#i am unable to not share things I Know and Have Heard Of when given the chance

[bisnes-socks]

potential culture shocks for Bojan in Finland? 👀 do you think he has something more to add to the list next to very chill waiters and suspicious door handles?

hmmmmmmm i might be the wrong person to answer this because to me nothing about Finland is a culture shock or weird lmaoo something in the same general category as door handles and locks (which apparently are unusual to a lot of foreign people..?), one thing that comes to mind is sisäovi. jere's place is so new that he probably doesn't have a sisäovi but those seem to confuse foreigners sometimes! it's a door right after the front door, so like, you open the front door into a home and bam, there's another door to open right after. their point is insulation and soundproofing but they're not as common in new houses anymore. it's a shame jere probably doesn't have one, because i'd like to imagine bojan not expecting another door right after the front door and walking straight into it 😌 also, fun fact! in finland doors that lead outside (almost) always open out (except of course sisäovi has to open in, because you can't exactly have two doors right after one another opening the same way). there was an order to make it so in 1882, after six mass hysteria disasters in christmas churches between 1669 and 1882 killed 97 people. the common thread was that people thought there was a fire in the church (there wasn't, in any of the cases) and then tried to escape in a wave of mass hysteria. and in three of these cases people then got trapped, when the big church doors would have to be opened to swing inside the church, but the mass of people swarming to the doors made it impossible to actually open the massive doors. so people got trampled and suffocated between the doors and the mass of people coming from behind. and so in 1882 they made it so that doors in churches had to open out, and that has been the custom with all other doors that lead outside too. this has been your finnish history/culture lesson of the day that nobody asked for.

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

hi! i love your poly!plastics x fem!reader fics! could you do one where the reader has been sick for a couple days so her parents forced her to stay home and she's been so tired she couldn't contact her girlfriends and they show up to her house after the second day?

Sick Days

|| poly!plastics x fem!reader

(i myself am poly)

|| Warnings; sick reader, swearing, reading throwing up, pill mentions (but like advil and flu stuff), short drabble

|| Summary; reader's home sick. So sick to the point where she's unable to contact her girlfriends, which signals alarm bells in their heads. They check up on reader after not hearing from her for a day.

Requests open!

Started; october 8th

Finished; october 8th

~~~

You'd been feeling like complete shit lately. So bad that you could barely even get out of bed without throwing up, so your parents forced you to stay home. Not your favourite thing in the world. At this point you would rather be at school than at home throwing up under your parents care.

Sick days. Day 1.

The first day was the absolute worst. Your head was pounding, body switching from burning hot to freezing cold. No amount of blankets in the world could help you. You couldn't even work up the energy to reach for your phone and tell your girlfriends what was going on. So you could only imagine what they were thinking; you felt terrible for not talking to them. But even if you could reach your phone, you weren't sure you'd be able to stomach looking down at the screen and trying to read the little words.

Meanwhile your girlfriends were getting worried. It was nearing the end of the school day and none of them had heard from or seen you yet. Which definitely wasn't like you. Normally you'd text them if you were sick. Did something happen? Or was your sickness just that bad?

It was sixth period. This was normally the class you all shared together, so when you didn't show that was their last straw. They were definitely worried now.

"If she doesn't message us by tomorrow morning, we should skip school and go to her place." Gretchen suggested and the other girls thought that was pretty reasonable. They'd give you the rest of the day and just wait to see what happened.

Sick days. Day 2.

Nothing happened, so they did exactly what they planned to. They arrived at yours, Gretchen holding a goodie box with all your comforts inside. They all had keys to yours. You'd copied your key and given the copies to them without your parents knowing. Speaking of which, your parents weren't home today. They could only miss so much work for you. You had been left to fend for yourself.

Regina used her key to get inside and looked around the house, when she didn't spot you they started heading upstairs to your room. Only to stop on the last step when they heard the sound of vomiting coming from the second floor bathroom. That was enough for them to realize just how terrible you'd been feeling.

Gretchen handed the goodies to Karen and immediately took off at a run to the bathroom. She'd burst the door open and crouched by your side, rubbing your back soothing. Karen caught up and set the box down, holding your hair back. You'd been a little surprised when your girlfriends bursted in, having not expected them to just show up today. Then again even if they had texted you, you wouldn't have seen it.

You tried to get yourself to say anything, but your voice cracked and words failed you. You were exhausted. Too tired to even speak with how little sleep you'd gotten the night before.

"Shh, you're okay. Don't force yourself to speak." Gretchen whispered.

Regina had taken a moment to go back downstairs, rummaging through cupboards before coming back up to you and the girls.

"Take these." In her hands she held advil, gravol and flu medicine. You grimaced at the sight of the pills and she narrowed her eyes, leaving no room for protests," mouth open, let's go."

You groaned and sat on the ground between Karen and Gretchen, Gretchen continued to give you soothing rubs. Keeping a close eye on you, ready in case you threw up again.

Regina knelt down on her knees so she was level with you, three pills in her hand. One for each product," you better not fucking throw up on me." She put the pills into your mouth then made you drink from a cup of water.

The pills nearly made you throw up, you turned to the toilet just in case and Regina cringed at the sight.

"Gross." She muttered.

You gagged, but didn't throw up this time.

"Let's get you into bed, baby. Can you walk?" Gretchen asked, you shook your head. Knowing you would be sick if you tried.

Regina rolled her eyes at that but picked you up anyways, carrying you princess style into bed.

The three then curled up with you, though Regina kept herself separated. Using Karen as a shield just in case you threw up again. She really doesn't want to get it on her.

The rest of the day wasn't as bad as the first, you had your girlfriends now. Which always made everything better.

[obaex]

pinch me - jj maybank

summary: when you turn 17, your body begins to mirror anything that happens to your soulmate, but with so many marks and bruises, why is yours so hard to find?

word count: 2.9k

a/n: happy obx writing week! this is for day 1: au with jj! thank you to the lovely @surftrips for planning this event. this fic's a little different, but i am simply a sucker for a soulmate au. italics are jj's perspective. ♡

The flowers bloomed on your skin like a tattoo, delicate but dark. Large roses, orchids, lilies and daffodils tangled with leaves to form a winding pattern that started on your hand before appearing on your arm. You lifted your shirt to see them swirl on your ribs, near your stomach. It was mesmerizing to watch, beautiful, hypnotizing even, the sensation felt like a pleasant tingle beneath your skin that now danced on your cheek, around your eye. You lay down on your bed, closed your eyes, and willed the patterns to disappear by morning.

You knew when you turned 17 that this could happen, that your body would begin to mirror any impact on your soulmate’s skin, so you weren’t necessarily surprised. What did surprise you was the frequency with which the marks appeared, their breadth, their size. Your chest ached with the knowledge that whoever your heart was tethered to underwent physical pain on a regular basis.

You searched for your other half eagerly, knowing they wouldn’t be hard to find: a split lip, a black eye, bruised knuckles, but of course there was no one that looked like that on Figure 8. Your friends sought out their matches based on the occasional skinned knee, maybe a broken finger playing lacrosse; when they asked you about it, you lied and said you hadn’t felt anything yet, too heartbroken to share the truth and the fact that your person was nowhere to be found.

When your best friend Sarah Cameron found her match, you couldn’t help but be happy for her, even though she had found him on the wrong side of the island. She and John B began spending every day together; you were lucky if you could steal her away for an afternoon at the beach, and even then, she spent every moment gushing about him. Before long she was begging you to come hang out with him and his friends. You were undeniably skeptical, but by now your own flowered marks had stopped appearing and even though you knew that was a good thing for your other half, in a way you missed them, missed the connection, the reminder that someone out there was meant for you. You needed something to distract you, and John B and his friends proved to be the perfect distraction, especially JJ Maybank.

You and JJ fell into an immediate friendship that was unlike any you’d had before. Frankly, it shocked the other pogues – what could a marina rat and a kook princess possibly have in common? On the surface, the answer was nothing, but it’s like you just clicked right from the first day you met. You were always laughing at each other’s jokes, tears brimming your eyes, unable to catch your breath no matter how stupid they seemed to everyone else. You would finish each other’s sentences, you could read into each other’s emotions, able to understand one another when words fell short, ready with a hug or a smile when they needed it most. You had a casual intimacy, your head resting on his shoulder when you watched a movie, him always needing to have the seat next to you whether in the twinkie or in the back yard at the chateau, you permanently wearing at least one article of his clothing at any given time. You were having fun, your time with JJ distracting you from the loneliness you had felt before.

Everyone had become so obsessed with this soulmate thing - JJ didn’t think it was even real. He had never felt a thing, grateful at least that that meant his soulmate had a life very different from his own. But, why did people care so much? He had seen and heard John B go on and on about it, but all he wanted to do was ignore it, convinced that that kind of thing just wasn’t meant for someone like him.

He never knew if his parents had had it, and even if they did, what good had it done them? His mom left and his dad was gone now too, having finally taken off for the Yucatan months ago. Good riddance.   

No, JJ preferred to focus on what he could control, to believe what was right in from of him, and for now that was Y/N. He wasn’t sure what a girl like that was doing hanging around with a pogue like him, but he wasn’t going to question it, grateful for every day he got to spend with her. He loved the way she made him feel, like he was always the center of her attention no matter what was going on around them - he’d never had that before, had never been someone’s first priority. He loved the way she would laugh uncontrollably with him, how big her smile got, how her nose would crinkle. He loved the way she curled into his arms when she had a bad day, seeking him out for comfort and reassurance; he loved knowing he could be that for somebody. He loved when she leaned on him when they watched movies, how sometimes her eyelids fluttered closed and she’d breath heavily against him, wrapping her arms around him in her sleepy state – that was his favorite.

The funny thing was, she didn’t seem to believe in this soulmate thing either, never chiming in when the inevitable conversation came up. And that made him feel like maybe he had a chance. He tried every day to muster the courage, to find the right words to say to ask her out, which is where his mind wandered while he spent the afternoon at work at the marina, pissed that he was missing a day on the boat with her.

The HMS Pogue bobbed gently to the rhythm of the waves as John B and Pope cast their rods into the water. You, Sarah and Kie were lying on the bow, soaking in the scorching rays of the sun as sweat dripped down your body.

“OK, I’m getting in the water, it’s too damn hot” Kie said resolutely, standing up.

“Yes please” you said, jumping up, pulling off your sunglasses and diving in, beating her to the punch.

The salt water cooled your skin immediately, bringing instant relief. You let out a sigh as your head breached the surface and you began to float on your back. It was only a moment before you felt something slimy and looked around you to see you had jumped right into a school of jellyfish. You tried to swim away, shrieking, before they began to sting you, their barbed tentacles attaching to your side as you tried to knock them away and scrambled back to the boat. You pulled yourself shakily out of the water, tenderly feeling the burns on your skin as tears overflowed in your eyes.

JJ was spraying down the latest kook yacht to pull into the marina, washing and rinsing mindlessly, his thoughts drifting to you and back again when he felt an itch on his side. He scratched it absentmindedly, attempting to ignore it when it persisted in a tingling feeling. He rubbed it harder before finally lifting his shirt to see a tattooed pattern of vines winding up his side. He shoved his shirt down and looked around, hoping nobody had seen. He dropped the hose in his hand and stumbled inside before he pulled his shirt off to inspect his skin more closely. He was mesmerized by the sensation and the pattern on his skin, his heart racing with excitement until he realized what this meant, his joy waning as his sympathy grew for this person he didn’t even know. He pressed his hand against the vines, like he could make them stop, but they persisted. He could hear his boss yelling for him, so he quickly pulled his shirt back on, his head spinning as he went back to work.

The rest of the afternoon and evening you walked around gingerly, icing your side, putting ointment on it, but nothing seemed to quell the burning sensation of the barbs in your skin. You pulled on one of JJ’s soft, oversized sweatshirts and a pair of shorts and joined your friends in John B’s backyard, trying to focus on anything else to forget the pain you were in.

Thankfully, JJ showed up right after his shift. You had missed him all day, wishing he had been out on the boat with you; he would have known just what to say, how to make you laugh, exactly how to make you feel better, and that’s all you wanted right now.

He settled into his chair beside you, but didn’t meet your gaze, didn’t acknowledge you at all; he looked a thousand miles away.

“Hey, you okay?” you asked, picking up on his demeanor immediately.

“Hmm?” he said, glancing at you quickly before looking away. In truth, he couldn’t stop thinking about the tingling on his side, which had started to fade, but that he could still feel. He looked back at you, examining you. You were perfectly fine. No one had hurt you, you weren’t in pain, and he was overwhelmingly grateful for that, but at the same time, selfishly, he knew that that meant that you weren’t his, weren’t the one for him and it crushed him.

He looked at you with sad eyes, his ocean blues scanning yours, opened his mouth like he wanted to say something before shutting it, shaking his head and ignoring you, choosing to focus on the beer in his hand instead.

You scrunched your face in response, hurt by his dismissal, especially after the day you'd had. You had been so sure he would make you feel better, that he would pull you into his arms and tell you everything was going to be okay, and now he wouldn’t even talk to you.

“Okay then” you said, standing up quickly, wanting to put some distance between you before your emotions got the best of you. “Anyone need another drink?” you asked as you made your way inside. John B shook his near-empty can in the air and you nodded, turning quickly so no one would see the tears in your eyes as you slammed the door behind you.

“What was that about?” John B said as he looked over at JJ.

JJ just shook his head and shrugged, trying to shake off your reaction, his feelings, and failing miserably.

“She seemed upset” Kie pushed, not used to seeing the two of you at odds with each other, ever. “You could at least try to be nice to her, Jayj, she had a shitty day.”

“Pfft understatement of the year” Pope agreed as he took a swig of his beer, “she put up a tough front but I’ve never seen stings that bad before, had to be the man-o-wars, she jumped right into them.”

JJ’s ears perked up. “What?” he asked, trying to catch up.

“She got stung, asshole, like fifteen times” Kie replied, gesturing to her side.

The same side where JJ’s skin still tingled.

JJ’s mouth ran dry and he could feel his heart start to hammer in his chest. It couldn’t be… could it?

He stood up, dropped his beer at his feet and ran after you.

“Y/N!!” he called as soon as he was inside, nearly tripping over the furniture on his way to reach you in the kitchen.

You were leaning with your back against the counter, your eyes meeting his as you wiped at your tears, not wanting him to know how upset he’d made you.

“You’re – Pope said – you – today –“ he stumbled over his words as he gestured outside and then to you.

