#i chose not to give any of them hair since i felt it would detract from the design

[aerosolsprite]

so i made my Sides in a picrew

you can probably guess who’s who

[breaking-shadows]

Elain’s POV

Silence reigned at last. Elain had waited for the raucous laughter to die down, for the evidence of her sisters’ joy to fade along with the faelights.

            Her plan was simple, to leave Azriel’s gift subtly and unnoticed amongst his pile of presents.

           Her heart drummed in her chest as she rose and went to the door, twisting the ornate handle before stepping out into the darkness. Out in the hall, shadows swarmed, cloaking her but she was not afraid. The Elain of old would have been, would have rushed back to the light and the heat of her room. Her family tended to forget though, or perhaps they had never seen at all. The Elain who had gone into the Cauldron had not been the one who had come out.

           She padded with soft steps under the stairway arch and then stalled, her breath catching in her throat.

           There he was.

           The sight of him called and the thrumming of her blood answered. He looked tired, as if sleep had eluded him for weeks, not that it detracted from his beauty in anyway. Whenever anyone described Azriel, they all used the same band of words, semantics carved out of the very block of ice they said made him. The knife in the dark, Feyre had once said.

           It was not what Elain saw.  Where others witnessed an icy exterior and distanced aloofness, she saw a guarded vulnerability, a wonton need for light and warmth and space. Every inch of him begged to be kissed. Kissed to be told he was worthy. Kissed to be told he was loved. Kissed to be told he was enough.

           She shuddered.

           He was more than enough.

           There was a tug somewhere deep down.

           He was everything.

           “I…” His eyes were on her throat, the small gift trembling in her hands. “I was coming to leave this on your pile of presents. I forgot to give it to you earlier.”

           Azriel, the High Lord’s Shadowsinger, was as guarded as the secrets behind her own lips, but his eyes sparked at her lie, beautiful hands twitching as though his first instinct was to grab Truth-teller and wheedle out the fiction.

           What he didn’t know was that it wouldn’t take much for him to learn her truth, every scrap of it. Him and only him.

           Elain closed the space between them, breath quickening but stopped a foot away. Too close and the scent of him would overwhelm her senses and they’d been so careful, a brush of fingers, and a few exchanged glances, but never anything more.

           “Here,” she wished she could control her trembling, so he didn’t see. But then that was the tether between her and the beautiful Illyrian, the thing that connected them. Despite the Cauldron gifting her the power of sight, it was always him who’d seen her, only him who’d ever seen her.

           Tentatively, he took the gift, staring explicitly at the box in his hands. It wasn’t much. The only intention was to replicate last year when she’d asked Madja to concoct a powder for his headaches. Elain had never seen him use the gift, but that didn’t matter at all when he’d laughed in such a way it felt as if it had come from deep within her own chest. It was the sound of cool rain in the height of summer, the one that made you forget yourself and want to dance barefoot.

           Elain watched as he unwrapped the box, glancing at the note she’d scribbled there. You might find these useful at the House these days. Then he popped open the lid. Two small, bean-shaped objects lay within crafted from fabric.

           “You put them in your ears, and they block out any sound. With Nesta and Cassian living there with you…” she murmured, stopping only when a chuckle filled the foyer.

           “No wonder you didn’t want me to open it in front of everyone.”

           They both knew that wasn’t the only reason, but Elain’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Nesta wouldn’t appreciate the joke.”

           He offered her a smile back. “I wasn’t sure I should give you your present.”

           Elain winced as Azriel left the rest unspoken. The Fae and their mating bonds. It meant nothing to her, never would. For the rest of her immortal life, Elain would belong to no-one, but her heart, her precious heart would be given to someone she chose. It made her heart skip when she thought of it. What could be greater then to defy fate itself for the one you love?

           Azriel pulled the velvet box from the shadows behind him and opened it for her. She sucked in a soft breath, his shadows skittering back at the sound. They’d always been prone to vanish when she was around, the shadows which formed in the absence of light.

           The golden necklace was lovely, and at the end, a tiny amulet with a flat rose fashioned of stained glass.

           “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, lifting it from the box. The golden faelight shone through the little glass facets, setting the charm glowing with hues of red and pink and white.

           Azriel let his shadows whisk the box away.

           “Put it on me?” she asked, softly.

           He went still for a moment, but she barely gave him chance to breathe as she lifted her unbound hair out of the way, exposing her graceful neck.

           The world as she knew it vanished. It was as if Azriel’s shadows had swirled around them, protecting, and blocked out all else. Elain was aware of every glancing brush on her neck, her throat, as he slid the necklace across her skin. She shivered in response, silently begging him to do more. As she’d done many nights in her own bed when she imagined her hand was his.

           Heat rose in her cheeks at the thought.

           Slowly, she pivoted into his touch, until his palm lay flat against her neck. She fought to calm her breathing, to keep control. It had never gone this far.

           Something changed in his scent, not that she knew what it meant.

           And yet he still didn’t move.

           Elain bit her lower lip. “I should go.” Her feet didn’t budge.

           “Yes,” Azriel agreed, his thumb sweeping in long strokes along the side of her throat, his eyes becoming heavy-lidded.

           She drifted closer, tilting her chin to look at him.

           There was a glance to his hand, a dulling in his eyes. For a brief moment, Elain expected him to pull his hand away. He hated them and what he did with them, believed that she didn’t know the unspeakable things he’d done. But she did. Elain saw everything he was and…understood. After all, it was Elain herself who had gotten her own hands dirty when she ended Hybern’s life, ramming Truth-teller into his neck until the blood had spilled out, staining her skin rose-red.

           She saw him, and the decision he now contemplated.

           One moment.

           A taste.

           “Yes,” she breathed in answer.

           Azriel’s hands slid up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elain’s lips parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before flickering shut.

           She heard a groan lodge in his throat, felt his head lowering towards hers. She waited for the heat of his lips against hers, eager to learn the taste of him.

           But it never came.

           His hand was out of her hair, and he stepped back. “This was a mistake.”

           Hurt swam the length of her veins, flooding her. Drowning her. How could she ever think… “I’m sorry.” She almost couldn’t get the words out.

           “You don’t – Don’t apologise,” he seemed to struggle forming his own, a bleakness darker than any shadow crossing his face. “Never apologise. It’s I who should…” he shook his head. “Goodnight.”

           Before she could say anything, he’d winnowed into the shadows.

           What a fool she was. Alone in the foyer in a house of love.

           Fighting the tears that threatened to come, Elain forced one foot in front of the other. She would not stay. She would not cry.

           Leave it.

           The necklace grazed her skin. Her hand went to the rose, curling around it as if to protect it somehow.

           You don’t need it, or him. You only need me, come to me.

           “Why don’t you leave me alone?”

           You sought me first, seer. You gave me a taste and now I want my fill. Leave the necklace.

           Elain hastily unfastened the chain. She’d wanted to keep it next to her chest, but now the sight of the glass rose wrenched her heart. It was wrong to return a gift, but she didn’t want Azriel to feel obligated by it. So, she lay it on his pile of gifts, a thing of secret, lovely beauty.

           Now, don’t you feel better?

           Elain hurried upstairs and it was only when she was in her room with door closed firmly behind her that she dared answer the voice back. They had grown worse since she’d first glimpsed the onyx box. Months had passed with nothing and now they were as frequent as the northern wind.

           “I’m going to kill you,” she whispered into nothingness.

           Laughter came back in reply. Enough of this nonsense. Human born, Fae-made. You are no match for me. I know no death; I am a god, and you will bow.

           “They’re all wrong. You are wrong,” Elain said, her voice slicing through the air like steel. “I am the one who rips diseased roots from the earth. I am the Kingslayer. I am the knife in the dark,” and with those words, the deathless god replied no more. She went to her bed and from under her pillow drew out a dagger. It was all silver, the hilt twisted into a spiral of metal rose vines. Elain turned it from side to side, watching it glint in the golden lights. A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

[jesatria]

Fic: Simple Pleasures, Chap 9

Title: Simple Pleasures Fandom: Kushiel’s Legacy Characters: Isidore d’Aiglemort, Anne Livet Pairings: Isidore/Anne Word Count: 5,130 Rating: NC-17 Summary: The story of Isidore d’Aiglemort & the gardener’s daughter of Lombelon. WIP. Disclaimer: I do not own Kushiel’s Legacy. This is only for fun & no profit is being made from it.

Previous Chapters:

1. The Visit

2. Desire

3. The Harvest Festival

4. Triumph

5. Gifts

6. The Eagle Unbound

7. Lighting the Candle

8. The Longest Night

Chapter 9: The Final Parting

           I didn’t mind being with child.

           Other women hated it, I came to understand. Between the monthly courses brought on by lighting the candle and the many pains and discomforts childbearing women were forced to endure, I understood why some wished Eisheth would close their wombs. Mayhap I would feel that way in time, after I’d borne more than one child, but not now. That isn’t to say I enjoyed the vomiting or back pain, but those things were not enough to detract from my happiness. I had chosen this. I wanted this child, our child. Early summer couldn’t come soon enough.

           It was extremely difficult to bid Isidore farewell when he left. Spring was in the air, a time when I’d normally rejoice at the first green shoots to poke through the thawing ground. This time I’d spent the better part of the winter with him and thus it was much harder to see him go. War was coming. We did not speak of it; I sensed he was reluctant to do so. At first I thought he didn’t want to spoil the occasion of our first Longest Night together, but it continued for the duration of his visit. I came to suspect his reluctance was due to my condition, never mind that I was hardly some delicate flower to faint at the mention of war. I suppose he meant to spare me the stress that was sure to follow if I knew the details. Regardless, he told me enough that I understood this was far more serious than the usual border raids. The Skaldi found a leader to unite them and they meant to invade. I’d learned enough from Isidore over the years to know he kept the border forts well-garrisoned and watched the passes closely. Surely that would be enough to hold off an invasion along with the Royal Army. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of apprehension that rose in me whenever I thought of Isidore on the border. It was the only thing that spoiled my happiness.

           Bit by bit I grew used to my new status. I didn’t miss the more tedious of my chores, such as cleaning the manor. No longer being responsible for my share of that meant I could pursue other things. The quilt was one of them. It was my first time making one entirely on my own—my previous experience had been working alongside the other women making quilts for the household. It was true that I hardly needed to make one myself for our child, who wouldn’t lack for blankets, but I wanted a child of my body to have somewhat made with care by me. I’d made shirts for Isidore for the same reason. In time I would make clothing for our child too.

           With the arrival of spring, I returned to the gardens. It was the first time I’d done so since becoming lady of the manor. I could’ve hired a gardener to tend to the gardens according to my specifications, but I chose not to. The gardens had been my father’s charge for as long as I could remember and I was not about to give them over to another.

           “Are you certain you ought to be doing that in your condition?” a familiar voice asked. I looked up from the lavender bed to see Marcel, evidently deciding to stop for a chat on his way to the orchard.

           “Thank you for your concern, but this is hardly taxing.” I was far enough along now that my condition was quite apparent. I’d even had to make myself some new dresses and alter others to accommodate it.

           “You’re sure? Because I doubt d’Aiglemort would want you overexerting yourself.”

           “I’m quite sure, Marcel. I’ll stop if I feel tired or ill.”

           He knelt down until he was level with me. “Do you think you’ll have much time for gardening once he makes you his consort and you’re a mother?”

           “I certainly intend to make time, whatever happens,” I replied. Mayhap I could tend to the gardens at the townhouse Isidore offered to buy me. That would be my one requirement—I certainly didn’t need anything fancy. The prospect of being able to design and plan my gardens, not merely choose what I planted in plots laid out by someone else, was an exciting one.

           Somewhat softened in Marcel’s face. “I’ll miss you once you’re gone, you know.”

           I smiled. “I know, and I’ll miss you too. But you know I won’t be gone all the time. I love this place too much not to spend a portion of my time here.”

           “That’s good to know. Still, I’ll miss you.”

           After Marcel left, I let my thoughts wander. They were wont to take familiar paths these days. I couldn’t help wondering what our child will be like. Isidore wanted a son he could teach Camael’s Arts, but I had no preference. Boy or girl, I meant to teach our child to appreciate growing things as I did. Mayhap our child might even join me when I worked in the gardens. I would make sure the L’Agnacite heritage wasn’t lost beneath the Camaeline. I hoped the child would have Isidore’s beautiful hair. In my mind’s eye, I could see a girl who looked like me but for the silver hair or a boy who was the spitting image of his father.

           The first buds were just opening on the trees when Isidore returned to Lombelon. I could tell right away that he was not himself. He was tense, though his face brightened at the sight of me. “Somewhat’s bothering you, I can tell,” I said once we’d settled into the privacy of the master suite. “Care to tell me?”

           He looked away. “It’s nothing, Anne, just the impending invasion. Soon enough the passes will be free of snow and the Skaldi will be upon us. I cannot stay here long, but I had to see you again. You are well, I hope?”

           “Yes, aside from the common complaints of a woman with child.” I laid a hand on my stomach. “I’m managing just fine, though I have to admit I’m quite ready for the birth.”

           “We are into spring now. The start of summer is not so very far away.”

           “No, and yet time moves so slowly. Have you thought much about our child, what it might be like?”

           He pursed his lips, considering the question. “I have, yes.”

           “Personally I’m hoping it has your hair.”

           An amused expression came over his face. “Have you now?”

           “Of course. It’s beautiful.”

           “I’ll freely admit it’s my only vanity. So yes, I’ve also imagined our child inheriting my hair,” he answered, grinning.

           “Blessed Elua let it be so,” I said with a smile. “You are still hoping for a son?”

           “Yes, though I’d be willing to teach our daughter Camael’s Arts if she’d a mind to learn. Truth be told, I can’t see any child of mine not being drawn to the sword.”

           “Is that how it was for you?”

           He nodded. “I started learning around the time I was learning to read. I can still remember how it felt, the first time I picked up a practice sword. Somewhat inside of me cried out in happiness at how right it felt.”

           “That’s quite young to begin, is it not? I imagined you started at age ten, as the Cassiline Brothers do.”

           “Not in Camlach. I don’t know how it is in the other provinces, but it is common for Camaeline peers to begin training at such a young age,” he replied. I suppose that made sense if you were born to wield a sword.

           “Is it the same for the girls?”

           “I cannot say. I never had a sister, or indeed any close female friends until I went to the Shahrizai. If I had to guess, I’d say they begin later. Camaeline women don’t take to the battlefield, but they are expected to defend themselves.”

           Try as I might, I had a hard time picturing a noblewoman, even a Camaeline one, wielding a sword. “Do they carry swords as men do?”

           Isidore chuckled. “Some of them might. They certainly own them and bear them as needed. Camaeline noblewomen will defend themselves and their castles at need.”

           I’d never heard of any D’Angeline woman doing such a thing. It certainly wasn’t done in L’Agnace. “Would I be expected to do that?”

           He was quiet for a moment before answering. “Camael willing, there will be no more Skaldi attacks for some time after I deal with them and you’ll not need to concern yourself with such matters. The Camaelines won’t expect a gardener from L’Agnace to know how to defend a castle.”

           I let out a big sigh “Well that’s a relief!”

           “You are no Camaeline. They’ll notice that, as surely as everyone here can see I’m no L’Agnacite.”

           “I could tell the moment I set eyes on you, though I was quite preoccupied with how beautiful you are.”

           “Were you indeed?”

           “I was.”

           “Well, I wish I could say I noticed you when I first arrived, but I didn’t. There was much to take in. You only caught my attention when you brought me that first bottle of pear brandy.”

           “We owe a debt of gratitude to Thèrese, for choosing to send me up with that brandy,” I replied, leaning my head against his shoulder.

           We spoke of names for the first time that night. I lay propped up in bed, a stack of pillows behind my back, while Isidore rubbed oil onto my belly. The motion of his hands soon soothed me so much that I began to doze.

           “I had a thought about names.” His voice startled me into alertness.

           “Oh?” I hadn’t given the topic much thought, for all the time I’d spent imagining what our child would be like.

           “If we should have a son, I’d like to name him Maslin.”

           “A pretty name. I like it.” He gave me a small smile in response. “Maslin was your father’s name, was it not?”

           “Yes. I thought we might follow tradition.”

           The babe moved at his words as if in agreement. “That would be good. If we have a daughter, we could name her Louise after my mother.”

           For a moment I thought he might insist a daughter be named after his mother, but he didn’t. Instead all he said was, “Louise d’Aiglemort? That does have a certain flow to it.”

           “Well, there’s that decided. Maslin for a boy; Louise for a girl,” I remarked. He continued to massage me and I closed my eyes in contentment. He’d rubbed my feet earlier in the evening, which I greatly appreciated. Any relief from the aches and pains that came with my condition were quite welcome.

           “You look as content as can be,” Isidore observed.

           “I am. The only thing that could make me happier would be you staying here until the birth.”

           “You know I cannot do that, much as I wish I could.”

           “Yes, but I can’t help wishing it was so,” I replied.

           He ceased his rubbing and moved to lie beside me. “I will do whatever I can to be here for the birth,” he said gently, black eyes softening as he met my gaze. “I cannot promise more than that, and there is a real possibility that I will fail.”

