#open season is IT for me i shall cherish it forever

[izzymarksthespot]

My Top OFMD/Steddyhands fic/series picks that noone asked for, but I shall name 'cause they deserve appreciacion always (in no particular order):

inertia series by pukner

Force Majeure by seularen

Hands full of flowers by glitterary

the shrike by criswritesoccasionally

go to sea once more by deniigiq

The Depths by rowenablade

Malachi by AliuIce0814 (I'm so soft for that little bean 🥰)

[the-crows-typist]

A Letter Just for You

Diasomnia’s common room once filled with laughter had died down, the party goers asleep or resting but yet the tapping of a typewriter never ceased to create noise against the comfortable silence. 

“Miss Lemilia, do you think this will be enough?” Asks the man of the hour, the first half of the royal guard, to the typist whose purple uniform was out of place against the sea of black and green.

“You have opened your heart to me.” She says, setting the letter from the writer then to him. “I am sure that the recipient will see your heart as I do.” 

“Thank you. I shall have it delivered quickly.” 

Lilia stays not too far away but not too close, his eyes on the letter his son penned with his love. “Even after all these years...Heh, I wonder what his friend will think of this.”

A flutter of wind and the chime of a bell, a letter is brought to you by the hum of the air. A ghost’s hand settles the parchment onto your palm.

“To the director,” It said. “A thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Dear Director,

Though our meeting at the party was long I cannot help but think that the time has gone too fast. There is a saying I once found in the books of my father: time flies when you're having fun and when I am with you, I think that holds a good amount of truth.

I've learned to cherish the memories we have the best I can as my own recollection of the past is muddy, as it a heavy veil was put over it.

As tragic as it may sound, I do not find any sadness or regret in not remembering. My life as it is, the days I've spent and the birthdays I've shared is enough to make up for the loss within me; to make up for the family I may have lost along the way.

And though I do enjoy the gifts given to me each year, only two gifts stand out to me the most, as selfish as it sounds.

The first gift was given on the day of my founding. My name, Silver, by my father. It is not my own but it is something I wish to carry with me for the rest of my life for it is precious.

And as for the second gift, well, I can only describe it as simply being with you. When I arrived in night raven i did not realize how different my life would become from gaining friends and basking in the sun with you.

In the valley of thorns, the sky becomes dark quickly and any traces of light will only become visible the following morning. To have you with me just to bask in the sun is enough.

Just having you...That is enough.

You make me feel...It's as if—I am...um, *Mister Silver tumbles over his words at this part, a few minutes passed before he's able to get the right one.* You just make me feel complete and you make me feel at ease.

*A pregnant silence passes through, Mister Silver looks hesitant to speak for a moment.*

Director, I want to give you a gift as well. Something important that I hope that you will keep safe.

In my founding I was given a name and now, I want to do the same.

I want to give you a name just as my father gave mine.

My most precious one.

Yes, that will be your name. Please take care of it.

You know, during the summer season there is a day when the sun stays in the sky longer than usual. Will you join me then, Director?

A picture comes along with the letter, the smiling face of Silver who stands beside Lilia and a horrified looking Sebek whose face is forever captured in the film as the guard receives his gift.

He looks happy, you think, very happy.

You let our a small laugh, turning it over to read the text.

"Thank you for coming, I hope to enjoy more birthdays with you in the future, my most precious one. - Silver."

[saturnsummer]

 law school: love and goodbye letters

notes: i would like to give out love letters to the amazing cast, our 8 students from hankuk law school. like what the director said, i’ll support them in their journeys as they take a step into their new chapter, wherever they go. their stories continue and live on. it’s been an amazing journey, although I was initially hesitant on starting it. while i will definitely be suffering withdrawals and probably think about it too much, i’m thankful i started watching.

the finale has left me with so many thoughts, I want to send them off right. also, writing these letters have helped my process my feelings towards the show and stop me from getting so withdrawn. so, shall we begin this court hearing?

over the next couple of days, my inbox will be open to requests! i may not write the fastest, but I’m willing to fulfil any of your desires about law school now that it has ended.

(skip please, if you don’t want to see my personal reflections.)

HAN JOON HWI// KIM BEOM

you have been a pleasure to watch, a seasoned actor indeed. you brought life to joon hwi, depicting the student that is smart, aloof, but is actually caring for their friends alike.

joon hwi, when you entered law school, you wanted to be a prosecutor. now, you finally got your dream. you were broken, sad, betrayed by your uncle. you remind yourself that you cannot be your uncle. but at the end, you’re happy, aren’t you? you’ve been through hell, yet somehow you told yourself to hang on. believe it, samchoon is proud he raised a noble nephew to fight and correct the flaws in the law. 

you have taught us the black and whites, yet seeing the greys of law. and with that, as you continue your journey as a prosecutor, remember to judge fairly and make sure no one suffers unjustly. 

you’ve done well, kim beom. thank you.

KANG SOL A// RYU HYE YOUNG

hyeyoung, you’ve brought so many emotions across the screen. as kang dan and sol, you had the challenge to play polar opposites, the moon and sun. you were feisty, you were soft. yet, you brought the humane qualities out of sol, conveying it to us.

kang sol a, you represent that majority of students, or even adults alike. you’re single parented. you come from a broken family. you have an estranged sibling, one you try so hard to find. you are barely making enough to live by. on top of that, you are on a scholarship, yet scoring grades that skim the pass. you represent so many students in the world. yet, you didn’t let these weights hold you from feeling your passion into law. you fought tirelessly for your friends and family, and stayed grounded in your morals and values.

this is why you are my personal favourite. that you love and strive for something so much, you work on it endlessly and still rigorously put in hard work. your passion for law inspires me to be equally passionate for my future degree as well. the fact that you went to law school seeking an apology, I hope you have gotten your apology. your zeal for justice will live on.

as a lawyer now, i hope you will remember your endless nights. i hope you know your worth. i hope that everyday, you trust yourself and be bold and courageous, like how you are when defending for your professor. you will excel, and you will be a good lawyer. 

so thank you, for speaking up for the students who find it tough to get through school. for telling us and giving us faith that we can survive. 

KANG SOL B// LEE SOO KYUNG

sookyung, you are far from your character of solb. yet, you were a perfect representation. you were elegant, classy and held that prestige whenever you acted.

solb, you represent that group of us that are pressured. when the society pressures us, it is nothing compared to our family’s pressures. you held your mom’s pressure to heart, studying endlessly, trapped in a cage that you couldn’t get out of. you isolated yourself to break free, acting cold.

you finally broke free, with your consultations with your therapist. and i hope you know just how proud i am of you for standing up for yourself. your unnies and oppas will always be supporting you, and wherever you are now, whether you are training to be a judge or not, i hope you never forget that you are supported. you are a free bird, and you should do things for yourself. 

thank you, for being the solb we have learnt to love, the student we aspire to be. solb, you are forever an A+ in our eyes. 

SEO JI HO// LEE DAVID

david, you are the man backstage always goofing off. your character hates goofing. yet, your simple eyes and acting brought so many emotions. you didn’t have many emotional scenes, but your expressions were so well done.

jiho, you started law to fight for your dad, for justice to be served. but over your journey, aren’t you glad you have made so many friends? your 3 years there have proved that you have earned justice, but you earned friendships that you will never experience anywhere else. 

wherever you are, if you are at a law firm working and earning lots of money, cherish the friendships. justice is served. learn and let go, and maybe you will enjoy your life a bit more.

JEON YE SEUL// GO YOUN JUNG

youn jung, where can i start? your acting was phenomenal. you played the cheery girl so well, yet at the same time you empathised with the victim of a domestic abuse. your scenes blew me away.

yeseul, I hope you carry this on your heart. you are loved, you are right. you are not wrong. you speak up for those abused, because you were once them. with the power of the law, I know you will go on to defend for them and fight for them. you will bring justice, and you will be the woman of power in the courtroom.

leave your immature self behind. you have matured to be a woman of confidence, boldness and most importantly, knowing you are not wrong.

you will be the woman of the courtroom. your kindness is your strength. wherever you are, defending abuse victims, thank you for speaking out for the millions of women who victimise themselves, still. you have inspired the generation of women to provide support for them.

MIN BOK GI// LEE KANG JI 

kangji, your goofiness on set and in the show plays out especially well. you were lively, yet at the same time the right support we needed.

bokgi, you will forever be remembered as the boy who comes to classes with a head band. you were casual, easy going and the extroverted one in the study group. you brought life to them, taught them to live and take things easy. you supported yeseul regardless, and always stop by her side. you are unafraid to be defensive over your friends.

for that, we thank you for being the character that is loyal. that regardless of what happened, you stayed with your group even though you could easily walk away.

JO YE BEOM// KIM MIN SEOK

minseok, you were fun to watch on set, yet a more fun character to watch grow with your actor friends. yebeom had many iconic lines, yet you did well in them.

yebeom, I will not understand why you were a spy. i however, will empathise your situation. what could you do? regardless, all that is useless now. you were sidekicks with your bestie bokgi, and together, you were both the life of the group that reminded them to breathe.

you made a good choice to be honest when sol a confronted you. and you should be thankful that the group still kept you even after all that. I hope that in your law career, you will remember the codes of law, and remember what is right. you stand for truth, you stand for justice.

YOO SEUNG JAE// HYUN WOO

hyunwoo, you had lesser scenes, yet each scene you had was a turmoil of emotions each time. you conveyed your emotions so well, and I’m so impressed.

seungjae, you are the oldest of the study group. you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you? you’re permanently suspended from law school, and with a kid now. I hope things are going well for you, whether you are a doctor or a computer guy now.

thank you for being the bigger man, to admit to his mistakes and asking for a bigger punishment. you have deep regrets, but I know you will grow and learn from them. you deserve your happiness.

to my law school fam,

thank you for this beautiful journey. you have taught me to be righteous, to be bold and to be confident. you taught me the results of tenacity. you taught me how to upload my values. you taught me the reasons to be lawful and that I should stand by my morals. you taught me confidence and courage.

truth and justice, only by the law.

it’s been a journey, my graduates. I close the hearing as make my final decision. i will close my case.

thank you, directors, pds, writers, staff, editors, musicians, make up and stylists. I hope you will meet again on another shoot.

goodbye, thank you. we’ll see each other again.

[dreamescapeswriting]

The Cable Car ~ Han Jisung [Request]

↬↬↬Word Count: 2.4K

↬↬↬Genre: Fluffy!!!

↬↬↬Pairing: Han Jisung x GenderNeutral!Reader

↬↬↬A/N: I hope this is alright for you my love!! I know it says cable cart in this but that’s just what me and my friends call them 😭😂

This was going to be your first date with Jisung and you were nervous about it, it was the first time you were finally going to get to go out. He'd asked you to go out on a date with him right before comeback season started and now everything was calming down it was finally time.

"I have rules," Hyunjin said as he paced around in front of you and Hyunjin, he had his hands behind his back while he looked at you both. The joys of having Hyunjin as a brother was how over-protective of you he was. Jisung had gone to him first before he even thought of asking you out, he never wanted to do anything to upset Hyunjin and you never would have agreed if Hyunjin hadn't said it would be fine. All of the boys knew about the crushes you had on one another, it had been obvious from the moment you and Jisung first met. You were both incredibly nervous around one another, would barely mutter a word in the other one's direction until Felix finally sat you down and made you talk about something you could bond over. From there it grew into a strong friendship until neither of you could hold back the feelings you had for one another.

"I want you home no later than 10:30 pm, there is to be no funny business, no kissing, no holding hands, no making out-" He turned to look at you while he continued listing off everything Jisung and you were and weren't allowed to do making you giggle.

"Hyunjin he'll have me home in time-" He stared at you wondering what you were talking about,

"No. I mean you. You will have him home by 10:30." Your mouth began to open and close like a fish and he smirked, hugging Jisung and dramatically acting as though it would ever be the last time he was ever going to see him.

"Remember when you used to hate one another? Simpler times." You said jokingly standing up from the dorm living room sofa and grabbing your bag. It was pitch black outside thanks to the Autumnal time of year but it was perfect, Jisung was wearing a black hoodie, baseball cap and a mask to hide himself while you wore one of Hyunjin's hoodies, jeans and a mask.

"Can we go, I want to get on some of the rides before they realise that Jisung is too short." You whined out jokingly taking Jisung by the hand, his cheeks turned a bright red colour and you began pulling him towards the front door of the dorms. Wanting to get away from your brother as fast as humanly possible right now,

"Come on Sungie." You giggled, the nickname was something you'd given him back when you tried to be friends but it just stuck with you.

"Are we still going to follow them?" Jeongin asked once you and Jisung were both out of the dorms, the fake smile that Hyunjin had plastered across his face faded and he nodded looking around for his coat to change into.

"Of course," You were still his sibling at the end of the day, sure he was going to tease you and Jisung for dating but he was still going to be the over-protective brother he was meant to be, just because you were dating someone he liked didn't mean he dropped all of that. If anything it doubled because he had to make sure nothing was ruined between his friendship and your love life.

The night had been going amazing, so far he'd won you a giant teddy which was now sitting in the car that had brought you to the amusement park that Jisung had brought you along to.

"Oh what about I win you something," You suggested as you reached another game where there were some cute squirrel plushies up for the win. Jisung unlinked your hands together,

"Sure but do you think you can manage that thing looks-" He was going to say quite heavy but you lifted the huge mallet with ease, he shut his mouth and watched in 'awe' as you rang the bell within your first attempt of whacking it hard enough to win.

"And the pretty couple win!" You whispered into the teller's ear which stuffed animal you wanted and turned back to Jisung with a smile on your face, he could tell how big the smile was even through the mask you were wearing. It spread a warm feeling through his h=whole body just watching you be this happy with him, he never thought within a million years that this would happen with you,

"Jisung meet Jisung." You whispered holding up the squirrel to Jisung's nose and smiling as he took him into his hands,

"I shall cherish him forever." He placed him into the small bag he had on his side and you began walking once again.

His hand natural linked with yours in the cold weather and you tried not to act as though the small interaction hadn't just made your heartbeat 10 times its normal speed and send static waves throughout your entire body,

"What if we rode up to the top of the mountains, I heard a couple say there was a restaurant up there." Jisung felt his whole world come to a standstill, he'd done well so fair to deter you from getting on any majorly huge rides sticking to simpler things like the sings, merry-go-round and a bumper car ride but to get up to the mountains there was a huge cable car ride you had to go on to get up and come back down on. He could feel his heart racing and thumping against his chest at the thought of getting into the cart with you but one small squeeze of your hand and it felt like it gave him the confidence to do anything. He didn't want to be afraid in front of you so he smiled nodding his head and acting as though the mere thought of getting into the cable cart wasn't making his legs shake and feel like jelly.

"We should get going, we might be able to get our own cart if we're quick enough." He smiled as you suggested that pulling him in the direction of the carts that were all going up one by one. Occasionally being filled by four or more people while some filled with only two, two young and in love couples.

"Where are they taking Jisung?" Jeongin asked as he tried to swallow the food he was eating, he was supposed to be the one in charge of making sure Jisung was keeping his hands to himself but so far he hadn't done a good job so Hyunjin took over that job as well as making sure you weren't being spotted by fans.

"Oh god," Hyunjin started laughing while rushing over with Jeongin towards you and Jisung, watching as you stepped into one of the cable carts.

"He's terrified of heights why would he just willingly get on that?" Jeongin was out of the loop but Hyunjin knew why and it only made everything all the more funnier to him, he hadn't expected Jisung to go this far with it. He'd expected him to give up and admit how scared of heights he was right before you both got on the ride but it was too late, the cart was on the move and Hyunjin and Jeongin got into the next cart directly behind yours to watch everything unfold before them.

