#probe yuri

[negative1humans]

Europa Clipper/JUICE yuri

What if we were exploring the moons of Jupiter 😳 and we were both probes?🛰️

[whirligig-girl]

Star Patrol rocket Piccard-5 encounters an artifact of the incredibly powerful White Marble Civilization. circa 2169, colorized & shipgirlified.

Commission for @foxgirlchorix, based on a render by Holly for @torchship-rpg

This is some of my best rendering work ever! These commissions do have a knack for putting me out of my comfort zone enough to continue developing my technical skills and style.

Image ID: Digital art of two ship girls in a black and blue nebula background. One girl is a very large solid white marble statue with a naked feminine form, pitted and cratered with meteoric impacts, drifting belly-down though space. Instead of a face, her head has a large hole which glows yellow-orange, with a white marble sphere held in space outside of it. A green tractor beam is being emitted towards the second girl, a Torchship named Piccard-5. She is a silver girl with her body resembling a star patrol jumpsuit. Warp drive rings circle her waist like a hula hoop. She is wearing a spherical ball helmet. She is wearing white rocket boots. She has glowing red-orange radiator panels as wings on her back. The white marble sphere's tractor beam is slowly disassembling her into individual hull sections, disconnecting her radiator wings, removing her boots to reveal the rocket propellant inside her legs, and taking her body apart. Piccard-5 is reacting with a worried or confused expression. End Image ID.

Artist's notes and concept sketches in the read more:

When this render was posted Levana immediately had the idea to make it one of a series she was planning on commissioning me for, of shipgirls based on Torchship's Star Patrol (and alien) rockets. So we quickly brainstormed how it would go down and what she could afford price-wise.

When I do big commissions with new characters where I'm creating the design without an existing OC reference, I charge extra for character design. That doesn't just go to waste! Here's the concept art page:

The White Marble shipgirl is inspired by the Eerie and Enigmatic Empty Vessels by @murmurlilies, which Levana really likes--if you look at her blog you might see one of those posts reblogged multiple times. I wanted to pay homage to the eerie and enigmatic empty vessels without directly ripping them off! The first sketch on the upper left is imagining the girl poses by breaking her arms into segments and moving them around, but that never looked quite right to me. The second is basically just a direct study of the empty vessels (with a ball head). The third is after a little more refinement--I liked the cute hair on the empty vessels so I wanted to keep the head mostly intact, and I found a way of keeping the silhouette of the jagged angular hips on the empty vessels but in a very different way! Meteoric impact damage, just like on the original Torchship render. I also used an edited version of one of the Empty Vessels drawings for the thumbnail sketch in the lower right out of laziness.

There's also a sketch of what Piccard-5 looks like when she's not being disassembled. Piccard-5 has a rounded main hull, so it looks much more like a regular space suit helmet than the frustum-shaped helmet on the Newton-2 shipgirl I sketched a while back. The Newton-2 shipgirl had heat radiators as wing shapes on her boots, but making them actual wings on her back makes the disassembly image all the more unsettling.

I changed the hairstyle on the white marble girl when I drew the main drawing because I wanted to evoke like, greco-roman marble statues, and so a curlier/braided look worked better than the cute pixie cut of the empty vessels. I'm really happy with how the final product looks. I knew I wasn't gonna be able to half-ass it with the rendering, you know, just a little shading along the edge; this required a lot of careful thought and it was a lot of fun to do! Especially where the craters interact with the terminator (line between light and dark), just like on the Moon, which I have a lot of experience sketching (see below--the following sketches were made while looking through telescopes at the Moon at night)

Here's a WIP of just the line-art:

and with the basic shading done on the marblegirl

I started with like, a cel-shaded look (?), and then went in and softened the edges, then went over it again to fix the craters. I also added the marble texture to the unshaded base layer.

For the Piccard-5 girl, I spent a lot of time trying to get the pose right. I wanted it to be a little stiff, she's in a suspension beam after all, but not too stiff? And I had to decide like, what pieces should be detached, and where should they be going. In the render, hull pieces are often displaced towards the side, but when doing that to a humanoid, it ruined the pose too much, so i avoided doing too much weird stuff to the torso and kept the disassembled pieces largely to one axis. The cross sections are hollow because they're ship decks. She's a spaceship, not a robot girl. The warp ring was suspiciously untouched by the dissassembly beam in the original render, but i had the marble girl pull a few pieces off of it in my drawing.

Probably the one thing that isn't based on something happening in the render is the belt. Like, rockets don't have belts, cosmonauts do! So that was a fun little touch.

[peridot-tears]

I got it in my head that Jin has always wanted to be a dad, but once the war starts and he starts becoming the Ghost, that road seems to shut on him. Who wants to live as the wife of a marked man, and what could he pass to the heir of a disbanded bloodline?

But I can't see him being single for the rest of his life, and I don't just mean casual sleeping around. He would be one of those people who somehow get locked down, and once he's quietly married he'll sit there wondering, "When did this happen?"

I do see him as bisexual, especially given that samurai were allowed to have relationships with other men (it's a specific age gap type of relationship, but from what I've read, that doesn't mean the door was shut on adult samurai having relationships with each other either), but when it came to actual marriage, it was expected that they end up with women because of how people expected gender roles to work when it came to starting a family.

So...I think one of two things could happen:

He has a child with Yuna. I absolutely do not ship this by a million miles (no hate to the ship, I just very strictly see them as bros), but she's the only woman he can get close to without dragging her into danger by association with him. It's very much a case of "my best friend and I made a pact that if we're still single by forty, we'd get married."

Or he finds a woman who willingly throws herself into a life on the run, or already is, and they become inextricably involved with each other. It could even be Tomoe. He sneaks onto the mainland on a mission, to the capital of Japan itself...and, well...

I have a lot of complicated feelings about this, given that Jin was most likely raised being taught that blood is everything. But the way he was raised, his relationship with his elders, and eventually the found family he ends up with at the end of the game tell a completely different story.

[starreo]

multi-character drabble.

includes alcohol consumption, adult themes so, mdni.

he got drunk around you a lot. and when he got drunk, he got too real.

last time, he'd mentioned how much in love with you he was, and how just everything about you was way too perfect to him. his confession, obviously shocked you, and led to a thorough investigation in the morning when he sobered up, completely unaware of the previous night's events.

and after you'd gotten a sober confession out of him, you let him ask you out again. though it was all messy and stuttery, you preferred it over his drunk one.

this time, you were sitting on his couch, after a nice candle-lit date, a glass of wine in hand as you watched him pour some for himself...chuckling as you noticed him side-eyeing you, mumbling about being more careful this time.

and as usual, he got carried away. glass after glass, he kept pouring it till the bottle was empty, sentences sounding so slurred as his eyes had a hazy cover to them. "a-and, y'know...then, i-i did...smth'...uhh-y'know..." he leaned in closer to you, his cold breath hitting your neck as he whispered his little secret in your ear, "s-sometimes, i think...of you," he gulped, looking at you as if he had revealed the most scandalous secret and all you could do was giggle in response, pulling his cheeks in awe.

"mhm, what do you think of...?" you asked, fingers still stretching his cheeks. "of y-you...when, 'm touchin' myself...." and that seemed to shock you because your grip on his cheeks widened, only letting go once you heard an "ouch!..." it was probably the first time the two of you had discussed something like this...it was probably wrong to probe him about it right now, in this state. you thought, as you watched him, amuse himself with the strings of your dress.

but then again, you might not get this chance again, "and...?" you ask, cocking an eyebrow as you ask him to elaborate. his eyes looking right into your soul as he smirks, a light blush appearing on his nose as he stutters over his words, "s-so...usually, i just think of your nails leaving scratches in my back as i bury my cock inside your tight little cunt," and your eyes widen, not having enough time to wonder over how confidently he just said that, when he slams his wet, drooly lips against yours, mumbling between the kiss, about how he wants to make his dreams come true.

eren jaeger, reo mikage, gojo satoru, bakugo, yuri briar (there is sm depth to his character, and if you don't understand it then,, just don't talk about him !!)

© starreo 2023. do not copy, translate or repost .

[kookslastbutton]

enamored ༓ myg (m) | one

✑ Summary: Min Yoongi is nothing like what you imagined him to be when you saw him preform at the local cafe in town. Yet little by little he surprises you with his true self, until somehow you find yourself completely enamored with him.

pairing: new independent artist!yoongi x veterinarian!reader

genre/AU: fluff, angst, eventual smut, strangers2acquaintance2lovers, mini-series

word count: 4,643

Warnings: Nothing too heavy but oc is around 25, mention of unhealthy past relationships, yoon is a struggling artist, talk about social insecurity, cats, the rest of the fluff stuff is for you to find out haha

now playing: cold/mess

a/n: Due to me and my fellow Yoon enthusiasts missing myg, I bring us this three-part mini-series. I'm not sure how this will go but hope you enjoy! 🥰 Lowkey has me thinking of Yoongi pre-debut days.

Tonight’s the first night the local coffeehouse you and your friend, Nara, visit for weekly rant sessions is showcasing musicians of all backgrounds, statuses, and genres. And you are very much looking forward to the absolute cutie pictured in a fluffy sky-blue cardigan, a big gummy smile on, and undeniably soft, chocolate eyes.

His arms casually rest atop his guitar followed by the words ‘Agustd’ in scripted font underneath. You’ve never heard of him before but you’re convinced that he’ll play something light and uplifting given the aesthetic of his image displayed on the TV screen.

“God it’s packed like a football stadium here,” Nara interrupts your gaze on the tv from across the table. She sits with her hands folded on the wooden surface, a giant diamond sparkling on her left hand.

“You’re telling me,” you tsk. “I already came close to bumping into a middle-aged man with two lattes in his hands and a couple of college girls attempting to film a TikTok on our way in.”

It’s no exaggeration to say the cafe itself is swarming with new faces who are eager for a night of leisure while overworked baristas rush to fulfill orders. You have the innate instinct to offer them your help, though they’d likely advise it’s better for you to remain seated.

“Have you ever been to a football stadium though?” You ask more condescendingly than intended, but you find her analogy amusing since she’s never been one to pay attention to sports.

Nara rolls her eyes at your light probing. “No, but I’ve seen pictures. You know how big of a fan my Yunjun is of football. He’s gone to the United States to watch the super bowl eight times now.”

She says it proudly, but the reality is that her lovey Yunjun has not once invited her to go with him. Instead, he takes three of his closest friends and disappears to the other side of the world for two weeks. Everyone knows the super bowl only lasts one day so why the hell is he there for that long? Likely to get drunk with his buddies, that’s why.

“You know I don’t like him,” you say bluntly. “Why are you marrying him again?” Nara’s confident smile turns into a defensive scowl as she proceeds to tell you, once again, all the ways that Yunjun “completes her”.

On and on she continues for ten minutes straight until her voice slowly drowns out to the clapping and cheering of the crowd behind her. A young woman named Yuri just finished performing a few of her original songs and is thanking the audience for listening. You lightly clap along in politeness.

“Anyway, as I was saying,” Nara pipes up once the crowd falls silent again. “Yunjun is extremely thoughtful. Yesterday he messaged me to meet for lunch without me having to ask first.”

“Uh huh…” you drawl out, eyes shifting between her and the distracting movements of bodies behind her. The young woman who just performed steps off the stage while a young man steps forward to take her place.

