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kujo1597 · 9 months ago

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I’m pretty darn excited to jump into the Starbright episodes. These set the tone for the rest of the series. The songs are also generally better after this point in the show. Not that they were bad before. But I just like them more.

Not much to say leading into the recap today.

Huh. I didn’t expect a recap to start this episode off. I forgot they did this. It makes sense that they would. The first five episodes are summed up here.

We start the episode proper with Jerrica throwing a party at Starlight Mansion. And we see one of the bigger redesigns. I read that this was done to get the Jerrica on the show to look more like her doll and that makes complete sense. But I also like how this works as Jerrica changing her hair into a more mature style now that she’s taking on so many more adult responsibilities. She’s a businesswoman now and likely wants to be taken more seriously as one. Her wardrobe also shifts post-syndication into a more mature selection.

Howard asks Jerrica where Jem is because this is Jem’s party. Jerrica says that she’ll get Jem and runs off to quickly change into her alter-ego. And this is when Kimber catches up to her. She also got a slight redesign but the main thing is swapping eye colours with Jerrica. Now we have Kimber with those dark blue eyes I love so much. I got sidetracked. The countess wants Jem and The Holograms. She’s come to the party with a bunch of new outfits for them.

A quick transition later and they’re modelling their new clothes. Rio says that Jem is so hot she makes the cameras sizzle. This gets a giggle out of Jem and she says that Rio’s in the movie too. Then Mrs. Bailey asks Kimber where Jerrica is. Kimber has no answer but Jem says she’ll go find Jerrica. And runs off to change back.

Mrs. Bailey takes Jerrica into the living room and we see Be Nee sitting like, two feet away from the screen. Mrs. Bailey says that she’s worried about Ba Nee’s eyesight and Jerrica agrees there there is a reason to be concerned. She tells Mrs. Bailey to call an ophthalmologist. Side note, this scene how I learned that word. And right after that Anthony walks up and asks Jerrica if she knows where Jem is. And Shana just kinda looks like, “Oh crap.” which amuses me.

Well, Jerrica runs off again but this time goes to check up on Synergy to make sure she’s not being pushed too hard with all this changing back and forth. I like how Jerrica affectionately pats Synergy’s monitor.

Anthony wanted to introduce Jem to a videographer named Vivien Montgomery. She tells Jem to call her Video because everybody does. She wants to make a documentary about Jem’s movie and naturally Jem agrees.

Now we get Lela calling out for Jerrica. And Jerrica has a moment where she forgets which identity she’s wearing and runs up to Lela to help. And then after seeing herself as Jem in the mirror kind of awkwardly walks off to change.

Lela needed help in the kitchen, turns out the older Starlight girls are doing the catering. Well, everybody’s busy and they’ve run out of ice. Jerrica tells Lela to have Becky order more. Rio catches up to Jerrica and pulls her away from the party.

He’s not too happy that Jerrica is doing so much work for Jem. He sits Jerrica down and sternly tells her that she needs to rest. And he’s right! A party as big as this shouldn’t be run by just Jerrica and a handful of her foster daughters.

Jerrica, bless her, says to Rio, “Jem looks pretty good, doesn’t she?” And Rio agrees with a very dreamy expression and tone. He says that Jem makes the air sizzle like a bright and dazzling dream. But follows that up with a negative, “IF you can find her.” And then the sweet talker says, “You know what I love about you Jerrica? You’re so responsible, and dependable, and comfortable to be with.” Which makes Jerrica feel like an old pair of shoes.

Good job Rio.

The couple kiss and we get our first music video of the episode.

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I just needed to embed the master tape version. It’s really good. Like Deception this is a song about Jerrica feeling conflicted about the love triangle. But this time she’s not sure if Rio is actually in love with her, or if he’s more in love with Jem. He’s made it very clear he’s attracted to Jem. And this does bother Jerrica.

So much so that the end of the kiss is a little awkward, Jerrica immediately excuses herself so she can do more work at the party.

We cut to Pizzazz spying on the party from the balcony of her own mansion. Then we learn that she never did tell Stormer and Roxy that she’s rich. Pizzazz says, “Who cares about money?” and we get this great moment.

Stormer and Roxy exchange a look and reply with, “We do.” It’s wonderful.

Pizzazz walks into the house and says her motivations to become a rock star. She wants her name spoken with awe, she wants people to throw themselves at her feet, she wants attention. Roxy then says that if she has the kind of money that Pizzazz does then she’d just make her own dang movie. And this gives Pizzazz an idea.

We cut to Pizzazz in her father’s office. His name is Harvey Gabor by the way. She sits on his desk and says that her dad promised her anything for her birthday. And I never thought much of this line before I started writing time skip stuff and Jerrica and Pizzazz as a couple. But this scene takes place six months after Jerrica’s birthday, June 1st, which would mean that Pizzazz’s birthday is very likely in late November or early to mid December. December has a couple birth flowers, every month does, you know what one of them is? Narcissus. And I really like that. (Daffodils are a part of this plant genus which amuses me.) That was such a major tangent I’m sorry.

Let’s get back to the plot. Pizzazz asks her dad for a movie studio and Harvey is shocked by this. He doesn’t immediately agree to buy Pizzazz a movie studio and she throws a bit of a fit. Eventually Harvey gives in and buys whatever studio Pizzazz wants.

I’m sure you know where this is going.

Everybody arrives at the movie studio and Howard Sands runs up to the car in a panic. The studio had just been bought and he’s worried about the production. The new owner wants to see Jem and The Holograms in his office right away.

Jem is as scatterbrained as I am right now and says that she thought Eric was in jail. He gives the same answer he gave Jerrica.

Nobody’s happy about this situation but they’re under contract. We cut to commercial and after we return Howard says to Jem that he’ll understand if she quits.

That would be such bad publicity. But I suppose Howard isn’t in charge of marketing.

Well, publicity isn’t even on Jem’s mind. She’s just refusing to stand down because she refuses to let Eric bully her out of her own movie. And her sisters are right behind her in this decision to stay onboard.

Well, time to record the movie. Anthony is angry because he’s the director and Eric changed the script without consulting him.

Eric is apparently not a morning person and Jem pokes fun at that fact.

On their way to hair and makeup Kimber asks a very important question, what would happen when somebody tries to do Jem’s makeup? Jem assures Kimber that she’ll think of something.

But before they can get in the makeup room the Misfits barge in front of them. And I must know how old Roxy thinks Jem is because she says, “Beauty before age.” While getting her makeup done Pizzazz trashes Jem to her makeup person. Then the Misfits finish up and Jem and The Holograms enter.

So what is Jem’s brilliant idea to avoid having her makeup done? Well, just tell the makeup artist that she has to do her own makeup. And because Pizzazz was just trashing Jem the makeup artist whispers to her coworker that Pizzazz was right about Jem being a snob.

Before filming starts Pizzazz makes this grand announcement that her father owns the studio and she asks for a chair.

Which is taken out from right under Kimber. She’s caught by a man named Jeff Wright, he introduces himself but before Kimber could even look at him an apparently handsome guy passes by. A movie star named Nick Mann and Kimber is smitten.

Nick walks up to Jem as she’s going over the script with Anthony and introduces himself. Pizzazz is jealous and points out that she’s also Nick’s costar. But Nick doesn’t care, be pulls Jem away to go over a love scene with her and Kimber catches up to them.

She starts batting her eyelashes as Nick and he says, “Look, there’s a quiet corner over there” and drags Jem off.

Jeff is more than happy to point out that he was right about Kimber not standing a chance with Nick. And she’s not having any of it.

Nick is flirting with Jem and saying that he always falls in love with his leading lady. And Jem is so completely disinterested in him she’s just reading the script. It’s hilarious. “And they always fall in love with you, I suppose.”

Pizzazz is trying to stir the pot by calling Jem fickle to Rio. But like, Rio should be able to see that Jem gives no fucks about Nick. This is the body language of a woman who has less than zero interest in someone.

Let’s just leave this mess for a minute and check out who’s entering the studio.

It’s a new character, one with wild hair and clothes. She introduces herself at the gate as Miss Montgomery. So she’s let in.

Not even two seconds later Video drives up and she’s denied her pass because a Miss Montgomery had just come in. Video knows exactly who that other Montgomery is. Her cousin Clash.

And Clash is the biggest Misfits fangirl. She runs up to them and starts gushing. Pizzazz is loving this. But Video is not. She warns Jem that her cousin had snuck into the studio. And we learn how Clash got her name. She bangs her wrist cymbals together right behind Jem’s head.

And that hurts like hell. Anthony is pissed and tells Clash to get off the set. But Pizzazz says that Clash can stay because she’s her friend. So Anthony tells them that can both leave. But Eric yells at Anthony and basically drives him to quit.

Which he does. And I really don’t blame him.

The day’s over and Mrs. Bailey tells Jerrica when Ba Nee’s eye appointment is. Then we see the Holograms all in a bedroom looking pretty miserable. Shana says that things can’t get any worse, and Jerrica optimistically says that it just means that things can only get better.

Yeah it did not work.

Music video time! I like this one. It’s atypical for this band. It’s all Rio being jealous of Nick Mann as he’s doing a scene with Jem. It’s a good tune.

The video ends with Rio punching Nick right in his smug face. Nick can’t take a punch very well. Jem is shocked that Rio would punch a guy for a doing a scene with her. And let me tell you, this is only the beginning of Rio’s jealousy issues. Pizzazz further fans the flames by whispering in Rio’s ear that if he wants to stay in the film then he’d better be very nice to her. Jem storms off.

It’s the next day and we see the redesigned Lindsey Pierce. She has a perm now and is wearing much more casual clothing. She says that it’s the third day of filming. Man what a long three days.

Nick pulls Jem away and tells her to play up their romance. And Jem isn’t having it. But Nick insists because it makes great publicity. Rio’s being pissy by the way.

Well it’s time for the interview and Jem is doing her best. This is probably her first time being crowded by so many reporters. Nick says that Jem’s thankful for his expertise. Jem’s awkward, “Nick’s been very… uh… very helpful.” is just the best. She gets bombarded by more questions about her and Nick and he decides to be a creep and dips Jem and kisses her right on the lips. This really gets the cameras flashing.

Kimber walks off because nobody cares about her. And Eric remembers that Kimber has been extremely jealous of Jem in the past and tries to take advantage of that. In his usual creepy and overly touchy way. He tells Kimber that she can have her own scene with Nick Mann and this excites her.

Meanwhile Pizzazz is trying to get Rio even more jealous than he already is. And then she gives the signal.

A banner showing that The Misfits are the main starts of the movie is unfurled and this gets the press excited. They ask so many questions about how this came to be. By the way, Jem is jealous that Rio’s been spending so much time with Pizzazz.

After the press conference we see Howard Sands trying to talk some sense into Harvey Gabor. He mentions that Eric has a bad reputation, that the movie’s going to lose millions, and the money thing does get Harvey’s attention. But he stops caring again once he realizes which investment is being talked about. Harvey doesn’t care about losing the money as long as his daughter is out of his hair.

There is a reason I wrote a meta post about Pizzazz and her relationship with her father. It’s not great.

Jem’s ready to record her next music video but there’s been a change of plans. Instead we get…

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My favourite Misfits song! :D Universal Appeal is so good! I love it! Aaaahhhh! I reblogged a very interesting post about this song and I’m gonna stick it here because it’s very good.

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Jem’s fed up with Pizzazz. Just completely done with her. They attack each other with the set. And then afterwards Jem rants about just how sick of everything she is and then she quits and storms off. I really really love how she’s allowed to get mad. She has every right to be; her patience has constantly been tried every day of this filming. It was supposed to be really fun but Pizzazz came in and ruined everything.

The other members of Jem and The Holograms quit too. Eric tries to stop Kimber but she’s loyal to her sister.

Nick Mann’s not happy about Jem quitting but the makeup artist from earlier tells him that she’s just playing prima donna and will be back tomorrow.

Video leaves with Jem and says that she’s not going to film The Misfits.

Who are celebrating together with Clash. They’re so happy. :)

We now see Ba Nee’s eye appointment and it’s not looking too good. The eye doctor sends her out of the room so he can talk to Jerrica in private.

And he tells Jerrica that Ba Nee could go blind in a matter of months, or maybe even sooner than that.

We end the episode on this shot.

And that’s it, the first part of the Starbright trilogy. I actually don’t have much to ramble about here. I did all my rambling earlier.

#Jem and the Holograms #Kujo Watches Jem #I'm so sorry this has three embedded videos in it #I got so rambly in this one #Good god I forgot just how awful Nick is #Also Rio. you need to learn how to read body language #I feel like half your jealousy issues would be solved if you took a second to notice Jem's complete lack of interest in Nick #NO PART OF HER BODY LANGUAGE SAYS SHE'S INTO NICK!#Rio... get a clue

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twilightmalachite · 1 year ago

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Hermitage - Epilogue

Author: Nishioka Maiko (with Akira)

Characters: Mika, Shu

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Goodness… You create the best with the best materials. In order to feel joy as an artist, you mustn’t give in to fear."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Starmony Dorms Common Room

Mika: Ouch!?

Uu… I pricked my finger real badly~…

I don’t usually make these kinda mistakes… Guess I really am jus’ nervous I’m gonna mess up with this expensive fabric…

Shu: Kagehira? Ahh, just in time. I went to your room, but you weren’t there.

…Hm? What exactly are you up to?

Mika: Ah, Oshi-san! I’m sewin’ right now.

Shu: Those look like some very small clothes there. Could it perhaps be for⁠—

Mika: Yup! They’re for the doll that ya gave me as a souvenir, Oshi-san.

Shu: I see. Their clothes had actually caught my attention too. The clothes had begun to deteriorate after so long.

Mika: Mhm! Their little body’s still super pretty, but doesn’t it just make their worsenin’ clothes stand out even more? So I thought to give ‘em some new pretty clothes!

But, I ended up buyin’ real expensive fabric in my excitement, and now I’m too nervous to get any work done at all.

Shu: Goodness… You create the best with the best materials. In order to feel joy as an artist, you mustn’t give in to fear.

Mika: I know, but… I can’t help it~!

But Oshi-san, why were ya lookin’ for me? Do ya need me to do somethin’?

Shu: Right. I thought to give this to you. This is for you.

Mika: Eh? Is this western-style doll clothes?

Shu: I told you earlier that I’d noticed her clothes as well. I made them during a gap in my schedule.

I didn’t expect you to have the same idea, though… Well, it doesn’t matter how many clothes she has. Changing her clothes will give her a good change of pace.

