guiding hair into the cutting element, while the two SensoFoils adapt to every contour to offer extreme shaving comfort and precision. Order with standard delivery by December 21, or next day delivery on December 23. 

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Faux fur cushions  £12.99

These luxury faux fur cushions are the ideal home accessory fur modern living spaces. Their plush exterior is a comfort to feel and their attractive look will compliment your room with a stylish edge.

Order by December 21 for delivery before Christmas.

Shop

Showtime Alphabet Collection Cushions  £31.99

Featuring all 26 letters of the alphabet and numbers 1-9, the playful, vintage font is reminiscent of traditional circus typography combined with a modern day palette.

Order by December 21 for delivery before Christmas. 

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The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky  £40.95

A Glenrothes 12 Year Old in classic style: fruity and sweet. Aged solely in sherry-seasoned casks, this Speyside whisky has notes of vanilla, melon, banana and cinnamon.

Order by 7pm on December 21 with express delivery for Christmas Eve delivery. 

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Gintuition Set £27

Created for all gin fans, this selection of 3 great gin glasses helps you to discover and enjoy the best tasting gin experience. A classic highball and on-trend copa stem are complimented by the stylish martini cocktail. 

Order by 11.30am on December 21 for Christmas Eve delivery. 

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Birchbox gift subscription  £30 every 3 months

Treat someone to 3, 6 or 12 months of beauty discoveries and they'll receive a monthly delivery of 5 luxe beauty treats straight to their door. 

It really is the gift that keep on giving - and the instantly printable certificate means it is great for last minute presents, all the way up to December 24th! 

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Bruno Paillard Brut Premiere Cuvee NV Champagne  £33.95

Brut Premiére Cuvée NV is Bruno Paillard’s flagship Champagne. This lively non-vintage is made exclusively from the first pressing of the grapes (the purest juice) and is a blend of wine from thirty-two villages, all vinified separately. 

Delivery time in London is two hours, and one day delivery is available throughout the rest of the country. 

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Mamont Vodka available to order until December 23rd £31.99

Presented in an ornate Mammoth tusk bottle, reminiscent of its Siberian roots, Mamont is the perfect gift or party pleaser this winter. Produced in limited small batches, Mamont Vodka is an ultra-premium, crystal clear spirit. Next day delivery is available so order by December 23.

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Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition  £20

Jameson whiskey finished in craft stout-seasoned barrels from a local brewery, the stout-cask finish accentuates Jameson’s trademark smoothness with additional rich flavours of chocolate, coffee and butterscotch. 

Order by December 21 for Christmas delivery.

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Birchbox Man Travel Bag  £27

The perfect gift for the man in your life, you'll find everything he needs for on-the-go grooming inside this limited edition bag. From a cleanse-and-moisturise to a cosy pair of socks, we've got his impromptu getaways taken care of. 

Order by 11.59pm on December 21 for delivery before Christmas. 

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£50-£100

WD 2 TB My Passport Portable Hard Drive  £84.99

The My Passport portable drive is trusted to store the massive amounts of photos, videos and music you love; available in an array of vibrant, fun colors, the sleek style fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, so you can easily take your treasured content everywhere you go. 

Order by December 21 for delivery by Christmas Eve.

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Bear Grylls Adventure NEC  £80

Inspired by the adventurer's real-life expeditions, the Bear Grylls Adventure at Birmingham's NEC opened in September. This particular package offers a 90-minute indoor skydiving experience, an hour on the High Ropes, a go on the free fall tunnel and a zip-lining experience. Other experience packages are available. 

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 Learn to make bread From £75

Bread Angels specialise in making a whole variety of bread sold in the local community. 

Expert teachers also offer four-hour courses across the UK, with gift vouchers for classes starting from £75, with everything from basic breads to sourdough and grissini on the menu. 

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Private dance lessons £54 an hour

Know a Strictly fan who would appreciate a chance to dance? Treat them to a private lesson, learning choreography to their favourite song, with a professional teacher.  Vouchers are for two people and available across the UK. 

  Shop

Dry pouch  £65

Newly launched, Red Original’s ‘Dry Pouch’ has been designed to keep wallets, phones and keys completely protected (throw it against a wall and all will remain safe and sound inside) and waterproof (plus it floats) with a YKK zip which will never rust, corrode or let water in. It can be attached through a belt or onto a board, boat, bike etc. Ideal for boating, swimming, skiing. This is a bum bag that a man would actually wear! 

Order by December 21 for delivery before Christmas. 

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KODAK Mini Shot Instant Camera  £84.99

Experience super high quality image processing and super-fast printing with the NEW Mini Shot Instant Camera from KODAK. Featuring powerful patented 4Pass Printing Technology, this 10-megapixel wonder enables you to aim, snap and print gorgeous credit-card-sized photos from the palm of your hand. 

Order by end of play December 21 for delivery before Christmas. 

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Milano Velvet Armchair in teal  £89.99

The ICON® Milano Armchair offers a rich depth of colour and texture that give this soft seat its soulful personality. Its elegantly supportive form and clean lines are waiting to envelope you in its shimmering velvet fabric. Lift and move this lightweight lovely wherever you wish using its matching velvet handle and its resilient fabric base to rest on. 

Order on December 21 for delivery before Christmas. 

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House of Marley No Bounds Bluetooth Speaker  £59.99

The No Bounds is our most rugged outdoor bluetooth speaker, crafted with sustainable cork to be as natural as its intended environment. The 4-colour speaker series is water and dust-proof, and each No Bounds boasts a 10-hour battery life which can be charged from flat in just 2 hours.  

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Over £100 

Dyson Supersonic™ Hair Dryer  £299.99

The Dyson Supersonic is engineered for balance, with a motor that sits in the handle, for a new kind of drying experience. A glass bead thermistor measures the air temperature 20 times per second, guarding against extreme heat damage to protect natural shine. It’s acoustically tuned for conversation. The powerful motor is tuned to produce one inaudible frequency.  

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Samsung Galaxy Watch  £279

Always stay connected with the Samsung Galaxy watch. You can receive notifications and calls right on your wrist so you'll always know when your loved ones are trying to reach you. Ideal if you're prone to leaving your phone on silent or not it's not always in pocket.

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Dartington Crystal – Ships Decanter  £115

This classic decanter is a stylish way to keep and present your spirits. The handmade stopper of this crystal decanter creates an airtight seal for your drink. 

Order by 11.30am on December 21 for Christmas Eve delivery

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Kobo Forma  £239.99

With no advertising and no interruptions, the Kobo Forma has been created to provide a great, relaxing reading experience. The device has handy page turn buttons, is bath friendly and has been created with ComfortLight PRO, which provides adjustable brightness and colour temperature to help reduce strain on your eyes.  

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FLIR ONE Pro  £440

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Sipsmith annual gin subscription  £180

A bi-monthly subscription sends exclusive and delicious flavours of Sipsmith gin every other month. Each box contains 2x 20cl bottles and include flavours such as Black Maple Gin, Pomegranate Gin Liqueur and Bonfire Gin...

Order online before 24th Dec to guarantee January deliveries 

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Go Pro Hero 7 £179.99

Say hello to the Go Pro Hero 7, the perfect partner on any adventure. It’s tough, tiny and totally waterproof so it can go wherever you do. An intuitive touch screen makes it simple to get great shots. Just swipe and tap. Use the photo timer to grab a sweet selfie. You can even shoot vertically then add your photos and videos right to your Instagram Story. 

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Dell G3 17  £849

17" gaming laptop engineered with NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics, 8th Gen Intel processors and thin design for the ultimate immersive gaming experience. 

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Oculus Go £199

Easily enter virtual reality with no PC or wires attached. Oculus Go is a standalone VR headset made to fit you. Designed with breathable fabrics, adjustable straps and our best lenses yet.  

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Bose SoundSport Free  £179.95

Get clear, powerful sound from our first truly wireless in-ear headphones. They're engineered to stay in place and stay comfortable. We've packed them full of technologies so you can push your workout to the next level. 

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ASUS ZenBook Pro UX580  £1,899.99

The stylish and powerful ASUS ZenBook Pro UX580 has been designed with a 15.6” Ultra HD display, an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM. It will boot up Windows 10 in no time and enable you to fly through any work projects, while the GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card provides gaming options during down time.  

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Blow up paddle board  £1,299

This is a revolutionary new SUP which is a full sized board yet, when deflated, is half the size of all other inflatable paddle boards on the market. The ‘Compact’ board is a real game changer in the SUP market, as it fits down into a backpack so can be transported anywhere and everywhere with complete ease. 

Order by December 21 for delivery before Christmas 

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KODAK Photo Printer Dock  £189.99

This 2-in-1 printer doubles up as a cradle that also charges your mobile device. Simply plug in your Android phone via the 5-pin dock, or hook up your iOS device with the lightning charger and let the easy printing technology turn your pictures into high-quality prints in minutes. 

Order by end of play December 21 for delivery before Christmas. 