You looked at him, utterly confused.

He shook his head, trying to clear it as he ran his hands through his hair, willing his heart to slow down just enough for him to get his words out.

“Today. You got stung. A-Are you okay?” he said through labored breath.

You shrugged, still angry with him. “I’m fine” you said.

“Nah, don’t do that, don’t play it off, Pope said it was bad, worst that he’s seen in a long time. C-Can I see?” he asked.

You didn’t know what good it would do at this point but you set your drink down and tenderly reached for the bottom of your sweatshirt, lifting it up to expose the angry red skin on your side, wincing slightly as your fingers grazed it.

JJ stepped closer to you, one hand on your stomach, the other on your hip, careful to avoid touching your wounds as he looked closely at it, then at you. He felt his breath hitch as his emotions overwhelmed him at the thought of this happening to you. You immediately registered the sympathy in his eyes and the fact that he seemed completely distraught, his own eyes nearly brimming with tears.

“Hey, I’m alright, it’s alright, J” you said, not fully grasping the look in his eyes.

He took his hands away, but didn’t step back from you as he lifted his own shirt. You could make out the faint remains of a twisted pattern of vines that ran up his side. Your hands flew to your mouth in shock.

“JJ…” you cautioned. Despite how much you desperately wanted this to be true, you both knew that this could be a coincidence, that that happened all the time. Your eyes met his and you could see the longing shining in them as they met yours, unwavering.

“Pinch me” he said, holding out his arm.

“What?” you asked.

“Pinch me, hard, do it,” he said again, pushing his arm closer to you.

Part of you wanted to know the truth, needed to know the truth, but a larger part of you was scared, horrified for this be a coincidence, and what that would mean for both of you. The idea that JJ might not be yours had your chin wobbling as you looked at him.

“Please, gorgeous, I need to know” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

You reached out tentatively and pinched the skin on his forearm hard enough to leave a pink mark where your fingers had squeezed. Within seconds you could feel the tingle on your own skin, your emotions bubbling up as you laughed and then cried, JJ grabbing you by the shoulders, desperately trying to read your emotions as you pulled up your sleeve to reveal the rose that had bloomed on your own arm, matching his own. He looked down as tears welled in his own eyes.

“D-Do it again” he said, now that he could see it, holding out his arm.

“JJ” you said through your tears, urging him to accept what was in front of him.

“Do it again” he said, and as you pinched him a daisy bloomed next to the rose, leaves tangling together. He watched the pattern, willing himself to accept that this was much more than a coincidence, to accept that he could have this, have you, that you were made for him.

He pulled you into his arms, burying his head in your shoulder as you shook, your arms circling him and hands grasping the back of his shirt like a lifeline, unwilling to let him go.

“My God, oh my God” he muttered next to you as he rocked you back and forth.

“W-wait” you said, pulling back reluctantly to look at him. His eyes were blown wide, totally focused on you.

“What is it, beautiful?” he asked and your heart skipped a beat at the nickname.

Your hand came up to cup his face. “Last year” you whispered, tracing your finger under his eye, across his cheek, running it over his lips, tracing all the places you seen flowers on your own skin. He hung his head, pressing his forehead to yours.

“My dad” he said simply in reply as he realized, reluctantly, that you now knew better than anyone what he had been through.

“I’m so sorry” you whispered.

“It’s okay. I’m okay now” he reassured you as his hands reached up to cup your face. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

You nodded as your eyes met his, your mind still reeling, trying to piece together what was in front of you: this boy, with his long hair, his tender eyes, his perfect smile, his infectious laugh, his warm hugs was it, was yours, forever. You smiled at him and he smiled at you as his mind pieced together the same thing.

“How did I get so lucky?” he asked and you laughed in response. “I wanted it to be you. From the moment I met you, I wanted this” he said. You nodded vigorously in agreement, your instant connection so many months ago making so much sense now.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly.

You nodded more vigorously as he brought your lips to his.

He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in you, but was reassured by the fact that he’d have eternity to do so as he pressed his lips softly to yours, savoring the feeling, and the way you pressed into him, opening up to him almost immediately, grasping his shirt and pulling him against you, against the counter as you hummed in response, your pain long forgotten as the pleasure of his body, his heart beating against your own took over. He ran his fingers into your hair as his tongue tangled with yours and he swore nothing in the world would ever compare to this.

taglist: @ietss, @gillybear17, @palmwinemami, @sweetestdesire, @softcoremaybank, @one-sweet-gubler, @m-indkiller

[writingfreezer]

the day after a very big argument, right as the sun started to set, you arrived home. it was eerily quiet as no one was there to greet you, no open arms expecting you, and no lips to kiss fondly.

it had been like that ever since the morning. you were just getting ready when neuvillette finally glanced at you, giving you the the first and only type of contact he had ever given you since your heated dissagreement last night. it wasn’t a loving glance, or anything of the sorts, really. his eyes met yours, and for a moment, you saw him like everyone else saw him; cold and emotionless. except, that wasn’t a good thing. no, for you, it had became such a habit of seeing his eyes light up at just the sight of you that this felt… bad. really fucking bad.

you sighed as you plopped your bag down and started taking off your shoes to put them on the rack. did he really mean the things he said last night? you thought. that you were clingy and sometimes too unbearable to talk to?

a soft, almost too subtle to notice platter was heard from a window nearby. you looked out and saw that the sky had suddenly darkened. weird, you pondered, before continuing to remove your jacket. the forecast didn’t say anything abo-

wait. pause. let’s put on our thinking caps here. another, and another platter was heard. the soft platter turned into a heavy rain sooner than you could think, and you lit up like you just had an epiphany.

obviously, that light quickly dissappeared from your eyes as soon as you realized what this meant.

”shit. fuck,” you mumbled to youself as you stumbled next to the sofa and ran up the stairs faster than any track team could ever dream of. soon enough, you reached your shared bedroom and immediately slammed it open.

the sight greeting you was exactly what you were expecting, but still, it made your heart ache. your stomach twisted, threatening to break if you didn’t do anything about it.

there, on the neatly-folded bedsheets, lay neuvillette. his face was hidden from view as it was buried into his big, soft hands. hands that you have had the fortune of holding many times. hands that now haven’t even graced you for the last 24 hours.

hurriedly, you rushed to sit on the bedside. the bed dipped heavily as you effectively slammed yourself down, making neuvillette’s graceful body jump a little.

he quickly turned around, facing the other wall so that you couldn’t see anything but his back, clothed in nothing but a t-shirt. (probably some trousers too but.. you never know.)

”oh, dear..” was all you could mutter, the sight of it all making your words stuck in your throat. multiple sentences formed in your head, suggestions of what you could say. you ignored all of them and moved closer to him.

”dearest? could you look at me, at least?” you asked, concern lacing your tone. it probably showed up on your face too, because when he did finally turn around to greet you, he immediately turned back around.

”do not… archons.” neuvillette whimpered. whimpered. if you were in any other state of mind, you’d tease him about his tone, but the sight before you dismissed the thought entirely.

a soft sigh escaped your lips and you moved closer just to run your hand on his side. it wasn’t much, but it was just what he liked. soothing touches, relaxing shapes being drawn into his skin. it was what grounded him the most. thank gods for your years of marriage.

”i am-” he hiccuped, uncharacistically loudly. ”apologies… it’s hard to-”

”do not apologize for the state you’re in, please. we both know that there was no preventing this…” lightning struck a few hundres meters outside your house, and that was your cue to gently drag him to face you, making him unable to hide anymore. from you, and from his problems.

he blinked a couple times as soon as you lifted your hands from his face, probably blinded by the unromantic big light right above him. you quickly jumped off the bed and turned it off, practically sprinting back and landing right next to him on the bed after.

”hi.” you smiled as his eyes finally met yours, and although his face was flushed, wet, and expressing nothing but sadness, you still found your chest swell up in delight.

his bloodshot eyes fluttered down for a second before looking up again. a laugh escaped his lips, too quiet and contained to be something he actually wanted to express.

”i am- uh.. apologies. i am sure this is not the best way to be greeted after a long day..” he averted his gaze away to somewhere behind you. you looked around to see if anything of note was there, but there was nothing, so you looked back. right! he’s probably just zoning out. you gave yourself a mental slap to the cheek.

you climbed forward, moving your hands to softly hold his arms. ”hey, look at me. i’m here, and you’re here, and we’re safe. just you and me.”

his eyes quickly shaked and returned to look at you, having to tilt his head up a little now that you were practically sitting on him.

”hi.” you said, smiling.

”hello.” he reliped, also smiling now.

a chuckle erupted from the both of you, almost making you forget about the harsh words that were said yesterday. almost.

”so,” you started, moving closer to him to rub soothing circles on his biceps. ”do you have anything to say in particular, orrr…”

the man below you sighed and cleared his throat. he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. his expression turned sour, and then he tried wiping his face as well before trying again.

”i am… deeply sorry about last night. i expressed some things that were not true, and for that i feel bad.” he pointed out the window with his nose. ”very bad.”

”the things i said were only crossing my mind because i have been quite stressed recently, and… i haven’t been able to tend to your needs, or mine, for that matter. quite frankly, i was so engrossed in my own mind and work that you didn’t even cross my mind, which is a very rare occasion.” he huffed out a smile at his own words.

”i will not let this happen again, but for now, i am sorry.”

you blinked a couple of times and smiled.

”wow. that was very.. elaborate. even for you.” a hand reached out to hold your own, and it was as soft and gentle as you remembered them. to think, that you had been missing the simple touch of a hand after being separated for only a day.

neuvillette wheezed softly, looking away politely. ”it was hardly anything. i’d be able to think clearer if i hadn’t been bestowed this awful curse of letting everyone in fontaine know when i am feeling down… not that anyone knows that it’s me.”

”i know it’s you.” you smiled, softly shifting to lay down next to him.

”of course you do,” he replied, turning around and wrapping his arms around your body protectively.

╱|、

(˚ˎ 。7

|、˜〵

じしˍ,)ノ

[mxyarylla]

𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Neuvillette x reader | Fluff, established relationship, neuvi can’t sleep without his darling 🥹

no use of y/n

word count : 685

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

You got out of work quickly today. And the first thing you did was start working on the new paperwork given to you this morning.

It is 4:30pm and your boyfriend, Neuvillette, will be back from work in thirty minutes or so. Unless he’s stopping by Café Lutece with the melusines for tea. You began preparing dinner for him beforehand since you’ll be busy the whole evening. As the clock struck 5pm, you heard the sound of keys clicking at your front door. And before you immerse yourself in work, you left a note on the dinner table,

Welcome home love, I’m sorry that I am unable to dine with you tonight. I’ve got tons of paperwork to finish.

Enjoy your meal

I love you.

Your fav chérie ❤️

After reading your sweet note, Neuvillette has a soft smile on his face turning to look at different types of dishes laid on the table and suddenly wonders how lucky he is to have such a lovely and thoughtful lady as his significant other.

Days like this are totally normal for the two of you since you both have important jobs. But you guys always managed to find time to be together. Instead of going to the office to greet you he went to your shared bedroom and took a nice warm bath after a long day. Sadly you weren’t able to join him because he’d prefer taking a bath with you more. Then settle down to eat dinner.

When he finished eating, he prepared some snacks and tea for you. He knocked on the door, “May I come in love?” you hummed a “yes” instead of speaking because you were so concentrated on the documents. Neuvillette walked in on you focused, eyebrows slightly knitted together, hand on your chin and the other spinning a pen. He felt his cheek and ears burn slightly just from the sight in front of him.

Your boyfriend has finally gotten out of his trance as your voice softly calls him, “Neuvi?” with your eyes glued on the papers. Seeing that you got no response back, you turn to the side only to be met with his soft lips on yours. You smiled into the kiss and pulled away. Neuvillette took that as a chance to press his forehead against yours and rubbed his nose against yours. “I missed you.” He softly admitted. “I missed you too”, you responded back with a peck on his lips.

“I brought you snacks and tea ma chérie”, your boyfriend said as he walked towards his desk to grab some documents. He gave you a kiss after retrieving the items needed. “I’ll see you later in bed?” he asked with a soft tone in his voice. “Mhm, see you handsome” .

It’s getting quite late, Neuvillette has already gone to bed, you thought. But he’s been shifting back and forth. He keeps extending his arm to the side next to him, hoping you’d be in bed. And to feel nothing but air and the bedsheet. He turns to the side once again, before he finally decides to get up and to bring you to bed. He groans as he gets up, his long silky hair swiftly moving along his movements as he heads towards the office.

You, on the other hand, had just finished your hellish paperworks and oh god you took a glance at the clock, 11:11pm. Suddenly the door swung open when you turned off the table lamp. The room was dark but you could still make out your boyfriend’s pouty face from the moonlight’s lights shining through the window. “I’m sorry baby”, you placed a hand on his cheek and apologized. He leaned in your touch and lifted you in bridal style and walked towards your shared bedroom.

Neuvillette laid you down gently in bed and scooped you in his arms, pulling you closer then spoons you. “I couldn’t sleep without you”, he tiredly mumbled. With a smile on your face you replied back, “I know, now go sleep Neuvi”. You turn and give him a quick kiss “Sweet dreams love”.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

[bleu-seas]

“IGNITED FIRE”

★ Sypnosis  - Y/n S/n, an Architecture student and Bada Lee, a Performing Arts student shares an apartment at their university. They are doing great until Bada started bringing different girls at night forbidding Y/n to focus on her studies. Things went south when Bada stated her adoration towards Y/n. It all went downhill when one night ruined Y/n’s heart.

★ Warnings - suggestive??? bada making y/n a mess aaah

★ Bleu’s Note - waaaah i don't know what I'm doing here.. leave your thoughts below pleaseee. is this too short for a chapter or is it okay?

Read more. <3

Y/n started her day with productivity. She got up before the sun rises, fixed her personal bag and prepared an outfit so that she can finally start moving boxes to her shared apartment at her uni.

It was a new journey for her. She has never been away from her family for 22 years. She had to move to an apartment inside her uni because her father was moved to another state and changing uni would be more hassle.

She arrived at the apartment. It was humongous for a uni apartment. She wondered how much did her parents paid for her to have an apartment like this. She knocked at the door, expecting her roommate. However, she's not expecting to see a HOT roommate.. well..

She took a deep breath before stepping outside of their previous home. She's been here for all her life and now that she has to live alone, and do everything alone, she's scared. She didn't know what to do. All she can do is wish for her roommate to help her adjust in a life where she's all alone, without her parents.

