#so i have to do everything or else the household won't keep running

[greatbigstorm]

/ /

[toxictigertonic]

Hiii soeey for bothering u but do u have any Mother gooseberry and franco hcs? Those 2 have been in my head all day

I have infinite headcanons that I can spit out about these two. Coyle is a little harder bc sometimes all I can think about is beating him up for the funnies, but these two? They make up my brain chemistry.

MOTHER GOOSEBERRY

- Reagents picked up on the "the goose in on the loose" line and will now use that to tell their fellow reagents that she's out and about.

- Sweet tooth, but not to the same level as Franco. She likes cakes and pies and cookies and will choose those first over anything else, while he goes for candy and sugary drinks.

- I'm projecting here but she LOVES cinnamon. The only complaint she's ever gotten about one of her baked goods was there being too much cinnamon. She had to politely explain that that simply wasn't possible, and then Futterman had to explain that they needed to shut the fuck up, and then shut the fuck up.

- She likes to hum to herself a lot. I feel like she hums and sings whenever it's too quiet and Futterman gets mad she just won't let there be silence.

- Massive fan of comfy sweaters. She likes the light fabric of her blouse but a good comfy sweater is where it's at for her.

- Her favorite season is spring! She also likes winter (for the cozy sweaters and baked goods, obvi), but spring is when everything comes to life. Futterman would eat a bee though.

- She loves to sniff flowers but I think she'd have allergies :( But the funny thing is she's not the one who sneezes, it's Futterman.

- Likes the thought of having her nails painted but as soon as they chip she's gotta take all of the polish off. Partially nervous picking, partially bc she thinks it looks bad.

- If she's not feeling absolutely bloodthirsty and catches you she just picks you up by the back of the neck and holds you there. Naughty reagents go in air jail.

- Has a collection of pretty skirts but she feels like she never has anywhere nice to wear them. Someone let her show off her nice skirts.

- This woman is a lesbian and I will not be debating. Futterman says some... awful things about it. Damn homophobic goose.

FRANCO

- Even though he tells you to watch the suit, he knows that thing is a mess. Having something nice on just makes him feel a little less ugly and you BETTER not ruin it.

- Cuddles with Lupara sometimes, it brings him comfort even if it's genuinely uncomfortable.

- Winking at him if he catches you in a hiding spot will get you a 5 second head start to run for your life. God help you if he catches you though, you don't play with his feelings like that and get away with it.

- Would have, without a doubt, been the kid who tried to drink a spoonful of vanilla extract bc it smelled good.

- Would also eat a spoonful of sugar but he'd actually enjoy that. He's not kidding about that sweet tooth.

- I don't care WHAT the game shows, this man is itty bitty. 5 foot 3 at best. I'm leveling this playing field, give us our short king Red Barrels!

- His hearing is bad on the side with the visible injuries. It's why he shoots first when he hears a noise, he doesn't know what the hell he just heard and he'd rather be safe than sorry.

- Has a hard time keeping what he's drinking off of his shirt or from running down his chin. Not like he's trying to be elegant when he drinks that cocktail.

- If you offered him skim milk he'd kill you on the spot. This is a WHOLE MILK HOUSEHOLD.

- I don't think his "mommy" would need to be a woman tbh. I think fulfilling the mothering role would be enough for him most of the time. Besides, tiddy is tiddy.

It's so tempting to put in all my silly headcanons for Franco bc I love him but I will refrain from the Cringe

[linkdedruid]

HEY BABE, WHAT SIZE PUSSY YOU HAVE

(Headcanons)

The Trigun Folks and Buying Period Supplies for Their Partner for the First Time

I'd like you to know that I *cackled* when I saw this in my inbox. Sorry it took so longggggg! So, I'm basing this off a mix of TriStamp and Tri98 (only reason not TriMax is bc I haven't read it yet I'm sorryyyyy) Big thank you to @abject-indulgence for helping with Legato (go follow him; he's pretty rad) Dividers by @benkeibear

Livio

he's such a sweetheart he offers to go get more supplies because your cramps are really bad he gets to the store and is very overwhelmed by the range of options he'd just text you to ask which ones you preferred to make sure he gets the right ones he also picks up your favorite dinner while he's out because at least it'll be a nice surprise

Wolfwood

this man runs an orphanage, so he knows what's up you ask him to grab some more when he's running errands he checks with you before he leaves to make sure he gets the right brand, size, etc. he's gonna maybe give you a little funny remark but he's back later that day with the supplies and some of your favorite snacks and he'll give you a uterine massage if your cramps are particularly bad also, he's the world's best heating pad because he runs so warm

Vash

poor, sweet Vash is trying his best he's never really had a partner before and wants to make sure he does everything right so he's doing a store run and notices pads and tampons are on the list doesn't look at the list before he goes and just panics nearly has a breakdown in the aisle because he doesn't know which ones to get he's too nervous to ask you or the employees he ends up getting one of each that he can find because he can't get it wrong if he gets all of them, right

Knives

he's gonna complain like, he's gonna say some crap about how humans are such a pain and a nuisance and he'll make someone else do it he will, however, make sure there's someone keeping an eye on it in future so you never have to ask again but he won't ever admit to it

Roberto

look me in the eye and tell me this man doesn't have this on lock I dare you because you'll be dead wrong this man has been around the block no hesitation just asks which ones you want like it's no big deal to him it's just another part of life

Legato

he's just confused why you're asking him to do it he's not grossed out or upset, just confused like, anybody could go do that and he's got things to do that only he can do anyway, he makes sure it gets done though he just has one of the lower level grunts do it with the threat of an excruciating death if they mess it up

Milly

you never have to ask her to pick up supplies because she's already on top of it like, she knows when anything is running low at home what makes you think she'd be anything less growing up with a big family means making sure there's plenty of household supplies you're actually more likely to have the issue of there not being enough space she always accidentally ends up buying too much

Meryl

she's the one who's gonna forget to supplies honestly she's too busy focusing on everything else to check and so she's doing emergency runs to get something to tide y'all over until she can get to the store to actually get the ones y'all want spoiler: she forgets and the cycle repeats

[emhm]

How are you doing? I feel kinda weird asking for a life update but I'm curious how you've been. I love all the dolls you're make. I think KC is currently my favorite. And are you gonna do anything special for your 100th chapter?

I didn't want to answer this until I was back home and on my PC, [I REALLY hate typing long messages on my phone.] As far as the chapter- I don't hold things back for certain numbers. Or I would have teased Sun and Eclipse's first actual sex together until the 100th chapter. Thank you for that. I'm already planning four more dolls. They're really fun to make. Everything else... it's complicated. I've already dosed the cats for fleas twice in the last 30 days and it's supposed to last a month. The Frontline Gold is barely keeping them flea free for two weeks and it's insanely frustrating. The only way to get them better meds entails a vet visit for the 3/4 cats that aren't current anywhere. I still have a lot of cleaning to do because I'm only home/awake two days of the week and I still have to cook for the rest of the weeks lunches on those days. This is my problem and I am working on it. My partner basically does the same job as me but for a different client because our work is contracted out by a parent company. Her previous contract ended and took her from 40hrs a week down to 24. And that's the biggest reason that I've been having to beg via Ko-fi just to pay the normal household bills. I already work 40hrs a week and they won't give me any more. We also share a car so that limits what she can do. I heard offhand that the client I work for wanted 10hr shifts for my position instead of 8 but didn't get it for some reason. And I'm the only one on the site, so it was likely to avoid paying me overtime. So what I've done is arrange for my partner to take one of my weekday shifts. This doesn't make us any less fucked on the bills, but it means that if the client pushes for longer hours then I can bump back up to 40 and she'll have the extra day they wouldn't give me. Plus it means I get three days off to do shit at home instead of just two. We have the money to get Lucky fixed [thanks guys!] but we can't seem to score an appointment to get it done. It's a low cost thing and it's first come first serve. We'll keep calling. The dealership offered us a better deal on getting the breaks repaired then the tire place we were going to use. But it was sight unseen. They owe us a free oil change anyway. The appointment to have that done is tomorrow. I also have money set aside for that. [You guys are freaking amazing.] I won't touch any of it until the breaks are done and then I'll know if there's anything left to put towards bills or buy some wood for winter. Because we're already not getting what we need for hours I have to assume the worst [that there will be nothing left] and the every other month electric bill is this month. Fortunately we're only had the AC running maybe four days since it got hot. Point is that I was short several thousand dollars last month. This month will probably be more like $600 short at the worst. Personally. I'm just... here. Doing my thing. I'm really hoping to see some people attempt to follow the patterns I put up. I actually love teaching people to make things and I'm happy to answer questions. Thank you for asking. :) https://ko-fi.com/followmeontumblr

[nutcasewithaknife]

Controversial take time! Wei Wuxian knew that his siblings always loved him, but believed that they were making a mistake in doing so.

(This got too long, it's is under the cut!)

Hear me out. I don't think that Wei Wuxian didn't know he was loved unconditionally. He knew!! For a whole year or so after the war, he was at Yunmeng doing less that the bare minimum to help rebuild, and his brother is mad about it. But he still tries to stand up for Wei Wuxian in front of the rest of Jianghu! The have the stupid soup conversation! Yanli goes off at Jin Zixun in front of half the Jianghu bigshots for insulting him, runs into a battlefield for him after he's killed her husband!! He's never truly afraid of meeting Jiang Cheng post-resurrection, not surprised at all at being asked why he didn't come home. He's just trying to avoid the inevitable mess of feelings that the meeting would entail. Afterall, when it came down to it, Jiang Cheng shut his eyes and stabbed a rock in the end, not him, not even after he'd killed their sister.

Now for the argument. Look, the sibling trio has some complex dynamics, but they survived that household on a mutual understanding that they love each other. That's why Wei Wuxian leaving is the point that casts everything into doubt - they have always been together, and that was an immutable fact until it suddenly wasn't. I don't thing Jiang Yanli or Jiang Cheng ever understood how much Wei Wuxian took their mother to heart - he truly believed any love he deserved was to be earned, because was was a servant. Unconditional love was for family only!

It hit me only while watching the best scene aka Yanli ripping into Jin Zixun at the hunt. She defends him, basically declares him as part of her family, and Wei Wuxian? He's watching his sister having to defend him when it should be the other way round, getting flak for sticking up for him too. He's in agonies the entire time! He's not even happy about jzx getting verbally eviscerated in public!

Most obvious between Sunshot and leaving with the Wens, there's a pattern. Wei Wuxian may not be stepping in as First Disciple to rebuild, but he's still useful - nobody will dare harm the Yunmeng Jiang while he is part of it and holds the power of the Stygian Tiger Amulet. And then, slowly but surely, he sees his brother and and sister standing up for him, deescalating political situations caused by others vying for the very power he possessed and wanted to use to protect the sect. It was actually harming them, in a way that couldn't be solved by its brute force. He is the opposite of useful, now - he's the root of a brewing threat to the sect. This is a huge part of why he leaves! He's pushing away the people he can no longer help but only harm, and he's going to those who he can still be useful to.

Yes, it's about keeping them safe because he loves them, and about protecting lives, but also because he thinks his brother and sister had it wrong all along - they saw him as family when he was just a servant, and therefore acceptable as collateral damage. He cannot allow them to protect him, because that's his job even if they refuse to acknowledge that, isn't it? He left because he thought he was useless, a danger, he didn't deserve their love after they had to defend him at the cost of harm to the sect and themselves. It really fits into his habit of deciding for others once he's made up his mind, doesn't it?

The crux of it is, I think, that he eventually learns that he can have a family. That's why Lan Wangji is important. He doesn't have a fragile, struggling sect of people to protect above everything else, unlike Jiang Cheng. He doesn't die while trying to stick to Wei Wuxian's side, unlike Yanli. He doesn't die for Wei Wuxian either, like Wen Qing. Lan Wangji is able to stay by his side and survives it long enough for him to realise that maybe, just maybe, having him as family is worth breaking rules for, and won't get people killed by default.

