#the first thing i do when i get to my parents is head staright for the sauna

[arctixout]

JO is so real for "a day off? sauna."

[darkdevasofdestruction]

They Realise They Love You

Risotto Nero

When he realises that he loves you, he’d be stunned - like - no, love isn’t something he should be able to feel, nor should he allow himself something like that.

I mean?

He’s a villain?

The Boss is after him, he could die at any moment, so having a proper love life wouldn’t be something he could have...Right?

But he can’t help how the wheels of fate turn, and now he just sits in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking over and over at his crush.

Her hair looked so nicely today, shining under the Sun. He only wishes he could have played with it.

The smile you had that day, admiring some random flowers. He only wishes he could have picked them up and gifted them to you.

The playful spark in your e/c eyes that shined like gems. He only wishes you’d look at him with the same spark.

Risotto was head over heels with you, with the little things that made you - You.

The problem was that he had no idea how to act on it without endangering you somehow.

You were too good for him, and an Angel like you shouldn’t be around a Devil like him...

But despite what his conscience preaches him all the time, he won’t be able to stop himself from spending more time around you, even though he’d be too awkward to actually say something, until you begin the conversation.

As well as that, he’d leave cute little gifts at your doorstep, signing them as “Metallica”, letting you know that he’s always thinking of you, and at least until he sets his mind straight to actually ask you out, he will continue with the little gestures.

Also, he loves kissing your temple - Gods, he feels like a school boy with an innocent crush on that cute and kind girl in his class, but he can’t help it!

---

Bruno Buccellati

This soft mum isn’t a stranger to love, but even so, at first, he was sure that he loved you just as much as he loves his team mates - Like a family.

Problem is, sure, he loved you like family, only if he was the Dad and you were the Mum in this Family.

It took a bit of nudging from Abbacchio for him to actually realise and act accordingly to his true feelings, but it’s sure to say he didn’t regret it.

While yes, he is the Capo and he has a lot of responsibilities, both with his team, the organisation and within the city, he will always make sure to have spare time for you, to spend quality time together, to take you out on a nice date and so on.

A nice date doesn’t have to mean something fancy, but it can range from a walk on the sandy beach, hand in hand, barefoot, while playing in the water, a cute dinner at the restaurant he’s always at, cuddling together while watching a movie, or even being the best parents and taking care of the Kids...Uhm, his Team, I mean.

If there’s one thing he absolutely adores to do, it’s to hug you while you read together - It’s one way to actually be able to de-stress and put away all the Gang-Star problems, and truly be with you, heart, mind and soul.

He would also love to take you to places with beautiful landscapes and take tons of pictures of you, or both of you together, that he would later develop and either frame, or put in very cute couple albums.

--- Giorno Giovanna

Giorno is the most innocent one out of these guys, and while yes, he knows that he has a crush, he’s also pretty shy in acting towards his feelings.

He can feel his heart racing around you like never before, and his face gets a tint rosier, despite how composed he is, there will still be tints of obvious flustering that Bruno and Abbacchio always seem to catch faster than anyone else.

Abbacchio is always more staright-forward, but Bruno actually pulls Giorno aside and gives him some nice tips and advice on how to deal with everything, and thankfully enough, it’s actually helpful.

Something he loves to do is create flowers with Gold Experience and give them to you, when you least expect.

Bonus points if you let him put the flower in his hair, he will outright melt.

When you’re on a date, he will make sure to create cute and colourful butterflies and dragonflies to go around you, making you look like one of those Disney Princesses, because for him, you truly are a Princess.

He’s attracted to you like flowers are attracted to sunlight - He feels like you make him grow and become a better person, and seeing how sweet and kind you are...Damn, you’re killing him.

If you want and like it, Giorno will let you play with his hair, so have fun. Braid it, brush it, stroke it, do little tails, whatever, as long as you don’t pull too hard and you’re smiling, it’s all fine for him.

But that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t want to play with your hair too.

--- Abbacchio Leone

Oh boy, oh boy - 

This guy loves his tough exterior and would never ever EVER let anyone in.

Ha, what a joke.

There’s already his whole team in his heart, why would caring for another person be bad?

He wants to appear tough and in control of the situation, but once he has a crush, he’s an outright mess.

He will be the embodiment of Windows Shutdown, along with the generic sound playing in the background.

His heart is so soft and damaged, he’s honestly afraid that it will break more and will have no way to mend it even by a little bit.

But perhaps, having you by his side, wouldn’t be too bad.

Honestly, if you praise him, you can literally see  ‘Abbacchio.exe  stopped working’  written on his forehead, because he will go mind-blank and have no idea how to react.

His team mates will make so much fun of him, but he’ll be lost in his own world, trying to decipher your intentions and words, if they were genuine or not.

All it takes is for you to have him alone one night and hug him tightly, praising him, and he will break down.

If he allowed himself to break down like that, than definitely he sees something in you.

From then on, he will let you listen to music with him, will make you personalised mixtapes for different occasions.

He won’t say it, but he loves having his arm around you when going out. It makes him feel like he won’t lose you like he lost his partner a while ago, and that you are safe with him.

--- Kishibe Rohan

This guy is pretty obvious when he falls in love, since he has no inhibitions nor shame or shyness, so it’s the easiest for him to get to confess.

Of course, he has to be a smug bastard and keep things slow, to have more effect and be more romantic.

He IS a manga artist after all, so things have to be nice, right~?

Rohan would invite you over for tea very often, just chilling together and nobody to annoy you.

Well, apart from Koichi who would randomly stumble in Kishibe’s home and would find you two chatting casually, laughing and smiling at each other.

Rohan would take you out on dates as often as possible, under the pretext that he wants to find inspiration for his manga, but it’s pretty obvious that he just wants to spend time with you.

He will kiss your face a lotttt, especially your nose and forehead since he thinks you make the cutest expressions when he does so.

Also, your giggles are so cute, he just can’t help himself not to vibe.

He will invite you to dance nights a lot, just to have an excuse to walk with you at night, when nobody could bother you, and just enjoy each other’s presence while also being able to admire the stars.

--- Kakyoin Noriaki

This boy is rather shy, compared to everyone else, so while he won’t be so upfront with his crush on you, he will definitely want to find pretexts to spend time with you.

When bored, he would stand under a tree, relaxing, watching the clouds pass by, and when he feels THE vibe, he would whip out his notebook and would smile as he sketches you absent-minded.

He would be so attracted to your kindness and your nurturing personality, that he would find himself gravitating around you without even wanting to (but he definitely does want to).

Since he’s a bit shy, I could imagine him slipping cute little letters in your locker and just chatting through letters with you that way, until he feels brave enough to actually have a proper conversation with you without feeling awkward.

Kakyoin is a huge gamer, so if you’d like to watch him play, or more, if you wanted to play with him, his heart would burst from happiness like never before.

If you didn’t know how to play, he’d be incredibly patient and would teach you every little trick in the game.

If you do know how to play, however, he’d make sure to choose only co-op games because he’s not actually that competitive and he wouldn’t want either of you to feel bad if you or him lost.

If you, by any chance possible, decide to wear something with cherry themes, like a shirt with cherries, a hair clip, a necklace, or even better, matching earrings with him, he’d honestly die, like damn, that’s my girl, we are now Cherry Boy and Cherry Girl.

He’d be so loving and would dote on you a hella lot, just because he loves you so much and wants you to be happy no matter what.

[i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle]

Chapter 25: Starlight’s Mother, Part 1 - Who Was She?

The Elements of Harmony and the CMC are on their way to town to search for Starlight. While there, they walk by Trixie’s wagon. Trixie opens up the side and sees the group walking by.

Trixie: Heeeeeeeeey! Twilight and Friends!

The group stops and turns toward Trixie who’s waving to them, they decide to go see her in case maybe Trixie knows where Starlight is.

Twilight: Hi Trixie! Good to see you.

Trixie: Same to all of you, did you enjoy Trixie’s performance last night?

Trixie grins smugly, hoping for some more praise

Sweetie: That was pretty cool how you got yourself and Starlight to fit into that lamp without being a genie. And your horn didn’t even glow! I can’t even imagine how that worked out...

Scootaloo: Maybe there was a secret escape under the bottom of the lamp?

Apple Bloom: But even then, Trixie would o’ still had t’ squeeze her and Starlight though such ah tight space!

Scootaloo: True, but didn’t Big Mac once accidentally squish you so hard you went down the berry squish drain during the Sisterhooves Social?

Apple Bloom: Well yeah… though this was certainly still ah different method then the sheer force o’ weight…

Sweetie: Are we more liquid then we thought?

The CMC continue to ponder more on how Trixie did what she did. While the rest giggle knowing it was just something Trixie wished for from Twilight’s genie magic.

Twilight: You had a good show, Trixie. Though while we’re stopping by, I don’t suppose you know where Starlight is right now? I know you told me last night that Starlight wanted to see me when I was available today.

Trixie: Well... coincidentally she’s probably looking for you right now! I think she headed to Saddle Arabia using the portal gum expecting you to be back at the palace.

