#in my defense i genuinely am curious about his lore. in their defense though..... i also like his design change

[trophygony]

an attack to my dignity (<- doesn't have a strong enough computer to play Game)

[anzhin-the-starman]

Daily Writing Challenge: Day 4 - Children

[This lore is a part of Anzhin's story during the three-year peacetime after leaving the Shadowlands, about one year in.]

The beautiful scents of a familiar garden flood Anzhin's senses and a smile crosses his lips. It had been a few months since his dear friend told him the exciting news, that the 'Loa of Apples' is soon to be expanding her family with a new arrival! He hopes his unannounced visit won't be too strenuous nor irritating to the expecting mother.

"Kholwa~!" He calls out, gently, seeing his friend amongst the herbs she so carefully tends. In his arms is a large bushel of apples and when she looks up, his smile is a bit impish.

Kholwa seems to have her attention split between tending the flora in the planter box and.. a little creature in a sling at her front. A baby! It has a little tuft of pink hair to match the sling, and its bright, glowing eyes seem to observe everything with curiosity. Anzhin just about melts at the sight of such a sweet, curious face. He's so happy for his friend that everything seems to have gone well, however, he may be a bit disappointed in himself for being rather late to the party.

The half-elf is startled from his thoughts however, when a mana wyrm cautiously zooms up to him, body sparking defensively with arcane energies. Apparently, it had been tending to the Aetheril in the corner of the garden when Anzhin just waltzed in. Kholwa looks over then, "Easy, Haliy'ai, Anzhin is friend," She calls out, and turns slowly, "One very welcome here!"

"I apologize for intruding on your territory, ferocious guardian wyrm." Anzhin muses, shifting the bushel in his arms to conjure up a bun for the little creature to enjoy. Surprisingly gentle, Haliy'ai takes the bun with an approving stare and a flit of fins, returning to Kholwa's side for a quick brush against her.

"Ah, good, little goddess approves," The Zandalari smiles, leaning against the scaled touch before her head tilts to take in her friend's presence. "It has been some time, ah? Kholwa sorry did not get to send mail to sooner." Her gaze drops to the baby in the sling, its little eyes on Anzhin, "This was first time for Kholwa, not know what would be like."

A warm smile pulls at the corners of Anzhin's lips. "It is alright, my friend. Truly, I understand. I only wish I could have come sooner." He sets the bushel beside him and -- in a minor conjuration of sparkles -- a decently-sized box appears in his hands, to which Kholwa's brow raises curiously. "Though, I am not sure if this would have been ready if I had." Soft laughter escapes him as he steps forward, offering the gift to Kholwa and her little one. "I think Radio would have had my hide if I tried rushing them."

"With or without, Anzhin is always bright star in Kholwa day."

Anzhin's eyes widened, cheeks becoming tinted with color as warmth spread in his chest from her gentle, genuine words. "You are far too kind, my friend." He manages in a soft whisper.

Kholwa's head bows in thanks, stepping forward to take the gift. The baby's little hands reach out as if to emulate her mother, and Kholwa chuckles before lowering the box just enough for those little hands to bap! against them. "Radio?" She asks, looking back to Anzhin, but never quite keeping her eyes away from the child, "Not sure remember speak about before."

A soft huff of a shy laugh escapes as he watches the maternal interaction. At the mention of his business acquaintance, he chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "Radio is... an exceptional craftsperson. They handled a lot of my merchandise and tailored my performance clothes." He hides the melancholy in his gaze when his mind so helpfully and -- luckily -- silently supplies, 'Back when I still performed...' With a soft shake of his head, he continues. "They're interesting to work with, to say the least."

He then quiets down to watch the unwrapping, observing their reactions with great curiosity. Kholwa gently pulls the paper away where the baby can see, cooing all the while. "What did Anzhin bring for, ah?" It does a good job of hyping the baby up to making baby noises.

It is revealed that within the box is a small, decently tailored blue dinosaur onesie, perhaps only a bit too big for the little one at the moment. Cradling said garment was also an incredibly soft and well-tailored purple baby blanket, carefully embroidered and patterned with Zandalari dinosaurs and bright, shining stars.

Kholwa gasps softly, "Oh, this is wonderful.." She holds the blanket close, and after a moment, a green ravasaur on the pattern seems to hold the child's attention.

An almost relieved sort of sound escapes the half-elf, the tension of anticipation relaxing into an all-encompassing warmth. His eyes glisten with unshed tears of joy, but he's quick to blink them away. "I'm so glad you like them." 'All the needle-pricked fingers and lectures from Radio,' he thought, '...were worth it to see this moment.' He was pulled from his thoughts by the sight of a familiar face.

Takaros had landed from his dragon a bit away from the house, not bothering to make an attempt to hide himself from Kholwa, but he did walk quietly to surprise their baby. As he gets behind Kholwa, he wraps his arms around her and rests his chin on her shoulder, causing his mate to smile back and rumble softly to give him an affectionate nuzzle. He grins down at their baby before messing with their hair. "Surprise, little one." He coos softly.

Surprised by her father, the baby's hand suddenly balls up on the blanket and shakes it rigorously, with enough strength that Kholwa's suddenly holding the blanket a little tighter in caution. Uh oh... Dire troll strength.

"Careful, little girl!" Kholwa half-heartedly chides while laughing, but of course a baby doesn't care. The little one's just excited to see her father.

Takaros clicks his tongue gently as he watches how his daughter reacts to his presence, gently reaching down and wrapping his hand around hers, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. "Easy, easy, we gotta be careful of our strength when we're strong!" He murmurs softly. He knows full well she's far too young to understand or care, not that he's upset, he's just as happy to see her. "I was gone such a short time! Paperwork and done. Ya siblings are gonna be back later to come see ya! Grandma'da gonna be finally givin’ dem back."

