#some of my fondest memories going there with my family as a kid when my parents were togehter still and could afford it

[swallowtail-ageha]

Other specific childhood memory is my parents bringing me and my brother to one of those friends reunions where the youngest people were in their early to mid twenties and you were just expected to spend time with them even though you were eight and your brother thirteen. My brother did half socialize half stay on his phone and kept himself entratained that way, but me being younger and in more need of a stimulus did try to interact with the college aged people. While my parents + friends were in the main house/living room the young adults spent the time getting drunk and playing pool and pocket soccer in the garage where i ended up going. Group of shitfaced drunk young adults. One single bored little girl. They look at each other until one, whom i was also particularly close to, has this fantastic idea. He picks me up and fucking puts me in a cardboard box. I didn't even question it. I wasn't even angry or anything. I let myself be put in a cardboard box for good twenty minutes and i was just happy entrataining myself while doodling inside of the box with the pencils they gave me. Truly the peakest childhood experience

[lavender543]

Longing - Prologue

Yandere!Knight x (Evil?)Queen!Reader

Synopsis: You are a queen with a not so great reputation. He is your most trusted, and extremely stoic knight. Lets just say you don't know just how much he would do for you. (he's been secretly pining after you for awhile). Warnings: Topics of war, and violence

By many, you were seen as cold, Ruthless, some would even say evil. You were the queen of a large kingdom in the North, with a very widely known reputation for being cutthroat.  

Life in the North was not easy by any means. Resources were far and few, and the environment was cold and desolate. For that, you needed to rule with an iron fist in order to protect your people and keep them satisfied. You weren't afraid to use force if that was what was required.  

Many would say you were wicked, morally grey, power hungry...the list goes on. You’d like to think of yourself as dedicated.  

You were forced from a young age into the role of ruler and spent your whole life preparing to be Queen. It was your life's dedication to rule over your kingdom. You had no living relatives; your family was assassinated during the war.  

It was...hard, to say the least.  

The only person you could trust during those dark days was yourself, and eventually you learned you could trust him: The Grande knight. 

He was originally an orphan brought in by your parents when you were young. They trained him to be a loyal weapon to fight in the war.  

It was wrong, and it pained you to see him, similar in age to you, being pushed past his limits.  

You sympathized with him in a way. You yourself were forced against your will to be trained in order to become the next ruler; although your training was a lot less physically demanding than his (which is an understatement of what he had to go through).  

Despite both of you being terribly busy, there were small moments you both had together as children. They were nothing but a few words in passing, but the interactions meant a lot to two heavily sheltered kids tasked with adult responsibilities.  

Your fondest memory was when you had your first real conversation with him. Your only real interaction with him were moments of eye contact before then.

One day, when you were around ten years old, you managed to run away from your etiquette teacher and hid in the royal gardens. 

As you ran through the garden, searching for a hiding spot, you spotted a dark figure hidden in a small alcove between two bushes of winter daphne’s. They were one of the only flowers that could survive the cold climates of the north.  

You approached the figure, and realized it was him. Without really thinking, you sat beside him. He was huddled, panting heavily as if he had just run a marathon, (he probably was earlier to be honest).  

He stared at you, surprise and fear in his eyes, and your ten-year-old brain could only think of giving him a reassuring smile to show you were friendly. 

“I see that we had similar thoughts.” you said to the boy, a mischievous grin on your face. 

At that, he relaxed slightly, although still staying silent. And you decided it was safe to sit down beside him.  

He froze from the action, but didn’t protest.

“I managed to get away from my etiquette teacher, I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm convinced she’s evil. Must be why she doesn’t have any friends.” 

You were surprised when you heard a small laugh from him at your words, although it was more like a snort. This only encouraged you to go on.  

“Seriously! She was trying to make me put a book on my head! And she always whacks my wrists with a strap if I don't do something right.” 

With your casual words, he began to open up, speaking hesitantly at first. He seemed to still be quite nervous.  

“My trainer is the same way, evil I mean.” 

You giggled at that, and you looked at each other in mutual understanding. You sat together for a while, enjoying each other's company. Talking about whatever came to mind. Eventually you realized you didn't actually know his name. You had only ever heard him be referred to as “the boy,” or terms akin to that.  

You looked at him in curiosity.  

“Say, I guess I never asked, what is your name?” 

His face grew bitter, there was hatred in his eyes, and you were confused by the sudden mood switch.  

“Just call me what you want.” He said shortly. 

You looked at him in confusion. “Do you not have a name?” 

“I may as well not.” 

All you could say was “oh” in response.  

The mood suddenly got awkward, and you tried to lighten it.  

“Well, what would you like your name to be?” 

He visibly gave the question some thought and then shrugged nonchalantly.  

“I don't know, I've never really thought about it.” 

“I see....” You trailed off, not knowing what else to say. 

“What name do you like? For me I mean.” 

He said suddenly.

You definitely did not expect him to ask that. Looking to him in surprise, you replied: “You want me to choose a name for you?”  

He nodded casually, although you did not see the blush creeping up his face. This whole situation was a little odd, but you went along with it, giving it some thought. Finally, you came up with the perfect name.  

“Everett.” You said after a long pause.  

He looked up to you and smiled shyly. 

“It means brave in the old language. I learned the word today from my lessons.” 

You continued with excitement.  

The boy looked almost bashful from your words, a wide grin making its way on his flushed face.  

“It's perfect.’” he said with sincerity.  

You stayed like that for a while, but, like all good things, it had to end. Some guards eventually found the two of you, and you had to go your separate ways.  

After that, your father restricted you from seeing Everett (you’ve been referring to him as Everett now), so as to prevent any “distractions” as he worded it.  

From then on, you didn’t see much of Everett, save for small glances when crossing paths with each other. It was hard seeing him, all bloodied and bruised from training, and not being able to talk to him, or do anything to help him.  

Soon days turned into weeks, then months, then years. Your childlike naivety had long since been brushed away to reveal a cold and calculated woman. You were seventeen, and very close to being of age to ascend to the throne. Just in time for the war to begin you had thought bitterly at the time.   

The war began when your parents had had enough of neighboring countries cutting off their supply shipments. Your kingdom relied on these shipments for food and necessities. Thus began a war your parents waged. 

You hated it. You hated it all, but what could you do? You had no say in any of it, despite your insistent pleading to your father not to start a war. You knew it would only end in loss and destruction.  

With everything happening, you wanted desperately for someone to confide in. You searched for Everett, but you hadn't seen him in weeks, it was as if he disappeared. Upon question, you discovered that he was sent into the war to fight on the frontlines.  

You were devastated. You felt stupid to not have realized before. That was what all the training was for, why your parents had adopted him in the first place. To create a weapon for this war.  

You were so consumed with rage and hopelessness, and all you could do was try to help your parents finish this war. It was all you could do to stop the bloodshed. 

The exposure to everything only made you colder, however. You realized that you too had been turned into a weapon, although more in the academic sense. Your parents used your wit and knowledge from your lessons growing up.  

Two years in, your kingdom faced few losses, and many victories due to your strategizing. Although it did not stop the assassination of your family. Somehow, some way, the enemy kingdoms found a way in.  

This only fueled your rage more. You no longer cared how, but you were going to win the war. And you did.  

After four long years, you finally reached total victory. 

And with that, you gained the reputation of a tyrant. 

Next part: chapter 1

A/N: This is my first story on here yayyy. thank you to anyone who reads and enjoys this! Sorry this chapter is mostly world building, I promise there will be a lot more of Everett in the next part. I might make it in his perspective next chapter as well....we'll see!

[singsweetmelodies]

a little while ago, i got this ask asking me if i could make some sort of introduction to the pierre/charles ship and all its lore. and since they are, without question, my f1 rpf OTP, my answer was oh my god yes of course. it's taken me a little while to compile all that lore - because boy, is there a lot - but it's been one of the happiest research projects of my life, without question. and i think it's finally ready to go!! so, with no further ado...

ABOUT PIARLES: a (not-so-brief) introduction to f1 rpf's french friends to lovers ship

so the first thing you need to know about piarles is that they're childhood best friends. not that uncommon in a sport like f1, to be fair - most of the drivers grew up together, racing against each other in karting. but pierre and charles are a little different in that they aren't just karting acquaintances: the two of them (and their entire families) are genuinely good friends.

in fact, if you ask either pierre or charles about the other (and interviewers often do) one of the first things they'll probably say is "we've known each other for a long time," quickly followed by "we used to go on holiday together when we were kids." and they ALWAYS say this with the fondest expressions 🥰 even if you take shipping completely out of the equation, it's clear that these two have a very long-standing and very close friendship, with many fond memories which both of them seem to treasure very much.

in charles' own words:

"Pierre! We know each other since... a long, long time. We used to go on holidays together when we were children with our parents, and uh... we did quite a bit of mess together when we were children, but (laughs) very good memories. And the relationship never really changed throughout the years, even though we have taken different paths, because he was a bit older, so we weren't always in the same categories. But we would always call each other, text each other, go on holidays together... and yeah, I just have so many memories." (source - watch from timestamp 2:06)

pierre tells a very similar story:

"He's definitely one of my best friends. Charles is a very nice person and an incredible driver. We met when we were 9 years old and created a very strong bond. Our parents are very close, and we went on vacations from when we were 10, so we created lots of memories. We were teammates in karting when we were 12, and today we find ourselves in Formula 1. It's a pretty incredible story. But for me the most important part is to see the person he's become, and he hasn't changed since he was young." (source)

i think it's important to note that these aren't the only times pierre and charles have spoken about each other in glowing terms like this - no, it happens quite frequently. pretty much every time they're asked about each other, tbh. (i'm not going to add quotes from every single time here, though, because we would be here for the rest of the month if i tried. 😅) the point is, piarles are pretty damn close, and think very highly of each other.

but it's not just them that are close: like i mentioned in the first paragraphs of this post, their families are close, too. they really are childhood friends in that "your family is practically my second family" sense, which i think is something really special.

here, for example, is pierre's father jean-jacques talking about charles:

Charles is part of the family. We've known him since he was nine and when he started in karting with Pierre. (...) When the races were in England Charles was sleeping at our place, and when the races were in Italy, Pierre was sleeping at Charles's place. Then Pierre moved to F4. I don't think there have ever been a big rivalry between them even though their careers were similar. Charles is part of the family probably even more since Hervé passed away. Our door will always be open for him and he knows.” (source)

🥹

what's more, charles has also said numerous times that it's hard to maintain true friendships in f1 - but his bond with pierre is one of those rare exceptions:

It’s rare I think, it’s very rare to have a sincere friendship in F1, because there’s a lot of competition. So yes there’s friendship, but it’s not always entirely sincere - but with Pierre it really is, and it has always been. (source)

they're friends. they really are friends, not just friendly coworkers, like many of the other f1 drivers are. pierre and charles genuinely like and appreciate each other's company very much - which, even if you put shipping completely aside, is just such a wonderful thing, and always makes me smile so much.

one of my personal favourite moments was when pierre talked about charles on the beyond the grid podcast in 2023:

"That's why I really like these chats that I can have with Charles, because I know with Charles, discussing about both our lives, we won't judge each other... because we know what it's like and we just speak very openly about various things. And I know it's almost like a happy place or a comfortable place where you really feel you can open up. He'll understand, I'll understand him..." (source - listen from timestamp 32:01)

if that doesn't make your heart melt at least a little bit, then i don't know what to say to you.

... no, actually, i do. if this kind of sentimentality won't do it for you, how about a bit of silliness and humour?

that's right. like any good childhood friends, pierre and charles also have an embarrassing nickname for each other: "calamar," which is french for "squid." (we know that they call each other that courtesy of charles' insta).

what on earth is the origin of this nickname, you may be wondering? well, according to pierre...

