#people in the book remark on people’s lives going to waste but they never do

[lesmiserablesravings]

When Enjolras asks do you hear the people sing and then when Marius says that he can hear his friends rise with voices ringing after all of his friends die in their quashed rebellion.

[nivasichakano]

Feeling — Bonus Content for Driven

“Ni hao from Shanghai!” 

Gale appears on Morena’s phone, standing in a swish living room. Behind him, large windows overlook a cityscape of brightly lit skyscrapers, neon against the night sky. 

“You’ve got a nice room this week,” Morena remarks, sipping her tea. Spring sun pours in through her kitchen window and she moves away from it, to better see her son on the screen. More sunny days than not, recently. She loves this time of year. 

“Oh,” Gale looks around. “This is Astarion’s room-”

“Hi, Mor!” Astarion’s voice rings out from somewhere behind the phone and Morena hides her smile. Of course he’s in Astarion’s room. 

“Hi, love!”

“As a lowly race engineer,” Gale continues, his voice teasing, eyeline off camera. “I don’t get booked business class executive suites like this anymore.”

Astarion’s retort comes quickly.

“You don’t need one now that you’ve got a sugar da-”

The video call goes momentarily blank and there’s a sudden loud rustling noise followed by a thwump and a disgruntled ‘OW’. 

“Gale?” Morena stifles a laugh. “Did you drop your phone?”

Gale reappears, slightly flustered, now with a cushion in hand. “No, er, yes. Sorry!”

“What was Astarion saying, love?”

“Nothing,” Gale is glaring off-camera now but there’s no malice in it. Morena can hear Astarion snickering in the background. “I’ll show you my room, one sec.”

As he strides out of Astarion’s suite — pausing momentarily to afford Morena a view of the young driver sprawled on the bed, waving merrily — Gale chats away about the flight, the hotel, the busy day Astarion has lined up tomorrow, shooting promo for Weave’s new sponsors. 

There’s something different about him, Morena observes. A lightness that she hasn’t seen in a long time. A happiness. 

She knows, even before he walks into his room and carefully shuts the door behind him, glancing up the corridor as he does so. She knows, as he sits heavily on his bed, running a nervous hand through his hair. She knows even as a slight flush blossoms over the tops of his cheeks. She knows what he’s going to say.

“Astarion kissed me,” Gale confesses quietly, a bashful grin on his face.

She knew it. 

“Oh Gale!” Morena nearly spills her tea. “When? How? I knew it!”

“What do you mean, you knew it?” He’s beaming now and it’s nice, oh it’s so nice to see. 

“I just had a feeling. I could tell something was different,” Morena finds herself putting her mug down and clutching her phone with both hands, wishing she could grab his daft face instead. “You look the happiest I’ve seen you in a long time.”

Gale’s hand goes to his cheek subconsciously, still smiling. “Do I?”

“Yes!” Morena laughs. “Tell me everything.”

“Well, we were actually having an argument…” 

As the story spills out, Morena revels in every detail. Thank god Astarion had the sense to finally make the first move. From the noticeable surprise on Gale’s face when he recounts their joint confessions, Morena doesn’t think her son would ever have got there on his own.

When Gale gets to the part where he ran to Astarion’s hotel room to kiss him back, Morena nearly explodes with smugness. “What did I tell you? What did I tell you, moromou!?”

“I know…”

“I said: ‘If you go and kiss that man right now-’”

“I know!”

“A Dekarios is never wrong!”

“I know, I know!” Gale rolls his eyes, laughing. “Trust me, nobody is kicking themselves more than me at the wasted time.”

“Don’t think of the time behind, love, only the time ahead," Morena smiles before adding gently: “So... What does this mean? Are you an item?”

“I, ah-” 

She notes the slight shift in his expression then, the way he runs his hand through his hair again. “Gale?”

“It’s complicated,” he sighs. “We’ve talked about it and we both want this to be something real, but…”

“...But that means telling people besides me?”

“Yeah,” Gale sighs. “I’m not worried about coming out or anything like that. It’s more that- well, at the moment, it’s all so… lovely, and new, and perfect and I feel like, if we tell people…”

“...It’ll be a lot of shit to deal with?” 

“Yeah…” He says again, smiling sadly, and her heart goes out to him. 

“What does Astarion think?”

“Oh, well-” This thought at least cheers him up, apparently. “You know what Astarion’s like. He wants to tell the world and then tell everyone to go fuck themselves at the same time.” 

Morena snorts. “Good lad.”

Gale shakes his head. “God knows what Elminster would say. Astarion, he… he doesn’t seem to care. He’s already talking about quitting the team. But I can’t let him do that, he’s so happy at Weave and driving is all he knows… I suppose I could- I could go to a different team but then… isn’t that a worse conflict of interest than it is now? Or we could talk to Elminster, but then the decision might be taken out of our hands entirely... And that’s without any of the- the external attention: the press, and the public, and…”

He trails off, looking torn, and Morena wishes she could help, wishes she had an answer for him. “I’m so sorry, love. I’m sorry it has to be so difficult for you, but you’ve both been through much worse and you’ve always been all right as long as you’re together.”

Gale’s expression brightens at that and he nods. “That’s true. You’re right- you’re right, and I am happy. So happy. I suppose I’m just… I’m worried for him. He had so much uncertainty and stress last year, I only wanted him to have a bit of stability for a while. A bit of peace... I think-” His cheeks color again as he looks at the floor. “I think I'm in love with him, mum.”

Morena’s hand instinctively goes to her heart and she has to fight to stop her eyes welling up. 

“Well then, my boy,” she whispers. “That’s all you need.” 

“Yeah,” he smiles again. “Thanks, mum.”

“I love you, moromou.”

“Love you too.”

“Now, take me back to your boyfriend, I need to have a word with him about his intentions-”

“Oh my god, mum, good bye.”

Morena chuckles as he hangs up, going immediately to WhatsApp and opening her chat with Tara. 

MD: You were right. Gale just phoned me.

Actual MD: I told you. You might have a word with your son about being a bit less obviously head over heels. Other people might not know him as well as I do but they will start to notice soon.

MD: I’ll talk to him

MD: Do you think they’re going to be okay, Tar?

Actual MD: I don’t know. I hope so.

MD: Me too

MD: Miss you all 🙂

Actual MD: You know you can always join us. Gale isn’t driving anymore.

MD: I know… But now I’ve got two of them to bloody worry about

Actual MD: Welcome to my world. 

Actual MD: We miss you too, Mor.

Morena is smiling fondly at her phone when another message pings through. It’s from Astarion.

Asty: I don’t have a mother to tell about my new boyfriend so, since I heard you’re part of Team Secret now…

Underneath, he’s sent a picture. It’s of him and Gale, sitting on the hotel bed. Astarion is holding the phone with one hand, his other flung around Gale’s neck, and he’s kissing Gale’s cheek with wild abandon. Gale’s hands rest in his own lap and his eyes are rolled heavenward but his grin and the pinkness in his face give him away. 

Asty: This message will self-destruct in 24 hours 🤫

Morena hugs her phone to her chest and laughs.

🏎️🏎️

Read Driven on AO3!

[peppermintmagicianlynn]

TimBer Week 2024: Twenty-Questions

TimBer Week 2024 Day #1: Twenty-Questions/Party Games

Set in high school years, after Bernard meets the Drakes. Tim is kind of a try-hard at party games. Bernard is a dirty cheater.

Study sessions were Tim's most common after-school activity these days. He, Bernard, and sometimes Darla would hang out and yet never accomplish any real studying. Since Darla was unavailable today, the boys had forgone the library to instead hang out at Tim's house. His parents wouldn't be back until later, so they were free to take over the living room.

Textbooks were spread out on the coffee table, the Xbox was stashed in the hall closet, and Tim had already threatened to duct tape a pencil to Bernard's hand if he didn't stop trying to derail their efforts with his bigfoot-sighting videos…when the electricity cut off.

"Should have seen that coming," Bernard remarked as Tim brought the emergency lamp in from his bedroom, enough to cast a small glow over Tim’s armchair and Bernard’s spot on the coach. "Power outages always get bad on this side of town during the winter months. I meant to warn you about that."

Tim waved him away, settling back into his seat with a sigh. "I guess study group is over. Were you going to head home now?"

Bernard draped himself over the couch pillow, holding a dainty wrist to his forehead as if the very thought made him weak. "And leave you in the dark, all on your own, with just your crazy elevator boy to look out for you? It’s like you don’t know me at all, Drake!"

Tim scoffed. "Bernard, of all the guys I've been friends with, I'd say you’re the least cryptic of them all." Tim had run an extensive background check on Bernard after their week of knowing each other, paranoid about any more surprises from the people he made friends with. He’d found no vigilante affiliations, no alcoholism or online gambling addictions, and no evidence of him being the secret heir to a terrorist cult. Bernard was as regular a teen boy as Gotham ever saw.

Bernard turned his face so that their eyes met across the dim lamp light, watching Tim with a disbelieving smirk. Tim cocked an eyebrow, daring him to claim otherwise.

"Well then, how about we put that assertion to the test?" The blond reached for the abandoned notebook and pen between them, quickly scribbled something across the sheet of paper. He then tore it out of the book, made a grand display of folding in half and tucked it behind his back. "Time to put your money where your mouth is, Drake. Twenty-Questions! You're B+ average self against my own astounding genius!"

Tim was not a stranger to challenges, neither in his vigilante teams nor among his civilian friends. Oftentimes, he felt they were completely unnecessary, just wasting energy to prove something that he already knew himself capable of. As long as he wasn’t humiliated in front of someone he really respected, he didn't rise at just anyone's baiting.

However, since becoming friends with Bernard Dowd, he'd found himself prone to showing off quite a lot lately. Any time the other boy said "I bet I could do this better than you", Tim fell right into his trap with little thought to his ex-secret identity. So far, the only things he had never beaten the other at were video game related.

Bernard was challenging him, Robin (retired though he may be), to a game of deduction. Tim felt his grin turning feral at the thought. God, he wouldn't even know what hit him. "You're on." 

Let the Game Begin!

Question 1: Was it a living thing?

Bernard groaned. "You are so boring, Drake. No one starts out that specifically."

But the answer was yes.