"Anzhin bring these as gifts, Taka," Kholwa gestures to the onesie and blanket, that her child won't, under any circumstances, let go of now. "So cute, ah? Will be perfect in den and when air is get colder here."

Taka leaned down and kissed the top of her head before actually looking over the blanket finally. "Oh dese are lovely gifts! Thank ya, Anzhin, dey'll be used for a long time if her reaction is ta judge by anything."

A warm chuckle rumbles from the half-elf. "The blanket is also enchanted." He explains. "To help keep in warmth, stay clean, and resist the usual wear-and-tear, so it can be used and cherished for as long as needed or desired." He smiled. 'It will probably exist far longer than me, just like everything else...' The cruel voice in his mind whispered, only causing a slight twitch in his brow.

Kholwa lifts the child up and out of the sling slowly as her attention redirects to her mate, using that moment to wrap the blanket around her and transfer the swaddled and gabbing baby off to him, who takes her all too happily. He beams bright at her as she shows so much animated excitement for one so young, bringing her up and kissing her face several times. "Oh hello, my little princess!  Ya act like I been gone for a lifetime!" He's careful to make sure she only grabs the middle of his tusks, preventing her from accidentally slapping the sharp tips.

"Both?" The Zandalari woman asks about the enchantments, looking at how the baby's hands reach up for Taka's tusks.

The half-elf shakes his head. "Only the blanket, unfortunately."

Kholwa smiles and nods in understanding, her attention then turning to the bushel left at the entry of the garden. "Anzhin bring apples just in time, if so. Kholwa can make pies," She takes the moment to neatly place the onesie back in the box and set aside for later.

"Oh, yes! They're freshly gathered from the Aubergine Farm, ready for many lovely pies and anything else you desire." Anzhin mused warmly. "I thought you might enjoy a bit of baking~"

"Of course will give Anzhin pie, too. How has been, by way? Have more shows is sing at?" The Zandalari woman asks,

Anzhin's smile fades only slightly at the mention of shows. "Unfortunately, my friend, I haven't been singing much. Life has... many things that have needed to be done." He's quick to change the subject, putting on a lighter air. "And what of you two? I hope everything has been going well and with little resistance!"

Kholwa's eyes every now and then flit to the child as she listens, her own features sobering slightly, "Kholwa can understand that, has been lot to do for Kholwa too. Even when was with child." She notes, and takes a moment to smooth the pink tuft of hair on her little girl's head, "It was blessing was able to have child so soon, Kholwa body was not ah-" The Raptari pauses and clears her throat, trying to think of a way to explain -that-, ".. In balance. But being around nature, working for Kholwa Loa, Gonk, make things right." She smiles softly. The baby is meanwhile displaying her lack of motorskills by giggling and tugging on Taka's tusks from the middle, not quite able to wrap her little hands around and so losing her grip a few times.

Preoccupied as he was, Takaros was able to answer even if he couldn't quite look away from the grabby baby. "In my case, unlike with most threats, when de Jailer was felled, his army just faded away. So I actually get ta be home much more instead of cleaning up pockets for a year like before." He hums happily, snickering every time their daughter almost manages to make it work, reassuring her. "Ya be able ta do it soon enough." His daughter didn't seem bothered in the least, she was enjoying the game of grabbing fa'da's tusks. He thinks for a moment before using a little of his magic to put a blunt cap of stone over the sharp tusk, gently guiding her hand closer to the slimmer part of his tusks so she can grab that instead.

Anzhin nods. "It is quite a change from the usual way of things. It was nice to just be able to go home and not think about the grand scheme for a while, to enjoy the life we are given instead of succumbing to fear and strife over and over again." He mused, his gaze shifting to Kholwa once again. "A blessing it is, truly, to be able to enjoy the joys in life, large and small. I feel honored to witness this."

Kholwa nods along to the both of them, "Peace is some thing Kholwa only have in small moments before this, so is happy for how ever long is last. And there is always things to do, maybe Anzhin can see Kholwa pack lands some time? If does not mind bit of travel and ravasaurs sniff at," And devilsaurs, but they were surprisingly less troublesome than her grown hatchlings. "Would not be for while, Kholwa think, little one here will have naming ceremony soon," Her gesture to her daughter happens as the child's hand closes around the blunted tip of the tusk, suddenly tugging with that exhibited strength from earlier.

Takaros feels his head get suddenly yanked down some by an especially strong tug from their daughter. His eyes widen in surprise for a moment before snorting and leaning close for her, kissing her nose while her hands move to his cheeks, seemingly wanting to keep him there. "I can tell dat we're gonna have to do special things with ya walkin’ around. I thought de others were bad, ya gonna end up ripping off a handle somewhere." He tells the baby with a soft, playful growl before nuzzling her chest with his nose. He then glances back up to Kholwa and Anzhin, continuing the previous thought. "De hope is dat dis peace lasts for a long while dis time. I'm not so optimistic ta assume it will be forever but perhaps de next adventure will be less world ending and more of an adventure."

Anzhin smiles, his head tipping in a slight nod. "I hope this peace lasts for a good while as well, and only be broken by something exciting and not terrifying~" A laugh punctuates the thought before give a soft, warm hum, his summer green gaze meeting Kholwa's. "I would love to visit your pack’s lands sometime. It would be a welcomed change of scenery."

The half-elf then steps back, picking up the bushel with a grin. "Can we talk more over baking? I apologize, my stomach is demanding delightful sweets~" He tries to talk over the tell-tale growl of hunger from within.

Takaros laughed, his attentions still on the little one. "What about you eh, you hungry like Anzhin 'ere? Need dat belly filled?" He followed his question by targeting her belly and tickling gently.

Kholwa laughs between the three, especially when her daughter giggles at the tickling of her belly. "Has been while since feed, should be ready for meal now," She nods to Anzhin, and gives a whistle over her shoulder for Haliy'ai to follow.