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Xbox One X 1TB Console – Gold Rush Special Edition Battlefield™ V Bundle  £449.99

Enter mankind’s greatest conflict with Battlefield™ V as the series returns to its roots in a never-before-seen portrayal of World War 2. Take on physical, all-out multiplayer with your squad in experiences such as the vast Grand Operations and the cooperative Combined Arms, or witness human drama set against global combat in the single player War Stories. As you fight in epic, unexpected locations across the globe, enjoy the richest and most immersive yet. 

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Luxury dog mattress  £115

For the pet lover in your life. The Casper bed combines pressure-relieving memory foam and durable support foam to create a decent night's snoozing for Fido...the medium size sleeps dogs weighing up to 27kg

Delivered within 48 hours of ordering until 22nd December 

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Filoment hoody for women  £145

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Order by December 21 for delivery before Christmas 

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  Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6414931/Christmas-gift-guide-order-just-FOUR-days-December-25th.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490

[chroniclesofagartha]

Beauty & The Beast, Revised (winner of the Halloween Competition)

What they say is false. I have two sisters, but I was eldest. Yes, my mother died when I was small, sixteen winters gone. And yes, I am Beauty – so Father called me. He was a merchant, rough and shrewd, wise at barter, and providing for our needs and some of our modest wants. On the eve of his latest journey he asked each of us what we wished most for gifts. The youngest asked for play-jewelry, quartz and colored glass from the village for her dress-up games. The next, for a pony. And I … I desired but a rose, a living rose to root and tend and grow it in our garden, so the butterflies and bluebirds could gather to it, to gladden our eyes as its perfume would delight the nose. He looked at me strangely. Briefly I felt a chill, for all the summer sun. But he nodded, and said yes, perhaps, perhaps he would, and I dismissed the odd feeling. Morrow dawned as it ever does, and he left us busy with our chores. We next saw him a week later, leading a speckled brown pony on a halter behind his cart, and a satchel on the seat beside him. We greeted him with joy, more joy for his safe return than for the gifts, though my middle sister took the pony most happily. She led it to the stable, made it comfortable, and busied herself with grooming. Father took my younger sister aside. He dipped his hand into the satchel and like a magician pulled forth a leather bag. From it tumbled jewelry of all sorts, earrings, necklaces, rings, circlets, and I know not what all, all flashing burnished metal and gems sparkling like a waterfall of rainbows. She cried in delight. Her hands flew out to catch the falling pretties, and Father laughed to see her. He gave her the bag and left her sitting contentedly there on the doorstep, sorting the beautiful tangle, arranging and rearranging each item, arraying herself as a queen. Then he took my hand. Father took my hand and smiled, his hand slipping into the satchel once more. “Come, Beauty, let us go within, for the rose I have for you is not yet rooted, and it cannot yet well endure the sun.” I went in with him gladly, wondering at what marvelous rose he would show me. He led me upstairs to my loft, and sat on my bed, his hand searching carefully in his satchel. I sat beside him, watching, waiting, still wondering. The chill returned. Father withdrew his hand. It was empty. Suddenly I was on the bed beneath him, my skirts up about my face, and what he was did below … I could not see, I do not yet know, but a sharp fire stabbed between my thighs, and I cried out, and I wept in pain. Still he held me close, his weight pinning me, his sour breath loud in my ears as I struggled, trying to free myself. “Good,” he said, “Good, my Beauty, very good, you are indeed a flower ready to be plucked.” Confused, in a haze of pain, I fell silent. Time slowed as if under water. Finally Father’s breathing eased. He raised me up and showed me, the blood on the linen, my maidenhood, my rose. I stared. “How then shall I root it?” I heard myself ask. “I’ve rooted it for you,” he said with a little laugh, “and I shall root it again and again till it blooms for us. You will see.” It seemed the night had fallen early, or perhaps the darkness that clouded my sight was a storm blown in from nowhere, though my sisters have said the day remained bright and clear. A red mist tinged the darkness, flowing in from the edges. I saw myself rise, and wash. “You will be hungry, father,” my voice said, almost dreamlike. “Let me prepare you dinner, while you rest.” Down I went to the kitchen while Father stretched at ease on the stained bed. I gather vegetables and herbs, cutting them up with the large knife. I dumped them into a pot. I half-filled the pot with water. I set it on the stove to bring to a boil. Then upstairs I went again, bringing a glass of cold cider to ease Father’s thirst. He slept, and I saw the weariness of travel fading from his countenance. I set the glass down and took up the knife once more. Once across his throat, pressing hard, like the goat I once helped ready for winter’s freezing. His eyes flew open at the first touch, yet he spoke no word, his wind pipe severed, voice gone, drowning. He did gurgle. I remember the gurgling. I remember the blood, spraying and pulsing and spilling like wine on the linens, obscuring my rose, my own beautiful, red rose. I wept, though my hands were steady, and my voice, I am told, remained calm. Then I gutted him. “I valued that rose above all,” I said as my sisters came in the room, then ran screaming out. I removed his heart when he was properly dead, as I wish he’d had the kindness to do for me. I sliced it up, along with some of the other meat that was unlikely to keep, and added it to the soup now starting to simmer. “I told you, father, that I would make you dinner,” I reminded his memory. “You taught me not to lie, to ever to keep my word.” Now you sit in judgement as I stand here; perhaps my tale has shocked you, or perhaps you are only sickened. But you are as you are. I am as I am. Nothing will change this. For I am indeed Beauty. And I, Beauty, am also the Beast. Congratulations to the author Cailin Mistwalker on winning the contest. Be sure to check our latest Giveaway here: A new Giveaway as well, you might be the winner! Read the full article

[generalinternetobject]

Eve Embrace Eau de Parfum + Free Gift 

£15.00

shop online at shopwithmyrep.co.uk/avon/robins-store

[tinas-uae]

Most Popular Gift Ideas for Christmas

The countdown for the jolliest time of the year, Christmas has already begun. The festival commemorates the birth of Lord Jesus Christ and is celebrated all over the world. Community gatherings, special church services, decorated Christmas trees, melodies of Christmas carols, tempting aromas of delicious food, excited faces of children, and oh yeah, the gifts, all this literally define this most awaited occasion. The exchange of cakes and gifts with loved ones is indeed the most significant customs of all. Be it your wife, husband, parents, kids, friends, or colleagues, gifts are shared with everyone to make the auspicious festival more memorable. TINAS is the best online gift shop in Dubai where you will always find perfect gifts with free delivery all over UAE for all your festivals and special occasions.

Best Christmas Gift Ideas

For this upcoming Christmas, TINAS has some amazing gift ideas that you must explore to impress your relatives and friends. Take a look below to choose the best items for easy online gift delivery in Dubai.

1. Perfumes

Pamper your dear ones with tempting fragrances from TINAS this Christmas eve and make them super happy. With the availability of exclusive perfume gift sets from top brands like Versace, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Montblanc, Giorgio Armani, and more, you will certainly find the right fragrance that will win the heart of the recipient.

2. Flowers

The natural splendor of fresh colorful flowers can perfectly cater to the festive setting and spread immense happiness wherever they are presented. At TINAS, you can find a comprehensive range of beautiful flower bouquets made from hand-picked roses, orchids, tulips, lilies, hydrangea, and alstroemeria, all ready to be delivered the same day to your loved ones.

3. Freshly Baked Delicious Cakes

The Christmas celebration will be incomplete without indulging in the relishing taste of TINAS’ freshly baked cakes. Send cakes online to your loved ones that promise to give a delightful journey to their taste buds and earn you an honest appreciation for your outstanding choice.

4. Personalized Gifts

To convey your heartfelt Christmas wishes to your beloved, friends or colleagues, nothing can come closer to the charm of an especially designed gift from TINAS. You can personalize online gift hampers in Dubai according to the recipient’s preferences by choosing items from different categories such as chocolates, beverages, sweets, cakes, fragrances, accessories, and a lot more.

Some personalized gifts in Dubai are specially designed by TINAS for the occasion of Christmas such as the Christmas Greetings Basket with scrumptious Vanilla Christmas HoHoHo cupcakes, milk hazelnut chocolates, juicy Mandarins with decorative festive candles or the Festive Wishes Basket having gourmand mixed chocolates biscuits, vanilla Christmas tree cupcakes, Santa chocolate in a festive boot, sweet mandarins, aromatic tea and candle set. TINAS can customize corporate gifts for Christmas that will go a long way in creating a great brand image and making a strong bond with your employees or business associates.

Online shopping of Christmas gift baskets and convenient gift delivery in Abu Dhabi is indeed meaningful this year as everyone is advised to stay home due to the pandemic. If you are unable to meet your loved ones in person, you can still surprise them with a thoughtful gift from TINAS (and perhaps a special Zoom or Google meet).

Christmas is the best time for giving and receiving happiness. At TINAS, you will find something special for everyone you really want to make an impact on. Explore our gifts online from the comfort of your home and get the best Christmas gifts delivered at the recipient’s doorstep with such ease. Stress-free and best quality flowers, cakes, and gift-giving with our same day or next day delivery services are our gifts to you. Merry Christmas in advance.

[staceyleighsavon]

Apologies for this being a day late.

Door number 17.

Today's favourite pick is the award winning Eve Truth EDP, it smells really nice and I absolutely love it. People who did the blind test with this perfume compared it to Marc Jacobs Daisy, so if you love that then you will absolutely love this and what's better is, it's alot cheaper too so saves you money.