The view from the cart was impeccable but Jisung had his eyes on your hands the whole time, he couldn't afford to look out of the glass windows and gaze around because he was terrified, he'd done well to keep everything inside so far. But on the inside he was screaming at himself for even allowing himself to get on the ride, you, on the other hand, looked calm and collected as you gazed around at the city lights. You could see almost everything from up here, the amusement park looked so small from up here, except for the rollercoasters that were all taller than the cart ride anyway,

"Don't you think its-" You stopped midsentence when the cart shook, your grip on Jisung's hand tightened and he thanked God that it did since his tightened on you. At least he could play it off that he was comforting you in a way and not that he was scared,

"W-What happened?" Your voice came out shakey as the cart you were sitting in stopped in the air, not moving along the cables, you glanced at the other carts to see all of them had frozen in place as well.

"I think it's stuck," His voice came out shakey as well but he tried to keep his cool, he could already tell you were scared and if he let on for even a second he was worried it could have freaked you out as well.

"Excuse us, everyone, we're experiencing a technical glitch in our cable systems. We promise to have you moving in a couple of moments, please sit back and look at the view." A robotic voice sounded through the sound system and you moved closer to Jisung who in return wrapped his arm around your shoulders as if it would help you if the cable cart was to fall suddenly.

"I...I should have suggested this," You whimpered suddenly feeling afraid of how small everything looked below you, Jisung tipped your chin up to look at him.

"Look at me, not down there okay. That's the last thing you want to do." You nodded in agreement with him before a frown formed on your face,

"How do you know-"

"petrified of heights," He swallowed the lump in his throat, there was no use hiding how scared he was from you if you were going to be stuck up there together for a while.

"But-"

"I just thought that if you wanted to ride them, it would be over as quickly as I got on and I wouldn't have to deal with it...I didn't think I would get stuck on the cart." He mumbled looking at you and nowhere else, he didn't want to risk looking away from you. You were the only thing that was stopping him from screaming out in fear, you seemed to anchor him down and make him feel slightly calm about being stuck up there.

"No-," You stopped yourself thinking about what he'd just said, he'd risked his fear for you. Facing his fear just so he could make you happy, it made you feel warm inside and sent your head into a frenzy thinking about him doing something like that for you. Something that would seem so small to everyone else but to you it put everything into perspective.  

"Jisung that's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me." You breathed looking at him as he frowned, he tilted his head to the side wondering why that had been the sweetest. You were one of the most amazing people he'd ever met, surely you'd had loads of people doing nice things for you all of the time. His mind went into hyperdrive when you leant forward flickering your eyes closed, he closed his and moved closer until your lips finally touched. His lips were soft and smooth on top of yours as you kissed sweetly, it was slow and neither of you knew what you were doing. His hand moved up to cup your cheek slowly building up courage with you and moving closer to you, his tongue slipped across your bottom lip asking for entrance which you gladly gave him. The kiss made you feel like you were floating - that also could have been the cable cart that was shifting in the sudden breeze but for a moment that had been forgotten. The only thing that mattered was the way Jisung was holding you, running his thumb along your smooth skin.

You pulled apart and shyly smiled at one another for a second, the kiss tasted like the candy floss you'd both been eating earlier but it made your head spin so fast you thought you were going to faint.

"Whoa," You whispered your voice coming out a little hoarse from the kiss you had shared, he nervously chuckled taking your hand in his as you sat there in silence for a couple of seconds. Just taking everything in that had just happened, realising that you'd both experienced the same feeling together, that everything seemed better now you'd kissed. You felt loved even if it was too soon to use that word, everything just felt brighter and better with him right there.

"This was Hyunjin's idea by the way," You whispered two minutes later when you still hadn't moved in the cart. Your head was resting on his shoulder while he played with your fingers, just wiggling them around, bending them and running his fingers through them.

"What was?" He hummed looking at you while he placed a small kiss on the top of your head,

"The amusement park, he said to suggest it to you because you loved this sort of thing." Jisung boiled up with anger for your brother, not the anger that used to boil up when he saw him but the kind that made him want to lash out a kill him in a brotherly-love way.

"Two minutes," Jisung said reaching into his hoodie to pull out his phone, he dialled your brother's number and was surprised when he picked up almost instantly,

"You're dead when I get in-"

"This is I.N," Jeongin spoke into the phone,

"We're behind you on the cable cart and Hyunjin is in the process of freaking out about the heights and kiss you just had." Yelling could be heard from down the other end of the phone and you smirked turning around in your seat to see Hyunjin clutching onto Jeongin who was calmly biting into a hot dog while holding the phone up to his ear.

"This is karma you know Hyunjin," You spoke down the phone to your brother laughing as you watched him shaking his head before the cable cart shook into action.

"Dead meat," Jisung warned locking his phone and wrapping his arm around your shoulders again, feeling calmer now that you were on the move and finally going to get back onto flat ground.

Tagline: 

@writingdreamsnottragedies @snowy-meowl @jooniesdarlingdimples @kneel-begyourpardon @yunhoesss​

[hei-ch0u]

Oh boy. Here goes... Shingeki no Kyojin Final chapter (139) thoughts and analysis ✰

Well, where do I even begin to accumulate my thoughts on the final chapter of Shingeki no Kyojin? Even after some time to reflect and read the chapter many times, over and over - I’m still going to struggle to form this analysis. But, alas I shall try my best despite this.

I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this and understand my own views of the final chapter. Proceed with caution - ⚠️ spoilers ahead ⚠️

This chapter and ending overall has left me with a love/hate relationship with the overall tale in full. I’d even go as far as saying it has tainted my view slightly of the entire series in one way or another and I will never look at it the same way I did - as much as I wish I could. My reasoning for the love/hate relationship I have will come, but, I want to start off by saying that despite it’s ending I will always appreciate this story and Isayama for his work, even if I myself don’t approve of his steering towards the ending.

It is just like I said in my theory, the thing we all need to recognise with this story is that the characters we love and have cherished, were never going to get exactly what they desired and if anything this chapter is a clear indication of that fact. It has been a story that was paved for a bitter, somewhat ‘bittersweet’ ending (yes, I hoped it wouldn’t be in the form of ‘that’, but it was). It is just as Mikasa said - “The world is cruel and merciless, but it is also beautiful”. This tale became the typical embodiment of humanity and how ruthless it can be.

Again, like I said in my theory, it was heavily foreshadowed that Eren was playing devil’s advocate and might have to sacrifice his freedom in this life to save the ones who meant the most to him. We heard hints in OST’s such as My War, Red Swan, Vogel Im Kafig, among others…

“Angel playing disguise with Devil’s face”

“I’ll cry for you in a dream”

“All of my kingdom, for your return, I’d let it burn!”

“Spread your wings, which are dreaded in blood”

“And eternity as you, fly to heaven”

“Like a fallen angel”

“Looking down from above I feel awful”

“Every living being dies someday, whether we are ready to die or not”

“Is that the angel who flew down from the twilight sky?”

“Is that the devil who crawled out from the crevice?”

“Tears, anger, compassion, cruelty, peace, chaos, faith, betrayal.”

It was foreshadowed, all of those things in the last example is humanity in a nutshell. The use of birds to symbolise the dead was shown on multiple occasions. Hell, even in the Levi ova, his friends are shown as 2 birds above him as he continues forward. It didn’t shock me that Eren’s soul was represented or “reincarnated” in the form of a bird - simply because birds are the most free creatures on our planet, they can fly over land, sea and maintain the air around them. Realistically, we should’ve analysed the birds presence more (it was even implied in the opening trailer for season 4. Falco awoke to a bird flying above him, we saw the bird present many times in even past seasons and don’t get me started on how many times it was present in the manga). Our Angel was Eren. He was a fallen angel - a slave to the story and what it means to be human, to feel deeply and make sacrifices. He was never a monster, just a pawn in a wicked game.

For a split moment of initial shock, I let the “judging a book by its cover” ideal kick in. After calming down and having access to proper translations, again I can’t say I love this ending or hate it - it has the bittersweet notion that was intended, but it was also lukewarm. It is not perfect by any means, there are some plot holes and loose ends that could have been tied up by extension. However, Isayama maybe intended for it to remain open for interpretation. Something of which, I’ll reveal what I personally took from the ending.

One thing I am surely certain of, is that I can hold my hands above my head and say this chapter 100% embodied my love for my favourite character - Eren Jaeger. He had such a tragic outcome, he did it all for his friends and loved ones. He was never free, not in life and partially not in death. He was a broken child, in a broken world with a broken fate of shouldering mass amounts of responsibility with no idea of how to change or control the past, present and future. To witness your best friend talking of all the things he was going to see, yet knowing you wouldn’t be there to see it yourself. To know the girl who was there for him forever and always, could never be his to cherish. He had no freedom to do so. To live the life he wanted to, he would have died anyway. If he had ran off with Mikasa, he would have damned his friends. The life he wanted was not feasible, therefore he chose to sacrifice his desires so his friends could live long lives, unlike the one he was damned to. He was a character who was torn along all sides of the coin. Torn between his desires, his duty and his self - all while experiencing memories from all angles. He was not a monster or a psychopath and I won’t let others spit on his name due to their lack of analysis and empathy. He is human. He is allowed to feel. He isn’t pathetic for wanting to live, for wanting to be with his friends or the girl he loves. He is 19. Can you really say you wouldn’t feel the same? It is natural to be frustrated at your life being ripped from under your feet at such a young age. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. Look at his face in paths when he talks with Armin, he is devastated and he had no solution.

However, I do believe he will be reunited with his friends once more. After all, the scouts were reunited in death, so why shouldn’t he? His friends will not live in vain, his sacrifice will mean something. They will live their life to the fullest and find peace in life and then in death - they have Eren to thank for that. Another misconception I want to pick out of the fandom is that they did not condone genocide, they did not thank Eren for ridding the population of 80%. Armin states it as an “error”. What they did do, was acknowledge Eren’s sacrifice for them to live and that they understood it’s not what he wanted himself, but that due to unseen forces. - did he really have a choice? It is not by any means perfect, but it gives them freedom to live out with the walls - was this not Eren’s dream? To be free, not confined within the walls by Titans. He did exterminate all titans, that is one goal Eren Jaeger accomplished. We don’t know the full extent of the power of the attack titan or the founding titan, this is one of the open plot holes. Eren himself explains this, he himself has no clue and his head is a mess - is it any shock that his head is a mess? People would go crazy over less. He was a pawn in a story with no happy ending. At least not for him.

Even in the bird reincarnation theory, I hope he is happy and free. Free to roam the skies, perch upon the tallest mountains, titter along the grass banks of the world and watch over his comrades, his friends, the ones he loves deeply… The tragic protagonist I will always remember. (Especially as one who was done so dirty by his author)

There was so many routes this manga could have taken, fan theories proved this and I do think the ending could have been executed better. We were not getting a happy ending, it is not happy by all means. Those characters left have to live in the aftermath, aware of their friends sacrifice and all he had to put himself through for them to live the lives they themselves desired. My favourite quote will always be:

“Don’t pity the dead. Pity the living”

Mikasa lost her family in more ways than one, she has to live a life where she didn’t get the one person she desired more than anything, but I believe she will move on and Eren will be by her side the entire time until they are reunited in death. Levi is the same, he lost everyone and whoever his love may have been - Erwin, Hanji, Petra (who knows). Either way, he didn’t have those loved ones around in the end. But, he no longer has to fight for survival and can spend the remainder of his time resting until the day in the future he can be reunited with his comrades, friends and even kick Eren a big one, ruffle his hair, tell him its okay and tell him all the things he wanted to tell him like he said. Armin lost his best friend, he held the burden above his head that he himself killed Eren and not Mikasa. However, he has an abundance of friends, he has Annie and he can travel the world like he desired - like Mikasa, he will have Eren by his side for the remainder of his time.

Jean can meet the woman of his dreams and have the children like he desired, knowing that even in their silly quarrels - Eren was loyal to him always. Connie can have his mother back, his family and move on. Reiner can live, not die like he once desired and live on knowing of Eren’s sacrifice, that he wasn’t a monster himself. He is free from the curse, as is Annie, Pieck and Falco. The warriors have their families back. Gabi and Falco can be together unlike their comparisons, sad, but fitting. They are in Paradis, a place we never expected them to be in the end, advocating for change alongside Onyakapon looking after their elder, Levi, alongside them. On Eren’s death anniversary, it is implied they all return to his grave to be together, none of them are alone like we initially thought. Mikasa is not alone in Paradis since it is implied that Levi, Onyankapon, Gabi, Falco, Historia even… still live amidst the walls - I think it would be wasteful to assume such a strong character secludes herself after the love of her life’s death. She does not have to love another man, she can choose to live her life for herself, a long one alongside her friends. This manga has never necessarily needed to have love stories, they are implied, but not needed. For life itself is the embodiment of their freedom.

This above is the rosy way of looking at it and it’s what I personally will take from it. I overall think it is terrible writing and use of dialogue - there’s no denying it. I myself as a writer and artist would have done it differently. Isayama has created a manga with a tragic story that reveals the raw, tainted feeling of what it’s like to be human. We all want things, we all have desires…but we don’t always get them, no matter how hard we try, some will slip from our grasps. That is life, no matter the universe. Yes. But, I do think in ways Isayama did taint and obliterate Eren as a character. This I am disappointed in. It is a typical author ideal of damning his protagonist and the sad thing about being a stories protagonist - you risk being ruined due to being written so complex initially that the author loses sight of how to conclude your arc respectfully. I believe from what we have been shown, he would not have accepted his death that easily and would fight for another way. Although, I cannot blame him as I myself would have felt defeated, suicidal and depressed at learning everything he did after his contact with Historia at such a young age. Remember, how you are brought up in an already cruel world is key - he didn’t stand a chance. But alas, I still feel he would’ve fought. This Eren is not the Eren we saw the majority of the manga, but then again he did change and I feel so sorry that the Titan power had that effect on him.

This is the character development true Eren stans are enraged with. TATAKAE! Fight the attack titan, fight the founding titan, fight against your cruel fate - don’t succumb to defeat. There is always another way. I don’t accept this version of Eren, due to the development we saw built by Isayama of his character, I can’t. It leaves so many gaps among other plot reveals. I don’t see what was accomplished. Eren’s being, his life, was a ploy to keep the other characters we care about alive, but at what cost ? If I was Eren’s friend, I would go forward like he wanted me to, but I could never forget the burden he bared and what he had to go through and what he did to achieve that outcome for me. I would forever be sad. I would be living in a world much like this one, lacking in peace and serenity and above all is that not what we all desire in one way or another? He did not necessarily know the Dina titan would go for his mother, but he had to direct it away from Bertholdt since in the timeline it was not his time to die. Always remember the theory of time, one thing changed, drastically changes the outcome. He did not want civilians or people within Paradis to die, it became collateral damage and no one would be able to fight for some time because of the 80% notion. He gave them time to live, time to change things to the best of their abilities and experience all they possibly could. They became the ‘heroes’, but again, at what cost?

Now, to the plot holes and answers I feel needed to be present for the story to knit together in a better way. This will be less “paragraph” based and more pointed, since…well these things were not explained. Majority of potential foreshadowing was swept under the rug like it meant nothing to bring about the lukewarm feeling I was talking about.