The door swung open, revealing a tall woman in her sports bra and sweatpants. You looked at her, mouth wide open as you stood there, wonderstrucked.

“A-are you Bada? My r-roommate?” Why did i stutter, stupid Y/n! She then started getting conscious, she looked down at her feet.

“I am. You must be Y/n? You're prettier in person.” She muttered the last few words under her breath. “What?” Y/n wondered. Did she said something or am i just tripping?

Bada shook her head, and offered her hand out for a handshake. “I am Bada Lee, your apartment buddy.” Y/n was having second thoughts about bringing her hand out to shake Bada’s but at the end, for formality’s sake, she did shook the other girl’s hand. “M-my name is Y/n Choi. It's n-nice to meet you . . ” Why do i keep stuttering for heaven's sake. Y/n mentally cursed herself.

“You’re probably tired, let's go inside?” Bada offered. Y/n only nodded, not wanting to make another embarrassing scene infront of Bada. “Yes, of course but can you let go of my hand now . . ?” She looked down at their hands, and back to Bada’s face. The other girl chuckled as she released Y/n’s hand. “Sorry, your hand felt too comfortable to let go of.” Bada smiled at the girl before turning around to walk away, leaving Y/n startled.

What did she just say? Y/n thought, still can't believe what she heard. This girl is a flirtatious one. I can't believe she's hitting on me the first time we met. She continued to wonder and talk to herself not until it was snapped when Bada said something.

“Earth to Y/n.” She clapped her hands a few time to call the girl's attention. When Y/n finally came back to reality, she was met with a Bada leaning in the kitchen post, with her arms cross in all her glory for Y/n’s eyes to see. “Come here, Y/n. You should know a few things in our kitchen.”

She's 10x more hotter now. What the hell is happening to me? Y/n cried to herself, but walking slowly towards Bada. She knows how big of a failure she is in the kitchen given that the only thing she can cook are eggs.

“This is our fridge. It is spacious and has a partition in the middle. The left side is yours. You can store anything you want. You buy your own groceries and you clean your own mess.” She said, eyes fixed on Y/n leaving her once again, unable to speak.

Y/n only nodded, letting Bada know that she understands. “Use that mouth of yours. Use it for better purposes.” She deadpanned. “I u-understand Bada.” Y/n closed her eyes. Heavenly Father, I am not your strongest soldier. Y/n took a deep breath.

Bada replied with words that made Y/n’s breath hitched. “Good girl.” Bada smirks at Y/n’s reaction, loving every action and response Y/n delivers. The other girl however, has been so drained with Bada’s unrestrained flirting. “C-can i know where my room is? I-i wanted to rest already . .” She looked down, waiting for Bada to respond.

She felt the taller girl's presence before her and she closed her eyes, hoping Bada wouldn't notice the way her hands and lips are trembling. “Walk past the living room and you'll see a hallway.” Bada said. Y/n sighed in relief, only to be interrupted when Bada grabbed her chin, raising her head. “Don't be shy around me, Y/n. We're only on day one.” She smiles before patting Celene’s head and walking towards the living room where she flopped herself on the couch.

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR? Y/n didn't waste a second to run to her room and shut if close afterwards. It hasn't been an hour and she's already exhausted.

How am i going to face Bada everyday for the whole year??? Y/n let herself fall to bed the bed. Sighing and thinking if her choice of renting inside her uni is even a good idea.

[heavywithourbabies]

Going Feral

The wooden chair beneath Abby creaked softly. She couldn’t see her feet, but she felt their width, expanding over the past several days, radiating with soft pain. Her tank top, having given up its pursuit, hung limply over her engorged breasts, large circles of moisture encompassing each nipple. Having forgone panties that morning, she slid the hem up over her monstrous belly, noticing the convex line stretching vertically, dissecting her belly into two hemispheres.

“That’s what I am now - a globe.” She thought sadly to herself. She was a world containing two, wriggling baby boys who refused to emerge. She remembered her hunger for cum. Back when her stomach was flat and untouched, she yearned for that stickiness deep within her womb. But She didn’t realize this would be the result: a body foreign to her, blown up to caricature proportions, working against her. And the ceaseless hunger between her thighs.

She had met David online through a forum about breeding and the pair instantly shared a connection. It wasn’t long before messages over Reddit turned into texts and phone calls. When he finally revealed where he lived she was almost in shock. He was less than an hour’s drive away from her. She was apprehensive about this but couldn’t deny the fact she was more than just drawn to him. She ached for him. He would make her laugh and was refreshingly earnest and empathetic. A kind and gentle man that had a biting sarcastic tongue and was just as intelligent as she was. All of these factors made her attracted to him. But it was his other side that made her desperate for him to fill her. When he was aroused he became an almost completely different person. His voice would go deeper and when he was excited he couldn’t help but growl with excitement. Driven by desire he would whisper the filthiest things she had ever longed to hear and she was reduced to knee shaking orgasms when she heard him cum. There really wasn’t any way to fight the eventuality. She gave in and agreed to see him. She told herself that she wouldn’t sleep with him on the first date. She swore up and down that she wouldn’t give in to her own libido. That she wouldn’t dare tempt her want to be taken and claimed by this man.

5 hours later after they first met face to face, she was on the edge of the bed with her legs up and over his shoulders as he mercilessly drove into her. The sheets beneath her drenched in sweat and her own cum. She begged and pleaded with him to fill her, an endless mantra in her head kept saying “cuminmecuminmeohpleaseohpleasecuminmecuminmeeeee”.

As she felt his cock twitch inside of her and his pace quickened she couldn’t believe how loud her orgasm was when he snarled “Do you want to be my swollen pregnant cum dumpster?”

She was silently ashamed of that. That something so crude and misogynistic would bring her such pleasure. Little did she know that was exactly what he would reduce her to in the following nine months.

Her life completely turned upside down. First there were the positive test results she cried over. The doctor’s appointment that confirmed the news. Having to tell her parents who seemed so disappointed. And then telling him. He could barely contain his joy or how eager he was to take care of her. Abby tried to tell herself that she could do this mostly on her own and that she would handle the hardships but once she found out it was twins she began to panic. As she swelled larger and heavier with David’s babies she lost more and more control over her life and her body. It was if carrying his sons only made her want him more. To give in to him. To let him own her. She couldn’t resist or deny his want for her and that also seemed to get worse the larger she grew. One time during the 6th month she found herself crying as she was unable to fit into a former favorite dress. She turned to him and whimpered “I’m so pregnant” and the next thing she knew she could barely catch her breath after three straight hours of the most intense sex she had ever had. It didn’t matter to him that she was tender and sensitive all over or that she was the mother of his children. It didn’t matter to her either. They both just gave in more and more to their basic instincts and became two wild animals fucking each other with abandon. It was at the start of her third trimester that she quit her job and moved into the secluded house with him. And that’s where she stayed, growing bigger every day and waiting for his return.

It was late in the day, and she knew he would be home soon. She was a week overdue with the boys and she was more desperate than ever. She literally hoped he would fuck the babies out of her. That his thrusts would be so hard that her water break over both of them. All she wanted was to safely play at breeding. Now she would give anything to finally have the babies out of her. She would cry over the cumbersome weight of her belly that taxed her hips so. She wanted them out. She wanted her libido under control. She wanted to think straight and to have her light body back. She wanted herself back and to try and forget the swollen sex crazed creature she had allowed herself to devolve into.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her like a heat wave, and she didn’t want to move. But she knew she needed to be ready. She had promised him that today she would finally start getting things together and the house would be cleaned. They had made a pact last night as they finally calmed down on their soaked sheets that they would do better and have more control over themselves.They were even going to get the nursery ready on Saturday. She leaned forward bending her knees to stand, and the edge of her chair softly clipped her exposed and engorged clit. There was no pain, but she cringed before she even felt the bolt rush between her legs. Suddenly she was leaking down her aching thighs. She could feel the moisture coating her lips, her legs moving easily against each other as her natural lubrication entered overdrive.

Pressing both palms against the oak table, she tried to steady herself, one breeze away from collapsing with the hunger in her sex. Her knees bent as she pushed back against the desire she felt.

“I can’t be like this. I can’t let myself react this way.” She thought for the millionth time.

Remembering the rough, delicious romp that brought her here, running over the memory of him pumping his cum into her unprotected cunt, she dropped a hand to her clit. Her arm circles around the globe, stretching, stretching a little more. Slowly, She rotated two fingers in circles. Her belly bumped up against the table edge gently. Her head droped back as her lips parted with a gasp. Her other hand caressing the top of her stomach. “Your daddy do this to me,” She thought. “Your daddy made me this way. And I like-“

She heard his car pulling up and parking outside. She turned quickly as she could and began slowly waddling her way across the room to retrieve some pants, shorts, a skirt - anything. The engine turns off. A door opens, slams. And the softer sound of gravel under boots. She is still bottomless, her chest heaving with desire, her face flushed, and her pussy drenched. She had wasted another day going from one extreme to another. Moping and feeling sorry for herself or unable to keep her hands off of her own body.

David entered and saw her there. Without realizing what he was doing he took in a deep breath, smelling her pheromones permeating the air. His hand instinctively went to the crotch of his jeans and he had to fight himself to pull it away. “God that smell” he thought. It was everywhere now. That deep earthy musky scent that made it hard to think. It had gotten steadily worse as Abby entered the third trimester and it seeped off of her in waves. “She’s just started her ninth month. What will it be like in a week? Two?” David thought as he silently put down the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. “Will we be nothing more than animals fucking each other raw?”. He began to put away the items he purchased for the two of them. Soon to be four. “And what about the twins if we keep up like this? What if I can’t help myself and hurt her or send her into labor when she’s not ready?” David looked towards Abby who was stretching as best she could with her hands on the small of her back. The massive dome of her belly shot out into the air. New angry red stretch marks had appeared and he could see the veins in the taut firm skin. “What if she begs me to stop but I won’t because I can literally feel her contracting around my cock?” David groaned at the idea as he felt himself twitch in his pants. It was almost like he could feel the weight of his full testicles sitting on his warm thigh. It was starting to hurt. David tried to focus by looking at their home and any hopes he had for normalcy were put out. Half of the clothes which he had washed were still sitting in the basket while the rest had been thrown all over in a frenzy. “She couldn’t find anything comfortable to wear” he noted. Dishes still sat untouched and stacked on the kitchen counter and sink. The kitchen floor was covered in crumbs and take out boxes sat untouched by the mounting garbage bags. Random “debris” was everywhere. Items they had knocked over and slammed into when they tore into each other were still strewn about. She hadn’t done anything all day.

He sighed as felt useless frustration rise up inside of himself. We just - we talked about this -"He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked at her. She had tears welling up in her eyes as she stood there, feet aching from the weight. “I’m sorry” she trembled as her left hand caressed her massive belly. The other hand was below her belly with a mind of its own. Her fingers running through the dark thicket that grown wild and taken over. “I don’t want to be like this” She whimpered as a tear ran down her cheek. Her dark nipples were rock hard and poking through the soggy material of her tank top.

[vikenticomeshome]

Carl's Cool Kids and Hardee's Cool Kids Meal Toys (part 1/?)

Hello all,

Not too long ago, I made a post about the Cyberchase toys that were available from Carl's Jr. and Hardees back in 2003. This was a tiny part of the Cool Kids promotion that was shared between the two restaurants. The Cool Kids promotion itself lasted about 18 years, based on the archives that I have seen. It started with a "Cow and Chicken" promotion back in February of 2000.

The last promotion is unknown, as the links for November 2017 through April 2018 are missing their graphics, and their target pages are broken. The last one that has its image archived was an August/September 2017 promotion for "oddbods".

For the most part, I am going to stick to the "past promotion" pages, as those give us images and names for all of the products all in one image. If this is missing, then I will attempt to use the set of images from the "toy closeups" page. However, I will need to skip some of these promotions entirely, as I was unable to find images from them.

The year 2000

For February and March of 2000, we have a set of toys from the legendary old Cartoon Network show "Cow and Chicken". I remember watching this sometimes when visiting my grandma, who had cable. I don't really remember it though.

For April and June of 2000, was have "Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot". I have never heard of this before. It ran on Fox Kids in 2001, so I am a bit surprised that I didn't see it alongside other shows I watched back then.

For June and July of 2000, we get a version of Tom and Jerry that was airing on cartoon network. What can I say about these two that hasn't already been said? I remember watching a few incarnations of Tom and Jerry. I think this is the one with William Hanna and Joseph Barbara. It doesn't look like the Chuck Jones variant from what I remember.

For July and August of 2000, we get some superheroes from DC. One thing I notice about these toys is that they don't have a consistent art-style. Wonder Woman is a particularly obvious outlier. They don't seem to be associated with a particular cartoon incarnation.

For September and November of 2000, we have "Brothers Flub". My only opportunity to watch Nickelodeon was visiting my grandma. I don't think I ever saw this show. Apparently the brothers are space couriers.

For October of 2000, we get "Monster Buckets". This picture is grainy, so I cannot make out all of the art. I wonder if this was custom-made, or if this was pre-existing art.

For November and December of 2000, we get "Tiny Toon Adventures". I've only seen bits and pieces of this myself. I know it has a huge following that endures to this day.

For January and February of 2001, we got toys for "Godzilla: The Series". This is another one that aired on Fox Kids back when I watched that channel. However, I don't remember ever seeing this series.

For March and April of 2001, we got "Max Steel". I had never heard of this series before. Apparently, this kids gets attacked by the villain and nearly killed by nano-bots. In an effort to save his life, he is given T-Juice, which saves his life and gives him superhuman abilities.

For April and May of 2001, we get "Monster Rancher". This is not a franchise that I am familiar with, but it is apparently pretty big and ongoing.

For June 2001, we get Crash Bandicoot. He's kind of a big deal. And Spyro is here as well.

For July and August of 2001, we got Wallace and Grommit. This was before the "Curse of the Were-Rabbit" film, which was probably my introduction to the franchise.

And now, we reach a gap. In September 2001, there was a Nascar promotion. And then, in November and December of 2001, there was an "Olive the Other Reindeer" promotion. I couldn't find any official photos for these promotions.

2002

In January and February of 2002, we got Phantom Investigators. I find this promotion fascinating. The series only ran for 13 episodes, between May and August of 2002. These are probably the only toys that were ever released for the series. They may be the only merch of any sort released for the show. I need to sit down and watch it, as the art style is something really special.

