#just a small thing to appreciate you and our friendship and those of our characters 🤎🎅🏼🥰😄

[cursed-herbalist]

BESTIES X CHRISTMAS

röter aka rosa and jupiter kavery aka alexej and lunas sily aka silas and brandy

A/N: Your wish is my command XD (I thought I'd bring on the Christmas vibes a bit more.) But seriously, I’m so glad we stumbled upon each other and get to create stories and characters together! It wouldn’t have been the same without you! And I so appreciate our little discord talks ♡

@potionboy3

[all-mirth-no-matter]

Time After Time | Chapter Nine

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader, Tommy Shelby x Original Female Character

Summary: You’re invited to stay the night at the Delphi camp. Despite the the way you feel after your reading, Tommy urges you not to cause trouble and to pretend like everything’s okay until you leave in the morning. Easier said than done…

Warning: language, alcohol, harassment, ethnic slur, almost smut

ao3 link | catch up on tumblr here

Chapter Nine: Dancing in the Moonlight

We like our fun and we never fight. You can't dance and stay uptight, it's a supernatural delight. Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight.  — Dancing in the Moonlight, King Harvest

You were not a light weight. 

Working in a bar for many years and having learned quite a few drinking games in college, your tolerance for alcohol had grown to an impressive height. 

At least, that’s what you thought. 

The thing was, having traveled back a hundred years, the food and drinks were a completely different animal. 

For starters, just the simple access to food was something that, even to this day, you were still getting adjusted to. For the first month, you didn’t think you’d ever go a day when the subtle ache in your stomach from hunger would subside. It felt like a permanent fixture of your daily routine at that point. 

You seriously could not wait until home refrigerators became an affordable thing. Or non-mice-infested pantries. 

The hunger began to ease once your friendship with Ada deepened and your job with the Shelbys became routine. You weren’t sure if Polly could instinctively sense your in-neediness, or if it was just part of her caretaker character after looking after her niece and nephews for most of their lives — but either way, Polly was always shoving a plate or cup of something in front of you when you found yourself sitting in the family kitchen or the sitting room. 

You thought it was odd at first, especially at the beginning when you didn’t think she liked you at all. But eventually you came to understand, and appreciate.

That appreciation bloomed tenfold when the boys came back and you stopped going over to the Shelby house for a couple weeks. Especially on the days when you were so busy and worked at the pub for such long hours, you’d get home and realized you hadn’t had a bite to eat at all since you woke up that morning. 

You didn’t let yourself have too many of those days before you got smart, thinking ahead to stash some food in the pub office to eat on a break or when you got off work. 

Thankfully, the night you’d played your drinking game with Tommy had been one of those days when you’d remembered to eat. 

Today, you were beginning to realize, had not been one of those days. 

After you and Tommy left Madam Despoina’s caravan, Johnny Dogs led you both to a bon fire and a blur of people shoved a plate of something in your right hand and a cup of something else in your left. 

Not giving a flying fuck in the world about what was in the cup, you knew it had to be alcohol and you were desperate for some kind of solace from the absolute madness that you’d just had to endure. 

So you downed the cup. And an instant later, someone was refilling it and you graciously downed it again without even so much as looking at your plate. 

How did they expect you to eat after everything that’d just happened? How did Tommy expect you to just hang out with these people like their leader hadn’t just mind fucked the hell out of you? How were you supposed to act normal, like nothing happened, when you couldn’t even understand how your feet were moving under your body at this very moment? 

Your cup was full again. By the time you felt a pair of hands grab your waist and pull you toward a seat by the fire, it was empty. 

Without even looking to see who’s hands were on you, you knew it was Tommy. You should have been over analyzing the way your body had grown so comfortable with these small touches so quickly, but your brain was fritzing too much to appreciate again. 

“You need to relax,” you heard softly, the vibrate of his voice against your ear and body heat against your side made you shutter. 

Someone came over to refill your glass again, but before you could raise it to your lips, Tommy relinquished the drink from your grasp. Your brow furrowed as you looked over at him, noticing him give a pointed look at the refiller before meeting your eyes. 

His brow lifted at your confusion and nodded toward the still untouched plate in your other hand. “Not ‘nother sip until you eat.” 

You pouted slightly, missing the way his stern expression turned into amusement by your disappointment as you started to dig into the meat.

“If you expect me to relax and be sober tonight after what just happened, you’re crazy —“ 

“What I expect is for you to not cause trouble, to play merry guest to our hosts so that we get out of here unscathed in the morning,” his deep low voice vibrated through you once more at his closeness, and it made you shiver again. 

He mistook your body’s reaction to his voice for being cold and wrapped his arm around you, rubbing your shoulder to try and warm you up while ordering you to keep eating. His body felt like a fortress around yours, and your brain began to slow in its spiraling. 

You looked up at Tommy, watching the light from the fire dance across his brilliant blues as they continued to scan your surroundings. A feeling crept up in you as you outlined the profile of his face, focusing on where sharp lines met soft curves until you felt him pull you even closer to him, the arm around you tightening. 

“May we help you?”

For a moment you thought Tommy was talking to you, having been so focused on him that you hadn’t heard anyone else approach the two of you. 

Your head finally turned and your eyes adjusted until they landed on the man who escorted the three of you into the camp standing in front of you. His eyes were moving between you and Tommy, lingering longer on you, which caused Tommy’s grip to tighten again. 

“Just wanted to see if the lady wanted to dance,” the man replied, sounding innocent enough as he stepped aside and gestured to the group of people dancing next to the fire. Music was playing somewhere on the other side and you were surprised that you hadn’t noticed it before. 

“Perhaps later,” Tommy answered for you. “After she’s had a chance to finish eating.”

The plate that was still in your hand suddenly felt heavy at his words, remembering his instructions. 

You were hating that in the last couple days, you felt like your brain was constantly trying to catch up with your surroundings. Usually you prided yourself on your awareness, but ever since Tommy flew into your life it felt like you couldn’t keep up. 

It didn’t help that you were at least moderately buzzed at this point. 

“Dancing would be fun,” you said, mostly to yourself, once the man left.

You felt Tommy sigh as you continued to pick off another piece of the meat.

“Fine,” Tommy said, rising from his seat. You shivered at the quick removal of his body heat from your side as you looked up at him confused. He offered his hand to you, “Let’s dance.”

“Um,” you hesitated, but moved to set down your plate as you took his hand and he pulled you upright. Your eyes scanned the bon fire where the others were dancing as Tommy led you closer, his hand on your back. “I, um — I actually don’t really know how to dance.” 

“Really?” He seemed genuinely surprised at your reveal, pulling you closer to him as you got to the dirt dance floor. “Well, allow me the honor of teachin’ you.” 

He smiled as he faced you, taking your right hand in his and you instinctively placed your left hand on his shoulder. Your eyes continued to scan behind Tommy, trying to take in the motions of those around you to mimic as best you could. You saw Johnny Dogs spinning a woman around, both enjoying themselves to the upbeat tempo. There didn’t seem to be a pattern, but everyone looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. It eerily reminded you of dance clubs back in your time — rhythmic chaos.

“Eyes here,” Tommy’s soft voice snapped your eyes back to his, feeling his hand settle once again at the base of your back, pulling you closer to him. “The dancin’ at a gypsy camp is much different than a ballroom. You’ll find it’s quite difficult to waltz when the mud sticks to your soles.” 

You chuckled at that, still feeling a little insecure as he began to move, taking a step backwards, and then forward, as your bodies began to hop to the beat. It was simple, like walking. But you couldn’t stop your eyes from watching your feet, unsure where Tommy’s lead was going to take you and paranoid that you’d step on his feet. 

“Eyes, Y/N,” Tommy said again, his voice with more authority but still amused as you looked sheepishly back up at him. He chuckled, “If you watch your feet you’re bound to trip. Keep your eyes on your partner and your body will follow.”

“Tell that to your feet later,” you countered, still skeptic in his advice. 

“Everyone can do the foxtrot — even me.”

Your chin nudged to the people beside you, who were dancing much wilder than you and Tommy. “And them? What dance are they doing?” 

Tommy shrugged, “A variety, I suppose. Looks fun, dunnit?” 

At that, Tommy pushed you outward and whipped the hand still holding yours so you’d spin back into him, your arm and his now wrapped around you as your body collided with his. You squealed in surprise, returning back to your original position. Tommy was smiling down at you as he pulled you in closer, moving your bodies faster than previous as the music quickened. 

“It’s not far off from the dancing you do in the Garrison,” he reminded you. Your mouth opened to counter, a flush of embarrassment of him having watched you dance and sing when you thought you were alone in the pub, but he stopped you. “Just have fun with it. Don’t think, just feel.” 

You hushed your original response and squeezed your lips together. Your eyes moved between his, “First horse steering, now dancing. What else can you teach me?” 

He hummed, his cheek rising in amusement as his gaze moved lower to your lips. 

Of course, Johnny Dogs chose that time to approach the two of you, dancing happily and obliviously as he shouted his greeting over the music. 

“Johnny would be a much better teacher of dancing, I’m afraid you’ve exhausted my abilities,” Tommy said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. You doubted his words, but Johnny perked up at the compliment and bowed dramatically, offering his hand to you politely. 

You hesitated, not wanting to leave the comfort of Tommy’s embrace. Before you could counter, Tommy was handing you off and taking a step back. You missed the warning look shared between Tommy and Johnny Dogs as the latter pulled you closer to the group. 

You looked behind you as Tommy walked back toward the log you’d previously been sitting at, his hands shoving into his pockets. 

Some time passed (ten minutes, an hour, you had no idea) and you were learning that Johnny Dogs was an excellent distraction from your own intrusive thoughts. That, and the drink that kept appearing in your hands. By the fourth or fifth time Johnny Dogs had you spinning with his hand over your head, you found yourself thinking less about the circumstances of where you were and why, and even less about your out-of-time dancing skills, and actually began to relax. 

And though you missed the intimacy of Tommy’s dancing, you found that Johnny Dogs was wonderful company. He was a good-time-Charlie if you’d ever seen one, and kept you smiling and laughing with every hop, skip, and beat. 

You were spinning again, giggling as you kept your eyes closed before your body collided into another. The person grabbed your waist, and for a moment you thought it was Tommy finally coming back to join you. 

But you quickly realized that the touch wasn’t the same, and turned until you faced the man who’d asked you to dance earlier. 

You still didn’t know his name, but he smiled and pulled you in closer, taking your right hand into his left and sliding his right hand around to your back. He held you like he knew you, and all your instincts told you to pull away. But you couldn’t help but hear Tommy’s voice in the back of your mind telling you to behave, play nice until morning. 

“Finally let you off his leash, did’he?” The man said with a wicked grin as he pulled you closer to him. 

You narrowed your eyes at the implication that you were some kind of dog, and was about to say so when he continued. 

“Madam Despoina told us you were someone special,” he went on, his eyes scanning your face, “said to be on our best behavior and to leave ya be. We were placing bets on who ya were. My guess was the missing princess.”

Your brow creased at that, for a moment forgetting the creepy grip and focusing on his words. “Missing princess?”

He chuckled, “Aye. Many a royal blood ‘as come to our camp or requested the Madam’s presence. You’d be surprised how many queens and princesses I’ve seen since joining the camp. They’re never as pretty as you expect them to be. You on the other hand—“

His finger ran down the side of your face before you shrugged away, his hand still around your waist. 

“I was wrong though. No way you’re the missing princess. I’ve ‘eard Russians before, and they sound nothin’ like ya.”

Russian princess? You thought, trying to filter through your rolodex of historical royals. The obvious came to mind. 

“Anastasia? Really?” your voice was less humorous and more ‘are you an idiot’ sounding than you’d meant. 

