#the only chapters that made me misty eyed adapted

[grimstrawberry]

we've all been cheated, but you call it 'free'

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Late Bloomer Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite type of flower? ❓ 🦇 After winning the lottery, Opal Devlin puts all her money in a failing flower farm, only to find an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Boden already living there. Though she's unable to find her grandmother's will, Pepper claims she's the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms. While they agree to cohabitate, Opal and Pepper clash at every turn. Can something softer blossom between these polar opposites, allowing a new dream to take root and grow?

💜 Oh. My. (Sappho.) Goddess. You may think you know Mazey Eddings' writing style, but I assure you, you do not. Many of us read The Plus One and/or Tily in Technicolor last year, but truly, Eddings has far exceeded herself with this one. As a neurodiverse author, Eddings' stories often have some element of neurodiversity / mental health, shining a light on the different ways people's brains work while embracing those differences through beautiful, realistic characters. Opal and Pepper are no different, both on the spectrum yet unique in their behaviors and view of the world. These women are not predictable, pre-programmed components of a story; they are ever-blooming, learning how to plant roots alongside one another, share sunlight, and rise despite being different species. Both plants, growing and adapting to different elements, yet very much the same. While Opal and Pepper have always struggled to fit in with the world around them, they manage to cultivate a safe, healthy garden for one another.

💜 This is one of those overwhelming, layered, awe-inspiring sapphic stories that will tug at your heartstrings long after you read it. Eddings' language leaps off the page, making it a little reminiscent of One Last Stop (be still, my little sapphic heart). I've beyond annotated Late Bloomer, when I'm usually selective about choosing quotes. You don't just see love blossom between these two women; you feel it. It made me smile, laugh, get all messy and misty-eyed. As I said, neither woman is predictable. Opal feels directionless at the story's start, allowing her (fake) best friend and (on/off) ex to step all over her. I expected her to be the wallflower, especially with the BITE we see from Pepper (pun unintended) in her first chapter, but the two balance each other out. When Pepper feels uncertain or anxious, Opal steps forward, bold and unwavering. When Opal begins to crumble, Pepper holds her up. They support each other, never allowing the other to wilt.

💙 Unfortunately, this book relies heavily on miscommunication. Both women are eager to hide their real feelings at the risk of scaring the other. That lack of communication continues until almost the last chapter.

🦇 Recommended for fans of One Last Stop and Imogen, Obviously. Side note: please, please read the author's note. Good goddess.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🌼 Neurodivergency/Autism Spectrum 🌸 Sapphic Romance 🌷 Grief/Healing 🌹 Forced Proximity �� Spicy/First Time 🪻 Cottage Core Vibes 🪻 One Bed ⚡ Touch Her and You Die 🌹 Dual POV 🌷 Miscommunication 🌸 Flower Competition 🌻 Grumpy/Sunshine

🦇 Major thanks to the author @mazeyeddings and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #LateBloomer

💬 Quotes ❝ I’m constantly trying to define myself, to fit nicely and neatly into the boxes and spaces I attempt to occupy. All I’ve ever really wanted to do was belong. Somewhere. Anywhere. ❞ ❝ Slowly, she leans toward me, and my heart pounds so violently in my chest that my head swims. Is she . . . It almost seems like she’s going to press that smile to my mouth. Teach me how it tastes. ❞ ❝ I gave up perfection in any other aspect of my life long ago. It’s simply not possible with a brain like mine. But my art is different; it’s the better version of me, the one I wish people could know me by. ❞ ❝ Ah. There’s the you I missed. ❞ ❝ I used to stress over finding a label that fit me. Lesbian. Bisexual. Pan. Demi . . . I’ve filtered through them all many times over, none ever feeling quite right. Just say queer and move on with your life, Diksha finally told me late one night after what was probably my sixth sexual identity crisis of my early twenties. But what does that mean? I’d wailed, draining more boxed wine into my plastic cup. My brain loves order and labels and concise frameworks to understand things, and not knowing where I fit feels unbearable. It means you’re you, and only you get to decide who you like and when you like them, Tal had said from their chair in the corner. The name of your feelings isn’t anyone’s business but yours. ❞ ❝ But instead, she reaches out to me— opening her hand like a flower unfurling its petals to the sun. I stare at it. The ink stains and calluses and chipped nails and bitten cuticles. For a moment, that hand looks like a second chance. ❞ ❝ Fuck anything and anyone that made you have to survive instead of live. You deserve a life so peaceful it feels deliciously boring. A life filled with flowers and sunny days and people that show you all the time that you’re valued and worthy. You deserve it all.” ❞ ❝ “Her poems spoke softly— as intimately as confessions between lovers—about the terrible, wonderful ache of being in love.” ❞ ❝ Messy and radiant and ours. ❞