Question 2: Was it a person Tim knew?

"Come on!" Now the other boy was whining, throwing out his arms in exasperation. "Humor me a little here, or it won't be any fun!"

But yes.

Tim opened his mouth to ask the gender of the person, his sharpened mind knowing exactly what questions would break through any potential traps…but then he actually looked at Bernard's face. He was hard to read sometimes, always determined to keep his calm-and-cool act in full force, but the façade could crack now and then. And right now, something like disappointment was screaming from the set of his shoulders, the twist of his mouth.

Tim felt suddenly like a bad friend, being so try-hard over what was really just a game. Bernard was being silly, just as always; so maybe Tim could afford to be silly, too.

Question 3: Was it a famous person?

That vague inquiry brought Bernard back up to his previous energy, a genuine smile growing on his face before he forced it into the usually laid-back grin. "Yes."

Hmmm, that was not quite where Tim had thought this would go, but that definitely made the game more fun.

Question 4: Did the person live in America?

Bernard paused to think for a moment, stroking his chin dramatically. "Yes?" The hesitance in his tone was slipped into Tim's growing data set as "Origin Unknown".

Question 5: Did this person currently live in Gotham?

Now Bernard was the one with a crazed smile. "Yes. For now."

Were sentences like that allowed in Twenty-Questions? Tim was pretty sure they weren't, but it did give him a bit more information to use, so he would allow it. Bernard’s chatty nature was going to be his undoing.

Question 6: Was the person dangerous?

"No."

Damn it. There went Tim’s theory it was going to be a cryptid or urban legend. Bernard would definitely use a game like this to segway into more of his conspiracy theories. And that answer also meant it wasn't going to be any of the common Gotham villains, either.

Question 7: Was this person a hero?

“I think so, personally." Bernard threw his arms behind his head as he lounged against the cushions, a picture of ease. Tim smirked at his blatant confidence, feeling even more excited to take him down.

Question 8: Did that person wear a cape?

"No."

Oh, okay then, not a vigilante. So…maybe a public servant? Commissioner Gordon was pretty famous and he was definitely heroic.

Question 9: Did the person wear a badge?

"No."

Question 10: Did the person wear a uniform?

"No."

Tim propped his chin on his wrist, turning his gaze to the side as he reconfigured his mental schematics. They were already halfway through the game but he felt even more in the dark than when they started. He tried not to sink into serious mode, reminding himself he wasn't in work-mode and this wasn't a case with someone’s life on the line. It was just a game with his goofy friend.

Still, if he wanted to win, he might have to start getting his questioning back on track. He'd already humored Bernard enough.

Question 11: Was the person female?

Bernard shrugged. "Maybe."

Tim wanted to jump over the coffee table and strangle him. "Wha- that is not how this works! You have to give me an actual answer."

"Au contraire, mon ami. If you'd ever played one of those digital versions of this game, you'd know that they always include a ‘Maybe’ option. Don't get mad at me if you jumped into this while uninformed.”

Tim growled, ready to call this whole thing off if Bernard was just going to be an ass about it. This game was his idea.

Bernard grinned his way, radiating smug energy. "Hey, you don’t have to play the game. But you would have to concede that you didn't win it, either. Sherlock Holmes wouldn't have given up that fast, I bet."

They kept going.

Question 12: Was the person old?

"No."

Question 13: Was the person still alive?

"Yes."

Question 14: Was Bernard acquainted with that person?

"Very well," Bernard said, his smile slipping into something a bit softer than before. Until he caught himself and turned his face to the side. "Uh, I mean, yes."

Tim wasn't deflected, staring at his friend who was determined to stare into the dark corner of the room. He couldn't hide the sudden redness of his ears, though.

Darla. He was talking about Darla.

With that realized, Tim felt his shoulders slump, all the tension and energy gone in a flash. God, this guy was so predictable. Even after months of just being friends with her, he still had a crush on their classmate. It was so annoying. 

No point in dragging this out any further. Tim would rather just sit in silence.

Question 15: Did the person go to their school?

"Not all the time. Uh, I mean, maybe."

Tim's brain exploded.

"Did I stump you?" the blond laughed at the obvious shock on his face.

Tim ignored his taunts, cycling all of this data over and over, scattered by both this strange answer that just didn’t fit with his previous conclusion and the weird rush of relief that battled for his attention. He shoved both of them away and focused. If he was turning into a try-hard again, sue him.

So, objectively, Bernard was cheating. Not just his bullshit "maybe's" but also all these additional sentences he was "accidentally" slipping in. No, that was intentional, made to confuse Tim with unnecessary information. Could he even be outright lying? Nah, Bernard liked to win too and getting caught with deliberate falsehoods would make him a bad sport. He wasn't lying, just keeping it all vague for the sake of his punchline.

Tim was running out of questions now, but he still had to throw out one more test. A dangerous gamble.

Question 16: Did this person have dark hair?

"Yes."

A straight answer, said with full confidence, that cut his list of potential suspects in half.

Data Currently Collected: a person whose hair was publicly known (cut out a portion of the vigilantes in Gotham) and was dark colored, heroic, famous, no cape, young, possibly goes to their school. That "not always" comment might still keep Darla in the game, since she sometimes missed classes for "family things". Other possibles would be students known to cut classes which wasn't an insignificant number. Even Tim would sometimes…

His eyes widened, train of thought grinding to a halt even as his analytical mind kept spinning, weaving the data into a new theory against his wishes.

Skipped classes, dark-haired young, famous…

Did his name still circulate through envious mouths, months after the lockdown? Were there still videos online of him meeting the president? Forgotten posters with his face on it tossed aside in street gutters?

And what Bernard had looked like when he answered Question 14, that quiet but obvious happiness at just the thought of that person….

Tim swallowed, not sure why the idea of that look being for him made his hands suddenly clammy.

Question 18: Did Bernard spend a lot of time with the person?

"Yes."

Question 17: Was Bernard friends with them?

"Yes." Bernard grinned hard, no smugness in that look at all, though he quickly turned away again. Like he had to be embarrassed about his own enthusiasm.

Oh shit.

Oh shit oh shit oh shit.

"Three questions left, Drake. Better make them count."

"Are you gonna use another ‘maybe’ answer?" If he said yes, Tim would quit this game in protest and never have to think about this ever again.

Bernard turned to look at him, scanning his face. Then quietly, "No. I'll be honest."

And that terrified Tim even more.

Question 18: …Did Bernard like the person?

"Yes." The flood of red on Bernard's cheeks sent a rush of confused emotions through Tim. He couldn't tell if they were good or bad. "Two more questions, Drake."

Question 19: …

"Or do you want to just take a guess?"

A part of Tim was scared to say it out loud, the very idea of what Bernard could mean by all of this…it would be like opening Pandora's Box. Nothing would be the same anymore. Forget about winning, Tim didn't know if he could survive making the right guess. If he could even process what it would mean for him just for guessing it right.

So, like a coward, he offered, "Darla Aquista?"

And in that instant, the tension broke, leaving jagged edges between them.

Bernard looked away, his smile turned melancholy. "Wow, Drake, I guess…I guess you do know me pretty well." He pulled the paper out from behind his back, though Tim could see how his fingers trembled. Tim was shaking too, not sure if he was ready for what was written on it. If he should play being pompous about his win and tell Bernard he didn't need to show him the proof. If he could just…

"However…I guess you don't know me quite that well!"

In two quick moves, Bernard slammed the paper down on the dimly-lit coffee table and with a laugh that the Joker would envy, flipped over the back of the couch. Tim, shocked, glanced down at the paper which had been left writing up.

Dana (Pre-Dye job)

Outrage like he had never known flooded through Tim, ripping a scream from his throat that was as thunderous as a war cry. He cleared the table, lamp, and coach back in one summersault, then ran after his absolute asshole of a classmate.

"You piece of shit! You freaking lying garbage heap!"

"There were no lies involved. Only slanted truths!"

"That is not how this game works!"

"Excuses of the outwitted!"

Some days later, Jack would be cleaning around the house and find a piece of paper slipped between the cushions of his couch. He would ask his wife about it, but she wouldn't have an explanation for why their son's name was written on it.

----

Bernard is a troll who had no intention to play this game fairly from the start. If Tim thought he would and let his guard down, that was on him!

Why yes, I am a fan of Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. How could you tell?

[positively-peachy-143]

pb & jally / panini hcs

Dallas loves tussling Ponyboy’s hair, not quite playing with it, but messing with it enough to get a little glare from Pony.

Dallas randomly stops by the school to pick Johnny and Pony up and get them to ditch with him, usually to DQ’s or some diner. 

It pisses Darry off.

Pony will sometimes sketch Dallas and Johnny cuddling after they’ve fallen asleep. 

The gang doesn’t know, as per Dallas’ request, but if it were just Pony and Johnny they would have come out to the gang by now.

They don’t mind keeping it secret, having this special little thing between them that no one else gets to see.

Johnny wears Dally’s st christopher, but always hides it under his shirt. 

Dallas always makes up a story about ‘some broad’ when anyone asks him why his necklace is missing, but he ends up lowkey describing either Johnny or Ponyboy each time (for example “nah she’s got this big doe eyes, like a sad puppy’ or ‘she loves reading. Crazy, man.’)

Dallas HATES reading, and doesn’t understand why his boyfriends love it, but he actually secretly likes when either of them read to him. 

Dallas will lift books for them. One time Two-Bit caught him and now teases him for it. 

They each have a little heart on one of their shoes with the other two’s initials on it. Poyboy wrote each of them, since he has the best handwriting. 

Ponyboy gets to wear Dallas’ ring, but similar to Johnny, he wears it on a chain around his neck and hides it under his shirt. 

They sometimes go to the lot together, all three of them, and at first Pony was afraid he’d be irritated by Dallas breaking the silence every two seconds, but he actually doesn’t mind it. Sure it’s not the same as him and Johnny sitting there together quietly, but he actually kind of likes it this way. 

Dallas doesn’t understand why his boyfriends like the quiet so much, but he tries to respect it. He can’t help it though if he wants to crack a few jokes or mess with Pony’s hair or give Johnny a light shove every now and then. He’s pretty restless, but they haven’t reprimanded him or anything for being obnoxious yet. 

