#i already talked about this a little bit in another post but it hasn't left my mind since they announced the final season

[catabasis]

once again thinking of how they could address the captain's sexuality in the final season (and again, i wouldn't want a big coming out scene, i wouldn't want them to make a big deal out of it, i just think that, since most of the ghosts have dealt with their insecurities and unresolved issues, the captain also deserves that because it's a part of him, like his inability to completely let go of the war and his military persona, which also should be addressed) and i think my favoured approach would be a subtle one where we see the captain progressively loosening up a bit more and being more open and comfortable about it without trying to hide it. like when adam (the assistant director) came to button house, or when he commented about one of the workers being handsome and having strong arms. i would love to see something like that again but this time with the captain not trying to correct himself or hide it. another option that could go hand in hand with this one (and would be more emotional and would require the captain to really open up) could happen in the case of havers coming back for another flashback: the captain could confess, either to the rest of the ghosts or just to himself in a "pillow talk" kind of scene, that havers was the first man he fell in love with.

there are so many ways to approach this that wouldn't require the captain to just say “i'm gay”, although if they (six idiots/them there) do it that way, i don't think i would mind because i trust them to do it right.

and like i said before, i'm hoping that first and foremost they address and possibly resolve the captain's feelings about the war and his clinging to his military persona, at the very least to have him come to terms with the war being over and how the war negatively impacted his life, which in a way could be connected to his sexuality.

season five will be the final season, and it's time for the captain to face all these things that are a part of him, and to finally, hopefully, feel more at peace with them.

[its-vannah]

Another Love | Graham Dunne x Reader

Request from anonymous: more graham and reader with probs the inspo being the weezer song (I just threw out the love of my dreams)/ an unrequited love

A/N: This was so hard to write. It drained me, but I'm happy with the end product. There's no happy ending in this one, really onlt angst. Hope you guys enjoy and please feel free to request more. I write for Graham, Eddie, and Warren.

Warnings: Mentions of drugs (mescaline), unrequited love, implied sex, blood, profanities

Daisy Jones and The Six Masterlist

Part One | Part Two| Part Three

Unrequited love. The leading cause of heartbreak not only in America, but in the rest of the world, too. It's that feeling in the pit of your stomach that sits there and never really goes away, no matter how many times you try to stop thinking about it. It plagues you, haunting every memory you have. You're left to wonder what could have been if, how things could have been different if. It's always an "if", always ending in a question mark and not a period.

You're love for Graham Dunne had never wavered in the twenty two years you had been in love with him. Not when he took your hand and guided you around the neighborhood because he was your fiercest, if not smallest, protector. It only grew when the two of you kissed each other under the bleachers at a high school football game, getting it out of the way with "no strings attached" before you opened yourselves up for dating. It didn't stop when he got his first girlfriend and you were left thirdwheeling. It didn't even begin to fade when he moved out to LA to pursue music while you stayed behind in Pittsburgh, destined for a typical 9-5 job.

Graham had his fair share of girlfriends, especially after The Dunne Brothers was formed. His role in the band, while not as popular as Billy, was prominent. He was cute, naive. But apparently so were you.

When you had heard the news that the band was on tour, set to stop in Pittsburgh, you reached out to Camila to confirm if it was really them. Of course, you had every album they had released, including 7,8,9—their newest.

"Camila," You had said into your phone, twisting the cord around your fingers, "Have they changed any since I last saw them? It's been, what, a couple years now, hasn't it?"

She sighed into the phone, "Other than Billy and I being parents? No, I don't think so. Warren is the same as ever, Eddie's a little more irritiable though. You'll meet Karen, she's got a no bullshit attitude. You'll love her. Your Graham still looks like a deer in headlights anytime he sees a pretty girl."

"Got it. And you? Are you coming?" You asked, hopeful you'd be able to see her again after so long.

"I'm going to try. I'll have to take Julia with me, though. It won't be easy, I'm a few months pregnant, Y/N."

Eyes widening, you smiled, "Oh, Cami, congratulations."

"Thank you, really, it's been hard being away from family. But I've got Billy and the boys, Karen, too, so it's not all bad. They're excited to see you, Y/N. Especially Graham. He hadn't stopped telling everyone about you since they scheduled Pittsburgh on the tour."

"He's been talking about me?"

She laughed on the other end of the phone, "Everyone already knows you, except for Daisy. But he can't help himself. He's like a kid on Christmas, dying to see you."

Trying to steady your breathing, you took a deeo breath, "Well, I'll see you guys in a few weeks, then. Keep me posted on how you're doing, though. Being pregnant on the road can't be easy."

"I will, Y/N," She said, "We'll see you soon. Julia, can you say bye to Y/N?"

"Bye bye!" A smile voice said on the other end of the phone.

Your heart melted a bit, "Bye Cami, bye Julia. See you soon."

With that, you hung up, your heart beating out of your chest.

You only had to wait a few more weeks before you saw him. It shouldn't be that hard.

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

You met with the band at the concert venue, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a bix of Graham's favorite chocolates in the other.

As soon as the van doors opened, Eddie opened the passenger door, sliding out onto the pavement. The two of you had known each other since middle school, but it was hard to believe it was him. He had changed. He had grown into his body, looking more confident than he had in the eighth grade.

He gave you a warm smile, pulling you into a side hug, "How are you, Y/N?"

"I'm doing good, just glad to see you guys. And you, you're doing good?"

"Couldn't be happier," He said, his smile faltering slightly as he spoke. Something had happened, you just weren't sure what it was.

Billy was the next out, helping a pregnant Camilla out of the van with one hand, his other supporting Julia.

Camilla waddled towards you, arms out before you could even say hello. Taking her daughter from her husband, she introduced her to you with a big smile.

Kneeling down, you handed Julia the small bouquet of flowers, "These are for you and your mama, Julia."

The girl gasped, hugging them to her chest as she looked up at her mother, jumping excitedly.

Camila mouthed a "thank you" and then looked back at Graham, who stood still, his eyes locked on yours.

Giving you a wink, she picked Julia up and followed Billy to scout out the venue.

As soon as she stepped to the side, you were being scooped up by Graham. He twirled you around, squeezing you so tight you found it hard to breathe.

When he finally set you down, you grabbed his arms for support, laughing at his straight-forwardness.

"It's good to see you, too, Graham," You said, pulling him in for another hug, "It's been too long. Pittsburgh isn't the same without it's favorite Dunne."

"I don't think I'm the favorite Dunne," He said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

You shrugged, "Maybe not, but you're my favorite."

"Then that's all that matters."

From the side of the van, a woman cleared her throat, looking expectantly at Graham to introduce her.

"Oh! Y/N, this is Karen, our keyboardist. She's British."

Karen stepped forward, nodding to you with a smile before looking at the younger Dunne, "Are those the only words you could think of to describe me?"

"I was put on the spot."

"And how would you describe her?"

Graham smiled, "Karen, this is my best friend in the whole world. We've known each other since we were in diapers."

Coming from the driver's side of the van, Warren walked towards you with outstretched arms, "Pears!"

"Pears?" Karen asked, looking at the drummer.

"Peaches and pears," Warren explained, nodding towards you and Graham, "Had to find some way to embarrass them, Karen Karen."

"Alright," She laughed, "How much mescaline have you had today, Rojas?"

He shrugged, "Enough to make the drive fun."

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

At dinner that night, you were seated next to Graham, and across from Eddie and Camila.

"So, Y/N/N, what have you been up to? Still in school?"

"No, I graduated in May, actually. I start my new job next week."

He clapped your back, "No way! Congrats, Y/N/N. I wish I could've been there to see your graduation."

"It's all good. I've been busy, anyway. What about you guys? Anything planned for after the tour?"

Graham nodded, taking a bite of his food, "Something big that Billy would kill me for talking about. Let's just say you'll have to buy our next record."

You released a breathy laugh, shaking your head, "I've still got your first two in my apartment."

"So, you seeing anyone?" He asked.

Was this some sort of code? Was this his way of preparing to ask you out? You had already waited twenty two years for this.

"No, I'm not. How about you?"

Before he could answer, Julia's cries filled the room. Camila looked around, apologizing as she began rocking her slowly, trying to calm the toddler down. Another tantrum, you guessed. Every bit as fiery as her father.

The conversation continued for another hour without you ever getting an answer to whether he was seeing anyone. You felt wrong bringing it back up since he had already moved on to telling you about the concerts they had been playing the past few weeks.

By the time the check came, you weren't ready to end the night. But they had an early morning tomorrow, with rehearsals and the concert. You understood and bid your goodbyes.

As they drove off, you walked to your car. But you didn't have your purse on you.

Walking back in the restaurant, you went back to your table, finding your purse hanging on the back of a wooden chair, along with Graham's wallet on the table.

Deciding to drop it off at their hotel, you got in your car and started driving.

-------

When you got out of your car, the first person you saw was Eddie, leaning against a pillar while taking a drag of his cigarette.

He straightened when he saw you, a smile on his face, "Y/N, I didn't know you were coming over."

"Me neither," You laughed, "But Graham forgot his wallet."

"I'll walk you in. They won't let you go in without one of us," Eddie said, putting out the flame of his cigarette in an ashtray.

You thanked him, following him inside the hotel and to the elevator.

Making small talk on the way up, you were reminded of how kind Eddie was. He was the most sensible of the group. Not blunt like Karen, not naive like Graham. He wasn't as tough as Billy or as laid-back as Warren. Camila had always been the voice of reason, but Eddie was outspoken.

He led you to Graham's door, knocking on it a few times.

When the door swung open, Graham was standing on the other side, less than half dressed.

Eddie stepped to the side, revealing you behind him.

A surprised expression settled over the youngest Dunne brother, "Y/N, what're you doing here?"

You dug his wallet out of your pocket, "You left this at the restaurant. Can't really go anywhere without it."

He smiled, taking it from you, "Thanks, I appreciate it. You have—"

From inside the room, a woman's voice rang out, "Graham, get the fuck back inside and finish what you started."

It wasn't just any woman, though. It was Karen.

You saw her shoes in the middle of the room from where you were standing, clothes strewn on the floor and dresser.

"I'll leave you to it," You said, swallowing the bile that rose in your throat.

Did he know your heart was breaking? You wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone. It was the worst feeling in the world.

Turning on your heel, Graham didn't bother calling out behind you. He just closed his door, going back to what he hadn't finished.

God, you hated saying that.

Eddie walked beside you, taking notes of your expression. But he waited to say anything until he got in the elevator, "I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't... I didn't know they were together. Not just in there, but at all."

You stayed silent, unable to look at him. It wasn't his fault, but you were about to crumble.

"Y/N? Are you okay?"

That's what broke you. Falling into his side, Graham leaned forward to catch you, his arms wrapping around your waist to support you as tears came rolling down your cheeks.

The elevator was filled with your sobs. You weren't the only one who's heart was breaking. Eddie had always hated seeing you like this.

When the doors opened, Warren appeared on the other side.

Eddie mouthed, "Go get him. Car."

He led you out to the car, a hand pressed on your back as he led you outside.

You slipped in the backseat with him, head resting on his shoulder.

"I thought... I thought he'd..." Your chest heaved, your hands frantically wiping your tears away, "I didn't... Eddie..."

"Shhh," He soothed, "You're going to be alright. I'm here, okay? I'm not going to leave you."

You nodded, clinging to his shirt as you tried to calm yourself.

That's when you heard a knock at your window.

Eddie reached over to open the door, Warren smiling down sympathetically at you.

"Pears, I've got somebody here to see you," He said softly, turning to his friend beside him, hissing, "Jesus Christ, zip it up, asshole."

That stung.

Graham poked his head through, "Y/N/N, what's wrong?"

Eddie glared at him. Another Dunne brother to add to his growing list of people he couldn't give two fucks about.

"Warren, are we interrupting something? I feel like we are."

"Get your head out of your ass, Dunne." Eddie snapped, gesturing towards you.

You pulled away from Eddie, "Can you give us a minute. Please?"

"I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?"

Nodding, you watched as he slid out of the car while Graham slid in, the doors shutting. You had never felt so alone.

"Y/N/N? What's wrong?"

"You, Graham. You're what's fucking wrong."

"I don't, I don't understand..."

You shook your head, "How long have we known each other?"

"Twenty two years."

"Do you love me?"

He nodded, "Of course I do."

"No, Graham, are you in love with me."

"Like—love love?" He asked, quite literally twiddling his thumbs.

"Y/N..." He trailed off.

Your head fell into your hands, inhaling sharply, "You may not be in love with me, Graham."

Sitting back up, you looked him in the eyes, "But I've been in love with you since we were in diapers. That hasn't changed. And it hurts, Graham, it hurts so much to see you with someone else. Because I love you. I always have."