[liloelsagranger]

Viridian Love Story - Chapter 2: I never asked for a rose (new fanfiction update)

Dear friends, I finally completed the second chapter of “Viridian Love Story”. Enjoy! Like, share, reblog and feel free to leave a review. Thanks to all my supportive readers. @jessicarocket @rocketshippingassbutt @masterstarpikachu @estrelarabyss @teamrocketshipping @teamrocketfanart @ndbernarts @thelovelyjessie @webelieveinlovepower @cat-0301 @chaosandhope @james-team-rocket @danadiversity @krazy-holly @keksrocket @tothestarsabove and everyone who keeps encouraging me to write down my thoughts and headcanons ;) Chapter 2: I never asked for a rose Misty looked up. He could read the uncertainty in her gaze. „Ash, is it you?“ she asked suspiciously, cleaving her way through the school desks. He nodded, a smile scurrying over his face. „Ash!“ Misty hastened her step, her heart beating faster. She fell happily around his neck. „It’s been so long,“ Ash wrapped an arm around her waist, carefully caressing her fiery red mane. Pikachu jumped on her shoulder, squeaking with joy. Ash held her tight, recollecting all the wonderful memories he owed her. „I missed you,“ she whispered so close to his ear, giving him goosebumps. He didn’t want to let go of her. Misty was alive and well, all his worries faded. There had been times when he couldn’t sleep at night, the uncertainty about his best friend’s whereabouts keeping him wide awake. „Where have you been?“ he asked her, loosening the embrace. She stared into his eyes, a wave of sadness overcoming her. She let go of him, taking a step back as if she tried to go a safe distance. „Ash, there’s something I need to tell you,“ she wanted to shape a long overdue statement. „I was worried sick,“ he didn’t want it to sound so reproachful, but his feelings overpowered him. „I know and I’m really sorry that I have broken off any contact. Believe me, it was anything but easy for me“, she replied agitatedly. „When the three of us said goodbye after a long adventurous journey, I turned home and...“ Misty couldn’t finish her sentence, from the corner of her eye she noticed someone observing them. „Ash!“ Serena, a grim and skeptical expression on her face, approached the two of them. The distance between Ash and Misty increased by one more piece. „Who’s that girl?“ Serena pointed at Misty, feeling a whiff of jealousy. Ash shielded his best friend. „Serena, this is Misty. We were inseparable. She and Brock joined me on my very first journey to become a Pokémon master. Misty, this is my girlfriend Serena, an aspiring showcase performer“, Ash tried to calm the waves, Serena was obviously out of sorts with Misty. Reluctantly, the two shook hands. Serena wrapped an arm around Ash in order to mark her territory. A kiss sealed their relationship, putting Misty in her place. Ash noticed Misty’s disappointment. She made herself smile, but her gaze spoke volumes. For the first time in his life, Ash felt a pulling in his chest at the sight of her. She was all grown up, beautiful, but something afflicted her and he wanted to find out what caused her so much distress. „Ehm,“ he searched desperatley for words. „Serena, I’ll see you later, okay?“ he playfully nudged her nose. „For all I care,“ she looked at them distrustfully and disappeared from the classroom without saying another word. Misty cocked an eyebrow. „Wow, nice choice, Ash! I didn’t know you had a girlfriend. I think there’s a lot to talk about,“ she winked at him, briefly squeezing his hand. More and more students entered the classroom, Ash and Misty also took a seat and welcomed their new teacher. Meanwhile, Team Rocket worked on an ingenious plan to infiltrate the university. „That’s impossible, Meowth!“ James vent his discomfort. „We’re no trained teachers, we’re going to embarrass us in front of the class.“ Jessie rolled her eyes at Meowth’s idea to fool the whole school. „Listen to me, you two dimwits! No need to worry. A seminar on poison type Pokémon is the best opportunity to creep in, looking for casual robberies and keep Giovanni up to date. All you have to do is standing in front of the class and talk about Arbok and Weezing. That shouldn’t be so hard, even two dorks like you should be able to entertain some freshmen for 45 minutes. Leave the rest to me,“ Meowth’s brain was working at full blast. „But what if they’re going to ask questions? Should we just stand there like two clueless question marks, counting the second until we’re saved by the bell?“ Jessie discovered more and more weak spots in this plan. Meowth rummaged around a bag. „Here“, he presented his team members with two tiny microphones. „I’ll whisper the answers in your ears“, proud of himself, he waited for appreciative praise. „No way! Déjà vu, Meowth. The last time you tried to help us out with answers, we made complete fools of ourselves. Even the smalles children laughed at us,“ Meowth flashed his eyes at James. The cat Pokémon was annoyed by their suspicion. „Times are changing, lavender lock! In a time of digital progress, I’ve adapted our equipment. Now, we’re online. It’s very easy: the kids ask you guys a question that will be transmitted directly to my headphones and I’m able to look up the answer in my huge database within a split second!“ Jessie and James were both wide-eyed. „So, you think it could actually work out?“ Jessie wondered. „We will possibly be successful?“ James added. „Trust me,“ Meowth grinned mischieviously. „All you have to do is to evaluate the position. Listen to the freshmen’s chats, find out if there is going to be a major event, an event where all Pokémon come together. Everything clear so far?“ His friends nodded approvingly. Their bags already packed, Jessie and James headed towards university. „Oh and before I forget, folks,“ an impish smile crossed Meowth’s face, „don’t get distracted by too many flirtations, haha“. Jessie blushed to the roots of her hair. Did Meowth smell the rat? After the first lesson, Misty and Ash decided to spend lunch time underneath an imposing oak in the middle of the university campus. It was good to spend some time in the shadows of the large branches above their heads, for the summer heat was unbearable. Only a few moments later, Brock joined his old friends, providing them with homemade rice balls. Misty felt completely contented. The food, the atmosphere and the company of the two boys reminded her of the good old times, when she was carefree and with a clear goal in mind. „I’m glad you’re back, Misty,“ Brock hugged her tight. They shared ideas and plans, compared their time tables and discovered that they would work together on multiple projects this year. Still, Ash had the feeling that something was bothering the once so though girl. He turned around, facing her directly. „Tell me, Misty. Where have you been all these years? What happened?