#i mean they both have special value to me Reds Lucky In General but also it makes me think of my sis

[xxplastic-cubexx]

white uniform erik or magenta/red (aka original colors) uniform erik?

The classic called The Classic for a reason .. ima big lover of the red + purple ….

[rapifessor]

Good news, everyone!

Yesterday, I was talking with my friend who offered me his copy of Pokémon Platinum and I mentioned how obtaining Emerald was going to be the biggest financial hurdle. He said he should have a copy of that somewhere as well, but like Platinum he didn't know where. Naturally, I told him that I'd be very grateful if he was able to find his old Pokémon games, as it would make my quest to play them all considerably easier. Emerald is easily the most faked game on the market because of its luxurious status and price point, so having access to an authentic copy would save me a lot of trouble.

Well, guess what: not long after saying that, my friend gets back to me with good news. He didn't just find his copy of Platinum, but Emerald too, AND Fire Red.

I couldn't believe my luck. With those three games, so many of my problems are solved. I could play all the versions I wanted without having to spend a ton of money. But it gets better: my friend offered me a deal. He had two Nintendo DS Lite systems that couldn't read games, but otherwise functioned normally. If I could restore their functionality, he would straight up give me Emerald and Fire Red in addition to Platinum. Even though these games are worth big money.

I mean, hey, I can't argue with a deal like that. How lucky does a guy have to be to not only find a bunch of old Pokémon games in trustworthy hands, but to also have the opportunity to earn them for free? I didn't know anything about cleaning or refurbishing a DS, but there was no harm in trying. So I stopped by my friend's house after work that day to make the deal.

Turns out cleaning a DS Lite isn't overly complicated, and I had on hand all the tools needed for the job. I just needed to get into the slots and remove the corrosion. So I did that and also cleaned the corrosion off of the games themselves, as I discovered during my testing that some games worked better than others. With a few hours of work, I got both systems reading games pretty consistently, which meant that Pokémon Platinum, Emerald, and Fire Red were officially mine.

Ah, but there is a slight... problem. The thing with these older Pokémon games is that the cartridges have batteries in them. In Emerald, they're meant to enable time-based events to occur, and in Generation 1 and 2 GameBoy games, to allow the game to save. These batteries only last about 10 to 15 years before they dry up, which means most if not all Emerald games have dead batteries.

Not to worry though, as it is possible to replace the batteries in these games. It's fairly simple as well, as long as you know what you're doing. You just need a special driver to open up the cartridge, a fresh battery with soldering tabs, a soldering iron, and some solder. Once I get a battery and the tool I need to open the cartridge, I can restore functionality to my copy of Emerald.

That leaves just three games left to acquire. One of those is on the way as I'm writing this: a copy of Pokémon Yellow, the game I need to start playing, and with a new battery already installed no less. I found one on eBay for $40, and figured it was worth paying a little extra to not have to bother with getting a new battery for it. Generation 1 games as it turns out are surprisingly cheap. In fact, they're the cheapest games on the market aside from used copies of 3DS and Switch Pokémon games.

The same cannot be said of Generation 2 games, however. At least, not for Crystal.

Pokémon Crystal is worth a pretty penny, second only to Emerald in value on the secondhand market. Finding a copy of this that doesn't run me more than $100 is proving to be a bit of a challenge. And I'll most likely need to replace the battery on top of that. Not a big deal, but it does marginally add to the expenditure. Since I refuse to accept Gold or Silver in the place of Crystal, obtaining this game will be the greatest obstacle faced during my quest, especially as I need to play it before I can play the rest of my games.

But even as Crystal has so far eluded me, I have gotten my hands on the only other game I had left to buy: Pokémon White.

I decided to return to the GameStop where I bought Black 2 and Soul Silver before, and luckily (how many times have I referenced my luck in this post?) they still had this copy of White. I'd done some more pricing research yesterday and realized that I underestimated the value of a lot of the games I was looking to pick up. $75 turns out to be a fair price for White, although you could probably get it cheaper if you really stake things out.

Funnily enough, $100 for Leaf Green turned out to not be far off, either. But Fire Red was the version I wanted, and in fact, my friend happens to have Leaf Green himself. In case I ever want any version-exclusive Pokémon from that game, I can always borrow it to trade them to my Fire Red.

And that about does it for this Pokémon game collection progress update. I can't say I ever expected to get so many games so easily, but here we are. It's barely been three days and there are only two games that I don't yet have in hand. It won't be long before I can start playing either, as my copy of Yellow should arrive any day now. I'm excited to get this thing started.

[crystalelemental]

Unit Teambuilding - Sygna Suit Hilda

Remember when Reddit made all those speculation pairs, and kept putting Nate with Victini?  Did anyone else always have the feeling this would be the outcome?  Like, it's battle princess Hilda, man.  Of course she gets the god of victory.

General Overview At this risk of pointing out my own hypocrisy, remember when SST Red dropped, and it's like wow, what do you offer to the man who has everything, this is so boring?  It's like that but slightly less ridiculous.  She doesn't get gauge acceleration, passive healing per action, guaranteed defense drops, and a two-bar spam that's AoE and bypasses damage reduction.  Instead, she has to settle for capping every stat and having Rising Tide, with a 200BP move to back it up as DPS.

SS Hilda is nothing short of a perfect unit.  On entry she caps attack, and a single use of trainer move gives capped special attack and crit.  +15 in one action.  Cap for Rising Tide is 18.  So you use V-Create once, and thanks to Downside Up, which I thought was going to be a Steven-specific ability but I guess just goes to everyone nowadays, and you get +18.  In two actions.  If you can fast-ramp with your teammates, she wins.  Congrats.

Hilda has other moves, in Searing Shot and Confusion for...some reason. They're useless.  All they accomplish is burn and confusion, if you put the energy in on grid.  It's to check Gauntlets.   She's SS Serena tier, in that her backup stuff is just for show and preventing her from getting walled.  Oh and in case anyone was expecting lower stats, I think this is the new cap at like base 520.  Victini's insane.

So why don't I love this?  Honestly, it's because Emboar.  SS Kris may have been the same type twice, but Suicune was a support to Ferligatr's striker.  Lyra had a similar deal.  Elesa’s got two supports, a Tech debuffer, and a damage dealer.  Usually, when you keep to a similar type, you at least alter up their battle role.  Hilda does not do that.  This is the equivalent of dropping your starter for the major legend in post-game.  Hilda's Emboar has exactly no reason to exist now, not even by Hilda metrics, and I doubt grid expansion will save it.  It is worse in every meaningful way, and that bothers me so much.  I'm not saying I wanted her to have Genesect, but I am saying we could've done better here.

Move Level and EX? EX on a striker is great for CS stuff, but honestly 1/5 no EX is probably fine just given the absurd DPS of V-Create.  Legitimately consider this: it's better DPS than Leon's Charizard and Inferno.  It's that good.   Hilda wants for nothing in her grid, unless you desperately need that sync nuke from EX to be at maximum value.  But trust me, it's overkill. Her DPS gets things done just fine.

I will make a note that 5/5 actually does have at least some value.  4/5 gives guaranteed burn, and accuracy buffs each successful attack to respond to something like Latias or Cresselia.  Not super worth it.  But 5/5 can debuff both defenses when attacking a burned foe, which is...something.  You can also get Propulsion, which...no.  Not super worth it.

Team 1: SS Hilda, Anni Raihan/SS May, literally who cares it's not like she needs anything Fast ramping!  Anyone who watches Zinfogel's channel knows the deal: Anni Raihan at 3/5 has Propulsion on Sandstorm and can fast-ramp with Head Start 1 lucky skill.  Really any combination that results in -3 cooldown works.  In fact, another immaculate combo is SS May.  That's two people and I can pretty much promise success.  All you want is any support that can't die in one move, and congrats, you got turn-2 sync, and I cannot image a stage surviving Hilda.

Team 2: SS Hilda, Blaine/Tech Ninetales/Kukui, Skyla SS Hilda's interesting, in that her only real hiccup is gauges early on.   In a CS context, this means she needs some help with it.  But an F2P budget isn't just possible, it's dominant.  Blaine or Tech Ninetales sets Sun, Skyla buffs speed as well as some defense and healing support, and Hilda just goes.  But honestly, if you don’t want to use Sun because it’s optional, defense debuffs will do just fine.

Team 3: SS Hilda, Flannery, Support Seadra Anti-Cobalion.  SS Hilda is more than capable of blitzing Cobalion’s fight, and truth be told, Flannery’s here just because 4/5 Hilda isn’t going to be a common thing.  But you can still take risks with Searing Shot to get the burn by herself.  Seadra buffs speed.  I am making the assumption this is preferred, though if not, Support Weezing is another good option for defense buffs.

Team 4: SS Hilda, Summer Hilda, Hilda Next update will let us do this, and Hilda's one of a few that actually has a good combo.  Summer Hilda covers defense and is a solid tank, keeping the team alive, and also being able to debuff defense of the foe at 3/5.  Base Hilda is here to help gain speed for gauges, but also kicks off theme skill multipliers with matched Fire to Victini, who is the real damage dealer here.  This is a thing we can reasonably do soon.

Final Thoughts SS Hilda's outrageous.  Even with other possibilities, I feel like it's just slight variation on what's already present.  SS Hilda gets her buff game in just two turns, and can explode stages like nobody's business thanks to four sync damage nodes and Rising Tide alone.  She's a striker, so CS is dead, and most Gauntlet stages can't handle her raw DPS either, with Burn and Confusion being fairly decent answers to gimmicks.  Hilda...really doesn't have a clear flaw.

[jjuzoir]

Kumon Hyodo Relationship HCS

Request: “Do you do hcs for act 2 characters? If you do can you dating hcs for kumon pls. It's okay if you can't ❤️❤️love your blog ^_^” from anonie

A/N: omg of course^^ thanks for requesting !! i’m literally in love with the act 2 rookies especially kumon he’s so cute i’m !! he’s literally so cute and nice and ahh.... i love him i’d literally die for him ( i’m writing this listening to a lindsey lohan career recap (?) so sorry if this doesn’t make sense lol yeah )

Word Count: 1282

- Realistically, you’re probably his first S/O ever. He’d always been so busy with baseball and Juza, and that’s not even mentioning all the times he’d get sick.

- Kumon never had been able to really look for a s/o, he’d always wanted one - just the thought of being able to have someone next to him all the time he can talk to and love and who’ll praise him gets him all pumped up.

- So when he meets you, he gets a little puppy crush on you. He didn’t think he’d manage to actually date you, he’d just joined the Summer Troupe and he felt the need to prove himself as an actor and member of the company, plus he’d never been lucky with romance.

- He gets shocked when you start reaching out to him and before he realizes you two start hanging out more and more, in a way he’s kind of dense - in his head his feelings for you were one sided and he’d never actually get a chance to act on them - and he never really realizes you might return his feelings until Banri of all people mention it.

- Once he does realize, oh boy - he’s so scared but after encouragement from the rest of the Summer troupe + Azami (who lectured him on what was and wasn’t allowed during dating) he decides he’s gonna give it a shot.

- The day he confessed to you he was blushing furiously to the point you almost called Juza worried he had gotten a fever, but Kumon quickly reassures you everything is fine and that he’s just kind of nervous - something that had immediately caught your interest.

- His hands are all clammy and he thinks he’s never been this nervous and excited ever, but as he sees you staring at him - wondering why he’d called you so suddenly - he decides it’s now or never.

- “[Name]... I- we’ve known each other for some time and I was- I was wondering if you’d like to, uh, go on a date with me?” His normally confident persona seems to have shrunk significantly as he tried finding the rights words to say to you, he could feel his heat bearing out of his rib cage.

- Of course, seeing a guy like him - normally loud and proud - all shy and nervous was endearing, and you couldn’t quite deny the fact you had a crush on him; and so you two start dating.

- “I’d like that a lot too, Kumon!”

- Kumon is just a very physical guy, he likes hugs and cheek kisses, holding pinkies while walking back home after school. He’s just a PDA type of guy, what can he say.

- Whenever he gets down or worried he likes having you there around to hug, to him it’s a reminder that you’re there and you’re not leaving. You don’t even have to say much, just the physical affirmation that you’re there is enough to help him.

- He’s also kind of emotional, he gets carried away easily and he’s not afraid to let you know how he feels about you or things in general.

- He won’t force you into playing baseball, but he loves the idea of you taking an interest in the sport. You don’t have to know much but asking him about it, what certain terms mean, about players and teams you saw on TV; knowing that you’re just trying to engage in something so special to him has him wide eyes with a bright red flush as he explains the basics of a move you saw on yesterday’s match.

- Since he’s like a total health junkie once you two start dating he’s becoming your coach, he’s always asking you about what’s you’d eaten or how much you slept, if you’d gone out for a walk or maybe a run, if you do a sport he’d ask you about your practice or how you’re doing in general in regards to it.

- It’s his way of showing he cares as subtly as a guy like Kumon can.

- Fights or arguments aren’t common, since Kumon tends to be a very good communicator and he’s naturally very empathetic towards those around him - he isn’t weak though and if he deems it something important to him (like acting or Juza) he won’t back down - he thinks finding a compromise is more important than either his or your pride.

- Dates with him feel young and fun, they’re never too complicated like the ones someone like Azuma or Homare might take you out on but they’re just as thoughtful.

