#i want more whimsical children content

[uty-confessions]

this fandom needs more childhood staroba content

[pathologicalreid]

in sickness and in health | S.R.

Minutes before your wedding is supposed to start, Spencer gets cold feet, and you have to find out why.

who? spencer reid x fem!reader category: fluff (a smidge angsty) content warnings: alzheimers, weddings, children, babies, sad!spencer, reader wears a dress and makeup, cursing word count: 1.8k a/n: so this became sadder than I had initially intended. also i decided to try something new and write in a different POV and i don't know if i like it. this is my entry for @imagining-in-the-margins' new beginnings challenge, because nothing says new beginning quite like getting married! thank you for having this challenge!

If it were up to you and Spencer, your wedding would’ve taken place at a courthouse with no fuss, just rings and a certificate. Especially after he shot down your idea of a 24-hour wedding chapel in Las Vegas.

In your defense, you pitched it to him as an intimate wedding in his hometown, but he didn’t take the bait.

But when the team found out that the two of you were planning what they deemed unsuitable, they all volunteered to help throw together a ceremony and reception. Everyone was under the duress of Penelope at the time, but they all volunteered.

She could be very formidable when she wanted to.

Your now maid of honor’s eyes were shimmering as she carefully adjusted some of the last few strands of hair upon your head, you had managed to talk her out of a tiara, but to Penelope Garcia, a veil was non-negotiable. “You look gorgeous,” she says, “the perfect bride.”

Laughing uncomfortably, you turn to look at yourself in the full-length mirror and take a deep breath, “Thank you, Pen.”

“I know I may have slightly nudged you in the direction of a bigger wedding-“

“More like punted,” you interrupt, an affectionate smile on your face.

Rolling her eyes, she leaned over to grab her buzzing phone on the velvet chair in your ready room. “Whatever, I just think that after everything you and Spencer have made it out of, you deserve a celebration that reflected that,” she speaks passionately, as she always does when discussing people in love.

Turning around to look back at the mirror, the tulle of your veil cascading over your shoulders as you grew giddy. Your dress was a whimsical, white chiffon that fell to the floor and moved with you as you walked. Small straps of fabric were delicately draped over your arms for an off-the-shoulder effect, you had never felt more glamorous. Although, if there was a day for glamor, your wedding day would certainly qualify.

You snap your head around to see Penelope furiously typing on her phone, “Uh oh,” she whispers, looking at the screen.

Humming, you step off of the pedestal and over to her, careful not to trip on your dress, “What’s wrong?” You murmur, trying to see what was distressing her. Dread built in your stomach; the team couldn’t be getting called away? Two of its members were about to get married. This is why you should’ve just gone to the courthouse; you never should’ve let Garcia talk you into this.

Jolting you out of your panic induced stupor, she answers, “Something’s up with Reid.”

Your heart clenches, “Reid? My Reid?” You whisper, “Is he okay?”

The two of you jump when someone bangs on the door, and she moves to open it, just a crack at first – to see who it is – and then all the way open to reveal Luke on the other side. Naturally, the members of the BAU made up your wedding party, and Luke as the best man was the easy choice.

He was mostly dressed, save for the bowtie that remained undone around his neck, “I need to steal Y/N.” His shoulders were rising and falling quickly like he had run across the building.

“She’s getting ready for the wedding. Her wedding,” Penelope answers, gesturing back to you. “Besides, it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.”

Really, you were mostly ready, you just needed to put your shoes on and line up. “There won’t be a wedding if we can’t get the groom out there,” Luke replies.

You warily approach the doorway, peeking around the door, “What’s wrong?”

“He just needs you,” Luke explains, gesturing toward you with his hands.

Nodding determinedly, you step out the door and run over to the other side of the building to where the groom’s ready room is, pulling the fabric of your dress up so that you don’t trip. Along the way, you pass a few guests, but you don’t stop.

It wasn’t news to most of them that you were a grounding force for Spencer, the two of you had been put through, as Luke put it, the wringer together and still managed to come out the other side. You skid to a halt in front of the door and knock quickly, “Spence, it’s me.”

“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony,” he murmurs through the door, echoing the earlier sentiments of Penelope. You know he doesn’t believe in it, which only adds to your concern.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, fidgeting with the doorknob just to discover it’s locked. “If you don’t unlock the door, I’m going to go find Derek and have him kick it down for me,” you threaten, wondering if the reminder of all of the people here would coax him out.

There was no response from the other side of the door.

Sighing, you turn to look at Luke, “Can you give us a minute?” He nods, letting you know he’ll talk to Garcia before walking down the long hallway.

Once he’s gone, you hear the tell-tale click of the door unlocking, “Garcia will kill you if you walk in here.”

“Penny isn’t here, baby. It’s just you and me, okay?” You speak lowly, “What’s wrong, my love?” Dropping your hand on the doorknob, you startle slightly when it turns and the door swings open.

You yelp when Spencer pulls you in, closing the door behind you before he wraps his arms tightly around your waist. Immediately, you feel his body relax against yours, “Isn’t this supposed to be bad luck?” He murmurs.

Humming, you return his hug gratefully, “We’ve had enough bad luck, don’t you think? It’ll be okay.” His arms loosen around you, and you pull away slightly so you can look up at him, placing your hands tenderly on his chest, thumbing the satin fabric of his lapels. “And besides, I’m not fully dressed yet. I’m fairly certain that means it doesn’t count.”

“You look beautiful,” he whispers, holding you out at arm’s length. “You’re perfect, and I’m…” His voice trails off as he takes a step back from you, sighing as he takes a seat in one of the white chairs in the ready room.

Tilting your head to the side, you felt the fabric of your veil flow to the side, “You’re what, Spence?” You ask, slowly approaching the chair he was sitting in.

He furrows his brows in apprehension, “I think I might be scared of you,” he answers candidly.

You couldn’t help the giggle that spurted from your lips, “Am I really that scary?” You inquire softly, seeking more answers from him. You saw him better now, the darkness of his tux offset by the purple bowtie and handkerchief, joined with the light florals of his boutonnière. Spencer’s hair was a mess, a tell-tale sign that he had been running his hands through it.

Clearing his throat, Spencer looks up at you with a look in his eye that you can’t quite place, “I passed by your room earlier, and I heard you laughing.” He took a deep, tentative breath, “I thought you sounded so happy, and now I’m not sure I can keep you happy.”

Sighing, you duck your head slightly, “Spencer,” you say seriously, “are we still getting married today?”

“What?” He says in disbelief. “Of course we are, that’s not- I’m sorry,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “We’re still getting married; I’ve quite literally never wanted anything more in my entire life. I’m just worried,” he speaks quietly.

Gingerly, you step closer to the chair before he reaches out for you, placing a hand on your waist and gently guiding you down until you are sitting on his lap. “You make me so happy, Spencer Reid. I know that somewhere in that gorgeous brain of yours you know that, but I also know that you are your own worst critic.”

You’re sitting sideways on his lap with your legs latticed on top of each other. Gingerly, he places a hand on your thigh and another on the small of your back, “You deserve everything you want in the world.”

“And I want you. Doesn’t that count for something?” You ask him, emotion beginning to rise in your throat – you cannot cry, then the wedding would really be delayed. “Spencer, I’m so ecstatic that at the end of today, I get to be your wife. That’s such a privilege to me. You and I, we get to be so fucking happy today. We deserve that.” You tell him gently, “We get to be married and go on our honeymoon and come home and we can tell all of your stories to your mom, and we’ll have a baby or two and we’ll be so fucking happy.” You swallow your emotion, looking up at the light in the hope that it will clear your tears. “For the rest of our lives, we’ll be so happy.”

Then it came, “I don’t want to forget you.” His voice is almost imperceptible, but you hear him still.

The ache in his voice feels like a stab to your heart, you were well aware that his mother had Alzheimer’s. She wasn’t having a good day today, but the two of you had gone to visit her in the morning. Ever since she was diagnosed, it’s been like Spencer has a storm cloud hovering over him – he can’t be tested for the gene markers, not for a few more years. Taking a deep breath, you reach over and smooth his hair back, “If you get Alzheimer’s, I will sit down with you every day and remind you. I’m going to walk down that aisle today and tell you that I’m going to love you in sickness and in health and I’m going to mean it.”

“I’m scared,” he murmurs, leaning into your touch.

Using your free hand, you reach up and tenderly wipe a tear from his cheek, “We can take it.”

He nods in agreement with you, “Together, as a team,” he concurs, a slight amount of confidence returning to his voice.

Resting your head on his shoulder, the two of you take your moment. The last moment before you officially unite as one, and you let that moment take as long as you need. “I should go,” you whisper, looking over at the clock, the ceremony was supposed to have started by now.

Spencer leans down and kisses you, “I’ll see you out there?” He asks expectantly.

Nodding assuredly, you reach up and wipe a smudge of lipstick from his mouth, “I’ll be there.”

During the ceremony, you impressively were able to keep yourself together, until you promised him you would love him in sickness and in health.

please remember to like, reblog, and/or comment if you enjoyed!

[ninibeingdelulu]

A sweet future ✧

Plot: You share a romantic moment with your boyfriend.

The soft strains of jazz misted through the living room like a hushed reverie as you laxly awaited your boyfriend's return.

With Emi - the impossibly huge yet sweet-natured kaiju you'd taken under your wings - finally settled down for the night in her reinforced basement enclosure, you eagerly anticipated reuniting with Kenji again alone.

These quiet reprieves had proven increasingly scarce over the harried past few weeks since welcoming the orphaned, radioactive creature into your lives.

Between your demanding day jobs and the round-the-clock regimen of feeding, cleaning up after, and just generally caring for your colossal new "baby," alone time had dwindled to precious few stolen moments like these.

You perked up instantly at the telltale thud of Kenji's footfalls padding up the stairwell, a contented smile brightening your features at his familiar silhouette emerging from the shadows.

Without hesitation, he crossed the distance separating you in a few easy strides - his arms encircling your smaller frame in a snug, demonstrative embrace.

"Hey..."

Kenji exhaled the hushed greeting against the juncture of your neck and shoulder, his solid warmth enveloping you like a calming salve after the chaos of recent days.