Twilight: Uh oh, I don’t know if I should go to Saddle Arabia in case she happens to gum portal back to town, and we just end up traveling in circles. I feel like she’ll come across Princess Celestia, Malakhar, Kubuya, or the Sultan. She’ll ask them where I am and they’ll say I’m likely at…

Twilight widens eyes briefly

Twilight: Sweet… Apple… Acres… Oh no! We better go back… We should of just stayed at the farm!

Trixie: Oh Twilight, is it ok if I come with?

Twilight: Of course, Trixie! Come with us!

Trixie opens the exit of her wagon and starts galloping along with the group back to Sweet Apple Acres. They quickly get back to the gates of the farm, but then they hear a scream.

Twilight: That sounds like Starlight! Come on, she might be in trouble!

They get closer to the farm house before they hear Starlight’s voice again

Starlight: APPPPLLLLLEEEEEEJAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKK!

Starlight is then seen running from the other side of the house straight to the other side where the Elements, the CMC, and Trixie are. Starlight heads straight over to Applejack. She’s shaking, and terrified.

Applejack: Starlight, what’s wrong?!

Starlight: Applejack! I think your house is haunted!

Applejack: Haunted?! What do ya mean?

Starlight: You’re probably going to think I went insane… but when I got here looking for Twilight after Princess Celestia informed me at the palace that she’d likely be here… I came by the backdoor of your house and peeked into the windows… and I saw these transparent, glowing ghosts of your parents!

Applejack chuckles as she’s aware that this would have made her an emotional wreck just hours ago, and also expresses relief that Starlight is ok. 

Applejack: Oh? Is that all? Ya’ll had me worried fo’ ah moment!

Starlight goes wide-eyed, she thought Applejack was going to be surprised that somepony has seen ghosts of her parents.

Starlight: WHAT?! How can you respond like this isn’t a big deal?!

Applejack: Well… ah mean… it would o’ been ah big deal just ah few hours ago… and it even took ah little while t’ convince me even after they appeared… But Twilight and Spike summoned mah parents’ spirits using Spike’s Dragon Tear. It’s capable o’ bringing down the deceased souls all the way down from space!

Starlight flails her hooves as she looks absolutely incredulous

Starlight: Since when could it do that?! Since when have we found out the dead go to space?!

Twilight: Ohohoho… Believe me, Starlight… it has been an absolutely crazy day…

Twilight and the others proceed to recap to Starlight what they talked about around Pear Butter and Bright Mac’s spirits. Starlight just holding her fore hooves on the sides of her head hearing everything that’s been learned in just the past few hours.

Starlight: So let me get this straight… we can bring back the dead as spirits with the Dragon’s Tear… the sun and moon wouldn’t be able to move without our magic… plus our planet doesn’t rotate… the souls of the deceased join some big shield invisible to us orbiting around our planet and moon… said souls protect us from outside threats in space… Life is magic… Genies and thus Twilight is at least PART spirit… and the planet is alive?!

The rest of the group nods, though Trixie herself is also kind of freaking out since she hasn’t heard all this either.

Trixie: And all of you are taking this calmly like it’s already some common knowledge?!

Twilight: Oh we freaked out alright. We just kind of already got most of it out of the way. It’s still kind of all swirling in my head to be honest… *Twilight spins her eyes*

Starlight: This is just insane… the fact that Applejack is calm during this means it is true… she’s the element of Honesty. She couldn’t lie, or at the very least… wouldn’t be able to hold a straight face very easily if any of this was not real…

Applejack: Like ah said, it did take some time fo’ me t’ acknowledge much o’ this as the truth. But considering just moments before ah was told all this, mah parent’s spirits were summoned… there’s just about no way ah could really object. It’d have t’ be one heck o’ ah conspiracy t’ say both ponies that are living AND dead have conspired together including mah own parents t’ peddle ah lie… especially since there’s really only been one time before all this that ah Dragon’s Tear has brought spirits down. And that was ah long time ago when Jinn was still around…

Starlight: Just let me take some deep breaths, then I can finally be calm and proceed to tell you what I wanted to see you about.

Starlight takes a few moments to do a breathing exercise as all the things she was just told swirl in her head. She still kinda shakes a little or her ear twitches thinking about all the crazy but true facts about their world as well as life and death. But eventually, she gets back to a relatively normal state with a determined look on her face.

Starlight: Ok… Twilight… it’s time.

Twilight walks on over to the front of Starlight with a determined look of her own.

Twilight: Yes, it is…

Starlight / Twilight: Please, help me find my mother! / I’m gonna help you find your mother!

Starlight & Twilight: Wait… How did you know?!

Starlight / Twilight: Applejack must of told you! / Applejack told me!

Starlight & Twilight: Maybe we should stop talking simultaneously?

The two giggle a little bit before ultimately the subject matter of finding Starlight’s mother puts a rather heavy air around the area.

Twilight: Before we go to try finding your mother. Is it alright if we get an explanation from you? I know you’ve already told the CMC, at least a big part of it considering you’ve told them how you got your Cutie Mark. We’ve already got the gist from Applejack that you don’t know who your mother is, and your father refuses to tell you. Maybe start with… why haven’t you shared this years ago?

Starlight lowers her head solemnly

Starlight: I guess… it just never occurred to me to bring it up at the time…

Applejack: It’s ok Starlight, after all… Twilight went almost 2 years without telling us she had ah brother that she loves so much. *winks*

Twilight smiles sheepishly, putting a hoof behind your back

Twilight: Well… you girls never asked!

But er… ahem… how about we get the little that you do know about your mother?

Starlight: There’s only a few facts I know. One of which I just learned recently, thanks to the Cutie Mark Crusaders

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all beam a grin.

Starlight: Just to narrow it down so not too many questions are asked. My father actually doesn’t know what happened to her after she disappeared either, he really only just refuses to tell me her name. Because otherwise he’s just as much in the dark as I am, the birth certificates in Sire’s Hollow conveniently leave off Parent’s names, and this wasn’t a case where she died from complications of childbirth. She gave birth to me in my old home rather then a hospital, but she survived my birth for certain. And even if she had died from child birth, then my father would of most certainly known.

And the only other big fact I know is something the Cutie Mark Crusaders already know...

Twilight: I did overhear Apple Bloom mention that you told them how you got your mark, and that your mother might be related somehow. I suppose that’s a good time as any for you to finally tell us, too?

The other elements pay really close attention as they themselves have always been curious about how Staright got her mark.

Starlight: Certainly, I also gave a little bit of the gist of it to Applejack at the ball. But I’ll certainly provide at least a little more detail then the summary I gave her…

Starlight takes a deep breath

Starlight: First of all, I was a latchkey filly. I never even had one babysitter, when my father went to work I was always alone in the house by myself. When Sunburst was still in town, he at least tended to come over from time to time. But once he got his cutie mark and left, that was it. Which added to why him leaving was the beginning of such a dark part of my life... As I was left alone for most hours of any days my father had to work.

One day, I was playing with a ball in the basement and when I accidentally supercharged it into a wall. A hole broke through, and when I looked into it... I found two books, and read them both. The first one I read…. ehehhehheh… isn’t exactly relevant right now… but the 2nd one absolutely was. It was a spell book for some of the more advanced unicorns, and I mean like super advanced. As in probably most students aside from you at Celestia’s gifted students school may have had trouble performing the kind of things in that book. And yet, even as young as I was… I somewhat understood the nuances in the book.

I found a spell in the book of self-levitation AKA flight with just magic. Surprisingly, it was one of the more simpler ones in the book. I decided to give it a try, and soon I was having some fun flying all around the basement. But then things went wrong when I tried picking up the ball at the same time. Because it was such an advanced spell, and I was inexperienced with controlling that kind of power, it led to me unable to control what I was picking up and soon all the toys on the basement floor were orbiting around me. A magic aura appeared, and at least my father has told me he remembers that my eyes were glowing then.

Twilight:  *gasp* This sounds quite similar to my magic freakout after I had hatched Spike…

Starlight: It probably was pretty much just like that. Though speaking of my father, he came home at the time and I screamed to call for him to help me. He came down, and eventually tackled me down. I may have a complicated relationship with my father, but I was thankful to him for saving me. I became scared of what might have happened if say… I had that same magical freakout but in the kitchen, with a lot more dangerous materials like knives swirling around me…

Once we recovered from the shock, I told my father what happened. Naturally, leading to him keeping that spellbook as far away as possible from me. But amid my father looking if I had any injuries, that’s when he noticed that I had gotten my Cutie Mark. He pointed it out to me, and I immediately looked at my flank. Now obviously that magic outburst was what gave me my cutie mark. But what an outburst like that doesn’t exactly do is really explain what it means. Perhaps, naturally it just means I have a lot of raw magic power. But the problem is, it makes it quite vague.

Twilight, your cutie mark is somewhat similar in that way, but you knew it meant your skill in magic because you had read for hours upon hours about magic, plus you received the mark just as you were about to become Celestia’s protege. I didn’t have that, it just simply happened as I used an advanced spell for the first time. So I didn’t understand what sort of future I was destined for, not to mention of course that I hated cutie marks because of Sunburst leaving. So even if I kind of knew what it meant, I would of grumbled about it regardless.