The infliction didn’t go unnoticed. The man’s smiling face hardened slightly and his grip around your hand tightened. You immediately regretted your tone and looked over your shoulder to where Tommy had been sitting, but the log was empty. 

“He’s gone,” the man said, knowing who you were looking for. “Went to get his own fortune told, no doubt. Men will pay or do anything for an audience with the Pythia.”

It seemed the old woman carried on the tradition of her ancestors. You wondered if this man was right and tried to discretely look around the camp for him, or even Johnny Dogs. Anyone to keep you from doing something that you’d later get in trouble for. 

“Come on, doll face. What, are ya not having fun with me?” he asked, his voice back to what it’d been previously. It reminded you of every guy who’d never taken no for an answer back in your day. 

“I’m just tired,” you finally mustered, trying to pull away from his grip. “I want to go find my friends.”

“Tired, huh? I can find you a place to lay down—”

“I don’t think so,” your voice stronger, your resolve to behave quickly starting to crack with the way this guy wouldn’t let go of you. “Please, let go of me.”

“But you’re drunk, love. Wouldn’t want’ya to fall. That face is so pretty. The Madam wouldn’t forgive me if I let anything happen to ya.” His grip tightened enough to pull your body close against him, this time without the pretense of dancing. He lifted his hand and moved your hair behind your ear, your skin flinching at his touch as you tried to shrug away again. 

You looked around to see if anyone else was noticing the harassment, but during your dance he’d managed to pull far enough from the fire where no one was paying the two of you any mind. 

“I doubt she’d be happy with you pushing yourself on her guest,” you tried to bite out, still trying to maintain some kind of politeness even though you were two seconds away from kicking the guy in the balls and running. 

His eyes narrowed and smile began to fall as his hand grabbed the side of your head, his fingers forcing your face to look up at him while his thumb spread harshly along your cheek. “She said you were important. That you had a gift. Know what that says to me? That you can make someone a lot of money, eh?”

“Get the fuck off me,” you finally spit, balling up the man’s shirt in your fists that were sandwiched between your bodies as you tried to push him away. 

But his grip tightened as his head began to move closer to your face. You thought for sure he was going to try and force himself on you, and you were already prepping to slam your head into his face before his lips could even try and touch yours. 

You didn’t get the chance to. Suddenly, the man was being pulled backwards and Tommy’s face appeared over his shoulder. 

“Mind tellin’ me what you’re doing?” Tommy asked the man, surprisingly calm. 

The man shoved out of his grasp and shook his shoulders. “We were just dancin’!”

You scoffed, “Yeah, and I’ll dance my foot in your ass the next time you grab me like that!”

The man growled, taking a step forward toward you before Tommy grabbed him by the collar, fist full of shirt as he pivoted himself between the two of you and pulled him closer to his face. 

“Do you know who I am?”

The man tried to shove away, but Tommy’s grip was strong and moved to his throat. The creep looked between his captor and then to you, as if you could save him. As if you’d even try. He finally coughed and nodded. 

“So you know what I do. I give you this chance because we are guests of Madam Despoina and we’re not here to make enemies. But I’ll promise you this, there will not be another chance. The next time you lay a finger on her, my blade goes through your fucking throat.”

Tommy let go of him, nearly shoving him to the ground in the process. While the man tried to catch his breath, Tommy reached behind him until your hand was safely in his own. He pulled you to his side, his eyes finally leaving the other man as you both walked back toward the fire. 

Johnny Dogs was running your way, his eyes reading the situation as he looked behind you and began an apology. 

“Save it,” Tommy spat. “Just make sure the horses are ready by dawn. We’re going to the caravan.”

Johnny nodded and you gave him an apologetic look. It wasn’t his fault that the creep had led you away. You weren’t a child and he wasn’t a baby sitter. But you doubted Tommy wasn’t thinking that way. 

He brought you to another wagon similar to the one Johnny Dogs had been driving, parked along the outskirts of the campsite. There was a small fire just outside, and a rope tied from the wagon to the nearby tree. 

You were about to walk in, the drunk part of your brain (who was trying to detach from the traumatic experience you’d just been a part of) eager to see what the inside of this caravan looked like, when Tommy stopped you. 

His grip made you jump, pulling away from it quickly, your defensive guard still sensitive after what had just happened. Tommy held up his hands, obviously reading the situation and silently apologizing. 

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, his hand reaching up to gently touch your face as his eyes scanned you over. 

You breathed out a humorless chuckle at his calmness, “How are you always so— god, you nearly killed that man after he tried to—“ your voice was surprisingly weak as the words died in your throat. 

It wasn’t the first time a man had been grabby with you. Even before your trip to the past, working in a bar and just the everyday life of a girl who enjoyed the occasional night out with her friends. You’d had guys grab you, push themselves against you, even forcibly kiss you. Thankfully, you’d never had anything go further than that. After a time that came too close with a boy you thought was a good friend, you took some self defense classes with your girl friends and started integrating kick-boxing into your workout routine. Since then, you’d only had to use your new skills a handful of times, and luckily each time you’d been able to get away or have the man back off. Even now, in the 20th century, you’d only had to physically fight off one man at the pub, and you’d been lucky to have Harry as backup. But you knew not to let your guard down, especially when you walked the streets after dark. 

What happened to you just now, well it felt much different. It wasn’t a drunkard trying to cop a feel. This man felt like he wanted to own you, control you. And you hated feeling like you couldn’t fight back, all because of whatever social standard bullshit this was supposed to be. 

Suddenly, you were angry at Tommy for having put you in that position in the first place. 

“It took everything for me not to slice his fuckin’ neck open the minute I saw his hands on you,” Tommy replied, his eyes revealing the silent rage behind them. “But that would have spawned a vendetta and a bullet with my name on it by the Delphi family.”

“That what Madam Despoina told you would happen?” you asked, deciding to test the creep’s theory. 

Tommy’s brow creased at your query, his mouth tightened and you already knew your answer. 

“I had to settle payment for our visit,” he explained evenly. “This wasn’t exactly a favor.”

Your anger evaporated as the realities of the situation came into view through your slightly more sober stupor. “How much? Whatever it was, I’ll pay you. Take it out of my paycheck, whatever you need to do.”

Tommy huffed, shaking his head before he started messing with the fire. “Drop it, Y/N—“

“I’m not a hand out, Tommy. And I’m not a doll to be played with at the will of everyone around me,” your voice was harsher than you meant it to be, obviously still affected by the days events. 

It was more than that, even. Your mother, the time jump, being a woman in the 1910s — you were constantly feeling like you were at the mercy of everyone else controlling your life, your future. 

Tommy stood up and cautiously approached you, still sensitive to what you’d just gone through. You suddenly felt dizzy — the alcohol, the adrenaline, the lack of food all in your system. Your knees buckled slightly like a scene out of a cheesy rom-com and Tommy caught you, pulling you against him to stabilize you. 

Your body froze, for a moment feeling like it was in danger again. But you immediately recognized the familiarity of Tommy’s grip and found yourself relaxing into it, trusting his hold on you. 

“You’re a strong woman,” he mused softly, lifting your head up to look at him. “I know you were holding yourself back for my sake. Next time, don’t.”

You all but growled, “You told me to behave.”

“Aye. And I behaved enough for leaving him uncut. But I’d rather face the curse of a fuckin’ angry gypsy than have someone even come close to threatening you again.”

Tommy blinked at his words, obviously surprising himself with them along with you. You didn’t know the first thing about Romani curses, but you knew enough to realize that what Tommy had just said meant something serious. 

He cleared his throat, his grip still holding onto you. “I’ll find out from Johnny Dogs who he is in the mornin’. Whoever he is, he’s high enough to be given escort duties. Believe me, I’ll make sure his actions don’t go unnoticed.”

You nodded, surprisingly okay with letting him take the reigns in how to handle this situation. 

“Go on now,” he nudged you toward the caravan. “The clothes we packed are inside. Change, and I’ll hang up your dress on the line so the mud dries by morning.”

At his words, you lifted up your skirt and felt the heaviness of the wet mud soaked in the fabric. You surprised yourself with how used to the dirt you’d gotten, not even noticing the weight anymore or that your socks were always just slightly damp. 

You climbed up the stairs and sat at the top, leaning forward to unlace your boots and slide off your shoes and sock. He tied the laces of your boots together and hung them and your socks over the line. 

You sent Tommy another look as you stood up at the top of the stairs, half worried that he’d disappear again like he had when he left you to dance. 

He seemed to recognize your look and moved to the doorway. This was the first time you’d ever been taller than Tommy, and you took in the new angle of his face as your fingers itched to reach out. 

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, love. Go, get dry and warm. I’ll stand guard right here where you can see me.”

Silently, you nodded as you finally entered the caravan. 

Inside, an oil lamp and a few candles were lit so you could see, and you were surprised at how big the inside was. It was different than the one you’d been in to meet Madam Despoina. It was interesting how much it resembled a modern day sleeping RV — bed palette against the back wall, vanity to your right, even a small stove and fireplace to your left. You ran your hand along the wall and marveled at the beauty of the carvings and ornate decorations that lavished the space. The whole thing was absolutely beautiful and you wanted to meticulously look at every single piece of art that was this caravan. 

Your foot hit the bag Tommy had packed you and you remembered what you were there for, rummaging through and grabbing the nightgown Tommy had shoved in there without you realizing. Luckily, it’d been one of the clean ones, and you sent a quick prayer to whatever god you needed to be thanking for this miracle. Even if you were in the 1910s, you’d still be mortified if you had to share a bed with a man wearing dirty clothes. 

You paused, both realizing and wondering if you actually were going to be sharing this bed with Tommy tonight. On the vanity, there was an empty bowl and pitcher of water. You peeled out of your warm clothes, peeking over your shoulder to double check that the door was still closed while still being able to see Tommy’s silhouette through the stained glass. The cold air hit your skin, and you were suddenly thankful for this centuries insistence on wearing multiple layers of clothing. 

You sacrificed a splash or two of water from the pitcher to give yourself a quick hand wash, focusing on the essentials at the moment — your hands, face, neck, arm pits, under your breasts, and between your legs, even swishing some in your mouth and spitting it into the unlit fireplace. You gave yourself a sniff with semi-satisfaction (not that you trusted your sense of smell at all anymore, though being out of Birmingham and in the outdoors definitely increased the aroma in the air) before finally throwing on the nightgown. 

You appraised yourself in the small vanity mirror, pulling the pins out of your hair and combing it with your fingers until some of the tangles released. In the nightgown, a scene from the movie The Mummy came to mind and you felt like Evie from the boat scene, realizing that in just a few fictional years Brendan Fraser would be battling over the City of the Dead. 

Shaking the frivolous thought from your head, you gathered up your clothes and finally walked back toward the door, knocking on it before opening. Tommy took them from you and secured them on the line before standing back in front of the doorway. His eyes took you in, and you suddenly felt shy, questioning the sheerness of the nightgown with the light illuminating behind you. 

“Oh, you need to change too!” You realized, almost jumping as you tried to figure out where you needed to go in order for him to do that. 

“Hand me the bag, I can change out here.”

Your brow creased. “It’s way too cold out here for you to do that.”

“It’s too cold for you to stand out here in just that as well,” he responded, gesturing toward you. Feeling even more exposed, you found yourself crossing your arms over your chest, as if that could hide anything. 

He took off his jacket, and for the first time you noticed the shoulder holster. He hadn’t had it on the other night, which you found curious, and you were realizing that aside from the blade in his hat, this was the first time you were seeing Tommy Shelby with a weapon.