Not only did Dallas reluctantly agree to join them and watch sunsets, but he actually secretly started liking them

One time Dallas caught himself watching a sunset alone and got really sad bc neither of his partners were there to see it. He thought the sunset was wasted on him bc his boyfriends would’ve liked it more than he does. 

Dallas still drives and lives recklessly, but he’s a bit more careful now. He’ll catch a glimpse of the heart on his shoe or his ringless finger and remember he has something to live for now. Two somethings. 

Pony and Dally hang out one-on-one the least out of the three of them. Sometimes Johnny tries to get them to bond, and they do, but they like it a lot better with him there too. 

Pony and Dally really only bond one-on-one when talking about Johnny and having a cigarette.

Pony grows to actually like how unconventionally attractive Dallas is. He’s unique to draw. 

Pony writes down all (if any) stories Dallas shares about his time in New York. Usually all he gets is small remarks and basically table-scraps worth of stories, but he’s always trying to urge more information. He thinks it’s fascinating. Like they’ll be talking about something and Dallas will go “oh yeah I remember military camp” and Johnny and Pony will just stare like 0-0

Dallas still flirts in public with girls, but never gets further than that usually. There have been a few times however, where he’s been unfaithful to Pony and Johnny, as to be expected. He’s slept with other people, kissed other people, etc. 

Johnny is more upset about it than he lets on, and if Pony weren’t there, he would have just accepted it and moved on.

Pony was the one to push the “are we exclusive?” conversation, which led to Dallas getting frustrated and storming out

He wasn’t really mad at them, more mad at himself for not realizing that they wanted to be exclusive. 

They broke up for a while, but eventually Johnny managed to pull them back together.

Johnny’s kind of the mediator in the relationship. He’s their glue. 

Every time Dally fucks up or Pony gets frustrated, he’s there seeing both sides.

Sometimes he feels trapped in the middle

In the end though, they always come back together. Dallas never apologizes, as that wouldn’t be true to him to do, but he does try to change for the better, for them. Pony still sometimes thinks Dallas is scary, maybe a bit too real, but it’s in a different way now. Dallas is scary, but Pony is safe with him, Dallas would never intentionally hurt him. And Johnny loves both of them uniquely. They’re both so different but he loves them so much. Pony’s gentler, more thoughtful side, as well as Dallas’ rugged, rebellious side.

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY ZEVRAN ARAINAI

ASSORTED DIALOGUE FROM DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

we are... ridiculously awesome.

ahh, i grew up in a place such as this.

you need to worry about what happens before that.

now would be the time to consider it.

i do not think we are alone here.

that’s just a myth, yes?

now i regret that extra pie at lunch.

what is this? some ridiculous ploy to get me to lay down my guard?

how did i get here?

it seems they left one alive.

a trap, perhaps?

you sure that’s a road to follow?

well that’s just typical, isn’t it?

anyone up for a little bit of naked cliffdiving?

almost too perfect.

just once i’d like to walk into one of these places and discover a lively dance, or a drinking festival. or an orgy. but alas, no.

ahh, an untouched treasure!

what wonders await us here?

we’re not planning on... actually fighting it are we?

couldn’t we just... sneak around it?

i have faith in my friends well enough.

let us put our heads together.

nice vase, i should get one for my house.

that smell... we’re definitely approaching some kind of lair.

i see where this is going. downhill. and quickly too.

what a remarkable amount of lava.

it seems darker this way.

we have to be getting close.

that is a sexy sword, and i must have it.

you know, you never feel so alive as when you’re breaking and entering.

these guards will know we have no business here.

you are more cunning and ruthless than we suspected.

carry on. do not let me get in the way.

why do you say that?

what manner of monster do you think i am?

perhaps you ought to think about asking for a little forgiveness yourself, hm?

is there some reason why they should not?

why not, indeed? it’s a mystery for the ages.

still with the stern glances?

you are cruel to subject me to such torture.

what have you heard?

but those stories you heard? all true.

you’ve decided to take the plunge, have you?

the massage is quite pleasurable, do not worry.

you are in good hands.

technically speaking, i still am.

are you thinking of having someone murdered?

what makes you think i intend to go anywhere?

i think i should stay where i am.

off with you, then.

perhaps you have people you need killed?

you may ask, but i may choose not to answer.

you are... feeling all right, yes? perhaps you are tired?

it has brought us... closer together.

i assure you that i am not smirking. no smirking here, no.

sounds intriguing, if you ask me.

but it could be true, yes?

has no one told you?

one day you will realize that you have wasted your youth and beauty on bitterness and suspicion, mark my words.

has anyone told you what marvelous eyes you possess?

we all have our reasons for doing what we do.

i am content to wait and see for myself.

i admire you.

are you dispensing professional advice now?

if you want to bed me, you only have to ask.

you are only slightly more attractive to me than a slime-filled pool of swamp water.

i’m just cheered by the thought that you might have picked up a book at some point.

the stench is worse than your feet.

i think i have a joke for you.

you just decided that, did you?

from you, that’s practically a proposal of marriage.

oh? does that make you jealous?

why, thank you ever so much.

i’m sorry... are you speaking to me?

i know. i am terrible and it makes me sad.

may i rest my head in your bosom? i wish to cry.

you say that like it’s a bad thing.

it drives me mad with desire.

so let’s pretend that i do, indeed, believe that murder is wrong.

i... am so confused.

you are so very cruel.

there is no reason to deny yourself the pleasure of male companionship after all, yes?

i couldn’t help hearing about your... predicament.

i mean no offense.

i simply offer my services should you ever feel the need for... release.

adventure has changed you.

you really have no idea, do you?

[thesynthesist]

Foiled: How Do We React to Fate? Sophie vs Howl

So I just got around to reading the book Howl's Moving Castle, which I've meant to do for quite a while now and I have thoughts! This will have nothing to do with the movie so here's your warning to get off now if that's what you're looking for.

So our protagonist is Sophie, an Eldest Child, who worst than generally being the eldest, is also the eldest in a land that runs on fairy tale rules, where the eldest is often a failure in a quest, especially when you have two younger same gender siblings, as Sophie does.

One of the first things we learn about Sophie is that she has resigned herself to this and her life of labour and unimportance. We also learn that Sophie is kind and empathetic almost to the point of her own detriment - it appears part of the reason she has resigned herself to this fate is on behalf of her sisters whom she genuinely cares for. She doesn't begin to show any bitterness about her position until she is essentially the family hat shop's sole overworked employee who is not receiving a salary.

Once she confronts her step mother about this and truly doesn't receive an answer is one of the first times we see Sophie really experience a lasting negative emotion directed at another person but this doesn't really come to anything besides Sophie getting a bit rude with customers who are rude first. Sophie does not think of leaving the shop, in fact we don't even get any clear indication that she intends to bring the wage conversation back up with her step mother any time soon. In fact, when Sophie runs into her step mother again later in the book, she reacts with her usual empathy rather than feeling upset that being left alone in the shop was ultimately what got her cursed in the first place.

It's only once the Witch of the Wastes curses her that Sophie decides she's had all about the resignation she can manage and sets out of her own. While her change in form is both reflective of how Sophie sees herself - a person without a life before it's even begun - it also gives her an excuse within how she believes fate to work to go off. After all, once you've been cursed by a witch to be elderly when you've maybe lived the better part of two decades, how much more failing can you really do? Even as Sophie sets off to 'find her fortune' as she puts it, she's in part only doing so because now she believes fate will allow it. She has stepped out of the eldest sister role at the start of the story and into a completely different role entirely. This may also be why Howl remarks he decided Sophie 'liked being disguised'. If Sophie returns to her youth, to herself, even if that may have physical benefits and add 60 years back onto her life, in her mind she returns to being trapped by fate, destined to be lonely and overlooked. Even when she's doing magic and actively improving the lives around her, she internally laments how her efforts are not enough and doomed to failure because of her position as first born.

Then there's Howl.

Howl is immediately painted as someone on the run from everything. He doesn't like to answer questions directly and will ignore them or change the subject, he's only in love with women until they love him back and then he no longer cares. He reacts to responsibility and day to day concerns such as cleaning, with an air of flippancy and seems to put his appearance above all else.

In fact, he wants to be seen as so unreliable that he has rumours spread about himself so people will think he's evil and not bother coming around. Howl himself admits that he doesn't like to be pinned down and we find out later that he is both physically and metaphorically on the run from a curse.

Even as he treats his apprentice well and goes out of his way for Sophie, and returns to visit his family on a regular basis, he persistently puts on an air of irresponsibility. His sister despairs that he'll never clean up his act when he shows up at her house in a rugby jacket, but we see moments before that Howl magically changes the clothes that they're wearing. He could have presented himself to his sister with as much flair and vanity as he does in the world Sophie is from but he makes the consistent choice to show up to his sister's house as a bit of a shlub.

Despite appearing to be polar opposites Howl and Sophie have one very important thing in common, they have both accepted fate as a force that moves the world that they will be subject to. And even with the character growth they both experience, which appears to be largely switching perspectives on fate and responsibility with Howl stepping up to take responsibility for things that need doing even if that leaves him fated to ruination, while Sophie rages against the unfairness of it all and seeks a way out, even if it isn't for herself.

This shared view drastically shapes both Sophie and Howl's characters and how they interact with the world around them, even though this belief is not grounded in reality. The book presents Sophie's sisters and to some extent Howl's apprentice as examples of how this world despite its magic is not so much beholden to fate as it is to other people's expectations.

Sophie's sisters, instead of accepting their lots which Sophie feels are appropriate for their birth order and likely fated roles because of it, simply switch places and get along quite famously. To top it off, instead of the youngest falling in love with or even seeking to marry royalty she falls in love quite happily with Howl's orphaned apprentice, while the middle sister handily side steps her 'fate' of falling desperately in love with the disreputable wizard Howl.

Even with these examples right in front of them, Sophie and Howl cannot shake their internalized perceptions of what they should be.

Sophie, while visiting her sister's witchcraft tutor, is asked if she's where her sister gets magic from as it runs in families. Despite being told almost directly to her face that she has magical powers, it's not until chapters later after being told again that she accepts it, and even longer for her to fully claim it and begin actively working with the power she possesses.