“ he didn’t want to crowd her, but he missed her reckless attitude. This intimidated young lady was not the Misty he once knew. Misty sighed out loud. Ash noticed how uncomfortable she felt. Brock laid a hand on her shoulder. „It’s okay, we’re here to listen,“ he encouraged her to come out with the truth. „Well,“ it cost her a lot of effort, „at the time I turned home, I was eager to tell my parents and sisters all about my adventures, the fights, the friends I made and about my dream to become an expert for water type Pokémon, but as I entered our house, there was no one there. They had left. To this day, I don’t know where they are, why they abandoned me and why they didn’t even leave a message. I was all alone, left all to my own devices. I tried to search them out, I contacted Officer Jenny, they launched a giant search operation, but it did not yield. Neither the neighbours, nor the people in the nearby village who knew them very well, could help me out. Officer Jenny was then forced to turn to the Youth Welfare Office and they put me in an orphanage not far from home. It was terrible. At the age of sixteen, I bunked out of the orphanage, I made it through with odd jobs and lived hand to mouth. You can’t trust anyone these days, I made shady acquaintances, got into trouble until I decided to pull myself together and sign up for evening classes to catch up on my graduation. Luckily, my grades were excellent and I passed every single test with flying colors and now, I’m here“, a crooked grin graced her face. Ash and Brock’s jaws dropped. They’d have expected anything, an unfortunate romance, a change of residence, an exchange year, but this story hit them hard. What horrors did she suffer? How could she possibly survive all on her own with no helping hand and no friends? „Misty,“ Ash’s eyes shone dangerously. „I’m so sorry to hear that. Come here,“ he embraced her in his arms, pulled her tight and placed a kiss on her forehead. „Don’t you worry anymore. We’re here to support you, you’re not alone.“ He could hear her sob into his shirt, finally releasing her pent-up emotions. She pressed him even tighter. He had always been her safe haven. It broke Brock’s heart to see his friends so distraught and upset. Pulling an arm around each one of them, he asked them to make a pledge. „From this day on, we’ll avouch for each other, no matter what. We will care and support each other like we used to do when we were kids. We’ll stick together, through thick and thin and we’ll never let go of each other again. We used to fight for our rights, we used to stand up for our Pokémon and friends and Ash and I will do everything in our power to make you forget about your gruesome past.“ Ash nodded. „I second every single word!“ He wiped a tear from her cheek. That was strange, he wanted to hold her and protect her from the world. He wanted to erase the dire memories. Jessie was nervous. Not only because she wasn’t used to give lectures on various school subjects, but because James seemed to evade her. He was wearing a white chemise, a necktie and matching trousers. He looked absolutely breathtaking and she couldn’t deny that some naughty thoughts had crossed her mind. „You look good,“ she adjusted his tie. He smiled shyly, avoiding any eye contact. Jessie brushed his arm while reaching for her notes. A bunch of books piled up on the desk and Meowth had already sent them their teaching materials. The students entered the class room, were loud and noisy and Jessie became more and more queasy with every moment. They tried to snatch up fragments of conversations and found out that prom night would take place in a couple of weeks. There was enough time for preparations like fiddling with traps, inviting the Rocket grunts and explore the best locations to catch them all. „James,“ she whispered shortly before the lesson started. „What if we volunteer to organise prom night? It would be the perfect occasion to capture some Pokémon and deliver them to our boss,“ she suggested. „Absolutely, great idea, Jess!“ he winked at her. Jessie never had the chance to attend prom night, but maybe fate would give her a second chance. In her fantasy, she was dancing with James, spending the night underneath an illuminated pavilion, just like newly enamored teenagers. „Put those thoughts out of your mind, Jess! He’s not interested in you. It was a one-time slip!“ she scolded herself. James distributed the work orders and was astonishingly good with the students. He responded to their questions and concerns, dealt with the class clown, promised them exciting lessons and easy exams and had soon made himself a darling who reaped languishing glances from the young girls. He was what Jessie called a crush-teacher. He was handsome, good-looking and charming. The female students would lie at his feet. She was overcome by a slight wave of jealousy. The 45 minutes flew by and both had made a great first impression, even if Jessie had already reproved two ruffians, threatening to chop off their fingers if they would ever again pointing the loser hand gesture at James. After the class had left the room, Jessie let herself sink onto the desk. She was completely exhausted, it was more tiring than expected. James stood in front of her, gathering some paper shreds and pencils. Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck. „I’m so tired. Meowth got us into a pretty mess“, she rested her head on his chest. James recoiled, laughing mousy. „It was a good start, don’t you think?“ He turned around, staring into two demanding eyes. „What’s wrong, Jess?“ he asked her. „James, why are you constantly avoiding me? Did you forget about that night? About your words and kisses? About this special moment between us? Didn’t it mean anything to you? Were you just too drunk to think clearly? Was ist just a joke? Look, I never asked for something, but let’s get things straight“ she wanted answers. James sighed deeply. „No, Jess, I didn’t forget about that night. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life“, he looked at the floor with embarrassment. She stood up walking towards him. „Then why are you acting so strange? Why are you fending off every single pass?“ He didn’t dare to look at her. „Because I don’t want to fall in love with you.“ To be continued...