           My hopes deflated at his words. Every time I’d imagined giving birth he was beside me, despite knowing he was needed to deal with the Skaldi. I’d held that hope since I discovered I was with child and it died hard. Isidore saw the disappointment in my face and laid a hand on my belly. “I will not make false promises to you, Anne. All I can promise is that I will try. The Skaldi will be defeated by then, Camael willing.”

           “Camael willing.”

 **

           We spoke more about the future the next day. Isidore was due to leave the day after that and we were determined to spend as much time together as we could. Despite his assurances, the impending Skaldi invasion lingered in my mind. This was rather more serious than the border raids he’d spoken of previously. What would happen if the Skaldi were able to breach the border defenses? I shuddered at the thought of a horde of barbarians raping, pillaging, and plundering their way across Terre d’Ange. These fears I mostly kept to myself, not wanting to mar our time together. It was the last time I would see him before the invasion, and I did not want it filled with talk of coming war.

           It was a chilly spring day, cold enough to warrant wearing a cloak when walking outside. We walked together in the orchard, where the laborers who tended the trees could be seen here and there going about their work. It was chilly enough that the sun peeking through the clouds gave little warmth. Beside the buds on the trees, here and there green shoots poked their way through the earth. I’d always loved spring. It was heartening to see the first bits of green coming up after months of winter. Yet I did not feel that way this spring, rare for a L’Agnacite and unheard of for a gardener.

           “I’ve been giving some thought to matters of inheritance,” Isidore began, “I know very well how deeply you love Lombelon and it seems fitting that our child should inherit it.”

           “Elua willing, our child will love Lombelon as much as I do.” The babe was half-L’Agnacite, after all, and surely that wouldn’t all vanish beneath the Camaeline heritage.

           “Indeed, I cannot imagine any child of ours not inheriting your L’Agnacite love of the land,” he replied, amused.

           “Neither can I,” I said with a grin, “for I do not mean to let our child be ignorant of that part of its heritage. What of your other estates? Would our child inherit them as well?”

           He took a moment to consider the question. “Mayhap. We shall see.”

           “Because politics may demand you marry some noblewoman?”

           “Yes. You do understand that such a marriage would not mean me casting you aside?”

           I nodded. “I know well enough how you feel about me to be certain that wouldn’t be the case.”

           He took my hand in his and ran a calloused thumb over it. “You are first in my heart, now and always. No future wife of mine will ever come between us. And if it transpires that I need not marry for politics, I would be pleased to have our child succeed me as Duc or Duchese d’Aiglemort.”

           My child, ruling a province. “That would be… a great honor.” In truth I cared very little about such things. Our child inheriting Lombelon meant more to me than becoming a Duc or Duchese. That a child of my blood would inherit the home I loved was so much more than I’d ever dreamed. With that inheritance, my child would be a peer of the Realm. I smiled a little at the thought—not bad for the grandchild of a gardener.

           “We shall see but Lombelon, that is certain. I’ll see it done once the babe is born and officially acknowledged by me,” he said. “It is easy enough to change my will and dispose of my estates as I see fit.”

           “Do you think you’ll still want to come here often once I am living with you as your consort?” I asked. All this talk of estates had me wondering how much time I’d be spending at Lombelon in the future.

           “We can come here as often as you like,” Isidore replied, “and you would be welcome to come here without me if you so desired. I’ll not expect you to remain at my side wherever I go. I doubt you’d enjoy the border fortifications.”

           “No, I daresay I would not. I recall you once telling me there were almost no women to be found there, not even Servants of Naamah.”

           “There’s little in the way of comfort to be found. Hardly a place I’d take my consort, even with the border perfectly quiet and peaceful.”

           This talk of the border brought the fears I’d tried to bury back to the surface. “Will it be a long campaign, do you think?”

           He looked away, taking time to consider his answer. “I am hopeful that it will be. The combined might of the Allies of Camlach and the Royal Army should suffice to drive back the Skaldi.” There was a note of tension in his voice that hadn’t been there before; I suspected he was more worried about the battle to come than he was letting on, not wanting me to worry overmuch. Well, it was too late for that now. My worry must’ve shown on my face, for he gave my hand a squeeze of reassurance and stroked my cheek gently. He said nothing; there was nothing to say on this matter that hadn’t been said already.

           Did I know, then, what was to come? I did not. All I had was a nagging worry, born of what he’d told me of the Skaldi. I suppose many women have felt the same when their lovers have gone off to war. It is my own misfortune that those worries would prove to be horribly correct, and in ways I couldn’t have begun to imagine. That last day we spent together became all the more precious. I was for enough gone with child by then that long walks tired me, so we returned to the manor after a short walk through the gardens and nearest orchard. Instead we retired to the manor, where we passed the rest of the day in quiet companionship, savoring each other’s presence. Things had progressed to the point where simply being together was enough. That being said, we were certain to make good use of what we both knew would be our last night together for some time. It would indeed prove to be our last together, but for a far longer time than either of us anticipated.

           We took our time that night, hands exploring each other’s bodies as if for the first time. The feel of his calloused hands on me never failed to stir my desire, and this was no exception. Isidore took the lead, as he’d done every night of this visit, and I was content to lie on the plush pillows and let him pleasure me. He moved slowly with the languisement, licking and sucking until I thought I might die of pleasure. With me now so far gone with child, he insisted that I relax and let him take over. I was more than happy to do so. That never lost its appeal for me, who’d been a servant for so long, being serviced by another.

           The Trois Milles Joies lists positions considered most comfortable for a woman with child. We’d already sampled a few on this visit. After he brought me to the peak of arousal for a second time, I turned on my side and spread my legs. My foot came to rest on Isidore’s shoulder as he situated himself between my legs. He moved as slowly as he had with everything else that night. I closed my eyes and savored the feeling of him inside me, of his hand gripping my thigh. I almost didn’t want my climax to come so I might remain in that moment. But come it did, for I could not preserve the night forever. Later we lay closely together, both of us spent and satisfied. I lay on my side, with him pressed up close against my back, one arm thrown protectively over my stomach.

           The morning came too soon.

           Since being relieved of my servant duties, I’d taken to lingering longer in bed than I would have otherwise, even when Isidore wasn’t there. This morning was no exception. If I remained in bed, perhaps the day wouldn’t begin and Isidore wouldn’t leave me. I wondered if he felt the same, for he did not rise as early as he usually did. After some minutes had passed, I felt him move off the bed. I turned to watch as he dressed, fixing the image of his perfect body in my mind. I never tired of looking at him, especially when he was unclothed. He was well-aware of it too, and I swear he would deliberately take his time dressing for my enjoyment. This was not one of those times, much to my dismay. There was naught for me to do then but rise and don my own clothes.

           Isidore handed me a small wooden box once I’d finished dressing. “A gift for you. Since I’ll not be here for your birthday, I thought I might give it to you now.”

           I opened it to find a delicate snowdrop pendant on a silver chain. The white flower was inlaid with pearl and the green stem set with emeralds. “Oh!” No one had ever given me such a valuable gift, and I found myself at a loss for words.

           “You told me you’d like to see snowdrops.” His voice was soft. “This will have to do until I can take you with me to Camlach.”

           I slipped the necklace over my head. The chain was long enough that there was no need to undo the clasp. It came to rest just above my breasts. “It’s beautiful. I will wear it and think of you until we are reunited.”

           We left the bedchamber and walked into the sitting room. A meal waited for us on the table. I immediately spread jam on a thick slice of baguette and took a bite. I was well-accustomed by now to the increases in appetite brought on by my condition. Even so, I was a bit surprised to find myself still hungry after finishing my meal. Indeed, the meal passed all too quickly and there was no more delaying the inevitable.

           I met Isidore in the courtyard to bid him farewell, as was our custom. A few other members of the household were present, as were his men in their familiar black-and-silver livery, but we might’ve been alone for all the attention I paid them. It was a clear spring day, with a hint of winter’s chill yet in the air. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me softly. “Return to me,” I breathed once we’d separated, resting my head against his chest, “return to me and see our child born.”

           “I have every intention of doing so,” he said, stroking my hair with a gloved hand. “If I should not return… I left you enough coin to keep you and the babe for a while. You will name it as we discussed?”

           “Yes. Maslin for a boy; Louise for a girl.”

           “Very good.” I leaned my cheek against the rich velvet of his doublet; his hand moved to rest on my back. “Anne, I want you to know that though it is unlikely I’ll be able to write much, you will be in my thoughts every day we are parted.” His voice was thick with emotion. “Every soldier knows there’s nothing quite like the promise of returning home to loved ones to keep him going through the hell of war. I want you to know that I’ll carry the memory of you with me along with the promise of our child and hope they will see me through.”

           Tears slid down my cheeks, soaking into his doublet. “Anne.” I lifted my head to look up at him. His black eyes were filled with a terrible love. “Anne, love, please don’t cry. I don’t want my last sight of you before I go to war to be with tears running down your face.” He removed one of his gloves and gently brushed the tears away. That he called me “love” was enough to show the depths of his feelings. He rarely did that.

           “That would hardly be a memory to sustain you through the hardships of war,” I replied, giving him a small smile.

           He brushed the last of my tears away. “Indeed it would not.”

           I stroked his beautiful hair and gave him another kiss. “I trust that will be a better memory.”

           “Rest assured that it will.”

           We kissed and embraced for a little while longer until the parting could be put off no longer. “I love you,” he said as we separated. “Sometimes I think I haven’t said that as often I should have.”

           “It doesn’t matter. I’ve known it in my heart, as you know I love you.”

           We parted truly then, and I watched as he mounted his horse, waved to me, and rode down the path to the gate with his men following close behind him. I remained where I was until his distant figure vanished from sight.

           I never saw him again.

 **

           It is an unfortunate thing that the mind will retain the memories of the worst moments of our lives when we’d much prefer to forget them if we could. I would gladly do without the memory of the day my world came crashing down around me. Spring had come in earnest by then and the pear trees were fully leafed out. Many flowers had already started to bloom. A few weeks had passed since Isidore’s departure and I wondered how he was faring. Surely the mountain passes were open by now and the Skaldi invasion had begun.

           I was now in the last weeks of my term. Early summer, the priestess had told me, or mayhap late spring if the babe was minded to come early. With some reluctance I had to cut down on my time in the gardens, as I tried easily. The birth really couldn’t come soon enough. This was my mood, then, when the news arrived.

           Lombelon was never starved for news. Close as we were to the City, we heard things. Couriers passed by frequently and would often share news with us. It was one such courier who brought the news that was to devastate me. I was in the upstairs sitting room when he came, working on the quilt. It was very near to completion. The noise downstairs was clearly audible with the door to the room open. I set the quilt aside and rose from my chair, awkward as I now was. I’d made it halfway down the stairs when I heard the news the courier brought.

           “The Duc d’Aiglemort has turned traitor to the Crown!”

           The words were a dagger to my heart. I gripped the railing tightly as the room seemed almost to spin around me. Isidore, a traitor? Surely not! He always was mindful of his duty to protect the Realm from the Skaldi. I wouldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe it…

           “The Skaldi have invaded through the passes of Camlach, a horde such as has never been seen in recent times!”

           He’d been preparing to fend off the invasion by making sure the passes were well-defended. How many times had we spoken of this, and how it was his duty to protect the Realm from the Skaldi. “No,” I heard myself saying, “no. He wouldn’t do that. The Skaldi must’ve broken past the border defenses. They have a strong leader…”

           But the courier shook his head. “You are mistaken, Madame. I have just come from the front and heard the news from those who were there.”

           “Then they must be mistaken! He’d never let the Skaldi through the passes intentionally!”

           “D’Aiglemort left the southern passes lightly defended so the Skaldi could pass through. He meant to use them to claim the throne for himself.” A small crowd had gathered around the courier by now. “But the Skaldi turned on him, and he fled with his army into the mountains.”

           I didn’t want to believe it. It was too awful a thing to contemplate, that the man I loved could betray our nation in such a way. Yet the rational part of my mind pointed out that a courier riding to the City had no reason to lie about such a thing. What purpose would he have in making up things about Isidore? It’s true, that part of my mind insisted, otherwise why carry such news to the City? This I understood, even as the rest of me rebelled at it. I was lover to a traitor, carrying a traitor’s child…

           My legs seemed to be made of jelly. I clung to the railing so tightly my knuckles were white and sank to my knees, mind reeling. Footsteps sounded on the stairs as some of the crowd noticed me and meant to see that I was unharmed. Hands grabbed my arms and carefully lifted me up; I couldn’t have said whose they were.

           “Anne!” someone cried out.

           “Quick—she might lose the child!”

           I could not say what exactly happened next, only that my head was spinning and the shock of the news rendered me unable to focus on anything else. The next thing I can recall clearly is lying on my bed. I turned my head to see Thèrese sitting in a chair at the bedside, watching me intently. “Thèrese?” I asked, sitting up.

           She held up a hand and I settled back down on the pillows. “You’re in shock from what you just heard. You need to rest and steady yourself.”

           My hand came to rest on my stomach. Nothing felt out of the ordinary, indeed the babe moved as if in response to my apprehension. I breathed a small sigh of relief. Had I fallen down the stairs, the worst might’ve happened. Thèrese’s gaze moved from my face to my stomach. “I’m so sorry, Anne.”

           Everything was a haze. All I could think of was the revelation that Isidore was a traitor. He’d never said anything to me indicating he coveted the throne, not once in the years we’d been lovers. The only time I could recall him showing any sort of ambition when he told me about the triumph he and Baudoin had been grated by the King. Yet it had clearly been growing inside him for years and he’d kept it from me. I had to wonder—how well did I really know him? What else had he kept from me? “Oh Isidore, how could you?” I whispered, turning away from Thèrese. After a few minutes passed, I heard her chair scrape across the floor followed by the sound of her shoes as she walked out of the room. The tears flowed then, as if a dam holding them back had burst.

[dragonpigeons]

Roommates Part 2

Tags/warnings: Deku x Reader, Deku x Self-insert, Slowburn, SFW, Aged-Up Characters, Roommates AU, Pro Hero Deku, Deku thirst. Other characters to be added in future parts including OCs.

Summary: Riida gets an idea over Deku’s eating habits. Also pizza. Word count: 1959

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read Part 1 :) Here’s Part 2, enjoy! Part 3 is out on my Patreon 🎉

====

Your room was your haven to be free to express yourself. And by expressing yourself that really meant expressing your love for Deku in every corner possible. You had a shelf full of his figurines. The walls were covered in his posters. Your bed covers had his face on. Your deku hug pillow took up one half of your bed along with all the chibi Deku cushions and plushies. And, of course, you had a few Deku hoodies, sweaters, scarves and socks in the closet, not to mention all the Deku charms adorning your Deku bag. You even had a pair of Deku undies stuffed in the back of your drawer which your friends jokingly gifted you for your birthday and which you deliberately chose to forget about.

In short, you were a massive fan of the pro hero. Your love for him extended into the online world where you were a top member of his fanclub and often enjoyed seeing any news about him. The fanclub was the reason for your private collection of images and videos of him in your hard drive and phone. You were often teased for your Deku passion but you didn't really care. What you felt for him was simply admiration as a fan.

So then why, for the past few days, have you been so nervous, and why, on this morning, were you hiding around the corner from where Deku was doing his morning workout?

The answer was this - he was topless yet again but this time he was doing handstand press ups. When you came to the doorway, you were met with a full frontal assault of his back, rippling with glorious muscles. It took everything in you not to scream.

So you dove round the corner to gather yourself, feeling like some higher being was testing you. Your entire face was burning, your chest was palpitating. You never thought in a million years that you would become this way around your favourite hero. Sure, you had imagined meeting him at a signing event or something, but those were very casual and very quick to get it done and over with. There wouldn't be time to feel anything other than a short burst of joy at meeting your idol. Not to mention he'd be fully clothed too and not half as hormone-inducing.

You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down before emerging into the kitchen.

"Hey," Deku's eyes lit up when he noticed you, pausing his workout for a moment, "I put the kettle on just before so it should still be hot."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

You ate your breakfast in silence purposely avoiding Deku's sweaty physique, lest you risk giving yourself heart palpitations. He was very dedicated to the cause though. You wondered about his morning habits.

"How early do you get up to do your workout?" you decided to ask him.

"Pretty early!" said Deku, perking up at being asked a question by you. "Around 5am? Sometimes 5.30 if I want a bit of a lie in."

You raised your eyebrows. You couldn't help but be impressed. "Do you work out everyday?"

"Yeah. Except Sundays. They're my days off. It's bad to overwork your body. But I like doing them because it clears my mind for the day ahead."

"I see. Being a pro hero must be quite stressful."

"Not more than any other job, I imagine."

You had your doubts that a pro hero went through the same stresses as someone with an office job but you let it slide.

"What made you choose to live here?" you asked.

"Simple, really. One, I like the space where I can do my daily workouts. And two, it's in a secluded location where I can afford to get some privacy.”

You found you agreed with his reasonings. The apartment was very spacious given the okay price of the rent and it was out-of-the-way from more popular areas. You personally liked it because it meant quiet nights and humble surroundings.