For February and March of 2002, we get a Pokemon promotion with little cups topped with Pikachu, Totodile, Mewtwo, and Charizard.

For April and May of 2002, we get the legendary magical girl anime Cardcaptors, based on the manga Cardcaptor Sakura.

And now, we get another gap. I couldn't find any official images for the June 2002 Spider-man promotion.

For August 2002, we get some Digimon toys.

For September 2002, we get "Jackie Chan Adventures". I loved this show growing up. I didn't get to see it very often, but it was good.

For October 2002, we got some Spider-man Halloween buckets.

For November and December of 2002, we go back to the classics for Peanuts, specifically "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

2003

Before we get into the 2003 promotions, let's bring back Cyberchase for a moment. While surviving bags of the togs show that they were released at Carl Jr's and Hardees in 2003, we don't know exactly when they were out. They were never given a promotion of their own. Instead, they were the backup toys when the currently running promotion was sold out. I'm not sure why they didn't give Cyberchase its own promotion.

For January and February of 2003. we got a promotion for the original Ice Age.

For March and April of 2003, we got a promotion for Cubix. This was a South Korean production that got a 4-Kids English dub. I don't remember it.

For May and June of 2003, we get a promotion for Dragon Ball. I hope I don't need to explain what this is. It's kind of a big deal.

For July and August of 2003, we get a promotion for "The Martians".

Now, hold on a second, I don't remember a cartoon called "The Martians" from back then. And I cannot find a cartoon by that name. Wait a minute...

Yeah, I guess Carl Jrs. and Hardees weren't comfortable with the original title of "Butt-Ugly Martians", so they renamed it to "The Martians" and re-did the logo. I couldn't find anything on the Wikipedia page about the show being renamed for different broadcasters or countries, so this may have been just for this toy release. How bizarre.

For August and September of 2003, we get a promotion for everyone's favorite mummy movie.

[porcelainseashore]

Coffee & Secrets (5)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Rookie Cop! Leon x Barista! Fem! Reader

Summary: As a cozy coffee shop owner in Raccoon City, you’re no stranger to visitors seeking comfort, quiet, and warmth. When a rookie officer named Leon finds a kindred spirit in you, it sets in motion a chain of events that forever changes the course of your lives. An alternate universe set in Resident Evil 2 Remake and inspired by the game Coffee Talk.

Content & Warnings: Canon divergence, coffee shops, romance, slow burn, strangers to lovers, idiots in love, fluff, slice of life, swearing

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to @pickonerain! You've been an absolute star to me and seeing as you love Sherry, here's her little addition to the story 😇

AO3 Link

Chapter 5: Divergence

It was not like Claire and Leon to hide from you, but somehow they had ended up right at the other end of the room, far away from the counter, out of sight. They seemed deep in conversation, their expressions grim, and Leon was gripping his porcelain cup so tight you were afraid it would shatter to bits in his hand.

Curiosity—or rather, nosiness—got the better of you, and you scooted closer to the couple, pretending to sweep the area so you could listen in more easily.

“This was why you wanted to meet me, Claire?”

“Isn’t it important enough? I don’t get why you’re being so defensive!”

“I thought you wanted to catch up over coffee, not use me for one of your schemes!”

“Use you? Are you even listening to yourself? How does bringing down that son of a bitch count as ‘using you’?

“Chief Irons probably had a good reason, and all these rumors—”

“Rumors? There’s cold, hard evidence! We just need that one missing piece—”

“No! Forget it.”

“What?”

“I’m not getting involved.”

“So, this is it, huh? You go your way, and I go mine?”

“I…”

“I’m embarrassed I even called you a friend.”

Kicking out her chair, Claire threw down a couple of bills on the table before storming out in a fit of rage, slamming the front door behind her. 

Before you could even react, Leon had beaten you to it. “Don’t look at me like that,” he chided, though he had ducked his face away, red with shame. “I know you heard everything. You weren’t exactly being very stealthy.”

“That was never really my strong suit,” you admitted. “Mind if I join you?”

“Be my guest,” he said, motioning to the seat beside him, still unable to look you in the eye.

Spying his half-finished drink on the table, now cold, you resisted the urge to get up and fix it, knowing there were other things he needed more in that moment. So, you continued to sit with him, and even though you did not exchange any words, you breathed together, content with sharing in each other’s company until he was ready to speak.

“Do you think I’m naive?”

“No, why do you ask?”

“Maybe I’m scared that I am,” he confessed, his voice small and tired. “What if I’m wrong? What if Claire’s wrong?”

Cradling his cheek in your hand, you caressed it softly. He didn’t protest, but leaned in indulgently, nuzzling his nose against your palm like a deer. Then, something clicked internally and he broke away, straightening up in his seat as though he had not just given in to his desires a moment ago. However, this time, his face was angled towards you, waiting.

“What does your gut feeling say?” you put forward. “I’d trust that.”

He hesitated, taking a deep breath as he stared off into the distance, gathering his thoughts. “A snake oil salesman—that’s one way of putting it.”

“Chief Irons,” he clarified. “Whenever I get close to something nasty, he throws me off scent.”

Another hunter—a more seasoned one, you observed.

“I guess you have your answer.”

He collapsed into the backrest of the armchair and exhaled, as though a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “I’ll figure it out,” he stated, mostly to himself.

“I know you will,” you said encouragingly.

He had chosen the more difficult path, but at least he had made peace with it and was no longer in denial about Chief Irons’ deception. That was definitely a step in the right direction.

“Thanks, that means a lot to me.”

Once again, there was a comfortable silence between the two of you. It felt nice like this, as though your very thoughts and beings were connected.

“I want to know more about you,” he professed out of the blue. “But somehow, you always manage to steer the conversation back to me.”

You gulped, fiddling with your hands. “What do you wanna know?”

“Everything,” he murmured. “Your backstory, your favorite color, what do you do outside of work…” he trailed off.

“I’m not used to talking about myself,” you spelled out.

He grinned cheekily, as if the battle had already been won. “Don’t worry, I’m a good listener.”

And so, you yielded to him, letting things unfold as they should. Hours passed while you shared tales and secrets over cups of spiced tea with sweet milk. The flavors of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg swirled around your tongue, bringing to mind the warm, inviting breeze of a coastal town near the Red Sea.

“There’s many names for it,” you explained, circling the rim of the cup with your finger lazily. “But I know it as Shai Adeni.”

Leon nestled his chin in his hand, propping his elbow on the table as he gazed at you, captivated. “Incredible.”

“Hmm?” You were not sure if he had registered what you had just said.

Reaching out, he cupped the back of your neck, pulling you close. His heated breath moist against your flushed skin, and the scent of his cologne was dizzying. “You’re—”

The door chime jingled.

Both of you jolted, separating yourselves away from each other in a flash, as your eyes fell upon a little girl standing shyly by the entrance. She was dressed in a school uniform, her hair neatly swept back with a headband into a braided bun.

“Hey there,” you greeted, brushing your hands against your apron as you stood up, shuffling past Leon towards her. “Would you like something to drink?”

At this, she nodded enthusiastically, following you to the counter to grab a seat. As you infused white chocolate into milk with a good dollop of citrus, you exchanged looks with Leon, who held the same concerns as you.

Sliding over another high chair adjacent to hers, he gently opened with, “Hey, I’m Leon. You got a name, pumpkin?”

She wrinkled her nose and grimaced at the nickname. “Sherry,” she replied timidly.

“Nice to meet you, Sherry,” Leon said, shaking hands before he continued, “So, it’s really late, huh? Do your parents know where you are?”

She twiddled her thumbs, swinging her dangling legs back and forth on the chair. “They don’t care,” she said finally. “They’re busy.”

“What do your parents do?”

“They work at Umbrella. They’re making important new medicine,” she revealed proudly.

“Sounds like a tough job,” Leon empathized.

After sprinkling the glittery icing sugar on her drink, you set it before her with a flourish. “Voilà, your Yuzu Meringue, Miss Sherry.”

She giggled at your performance and slurped down the foamy surface. “Mmm!”

“Good, huh?” Leon gave her a side smile.

“Tell you what, Sherry,” you began, “when you finish your drink, my friend Leon here will take you home, okay?”

Her nose was dusted with powder and the cup was still covering half of her face as her eyes darted towards the man.

“He’s a good cop, you’ll be safe with him,” you reassured her. 

Scribbling down your shop’s telephone number on a piece of scrap paper, you handed it to her. “Keep this, you can call me anytime you need to.”

Taking it, she pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly as she stuffed it away into her pocket. “Can I—” she paused, “can I come here whenever I want? You and Leon are nice.”

A pang of loneliness hit you. You sensed it from the tone of her voice and what was left unsaid. It didn’t seem like she had many friends and you wondered about it.

“Please?” she begged, interrupting your thoughts.

“Of course, sweetheart,” you said warmly. “You’re welcome here anytime.”

“Thank you!” she squealed, running over to give you a quick hug before taking Leon by the hand.

Turning to you, a rosy hue spread across his face as he smiled meekly. “So… uh, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“See you tomorrow, as usual, Leon.”

Dividers by @cafekitsune

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

EYYYYYYYYY I have returned with more ideas

Legacy being unable to talk in that form + an s/o who knows Sign Language.

No no, hear me out.

He's only mimicking his s/o at first, not knowing their hand motions are signs, for communication. I have this fluffy image in mind of his s/o laughing when they notice him signing back without knowing the meaning. You know, mirroring as a love language. Like cats do – it's more of an instinct thing. And now you just have to teach him, because a. him signing with big claws is adorable, b. you want him to understand what you're signing and c. you wanna give him the chance to communicate back too!!!

Now I am very curious WHAT Legacy would "verbalise" when given the proper way to communicate.

Would it be just concepts and feelings at first? Like, absentmindedly signing "love love love" while cuddling half asleep? With proper practice, would he be able to clumsily string together sentences...? Like, excitedly hijacking Childe just to say hi and to recount how their day has been?

Would he fiddle with troublesome signs? Would he sign your name when he's away and missing you??????

Augggggghhhhhhhhhh there's moreeee

I personally imagine memories are difficult to be shared between both Legacy and Childe, but muscle memory definitely is (you know, because fighting and survival instincts and stuff, I think it makes sense). So it would be very very funny if Childe ever surprises himself with accidentally signing a response instead of saying it and pretty much going "??????".

Pfff– realising you've only ever taught Legacy and not Childe but he still ended up learning it too is going to be so stupidly hilarious when it hits.

OH MY MOON AND STARS DID YOU READ MY MIND? i've loved the thought of Foul Legacy learning sign language for years ehhhehehehhe

your fluffy Abyss monster doesn't know what your signing means, not at first, but he still admires how fluidly and quickly your hands move! sometimes you'll greet him with both words and sign language, either to practice or out of instinct, and before long he begins mimicking the motions back to you. he doesn't know what they signify, but your face absolutely lights up whenever he signs to you, and your smile means more than almost anything to Legacy. when you start teaching him it's by holding his claws with your hands and guiding them into the correct positions, hearing his purrs all the while- the first word he intentionally signs to you is "snuggles?", with a tilted head and pleading look in his pretty blue eye. he'll sign the word "love" and then point at you, bumping his forehead against your cheek and hooking his claws on your sleeves until you understand and sign it back to him

Foul Legacy practices signing when you're away at work!! it's mostly idle conversations to himself or single words when he sees something he likes... but some days he's lonely. some days he misses you so much that his heart feels like it's being stabbed and all he wants to do is cuddle with you underneath several blankets. but you're not here right now, so he just signs "miss you, miss you, miss you" until you finally come home and he darts over to scoop you into his arms. only when he's curled around you does he nudge your cheek, slowly signing "miss you" with a quiet whine before giving your hand a gentle nibble, and your heart just shatters- you're definitely working from home tomorrow

oh Childe DEFINITELY ends up randomly signing words that he doesn't even understand, and while it's all fine and dandy with you, since you CAN understand them, it's less fine when he accidentally does it in response to his subordinates. most of them just stare at him awkwardly before clearing their throats, asking if he heard them- but occasionally whoever he's talking to will be fluent in sign language like you are and excitedly ask if he knows it as well. honestly Childe feels really guilty about having to say no, so next time he visits you he takes your hands and firmly requests that you teach him sign language as well. if anything, it's a good communication tool to have- he is a Harbinger, after all!

also because he KNOWS you and Foul Legacy have been talking about him teasingly in sign language with each other and he wants in

[kendrixtermina]

Hello.

I stumbled across your blog whilst trying to ease my mind about the whole Rammstein situation. I really have given up trying to reason with it by myself, so I'm not here for that. What I do want is to perhaps share some feelings as someone who was also inspired by Rammstein.

You suggested that you felt embarrassed for having advocated for their work, and I feel the same. I spoke at length at their amazing word choice, the well-considered framing, and just the storytelling in general, and now it all feels very hollow. I feel like I was an idiot. I tell myself the works still stand on their own. That there is too much evidence and consistency across their catalogue to suggest this wasn't done with forethought. You are not foolish. You read it correctly. They did not approve of these things.

I like to think one can find the truth of another's values by looking through their words, but now I wonder if that was the belief used to fool me.

This whole situation is a mess. I don't know what I really came here for other than to level with someone who I believe understands what I feel. I guess, what I am asking is: how do you feel?

Well, I wrote that initial thing when I was still in shock & very much trying to err on the side of caution cause it's serious stuff that you don't want to take lightly. I wanted to honestly consider that it might be true and what that would mean.

Having looked into it & read a bunch of accounts by ppl who were actually at the parties on reddit & just trying to dig up what information is there from newspaper interviews etc, I do not, at present, think that anything worse transpired than Till consensually boinking a bunch of groupies & some other people being uncomfortable with that & filtering everything they saw through Fear Brain.

The accounts consistently portray him as asking before doing anything, backing away when someone says no, and even the ppl who had genuinely shitty experiences say they agreed to everything & that there was continuous communication.

I think at very least the spiking stuff is definitely not true. There was a rule of opening drinks in front of the guests for the entire backstage area so exceptions would have been noticed (unless the crew & the other band members were all in on it - not impossible but unlikely.)

Apparently it's pretty common for ppl to fear they've been spiked when they just had too much booze but the symptoms are actually pretty different - from what I've heard of ppl who were actually spiked you would feel super groggy/sick within 30 minutes and be completely unconscious or nearly so soon after, out like a light. You aren't continuing to sit there let alone walking home on your own - the perps often offer to drive you home or have some nearby room ready to do the deed in.

