#the yellows were too similar to put next to each other too XD

[zarvasace]

Wind and Koholint sun!

This one was really hard, actually. I cheated with both versions a little—on the left, the lines are a darker green than the palette has, and the lines on the right are a very dark purple. I like both versions but I could have held back a bit with the shading, it doesn't exactly make sense in most spots XD

[mrpenguinpants]

Oh lore?? I read your post on Dainsleif and BOY it gave me a lot to think about dsfjgkd

Along the same vein, what do you think of the relationship between the unknown god and Kaenri'ah? In Albedo's trailer they seemed to reference two new elements (time and being) and if perhaps the unknown god is the god of time, then does Khemia make use of "being" in its creation of life?

In Mihoyo's other game (honkai) they introduced a new "type" about halfway through the story which seems to me to be similar to the abyss in Genshin. The quanta type is independent of the three types that were present from the beginning of the game and it's tied to an abyss style region called the Sea of Quanta. Maybe I'm reading too much into it and they don't plan to imitate what they did in Honkai but?? Time and being as new "elements" introduced a few years into the game seems possible at least?? Maybe they're exclusive to delusions bc there's only the seven Archons at this time so no one can grant time/being visions lol

Djfkdj I hope this was at least slightly understandable I love looking into lore especially for things I write about!! I'll end this now before it gets too long lmao the new tumblr asks give me too much power XD

TUMBLR DELETED MY REPLY AHHHHH I HAD TO RE-WRITE EVERYTHING. THAT’S WHY I’M LATE TO THE PARTY. I’M SO SORRY CATTY 😭

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Major spoilers for Khaenri’ah and minor spoilers for the unknown god

:DD I’m glad you read my word vomit haha. I love talking about lore so much, ty for enabling me. 

What do you think of the relationship between the unknown god and Khaenri’ah?

The logical side of my brain thinks:

They either have nothing to do with each other and Mihoyo really likes using the same star for everything and Khaenri’ah just happens to live in the void or sky so the easiest way to distinguish citizens from there is the star (or it was just hot to put star pupils in and you know what, they were right). 

Or there’s some sort of connection between the Eclipse dynasty that ruined Khaenri’ah and the unknown god. Since genshin really likes to do that (see Zhongli and everyone calling him Morax before 1.1 dropped). 

Re-watching the prologue cutscene and “we will be reunited” (Gonna refer to this a WWBR) Aether drew the same two stars into the sand which makes me believe that either a. stars literally have nothing to do with anything and Teyvat only knows how to draw one star (which doesn’t hold up well considering Mona’s outfit and pin) or b. there’s some kind of connection there. The way Paimon phrases her question she says: 

“But when you wanted to leave and go onto the next world your path was blocked by an unknown god?”

It implies that Aether and Lumine have already travelled through Teyvat since we see two yellow stars travel over Liyue and Mondstadt. I know Aether was sent into some sort of deep sleep and only now awoke and met Paimon (since in the trailer we can see the lantern festival and the genshin upload was in march (chinese new year is in feb) but I’m not super sure on these details but I’m pretty sure it’s canon that this happened based on WWBR). 

Then when the unknown god appears and the same 3 red stars appear [tumblr throws a fit when I try and upload this]

She refers to us as Outlanders and calls herself 

“The sustainer of heavenly principles. The arrogation of mankind ends now.”

This could be a reference to “being” that was in the Albedo trailer while Dainsleif is “time” since time is "not something he lacks". If we’re going on the theory that Dainsleif is actually a god then maybe they are fighting? Or in some type of push and pull war. It would make sense since the Unknown God believes in heavenly principles (so the rules either set by Celestia or Gods themselves) and believes mankind is arrogant and wishes to either destroy it or remove it entirely. The complete opposite of Dainsleif who believes in mankind and hates anything relating to the Archons.

Or dainsleif has nothing to do with the unknown god and is just a final challenge to the player who will then face off against the Unknown God. 

In Albedo's trailer they seemed to reference two new elements (time and being) and if perhaps the unknown god is the god of time, then does Khemia make use of "being" in its creation of life?

In this theory, this would make the Unknown God the god of time, which is also equally as valid. Since she does talk about time and how the arrogation of mankind ends now. I think it’s right to assume that Khemia makes use of being in its creation of life since we see Albedo talk about chalk and turning things from “nothing” (it’s not really nothing, he’s still using something or the “being” in order to transform it) to something. 

If Dainsleif uses Khemia or even created it then taught it to the people of Khaenri’ah to help them survive in their archonless land, that could be a valid reason why he believes in the strength of mankind. Since the unknown god’s power seems to consume the person trapped within (as we see in the prologue). Plus in WWBR we see first hand how destructive that power is. This could also be the time where Dainsleif lost faith or hated the celestial beings. 

---

In WWBR, according to the wiki it states that our sibling was taken to another point in time, in an unknown location. But this event leads the sibling (Lumine) to become the leader of the Abyss Order. 

Lumine says: 

“But until the abyss has engulfed the thrones, my war with destiny will see no end.”

Lumine seems to know about the archons and the abyss mages follow her so it’s safe to assume that the “abyss” she refers to is either something entirely new or the red blocks we see here. It seems as if she’s trying to change destiny which could be why Dainsleif wants to save her. 

I will say right now, I really hope the theory that Paimon is secretly the unknown god doesn’t come true. I know it’s funny and I would enjoy seeing our emergency food pull a turned table on us but unless there are more instances where it’s hinted or it’s handled really well I would not like it. I just finished a manga and I felt like I was watching 20M plot twists happen in the span of 3 pages. I would totally be okay if the unknown god and paimon were somehow related (I can understand that) but I unless it’s handed really well or as the story progresses and we get more info on paimon. it would just be really out of left field. I haven’t seen any theories on this and I honestly try and stay away from lore posts until I’ve finished mine because I feel that might make my ideas biased.

The “everything must be connected into some kind of plotline or I will make it a plotline” brain thinks:

Now, this is just be spit balling and making up my own headcanons with no lore to go off on. This is pure indulgent stuff with no research to back it up besides very loose threads. 

I’d like to believe that since the Eclipse Dynasty was the last dynasty before Khaenri’ah fell. That might be what is being depicting above in WWBR. Perhaps khemia backfired or the unknown god turned against the people for their arrogance (I’m not sure if people know the myth but in short terms, a giant stole fire to help the people who were cold. He was punished for going against the gods and saving the people, this could be similar to Dainsleif). 

Perhaps Lumine and Aether had stopped this event from happening and as they were about to leave, the unknown god appears and separates them for their arrogant actions against the Gods and sends Lumine back to the past. Without her brother she ended up failing in saving Khaenri’ah. Or, the image we see is actually the future and she goes back in time to try and prevent that event from occurring, still trying to beat destiny but this time in the future. 

Or another idea, Lumine has only seen the evil that’s depicted and hasn’t personally met any of the archons. We actually got to meet Venti and Zhongli so we obviously want to protect them from Lumine’s point of view, that might not be the same so she aligns with the abyss order that tries to control Dvalin. So her goal is to somehow defeat the archons and that could be why the Cyro archon is trying to collect them all in her war of peace. 

Honkai and quanta

It’s kinda funny but there’s no reliable wiki source for this sea of quanta like there is for genshin, or at least I couldn’t find anything. I think they might nod at certain things between the two but I think it’s totally fine to believe they might do some sort of crossover and take some inspiration. We have Mona who was able to read the stars and Scaramouche who said the sky was a giant hoax so I think time and being becoming new elements is very possible. But I don’t really know a lot about Honkai so I can’t really say too much about it haha. 

---

Yep no worries, it was fun talking about some more lore and if you have any more I’d love to hear them. Haha, honestly pop off I love getting long asks. As always, it’s nice seeing you again catty 💕💕

[chenziee]

hello, can i request lawlu and frobin from outsider pov? thank you

Thank you, anon, for giving me an excuse to write this xD I hope you don’t mind some absolutely ridiculous, silly first dates with non-consensual meet-the-family.

This fic is the continuation to my Lawlu fic [Good friends (don’t) kiss] that I have wanted to write since publishing the original fic. It is absolutely NOT necessary to read the prequel to understand this fic :)

Enjoy~

Boyfriends (do) kiss

The innkeeper sighed as he leaned against his broom, looking around the mess that his cozy little inn had become. And the day began so innocently; quiet and slow like any other day. But now there was a charred table and burn spots on the floor, several broken chairs, with cutlery and shattered plates scattered all over. And that was him being lucky. He had been kindly informed some places hit by a similar disaster ended up with broken walls or windows—or both.