“Oh, by the way,” continued Deku, “don't tell anyone I live here. The landlady knows and she's signed a confidentiality contract. So yeah, if you were thinking of bringing a boyfriend over or-- just let me know and I’ll stay out of the way."

"I don't have a boyfriend," you corrected him.

"Really?? But, you're so pretty. I thought you would have one for sure."

You almost spat out your food, suddenly hit by that bombshell out of nowhere. It was fortunate Deku had his back to you. Your face was burning red hot and there was no way you could face him at the moment. You decided to steer the conversation another way, clearing your throat, "Would I need to sign a confidentiality contract too?"

"Huh? Oh, er, maybe. I'll talk to my agent about it."

Deku finished his reps and hit the shower.

And you went to work with your face almost permanently red for the whole day any time you thought about his pretty compliment. And you thought about it pretty often.

---

Deku installed a pull-up bar the next morning. He had a black sleeveless top on this time but that did nothing to detract from his bulging arms. Furthermore, he looked good in black. Not that you hadn't seen pictures of him in black before, but combined with pull-ups and it was a knockout sight.

You stuttered as you greeted him good morning.

"Good morning!" Deku greeted back jovially. "What's for breakfast today?"

"Toast. And jam," you replied, deliberately opening your fridge.

"And drink?"

"Just a glass of milk."

"You're always so healthy in your meals," appraised Deku warmly.

"I try," you shrugged, "but sometimes I can't resist a ramen cup or a pizza takeout."

"I get you," said Deku, in a way that was like he was proverbially nodding his head, "nothing like a good pizza to satisfy a craving."

You were spreading jam on your toast when Deku suddenly said, "Hey, I know - let's have pizza tonight!"

"P-pizza?"

"I've been craving it lately and then you happened to mention it. Perfect timing, right? How about it?"

And that was how you ended up sharing two large pizzas with the No.1 Hero several hours later after he got back from work. He even went the extra mile and got dessert and cola too.

You enjoyed your pizza, savouring the taste. Next to you, it seemed Deku was enjoying a whole lot more, cramming it all into his mouth like no tomorrow.

"This is so good," said Deku with his mouth full.

"Mm, yes," you agreed, finishing a slice.

"I haven't eaten since 10."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," Deku wolfed down two slices in one go. "Was busy with a train incident."

You recalled seeing on the news how a villain group boarded a running freight train, wanting to take the cargo for themselves. Deku managed to stop the group in their tracks with the help of a few pro heroes. The whole thing caused a mess for many passenger trains though and services became delayed. Deku and the other heroes had to sort out the chaos working together with the authorities.

You stared at Deku, asking out of concern, "Do you often skip lunch?"

"I mean, yeah. I'm pretty busy with stuff. It's not just the patrol stuff, there's also all the paperwork and side gigs too. But that's why I like to go all out when it comes to dinner--" He finished his entire 18" diameter pizza by himself in five minutes flat. You watched as he downed a two-litre bottle of cola in one sitting too. A trail escaped from the corner of his mouth and slid down his throat, bobbing over his adam's apple. You quickly turned back to your pizza feeling warm all of a sudden. It was probably the jalapenos, you told yourself.

"Hey, do you mind if I have an extra slice?" Deku eyed your pizza box which was still two-thirds full.

"Sure, have as many as you want. I won't be able to eat all that anyway."

"Really?? Thanks so much!"

Deku gorged himself generously on your leftovers. You had to wonder, if he was skipping meals, was he really holding up the best he can? "It seems bad that you're skipping meals as a pro hero, to be honest," you admitted out loud.

Deku nodded somberly, "I know but I can't turn my back on those who need help to go and fill my stomach.”

You personally disagreed with the pro hero. No job was worth risking your own health, even one as well spotlit as his. You were sure other fans would agree, some even commenting their observations on how Deku was looking on the thinner side lately. A little idea started to form in your head which you would check out the next day.

---

The Deku Fanclub forums were lively as usual this evening with all the banter and discussions surrounding the hero himself. There were some truly diehard fans, bordering on obsessive stalker-ness, who provided endless entertainment and 'exclusive' pictures of the green-haired man out and about. Sometimes they got him on his way to the gym. Sometimes he was caught in action. Sometimes it was a shot focusing heavily on his butt. And that wasn't even the worst of it, but you were there for something else.

You clicked on one thread which caught your eye. It was about Deku's eating habits. Many theorised and agreed that he was eating at least three meals a day and snacking on lots of fruits and protein bars in between. One Deku Diehard (it was its own label for the extremely dedicated Deku fan), however, put together an entire hypothetical itinerary of Deku's schedule for the past several days and proposed that he wasn't getting the recommended three meals a day because there simply wasn't time.

You found a reply to this comment that talked about what Deku should be eating in order to attain, and maintain, his good form. Lots of talk about protein and carbs. A chicken breast here, a salmon fillet there, a scattering of beans throughout, and some tasty meal plans. You bookmarked the meal plans.

That evening you cooked too much for lunch, enough for two people. The next morning you took out the extra portion and sat it on the counter, mentally rehearsing what you were going to say as Deku worked out in front of you. This time he was doing one-armed pull-ups, which wasn’t entirely helping your cause to pass this off casually but you had to remain focused.

"Um, Deku," you uttered nervously. "Last night I made too much food for myself, and I was wondering… W-would you like the extra portion? Not that you have to accept or anything--"

Deku dropped from the bar and said, "Really, you would give me your extra food??"

He leapt over to the counter in excitement, picking up the container. "Chicken and potatoes. No wonder it smelt so good in the kitchen last night!" He grinned widely, then with a knowing look, "It's because I said I skipped lunch yesterday, isn't it?"

"Um, well…"

You were seen right through by Deku. You didn’t think he would remember but here he was, smiling at you, eyes crinkling in gratitude. "You didn't have to do that for me. I really appreciate it though. This way I won't skip a meal. I can't let your hard work go to waste so I promise to finish every last bit!"

You gave a shaky smile back, hoping it wouldn’t taste too terrible to him. You were not the greatest cook but you at least wanted to try your best for the hero you admire.

====

A/N: A longer part this time but I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know in the comments your thoughts :D

[zalrb]

Aladdin Review

OK so since May a few people have asked me if I saw Aladdin and while I went on my phone to blog some of my thoughts during the movie (it was NOT a packed theatre, three guesses why), I’ll write out my thoughts in detail here.

It’s super ironic that “Arabian Nights” and the opening scene were both rewritten to be less racist than the original but white extras were put in brownface, nobody thought about the loaded optics of Will Smith calling people master, and there were terrible imitations of Bollywood-esque dance numbers in a country meant to be aligned with Arab culture.

Jafar

OK first of all, it really irritated me that Jafar didn’t turn into a snake and that we had to see was Iago be turned into some ridiculous large murderous bird. They also did this with Maleficent, Maleficent was a badass villain because she turned into a dragon and they stripped that away. One of the best lines of Aladdin is this:

Jafar is one of my three favourite villains and this interpretation of him was just eh. Next to the fat that I find Jafar’s deadpan, steely, condescending demeanour to be just such a fundamental trait to his character

The live action did a great disservice to the fact that Jafar is supposed to be a master manipulator because in the original, he turns himself into an old man to trick Aladdin:

He actually succeeds in hypnotizing the sultan from time to time whereas in the live action, he always starts to but he never actually succeeds in hypnotizing anyone.

And Iago is a part of this too, Iago has to play a dumb parrot so no one takes him seriously

and one of my favourite parts of the animated version is that when they’re on top, we see Jafar and Iago humiliate the people, namely Jasmine

and the sultan, who they thought looked down upon and humiliated them, which included Iago shoving crackers down the sultan’s throat.

I do understand that the above scene might be considered too dark (it’s probably why I love it so much) but this Iago is just a parrot that literally did not need to be there. And when Jafar does become sultan in this live action, he doesn’t really do anything, he just says he’s sultan, people disobey him immediately, he becomes a sorcerer immediately after that and then is defeated.

There were certain additions I actually did like to the live action Jafar such as the fact that he has a bit more of a backstory but they don’t delve into the backstory enough for it to really make any sort of difference except for the fact that he steals back the lamp (because he was once a thief just like Aladdin -- I’d actually want to see a movie of that backstory if it were done properly, which it wouldn’t be) and I thought the chip on Jafar’s shoulder at needing to be the most powerful person in the room was done relatively well (although I did think the actual power-craze/power-lust of Jafar just didn’t have the same kind of mania).

Jasmine

OK so I saw this movie with my friend who is Muslim and she didn’t like the additions they made to this Jasmine because she thought they were being stereotypical and paternalistic about Muslim women not having a voice, specifically with the song “Speechless”.

My thing is, I just preferred Original Jasmine (and Naomi Scott was miscast) and not only because I liked Jasmine’s sassiness in the original, I just am perfectly fine with her and I think she gets a bad rap because people reduce her to the scene where she kisses Jafar. Like I’ve seen so many things about how as a cartoon, Jasmine has no agency but the point is that she’s smothered

and she does have agency over the things she can control

The fact that she runs away from the palace was her exerting her agency.

I felt for Original Jasmine’s plight more because they set up her isolation better. In the live action, Jasmine is with Aladdin when he sings “One Jump” for the first time, when we’re introduced to Aladdin in the marketplace, Jasmine is already in a disguise among the people and when she meets Aladdin, she pretends to Dalia, her handmaiden:

In the animated version, Jasmine doesn’t even have a handmaiden, she only has Rajah,

She’s not allowed past the palace walls and so she runs away so to speak, meets Aladdin and so when they have their connection over feeling trapped by their respective lives it packs more of an emotional punch.

The fact that in this version she wants to be a Sultan doesn’t really add anything to the character for me, it doesn’t give her more “agency” or make her or the movie (that unapologetically implemented brownface) woke because it was superficial af. Jasmine just says that no one knows the country better than her and that the people make the country and she doesn’t want Agrabah to invade her mother’s homeland but it’s not like the movie has her present wonderful, radical ideas that would help the people, revolutionize the country only for her to be shot down or for Jafar to steal her idea or something, it doesn’t go anywhere so that addition is just like ... I mean I guess but if you’re going to put that in, I just feel like you should go all the way. In fact, I feel like animated Jasmine was more active than the live action one.

Aladdin

Again, this version was fine (Fadilah -- my friend -- had a problem with his hair, she wanted it to be thicker, lmao). There were particular moments in the movie when Mena would have a certain look that to me really captured Aladdin’s good-natured yet mischievous charm

and he was good at being bumbling and uncomfortable playing Prince Ali, my issue with Aladdin is more directorial/writing choices. Again, the thing about Aladdin was that he was street smart so he tricks Genie into getting him out of the Cave of Wonders by insulting his ego,

I was disappointed that in this version you have to rub the lamp while you make a wish and so when he gets out of the Cave of Wonders it’s because Abu hides the lamp and he simply doesn’t rub it while he makes a wish, I think the movie could’ve displayed his smarts more. Even this line

I preferred when he said that to, like, a woman on the street because it showed how everyone loved the rascal Aladdin except for authority figures, which added to the whole diamond in the rough vibe.

I also don’t know why they chose to change him giving the orphan siblings his bread to giving them a bag of dates but whatever.

I also thought the movie could’ve done a better job at showing the way power can corrupt you because in the original, when Aladdin doesn’t give up the lie, he let’s Genie down after everything Genie has done for him and the bond they’ve formed, he’s on the way to becoming selfish and what really drives that in is the fact that Genie is hurt and mad and disappointed

In this version, Genie just goes “it’s not about me, it’s about you and the fact that you want to lie yadda yadda” and I just think that by taking away Genie’s disappointment after genuinely believing Aladdin and bonding with him, taking away the effect of what Aladdin’s potential choice would be, detracts from the message on the corrupt nature of power and greed.

Genie

Robin Williams will always be my number 1 Genie but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I didn’t hate Will Smith as Genie, particularly when he tapped into Fresh Prince Will. That’s kind of all I really have to say about it? 

Abu

Best part of the film by far. They got Abu’s original character down pact with that CGI monkey.

Songs

I’m sorry but I hated “Speechless” 

mostly because I didn’t think the song blended with the original Aladdin songs, like if you want to give Jasmine her own number then whatever but every time I watched it I just felt like I was in a completely different movie. Like is this Frozen?  (I also HATED Frozen so that might be a reason why the song irritated me as much as it did) Also I thought they just gave her a song instead of actually having her do anything but whatever. 

I didn’t like this version of A Whole New World, the only reason why I found that scene enjoyable is because me and Fadilah sang the song in the theatre. The point of “A Whole New World” is for Jasmine to SEE the world but we don’t actually see anything, the landscape is water and dolphins.

Yes, how wondrous.

Friend Like Me was probably my favourite rendition of the entire film.

Will Smith did it justice and now the song is stuck in my head but again, the scale was super small to me. Like I get there’s a budget and there are certain things animation can do that live action can’t but I feel like you either go big or go home and Friend Like Me was Go Moderate and that was just disappointing? (Also speaking of, WHY WAS THE CAVE OF WONDERS SO SMALL???)

Other issues

Another big issue with the movie is that it goes through the motions without taking the time for emotional beats and to do little details that add to the story. It didn’t let us linger in certain moments that we needed to linger in. The iconic “Do you trust me?” scene fell flat because there wasn’t enough emphasis when Aladdin says it to Jasmine the first time around and when he says it on the carpet, it’s at hyper-speed. “Do you trust me?” “Yes.” “Cool” was basically how it went.

Aladdin has little quirks in the original that he can’t just help but do with Jasmine since that’s who he is 

In the live action, he tucks her hair behind her ear and she knows it’s him because he did it in the market too? Why change this to something so generic? You CAN keep aspects of the first movie. 

Things that were good.

The jam scene. It was genuinely funny, probably the one genuinely funny moment of the entire movie.

Will and Mena riffed off of each other well and Mena and Naomi had a charming chemistry 

I honestly didn’t go in expecting this to be exactly like the Original Aladdin, I just thought the Original Aladdin explored the themes better than the live action did and while Ritchie clearly thought he was bringing something fresh to the movie, I just felt like he watered down all of the poignant and profound parts of the original. And the dark humour, can’t forget the dark humour

[mariequitecontrarie]

The Dinosaur

Summary: It's Belle's second week on the job at Regal Marketing Company, and she's working late with Regina and Gold. Gold tells the story of how the office elevator earned its name. A/N: Happy Fluffapalooza, darlings! Another amazing year of shipping our babies with you! A little fluff from the Cufflinks!verse. Thanks to @galactic-pirates for the help!

On AO3

“It’s time you were initiated, Miss French.” Mr. Gold tossed his chopsticks into the white takeout box, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, and Belle’s heart did another summersault. Her new boss was unfairly handsome. Dark eyes, brown hair streaked with grey that lapped at his collar, and she’d never seen a man wear a suit quite so well. Despite her nervousness, or maybe because of it, she was finding it difficult not to stare. His was not a classically beautiful face, but intelligent energy surrounded him, a strength that made him more appealing than the most perfect description of any hero in any of the hundreds of novel she’d read. Even the little flake of cabbage now resting on his chin couldn’t detract from his arresting good looks. Regina pointed at Gold with one of her chopsticks and snorted. “You’ve got food on your face, Gold.”

It was Friday, the end of Belle’s second week at Regal Marketing Company, and the three of them were working late over Chinese takeout to prepare for the grand opening of a new medical facility scheduled for Monday morning. Over the past several days she had met and worked with dozens of colleagues and clients but this was her first opportunity to work closely with Mr. Gold, the firm’s senior partner and the man company president Regina Mills called her right hand. Working at the conference room table across from him—the full measure of his attention fixed on her ideas and words—had her poor organs performing a gymnastics routine all evening long. Gold scowled at Regina and flicked at his chin with a paper napkin, giving Belle a chance to gulp down the mouthful of lo mein she was chewing. “Initiated, Mr. Gold?” “Indeed.” He leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. “Into the history of how our elevator got its name.” “The Dinosaur?” Regina rolled her eyes. “You’re not seriously going to tell that story?” “Whatever do you mean, Madam President?” Gold steepled his fingers beneath his chin, clearly enjoying Regina’s pique. “I tell this one to all the new hires.” Regina slanted a disbelieving look in his direction. That sexy little smirk of Gold’s was spreading into a full-fledged smile. There was a flash of white teeth and Belle was thankful to be seated because her knees chose that moment to buckle. Get a grip, French. Regina fixed Gold with a cold glare and Belle shivered at the abrupt drop in temperature. They were done working, dinner was over, and she didn’t want to be caught in the middle of a disagreement with two people she liked and respected. She swiveled her chair toward the conference room door. “Maybe I could hear about it next week?”

According to one of her new work friends, Ruby Lucas, Gold and Regina’s disagreements were legendary. They weren’t above shouting insults at each other from across the office and if Regina wasn’t threatening to fire Gold, he was threatening to quit. Today, while she and Belle grabbed salads at the café across the street, Ruby had confided that one time Gold and Regina had started a food fight, and Gold had gone home with one of his pricey three-piece custom suits smeared with strawberry jam. The story had been amusing, if somewhat alarming, but Ruby had been quick with reassurances: their thunderous arguments blew over as soon as they ended.  