Buy 50ml plus FREE gift here

Find the 100ml on my store too.

[chamomilehoneytea]

Hi! Since when do you think Pin has started to have feelings for Ayane? What could have been the "trigger"?

Hi @yukaflame!! Thank you so much for your question, and I’m sorry that I’m responding solate! 

I’ve been thinking a lot this past week about what might havetriggered it, but rather than one moment or event sparking Pin’s feelings forAyane, I think it’s been a series of gradual changes in the way he sees her.One thing I love about Ayane and Pin as a couple is that we’ve gotten to watchthem build a relationship from nothing (whereas both Sawako and Kazehaya andRyu and Chizu had the foundations of mutual affection and respect on which to build theirlove even before the start of the series). In the beginning, Ayane and Pin have nohistory, no romantic first-encounter, and they certainly don’t like each other lol. Over 120 chapters they slowly shift from flirting bickering student and teacher to close friends who deeply care for and respecteach other (and then to, potentially *FINGERS CROSSED*, romantic partners in the future). 

We get to see Ayane’s development firsthand via her innerthoughts, but Pin is a giant question mark for much of the series. We veryrarely get a peek into his head, if ever, so we have no idea how he sees Ayane(or at least, it’s not spelled out for us). However, I think we can identify a fewclear changes in his feelings for Ayane; these are just my opinions, andobviously you’re free to disagree! :)

My answer is pretty long (as usual lol), so I’ll continue under the cut. In case someone is reading this who hasn’t been keeping up with the series past Chapter 111 / Volume 27 (latest Viz release as of posting) or Chapter 112 (latest scanlated chapter as of posting), I’ll warn you that this contains MAJOR SPOILERS. Cool? Cool. Let’s dive in!

The first big development comes in Chapter 45, when Ayane givesPin a bag of candy. We’ve known for a while that this moment was very important for Ayane’scharacter development, and is probably what set her firmly in Pin’s direction(though she’d been leaning that way since the early chapters). But in Chapter117, we learn that Pin has also remembered this exchange; he says that her actof kindness made him happy, and tells her once again that she’s a kind person.This was a moment that clearly made an impression on him; I believe he wassurprised not only by her kindness, but by her honesty. It was the first timeshe opened up to him and allowed herself to be vulnerable; Pin was able to seeunder “the mask” of cool, mature Ayane, and from that moment I think hisaffection for her and interest in her well-being increased. 

This isn’t to say that at this point in the story he’s attracted to her, but it seems to be thebeginning of his greater involvement in her life, scholastic and private. Afterhearing Kento and Mogi’s “discussion” about what happened with Ayane inOkinawa (Chapter 70), I think he starts to see how desperately she needssomeone in her life who will listen to and encourage her; he saves Kento fromtrouble and points Ayane to the stairwell, thus creating a moment for the twoof them to get together (he even tells Sawako that it’s his Christmas gift toher). And of course, after this encounter, he starts to actively push Ayanetowards her hidden ambitions. He begins to act as a teacher-mentor figure, butbeneath the surface, he cares for her far beyond the parameters of his job. AsAyane learns more about his past and comes to admire his fearlessness inpursuing what he wanted, she starts to fall in love with him whilesimultaneously seeking his approval. 

Chapter 93 marks another huge shift for Pin. When he finds herin the rain, she yells at him to leave her alone; she’s probably embarrassed tohave the person she admires see her in such a pathetic state. In her mind,she’s failed yet again, and she doesn’t want a lecture from Pin or to lose hisrespect. Instead of bringing her into the convenience store, he angrily bringsout a garbage bag to shield her from the rain; he fights her stubbornness andpride with his own, but he’s clearly very concerned for her. And then thepivotal moment: in response to her comment that he’s probably never doneanything he regrets, he throws his umbrella to the ground and grips hershoulder. His feelings are so strong that he risks getting sick (duringbaseball season) to give her a fiery pep talk. After storming away withoutanother word, we see Pin’s thoughtful expression; he then calls Kazehaya sothat Ayane’s friends will come take care of her. At school the next day,Kazehaya says that it was incredible that she managed to make Pin angry. Thisis very telling. His reaction was not that of a teacher; it was extremely personal. After Ayane tells Pin that she’s going to take the entrance examfor J University after all, I think his respect for her increases tremendously; inChapter 97, during his makeup session, he even directly praises her for hercleverness and maturity with a warm, gentle smile. 

It’s too late for Pin, buthe still doesn’t realize it. 

In Chapter 107, when he encounters a flustered Ayane at thetrain station, he shows a deeper concern than he ever has before (even more sothan during their convenience store exchange). He stops joking with her andasks her if there’s something he can do to help her; seeing her down and closedoff really bothers him, and he says as much, offering to do what he can to easeher worries. And another telling moment; when Ayane asks for a handshake, Pintakes it a step further by gripping both of her hands. Though he doesn’t dothis out of any conscious romantic feeling, his actions communicate theintensity of his desire to comfort and encourage her. Then in Chapter 111,after Ayane praises him for being a good teacher, Pin’s face breaks into anaffectionate, amused smile and a hint of a blush rests on his cheek (and only whenshe’s out of the room). Her encouraging words make him happy, and the soft spothe has for her is written all over his face.

Chapter 112 marks the greatest shift for Pin, in my opinion. He accidentallytries to pick up Ayane again (for like, the 3rd time lol), rescues her frompushy guys twice and tells her that he’ll escort her to the train station, becomesincredibly serious when she says guys just talk to her because she looks easy,tells her not to put herself down, is attracted to the smell of her perfume(!!!), is mistaken for her (super flirty) boyfriend several times (one timewhile he’s teasing her…hm…those guys are perceptive), accepts coffee fromher with a smile, tells her she’s kind, and at the end of their time together,seems to have completely forgotten about his original mission to pick up girlsand says he won’t bother anymore that night. I believe his comment that he wasstuck babysitting was meant to downplay his own feelings; he really enjoyedspending the evening with Ayane, so much so that he stopped thinking aboutother women altogether. After Ayane declares that she’s not a kid with amassive amount of blush on her face, Pin FINALLY realizes that she has feelingsfor him. Between Christmas and New Year’s, I suspect Pin was not only dealingwith the revelation of Ayane’s feelings, but the uncomfortable thought that hemight not know his own feelings. I don’t think he’s really seen Ayane as a girl / woman until this point, and the realization that she sees him as aman probably forces him to reflect on the nature of his own strong feelings for her. At theshrine visit in Chapter 115, Pin tries to behave normally around Ayane, butwhen she stares at him, he gets extremely flustered (the other students areamused by Pin and Ayane’s antics, and even ask themselves if they werealways so close). But Pin doesn’t avoid Ayane; in fact, they spend most oftheir time at the shrine next to each other. And then there’s that moment withJou; when Jou seeks a kiss from Ayane to compensate for his terribleluck, Pin immediately jumps in and yells at Jou for trying to do that in frontof his teacher. Ayane thinks that even though he probably wasn’t trying toprotect her, she’s happy that he did it. I personally think he was looking out for her, and was maybe even a little jealous; he swoops in atjust the right moment (was he eavesdropping?) and even seems sort of angry. Atthe end of the chapter, Ayane asks Pin for something small, like an eraser, asa reward if she passes her exam; I think seeing her boldly asking for what she wants iswhat ultimately makes Pin promise to consider her request. 

So when does Pin realize that he loves Ayane romantically? Ithink he realizes when he sees her push past her fear to confess her love forhim. He stares at her with a look of pure wonder and listens intently to whatshe has to say; she doesn’t know what to do, she says, just that she loves him.And I think that’s how Pin has been feeling; he’s been somewhat in denial since Christmas,but in that moment, hearing her words and witnessing her strength, it all becomesclear to him. He stops fighting. He waited all day for her at school, forgot itwas Valentine’s Day because he was thinking about her the whole time, bought aneraser for her and even wrapped it, gently comforted her when he thought she’dfailed, overreacted and blushed when she found out he was waiting for her, andwas surprised and flabbergasted when she beamed at him with happy tears runningdown her face. He loves her, and when he sees the lengths she’s gone to inorder to be honest with her feelings, I think he finally embraces his own.

But because he loves her, he knows he can’t hold her back orbehave selfishly. He knows that she’s too young, that she has her whole life ahead of her, and that sheshouldn’t miss out on anything because of him, even if it means they never endup together. Still, he eats all the chocolates in the box (despite hatingsweets), and flashes her a truly luminous smile; he can’t hide how happy he is tohear that she loves him, even though he’s saying that he can’t return herfeelings (formally). And in Chapters 118 and 119, we don’t see his reaction toAyane’s radiant smiles (which are reminiscent of the smile that left himflustered in 117); I’m not sure why Shiina chose not to show us hisexpressions, but I would guess that it’s to keep readers somewhat in the darkas to his true feelings.