- He remembers things you like very well, so if you mention being into something like gardening or art he’d take you to a park with some cool plants he heard about from Tsumugi or a museum with an exhibition Kazunari recommended him.

- To him, once you’re in his life, you become one of the most important people to him alongside Juza. He really values both of your opinions, even on small things like getting a jacket over another.

- It’s kind of essential if you’re dating Kumon to get along with Juza, he’d get really torn if he found out both of you didn’t get along and it’d definitely take a toll on his mental health and it would kinda break his spirit.

- (You getting along with Azami would be a nice plus too, if he’s honest - he cares about those two a lot and seeing three people he loves getting along makes him smile and want to run a few laps around the courtyard.)

- Kumon doesn’t care much about gifts but he’s also the kind to work really hard in figuring out what he’s gonna give you for a birthday or special occasion. He’d probably settle for something like a baseball jacket with the number 9 on it and a matching one for him too, he’d probably ask Yuki and Kazunari to help him design it.

- Oh boy, if anyone says anything negative about you’d he’d go to war.

- He does have his moments of insecurities, he can feel like he’s too much of a pain for others or fear that he might be wasting your time on a guy like him; so while hugs and physical affection can help him, in those moments telling him you love him and that things will be okay tend to work the best.

- “Kumon… you’re doing your best and it’s okay! No one is blaming you, you’re doing more than enough just now, so please - take it easy today, Juza, Azami, and I… not just us, but the troupe too, we all care for you so much,” you could feel smile as you hugged his head to your chest, “it’s okay, Kumon…”

- In return he’d pull away with teary eyes and a blush, from both your words and the worries that had plagued his mind, and smile at you; “Thank you, [Name].”

- He’d probably also be the type to send you text you during the most awkward times, it could be at like 10PM during a school-night asking for help on a chemistry problem or 4AM on a weekend because he had a dream about you.

- Kumon would rather call you over the phone over texting, probably because he likes rambling at you – like, he’d start talking about baseball and the Summer troupe and suddenly he’d start talking about a shop he visited with Azami and then he’d remember an article he’d read about spinach and tomatoes and he’d remember he’d helped Taichi dye his hair red kinda like a tomato.

- Overall, Hyodo Kumon is a puppy in love who loves sharing his passions with you and would literally fight Banri and Sakyo for your honor.

[dramaticviolincrescendo]

So. Ryan.

I’m going back to s4 for a minute because the wonderful @damngcoffee and I were discussing fleeting yet fascinating Ryan, and I wanted to put my thoughts out into the universe. I hope you don’t mind.

I’ve never thought too deeply about the dynamic between Ian and Ryan before. Even in planning out “In Pieces,” analyzing Ryan’s motives wasn’t strictly necessary because it’s not really something Ian would pick up on based on his perspective in this situation. Ostensibly, it’s quite simple: during his club days, Ian is swinging with a new and visibly elegant circle in a drastically different part of society than he grew up in. That’s why Mickey is so out of his element there, whereas Ian expertly camouflages himself the way he always has. On the surface, there’s nothing out of the ordinary here. Just a party. Just Ian, manic and feeling on top of the world and in his element. Just another red flag missed amidst a sea of them. What happens at the party, however, really seems to potentially indicate that there’s more to this and more to Ryan as a character than merely acting as a clever setup for Mickey to indicate that he and Ian are officially in a relationship.

Up to that point, all we’ve seen surrounding Ian from Mickey’s point of view are real slime balls—older men preying on someone that they don’t necessarily realize is underage, but they definitely know is very, very young and vulnerable. There’s the lap dance guy, the one who can’t run to save his life, and the dude who’s just asking for his fingers to be broken one by one. Mickey alludes to two in particular over breakfast that first morning, and when Ian mentions a regular inviting them to a party, Mickey is focused on a rather specific image of what one of Ian’s regulars must be like.

Then they go to Ryan’s loft, and...it’s classy. Sophisticated. This isn’t a raucous after-party, but a very different atmosphere, full of upper-middle to upper-class ladies and gentlemen who are clearly professionals. Many of them are in suits or dressed nicely, having a late-night drink and speaking tastefully. They’re also substantially older than Ian and Mickey, who are only nearing seventeen and nineteen respectively at the time. These people have careers and, in the case of the sociologist Mickey speaks with, are working on advanced degrees. The only visible drugs are the ones on the table in front of Ian while he’s asleep the following morning. This isn’t the kind of party that we’d expect, knowing where Ian is mentally at this time like we do.

We tend to focus a lot on what Mickey’s response to all this is, but I’d like to use it as a diving board for analyzing a few dimensions of Ryan’s character that appear to indicate that, through the encroaching darkness of Ian’s as yet unacknowledged illness, there are people who are possibly watching out for him. So, here are a few things that stand out about our encounters at Ryan’s loft:

Ian says that Ryan is one of his “regulars.” Based on what we’ve seen so far, this immediately has us thinking there’s a level of sexual interest on Ryan’s side, even if only as something of a voyeur who enjoys watching Ian dance at the club. There’s no physical manifestation of that interest, though. Ryan noticeably doesn’t behave like the skeevy guys we’ve already seen, Ned included. That doesn’t exclusively mean that he’s on the up-and-up, of course, but I found it worth noting that their hug is just a hug, and he doesn’t step out of his role as a cordial host for a second. He treats Ian the same as he treats Mickey: with kindness and social acceptance, albeit with more familiarity. And when Ian goes with him to see what drinks are available, there aren’t any apparent undertones. Ryan immediately heads towards the open kitchen, and Ian follows at a polite distance. Host and attendee—those are our initial vibes as far as Ryan is concerned. It’s jarringly different from our other forays into Ian’s current lifestyle.

Enter the sociologist. What a fascinating individual for Ryan to interact with. He immediately asks if Mickey is with Ian, which is nothing special in itself and serves as a way to engage Mickey in conversation without simply asking what he does. The fact that he moves into that, however, is very interesting to me because he’s so straightforward about it. It’s not an interrogation, yet there’s an element of investigation to it. Perhaps he’s just a curious guy making conversation with someone who looks uncomfortable; perhaps he’s familiar with Ian from these parties and is doing a bit of research into who it is that Ian brought with him, as it is arguably the first time that’s happened. Either way, what he says that he’s studying is a “blink and you’ll miss it” sort of reference. It also flies under the radar for anyone who isn’t familiar with the field of sociology. We end up like Mickey: lost and confused by “transgender sex work and symbolic interactionism within the framework of hustler-client relations,” but generally understanding that he’s studying sex workers and pimps—emphasis on the sex workers. Something we know Ian was at the time, working the front and back of the club as he later admits.

Now, for the uninitiated, symbolic interactionism is a theoretical perspective in the field of sociology that focuses on how our social interactions with other people, social institutions, and the world around us both facilitate our construction of reality and alter or solidify our perceptions of our existing reality. While there are many directions his study may be taking him in, this sociologist is writing a dissertation on the meaning that is made between hustlers and clients—what symbols emerge that define each side, their roles, their meaning to one another, the dissemination of the values and norms that guide their relationships, etc. In short, he’s studying the socially constructed meaning of the relationship that specifically transgender sex workers and pimps have with each other and their clients.

On the surface, that has no bearing on this situation. Mickey’s confused, and it’s an ironic bit of writing to connect him to this group he’s uncomfortable with by showing that South Side Mickey is the pimp that the upper classes of society are studying for their Ph.D. It’s pure satire, a brief commentary on just how different classes of society can be and perhaps even a nod to how lower classes are inside the fishbowl that upper classes are peering into but will never truly experience. To the viewer, however, what a sign that may be, depending on your interpretation. Ian has clearly been around this group of people enough that he’s known. They’re familiar enough with him to say that he’s great and how lucky Mickey is to have him. If Ryan is one of Ian’s regulars, then they know where he came from. They know he’s young, and they know what he does for a living right now. There’s no way this sociologist—studying what he’s studying, asking what he’s asking—doesn’t have some professional interest in Ian’s circumstances. Enough, perhaps, to check in on who this person he’s brought with him is. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t read so much into that, but this isn’t the only time it happens.

The next morning, Ian is asleep and Ryan chooses to wake Mickey first. He knows Mickey wasn’t comfortable with him the night before, which I thought he handled with a lot of grace and good-humor. In most cases, I’d expect more disdain, but not with Ryan. It’s interesting, then, that he didn’t go to Ian first given their familiarity. Sure, he knows Ian worked the night prior. He may just have impeccable manners and want Ian to sleep a bit longer. If he’s a regular, he knows Ian needs it. (He probably also sees the drugs on his coffee table and figures he definitely needs it, but I digress.)

So, he wakes Mickey. He makes a casual joke. Then, when Mickey says he’s not Ian’s keeper, his demeanor shifts just slightly. His expression grows hesitant—tentative, like he’s been meaning to ask something but hasn’t quite worked up to it. For someone who should just be a regular, who shouldn’t care much outside of Ian dancing, whose interest has been that of a polite acquaintance thus far, his gaze is more intent than I’d have expected as he waits for Mickey to tell him if he’s a boyfriend or if he’s someone who is a one-night deal. Are they together, or is Mickey just a fleeting fancy for Ian?

Are they together, or is Mickey taking advantage of this very, very young sex worker that Ryan has conveniently invited to his home after work instead of him going home with some stranger?

Are they together, or is Mickey some stranger?

When Mickey says they’re together, the intensity ebbs and casual Ryan is back. He offers a contented reply and heads off to get breakfast for Mickey, still not knowing what Ian wants. If that was his prime motivation for approaching them in the first place, wouldn’t he have woken Ian up at that point? Wouldn’t he have completed his task of taking breakfast orders? It makes me wonder if that’s not why he woke Mickey at all. It makes for a good excuse when he was delivering food to others who stayed overnight, but the more I rewatch their interactions, and the more I read into how dissonant his position as “a regular” and his behavior are, the more I wonder if there’s something else to Ryan.

A regular who doesn’t seem all that interested in Ian as anything other than an acquaintance—a person, not a dancer or object like literally everyone else in Ian’s new life that we’ve seen so far.

An engineer and photographer Ian says with absolute certainty doesn’t want or expect anything from him.

A professional with professional friends who are studied in the fields of sociology and sex work.

A man somewhat older than them who checks in with Mickey—after someone else has already done so and discovered that their sex worker guest is there with a self-proclaimed pimp—to inquire after his relationship with Ian in a relatively non-invasive manner.

Ian was taken advantage of by so many people as a kid and especially during his initial spiral. I’ve always thought of this as being a lonely time for him even though he certainly felt like he was a part of everything and surrounded by all the wonders of the world. He abandoned the military and his dreams. He flitted into and out of Ned’s home. Monica flitted into and out of his life yet again. His family wasn’t looking until Lip’s hands were tied by the MPs, and even then they were almost immediately distracted by the situation with Fiona and Liam. Mickey was married and seemingly out of reach. He’d left his friends and connections behind.

But maybe, just maybe, there was a guy who saw him at work and saw him. Maybe there was a guy who was a little older, a little more educated, and a little more savvy about the scene Ian was involved in when he noticed this kid dancing on a stage in a place he had no business going to.

And maybe this guy decided that he’d look out for this kid who was in way over his head, indirect and not at all obvious about it, yet someone who cared at a time when Ian unknowingly and unintentionally had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

[besanii]

shattered mirrors 53

WangXian ; 1386 words

[set before #02]

The first sign of trouble rears its head when the clothing Mo Xuanyu had taken downstairs to be laundered comes back with a large tear along the sleeve. The cut is too clean, too large, too prominent, to have been accidental, but there is little they can do when they do not know who the perpetrator is, so Wei Wuxian sends Mo Xuanyu to the tailor to see if they are able to salvage the garment at all.

Later that day, one of his favourite headpieces—one with red stones set in a silver band, one of the very first gifts he had purchased for himself in this new life—is found broken on the floor beneath his dressing table, one of the stones cracked and partially dislodged. Mo Xuanyu lets out a frustrated cry when he sees it and stomps about the room with helpless anger as Wei Wuxian examines the broken pieces in his hands.

“We can’t let them get away with it, Xian-ge!” he says. “First the robes Zhao-daye gave you, then your favourite zanzi?”

He’s right, of course. In the weeks since they’d set up shop here at Caiyi Pavilion, Wei Wuxian has been on the receiving end of baleful glares and jealous whispers, which had only worsened after Lan Wangji had started frequenting the establishment. It is understandable: he’d been here only a matter of weeks and had managed to not only bring in a whole slew of new patrons, but also taken a few existing clients from his colleagues without even trying. He would be more surprised if they weren’t resentful of his presence.

“Leave them be, A-Yu,” he says, setting aside the headpiece in a box. “Trinkets and robes can be replaced. No need to get so worked up about it.”

Mo Xuanyu huffs. “Xian-ge, if you don’t do something soon, they’ll just take more and more liberties! They’ll break your things now, but what if they come for you next time?”

Wei Wuxin smiles and passes him the box.

“Patience,” he says. “We don’t know who is behind all of this yet. Let’s not strike the grass and alert the snake.”

The next few days are relatively uneventful—the resentful looks and gossip continues, but there is no further damage to his property, and he carries on with his usual routine as if nothing had happened. They manage to get the headpiece repaired by a skilled craftsman and the robes modified to hide the tear, and he shows off both during the day as they all make their preparations for that night’s business. It doesn’t take long for one of his colleagues to take the bait.