Whereas Howl refuses to pay attention long enough to his curse or the Witch of the Waste to really do anything about it. He knew Sophie had magical powers and knew that his own were quite formidable, and his gallivanting about - in part to keep up the appearances that he was a good for nothing self indulgent irresponsible man - and in part to actually be self indulgent most likely worsened how bad the fight was as it gave the Witch of the Waste more time to prepare and gave the curse enough time catch up with him.

Yet this paradigm is also what allows Sophie and Howl help each other. While they might not understand why the other reacts like they do, on some level they recognize what they're reacting to is the same. While Sophie doesn't understand her magic enough to suggest anything direct, she does take the curse seriously because the way the story goes it will be a problem that needs dealing with. She might not be able to do magic but she can deal with problems head on, that's what being the eldest and responsible is about. Howl might not be able to understand why Sophie wants to look like an old woman but he understands why disguises are important and is willing to give her a place where she can escape the fate that she thinks is following her.

So while Howl and Sophie are incapable of seeing themselves and what they are truly capable of clearly, they are perhaps the only two people in the narrative who are capable of fully seeing each other.

[cameronsactivities]

an f. scott fitzgerald companion

i found this book at a thrift shop and here are some of our beloved scotty's worst moments

"In their correspondence, Fitzgerald saved every letter Ginerva wrote him. He later had them typed up and bound with ribbon. Not a single one of Scott's letters to her survived. She threw all of them away."

From Ernest Hemingway's memoir:

"I had watched him drink two good solid whiskies and nothing happened"

"I had never heard, then, of a grown man missing a train; but on this trip I was to learn many new things."

"While I had been angry I had demoted him from Scott to Fitzgerald."

fitzgerald tries to mansplain pneumonia to hemingway

"Scott then asked me if I were afraid to die and I said more at sometimes than at others."

the entire saga of fitzgerald convincing himself he has pneumonia and hemingway being not quite sure how to react, which goes as follows: "You haven't any temperature. How the hell are you going to have congestion of the lungs without a temperature?" [Hemingway] "Don't swear at me," Scott said. "How do you know I haven't a temperature?" "Your pulse is normal and you haven't any fever to the touch." "To the touch," Scott said bitterly. "If you're a real friend, get me a thermometer." "I'm in pajamas."

More:

An entire section called "That Sad Young Man"

"he spent his whole freshman year at Princeton writing the Triangle Show, which left him no time for algebra, trigonometry, coordinate geometry, and hygiene."

"'F. Scott Fitzgerald,' I said. 'I thought he was dead.'"

he's 5'6 (this might have been exaggerated though)

[at the 20th century fox office] "Fitzgerald made himself comfortable by taking off his shoes"

closing remarks:

i think fitzgerald gets a bad rep for generally being an asshole, which is true, but i also feel really bad for this guy. after the 1920s and his success with this side of paradise and the great gatsby, the media started saying he was "wasting his talent" and basically calling him a one hit wonder. a lot of this was because of the great depression starting in 1929 which made his books unrelatable, like people started saying that the great gatsby was promoting that kind of excessive lifestyle. he fell out of favor with the public for the rest of his life, hence the "i thought he was dead" quote. people just forgot about him. this obviously caused a lot of financial struggle for the fitzgeralds and he later got really paranoid and perfectionist about his writing.

there's this part in the book that stands out to me, where he goes to a play adaptation of one of his short stories and absolutely nobody is there at the theater, which literally has benches instead of actual seats. this man continually got slandered by the media and faced this type of rejection from the public but still worked on his last novel (the last tycoon) up until the literal date of his death. and he was still hopeful that the novel would be his saving grace and planned to write more novels. even after his heart attack he continued to write despite bedridden. idk i just think that's respectable.

i know he was a jerk in MANY other ways but i will have to mention that he genuinely was trying to be better for zelda and his daughter, scottie. he lived frugally because he was paying for zelda's treatment/care and for scottie's boarding school. he was still in a lot of debt but he wasn't just perpetually wasted. speaking of which, he didn't drink for like the last year of his life and tried multiple times in his life to quit alcohol.

anyway this by no means excuses any of the other things he's done, but i think dying thinking that all your entire life was lived in vain is pretty bad. i still laugh at him because it's funny though.

[brainyxbat]

Chapter 3: The Heroes' Reunion! His Name is Fire Fist Ace!

(episode 94/95)

In Nanohana, the crew came across a salesman with an interesting, yet suspicious offer. "A solid-gold apple?!" Chopper gaped.

"1,000 years of life?!" Usopp gawked. "For real?! For real?! You found it in some ancient ruins?!"

"Yep, sure did!" The salesman claimed. "It's a legendary artifact of an ancient civilization!"

"One bite, and we can live 1,000 years?!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Yep! It's the truth! I give you my word!"

"Awesome!" Chopper and Usopp gushed together.

"I see you have very sharp eyes! In that case, I'll part with it for the one-time price of 1,000 berries!" He winked.

"1,000 berries?! You got yourself a deal!"

Nami punched them both to the ground. "Honestly, now! What're you thinking?!"

Venus had a closer look, and raised an eyebrow. "Smells weird." The salesman started to panic.

"Yeah, I wouldn't take him seriously if I were you." Zoro pulled a curtain back, revealing another man painting an ordinary apple gold.

"Hey! Let go!" Usopp fussed, as Nami dragged him and Chopper away. "I was about to live 1,000 years for only 1,000 berries!"

"Quit wasting time, and look for Luffy!" She ordered. "We're done shopping, so we leave for the next town the minute we find him!"

"Where did Luffy run off to, anyway?" Zoro wondered aloud.

"Shut up, you two!"

"Wait, Nami!" Venus ahead of him to catch up to the navigator. "I haven't found a spell book on sand yet!"

"Wait for the movie!" She retorted angrily.

"Monkey D. Luffy?" Everyone's attention turned to a woman addressing their captain.

She was talking to a tall, black-haired young man with a purple Jolly Roger tattoo on his back bearing a white beard, and wore an orange hat. "He might be here in town. I've been looking for him for a while now."

"Hmm. Never seen him. Oh, but if you're looking for someone, ask at the restaurant up ahead," She suggested, "The owner there knows a lot of people."

"Much appreciated," He bowed respectfully, "The restaurant, huh? I was just feeling hungry, anyways."

The crew watched, as he made his leave. "Who's that?" Chopper asked. "He looks incredibly strong."

"Why's he looking for Luffy?" Usopp wondered aloud.

"Maybe he's a bounty hunter?" Nami guessed.

"No, he's not," Zoro replied, and kept his eyes on him. Specifically, his tattoo. "That mark..." Everyone turned to him. "As a former pirate-hunter, there's no way I wouldn't recognize it." Before he could clarify, Venus noticed him tense up, and step back. "No... it couldn't be!"

"Zoro?" She turned to him in concern.

He watched a certain spectacled, short-haired woman reprimanding a sword salesman. "It is her!"

Tashigi, from Loguetown.

-

"I didn't realize you were Roronoa Zoro, and a pirate. You... you lied to me! A rogue like you can't be allowed to own a renowned sword! I'll collect your sword, the legendary Wado Ichimonji!"

-

"What is that woman doing here?!" When she turned in his direction, he panicked, and ducked behind a giant vase.

"Are you okay, Zoro?" Venus asked.

"What're you doing?" Nami approached him with Usopp and Chopper.

"Why're you hiding?" Usopp added.

Zoro didn't answer, as he kept watching her. That woman spells nothing, but trouble! Dammit!

Venus' eye widened, and leaped down behind the swordsman, when an all too familiar face approached the Marine. "Hey, Tashigi."

Smoker stood behind her, lugging unconscious pirates on his shoulders. "Captain Smoker!"

He threw the large men to the ground. "Small fry pirates. They thought they could act like big-shots around me, so I took care of 'em."

"Even in such a distant land, your distaste for pirates is unfaltering!" She remarked.

"If you have time for pointless chit-chat, have the royal army take 'em!" He ordered.

She quickly straightened up. "Y-yes, sir!"

"There doesn't seem to be any word yet of Straw Hat Luffy having come to this country." The crew listened in from behind the pot. "But don't let your guard down. They will show up; I'm sure of it."

They ducked back into hiding. "Smoker? That's the Marine captain from Loguetown!" Nami whispered.

Usopp put his hand over his mouth. "Are you saying he followed us all the way here from Loguetown?!"

"It would seem so," Zoro grimaced, "And then there's that man. Things could get ugly quick. Where is that idiot?!"

-

Back at their former meeting spot, Vivi was waiting with Sanji and Karoo. "Where could Luffy-san have gone?"

"Geez!" Sanji griped. "He's always such a high-maintenance captain!" He perked up at the crew approaching. "Oh! Nami-san, Venus-chan!"

"Hey, now! This is bad! It feels like we'll be in big trouble if we don't get moving quick!" Usopp said.

"Big trouble?" Sanji asked.

"The Marines are here," Nami clarified.

"The Marines?!" Vivi exclaimed.

"And a strange man!" Chopper added.

"Let's just find Luffy as quickly as possible, and leave town!" Nami ordered.

Zoro turned to his right, and his eyes widened. "Hey! Hide!"

They were confused, but did so nonetheless. "What for?!"

"What is it?!"

"Get back here!" They heard the familiar shouts.

"The Marines!"

"There seems to be a big commotion!" Usopp remarked.

"Don't let him escape! After him!"

"Some idiot pirate must be running around town or something," Sanji assumed nonchalantly.

"Idiot pirate?!" Everyone exclaimed simultaneously.

"Get back here, Straw Hat!"

They all turned, and saw a familiar face run past. "It's you?!"

Luffy stopped upon spotting the crew, and smiled happily. "Heya! Zoro!" He saw them peeking around the rubble, and made a beeline, to their dismay. "Oh! Is that where you guys are?!"

"You idiot! Go get rid of them first!"

"There's the Straw Hat crew! Over there!"

"Eep!" Venus squeaked.

"So, what should we do now?!" Usopp asked nervously.

"We have to run, obviously!" Nami retorted.

"Hurry! To the ship!" Vivi added, as they gathered everything they needed.

"What're you doing?!" Luffy ran past them. "Let's get back!"