You struggle to keep eye contact with Nara as said man lazily slumps himself on the wooden stool at the front of the room and balances his acoustic guitar on his knee. He looks like he just rolled out of bed ten minutes ago; hair tousled about, a big black sweatshirt covering half his body, and possibly the most somber facial expression on.

Is that the same guy from the promo image? Agust something?

You lean your head to the side and past Nara’s head to get a better view.

It is him but he looks so starkly different from his photo on the TV screen. His mood is much more melancholy than you imagined, like Grumpy Bear from Care Bears.

It makes you wild with curiosity.

You find yourself placing a hand under your chin, intent on listening to his every word. By now, Nara's noticed your interest in the musician so she's stopped talking and pays attention to him as well.

“Hi, I’m Agustd and I'm an independent artist,” he introduces himself in a low voice, lips pressed to the microphone. His focus is set on the audience in front of him at first but then, as if feeling your heavy stare, he flicks his eyes directly into yours. "I'm also known as Min Yoongi."

You feel your stomach flutter at the gesture which only seems to grow in intensity when he doesn't bother to remove his gaze from you.

He can't actually be looking at you, right?

"I'm starting off with a song I wrote a few years ago titled Seesaw," he continues. "I wrote it while going through, what I thought was at the time, a hopeless period of my life. Please enjoy." And with that he begins strumming on the chords of his guitar, eyes slowly closing to immerse himself in the beautiful music.

Everyone is on the edge of their seats as much as you when he leans further into the mic, lips gently parting.

"In the beginning, well, it was fun

Just going up and down itself

Before we knew, we both became sick of

meaningless waste of emotions

A repeated seesaw, seesaw game

Having come this far, I got sick of, got sick of it

A repeated seesaw, seesaw game

We’re both got tired and became sick of it..."

As Yoongi continues to preform with closed eyes and breathy voice, you take in the rawness of his lyrics. Seesaw tells about relationship that's grown draining; that the weight of staying in something so tiring should come to an end sooner rather than later.

It resonates with you deeply as you've experienced first-hand the challenges of staying in a bottomless relationship. You didn't want to acknowledge it at the time, but you put in all the effort when you and your ex were together. And though it was three years ago since your break up, the constant feeling of exhaustion and being less than haunts you every night.

The vibrations in Yoongi's voice echoing off the mic tells you he's been through similar pain. So much so that it thrums in your own chest and you realize how wrong you'd been to think he'd compose a lighthearted song.

"How crafty the heart of a person is

Though we know one will get hurt if the other is not there,

because we both don’t want to be the bad guy,

we continue to awkwardly pass the buck, umm umm

and end up becoming exhausted, ironically reaching the paralleled balance

Ay, this is not the kind of balance that I wanted..."

With every line, you notice Yoongi's delicate fingers struggling to hold down each chord. It's clear that he's thinking about whoever this song is about in this very moment. Nevertheless, he presses on with a fervent spirit until the end.

You and a handful of people are the only ones who clap when the last line of Seesaw is sung. The rest of the audience is oddly reluctant to applaud and your best guess is that they weren't expecting to hear something so profoundly reflective. The musicians before him had been far more upbeat so to speak.

"Thank you," Yoongi mutters with hesitance. He scans the mute crowd who seemingly cause the air to grow thicker by exchanging awkward glances with one another.

Without another word, Yoongi surprises everyone by standing up from his stool and walking over to the seat he was sitting in before coming on stage. He picks up a few loose papers, and his keys, and zips his guitar into its case before heading for the exit.

"Didn't he have more songs to play?" Nara turns to you with a frown on her face, puzzled at the turn of events.

"I thought so too," you reply, fingers restless as you watch him leave the cafe. "You know what...I'll be right back." You're unsure what prompts you to follow him out other than your unsettled conscience telling you that this isn't the first time he's gotten this type of response and that he deserves better.

"Excuse me, Agustd? Or Yoongi?" You're sure he can hear your voice call to him as he opens the rear door of his beater car. His head whips in your direction immediately.

"Yeah?" He answers simply yet when he sees the white of your eyes, he does a double take; stunned that the only person he cared to recognize the whole night followed him out.

Typically with small gigs like this Yoongj doesn't take much note of the crowd unless they're booing him off the stage. And even then he plays it off. But somehow, your relaxed gaze soothed him, so he remembers you—he remembers the way you made him feel.

"I just wanted to say you sounded good. Better than good actually," you correct yourself, words sputtering out a little too fast. "Seesaw is amazing and you're a genius to have written it."

Your hands get clammier as you approach him. You hope this doesn't sound dumb but something in you won't let him leave without giving him at least a shred of honest encouragement.

The corner of Yoongi's mouth barely quirks up before it quickly falls back down. He sets his guitar in the back seat of his car, then shuts the door and gives you a nod. "Thanks but you don't have to say that."

He moves to the driver's door and reaches to grip the handle but out of nowhere, you stop him by placing a hand over his wrist.

"I mean it," you assure him.

Yoongi doesn't move a muscle as he glances between your hand around his wrist and your seemingly oblivious face. For three seconds you stare at each other with intense eyes, wordless as you take in each other's micro-expressions.

Through the physical contact, you can both feel the rapid beating of each other's hearts but you're unsure if it's simply nerves from an embarrassing situation or something else entirely.

"Sorry." You finally come to your senses and retract your fingers. "I just wanted to tell you that I connected with the lyrics of your song. Not everyone does and that's okay but it really is amazing Yoongi. So don't pay attention to those rude people in there okay?"

At this, Yoongi's expressions soften and a timid smile forms on his plushy lips. He runs a hand through his messy hair, smoothing down some of the loose strands sticking up.

"I appreciate you coming out to tell me this...wait what's your name?"

"__."

"__. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed my music but don't worry, I don't take it personally when people dislike my songs. It just means it wasn't for them." He shrugs carelessly but there's a hidden sorrow laced in his tone. He holds his chin high yes, but his heart is so deep in his chest.

"Hey," you start. "If I was a music manager I'd sign you on immediately. You don't happen to have that song recorded do you? Uploaded to music platforms or anything?"

"Yeah, I just put it on Spotify actually. I also have some CDs." Yoongi pauses and wets his lips. "If you're interested," he finishes with slightly averted eyes.

"Call me old fashioned but could I get one of those?"

"What?" He taken aback by your response.

"A cd. You said you have one?"

"Uh sure, yeah just a second." He walks to the trunk of his car, opens the lid, and rummages around until he pulls forward a small cardboard box. "I don't have great packaging yet but here's one." Yoongi holds out a plain white sleeve with a disk inside. "Hope you don't mind but I signed my name on it. Thought it would make it personal or something."

You take the disk from his hand and cheese at him. "Wow, I can't believe I'm getting an autographed version right off the bat. How much?"

Yoongi shakes his head. "You can have it."

"No, really how much?" Taking this man's cd without paying him a dime does not sit well with you. Regardless, Yoongi continues to insist.

"It's on me. Maybe when I get to the point where I can have concerts you'll come." He jokes but you remain serious, digging into your pocket for your wallet. You take 26000 won out ($20) and shove it in his hand. "Hey wait!" Yoongi calls after you when you quickly start backing away from him.

"No takebacks!" You holler. "I'm sorry to leave so suddenly but my friend's waiting for me inside. It was nice meeting you Yoongi and I look forward to when you become a raging success. Until then, I'll be streaming your songs on Spotify! Treat yourself to something nice alright?"

He steps forward, mouth falling open as if to say something but nothing comes out. Your face is already turned away from him as he watches you trot back to the cafe'. He rolls the cash in his hand and stuffs it in his back pocket, hoping that maybe he'll cross paths with you again.

A week passes and you've not forgotten your interaction with Min Yoongi. You wish you hadn't run away like you did but it's true that Nara was waiting for you inside. Any longer and she would have sent a search party for you–she's on the extreme end.

Plus, you didn't want him giving the money back to you. It was a noble gesture to hand it over to you for free but it wasn't necessary. Yoongi is an independent artist who's working to establish himself in the music industry and you were more than willing to pay for good music.

You're currently sitting in your car, replaying the affair in your head for the umpteenth time while you wait for your pizza to be ready. You were told you'd get a text notification though it's taking longer than usual, given how much louder the growling of your stomach has gotten.

Finding new ways to distract yourself gets more challenging with each passing minute. You open the glove department of your car and pull out Yoongi's cd, admiring the beautiful signature marked in black ink on the disk.

Seesaw - Agustd 2018

It's crazy of you but you kind of miss him. Yoongi wasn't like anything you expected him to be, so deep and grounded while at the same time warm-hearted. He was incredibly handsome too. And when you touched his arm, eyes piercing into his, it was like you were being magnetically pulled to him.

Is that possible though? Sharing a magnetic force with practically a stranger?

Your contemplation is interrupted when the sound of your phone notification rings off. Finally, your order's ready. You toss the cd back into the glove box and head inside the pizza shop.

"Hi, welcome to Little Slice of Heaven," the young lady at the counter greets you with a cheery smile. "How can I help you?"

"I have an order for __." You open your wallet and hand over your credit card. She takes it from you speedier than you like, ringing it up then returning it to you with a paper receipt.

"I'll go grab it for you." She swiftly turns around, nearly bumping into one of her coworkers. "Shit sorry!" The person gives a small grunt in response before mumbling an 'its fine, I got it'.

"Order for __."

You stash the receipt in your pocket, then look up to take the boxes of steaming hot pizza. "Yes, thank you so m–," You freeze at once at the familiar face in the iconic navy blue Little Slice of Heaven uniform.

"Yoongi?" He seems to be just as motionless as you when you say his name. "I didn't know..."

"I just started," he answers shortly. "It's uh, good to see you again. How have you been?"

"Oh you know, still alive. Pizza helps me." You chuckle to help break the ice. Yoongi doesn't laugh but you do catch his eyes softening the smallest bit. "What about you? How have you been?"

"Good. Music's good too." He runs a hand through his hair, a habit you're beginning to pick up from him. "I–sorry I must sound like an idiot. I didn't expect to see anyone I knew here tonight."

"You don't sound like an idiot. You said you just started working here right?"

He nods.

"Yoongi!" An older man with a navy blue visor on his head calls from one of the pizza ovens in the back. "I need you to deliver this to the lovely couple sitting at table 8. Times ticking!"

Yoongi looks at the man, then at you. He knows what he needs to do except the thought of letting you leave after getting the rare chance to see you again causes him to linger in place.

"It's okay," you try to ease him, despite also feeling conflicted to leave. "You're working. I come here often so I'll see you around." You're only able to take two steps before the same voice hollers to you.

"Wait, __. What are you doing tomorrow at 6?"

"It's Saturday so, probably watching re-runs of Friends. Why?"

For the first time, Yoongi lets out a hearty laugh and you're instantly reminded of his photo from the cafe last week; the one of him in the sky-blue cardigan with his guitar. His expression exudes the same joyful aura as if his two personas suddenly merge as one.