So… the only explanation for my raw magic power… as deduced by the Cutie Mark Crusaders… is I had to have inherited it. Somepony in my family has a bloodline of strong magic power. And my father’s bloodline I’m pretty sure has no signs of that. So that means… it has to be related to my mother somehow…

Twilight: I see… then this isn’t just a matter of family-related strife... The identity of your mother holds the keys to the very pony that you are destined to be!

Starlight: Also, Twilight… I think it’s about time I confess something to you… Do you remember when I finally turned around while we were traveling through time after all you did was just softly speak to me?

Twilight gasps, as she’s long wanted to hear this

Twilight: Yes…?

Starlight starts streaming down tears

Starlight: I think I gave in… because hearing your voice then… was almost like having the mother I never had… you’re the closest to a mother figure I’ve ever had… *sniff*

Twilight: Oh Starlight… come here…

Twilight calls Starlight in for a hug. Starlight hugs Twilight and Twilight wraps both of her wings around her, as Starlight’s tears stream down her face and onto Twilight’s shoulders. The rest of the group with sympathetic tears and smiles as they watch the long hug Twilight gives Starlight. Twilight softly speaks to Starlight in the middle of the hug.

Twilight: Let’s go solve this, together… We’ll go to Sire’s Hollow right now… You and your father are going to be reuniting with your mother, one way or another…

Starlight lets go of the hug and wipes the tears away from her eyes

Starlight: Thank you, Twilight… Allow me to get us there.

Starlight pulls out another piece of gum back to Starlight’s old hometown. Once the portal is open, Starlight enters first, as Twilight and the others follow. 

((Story continues after the break))

Before they bring Firelight out of his home. They discuss the game plan on setting out to find Starlight’s mother.

Twilight: Ok… so if I recall correctly... you said you have no idea what happened to your mother, ergo, you don’t even know if she’s alive or not. Correct?

Starlight nods

Starlight: Correct

Twilight: Well… then there’s 2 ways we can go about this first. Either you wish you knew where your mother was on the planet to check if she’s alive, or… we use Spike’s dragon tear to check if she’s among the deceased.

Starlight taps her hooves together with a bit of a sinister grin

Starlight: What if… I wished I could read my father’s mind?

Twilight scowls

Twilight: Sorry Starlight, but I’d rather not grant the ability to read a pony’s mind. Everypony should have a right to their private thoughts. Even if it’s a secret that your father has selfishly kept from you. Besides, the two ways I told you about will do it just as well.

Starlight: Ok… I guess I understand. Guess this is why Malakhar genified you, you’re responsible with your wishes. But I suppose it’s time to get my father out. I’ll be right back out with him.

Starlight walks into her old home again, this time Firelight is drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Firelight turns to see her daughter’s back.

Firelight: Hey there Pumpky-wu-WHAAAA

Starlight grabs her father by the collar with her magic, the sudden jerk makes him drop his coffee, the cup breaking on the kitchen floor, a big coffee spill now on the floor, and Starlight brings his face close to her’s

Starlight: No childish nicknames right now. We are ending this… right. now.

Firelight: Agggh! Starlight, what are you talking about?!

Starlight: We are reuniting with my mother, one way or another. I have Princess Twilight and her friends outside the house. I’m going to get a wish from her that will let me find her. And you’re just going to stand there and watch!

Firelight: B…b..bu….but I thought you said you could wait for years at the ball!

Starlight rolls her eyes

Starlight: Oh Father, you’ve always been soooooo naive, when I was very clearly being sarcastic!

Firelight: Wait, Starlight you don’t have to do this!

Starlight drops her father’s collar and raises an eyebrow as he drops to his floor his chin hitting the floor.

Starlight: Oh? Are you willing to say who she was yourself right now?

Firelight just sweats nervously and keeps quiet. Seems like he’s still not willing to say it himself. Starlight raising an eyebrow. Giving him time to answer, but Firelight still says nothing.

Starlight: *sigh* I guess I’ll take that as a no…

Starlight now grabs her father by the tail with her magic and starts dragging him out of the house.

Firelight: Agh! Starlight! Wait! There’s going to be a storm any second now! The weather patrol told us to stay inside!

Starlight ignores her father’s pleads and has soon brought him out to the group outside their home. Starlight let’s go of his tail. And he stands back up, looking at a group of displeased mares, fillies, and one dragon given they know he’s been the one who’s hidden Starlight’s mother’s identity for so long.

Applejack: Ya’ll should count ya self lucky we have other methods t’ finding Starlight’s Mom. Otherwise, ya would o’ had t’ deal with me!

Rainbow: And me!

Firelight: But I do have a reason for not telling her!

Applejack: Then maybe at least try t’ tell us?

Firelight: I… can’t without revealing the identity…

Applejack: Well then, ya’ll pleading is useless, we’re finding Starlight’s mother whether ya like it or not!

Firelight just droops his head. Twilight and Starlight then get set to preparing to do either of the two methods Twilight mentioned.

Twilight: So, do you want to check if your mother is alive or dead first?

Starlight: I suppose we should check if she’s alive first… So… Twilight… I wish I knew where my mother was on the planet!

Twilight takes a deep breath closes her eyes, and makes her horn glow. Suddenly, overhead the storm that Firelight warned about approaches, Firelight tries to use the coming storm to try to delay things further.

Firelight: Hey uh… the storm from the weather team I told you about is here… you think we can try this another time... when the weather’s more clear…?

Starlight: NO! You are not weaseling out of this, just because you might get a little wet!

The group carefully watches Twilight still trying to use her magic to locate Starlight’s mother. Rain starts falling over Sire’s Hollow. Starlight stands there watching Twilight, she’s shaking a little in anticipation for finally finding the location of her mother.

A few moments later…

…

……

………

…………

Twilight opens her eyes and frowns

Twilight: Starlight… Firelight… I’m sorry… but… I can’t find her… 

I’m… afraid... That likely means that the worst has happened to her…

The entire rest of the group gasps, especially Starlight and her father. Because of this one try… the possibility of Starlight’s Mother is dead is still out there, and in fact… is probably more likely then not.

Firelight: No… no… nonononono… s-s-sh-she can’t b-b-be… there must be some sort of explanation for this…!

Starlight glares at her father.

Starlight: LIKE WHAT?! That she’s such a powerful unicorn that not even SOUL MAGIC can find her?! Twilight’s magic is quite capable of looking across the entire world for one pony in the time she tried granting that wish!

Rain starts falling faster, and the rumbles of thunder can be heard as the sky gets darker.

Firelight: I… mean… maybe… but wait, how did you…

Starlight: Find out she was a powerful unicorn? That’s thanks to these 3 fillies over here who know how to read a cutie mark story *Pointing to the Cutie Mark Crusaders*

Firelight: Well uh… I guess while you know… you at least brought up a good optimistic possibility of why Twilight didn’t find her?

Starlight: There’s only one way to find out now… Spike, please come on over here.

Spike: Right!

Spike gives a determined face as he heads up to where Starlight is standing.

Starlight: So Twilight, if I recall correctly from you girls telling me how spirits are summoned. If my mother is indeed deceased, I just touch Spike’s Dragon Tear and send a message to my mother mentally, right?

Twilight: Yes… As for you Firelight, you can also say something. I know you don’t want to believe she’s dead, but you also don’t know what happened to her since she disappeared. Even if you’d rather be blissfully unaware of your wife’s fate… wouldn’t you at least like to try to speak to her? And if for some reason, nothing happens, then you will be proved right that she was still alive despite my magic being unable to find her.

Firelight: Wait, even if she is dead… which I hope she’s not… you expect me to believe we can talk to her simply by touching the gem on the dragon’s necklace?!

Applejack uses her status as the element of honesty to her advantage, looking at Firelight with a smug face and just replying with a very blunt…

Applejack: Yes!

The reputation of the Elements of Harmony is pretty much known world-wide by now. So Applejack saying this in a straight face, reassures anypony that it’s the truth. Firelight just going wide-eyed, and bites his lip. Before heaving a long sigh and giving in

Firelight: Does it require more then one pony to work?

Twilight: No, Starlight could do it solo if necessary

That sort of entraps Firelight since regardless if he touches it or not, they’re going to find out. The storm also picks up intensity. Rain falling harder and lightning can be seen in the distance.

Firelight: I guess I have no choice then… I’ll try… but I hope to Celestia that somehow she’s still alive… I don’t know why your magic couldn’t find her… but I hope, hope, hope, hope she is somewhere on the world… that just can’t be found by magic means… maybe Starlight is right that she’s using her own magic to hide herself…

Starlight: But then that’d mean she’s been neglecting us AND refusing to let anypony find her under any circumstances…  to the point SOUL MAGIC can’t find her! Would that really be a good thing…?

Firelight closes his eyes, droops his head, and sighs

Firelight: It would be to me… because at least she’s still alive and safe… even if she no longer wants to be a part of our family… knowing she’s ok would be good enough for me... and quite frankly today’s conversation almost makes me want to remain blissfully unaware... but... I know Starlight’s about to find out either way... so I can’t...