Instinctively nuzzling into the comforting expanse of his chest, you wound your own arms around his waist to tether him even closer.

"These last few weeks..." His lush baritone reverberated through your skin, laden with a weary sort of fondness.

"I feel like we haven't had any time just for us anymore."

A sympathetic chuckle bubbled up unbidden from the very core of your being.

Tilting your head back, you peered up at his striking visage awash in the amber glow of the flickering firelight - admiring the austere cut of those steely features you'd come to love so fiercely.

"Well, we do have a baby to care for now," you teased lightly, tender smile never faltering as you laced your fingers through the dark silk of his tousled locks.

"Even if she's not exactly a normal child...and not our own flesh and blood, I suppose little Emi has been rather excellent practice, hasn't she?"

Kenji absorbed your whimsical riposte in contemplative silence for a lingering beat as a pensive furrow cinched his brow.

You felt him subtly shift closer, scarcely a hairsbreadth of space remaining between your molded silhouettes now while his eyes smoldered with an intensity you couldn't quite parse.

"You..." he rumbled at last in little more than a gravelly murmur thickened with naked emotion.

"You really want kids one day? A family of our own...?"

The fragility of hope bleeding into his beloved baritone caressed something profoundly elemental in your very essence.

Without hesitation, you nodded - tongue darting out to wet your lips in a reflexively unconscious gesture.

"Of course I do, Kenji," you hushed back with a roll of your eyes, though the indulgent teasing underlying your tone was achingly tender and sincere.

Winding your arms around the strong column of his neck, you pulled him instinctively closer with a near-desperate sort of adoration.

"I want to raise our babies - happy, healthy children with a mom and dad that will always be there for them. As many wonderful little ones as we can handle...but only with you, baby."

Kenji let out a shuddering, nearly imperceptible breath at your passionate declaration, eyes falling briefly shut as the profound emotion streaked across those chiseled features in vivid strokes.

For several weighted heartbeats, the only sounds were your mingled pulses thundering in tandem as the revelations of your entwined future dreams sunk in.

Then, there was the first gentlest swell of sultry jazz piped through the living room speakers - the rich, soulful brass curving into existence by some ambient hand like a spirit invocation.

An unexpected accompaniment, but the melancholy melody undulated through the aura surrounding you and Kenji like the physical manifestation of your commingled desires.

As if inexplicably magnetized, you instinctively relaxed further into his solid anchoring - forehead pillowing against his sternum while his chin tucked atop the crown of your head.

One of his palms settled warm and broad against the lower curve of your spine to steady you closer still.

The two of you gradually swaying in unhurried tandem to the sensual pulse of the music safeguarding your profound quiet.

"I want that too, beautiful," your beloved confided reverently amidst the downy swirl of your hair - the words blooming to life like a flower unfurling before the first warming rays of daybreak.

"A real family...happy, healthy babies with your beaming smile to wake up to everyday..."

You felt the tender press of his lips mapping an achingly tender imprint to your crown.

"God, you have no idea how often I've dreamed of that blessed future with you."

Cradling his jaw to guide his features back into your sightline, you simply basked in the naked sincerity swimming in those amber-flecked depths.

No more profound oaths were required in that suspended instance.

Just the seamless glide of your interwoven forms locked in a silent avowal.

Just the lush rhythm of the mournful melody igniting the very air around you like a physically manifested miasma of your eternal and unbreakable devotion.

Gazes smoldering with infinite reverence, you molded your lips to Kenji's in a searing, unhurried sacrament sealing your unified dreams of a lifetime overflowing with life, laughter, and wondrous hope...

[kairiscorner]

guys i had this thought now it's driving me crazy

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

imagine watching howl's moving castle with noir.

"a moving castle?" he'd ask himself with a head tilt as he'd adjust his glasses to see the title better. you nodded. "i promise you, it's an amazing film, peter." you'd beam. he'd shrug, and smile. "well, if you say so, love." he'd say as he sits back on the couch as you put the movie on. at first, peter believed this was another, probably childish and whimsical, children's movie that you somehow found nostalgic. he doubted that it was as amazing as you claimed it'd be, but he stood corrected. he was already in awe at the different kinds of colors there were on the screen--all kinds of blues, greens, reds, oranges, and yellows--they all blended beautifully and perfectly, in ways he had never thought would fit together.

he loved the witty dialogue from the characters, his most favorite character being calcifer. "poor little flame," he'd whisper as you two watched the scene where sophie was pressing the pan down on him to cook breakfast. he disliked howl at first, he seemed like quite the womanizer. "oh, if i were sophie's father, i'd never let her leave without me." he'd say as he'd lean forward in his trance as he watched. you giggled as you leaned against him on the couch, his arm wrapped around you as you rested your head against his shoulder. "and why not?" you asked with a smile. peter glanced at you and chuckled. "well... i'd never want my own daughter's heart to be eaten." he said as he adjusted his glasses again.

"you know he doesn't actually consume hearts, he just..." you trailed off as peter held you closer to him. "i know, i know; it's metaphorical. but no matter what..." he said as he placed his hand under your chin and slowly turned your head to look at him as the movie continued playing.

you looked so stunning all the time to peter, every little bit of you shone, literally and figuratively. but here, in the dimly lit living room you two shared--with you looking deep into his mesmerizing eyes--with the light of the film's ending playing out in the background as you two swam in the expanse of each other's eyes for a second or two, you looked breathtaking.

"now... it might just be a movie and all, but... i'd never let anyone eat your heart." he said with a slight chuckle as he took your hands in his, a blush coming on his face as the tips of his ears turned a bright red, along with the bright red and pink on his cheeks. "it sounds weird, i know, but i'd never live with myself if i knew someone else would be capable of stealing you away from me, much more a womanizer like that... howl pendragon. i know how you look at him." he teased as he nuzzled his nose into your cheek.

you chuckled. "he's a drawing, peter..." you responded. "yeah, but... i want to be the guy that makes you feel pretty even on a bad day, a guy who'd make you fall for him over and over and over again even if we've known each other from long ago. the guy who you'd... you know..." he said as he moved his face closer to yours. "...the kind you'd... wanna marry one day." he'd say as your eyelids fluttered, tickling his cheeks.

at that moment, you felt like you were sophie hatter; the humble love interest to the most perfect man in the world, peter parker, who was sort of like howl in the movie. he was witty, he was charming, he was emotional at times... and he loved the real, rawest version of you. even if you believed to yourself you were ugly, you were getting older, that nobody would look at you with such pure love that you didn't believe the world could ever give you--peter was always there to prove you wrong. he was there to prove you were perfect, stunning, and most of all: you were beautiful no matter how old you got, how bad your day was, or how tired you were. you were always, always beautiful to him, that much he knew, and that much would never change--ever.

"i love you, my dearest... you're so beautiful. you're too beautiful for my heart to handle, love..." he'd murmur as you planted a kiss on his soft lips that only wished to kiss and be kissed by your own. be it with lipstick or none, with tears coating them or dry and chapped, be it in the morning, noon, or night--your lips are the only ones he'll love kissing, over and over and over; even when an eternity would pass, he'd still remember and fall in love with the shape, the softness, and the loveliness of your lips--for they are the lips of the most beautiful person peter has ever met, and ever will meet.

"that's my girl." peter muttered as he pulled away, blushing fiercely after you kissed him. "you're red..." you pointed out as you pulled him in for another kiss, with him mumbling out some answer that was pretty much a compliment within a compliment for you. the movie had ended, but your night with peter had just begun.

a/n: gonna leave this here for y'all to be delulu about what you two do after <33

tags !! @thecoolerdor @miguelswifey04 @sabcandoit @binibinileonara @connors-cumslurper @luvstarrstruck @maxoloqy @k4tsu3 @fictarian

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Kara gets roped into the RenFaire scene one summer as a face painter because a) she's an art major, and b) she's an art major who needs money. Her friend Nia has worked concessions there since she was old enough to get her workers permit, and swears to Kara that its a great place to work if she doesn't mind the occasional heat wave.

Which, to Nia's credit, is true. Except what Nia forgets to mention is that the resident RenFaire fiddler will make Kara feel like she's living in a permanent heat wave.

The fiddler's name is Lena, and she's gorgeous. Long raven locks and skin like ivory, wearing frocks of green leaves and shimmering wings, she looks like something out of a fairytale.

There's an invisible threshold between the summerbounders and those who have made the Faire their home, marked only by how naturally they fit in their medieval, fantastical roles. Summerbounders, like Kara, throw themselves into it with all the good-hearted cheesey pomp they can muster. The others, well-- they simply are their roles.

Lena is of the latter group. She was raised in the Faire, after all, spending her summers flitting between booths while her mother sold charms to enchanted patrons. But even when her mother passed, Lena didn't want for love. The Faire is her family too.

For her part, Lena immediately takes a shine to Kara, quickly noting her kindness towards children while she paints whimsical designs on cheeks and foreheads. But when Kara seems to clam up and shut down any time Lena comes anywhere close, Lena learns to keep a relative distance. Kara isn't about to approach Lena herself, so they fall into a pattern of mutual admiration from afar.

Until Nia asks Kara how she likes Lena (bc Nia lowkey shipped them when she suggested the job to Kara), and is surprised to learn they have yet to have a single meaningful conversation.

All right. That's it.

Nia invites Kara to a sleepover at the faire grounds overnight, for those who camp there-- among which is Lena. Surely, with the glitter wiped away and the lack of wings Kara will be less blinded and more... personable.

Except that after getting some mead in her system, Kara is even more entranced by Lena. How could she not be, with a speck of overlooked glitter on Lena's neck, glinting merrily in the firelight, and her long dark hair let loose around her shoulders.

But now, mellowed by said mead, Kara can't bring herself to look away when Lena catches her staring. Their eyes lock, and Lena's surprise soon gives way to a blush, then a smile as warm as the fire between them.

Lena doesn't play her fiddle this night-- everyone is pleasantly tired, and content to lounge on their logs and stumps. But someone does pull out a lyre, and Kara does notice that Lena softly sings along to the tune most everyone seems to know.