"I love Friends," he says. "The whole Ross and Rachel thing is driving me mad though, like why won't they–"

"Yoongi the food needs to go now!" His coworker yells at him again, wiping his sweat fro his brow. "Tell your girlfriend or whoever that is that you have work to do!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Yoongi responds with rosy cheeks. "Sorry, I gotta get back to it. I know Friends is tough to compete with but do you think you'd have an hour to spare? We could–I could get a pizza for us to split. Already got your order down." He gives a lopsided grin as he jokes lightly.

"Okay." You break into a smile. "I wouldn't dream of passing up my comfort food." You sound calm but the back of your mind reels with uncertainty. Is he asking you out or is it the so-called "hang out", sometimes masked as a pre-date?

He reaches for the pad of paper on the counter next to him, scribbles something down, and tears it off to give it to you. "Here's my number. Feel free to text me if anything changes. No pressure though."

Once you take the paper from him, he disappears into the back of the kitchen before you can get another word out. Min Yoongi, you hum silently, timid yet takes initiative. Cute.

You decide it's better to see Yoongi's proposal as a hang out rather than a date. It's not like he came out and said, "do you want to go out" or anything. So at 6 pm on the dot, you agree to meet him at Little Slice of Heaven. As promised, he brings a pizza for you to share.

He's already changed out of his work clothes by the time you arrive; sporting a white t-shirt, jeans, and a thin chain necklace. The basic look works on him.

"So I didn't get to ask you yesterday," you start, turning to Yoongi who sits on the swivel stool next to you. "How do you like it here and what made you come?"

He shrugs and places a slice of pizza on his paper plate. "Pays the bills. I was working as a waiter down on main street a few months ago. I chose to leave that place due to poor management and...I lack social skills, evidently."

"Come on, you do not." You refuse to believe it. "Anytime we've talked it's been pleasant so any naysayers probably don't even know what side's up."

Yoongi snorts in amusement. "We've only had two conversations __." He says it flatly yet it doesn't keep your cheeks from feeling flushed, warmth blooming in the pit of your belly. Your name sounds different from his lips this time.

"You're right, and both times you've shown great social skills."

"I think you're stretching it a little. As I recall I was a bit more reserved with you than usual. Must have been awkward for you."

"Not in the slightest," you deny. "There's nothing awkward about being reserved. In fact, sometimes it's better and it typically means you're a better listener than most. And if you were so awful, you wouldn't be working here right? This is food service too."

"Thanks for saying that." He glances down at his hands in his lap, unsure of how much you're saying rings true, then looks back up at you. "I don't need to talk with people as much as I do a server though. It's more like I hand them their pizza and wish them a good life."

"Well, I guess you make a point there. But trust me Yoongi, you don't lack social skills. Can I ask you something though? Weirdly off-topic."

"Shoot."

"It's about your photo from the cafe last week. It showed you in a blue cardigan with a smile on your face except when you came in to play that day..."

An unexpected grin forms on his face as he finishes your sentence. "I looked like I hated my life or something right? Or like Grumpy Bear from that kiddy cartoon, Caring Bears.

"Care Bears."

"Right, Care Bears." He chuckles lightly. "The music I tend to write shows my raw feelings and experiences. A song like Seesaw, as you've heard, is no exception, but I don't think my overall theme has to be dark as well. The image you saw shows the current version of me, the one who's liberated from those past experiences."

"That's extremely meaningful, Yoongi."

"As far as why I showed up in a giant black sweatshirt, it's because I wanted to dress comfortably. I always get a little nervous performing in front of a live audience so it helps. Especially since I'm only a new artist without a label supporting me. I was also a little sleepy from mixing beats the night before too, I won't lie."

"That makes so much sense. How long have you been making music for?"

"Since a teenager. Like thirteen."

"Seriously?" You nearly fall off your chair. Yoongi is a born genius it seems.

"Yeah. I never pursued being an independent artist until now. Resources and connections were pretty grim for me. Since becoming an adult I've made some progress. Still working to get my name out there though."

"I understand." You nod along. "Being an independent artist, you must have to do a lot to gain exposure. Have you considered uploading videos of yourself playing your songs on social media?"

"I've done some and they've been good. I'm actually trying to send my songs to a few record labels but I haven't heard back from any yet. It's been a good six months so I don't know. There's still one that I'm holding out hope for. I only sent my music to them a week ago."

"That's a shame they didn't contact you. Just means they missed out on Agustd which they will, without a doubt, be regretting later. Do you have an estimate on when the newest label will reach out to you?"

"No clue. They say it takes anywhere from a week to three months. By the way," he pauses. "I have to ask. Do you really like my music? I don't mean that rudely or anything."

"Hell yeah, I like it! You're honestly insanely talented and love it actually."

"God," Yoongi fakes an eye roll. "Don't tell me you're my first groupie."

You both share a laugh that can only be described as natural.

"Enough about me." He speaks first after your laughter settles down. "What do you do? Have any crazy hobbies?"

"I'm afraid I don't have any crazy hobbies at the moment. I work as a vet downtown and I don't have much free time unless it's to binge-watch movies on the weekend. I love my job though."

"Ah," Yoongi narrows his eyes as if coming to a drastic realization. "It's all coming together."

"What is?"

"The reason why you're so kind and stable." He gathers several napkins and hands them over to you when some of the water from your glass accidentally spills on the table. "No you have a bright energy to you, but it's not hyper. It's like you really care in a hospitable way. You work with animals which requires a lot of heart. Do you have any pets at home?"

"Yeah, I actually have two cats. Both siamese. I want to get a dog but right now I wouldn't be around to take care of it well. Cats are a little more independent." You wipe up the water with the napkins and continue. "Thanks for saying all that Yoongi. I'm not sure stable is the best way to describe me."

"Well, for what it's worth you're the most stable person I've met. I think everyone needs someone like you in their life."

"I–what kind of people are you hanging around?" You feel flustered so you do the first thing that comes to mind, nudge his shoulder playfully which he laughs at. "I'm not all that. I have faults like anyone else."

"Name one." He taps the table with a finger to make a point. "Dare you."

"I don't know, I dislike vacuuming my rug."

"Oh my god." He covers his mouth to feign shock. "Scandalous. I don't think we should eat together again after that. Wow."

"Stop it, that was a dumb one. I have stuff I swear. If this were a first date I'd be a bit appalled that you're asking me to list my faults. It isn't usually the time you try to pick each other apart."

"Actually, it sort of is to an extent. You have to observe each other right? So those so-called red flags will come up sooner than later to keep you from unnecessary pain and heartache later."

You maul on his words. "Point made. Wish I knew that three years ago," you hum. Yoongi seems to agree with you from the way he quietly nods.

"Ex-boyfriend?" he asks.

"Yup, what about you? Ex-girlfriend?"

He nods again and it puts an end to any further talk about exes or past relationships.

"By the way," Yoongi folds his arms against his chest. "I have a cat too. I got him two years ago at a shelter. He's pretty much my best friend."

The excitement on your face is impossible to conceal. Min Yoongi has a cat? You need to know everything about said cat right now.

"What's his name? Is he a long hair? You give me long-haired cat dad vibes." You're hasty— so sue you, you're a vet. Animals are sort of your wheelhouse.

"His name's Kiwi and he's an overly fed Russian Blue. He's six years old." Yoongi laughs and leans towards you with mirthful eyes. "If you want, I can introduce you to him." He cocks a brow and your shoulders perk up.

"Honest? I would actually die to see your cat."

Yoongi slides off his chair and tosses the empty pizza box in the trash. "Let's go to my place then."

"What?" You crickle the napkin in your hand and toss it on your paper plate. "Now?"

"Yeah now's as good a time as ever." He takes his keys from his jeans pocket and gestures for the door. "Don't worry, I won't make you stay for long."

a/n: thanks for reading! lmk what you think 💞

Masterlist

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

[woman-respecter]

eh, I'm kind of tired of the relentless promotion of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as feminist when all those female characters exist in relation to men, and that was the message I felt it sent to me: women are great but only if they don't forget their place. Those women are just better written than most because the original mangaka is a woman, but I've read a lot of Arakawa's stuff and it feels like she's really into this kind of promotion of traditional women in a way that has its pluses in showing how fully-faceted those women are, but never seems to really question those roles in a larger sense. I get why it appeals to people but I wouldn't exactly call it "feminist."

(I also have longstanding beef of how people use that to excuse the really fucked up messages about race in that show/manga, especially to dump on the original FMA anime which does that aspect much much better and whose female characters felt a lot more genuinely independent to me, but whatever. Neither is a bastion of feminism lol and don't want to make this about fandom beef)

It's also not necessary because there are a lot of anime that are outspokenly feminist and center women. Revolutionary Girl Utena being the obvious one, and got me through the 2016 election aftermath with episodes like when Utena beats Touga after he defeats her the first time, showing how women can triumph eventually even when the odds are wholly stacked against us. And it has a really probing analysis of the patriarchy and heteronormativity woven throughout the whole show.

A whole bunch of magical girl anime (not the entire genre, some suck and are made for gross dudes, but a lot of them, especially the 90s ones are aimed at women - Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura etc). Sayo Yamamoto's stuff that isn't Yuri on Ice - not that that show isn't great and gay and cute and doesn't say interesting things in its occasional one-off subplots about women, but it's obviously focused on men. But people who liked it who want great women-centric stuff should watch her Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and Michiko and Hatchin, both centered on women and very feminist in their themes, albeit in a way that requires you to pay attention and think and watch the whole show so you occasionally get Tumblrites without reading comprehension missing the point of them. I was really surprised, given the kind of trashy title, by the anime Maria the Virgin Witch, which is all about fighting patriarchal ideas about sex in fantasy medieval Europe. Also, Yurikuma Arashi by the same creator as Utena is a really good analysis of the ways that lesbians are portrayed in Japanese media and by the broader patriarchy.

For as much misogyny as there is in anime, the stuff that does engage with feminism can often be pretty radical and smart and does it better than you'll see in a lot of other media. It's like having that low hum of misogyny in the medium as a whole builds up a rage in some of its creators that just explodes in the stuff they make. Same with how it often engages with queer themes, tbh.

And then there's just that anime has a lot more female-character-centered stuff even if it isn't "feminist" exactly. Like stuff about women where the story and world is centered on women that you can just put on as a comfort watch. Love Live or something lol

you do bring up a good point about fma, i kinda forgot about that bc i watched it like a decade ago. rgu is really great and i defo recommend it even tho it was directed by a man. yurikuma is actually my fave anime of all time but does seem sexist and fan servicey on the surface. and i love love live and the other cgdct anime but it feels like there is always an underlying misogyny of that genre, knowing how the male fans and creators are. if i were to recommend a comfort watch i would go with k-on bc it has a female director.

thanks for the recs!

[jellyfish-grave]

MY KEYBOARD SUGGESTIONS HAVE SPOKEN. ORBITAL PROBE CANON YURI

[yuri-is-online]

hotarubi/sho anon, just saw your post about vagastrom vice-captain and I believe it's Tohma? He probably transferred to Frostheim after whoever was vice-captain there left (during or after the Clash I believe?)

That's why Jin was kinda cagey around him, and most obvious was when he tells Tohma to "drop the act" and Tohma replies that he's grown used to it before talking casually for a while. Also I just got the feeling that despite being so intelligent and cunning, he gives a vibe of someone who's comfortable using brute strength as well - kinda like how Deuce from twst used to be a delinquent before he decided to change his ways and aim to be an honor student.