Jealousy had made the back of Belle’s neck prickle. “Are they lovers?” she’d asked, picking at her lettuce. “Good God, no. More like siblings.” Ruby had winked as she popped a cucumber slice into her mouth. “Regina’s dating Emma Swan and Gold? Well, he doesn’t date anybody.” Mr. Gold was single. Belle hadn’t wanted to examine the relief she felt at that particular pronouncement too closely then, as she didn’t want Ruby to guess she had the hots for their boss. Back in the present, she was eager to head home for the weekend before another food fight broke out and she wound up with Kung Pao chicken on her new blue blouse. “See you Monday,” she chirped, rising from her chair. “Please stay where you are, Miss French.”

Belle plopped back down, volleying her attention between Gold and Regina. At least if a fight broke out, she would be available to referee. “This is so typical of you, Gold. Only interested in socializing when it’s at my expense.” With the grace of a basketball player, Regina tossed her takeout boxes into the trash can.   “Are you going to pout about it, Your Majesty?” “How about I fire you instead?” Regina hissed the threat through clenched teeth, but the undercurrent of fondness in her tone belied the harshness of her words. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Try me.” “Oh, go ahead.” Regina sighed in long-suffering defeat. Gold made a show of clearing his throat and turned to Belle. “It was the first day we rented the office. Space was at a premium in town and this place was the best we could do. We were down on the third floor then, in a space a quarter the size of this one.” Belle nodded. These days, Regal Marketing Company occupied the entire seventh floor, but eight years ago it had been a startup and Gold and had been Regina’s only employee. “We toured the building, but we didn’t try the elevator and the building manager forgot to tell us it was slow. It was a Saturday, moving day, and we were riding up with a load of files. The elevator was taking its sweet time, opening on every floor even though no one else was in the building.” Belle couldn’t help but smile at the way Gold leaned forward, his eyes flashing like tiny torches as he spoke. She’d been observing him for the last two weeks. Most of the time he hid away in his office, pretending to be quiet and unaffected, but this was another side of him—one that enjoyed an audience. “Regina started ranting about the elevator being broken, claiming we were going to be stuck for hours. Next thing I knew, she made a grab for my cane and smashed in the emergency button.” “I didn’t smash it,” Regina interrupted. “You broke the panel, dearie. And dented the top of my cane.” Laughter rumbled low in his chest and Belle smothered a giggle. “You should have seen her, Miss French. She was banging on the walls, demanding a refund on the lease. Five minutes later, Sheriff Humbert arrived with a volunteer fire department resembling the Seven Dwarves and calmly explained that this elevator is temperamental and has been since this building was built at the turn of the twentieth century.” “Sue me for not wanting to be stuck in an elevator with the likes of you and your little flip phone.” Regina crossed her arms over her chest. “Ten years later, I think you’re still talking on the same one, aren’t you Gold?” “Why mess with what works?” Gold retorted. “I found the pace of the elevator quite charming, which is exactly what I told the sheriff. ‘From one dinosaur to another,’ is what Regina told the rescue crew, and the name stuck. And that’s why we call our elevator The Dinosaur.” His story finished, he pushed back his chair with a triumphant smile and sipped his coffee. Belle was charmed. She wanted to break out into spontaneous applause, but she thought that reaction might be a bit of a giveaway. “And you tell this to everyone who comes to work here?” she asked. Regina opened her mouth and closed it abruptly. “It’s actually a really good example of the way you complement each other’s leadership,” Belle rushed to add. She hoped she didn’t sound like a kiss ass, but the affection between Regina and Gold was obvious. Gold was worth millions from investments both local and abroad. He didn’t need this job. He cared about Regina and the company. “And by that you mean one of us panics and the other has no pulse?” Regina asked. They all laughed. “It’s all about balance,” Belle said.

Miss French had long since packed up and gone home when Regina stood in his office doorway, watching him. She’d been boring holes into the top of his head for a good five minutes.

“What is it this time, Regina?” he asked without looking up. “Baseball game? Roller skating party?  Whatever little office adventure you’re planning, the answer is no.” “You’ve never told anyone that elevator story before,” she said softly. “You like her.” “Who?” “Belle.” She huffed. “Don’t play games with me, Gold. I’ve known you too long.” He flushed, resisting the urge to loosen his collar. He had no idea what had possessed him to tell that ridiculous story, let alone claim it as some sort of initiation ritual. There was something about Belle, though. She demanded his attention, like a burst of sunshine, a breath of fresh air, and a double rainbow, all bundled into one tiny yet lovely package. She brought vivacity and energy into the office with her clever ideas and her positive outlook on life. He supposed he had wanted to impress her, if he was being honest.

But Regina didn’t need to know all his inner thoughts.

“Go home to your girlfriend,” he said, waving her away. “Fine. I’ll leave you to your paperwork.” She pushed away from the door. “But for the record?” “Yes?” He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I think she likes you, too.” A rush of heat coursed through him at her words and he realized for the first time since high school, he had a bit of a crush. It wouldn’t go anywhere, of course, but the thought of the charming, lovely, Miss French liking him warmed him for the rest of the evening.

###

[op-law]

One Piece x Reader {Join My Club} Ch 13

Cinder's Pov

'Knock' 'Knock'

I may have been the person who told Kato to come up to the apartment but now I didn't even want to leave the couch. "Cinder, are you going to open the door?" He was the stubborn type so carefully I got up though my hand hovered over the deadbolt while I tried to calm myself. Before I could rush back to the safety of the couch my hand unlocked the door and pulled it open. "There's my girl. I picked you up some pancakes on the way over here since I figured you be hungry. Is something wrong Cinder? Your eyes are puffy"

He noticed every detail when it came to me but right now, I really wished he hadn't picked up on my bloodshot eyes. Kato was sweet and kind, this news would devastate him. "That wasn't necessary Kato but thank you. Please come in" I couldn't prolong the news forever so as I took the takeaway box within my grip, I lead him inside the apartment. "What exactly are we discussing Cinder? You're not breaking up with me, right?"

I'd never break up with Kato he was my everything but as I stared up at him from the couch, I said the one thing I was terrified that could happen today. "It might be you who is breaking up with me" We hadn't discussed the topic of children before but we were only teens ourselves so that shouldn't have been on either of our minds. "Hm!? What do you mean?" Kato's tone was filled with shock and for whatever reason, it had caused my tears to finally start falling. "I-I'm pregnant and I don't know what to do! What is my mother going to say? She'll disown me! Hawkins will be pissed as well!"

My relationship with my mom was already strained enough but oh god if Hawkins found out about this, he'd murder Kato. "Cinder calm down its alright. A-Are you going to keep it?" That wasn't even something I had been able to consider and in my current state, it was best not to make any final decisions. "I don't know. This isn't how it was supposed to happen!" Kato's arms had wrapped around my now shaking form although just as I was about to push him away, he said something that caused me to freeze. "I'll still love you regardless of your choice but just so you know I think you should keep it"

"W-What do you mean Kato? We can't raise a child" I knew Kato came from money but he was talking crazy if he thought this was a good idea. "Just think about it Cinder. I know it's not the most practical thing but we still created this life. Are you going to class today or should we go back to my house? My family is gone for the day~ Heheheheh" I couldn't believe he was trying to laugh at a time like this and how dare he suggest such a thing, being alone with him was never a good idea. "Bad Kato! This is exactly the behavior that got us into this mess in the first place"

"There's your smile~ I love you Cinder. Come on before traffic picks up" Kato's body had moved but as he gripped my wrist, I stopped him. "Who said I'm going with you?" I would have gladly gone with him although I couldn't let this man think I was easy. "Oh, I'm kidnapping you for the day. We have much to discuss and school will only be a detraction" Kato would make a terrible kidnapper however today just wasn't a good day to play games. "There's a test today in math class. I can't just miss it" My grades were already failing and if I ever wanted to make something of myself, I needed to at least pass. "I'll take care of it don't worry. Are you coming or not?"

Little rich boy Kato was many things but was he really prepared to bribe the school? Probably although I still didn't see why the man was acting like his world wasn't falling apart. "Why are you acting so calm about this?" He might have been in shock but when I heard his answer, I realized it was the complete opposite. "Because it doesn't matter. You're pregnant with my baby so now I need to step up and make sure you're comfortable"

"If you're kidnapping me then start carrying me. Oh, and you can tell Hawkins what you did to me" Since I had just found out I didn't bother with informing my older brother although I'd leave it to Kato to figure out telling him. No time would be right but I'm sure he could handle it. "... Will you plan my funeral?"

"With pleasure~"

~~~~~~~~~~

Zoey's Pov

I had gotten my pastries but now that we had returned to Penguin's apartment the man was completely ignoring me and it was growing annoying. "What are you doing Penguin?" He looked rather invested in his laptop but I didn't bother trying to peek as I continued to scan his cool collectibles. "Working on something Zoey. Stop touching that you'll break it" For someone who loved women as much as Penguin did, he was being a little jackass right now. "I thought the plan was to have some fun before school. You're boring Penguin. Oh, what's this?"

"Zoey that isn't a toy put it down. Are you even listening to me?" This ship is definitely well crafted but damn was I jealous it belonged to Penguin. "Awesome~ I've never seen such a well-done Exco Spacefighter. Where did you get it?" It must have cost him a fortune but as I placed the ship back on its display, I turned to see the man was blushing. "You're a fan?" Not many people even knew the show existed although I was one of the few that really enjoyed it. "Oh, yeah it's one of the best series ever to be made. Sucks they canceled it after the second season"

"I know right! Cough. I mean I really should finish this task for the boss" Real smooth Penguin. Hmm, maybe I could get some alone time with him by driving him to class. "We'll talk later. How about I drive you to school?" He had a car in the parking lot but let's get say some troublemaker decided to mess around with it. "Why? I have my own car Zoey"

"I know but I noticed this morning someone had put a nail in your tire"

"Someone what!?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n)'s Pov

I would have thought that medication was supposed to keep him asleep for at least six hours but from the look on the man's face he was up to stay. He looked healthy than before however, that occasional cough was the only sign of his illness. That and those dark circles around his eyes but those would be there for a while since he refused to get the appropriate amount of sleep. "Law you're not allowed to leave the bed. Lay back down" That glare within his eyes was not that most pleasant thing although I didn't feel intimidated so I remained in place.

My body was pressed against his which was thankfully trapped under the covers and it was probably the reason why he was having trouble sitting up. "Move (Y/n)-ya" He could have easily overpowered me but from what I could tell he wasn't even making an attempt. "I already told you that's not going to happen. Where are you even trying to go?" He looked a little resilient to tell me his plans but within a couple of seconds, his glare softened, and a reply was heard. "I need to go check on Doflamingo-ya. After that man od's, I'm supposed to give him a special medicine but with everything that happened, it slipped my mind. You may come with me if you want"

"Oh, why didn't you just lead with that? Alright, let's go" I was quick to remove myself from the man but I had to question why he was tilting his head at me. "Are you sure? Doflamingo-ya's house isn't exactly that most pleasant place to visit" Having already witnessed that older male's 'episode' I was a little wary of going to his house but with Law there, I'm sure everything would work out. "It's fine now hurry up before I decide you can't leave the house"

I had moved to stand just beside the bed although as Law threw the covers to the side I couldn't help when a giggle exited my mouth at the man's childish act. "You're brave I'll give you that (Y/n)-ya. Just let me change your bandages before we go" Of course he'd be in doctor mode but as I thought back to how rough he was when changing them last time I was a little reluctant to let him near my wounds. "Alright, but can you be gentle this time?"

"When was I ever rough with you?" His face showed confusion but I didn't believe the act for a second. "Real funny Law" When that smirk appeared on his lips, I knew exactly what he was playing at but chose to ignore it as I took a seat at the end of the bed. "I still need to disinfect it (Y/n)-ya so it may sting a bit" That was totally doctor code for prepare to bite something and try not to kick me. "Or hurt like hell" I was thankful Law was even taking time out of his day to deal with me but I wasn't going to make things easy for him. "You're a difficult patient (Y/n)-ya"

"And you're a weird med student"

"Sleeves up"

~~~~~~~~~~

Doflamingo's Pov

"Young Master?" I was done dealing with people today but as my family entered the room, I only scanned the members before reaching for my drink. They wouldn't be receiving a response from me however as they began to speak amongst themselves, I felt my grip tighten around the glass. "Maybe we shouldn't bother him. Just look at his eyes" My sunglasses were somewhere in the room but I didn't care enough to shield my eyes from them. "I'm worried about him. Can't we do something to help him?"

They had nothing to worry about I was perfectly fine. My heart was still pounding away and in my book that was all that mattered. "Tsk. Start by finding that bastard who left him in this state" Could they be referring to my sweet Crocodile? I hope not since killing a family member was not something I wanted to do so early in the morning. "I agree that man needs to be taking care of sooner than later. Should we put out the green light?" My mind might have been fading in and out during their conversation but that one sentence immediately brought me back to reality. "None of you are to touch a single hair on my Croco-chan's head! Get the hell out and shut up!"

"Y-Yes, Young Master!"

'Ring' 'Ring' 'Ri-'

I hadn't expected to receive a call so early but I didn't bother to check the number before I answered it. "What!?" My mood was unpleasant, to say the least, although when a familiar voice filled through the line my heartbeat picked up. "Doflamingo can you not answer the phone like a normal person for once?" I had that man's voice memorized to the point where even in a crowded room I could pick it out but it didn't make sense for him to be calling. "Croco-chan? Why the hell are you calling?"

"Don't take that tone with me. I'm just calling to check up on you since this business trip has been extended by another day. How are you holding up?" He had broken up with me a few days ago but why was he checking up on me? That made no sense although I decided to reply as my drink was placed back down so I couldn't throw it against the wall. "What business trip?" I would have remembered if the man was leaving on a business trip but as I listened to his voice, I really started to question what happened Sunday night and Monday morning. "Moron. The business trip I left for on Monday. Don't tell me you forgot"

"So, that's where you disappeared to? You know a note would have been nice" I had no reason to question where Crocodile currently was but even as I thought back to Sunday night the events were blurry. "I left you one on the nightstand" My thoughts wandered to the bedroom but right now I was too lazy to leave the living room. "No, you didn't"

"Yes, it's underneath that stupid lamp you keep there. I'm not going to fight with you about it. How has your week been going?" Now I loved Crocodile more than anything but I really tried to keep my drug use a secret when he was involved. Sure, he knew I was a user although I doubted the man knew how bad it had gotten. "Fine. How was yours?" Crocodile wasn't a stupid man so as he replied I tried to remain calm. "If it's going so 'fine' then why did Bonez inform me that you overdosed again?"

"It's not a big deal Croco-chan"

"You're going to kill yourself Doflamingo and you can't keep relying on others to fix your mistakes. It'll come to the point where your past saving. Look I have to go back into the meeting but I'll call you later tonight. Goodbye Doflamingo" I didn't bother to reply since the line had already gone silent although his words really stung. "Young Master? Your brother is here" I only had two but neither of them came to the house very often. "Which one?"

"Law and he brought a young lady with him. Should I send them in?"