"It goes back to a long time ago when we were kids, like... nine, ten years old. We would go on holidays together and spend more time. I don't know. It just came, like one day we decided to call each other calamar, which is not really such a beautiful nickname, but yeah it was just for fun. We were kids and we were laughing. And actually, we have many other nicknames because we were teammates also in karting and we spent a lot, a lot of time together. So, a lot of nicknames came alongside all this time. And this kind of stayed with us." (source)

as pierre said in this quote, "calamar" is not even the only nickname they have - pierre sometimes calls charles "charlito" and also "charlo," while charles calls pierre "mon petit."

and as if that's not enough, they're also that pair of boyfriends friends who always have to bring each other up in conversation. if there's ever an interview question along the lines of "which f1 driver would you...." then you can pretty much bet pierre will answer "charles," and charles will answer "pierre."

for example, here is pierre choosing charles as the one f1 driver he'd take for a drink. and here is charles naming pierre as his best friend in the paddock. oh, and here is pierre saying he'd choose charles as one driver to take with him to a desert island. there's more, but i think you get the idea 😆❤️

so yeah! that's a quick(ish) overview of the background/context of piarles - AKA the french (yes, i know charles is monégasque, but he SPEAKS french) friends/boyfriends on the grid.

(if you'd like to know more details about their friendship, especially about their pre-f1 years, then i recommend this post and its follow-up compiled by the incredible @vegasgrandprix. these posts really are a treasure trove for piarles history & lore!)

but now that i've painted a pretty clear picture of their friendship, let's move on to some more shippy moments, shall we? the "lovers" part of friends to lovers <3333

believe it or not, eveything up till now was just the background information about piarles. it's more than enough to build an OTP on already, i'd say - but wait, there's more!

the thing with pierre and charles is that along with being friends, they are also french (or....french-adjacent. close enough) which means that they have absolutely zero problem with being very openly affectionate with each other.

this has given us some very delicious shipping moments, which i will now try and give an overview of. (my fellow piarlies: if i've left out one of your favourite moments, please forgive me - they have so many moments with each other, and tumblr has a post character limit, so there was just no way for me to include everything, much as i wanted to. but i do think this is a good introduction!)

let's start with perhaps the most iconic piarles moment of them all: monza 2020, aka pierre gasly's first win in f1.

that was a crazy, wonderful day in so many ways - first of all, the race itself was insane. pierre started 10th on the grid, and with a lot of luck + a safety car that really worked out for him, ended up leading the race and defended from carlos sainz with DRS to get his maiden win. this was almost exactly a year after he'd been dropped from red bull, so the win was pretty much the biggest fuck-you to everyone @ RBR and comeback moment for pierre that was possible. it was also a dream come true (every f1 driver dreams about winning a race!) and you only need to look at any interview pierre did afterwards to see how much it meant to him.

what makes it even more insane, though, is that charles was right there to congratulate him and watch his podium. keep in mind that, in the same race, charles crashed out - both ferraris did, in monza of all places. i don't think anyone would've been surprised, or held it against him at all, if charles just kept his head down for the rest of that day.

but no. even though he wasn't medically cleared after the crash yet (!!) charles went to parc fermé anyway to congratulate pierre. remember that thing i said about them being french and very open with affection? well:

here are some pictures of the monza piarles congratulations hug. (am i the only one who thinks it looks like charles wants to kiss pierre in that second pic?! god....) here and here are some more angles of the hug to go insane over, if you like.

you can also watch it in video format here - and yes, charles really did pull pierre out of his hug with romain so that he could congratulate him himself. i know. (also, yes, pierre does pat charles' ass just before they go their separate ways. what can i say? french.)

as if that's not already insane enough, charles also stayed to watch pierre's podium despite not being medically cleared yet after his crash. (we have to thank netflix FOREVER for providing us with that specific behind-the-scenes shot 🙏 drive to survive - you did well that time, you really did.)

and afterwards, charles said:

It was just a dream for one of us to get into F1 one day. In the end we’re both in F1, we’ve both won a GP, both of us in Monza. (...) I was really happy that day, even if my race went wrong, his win made it a good day. (source)

your honour. who says that about another driver's win, especially on a day where you yourself had an awful race? if that's not love in a sport like f1, i don't know what is!

i really could talk about monza 2020 and how much it means for a very long time, but i will rein myself in to just one final comment: isn't it rather beautiful to think that pierre & charles' names will always be next to each other in the monza winners list? charles won there in 2019, and then pierre won there in 2020. talk about soulmatism ❤️💙

now, moving on to another absolutely iconic (and delightfully gay) piarles moment: baku 2021, aka that time pierre and charles had an awesome last-lap battle for the P3 podium spot.

it was very close racing, with them swapping positions several times down the straight - but they kept it clean. in fact, they kept it so clean that someone remarked it's like they know each other by heart. yup. totally a normal thing to say about two men racing.

equally normal was charles' comments after the race:

"The last lap was my favourite part of the race. It was crazy and had a lot of actions. With Pierre it was hot. I'm happy for him for his podium." (source)

and as if that's not enough, he also GRABBED pierre into a hug in parc fermé, and then held him incredibly close while congratulating him.

you can watch this hug in video format here and gif format here, if you want - and i really recommend doing so, because it's insane to see how charles quite literally crashes into pierre's personal space and yanks him into a hug. (here is a close-up of their helmets during said hug - and you can just say it with me. GAY.)

that's still not all, though: charles congratulated pierre twice after the race. once on the outlap (with a thumbs-up and a middle finger as pierre's car drove past his, LMAO) and then on social media as well (with a nickname and a kiss emoji).

he ALSO commented on pierre's instagram post about the race with another kiss emoji:

so, apparently, charles was thinking about kissing pierre quite a lot in baku 2021. 🤭 an iconic day all around!

and as it happens, 2021 brought us another iconic piarles moment - though this one is a whole less happy. i'm talking about styria 2021, aka that time pierre and charles had contact in a race, and pierre had to retire from that grand prix.

here is the official f1 news article about the incident - the long and the short of it is that charles misjudged on lap 1 and crashed into the side of pierre's car, ending pierre's race. naturally, pierre was furious and upset, especially because the alphatauri was actually a good car in 2021, and he'd stood to score really good points that sunday.

now, for most f1 girlies, an incident like this between childhood friends immediately brings up vivid brocedes flashbacks. and, to be honest, it wouldn't have been that much of a surprise if this had indeed soured pierre and charles' friendship - we saw exactly this happen with pierre and esteban, after all.

but no. charles went to see pierre post-race to clear the air between them, and although pierre was furious with him, he didn't let it ruin their friendship. in fact, when he was asked how the incident affected their friendship, pierre had the following to say:

"Yeah... I was really sad to end 15 years of friendship. He is no more my friend (laughs). No, no, it's... honestly, it was really painful, you know, you work so hard the whole weekend for Sunday to score points, and then after literally like 20 seconds, the whole race was over. So, quite a difficult one to swallow, but, you know, we know each other, with Charles, we have a lot of respect for each other. He came to see me after the race - I was still pretty pissed off with him, but, uh, we knew before last Sunday, nothing ever happened between us on the race-track, and we knew one day it would happen. Unfortunately I paid the price more than him, but yeah, it's racing, unfortunately. (...) It's painful, it's racing, it happens sometimes - I just told him to make sure it doesn't happen another time, and... we're fine." (source - watch from 17:01)

i think that styria 2021 is vital piarles lore not because it's a fun shippy moment, but rather because it shows the strength of their connection. an incident like this could easily have destroyed their friendship, but they didn't let it. they mean enough to each other that they let what happens on-track stay on-track and not affect their closeness off-track. and that, i think, is something truly special - they were tested in a way which has destroyed f1 friendships before, and yet they still came out stronger.

iconic indeed.

on a happier note again, now, there is also montreal 2022, which many piarles fans consider one of THE seminal piarles moments. the race itself was not so memorable for our boys this time, but what they did off-track is.

that is to say: pierre and charles went on a dinner date. then, they were spotted driving around the streets of montreal in a white ferrari. and THEN, as if that's not mind-blowing enough already... charles posted, to his public instagram story, a video of pierre wearing his charles-leclerc-16 branded ferrari hat.

these screenshots are peanut quality, i'm sorry, lmao... but all of montreal 2022 feels a bit like a fever dream in the best way, so i think the blurriness just captures the vibes, tbh.

we're not quite done with montreal 2022 yet, though - earlier on the same day, charles also had a very sweet hello with pierre's parents. you can just SEE how much pierre's parents love charles, and isn't that just the most heartwarming thing 😭❤️

now, one final thing about montreal 2022: pierre never posted his infamous photo dump after that race. that might not seem particularly important, but... this is the only race of 2022 for which pierre DIDN'T post a photo dump.

there are a thousand and one theories about why he didn't - maybe he just forgot, maybe he had a busy weekend, maybe he didn't have any photos he wanted to share. or, in a more shippy interpretation... maybe he does have photos, especially photos of charles, but he doesn't want to share them/wants to keep them all to himself. we don't know!

one lucky piarlie got to meet pierre in london in 2022 at an alphatauri event, and actually asked him about the montreal photo dump thing. here is what he said (courtesy of the lovely @they-call-it-traffic 💞)

the descriptions there... you can just picture pierre's expressions & smirks SO perfectly, right? he is insane. they are insane. #investigatemontreal !!

anyways. moving on one year again: 2023 brought us pierre and charles' basketball date:

as well as two tennis dates:

(i call them "dates" because pierre and charles spent a significant time together during them, hanging out & enjoying each other's company and looking at each other with major heart-eyes. obviously, irl, they aren't officially dates - in fact, both pierre and charles had their irl girlfriends along with them when they attended wimbledon. but who cares too much about irl -- this is a rpf post 😉)

i'm not going to spend too long explaining the lore behind these, because i'm already flirting with the tumblr post character limit 🙈 but basically, what happened is that on all 3 these occasions, pierre and charles chose to hang out together at events completely unrelated to f1, simply because they are friends and like each other's company. (that, to me, is always a measure of how much f1 drivers actually like each other - whether or not they choose to spend time with each other when they're not forced into proximity by f1. pierre and charles pass this test with flying colours.)

the basketball date is particularly insane, because that day was actually an event which charles, pierre and esteban attended. but you wouldn't know THAT from charles' post about it. charles fully cropped esteban out of his post - he really said "esteban who? i only spent time with my friend pierre 😌" and he said it with his whole chest.

ALSO, while we're on the subject of the basketball date and social media - pierre and charles co-posted a reel about it on instagram. yes. CO-POSTED. you know, like a couple co-posting about their date.

piarles basketball date, you will always be famous!!

(P.S. - a lot of piarles fans refer to this 2023 basketball date as "basketball date 2.0" - and this is because pierre and charles have actually done this before, in 2021. i really can't talk too much about that date - character limit, my beloathed - but let me just say that pierre draping his arm round the back of charles' chair is something that lives rent free in my mind. rent free.)

another thing that lives in my mind rent-free is charles being interviewed at their first tennis date, and calling pierre his best friend <3333 love is friendship set on fire, etc etc!