So, in conclusion (to this superlong-winded answer), I think Pin has slowly fallen in love with her over thecourse of the series, so gradually that he wasn’t even aware of it. Somepeople might argue that he hasn’t fallen in love with her yet, and I thinkthat’s fair; after all, he hasn’t come out and said those words, and we can’tsee inside his head to learn what he’s actually thinking. But as thesaying goes, actions speak louder than words. Time and time again he has gonefar out of his way to support, praise, and encourage her; it’s clear that she’sa very important person in his life. In Chapter 117, Ayane hopefully says thatin 10 years she’ll be 27 or 28, and Pin responds by saying that 10 years fromnow he might think 27 or 28 is a “kid”; Ayane then asks him if he’ll still bealone at age 37. Pin didn’t respond to her by saying, “Well, I’ll probablybe married by then [to someone else]” – he says he might still think she’s akid. This response is really interesting to me, because without thinking, heimplies that he’ll consider her again when she’s older. And Ayane lets him knowthat she’s not giving up when she advises him to wear his hair up for the next10 years (so that no other girls snatch him up).  

To sum everything up, I think Pin’ssoft spot for Ayane became admiration, then affection, and then love, but itisn’t until Chapter 117 that he really becomes aware of his feelings for her. Ibelieve he’s loved her (subconsciously) for quite a few chapters, but his lovefor her is only just starting to become romantic. I believe that Pin is attracted to the moreemotionally honest, clever, kind, hard-working 3rd year Ayane than thereserved, insecure person she was at the beginning of the series; she’s grownup a lot over the years, and I think Pin really falls for her when watching herbravely confess her feelings to him.

I hope that if there is a time skipand we see Ayane and Pin reconnect, Shiina will give us more insight into histrue feelings. I personally believe that if Pin had no interest in her, hewouldn’t have been so conflicted or bothered by the revelation of her feelingsat Christmas. If she were any other student, he might have felt flattered orbig-headed and cocky (like with Kurumi’s “confession” – though I think he waspartially messing with her), but I think because he feels close to Ayane, itforces him to take an uncomfortable and honest look at his own feelings. Ifthere were no feelings on his side, he might have lightly and carefully dismissed her; instead, without doing anything to discourage her or push her away, his feelings continue to growin the knowledge that she likes him. 

I know I said “in conclusion” a fewparagraphs ago, but this is where I’ll wrap things up, because I could go onand on about ayapin forever haha! Thank you so much for giving me theopportunity to get out some of my thoughts on the evolution of Pin’s feelings!Please give them a happy ending together, Shiina-sensei!!

[josiah-olson]

Chapter 2: A Poisoned Gift

Dawn broke finally over the mountain after what felt an eternity, and found Chavugga burdened by sleep; the pain of her mother’s words were still fresh in her heart. She sat upon the stumps where her and Jaceira practiced each morning, and she clutched tight to a small, old book that the rising winds threatened to tear from her grasp. Sometimes, when sleep eluded her, and the balance of Zaadu was nowhere to be found, she would turn to the words of Azmaji.

It was not a book of their land, and neither was the prophet Azmaji theirs. The elders, of course, turned their voices against it, and forbade it to be read. They called it miluuki, a poisoned gift, like bait left in a trap… from the hunter, and for her prey. But Wauri herself had brought it to them, and she was bolder than lightning in her youth. Will you not let yourself see wisdom from another set of eyes? she had asked them. Will you not hear truth in a different song?

But the elders stood as firm as the mountains beneath them, and held to the words of their mothers, saying, songs we don’t know may be curses, and all stones look gold in the eyes of a fool. But the noise of the elder’s shouts only drew the curiosity of the people of Mull,  and it wasn’t long before they came to see what had stirred them so. All they found was a small, old book. 

Once the people had seen it, there was nothing the elders could do but to step aside and let them do as they wished and not as they were taught. But they did so with their eyes cast down, grinding their teeth, and endlessly muttering about curses and false gold. And as Wauri’s book passed from hand to hand, the muttering slowly faded away, and the name of Azmaji the prophet was now spoken with pride, and his teachings and stories were cherished.

Chavugga began reading by moonlight, and now, as the sun warmed the earth, she had arrived at the center of the tale.

It told the tale of Bnarri, a godless woman who had been born to single-handedly persecute and destroy the prophet Azmaji. 

She was a princess, and he a farmer. Bnarri lived a life cushioned by servants and guards and pampered with only the very finest of both food and clothing. Azmaji had lived through a drought and a famine, and had suffered his youth in a field. But he had spoken to the queen, Bnarri’s mother, and had shown her the hurt of those who toiled. That day, the queen’s heart was transformed, and from then on, she gave to the poor as her own children, and worked to ease the pain of those who lived lives of labor. 

But it had come at a cost. Her children were fed more simple foods, and they were taught to wash themselves and to cook. They even raised their own garden and ate only the fruits from their harvest. And so when the queen passed away, and Bnarri took her mother’s place, she was no longer a happy child. The priests, the guards, and the tax-collectors of the city all came before Bnarri and told her of the better days they once had, before the old queen had given all of their riches away. Now they had no one to pay them, for there’s no coin to keep if there’s no coin to collect, and a guard protects only those with things to protect, and the poor will not pay a thing to be told they are filthy and sinful. But Bnarri needn’t even look to the reasons they gave, she needed only to remember the life she once had, and the needless sweat and work her mother had traded it for. 

And so she decided to rid herself and her lands of Azmaji, the man who had stolen that world from her.

She proved herself ruthless and untiring in her task, bringing Azmaji such hardships, that it was truly her hands which molded him into the man he would always be remembered as. Bnarri chased Azmaji and his followers out of their land and burned their farms and villages behind them. She slew many in battle as they fled, and when Azmaji’s sister was captured and brought before her, she tortured and murdered the woman in the most horrible of ways. 

But the tax-collectors did not wish to be rid so quick of their tax-payers, and the guards had been taught that there existed a thing called honor, although they had never seen it themselves, and the priests believed that even the blackest of hearts must be killed in a quieter manner. And so they turned against Bnarri. 

She barely escaped with her life, and as she fled, she was taken by the ones she had persecuted. She saw the people who had lost their families and their homes at her hand, and the pain she had brought to them. When she was thrown at The Prophet’s feet, she saw the sorrow that filled him at the news of his sister’s death. But most importantly, Bnarri saw herself then... for the monster she had become. Although she begged to be killed in the same manner as she had killed Azmaji’s sister, and for her life to serve as payment for those she had taken, although she admitted to all of her sins and told tales of even worse sins which had been secret until then. And although the counselors and friends who surrounded The Prophet said he should execute her, and the people called out for her head. 

Even then… Azmaji forgave her.

But forgiveness was only the beginning of Bnarri’s story. The path she must walk to live at peace with herself again, was a most difficult one. But it was this act of forgiveness that set her free.

And so may my mother forgive me, prayed Chavugga. To wish to be with my son is no sin.

She looked out over the dew-covered fields of the step-hills leading down into the river valley far below. From here, the city of Tavuammali was no more than a dark smudge upon the bank of the river, but even so, her heart quickened at the sight of it, and her mind filled with a thousand worries. Chavugga shivered and pulled her shawl close around her, whispering a prayer to Zaadu. 

To bless me, and to balance my mind and still my body, she asked, to straighten the path and strengthen my legs. 

But Zaadu was the goddess of this mountain… and in the valley below, it was not Zaadu, but Iogwan who brought balance. 

Although Iogwan was supposedly the first of the Lithu geds, she was hardly older than Chavugga’s mother; a goddess created to bring people of all nations together. 

Iogwan is built like the painted ceiling of a great big hall, Wauri had once told Chavugga, beautiful and finely crafted from materials of every corner of the earth, carved and painted in so many ways that no eye cannot glimpse their own beauty within her. And in her shade, meals will be shared between those who before would have killed one another for their beliefs. Iogwan is a gift to the children, Chavugga, and a hope for a more peaceful future. But the true gods are the ones that are born of the earth, not created like these ‘geds.’ Without the true gods, Iogwan will not stand, and will someday crush all those who gathered beneath her beauty. And so we mustn’t lose sight of the old ways, or let them become forgotten in time… Zaadu is yours, daughter. To support you, yes, but also for you to protect. 

But Chavugga would not pray to Iogwan, no matter her beauty. Although she sat through the stories, and knew many of the mantras by heart, Chavugga could not bring herself to pray to a goddess that was created, and kept the Fazzi a safe distance away from this ‘gift’ whenever she could. If it fell as her mother warned, she did not want to be near to it.

The breeze shifted, and Chavugga caught the sweet scent of sunfang perfume. There was only one person she knew who wore that perfume as if she were the flower itself. Chavugga leapt up to stand on her stump, and shut her eyes tight. When she heard the soft patter of footsteps approaching, she blinked her eyes open.

“Good morning, Dayflower,” called Chavugga. “Even on the eve of battle, a warrior does not sleep late, I see.”

“Especially then!” said Jaceira. She looked into Chavugga’s sleepless eyes with worry. “But, teacher! Have you been standing here all night?” 

Chavugga nodded solemnly, turning back to face the valley. “I will be helping to guide a city of thousands upon thousands, child. If ever I needed Zaadu’s balance, it is now.”

Jaceira nodded. There was a distant look in her eyes though, one which had grown more common as of late.