Part of me wonders how much of this is Neo-Puritans getting up in arms over adult women wanting to screw a creative, intelligent & charismatic person of their own free will even though he's got a few wrinkles. (which is why I'm grateful that Schneider's statement adressed the paternalism issue) But of course some people having positive experiences doesn't mean that everyone did.

So another part of me is still reserving judgement in that if the prosecutors turn up something to the contrary of that, I want to be ready to accept that I was mistaken. Would be deluded to claim that it cannot be because my 1337 hipster art interpretation skills say otherwise or fancy myself some great detective when I'm just an internet rando who despite my best attempts probably cannot be unbiased.

If the spiking thing had been true or is proven to be true in the future, (or anything about people being unable to leave) that's Burn In Hell territory because of the sheer disregard for other human beings that such an act implies, but at present I just don't think the fact pattern suggests it to be true.

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Winx au (S2)

here's season 1 with all the necesarry notes :3

And now on season 2:

Following the direct continuation after Halloween, our first year group is in a bit of a hitch.

They had no fucking idea what happened to Mandor. They still were under supervision and still unable to leave the school grounds.

These dumbasses bearly started training with Trein and it was HELL

Mid-term exams were coming and like hell any of them actually wanted to do them.

Now we follow more Sebek. Sebek did get to go and congratulate Silver on his 'heroic moment' because he heard around from other people. Malleus and Lilia aslo congratulated Silver on saving the ball, although there is a few comments towards how Sebek could learn a lot from Silver.

Unsurprisingly, Sebek takes them a bit hard, given his current position as a misfit.

He doesn't really share about the comments with the rest of the group, but they figure on their own that something must've upset Sebek. Because now Sebek was drowning himself in work, trying his utter best to Excell in every academic, which in turn resulted in a bit of a poor skill to the secret training.

Trein also notices this, so he does approach Sebek about it. As the lightning fairy, he tends to speed up through things and not look once back. Sebek is a bit at loss, but doesn't yeld yet.

For the others tho, they decide to pursue more ways to find more about prince Mandor. So far, he was the prince of the land of dawn, also names as land of heroes, a kingdom well known for it's advanced ways in fighting without magic as well as the place where the 'magilocks' were invented.

Magilocks were magical objects meant to capture very powerful amounts of magic. From magical objects to even fairies and witches who posed as a ginormous threat to the magical universe.

It was clear that their enemy was searching for another way to gain more power.

So Trein gives them their first assignment: pursue the tree of life from the Gloomy Woods Forest. The tree itself holds count of the balance in between light and dark magic. They could use it's help to pinpoint more about prince Mangor's location.

They all look at Epel tho. :'3

The problem was how could they even get there. The tree of life was on a whole other planet. They needed not only to get off the school perimeter and not get caught... They also need to pass on the magic border. Then again, they were clearly down to breaking the rules... What's a minor intergalactic law, am I right? >:3c

Trein assures them that their answer is already in their hands. They have to just find it. Even so, he still lets them use the library book arsenal how they please.

Trein seems to regret his decision almost immediately, since these guys immediately split up and none knew where each section was, which was painfully made aware when they tried so hard to look like they had any idea where they were looking.

FINALLY! Deuce and Jack approach Trein to ask for some pointers about the sections. And Trein points under the staircase at a detailed map about the sections available.

Ace tho, is the one that comes up with an idea, bringing up a book about magic artefacts. He found the zodiac blade in there, which has 12 spells, one which included creating portals. Deuce is very against the idea since he still cannot control it. Ace breaks it to him: how can he expect to control it if he doesn't try?

Deuce finally gives in and summons the zodiac blade. The blade itself was big, showing the night sky. The handle had 4 different circles spinning around in different directions. Deuce was a bit shakey, the blade circles aligning into the Leo one. According to the book, the leo cosntelation was meant to a very powerful attack.

So everyone decides to hold onto Deuce, assuring him that it's OK. Just a deep breath and concentrate. He tries his best and finally, the circles allign showing the cancer constellation. The blade makes a cut through air and opens a portal to the gloomy woods.

The problem was, they didn't know where tf in the woods it was.

But Deuce seemed happy, reassured even.

And on his clothes, a small broch manifested. Everyone is a bit curious, since it dissappeared quick, but Deuce said that it felt as if he had a new power.

Nonetheless, they went on their merry way through the woods, Epel on the lead as he was using his magic senses to feel around the earth.

It takes some time and they poked a bear and had to fight it, but they happened to stumble upon a pixie who seemed to be trying to sneak out of the bear's cave. Because the group fought the bear, the pixie managed to get out and it's very thankful.

The pixie introduces itself as Camelie, the pixie of knitting. And Camelie feels a strong bond with Jack. She explains that she must be his bonding pixie, hence why she is very excited that there are more fairies with Jack, which means their pixies have to be in the village.

They get sidetracked and help Camelie find the berries she was supposed to take to the village. :3

At the pixie village, Epel suddenly feels a surge of power that almost knocks him off his feet. He was tok concentrated on feeling the earth that when he came face to face with the tree of life, he was overwhelmed.

Thankfully Epel was alright after a few seconds. He also meets a quite jumpy pixie named Brosky, the frog pixie. Much like Jack and him, the others get to meet their bonding pixies too. Ortho's pixie is named Bishop, the chess pixie. Ace's pixie is the magician pixie, Harlow. Deuce had the pleasure of meeting Axel, the pixie of maps. And Sebek got himself the rocker pixie, Eleanor.

They do mention that they were looking for the tree of life. They need to pinpoint where someone is. They are on a very important mission.

The pixies do let them see the tree of life, Epel being the one who tries to connect to it as the fairy of earth. And to help, Brosky also tried to help Epel via using their bonding. It was quite weak, but it helped fasten the process.

And Epel gives the verdict: Prince Mangor was in RSA still. As a dark magic user, Epel had a harder time finding him, but finally he got a grasp, even if now he was tired.

So tired that he immediately fell off his feet and the others had to help him back up.

Epel didn't only feel the magic users, but he also felt some big energy. He couldn't pin-point it, but he knew that thing sensed him. This got the others a bit worried, but nonetheless, they had to get Epel back and let him rest.

Except that when they get back, they realise that their pixies followed them. They wanted to bond! And Deuce was also tired from using the blade. It was late and tomorrow they had school.

Trein seemed a bit worried when they reported to him about this, but he let them go and rest, especially Epel.

The next day, there were made right out the batch: the rules.

Pixies had to stay in the dorm. And under no circumstances let them be seen by others. Otherwise everyone will know they left the school grounds and so be punished.

And it was clear that things weren't that good. The classes were harder than usual and maybe because of the fact that they were dead tired that they had more worries on their head.

This gets the attention or Riddle surprisingly. The redhead did bring up how the first years were quite down lately. The other prefects had mixed opinions, knowing that they are dealing with the misfits. Idia does bring up that so far, they didn't do much.

Riddle figures that perhaps, since they did seem to study, they should receive some sort of reward. They worked very hard lately and their practic exercises showed that they are quite good at it. Kalim suggests that maybe they should convince Crowley to let them leave the campus again on free time. Vil said that they shouldn't go that far.

Riddle suggests that maybe they should give them something like a cake or something to remind them of taking a break. Idia, Ruggie and Kalim seemed to agree with this. Malleus was showing skeptisim surprisingly, even though Azul confronted him about it, because Sebek was close to him. Malleus just says that Sebek needs time to learn and not mingle with bad influences.

Nonetheless, Riddle, Idia, Ruggie and Kalim roll on with their little plan to surprise the first years with something sweet. Vil did say to check the food for Epel, but none of them really listen to it.

Meanwhile, the first years were a mess. Trein was quite surprised to see the absolute mess these 6 managed to conjure in a few hours after the classes ended. They acquired a whiteboard, which was filled up with photos, strings and scribbles. Notes and books were sctered on the floor and everyone was hanging like dead people. The pixies and Lucius didn't really get along, but occasionally they would team up to wake up the boys.

And to assure that they won't be caught snooping off, they installed a hidden alarm system that would tell them is someone was coming to their dorm.

And it so happened to go off. Waking up everyone and dragging them back to the dorms, Sebek mustered enough energy to get up and politely greet the prefects, who presented to them their little gift of 'you did well, you deserve a break'.

It was the famous cupcakes from the city's most popular bakery. Everyone loved them and so, they got for the first years a few of each, not exactly knowing who likes what flavor. Well... More like Kalim bought them. The other 3 told him to not get really a few out of every flavor.

Of course, the first years welcomed the free food (Ruggie wipes one proud tear), but, as expected, ask why the sudden gift. Kalim is just a sunshine and tells them that since Crowley forbid them to go out of the campus, they seemed to focus more on studies, and since there are some notable evolutions in tests and grades, they figured out that it would be fit to give them something. More like remind them to take a well deserved break.

And for once since they started the school year, the group gets one proper break. It feels like heaven descended upon them and they bearly touched the food, more like it was sinking in the fact that they actually had a break.

Noticing this, Riddle is the first to break the ice. It was obvious they had to be struggling with something, but even then, the 4 prefects assumed it were the classes. So naturally Riddle offered to tutor them or help them understand a lesson they are struggling with. They can't leave the school grounds, so there is literally nothing they could even do to enjoy NRC time like the other students, who always go to town after classes.

But the first years weighted their options. On one hand, they could use a senior's guidance, especially someone like Riddle, the top of his class, but on the other hand, they were training now way above their year's curriculum. They couldn't let anyone else catch on their gig.

And Ace took the initiative. He admitted that at the moment, they study because they are bored. They played multiple times every boardgame they own, they did all kinds of things and seriously nothing priquired their interest anymore, so they just hit the books. And to see that others finally are aware of their hard work really is very rewarding as it is. So Ace admits that maybe he judged a bit harsh the others... Some prefects are actually nice.

And without any of the prefects noticing(Ace was covering his chest), a small broch appeared for a few seconds and Ace did feel like he gained some more energy.

Ruggie does clear it out that this is always the first impression on the prefects. Some are truly assholes, but then you have Kalim, this guy who's heart doesn't even let him be mean on an ant.

Sebek tho, does ask about Malleus. He figured he must've been quite busy to not come and enjoy some cupcakes with all of them. The other 4 prefects don't really say anything, just awkwardly confirming it that Malleus had some work to do. Especially as a 3rd year, who is yet to gain his enchantix.

Epel does ask what the hell is this enchantix that it needs to be gained on the 3rd year. Kalim explains that enchantix is the final form of a fairy, the gateway to more transformations with different perks. Enchantix is basically the most powerful form a fairy can have and by gaining it, you lose your base form forever. Hence why the 3rd years have to pursue it. Because they trained in their base form and are proficient enough to pursue a higher level of power.

Riddle says that Idia is probably the earliest enchantix I'm the history of NRC. He gained it over the summer break after all. Idia himself doesn't seem that proud of it, but that excuses him from the extra courses, so he doesn't really complain about it.

As for how the years work, Riddle explains that throughout the years, the students need to pursue a certain level of knowledge over their powers. First year is getting used to the base form and what it grants. The second year has you focus more on oneself and gaining charmix, which signals you as half-way to enchantix. Third year has you pursue enchantix, so in the 4th year you are training with it and learning to be a guardian fairy.

Really, our group internally sweat when they realise that they can't possibly speedrun the NRC years without gaining some unwanted attention. If Idia was known already to be the earliest enchantix, it meant that if they were to even get remotely close to enchantix, everyone will know, including Prince Mangor and whoever is helping him out.

Kalim tho, reassures that everything will go at it's own pace. Even late bloomers like him can keep up. So he advises the group to relax a bit more and not rush into things.

The little visit ended on mixed feelings. On one hand, the 4 prefects found it as a success, but on the other side, the first years were in an absolute panic. If prince Mangor got again gloomix, they had to get charmix to be on par, but they cannot possibly pursue it because of year goals, which would basically give away their plans and screw everything up. But at the same time they had bonded with pixies and already Deuce and Ace seemed to have gained somehow charmix, which really... They are in it now and there's no possible way back.

So they return to the library, in search for a safety net for the power imbalance. Trein suggest to them to look into the magi-locks.

And our group discovers just how a magi-lock is done: an object forged out of a special spell resistant metal, called the forever young iron, blessed with intricate spells of both light and dark magic and then using a mirror stone melted inside to make a core. This explains a lot about how they can make one. And so, they decide to do it. If they create a magi-lock, they could use it to store away their higher powers and so, act like normal students until it is needed for them.

Trein tho, suggests to use the magi-lock to capture their enemy's magic. If they do it, the prince will have no other option than to either give up or seek back the source of them again, which would lead the group to figuring out everything behind those dark powers.

So that's their plan.

Trein also gives them books on where they could find the ingredients for what they needed. Sebek takes the initiative and declared that whatever happens, they will stuck together and defeat this threat. Nothing will hinder them down.

And Sebek also admits that maybe, it was time he leaves aside his worries about Malleus. He didn't even want to visit him, so Sebek will work more on this team and himself now. Just like the prefects told them: they need a break. A break from their personal troubles that hinder them down.

The group seems very fired up by the speech, but at the same time, they are surprised to see the small broch that appeared for a split second on Sebek too. Now half of them earned charmix and it was clear they had to make that damn magilock faster.

The forever young iron was found in the abandoned mines from the storybook forest, here in twisted wonderland. On the same level, the mirror stones were stones that were found on the sunlight river, in the scalding sands.

As for the spells needed, Ortho offered for the witch spell, although it was a bit above his level, if maybe he trains with it a bit more he could do it. For the other spell, Ace was desemned, mostly for his quick memorising power.

Even so, the group knew that Ortho needed more power for that spell. And fortunately for them, they had just the thing. They just needed to know how to fix what they initially broke. That's all. :'3

Their bonding pixies also decided to help. And they were a great help too. From small things to even boosting their spells for a bit, when they confronted with the dangers of the cave and the river.

Although, none of them really knew what that inky cave monster was. Ortho did say that it was a blot monster, a creature born out of unattended magic used with malicious intent. He knew this because he researched into them years prior. And no one decided to question him further.

Meanwhile, Deuce also was getting more better at his zodiac blade wielding. He found out that he could use only 4 out of 12 spells for now: cancer(the portals), leo(the powerful one hit K.O.), taurus(shield) and virgo(creates a short lived illusion).

They used the blade to travel wherever they needed. Axel was a great help with all the maps too, so they always took the pixie with them to navigate around.