... so, okay, when i said i wasn't going to talk too much about the lore behind the tennis & basketball dates, i lied a little bit. but in my defence - they were insane for these, they really were!

anyways. now, let's skip back in time a little - because i would be very remiss if i didn't include pierre and charles' 2016 joint championship celebrations.

in the year 2016, pierre was the GP2 champion and charles the GP3 champion (GP2 and GP3 are the old names for F2 and F3). in a very pretty twist of fate, they both clinched their respective titles at the same circuit, in the final race of their respective series - and then, of course, they celebrated together.

here is an adorable gifset of them celebrating together after the final GP2 race. and here are some more pictures from the official Prema photoshoot for the GP2 & GP3 champions (yes, they did a joint photoshoot together. even Prema ships it, apparently!)

actually, while we're on the subject of celebrating together: pierre and charles almost always congratulate each other for their significant achievements in f1. see: charles making a point to congratulate pierre on his podium in baku, as i discussed earlier in this post, and again in zandvoort 2023. (both times with a kiss emoji, mind you). similarly, check out pierre seeking charles out in parc fermé to congratulate him for his bahrain 2022 season-opener pole, and then congratulating him for his win twice over on social media. (and these are just a few examples out of many!)

this is one of those things that sets them apart from many other f1 rpf pairings: they both seem genuinely happy when the other does well. and like. they are COMPETITORS - but they're good enough friends that they can still celebrate each other's achievements genuinely and happily. that is insane!!

yes, sure, it's good sportsmanship to congratulate other drivers for wins/podiums - but that is usually done with a handshake in person or a copy-paste "congrats to XYZ" in the post-race interview, or something like that. one rarely gets the sense that it comes from a place of genuine, deep happiness for the other driver being congratulated.

pierre and charles are just on a whole different level. they specifically seek each other out in parc fermé, hug each other with so much enthusiasm that it looks suspiciously gay, and also post about each other's achievements very fondly on social media.

again, this is something you might see a driver do for their teammate - for example, charles congratulating "carlos and the team" for a win in singapore - but almost never with a freaking KISS EMOJI. and a pet name. and so much genuine joy.

just... yeah. they care about each other so much, and are each other's biggest supporters ❤️

it's not just in good times that they're there for each other, either: 2019 was a truly difficult year for both pierre and charles (pierre especially) but they were still there for each other when it mattered.

the prime example of this is monza 2019, which was one race after pierre's demotion from red bull, and also one race after anthoine hubert's death. because the fia has no sense of basic kindness or decency, naturally they put pierre into a press conference that very weekend.

the video of that press conference is very hard to watch - every time pierre is asked a question, you can hear how much he is struggling to hold it together. honestly, the sole good thing from this presscon is that at least pierre had charles beside him.

here is a post i made where i discuss this in a bit more detail, but essentially: charles sat as close as possible to pierre for the entirety of that conference - close enough that their shoulders were practically touching - as a non-verbal gesture of support. you can see the difference in space between charles & pierre vs all the other drivers, and there's no way that was accidental. charles might not have been able to voice his support for pierre out loud right then, but it's there in every part of his body language.

another very meaningful moment is also from 2019, when pierre went up to charles pre-race in spa:

"I told Charles before the race, please win this race for Anthoine." (source)

and charles did. 💙

then later in 2019, when pierre got his first podium in brazil, guess who was right there to hug and congratulate him? that's right.

this was another case where charles' own race fell apart - he had a crash with his teammate, in fact - but he still made a point of going to hug pierre after his P2, and going on social media to tell pierre and also the whole world that pierre deserved that podium. that's what i call supporting your best friend.

now, at this point, you might be thinking... well, pierre and charles have it all. whether you're looking for happy moments or deep emotional moments or suspiciously gay moments to fuel your shipping fire, it's all there.

and you'd be right! they do have it all. though i will say this - one of the complaints i've heard whispered around this fandom is that piarles is a fun ship, but they don't have any content videos together like teammates do. so it's harder to ship them, because you don't get to see them actually interact with each other aside from like 5-second video clips...

to that i say: well. they might not have any teammate videos together, but oh boy. as of 2023, they do have something else: the squeezie video.

i could talk about the squeezie video for MONTHS, i really could - but let me try and keep it brief. so, squeezie is this french youtuber who has this "who's the impostor?" video series in which he gets a couple of celebrities to join him on the show, plus some people from a certain profession, and then they have to guess who actually does that profession and who's the impostor.

the day that pierre and charles were guests on the show, the professions were "firefighter," "midwife," "flight attendant" and "school counselor." this resulted in absolute chaos of the best kind - ah, man, i cannot even begin to describe to you what a glorious mess it was. that video had everything from charles & pierre cradling fake babies, to charles & pierre extremely dramatically accusing each other of lying, to pierre making dirty hand gestures while charles blushes profusely, to charles & pierre play-acting being naughty schoolkids (feat. charles saying he fell asleep in class and woke up from a nightmare screaming "box box" 😭)

here are some screenshots of some of my favourite moments:

the way they LOOK at each other... GOD.

anyways! you can watch the video here. my recommendation is to watch it with the original french sound track - there is an english dub available, but it sounds incredibly strange to hear american accents coming out of pierre & charles' mouths, off-sync with what they're actually saying. it's a MUCH better experience to watch in french, so you can hear what they actually said, and enjoy how they interact with each other. (english subtitles are available!) alternatively, you can find some translated highlights here, courtesy of the incredible @sedicii <3333

aside from all the still-can't-believe-they-actually-did-this-on-camera content, one of the things that makes me feel the most insane is that pierre and charles both chose to appear on this video. there was no contractual PR requirement saying they both had to participate in it, like with teammate challenges - no, they did it in their free time, because they wanted to.

i mean, sure, that video was definitely good for PR for both of them, but the point stands that they didn't have to do it, and they certainly didn't have to do it together. they CHOSE to - and what's more, they said at the end of the video that they'd do it again.

that's so central to pierre and charles, i think: they choose each other, time and time again. they freely choose to spend time with each other, because they genuinely like each other and enjoy each other's company. so much so that you will find them together at least once on almost every race weekend.

no, seriously. it's a very unusual race weekend if pierre and charles aren't spotted together at least one time. whether it's being glued to each other's sides on driver's parades, or chatting in the background of some or other interview, or just walking through the paddock together... they will find each other.

there are SO many instances where this happens that i would be here for over a month if i tried to list them all - and i'd still probably miss some. but here are some of my personal highlights!

pierre and charles finding each other pre-race in jeddah

pierre and charles chatting in the media pen in the background of one of alex's interviews

pierre and charles walking together in vegas (feat. fond smiles)

pierre and charles being baby gossip girls in 2018

more baby piarles in 2018

even more baby pierre and charles chatting in 2017

and just to round things off: most recently, pierre and charles walking together in jeddah 2024

and many, many more... including a whole bunch of moments we'll probably never know about.

that's another thing that makes me more than a little insane about these two: pierre has actually said, in so many words, that they'll never share everything about their friendship.

In the end we have the same life, we grew up together. We've done many things together, but you won't hear about all of it. (source)

all these moments that we see, that we go insane over... that's probably not even the half of what they've actually done together. and that makes me feel some type of way. if this is just the small pieces of their lives & interactions that they choose to share with the public, then just imagine what else there could be...

....buuuuut that'll start becoming a fanfic if i let myself carry on with that line of thinking too long. (can i just say one thing about that, though? the piarles fanfic community is absolutely INCREDIBLE. such talented writers, such wonderful people... just, chef's kiss all around!!) but, yeah! i think this post has gone on for more than long enough now, haha.

so, to conclude: pierre and charles really are the epitome of a friends to lovers ship: they get along famously, they genuinely seem to love each other's company and are always laughing together - and they can very often be found giving each other the heart-eyes/looking at each other like they're in love. if it's warmth, joy and friends to lovers feels that you're after, then look no further <3333

thank you so much for reading! and i do hope that after all this, you're at least a little bit in love with piarles, too ❤️

[bow-of-aros]

Day Twenty-Seven: Non-Human Parts

Summary:

Peter's been neglecting taking care of himself in order to get some schoolwork done and now he has to face the consequences of his actions in Ted's worried mother henning.

Hey folks! I don't care if wingfics are considered cringe (I also don't know if they are) I WROTE ONE ANYWAY! Hope that y'all enjoy my silly little Spankoffski bros because I love them so much <33

Peter was just about ready to throw himself out his bedroom window. He hadn’t preened his wings in weeks because he was busy with schoolwork and upcoming exams in shit. Obviously he knew that it was bad, he’d grown up being told to keep his wings nice and clean and normally he did.

Except he hadn’t been, so Peter had woken up this morning an awful combination of itchy and sore. Normally he would be able to get this sorted on his own, but he also hadn’t been letting them breathe, so he couldn’t quite get at where they’d cramped up on his back.

It sucked.

Peter was right in the middle of trying to yank his fingers through a stubborn tangle of feathers when he was interrupted.

“Hey Petey, I was gonna go to the store do you need—” Ted cut himself off as he took in the scene, “What the actual fuck is that?!”

Ted stood in his doorway wearing his best dad glare which was funny because Ted was not his dad. To be fair, Ted had practically raised him and had constantly been on his ass about proper hygiene.

And Peter had just been caught red-handed completely ignoring everything he’s been told.

“What does it look like? I’m preening and shit.” Ted’s eyebrows shot up and Peter winced internally. He’d basically guaranteed himself a lecture.

“Peter Spankoffski that is not preening!” Ted raked a hand through his hair before gesturing at the litany of feathers scattered across the floor, “If you keep going like this you’re gonna get bald patches dumbass! How long has it even been since you’ve done this?”

The longer Peter didn’t answer, the more unimpressed Ted looked. When it became clear that the answer was too long Ted just sighed and said, “Get your ass on the couch, I’ll be there in a minute.”

He didn’t even give Peter the chance to respond as he turned on his heel and marched down the hall muttering about dumbass little brothers.

Peter briefly considered ignoring Ted and going back to what he was doing, but that idea was quickly discarded when he realized that Ted would just come back up and physically drag him downstairs.

Looks like he’s getting his ass on the couch.

Ted’s grabbing a couple of things when Peter gets downstairs, face a mask of annoyance that the slight puffing of his wings betrays. He immediately feels a little guilty knowing that he’s worried his brother and decides to let Ted do his whole mother hen routine with minimal complaining.

Peter can’t help examining Ted’s wings as he waits, even though he knows exactly what they look like: A tan brown with warm yellow and white undertones. They’re nearly identical to Peter’s own.

He won’t lie and say that he’s not happy that he got the same wings as his brother. It’s definitely not uncommon for family members to develop similar patterns, but Peter likes the extra connection between them.

When they were younger, it had been Ted that helped him learn to preen. He’d shown Peter how to use his oil glands to keep everything moisturized and how to properly set his feathers straight. The whole time was spent alternating between silly games to keep him occupied and trying to drill into him how important it was to keep this up.

They were some of Peter’s fondest memories of him and his brother.

“Alright kid,” Ted’s voice cut through his thoughts, “You know the drill. Lie down and don’t move.”

If he’s surprised when Peter immediately complies, he doesn’t say anything. Peter feels the couch dip under him as Ted hovers over him and gets to work.

Ted works in silence for a little bit, the way he only does when he’s really focused on something. He combs the broken barbs and various shit from where they’ve tangled into his feathers.

That part goes relatively well, the only change being Peter gradually relaxing into the couch as his brother takes care of him just like when he was a little kid.

Then, Ted does his best to very gently remove the broken feathers from his wings and—

“Ah! Shit dude!”

Ted immediately withdrew his hands with a, “Sorry, kid. You doing alright down there?”

The pain has already faded to a muted sting, and Peter knows that this is a necessary part of the process even if he doesn’t like it.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Then, quieter, “You can keep going.”

He heard a snort above him as Ted got back to it, “You know, if I didn’t know you and how you disregard your actual physical health when school shit gets in the way, I’d say that you did this on purpose.”

“Don’t worry. This was 100% pure Spankoffski dumbassery.”

They go back and forth like that for a while, Ted occasionally pausing to work the oil through his wings and ease the kinks that Peter had left alone for too long.

While doing this, Ted brushed a little too close to the underside of Peter’s wings and Peter couldn’t help the small yelp that slipped out as he flinched away.