Mika: Uwah! Oshi-san, thank ya so much! I’m sure the dollie will love ‘em as well~♪

Mika: ! Oh, I know!

Since ya put so much effort into makin’ this, Oshi-san, how ‘bout I change her into her new clothes and we can all have lunch together in the courtyard?

The weather’s great today. I’m sure it’ll be real nice~!

Shu: Quite the sudden plan, isn’t it?

Mika: Ahaha, it’s fine! Since ya came back, we’ve been doin’ nothin’ but traning, Oshi-san.

Shu: I suppose you’re right. Since we gave it our all working on our new song, I don’t mind relaxing for a bit.

Mika: Ah, Mado-nee should join us too, then~! It’s been so long!

I’m sure everyone will be happy to enjoy a delicious lunch in the warm sunshine together! ♪

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory

#hermitage #shu itsuki #mika kagehira #event #translation

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thatguywiththefaceog · 1 year ago

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Kinktober 2023 Day 28-Mommy

Star vs The Forces of Evil-Marco/Angie

Angie gives her special boy a present.

written for @kinktober2023

requested by anon

Warning the following story contains incest and fictional minors in sexual situations. If this makes you uncomfortable or are under 18 please do not read. This story is rated E for explicit and is for adults only. This story is a complete work of fiction.

Mom was having one of those days Marco thought as he did his best to browse the web. Mom was being… Mom plus today. She brought him two different kinds of sandwiches, each with the crust cut off. He decided he should properly check on her.

She was in the kitchen, Angie was making breakfast for dinner. Marco knocked on the door frame. “Ah mom? Everything… everything okay?”

Angie turned around, several stacks of pancakes. “Yes.”

Marco gestured to the breakfast food. “You just seem a little off today. If you did to talk-”

He was cut off by a hug from his mother. “Oh you are so grown up!” She wailed as she held him tight. Marco could help but notice his mother was smothering his face against her breasts. “It’s just that-It’s just that you’re not my little boy anymore.” Angue sobbed out. “You're 14! You’re so grown up! You don’t nee-need me anymore.”

“Aw Mom. Of course I still need you. And I’m still your little boy Mom.”

She sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Really?”

“Of course.”

Angie kissed him. She couldn’t help it. He just looked so sweet and cute. Marco was surprised with how soft and warm his mother’s lips felt on his. They broke off for a moment. “Marco,” she said. Marco kissed her back. Realizing her son was kissing her back, Angie moved his hands over her chest. “Does Mommy’s little boy like her boobies?”

“Hmmm,” was the only thing Marco could get out. His erection was starting to throb and it was getting harder to think.

She bent down to Marco��s ear. “Is there something Mommy could do for her special boy?” He told her and she blushed. Why the fuck did he learn that? Properly from the tramp Jackie Lynn Thomas! (In truth it was Janna.) But it was what her little boy wanted, and who was she to deny him.

She took him to her bedroom, and started to undress. In her excitement, Angie forgot she was wearing plain unflattering bra and panties. She was so embarrassed showing that off for Marco. But the way Marco was staring at her, she felt like a Victoria's secret model. While still in her underwear she undressed Marco into his. They kissed again. Their nearly naked bodies pressed together. Angie could feel her son’s stiffie through his undies. Angie herself felt wetter downstairs.

"Marco, care to help Mommy with her bra?" She turned back to her son, while pulling up her hair. Marco eagerly undid the clasps. He did that easy, Angie thought. She was thinking of Jackie Lynn Thomas again. (In truth he got good at it by undoing Star's so much.) Her breasts were large with a sag. They were adorned with large brown nipples. Angie pulled her panties, revealing brown fur covering her mound. Angie had never been shy about her body around the house, so it wasn't anything the boy had seen before but this was his first time looking with intent.

"Now show Mommy what you have!" Angie yanked off the underwear, causing Marco’s erection to flop out. Oh my. He was huge, especially for a boy his age. Well, he is his father's son. Angie handled it in her hand, oh jeez it was hot and hard. She started stroking him. Marco made the cutest noises while his mother jacked him off. What she wouldn't give to spread her legs and let Marco fuck her until she passes out from too many orgasms. But that wasn't what Marco asked for. And she was going to be a good mother and give her baby boy what he wants.

Angie walked to the closet and dug around for a bit. She soon found what she was looking for. She came out of her closet with a bottle of lube in her hand and a strap on, well strapped on. "Is my boy ready for Mommy’s special treat?"

Marco nodded. "Yes. Yes I am."

"Well then, bend over and show Mommy that cute little tushy of yours." Marco did as he was told. Wow, she thought. My son's butt is super girly. You could line him up against any of his girlfriend's and no one would think twice about it. Not that was a bad thing. In fact it was driving Angie quite mad to be honest. She squirted the lube along his crack and then she pushed it up his butthole with her fingers. She moaned and gasped with each thrust of her fingers. Once her son’s hole was slick and shiny, she stopped she slicked up her dildo a bit. "Okay Marco, your special present is all ready. Get on your hands and knees so Mommy can give it to you."

Marco did as he was told. Jeez her son’s ass really was great she thought to herself. Grabbing his hips, she slid the silicone cock up her son’s girly ass. Marco squeaked as he was penetrated. Angie knew her son well enough to know that it was in pleasure.

"You like this Marco? You're enjoying Mommy’s special treat?"

Marco nodded. "Hm mh."

Once her hips had hit Marco’s ass, she started to pick up the pace. His her grunts were mixing with his. And although Angie couldn't see it at this angle, she could hear Marco dick flop around to her thrusts. It was driving her wild.

She was muttering his name. "Marco, Marco, Marco."

Marco was feeling it too. "Ah Mommy! Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." Each Mommy he greeted through his teeth. The dildo rubbing against his prostate was filling him with pleasure. So much pleasure. He could feel his orgasm coming. “M-Mom. Fuck!” Marco came, shooting his load onto the bed sheets below him.

Angie slowly pulled the toy out of Marco’s butt. She held her baby boy and showered him with kisses as he calmed down. She had given him what she wanted, Angie thought as she stroked Marco’s big cock. Next he’ll give her what she wants.

#kinktober 2023 #kinktober #svfoe #marco diaz #angie diaz #sour lemon

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naradivision · 2 years ago

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Date: 07/07/2XXX

Memo: Tanabata with my lil brother :)

Gokigenyou~ My dear brother ✨

I wonder how have you been right now?

If you’re reading this, then I guess the Tanabata has come again this year.

——Wait, how did I know? Tee-hee☆ Don’t underestimate your nee-san’s clairvoyance!

Let’s go to the corridor and look up to the sky, shall we? If this night isn’t so cloudy, you might see something very, very special.

Do you still remember the tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi?

More than just a heart-wrenching love story between two star-crossed lovers, this day is also known as the “Star festival” and one of the earliest annual festivals held in summer.

And at this point I’d like you to face toward the opposite direction of the setting sun. High overhead you might spot something; the large triangle composed of three stars known as the “Summer Triangle” must be shining brightly on the clear night sky ——The brightest one or “Vega” lies at the northwest corner of the triangle, the lower left is “Deneb” of the northeast, and the lower right is “Altair” of the south.

However, our protagonists today are on the western side. According to the story, Vega is portrayed as “Orihime (The Weaver Princess)” and Altair is recognized as “Hikoboshi (The Cowherder)”.

Also, if you’re lucky enough to be on a moonless night, you may see “the Heavenly River” known as “the Milky Way” passing between the stars Vega and Altair, miserably splitting the lovers apart.

Once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month comes around, a flock of generous magpies would come to their aid and use their wings to form a bridge for the lovers to reunite …but we have to wish the day doesn’t rain, or else, these cute little fellows couldn’t come to help them and the lovers have to wait again until the next year ——This is also the part why people love making a wish on this day. Wishing the couple for a clear day and they’ll grant you wishes.

There is also one’s saying “If you tell someone your wish, it won’t come true”, but listen close here... Nee-san still kind of wants you to know her secret!

This year she has made her wish and that wish is the same as those previous ones;

She’s looking forward to celebrating together with dad & her dear little brother next year, next year, and many years up ahead. And you know what? Surprisingly, it has become true every time even now!

So, don’t be afraid to make some wishes ’kay?

P.S. We still have plenty of tanzaku left inside the desk. Dad definitely bought too many of them from the shrine wwww

——Hope all your wishes come true!

Love you lots

From ‘Dusk’ to ‘Dawn’

#hypmic oc #hypnosis microphone oc #nara division #miraitabi #yuuya kanata #and ‘her’ who used to be there #dropped diary #kanata siblings #tanabata day 2023 #don’t get lost in summer #from dusk to dawn #kinda late but I wanna reveal the glimpse of my son’s stories …

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indiejones · 1 year ago

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OF 1963: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED MEENA KUMARI FOREVER! ... OF 'OPERATION MEENA KUMARI' IE THE 'OPERATION CHINESE WHISPERS' !

Pradeep Kumari once, in fact many a times, described Meena Kumari as "the nicest person he'd ever met" & "a veritable angel on earth". Even going on to add, "I don't think there is any person on earth who couldn't fall in love with Meena Kumari".

The media narrative around Meena Kumari was always very sober & dignified & respectful. Till 1962.

You see Meena Kumari was always a very big star, from 1952 (& 'Baiju Bawra') yet not in a league of her own, but in the very top rung with 2-3 other actresses.

But her cinematic career took on a whole different trajectory in 1961, when the film 'Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan' released, & "The Bollywood Goddess" was born!

In many expert & mass assessments till today, one of the greatest performances by a female on celluloid, in history ever!

This was followed by 1962, with 3 more legendary performances in 'Main Chup Rahungi', 'Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam' & 'Aarti', & March 1963's 'Dil Ek Mandir', & within a gap of exactly 2 yrs & 5 Films, 4 of which are in The Forever All-Time Top 50 of Indian Cinema, Meena Kumari had gone from sure-shot No. 3 Of All Time, to, the most likely 'FOREVER NO. 1 ACTRESS OF INDIAN CINEMA", infact challenging the WORLD NO. 1 tag too!

Such was her craze & hold on public imagination then, that Filmfare did something they've never ever done for anyone else till today ever! - They nominated her in all the nomination slots for 'Best Actress" that year, as a mark of salutation, & as a statement indicating the "Crowning of Bollywood's First Queen nee First Female Megastar"!

Wonderful. But scary.

The reason this was or atleast should've been very scary & a warning sign for Meena Kumari, is that 'Bollywood Estt' or 'Deep state Bollywood', & the faction or rival groups that control it, akin to the criminal underworld, if we know anything till today, doesn't give free lunches, & extracts much more than it gives! .. If they were heaping away so much free historic praise upon her, were impossibly unlikely to try leave anyone even with the potential to overrule their dictat or narrative hold over the masses, & were sure to quietly bts extract more than their pound of flesh too!

AND A RANSOM WAS SOON PLACED ON HER REPUTATION, WITHIN THE FRATERNITY, WITH REGULAR REWARDS FOR THOSE THAT SUCCEEDED!

And that's when, mysteriously enuf by 1964, Dharmendra entered her film life, & via it, her life in general! Film magazines all of a sudden sprang to life, & news of "the crazy uncontrollable affair btwn Meen & Dharam" made it to all film headlines, to be continued in same vein for good more yrs thereafter. Stuff like "Dharmendra arrived at a airport one night all drunk, & upon being stopped, shouted, "Oh but I must get back to Bombay, I must. Meena is waiting for me!" were actually splashed all over the next morning's papers. Even further, of things like how Meena got so agitated in a outdoor shoot seeing her Dharmendra not sitting with her on way to the location, & having gone by another entourage car, stopped her car, & went to the middle of the road, sat on the road & started loudly repeating "Where is my Dharam! Oh where is my Dharam!", were being read by the Indian masses & classes on a daily basis now on. Going a step further, they even created fist fights & slapping incidents btwn the 2, & how she'd be regularly restraining her lover from brawling in drunken fights over her, were now the new norm. They then, took it to a tangential emotional plane, by renaming her "The Tragedy Queen", even in real life, equating her performances with some necessary strain in her own life. People began regularly being witness to Dharam entering Meena's room everytime, & leaving w/o fail in a sobbing state, & when asked about this reaction, saying things like "I just cant help it!". They even went after her husband,labeling her a wife-hater, & of how he egoistically once refused to hold Meena's purse, got publicly enraged at being called Meena Kumari's husband, etc etc. And how his secretary'd manhandle Meena & refuse her freedom. All false!

IT WAS THIS RELENTLESS MEDIA WAR DIRECTED AT THE COUPLE, WITH NOT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE TO SHOW FOR EVEN ONCE, THAT TOOK IT'S TOLL ON KAMAL OVER COUPLE OF YRS, FORCING HIM TO DECIDE TO LEAVE MEENA'S LIMELIGHT, TILL THIS OUTSIDE MADNESS CONTINUED.

Anyone with half a assessment, can see how Kamal's entire professional life,revolved around & was devoted to making her wife the best!

This was the final straw! & Meena took to drinking to numb herself to the world, determined to not lose & to continue working at her best. Do you know, 'deep state' even took away her most personal possessions, in return for her continuing career!?

Sadly,she didn't have the arms or tactfulness of Rajesh, to carry on next 18 yrs, nonetheless managing good 6-7 yrs within this 'golden solitary confinement Bolly jail' at the top!

(Watch Polanski's 'The Tenant'(76), for better feel on how this troll/suicide army works!)

Of the supreme sacrifices, India's legends made, to leave us awe-inspiring cultural history & worldly life lessons too.

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ourlittledinosaur · 6 years ago

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Counting My Blessings...Yet Again

New Post has been published on http://ourlittledinosaur.com/counting-my-blessings-yet-again/

Counting My Blessings...Yet Again

Counting Ones Blessings Can Never Be Overdone

My son is almost 2 years old now, and I am feeling extremely blessed for a variety of things.

I could go on and on about how intelligent my son is and praise God he is hitting every milestone. I am thankful for his very life! Which, admittedly, he challenges me to save nearly every day as he tests out his ever growing strength and physical capabilities. And I’m so very grateful for my husband, with whom I am privileged to call mine. It’s such an honor and brings me so much joy to stand by his side and raise our son together.

What a Journey!

I want to highlight another blessing that I have been reminded of. It’s a portion of Lil Dino Daddy, Lil Dino, and my journey that is looked back upon as a very vivid, bittersweet time.