The alien like hallucigenia, what exactly was its purpose? It’s reason for being? It disappeared and ceased to exist. No mention of how it came to be. Even Ymir just vanished. Everything ceased to exist and Eren himself couldn’t understand Ymir’s reasoning other than being able to witness love. This seemed to be cop out on Isayama’s part.

Historia’s pregnancy was heavily implied and emphasised on within the manga, making readers think it meant something (when a creator zones in on these things, its usually for further plot reveal) Her character development was destroyed and she deserved better. She sidelined herself and stayed away till the final moment where it is implied she and Armin will become the negotiators of a new world, all while housing tyrants (Jaegerists). Again a further implication of Shonen manga and its poor interpretation of women.

The conclusion to Ymir and Eren’s particular character arcs was shocking and this can’t be dismissed. We needed both their sides of things to explain more. It lacked real conclusion and didn’t match up to past events or character development. This chapter should have purely been an Eren POV with the ending moments of how the scouts moved on. Of course this couldn’t have been done in 1 chapter, hence the recognition that this manga needed ‘more’ and it wasn’t enough to tie it all together. Another flaw in Isayama’s writing and continuity.

The Ackermans? Don’t get me started. My theory again will entail my rage about this one. Did the Ackerman power cease to exist like the titan curse? What is their origin story? To imply the Ackerman blood concept in all its parallels and foreshadowing to not even have the 2 remaining characters from said bloodline talk about their shared experience in thorough detail is such an abysmal hole in plot. Especially with it being heavily emphasised throughout the entire manga.

I barely saw any signs of Eren being in love with Mikasa? If this was the case, then it should have been shown in the manga and emphasised like isayama did with many other things that eventually had no meaning. I always viewed their relationship as very toxic to both sides and needed amending. So for Eren to suddenly turn round and say he doesn’t want her to be with another man....I find this a very bad continuation and completely disregards how Eren has been the past 138 chapters. Why was it so hard for him to say these things even before he made contact with historia and unravelled it all? Was it the power of the attack titan preventing him?.... (below)

The attack titan and founding titan, explain how it works. Why does Eren himself not fully understand yet he embodies them? Why could he not have flipped the switch? Why could he not ask for help? Explanation is needed.

All the time loop links diminished to nothing other than Eren’s past, present and future…yet its implied in many characters even in their childhoods mentions of things they could not be aware of. How can it merely be coincidence?

I wholeheartedly believe that this was not the initial ending of Shingeki no Kyojin, specifically because I and a few others I’ve seen noticed the shift in the story around 10 or so chapters ago. It seemed to be going in the route of a few particular fan theories and then suddenly (quite drastically I’ll add) shifted into this ending. I can only theorise that Isayama changed his original ending along the way to please editors and readers in different ways. In interviews past, he has completely contradicted things he has said about the manga and its ending with what he has produced in the final chapter. When you look at it from a marketing point of view as a selling point, if Isayama had killed certain characters like “Levi” for example or left the ending dark as it possibly could have been (something I wouldn’t have put past yams to do) it would be bad from a marketing point given the likes of Levi is the targeted favourite of the series (even with being a side character) and editors would heavily warn him of this.

People are saying that it’s Isayama’s story and editors won’t have influence - you’d be heavily surprised how much the editing team can have influence, especially when a story of this magnitude becomes so popular. I do think in ways, Isayama gave up. As an artist even myself, its very abundantly clear when a fellow creative loses drive and how the concept of something becoming popular can influence you to become bored and look for a way out. Hence, the clear signs of the story coming out as rushed, its all there, the loss of continuity, the holes in plot and even though Isayama’s art can be inconsistently coherent - some parts of the past few chapters weren’t at the full potential we saw previously. We watched him get better to suddenly somehow revert? That to me seems like a creator who had just had enough and maybe in the end chose to veer off his original plan.

Alas! As I said, I will always love Shingeki no Kyojin despite its ending and loose ties, it holds a place in my heart and has been a favourite of mine since my school days. Being an adult now In her 20’s and experiencing the many troubles of what its like to be human and a creative can sympathise with the struggles and stress Isayama would have been under all these years as his manga gradually became the phenomenon it is now. As it is our favourite characters time to rest and move on, it is his also. Although the story is not where I and many others hoped it would go, I still thank him massively for giving me characters like Eren Jaeger, Levi Ackerman, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert… the list goes on. Thank you for embodying why Eren was my first and last favourite character. Goodbye Shingeki no Kyojin.

[sincerelyella]

All In My Head Part 9

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Pairings: Liam x MC (Ella)

Characters belong to Pixelberry; MC Ella Brooks belongs to me.

Song Inspiration: You For Me by Johnny Gill

A/N: This is the last chapter! This is set in book 2 chapter 1, after the mess at the coronation takes place. MC has been stuck at Ramsford doing her daily lessons with the Beaumont brothers. Some canon but mostly went left with this! Liam’s social season lasted about 5 months. He and MC had been carrying on their relationship since the beginning, they just had to do this in secret.

Thank you @burnsoslow​ for pre reading and letting me bounce ideas off of your brilliant mind!

Warnings: Fluffs

Words: 1843

Liam was worried his father or Madeleine may ruin this day somehow. He had instructed Bastien to find out where his father and Regina had escaped to, and also to verify Madeleine’s whereabouts. It was initially assumed she was in Karlington but it was never proven. As it turns out, his father and Regina were in Karlington with Madeleine. Liam had quickly banished the trio from stepping foot in Cordonia, alerting the Royal Guard and the borders of the new law.

When Liam had told Ella about his father and Madeleine’s whereabouts, she was relieved, but also disappointed that no further punishment would come to them. That was the same day Liam made Ella the new Duchess of Valtoria, as part of becoming his Queen.

~The Cathedral~

The large, ornate doors of the cathedral were flung open and Ella started to walk forward slowly, holding her bouquet of overflowing white orchids and baby’s breath in front of her. She locked eyes with Liam at the front of the cathedral and continued to walk with purpose down the aisle. She didn’t look at anyone in the room, her gaze is solely for her King.

Liam’s breath caught in his throat and he eyes immediately well up. She’s all mine. Finally. He tried to look away from her so that he could stop the tears from falling, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Their eyes were locked on each others until she made it to the altar in front of him. Ella is the first to break eye contact as she turns to Hana to give her her bouquet.

As soon as his bride is face to face with him, his eyes sweep down Ella’s dress and back up again. “I … Ella … wow,” he stammered.

“You look very handsome my King,” she smiled up at him.

Leo cleared his throat, “Alright, let’s get to the marrying part now, shall we?” The congregation laughed as Liam gave his brother a warning look. Leo continued on, ignoring Liam’s glare, “We are all gathered here to witness the marriage of King Liam Rys of Cordonia and Duchess Ella Brooks of Valtoria. The commitment of love between Liam and Ella speaks of their shared experience together, their dreams for the future, of the importance of each of them as individuals as well as the special bond they share, and of the importance of their community of family and friends. Liam and Ella, your love is something that you both cherish, so much so that it’s moved you join in the union of marriage and create a home together. The pledge you make today shows your devotion to one another and to the love you share, and the words spoken here will support your marriage. Today, in the presence of your families and friends, you pronounce your love for each other and make a commitment that will define the next phase of your journey. Now,” Leo paused and looked at the couple. “I understand you both have written your own vows?” Liam and Ella nod. “Okay, Liam, please go ahead.”

Liam clears his throat and speaks with confidence, “Ella, I choose you. I choose you to stand by my side and sleep in my arms. I choose you to be the joy to my heart and the food for my soul. I choose you to learn and grow with me, even as time and life may change us both. I promise to laugh with you in good times and struggle alongside you during the bad times. I promise to respect you and cherish you as an individual, a partner and an equal, knowing that we do not complete, but complement each other. I love you, Ella, and I will always love you.”

Tears were running down Ella’s face, she couldn’t stop them if she tried, the emotions just came in large waves. Ella took in a deep breath as Hana stepped in to hand her a handkerchief to dry her eyes. She gave her best friend a grateful look and heard Leo speak, “That was beautiful, Liam. Ella?”

She looked up into Liam’s glistening eyes and smiled. “Liam,” her voice cracked and she cleared her throat and tried again. “Liam, I love you and will always love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I vow to love you, encourage you, trust you, and respect you. Today, I choose you to be my husband, my partner, my King. You have taught me that two people joined together can be far stronger and happier than each could ever be alone. You are the strength I didn’t know I needed, and the joy that I didn’t know I lacked. Today, I choose to spend the rest of my life with you.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the cathedral, waves of sniffling and handkerchiefs being pulled out could be heard amongst the people. Liam and Ella’s tears were coming down their faces in an unbreakable stream.

“Ahh … okay. That was … well said, both of you.” Leo stammered and cleared his throat. “May we have the rings please?” Hana and Drake stepped forward with the rings and handed them to Ella and Liam.

Leo continued speaking. “Since ancient times, the ring has been a symbol of the unbroken circle of love, with no beginning and no end. Love given freely has no giver and no receiver, for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the freedom and power of this commitment you make here today.”

Ella looked down at the two rings now adorning her fourth finger on the left hand and grinned wide. Liam hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. He smiled at her and found his eyes welling with tears again.

“By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Leo announced. “Now what you all have been waiting for. You may now kiss the bride!”

Liam leaned down, grabbed Ella’s waist and pulled her tightly to his chest. He kissed her softly, but quickly became heated as her tongue grazed his bottom lip and entered his mouth. They kissed passionately and forgot there were people watching until they heard the applause and pulled away, breathless.

“Yeeeaaaaaaaa! Get it!!” Maxwell yelled as he and Drake clapped.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my greatest pleasure to present to you, the new Mr. and Mrs. Rys, the King and Queen of Cordonia!” Leo yelled excitedly.

**

~The Reception~

The new King and Queen sat side by side in the ballroom, listened to their friends make their toasts and watched dinner being served (chicken tagine). Liam looked around at the plethora of people in the room, then his gaze flicked to his new wife, his queen. I have everything I could ever need, right here. He leaned over to whisper into her ear, “My love, may I have this dance?” he put his hand out and she placed her hand in his.

“I would love to.”

He led her onto the dance floor and a song played over the speakers and they swayed together.

It seems like forever, That I have waited for you

In a world of disappointment, One thing is true

God has blessed me, And he’s blessed you too

In a world of lonely people, I’ve found you

Ella leaned back to look into Liam’s eyes. “Did you pick this song?” she felt her eyes stinging, her voice cracking as the lyrics hit her right in the heart.

“Yes, do you like it?” Ella could only nod yes, she felt like she lost the ability to speak. “I heard it and immediately thought of us. Why not make it our wedding song?”

We were once strangers, All by ourselves

Living alone, with no one else, But here we are

And it’s so, so sweet, God must have done this

Made you for me

Ella snuggled her face into his chest and continued to sway, feeling safe in his arms. They danced into the night with their friends and family surrounding them.

**

~Six months later~

Ella sat in on the rocking chair in the nursery, singing Alexander to sleep. Liam cradled Nicholas in his arms watching Ella with a small smile. The twins were about a month old, born at 35 weeks and the doctor had given them the all clear to head home without a NICU stay. When Alexander was finally asleep, Ella slowly got up and placed him in his crib. Liam followed suit and tucked in Nicholas next to his stuffed bear. The new parents made sure the baby monitor was on, crept out of the nursery and left the door open a little bit. Once in the living area they both plopped down onto the couch and sighed.

“I want to take a nap for … forever,” Liam breathed out.

Ella laughed, “Well, we can definitely do that. We haven’t had a full night’s sleep in weeks.” She didn’t hear anything from Liam, so she looked over at him and found he had already passed out, snoring softly. Ella shook her head with a smirk, nestled onto his side and fell asleep almost immediately.

[alolowrites]

Dance With Me

Summary: You share a magical dance with the handsome instructor—Shouto Todoroki.

Song: “Tiempo De Vals” by Chayanne

Author’s Note: Anyone who’s been to a quinceañera party or had a quinceañera party themselves knows this song. It’s a staple in every vals dance (Spanish for waltz). I love listening to this song, and lo and behold: I got an idea for this story that was itching to be written. 

Highly recommend listening to the song while reading the story! Please enjoy!

Word Count: 1.4K+

Tip Jar

“Please wait here,” Sara, the petite receptionist, gestures toward the empty dance studio. You bow and step inside, glancing around the room. “The instructor is running late, but he’ll arrive soon.”

“Oh, no worries, but thank you!”

Sara closes the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts. You place your belongings beside the main entrance and change into your dancing shoes. The heels tap softly against the hardwood floor to shake away your nerves. It’s been a while since you’ve waltz dance, and you miss it a lot. Something about being swept off your feet to the rhythm of a beautiful song makes you feel at peace. With your life at a decent place, you decide to splurge a little on yourself by retaking waltz dance lessons.

You hear the door open.  

“Hello there,” the stranger’s deep voice bounces along the walls. You nearly sprain your ankle at the sight of him. He strides across the room, holding out a large hand for a shake. His grip is firm yet gentle. “My name is Shouto Todoroki, your dance instructor. I apologize for being late.”

“I-I didn’t even notice,” you stammer, trying to look anywhere but his gorgeous face. You don’t feel worthy enough to see it. His soft chuckle brings your attention to him, and you mentally let out a curse. All your concentration flies out the window when you gaze at his eyes. One is the color of an exquisite gray gemstone, while the other is turquoise like the famous Maldivian waters.

Those marvelous eyes take your breath away.

Shouto lets go to plug his phone into the studio’s speakers. You spin around, whispering an incoherent ‘thank you’ at the universe; it’s your lucky day, indeed. Another dose of giddiness flows from your head to your toes. One hand cools down your face as you get yourself together. You turn around all poised and collected, yet inside you’re a trembling mess. Fake it till you make as they say.

You politely smile as Shouto returns.

“Shall we begin?”

“S-sure!”

“Excellent.”

Shouto presses the small remote, bringing the speakers to life. The trumpets sound with a mighty roar. They sound like a grand royal entrance fanfare fit for a king. Shouto’s hands slide into position. His hold feels natural and secure, almost as though you are meant to be with him. You discreetly swallow a small gulp—he’s so close to you.

The excitement builds inside you as Shouto’s piercing eyes capture your soul. Both of you are ready for the performance of a century. You rest a gentle hand on his arm while he gives an encouraging squeeze in return. An amused smile appears on his face and asks, “Are you nervous?”

“Just a tad,” you meekly glance between his hand and face. Your fingers feel the lean muscle hiding underneath the navy-blue dress shirt. An inaudible choke stops at your throat. You are definitely going to screw up. “I thought we were going to start with the basics first. I’m a bit rusty with my waltz dancing skills.”

“You’ll be fine,” Shouto leans closer to reach your ear, catching you off guard. You become still as a statue. His minty breath blows along your heated skin that rivals the sun’s surface. The song gradually hums in the background. A shiver runs down your spine when he whispers, “Just follow my lead.”

And so you do.

Shouto begins with simple steps, swaying back and forth to the beat of the song. You try peeking down at your feet, but can’t. His eyes won’t let you; they hold your attention. You gladly oblige and get lost in his gaze that resembles a soothing ocean. Your entire body relaxes in seconds, opening the floodgates for your waltz movements to naturally shine through.

Now the real fun begins. Shouto picks up the pace, whisking you across the dance floor. He hugs you close so you don’t slip from his grasp. The fresh scent of his cologne—a light tone of mint mixed with vanilla—tickles your nose. You inhale it without hesitation. Shouto spins you around under his arm before resting his warm hand on your back again.