“Xian-er, you must tell me where you purchased that zanzi,” she gushes, circling around him to get a better look. “It is absolutely exquisite.”

She is easily half a head shorter than he is and has to crane her neck to see, but he stays still and keeps his hands tucked into his sleeves as she inspects the headpiece. They are in the middle of the main hall where the servants are cleaning and polishing and rearranging furniture while there are no clients to get in the way. The other courtesans mill around in various states of preparation, still in their day clothes, eyeing the two of them with interest.

“Honglian-jie is too generous in her praise,” Wei Wuxian says with feigned warmth. “This is just a trinket I bought at the market on a whim, only recently repaired after an unfortunate incident. It is nowhere close to the value of the gold buyao you wear.”

“Oh, this little thing?” she says with a simpering laugh. “Just a small gift from a devoted client, nothing special.”

Honglian’s lips curve upwards with all the satisfaction of a spoilt cat as she reaches up with one hand to finger the ends of the gold hairpiece that dangles from the twist in her hair. It is a fine piece of jewellery, as far as jewellery goes, and it flatters her pretty neck just so as she moves; he knows there are other girls in the brothel who eye it with barely concealed envy, but he supposes that is the intention. Already now he catches Caiqiao, one of the more popular girls in the establishment, rolling her eyes from where she is sitting at a nearby table with a plate of osmanthus cakes.

“Not all of us are lucky enough to have such generous clients like yours, Honglian-jie,” he insists. “I had to buy this piece of scrap out of my own pocket.”

He watches as her eyes light up at the bit of bait he’s tossed to her; she laughs, high and breathy, and shakes her head.

“Now, Xian-er, you must be teasing,” she says. “I’ve been meaning to ask you to teach me a few tricks. It seems that, when it comes to attracting and pleasing clients, no one can boast themselves better than you.”

Her smile turns sharp and pointed, her voice silky and heavy with connotations. The other girls within earshot have gone still, their bodies poised in the tell-tale way eavesdroppers always have when pretending to do otherwise; it is so predictable that Wei Wuxian has to smother a laugh in his sleeve.

“Honglian-jie, you flatter me,” he says, eyes wide with feigned innocence. “I use no more technique or tricks than any in this trade. Perhaps I have just had more luck than most in recent days.”

“You’re being too humble, Xian-er,” Honglian tells him. Her voice is simpering and pleasant, but her eyes are hard. “We all know it takes more than just luck to seduce Hanguang-wangye, who is known to be cold and untouchable as ice. Won’t you pity your sisters and share the details of your great conquest?”

The girls around them titter with amusement and curiosity at her words, all pretences forgotten as they lean in to catch his reply. When none comes, Honglian clicks her tongue and shakes her head.

“Xian-er, ah, Xian-er,” she sighs, sliding forward to loop her arm around his in a sisterly fashion. “Let me give you a word of advice, as the former huakui of Caiyi Pavilion: you mustn’t be selfish. We are all sisters here, in this business, and it is the nature of sisters to share what they have.”

Her nails dig into his arm where they rest over the sleeve—they are painted a deep red to match her lip rouge, and contrast against the pale grey of his robes—but he does not humour her with a reaction. Instead, he rests his other hand over hers and pats it gently, in the same way a parent may do to reassure a child.

“I will keep your wisdom in my mind, Honglian-jie,” he tells her. “But I fear whatever details I share will be of no use to our sisters. Hanguang-wangye is not so easily won over by simple tricks or seduction employed by any common courtesan. Indeed, I myself do not presume to know all his likes and dislikes. What I do know is this—”

He leans in close to whisper his next words in her ear.

“He abhors deception.” She stills beneath his hands, eyes wide as his breath ghosts over her. “It’s in his title: hanguang. The bearer of light. Someone as upstanding and righteous as Hanguang-wangye would not look twice at those who employ underhanded tactics to achieve selfish means.”

He gives her hand one last pat and pries it off his arm.

“If you come to my rooms later, I will give you the name of the craftsman who repaired my zanzi,” he tells her with a friendly smile, loud enough for the others to hear. “He did an excellent job, considering its sorry state when we brought it to him. Perhaps you’ll have need of his services in the future.”

He reaches up to brush the gold hairpiece, letting the ends fall over his fingers as he smiles down at her. She stares up at him, frozen in place even as he inclines his head in farewell.

“Come, A-Yu,” he says, motioning for Mo Xuanyu to follow. “Let’s leave them to their preparations.”

--

Notes:

zanzi (簪子) - decorative hairpins worn by women

daye (大爷) - Master, usually used for rich, idle men

buyao (步摇) - decorative hairpiece with dangling ornaments that sway as the wearer walks (literally means ‘swaying with each step’)

Also two random OCs who might not appear again, but needed names for Reasons: Honglian (红莲) and Caiqiao (彩繑). They were the former “top” courtesans of Caiyi Pavilion before WWX arrived, so hold a bit of a grudge against him for stealing their spotlight.

--

Master Post and ko-fi link on my sidebar!

[black-streak]

Little Pistol - Daisy

Chapter 1

Previous Next

I'm trying to keep this in line with her canon personality to an extent here. Determined, focused, conniving and scheming. A little obsessive. But also needs to give herself a little pep talk to go through with things. Let me know how I'm doing?

Btw, title is by Brand New.

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~---~

Convincing a miniaturized pocket god that your intentions are sound came surprisingly easy to her.

That could be in part due to all the prior planning. Considering every possible argument the goddess could come up with and creating contingencies to match. Really though, taking out Tikki's own advice and laying it out as a perfect reasoning quieted her down quite nicely. Not that Tikki agreed with her, but the logic was too sound to push back on and the little bug never expected Marinette to come up with such thoughts without getting emotional. It just wasn't the way the girl was as far as Tikki was concerned. So it could only be taken at face value without the usual accusations of her being overdramatic.

It was an early Saturday when she voiced her thoughts.

"Hey Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?" the red bug looked up from her perch.

"Our biggest priority is to stop akumas and find Hawkmoth, correct?"

"Of course. You know that," she dismissed.

"So is it reasonable to say that Chat has been a hinderance to our duty?"

"How do you mean?"

"He distracts me or sits out on important battles. Threatens to quit if details that don't pertain to our purpose are withheld. He refuses to remain professional in the face of an attack."

"Well yes, he has been rather unhelpful lately, but then again, you are teenagers. It's to be expected, I suppose. Though I do wish he'd be a bit more focused," she easily agreed.

Marinette bit back a victorious smile and kept her expression closed off but for the determined, calculating expression she saved for important moments. Like now.

"In that case, it would be a good idea to make him focus any way I can. To make it easier. To hurry along the hunt for Hawkmoth."

Tikki's expression became weary as she stared at her welder, taken off guard by the open statement, "I don't know, Marinette...What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing yet, but I think I'm going to start brainstorming some ideas. Maybe do a little research. Something needs to change though," she emphasized, staring down her kwami with a hopeful, prodding look until she hesitantly nodded her agreement.

With the god's blessing, she turned to her tablet, pulling up everything she could on different heroes and their methods. Down the rabbit hole she fell.

… 

Some thirteen hours had passed and she felt the strain of her eyes and the bright burn to her retinas for the effort of her work. She refused to believe that no inspiration would come from this effort, though she'd moved on from conventional heroes and into a more sketchy territory by now, having been let down by the uptight views of others who'd obviously never been harassed or neglected by their partner and therefore wouldn't understand her need for a more, let's say, gray solution.

She'd seen the ideals of Superman and the Lanterns and the generalized view of both the Teen Titans and Justice League alike. Many worked with partners, many had betrayals or interpersonal problems. The solution they always took was for one or both parties to leave the team and travel to opposite sides of their country. Or world. Or separate worlds. Either way, avoidance was key. That didn't really work for her though. She had to stay in close contact with her partner while not truly working together. Remain civil within the same city limits. Fight side by side even. And it's not like she could just leave her responsibility here or allow Chat to go unchecked with a miraculous on his own. 

Then she stumbled upon Batman's history. The infamous bat had many a partner or sidekick with their own rough history and seemed to be operating with them regularly still. His solution to a lost or dead partner seemed to be a steady stream of replacements. Unfortunately, unlike a vigilante suit, a miraculous has to resonate with the wearer and no one she knew and trusted would fit the black cat. So she was stuck with the one.

Still though, Batman apparently had a falling out with his first Robin who became Nightwing. Those two were seen together regularly now so something must have happened to fix their issues. Gods, she was so lucky the internet seemed to stalk these people hardcore enough to have so much information on them so readily available. However, looking deeper, the resulting theories and knowledge did not bode well for her. It seems Nightwing had been in much the same state as her and with zero apologies from the Bat, had forgiven the man and resumed operations as usual. Well she was done with forgiving and forgetting. She wanted a real solution, not just rolling over and letting Chat do as he pleased! 

Alright, so Batman was the Chat Noir to the Robin's Ladybug. Maybe the others fared better?

Nope, second one died.

Current one seems to be a literal feral child out to bleed Gotham dry. Not sure how that helped, though maybe she could go just psycho enough to force Chat to be the responsible one? No, he'd just try and quit again.

Huh.

There was a third and fourth one apparently? Between the murder baby and the dead one. What happened to them?

The fourth was a blonde girl with a short stint. Seems she just moved departments since many speculated she might be a batgirl or working with a few others in the city. Not much more.

But what about the other one?

The third Robin, who worked with the Teen Titans for a stint. Who worked many years under the Bat, who gave away the title to the blonde only to return after and disappear once more with the coming of the blood toddler. What happened? Where'd he go?

…

Thousands had apparently asked the same question themselves. All signs seemed to point towards a betrayal. Something went wrong. The first resigned, the second died, the third just seemed to drop off the face of the planet. Did Batman kick him out? Replace him? For child's play, sword addition? She couldn't be sure, but it seemed the most likely guess. Much more believable than alien kidnapping or a quest for a dead man or his predecessor coming to life to end him.

But what after that? 

Surely, Marinette could've stopped there. Obviously, this wasn't the same as her situation, but she couldn't help but be so very intrigued. She watched videos of the boy in his Robin suit (much more practical than the first two if you asked her, though still slightly shameful) fighting and flying across rooftops and working with his team. He was so. So. Efficient. So clean. Ruthless when he decided to be. Calculated. Everything she ever wanted to be. 

He was amazing.

And then he disappeared.

Where did he go, that perfect Robin. How could anyone ever think the position needed an upgrade when the perfect bird was already there? It made no sense. And then she found him. Hunting through the rogues and heroes and inbetweens of Gotham, hidden in his own layerings of cover stories and identities. Her new aspiration of what a hero should be, mixed into the Anti-heroes of the city.

The vigilante of the more morally ambiguous variety, manipulating the world to the way he saw fit, using whatever method he wished. And the way he seemed to bend the city to his whim, well it matched quite well with how she wished her own city would be. She found her solution. Now it was showtime.

…

"Are you ready to apologize, m'lady?" Chat dropped down at her side, the akuma of the week tied up below them. It was a relatively easy battle, with no need for special abilities for once.

"Whatever for, Chatton?" Marinette asked, already tensing at the response she knew she'd receive. She hated when he tried to coerce her into apologizing for things that aren't her fault.

"For your neglect of your kitten, obviously."

"I don't have a kitten," she stated plainly.

"What? You wound me, to disown me so abruptly," he put a clawed hand to his chest, offense and hurt in spades marking his features.

"I can't disown what I never adopted," she went along with the analogy so he wouldn't complain about her ruining his fun again. The last thing she needed was his whining.

He perked up with this, "Well we can draw up some adoption papers right now if you wish? I'd love to be yours," he smarmed, leaning into her space further. 

This was it. Time to turn the tables. To make this work in her favor. She just needed to play it right, the way her Robin did. By manipulating the enemy into doing her bidding. She could do this.

"That's just it, though. I don't believe you would," she frowned, letting her eyes soften the way she'd seen Lila do so often. Might as well learn something from the girl.

"What? I would," he insisted, eyebrows furrowing.

"See you say that, but where's the proof? You've done nothing but pester and punish me over these weeks. You say you love me, but then watch me get hurt by akumas and make me fight all alone and threaten to leave me. That's not the actions of a loving partner. It feels like you hate me."

That had him panicking.

"No no, I don't hate you, you're my sun and my moon. My everything. Surely you know your worth in my life. I only did those things to show you how much you hurt me." He attempted to reason with her.

"See, but I've never intentionally hurt you. And always apologized to you when I realized I had. Whereas you just admitted to causing me distress as a form of punishment. It seems to me that I'm far more attached to you than you are to me and I'm just not willing to hurt myself by getting involved with someone who so obviously dislikes me."

"I- no- that's not- I love you! I didn't mean to do that, I shouldn't have. Please believe me? I love you, Ladybug," he begged, ears dropping and body tensed in fear.

"I'm sorry, but until I see some proof, I can't do that," she shook her head before taking off home without a backward glance, leaving the cat to his misery.

…

That night, Tikki went straight to bed and refused to speak to her for the next two days.

[nigelgodrichproducer]

Nigel talks to the Fork

Via Pitchfork:

Ahead of the Coda Collection launch, Godrich talked with us about From the Basement’s revival, live music as “content,” Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s new band the Smile, and Radiohead’s King of Limbs set.

Pitchfork: What inspired you to release the episodes with the Coda Collection rather than continuing on with YouTube?