"Oh, he brought little (Y/n)? Fufufu. Sure, send them in"

~~~~~~~~~~~

To Be Continued...

[nayoungxrk-blog]

                      ⚡️ IM NAYOUNG ⚡️     ��                                      for kt ent. -- starbright ‘17!

            dance: black by katie lee ( 0:43 - 1:28 )             rap: dream girl by lc9 ( 2:12 - 2:27 )

she doesn’t want to be here, but she doesn’t want to be anywhere else, either. this is the opportunity she’s been waiting for, what that feeling in her gut has been telling her to chase after ever since she saw sooyoung in the mgas. that same feeling tells her that this is where she needs to be right now, that nothing else in the world is more important at this moment.

of course, it’s kind of drowned out by the sheer panic that comes from the thought of an actual audition. she could barely handle just talking to a camera in the interview stage; how the hell is she supposed to actually perform in front of a panel of judges?

she takes deep breaths as she follows the kt employee through the unfamiliar halls. this is where sooyoung is all the time, nayoung can’t help thinking. if this goes well, i could join her. the hopeful thought makes her wince, because the last thing she wants is to get her hopes too high and have them crushed.

she suddenly misses her cat, wishes she could be home cuddling with mina in bed. it’s a panic-induced thought, she knows, but she can’t help but feel it deeply. she squeezes her hand into a fist, focusing on the sharp pain of her nails digging into her palm to ground her, bring her back to herself. it’s probably not a very healthy coping mechanism, but it works – it helps her focus on counting her breaths, ignoring the panicked thoughts racing through her mind, now banished to the dark corners to come back at some point later.

she wonders where sooyoung is now. somewhere in this building, she’s sure – the elder had told nayoung which days she usually went to the seocho building. part of nayoung wishes she’d told sooyoung about the callback, wishes the elder knew to come wish her luck before going in. but most of her thinks that this is how it should be: nobody else knows about her callback, and nobody’s hopes have been brought up except her own. the only person she risks disappointing today is herself.

they’ve reached hallway that seems to have been converted to a makeshift waiting area, with several chairs lined up along the wall. the staff member hands nayoung a sheet of paper to pin to her shirt – her own name printed in big letters, so the judges will know who they’re watching when they look back on her video. after gesturing her to what’s apparently an assigned seat, the staff leaves her to sit with the strangers in the hall, all of whom are also wearing their names on their fronts and most of whom look at least as nervous as nayoung feels.

closing her eyes, she begins mouthing the lyrics to her song, focusing hard on that to avoid thinking about anything else, about the others kt is auditioning. after running through the rap several times, she thinks of the song she’ll be dancing to and starts doing the gestures of the dance, though she keeps it small, just reminding herself that she still remembers the choreography.

she doesn’t know how long they wait. she loses count of how many times she silently rehearses, but soon enough the girl in front of her is called in to the room they’re sitting outside, and nayoung’s chest clenches in panic. she’s going second.

when her name is called, nayoung stands up and does her best to ignore the nervous nausea that sweeps over her. she can’t help her trembling as she walks to the door and follows the staff member into the room, where there’s a camera set up next to a long table of judges. nayoung’s eyes scan the table quickly, and her mouth drops open when she instantly recognizes katie lee sitting in the middle. i’m going to dance to a katie lee song in front of katie lee, is her first ridiculous thought.

she bows as she walks to the middle of the room, handing her flash drive with the music to the staff member who showed her in. she feels like her throat’s closed up, and she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to even speak, let alone rap.

“i-i’m–” her voice cracks, and she winces a little before clearing her throat and trying again. “i’m im nayoung. i-i’ll be dancing t-to…” she meets katie lee’s eyes and stops speaking, nerves closing her throat again before she forces the words out. “katie lee’s black,” she says, giving the woman a jerky nod. “then i’ll be rapping to lc9′s dream girl.”

the music starts, and its familiarity settles her slightly. she’s glad that she decided to start with dancing. it’s more familiar, more comfortable, and will hopefully help her nerves settle.

after just a few short notes, nayoung throws herself into the first move, swinging her arms over her head and bending down at her hips. from there, the dance comes easy to her, though she keeps careful counts in her head so that she doesn’t accidentally rush – that’s been her consistent problem in practice.

the dance is more sensual than she usually does, but she likes it. she’s been working on it for a few weeks now, and she’s long since gotten over the embarrassment of the sexier parts of the dance, which were added at sooyoung’s suggestion. the dance technically isn’t anything like contemporary or ballet, but it’s nayoung’s personal style, which combines the smooth gracefulness of those with the modern popping of hip hop. the song is perfect for it, too – with a solid percussion bass under the smooth vocals and consistent acoustics, it’s like the song was meant for her dance.

as if to communicate this, nayoung finds herself meeting eyes with katie lee during the parts of the dance where she’s facing the judges, her eyes ignoring the camera and skipping over the other faces to land on the artist of this song, the ceo of the company nayoung’s trying to get into. in her eyes is a daring kind of charisma that doesn’t show up when she’s speaking, that isn’t there except for when she’s dancing.

she doesn’t have the regular charisma of most idols, doesn’t find it easy to even introduce herself or get through a simple interview. but she’s a performer – it’s this determined, challenging charisma that kept her on the rink for so long, that got her to the junior grand prix twice. this is why she ultimately chose to dance for this audition, because this is what she wants to show kt. this is her true talent.

when she gets to the end of the chorus, she steps up and pops her limbs and head a few times, her ponytail jerking with every dramatic movement of her head. she ends the dance with a hand on the front of her leg, the other extended slightly near her hip. her eyes are still locked with katie lee’s until she breaks the contact, brushing a few loose strands of red hair out of her face and stepping back to the center of the room, trying to catch her breath.

“next i’ll be rapping to lc9′s dream girl,” she says, not giving herself any more time than absolutely necessary to catch her breath. she’ll rap a cappella, not needing the music for this. it would just detract from the focus of her rapping, especially with the high note that covers up the final lines. after licking her lips and taking a deep breath, nayoung begins to rap.

the feeling of seeing your eyes, your lips, you’re so beautiful

she didn’t choose this song because she identified with the lyrics, but because she’s known the rap since shortly after the song was released. she’s loved lc9 for years, and has supported every comeback of theirs since their debut. she was lucky enough to see them in concert in seoul twice since she got into them, and she thinks it’s only appropriate that her first company audition – and for kt, no less – include one of their songs.

the rap lines come easily to her after years of doing them along with the song and under her breath when the song has been stuck in her head, and after the constant practicing of it she’s done in the last few days.

from one to a hundred, i treat you gently the day you chose me is when the world stops you’re my world

when the end of the song comes, nayoung opens her eyes and lowers her hands – she hadn’t even realized she’d closed her eyes, or that she’d been gesturing along with the imaginary beat while she rapped. the room is strangely silent now, lacking the sound of nayoung’s rap filling the room. she doesn’t find it difficult to speak anymore, and her eyes find katie lee’s again as she bows. “thank you for your time,” she says, her voice lacking all the shakiness and nerves from before.

when she straightens, she meets katie lee’s eyes one last time before bowing shallowly again and turning to leave.

it’s amazing what one minute of performing could do – it turned her nervous panic to adrenaline, and nayoung can’t help but smiling to herself as she leaves the room, following the staff’s directions to sit back down on her seat. a kind of giddiness fills her now, after what felt like a successful display of her talents.

that’s what she thinks about now, focusing on how good it feels to just perform, not letting herself think about the potential results of that performance, which she still knows was an audition.

[doremikaelladino-blog]

Movie Review

Disclaimer: The following contains spoilers, subjective compliments, criticisms, and interpretations of the blogger about the message of the film. Any of the photos used in this blog were included for educational purposes only.

GOYO: Ang Batang Heneral

(Goyo: The Boy General)

[SUMMARY]

The movie “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” follows the life of the young general, Gregorio Del Pilar, during the emerging colonization of Americans in the Philippines during the late 1890s. It introduces Goyo as a famed general who enjoys a false sense of peace following the death of Luna, and then he eventually flees with Aguinaldo and his brigade, as they’re pursued by the Americans. The movie is the second installment of Jerrold Tarog’s war trilogy; the sequel to the movie “Heneral Luna” who also talks about the fate of the strict general of its title.

[OVERVIEW]

CHARACTERS:

There are recurring characters in the movie such as:

Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, the young general

Joven Hernando, the young journalist turned into photographer of del Pilar’s troop.

Lieutenant Garcia, the patriotic sharp-shooter in Heneral Luna.

Maj. Manuel Bernal, the loyal comrade of Luna

President Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, and Gen. Elwell Otis

There are also new and significant characters to look-out for in the movie. To name a few:

Gen. Alejandrino, Maj. Ortiz, Col. Vicente Enriquez, Col. Julian del Pilar, Remedios Nable Jose, Felicidad Aguinaldo and Lt. Manuel Quezon.

[CONS]

THE TRAGIC FATE OF GOYO

The producers gave justice to Gregorio del Pilar’s reputation as a hero. However, it was not emphasized to the point that I had to watch the film over and over again to notice the subtle heroic attribute of this general. Yanni Roxas’ movie review in Bulatlat.com states that this movie “killed whatever greatness there is in del Pilar by focusing on his foibles and flaws even before it could show him in some heroic exploits”. And at some point, I agree. To me, Goyo’s image became a dog of Emilio Aguinaldo, a leader whose youth seemed to go against him, a conflicted person fighting his inner demons. Good thing, he had his moment of introspection, a change of heart, the night before the devastating battle on Tirad Pass. I just find it sad and sorry for Goyo because he never had a chance to redeem his heroic reputation because he was shot dead right away.

          “I know that the responsibility given to me is tremendous. But I feel that this is the greatest moment of my life. What I’m about to do is for my country whom I love.  There is no greater sacrifice.” – Goyo

PRODUCTION VALUES:

PORTRAYAL: I have no complaints about the acting. However, it would’ve been more accurate if the accents of the characters were emphasized.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: The color-grading in this film is dull compared to Heneral Luna. For me it signifies the frustrating plot of revolution.

Another thing to take note for improvement is the unstable camera work in the scene when General Goyo and Colonel Vicente were going to Don Mariano’s house to congratulate Colonel Julian on his promotion as the military governor of Bulacan.

Even if the upstairs scene was meant to be shot that way for artistic purposes, I think it is not suitable to use for such scene. That scene has a poor camera work that is distractive and unpleasant to look at. From what I usually observe in foreign movies, that “moving and shaking” style of camera work is meant to reveal the point of view or the eyesight of a character involve in the scene. If that’s the case, then the messenger boy should’ve been there walking behind Goyo and Vicente to justify the purpose of moving/shaky camera work. Other than that, the rest of the scenes that involves unstable and shaky camera work are understandable and tolerable.

POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE CONTENT:

Note: This film contains offensive language and violence.

Language. There is frequent cussing in the dialogues, and 1 scene with a Filipino soldier mocking and insulting two indigenous people.

Violence. The movie includes 1 torture scene, series of gun fights, and exposure of blood and fatal injuries.

[PROS]

CLEVER TITLE

The title of the movie literally translates “Goyo: The Boy General”, and for me it is well-thought of to the point that it reveals everything significant in the movie. Cleverly, “goyo” is a Filipino term that means “to be played fool”. And later on, in the movie, we can see how this term doesn’t just applies on the ladies Goyo had duped, but also to the Filipinos whose negligence caused failure to the revolution.

The use of the word “boy” instead of “young” hinted the very essence of this movie. Boy, as opposed to man, is commonly described to be childish, playful, naïve and gullible. Throughout the movie, Apolinario Mabini convinces himself that maybe it is right to call the negligence of Filipinos as childishness.

DRY BUT WITTY HUMOR

There were several scenes in the movie that made me smile, laugh and even face-palmed because of the character’s stupidity, yet I won’t deny that this movie is low-key funny.

CUTE SCENE. Julian and Vicente pushes Joven to mingle with some ladies in Dagupan.

In this scene, Joven proved me that he is an adorable dork. I find it funny how he can’t understand the impertinent replies of the lady (since it was spoken in the dialect on Dagupan) and yet he still politely conversed with them.

WITTY SCENE. General Alejandrino and his comrade attended a dinner with Otis and McArthur.

The part where General Alejandrino fakes his mention of an order stated in the Philippine Constitution. ”Nasa Constitution ba talaga yan?” “Huwag kang magulo. Hindi ko din alam”. This proved me how clever and to what extent the Pilipino would do just to escape the face of problems.

FACE-PALMED. [just see it for yourself] The price of arrogance.

FUNNY. Goyo, Julian, and Vicente went out for midnight swimming. featuring Joven the chaperone/look-out. This scene proves how naughty and reckless they are. Grown-ups acting like little boys.

Goyo:“Last one in has no balls”

Julian (referring to Goyo): “First one in’s an asshole”

ANOTHER FACE-PALMED MOMENT.  “Kam Amerikans welkam!”—Lt. Garcia

It’s fun until karma strikes back. Arrogance won’t do good.

ROMANCE

Unlike the former installment, the movie features the love life of Goyo as a significant part of his story arc. By just watching, we can say that the romantic element in this movie is dull and tragic. Some viewers commented that the romantic scenes were just fillers and weren’t really necessary in the progression of film. But I say, the romantic scenes in this movie weren’t really intended to give off kilig to its viewers— the scenes were intended to symbolize the dilemma of Goyo as a general of high position, and as a young man with any ordinary man’s interest.

In the film, there are two significant women in Goyo’s life: Remedios, his current love-interest, and Felicidad, the sister of President Aguinaldo, his former lover. Felicidad is a personification of Goyo’s past that is fueled by principles. She had seen him in his troubled times. She knew he is vulnerable. Remedios on the other hand, is a personification of Goyo’s future that is filled with ideals. The discourse these women had on the market while buying mangoes speaks of their characters—Felicidad values existence while Remedios likes to choose what’s best.

LINES WITH IMPACT

Dialogues:I kept on replaying the brief conversation between Gen. Alejandrino and Maj. Ortiz during the settlement of troops. Alejandrino said, “This isn’t about victory anymore, Ortiz. This is all about saving what dignity we have left”.  

Also, there are noteworthy lessons in the conversations of Uncle Miguel and Joven like: “Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self-interest” and “Learn from their mistakes”

Voice-Overs: I was captivated by Joven’s messages to his father. It was used as a creative tool to narrate and impart lessons throughout the movie.

The most remarkable part in the movie is when Apolinario Mabini started reading his letter to Marcelo del Pilar, while flashes of significant events are shown. It is like drawing a conclusion to all the morals in the story. I love the part when he said: “But I’m beginning to believe that they are right to call us children.” along with the scene of Lt. Garcia’s young son helplessly running away from the Americans.

PRODUCTION VALUES:

Script: I just love the choice of words. The conversations were not over-the-top. It felt satisfying to hear the character use pure Filipino language. It sounds poetic but at the same time it made me feel a sense of colloquiality because of the way the actors deliver their lines. The delivery of dialects was good. I noticed that from Clara of Dagupan, and the Ilocano dialect of Lt. Garcia.

Casting: For me, the production team did a great casting. Though there are people who detracts Paulo Avelino for the role of Goyo saying “he’s too mestizo, kayumanggi si Goyo” nonverbatim. I think he fits the role well because his charm comes out naturally, and he expresses the internal conflict of Goyo without looking so obvious and exaggerated. Further than that, I commend how they chose actors not by popularity but by the skills. It’s a good thing that the appearance was also considered because it adds up to the impact of the character. Mon Confiado, with his flat top hair, looks really similar to Emilio Aguinaldo.

Acting: The actors did great in portraying their characters. The film showed me no small roles. With their intense acting and on-point facial expressions, the slow-paced plot of the film is brought to life. I would commend Arthur Acuña’s portrayal of Manuel Bernal. Even if his role is not as big as the protagonists, he made it so intense that makes it remarkable. Also, I enjoyed Alvin Anson’s portrayal of Gen. Alejandrino. Quizon’s portrayal of the “brain of the revolution,”—easily one of the best parts of Heneral Luna—continues to be stellar and Mabini in fact delivers some of Goyo’s best lines along with audience surrogate Joven Hernando (Arron Villaflor), the photographer’s assistant from the first film.

Cinematography: Creative. I commend how every frame captures the mood and implies message to its viewers. Also, the drone shots of Mt. Tirad are breathtaking. I don’t mind if some part of the landscape is graphically enhanced, after all it is meticulously and skillfully done. The establishing shot which shows the time and place were on point.

Musical-Score: I love the part when Goyo reads the letter from Remedios below Mt. Tirad— the music (which I think is an instrumental arrangement of Susi) intensifies the mood of the scene. I would also commend the soundtracks they used in the movie. The lyrics of the OST Susi (composed and interpreted by Ben and Ben; with musical arrangements by Miguel Guico and Jerrold Tarog) suits the message of the movie well. It’s like the song is directed to the life of Goyo itself.  

The song interpretation of Bato sa Buhangin by Glaiza De Castro in the ending scene gave me goosebumps! It startled me a bit because I was disappointed and dissatisfied by the ending scene of Remedios, then suddenly Glaiza sang out of nowhere without instrumental intro going on.

GOYO:ANG BATANG HENERAL VS. HENERAL LUNA

If Heneral Luna had the catchphrase: “Mga kapatid, meron tayong mas malaking kaaway kaysa sa mga Amerikano: ang ating sarili.” (Brothers, we have an enemy bigger than the Americans: ourselves.)

Goyo has “Tandaan mo kung sino ka.” (Remember who you are.)

A DIFFERENT FLAVOR:

Since this film is less intense compared to Heneral Luna when it comes to action scenes, it is a challenge for the producers to make this film interesting. One thing they included to add thrill is the series of flashbacks and imagined internal struggles.

THE EDGE:

If Goyo succeeds in anything, it is in humanizing the patronized young general Del Pilar. While stories portray him as larger than life, the film grounds his exploits firmly in reality, even his womanizing nature. It’s wonderfully researched and—despite giving the disclaimer in the beginning that it uses fictional elements to deliver a cohesive narrative—gives audiences a better glimpse into the life of one of the country’s heroes. It gives its own version of events, such as sticking to the contention that it was Remedios and not younger sister Dolores who was Goyo’s true love.

[CONCLUSION]

At first, I was frustrated at the progression of the film—I think it was lousy and it didn’t really meet my expectations. Then I watched it for the second time around hoping to subvert my negatives and find the bright side of the film. I decided to focus more on the lines and the complexity of the characters. As I delve deeper on its plot and dialogues, I realized how significant the point they are trying to imply on its viewers. This film doesn’t just want to please our eyes—the movie encourages us Filipinos to ponder and reflect on our current situation from what

It is not just about the life of the young general Gregorio Del Pilar— the entire film, slow and plodding as it is, is a well-crafted argument against the selfishness of the men who shape this nation. Mabini narrates that it is only in fighting, in dying as a soldier, that Aguinaldo may regain his lost honor and prestige. But as the disgraced first President stares blankly at the sunset over Malacañan, he mutters that he has already given fealty to the United States. It’s a chillingly familiar refrain: A leader who seems to favor another country over his own. Mabini laments that perhaps the Americans were right, after all—that we are but mere children trying to fight a grown man’s war. He says that Filipinos ignite with passion very quickly, but burn out just as fast. It’s a terrifying reminder that the Philippines may be doomed to follow the lead of people who put their own interests above the country’s.

Note:

Though the film is a stand-alone type of movie, I suggest you go and watch Heneral Luna and Angelito first, respectively, before watching Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral in order to clearly understand what’s going on in the movie.

Heneral Luna is the first installment of Jerrold Tarog’s Philippine war trilogy that was launched last September 2015. It lasts for about two and half hours.

Angelito is a short film uploaded in TBA Studios’ and Globe PH’s YouTube channel. The short film, which lasts for only 21 minutes and 12 second, serves as the bridge to the two movie installments.

“Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” has a screen time of almost 2 hours and 30 minutes including the intro and credits.

It is a must-watch movie for those who loves historical films. I highly recommend it to those who wants to know more about the Philippine history.

To those who haven’t watch any of the two movies yet, it is already available on Netflix.