“You are still having the dreams?” Chavugga asked.

Jaceira let out a loud sigh. “The same thing every time… My heart becomes so fast, and when I follow it… it leads me to a wall of darkness.”

Chavugga pursed her lips, and spoke the words Wauri had once spoken to her. “Our hearts often lead us astray, child. Whether to darkness or hardship… our hearts will not bring us to where we need to be. It is through balance and stillness that we find our path. And balance is in our feet, and stillness in our minds. Our hearts… our hearts should not be taken for rudders.”

Jaceira clenched her hand over her heart, and Chavugga saw tears welling in her eyes. She looked just as her sister had before she abandoned the way. It was a dangerous look. “But haven’t you taught me also that we should listen to the pain in our bodies? Sometimes I wake up and it hurts in my chest. I feel it telling me something…”

“Is the pain too much for you?”

Jaceira looked down, dabbing her tears with a sleeve. “No, teacher.”

“And what does your mind say?” Chavugga shifted on her stump, returning to face the rising sun, and firming her legs beneath her. 

Jaceira was quiet for a time, chewing on her lip. “To go to the stumps.”

“And here we are,” whispered Chavugga with a smile, motioning to Jaceira’s stump. “Now let us stand.”

Jaceira climbed onto the stump beside Chavugga, and when she stood, it was as if the dream had never been, for her eyes were calm and beautiful and peaceful. 

Jaceira was special. She floated through life, more spirit than flesh, with calmness in her eyes, small, thoughtful steps beneath her, and an undying compassion that she offered to everyone she passed by. She was more than Chavugga could have asked for in a student… and the only one who remained to her, ever since her sister had abandoned the way. But Jaceira hadn’t caught a single drop of her sister’s hatred for Chavugga, or at least it didn’t show. But Chavugga could never be sure of what the girl was thinking... and this troubled her.

The thought of even Jaceira abandoning her as all of her other students had, was enough to rouse the other fears which filled Chavugga’s mind that morning. Of being cut out from her mother’s love, and of Fazzi leaving her alone without his comforting song. Of standing before the council like a jabbering fool, and of seeing her husband again in the streets of the city she had left him in. 

It was to the chirping of a heavenlark that they finally opened their eyes. The yellow-speckled bird peeped its head out from a hole in a dead tree, calling for its mother. A moment later, the mother appeared, swooping down with a worm held in its beak. They watched as it passed only inches away from the young bird’s snapping beak. The hatchling flapped its wings and tried to snatch at the worm, but it couldn’t quite reach it. Again the mother passed by, and again the baby tried to get the food without leaving the comfort of its nest. The mother bird swooped down again, and this time the baby leapt from its hole and grabbed ahold of the worm. The two tumbled about wildly through the air for a time, tied dangerously together by the worm, before the younger bird finally broke away from its mother, its meal in its mouth, and its newfound wings carrying it happily through the air. 

Chavugga turned to Jaceira with a smile. “See, we need not be swayed by the changing tides of our hearts when the world is so full of signs,” she said.

Jaceira looked to the birds thoughtfully for a time as they flew away in different directions. And there was the hint of a song in her voice when she spoke and a glimmer in her eyes. “A leap of faith?”

Chavugga shook her head and laughed. “No, Dayflower. There is no need for leaping, or the wind might bring you any which way. There is only to stand firm and trust Zaadu to hold us. This sign is of a much tastier sort… It means it is time to eat!”

Jaceira nodded, and followed Chavugga. The dangerous look had died in her eyes.

-----

When they arrived in the circle of beaten earth at the center of Mull, the air was full of the sweet smell of frying sap, and salty with the taste of fried eggs, and there was a sharp smell too... one Chavugga couldn’t place. 

“Bloodflower!” the cook told her. “A rare flower full of blood instead of water. I foraged it for you.” He dropped a large portion of it on her plate, and the red juice of the flower ran into the eggs. “Blood brings blessings.” 

Chavugga thanked him reluctantly, and turned to go find Fazzi. 

She nearly collided with a young girl who suddenly ran out in front of her. The girl was a whirlwind of hair and fists, dancing like a wild thing. People stared and whispered amongst themselves as she stomped her feet, pounded her fists in the air, and kicked up an angry cloud of dust. 

Embe was her name, she was one of the students of Chavugga’s father, and a girl with enough passion to burn down a forest. Lhohlo stood not far off, his laughing eyes taking in every swirl and every leap, even as some of the people of Mull gasped at the sight of a girl moving her body in such a way. Her clothing, too, was enough to draw the judgement of the elders, for she wore only a short, torn skirt, and a dozen beaded necklaces, not the long dress or tunic that the women all wore. How the girl was not freezing, Chavugga hadn’t a clue.

Every now and then, Lhohlo would shout and add a clap or a stomp into his student’s rhythm, coaxing her into an ever-more complex dance. Embe followed faithfully, relentlessly, clapping and stomping in his wake until the beat had been divided into such small movements that they all flowed together like water.

Then it froze. Embe’s foot caught on a stone, and the girl was dashed face-down into the dirt. Everything was quiet for a moment. But even in the quiet, there was judgement in the eyes of the people of Mull. The girl was making a fool of herself for all to see. Lhohlo walked near to her, leaning heavy on his cane as he crouched. Gently, he tapped out the rhythm with his cane, meeting Embe’s eyes with his own.

“You did not fall, the rhythm has only changed,” he whispered, just loud enough for Chavugga to overhear. “And it is not your muscles that dance, silly, you keep forgetting that… It is your heart. Do you hear it?”

Embe nodded.

“Then go with it.”

Embe wiped her face, smearing it with dirt. A spark lit in her little eyes, as she began pounding the rhythm of her heart into the earth like her life depended upon it. Then she leapt to her feet, a smile erupting on her face. Lhohlo had only eyes for her, and the joy within them was so great, it was as if he had never before seen a dancer. He threw aside his cane and jumped in to follow her movement with all of the skill of his years, but the heart of a child dancing for the very first time. 

The dance jumped from her to him and back again. Joy rising from them like a song. The rhythm grew as it had before, layer built on top of layer, but it was quicker now, impatient in its joy. In only a matter of moments it reached a breaking point. Claps, stomps, shouts, laughter, and so much dust in the air that Chavugga could taste it. 

Then the dance rolled over its peak and stilled, leaving both Lhohlo and Embe panting, laughing, and wiping sweat from their foreheads. Chavugga could feel their heartbeats from where she stood, for it was in the ground itself. 

Chavugga missed the days she used to dance with her father, before she had chosen to commit to her mother’s goddess. It had been so many years… But her father had never guilted her over her decision, and he never took her hand to dance unless she offered it first. She remembered the way he would hold her hand when they danced, so lightly, as you would hold a butterfly, and the way the rest of the world seemed to fade away, like there was no one else in the world, and all of the judgement and whispers of Mull could not even touch them. 

The way he looked at Embe now… Chavugga wished she could take the girl’s place. Just to be so close to her father as she had been the night before. 

Chavugga looked away, and her eyes fell on her mother. The beginnings of wrinkles were pulled taut around her grin, and her shawl let loose in laughter. But when her mother saw Chavugga, she pulled her shawl in close around her, and her smile faded away like a dream upon waking. Wauri gave Chavugga a simple nod, and Chavugga returned it. It was a coldness that no daughter should have to feel. 

To use a parable of The Prophet like that… sharpened like a knife… The words still rang fresh in her mind, and the cut had gone deeper than she thought. Chavugga did not care to speak with her mother right then. No, she needed her son… for he never withheld his joyful mindsong from her, and she longed to bask in it like a hot tub of water, to scrub away the coldness of her mother, and to cleanse her mind of her worries. 

But her mother was walking towards her, and she had no choice but to greet her.

“Mother,” said Chavugga with a bow. “I pray your feet are strong.”

“Weaker every morning, Chacha, but that is just a rite of growing old.” She darted her eyes around the circle, at several groups of people huddled together in their cloaks, watching and whispering. “I see the talk is heavy today.” 

“And one should wear a heavy cloak,” said Chavugga, finishing the proverb. 

Wauri chuckled dryly. It always delighted her to hear Chavugga speak the wisdoms she had taught her. “You have learned well, Chacha.” She nodded in the direction of the city. “But you will not be needing a heavy cloak where you are headed today. Only Zaadu to guard your feet, and the blessing of your mother.” 

Chavugga’s eyes widened. “Your blessing?”

“Yes,” said Wauri. “As I said last night, I would be a foolish mother to hold too tight to the hand of my daughter. I am sure you will be safe, and that you would always only do what is best for your son.”

Chavugga nodded. Was that truly how she had meant the parable last night? Did I judge her unfairly? “Yes… of course. He’ll be safe.”

“Then go with my blessing,” said her mother, reaching forward to feel the belt of beads Chavugga wore. They had arrived with the summons, and marked her as a member of the council. “And bless me by bringing Zaadu’s balance to the valley. I always hoped to be summoned.”

When the summons had been read, Chavugga had seen the look of disappointment on her mother’s face when it was not her own name called, but her daughter’s.

Chavugga nodded, and thanked her, then rushed along to find Fazzi. They had a long journey ahead of them that day. 