The song’s tempo plays faster. Shouto’s feet take deliberate steps, and you feel as though you’re bouncing on clouds with him. He makes a three-quarter turn, the circular motion fluid until the very end. One, two, three, one, two, three, and twirl. One, two, three, one, two, three, and another spin once again. Your feet magically feel light to the touch.

Dancing with Shouto is like flying in the air. His movements are elegant and strong, yet effortless at the same time. You never let go nor want the dance to end. If he could, Shouto would dance with you high above the clouds or down below the deep blue sea. As long as you are in his arms, he will dance with you forever.

A small grin slips on Shouto’s lips. He admires the beautiful spark glimmering in your eyes. The violins proudly sing their praises in the background. One, two, three, one, two, three, and you twirl once more. Shouto then dips you slowly, his arms holding you with ease as you go down. You don’t see a hint of a struggle on his face. He brings you back up and sways to the calm tempo until there’s a dramatic pause. The anticipation builds as you gaze into Shouto’s passionate eyes and then…

The song bursts with one last hurrah.

Shouto moves smoothly, yet quickly across the room. His speed is on par with the music’s energetic rhythm. You follow his lead, twirling nonstop like a pair of eagles gracefully spiraling downward from the sky. Oh, how you feel so wild and free.

The music fades away now that the dream is over. Shouto comes to a soft stop, and both your chests are heaving. Neither of you let go still. His warm embrace is quite welcoming, and you want to cherish it forever.

“Thank you for dancing with me,” Shouto murmurs, breaking the silence. He brings your hand to his lips to plant a ghostly kiss. His eyes are burning deep into your soul. “You make me feel alive again.”

“Y-Yeah, um, you’re welcome.”

Shouto lets go and stands back just when you hear the door creak open.

“Excuse me, miss?” Sara enters with a polite smile. Another man with purple hair stands behind her. “Please meet your dance instructor, Mr. Hitoshi Shinsou. We apologize for making you wait so long!”

“Huh? No, there must be some mistake,” you blink confusedly at them. “My dance instructor is Shouto Todoroki. He’s standing right here.”

Sara shakes her head. “I’m sorry, but you’re the only one here, miss.”

“What?” You whip around, nearly twisting your ankles. Shouto is nowhere to be found. Your eyes search every nook and corner of the room, but you refuse to believe he is gone. “N-no. He was here. I swear, I’m not lying!”

Shinsou arches an eyebrow. “Wait, did you say Shouto Todoroki was your dance instructor?”

“Yes! A tall man with red and white hair; gray and blue eyes?” Your hands gesture wildly in the air. “We shared a dance just moments ago!”

“That’s impossible,” Sara frowns, lowering her clipboard. She glances at Shinsou before turning to you. “Mr. Todoroki died almost seven months ago in an accident. I’m sorry.”

Dead?

You glance down at your hand; it still tingles from Shouto’s kiss. Memories of the dance flash through your head. You remember everything clearly, especially those captivating eyes of his. So how is it possible that he’s dead? Sara and Shinsou give you concerned looks—they’re telling the truth. Soon the fantasy in your mind shatters like glass.  

Sara steps forward. “Are you alright?”

“I…I don’t know…”

You start losing the feeling in your legs, and it’s not because you’re worn out. What’s real? What’s just imaginary? You don’t know; the line is blurred. Sara tries snapping you out of your inner turmoil. You don’t listen and glance at the large mirrors—a big mistake.

Shouto’s playful eyes stare back at you. An air of confidence swirls around him as he stands tall. You blink in disbelief. Shouto bows like the charming prince he is, thanking you one last time for the magical waltz dance. He then finally vanishes from your sight.

Except you don’t forget about him.

For he is the handsome ghost who will always dance with you for eternity.

As always, thanks for reading!

Spooky Season 2020 Masterlist

[shozaii]

mitra congrats again!! 🥳 ilysm & you deserve so much more hehe may i please have 7 + chuuya please? <33

(a/n): omgomg thaaankkk you so much rachel!!!🥺🤍✨this means sO much to me and ily even more😭 here it is!! i’m starting to enjoy writing for him UwU

♬♩♪♩　　♩♪♩♬ ♬♩♪♩　　♩♪♩♬

7.need you on the other side.

the bed is where its kept both your memories together.

the pillows, where they kept yours and his tears whenever one of you were feeling down. random pillow fights, resulting in some of them floating mid-air. the sheets, where you two would have a blast whenever changing them, sometimes ending up in tickling wars. the covers, shifting positions as the both of you tossed and turned while having the deepest sleep.

“has it been the umpteenth time that i’ve sighed??” you groaned, landing face first on your bed. adding yet another sigh to your list, you turned over, your vision now focused on the ceiling. it gave off a very subtle cream finish; a color you and your lover have decided on for almost every part of the house. the sole reason being the need for an aesthetically pleasing, comforting home.

but today, everything seemed to piss you off. from the moment you got up, to the moment you ate breakfast, walked around completing the chores that have been abandoned for a bit, working even more, writing; lunch. anything you did, the same emotion you felt.

 chuuya wasn’t back home yet.

it wasn’t a huge deal anyway - there were those times where he had to go on a mission. some involved cases out of yokohama, some were in your beloved town. this required him to be away from his safest place; namely his home. the same home that he shared with you. the place where his favorite memories shall be cherished forever. after all, moving in with your partner was a big decision to make, and he was ready to move in with you, more than ever.

you honestly couldn’t remember if you’ve said a prayer or two, or if it was destiny gifting you for your patience, because the moment you started thinking of him, your phone started to vibrate oh-so-loudly. body jolting, you reached out to grab, and stared momentarily at the ID.

“chuuya~!!!” you exclaimed, stomach beginning to gather butterflies. 

“hello, darling,” chuuya let out a soft (more like very, very attractive) chuckle. you even heard him smirking through the phone. such power he possessed. “i hope you’re doing well. is everything alright at home...?���

“everything’s going well, i’m well, but here’s the thing.”

“ah...you aren’t missing me too much now, are you?”

you couldn’t help but fluster. this man obviously could read through your mind faster than a bullet. he is an executive in an organization for a reason.

“not my fault you’ve been gone for too long, my heart couldn’t handle it.”

“aw, sweetheart. you do know i miss you more. but well, i’m afraid i’d be back later than what i promised you before.”

your heart sunk deeper. you were expecting some phrase of that sort to be in this phone call. but right now, the only thing that mattered was that he were to be back home, safe and sound. in your arms, giving his needy lips so much more kisses as he deserves it. 

“y/n, love? oh my, i’m too far away from you to wipe your tears.”

when did you let them out...? you thought you had kept it all in, saving them for a later date, wanting to release them all in the pillow of yours, like an endless river of blues. he didn’t need to hear your sobs - you didn’t want him to be completely worried about you. he definitely had so much more to think of, it was a mission that required days anyway. so why were you crying? sobbing when you weren’t supposed to? 

“i’m - i’m sorry chuuya, i just; you do know how much i miss you. the pillow next to me is empty. i don’t get extra warmth - it’s always from the heater we own,” you laughed. “your hugs make me feel safe and happy, considering that we’re nearing winter season. your sweaters do help, but not as much as you do.”

“tell me, y/n. is there anything you want right now?”

“i need you here. right now. right next to me, laying down as we talk about the stars and dreams. where you hold my hand and i hold yours. pillow fights, we’ve not had them in a while, chuuya. what i’m saying is that it’s been a week, love. i just need you on the other side.”

you heard the door knock several times. “uh, hold on. who could it be at this hour?” you muttered softly, fingers swiping her cheeks from allowing the tears to fall down continuously. 

“chuuya?” you whispered through the phone, not wanting to trigger the senses of the person at the door. goosebumps started appearing at the back of your neck; as you suspected that his connection was probably not doing so well.

taking in deep breaths, you grabbed a bat sitting at the living room, in case of any incidents, such as now.

you swung the door open, only for you to be met with a pair of dashing blue eyes, a ravishing smirk, and his joy slowly turning to fear.

“Y/N IT’S ME-,” he began, closing his eyes; but instead of receiving a hard impact across his face, he was welcomed with the warmest, most long-awaited embrace he has wished for so long.

“oh my god chuuya!! chuuya i love you so much,” your sobs grew even heavier, crushing him into a tight hug, with him doing the same. letting go for a bit, he brought your face closer to his, showering you with the kisses worth a hundred days or more. from the forehead, to the jawline, to your cheeks, and finally the pair landing on yours, wrapping his arms around your waist. the both of you tumbled down to the ground in the process, but what was the point of worrying?

the love of your life was with you, finally within your hold.

“well, well. surprise, sweetheart,” he gave your lips a peck once more. “it finished earlier than expected, i couldn’t keep you waiting.”

♬♩♪♩　　♩♪♩♬ ♬♩♪♩　　♩♪♩♬

(a/n): hMMMM lemme know what you think !! i headcanon chuuya to be doing something like this to his s/o, so i really do hope you liked it hhh🥺❤✨

lyric prompt galore!✨

[mrneighbourlove]

Yeto Christmas!

Good morning my friends! Today, Yeto wishes to tell the tale of how he celebrated with tiny red-haired man. Little red-haired man’s name was Tebanam. And he would become good friends with Yeto.

Yeto was going about his day, deep into the snowy afternoon. Yeto needed to find red skinned fish to cook up for holiday soup for wife! Upon going down mountain, Yeto thought he saw struggling dog in the snow. A red manned wolf could make good seasoning, yah? When I got closer, it was instead a man! Had a face as soft as puppy though.

The man looked up and spoke through with chattering teeth. “O-o-oh my g-god. You’re r-real.”

“Ya no look good.”

“H-help me.”

He looked so vulnerable and cute. Like little bunny not wanting to be devoured by wolf. So that’s when I decided to help save little man’s life. Scooping him up was no problem for Yeto to do. Yeto has big, sturdy arms for carrying. Taking young man through mountain, he was safe against Yeto’s fur coat. Fur coat save his life, yah?

Arriving to safety from storm, I opened doors to mansion home. Man was shaking, sneezing, but still alive. Yeto took him to living room, where he could rest by fire. Small wife Yeta, was surprised to see him.

“Yeto. Who is tall, red puppy?”

“Nah. This is human Yeta.”

“He looks cold, da?”

“Ya, ya. I’m going to get small sample soup cooking. He will be guest.”

“Okay. I will keep watch on him, ya?”

Yeto put thick blanket over little human as he got sample soup ready. When he returned, he found the red-haired man gaining more awareness of surroundings.

“Where- where am I?”

His eyes widened with shock when he looked at Yeto. I laugh at his confusion. Was like he never saw Yeti before. Turns out, that wasn’t far from truth. “Hahaha! You almost died! What was tiny human doing out in that blizzard? You are lucky Yeto brought you back home.”

“I was traveling in search of a lost civilization. I got caught in the storm, and as I was running for shelter, my leg became trapped in a snow well.”

“You very lucky indeed. You could have fallen completely in.”

Little man looked at him in observation for a little while more. I don’t know if he was interested in me, but Yeto was already taken with beautiful wife, Yeta.

“My father always told me legends of the Yeti people, but you’re almost a fable at this point.”

“No fable. Real deal we are. Tell me little human, what is your name?”

“Oh! I’m so sorry. My name is Tebanem.” Little Tebanam looked flustered, but Yeto didn’t mind.

“Well met Tebanam! I am Yeto. And this is Yeto’s wife, Yeta! We live together in big mansion deep in mountain.”

“Ya. We don’t get much company.”

“That is because we EAT company! Ha ha. That is funny joke.”

Unfortunately, Yeto doesn’t think landed too well with little Gerudo man. His face looked like scared puppy for a moment before I had to mention it was joke. It was then that he noticed all of Yeto’s decorations around the room. Yeta and I had taken great care in stapling reefs to dangle from ceiling. I was glad that someone could see Yeto and Yeta’s craftsmanship.

“Excuse me, are you two in the middle of something?”

“Yes! We are celebrating Hoopla!”

Yeta did a little dance. She was so cute, lightly tapping her feet outwards. “Yuh, yuh. Hoopla! We share presents and eat delicious foods. Oh! Would you like to stay for Hoopla dinner?”

Yeto didn’t know that humans could be so eager for fun, because a small smile blossomed on little Tebanam’s face.

“I’d enjoy that a lot. I just hope my presence doesn’t disturb any plans you might have.”

“Friend Tebanam! I herby welcome you to Hoopla!”

Yeto gave Tebanam a honourary pat on back, knocking him to ground. Red head man was herby friend in celebrating tradition with Yeto and Yeta!

“Then allow me to finish soup! Then we shall all feast!”

I skip details of Yeta and Tebanam sitting by fire. Yeta tells me that Tebanam is known as a scholar. A man who seeks out information, usually old information and knowledge forgotten to time. Sounds like a fun career! I in mean time had to get gift ready for Yeta to sit atop head and make sure our guest had plenty of soup!

For soup, Yeto took fresh pumpkins ready from his garden, spiced it up with salmon he caught, and add bagels for dipping goodness! Stirring in black holiday cauldron, I stepped out only briefly to inform wife that dinner was ready. It was then she had bright idea to capture moment of new friendship forever!

“Oh! Husband. Why don’t we take picture of you and Tebanam?”

“Oh? You’d be ok with that?”

“That sounds like great idea Yeta! Tebanam! Please take seat! As guest, you may have first bite for Hoopla!”

“Why thank you!”

Little man looked so excited to be here. Going back to kitchen, I made sure soup was fully ready before bringing it out to dinning room. Yeta had camera set up as I brought in the soup and her present on my head. The look on little Tebanam was one I will always cherish in my memories. Was not sure if little Gerudo would like fish and pumpkin soup, but I guess his nose is a good as mine for food, because he lit up like holiday star!

“Oh my goodness! That looks delightful!”

Sitting with the man and my wife, we watched as he gleefully consumed the holiday soup! You will have to take Yeto’s word for it, soup was very good ya!

For that dinner, Tebanam told Yeta and I great tales of Hyrule, his home! Mighty kings, magical people from the sea, scary demons to fight. It was highly entertaining to here! Once dinner was done, he stayed to watch Yeto give Yeta a gift of fancy white mirror! She of coursed loved the gift.

Once the stormed died down, I gave Tebanam directions of how to get back down the mountain safely. He said that he’d be delighted to return, and Yeta and I agreed. Yeto wishes all a happy day for anyone who celebrates Hoopla! Or any other holiday for that matter! Have a good day friends!

________________________________________________________________

Merry Christmas Everyone, and especially to you Sara! I hope you enjoy this short story dedicated to Tebanam and the art that comes with it! Hope that you have not only another amazing year, but a fun new decade to look forward to! 

Gift for @s-kinnaly​ and art done by the talented @dreadlock-detective​

[hieromonkcharbel]

Lent and Physical Illness: The Important and Timely Grace of God:

Starting off the season of Lent with sickness, although not serious, has quite naturally made me think about the meaning of illness and the spiritual life. The solitude and removal of the busyness of daily labors puts a person in a state of seeing his own poverty more clearly and so his own dependence upon God. Recently I came across the poignant reflections of Octavius Winslow about what he calls the light and shadows of the spiritual life that I would like to share with you and especially with those who perhaps suffer from chronic illness:

" . . . there are few experiences of the Christian in which the lights and shadows of his spiritual life meet and blend with such remarkable and perfect harmony as in the hour of sickness. Here are bodily disease-physical languor-torturing pain-and extreme nervousness; and, for ka while, all objects, temporal and spiritual, and all beings, the closest and the fondest, are viewed through a jaundiced and distorted medium- the mind is shaded, the heart unstrung- and shadows, many and dark, dance upon the walls of that lone chamber, and fall thick and fast around that pillow of suffering. Hard thoughts of God are cherished- wrong interpretations of His providence are indulged- it is the "fourth watch of the night, and Jesus has not come!" and Satan, taking advantage of bodily suffering, mental despondency, and the temporary absence of Jesus, is hurling a whole quiver of fiery darts at his poor, enfeebled, and dejected victim!