And then we have Tohma and Alan interacting and trying to find out the spy - I reread that chapter and his specific words (in jpn) were "It might be strange coming from me, but I hope they lighten the load for you, even a little."

To me it sounds like he feels bad about leaving Alan high and dry without his own vice-captain since there were no other ghouls in Vagastrom to replace him, but clearly he has some loyalty/promise to Jin that took precedence. Which is also why Alan's kinda sensitive in the campus event where Leo straight-up asks about the mod on the car that doesn't let him eavesdrop, Alan was quiet until Leo said he'd probe into Tohma instead, at which point Alan gets mad and tells him not to bother him. Alan probably feels like Tohma is still "one of his people" even after he left the dorm.

Also I saw a jpn artist draw Tohma in the Vagastrom uniform having a smoke and made me go damn that makes sense.

I'm very much on the same page as you about Tohma, Sho anon, I made that post as a sort of throwaway note to the larger one I made about Leo sniffing around for clues about Dante as it's a possibility I thought of, but nothing about Dante screams Vagastrom to me. He's very much closer to Frostheim or what we've seen of Clementia.

Tohma is a deeply interesting character to me. Despite having Jade's voice actor, his personal story seems to be much closer to Ruggie's; we know for a fact he was in Vagastrom "until the middle of last year" as Leo calls Alan out on that, and if there were only two ghouls in the whole dorm then by process of elimination we can say he was the Vice Captain. From what Alan says about telling Leo to back off and what Jin says about "the act" (he's wearing a monocle literally only a delinquent would think that makes him more noble looking) he seems like someone who is trying to better his place in the world through making connections. If what Alan said about people in Vagastrom having people on the outside they're trying to make things better for is true, then I wouldn't be surprised if Tohma has or had some family he wants a better life for. Alan seems to find that admirable in people which is why he doesn't want Leo poking into his business since that does not seem to be something that Satan spawn understands.

As for Dante... his name makes me think of the Divine Comedy as does his apparent brush with death. I want to save all of my thoughts about him for the information post I'm putting together, as what I think about Jin, but I'll say this much now. All of the dorm captains we see (other than Yuri) have some sort of identity crisis going on at the moment. I don't think that's a coincidence.

[firewoodfigs]

The realisation isn’t groundbreaking or earth-shattering, as she’d anticipated it would be. It comes plain and simple, an acknowledgment she accepts with ease.

She loves Loid. With every fibre of her being. And she’s never really fallen in love with anyone before, so she doesn’t have a good precedent for comparison, but she’s fairly certain she does—even if she’d stuttered at Yuri’s probing earlier. The thought haunts her all through the night: in her sleep. In her dreams. When the morning comes, it rings again with certainty: she loves Loid. And how can she not, when he’s been so unimaginably kind and accepting and selfless, even in spite of her strangeness?

In the end, it’s the small things that do her in. Like the way he smiles fondly at Anya when he thinks no one is looking; or the way he listens attentively to their every spiel. Or the way he hands her mug with the handle facing her so she doesn’t scald herself, and the way he guides her when she stirs the pot with that endearing look of focus and affection.

Right now, it’s the way he offers her a sugar cube without her even asking. With that same soft smile, tearing through every shadow of doubt. I know you prefer your morning coffee sweet. And your omelette, too.

It should be embarrassing (and Yor doesn’t need a mirror to know she’s turned a fetching red), but it isn’t. Because he’s so loving in every way, and she thinks she would love him even if his flaws crack through, or probably because they do. He’s shown himself fallible more than once now, when exhaustion gets the better of him. Somehow that only makes her love Loid all the more. He’s not perfect, even though he often strives to be, and maybe someday she’ll pluck up the courage to mirror his words: you don’t have to be perfect all the time, Loid. You can rest easy in the knowledge that you’ll be loved no matter what you do, because that’s the way he taught her love should work. Unconditional, and never expectant. She longs to lift the weight of expectation off him, because it’s true: she would love him regardless, whether broken-hearted widow or struggling father, or sinner, or lying traitor—

Except she can’t, because she gets the order from Garden to kill him. Kill Twilight. Westalis’ greatest spy. A lying traitor, she thinks to herself bitterly, but the other half of her cleaved heart can only think, I love him. I still do.

It’s betrayal on every level, but love spins the ending: two hearts lovelorn, two lying traitors. A double-crossing of country, compatriot and self. A renegade escapes her brother’s grasp.

And her lover lives.

[kessyathena]

Kessy's Recommendations

A little while ago a friend who's into Little Witch Academia asked for recommendations and I immediately suggested Magic User's Club. It's one of my go to's and a great show, but it's pretty obscure these days. That got me to thinking about all the other great OVA's I've seen that everyone's forgotten. So here's a selection of my favorites from the golden age of OVA's (1980's -2000's). If you're looking for a thread that connects these, my personal tastes run to character driven stories. I've tried to emphasize titles that are easy to access, mostly ones that are free on Youtube.

Assemble Insert: 1989, 2 eps.

comedy, superhero, idol, mad scientist, police

The city is being overrun by a mad scientist and his mecha equipped gang, so what's the overworked underpaid police force to do? Obviously, hold a competition for the next big idol! Err, I mean superhero to save the city. Wait, is there a difference? Maron really wants to know, since she's the (un?)fortunate winner of the competition.

All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku (Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume): 1992, 6 eps.

comedy, catgirl (sort of), android, superpower, evil corporation

Ryuunosuke just wanted a pet, so when the minions of his overbearing mother accidentally kill the stray kitten he'd picked up his father does the only sensible thing: transplant the cat's brain into the experimental android body he's got in the back seat of the car. Ryuunosuke's new "big sister" is cheerful, energetic, able to bend steel beams with her bare hands, and overly fond of fish and sunbeams.

Nuku Nuku got a TV reboot and a second unrelated OVA called Nuku Nuku Dash, but the original OVA is definitely the best version.

Dragon Half: 1993, 2 eps.

comedy, fantasy world, WTF am I watching?, dragon girl

Mink is the child of a dragon mother and a human father. (Don't think about it too much.) Her father was formerly the champion of the evil king, who still bears a grudge. So there are evil minions, a guy named Dick Saucer who can't decide if he's a singer or a swordsman, a princess who's half slime, the finger water squirter of DOOM, and Beethoven! Don't wait for it to make sense, just enjoy the ride.

Plastic Little: 1994, 1 ep.

action, scifi, space opera, fanservice, yuri subtext

Tita and her galant crew make a living in the pet shop trade, capturing exotic animals in their planet's ocean of clouds for export. One day Tita runs into a beautiful young woman being pursued by a group of uniformed goons. Impulsively deciding to help the stranger, Tita and her crew are drawn into a military conspiracy to wreak havoc on the colony. Naturally, there's a caped villain, high speed chases, battleships, and ridiculously unsafe walkways over a vast chasm.

Elf Princess Rane (Yousei Hime Ren): 1995, 2 eps.

comedy, WTF am I watching?, magic, yuri subtext, idiot protagonist

Well, there is a plot to this one, but describing it would take too long, make no sense, and miss the point. Rane is a frenetically paced, gag after gag wild romp into hilarity and the absurd. There are fairies from another dimension who only speak an unintelligible language, a scheming corporation, a large group of identical sisters, and a protagonist so obsessed with treasure hunting he sees it everywhere to the point of being oblivious to what's in front of his nose.

Magic User's Club (Mahoutsukai Tai!): 1996, 6 eps.

comedy, romance, school life, alien invaders, magic, unrequited love, yaoi

The Earth has been invaded by aliens! However, the aliens are content to sit in their giant spaceship while observing humanity with robotic probes. So when Sawanoguchi Sae joins her school's club of neophyte magic users and the club president declares that they're going to defeat the aliens with magic, she's nothing but enthusiastic. And a massive klutz. What hope do they have considering that the rest of the club consists of Sae's best friend who only joined for Sae's sake, a vice president whose main interest is his crush on the president, and a freshman who frequently skips club activities to go on dates?

There is also a very good 13 episode TV series which is a direct continuation of the OVA featuring the same cast and hijinks but with a change in tone, not the least because the aliens are gone.

Birdy the Mighty (Tetsuwan Birdy): 1996, 4 eps.

action, school life, undercover aliens, conspiracy, gender bender, body sharing

Tsutomu is your average school kid out for a stroll one evening when he runs into a man running for his life from… something. The man turns out to be an alien in disguise and the something, well let's just say it radically changes Tsutomu's life as he's drawn into a conspiracy involving interplanetary criminals. A Federation Officer named Birdy Cephon shows up, but due to reasons he winds up having to share his body with her.

The series got a TV reboot called Birdy the Mighty: Decode. In my opinion, the original OVA is better.

R.O.D: Read or Die: 2001, 3 eps.

action, superpowers, secret agent, yuri subtext

Yomiko Readman is your average substitute teacher… Okay, no she isn't. She's absolutely obsessed with reading: her home is filled with stacks of books. She also has the ability to manipulate paper in any way she wishes, turning ordinary stationary into shields, weapons, giant flying paper airplanes, and so on. And she has a side job as a secret agent. So when a group of superpowered villains threatens the world, agent "The Paper" swings into action. Immediately after one of the bad guys steals her book!

ROD also has a TV series that has the same setting but completely new characters and plotline. The connections to the original OVA only gradually become apparent.

Murder Princess: 2007, 6 eps.

action, fantasy world, action girl, body swap, yuri subtext, lost technology

Alita and Faris are from such different backgrounds that you'd never expect them to meet. Alita is the princess of the kingdom of Forland and has lived a sheltered life in the capital. Faris is from a tragic background and survives on her wits and her skill with a sword as a bounty hunter. However, one night there is a palace coup and Alita is forced to flee for her life into the dark and dangerous Ellend forest, where Faris is hunting monsters for the price on their heads. The two literally run into each other and straight off a cliff. During the fall, the shared near death experience causes them to switch bodies. They're forced to reluctantly team up to defeat the coup and uncover the forces behind it.

Electromagnetic Girlfriend (Denpa-teki na Kanojo): 2009, 2 eps.

drama, mystery, romance

(Note: "Denpa" literally means "electromagnetic wave," but is colloquially used to mean "crazy" in much the same sense as "tin foil hat.")

Juuzawa Juu is a high school delinquent. One day a girl he's never met comes up to him and declares that he is a reincarnated king and she is his servant and knight. Despite Juu's best efforts to get rid of her, she continually follows him around. As if this wasn't enough, there's a serial killer stalking the town, and Juu suddenly finds himself caught up in the case when he's the one to find the body of the latest victim: one of his own classmates.

[nocandnc]

Since you're a hardcore shipper for both Yuriloe and Fionky... what if the two couples bumped into each other and had themselves a double date~?

Hi there~ Am I hardcore?! I suppose I do love my shipping outbursts...! Hmm, a double date huh... although I love their potential, I don't see Fionky becoming a couple until much later in the story - not for years even. Yuriloe on the other hand (Yurichlo? Chluri? SSSx2!? The fanbase needs to come to a consensuses!!) I can see happening much sooner.

With that in mind, here is my proposed scenario:

Yuri and Chloe start dating for real, abet tentatively. Eager to meet her brother's girlfriend, Yor gets Loid to arrange a group date between the four of them. However! Something comes up that prevents the Forgers from going. Yor is dismayed at losing a chance to learn about her potential sister-in-law and ruining the double date Yuri was surely looking forward to! (He wasn't.)