"Hey, you!" They followed after him.

"Stop!" The Marines ordered.

"Don't let them escape!"

"Fall back!"

"Captain!"

Venus panicked, and hid amongst the crew when Smoker joined the chase. "Straw Hat is mine!"

"Yikes! Yikes! Here he comes!"

"White Blow!"

"Uh oh!" Luffy ran faster when a smoke-riding fist was heading right for him.

"There's no escape!"

"Heat Haze!" A fiery blaze stopped Smoker's attack, surprising the crew into stopping, Luffy gaping in shock.

"You, huh?" Smoker glared.

"Give it up." The man grinned confidently, as fire billowed from his body. "You may be smoke, but I'm fire. A fight between your power and mine would never end."

"He had Devil Fruit powers?!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Who is he, anyways?!" Usopp wondered aloud. "Why is he helping us?!"

"Ace?!" Luffy gawked.

He turned back to him with a smirk. "You haven't changed a bit, Luffy."

"Ace?! Is that you, Ace?! You ate a Devil Fruit?!"

"Yep! The Flare-Flare Fruit!

"Captain Smoker! We're securing the perimeter!"

Ace stood between the crew, and the Marines. "Anyways, we can't chat like this! I'll catch up! You guys run! I'll hold these guys off! Go!"

"Let's go!" Luffy immediately complied.

"Yeah!" Usopp followed with the rest.

"But, Luffy!" Nami exclaimed.

"Who is that guy?!" Sanji asked.

A small smile grew on Venus' face after she glanced back at Ace. "He's kinda cute."

"Not the time for that!" Nami raged.

"I don't get it," Smoker glared, "Why are you helping Straw Hat?"

Ace smirked pridefully. "It's natural for a big brother to worry about his bungling kid brother."

"What? Brother? You mean to say-?" Ace defiantly ignited some more fire. "Move, Portgas D. Ace!"

He didn't move. "I'm afraid that's a no-can-do." The Marines stepped back when his whole body burst into flames.

"Wait, Luffy! Who is he?!" Nami asked. "Is he an acquaintance of yours?!"

"Yeah!" Luffy beamed brightly through his sprint. "He's my brother!" The crew would only gape silently in shock, as they ran behind him.

"Brother?!"

Ace summoned an entire wall of fire before them, blocking their path. "Fire Fist Ace," An undercover officer remarked.

"To think you're Straw Hat's brother," Smoker remarked, and prepared a counterattack. "White... Spark!" That sent the billowing flames spinning in the air, creating a fire/smoke twister.

The crew looked back at hearing the concerned citizens, and saw the twister. "What in the world is happening?" Chopper asked.

"It's a fight between flame and smoke?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"He did say he ate the Flare-Flare Fruit," Sanji recalled.

"But Luffy!" Nami said to the captain. "Is it true that guy's your brother?!"

"Yeah! His name's Ace!"

"You having a brother isn't that surprising, but what's he doing in the Grand Line?!" Zoro asked, lugging a barrel.

"Ace is a pirate! He left the island three years before me to find the One Piece!"

Everyone stared in surprise, before remembering what they were doing. "A-anyways, let's hurry back to the ship!" Nami ordered. "Let's escape before anyone comes after us!"

"Yes, Nami-san!" Sanji agreed, and the sprint commenced.

Luffy was running backwards, as he kept watching. The twister turned into a ball of smoke, spitting out large embers. "Still, I never thought I'd see Ace in a place like this!"

"The path splits into two!" Usopp pointed out.

"Usopp, left!" Nami commanded. "Hear me, guys?!"

"Yes, Nami-san!" Sanji complied, as Luffy slipped off to the left. "I'll follow you wherever you go!"

"Enough, pervy cook!" Zoro exclaimed with annoyance.

"Cool!" Luffy kept watching, oblivious to being alone again. "The fireball's gone even higher!"

Meanwhile, the rest made it to the Merry. "Hurry, and load the stuff!" Vivi urged. "We're leaving right away."

"Hurry!" Usopp ordered. "Set the sails!"

As everyone scattered, Chopper turned to Vivi, now small again, as they both lugged small sacks. "S-say, are we leaving again just after we finally reached the island?"

"Yes. We only stopped by this town to get what we're going to need. Now we're going to head up the river into the interior of Alabasta. Our next destination is Erumalu, the City of Green."

"Erumalu?"

"Hurry!" Zoro pulled the anchor up.

"Pick up the pace!" Sanji pulled the sail down.

"All set!" Usopp readied the rudder.

"Okay! Let's set sail!" Nami announced.

"Uh, guys?" Venus spoke up, stopping everyone. "Are we missing someone?"

"Yeah," Nami confirmed, "We're missing approximately one person."

"That moron!" Zoro complained.

"I-is it really okay to set sail without Luffy?" Chopper asked in concern.

"The Marines will be all over the harbors," Nami replied, "We need to hide the ship first."

"There should be a cave ahead that's hidden from view!" Vivi said.

"So we'll wait for things to cool down, then look for Luffy," Sanji decided.

"Yeesh!" Usopp griped. "He's always, always causing trouble like this!"

Zoro groaned in irritation. "He's a real reliable captain."

Venus sat cross-legged on the prow, her cheeks blushing just a bit, as she rested one on her knuckles. "I hope Ace will be with him when we find him; he's dreamy."

Usopp rested his biceps on the deck railing, sulking after hearing her. His feelings of jealousy were pushed away by a familiar hand grabbing the side rail. "I'm back!" Luffy launched himself on deck, knocking Sanji and Chopper down.

"Sanji-san! Tony-kun!" Vivi exclaimed.

"Oh, come on!" Usopp stared in surprise.

"Not again," Zoro facepalmed.

"You guys okay?" Venus looked back from the prow.

Luffy laughed, as he sat up. "Sorry 'bout that, Sanji, Chopper!"

An angry Sanji shot up, and had him by the front of his vest. "Do you not know how to learn your lesson?! I oughta gut you whole!"

"Yeah!" Nami agreed. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?! Try to act somewhat like a captain!"

He looked up at her, his smile gone. "Sorry."

Venus slid down to the deck eagerly. "Hey, is Ace with you?"

"Oh, that's right! Ace!" He looked over the side he came from.

"Ace?"

"I guess he's not," Venus frowned in disappointment.

"Your brother was with you?" Zoro asked.

Usopp approached them with concern. "Is it okay to just leave him there?"

"I guess he'll be okay!" Luffy beamed. "Ace is strong!"

"He's strong?" Chopper asked in awe.

"Yeah! He hadn't eaten the Flare-Flare Fruit a long time ago, but I still never beat him in a single fight! He's real strong, Ace is!"

"Amazing!" A starry-eyed Venus swooned.

"There's a flesh-and-blood person you could never beat?!" Nami exclaimed.

"I guess the big brother of a monster is an even bigger monster," Usopp remarked.

"That's right! I lost all the time!" Luffy laughed. "But I'd win now if I tried!"

"I assume that's another groundless claim," Zoro snarked.

Behind him, a certain someone shot up. "Who..." Ace landed on the railing. "Can win what now?!"

The crew was quiet for a moment in surprise. "Oh! Ace!" Luffy beamed. "This is the crew I was talking about!"

"Oh! Thank you all for taking care of my little brother!"

"Eh? Oh, not at all," They bowed.

"He might be a bit much for you to handle too, but..."

"No, not at all."

"Take god care of 'im."

"It's our pleasure!" Venus almost floated over, her hands clasped together.

"Enough!" Nami yanked her away.

"You probably have lots of catching up to do," Sanji guessed, "Why don't you come in? I'll make some tea."

"No, uhh, that's okay," Ace kindly turned him down, "Don't do it on account of me." Grinning widely, he pointed his finger to Sanji.

On cue, he flinched in surprise when his cigarette lit up out of nowhere. "T-talk about unexpected," Usopp commented.

"That's for sure," Zoro agreed.

"I would've expected him to be as reckless as Luffy," Usopp continued.

"No, this sensible man can't possibly be Luffy's brother!" Nami added.

"He's a nice guy who cares about his brother!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Brothers can be so wonderful!" Chopper cried.

"He's so handsome," Venus gushed.

"The sea is just full of surprises," Sanji remarked.

"Come now, everyone!" Vivi intervened.

"See!" Luffy beamed. "Aren't these guys neat?!"

The fun moment was interrupted by a horde of ships approaching them, all bearing a certain Jolly Roger with wings and swords. "Baroque Works!" Vivi exclaimed. "Those are the Billions' ships!"

"Fire Fist Ace, and Straw Hat Luffy!" One of the agents shouted. "Don't think you can get away!"

"We'll show you what Baroque Works' Billions are made of!"

"Those guys again?" Luffy asked calmly.

"Luffy," Ace caught his attention, "I'll clean them up."

"Eh?"

At that, he jumped down on a small boat tied to the Merry, and sailed off. "What's he going to do?" Nami wondered aloud.

"Especially in that little boat," Usopp added.

Zoro watched with crossed arms. "Let's see how skilled this Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates really is!"

"Here he comes! Fire Fist Ace!"

"Just try to get past five of our ships, if you can!"

With a smirk, he leaped straight up off his boat. "He jumped!" Nami exclaimed.

He flipped through the air effortlessly, arms straight out like a bird. "F-fire!"

"Shoot him into the ocean!"

Ace flew over one of the ships, and landed back on his boat after it reemerged. "Fire Fist!" He launched a giant fireball, annihilating every one of the ships, and tipped his hat up with a smirk.

"Whoa!" The crew looked on in awe, Luffy smiling brightly.

"Woohoo!" Everyone cheered.

"Ace is one of us now!" Usopp exclaimed, hiding his jealousy.

"Cheers!" He, Luffy, and Chopper clinked their mugs together.

"Who said I was joining you?"

Ignoring his rejection, the three downed their beverages. "Here's to delicious drinks!" Usopp changed the reason.

"Cheers!"

"Don't worry about it!" Nami happily assured him. "They're always looking for an excuse to drink to!"

"Medicine is horrible!" Everyone laughed, before Luffy turned to his brother.

"Ace! Are you sure you won't join us?"

"I'm chasing a certain man." Ace downed his own drink. "His name's Blackbeard."