These are the shadings of the scene. But, are there no lights in the picture? no bright touches of the Artist's Divine pencil? Oh yes! many and brilliant! and all the more brilliant from the dark shadows which have so thickly pencilled it, the effect of which has been to bring into bolder relief the great and essential features of the scene. Let us trace them.

The first bright light illumining the picture is the submission of the will. The conflict has been long and painful, the struggle terrible and severe- but, grace has conquered- God's will has triumphed! "Not my will, O my Father, but Yours be done," is now the music of the soul- the sacred anthem pealing from that sick pillow. Oh what a beauteous light is this- how pure, how brilliant! Angels, methinks, look down from heaven's glory to gaze upon the light of grace thus bathing that scene of suffering and languor. "The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?"

When Dr. Payson was asked by a friend, in a season of severe illness, if he could see any particular reason for the present dispensation, he replied- "No; but I am as well satisfied as if I could see ten thousand. God's will is the very perfection of all reason." Sublime reply! God's will- be it His permitting or His approving will- is the perfection of infinite wisdom, righteousness, and love; and therefore must do right, and cannot do wrong! Beloved, in your present mystery of suffering and season of languor, be your experience that of the pious Payson; yet higher and holier still- that of our Lord and Savior- "May Your Will Be Done!"

Oh, what words can describe, or imagery depict, the perfect peace, the sweet repose which, like the gentle dawn of light, or the soft zephyr of evening, will steal calmly over your soul the moment the conflict of the will ceases, and, in suffering and weakness, you are brought to "Lie passive in His hands, And know no will but His!"

The discipline of patience is another light blending with the shadows of sickness. No unimportant or untimely grace of the Spirit is this; the development and culture of which finds no school more appropriate, or discipline more effectual, than that of 'pining sickness.' The continuous endurance of unmitigated pain- the prolonged and deathly weakness- the failure of skill and remedies to promote a cure- the morbid irritability and fretting almost inseparable from the prolongation of suffering- and the remembrance of duties neglected, of affairs deranged, of expenses incurred- all conspire to render the discipline of patience the most needed and precious; and when attained, to shed one of the most luminous graces of the Spirit upon the shaded picture of bodily disease.

Patience is one of those flowers of the wilderness, springing up from the seed of heaven, which never grows so truly or blooms so lovely, as amid the sharp, cutting bursts of affliction. "The trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." "In your patience possess you your souls." "Lord, subdue my impatience and rebellion, and grant that, in this hour of pain and uneasiness, I may wait Your time and mode of recovery; and that, the true posture and acknowledgment of my soul may be that of Your servant David- 'Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child."'

The strengthening and increase of faith constitutes one of the brightest lights in the picture of spiritual life- and nowhere does that light glow with a richer luster than on a sick-bed. It requires no small faith, beloved, fully to believe that you are a sick one whom Jesus loves. "Lord, he whom You love is sick," is a precious declaration, as applicable to you as it was to Lazarus. Love blew upon the health that fades; love permitted the pain that afflicts; love appointed the disease that wastes; love, and nothing but love, has done it all. "Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten. Whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives." Thus, when fever is consuming, and pain is torturing, and the nerves are quivering, and the mind is desponding, and the harpsichord of the soul hangs mournfully and silently upon the willow, it demands no little exercise of faith in the unchanging love, infinite wisdom, and righteous government of God to feel that it is all well!

But, this light shall not be lacking amid the deep shadows now gloomily draping the spiritual life of your soul. Faith shall triumph; for there is One in heaven "now to appear in the presence of God for us;" and, in virtue of Christ's present intercession, your faith, tried though as by fire, shall not fail, but shall rise superior to the slow process of decay, and grow brighter and stronger as the shadows fall, and strength fails- heaven thus opening and letting down such streams of glory around your sick and languid pillow as that faith, which is "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen," shall exclaim- "My heart and my flesh fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." Thus, "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

"But a brighter light playing amid these darkling shadows is- the sensible, manifested presence of Jesus in the sick chamber of the disciple whom He loves. Yes, He is there! He is there as the Refiner- watching and tempering with unwearied eye and infinite skill the furnace fire of the sufferer. He is there as the Shepherd- guarding this tempted one of His flock, that no power pluck it from His hands. He is there to succor with His grace, to soothe with His love, to illumine with His presence, to cheer with His voice, and to encircle with His everlasting arms, the feeble, suffering, fainting child of His heart. "Lo! I am with you aways."

The glory brought to God by a long and lingering illness, eternity alone can fully reveal- and this is the brightest light of all, gilding and softening the shadows that drape the sick and dying-bed of a believer in Jesus. The sick-bed, the languid couch, of a saint of God is the most powerful and impressive pulpit in the land! No sacred rostrum of the most eloquent preacher gives utterance to such a sermon as issues from thence! The assembly waiting upon its instructions is large! Children and families, friends and neighbors, the Church below and the Church above, intent upon the scene, are waiting and watching, as with bated breath, the practical testimony to the reality and power of Christianity as a divinely sustaining, soul elevating, death-conquering religion- to the comfort of the divine promises- to the faithfulness of God- and to the sustaining grace and human sympathy of Christ- borne from this touching and solemn stand-point of life. The meekness and patience, the submission to the divine will, and the animating hope of glory, witnessed in that scene of debility, restlessness, and pain, speak with an argument more convincing than an Apostle's reasoning, and with an eloquence and pathos more winning than an angel's voice.

God is glorified in the fires, and the Name of the Lord Jesus is magnified. Sick and suffering saint of God! your couch stands upon the borders of that blessed land, the "inhabitants of which shall no more say, I am sick." Shrink not from the near approach of the "last enemy!" his form is lovely- his voice is soothing- his dart is stingless- and his mission a mission of love- sent to open your cage and set your spirit free- free as the dove soaring to its dove-cote in heaven! "Oh that I had wings like a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest."

"When languor and disease invade

This trembling house of clay,

It is sweet to look beyond our cage

And long to fly away.

"Sweet to look inward, and attend

The whispers of His love;

Sweet to look upward to the place

Where Jesus pleads above.

"Sweet to reflect how grace divine

My sins on Jesus laid!

Sweet to remember that His blood

My debt of suffering paid.

"Sweet, in the confidence of faith,

To trust His firm decrees;

Sweet to lie passive in His hands,

And know no will but His."

[fungi12325]

Christmas with the Sides

This is my first Fanfic I’ve ever done, so feedback is definitely welcome.

Type: platonic

Pairing: LAMP

Word count : 1971 words

Warnings : not that I can think of, Logan cries at the end, if you want anything tagged, Let me know :)

Notes : I got the description of the gingerbread smell from here

Prompt from @sander-sides-prompts  : It’s finally the gang’s first Christmas together. They’re all discussing what they’d like, but Logan hasn’t said anything. Then, they find out he’s never had presents at Christmas. The others make it their mission to buy him the best presents yet.

So, Christmas day comes, and they insist Logan opens his presents last. Roman, Patton and Virgil open theirs (in that order, you can decide the presents), and at last comes Logan’s. He is handed two presents. When he opens them, he finds a small beige teddy bear wearing a white and dark blue patterned scarf, and a life size identical version of the scarf, with a few different details added to the pattern(the most noticeable are smol hearts).

Logan almost cries, it’s the best thing he’s ever received, other than the others’ love.

-------

The fire crackled in the fireplace, flames licking the logs. Patton worked away in the kitchen, rolling out the gingerbread, and getting it ready to cook. The  smell of cinnamon, French vanilla, and fresh baked sugar cookies filled the air, swirling and mixing with the smoky aroma of the fire. Virgil and Logan were in their normal spots, Logan sitting at the table working hard on a new time table for Thomas, and Virgil was laying on the couch, eyes closed, headphones in, oblivious to the world around him.

Roman strode down the stairs, notepad in hand, and got everyone’s attention.

“My beautiful subjects! The jolly time of Christmas is upon us! I have arrived to ask what it is your heart pines for this season.”  Upon Romans loud entrance, Virgil perked up and took his headphones off.

“Uhh, I don’t know Princey, a new hoodie? Some audiobooks?” Virgil answered.

“A little boring, but if that is what you want my chemically imbalanced romance!” said Roman, scribbling down the sides answer as Virgil rolled his eyes, putting his headphones back on. “What about you Patton? What is it your heart wishes for?”

“Oh come on kiddo, you know that I just want everyone to be happy!” Roman looks up from his notepad and raises his eyebrows. “Uh, but if i had to get something, it would…” Patton paused, thinking what did he want? He already had everything he needed, his kids were really the only important thing to him. He looked up and Roman was still staring at him, waiting for an answer. “It would probably be new soft toys, or a DVD to watch with all of you.”

“Alright, thanks Padre. Now, I personally would love tickets to Hamilton, which is showing next week at the theatre around the corner.” Roman declared. 

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Subtle much, princey?”

“I’m just letting everyone know what it is that I wish for!” Roman retorted. The two continued arguing, but Patton drowned them out. They would tire themselves out eventually, and there was something more important going on. There was something wrong with Logan, he hadn’t said a thing this whole time, not even a glance up from his papers.

“Hey, kiddo, everything ok?” Patton asked.

“Wh-oh yes everything is quite alright. I was just finishing up some work. Thank you” Patton looked into Logans eyes to see if he was lying. The logical side just smiled and went back to work. But before he could put his pen back onto the paper, Roman asked what he wanted for Christmas.

Logan didn’t know how to respond. Unknown to the other sides, Logan had never received a Christmas gift before. He didn’t see the point in exchanging gifts, since all of them could summon what they wished at any point in time.

“Logan?” Roman pressed.

“I’m quite ok, I don’t need anything.” He said, adjusting his glasses, and went back to work. The other sides exchanged a glance, and nodded at Patton.

“Kiddo, have you ever gotten a gift before?”

Logan shook his head, he didn’t want to keep the truth from them. “No,” he whispered.

Virgil, Patton and Roman all looked at each other again, and nodded. If this was Logan’s first ever Christmas, they were going to make it the best Christmas he’ll ever have. 

Later that night, Virgil, Patton and Roman all huddled in the creative sides room, brainstorming ideas for Logan’s present.

“He’s always got his nose in a book, why don’t we get him one of those?” Roman suggested.

“I’m not sure Princey, I think he has enough of them already. Maybe stationary? Pens, pencils, notebooks?” Virgil added.

Patton interrupted Virgil’s thoughts, “Come on guys! This is the first Christmas gift he’s getting! It needs to be special! Something he’ll have forever…” 

Patton got lost in thought and Virgil needed to shake him slightly to wake him from his daze. 

“Patton, you ok?” Virgil asked, concerned.

“I have an idea.”

Over the next few days, Logan saw less and less of his family. I didn’t faze him too much, he needed to finish some work anyway, and they only distracted him. But he still missed them, and was intrigued as to what they were up to. When he next saw Patton he asked what they were up to. The only response he got was Patton dissolving into a fit of giggles and saying, “it’s a secret.” After that it was obvious to Logan that he wasn’t going to get a response out of him, so he moved onto questioning Roman.

“Hello Roman. I was just wondering where you, Virgil and Patton have been disappearing to lately.”

“Fear not!” he said in his usual excitement, “All shall come to light soon Teach!”

So Roman wasn’t going to tell him what was going on either, which left him with Virgil. 

“Hello Virgil, I was wond-” “Don’t worry about it L, I know what you’re going to ask.”

“Then can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll find out soon”

So no one was going to tell him what was happening. This was not ideal, but he guessed he would just have to wait.

Christmas rolled around and everyone was filled with excitement. The four of them walked into the living room and sat in front of the tree. 

“Roman, do you want to go first?” Logan asked. The creative side nods his head excitedly. 

“Here ya go kiddo!” Patton hands him a small box. Inside is a colourful bandage.

“It’s for your your sword! To wrap around the hilt so that when your fighting off all those bad guys, you can add a bit of colour!”

“Aw! Thank you Padre. Merry Christmas,” says Roman pulling Patton into a close hug.

“Well I suppose now I should give you my gift,” said Logan, breaking up Patton and Roman’s hug. He handed Roman a small package. “It came to my attention that your current sash was looking a little tattered” he said, adjusting his glasses. “Merry Christmas Roman” A little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Maybe Christmas wasn’t such a bad thing. He got to spend more time with his family, seeing them all so happy was something that he loved possibly even more than working.

“Here’s my gift, Roman” Virgil said, bringing Logan’s thought to a halt. A small envelope was passed from one hand to the other. Roman teared at the paper, tipping out its contents. His eyes widened in shock.

“Are these-”

“Yep” Virgil replied with a small side smile. He had gotten Roman exactly what he asked for, four tickets to to Hamilton. 

Roman was speechless. Actual tickets to see Hamilton live?! It was more than he could have ever asked for!

“Roman? Are you ok? I could take th-” “NO! Uh, I mean, no, This is awesome! I’m not gonna throw away “My Shot” at seeing Hamilton!” Roman laughed. Spending this much time around Patton had definitely done something to his sense of humour.

Next was Patton’s turn. Roman handed him a floppy present, similar to the one that Logan gave him. Patton wasted no time ripping into the red wrapping of the present. The first thing he saw was the yellow and black stripes of his Hogwarts house, Hufflepuff.

“Oh my gosh! Thank you so much Roman!” Said Patton excitedly. He looked down at the tag on the scarf, it read one simple sentence, “‘to the cutest little puffball we’ve got.’ “Roman this is too cute!”

“No problem Dad” Roman said with a smile. It was great to see Patton truly happy. No fake smiles. No hiding sadness. Just pure happy Patton. “Merry Christmas”

The next person to hand Patton a present was Virgil. A medium sized box covered in green paper. When Patton took off the lid, he gasped in delight. 

“A unicorn!” He squealed. It was a simple white unicorn toy with a rainbow mane and a gold horn. Patton knew that he would cherish this for the rest of his life. “Thank you so much Virgil!” Patton said, wrapping the scarf around the soft toys neck, giggling as he did.

“No problem Popstar. Merry Christmas” he said with a little smile.

Logan reached over to the table to grab his gift for the Moral side. 

“I thought this would be a suitable gift for you,” he said as Patton opened the small box. It was filled with little metal shapes.

“Are these cookies cutters?” Patton asked excitedly.

“Yes, this way you can make even more little shapes with your baked goods” Logan replied. He watched Patton as he dug through the pile of shapes, looking at each one, getting even more enthusiastic with each new shape.

After Patton had looked at cookie cutter carefully, picturing them as biscuits, he gave his gift to Virgil, “I hope you like it” He said hopefully. He had always thought of Virgil as his son, and really hoped he likes his present. Virgil unwrapped the box and saw a brand new pair of headphones.

“Thank you so much Patton! I needed a new pair of these” Virgil said. He couldn’t take his eyes off the headphones, and almost fell off the couch when Roman cleared his throat to give Virgil his present.

“Don’t forget about me Virge! Here ya go” He said as he handed Virgil a small box. He unwrapped it, and had to blink twice to make sure he was seeing things correctly.

“A fidget cube?” Virgil asked.

“Yeah! Didn’t Patton give you when he was trying to calm you down?” He was getting worried now. Did Virgil like it? “Do you like it?” Roman asked cautiously.