It all started a few hours ago when a couple of pirates came in. It was nothing to fret about; once in a while those sea rats would dock at this island and have a meal, then they would run off. None of them tended to stay very long or cause any trouble because of the small navy base just outside town, and even if they did start something, they were usually dealt with quickly. This was no backwater island with no police or competent security, after all.

So, when the two pirates entered, the innkeep paid them almost no mind. That is, until one of his regulars who had been eating his lunch at the counter whispered, "Hey, aren't those two…" He let his sentence fade out, only gesturing frantically in the direction of the two young men, making the innkeep frown and finally take a good look.

They were sitting at a table pretty much at the centre of the room, as if uncaring if anyone noticed them. That alone was not exactly normal in a marine town where pirates tended to keep low and hide in dark corners. The louder, seemingly younger one of them was stuffing his face with gusto, even stealing all the bread off of the other's plate while laughing and teasing his companion, who ate at a much slower pace.

The other one wasn't laughing along, having a much calmer and quieter demeanor, but there was an undeniable, if small, smile on his face. There was also a really familiar, yellow Jolly Roger contrasting against the back of his long, black coat but the innkeeper couldn't for the life of him place it. Narrowing his eyes, he wrecked his brain for where he had seen it, and for just who these people were.

And then his eyes fell on the straw hat hanging on the younger one's neck and it clicked.

Fucking Straw Hat Luffy and Trafalgar Law were casually having lunch in his goddamned inn. He really hoped they weren't going to be planning some big raids while at it or he would have to call the marines. Which he absolutely didn't want to do; there was always so much paperwork involved.

Praying to all that was holy that it wouldn't come to that, the innkeeper observed their interactions, watching for any suspicious movements. After all, two of the Worst Generation captains starting a fight with each other would be just as bad as them planing coups or navy base raids, as well as it was the last thing this old building needed.

Thankfully, it seemed like they were getting along just fine. They were both smiling, speaking quietly with each other and… holding hands? Ah no, that was just Trafalgar handing over the salt. Good. That would be awkward. The touch did seem a little bit too long for a casual contact though.

Just then, the door to the inn opened and in came a couple, a man and woman. Or a giant robot and woman? The robot had his arm placed gently around the woman’s shoulder so it looked like they were together at least.

“Oh! Robin, Franky, are you here to eat, too?” Straw Hat called loudly, waving at the newcomers enthusiastically, and only then did the innkeeper make the connection—they were two members of Straw Hat’s crew, the ‘Iron Man’ Franky and the ‘Demon Child’ Nico Robin. The innkeeper really didn’t like where this seemed to be going.

“That’s right, Luffy,” the cyborg said, equally loud, when the couple reached their captain’s table. “How’s the food here?”

“It’s great! Their bread is amazing,” Straw Hat replied and the innkeep made a mental note to relay the compliment to both his cook and the the town’s baker.

Nico Robin chuckled. “Torao-kun looks like he doesn’t agree.”

Trafalgar made a disgusted face before he looked at her and spoke up, “No, I don’t. But this bottomless pit ate all of my bread anyway and the rest is pretty good.”

“Of course I ate the bread for you, you hate it,” Straw Hat stated matter of factly before he grinned and leaned towards the other captain to give him a long kiss on the cheek, a gesture that earned him an embarrassed click of the tongue from the other pirate.

Oh. Suddenly, the innkeep remembered the newspaper article from three days ago, the one which had claimed the two were dating and which he had discarded as ridiculous and promptly forgot about. Maybe it wasn’t so ridiculous after all.

“You two are super cute,” the cyborg announced, making Straw Hat laugh and Trafalgar roll his eyes.

“Wanna join us?” Straw Hat gestured to the two other, currently empty chairs at the table. “We could make it a double date,” he suggested then, glancing to his boyfriend who only shrugged in response, apparently not caring either way.

The other two, however, shook their heads, and Nico Robin spoke up, “It’s your first proper date. You should enjoy it, just the two of you.” She smiled warmly at the two of them before she glanced up at her own huge companion and placed her small hand over his large one which was still resting against her shoulder. “We’ll get another table and we can meet for deserts later?”

“Sounds good!” Straw Hat and the cyborg agreed, both grinning, while Trafalgar only nodded silently at her suggestion.

The innkeeper couldn’t decide whether he was glad the four of them weren’t going to be a concentrated in one place, smack in the centre of the room no less, or if he was annoyed he would now have to keep an eye on two tables with high bounty pirates.

He barely managed to take notice of where the mismatched couple of the Iron Man and the Demon Child—who looked more like an elegant, beautiful lady than either a demon or a child—when someone at the counter called him over. He wondered when this young man got there; he hadn’t noticed him coming in or sitting down. Maybe because he was so preoccupied by the cursed sea dogs.

“Thank you for waiting, sir. What would you like?” the innkeeper asked the man with blond, wavy hair and what looked like a burn scar over his eye. There was a black top hat with a pair of goggles around it lying in the counter next to him.

The man smiled, putting a ten thousand beri bill on the counter. “When Trafalgar Law asks for a drink, can you add this into it?” he asked, pulling out a small bottle.

The innkeeper blinked, staring at the bottle for a moment before slowly looking up to meet the stranger’s eyes. “Are you asking me to poison a man worth 500 million beri?”

“It won’t kill him.” An unhappy, maybe even angry expression appearing on his face before he continued, voice lowering dangerously, “It will just make him regret every decision he had ever made that led to him being here.”

The innkeeper scowled, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded the man. “There will be no poisonings in my inn, lethal or not. I don’t care what your issue with him is but settle it somewhere else.”

“Damn,” the blond cursed, pocketing both the bottle and the bill. “Guess I’ll have to light his face on fire after all. Thanks anyway.”

As soon as he was done speaking, he turned around in his chair to glare at the table where his apparent nemesis was now ruffling his boyfriend’s hair while Straw Hat giggled, trying to push his hand away. When he finally succeeded, he didn’t let go; instead, he laced their fingers together and mumbled something that made Trafalgar look away in obvious embarrassment.

Suddenly, something bright caught the innkeeper’s eyes and when he looked what it was, he gasped. “Sir, you’re on fire!” he cried in alarm.

The blond startled, looking at his hand as if he only just realized it was engulfed in angry, crackling flames. “Whoops. Sorry,” he simply apologized, shanking the hand until the flame died down to nothing. After a mere second, it was as if there was no fire at all. “Glad to know Ace is angry, too.”

“Sabo! What are you doing here?” Straw Hat cried a moment later, jumping up and basically bouncing in place, and the blond cursed at being spotted.

He waved at the pirate awkwardly. “Hey, Luffy. Just—” he paused, seemingly wrecking his brain for a plausible answer— “passing by.”

That was the worst excuse the innkeep had ever heard, and that was counting all the excuses men have ever given to their angry wives who came to pick them up after a night of drinking.

But Straw Hat grinned, nodding happily as if it made perfect sense. Trafalgar Law, on the other hand, eyed the man suspiciously. “Your brother probably came to check up on you, Straw Hat-ya. Since the papers wrote about us,” he said flatly, making the blond glare at him.

Wait. ‘Sabo.’ Straw Hat’s brother. The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army? That Sabo? This day was getting seriously ridiculous. What was next, a Celestial Dragon?

He barely managed to finish the thought when the entrance door burst open and in came two old men and a goat. The innkeeper couldn’t believe his eyes. They weren’t Celestial Dragons but at this point they might as well be. The goddamn Hero of the Marines Garp and former Fleet Admiral Sengoku had just walked into his inn and he felt like he might faint. Between four infamous pirates, number two of the revolutionary army, and two legendary marines, it would be a miracle if his inn was still standing by the end of the day.

“Luffy!” Garp roared, stomping forward.

Straw Hat flinched in response, immediately raising his arms in a attempt to block the fist that was coming at his head from above. “Gramps! What are you doing here?”

“Dating a pirate? You brat, you’re a hundred years early to pull something like this!” Garp growled, hitting Straw Hat once more.

“Ouch! Why does it hurt even when I use haki?” Straw Hat whined after taking a step back at the impact, his chair clattering to the floor. “And what do you care who I’m dating?” He went to punch back.

Garp side stepped him, grabbing his arm and stopping it from hitting some of the innocent customers who were scurrying to get out of the inn. “Because it’s a fist of love,” Garp said, as if that explained anything.

The innkeeper really wanted run away like his customers did but he was frozen in place, watching the scuffle happening. This was honestly the most bizzare pirate versus marine fight he had ever witnessed, possibly the most bizzare one anyone had ever witnessed. Neither was trying to beat the other, there was no attempt at capture or escape—if you didn’t count Trafalgar quickly backing away from the screaming duo in the direction of cyborg Franky and Nico Robin, who both looked entirely too entertained. At least Trafalgar’s face said he was about as happy about the turn of events as the innkeeper himself was.