He was silent, unsure of what to say.

"Um, Y/N... I... I'm sorry, I just... I don't think..."

"You didn't think anything of us being each other's first kiss? Nothing of us going to prom together two years straight? Me coming to all of your concerts? You coming to my recitals? Nothing? Absolutely nothing? I was so excited to see you, so excited. I was finally going to tell you how I felt. But I found you with another woman. You told me you had a long day and an early morning and that you couldn't hang out tonight. But you were just fucking your keyboardist."

"Y/N, she's not just my keyboardist."

Your nails dug into your hands, "Get out."

"What?"

"Get out, Graham. Out of my car."

"I'm sorry, I really am."

You pushed him away from you, screaming, "Get out!"

He didn't budge, trying to talk you down.

"I'll always love you, Y/N/N. But you're like my sister."

"I never want to see you again. Ever. I never want to have to look you in the eyes. I'm done, Graham. I'm done always being in second place.

He put a hand on your shoulder.

"So help me Graham, if you don't get out of my fucking car."

He got the message that time, his head bowed as he grasped the door handle.

Before he could leave, you muttered one final sentence, "I'm happy you found someone you love, Graham."

He didn't say anything, slamming the door and walking back inside the hotel.

You slammed your fists against the leather seats of your car, the thread hitting your knuckles just right so that they split open, oozing blood.

It burned, the blood on your hands as you tried to apply pressure.

The car door opened a few minutes later, Eddie sliding back in beside you. Taking note of your bloody hands, he slipped out of his shirt, leaving himself in a white undershirt.

He wrapped the sleeve around your bloody knuckles, pressing down on the wound.

Tears began spilling down your cheeks again and you leaned into him, your head in his chest as he stroked your hair, promising that you'd be okay.

Like you, Eddie had his handful of unrequited love. First Camila, then you. But like Graham, you were to blind to see that.

[greenhaired-gremlin]

Okay very serious post time

TW: school shooting, Apalachee HS shooting

I live and go to achool an hour away from Apalachee. The shock and fear that one experiences when you find out a school an hour away has a shooting is so indescribable to anyone who hasn't experienced it. Today my school has our normal security officer and THREE others, a state trooper, a sheriff, and another who I can't read the car of.

I, a 16 year old, shouldn't have to go to school thinking "what if today's the day?" I should not have to have a plan for every room and every section of my school for if (inevitably, when) something happens. CHILDREN shouldn't have to worry about this. We deserve to be protected. Metal detectors help a little bit, but it's far too easy to slip things past.

At Apalachee two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, both of which who had families, were killed. Two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both of which were 14, were also killed. By a 14 year old with an AR-style gun. Colt Gray had access to this weapon through his father, who claimed Colt "did not have unsupervised access to his hunting guns." Colt Gray has been on an FBI watchlist since last year in suspected relation to school shooting threats and social media posts about guns, but they didn't have enough evidence to arrest him. Now 4 people are dead and another 9 are injured, one of which had to be airlifted to Atlanta (Taylor unknown-lastname). David Phoenix (sh0t in the hip and foot according to his daughter) was also injured. All 9 are expected to survive thankfully. (the other 8 victims names haven't been disclosed as they were all students and therefore, minors)

WHEN are the adults who run this godforsaken country going to ACTUALLY do something about this? School started a fucking MONTH ago and there's already been one school shooting with major coverage and who knows how many others.

My mom said to me last night "And I though, at least she only has about a year and a half left, and then I was like nope these things happen at colleges too." I had so many people ask me if I was alright. I'm lucky enough to have never been in a county eith an active shooter but what about those who are? Apalachee has a student population of around 1910, plus their staff. Those are 1910+ families who will never be the same. 1910+ people who will never be the same.

I've seen so many posts of ELEMENTARY SCHOOL teachers talking about how their students told them "they wanted the light up shoes but couldn't get them just in case we have to hide" or something along that line. LITERAL CHILDREN. Everyday my little sisters go to school and I worry about them too. They are 9 and 4.

Protect our children.

Protect us.

Please.

Talk about the victims. Talk about the injured victims. Don't give all the attention to Gray. They had families too.

[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's Wrapped in Silk Date

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

Note: This date explores some very suggestive themes, so if you do not meet the game's recommended 17+ age rating, I'd suggest to avoid reading this date.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 1]

The clear night sky seems to have been washed by spring water, and the stars are akin to diamonds against the dark blue gauze.

[MC's Company Name] has recently discussed collaboration with LEEZY, a well-know foreign fashion brand, and therefore I personally made the trip to come to their headquarters in West Asia.

The first reason being because they attached great importance to this collaboration, and second one being because Kiro too was filming in this city.

It's been three months since Kiro came here to film a movie. During this time, all we could do was accompany each other through the tiny screens of our mobile phones every day.

So when this opportunity to "visit work" presented itself, I immediately applied for a visa and flew over.

After several days of meetings and visits, the contract was successfully signed. The other party hoped that we could promote the latest season of their clothing.

I was also invited to attend this charity dinner party being held by the lake tonight.

In my drunken stupor, a slight sense of dizziness floods my head. I lift the shawl of my dress, shake the wine glass in my hand and look at the figure standing close by--

Kiro smiles and talks to the person in front of him, his golden hair shinning brightly in the darkness of night.

Seemingly noticing my gaze, he turns his face slightly, and his blue eyes catch my sight.

I raise my glass, smile at him, and take another slow sip. His eyes flicker for a moment and he calmly looks away from me.

Not long after, he smiles, nods, and comes to me with a glass of wine, lightly touching it to mine.

Kiro: I'm back!

MC: Was that the producer who invited you to the dinner just now? Why don't you chat for a little longer?

Kiro: We've already chatted for quite a bit. He even asked for my autograph for his little daughter.

Kiro: So, from now on, my time is all yours, MC.

Kiro: That being said... how much have you had to drink?

He seems to have noticed the unyielding warmth on my face. He raises his hand and gently touches the side of my face with the back of his hand.

That familiar body temperature departs as soon as it touches, leaving me feeling a little disappointed. I simply pinch his fingertips and take the opportunity to slip my fingers into the gaps between his.

MC: Not a lot, maybe... five or six glasses.

Kiro: That's not a lot...?

He lowers his head slightly and draws closer to me, the glimmer of expectation in his eyes quietly falling into mine.

Kiro: MC, should we run away?

MC: Now?

Kiro: Well~ You're going back to Loveland tomorrow afternoon, and I won't be back in China for another three weeks.

Kiro: There are less than 15 hours left. I don't want to waste another minute.

That reluctance tucked away in my heart is outlined by his words and tugs at my heartstrings.

All the work that needed to be discussed has been taken care of, so I nod. After paying our respects to the organizer, Kiro takes my hand and leaves the venue.

-

The taxi takes us all the way back to the hotel. After getting out of the cab, I stop, shake our intertwined hands and look at him eagerly.

MC: ...My feet hurt.

A smile seems to flash across those blue eyes. The next second, my body grows light and I'm being held in his arms.

Kiro: [chuckles indulgently] Hold me.

Amidst the cool night breeze, the embrace I am nestled in is particularly affectionate. I put my arms around his neck, and from time to time I run my lips across the side of his face, which is now slightly cooled by the night wind.

After entering the room, he bends down and gently places me on the small sofa.

The warmth that came from being close to each other seems to escape. Just as I am about to reach out and hug him, I suddenly feel my clothes tighten. Seemingly pulled by something, he too, falls towards me--

Those slightly wide blue eyes suddenly close in within my field of vision, and a warm softness unexpectedly falls against the corner of my lips.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 2]

The bright moonlight falls on the tip of his slender eyebrows, creating a faint white circle, akin to a piece of fallen snow.

His blue eyes appear deeper than usual. Through the moonlight, I can clearly see myself reflected in that clear spring.

The tenderness lingering at the corner of my lips stays for a moment, then departs slightly.

Kiro: Sure enough, you still smell like champagne.... I'll get you a glass of water.

I don't let go of the hands holding him. All I do is blink my eyes and soften my voice.

MC: ...I don't want to let go.

Noting my retention, he doesn't get up and just gently kisses my ear.

Suddenly, he pauses slightly, picks up the beaded chain on my clothes with one hand and shakes it.

Kiro: Turns out that there was a "trap" waiting for me here.

I follow his line of sight and see that the pearl chain from my clothes had somehow managed to get entangled with the accessories on his outfit.

Kiro: I won't leave. So... there's no need for this.

Those slender fingertips travel along the intricately wound chain and slowly disassemble it under the moonlight. Every now and then the silver chain reflects a cold silver light, like starlight dancing along his fingertips.

The alcohol gradually takes over my brain, and the person in front of me appears to be covered in a layer of mist under the moonlight.

My hands slowly slide along his arms to his back, feeling the familiar contours of his muscles under the thin layer of fabric. And when his tight buttons block the path of my fingertips, I gently undo them--

His white collar falls open a bit, revealing the lines of his collarbone.

Kiro: [Almost breathlessly] ....Why are you still being naughty?

MC: How could I....

When my nails gently scratch his waist, I feel the body under my fingertips stiffen slightly, and the breathing in the air suddenly grow heavier.

I blink innocently, finding some kind of pleasure in this long wait, and gently squeeze along his waistline.

Just as I'm busy enjoying myself, he suddenly grabs a hold of my wrist and then raises it above my head without any explanation.

At some point, he manages to untie the longest chain of beads and holds it casually between his fingertips.

His eyes, which have always been clear, are now stained with a hint of drunkenness, influenced by my own, and even his voice sounds hoarse.

Kiro: [huskily] If you keep making trouble like this, we won't be able to finish undoing this tonight.

Kiro: [x2] Leave your hands to me for now.

A cold touch falls on the skin of my wrist. Along with the slight rustling sound of metal, something wraps around my wrist one after another. Belatedly, my somewhat sluggish brain realizes that it's the chain that was untied from my dress.

My heartbeat inexplicably speeds up.

MC: [blushing] Kiro....

Kiro: [voice soft yet seductive] Don't move, it'll be fine soon.

As he says this, he deliberately slows down and enjoys every minute the peaceful moonlight has to offer.

The cold tassels brush against my skin from time to time, leaving at the first sign of touch. Tiny stimulations flow along my skin and blood vessels, causing my heartbeat to grow a little faster.

MC: Mmn...

I shrink on reflex, and he gently holds me down.

Taking in my state, he smiles softly, supports my knees and raises them slightly, lowering his head and kissing the spot where the chain grazes me.

His overwhelmingly hot breath seems to carry with it a small fire, burning along the blood in my veins.

As time passes by, the body's sensitivity seems to be heightened, feeling the other person with every ounce of strength.

I want to hug that warm back, but I find my hands tied together, unable to move freely. So I simply raise my ankle and gently press it against his calf.

As if eager to occupy the little time we have left, the breath tracing the side of my neck grows more and more rapid.

In the room soaked in moonlight, the tips of my fingers are tightly clasped, as if the vacancy formed during this period of time is being filled.

The overlapping of shadows is reflected on one side, almost blending together, blurring the slowly approaching moment of separation.

This night seems to go on forever, but also seems to pass by in an instant.

And amidst the chaos, I feel as if I'm being held in a scorching embrace.

-

Wanting to turn over a bit, I felt my wrist tighten. And when I open my eyes, I find a familiar metal chain still hanging on my wrist.

The other end of the chain is loosely wrapped around Kiro's wrist. Looking at the bright white pearls, my mind goes blank for a while.

At that moment, the mobile phone screen next to my ear lights up, and a travel information prompt pops up.

"The pre-scheduled flight has arrived. Please arrive at the airport two hours before departure to complete formalities..."

In that instant, the strength against my waist tightens slightly, and a tired warmth presses up against it.

Kiro: [sleepily] ...Is it morning already?

MC: Mm. It's time to get up.

I forcefully turn over and peck him softly on the lips.

He lets out a "Huh", turns over and pushes me under him. Using the grip of the chain, he grabs my wrist and nuzzles my neck.

Kiro: Okay, Kiro is attempting to get up. Progress is 1%, 14%...

Kiro: [sighing in mock defeat] Kiro has failed to get up and has now entered the Miss Chips mode with a five-minute countdown...

The person behind me mutters and hugs me tighter.

-

I don't know how many five-minutes pass before we finally get up from the bed and wash up.

Holding me in his arms, he helps me tie the straps behind my back.

Kiro: You really don't need me to take you to the airport?

MC: No need. Didn't the director give you an "ultimatum" to arrive on set by 1 o'clock in the afternoon at the latest?

MC: You concentrate on filming. I'll contact you when I get to the airport.

Hearing this, he curls his lips in frustration.