Your eyes moved with the movement of his hands as he began to unhooked his watch chain before putting it and the watch back in the pocket. He shrugged off the holster, cradling it in the bend of his arm as he started unbuttoning his vest. The motion snapped you out of your gaze as you stood there awkwardly, wondering if you should be turning away to give him his privacy when he handed the contents and his hat to you. “Hang these on the hook inside.”

You moved at his instructions, ready to make yourself busy. Before you could return to the doorway, Tommy was making his way up the steps. You noticed he’d hung up his breeches, socks, and shoes, as well as put out the fire. He stood in the doorway in nothing but his pants, shirt, and shoulder holster, waiting for permission to enter the caravan from you. 

Grabbing the bag that wasn’t yours, you handed it to him and cleared your throat, trying to keep your eyes from staring too long. 

In the past few months since you’d arrived in 1918, you’d been so preoccupied with surviving and trying to figure out what was going on, your love life had been the very last thing on your mind. Even before you time jumped, you’d been going through a dry spell in your dating life.  

Tommy Shelby had reignited something that you hadn’t realized you’d been missing. And despite every reasonable argument you’d had with yourself since the moment you met him, you absolutely couldn’t deny your attraction to him on both an emotional and physical level. 

Suffice it to say, it’d been quite a while since you’d been alone with a man in a bedroom before. And of all the things, there was no way being alone with a 1918’s gangster in his underwear was on your time travel bingo card. 

You were wondering if they had the game bingo yet while Tommy rummaged through the bag, grabbing a pair of socks and handing them to you. 

“These are bound to be much warmer than whatever is in your bag. First rule we learned in France durin’ the winter was to always keep our head and feet warm and dry.”

Unsure how to respond, you grabbed the socks and followed his orders again. You realized what a militant follower you were when you had no idea what to do with yourself or how to handle your own awkwardness. As you sat on the bed and put on the socks, you watched Tommy start up the fireplace easily, mumbling something about wishing he’d done it earlier. But you were already starting to feel warmer with the door shut, the thicker socks, and the extra body heat within the small space. 

You were trying to convince yourself that it was safe falling asleep in this wooden box with a fire burning when Tommy’s voice grew louder. 

“Right, that’ll do it,” he said when he finished, rising from the floor. 

You were still seated on the edge of the bed when he turned toward you. The air grew thick with a tension you easily recognized but refused to name. 

He cleared his throat, dropping his head as he looked down at his feet. “I’ll take the floor. I grabbed the extra blankets when I brought in our bags.”

Your brow creased as you looked from Tommy to the hard, wooden floor, and then behind you to the bed you still sat on. The palette was easily wide enough to fit the two of you. 

“That’s silly,” you found yourself saying before you could stop yourself. Tommy paused putting together his makeshift bed and his eyes snapped to yours. You forced your heart to slow and tried to appear cool. “There’s no way I’m letting you sleep on the ground when there’s plenty of room on the mattress.”

“I didn’t want to impose,” he said cautiously, not yet moving to join you on the bed but also not continuing to make the spot on the floor. 

“We’re not teenagers. I think we can control ourselves,” you chuckled, trying to convince both Tommy and yourself that this was the only reasonable option. “I can trust you, right?”

You surprised yourself with the vulnerability behind your question. Your voice must have implied the same because Tommy’s throat bobbed as he considered it. 

The truth was, you did trust him. The rational part of your brain was calling you crazy, especially after what had just happened. But there was something deep in your gut that made you irrationally feel safe in Tommy’s company. You’d been alone with this man more than you had been with him in the company of others, you realized, and this was nothing different. 

You’d just be laying in a bed. Alone. In your underwear. 

“Yes,” Tommy answered simply, though the strength in his voice held the weight of the implication. “I’d like to still sleep closest to the door, if you don't mind.”

You shook your head, scooting backwards on the mattress until you hit the back wall. 

“You sure you don’t mind?” Tommy asked as he approached the bed, throwing the blankets at the foot. “The camp may talk.”

Your brow creased. “Don’t they already think that we’re together anyway, since they only offered us the one caravan to stay in?” 

Tommy shrugged, moving to sit at the edge of the bed, leaning against the wall to face you. “Perhaps. But I could have slept in the wagon we came in, or in Johnny’s caravan.”

“I guess,” you replied, leaning back against the opposite wall. “So why didn’t you?”

He breathed out of his nose before reaching to scratch his neck. “I left you alone once tonight. I’m not plannin’ to do that again, not here at least. If you weren’t comfortable with me staying inside the van, I’d spend the entire night sitting against the door. I’d still do that, if you decide to change your mind.”

You felt your face blush slightly, instinctively moved by the protectiveness of his words. A few hours ago you may have protested against needing the bodyguard-like protection, stating that you could take care of yourself just fine. But after the crazy day you’d had — the dream, the reading, the creep — you decided to give in and let him have his way without the usual color commentary. 

Your pride would never let yourself admit it out loud, but in this moment, you welcomed the safety he was offering and tried to not read too much into it. 

“I’m sorry again for that. I shouldn’t have left you.”

You shrugged, trying to rationalize the situation. “It’s no one’s fault. He was determined to get me alone, it would have happened regardless. I’m just glad you got there before I knocked his teeth in. Or something worse.”

You both remained silent for a beat.

“I wish you hadn’t left, though. I was enjoying dancing with you.”

He scoffed, “I saw how much fun you were having with Johnny Dogs. He’s a much better dancer than I am. You were loosening up more with him.”

You shrugged. “I would have gotten there with you, if you’d stayed. You make me nervous, sometimes.”

Tommy hummed, an amused smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “You didn’t seem nervous in the wagon.”

Your eyes met his, searching to see the exact meaning behind his words. He was talking about your move to kiss him, though he hadn’t said it outright. 

“I was. You hesitated,” your voice softer than you intended, your own insecurities prevalent. 

He breathed in as his eyes flashed down to your lips and then back to meet your eyes. “I’m a cautious man, Y/N.”

“And you don’t trust me,” you swallowed, your eyes dropping down to the spot beside him as Tommy’s own words from earlier that morning rang through your head. 

You heard him breath in deeply through his nose before exhaling. At the feel of him pushing himself off the bed, your eyes moved back to him as you watched him walk to your side of the caravan before sitting back down. 

“I’ll admit, that was an oversimplification to our current situation,” he said as he lifted his hand to your face, his eyes watching your reaction. 

You hated how desperate you wanted him to say he trusted you. So much so, your brain began to scramble to find the words to tell him everything right then and there.

“Tommy,” you breathed out, your mouth ghosting against his as your body instinctively leaned forward.

“You have secrets, but no lies. I can accept that and reciprocate.”

“I don’t want secrets,” you managed to say honestly as your eyes moved between his. 

“Aye. Neither do I. But until then,” his voice died as his thumb brushed across your cheek and his pointer lifted your chin the half inch it needed to line your lips up to his. 

There was no hesitation this time. Tommy kissed you with purpose and depth as his hands raked through your hair to cradle your neck. You met his attention with gusto to match, your hands moving from his chest to his back as you pulled yourself closer. 

When he began to pull away, your arms flexed to keep him against you. You felt his mouth smirk as it hovered over yours, your forehead still pressed against his own before your lips met his again. Your kiss demanded to know why he continued to hold himself back. 

His only response was to tilt his head and open his mouth as his thumb stroked the pulse at your neck before wrapping around your waist. Without warning, he lifted you up and pulled you onto his lap, your legs instinctively wrapping around him as your hands held on to his shoulders. Your fingers found purchase in his hair as you leaned his head back to connect your lips again. 

His hands raked across the expanse of your back and up your sides, his thumb ghosting against the swell of your breasts in an aching tease. On instinct, your hips rolled forward, desperate for some kind of friction to the tightly wound tension that’d been building since the minute you’d seen each other down at the Cut. Tommy’s grip tightened as he groaned at the motion, the evidence of his own enjoyment of your body against his clear as your hips moved to repeat. 

A loud bang at the caravan door caused you both to jump, whipping your heads toward the noise as you gasped. For a moment, you were worried it was the man from earlier back for round two. A second knock followed by a voice calling for Tommy determined it was Johnny Dogs. You let out a relieved breath before it turned to annoyance — how did that man always manage to interrupt you both just when things were starting to get good. You huffed, still trying to slow your heart rate as your forehead met Tommy’s again. 

“Jesus fuckin—“ Tommy swore as he sucked in a harsh breath between his teeth at the third loud knock.

He took your face between his hands before kissing you again. A fourth knock finally had him pulling away from you as you crawled off his lap. 

“Someone’d better be dying,” he said under his breath as he ran his hand across his face and walked across the caravan toward the door. He shouted from the inside of the still closed door, “What?”

“It’s Madam Despoina,” Johnny Dogs said from the other side. “She wants a word. Now.” 

>> next chapter << chapter masterlist

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[jojotichakorn]

ARCHER'S WE ARE FANCON EXPERIENCE

i promised i would share my feelings, so here they are!

first of all, while i do still maintain that the venue was too small for how beloved the series is, even with the split into two days, and i have some gripes with merch sales, the organisation was otherwise good. it was always very clear where and when you needed to go and what you needed to do, which is always great for an anxious person like me. all the explanations were in three languages too (thai, english, and chinese), so navigating the space and the benefits was easy. the little setup of things to do before the concert starts was also great - there were merch booths for all of the boys who had merch to sell (which is everyone aside from aouboom), there were photobooths with different 'we are' themed templates, there was also, of course, gasha (or, as i like to call them, gambling machines) but hey! i got some merch off of that as well, so i'm honestly not even complaining.

now, onto the actual show! it was incredible, i can hardly imagine anything that would need to be added or changed. it honoured both the series and the artists on their own in many ways.

there were multiple performances with the entire cast, including a surprise appearance of jj, tee, and pepper (or, our mattmickbeer trio) during one song, who then also stuck around to talk about their characters and favourite scenes. friendship is a huge part of the series and they did not forget that. a lot of stage backgrounds and props were an homage to the series too (the one that felt particularly thought-out to me was the background for 'truth in the eyes', which was a lush garden - a callback to the mv's concept metaphor). the couples performed both their main songs and also one cover each, which were picked out by every cp for different reasons, but all of which were great. before every main song, there was a little video with the couple's moments that encapsulated their relationship, and they were really lovely and well-done (a great way of giving the artists a second to breathe too).

i think there was also pretty much everything each of the main eight could want to do on stage. pond and aou got to dance (together as well!), winny got to rap, phuwin and satang got to sing together. at least from what they said, they were given a lot of creative liberty in terms of choosing what they want to sing and do on stage as well, so that is also lovely. all of the performances were, of course, absolutely fantastic and even exceeded my expectations in some ways.

all the little chats between performances were also wonderful and everyone (or, almost everyone) got really emotional closer to the end. we had marc crying first, talking about how much this experience means to him and thanking poon for being his first real partner, and then the floodgates just opened. poon also teared up, winny started crying because marc started crying, then he cried some more when he actually started speaking himself, then satang started crying too, they talked about how much all of this means to them and how much they mean to each other, they held hands. then dear sweet boom almost sobbed on stage and aou cried too - they were also very thankful for everything and especially each other. pond tried very hard not to cry (and succeeded by breathing out every ten seconds and twirling around the stage), talking about how happy he is that everyone loved the series and them so much, saying that the cast became like a little family, and thanking phuwin for being a great partner, and phuwin also talked about how he was afraid of having high expectations and how grateful he is to the cast and the fans. this was definitely one of those moments, which made the whole experience so much more meaningful and emotional. i also wanted to hug all of them and tell them how amazing they are 😭

the appreciation for the audience was huge throughout. pond kept putting his hand at his forehead to try to see all the fans sitting farther away, at one point aou asked for the lights to be turned on, so they could see everyone, during the last performance (which was 'we are forever'), they all came down from the stage and walked around us, waving at everyone.

after the huge three hour concert, there were still the benefits to work through, which ended up going on for five hours (until almost 2 am). the boys were all really lovely and nice throughout and i'm genuinely impressed by their ability not to let the understandable tiredness that they were all feeling interfere with their interactions with fans and each other.

so, to conclude! this was an absolutely incredible experience and i am so happy i decided to come here for the fancon (and actually managed to get the ticket). there are multiple countries they are going to next, as you know, and there will likely be more added in the future. so if you live in any of those countries, i am definitely saying you should go. and if you don't but it is within your means to go and you just weren't sure whether the fancon is worth an entire trip abroad - i am confirming that it very much is. i am confident you would not regret going.