"Come then, will treat Anzhin to pie tonight!"

~ @daily-writing-challenge​

Written in an RP with Kholwa and Takaros 💕

Mentions: Aubergine Farm (Aubrey Twilight-Skye) @aubgerinejams​

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

@dgalerab replied to your post “so was anyone gonna tell me richie literally calls eddie “eddie my...”

i just saw an interview with andy where he apparently suggested that richie would be in love with eddie to king and king was, like, tickled by the notion as though it was kind of a charming but ridiculous thought and while i have no intention of reading the book, the more i hear about it the more i wonder... how do you miss your own subtext so intensely?

god this isn’t even that surprising to me because this book is a clusterfuck of some seriously tone-deaf scenes

like am i currently hyperfixating on these characters? yes. was i curious about the lore of the book? yes. are there some cool turns of phrase in this book and little nuggets that i’m tucking away into my own writer’s toolbox? yes.

do i recommend it, even negating the triggery components? not... really, no

in king’s defense, not only was he famously on a boatload of cocaine when he wrote it, he was also in his thirties, and he was writing it in the eighties, and i genuinely believe he’s capable of far better writing now. if i read this as an editor and i had no idea who stephen king was i’d have reviewed it with “you clearly have a lot of talent and this is a really solid first draft but maybe talk to like, an actual human woman. before writing one. and also talking to a black man wouldn’t hurt”

so like. yeah. what i’m saying is i’m not surprised he missed his own subtext at all lmao

[rexscelestus]

Play with Fire

Kingpin Last Sunday at 3:23 PM

> You arrive at the cafe long before the time you gave him. Enough time to secure the same table the two of you had last time, get comfy, place your order and set up a chess board. It's nice to have a moment to think about what to tell him while you play a session or two against yourself to warm up. You have no doubt that he will come, despite his lack of response. Despite seeming like a pushover, he's shown to be anything but a coward, and you don't expect him to let you down now. He better not.

PI Last Sunday at 9:46 PM

You aren't sure what is more frustrating, the fact he was so bastardly bold to just out and demand a meeting right after all that happened, or the fact you are actually on your way to attending like a ruddy fool.  Ugh. Damn him back to hell.   This time you are not arriving early, you had hoped even traffic would be slow to cause you to show up late and make him question if you were even showing...but no. Clear traffic and now you're just sitting in your parked car trying to stay warm because some blasted grey faces decided the middle of Derse's winter was the perfect shorts weather. You end up abandoning your wait in the car till just on time plan and end up coming in a couple minutes early anyways because even your car doesn't do that much against keeping the chill out.  Stepping in, there's a glance around to see him at the same table as last time and looking at smug and cozy.  The board surprises you. Was he...was this going to be some casual social?  Ugh, you definitely should have stood him up.

But you're in the cafe now, and would just look like a fool for turning around now.  So instead you make your way to the table as you remove your coat.  "Evening Misster Kingsley." is all the greeting you offer.

February 11, 2019

Kingpin Yesterday at 1:34 AM

You're frankly more disgruntled than smug, but that quickly changes when your eyes fall on him. He's trying to hide it, but you can very well see his black eye. The bruise on your own face may be not so easily visible either, but it's certainly there. But that was easily forgotten once he takes off his coat. You can't help but admire his outfit of choice. In fact, you hook your leg around the chair opposite of you to pull it closer and put your foot on it to explicitly keep him from sitting down and force him to keep standing around for a bit longer. "Good day, Ingleton. That look suits you. A bit cold for the season though." You look down at his legs, then back up at his face. Yep, now you're definitely feeling smug and cozy.

PI Yesterday at 2:09 AM

"Yes. It is."  you grimace as your self consciousness skyrockets.   A nervous shift of your feet until you catch yourself doing it and straighten up, making a soft scoff in regards to his feet deliberately blocking your ability to sit down.  .  "Grey magic is. Not exactly thoughtful when it comes to. Seasons."

Ughh god damnit you can feel your cheeks heating up.  This was the last person you wanted to look embarrassed in front of and yet you walked right into this like a short sighted fool.   You hate this, you hate him, and you wish you could go back to just worrying his wife would manifest behind you to take your head off.  It actually feels like a mercy right now. Another nervous shift, this time you fold you arms (and coat) in front of you defensively.  "So. Is there a reason you called me out, or are you just in the mood for fashion critiques today."

Kingpin Yesterday at 2:17 AM

Ah, you might be quite a hypocrite. You know from first-hand experience how unpleasant even the smallest greyface jokes can be, but you can't help but be amused at his discomfort. Eventually, you decide to release him. With a little shove of your foot, you send the chair back his way. "Sit." As if you suddenly lost interest in his looks, you sign the waiter to bring PI whatever he'd enjoy and start disassembling your solo game to set up the board for a fresh start. You indeed have a reason for ordering him here and it's not a matter you want to discuss in passing.

PI Yesterday at 2:38 AM

An obvious roll of the eyes, but you may as well comply. If only because you are curious...you had expected after the last encounter to hear from him....well truth be you weren't even sure if you'd hear from him at all.  But certainly not so soon after. Also it's cold outside, and there isn't any ground to gain from refusing.  You sit and order your usual caramel latte with white chocolate chips on top of whipped cream.  And a couple sugar cookies please.  As the waiter walks away with your order, the pleasantness of your expression fades as you lean back in your chair to finally take a good look at him.  Back to...well you guess technically he was back to his normal size the last time you met him. But back to the height he keeps in public...part of you wonders how much energy that must be to maintain such a strong glamour to actually reduce one's height in such a dramatic way.  Impressive really.

You're not quite sure if the darkened parts on his face is bruising or just your wishful thinking as you gently bite your lower lip to run your teeth ever so slightly across the still healing scab on your lip from where it was split prior.  Inwardly you begin to die as you realize you have nothing to say so the silence begins to creep as he arranges the pieces.