A second later, in a flurry of flames, the revolutionary at the counter jumped forward, standing in between Straw Hat and Garp. “Gramps, wait. You should be beating up him,” he said sharply, pointing at Trafalgar, who was by then lounging in the chair next to Nico Robin, coffee cup he was offered by the woman in hand.

“Leave me out of this,” he called back, raising his free hand in a vaguely threatening motion, the air swirling around under his palm with in devil fruit power.

“Yes, leave him out of this!” Straw Hat snapped, throwing a punch at Sabo instead.

The bartender watched in horror as the punch went through the blond, spitting flames all around and setting a table on fire. At least the man quickly put out the flames but the damage was done and the table charred black.

Garp’s attention turned to the revolutionary then, his hand landing on his shoulder and squeezing until Sabo hissed in pain. “Hello, Mr Revolutionary. Do you care to explain?”

“Why are you so angry, we told you we didn’t want to be marines right from the start!”

“Baa!” The innkeeper’s gaze followed after the sudden sound, dropping from the scene of disaster to his knees where Fleet Admiral Sengoku’s goat was gently chewing on the wash cloth he had hanging from his belt. At least someone in here looked like they couldn’t care less about whatever it was that was happening around them. The innkeeper let go of a long, deep sigh, and stroked the goat’s head.

“Thank you,” he said to the goat earnestly, to which the animal only blinked and continued chewing.

Raising his eyes to look for the goat’s owner, he found the man slowly approaching the remaining three outlaws, dropping in the last available chair at their table—after turning it around to get a better view of the fight at the centre of the room. The three visibly tensed up at their new company, but Sengoku only looked at them blanky before raising the packet in his hand.

“Want a rice cake?”

The pirates stared at him, the cyborg moving forward a little to shield Nico Robin from the old marine.

Sengoku, however, only crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, looking as uncaring as could be. “Relax. I’m retired. I have no obligation to keep up with any new wanted posters so I have no idea who you people are. I’m just here to enjoy the show.”

It was a transparent lie, there was no way the man didn’t know he was sitting at the table with a former Shichibukai and a woman who had been hunted by the world government for twenty-something years, and the innkeeper couldn’t help but stare at the scene before him with an open mouth. Was this seriously, seriously happening? In his inn?

When it became apparent that Sengoku wasn’t a threat to them right then, the strange couple and Trafalgar slowly relaxed and the marine smiled, gesturing with his packet again. Finally, Trafalgar reached forward, grabbing a rice cake and tentatively taking a bite.

Soon, he was followed by Nico Robin who pulled out two, handing one of them to Franky who thanked her with a quick kiss before he took it from her hand. For a moment all four of them simply munched on their rice cakes in silence, watching while Straw Hat, Sabo, and Garp bickered and wrecked the whole goddamn inn while at it.

The entire thing was so ridiculous, so completely absurd, that the innkeeper wanted to cry.

It took them almost an hour after that to finally file out of the inn, leaving behind only absolute mess and destruction. At least Sengoku had assured the innkeeper in passing that the Navy would pay for the damages while he had ordered a tea.

He really hoped the marines wouldn’t complain about it since he would be forced to bill them eight people worth of food on top of all this, as the four pirates didn’t even pay for their own food or drinks.

Pirates, he thought to himself, finally tossing his broom aside and opening a bottle of rum instead.

[piracytheorist]

A Kiss for Good Luck (11/16)

Summary: So this is the story of one born lucky, and one born unlucky. Fate will keep making them cross paths, but is it to bring them together, or to test them? Captain Swan AU.

A/N: I wrote a short epilogue for the end, so chapter count and total word count has gone up again! XD

Rating: T (make sure you’re okay with the warnings on AO3)

Word count for this chapter: 3.7k (51k in total) AO3

Read from the beginning: Tumblr | AO3

~

Chapter 11: Emma Swan and Killian Jones, May 19th – May 25th 2016

When they pull apart, the strap on Killian's bag breaks and he hustles to keep it from dropping to the floor. Emma quickly finds an empty luggage cart that looks forgotten and brings it to him.

“It's not that heavy,” he says. “But thank you.”

As they start rolling it towards the exit Emma says, “You got my message?”

“Aye. Everything all right?”

“My car broke down. We'll need to take the subway-”

“Emma?”

They both turn at the sound. Emma's face breaks into a slight smile as she recognizes Jefferson and his daughter Grace, two neighbors from her block. They had gone on a weekend trip and offer Emma and Killian a ride home.

“That was lucky,” Killian comments to her as they get in the car.

Emma takes the week off work; she meant it when she said she wants things to go slow, but there's so many actual things she wants to do with Killian.

As in, spend her time on.

Killian is still reserved; the broken bag strap and the feeling of jet lag as soon as he steps into Emma's apartment are not signs he considers good.

Maybe that will help more in encouraging him to go slow. He needs that time, but it's still not the easiest thing.

Conversation flows as naturally as it did in their video calls. When they finally decide to call it a night at three in the morning, Killian jokes about how they're finally getting sleepy at the same time.

Emma offers to take the couch and let him sleep in her bed, but Killian isn't having it.

He doesn't tell her he has the bad feeling he'll break it the first time he sits on it.

Emma takes him for late breakfast at her favourite coffee shop – the one she met Ruby at, in fact – and they eat in comfortable silence. It's not easy for either of them to admit that the previous night they spent about an hour each, lying in their respective beds and looking at the door separating them, with a little voice in their heads telling them to go knock on it.

They exit the coffee shop and Killian notices how Emma, at first on his left side, swaps so she can walk on his right side. Following her, he looks more at her relaxed hand on her side than on the road – she's the one who knows the city, either way. He's so surprised when she reaches to take his hand in hers that he doesn't wrap his fingers around hers until she looks at him and smiles.

Emma nearly teasingly asks him why he thought she swapped sides.

That night, Emma lies in her bed, still feeling guilty she didn't insist that Killian should be sleeping there, and still looking at the door separating them, as if it would give her the courage to go to him. Would he be asleep already? Would he even be jet-lagged?

Feeling alert, she jumps up when she hears soft noises from the other side. She runs to the door and puts her ear on it; the sound of the tap being turned on, then off, then a glass being put down.

She pulls away, quickly runs her fingers through her hair, and opens the door.

Killian looks at her, almost guiltily. “I... got thirsty,” he says. “Did I wake you up?”

“With the running water? Hardly. It's just... you know, we were doing things all day and I still feel a little restless.”

He rubs his forehead. “I was rolling around until I decided to come get some water. I don't think I'll be sleeping early tonight.”

If only there was another reason for that.

“Water won't get you through the night. You need something stronger.”

He swallows hard. “Swan.”

“I'm just talking about hot chocolate,” she says casually, hoping her panic didn't show. Not that she didn't have the instinctual thought to add some rum to it; she'll have to settle for cinnamon, and get used to it for now. “Cinnamon?”

Killian can't lie, he feels a little nervous. One ought to, he thinks, when being welcomed as a guest somewhere. But Emma didn't intend to make a joke about his rehab, nor did she try to get him to drink, though she had the perfect opportunity to.

Since he lost his hand, he's found himself wearing his prosthetic hook over it more and more, only exposing his arm in the presence of his family or when he had to for check-ups and security reasons. It feels special that he's sitting on Emma's couch now, with his stump out in the open, casually watching her as she moves around her kitchen preparing their chocolates.

She hasn't even commented on it. She saw it at some point during their video calls, but didn't react nor ask anything about it.

“I put less sugar in yours,” she says as she gives him the cup, “for your 'bitter' tooth.”

He smirks at her.

“But if you change your mind...” she points at a bag of marshmallows over on the kitchen counter, then sits next to him.

It's warm enough for a t-shirt and shorts, but the warmth from the cup feels comfortable, cozy. Homey.

“Would you mind, if I shared something?” he says.

She shakes her head, a soft smile on her face.

“I never told you about this.” He raises his left arm. “How come you never asked?”

“It's your business. If you wanted to talk about it... I mean, I'm here, if you want now.”

“I lost it nearly five years ago. It was-” A lump forms in his throat, and he looks down. Bloody damn, it still hurts.

“It's okay. Don't pressure yourself.”

“You remember I told you I went through a dark phase? Losing my hand was the start. And it's... connected to so many negative thoughts that I wanted hidden and tucked away. I rarely let people see it, even with- with that woman I was with, I never took the brace off fully.”

And he lets Emma see it. She breathes out slowly.

“So I just... wanted to thank you for your discretion. It means a lot to me, to be myself without having to worry about someone's nosy looks.”