[remidyal]

Fantasy High PCs and some NPCs ranked by cooking ability, worst to best

This is completely my headcanon as of the end of FHSY, and as such is indisputable; Lunacy's would run a little different because Aelwyn is at least trying to learn in that. Starting with our worst:

Adaine and Aelwyn. Unseen servants did the cooking in the Abernant household, keeping these two from even having witnessed how to prepare a meal; since leaving it, Adaine's had a jacket that she can pull a sandwich out of at any time and Aelwyn's spent her time with the world's worst insomnia. At least both of them know it and won't try, unlike our other rich kid...

Fabian. His dignity is above trying, usually, but you can definitely taunt him into giving it a go and you are definitely going to regret it. Pretty great at chopping veggies though.

Gilear. Which is made even worse by the fact that he was paid to do it for most of a year for children, but this man absolutely had no business in that job. Or any job, near as I can tell.

Arthur Aguefort. Made worse by the fact that you just know he COULD cook perfectly fine if he wanted to but that he knows if he did you'd want him to do it again so he doesn't, plus if he uses your kitchen he definitely steals some of the cutlery.

Fig. Good at desserts, assuming you enjoy everything being 'special'. Overcooks most stuff and claims it's because she likes the smell of burning, which isn't true because she can't smell anything after chain-smoking cloves for two years.

Ayda. She can only make, like, two dishes but she does them with an industrial perfection every time, so as long as you like what she likes you're golden.

Riz. Kind of the extreme opposite of Ayda; he can make anything OK but because he thinks it's a waste of time you're really risking him undercooking it because it's not going to bother HIS stomach. Makes a mean poke bowl though.

Doreen. Yes, this means this is the cutoff line above which everyone is worse than industrial school kitchen quality. Yes, her replacement is like five spots back on this list. Yes, everyone else at school blamed Adaine for the dropoff in quality for braining her with the ladle.

Kristen. However, everything she can make is something you would find at a church potluck, and everything has corn in it because she hasn't expanded her cooking at the same time as her religion.

Jawbone. Similar to Kristen, a limited repertoire, in his case mostly limited to things you would make while hungover, but it's all really freaking good, man.

Gorgug. Secretly bordering on a masterful chef, but would place himself like ten slots back on this list and so always ends up letting Riz, Kristen, or Fig cook for the party.

[multi-lefaiye]

kennedy playlist essay

ok here we go, gamers

so the kennedy playlist isn't long. it's one of my shortest playlists. but i wanted to explain every song in it <3 some of these explanations will be redacted for spoiler reasons. anyway.

for each song i'll explain why it's in there, and then share some of my favorite/most fitting lyrics.

so i'm just gonna go in order <3 starting under the cut!

fire - kimya dawson

so this song just really vibes with the themes i have planned for kennedy, centering around like. forcing down your depression and pain in the face of all the darkness in the world. kennedy is the kind of person who wants to spread light and joy, but he very much struggles to accept any of that for himself. half the reason he runs an advice blog is because he wants to help others more than anything else, but he doesn't think he deserves the same in kind.

this is further exacerbated by the problems mounting in kennedy's hometown, which are just a small snapshot of much larger issues. i also think this song works well with kennedy's growing bitterness and anger, especially towards those in power who are abandoning the people under their care! something something direct comparisons between kennedy fighting to care for their younger brother vs politicians abandoning their people! it's a lot.

the lyrics i want to highlight:

My heart will stop if I put out the fire As long as I'm burning I'll keep on yearning To save the world Not sure how but I'm learning

my mom - kimya dawson

this song i take a bit less literally in terms of what it's actually meant to be about, but i relate this song so so much to kennedy's family. the first verse is literally just kennedy's terror at losing owen, the only family he has left and the one person he would die to protect.

i also actually still haven't decided what happened to their parents, but their parents are gone. kennedy is the only adult left in this household and they never processed their grief. and they're going to do everything they can for their brother. owen won't go through the same pain kennedy is. not if they have anything to say about it.

also the imagery just vibes with some plans i have for later.

the lyrics i want to highlight:

All the people's mouths are moving All you hear are car alarms And you wake up and start to cry I will lose my shit if even one more person I know dies So please don't die

runs in the family - amanda palmer

this one i don't have a lot in mind for deep analysis for, but yeah kennedy has a lot of mental health issues they are straight up not receiving any care or support for. it's killing them, but they won't take care of themself the way they take care of others if it means they have to *stop* taking care of those around them.

not to say that no one is trying, but kennedy is determinedly like "no i'm fine, other people have it worse, and there are bigger issues than me."

the lyrics i want to highlight:

My friend's depressed, she's a wreck, she's a mess They've done all sorts of tests and they guess it has something to do With her grandmother's grandfather's grandmother Civil war soldiers who prob'ly infected her

the daughter of the fish and the ram - the scary jokes

so this is kind of a funky weird song, but i relate it to kennedy's self-image issues. this isn't something that's going to be obvious b/c kennedy doesn't dwell on it, but yeah. they do not like themself. like i think in a different story, kennedy's arc would center a lot around learning to accept and love himself. unfortunately, though, that's not the world he lives in.

i actually was thinking about like. writing a different/au story with kennedy going on that arc. we'll see though! but yeah for a variety of reasons, kennedy feels like a fundamentally broken person and that's just. how it is.

the lyrics i want to highlight:

"Sadly, you were doomed from the start There's an incurable longing in your heart And not even magic Can fix that"

the spine song - cake bake betty

i would explain this one in a bit more depth, but uh. well. you see. it's mostly vibes. and a little bit Spoilers. but this relates very much to kennedy towards the end of his arc, when he's hopeless and anguished.

the lyrics i want to highlight (b/c i know they'll make at least bat scream):

On your birthday you woke up The snow was on the ground You opened books and peeked inside They kissed you on your crown

a deer mistaking candles for headlights - crywank

so i relate this song a lot to kennedy's relationship to some of his friends. i have a whole list of them and little blurbs about their relationships saved in my personal server. i think this especially relates to his friend franklin, who he'll refer to as 'turtle' at first on his blog. (kennedy uses fake names for everyone to protect their privacy.)

so i'll say right now. romance is not the endgame for kennedy's canon storyline. BUT i do love the tragedy of "maybe in another time, in another place, we could've been beautiful." and that's kinda how i sum up franklin and kennedy in my mind.

i won't go into it more than that rn though <3

the lyrics i want to highlight:

Does the blank stare scare you more than the frown? Am I the reason that you feel down? Distant but rational, bringer of rage To get to a level where I will engage

ghost story - charming disaster

franklin and kennedy <3 i won't say anything else because if i do i'm gonna start tearing up.

i'm just gonna highlight these lyrics:

Since the day they told me he was gone Haunts me faithfully from dusk till dawn Hear him whisper sweetly in my ear Can’t you see we got a good thing here

a complete list of fears ages 5-28 - the yellow dress

this one's pretty straightforward. kennedy has been through a Lot they don't talk about, and they've had a lot to be afraid of in their life. at heart, kennedy is an anxious, stressed person, struggling to keep a tight lid on that anxiety. however. lately, most of kennedy's fears relate to owen.

will owen be safe? will owen be happy? will owen have enough to eat? if anything happens to kennedy, what happens to owen?

kennedy is terrified he won't be able to protect and care for his brother, and that impacts everything he does. he'd do anything for owen, and that's a big driving force for him.

also yeah i know this song is more about romance but it's my house and this is about someone providing for and being terrified that something might happen to their younger sibling <3

the lyrics i wanna highlight:

And here's a picture of the house I'd like to build for us someday This may seem unrealistic, I'm not very good with my hands If we had to we could buy it, or keep renting like we do Borrow money from our parents, pool our money me and you

never love an anchor - the crane wives

well if i explain this one in any depth i'll be spoiling the climax for kennedy's arc won't i-

i'll just say. kennedy would never willingly leave owen behind or abandon him. that's just not in the cards. but uh. well. sometimes you don't always get a choice.

anyway highlighting these lyrics:

There are times where I still wonder about you You are someone I have loved but never known And you’ll never see the reasons I had For keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you

we will commit wolf murder - of montreal

so i relate this song a lot to like. kennedy's outlook and attitude towards humanity as a whole and the people around him. because kennedy sees the darkness in the world, all the pain and suffering people are forced through. and it kills him, because at heart he believes humanity *is* inherently good.

i heard a quote once, idk where it's from, but it was like. "you love humanity so much that you hate them for what they do to each other." that's a big vibe with kennedy as a character. i do want there to be a lot of hope in this story, even amid the hopelessness. because, yes, the world has terrible people in it, but it also has so so many good people. that's something kennedy wholeheartedly believes in.

anyway <3 highlighting these lyrics:

I tried to understand his logic But there's just no pattern there No sympathetic voices anywhere There's blood in my hair

angel eyes and basketball - foot ox

once again i relate this song a lot to kennedy's hope for the world around him, and his belief that things can and will get better--we just need to work for them to happen. the same goes for people--people can and will get better, but that requires effort. it also requires community: no one person can change things for the better without help or without cooperation. and that's what kennedy strives for.

also the imagery in the first few lines makes me think so much of [redacted for spoilers].

lyrics to highlight:

And you have to believe me when I say I understand that no one around here seems to understand But you have got to make an effort Yeah you have got to make an effort

community gardens - the scary jokes & louie zong

so apparently this song may be part of a larger storyline? i'm taking it out of context, though.

but anyway <3 this relates pretty directly to the themes in kennedy's story relating to the environment and the local politics of that. like the lines i'm highlighting i relate very directly to how things get worse and worse due to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]

highlighting thees lyrics:

The culmination of man's mistakes came the day The sun ran so hot, it turned the desert to glass If there's something to be learned from all these losers It's that the price that you pay For arrogance and a false sense of immunity Is to face the wrath of a dying star

es - crying

i relate this song a lot to kennedy feeling like an outcast among people, even among those he's closest to. he has friends and he has people he loves, but is he *really* part of the group? also this feels like a very trans song to me for reasons that idk how to explain rn, so i associate it with a lot of trans characters. kennedy is certainly Trans Of Gender. do i have anything to back that up? not off the top of my head. but here we go.

i do also wanna go ahead and say that i very much recognize that this song draws on at least the lead singer's experiences as an east asian person (tentatively saying person b/c i'm not actually sure on their gender and finding conflicting sources), and kennedy as a white character is not going to reflect a lot of those experiences. however, i think this song still vibes with him in a lot of ways.

anyway the lyrics i want to highlight:

Mom doesn't think I fit into the darling archetype But that's an ancient pair of jeans And my thighs are crafted holy rolling thunder Forget the numbers, forget the numbers please

my r - specifically the lollia cover

SO HERE WE ARE. THIS SONG. god this song. big big cw for suicide if you're not familiar with it.

so this song is essentially about a suicidal girl trying to talk other people out of suicide. and y'know what. that vibes with kennedy. he is suffering but has devoted himself entirely to helping others who are suffering, while not accepting any of that help for himself. and WELL if i keep going i'll get into spoilers <3

so anyway here's the lyrics i'm highlighting:

And like that, there was someone every day I listened to their tale I made them turn away And yet there was no one who would do this for me No way I could let out all this pain

st bernard - lincoln

i mean this is truly the angsty blorbo song of all time. very multipurpose.

so i tie this song a little bit into some of the more. for lack of a better term. the bummer themes in kennedy's storyline. because while i want this story to be very hopeful in a lot of ways, it's also a bummer. specifically the idea that like... kennedy is full of love and hope and light, but ultimately he's just one person, and one person can't stop all the problems in the world. this is something that weighs on them quite a bit.

and yeah i also think a lot about like. ghgh i wanna talk about The Ending but i can't </3 spoilers </3 but i will say the ending is going to intentionally be very ambiguous. and i'm just gonna... highlight some lyrics for it.