"Blackbeard?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"He's the pirate who attacked the Drum Kingdom!" Vivi recalled.

"He used to be a member of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of my men. But he committed the worst possible sin on a pirate ship: he killed a crewmember, and jumped ship. So, as the commander, I gotta find and get rid of him."

"So that's why you're chasing after him?" Usopp asked.

"I came here, because I caught word that Blackbeard was seen in Yuba."

"Then your destination is the same as ours!" Nami realized, Vivi and showed him a map of Alabasta, pointing to Nanohana.

"We've just entered the Sandora River." Her finger moved to their upcoming destination. "First, we'll land at Erumalu, then head into the interior of Alabasta to reach Yuba here!" She pointed to an X by Yuba. "The leader of the rebel army is in Yuba."

"I see. So you're headed to Yuba next."

"I'll follow Nami-san, Venus-chan, and Vivi-chan wherever they go!" Sanji swooned.

"Get lost, Love Cook," Zoro grumbled.

"Say what, you-?!"

"A-anyways!" Nami cut in, before a fight could start. "It looks like we can travel together for a short while!"

"Yay!" Venus cheered.

"Yeah, yeah!" Usopp agreed. "His brother is more than welcome here!"

Luffy laughed happily, and held his mug out. "Let's have a fun time, Ace!"

"Yeah!" Everyone tapped their mugs together in celebration.

[sautiyahoja25]

Just stole this from another page. Absolute wisdom... 1. Have a firm handshake.

2. Look people in the eye.

3. Sing in the shower.

4. Own a great stereo system.

5. If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

6. Keep secrets.

7. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.

8. Always accept an outstretched hand.

9. Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

10. Whistle.

11. Avoid sarcastic remarks.

12. Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.

13. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

14. Lend only those books you never care to see again.

15. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

16. When playing games with children, let them win.

17. Give people a second chance, but not a third.

18. Be romantic.

19. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

20. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

21. Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for our convenience, not the caller’s.

22. Be a good loser.

23. Be a good winner.

24. Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.

25. When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

26. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

27. Keep it simple.

28. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

29. Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

30. Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets

31. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.

32. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

33. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.

34. Take charge of your attitude. Don’t let someone else choose it for you.

35. Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

36. Begin each day with some of your favourite music.

37. Once in a while, take the scenic route.

38. Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, ‘Someone who thinks you’re terrific.’

39. Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

40. Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

41. Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.

42. Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

43. Make someone’s day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.

44. Become someone’s hero.

45. Marry only for love.

46. Count your blessings.

47. Compliment the meal when you’re a guest in someone’s home.

48. Wave at the children on a school bus.

49. Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.

50. Don’t expect life to be fair

[jesquotes]

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Sing in the shower.

Own a great stereo system.

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

Keep secrets.

Never give up in anybody. Miracles happen everyday.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

Whistle.

Avoid sarcastic remarks.

Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 percent of all your happiness or misery.

Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

Lend only those books you never care to see again.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

When playing games with children, let them win.

Give people a second chance, but not a third

Be romantic.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as it first seems.

Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for our convenience, not the caller’s.

Be a good loser.

Be a good winner.

Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.

When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

Keep it simple.

Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets.

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.

Take charge of your attitude. Don’t let someone else choose it for you.

Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

Begin each day with some of your favourite music.

Once in a while, take the scenic route.

Send a lot of valentine cards. Sign them. ‘Someone who thinks you’re terrific.’

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.

Send your loved ones flowers. This if a reason later.

Make someone’s day by paying the toll/coffee for the person in the car behind you.

Become someone’s hero.

Marry only for love.

Count your blessings.

Compliment the meal when you’re a guest in someone’s home.

Wave at the children on a school bus.

Remember 80 percent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.

Don’t expect life to be fair

[hibiscustease]

BOLD THE FACTS TAG. tagged by @morrigan-sims

The rules are simple! Tag people and name a character you want to know more about! If you want to let the person you tagged decide who to showcase, then don’t name a character and they can pick somebody. Easy! The person who is tagged will then bold the remarks below which apply to their character &, if they want to, include a picture with their reply!

morri suggested i do this for solanine, so that's what i'm gonna do!

[ PERSONAL ]

$ FINANCIAL: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty

she's in between poverty and poor, given that she essentially lived on the streets for most of her "childhood" (by elven standards at least) until she started consistently playing her violin at taverns.

✚ MEDICAL: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / not applicable

✪ CLASS OR CASTE: upper / middle / working / unsure / other

she was born nobility, and then ended up on the streets (we'll get into it later in this post!)

✔ EDUCATION: qualified / unqualified / studying / other

she was given a decent education until ending up on the streets, and now her street smarts outweigh her book smarts.

✖ CRIMINAL RECORD: yes, major crimes / yes, minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

she tends to be able to talk her way out of consequences, but very rarely is she caught in the first place.

[ FAMILY ]

◒ CHILDREN: has a child or children / has no children / wants children

◑ RELATIONSHIP W/ FAMILY: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased

she probably has siblings, (i'd imagine an older brother and sister) but she wouldn't consider them family...

◔ FAMILIAL AFFILIATION: orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent / not applicable

this is what i meant when i'd explain how she ended up on the streets. her family disowned her after one too many petty crimes and pranks.

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ]

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between

she may be confident enough to perform, (she is a bard, after all) but she hates the subsequent attention, and usually needs to recharge afterwards.

♦ disorganized / organized / in between

she's more on the disorganized end, but this is partly my fault on a player's end. (her inventory is a mess in-game) still, she'll organize her belongings in her downtime.

♦ close-minded / open-minded / in between

she's stubborn, but not entirely stuck in the ways she was taught by her family. mainly out of spite because they disowned her.

♦ calm / anxious / in between

she tends not to worry about things, almost to the point of apathy, but it's because she had to harden her resolve for survival's sake when she was younger.

♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between

she's stubborn! it takes a lot of convincing to get her to agree to something she doesn't want to do.

♦ cautious / reckless / in between

she has to be cautious when she grew up in a situation where people weren't afraid to take advantage of her. (is this about being nobility or a street rat? i'll never tell...)

♦ patient / impatient / in between

she doesn't have time to waste when there's a parasite in her head.

♦ outspoken / reserved / in between

she has opinions, but her introverted nature keeps her from voicing them. she'll get into a debate about her opinions if someone asks, though.

♦ leader / follower / in between

she's the one keeping her companions in check and deciding where to go, after all.

♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in between

she's wary of getting to know people, but if they manage to get through to her, she's very reliable.

♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between

♦ traditional / modern / in between

♦ hard-working / lazy / in between

♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown

♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown

will stick to her word, unless something outside her control prevents her from following through.

♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown

[ BELIEFS ]

★ FAITH: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic / spiritual / it's complicated

☆ BELIEF IN GHOSTS OR SPIRITS: yes / no / don't know / don't care

✮ BELIEF IN AFTERLIFE: yes / no / don't know / don't care

✯ BELIEF IN REINCARNATION: yes / no / don't know / don't care

❃ BELIEF IN ALIENS: yes / no / don't know / don't care

...mind flayers. enough said.

✧ RELIGIOUS: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious

❀ PHILOSOPHICAL: yes / no / in between

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ]

❤ SEXUALITY: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual

she's biromantic and demisexual.

❥ SEX: sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless

♥ ROMANCE: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious

❣ SEXUALLY: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / in between

⚧ POTENTIAL SEXUAL PARTNERS: male / female / agender / other / none / all

⚧ POTENTIAL ROMANTIC PARTNERS: male / female / agender / other / none / all

[ ABILITIES ]

☠ COMBAT SKILLS: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

she's perfectly capable of defending herself, but prefers to stick to the sidelines as support.

≡ LITERACY SKILLS: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✍ ARTISTIC SKILLS: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✂ TECHNICAL SKILLS: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

[ HABITS ]

☕ DRINKING ALCOHOL: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / alcoholic

☁ SMOKING: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker

✿ RECREATIONAL DRUGS: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict

✌ MEDICINAL DRUGS: never / no longer needs medication /some medication needed / frequently / to excess

do healing potions count? because that would change the answer.

☻ UNHEALTHY FOOD: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater

$ SPLURGE SPENDING: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic

whenever she has the money and a valid reason.

♣ GAMBLING: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

she used to gamble on occasion while living on the streets, but she doesn't anymore.

and that's it! i wrote this all in one sitting, so don't mind any potential formatting errors. feel free to send me asks if you want to know more about solanine! and consider yourself tagged if you've read this far and you want to do it!

[hitheredreamer]

A year later

1. Have a firm handshake. - doing it 2. Look people in the eye. - doing it 3. Sing in the shower. - failed 4. Own a great stereo system. - done 5. If in a fight, hit first and hit hard. - not doing it 6. Keep secrets. - doing it 7. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday. - trying to do 8. Always accept an outstretched hand. - trying to, but people fail me in their help, I'm better off doing it myself 9. Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference. - doing it 10. Whistle. - sometimes 11. Avoid sarcastic remarks. - doing it 12. Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90% of all your happiness and misery. - have not done it 13. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out. - did it once, only one opportunity so far 14. Lend only those books you never care to see again. - not doing it 15. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have. - doing it 16. When playing games with children, let them win. - doing it 17. Give people a second chance, but not a third. - no one came back for a second chance 18. Be romantic. - haven't found someone to be romantic with 19. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. - failed 20. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems. - trying to 21. Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for our convenience, not the caller’s. - doing it 22. Be a good loser. - doing it 23. Be a good winner. - I think I am doing it 24. Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret. - doing it, I carry too many secrets 25. When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go. - not doing it 26. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born. - trying to 27. Keep it simple. - trying to 28. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose. - trying to 29. Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river. - trying to 30. Live your life so that your epitaph could read: No regrets. - doing it 31. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did. - doing it and the amount of fails... but no regrets! 32. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them. - not doing it 33. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you. - doing it 34. Take charge of your attitude. Don’t let someone else choose it for you. - doing it, but it is hard 35. Visit friends and relatives when they are in the hospital; you only need to stay a few minutes. - doing it 36. Begin each day with some of your favourite music. - doing it 37. Once in a while, take the scenic route. - doing it 38. Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, ‘Someone who thinks you’re terrific.’ - not doing it, forgot about that one. 39. Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice. - I think I am doing it. 40. Keep a notepad and pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m. - not doing it. 41. Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job. - doing it 42. Send you loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later. - not doing it 43. Make someone’s day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you. - never had chance 44. Become someone’s hero. - trying to 45. Marry only for love. - well see 12. 46. Count your blessings. - trying to 47. Compliment the meal when you’re a guest in someone’s home. - not doing it 48. Wave at the children on a school bus. - not doing it 49. Remember that 80% of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people. - and it is hard. 50. Don’t expect life to be fair. - I hate that one

[rphelperblog]

Assorted YA Fantasy Books  Quote Meme

inspired by @ofvalyriansteel​ because their blog is amazing- feel free to edit quotes or change pronouns for rp purposes

“The king is dead. Long live the queen.”