“I know nosiness. I think sometimes we carry our pain on our faces too, and that can attract a similar, kind of way, nosiness.”

He finally looks at her.

“Prison teaches you a few things,” she admits.

“I've got to give it to you,” he says. “I don't know where I'd be now if I had gone in jail for that time for breaking and entering.” He purses his lips. “I'd probably still be in there. But you...” He points around her flat; he didn't know bail bonds agents make that much money, and she still gets to travel to Europe at least once every year.

“I started with a yellow Bug, don't forget,” she points out. “After a few too close hits, you just start going with what you have, you know?”

He does, very well so.

They finish their chocolates, and Emma takes his cup to put it on the coffee table with hers; she then sits back on the couch, and they just look at each other in the soft light from across the kitchen.

They don't take their eyes off each other when Emma wraps her fingers around his. She moves forward and captures his lips in hers, and he sighs at the way the chocolate tastes from her; it's the sweetest flavour and he can't complain. Besides, it's not just his lips that respond to that taste.

He turns a bit to the side, disguising his effort to hide his excitement as a way to wrap his other arm around her middle.

Emma holds his face, breathing hard into his mouth when their lips pull apart. She's damn near to push him back and climb astride him. His hand is on the small of her back and moves, dragging her shirt up a bit and she sighs at the touch of his fingers on her skin.

They pull away together, though still keeping close. Her hands go to wrap around his neck now, and he lowers his hand again, now resting on the fabric over her hips.

“Not ready yet,” she whispers.

He leaves one small kiss on the corner of her lips. A consolation, a tease, or a thank-you? She moves a bit, opening her eyes to look at him.

Holy hell, the way he just looks at her.

Look, look, look. She's too emotional and horny to remember why there's something haunting about that word.

She kisses him again, short but soft, then she moves again, settling her head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around her, hand resting on her shoulder, left arm resting on his lap.

She moves her hand slowly, giving him time, allowing him to see; he doesn't stop, doesn't move. Her hand rests over his blunted wrist, and she can feel him exhale deep. He leaves a soft kiss on her hair, and she has to close her eyes to stop the tears before they fall.

Maybe it's just her idea that something warm and wet seems to land on the crown of her head.

Killian shakes her awake about two hours later.

“Hey, love,” he tells her, and she straightens up lazily. “I think we might need to lie a bit more comfortably.”

He nearly shivers in his sleepiness; did he say too much?

“I think I hear your bed calling for you,” he says teasingly. There. That should do.

“Hmm,” she mumbles and presses her forehead on his shoulder, softly patting his other shoulder with her hand. “Goodnight,” she says. She stands up, grunting softly, then gives him one last look before she walks through her door, leaving it ajar.

Suddenly feeling sleepy but not sore from sleeping seated up with Emma's head on his shoulder, he lies down on the couch and looks at his left arm.

The way she touched it, held it... bloody hell, he'll start crying again. It was all he didn't know he needed. He wasn't sure what to expect in his days here, but he certainly didn't expect to feel that wonderful, so carefree, so loving and loved.

He loves her, and he's certain he feels her love. All from a simple touch, and not the one his body asked for, but the one Emma's soul offered.

Her soul. Her beautiful, wounded, caring soul.

Once again, he feels the spark of hope in his heart, the one that makes him want to put himself together again, to make himself worthy of such devotion.

He can only wish Emma already sees herself worthy of the same.

The days go by, quick but fulfilling. They still sleep in separate beds but they don't shy away from kisses. The feeling of that night carries over when they cuddle on the couch to watch each other's favourite films; Killian's right arm wraps around Emma's shoulders, and her hand reaches over to hold his left wrist.

They talk mostly about everything, allowing almost every thought out in the open, even about how they plan to continue. Maybe Emma will visit him in the summer, midway through her trip to Norway and/or back.

And, Killian thinks.

Maybe they can organize a vacation together.

“It's a shame there's really no middle for us to meet. Except Iceland, I guess,” Emma jokes.

There's one thing no-one comments on, even though it's the first time it happens for them both; usually, it was either stepping on poop or finding money on the street for, well, years at a time. It's the first time in their lives that both things may happen in the same day.

It's Killian's last morning in town; tonight he'll have to board a plane and hope his life won't fall apart again. Maybe third time's the charm.

They're walking down along a beach when they see a very young couple, probably teenagers even, run hand in hand to dive into the water, giggling as they do so. Killian turns to Emma and asks,

“I've been curious.”

“Hmm?”

“When was your first kiss?”

Emma huffs. First kiss in what way? “It's, uh... I guess you could say when I was eleven years old. It was in a game of spin the bottle, though I never got that boy's name.”

“That's a very specific memory.”

“Well, the whole thing kinda stuck with me. That was the luckiest day of my life.”

“How so?”

She smiles softly. “Ingrid adopted me.”

After a short pause, Killian says, “Spin the bottle, you said?” Then he stops walking. “When you were eleven?”

Emma turns to him, oblivious to his racing mind. “Yeah. Why?”

He's sure he must be looking at her like an idiot.

He is.

“Where were you living then?”

“Uh, still here. I was already living with Ingrid-”

“Emma, my first kiss was in a game of spin the bottle. In the summer of 1995, I was in Boston, I visited a friend's birthday party... and I kissed a blonde girl whom I never talked to.”

Emma's eyes widen. She shakes her head, but amusement bubbles in her, especially seeing Killian's face light up as well. “No way.”

Killian just huffs a laugh.

“You were my first kiss?!” Emma says, unable to contain her smile. “Oh my God! What were the chances?”

“Of all people!”

Emma shakes her head again and continues walking. “It would be crazy, but, since you lived in London first, you wouldn't happen to have been dressed as a pirate on Halloween of 2000, would you?”

For one single second, Killian is glad for all the difficult years that led to him being able to construct a cool, indifferent exterior.  For half that second, it hits him how that was the day he considered his luckiest, when he got out of Silver's house and was moved to Nemo's... and it wasn't much later than that that Emma started getting into trouble, as she told him once.

He just shrugs. “No. Not much of a Halloween fan,” he says, struggling to keep his voice normal. He mentally screams at himself as Emma's brows furrow. What kind of an answer was that?! he thinks.

Could it really be?

“You'd wish you were that pirate boy,” Emma says in a teasing tone. “He was so shy but just the way he looked at me has stayed with me.”

“What were you dressed as?” he asks.

She flinches a bit, still awkward at the memory, but smiling. “A zombie princess.”

Fuck.

This time, not even the sight of the sea can calm his racing thoughts.

After the first time they met, Emma got adopted and Killian went through the worst time of his life. After the second, it was Killian's life who started going for the better while Emma struggled.

And then... then after they met in the concert, things were already bad for him, and probably good for her, and it switched. Immediately after they met, he thinks, as he remembers Emma's still cracked phone screen.

Emma notices how lost in thought he is, and maybe it wasn't as good an idea as she thought, to confess so much.

“Was that weird?” she says, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“What?”

“That we kissed when we were little.”

Killian wants to slap himself; her nearly worried face is little punishment for him right now. “No, no, no. I just...” The alternative thought that is also truth comes at him at the right moment. “I just thought that, today we will have one last kiss. For a little while, at least.”

Emma relaxes. “It doesn't have to be too long,” she says. “We can meet often and take it slow at the same time.”

Emma smiles, and Killian uses it as an excuse to keep her walking and her eyes hopefully away from his face. Words cannot describe how much he wants to both stop taking things slow and stop things entirely.

If it is true, if they've somehow been doing this to each other... he can't keep taking good things away from her.

And he's terrified to think that if she knows, she'll think the same.

He focuses on Emma and on making sure she doesn't get suspicious. He can act happy for a few more hours and pretend it's just that he'll miss her that gets him down, and not that he fears he'll have to stay away from her for good.

Despite his efforts, Emma notices his distress, but is none the wiser about the reasons. Is it because he felt weird about their first – very first – kiss, because he doesn't want to leave, or because he can't wait to?

She knows he's hiding something, and though she feels she knows him better than she'd know anyone else after just their few months of knowing each other, she can't read his mind.

Despite how much he can't seem to stop talking.

Killian tries to distract his thoughts by talking, and talking, and talking. It's halfway into the evening that he thinks it's as if he's compensating for later, for when he won't be able to tell her anything... because he'll have to cut himself out of her life.

On their ride to the airport, he allows the small heartbreak at the thought that he has to leave her. Emma is focused on the road and he looks outside his window. Used to the cars back home, he's thrown off at how he can't hold her hand when she's the one driving.