“Of course I do Princey! I love it! I just didn’t think you had remembered that” 

“Well, I’m full of surprises aren't I?” Roman giggled.

Logan usually enjoyed listening to Roman and Virgil talk, but he wanted to finish off some work, and knew that this banter would go on for ages if he didn’t step in to do something about it.

“Here’s my present for you, Virgil.” He said, handing him a small card.

“A gift card?” Virgil asked.

“Yes, for audiobooks, is that not what you asked for?”

Yeah, yeah it is. I love it, Thank you Logan, and do you know who’s turn it is now?” Virgil said, elbowing Logan, as the others grabbed a box from under the table.

“Really, it is quite alright, I don’t need-” No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t stop the box that was being pushed into his hands. Logan sighed and took the lid off. He was about to say that he really didn’t need anything when he looked down and saw a little beige bear wearing a striped scarf.

“Is this for...me?” Logan asked.

“Yes silly! Do you like it?” Patton pressed.

“It comes with a scarf for you as well,” Roman added, pulling the scarf out of the box. It was identical to the one that the bear was wearing. White, with dark blue stripes, the only obvious difference were the small red hearts that dotted the scarf, betraying the fact that Patton made it.

Logan’s eyes started to sting with tears. They did all this for him? He tried to blink back the droplets of water that were forming in his eyes, but it was to late, a single salty tear ran down the Logical Side’s face, leaving a small trail that sparkled in the firelight.

“Hey, buddy is everything ok?” Patton looked over and saw Logan crying, it was the first time that anyone had seen the usually emotionless side cry, but despite the tears streaming down his face, Logan was beaming. It was the happiest he had been in a long time.

“Everything’s perfect.”

[fuzzhugs]

I was inspired to write a song based solely off of ‘The Otter and His Wife,’ a geographic feature mentioned in two Redwall books. I was considering singing it, but I’m terribly shy about hearing my own voice, so there’s just the music for now. Lyrics are below.

When I was but an otter-lad, a rascal and a knave,

I’d spend my days upon the shore, a-dancin’ in the waves.

The sun would rise, the sun would set, but I would pay no mind,

As moonlight lit the silver sea, I’d leave my cares behind.

But then one day I took a pause from my nautical fun,

I saw a sight illumined by the rising golden sun,

An otter-lass beside the sea in her own marine dance,

Swaying with the ocean breeze she caught me in a trance.

  Her eyes were like the stars and her dark fur the evening sky,

A rudder strong and shapely that was pleasing to the eye.

And when she saw me staring, then she wore a playful smile

She asked if I would stay nearby and dance with her a while.

  I took her paw and led her ‘round a circle in the sand,

The waves were our conductor and the calling birds our band.

The music of the ocean keeping rhythm, keeping time

For our coastal ambulation with our fingers intertwined.

  But when at last the sun came down she had to say farewell

She could not stay the night with me beside the ocean swell.

For she was needed back home far from the salty main

There’d be so many days before she’d dance with me again.

  And as she turned to go I think she must have heard me sigh,

For she turned again to face me with a teardrop in her eye.

She told me “keep on dancing, love, however bleak it seems,

For if you keep on dancing, you’ll be dancing in my dreams.”

  And with a kiss upon my cheek she fin’lly said goodbye,

Leaving me in such a state I thought that I would cry,

I took a breath and took a step back toward the sandy shore,

Another step and then a twist the dance began once more.

  But though I danced my hardest I could feel something was wrong,

My steps were sad and empty like some words without their song.

The ocean had no rhythm and the waves had lost their rhyme,

The circling gulls no melody, the tide could not keep time.

  To stop would have been easy, even more, to never start,

But still I danced for the otter-lass, the one who’d won my heart.

And every day I danced for her, alone there on the shore,

Until the day I’d see her smile and dance with her once more.

  Then in the frozen winter when the land was filled with ice,

And frigid waters, rolled all day, upon our paradise.

I’d sit and watch the dancing fire, the writhing tongues and flames,

Possessing what I’d lost myself from springtime’s idle games.

  But spring, at last, returned again, and with it, warmth and light,

But rays of sun meant nothing in my cold and lonely night.

The spring went by, the rains they fell, the flowers beamed with pride,

And still my love did not return to dance here by my side.

  When summer came I started out, a lonely wandering,

Upon the dunes, I heard the sound, the sea began to sing.

The ocean played percussion and the firm sea breeze the brass,

For when I looked down at the waves I saw my otter-lass.

  To me she was the starlight, a treasure rich and free,

I saw my love down by the waves, a' dancin' by the sea.

At once I ran down to her side, embraced her, held her tight,

And then our dance it started and lasted thought the night.

  Exhausted by the daytime, we both lay down to rest,

She settled close beside and laid her head against my breast.

I whispered that I loved her and I didn’t want to part.

She whispered that she felt the same, that leaving broke her heart.

  And in the warming daylight as we slept beside the sea,

I dreamt about my love and wondered if she’d marry me.

So when we woke I turned to her, asked her to be my bride,

I promised I would dance with her until they day I died.

  The otter-lass, as her reply, gave me a single kiss,

And whispered “I would dance with you, any day you wish.

I’ll love you and I’ll cherish you, we’ll never be apart,

You’ll be my song and melody, beating in my heart.”

  The seasons passed, we made a home, and we lived happily,

An otter, wife, and children, all together: family.

In time our dance got slower and the song dropped out of tune,

I tried to hide from subtle signs our dance was ending soon.

  One final night, we said goodbye, our fur was thin and grey,

And only in our minds could we still dance the night away.

O silently she slipped away, our song came to an end,

I knew our dance had died with her, my love, my wife, my friend.

  Through seasons still I lingered on, in loneliness and pain,

I walked the shores and my heart longed to dance with her again.

The ocean played no music and the birds no happy band,

The coastal shore, once soft and warm, now coarse and cold with sand.

  And at long last, I fell asleep, caught by time’s restless chase.

As my eyes fell I hoped they’d fall upon my lass’s face.

My family had gathered round to help me on my way,

In sunny fields and quiet glades I’d see them all someday.

  I opened up my eyes to see a meadow soft and still,

Feeling so young, my pains now gone, no ache, no sore, no chill.

Beyond the field a hazy wood, it welcomed to me to stay,

‘near flowing streams a shaded glade to linger any day.

  Then suddenly I found myself surrounded by my friends,

My mates who had passed on before I too had met my end.

I looked around but could not see my wife’s bright smiling face,

But I was sure I’d find my lass in this timeless place.

  T’was then I fled the meadow and then passed beyond the glade.

I left the hazy wood behind, the welcome of its shade.

I climbed up many hillsides, and mountains peaked in snow,

Away from plain and valley to the ocean I did go.

  The golden sand it glimmered and glistened on the shore,

The sun at last felt warm again, I felt at home once more.

The waves did drum against the shore, a playful melody.

I saw my love down by the waves, a' dancin' by the sea.

  I ran down to my otter-lass, she met me with a glance,

Without a word I took her paws and we began to dance.

The sun would rise, the sun would set, so it shall ever be,

Forever on, through endless days we’ll dance beside the sea.

[tamalam11]

5 Ways S5 Failed US

an I’m-Still-Bitter-Almost-3-Months-Later Post Mortem (part 3/5)

The Total Ruination of The Blake Siblings

Bellamy and Octavia Blake are one of favorite TV relationships ever. Bellamy Blake and Octavia Blake are two of my favorite TV characters ever. I don’t know whether or not those two things are mutually exclusive. Probably. I could go in depth on how S5 seemingly butchered their characters as individuals, but that’s another post. Two actually. This is about The Blake Siblings as a collective.  

Bell and O have not had the easiest, or most normal, of relationships. To say the least. He’s been more parent than sibling to her. And literally his whole life has been about protecting her, keeping her alive, sheltering her. While she, really, seems about as normal as someone in her position can be. In S1, dearly departed Atom says it’s because of Bellamy. “You’re not a basket case because you were loved.”  It’s a fascinating dynamic. One that we’ve seen hit just about every low there could be. And while Bellamy’s actions are always motivated by love, Octavia....is harder to pin down. Motivated by....fear, pain, selfishness, a need to belong/be accepted? 

We see The Blakes and their relationship go down a dark path in S3. When they lose Lincoln, they lose each other. In S4 things aren’t much better, Octavia even telling Bellamy at one point that the only reason she hasn’t killed him is because he’s her brother. It’s painful and heartbreaking, and you think that this relationship can’t get much worse. But oh boy did S5 come along to prove us wrong!! But first, S4 mends their rift in two of my favorite Blake Sibs scenes ever. And, honestly, maybe even my favorite The 100 scene ever: During The Conclave is 4x10, Roan (I miiiiiiiiiiiiiss you Roan) tells Bellamy that he’s sorry he’ll have to kill Octavia, but he’ll make sure to tell her how lucky she was to have Bellamy as a brother first. And Bellamy replies, “Before she guts you, you tell her that I was the lucky one.” (and now I’m crying cause I’m remembering Bellamy telling her he wished she was dead and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! but I’m getting ahead of myself.) Octavia, hiding out of site, hears the whole exchange. She hears how much faith her brother has in her, how much he loves her, and it gives her the strength to go back out and win. Without Bellamy, I don’t know if she would've won. Then, in 4x11, when Bellamy opens the bunker and Octavia says she knew he’d come through. And he replies with “I love you so much.” AND MY BABIES WERE OKAY AGAIN. And then! 4x13. We see Peak Blake Siblings in their radio conversation. Laughing and teasing and loving each other and it was a gift I shall cherish forever. Because I don’t think we’ll ever see them like that ever again.

The Blake Sibling reunion was high on my list of things I was looking forward to in S5. And it was, quite honestly, the only reunion that didn’t disappoint me. We see Octavia launch herself into her brothers arms, emotions clearly in her voice, as she tells him “I knew you’d come.” Tell me how we go from there to her throwing him into the fighting pits? Tell me how we go from Bellamy’s sole goal for 6 years being to get back to Octavia, to him telling her she isn’t his family anymore? Tell me how he could look into her earnest, open face, (because I do believe that she is genuine when she’s working with Space Kru in the beginning) and tell her than he thought everything would be better when they got back to the ground, “but instead we found you.” 

He poisons her to save Clarke. But not before one last attempt to reason with her. He doesn’t want to kill her. She puts him into the pits, but not before trying to give him every advantage she can so he’ll win. She doesn’t want him to die. And yet. They’re both allowing for and acknowledging the possibility. But they don’t die. And on the battlefield, Octavia says “Why do you care if I die? Isn’t that what you want?” And Bellamy replies “Yes” and turns away. I swear to God I rewound immediately and at least 3 times. Because I couldn't be hearing him right. Because what the actual Fuck?! Because HASHTAG NOT MY BELLAMY. And then she’s going to sacrifice herself. And while he doesn’t try to stop her, he does delay her. And the volumes that are spoken in that wordless moment have me fucked up forever. Not to even mention “my brother, my responsibility.” AND THEN the end. Bellamy is putting Octavia into Cryo sleep. Because of course he is. And she’s making jokes about living under the floor. Because Octavia is back. And I think it’s going to be okay, they’re going to be okay, look at them all clean and together! Octavia says “I love you, big brother.” And I literally screamed at the tv “TELL YOUR SISTER YOU LOVE HER DAMMIT.” But he didn't. Instead he told her “a part” of him would always love her because she’s his sister. But that “a part” of him still wanted her dead. And a part of me died. The part of me that cherished this relationship. Because this relationship doesn't exist anymore. Because she became a desperate tyrant? Because somehow, somewhere along the line Bellamy decided that his sole driving purpose in life (Octavia) wasn’t worth it anymore? Fighting Pits, yeah yeah, I know. I’m not saying forgive and forget. But he doesn’t love her anymore?! He doesn’t even want to try to mend their relationship at some point?? He doesn’t say It’s Too Soon, which I would’ve totally understood. He says I Still Wish You Were Dead. I mean, what the actual fuck dude?? Season 5 completely destroyed The Blake Siblings. And it. Failed. Us.  

[sketchguk]

Hiiiiiii it's anjie againnnnnn. it's so good you're enjoying aapi monthhhhhhhhh. My cousins saw everywhere all at once tooooo and they loved it! Are you planning to read or watch anything else?

I loved the got 7 cb soooooo much 😭😭😭😭 my favorite song is the title song! What is your favorite??? The mv was soooo pretty and jaebeom is bias wrecking me 😭😭😭😭😭😭

You're buying albums and seeing svt live omgggggggggggg. I hope you get to see themmmm 😔 it will be soooo fun

Why is your mom making you buy shares 😭😭😭 KHkjjjjkkj i also bought some shares this month, my bro is slowing teaching me about ittt. I don't understand most of it, but I just buy whatever he says is good 😭😭😭 he probably knows I don't get it, but he doesn't say anything 😭😭😭😭 you and me are both buying shares lkjkjjkj we'll make money and go visit our bfs in Korea 😔

Ohhhh it's exams during cb season? 😔😔 That's so saaaaaad. I will also have to write exams next year , I'm struggling to pick my optional subjects 😔 I have to choose them before next monthhhh.

I miss you tooooooo ,I didn't think you would miss me :(((((((( I will probably come back to tumblr if can manage my studiessssss. I really missing being here 😭😭😭😭😭

Anjieeee 💛💛 yes, yes, I've gotten your asks !!! I'm so sorry it feels like sending a message in a bottle 💔 I like responding to messages on my laptop, but I haven't opened up Tumblr in a while T_T Pls come back to Tumblr bc I miss you !!!!!!! Or send me your whatsapp plsplspsls

Ahh last month, I read some interesting aapi books !! Along with The Joy Luck Club, I've also read Things We Lost to the Water (Eric Nguyen), Disorientation (Elaine Hsieh Chou), Whereabouts (Jhumpa Lahiri), and the Kiss Quotient (Helen Hoang). I also tried audiobooks for the first time because my ebook website wasn't working. I kinda like it because I get to stare at my ceiling (with purpose). Who said I'm not productive??? Some of the books that carried over to this month is Chanel Miller's Know My Name and Murakami's Norwegian Wood. And oh boy, do I have thoughts™️ lajsdkaslk

All the got7 songs are sooo amazing. Each track is wonderful and special, and I will cherish this album like it is my baby. I love the title song, but I also realllyyy like Don't Leave Me Alone 😭 I miss them so, so muchh. Seeing them reunite fills my heart with so much joyyy. The mv for nanana was so pretty ! The sets had me in awe !!! My beautiful boys !!!!

BUT DID YOU SEE JAEBEOM CUT HIS HAIR 😭 It's a buzzcut pretty much. I'm heartbroken LOL. I didn't see that coming at all. I saw a blurry pic from a fan call, and I was like "oh jinyoung!" BUT???? I saw more pics... and I was VERY mistaken. The whiplash was real. Long haired Jae... I miss you dearly... thinking about you forever and always.

I got my svt tickets !!!! I am one step closer to giving junhui an open mouth kiss xoxo. I'll be sure to tell Soonyoung that you love him as well hehe.

I'm also waiting for my album to come in the mail !!! I think the host only received one junhui album :-( so I'm gonna fight for my life to claim that LOL. 2 seungcheol and no seok albums in the batch :-( but there are 5 joshuas... As my second bias, don't ask why he wasn't in my preference list. My heart is a free spirit, totally enamored with 20 different men

Idk why I own stocks. Trust me, we're the same LOL. Idk what I'm doing. I'll just follow what everyone else says. There are plenty people in my life who are finance dudes. They'll be happy to talk to me about it whenever I have a question :') I would try to self study the stock market, but I'm not interested at all LOL. I know this is my responsibility because they're my own finances, but... I'd rather not ;n; One day, when my investments yield real income... you best believe I will take a vacation to Asia LMAO.