Kingpin Yesterday at 8:37 AM

You notice the tense silence and frankly you enjoy it, knowing how uncomfortable it must make him. You may just drag that out even longer and start the game  without a word, making your opening move and expecting him to follow suit. You don't expect a spectacular game, just something to keep the both of you busy as you chat. You lean back and look him in the face. "So, Ingleton. What is it you exactly expect out of this?"

PI Yesterday at 8:50 AM

The silence is deafening, with each little clack of the pieces feeling like a noose tightening as you try to figure out something feasible to break the ice.  Weather? Pleasantries? Ughh....those are are awful and would only betray your complete lack of social graces right now.

He makes his opening move without word, only adding to the tension. Is he going to play the entire game wordlessly? On one hand, masterful creativity in regards to torture there because damn.  That is something you never considered dreadful until just now. As he speaks, you feel a spark of gratefulness...that is quickly snuffed out as you find yourself suddenly longing for silence again.  "Expect out of this....game?" you reply back, knowing likely what he is referring to but looking to dodge the answer if only for enough time to gain your focus back.  "Well, I expect I'm going to do poorly. My focus seems to be a bit scattered.  So I hope you don't have high hopes."  Glancing at the board, you consider your options and tactics before moving a piece.

Kingpin Yesterday at 9:34 AM

"No. I mean, a curious answer, but not what I was looking for." You move your piece, hardly taking your eyes off him. "Back at the book club, you told me it wasn't personal. But I seem to have caught your interest since then. And frankly, you may have piqued mine. And yet... You got the got the guts to spit into a King's face, but now you're too much of a pussy to go all the way? ..What a let down."

PI Yesterday at 9:53 AM

"Go all the..." your eyes narrow as your cheeks grow hot.  "What? Were you expecting me to just crawl across this table right here in this cafe or something?  And don't start to speak of let downs, what with you pulling disinterest back there and just..." there is some agitated hand gestures made before you play your next piece as your coffee arrives. "As for the book club, it wasn't personal. Then. You were barely more than a myth, a figure of legend and lore.  Realizing who you were in the middle of talking about romantic stories was perhaps the most surreal experience imaginable, crippling in its harsh reality that you were well...something else. Somebody. Nuanced with depths.  Intriguing and vexing in all the most frustrating ways." You say with a huff as you reach for your coffee.

Kingpin Yesterday at 10:44 AM

"Hm. You crawling over this table? Would be quite the display, I'm not gonna say no." You scoff. "Me? Pulling disinterest? When it was you who made it so very clear that the game we had was most definitely not a date? When it is you who's trying his damnedest to not admit he couldn't resist me all up and close?" You make your move, though you hardly care about the result, then shift in your seat and lean back. As much as you hate letting on that any of that actually bothered you... how dare he say he feels rejected. Though, his little confession is music to your ears. More of that, please. "Listen, I'm not one to play games of will-they-won't-they. Nor will I be a dirty secret you're too ashamed of to admit. If you're genuinely interested.. your chances to prove it are running out."

PI Yesterday at 10:57 AM

He has you there, and your poker face is too poor to really hide that fact as you pause in your reach.  You did make a somewhat big fuss about the lack of date...which was possibly what also caused the whole awful frog fiasco to begin with.  You'd like to focus on the small flickering of pride over the idea that it was something he actually cared about, but you're a bit focused on the table that has been turned to you. You set the mug down, move a piece, and lean back.  "Very well then.  Here's a bit of something to chew on, if you are genuinely considering.  This? This here?" you gesture up and down yourself.  "A glamour. I'll give you two guesses what is underneath, but I expect you'd only need the one."  As much as everything sensible was reminding you it was a bad idea to reveal your cover to not only the enemy but him in particular...It was inevitable if things were to continue, he'd find out.  A fact that had been bothering you since the start.  In a way you expect that this is the end of it all, perhaps that’s why it had been bothering you.

Kingpin Yesterday at 11:56 AM

It is not something you expected to deal with right in this moment, but well, fine. You're chewing on it, while you pick off a piece of your own cake to literally chew on. The revelation hardly comes as a surprise. Probably a good half of the people running around with a human face are actually glamoured and you've long come to terms with the fact that a large portion of that might be Prospitians. You still prefer those trying to blend in and just living their life over those that make no secret of what an invasive species they are. Part of you is astounded how easy you find it to brush this off. But honestly, he already looks like a Prospitian with how spindly and weak is. "So what? Are you going to undress down to your shell here? If it's any consolation, I find you more infuriating for your total disregard of common sense than whatever color you hide under your skin. In fact, a Dersite treating me with such blatant disrespect despite knowing better would be far more unforgivable." You play your piece and direct your attention back at him. "While we're sharing secrets. I'm in glamour too. I know. Shocking."

PI Yesterday at 12:09 PM

"Tch." You roll your eyes as you finally take a drink from your cup. It's quite amazing, how time and time again he manages to say things in such a way that when you should feel some sort of relief it only results in pushing your buttons further.  Insufferable. Setting the mug down, you take a moment actually enjoying the silence as you contemplate your next move...not that you're really paying all that mind to tactics right now but may as well put up some pretense of skill here.  The piece is set and you look at him. "So. You're serious about this."  less a statement and more a question.

Kingpin Yesterday at 12:31 PM

"I am seriously considering it." You take a sip of your own drink and answer with your own move. "I know, I can hardly believe it myself." Your eyes meet his. A merciless stare. You got him where you want him now. Maybe not in the game, but definitely here at the table. It all depends on his answer now. He still has the chance to back out, but you doubt he will.

PI Yesterday at 12:43 PM

You match his stare for a few seconds before you lean back and pull out your phone, flipping it open.  You take a moment typing something in before closing it and pocketing it away.  With your now free hand you pick up your cup to take another sip as you calmly move your next piece without a word. [https://dilldaydreamer.tumblr.com/post/182732779617]

Well, mostly calm. There is a slight shake to your hand as it moves. "Had one asked me a year ago if I'd be here and now, I'd have laughed in their face."