In an attempt to cheer Yor up For The Mission Twilight calls on Franky and Fiona to pose as a couple and join Yuri and Chloe instead. He insists it's a good opportunity to probe two SSS officers for info while sussing out the status of their relationship for Operation Strix.

So the group go on their double date. Fiona is less than enthused but it was a direct request from Twilight and she'll do her job damn it. Franky is mildly terrified but hey, it's a date with a pretty lady! Two ladies in fact, and the second one is unexpectedly cute for an SSS officer...? Franky gets distracted by Chloe's (polite, obligatory) friendliness all too soon into the evening. Now Fiona is mad all over again because here she is putting on her very best Girlfriend act and this scouring pad of a man is ignoring her for the enemy? Really? Right in front of her salad??

Yuri meanwhile is still a little unsure about this whole romance thing, but Yor sounded so happy when he accidentally mentioned going on a late night stakeout coffee date the other week, so maybe Chloe was on to something? But Yor wasn't even here, so what was the point? Not even that damn Loidy came! He'd sent a "family friend" over instead, who was currently making eyes at his girlfriend of all things. His girlfriend! Suddenly Yuri is very sure indeed, taking every opportunity to make physical contact with Chloe for rest of the evening while glaring daggers at Franky Franklin.

Chloe hides her disappointment at not getting to meet Yuri's sister and infamous brother-in-law, exchanging pleasantries with the peculiar couple across from her through a well-crafted smile. The other woman at the table has quite the poker face herself, but with all of Fiona's questions rounding back to the topic of work Chloe figures she must be the nervous type. Fiona's... husband? Franky, is much more talkative. So much so that Chloe is troubled to keep up. She glances at her date now and again for assistance, but the young man is still stuck sulking over his sister's absence - or so Chloe thinks before Yuri abruptly takes her hand in his, squeezing tightly.

The two couples claw their way through dinner and part ways with no lives lost, somehow. Yuri's aggression fades exponentially as he drives Chloe home. By the time they reach her doorstep he's clear headed and embarrassingly aware of how touchy he'd been with her out of the blue. He sputters a quick farewell while turning to leave, but a gentle grip on his coat sleeve stops him dead. The goodnight kiss Chloe gives him is even gentler. Fiona's at peak aggression when she slows her car to a crawl along Franky's street. She contemplates telling him to tuck and roll before coming to a complete stop instead. Franky is mentally in shambles - he's convinced Yuri Briar has some kind of ESP with the amount of psychic damage his glares dealt. And even worse, the relationship between the two SSS agents seemed totally lovey-dovey!! Franky heaves a sigh and mumbles to his frosty accomplice about writing a report for Twilight before moving to exit the vehicle. He gets one foot out the door before he's suddenly yanked back towards the driver's seat by his lapel. Franky locks eyes with Fiona as she tells him in the iciest tone possible that he'll be looking at no one but her on their next date - she'll make sure of it.

Mission failed successfully?

...

I think this turned into a shoddy fanfic halfway through sorry 'bout that.

[laguzmage]

Yuri between a mechwarrior that joined the mercenary unit wholly off of an expectation that it would be some kind of Armored Core 6 fanfiction handler hound situation and the Operations Officer that has to tell her that her job as the newbie is to take the Quickdraw that doesn't have a pilot at the moment and go guard a warehouse for three days while the rest of the unit (A reinforced company) probes the OpFor's defences

[helloescapist]

Sincerely, | Daki Headcanons

Word count: 2073

Setting: modern!Daki x fem!reader

Content Warning(s): girlxgirl, yuri, opposites attract, modern!AU

Summary: relationship headcanons for a modern Daki with a shy, introverted partner who is patient and affectionate.

Dear 🐼, I'm so terribly sorry for how long I've allowed this ask to drag on. The truth is, requests for a female character with a specifically female reader is far and few between, so I indulged a little bit. I hope this wrap up finds you well, and meets your expectations. Thank you 🍡 Sincerely, Part I + Sincerely, Part II

No one would blame you if you were to call it love at first sight. Kissed by an ethereal being, hair as fair as snow, and lips painted to shame even a rose from blossoming, fearing to pale in the presence of her beauty, Daki is bold where others would shy. Dares to tread where others would falter. No, no one would blame you for having your heart stolen by the goddess, but to say that Daki returned the sentiment would be a lie.

The first time Daki ran into you, literally, she could hear the other girls’ chattering. Whispered rumors and plunging into question of her chastity. The upperclassmen was already bristled by the early morning hour—she is by no means a morning person, but to have begun the day off with immediate call to her virtue followed by probing eyes by a curious, and clearly perverse gaze, Daki was quite ready to throw hands.

She’s not stupid and having grown up the way she has even in the modern world, Daki has always been exposed by the immoral gazes of grown men, debauched murmurs of hopes and exploration despite her age, she was used to being the object of affection for deviants and creeps a like. Although a girl was new for her, the most that often occurred were the result of prompted jealousy.

Women whose husbands had strayed, offered the younger girl gifts, and clearly questionable invitations, they had never considered their husbands as the orchestrators of immorality. Rather, they often allowed their envious hearts to turn a blind eye to how their eyes followed a child, she had been the object of their scorn. Swore her attentions, insisted she had enticed their husbands, begged for attention, and strayed from their marriages.

All orchestrated by a child.

Others felt envious of the alignment of her unnaturally pale hair. Light by the moon, or the early blossoms of her curvature when a majority of her peers had struggled to fill a B-cup. She had been abundantly blessed. Though none had considered how early her back had begun to ache.

Yet, as you collided into her. Straddled her hips, the clear quiver of your eyes, the heat of your blush that tipped from ear to ear, it had occurred to Daki, that none of her prior experiences applied. Her suspicions only verified by the clear retreat, the horrified quiver of your eyes when it had occurred to you how—excite you had become by the implication of her embrace amongst the crowded train area.

Coward.

As someone who has witness where weakness can lead, Daki does not offer any hint of kindness initially. Rather, she scorns your behavior. Find she nose wrinkling at each shiver of your shoulders, the way your cheeks ignite over the smallest things. The sadist in her is delighted, enjoys causing your heart to strum against your ribs, the rattle of your teeth against one another as you struggle to form an articulate sentence.

Yet, as clear as the hushed cackles of your classmates, she’s quick to catch on that she is not the only one to delight in your misfortune. The girls of your class has found entertainment. Noticed the curiosity of your lingering gazes, small slips of your sexual preference having drawn their ire, and as time presses on.

The way you continue to smile.

The nervous giggle as you pass the issue off, and insist on pushing the conflict to the side.

It. Pisses. Her. Off.

Open kindness, empath that draws and attracts to others, shielding weakness is not directly in her nature. Such open displays of feeble behavior attracts predators, and yet, yet you continue to stumble Rattle shy responses, with draw into your hidden world, so unaware of the whispers of those around you.

Opening up willingly was not an option, and having been met with the safety of your embrace, the quite acceptance, alongside your silence… you’ve never asked her about that night. Not that she would every speak to you of it, well, perhaps one day, but at the time, you were tender. And gentle.

Yet, you never hesitated to intercept.

Nor did you ever hint a touch of blame at her door, rather you simply… remained.

It’s ironic, the one shred of sympathy she had held for you, was empathy that you had repaid her. More so, it had drew her attraction. Cultivated an affectionate for you.

Really, Daki is likely to be attracted to the thoughtfulness of your nature. She is not prone to desiring the chance to open up, and I nfact, you may find it difficult to get her to do so. It will take a long time for her to unfold, allow you to seep into the cracks, and as time passes, she will allow you to see small sights of her if given the opportunity.

Daki requires a patient partner, one that can give her the time to blossom. To allow deeper part of her aspects to draw forth. The slips of herself she had long since hid in a desperate attempt to survive her upbringing.

Daki is a caring partner, and desires to dedicate herself to her partner.

Though she can be pragmatic, Daki is not satisfied with a relationship in which she cannot be her authentic self, nor is she satisfied only skimming the surface of her partner. She’s affectionate, painfully so, and terribly committed to her partner. In doing so, Daki can be driven to questionable lengths for her lover, drawn to questionable behaviors, and going so far as to deny darker aspects of their personality.

She will not hesitate to defend you. In many ways, she has inherited aspects of her brother’s personality. Daki can and will harm another for your sake without so much as an apology.

Harmony is a priority in her relationship, and truthfully in an attempt to maintain the relationship, Daki runs the risk of sweeping a lot of issues under the carpet in the hopes of preserving the mental picture she has of you—she does not focus on the future. All of her hopes, her dreams are in this moment. It can and will lend itself to risky behaviors, only reeled in by your concern.

Do not mistake this as Daki becoming a door mat, or a pushover. She is firm in her own desires, and her thoughts, and will not be swayed.

Daki will allow herself to be swayed by a majority of things, the sweet nothings that you utter, the fall of your words, but in the same regards, Daki will not take slights to her pride willingly, nor will she allow them with kindness. She can be biting when she feels her ego has been bruised, and will attack the issue on sight, regardless of the time or place.

For obvious reason, this could be a hint of issue in your relationship.

More so, you can expect that as a reserved individual, there will at times be a source of conflict in your relationship when it comes to social duties. Your outright continual rejection of experiences will illicit her ire. She can be patient, understanding even of your refusal to join, but if you are not willing to meet her half way and experience life at her side from time to time, she will become bitter.

Daki is however, a fairly affectionate person, and as long as you are always willing to meet her half way, she is willing to approach you to the same ends. If you have gone out with her a time or two, she will embrace your willingness to join her with open arms. Well, with the understanding that she will not be staying for a night in as well. Daki needs flexibility, but more than anything she resents being tied down.

Confinement will draw the fullest extent of her wrath, and you will find that its during these times she may stray.

Ultimately, as long as you remain a akind and patient partner, you’ll be rewarded with warmth.

The Hot Cheeto girl will adore playing with your hair, shopping with your complexion in mind. Go to great lengths to ensure that her girlfriend is dressed adorably, even if you shy away from her cooes.

I can’t justify it, but Daki screams Hot Cheeto girl to me, and I just can’t be swayed.

Being Daki’s partner means that you will have to subject yourself to intensive snuggles. One that secures your soul to her own, anchors you, and claims you as her own. Practically determined to knit her essence onto you, as though someone how the fragrance of her distinct perfume will deter all competitors.

Makes a point of showing up to your classes, and your work as you grow older—makes a big show of bringing your lunch to you. She’s not the best cook, but she cannot allow the opportunity to claim her territory for all to see is not something she can pass up.

Daki is playful, and often times dance son a fine line of childish and sadistic. The way she toys with your hair, or allows her finer to trace down your neck. Captures your cheeks, and quips a knowing gaze.

She lives for your blush and makes a game out of coaxing its existence.

Daki is snarky, her comments can be sarcastic and even biting, but all of them are drawn from love. Affectionate at its finest, sort of like a cat that demands attention, and upon receiving x amount of pats, realizes it appears domestic, and snips at the hand who offered love.

You can expect that despite how boldly Daki declares her love, and adoration, she also has a tendency to suffer insecurities. Likely the direct result of her upbringing, and at times, you’ll find yourself listening to her placing you in bizarre situations. Inquiries such as, “Would you still love me if I were a boy? What if I were a lizard?”