He could hear the smirk in his brother’s voice when he said, “I told you to hold still, Petey.” Another brush, another half-laugh, “Seriously! If you keep moving I’m going to have to start all over.”

“What?!” Peter shrieked as Ted moved properly to the softer feathers on the underside of his wings, “Wahahahait Ted! Nononono fuhuhuck!”

He struggled to stay still, the threat still looming over him, but Ted was not making this easy on him.

“You’re dohohoing this on puhuhuhurpose! Tehehehed!”

Ted just laughed at him, “Look kid! I wouldn’t be doing this if you had just taken care of yourself in the first place.”

He squeezed along the bone under the guise of working out more kinks, only succeding in drawing out cackling laughter as Peter began to lose the battle against his urge to thrash around.

“TEHEHEHED! Come ohohohohon!” He flailed wildly, trying to smack Ted’s hands away with some very uncoordinated attacks.

Peter breathed a sigh of relief as Ted withdrew his hands, patting his still laughing brother on the head as he caught his breath.

“You,” Peter said in between fits of lingering giggles, “Are evil!”

When he craned his neck to look up at Ted, Ted was smiling at him. And not the shit-eating I got you sort of grin either. It looked like the smile Peter could feel resting on his face, one that said You’re my brother and I love you and I love messing around with you.

When Ted caught Peter’s eye he just scoffed, trying to cover it up, “Yeah yeah, maybe try taking care of yourself next time. Because,” Ah. There was the shit-eating grin, “You moved around too much and fucked up my work, so I have to go through it all again.”

“Wait! Wahahait Ted! Nohohohoho!”

Yeah, Peter was definitely going to remember to take care of himself next time.

[simslegacy5083]

Today's (10/30/2024) Episode: An Evening of Contests

After a morning spent gaming and learning indoors, Luigi’s family and their foundation friends were ready to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.

He’d prepared a fun and wholesome event to cap off the foundation livestream, gathering everyone on a nearby beach. Isra, who still worked at the Observe to Conserve foundation took point, explaining a bit of the conservation work they did, and also specifically how trash left on the beach by careless Sims could harm not just the beauty of the environment, but also the health of the native plants and animals living there.

Then she and Luigi showed off a collection of prizes. They divided the attendees into small groups and promised first choice of prizes to whichever group collected the most trash over the next hour or so.

The kids of various ages were excited to roam up and down the beach, picking up anything that didn’t belong and collecting inventories full of trash they hoped to exchange for priority access to one prize or another they had liked.

Some of them, especially the younger ones, were perhaps a bit more distracted exploring the pretty beach than cleaning it, but Isra had experience with this. As they got closer to the designated time she made regular announcements, and by the last 5 minutes everyone was clustered around the last few uncleaned feet of beach hunting for last minute “treasures”.

Yoshi collected great footage of it all, including Isra’s little awards ceremony and her final pitch for the kids to keep Sulani Beautiful as they left.

After the kids dispersed with their winnings, Luigi headed back to the gaming center where he had arranged to meetup with Professor Silva.

He wasn’t the only one looking forward to seeing his old faculty mentor.  A number of his old Foxbury E-Sports teammates came too, engaging in an impromptu mini-tourney. Much to the chagrin of the professional e-sports players there, Luigi’s college fling Jade won the day.

Yoshi was taking a charging break, but Skye captured several pictures of his father’s defeat, not that Lawbourne senior was too broken up about his loss. “Some of my fondest memories are playing games with you guys at the University commons, and this was a great walk down memory lane!”

“If you’re up for more reminiscing, the E-Sports team has their big game coming up in just a few hours” Professor Silva mentioned. “I’d love for you all to head back to campus with me and cheer on my current crew; maybe pick out your favorites for the Rainy Day internship program?”

Noemi and several others were only too happy to spin into their winter wear and teleport to the stadium at their old Alma Mater.

“Your mom and I made so many great memories here” Luigi told his son as they walked through campus. “When you’re old enough we should take the college tour so you can see everything Foxbury has to offer.” Skye nodded shyly, not wanting to disappoint his parents, but in truth the big, cold lot intimidated him. He wasn’t so sure about this whole “university” thing.

The game was well worth the price of admission. The two teams were neck and neck all evening, but in the end, for the first time in a long time, Foxbury won the day. “You did it – congrats man!” Luigi enthused to his old mentor as they were leaving the stadium.

 “Thank you for supporting the team,” Coach Silva replied, “I’ve got to get back to my champions, but your advice and help made a big difference.”

By the time the game ended it was quite late, but no one wanted to go to bed without ringing in the new year. To that end they made their way back to the gaming center to end the evening in style. 

“Shushubie… shushubie… Fleeba Zoob!” the large group of Luigi’s favorite sims cried as the New Year’s countdown ticked over to midnight.

A recharged Yoshi was cruising the crowd with the other streaming cameras, capturing the celebration as everyone thanked their viewers for contributing to the big fundraiser earlier in the day. With hugs all around, and a strange question from Skye about how long teeth took to digest (where, Luigi wondered, did kids get these ideas!?) the large happy family started the new year off right: with a dance party of course.

Luigi didn’t know how things would look a year from now, but it seemed unlikely he’d be able to top that day’s accomplishments.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[menacing-menace-rat]

Heya! Just saw your post so I hope you don't mind my fluff related somewhat crossover of Batman and Moon Knight:

In this random AU, Bruce Wayne witnessing the death of his parents was such a traumatic moment that it would spiral to give him DID (his extra personalities being Steven Grant and Jake Lockley from Moon Knight).

Now in present time, each character of the batfamily (of your choice) while doing something together (maybe training perhaps) can't help but each remember fondly about the first time meeting Bruce and eventually finding out and meeting his other personalities as well and how much it was quite a surprise. They even each tell their most fondest memories with Bruce, Steven or Jake, by the end, they don't realize that Bruce Wayne has came back, smiling with Steven Grant and Jake Lockley also feeling happy.

Hope that's okay, thanks and have a great day

Hey! Okay I think I understand the request but in case I don't, feel free to ask again. I have never done cross over stuff before but I love both batman and moonknight so I'm excited to try. They really feel like they fit together so well. I can totally imagine the wild interactions between these men. Anyway without further or do here you go! 😄

        The kids were used to Bruce's changes. Most of them thought of Steven as a second dad. Jake only came out when needed but having a family seemed to mello him out almost like he felt safe with them.

        It had been a rough night for everyone. Gotham just seemed to be falling deeper into the hands of crime lords and maniacs. Dick, Jason, and Tim made their way to the kitchen for a snack before bed. 

        “Any of you catch Jake and Bruce arguing again?” Tim asked as Dick grabbed them all some cereal. 

        “Nah I got real good at tuning out their bickering. Don't take them so seriously. They will work it out.” Jason says as he shoves a whole huge spoonful cereal into his mouth. 

         “Do you guys remember a few Christmases ago when Steven and Alfred worked all morning to set up the living room for a Christmas card photo and Damien puked all over the rug?” Dick said as he finally made himself a bowl. He smiled as he remembered the look on everyone's face. There they all were dressed in their finest and poor Damien just couldn't keep it down. 

          “All I remember was the smell. I told him not to eat the ancient candy canes in the decoration box.” Tim said with a chuckle. “I thought you were going to bring up when Jake bought that bike and tried to park it in the greenhouse. I thought Bruce was going to throw that thing in the pool for a second.” Tim added. 

         “Oh my God I forgot about that!” Jason interjected as he choked down another large spoonful. “That bike was great. I think that was the first bike I ever rode. Jake can be a pain but he taught me everything I know about bikes. I hope Bruce wasn't jumping down his throat too much tonight. The guy really has a knack for taking the fun out of vigilante work.” 

         Everyone knew Jason and Jake were close. When Jason first came back from the dead Jake was the only person he'd let near him. They just understood each other. Jake was the father Jason thought he needed. 

         “Jake's alright but Steven will let me talk his ear off all day if Bruce isn't busy. I even got him into RPGs and he helped me rebuild my computer.” Tim commented finishing his bowl of cereal first.

       The boys continued talking about their shared experiences with Bruce, Steven, and Jake. It's an unconventional set up for a family but they all manage to make it work together.

       At some point Bruce realized they hadn't gotten around for bed yet so he looked in the one place he knew he'd find three teen boys, the kitchen. Sure enough they were there all sat on stools, cereal long finished. They were boisterously recounting their favorite moments with their surrogate fathers. If Steven had been in control a tear might have come to Bruce's eye.

       The sun started to rise and eventually they all went to bed. Bruce couldn't help but sleep a little sounder knowing Steven and Jake were loved by his adopted sons. He couldn't ask for a better family.

        It got a little sappy near the end but I hope you enjoyed. It was a really fun AU to write. The idea is super creative and sweet. I hope I did it justice. 💕

[cherriesfalling]

When I finally got around to making a high yield savings account (financial responsibility yay!), one of the influencers I followed was like “make one of the buckets in your HYSA a fun bucket that you put like $10 per month into and you can crack that open and enjoy when the time comes.” And without a second thought, genuinely without even thinking about it, I titled my fun fund “One Direction reunion tour.” Because I was 1000% sure they would come back and yeah I’d be like 40 but at least I’d have a bunch of money in that account and I could finally go to a One Direction concert after never having gone during their heyday. And maybe I’d have a kid or a niece or nephew with me and we could all go together and it would be the perfect confluence of all my past and present selves.

And now it’ll never be the same.

Some of my fondest memories are driving down an interstate with my friends with the windows down and the Take Me Home album blasting. Arguing about who we liked the most and who was going to age the best and playfully joking about what it would feel like when the news broke that one of them had died. That was supposed to be decades from now.

I’m so sad for him, the 14 year old who grew up wanting to be a star and then actually achieving his dreams, but finding that it wasn’t enough. I wish he hadn’t hurt so many people and I wish he could’ve made amends and become a better person. Obviously I don’t know him, but it felt like I did when I was 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 and 16 in those groupchats with strangers I’d never meet but I swear I knew better than anyone else. I was always a Liam girl, and lately that fact has made me feel pretty embarrassed, but that’s who I was. I wish things were different. I am so sad for his family and friends, and I hope they find some peace. I hope his victims do too.

One Direction has been a part of my personality basically since I was old enough to have one. I went to corners of the internet for those men that I would not go to today with a gun. I will miss them and Liam Payne forever.

[typosandtea]

Hi! Can we have 14, 43 and 65 for Murphy please? Thank you =^___^=

(Edit: forgot to tag :) @acorncoffeeformysweetheart )

You sure can!!!!!!!!

Asks from this post

14. What is their fondest memory?

Long before any thoughts of war or even America occurred to little 13 year old Murphy, sometimes if they all got their chores done early on the hot hazy dry-season days, she and her younger siblings would be allowed to take the old farm Ute down to the creek in the far back paddock. She would drive through the dust and scrub with her 4 brothers bouncing around in the tray laughingly begging her to go faster or drive more recklessly. Their mother would pack a little esky with some sandwiches, and if money wasn’t tight that week maybe even some cola and home made lamingtons! Though the Murphy kids don’t know of the worsening resource shortages at the time. (Murphy is her last name that she prefers since she doesn’t like her name, Nora). A thorough croc check completed by herself and her twin brother Tom then the fun could begin!,after all their mothers only rules were be back by dusk and don’t get eaten. Under the shade from the gums and pandanus the four of them would swim, splash, wrestle and play in the warm shallow water all afternoon. Right on dusk or just after if they weren’t watching the time they would arrive home exhausted, dusty and as happy and pigs in mud, which their mother would jokingly compare their dusty selves too, since they would drive home damp and the red dust clings. Murphy loves looking back on these days in her minds eye, though such days are tinted with layers of sadness for times, places and family lost.