Starlight: A part of me hopes she’s still alive too… just so there’s a chance that even if I never had her for my childhood. I can have her around for however long she will be alive. I guess thanks to learning of the existence of the soul shield, even if she is dead, I will be lucky enough to still get to talk to her, but we won’t exactly be able to do a lot of things together, if she’s part of the trillions of souls protecting our planet…

Twilight: I hope that by some miracle she’s fine too… for both of your sakes. But we also shouldn’t try to deny reality and face the truth. Starlight’s agonized long enough not knowing, she needs to know what happened to her mother. She’ll never understand who she truly is, if we don’t do this. If you have any basic decency as a father, you’ll want her to find out...

Firelight lowers his head

Firelight: y-y-Yeah… l-l-let’s d-do it….

*THUNDER BOOM*

Firelight: …p-p-Preferably before we get struck by lightning!

Starlight and Firelight touch Spike’s Dragon Tear. And proceed to take deep breaths, then close their eyes to focus on a message inside their head.

Starlight: (Hello? Mother? This is your daughter… Starlight… you disappeared 2 weeks after i was born… I don’t know for sure if you’re really up there… but I really wish to see you for the first time in my life… I wish to know who you were… I’m gone my entire life without knowing, I can’t even be sure how I’m supposed to feel about you… I suppose that if you are up there, there’s a good chance that I’ll like you because only those who lived normal or better lives are up there… But even if for some reason I don’t, I’ll at least get answers… Please! Open up the keys to who I truly am!)

Firelight: (I really hope that I’m doing this for nothing… please, I plead for nothing to happen. I hope that my wife’s actually ok… I’d like to see her… I don’t care if she suddenly decided she never wants to anything to do with me or Starlight ever again. I don’t even care if it turns out she just abandoned us for an unknown reason without telling us… I’ll just he happy that she’s fine… I beg of the many souls that are apparently surrounding this planet… please don’t tell me she is among you! Please! I just won’t be able to take it…)

*THUNDER BOOM*

Starlight and her Father finish, and open their eyes. Starlight shivers, partly because of nervousness but also because of the cold rain now making her mane and tail soaked. Her father on the other hand is a complete wreck just shaking a whole ton of nervousness. He’s mentally praying that nothing comes down, proving once and for all his wife is still alive. The rest of the group keeps an eye on Spike’s Dragon Tear.

…

……

………

…………

*THUNDER BOOM*

Just as more thunder is heard, Spike’s Dragon tear starts glowing. Firelight freaks out, and wonders what’s happening

Firelight: w-w-wh-wh-Wha…? What’s happening…?!

The rest of the group including Starlight lower their heads, they know what this means: A spirit is being summoned. But Starlight remains determined as she picks her head back up and puts on a brave face. Watching the sky to witness her first spirit summoning, and it’ll be none other then her long, lost mother.

Firelight: Somepony! Please... tell me this doesn’t mean…

Out in the distance a bright white light from the sky starts approaching fast towards Sire’s Hollow. Twilight whispers to herself.

Twilight: Here she is…

Firelight: Is that… a comet? Shouldn’t we try to evacuate, before it hits?!

Spike: Don’t worry, her spirit isn’t going to impact the planet.

Firelight: Don’t you dare say her spirit! This has to be something else! Couldn’t it?!

The rest of the group just shakes their head at Firelight’s attempts to deny the reality of what’s happening.

*THUNDER BOOM*

The white comet comes down closer and eventually stops just in front of a nearby house near the group and forms into a white sphere. It starts to turn into a pony shape, it’s at this point where Firelight’s heart finally starts to sink. He’s been able to deny as hard as possible until now, but the silhouette is starting to look unmistakable. A unicorn with a curvy mane and tail, that’s slightly spiky on top, the outline of what might just be one small bang next to the horn.

Then the color starts fading in, the coat revealing to be a golden yellow/amber…

A mane and tail that is a mix of red and yellow that evokes similarity to a fire, The spirit opens up it’s eyes showing a color of greenish-cyan, and the cutie mark in the shape of… a sun.

Just looking at the cutie mark was when Twilight knew… they didn’t just find Starlight’s mother… they had found…

*THUNDER BOOM*

Twilight: *gasp* Sunset Shimmer…!

The spirit looks at her daughter and her husband with a sad look on her face. At last, the identity of Starlight’s mother has been revealed. She’s none other then Celestia’s missing former protege prior to Twilight… Sunset Shimmer

The rest of the Elements of Harmony, and Spike all gasp, Starlight who has never heard a thing about Sunset Shimmer is confused.

Starlight: What’s this about a sunset’s shimmer? This storm is blocking the sun right now…

Twilight: No, Starlight.. Sunset Shimmer is your mother’s name!

Starlight: Huh?! How in the hay do you know that?!

Twilight: I’ll explain soon…

Sunset stands quietly for a moment, before finally speaking herself. She first turns toward Starlight

Sunset Shimmer: Hello… my lovely daughter… I… am so pleased, I get to see you again... 

Then she sadly turns over to her distraught husband

Sunset: But… as for my darling Fi-Fi… I am so sorry… but…

Sunset lowers her head and closes her eyes about to give her husband the harsh truth

Sunset:  I… was murdered a long time ago…

Firelight falls to his knees. Tears welling up in his eyes, even though he can actually see her, hear her, and even talk to her again. This is the moment it finally dawned on him that his wife was dead, and even worse… she just said she was murdered. So acting as if she had been killed right in front of him, he lays his front hooves on the ground in a puddle that’s a mix between his own tears and the rain from the storm. And yells out a long…

Firelight: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

His screams of grief echo throughout the entire valley.

UP NEXT: Chapter 26 - Starlight’s Mother, Part 2 - Why Did Firelight Keep Her A Secret?

[daughterofanarchangel]

The thoughts of a sixteen year old part one - FRIENDS

On this blog there is AJ Winchester, a fictional character created as an OC in the Supernatural universe, and there is the mod/owner of the blog aka me. And I believe that I haven’t posted on this blog since before the season 12 premiere which makes it ideal for me to just say stuff that I need to say and work out without certian people seeing it before it’s time. So let’s get started.

The first issue is friends. And before I start I want to make it clear that I love my friends and they are some of the greatest most awesomeness people I know. But as everyone should know, everyone has problems and my friends are no expection. And neither am I. I should probably start with myself.

As a young kid I had two really close friends. They are Lara and Sarah M. I use their names because as far as I know they don’t have tumblr and will probably never see this post because of reasons that I will explain later. Lara, Sarah M and I saw each other on a regular basis; we all went to the same church. We’re all the same age with me being the oldest. At our church at the time of my early childhood we were literally the only ones our age; both Lara and Sarah M had older brothers and Sarah M and I both had younger brothers. I guess it was out of nesscessity that we all became friends. And we were really close. I mean for our fifth birthdays we got matching kiddie purses (although mine and Sarah M’s were “from Lara” and Lara’s was from her parents) how much closer could we get? I will admit looking back that I was probably closer to lara than I was Sarah M. Anyway during the summer when I was seven, Lara’s family moved away. I had gone on holiday for Christmas thinking I’d be able to see Lara one last time when I got back. When I got back she had already gone. We never really said a propper goodbye. My friendship with Sarah M soon became nothing. I still see her regularly - it’s hard not to when you both still go to the same church every week and go to the same high school. Lara and I have seen each other since she moved with the latest actually being just under a year ago. Our dads are friends on facebook so I occasionally hear how she’s doing with her rowing. But that was my first real lost with friendship.

In my first two and a half years of primary school (half a year of Year 0, with the other two years being Years 1 and 2) I don’t recall having any real close friends that I kept for long. Our short friendships lastest a few months and strangely enough the two friendships I can remember I now know their grandmothers and one old friend’s grandfather because I play the same sport as them. Towards the end of Year 2 I made a few friendships with people who would later become my friends for the rest of my time at primary.

These were Gemma and Sarah W. Again I was the oldest. At least I was until we became good friends with Jess who was three weeks older than me the year later. Jess and I being in the same class for Year 3 while Sarah W and Gemma were in the same class. We had other people come and go from the group but we were good friends. In Year 4 I was the only one who wasn’t in the same class as everyone else. Year 5 was another repeat. These two years I was alone in class but I knew I had friends who liked me and we remained friends. Year 6 being our final year at Primary, I was finally in a class with all my friends bar one. Our friendship was strong enough that we remained friends despite rarely being in the same class. But it wasn’t perfect. Looking back, Sarah W was abusive. She would often hit us and once she threw an apple at another friend’s head that made the apple split into pieces. I think younger me knew what Sarah W was doing was not right because I remember that she gave me a chinese burn so hard that I yelled at her with tears in my eyes that I no longer wanted to be friends with her because she hurt me for the last time. I didn’t speak to her for a few days but I ended up becoming friends with her again. I don’t remember exactly when this happened, because I try to block as much memories of primary as I can and I also have little memory of this time anyway, but I do remember that one day Sarah W and Gemma told me something that I still find to sting a little today. Let’s get something staright - I’ve never been popular and that hasn’t really bothered me. But it did when Sarah W and Gemma told me that they gave up their popularity to be friends with me back in Year 2. Their comment made me realise how unimportant I was to them as well as how unpopular I knew I was.