[minty-fresh-21]

The Boy in the Dog Park (Ch. 1)

  Summary:  "Hello listeners! The local police station asked me to remind all of you out of the roads tonight that, here in Gainesville, we believe in a speed limit of 19 miles an hour. If you go 20, well, you're going to jail."

Gainesville is a strange town. Virgil should fit right in.

Now if only Virgil could figure that out. Luckily, he's got three friends, and maybe eventually something more, to help him along. 

Warnings: Non human characters, Past violence, non descriptive violence

Chapter Title: The First Meeting 

Chapter Summary: Logan had come to realize you had to expect the unexpected in Gainesville, what with the yearly blood sacrifices and the howling packs of wolves that roam the streets at night. His thoughts had adapted accordingly. And while he knew it was impolite to stare at people with more limbs than average, he was taken aback, not by how their tentacles flailed, but by the small smile tugging at one corner of their mouth.

Words: 3227

“All right boy, go play!”

Logan didn't really want to be here. He knew Roman didn’t either. Standing around talking with others as they watched dogs running around wasn’t his idea of fun. Especially not at six in the morning. He would much rather be home reading the last chapters of his second favorite Agatha Christie novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, but Patton had begged the two of them to come along.

In all honesty, he hadn't even wanted a dog (and neither had Roman.) Neither Roman nor Logan had a schedule that allowed them to be home regularly enough to take care of a dog. Roman was an actor and a playwright. He insisted that leaving the house helped him come up with new ideas and get his creativity flowing. This caused him to leave the house at any hour of the day, and occasionally even at night. Sometimes he was gone for hours. Occasionally he was gone so long that Logan became concerned. Patton would wave it off, and Roman would always return.