Kiro: Sigh... I wish I had a time machine. It could take us back to last night, or take me to 20 days later, when my filming ends.

I suppress the longing in my heart, raise my head and gently kiss his lips.

MC: You can rest for a few days when you get back. There are several new handicraft stores that have opened on Huapu Street. We can wait in line to visit them.

MC: Or we can play games together at home and rest together.

Kiro: Okay, it's settled.

Warm fingertips occasionally glide across my skin through the chiffon fabric, taking their time, fearing that this little time will quietly slip away from our fingertips.

Feeling a sense of comfort in my heart, I change my position and lean into his arms, gazing up at him.

MC: How long will it take you to fasten them?

Kiro: It's a bit complicated. Might take a while.

He looks at me and says earnestly.

Kiro: So, before you get ready and leave for the airport... let me hold you like this for a while.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 3]

After returning to China, I put the new collaborative project on the agenda. And in the storm of work and overtime, three weeks quickly pass by.

Kiro has successfully completed his filming and returned to China. Our reunion lasts for about two nights, but I'm unable to find the time to fulfill the promise I made to him about going shopping together--

The release date of LEEZY's new season of clothing gradually approaches, but I still haven't formulated a promotional plan that I'm sold on yet.

MC: What's missing....

Facing a dozen documents on my computer, I find myself feeling a little distressed.

Just as I am about to pick up my mug and take a few more sips of black coffee to refresh myself, a warm embrace greets from behind.

Kiro: What are you sighing about?

I put down the black coffee, smile, turn around and hug him back.

MC: Did you sleep well?

Kiro: Mm-- I just dreamed that my Miss Chips was being chased by the document monster, and I quickly woke up.

MC: ...Don't tell me. That dream is quite vivid.

Noting my slight frustration, he rubs his chin on the top of my head and looks at my screen.

Kiro: Are you still writing about LEEZY's announcement?

MC: Yeah... Their latest season's clothes were the ones they gave me before, with a lot of straps on them.

MC: I've made several promotional plans, but they all seem to lack a bit of novelty...

Kiro: Generally, brands will focus on a theme when designing a new season clothing line. Wouldn't it better to explore options based on their theme?

MC: Their clothes this season all have a lot of straps and chains on them. Their theme of design is said to be "Entwining".

MC: But this theme has been done by other brands before, so I couldn't find a unique direction to take it in.

Kiro: If you can't get any ideas by just looking at the information, shouldn't you try out some other methods?

MC: For example..?

Kiro thinks for a moment and then snaps his fingers.

Kiro: I've got a good idea. Besides, I've got nothing to do today, so let me be Miss Muse's inspiration-finding assistant!

MC: [excited] What?

He pulls me up from my seat and winks.

Kiro: Of course, we're going to use the method we're both good at - shooting!

Kiro: But this time, let's switch roles. You can be the model.

-

Kiro: Hmm... This angle of the light box should be fine. For the lighting...

I change my clothes, walk into the huge dance studio, and see Kiro adjusting the bracket of the lighting board.

The backdrop has been decorated by him in a simple manner, with various colorful ribbons hanging loosely but not messily. A stool is placed in the center of the background wall.

When he sees me come in, his eyes light up, and he comes over and takes my hand.

Kiro: I want the opinion of a professional producer: What do you think? Is it pretty good?

MC: It's very layered, and the color and backdrop complement each other well!

Watching my eyes light up fills him with a sense of pride.

Kiro: Feeling the theme for yourself might give you different ideas.

He leads me to sit on the stool, guides me to hook my hand on the hanging ribbon, raises his camera and presses the shutter.

After taking a few photos in various positions, we lean in front of the camera and look at the pictures.

Perhaps because of his rich shooting experience, Kiro is very good at guiding postures and states.

Kiro: What do you think?

MC: The composition and lighting are very good, and can be used as a photo album. It's just... I still feel clueless.

I look through the pictures carefully one after another, but I still get the sense that something isn't right.

MC: ....Is it possible that the characters don't fit the environment well enough?

After listening to my words, Kiro also lowers his head and thinks for a while.

Kiro: Wait for a moment.

I watch him drag out a box from the standing cabinet on the side and rummage through it. Then he picks up a large number of differently styled decorative chains and ribbons.

MC: Why do you have so much of this stuff?

Kiro: They were all leftover props from previous shoots. I had a feeling that they'd come in handy sooner or later.

Kiro: Now, let me "transform" the model and scene.

-

After we add some of them to the background wall, we open the stool up wide and I sit directly in the middle of this tangled up scene.

Kiro holds a long ribbon and casually wraps it around my thigh.

The cool silk gently touches my skin, making me shiver and my entire body tenses up.

As if noting my slight nervousness, Kiro chuckles, drawing the ribbon around my waist, and then wrapping it loosely around my wrist.

Kiro: Don't be nervous. Do you still remember the lesson in perception you took before?

I follow his voice and recall that in the greenhouse, he had once taught me bit by bit how to use senses other than sight to feel.

Note: This is a callback to Perception Date :>

Kiro: [voice enticingly soft] Try searching for the feeling of having your body wrapped in ribbon.

Following his voice, I carefully feel the silk wrapping around my skin - soft and thin.

Kiro's mirthful voice is akin to the ribbon entwined around my body. He gently lifts it, leaving my heart feeling a bit itchy.

Kiro: [x2] Raise your right hand a little higher... yes.

The hand holding the ribbon moves, and the soft fabric slowly slides along my skin and tightens slightly. My eyes subconsciously follow it.

"Click"--

The soft click of the shutter occasionally dissipates in the quiet air.

He adjusts the position of the ribbon around my body, arms, neck...

And the soft fabric seems to come to life in his hands, ensnaring all of my thoughts and following in his lead.

Occasionally, he adds one or two thin pearl strands that make a crisp sound every time my body sways.

I think of the chain wrapped around my wrist on that moonlit night.

My heart beats loudly, and my ears are so hot that they are on the verge of bleeding. I can't help but move my body.

MC: ...You - please be serious.

Kiro: Hm? But I am seriously trying to help you find that "entwining" sensation.

His eyes widen slightly, but the curvature at the corners of his lips betrays the cunning in his heart. It's as if he's playing an interesting "game".

I purse my lips, suddenly curious about the "reason" that has captured his interest, and with a bit of force, I grasp a hold of his wrist.

His surprised face gradually enlarges in my field of vision. He stretches out his hand to the wall beside my face in order to support and steady his body, and for a moment, his breathing becomes chaotic.

MC: In addition to being entwined, I too want to experience what it's like to entwine someone...

MC: Can this superstar help me out?

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 4]

There's a hint of a smile present in his brow.

Kiro: Sure.

The hand holding me tightens. He turns me over and my entire body presses up against him.

A scorching body temperature comes from our closely connected skin, and the side of my face and the base of ears are also dyed in a slight warmth.

I prop up my body, and following his example, I slowly pull a ribbon from the side and gently touch it to his ear.

His whole body seems to relax, lazily waiting for my next move.

Kiro: [whispering temptingly] Need help?

MC: I - I want to experience this for myself first.

Even though I say this, I'm unsure as to what to do next. I aimlessly wrap the ribbon around his slender fingers and slowly slide it down...

Stopping on his well-jointed wrist.

I wrap the ribbon in my hand around his wrist, imitating his actions from that night, and tie it into a somewhat clumsy knot.

He arches his eyebrows slightly and glances at me.

Kiro: [I HV NO IDEA HOW TO DESCRIBE HOW SEDUCTIVELY HE DRAGGED HIS VOICE HERE BUT HNNG-] I see... I reasonably suspect that you're trying to "avenge yourself".

MC: I'm just serious about set design!

Another pale yellow ribbon is loosely wrapped around his neck. I hold the other end of the ribbon and trail it across his arms, chest, the curves of his sides...

Then, gently tighten it.

The hair of the person in front of me is slightly tousled, and entangles with the strings of ribbon scattered on the side.

Among these bright and beautiful colors, those blue eyes gazing at me get darker and darker.

Kiro: [temptingly soft again] Does this give you inspiration?

MC: My eyes have captured it... But I also wanted to capture this on camera.

I lift up my camera and capture this scene.

His languid eyes look directly into mine through the lens, like a warm current hitting my chest.

Kiro: [x2] Actually, there's something else that could also help you.

MC: ...What?

Kiro: [x3] Unlike entangling something, untangling these entanglements could also be fun... Do you wanna try it?

He holds my hand, guides my fingers to pick up a ribbon that had dropped onto his skin, and slowly pulls it away.

I look down at him, wrapped in colorful ribbons, and at this moment, he looks as if he's waiting to be unwrapped...

Like a gift.

The memory hidden in the recesses of my mind cause my heartbeat to pound a bit out of control.

Noting the pause of my hand, Kiro raises his eyes slightly, a couple of doubts present in his eyebrows.

Kiro: ...What's wrong?

MC: It feels like I'm opening a gift...

He startles slightly, and then a smile appears on his lips.

Kiro: I've always been a gift belonging to you alone. You can open it at any time.

The black ribbon absentmindedly wraps around his fingers, drawing out lingering memories and taking me back to that Valentine's Day filled with the scent of essential oils.

This time, I take over the role of "signee". I lower my head a bit and approach him, gently tugging on the silk threads in my hand.

MC: You are also the most precious gift given to me by God.

All of this is a call back to Entwining / Unwrap the Gift Date released for the game's first Valentine's day event :>

What answers me is a gentle pressure on the back of my neck and a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.

The pounding in the left of my chest grows faster and faster, as if mirroring my desire to open this long-awaited gift to see what surprises are kept in store.

One by one, the ribbons are pulled away from him and scattered to the side.

After tearing them all off, I am left confused for a moment. He takes my hand and gently places it on the button of his shirt.

Kiro: [voice dark & husky] You're not done yet.

A burning sensation comes from beneath the thin silk fabric.

Kiro: [x2] Continue.

Bewitched by his gentle voice, my hand slowly travels down from his collar, and with just a slight flick of my fingers, the buttons of his white shirt come undone.

One, two...

Those blue eyes seem to bear an indescribable gravity. Just the way he gazes at me alone prompts me to draw closer and closer.

By the time the last button comes undone, our breaths completely merge.

His slender fingers grasp my wrist unobjectively and he lowers his head a bit, biting the chiffon string on the bust of my dress and gently tugging it open.

His scorching hot breath falls on the skin of my chest, like a falling spark, setting my entire chest on fire.

Kiro's eyes are half-lidded, and his somewhat hoarse voice carries an inexplicable rough quality to it that gently caresses my eardrums.

Kiro: [x3] Did you like that?

His headless and baseless words are so soft that they almost scatter with the heat of his breath, but they fall heavily onto my heart.

MC: Of course I liked it... In this world, I like you the most.

Upon hearing my answer, his breath suddenly surges and almost melts into my body.

Even though it's obvious that there is no pull from any thread, my body feels bewitched. I unconsciously murmur his name.

MC: Kiro....

My fingertips glide over his skin, seeking out his deeper exploration. He deliberately feigns ignorance, however, and tilts his head in curiosity.

Kiro: What's wrong?

His curled fingers tighten a bit, and the breath in my ears makes me feel as though my ears are about to combust into flames.

I bite my lip, unwilling to lose in this silent tug-of-war, and turn my face a bit to the side.

MC: I was just thinking that I do have more ideas... Mmn.

As if dissatisfied with my answer, he lightly nips at my collarbone, causing me to tremble slightly.

Kiro: [with the hint of a sulk] I can't believe you're still thinking about "work" right now, Miss Chips.

Kiro: Looks like I'm gonna have to get even more "serious" to make you think of me with all your heart.

There's a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice, and he presses the tip of his tongue to my collarbone and gently licks it.

He unties the chiffon straps on my chest bit by bit, slowly and carefully, his gaze, now shrouded in desire, still feeling extremely precious.

Due to the time we spend together, this throbbing that almost engulfs me never seems to fade away. It only gets stronger and stronger.

MC: I always think of you with all of my heart...

I close my eyes and allow our interlocked fingers to tightly intertwine.

The last strap of chiffon is finally undone. He gently releases his teeth and the soft strap drops to the floor beside him.

Daylight gradually fades, hiding away all the warmth and turbulence of the night.

[END]

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

More Translations: Here

[messifangirl]

are you still here :( you’re my fav messi blog and writer! have you got any recs or something new up your sleeve to look forward to? 💗

I'm still reading fic lately but not so much writing... I'm having trouble getting back into it but I'm really trying. In the meantime, I'm so happy that there are so many authors really flourishing and keeping the fandom alive. Here are my top ten favorite fics from the last few months.