I didn’t stay friends with that group. The next two years were Intermediate and they were great compared to Primary. In Year 7 I made a great guy friend who really boasted my confidence. He was also my first lgbt friend. Back then I didn’t even know what lgbt was (i grew up in religious home and my parents never told me about gay people. They also never gave me the birds and the bees talk. Yep that’s right, I had shitty ‘health’ lessions, which literally had one lesson on the sex part of sex ed and all the other lessons about emotions and stuff which is important and all, teach me the birds and the bees in Year 7 at age 12 and even then it wasn’t until Year 9 that I really learnt anything sex ed). And while we remained friends in Year 8, I became better friends with a girl in my class in the year below me whom I still friends with today. I will mention her as Demon in future.

Year 9 was my first year of High School. For the first two terms I was almost basically a loner - I had a guy friend in the year above who sat with me and we watched the first season of Geronimo Stilton on his ipad. Then I become friends with Squirrel. Squirrel and I bonded over our mutal love for Supernatural and Teen Wolf. In Year 10, Demon joined me and Squirrel as friends, with Angel literally joining the group the next day.

We’re all still good friends today. We added Squish and Small to the group last year in Year 11. Then there’s Home. Home is a friend of mine who I’ve been friends with since I was 10. They’re home schooled but know Squirrel, Demon, Angel and Squish because of me. So what I started out with one friend became five, six when you include Home. But I don’t feel like its going to keep like this for 2018.

Angel had a fucked up childhood. Its left her with scars and believe me when I say that it’s still messing with her now three years after she left that toxic environment. As much as I care about them and love them, sometimes they bring me down. They were one third of what I like to call my emotional overload around the time of my practice exams. It’s not their fault that I feel the way I did - it’s mine because I don’t have a good handle on what I’m feeling.

Squrriel has recently opened up about her problems that I should have noticed or at least picked up on a little. They’ve decided to not sit with us this year as they are taking care of themselves because we weren’t there like they were for us. I dont blame them for that decision - we created a toxic environment and to be honest, especially towards the end of Year 11, I always felt that this was going to happen anyway since it seemed back then that they were always sitting with their other group of friends and to be fair that group of friends is a lot more mature (it seems) and less toxic than our group of friends.

Demon. There’s a reason I gave them that name. Demon is a little piece of shit. In light of Squirrel’s confession, they made their own. They admitted that they were a piece of shit, walking the fine line between joke and insult. Having been frends with them for almost four years now, I’ve learnt to take all the insults they give as jokes. At the end of last year I wrote her a four page essay letter about my feelings about some stuff that I needed to say to someone but I couldn’t go to my usual person because they’d asked not to get involved. That was the first time I ever really had a deep and meaningful thing with them.

Then there’s Home. Out of all my friends I’ve known her the longest. But last year in particular I started feeling like we weren’t going to be friends for much longer. There were some things said, written and unsaid (thankfully) between us that really got to me. Although now I feel we’ll continue being friends for a long time, I still have a small scab from that time thatI occasionally pick at.

I don’t have any problems with Squish and Small because we haven’t been friends for all that long.

I’m also a problem. I’m most definitely an introvert - always have been. During breaktimes I generally have something to do like read or scroll tumblr while only listening into my friend’s conversations, and saying a few words here and there. In the group chats or in one-on-one chats I am mostly silent and if I do take part in a conversation I usually end up ignoring notifications because I don’t want to talk.

Some day I hope that I can work out what to do because I don’t want to be truly alone. I’m scared of losing the group of friends that are so important to me and are probably the best group of friends I’ve had to date. I don’t want to lose them but sometimes I wonder why I’m even friends with them

[lubdubsworld]

Something’s Gotta Give. ( Taehyung/Oc)

Chapter 3

“Tae?” I said groggily, lightly reaching out to prod the prone figure on the carpet, still wearing his jacket and suit and curled on the floor , sleeping fitfully. I tried again and he didn’t move. I picked up the two bottles of vodka and grimaced. He was going to feel like hell when he got up. 

Sighing, i moved to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water before setting the kettle to boil. Taehyung had the tolerance of a fifteen year old. I could imagine how he would feel when he woke up. I scratched at the linoleum surface of the counter, trying to dredge up some anger , some annoyance. 

But I was drained. 

I didn’t hate him. I  couldn’t  hate him. Yes, he did something awful. Yes, he betrayed me. But, he was still Taehyung.

 my  Taehyung.  I couldn’t hate him.

But i wasn’t an idiot. I would move out. My studio apartment from when i was in college was in Gangnam. Jung Kook crashed there when he wanted some time to himself but i knew he was staying with Yoongi at his penthouse. I would give him a call and then move there , hopefully later in the day. I couldn’t got to my brother or my parents. 

They wouldn’t understand. 

I grabbed some fennel seeds, sliced up a small ginger root and minced it, before adding a little thyme into the water as well. I let the tea diffuse and sat down on the table, staring into the wall. 

“My mariage is over.” I said softly. 

The words were oddly loud in the peaceful kitchen. 

“Kim Taehyung and i are over. “  I said a bit louder. 

It didn’t feel anymore realer. But then, over the past few months, one part of me had known that I was going to end up like this, right? I knew it. Taehyung had been distant, indifferent and hurtful. He had been falling out of love with me. 

But falling out of love is ... okay. I could deal with it. 

 Falling in love with another woman? 

Not so much.

“Rae Mi?” His voice startled me badly, and I nearly knocked the glass of water over as I jumped. He was standing in the doorway, looking like hell. I gripped the table to stop myself from rushing over and supporting his swaying frame. The need to touch him was so strong that i wanted to cry. Taehyung had been the most physically affectionate person in the world and as his wife I had been the recipient of nearly 90 % of that affection : the cuddles, the hugs, the impromptu bridal-carries, the inpomptu piggy backing. 

“ Sit down. i made tea,.” I said dully. 

He groaned and moved to the chair opposite me, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms. I stared at him, fondness and sadness and disappointment blooming inside me like a poisonous weed. 

 What a waste. We could have had it all. We could have been forever. What an utter waste of so many years of love. 

“Rae, please... Can we just...” He began, reaching out, but i pulled my hand away. 

“I just... Why?” I said softly. I didn’t want to yell. 

He gave me a long, miserable look.

“I ... don’t know.” He whispered finally. 

I stared at him, feeling frustrated and confused. 

“Rae mi, I’ve been so tired these few months , i signed that stupid contract which meant that I couldn’t even come home when i wanted to , and I couldn’t talk to the hyungdeul or even you because i was just so busy! “

I fought the urge to whimper. 

“Okay. That’s fine. But Tae, why didn’t you just talk to me? If you wanted out, i would have given you a divorce ! i would have moved out!” I said miserably. 

His eyes went wide at that,

“No! That’s not.. That’s not what i want. I don’t want you to leave Rae mi! “ 

“Of course you don’t. But then, I’m not the one who left, remember? You left... last night when i begged you to stay. And a countless more times before that. “ I pointed out. 

He bit his lips. 

“Give me one chance. I swear I’ll make...” 

“Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say you’ll make it up to me , because there is nothing in the world you can do to make it up to me!” I felt the first sting of tears and tried to get my self under control. 

“I’m sorry.” He said and I stood up slowly, grabbing the fine-bone china cps. We’d bought it on our trip to Macau, in a quaint little antique shop, right outside our hotel room. i traced the pretty pink and blue patters on the rim and sighed. 

“Stop being sorry. You don’t have to be sorry .” I said finally. “ I mean, yes, you should be sorry for chaeting on me but I won’t blame you for wanting her. She’s ... well she’s Lalisa Manoban. How could I ever compete?” I said dejectedly, pouring the tea into the cup carefully. 

Taehyung made a noise of distress and stood up, swaying a bit as he came closer, holding a hand out. 

“She doesn’t mean anything to me. She’s just... i don’t even know what she is. i don’t even care... Rae Mi, i know I messed up real bad, but please... please don’t throw this away... Don’t throw away what we have, baby...” 

I stared at him in disbelief.

“You  did  the throwing away. “ I snapped. “ I’m not the one who..” 

“I begged you to come with me! I asked you to come with me to Hong kong!!” He shouted. 

I froze. 

“What?! Are you insane.... Your fans hate me! Every single one of them hates me , you know that!” I hissed. “ Why would i come there ?!”

“See! That’s it,... You care so much about what the fans feel but you don’t care what i feel... i was so fucking lonely and depressed and i just... i just wanted to be able to hold you at the end of the day! And you straight up refused to come with me. You didn’t even ask why. you didn’t even ask me what was bothering me!” He hissed.

I felt myself choke on my own disbelief. 

“Are you fucking kidding me! Anytime I did, you kept telling me not to worry and that this was your job !! You did it so many times that i gave up!” 

“So, you admit it , then.. You gave up on us, before i cheated on you...” 

“Oh, my God, Taehyung are you listening to yourself, right now?!” 