I’m thankful to still be breastfeeding my son. I have posted before on the benefits of breastfeeding. (I want to also write soon about the benefits of breastfeeding a toddler.)

Let God Lead – Be Prayerful

But today, what I want to highlight is the importance of bringing God unto your decisions, and very specifically the importance of doing so through prayer. You know, the more I read the Bible, the more it makes sense to me. Reading through the Psalms and Proverbs and seeing exactly what God says about how to deal with life is incredibly helpful and practical.

Although, there are days when I don’t read God’s Word (and severely regret it as it is the ultimate way to “think on good things”), there are days when I don’t pray as I should. It’s becoming more habitual as now my son is the one holding me accountable at meal times. 😉

Prayer is Easier When I’m Desperate

My prayer life was never as strong as it was when I was struggling to breastfeed my son. In those early days that turned into weeks, and then turned to months, I just kept asking God for this “good gift” for my baby.

Over the past several years, beginning with my pregnancy, my husband and I have been striving to get back to the basics of life and nature and the way God designed things to be. (For instance, how food is not only life giving, but healing as well!) We’re learning to be more frugal, to waste less, taking steps – baby steps – to be healthier and be more cautious about what we put in and on our bodies. To us, breastfeeding was the natural extension of that lifestyle that we are gradually moving towards. It was the healthiest, most natural, most nutritious, way to feed our child. It was right in line with how God designed it and I was failing!

However, with the support of Lil’ Dino Daddy and others, and through much prayer and petition to our Abba Father, we were successful!

Take Heart! Ask for Help. Rejoice in the Lord!

So please let me encourage any of you new (or seasoned) Mamas who might be struggling with feeling like a failure in some way. Lean on God. Reach out to Him and ask Him for your needs. He wants to help you and guide you. He wants to hear from you, (just like you would want to hear from that tiny baby in your arms once he or she has grown up!).

Also, look around you and ask others for help. Many people want to help, but do not know how unless you tell them specifically.

Remember, no matter how a situation turns out, to worship God. I took many an opportunity rocking my baby to simply sing and pray OUT LOUD.

James 5:11

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

May we pray for you?

Feel free to comment what’s on your heart below. I would love for this to become a community and a safe place for all Mamas to share and learn from one another.

Have a story to share?

Email me your story and we’ll work together to post it on the blog. Contact me at [email protected]

Need Breastfeeding Help?

I used this resource many times in that early stage of breastfeeding. I reference it even now as we are thinking of night weaning. Thanks KellyMom for being an online support for me and a place for me to find answers to what I thought were unlikely questions.

Like this post? Help us and others by Sharing!

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#Breastfeeding #Milestones #Parenthood #Raising Children in a Christian Home

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starlightsearches · 3 years ago

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I love the idea of coworker!eddie so much! and now I'm thinking about this nerd this doofus this absolute fucking sweet dork of a man leaning over the counter in between customers and making handmade buttons for the basket by the register to sell. He's got the classic styles, you know, band logos from a variety of genres but the bulk of them lean toward metal, as well as some goofier ones with gross jokes on them. But he makes some personalized ones for you, featuring your favorite bands and pickup lines, including one that says You're my rainbow in the dark because obviously he has to slip a Ronnie James Dio reference in there

He's stupid. He's perfect. I love him.

Mixtape

Yes, god, coworker! eddie lives inside my brain like a little mouse. Here's something I threw together because I love the idea of the pins 😩 Comments, likes and reblogs make me very happy!

Eddie x Gender Neutral Reader

Warnings: language, mutual pining, some angst, this one's a little sad in the end but I'm sure we'll see more of them at some point (if people are interested).

"Hey, asshole."

Eddie dodges the empty cardboard box you lob his way without much effort. He's gotten way better at sidestepping your attacks since he started here. You wish you could say the same for your aim.

"You planning on doing any work today?"

Eddie has the nerve to look offended—like you haven't been running around your whole shift, restocking shit and fixing the displays and helping everyone and their mother find a copy of Whitney Houston—holding a fist to his chest like he'd been stabbed.

"That hurts, baby. I am working. See?"

He shakes the basket of pins in front of him as you lean over the counter, smiling wide. It's that fucking smile that makes so many people buy his stupid buttons—even if they've never heard his any of the artists he's obsessed with, even if they're not worth the dollar fifty you're charging for them.

You set the basket back down, swallowing the butterflies in the back of your throat. "No offense, but I think we have enough Metallica pins to last us through the end of time."

"I was actually making pins for you," he says with falsely-innocent eyes, meeting you halfway across the table, the collar of his worn-out band shirt dipping just slightly until you can see the slightest hint of another tattoo brushing his collar bone, "but if you don't want them . . . "

You hold out a hand, hoping your exasperation might distract him from your wandering eyes. "Show me."

You wish he wouldn't do this—flirt with you so much. Your crush on him was already embarrassing enough without the pins and the inside jokes and his wandering fingers pinching at your sides until you have to laugh. Sometimes you want to scream at him, tell him to stop making fun of you, that you'll get over it if he gives you enough time.

You're not sure if you could ever get over it. Not if he keeps looking at you like this.

Eddie drops the pins into your hand one at a time, tongue caught between his teeth—eyes flashing between your face and your open palm. You do your best to keep your expressions in check.

There's a few band pins—Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, even Wham!, despite all the shit he'd given you about them.

"And for the finale—" he says with a flourish, his fingers just brushing against yours when he drops the little black button into your hand.

"Rainbow in the dark?" You read the words quietly, looking up at him with furrowed brows. He's fidgeting, twisting one of the rings around his finger, biting at his lips.

"Yeah, because, uh . . ." he laughs shyly, glancing down at his hands, "you haven't- you haven't listened to that mixtape I made you?"

Your stomach sinks, and you press your lips together, shooting him a guilty look.

"Oh, come on—" he rolls his eyes at you, and you let the apologies pour out, hoping to wipe the hurt from his expression, even if it's all theatrics.

"I've been meaning to listen, Eddie," you tell him, "but it's your music is really loud and I've got neighbors and I need to get a new pair of headphones for my cassette player . . ."

None of that's true. You've started the tape multiple times, laying back on your bed with your perfectly-functioning headphones on snugly over your ears, and you just. couldn't. do. it. Listening to songs that Eddie picked for you—cute, ridiculous Eddie with his too-tight jeans and wild hair and fucking to-die-for smile—it was like carving your own heart out of your chest with a butter knife. A reminder of what you'd never have.

He stands with his back to you, hands on his hips. When he turns over his shoulder, he won't meet your eyes.

"Well," he says, tapping his knuckles against the glass countertop, "that's from one of my favorites on there. It's always kind of . . . reminded me of you."

"Oh."

You don't know what else to say.

"Anyways," he coughs, but the atmosphere stays heavy with the weight of awkwardness between you, "I guess I'll go unpack some boxes in the back. You good on your own out here?"

"Oh yeah . . . totally."

He sighs, stalking off to the backroom, leaving you with only a sick feeling in your stomach and a pile of pins in your hands.

Part 2 Here

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson stranger things #eddie munson #my writing #gender neutral insert #harley tag 💖

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aphrostarot · 3 years ago

Text

The Chariot Pick a Pile

How can you know if this pick a pile is for you?

If you know what your goals are but don't understand how to reach them.

If you need help creating a path from where you are to where you want to be.

Please remember that this is a general reading and some things may not apply to you. Don't force it to fit. I offer paid readings on my page if you would like a personal reading. Prices are listed there. Please message me if you are interested!

Pile One (Amethyst):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

The Wheel of Fortune:

In your journey so far, you have experienced many ups and downs. Currently, it appears you are at a low point. You have been struggling lately, and you feel like you will never reach the end of the road.

Two of Swords:

The Two of Swords confirms to me that you have been struggling lately. Nothing seems to be coming your way anymore. As of recently, you are at a standstill on this journey, after previously moving extremely fast. Nothing is coming and nothing is going, making you feel as though you will never reach your destination.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

The Chariot:

The idea that you need to constantly be moving forward without any breaks on this journey is distracting you, according to your guides. As your guides tell you, this mindset is keeping you in the stalemate you are currently experiencing. Breaks are necessary from time to time, and after the run you have been on, it is a good idea to take a break.

Ten of Cups:

There is a part of you that thinks this journey will lead to your fairytale ending, but your guides are telling you here that the destination may not be everything you expected. Whether it's a different person or a different job, your guides are telling you with this card what they have in store for you is in your best interest, so you need to release your control issues and trust them.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

The Tower:

Your guides will help you reach your desired goal if you lose your mindset from above. You must let go of the idea that you know exactly where things are going, since not everything you are desiring is in your best interest according to your guides. Additionally, you need to let go of your impatience and the notion that you must not take breaks, that this destination must be reached as quickly as possible.

Page of Swords:

You have been led towards your destination by your cleverness and intelligence, according to your guides. They are saying that you can remain sharp no matter what the Universe throws at you. They want you to use this part of you to further yourself on this journey from now on.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“You are so trustworthy! Anyone knows they can count on you.”

“You are so smart and witty, always knowing what to say.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Knight of Pentacles:

The next step on your journey is to develop patience, according to your guides. Since you have started your journey, you have been fairly impatient and anxious for things to come your way as soon as possible. This mindset only hinders your progress, as it was mentioned above. The key to escaping your current impasse is patience.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Three of Cups:

Your inability to slow down has prevented you from celebrating how far you have come on your journey. As your guides point out, if you don't celebrate yourself, you are not truly experiencing this journey.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

Three of Wands:

At the end of this journey, you will have a large community around you. You may soon take up a hobby that allows you to work in a team. You will be very successful in this hobby and feel very happy with the people in your life. In this group, you'll be very social. You'll constantly go out and do things with them.

Page of Cups:

The end of this journey will bring you a highly sensitive person. They might be younger than you or just a young soul. This person will become an extremely important part of your life, allowing you to express yourself more sensitively without fear of judgment.

Channeled Messages:

“Move beyond ancestral patterns”

“Magic exists in the form of energy. What is your energy creating today? How does it make you feel?”

Pile Two (Amazonite):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

The Fool:

You may be in the beginning stages of your journey. You have just found something that you are willing to put a lot of effort into. Having a strong passion for this journey, you are eager to dive in headfirst, without looking back.

Ace of Pentacles:

By embarking on this journey, you are laying the foundation in your life. As a result, you will start to feel comfortable in every aspect of your life. I feel that you are embarking on a new hobby or career, something that will earn you money. The income has not started to flow yet, but you're just beginning your journey. You hope that more money will be forthcoming soon.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

Eight of Pentacles:

You are very sure of where you want to go in life and how you want this journey to play out. Making you unwilling to accept anything that is even remotely different from what you desire. This mindset is preventing you from making progress on your journey, according to your guides. In order to make progress, you must recognize that not everything you desire is good for you.

Six of Wands:

When it comes to your career or hobbies, you may think you're more talented than others. Your guides are warning you that your arrogance is only hindering your progress on this journey.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

Knight of Wands:

You have great enthusiasm when it comes to things that you are passionate about, and you are very passionate about this journey. Your guides are saying that your ability to move quickly and successfully through all that life offers you is what will bring this outcome to you much quicker.

Page of Wands:

Your guides say you are very friendly and full of amazing ideas, both of which are helping you on this journey. They encourage you to keep your friendly side because it will benefit you in the long run.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“You are so magnetic and attractive! Everyone is turning heads after you!

“You are fierce like a lion! Everybody knows not to mess with you!”

“You have such great intuition, detecting the unseen truths.”

“You are so cute and bubbly, you make others feel like home.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Seven of Pentacles:

When it comes to this journey, you have been pushing forward, channeling fool's energy for some time now and that has served you well for the time being. However, your guides are telling you that the next steps are for you to begin to plan how you want to execute this journey instead of leaping headfirst into everything.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Eight of Cups:

In most of your life, you have been too quick to give up at the first sign of difficulty. Throughout this journey, you will struggle with this. The world doesn't always work out how we planned, and that's a bummer, but we are meant to get back up and keep going, utilizing what we learned from the past. It is their desire that you do this instead of giving up when things get tough.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

The Artist:

You may be an extremely creative person and this journey's outcome will allow you to use your creativity almost continuously. You are working towards a career and/or hobby that is highly creative and your guides are saying that once you get there it will allow you to utilize all of your creativity.

The Hierophant:

This is oddly specific but for some, I feel like you are working towards becoming a party planner of some sort, particularly at weddings. This is a sign that you will get there and be excellent at using your creativity when it comes to weddings.

For others, this may be a sign that the outcome of this journey may result in you getting married to either your current partner or someone else.

Channeled Messages:

“Unlock the magick within”

“You are our answered prayer.”

Pile Three (Sodalite):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

Four of Pentacles:

Currently, you are feeling very possessive over certain things in your life. It feels to me like you think people in your life constantly take from you without giving any thought to the pain it causes you. You have a history of being very generous, but you are now becoming tired of making others happy all the time.

King of Cups:

Your emotions are what you are feeling pretty possessive about. You have been a doormat in the past, allowing others to walk all over you and take from you. Especially when it comes to your emotions and energy. But now you've realized it and you are no longer allowing others to take from you.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

Eight of Pentacles:

You are pretty set in stone about how you want to embark on this journey. You believe your way is the only way, and you do not take advice from anyone, including your guides. It seems to me that you hear what your guides say, but if it interferes with your plans you ignore the message saying to yourself, "That wasn't meant for me." or, "they're wrong.". According to your guides, the way you think is holding you back from moving forward.

Seven of Wands:

With the people in your life, you have reached a boiling point. You've allowed them to walk all over you for too long and now you're fighting back. Your guides are telling you that being extremely negative to your family and friends will not help you on this journey. Yes, you should set boundaries, but you do not have to continue to punish them for what you have allowed in the past. The treatment you received in the past is partly your fault, and you need to take responsibility for it. Give the people in your life a chance to follow your boundaries. Stop punishing them.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

Queen of Cups:

Despite the negative points listed above, you are still a very loyal person. You do not give up on the people in your life, continuing to stick by them even though they have hurt you in the past. This is an aspect that has been helpful to you and will continue to be helpful to you on this journey.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“Yes, you are different. But that’s what makes you special!”