Detachment by gabyteller

You're gonna wanna read the tags and warnings on this one because it is an angst-filled epic that jumps around in time through the years of Leo's career. Breathtaking at times and still a work in progress (but updated pretty regularly), I've read it more than once and it's currently my favorite fic in fandom.

Rating: M, pairings: multi, words: 103k, status: WIP

Taking Chances by loebala

Top and a bit of a dom Leo, but it's not just that it's the whole feel of this fic--Leo around La Scaloneta and the friendships and vibe is just fantastic. It's all told from Dibu's pov and it's everything I never knew I wanted lol. So smut but a whole lot of other stuff too :)

Rating: E, pairings: Leo/Emiliano Martínez, words: 48K, status: complete (now with a sequel as well)

Mistakes I Made and Won't Bend by BermudaRhombus

This fic starts with Pep leaving Barca and deals with his friendship/relationship with Leo in the years afterward, up until the present. I think what I love about it is even though we've all seen how Pep talks about Leo in the press and what not, he still hasn't quite figured Leo out after all these years.

Rating: G, pairings: Leo/Pep, words: 11k, status: complete

Hope It Gives You Hell by Fanficburner

If you're in the mood for a little smutty abo, this is the one for you. And if you've been following me long enough, you know I like my abo consensual, so this one was right on the money for me. Leo's a little bit of a cocky shit which doesn't always do it for me, but here it does. Plus, Ramos? yes'm sign me up.

Rating: E, pairings: Leo/Sergio Ramos, words: 6k, status: complete

I Can Feel It In The Air, Ooh Miami by ReflectionChamber

This one was a fun ride--but then again threesomes always are and even more so when everything doesn't always click into place. It starts after Leo's left PSG and has arrived in Miami, and explores how the three of them move from friendship into something more. Neymar doesn't know what the hell he wants, and Kylian is just struggling to hold onto Neymar. And then you've got Leo who's older and wiser but nonetheless invested in trying to keep his loved ones happy. I'm not a huge Kylian fan but this worked and it's well worth the read.

Rating: E, pairings Leo/Neymar, Leo/Kylian, Neymar/Kylian, Leo/Ney/Kylian, words: 114k, status: complete

It is in your self-interest to find a way to be very tender by gabyteller

Here's another by gabyteller but I'm not sorry. This is a totally gen fic, which sometimes I dig and I think you will too. It's about Leo's troubles at PSG, dealing with shitty fans and shitty teammates and it's told from Ramos' pov as he struggles to figure out what Leo's deal is. Bonus fatherly Pep lol.

Rating: G, pairings: gen, words: 10k, status: complete

No Regrets by LeoDios

I've never been disappointed by a LeoDios fic and though a lot of times they're emotional as shit, they're always worth it. This explores Leo being back in Paris with Neymar after winning the WC. Leo's teammates are also great in this, special mentions of Kylian, Veratti and Ramos.

Rating: E, pairings: Leo/Neymar, words: 8k, status: complete

Tu misterioso alguien by inkofsouls

Fairly sure I rec'd this already but if not, shame on me. Post WC, dealing once again with Leo and Ney at PSG. All from Ney's pov which is a huge fucking mess but he's got a lot to deal with so we can't really blame him lol. Really enjoyed this one, maybe because we know how frustrating Leo can be and we get to experience that along with Neymar haha.

Rating: E, pairings Leo/Neymar, multi, words: 45k, status: complete

not everything feels like something else by goodcostume

If you haven't read goodcostume before, you're in for a treat. I love their writing style and somehow everything is hilarious. This fic is Kun in Qatar at the WC--true to life he's had his heart condition so this is him on the side watching it all, or being dragged into Leo's bubble the way he should be.

Rating: M, pairings: Leo/Kun, words: 4k, status: complete

don't ever stop if you wanna be on top by goodcostume

Yes another by goodcostume so sue me. This one is the perfect smutty MSN fic that I've been aching for since 2015 lol. If it was ever gonna happen it was prob exactly like this ;)

Rating: E, pairings: Leo/Neymar/Luis Suárez, 2k, status: complete

[sometimes-men-need-help-too]

So usually, I will discuss posts from reddit and provide screenshots but today I just wanna discuss the post itself. Most of the commenters are calling her out anyway

I'm reusing this throwaway to again avoid connection to my main.

I (38F) have been dating my current boyfriend (36M) for about 2 years now. It's very difficult for me to make long term commitments like this because of issues I've had growing up and with past relationships - however we've been making things work despite my baggage for the most part.

We hit a roadblock in our relationship a week and a half ago. My bf has his own familial baggage: to sum up without going into the nitty gritty his biological mom left him when he was young. They reunited half a year or so ago - and I guess things went ok there? A little bit over a week ago she passed away, and surprisingly he's taken it way harder than I expected. This is the first time I've seen him cry - and to be honest I hate it. I've done my fair share of crying over my years but I've grown past that phase and in the present I'm not sure I enjoy having that energy around.

Things got worse when he found out his bio mom's family would not let him attend her funeral. Because of this, he hasn't worked since to "take his own time to mourn". I've tried to talk to him about it as I don't get why he's exahausting so much effort to mourn someone who has barely been in his life. He's gotten angry with my reaction but he does know I'm not fit to deal with what he's doing at the moment because of my own experiences.

Now that it's been over a week I've grown both worried and annoyed about the situation. I had a sit down with him and another friend two nights ago to talk to him. I'm not one to hold back so I outright told him to just get over the whole thing already and how it isn't normal to react this much to someone who had wronged him so much. Our mutual friend wasn't expecting that - and to be precise she completely failed to mediate the talk from then on.

Some time into our fight he started crying - yet again. I was really uncomfortable and I outright demanded he stop. He had to be removed from our home. He's been staying with our friend since then and I've been really confused on how to approach further. Our friend has told me I was being harsh but again he knows how I am and how I deal with negative emotions. Still talking with her further has gotten me thinking about how I handeled things.

Edit - clarifying things.

This isn't about my bf's masculinity. The way he's acting triggers something in me. It brings me back to a dark place - that's the negativity I can't be around.

My boyfriend has been my emotional rock for most of our relationship - this sudden shift in his attitude is also contributed to my reaction to the whole ordeal.

I'm not heartless, as I said I have a very rough way of displaying my emotions. Genuinely I feel concern about how my boyfriend is acting.

This is so messed up

First of all, she had no business judging him for crying. If it truly brings her to a dark place(/her not being fit to deal with it) then she needs to get herself some help (and I'm not saying that to be snarky) instead of being in a relationship. You can't be in a relationship with someone, having them be there for you (in this case, emotionally) but you can't be there for them. It isn't fair at all. He can't just be her emotional rock while she doesn't do anything in return.

She also has no business judging him for why he's mourning. He's obviously torn up about it. Maybe he's mourning for the relationship he didn't get to have. Maybe they planned on further patching things up. Whatever it is, she has no right to act like he shouldn't be grieving, especially when she knows he isn't even allowed to attend the funeral.

And then for her to become annoyed--not cool, not okay. How do you just tell someone, a week after their loved one passed, to get over it? How? You don't just suddenly become okay again after a little bit of time passes by. Grief is hard and can be overwhelming. It's harder if you're in a situation like this with an unsupportive S/O.

The kicker is that she demanded him to stop crying and kicked him out. That is abhorrent.

[pompadorbz]

good morning pompadorbz nation as it turns out i am still sick and twisted

No, the Ender Prince AU has NOT left my brain, don't you think for a second that it hasn't, it is to the point that I am drawing this guy for one of my final assignments, ive already gotten an art trade of him its honetly a miracle i haven't put him on artfight yet. AND. And. I spent my entire evening on one singular short fic. Here is that fic. (note that. i very much made this for myself but i think ive pretty much talked about all the plot points so far in my that appear here in my older posts about this au, which you can find under the #ender prince au tag. if there's something that appears here that I've omitted from the posts then like. idk that's an issue not an issme lol. I'll probably post about whatever i didn't in like 2-3 business days knowing the state of my brainwaves rn. also shoutout to @fries-is-silly for beta reading this for me whilst i slept comfy and cozy in my bed)

The claws of Phil’s exoskeleton lightly click against the cold purpur floors as he briskly makes his way across the long hallways of the end palace. The Ender King had requested the night prior that he visit the throne upon awakening, and Phil knew he was an impatient man. Phil knew better than to keep him waiting this long by now… He never failed to disappoint in that regard, it seemed. Phil truly could not move any quicker if he tried. The lavender tiles were so large that he would barely miss the edge of each square with every step, and he swore up and down to himself that walking back and forth across a single hallway would take him a complete twenty minutes, but this was assuming time was valuable enough in the end to fact-check that estimate to begin with. Perhaps he had only gotten used to it at this point, but Phil always felt as if the hallways had shrunk since his first days in the palace– not that the King had really allowed him to roam very far for that first while, anyway. He remembered the dread he felt as he was first carried off into the throne room; How staring up the unfathomably tall walls and to the impossibly high ceiling made him feel horribly nauseous. He thought that no closed space should ever be this colossal. It gave him a rare fear– a terror of heights. For once. But that was back then. This is Now. And right now, Phil was on solid ground, and he was nearly at the throne room. He thought that maybe- as he picks up the pace, if he could get away with a quick sprint, he would get there a little bit quicker. However, A familiar voice called from around the next corner, dripping with acid. It makes Phil freeze dead in his tracks. “You took your precious time getting here as is, little fly. It would be a waste of energy for you to scratch up my floor with your little claws.”Phil’s pace slows significantly at the comment as he turns into the throne’s open doorway, clasping his hands together in shame as he stares up towards the throne where the Ender king sat, shrouded in his usual cloak as his hair fell like waterfalls off the edges and arms of the seat. The golden mask that rested upon his face was one that Phil didn’t recall ever seeing him wear; a spider, with its giant mandibles protruding outward from the lower half, and eight eyes, painstakingly painted a bright red. Phil thought it looked rather striking.

“I… I’m sorry for rushing, my lord. I knew when I woke up that I would be cutting it close… It won’t happen again.” The ender king hums low and sarcastically. “You say it won’t happen again… And yet, every time, you always seem to break that promise without fail now, don’t you? Hm?”There was a faux-sweetness in the monarch’s voice that made Phil’s throat tighten, and before he could work up the courage to provide another pitiful excuse, the Ender King was already continuing. “Though, I suppose that it is to be expected by now, isn’t it?” He asks rhetorically. “But no need to fret it much, little prince. There are far, far more pressing matters we must discuss today.”Ah.Phil knew well what that probably meant. “Is… Is it nearly time..? And so soon?” He questioned, feeling a pit form in his stomach from the nerves alone. “Ohh, we are not quite ready just yet, foolish prince! There are still a mere few preparations to be made.” The king explains matter of factly. “I will tell you exactly when it is time.”So in other words, Phil had to prepare to receive this information at the very last minute. Cool. “For now, however… I can prepare you for your little adventure just a cinch more.”He slowly holds his hands out in front of him. “Come forward.”

Phil nods in silence and flutters his elytra, slowly lifting off of the ground and flying up into the king’s hands as he’d done dozens of times before. It was a practiced movement by now. The Ender king wordlessly carries Phil over to the arm of his throne, letting him carefully walk off and take a seat on the end stone as he’d done countless times before. Sometimes, if he was lucky, the king would allow him to wrap whatever draped from his cloak around him as he sat by his side. …That did not occur often, however. And most certainly not today after having arrived so late.

Phil instead watches the Ender King as he reaches a bony hand into his cloak and pulls out a tiny (by his standards, anyway), white-painted chest. He carries it between his fingers, placing it directly in front of Phil with just enough force to threaten to crush him; if he ever fell out of line, that is.

“A gift! Just for you, little orchid.~”Phil stares at the box for just a moment and reaches toward it… Only to look back at the Ender king for a moment in his hesitation.

The last time he had been given a gift, it was… Well, it was his very own room in the palace, complete with a rather comfortable bed, some soft wool carpet… Even a few trinkets that the king didn’t wish to keep for himself in the throne room. It wasn’t terribly big, nor was it filled with riches… But it made the castle feel a little more like a home.

It wasn’t a perfect home, but of course… Phil hadn’t a reason to complain that’d be worth the Ender King’s time.

“Oh, don’t just gawk at me like that, Corvus. Don’t you wish to know what’s inside? Are you not curious?” Says the king. “You could at the very least pretend to be grateful.”“I am grateful, my king! I really, truly am! It… just took me by surprise, is all-”

“Yes, well I believe that is in fact the point of a surprise, isn’t it?” The Ender King impatiently cuts him off, tapping his finger nails on the opposing arm of the throne.

Phil stares into the vacant red eyes of the spider mask for a brief moment, but only sighs, accepting the swift dismantling of yet another poor excuse.