“I’m sorry okay?! i fucked up with Lisa.. i don’t.. I don’t even know how that happened... She called me to have a drink and we were talking about the movie and just... i got drunk . I don’t even remember touching her. i don’t even know if something happened or not! But I  do  know thatyou’ve been pushing me away...” 

“I’m pushing you away? When did i ever..You , you were the one who brought her to our home! And then you left with her! You left me at home and went with her!! .”

“Because i found those pills in the bathroom counter!! ” He yelled. 

i froze. 

“Taehyung...”

“i found those fucking birth control pills in your bathroom , yesterday okay?? That was why i had to get out of the house!! that was why i fucking went with that woman and got fucking drunk because i found out that my wife is on birth control, while here i am, praying every second of everyday that god would just grant me one miracle.... That i’d be able to hold my baby...!! How long have you been on those, huh? ! when were you even planning to tell me about those!!” He whispered. 

I felt my entire body go ice cold. Oh God, i had left them on the counter.  Shit. Shit. Shit. 

“I... I just... “

“How long..? Just telkl me how long, that’s all i want to hear”

i took a deep breath

“Two years.” I said finally. 

He laughed. 

“Great. That’s just so fucking great...” 

i felt my entire body seize up in protest. 

“But I stopped three months ago!!! Taehyung, we’d been trying for six years and i was just so frustrated!! i was so scared and i just wanted to  .”

I bit my lips, not sure how to explain it. 

TAehyung growled low. 

“ Wanted to what? Take away even the little chance that we did have?!! Yeah, we’ve been trying for years....So what? I don’t mind trying for another decade! I .. Want us to have a kid. I want a child and i know, deep down that we’re meant to have one! I just don’t know why you decided to just stop trying without even talking to me about it. That isn’t a breach of trust?! Do you have any idea how i felt, seeing those damn pills!” He shouted. 

“So you went out an banged the first girl you met! That makes sense! That makes it all okay!! Doesn’t it?? ” 

“I went out because i was afraid , i would fucking lose it! That i’d yel;l at you or God forbid break something! i left because i wanted to get my head on straight.. But you know what’s funny? even when i was leaving, i saw you standing there looking so lost and I wanted to make it better....” He shook his head. 

I bit my lips. 

“I... Ever since you started doing that movie, you’ve been distant. You were attarcted to her, don’t deny it!” 

“Are you insane? If i was attractyed to her and if i wanted her, why would i ask you to come along with me? And i did! ... I asked you to come with me. I hoped that we could talk it out. That we could at least consider adoption. But all you kept saying was ‘ your career is important. You need to concentrate on your work.’....”

“Because, I  knew  how important it was to you!! You worked so hard on that movie, i didn’t want you to be stressed out because of me as well!”

“And who the hell are you to decide that, huh? You get to choose when I should come to you? You get to decide when I should stay away?! It doesn’t matter what i want?”

I clenched my fists. 

“Don’t try to turn this on me.” I whispered. 

“Turn what? The blame? I’m not. I’m not saying that i cheated because of what you did. I’m saying that, I felt cheated on as well, when i saw those pills. “

I laughed in disbelief. 

“Are you saying it’s the same thing? Me taking pills and you cheating on me ?!” 

“No! I’m saying that at least i didn’t know what i was doing. I didn’t mean to have one to many drinks yesterday. i fully meant to come back home to you. But i hadn’t slept in eighteen fucking hours and I was so fucking tired. And then i saw those damn pils and i made a mistake? I should have had my head on staright but i was hurt and I was lonely and  she was there..  she was just there ... when i needed someone...” 

I stared at him, feeling miserable. 

“Taehyung, i don’t want to fight. i think.. We need a break. You and i... we need to get our head on straight before we just say stuff that’s going to make everything worse. ” 

He didn’t respond. 

“Let’s just take a break.” I said again. 

“You want to leave me then?” He said sulkily. 

“Not.. leave. I don’t know.. i just.. we’ve known each other and loved each other for eight years Taehyung !! After eight years it’s not that simple! i can’t just up and leave you and i can’t just forgive you either and i know that you’re hurt about the pills and i know that i shouldn’t have done that but.. I just... I wanted to stop being so disappointed , every monthh ... i wanted to move on and accept that maybe we weren’t meant to have kids and i was scared that you wouldn’t agree...”

“So you went and did it anyway...”

“Shut up and hear me out! I was scared and I was lonely and i made a mistake. and i’m going to ... give you the benefit of the doubt about what happened last night. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m hurt. I need time. And I think so do you. Let’s just take a break from each other.”

He sighed. 

“You’re right. Just.. I don’t want us to end like this.i don’t want us to end , period. i’m not ready for that. ” He said fists clenching. 

I softened. 

“we’re not ending. It’s just a phase. We’ll work it out. “ I said, the words fake and meaningless. 

“I’ll move out then...” He began

“No! i.. my studio is still free . I think i want to paint a bit more. I’d like to go back there.” I said. 

He sighed and nodded. 

“So, that’s it then?” 

“Let’s not make this more difficult. I’ll pack and be gone by the end of the day. if you could just... I don’t know.. go somewhere else...”

“Fine. Yeah, i understand. Okay. That’s fine. i’ll do that...” 

“Thank you. And the tea is getting cold. You should have some, for your hangover. I’ve left it on the top shelf. It’s ginger, thyme , fennel .” 

He smiled faintly. 

“I can’t believe I’m letting you walk out like this...” 

I ducked my head. 

“i’m really happy that you are. “ 

“i may change my mind and come drag you back home. Just fair warning.” He said softly and I relaxed a little, feeling oddly nostalgic at the friendly banter. 

We used to be best friends, I thought miserably. More than lovers, we were best friends. Our relationship was never about sex or romance or anything . it was about support and trust and just accepting each other the way we were. 

“You still are...” He said suddenly, as though reading my mind. 

“what?”

“My best friend. Always.” 

“ To the moon and back?? ” i whispered, the forgotten phrase slipping out. His gaze softened and he smiled faintly. 

“To the moon and back.” He moved closer and gave me a gentle hug . The scent of him was ... home.  

Taehyung would always be home. I pulled away and sighed, watching him as he carefully took a sip of the tea and then downed it in one shot. He then picked up his jacket, gave me one last look of regret and walked out. I sagged against the table after the door shut behind him. 

Home wasn’t home without Taehyung. So it wasn’t even difficult, packing my stuff and leaving our condo. 

AUTHOR’S NOTE : Maybe one day i’ll let my characters be happy for once.. Ugh. Sorry.. Let me know what you think though!!

[assimkamukaadvancedcomp]

Advanced Compositing

This is by far the most ideas I had for a project, which was kind of like a blessing and a curse. I had enough good ideas but because there was so much I was constantly thinking it over, starting and switching projects.

So these are some of the other concepts.

The first concept that I pursue and fully planned was called K.Academy which revolved around a school that trains kids on becoming lethal assassins, the ‘Academy’ gets its student by forcing the parents to sell their kids to the academy or something bad will happen to them. 

I asked Kris to play the headmaster of this academy and I was planning on having him talk into the camera from an office room that I would've comped together. He would be talking to a parent and telling them what was going. While he’d be doing that I would’ve cut to some children training at target practice, using real targets.

I even started drawing up a storyboard: (StoryBoard Image here)

But after a lot of thought I decided that I don’t want to rush this concept and do it properly in the future because I am into making it into a indie series.

Moving on to the next concept was a World War Then vs Now, which is pretty much self explanatory, I was planning on shooting videos in Cardiff and London, and then comp them as if they were World War footage, using a layer masking cutting back and forth showing the Now vs Then concept.

Another concept was also related to the World War 2 theme, it was going to be 3 matte paintings featuring soldier characters in each one. The first one was going to be a pilot running to his fighter plane in the airfield as he was called to action, the second one was going to be soldiers enjoying a can of baked beans on a checkpoint and the third would’ve been some sort of a bunker shot.

The final concept I experimented with was a fantasy theme where they would be two characters fighting with superpowers, but this theme wasn’t strong enough and was disregarded.

The rest of the concepts I felt I would want to to explore in the future and experiment with more time and skill.

This brings us to the final concept that I decided to follow through with which was originally called “Overtime” but was later changed to “Small Job” and I’ll get into that.

Small Job: 

So the original concept for this project was to have a hit man have a call from his boss while he’s eating breakfast (cornflakes) on his day of, his boss calls him and tells him to come in and work overtime for a small job since his co-worker’s wife is giving birth. Frustrated the hitman walks to his in-house gun vault muttering and cursing while picking out the right tool for this ‘small job’.

This had a comedic value and would’ve been sort of like a short film, it created a sense of mystery since we don’t really find out he’s a hitman until he walks into his domestic gun vault.

But I had trouble recording the audio and the footage where the hitman was eating breakfast was to grainy and would’ve bought the project’s value down. So I decided to re-shape the concept and keep in the last two scenes with no audio and slightly changing up the hitman character. 

Originally the hitman was supposed to come across as a grungy and rough - gun to hire character, someone that’s from like the expendables or the A-Team to give you an idea.

Instead of having a typical tie and suit hitman.

So I was planning on having the main character be wearing his pyjamas and robe while he got his phone call, I filmed it back at my place but it came out to noise, blurry and had no audio. Also it was to late to reshoot it so I just went with a casual guy walking into his gun vault.