Nigel Godrich: I have very mixed feelings about YouTube and streaming generally. When we first started talking about From the Basement in earnest, there was this idea that it’d be an internet-based thing—but this was in 2003, and it wasn’t technically possible. Now, the internet is completely flooded by video content because anyone can do it. So when you get an offer from a larger entity with a proper platform, that’s very appealing.

The pandemic has normalized homemade performance videos for TV broadcasts. It feels like we’ve reached a time when artists have to value the presentation of their live performance even more than before.

Part of the novelty has been watching people film themselves on web chat cameras and doing Zoom conferences and whatnot—because it’s the same technology that everyone uses, so it somehow makes a connection between artist and viewer. It’s both intimate and personal, but also the cheapest and easiest way.

For us, it was always about using the best tools available, fidelity-wise, to make something that has no barrier or wrapper around it. No presenter, no editorial agenda, no other people in the room. From the Basement episodes were meant to be miniature movies, an attempt at making something into an art form. I was trying to create something that was just a cut above the rest, from a technical standpoint.

Most of the episodes were filmed at London’s famed Maida Vale Studios. How did that space feed into the show’s atmosphere?

The room in Maida Vale was so beautifully set up, with a color scheme that’s sort of this olive green. We brought in the red carpet, and the combination of that green and red basically dictated everything we did there afterwards—it gave the show its identity.

Maida Vale itself is very important. The upstairs used to house the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and the actual studio itself was where all the Peel Sessions were done. It’s just an amazing building. It was originally an ice rink and converted by the BBC when the BBC was very young, in the ’30s. All of these things feed into the legend, and, of course, that draws you to the place. When you walk in the room, you can cut the atmosphere with a knife.

Maida Vale is also very important to me, as I’ve been going there since I was a child. My dad was with the BBC, so I’d go with him on “bring your kid to work” days. I’ve known that place forever.

Ten years on, it’s safe to say that there are a lot of Radiohead fans who love The King of Limbs: From the Basement maybe even more than the original record. What was it like to see how those songs evolved from their recorded versions?

The live performance reflects the state of the art of any particular artist, in that it’s a timestamp of that moment. If you’ve seen Bob Dylan recently, I mean—I sat and watched him for five minutes and when a song finished, I realized, “Oh! That was ‘Tangled Up in Blue’!” Like, you cannot tell what he’s doing. And I say that with the greatest respect. People go down rabbit holes; things change, and for the better.

When I was a kid, we used to be able to go and buy all sorts of bootleg tapes and concerts. There’d be different versions of, like, your favorite Dead Kennedys song, and it’d be great. We tried to tap into that magic a little bit—like how we captured Fleet Foxes [in 2008] at the time when they were exploding and put a magnifying glass on them. We were lucky to catch them at that moment.

The King of Limbs is an interesting one, because it was a very conscious attempt to do something special: to record the album again, once it had been rehearsed and played live, to show it in a different light. Revisiting the From the Basement set, I love it. I love the way it looks and I’m proud of the way it sounds and the way they’re playing. It’s a very good example of the method working, for a record that was very mechanized and completely different. Because I worked with the band so closely, it also meant that it was very nice for me to be able to see the record through and then watch it become a thing that’s very real and alive.

Can you share any details about the new episodes? Are there any bands you really want to capture this go around?

It generally starts with friends, and then you think about things that would work really well in the format. I’m not 100 percent sure what more I’m allowed to say. When I was looking through all the footage last year, I was reminded how fun it was. It’s really the most fun you can have in a recording studio.

Well, I have to ask you another question about things you’re probably not allowed to talk about, which is your new group with Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner,

the Smile

Can you share anything more about the album?

I can’t talk about it—it’s just not time yet.

When I was watching the Smile’s  Glastonbury stream, I was reminded of From the Basement and those Radiohead webcasts. It felt like a spiritual successor to that type of thing.

That’s what [Thom] was after. Basically, the webcasts were done by me and 10 video cameras I bought off eBay. Some were the kind of cameras you used to use for TV news back in the 1980s. When we were doing In Rainbows, I was so bored and started setting up my own little sort of fantasy TV studio, and it was great because we could then film everything, and I have so much footage from that time. I think he wanted to sort of recreate that—but he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to somebody to do the same thing I did for nothing, so ironically, it’s quite funny. But all will be revealed regarding the project.

[blkeyedangel94]

[My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Acadamia and Akaku Saku Koe crossover fic] General, Slight angst, Shinsou Hitoshi, Karashima, Kokubu Sawa Description: Shinsou gets help from a policeman with a similar quirk. Words: 1584

As a civilian, Shinsou stood to the sides as the police made sure another civilian wasn’t going to be taken.

The villain was on their way out of robbing a bank, but took a hostage and threatened to kill the person if the heroes took a step closer.

“Be on standby. The Fox is on his way,” the voice of the radio from the policeman’s shoulder spoke. “On standby,” replied the officer.

The Fox? I thought he was a myth, thought Shinsou.

The Fox. Real name: Karashima. Quirk: Voice Control. Can hypnotize people and create illusions by sound of voice. His voice is that pleasant that people can’t help but to obey. Not a hero, but is part of the police special force. Wears a tenko fox mask.

“Don’t move.”

Shinsou was about to turn to the sound but couldn’t. He sees a man walk into his vision towards the villain and hostage, who are also stock still. The Fox walks behind the villain and whispers something in their ear. Probably to let the hostage go, as the villain’s arms move away from the hostage’s body. Then, The Fox whispers something else into the ear of the villain. This time Shinsou doesn’t catch it because the next thing he knows, he’s seeing black and drops to the ground.

“Shinsou Hitoshi. Wake up.”

Shinsou slowly opens his eyes and blinks to get the weariness out. He’s staring at a wooden ceiling and can hear shuffling of papers and soft murmurs. With a grunt, Shinsou sits up.

“Here.” A wallet is being handed to him. His wallet.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t take anything out of it. I merely used it to figure out your name.” A man with a tenko mask on the side of his head is holding Shinsou’s wallet for him to take.

Shinsou narrows his eyes. “Why does your voice sound different? And why am I at the police station?”

“A side effect of my quirk. People tend to pass out the first time they hear my voice. Knowing their full name can break them of my quirk. So, we brought pretty much everyone here to the police station to wake up.

“To answer your first question, I hold my nose to muffle my voice so its effect doesn’t take place when I’m talking to people. I wanted to tell you not to worry rather than command you to not worry. Does that make sense?”

“I guess.” Shinsou understands what The Fox is saying. He understands perfectly. The Fox’s quirk is similar to his own. So, yes, what The Fox said makes sense. “Am I done here?”

“Yep! Unless you need anything else?”

Shinsou was hesitant. He wanted to ask about his quirk. And how he became a pseudo-hero. “No. I’ll be on my way.” Shinsou got up from the bench and headed towards the exit. He stops for a moment and turns back to The Fox. The Fox cocked his head, sensing Shinsou might have a question. “Thanks.” And Shinsou continued to head out of the building.

The incident with The Fox continued to replay in Shinsou’s mind. What did you think of your quirk when it activated? How did you become a hero? (But he’s not a hero, Hitoshi.) Did you want to be a hero? Were you planning on becoming a rescue hero? …Did other people compare you to a villain? Did you think you were a villain…?

The Fox and his wife are taking a stroll through the park. Enjoying each other’s presence and the scenery around them. The soft twitters of the birds. The lush greenery. The light rushing of water. They spot a group of students near the park fountain. The Fox recognizes one of them. That wild purple hair is unforgettable. They walk in the boys’ direction and sit at a fountain bench nearby.

“Hey, Shinsou! You think you can use your quirk to get us some girls?” says the boy directly in front of Shinsou.

“Um, no. That’s illegal,” counters Shinsou. “Why can’t you ask some girls yourself?”

“Oh, come on! It’ll be easier if you persuade them, if you know what I mean.” The boy chuckles with a mischievous smile, his buddies chuckling with him. “Besides, we won’t tell anyone.”

“The girls will! I’m not going to jail for illegal quirk use.” Shinsou is a little upset. How stupid can they be? Of course, someone is going to tell!

“Come on. Just ask them to not tell when you control them. It’s not that hard. Why are you being so uncooperative?” One of the lackeys points a finger at Shinsou accusingly.

Shinsou looks at the three of them. He sighs. “That bad at communicating with girls you need someone to do it for you?” Shinsou smirks at them.

“Wh-?! No! Of course not! Whatever. We don’t need you or your villainous quirk anyway. Psh!” The boys walk away a little red in the face. Shinsou huffs and looks away.

“Good job handling that,” says a voice nearby. Shinsou startles at the voice and turns to see The Fox and a lady with him.

“You heard all that?” Shinsou says nervously.

“Yeah… I saw you and thought I’d say hi. I never introduced myself without the mask. I’m Karashima. This is my wife, Sawa.” Karashima introduces Shinsou to his wife who waves at him. Shinsou bows slightly and introduces himself. There’s a little bit of an awkward silence.

“Hey,” catching the attention of the both of them, Sawa starts to say, “you probably don’t want to hear this from someone who’s quirkless, but your quirk isn’t villainous. Your quirk doesn’t define you. It’s how you use it. Not once during your conversation with those boys did you command them to leave or do something to humiliate them. You chose to not use your quirk against them. Take Karashima for example. His quirk lets him control people and create illusions, but he works for the police.”

“Have been since the 6th grade.” Karashima interjects. “I was at a department store when my quirk activated. I was part of a hostage situation. When the police finally came, everyone was passed out on the ground. They decided to use my quirk on the field to catch bad guys.”

“Not because you could be dangerous and needed to be watched?” says Shinsou with disbelief in his voice.

“That could be a reason, but they did value the work I did. It helped speed up a few cases,” says Karashima. “Truthfully, I was under witness protection. Some of the bad guys escaped during that hostage situation. During questioning at the police station, I walked into the wrong room. The room where the main perpetrator was being held. I even had a bodyguard at school.” Karashima tipped his head back and groaned at the memory. Sawa giggled, remembering Sakamoto and his antics.

“Ok, well. I don’t have that. I’m not lucky enough to have people who don’t look at you and instantly think ‘Don’t use your quirk on me.’ the moment they hear about it,” Shinsou says irritably. “I don’t have people who aren’t on their guard when being around me. I don’t have people who think my quirk could be useful except for villainous acts. I don’t have people who don’t think I’m a villain!” Shinsou huffs and pants, clearly angry at the situation. Angry at the two in front of him that are taking the issue calmly. They don’t get it!

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take over your situation with mine.” Karashima pinches his nose and looks at Shinsou sincerely, “Tell me, do you think your quirk is villainous?”

Shinsou is taken aback at the the question. He glances between the two of them, waiting for the catch. Waiting for their true opinion on his quirk. They just look at him, patiently waiting for his response. There is no catch, no ulterior motive. Just genuine curiosity. He doesn’t know what to think. So many people made the implication that his quirk can’t be anything but villainous that he started to think likewise.

“Hey,” a Sawa’s gentle voice brought Shinsou out of his deprecation. “You don’t need to answer right away, but maybe think of this question in a different way. Like, what do you want to do with your quirk?”

“I…I want to be a hero,” Shinsou quietly mumbles. “I want to prove that I can help others with my quirk.”

Karashima, with a pinched nose, smiles at Shinsou. “Go for it! Apply to hero schools. Show everyone what you’re made of.”

“Except U.A.’s hero entrance exam only caters to flashy, powerful quirks,” Shinsou scoffs with an eye roll.

“True, but there’s the general education course and always the school festival,” points out Karashima. “Really, go try the entrance exam for U.A. I know you’ll make.”

“I’ll think about,” says Shinsou slowly. He does want to try U.A.’s entrance exam. If the general education course is the only way he can get in, he’ll do it.

“And that’s the first step,” Sawa says with a giggle. She stands and tugs her husband up with her. “It was nice meeting you, Shinsou. But we should get going. See you later.”

“I’ll be watching you at the school festival,” Karashima says as he and Sawa wave goodbye and walk towards the exit of the park.

Shinsou waves goodbye and thinks back on Sawa’s words, What do you want to do with your quirk?

[cchellacat]

From your bestie, the Galinda to Elphie... Here is a special Valentine's Day Wintershock prompt that I think you can knock out of the park: Your crush giving you advice for the night of Valentine’s Day when they think you already have another date. Congratulations on one year 💚💗 💋 Eury

What You Want

Bucky Barnes/Darcy Lewis

Valentine’s Fluff for @eurynome827 . Thanks for the prompt, Bestie, Elphie to Galinda 💕💕💕

The smell of pancakes wafted through the top floor of the tower. Bucky, enticed by the aroma wandered to the kitchen. He’d known even before he heard the music blaring over the speakers that Darcy was the source of the mouth watering scent.

He’d been trying to work up the nerve to just ask her out on a date since Christmas. Every-time he’d attempted it, something or someone got in the way. Eventually he’d given up on the direct approach and started with flowers. He’d sent Darcy a fresh bouquet every day for the last few weeks, then chocolate too. So far she’s said nothing to him about them other than to thank him with a smile. Her expectant look to him each time as though she was searching for something else seemed to lessen the longer it went on. The problem was, he just didn’t know what to say. Then to top it all off he’d heard Darcy turn a guy in accounting down for a date on Valentine’s Day: she’d told him she already had plans. He guessed that meant she’s seeing someone else and just hadn’t known how to let him down gently.