“Yeah, I guess it is, huh…” He concedes, turning back to the chest and gently placing his hands onto the lid.

He lifts it open and peers inside at what looked like… A wool blanket..? No… No, rather it was something wrapped inside a wool blanket. It glistens in gold through the holes in between each fuzzy woven thread as Phil carefully takes it out of the box and cradles it in his lap.

More of the object’s golden surface is revealed with each layer of wool that Phil unfolds, and after there is nothing left to cover it, there sits in front of him:

“A mask..? Like.. Like one of yours?” Phil tentatively asks.

The Ender King laughs with a disposition so sunny it was almost unnerving.

“That it is, clever prince! I made it especially for you to take along on your journey.~”Phil looks back down at the mask in slight awe, inspecting it further. It looked almost like a mantis’ face of some kind, with two large eyes protruding outward from the top, sitting just above where the real eyeholes sat… But more curiously, something was nestled in between the eyes…

“What’s this ender pearl for..?” Phil asks.

“Ah, now that, curious little prince, is because this mask serves a very important purpose.”

The king’s tone was the most fluttery and excitable it had ever been, letting the answer to Phil’s question dangle like a carrot on a string for a moment.

“This will be your ticket in and out of the universe I’ve picked for your first little expedition,” He begins. “and every universe beyond that for the rest of our forever time.” Oh.

This was more than just a mask… It was a priceless artifact; one more valuable than Phil could ever imagine being.

He couldn’t even think of something to say about it… This whole mission had a lot of responsibility to it already, but… This was different.

It was tangible.

It made any and all words elude him.

“Now, What do we say, Corvus…?”Though… He supposed he could start with that one, yeah.

“Thank you…” He nearly whispers, trailing a hand against the mask’s surface before he wraps it up in the blanket once more and places it carefully back into the white box.

The Ender King places a hand to his chin.

“Oh, Corvus… I didn’t quite catch that– What, with your incessant mumbling. Oh do repeat yourself, would you?~” Phil nervously clears his throat as he looks back up to the spider mask, looking into the eyeholes as if he could see the deity’s face underneath.

“Thank you so very much… My king.”

“Good boy.”The Ender King holds a hand out for Phil to once again climb upon, and Phil obliges; this time allowing himself to be brought down to ground level. The last thing he wanted was to drop his present.

“Run along now, little prince! There will be plenty of work to be done in due time, so do not disappoint me.”Phil nods and begins making his way toward the door… But he’s stopped by the monarch one final time just as he goes to turn through the exit.

“Oh… And one final thing before you leave, yes? It is incredibly important… So listen closely.” The Ender King begins.

Phil only barely turns around before the feeling of dread hits him like a brick. There was always a catch to these… Nicer interactions.

“Be careful with that mask. Don’t you lose it, and don’t you dare break it. Because if you do…”

Phil swallows the lump in his throat. He knew the threat he was about to hear. As empty as it seemed after constant reiteration… It never failed to strike fear into his heart.

“I have absolutely no qualms with plucking those little wings off of your ungrateful back.”

The silence hangs heavy between the two… And what was likely only a few seconds felt like minutes to Phil.

“Do I make myself clear, Icarus?”Phil Nodded.

“Crystal.”

[pics-pizza-peace]

Saw MLP AU drabbles/headcanons pt 3.

This post includes a little bit about various different characters/cutie marks, but the only ship material featured this time is chainshipping(not much) and xrayshipping.

@j1gsawz

Adam Stanheight & Lawrence Gordon(chainshipping):

Someone reminded me that canon Adam beat a Billy puppet to pieces w/a bat(probably to check and see if there were wires/cameras/whatever in it, and possibly because he was used to nasty pranks). In this AU Adam happens to be more interested in the toy, actually asking aloud if anypony had left their art project in his place, in case they were still there for whatever reason(he grew used to other pegasi/neighbors dropping in for naps occasionally).

Lawrence admires how much Adam cares about animals and younger ponies, after he learns more about him. He can tell that plenty of his anger comes from his passion to help others in need.

Logan Nelson & Zep Hindle(xrayshipping):

When the shorter colt finds out what his friend's full name is(Sheppard), he can't help but think of it as fitting/attractive. He knows not to mention it immediately after noticing, as he doesn't want to make the other uncomfortable.

Zep used to like to paint when he was younger, but he hasn't touched a brush in years. Eventually he's inspired to try again, and surprises Logan with a portrait of his favorite species of jumping spider for his birthday.

After getting a little more used to each other's company, Logan can't help but notice how often Zep squints or closes his eyes at random. At some point it gets in the way of a conversation & visit that they can't exactly postpone. Melissa(AU name could be Melody but idk yet) was at a friend's house for the weekend, and they had planned to catch up on recent things, maybe stay in to watch a movie. Zep's migraine had other plans.

      Logan stops himself before explaining his last week's activities. They'd already gone over most of Zep's week, when he seemed to shut himself down suddenly. "...Hey, you alright?" He asks the taller pegasus laying on his couch, his beanie placed over his eyes. Zep grumbles, "No... Don't need light." The other goes to turn off his living room lamps, acting on personal autopilot. "..You having a migraine?" He continues, making sure to get a warm towel ready and trying to remember if he had any ice packs in the freezer. "..Yeah..." After a minute or two he takes his hat off of his face as he sits up and blinks, surprised at how dark the room is now.

    Zep's eyes already feel a little better when he notices Logan walking swiftly & silently towards the kitchen. "How, do you..?" He manages. "Oh, sorry," The other laughs at himself a bit, "I get that a lot. I just have Really good vision in the dark... Sorry if that's, uh creepy--do you need something warm or cold?" he calls from the kitchen. Zep takes a minute to answer, the pain gripping his jaw & ears as he thinks to try. "Warm, Please" He lays his head back down on the arm of the couch, not wanting to move to try and answer the other again.

      He didn't want to embarrass himself any further by possibly sounding weird, and his neck and head were in so much pain that it was too much effort to sound the same in the moment. Logan returned with the warm towel and placed it onto his friend's forehead carefully. "You don't need to strain yourself, just gimme a sec..." He murmured to him before trotting off to do something else in the kitchen. He could tell just from how he'd already sounded and looked that Zep couldn't force himself to keep talking, and he wanted to help as much as he could.

    Right as Zep closed his eyes again, the warm towel already helping with some of the pressure sensation, Logan walked back into the living room. "I'm brewing a cup of tea, a kind that I like to drink when I need to relax, just in case." He started quietly, "Is... Does it feel like a tension headache? Because I might know another treatment for that. If you think it'd--" Zep interrupts him, having watched his new friend inspect his hair/scalp area from a standing position for a little while now.

  "You can play with my hair, I um.. I don't mind," He replies, guessing correctly which method the other was referring to, having already tried everything for his pain over the course of his recovery. He wants to thank the other for being so kind, but before he can another wave of pain grabs him, causing him to wince.

        Logan had forgotten himself in the moment, what with it being basically pitch-black in his living room. He remembers accidentally disturbing others before with his punctual nature, and he sometimes worries that he'll scare his friend off. Lucky for him Zep doesn't seem to mind at all, he almost couldn't believe how quickly the other had read the situation and helped to alleviate his worst symptoms by at least 30%.

   The pegasus takes a deep breath and closes his eyes again, feeling safer than he's felt in a long time, despite the ongoing pain. Logan takes another minute or two to gather himself before gently using his forelegs to rub Zep's scalp, occasionally bringing them together to carefully tug a tuft or two of his hair, hoping to ease some of the tension. He makes himself look out his backdoor window as he works, trying to count fireflies while they make their silent calls to each other for the evening. The last thing he wants to do is disturb his friend, and the dark is no excuse...

As Logan wonders silently why he was so nervous about being caught staring at the other, Zep begins to feel his migraine thankfully resolving itself for now. The pain slowly but surely leaves, and is eventually replaced with ticklishness, the usual sensitivity returning to his head and neck. He opens his eyes when he's sure most of the pain's subsided, and is grateful to see Logan peacefully gazing towards the back lawn, still paying enough attention to his task to be careful. He smiles to himself and stares for another moment before a full-body chill hits him suddenly, causing him to gasp.

"Oh--!" Logan jumps at the sound, making sure not to pull his legs & hooves away from the couch too quickly. "You okay? What happened??" Zep laughs to himself and sits up, "Sorry... The pain mostly faded, but I got really ticklish right after." The other turns a couple of the lights back on in the room, chuckling as he does his best to recover from such a startle. They'd been in comfortable silence for around 20 minutes when the taller pegasus had finally made a sound. "Did you still want that tea? It's probably done brewing now." Logan offers on his way into the kitchen. Zep thinks about it for a minute before replying, and decides it wouldn't hurt to try. "Yes, please."

​Cutie Marks & Special Talents/Powers:

Logan has unnaturally good night vision for an earth pony, same with his reflexes/inuition. His "strength" is mostly in his patience, though he won't hesitate to get violent if the occasion calls for it. His old cutie mark, a spider's web and bones, came from an early interest in unusual animals/pets. He didn't want to get into anything arts-related(he briefly thought about being a writer) even though his family had history in such a path, and ended up going to war before settling into medicine... his newer cutie mark, a laser collar trap around a red spiral with a tape player, symbolizes Logan's patience/trust in John's influence & his plan for Halloran. The tape player is there to reflect how skilled a Jigsaw Protégé he is.

Lawrence can use the magic he was born with to tell if other ponies are lying or telling the truth. This power got him into trouble when he was younger, and is part of why his mental breakdown still fits into his backstory in this AU. He's very good at counting his steps without trying, measuring approximate distances at a glance. The first phase of his cutie mark is a stethoscope & a (sewing)needle, the second is a large red spiral background w/a saw & scalpel replacing the shapes of the previous tools.

Adam has always had great height-endurance when it comes to flying for a different point of view. His skill seems almost unaffected by the scar on his shoulder once he's fully recovered, as he heals well. He also has an excellent eye for color differentiation. When he is abducted for the bathroom trap, he's a blank-flank, which isn't as uncommon in this AU. After it's decided that he should live to help carry on some of John's work as well, his cutie mark finally reveals itself. It's a polaroid camera w/a large red spiral reflected in the lens, a picture of a key on a chain falling out of it.

Zep can paint really well, he just doesn't practice a lot anymore. Not sure how this'll fit into his first cutie mark matching w/his first appearance, but I'm wondering whether or not he'll have 3 phases. One for before/during the field choice, one for the pawn/apprentice stuff, and one for moving on after surviving. We'll see idk yet.

(thank you to whoever mentioned a Jersey Italian Hoffman headcanon btw because now I can't shake it for personal reasons) Mark can cook well, thanks to his background. His more distant family(grandparents, great aunts & uncles) had been amazing cooks, but their specialty was baking. He took to an early interest in perfecting specifically some of their breakfast pastry recipes(added a new flavor of glazed donut to their lineup, a raspberry donut), and helped his elders keep their favorite coffee shop open(noticed maintenance needs to do w/equipment, and helped make repairs before it could go under). When he was old enough to get into policework, most of his elders had passed away, so his cutie mark served more as an inside joke over time("wow, so fitting for the badge haha" "nobody in this city has time to stop & enjoy fresh-baked goods anymore kid, they're too busy, too angry" "thank goodness the coffee's never drying up though" *eye-roll*). His sister Angelina was studying to get into mane-styling and makeup as a career path before she was murdered(this changes, working on it soon). They were both still 'only children' born to their original parents, just raised by older & more distant relatives early. On Mark's second cutie mark, the spiral symbolizes John's influence & the natural symbol for change, and the pendulum blade reflects his loss and resulting vengeful nature.

Peter Strahm's first cutie mark was a pen layed over some papers, which reflected how well-organized and determined a learner he was in school. His intelligence and attitude could've led him to many different career paths, but his stubbornness and attention to detail led him to EBI(idk??Equestria's FBI?idk) work. His second cutie mark is a red spiral(symbolizes John's influence vicariously through Mark's actions, self exploration and acceptance of his dark side) inside of a glass coffin(he doesn't know it yet but his magic can alter glass/mirrors, and this proves useful later on).

[trillscienceofficer]

Which episode(s) would you most like b7 and/or kiradax to get together in? I'm just curious where in the timeline you would want it to happen :) hope you feel better!