The vault:

I looked at so many movies and how they shot gun vaults or gun walls. Some of the movies that I looked at where John Wick 2, we all remember the iconic scene where the handler was describing the guns so exquisitely while standing in front of a beautiful ‘exhibit’ of weaponry.

There was also a rugged looking scene with the hobo underground that caught my interest.

I love how the gold design goes well with the red pattern and the black silhouette of the guns, looks absolutely stunning.

I also looked at Kingsman which was super classy, and I liked it even though it wasn’t what I was initially looking for.

Am pretty sure the following ones are fan made mock ups (or not) but they still have the same vibe.

Polar, the new Netflix movie also fuled my inspiration. (Btw AMAZING MOVIE, MACHINE GUN FINGERS!!!).

The main character for polar was also rocking an eyepatch which was something I considered adding to my character.

In addition to looking to movies for reference, I also looked at what gun enthusiasts built in their home. These are usually rough looking and fit more into my theme.

After looking at these reference images I realized that messy and rugged looking gun vaults are usually mess on the shelves and the ground, not the racks since there isn’t room to mess up there. So I started designing my gun wall.

This was my first prototype, from the get go I knew I wanted artiellery shells for comedic value, since this hitman is well equipped for any job, be it small or big job. I also wanted to have the gun that I would be holding in the end which is the Mac 10.

Eventually I completed this prototype and was planning on using it for the comp.

I interpreted with different HDRI’s to get the best lighting.

Storeroom

Satara

Preller

Moonless

Lounge.

With all this planned I headed to the shooting phase.

The Shoot:

So there is this huge lift in the back of the uni that’s just way to big I feel, every time I go in it I always picture it as something, sometimes a space shuttle, or a sci-fi room that will mess you up when you inside. And I though that if the buttons were removed it would look like a gun vault. So I decided to use it as the gun vault room and planned to track gun racks on to its walls.

I was playing on having a dolly track where the camera starts of facing the door, and as soon as the character walks in and faces the wall the camera follows him, then we get a shot from that’s from the walls perspective. 

But it turned out that the dolly wasn’t on my media account and Kris didn’t add in time, but I still wanted the tracking shot so I settled for a tripod tilt that turned out pretty well. 

I scouted it one last time before the shoot to make sure that it would work. Then I headed there with my trusty camera man Hayden. We placed tracking markers on the wall to make sure it tracks, this is something I learnt in tracking 1, which you should always have tracking markers no matter how easy you think the track will be.

I took out the FS5 camera along side a tripod and filmed a basic panning shot.

The shoot went pretty well but as you would imagine it was kind of awkward with people walking in and out always asking “am I in your shot” like no mate am still putting up tracking markers. Also since the main character would step outside and would need to enter the lift aka the “gun vault”, the lift would get called to other floor, but nonetheless, we still got our shot.

The second shot required the green screen studio since I wanted to add an element of reality to the project by actually handling a physical gun, it was an airsoft gun so put the phone down. But it did look realistic so I couldn’t be waving that thing around in the lift since so many people walk in and out.  I asked the person handeling the camera to hold the gun so I could reach for it and it would look as if I was pulling the thing of the rack. 

Kris helped me film in the studio but even though we still rushed it. I forgot to pull the curtains back, push the cameras back up, light the screen properly, light the character properly. Check the camera’s setting, (Kris actually handled the camera, I know sound like am blaming Kris, but, am not). All of these issues caused problems in the keying process. 

Shot 1: 

The first shot was the Lift shot and I immediately realized that my original model wasn’t going to work. Because the lift wasn’t symmetrical like my model and most of the model wouldn’t even fit in the shot.

The shelf on the left looked odd because the wall it’s against is smaller than the one opposite it, so I had to get rid of the shelf and shift some models around to make the wall looking packed with weapons.

Since the far right of the image was visible and the middle wasn’t, I moved the models to the right and left the model kind of empty.

Now that the model was adjusted, I moved onto comping it with the footage..

Comping and 3D Tracking: 

In order to really sell this as a hitman home work space I couldn’t just leave the university hallway in, I had to remove it and replace it with a suitable hallway.

So using luma keys and key merges I managed to isolate hair detail from the background, and I rotoed the rest out. 

I tried using the bear minimum of keyframes for the roto but there were gaps where the alpha masks didn’t join up that I had to adjust which caused more keyframes.

Also I had to make sure that the roto was clean and no part of the background could act like spill.

I did separate rotos for the head, one for each ear, nose, one of the right and left side of the neck, a final roto for all the hair, one for the torso, bottom, one of each arm, one for each hand, one for each side of the hood, and one for the hoodlace. 

After fine tuning and refining the results were pretty good.

Then all I dead was colour grade the character plate and the gun rack plate separately so they could blend in together, then I merged them together and then did a joint grade to make them seem as if they’re part of the same shoot.

For the background I decided to make it into a sort of hallyway with art on the wall and the cannon in there as well. It looks like an exhibit. I just wanted to fit the cannon in since it was to big and awkward in the lift shot, but it actually brings the background picture together very well. 

So this is it raw staright out of the render, I actually faced a small challenge with this because the 3D render messed up and speed up the frames even though I’m pretty sure I matched the frame rate. In order to fix it and get it to line up again I basically found out the frame that the camera starts to move and set my read starting point there and everything worked out.

Also am most proud of this for colour grading. 

First I took bought down the contrast. 

Then I reduced the saturation 

Added a blur

Colour graded it once again

Then I drew a mask for the right side of the wall to grade separately, and I rotoed the cannon so it would be out the way. but I feathred it to look like as if the light is spilling onto the cannon 

But I feathred it to look like as if the light is spilling onto the cannon

Same thing done to the wall at the back. I fitted it in with the roof using roto and edge blurs to give it a nice shadow.

I achieved this result with diffrenet experiments withe the roto node, playing around with the position and feather.

Then I did the gun racks that were tracked onto the walls of the lift. Colour grading them wasn’t that difficult since I found a HDRI that resemble the lift a lot. Adding a radial blur and grade nodes really made the the metalness and shininess of the lift pop.

Keying:

This was the most difficult thing to be honest, there is a small ring around the character. I tried using multiple keying techniques, first one was done through the basics, where I got a primate keyer to have a silhouette of the body, then I used multiple keylights get an alpha for the hair and then mix them all together with keymix. Unfortunately that didn’t look to great, the hair details was fine but there was so much spill and whenever I tried keying it, the inner matte will be affected.

So instead I used a keylight for the whole key and used gizmo to suppress the spill.

I used a backdrop to check the mask and I was happy with the results.

Grading the green screen shot was so difficult because I wanted it to follow the same colour schemes as the shot before, and sometimes I would be thinking it’s not cold enough.

Or it’s not warm enough.

In the end I decided to use a radial node to cast contrast and give variation to the grade instead of keeping it flat.

A huge problem with my keying is that there is a bit of white despilled on the top of the characters head, but with this grade it looks like a light reflection so it doesn’t really stick out like a sore thumb.

Clean up:

As for clean up I removed the buttons on the side of the lift by rotoing around it and using a constant and a ramp to match the gardiant to the other plates of the wall. I even animated the constant and the ramp since there is a change in lighting. I even added noise just to make it seem even more natural.

Mistakes were made:

After all the roto, grading and luma keying, I was only able to use around 40 frames from the original 8 second clip. This is because the background track was HIDEOUS. The wall on the right would slightly come out towards the left one. When I saw it I immediately knew what was the problem, when I modeled  this scene in Maya there was a problem on Maya’s end where I couldn’t see my render port or the tracking image plane, so I had to place it based on the previous gun rack. However, even though I measured the distance using basic geometry I still placed the gallery hallway to far back for whatever reason. I realised how far back it was, I just ignored it. But when I saw problems in the track immediately guessed that it was at fault. I really should’ve take the posting more seriously.

Solutions: I tried moving the background plate around in Nuke in hopes in finding a new perspective, but that didn’t help. The only option was to just cut it out of the project, but I realised that the beginning and the ending are actually useful since the beginning is static and towards the end the perspective matches the track. 

I considered keeping the first 100 frames where its static.

Then cutting to the second shot.

Then cut again to the first shot but it would be towards the end, so I basically cut out the walking in part.

Then back to the second shot where I’m about to grab the gun of the rack.

However this felt taccy and way to forces, I wouldn’t enjoy a piece that was this choppy, so I just decided to use 40 frames of the first shot and just move on to the second shot.

Evaluation:

This was the most stressful project ever, I really doubt that the FMP will be this stressful, but then again I did keep on switching idea back and forth so I need to be more decisive. 

Overall this project has shown how powerful of a compositor nuke is and how it could go so deep into the footage grading every nook and cranny, for example the layersheet just blew my mind with what you could with it. How you could go and isolate a CG object and grade it on its own even if it was rendered with other objects.