When Nia and another of the folks seated next to Kara rises to fetch a refill of their tankards, Kara blinks to find a new figure filling their empty seats.

"Hi," Lena greets, her voice low in her throat. The sound is heady, buzzing deep in Kara's core.

"Hey," Kara returns. Thankfully, the drink has smoothed her tongue, eliminating the stammer that previously caught in her throat had Lena approached her at the face painting station.

"You've been avoiding me," she's told.

Kara grimaces. "Kinda... I'm sorry."

"Well, so long as it's not because I smell bad...."

Though of course now Kara breathes in, and her lungs fill with the scent of woodsmoke and pine, and something floral. The floral, she surmises, is Lena.

To be sure, Kara leans in and inhales once again, this time with her nose just brushing the side of Lena's neck. The floral is in fact Lena. Kara notes the jumping pulse point in before her eyes and the catch in Lena's breath.

"Nope," she pulls back languidly, letting a goofy grin spread across her features. "You don't stink."

They're still perilously close, and Kara watches how Lena's gaze jumps from her eyes to her lips and back again. How has she missed this, Kara marvels at herself. To have missed Lena's interest in her is... a travesty.

Lena's head is turned towards her like the rest of the group has fallen away, and perhaps they have-- Kara takes little note of them.

"You're very smooth for someone who's been scared to be within ten feet of me."

"What can I say?" Kara shrugs. "I know to be wary of the fair folk."

"Fair or faire?" Lena teases.

Kara smirks. "I'm sure both are equally dangerous."

"Then you're doomed, considering I already have your name."

Suddenly Kara's brain shortcircuits as Lena leans in, eyes slipping shut as their lips come near enough to brush as Lena speaks.

"Kara."

[myusuchaa]

The Dance - Rafayel x AFAB

༄ wc: 892

༄ third person pov | no spoilers | based on Abysswalker myth

༄ content warnings: fluff, teasing, princess/royalty roleplay, lighthearted, romance, mxf pairing, dancing

༄ a/n: hiii, this was my first ever short fic! i remember feeling so inspired after reading rafayel's abysswalker myth stories that i immediately started to daydream and headcanon what his interactions with her would be like. it is very short and very sweet, somewhat whimsical. this is a part 1 in an abysswalker short fic series i wrote. click here for part 2 which is up!! hope you enjoy! (creative format posted as pictures under text below).

the dance

It was her first night outside of the palace alone with him. The alleyways he brought her to were in the heart of a bustling trade district - dim colored lanterns lit the streets and the smell of grilled food lingered in the air with sounds of laughter and music. 

“There’s just so much to see around here, I never would have believed all this vibrancy was so close to my quiet room in the palace…Oh, look!” 

She pointed to an array of flute-like musical instruments. Her eyes gleamed with wonder, and he couldn’t help but smirk somewhat pridefully, grateful that his mask hid his expression. They continued down the winding streets for some time in this fashion, her fleeting left and right at every stall under his careful gaze. Eventually, they arrived at a small courtyard area, hidden by thriving bushels of vines that crawled along the walls and fell over the archway paths. At the center were a quartet of musicians enthusiastically playing a lively melody. Nearly a dozen or so people were dancing around the quartet, cheeks rosy from the heat of song and wine. 

The two of them made their way to a small alcove in the courtyard, a bit further from the main crowd so as not to disrupt their dance sequence. 

“This is beautiful,” she stated with a smile. “Do you know what type of dance that is? I don’t recall ever learning steps that look like that during my dance lessons at the palace.” 

“No one here dances formally, so I’m not sure I can answer correctly.” His eyes wandered from the crowd onto her beaming face, which was clearly enamored by the scene. She hasn’t looked his way once. Not that he cared much, he would rather look upon her. 

“They are simply moving the way the music is telling them to move.” 

“But they’re so fluid, it looks as if they’ve rehearsed this for weeks! Even the children dancing together, I haven’t seen them trip once!” 

He let out a small laugh under his breath. 

“Those kids have been dancing like that for years, probably ever since they could walk. It comes naturally to them. You, on the other hand, you might trip if you try.”

The heroine fidgeted on her feet for a second, contemplating what to say next. She brushed that remark off.

“Would it come naturally to you, Rafayel?” The slightest blush graced the tip of her nose as she said this.

“...I’m not too keen on dancing.” He wanted to explain it was because the dances he is familiar with are all carried out underwater, making it a completely different task. Pair dancing in the water required constant contact, for fear of creating a current that may push your partner away. The result was a dance involving intricate arm and hand placement, and a degree of intimacy he wasn’t comfortable sharing verbally. 

In the end, he left it at that. He took a breath, growing uneasy at the waning hour.

“Miss, I believe our night out is coming to a close. If I don’t take you back soon, the guards may spot us on their next patrol. Your time is u-”

“Wait, shhh…”, her face lit up even more, as if discovering a hidden secret. “Rafayel, this melody! It’s stunning! How can you not want to join them at the best part?!” 

He grimaced and hesitated. His duty bound him strictly, and he had not forgotten the reason he brought her out in the first place. Yet, as if he were a cold and lonely drifter drawn to a gorgeous flame, he could only obey. 

“I suppose a few minutes of dancing won’t hurt. Besides, I am somewhat indebted to your care for me earlier. But this will cost you.” 

“Cost what?” Somewhere inside, she knew she didn’t care what the price was. 

He merely laughed as he looked toward the sky, taking off his mask with one hand and extending the other toward her. His eyes seemed more crimson than azure in that moment, a hint of mischief in them made pronounced as he smiled slyly, showing his mouth to her for the first time. 

“Then, Your Highness… shall we?” 

She bashfully took his hand and immediately his strength overwhelmed her. As they traveled to the center of the crowd, she suddenly felt embarrassed by asking to dance, not entirely sure what she signed up for. He was warm, incredibly warm, his charismatic grin charming her more than she’d care to admit. But behind his warmth she felt something frigid, and something familiar. Have they met before? She let this thought drift into the wind as the music did. 

“Ready?” He brought her even closer now, the scent of sea salt and spice on his leather coat. His fingers moved down from her shoulders to the arch of her back, leaving a trail of goosebumps where they traced. As the music picked up, he leaned in. 

“Remember, just move naturally.” 

“I-.. I am.” She squeaked. 

“Are you?” He looked down on her, the stars shining above his head. 

“You’re…” She couldn't quite finish the sentence. 

“I’m simply moving the way the music wants me to. Toward you.” 

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

His enticing touch left a warm sensation on her, long after he brought her back under the guise of the new moon. 

©myusuchaa 2024 do not steal

[ebonysplendor]

Mushroom Oasis (Demo) Review 🍄

TL;DR: Mychael deadass wants to be MYchael, and it gets to a point where you're so wrapped up in the wholesome, you actively ignore the red flags. Also, there's butterflies and chickens. No, we don't forage those for food.

Game Link: https://deerspherestudios.itch.io/mushroom-oasis

Notable Features: Gender Neutral MC, Reader insert, Yandere LI Spiciness: O/5 -- very wholesome, no explicit content LI Red Flags: 2/5 -- Manipulative, gaslighter

Want to know more? Well let's get into it!

Where do I start with this?

I am so overwhelmed with how good this game is. Let's get into the general aesthetics of the game. When I tell you that it's so satisfyingly pretty, I don't think you really get it. The art style is so captivating like...I can't explain it, but you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. It's something straight out of a children's storybook. It's so whimsical and so cozy and so...like look at this.

LOOK AT THIS.

These are the woods that we get lost in. I understand that we were supposed to be nervous for our life in this frame, but look at the scenery! And if you think that looks pretty, just look at this man Mychael's HOUSE.

He really said that this could be us all day, everyday. He done made his house into a home. And don't get me started on his garden area.

Ugh, I could literally go on and on about how much I loved the art style in this game. I am literally obsessed. Enough about that though, let's get into the real deal: the game.

I'm really excited about the development of this game, so bear with me. I'm going to give as much detail without giving away the story because I NEED you to play this for yourself, and I don't want to take its charm away by telling you exactly what happened. Trust me, it's so worth it! Remember though: it's just a demo.

So, boom, this whole thing kicks off because we lost our cat.

Obviously, we have to go looking for our family, so we take off one day and pretty much raw-dog it in these woods, but we had a little bit of sense -- we brought a compass. It proves to be useless though because, tell me why, as soon as we get lost, it gets lost, too. Like lmao what?

It's no big deal though because this kind stranger comes along and takes care of us. This stranger's name is Mychael. Say "hey" to the bae, everybody.

Hey, boo~!

All right, so we're chilling in his house, and he makes us some bomb food with some tea but...things get a little awkward at dinner. We basically find out that the spelling of Mychael's name isn't the only thing about him that's different -- it's actually him that's different, too. This is bae though, so, we just accept him for who he is because the man is so sweet ... then again, I'm not entirely sure if these are our own thoughts right now, but he does feel safe, and he isn't exactly treating us bad. Like, the man gave us his bed to sleep in while he just made camp on the floor. Talk about a gentleman.

So, the next day comes along, and he's pretty excited because, not only are we here to enjoy the next day with him, he has a surprise for us. Okay bet! We get ready in a, surprisingly, nice bathroom with some more than decent plumbing, enjoy some bomb food once again (courtesy of Mychael, thanks bae), and head on out. We see his garden and, oh my gosh, he has chickens!! Look at this cutie with his chicken.

LOOK AT HIM

But as cute as he is ... we still haven't found our cat. Unfortunately, we kind've had to remind him we had to go home because at the end of the day, he hasn't put a ring on it, we have a whole job, and yeah, gots to go. Of course, he's sad about this, and he's like "Well, let me just show you this one other thing, and I promise, I'll take you straight home!" Mychael is literally as wholesome as they come at this point -- how could one refuse? Then again, are we even able to refuse him...?

So, yeah, we go with him, and it is so worth it because where he took us was so magical! There are no words to describe the beauty of where he took us. I'm so tempted to show you guys, but I don't want to ruin more than I already have. I won't leave you hanging though! Just picture this clearing with all these butterflies and flowers and just the absolutely perfect amount of sunlight to set the whole "this place is amazing!" mood and just the right amount of shade to enjoy it all in. If you're picturing it correctly, that scenery should be on point, and you should feel an instant sense of calm and awe mixed into one.