Thank you!! And this is an interesting question because I have very definite thoughts for both relationships

one of my answers is ‘actually, they never do’—the first Trek fic I ever wrote dealt with exact scenario for Kira and Jadzia, and other favorite stories of mine have the same approach. I love it when feelings and attraction are left unfulfilled, living on inside both people for a much longer time because they were never expressed. This is obviously made worse by Jadzia dying and her memories still living on in Ezri. If there ever was a representation of 'what could've been', I think it's every one of the conversations that Kira and Ezri have in season 7. I think a very similar approach could be very juicy for Seven and B'Elanna as well—they live in each other's heads a lot even on the show, and if you interpret their strange rivalry as feelings neither of them can articulate, not even to themselves, and consider where Seven is twenty years later... I think they might still live in each other's heads, as the kind of rapport you'd almost forgotten about but you remember suddenly at 2am and you can't sleep any longer while you ask yourself ‘I still don't know what all that was about’ and ‘I wonder where she is now’ and the idea of meeting her again makes your heartrate spike and cringe at the same time, because what would you even say after so long, and when you weren't able to talk even when you were lost at sea? (I believe @avoicefromthestars is the biggest proponent of this approach for B7)

another answer could be ‘they get together post-canon, reconnecting after years’, which is something I'm now particularly fond of when it comes to B'Elanna and Seven. I hinted at how it could happen on “Best Left” but I definitely want to write a prequel of the fic where the circumstances in which they meet again are the main focus, I already have a plot in mind. I also used to be very fond of this approach with Kira and Ezri but an actual fic about this never really panned out.

finally, if they got together in the shows... I'm very fond of the time-skip between DS9 s3 and s4 for Kira and Jadzia to get together. Like obviously it could happen also at other times during season 4, or even earlier in the show, but to me it makes more sense if it happens after Bareil is gone but before Worf arrives on the station. I think it would be perfect also because after “Facets” Jadzia has confronted a little of her self-doubt as well as, I think, any hesitance she might've had about approaching Kira. Also I think seeing Kira embody Lela Dax might really flip a switch in Jadzia's head, in a ‘it's time to take a leap’ way. After Worf gets on the show though... I now can see them getting together only as a throuple with Worf. Obviously I won't say no to fic/headcanons that take a different route, but that's what I think now.

As for Seven and B'Elanna, pretty much all the fic I wrote for them where they get together on Voyager's timeline is set midway through season 6, for the very simple reason that I believe both 6x02 “Survival Instinct” and 6x03 “Barge of the Dead” represent watershed moments for both of them and their understanding of themselves, and that's also when their rapport thaws rather significantly and without major regressions. It's more difficult to have a precise timeline on Voyager because of the syndicated nature of the show, but I also like the idea of B'Elanna by that point (especially after “Alice”) having had enough of Tom's shenanigans and them splitting up as a consequence. I realize this stretches canon a bit—season 7 definitely contends that Seven hasn't seriously thought about a romantic partner before finding out about a relationship she apparently had with Axum but can't really remember. I am still fond of the season 6 timeline regardless.

[incognitajones]

Fic author interview

Thanks to @sesamestreep and @glorious-spoon for tagging me in this one over the holidays! But between starting the new job and the holidays and the RCSS, it totally slipped my mind until now 😬

No-pressure tagging: @anghraine, @ladytharen, @luciechat, and anyone else who feels like it.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

An even 200 if I include both accounts.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Just under 650K words altogether.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Last Train 

I fought the war (but the war won) 

left-handed kisses 

Fixer Upper 

Chain Reaction 

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I want to let commenters know they're appreciated, and I enjoy talking about little details or plot turns. Lately I haven't had the time or energy for much more than a quick thank you, but I'm still trying to respond.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

At one point it would've been the bad ending of I fought the war, but now I think this Whumptober piece takes the crown.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Considering canon, most of them have an unrealistically happy ending! Especially inside the vastness of the galaxy, the "Naomi & Filip get a happy reunion" story.

7. Do you write crossovers?

No. I enjoy writing & reading some fusions (i.e. characters from one canon in the setting of another) but traditional crossovers in which characters from two different canons meet don't generally appeal to me.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not on AO3, but I've been sent anon hate on Tumblr about my writing a couple of times (find a Reylo writer who hasn't challenge).

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yeah, a fair bit - in fact it's hard to remember sometimes that I never wrote anything explicit before 2016! It's all pretty vanilla, though, minus a few attempts at kinkier stuff which are deservedly anonymous.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Kind of; someone commented on one of my stories on AO3 to tell me that another story had copied significant parts of it. (They'd already commented on and reported the other fic, so I didn't take any additional action. The plagiarizing story was eventually deleted.)

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Bless the fandom translators, for they are amazing.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nothing posted publically.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I couldn't possibly choose a single favourite! In terms of longevity, it's either Han/Leia or Eowyn/Faramir. And Star Wars ships in general seem to have a strong hold on me 😁

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The OT3 whumpfic. It's nearly done, but it's far outside my usual wheelhouse so without a beta reader, I can't tell whether it's worth finishing or beyond help.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I write decent dialogue, and I'm genuinely proud of the ideas behind I fought the war and pulse to pulse. I can also write a pretty good pastiche of 19C style, although you wouldn't know it from this account.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plotting. Falling back on boring/clichéd beats to flesh out dialogue-heavy scenes.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

A sentence or so? Sure. Can't think of a reason to do much more than that.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

It would be either Buffy or Lord of the Rings - I honestly don't remember - not counting the terrible Shannara-fic I wrote as a pre-teen.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Someday I'd really like to write a Children of Men story telling what happened to Kee and [spoiler] after the movie, plus fixing [spoiler].

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Subject to change by the moment, of course, but looking back at some older stories recently reminded me that I've always been pretty fond of don't go home without me.

[sugarpuptard]

waaaaaahhhhhh im gonna go insane i miss my boyfriend too much i need it to be october already so i can have him all to myself again ITS NOT FAIR I NEED HIM!!!!!!!! i keep thinking about earlier this year when i went to his state to visit in person for the first time i wish it was longer 3: i want more pics with him too i don't have enough, one of my favs tho i'll share hehe, i don't think he wants his face here but the pic below is still perfect and cozy >w< leg reveal i guess? xD

i love this pic so much i stare at it every time i miss his touch (pros of too vivid imagination + too much vr training phantom senses = i get to feel it almost enough again yippie! but its not the same) thought i should edit it to look extra cute here <3

i was only there for like 5 days but he's staying longer when he comes for my birthday and im too excited omfg. traveling is much more new to him than me since i've been to plenty of states but he hasn't left his state really so i get to show him new stuff hehehe i like that, imma show him the city!!

i also wish i wasn't a little nervous but i think its just some past trauma with relationships in this situation ( ; w ; ) but i dont actually have anything to worry about since its not like that anymore (reminder to myself: its not like that anymore) and i think its more excited nerves than anything, things will be good!

another thing i am also nervous-excited about is that he's gonna be proposing to me!!! (๑ˊ͈ ॢꇴ ˋ͈)〜♡॰ॱ like HUH??? ME????!!??? u choose my weirdo NEET mentally ill and crippled ass to be yours forever?? ;w; i don't know how i found someone like him he makes me feel so safe and happy and genuinely cared about, he's everything i wanted and everything i didn't realize i needed, and to think we met as middle-schoolers on ROBLOX?? specifically in the robloxian highschool rp game (∘︎＞▽＜。) we had quite a long and intense roleplay over multiple days and weeks possibly we were hella invested, i forgot most of the plot tho my memory of back then is so blurry

we didn't talk for quite a few years because of my mental issues getting me put into places that kept me away from online too much sadly, but he never left my mind so in june of last year i finally messaged him again with the help of some alcohol and my friend saying DO IT DO IT DO IT and thank God i did. he replied pretty quick too because luckily he was still signed into his old account on his phone and he woke up to my texts at like 3am xD oopsies

im just so lucky to have him, i feel so unsafe so much for so fucking long and finally i have someone that gives me that sense of safety and security, i dont have to be scared or stressed i can just love and i love him too much and i'll do anything to have him forever. my journal rambling for today is fitting the theme of my yandere blog posts ngl (￣▽￣;) but i didn't know i was gonna ramble like this and i dont feel like logging out sooooooo this go here instead teehee

i genuinely didn't mean to ramble so much but my new med is a stimulant so i've been a bit wired all day lmao, i gotta get the ramble vibes out somehow, if u read all this damn :o

[ask-the-crimson-king]

Magnus's bid to become Emperor

Let's talk about this little passage here for just a second, cause this gave me such whiplash reading it for the first time. I'm pretty sure I already have a post about it somewhere, but I want to talk about it a bit.

It's pretty obvious that Magnus, in-lore, kept this idea through til M42; he is trying to build out his psyker empire from Prospero and Sortiarius outwards. He's sent out a bunch of human thralls and messages across the Warp to those who are psykers or who are becoming psykers to bring them to Sortiarius for training and the like.

So it's also obvious that this would have been his vision for the Imperium, a place where psykers can exist and not have to hide themselves or their abilities. Mutants wouldn't be shunned, they'd be treated as normal.

Given this, if Magnus is seriously putting in his bid for ganking whomever survives the fight between Horus and the Emperor... what of his plans to deal with the retribution that everyone knows is coming for them? Both the Lion and Roboute are on their asses; Magnus even says it for himself, the enemy is time. He doesn't have many warriors left, even if he does proclaim one of the Thousand Sons is worth ten of every other Legionnaire. And the other Legions are definitely not going to swear to him if he invokes right of conquest. The Sons of Horus would probably try to kill him if it was Horus who survived and Magnus took him out, despite what Horus had done.

This plot point has always been weird for me, even when I first read the book. Magnus is the type to have a plan for every eventuality, considering his nature, and yet, afaik (could be wrong), we don't see much of him actually considering how he's going to deal with the incoming Loyalists or the hodge-podge of traitors. So, why does Magnus still go for it? He stays with the Warmaster until the end (or so he swears), but hasn't shown much of an inclination against his plan to usurp control.

It's weird and strange and I don't quite have the full mental capacity to go more in depth with this. It would be nice to maybe get another look at what in the fuck Magnus is doing directly after the Siege, but all things considered, that is probably not happening. Maybe it will, no one can really say, but the lack of novelization of the Thousand Sons after Magnus's return is uh.

Speaking volumes.

[tsyllaes]

This is Ulindu, who will be the main character for my NaNo this year :D He's a chef from Ni-Badra, the town at the mouth of the Ra-Lin and hence is as much a coastal community as it is a river community. The inspiration for this one came from this Insta post, where she took selfies, printed them out, then made a collage of props on top of the photo to make a story. Raykin hasn't invented cameras yet so Uli gets a sketch. All the props are coastal plants used in cooking, plus some cockles and his chef's knife.

Sketch on its own, just cos I'm proud of it :D The table is made of Norfolk Island pine (which they just call island pine cos they don't have a Norfolk Island) which is practically a requirement of every beachside town or suburb in Australia.

Also Uli's knife, cos I felt like I needed something to indicate he's a chef not a gardener. Just a simple iron knife which he keeps meticulously sharp.

Now onto the foooods :D

In his hand is sea parsley, which tastes kinda like a cross between parsley and celery (it's also sometimes called sea celery) but a bit more peppery. All these are Australian natives, btw, most especially native to the SA coast.

Up the top left, the silvery one is coastal rosemary, which I cannot for the life of me find. I plan on going for a beach forage a bit further from the city beaches in the hopes of finding the things I haven't tasted yet, but it's cold and extremely middle of winter right now so the beach is uninviting. Anyway. The internet tells me coastal rosemary is an extremely close substitute for regular rosemary so.

The reddish one in the top right is seablite, another one I've not tried, but which is apparently quite salty and kinda succulent and crisp.

Cockles, which I've already talked about and which of course live all along the Raykinian coast, too.

The little berries are muntries, little salty-sweet pops of apple-currant-clove and they're delightful. I have a plant in the garden but it's only smol and hasn't started producing yet.

In the bunch down the bottom left we have ice plant, which the Raykinians call dew plant, named for the teenytiny blisters all over it, stems and leaves both, which look like it's covered in dew! Tastes like succulent, slightly salty spinach. I found one at Brighton beach, dug it up and took it home and it's happily living in a pot now =3

The twiggy one in that bunch is samphire, which is kinda like salty asparagus but really skinny.

Last of all, the pink flower is karkalla, a kind of pigface, with thick, fat, juicy, succulent leaves, also kinda salty. These things are everywhere and usually used as ground cover by beachside councils because they're very self-sufficient.

[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's Frank Date Prologue + Event

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for content that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

[Note: This has been translated with the help of Google Translate :>]

[PROLOGUE]

Buzz--

I turned off the alarm clock on my phone and was about to quietly get up, but the next second a hand pulled me back into bed.

Kiro: So early... where are you going...

MC: I want to make some breakfast first. You can sleep for a while longer~

I lifted the quilt and tried to slip away from Kiro's arms, but he hugged me tighter.

Kiro: But compared to having breakfast, I want to stay with you for a while longer.

Kiro: After all, after today, I won’t see MC for half a month...