He slides into a stool at the breakfast bar, giving a warm smile when Darcy greets him with a grin.

“Hey Barnes, you hungry?”

“I’m always hungry, doll, especially if you’re cooking.”

Darcy laughes, spatula held high as she points it at him.

“Flattery will get you everywhere!”

She slides a stack of pancakes over to him, still humming as she works and turns to continue cooking. Bucky slumps a little but grabs some butter and maple syrup and drenches the stack in both.

“Hey, Barnes can I ask you something?”

He jerks his head up, looking a little started at her sudden question but nods and continues to chew his food.

“I mean.... you seem a little down? I’m not trying to pry, but you’ve been low key unhappy for a couple of days, what up?”

She leans on the counter, chin in her hand and peers at him.

He’s thankful of the few seconds he has to answer her before he swallows and wipes his mouth with a napkin.

“Just trying to figure a few things out. I guess I just don’t know how much has changed since I was a kid. I knew all the rules and such.... things just seem different now, expectations are different.”

“Oh?”

She just looks at him, eyes curious and concerned, then settles herself onto the chair opposite him and grabs a fork, wielding it deftly to steal some pancake off his plate. She winks as he swats at her hand playfully. She’s still looking at him and he gives in a little. He doesn’t want her feeling sorry for him or to think he’s trying to make her feel guilty for not being interested.

“Like Valentines Day. Seems nearly as big as Christmas now.”

Darcy nods and looks thoughtful.

“It’s a big thing now and everyone gets in on it. It’s not just couples. People gets Valentine’s for friends and family. It’s a day to remind those you love how you feel. It’s nice, but it’s also a capitalists wet dream, the whole thing’s so commercialised at this point that there’s not enough sugar in the world to cover up the taste of shit. I mean, I appreciate the thought behind the holiday but I don’t need a $35 card or a $50 bunch of flowers or a $100 box of chocolates.....”

Bucky smiles wryly at her answer. She’s always honest and says what she thinks.

“What would you need then? Grand gesture? Love letters?”

He’s curious about what she wants, what she thinks is important.

“I don’t really need anything...”

He looks at her quizzically. How can she not need someone to make a fuss of her and show her how wonderful and special she is?

“... But I what I want is just someone who makes me feel special. Just them, spending time with me. Honesty. I want that too. I want someone to tell me how they feel, be upfront about what they want. I’m not a mind reader. And if I’m lucky enough. Someone who just wants that from me too.”

It’s not so much that he’s stunned by her answer. It’s more that he feels a little slow for not seeing it before. Darcy doesn’t give a damn about things or what someone can buy her or where they can take her. She values people just for being themselves. It’s what drew him to her so quickly. Her open affection and honesty. The way she always listens quietly and the thoughtful words she gave when needed. He realises he had went about it all wrong and now it was probably too late to fix it.

“I’m an idiot.” He says finally, arms folded leaning on the counter.

Darcy throws her head back and laughs before managing to agree

“Yeah, you really are. You finally going to ask me out now?”

His brain stutters for a moment before catching up with her question.

“Ask you... I thought you were seeing someone?”

Darcy rolls her eyes.

“Bucky, the only plans I’ve made with anyone for the past two months, have been with you.”

She looks at him with fond exasperation before reaching to lay her hand against his arm.

“When have I had time to date someone else?”

Looking back he realises she’s right. Between work and missions and general Tower chaos, the only people who saw her with regularity were Jane and him. Taco Tuesday and Friday night netflix. Monday morning yoga and Thursday pop culture catch up. They’d even taken to walking in Central Park on Sunday’s.

“You got any plans for tonight, Doll?” He asks, unfolding his arms and snagging her hand in his.

“I mean.... maybe I could wash my hair and read a book”. She shrugs as she sasses him.

Bucky shakes his head and leans over the counter.

“Darcy?”

“Yes Bucky?”

“You’re amazing. I’ve never known anyone like you before. I think I’ve been falling in love with you since the day we met. Would you like to go out to dinner with me? On a date? Tonight?”

She tilts her head a little regarding him with soft smile before she leans in brushing her lips gently against his. As kisses go, it’s quick and soft. Chaste even. The light press of her lips against his, he returns with his own, eyes closing briefly before she pulls away. He licks his top lip as they stare into each other’s eyes. He knows the expression on his face must be one of surprise and wonder. Her own eyes seem to twinkle and he’s please at least that she seems as shaken as he is by the brief but powerful rush of emotions and feeling the kiss induced.

“I feel the same. Pick me up at seven, soldier, I booked the restaurant a month ago, I’m wearing red, do with that what you will.”

Bucky thinks his soul might have left his body as she slips off the stool and saunters out of the kitchen, turning back for just a second to wave almost shyly at him before she leaves the room.

“Jarvis? What just happened?”

“ I believe Miss Lewis just said yes, Sargent.”

Bucky sits, staring at the doorway. He can’t help but think that the world just changed. For a heartbeat he can see the future, clarity reaching forward and he nods his head, smiling widely. One day, not too far in the future, he thinks he’ll be looking for that yes again. The sort of yes that sounds like I do.

@eurynome827 @loricameback @kdlb @wheres-my-wings @marvelous-meggi @jobean12-blog @book-dragon-13 @grimeysociety @southerncross47

[daresplaining]

what does daredevil mean to you? what made you gravitate to the character?

    I’m a fairly recent Daredevil fan, all things considered. I was introduced to DD in February 2013, in the midst of the Waid era. The first issue I read was actually Volume 2 #500, the final issue of Brubaker’s run– which, even though I had no idea what was going on, piqued my interest enough to prompt me to seek out more. I went to the comic shop, grabbed the first issue of Waid’s run, and slammed face-first into this awesome page: 

[ID: A page from Waid’s Daredevil run. Matt Murdock is standing on a rooftop in his civvies. He is talking on a cellphone while he reconfigures his cane into a grapple hook. He starts unbuttoning his shirt and then backflips off the edge of the building, still talking on the phone. The grapple hook catches the roof edge. A red-gloved hand tosses Matt’s civvies in through a window.]

    Daredevil Volume 3-4 was– to me– an excellent introductory run and an excellent run in general because it managed, again and again, to get at the core of what makes Matt Murdock such a great character. It distilled everything cool about him and put it on full display, both textually and visually. The above image, of the blind lawyer in the business suit casually backflipping off a building while talking on the phone, lodged itself in my brain and would not leave. It built a foundation around which my love for Matt and his world grew. Here was someone who was confident and dashing and reckless and far, far more than he appeared, while at the same time still being mostly human. Those traits hooked me. I know this was a character I wanted to follow around, if only to see all the trouble such a person would inevitably get into. 

    And the more I read, the more layers I uncovered and the more fascinating Matt became to me. The intricacies of his powers invite endless speculation about his perception of the world, his daily experiences, his strengths and weaknesses (The concept of a superhero whose powers frequently act as weaknesses is really compelling to me). I love that he is blind, not only because disabled superheroes are so few and far between, but also because of the extra layer of complication this adds to every aspect of his life, particularly when addressed by writers who are not afraid to embrace that part of his identity. Matt is always wearing some mask or other– acting sighted as Daredevil, acting mild-mannered as Matt Murdock, acting non-powered in both identities, always grappling with who he is, who he wants to be, and how much of himself he feels comfortable sharing with the world. I love the contradictions in his backstory– the nerd with an athletic streak whose boxer father loved him dearly but kept him stifled through overprotectiveness. The mother who left and then came back later when he needed a friend. The fact that Matt’s decision to become a superhero was tied up in so many factors– a response to years of bullying, an effort to avenge his father while also directly disobeying him, an act of empowerment that may have been more self-serving than heroic. I love his name; “Daredevil” is one of the coolest superhero monikers out there, and the Netflix show writers can meet me in the hallway for refusing to acknowledge that. I love that on a very real and significant level, no matter how much pain he goes through in every area of his life, being a superhero brings Matt happiness. I love his dynamic with Foggy, which is one of the strongest and longest-running friendships in the Marvel Universe. I love his tumultuous, painful, horrible love life, though I do wish it didn’t have such a large body count. I love the richness of Matt’s character– his cockiness, his adrenaline junkie-ness, his stubbornness, his intense devotion and capacity for love, all of the blemishes and ugliness that come out when things start going poorly for him, and his ability to push his way through all of the garbage and pain and misery the world pours on him and manage, somehow, to survive it. Matt embodies a perfect balance of gritty realism (he is not a perfect person, and sometimes you can’t help hating him) and hopeful optimism; he is a character who has successfully existed at both ends of the superhero tonal range, and is written best when those two sides of his personality are both present and balanced. I love that he is flawed enough to be relatable and heroic enough to be inspiring. Karl Kesel gave him a great line in Volume 1 #353: “I’m an endless contradiction that’d never stand up to cross-examination. Always thought that was part of my charm.” And he was right. 

    On a more practical level, the quality of Daredevil comics has, for the most part, been extremely high. Read through all 55 years’ worth of material and you will end up with a collection of mostly excellent, compelling stories with beautiful art. Daredevil has been lucky in this way. For every run I don’t like, there are at least five that I do. And on another practical level, there is also a love that comes from familiarity, which is why I think superhero comics fans tend to get so intensely passionate about their favorite characters. My initial fascination with the premise of Daredevil prompted me to read a lot of it, and then, at a certain point, there was no turning back. After you’ve spent several hundred issues with a character, they start to feel like a friend– if an occasionally frustrating friend who needs to stop faking his death please. This is also one of the dangers of this sort of media. That familiarity can morph into a sense of ownership, and I have to keep reminding myself that any writer who depicts Matt in a way that doesn’t match my understanding of his character is not, in fact, a bad writer. It’s just that they connect with Matt in a different way than I do. I think, for instance, that Joe Quesada’s tastes are very different than mine, but the guy clearly loves Daredevil. I’m sure that if every DD fan were asked this same question, there would be a huge amount of variety based on their introductory run, their favorite stories, their personal experiences and values, etc., and that richness and diversity of interpretation is another reason why I think Daredevil is so special. 

[eos-teric]

Relationship Reading 101

I often find requests in my mailbox for readings related to love life, couples, romantic interests. By personal choice I don't do that: it’s already extremely difficult to be precise with readings made via web, not having the chance of interacting live with the querent; it’s even more complicated if I’m asked to include a third person. Moreover, this kind of reading is most effective if the person concerned chooses the cards and interacts with the deck themselves.

Nonetheless, during these months, I’ve done some research and have even been lucky enough to meet a diviner specialized in love reading. In this post I’ll gradually collect the methods I learn. I’ll choose the ones within everyone's reach, to allow you to easily interrogate your own cards!

[last update: Oct 10th, 2020]

SETUP

All you need is a common deck of poker cards. If it’s included, I personally prefer to remove the Joker to keep the deck balanced; if you’re a beginner, I also recommend this setup! You can still choose to keep the Joker, knowing that if it does come up in a reading it’d be a harbinger of immaturity, uncertainty or even infidelity. Alternatively you can also use a tarot deck if you have one. As for the Joker, you can choose whether or not to remove the Major Arcana. I advise you not to keep them all, but to prefer The Lovers, The Hanged Man, The Devil, The Fool. If you feel that a card resonates well with your relationship, include it as well.

You’ll end up with – at least – the 52 (or 56) cards of the four suits: Hearts/Cups, Diamonds/Pentacles, Clubs/Wands, Spades/Swords.

Each method may have its own correspondences with the suits. In general, however, Hearts stand for good news, stability and love; Spades for obstacles, conflicts and sadness.

Remember to cleanse your deck. If you’ve chosen to use playing cards, make sure they’re no longer used to play: they’d absorb bad energies and lose concentration, i.e. divinatory effectiveness. The best practice is to purify and charge the deck before each reading.

METHOD #1 • Daily compatibility

Do you ever think about a special someone, wondering if today is the right day for that idea you've been putting off so far? Or are you interested in that someone, not sure if they like you as much? Then grab and shuffle your deck!

Draw the cards from the top: you discard two and keep the third until the deck runs out. Eventually you count how many Hearts and Spades you have – exactly the number of symbols on each card, not the number of cards of that suit; royal figures count as 15, Major Arcana have no value, and the Joker is worth 30 Spades!

Result: if Hearts are more than Spades your compatibility is good, otherwise it’s better to give ‘em some space and focus on something else.

If the Joker or any Major Arcana are present among the cards drawn, you can interpret them for further insight. Which cards and suits are they close to? The red suits (or Cups and Pentacles) are positive, while the black ones (or Swords and Wands) are negative.

e.g. — Suppose that the Joker is next to the Queen of Spades: one could suspect a betrayal or the malicious intervention of another person.

METHOD #2 • Two bodies, two souls

I was expressly advised to do this reading only during the night before the new moon – it’s believed that when the moon is new, one should never divine –, to check the status and changes in your relationship over the last lunar month as the Moon is the celestial body linked to the soul. It’s also possible to repeat this reading in the same night only by changing at least one of the two subjects in question; this means that you should never ask twice about the status of the same couple, ‘cause it would offend the cards! You’ll then have to wait for the following lunar cycle.