Emma keeps her eyes on the road, hands gripping hard on the wheel. Occasionally she throws glances at Killian, wishing the wheel was on the other side so they could hold hands.

Her worries disappear when they arrive one hour before his flight and he stays with her, talks to her and holds her until she has to practically push him to the airport checkpoint fifteen minutes before his gate opens.

“It's a big airport,” she tells him.

“But you know it well, and you said my gate is very close.” He gives her that smile again that makes her melt.

“It's your flight to miss.” She leans towards him. “I wouldn't mind having you stay longer.”

He lets out a short laugh and kisses her, and she can't help feeling a deep longing in his kiss; with his departure so soon, it doesn't feel out of place, and she reciprocates, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I'll miss you,” he says.

“Call me when you arrive,” Emma says. “No matter the time, I will have WiFi on.”

She smiles, but she sees the reserved one he gives her back. He gives her one last, short kiss, then he turns for the surprisingly empty queue for the checkpoint.

His back at her, he finally crumbles and allows himself to think. He started out lucky, she unlucky. It swapped when they met at that birthday party when they were eleven, then at that Halloween party when they were seventeen.

Then... when was it? When did they meet again?

It must have been in New York City, before Milah was killed. Was Emma there? She told him once how she was very lucky to get the job she has now and to reunite with her adoptive mother only four years ago. Those same years that he spent mourning Milah and despairing over Gold not paying for his crime.

Then it was when they met at the concert. And all these days... they've been both lucky and unlucky.  It's like with them being together, their luck didn't know which one to choose to bless.

Every time they met, their luck swapped. And especially for him, that meant that someone he loved died. He was lucky this time, between the concert and coming here, so it's no doubt that when he goes back, he'll be unlucky once again.

And Nemo...

Killian drops his head. Is this a punishment for allowing himself to fall in love again? But it's been a cycle of change since... since they were born? They were born very close to each other, weren't they?

As slow as he took his steps, there was no queue in front of him and he's crossed the belt barrier corridor in seconds. He picks up a basket for his backpack and notices a twenty dollar bill lying in the basket underneath.

Killian looks at the security guard in front of him. He just shrugs at him, smiling slightly.

“Find a penny...” the guard says.

Killian's gaze freezes at the bill.

No. He wasn't supposed to be lucky this time.

How does it work? If it's not just them meeting, or travelling to each other's countries, then what determines where the luck will go?

He looks back at Emma, who's still standing where he left her. She appears confused, then she makes a 'what' gesture with her hand.

“Are you alright, sir?”

He turns to look at the guard, who's now looking at him worried.

Of course he'd be worried, instead of annoyed at him, as well as the people behind him in the queue.

He's lucky, after a meeting with Emma. How-

He's ducking under the belt barrier before his thought is even complete.

It was not just them meeting.

It was the one thing they shared every time – a kiss.

How could he forget? The thing that has haunted him since Milah died – that before she did, the last person he'd kissed was a stranger who had been just as drunk as him. Drunk enough to not remember him, and not recognize him when she met him again.

Emma.

Emma is still confused when he reaches her, but he immediately leans down to leave one single long kiss on her lips.

“Just this last one,” he says.

“For now,” Emma says softly.

Killian just nods, then turns away before he's tempted to say 'For good luck'. The less she knows about it, the better.

He doesn't turn around to look at her this time, certain that she'll see the despair on his face if he does.

[benmcm18]

Group 7 Independent Project!

Pre Production -

This is the second time I’m working with Group 7. It is truly an honour to be surrounded by such talented people. We have learnt from last time and we thought it would be interesting to switch up the roles. Here was what we ended up with:

Director - Jack

Cinematographer - Bonnie

Producer - Heather

Production Design - Ben

Editor - Heather

Writer - Tom

Here were also the tasks we sorted ourselves:

Write a 1-page proposal (synopsis and directors statement) - JACK (13th May)

Make the movie - Jack

Make a plan and a schedule for your work - Heather

Create a mood board (Each character) - Ben

Create a sonic world for the film (no dialogue / no voice-over) - Heather and Ben

Cut together a series of still images or sequences of footage to create a 2min film - Heather

Record some sound effects using objects you have in your room/ house - you can record on your phone. - Heather and Ben

Source and use sound effects and Atmos sound on Freesound. - Tom

Make a storyboard + animatic - Bonnie

Source footage - eg shoot, take stills, source stills, or work with stock footage from Film Supply to envision your idea - Bonnie

Shot list - Bonnie

Scriptwriting and development - Tom

Present it at the crit - receive feedback - Everyone

Write a short critical reflection on your blog. - Everyone

Songs - Everyone

As Production designer I had to create a mood board. We had discussed in meetings what aesthetic we wanted to go for and I believe we ended up with a mixture between films like “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Fight Club”. Either way, these were two of the films I took inspiration from when working on the mood board of the film.

Additionally, I had to think of the costume for both actors. For the man I chose to instead of having major differences in the two separate costumes to instead change them subtly to give a feeling he is still grounded in reality. So that means I added the glasses, changed the tie and gave him a watch to switch up how he looked. The Imagination costume is inspired from Ewan MacGregor’s character in “Big Fish'' we wanted to give him a full blue costume originally but I realised fairly soon that that wasn’t going to happen. So I adapted and decided to use his ties as a means of stating which reality he was in. When he is in the “dream world” he has a very colourful yellow tie but when he returns to his office I believe we went with a black/red tie.

For the woman, I chose to give her a very colourful look. This was purely so she could match the imagination around her. I discussed with Bonnie about possibly putting flowers in her hair but for some reason we couldn’t find anything. In regards to the rest of her costume I gave her shades so that there would be a physical separation between the two. If he can’t make eye contact with her how is he supposed to connect.

Overall, I’m very happy with the costumes and for a first attempt I’m actually quite proud.

Finally, set design. I had recently worked on a project called “Pied” where I had to create a whole set for my actors. That was pretty much my crash course for this independent project. Using the knowledge I can gain from creating that set I tried implementing it into the office workspace and the picnic arrangement. I’m happy with it but it will honestly be down to you to decide if I did a good job. If I could mention any little “fun facts” about what I did here would be a few:

I used a ping-pong table as the walls splitting the workspace

I tried spreading the food along the picnic like a wall that separated the two of them.

There is a jar of pickles in one of the shots. I don’t know who would bring a jar of pickles to a picnic but I thought it would be funny

On the back wall of the office there is a bunch of hidden Easter eggs *HOWEVER* David’s massive head covers them up!

In regards to how the other team members did. We developed the script ideas until we landed on this one. Jack had a great idea about filming some really nice shots of food. We were actually quite a big fan of this idea. I just thought Heather’s idea would allow us to experiment more.

Tom then wrote a (very) detailed script in collaboration with Heather, Bonnie drew a genuinely fantastic storyboard (she is too hard on herself haha) and Jack prepared for the shoot. One issue that presented itself fairly soon was the fact we had two actors on set. However, our Producer (Heather) handled it like a pro and we managed to get the all clear. Overall, a very hardworking start with the promise of Bonnie doing a short animation for the storyboard. (I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing it)

Production -

The shoot day was very fun. We all arrived at 11:30am and we made our way over to the location. Originally, we had planned to film on top of a hill however, things quickly changed and Jack said there was a fantastic path to film on. I was fairly set on the hill idea (As I had imagined the scene being somewhat similar to the UP opening montage) but he said it was a better location and I trust him.

So this is where it got a bit funky. It turns out the location had been converted into a dirt road since the last time Jack had been there. This was a bit demoralising as we had carried a lot of props out but luckily we had seen a location closer to the beach that could possibly work and the rest was history. That very location near the beach ended up where we would film.

With Jack directing and myself on camera we began to make our way through the storyboard Bonnie had devised. I have to be honest there were parts where we deviated from what was on the storyboard: For example, there is a section where he falls over however it didn’t look natural so we thought of another way to film it. This was where I got a bit carried away with VFX. In the long run I’m pretty sure everyone is happy with it but I wasn’t too sure at the time.

Jack did well as a director, he worked well with David and Kady especially when it came to movements of the actors. There isn’t any dialogue in the scenes so it's mainly physical language instead of verbal. My only advice for Jack would be to do a bit more research on the project before going onto the shoot because there were parts of the shoot where actors would ask questions about their character and I wasn’t confident he knew the answer.

In regards to me, I find it very hard to create something someone else envisions because I’m used to directing and filming projects on my own. I definitely think I improved on this project and having the storyboard and detailed script was a big help. I also felt I should have been more prepared as it didn’t look very good in front of the actors with me fiddling around with the camera because I had set it up in the wrong position.

Overall, I think it was a very fun shoot and it went pretty smoothly. You're going to hit speed bumps on the way but I believe Jack and I handled them well.