43. What is their favorite meal and drink?

She loves a good meat pie, sometimes they would all save up pocket money and they would go to the bakery for one while their mother did the grocery shopping, they would sit in the front in the aircon provided they weren’t being too noisy and bothering the other customers! Present Murphy is not a very good cook so when codsworth ‘accidentally’ lets slip her favourite food to some of her friends and they make an evening out of it, she nearly breaks down in tears (mostly from ‘oh my god these people actually do like me’ despite being really close friends with them at this point)

For drink she loved beer a little too much pre war, especially after they were both injured and discharged from anchorage. Now she can’t get drunk to forget all her loss because of the mutation and she hates that, ‘what’s the point of beer if I can’t get drunk :(‘ she’s gonna learn to cope with her loss whether she wants to or not.

65. Describe their living space. (How do they decorate it? Does it have running water and/or electricity? Etc.)

She makes a little hidey-hole home at the top of an old building where the internal stairs are collapsed, which she thinks will keep it hidden, mostly true but she forgets about jetpacks haha. It’s not much in the way of furniture since she is limited by what she can carry, but the couch and table that was already up there is good enough, she’s made it very cosy, covering the worst of the holes in the walls and roof, hanging some string lights for gentle light that she can tolerate (her dark vision limits her to very dim lighting). She has a small wind turbine hanging off the building roof for electricity and a little cooking area with ventilation. No running water but she is not far flying from diamond city where she buys water from (she is not the general and feels very bad about taking from settlements)

[bluewavesofchange]

The return of the Seal

I don't own Yugioh or it's characters

Chapter 8

Rain kept falling over the land, the dark thick clouds spreading across the sky in a blanket of cold and shadows, grief was rife in the air as if the very atmosphere was crying. A veil of sorrow that everyone could feel…

The ground outside was soaked…normally the country side had little to no rain all year round…and now it looked like it wasn’t going to end anytime soon…

Lillian and Seto were still standing outside, the CEO’s wings still protecting them from the rain. The brunet kept his arms wrapped around the woman he loved, feeling her body trembling underneath his touch as she continued to cry, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head as he whispered soft words of comfort to try and calm her down.

He wasn’t sure what to do or how they would move forward…he had a company that was slipping from his fingers, a person that was threatening to take people’s souls, his past catching up with him…and yet the only thing he knew he needed to focus on in this moment was his pregnant fiancé…and he had no idea how to help her…

He felt her slowly pulling away after a moment, the girl sniffling softly as she tries to wipe away the tears that were running down her cheeks. She glanced up for a moment and took in the bright white wings that were sprouting from his back…a pair of wings she hadn’t seen in years…thousands of thousands of years ago…she slowly reached out and ran her fingers over the leathery surface…

She forgot how beautiful they were…how things used to be in their past lives…the dragons were mighty white beasts that roamed the skies, untouchable by those that wondered the earth below…massive creatures that disappeared in the blue skies, being almost impossible to see…she may have been a being of the sea but some of her fondest memories were when her family flew through the skies…

It was a clear day, a gentle breeze blowing through the mountains that were towering over an island in the middle of the sea…very little vegetation was growing around the massive peaks, the only animals you could find here were those with wings and caught fish for food. On a protruding ledge that led to a cave hidden high above was a young girl, her hair was tied in a messy braid, she wore a white dress with a rope tied around her waist, a small net hung off the one side, a few hooks on the other…she was looking up at the sky, a far off look in her bright blue eyes…

 

She hears a noise coming from the cave behind her but she didn’t jump or look worried as she smiled. A moment later Tsuki runs out with a big smile on his face, excitement radiating off him as he looks over at Serena. The boy was dressed in a pair of old brown shorts, a sleeveless white robe that was a little too big for him hung over his shoulders. His scales glimmered in the sun light like glass pebbles in the bottom of the pond. She doesn’t need to ask what he was doing as two other figures exits the cave, Ami and Hikaru, soft smiles on their face.

 

The children’s father walked over to his son and ruffled his hair before picking the boy up, “You ready my boy?” Tsuki’s smile widens as he nods. The male dragoniod grinned before tossing the boy over the edge of the ledge, the kid shouting “Woohoo!”

 

There’s a small flash of light and the next moment a blue eyes white dragon flies up into the air, this one was smaller and clearly a juvenile. He lets out a small screech as he does a back flip in the air, his wings flapping and tail wagging. Hikaru chuckles as he takes his turn and dives off the cliff, transforming into a massive dragon, his roar echoing through amongst the mountains, the creature flaps his wings hard, heading for the clouds, Tsuki squawking cutely as he follows his father, the two getting into a game of catch.

 

Serena smiles as she watches her brother and father. It always amazed her when they took flight, gliding so high above her, thriving in their element and just being who they were. She was sometimes jealous…she knew she wasn’t a dragon like them…their hearts were in the sky and yet hers…well hers belonged to the sea…

 

And yet her family never treated her any different, they loved her and showed it every way they could and this was one of those ways…the skies belonged to the dragons and those with wings…it was their sacred space. It was where they could be free…to roam and glide and play, a place where they could feel the wind on their scales, the colours and rays of the sun and in the evening to fly amongst millions of stars…

 

Serena notices a shadow forming behind her, she slowly turns and sees her mother had transformed into her dragon form, she has a gentle look in her eyes as she lowers her head, lying low so that Serena could climb onto her neck. The girl sits herself just behind Ami’s head, holding on tightly as the dragon takes off into the sky to join the other 2.

 

Serena was smiling happily, her hair blowing back as they glided through the sky, the crisp air filled her lungs as she watched her father chasing her brother while the smaller dragon ducked and dived amongst the clouds. Serena slowly stood up, somehow managing to keep her balance as she spread her arms pretending they were wings…she closed her eyes as a wave of nerves washed over her for a second before she jumped off her mother’s neck…

 

She fell through the air; the rush of the wind was exhilarating…it was an amazing feeling…and she wasn’t afraid as the next second her father flew underneath her and caught her. She opens her eyes and smiled at her dad, a deep rumbling coming from the beast’s chest as if he were communicating to the girl. She giggles as she holds onto him tightly as he shoots through the air, doing backflips and twirls.

 

Serena reaches out and runs her hand through the clouds, the thick puffs of mist slipping through her fingers…the sun shining over them as Tsuki and Ami were flying in intricate patterns. Serena watches with a smile as she stands up again and jumps off, this time her brother zips through the air and catches her, the young girl sitting on his back, her arms around his neck as he was a lot smaller than their parents. Tsuki squeaks as he looks back at Serena before diving down, the small dragon flying over the sea, tilting to the side so that his sister could run her hand through the water, the cool mist spraying over them. The siblings were happy…the family was happy as the mother and father joined their children…

 

It was a peaceful and wonderful day but…like many of their peaceful moments it was ruined by the darkness that was chasing them…Ami was the one to notice the dark storm clouds with red lightning in the distance. The woman lets out a soft roar, signalling her family that they need to leave…

 

Hikaru takes off first, Tsuki flying behind him and his mother behind him…Serena holding onto her brother as she looks back at the evil on the horizon…

 

Lillian slowly pulled her hand away from Seto’s wings as she looked up at him…It had been a shock when her memories returned, the fact that Seto remembered was even more of a shock…but it brought in a horrible sense of grief and regret…the rain around them lightened to a drizzle as Lillian stepped away. Seto looked at her confused as he watched her as she wrapped her arms around herself. She could feel the darkness of Rozu’s spirit in the back of her mind…despite never making herself known, Lillian knew she was always watching…and the witch probably knew now what Seto was…

Seto got a bad feeling as he reached out towards his beloved but she took another step back, “I need to go…” she says softly as she turns her gaze to the ground. Kaiba frowns as his wings retract, disappearing behind him, “What do you mean you have to go?” Lillian fiddles with the sleeves of her shirt, “I need to go find Dartz and get my brother back…before anyone else gets hurt or taken.” She turns to leave but Seto takes hold of Lillian’s arm.

He had a stern look on his face, “You can’t be serious. You can’t go on your own.” she tries to pull her arm free but his grip was firm but gentle, “We can work out a plan and--”

“I’m doing this on my own. None of you know what you are getting into or what this man is capable of.” She wraps her fingers around his wrist as she keeps struggling.  However Seto wasn’t letting go, “The guy steals peoples souls from what I’ve heard…what makes him any different than any other psycho we’ve encountered?”

“It isn’t just about stealing souls…it’s what he is bringing with him…a monster the likes of which you’ve never seen…if you think the Egyptian gods are powerful, this thing is worse.” The rain starts pouring down heavily, soaking them both as she kept trying to pull free. Seto wasn’t buying any of this, “You’re overreacting. It can’t be that--”

“It is that bad!” Lillian’s eyes flashed as the sky lights up with lightning as she yelled, “It took Rozu, Clarity and myself, not to mention thousands of others to take Dartz down the first time and we couldn’t even managed that!” Seto looked at her confused, his grip lighting up slightly, “What are you talking about? What do you mean ‘last time’?” Lillian pulled her arm free from his grasp, “Something that I need to prevent from happening again before anyone else gets hurt.” She mutters as she turns to leave once again.

Seto was getting frustrated as he followed her, “Could you stop talking in riddles and keeping all these stupid secrets to yourself?! You give me crap about not talking and holding everything in and yet you keep everything to yourself!” Lillian was trying to ignore him as she wrapped her arms around herself, gripping the sleeves of her shirt in her fists, “You wouldn’t understand! You don’t--”

“How am I supposed to understand if you won’t tell me!? Take some of your own damn advice for once! You think you need to take on the world on your own, to do everything yourself but you don’t! You have your stupid friends, your family, hell you even have me!” Kaiba raises his voice, trying to get his words across over the downpour of the rain. Lillian didn’t have an answer for him and honestly she didn’t want to. The grief and regrets that had accumulated since she was reborn in this world was getting to her. Heck, everything she had been holding in for the last 15 thousand years was overwhelming her.

Her feet moved faster, her eyes glowing brighter as she summoned a wall of thick ice between her and Kaiba, stopping the taller teen in his tracks. His lips curl up into a snarl, his wings giving a hard flap, launching him into the air.

Lillian was trying to get her thoughts in order, she needed to find a way to not only get to Dartz but also stop the Leviathan before it regained all its strength. It was better if she did this alone…she had been right to do this alone…if she had left when she had encountered the beast on the pier the previous day she would’ve stopped Yugi from being taken…if she had—

She was pulled from her thoughts as something landed in front of her, the water that had accumulated on the ground splashing around the person’s feet. Lillian looked up at Kaiba, the look of anger on his face reminding her of the night on the museum steps but there was also gentleness, a look of worry and concern hidden behind the anger, “You can’t keep running away like this! Let me help you!”

Lillian’s lip quivered as she glared up at him, “I’m not running away! I’m putting an end to this! No one else needs to get hurt!” she tries to push past him but his wing extended out, blocking her path, “Lillian please, you can’t do this!” For once she wished he would be his old selfish stubborn self and just let her go. She turned to head in another direction but Kaiba grabs her, holding her upper arms firmly, “I said stop!”

“Let me go! I don’t…I don’t…” she struggles to get free but

“You don’t what?! You just going to abandon all of us again because you think you know what’s best?! Because every damn time you’ve done it you’ve hurt everyone close to you! You hurt your family…your little brother was miserable and alone for a year…your mother was broken and you nearly left your family financially ruined because your father went looking for you after you ran away!” his words felt like a punch to Lillian’s gut…just nothing but blow after blow after blow.