Saint Calvin told me not to worry about you But he's got his own things to deal with There's really just one thing that we have in common: Neither of us will be missed

[nobodygetsme94]

At what point do you stop caring what your parents think? Mine, especially my mom, puts so much pressure on me. She takes all her frustrations out on me. I get blamed for everything. Being the eldest daughter, I have to be strong for everyone. I have to make sure the house runs smoothly and everyone is taken care of. Everything falls on me because I'm the eldest. Im her support system... but who is supporting me? Who's there to catch me if I fall ? Who's going to pick me back up and just comfort me. This growing pressure just keeps growing. I just keep going and going. There's no stopping to feel sorry for myself. There's no time for that. I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind. Part of me wanted to go back to school but I can't do that because I have to be here to help pay bills. I have to be working full time to try and save while helping to support a household that is mentally and emotionally draining. All I want is to have enough to buy a house and move out. House prices here are so expensive. My mom's response to me telling her I'm trying to save to move out? "Well, who's going to take care of me? Who's going to help me around the house? No one else does. How are we going to afford to pay all of our bills? You won't be able to help us out.'' What about me and what I want? I'm made to feel guilty and like a horrible person for wanting to live my own life. My childhood was cut short, I had to grow up quick and help run the household. I raised my brother when I should have been out with friends riding bikes or playing at the park. I'm just tired of feeling like a disappointment. I feel like a bird with clipped wings.

[we-were-made-of-stars-once]

Sorry to get emotional and rambly on main but I have nowhere else to vent about my pitiful life so

do ya ever have those days when you're walking to your shitty underpaid overstressing 9-5 job right after having a mental breakdown/going through a depressive episode listening to What was I made for by Billie Eilish, but you can't cry right now because it'll ruin your makeup so you just keep walking while drinking your shitty coffee and now you're 5 mins late to work. But you couldn't care less about it because this job has stolen your soul already so what if they fire you, you hate this job but also you cant afford to lose this job because you make the money in this household and your significant other still can't get a job bcuz reasons. I think I'm having a existential crisis with the fact I'm about to be 27 in 5 days and I literally have nothing to show for it and I'm still making my family disappointed. The burnt out gifted child is still here even though I'm an 'adult'

My art and fandoms aren't making me happy. . .if anything they are adding to the stress. . .I want to take a break and not worry about creating art content before the deadlines and having piles of wips in my folders or writing my roleplay responses because I know I'm not a good writer or running my discord servers all by myself and slacking on posting daily or recruiting new members. . .I have other things in my life that I need to do outside the internet. . .like pursuing my tattoo career or voice acting career or even starting my art commissions. . . something. . .anything to get me out of this financial rut besides starting an onlyfans that won't kill the last bit of spark of creativity in me . . .but there's never any time or energy but I'm 4 fucking years away from being middle-aged and who the fuck am I kidding I can't get into filmmaking or making animated stories and my dreams are just dreams. . . .that's all they'll ever be. . .and I just want to run away from everything or rot in my bed to forget the world

[walkedlegacy-closed]

what is their favorite exhibit at an aquarium?

what does their breakfast look like?

what gaming console was the first one they ever played?

is there a small habit that they do every day?

what color was their childhood bedroom?

what is their favorite wine / liquor?

what's their guilty pleasure tv show?

ANSWERED ASK : ( timeguardians )

okay , thiis is gonna be a long post , because i can never seem to answer these simply , but i wanted to get this one out so i didn't have two of these sitting in my asks. okay . . . got your note taking tools out?? good! lets roll!

HEADCANON QUESTIONS.

WHAT IS THEIR FAVORITE EXHIBIT AT AN AQUARIUM?

oooooo a good one to start off with. anya really liked the aquarium and all the sea creatures since she was a kid. well , aquarium , zoo , it didn't matter. if she was looking at animals she was always a happy girl. she loves everything about the aquarium if i'm being honest , and her favorites have changed over the years. when she was a little girl , she loved visiting the areas where they had the big massive schools of fish. she'd marvel at the shimmering of the scales and all the pretty colors , while her parents explained how they use teamwork to survive. when she got older , her favorite became the shark exhibit. she really enjoys sharks and learning about them and even wants to swim with one someday. ( despite the many ways she knows it would go wrong ) and after she has kids , she finds a special love for the touching pool , she loves taking the kids to the aquarium and watching them learn about the world around them.

WHAT DOES THEIR BREAKFAST LOOK LIKE?

coffee is always part of it , no exceptions ( except when she was pregnant. it was a nightmare ) and a glass of orange juice as well for a drink. her job is everything to her , and she makes sure she has the diet to support it. whole wheat toast with avocado spread on it , with usually what is a scramble made up of eggs , green peppers , mushrooms and onions. she keeps a nutrition guide the fire department released so she has a grocery list she can refer to , but she's had this diet since her parents would allow her to even have a diet. she switches it up sometimes with a yogurt and granola option if she knows bobby is going to have breakfast for the house , in which case it's whatever bobby makes , and on the way out she has a smoothie with her she makes every morning consisting of spinach , mixed berries , some sort of whey protein , avocado oil , and water.

WHAT GAMING CONSOLE WAS THE FIRST ONE THEY EVER PLAYED?

the barnes household was always mostly a playstation household , and was the first console anya ever played with her brother , and it was taking turns playing spyro. they fell in love but anya didn't really latch onto video games right away , being a little too wiggly for them. she eventually found an appreciation for them , and even plays them now to blow off steam , and is pretty good at it. ( her and jamie like to game to blow off steam together after long shifts or when they can't sleep. )

IS THERE A SMALL HABIT THEY DO EVERYDAY?

every morning when she wakes up she sends a text to her partner to say good morning before she does anything else. she checks the family chat. due to the fact that her grandparents are so old , the family has a chat for in case anything needs to be done by the younger members of the family. ( the organization in that family only exists because otherwise there would be chaos. ) and she won't start the day until she's gotten back from her morning run. she only ever misses her run when she's injured in various points of the timeline. as part of her romanian heritage , when she became a firefighter , her grandmother gave her a horseshoe keychain to put on her key ring. in the romanian culture , horseshoes mean wealth and prosperity. so as she walks into the firehouse for her shift , she makes sure to give that keychain a good rub. ( yes . . . she is superstitious. )

WHAT COLOR WAS THEIR CHILDHOOD BEDROOM?

ORANGE! her room was always a very gender neutral room , and as a baby anya was a very happy child. she liked colors like yellow and orange. things that looked like the sun. she changed her color scheme a bit as she grew older.

WHAT IS THEIR FAVORITE WINE/LIQUOR?

she's a vodka girl. given that she's russian and romanian , that isn't too much of a surprise. she'll take it usually in a vodka cranberry , unless she's having a stressful day , in which case she'll take it in shot form. there is always a bottle of stolichnaya ( or stolis coming from her or her family ) and just about every house in her family has it as well ( her grandfather is a big fan of the stuff. ) for wine , she's not too picky , but she does like a nice red if you're trying to impress , ability to pair wine with food though is more impressive to her than having her favorite. ( she's had red wine with fish , while its her favorite . . . not good. )

WHAT IS THEIR GUILTY PLEASURE TV SHOW?

brooklyn 99 is her guilt pleasure show , though she really doesn't have a show she's guilty about watching. if she's had some to drink though , she likes screaming at real housewives of la ( if it's not a thing it is in this verse ) and when jamie is over they turn on cops and get drunk while watching.

[levinletlive]

Or even a large salary with massive expenses.

I make almost $30/hr. So does my mom. Our combined household income puts at an annual $120k/year.

Yet, we still cannot afford to live independently of each other because we live in California. We cannot leave California for 2 reasons:

Mom has terrible agoraphobia that won't even let her explore all corners of our county

The work we do (clerical/office stuff) is paid like shit in every other state and we'd have to take a massive pay cut to move anywhere else

Our rent is $3k/month. That's an entire check from one of us every single month. We fix everything that goes wrong in this house ourselves because we're terrified of rent increases.

Groceries have gotten so expensive that I just skip lunch most days to make the food and money stretch. Our household grocery bill ranges from $400-500/mo. even when we do all of our shopping at Winco.

Then we have water, garbage, PG&E, gas for our cars, credit card and phone payments, internet, and whatever else comes with running our basic household.

There is no other setup you can have in this area. There are no competitors for most of our utility companies. There are no cheaper grocery stores nearby. There are no cheaper homes. It's this or homelessness, which is why the homeless population in our area is skyrocketing.

If rents weren't what they are, we'd still struggle for other reasons--we're buried in debt from having to move before, and from the car accident I was in--but at least we wouldn't have to worry about being homeless on top of it.

Having to work so much to pay for everything takes its toll too. My mom and I both have disabilities and the full-time work leaves me too drained most days to do anything more than the minimum necessary to survive. Our house is a wreck much of the time. Weekends are spent doing the chores I didn't have the energy to do during the week, and running the errands I couldn't run while I was working. I never have any downtime.

The constant stress triggers my anxiety and depression, and I get so buried in both that the medications I take don't work anymore. I have gone out on disability twice since I started this job because I just have to keep working until I collapse over and over and over again. I'm lucky to have a job where they can't just fire me (why unions are important). I've been doing okay for most of this year, but I'm already starting to feel like I'm approaching my limit.

This economy does not work for anybody but the obscenely rich.

[votestaynight2]

9th Day - RAIN (Scene 7)

…I'm worried about Sakura. I feel bad, but I should clearly tell her.

"Tohsaka? Would you mind doing that at my house?" "Huh? At your house?"

"Yeah. Sakura's lying sick at my house, so I want to go check on her. I won't be able to rest easy while I'm lying in bed unless I'm sure she's all right."

"Crap―――that's right." …She's astonished. It's only natural. Anyone would get mad if someone asked to cooperate, but told them today is a bad day to train――――

"You idiot! I wouldn't have kept you here for so long if you'd told me earlier…!" "………Huh?" She stands up as soon as she yells at me, then crosses the room and puts on her coat.

"Let's go. We've done everything that has to be done here, and we can do the rest at your place. We'll continue as soon as you're done with nursing Sakura, so let's hurry." "Eh――――o-okay. That'll help me out."

"…Humph. I'll tell you now since I don't want to have to keep remembering this. ―――Your nature is in projection and not strengthening. I don't know where you made your mistake or what your misunderstanding is, but you're a magus that belongs on the 'side that creates'." Tohsaka walks off down the hallway.

"…?" I tilt my head in wonder, but I follow Tohsaka and leave the Tohsaka household.

Interlude 9-1

The second hand on the clock ticks loudly, causing her to look up. It's past four o'clock. School's already over and he should be home by now even if he went by the shopping district.

"…I wonder what's going on. Senpai sure is late." She leans on the wall and murmurs absent-mindedly.

"――――Huh?" She feels heavy and dizzy. She's surprised at how quiet her voice is. The second hand is annoyingly loud, but her words are almost inaudible. Only simple sounds echo in her ears. The monotonous ticking of the clock, and the painful thumping of her heart. The two sounds enter her brain even if she covers her ears, and her dizziness gets worse.

"That's strange… I'm really not sick anymore." That's why she sent the housekeeper home. She was down to her normal temperature when she checked it, and she was able to cook her own lunch. She was just fine after lunch, and she waited eagerly for his return.

"――――It's hot――――" But her whole body is hot now. The heat source isn't her, so it has to be something else. Between her blood vessels. Between her muscles where there are no spaces. Something that's not her is in there, turning like a car engine. ―――Her fever is so high that it makes her imagine such a thing, and the abnormality is unprecedented.

The sensation is strange and unpleasant. She isn't the only one that's in pain. It's shared by the things in her body, crawling through her blood vessels and nerves. To speak figuratively, it's like a dog looking for the exit to a can filled with meat. The heat source, the things within her, are trying their best to fulfill their role. Thinking about that makes them seem charming, and she cannot make herself hate the sensation.

"…The clock's loud…" She looks up at the clock absent-mindedly. It's four-thirty. A bit longer. He should be back in half an hour. She has to calm down and suppress the things running around inside of her by then.