Will ask multiple times if you still love her, despite the fact that you took two trains ,and a bus to fetch her favorite snack.

Shamelessly drags you to the oddest dates. Such as intentionally spiriting you away, purchasing a ticket to no where she knows, and challenging the two of you to survive in the unknown area.

Loves  the opportunity to spoil you, to purchase a variety of clothing. Guilty outfits that she knows you would never wear out in the world, but just knowing that they are tucked in your wardrobe, where only she knows—a coy smile tucked at the glimmer of the item in your closet peeking out at her. You hadn’t thrown it away after all.

Daki has a variety of social medias, and probably thrives as an upcoming influencer.

Despises kids.

She hates the competition, and struggles against the concept of splitting her attention with you. Even for a babysitting job.

So much so that Daki can become bitter at the concept of having to allocate part of her attention to another, and because of this, you’ll find Daki childishly tugging you—mad glaring at anyone who takes your eyes off of her even for a moment.

Literally the type to do the “watching you” symbol, openly.

Will impulsively bring home a dog.

Seizes opportunities to wrap around you in public, to captivate your waste, pull your back into her and hear your squeal. Clings to opportunities to remain in physical contact with you.

At times, it’s strictly because she enjoys teasing you, hearing your adorable squeals, the shy way you bat her away in public, or in private, but mostly, Daki is in all forms of the word, touch starved. She craves the contact, the connection.

More than anything, I just feel like Daki would just delight in teasing you, even going so far as to openly taunt you before your relationship has established, but at the same time, I think she would balance this out with being a genuine simp.

Praises everything you do with open adoration, brags to any who will listen.

Yet, to the one who needs to hear her voice most, you’ll hear biting remarks brought on by her own embarrassment.

[delicatemusickingdom]

Book 1 Part 2 Chapter 2.3

Chapter 2.3

“Is here okay?” 

“Hm? Ahh, yeah, that’s right. There is fine. Gently now, gently.” 

Flynn nodded at the merchant’s reply, and carefully lowered the packages in his arms onto the ground. Sweat dripped down his face, and he let out a sigh. His back was stiff, and he heard it crack as he stretched. These packages would normally be carried by someone who was an adult. He may be over ten years old already, but carrying a number of these really took a toll on his body. 

Despite the warning, the merchant didn’t even look at Flynn as he said it. There was no threat in his voice, either. In fact, his lack of interest showed how much he trusted Flynn. That was what Flynn realised, with a small amount of satisfaction. 

Of course, he couldn’t let his guard down. It had taken a lot of sweat and tears to win this trust. But it would only take a little bit of carelessness to let all that effort go to waste. 

Besides, this trust didn’t belong to him alone. Flynn took that to heart once again. Right now, even at this very moment, everyone was sweating as much as he was, abusing their youthful bodies to the hardest. 

There was no time to rest. He still had more packages to carry. Flynn rallied himself and headed back to where the others were going back and forth. 

****

It was Yuri who had been the first to bring it up again. 

That day, Flynn had set off to the ‘other side of the wall’. He didn’t have any particular goal in mind. He just hadn’t been able to sit still in the lower quarter with nothing to do.

Ever since that rainy night, Norein’s condition hadn’t taken a sudden turn for the worse, but she had shown no signs of recovery either, and her situation continued to fluctuate.  

He didn’t neglect his sword training, and took part in manual work without fail, but his heart began to sink. From time to time, when his mother’s condition took a turn for the better, he would exchange words with her. He did his best to avoid any topic related to her illness, and of course that rainy night, but Norein seemed to have a sort of farsightedness about her, and that pained Flynn. 

It had been a long time since the ‘classroom’ had returned to being just another corner of the plaza. At the beginning, there had been no shortage of people. ‘Will there be a class today?’ ‘Is today the day?’ But by the time Norein had been bedridden for a month, you could no longer see any students or student hopefuls there, and the only indication that the ‘classroom’ had ever existed was a faint, blackened charcoal stain on the wall. 

Perhaps out of consideration for Flynn, gradually, the number of people — although there were exceptions like Hanks and Jiri — who asked about Norein’s condition became sparse, and that became a new norm in the everyday life of the lower quarter. 

Training, and manual work. And caring for his mother as well. With the help of the people around him, he was never truly destitute, but that was how Flynn lived now. 

Or maybe he just wanted to get away from all of that, even if just for a moment. Or maybe he was searching for something unknown even to himself to find a way out. Feeling depressed, his mind lacked clarity, and he wouldn’t be able to answer the question right away. 

“Where are you going?” 

“……Yuri.” 

Leaning against a building facing the street, Yuri stood there with his arms crossed. 

“Over there is the ‘other side of the wall’, you know.” 

Gazing in the direction Flynn was heading towards, Yuri turned his eyes back to Flynn. He had a probing look in his eyes, as if to say, You’re not going to make an idiot out of yourself again, are you?

“……It doesn’t really matter where I’m going.”

Flynn said and began to walk away. As he passed in front of Yuri, Yuri moved away from the wall and started to walk as well. 

“Don’t follow me.” 

“I’ll go wherever I want to.”

Flynn turned around and looked at Yuri, and for a moment he looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn’t say anything, and turned his back on Yuri. After that, Yuri followed him in silence. 

The two of them climbed up the long slope and passed through the castle gates into the citizens’ quarter. As usual, the market was incredibly crowded, and Flynn grimaced slightly. Nothing had changed since the time when he lived here — even though his mother was suffering in the lower quarter now. 

In Yuri’s eyes, the market looked no different from usual. 

But as they walked further in, the two of them sensed something like a shadow within the bustling activity all around them. Merchants calling out, busy-looking people running about doing errands for the nobles, and customers examining their wares — there was nothing out of the ordinary. Despite that, the two of them had the impression that the people all around them were feeling uneasy, and were only suppressing it. 

“It seems it’s finally reached the highway.”  

“I saw. It’s supposed to be a type that only exists in the north.” 

“They say the knights are shorthanded, so mercenaries are in high demand.” 

As they passed by, they didn’t even have to strain their ears to hear the disturbing tone in the casual conversations. Monsters. Attacks. Battles. 

“I heard Asuko’s wife is done for. It’s got to be that illness.” 

“I heard even nobles have died.”

“The nobles are keeping all the healers and medicine to themselves.”

“If we could at least figure out how to prevent it——”

Illness. Treatment. Death.

“The last time I got word from my son was almost a month ago.” 

“It has a terrifying cry. Did you hear?” 

“They say they’re strengthening the northern fort.”

“I’m not kidding. I’m talking double of what they had last month—”

The fragmentary words didn’t mean much on their own. But as a whole, they hinted at a much bigger, unknown movement, casting an ominous shadow over the peoples’ hearts.

Despite hearing so much, Flynn walked ahead without looking back, and behind him Yuri followed. 

Flynn didn’t listen or look at anything, and just made his way through the crowd. 

But as he passed through the many streets, before he knew it, his eyes began to wander, in search of a single thing.

Suddenly his gaze focused on a single point and stopped moving. As soon as he realised what he’d seen, he forgot about Yuri and headed straight in that direction. 

Up ahead was a single store. It wasn’t like the majority of stores in the marketplace. Its stone-built appearance made it clear that it didn’t do business with commoners, but nobles. 

Fortunately, there were no guards at the entrance to keep the children of the lower quarter away. Flynn approached the shop as if drawn in. 

Both sides of the shop’s doors were lined with glass, so the display shelves inside could be seen from the streets outside. The shelves were crammed full of various accessories decorated with precious metals and gemstones, but Flynn’s gaze passed by all of them to focus on a single item. 

It was a small glass bottle. Although it had a grape-like decoration on its metal fittings, most of the bottle was bare, and it was made of colourless glass. The liquid that filled its insides was semi-transparent, and emitted a faint bluish-white light. Flynn recognised that glow. 

A panacea. Before, it would have been sold in a non-transparent container befitting that of medicine, but now it was packaged like perfume and sold like this — as if to match its rising price. 

Although it was only one bottle, he was still surprised to find a miracle potion said to be in short supply all over the imperial capital being sold in a place like this. But the price tag attached to it was enough to strip away any illusions Flynn might have had. Its numbers were large enough to make all the surrounding jewellery look like children’s toys in comparison. If he had that much money, how many people in the lower quarter could that feed, and for how long? 

The only way to save his mother’s life was right in front of his eyes. Despite being only an arm’s length away, behind the thin sheet of glass, the bottle felt terribly far away. 

As he stood there helplessly, a person who looked to be a shop assistant suddenly appeared from the back of the shop. They politely took away the glass bottle and retreated to the back again. They didn’t show any signs of noticing Flynn’s presence. 

Before long, the door to the store opened. A wealthy-looking man passed by the shop assistant holding the door open and stepped out onto the street. He carried a package in one of his hands, holding it carefully like it was something precious. 

The man noticed Flynn. He saw that Flynn was a child from the lower quarter, and for a moment he grimaced — but when he saw how Flynn looked at his package, his eyes lit up in understanding, and he radiated a twisted sense of joy from his entire body as he leisurely walked away. 

The path the man was on headed towards the royal quarter. Flynn gazed vacantly at the figure walking down that path. 

Suddenly, the man’s — noble’s — head pitched forward violently, as if it had been struck by an invisible bolt of lightning. The man clutched the back of his head and looked around in a flurry. He noticed Flynn still staring at him, and must have thought it was Flynn’s doing, because he started running back towards Flynn with a furious look on his face. His head tilted as if he’d been shot, again. This time it was to the side. 

The man looked like he had no idea what was going on, and shielded himself as he looked around frantically. But it wasn’t long before he must have decided he didn’t want to go through any more trouble, and left in a great hurry.

Flynn glared at the bushes on the side of the street. The second time it happened, he had realised what was going on. After making sure no one was around, he walked quickly towards the bushes. 

“Yuri.”

“Oops, I guess you found me out.” 

At the same time the voice came from the bushes, a head of black hair popped out from inside. 

“That guy was surprisingly insistent on protecting his stuff. Didn’t think he had it in him.” 

Yuri said as he looked in the direction of the royal quarter where the man had disappeared. In his hand were several hard-looking nuts. 

“What were you thinking?” 

“It’s because he did something unnecessary. He looked at you with a really nasty smile on his face.” 

“He’s a noble. What if he got injured?” 

“I didn’t throw it that hard. Anyway, the thing he bought, was it that thing? The panacea.” 

At those words, Flynn’s head, which had begun to heat up, lost all its steam in one go. He replied in a faint voice.

“Yeah.” 

“So there’s still a store that sells them.” 

Flynn shook his head. 

“It seems like that was the only one. But it’s fine. There’s no way I could have bought it anyway.” 

When Flynn spoke, it was as if he wasn’t speaking to Yuri, but rather more to himself. 

“Then don’t give up.”

Yuri’s voice became a little sharper. He remembered the sight of Flynn lying in that muddy water under the rain. Even though you did all that. 

“There’s no guarantee that was the last one. Maybe another one will appear in another store.” 

Flynn’s voice rose to meet Yuri’s challenging tone as he answered back. 