“Your eyes are beautiful. You can see the universe in them.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Five of Swords:

Perhaps you recently lost out to one of your competitors. If that's the case, then your guides are telling you that your next step is to get back on your feet and start fresh. Taking the loss in stride. If that has not yet happened to you, this card indicates that it will soon. The next step for you is to prepare for the loss you will soon be suffering and not let it completely defeat you.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Two of Cups:

An obstacle you have been facing on this journey is your willingness to stay in toxic relationships. In the past, people have not treated you right and stayed in those relationships because you feared making the other person upset. This has recently been changing for you, however.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

The Hierophant:

With this journey, you will learn from your past mistakes and grow from the pain that you have endured, resulting in a better understanding of what a good relationship is. This will result in you marrying someone good for you and to you.

Ten of Cups:

A fairytale ending awaits you at the end of this journey. At the end of this journey, all the things you wanted as a child but as you grew thought were unreasonable will be available to you.

Channeled Messages:

“Meditate more, ground yourself.”

“Times of heightened emotions and sensitivity call for extra self-care and gentleness.”

Pile Four (Rose Quartz):

Charioteer:

What is the current state of your journey?

Page of Pentacles:

Lately, you have been pretty sensitive. Feeling more in touch with your emotions, which may have been neglected for some time now. You have been getting more comfortable showing and expressing your emotions with the people around you.

The Hierophant:

Additionally, you have been more traditional in your life, adhering to the expectations of society rather than going against them. While you may have spent most of your life rebelling against what others want from you, you have recently begun to accept what others want from you.

Dark Horse:

What is distracting you?

Eight of Cups:

Your recent behavior of adhering to the expectations of others has made you feel guilty. You feel as if you are leaving the people you met on the way behind, and you feel as if they are disappointed in you. Your guides are telling you that this guilt is preventing you from excelling on your journey. There are times when you have to leave people and things behind in order to excel yourself, and feeling guilty won't help you do so.

Nine of Wands:

You feel as if this journey has been going on forever, with no stop in sight. You feel as if you are being faced with obstacle after obstacle, and things are never going your way. This mindset is hindering you, your guides are saying. You must remember that not every journey is linear. There will be bumps in the road, but that doesn't mean that you will never reach your goal.

Light Horse:

What leads you to your desired goal?

The Fool:

In a way, you embody the Fool's passion, which is to dive headfirst into their passions and not think twice before jumping. You're always starting new projects and have a never-ending passion for new beginnings. This is what has been leading you towards your desired goal.

Ace of Swords:

You have very strong emotions especially when it comes to love and hate. When you love something or hate something, it encompasses your whole being. It is the love you have for your passions that helps you along this journey.

Channeled compliments from your guides on what is helping you in this journey:

“You are hilarious and have an amazing sense of humor!”

“You are such an inspiration! Everything you do is magical.”

“You are so trustworthy! Anyone knows they can count on you.”

Next Step:

What is the next thing you should work on?

Queen of Cups:

The next step in your journey is to strengthen your loyalty. As you go through life, you constantly change your mind about things and move on to new adventures. You get bored very easily. This pile is giving me strong Gemini energy. Because of your constant boredom, you struggle in the loyalty department, and your guides recommend you tackle this next. Whenever you become bored with one of your passions, try finding new things in that passion to keep yourself engaged.

Obstacle:

What challenges will you face on this journey?

Three of Cups:

In your journey, you tend to ignore red flags, thinking that they are only there to add flavor. You may also be afraid to rock the boat, which leads you to ignore warning signs. According to your guides, this mindset has hindered your progress.

Six of Cups:

It's not uncommon for toxic people from your past to try and get back in touch with you. When these people come back into your life, your guides are telling you not to accept them. They are not meant to be in your life. I am also getting strong Pisces and Cancer energy.

Destination:

What will your destination look like?

Ace of Cups:

If you are currently single, your guides are telling you that you will find new love at the end of this journey. If you are not single, this may be a sign that in the future you will be pregnant. In the event that this is not possible, then this new baby could be from a friend or family member. It is likely you will be extremely close to this baby, thinking of them as your own.

Four of Wands:

You will end up purchasing a new home with this person. Your new home will allow the two of you to live happily and healthily together. Your dream of a happy family life awaits you when you reach the end of this journey.

Channeled Messages:

“Get out of your own way! It’s upsetting me and your ancestors.”

“Follow the voice of your soul.”

Though tips are not required, they are very much appreciated. Thank you!

Venmo: @ aphrostarot

Paypal: paypal/aphrostarot

#pick a pile #pick a card #pick a crystal #diviniation #spirituality #astrology #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces

189 notes · View notes

kagedaddy · 4 years ago

Note

I'm not sure about the rule so can you do inarizaki with a model and streamer s/o? 💖

streamer / model - miya twins, suna & kita

warnings: none

miya atsumu

miya osamu

sun rintarou

kita shinsuke [masterlist]

hey hey, thanks for the request, no worries i don’t have rules for asks! hehe i think this scenario is cute, hope yah enjoy it! asks and dms are open for requests.

model

“Ready up angels!”the stage manager calls your attention, you were nervous and excited, tonight you were given the honour to open for the show, so you were going to be walking down the runway first. The make up team quickly does the last touches on your make up and the stage manager fixes the lingerie and giant (colour) wings on your back. You were ushered to the landing area, waiting for the artist and the music to play.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome (favourite artist).”

“Stand by first model, (first name).”the stage manager tells you and you nod your head, the intro of (favoruite song) starts playing and the stage manager cues you in. You make your entrance and the crowd goes wild, you strut down the runaway, looking out into the crowd and the unmistakable faux blonde hair of your boyfriend catches your attention, you meet his eyes and decided to sway your hips seductively a little a lot to the song. You see him bit his lip and it gives you a newfound energy on the runway, as you approach the artist they offer you their hand, twirling you around giving the wings on your back a fluttering effect.

As you arrive back in the landing you’re quickly pushed to the dressing room for a change of outfit and in minutes you’re out again, after a few more quick changes you are strutting one last time in the runaway, you wave and blow kisses to the audience, finding your blonde lover again and sending him an all too suggestive wink before giving a final pose. Once you’re all backstage, you and all the girls cheer at the success of the show, snapping pictures and all heading to the after party lounge.

Picking up your phone to message Atsumu but thick toned arms snake around your waist and you’re greeted by the familiar cologne of your boyfriend, “You looked really good, babe.”you turn in his arms, wrapping your own around his neck, pulling each other closer and giving him the kisses you both longed for. “Thanks Tsumu, I wanted to give you a show.”he growls at your words and you pull away, “Or maybe to your friends, kidding.”you tease your blonde lover, pressing hot kisses to his neck.

“Fuck babe, you were so hot. I’m glad I get to take you home.”

streamer

“Hi hi! Welcome to my stream, its (username) here!”

“I know it’s a little bit different today, we’re not gaming but we’re cooking with my partner and a Q & A!”you wave at the laptop you had set up for the stream session today, Osamu awkwardly waves at your stream, he was too cute, you talk about your plans bringing back the attention to yourself. “So babe what are we making for the stream?”you quickly fix the webcam so it would have a good view of the kitchen, “I’m not sure, what does your chat want.”he juts his thumb to your screen and your chat starts spamming all their suggestions.

‘[(random username) donated ¥ 10,000] It’s my birthday today, how about a cake?’

A donation notification sounded, the robotic voice of your text-to-speak read off the donation, “Ohh Happy happy birthday (random username), nee Osamu can we make a cake?”you clap your hands, singing the happy birthday song for your fan, “We can most definitely bake a cake.”he prepares the ingredients and you cheer as more of your fans begin chatting their favourite flavours and decorations the cake should have. Osamu mixes the batter and you stand beside him, he wants you to be his assistant and look pretty, while he does that, you begin to read out questions for you both to answer.

‘Osamu-san, is (first name) a good cook, what food has she cooked for you?’

You read out the first question, Osamu thinks about it for awhile before answering, “She isn’t a good cook, she cooked me some pancakes but half of it was burnt.”your face turns red in embarrassment and you smack your grey haired boyfriend, “So mean Samu, I thought you love me.”pouting at your partner and playfully crossing your arms. “I do babe but you really stink at cooking.”he presses a kiss to your forehead, deeping the blush of your cheeks.

“Okay next question!”

You answered as much questions as you guys could and the next thing you knew that cake was baked and cooled, ready for you to design it. You take the offset spatula and began smearing the icing on the cake, throwing in a couple sprinkles and writing illegible words on the cake. You stare at the monstrosity you designed, the cake was baked well credits to your lovely chef of a boyfriend but you were not skilled enough to do the pipping and the adding of sprinkles, “Good job, looks good babe.”Osamu presses a kiss to your forehead as you finished up the design, you knew he was being nice so you just accepted the affection, you both lifted the cake for your viewers to see.

“Well, I think it kinda turned out okay.”

streamer

You stifle a yawn as you stretch out your limbs, glancing over your clock it was 3:30 am you’ve been streaming for about four hours now. You were on a winning streak in Call of Duty and didn’t want to stop, your snipes were on fire today. “Babe come on, let’s head to bed. It’s late and you’re literally about to fall asleep.”the voice of your boyfriend draws your attention, “just one more game Shin.”smiling sleepily at the salt and pepper haired male, he pats your head and you lean up close enjoying his warm touch. ‘Aww you guys are the cutest’your chat goes wild, spamming it with hearts and you giggle at your chat but one message catches your attention, it read.

‘(username) get your boyfriend to play’

“Good idea chat!”your eyes light up, “Shin look, they want you to play!”you point at your screen, he turns to the monitor eyes following the chat, “Are you sure I’m not that good.”he rubs the back of his head unsure, “It’s okay, it’s all for fun!”you roll you chair to the side to give him some space but he stops you, instead he gestures for you to get up. Confused you follow anyways, Kita settles in your chair and he pats his lap, “come sit babe.”he pulls your body towards him until you’re sitting quite comfortably on his lap, “Will I get in trouble for this chat?”you laugh as you snuggle into you boyfriend’s warmth, shifting the headphones over to his head and quickly going over the controls with him. You set him up in a lobby and letting him pick whatever skin he prefers. Once he got it done, he was doing great, you were yelling at him on what to do and he panics, causing your chat to go crazy from they way you both interacted.

‘You are my parents, you guys are too cute.’

Your focus shifts to Kita, face morphed into concentration as he did his best in the game, he was so cute. He was able to kill a few players and survived the gulag, it was a funny sight to see. Your eyes become heavy, a small yawn leaving your lips, your eyes droop close and you lean closer into Kita but before you could completely drift off he wraps you up in his arms.

“Guys, I think I’ll end the stream here. It seems like she’s fallen asleep.”

model

Standing at the gate of Inarizaki high, you were lost, you were from a different school, “Ano, excuse me do you know where the volleyball club is?”you tap the nearest male’s shoulder to get his attention, he had blonde hair and wearing what you assume to be the volleyball club uniform. “You! You’re (last name)! You’re really pretty in person”his eyes widens in realisation, jaw hanging open as it dawns on him the model he’s seen on several magazine covers stands before him. “Shh!”you politely smile at the male, holding up your finger to your lips, he nods his head smiling widely. “I’m heading there, I can definitely take you!”he says a little bit excitedly and you can’t help but laugh at the male, “Thank you thank you.”you slightly bow to the male before following him to the direction of the gym.

“I’m Miya Atsumu by the way. Why are yah headin to the gym?”he introduces himself side glancing at you. “Well you already know me but I’m here to see someone.”walking up to the gym you can clearly hear the loud squeaking of shoes running across the court, you couldn’t help the nervous smile to show on your face. You wanted to surprise your boyfriend, he didn’t know you were in the area for a photo shoot so you wanted to visit him. You both walk in the gym, all the boys were busy warming up so they don’t notice, you wave off the blonde telling him to hush about your presence and walk off to the side sitting at one of the many benches. You watched interest as they played a practice match, you’ve never seen Suna play and man were you more attracted to the man, you were practically drooling as he flexed his muscles to block spikes. The coached called for a break and the boys all went to the benches near where you sat, as soon was Suna walks up, he meets your eyes.

“(first name) you’re here?”his eyes widens at the sight of you, “Surprise!”a smile forms on his lips, his sleepy demeanor changing into a more energetic one, “Do you know her?”Atsumu looks between you and Suna bewildered, “How do you know her, she’s like a big time model!”your boyfriend nods his head. “She’s my girlfriend.”the whole gym goes quiet staring wide eyed at their middle blocker, Suna takes this opportunity to go to sit beside you. Taking the towel from his hand, you wipe of his sweat before leaving a small peck on his cheek, “How do you have a girlfriend before me yah sleepy bastard.”Atsumu grumbles earning a laugh from you, “Aren’t your teammates such sweethearts.”you giggle at the scene, you did rounds of introductions and answer their questions about the both of you until they had to get back to practice.

The boys finished up and you waited for Suna by the gym doors, as soon as he stepped out the door you jumped into his arms, catching you without any problems, you wrap your legs around his waist so he’s carrying you. “I missed you.”finally pressing your lips against his, you sigh in happiness, “I missed you, too babe. But why didn’t you tell me you were coming, I could’ve skipped practice today or even class.”he snuggles closer to you but you just shook your head, “I wanted to surprise you, I was in the area for a photo shoot.”you kiss the tip of his nose, his face breaks out into a smile and connects your lips again. “You were so sexy when you played, you’re so good Rin.”you drop your head to whisper in the dark haired male’s ear, licking a stripe down to his jaw and his breathing hitches.

“Let’s go ‘cuddle’ in my bed.”

herro herro! the late valentines special will continue tomorrow click here to see it in [masterlist] under gala days, also added the other members for this request. hope yah guys enjoyed it, i not sure if it’s good, i’ve been super stressed lately some shit came up about my ex and the old apartment we use to live in. anyways leave a like and comment if you liked it! have a great one, jaa ne!

all the love xx

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dsmp-agere-stuff · 4 years ago

Note

Hello Jade ! it’s 🍒 again but could you write little!ranboo with cgs!tubbo and tommy? for plot maybe ranboo has been stressed with syndicate meetings, but when he wakes up regressed he’s confused because he’s never done it before. he becomes overwhelmed and scared so he gets tubbo. tubbo understands but has never been a cg so he calls tommy (tommy has been a cg to wilbur before) so tommy comes over, him and tubbo take care of ranboo. maybe they play hide and seek / tubbo carrying ranboo thanks!

Sorry this took me a while to get to!! It came out a lot more angsty than usual, so- beware of that.