It works like this: first of all you have to choose a card that represents you (or the querent) and one that represents the partner. Specifically, the choice falls between the royal figures of Diamonds for one, and those of Clubs for the other. There isn't exactly a rule but, if it helps, Kings are for men, Queens for women, and Jacks are gender neutral and younger than the two regents. Hearts and Spades remain independent, as they represent love and suffering respectively, as mentioned in the setup.

e.g. — I identify myself with the Jack of Diamonds and my partner, pretending he’s a man older than me, should therefore be the King of Clubs. (I could have chosen the Jack of Clubs instead, so he would have been the King of Diamonds. Easy, right?)

You’re now both associated with one of the four suits. As the name of this method suggests, you finally have two bodies. Your two souls will be the Aces of each suit respectively. We’ll call these four cards Stakes.

e.g. — My soul will be represented by the Ace of Diamonds and his by the Ace of Clubs.

As always, shuffle the cards and draw them one at a time from the top of the deck; distribute them in four stacks, until there are none left, then scroll through each one: your bodies and souls now function as brackets, which include some cards and exclude others. Five intuitive cases can arise, but make sure you've checked well. If it helps, arrange the cards in a row, following their order, and look at them carefully.

1. You found only one Stake: keep it and the following cards, if any; discard the rest. 2. You found two Stakes: keep them and the eventual cards between; discard the rest. 3. You found three Stakes: keep the first two Stakes with what they eventually include, discarding the previous cards, if any; also keep the third Stake and eventually the subsequent cards, thus discarding those included between the second and third Stake, if any. 4. You found four Stakes: as for two Stakes, but twice. 5. The stack contains no Stake: discard it all.

Now stack up all the remaining cards in one deck (don’t shuffle it!) and repeat the operation, this time dividing it into three stacks; next time will be only two stacks; finally, reverse the order of the remaining cards, as if you were forming a single last stack.

It’s time to check: deal out the cards, drawing them from the top and placing them from left to right. You’ll know everything went well if in the end you still have at least the four Stakes and no more than 6 other cards, for a maximum amount of 10 and a minimum of 4. If there are more than ten cards left, it means that the deck has nothing to tell you: maybe the couple isn't close enough, or there hasn't been any progress since last reading. If one of the Stakes is missing, you have clearly messed up and wasted the opportunity for this lunar cycle – that sucks, so be thorough!

But if the numbers add up, you can proceed with the interpretation! Again, follow your intuition by first observing the distance and position of the respective souls from the bodies (remember: it’s the same suit!); then observe the distance between the respective bodies and souls of the couple; finally, consider everything as a whole, paying attention to additional cards and their position. In particular, the further cards of Diamonds and Clubs are related to the partner associated with the same suit; the royal figures are people outside the couple, and the aces can be memories or hopes.

e.g. — I ended up with: Q♦, A♦, A♣, 7♥, J♦, K♣. I immediately notice that our bodies are equidistant from our souls, and that both souls and bodies are side by side; the two planes are separated by a card of Hearts. The interpretation is almost spontaneous: there’s a perfect balance between emotional and physical levels, and in that Seven I see a growth in our relationship. Evidently, in the last lunar month, everything between us has tried to put itself in the right place, and over the next cycle it may be possible to exploit this state as a fertile ground. The key to succeeding in this intent could depend on that Queen of Diamonds, a woman I know that’s also close to my soul. I instinctively thought of a dear friend of mine, who might be able to give me the right advice. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

METHOD #3 • PRIORITY

We often forget that love isn’t everything, and by virtue of it we sacrifice a lot. This method is a fairly simple and mechanical solitaire game, but when played with your divination cards it can give general feedback on which aspects of your life you should pay attention to.

Shuffle the deck and take out four cards, face down: set them aside. We will call ‘em Revelations. Deal out the remaining cards, placing them face down evenly in four rows. If you’re using a poker deck, when you’re done with the setup you’ll have a 12x4 grid in front of you, i.e. 48 cells.

Your aim is to gradually arrange the cards of the same suit in each row, in ascending order from 2 to King – thus excluding the Ace. The "game" is divided into four rounds, one for each Revelation. Draw the first one and find its position on the first row, which will then be associated with that suit. Be careful: don't forget that the first card of a row is actually meant for a 2, not the Ace, and so on! To place the card you currently have in your hand, you’ll need to swap it with the faced-down one that occupies its correct cell. When you draw a new suit, its row will be the next unused one.

e.g. — My first Revelation is a 7♥, which I place on the sixth cell of the first row, swapping it with what I discover to be the J♣, that will go to the tenth cell of the second row because the first one is already for Hearts.

Continue until you draw an Ace: place it to the left of the row corresponding to its suit: the round is over and you must draw the next Revelation. The game ends when all the Aces have been found, and therefore when you have no more Revelations. Flip all the cards that are still faced-down, leaving them where they are. This solitaire is successful when all the cards are correctly ordered on the grid.

e.g. — To complete the solitaire I have three faced-down cards left, but I draw the last Ace so I can’t help but check if those other two cards were already in the right position. Indeed yes, so I won!

Whether the game was succeeded or not, it’s time to divine: first of all, if it has failed, it might mean that you’ll soon have some setbacks or that there’s not enough clarity in your life. Analyze the order of appearance of the suits, from top to bottom: this will help you understand which aspect of your life you should focus on (first rows), suggesting you temporarily leave out something else (last rows). Spades represent the causes of your pain; Hearts are your relationships; Clubs stand for study or career, Diamonds for what makes you materially satisfied and safe. For a good divination you must as well pay attention to each Revelation, to the order of appearance of the Aces, and especially to the order of completion of the four suits: be glad when Spades are the last to be completed, 'cause it means that sadness is far away!

[randomkposts]

Hello

I figured I should start with wall of quotes. Cause whynot

Quotes “It's hard to hate my prep team. They're such total idiots." - Katniss.”

“Here's some advice. Stay alive.” “The cat that Prim got hates me, I think partly because I tried to drown it.” “District 12: Where you can starve to death in safety.”“No. Now, shut up and eat your pears."

” It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death." "Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you will find in the arena. Say it's a gigantic cake-”“Yes, frosting. The final defense of the dying.”

“Technically, I am unarmed. But no one should ever underestimate the harm that fingernails can do. Especially if the target is unprepared.”

"Well, leprechauns. You know they're not real, don't you?""Let us proceed under the assumption that the fairy folk do exist and that I am not a gibbering moron."

"I majored in Ancient History. You have your own page in the 'Criminally Insane' section."

"Really, Butler, I must begin choosing my business associates more carefully. Hardly a day goes by when we aren't the victims of some plot.""The punching is not helping my concentration, by the way.""Oh, brilliant. I must write that one down in my witty retorts book."

"The pixie is crazy! Give me your gun, Holly. I'm going to shoot him.""Excuse me, Captain. Are you two going to weep salty tears of admiration over a helmet all night, or do we have matters to discuss?"

"This is a well. You might think that there is something to it... But in fact it is just an ordinary well."

Woman in Ur : Hey, where are you four brats off to now? What...? You're going to go save the world...? Did you get hit on the head or something!?

Gilgamesh : Enough expository banter. It's time we fight like men. And ladies. And ladies who dress like men. For Gilgamesh...IT IS MORPHING TIME! Galuf : Bartz! Stop that! Bartz : But it's fun! poke, poke, poke... Bartz : Jumping Christmas!

Edgar : "That's Shadow! He'd slit his mama's throat for a nickel!" Kefka : "This is sickening! You sound like chapters from a self-help booklet! Prepare yourselves!" Locke : "Hey! Call me a TREASURE HUNTER, or I'll rip your lungs out!" Edgar : "If something were to happen to me, all the world's women would grieve!" Setzer : "My life is a chip in your pile. Ante up."

Yuffie : So! I saved the great Vincent Valentine! Do I get any thanks?

Squall : Right and wrong are not what separate us and our enemies. It's our different standpoints, our perspectives that separate us. Both sides blame one another. There's no good or bad side. Just two sides holding different views. Squall : I dreamt I was a moron...

Seifer : Great, I have one chicken-wuss and one kid who just entered puberty in my team! Squall : ...Whatever.

Auron: The red carpet has teeth. Auron: Outside the dream world, life can be harsh, even cruel, but it is life.

Rikku: Memories are nice, but that's all they are.

Kimahri: Pick spot. Shut up. Wait.

Rikku: Do you think we need a password? Paine: How about 'Kick..it's..ass' Paine : The hardest person to know is one's self.

Raogrimm: People are capable of kindness beyond angels, yet we also commit sins that would put a demon to shame... Lonely Chocobo: Warkkkkk!!! Gweh!!!! Warkkkk

Naja Salaheem : (After Abquhbah faints when he realizes that he's speaking to the empress) Nothing to be concerned about, Your Magnificence. Mercenaries are trained to sleep anywhere, anytime if the opportunity presents itself.

Lightning: Worst birthday ever. Lightning: It's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life you just do. Lightning: We live to make the impossible possible! That is our focus!

White Mage: Hi. I was just wondering if you knew how much we've suffered because of you. Good day. [after finding the Falcon Rydia : It's not yours. Edge : That's okay, it would be happy to be used by us!

...That's General Leo.. He could be my friend if he weren't my enemy.

You think a minor thing like the end of the world was gonna do me in?

"What a cute doggy!' "Leave us. The dog eats strangers...'

This should be fun. When do we leave?

Read my lips - mercy is for wimps! There's a reason "oppose" rhymes with "dispose"...If they get in your way, kill them!I don't care for the appearance of this pitiful little hamlet... So burn it!!

Figaro Guard : Kefka's "One shy of a six pack!" Imperial soldier : I oppose peace! Narshe resident : Narshe is a neutral city.! We want no war here, but that %#$@& Empire won't listen! South Figaro Resident : We may be thieves, but at least we have goals in life!

Cyan: This is the Phantom Train. It carries the departed to the other side. Sabin : Wait! I don't want to go THERE!

Strago: Go to your room! Relm : I will not! What a fussy old man! Strago : Relm! Is that you, my dear? You're alive! Relm : Idiot! Of course I'm alive! Strago : Oh, I'm so happy..." Relm : Did you think I was gonna check out before you, old man? Strago : You're as foul mouthed as ever, bless your heart!

Shadow: I know what friendship is... and family...

"It's not my problem."

"Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" "I think they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER!" "Mine is special. It's good for absolutely nothing!"

Don't need no appointment... This is a 'mergency! Anyone who don't wanna get their face bashed in better git outta the way!! "I've got the wrong person."

W-wait a second. I won't run or hide. Yes, I was a spy. I was hired by the Shinra. I couldn't help it. How 'bout if we continue like nothing ever happened?

Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and DRINK YOUR GODDAMN TEA!

This's gonna be a big splash. Hold on to your drawers, an' don't piss in 'em!!

Maybe God'd forgive an ugly shit like you, but I won't!

I don't know what the hell it is, but it's falling from the sky. Hmpf! It's not even an omen.

Hey, do you know who I am? I'm Cid—that's who the hell I am! Now just let me handle it!

I don't want to regret not having done something later.

I always thought this planet was so huge. But lookin' at it from space, I realized it's so small. We're just floatin' in the dark. ...kinda makes you feel powerless. On top of that it's got Sephiroth festerin' inside it like a sickness. That's why I say this planet's still a kid. A little kid sick and trembling in the middle of this huge universe. Someone's gotta protect it. Ya follow me? That someone is us.

We're busy runnin' back and forth! Even my bikini goddess would be pantin' about now!

Oh, GAWD! If I knew this was gonna happen, I would've taken rope escape lessons more seriously!!

Escape from a world of illusions... Hmph... I wonder which is better.

I know you want my help because I'm so good!

Cloud, put me in your party, so I can get off this ship. Cloud...sign this. It's a contract that says when the war is over, all the materia will belong to me.

The stars shine so bright, like glowing materia... reach up and grab one. GROSSNESS! Don't mess with me old man! You don't even have any Materia!

Citizens, unite! Come to the light, Mako energy. Power is truth. Shinra is the future. Real happiness can be found in obedience to the company People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished.

Godo : Go! Survive till the end! And return! With the Materia! Doctor in Mideel : You can see for yourself what things look like, but at least no one was seriously hurt. We're just very unhappy now. Junon soldier : I'm learning to be a delinquent soldier!! I just can't seem to get the hang of it! Reeve Tuesti : What may be a few to you was everything to those who died...

Barret : She ain't gonna show up. 'Least this time she didn't steal our materia. Guess we gotta be thankful for that. Yuffie : How could you say that!? I came all the way here after being seasick as a dog! I didn't go through all that just to have you guys have the best parts all to yourselves!

...A speech? Forget it. Cut the mic!

You're-going-to-like-me! You're-going-to-like-me! Did it work?

D-Do you have any...hot dogs left?

...The HELL! Man...Now this is what I call boring. This ain't right, man!

YOOOO!!! The HELL you doin'!!!?

I'm a pretty lucky guy. Hand in hand with two beautiful girls.

That is sooo vague!

Super-Duper-Mega-Bummer!!

Well, Zell was riding his T-Board in the hallways of Garden. He made a sharp turn and went straight into the woman's res...

Sharpshooters are loners by nature... We hone our instincts, pour our whole being in a single bullet. The pressure of the moment... An instant of tension... That's what... I have to face alone...

Well, fine then! We WILL have a good time!

Thanks for the support, but I never miss my target.

Well, we could skin this little guy and wear him as a disguise...

I say things that get a rise out of some people. Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine.

Ooh neato! A hole in the middle of no-where!