Seeing him trying to fight sleep to talk to me, I couldn't help but reach out and touch the fluffy top of his head.

MC: It's up to you. I'll stay by your side and won't go anywhere. We'll have something to eat at the airport later.

MC: You can sleep for another half hour...

Kiro: I'm not sleepy anymore. Let's talk. I'm already awake.

Kiro said as he rubbed his sleepy eyes and deliberately opened them wide. He wanted to prove the "fact" that he had woken up, but all it did was make me see his tired and bloodshot eyes more clearly.

MC: Liar.

MC: You didn't get home from work until 2 a.m. and only slept for more than 4 hours. How could you possibly be awake?

Kiro: It doesn't matter, there's plenty of time on the plane anyway. 12 hours is enough for me to sleep for a long time.

Kiro: But there's no Miss Chips on the plane...

Kiro held up my face and pinched my cheek gently.

Kiro: But after I've wrapped up this show, I can rest with you for a few more days.

MC: Actually, if you ask Savin to schedule your work so tightly, you are squeezing yourself in advance.

He smiled, hiding his little thoughts that I had revealed.

Kiro: By then, we'll be having fun in France~ Let me stay with you, and you can stay with me.

Kiro: It's time for you to relax. Although I didn't finish work until 2 o'clock, who was still revising her plan when I came back?

MC: I just drank too much coffee during the day and couldn't sleep...

I looked away with a guilty conscience, but he gripped my chin and half-"forced" me to look into his eyes.

Kiro: What about the day before yesterday, the day before that... and last week?

MC: Hehe, don't worry, I can take a breather after handing in the documents today.

MC: But you should pay attention to your rest during rehearsals. I've heard from Savin that you've been working really hard on set these few days and have overused your voice.

MC: I made some lozenges yesterday. They should be cooling by now.

MC: I'll help you pack it into your suitcase later, so be careful with your voice during rehearsals!

Kiro: They must be way more delicious than the ones got outside.

Kiro: With Miss Chips' loving throat lozenges, I'll be full of energy during the rehearsals~

Buzz--

The cell phone alarm went off again, announcing that we had to get up.

Although I've become accustomed to the normalcy of his work, I still felt a little bit reluctant every time we were separated.

While Kiro was washing up, I left him a small note in the bag containing the throat lozenges.

TO DO LIST:

Remember to take the throat lozenges prepared by MC

Try not to stay up late

Pay attention to the temperature difference between morning and evening

Share interesting daily life

Plan a special tour itinerary

I hope you can gain a little surprise and warmth when you see it.

[Day 1: Dream Route]

Because I woke up too early to see off the plane, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier on the way back, and I uncontrollably started to doze off.

MC: No, now is not the time to sleep... You still need to familiarize yourself with the meeting materials.

My remaining sense of reason woke me up and I managed to dig out the information from my bag. However, unexpectedly, I found a bear-shaped velvet bag at the bottom of my bag.

MC: Looks like it's a secret treasure left by Mr. Kiro Bear~

After opening the velvet bag, there sat a small bag of apple candies and a short list left by Kiro.

Take Apple Box out for a walk

Water the catnip

Log in to my game account to receive daily rewards

Attend the award ceremony for me

~\(≧▽≦)/~ Come and meet meet me on the day the closed rehearsal ends

From: Kiro

The joy of discovering this secret treasure dispelled the worries caused by my sleepiness.

The fresh taste of apple candy in my mouth brought a hint of sweetness to my longing.

Memory Diary:

The apple candy flavor is sweet and a bit sour. Although we have just separated, I already feel a little bit missed when I look at the list he left behind. This is probably the chain reaction that opens the secret treasure.

-

[Day 2: Heart-warming Walk]

The park was fresh and pleasant after the rain, with green grass and crystal water droplets.

The setting sun reflected the happy smiling face of Apple Box. He loved his newly bought bone toy very much.

I took a lot of photos of him playing, picked the cutest one and sent it to Kiro.

MC: I had a lot of fun with Apple Box~

Kiro: I'm so jealous of Apple Box! His eyes are filled with happiness!

Kiro: Not only does he have a new toy, but he also has Miss Chips to accompany him. He's now the happiest puppy in the world!

MC: Judging from your tone, you don't seem jealous of Apple Box~

Kiro: Hmph, even though he's the happiest puppy in the world, I'm also about to be the happiest person in the world.

Kiro: When I see you, I'll definitely make up for the happiness that I've missed during this period of time.

Memory Diary:

Apple Box was really well-behaved. When we were in the park, many children wanted to play with him, and many young ladies took the initiative to take photos with him. It is said that dogs will become similar to their owners after being raised for a long time. In terms of attractiveness, seems like that they are indeed similar.

-

[Day 3: Sunshine Mint]

The weather was exceptionally sunny over the weekend. Cello spread herself out on the floor, lazily basking in the sun.

She didn't want to move a step after she was full, and no matter how much I tried to tempt her with cat teasing sticks and cat toys, she remained indifferent.

While it was normal for her to be reluctant to move in such hot weather, she has been tending to be overweight recently

MC: Little lazy cat, it look's like I'll have to bring out the secret weapon!

For the sake of Cello's health, I turned to the balcony and prepared to pick some catnip that Kiro had planted before.

Note: "Cello's pot of catnip, I'll leave it to Miss Chips to take care of it~"

Signed: (★ ω ★) Kiro & Cello /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

MC: Then I'll water the catnip first and then play with Cello~

Memory Diary:

After pouring a lot of water and enjoying the beautiful sunshine on the balcony, Catnip is also in good spirits today! In addition, it quietly announced: Kiro = my human mint.

-

[Day 4: Limited Surprise]

In the blink of an eye, the queue at the door of the handicraft store had already stretched outside the mall.

While I was glad I came early, keeping my feet to one side, I counted the number of people in the line in front of me.

After all, for this sale, some styles didn't limit the maximum purchase quantity for each person.

MC: I hope that all the styles are available when my turn comes and that they're not sold out... let me buy the whole set!

The queue moved slowly, and when it was finally my turn, there weren't many figures left on the shelves, but fortunately I got a complete set.

MC: Wrap one of each for me. Let's go with this yellow gift box~

Memory Diary:

I had the foresight to get up early and queue up! This set of Kiro figurines has been in my heart for a long time. It would be a pity if I didn't buy them... As his cutest girlfriend, of course I have to give him a surprise~

-

[Day 5: Stage Focus]

Courier: Hello, please sign for the express delivery.

MC: Okay, thank you.

I carefully opened the outer packaging till a delicate silk box was revealed in front of me--

Inside, was a performance costume specially customized for Kiro, which took a full three months to complete.

Kiro designed the outfit himself and hired famous tailors to make it. It was the first time they collaborated, but they had a tacit understanding.

MC: It looks better than expected.

The metallic threads he specially selected had hidden secrets, and their true charm could only be revealed under the stage lights.

MC: When Kiro comes back and sees it with his own eyes, he'll definitely be very happy~

I hope the next concert will come soon so that I can see him in his costume earlier.

Memory Diary:

I can't wait to see Kiro wearing this suit~ I'll be sure to take lots of photos of him and appreciate the most dazzling star on stage!

-

[Day 6: Have Fun]

I turned on the computer and connected the game controller.

Note: (づ￣ 3￣)づ Help me get the daily rewards. The password is Miss Chips' birthday~

Signed: Kiro

MC: Hehe, with such a simple numeric password, aren't you afraid that your account will be hacked?

MC: (￣▽￣)" Oh yes, why would he be afraid of that...

I entered my password effortlessly and after a successful login--

Appeared a full set of equipment, a full set of skins, a full set of characters, all maps open--

MC: Hehe, today I can also experience the fun of a game master's account~

Memory Diary:

Turns out that the game is more enjoyable when two people play it. Compared to the fun brought by clearing levels, his company is the source of my real happiness.

-

[Day 7: Care Bear]

I downed my third cup of coffee and took a few bites of cold instant noodles.

I've been working overtime for three days. Looking at the night sky outside the window, I can't help but sigh - quarterly reports were really life's enemies.

Every time I had to compare data and business conditions vertically and horizontally, I felt overwhelmed.

Ding--

It was so late. Could it be that the business partner was urging me? I opened the new email that popped up in the lower right corner.

Title: Sweet reminder from Little Bear

Sender: Kiro

Recipient: MC

If Miss Chips didn't reply to my message, she must have been working overtime in front of the computer and lost track of time...

I hope the program in the attachment can help you solve some minor problems. And I ordered a delicious late-night snack - finish it before working!

The little bear figure in the attachment was jumping around, guiding me to upload the report step by step, and quickly started the comparison calculation.

Little Bear: Sweet tip: The calculation time is the standard time to finish a bowl of hot rice dumplings.

Memory Diary:

It seems that no matter how far apart we are, he will always give me the warmest help and support when I encounter difficulties. Thank you, Mr. Bear!

-

[Day 8: Childlike Innocence]

Clerk: Small fries~~Fries~~Small burgers~~Hamburgers.

MC: Big fries~~Fries fries! Big burger~~Hamburger!

Although I was a little shy, I still shouted the slogan firmly.

Clerk: Congratulations on your correct answer. What would you like to eat?

MC: Take away children's set meal for 10 people, and gift giveaways of a Super Burger Man toy, a Burger Man water bottle, and a Burger Man musical instrument set!

With the envious looks from the children, I sent Kiro a "family picture".

MC: Reporting to Mr. Burger! Miss Chips has successfully completed the task! Now enjoying the free fries~

Kiro: Wow! It's a Burger Man set!! Miss Chips is the best in the world~

Kiro: But there are so many... Are you going to eat hamburgers all day long?

MC: Hehe~ Of course not~ I will take the rest to the company's pantry and divide it up!

Memory Diary:

I got excited while I was eating the children's set meal~ I've collected a complete set of Burger Man toys. Kiro will definitely be very happy when he sees them!

-

[Day 9: Heart Song Composition]

After a lot of twists and turns, I finally found the stationary store hidden deep in the alley of the shopping street.

When I accidentally visited here before, I felt that the hand-made stationary was very interesting. I even made several music score books and planned to give them to Kiro.

Unexpectedly, when it was time to pick up the goods, I forgot the route while I was looking for it and wasted half a day.

MC: Boss, please give me your business card. I'm afraid I'll forget how to get here when I want to come here again.

I took the business card, took a photo and archived it, and then put the paper business card in my bag.

MC: Double insurance, so I don't have to worry next time~

Memory Diary:

Although it took a little effort, the customized hand-made notebook may be more conducive to his creation~ I'm looking forward to him writing a music score on it.

-

[Day 10: Fruit and Vegetable Companion]

Apples, lemons, bananas, kale, beets...

Supplementing multiple vitamins was for good for one's health, and some special combinations are said to be effective for relieving fatigue.

I followed the recently popular recipes on the internet and combined them with Kiro's preference in taste to make fruit and vegetable juices.

MC: Mm! This ratio is not sour or astringent, but it's still a bit lacking in sweetness. Seems like I'll have to add more apples.

MC: When the superstar comes home, he'll definitely like MC's healthy fruit and vegetable juice~

Memory Diary:

When Kiro is filming, he's most likely to have a single diet, and he often eats irregularly... Making several different fruit and vegetable juices should also help him replenish his energy.

-

[Day 11: Proud of You]

With the announcement of the nominations for the "Most Popular Award of the Year", the atmosphere at the awards ceremony reached its pinnacle.

Host: Now I announce that the winner of the "Most Popular Award of the Year" is--

I stared closely at the big screen, filled with countless expectations and tensions.

Kiro was unable to come to the scene due to rehearsals, so as his partner, I was entrusted to receive the award.

The variety show I collaborated with him on just won the "Best Variety Show of the Year" award. If he won the "The Most Popular Award of the Year" again, we would be wining the two most valuable awards at this year's Variety Awards.

Host: Kiro! Congratulations to this double crowned king!

The host made an inviting gesture, and I stood up and followed the usher's guidance to the stage.

MC: Hello everyone, I'm MC, head of [MC's Company Name] Company.

MC: Because Kiro is currently involved in closed rehearsals abroad, he is unable to be here in person today.

MC: I'm very happy to receive this award for Kiro, and I would like to thank everyone who supports him on his behalf.

MC: We will work together on more and better programs in the future. Thank you all!

I took the trophy from the presenter and returned to my seat, eager to share the good news with Kiro.

MC: Congratulations! Our big star won the "Most Popular Award of the Year"~~

Kiro: Hehe, this is an honor shared between Miss Chips and I! Our program is the best!

Kiro: (￣︶￣*\)) Miss Chips looked so confident and good-looking when she spoke! Today's dress is so cute!

MC: Huh? Are you watching the live broadcast?!