Tw: described panic attack that ends after ——, Shame about regression, believing you aren’t deserving to regress

Ranboo rolled over in his bed and stuffed his face into the pillow, shaking his head some to burrow it in more. He pulled his blanket closer and hummed into whatever was in his arms. He whined when a piston went off somewhere and burrowed his face into the thing he was holding, which was a grass plush. He looked up once the sound was over and carefully got up, trying to find something to eat, but wobbled too much to get all the way to the fridge. He just sat down on the floor and whined to himself, going to bite his nails. He looked around for something to get, too tired, he thought, to really think. Which meant he couldn’t do anything, which sucked. He knew he had stuff to do today! He had meetings!! He had to tell Techno that Quackity was being mean!! He wasn’t supposed to be tired now!

Ranboo rubbed at his face with his sleeves to try and get the water off his face, staying on the ground as he got a message from his little communicator.

Tubbo. Tubbo was supposed to- Tubbo-

Ranboo’s Brain was far too foggy to read and he was absolutely not telling Tubbo about this of all things. So, he just slid it to the side and went from chewing on his nails to sucking on his thumb, trying to calm himself down about the meeting by reasoning with himself, which was usually the opposite of what actually happened, like this time, where he just catastrophized himself into a corner.

His communicator was an awful background noise to the whole thing as he finally got the energy to get up and start pacing around, still wobbly but needing to move in some way. He almost tripped so many times but he managed.

——

Someone knocked on the door and opened it anyway, “Why’re you ignoring me!” Tubbo joked as he knocked on the ladder downstairs, expecting Ranboo to be busy.

Ranboo let out a little whimper, shaking his head out of guilt, not getting that Tubbo was joking.

Tubbo heard the noise and ran upstairs with a laugh until he saw Ranboo and paused, “yo. You okay boss man?”

Ranboo shook his head and messed with his clothes, still pacing.

“Hey, hey.” Tubbo walked closer to him, “what’s wrong? What do you need?”

Ranboo shook his head again and rubbed at his face with his sleeves.

“Tissues?” Tubbo guessed.

“Nooo!” Ranboo Drew out in almost another whine, then looked down in what seemed like shame, still walking.

Tubbo rolled his eyes, “work with me dude.”

Ranboo made a softer version of aggressive noises he could make, still tearing up.

Tubbo sighed, “I’m calling Tommy, okay? Let’s get you to sit down, okay?”

Ranboo shook his head more.

Tubbo glanced at the block on Ranboo’s bed, “just mess with your blocks, man. I have to talk to Tommy.” Tubbo sent Tommy a message about it.

Ranboo begrudgingly went and grabbed the block, stuffing his face in it again. He continued to pace, holding the plush as tight as he could. He couldn’t remember where he got the plush from but he didn’t care, it was making him think a bit less and that helped.

Tubbo came out from the corner of the room and went over to Ranboo, “Hey, Ranboo, are you little?” He asked softly, trying to not be too alarming in case Tommy was right.

Ranboo just looked confused and shook his head, not even looking Tubbo’s way. Tubbo huffed and continued to text Tommy, “Tommy’s gonna come over to check on you, okay? He knows mental health stuff better than most of us, sadly.” Tubbo shrugged and went to the corner again

Tubbo looked around the room while Ranboo started to rock himself in place, singing to himself in light little noises.

Tommy eventually ran in and was clearly holding in his usual yells, “alright, what is this then?” He exaggerated his accent to try to cheer Ranboo up, maybe.

Tubbo sighed, “Ranboo’s being a downer- more than usual.”

Tommy watched Ranboo for a moment, then went over and tilted his head, “you scared, big man?”

Ranboo immediately shook his head and bit onto the plush, looking away from Tommy.

Tommy took a step back, “hey, hey, it’s fine.” Tommy turned to Tubbo, “he is *so* little. Tubbo, he’s literally babbling.”

Tubbo shrugged, “hey, I don’t know what it is.”

“It’s your husband!”

Tubbo sighed, “yeah, but you kinda need to tell me what to do ta- ya know- deal with it??”

Tommy rolled his eyes and shrugged, “I mean you have a kid right?”

Ranboo finally let out a little vwoop, glaring at the two’s heads.

“Sorry.” Tubbo mumbled.

“Just treat him like any other kid.” Tommy suggested.

Tubbo nodded confusedly and walked over to Ranboo, not looking up at Ranboo, “hey, big man, let’s sit on the ground, okay?”

Ranboo glanced down then carefully sat down, pulling his legs close to himself.

Tubbo smiled and laid on the ground, “you have no clue what being little is, huh?”

Ranboo shook his head.

“Well, neither do I. Tommy!” Tubbo got up and gestured for Tommy to sit down.

Tommy gave Tubbo a face then sat down in front of Ranboo. “Fine, fine.”

Tubbo smiled, “I’ll go get us food.”

Tommy and Ranboo just sat near each other for a bit, until Tommy spoke up, “sooo- regression.”

Ranboo mumbled something against the plush.

Tommy sighed and set his bag to the side and started unpacking it, “what’s a good way to phrase this... okay, okay, so you know how like, we all cope with the ssstuff that happened on the smp. The usually coping method is you know making a new country. Wonder what that says about Karl... anyway! A probably like- better one is what you’re doing, which is called, you guessed it, age regression!”

Ranboo was too tired to guess anything, trying to find a comfy spot to sit, but the floor was stone so that wasn’t happening.

“It’s like- you feel like a kid and you act like one? And it helps?” Tommy scrunched up his face, then shrugged, “Wilbur did it before... you know and like. It did calm him down some. He was really fun too, like how a puppy is fun for like the first 10 minutes, but drag it out for- I don’t know? An hour? Who cares, you get what I’m saying.”

Ranboo has absolutely no clue what Tommy was saying and just nodded, scooting closer for comfort.

Tommy rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and got close enough for Ranboo to lean on him, which he did. Tubbo came up with a bunch of crackers and things to go with it, “yooo?”

Tommy shrugged with his free shoulder and held out his hands for the food.

Tubbo set the plate in front of the two.

Tommy looked over at Ranboo, “we should get you regression things.”

Ranboo shook his head, “no nee’.”

Tommy rolled his eyes, “do.”

“No”

“You do.”

“M-m.”

“Ranboooo, come on, big man. You can’t tear your plushies to shreds.”

Ranboo pulled his mouth far away from where he was biting it, pouting and whining.

Tommy snorted, “you know I’m right.”

Ranboo shook his head, “won’ b’ b’b.”

“Huh.” Tubbo asked mid bite.

“You’re almost definitely going to be a baby again. We should be prepared for that, at least a little bit, you know?”

Ranboo stuffed his face in the plush again, “nooooo-“

Tommy huffed, “why not?”

“Go’a ‘tay biiig!” Ranboo bounced on of his legs.

Tommy shrugged, “you really don’t have to. Tubbo and I and like- your other friends can help watch you whenever.”

“Listen, if it helps you, poggers man.”

Ranboo made a loud screech and threw his plush to the wall, then ran over to his bed, getting on it and hiding under the blanket.

Tommy and Tubbo both stopped mid everything and watched Ranboo, confused as to why he was suddenly so agressive.

Tubbo took the grass plush and set it next to Ranboo on the bed. Ranboo got out of the blanket to take it and put the blanket back over. Tubbo sat in that spot and gently laughed as Ranboo immediately hugged him around the stomach. Tommy sighed and went over to the other side of Ranboo’s bed, “we’ll talk about it when you’re big. For now... how old you feel, big man?”

Ranboo shrugged and hugged Tommy’s arm, trying to hug both and the plush. Tommy messed up Ranboo’s hair, “you seem like a tiny little toddler.”

Tubbo smiled and rubbed Ranboo’s ring, “sooo, just about carrying age?”

Ranboo very audibly gasped and held his arms out.

Tubbo snorted, picking Ranboo up carefully, “there we go.”

Ranboo was immediately almost bouncing out of Tubbo’s grip out of joy. He babbled and vwooped out something neither one of them knew, but both cooed at the cute noise.

Ranboo kept babbling, pointing at things and telling them about whatever he felt like, trying to gesture to further elaborate, but at some point Tommy gave him a rattle (made from a little jar, beads, and a stick) and Ranboo gave up trying to make sense in favor of making as much noise as he could. Tubbo tried to respond as well as possible. Ranboo just enjoyed them both listening, almost talking himself back to sleep.

Tommy helped get Ranboo back in bed, “now I’m gonna get you more little toys, got it?”

Ranboo let out a good whine before shoving his face back into the grass plush.

Tubbo sighed and pet Ranboo, “you cool with me staying here?”

Ranboo nodded and gestured to Tommy with his shoulder, still nodding.

Tubbo took a breath, “we’ll be downstairs if you need anything. I’ll send Enderchest up.”

Ranboo let out a happy vwoop before genuinely trying to sleep.

“Night big man.” Tommy mumbled.

Tubbo pet Ranboo more, “Night, Ranboo. Love you.”

#agere tubbo #agere ranboo #agere tommyinnit #agere mcyt #little!ranboo #cg!tubbo #cg!tommyinnit #agere dsmp #jade writes

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amjustagirl · 4 years ago

Text

Chapters: one. ~ two. ~ three. ~ four. ~ five. ~ six. ~ seven.

Wordcount: 3k

Summary:

Akaashi Keiji catches glimpses of another life in his dreams. He dreams of fields of endless gold, of constellation of stars that light up the night sky. He hears the echo of birdsong in her laughter, her song to the gods in the wind.

(Loosely inspired by Kimi No Nawa)

Masterlist link here

AO3 link here

Author’s note: This fic is a little different from my usual work, so I’m a little nervous about publishing it. If you do like it, would love if you leave a comment / reblog / anything!

If you’d like to be included in the taglist, do drop me a msg/ask!

The first time it happens, Akaashi is in his third year of university.

The upside of staying in Tokyo for university (his mother cried when he got into Waseda, her alma mater) is that he sees his family almost every weekend for cosy family dinners. The downside of staying in Tokyo for university is that he really has no excuse when his parents insist on carrying on Hatsumode, the first prayer of the new year, at the crack of dawn at the shrine close to their home. It’s not that he minds the tradition per se, but he did just spend all night rushing his projects just so he could adhere to the unspoken rule that no work should be done during the New Year holidays and spend some time flying kites with his little cousins.

Still, there is something magical about starting the New Year watching dawn break and the world awaken from its slumber just as he reaches the summit of all twenty six steps to the top of the shrine, shrouded in the bare branches of the wisteria trees. He tosses coins into the box, drops into a deep bow twice, chin at waist level, clapping twice before bowing a final time. His mother buys far too many omamori, presses at least half of them into his unwilling hands when the omikuji he draws has a great curse scribbled on it. He’s not superstitious, so it doesn’t bother him, but he knows his mother is, so he does accept the omamori with some grace, though he draws the line at the love charm she tries to sneak into the pile.

‘Mum, I’m too busy at school for a partner’, he tells her firmly. ‘Why don’t you pass it to Yuji-kun, he’s already started work, but hasn’t found a girlfriend from what Oba-chan tells me’. His elder cousin shoots him a particularly malevolent glare that he meets with a placid smile as his mother diverts her attention to him instead.

The faintest shiver runs up his fingers when he deposits the old charm he found in the corner of his closet, grey and faded with time, in the koshinsatsu osamedokoro, the omamori drop off open only during the first day of the New Year. The shiver turns into a ripple of cool water racing up his wrists and roars into an tsunami of dread when the attendant tells him all deposited charms will be burnt in the ritual fire in a fortnight’s time, but he writes it off as a symptom of his lack of sleep and starts to turn away.

There’s a sudden echo of a nightmare of raging flames that prompts him to swivel around to snatch the omamori and stuff it back in his pocket, muttering apologies to the shocked attendant. Later, when he has time to process his impulse, he’d find it strange. In the meantime however, the festivities wait for no one, so he distracts himself by eating far too much dango and mochi in between rounds of tossing kites up to catch the wind. His uncles slip him full cups of sake and sweetened rice wine to his mother’s disapproval, which in hindsight he should have heeded, as he stumbles to bed that night, head heavy with alcohol.

That night he dreams of a girl with curly hair, lying in a field of endless gold - daffodils to mark the dawn of spring.

‘Also known as narcissus’, he hears himself say, hears himself narrate the myth of a man so entranced by his own reflection in the water that he lost his will when he realizes he cannot have his object of desire. A girlish voice lilts teasingly – ‘the flowers are too pretty to be ruined by your obsession of stories written by grumpy old men’. He wakes up with the ghost of laughter on his lips, but there’s a lingering sense of loss budding in barren soil of his heart.

It does prompt him to pop by the florist near his parents’ house to order a bouquet of daffodils for his mom to be delivered on the first day of spring. He’s accustomed to the old couple running the shop, so he pauses just for a second when he walks into the store to find a new girl at the counter. She must not be used to customers yet, dropping the bouquet she’s working on when she notices him.

‘Hi’, she stammers, cheeks pink. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I’d like to make an advance order for daffodils please.’

‘For spring?’ she asks, and he nods, writing down his parents’ address when prompted. ‘That’s a good choice!’

She waves him off with a cheerful – ‘please come back again’, and he does not notice that there are stars in her eyes.

His mother drags him back to the shrine on the third day of the holidays, and he obliges her, ever the dutiful only son, even though the frigid temperature makes his breath puff up into clouds and the tip of his nose turns numb. The old omamori is still snug in his jacket pocket, and as his fingers brush against it, he can feel the threads of the charm unravelling, the fabric almost fragile in its worn, threadbare state but he does not attempt to dispose of it again.

‘What are you going to do once you’re done with your degree, Keiji?’ His mother asks, when they stop by an old teahouse for a cup of steaming genmaicha, the aroma of roasted rice tea warm against his cold nose.

‘I intend to apply for a job at a publishing company after I graduate’, he tells her seriously, and she nods, encouraging him to continue. ‘I’m hoping it’s something to do with my major, preferably Japanese literature, better yet if it's poetry, but in this market, I’ll take what I can get’.

His mother nods, smiling at him fondly. ‘I remember you used to be obsessed with Shakespeare and Greek myths when you were younger, all the way through high school, and your father and I thought that you’d end up majoring in that in university. You really surprised us when you chose to major in Japanese literature instead.’

‘I don’t know why, to be honest. Maybe I had a good Japanese literature tutor?’ He laughs, fiddling with his teacup.

‘Mm I don’t think so though. I remember you complaining that Raku-sensei was so dull he caused everyone to fall asleep.’ He shrugs, and though she stares at him curiously, she does not pursue the line of conversation any further.