You've all heard this before. How life has infinite possibilities. I don't believe that one bit. There weren't many paths for me to choose. Sometimes, there would only be one. From the limited possibilities I faced, the choices I made have brought me this far. That's why I value the path I chose... I want to hold true to the path that HAD to be taken.

Let's just fire like crazy and make a big hole, BOOM!

...Speeding. Let's go arrest that student for violation of academy regulations. Listen up! Teamwork means staying out of my way. It's a Squad B rule.

This is the scene where you swear your undying hatred for me!

And so, Laguna runs for dear life. She got upset and put fruit jam in your shoes. You were almost in tears!

Fujin: DISTURBING.RAGE!SHOCK!GOOD. CONVENIENT.PERSUASION, USELESS. SEIZE!IGNORE.RUN!ELLONE? NOT HERE.FATIGUE POSSE... We are. We always will be. Because we're a posse, we want to help you. Whatever it takes to fulfill your dream, we're willing to do. But... You're being manipulated, Seifer. You've lost yourself and your dream. You're just eating out of someone's hand. We want the old you back! Since we can't get through to you, all we have now to rely on is Squall! It's sad... Sad that we only have Squall to rely on... Seifer! Are you still gonna keep goin'?

Big Sister: I can't wait until I meet a guy that I can scream at and exchange blows with!

Quistis : You're the squad leader. Good luck to you. Seifer : ...Instructor. I hate it when people wish me luck. Save those words for a bad student who needs them, eh? Quistis : Alright, then. Good luck, Seifer. Seifer : [to Fujin and Raijin] Add Instructor Trepe to the list. Zone : Our plan is to...Selphie : ...Blow it to smithereens with a rocket launcher!? Zone : [taken aback] ...Ahh...not quite... Rinoa : Oh, shut up! I made it like that on purpose. It represents my hatred towards Deling. Zell : Hatred, eh? Yeah...right. Selphie : It's one of the...ugliest things that I've ever seen in my life. You must really hate him.

You don't need a reason to help people.No cloud, nor squall shall hinder us!Piece of cake. I'm an escape artist.

In the end, it boils down to two simple choices. Either you do or you don't. You'd think with all the problems in this world, there'd be more answers. It's not fair... but that's the way things are. The choice is yours.

SON OF A SHOOPUFF!

Al Bhed is Al Bhed. Rikku is Rikku. Rikku swore to protect Yuna. And Rikku is not a liar. Kimahri can tell. So, she is a friend.

Why are you still here, sir? (pause as Auron looks at him) I beg your pardon. We Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane.

Rikku : Did you...hit your head or something? Tidus : Um, you guys hit me. Rikku : Oh, right...do you remember anything before that?

Sometimes, when I got a lot on my mind, it just helps to go, "AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Once Lady Yuna fixes her hair, we leave." "Guard your emotions first, then guard your summoner." "Ha! Legendary guardian? I was just a boy. A boy about your age actually. I wanted to change the world too, but I changed nothing. That is my story." "Don't look to others for knowledge. This is your story."

Don't think it's just a game. Your life's on the line. "You. It's what's for dinner." You. Are. Hired."

Barkeep : Mish Yoona, what can I do for yoo?

Yuna : Duck Soup! Paine : Duck what?

Rikku : I'm gonna kick you in the spleen! Paine : Spleen?

Lightning : (to soldier).Nice gun. Noctis : Goodbye, whoever you are.

You sure are a keen observer of the obvious, kupo!

And I know some "little girls" who can kick your butt!

"You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush."

Rachel: They asked me a lot of questions about you. I played dumb. Annabeth: Was it hard?"

"Love conquers all," Aphrodite promised. "Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between them?""Didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands of people killed?" "Pfft. That's not the point. Follow your heart."'

“Ever had a flying burrito hit you? Well, it's a deadly projectile, right up there with cannonballs and grenades." "The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades' underwear?"

Rachel: You're a half-blood, too? Annabeth: Shhh! Just announce it to the world, how about? Rachel: Okay. Hey, everybody! These two aren't human! They're half Greek god! . . . They don't seem to care."-

"What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should’ve been named ADHD poster child of the year."

“You're a stalker with hooves." "I am not! I followed her to the Big House and hid in a bush and watched the whole thing.”

Well, we kind of tried to kill each other in a duel to the death." "I see. You tried the diplomatic approach.”

"Well, Percy, what have we learned today?""That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?""No," "We've learned that your plans really, really bite!”

"Dude!" said a party pony as he unloaded his gear. Did you see that bear guy? He was all like: 'Whoa, I have an arrow in my mouth!”

“Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp…” She looked at Zoe. “Which one was it?”"That boy in Colorado,” Zoe said. “You turned him into a jackalope.”Ah, yes.” Artemis nodded, satisfied. “I enjoy making jackalopes…”

“Christmas in the Underworld was NOT my idea. If I'd known what was coming, I would've called in sick. I could've avoided an army of demons, a fight with a Titan, and a trick that almost got my friends and me cast into eternal darkness. But no, I had to take my stupid English exam.”

“Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian." "You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," I reminded him."Those are vegetables.”

"How about this: stealing is not always bad?""I don't think my mom would like that moral."

I thought about the lines Rachel had spoken in that creepy voice: about storm and fire and the Doors of Death. "Maybe," I said, "but it didn't sound so good.""No," said Apollo cheerfully. "It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!”

"My son here convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies." He glanced at me with distaste. "As much as I dislike certain upstart demigods, it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on - it is that you were a TERRIBLE father.”

Running with a drowsy child of Hades was more like doing a 3 -legged race with a life size rag doll.”

“Yay!' he said. 'Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM!”

“You know how teachers tell you the magic word is 'please'? That's not true. The magic word is 'puke'. It will get you out of class faster than anything else.”

" He tossed me a jar of thick green liquid—Greek fire, one of the most dangerous magical substances in the world. Then he threw me another essential tool of demigod heroes—duct tape”

“Juniper: Are you guys busy? Percy: Well, we’re in the middle of this game against a bunch of monsters and we’re trying not to die. Annabeth: We’re not busy. ”

Though "peanut butter" is a strange battle cry. It shall be as you say. But my son, pray this works."I am praying. I'm talking to you, right?"Oh . . . yes. Good point.”

“Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can."Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?""Nothing," Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam french fries."Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom." "I do not understand.""I want to use the dam water fountain," Grover said."And…" Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."

"with great power... comes great need to take a nap"

“Oh no." I said panic rising in my chest. "No, no, no, Somebody get a can opener. I've got a god in my head!!”“Well," I said. "If you need me, I'll be outside, playing with sharp objects.”

“Fairness means everyone gets what they need. And the only way to get what you need is to make it happen yourself.”

“I guessed his name was Face of Horror. I wondered how long it had taken his mom to think of that. Bob? No. Sam? No. How about Face of Horror?”

“Now the tattoos," Zia announced."Brilliant!" I said."On your tongue," she added."Excuse me?”

“I just love family meetings. Very cozy, with the Christmas garlands round the fireplace and a nice pot of tea and a detective from Scotland Yard ready to arrest you.”

“Carter Kane, 14, died tragically in Paris when he was eaten by his sister’s cat Muffin.”

“There will be guards,” Bast said. “And traps. And alarms. You can bet the house is heavily charmed to keep out gods.” “Magicians can do that?” I asked. I imagined a big can of pesticide labeled God-Away.”

“I believe you, Sadie.""Oh really. I'm holding the bloody feather of truth, and you believe me. Well, thanks.”

I guess it started in London, the night our dad blew up the British museum.”

“The baboon is driving,” I noted. “Should I be worried?”

“Thank Ra!” She exclaimed. “Yeah, I’m alive.” “No, I almost jumped in after you. I hate the water!”

“Why did adults have to be so thick? They always say “tell the truth,” and when you do, they don’t believe you. What’s the point?”

“I must admit I’m impressed, Sadie. You controlled your magic and controlled Isis. And you, Carter, did well turning into a lizard.”

“That’s Narmer with the spoon,” I guessed. “Angry because the other bloke stole his breakfast cereal?”

“Most of Set’s forces were running towards our boat, screaming and throwing rocks (which tended to fall down and hit them, but no one says demons are bright).

"Great another mystery. I was about to suggest we ram Amos’s head against it and see if that worked.”

The stuff was so thick and rough, it made me wonder if the poor Egyptians had had to use toilet papyrus. If so, no wonder they walked sideways.”

“I looked back, but Bast and Sadie seemed fine. They were still staring at the water as if it were some amazing Internet video.”

. Why would someone display a rock? Aren't there enough of those in the world?”

“Dejardins was so stunned, he momentarily forgot how to speak English. "Ce n'est pas possible. On ne pourrait pas-”

[desydesi]

Today post is about this great man. James Dean.

I seriously start this blog talking about him and doing research about him and his past life.

I was loved Marilyn Monroe but this actor was for me Unknown.

I discovered him for the movie about his life with James Franco and I felt in love. Immediately. I felt a connection. I needed to know more about him.

At that time I couldn’t believe I had the possibility to find lots of info... All thanks internet too!

I read that he was only child in his family and his mum died very soon. He was very attached to his mum. The relation with his father was different, I can’t doubt that he didn’t love Jimmy but he can’t express in the right way! He was a bit cold and didn’t like art. Jimmy’s mum loved all these stuff and Jimmy was in his world when he had to act a poem.

From the beginning he did all the necessary to become what we remember today. He did lots of sacrifices. He was “alone”. But a day the opportunity arrived. After long time di ally he could have the chance to show to the world his capacities and his love for art. He was a great actor and he needed to show it. I speak about his first movie: “East of Eden.” All that started.

He gained the part against Paul Newman. I mean... That part was a perfect portrait of his life too. He was lucky? I don’t know... his life was also suffering and that movie was like to live again certain emotions...

At the same time he met a special person. I speak about his true LOVE. The love that he missed from long time. The love of Anna Maria Pierageli. He truly loved her. I correct both of them truly loved each other. I think that they understood what “soul mate” meaned. They wanted each other and live together.

Pierangeli was an Italian actress and she was also at the beginning of her career. So pure and innocent. With Jimmy her soul was complete.

But it wasn’t all red and flowers... Pierangeli wanted to marry Jimmy cuz her family was catholic an her mother pressed her too. Jimmy wanted to stay with her but wanted to wait for the marriage, but not because he didn’t love her. I think that for James love someone after his mum was something special and he had fear that all that could disappear too. Love for him wasn’t marriage. For this thing they had different point of views and this will be the principal cause of thei break up.

I can remember the pain I felt inside me when I read I letter written by Jimmy to his father... He felt lost without Pier and he felt like he was about to lose her definitely. In fact that happen when he returned to New York. And that was the begging of the rupture.

Pierangeli after a bit married Vic Damone and Italian singer famous at that time. Finally she had a family. But she lost her LOVE to have this “perfect family”. I can imagine how she felted at that time... Confused, loved, ungry...

After that Jimmy continue his job and to gain success. But at the same time his love and passion for cars increased. I don’t know if this a good for him...

In 1955 he lost his life in a car accident where HE WAS RIGHT! The person who crush him with his car was wrong.

By the way his death was unexpected. Seriously. A piece of ART was gone. FOR EVER. I feel that we all lost something special.

James Dean was a pure soul. He wasn’t a rebel in the way he was thought. He was certainly representative of the era he was living in but he wasn’t a bad boy. His soul was kind and precious. He needed love and attention. He had a big heart and that could help this world. Pierangeli also said that “he wanted her to love him unconditionally (...) loving Jimmy was something that could empty a person.”

I felt very close to his behaviour and life style. He wasn’t for all. He needed to be understood. He was “simple” in his complexity. He was genuine. And for me was an inspiration cuz living in this mad and bad world isn’t easy for whom have a sensible heart.

Jimmy and Marilyn for me were important, foundamental. Thanks to them I became what I am. I’m grateful for this.

I hope that all the new generation could appreciate them too. These are the example they should take. World deserve a return to the past values.

Love Desirée.

[bienaimee]

Interview the Muse!

► ARE YOU SINGLE?   ➭ “Depends who’s asking! ...By which I mean yes, unless I’m trying to get someone off my back.” ► ARE YOU HAPPY?   ➭ "Finding happiness in the little things is all you can really count on!” ► ARE YOU ANGRY?   ➭ "Yep.” ► ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL MARRIED? ➭ "Honestly, I couldn’t tell you if they ever were. Or still are, for that matter. I’ve heard rumors my birth mother is somewhere secluded living the high life, so good for her.”

NINE FACTS.

► BIRTH PLACE   ➭ "Gautier territory, in Faerghus.” ► HAIR COLOR   ➭ "Red.” ► EYE COLOR   ➭ "Brown, nothing special though, you should see some of the brown eyes out there. Totally breathtaking.” ► BIRTHDAY   ➭ “5th of the Garland Moon.”  ( June 5th ) ► MOOD  ➭ "A little cooped up, I guess.” ► GENDER   ➭ "Male.” ► SUMMER OR WINTER   ➭ "Winter, absolutely! I can’t stand the heat.” ► MORNING OR AFTERNOON   ➭ "There’s something really special about the morning light, it’s the best way to start my day. I always get disappointed if I wake up too late.”

EIGHT QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE.