But on the other hand, Jack and Epel both worked at the gloomix stone they took from prince Mangor. Sure, it was shattered, but with Sebek's research, they found out a way to fix it. If they fix it, they could use Mangor's previous weapon against him, which would assure for them another advantage.

Their self imposed deadline was up until the winter holiday starts, so they really hurried, knowing that midterms always were right before the holiday itself. A lot of white nights and thanking whoever invented coffee, because right now our first years just found out how it feels to be an average working adult.

On the other hand, Epel had a small accident. It seemed like Mangor finally got some guts to come out again and summon back the monsters. And their first encounter with this was a sticky monster, which unfortunately got Sebek to have his hand stuck to Epel's hair. Cue a hair cutting machine and a whole night of looking through 'how to cut hair' before Epel told them to fuck it and give him an undercut or something.

The group again had to watch several 'how to make an undercut' tutorials. Even so, Jack unstuck Sebek(Epel finally felt the ✨waxing✨ experience) and ortho with Ace took the styling lead as Deuce and Jack tried to get rid of the glue charm.

In the end, Epel had some mixed feelings about his undercut, since if he let his hair down, it looked like nothing changed. The others do confront him about this change in hair, but in the end, Epel feels comfortable with it and even says that it looks so badass he feels already like he could fistfight that damn prince.

And indeed, Epel gains his charmix too, which leaves Jack and Ortho as the only 2 left without a powerup.

Jack does gain his too, mainly via standing against Vil, when he was nagging Epel about the undercut. It made things a bit sour in between them, but Jack felt like he had to speak his opinion and stand by what he deemed fair.

As for ortho, the rest of the group present to him the fixed gloomix stone. Ortho did have a few mixed feelings about it, but they needed that powerup to make the magi-lock and even Ortho admitted that the spell he had to do needed him to have much more power.

The gloomix stone fortunately takes the form of a forehead crown, which ortho easily hides with his firehair. Plus, as Epel and Ace dubbed it, it looks awesome.

Now to the forging, Jack's snow powers proved to be great, mainly in getting the iron to cool down in the shape they needed. Imbedding the mirror stone itself was harder, but in the end, with a convergence spell in between Ortho and Ace, they acquired a magilock in the form of a small box.

Their new problem arose when they tried it out. Not only it sucked out charmix, it took all the magic one had. Thankfully, they could return it back, but they realised the magi-lock was not going to help them with hiding from the students and teachers.

But what it could help them would be stealing Mangor's powers. Sebek insisted that they have to use it on Mangor and then they could finally make a significant step forward. The others seemed to agree, but for now, their only worry was the mid-term exams.

And first were the 3rd years. And their exams were tough. So were the 2nd years. The 1st years mid-terms are expected to be harsh as well.

But then again, they were the Requix squad. They already had charmix and were more than ready to woop some ass.

At the theoretical part, it was a bit harder than expected. Some mistakes were on purpose and some actually were legit mistakes, but that gave them a nice high score on the team, but not too high to raise suspicion.

As for the practical exam? Because they were petty and previously got in an argument with a few other groups, our team decided 'ya know, fuck it' and did a record time in finishing the course, placing them as the first group overall in the exams. Ya know, just to rub it in other's faces. >:3

And for that, Trein and the pixies do allow them to have a small celebration. It was just for one night, a small movie marathon, some dancing and fooling around and of course, snacks and soda. (Sebek got sprayed in the face when he opened a bottle pre-shaked by Ace)

Needless to say, despite everything, the group dropped to sleep early.

Except that the next day, the whole school woke up with a bang.

And not just any bang: a student apparently was attacked last night and their wings were cut off, meaning they lost their magic powers. It was a 2nd year nonetheless and also, from Silver's group. Everyone was shaked up and of course, the blame was thrown around because no one could sneak in the school without triggering the barriers(put since S1).

The blame finally seems to settle on our group, because those 6 stood in the school all this time and add to that the sudden spike in grades and how they had a flawless practical exam. Where did they even practice?

Besides, it was a very known fact that our first year group had some beef with a few other students, including the one who got their wings cut.

For now tho, no one could make solid accusation. No one had any kind of evidence of what happened or how it happened. They just knew that it happened and that it was a risk of it happening again.

So that meant a new set of rules. The prefects and 4th years will patrol in shifts at night. Everyone who leaves the campus will have to be checked when they leave and when they come back.

And the winter holiday was, of course, canceled. Everyone would stay in here and keep tabs on each other. They can't possibly leave the culprit out in the world.

So the group takes the matter to their dorm, talking it out with the pixies. Because of the checking on the dorms, they can't possibly sneak into the library and all stay there for hours. They needed a system, since the pixies couldn't go willy nilly in the library like the boys could.

So they come up with the next idea: the shower motives.

Everyone stood in the dorm and only 2 will go to the library. They will rotate via a system per hour and the other 4 will study in the dorm. If they are the majority, they could pass the inspection very easily. Just say one is in the shower and the other is changing clothes or something.

And so far, the system worked. They had a fair share of surprise inspections, but mainly it was Idia, who seemed to overlook some things such as the utter mess of notes and books or the fact that most of them are still in pijamas or half dressed up with the school uniform.

2 days after and another incident occurred. Again, it was another 2nd year, still a student that had previous beef with our group and again, they were attacked, no one seemed to hear their help cries and because of the ambush, they were vulnerable enough for their wings to be cut off too.

And now, more suspicion was built on the group from the other students. So much so that the group seemed to be left out or even avoided by the others.

Sebek did try to speak to Lilia, who was a teacher too, but Lilia was more preoccupied on caring to silver. After all, the first victim shared a room with none other than Silver, so for him it hit quite hard. Sebek really wanted at least a teacher's aid in the situation and he trusted Lilia, so to not receive any attention at all to the matter, it did sting a bit.

So Sebek took the steering if the group again in his hands. He accused Mangor for this. It was adding up. The weaker monsters were a diversion. Mangor surely wanted to get something out of cutting fairy wings. So they get their asses to research on the topic.

And they discover an old book. One about forbidden rituals. From killing dragons and using their remnants to gain maddening powers to the emperor's throne and wild magic. The reason they were forbidden was because not your average person could control them. They would mess up your mind and either kill you or turn you into a greedy creature that wants power above all.

But pages were missing. When asked about it, Trein reveals that before them, there were many who entered the library. One student of his in particular, was obsessed with this book. Trein tried to stop them when he realised what they wanted to do, but it was too late. The book's pages were scattered around twisted wonderland and Trein used his whole magic and body, becoming a spirit tied to the crystal ball, just so that he could banish to oblivion the said student.

The group theorise that it is a possibility that Mangor got his hands on one of the lost pages and so, they try to pinpoint more about fairy wings.

All they knew was that so far, fairy wings could make fairy dust, used to fly. Only in enchantix the fairy could actually use that fairy dust for spells and healing. If you cut a fairy's wings, via a special weapon, you could steal their powers, but for what exactly do you need multiple pairs? And how did Mangor get that weapon exactly.

Ortho brings up STIX. Unlike Kingdom of dawn or other countries on this planet, STIX was a non-governmental organisation, tasked with the mission of handling world ending level of threats. STIX had quite the arsenal of weapons and specialised guardians. From fairies to witches. Not to mention the cut-edge magic tech. STIX had weapons that could be used to cut a fairy's wings, that's no doubt. Even so, the art of forging them had to be taken from outside.

But why bring up STIX? No one could enter it. From the array of magical barriers to the fact that no one could even find its location to begin with. How would that even help them?

Ortho simply pulls out his phone and dials his mom's number. He had to tell his parents about the exams and all that after all. And his mother is very happy to hear from her younger son too. She mentioned that Idia also called, informing them about the situation at NRC. She does ask if everything is alright on Ortho's end, to which the younger makes a pause.

Then he admits that no. Things are not alright. The others do mimick to Ortho what to say and he of course dramatically says that everyone is scared of the incidents and they need to know at least how could one take a fairy's wings so fast and easy.

After the call ended, Ortho presented the group with good and bad news.

Good news! STIX was looking into it and of course, the only way of taking a fairy's wings so easy was through a magical weapon called the nightshade blade.

Bad news! STIX was looking into it, which means that not only they are under school personnel watch, they are also under the eye of a very powerful organisation that could immediately lock them up and say bye bye to their powers.

At the question on how Ortho knows about STIX actions nonetheless, he responds that he does have ties after all.

Nonetheless, their next library search was magic weapons. They had a name and so, finding a book about it was far more easier.

The nightshade blade was a blade that was hard to forge, being done by special blacksmiths who live in the mountains of piroxene. Epel recalls that his village has a blacksmith family. And the father of the current blacksmith was decorated with honors from the blacksmith society.

So they need to go there and meet up with the guy. Epel brings up that every year, there is a sled race, over which the blacksmith forges a special medal and hands it to the winner. The competition happened in groups of 4 and also during the winter holiday.

But how can they even go there? Let alone train for the sled race of only 2 are going to the library and the surprise inspections are still in full swing.

Sebek suggests that perhaps they should take their issue to a teacher. That was immediately ruled out, but Ace got a better idea.

What if they create a motive for their absence? Like a very heartfelt motive that can warm a teacher's heart enough to let them go for the winter holiday to Epel's place. Ace gives credit to Sebek for the idea of asking a teacher tho. If a teacher steps in, it could hold more water than if a prefect would be swayed their way.

Unbeknownst to them, a prefect actually heard them.

The next day tho, the group was summoned tot he headmaster's office, resulting in a very long 'walk of shame'.

And in there, Idia already was there, next to the headmaster, trying to look very stoic.

The headmaster informs that Idia was yesterday night on duty in their dorm aera. And he heard about Epel's woe that his grandma is very sick and his parents are out of town for their family business. Since they couldn't possibly forsake the family's only money income, but also because of the sick grandma, Crowley accepted for the 6 of them to go there as a group and take care of the house and grandma felimer, all under the supervision of Idia.

Really, the group thought that it was too good to be true.

And it was.

Because the second they were all out, Idia nags them that they are in very deep shit. He suspected that they hid something, but he didn't expect for the group to actually be investigating these incidents. And here he had hopes that maybe, maybe, they were good intentioned. He had hopes, man... Why crush them like that? :'3

Nonetheless, Idia figured that they wouldn't back down no matter what, because they are petty. (a collective sets of hey was received), so Idia indulges them in 1 little favor, then he wants for them to just stay out of trouble for fuck's sake. It was bearly half a year and these 6 managed to jump from trouble to trouble.

So before their departure, they take their new situation to Trein. Of course, the library spirit nags them for being so careless, but he advises that Idia is known to have influence. He is someone they should try to at least keep out of his bad side. At best, they could sway him into being an ally. At first, none of them really were warmed up to the idea of working with a prefect, but Trein nagged them again that allies came from everywhere and that they should take the opportunity. Every small perk can be an important advantage. The pixies had to go back to their village and warn their kind of what happened. Since bonded pixies could feel their fairy's pain and would grow weaker if the fairy loses their magic, they should warn the village to take more precautions in case the effects of the said attacks would feel in there too.

So here comes the Harveston visit. It was winter, so Sebek, Ace and Deuce were trembling a bit, not handling that well the cold. Meanwhile Jack was absolutely în his element with all the snow and cold temperature. Idia, Ortho and Epel all were used to cold weather so for them it wasn't that much of a bother.

Naturally, grandma Felimer wasn't sick, more than anything, she was so lively, one could say she was 20 again. She was very happy of Epel bringing here some friends and even happier when she heard that Epel will participate in the sled race.

Although the team was made out of Epel, Jack, Sebek and Deuce. The other 3 would stay and help around with other things.

But Marja does warn them that apparently the previous blacksmith was kidnapped a few months ago. Many speculate the poor old man was dead and his family mourns him deeply, so for this year, there won't be any medal.

The group does reassure Marja that even without medal, they will do their best and promised to win.

Despite the warm welcome from the village and everything, still in between the group and Idia is was a cold atmosphere. Idia did confront them about what exactly they are planning, but none wanted to spill the beans. Yet so far, the group didn't do much, rather enjoy Epel's village and train for the sled race(and deck Idia with snowballs, but that's something the latter won't mention).

Although, on the night before the race, Ace wakes up in a cold sweat. Sebek is the one who is additionally waken up and so, the 2 go a bit outside to talk about it.

Ace says that he had another vision. What set it apart from the others was that it was a lot of blood and panic. He could basically feel the desperation.

And he saw a dead body. Sebek asked who died, but Ace kept his mouth shut and looked the other way. Sebek didn't pry anymore and promised to Ace that no one will die on his watch. He knew that sometimes profecies are prevented and Sebek will do just that. It wasn't put in stone yet so there is still time to fix things.

Ace says that he appreciates the optimism, but that alone isn't going to save anyone.

On the race day, everyone was fussing around. Apparently RSA had a team in here too that participated.

Meanwhile, Idia seemed to run a bit late. But even so, he said he had some good news. So before the race was going to start, he gathered the group to tell them the said news.

He went to the blacksmith residence. And as the fairy of death, he felt if the man that went missing was truly in the afterlife. The good news were that he wasn't. The man was still alive, although Idia couldn't pinpoint the soul location. That was put of his power.

Ortho tho, seemed to perk at that. He could use his gloomix powers to pinpoint the soul in question, but he needed an object of sentimental value of the victim. Of course, he didn't say it with Idia around, but Epel just 'mentioned' that the missing blacksmith was the one who made the medal his grandma first won on her sled race. It was the very first medal that blacksmith made, therefore it was a great moment for the village and even he admitted that it was one of their proudest work, which is why they were so proud to hand it to Marja.

Marja Also recalls fondly that memory and hopes that they will find the missing man. Idia's news did bring hope for the group. For various reasons but no one really knew of that.

So while the sled group start the race, Ortho is the one that offers to bring from back to the felimer residence some things marja forgot. Ace stood with Idia and Marja too, while Ortho snuck in there, found the medal and used his gloomix powers to locate the soul in question.

It took a bit, but Ortho did return with the asked things and also a small little map, folded and stuck with magic at the bottom of a bottle of warm tea.

Thankfully, Epel, the leader of the group, took the bottle and found the secret message. The man they were looking for was at the top of the mountain. Ortho had to hurry and so he couldn't say exactly where, but he circled the aera. Thankfully it was on their way, so they could make a small detour.