Aside from that though, as nice as this was, we still had to get home. So, we remind him -- for, like, the third time -- "Hey, I really need to head out", because granted, the man knows this forest, but we still didn't want to run the risk of it getting dark and us walking around in it for however long it takes us to get back. Here's where it starts to get weird...

If it wasn't obvious, Mychael is laying down the rizz somewhat thick. He may not understand the concept of cosplay or family or even how it's "mama mia" and not "maummer mee-ya", but he knows how to woo a person! or at least manipulate them Like, he is putting in work to be MYchael, you feel me? So much so, he just brushes off that whole speech about us needing to go home, and instead, just tells us to relax. I don't know what it is about that man, but ooh, his voice. You just can't say "no" sometimes! So, we do. We relax, and frankly, feel kind've sleepy because we are so relaxed. Mychael seizes opportunity and starts showing off his musical skillz. Man's literally serenading -- well, more specifically lulling -- us, playing the most calmest of tunes on his little instrument. Everything just feels so nice, relaxing, and safe... oh shit!

We snap awake. We done fell asleep on this man, which is cute and all, but we have to get home neow! Mychael stops playing games finally, and for real, for real starts to take us home. Before we get too far though, we stop at a creek so we can freshen up. We catch a glimpse of Mychael in our reflection, and he catches a glimpse of us which makes him look at himself, and...the reaction was so heartbreaking yet so relateable.

You know how sometimes when you look in the mirror, all you see is your flaws, and it gives you (hopefully, only) a brief sense of ick? Well, his was past that. It was completely self-loathing in that look, and nu-uh, we do not support Mychael slander in this household! So, now it's our time to turn on the charm, and...we may have laid it too thick and too well because now he's blushing, we're blushing, and then he whispers something to himself, and now Mr. Righteous comes out.

Now, he's determined to try to find our cat (...lmao), but he's like "That means you've gotta stay for another day, though!" with this really intense look on his face. Once again -- and for like the fifth time now! The man is sweet, but he has a poor concept of "no means no" -- we're like "That's sweet, but I gots to go". Boom. We start feeling sick, real sick. Like, we had this weird feeling before while we had been hanging out with him, but now it's intense, and it literally takes us down. Mychael had to catch us or else we were gonna hit the ground. So, now, we don't have a choice. We had to go back with Mychael. We's in the thick of it now bois ... AND THEN THE DEMO ENDED!! AUGH!!

DEVESTATED. I. was. DEVESTATED. Lol it was getting so good! Like, you know how you know the demo is coming to the end, but you're hoping there's just a touch more afterwards? That's how I was feeling. It was getting so good, and I wanted to see more! Hell, it IS good, and I WANT to see more!

So far, so great! I'm really excited to see what Day 3 brings us! I understand that Mychael is toxic or whatever, but he's just lonely and a little weird looking. I can fix him!

Honestly speaking though, with how sweet he is, you genuinely don't even feel like he's "ugly" or "scary" looking anymore. His gentle personality and literal down-to-earth nature completely overtakes his looks. He honestly isn't even bad looking! He really is cute in that other-worldly, fantasy being kind of way. But if I saw him in real life, there's a good chance I probably would've freaked out and get the bad ending lol

But, no, seriously, this game is fantastic! This is such a fun experience so far, and the story is really captivating! Just a little tip from me, be sure that when you play through, you pay attention to those text color changes! It helps bring some understanding/context to the story as to what's going on/happening around you.

Fair warning, the "yandere" element isn't showing too much yet, but you can tell that it's just a pacing thing, of which I think is being executed just right! I guess you could consider this to be a slow burn type of story, but because it's so fitting, it doesn't feel like slow pacing at all. If you were planning to jump right into the psycho, crazy Mychael as soon as you were at home with him and made it aware you wanted to leave, it's going to seem slow, but if you don't mind the build up to the plot, even prefer it, this will be great to you. For me, the build up is doing the story justice as there's not really a dull moment. The pace that the dev is going is purposeful, and it's not just slow for the sake of being slow.

That being said, I think I'll end my raving here! Really anticipating what the developer is coming out with next, and I can't wait to see just how far Mychael is willing to go for the sake of companionship. If you're contemplating trying this game out, stop contemplating and just play it! It is so worth it, and you will find yourself just as excited as I am for the full release! Be sure to leave your comments on the dev's page if you feel like they're doing a good job, and you want to give them that extra reassurance. Of course, donations are always helpful to them as well! Like mentioned at the top, here is the link to the game if you'd like to try it out yourself! I highly recommend that you do. It really is a great game.

That's all from me! Drink water, don't be dumb, and hope to see you around! Until next time~!

Mushroom Oasis Game Link and Page

[gayandfairycore]

Updated masterlist ༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Requests status: always open

♡~Who I write for~♡

Jennifers body: 🩸

Jennifer check

Needy lesnicki

Percy Jackson: 🏛️

Percy Jackson

Annabeth chase

Grover underwood

Leo Valdez

Jason grace

Piper McLean

Wednesday 🕷️

Wednesday Addams

Enid Sinclair

Lockwood and co: ⚔️

Lockwood

Lucy

George

Potc: 🏴‍☠️

Jack sparrow

Will turner

Elizabeth Swann

Spider-Man 🕷️

Andrew Spider-Man

Tom Spider-Man

Doctor who: 🔭

15th doctor (ncuti gatwa)

10th doctor

11th doctor

9th doctor

Bbc Merlin: 🧙

Merlin

Arthur

Morgana

Narnia: 🌲

Peter pevensie

Edmund pevensie

Teen wolf: 🐺

Stiles stilinski

Alison argent

Scott McCall

Titanic: 🚢

Jack dawson

Rose

Fic masterlists ✩‧₊˚

All Finished fics

BBC Merlin masterlist 🧙‍♂️

Jennifer’s body 🩸

Wednesday 🎻

Spiderman masterlist 🕸️

Titanic masterlist 🏴‍☠️

Mbsav masterlist 🧛

𓍊𓋼𓆏𓋼𓍊

[About the author]

Hi im [redacted] I’m pansexual¿ I like cryptids, writing, I love the forest and panic at the disco (Ryan Ross supremacy!) I love travelling and the earth 🌍 I love photography, I love a river and want nothing more than to be free. and I’m an actress! (I’m also less productive than those my age so I write to escape the hellscape that is being a human.) And I have dreams that may or may not be too big for me but I’m chasing ‘em anyway. Join me for the journey, friends. and maybe we can all be a little bit more whimsical On the journey of life 🌍🌲🧚🏻

Request terms ༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Percy Jackson:

for any Percy Jackson x reader they will be the book characters purely for the fact I feel uncomfortable writing fanfiction about characters whose actors are literally like 15…

That being said I will write scenarios that are in the show but not with show actors cause they’re children

• I am willing to write any character mentioned above or if they appear in the series (only by request)

• I also may take awhile getting to requests, or completing them)

I do write smut, but all characters are aged up

Things I will not write:

•incest

• non-con

• piss

• self harm

•glorification of sexual assault

(not to be confused with writing about the effects of sexual assault in relationships)

Fics about sensitive content

I will not write rape fics, or fics that glamourise self harm, sexual assault and abuse.

I will write fics with heavy content, tho I may refuse to write them based on the type of content, and what it may include.

I may refuse a request, or may not write it right away, I write for free, I don’t earn anything by putting out this content.

I write poly fics with any character

I write for female, and gender neutral readers only, but if you have already sent me a request with a male reader/ gender fluid reader I will write it

Requests sent about characters I no longer write for:

If you have sent me a request about a character I no longer write for I will still complete the request but I after I clear out my drafts of those characters and their repespective requests any new requests sent about characters from my old master list I will not complete the request.

༶•┈┈୨♡This is a safe space for lgbtqia+ people, poc, trans people, and any other lovely humans! Welcome to my blog! ♡୧┈┈•༶

[outofangband]

Teleri gardens post for @actual-bill-potts

Mentions of this on my other world building posts for the Teleri! I actually have a lot of head cannons about the differences in gardens between the three peoples of the Amanyar and I will make posts about Vanyarin and Noldorin gardens soon!

Second note: this is not meant to be a flora post as I want to make a separate one with more extensive information on that however, I will include some examples of plants 

As always please feel free to ask more!

-The Teleri have beautiful gardens of a variety of forms; formal gardens, groves, orchards, vegetable and herb gardens, aquatic gardens ranging from elegant ponds to elaborate whimsical waterscapes, and coral gardens.

-There are extensive and beautiful gardens at the palace of Alqualondë including a fountain carved over a natural spring, a grove of trees (mostly black and maritime pine) with a small natural pond, and a stream that runs to the ocean through a small opening in the sandstone walls.

-Shapes of gardens tend to be spiral or circular from above. Circles, spirals, waves, and other similar shapes are common and a lot of their art and this absolutely includes outdoors and garden art 

-Some of these coral gardens are cultivated from existing tide pools with help from Maiar of Ulmo. These can serve as living monuments to the ocean and its creatures, and are very sacred places to the Teleri.