Oh also, forgot to mention that I had to also record sound and label all the audio and footage for Heather (why do I almost call you Clair XD) It didn’t take as long as I expected and was actually somewhat therapeutic if you can believe haha.

Post-Production -

The post production process has been going well. We have plenty of time until the deadline and we have already got a very solid draft edit so I’m not worried. I just kind of want to get it finished.

First and foremost, Heather has been doing a fantastic job editing the video. She works efficiently, takes feedback on board and seems to me to have a very solid feel on the fundamentals of editing. Looking at the edit now, there are definite issues but nothing that can’t be solved in 10 minutes. It’s clean, fluid and most of all enjoyable to watch. I’m worried without a synopsis people might not get it but I guess you could see it as “up for interpretation” haha!

Before I talk about my role in the Post-Production process, I just want to mention who else is working on the edit as well. Bonnie is planning on adding some very small animations to the edit to give it that feeling of “not-reality” I think this is crucial because without the animation in the shots. When the man defies the laws of physics it will seem really strange. I believe Tom is doing sound, I’ve supplied them with plenty of audio from on set and am free at anytime to get more for them so it will just be down to when it is completed, I have faith that Tom will create something really special with the Sound design as he will probably blend the sound of the surrounding nature with cold office sounds. I’m excited.

Now onto the part I play. I offered to do the VFX for the film and I’m very happy with them. It’s nothing incredibly tedious to create. It’s very basic motion tracking and keyframing but I think using it in small doses works well and with it accompanied by the animation and sound it will take the film to new levels of quality.

I’m just going to talk about the final VFX shot as it was the most challenging (but fun) part to work on. First, I had to figure out how I was going to get the image of Kady onto the wall without printing her because I realised I would be able to match up the shots if I had just zoomed out from an actual image. So I went for a bit of green paper. I motioned tracked it through After Effects and then played with the colour so it matched the scene. I then added an artificial zoom in Premiere and I got the final result. Now, it is not perfect in any means. I wasn’t able to track back any further than I did so the image in the paper actually moves but with the help of Heather and the use of changing aspect ratios I think it really works. I guess we will have to see how people respond.

So that is about everything on the project. I will be back to reflect next month on the finished project. Hopefully it turns out okay. Hopefully, it doesn’t turn into a train wreck. I’m sure it won’t :)

[hunterguyveriv]

Hidden Beauty

Here is my submission for Days 1(First Sunrise/Set) & 2(Late Night Adventure) of Kacxa Week I had this plan to do quick ficlets for these 2 days but no matter what I did they merged into one and Kind of ties in with “The Promise.”

This post would have been up sooner, but I kind of pepper sprayed myself. Harvested hot pepper seeds from plants I grew earlier and apparently I didn’t wash the oils off well enough xD xD xD 

Anyway, here is my submission for days 1 & 2 titled Hidden Beauty

"Let me take you somewhere in which you will feel young and take your mind away from all this..."

It was nighttime on Verolgah-VI. The two planetoid moons did their annual dance across the evening sky as shooting stars streaked the upper atmosphere. The devastated planet's temperature was chilly, but nothing like what most of the Paladins were used to, save for one.

He looked to the lions with 3 out of the 5 charged up, Red was in the final stages of charging up. He let out a sigh; some things were going to plans, but he had to remain on edge as the leader. Shit tends to hit the fan when one least expected it, and with friends still about 2 maybe 3 more days away, anything could go wrong.

Since they first landed on, well, more or less crashed when the lions collapsed from low energy, the Paladins all slept in the cave with Acxa. But tonight was different; it was cold enough to drive them to the lions that were charged. Hunk, Lance, Shiro, and Coran were sleeping in the Yellow Lion. Allura, Pidge, and Romelle were sleeping in Green, with Blue-Powered down to preserve power. Krolia and Keith's wolf were snuggled up in Black, which was somewhat comfier than the ground from the Star-whale, but nothing close to temperature.

Keith only grabbed his red & white jacket from Black's storage locker, from when he grabbed what little belongings he left on the Castle when he took a sabbatical from the Voltron-Force. Krolia was ready to get some sleep when she asked if he would turn in. His response was he had too much on his mind and was going for a walk. When his mother saw Acxa walk out of the cave, she gave him her sly "mother knows all" smirk and responded with "you kids don't stay out too late" before turning and taking his wolf with her.

Blushing and stammering at her, he turned to see Acxa wearing something similar to an Earth styled tank top in the moons' light, which her blue skin radiant. When he got within range of her, she gestured her head to follow her. He threw his jacket on which even over his Paladin Armor slightly loose. He put his belt with his Marmoran blade on and started walking with her. She took him to her favorite spot in silence. It had been three long years since she saw him last and even though she had so much to tell him, opening up was something relatively new for her. Even taking him to a spot she had grown to love in her mind was a huge gamble, that she was surprised she was doing.

It was one of the most stunning sights next to her that he had ever seen. It was a massive valley with a small creek like waterfall leading into a small shallow lake. Further behind were some of the most gorgeous mountain ranges he had ever seen with millions of stars. Even the nearby Argola nebula was just barely seen. Its blues, greens, purples, & reds intensified by the planet's atmosphere. His mouth agape, Acxa finally broke her silence. "I found this place about a year and a half after I was left here by the coalition."

Keith walked forward, taking in the beauty of the water, reflecting the moons and stars. The water droplets flying into the air reminded him of fireflies he used to catch with his father when he was a small boy, "It's beautiful." She walked up to match his location, slowly wrapping her arm around his. She sensed him tensing a little and then relax, but she knew he was much like her. Both introverted warriors, just starting to let their feelings show on the surface. "In the morning this spot reminds me of my homeworld, before it was officially... 'indoctrinated' into the Empire."

He looked to her, seeing a sorrowful look on her face. "Tell me about it?" She looked at him softly, smiling, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. She started to sit down, but he stopped her taking his jacket off, laying it on the ground gesturing for them to sit on it. She slowly sat down on his coat. She looked at him. "Won't you get cold?" He shook his head, "Nah, I grew up in the desert for the most part. I am used to brutally hot and brutally cold temps."

Acxa nodded and looked up to the stars and looked back at him. "From what I remember, it wasn't like this planet. For the better part of a deca-phoeb the planet was a relatively fridgid planet, but it was no barren froze wasteland. My mother's people were born in a region in which it was neither barely above freezing or frozen. The closer you got to the planet's polar region the darker blue their skin got, towards the equatorial sections they were either a lignt blue almost white color almost like that little girl & those two Alteans. But regardless of our skintone we all loved Aaenergola..."

Keith continued to listen to the Acxa tell him of her homeworld. The architecture, the lore, some of the history, the customs, and so much more emphatically. But when it came to the story of the Empire coming to her world, her demeanor and tone changed. Her planet had fought the best it could but ultimately was indoctrinated into the Empire.

She revealed her father was a doctor and her mother a Galra Lieutenant who he had saved from dying. Both harbored no ill will towards the other's race. When she was born, both parents wanted her yo have a decent education despite being a half-blood. But it wasn't until she got to her parents' death when she was 9 that she became bitter. When Aaenergolan Terrorists executed her parents for helping Galran citizens while Aaenergolans were starving. She trailed off as she remembered coming out of her hiding place. Finding her father brutally murdered, protecting the area she was hiding.

Keith, for the first time, saw tears streaking down her face and her lip trembling. He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to scoot closer to him. He had asked if she wanted to stop, and she nodded her head, wiping some of her tears away, asking about his homeworld.

As she did to him, he told her of Earth and his life on the distant planet they were trying to get back to. Of the blue skies and oceans, everything that made the planet one of the most beautiful he has ever lived on. Growing up with just a father before he died fighting a fire. His life before his adopted brother Shiro came into it.

Keith told her it wasn't until he was on a Blade mission did he learn who his mother was and later on in the Quantum Abyss, the reasons why he grew up without her in his life. Just hearing his voice caused her to relax and snuggle up to him. He felt her wrap an arm around his waist, prompting him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. When he stopped talking about Earth, she was fast asleep, snoring softly on his shoulder. Not long after, he fell asleep after repositioning, so her head was on his chest armor.

Many Vargas later, Acxa sat right up as one of the suns started to rise. She was expecting to be alone, which typically happened when she let her guard down, showing a side people typically never see. But was relieved seeing Keith still sleeping next to her. She pulled her legs to her chest and started watching the suns rise.

He started to stir, feeling the warmth on his face. When he woke up, he saw Acxa sitting up, his jacket draped over her shoulders. He slowly sat up and beheld one of the most stunning sights as the twin suns started to dance across the sky. The water, especially the waterfall, looked like it was molten lava. Like the sky, the vegetation itself looked like it was ablaze, swaying in the wind with colors of reds, blues, greens, and purples.