Ace sure was growing a bit anxious as the night rolled in. Ortho figured that something must've happened, most likely a vision that had Ace so fidgety, so the 2 decided to tell Marja and Idia that they will wait at the finish line and get to Ace something to warm up. Idia still had to help Marja with aiding the competitors, which was clearly easy for someone who had already enchantix and a more varied arsenal of spells and control.

And Marja does have a heart to heart with Idia. She noticed how the latter was acting as if he walked on eggshells with the group. Idia admits that things seem to happen too fast and he is very worried for the safety of his brother. Marja too id worried for Epel's safety, but she knows that her grandson is a strong boy and he would push to the end no matter what.

She advises Idia to hold more trust in his brother and his friends. They are good boys, she saw many people at her age, so she knew if a person was truly ill intentioned or not.

And Idia finally seems to relax a bit and accept that yeah, they are good kids, sure they won't get in trouble.

Spoilers: they get into trouble :v

Because Idia sees Ortho and Ace rushing through the woods, hoping to not be seen, towards the mountain top. Idia really just felt a pit in his stomach, but he first got Marja back at the finish line and reassured that he will go and look for the teams that were left behind, in case someone had an accident or something.

Meanwhile, our group had their 2nd proper meeting with prince Mangor, this time holding the old blacksmith as hostage and having quite the arsenal of weapons. Of course, they engaged in battle, trying to save the hostage, but Mangor really enjoyed his new toys, which the sentiment really wasn't shared by the Requix squad.

In all that frenzy, Epel secures the safety of the blacksmith and asks the man if by chance, these weapons have a weak point. The man explains that the weak point is the handle itself, but knowing that the handle is literally holded by Mangor, they couldn't reach it with a spell that easy.

The blacksmith also warned them that Mangor isn't alone. He was forced to make weapons not by the prince, but by someone else.  Mangor is just a pawn in all this, given power to just execute orders. Epel seemed to nod, but also he had to use his charmix power up to put up more the barriers.

Meanwhile, Sebek was also on defense, which really it wasn't his forte. But he promised to Ace that he won't allow anyone to pass away and he would fulfill that promise. Ace had time to summon on their way here the magilock box they created and so, he proposed to use it to capture Mangor inside.

Except that Idia arrives. And seeing the untransformed fairy, Mangor aims at him. In desperation, Ortho tries to get a grasp of his brother, but he's pushed aside by someone else.

That someone is Sebek, which unfortunately, the nightshade blade got stabbed in his stomach. With the power and adrenaline left, Sebek uses his lightning powers to drag both him and Mangor outside, getting both struck by lightning summoned by Sebek, weakening Mangor enough to let go of the weapon and Sebek to destroy it. Deuce used his blade to hold Mangor off as Ace locked the prince in the box, but already Sebek was too weak to even stand, collapsing on the ground.

And the group all swarmed him. Idia didn't have any healing spells, so he tried to converge his with Epel's healing to at least make it act more faster. Ace bawled that his prophecy was right and holded Sebek's hand, asking why the hell did Sebek even do such thing.

And Sebek, through weak sobs and fluttering eyes, admitted that he knew he had nothing to lose. He was made painfully aware that his wakasama, the one he served and Lilia, the one he was trained under, both gave all of their attention and energy towards Silver. He knew none of them would miss him, but he also knew that this group, this mission they had, was crucial for everyone. And that Idia was very important to Ortho. He had to step in. He promised to Ace that he won't allow any deaths to occur.

Unfortunately, Sebek smiled apologetically as with his last breath he said that he failed Ace.

But! As everyone in the group mourned him once Idia gave the verdict, instantly the oldest of them had to retract his words. He didn't feel Sebek's dead soul. He felt something pulling him out of the afterlife.

That something was enchantix. Sebek gained enchantix, which immediately had him wake up and gasp for air. His own fairy dust healed his wound and he was just like new, except very sparkly, with some big wings and far more powerful.

This was celebrated by a big group hug and everyone crying to Sebek to not sacrifice himself again, goddammit, they thought they were gonna lose his ass!

Although, after everything is calm, realisation sinks in. Sebek. Had. Enchantix. And Idia was aware of their power status.

Oh Trein is so gonna blow a casket.

They decide to first get the blacksmith back to his home. They came in last, but the whole village was cheering for them as they found and brought back the missing ex-blacksmith. Maybe the RSA won, but for the village, the true winners were our NRC gang.

And they were treated with a feast, dancing and singing.

For the night tho, Idia had to discuss with the group about what happened. It was only half a year of the school and already they all had charmix and Sebek had enchantix. While Idia had to congratulate them, he was bringing up the facts:

They fast evolution was worry some. They will basically paint a big target on their back if Mangor was truly just a pawn for whoever is orchestrating this. Not to mention their already bad reputation.

Alas, Idia promised to not say anything about this. This whole mess was kept under wraps for now and no one else should even know about it.

But at least, they could finally have a proper celebration: they defeated Mangor, they gained Idia as an ally and Sebek got enchantix. Which meant that they only will be more powerful and ready for whatever evil the one behind everything was sending their way.

And sure enough, the mastermind was quite amused with this. How this group of fledglings managed to defeat their pawn. Truly it took them a bit less, but that doesn't mean our misterious person doesn't look forward to what they have in store.

And that's where season 2 ends. We settled the actual big bad and we also got our first enchantix! :D

previous season

next season

other seasons: S1, S3, S4, S5, S6

[tohellandback99]

I have a couple of things to say about Siobhan stewing in my brain that I wanted to share in my drawing, as well as here with you. Drawing it helps me to present it all in a visible way which I had to share first before anything so you may see what I mean. Of course, you don’t have to look at it, lol.

I have a whole LOT of ways of looking at this character. Firstly, I liked that she wasn’t very integral to the story as a movie. Especially given how we do, (meaning white directors,) often put mixed people to play the role of black people which I am wholly against. I give props to Henry Selick and Jordan Peele for knowing the importance of having, a black main girl, character who isn’t also white. And it’s about time.

Siobhan didn’t really strike me in any kind of way, the first… I’d say, five times I watched this movie. I was massively uncomfortable with her bothering Kat before she even got into the school and found her blond hair absolutely jarring, but I was rather neutral about the whole thing. When I saw people talk about her and I remembered she exists, I became more and more dizzy. But now I’ve come to an understanding of this whole thing. She’s more complex than at first glance, and I heard vastly oppositional perspectives about her. People like her, people also hate her. It’s very important to me to share this because I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface on what Siobhan’s role meant in Wendell and Wild. I want to provide my enhanced, pontifications because I’m almost entirely sure I understand it very very well after months and months of deep thought….. and understanding my own experiences, as lenses to help me see through the characters’ eyes. Now I’m not the creators, so I don’t know if I’m right. But if others can share and talk about her, I’m gonna do it and I’m gonna do my best.

My Critique

Firstly, I felt she was a very very watered down half-baked cookie, the way I see it. She’s lacking the complexity in a world of complex characters. She is a biracial teen girl, who has parents that destroyed the entire town, murdered a priest and the movie also alluded to them having a hand in the death of Kat’s parents. She seems to be meant to be a major contrasting identity to Kat’s, in a very interesting way. I really love that this in turn, highlights Kat’s qualities that are “rough and tough” in more of a positive (and not judgmental) way than what anyone making a movie about a black, punk teenage girl character with superpowers typically would. Even though they probably wouldn’t, but anyway. Everyone treats Kat like an actual person. I think they were unable because of time constraints, to take Siobhan’s character from a much crazier angle than they managed to keep.

The Evidence

Everything. The obnoxious, intrusive micromanaging of both herself and other people. The blond, STRAIGHT HAIR. Putting on pink nail polish in contrast to Kat’s, purple nail polish. Yeah, I SAW THAT! Yes I did! Lol. Last but not least, the big one, the deadnaming of Raul, which I’m certain was intentional and you can’t change my mind on this (I have more to say on that later.) so I feel like there’s more there that no one cares to acknowledge about why she is the way that she is. This movie was way too short for everyone and everything in it, her included.

Theoretically,

I believe wholeheartedly that they made Siobhan with the intention that she is someone who is aware of what her parents are doing to people from the very start. I don’t know for surrre, only the creators know that. It would make A WHOLE LOT of sense, however. They made almost everyone else super duper complex and real, except her. It was too different for me to not take notice of that.

For starters, it doesn’t make sense to me that they’d have Siobhan herself deadname Raul on accident or just because. I strongly suspect, that they were going for Siobhan separating herself from him completely on purpose, intentionally and putting herself above him to protect her family’s values, but perhaps also… him? That’s my theory, this will all make sense just hear me out.

I wanted to point out for a minute that we also don’t know exactly what happened that caused Raul to be dropped from their small clique. If it was or wasn’t the girls’ choice to get rid of him. I suspect that he’s actually the one who left, considering he keeps his photo of himself with the girls pre-transition. It wouldn’t be a stretch nor would it be something I’d judge him for. The stuff that the girls do would probably and has already pressured him to be somebody that he isn’t. Moreover, there’s Marianna’s investigation on Siobhan’s parents, that I wonder if she knows about and is defending her parents out of denial, but perhaps also… fear. Fear they might actually hurt Raul if they found out about that. Because they totally would do something horrible to him, to try and get their only potential threat (Marianna) to stop.

I don’t think Siobhan wants to be like this. I think that she cares about him more than she lets on. She’s following a role that’s backwards from her own beliefs that may not be very developed to begin with and because of her circumstance she simply cannot be his friend. It’s very interesting, the things they were implying about her as a character. I don’t want this movie to be about her. Nor do I want the darker aspects of reality. However, this WHOLE movie is about getting through the thick of it. Beginning to heal from trauma, there is no reason for people to not want to hear about this other than that it makes them uncomfortable, or they don’t care. But why then, would we even care about this movie?

I’m one who’s torn in between in this argument. I don’t like her. I agree with other people who think she sucks. She is weirdly placed in the film, some of which could have been easily changed to have her make more sense than she did. But when people critique her it’s not for the underlying cause for which her character is flawed. Just that she’s “in the way,” “mean,” “controlling.” I want to share what I can see, is the big issue with her as a character. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Here’s the fire. She’s not trying to be a bitch, she’s screwed up. At the same time, I’m also not feeling, how some people are just giving Siobhan the benefit of the doubt because we’re of the assumption that she’s simply stupid and made a mistake. And I don’t like that because they didn’t go there, (which is absolutely okay,) that Raul still being a potential target in the world the creators built just flies right over everyone’s head. No one’s safe from the Klaxons in this film besides, the demons maybe? She can try to appease them but Siobhan isn’t even safe from them. And Raul especially, isn’t safe from them in particular.

When I see Raul with Kat I can see clearly why he is drawn to her from the start and why he stays. The difference between Kat and Siobhan in just their interactions with Raul make it all so so very clear, although I doubt he even needs this to REALLY like Kat, lol (I don’t doubt he’s got a crush on her too >.<) I was gonna write about this for my drawings of Kat that I want to make soon but I’ll say it here. It’s so important to point out because a lot of people don’t get it. A lot of people only spoke about what she “DOESN’T DO,” for Raul. EXCUSE, ME?! Her being mean, ok? The world is a cruel and sometimes, a person of color or a person with a vulva have perfectly logical reasons to be. Also look, at the difference between when she’s angry at Raul, and angry at literally anyone else in the movie: sister Helley, Siobhan, and Father Bests (for REALLY good reason, that one.) Wendell and Wild. I call a spade a spade, and I call the part where she gets upset and throws the drawing at Raul’s face a domestic quarrel. When I think more and more about the choices they made for this movie it blows my freaking mind. I’m going to say this since no one has to my knowledge, and no one gives her any credit for this;

Kat helps Raul too. I can assume with almost certainty that if this were real life, Kat would not care one bit about what anyone thinks if the other students gossip about Raul hanging around her. I’m speaking from personal experiences; This is how some girls their age react, when a child who happens to be born in a girl’s body, who presents as masculine or androgynously, hangs out with a girl. Do you think Kat gives a shit if people snicker at the fact that they skipped the bus and were hanging out after dark in a cemetery? She came in that class blaring music from a giant boom box and nobody was brave enough to ask her to turn it off. She’s a punk, she’s a rebel she’s a BOSS. She makes herself hard to approach. I perceive is out of need to protect herself given her past but that’s not the part of her bad PTSD that is disorderly, that’s a protective mechanism to keep predators away from her. And necessary since a lot of people don’t help. It’s cynical, but true. Even though she was mean to him at the start, we can also already start to see her change with him. She keeps her wall up but not to intentionally hurt him. (it’s also at her own expense that she can’t relax.) But because she is so guarded and also is comfortable with Raul. I have NO doubt that she probably would help try to defend herself and Raul if someone said anything to them to hurt, or tried to directly hurt them both. Raul is FINE with her, trust me.

Now, a person like Siobhan? Pfffft. Siobhan would not even entertain the idea. She would disassociate from him, not out of fear of him but of fear of the people around them and her parents. She’s stuck in their vision. And that’s exactly what I’m talking about.

Closing Thoughts and Conclusion

She’s already insufferable; why NOT go the whole way? I would love to have seen her fake smile fade for two seconds and for her to be a miserable, angry little bitch to people. I want to see the compulsion for perfection and conformity. I want to actually see the crazy. But still secretly, deeply cares about Raul and soon enough, Kat. Other people say that they like that she isn’t actually mean. I say that she’s unfinished, resulting in a serious case of one-dimensionality and that her character development was rushed. Literally at the end she was cheering right after her parents got arrested. That’s evidence enough for it to be the case. And don’t let her blond wig fool you. She’s not stupid. Kat has more integrity for Raul than she does, and they’re the same age. Even if she’s not intentionally bad and is badly conditioned, which is understandable. But what if I said that this aspect of her would’ve actually made for a better, interesting and realistic, later reformed villain in the story? It would make sense that she would start off as a villain, given that the whole town hates her family and would realistically not like her either. If they made it so that she was in on it, and they had her WANT TO desperately change after having to see that Kat is affected by the damage that Siobhan and her parents caused if they made Siobhan a villain. Oh my god. It would’ve had everyone at the edge of their seats. God. God. 😯 that shit tickles my drive for good drama and angst in a story right there. Ugh, That. I want that. I want to be uncomfortable. I want tears to be shed. I want Siobhan at the end screaming and crying at her parents for harming people she genuinely cares about. I want to see her actually feel the guilt. I want to see that she actually wants to change.

And it’s ironic that I think this. Only this movie would make me actually want, to see a villainous biracial girl character. I don’t typically like how most female villains are written. It’s usually either they’re villains for a stupid reason or it’s a rehashed, beaten into the ground trope based on sexist stereotypes of women and girls. Like Irmgard. Sorry, but it’s true. She would’ve made for an excellent bad guy that’s not typical, and not for no reason either.