[theundergrounddrabbles]

NaaMako (request)

“Nee Rina-chan, I have something for you.”

 Kojima Makoto was quick to see his girlfriend’s jealousy. It didn’t bother him to that to her little sister since they were friends first before Nana had agreed to become his girlfriend. However, it was a bit awkward to know that the relationship was meant to stay close with all three being in the same circle. Rina opened the box to a book and ran off with her voice gleefully thanking the male for his generosity.

 “You keep giving her stuff that she wants.” Nana growled.

 “Well I keep giving into your needs.” Makoto argued with a grin.

 “Because you’re my boyfriend and that it only happens occasionally but every day you keep giving her drinks or old books and even an old phone.” Nana replied back when he kissed her on the forehead. “I had wondered why she never wanted to go out with you.”

 Makoto had to keep it a secret. Rina had informed him about the situation that Nana had been thinking about Makoto and had been clued in that she had been easily jealous of the other girls around him. He had never considered Nana as a person who he would be interested in since she was quick to scold him about homework and letting Rina wrap him with her finger. However, she had told him in secret that if given a chance, Nana would give into her cold shoulder and ask.

 Upon that day, Rina had waited for him to only find Nana by his side. The moment was beyond belief for Rina however it was his style that detracted her and allowed her older sister to take him. Although it was natural for him to give stuff away to the younger sibling and feel appreciative for it. Nana was quite the opposite and even a complaint came as something harsh although the secret between Nana and him was sacred enough to not kill the thought of an unusual circumstance.

 “Rina and I are too playful. You watched us enough when your face is in the books. You complained a lot but the honesty was you had a mate too when I decided to ask you.” Makoto explained.

 “Correct… she still is and occasionally…” Nana sighed.

 “I’m not against it or asking for more but between us three we need to be ourselves until that day…” Makoto pulled her closer.

 “Makoto-kun… Nana does other things too… like cooking.” Rina chimed in when the two glanced up at the female.

 “What else exactly she does in her free time?” Makoto asked, leaning in.

 Receiving the elbow into his ribs, he let off a smile when Rina turned to her sister. “Makoto was always yours.”

 As she walked off, Makoto shrugged his shoulders when the words sunk into her mind. Rina was the stronger of the two although Nana had struggled to fit into the places she had wanted to perform better in. Academics was her strength and it was a laboring process however the truth was to get the grades to survive school overall while her challenge was to see who would take her although with the inclusion of Makoto in her life, she had taken the road less traveled to a smaller school that was high on communications as a major while Makoto had settled in on an undecided.

 She didn’t want to ponder over the decision but it was the day before graduation that triggered the avalanche into what she had preferred in life. Schools in Tokyo had requested for her but once she had seen the campus and the student body, she had felt unwanted by the school. Nana knew the consequences and had felt stressed when she had seen Makoto lounging. From her girlfriend, she had been allowed to experiment with her sexuality however it did also stress that she had wanted to check off what everyone had been performing which she had inclined to inform him.

 Nana had hated the fact that she had been reminded that Rina didn’t want him. It was finally the point that she could proclaim that she was able to fight the fear and allow Makoto to view her as a woman and gained the insight into how she wanted to feel although awkward and pleased at the same time was to admit that Rina was right all along to the ignorance of her friendship with Makoto.

 “You rarely cook for me.” Makoto laughed.

 “I’m trying to. Rina is much better since mama was teaching her first. I’d admit I’m okay at it but not great.” Nana quipped.

 “Just do it once.” Makoto hummed when she glanced at her boyfriend.

 “Do you want me to just wear the apron if we are home alone?” Nana smirked.

 “I’m not asking for that since you’ll be dirty.” He argued when she brushed his hair back.

 “Maybe if you got to see Rina’s chest…” Nana whispered.

 “She has a bigger chest but not like I want to see it for your sake. Although you got to see many of them at the same time.” Makoto added when she turned to the side.

 “I see. Well I actually want to rest for a bit. Want to hang in the room while I nap?” Nana asked, seeing a nod from her partner as the two walked into the nearby area and closed the door behind them.

 Nana jumped onto the bed while Makoto took to the floor when her hand came across his chin. The unusual circumstances of her standard was a bit awkward at first but roving over to the cheek, she forced a stare from him with a quick smile. He wasn’t certain but her lips came forward and pressed up as the hand moved to her arm. Twisting his body back, he forced her onto the back and caught his hand growing closer to her chest like a magnet when her grip caught him unexpectedly.

 “You weren’t trying to…?” Makoto pondered.

 “I thought you were the guilty one.” Nana replied.

 “Rina is in the next room though…” He pondered. “If you wanted to…”

 “Mou~ I can’t imagine what she thinks about us and how often we do this.” Nana laughed.

 Makoto drew back for the second when he had thought of Rina. Truth was he wasn’t sure but it was always a ploy by her if she wanted to go along with it. Timing was convenient for her with the times she had requested to go into the study rooms to get one out of him, protection or not, although testing a limit like him had become a game and the times he had pulled too late was quite often giving her a chuckle and fear to the situations. He had kept an extra in his wallet in case when he glanced at the door.

 “I’m ready.” Nana cooed.

 “How about we send Rina out for a walk? I’m hungry.” Makoto drew a smile and winked.

 “Bad boy~” Nana poked his midsection. “Lock the door too.”

 He rolled off the bed and ventured to the other room where she had the book upon her chest before she shot a glance towards Makoto with his hands in his pocket before handing her two thousand yen bills. “Would you mind getting some food?”

 “Is Nana in the mood?” Rina laughed.

 “We’re hungry though…” Makoto swayed his eyes away.

 “Well… she shouldn’t be so secretive about you. Making her scream and moan.” She grinned. “It’s fine. I’m not offended that her little sister knows about her sex life.”

 “Sorry…” He sighed.

 “That’s okay. If your classmates knew that she was craving sex for years before you came along. She was always the one to make everyone proud and she chose you plus followed you to that college. I was hoping for marriage and a kid.” Rina nodded, grabbing the money. “Remember use protection~”

 The chiming of her voice made him smile. The sudden chuckle of everything was to relieve the problem he had pondered about for a while between the two sisters. Rina was the angel compared to Nana although in comparison, Nana had only broken out of her shell recently. He turned back and locked the bedroom door behind him as she sat topless on the bed when she strode up and cupped the bulge.

 “You’ve been a bit too loud about me.” He informed her, coding the words from her sister.

 “Really? Wouldn’t all the girls be jealous of me getting aroused by just looking at you?” Nana smirked, grabbing the belt and loosening it front of him.

 The weight of the pants fell instantly to the ankles as he kicked them off and carried Nana back to the bed. His lips instantly rubbed up to hers as the hand drew to the small glob and gripped it quickly to massage between his fingers. The faint moan escaped into his ear with the hand drawn towards her loins to the normalcy of her status, moistening the fingertips of the male. Makoto pulled the outer piece from her body as he danced on the exterior of the underwear before Nana had threw him over and offered the area to his mouth.

 Moving the material to the side was the glistening mess of hair guarding the entrance and moved his lips up to it. The slight tinge of sweet and sour covered his tongue. On the other end was the feel of her mouth warming up the engine that was going to satisfy her for the moment, sensing the struggle to take it within her mouth. The grazing of her teeth made it beyond impossible to hold the pressure in any longer although he had controlled the temptation with the situation.

 She had quickly turned back to the male and saw his finger to the pants. The curt smile caught him knowing the next part was simple for the two as she rolled off the bed and gripped the wallet from his pants to open the plastic to roll onto the prepared member. Nana slipped it onto it before peeling the underwear from her body and throwing it to the floor. Her hips guided her back when she let out an audible cry and sat onto the groin of the male.

 “Honest question…? Would you…?” Nana asked.

 “Only if you allow her.” Makoto answered when a smile came upon her face.

 She planted her hands upon the midsection as she swayed the hips back and forth while he had watched her from the bottom to take the cock into the body. The first time never changed what was expected to happen when she had accepted the present from him. For her, he had never expected such girth for her first time and expectation was just something she had only imagined and now just took as something of a given for her as long as they were together. He moved his hands to the hips as a guide to keep on the prick when she crumbled forward and met with his lips again.

 “Mou~” she moaned.

 Nana stopped her motion and pulled him over as she brought his hands together with her, giving him control from the position. He pushed forward as the body shifted upon the bed, keeping the pillow as a shield from the bedrest as her voice screeched out into the room. Makoto had wondered if Rina was home what would happen although hiding it away that he was thinking about it, he had placed it onto the back and continued his motions into the woman.

 The combination of all the elements seemed to equate to a new experience often but her body was slender to the others and left him limited with the positions as she moved her palms to the chest and let out a cry into the room before retracting back to the original state. He had glanced upon her cheeks blooming like flowers when she had glanced away.

 “It’s embarrassing~” Nana moaned. “I want you to stop.”

 “Stop?” Makoto questioned when she pushed him back.

 “Don’t look at my face.” Nana warned when she turned her body onto her stomach and propped back up on her fours. “We haven’t done this.”

 He nodded when he guided the slick prick back into her body. The area was different than before, unexpected to analyze but his hands gripped the hips and slowed down the motion to get the whole length into her as another cry came out when she had thrown the glance back. Her lips moved softly to state the intentions to punish the move by her and quickened the pace with the item pumping furiously within her body. Makoto knew it was close although he couldn’t time it to the point. It was a straight line to follow until he was at the peak.

 “Makoto!” Nana yelled.

 The moment of her plea brought the exit of his seed although the slim protection had saved him. It was just the few minutes to burn off the steam when he allowed the pulsing to run between them before withdrawing it. Nana swung her body around and removed the packaged secretion from his prick and held it up before placing it onto the floor.

 “Rina should be home soon.” Nana informed him when there was a knock at the door.

 He opened the door, hiding from her sight as she peeked into the room to see her sister covering her body with the blanket although the obvious signs were scattered across the ground when a smile came to her face. “Makoto makes Nana scream.”

 “Rina! Wait outside!” Nana growled when he closed the door before she planted the foot into the doorway.

 “I’m happy you’ve been keeping her occupied.” She whispered before moving it back out to lock the door as they dressed back up.

 He would have expected something awkward but between the two it was rivalry yet a bond that couldn’t be broken as they straightened up and walked back into the living room with Rina at the table with the bentos laid out for them. Nana sat on the side with the katsu and then got it switched with the one with the fish as she drew a grin upon her face.

 “Didn’t you get enough meat for the day?” Rina asked.

 “Shut up!” Nana moaned opening her meal. “I’m not filled yet.”

 “Makoto could argue that~” Rina snickered as he stuffed the food into his mouth while the two started the bickering again about everything else but thanking Rina to give them time to bond again in the room.

[mitsuhasnolifebutwatchesanime]

A deeper look at my favorite anime: Natsume’s Book of Friends

Wow, I have been running this blog for four years now. That’s a long time to spout out my shit opinions on everything. One thing that has surprisingly not changed though has been my favorite anime. I feel bad because my original review for the series was written 4 years ago. I had just started college, I had no real sense of objectivity and boy, I LOVED Natsume’s Book of Friends obsessively.

Since I hit almost 400 watched anime series on MyAnimeList, I think it’s safe to say now I know what’s good and what isn’t good, and it is good. With the manga series now going on 20+ volumes, the anime renewed for a sixth season, and the Nyanko sensei merchandising coming out every little crevice in Japan, I think it’s safe to assume Natsume’s Book of Friends is loved by many, but why? And especially, why do I like it? I’d like to take a second, deeper look at why this anime works, and hopefully convince you to give my favorite series a try!

A look into traditional Japanese lore and mythology

First off, I wanna talk about the awesome designs and mythology that thoughtfully goes into each youkai character. Yuki Midorikawa is a wonderful author and if you read the manga, you’ll see she breaks down each storyline at the end of the manga as to why she chose/designed the youkai in question, and how they fit into the particular plot. It’s not quite shallow like “it looks good,” and it’s not always entirely original. Some of the youkai designs are taken from actual Shinto mythology, where the idea is that almost everything has a spirit.

Her designs remind me a lot of a similar series, Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro-san, which also is about the world of youkai and how they can have an effect on the world of humans. Back to my main point though, the yokai are thoughtful in design. They are beautiful, terrifying, cute, hilarious, and overall a delight to the senses. There is variety in not only their design, but their personalities and character development as well. It’s very good that this series is focused on making youkai as human as possible without having them be human.

Also if you’re interested in learning more about youkai, NHK World did an awesome Begin Japanology about it, and it’s a DELIGHTFUL watch.

Takashi Natsume is a relatable and deep character

I understand relating to characters. Characters have to be relatable for the real immersive experience to really get into the media they’re in.  Nothing makes me more upset than a dull, passive main character intended for projection. Then again, I’m also a little hesitant about people who say an anime or an anime character “saved” them. This anime came out when I was recovering from a very hard time in my life, so naturally, I related to Takashi a lot. I wouldn’t say this anime saved me though. I was already healing and had the support I needed, and when the anime ended, I didn’t stake my life on it. That’s just unhealthy.

It is healthy, however, to have an outlet like anime to learn and understand complex emotions, situations, and put your own life into perspective. The reason why I related so much to Takashi, aside from the rough childhood (nowhere near as rough, my parents are alive and healthy) and his anxiety is that he distanced himself from both worlds. He doesn’t want to get close to people in the fear of hurting others and being hurt, and at a time I was just learning to understand and really make friends with people, it was really relatable. Takashi hides, not just his ability to see Youkai from others, but the issues it brings from the friends who know he has this ability. When he is deeply suffering, he’s afraid to get people involved in the event it’ll hurt them. He’s burdened in later seasons with keeping more and more secrets, and you can see it’s hurting him trying to not hurt others. Nothing is quite as awful as when you finally break and you end up crying in front of the person you most of all didn’t want to involve. You feel vulnerable and open, and seeing Takashi reach that breaking point in “The Long Way Home,” I really felt for Takashi deeply. No major spoilers here (as this episode mostly takes place in a flashback), but this is the first time Takashi really truly feels selfish enough to ask for something: a loving home when it’s offered to him, and the thought of it just crushes him and I hurt thinking about it.

Quality animation and aesthetics

Okay, sliding that emotional stuff aside, let’s get back to the technical parts of the anime. This anime is beautiful, and what’s really great is it didn’t necessarily start out this way. The first two seasons of Natsume’s Book of Friends don’t have the best animation in the world. The anime relies heavily on scenery pieces, close-ups, gentle slow motions, and some hyper animated action sequences. It’s hard to balance those well without trimming the edges somewhere. Upon rewatching some episodes with my friend I kept nothing places where there were long frames of animation with lots of mistakes in it, but it didn’t necessarily detract from the overall aesthetic.

The style and animation for this series over it’s, so far, five seasons of animation is so fluid. It really makes me grin thinking that only the studio has changed, yet the entire core crew appears to still be around. It gets more beautiful every episode, sometimes the style gets more and more smooth and fluid, other times its more serious and ridged. Still, the soft color pallet that stays throughout the anime, the gentle soundtrack, and sketchy, softer shapes in the series remain very faithful. Also, considering how people complain about adaptations in general, it isn’t a perfect adaptation.

Takashi’s hair and eye color are changed from silver to a kind of deep hay or gold color for the anime. The series is so episodic, the arrangement is almost entirely out of order to where the anime has had to change the seasons of some episodes just to get them to fit into the timeline, unless that season pertains to the storyline of the episode itself. It’s so freaking weird and neat.

That Soundtrack

The soundtrack, which you can listen to a majority of on YouTube, is beautiful. Sometimes it’s weird and a little other worldly like the youkai themselves, or it’ll lull you into a comfortable, at home feeling. I own most of the soundtrack, it’s entirely relaxing and just melts me when I listen to it.

Midorikawa’s other work, Hotarubi no Mori e, also has a gorgeous soundtrack composed by (I THINK) the same person who did the Natsume’s Book of Friends soundtrack, so if you like this soundtrack, you should check out Hotarubi’s too. I especially recommend the title theme if you want some painful feelings.

A lesson of empathy and developing themes

I’m not sure I’ve seen many anime longer than this. I’ve tried many, but it’s hard to start a series when it already has so much material out there. I was fortunate to start it from a little after its Japanese debut, and to have grown with it. I love watching the characters grow and develop as well.

While the series is very episodic to where at this point, I can watch any episode, and I even got someone to watch an episode from each season a few weeks ago, there is continuity. Takashi is a growing boy. He grows, physically and emotionally throughout the series and those differences are striking between seasons one and five for example. He’s is so withdrawn at first, shy, avoids eye contact, and is extra jumpy. In season five, he smiles more genuinely, allows himself to laugh, and finds himself leaning more towards trying to be open towards his friends, the youkai, and the Fujiwaras. Seeing him open up melts my heart. It makes me honestly proud of him like someone would be for their child, which I know is silly, but I’ve been watching this show for ten years now. Ten years is a commitment, folks!

Takashi, in the first few seasons, is very skeptical, fearful, and anxious about anyone and everyone getting near him, especially youkai. Watching him develop into this character that’s determined to be kind, to treat youkai like he would a human, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt no matter if they deserve it or not, is endearing.

I think it’s character writing at its best, and it’s not just Takashi that changes, but the people around him. From the people he cares about opening up as well and growing, to the youkai making an effort to understand humans and their customs, to even Nyanko-sensei becoming attached to Takashi beyond being prey, but a friend, is very exciting to see.

This series means a lot to me, and it’s one of the reasons I decided to start pursuing writing, opening this blog, and making an effort to find anime like it. If you try out Natsume’s Book of Friends and have any thoughts you’d like to share with me, I’d love to hear them. If you want similar anime to it recommended to you if you already like the series and are looking out for something new, talk to me.

[lalast0ne]

Damaged

Layla

I’m a city girl born and raised. Normal, to me, was the buzz of the busy streets, the over crowded public transport and high rise buildings for as far as the eye could see. Not that long ago, the very thought of leaving behind the city I loved and knew like the back of my hand would give me palpitations. Now I welcomed the escape. The moment I crossed out of the concrete jungle all my fears and troubles seemed to disappear. My destination was close by. I’d made the journey a few times now and, much like my body knew I’d left the city, it also knew when I was close to his town. To him. A buzz of excitement I had no control over coursed it’s way from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. It felt like it had been ages since I’d seen him, when in reality it had only been days but now even days seemed too long. The more time we spent together, the more I wanted to be around him. Our last encounter had opened up a whole new side to him that I wasn’t even sure existed. The morning after, I could have even been convinced that I had dreamed the encounter in the bakery … if it hadn’t been for the huge yellow birthday cake which sat on my dining table. I drive through the town smiling at the few people on the street as I pass. I may be from the city but I’m well aware how small towns work. The moment Wilder’s neighbour saw my car out front that morning, when she brought treats round, I can almost guarantee I became the main subject of gossip. And true to form, I see her curtains twitching as soon as I pull up outside his house. I give an exaggerated wave as I exit the car, which is actually returned today, before she drops the curtain. I make my way up the garden path towards the empty looking house and give three sharp taps on the door then stand back before calling out, a frown tugging at my lips* Hello? Wilder?

Wilder