Both half breeds talked a little while enjoying the beauty of the sunset heads perched against each other. When the bottom of the second sun was just barely over the distant mountains, they decided it was time to head back to the group. But before leaving, he took one last look at their surroundings and turned to her.

She had a nervous look on her face, "About last night..." He had a delicate look on his face and softly smiled, "I want to thank you for last night. You bringing me to this beautiful place was as if you were opening your true self to me." She closed her mouth, being a little surprised at being thanked; she started to blush purple. "It takes great courage and trust to open up to someone, and I hope I am worthy of both."

Almost 2 hours later: The group was starting to freak out that Keith was nowhere to be found, nor was Acxa. Most of the group was searching the compound, while others were searching the immediate area. Some were worried that the pirates took them, one worried that their host handed him over to the pirates, while another knew all too well where they were. She refused to answer anyone's questions about why she wasn't worried. But Coran soon put two and two together, once being a parent himself.

When the group regrouped, it wasn't until his wolf snapped his head up, ears perked that everyone put their attention elsewhere. With their leader and hostess missing, The Paladins drew their bayards ready for anything. If it were an ambush like last time, they'd be prepared to fight.

Two figures were walking towards them with the suns at their backs, nearly blinding everyone. When the wolf bolted and teleported, everyone got on edge, waiting for the inevitable attack. But it never came. Instead, they could barely make out one figure stopping greeting the wolf and the three of them walking back.

As they got close, enough everyone realized that it was Keith with Acxa wearing his jacket. But what really caught their attention was that they were both holding hands and that their demeanor was different. It was no longer of two socially awkward Galrans who tried hiding there was something there to clearly having broken the ice with each other.

[flamingo-writes]

Hi! May I request a law one shot please?? Reader is luffy's sister (like Ace and Sabo) and is alot like Luffy, law finds her just as wild as the straw hat crew and in a way cute and that's what makes him both worried and confused. Time passes he falls more and more for her and gets nervous about it so he goes to Robin and nami for advice and they turn into some entertainment, ending with a cute ending with reader saying she like likes him too, leaving him shocked and with a kiss ( ꈍᴗꈍ) Thank u!

A/N: jffcsfjcns this was too cute. Although, playing the whole Law asking for advice was a bit hard, I managed to keep it in character XD I hope you like it!! 

Wordcount: 1.4 K

Warnings: cursing

In Need of Advice — Law x Reader

“Robin-ya” Law approached Robin, as she looked up from her book. 

A smile soon spread on her face, amused by Law’s blushing face. 

“How can I help you, Torao-kun?” Robin said setting her book aside and looking attentively at Law who was avoiding all sort of eye contact. 

“Can I talk to you somewhere…” He said looking at you from the corner of his eye, noticing how you were playing with Ussop and your brother Luffy, laughing loudly. “...privately... And away from everyone else?” He said clearing his throat. 

“Oh my, if I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you want to confess your love to me, but that’s not the case is it?” 

“Not really…” Law’s face became even redder with embarrassment, since Robin seemed to read him as easily as reading her book.

“I mean, it’s not me the one you want to confess, isn’t it?” Law’s face got blank with fear, his eyes reading BUSTED in big bright letters, making Robin laugh gently. “Come with me, Torao-kun"

At the beginning, Law was not sure where Robin was taking him. But as he stepped closer and closer towards you, his heart beat faster and stronger. 

The two of you exchanged glances, and when you did, you smiled kindly at him. His heart stopped right there for a brief second. 

How frustrating was for him to deal with his feelings for you. You were...Strawhat's sister, just as wild and reckless and loud. Your smile was just too wide and charming and stupid and kind it made him m sick. 

And the fact that you were constantly talking to him only made it worse. Unlike Strawhat, you weren't annoying him every time you talked to him. You were just like your brother but with a volume turned slightly down, with the plus that you were more civilized than him.  As you genuinely tried to get to know him better. You were probably the only crew member, other than Luffy, who tried to befriend him. And he appreciated it even if he wouldn't admit it. Not even to himself 

"Hey, Law!" You said as he walked past you. "Wanna hang out later by the trees?" You said, your gentle eyes looking deep into his grey eyes, intimidated him in a way only you could do. 

Law nodded as he followed Robin to the girl's room, where Nami was inside, lying on her bed, trying to nap. 

"I remember telling you I wanted to talk privately.." Law hissed as Nami looked away from her book, ready to complain why was he there.

"If you want to get to [Name]-san's heart, it's best for you to hear what we both have to say...after all, we are her roommates" Robin answered. 

"Oh, so this is what it is about" Nami giggled. "So you do like [Name], don't cha'? I had my suspicions…" 

"I thought I wasn't obvious" Law muttered bitterly.

"Not that much actually” Nami began “But how you usually teamed up with her while we were at Punk Hazard was what made me suspect things…" Nami continued. "You knew each other before then, didn't you?" 

"We fought side by side briefly at Marineford. She also stayed with my crew while we had Luffy hospitalized" 

"So you know her" Robin said, an affirmation more than a question. 

"Not that well…" Law said in a low voice, feeling slightly more at ease, knowing he was alone in the room with Robin and Nami. 

"And have you liked her since or that just started now?" Nami asked, sitting on her bed and staring into Law

"Is it necessary for you to be asking this many questions?" It was his nature to respond sarcastically whenever he was feeling cornered.

"Oi, don't get cocky on me, you daft boy" Nami growled. "We can either help you or we can completely turn [Name] against you like this" she said snapping her fingers threateningly. "So, your pick. Are you still going to be a little prick?" 

"Yeah, I don't need this. I should not have come for help…" Law hissed, turning around and leaving the room. 

For a brief second he felt dumb, thinking asking for their help would work, but the idea of being at their mercy made him feel powerless and embarassed.

"Jerk…" Nami growled after Law stormed out of the room, thinking there was no way in hell his terrible mood would ever be noticed by someone as kind as you. 

"[Name] knows…" Robin whispered containing a giggle as Nami looked at her, raising an eyebrow. 

"How do you know?" The redhead asked. 

"She heard our conversation" Robin answered with a playful smile on her face. “I suppose she was going to come inside and instead decided to overhear our conversation. I saw her peeking from the door. 

"Oi! Law-kun!" You said, pretending you didn't just ran from outside the room towards the main mast. 

After Law locked eyes with you, you ran off up stairs and towards the small garden at the back of the Sunny. The kind of smile you gave him, and how you ran, constantly turning back to see of Law was following, felt like an invitation to Law. 

He followed you with long quick steps and finally made it to the green area where you were sitting between Nami's tangerine trees, and the small garden Ussop and Chopper used to grow all sorts of plants. 

"Look!" You said excitedly, patting the free space next to you. "This is my favourite one!" 

Law followed sitting next to you and looked at the flower your hands were gently caressing. A bright red and yellow flower which kinda gave the appearance of being a dragon's head.

"This one is called Dragon's breath. Ussop told me it can easily catch fire and explode. He uses it for his slingshot.  I really like the way it looks. At night it smells...similar to the smell matches smell like after you lit them" 

"It is pretty…" Law said not really paying attention to the flower, but instead he was looking at you, as he thought, he feared that Nami might turn you against him soon. 

"Law-kun" you said, your eyes still glued to the flower. "Thank you for saving Luffy. I'll always be grateful to you, no matter what happens" 

"You already thanked me at least a few hundred times" Law chuckled, genuinely amused by how you always thanked him

"Have I?" You giggled playfully "Not enough, though" you turned around looking at Law "You know, at first I thought you were slightly intimidating and a bit terrifying. But after spending some time with you and your crew, I came to realize that you are a pretty cool guy" Your eyes were locked with hos, as you savoured the gentle grey tone washing his eyes. "You're smart, you're strong, the fact that you don't like bread is so freaking weird, but it's quirky. You are quirky. And I like it" 

It was weird for him that you were talking about this with him. Suddenly remembering when you met, and how you'd always be grateful, how you were praising him, right now. 

"[Name]-ya, did…” He purred, looking at you in the eye as your orbs reflected the sunset “Did you listen to my conversation with…" as he put two and two together, his voice faded out, leaving the question in the air as you looked away and back to your flower. 

"I may or may not have listened…" you answered, Law speechless as he tried to catch his breath. "I also may or may not like you back…" you added, a soft blush shading your cheeks, taking the same tones the sunset had. 

"[Name]-ya…" 

"Law, if I…" You stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath and gathering the strength to turn around and look at Law "if I were to kiss you right now, what would you do?"