I’ve sometimes come to believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast…” 

“Home isn’t where you’re from, it’s where you find light when all grows dark.”

“None of us are saints. We can all do better.” 

“Understand your limitations so you can overcome them.”

“Threats are the last resort of a man with no vocabulary.”

“We are all someone’s monster.” 

“If you want me obedient, prince, kill me and carry my corpse.” 

“Keep in mind that many people have died for their beliefs; it’s actually quite common. The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.” 

“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?” 

“Words can lie. See beyond them.” 

“The sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet.”

“There is no shame in not knowing something. The shame is in not being willing to learn.”

“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”

“Some things you can never leave behind. They don’t belong to the past. They belong to you.” 

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

“Life is a book and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read.”

“That’s the trouble with loving a wild thing: You’re always left watching the door.” 

“The worst kind of lie – the kind shrouded in good intentions. The kind cowards use to justify their weakness.”

“Perhaps it’s impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.” 

“Broken people don’t hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten.” 

“No kindness is ever wasted, nor can we ever tell how much good may come of it.”

“Hesitation is the death of advantage.”

“What an unchallenging life it would be if we always got things right on the first go.” 

“Those who know what it’s like in the dark will do anything to stay in the light.” 

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”

“Maybe it’s better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs.”

“It must be so easy to judge the decisions of someone else when you sit back and do nothing.” 

“After a lifetime of darkness, I want to leave something behind that is made of light.”

“It’s pointless to believe what you see, if you only see what you believe.”

“I always believed a man is what he does, not what others say.” 

“The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.” 

“Everyone makes choices in life. Some bad, some good. It’s called living, and if you want to bow out, then go right ahead. But don’t do it halfway. Don’t linger in whiner’s limbo.”

“The truth doesn’t always make a good story, does it?”

“Skies save me from the men in my life and all the things they think they know.”

“Libraries were full of ideas – perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.” 

“We need to face what we are. All of what we are, especially the parts that hurt.” 

"I know that the whole point—the only point—is to find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go."

"Why would you be given wings if you weren't meant to fly?"

“The main thing to do is pay attention. Pay close attention to everything, notice what no one else notices. Then you’ll know what no one else knows, and that’s always useful.” 

“Maybe it’s better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs.”

“People who live in glass houses should shut the f―k up.” 

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”

“Love, as most know, follows its own timeline. Disregarding our intentions or well rehearsed plans.”

“Maybe part of falling in love with someone else is also falling in love with yourself.” 

"Books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life."

“You meet a man, you know him. You meet a woman, she knows you.”

“True love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”

"Goodbye, I say, goodbye, as I disappear little by little into the middle of the middle of my own spectacular now."

"There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it."

Hope? Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic."

"We feel cold, but we don't mind it, because we will not come to harm. And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldn't feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the aurora, or best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It's worth being cold for that."

“Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.” 

"But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way...Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield."

"What if evil doesn't really exist? What if evil is something dreamed up by man, and there is nothing to struggle against except our own limitations? The constant battle between our will, our desires, and our choices?"

“Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It’s something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.”

[evertidings]

orbit [short story]

— a short story of K on their birthday, set in between books one and two

as you may or may not know, i’m on a hiatus right now but i wasn’t going to pass up my favourite warlock’s birthday! i don’t really know what else to say here except that i adore them and, as grumpy as they may be, they deserve all the love in the world. getting in K’s head really reminds me of all their complexities that they refuse to share publicly, so maybe this story will help you discover something you didn’t know about K before.

if anyone has any K related asks today feel free to send them in! i don’t know how many i’ll get to because again, hiatus, but i’ll try my best. their birthday story is under the cut <3

According to science, someone’s birthday means they’ve survived another orbit around the sun. K has watched people blow out candles, gift each other presents and sing songs for the occasion, celebrating this so-called miracle.

If K wasn’t immortal, would they be those people? They’ll never know.

Their birthday used to be something of remark. They used to joke among friends and say that they were eighty but hardly looked a day over twenty-two. Everyone would laugh and repeat it, switching the ages out for their own. Immortality has always been bittersweet to them, but surrounded by other warlocks, they tried to spin it into something lighthearted. It was either that or wallow in the idea that humanity would crumble and K would still be left standing.

Alone.

When they were in love, that was something they had to work on not thinking about. One of their past lovers could see it on their face every time the thought crossed their mind and scolded them for it. K would respond with a small smile, but the both of them knew they couldn’t help it.

He was human and K was not. One day, he was going to leave them. And when he did, things only got worse.

That was the second time K lost their lover to death. They couldn’t bear the pain anymore, so as they grieved, they closed themself off to the world. For years, no one could reach them. They were nothing and nobody. Just a speck of life in a harsh world.

They’ve been pulled out of that phase periodically, but nothing has quite dragged them out like Rylan has.

Literally.

Because at god knows what time in the morning today, K woke up to Rylan screaming “Happy birthday!” in their face. They don’t know how the half-vampire found out but they didn’t bother asking, slapping a pillow in their face in response.

Rylan, of course, was undeterred. “Hey, that’s no way to treat your best friend. You should be thanking me. I have a whole day of events planned.”

“Waste that on someone who cares,” K grumbled.

Rylan flopped onto K’s bed. “Aw, don’t be like that. You can’t stay in bed all day, you know? Come on, I promise it’ll be fun.”

Though there was a promise, K knew it was going to be anything but. Still, Rylan wasn’t leaving so K waved them out, grudgingly getting out of bed to begin what they knew would be a terrible day. It’s enough to distantly remember how old they’ve turned, but to have it in their face the entire day is something else.

They weren’t looking forward to it.

When they walked into the living room, they were expecting a giant banner with some joke about them being over one hundred, but there was nothing of the sort. No cake, no balloons or streamers—nothing but Rylan sitting patiently on the couch.

“Ready to go?” they asked. There wasn’t even a mention of a birthday outfit. Strange.

But K didn’t complain and simply nodded, following Rylan as they began their day. They’d never spent longer than a couple of hours with the half-vampire, so they were curious as to what they were going to do.

As it turns out: a lot.

Rylan dragged K to what felt like every single spot in the city. It felt like they didn’t know what do to with someone who was over a century and as picky as K was, so they went the safe route.

They stopped at the local museum so K could browse through the newest exhibit, the beach so K could stand and watch the waves crash, and even Central Park, which K has partially despised because of the crowds but could apparently handle it today.

Throughout it all, K caught Rylan texting on their phone, but they never questioned who they were talking to. Maybe they should have, because now, as they ride the elevator back up to their penthouse, Rylan is trying too hard not to be suspicious.

“Don’t tell me you did what I think you did,” K deadpans.

“Depends on what you think I did,” Rylan counters. They lean against the elevator walls, staring at their friend with a mischievous twinkle in their eye. “Take a guess.”

“If it’s a surprise party, I’m changing all of my locks.”

“What do you count as a party?”

K shoots Rylan a glare. “Random people at my place waiting with a cake.”

They exit the elevator and stride down the hallway. Rylan, momentarily surprised by the sudden change of tone, races behind them.

“Okay, wait, it’s not what you think it is.”

“Then?”

“Well—”

K doesn’t need keys to get inside. With a wave of their hand, all the wards they use to protect their penthouse unbind and their door swings open. They’re not surprised to see a group of hunters standing in front of them.

For a moment, everyone stares at each other.

How is it that one expedition to find someone’s boss lead to K being unable to shake a group of misfits off of them? No matter how hard they try, these five people follow them around. It was better when they were lonely. It was. It was it was it was because at least then, K could keep their walls up and protect their heart from further harm.

They can’t do that now.

“We got you cupcakes,” N says, breaking the silence. K’s gaze darts to them. The first hunter of the group they were able to tolerate—and befriend, if you want to take it a step further.

“Cupcakes,” K repeats. Not a cake but cupcakes. It’s almost laughable.

“They’re all different flavours,” A offers.

Rylan steps up beside them. “I know you don’t like surprises, but this is okay, right? I didn’t invite anyone else—it’s only us. I just thought you might not want to celebrate your birthday alone, but if you want to kick us out, we can go.”

It’s one of those rare occasions where Rylan loses their cockiness in replace of something more… shy. It’s how K knows their opinion is actually valued here; they’re not being asked for the sake of it.

K opens their mouth to respond when their eyes fall on you. They’d been avoiding you ever since they opened the door, but the slight shift in your position brings their gaze to you—involuntarily.

K is good at hiding emotions, but something about them at that moment must break because suddenly, they find themself struggling to do something they’ve been doing for decades. How long has it been since they felt the wash of nerves fall over their body? Since their heartbeat has sped up a beat? Since they felt something akin to longing?

Eons.

And it was supposed to stay like that.

K looks away. “Stay,” they answer Rylan. “I can’t eat all those cupcakes alone.”

The relief that floods the room is immeasurable. K steps inside, closing the door behind them as Rylan runs to join A, Blane and N. They jump and loop an arm around the first two, letting go as the third laughs to pull them along.

You, on the other hand, linger nearby. K pretends not to see you as they sort their things, taking off their coat and placing down their bag. When they’re done, they need to steel themself to walk past you.

“Happy birthday,” you say when they’re close enough.

K stiffens. Being over a century old, they’ve heard the words too many times. At this point, they’re a symbol of their resentment. How happy is a birthday when birthdays have no meaning?

They’re not, that’s the answer.

But rather than the usual bitter feeling they get from hearing the words, K feels something else. A sense of peace resting on their heart, maybe.  