"…It's fine… It's happened many times before…" Yes, she is used to this. She has been disciplined and reformed many times since she was a child. She tells herself that it will be no trouble this time either―――but her fever does not go down, and the things within her keep speeding up.

"…No… This is strange, Senpai." Her body does not calm down. She has never been able to. What's missing, what she needs, and what has changed. She tries hard to think about these questions, but the ticking of the clock keeps distracting her.

"――――Huh…? This sound…" When she realizes the sound is not the clock, but a warning from the house itself… "Oh, Emiya's not here? That's convenient." A familiar person enters, barefooted.

"Nii-san." "Huh? Oh, Emiya's not here and you're getting all hot and horny by yourself? Did I use Rider too much, like the old man said?" He comes into the living room and walks over to the girl leaning against the wall.

"Oh――――" She tries to run, but can't muster the strength. No, she had no will to run away from the start. Even if she gets away―――she can never truly escape.

"This is your last order, Sakura. You said you'd do anything, right?" The one looking down at her is smiling. "――――Nii-san." "Let's go. I have to settle my match with Emiya. I'm sure you want to see him cry, so I'll let you see it up close." The boy grabs her arm and hauls her to her feet.

"No――――I don't want to…!" She tries to get away, but lacks the strength to do so. The man pulls her in and grabs her neck.

"Don't disobey me so much, Sakura. You're making me want to kill you. You just have to keep obeying me." "No――――it's not as you promised, Nii-san…! You said you wouldn't do anything to Senpai…!" She protests, her hair disheveled. He stops her with his foot. He has let go and kicked her stomach.

"Uh――――guh……" Collapsing to the ground, she lets out a moan. "I'm being kind. I have the medicine I got from the old man, but I'm not using it." He forces her to her feet.

"Ah… Ah, uh――――" He grabs hold of the coughing girl's neck once again. "Don't worry, I'll keep my promise. I won't tell him about what happened. But I won't be satisfied until he gets hurt." He puts his mouth close to her cheeks and whispers in delight.

"――――, Uh――――" With her neck held, she shuts her mouth in vexation. She tries to accept this turn of events, thinking that it always ends up this way.

"Yeah, that's right. Let's go ahead, Sakura. This is Emiya's territory. We have to be in my territory if we're going to play around. Rider, bring this woman with me." Giving her a violent shove, he exits. "――――Ri… der…" The girl raises her head. There stands a Servant with long hair.

End of Interlude

"I'm home!" I raise my voice as I go into the house. "――――――――" …Then. I feel something strange as soon as I enter.

"The hallway, Emiya-kun." "――――――――" She doesn't even need to tell me. There are footprints on the floor. The only shoes I see are Sakura's. The housekeeper's aren't there, and the house is dead silent.

"Sakura." I go into the guest room. It's empty. The strange feeling turns into an ominous conviction.

I return to the living room. Sakura isn't here either. The footprints end here in the living room. Somebody came in here with his shoes on, did something in this room, and then went back outside.

"…Emiya-kun. Look at the floor there. It's small, but there's a trace of bl――――" "I know. Sakura was here." Yes, I know. Sakura was waiting for me alone in the living room, but is not here now.

There are unfamiliar footprints in the hallway. That's all. It's more strange not to draw a conclusion. The answer is clear if I think about it just a bit.

Calmly. Calmly. Calmly. Calmly think, and I can tell what happened here. So, why―――― "――――――――!" Why is my head not working at all?

"H-Hey, Emiya-kun…!?" "――――――――" I should've come home earlier. I should've thought about it more seriously. Didn't I have Sakura stay over for fear of just this situation? Matou Zouken said Sakura is unrelated. Why did I believe his words? There's no way she's unrelated when she's part of the Matou family.

So why? Why did I believe such a convenient story――――!?

"―――――" The phone rings. I nod at Tohsaka and slowly pick up the receiver.

"Hello? Are you finally home, Emiya?"

It's Shinji. There's no mistake about it, and I knew this was what happened.

"What have you done with Sakura?" "Huh? I only took back what's mine. I can't leave her at someone else's house forever."

"Shinji." "Haha! That's great, you're getting pissed! You're vexed that I took Sakura!"

Tohsaka must be able to hear Shinji's voice, because she's leaning forward. I raise a hand to stop her and urge him to go on.

"Don't waste my time. Just tell me what your business is." "Heh―――you should know. Let's decide our match. You don't think that last fight was the end, do you?" "I do. You ran away. Everything was decided right then."

"It's not decided…! That's the difference in our Servants, not your power! I wouldn't have run away if Saber wasn't there! There's no way I'll lose if Saber doesn't come…!"

If Saber doesn't come…? …I see. Rider must not have told Shinji that Saber was eliminated. Oh―――that must be why he kidnapped Sakura. In short, this phone call is…

"Shinji. What are you going to do with Sakura?" "Nothing. But that would depend on what you do. I won't do anything to Sakura if you come alone. You know what that means, right?" "――――!" I stop Tohsaka. If she interrupts now, there's no telling what Shinji will do.

"So you want me to fight you without Saber?" "Yeah, I'm glad you're perceptive when it counts. ―――We'll fight at school. Come alone, okay? Rider set up a boundary field over the school. I'll know right away if you bring Saber along. If that happens―――I can't guarantee what'll happen to her."

"Ow…!" I hear the sound of him kicking something.

"I'll go right away. But just in case, I want to know one thing. Are you a Master, or are you Sakura's brother?" "Hah…! Are you joking? Why would I be this shit's brother? Well, she's not completely useless because I can lure you out like this."

"――――All right. I'm going to go fight you as a Master." "Yeah, if it ends up being a fight."

I put the phone down. I start off right away.

"Hold on…! Are you really going to go alone!?" "That's what he wanted. We can talk later, Tohsaka."

"That's my line. Shinji has Sakura as a hostage. You'll be killed if you go. Seeing you die will be unbearable for Sakura. We should wait and see, and come up with a plan."

I know. But we don't have time. I can still hear her moans in my mind.

"――――I see. Would Shinji kill me in front of Sakura?" "Hm… I don't know, but that's highly possible since he's using Sakura as a hostage. …Hey, are you all right, Emiya-kun? You look calm, but don't tell me you've actually lost your cool."

I've lost my cool? Is she asking me if I can only think about going to school and punching Shinji in the face? Oh, then――――

"Yeah. I can't think of anything else. I'm mad at myself for not saying anything because I thought it was a family matter. He said he's not her brother. ―――Such a guy took Sakura."

"He took her, so I'm going to go take her back. Don't do anything, Tohsaka."

I go outside. The sky is dark, and the sun's about to set. I bet it'll rain tonight. I have to come home with Sakura before that.

"Hold on…! Didn't you join forces with me because you couldn't save people by yourself..!?"

"――――――――" I stop. Her words splash cold water onto my heated brain.

"――――I'm sorry. But Sakura's in danger. I know it's suicidal to go alone, but this is all I can do."

"…I thought so. But I can't readily help you as long as Shinji is holding Sakura hostage. But Emiya-kun. If you can manage to get Sakura back from Shinji, I can do the rest."

"――――You'll take care of Shinji?" "No, I'm talking about Rider. Servants are ones who fight other Servants, right? I'll be hiding, so do anything you can to save Sakura. If you can manage that, I'll save you no matter what, even if you are about to die in the next second."

Tohsaka sounds like she's trying to convince herself. …This is just going to increase the burden on her. I'm fully aware of that. I got Tohsaka to help me, and now Tohsaka's trying to fulfill our promise.

That convinces me. I'll rely on Tohsaka. In return, I'm going to get Sakura back.

"All right. I'll leave the follow-up to you." "Yeah. But that's under the condition that you're still alive to protect Sakura. Even Archer can't protect Sakura while fighting Rider. It's meaningless to save Sakura at the cost of your life."

The school building is deserted. Thanks to the series of comas, the school closed early. It's not even six o'clock, but there are no students or teachers to be seen.

"――――Can you tell where Shinji is, Tohsaka?" "…Knowing him, he's probably inside. I'm sure he's waiting in familiar territory on an upper floor." That could only be one place. Shinji is in the classroom on the third floor.

"I'll go ahead. You come later, Tohsaka." "…Okay. I'll go through the gate after ten minutes. I didn't tell you, but a boundary field's set up here. I'll be found even if I hide my presence, so keep their attention so they don't notice me."

I nod and start running. ――――There's hot steel in my back. The Magic Circuit is already made. I tell myself that my only weapon is meant to protect Sakura, not to harm my enemy.

"…!" I stop. On the third floor hallway are a black Servant and Shinji, holding a knife at Sakura.

"You――――!" My mind explodes. My feet start to move again. Then―――the black Servant blocks my way.

"Stop. My Master will harm her if you take another step." "…!" I slide to an abrupt halt. My mouth hurts. I'm gritting my teeth so hard that they're screaming.

"Shinji――――!" "Yo. Just like I thought, you came flying over here. I knew you would come alone if I told you to."

"――――!" My cool brain boils up once again. My head shakes so much that I almost forget about the Servant in front of me.

"…What is that?" Why is he doing such a thing?

Sakura is Shinji's sister. An older brother should protect his younger sister. Family members should help each other and laugh together. So why doesn't he understand? Something I couldn't protect. Why can't he understand how Sakura must feel to have her own brother holding a knife to her!?

"Are you serious, Shinji――――?" "Of course. I'm using the last trump card because I'm serious. Why are you stupid even at a time like this?"

"…!" Before I know it, I'm running. I can't stop until I get Sakura away from him.

"――――――――" But she's in my way. Rider is blocking my way, protecting Shinji.

"…I do not understand. Why did you come here? In coming here, you showed you were willing to obey my Master. If you planned to fight, you should not have come alone."

"――――!" …Rider's right. …I have to calm down. Since I obeyed Shinji, I have to think only about saving Sakura and not defeating Shinji.

"―――――――Phew." I take a deep breath and pull myself together.

Shinji is enjoying my dismay with Sakura in his arms. …Sakura hasn't raised her head since I arrived. She's not unconscious. She's standing unassisted. Her head is down because she doesn't want to raise it.

"―――Shinji. Did you tell her about us?" I glare at him, unable to hide my anger. "Huh?"

"――――Oh. Oh, I see! Yeah, don't worry, Emiya. Since you wouldn't tell her, I told her everything! I told her we're both Masters and tried to kill each other!"

"――――!" "Did you want to hide that from her? Are you stupid? Of course she'll find out! She knew you were hiding something, but she couldn't ask you because she's just your underclassman!" "……!"

He presses the blade against Sakura's cheek. Sakura looks away, but grits her teeth so that she won't raise her face.

"Come on, don't be reserved and ask. Emiya won't hide anything now. See, it's your wish come true!" "――――――――" She doesn't reply. With her head down…

"Hey. Why aren't you saying anything? I told you to ask him. I'm telling you to ask him what he thinks of you and if he hates you after finding out that you're a dirty woman of Matou!"

"Shinji――――!" …Her figure looks like she's apologizing to me, and I can't contain myself anymore.

"It's fine now, right? I came here, just like I promised. Let Sakura go." "What? I didn't promise you anything. I gave you a command. I just said I wouldn't do anything to Sakura if you came alone." "――――――――"

"Don't glare so much, Emiya. I'm not a devil. I'm glad that you want to save my sister. I'll meet your sincerity if you act accordingly. I can send Sakura home once we're done.

"I see―――is that a promise, Shinji?" "Yeah. I'll let Sakura go if you do as I say. This is a promise. I swear."

"All right. So, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg?" "Nope. What's the fun in making a guy beg? I brought you here to fight. I told you we're settling our match."

…Rider takes a step forward. There's no enmity or intent to kill. Rider steps forward to obey her Master.

"But it's boring to just fight, right? It's not fair since I'm not a magus, and it's obvious that I'll win in a fight. So to be fair, I'll have her fight you."

"――――――――!" …Heh. Fight Rider empty-handed, huh? That's like telling me to die.