-There are several green houses in Alqualondë including one or two built over warm springs that provide moisture to the plants and soil. Glasswork is another important Telerin craft as I mentioned on my first world building post. Though Noldorin architectural styles or practices might have been used in their construction, the glasswork and horticulture/ecological work is from Telerin knowledge and practices

-There are also many purely underwater gardens. Some of these are in lagoons, and groves found more inland. Some of these are in the ocean beyond the harbor. Many of these are very difficult to access to outsiders, requiring access through hidden coves and through steel treks. These gardens are home to many aquatic and ocean plants, and the creatures that find sanctuary in them; kelp, seaweed and sea grasses and others 

-Gardening, landscaping and design and water engineering are important Telerin crafts! They take a lot of pride in how land and water are represented in their gardens, in contents and layout and shape, etc

-The soil around and through Alqualondë is very fertile. It’s not uncommon to find fragments of shell and limestone or sandstone in the soil thus the plant life tends to be limestone friendly though the levels are not so high that it makes it inhospitable to species that aren’t 

-Small pebbles and shells often decorate paths in gardens and parks. Statues are rare in gardens but small rock/pebble formations are sometimes made

-Especially among the nobles but also elsewhere, aquatic gardens often with elaborate waterscapes. These utilize pumps, spinning wheels, elegant slanted trofts carved from stone, clay or bamboo, and elvenmade streams and ponds

-Even in non water based gardens, water elements such as fountains, often in whimsical or creative shapes, bird baths and ponds are common. There are carved sandstone structures around several saltwater springs creating fountains in Alqualondë’s main spaces. These are viewed as the sea opening up within the city

-Telerin gardens, even formal ones, tend to require minimal pruning, and rely on methods that allow the species to grow thrive, and cross pollinate as they would naturally. While, this is true of most elven garden practices in general it’s often especially visible in these 

-Children play in the gardens a lot and lessons are often held here!

-As I mentioned on my previous world building post for the Teleri, many streams run from the Pelóri to the ocean and they run through the city. There are also many underground streams, and both sources are utilized to bring water to gardens, houses and other water elements. I actually headcanon that both Tirion and Alqualondë have systems somewhere between canals and aqueducts.

-Sea cabbage, common gorse, juniper, bay, sea oats, yarrow, sea thrift, curry plants and sea campion are some of the most common plants in small gardens. Bay leaves are common garnishes and seasoning in Telerin cuisine.

[writingseaslugs]

Che'nya: Manicures with Him

Things I don’t recommend in life: Che’nya doing your nails. Unless you like the appearance of children coloring books after the child has had access to all the color crayons in the restaurant. That’s Che’nya.

Disclaimer: All characters in this series are aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please do a quick read of THIS post.

Che’nya: Manicures

Che’nya’s nails are normally filed down due to him literally growing claws due to being a beastman. While he enjoys his claws, they do grow fast and sharp, so he likes to keep them filed down to avoid accidentally scratching himself. He does keep them in little points though, so they’re still kind of sharp…just dulled down a bit. He also enjoys having them painted, and just does them himself. He is very whimsical with it, sometimes painting every nail some different color with a random design that makes no sense, occasionally missing an entire nail in the process.

If you offer to do his nails, he’s as happy as can be. Yes, play with his hands and give him your undivided attention. He’ll warn you about how sharp they are and might file them down before you get to him. He laughs a lot and is tickling, so when painting his nails, there’s a lot of squirming and giggling from the nail polish brush. He also likes to tease you a lot. You’ll be in the middle of painting the nail, going in for more polish, and when you turn back his hand has disappeared. He thinks this is hilarious with your momentary look of shock since you certainly still feel his hand in your own.

He is so hyped to get to play with your hands. Sadly, expect something random to be painted. You could technically call your nails matching in the sense that…they make no sense. Random colors, designs, and again…one of your nails might not even be polished. He’ll think it looks pretty and will say he’s all done. You might even have some nail polish trailing up your arm by the end of it. Still, his proud smile is enough to make you just melt and not worry about it. He knows full well what he did, but he also knows how to not get in trouble with you.

Are you a fan of Diasomnia like me? I bet you are if you read my content (we love the boys in this household). Want to support a visual novel that will feature Diasomnia dorm, has multiple routes and endings, as well as some spicy visual scenes? Check out @twstfournights and if you want info, check out their announcement post!

[simpforfandom231]

Zoo date

On a sunny weekend morning, Rachel Zegler woke up with a smile, knowing she had planned a special surprise for her girlfriend, Y/N. As Y/N groggily opened her eyes, Rachel couldn't contain her excitement. "Babe, get up! We've got a fantastic day ahead!" Rachel exclaimed, bouncing on the bed with enthusiasm. Y/N, still half-asleep, blinked and mumbled, "What's going on?" Rachel grinned, "It's a surprise! Get dressed, and I'll meet you in the living room in fifteen minutes."

Curiosity sparked, Y/N obliged, slipping into a comfortable outfit, unaware of the adventure awaiting her. In the living room, Rachel stood with a mysterious grin, holding a basket filled with snacks and a neatly folded blanket. "Ta-da! We're going on a zoo date!" Rachel announced, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Y/N's face lit up as she processed the surprise. "A zoo date? That's amazing! But, why?" Rachel chuckled, "Because I know how much you love animals, and the zoo seemed like the perfect place for a fun and relaxing day. Plus, there might be some fluffy creatures that could use a little competition in the cuteness department." Y/N laughed, appreciating Rachel's thoughtfulness.

The pair set off, hand in hand, to the zoo. The sun bathed the city in warmth, and a gentle breeze carried the promise of a perfect day. As they strolled through the zoo, Rachel marveled at the vibrant colors of the flowers, the laughter of children, and the distant roars of exotic animals. Y/N, ever the enthusiast, was practically buzzing with excitement, her eyes darting from exhibit to exhibit. "Look, Rachel! Penguins! They're so adorable!" Y/N pointed enthusiastically. Rachel chuckled, "I knew you'd love them. Want to spend some quality time with our tuxedoed friends?" They lingered at the penguin exhibit, watching the playful antics of the adorable creatures. Rachel couldn't help but feel a warm sense of contentment as she witnessed the pure joy on Y/N's face. After the penguins, they explored the zoo further, encountering mischievous monkeys, majestic lions, and elegant giraffes. Y/N's attention flitted from one exhibit to another, her energy contagious. As they approached the bird aviary, Y/N's eyes widened with delight. "Birds! I love birds! They're so colorful and free." Rachel grinned, "Just like you, my love. Colorful and free." They found a quiet bench near the aviary, and Rachel spread the blanket, creating a cozy spot for them to enjoy their snacks. Y/N's eyes gleamed with gratitude as she realized Rachel had packed all her favorite treats. Between bites of sandwiches and sips of refreshing drinks, they shared laughter and exchanged sweet glances. The zoo became their private paradise, a place where they could escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As the day unfolded, Rachel noticed Y/N's boundless energy and excitement, a hallmark of her ADHD. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, Rachel embraced it, appreciating the uniqueness that made Y/N the vibrant person she loved. In the afternoon, they found themselves in the butterfly garden, surrounded by fluttering wings and vibrant colors. Y/N's eyes widened, and she twirled with childlike wonder. "Rachel, this is like a magical fairyland! I feel like I'm in a dream," Y/N exclaimed. Rachel couldn't agree more.

The air was filled with the delicate flutters of butterflies, and the sunlight filtered through the trees, creating a whimsical ambiance. Rachel took Y/N's hand, leading her through the enchanting garden. As they walked, Rachel couldn't help but express her love. "You know, Y/N, you make every moment magical. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and I love every bit of you, ADHD and all." Y/N smiled, touched by Rachel's words. "And I love you for embracing all of me, quirks and all. This has been the best date ever." As the day drew to a close, they found a quiet spot near the exit, overlooking a serene pond. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over everything. Rachel wrapped her arm around Y/N, pulling her close. "Thank you for making today so special," she whispered. Y/N leaned in, capturing Rachel's lips in a sweet kiss. "No, thank you for being the most amazing girlfriend. I'm grateful for every moment with you." They sat there, enveloped in the tranquility of the evening, savoring the love that surrounded them. The zoo date had not only been an adventure filled with laughter, animals, and joy but also a celebration of the unique connection that made Rachel and Y/N's love story extraordinary.

[halliescomut]

Uncle Jim thoughts Part 1

So we're halfway through and God I have so many feelings about Jim.

Like, I did make the joke about how he's basically Luke Danes translated to Thai, and like....I can list the similarities...you know what, I think I will.

Both run a eating establishment in their town

Both haven't dated due to a big heartbreak (For Luke it was Rachel, for Jim it's his ex, who either has no name, or I can't find it.)

Both consistently do things to help their community without expectation of thanks, and honestly would prefer not to be recognized for it. (Yes, Jim is more personable, while Luke is quite cranky, but they're both still doing it.)

Both have a sassy 'troublesome' nephew who's not really bad, just in a rebellious phase and feeling very hemmed in.

Both struggle to communicate with said nephew. (Hopefully we'll see a similar resolution to Jim and Li Ming that we see with Luke and Jess.)

Both are dealing with a love interest that is a bit free-spirited, a bit sarcastic, a bit whimsical.

Both said love interests have an ex who still feels entitled to them in a way that's quite concerning tbh. (Yes, Lorelai and Christopher's connection can never really be cut, since Rory exists, but Chris still felt entitled to Lorelai even though he'd not done much to deserve it and broke her heart more than once.)

Both are consistently providing assistance to their loved ones at their own expense. It's more obvious with Jim, as he's actively dealing with economic instability, which Luke never had to do (both because of the actual timing of that show and because money politics in Gilmore Girls makes absolutely no sense) but they both are willing to forego things in order to provide for others, and they do so without complaint.

Both are set in this idea of pursuing stability over pursuing more intangible things like 'happiness'. They see a specific value in contentment vs. ecstatic joy, and they believe that to be more easily attainable and far less risky.

Not really a similarity between Jim and Luke, but I can see a parallel with Leng and Praew in Liz and TJ. They're family that's a point of stress, but also a point of joy. And like, idk how quickly time will pass for the second half of the show, but I would be so ecstatic to see Jim with baby LP. I really liked seeing Luke's interactions with Doula, and as an aunt myself, there's something so wonderful about having this new little piece of your family. This person who has these parts of all the people you love in them, your sibling, parents, grandparents, and on. Like I don't believe people need to have children to feel fulfilled, but I think this feeling of seeing some of your favorite people inside this new unique little human is just amazing and so special.

Okay, end of that list for now. What I specifically wanted to kind of talk about was the relationship of Li Ming and Jim, because it's just so realistic. Jim and Li Ming are both kind of feeling the same way in the show, but they're reacting so differently and it's because of their ages. They both feel stressed and hemmed in by the life they're currently leading. I do believe that Jim very much enjoys running the Chicken and Rice shop and being a part of his community. He definitely has a genuine affection for everyone there, but because when it all started it was with the promise of not doing it alone, it's become very bittersweet to him. Li Ming, as a young adult, quite reasonably wants to get a chance to experience more of life, and part of that is travelling, but he's limited by social and financial circumstance.