In Gainsville, it was normal for someone to disappear, only to show up hours later in their living room, having no idea what had happened, or even that any time had passed at all. It had happened to everyone at least once, though Roman seemed particularly susceptible to it. Logan was convinced it had something to do with That Forest, which was looming behind the dog park this week. Logan eyed it warily.

Logan, though he technically worked regular office hours, worked after hours almost too much. He didn't mind it, he liked his job, but he wouldn't have the time to look after a dog.

Also, Logan preferred cats. But Patton had made an adorable pleading face at the two of them, and said that “I could take care of him, Logan, PLEASE, look at his cute little face-!”  And they had ended up with a puppy. And eventually, they ended up here. At the dog park.

He knew he shouldn't have let Patton step into that animal shelter.

Patton was chattering happily away with Remy, who owned a french bulldog mix named Holly, who was now playing with their greyhound-labrador mix puppy, Blue. Roman was standing to the side and scrolling through his phone, oblivious to anything other than his screen, so Logan was the one who had to keep a watchful eye on the two dogs.

So naturally when the- boy? Man?- crept out of That Forest and sneaked through the unused back gate, Logan was the first to notice. Logan took no real interest in him but ended up observing him out of want for anything else to do. He had no dog with him, though Logan wasn't bothered by that. Many people came to the dog park to pet other people's dogs. The fact that he had come from the woods didn't disturb him either. He knew that there was a row of houses a mile or so back in that direction, though, at the moment, they might be in the middle of That Forest. It's not inconceivable (However unlikely, just taking a stroll through the woods was ill-advised for your health.) that the man (because he definitely was a man, albeit a skinny one) had walked through the woods from one of those houses.to bed until two o’clock in the morning. Now though, sleeping with the others calmed him down,

It was a misty morning, and at this distance, Logan couldn't make out his face, but the mystery man immediately spotted Remy’s bulldog and headed closer. The dog, apparently recognizing him, ran over to the man. Now that he was closer, Logan could take note of his appearance. He was wearing an old tattered hoodie which had several patches stitched carefully onto it, ripped skinny jeans, and worn out sneakers. He had dark shadows under his eyes, showing his sleep schedule definitely wasn't the greatest. Logan could sympathize.

Before he moved in with Patton and Roman, his own sleep schedule had been horrific. Even if he had lived in Gainesville for years now, he was still often kept up by the howling of the Wolves that stalked the streets at night. Also, he got caught up in his work a lot and forgot to get and they made sure that he got to bed at a reasonable time.

The man was slumped on to the ground now, the bulldog practically sitting in the man’s lap. Blue had hesitantly walked over to sniff at the new person. When the man turned and caught sight of the puppy, he perked up immediately. Logan saw a soft smile come over this stranger’s face

Logan was abruptly ripped from his thoughts, staring in shock as the back of the man's jacket burst open.

Logan stiffened, then relaxed as he saw the cause of the man’s jacket ripping open. The waving tentacles, protruding from the man's back, thrashed around in excitement.

Back in high school, Logan’s and Patton’s mutual best friend,  Emile Picani, had similar tentacles that were always twisting calmly through the air. (Emile was the one who introduced Logan to Patton  formally, which Logan would forever be grateful for. He was currently still in college, studying for his doctorate in psychology. On another note, Emile was Patton’s cousin, and for this reason, Logan suspected Patton wasn't quite human either, but never cared enough to ask) If Emile became excited, then they would whip through the air quickly. He fondly recalled when the three of them had graduated, and watching Emile cut slits in the back of his gown so he wouldn't rip them open with his flailing.

Now that the man was closer, Logan could see that there seemed to be a set of buttons hidden on the back of the man’s jacket that allowed his tentacles free without ripping the hoodie.

This type of thing was normal in Gainesville. Logan was one of the few who hadn't been born here, and as such, he was one of the few who knew that things like that weren't normal literally anywhere else.

Logan had moved here with his parents when he was sixteen. He adapted fairly quickly to the teacher whose skin turned green when she was mad, and the yearly blood sacrifice to the local nature god. (He didn't do it one year, just to see what would happen, and let's just say he would never be doing that again.) He was still occasionally surprised by the oddities of Gainesville. His parents, however, had moved away as soon as they could. They had to save up enough money to leave, and by that time, Logan was old enough to make his own decisions. He stayed. He was too dead set on getting a job at Fortune Tellers Tech inc, (And too far in love with his classmates, Patton and Roman) to even think of leaving.