"I won't take your life. I've told Rider to go easy on you. Well, I'm sure you'll be a nuisance if you keep running around after today, so I'll have her break your limbs."

…Rider is not holding her dagger. It seems she really is going to go easy on me.

"Isn't your job easy? You just have to stand there and get hit like a dumbass. Oh, but don't go down too soon, okay? If you faint before I'm satisfied, I'll have Sakura take the rest."

"――――――――" …Rider comes closer. Three more steps. Then I'll be within her reach.

"…Heh. Don't resist, but don't go down easily? You're contradicting yourself. What do you want, Shinji?"

"Hah, that's obvious, isn't it…!? I just want to beat the crap out of you…!!"

Rider springs forward. "――――" I raise both my arms in preparation for her attack. At that instant―――― An impact that almost blows the bones away with it pierces my right arm.

"Guh――――!" She aimed at my arm that was guarding my face. My arm is still attached. But it's numb and I don't feel anything.

"Haa……!" I lace my senses as fast as possible. I can't do anything bare-handed. Unless I strengthen everything that can be strengthened, my limbs will be torn clean off. I have to turn my uniform into steel and turn my body into something even stronger, or the next attack will kill me――――!

"――――!" A tremor runs through my left arm. The blow like a bushhammer penetrates through my strengthened uniform and tries to break my left arm.

"Haa――――you――――!" Both my arms have been rendered useless in a mere second. ―――No, they do move, but I don't feel them. I can't use my deadened arms to block her attacks. If she takes another shot at my head now, I'll be knocked out for sure…!

Rider is merciless. She beats me relentlessly, just as Shinji ordered. Her movements remind me of a machine.

"Ah, guh……!" I protect my face with arms that barely move. From the start, I can't perceive Rider's attacks to block them accordingly. I have to concentrate on guarding my head so that I won't get knocked unconscious.

"Kuh, guh――――!" What is Rider thinking? Even though my arms are an easy target, she ignores them. She only hits my exposed chest and stomach. …They are agonizing blows, but aren't as strong as the attacks that numbed my arms.

"―――――――, ――――" …It's strange. With the strength Rider showed at the Ryudou Temple, a single blow should be enough to tear me in half. …Is she going easy like Shinji said? Well, she is going easy on me by not aiming at my face, but even with that in mind, something's not right.

"――――――!" In short, her power is way too different. A Servant's power is in direct proportion to the magical energy you can feel from them.

Rider was a strong Servant back at the Ryudou Temple. But the Rider before me now is the Rider that was defeated at the park. I don't know what happened, but if that's the case, I still have a chance to outwit Shinji―――!

"Gu, fu…!" I fall forward. Seemingly tired of using me like a punching bag, she steps forward and drives her fist into my stomach.

"――――" It's like a stake gouging into my abdomen. …The attack is really effective. The bruises from last night are screaming with pain. Gastric juice fills my mouth and I almost fall down to my knees.

"What, is that it, Emiya? That's pitiful. You're in front of Sakura, so take it like a man!" …I fall forward.

"――――――――" Rider steps back and watches.

Then… "――――Ahh……!" I grab Rider's arm and force myself up.

"――――! That's good, Emiya! You're as persistent as a roach! Ahaha, you're hilarious!" Ah… guh. Damn, that hurts. My head is spinning, even though she didn't hit me there―――

"But, well… This is a third-rate show. Even if we continue, it'll just be more of the same. I'm getting bored, so let's finish it off with an exciting knockout scene."

――――The same? Are you stupid? What's the same about this? We're standing in a different position now. Hasn't he noticed that I switched positions with Rider when I pulled myself up using her arm?

"――――There are about five more meters. Your patience has won out." "What…?" I raise my head. What did Rider just say?

"Enough resting. Start the second round, Emiya." Rider shakes off my hand. The black Servant resumes her attacks with the artificiality of a machine.

―――I'm being pushed back. To avoid finishing me off, Rider's attacks stay clear of my vital areas.

"――――――――" My body is numb. I'm bruised everywhere I got hit, and I don't feel pain anymore. It's because the pain from within is worse than her attacks. Rider has attacked me to destroy my body.

"――――――Prepare yourself." The black Servant closes the distance with an emotionless voice.

And in that moment, I am certain. This isn't part of Shinji's plan. Rider's decision not to go for my head, and that I can still move my body… It's not because Shinji ordered her to go easy on me, but――――

"All right, you don't have to hold back anymore! Kill him, Rider!" "…!? Nii-san, stop…!"

Rider's hair flutters as she steps in… …and hits me in the chest with her most powerful strike yet.

"Guh――――――――" I can't breathe. I don't feel the ground anymore. Her attack almost blows me unconscious even though I knew it was coming.

"Senpai…!"

I hear a scream and a delighted laugh as I fly through the air. …Sakura's voice is close.

―――I fall. Under normal circumstances, I would've hit the floor and died. The impact of the fall doesn't matter. It's an attack strong enough to blow a human away. It wouldn't be surprising if the strike blew a hole in my chest.

"……Hah." But I'm alive. Anyone can jump back if the timing is set so perfectly. That attack wasn't meant to kill me. She's kept me conscious and mobile, not because of Shinji's order, but――――of her own free will.

"――――Now." The range is perfect. I turn my body right before I hit the ground, straighten myself instantly,

"Huh?" and grab the knife in front of me with my left hand.

I catch it by the blade. I don't care about it digging into my hand because it's numb.

"W-What――――!?" I raise my other arm. Without a thought for the pain…

I punch him square in the face with my clenched fist.

"――――Ah." I throw away the knife. Trying not to look at the blood, I run to where Sakura is sitting.

"Sakura…!" "…Senpai――――" Sakura doesn't raise her head to look at me.

…She's trying to avoid talking to me. I don't know if it's because of Shinji, or because of all the things I've hidden from her. All I can tell is that Sakura's body is hotter than this morning.

"…It's fine. Let's talk later. We'll go home for now and――――" "…!" "It's over. The match is decided, Shinji."

…Then. I realize that Tohsaka is behind me.

After being wounded by Archer, Rider is crouching down on the floor. Her clothes are wet with blood. Even though it's not fatal, she shouldn't be able to continue fighting.

"T-Tohsaka…!? Damn, that's not fair! You broke your promise, Emiya…! I told you to come alone!"

"Yeah. But that was an order, not a promise, right? Then I think it's illogical to call it unfair."

"T―――That's sophistry! It's natural for him to come alone since he said he'll come alone!"

"…That's fine. We were together, but Emiya-kun didn't ask me for help. I came here because I wanted to."

"You're lying…! Why are you here if he didn't get you!? Emiya acted honest and tricked me!"

"Oh, that? That's simple. I was next to him when you called. You had such a loud voice, Matou-kun. I was able to hear you even though Emiya-kun was trying to hide it."

"Do you understand now? There's no way I'd just sit there if Sakura's been kidnapped. You lured Emiya-kun to you at the price of making me your enemy."

"Kuh―――so you're here for Sakura too? …Sakura. Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, SakuraSakuraSakuraSakuraSakura…! I don't believe this! Are you still concerned about it!? She's just a quiet bitch that shrinks with fear! Look, I'm a Master! You shouldn't worry about them! You should just be concerned about me…!!"

"I see. Then why don't you make your Servant fight? Archer only cut her stomach. He hasn't destroyed the core of her embodiment, her neck or her heart. Go ahead and heal Rider if you're a legitimate Master." "Kuh――――damn you…!"

Shinji scrambles away and takes out a book. "That's――――" That's Shinji's Command Spell that burned up at that park. He still has it…!?

"Get up, Rider! It's your Master's order! Get up and beat Archer…!" "――――――――" There's no reply. Rider is crouching, motionless.

A puddle of blood is under her, and the blood keeps flowing. She is the one who needs help right now. To order her to fight is to hasten her death.

"Damn…! You're my Servant, so fight until you die, you bitch…!"

Shinji's fingers tighten on the book. That must be how he uses his Command Spell. With trembling movements, Rider tries to stand.

"Stop―――that's enough, Shinji, give up…! Rider will die if you push her any more…!" "Hah! Servants don't die that easily! You just shut up and take care of that piece of trash…!"

Shinji does not relent. "……!" I let go of Sakura and rush him again.

―――At that instant… "…No…! No more…!"

"――――Sakura?" I stop and turn back. Clutching her stomach, she moans as if in the throes of a nightmare.

"Wha――――!?" Shinji's book burns to ashes, just as it did that night.

"――――What?" Wind blows inside the enclosed hallway. It's coming from Rider, who was lying on the ground, and from Sakura, who is still crouching.

"――――No way. This is Rider…?" Tohsaka stands ready while Archer silently watches the enemy that stood up. Rider is completely healed. The power flowing from her body is just like when she was at the Ryudou Temple.

"――――?" Then. Her figure disappears. Rider suddenly disappears from my vision…

"Get down, Emiya-kun――――!" "…!"

The moment I duck, long hair flutters right above me.

"Sakura…!" Rider has instantly jumped with Sakura in hand. She lands opposite us―――between Shinji and the rest of us.

"Huh? …What are you doing? Who told you to bring Sakura?" "No, there was no such order. As a Servant, I merely protected my Master."

Rider lets Sakura down and glances at Shinji. …Her eyes are covered with a leather mask, but her expression is frighteningly cold.

"D-Don't be stupid. I'm your Master. Why are you wasting time instead of protecting me――――" "Shinji. A Command Spell appears on the body of a Master. I have never accepted anyone who does not bear the holy sign as my Master."

"What―――?" "You are a fraud. You have lost the book which granted you false ownership, so I can no longer obey you."

Rider turns away from Shinji. That motion tells Shinji that she will never look at him again.

"―――I see. So that's how it was, Rider?" "Your guess is correct, Archer's Master. You already knew, did you not?"

"…Yeah. I knew it was strange. There's no way one of the Matous would be chosen as a Master. Their bloodline has grown thin, so no magi should be born to them."

"So it shouldn't be possible for Shinji, one of the Matou family, to become a Master. But Rider was summoned, and a person from the Matou household was chosen as a Master."

"…Yes. I thought Matou Zouken summoned you and entrusted you to Shinji. But it's actually much more simple. Zouken doesn't need to do anything. Because the most appropriate person in the Matou household to be a Master is―――"

Tohsaka isn't looking at Rider. She is only looking at… "―――The legitimate successor of Matou. This generation's magus of the Matou line. It's you, Sakura." "……" She's looking straight at Sakura.

"――――――――Huh?" I can't say anything. Tohsaka and Sakura. I can only look at them alternately and try to figure out what was just said.

…My left hand hurts. My relaxed mind finally starts to inform me of the pain on my hand.

"――――――――" I see. It seems my mind is calm. Tohsaka's words and the sight of the Command Spell on Sakura's left hand have numbed my senses, but―――my mind isn't surprised at all.

Only… why? Why did such a thing happen――――?

"………" Sakura is hanging her head as if trying to hide. Judging by her body language, she didn't want me to know.

"…Transfer of a Command Spell. A Command Spell ordering her to obey Matou Shinji, huh? Rider became Shinji's Servant with that, and you lost your right as a Master at the same time, becoming an ordinary magus. …So when I first had you show me your arm, you'd already given your Command Spell to Shinji."

"…………" Sakura doesn't answer and bites her lips.

Then.

"Damn, again, Sakura! Give me the right to control her again!" Shinji runs to her as if begging her.

"…………" "Hey, say something! You don't want to fight, right? You said you didn't want to be a Master, so that's why I took over in your place! Why are you pretending to be a good girl now…!?"

Shinji raises his arm. …But there's no need for me to stop him. "R-Rider―――are you going to disobey me?" "You are not my Master, Shinji. If you intend to harm Sakura, I will kill you."

Rider releases him. Shinji backs away, clutching his arm where Rider gripped it.

"Ha, haha――――I see. You'll regret that, Rider. No matter what you say, everything will be back to normal when Sakura makes another book. Do you know what'll happen to you once you become my Servant again――――?"