Jim, as someone who's in his late 30's almost 40, is reconciling with his life and is most concerned with stability, especially after a few years of economic instability. And he's trying (poorly) to express that to Li Ming by encouraging him to go to university so that he has the best chance at finding a stable job. Because Jim doesn't necessarily believe that one, fairytale endings even exist any more, and two, that even if they did it's far too late for him. And he wants to be sure that when he's no longer there as a support that Li Ming is in a place to support himself.

Li Ming, who's still a teenager is still in that place where he feels comfortable taking risks. He doesn't believe that it will be easy or simple to do the work and travel program, but he knows that he's capable of it, and Jim's insistence that he not go feels more like Jim saying he's incapable. But he's also existed at least for a few years in a place where he knows he has Jim's support. He's operating in a place where he believes that if he tries and fails, he still has Jim to bail him out. And in that very particular myopia of teenage-dom he doesn't fully see that part of Jim's fear is that Jim won't have the means to bail him out. Li Ming is not stupid, he's fully aware of their social status, their financial struggles to an extent, but Jim is also consciously hiding the worst of it from him.

It's a consistent conversation that you hear all the time 'money can't buy happiness' and it can't but what financially insecure people would tell you is that money can buy stability. It can provide opportunities for growth and self expression. It can provide the ability to seek medical care. The joy that we find in life is most often through our interactions with loved ones. So no, money can't buy happiness, but if you're not working a 60 hour week, then you would have the time, space, and opportunity to spend time with your loved ones, to create that happiness and peace. Not having to consistently worry about how you're going to pay this or that, means enormous weight taken off of your shoulders.

Now I don't necessarily think Jim's in the wrong in his feelings, because the reality is everyone's feelings in this situation are very valid and very understandable. But as Wen point's out to him he needs to try and put himself in Li Ming's mindset. He needs to think about how he felt at 17. In that same vein I do think that Li Ming could benefit from spreading some of that compassion he has for Heart to Jim just a little bit. And it's very true that they're both so stubborn in this situation, not because they truly believe they're 100% right I think, but because there's a fear that they're wrong. Jim is, like every good parent, incredibly worried that he might be in the wrong here, but is stuck thinking about the long-term. He's preoccupied with making sure that in the long run Li Ming will be able to be self-sufficient. And Li Ming is worried that even though he so desperately wants the opportunity and chance to travel, what if he fails. And they're both kind of doing that thing where they are taking those fears out on each other, because they know that the affection there is deep.

In like, another little sidenote, because of all of the random things I pick up about emotion and emotional reactions. There's a statement I came across almost a year ago that so completely altered my way of think both about my own emotions, but also the emotional behavior of others...and it's that anger is a secondary emotion. Anger is a reaction to another emotion, whether it's fear, pain, shame, frustration, whatever. Their arguments, that anger, is based on Jim's fear and Li Ming's frustration.

I don't necessarily have a way to wrap this up...likely because there's no resolution to the story. But I just really love the honesty and authenticity of the story that's being shown. There are a lot of stories about family drama, but this one in particular very clearly expresses the deep affection they have for each other, even while they're fighting. Situations like this are never really black and white, especially when our actions stem from love. It doesn't mean that their choices are correct, that's why there's the saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions, but it opens a door to understanding the characters and for the audience to connect. Because if you've been a provider for someone, like Jim is for Li Ming, you can understand his perspective, and we've all been kids like Li Ming, so there's understanding there as well. And I just think it's sets all of the audience up to self-reflect a little bit on how we've handled similar situations in the past, and how we could potentially handle situations in the future.

As a slight additional sidenote, yes we clearly see the acting from Earth and Fourth is top tier, and I don't know exactly how much of the screenwriting was done by P'Aof, but he is credited for that. But at the very least his directing here is so beautiful. Like, I'm not surprised, his credits are full of amazing series, but like every creative, the more you work the more you grow and improve, and I think this is his best work. It's really just great. He's definitely become a master in his craft, and while I've seen a good amount of his work, this really makes me want to seek out other projects of his that I haven't seen yet.

Well....that's idk, 1400+ words, so I guess I'll wrap it up here.

[sideprince]

Writing a response to @diogenescamus because it's too long to put in the notes of this post they linked me to, it's under the cut so everyone else can keep scrolling 😂

I want to preface all this by pointing out that all of this meta needs to be weighed against the literary elements at play, ie. that Dumbledore is often more of a proxy for the author, and that the author has many failures when it comes to world-building. I think the meta post you built on didn't give any consideration to this, and treated the world of HP as an infallible one operating as if it were real, and that will inevitably causes lapses in critical analysis. You may not like a lot of my responses, and while I think OP put a lot of work into their essay, I don't feel it's a reasonable critique and doesn't use the text appropriately in order to be one.

Dumbledore doesn���t encourage students to break rules, he just shows them he’s content to look the other way if they’re broken. I think he's encouraging them to be independently minded, and approach their choices with a sense of accountability, and also to consider these choices critically.

In the examples of students getting away with breaking rules, I don’t think Tom’s ring is a good example. He doesn't show the ring off to Dumbledore, he just has it on in Slughorn's memory that Dumbledore sees. At the time of the memory it wasn’t known where the ring came from, Dumbledore only found that out years later. Even if he’d known, the theft (and murder) happened off grounds and is therefore not up to the school to punish him for (at best he’d be turned over to the ministry), but again, it wasn’t known what even happened. OP's reading doesn't consider the text and extrapolate conclusions from it, but rather it tries to force the text to justify their already existing conclusions, and it doesn't work.

I’d argue Dumbledore’s stance on rules is more tainted with bias than anything else. Harry gets away with breaking rules because Dumbledore knows the larger challenges he faces and wants Harry to try his strength. There are bigger things at play than mere administrative rule enforcement. The same with the Marauders’ prank: the goal was to protect the vulnerable student, even if it meant encouraging the bullies and silencing their victim. Dumbledore’s approach to rules considers more than just the school itself and daily life in it, and disregards a need for order. We know he enjoys whimsical chaos. Dumbledore looks at rules, their purpose, and the outcome of enforcing them critically, and while I don’t agree with all his decisions, I do respect that approach much more than, say, Umbridge’s one of blindly setting and following them. We also see that, save for egregious offenses (like Harry getting caught with another petrified person in CoS), daily rule-breaking and enforcement of punishment falls on the staff and is kept off the Headmaster’s plate. 

Dumbledore encourages safety and gives clear parameters for it, but wants to impart to the students that they are responsible for themselves, and that there’s a greater repercussion to breaking certain rules - like staying out of the forest or the third-floor corridor - than staff-imposed punishments. I think it shows respect for the students as intelligent, autonomous young people. To tell them to stay out of somewhere to avoid a painful death is also much more effective than to tell them they aren’t allowed to do something. He knows that “don’t do this” is a challenge to children, and he’s making clear what is a challenge with disciplinary consequences (Filch’s rules) and what is not a challenge, but a warning for their own safety (forbidden forest, third floor corridor, etc.). I don't think he minds the students having a bit of fun, it's just that "a bit of fun" has a much more abusive definition in a British public school setting than, say, a present-day high school in the U.S. which is what I can only assume is OP's frame of reference.

Dumbledore also knows he has limited scope. There’s only so much he can do with his resources to stop a kid like Harry from doing something like find the stone in PS if he’s determined. He doesn’t go to war with the students like Filch or Umbridge, because he’s wise enough to know it’s a losing battle, and that's one of the reasons he maintains their respect and they listen to him when he says "don't do this or that because you will die." He chooses his battles. 

The issue isn’t that witnesses aren’t listened to, but that every teacher is biased and enforces rules accordingly. this is just how it is in British public schools, especially in the 90s when HP takes place, and very especially in the 70s and 80s when the author was in (not public) school in England. Snape doesn’t let Harry off because he can’t punish him, he lets him off because Lupin bails Harry out and backs Snape into a corner, figuratively. We see Snape punish both Harry and Ron with detentions at various points in various books; we also see them punished by McGonagall as early as CoS when they get detention for crashing the car into the Whomping Willow (and we know only from hindsight that they weren’t expelled because Harry must be protected and in order to do so he must remain at school), even though there were no witnesses then.

The rule of “don’t get caught in the act” doesn’t seem irrational to me? It’s another way of saying, “innocent until proven guilty.” And if you start to base punishments on eyewitness accounts of students, you also enable bullying. Consider that approach from the perspective of the four Marauders all claiming Snape broke a rule when he didn't, and that being enough for teachers to take disciplinary actions against them. What Dumbledore does is trust the students to be responsible for themselves, while also not trusting them as the key reason to determine if someone deserves punishment. There would normally, in a muggle school, be a system where students can file a complaint, but that’s not very interesting storytelling in a YA novel, and often in a British public school environment doing so will get your ass kicked for being a snitch, whether or not you’re justified. That’s just how that social environment works. In any case, the students complain to the head of house of the perpetrator, not the victim, because that’s who metes out punishment. Hence why they went to Snape when Alicia got hexed, and not McGonagall. We see again and again heads of house say that they will be the ones to deal with their house's students where necessary.

With things like using a pensieve to see who broke a rule (like exploding a swelling solution), I just don’t see the point of taking the books this seriously. We know the author’s world-building is full of holes. It would grind the plot to a screeching, boring halt if teachers would just go get the pensieve to examine every incident of rule-breaking. We also have no indication that the swelling solution could have killed anyone. Goyle gets covered in it, and though it’s clearly painful and unpleasant, the school nurse can sort him out. Again, to some degree this is just the magical world’s version of a British public school, where the unspoken motto is “don’t make a fuss, keep a stiff upper lip.” The students are expected to sort out their own issues, whether or not it's fair, and the sense of injustice this imparts on the reader makes for a much more interesting read and raises more complex questions than if teachers acted like judge and jury with full, infallible oversight at every infraction.