Kingpin Yesterday at 1:20 PM

You're curious about what may be important enough to interrupt with his phone, but you're not going to bother asking. You look at the board and for the first time in this game, you pause to contemplate. Maybe about your next move, maybe about something else. "It's interesting, isn't it? The places we end up in."

PI Yesterday at 1:38 PM

He'll see what you did soon enough, you have no doubt on that.  It was for all intents, a move a few steps ahead that you seem to be fond of.

"It is." you agree as you look between the contents of your mug and the board.  "For so many intents and purposes this was not a place I should have ever been in.  And yet, hard to imagine a place other."  There's almost a laugh at the end of that sentence.  You can't imagine it's the same for him in any way.  It wouldn't surprise you if Derse was essentially in his veins. "Life's funny like that at times."

Kingpin Yesterday at 11:05 PM

You'd definitely say Derse is in your veins. And yet, this place and life are so far removed from anything you've known. Too much change for an old King like you. To also date a Prospitian is a fairly small step in comparison. Honestly, you had your fair share of flings on either side over centuries of war. "It sure is." Well, you said all you wanted to. Kind of still waiting for his answer, but if he needs time to think about it... disappointing, but you're willing to give it to him. All that seems to be left for now is to finish the game with delicious awkward silence. You finally move your piece. Not a grand game, as you take notice, but not nearly as abysmal as the previous ones against him despite all the distraction.

PI Yesterday at 11:31 PM

That awkward silence does creep in, as you find yourself unable to think of anything to add to the conversation.  If only because your head is inwardly spinning and screeching its protests over the possible repercussions of what you posted.  That horrible whirling machination of what-ifs and what will people say and oh god Sleuth is going to have a damn field day.  You can already hear Ace getting ready to sass you...and that's if you are fortunate.

So you try to distract yourself with the game, get your mind off that future problem, and with how jittery you feel perhaps its best to switch to tea.  Between moves, you watch the server and try to lift you hand to flag them when they make a round but...no luck.  Hnhnghn...curse your skills of unassuming nature working against you.

You play a piece, and study the board.  "Pardon me." is all you say as you rise to your feet to make your way to the counter...not really overly concerned with the possibility of him cheating so much once again feeling self conscious of how astoundingly cold it is everywhere because of STUPID SHORTS.  Ughhghgh...focus on getting tea.

Kingpin Today at 12:24 AM

Look at him struggle. This alone almost made the whole meeting worth it. You look after him for a bit, then pull your phone out to check if you missed any important messages. You're a busy man after all. After that, you notice that there's been a post on his blog. (Not that you subscribed to notifications to it or anything. That would be silly. No, you had time and checked it. In case.) What you read honestly leaves you a bit speechless. That is an answer. More than you expected, faster than you expected, yet he didn't give it to you face to face, that god damn pissant. You're.. honestly impressed and mildly amused, mixed in with what can be best expressed as the blinking guy gif. That accusation though, how dare he. You had your plans, and now it's going to look like you're only doing it because he challenged you. And you can't NOT do it or you're proving his point. God. You hate moments like this. Fuck him. But fine, you can play this game. You put your phone away and sip on the rest of your sweet milky coffee as wait for him to return.

PI Today at 12:40 AM

You order tea, and are momentarily distracted by the pastry display...a nice diversion from your own headspace really.  Though the temptation for cookies is strong, you probably don't need anymore sugar right now as you're still feeling the jitters.  With tea ordered, you return to the chair to give a glance at the board.  None of the pieces seem to have moved at least to your recollection.  So either he moved very subtly or indeed is not a cheater. And that's when you remember the awkward silence part of things.  Hngnh...leaning back you debate if you should remind him it's his turn or just sit awkwardly for your tea to arrive and hope he does it unprompted.  Ehhhhnn....fine. "Your move." you gesture to the board as you try to consider any possible tactics or moves to play...oof. You really didn't put any planning into this game.

Kingpin Today at 1:19 AM

You stare at the board long and hard, still contemplating your next move, the muscles in your jaw tensing notably. Not that the board offers a lot of complex strategies going forward. Eventually you just shrug. "Hm. I'm bored of it. You win this one." You set your cup aside and check that all your belongings are still present by pulling them out, then putting them back again. Phone, check. Keys, check. Wallet, check (taking out the payment for the day, while at it). His glasses - oh yeah, keeping those. Then you lift yourself up from your seat. "It was nice, despite all. Thank you for the game."

PI Today at 1:38 AM

Glancing between the board and him, you contemplate which possible moves he may make...only for your brows to instinctively go up as he declares bored defeat.  Granted you can't deny this is a rather mediocre game, but even so you feel a bit insulted since once again you've turned the move over to him and he just disengages now bored.  How frustratingly fickle. It's hard not to pay attention to him sifting his belongings, though your eyes narrow as you recognize your glasses.  That absolute ass.  Your fingers twitch as for a second you debate trying to snatch them out of his hands but decide better, turning your head to feign indifference.  "It was.  Same to you.  Perhaps another time, hopefully you won't get bored so quickly."

Kingpin Today at 2:14 AM

You straighten your sleeves some as you stare down at him, still contemplating, though you're already set on your next move. "Oh, surely. Might just be the game. Ah, let me try a thing." You reach down, but not for one of the figures, no. You grab him by the collar and with a mighty pull you drag him halfway across the table, no regard for any pieces or cups that clatter to the ground. It might be turning a few heads, but you made sure the tip will cover the trouble. He doesn't like public arenas? Too bad. Before he has any chance to react, you lean down and violently press your lips on his. And you're definitely making sure his healing lip is gonna be bleeding again when you're done. "Thought so. Quite a delicious display." You release him fairly quickly, more than satisfied with your work as your smug face betrays. "Check."