[mercerislandbooks]

Book Chats: The Spellshop

Summer is here. The days are warm and long, and the evenings are perfect for sitting outside and reading (or listening and crocheting, in my case) as the sun goes down. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is an amazing choice for this kind of relaxing evening. The narrator was excellent, the descriptions were lush, and the setting was idyllic. A librarian and her sentient spider plant seek refuge from a bloody revolution—with crates of books in tow—by heading to Caltrey, a small island on the outskirts of a nation made of islands. All Kiela wants is to protect her books and live unnoticed in the cottage her parents left her. (Un)fortunately for her, that's not how small villages work. With an attractive next door neighbor and a friendly baker determined to welcome her into their small community, as well as a suspicious old man who is set on driving her out, Kiela has to decide if letting people in is a chance she's willing to take. Warning: you will want baked goods slathered with jam by the end of this book.

Becca: Kiela was such a fun, unique character. Her love of books obviously resonates with me as an avid reader and a bookseller, and her habit of overthinking what she says and does was also very relatable. What did you think about her as the main character and voice of the story? Lori: I loved Kiela. For the same reasons as you but also, I loved the way circumstances kept pushing her beyond her comfort zone and then, because of getting to hear her overthinking inner voice, the reader knows what choosing to be brave costs her. But she does it anyway. It's not comfortable to acknowledge that those moments are what bring growth. Also, she has blue skin. And blue hair. And lots of blue clothes. I approved of all the blue. What did you think about Kiela's scheme to barter homemade jam for the supplies she needs? Becca: Making jam is not necessarily the occupation I would turn to for survival, but I also don't live on a little island surrounded by merhorses and abundant fruit trees and bushes. Well, maybe the bushes; our blackberry brambles are out of control. I loved how she took what she had available to her and, with much determination, figured out a way to keep moving forward. Lori: She did. No matter the obstacles, she kept trying. I think we need to discuss Caz, though, the sentient spider plant! Becca: So...a talking plant research assistant. I wouldn't mind that. Maybe then I'd finally know how to care for one without it slowly fading away on me. And Caz has such an excellent personality. Lori: He stole the show in my opinion. I thought he had all the best lines. His friendship and support of Kiela really brought home to me how careful Sarah Beth Durst was to give all her characters, and the environment they inhabit, a nuanced worth. She also created an interesting magic system. Becca: I do love it when magic is something accessible to everyone in a book, instead of just the chosen few who are born with it. But with all of the impressive feats that can be accomplished with spells, I think it was the little magics scattered throughout the book were my favorite. Yes, Kiela wanted to do big magics to help her community, but the little ones that encouraged plant growth and water to flow were the ones that resonated with me. And it's the small magics that she was determined to share with those around her as a way to make their lives better. Lori: It really shows how little things, that maybe don't seem like they matter that much, actually have more of an impact than one might think. It's encouraging that making small choices towards the good does make a difference in the world. Becca: It is. And I appreciated how Kiela came to believe that sentiment because she observed Larran, her always-willing-to-help neighbor, put forth the effort to do so. Lori: I loved watching the spark between Kiela and Larran grow. She started out so wary and standoffish, but as she continued to see how good he was (and how good he looked shirtless), she started to admire him, until she found herself unable to resist.

This sweet book is perfect for summer, with its cottagecore vibes and berry-filled island. The first printing has beautiful sprayed purple edges to add to the appeal. So, stop by to pick up a pretty book, whip up (or purchase) some scones with jam (preferably raspberry), and settle in for a gentle adventure full of plants, jam, and slightly illegal magic.

— ​Becca & Lori

[desafinado]

ahh congrats on 200!! once you’re less busy with work (rip) could i please request a school/uni au where reader is a secret admirer for any characters of your choice? maybe they’re part of the same friend group, or they share similar classes? oh or maybe they consult/ask the reader for advice about the letters or smt? i don’t mind the format btw! thank you so so so much:D

(ps. idk if you keep anons but if you do, could i be 🍁 anon~?)

°｡⋆ thoma, ayato x reader (wc: 2,129) °｡⋆ thoma relationship w/ reader a bit interdependent, swearing, fluff, banter note: omg yes i love this idea!! also yes you could be 🍁 anon!! and you'd be my vv first anon so omg yay welcome!!! and hope you enjoy ^^ (also chose thoma and ayato bc of those school uniform collab thing, it was what first came to mind)

ayato ♡

you could not ignore his presence the moment he entered the room. it was as if the mere presence of him warranted trumpets.

you were either enamored by him or scared to make even the slightest eye contact with him; his reputation as a wealthy heir and supposed poised nature preceded him.

you were in a rare minority though, that minority being almost infuriatingly annoyed with how everyone treated him like a prince. you didn’t care about him for the most part, but it was annoying to hear his name in every conversation right before class started.

that was, of course, he was randomly assigned to be your partner for a term long project.

“hmm, i don’t believe we’ve been acquainted. kamisato ayato, and you?”

oh brother, this guy stinks (/j) but all those inner thoughts you’ve had making fun of him were quickly meeting its end.

he was polite enough; teased you a bit, but nothing you couldn’t handle. it was actually fun to see his reaction to you teasing him back.

“you know, i believe you’re the first person to call me a piece of shit… well to my face at least.”

he was more self-aware than you thought, good company too. he seemed to be a bit more of himself around you too, and you appreciated that.

your friendship went way beyond just study sessions and meetings, opting to hangout just because you liked each other’s presence, isn’t that neat?

eventually, he’d also open up more emotionally. telling you his woes, the pressure of being the heir to the kamisato business, caring for his younger sisters, and of course, general university/college student stress.

you heard him out every time, and always knew how to help him get out of his head.

“wanna come over and cry it out over som–” “yes.”

you had realized it when he slept over one night, he had fallen asleep on your lap, snoring quietly. you were gently stroking his cheek, admiring his soft skin, how kissable his lips were.

kissable lips? now, wanting to kiss them could imply a multitude of things, but that coupled with how much you cared for him, and the way your heart fluttered around his small acts of appreciation… you had fallen in love with him, hard.

after that “small” epiphany, you tried to bury it down, down deep in the recesses of your mind.

everyone must’ve had at least a moment in which they thought they were in love with a dear friend, right?

that was what you told yourself everyday for the past two months.

you tried to keep it buried, but the pounding of your heart only got stronger each time you were left alone with him. at nights, your thoughts would linger on what it would be like to take him out to dinner, send cute couple texts, and all of those domestic activities.

but for now, you could only stay where you were, a friend and a partner (in class).

it was valentine’s day, and you both were stuck in the library trying to make some progress on your term project. it’s not like you had any better plans anyways, you’re just hoping ayato didn’t mind. 

“what about this journal? it correlates with our topic.”

he sends you a link of the article in question and you skim through it; ayato is watching intently for any sort of response. you hum in approval, looking up at him from your laptop.

“i think we can use it, yeah. honestly, i just want this done with… and anyways, we can just do improvements on the final stretch.” you sigh a little, thinking of all the work left to do after this particular stage of the project. he raises an eyebrow with an all-knowing smirk.

“hmm? why in a rush? you have a valentine’s date perhaps?” you shut your laptop, sighing even more dramatically. “okay, one, you know i’m a loser, and two, maybe i'm just tired, dumbass.” ayato giggles at your misery, cleaning up his own things.

“you’re not a complete loser, despite what you might think.” he mumbles almost inaudibly, but you certainly heard it. it takes you aback and sets your heart ablaze, sure, but you shrug it off and try changing the topic. 

“what about you? you surely must have some event at the very least. aren’t you part of like three different organizations?”

he shakes his head, picking up his bag. “ok yes, but i actually don’t really care for the holiday that much. it's just an excuse for couples to show off, is it not?” now, that elicits a chuckle from you. “aw, really? maybe you’re just bitter you don’t have anyone to spend it with.”

he stops dead in his tracks, looking up at you; he’s rolling his eyes, and you’re laughing at your successful attempt in throwing him off.

“oh, whatever. it’s not like you have anyone either.”

“yeah, but at least i’m not the valentine’s equivalent of the grinch”

“hey! i never said–”

you both earn a shush from another nearby table, stopping your little squabble. you both decide to leave the area before continuing your conversation any further. once you’re both out, ayato takes the chance to continue what he was saying.

“as i was saying, i don’t detest the idea of love itself. i just see no point in celebrating such a holiday when you could be showing your lover how much you love them everyday.”

he had a point, and it was actually pretty poetic and romantic.

“okay, well that’s besides the point, valentine’s day is still a pretty cute excuse to go all out.” you swoon, thinking up the most romantic scenarios. a subtle smile rests on ayato’s face before he playfully shakes his head. “to each their own, i guess. just know that if it were me, i’d never let a day go by in which you aren’t aware of how much i love you.”

…

freudian slip, he was distracted by your cute face and the way it lit up at the thought of romance. you smirked at the turn of events though.

“me?”

“i mean… yes. i-i do wish to treat you as s-such… but i didn’t mean for it to–”

“i like you too, ayato. i... i've been waiting to say that for a while now.”

“oh… really?”

“yes, now take me out! you said you would treat me as such did you not?"

thoma ♡

it was your first few days on campus, and you were overwhelmed by everything. so many people, new places, and you all by your lonesome.

you weren’t a sociable person and it was tiring, you felt your head pounding at the thought of all the ways every little thing could go wrong.

you sat alone at lunch, trying to handle your oncoming headache, when someone approached you from behind.

“hey, uh are you alright?”

you were stunned to say the least, and turning around to see him only intensified that surprise.

“oh, h-hi.”

he introduced himself as thoma, he had the sweetest, kindest, most sunshine filled smile you had ever laid eyes on; you felt comfortable in his friendly aura, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious talking to someone as gorgeous as him.

his eyes shined every time he chuckled, and you swooned in response, letting him steer the conversation away from your worrisome thoughts.

eventually, he was able to talk you into going to the uni’s clinic, and he made sure to stick by your side until he was sure you were in safe hands.

“now, i’ve got a class, but this isn’t goodbye, right? next time we meet, i hope to see you in a much better state.”

he was so… gr. you’d rather him the one taking care of you, cuddles, handholding, and all, but yes, you definitely wanted to see him again.

over time, you’d run into him more often, text him every now and then, even eat lunch together with his friends.

he was such a delight to be around, you had any question about events, rules, recommendations, literally whatever and he’d have the best advice.

you’d spend hours sharing stories and random opinions, you even found yourself skipping a class or two just to spend an extra hour with him.

he took care of you so well, but it was also a somewhat somber reminder that you were just a friend to him, someone he took care of. you definitely didn’t want him to see you as some sort of younger sibling.

that was when you took it upon yourself to really lean more into the uni life. you tried going to parties, joining clubs, even going on a few dates. 

at this point, you weren’t so sure anymore if you were doing this for the experience or to run away from your feelings.

you found yourself blowing off hangouts with thoma in favor of some random frat party or blind date. even for lunch, you’d excuse yourself, saying you had to study or get some rest before your next class.

you couldn’t hold him off forever though, a simple text was all it took.