The ebony haired woman trembled with either anger or sorrow, maybe a mix of both as she started to tear up again. She tried to speak but her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. Kaiba was trying his best to hold in his rage, not wanting to hurt her like he did last time…more importantly he didn’t want to put his unborn child in harm’s way either…but this was a long time coming…

“And worst of all you left me behind…” he released her arms and took a step back, composing himself for a moment as he took in a deep breath, “…Not just a year ago…but back in that world too…all those years ago…”

Lillian stood still as she looked up at Seto, seeing the hidden pain in his piercing blue eyes…the grief in his voice that he was trying so hard to hold in. Seto may not have all his memories back but he remembered the last few years before he arrived in this world…fragments of the life he once had…

His wings receded before disappearing, Lillian watching as his shoulders sag, a lump forming in her throat. She never thought about that…about leaving behind the people she loved…maybe it sounded selfish but then again she always believed that her actions were for the best. She wanted to protect the people she loved…to keep them safe from not only herself but the forces around them…she felt grief and guilt leaving them behind…she knew they would grieve too but they were better off without her…

The rain around them cooled down to a drizzle as Lillian watches Seto walk over to a nearby bolder and sit down, his head in his hands. She could see his shoulders were shaking, knowing that he was doing his best to hold back the torrent of emotions that was running through his head. She knew it was an assault on the mind to have memories that didn’t feel like your own fill your head…heck she was still feeling the effects of having so much information returning all at once…and for someone like Seto it must’ve been worse. He had never believed in magic, over worlds, monsters or even past lives and now to have everything you thought you knew being wrong…

She slowly walked over and sat down beside him, her hands clasped together, fiddling with her fingers as they stayed silent. She looked up at the sky, following the dark clouds as it continued to drizzle…her eyes glowed again as a dome of ice forms around them, shield them from the rain…she then turned her gaze back to the ground before talking in a shaky voice, “How…how much…*sigh*…how much do you remember?”

Seto is quiet for a long moment before he sighs, running his fingers through his wet hair, “I not much…” he looked at Lillian out of the corner of his eye, “ …but I remember enough…” he stared up at the ice ceiling that was now over their heads, watching the drops of water accumulating on the top before running down the smooth cold surface, “…I remember bits and pieces of the world we came from…I remember what I am as hard as it is to believe…I remember always being on the run from a force that wanted to kill us…our…” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “…our parents…Hikaru and Ami…” he slowly lowered his gaze and turned to look at Lillian, “…And I remember you…”

Lillian watches as her beloveds eyes slowly well up with tears, a rare occurrence to see, “…I remember being forced to say goodbye to the woman I loved…to have to leave behind the other half of my soul to face a dangerous enemy alone…I remember a promise we made that we would see each other again…” a tear runs down his cheek as Lillian feels a stab in her heart as Seto turned away from her, “…And I know we were apart for a long time…a very very long time…the memory isn’t clear but I remember feeling a deep seated pain…agony and loneliness…the very strands of being pulled apart, ripped to shreds as my heart lay beyond my reach…” a vision of a beach fills his mind…gentle waves crashing into the shore, warm fine sand beneath him…a deep sense of longing and isolation filled his spirit…a memory of despair and heartache…a feeling he absolutely despised like a wound that didn’t want to heal…

“…day after day…night after night…watching the cycle of the sun traveling across the sky before being replaced by the ever changing moon…” the vision leaves his mind as he looks back down to the ground, “…I felt my mind leaving me, the only thing filling my thoughts was you…wondering if you were alright…if you were alive…if you thought about me as much as I did you…if I infected your mind just as you did me…I felt myself wither away into nothing…I stopped eating, I stopped…caring about anything because it felt like…like…like I had lost you…a part of my soul crying out every day for you…” he turned to look at her, his face wet with tears, “…and you never came back.” He gritted through his teeth as he stood up, towering over Lillian as he clenched his fists.

Lillian was at a loss for words…she never thought that what sending her love and parents away would be so horrible for him…she truly believed that as much as it hurt…a much as it left an everlasting scar on her heart, that they would be safe without her…that they were better off never returning home...

A heavy weight fell over Lillian as reality sank in…she had been wrong…she had been very wrong…had she never sent her family away none of the horrible and terrible things that had transpired in the last 15 thousand years would’ve happened…Yomi would’ve been destroyed with the help of Rozu and Clarity…the lands would’ve been at peace…the leviathan might’ve been destroyed with the help of her family…she wouldn’t have been lost to the sands of time…the pharaoh and millennium items wouldn’t have been created…Yugi wouldn’t have been born and forced to suffer so much…and Seto would’ve have had to endure so many years of torture and torment…

Seto was trying to process what he was feeling and not let his anger get the better of him as he started pacing. This was too much, life wasn’t supposed to be so complicated and he had two lives. None of this magical nonsense was supposed to be real. He held his head in his hand, none of this was supposed to be real…and he didn’t know how much more he was willing to take…

“I’m sorry…”

Seto stopped pacing as he lowered he slowly turned to Lillian who was shaking as she had tears running down her cheeks again…she takes in a shaky breath as she tries to speak, “I-I’m so sorry…” she looked up at him, their eyes meeting as the ice dome around them starts to crack, “I-It’s all my fault…” she shudders as she feels herself breaking apart, “E-everything is my fault…” her body convulses as she becomes overwhelmed with sobs, her breath quickening as breaks down, “Oh god it’s all my fault!”

Without even thinking Seto rushes to her side and kneels down in front of her, taking her hands into his and squeezes them tightly as the ice down around them shatters like Lillian’s resolve just falling apart, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” she chanted over and over and over again. Seto quickly pulled her into his arms, holding her as close as he could, both his arms wrapped tightly around her. As angry as he was and how much turmoil he was feeling, he would still do everything in his power to comfort the woman he loved just like she did for so many years…

Lillian pressed her face in his chest as she grips his shirt, “I…I’m so s…sorry Tsuki…I’m sorry f…for never bringing you back…I’m sorry f…for leaving you for s…so long…I’m s…so sorry y…you’ve had to go through so much pain…I thought…I thought I was doing the right thing keeping y…you away…that you were safe…that you were better off without me…” she trembles as she tucks her head under his chin as she repents for what she felt was her sins, “I…I just--”

“Shhhh it’s alright Lil…its ok…” Seto pressed his lips to the top of her head in a gentle kiss, “It’s going to be ok…” he whispers softly as Lillian continues to cry.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there in the dirt, the rain had stopped falling and the wind had stopped blowing. Lillian’s cries of despair had calmed to soft whimpers and sniffles as Seto continued to run his fingers through her hair, the two just remaining in silence…Seto wanted to talk this out and get to try to understand why Lillian felt that everything had been her fault. Sure she was the reason he never returned home but he wasn’t exactly sure why…

“5 thousand years…”

He looked down as he heard her spoke.

“It had been 5 thousand years since I sent you away and Lord Yomi was destroyed…” Lillian mumbled softly, “…I thought about bringing you and our parents back but…there was a fear that took control of my life…fear that someone else would arise and come after my family…so I thought it was for the best that I kept you all away…” Seto listened quietly to her, “…I spent 5 thousand years alone…and then came here to help save this world from the Leviathan and Dartz…I was thought I had taken out the beast but it had disappeared into the depths of the sea…” her voice trembled more, “…I went after it, thinking I could finish it off but…” she whimpered, “…But I grabbed me…and I could get free…so…so I did the only thing I could…I sang…I sang and put the monster to sleep…”

She felt herself back in that place…in that cold never ending darkness with nothing but her thoughts and crippling loneliness to keep her company and the best that was keeping her captive…

“I was trapped there…for 5 thousand I was there…withering away till my body disintegrated into nothing that floated away in the sea…but not before I stored my soul in the necklace you gave me…” she reached into her pocket and pulled out the blue stone necklace, running her thumb over the gem, “…I was trapped in here for another 5 thousand years…” she slowly looked up at Seto, “I was without you…for 15 thousand years…I don’t know how long it was for you but…all I ever thought about for all those years was you…how much I missed you…I much I wanted you back…your eyes…your smile…” she reached up and ran her shaking fingers over Seto’s cheek, tracing his cheek bones, “…every special moment we ever spent together…from when we were little when we would play together…the flights we took with mom and dad…the evening we confessed our love for each other…” she finds herself getting lost in her memories as she tucked a few strands of Seto’s hair behind his ear, “…our first night together under the stars…”

She felt another wave of tears run down her cheeks as she pulled her hand away, “…I thought about all the battles we fought for our family’s freedom…the fight where you got hurt…” she slowly moved her other hand to his side, her palm resting over the scar that she knew lay beneath his black shirt, “…the regret…the grief…the guilt…the thought of you were the only thing that kept me going for all those years until I…until I faded away…” she wasn’t sure if she was ready to deal with the fact that she had died.

She side softly as she looked away, “I guess it was my punishment…for leaving you and our parents behind…I deserved being in the cold and dark, in the claws of that monster…for everything I did and the suffering I caused you…I just…I’m so sor--”

She was cut off by Seto pressing his lips against hers, his hand cupping the back of her head while his other arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her as if she was the most precious thing on earth. She was confused for a brief moment before she melted into the kiss and caressed her beloveds cheeks…she traced his skin, taking in every little detail that she could, feeling his lips moving against hers.

He eventually pulled away, looking deeply into her eyes as she carefully took her left hand, running his thumb over her engagement ring, “As angry and as much pain as I feel about what you did to me…I can help but understand why you did it…I’m not happy about it but I understand…” he said in a stern voice as Lillian nodded, “…I can’t even begin to think what it must’ve been like for all those years…but you need to stop blaming yourself for happened. It’s in the past…” Lillian opens her mouth to say something but the brunette simply kisses her again to shut her up…which she didn’t seem to mind.

“We can talk about this later once we are home and safe…” he moves his hand to her baby bump, “…All of us…” Lillian rested her hand over his and nodded as Seto rested his forehead against hers, “Right now…we need to get your brother back and stop this Dartz bastard…but we are doing this together…no more going at this on your own.” she wanted to fight him but simply nodded, “You’re right…” Seto smirked as she pulled away and stood up, “Of course I am.” He holds out his hand to her. Lillian rolled her eyes as she took his hand and let him pull her up…

The couple headed back to the trailer, the skies busy clearing. They stepped into the vehicle and were met with the sight of Joey and Tristan trying to resuscitate Yami who had fallen unconscious due to organ failure because of the damage Lillian had caused earlier. The other teens in the trailer had noticed that the couple had returned and looked at Lillian with fear. She watched as Téa tried to keep Mokuba and Rebecca behind her, protecting the kids even though the younger Kaiba was trying to get to his brother…

Lillian turned her attention to Yami, feeling the anger and hatred she had flooding her again. She should leave him there to die, to suffer but…she remembers the day she spent with him at the mall…the afternoon at the beach with all their friends…the times he protected Yugi…

She sighs as she walked over to the unconscious pharaoh but Duke got in her way, thinking she would hurt him again. Lillian was about to speak but Joey beats her to it, “Back off Duke. She’s de only one dat can save im.” The dice man hesitates but steps aside…

Lillian takes a seat beside Yami who was lying on the sofa, Joey and Tristan stepping out of the way. She sighs and rests her hand on the pharaoh’s forehead, her eyes and tattoos glowing, the energy flowing into his body, repairing every bit of damage she had done…it takes a moment before his red eyes fly open and he gasps hard, sitting up quickly as he breathes heavily. He looks around with wide eyes as Lillian stands up, her eyes on him, her expression cold and filled with hatred and Yami saw this. He swallows the lump in his throat and looks away, mumbling softly, “You should’ve let me die…”

Lillian doesn’t answer; no one says a thing as the raven head walks into the bedroom, slamming the door closed. Mokuba runs to his brother and the two hug each other tightly.