-----

Fazzi was seated exactly where he always was; slouched beneath his favorite tree, a massive redroot that defied the eroding hillside, standing tall and brave, although half of its roots were uncovered, dangling in the open air overlooking the valley. When she asked him once why he liked the tree so much, Fazzi had scrunched his eyes in laughter. No, Amma, he said, the tree likes me!

He didn’t turn to greet her, for he was staring off into the sky with his wide-eyed daydreaming face. Fazzi seemed to always be daydreaming. To him, the sky was swarming with dragons, the forest filled with fairies, and there were bright spirits with stories to share sprouting from every single person he saw. He didn’t talk much, but sometimes he would spend a whole afternoon telling Chavugga of the things that filled his colorful imagination.

One time she had ventured to ask him what her own spirit looked like. Fazzi was quiet for a long time. Well, Amma… he has said, stroking his hairless chin like a sage. It’s just you, but… more colorful. But with only a glance, she knew that he was lying. He was no good at lying—his eyes always darted around nervously, and his hands always fidgeted. But she did not push him for the truth… if he had felt the need to lie, she was afraid to know the thing that he had seen.

Whatever he may have seen, she told herself, it is only his imagination.

Chavugga sat down beside him, brushing the bloodflower and all of its blessed blood over the cliffside with a wrinkled nose before digging into her meal. She did not need the forest’s blessing if she had her mother’s and her father’s, Fazzi to comfort her, and Jaceira to stand beside her. She would be okay. 

Fazzi’s mindsong was bubbling with excitement and wonder. The warmth of it was enough to calm her racing heart. He was a beautiful mess this morning, with pieces of his breakfast smeared on his face and shirt, and a bird’s nest worth of sticks stuck in his hair. But Chavugga just smiled at the sight. Here beneath the redroot, there was no one to whisper about his looks, or the ways they were. They were just themselves there, a mother and her child. 

“What do you see today, Fazzi?” she asked.

Fazzi stared for a while longer before answering. “It’s like a moon the shape of a leaf.” Fazzi made a triangle with his hands and held it up to the sky for comparison.

Chavugga poked at his ribs playfully, making him squirm and giggle. “Or maybe… it’s a leaf the size of a moon!” she said.

Fazzi laughed. “It’s so beautiful beautiful beautiful, Amma!” he said. “Maybe a planet we never saw before, or a piece of the earth floating away!”

“Or a ship or a whale that learned to fly!” offered Chavugga.

Fazzi leapt up to his feet, throwing his arms out in joy. “Or maybe its a monster, and a hero needs to go and fight it before it attacks the city!”

“You mean you?” asked Chavugga, grabbing Fazzi and pulling him onto her lap, covering him in kisses until his laughing echoed out loud over the valley. They heard clattering, and looked over the ledge to see Chavugga’s meal dashed among the rocks below.

Fazzi looked as if he might cry. “Sorry, Amma.”

“No no no,” said Chavugga running her fingers over his forehead. “Don’t be sorry.” Then she laughed to herself. “I guess I’ll get a snack when we’re travelling down the mountain.”

Fazzi didn’t laugh. He sat up, and picked up Lil Faz, who had been sitting beside him. He pet his lizard in quick, anxious motions. “I don’t know if I should go, Amma…” Fazzi looked down, his eyes were heavy. 

The words hit her like he had thrown a stone. She hadn’t seen this coming.

No, I can’t go alone! thought Chavugga. She stroked his shoulder. “Only if you’d like to go, Fazzi. I thought you might enjoy seeing where you grew up again.”

Fazzi shrugged. “But it’s a place full of thieves and bad people and mean spirits… wouldn’t it be better if I go when I’m older, Amma?”

“Fazzi… You’ve always wanted to go there, where did you get such ideas?”

Fazzi didn’t say anything, but Chavugga knew. There was only one person who said such things of the city… So her blessing had been a show… a distraction, while she turned my son against me! 

Her mother was playing a cruel game, but Chavugga could play it too.

She reached out to Fazzi with her mind, sending out feelings of comfort, ease, sleep… pulling him in close like a baby. “Oh, Fazzi… birds all have to leave their nests eventually. You’ll be with me the whole time, and I’ll make sure no thieves get anywhere close to you!” 

Fazzi shivered and looked down at Lil Faz, his petting growing faster and harder, until the lizard had had enough, and scrambled out of his reach to rest on a nearby rock. 

Fazzi let out a long sigh, and leaned into her, resting his head on her lap. 

Chavugga kissed him on the forehead, massaging the veins that always bulged when he was upset. “You know… I was only a few Summers older than you when I first went to the city.”

“Did Grandma miss you?” asked Fazzi.

“Of course she did… but she also saw that it was good for me. I couldn’t stay here forever.”

“But that’s where you met Father.”

Chavugga paused to catch herself. She could never get used to the way Fazzi mentioned him so casually sometimes. “Yes, that’s where I met him.”

“And he was a bad man, Amma?”

The worst. He tried to take you away from me, she thought. 

What she said was, “Yes, Fazzi, he was a bad man… But if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have you, so it was a blessing in the end, I’d say.”

Fazzi nodded slowly, as he pondered that for a time. “I want to stay here, Amma.”

Chavugga felt a pain in her heart and a weakness in her legs. She couldn’t go without him. She wouldn’t. She would stay if it came to that… even if it meant leaving the path of Zaadu. 

She tried again to sway him with words, “Sometimes we must go places that frighten us… it’s what a hero would do.”

Fazzi nodded, but he was no longer there, for his gaze had returned to the sky, and to his dreaming. He couldn’t seem to stop dreaming—no wonder his head had become so big!

Chavugga studied her son. His bones were growing, she saw, although he was still small for his age. Besides his mindsong, and the things he chose to tell her, she knew nothing of the wonderful world where he spent his days. His mind was a wall she could not pass through, even as he rested on her lap. She often wished he could let her inside, and that the world could be as simple and as beautiful as it was for him there… maybe then everything would be alright. But I need him with me now. I need him. 

Still he stared upwards.

“What are you looking at…?” She needed him to come with her, and as time was running short, he was too distracted even to hear her begging him to come with her. But her words ran off when she saw the thing in the sky. 

“Pretty, isn’t it, Amma?” muttered Fazzi.

Chavugga couldn’t believe what she was seeing. 

-----

It wasn’t long before everyone in Mull was gathered around the redroot tree, staring in awe at the strange thing in the sky, and whispering among themselves as to what it might be. The thing was much closer than the moon, but just like Fazzi said, it was shaped like a leaf. It seemed to be hovering far above Tavuammali. It was mostly grey, but there were long lines of yellow and white running across it, and faint blue lights glowed gentle along the bottom side. 

“Bizu!” some called it. 

But Tzau, a woman so old and silent that she passed like a ghost among the village, was quick to do away with that notion. “No, there is no such thing as Bizu,” she said. “And we would have no use for ‘sky people’ to guide us even if they were real. If we have lived a thousand years without them, then what good could they possibly bring?”

Chavugga shook her head and kept her silence. Tzau and the other elders were so stubborn and set in their ways that they would never have welcomed Lithu settlers into Mull if it hadn’t been for Wauri. And even then, they didn’t do it without their fair share of grumbling and teeth-grinding. They said that these golden-freckled people were sent to change their ways, to poison their minds, and to steal their lands and give it to their own people. 

Although they still whispered harsh things behind the backs of the Lithu, time had proved their worries unfounded. 

Jaceira’s parents were among those who moved to Mull, and both of their children would one day choose to follow the path of Zaadu—not turn people away from her. There was also a young, handsome dancer among the Lithu who came; Lhohlo, who would become Wauri’s husband and Chavugga’s father—not to steal land, but to steal Wauri’s heart. And then there was Mischonji, the beautiful man who could have married any woman in the village if only he would take his head out of his books and scrolls from time to time.

But the stories he told were near as beautiful as himself, and when he spoke, even Tzau listened. There were the stories of their wise prophet Azmaji with his teaching of kindness and healing, of reconciliation and forgiveness, and of course… of love. Or the story of the yellow cloud that rained laughter, and the red swirl of lightning that struck people with luck. And of course, there were the playful, children’s tales of Iogwan and her trickster brother, who tumbled about the world in their magnificence and might, knocking over mountains and changing the direction of the stars in their constant argument of who was the greatest of the two. These tales were welcomed for what they were worth… for wisdom sometimes, for joy at others, and sometimes merely for a good story.

But of course, there were still those, like Tzau, who saw evil in even a child’s tale. But the children were many, and their voices were much louder.

“The Bizu have returned!” said the children, and soon it rang out like a chant among them. “Bizu! Bizu! Bizu!”

The children ran to Mischonji, pulling at his arms and tugging at the hem of his pants, begging a story from the teller of stories. Not because they hadn’t heard it—no, most of them could tell it themselves, but because they’d heard it dozens of times, and never seemed to tire of it. 

After resisting just long enough for the children’s cries to grow to a roar, the story-teller finally caved, for there was nothing he loved more than the sound of his own voice. He cleared his throat loudly, and the sun glinted off of the gold of his freckled cheeks, and the children fell silent. 