► ARE YOU IN LOVE?   ➭ "Absolutely. Just not the kind of love people expect from me.” ► DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT?   ➭ "Not a chance, there’s a difference between soulmates and love at first sight. I make a damn good first impression, but that never lasts.” ► WHO ENDED YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP?   ➭ "Oh man, uh.. me? I think? Which one was the last one...” ► HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN SOMEONE’S HEART?   ➭ "I.. kind of got myself a reputation for it. A very big reputation.” ► ARE YOU AFRAID OF COMMITMENTS? ➭ "Believe it or not, no. I’m happy to commit when it’s someone I trust. I look forward to it! I just.. haven’t found anyone interested that I trust yet.” ► HAVE YOU HUGGED SOMEONE WITHIN THE LAST WEEK?   ➭ "Only my favorite beautiful mess of a King.” ► HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SECRET ADMIRER?  ➭ "That would be... a generous way to phrase it, yeah.” ► HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN YOUR OWN HEART?   ➭ "Huh, never heard it phrased like that.. guess so. Plenty.”

SIX CHOICES.

► LOVE OR LUST   ➭ "Love.” ► LEMONADE OR ICED TEA   ➭ "Iced tea.” ► CATS OR DOGS   ➭ "I’m not big on having pets-- though I do miss Cosette sometimes. Anyway, I liked the cats around the monastery more than the dogs.” ► A FEW BEST FRIENDS OR MANY REGULAR FRIENDS   ➭ "Regular friends just don’t last, they’re not worth it. It takes a special kind of person to really get me.” ► WILD NIGHT OUT OR ROMANTIC NIGHT IN   ➭ "That’s a tough one... why not get both in one? After the wild night out, come home to relax and unwind... But the night out wins, if I’m the only one choosing.” ► DAY OR NIGHT   ➭ "There’s something so nice about being out at night alone, when everyone else is either sleeping or supposed to be. Like you’re getting away with something.”

FOUR HAVE YOU EVERS.

► BEEN CAUGHT SNEAKING OUT   ➭ "By a parent or by a loving but overbearing fellow knight?” ► FALLEN DOWN/UP THE STAIRS   ➭ "Not since I was a kid.” ► WANTED SOMETHING/SOMEONE SO BADLY IT HURT?   ➭ "It’s.. not often, but yeah. Sometimes. It’s a good hurt, reminds me I can still want things.” ► WANTED TO DISAPPEAR   ➭ He just laughs, no answer.

FOUR PREFERENCES.

► SMILE OR EYES   ➭ "Eyes, absolutely. Maybe it’s because I prefer grumpier people, or just don’t believe smiles at face value, but beautiful eyes can keep me entranced for weeks at a time.” ► SHORTER OR TALLER   ➭ "I’m tall enough, so it’s a surprise when someone’s taller-- I don’t hate it at all, but if I had to pick, I’d go shorter.” ► INTELLIGENCE OR ATTRACTION   ➭ "I’m attracted to a lot of things, but a sharp intellect is hard to deny...” ► HOOK-UP OR RELATIONSHIP   ➭ "Depends how I’m feeling. Hook-ups until I can land someone who finds me worth keeping... for good reasons.”

FAMILY.

► DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GET ALONG ➭ "Nope! There’s only ever been the two of us, since disowned members don’t count, and I mostly tell my dad what he wants to hear. Almost all of it is outright lies, but he’s a pretty hands-off parent, so long as I keep him placated.” ► WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE A “MESSED UP LIFE”   ➭ "Compared to what? I’ve gotten off easy in a lot of ways. Ask anybody: I’m the lucky one.” ► HAVE YOU EVER RAN AWAY FROM HOME   ➭ "Nah, the Gautier territory really does mean a lot to me.” ► HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN KICKED OUT ➭ "I have been chased out of other people’s houses, but never kicked out of my own. My dad wasn’t letting me go that easy.”

FRIENDS.

► DO YOU SECRETLY HATE ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS   ➭ "Sometimes it’s obvious a few of them kind of hate me. It’s alright, though, it’s on me-- I need to be better, not her.” ► DO YOU CONSIDER ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS GOOD FRIENDS   ➭ "No. Not for lack of trying, though.” ► WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND   ➭ "Felix! No matter what, I know he’s always going to be there for me, and he knows I’ll be there for him. We’ve been best friends since we were kids, and we’re going to be together until the day we die!” ► WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU   ➭ "That would also have to be Felix, but even he thinks too highly of me sometimes, misses some of the worst parts. Everyone I’m really close to sees something different, so maybe if you put together a couple of them, they’d get the full picture.”

[3laxx]

Wintery Warm Drabbles - 14th “Secret Santa“

Ao3 / FF.net

“I’m your Secret Santa, Alix! Happy holidays!”, Mylène announced happily, hugging Alix and giving her a gift. The smaller girl beamed and hugged her back as someone skipped past them, up the stairs.

“Happy holidays, Nathaniel! I’m your Secret Santa, you lucky child!”, Kim yelled, almost scaring Nathaniel off his bench. He recoiled but laughed at the poorly wrapped present, already thanking Kim. Meanwhile, Sabrina skipped over to Nino, presenting him a smaller gift.

“Hey Nino! I didn’t exactly know what to get you sooooo… I just winged it. I hope you like it!”, The boy grinned widely in return, taking the gift from her.

“Really cool from you, Sabrina!”

“Roooooooose!”, Marinette shouted, turning to the back, “I got something for you!”

“Really, Marinette?! Ooooh, how sweet of you!”

In the midst of all the hectic running around, giving and receiving gifts, Alya sat on her seat, grumbling. Of course, of course Chloé had drawn her. Well, she should’ve known and better her than Alix who would protest, or Rose who would be sad.

But still.

While she had already given Ivan his present and had gotten back the brightest smile of him that she had ever seen on this big boy, the dumb chocolate bar sat in front of her on her table. It was almost as if Chloé had generously given her alms to satiate her.

And yes, while Alya had never been much of a gift accepter since she liked giving gifts more, she had at least wanted a ‘Happy holidays’. Or at least the tiniest bit of effort. Chloé had already given signs to better herself but this? This was sad.

Alya sighed, resting her chin on her crossed arms while watching Marinette giving Rose a rose themed shirt. Juleka gave Max a present behind them, Sabrina just unwrapped a portrait of herself, drawn by Nathaniel. Everyone had a smile on their face. Even Chloé, who had gotten a present from Max.

It wasn’t that she felt left out or anything. It was just that she didn’t really feel the vibe of Christmas coming her way while the others looked like they could immediately jump on Santa’s sled and yell ‘Silent Night’ from the top of their lungs. Eh, who needed a Secret Santa anyway…

Miss Bustier just opened her gift from Alix, laughing as she revealed a small rollerblade-keychain. So that she would never forget her coolest student, the small girl claimed.

Alya huffed and rested her temple on her arms. She hadn’t slept very well anyway so she could just as well get some rest now. Miss Bustier had officially declared the first two hours as a class intern Christmas party so she would have enough time to close her eyes a bit, slip off in the land of dreams and forget everything around her. Just as much as she had been forgotten.

Alya wasn’t sour about that, no. Or, well, maybe a little bit.

She just felt like something was missing. She didn’t want a gift, necessarily, but at least a kind gesture? Something telling her she was at least wanted here.

She sighed silently as she felt Marinette leaving their bench, off to ask everyone what they had gotten. Such a sweet soul.

Always out to care for others. And hell, how she had already cared for Alya! She was incredibly grateful to have found Marinette, to have her in her life. Before she had come to Collège Françoise Dupont she hadn’t had many friends. Well, she hadn’t really been interested in friends, honestly. She had her comic books, her sisters, one boy from school with who she could always geek out about Majestia and well, that had been enough for her.

Until she had gotten to know Marinette. She had also begun valuing Adrien as a great friend, no matter how much of a crush her best friend had on him.

And Nino… Well, that was a totally different story. For a few days now at least.

She smiled lightly when she thought about his golden eyes shining when he was excited, or transforming into molten caramel flowing around his pupil everytime his gaze softened, everytime he pulled her close and was just about to kiss her…

Her lips tingled and she couldn’t quite suppress a bigger grin.

She opened her eyes, turning her head again to see him standing with Rose and Juleka, grinning broadly. She hummed at his sight before turning away again, not wanting to be caught staring. He just adjusted his red cap when she closed her eyes again and the image played in her head all over again.

He loved that cap. He never took it off outside even if his hair was so silky and soft that she was sure at least a few people would wanna touch it. She knew she wanted to.

His laugh ringed in her ears and she hid her smile in the crook of her arm, her chest feeling fluttery and her heart suddenly so light. Every negative thought from her forgotten Secret Santa was gone as she filled her mind with his grin, with his eyes, with his smooth, soothing voice. Somehow, her ears filtered away all other noises and she was concentrating on him alone.

“Woah, that looks really cool, Rose. I bet you’re gonna wear it all day long now, huh?”, he said, a happy undertone in his voice. And definitely a good piece of pride. Pride for Marinette.

She knew Nino and Marinette were childhood friends. Basically that they grew up together.

They had re-established a really close friendship as Adrien and Alya had joined the class but Alya knew from Marinette that she had been inseparable from Nino once.

She had to smile again.

They were so cute together. Marinette had shown her a few old photos and Nino’s chubby cheeks always got her cooing. He had been so cute next to the absolutely adorable beauty next to him. Well, she couldn’t blame him – Marinette had always been a beauty.

Just as Alya was about to doze off she felt a hand on her arm, though. The hand was a little too warm as always, but not sweaty. She opened her eyes and found Nino’s smiling eyes just a bit away from her.

“Come with me, Al.”, he whispered. A little groggy, she sat up and blinked.

“Where to?”, she yawned.

“Just come with me.”, he smirked, a conspiratorial expression flashing over his face. She got up and watched with a certain satisfaction how Nino inconspicuously swiped the chocolate bar a bit further onto the table, away from her.

He had seen it. He had understood her.

She followed him out of the door, her hand lying in his, protected and warm. She giggled a little as they were out of the door, feeling like they just snuck out of an important lesson even if they were free to go through the school at the moment.

“What’s up, Nino?”, she asked, not really expecting or wanting an answer. She wanted to be surprised.

“Just follow me.”, he winked over his shoulder, his teeth flashing in a joyous grin.

She grinned and kept up with him, letting him pull her into the locker room. Nobody was here.

They passed all the lockers of their classmates and went to those of students in a higher class, passing them, too. She now understood where he wanted to go.

This corner was mostly used by students of higher classes because it was in their corner of the room but since their class was mostly in the middle they didn’t have such a corner. And since Nino didn’t want to go to the younger kids’ lockers, he decided to pick the one that already had a reputation. A kissing reputation.

She bit down a giggle and tried to ignore the feeling of a thousand butterflies fluttering through her stomach as they got to the place where Nino wanted to go.

There was nothing really special about this corner, really. Apart from the fact that it was well hidden from the entrance and all the other lockers safe for the ones on this side it was just, well, that. A corner.

But within the students it had kinda become the place where people would go to kiss. As tenth graders they were a bit on the younger side to use the corner but Nino didn’t seem to care. Especially since nobody was in the locker room anyway.

He turned to her, grinning with his cheeks slightly reddened. Was he just as excited as her? Well… They had shared a few pecks, yes. And they had also kissed for a bit longer, back when her mom had walked in on them. But this corner and the fact that they were in the school made it all a bit more-… Rebellious. Mature. Also, a bit more exciting, almost as if they were breaking some rules.

She watched him talking both her hands, slowly turning around and pulling her in a circle around him to let her lean in the corner. She willingly stepped past him, pulling a quick pirouette in a flowing motion as if it was a dance. He grinned as he remembered where she had last done that.

Alya’s shoulders gently bumped against the wall on one side and the lockers on the other, one foot still on the floor while she propped one against the junction between locker and wall behind her. Nino smirked as he stepped closer, still holding both her hands, their fingers loosely interlaced.

“So, what’re we doing here?”, she questioned, tilting her head to indicate she was mockingly oblivious. He laughed, taking her knee between his legs to be close enough to her, his sneaker lightly bumping against the shoe with which she was still standing.

“Well, I saw how Chloé gave you that chocolate bar as a Secret Santa gift.”

Alya psh’ed and shrugged.

“Yeah, that was very Christmas-y and nice. I practically felt the Christmas Spirit and kindness radiating from her in tsunami waves.”

Nino snorted, now pulling away one of his hands to wrap his arm around her shoulders, leaning against the wall behind her in a close hug. His chest laid flat against hers and she smiled as she used her free hand to reach around him, grabbing his shirt and letting her arm relax in that position.

His nose softly bumped against hers and he nudged her, his fingers between hers closing to hold them tighter.

“Well, I figured you needed a real Secret Santa gift. Well, not so secretly from me but hey, at least we’re in secret here.”

She laughed at that, pressing a quick kiss to his nose.

“You mean I’ll get a real Secret Santa gift here?”

“Well…”, he smirked, “I could always run for Marinette’s Santa hat that she’s wearing and when we return you claim that you don’t know who kissed you anymore. But yeah, I thought about giving you a real Secret Santa gift.”

She giggled, his breath mingling with hers and flowing down between them to their necks.

“I like the sound of it…”

And with a hum he leaned in, eager to give her the best Secret Santa gift she could have. Which she claimed to be true, even after seeing that Adrien had given Marinette, being her Secret Santa and all, a gift card for a cinema date.

Because even if everyone else had gotten something thoughtful from her classmates, she had gotten the sweetest attention from her boyfriend that she could’ve ever asked for.