He had eventually fulfilled both of his wishes. He had started as an intern at Fortune Tellers, then was hired, and later promoted to the position of the head of his department. He gotten together and subsequently moved in together with Patton, then Roman. They had chosen a small house in a different part of town, so the fact that there was another person with tentacles that they didn't know about was hardly surprising. Logan wondered briefly if Emile and the stranger were related, but was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by Remy. He had apparently noticed Logan’s staring and had decided to comment on it.

“That's Virgil. He comes here and chills with the dogs a lot- Gurl, why are you squealing so loudly? ”

Patton had apparently finally caught sight of Virgil and was now squishing his cheeks, squealing at the sight of him. Logan found his reaction adorable.

Nonsensical, yes, but adorable.  

“He’s so cute, Logan! Roman! Isn't he cute? Can we go say hi?”

Virgil,- who, now that Logan noted his physical features, was rather cute- did not seem to notice Patton’s squealing.

Patton’s squealing had finally caught Roman’s attention. He looked up from his phone and caught sight of the boy. He whistled.

“Damn, he is adorable. I’m all for going to chat him up. What about you, Specs?”

Logan smiled.

“Gladly.”

~~~

In the end, they never got to talk to the very mysterious and very cute Virgil. They had approached him, although he didn’t seem to notice them at first. When Logan had tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, he had thrown himself forward and away from them, dislodging the dogs from his lap. He sprung to his feet and whirled around to face them, tentacles quickly slipping back into his jacket. His eyes were wide, showing them the beautiful entrancing lavender color of his irises, but they were distracted from the color in his eyes by the panic in them.

“Hey, are you okay-?”

Patton was cut off as Virgil turned and bolted for That Forest, vaulting over the fence. As they stood looking at each other, each slightly confused at his reaction, Remy strode over.

“Yeah, he’s pretty shy. Doesn't like meeting new people. Y’all are new to this part of the city, right Patton?” After Patton nodded he continued on. “Ya know, everybody who comes here is pretty protective over him. Well, I gotta warn you, don’t upset him. You'll have hell to pay if you do.”

Remy smirked, flashing rather sharp teeth at the three of them. Then, whistling for his bulldog, he walked towards the gate.

The gate clanged shut, and Remy was gone.

“Well… Okay.”

“Shut up, Roman.”

~~~

After they had tried to chase Blue down for half an hour, and failed miserably, they finally managed to tackle him to the ground. (They meaning Logan and Roman, Patton had stood there, doubled over in laughter. If it were any other situation, Logan would have found it endearing.) Logan frowned at the dirt stain on his tie. He knew he should have worn a darker color today.

The ride home was quiet as the three of them contemplated what had happened that morning. The only voice that filled the car was that of the local radio host, Thomas Sanders, reminding his listeners that the sun would not be rising tomorrow because the sun god was taking a day off. When they got home, they ate an early lunch and then split up for their individual tasks for the rest of the day.