That night he dreams of waking up in an old wooden house, shivering in a thick futon, the smoldering embers from the irori, mere inches from his face. It’s so very different from his childhood bedroom filled with modern appliances and walls of books neatly shelved in alphabetical order, but he doesn’t notice that in the dark. Instead, he reaches for his phone to check the time, bolting awake because that can’t be, he never misses his alarm, mentally calculating that he must leave the house in exactly fifteen minutes to make it in time for practice when a little boy bursts through the door.

‘Nee-chan’, the little boy whines. ‘I’m hungry. Time for breakfast’.

Did he just say Nee-chan? Scratch that - since when did he have a little brother?

He scrambles out of bed, groping his way in the dark to the washroom. The cold water should wake him up, but when he looks up at the mirror above the sink, the face he’s staring at does not belong to him. No - it belongs to a dark eyed girl with curly hair - but it doesn’t make sense, shouldn’t make sense, because when he reaches a trembling finger to poke at the mirror, he is she or she is him -

The ensuing panic and confusion makes him jerk out of his dream, but when he rushes to the washroom to check that he’s still himself, he is relieved to see that it’s still him - Akaashi Keiji, with dark circles around his eyes, staring back in disbelief.

He chalks his strange dream up to the stress he carries around from trying to clear all his course work so he can audit additional classes over the next term.

Except the dreams don’t stop, not even when he moves back to the university dorms. He keeps waking up drenched in cold sweat, clutching at his arms even though they’re clear of the scratches he sees in his dreams, red and raw and stretching all the way up his elbows.

‘Be kinder to Hana-chan, Keiji-kun’, he hears the call of the same girl in his mind and he shudders, unsure whether the disembodied voice floating through his mind is a memory from his dream. ‘She’s going through an awfully tough time’.

‘It doesn’t give her the right to hurt you like that’, he can hear his faint disapproval.

‘Never mind that, it’s not a big deal. What are we reading today – don’t tell me it’s anything like Hamlet. That was horrendously depressing.’

‘Midsummer’s Night Dream? It’s a romantic comedy at least.’

‘Only a nerd like you would read Shakespeare in high school – and it’s not even in Japanese!’

‘Hush – you don’t get to complain when I’m reading it out to you.’

‘What on earth is going on’, he mutters to himself. The copious amounts of frigid water he splashes onto his face is no antidote to this madness.

‘Sato-san, are you feeling alright?’ he asks his grimacing classmate in concern, lines of pain etched onto her face.

‘I’m fine, Akaashi-kun’, she manages to spit out, clutching her stomach with white-knuckled hands. ‘It’ll pass in a bit, I hope’.

‘Are you sure you’re fine? I could help you to the nurse’s office if that helps’.

His classmate shakes her head, a blush staining her cheeks. ‘It’s just that time of the month. I apologise if that’s too much information to be polite’.

Ah. But somehow even though he has no sisters, and his female classmates in high school were oddly reticent about their periods (strange, considering it is part and parcel of being a mammal for far more than a millenium) the steps to deal with this particular conundrum come to him so naturally it’s almost as if the answers were presented to him previously in a dream.

‘Here’, he passes Sato-san painkillers, chocolate and a hot water bottle he’d managed to talk the university nurse into loaning him, and Sato practically whimpers in gratitude.

‘You’re a lifesaver, Akaashi-kun’, she tells him and he nods, content that he’s solved the problem so efficiently.

That night he wakes up in her body again. The room is dark, save for the sliver of white light between the blinds that allows him to discern the growing crimson stain between her legs.

‘Don’t you know all women have to deal with this nonsense every month? But I’ll tell you a trick - painkillers, chocolate and a hot water bottle will make you feel as right as rain’, he hears her voice declare in his mind, and he startles awake to find himself back in his own bed, blessedly clear of any bloodstains.

It must be a dream borne out of what happened today, he tells himself firmly and shrugs it off. The rest of his slumber is thankfully shorn of dreams.

But then these dreams start to crash into his sleep like a series of never ending waves, and he’s a short hop, skip, jump away from falling off the cliff into a distracted madness, the rate his sleep keeps getting disrupted. He keeps waking up in her body, it makes him feel like a creep, wearing her skin like an ill-fitting glove, and he decided does not think about how strange it feels to have twin lumps of flesh in front of his chest (his mother raised him to be a gentleman, after all).

The contents of these dreams are relatively cyclical. He wakes up at dawn, puts on her school uniform, makes breakfast for the little boy - Toya-chan over the primitive hearth before rushing to school through dirt paths lined with trees. His - or rather her classmates stare at her with a mix of condescension and apathy, and her hours in school are spent in a lonely silence, save when Hana-chan gets up in her face and screams absolute nonsense about staying the fuck away from her, which seems a little dramatic considering she’s the one doing the confronting, but it’s just a dream, so he keeps telling himself. It’s not like he can change anything about it.

‘Does it bother you? That you’re alone?’ he asks her one day.

‘Not really. I have you and Toya-chan, don’t I?’ she responds.

‘I suppose’, he says, voice trailing off.

He catches glimpses of sun drenched afternoons spent in fields of flowers, glances of dusky evenings spent in the forest basking in the light of the setting sun. He agonizes over stacks of homework, digs for mushrooms in the damp earth, climbs through wire fences to scavenge for eggs in neighbouring farms.

‘Aren’t your parents worried about you and Toya-chan?’ he can hear himself question her one night.

‘My mom is dead and my dad can’t be home often, he works on construction projects around Sapporo. He sends cash to me and Toya-chan, and it isn’t always enough, but he tries his best ’, she answers, her voice feather light.

‘I’m sorry’, he tells her a little awkwardly, thinking about his happy family and wondering how it’d feel like to have them torn away from him so early on in life.

‘Don’t be’, she replies, ‘Sometimes I wonder if it’s better to have good parents who’re dead or absent rather than horrible parents who’re still alive’.

He jolts awake again, relieved to find himself back in his bed. It’s barely four in the morning, but he’s not going to be able to sleep after that, so he resigns himself to using the time to get cracking on his college assignments anyway. But he makes sure to call his mother once day breaks and he’s sure she’s returned from the market with groceries in tow, telling her awkwardly that he’s just calling to catch up and hopes she’s been well and ok bye mum I love you very much, heart pounding when he hangs up abruptly.

He has a standing appointment on the first Thursday every month to meet Kenma for coffee at a café a stone’s throw away from Waseda. They both order black coffee, which is strange for Kenma considering his legendary sweet tooth, but he knows Kenma too well to know that the ridiculously successful game streamer is only drinking coffee to stay awake, the shadows under his eyes deeper and darker than those under Akaashi’s own eyes.

‘Doesn’t Kuroo-san nag you go to bed at a decent time?’

Kenma doesn’t even bother to flick his eyes up, busy gulping mouthfuls of the bitter liquid. ‘Speak for yourself. Not sleeping well either?’

Akaashi shrugs his shoulders helplessly, stirring his coffee. ‘Mm. ‘I’ve been having strange recurring dreams and it’s been affecting my sleep’.

Kenma merely hums in reply, and Akaashi finds himself spilling out the entire weird series of events – though to be absolutely accurate, his dreams aren’t real so they can’t be termed as events, but they’ve been haunting him for the past month so they might as well be at this rate. He explains about finding himself in the body of a high school girl with curly hair and a dimple on one cheek, how he’s lived her life enough in the past month that he can map out her days with startling certainty, how he knows it’s not real – it can’t be real, but his dreams glimmer with such vibrancy that they feel real.

‘Am I going crazy?’ he asks.

‘I highly doubt it’, Kenma says, tapping his chin in thought. ‘Maybe it’s like one of those exploration video games where you have to take your time to discover its world to figure out the narrative the game is feeding you.’

Trust Kenma to relate everything to video games.

‘That was singularly unhelpful’, Akaashi says dryly as Kenma chuckles quietly in response.

He is almost afraid to fall asleep again but his eyelids are weighed down by weeks’ worth of sleep deprivation and soon he finds himself again in her body.

It’s a clear winter’s night. He’s huddled under a thick blanket to shield himself from the bitter cold, watching the embers in the hearth glow yellow and gold.

‘It’s late. Can’t sleep?’

‘Mm’ he replies. ‘Wondering what tomorrow will bring.’

‘You’re overthinking again, Keiji’, she chuckles. ‘Tomorrow’s going to be just another day. You’ll wake up back in your warm bed at the crack of dawn for volleyball practice, attend classes in your fancy private school, and play even more volleyball with your beloved Bokuto-san’.

He rolls his eyes heavenwards at her words and her laugh this time is loud, bright.

‘You know I only speak the truth. Now, since you need to wake up ridiculously early tomorrow, why don’t I tell you a bedtime story so you can fall asleep.’

‘I’m not a child’, he replies dryly, but does not object when she starts to narrate the tale of a princess exiled from the moon, who is raised by a humble woodcutter and his wife to become a renowned beauty, with five suitors seeking her hand. ‘That’s mean of her’, he mumbles as she describes how the princess rebuffs her suitors by setting them impossible tasks, drifts to sleep as her voice softens as she describes how the princess falls in love with the Emperor, but breaks both their hearts because she knows she must return to the moon someday. He’s fast asleep when she reaches the ending where the princess leaves all her memories on earth with tears in her eyes, gifting the emperor with an elixir of immortality which he burns, because he declares life isn’t worth living without her.

‘Goodnight Keiji’, she says, her voice shimmering in the still night air.

For the first time in a long while, Akaashi wakes up at peace.

Taglist:

@1tooru @animeflower26 @kageyamakock

#hq #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #hq imagines #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu writing #hq writing #haikyuu angst #haikyuu romance #akaashi keiji #akaashi keji x reader #akaashi x reader #akaashi keiji x y/n #haikyuucreations #akaashi headcanons #akaashi angst #haikyuu fic rec #haikyuu scenarios

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featheredoutrage · 3 years ago

Text

Serendipity (Ch 1)

Rating: K

Sasuhina Month Day 1: Beginning of Us

Read on FF.net

“Sunagakure was nice last time I visited, I never would have thought that a city in a desert would be so pleasant. Mayor Gaara really is exceeding all expectations...” Sasuke tried not to let the boredom show on his face. Unfortunately, Satoshi Nakada was an important supplier to Uchiha Corporations, and pissing off business partners would not help Sasuke convince his father to give him more responsibility.

Sasuke hated these corporate functions, hated being forced to rub elbows with people he couldn’t care less about. Everyone was boring, irritating, or loud -- usually all three -- and often became even more so after a couple of drinks. Even worse, it was so easy to get trapped in a boring story that went on and on, leaving Sasuke unable to extricate himself without looking rude.

Lucky for him, a young man wandered over, wine glass in hand, brimming with nervous confidence. He looked fresh out of school, and was probably desperate to develop some industry connections. The rookie introduced himself to Sasuke and Nakada, who looked like someone who had just woken up from a trance. Sasuke smiled and patted the newcomer on the shoulder. “Well, I have to, uh, get some more appetizers, so I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.” Having found a suitable sacrifice, Sasuke made a beeline for the back door.

Sasuke’s father expected him to represent the family company, so Sasuke couldn’t just leave like he wanted to. He had, however, discovered that he could duck away to an empty corner and wait until the function was almost over before re-emerging and pretending he had been there the entire time with no one the wiser. Empty rooms were risky -- Sasuke learned the hard way that middle-aged adults could be just as horny as teenagers -- so he wandered around outside until he found the perfect spot: a slight bend in the building surrounded by tall hedges that could hide him from view while still providing good visibility to the guests passing by. The only problem with this hiding spot was that it was already occupied.

“Get out,” Sasuke said before he could stop himself. The girl stared at him with wide pale eyes that glowed in the moonlight. She had dark hair and pale skin and wore what looked like a light purple cocktail dress, though it was hard to distinguish the color in the dim light. Sasuke forced himself to soften his tone. “I mean, can you please leave.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. “I-I was here first.”

Sasuke’s left eye twitched. “Surely a lovely lady like yourself has people looking for you. I can walk you back to the party if you want,” he said with a smile that had previously dazzled many other women into acquiescing to his demands.

“I-I could say the same to you,” the girl sniped back, her defiant words at odds with the way she nervously tapped her fingers together. “Why don’t you head back and I’ll stay here.”

Sasuke dropped all polite pretenses and scowled. If he couldn’t charm her into leaving, then he’d just have to chase her away. But before he could make a cutting comment about the girl’s looks or obvious awkwardness, they were interrupted by the sound of thunderous steps and of exuberant voices.

“That’s it Lee! Let the power of youth propel you to the finish line!” Sasuke hurriedly stepped into the alcove, squeezing himself between the girl and the wall. The girl squeaked at the sudden proximity, but Sasuke paid her no mind, more concerned about hiding himself from the new arrivals. Through the half cover of the hedges, Sasuke could see the twin forms of Might Guy and Rock Lee stampeding down the path on their hands. When they reached the birdbath, located right next to where Sasuke and the girl were hiding, the two leapt to their feet and clasped hands. “Amazing Lee. You’ve improved leagues since I last saw you.”

“It is only due to Guy-sensei’s support and dedication that I am where I am now. Guy-sensei’s coolness is a constant inspiration,” Lee exclaimed, his smile appearing to be a light source all on its own.

“Let us celebrate your achievement with another hundred laps!” The two green-suited fanatics dashed off down the path again, kicking up a trail of dust behind them.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe those two are still invited to these things,” he muttered.

“The mayor likes them, it would look bad if they weren’t invited. Besides, they’re very nice once you get to know them.” She was leaning awkwardly against the wall, her body angle away from him. Sasuke suddenly became painfully aware of how close they were. He could smell her lavender perfume and make out the silvery flowers stitched into her dress.

“I thought they were invited because Tsunade gets a kick out of watching them challenge people to push-up contests.”

“...Maybe that too,” she said with a smile, revealing small dimples on both sides of her mouth. She had a nice smile, Sasuke thought idly before frowning. Why had he thought that? He wanted her to leave after all.

“If you enjoy their company so much, why don’t you go join them when they come back around.”

“Alright,” she agreed, to his shock. “I’ll introduce you too. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to meet you.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” he said quickly. Watching the duo from a distance was already overwhelming, interacting with them up close might fry his green color receptors and a couple of brain cells along with it.

“Then I suppose we should just stay put then,” the girl said, and Sasuke grudgingly admitted defeat. There were worse people to be stuck behind a hedge with, he supposed. Just then, Satoshi Nakada stumbled down the path, gripping a poor waiter’s arm for support, slurring loudly about his younger days.

“Looks like this party might be starting to wrap up soon,” Sasuke commented once the old man and his hapless victim had passed.