"It's useless, Shinji. It's almost impossible to entrust a Servant to a human, and someone that's not a magus at that. The transfer using the Command Spell made it possible."

"Y-Yeah. There's one more Command Spell. Sakura won't disobey me, so…"

"That's why this is it. Sakura only has one more Command Spell. If you use it, you'll have no way to control Rider. Rider would be freed. You can't bind a Servant with a fake right made with a Command Spell. It'll just burn your book like earlier even if you order Rider."

"Wha―――― Then I'm…" "Yes. You lost your chance to be a Master. No, you were never a Master as you were only controlling her using a fake Command Spell."

…A crack runs through. With a sound, the existence of Matou Shinji breaks.

"Ha――――Ha. I see, so it was impossible from the beginning. I have no talent. The old man cast me aside as a failure, and I was pitied. …Yeah, it's only natural. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it…! I knew from the beginning that I'm not suited!"

"――――Nii-san." "No, don't worry about it, Sakura. This was all just a farce. I knew that I have no talent. You're the family's heir. There was no need for me to butt in."

"Nii-san." "Yeah, I know, I know. So, Sakura――――you continue."

"Huh…?" "I'm telling you to beat them

in my place! Look, Emiya and Tohsaka are enemies! You're the successor of Matou, so act like one…!"

"Shinji―――haven't you heard a thing I've said? Sakura won't fight, and you have no right. We won't attack you, since you don't have Rider anymore. Just stay in hiding until the Holy Grail War ends."

"I'm not asking you. ―――Come on, Sakura. I'm telling you. You're going to obey me like always, right?"

"……" There's no reply. Sakura clenches her fists, turns her back to Shinji,

"…I don't want to. Let's stop, Nii-san." and clearly refuses his order.

"――――Sakura. What did you just say?" "…I don't want to. You broke your promise. You said you wouldn't kill Senpai, but you broke our promise. So――――"

"――――――――" Sakura doesn't turn to look at Shinji. Shinji looks at it like someone else's matter and laughs.

"――――――――" I feel a chill, and in that instant… "―――All right. Then you can die." I hear the sound of glass breaking.

"Ahh――――!" Sakura falls. Her knees lose strength and she falls to the ground.

"Hah, bye, Sakura! If you're going to hold a grudge, don't hold it at me, but hold it against that old man for making your body like that. Well, you were gonna end up like that anyway. It's better for you to be freed from the pain now――――!" Shinji runs away.

"Ah――――ha, ah――――!" Sakura tears at her chest. ―――Her earring breaks and chemical-like liquid is pouring out of it.

"Ah――――no――――no……!" She goes into convulsions. No, it's worse. Sakura's shaking so bad that it seems like she's going to crumble like a building in an earthquake.

"Sakura…!" I don't get what's going on. In my worry, I run to her.

"Fool――――! Don't you understand what's going on!?" "…!" Someone stops me. I don't know when he got here, but Archer is grabbing my shoulder.

"Get away from here. You will not be able to restore her if you feed her without care." Archer pushes me back and says something strange.

"Feed her…? What do you mean――――?" The question dies in my throat.

"――――――――" The hallway tints red. The air becomes a mist, moistening our skin, and every wall starts to sweat like honey.

"Ow, guh――――!?" …My chest is burning. This air. This red world is a different world made by magic. This must be a boundary field that melts everything within its framework, on this premise.

"Tohsaka, this is――――" I can't breathe. No, the mist clogs my throat and burns me from the inside when I breathe.

"…It's the boundary field Shinji set up here. But it's much stronger now that Sakura is Rider's Master." "Wha――――――"

I look. …On the other side of the hallway is Sakura, clawing at her chest in agony, and Rider, who is confronting Archer to protect Sakura.

"――――Move aside, Rider. Your master is running wild. She will be addicted to it unless she is stopped before she gets a taste of another's magical energy." "I refuse. My role is to protect my Master. I cannot let you through as long as you are trying to kill Sakura."

"…Oh. So you will stand there and let your master die? Your Master is using up magical energy at a high rate. Do you understand that she will certainly die if you leave her alone?"

"No. She can avoid death if she takes in more magical energy than she loses. Fortunately, there are two magi here. Shinji escaped, but they cannot escape now. I shall take your Master before Sakura is consumed."

"Heh―――so your character doesn't change even with a new Master, huh? It seems you value yourself over other people's lives." "That goes for you too. You are trying to protect your Master by ignoring mine." "I see―――then there's no need for either one of us to hold back―――!"

Archer charges. …Without heed for the corrosive boundary field, he rushes at where Sakura still crouches on the ground. And he clashes with Rider as she blocks his way.

"Hey―――are you okay with this, Tohsaka!? He started fighting with Rider…!" "…Of course they have to fight. We won't last like this. …And as a fellow magus, I have to prevent Sakura from becoming a heretic."

"Huh――――?" Heretic…? Are those people who use magic against the law of the Association, or people who cannot stop the Magic Circuit and destroy themselves…?

"――――Wait. What is that? Why Sakura?" "She's running wild. Rider made this boundary field, but Sakura's the one maintaining it. I don't know what Shinji did, but Sakura's attacking indiscriminately now."

"…I bet Sakura is like us. It's just painful and she just wants air, so she's sucking on other people's air, or magical energy in this case. ―――I can't leave her be as the supervisor of Fuyuki."

"Wha――――? You can't leave her be? What are you going to do to Sakura!?" "…Ask Archer. I only know of one way to stop a magus like that. But Archer might know of some other way."

"…Well, we have to do something about Rider before that anyway. From what I can see, Archer is the stronger of the two, but it seems his output is down." "…Output is down?"

I look back at the hallway. Archer is overwhelming, even in my eyes. In terms of pure power, he is stronger. There's no way that Rider can hold him back.

"――――――――" But. It's strange.

Rider's strength is her agility. She shouldn't be good at fights where she has to protect someone. Being forced to protect someone should put her at a disadvantage. Archer should've already defeated her and moved on to Sakura. But that's not the case――――so could Rider be overwhelming him…?

"Fu――――!" Archer's sword swings through empty air. Her hair flowing as she moves, Rider arches back and avoids the attack, then steps in and slashes at Archer.

But Rider isn't the only one who attacks and defends at the same time. Archer repels Rider's dagger with his other sword and pushes her back.

――――Advance and retreat. They are evenly matched. Archer cannot press forward, Rider cannot force him back, and they consequently clash swords without any progress.

"Kuh――――" The impatient one is Archer. Though his enemy is weaker than him, he cannot repel her, and the boundary field is slowly taking his energy.

And to add, Tohsaka and I are at our limits. Just stopping our breaths is painful, so being in the hallway stabs at our minds. At this pace, we'll fall before Archer defeats Rider.

"Damn――――" Archer clucks his tongue in annoyance. There.

"―――I understand your power. I am sorry, but you cannot defeat me." Rider stops and makes an announcement in a regretful voice.

"What…?" "I said you cannot beat me. You are not using your Noble Phantasm. I do not know if your Master has forbidden you from doing so or if you are concerned for Sakura's safety. Regardless, if you will not use it, this is it. You cannot defeat me."

Planting her feet, her only weapon, Rider confronts Archer. …She looks so defenseless that the match could be decided if Archer attacked her now.

"…Hah. I'm not worried for your Master. I just think that there is no need. And you cannot use your Noble Phantasm either. Matou Shinji was your Master until just now, so you do not have enough magical energy stocked up to use it."

"Yes. Shinji could not give me magical energy. So I cannot use my Noble Phantasm right now."

"…That's right. There's no need to waste my magical energy against an opponent who will not use it. I will slash you with my next attack, proceed and slash that girl, and everything will end."

"Yes. Let's say that's how it will be. It will be easier for me to kill you if that is the case." Rider answers calmly.

―――What does she intend to do? Without even readying her weapon, Rider stands against Archer… "…No, Rider…!" …but stops when she hears the voice.

"Please endure there, Sakura. I will solve everything." "Stop―――please stop, Rider. I didn't call for you for something like this." "…I cannot follow that order. Your life takes priority above all else."

Rider raises her arm. There's four meters between her and Archer. Maintaining that distance, the black Servant puts her hand on her ͛wrap text="face"]face and…

"―――Also… This is what you wished for, Sakura." …She releases the black seal.

――――Everything solidifies at that instant.

Rider's naked eyes. They are inhuman eyes, one of the highest rank among numerous mystic eyes.

"――――――――" Grey eyes. They look like crystals, and they are too abnormal to be called eyeballs.

The corneas do not take in light. The pupil sees the world through a square. The iris is solidified, not allowing the eyes to close. The millions of cells that make up the retina are composed of ether.

―――Are they art that the gods admired, or are they nature that the gods cursed? Rider's gray eyes are abnormal, and at the same time, too beautiful for any human to have.

"――――!" Archer is frozen in place. …It must be because he saw her eyes from such close range. His eyes are frozen even if he wants to close them, and his arms are frozen even if he wants to cover his eyes. He tries to charge forward and slash at Rider, but his legs are already petrified up to his knees.

"No way, mystic eyes of petrification…!?" Tohsaka's voice is almost a scream. …I can't tell what kind of face she's making. My eyes are also captivated by Rider's mystic eyes, and I can't look away. My blood is thickening. The flow is solidified, and my senses are ceased.

――――Mystic eyes. A single action magic that magi have.

It takes the eyes, passive receptors of the world, and makes them function actively to influence the world. It indiscriminately casts its magic upon anyone within sight, though the effect is vastly increased if the target meets your gaze. In short, it's something not to be looked at, and it is a frightening magical nature that entraps anyone that looks at them.

Their abilities and concealable nature make the mystic eyes proof of a first-rate magus. The technique to make one's own eyes into a Magic Circuit is close to that of a Magic Crest.

But then, artificial mystic eyes only have strong enough powers to cast Charm or Whisper. Possessors of truly powerful mystic eyes are always born with them.

Binding. Coercion. Contract. Burning. Illusion. Extreme luck. Mystic eyes that directly intervene with another's fate are called Noble Color, and among the highest-ranked of them are the eyes of petrification.

No magus of this age possesses these eyes. There are only a few magi that make petrification magic possible. How great a miracle is it to be possible to petrify others just by looking?

…Breaker Gorgon. It is the curse of the gods sealed by the powers of shrines. It is said that such evil eyes were only possessed by evil beasts and spirits in the age of the gods. The magical Noble Phantasm that can petrify people with its glance, the symbol of the heroic spirit Medusa――――!

"―――Get away, Rin! The real attack is coming…!" Archer screams, his body now petrified up to his waist. …Beyond him… A dark-red wave is expanding from within Rider, who has released her mystic eyes.

"Wait… even if you tell me…!" Tohsaka is moving too slowly. Something terrible is flowing forth from the other side of the hallway. The wave becomes sharp like a spear and aims straight at Tohsaka.

"――――――――" She'll die. Tohsaka must be more entranced than me, as she cannot even move a step. Unable to dodge, she will be impaled by the spear. With the scene of several seconds in the future in mind, I…

[kernowfurn11]

DRESSING TABLES

A woman's petition addressed to God, "Please, God, bless me with a lot of money so that I can buy the dresses that I adore, the cosmetics that will make me look even better, the accessories that will make me look stunning, and the ideal dressing table that has a huge mirror so that I can admire myself for as long as I want. Thank you. Give me a lover who can praise me each and every day, and then everything else will be fine."

Women have the desire to dress up in the most unexpected ways, and they like to play with a lot of different colours; the game of dress-ups starts when they are five years old and it never really stops for them. Her mother introduced her to her first colourful frocks and skirts, along with a pair of matching bellies and colourful hairbands, which sparked the beginning of her lifelong fascination with playing dress-up. As she matures into a lovely young lady, she develops a taste that is all her own and a style that is one of a kind. Her new assortment includes a bewildering collection of cosmetics, which includes everything from dark black kohl for her beautiful eyes to the versatility of lipsticks and an entire spectrum of nail polish. When the time comes for her to get married, she already runs her very own cosmetics business out of the house, which she affectionately refers to as her "Dressing Table."