*It had been one of those weeks where I was inside my head but that always happened this time of year in remembering Andi. I had woken up early and my house was driving me stir crazy. I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed out the back door, leaving Killer sleeping on the couch. Damn dog had taken over every inch of my house and dared me with his growls to move him. I would never admit how much I liked him. Our personalities even matched until she was here. My lips quirk into a grin at the thought of my Little Ball of Fire as I walked my property and headed to edge where the old greenhouse was. I set my cup down and stepped inside, an instant peace coming over me. This was one of the few places I left standing when I bought the town. It may be old and falling apart but Andi would have loved it. And today I needed to feel her presence. Hear her words that give me strength. I rock back on my heels and look out as a butterfly sits for the briefest of minutes.*

Layla

*My bag drops from my shoulder and I walk back down the porch steps onto the lawn. My eyes search the front of the house like it’s going to tell me where he is but, unsurprisingly, it tells me nothing. I knew I should have let him know I was coming but I figured that I’d surprise him just like he had me when he’d shown up at my apartment with flowers. I call out again, as I start to make my way to the back of the house, and laugh as an overexcited puppy comes bounding around the corner barking in excitement. In a moment of complete madness I start speaking to the dog, like he can now explain to me where his master is* Where is he, boy? Where’s your Dad? *I follow Killer around the back of the house and watch as he starts running down the garden, back to me, then disappearing again into the trees that line one side of the lawn. I know for a fact Wilder wouldn’t leave the pup here on his own so he has to be around somewhere. I take off after the dog, laughing as he comes bounding back in excitement that I’m now playing his game, and within a few short moments I’m in a clearing and standing before the most beautiful greenhouse I think I’ve ever seen. The frame work is exquisite and the domed roof completely breathtaking. Even the missing and damaged paynes of glass, as well as the out of control jungle growing inside, can’t detract from its beauty. My mesmerised state is broken by my fluffy companion barking again and vanishing through an opening. I follow once more and smile at the sight of him. My boyfriend. Standing in complete silence, ignoring the dog momentarily until Killer makes it impossible* So it turns out your dog is champion at hide and seek. *I smile as you turn around* Do you want me to meet you back at the house?

Wilder

*Killer’s barking pulls me from my thoughts and then I turn as I hear your voice. Not one I had expected to hear today but one that has become my calm. I take a step towards you as you take a step forward, reaching my arm out and wrap it around your waist so I can pull into my body. Your arms come around me as I dip my head to inhale your scent. Peace. Calm.* No, stay here with me.

Layla

*I’m drawn to you like a magnet. Even if you’d have said yes to me waiting at the house, I wouldn’t have been able to leave without some form of contact. No matter how brief. Tilting my head to the side, I grin at your words and pull back to look at you, my fingers teasing your beard .. something I now find myself unable to do* Are you sure? I feel like I’m interrupting your thoughts.

Wilder

You are not interrupting anything. I come out here a few times a month to enjoy the tranquility. *A grin stretches across my face, Killer sitting at our feet.* He doesn’t let me get too far when I’m home. I guess I can take care of a dog after all. *I laugh when he barks.* You are a very pleasant surprise. Here to throw me over your shoulder and kidnap me?

Layla

*I allow my eyes the pleasure of looking around the glass building, nodding my head* I can see why you come here. It’s absolutely stunning. *My hand reaches down to scratch behind the pups ear and I turn my attention back to you, laughing at your words* Try not to be too disappointed that I’m not here to kidnap you. I am, however, here to cook you dinner. If you’d like it?

Wilder

I would love to cook dinner with you. *I thread our fingers together, the familiar electricity crackling around us.* I couldn’t tear this down when I moved here. I knew how much Andi would love it and I feel close to her out here. *I turn to look at you as you take it all in.* And I hoped one day to share it with someone special.

Layla

*I feel my cheeks flame red hot when you voice your hopes. This is either you telling me I’m important or it’s just become an extremely awkward moment because I really am intruding on your special place. Lifting our joined fingers to my lips, I press a kiss to your knuckles and laugh softly as I look around one last time* Are you tempted to restore it? I mean, it could be something pretty sensational.

Wilder

I’ve never thought about restoring it. I love the old, worn down feel of it. *I brush my knuckles across your flushed cheek and grin.* I meant with my girlfriend when and if that day comes.

Layla

I can completely understand that. Some things are just beautiful no matter how damaged they are *I smile up at you as your knuckle brushes over my cheek and turn my head to kiss your knuckle once more* well now I do feel special. Even if it was the dog who led me here. *I stay where I am, refusing to make you leave until you’re ready. This is where you feel close to your sister and I’d never pull you from that. I smile as a butterfly flutters by, catching Killers attention.* I imagine it’s easy to lose track of time sitting in here, lost in thoughts and memories.

Wilder

I can stay out here for hours and have in the past. Now it’s more of a quick visit but this past week with her birthday, I needed it. *I laugh as Killer chases the butterfly, thinking for a few minutes before the next thought rolls off my tongue.* I’m more damaged than anyone would ever know. It’s hidden deep inside me.

Layla

*I lift my hand to tuck my hair behind my ear and smile up at you. The thirteen word sentence from you might be short but the revelation itself is pretty huge. Slowly, you’re opening up to me, in your own time, and that makes me happier than I can ever explain.* You’re not alone there, handsome. We’re all damaged in our own way.

Wilder

*I turn back to watch Killer chasing the butterfly, Andi’s sign all around me. She wants me to let it all out but people only run when you tell them you have killed more than one person and felt no remorse. Not to mention the abuse.* But being able to heal that damage is harder than some realise.

Layla

*I contemplate your words for a moment, my eyes locked on yours as I move my head one way then the other.* It’s hard, I completely agree. But I think the biggest mistake a lot of people make is keeping it all locked inside. *I stroke my hand down your arm until our fingers twine once more.* I’d have driven myself crazy if it hadn’t been for certain people listening to me.

Wilder

*My eyes locked with yours, searching and as always, finding the calm. I take a deep breath, my eyes closing for a minute, feeling a gust of wind across my back.* Layla, would you be that person for me? Let me unleash my demons and cleanse who I am. Without walking away?

Layla

Yes *The word tumbles from my mouth before you’ve even finished speaking. I step closer to you, my hand tucking my hair behind my ear once more as a gust of wind comes from no where, then move my hand to your cheek in an attempt to soothe away any worries you might have.* There’s very little you could tell me that would send me running. I told you about my past and you chose to stay when others would have walked, I’m sure. *Moving up on tiptoes, I press my lips to yours for a single kiss and pull back smiling.* I’ll listen to everything, I’ll not judge and I’ll most definitely not walk away.

Wilder

*I let your words seep through my body, opening my eyes to meet yours again.* It will take me time to open up. I give it out in small pieces. I would hate to send you running for the hills if it all came out at once. *I pull you back against me, tugging your bottom lip between my teeth, our kiss growing heated in seconds. From our first encounter, it’s been electric between us and that electricity still crackles between us. Our bodies lighting on fire when we are close together.* Stay with me Layla. Not just tonight.

Layla

*My body melts into yours as I lose myself in the passionate kiss. I resist the urge to climb up your body in this special place and congratulate myself, in my mind, for being able to showing a level of restraint I know won’t last too much longer. A soft whimper catches in my throat, in protest, when you pull back.* I’ll stay for as long as you want me to. I’ll need to get some fresh clothes but I can do that after work tomorrow *Smiles up at you* As for you opening up … take as long as you need. I’m really not going to leave.

Wilder

*I lift you up in my arms, your legs wrapping around my waist and stalk back towards my house. Killer running ahead of me.* Dinner can wait several hours. I need to lose myself in you. *Thinking to myself…..before I show you my dark soul that no one has ever loved.*

[glass-ladybug]

home enough chapter 3

Gregg drummed his fingers on the wheel, humming to himself as he waited for the light to change. Since the Gas Station Fiasco, they’d been driving for roughly three hours. The highways were full of traffic, which meant they were full of stopping and starting. Bea had already gotten out to smoke more than once, cursing traffic blocks loudly as she came back inside. The light was fading, and the Indiana sky was a burst of vivid colors, the setting sun turning the blue to a rainbow of orange, red, and pink, casting gold on everything it touched.

Possum Springs didn’t even come close.

Since they were out of good ol’ rural America, Angus could actually get signal on his phone, which meant he was all cuddly in the backseat with Netflix.

Well, /good for him/, Gregg snarked to himself, peeved that he was still driving. The three of them had been rotating positions- Mae was left out, as she didn’t have a license, and in Bea’s words, there was ��no way in Hell Mae is ever permitted to have that much responsibility’.

The shorter girl had seemed rather hurt, but Gregg was pretty sure Bea was just concerned for her truck. Not that he himself was much of a step up in the responsibility ladder.

He never really interacted with Bea all that much. After all, he’d only really known her through Mae, and, even then, until she replaced Casey in the band-

/No./ Gregg tightened his grip on the wheel, jerking it sharply to the right. She didn’t replace Casey. She only took his position as drummer.

Gregg shoved those thoughts to the side, and cranked up 'Under The Sea’ for the thousandth time.

Even though the two never hung out, looking at the girl staring wistfully out the window, he could safely call her a friend. He’d gained an entirely new respect for her after what happened down in the mines. She’d put her life on the line for Mae, fighting off the cult like that, and anyone who cared that much about his best friend was good in his book.

Besides, if Bea wasn’t straight, Gregg would /definitely/ wager that-

Mae tapped Angus on the shoulder. “Hey, Angus. Aaaangusss.”

Gregg’s boyfriend took off his ear buds, placing them neatly in his lap. “…Yes?”

“What are you watching?”

Angus paused the video. “How It’s Made.”

Mae unclipped her seat belt, and slid over to Angus’s side of the car. “Can I watch?”

A smile tugged slightly at the edge of Angus’s lips. “Only if you put your seatbelt back on.”

Grumbling, Mae slid the seatbelt closest to Angus over her head, accepting the proffered ear bud.

From the passenger seat, Bea called back to them. “Why don’t you put on something we /all/ can hear?” Gregg silently agreed. Disney music, no matter how undeniably good it was, was starting to grate on his nerves after four hours.

Angus scrunched up his eyebrows. “Like what?”

Exasperated, Bea rested her head against the cool glass window, rolling it down slightly. A calm breeze gently blew through the truck, although it was accompanied by the noises of honking cars and squealing tires. “I don’t know. Something other than this.”

Gregg grinned, a smug smile spreading over his face. “All Angus listens to is emo music.”

His boyfriend’s only reaction was a small flush of color springing up on his brown cheeks.

“Well,” Angus said, tapping a finger to his chin, “Gregg listens to dubstep.”

Gregg immediately froze in place, much to the amusement of Mae, who was cackling in the background.

“Yeah, whatever! Watch your damn Netflix show!” Gregg spluttered.

A small, slightly triumphant smile settled on Angus’s face as he angled the phone for Mae to see.

——–

The night sky was a deep blue expanse above them, stars glittering faintly as if embroidered with silver thread into the canvas of the night. The brightly glowing windows against the blue reminded Bea distinctly of-

“Fireflies.” Mae murmured, half-asleep on Angus’s shoulder. ((remember to link in the end))

Bea smiled gently at her friend. “Yeah. That’s what I thought, too.”

The four rode in silence, Gregg tapping away at his phone in the passenger’s seat, Angus listening to music, Mae curled up into a ball, her eyes only barely open, and Bea, driving. Moonlight cascaded through the car windows, illuminating Mae’s face and head in a silver light.

Suddenly, in the quiet space, Bea felt incredibly lonely.

She turned to Angus, who saw her gaze and quickly removed his headphones. “I think Chicago will have to wait until morning.” She remarked dryly.

A flicker of disappointed crossed Angus’s brown eyes. “So we stop at a hotel?”

“I guess so.”

Angus looked longingly out the window. “We’re only a half-hour away…”

“Unless you want to hit up a nightclub, there’s not much we can do.”

He sighed, returning to his music. Bea pushed the car a bit further against the traffic. They continued in silence, and Bea was thrilled when they pulled into the driveway of a rundown little motel at the edge of Merrillville, just outside of Chicago. The neon 'Open’ sign blinked fuzzily, and Bea felt as if the whole ordeal wasn’t quite real.

Bea slowed the car, the purring motor coming to a stop. She turned to look at Mae, whose black hair was ruffled messily across her face, still awash in the pocket of moonlight as she slept against Angus’s side. “Is she…?” ((is all mae’s touchy-feeliness with angus too out there??? i dont want it to have any romantic implications))

Angus nodded. “Completely out.”

Bea began to move over, the door popping open with a shove from her hip.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ve got her.” Angus gently slid an arm under Mae’s back, lifting her up like a doll. Mae didn’t seem to notice.

“Angus, she can walk-”

He laughed. “It’s fine. She’d throw a fit if we woke her up now.”

Bea yanked her keys out with a huff, chin held high as she led the four into the dingy motel.

———

Angus guiltily ignored the employee’s 'you’ve got to be kidding me’ look as they entered.

Calm down, Angus. You’re not doing anything wrong. Just… cradling a passed out girl, and asking for a hotel key at 10:23 p.m.

On that subject, Angus felt he was slightly indebted to Mae. She’d made mistakes in the past, and caused fights between himself and Gregg, but she was really making an effort this trip. All she wanted was for her friends to be happy, and Angus couldn’t think of a better goal. She’d tried very hard to include him, and if Angus could pay her back, even in this childish, tiny way, he’d do it. Sure, he still had his doubts about the wiseness of his the plan, but he was willing to give it a shot. ((this is kinda a mess, clean it up later.))

He didn’t know why Bea was getting so huffy over it, though.

The employee looked pointedly between him, and the girl in his arms, her eyes looking uncertainly for an answer.

“She’s only asleep.” Great, Angus. Way to sound like a serial killer.

The woman, obviously too tired and underpaid to deal with this, rubbed her eyes. “Hi, welcome to Econo Lodge, what can I get for you?”

“A double room please. Four people.”

“That’s thirty-five dollars.”

Bea turned to Gregg, nodding in approval. “So /that’s/ why you insisted we stay here.”

Gregg grinned. “What can I say? I’m an economist.”

Bea opened her wallet, and Angus shifted Mae slightly so he could grab his. Bea counted out the bills, and pushed them to the concierge. “I’ve got it. My treat.”

Gregg shook his head adamantly, and the woman paused, wavering over the money. “No, seriously-”

“Yeah. Save up for your wedding, or whatever.” Bea took the key, thanking the employee.

“D'awww.” Gregg simpered.

“Stairs or elevator?”

Angus gave Bea a deadpan stare.

“Right. Elevator.”

They loaded in, Gregg eagerly pressing the button for the second floor.

Unfortunately, Mae chose that moment to wake up. She stretched, stiffening as the elevator jolted beneath her. Bea saw the warning signs a split second before they occurred, but was powerless to stop them. Her eyes widened, pure terror filling them as she clutched onto Angus’s shirt so tensely that her knuckles turned white.

Gregg immediately dashed to his best friend’s side, prying her hands off his boyfriend’s shirt, and encasing them in his. “Hey, yo, it’s okay! We’re fine! We’re at a hotel right now.” He reassured her. His voice wavered when she didn’t respond at all.

Mae still looked deathly afraid, and something clicked for Bea.

Waking up disoriented, being carried by Angus, and stuck in a creaky elevator all would undoubtedly add up to one thing in Mae’s head: The Mines.

Bea quickly moved over to Mae, her dark eyes meeting Mae’s light ones. “We’re here. Indiana. We’re not back there, Mae. It’s just us. Only us.”

The elevator came to a halt, its doors snapping open with an ill-placed ding. Angus moved out of the elevator as quickly as possible.

Mae looked at him, her eyes losing some of their terrifying, animalistic quality. “I… You can put me down, now.” Angus obliged.

She stood, teetering, but more stable. “I’m okay.” She gave them a weak smile. “Haha, that was kinda stupid, wasn’t-”

“No,” Gregg interrupted, an uncharacteristic solemnity in his voice, “It’s not at all.” ((too dramatic???)) ———

The four entered their room, Mae launching herself at one of the beds, its springs squeaking beneath her. For $35, Mae had to say it was pretty decent. The fading and chipped yellow walls didn’t detract too much, nor did the garish, scratchy orange sheets, and lack of amenities. Gregg already had begun his plans to steal the mini toiletries, but Angus looked troubled.

Mae frowned. “You okay?”

“There’s only two.”

“Huh?” Mae looked in the direction Angus was pointing, bewildered.

Two beds. Each a decent size, but there were still only two. One for Gregg and Angus, and that left…

One for herself and Bea.

Mae heaved a sigh, the bed creaking as she stood up. “I’ll sleep in the bathtub.”

Bea rolled her eyes. “No, you’re not.”

Bea paced around the room, throwing down her duffle bag in agitation. “I /specifically said/, four people! They didn’t even give us an extra cot!”

“At least there’s a TV?” Gregg offered, his pockets full of mini soaps.

Bea glared at him, and resumed her pacing.

“It’s not a big deal, Bea. I can make a bed. We’ve got blankets, a couple extra pillows-”

“No, Mae.”

“Okay, I’ll use the chair then, either one-”

“You can have the bed. I’ll call the front desk and ask for a rollaway bed.”

Gregg spoke up, dangling a shiny brochure between his fingers. “Uh, unless you wanna pay another twenty bucks, then we’re out of luck.”

Bea rubbed her face, and began unpacking. “Then I guess we’re sharing a bed, Mae.”

Mae felt her heart freeze. “Uh-”

“We did it when we were kids. Not much of a difference now, right?”

“Yeah. Right.” Mae hoped to any and all of the gods that no one was noticing the flush that was creeping up her neck.

Bea gathered up a bundle of clothes, holding them against her chest, departing into the slightly grimy hotel bathroom to shower.

“Well, I’m gonna go get changed!” Mae said hurriedly, snatching her clothes messily from her bag in a flurry. She sprinted to the only private place in their room- a small, musty little closet with a few stray hangers.

How ironic.

Mae shoved her head into her hands, her choppy dark hair falling over her eyes. She did /not/ have feelings for Bea. She didn’t! And, if she did, (which she absolutely positively did not!) Bea definitely didn’t reciprocate. Bea was exclusively attracted to males, and Mae was… not exactly fantastic date material. At all. Unless your ideal girlfriend was a clumsy college dropout with anger issues and a tendency to attack things.

But still. The way her eyes brightened when she laughed, and how her dark curls swept across her brow-

/No./

And yet, a tiny fragment of her brain still called out in protest. /But what if?/ it asked.

Mae slumped in the dark space.

A sharp rap echoed on the wood doors, and Gregg’s high voice dug a wedge into her silence. “Hey, you okay in there? If you don’t come out soon, you’re gonna miss the end of 'Cutthroat Kitchen’. And, seriously, this guy has to make cordon bleu with /blue cookies/! It’s some crazy shit, man.”

Mae lauhed, stopping Gregg’s rambling. “Nice, dude. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Mae waited to hear Gregg’s footsteps, but he didn’t leave.

“Did you, like, forget to bring pants or something? Cuz’, I can grab you a pair if you need-”

Mae cut Gregg off. “No! I’m fine. Just taking a while.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever, dude. Come out when you’re ready.”

Mae hastily slid on her pajamas, which consisted of a t-shirt and shorts, tossing her dirty clothes onto the closet floor.

“Welcome back to the world of the living!” Gregg called out sarcastically. He and Angus were laying together, Gregg cuddled up to his boyfriend’s side, his head laying comfortably on his chest, moving up and down slightly with every breath.

Mae threw herself at the bed, burrowing under the soft linen. Hotels were such surreal places. So many people had, and would come and go, and not a single one left any indication that they had once been here. Mae nudged further into the covers.

At that moment, the bathroom door creaked open, and Bea emerged, toweling off her damp hair. Her dark brown skin had a warm glow to it, and her usually scrunched up black hair hung loosely across her shoulders. She draped the towel over a hook, sitting down next to Mae on the bed.

“Gregg, can I have the remote?”

“Nah, dude! I gotta finish my episode!”

Bea snorted, and slid underneath the covers, folding them neatly at the edges. Mae was painfully aware of how close they were.

Yeah. Totally platonic. Absolutely-positively. ((yes ik that’s repetition it’s intended))

Applause echoed through the grainy speakers as the winner was given their earnings, and Gregg tossed the remote to Bea.

“What are you gonna watch?”

“House Of Cards.”

Mae’s jaw dropped. “/Seriously/?”

“I like this kind of stuff.”

“Isn’t it about, like, politics and shit?”

“Pretty much. It’s supposed to exhibit how corrupt the government is, and how big money and businesses own today’s media, and use unsavory tactics to reach their-”

Gregg groaned loudly from across the room, causing Bea to toss a pillow in his general direction.

Mae hummed to herself, noticing that Bea’s hair smelled vaguely of cinnamon. It was nice, being away from home. Nothing was quite real out here. Every unexpected change a new adventure rather than a setback, every fork in the path a new opportunity. With the four of them together under the brilliant night, Mae could almost pretend it would last forever.

The lamp clicked off beside her, and Mae felt Bea shift over, turning toward the wall. Mae could just barely hear Gregg and Angus murmuring to each other as she sank into her pillow.

“Night, Cap'n.” Gregg said, hugging Angus.

Angus nuzzled his boyfriend. “Goodnight, Bug.”

Mae spoke up drowsily, her voice barely above a whisper. “See ya tomorrow, Bea-Bea.”

There was a beat of prolonged silence, and the only noise Mae could hear was Bea’s steady breathing.

“Until then, May-Day.”

CHAPTER END

[op-law]

One Piece x Reader {Join My Club} Ch 10

(F/s) - Favorite Soup