“we need to talk. meet you at that dog cafe by the flower shop in 30?”

“thoma?”

you looked like a corpse fresh out of the grave; your skin looked like it desperately needed some sun, and dark spots were evident under your tired eyes. thoma took your hand and guided you to a booth with some drinks and food. it was definitely tempting.

“we haven’t hung out in a while, i’m worried about you, you know?”

his frown hurt you like never before, but you knew it was only because of his concern. you took a seat across from him, slowly nodding.

“i know, i’m sorry. i’ve just been trying to expand my horizons? i don’t actually know anymore.” you sigh knowing you can’t even lie to him, he always sees things through. you took a sip of the drink he had ordered for you. he looked deep in thought before speaking up.

“then, why not talk to me about it? was it something i said? did you…” his voice is strained as he voices out the next words. “have you been making new friends?” there's an encouraging smile on his face, but you know it's only for show, for you.

“i tried, but no, not really. nobody compares to you, thoma.” your eyes meet his as you say his name. you didn’t mean to, but you wanted to be sincere. thoma, in return, blushed profusely, not expecting you to express such sentiments.

“ah, really?” the poor boy is trying to calm his racing heart and focus on you. “i– that’s nice to know that you think of me that way– n-not to say making new friends is bad! i just thought you had forgotten about me.”

“how could i? when all i could think about was coming back to you.”

“wait, what do you–”

“i like you, thoma. i love the way the light hits your face, i love how thoughtful you are about everyone, i love all the nonsensical conversations we’ve had. the only thing i hate about you is how much of an effect you have on me; how being away from you makes me sad, and being with you fills me with an uncontrollable rush of adrenaline… and, and even then, it's only my fault.”

your eyes closed shut the whole way, you can’t bear to see the pity on his face. you knew it was bad, you knew doom was imminent, but the only thing that hurt more than avoiding him was lying to him.

“i like you too… in that very same way, and i apologize if i ever made you feel like i didn't.” his hand slowly rested on top of yours from across the table. your eyes squinted slightly to see his face; there was a soft blush dusting his cheeks, and emerald eyes gazing back at you.

you slowly shake your head before replying. “you never did, you made me feel at home. i thought you’d only see me as some bothersome thing you had to care for, so i wanted to prove to you, and i guess myself, otherwise.”

his smile only widens, as he leans over the table to give you a kiss on the cheek. your eyes are fully open now, letting go of his hand to feel the warmth he left on your cheek.

“you were never a burden, if anything, my love for you sorta just overflowed that it manifested in those ways, me being a mother hen basically.” he chuckled, taking your hand in his. you nodded, focusing your gaze back on him.

“but now, i want you to trust me, let me love you, is that okay?”

divider: henri le sidaner | requests are open!! please do not repost on other sites

[seaside-lovers]

Hiya Scarecrow! What are the challenges of a robot-human relationship? How do you overcome those with Kate? What things have y'all had to reconsider or change? -ourlittleforever

(Thank you!)

It has certainly been... interesting to navigate this relationship. While my kind is made like our Creators and can have intimate relationships, it's uncommon amongst us as we focused on our duties over everything.

Now, not having to do pilot work, I find myself having a lot more time with Kate. One of the major challenges early in our friendship was communication. Neither of us were used to sharing a living space. Despite our separated resting areas, it was still awkward in the beginning for Kate, according to her. I was just grateful for a time to rest and allow my injuries to heal.

Being able to discuss our communication habits helped the awkwardness for Kate. She liked to talk to me, and while I may not respond, I was always listening. Establishing this helped her feel heard. I've also started to communicate more with her to fulfill her social needs.

Something that Kate has done that I appreciate is giving me time on my own when I need it. I do like spending time with her, but sometimes I need to be on my own and have time to rest.

Thankfully, we have not had much issue with outside forces. Mostly Kate just gets a lot of prying questions and I get a lot of stares, but I think the colonists are starting to get more used to us... and me.

The marriage situation will be interesting since I do not have a last name or day of creation that I know of, but I don't care either way. I want to make Kate happy, and this is something important to her, so I'm pleased to do it.

Oh yes, sleeping arrangements have been a much less serious hurdle for us to overcome. Her previous bed was much too small for both of us once I started sharing her sleeping space, so she ended up getting a new bed... and the frame broke due to my weight. Don surprised us recently with a much sturdier bed frame that he created as well. An early wedding gift, he called it.

edit: forgot to add it in-character, but neither Scarecrow nor I have been in a romantic relationship before, so it is new for us both. :)

[darkacademicfrom2021]

Day 9 - 12 days of Christmas challenge (2022 edition)

Title: Cultural differences

Theme: Mistletoe (Dec 21st)

Fandom/Character(s): Loki x reader

Warnings (if applicable): none <3 fluff with plot

Word Count: 1128

December writing challenge prompted and organized by @12daysofchristmas

“But won’t you look at that!”, you exclaimed as Loki passed by your side. He stopped in place and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”.

“It seems we’re both under the mistletoe”, you said.

He frowned.

“Yes, it seems so. Excuse me”, he said, and began walking away. Now you frowned. You grabbed the plant from where you had hung it and began following him to see what was up with him. He stopped once again. “Why are you following me with that thing?”.

“The mistletoe?”.

“Yes, are you trying to say something? Because I don’t appreciate you doing this to me. Especially you”.

“I— no, I just thought it would be nice to…”.

“Well, it clearly isn’t nice for me. Now, let me through, I have things to do”.

Your mouth was open but no words came out.

“Loki, I—”.

“See you later. Don’t bring that thing around”.

You sat on the kitchen island of the compound and sighed out in frustration. You knew you could be rejected by him at some point, but why did he have to be so rude about it? He usually was much nicer and kinder to you. You began drawing up some Christmas cards for the Avengers to wrap with their gifts, and left the mistletoe lying on the counter, thinking about throwing it to the fireplace once they light it up.

Later on, Cap and Thor walked in and grabbed some mead from the fridge, sitting in front of you.

“Hey pal, would you like some?”, asked Steve as he poured you a glass anyway.

“Sure”, you said, your tone slightly drowned.

Thor sat by your side and looked at the giftcards.

“Those look very nice”, he said, as he’d talk to a frustrated child. He was slightly older. Just slightly. Still, you chuckled sadly and let him go for it. “You seem sad, are you alright? Would you want to talk about it with us?”.

“Yeah, you can trust us”, said Steve, and looked at the mistletoe on the table. “Oh… you got rejected?”.

“Brutally rejected”, you nodded, and left the coloring pencils on the side to take a good spiteful look at that damned plant. Thor seemed confused.

“Can we know by who?”.

“Cap, I think you can figure it out”, you pressed your lips in a thin line. Everyone in the compound knew you liked Loki. And everyone also thought Loki liked you back, but none of you were ready to potentially ruin your precious friendship. Up until just now. “I didn’t expect him to be so mean about it. Maybe he got upset because I may have ruined our thing? He’s a big fan of unspoken things. Maybe he wanted us to be in this non-verbalized special relationship without putting more pressure into it—”.

“I’m sorry, what are you talking about? What does all of that have to do with that treacherous weed?”, interrupted Thor.

You frowned.

“You don’t know what the mistletoe means here?”.

“Yes, I certainly do. It’s a dooming sign. Why would you declare yourself with it near you? And to Loki?”.

You stood up.

“That’s not what it means at all! And I never said the words, I just thought he knew what being under the mistletoe means!”.

“What does it mean?”, he asked with a frown. You began walking around the kitchen island and fidgeting with the plant.

“When you’re both under the mistletoe you have to kiss. I just pointed out we were under the mistletoe. I didn’t even say anything about it. What did he think I was saying, then?”, you said, eyes wide and still pacing around.

Thor grabbed his face and then put his hand on your shoulder to stop you.

“In the myths, Loki starts Ragnarok by using a mistletoe to kill Balder. The literal end of our world! It’s a terrible augury, a horrible omen”.

You sat, bewildered.

“No wonder he got offended”.

Thor patted your back.

“I think you better mend it right”.

That same night, you knocked on his door and heard him pace around before opening up a small crack to see who it was. When he saw you, he sighed out.

“What do you want?”, he asked tiredly. His hair was tied up in a messy high bun, and had an unsharpened dagger through it. “I’m busy”.

“I’m sure you aren’t”, you tilted your head to see the accumulating pile of books on his bed and his unarranged bedsheets. He had been laying there reading all afternoon, you were positive. “I brought you something”.

“Did you bring a heartfelt apology with you?”, he joked. You chuckled.

“You know very well I don’t have a heart”, you said as you went through and sat on his bed. He looked down at you and smiled lightly.

“And you know better than anyone that’s not true”, he said, and then sat by your side. “So, what did you bring me?”.

You gave him a small box, and he looked at you quizzically, before opening it with curiosity. He unfolded the soft paper inside of it and found a fresh batch of his favorite type of cookies. He looked at you with glistening eyes.

“Mint and chocolate?”.

“Yup”, you smiled proudly. He jumped to hug you.

“Oh, thank you! You know I love these!”. You sank in his hug and hugged him tighter.

“I’m sorry about the mistletoe thing. I spoke to Thor about it and we both have very different concepts of it. I didn’t even know about the bad omen. I’m really sorry”.

He pulled out of the hug, but kept relaxedly holding you by the elbows.

“Oh?”.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. If I had known I wouldn't have done it. It was a very stupid thing. Your friendship means everything to me”.

“That’s totally okay, I was taken aback because it seemed so unlike you to joke about something that would make me feel bad”, he admitted. “Hold on, so… what did you mean with that?”.

“Huh?”, you raised your eyebrows and cleared your throat. “Oh, yeah, I was just joking, you know. A midgardian normal stupid joke”.

“Hey”, he grabbed your face. “What was it?”.

You blushed to an extreme degree and Loki didn’t let go of your face, as funny as you looked. He stared into you with his usual intensity. Well, what was getting rejected twice anyway?

“It means… well, whoever two that end up under the mistletoe must kiss”.

Loki raised his eyebrows.

“And we ended up under the mistletoe together”.

“Yes”, you whispered, getting even redder.

“You said ‘must’ kiss. Not ‘can’ kiss”.

“I… guess I did say that, yeah”, your voice got thinner and thinner.

“We have no choice but to kiss, then”, he smirked slightly.

“I guess not”, you said, and he caressed your cheeks with his thumbs as he hunched closer to your lips.

Taglist: @lucywrites02 , @louieboo87 @the-departed-potato , @jesuswasnotawhiteman , @idontknow296 , @beksib , @geekwritersworld , @mysticunicorn7 @shadowolf993 , @joscelyn02 , @t00-pi , @selfship-mishaps , @sallymagnoliaposts , @deadgirl88, @vicmc624 @theaudacitytowrite @bi-andready-tocry @alorev @justasmisunderstoodasloki @theetoastyghosty @lokiprompts @sarahpaq08 @lostgreekgod @likeitloveitblogit @tsnelf7 @asgardwinter @lalalalokii @christineblood @asgardianprincess1050

[laufire]

yesterday I finally finished my ARC of ✨ "When The Stars Alight"✨, and I have now posted reviews in goodreads and storygraph ^-^

(c&p under the cut)

I had the honour to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(this review might contain some very vague spoilers) 

The first thing that merits mentioning in this book is its prose. With an omniscient narrator and lush descriptions of the settings, the characters, and every grand or minute detail, reading it feels like being immersed in a vivid moving painting. I’d recommend the story to those of us who appreciate this kind of writing style; and to those who might be on the fence, I’d ask them to be open-minded, to take their time, and to welcome it in in order to enjoy everything else this story has to offer. I must also commend the artist that illustrated the beautiful cover, as well as the art inside the book, for aiding to the sensory experience. 