Then he began his tale as they all began… 

“Before this time, there was another… a time in which the geds were not so far away, and the people had not yet come to be. Iogwan, the Firstgod, and the keeper of time, had just straightened out the universe, and put everything in order, putting past before present, and making it so that future comes afterwards. In that time, Iogwan was alone, save for her brother of course, but this is not a story about Povilan. And so Iogwan, as mothers tend to do, wanted to create. She had already grown the forest from pieces of her hair, the mountains from her baby teeth, the seas from her moonblood, and filled the lakes and rivers with her tears. But it wasn’t enough for her. The trees gave her their fruit, but they did not speak to her. The mountains yielded to her their gemstones and their strength, but they did not play with her, and the waters kept her cool on the hottest days of Summer, but they did not share meals with her. She wanted to have children who would love her, play with her, share meals with her, and yes, even disobey her from time to time.  

“And so Iogwan spoke to the day, and beseeched it, saying, ‘If you love the shimmering sea and the vastness of the skies, help me to create those who will travel it with us and seek to understand us this way, for I am not powerful enough to do it alone. I will give my own blood for them if need be.’ 

“But the day said nothing back.

“And so Iogwan spoke to the night, and beseeched it, pleading, ‘If you love the depths of the waters and the quiet spirits of the forest floor, help me to create those who will gaze upon their beauty, and look for us there, for I am not powerful enough to do it alone. I will carry them upon my back if need be.’

“But the night said nothing back.

“And so Iogwan went into the woods to mourn that she would not have children. Yet, seeing the grandeur of the forest, she went before the tallest tree and cried out in a loud voice, ‘If you love to give the gift of life, and also to receive it, to live and then die and then live again, help me to create those who will become one with it, and find us within this circle, for I am not powerful enough to do it alone. I will wait patiently if need be.’

“But the forest said nothing in reply.”

Mischonji paused to look upon the faces of the children. Several looked sad, for they had not yet heard how the story would end. But there was a twinkle in the eye of the storyteller as he continued his tale.

“And so Iogwan hid herself away in the depths of a mountain to cry, for neither the day, nor the night, nor the forest had answered her. But her tears stopped before they had even fallen, for she felt something stirring within her, and knew that somehow her prayer had been heard.

“And her body began to grow, and at night she could hear an echo of her heartbeat—no, three echoes. And as she had sworn to the forest, she carried her blessed children with joy, although they grew heavy with time. But her joy was greater, for what is the weight of a burden when your prayers have been answered? In Iogwan’s eye it weighed nothing. 

“And as she had sworn to the night, Iogwan waited patiently, as the seasons came and went and the stars turned around her. The world itself was changing, to make way for her children. And although her wait grew long and weary, still her patience was yet longer. For what is time in Iogwan’s eye, who crafted time itself? 

“Then the moment came for her to give birth. And it was not painless, for she had sworn to the night to give her own blood, and give of it she did. And although the pain was loud and terrible, the vision of her children was strong and beautiful in her mind. For what is pain but the price of life itself? In Iogwan’s eye it was a price she would gladly pay. 

“Firstborn to Iogwan was the child of the day, and her skin was the color of a bright, sunny sky. And she said to her firstborn, ‘your father is the day itself, and so I will name you Bira. Explore all that the sun touches, and you will be complete.’

“Secondborn was the child of the night, and her skin was the color of the night sky with stars upon her cheeks. And she said to her, ‘your father was the night itself, and so I will name you Lira. Understand what it means to be born and to die, and the purpose of the in between, and you will be complete.’

“Lastly she gave birth to a child that was small and hairy, and speckled in white and black, and brown, and red. And she said to it, ‘your father was the forest, and so I will name you Eira. Know the earth, and do not stray from her, and you will be complete.’

“And so Eira went into the forest, choosing to live without language, and to eat only what the forest gave unto her, and drink only the rain that falls from the sky. And her children would become known as the imitation men, for in time, they learned to mimic the behavior of the other children of Iogwan.

“And Lira looked upon the world, and saw the spirits that lie behind all living things, and she gave names to them, and taught her children to worship them and to write songs and to create art to honor them. And we, her children came to be called the Lithu. 

“And lastly, Bira taught her children to explore, and they became known as the Bizu. They built ships and chariots, and dominated beasts of all kinds, learning to bend them to their own will. It wasn’t long before every part of the world had been explored—every wave of the ocean, and every shadow of the forest, then they believed their task to be complete. 

“But it was not so.

“A wise one among them turned her head to the sky above. And she showed to those who would look that there were stars in the sky that numbered more than all the seeds of Spring, and that each one gave its heat to other earths, much like our own, with peoples and animals and forests and oceans of their own. 

“And so they created ships to sail upon the sky of dancing lights, and set out, promising to return when they had named the last star, befriended the last people, and tamed the last beast. Then, and only then, would the Bizu return… to show us the ways of other worlds.”

As the final word of the story fell from Mischonji’s lips, all eyes turned from the proud, handsome storyteller, and turned to the shape hung in the sky above. 

Fazzi leapt up, his eyes wild with excitement. He twirled around with an uncontrollable joy, and muttered and blinked and danced like a madman.

Tzau spoke again, her face tight with anger. “Don’t listen to this fool,” she said, pointing a shaky finger at Mischonji. “There is no such thing as a Bizu! But I do know this… if you keep listening to these tales you’ll be as foolish as him… he’ll make you carry your burdens silently, and suffer your pains, patiently waiting for the world to change, while it is taken right out from under your feet. Your village will be gone, your language, and our own gods will disappear and be covered up by these foreign ‘geds’ that were cooked up in a stew for you to drink. This tale is miluuki, a poisoned gift! And what use to us are pale sky people to show us the way, when we are not lost to begin with? Leave them alone, I say, and we will be better for it!” Her words were loud, and several of the elders echoed her with nods and frowns… but her words fell like a drop of water on a forest fire. The children’s joy was a stronger flame than her words of caution and fear could put out. A few of them joined Fazzi in his dance, and many were chanting still. “Bizu! Bizu! Bizu!”

“And furthermore,” Tzau continued, her voice growing louder to drown out the children. “You are not Lithu! You are people of the mountains, made of mud and sticks, not born of night. All of you children listening to this fool… don’t go painting golden freckles on your faces now, and pretending you are someone you are not!” Tzau shook her head, and walked away, muttering angrily to herself as the children continued to dance. 

But Tzau did not understand… the tale was a gift for the children. And right then, it was exactly what Chavugga needed. She stood up and took Fazzi’s hand in her own. She twirled him, and let herself be twirled by him. Then she pulled her son close to her and kissed his forehead.

“Would you like to meet the Bizu?” she asked.

His eyes were full of wonder, and his whole body shook with a single word; yes!

[banyaro-eng]

[Event] On Board The Merry Christmas GIGS Dante is Coming To Town!

Event Duration: 2017/11/30 (Thu) 17:00 JST ~ 2017/12/14 (Th) 23:59 JST

Event Details

Christmas is just around the cornerー A “Masquerade Music Ball*” is to be held at a luxury liner. In order to compete purely with music, our Tuner and Bandmen throw themselves into battle whilst hiding their faces... But what they find there is Quattro Virtuoso’s... ...?

Participate in the Music Ball with the bandmen and win to get Limited Edition Cards!

※ Event stories are not voiced.

How To Play

Welcome to the Christmas of Despair! This time, you’ll be infiltrating a Masqeurade Music Ball in a luxury liner.

Get “Cracked Masks” by playing songs from different Areas listed in the Event Page. Choose the Area you want to play in and win the Duel Gig of each stage to proceed to the next stage. The Main Areas will have multiple stages accompanied by event stories. You will then unlock some Free Stages per Main Stage cleared which will be your main source of gaining Cracked Masks after clearing all the Main Areas.

Event Stage Schedule

12/02 00:00~・Poisonous Flower 12/03 00:00~・Past and Past 12/05 00:00~・Christmas Eve 12/06 00:00~・[2/4] 12/07 00:00~・Frenzied Flower 12/08 00:00~・With Lightning Speed 12/09 00:00~・Darkness and Despair 12/10 00:00~・”Reunion”

Event Box Gacha Rewards

For every box gacha line-up, there is one Jackpot Item. If you manage to get the Jackpot Item and hit reset, new items will be replenished and it will switch to the next lineup. There are a total of 10 lineups with one Jackpot Item each. If you’ve gotten everything you want form the line-up, go ahead and hit reset to move on.

Exchange Period: 2017/11/30 (Thu) 17:00JST ~ 2017/12/21 (Thu) 23:59JST

※ There will be no more Jackpot Items for the 11th Lineup. Upon getting all the items in the lineup, the lineup will reset automatically.

REWARDS LINEUP

Stamina Charge Bottles, EXP and Skill Cards, Break Items, Band Gifts and Perfumes, Gacha Points, Gold, Scenario Key* (*Will not be available by the 11th lineup.)