What are optional subjects?? Are they like electives?? :0 I'm sure that you'll find joy in whatever course you choose !!!! Good luck studying !!! I shall be a studybug this summer as well T_T I need to get off my ass. Not sure how much more my parents can be disappointed in me, but the bar is LOW. I'm also debating if I should work part time because having spending money sounds nice 😔 But if I go back to my camp counselor job, I know it's gonna be Hell. Remember how miserable I was last year? LMAO. I'm ready to walk through the fire for my low wage, baybieee

Miss you xoxoxoo

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient book of Proverbs and book of Psalms

for july 2 of 2021 with Proverbs 2 and Psalm 2, accompanied by Psalm 13 for the 13th day of Summer and Psalm 33 for day 183 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 2]

[Searching for Wisdom]

My child, will you treasure my wisdom?

Then, and only then, will you acquire it.

And only if you accept my advice

and hide it within will you succeed.

So train your heart to listen when I speak

and open your spirit wide to expand your discernment—

then pass it on to your sons and daughters.

Yes, cry out for comprehension and intercede for insight.

For if you keep seeking it like a man would seek for sterling silver,

searching in hidden places for cherished treasure,

then you will discover the fear of the Lord

and find the true knowledge of God.

Wisdom is a gift from a generous God,

and every word he speaks is full of revelation

and becomes a fountain of understanding within you.

For the Lord has a hidden storehouse of wisdom

made accessible to his godly ones.

He becomes your personal bodyguard as you follow his ways,

protecting and guarding you as you choose what is right.

Then you will discover all that is just, proper, and fair,

and be empowered to make the right decisions

as you walk into your destiny.

When wisdom wins your heart and revelation breaks in,

true pleasure enters your soul.

If you choose to follow good counsel,

divine design will watch over you

and understanding will protect you

from making poor choices.

It will rescue you from evil in disguise

and from those who speak duplicities.

For they have left the paths of righteousness

and walk in the ways of darkness.

They take pleasure when evil prospers

and thoroughly enjoy a lifestyle of sin.

But they’re walking on a path to nowhere,

wandering away into deeper deception.

[Wisdom, the Way of the Pure]

Only wisdom can save you from the flattery

of the promiscuous woman—

she’s such a smooth-talking seductress!

She left her husband and has forgotten her wedding vows.

You’ll find her house on the road to hell,

and all the men who go through her doors

will never come back to the place they were—

they will find nothing but desolation and despair.

Follow those who follow wisdom and stay on the right path.

For all my godly lovers will enjoy life to the fullest

and will inherit their destinies.

But the treacherous ones who love darkness

will lose not only all they could have had,

but even their own souls!

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 2 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 2]

[The Coronation of the King]

You are wondering: What has provoked the nations to embrace anger and chaos?

Why are the people making plans to pursue their own vacant and empty greatness?

Leaders of nations stand united;

rulers put their heads together,

plotting against the Eternal One and His Anointed King, trying to figure out

How they can throw off the gentle reign of God’s love,

step out from under the restrictions of His claims to advance their own schemes.

At first, the Power of heaven laughs at their silliness.

The Eternal mocks their ignorant selfishness.

But His laughter turns to rage, and He rebukes them.

As God displays His righteous anger, they begin to know the meaning of fear. He says,

“I am the One who appointed My king who reigns from Zion, My mount of holiness.

He is the one in charge.”

I am telling all of you the truth. I have heard the Eternal’s decree.

He said clearly to me, “You are My son.

Today I have become your Father.

The nations shall be yours for the asking,

and the entire earth will belong to you.

They are yours to crush with an iron scepter,

yours to shatter like fragile, clay pots.”

So leaders, kings, and judges,

be wise, and be warned.

There is only one God, the Eternal;

worship Him with respect and awe;

take delight in Him and tremble.

Bow down before God’s son.

If you don’t, you will face His anger and retribution,

And you won’t stand a chance.

For it doesn’t take long to kindle royal wrath,

But blessings await all who trust in Him.

They will find God a gentle refuge.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 2 (The Voice)

[Psalm 13]

[Prayer Turns Depression into Delight]

For the Pure and Shining One

A Psalm of David

I’m hurting, Lord—will you forget me forever?

How much longer, Lord?

Will you look the other way when I’m in need?

How much longer must I cling to this constant grief?

I’ve endured this shaking of my soul.

So how much longer will my enemy have the upper hand?

Take a good look at me, Yahweh, my God, and answer me!

Breathe your life into my spirit.

Bring light to my eyes in this pitch-black darkness

or I will sleep the sleep of death.

Don’t let my enemy proclaim, “I’ve prevailed over him.”

For all my adversaries will celebrate when I fall.

I have always trusted in your kindness, so answer me.

I will spin in a circle of joy

when your salvation lifts me up.

I will sing my song of joy to you, Yahweh,

for in all of this you have strengthened my soul.

My enemies say that I have no Savior,

but I know that I have one in you!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 13 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 33]

Release your heart’s joy in sweet music to the Eternal.

When the upright passionately sing glory-filled songs to Him, everything is in its right place.

Worship the Eternal with your instruments, strings offering their praise;

write awe-filled songs to Him on the 10-stringed harp.

Sing to Him a new song;

play each the best way you can,

and don’t be afraid to be bold with your joyful feelings.

For the word of the Eternal is perfect and true;

His actions are always faithful and right.

He loves virtue and equity;

the Eternal’s love fills the whole earth.

The unfathomable cosmos came into being at the word of the Eternal’s imagination, a solitary voice in endless darkness.

The breath of His mouth whispered the sea of stars into existence.

He gathers every drop of every ocean as in a jar,

securing the ocean depths as His watery treasure.

Let all people stand in awe of the Eternal;

let every man, woman, and child live in wonder of Him.

For He spoke, and all things came into being.

A single command from His lips, and all creation obeyed and stood its ground.

The Eternal cripples the schemes of the other nations;

He impedes the plans of rival peoples.

The Eternal’s purposes will last to the end of time;

the thoughts of His heart will awaken and stir all generations.

The nation whose True God is the Eternal is truly blessed;

fortunate are all whom He chooses to inherit His legacy.

The Eternal peers down from heaven

and watches all of humanity;

He observes every soul

from His divine residence.

He has formed every human heart, breathing life into every human spirit;

He knows the deeds of each person, inside and out.

A king is not delivered by the might of his army.

Even the strongest warrior is not saved by his own strength.

A horse is not the way to victory;

its great strength cannot rescue.

Listen, the eye of the Eternal is upon those who live in awe of Him,

those who hope in His steadfast love,

That He may save them from the darkness of the grave

and be kept alive during the lean seasons.

We live with hope in the Eternal. We wait for Him,

for He is our Divine Help and Impenetrable Shield.

Our hearts erupt with joy in Him

because we trust His holy name.

O Eternal, drench us with Your endless love,

even now as we wait for You.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 33 (The Voice)

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Welcome to another season of Cuba v DR!! It’s going to be a wild ride. Fair warning...

EPISODE 1

“Oh my god I love school days,” you screamed as Nevada grabbed you, dipping you into a kiss. The two of you had spent the last few days cherishing the time you spent alone. You kissed back and tugged him until you both plopped onto the couch laughing. “Are you gonna come in with me to the doctor?”

The two of you had discussed a more permanent form of birth control than pills. You'd settled on the implant that would work for three years.

“Yeah, if you want,” he replied, shrugging and looking over at you. “When is it?”

“In two hours,” you said softly. It wasn't that you were nervous, you just didn't love the idea of someone staple gunning birth control into your arm.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I told you that,” he replied.

“I don't want to have to keep worrying about a pill. Plus, it's important to me to let you know that I respect your decision. We either both want a baby or neither.” You kissed his lips and smiled. “You and the kids have always been enough for me.”

“Okay,” he answered. “What time the kids supposed to be back? You know?” he asked.

“Yeah they get back at five, so we have a few hours after the doctors. We just need to stop by Izzy's first to eat.” You tugged him close and kissed him before moving to grab your shoes.

“Sounds good. Let me just change my shirt, and we can go,” he replied.

Izzy settled herself against the headstone in the graveyard.

“Hi mommy,” she said softly, fingers running over the cold marble. “As of today it's been officially nine years. That seems like...a lot. I was married for a while. Her name was Lila, I really loved her. My art is selling, can you believe it?” She smiled, fingers tracing over the engraving as she sighed.

“You remember my brother and my sister. They're doing really well. Rafi got married. I know you wouldn't have loved him at first but you would have grown to love him. His wife is so incredible. My nephew, Eddie is my best friend. We live together now. He's been through some really hard times too so I think we're good for each other.”

She felt the first droplets of rain, thinking she should have brought a jacket or an umbrella.

“Things have been really hard this year mom,” she whispered, feeling her voice crack. “You always told me I was the strong one, but I know how you felt when dad left and...I don't feel strong at all. What am I supposed to do when the love of my life leaves?”

She sniffled, pressing her forehead to the grave as it began to pour down rain. It felt almost cleansing in that moment, the cold water washing away the hurt she felt. She had thought she was okay but she certainly wasn't, loud sobs and hiccups being drowned out in the rain.

“I don't know what to do,” she cried. “I don't know what to do…”

After a while, she got up and wiped her face, though the rain made the gesture futile, and walked toward the graveyard entrance. She quickened her step as she got closer to the exit, throwing her arm up in attempts to hail a cab.

By the time she arrived home she was met with Greyson, Eddie, Rafael and Roxie.

“Did you forget about lunch today?” Eddie said with a frown. He moved over to her and took his coat off the rack by the door, wrapping it around her. “You're soaking wet Iz. What the fuck?”

“Where’d you go?” Rafael asked, moving into the hallway and grabbing a towel from the linen closet, bringing it to her.

“See my mom,” she answered.

“I thought we were all going to go,” Roxie chimed, glancing at Rafael.

Izzy jerked her head to look away from them, moving towards her room.

“Izzy, change your clothes and give me the wet ones, I’ll put them in the wash,” Rafael called out after her.

Roxie frowned. “Should someone help her? I can't imagine losing someone I loved the way Izzy loved her mum. This must be so painful.”

“She's being a drama queen,” Eddie said with a roll of his eyes. “She didn't die yesterday she died nine years ago.”

“Still, it’s her mother,” Rafael said softly. “Roxie, would you help her get out of her wet clothes?”

Roxie nodded, moving to the bedroom. “Izzy, honey let me help you change, okay?”

“I’m fine,” Izzy called back.

“Izzy, let her in,” Rafael called out as he sat at the table again to wait for the wet clothes.

Izzy slowly opened the door, tossing out the wet clothes and slamming it again.

“You know, Izzy, I'd love to hear more about your mum,” Roxie said softly. “Do you have pictures or videos? I want to know what she was like, how she raised such an amazing girl.”

Izzy opened the door in pajamas now and rolled her eyes. “You don't have to pretend to care.”

“I am not pretending,” Roxie answered, handing Rafael the dripping clothes. “I truly want to know.”

“We all do,” Greyson offered. “It’s why we’re all here, to remember her.”

Izzy looked down at her feet before going back into her room, slamming the door.

“She just wants people to feel sorry for her--”

“Eddie,” Rafael said, coming out of the laundry room and shaking his head.

“What? She does. Drama queen.”

“Remember what the therapist said about trying to understand where people are hurting and empathizing with them?” Greyson said softly.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah I guess.”

Izzy came back out, moving to sit on the couch. She set a series of drawings on the table before moving to put a DVD into the player. “This is all I have of her,” she said softly as Roxie sat beside her.

“These are beautiful,” Roxie said, looking at all the drawings. “Rafael, look at these!” she called out.

Her husband came out from the laundry room and sat next to his wife, draping an arm on the back of the couch behind her.

“These are great, Iz,” he said, smiling.

“My favorite,” Izzy said softly. Tracing her fingers over the picture. Her mother was looking over her shoulder, one fishnet clad leg hiked up on a chair as she shot everyone a sultry gaze. She was incredibly beautiful.

“You look so much like her,” Rafael mused softly as Greyson and Eddie came to join them.

“What’s on the DVD?” Eddie asked.

“The only video I have of her...I listen to her voice a lot.”

She pressed play as a woman in a pink tank top with black lace came on the screen, her hair disheveled and messy but she was smiling at the camera.

“Are you going to be behind the camera the entire time?” She laughed and tried to cover her face. “Matias, I look like a mess.”

A toddler ran into the video, screaming and jumping right onto her mom.

The woman laughed and kissed her daughter's hair. “There she is,” she said softly against Izzy’s temple. “My beautiful angel.” She turned to the camera again. “Wave at daddy. Say hi!”

The toddler shook her head, hiding her face in her mom's chest.

“Come on, can't you say hi to daddy?” she coaxed.

Again the toddler shook her head.

The video cut out after that and Izzy remembered the beating that came from not listening to her mother.

Rafael had tensed a little, happy that at the very least his father hadn’t spoken a word, and gave Izzy a smile.

“She looked really happy,” he said.

“She was so beautiful, and funny, and sweet. She didn't wanna be a dancer forever. Someday she wanted to be a movie star.”

Eddie snorted a laugh, quickly getting elbowed by Greyson.

“I bet she could’ve been,” Rafael mused softly.

“She didn’t want to do something where she could use her PhD from Stanford?” Eddie asked sarcastically.

“Eddie, knock it off,” Rafael chimed, furrowing his brows at his nephew.

“Nah, she had always been someone who wanted to be on the big screen.” Izzy’s bottom lip trembled, eyes filling with tears. “I don't have anything but my sketches and that video. I don't remember her smell, how she sounded when she made breakfast. The way her hair felt between my fingers.”

“Did she wear perfume?” Greyson asked.

Izzy nodded. “Yeah she did.”

“What kind? Do you remember the name?” Roxie asked.

Izzy thought for a moment then shook her head sadly as there was a knock at the door.

Eddie got up and answered the door, smiling at you and Nevada. “Hey tio, hey tia,” he said, hugging each of you.

You hugged back. “Hey I'm sorry we can't stay, but I brought flowers, candles and some of my old jewelry for your mom's grave. I figured she should still be glamorous even in death.”

Izzy smiled and got up, hugging you tight, then Nevada. “I didn't think you guys would come…”

“Of course we came,” you answered, coming to say hello to Roxie and Rafael, then Greyson.

“What’re we watching?” Nevada asked.

“It was a home movie of her mom,” Rafael replied.

“Not the good kind,” Eddie mused.

“Eddie,” Roxie mumbled.

“Come on Eddie, stop busting her chops,” Rafael said.

“Do you mind if we watch it too?” you asked.

Izzy played the video again. You watched, looking the woman over, studying her, then Izzy.

You couldn't help but grin. “She's so beautiful. You look just like her.”

“Thanks,” Izzy replied, smiling.

“Well...now that everyone is here, shall we eat? Hopefully the rain will have let up by the time we’re finished,” Roxie suggested, standing up, smiling at everyone.

As you all sat down, you smiled at Izzy, holding her hand.

She smiled softly and looked at her siblings. “Thank you everyone for being here.”

Rafael smiled back at her before he looked at Roxie, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it.