PI Today at 4:05 AM

His movement catches the corner of your eye, but it isn't until you feel the grasp on your collar that you realize he wasn't picking up the chess pieces.  Your attempts to sputter out in surprise are stopped short as you're pulled into a kiss.  The sound of errant chess pieces and at least one cup with saucer shattering ring in your ears as you feel your face turn hot.

You weren't expecting this, and in hindsight you should have which only makes this even more on you as you feel like every eye in the cafe is probably staring now. As he pulls away, you already know your lip is back to bleeding from the sting as your cheeks are probably scarlet red...and the look on his face.  You sputter, stammer, inwardly a part of you knows you're going to be fuming mad once it fully sinks in that he got you at a loss of words where all you can do is flounder. And then...he uses the same single word on you that you used prior and your eyes narrow. That arrogant son of a....you have half a mind to try to throw the chessboard directly in his face.  The other half is reminding you that you don't want to get kicked out of this cafe.  But the idea of him walking out and leaving you in front of all these people...no! Oh no he doesn't. "Y-you. Yooooou." is all you manage to spit out as you reach into your wallet to pull out some cash to throw onto the table, not caring if it's more than what was needed for your cost.  You don't care if this looks like a retreat, damn it, damnit all.  With a quick gesture you snatch your own coat up and start to make your departure with haste.  You're just mad, and you can't even think of words right now and that is only making you more upset because he's probably going to have a right chuckle and just. UGH.(edited)

Kingpin Today at 8:23 AM

Oh god are you smug. You didn't expect him to flee the scene this quick, but it's just what he deserves for that little stunt he pulled. You're oh so tempted to call a 'Checkmate.' after him, but you've already made a scene as is, so the thought is dropped quickly - at least for now. You collect what is left of the board and handle the payment for the orders and apologize for the mess you caused. Though frankly, random bouts of pitch should be expected in this city. Once that is done, you take your leave with all the calm and satisfaction in the world.

[lunamanar]

Another random question: Do you think Rinoa and Cloud would get along?

(OR: In which I write a three-page disclaimer and spend half as much time actually answering the question.)

So this question caught me by surprise, and I had to take some time to think about it. Because a lot of SquarEnix main protags get pegged as being same-y, not just facially but in their general dispositions, and “The Weather Team” of 7-8-13 fame in particular is often held up as a prime example of this. Quiet, surface-level misanthropy covering up a mountain of sensitivities is admittedly a tired teenage/early 20s trope, and especially when it comes to Cloud and Squall, I think it’s easy to paint their personalities in broad strokes, and assume they’re basically all the same person with just enough details altered to pretend they’re different. 

But I really don’t think that’s a fair assessment, and in order to answer a question like this I felt I had to really get into why it’s not. So, sorry for the delay in answering, because I had to take some time to organize my thoughts about it. 

OK, so, story/ramble time: 

Part of my need for that time is that, while I really like FFVII, it’s far from my favorite Final Fantasy. FFV and FFVI vie for the number 2 slot, FFXIII and XIII-2 as a unit occupy number 4, and FF Type-0 number 5…FFVII is a somewhat distant 6 or 7, depending on my mood switching out with FFX. I think that when I take FFVII on its own terms, I like it better than most other FFs, but all the additions–Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, even Kingdom Hearts if you count that–have kind of muddied my appreciation for the original. So VII and its characters, as a whole, are a very complicated box of other self-contained boxes that my brain interprets differently depending on whether I take them as their own standalone set of stuff or consider them as part of a larger whole. 

I admit to a bit of pearl-clutching in this regard; when FFVII came out, I was dazzled by it. I loved the post-apocalyptic vibe of Midgar, and the empty, lonely feeling of the low-poly overworld. I think my enjoyment of that world was actually helped by the sheer lack of knowledge I had about it. At the time I first played it, I knew nothing about its conception or what had been lost in translation. I knew nothing about the Japanese fandom, the huge shifts that were happening within then-Squaresoft as a company, or the reject-characters (Edea, Fujin, Raijin, and Irvine) who would one day star in FFVIII and what their role would have originally been in FFVII (Edea had something to do with JENOVA, Fujin and Raijin were going to be Turks, and Irvine was replaced by Vincent). I had no idea that literally half of FFVII’s story was missing from the game itself, and that half again that amount would later be added and ret-conned into the original. 

And frankly, when all that started to happen…I didn’t like it. I lost interest for quite a while. By that time, I already had FFVIII, and I didn’t really care to sink time and money into a game world whose story, and that of its characters, had already been told as far as I was concerned. I didn’t actually revisit VII at all until circa 2013, when a friend of mine convinced me to start writing FFVIII fiction again. She was a big Crisis Core fan who loved Genesis, and she really pulled me back into VII as an entity just because of her enthusiasm about it. 

So it’s kinda funny because I really only started exploring FFVII’s “extended universe” with any real vigor at the same time I was re-immersing myself in FFVIII’s comparatively cohesive lore (which is an…odd, way to describe FFVIII, to say the least, but by comparison, it’s true). 

All of this is to illustrate that, simply, I am not the most qualified analyst of FFVII-anything, including Cloud, his personally, who he is and how he acts. There are many more intelligent people who have spent far more time and effort picking apart his character, who know more about him than I do and can render a more complete picture of his motivations and likely reactions and interactions with various personalities. My Final Fantasy “home” is FFVIII, and that is the only game (with the possible exception of FFV) that I feel comfortable enough in my knowledge to form complete and detailed opinions about re: any given character. It’s much more likely that my understanding of characters outside of that universe, especially a character with as much backstory as Cloud Strife, is going to be missing a lot of potentially pertinent details and considerations that I would ideally have at my disposal, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that before I answer, if only because there are so many fans out there who feel very passionately about FFVII and everything to do with it. So, I am in no uncertain terms saying it: I am not a Cloud Strife expert and I may at some point make an assumption about him in this answer that is contradicted entirely by canon evidence that happened to escape me at the time of writing. 