“Don’t make it sound so simple. I saw the price tag. It was really… really a lot of money. Even more than last I heard. It’s different from the time when we bought the sword!” 

“Then just work and earn some money!” 

“How?! There’s no way I can earn that much money!” 

“I’ll help too.” 

Yuri said decisively, his black hair swaying. He didn’t have the slightest idea how he was going to do it, but he said it anyway. 

Flynn blinked in amazement. 

“Help… No, this is my family’s problem, I can’t let you do that.” 

Yuri angrily put his hands on his hip and closed in on Flynn, who flinched and took half a step back. 

“Hey, listen here. I want Teacher Norein to get better too.” 

“Yuri. But…”

“You really are stubborn when it comes to things like this. But we all have to help each other out. That’s how the lower quarter does things. Grandpa Hanks said so.” 

Just because you can do anything doesn’t mean you should do everything on your own, Yuri added in his mind. It’s not like I’m taking advantage of his weakness or anything — probably. 

But Flynn hung his head. Yuri grabbed his arm.

“Let’s go.” 

“……Go where?” 

Without answering, and still holding onto Flynn’s arm, Yuri took off running. 

****

“Gran- Aunt Jiri.” 

Sensing the glare on him, Yuri hastily corrected himself. 

“I have a request.” 

“A request? You’re asking me? What is it, say it.” 

Don’t assume I’ll grant your request just because I’m hearing you out. The implication behind Jiri’s words set the tone for the conversation. Yuri swallowed his saliva. He carefully spoke the words he’d been thinking in his head out aloud. 

“I want you to excuse the both of us from our manual work for a while.” 

Jiri raised an eyebrow and stared at Yuri. She glanced at Flynn standing behind him, but quickly returned her gaze to Yuri. Her gaze was pressuring, almost physically so, but Yuri met it head on. 

A few seconds passed. Then suddenly, Yuri felt the pressure ease. 

Jiri sat down in her chair. Wordlessly, she motioned her head slightly, urging him to continue. 

Yuri wasn’t particularly adept at talking things out logically, but he did his best to explain. About the panacea, and its price, and about wanting to earn enough money for it. Jiri sat there and listened without saying a single word. 

Flynn stood behind Yuri and stayed silent. Yuri had persuaded Flynn to let him be the one to negotiate with Jiri — of course, Flynn hadn’t agreed easily, and was still dissatisfied even this very instant. But when Yuri told him that he knew Jiri better than Flynn did, he had reluctantly given in. 

After he finished speaking, Yuri held his tongue and observed Jiri’s reaction. Jiri let out a small sigh and stood up. 

“I’ve heard about the price of the panacea bottles too. It costs a ridiculous amount of money even now, and it’s only going to keep on rising. Do you think the both of you can earn enough money on your own?” 

It was a question he had expected. And there was only one answer to that. 

“I don’t know. But I can’t leave Teacher Norein like that without doing anything.” 

“Please, Aunt Jiri.” 

Without thinking, Flynn opened his mouth and bowed his head. 

Jiri looked back and forth between the two of them. Was she trying to gauge how serious they were? Yuri put all of his strength into his gaze as he stared back at her-

“It’s only natural that you’d want to do whatever you can to save your mother. Same for you wanting to help out. Both of you, make sure you see it through.” 

“Grandpa.” 

At some point, Hanks had appeared at the doorway. He exuded the same aura of calmness with an air of sincerity hidden within that Yuri had seen so many times before. 

Jiri glanced at her husband. Her eyes looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end she returned her gaze to the two of them without saying anything, and let out a short sigh. 

“Well, it’s like what he said. Go ahead and do whatever you want until you’re satisfied. We’ll take care of Norein like we always have been. But listen here.”

Jiri’s voice wasn’t stern, but nonetheless, Yuri and Flynn stiffened up. 

“We can’t do much about the money, any more than we already have. Even if we try gathering some from everyone, we’ll only have a little to spare. Any more than that, and we’ll all starve to death before winter passes. We can’t let that happen. Even if it sounds harsh, that’s how it is. Do you understand? You guys will have to do it on your own.” 

And someone else would have to do the manual work they were getting out of. The two of them nodded. 

“Yes, Aunt Jiri.” 

“Yeah, I know, I know.” 

“Good luck.” 

With Hanks cheering them on, the two of them dashed outside. The sooner they got to work, the better. 

****

The two of them set off for the citizens’ district again. If they wanted to earn money, they had to go to a place where there were jobs. 

However, when faced with the crowd of people in the marketplace beyond the castle gates, the two of them came to a stop. The people there all came and went, busy with their own things to do. Their thorough indifference left no room for the two of them, and it looked like there was no chance of them accepting even a fragment of the determination possessed by the two of them. 

They had come all the way here full of energy, but they suddenly felt just how grim the battle they were about to take on was.

Yuri’s mouth twisted in displeasure. We can’t afford to back down here. We haven’t even started yet. 

“……First, let’s look for a job.” 

Flynn nodded silently. But how would they find one? Neither of them had been hired to work in the citizens’ district before, and what little experience they had was from following the instructions of the adults from the lower quarter. They had to earn a large amount of money as quickly as possible, but they had to come up with a way to get a job on their own. 

With that being said, they had no choice but to try it out on their own. We’ll visit the nearby merchants one by one. The two of them stepped forth from the castle gates. 

“Ah! There they are. Heeeey!”

They heard a familiar voice from behind them, down the slope. They turned around and saw several boys running towards them. 

“It’s Jareth and the others. What are they doing out here?” 

Yuri tilted his head. Meanwhile, the boys continued to run, panting, until they reached Yuri and Flynn. 

“What’s wrong, you guys?” 

“Grand… ma… told…” 

“What?” 

“Grandma Jiri told us all about it.” 

The boys said as they caught their breaths.

“You’re going to earn money to pay for Teacher Norein’s medicine, right? Grandma Jiri told us to help you out.” 

“We know some more people who can help out, so some of us split up to look for them.”

Yuri and Flynn looked at each other. As the boys’ words started to sink in, confusion spread across Flynn’s face. 

“Everyone… But why…?” 

In response the boys all opened their mouths and spoke in their usual innocent tones. 

“I mean, as friends we gotta help each other out.”

“Yeah, those are the rules of the lower quarter.” 

“Plus, we gotta repay what we owe you.”

“We’ll earn the money faster if everyone pitches in, right?” 

Jareth scratched his head in embarrassment. 

“Besides, I got bored of Teacher’s lessons and left halfway through, but after thinking about it, I guess I do still want to be able to read books properly.” 

Unmistakably, they all shared a bond. The bond of companions who weathered joys and sorrows together, the bond of the residents of the lower quarter. 

“Everyone… Thank you. But I have no way of repaying all of you…” 

At a loss for words, Flynn eventually said. 

“Don’t say that!” 

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” 

“Let’s go! I know a place where my old man used to work. He said they were pretty friendly for a person on the ‘other side of the wall’. Let’s go there first.”

Without waiting for a response from Yuri and Flynn, Jareth and the other boys raised their spirits and, passing through the castle gates, went on ahead. 

“Grandma Jiri really is cool. Let’s go too, or else we’ll lose sight of them.” 

Flynn nodded and started walking. For a moment he thought he saw Flynn’s eyes glimmering with tears — but it must have been his imagination. 

As they walked, Yuri suddenly remembered something and stopped. 

“Oh right, I completely forgot to ask.” 

Flynn, who had been walking ahead of him, turned around. 

“How much does the medicine cost now?” 

Flynn stared intently at Yuri. Then, making a somewhat awkward face, he approached Yuri and whispered into his ear. 

Yuri’s face twitched. 

“……Let’s keep this from the others for a while.” 

****

The children in the lower quarter were always fighting against poverty. They’d fight to survive, overcoming this sturdy ‘enemy’, and laugh while doing so. Grieving over the aftermath and worrying about the future were the adults’ jobs. It was never fun to be scorned at by the people on the ‘other side of the wall’, but once they returned to the lower quarter, even such occurrences would become nothing more than a topic of conversation. The nobles and knights were a different topic altogether, but in the end, wealthier or not, all of the residents in the citizens’ quarter were commoners just like them. Public order was upheld in the citizens’ district, so there wasn’t much of a threat in terms of danger. 

Still, the boys chose to knock on the door of an employer that, as far as they knew, offered the best combination of safety and high wages. In the first place, there weren’t many jobs fit for children, but among those, they chose the one that looked like they required the most amount of manual labour. Jobs that people didn’t want to do were paid that much higher.  

At first, the merchant had expressed his reluctance to hire them, seeing them as children from the filthy lower quarters. But when faced with the young boys’ persistence and eagerness, he half-heartedly gave in and decided to hire them. 

Like many others, the merchant also had a considerably prejudiced view towards the lower quarter. In terms of business, he’s never had clients from the lower quarter before, so it was natural for him to adopt the prevailing public opinion on the lower quarter people. 

The merchant had intended to fire them or hand them over to the knights immediately if there were any problems. To his surprise, he found the boys to be extremely diligent in their work, and they didn’t complain at all, even if the labour was tough. 

The boys did make mistakes sometimes, but after two weeks, the merchant barely remembered that the boys hailed from the lower quarter. When a fellow merchant mentioned it to him one day, he felt incredibly surprised to realise he’d forgotten about it. 

So there are honest kids in the lower quarter too. The merchant, who had a simple nature at heart, came to think this way. He also shared this with his fellow merchants. 

While some saw him as a soft-hearted fool, there were others who took an interest in his story. Thanks to him, once the boys were done with their jobs and received their wages — the merchant had paid them properly — and when it was time to leave, they were able to find their next job quickly. 

****

One month passed, then two months. 

Yuri and the other boys were now working for merchants all over the place. The boys would climb up the slope early in the morning, and come back down late in the evening — even the people in the lower quarter were familiar with their schedule. When the boys returned, they would scarf down the meal cooked by Jiri and fall asleep like logs. 

The sight of Yuri and Flynn training with their sword was long gone, too. Their sword was tucked away Flynn’s house. 

The boys’ savings were steadily increasing. But they were in a literal race to the death against Norein’s illness, and her situation could change at any time. And the price of the panacea continued to climb higher than the boys could save. With the unsettling rumours spreading throughout the imperial capital in hushed whispers, and this mysterious illness that the doctors were racking their brains over, it was only natural that the price wouldn’t decrease, but rather keep increasing. 

Then one day, Yuri and Flynn came to a stop in the middle of their work. They were in one of the parks scattered throughout the citizens’ quarter, which, until recently, had been full of trees and carpets of grass. 

But now the place had been mercilessly dug up, exposing the stonework beneath the soil and turning it into a large trench. On top of the stonework were what looked to be two metal rods that stretched from one end of the trench to the other. One end led to the centre of the capital, and the other led to the top of the castle wall. 

“What’s this?” 

Yuri peered into the trench. 

“You there! You’re in the way!” 

He looked in the direction of the yelling and saw a knight waving his hands in irritation. The knight wasn’t alone, and several other knights were him. 

Yuri quickly backed away from the trench, but his eyes were drawn to the thing on the other side of the knights that was slowly approaching. 

It was something that looked like a house or a huge machine. It slid over the ditch without a sound, slowly approaching the two boys. On top of the intricately assembled metal parts, a thick, rod-shaped part stuck out and upwards at an angle. He couldn’t tell if it was a decoration or part of the machine. 