Kiro: Of course~ I specifically asked the director for 10 minutes of leave!

Kiro: Just to see MC standing on the podium for the first time~

Memory Diary:

When I accepted the award for Kiro, why did I seem more nervous than when I won the award? The trophy was heavy in hand, and he was also heavy in my heart.

-

[Day 12: Sweet and Refreshing]

MC: Please send it to this address for me.

Courier: Okay, but the cost of cross-border express delivery may be more expensive than the candy you sent. Are you sure...

MC: It doesn't matter, just send me the fastest one. Also, please add more shock-absorbing cushions. I'm worried it will break if transported over a long distance.

Courier: Okay, please fill in the details here.

Memory Diary:

He finished the throat lozenges I made so quickly. I hope he can receive the ones I sent today soon. Even if he was rehearsing, he would do his best. This was the time when his voice was most taxed.

Kiro's Frank Date has been translated by Bai7_Journey on youtube and can be read here :>

[an-aura-about-you]

ok I have eaten some food, got my emotional support tv show on, and have mostly gotten over the weird bout of pity that stopped me in my tracks somewhere in the middle of Chapter 6 of Handbook for Mortals, so let's press on.

Chapter 6 part 2:

when we last left our hero Scheherazade went on a camping trip with the others, I joked about how she doesn't have any friends, and then I kinda bluescreened when she actually told Mac that it was nice pretending she had friends. that was supposed to be a funny ha ha joke I made and it sent me on a weird pity spiral for the author who wrote a self-insert mary sue that gets everything the author's ever wanted and even in that fantasy she doesn't have friends.

so let's keep going after that with the rest of Chapter 6: The Moon

-Mac's conversation with Zade doesn't last much longer after that as Riley pulls him away, which is an opening for the Mean Girl Squad to roll in.

-Sofia and her fellow mean girl Mel (who was awkwardly introduced in another chapter but everybody makes fun of that bit so let's just cut to the chase) approach and flank Zade with Sofia even throwing an arm around Zade's shoulders. Zade also figures Mel is Sofia's closest friend. which, wow, your mean girl antagonist has a friend and you don't? I actually do think that's a bit telling for reasons we're gonna get to in a moment.

-also Zade is sticking to her story that Sofia pushed her after she regained consciousness post-accident:

Maybe she was trying to be nicer since I had saved her life. Somehow I doubted that, considering she still hadn't even thanked me--or even apologized for being mean and pushing me away when I was in the middle of saving her life.

you know what, Zade? you'd probably have more friends if you didn't lie about shit for pity points. yes, it would be nice if Sofia thanked Zade for what she did, but if someone saved my life and then made up shit about what actually happened to make me look bad, I would be less inclined to do it.

-while I know the intention is for Sofia and Mel to taunt Zade that going after Mac is hopeless because he doesn't date performers, Zade is being really judgemental about them. she mentally calls Mel dumb even though Mel hasn't said anything dumb. all she's said is that Mac has a rule about not dating performers and that he lives by his rules, the latter of which we know because he and Zade almost came to blows about it back in Chapter 2.

-Zade claims that she wants to get along with everyone but makes absolutely zero efforts to do this. I mean she could be lying to them, which is possible since we already caught her in a lie on the previous page.

-Zade mentally expresses a desire to spit in their faces. I wouldn't usually think of that as violent, but I'm not sure how many tallies I wanna keep up for Zade and it IS insulting, so I'm adding it to the violent thoughts tally.

-oh jesus christ. Zade talks like a goddamn alien. the whole reason I have trouble with buying that Zade is southern is shit like this:

"Well, as we say in the South, bless your heart...and...uhh...thanks for the advice, or whatever you're calling it, but we are just friends."

look. I can't drop a Bless Your Heart to save my life, but I have been known to drop an, "Oh Honey..." every now and again to similar effect, and that is not how you do it! and earlier when she was talking to Jackson we get a little mental montage of all the stereotypical southern things like sweet tea, fried food, and biscuits and gravy. I've been known to drag sweet tea, but I give it a proper context when I do and don't just randomly mention it as proof that I'm from the south. Zade doesn't feel southern; she feels like she is pretending to be southern and failing miserably.

here, let me see if I can revise this into something at least a little more natural. this is how I would probably do it if I had to write such a scene:

"You're doing all this just to look after me?" I put a hand to my chest, click my tongue, and say, "Well, bless your heart, but I promise I'm a big girl, can tie my own shoelaces and everything. I think I'll just handle my own affairs, thank you kindly."

-"Zade: one; stupid girls: zero," you say? funny, I don't see any stupid girls. Sofia is a bit catty, reckless, and flirty, and... and beautiful... and... and... ough. I think I hauve covid.

anyway, my point is she's not done anything actually stupid. the closest thing was not wearing her safety harness on the catwalk, but we've already been over that and how unfair that whole situation was. I'm not about to say Sofia did nothing wrong, but I'm really pissed off at how stacked the deck is against her.

and this is the only time we've really seen anything with Mel as her only role in her previous scene was carrying out Drew's birthday cake.

Zade is just being pointlessly mean here even after she chided herself all the way back in Chapter 1 that she shouldn't be so judgemental.

-Mell challenges Zade with, "You actually think you're hotter than either one of us?" which is like. a ridiculous thing to ask but not as ridiculous as Zade's answer. which, Zade says she thinks on her answer so it's actually a good one and not just spiteful, but this is what she gives us:

"Physically?" I replied. "No, not a chance. You're both far more beautiful than I am, if we're talking about the outside. But have you ever bothered to see what you look like on the inside? There's a song called 'Ugly Girl' that I swear is about both of you. I'll play it for you sometime."

show of hands, how many of you reading this think Sofia and Mel would laugh at that? I know my hand is up.

-"Sometimes I wished I could be the star in my own movie so at moments like that the song I was thinking of...could start playing." reminder that Zade is aware that she is writing a book. she explicitly establishes all the way back in Chapter 0 that she is aware that she is relating a story to us. my own guess is this is just an awkward reworking of the original movie script this book was adapted from.

-also, for as ugly as Zade claims Sofia and Mel are on the inside, at least they are actually friends. Mel apparently has no skin in this game and doesn't understand why Sofia cares but went along with the mean girl shtick because Sofia asked her to. I mean, yeah, it's not a nice thing that Sofia's asking Mel to do, but it's good to know Sofia can rely on Mel for backup.

-Mel also apparently tried sleeping with Mac once with her only motivation being that he's hot and she'll sleep with anyone hot. I think this is Sarem trying to hit us with some evil promiscuity shit but honestly I love that for Mel. hell yeah have fun girl!!

-Mel doesn't get why Sofia might be interested in trading out Charles for Mac and Sofia is quick to clarify that she's not. that's more or less their conversation as Mel is about to flirt with a hot guy.

-the narration says they were harassing Zade and like. yeah, ok, I will admit that is what they were doing, but they were good at the subtle hand bit of it. they came up to Zade under the guise of offering her friendly advice as a way to needle her and didn't get hostile until Zade sniped back. that's some skill.

-Jackson has seen the whole encounter and takes a moment to simp for Zade by telling Sofia and Mel to their faces that he thinks Zade is hotter than both of them on the outside as well. I'm with Sofia on this one as she ends the chapter by calling Jackson a jerk under her breath.

god. you don't think Sarem would try to get Jackson Rathbone to play Jackson Milsap if she ever gets the movie going, do you? after he's made it public that he doesn't like her. I mean, we know he'd say no unless he's super desperate since Sarem still fully intends to play Zade and I know Zade and Jackson have some kissing scenes later. but then idk if that would even hold up unless this does turn into a Salome/The Room/Breeniverse type thing where Sarem decides to just make it herself. man, if he did end up in it I can see him playing the entire movie like

there he is, a performance with all the charisma of a man who's not sure he should risk a fart because the Taco Bell isn't exactly sitting right with him and calculating the path of least resistance to the nearest toilet just in case. (or possibly wanting to rip some throats out.)

[shrinkthisviolet]

5, 14, 17, 18 for Morgan and 3, 6, 11, 15 and 19 for Amelia!

Ooh double whammy, I love it! Under the cut, since this is definitely gonna get long:

Morgan:

5. What did your OC think their life would be like when they grew up? Has it lived up to that expectation?

It's exceeded her expectations, really. She expected to one day become a doctor and live...at least elsewhere in Central, if not out-of-state. Though as she grew up, she began to find friendship in the STAR Labs crew—who then became Team Flash and really changed her life by becoming her family. She didn't expect that, and she definitely didn't expect to gain a brother/platonic soulmate in Barry (and another sibling/literal platonic soulmate in Jesse). And yet...🥰 and ofc there’s more good surprises to come for her!

Her expectations fall short in one way, though: she always held out hope that Eowells would one day change his ways and be a good father...a hope she carried even during s1. She was, of course, disappointed. It's also in a sense a hope she carries post-s1—that he'll atone for his crimes and be a good father, like Henry is to Barry. She knows deep down that it's a pipe dream, she just...can't stop hoping. She hates admitting it, which is why she doesn’t really, though Team Flash all know 🥺

14. Who was your OC's first love? How do they remember that person now?

James, but not romantically as she suspects. Though at my current point in s1, they're dating. Things will be a little tricky for them for a bit once she comes out to him (not because of him not being supportive, he very much is, but because of the fallout of what happens during that talk), but some bonds aren't easily broken I wish I could say more lol but I promise, all shall be revealed in due time. The one thing you can count on is that one way or another, Morgan and James will always care about each other. That part will never change—even if the label does, even if there’s tension for a while. So take comfort in that 💞

17. How deeply connected is your OC to their past? How do they feel about that connection—does it hinder or help them in any way?

Very much so, often to her detriment since her past is filled with grief. Though she does try to hold on to the good too (and she has plenty of people to help her shoulder that burden, if only she'll ask)

18. If your OC were to return to their childhood home now, what would that look like? How would they feel?

Going back to her childhood home at Tina's post-s1 is...different. Strange, even. She hasn't been in here since she was 13, and though she's only 3 years older, she feels even older than that somehow, like she's already an adult. The room still feels like hers but also not.

Her room at Eowells's house would've changed slightly between 1-7 and 13-16, of course, though only in that Eowells let her indulge in slightly more childishness in her younger years. A little messiness, a couple fairytale books...though there are some classic fiction books on her bookshelf too (Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Sherlock Holmes (most of them), etc)—she recognizes those, they were on her 13-16 bookshelf too. Eowells tried to get her to read them early, but they didn't quite take. She ended up reading them on her own at Tina's and brought her own copies to replace these (and then donated her young-childhood copies)

Amelia:

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

Well it ofc wasn't voluntary, it was because CPS took her once the Snap hit and placed her in a foster home. She was so young and so confused, and when she finally realized what happened, it still took a while for the grief to finally hit her 🥺

6. Did your OC have a teacher or a mentor growing up? What was your OC's relationship with them like?

Not really, no. The closest she's had is May, Otto, and Rosalie, her parental figures

11. What was your OC scared of as a child? Are they still scared of that?

When Peter and May were still around, she was scared of more typical childhood things: spiders, the dark (she grew out of this in a few years), etc. When she's put in foster care and bounces around, she's afraid her foster parents are going to leave her...and she's right, until Otto and Rosalie decide to hold on to her and never let go (even after May and Peter come back, Otto and Rosalie promise they'll be there for her in whatever way she wants them to be) 🥺

She still carries that fear of abandonment, though mostly about others now. Norman at first, Gwen when they're first rekindling things after Amelia gets her back...and Peter. Mostly after she finds out he's Spider-Man. She was already afraid he'd disappear on her again (as she's afraid of with May), but now, she's afraid he'll die on her, that's where most of her anger comes from.

(In the end, she loses him anyway. But the worst part is, she doesn't even remember)

15. What was comforting to your OC as a child? Do they still find comfort in that now?

Her brother's hugs always comforted her. During FFH and most of NWH...not so much. But near the end of NWH, after they reconcile...Peter's hugs are a comfort to her once more 🥺

19. What traditions or stories does your OC carry forward from their childhood to the rest of their life?

May's baking recipes, the Octavius dinner poetry tradition*, Otto's habit of humming and dancing while he cooks, Peter's fidgeting habit that rubbed off on Amelia so much that she found herself doing it even in the years when he was dead, and Peter's wacky bedtime stories (which, after he became Spider-Man, were just his own adventures with the names changed). To name a few :)

*every Friday night, they'd pick one poem, and over dinner, they'd take turns reciting it and talking about it. It was just from Rosalie's poetry books at first, but Otto sometimes offered one up, or Amelia. The only rule was that it had to be a poem...and often, Otto and Amelia used creative justifications in this regard 😂

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