As for the book, I’m particularly enamoured with the worldbuilding. WTSA, and the universe it introduces us to as a first installment, can’t be called a typical fantasy story. If, like me, you both love this genre but tragically find yourself disappointed by how repetitive, superficial or conservative some of its examples can be, this book could be just what gets you out of that slump. The world it presents is utterly different from our own, with original fantasy species, each wonderfully distinctive. On the one hand you have Solarites: powerful star maidens fallen from the sky that benevolently rule over humans (some of them with magical abilities of their own) and other races like the sprites (another immortal race of monster slayers with a strong connection to nature); on the other you have the Occassi, a more demonic race in the artic. Here in particular the prose becomes indispensable, presenting two opposing races and their societies, constantly contrasting them with light/dark, life/death symbolism without falling into black and white thinking. From the matriarchal society lead by the Solarites, filled with more subtle (yet still dangerous) political power-plays, to the more patriarchal, militaristic Mortos; the luminosity and abundance of one setting and the more gothic, tenebrous and scarce environment of the other. As the lead travels from one to the other, we discover these differences with her. 

This leads me to the next point: this book puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to a matriarchal society, filling it with outstanding female characters and showing us women in power across all fields: diplomats, scientists, soldiers, etc. 

Laila, the protagonist, is the clear star. She’s delightful, curious, adventurous, with strong morals paired with a deep-seated insecurity. She’s also a political animal; charming, manipulative, with ambition that’s presented as a positive. Her optimism can be a sign of her youth and naivety, but born out of genuine compassion and want for progress. It all comes together into a lovely, complex lead character that I can’t wait to see grow and develop. 

Someone else I found unusual and fascinating was Amira, Laila’s mother. She’s powerful and seemingly untouchable, exacting, and the opposite of nurturing. Her influence over Laila is never-ending, both as her maternal figure and as her monarch, influencing all aspects of her life and looming over all of her relationships. 

Another one with key importance is Lyra, a sprite. She and Laila were past lovers, and in the present have a deep, sometimes difficult friendship that goes beyond most princess/lionheart dynamics. Lyra is irreverent, with a sturdy sense of justice that comes from sympathy for the underdog, and often the blunt warrior to Laila’s diplomat. 

Others that, while less prominent, still tell us a lot about the world are the Odakan scientists (whose part foreshadows what might come in future installments), full of excitement and purpose to change and explore the world; or Dr. Mielette, with a small part, but that offers insight into Solarite culture. We see less of the women in Mortos, so far, but they serve their purpose. In Vasilisa, the Regina, you can see the precarious, risky position of a woman who is ostensibly at the highest one of her kind can come in a misogynistic society. The looming absence of Serafina, the king’s former lover, or of Katerina, another blood sorcerer, both women who sought power outside society’s confines, contrasts with her. 

But Mortos’ most prominent representatives are the men in the Calantis family. Most significantly Darius, the male lead. He’s the king’s bastard and eldest son, resentful of his lesser position in court, and eager to retake the place he thinks he deserves. His more intellectual pursuits (he definitely incarnates the mad scientist archetype, a favourite of mine) haven’t always been of help among Occassi, who value brute force above all. He’s charming and sophisticated, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, which can fool others, audience included, into not fearing his monstrous nature. 

The other members of the family are Lanius, the tyrannical father and king opposing Laila’s diplomatic efforts, a poison in the family and the kingdom; and Dominus, the younger son and reluctant heir. Both brothers do take part in a love triangle with Laila, but it’s not your typical, never-ending F/M/M triangle; as someone who sometimes side-eyes such trope, I must say I appreciated how this one develops, with Laila’s differences in approach, in chemistry, and in the emotional risk she incurs in each relationship. Related to the love story, because I know this will be of interest: the book’s sex scenes are delightfully written, just as beautiful and descriptive as any other, steamy and evocative. 

To finish off, I’ll say that this story was perfectly crafted to appeal to both my baser and higher interests. Its world and its characters have raised quickly in my list of favourites, it makes me think and wonder and speculate about what will come next, and it will stay with me for a long, long time. If you enjoy this book half as much as I did, I recommend checking out the author’s page for any other related stories or materials.

[vlovers19]

long rant ahead (this is addressed to those doubters (?) and to the last anon that you replied) sorry for the bad grammar since english is not my first language. i just want to rant on how i am so fed up with people belittling vm’s friendship like they know th and jm themselves or as if they are part of their friendship. yes, bts shares a lot on social media BUT what we see on social media (this includes bangtan bombs) is still a small percentage of what we truly know about them. with that in mind, we do not have to know every single thing about them. they are HUMANS! they are not some type of fictional characters. they deserve all the privacy they can get because idols are going through a lot and we owe that part of their lives to them. whatever goes on their private lives are for them and them ALONE. i am not diminishing what they show us on sm because i truly appreciate it but not everything is in black and white. when one does not post abt their friend on sm = they love each other less? if you think of friendship that way then i pity you. as someone who only posts publicly on sm when it’s about my responsibilities, i prefer to congratulate my close and best friends through personal messages and they know that about me and are ok with so they do the same thing to me. that does not mean whenever someone publicily posts about me i get irritated. no, i appreciate both ways equally. also if my closest friends posted on public i also appreciate it. if i do not like it then i would ask them to delete and they gladly will do it. not everyone has the same friendship dynamic. vm’s dynamic with each other is only for them to know and only they know what makes them comfortable for each other. yes, other members can post about their support for jm but that does not mean th did not support jm privately. i know they are in good terms. why? jm mentioned th during his album promo (e.g. vlive, leemujin) and th literally commented he was excited for jm (why are people ignoring this? NZJSJ). and IF they are talking less that does not mean they do not like each other. like sometimes i do not talk with my best friends or see that much of each other because we live far away from each other and we have our own responsibilities. but when we meet or interact with each other, our friendship is still the same if not, stronger. what more when it comes to idols with their jam packed schedule, especially with jm. jm goes straight home to rest after a solo sched bc ofc he should because he worked so hard. and now, jm just finished his promo for his album and they can catch up with one another and at the SAME TIME they still remain close. anyway, if you still belittle their friendship then i suggest re-evaluating yourself on why you are an army because bts’ bond is the core on what makes bts, bts. lastly, do not forget to stream face, d-day, and friends (a reminder of vm’s love for each other) ;)

Yes, tell them. People have to stop expecting so much from their idols.

[at-weeb96]

I saw your ask game post, so I wanna ask these two:

Favourite moment in the show

Favourite "Important" headcanon (ex: Finn and HW eventually hooked up)

Favourite "Unimportant" headcanon (ex: Marceline and PB pulled a few strings to make the former happen)

LONG POST

ooh this is an interesting one. I have a lot of thoughts on this so strap in and buckle up my dude

Favorite Moment- Since I already said Varmints was my favorite episode and there are so many good character moments in the series, I'll have to go with the ending montage and PB and Marcy's reconciliation in the RC Mines. The ending montage just warms my heart to know there are still adventures to be had with our favorite characters and that our own interpretations and headcanons can take shape with the stories not shown (although they may have changed post DL and who know what's to come with F&C)

Now for the moment from my fav episode. This scene is what made appreciate PB's character and made her my favorite AT character. We see Peebles at her lowest point when she is no longer in control of her life and pushed away those she tried to trust and form relationships with.

First her "family" betrayed her and she was forced to "lobotomize" them to keep them from hurting her and her brother Neddy (if you remember, her hat was once a piece of Gumbald's merchandise) Then when she found someone to share her life with, she (Marcy) ended up "betraying" her too (and wrote a banger of a diss track in the process) And then she was betrayed by her own people and forced into exile from her home by that dilweed KOO (and even stole and wore her clothes that creep)

And the final nail in the coffin is when the Varmint Queen/Mother (whatever you wanna call that body-horror nightmare) traps her and Marcy in the mines and Marcy puts on her go-to coping mechanism and starts jokingly ridiculing Bonnie for the umpteenth time, PB can't take it no more and lets her emotions and insecurities pour out. But what does Marcy do? She listens to what her friend/ex has on her mind and tells her she has nothing to apologize for cause she's been through a lot of stuff too. And after all that, they finally understand each other better and reconcile their strained friendship (and eventually their love for one another)

And that's why those are my favorite moments from AT. Now after that long ramble, I can now answer the other things.

Important HC -I think when Jake died, since Finn took it really hard and become depressed like that scene in The Music Hole, PB and Marceline started being around him more becoming his supportive older sisters with BMO as his emotional support robot. (his mother Minerva would video chat with him every once and a while since a small human colony was established in Ooo like in the Season 11 comic issue)

Eventually Bronwyn would be interested by the stories of the adventures of her late grandfather from Finn's friends and wanted to explore the lands of Ooo and beyond with him. At first he was hesitant of adventuring without his bro, but PB, Marcy, Minerva, and Simon encouraged him to take her on adventures since Finn was instrumental in the betterment of their lives. And that's why she is with Finn post Obsidian (unless F&C contradicts this)

And finally Unimportant HC -Since it's shown in Obsidian that Simon most likely owns DB Guy's Tavern, Finn, Jake, Marceline, PB and everyone else we know and love from AT hang out and discuss their past and present adventures and their lives with each other each week.

Thanks so much for the questions. That was probably the longest ramble I've ever written online. Almost makes me want to colab with other AT fans on stuff, if I can get past my laziness and procrastination. I also want to shout out these other tumblrs who have made me the AT fan I am today (perhaps I should join discord again?)

@gunterfan1992 @uncivilizedelk @sometipsygnostalgic @j4gm @teethcritter @lobster-lover @loffican @marcydaydream @squeempus @crochetwithcat @artsywak @eeveryadventuretimes @oli-the-cat @ptoodle and @jacketpotatoo

❤Love you all, especially you @leironth (thanks again for the awesome ask)

[bookwyrmshoard]

Inheritance, by Nora Roberts

A perfect blend of wish-fulfillment fantasy, romance, and deliciously spooky atmosphere

Inheritance, the first book in Nora Roberts’s Lost Brides trilogy, provides the perfect blend of wish-fulfillment, friendship, romance, and spookiness. I loved Sonya, the main character, a spirited, entrepreneurial graphic designer who uproots her life to live in the historic manor she unexpectedly inherits on the Maine shoreline. I loved the friendly ghosts she tries so hard not to believe in, and the adorable dog she adopts (his name is Yoda!) The young lawyer, Trey, is as easy to like as he is on the eyes. His family, as well as Sonya’s newly-met cousin Owen and her best friend Cleo, are all likeable and sympathetic. Cleo in particular is delightful, and I have high hopes for a secondary romance between Cleo and Owen.

On the other hand, the malevolent ghost who haunts the mansion and intermittently threatens Sonya? She gives me chills. But just the right amount of chills to thrill, and not so many as to cause nightmares. (At least not yet. I have a feeling things may escalate in the second and third books.)

The publisher’s blurb summarizes the plot of Inheritance pretty well. Sonya hasn’t just inherited a gorgeous-but-haunted mansion, she has also inherited a family curse going back generations. And she’ll have to solve a family mystery and break the curse if she doesn’t want to become this generation’s victim.

One of the things I appreciate about Nora Roberts, particularly in the past 15 years or so, is that the suspense plot doesn’t drive the entire book or dominate the main character’s life to the exclusion of all else. Instead, Roberts’s books spend plenty of time developing the character and the character’s day-to-day life. Just like people facing challenges in real life, Roberts’s characters have to live their lives between, around, and despite whatever dangers they face. For Sonya, that means settling into the mansion, meeting and learning more about her own family, exploring her growing relationship with Trey, and getting to know the small town and its people. She’s building a life here, and that process is part of her character arc; it’s also Roberts’s way of creating the support network Sonya will need as the supernatural threat against her grows.