~~~~~~~~

(Y/n)'s Pov

"Hm, I like (F/s) but Law might not feel the same way... Actually, if he didn't like it then why is it in his house?" The man was still in the shower though I knew he wouldn't take long so I placed the can down before I began to look for his can opener. "Where the hell does he keep it?... Hm, not here... Not here either" It was strange it wasn't with the other utensils, but I didn't give up hope as I opened yet another drawer. "What are you looking for (Y/n)-ya?"

"Ah! I thought you were in the shower Law?" My heart was threatening to pop out of my chest right now though I found it odd that I never even heard the water turn off. "Try not to scream so loudly (Y/n)-ya someone might think you're in danger. Now, what is it that you're looking for?" It took me a few moments to find the words but eventually, I did start to reply. "Where's your can opener Law?" When the man didn't answer my question right away, I became a little annoyed, but I let it slide since he was sick.

"Earth to Law. Where is your can opener? I can't open this soup without one" As he leaned back against the countertop, I watched his eyes lock on the can but instead of being reasonable, he decided to tease me instead. "I don't own one (Y/n)-ya though maybe if you ask nicely, I'll open it for you" How in the world did Law expect that he was going to open the soup without one? "Oh, great and powerful Law! Please open this soup for me! I'd be forever grateful if you could do me the honor!"

"Room... There you go (Y/n)-ya. I take it you can manage to heat it up on your own?" As my eyes went wide, I noticed Law didn't even bother to stick around as he took a seat on the bed. "W-What was that weird blue circle?" I had never seen something quite like it before, but it had appeared soon after the man said that word. "Aren't you familiar with devil fruit users (Y/n)?" As I thought over what Law had said I was still confused since I didn't know what some fruit had to do with any of this. "A devil who?"

"Didn't your father ever show you his abilities?... Hm, come here (Y/n)-ya I'll tell you everything I know about the fruits" Wait did he just mention my father? I knew our relationship hadn't been the best over the last few years but was he really hiding something like this from me? "Room... Shambles. I don't like to be kept waiting (Y/n)-ya and you know that" This must have been another one of Law's powers though as my eyes shifted back to the kitchen counter I started to reply. "But I have to make you some soup so you can get better"

"The soup can wait until we're finished with this" Hmm, he's probably not going to take no for an answer, and I was curious about these powers anyway, so I'd allow him to speak. "Alright Law but why do I have to sit in your lap?" It wasn't an uncomfortable position, but I found it odd that he would want me to sit on top of him. "... All questions will be answered later (Y/n)-ya. Now let's begin with the basics..."

~~~~~~~~~

Hawkins' Pov

"Drake would you like your nails trimmed this morning?" My partner's claws needed to be trimmed a few times each week to keep them at an appropriate length, but I also knew he didn't care for sitting still for me that much. "Hm, didn't you cut them a few days ago Hawkins?" As the male admired his claws, I leaned farther back in the tub though offered a quick reply before I did. "Yes, but it's time for them to be trimmed once again. May I see them, Drake?"

As the man placed his arm into mine, I admired his claws although when Drake started to complain I shifted my attention to his face instead. He always would bite his lip when asking a request of me and it was too adorable to miss out on. "I don't want them cut today Hawkins. Can you wait until tomorrow night?" Since his claws did appear to be too long, I would give in to his request though something else needed to be done before classes. "Very well Drake although your hair to due for a wash this morning. Please select a shampoo and lean back for me"

"Oh, alright Ha-"

'Ding'

"Was that your phone Hawkins or mine?" It was strange that Drake had received a text so early in the morning, but I didn't think much about it as the man started to dry his hands off. "I believe it was your phone Drake" As my eyes shifted to the left, I watched him lean over the tub before unlocking the device and reading over the text. "Hm... (Y/n) wants to know if I have a devil fruit. What do I say, Hawkins?" Devil fruit users didn't often make themselves known to the public although with Drake I knew even telling me about his powers was something that took months.

I had become aware of his fruit early on but to keep my partner calm and collected I never brought it up until he wanted to inform me about them. "Do you wish for her to know about your fruit Drake?" My partner was damaged so I could understand the fear that rested behind why he hid his powers, but he behaved differently when (Y/n) was involved. It was a good change though I still had my doubts about whether that girl would negatively or positively affect him. "Not really... Hmm, actually I don't know. She's my friend and lying to her wouldn't end well but what happens if she judges me?"

Since Drake was detracted by his phone, I leaned over his shoulder to whisper a reply into his ear. He always tensed up, but it was just a lovely reaction indeed. "How is it that she became aware of your powers? I thought you hide them from the public" Not everyone was familiar with the fruits since most thought of us as monsters without souls although that was how the world worked. People feared what they did not understand. "D-Don't do that H-Hawkins! H-Hold on I'll ask her... Oh, Law apparently is telling her all about the fruits and mentioned us to her"

So, (Y/n) was just as oblivious of the fruits as most people in the city? That was interesting, to say the least since her father was a Logia user if I remembered correctly. It was possible that the girl was just never informed of devil fruits but somehow, I doubted it was that simple. "If (Y/n)'s with Law does that mean she spent the night at his house?" Those two had only met the other day and Trafalgar was not known for committing to one female but there was a connection between them. "... That would make sense but I'm not going to question her about it. My fingers are starting to get wrinkles can you wash my hair with this shampoo?"

"As you wish Drake. Lean back for me"

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Killer's Pov

I had been up for the past two hours now, but my partner was still sleeping, and judging on the time we were going to end up being late again. "Kidd?... Come on Kidd wake up we're going to be late for class" He wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination though as his eyes popped open, I recognized that glare. It softened soon after when he noticed me sitting beside him but when the male started to speak, I felt my ears begin to ring. "I'm not fucking going!"

"That's not an option today Kidd" As my hands gripped the blanket, I threw it to the side before taking a hold of his hands so he couldn't make any attempt to receive it. "Give me back the blanket Killer! I'm not going to ask you twice!" Kidd might have sounded hateful and angry, but this was his normal behavior, so I was used to it. The male was mostly bark though if someone made him angry enough, he would occasionally bite. He wouldn't dare go against me so I could get away with giving him orders here and there. "No, there's a test this morning and you can't afford to miss it. I'll go prepare some breakfast but when I come back you better be up"

My parents had left for a business trip yesterday so we had the house to ourselves for a few days and if Kidd had his way, we would never leave the house during their time away. Unfortunately for him I actually cared about his education. He probably wouldn't use anything he learned but it would be a nice thing for him to have if he decided to further his career path. "Why in the hell are you so demanding this morning?"

"Go shower Kidd then put on the clothes I laid out for you" Once I had made sure Kidd was sitting up, I moved to leave the bed, but his hand stopped me. "You're lucky that I love you, Killer... About that picture... I'm handing it so don't worry" Yesterday was hell but I was slowly getting over what had happened at school. It wasn't Kidd's fault, and I couldn't hold this against him forever. "Is that where you went last night?" I had briefly woken up last night when Kidd left the house but remained quiet since I didn't want to upset him. "Yes and no. Law needed help with something"

I had nothing against the man but those two were together far too often for my liking. Kidd was loyal to me though there was a small part of me that couldn't push past thinking Kidd might one day cheat with someone else. "Law... you were with him?" As soon as he started to reply the gears in my head started to turn. "Yeah, the plan was to beat the hell out of the teacher that's been failing (Y/n) but he wasn't home. It turns out the bitch is some sort of stalker, and he had this wall with pictures of her. Creepy as fuck if you ask me"

That definitely sounded like something Kidd would do but I was almost glad the teacher wasn't home since bailing my partner out of jail wasn't something that was easy or cheap. Although as I replayed what the male had said I was left with only one question. "Wait who is (Y/n)?" I didn't recall him ever mentioning someone by that name but at the same time, I was a little curious who she was to Kidd. "Law's love interest or fuck buddy. Not really sure which but since she's nice I'm leaning more towards a love interest. You remember that girl he was walking with yesterday? That's her"

Now that Kidd mentioned it, I do remember seeing a girl wearing Law's sweater. It was strange but who was I to judge what the male chose to do with his free time. "Oh, I didn't think Law had time for a relationship" At least if Law turned out to be in a relationship, I could rest easy when those two hang out together. "Yeah, I didn't think so either, but he seems to really like this girl. Can't see the appeal though you should have since him last night. He's going to kill that man that's for sure. Hahaha"

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Law's Pov

"Does that all make sense to you (Y/n)-ya?" The girl hadn't moved from my lap during my whole explanation but as she started to smile, I felt my cheeks get a small amount of blood rushing to them. "Nope not at all but that's okay I'll still be here for you no matter what... Where did you find your devil fruit Law?" I had left out the detail for a reason but if I was going to be around (Y/n) then I would need to be honest with her. "It was obtained by illegal means. How familiar are you with Diez Barrels?"

"The creepy ginger that lives across the street from me? Hmm, he does not like me very much. Why do you ask Law?" That was a little surprising but then again, she did mention that Drake was her neighbor. "I got my fruit from him although my brother was the one who stole it" It might have sounded like a was involved with the wrong crowd but if it bothered (Y/n) she didn't show it. "Why?... Wait I thought you were all by yourself who is this brother of yours?"

"Well, he's like foster brother and he wanted to cure my illness. This fruit is the only reason why I'm still alive" Her eyes did widen slightly though they quickly returned to normal as she offered me a hug which I never returned. "Oh, okay that makes sense. I would like to meet this brother of yours someday. He sounds kind" Cora-san did have his good moments although there was still that side of him that terrified even me. "He's one of a kind that one but I ha-"

'Knock' 'Knock' 'Knock'

"Law, open the door! Hurry up it's Doflamingo he's overdosing again!"

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To Be Continued...