“Thank you,” K replies. Whether it was on purpose or not, some part of them means it.

[fanmoose12]

Levi doesn't know what is killing him more - the excruciating pain in his leg, the constant boredom or sympathy mixed with adoration he keeps seeing in the eyes of people around him.

Adoration, and, to some degree, even sympathy is much better that unabashed hatred and disgust, and Levi should be thankful to Onyakopon for finding him a hospital that doesn't treat him like an abomination.

Nonetheless, Levi would rather left alone, far away from curious patients, kind doctors and caring nurses.

All this sudden attention, all this impersonal concern... It's a good thing, Levi thinks. He wants to like it.

But he doesn't.

Truth be told, he hates it.

He wants to go back to the way things were before. He wants to go back to the infirmary in Survey Corps. There, the doctors weren't at all nice. They grumbled and scolded every soldier, complaining that they were wasting their lives for nothing. Levi used to hate them all. But now he wants to go back, there, to Survey Corps, to his comrades- to everything he's lost.

***

There is a nurse, who visits him every morning. She opens the windows, letting in sunlight and warm wind. She brings medicine - bitter and viscous, and she tries to sweeten it with her smile.

It doesn't work, though, not quite. Her smile just isn't sweet enough.

She redresses his wounded leg, a sad mist going over her eyes as she looks at the mess of bones, lacerated skin and muscles.

Levi doesn't ask what she sees there. He doesn't ask if he'll be able to walk again or not. In the very beginning, when he was just transferred here, he used to ask about it every morning.

"You'll be up and running in no time," doctors and nurses assured him in unison.

They don't do that anymore. And that, Levi assumes, is an answer in of itself.

After her morning checkup, the nurse returns at noon, bringing him his lunch and another shot of medicine.

If he has no visitors, she spends the afternoon with him, reading a book or fruitlessly attempting to spark up a conversation.

She asks about their struggle against Eren, Battle of Earth and Heaven as they call it now, but there is nothing Levi can say about it, except that it was a pointless massacre, started by a foolish boy.

He doesn't wish to talk about it, doesn't want to even think about it. The others have forgiven him, Levi knows they did, but he can't forget so easily. There is an ugly, dark feeling inside him, a spanless anger that will never go away.

Too many had died, too many lives were lost because of Eren. Men, women, children, Levi can't even think about it, still can't quite imagine what a monster the little boy with bright eyes became.

And now that little boy had taken lives, too many of them. All of them break Levi's heart, but there is one of them that hurts the most, that makes it hard to wake up because sometimes he just can't seem to find a reason to.

When he refuses to talk about the mess that was the Battle of Earth and Heaven, when he ignores the question about the war between Marley and Paradise, the nurse asks him about his dreams.

And the question is so sudden, spoken so out of blue that it takes Levi a while to get his thoughts into order.

Dreams... He's not sure he's ever had one that was solely his own. He's more used to following someone else's dreams - he shared the dream to get out of the Underground with Farlan and Isabel, he wanted to eliminate all titans and see the world behind the walls alongside his comrades from Survey Corps, he longed to start a life Hange had described to him.

But now all of them are gone, and he's all alone. There is no one he can share a dream with.

But I'm still here, Levi reminds himself. He's still here, still alive. And if he can't follow someone else's dream, maybe, it's time to get a dream of his own.

"I'm thinking about starting a tea shop..." he whispers.

"Well, that's a start," the nurse smiles, and Levi slowly relaxes.

***

"She's lovely," Onyakopon remarks during one of his visits.

The nurse has just left the room, after feeding Levi his medicine and putting a fresh bouquet of flowers on his bedside table.

Levi shrugs in answer to Onyakopon's words. The nurse is lovely - long blond hair, pretty green eyes. She is full of life, she looks so young, but then again... Maybe, she's not as young as he thinks she is. Maybe, it's him who feels much older than he looks.

"You know," Onyakopon smiles, looking at the flowers the nurse brought. "If you ever wish to..."

"I don't," Levi cuts him off, his tone harsh.

He knows what Onyakopon wants to say. Sees in his eyes the same way he hears it in Gabi and Falco's awkward hints.

But he doesn't want to meet someone new, doesn't want to start a new life. He wants his own life back, the one that was promised to him but denied. The one he dreamt about whenever things became too frantic.

Just get through this, he used to tell himself, get through this and this is it, you'll have your chance, you'll get a shot at having a normal, happy life.

And now he got through this. However, Hange didn't.

***

The time goes and soon, much sooner than Levi expected, the doctors tell him that he's ready to be discharged.

Levi doesn't know how to feel about this. He used to hate hospitals with passion and ached to get out as fast as possible. Hospitals meant being out of loop, meant boredom and pitying looks from everyone around him.

However now... He's not nearly as eager to leave as he was before. He already feels lost inside his small, one-bed ward. What is going to happen when he has to move forward? How is he going to find his place in a world he doesn't even know?

He's done all of it before, though, two times already. He left the Underground and discovered a world with bright sun, faraway stars and harsh storms alongside Farlan and Isabel. He found the ocean and learnt about the rest of the world with his team and his Hange.

But they're not here anymore. Farlan's soft voice and Isabel's delighted laugh don't ring in his ears. He doesn't have Erwin's calm, determined presence to show him the path forward. Hange's gentle, caloused hand doesn't hold his anymore.

It's not the first time he has to navigate through a strange, unknown world. But it's the first time he does it all by himself.

***

It's his last evening in the hospital, and the nurse is sitting beside him, the book in her hands long forgotten as she carefully studies his profile.

"So," she quietly begins, hands on her knees. "We talked about war and dreams... And what about love?"

Love is dead, Levi wants to say, but is it really?

He looks at the window behind nurse's shoulder, his eyes tracing the faint light emitting from the stars. Even here, in the city, they're bright. Just like her eyes.

And if he strains his hearing a bit, he can hear laughter ringing through the night. It reminds him of her too.

These days, almost everything reminds him of Hange.

It's natural, of course. She saved the world and, before that, she saved him. She left her traces all over, even on him. Every time he looks in the mirror or touches his face, he is reminded of that quiet night, of her gentle touch and her soothing, albeit frantic words.

Hange isn't dead, people like her don't really die, they just leave this world for a while.

And his love... it might have died, but it's not dead. It will always live inside of him, in the depth of his heart that he had devoted to her.

"Love..." he starts, still staring up at the sky. "It hurts. It breaks your heart, it leaves you hollow and empty. And yet... those small moments you share, that short-lived bliss... It's worth all the pain."

"And your love?" the nurse asks, her eyes shining. "Were they worth it?"

"She was," Levi says, but quickly corrects himself. His love might have died, but she's not dead. She just left. Levi can't leave now, he has a little tea shop he has to open and he wants to do at least something, whatever he still can, to make sure that the world she gave them won't disappoint her. But when his time will run out, he will leave too, and then they will meet again, he's sure. "She is still worth it," he murmurs and smiles for the first time since Hange left.

[forabeatofadrum]

Thank you @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @bazzybelle and @takitalks for the tags.

And happy pride!! 🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈

Have some Time After Time/“damn Baz, you live like this?” I really like playing with death and Visits in this fic, but I also like toying around with immortality and what it does to people. 

I’ve talked to a lot of vampires here. They all said that at one point, you start to forget things. Immortality does impact the memory. Some people have started transcribing entire conversations in thick books in order to remember things.

Well then, I suppose that somewhere in the many years, my memory has started fading. Luckily I know that I will not forget the most important things, like my family.

And Simon. It comforts me to know I’ll never forget Simon.

But stuff I was taught in school? Yeah, that makes sense. Apart from Simon, Dev, Niall, Bunce and Wellbelove, I don’t think I can remember my other classmates pretty well. I mean, I think Bunce had a dryad as a roommate, but that’s it. (Right? That, and she was a lesbian.) (I’m pretty certain about the lesbianism, not about the dryad part.)

Some notes/thoughts on this part + tags under cut.

Of course Baz remembers the lesbianism. But yeah, this part is inspired by the Doctor Who episode The Woman Who Lived. The Doctor made someone named Ashildr immortal, thinking it was a kindness, but no, it only leads to dispair, pain and forgetfulness. Ashildr has even forgotten her identity, so she just calls herself Me to avoid forgetting another name. Ashildr/Me lives alone, because every mortal will die, including her beloveds. She once tried having a normal life, but her kids died in the plague and she decided to never tether herself to another person.

As a result, in The Woman Who Lived, Ashildr/Me has become a bitter and lonely person who’s stopped caring about humanity, since humanity has nothing to offer. The Doctor remarks that by saving her life, he made her heart disappear. Like “I saved your life! I didn’t know that your heart would rust because it kept beating.” bRO. “You didn’t save my life, Doctor, you trapped me in it.” BROOOOO.

And Ashildr/Me has an entire library of diaries, since her own memory cannot keep up with her immortal life, so she sometimes reads them, but they are nothing more than stories to her, since the actual events aren’t remembered. In a later episode, Clara (the regular companion character) sees Ashildr/Me and Ashildr/Me goes to introduce herself. Clara is confused, because they’ve met before and they had a huge ass alien adventure, but Ashildr/Me doesn’t remember any of it, but she reassures Clara that she probably liked Clara’s company, because she’s read their conversations in her diary often.

Look, I admit, all of this has nothing to do with Time After Time/“damn Baz, you live like this?”, so sorry for maybe wasting your time. I just love talking about Doccy Whomst and this episode did inspire the snippet posted above. Yet I won’t go that deep into immortality, since my fic ends after idk 200 years or so (it is still to be decided), so I don’t think Baz’s memory will be as affected as Ashildr’s/Me’s. I just think it’s a great concept to explore. Someone should write that.

And if someone does, then it will be added on my ever-growing to read list.

Tagging @quizasvivamos @blurglesmurfklaine @coffeegleek @esperantoauthor @dragoneggo @otherworldsivelivedin @bookish-bogwitch @caramelcoffeeaddict @thnxforknowingme @sillyunicorn @wellbelesbian @excalisbury @captain-aralias​ @tea-brigade @cutestkilla @artsyunderstudy @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @martsonmars @urban-sith @facewithoutheart​