“Nakada-san’s only started talking about his first business deal, there’s a few more hours to go I think,” the girl said. Sasuke chuckled, startling them both. He hadn’t expected that.

“He spent so much time talking about his recent Suna trip today, he might not have started drinking until later. The timeline’s probably pushed up.”

The girl inclined her head. “Maybe. But Shikamaru-kun is coming out for a smoke now.” She gestured at a faraway figure who was taking a drag on a lit cigarette. “If the event was wrapping up, his mother would have dragged him back in.”

“Nara’s more than capable of giving his mom the slip,” Sasuke argued. “This might be his second round.”

“Then what about Tsunade-sama? She’s still inside, so she hasn’t had the time to get drunk yet.”

“Everyone’s working double time to make sure we don’t get a repeat of last month’s fiasco. She might not even get trashed this time.”

And so their conversation went, with the girl raising one proposal after another for why it was still early, and Sasuke finding ways to shoot it down. It was comfortable, engaging, and even, dare he say it, fun. What a strange thought. These parties were formal, a way to make connections, an obligation that Sasuke had to go to whether he wanted to or not. At best it was satisfying to walk away with a new business partner. They were never fun.

The game was interrupted by a lone female figure walking down the path shouting “Nee-san! Stop hiding and come out. Father’s looking for you.” She was short, with brown hair and a silvery-white gown. They watched her walk past in silence. When she disappeared down the bend, the girl sighed.

“Looks like you were right, the party is wrapping up.” She moved to leave their little hiding spot, but glanced back at him, lips quirking upward in a small smile. “It was good to meet you, Uchiha-san.” She hurried down the path after her sister.

Sasuke stood there, by himself. He’d gotten his wish, the hiding spot was his. But it was darker and quieter than it was before. Sasuke stood there, annoyed that she had known who he was but he hadn’t even gotten a name. With a huff, Sasuke left the hedge too, and headed back towards the party. His father was probably looking for him.

#sasuhina #shmonth2021 #sasuhinamonth2021 #day 1 #my fanfics:sasuhina #my writing

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plentyghosts · 3 years ago

Text

New Clothes and Promises Made

Summary: S.Q. had not straightened his hair for some time now. Since his father's arrest and moving in with Mr. Benedict, he simply hadn’t had the time. He was adapting to life in Mr. Benedict’s house and processing everything that happened, so his appearance had fallen to the wayside. Now his dark hair curled gently over his forehead, occasionally falling in his eyes, only to be clipped back absentmindedly by Rhonda when she spotted him continuously tucking it behind his ears. He used to straighten it every morning, under his father's instruction. ‘Appearance is everything, S.Q., do you understand me? Everything.’ He’d say. That sentiment had been one of the many that stuck, repeating like a mantra in his brain throughout the day, as he went through each of the twenty-four hours just as he was expected to.

Content Warnings: none

Edit: fixed some spelling errors i noticed (after posting 😔)

ao3 link

S.Q. had not straightened his hair for some time now. Since his father's arrest and moving in with Mr. Benedict, he simply hadn’t had the time. He was adapting to life in Mr. Benedict’s house and processing everything that happened, so his appearance had fallen to the wayside. Now his dark hair curled gently over his forehead, occasionally falling in his eyes, only to be clipped back absentmindedly by Rhonda when she spotted him continuously tucking it behind his ears. He used to straighten it every morning, under his father's instruction. ‘Appearance is everything, S.Q., do you understand me? Everything.’ He’d say. That sentiment had been one of the many that stuck, repeating like a mantra in his brain throughout the day, as he went through each of the twenty-four hours just as he was expected to. S.Q. bit the inside of his lip as he examined himself in the mirror.

A harsh purple was smudged beneath each of his eyes, indicative of another issue he was having. Nightmares were not new to him, but they had certainly never occurred with this much frequency. He’d been doing a fine job at hiding it, he didn’t want to bother anyone after all, but these dark circles might give him away. He sighed. There wasn’t much to be done about it. His clothes and his hair, however, he could fix. So that morning, he straightened it again, burning himself a few times in the process. He swept his hair aside as he usually did and fixed his collar. There, much better. He imagined his fathers approving voice- a tone he rarely heard from him- the first time he had dressed himself.

He had been five, starting to develop more independent thought, and therefore wanting to dress himself. He had done well enough. Though, that hadn’t stopped his father from making minute adjustments, as he was always inclined to do. S.Q. shoved that memory aside when he felt a lump forming in his throat. ‘Don’t be silly’ he scolded himself internally ‘he was awful, you shouldn’t be missing him. What would the others think of you? If they knew you were longing for such a bad man?’ He took a deep, cleansing breath (something Kate had taught him) and stepped out of the washroom.

He made his way downstairs, bidding good morning to the others he passed until he came to the kitchen. Mr. Benedict sat with a cup of coffee in hand and a book laid on the table in front of him. He looked up as S.Q. entered the kitchen, and did a small double-take when he saw that his hair had been straightened. He smiled, but his eyes held something akin to sadness. S.Q. felt suddenly embarrassed, and instinctively, he went to tuck his hair behind his ear. He cleared his throat. “Good morning S.Q., did you sleep well?” Mr. Benedict asked. Though S.Q. was sure Mr. Benedict already knew the answer he lied anyway.

“I slept well” He said. The other kids joined them soon, and they were all seated at the table to eat breakfast. Number Two and Milligan had cooked that morning. They’d made pancakes, something S.Q. found he enjoyed very much. Sweet food had not exactly been commonplace for him on the island. He could count on one hand the number of times his father had indulged his childish longing for something sweet. Those had all been on days his father was in a particularly good mood. Usually, it was due to something with his work going well. Those memories were soured now with the knowledge of what it was his father had been so happy about.

Breakfast passed with zero incident, aside from Constance nailing Sticky in the side of the head with a piece of pancake, and after it was over, Rhonda announced that they were going to head into Stonetown that morning. There was a murmur of excitement through the table, all of the kids raising questions about why and when. S.Q. was more reserved, just listening to it all happened. He liked the idea of seeing the town. He had spent a lot of time wondering about it from his room in the institute. Or looking out at it from the copper waves, where he could sit and see the outline of the belltower in the distance. Though the prospect of seeing Stonetown was fun, he did worry. His father had raised him on the belief that the outside world was unruly and uncontrolled. And to a certain extent that was true, but in that truth, there was some good. Moments of bonding and light-heartedness, the kind which could come from nowhere else but an uncontrolled world. But that also meant large crowds and lots of noise, something S.Q. was still adjusting to.

“It’s almost winter, which means everyone is in need of some winter clothes. We’re going out to get just that.” Rhonda explained, with slightly raised hands to keep more questions from rising. This did not stem the children's excitement, they had plenty more questions. In lieu of an answer, Rhonda sent them all to get dressed and ready to go. All the children were soon running off to their rooms to get dressed. All except S.Q., who had changed out of pajamas right after he’d woken. A habit his father had instilled in him. ‘No sense in waiting, S.Q., you never know.’ his father’s voice rang in his head again, interrupted by Mr. Benedict.

“How are you feeling this morning S.Q.?” he asked. S.Q. was caught slightly off guard by the question. He had never been particularly good at putting his feelings into words- well, no that wasn’t quite the right way to put it. He knew just how to articulate them, to an extent, the issue was that he’d seldom been asked about his feelings. Specifically the negative ones. His own negative emotions (he was plenty familiar with his father's) had always been foreign to him in a way. They were not a part of him, but rather a beast that lingered in the shadows. Something he was encouraged to ignore or, if he couldn’t do the former, try to conquer. He was not familiar with them, and therefore not prepared when people asked him about them. It felt like trying to explain the plot of a book he had never read.

“Oh, well... I’m doing alright. Just had an early morning, so I’m a little tired.” That was an answer he was good at giving. He was just tired. That was the crutch he fell on for a lot of emotions. And while it was half-true, his tiredness may have been the source of some stress, it was not the main problem. It was simply a branch on a larger tree. That was how S.Q. typically looked at his emotional turmoil; like a tree with winding and extending branches. It had taken him a while to understand that his father was the one who had planted the seed of this tree. That he was the roots.

Mr. Benedict tilted his head (S.Q. grimaced. So familiar, but so different.) and nodded with genuine patience. There was no pretense of intrigue there, he really was interested in what S.Q. had to say. He set down his coffee cup and stood “Well, I don’t believe you have a proper coat, which you’ll need for today. Why don’t we go look in the main hall closet?” S.Q. nodded and stood, finishing the last of his orange juice as he went.

They walked to the main hall and Mr. Benedict went through the closet housing all the old jackets and boots while S.Q. stood to the side, watching with the keen feeling that maybe he should have been helping. He shifted on his feet. “Do you nee-”

“Ah! Here we go” Mr. Benedict stepped out from the closet, brushing some dust half-heartedly from his shoulder. He held up the coat. It was Tarrytown green and looked rather big for S.Q., but he wasn’t going to complain. ‘Remember’ he reminded himself ‘you’re only here because Mr. Benedict allows you to be. Which means no complaining’. Besides, when he put the coat on, it was rather comfortable. Even if the sleeves fell past his wrist and covered his hands. Effectively giving him sleeve paws (and possibly a weapon if he pulled his hands in more.) When zipped all the way the collar came right up to his chin, so he only zipped it up to his collarbone. The kids came down the stairs as S.Q. was pulling on his boots.

Kate wasted no time in pulling on her own boots, not long after she had come barreling down the stairs then she was all ready to go, encouraging the boys to get ready quickly so they could go out. Reynie laughed good-naturedly at Kate's excitement as he laced up his boots and Sticky pulled on his jacket. Constance, meanwhile, was struggling to zip up her coat, Rhonda eventually came over to help her. Kate turned to S.Q. and her smile faltered for a moment, not out of sadness, but something akin to mild surprise, it was back just as quickly. “Hey, that’s Milligan’s coat!” she said. “Makes you look like a mini-Milligan” Here, she gasped and her eyes lit up “A minigan!” she cried, punching S.Q.’s shoulder affectionately. S.Q. grimaced (somehow he managed to turn it into a smile) and rubbed his arm.

Soon, everyone was ready to go (Kate was practically vibrating with energy), and Rhonda, Number Two, Milligan, and Ms. Perumal were ushering them out the door. They split into two cars. Number Two, Rhonda, Ms. Perumal, Reynie, and Constance in one. And Milligan, Kate, Sticky, and S.Q. in another. Mr. Benedict chose to stay home that day, along with Mrs. Perumal. The drive to Stonetown was not long, and yet, S.Q. found himself growing rather tired. He was pressed against the window, his cheek resting on the ledge, the cool windowpane firm against his forehead. His eyes slipped closed.

The details of his dream were already fading when he felt someone waking him. He startled slightly as he awoke, the image of his dad still vivid behind his eyelids. But it was not his father's hand on his shoulder shaking him into the land of the living. It was just Milligan. S.Q. rubbed his eyes and sat up, stifling a yawn. “We’re here,” Milligan said. And sure enough, when S.Q. turned his head to look out the window, he could see the rest of the group standing outside the car, waiting for him. Kate was bouncing on her toes, looking as though she might start cartwheeling at any moment. Kate seemed very much like a shark to S.Q., in perpetual movement, as though she might die if she stopped for even a second. She was all about momentum and he had kept her waiting. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment and he climbed out of the car, into the cool air. The cold bit at his face and he shivered, hoping the excuse of the chill might be enough to cover his shame-colored cheeks.

Along with the cold, the first thing S.Q. noticed was the noise. There was a lot of it. People talking as they milled about, the cars on the road, the general hustle and bustle one might find in any city. He immediately decided he didn’t like it. He bit back a small hum of displeasure and pulled his coat up to cover his ears, hoping once again the cold would be a good excuse for this. They had a bit of walking to do before they got to the store and S.Q. spent the whole time with his shoulders hunched and his ears covered. He blocked out the sound around him as best he could, including Kate’s excited chattering and Sticky and Constance’s bickering. He focused, instead, on the fabric of the coat under his fingers. He ran his thumbs along the seam of the zipper, counting each little ridge and bump of the teeth and the way it merged with the soft, green fabric.

He startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to find Milligan looking at him with a concerned expression. “Are you alright?” S.Q.’s cheeks burned brighter. He dropped his shoulders and stuffed his hands into his pockets, clearing his throat.

“Yeah- It's just… it’s uh- it’s loud out here.” Milligan hummed and he removed his hand. S.Q. felt a pang of discomfort, the hand on his shoulder had been a good anchor to focus on. His gaze dropped away from Milligan’s sympathetic face as they approached the store. Constance pressed her nose against the glass of the display window and peered inside. In the windows were mannequins, some displayed men's coats while the other displayed women's, a few mannequins were even dressed in coats that could be described as an androgynous, function over fashion type.

S.Q. found himself drawn to one coat in particular. It was a similar shade of green to the old one he wore currently. Its hood was lined with soft, beige fabric. It buttoned up over a zipper and had deep pockets on each side, both of which were embroidered with a sprawling vine of brilliantly colored flowers, matching the embroidery pattern on the cuff of the sleeves. It was on a woman’s mannequin and S.Q. felt another small rush of embarrassment alongside his disappointment at this fact.

“It’s a nice coat.” he heard Constance say beside him. It’s only then he realized he’d been staring at it. The other kids and adults were looking at the coats in the window.

“Oh, yeah… but, it’s a woman’s coat, so I can’t-”

“So?"

“...Pardon?”

“Who cares if it’s for women? It’s a nice coat, and if it fits, the gender hardly matters.”

S.Q. hummed in thought as the adults ushered the kids into the store. There was plenty else to look at inside, and they could see a few of them beginning to shiver as the wind picked up the pace. Inside the store was certainly warmer, but just as loud as outside and S.Q. found himself shoving down the urge to clap his hands over his ears and pull up the collar of his coat. Inside the enclosed space of the store, it seemed even louder. Sound did not travel outside as it did in here.

They split up to look around. Sticky and Reynie went with Ms. Perumal while Constance went with Rhonda and Number Two. Kate, naturally, went with Milligan and S.Q. ended up trailing along after them, unsure of who else to go with.

The trip to the store was mostly without incident. Mostly. The kids had all chosen out some appropriate winter attire, and S.Q. had found a proper coat. Plain blue, simple, but effective. It reminded him of the coat he had been provided with on the island. They had all lined up at the register. The cashier was giving them all an interesting look. It had never occurred to S.Q. before now that they must look like quite an odd group. A very large man, three young women, and several children, of which very few looked related to each other.