I’m basically winging it. I’m going off my personal impressions of his character, some of which are 20 years old at this point, plus a little bit of fact-checking I did before posting this. So to my knowledge, no individual facts I’m referencing here are incorrect, but it’s possible some of the conclusions I draw may be inaccurate because I missed some information somewhere due to not being 100% invested in the vast, complex and in some cases contradictory plot that is FFVII. For that I apologize ahead of time. 

(This is, actually, the single reason why I have never written any kind of crossover fiction. To do so and feel good about it, I’d have to be equally invested in each and every universe involved. The three games I feel comfortable enough with in my knowledge to actually write for are FFVIII, Secret of Mana, and the R-TYPE series. Uh. Those aren’t exactly the best candidates for overlapping themes/universes, so…)

*breathes*ANYWAY. Okay so I’m going to actually answer your question. And it’s going to be short by comparison. Sorry about that. 

The way I understand Cloud, and the reason I felt the need to preface this with all that mess, is that the answer is “yes, sort of, eventually.” But with caveats. 

Rinoa is the sort of person to wear her heart on her sleeve, unashamedly. And she actively advocates just that: that emotions are part of who a person is and not something to feel shame over, and expressing them is as much an act of integrity as it is courageous (that’s why, assuming you make certain dialogue choices, she may accuse Squall of being ‘dishonest’ at certain points). I think, assuming Cloud treated her with his oft-wordless, minimalist’s-guide-to-introvert-socialization front right off the bat, she would initially find him to be frustrating and–where Squall emoted at least enough to indicate he had an emotional reaction that contradicted his attitude–Cloud’s more practiced cynicism and “why speak if you can just stare or shrug” philosophy would be a lot less cute to Rinoa. Where Squall deflects with whatevers and various degrees of you’re-doing-it-wrong, which at least indicate discomfort and a degree of genuine interest, Cloud’s unmitigated I-don’t-cares and when-do-I-get-paids would be likely to come off as genuinely dismissive, rather than defensive. This would make her less curious, and in turn less tolerant of Cloud’s apparent misanthropy. 

(Though I start with these comparisons for the sake of illustrating Rinoa’s way of filtering information, I don’t think her impression of Cloud is a question of comparing him to Squall; this would all hold true whether she knew Squall already or not.)

So I think, at first, Rinoa wouldn’t really like Cloud that much, and at least for a while, he wouldn’t give her a lot of reasons to think she was wrong about her first impressions of him as arrogant, cynical and maybe even a little greedy. Basically she’d echo a lot of what Barret had to say about him, but with a lot less swearing. 

And I think, actually, Barret is a good comparison, because it would take about as long for Rinoa to think much differently of Cloud. Not to wander too far into the land of the hypothetical, but a few dizzy spells and flashbacks in, she’d probably clue in that something wasn’t quite as it seemed with him. The more opportunities Cloud has to abandon the group, and doesn’t, the more she’d begin to suspect, and she wouldn’t be quiet about those suspicions; either Cloud has an ulterior motive, or he’s not as callous as he seems. Either possibility is exactly the sort of thing Rinoa would pick at until it bled, for good or ill. 

Without knowing more about the scenario (if there is one), I can’t really say how Rinoa, as I know her, would ultimately stand with Cloud--as a friend, an enemy, or somewhere in between--but I think the more she knows about him, the more she would think he’s actually a pretty okay person with a ton of problems oh my goodness, even if it really seemed at first like he was just an immature jerk. The fog of war is especially thick with Cloud (appropriately, no?), but given time, I think Rinoa would find her way through it. Perhaps, however, not without doing some damage, in the process. 

[i-found-your-shoe]

Where My Demons Hide - Part 3

[Sam, Dean, Reader]

In the month and a half since you had joined the boys, Dean's attitude towards you had changed. You weren't lying when you said you lived on whiskey and cheeseburgers, which impressed him. You shot better than he thought you would, though you could use better technique. And you didn't complain about the music he played in the car, singing along at times, and even agreeing that Bon Jovi rocks - on occasion.

He taught you defensive maneuvers and better shooting techniques, Sam taught you lore and how they do research, and in return, you taught them Krav Maga.

And currently, you were teaching them to not underestimate you at the pool table. You were bent over the table, lining up your shot and pretending to not see Sam staring at your ass. You bit your lip, hit the cue ball, and sank your shot in one try. Sam cheered. For once, he bet against his brother, much to Dean's chagrin. You winked at Dean, who sat his beer down a little too hard, and lined up his shot. You leaned back against the wall and lit a cigarette. This was the only room you were allowed to smoke in and you took advantage of it.

You took a sip of your beer as Dean took his shot and remembered your news. “Oh! Guess what?”

“Fuck!” Dean exclaimed as he missed. “What?”

“After this last batch of paperwork clears, guess who will be a fabulous millionaire?”

Sam choked on his drink. “Wha-? MILLIONAIRE?”

“Multi.” you laughed. “And it'll stay that way as long as the stock market stays up.”

“You play the stocks?” Dean asked, setting his pool stick down.

“My father didn't raise a fool. He taught me a few things. My current account is sitting at over a million and a half at the moment. Some from a trust fund, some from stocks.. Most hard earned, though.” Both men looked at you, bewildered. “What? You thought the two of you were paying for the nicer hotel rooms?”

“How - uh, how much exactly are you getting?” Sam asked, genuinely curious.

“Five or six from my parents accounts. Four from insurance. As long as I'm around, no more shitty motels.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Maybe we should keep her.”

“You're just spoiled by the continental breakfasts.” you laughed.