Dumbledore wasn’t silent about Riddle, Diary Tom says in CoS that Dumbledore was always suspicious of him, and Dumbledore tells Harry in HBP that he advised Dippet against giving Tom a teaching job (and clearly convinced him not to do so). Again, OP is using the text to support pre-reached conclusions instead of deriving them from it, and I find this frustrating and limiting.

Your own extrapolation of why Flitwick setting Seamus lines is problematic is also a great example of the author’s own biases coming through in the writing, and should give a perspective of how much of the way rules are applied or ignored at Hogwarts is really about what suits the author and the narrative in a given moment, and not a real-life disciplinary structure that’s been fleshed out and integrated into the story’s world-building. 

Percy warrants more discussion. He’s a great example of how upholding rules just for the sake of doing so is perceived by the culture of the school as pedantic, annoying, uptight, and gets you dismissed as a narc. Again, standard British public school behavior. I don't think he was pushed by Dumbledore's penchant for chaos to work in the Ministry, I think the Ministry exemplifies the kind of uncritical approach Percy has to trusting authority without question, and I find that fascistic approach to be even more problematic than Dumbledore's.

Small note because everyone’s talked the “Dumbledore was unfair at the end of PS” thing to death at this point, but yeah, once we find out in CoS that an award for special services to the school exists, it’s hard to understand why Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t just get one of those instead fucking house points???

The whole bit about offering Divination as a class overlooks what we, as readers know in hindsight: Dumbledore didn’t care about hiring the best teacher for the subject, he employed Trelawney to protect her from Voldemort who knew she’d made the prophecy about him and Harry, and to protect his own side and prevent Voldemort from hearing the rest of the prophecy. We see Dumbledore do something similar in giving Firenze a job when the centaurs expel him. Divination is also a Ministry approved subject that the students sit an official exam in, and since we know the Ministry oversees the school, we also know that it’s not up to Dumbledore to choose what subjects are offered. He’s the headmaster of a school, not the tyrant king of an island nation. 

Of course Filch can’t mete out punishments, he’s the caretaker. This just isn’t a valid example. It’s like saying the janitor should be able to assign detention. That’s not his remit. I don't understand why Appolyon Pringle, his predecessor, was able to, but since that's only referred to in a throwaway comment from Molly Weasley, I'm inclined to assume that, again, this comes down to the author's poor world-building.

I also think it’s very presumptive to think Dumbledore wouldn’t have sacked Lupin at the end of PoA. I think he assumed Lupin would resign, as he’s a good judge of character, and he likes to give people the opportunity to prove themselves, so he would have given Lupin the opportunity to make that choice - and preserve some of his dignity - rather than fire him before allowing Lupin a chance to speak. 

I don’t think it was the primary reason, if one at all, for Snape to out Remus, that Remus sided with rule-breaking students. As far as Snape was concerned, he had no reason to think even after the end of PoA that Remus hadn’t been helping Black, and that Black wasn’t the traitor, because he was knocked out in the Shrieking Shack during the big reveal that would have changed his mind. I don’t think rule-breaking or Remus’ stance on it was remotely prominent in Snape’s mind. At best it’s mentioned by Snape in the Shrieking Shack when he tells Hermione to keep quiet, and I would argue that he does this more because he doesn’t know what Harry does or doesn’t know about why his parents died, is ashamed of his own role in their death and doesn’t want to talk about it, and because in his mind the children are in mortal danger from a dangerous dark wizard - Sirius - and his helper - Lupin, a werewolf - and he knows Hermione cares about rules and teachers’ approval and uses this to keep her calm and to stop her interfering. He’s seen enough dark wizards maim and kill to know that in order to contain the risk of the situation at hand, that any bystanders need to be kept from interfering because it's an unnecessary risk that can easily result in injury or death, and I think that’s his primary motivation in invoking rules, not any real priority that sets their importance above the situation at hand. I'd make the comparison that if you're a firefighter you wouldn't let a civilian run into a burning building. Remus siding with rule-breaking students was, without a doubt, not the “main reason” Snape outed him. 

I don’t know if it’s fair to say Crouch/Moody tortured Malfoy as a ferret without fear of reprisal. I think he just didn’t think about it. We know Crouch was maniacal, had a penchant for cruelty, and had been in Azkaban for a third of his life and his time as Moody was the first time in over a decade that he was free to do and say what he pleased. Malfoy - the child of a DE - acted in a way that triggered Crouch and he reacted. Assuming he didn’t fear reprisal in some kind of thoughtful, considered way is the perspective of the reader who has the benefit of seeing the whole picture, not the character and his limited scope. 

I think there are questions around whether physical abuse was allowed during Snape’s reign as headmaster and this essay says it as a certainty. We know the Carrows liked corporal punishment, but don’t know if it was something Snape actually allowed. We know Snape’s own punishments were not physical (detention with Hagrid, for example). We know from Neville (DH Ch. 29) that the other teachers won’t refer students to the Carrows. The Carrows abuse students in classroom settings, or attempt to, but even then the example given is that they want students to abuse each other, they don’t do it themselves. They use what seems to be Sectumsempra on students, as we also learn from Neville, but we also know that this is their first year in this position so it’s possible that Snape curbs their use of violence where he can and doesn’t actually allow violent punishments, they just act of their own volition. This is in contrast to Umbridge’s time as headmistress, when she openly used violence herself and encouraged Filch to. It was clearly permitted under Umbridge, but unclear if Snape permitted it, or if the Carrows made their own rules. After all, we know that Snape avoids violence where he can and chooses to act defensively instead of offensively, so it would be out of character for him to allow abusive punishments, let alone encourage them the way Umbridge did. (Again, I take issue with OP 's tendency to tailor the text to suit their argument instead of vice versa. Just because something happens under an administrator’s watch doesn’t mean they condone or allow it.) I also don't think you can argue the opposite - that Snape forbade corporal punishment - for the same reason. We can only infer based on the information given in the text, but I don't think there's enough clear information to make such definitive statements as OP has, let alone use it as a fact to base other points on.

I’d also argue that Dumbledore sees himself as the warden of a targeted institution against Voldemort, and as a result he gives much less weight to school children breaking school rules, which seem petty in comparison to someone who considers himself to be a general in a war. I think he’s a great military strategist, but not a very good headmaster. 

As to Ginny graduating with a hex-first attitude, it’s clearly implied in the text (and, at times stated) that it’s a result of her growing up not just with half a dozen older brothers, but specifically the Weasley kids as brothers. It’s a big stretch to use one character as an example of a systemic failure and this isn't nearly strong enough an argument to be a convincing one to state that Dumbledore consciously and deliberately encouraged students to act this way.

The students don’t know Filch is a Squib. Harry finds out when he reads his Kwikspell course letter, and it’s news to the few people he tells. We have no indication in the text that this knowledge became widespread. It’s certainly a stretch to say that Dumbledore’s students were trained to disdain squibs. Again and again I find myself deeply frustrated by OP's tendency to cherry-pick parts of the text to support their perspective, instead of keeping an open mind and extrapolating conclusions based on a thorough, critical reading.

"It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out ... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed ..." This castle is 1000 years old. It’s magical, and in perfect condition everywhere else, so it’s not surprising that all Filch has to do is oil the chains. There are tapestries everywhere that should be in disintegrated tatters, and yet there's no mention of any decay anywhere, and I think it's reasonable to assume that the castle is kept in shape via magic (this also implies that Filch being a squib is an outlier re: his predecessors). There’s no reason to think cahins or other medieval torture methods were used at any point past the time period they would have been used in the muggle world. As for Arthur Weasley’s marks, they could have been caused by a number of things - and for all we know, Appollyon Pringle was a wizard, not a squib, and had capabilities Filch didn’t. Umbridge, meanwhile, had free reign to do as she pleased. The ministry didn’t give her permission to enact violence on students, it gave her permission to do what she thought was appropriate and trusted her with that responsibility, which she exploited. So I think the issue isn’t necessarily of sanctioned violence (and I’m not saying it’s definitely not, but rather that we don’t have enough information from the text and thus can’t make definitive statements), but rather a lack of oversight. “Punishing students with outright torture is a Hogwarts tradition” is an egregious statement and I don’t think there’s enough evidence in the text to back it up. It might be something that occurs in each generation, or you could say that the Hogwarts system is easily exploited by bad actors, but to say outright torture is a tradition is unfounded, misguided, and backed only by - again - using the text to justify a previously decided on perspective rather than drawing a perspective based on the text available. 

“I was safer at Hogwarts…. But while I busied myself with the training of young wizards, Grindelwald was raising an army.” - this just goes to show that Dumbledore has consistently considered himself to be in a position of a general in a war, whether with Grindelwald or with Voldemort. He doesn’t know how to be a school headmaster because of his own trauma and sense of responsibility to something greater (and his youthful ideas of working “for the greater good” remain, only they’ve shifted and are now focused on letting his students’ everyday challenges fall by the wayside as he pays attention mostly to the wars he is fighting). 

I think to understand how warped Dumbledore’s thinking is, you have to consider that he didn’t just raise Harry for slaughter, he also arranged his own death in a similar manner. The difference being that he consented to it, while Harry was manipulated to some degree. And all that can’t be viewed properly without keeping in mind how much Dumbledore, as a character, was a proxy for the author. 

[redgoldsparks]

October Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon.

Stray by Molly Mendoza 

Beautiful, mysterious, fluid in a way that makes a story summary difficult.           

Invisible Differences by Julie Dachez and Mademoiselle Caroline

Translated from French, this comic tells the story of Marguerite, a woman who has never fit in well in social situations, who is very sensitive to sounds and textures, who prefers the company of her pets to most people. Eventually, she is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and is able to make changes to her life to better accommodate her needs and feels a lot of affirmation at finally having the language to describe her experience. From the information at the back of the book, I gather France lags behind even the US in terms of understanding of and support for people with Autism and Asperger's; to me this story read as fairly basic. It's clear, nicely drawn, and easy to read, so hopefully it will be a good resource; if it helps some readers either see themselves, or better understand a friend or co-worker, then it will have done its job!