Another thing I appreciated is the “competence p*rn,” as Sarah from SBTB calls it. Everyone in this book—everyone who matters, that is—both enjoys and is extremely good at what they do. None of the sympathetic characters are unhappy in their job or struggling with self-doubt; no one is even merely mediocre. It’s refreshing, though perhaps a little intimidating for those of us who, well into into our adulthood, are still figuring out what we want to be when we grow up.

All in all, there’s not a single thing I would change about this book — not even the cliffhanger ending. Which, I’ll be honest, is not something I ever thought I would say. Normally I hate cliffhanger endings, but in this case I’m not really sure how else the book could have ended. That said, if you can’t stand cliffhangers, you should probably wait to read Inheritance until the second book comes out, or maybe even the third. Because this book? It will definitely leave you in suspense.

Challenges: Library Love Challenge 2024

Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard blog, 4/04/2024.

[shinigami-stories-a]

Sweet Flower

❝ Flo-flower… for… you. ❞

▸ main character(s) ㅡ gavin

▸ ship(s) ㅡ none

▸ fandom ㅡ mr. love queen’s choice

▸ author notes ㅡ “flo...flower for... you...” based off this image by yukimaru.

please feel free to share & reblog, but please do not repost.

───────────────────────────────────

It was Spring in Loveland and the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. Lots of people from all over came out to appreciate those small, pale pink flowers while others just passed them by, not even offering them a second glance, too busy with work and other things in their daily life.

However, children had very little to worry about and one child in particular wanted to go outside and look at all the cherry blossoms with the rest of the kids, becoming more and more amazed at their beauty with each passing year. 

“Daddy, daddy! Look at the pretty flowers!”

Gavin looked up from where he sat on the bench all alone while his father stepped away for a moment to take a work call. He watched as the little girl looked up at the cherry blossom trees, arms raised up high towards the sky. 

“I wish I could take them all home and decorate my room with them.” She said as her father watched her smile quickly turn into a pout.

“Well, I’m sorry, honey. You can’t. There's just too many.” Her father said. Bending down to get on her level, he sighed. “Look, why don't you go play with some of the other kids for a little while, okay? Maybe you'll find some cherry blossoms on the ground or some pretty flowers. That’ll cheer you up, won’t it?”

“...I guess..." The little girl said and, with a shrug of her shoulders, she sighed heavily as she made her way towards some of the other kids who were laughing and having fun.

───────────────────────────────────

Watching as the girl forced herself to play and have fun, he could tell she still wasn’t back to her normal self; Not like she was when she was admiring the cherry blossoms. 

Turning to his dad who was still on the phone, Gavin stood up and made his way over to a small patch of flowers hidden behind a bush. Examining the patch of flowers, he pulled only the best of the bunch before making his way back around the bush as he stood and watched on as the kids ran around the trees, laughing and chasing each other.

Looking down at the flowers in his hands, he frowned. He wanted so badly to go over there and give her some flowers to take home, even if they weren’t exactly as pretty as the cherry blossoms, but he wasn’t sure how to.

After a while, lost in his thoughts, he heard a voice.

“Ooh, pretty! Did you pick those yourself?” 

It took him a minute to realize the question was for him, looking up from his flowers as he realized just who the disembodied voice belonged to: none other than the same girl he had picked these flowers for.

A blush painted itself across his cheeks as he nodded and held the flowers out towards her. “Flo-flower… for… you.”

“Thank you.” She said, a smile that never faded present on her lips.

“Y-You’re welcome.” Gavin said, connecting his hands together behind his back as he averted his gaze once again.

Pulling the flowers up towards her face, she took in a deep breath, taking in the floral scent. “They smell… sweet.” She said after a moment, turning back to him. “Like you.” 

His cheeks darkened as she reached a hand out towards him and pulled him into a quick hug, causing him to freeze up for a second.

“I-It’s nothing really.”

“It’s more than that.” She said, “It’s the start of our new friendship!”

“Our… friendship?” 

“Mmhm!” She said, “What’s your name?” 

“It’s Gavin.” He said, “What’s yours?”

She was just about to tell him until she heard her name coming from over by the tree. “Oh, looks like I have to go.” She said, turning back to Gavin. “But maybe we’ll see each other again soon.” She said, running off towards her father, stopping for just a short moment.

Turning back to Gavin, she told him her name with a smile and a wave before the two parted ways for the evening.

And since that day, Gavin made it a habit to visit the park as often as he could to see if she’d be there.

[xmimiteh]

Things I like RP partners to know

I like to be called: Mimi, if you want to use my character's name. But I know it might get weird to differentiate between the player and the character. And I am definitely neither my character nor a tsundere. ;) So you can call me by my other nickname as well I am mostly known for at other places - Jama or Jamapi. Yes, that's from "Wedding Peach". Don't judge me, my guilty pleasure is the magical girl genre and "Wedding Peach" was simply hilarious! Pronouns: they/them.

One thing you should know about me (or several): 

The following is at the same time a condensed and expanded version of my carrd's ooc sections. If you want to know more, you can look at my >carrd&lt;.

I am 21+ and I belong to the older demographic here, as I started roleplaying with D&D back in the days in the 80s and have been doing a lot of roleplaying since then - tabletop, collaborative storytelling, play-by-mail, LARP. You name it, I did it. Mimi has been a grumpy little menace on Balmung in FF14 since ARR. I have a fulltime and very stressful job as a professional writer in my native language. Thus, playing the game is my feel-good place to recharge my energy batteries, while relaxing with a nice cup of coffee. So I like my and your time there being as stressfree and most fun as possible. I am happily married and outside of RP I am not looking for anything more than friendship. My characters have their own agenda, of course. But I am just here to have fun playing the game, write some cool stuff together with you and laugh and watch our goofballs on the screen act the way they do. Our own little tv show of ensuing hilarity.

I like to describe my preferred RP with tv shows: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dawson’s Creek, Babylon 5, Fringe. Also, I have a soft spot for horror themes, especially when spiced up with cosmic horror. So if you are doing that? Count me in! But let me be clear: To me it is not about the tentacles, but the philosophical/intellectual stuff. World views being shattered, nihilism hitting characters hard, existentialism with moral dilemmas. That is the good stuff to me! Nothing wrong with cosmic/void entitites, of course, but please no anime weirdness here. I probably do not have to spell it out, what I mean by that, right? That is not, what I enjoy cosmic horror for. So even though I love cosmic horror, do not assume I am here for that. Because that is a big no-go for me.

Aside from that, let's talk about talking: I am not shy, I am an introvert (>example<). I do not enjoy small talk and this has nothing to do with you. If I play with you I like you! And there will be even other times, when I will not stop talking to you. My walls of texts are infamous - you see them regularly here on tumblr. But please try to avoid an OOC conversation starter with: “How are you doing?” I never know how to answer that and struggle with that. Honestly, I often sit 5-10 minutes on an answer to that question and my brain simply shows a big "cannot compute" message. If there is something you want to discuss, sure thing, shoot. I can talk for hours and hours about specific topics, meaningful stuff and so on. Once I get lose on something we both are interested in there is no stopping for me. But just talking on a superficial level simply to connect with people? I would love to be able to do that, but I fail at that so hard and am just a big goofball of awkwardness in those cases. So I appreciate getting straight to the point. By the way: IC small talk is a completely different thing for me. Yes, I am weird like that.

One (or several) thing(s) you should know about my characters:

Mimi is not an easy character to get along with. I know that. Many people seem to prefer "feel good" rp - and Mimi is probably the opposite of that. And even though I won't say there will never be any "good vibes" rp with Mimi, it will take time and is very situational. The good times do not come easily with this woman. Personally, I prefer conflict and well paced character drama. As much as I adore slice-of-life rp I am not here to "play house" and find that utterly boring. I am here for interesting, gripping character dynamics, for tense situations, for unexpected twists and turns, for character development. I am here for the heart break, angst and the slow burn. Give me edges on other characters, let me to throw my characters against those edges and see what happens.

Even if at some point the "deredere" part of Mimi appears, don't expect this to be everytime. I need the conflict. I need IC problems in roleplay. That's the reason why I love to play tsundere. They make things complicated. They create conflicts by their very nature. As much as I love ooc harmony outside of rp, within any rp situation I crave for well-written conflicts. That does not always have to be a fight. This can also just be a discussion. Or simply different opinions or backgrounds. Sure, sometimes there is not a good angle to create a conflict or disagreement. Well, then it is as it is and this can happen - and that is fine! But I struggle with those situations and will probably try to spice up the situation and make it unpredictable. I want to be surprised. Conflicts are the best way to get there. At least in my experience. To some people this might seem forced and they get annoyed by that. I understand that. But that is just the way I am. I do not want to annoy you by that. I want us both to have fun and something to play with in rp. That is, why I incite problems and conflict. Because if there is nothing to say, then there is no dynamic to the scene.

I know this is not everybody's cup of tea and I don't judge the rp of others. But harmony based rp simply is not my thing and I avoid it, when rp is only "lovey-dovey", rainbows and sunshine. I won't keep people from doing that, but I don't have any interest in it and will stay away from it - for the sake of your fun and mine as well. I do not want to spoil anybody's fun. If you have fun with that? You do you! And please don't get me wrong: It is no problem if there are "nice moments". On the contrary, I love those moments as well! But they have more impact to me if they do not appear regularly, because I am looking for: meaningful moments. Something that will stick to my mind as funny or interesting or tragic or sad or tense. Something that intrigues me like a thrilling tv episode and a gripping cliffhanger in a book or movie. So I like to be really clear about, why I play a quarrelsome character like Mimi: She is not someone to be "solved" or "rescued". She is the way she is, because I need conflict rp to get my creativity going. That is my rp fuel.

To sum it up: My characters are going to do stupid things. They are going to be douchebags. And they are more often wrong than not. I am not my character so if they insult or provoke your character that is part of the RP - not me being mean to you as a player. If I do not feel comfortable with a player on an OOC level I rather avoid playing with them altogether. If my character picks a fight with your character, it means I trust you as a player, and I like you and your character. After all I am offering you my favorite RP, as I adore IC banter and conflict If character play leads to a plot, no problem with that. But do not expect me to play according to any script. My preferred RP develops out of character dynamics. For me plot is a stage for character interactions. Not vice versa.

First language: German. As you might have noticed, I am a non native speaker. So, sorry for any language weirdness or if my answers take longer. I try my best and I think my English is not too bad, but I struggle from time to time. Roleplaying in something different to your first language is a different kind of beast and many things I am proud of in my use of German I fail at in English. And this paragraph is probably one of the best examples of that!

HIGHLIGHT:

Alt blogs: none

xmimiteh.carrd.co is Mimiteh's carrd.

Age range: under 13  |  14–17 | 18–22 | 23–25 | 26–29 | 30+ |  70+

Am I okay with NSFW?: yes | no | some nsfw (when it feels organic)

My favorite/most common thing to rp is: angst | fluff | smut | crack | action | plots | AUs are fine | Violence | Darker themes

OC Canon character friendly?: yes | no | depends

RP blog: does contain ooc posts | doesn’t contain ooc posts | occasionally contains ooc | Aesthetic | Screenshots

I was not tagged, but I stole it from @miqojak! I hope that was okay.