As they lined up, someone bump into S.Q., a woman who looked not much older than Ms. Perumal, Number Two, and Rhonda. S.Q. had passed her a few times in the store. He remembered her because she had been walking about rather quickly, and with her vibrantly-colored coat had given S.Q. the impression of a hummingbird. Though he was certain hummingbirds did not ram into boys and topple them over.

That was the metaphorical last straw for S.Q., he slammed into the hard linoleum floor, Milligan had reached to grab him but had unfortunately missed. The woman apologized profusely, her face flushing in embarrassment, but she didn't stay long enough to make sure he was alright. His ears rang, and his shoulder was sore now, everything was much too loud and much too quiet at the same time.

Milligan was asking if he was alright, but S.Q. could hardly hear it. He just stood and mumbled something about needing a moment before darting from the store. He took a deep breath as he stepped outside and leaned against the wall. His breath came, after the initial gasp, in short, shallow intakes. He clamped his hands over his ears and slid down to the ground. With his eyes shut tight, he did not see the looks cast at him by passing strangers as he rocked ever so slightly, trying to focus on the motion of the back and forth instead of everything around him. Stonetown was big, and sprawling, and nothing like the island. His father had been right about that. The world outside of his little islet was coarse, unruly, and frightening. He was not made for it, it had not formed around him, and he did not have the strength to carve himself a place.

Someone sat down beside him. He did not look up, instead, he kept his head placed on his knees, his hands over his ears, and his eyes squeezed tightly shut as the world passed him by. Slowly, the ringing in his ears faded. He cracked one eye open to let in the light, grimacing as his eyes adjusted. He had no way of gauging how long had been sitting there, but he imagined it may have been enough to raise concern. He could not see the rest of the group, which meant they were either back at the car, or still inside the store. Milligan was sitting beside him. He was not looking at S.Q., or trying to touch him, he was just sitting there. Watching people pass by on the street. When he finally saw that S.Q. had opened his eyes again, he said,

“Do you mind if I touch you? I know you’re overwhelmed, I don’t want to make it worse.” S.Q. ignored the lump that formed in his throat and nodded. Milligan shifted slightly and opened his arms, which S.Q. fell gladly into. Milligan did not say anything when S.Q.’s shoulders started shaking and tears began to stain the shoulder of his coat. His arms were strong, firm, but gentle. And S.Q. barely noticed when Milligan guided him up to his feet and started walking him back to the car, his arm still slung around his shoulder. Soon he was in the back seat again. He did not look at Kate or Sticky, though he could see their concerned glances in the corner of his eye. None of them spoke as they drove home, and the whole time S.Q. could feel guilt creeping up his throat, threatening to come out in sobs. But he swallowed them down with shaky breaths.

When they pulled into the driveway, S.Q. was the last out of the car and into the house. Everyone quietly went their own way, the new clothes were left in the front hall, for the moment, to be sorted through later. Mr. Benedict smiled as he walked into the front hall and saw everyone taking off their boots.

“Ah, you’re back! Mrs. Perumal and I made hot chocolate” The kids all grinned and went off to the kitchen. Kate lingered for a moment longer when she saw S.Q. untying his shoes with a slowness that could have only been purposeful.

“Hey,” she started, softly. When S.Q. looked up, she continued “Are you alright? You seemed pretty freaked out back in town.”

“Yeah, it was just loud so…” He cut himself off, swallowing the lump in his throat that threatened to turn into tears again. “So, I just needed some fresh air. Sorry, I know I ruined the mood-”

“What? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I didn’t?”

“No, I was just worried about you”

“...oh.”

“You gonna come get some hot chocolate? Might make you feel better.” S.Q. nodded and finished unlacing his boots. He pulled them off and lined them neatly with the rest of the shoes, adjusting Constance’s (which had been kicked off haphazardly) as he went. Then he joined the others in the kitchen. He was glad when the others barely spared him a glance, all absorbed in asking for whipped cream in their hot chocolate as Rhonda and Number Two got everyone a mug. He didn’t think he could handle that attention.

The only person who looked at him was Mr. Benedict, who was talking with Milligan in hushed voices. He cast him a fond smile. S.Q. could tell they were talking about him and a pit formed in his stomach. He had messed up, he knew. He had probably overstayed his welcome anyway. It was only a matter of time before he had to be sent off to an orphanage. It was an inevitability. He sat at the table, and a mug of hot chocolate was placed in front of him, paired with an affectionate hair ruffle from Rhonda as she passed by. He drank his hot chocolate in silence.

He passed the rest of the day in relative quiet. In the midafternoon, the kids all went out in the backyard to play. Kate was high up in a tree the moment they got outside, and Reynie and Sticky sat in the shade of the branches, talking about a book they had both read. Constance was picking dandelions, addressing Sticky’s comment about how they were actually weeds by sticking her tongue out, which he responded to by narrowing his eyes and scrunching his nose back at her. S.Q. sat on the porch the whole time, watching this all go down, and drawing it as it happened.

That night, they sorted through the clothes, and everyone was sent off to bed, feeling content with their choices.

The next morning, S.Q. was woken by the sun peeking through a gap in the closed curtains, shining right in his eyes. He groaned and rolled over, pulling his blanket over his head. Then Kate knocked on his door, announcing loudly that breakfast was ready, and telling him to “Get outta bed, sleepyhead!” He heard her laugh to herself about how she had rhymed (“just like Constance” she giggled) as she retreated down the hall to wake the others. He rolled out of bed reluctantly and went to get dressed.

After he had pulled on his sweater, he looked at himself in the mirror. For a moment, all he could do was stare as he was struck with a realization. Nothing had changed . Aside from his hair in its natural curls, he looked just as he had on the island. He looked down at his clothes. He didn’t even like this color. His father had micromanaged every little thing of his appearance. Every time S.Q. had had the opportunity to dress himself, his father had cut in with little criticisms, several of which rang in his head now (‘straighten your collar, S.Q., and for the love of everything you must start keeping your hair out of your face.’) He was still trapped in that pattern, dressing as his dad expected him to, even though he hated it.

S.Q. leaned against the bathroom door, desperately willing the tears in his eyes to go away. He sat slowly on the floor, staring silently at his feet as tears streaked down his cheeks. Despite his best efforts, he was still doing just as his dad instructed him to.

‘I’m going to be like this forever’ he thought, despairingly, as he set his head down on his knees and hugged tightly. His shoulders shook as he started quietly. He shoved his face into his knees as hard as he could, trying to muffle the sound. But soon enough someone was knocking on the door.

“S.Q.? Are you alright in there?” It was Rhonda. S.Q. sniffled and quickly wiped his eyes, stood, ran the tap, and splashed his face with cold water. Then he opened the door. Rhonda fixed him with a concerned look, and it took all of his efforts not to start crying again. His chest fluttered with that urge to sob, but he managed a small smile as he moved past Rhonda.

“Yeah, doing just fine. Sorry I took so long, I’ll see you at breakfast.” S.Q. made his way downstairs before Rhonda could get another word in. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen, pressing his palms against his eyes. He stopped just short of slamming right into Number Two, who jumped back slightly as he appeared in the kitchen.

“Oh- good morning, S.Q., I was just-” She paused mid-sentence, taking in the red under his still-teary eyes and his flushed cheeks. Behind her, S.Q. could see the rest of the kids and adults. A few had looked up at his entrance, clearly also taking note of his expression.

“S.Q.?” Comes Ms. Perumal’s voice. He turned his head to look at her. She looked concerned. “Are you okay?” she asked. Her voice was so soft, and so full of concern, that S.Q. could do little to stop the tears that rose in his eyes. He stepped back.

“Um- I think I just need some time to myself. I’m sorry.” he turned on his heel and went back upstairs. He was surprised by his own silence when he closed his bedroom door behind him. Tears streamed freely down his face, but he did not sob. He just sat there and let them fall. Then he climbed, silently, into bed. And he did not leave his room for the rest of the day.

Throughout the day, he heard people mill about. A few knocked on his door. At some point, the door cracked open and Number Two set down a plate just inside the door. He ate the sandwich, though he didn’t have much of an appetite. He drifted in and out of sleep throughout the day, waking every time with various images of his father behind his eyelids.

Eventually, he woke up to the sound of Constance speaking. “Why won’t he come out?” she was saying, sounding very frustrated. “He’s been in there all day. Is there something wrong with him?”

“There’s nothing wrong with him, Connie-girl” came Kate’s voice “He’s just had a rough day, is all”

“But he was barely up for five minutes before he locked himself in there!”

“Constance,” came Reynie’s voice. S.Q. assumed the entire mysterious benedict society must have been outside his door, having a mini-meeting. “You know how S.Q. is Mr. Curtains son?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with him being so sad?” She said. Despite the bite in her voice, there was genuine concern behind it. S.Q. pulled his blanket over his head.

“Well, sometimes parents make their kids pretty sad.” This time it was Sticky’s voice, which spoke with a sort of sympathy that only someone who had also been hurt by their guardians could speak with. “And sometimes that sadness lasts a really long time.”

“...oh.” Constance’s voice was barely audible through the door and the blanket over his head. “So, he’s going to be sad forever? But that’s awful!” her voice rose again in indignation. ‘Yes,’ S.Q. thought miserably ‘I’m going to be sad forever.’

“Not forever,” Kate said “after all, he’s got us now! We can cheer him up.”

“But how can we do that if he stays in there all day?” He could picture Constance crossing her arms and pouting. It brought the tiniest smile to his face. Slowly, S.Q. stood up and walked to the door.

He opened it, coming face to face with the four kids. All of them scrambled back slightly, trying to look as though they had not been having a meeting outside his room. Kate was leaning against the wall on her arm, her free hand on her hip. Reynie and Sticky both stood stick straight, with what they clearly hoped were casual smiles. The only one who hadn’t moved was Constance, who stood there, arms crossed, pouting. Just as he had pictured.

“Heyyy,” Kate said “Glad to see you up and about! Mr. Benedict sent us to see if you want dinner.” S.Q. turned and looked out the bedroom window. He hadn’t even noticed the sun going down. He looked back at them and nodded. He didn’t quite feel like talking yet.

No one brought up that morning as dinner was served and eaten. Everyone acted as though it hadn’t happened at all. This had always bothered him when his father did it. But this was different. They weren’t ignoring that he had been upset, they simply recognized that he didn’t wish to talk about it. Dinner passed without incident, and then kids were sent to wash up and get ready for bed.

That night, S.Q. laid in his bed for a very long time, restless. He turned side to side, pulled his blanket over him, and pushed it back down. His exhaustion from earlier seemed to have entirely disappeared, replaced with a pounding headache. At around twelve-thirty, he groaned and got out of bed. Silently, he walked downstairs, managing to avoid all the creaky boards that Kate had told him about. But when he stepped into the kitchen, hoping to get water and head back to bed, he found it occupied.

Mr. Benedict was there in the kitchen, making tea. He had two mugs set out on the counter, as though he had been expecting him. This was a trait of Mr. Benedict’s he had yet to get used to. How he seemed to just know things. Like the fact that S.Q. was going to come downstairs. “Ah, good evening S.Q.,” he said, as he spotted him. “Would you like some tea?”

“Um… sure- I mean- yes please,” He said. Mr. Benedict asked him which tea he preferred (to which S.Q. answered Chamomile) and poured hot water into both mugs before getting out two teabags. He set both mugs down on the table, and S.Q. sat in front of one.

“Milligan told me you had a rough time at Stonetown the other day.” S.Q. felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment again.

“Yes. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to be disruptive. It was just really loud-”

“You have nothing to apologize for, my dear boy,” Mr. Benedict said, interrupting what surely would have been a tearful ramble. “I’m willing to bet that you’re not very used to large crowds.”

S.Q. shook his head. “No, everything on the island was so... controlled. Not a thing was out of place. There were no unruly crowds, no yelling, everything was subdued.” Mr. Benedict nodded, tilting his head slightly as he listened. “even how I dress. That was what I was upset about this morning. I realized I’m still dressing as I was expected to and not how I actually want to. And I know it’s awful, and I shouldn’t but- but I miss it. I miss him .” Mr. Benedict didn’t have to ask to know who S.Q. was talking about.

Mr. Benedict set down his mug and put his hand over S.Q.’s “It’s not awful. In fact, it rather makes sense.” S.Q. blinked, staring at him for a moment. When S.Q. had realized he was missing his father, he had sworn to himself he wouldn’t say anything. These people had all been hurt by his father, either directly or otherwise, and the last thing they needed was him saying he missed him. S.Q. was rather surprised at himself, as well. His father had hurt him, too. By all accounts, it didn’t make any sense to miss such an awful man. But there he was, longing for his father.

“When we leave a bad situation,” Mr. Benedict continued “sometimes we find ourselves missing the person, or people, who hurt us. Not because we like being hurt, but because we became used to it. We became used to being sad and hurt because it was familiar. We learn how to live in it, and when it changes, we don’t always know how to react. Sometimes,” he gave him a pointed look “We fall into patterns that we established while we were hurting because it’s the only way to get back that familiarity. And, sometimes, even when someone has hurt you, there are those moments in between when they were kind, and we miss those as well. It's not awful to miss that. In fact, it’s incredibly common. Especially for someone so young.”

S.Q. did not try to stop the tears from falling down his face this time. Hearing it said out loud, having those feelings be addressed had tugged at something. There had been moments where it seemed like his father was genuinely trying. Moments that made all the bad feel worth it (even though it very much wasn’t) in which his father had been kind and caring. Those were the moments S.Q. reached for every time he had defended his father to himself. Those were the moments he lay in an unfamiliar bed every night longing to be back in. That was what he missed. The moments that told him everything about what his father could have been.

S.Q.’s tea sat abandoned as Mr. Benedict pulled him into a hug, which he fell into gratefully. S.Q. let himself cry, sobbing into Mr. Benedict’s shoulder, thankful for the fact that the man did not mind the tear stains like his father might have. He focused on the arms around him, the hand that gently ran over his curls, and the firm but caring presence of the man he leaned against.

“It’s not fair.” He said, immediately grimacing at how childish he must sound. But Mr. Benedict just continued the soothing motion of his hand and shushed him gently.

“I know,” he said, “I know it’s not fair. But it’ll be alright.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

#reynie muldoon #sticky washington #constance contraire #kate wetherall #milligan #number two #rhonda kazembe #ms perumal #mr. benedict #sq pedalian #mbs #mbs disney #the whole gang is here :D #trying something new #ive never posted a whole fic on tumblr #just links

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