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Addie and Meryl are sisters, princesses in the kingdom of Bamarre, who love each other dearly and could not be more different. The older sister Meryl is brave and assertive, practices swordplay, and longs to go on adventures and fight monsters. Her younger sister Addie is timid and shy, scared of monsters and spiders, and prefers to stay home with her needlework. But when Meryl falls sick with the gray death, a fatal magical illness, Addie overcomes her terror and leaves the castle to search for the fabled cure. Along the way she must face everything she's most afraid of, including the prospect of losing her sister forever. This is a wonderful middle grade book, very inventive and whimsical in the same vein as Howl's Moving Castle and The Princess Bride. Reading it made me want to write a short fantasy story in which characters can fly and dragons can speak.

It Won't Always Be Like This by Malaka Gharib

Malaka's parents divorced when she was in elementary school, and from then on she spent summers in Egypt or Qatar with her father and school years in California with her mother. This book weaves together memories of many summers in the Middle East, some joyful, some challenging. Malaka's father remarried and eventually had three more children with a woman named Hala, who Malaka saw more as a big sister or mentor than a mother. Their relationship forms one of the central emotional cores of this story as they connect across language and cultural barriers. Drawn in the same loose, energetic style as I Was Their American Dream, this story is a nuanced examination of a family forging closeness despite distance. 

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

This book carries a content warning for almost everything I'd usually warn for: sexual abuse of a minor, on page rape, anti-Black and anti-Mexican racism, threats of lynching, character death in violent accidents, torture, and on page murder of main characters.

The story centers around a real historical event, a gas explosion at a school in New London, East Texas, in 1937, which remains one of the deadliest school accidents to this day. The book opens with the aftermath of the event and lets you know right away that at least one of the main characters is dead. Then it winds back the clock and introduces Naomi, a Mexican American teen orphan, and her half-white younger twin siblings, who had been living with their grandparents until the twin's father summons them all to live in the deeply segregated oil town of New London. Naomi was sexually abused by her step-father as a young girl, and the threat of continued abuse hangs over for the whole story, as does the danger of racially charged violence. Amidst this grim setting, the siblings steal moments of tenderness and joy, playing in the woods around their house, delighting in books, and a friendship with a Black teen, Wash, from a nearby community. When Naomi and Wash begin to fall in love, their happiness feels as fragile as soap bubble. But it is a bubble that might contain a whole life time's worth of passion and joy, even if it cannot last. This is a devastating book, unflinching in its depiction of racism and violence. But I found myself reminded of In The Dreamhouse, another book about very hard topics which is nevertheless still a pleasure to read because the writing is so strong.

To All The Boys I’ve Love Before by Jenny Han

I enjoyed this so much! Lara Jean is the middle child of three Korean American sisters who lost their mom young. This bonded the girls very tightly, and I loved that the relationship between the three of them was equally as, or more important than, the romantic relationships Lara Jean gets tangled in. The plot is fairly simple, but the writing is so grounded, warm, and witty, it really allows all of the characters to shine.

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

This is the second book in Johnson's excellent YA murder mystery series and I had SUCH a good time with it. It's hitting a really satisfying mix of flashbacks to a kidnapping/murder case from the 1930s which took place at a elite boarding school; present day story line of Stevie Bell, true crime obsessive, trying to solve the cold case; and Stevie Bell, teen with severe anxiety trying to navigate some complicated friendships, a potential romance, conservative Republican parents and a series of mysterious deaths. The historical mystery and the present day mysteries are both being strung out across multiple books, but so far the first two volumes have concluded with reveals that were surprising cliffhangers but also still well-earned endings. This series reminds me of The Westing Game the murder mystery I loved most as a teenager. I definitely plan to keep reading the series and I can't wait to see how all of these separate plot threads will wrap up!

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

The third and final book in the Scholomance series opens with El back on earth, incapacitated by grief over the loss in the graduation hall. It takes her a long time to pull herself back together, and she might never have done it except some of her old school allies call for her aid: more and more enclaves are being attacked by a mysterious enemy and maw-mouths are clawing at the gates of other. I struggled with the pacing of this book; there were several times I found myself thinking certain plot element had been revealed in the wrong order, and would have had a bigger emotional impact if arranged differently. This book also introduced a ton of new characters, as well as tons of new settings; this is a big ask from the last book in a series that has already introduced a pretty wide cast in the previous volumes. Also, the very clearly established rules of the magic system, which I loved in books 1 and 2, felt like they were getting broken over and over! I'm glad I read this book because I wanted to know how the series ended, but unfortunately I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to, and that makes me much less likely to rec this series to other readers in the future.

[clarythericebot]

Day in A Life

[ 563 words | Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins]

Los Angeles, Cal., Oct. 21, 2050 /Newswire/ -- Judge Baxter rules that the StarFlicks Entertainment Group maintains the right to exhume the remains of the legendary Leo de Vera. StarFlicks Entertainment holds a still-active contract that guarantees them full exclusivity and control of Leo De Vera's media visage. The company stated in a PR statement that they plan to feed De Vera's bio body to their cutting-edge Talent Replicator AI to provide the public with more exciting content from the renowned actress. Ms. Nevarro--practicing attorney and the granddaughter of Leo de Vera--slams the claim as a human rights violation.

San Francisco, 1964 Leonora Montes wants to rest. She wants it badly--especially on mornings like these, with the warm, golden sun blanketing her pale skin. She sits on grass as soft and spring-like as a bed, her dead husband supporting the whole weight of her six feet underneath. "What I wouldn't give," she says to no one in particular, "just to sleep here and never wake up." She chuckles to herself. "I see your morbidy's still rubbing off on me." No answer. But she can picture his gap-toothed wide grin, and it's enough for now. She begins her weekly ritual. Trimming the grass on his grave with a pair of creaky old shears. Arranging the flowers from their garden just the way he liked it--not by color or height, as she'd have thought sensible, but by alphabetical order in neat little rows. She still has to fight not to roll her eyes. Finally, she gets to his gravestone. "You can spare your handkerchief," she can visualize him saying, as he'd told her when she tried to wipe his neck in the midst of his final fever. "I'm dead either way, mahal." She takes out the cloth from her pocket and polishes the artifice definitely. "At least you don't bat my hand away now," she says. In loving memory is swept free of debris. His first name, and then their last name, are similarly scrubbed. She takes time to brush the numbers that denote his short life. 1940 - 1963. "One whole year without you," she remarks, more annoyed at this particular moment than sad. "It was supposed to be a lifetime, you idiot. Wasn't that the plan?" She can see him raising his hands, palms up. The gesture he'd used since they were children to call truce. "You have a point, de Vera. But." "But?" she asks his imaginary ghost. "But you knew well before you married me that my plans tended to go awry, more often than not." Leonora huffs, pockets her handkerchief, and sits down with her knees wrapped primly under her legs. She can do this forever, she knows. Stay by her husband's side in her whimsical memory, happy to be home in her dreams. But she has to tell him. She means to go right out and say it. The lump in her throat refuses to cooperate. She swallows and stares at a nearby dandelion, and keeps staring until she can conjure, in her mind's eye, her husband cupping her cheeks in his callused hands and nudging her to meet his eyes. "Ano na?" he inquires, light and gentle. What now? "I think," she says, "I should sign the contract." This is where her image of him freezes. For all that she knows him by heart, she cannot guess how he'd react. / / / A/N: This is for the @inklings-challenge! Looking forward to reading people's stories :) Unfinished (and a little late), sadly, and I never did find time to get the structure how I wanted it, but I'm glad I managed to get this much up :) I hope you enjoy! If you're curious where I was going with this, the plan was to continue describing the day when Leonora signs the fateful contract, while interspersing it with epistolary snippets (probably news clippings) that show her descendants' increasingly desperate ways to ensure that she gets to rest in peace with her husband. Then one of them manages to invent a time machine.

[cr-scribbles]

Out of all the children in Children, Sammy is probably one of the most interesting characters. He looks nonthreatening and harmless on the outside, yet is almost sadistic and malicious on the inside, at the same time a lot of his words towards his peers can be taken as the truth.

As obnoxious and harsh as he is to Daniel and his friends, he never lies. He wants others to kill, because his puppet is too weak, too inefficient. And his reason for killing? It's the same as the rest of them. He is a ruthless, almost sadistic and yet honest. Yet as cruel as he is, it was him who reached out to Kenny. A crying boy who is suffering from trauma and bullied by others. Could Sammy used to be someone who could be similar to Kenny? And this also show that there's a kinder side to his personality.

In the fnaf 2 minigames, we saw a kid being locked out of the restaurant, which is Sammy in the topic we are covering here. He could be bullied and be locked out of the restaurant. He just gave me the impression that he could be someone who is incredibly lonely on the inside.

From the "happy and "whimsical" attitude he had, one could almost assume that he liked it when people die, so more people will get to join him and he won't be lonely anymore. Ultimately he is just a kid who doesn't know the appropriate way to make friends. (This is just my assumptions, please take these statements with a grain of salt)

Sammy and Kenny's bond is something that I think should be explored a lot more. Ofc I've made fan-content for it, but it is such an interesting dynamic to me.

Sammy loses all chances of making friends after he realizes his plan/method of escaping to any of the ghost kids. In fact, most of them actively hate him/are just straight up mean to him after it's revealed, leading for him to be (sometimes rightfully) bullied. This must be so lonely for a small kid who has probably already spent years there alone. I wouldn't be surprised if underneath all of that insanity he holds, he is just a kid who wishes he was able to grow up like everyone else.

When he finds and helps Kenny, there is SOMEONE who wouldn't hate him. There is someone who will actually be his friend! Someone who actually gave him a hug and held onto him (even though it was a plush that Kenny was holding.) After so long of being bullied by the others and having to accept the consequences of offering his plan to them, he is able to make a bond with someone where they won't see him as this murderer! They'll actually see him as a helper! and most importantly, a friend.

So even if Kenny can't express any emotions after his death, I think Sammy still is really close to him because he's still the only friend he really has. Even if it's now a lot more one-sided, that doesn't matter to Sammy. As long as he's not being yelled at!

they mean the absolute world to me and I will stand by the fact that Sammy is such an interesting character who doesn't deserve most of the hate/bullying he gets, but I can also see why the characters in the story dislike him