JACKPOT ITEMS

1st Lineup ー Rare Gacha Ticket x 3

2nd~9th Lineup ー SR Yamato Shinonome [Seiryokuhakuchuu*], SR Sousuke Maki [Toushimanman*]

10th Lineup ー SSR Gacha Voucher

Event Reward Cards

SR Yamato Shinonome [Seiryokuhakuchuu]

SR Sousuke Maki [Toushimanman]

Event Strategy-1

Acquire more Cracked Masks by using time-limited event gacha “Dante Is Coming To Town” cards. (Both in your band and support.) The higher the card rarity, the more bonus it will give you.

※ More “Cracked Mask” pieces can be acquired upon Break of the gacha cards.

Event Strategy-2

A special login bonus will be held! Make sure to log in starting from 2017/11/30(Thu) 17:00JST for 15 days to get one (1) 100%+ Stamina Charge a day.

※ Daily bonus cannot be obtained once the day is over. ※ Like normal login bonuses, the daily bonus will reset at 00:00JST every day.

Time-Limited Event Song

“Greedy Saints” by Dante Vocals: Kishou Taniyama / KISHOW Lyrics: Hiroko Yamasaki Composition, arrangement: Sousaku Sasaki

※ Event-limited songs will be unplayable after the event ends. ※ Event limited songs might reappear during future events/campaigns.

Dante Is Coming To Town Event Limited Gacha

Duration: 2017/11/30(Thu) 17:00JST ~ 2017/12/15(Thu) 12:59JST

Line-up: SSR Dante, SSR Adam, SSR Makoto Kurusu, SSR Misato Toudou, SR Yukiho

※ The number of acquired “Cracked Masks” will increase upon use of event bonus cards for clearing LIVEs.

SSR Card Pick-Up Schedule

Dante：11/30・12/4・12/8・12/12 Makoto Kurusu：12/1 ・ 12/5 ・ 12/9 ・ 12/13 Adam：12/2 ・ 12/6 ・ 12/10 ・ 12/14 Misato Toudou ： 12/3 ・12/7 ・12/11 ・12/15

※ SR Yukiho will be available throughout the duration of the gacha.

Featured New Cards

SSR Dante [Antihero] Leader Skill: [BEAT High Risk Bonus] All members’ BEAT boosted 70% while LIFE will be down by 50%. GREAT will become GOOD and GOOD will become BAD. Main Skill: [Reason to Join the War] 30% chance of activation upon 30 successful taps, boosting score by 20% for 6 seconds and recovering life by 30%.

SSR Adam [Fly High] Leader Skill: [GROOVE High Risk Bonus] All members’ GROOVE boosted 70% while LIFE will be down by 50%. GREAT will change to GOOD and GOOD will change to BAD. Main Skill: [Blessing on the Wings of Love] 30% chance of activation upon 30 successful taps, boosting score by 20% for 6 seconds and recovering life by 30%.

SSR Makoto Kurusu [Sullen Morning] Leader Skill: [BEAT UP] All Member’s BEAT boosted by 45% Main Skill: [Christmas Party] 40% chance of activation upon 50 successful taps, boosting combo bonus by 20% for 8 seconds. 

SSR Misato Toudou [Fairy Family] Leader Skill: [COMBO BONUS UP] Combo Bonus boosted by 25% Main Skill: [Ad-- from Aries] 30% chance of activation upon 30 successful taps, boosting score by 20% for 6 seconds.

*Main Skill name to be fixed

SR Yukiho [Night Pool] Leader Skill: [BEAT UP] All Member’s BEAT boosted by 30%  Main Skill: [Special Beauty Course] 40% chance of activation upon 50 successful taps, boosting combo bonus by 16% for 8 seconds.

NOTES:

＊ Masquerade Ball is 仮面舞踏会 while the event name uses 奏 (play, performance, related to music, can also be used for dance.) to replace 踏 (step; can’t be used on its own.) so I decided to include Music in between to make this distinction.

＊ Yamato’s and Sousuke’s Card names are yet another set of yojijukugo (4-character idioms): Yamato’s card name means “two entities being evenly-matched in power that neither one of them can overtake the other.” while Sousuke’s is “brimming with fighting spirit.“ Event Stage title on 12/8 is also a  yojijukugo.

[flourhurricane]

Fallout OC Holiday Headcanons: Farah Karim

I enjoyed answering the Christmas questions for Claire but I didn’t want to leave Farah out of the holiday fun. So, I took most of those questions and modify them slightly. 

1. What is your OC’s attitude toward Christmas?

Contrary to what some people assume, Muslims can and do enjoy Christmas, and it’s one of Farah’s favorite holidays. When she lived in the Institute, it was the only time of the year the place didn’t feel so sterile. There was a limit to how many lights and decorations could be put up, to conserve power, but most residents added their own personal touches to their work-spaces or homes. Farah had a tiny, plastic Christmas tree on her dresser, decked out with multi-color lights and red and pink ribbons. 

2. Is your OC religious? 

Farah doesn’t like the term religious. To her, it implies she blindly follows a strict doctrine. If life in the Institute and the Commonwealth has taught her anything, it’s not everything can be a clear-cut right or wrong. But Farah does describe herself as a committed Muslim.

It was uncommon, but not unusual, for an Institute resident to practice a religion. Still, Farah he wasn’t raised in a religious family. Her parents were non-practicing Muslims, though they exposed her to a few cultural traditions. Most of what Farah has learned about Islam is self-taught from research and the Quran. She likes that, because it means she personally chose her faith. 

3. What are some of your OC’s childhood holiday memories? What did they get as presents from their family and / or friends?

There was, at the most, 4 or 5 Muslim families in the Institute, all non-practicing. (Also most families were small, as I assume the Institute encouraged population control.) Farah was the oldest child among the families. She spent of a lot of her time either by herself or with the adults, and it didn’t help she was 2-3 grades ahead of the other Institute children her age. (She was a lonely child growing up, even though she won’t admit it.)

Home-cooked food was a luxury, so one of Farah’s childhood memories involve the cookies her mom would bake for Eid. An Institute resident’s diet mainly consisted nutritional supplements and pre-war, pre-packaged food. But on special occasions, Farah’s parents would use the vouchers they’d saved up during the year and buy actual ingredients from the commissary. Her mom would bake flour cookies and sugar cookies shaped to look like little sheep. (Sadly, sheep are now extinct).

Farah usually received books, notepads, and pens from her parents’ friends during Christmas and Eid... she re-gifted a lot of the fiction books. Her parents would give her a new jumpsuit and shoes. When she was 10, Farah received her most favorite present: her own set of tools.

Two more questions under the cut!

4. What are the holidays like in the Commonwealth? Does your OC spend them with anyone special? What presents do they give and receive?

Well, life in the Commonwealth is much different than inside the Institute. There are a lot of downsides: no free and easily accessible healthcare, or education, or food and nutrition, or electricity, let alone many safe places to live. But there’s no longer an organization seeking to create their own slaves and terrorize a group of humans they deemed as inferior, or take science to an extreme that omits morals and advancements that benefit everyone, not just a select few. So, even though Farah struggles with some parts of day-to-day life, she’s happier in the Commonwealth.

Farah collects blankets throughout the year and gives them to drifters and the homeless during the late autumn and winter seasons. She’s not a great (or an okay) cook but she also hands out sandwiches and purified water with Pastor Clements. During Eid al-Adha, Farah buys a young brahmin and pays Polly to slaughter and cut it for her. It’s tradition to donate 1/3 of the meat to the poor, give 1/3 to family members or friends, and keep the remaining 1/3. Though I suspect Farah and Deacon make a large batch of beef stew with their meat for the Railroad HQ agents.

Farah spends the holidays with Deacon, her partner, then friend, then boyfriend, and then eventually husband. They make a big deal out of the major holidays, especially Christmas, and especially after their kids are born. They spend Christmas Eve at home, then Christmas Day with Claire (Sole Survivor), Danse, and their kids. 

Deacon and Farah have a rule that a Christmas present must make the recipient smile (and it’s probably become a competition between them). They give/receive practical gifts for other holidays, so Christmas is a time to be silly, or thoughtful, or both.

One year, Deacon gave Farah a stack of coloring books and a box of crayons. HOW and WHERE he found intact, pre-war coloring books, I don’t know, but Farah spent hours coloring extinct wildlife and superheroes. 

The best present Farah ever gave Deacon? With some help from some Railroad runners, Sturges, and Tinker Tom, Farah was able to restore a 2076 Lone Wanderer motorcycle. It’s hard to surprise Deacon, but Farah and everyone involved managed to keep it a secret. 

5. What holiday presents would your OC give their companions or friends in the Commonwealth?

Farah gives Claire handmade jewelry made from scrap metal. (Claire loves it; it reminds her of nicer times from before the war.) Danse receives fusion cores, as he’s a guy that appreciates practical gifts. Ellie Perkins also receives handmade earrings and a half-full bottle of pre-war perfume. (She works hard and deserves nice things.) Glory gets a serrated combat knife. And for Tinker Tom, a new pair of utility overalls.

Curie and Nick are Farah’s best friends. Farah gives Curie clippings from her garden, which Curie uses for experiments to make heartier and rad-resistant produce. For Nick, Farah couldn’t think of anything to give him except a quote-unquote makeover. She replaced a lot of his frayed wires, rusted parts, and welded the holes in his outer shell with sturdier plastic.