It looked like it rode on top of the metal rods in the trench, using it like wheels to move about. It gave off a terribly old-fashioned impression as a whole. Not only knights, but also people in various outfits accompanied it as it moved. 

“Hoplon blastia…..” 

“Hop… what now?” 

At Flynn’s unfamiliar words, Yuri couldn’t help but ask back. 

“Hoplon blastia. It’s an incredibly powerful blastia that can apparently even attack at long distances. Even so, I didn’t expect it to be this big.” 

In front of the boys’ eyes, the giant machine passed by them and stopped in a position halfway over the castle walls. The people accompanying the blastia that weren’t knights immediately surrounded it like ants swarming around a fruit, and started tinkering with the machine. 

After that, nothing else seemed to happen, so Yuri and Flynn went back to work. 

But on that evening, on the way back to the lower quarter after work, Flynn spoke up. 

“Yuri, look.” 

At that, Yuri turned around and found himself at a loss for words. Perched on top of the walls of the imperial capital overlooking the lower quarter were many of the giant machines they’d seen earlier this afternoon. Lined up at regular intervals like needles, they radiated a silent threat.

They were clearly devices made to fight something. Something powerful.  

“……What’s going to happen?” 

“I don’t know. But it looks like it’s going to be something big.” 

It reminded them of the many disturbing rumours they’d heard in the marketplace. They had no idea how the rumours were related to this, but they had a feeling they were all connected somehow. 

The abnormality didn’t stop there, however. One day, a large number of knights appeared in the lower quarter. At first, the residents of the lower quarter were panic-stricken, thinking a large-scale raid was about to occur. But the Imperial Knights on that day were different. 

The knights came from the quarters and passed through the castle gates and into the lower quarters. They marched in an orderly formation, walking through the lower quarters without sparing its residents a single glance. They seemed to make up an entire unit, and one by one they carried their swords, or raised their spears or pikes as they marched along. A person that looked to be a commander rode on horseback, and carts loaded with supplies trailed alongside the unit. 

There were some units that weren’t wearing helmets, and judging from the atmosphere, both nobles and commoners alike had been deployed. 

Were they carrying out a sortie? There was no mistaking the tension in the air, different from that of a simple march. 

There was no doubt about it — they were going to war. It was unclear who exactly they were going to fight, but this was, without a doubt, the extension of the series of disturbing rumours in the imperial capital. Be it the boys or the adults, it was the first time they had seen so many knights at once. It had to be the same for the residents in the citizens’ quarter. 

I wonder if the uncle from the other day or the unit that delivered the monster meat are among them. Yuri strained his eyes, but he couldn’t recognise anyone. 

But at the very least, one thing was certain. Whatever was happening, it was something terrible. And it was sure to drive the price of the panacea up, and never down. 

Prev | Index | Next

[tomorrowusa]

There is an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his genocide in Ukraine.

In limp retaliation, Russia has placed the judges of the ICC and journalists who have reported Russian war crimes on its own wanted list.

A journalist recently added to that list is Russian-American Masha Gessen.

Russia's Interior Ministry has added Russian-American journalist, writer, and outspoken Kremlin critic Masha Gessen to its wanted list. Gessen's name appeared on the ministry's list on December 8 without specifying what the journalist is wanted for. Media reports said earlier that a probe against Gessen was launched in late August on a charge of distributing "fake" information about Russia's armed forces. The charge stemmed from Gessen's interview with Russian journalist Yury Dud about alleged atrocities committed by Russian troops against civilians in Ukraine, the reports said.

In Russia these days, distributing "fake" information about Russia's armed forces actually means the opposite – reporting war crimes and genocide.

In 2017, Masha Gessen took part in a PBS Frontline series called "The Putin Files". Here is the extended version of Ms. Gessen's interview by Michael Kirk.

Here's an article at Literary Hub featuring an excerpt from Gessen's book The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin.

"A Small, Vengeful Man:" How Vladimir Putin Began His Iron-Fisted Reign Masha Gessen Chronicles the Early Days of Putinism in Russia

[bobbiworks]

Beyond the Bell's Chimes | Part 13

RIIZE fanfiction: Wonbin, Eunseok, Seunghan, Shotaro, Sohee, Sungchan, Anton, Original Characters

Genre: Youth, Teenage Romance, High School, Friendship, Angst, Fluff, Fanfiction

A gentle tap on his shoulder roused Eunseok from his drowsiness, his mind almost forgetting that he was in the car with Sungchan. Both of them were dressed to the nines in sharp tuxedos, their perfectly styled hair accentuating their attractive features. He groggily opened his eyes and realized they had arrived at the grand hotel hosting Miyoung's birthday party.

"Is there any chance we can stay in the car?" Eunseok mumbled as Sungchan unfastened his seatbelt.

"Not a chance," Sungchan replied nonchalantly. "You could have turned down her invitation if you didn't want to come, but, of course, making Yuri angry was more fun."

Eunseok grumbled, "Shut up."

Sungchan glanced at Eunseok, inquiring, "Did you bring her a gift?" Seeing that Eunseok was empty-handed made him sigh in defeat. "You didn't, did you?"

Eunseok retorted, "I did."

"Then where is it?" Sungchan probed, but Eunseok remained unfazed.

"Miyoung has everything," Eunseok explained. "I'm here to give her something she doesn't have."

"Don't tell me..." Sungchan anticipated the worst when Eunseok pointed at himself. "Ugh, I can't stand you," he grumbled, stepping out of the car.

The moment the two of them walked into the building, they attracted the attention of everyone. It was a rare sight to see them looking so dashing in their suits, embodying the image of true gentlemen.

Miyoung, dressed elegantly for her birthday, greeted Eunseok and Sungchan. Sungchan handed her a small gift box, and Eunseok appeared to be empty-handed.

Miyoung found herself in a dilemma over whom to thank, ultimately expressing gratitude to Eunseok for the gift, which momentarily shattered Sungchan's heart. But who cared? It was Eunseok she had been looking forward to.

The pair was escorted to their seats, where Sungchan sulked in silence while Eunseok enjoyed a glass of water from his wine glass.

"You could have told her it was from you," Eunseok casually remarked, glancing at Sungchan, who was clearly sulking behind his tough exterior.

"Shut up. My chest aches right now," Sungchan grumbled between clenched teeth.

"Coward," Eunseok retorted.

The party began, and it was an extravagant affair. Miyoung's family owned two hospitals, and they hosted the event in their own hotel. Despite her family's wealth, Miyoung remained down-to-earth, a modest girl who didn't flaunt her family's riches. Eunseok had learned about her through a dinner meeting with his dad's friends.

"I could never," Sungchan lamented.

"You never know," Eunseok replied, eliciting a glare from his friend.

"I already lost before it began," Sungchan continued to express his defeat while Eunseok sipped his cider, seemingly carefree.

As the time came to unwrap the presents, Eunseok's name was specially mentioned by the host to give his gift to Miyoung. The attendees couldn't help but gossip about the rumored arranged marriage between Eunseok and Miyoung, orchestrated by their parents. This situation made Sungchan feel insignificant in the shadow of his best friend.

Casually, Eunseok rose from his seat and took the microphone from the host, offering a graceful greeting to the audience. "Good evening, everyone. It's an honor to be invited to Miyoung's special day. And... Miyoung, thank you for being a great friend to me."

The crowd erupted in applause. Sungchan, unable to bear the situation, quietly excused himself and left the hall. His crush on Miyoung had lingered since their first year, a sentiment Eunseok was well aware of. However, every time they crossed paths, she only had eyes for Eunseok. The circumstances were taking a toll on Sungchan's hope.

"Miyoung is the girl who has it all. Charms, wits, and talents, so I came here with great sincerity to offer you this gift," Eunseok continued, flashing a smile as he cleared his throat. Then, he noticed his best friend standing. "I'd like to ask my best friend, Jung Sungchan, to take Lee Miyoung for a dance."

Sungchan was taken aback by this unexpected request, his excitement surging as all eyes turned to him. Even Miyoung's face flushed, and she shyly nodded. Awkwardly, he approached Miyoung, who sat at the front table, and gently extended his hand.

"Can I have this dance, Miyoung?" Sungchan's voice trembled slightly as he asked, and she responded with a shy nod.

As they found themselves in the center, Eunseok initiated the music, and all the lights dimmed, except for a solitary spotlight illuminating Sungchan and Miyoung. Eunseok began to sing a romantic song, surprising Miyoung. She had wanted to hear Eunseok sing as her birthday gift but hadn't dared to ask. Her focus shifted to Sungchan, who held his breath, determined not to squander this opportunity. He placed a hand on Miyoung's waist and took her hand, leading her in a slow, graceful dance.

"How did you learn to dance like this?" Miyoung asked, never breaking her gaze from Sungchan's.

Sungchan smiled warmly. "I learned from the best," he said, alluding to Eunseok. In her hazel-brown eyes, he always saw happiness. At school, Miyoung wore long, straight hair and round-shaped glasses, appearing unassuming and quiet. But she was most talkative when conversing with Eunseok and him.

When they were freshmen, Sungchan had initially considered Miyoung a friend. However, as time passed, he couldn't help but see her in a different light, especially when she went through heartbreak at the end of their first year. Eunseok noticed Sungchan's change of heart, but Sungchan was too afraid to admit it, knowing that she had a crush on Eunseok.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Miyoung asked, feeling warm under his gaze. She wanted to look away, but her eyes remained locked onto his.

"You're beautiful," Sungchan replied with a soft voice. "The gift was from me."

"What gift?" Miyoung asked, puzzled.

Sungchan explained, "The small box," which prompted Miyoung to realize that she had mistakenly thought Eunseok had given her that gift. She blushed deeply, embarrassed by her error.

"I'm so sorry!" Miyoung stammered, her cheeks turning even redder. "I didn't know..."

"It's okay. I didn't say anything," Sungchan reassured her. He then mustered the courage to confess his feelings before their dance came to an end.

Before the music ceased, he admitted, "Miyoung, I want to tell you something before this dance ends."

"Hmm?" Miyoung inquired.

"I want you to know that you mean more to me than just a friend," Sungchan confessed, his ears burning with embarrassment, just as Eunseok finished his song. As he stepped back from Miyoung, he held her hand one more time, content that he had expressed his feelings.

The crowd applauded, and Eunseok, watching from a distance, smiled at the sight of his best friend, who was now content and smiling. Once they were back in his car, Eunseok inquired, "So, did you tell her?"

Sungchan responded with a quiet smile and a nod. "I did."

"Attaboy," Eunseok teased, ruffling Sungchan's hair. "You were ready to hate me earlier."

Sungchan playfully retorted, "I always hated you." However, he added, "Besides, I'm not expecting her to make a move. It's up to me; I'm the man." Sungchan felt motivated to pursue his feelings for Miyoung.

Eunseok wanted to ensure there were no misunderstandings between him, Sungchan, and Miyoung. "You know it, right? I'm not interested in Miyoung in the way you think. The rumor of an arranged marriage between us isn't true."

"I know that, and I'm sorry for thinking that way earlier," Sungchan said with a rueful smile. Despite his feelings for Miyoung, he shouldn't have viewed Eunseok in a negative light. Eunseok was a great friend.