Patton went grocery shopping, then planted some new chrysanthemums in the small garden outside their house. Roman continued working on his new play, while Logan settled in to read the last few chapters of his novel. Life returned to normal, at least for now.

~~~

After issuing that ominous warning to the three and leaving the dog park, Remy took a right turn and walked around the edge of the woods. The second he was out of sight of the park, he took another sharp right turn into the woods. After walking for another ten minutes or so, and having to yank Holly away from a few glowing squirrels, (They gave her a stomach ache if she managed to eat one.) the scenery became familiar. After a few more minutes of walking, Remy broke into a clearing.

The clearing was a decent size, with a small pond in the middle of it, which fed a quietly bubbling brook. The early morning mist still hung over the perfectly still surface of the pond, though it was slowly being burned away by the rising sun. Large boulders lay scattered about the clearing, piled up against each other. A small tent was set up tucked into one corner of the clearing, along with a camping chair and table.

What Remy was looking for, however, was none of those things.

He found his object of interest sitting, perched on a low hanging tree branch. He was still unaware of Remy’s presence as he was staring contemplatively into the water of the steam which ran directly underneath his branch.

Sighing, Remy tied up Holly to a tree, so she couldn’t run off to catch squirrels and then teleported himself to another branch above Virgil. (Ahh, the perks of godhood.)

Cutting to the chase, Remy simply asked, “Are you alright, Vee? You sort of freaked out back there.”

Virgil, having not noticed him until this point, startled violently. The back of his jacket opened again, and his tentacles wrapped around the surrounding branches to keep him from falling off the tree.

Remy arched an eyebrow. Normally, Virgil had more control over his extra appendages. Something was obviously bothering him.

Repeating himself, Remy asked, “What’s wrong, Virgil?”

Virgil avoided his question, letting out a shuddering breath. He tucked his tentacles back into his jacket and reached behind himself to snap the buttons back in place. “God, Rem, you scared me.”

Remy frowned at Virgil’s non-answer, although Virgil couldn’t see it, as he was still looking down at the water below. Virgil would talk when he was ready, he supposed.

They sat quietly for another ten minutes at least before Virgil broke the silence with a rush of words that trailed off. “It’s been a year, you know, since…”

He broke off his train of thought, but Remy knew what he was talking about

Around this time last year, Remy had been walking in these same woods. (At the time, the woods weren’t ‘cursed’ as they were now, that had actually been Remy’s doing, to keep people away from Virgil. Virgil hadn’t mentioned it, but Remy knew he was thankful. An accidental side effect of that was the fact that the now dubbed ‘That Forest’ moved, but what can you do?)

He had discovered Virgil, emaciated and exhausted, collapsed on the ground. He had taken Virgil back to his own house and nursed him back to health. The healing process that would have normally taken months only took a week and a half. This was probably due to Remy’s powers, but he suspected that Virgil being not quite human had something to do with it too.

Remy had tried to get the full story out of Virgil, but all that he had gathered was that he had been chased out of his old town and had somehow ended up here, and it had something to do with his tentacles. (Though Remy couldn’t understand what that had to do with anything. Why would they throw him out for that?) He didn't pressure Virgil though, letting him have his privacy.

A fast friendship had blossomed between the two of them, but when Virgil was healed, he insisted that he didn't want to be a burden. Remy had protested, but, seeing that he couldn't change Virgil’s mind, He had tried to get Virgil an apartment, but Virgil had balked at the thought of being around people. So Remy had used his powers to give him a suitable home in the clearing. He conjured the pond and stream and bought him a tent and other essentials.

That's how Virgil lived for the rest of the winter, (being in Florida, the weather was nice enough to live outdoors year round) spring, and summer.

The incoming chilly weather would only serve as a stark reminder to Virgil as how long it had been since he had been forced to flee his home.

Remy frowned deeply, wishing he could erase Virgil's horrible memories. He leaned down and squeezed Virgil’s shoulder gently in a gesture of understanding.”Well, I’m here if you need someone to talk to.” They fell into a comfortable silence after that.

A half hour passed and the two of them moved to the bottom of the tree. Virgil had toed off his shoes and socks and was dabbling his feet in the stream. Holly had walked over from where she had been staring intently at a squirrel in one of the other trees to curl up in Virgil’s lap. Remy had finished with his drink and had stared at it in disappointment before remembering that he could just conjure himself a new one.

Remy was the one who finally broke the silence.

“I think you should talk to them.”

Virgil glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, not saying anything.

“I mean, I talked to them, and they seem like nice people. They were at the park last Sunday too, so if you come next Sunday, you could probably catch them.”

Virgil only hummed uncertainly. “At least they didn’t see my tentacles-”

“Um-” Remy started but he was cut off by Virgil continuing.

“But are you sure-”

Remy groaned, breaking off Virgil’s sentence. “Gurl, you need to socialize, you’ve been living like a hermit. And they're cute.”

Virgil spluttered, his face flushing, and swatted him on the shoulder. Remy smirked, standing.

“I need to leave. You want me to get you anything?”

���Nope, nope, nope, get out!” Virgil squaked, lifting Holly off his lap and standing, shoving Remy towards the edge of the clearing.  

Teasingly, Remy crowed, “Someone has a crush~” before he snapped his fingers and teleported himself and Holly away before Virgil could push him in the stream.

Tag list:

@moxietea @sparkletastic-cookiedough @nightwolf713 @shedglitter

[ichihime]

Here’s a quick rundown of my thoughts on the Live Action. THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! Consider yourself warned!

Biggest issue right off the bat is Chad’s actor wearing brownface, which is bad for very obvious reasons.

Additionally, I didn’t care for how much Chad and Orihime’s respective roles were minimised- I understand (and fully expected) there to be some cutting corners when it came to characterisation, but for a movie that’s supposedly meant to be the first in a trilogy, it seemed unnecessary.

Even Urahara (who is a character I really dislike!) got shafted in terms of screen time, and he’s an important player in the early events of the series.

Didn’t care for some of the casting either; Yuzu and Karin are obvious, but again I have to bring up Chad. His performance was fine, but is it that hard to hire a naturally dark-skinned actor to play his role? Especially so when the character himself is heavily centered around his pride in his mixed heritage and the color of his skin?

Ichigo & Rukia had hilarious interactions on screen- made me very nostalgic for the early chapters of Bleach. The training montages were a fun new addition that felt true to the characters.

Comedic timing in a lot of the scenes felt really natural and played out well. Uryu and Ichigo’s first interaction in the classroom was funny, as well as Keigo joking about Ichigo dying any chance he gets.

I really liked the sets they used in some of the scenes. Urahara’s shop was cool, and the nods to Ichigo’s character song with his Bad Religion posters (albeit a bit too heavy-handed... I’m sure he likes more than just the one band lmao) were a nice detail.

Ichigo getting a little bashful when Orihime greets him in the park (and frustrated when she misunderstands his relationship with Rukia) was cute. I do like how moments like these made it into the film, but combined with cutting out great amount of her characterisation, it leaves me concerned about her being relegated to nothing more than a “love interest” in potential future films. Canon Orihime, despite being at the receiving end of some bad writing and missed opportunities on Kubo’s part, is still much more nuanced than a mere “love interest” to Ichigo... -but that’s a post for another day.

The music was very fitting of early Bleach and I liked it quite a bit. I only wish there was more of an original score, or they added more bg music in general. Too many scenes felt stagnant because of a general lack of bg music.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the CGI for the Hollows was done. Loved how the designs were translated into their onscreen counterparts.

Costuming was pretty hit or miss for me. I liked the plain clothes and the school uniforms were fine, but the shihakushos looked a bit cheap to me.

Renji was a bit overplayed to be a villain character compared to his manga counterpart in my opinion. Didn’t much care for it. I also didn’t care for how they changed it so that Rukia AND Renji were adopted into the Kuchiki house? That he’s angry at Rukia for “squandering her upbringing as an elite Shinigami”. It felt like a bizarre and unnecessary change to Renji’s character when Renji’s anger and complex feelings towards Rukia (and his initial entrance as a “villain” to Ichigo) felt much more nuanced and interesting.

And then I had my suspicions when the movie was first being billed that Grand Fisher would be the “final fight” of the film, but I was not a fan of how Uryu stepped in to assist in the fight since I felt it really robbed Ichigo of the personal narrative stakes that he had in the manga. It made for a cool action sequence, don’t get me wrong, but as a battle that was so largely personal and one of the defining moments of the series, it definitely felt like a disservice to his narrative which is so deeply rooted in his relationship to his mother and his survivors guilt and how that shaped his personality.

Maybe I’m just biased because I have the knowledge that later on Renji and Uryu develop a great rapport and make a kickass tag team in the HM arc, but Renji just walking up and stabbing Uryu from behind was so.... disgustingly out of character. I realise he was gunning for Ichigo’s defeat early on in canon and even tried to kill him himself (on top of badly injuring Uryu in their initial confrontation), but even Renji’s earlier iteration where he was a villain directly opposing Ichigo & Rukia, he still had some honor and integrity as a fighter.

Maybe I’m being nitpicky, but there was so little blood. Without seeing the injuries, it made the stakes in battle seem that much lower for me, idk.

Byakuya Kuchiki you’re rich so I think you can afford to get a manicure or clip your goddamn fingernails. God his styling sucked.

The choice to parallel Masaki and Rukia as mother figures to Ichigo in the way that they protected him (basing this off canon comparisons, as well as verbatim from Hana Sugisaki stating Rukia’s relationship to Ichigo to be something similar to motherhood and mentoring) was one that I felt fit very well for the story they were trying to tell in this film.

Final note, I wasn’t emotionally moved by any of this film. The goodbye between Ichigo and Rukia was heartfelt, and I think Hana Sugisaki played it really well, but damn I didn’t get misty eyed or anything and I’m usually a huge crybaby.

TL;DR Pretty much what I expected from a Live Action adaption, changes I felt were unnecessary especially where characterisations were concerned. I knew going in that Orihime and Chad would be done a disservice, but I felt characters like Uryu, Byakuya, and Ichigo to an extent were as well- and worst of all, Renji’s depiction was needlessly malicious, missing the nuance and misunderstood motives behind his actions in the manga. The only characterisation I felt was strong and solid throughout was Rukia’s. 

Despite this, there were some funny moments that made me nostalgic for early Bleach. In general though, it isn’t a film I’d probably watch again because I personally felt the negatives outweighed the positives. Again though, these are just my opinions! Please don’t let this affect your potential enjoyment of the film (except the brownface is definitely a deal-breaker; everyone should be pissed about that).