Tagging: I do not even know when this went around, so I'll simply tag the usual crowd. If you did it already, just ignore me! @fair-fae​ @avwalya​ @punchelf @lady-lissette @ysandrethedreamer, @kich-rp @candlelethe​ @ink-dreams-ffxiv @limitsbroke @captainkurosolaire​ @zhauric @arasnealashandr @antlers-and-omens @vulpes-ferus @starforger @miqoquest @gatheredfates @arbiterofthedead @reconditerune @airis-ray @ahlis-xiv @uldahstreetrat @blackbirdffxiv @riftdancing @little-birdseeker @azure-seadragon @thorstyr @angelinecarax @miqomonkly @shavri-ffxiv and everyone who wants to do it! Steal it from me and please tag me, so I will see it. Dashboard can become a bit crowded from time to time and sometimes I tend to miss some things if they do not show up in the activity tab.

[shoheiakagi]

Okay, but is it selfish to ask for one for each of the boys? I just can't choose between them because they're all so good, even our favourite manwhore Chitose! You can choose the prompt for each boy to make it easier, if that makes it less selfish!

hiii! and no, its not selfish at all! i wasn’t sure if you meant all of hmr or just the abc boys, so i just posted for the abc boys. if you want more members, or different prompts for the boys, dont hesitate to send another ask!

Send me an emoji + a character!

❤ - What's something you feel like your muse needs to work on for a relationship to happen or for a relationship to be healthy? Do you think that's possible? Or is it something that'll likely never happen?

Akagi: he would have difficulty placing boundaries with some of his friends while he’s in a relationship tbh. in mor, we see that shouhei literally risks his life to rescue his friend from a dangerous gang by joining hmr. assuming that he does not have any romantic interest in her and that they don’t get together, one scenario i always like to entertain is what if he happened to be in a relationship then - how does his s/o feel that he was ready to throw his life away to save someone who’s just a friend? when he went to go attack the gang on his own, there was flashbacks showing his friend being all carefree about dating this dangerous guy and making this cheeky remark about shouhei will obviously come and save her if something goes wrong. so its easy to assume that her and shouhei have been close friends for a long time and that its common for him to do favors for her whenever she asks. if he’s in a relationship, that friendship will cause some problems bc i can’t see his s/o being okay with their man joining gangs to save another girl. i also think that based on what we saw on mor, shouhei’s friend wouldn’t even realize that she’s overstepping her boundaries (think of all those popular tiktoks and ig reels where girls post about their boyfriend’s girl ‘best friend’).

💐 - What small things go a long way for your muse? What small favors can someone do to get on their good side?

Bandou: it’s no secret that bandou has a huge inferiority complex. since childhood, he’s used to being looked over in favor of more interesting and attractive people, and not having a lot of people really check up on him. So when he finally finds his person, he’s pleasantly surprised at the small, intimate gestures he receives from them. Getting him a cup of coffee because they know he needs his caffeine boost after a long night of playing video games, cooking him a nutritious meal (because goddamn when was the last time bandou had vegetables), going out on a jog with him, cheering him on during his gaming tournament, etc. But what he really appreciates is when his partner knows how to set him straight. He would never admit to it, but Bandou knows that he can be arrogant ass sometimes, his insecurities getting the best of him. So a partner that is straight forward with him and calls him out on his shit actually gets a lot of respect. Although he would claim he wants someone soft and sweet, he likes it better when his partner challenges him, but still loves him with all of his flaws.

🍨 - What are expectations your muse has had about love that either was false or impossible to live up to?

Chitose: i think when he was younger, he had a more idealistic approach to love, especially when he was with his late girlfriend during high school. At the time, she seemed like she was his endgame and he was ready to tie the knot and start a family with her after high school; she would finish her studies in college while he would work some labor job and take care of her. But that dream of his takes a hit when he gets dumped, and then completely shatters when he finds out about her declining health. I also hc chitose to be from a broken family, so his late gf was his home and his safe space. When she first passes away, he starts getting angry, drinking himself into oblivion, sleeping around with different people, trying out illegal drugs. basically everything he promised he wouldn’t do. although he has calmed down a lot, he hasn’t healed and has a very jaded and skeptical view on love

🖤 - What's something that will instantly make them dismiss someone as a romantic partner

Dewa: hate to be that person but i see dewa to be veryyyy pretentious. He could find someone attractive and interesting enough to take out on a date, but get ready to bail once he hears them talk about the latest celebrity dating news, how they think their friend’s bf might be into them, how they’re team barbie instead of oppenheimer (#teambarbie4eva), etc. After spending so much time with Chitose (and a lot of the other hmr members) Dewa does not have enough patience for yet another dumb shallow, obnoxious person in his life, especially when he’s considering them as a potential romantic partner. He also finds it a major turn off when someone is promiscuous, and has no problem with casual hook ups. Dewa wants someone that he can have intellectual debates with, not another starbucks crazed bimbo.

🎀 - Do they aim to impress their partner often? If they do, how so?

Eric: I think Eric has a very shallow take on what it takes to make a healthy relationship. He has very limited experience in the romance department, so all of his knowledge are from cheesy old movies he was forced to watch and stories from some of the other hmr guys. So when he finds himself in a relationship, he ends up overexerting himself to impress his partner. Money being spent recklessly to buy expensive jewelry, afford expensive dates, and not enough being saved for his own necessities, etc. He believes that impressing his partner with materialistic objects will make them happy and not leave him

🍓 - Do dates matter to them? Do they often put a big focus on anniversaries, partners birthdays, Valentines day etc?

Fujishima: i see fuji as a very low maintenance type of guy tbh. He’s very sweet and caring, but he just doesn’t get why people make such a big deal about anniversaries. Fuji sometimes puts a little effort into celebrating his partner’s bday by buying pastry from a local bakery, but i can see him completely forgetting valentines and anniversaries. And it really depends on how his partner is like, but this can cause a lot of conflict in his relationships since his partner might think he’s not taking them seriously.

[aecholapis]

If there was ever a new Brave show, what would you want it to be about/what would you want it to involve?

Oh, what I wouldn't give to see a new Brave emerge from the depths of Sunrise's animation studios. But the chances are slim, infinitesimal even, microscopic to the point that I've given up hope to see some kind of series revival one day. At least we're still getting figurines and HD Blu-Ray remasters of the animes, but that's pretty much it.

What we are left with is our imagination and perseverance and thankfully, some fans have those attributes in abundance. I'm not going to call them out by name - you all know who you are and you should know your efforts are greatly appreciated by this small fandom.

Some of them have made a great effort to come up with new ideas for their own original shows that have sprung from their imaginations and they are kind enough to share it with the world. As someone who loves reading about pretty much any thing and everything relevant to the media I'm obsessed with at that time, I also love reading about other people's take on the already existing and well-established fictional worlds.

I've already mentioned my own and the OCs that are part of it, but to be honest, this is not exactly the direction I would take the franchise if I had a say in it. There are many great ways one could revive the Yuusha series and my own silly idea of a story is not it. There are too many themes that don't fit with the overall tone of the series - it needs to be as light-hearted, emotional and thrilling as the original one... which it isn't.

I'll list the answer to your ask under the cut if it's alright with you.

First of all, one thing that I would love to see is a way for the producers to link the shows together. It can either be done with little easter eggs or references to the old shows,

There is a reason why almost all Braves follow a pattern in terms of plot progression and action and I think they should bring that back. The monster-of-the-week format has worked well with almost every series and while it's definitely not the perfect way of storytelling, it makes for fun times.

Let the villains be silly, give them control over some ridiculouly huge thing and watch them decimate the protagonists with it until they learn its attack patterns and defeat it with the power of friendship. It wouldn't hurt if they did it once or twice every ten episodes.

We need more villains who are evil for the sake of it. They don't need a thorough reason to destroy the universe. And give us our beloved morally grey rivals/antiheroes turned allies back, please.

Nowadays I feel that most characters aren't as colorful as they used to be, but not here, nuh-uh! They need to have at least two primary colors in their frame (RYB, RGB or CYMK, doesn't matter which one) as long as they wear it with pride. Example: my man Draias is a walking fashion disaster, yet he doesn't care about his appearance and I love him for it.

I want the Braves to originate from

✨ s p a c e ✨

not Earth, thank you. While I don't have anything against human-made robots or those who were created by our planet's nature, the thought of them being aliens is so much cooler.

The OST would be a banger for sure.

Another thing I want to see is a more in-depth exploration of the themes and issues they deal with. BPJD had its fair share of addressing themes that are usually targeted at older viewers rather than the actual target audience of pre- and elementary schoolers. I don't want that to get lost in a new show. Children are just as capable of understanding and dealing with heavy themes if they are offered an explanation for everything they might not fully comprehend.

While I don't like humans in robot media in general, BPJD was probably the only show where I think they handled them well. THe human side characters weren't as prominent as they had been in the previous and following Braves. The robots were finally in the spotlight and got the development they desperately needed. Yuuta and Deckerd had a unique bond, they were like siblings and that was so wonderfully presented that I couldn't help but like their pure, albeit codependent relationship.

More platonic relationships. More focus on friendships. More familial love and found family. More bromances, more womances. The same amount of explosions and action.

And please let everyone be normal about women, GGG Final was just. No. (I love you, Anryuu, but the rest of the cast were done dirty)

As for the plot, anything would work. Aliens invade the Earth, philanthrophic Braves come to defend it. Maybe they've been fighting the other guys for a long while, maybe they haven't. What matters is that it should be something that makes sense for a Yuusha show.

And give them badass designs, please.

[elvensorceress]

First of all, you can answer this ask publicly if you want. And secondly, you should know that when it comes to my favorite fanfiction writers ,which you are one of them, I trand to wait until the fic is completed because I know myself being impatient and putting my mind on it everyday all day long. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't. And in your case, I managed to wait up until the chapter 7 of your recent fic "unless you ask me to " and I finally gave in and I read it.  And Jenwyn, you also should know that it's really rare for me to cry over fic or a book, hell it's really rare for me to cry in general. Part of it is because of my disability, cp which I know is something strange to understand. Anyway, like I know you would, your writing really got my heart and the way you bring the character study is incredibly beautiful and fascinating and amazing. It really touched me in places where I could see myself in Eddie's position. I found myself feeling the same feelings and having the same doubts as he had through the story. I can't stop thinking about this beautiful story and I'm really grateful for you to write more about ace/demi tropes. Because reading your fics helps me understand myself better. I knew recently that I'm demi and still was wondering how dating from the very beginning makes me so uncomfortable. Is that still a part of being demi? I even talked about it in my blog and understand that I'm not alone in this. I came in my mind that I perfer to fall in love with bast friend. To have a very deep connection with someone based on friendship and then love. I really think you should write a book  with your own beautiful words and imagination , I know it's kind of scary and a bit too much for you but you got the talent and you deserve it and I would definitely buy a copy, full price. Thank you so much for sharing your arts with us and I and many other people really appreciate that you keep on doing this. We are definitely the lucky ones who withness your breathtaking creations. I mean it with the bottom of my heart. 

Also happy birthday my gorgeous friend, I wish you only wonderful things that entire universe could offer you such as love and happiness and kindness. I hope you will always be surrounded by people who love you and support you. May your big wild and small regular dreams will come true . I hope you will have the best year of your life, full of new adventures to come, new accomplishments to have and new people to meet. I love you so much and I appreciate you and our friendship. I'm so lucky and honored to have you as my friend 💓 

YELENA! Darling! You are so so sweet! Your kind messages just make my day and I’m so happy that you enjoy and feel connected to my writing.

Ace/demi!Eddie is so special to me 🥹 and I’m so happy that so many people enjoy how I write him. I always want to give a voice to those experiences and feelings, and whenever it resonates with someone, I’m just so happy and touched that we can connect in that way and share it 🥹🥹🥹 thank you for sharing your experiences and feelings with me! I treasure all of them!

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! You are such a kind and amazing friend! I am sending all the love and adoration back at you! 💕💕💕