“Izzy, I know how much you miss your mom, and I know how hard this day has to be for you every year, but I hope this shows you that you still have people who love you in your life. I know it’s not the same, but I just wanted to say that we’re always here for you, no matter what. So here’s to Annabell Barba, may she rest in peace, and always be in your heart,” Rafael said, lifting his glass.

Everyone toasted to Annabell.

Izzy had never felt so loved in her life. She couldn't help it as she cried again.

After lunch, you and Nevada made your way to the doctors. You sat down on the table.

“We should set up a tent in the house and indoor camp with the kids later, they'd love it.” You said as you took your top off, sliding the gown over your top half.

“Indoor camp? Why not just camp on the roof?” he asked.

“Even better,” you grinned and smiled at the doctor came in.

“Alrighty, Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez. Always great to see you. Let's get started shall we.”

The doctor pulled a tray out from a cabinet, starting to set things up.

“So how does this work? You gotta open her up, or you just go in through the hole?” Nevada asked.

The doctor chuckled. “The implant actually goes right in her arm. Mrs. Ramirez if you can lay your arm down on the table for me. If you want to hold your husband’s hand, you can.”

You look to Nevada. You weren't too nervous. You'd been shot. But no matter how many injuries you'd endured, you still couldn't stand needles.

He offered his hand without a word and squeezed while the doctor shot the implant into your arm.

“Okay,” he said, cleaning the area and putting a bandaid on it. “That’s it. We’re all done. This is good for three years, and if you ever want it out sooner, you can just come in and get it removed. You can get dressed now, Mrs Ramirez.”

You nodded and pulled on your shirt, smiling at Nevada. “You owe me ice cream,” you said playfully. “Anyone who gets birth control staple gunned into her deserves ice cream, don't you think?”

“I told you I’d get snipped of you wanted me to,” he replied, smirking at you as he stood and walked out with you, settling the visit at the front desk before you left.

“I know, but this is less permanent. If anything changes we have the option. If not, and three years go by. We're gonna neuter you so I don't have to do it again.”

“Alright,” he replied, following you out. “So ice cream, huh?”

You nodded. “Chocolate, with sprinkles,” you whispered with a smirk.

“Alright, come on,” he mumbled, opening the car door for you and getting into the driver’s seat. “You okay? Never asked how you felt watching that video of Izzy’s mom...with your old man…”

“It was a lot,” you said honestly. “Not because of Izzy's mom. I feel so...bad for her. Because I know how that video ended. It was how any day with my dad ended. A fist.”

“He’s gone,” he replied. “He can’t hurt any of you guys anymore.”

You nodded and took a deep breath before holding his hand. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” he replied.

Rafael looked up from his place at the dining room table at Roxie, who was working on some new recipes in the kitchen. He’d been thinking a lot lately, about his career and his life, about he and Roxie’s life together.

Getting up from his chair, he went into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him until her back was flush against his chest. Pressing his nose against her hair, he sighed softly, dropping a kiss behind her ear.

“Hey,” he said softly, kissing down her neck. “I’ve been thinking,” he whispered as one hand grazed along her side, letting his fingertips drag her skirt up a little to touch her bare skin.

“Have you?”

“Mhm,” he hummed as his other hand moved to drift over her stomach, pulling her further against him.

“About?” she asked, tilting her head to one side as he dropped gentle kisses over her pulse point.

“Let’s make a baby,” he whispered into her ear, gently biting down on the lobe.

She moaned and giggled. “I know I'm a good chef but that's a tall order. It uses a different kind of oven you know,” she teased.

“I’m serious,” he mumbled against her skin as his hand ran up and down her leg.

“Really?” She smiled, turning and sliding her fingers into his hair and he nodded his head. “Alrighf, let's have a baby.”

Smiling at her, he bent to pull her up until her legs wrapped around his waist, kissing her as he carried her into their bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, his hand slid over her leg until her dress was pushed up around her hips while he kissed down her neck.

She shivered, moaning loudly. “Oh, we're making that baby now?” She tugged him closer.

“I thought I made my intentions pretty clear, but if you object…” he replied, head coming up to look down at her with a smirk.

She giggled and shook her head. “No, no by all means, put a baby in me,” she whispered and kissed him again.

Humming against her mouth, he ground his hips against hers while he kissed down to her chest, pulling her dress off and teasing first one nipple, then the other.

“I love you, Roxie,” he whispered, biting down on the stiff peak as one hand drifted to skim his fingers over the inside of her thigh. Kissing down her body, he pulled her panties off and kissed over her hips.

She whimpered, arching her back. “Rafael, you feel so incredible,” she whispered as he kissed along her inner thigh, making his way up to her center.

“So do you,” he mumbled, licking up her slit until he was honing in on her clit. His hands held her hips against him as he licked and sucked her core.

She relaxed against him, body feeling every sensation as she touched him. “I love you.” She arched her hips up a bit.

Moaning against her, he sucked the tender nub above her opening, finger coming under his chin, tracing her opening.

She shivered, trying to push herself closer to the stimulation. She tugged him a bit closer, lightly pulling at the roots of his hair as he slid his finger inside her.

Thrusting it in and out of her, he hummed against her, free hand stroking over her body.

As her breathing grew heavy, she started to twitch. “O-oh god, that feels...oh…”

Sliding another finger in, he moaned against her, moving them faster inside her before curling them forward to massage her gspot and sucking harder on her clit. His body was on fire beneath his clothes, throbbing, longing to be touched, and he groaned as he inhaled through his nose and caught a huge whiff of her scent. Doubling his efforts, he moaned against her again, beckoning her over the edge.

It took her less than a few seconds before she was coming hard, panting and blushing. He smirked against her, humming as he gradually brought her down and turned his head to lay wet kisses over the inside of her thighs before he made his way back up her body. Taking her lips in a passionate kiss, he let her roll them over until he was on his back.

She kissed him, moving down his body, looking up at him and silently asking if she could return the favor. Nodding his head, he reached for the hem of his shirt to take it off.

She tugged his jeans and boxer briefs down, leaning over and licking the head of his cock in amusement. “Mmmm, you're always so hard for me, Rafi.”

“Always for you, mi amor,” he replied, his hands stroking over the skin of her arms.

She took him into her mouth, slowly at first, licking her way down to the base before going back up. As she repeated the motions, she varied her pace, fingers tracing up his thighs and moving to his balls to give them a gentle massage.

Groaning, he arched and reached one hand to run through her hair, picking his head up momentarily to meet her gaze before he let it fall back against the mattress. Biting down on his bottom lip, he moaned and tried to keep his hips from rocking upward.

“That feels so good, Roxie,” he whispered.

She hummed around his cock, not pushing him too hard, she wanted to make love. Her eyes closed as she took him down again, trying to reach the base as best as she could before pulling back off to lap precum off the tip.

“You taste amazing,” she purred. “I can't wait to feel you inside of me, my love.”

“Oh God, Roxie,” he groaned, shuddering and arching his back again.

She waited until he was close before pulling back and kissing him hungrily, moving to straddle him. She moved his member to her entrance, making eye contact with him before slowly easing down onto him.

Groaning again, he pulled her down for another passion-filled kiss, rolling them over and beginning a slow, tender pace.

“I love you so much,” he whispered against her lips.

“I love you too. I want a baby with you, Rafael Barba.” She smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks, she was so happy.

“So do I,” he replied, smiling back and using the back of his fingers to wipe her tears away. “Let’s see what we can do about that,” he whispered against her cheek, kissing her neck and sucking a mark on her pulse point as he moved over her.

She felt every piece of him. Every touch of his flesh on hers. She felt so sensitive. “Oh Rafael,” she whined and pulled him closer.

He moaned her name against her skin, kissing her again while his hips moved steadily against her. Tucking his face against her neck, he moved slightly faster, hands gliding over her side before one reached down to pull her leg up, allowing him to sink deep inside her.

“You feel so good, mi amor,” he purred.

She panted, arching a bit. “I'm close, Rafi, I want to come with you,” she whispered. “Please.”

“Oh...okay,” he replied, moving faster to try and catch up with her. Looking down at her, he nuzzled his nose against hers and kissed her again.

She cupped his face, kissing him and breathing to slow herself down to match him. “I love you,” she whispered with a smile. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he replied through a smile.

She kissed him again, wrapping her legs tight around his body as she gripped him tighter. Moving harder inside her, he moaned against her mouth, arching his hips up to stimulate her gspot. His moans were coming closer together as his arms wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

She screamed his name as she came, clenching tight around his cock as she kissed him. “Rafi, Rafi, Rafi,” she whispered against his skin.

He followed right behind her, coming and moaning against her neck, slowing his hips gradually to prolong both their orgasms.

“I love you,” he whispered, dropping kisses over her face. “I love you so much.”

She sniffled, hiding her face. “I'm so...happy, I love you and...” she hiccuped and hugged him closer.

“And?” he asked softly, letting his nose graze along her cheekbone.

“I'm so excited,” she said between shaky breaths as she hugged him.

“I am too, but let’s not get our hopes up just yet. The midwife said it may a few tries for you to get pregnant,” he replied, hugging her back. “But I want us to have a family together,” he added against her mouth, kissing her gently.

She nodded and kissed back. “We'll just have to keep trying till we get it right then,” she teased, kissing him.

He nodded his head, letting his forehead rest against hers.

“And we're off! Fast foot Fallon rounding the track with the assistance of her talented but less adorable mother, Amber.” Troy narrated with a grin as he watched Amber hold Fallon's hands and let her walk around the kitchen.

“Oh ladies and gentlemen it is a new world record, move over Usain Bolt.” Amber picked up the baby, pretending to cheer.

“The crowd goes wild!” Troy claps his hand.

“Hey, I never asked you--how'd that date go?” she asked, moving to grab Fallon’s baby food and sitting her in the highchair.

“Good,” he said with a nod. “How was your date?” He smoothed down Fallon's wild hair and kissed her head.

“Well, I don’t know if you can still call them dates if you’re dating, you know? But we had a good time, I’d never seen The Nutcracker live,” she replied, smiling.

He smiled back. “Was it interesting?”

Amber squinted a bit. “Yes..?”

Troy laughed. “That's not very convincing.”

She opened her mouth to speak but was distracted by the door.

“That must be Scott. He's going to spend the day with me and Fallon.”

Troy quirked a brow and stood. “Then I should take that as my hint to leave,” he teased as he opened the door for Scott. “Hey man,” Troy nodded politely.

“Hey Troy, how’ve you been?” Scott asked, holding out his hand to shake Troy’s.

“Good, the date turned out pretty nice, I'm gonna head out and maybe see if she wants to go to the shooting range.” He moved to Amber, playfully ruffling her hair before kissing Fallon's forehead. “See ya later, pip squeak.”

He moved to the door and nodded at Scott again before heading out.

Amber smoothed down her hair and moved to Scott, kissing him with a smile. “Hey handsome.”

“Hi,” he replied  kissing her back before looking at Fallon. “And hello to you, little lady.”

The baby stuck her little hand into her jar of baby food and stuffed it into her mouth.

“Fallon, mi amor, calmete, despacito,” Amber scolded as she took a cloth and wiped the babies mouth.

“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish,” he said, sitting at the table next to Fallon’s chair.

“I speak five languages, all I ask is Fallon speaks two.” She brushed a hand over her daughter's hair. “Her father is primarily a Spanish speaker, it's important to me that she learns too.”

The baby reached out for Scott. “Dadadada,” she babbled as she tried to stand in her chair. Getting a bit fussy.

“Whoa, careful there or you’ll fall,” Scott replied, picking up the toddler. “Are you all done?” he asked.

The baby waved both hands in a shaking motion.

“She's saying all done in sign language,” Amber said as she started to clean the tray off.

“I actually know that,” he replied, smiling. “I speak sign language, my brother is deaf so…”

“Yeah?” She quirked a brow. “I didn't know that about you.”

She smiled as Fallon snuggled against Scott signing the word for happy.

“Now you know,” he replied, signing back to Fallon. “So what have you ladies been up to today?”

“We practiced our walking, and then I had Troy watch her so I could shower before you arrived and now I have wet hair, no makeup and a baby who is very happy to be held.” She laughed when Fallon signed happy again.

“Wow, that’s a big day,” he replied, signing to ask Fallon if she was tired.

“Mami, tu quieres dormir?”

Fallon signed back and nodded her head and Scott handed her over.

Amber picked her up and carried her to the crib, kissing her hair and laying her in her crib.

“I love you,” she whispered to her daughter. “There is nothing in this world you can't do. Never forget that.”

Fallon just stared up at her before her little eyes began to drift shut, one hand coming to rub her left one.

Amber waited until she was asleep before moving to the couch. “So what are we planning to do, hmm?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“I don’t know, I just thought I’d stop by and say hello. How’s the editing coming along? Nicole driving you crazy yet?” he asked.

“Yes,” Amber said seriously. “I don't want to work with her. Not that my other options are better. But she's driving me insane.” Amber shook her head. “I can't talk about it. I'll just stress.” She looked up at him and smiled. “How about you? How's work?”

“Usual. I have a client who is hell-bent on selling me novel about a reporter who gets caught in a zombie apocalypse so there’s that. Sometimes I wonder where these weirdos come from. I mean I know writers are weird, but some are just way out there.”

She snorted a laugh. “Are you sure he's not fucking with you? That's the plot to Dead Rising.”

“No, he’s not because that’s what I told him. He is absolutely serious,” he answered. “So Fallon’s walking, huh?”

Amber lit up. “Oh god yes, she's so fast now. She still needs a little help but she is a total speed demon. I can barely keep up with how fast she wants to go.”

He snorted, nodding his head. “I guess kids are like that,” he replied.

Amber blinked a few times. “They get so big, so fast,” she said softly. “I swear she was born...yesterday.”

“Time always flies, I can only imagine how much faster it feels when you have a child. How’s her speech coming along?”

“She says mom and dad. She's very fluent in signing but still not much verbal communication.” Amber smiled and kissed him. “Do you ever want kids of your own?” she asked curiously.

“I actually had a vasectomy when I was eighteen. I never wanted kids,” he answered honestly, shrugging a little.

“Eighteen?” She stared at him for a moment. “That's a big step to take at eighteen, wow.”

“Yeah, I just knew I wanted to enlist, and that even if I did settle down someday, I...I don’t know maybe it was the way I grew up with so many siblings, I just never wanted kids,” he replied. “Is that...a problem?”

“Of course not, I never wanted kids either. Fallon was a miracle but she was definitely unexpected. I'm not supposed to be able to have children.” She looked him over. It did concern her about a future with him. He didn't want kids. That was fine, she didn't want more kids either but what about her baby?

“And she’s great,” he replied, shrugging. “I mean, would you go back and change things if you could?”

“Never,” she said with a smile. “She's the best thing in my life.”

“Yeah, see?” he replied. “Life is sometimes funny that way, it hands you things you don’t expect that turn out to be amazing things.”

“Yeah, it really is funny,” she said softly, looking up and him. “I really wanna make us work,” she whispered.

He furrowed his brows a little, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I thought we are working,” he replied.

“We are, but I know me and I over think. I say stupid shit, I sabotage good things before they even get started and I'm so scared I'm going to lose you before we even really get started.”

“Well...try not to overthink,” he replied, chuckling. “We’re in a good place, I thought and we’ve only been seeing each other...barely a month. Just relax.”

Amber closed her eyes and took a few shaky breaths. “You're right,” she whispered.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said honestly. She looked up at him and smiled.

“Okay,” he replied, smiling back. “So what do you wanna do after the little one wakes up?” he asked.

“She really likes the aquarium.”

“Sounds like fun, we’ll go to the aquarium then,” he replied, smiling.