And that’s my perspective and why she’s one of my least favorite characters. I REALLY like the idea of her, and she could’ve been done in a way that isn’t her taking over. But I’m not a huge fan of the execution. I still like what they did, however. She’s not believable, and her existence in the plot could’ve been way more exquisite and effective in a very good, bad way.

[darkened-storm]

Okay! So, I only got this price to draft status in time for Yamato Ishida week, but I am quite happy with it thus far and I wanted to share it for the Bad Moon Rising Prompt. This is my first Digimon piece in quite some time, so here goes.

Also, a huge thank you to @tangledupblue for organising this event!

The Stars Above

A Companion Piece to Tri: Of Honesty and Loyalty

Everything is topsy turvey here, Steph Summers decided as she surveyed the forest around her.

Everything in this world looked the same as her own - but there were subtle differences, as though someone had tried to create this world from a picture and gotten all the textures wrong. The strawberries that they had eaten on their first day tasted sour instead of sweet.

Even the dirt beneath her feet felt different.

She’d needed a break, she realised. After three days of treking through strange forests full of road signs and running from the sort of monsters Steph couldn’t even conjure up in her worst nightmares. It wasn’t really any wonder then, given the circumstances, that she’d landed up in such a nasty argument with her younger cousin over their situation.

The occasional spat between them wasn’t uncommon, but it usually it took a few hours before one of them would calm down enough so that they could talk about it. Steph was so used to this pattern that she was surprised when she heard the sound of footfalls approaching from behind her.

“I told you that I needed a minute - ”

She whirled around, her words dying in her throat when she saw it wasn’t her cousin standing behind her, but rather Matt Ishida, his hands help up in a mock surrender.

“Oh,” she muttered, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. “I thought you were … never mind.”

In her defence, he was, perhaps the last person Steph would have expected to have followed her from the campsite.

Of the nine other children she’d been sent to this new world along with, Matt had been the most difficult for her to get a read on thus far. So far, she’s gathered he was the complete opposite to Tai; where Tai was constantly urging them on, Matt had been surprisingly considerate. He ensured Tai gave them adequate breaks and checked in on the younger kids, including her cousin. He was also incredibly unpredictable, going from calm and collect one moment to flying of the handle the next, usually in response to something Tai did or said.

Whatever contempt he held for her soccer captain was entirely absent from his expression as he sat down on the ground beside her, hugging his knees against his chest and staring at the grass. Even the grass here felt different - like soft felt instead of fibrous plant matter. “Things got pretty heated back there,” he commented, keeping his tone light. “Do you want to tell me what you were both yelling about?”

She stared at him, unable to read his intentions. She wondered perhaps if he knew them himself - after all, he didn’t exactly strike her as the sort of person who initiated conversation very often.

“It was nothing - just family stuff,” she sighed. “We were arguing about who’s fault it was that we all ended up here - wherever here is,” she gestured at the surrounding air for emphasis and prompting him to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

“I think the jury is still out on that one,” he said. “That is, unless the both of you know something we don’t.”

Steph shook her head. “That’s not what I meant - I don’t know how we ended up here, in the Digital World specifically - but I do know that it’s my fault we’re both here because it was my decision to go to summer camp this year,” she explained. “Becky would have much preferred to stay home for the summer and hang out with her friends. But I’m the older of the two of us, so I’m usually the one that gets to choose what we do.”

Or at least, that’s the way it used to be, she thought dismally. Of course, it hadn’t mattered who got to pick when they were younger - whatever Steph wanted to do, Becky usually wanted to do too. That wasn’t the case now that they were older, and neither of them were any good at compromising …

“That doesn’t mean it’s your fault that we ended up here,” he told her, oblivious to her internal monologue. “None of us could have have predicted we’d be washed away from camp by a tidal wave and end up in some strange world surrounded by giant bugs and talking monsters.”

Steph didn’t know if it was his choice of words, or the blase way in which he said them that finally coaxed a laugh from her.

“No, I don’t think we could have,” she agreed. “But I shouldn’t have lost my temper,” she added, casting her eyes towards the campsite where she could see Becky surrounded by both Salamon and Patamon. The little orange Digimon was diligently following her instructions to both Becky and Salamon safe. From a distance, there was no hints of turmoil amongst the group.

“Everyone probably thinks I overreacted,” she said with a sigh.

“It’s easy for them,” he muttered, and there was a touch of resentment in his voice. “They don’t have a brother or sister to look out for like we do.”

For some reason, she felt it prudent to correct him. “We’re cousins, actually,” she explained. “We used to be really close when we were kids, but these days we don’t get along so well.”

“The two of you grew up together then?” he guessed.

She nodded. “Yep. Sleepovers are really fun when you’re kids, but I think as we both got older we made our own friends and drifted apart.”

“It’s like you used to be so close to a person that you knew what they were thinking even before they did themselves. And then things changed and now when I try to talk to her, it’s like I’m talking to a stranger.”

“I know the feeling,” he muttered. The revelation that Matt and T.K’s parents were separated had certainly answered some of her earlier questions about the strange relationship between the brothers.

“How long have you been separated for?” she asked tentatively - she knew he had a tendency to lose his temper whenever someone brought up his family situation. But the Matt sitting beside her staring at the grass suddenly seemed very different that the Matt who had been arguing with Tai at every opportunity these last few days.

“A few years,” he admitted. “We see each other for a week or so every summer.”

“That must be hard on the both of you.”

He shrugged, tugging at the blades of grass with his fingers. “I’m used to it - but T.K doesn’t understand. He wasn’t even supposed to come to camp with us, but I think both of my parents let him come just to avoid having a conversation with each other. And now we’re trapped here …” he trailed off.

Steph recognised the feeling of helplessness, of being overwhelmed. “You do a good job of taking care of T.K,” she told him kindly.

He looked up at her, the corners of his mouth forming the first genuine smile she’d seen from him in the three days. “Thanks.”

She smiled nervously, aware of the way his sapphire eyes were fixated on her. “We should get back to the others,” she said reluctantly. “It’s probably not safe to stay separate for too long.”

She glanced back toward the campsite where the others had gathered kindling for a fire. She heard Tai’s voice call out to Agumon, and the small dinosaur Digimon opened his mouth, letting out a jet of fire that set not only the bundle of logs and twigs alight, but also some of the surrounding grass.

A flash of irritation cross Matt’s face at Agumon’s carelessness - it had been a wayward spark from Tai’s campfire earlier that caused Seadramon to attack them earlier. With a tsk of annoyance, he turned away and stretched out against the grass, folding his hands behind his head.

“We’re not that far away,” he insisted as Steph watched Tai hastily stamp out the grass. “Besides, Gabumon’s watching - if there’s any trouble he can just Digivolve to Garurumon.”

Steph could have argued they shouldn’t take unnecessary risks just because his partner could Digivolve now, but thought better of it when she remembered that heading back to the campsite would mean she’d have to apologise to her cousin.

“Just a little longer then,” she conceded, ignoring the slight dampness of the ground as she stretched out beside him and cast her eyes back up at the stars again, thinking back to the many nights she and Becky had done the same on the rooftop of their apartment building. The artificial lights of Tokyo’s skyline had drowned out all but the brightest stars then but here, in the wilderness of the Digital World, the stars lit up the sky like a kaleidoscope.

“I keep studying the constellations,” she told him. “I thought if I could identify one or two of them, I might be able to figure out where we are - or at least get some idea of how much time has passed since we got here.”

“Any luck?”

She shook her head, forgetting that he couldn’t see her face. “Not yet,” she admitted. “I don’t recognise a single one of these constellations - which is weird because constellations are made up of stars that are a million light years away. Even if we were on another planet in the galaxy, they would still appear in the same patterns as they would on Earth. Unless of course we were in another galaxy, but that’s just crazy talk…”

She trailed off, acutely aware that she was rambling, which she knew was one of her less endearing qualities. Usually, when she rambled, Tai would tell her that she was being weird again and Becky would complain that she was over complicating things.

Matt did neither of those things, but instead had let her ramble until she’d simply run out of words to say and silence fell over them both. When she turned her head to look at him she saw that he lay unmoving beside her, looking up at the stars. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, Steph realised, but rather a contented one. She felt better having gotten things off her chest, even if she hadn’t expected to unload those feelings on someone who was basically a stranger to her.

“That one looks like a rabbit,” he said after a moment.

Steph blinked, somewhat confused. “What?”

He pointed up to the sky. “That constellation - it reminds me of a rabbit.”

Steph squinted at the sky, attempting to follow his line of sight until she found a group of stars hovering above the horizon. “That looks nothing like a rabbit,” she said slowly.

“Yes it does,” he insisted, tracing the stars with his fingers to demonstrate. “That’s the head … and those stars are the ears. And that star over there is the tail. See?”

She did, sort of. “Okay, it’s a rabbit,” she conceded, then she grinned. “A very demented looking rabbit.”

He tsked, dropping his hand so that it came to on the grass between them. When he spoke next, his voice was challenging; “I’d like to see you come up with a better one then.”

She huffed, casting her eyes up at the stars again. “There,” she said finally, pointing. “That one looks like a dragon.”

“Where?” There was excitement in his voice as he inched closer to her on the grass, his shoulder bumping roughy against hers.

“Over there,” she said, unable the keep from laughing as he squinted up at the sky.

“Okay,” he said after a moment. “I sort of see it.” He scanned the sky again, then grinned. “That one looks like Gabumon!”

“What? No way!”

They stayed like that for a long time, pointing out different shapes and debating with one another whether one group of stars looked more like a donkey or a lion; a saucepan or a bowler hat. And when they’d finally run out of inventive ideas, Steph felt a whole lot better about her situation.

Matt was right, no one was really at fault for their situation, all they could do now was do their best to look after one another while they searched for a way home. Together.

“Thanks, Matt,” she told him. “For … you know.”

He smiled, and this time, she knew it was genuine. “Anytime.”

They made their way back to the campsite where Tai and Agumon had taken first watch again, and thus far had avoided setting anything else on fire. The rest of their party had fallen asleep, except for Becky, who was curled up with Patamon and Salamon by the fire. Her cousin looked tired, but more importantly, she didn’t look angry anymore. Steph knew they’d both sleep better if they cleared the air.

“I’m sorry I made you come to camp with me this summer,” she said.

“S’ok,” Becky mumbled, stifling a yawn as she lifted the edge of the thin blanket for Steph to scoot underneath, careful not to disturb the two Digimon sleeping peacefully between them.

“It’s not,” Steph told her. “If you had stayed home, you wouldn’t have landed up stuck here along with me.”

Brown eyes stared resolutely back at her, confirming what she already knew; staying behind had never been an option for Becky. No matter how angry they were at one another, they didn’t leave each other behind. It made Steph feel all the guiltier for dragging them into this mess.

“I’m going to find a way for us to get home,” she said, her tone resolute. “And until I do, I’m going to keep you safe, no matter what it takes.”

[monsterkissed]

it's not very expensive even when it's full price, but 7 Days to End with You is on sale right now and if you like weird and delightful little things you might wanna check it out! at its core it is a puzzle game, but with a central mechanic I'd not really seen explored like this before. your character, like approximately 20% of all videogame characters, suffers from amnesia, but in your case it's a little more extreme than most. you cannot even understand the language of the world you find yourself in. you wake up in the house of a person who speaks in what to you is gibberish, unable to grasp a single word of it. In a sense it's a puzzle game with exactly one puzzle: figuring out what anyone is talking about.

how it goes about that is kind of fascinating. your companion will describe anything you click on and once you have seen any given word it will be entered into a sort of dictionary that you have the task of filling by hand, and the game will not tell you if you are right or wrong. there are some concessions to simplicity here, the grammar is very straightforward noun verb and adjective combos most of the time, think "red button use" rather than "you have to press the red button" which is probably a very sensible decision. your character also has a perfect memory; whenever a word appears you can select it to remember every single time you have heard or read it before, allowing you to make judgements based on contexts. one of the first places you will find is a kitchen with one large fire and another smaller one serving as a stove, a very simple setup that allows you to make an educated guess that if these two things share a word in their descriptions that word may well translate to "fire", and if the stove has one that the larger fire does not it might be related to the word "cooking".

this is how you piece things together in this game and if it sounds dry then i am doing it a disservice. there is something so compelling about finally cracking what the something means and realising that that one single word has made a dozen things fall into place. working your way up from simple nouns and adjectives gleaned from just pointing at anything you can see to intellectual concepts like "understand" or "failure" has this real sense of accomplishment and connection with your companion that feels very instinctive and human. i have played a lot of games with dialogue options, but when i finally had the vocab to be able to talk to this character i'd been bumbling around with for in-game days it felt far more genuine and sincere.

and there is a plot and it has twists and alternate endings and so on, it's very likely that by the end of your first seven days you will still have some questions to go back and find the words to ask. if you want a puzzle game that's a bit different, this one has a permanent spot on my rec list

[mgnylorraine]

Communication begins with you.

In daily life, communication enables us to connect with people, share our experiences and needs, and strengthen our bonds. It gives us the chance to communicate our views, share information, and express our emotions. All of us must communicate and all must know how to communicate properly.

I am able to communicate, but I am not aware of what makes proper communication. Before, it was challenging for me to communicate with others, especially when speaking English. Since my English is not very fluent.

The first thing I learned in communication is the use of correct grammar. I really do believe that this is one of the important things for us to learn how to communicate properly. I learn how to construct correct grammar to use in communicating. Since I have a hard time with English, going to school is a big help for me so that I can learn how to develop the correct grammar to communicate. Listening is also important to have proper communication. We must learn to listen to what we talk to or what we hear. Listening helps us with our communication. And I also learn how to comprehend everything that I've heard or what I've seen. Comprehension is very important for us to understand what information is being said to us by those we talk to. Understanding and gaining knowledge need comprehension, which is important. Your message is more likely to get lost in translation if the other party is unable to understand it. Often, understanding is more important than communication itself.

Communication also taught me how to build a relationship with others because I may share my ideas, knowledge, and information with others by communicating. Likewise for others they can share their thoughts by communicating. And I've learned in communication how to control my emotions, Feelings play a major role in communicating. Making choices often has more of an emotional than intellectual impact.

In communication, it is the law that thinks before you speak. Most individuals perform at their best when given time to think things through before sharing them.