“Unlimited bacon, (y/n). Unlimited freakin’ bacon.” he shrugged.

“Nothing is final yet. But it should go smoothly. And then, you boys don't have to commit credit card fraud anymore. Just think of me as your Sugar Momma.” You bent over the pool table again, tongue poking out of the side of your mouth, and lined up your next shot. “Sam, you got winner?”

“Huh?” he replied; your question snapping him out of his trance.

You laughed again. “I've almost won. Am I kicking your arse next? Or are we done?”

Sam watched as you took your shot, sinking again on the first try, and victoriously picked your cigarette up from the ashtray. He knew you thought it was a horrible habit, but he was mesmerized by the way you tucked your bottom lip in to lick it before you raised your fingers to your lips. And the tiny, perfect little O shape you made when you exhaled. And the way you glanced at him, subconsciously licking your lip again.

“You won't kick my ass.” Sam smirked.

“We'll see about that.” you replied, raising an eyebrow at his cockiness.

After thoroughly wiping the floor with both Winchesters, you took your winnings and headed back to your room and settled into bed.

A few minutes later, Sam pointed his head in the door. “Hey, you, uh, planning on keeping your ass in bed tonight? Or creeping into my room again?”

Your eyes widened and you played dumb. “I…don't know what you're talking about.”

Sam opened the door all the way and threw your pillow at your face. “This was in my floor, liar.”

You sighed. “Sorry… I, uh… Couldn't sleep. So, when I can't… I've been camping on your floor. Just…once or twice a week, maybe.”

“Nightmares, still?”

You nodded and he walked in, sitting in your desk chair. “I didn't want to say anything. I, um, I've been working so hard to prove that I can do this. I didn't want Dean, or you, to see it as weakness or something…”

“(y/n), believe me. Dean and I? We're…professionals at the nightmare thing. Sometimes it comes with the territory. Nightmares are a no judgment zone. You've been doing great. You even took down that vampire like a pro.”

You chuckled. “One vampire out of, like, fifteen.”

“You saved me, didn't you?”

“Purely selfish reasoning, of course. If you died, Dean would have to teach me how to research.” You faked a grimace.

It was Sam's turn to laugh. “That would be pretty horrible. He can barely Google.”

“But he does know how to find beautiful, busty Asians.” You groaned, remembering when you accidentally came across his porn stash while researching the vamp nest.

“Get some sleep, (y/n). And if you find yourself having any more nightmares, my bed is open. You know.. So you aren't sleeping on the floor.” Sam cleared his throat as his cheeks turned pink.

“Are you asking me to sleep with you? Most men offer me dinner first.” You grinned, causing him to blush harder.

“I-”

“I'm kidding. Drinks will do.” you winked. “Goodnight, Sam.”

“Goodnight, (y/n).”

The next morning, you trudged into the kitchen to see Sam making breakfast and Dean struggling with the new coffee maker you had bought.

You let out a yawn as Dean grinned. “Mornin’, Stitch.”

“Oi, fuck off.” You groaned. He hadn't mentioned what happened the day before and you were hoping he had forgotten, but obviously he hadn't.

“Am I missing something?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

“(Y/n) has a tattoo.” Dean grinned wider.

“Yeah. I know. We've seen them.” He rolled his eyes.

“Oh ho, not this one.” Dean chuckled, finally getting his cup of coffee to begin brewing.

“Dean….walked in on me changing while you were out yesterday.” You grimaced.

“It's on her butt.”

“On your b-” Sam began to ask.

“YES, ON MY BUTT. STRAIGHT ON THE ARSECHEEK.” You groaned again. “I got it when I was 16 with my best friend. It's Stitch and it says Ohana.”

“On your ass cheek.” Sam stifled a laugh.

“The left one.” Dean chimed in.

“Fuck you guys. I'm going back to bed.”

“Oh, come on, (y/n). Don't be a spoilsport. I'm just messing with you.” Dean stuck out his bottom lip.

Sam chuckled as he made himself a cup of coffee. “So when do I get to see it?” he asked, cheekily.

“That's why I don't tell people about it. Everyone always asks me to see it.” you replied, taking the fresh cup of coffee out of his hands and taking a sip.

“Hey!”

“That's what you get, Sammy.” you winked.

Dean curled his lip. “Get a room, you two.”

You stuck out your tongue and began adding sugar to the coffee. “So, now that we've addressed my arse, when are you going to let me kick some more monster butt?”

“Don't get cocky. You've killed one vampire.” Dean stated. “And you shouldn't have even been there for that one.”

“But I was there. And I was awesome.” You shrugged.

“Cocky gets you killed, (y/n).” Dean raised an eyebrow.

“And yet, here you stand. The cockiest of us all.” You challenged.

“Yeah, and I've been to Hell and back more times than you can count. How many times do you think I've died, Sammy?”

“Are we counting the Tuesday? Because if we count the Tuesday…. Roughly, 120.”

You raised your eyebrows and your eyes widened in shock. “120? As in twenty more than a hundred?”

“To be fair, The Tuesday was a time loop. But I died a lot. Sammy still can't watch Groundhog Day. Or listen to Heat of the Moment.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, it was kinda traumatic.”

“Fine. Cocky gets you killed. I get it.” you crossed your arms over your chest. “I'll wait then. Ignoring the fact that I'm more of a hands-on learner and everything. I'll just read books and look at websites and do nothing completely productive.”

“(y/n)....” Sam began.

“Look, Stitch..” Dean started at the same time.

“Oh, is that my nickname now?”

“Of course. Look, I'd rather you be safe than dead. This is still a trial run. If you die, you will bet know if you'd have made it or not.”

“Research is just as important as the hunt. You can't hunt if you don't know how to kill what you're hunting.”

“I said I get it.”

“You're no good to us dead, (y/n).” Sam gave you a small smile.

“I know.” you returned a very unenthusiastic smile.