The dressing table in a woman's room quickly becomes her favourite piece of furniture, and she exerts a great deal of effort to ensure that it is adorned with the most up-to-date accessories, which causes the other women in the room to be green with envy. This extravagant piece of furniture in the bedroom creates an upbeat atmosphere in the space and quickly became her go-to confidante when she needed advice or support.

Even though it is true that all contemporary homes are equipped with a dressing table in the master bedroom, there are still some properties that do not feature a specific room that is reserved for the use of the female members of the household. If you live in a home that does not have a spacious and luxurious dressing table, then you should not waste any more time thinking about purchasing one; rather, you should pick up the laptop and place an order for one from an online store as soon as possible. Keep in mind that you are the woman of the house, and as such, you are deserving of the things that will make you feel beautiful and confident about who you are.

The following are some of the most compelling arguments in favour of purchasing a dressing table:

A serene and relaxing environment is waiting for you here. Women are typically overburdened with a significant amount of housework, and at times, their place of employment can also drive them insane; in these situations, they look for a cosy space that they can retreat to in order to regain their composure. A dressing table is an essential piece of furniture for their room. It provides them with a place to sit in front of the mirror and verbalise whatever is on their mind without feeling self-conscious or concerned about the outside world.

You are the object of a person's admiration and desire. If you want a companion who is always there for you and who admires you no matter what, then having a dressing table in your home can be a very beneficial investment. To paraphrase an old proverb, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," keep in mind that you are the beauty, and the fantastic piece of furniture that you have in your home is the best way to satisfy your need for a beholder.

It doesn't utter a single word and it won't tell you that your appearance is unattractive. A woman's worst fear is being perceived as being overweight. Do you feel annoyed when your lover says yes about the fact that you look fat in that little black dress? Do you think you look fat in that dress? That won't be happening any longer, that's for sure. The only thing you need to do is invest in a dressing table and then spend some time praising yourself in front of it for the person you have been throughout your entire life. It will smile back at you if you give it a friendly greeting, making this the ideal romantic pairing.

The ideal piece of furniture for storing your makeup, hair accessories, and other items in one convenient location. Are you bothered by all of your petty concerns? Are you worried that you won't be able to find your red lipstick in time for your date? If you buy a dressing table that has a few storage compartments, then you won't have to worry about this issue at all. With the help of these minuscule sections, you'll be able to store your pricey cosmetics, the hair accessories, and other items in the appropriate location, which will make it easier for you to locate them when you require them the most.

A subtly sophisticated dressing table in the bedroom establishes a personal connection with you and quickly becomes a trusted confidante. Additionally, there is no question that the presence of this magnificent piece of furniture motivates every woman to dress with a purpose on a daily basis.

The concept of getting dressed up, as well as the belief that there is no better companion than the dressing table, which typically features a large mirror and an excessive amount of accessories. The author's association with Wooden Street has taken the fascination to a new level with their phenomenal collection of dressing tables, which enables you to lend your dressing tables a more distinctive stamp of your own personality.

[kernowfurn10]

DRESSING TABLES

A woman's petition addressed to God, "Please, God, bless me with a lot of money so that I can buy the dresses that I adore, the cosmetics that will make me look even better, the accessories that will make me look stunning, and the ideal dressing table that has a huge mirror so that I can admire myself for as long as I want. Thank you. Give me a lover who can praise me each and every day, and then everything else will be fine."

Women have the desire to dress up in the most unexpected ways, and they like to play with a lot of different colours; the game of dress-ups starts when they are five years old and it never really stops for them. Her mother introduced her to her first colourful frocks and skirts, along with a pair of matching bellies and colourful hairbands, which sparked the beginning of her lifelong fascination with playing dress-up. As she matures into a lovely young lady, she develops a taste that is all her own and a style that is one of a kind. Her new assortment includes a bewildering collection of cosmetics, which includes everything from dark black kohl for her beautiful eyes to the versatility of lipsticks and an entire spectrum of nail polish. When the time comes for her to get married, she already runs her very own cosmetics business out of the house, which she affectionately refers to as her "Dressing Table."

The dressing table in a woman's room quickly becomes her favourite piece of furniture, and she exerts a great deal of effort to ensure that it is adorned with the most up-to-date accessories, which causes the other women in the room to be green with envy. This extravagant piece of furniture in the bedroom creates an upbeat atmosphere in the space and quickly became her go-to confidante when she needed advice or support.

Even though it is true that all contemporary homes are equipped with a dressing table in the master bedroom, there are still some properties that do not feature a specific room that is reserved for the use of the female members of the household. If you live in a home that does not have a spacious and luxurious dressing table, then you should not waste any more time thinking about purchasing one; rather, you should pick up the laptop and place an order for one from an online store as soon as possible. Keep in mind that you are the woman of the house, and as such, you are deserving of the things that will make you feel beautiful and confident about who you are.

The following are some of the most compelling arguments in favour of purchasing a dressing table:

A serene and relaxing environment is waiting for you here. Women are typically overburdened with a significant amount of housework, and at times, their place of employment can also drive them insane; in these situations, they look for a cosy space that they can retreat to in order to regain their composure. A dressing table is an essential piece of furniture for their room. It provides them with a place to sit in front of the mirror and verbalise whatever is on their mind without feeling self-conscious or concerned about the outside world.

You are the object of a person's admiration and desire. If you want a companion who is always there for you and who admires you no matter what, then having a dressing table in your home can be a very beneficial investment. To paraphrase an old proverb, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," keep in mind that you are the beauty, and the fantastic piece of furniture that you have in your home is the best way to satisfy your need for a beholder.

It doesn't utter a single word and it won't tell you that your appearance is unattractive. A woman's worst fear is being perceived as being overweight. Do you feel annoyed when your lover says yes about the fact that you look fat in that little black dress? Do you think you look fat in that dress? That won't be happening any longer, that's for sure. The only thing you need to do is invest in a dressing table and then spend some time praising yourself in front of it for the person you have been throughout your entire life. It will smile back at you if you give it a friendly greeting, making this the ideal romantic pairing.

The ideal piece of furniture for storing your makeup, hair accessories, and other items in one convenient location. Are you bothered by all of your petty concerns? Are you worried that you won't be able to find your red lipstick in time for your date? If you buy a dressing table that has a few storage compartments, then you won't have to worry about this issue at all. With the help of these minuscule sections, you'll be able to store your pricey cosmetics, the hair accessories, and other items in the appropriate location, which will make it easier for you to locate them when you require them the most.

A subtly sophisticated dressing table in the bedroom establishes a personal connection with you and quickly becomes a trusted confidante. Additionally, there is no question that the presence of this magnificent piece of furniture motivates every woman to dress with a purpose on a daily basis.

The concept of getting dressed up, as well as the belief that there is no better companion than the dressing table, which typically features a large mirror and an excessive amount of accessories. The author's association with Wooden Street has taken the fascination to a new level with their phenomenal collection of dressing tables, which enables you to lend your dressing tables a more distinctive stamp of your own personality.

[saga-project]

[You aren't being left behind.

Yes he was. Yes he was. There was always someone better than him around for people to chase after. Not him. Never him. Cain was always the second pick. The disappointment, the failure. Papa always said that he was the Syndicate's finest soldier, but in the next breath he would turn around and look at Cain as though the softshell was nothing more than a wad of gum that he had scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Hasina had left him, his brothers had left him, even Three had left him. And now Leon had as well. All because he couldn't keep his stupid mouth shut for five seconds. All because the rage had risen up within him, white-hot and all-consuming, and he hadn't been able to rein it in this time. He hadn't been able to stop himself from saying words that cut right down to the quick.

Now Leon hated him, and Theatre hated him, and word had probably spread to the rest of the household and THEY hated him too, and he couldn't go back there, he couldn't go back to the lair either, the turtles would mother-hen him to death, he couldn't go back to Papa because Papa would look at him like he was a disappointment again when he was trying so hard to be--

....had the shadows been saying something? Cain couldn't recall. His mind was so, so foggy, and his breathing was coming out in increasingly harsh pants as he curled away from Leon's form, scrabbling in the broken glass.]

I won't, I....I CAN'T go with you, I'll mess everything up again, I belong HERE, I can be and say whatever I want without HURTING anyone, that's all I do, I'm not good at being a friend or a brother or even a housemate I'm not good at ANYTHING but being a NUISANCE and a WASTE OF SPACE a-and---

I won't hurt anyone here. I won't hurt YOU again. I h-HATE hurting you and I d-don't even know WHY, I.....

[Didn't stop you from hurting him anyway, the shadowy form of Leo jeered, looming closer. Didn't stop you from implying that he was a stupid CHILD. That running away from things is the only thing he's GOOD at. Didn't stop you from opening your big stupid mouth!]

Stop it.

[Cain snapped it towards the shadowy figure then, although to Leon it was almost certainly going to look like he was glaring at a wall.]

I k-KNOW it didn't stop me from saying all those things to him. I KNOW. I d-d-don't know WHY I d-did, I.....I just......I didn't MEAN them. I KNOW I messed up, alright? With him and everyone else in that stupid....you don't have to keep RUBBING IT IN--

[Music started playing, then. Softly. Cain jerked his head up, his good eye filling with tears as he listened. He....he knew this song. Why did he know this song.]

D....do you hear that too? I--

[For a moment, it looked like the haze over his eyes was starting to clear, if only slightly. And then in the next instant, suddenly another hallucination was appearing, taking Theatre's shape this time. Cain flinched backwards so suddenly he fell the rest of the way to the floor, squeaking in panic and curling in on himself as he rapped his knuckles against his head and squeezed his eyes shut.]

STOP IT. Stop it, stop sending everyone to TORMENT me, none of them are REAL, they h-HATE me now, I....

.....please. S-s-stop torturing me. Just tell me what you want. Tell me what you want. I'll do it. I'll fix it. I s-s-swear. Just stop looking like THEM. I don't know what anybody WANTS me to do anymore but I c-c-can fix it.

The song, I c-c-c-can't remember t-the s-song, I hear it but I can't remember but I can try to, I'm sorry I'm sorry I...I'm not leaving here, I c-CAN'T, I'll make everyone HATE me again, 's better if I'm HERE, I won't s-say the wrong thing or act the wrong way--

God's Leon was nervous. He wanted to see Cain but he didn't. He wanted to yell at him for all the hurtful shit he had said, but at the same time Leon wanted to run away. He wanted to tell Cain not to dare leave him, and he wanted closure if he was being left behind.

Cain.. Cain confused Leon. With his hot and cold behaviour, and the hypocrisy of how he acted. Honestly, if he hadn't of been pushed to it, he probably would have kept avoiding him. But the thought of Cain doing something stupid because he thought Leon hated him? That would haunt him.

Still, he has half a mind to turn back. Avoid the difficult conversation. Not give Cain the chance to see how hurt he was or the chance to hurt him further. On the other hand, he wanted Cain to know how is actions affected others.

He just.. had to FIND the soft shell mutant first.

[kfanopinions]

Jaehyun's Ideal Type (Astrology Based)

just like with johnny, i'm going to look at his moon and venus placements. and just like johnny's i won't be looking into the aspects part so this may just be surface level information. when i'm more knowledgeable about aspects i will update the information here.