The teens got ready to depart, to head to the train station when Noah called…informing everyone that he found out who was trying to buy out Kaiba Corp…a company ran by a CEO named (you guessed it) Dartz…and that his office building was in California.

[empenvs3000f24]

Unit 7 Blog Post

Music in nature is anything we want it to be, and in turn, nature is reflected in the music we create and listen to. For me, I find the noise of trees blowing in the wind to be very peaceful. It helps me to zone out and becomes this soundtrack to my thought process. When I go on walks I like to listen to podcasts or music, oftentimes forgetting how effective nature sounds alone can be on improving my mood. Spring is a personal favourite, when all the birds are chirping again, there is a slight breeze, and the sun is starting to become warmer; it feels like a pathetic fallacy representing the new coming plants and animals once again.

Loons at our cottage alongside some off-pitch singing of Wheat Kings from my family

I think nature in music is more common than I might have initially realized. Many artists connect with nature when writing their music and reconnect with it afterwards. The use of similes and metaphors with nature is common in plenty of music, even with nature-like aspects in the title. This summer I got really into Blue Rodeo -thanks to my Dad- and realized as I was writing this, how much they reference nature in their music. In the storytelling-love song, 5 Days in May, nature is used to set the scene. Demonstrated in lyrics like, “They met in a hurricane standing in the shelter, out of the rain” and “Somehow they stayed that way for those 5 days in May, made all the stars around them shine.” The listener can feel more involved and imagine the sounds of rain or how their love was able to enhance even starlight. My family likes to binge Blue Rodeo’s discography at the cottage and when I listen to them now, I’m reminded of the scenery and vibe of being immersed in nature. Lastly, on another Canadian band note, The Tragically Hip use a loon call in the opening of Wheat Kings, paying homage to Canada and the David Millard story. I think it is impressive when a band can integrate multiple aspects of sound into their music, creating a layered and detailed listen. It is really special to have a specific song or overall genre of music represent a place in nature dear to my heart with the people I care about the most.

Blue Rodeo concert this August!

To conclude, music is known to improve neuroplasticity and therefore memory retention and information recall becomes stronger. I think most of us can still remember the Elements of the Periodic Table song because it is so catchy and served the purpose of not only memorizing the elements, but helping us to learn their qualities in order. Music is a great tool for relaying information and connecting with people. You don’t have to be a great singer or be able to play an instrument to partake in music. Music meets you wherever you’re at. Most of my fondest memories at summer camp as a kid was sitting around the campfire and singing songs. I might not remember each lyric, but I remember how I felt in that point in time and it serves as a great bookmark to my relationship with nature.

[lunararcade]

Boredom striked me, so i'm going send some DR questions to shifting accounts i like (i hope it's okay) :

1 - A quote that describes your DR?

2 - What's your fondest memory from your Percy Jackson DR so far?

3 - How would you describe your DR best friend in one word?

I hope these questions are okay to ask. I want to interact more with people on here and that's why i decided to just ask random questions i would love to recieve.

stopppp!!!! it makes me so happy that you like my account. these questions are totally okay to ask!! i love answering shifting/dr questions <3 i'm going to answer each of these for a different dr since i shift to multiple (((:

1) this was difficult but i think a quote that describes my fame/youtube dr is:

"sometimes you are born into a family, and sometimes you need to go find it. sometimes it finds you. no matter how it comes together, family is what you fight for, family is what you protect." - sandra bullock

i'm in a group channel in this dr and the other members are literally like family to me and i love them all so much. missing them rn </3

2) i think my fondest memory was my first night bunking with percy lmaoooo 😭 there is no hades cabin, so i had been staying with him before we left for the quest that we are on now. he's such a loud, little, sarcastic kid but the more i get to know him the more i appreciate how nice he is and how grateful i am to be adjusting to a life i didn't know existed at the same time as someone else. we spent the whole night getting to know each other and collectively freaking the fuck out. fav cousin fr 🙏🏼‼️

3) i'm gonna answer this for my formula 1 dr! i would say my three closest/ my best friends are logan sargeant, oscar piastri, and charles leclerc.

i would describe logan as understanding. he is such a sweetheart and is really in tune with what people need and how to adapt to all situations. i think this makes him an amazing driver and also an amazing best friend (10 years and going strong LMAO). he's also understanding by being unbelievably patient and taking everything in stride.

i would describe oscar as observant. oscar is definetely on the quieter side which lets him take in everything around him. he notices everything and mentally records the information, which means he remembers all of the little things you tell him (he is a huge gossip/shit talker) and this also makes him a better driver cause he picks up on things quickly.

i would describe charles as passionate. charles is genuinely one of the kindest people i have ever met. he feels so deeply about the things and people he cares about (like racing and his family) which is why he is literally the human embodiment of "NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT." he dedicates himself 100% to things and it shows in every part of his life.

this was so so so much fun to answer 😭😭 so please feel free to send any dr questions you have! it makes me feel so connected to my drs when i'm here, and i've had many people tell me it is motivating to hear from people who have shifted ((: asks/inbox and messages are always open!

[painted-kneecaps]

Wait Aiz I think I missed what the relation between Chris and Kristoph is and where exactly she grew up.

Tell me loreeeeeeee

HI LAVII <3

OKAY SO i posted an TON about Charlie yesterday, and it’s all under my OC tag if you’re interested, but i’ll give you the rundown on Charlie’s beef with Kristoph !! Buckle in, this is going to be unnecessarily long.

Charlie’s parents were old college friends of Mr. and Mrs. Gavin. The Tréuses lived in France, but they visited with each other often in Charlie’s younger years, and she and Klavier grew very close.

Charlie hated Kristoph right off the bat. She has insanely heightened pattern recognition (weirdgirl powers) and even as a little kid, she could tell Kristoph was manipulating Klavier, getting him in trouble for things he didn’t do and making him believe it was his fault, and just generally being cruel. She grew very protective over Klavier as the years went on, and increasingly aggressive toward Kristoph.

Charlie’s parents were extremely busy and had to travel a lot for work, so most of Charlie’s summers were spent with the Gavins. The first few summers of the arrangement, before Kristoph moved abroad, were the worst, with Charlie repeatedly trying to confront Kristoph or call out his lies and toxic behavior to his parents, and Kristoph playing her accusations off expertly.

This knowledge that nobody believed her was one of the leading factors in Charlie’s general detachment from and lack of trust for parental figures as she got older, aside from her own parents’ neglect, and when the Gavins later began their weird mission to draw her into their “perfect family”, even going so far as to slowly change the pronunciation of her name over time to match with their other two children, she wasn’t particularly surprised or betrayed, just annoyed, seeing this development as just another easily-thwarted manipulation tactic.

When Kristoph moved to the states, right as Klavier and Charlie were entering their middle school years, Charlie was, of course, ecstatic. Some of her fondest childhood memories are from those few years where Kristoph was just an annoying memory lingering in the background of their lives. He did visit occasionally, though, and Klavier continued to idolize him, which led to multiple explosive fights between himself and Charlie, who tried desperately to point out the subtle ways that Kristoph was terrible to him, but Klavier refused to believe her.

Eventually, as time went on, high school made them busier and Klavier, two years ahead of Charlie, began to pursue his career, the two began to amicably drift apart before eventually losing touch. Charlie often thought of Klavier, still considering him a brother, but did her best to scrub Kristoph from her mind and life completely.

When she heard that he was in prison, she wasn’t even remotely surprised, and when she received a letter, imploring that she “look out for Klavier, as she always had”, she immediately knew who it was from, and that he was attempting to mess with her mind. She reached back out to Klavier regardless, and they reconnected, Charlie staying in his spare room under the guise of looking for work, her real design being to help her childhood best friend work through his trauma.

Charlie, being someone who thinks in logical patterns and often disregards emotion as a factor entirely, being completely shut off from her own, went about this in the most logical and emotionally disastrous way she could- she visited Kristoph, hoping that she might be able to pry something out of him that at last gives Klavier closure. It didn’t work, obviously, and Kristoph attempted to spin their childhood together and his parents desire for the “perfect family” in his favor, telling her that Klavier resented her for being the one thing he could never be to his parents- the daughter they always wanted.

Charlie, who couldn’t care less about Mr. and Mrs. Gavin, and really never had, found this accusation ridiculous, but it bothered her nonetheless. She had always known that the Gavins valued their image above all else, and that she was simply a means to an end to them, which was why their obsessive behavior toward her had never been more than a nuisance to be tolerated. They didn’t actually care about her, and she didn’t expect them to. She knew better than to depend on the adults in her life. What alarmed her was the thought that Klavier didn’t see them the same way, that he had actually been grasping for their care and love and approval, and that he had perceived their attentions toward her as competition.

She began to doubt her own perception of the situation, to pick at the threads of her own warped childhood and realize, especially as she became acquainted with Mr. Edgeworth’s little family of Mr. Wright and Trucy, that her childhood was not normal. That she had never felt safe, or protected in her upbringing- that she had always been the shield between Klavier and his family. That her own parents, whom she often went months without speaking to, even when she was a child, were completely oblivious to the psychological warfare that made up her summers as a child.

This crumbling of her defenses was, of course, exactly what Kristoph had been aiming for, and a part of her knew that- but she kept visiting him regardless, increasingly desperate for the missing piece of information, fond memory or scientific data lurking in their shared past that would click everything into place and knit her world back together. Her hatred for Kristoph was still visceral and biting, but she had begun to understand that his own upbringing was a factor, his parents’ subtle manipulations, so familiar to Charlie, twisting him into the man he was today.

She had always been so immune to his designs previously, repulsed by his mere existence in her vicinity, but she had a weakness, now, a crack in her defenses- a strange, begrudging understanding for the man that could almost be mistaken for empathy. So desperate for someone to relate to, and too aware of Klavier’s own fragile state of mind to confide in him about her own rapidly deteriorating mental state, that she had fallen prey to the one person in the world capable of hurting her the most. She had begun to see herself in him, and that scared her more than anything.

Klavier, understandably, was furious when he found out she had been visiting with Kristoph, and their mutual hurt and confusion culminated in their first fight since high school, and possibly their most vicious ever, and resulted in Charlie moving out and sleeping on Ema’s couch while she searched for her own apartment.

Edgeworth was the first, besides Ema, to notice the changes in her demeanor, usually so bubbly an involved in the investigative process, now distant and spacey, going through the motions at work and hardly even speaking to her peers. Holding a conversation with her had become like pulling teeth, and though the quality of her work did not suffer, she had become deeply withdrawn, and any attempts to reach out to her were skillfully evaded and politely declined. Finally, Edgeworth asked Athena and Simon to please speak to her and try to figure out what had changed.

And then, because this is Ace Attorney, after all- she gets accused of murder :))

[vividiana]

hello! 10, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30 for the soft asks!

hi, thank you so much for these!! ✨ (the questions are from this post)

10. when was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

during a call with my friend a couple nights ago. I don't even remember what it was exactly, she just always manages to make me laugh so hard even on bad days ❤️

20. tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart

one of my fondest memories from this year is when I went on a walk with my niece and nephew and it was the first time that they were left solely in my care, which was a bit stressful (I don't have kids or younger siblings/cousins, and I've never been a babysitter or anything like that, so I have exactly zero experience in childcare) but it ended up being such a fun adventure. we talked so much about the most random things and held a jumping contest and collected a whole bag of pine cones. I love these little humans so much ❤️

22. name of your favourite playlist?

one I probably listen to most is called "surviving november." I made it two years ago to accompany my stupid walks for my stupid mental health. I was going for a chill fall vibe, but I listen to it all year round.