I learnt so much and I am planning on learning even more. However, I am also truly disappointed and gutted at the end result of the first shot when I realised that the background hasn’t tracked. I’m aiming to become a tracker or a matchmover so seeing such a stupid mistake ruin the whole project that I’ve worked so hard on just broke my heart, but at the end of the day it was a stupid mistake that I made, no one else. I will defiantly learn from this and make sure everything is in line and the perspective is correct in future tracks.     

[the-fiction-witch]

This World Is Ours P6 Of ?

REAL LIFE: POST-APOCOLYPSE COUPLE: TBS X READER RATING: SMUTTY 

Y/N POV:

"yeah we are playing ladies first" he says "and gentelmen just before" I add he just smirks "can't argue with that logic" he says while pulling of his shirt and tossing it away not that it really made any differnce to me "your turn y/n" I then pull my skirt as high as it will go before it's revealing my underwear I can see he's watching me like a hawk but I dont mind becuase I can see on his face he's allready stuggleing as soon as I'm done I just look at him expectently he sits for a little while I presume thinking of what to do next till I speek up "are you gonna do anything or are you allready out of idea's" "no I not out of idea's baby girl" he says in a sly voice crap the voice and that nickname now I'm worried but there was not much else he could do I calm my head and keep my breathing steady so he isnt aware of the fact it's sort of working I think for a second then reaslie exactly what to do "my turn" I say before sliping my hand under my shirt and doing a rather skilled thing as removing my bra without removing my shirt he watched me with wide eye's as I drag the bra out and hold it up then let it fall to the floor as I smirk at him I can see by his face if he's not about to snap it isnt far off he's definatly cracking he has to shut his eyes for a second to calm himself down a bit but before I've really paid any attention boom crap he's done it the troursers are donw ever so slightly and the lines are there and there obvious I can't help but stare and there is nothing I can do now I'm cracking to I can't stand it one more sly word or calling me by that name again and I'm over I even have to choke down a whine that threatens to leap out of my mouth but I sit calmly let out a breath even thoguht it comes out jagged and sharp and he smirks even more obviously knowing full well why "you can give up at any time y/n" he says "not on your life" I say still trying to sound confident but I knew what I was going to do I pick up my bra and cleverly put it back on under my shirt then it's off with the shirt leaving me in just my bra , skirt and underwear but I'm not finished I start twisting and moving my bra around with my hands like I'm fixing it I'm not looking at him but I can hear the almost chocked moan in his thout from here as he stares I just giggle and stick my tonuge out at him like a child but from what I can tell he's to deep I thoguht to respond I can see any second he's over plus he's used up almost every option he had wich is good becuase I'm not sure if theres more I can do not if I can't touch him if I could this would be much easiler but I'm positive if we could touch this game would have been over five seconds after it started then while I was zoned out for one simple second sort of stareing at him he's undoing his trousers peroperly and sliding them down not much but enought to make clear his boxers and his erection I am stareing I wasnt sure it was posible to stare at a boy this much for this long and not get bored how the hell did I sleep in the same room as this boy for months and not even notice what was down there how I dont understand it how when we where seventeen did I see it all and didnt really think about it and now I'm at this point felling any second I'm gonna either smash completly or explode but he's not finished his turn yet I'm almost confused at what I'm seeing the only real way to descripe it would be doing what I was yesterday but to himself and groaning oh god this is one difficult game all of a sudden as soon as he took his hand away from himself I just sat there not sure what I was now gonna do one more word and that was it and right on que as if he could read my mind "your turn baby girl" he says in the slyest voice I have ever heard and yep I'm gone but I can still fake it I sit still a bit bewildered but I can stay I have defiantly snapped the only thing going across my mind was that I needed to get my hands on him and fast I didnt just want him I needed him but I can keep my guard up for long enoguh to end this game my next move would have to be ground breaking something I know would smash him to bits then it hit me fake it I then licked my lips and leaned back on the sofa so my head was on the arm rest I pull my skirt down to the knee lenght it's ment to be then sliped my hand under the waist band of the skirt I'm not going to do anything I'm just going to fake it becuase I know faking it is enoguh I slightly move my rist so it looks like I'm doing something then with supriseing realisum I moan and groun making it obvious what I'm ment to be doing I even arch my back a couple of times opening my mouth and shutting my eyes I can only just see when I open my eyes he's gone I can see it in his face he's gone becuase he can't keep his eyes of me for a second and he can't shut his mouth and I think he's makeing more noice then I am as soon as I think he's had enoguh I remove my hand from my skirt and stay laid back I even pretent to lick my fingers before sitting up slowly leting out a breath I can see it can't take it before I've really got back to how I was before he on top of me he obviosuly jumped onto me laying me back down there hardly and inch between us at all "well I guess that means I win then" I say smriking at him "I guess it does babygirl but this isnt over is it" he say's oh god I pray to god he calls me that forever now but I dont really need to answer I just wrap my arms around his neck as we both pull in for the most passion filled snog in history full of tention neither of us going to take out hands of each other for a second I think even if someone walked in right now we wouldnt stop within a few seconds his hands are on my thighs edgeing closer to you know where I can't take it that game snapped up both theres no stoping us now so I just put my hand to his pants dont even flirt just staright up hand staight there I know he doesnt mind because he's moaning into my mouth as I move my hand  till I break away anoyed at myself he looks down at me a little anoyed I know what he thinks that I'm just going to teaste when I catch my breath "bedroom now" I say between jagged breaths he just smirks and crawls off of me then stands I almost dont have the strengh to but I dont have to within seconds he's picked me up and I'm over his shoulder we're both laughing but before we can reach out bedroom door we can here someone a familiar voice comeing down the corriodr it sounded like his mother he drops me to the floor quickly both of us trying to find away to cover this up before she gets into the flat he quickly does up his pants I run of into our room I mean I'm basicly in my underwear theres no way I'm covering that up I quickly slip on a top and pull my skirt down as far as posible then run back and see lilly Thomas's mother lucky we where heading to our room anyway that would have been difficult to explain if she found us on the sofa she looks at us both I dont think she suspects anything but she doesnt look like she interly belives we werent doing anything "Thomas why dont you have a shirt on" she asks "I uh- just got out the shower mum" he says she looks a bit curious but I'm sure she doesnt think we where doing anything "right okay well put some clothes on you stupid boy, your father will be home in a minuet" she said well thats why she doesnt look very happy "why I thoguht dad was working till next month on a long shift" Thomas replys "he was but we have been called to the watchers I'm not sure why but I'm sure we'll find out so we have to go there in a bit" she explains "and how long will you uh be" he says I can tell from his voice he's obviously fired up and would very much like his mother to leave and leave quickly but I'm in agreement with that to be honest "why" she asks us both "no real reason just currious is all" he answers "well, not that long we both just have to change then head of" she replys "okay"Thomas replys obviously not that happy about it I can tell he would much rather her walk out again and him get his hands back on me again "I'm going for a shower tell your father when he gets here where I am and to change thank you Thomas" she says as she walks of into the bathroom as soon as we hear her lock the door he turns to me and pins me against the wall snogging me again its horrible becuase I know I can't do anything becuase neither of us would like to get caught by his parents it was like a teasting snog becuse we both wanted it could go somewhere we just knew we couldnt it didnt stop us both from letting our hands roam around each other that it untill we hear the door again and we both quickly knock it off and step away from each other as andrwes steps in the door "after noon kids" he says to us both not sure why he's started calling us that recently he looks me up and down then looks to Thomas a little bit confused "uh Thomas quick word in the kitchen" Thomas then nodds and walks of into the kitchen area with his dad but I can still hear them "Thomas have I missed something" his father asks "no,no,no why" Thomas replys quickly "well I dont want to pry but why is one of your shirts and one of her's on the floor by the sofa" andrwes say's I look over crap we didnt think about that but we did the best we could given the time we had to not make it obvious thats what we are doing "I just had a- shower and she had one earlier- and I uh moved the washing basket and they fell out" he answers I will atmit for on the spot that is a good alibi "really yeah okay and uh well I dont know if you think it's obvious or not Thomas but you uh have an erection" his father said to him in a wishper "no-no-no I dont" he stuttered in reply "Thomas it's obvioius do you now mind telling me whats going on" "we were doing somthing and mum walked in" "I thoguht you two went all like that with each other" "that was saturday this is monday big changes have been made" "like?" "like" Thomas said pointing to our bedroom andwers then walked over to our room and looked in the door "oh one bed now for you two then well just for the love of god dont tell your mother , and if I was you I would atleast try to sort that proplem out " "I would but mum turned up" he said walking back over and putting his arm back around me "alright," andwers said "just asking if it was the sofa how far was it" he whispered to us both "second base" I say "oh god definatly dont tell your mother ever even if your very drunk never tell your mother" he says walking of into his room as soon as we both know the doors shut we're at it again in some small ways it was horrible like this to the extent I pull away only seconds into it he looks at me slightly confused "what" "I'm sorry Thomas I can't do this" "what" "I can't do it when I know your parents are here, and I hate this teaser snogging it does nothing in my opinion" "oh but babygirl" he complained "no Thomas I know we're both got snapped in the game but we can't now the moemnts gone" "ow stupid mother" he says to the door of the bathroom "WHAT WAS THAT Thomas" I here his mother shout "nothing mum" he says back