2nd House Moon

love don't cost a thing people with a moon in the 2nd house can have a tendency to spend their money on making gifts or gifting people they love with items which as we know, buying someone's love is not healthy. his ideal type will need to remind him that they love him for him and not what he can buy them

financial stability this provides them with security. they are very materialistic in this house placement so his ideal type may want to make sure that they themselves are financially secured or have a job that provides them a decent amount of money. this will help lessen the burden on jaehyun's shoulders

don't expect hearts and roses contrary to popular belief of jaehyun being the "valentine's boy" he is a man of culture. he may express his love through artistic means (song writing for example) people with this placement can seem reserved and cold so someone who wants him to be super loving and showering them with admiration...find someone else

sensitivity is a no go people with this placement say what they mean and mean what they say. they don't mean to hurt people's feelings but they won't bullsh*t you. so he will need someone who doesn't get sensitive if he...tells it like it is

all that glitters is gold money is very important to this aspect. if you wondered why jaehyun just reeks of culture and "expense" this is why. he may want someone who has that same appeal

admiration also glitters he wants to be admired and adored. having a partner who does this will be good for his ego

home is where the heart is...and valuables okay this man seriously likes nice things. he will want to surround himself with nice things. (if you have ever seen the movie thumbelina, i'm thinking of mr. mole) he loved having diamonds, ruby's, money, everything because it made him feel valued. jaehyun could be the same way. he needs someone who can deal with his mood swings that may go from over spending to being very frugal (these money mood swings are very intriguing)

Taurus Moon

patience with jaehyun having his moon in taurus, he is incredibly patient. someone who is a "dive in heads first" type of person may make him a little apprehensive. he analyzes things and waits for them to arrive on his "doorstep"

routine unlike johnny who may have a tendency to dislike/hate routine - jaehyun likes this type of lifestyle and may want someone who he knows will be home at this time, or works from this shift to the next. he may also end up having his future household run on a routine-like basis (why am i seeing the dad with the whistle from sound of music?)

you want love? earn it! no joke this made me f*cking laugh. i need to rant for two seconds...all these young girls thinking jaehyun will be a hearts and roses man just because he is born on valentine's day need to get their heads out the arses. this man will not give his love to anyone until, like i said, they've earned it. he needs someone who is REAL not fake, not "if i do x,y,z...this will make him love me." he needs someone to show him who they are and nothing more (also being independent cuz just like johnny this man is busy)

keep the manipulation for someone else like i said above, realness is important. he doesn't want to be manipulated. he doesn't want people around him who can use him/hurt him. with this placement he may seem cool on the outside. he may even smile and wave but that does not equal what is on the inside

if you get flowers and hearts, celebrate now i know i said he isn't a hearts and flowers guy, but he is romantic. this is ONLY when he has fallen for someone. not "liking" not "intrigued" but FALLEN HEAD OVER HEELS for someone

you must be this fine to ride this ride this is by no means an indication that jaehyun is shallow. i want to make that clear right here and now. he lives an aesthetic lifestyle. the coffee shop vibes, the vinyl records. no joke the man can be attracted to someone who looks just as good on his arm as he would look good on his own arm rofl

finishing school anyone? kate middleton/amal clooney are women who come to mind. seriously, a person who is well-mannered, educated, cultured, respectful and knows what they want

love you to the moon and back when jaehyun has fallen in love he will be EXTREMELY loyal. he will want this in return and he will want someone he can build a future/life together with. as long as the words of affirmation keep rolling in he'll come back for more each and every time without fail

damsel in distress "i want you to want me." "i need you to need me" he likes to feel needed and to be depended on. makes him feel competent. if his partner has a problem or needs his help he will jump at the opportunity to help them. even if his partner can open up the pickle jar...let him do it every blue moon lol

ready willing and able jaehyun is the type of guy who like i said above likes to feel useful. this can also put him in financially difficult positions. money does mean a lot to him, but if he needs to help a loved one - he will do so. so someone who can be that bridge in between when things do get hairy financially but also who reminds him that again, money doesn't always buy happiness (this is hard to describe)

stubborn as a...bull taurus is one of those signs that values the home, wealth, possessions (if you weren't getting this gist by now) but there is something else...if ANYTHING threatens this he will not budge at all. this also includes people who he holds dear. his partner needs to understand this and hopefully as someone who he holds dear he will not compromise anything that will hurt him or his partner

tender love when in love jaehyun will give everything to his partner. seriously he isn't one to fall for people easily so this should be taken as AMAZING! with this placement it talks about giving his partner the world almost. he just needs someone special

hurtful comments hit twice as hard someone who will not hurt him. despite his cool calm and collective self and even cold matter of fact personality, if he gets hurt - because of this loving and giving nature, it's like doing 2x, 3x the damage that someone else could do

if he's right...admit defeat he will not back down if he knows he is right. his partner needs to understand this and admit defeat and possibly shout it for all to hear that he was right and they were wrong lol

okay this segment before i talk about the venus part needs to be discussed. jaehyun has an aqurius sun and a taurus moon which means things are...at odds...

Aquarius Sun + Taurus Moon

indifference jaehyun's partner will need to be interesting. if he doesn't find them interesting he won't bother to get to know them. he's a "why waste my time if there is nothing there" type of person. this can also be involved with other people outside of a romantic interest

scandal be gone jaehyun's goal is to live a peaceful life. just like johnny someone he can take home to momma is ideal

the occult (?) this is kind of funny...jaehyun may be interested in psychics/fortune telling. he has an interest in the occult. just gathering as much knowledge as possible. so someone who has a similar interest may be fun to be around

arrogance people with this placement can be arrogant. they know their worth and it can come off as such to other people. they may also be self-obsessed. i know we all know jaehyun is hot. well he knows he's hot as well. it wouldn't surprise me if he takes amazing pride to the point of obsession over his looks. this could also (take this with a grain of salt) be the same with his partner. he may want them to be just as interested in personal health, fitness, and beauty as he is. these people are the nobles. smart, witty, educated, loves to learn, intrigued by beautiful things and people. so if he finds someone who is similar again a bonus

one track mind once he has made up his mind about something he does not change it unless he wants to. it doesn't matter what other people say

positive light only jaehyun wants to be looked at in a certain way so he shows this to the public and not the other side. just like a superhero he has a "secret identity" a "mask" he wears to hide his true self

devotion in unconventional means this is wear things start to get hairy... jaehyun is the type to be devoted when he has once again, fallen for someone. his partner needs to understand this. a don't count your chickens before they're hatched kind of way. he doesn't like to do things that are conventional or normal. think of this as people who are together for over ten years. they may have a couple of kids but they have never been married or have thoughts on getting married. this is an example of an unconventional relationship

the alien a partner who understands that jaehyun will most likely never conform to what he doesn't deem as worthy or worthwhile is best. he is the rebel type. if people go right he may go left if he feels it's better to go left lol

space to express himself the best way he can, he needs freedom in his relationships. a long distance one may be beneficial for him

all roles he wants a friend, a lover, and a sibling because he is playing all those roles as well. he needs the freedom because he's being the supportive friend who is always there for his partner. the lover who is tender and nurturing. the father "man" who brings in financial security and stability. the sibling whom one can goof around with and have interesting conversations with - like he needs a partner who understands this and is like this as well in their own way

contradictions his aquarius side doesn't mind chaos, but his taurus side wants something calm and peaceful. again he can be calm and cool on the outside but on the inside he can be freaking out. finding those subtle clues in his change of demeanor or behavior is something his partner will need to keep in mind in order to help him

he wants all the benefits of a relationship without actually "committing" to someone. aka he wants to have his cake and eat it too. this is also a part of the contradictory behavior. which is why i mentioned a partner who doesn't count their chickens before they're hatched. he may not want someone who is walking around saying they are dating when he's like "dating? thought we were just hanging around?"

curves (?) with this placement he may find people who have curves to be attractive. this does not mean "overweight/obese" but it also doesn't mean it. the key here could be someone who is curvaceous who takes care of their body and mind

quirky but there is another side to this ideal type and that is being a little fickle and irresponsible. he could be attracted to someone like this. it could stem from the "i want you to want me" side

be prepared to be jealous there is a reason why jaehyun is adored so much. women love him and will fall for him. his partner needs to understand this and either hide their jealousy or accept that this is how things are

Aquarius Venus

peek his interest with your mind this says it all. he doesn't get stimulated into finding someone worthy of being a lover until they impress him with their mind. this could be loving music, art, literature, sciences, or a witty remark. don't think for a second that someone can walk in with a skanky dress will get his attention. i mean it might for a one night stand lol and one night only btw. the way to get him interested is to do something worthy of gaining his interest

getting to know all about you he wants to know his partners interests. how their mind works. he's an oddball so again, his partner needs to keep him intrigued

model who? jaehyun wants someone who is more than just a pretty face or someone that is snatched for the gods. again he wants someone who intrigues him. the way they see the world. his ideal type is really surrounded around mental stimulation

no dress code someone who dresses...their own way this is all i will say on this one

not shy just ask if you ever wondered why jaehyun doesn't talk much, well it's because he isn't asked anything. so his type may need to be someone who can get him to talk to them and not the other way around

eccentric so he may have some...interesting tastes. as long as his partner is down for the non-conformist type he'll be even happier

let's talk about s*x baby keep it interesting and exciting but don't go crazy. jaehyun would love someone who doesn't do things that are super typical but at the same time not anything that is risky or out of this world nuts

christian grey if you know who this is picture him before all the mushy parts and you get jaehyun! yay! seriously he doesn't do the lovey dovey mushy crap. sorry to disappoint. he may show his love by buying you something like just as a weird ass example...face masks because he heard they're very good for your skin rofl (and of course they will probably be the expensive kind because...read the above MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!!)

stop with the guessing games jaehyun needs someone to tell him point blank when things aren't going as planned. he doesn't need someone who beats around the bush or has him trying to "figure out" what he did or what went wrong

play hard to get someone who ignores him or seems cold/distant towards him can be one way to peek his interest

ummm cheater? remember how i said he would be devoted to his partner, well, only if they keep things interesting. when things die down and he's learned all he can, experienced all he can with someone aka the boring section of a relationship...well...his detached "i want freedom" "i don't believe in conventional relationships" personality may lead to cheating behavior

family upbringing is important so there is a bright side...once he gets over that hump and he finds someone to commit to he really is loyal. how he was raised will be crucial to his future adult self

let your nerd out he may like someone who is interested in technology

it's hip to be square someone quirky, unusual, strange, weird, the oddball will be super intriguing to him. the weirder his partners mind works the more he'll stick around to see what's next

he also wants to let his freak flag fly as well so his partner needs to be able to handle his weirdness, quirks, unusual behavior in return

12th House Venus

fear okay this is interesting. jaehyun may be afraid that his partner may not love him or like him the same way he does for them. this is because he has a hard time to rationalize his emotions. to express himself on an emotional level (which is why there are no hearts and flowers)

mystery he can find people who have something that they're hiding to be ideal. it keeps his interest in them and he may have fun trying to find out what that secret is

love is a battlefield jaehyun may find someone who is unavailable as desirable or even be the man someone is having an affair with which is definitely unconventional. it also adds that mystery, scandal that keeps him interested. so this could be possible (take this with a grain of salt)

again he may want someone who he cannot have. this came up twice so might as well reiterate it. he may fall for the "wrong person" and have a "forbidden relationship"

find balance he may end up in relationships that aren't well balanced. he needs to find what he wants in his romantic partners and his romantic life before getting into a relationship

anyone up for a foot massage? so this is just an added bonus because it made me laugh. venus rules over passion and the 12th house rules over the feet. so he can be sensitive around his feet. which makes sense because aquarius rules over the ankles/shins/circulatory system aka there are lots of little nerve endings, so this might be a bit of a turn on (take this with a grain of salt and humor)

complications in love the 12th house is the house of pisces which has two fish going in opposite directions. think about trying to go against the current. it's HARD. sitting back and enjoying the pleasing moments will help him in this area instead of trying to fight against it

relationships are home okay so despite all the forbidden love junk, jaehyun is the type that wants to be with someone. things are just...complicated. the nonconventional relationships, forbidden relationships, possible long distance relationships, giving to much in a relationship, not feeling loved, fearing he is not worthy, all of these things complicate his love life.

but when he is in his partners arms, he does feel like he's at home

sorry if this is confusing i tried to sum it up as best as i can. i do want to add just to talk about jaehyun a bit, he may have a secret talent/hobby that no one knows about and he can be amazing at it. the 12th house also talks about loneliness so isolation again that "distance/freedom" can come into play here