25. if your soul was a color, what would it be?

a warm honey yellow, or at least that’s the vibe I hope to give off 🌼

28. what are you proudest of?

storytime! maybe not the proudest, but certainly one of my proudest moments was a couple years ago when my brother went to this conference in Germany and someone stole his phone from the hotel room and as the only person in the family who somewhat knew the language, I had to call the Hannover police department and follow up on the report my brother filed and then continue the conversation via email to send them some documents they needed to proceed. and let me just say that I hate talking to strangers on the phone even if there is no language barrier involved. anyways, they were surprisingly very polite, patient, and good at their job bc they ended up locating the person responsible and retrieving the phone pretty quickly and then they sent it to us with priority shipping that they paid for?? 10/10 experience, Polish police could never. anyways, I was very proud of myself and the fact that all these years of taking German in school amounted to something useful. extremely validating.

30. what do your hobbies look like?

writing, playing video games and board games, watching movies, discovering new music and making personalized playlists for my friends, cross-stitching. I used to read a lot, but for the past year I've fallen out of the habit. I would love to get back into it because I have a staggering amount of unread books on my shelves.

[depravitymoon]

Bruno x Reader Valentine's Special One-Shot

((Author's Note: Oh boy, oh boy, if this wasn't extremely late! This was sitting in my drafts for awhile because I was trying to be a perfectionist. So here's a simple wholesome one shot for y'all.))

You have no clue how your Nonna pulled this off. You were fine with this Valentine’s Day blind date set up. After all, you wanted to try dating again, and she promised your date wouldn't be some unhinged ‘sigma’ neckbeard. What you weren't expecting was to come face-to-face with the local Prince Charming. Bruno Buccellati was like Italy’s most eligible bachelor. How did Nonna drag him into this?!

As you sat across from Bruno in the seafood restaurant, you tried to focus on the conversation. But your mind was racing. You couldn't believe you were on a date with Bruno Buccellati of all people.

You realized you had spaced out as Bruno called your name. "Sorry Signor Bucceriati! I have a lot on my mind! It won't happen again!" you blurted out, feeling embarrassed.

He gave you a gentle smile. "No need to be formal. Bruno is just fine," he said reassuringly.

"Oh okay… Bruno!" You giggled nervously, feeling your face turn red.

You excused yourself to go to the bathroom, hoping to compose yourself. When you returned to the table, you found that Bruno had ordered a bottle of wine and two glasses.

He poured you a glass and raised his glass in a toast. "Here's to a great evening," he said with a smile.

You clinked your glass against his and took a sip of the wine. It was delicious, and you felt yourself relaxing.

"Is everything okay?" he asked with a concerned look.

You took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I just can't believe I'm on a date with you. You're like Italy's most eligible bachelor!" you admitted.

Bruno chuckled. "Well, I'm just a regular guy, really. But I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

You smiled, feeling a little more at ease.  You talked about your interests, your family, and your favorite books and movies. As the night went on, you found yourself enjoying Bruno's company more and more. He had such witty and interesting responses.

"My father, Paolo, was a fisherman," he said, "and when I was a kid, he used to take me out on his boat." You notice eyes ultramarine eyes lit up.

Bruno continued, "It's one of my fondest memories. We'd spend hours out on the water, just the two of us. He taught me how to bait a hook and cast a line. We'd talk about everything and anything, and I loved every minute of it."

"That sounds really nice," you said with a smile.

"It was. My father passed away a few years ago, but I still feel his presence every time I'm near the ocean," Bruno said with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"I've never been fishing before," you admitted.

"Really? We should go sometime. I'm sure you'd love it," Bruno suggested.

You smiled at the thought of going fishing with Bruno. "I'd like that."

As the night wore on, you found yourself getting lost in conversation with Bruno. He was so charming and easy to talk to. You definitely needed to give nonna a special gift for there birthday for this pleasant surprise.

[palettepainter]

💀 with Terri and/or Mick for the OC questions

(Since you didn't specify what question you wanted answered about them Imma give a quick answer to all)

How did you come up with the OC’s name?-

They just came to me and I thought "yeah, those are good names!

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range) -

Since we don't have a cannon age for Floyd I don't know what ages Mick and Terri would

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Each other

🍕 - What is their favorite food?

Mick loves dirty fries and Terri is a fan of chicken curry

💼 - What do they do for a living?

I imagine the two are probably retired. Mick used to be in a motorbike club, now we works repairs/restores on motorbikes of all kinds.

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?

Mick likes restoring motorbikes and Terri enjoys guitar, she used to play it a lot in her younger years

🎯 -What do they do best?

Mick is naturally good with motorbikes, both fixing and riding them. He and his old biker friends used to get into a lot of exciting adventures when they began travelling, Mick is very good at retelling these tales in exaggerated detail to excited kids

Terri is good at keeping a logical head in the face of chaos, she's very calm under pressure and is good at organising. She's also gotten good at preparing drinks, practise from when she worked in a bar years ago. Her talents on the guitar aren't half bad either but she's not as good as Floyd

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

Mick loves biking, looking at vintage cars and football. He's not fond of crumbed fish, iced tea or cats

Terri loves guitar, cooking different curries, and whales. She's not fond of heights, Mick driving recklessly on his bike (especially when they where younger) or lightning

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Mick has loads from when he travelled with his biker friends, they got into a lot of fun schenanigans, especially when they where drunk. One of his fondest is probably the day he got Terri to ride with his on his motorbike for the first time (younger Terri was terrified of falling off)

Terri's fondest are from when her and Mick had Floyd and began to learn how to be a family. Floyd was a total surprise to them and Terri was very unprepared and scared, but the whole experience made her fall in love with Mick all over again

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

I can't really go into too much detail with this one and it spoils something in a future story titled Fever (follows the events of Terri and Mick meeting baby Animal sometime after the events of episode 3 of Muppets Mayhem)

However one memory that Terri also hates is when Mick fell off his motorbike and got badly hurt, the two had been dating for a short while and Mick ended up breaking his leg

🧊 - Is their current design the first one?

I don't think I have the design anymore in my files but Mick originally didn't have long hair, his hair was slicked back, sorta like Danny from the Grease movie

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

For Terri she was inspired by Trixie from Bluey (who I also imagine her sounding like)

For Mick he was inspired by Dundee from Crocodile Dundee and Kenickie from Grease

🌂 - What genre do they belong in?

Not sure how to answer this one so leaving it blank

💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

Mick is a male but he would be Bisexual, he'd have deffed messed around with some of his biker friends back in the day as well as a couple of other girls he met on the road before settling down with Terri

Terri is a female and I imagine her as straight, she didn't really know that much about LGBTQ+ stuff till Floyd told her about it when he and Teeth dated in their young adult years. Terri still gets confused on some things but she's a supporter

🙌 - How many sibling does your OC have?

Mick and Terri are only children

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

Mick has a good bond with them, but he also has a found family sort of bond with his biker friends

Terri I can't go into too much because it'll count as spoilers for a future story

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

Their dynamic in general, I spent ages chatting with my pal on Discord fleshing out their relationship before I started work on The Red Critter. They feel like they have one of the more grounded, stable relationships despite how they sometimes bicker

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

Currently a lot, I've got a new story in the works called Fever so been writing up a lot of what-if dialogue to potentially use in the story

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

Nope

💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?

For some reason cats hates Mick so he's pretty terrified of them whenever he sees one peacefully walking along the street. Terri is harder to shake but lightning can make her flinch

🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?

Mick has none, he's naturally a very relaxed person, at best he'll just get annoyed with someone and then be over it after a few days

Terri cannont stand Tina (they eventually come to neutral terms and become some-what pals later down the line)

🎓 - How long have you had the OC?

Not that long, I made Terri and Mick for The Red Critter story which is still fairly new

🍥 - What age were you when you created the OC?

Current age

[shewholuvsgreen]

“My life’s journey from childhood memories to present realities.”

My childhood was pretty chaotic but fun. I grew up moving from place to place with my family, but the countryside was where i felt most at home. Nature has always been my sanctuary, always fascinated by its overwhelming serenity. My life was colored with simplicity and a loving family, I explored the world with them and created some of my fondest memories.

When I was young, I didn't like school much. I preferred playing outside, picking flowers, and turning them into delicious dishes that I then sold to my pretend customers, who were my cousins and friends. They would give me candy wrappers as payment. We also played games like bahay-bahayan, hide-and-seek, and other traditional games that were enjoyable and fun. I remember my grandparents or parents not wanting us to play outside if we didn't sleep during siesta. So what I did was fake sleep until they fell asleep, then I would sneak out to play with my friends! I know I'm not the only one who's done this, right?

As I got older, my childhood days filled with both chaos and happiness started to change. I began to spend more time in school, and although I still loved being outside, I had to deal with new things I had to do. Growing up and becoming a teenager came with its own difficulties and things to learn.

I found solace in books, losing myself in stories that transported me to different worlds and ignited my imagination. Even though I didn't always enjoy school at first, I started to really like learning. Each year, I realized how much education could offer me, giving me chances to do things I never thought possible when I was younger.

Throughout my teenage years, I struggled with figuring out who I was and where I fit in. Because my family moved a lot, I learned how to adapt to new places, but I also wished for a stable home. Even though we moved around a lot, my family was always there for me, giving me love and support whenever I needed it. They were like my anchor, keeping me steady through all the changes in life.

During the pandemic, I was still in eighth grade. We were living in the city that time for school, but we had to go back to the province because of the pandemic. It was a tough time for me because I had to take care of my grandpa and younger sister while doing my schoolwork at home. My parents had to go back to work, and my older sister needed to continue her studies too. But I kept going and stayed strong because I believed in myself and had faith.

I thought the pandemic was the worst, but nothing can compare to the excruciating pain I felt when my lola died. She was the best lola I could ask for; we loved traveling so much that we walked miles just to get where we wanted. Before my lola passed away, I had the chance to take care of her, but it was only for a short period of time. But I must live so that my lola from heaven will be happy for me.

As I dealt with the difficulties of growing up, I learned how important it is to keep going and stay strong. Even when things were tough, I didn't give up on my goals and dreams. Every challenge I faced made me tougher and more determined to handle whatever came my way.

As I approached adulthood, the idea of leaving behind the familiar comforts of home and trying new things both excited and scared me. But I knew that with my family's love and support, I could handle whatever came my way. I was determined to find my place in the world and make a difference, armed with a strong sense of purpose and a desire to learn.

Looking back on my life from when I was a kid until now, I feel thankful for everything that happened to me. The fun times of being a kid and the tough times of growing up all helped me become who I am today. Each part of my life taught me something new and helped me become better.

Even though I'm not sure what the future holds, I know I can handle whatever comes my way. I've learned a lot from my past experiences, and I'm excited to chase after my dreams. With the lessons I've learned and the hopes I have for the future, I feel ready to take on whatever challenges life throws at me.

In the end, what makes us who we are isn't just where we end up, but all the things we go through and learn along the way. As I keep going on this journey called life, I remember the wise words my dear lola shared with me: to treasure every moment, make the most of every chance, and always see the beauty around us.

Life is like a winding road with twists and turns, ups and downs. Along this journey, we encounter all sorts of experiences that shape us and teach us valuable lessons. It's not just about reaching a specific destination, but about the adventure and growth we experience on the way there.

My lola's words have always stayed with me, guiding me through life's challenges and reminding me to appreciate the little things. She taught me to find joy in the simplest of moments, to seize every opportunity that comes my way, and to never take the beauty of the world for granted.

Cherishing each moment means taking the time to appreciate the people we love, the places we visit, and the experiences we have. It's about finding happiness in everyday things and being grateful for all the blessings in our lives.

As I journey through life, I hold onto my lola's words as a guiding light, reminding me to live each day to the fullest and to always keep an open heart and mind. In the end, it's not about the destination, but the journey itself, and the memories, experiences, and lessons we collect along the way.