"You want to kiss me?" Law chuckled, both flattered and feeling shy. 

"Can I?" The way your eyes were looking at him so curiously only added to his fluttering gut, Fuck, why do you have to be so fucking cute, [Name]-ya he thought. 

Law chuckled, feeling his own cheeks turn red despite his tan skin. He leaned closer, first bumping his forehead next to yours and brushing the tip of your  nose with his.  He whispered your  name one last time in a gentle chuckle before closing the space between you and pressing his lips against yours. 

At once, you cupped his face in your hands, as you awkwardly kissed him back  trying to figure out his rhythm, you tried to move your lips along with his. The kiss was gentle and sweet, and after a second it stopped feeling awkward. Law purred into your lips, a gentle moan, giving away the satisfaction this whole situation was bringing him, as he lost himself in that kiss. 

[sonicringbond]

Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey - Scene 40

XD

It’s been a while since I wrote one of these and I feel like I forget everything I said last time. Oh well. Rosy and friends are actually in Radio Point for this scene, and it’s a bit of a long one. They may be here for a reason, but I still had to throw in some Rosy sightseeing to keep the traveling theme going. I hope everyone has as much fun in Radio Point as Rosy in...

    “Oh my, I hadn’t expected you to get into Radio Point, before I arrived.”

    It was hard to tell with Blister’s deliberate and sleepy sounding way of speaking that she was actually surprised, but she did seem energetic enough for it to be believable. Rosy however, with her waging tail and nigh inability to stand still was far easier to read. “Well, we just had to!”

    “Though they got mad at us for running up the cables,” Draw made sure to dampen Rosy’s enthusiasm with a reminder of the trouble she caused. She puffed her cheeks up at him, but it was Sonic who spoke next in the airship port at the top of one of Radio Point’s many towers.

    “I’m not too fond of waiting, and as she says,” Sonic explained as he pointed a thumb back at Rosy, “we had a reason to come up here quickly.”

    “I bet you were disappointed when you found out the trains are entirely for the maintenance crews then,” Blister the Mouse allowed herself a chuckle at the group’s expense.

    “It’s a good thing you have an airship,” Sonic agreed, though Rosy got mad at him.

    “Hey, we may have had to wait, but even you can’t argue there was plenty to do while we did!”

    ~Radio Point was a really unique town. Asides from the trains, which Blister already pointed out weren’t for tourists or civilians, there was movement all through the air as airships came from far and wide to reach the city. Of course, the locals used them too so they could get around between towers.

    ~Outside of the internal steam works, which I bet Tails was able to visit, there were spectacular views no matter where you went in Radio Point. From the airship docks to as close to the treads as the villages went down towards, there was either a view of the crystals jutting up out of the lava belching grasslands or a view of the pit itself where an even more enormous number of crystals erupted out of the earth. It looked kind of like the pit was full of rows and rows of scary giant teeth. Hee-hee! It’s a good thing it’s not a big mouth.

    ~The ground wasn’t the only pretty thing to look at either. Thanks to all the airship traffic, the skies above the pit were an array of shimmering confetti. At least from the lower levels. Up here in the airship dock it was clear to see all the ships that carried advertising banners as well as those that offered in flight services, like dining and cleaning. There were even hotel airships that were designed to stay in the air for weeks. It was the most airship friendly city I had seen since wandering around in the lands under Yolk.

    ~As advanced as the city was though, there were still plants growing nearly everywhere. Most of the moving equipment that I saw was relatively clean, but the steam pipes and buildings all throughout town were still covered in a wide array of plants. It’s just so weird to me how even on these big moving towers of metal, plants found a way to grow. I wonder if there is a reason for it.

    ~That’s a mystery I’ll have to wait another day for. Today, the opportunity to find my best friend has appeared before us and I can’t wait to meet the man who Tails helped out. Hopefully, he’ll be friendlier than the last member of the Engineers I talked with.

    ~Oh, I hadn’t mentioned that, had I? Oops!

    ~Well, from Blister’s airship, which was like a cut in half avocado in shape with the main balloon comprising the body of most of the vessel, it was easy to see the Engineers’ banner flying. The white and blue flag with the gear and wrench on it was almost everywhere. The pirate flag that Blister flew almost matched it, except hers was a blue flag with her gear, two wrenches, and a human skull set on a white stripe that ran from top to bottom. It really makes me feel uncomfortable flying on a pirate vessel and I’d really like her to give it up. But… well, she’s helping today even though she was supposed to be looking for her friend who is supposedly a Ring expert. And the Engineers are still mad at me, I think, so having her introduce me to Tails’ friend is probably for the best.~

    The Dish that hung above the pit, supported by the giant radio towers and spikes that anchored it, had a similar tower of its own in the center of it. But it was the underside of the dish where the next dock awaited Rosy and her friends. Here, the facilities that monitored almost every radio signal under Yoluku were situated. The utilitarian design stripped the facilities of any comforts, but it was natural considering the location of them above the pit.

    “I wonder how they account for Ring Shifts,” Rosy mused while poking her cheek as they were led into the facility’s inner workings. As she had a clear view of the pit below the metal grating that made up the catwalk floor they walked along, it was little wonder that she would be curious to how they managed not to fall in.

-|-

    “Sure enough,” a rough looking sapient grizzly bear remarked as Rosy and the others were led into his cage like office. Even his desk was little more than a plank of wood laid across pipes and conduit. “You really are from the picture. But what about the other two?”

    “Draw and Blister here are friends,” Sonic introduced the koala and mouse, respectively. “One’s a troublemaker and the other’s a pirate. I’ll let you guess which is more trouble.”

    “Sonic!” Rosy chastised her blue companion and he smiled at her playfully.

    “And that would make you Rosy then,” the grizzly concluded at Sonic’s unplanned introduction. Standing up, he revealed he inherited the tremendous size of his non-sapient cousins and offered his own name. “I’m Over, chief communications technician here at Radio Point. It may not look like it from here, but I’m pretty respected among the Engineers. Pretty high ranking too. I carry enough weight in actuality that even those troublesome Preservers acknowledge me.”

    Rosy stared intently at the grizzly bear’s round form and quietly agreed with him that he carried a lot of weight. His massive arms assured her though that it was likely all muscle. As much as her attention was on his girth however, his was on her.

    “A pink hedgehog…”

    “Eep!” Rosy squeaked and earned a curious look from Sonic. It was Blister though who provided the next words of their budding conversation.

    “I’ve heard she was supposed to be doing a seven-day Ring gathering job for the Engineers when she up and disappeared. I wonder if you can really help her…”

    “Blister, please!” Rosy pleaded with the pirate and their playful smile.

    Draw held no fear or wisdom that he perhaps should and addressed Over bluntly. “It was a boring job anyway, and we ended up saving a bunch of fairies from some autogolems after we left.”

    “You what?” Over questioned in surprise looking at Draw. “If the autogolems weren’t powered by Rings… Those would have been Preserver autogolems. And near a lookout and Ring gathering sight no less. Do you have any proof of what you’re saying?”

    “Just this little weirdo.”

    Opening his fur coat, Draw allowed the yellow fairy he had a Ring Bond with, Mote, to peak out from within. The look of disbelief on Over’s face worried Rosy a fair bit.

    ~And then he laughed. I hadn’t been expecting that. It didn’t clear up the suspicions that the Engineers have of me, but it was enough to convince Over that we could see the Ring Radio that they used. And it was amazing. Amazingly big that is.

    ~Unlike the ones in the wrist devices that Sonic and I wear, this one was a massive room full of machinery, and a ceiling of shifting, glowing geometric lined blocks like in a Ring Gate Beacon. It’s obviously much more primitive technology than what I’m used to using, but due to the nature of our world that doesn’t tell me a thing about how old it is. But…~

    “Wow! Tails really made this work!”

    “That he did,” Over stated, proudly putting his hands on his hips. “He also taught me how to maintain it while he was here. Since then, I’ve been growing more and more familiar with it. It’s kind of become like an old friend.”

    “So, it’s been sometime since Tails was here?” Sonic asked as he folded his arms, recognizing the telltale speech that marked a passage of time beyond what could be properly observed under Yoluku.

    “It has been,” Over nodded seeing Sonic’s impatience. “Long enough that I probably would have forgotten him if not for the picture and notebook we filled out together while working on this wonder. He’s as much a part of my life as anything now. Unlikely I’ll forget him as long as I live.”

    “That’s wonderful!” Rosy chirped up, adding some good cheer to counter Sonic’s souring mood. “It’s great to hear Tails made a friend! He’s normally so bad with people!”

    “Yeah, but him having already passed through, and some time back, means we’ve missed him, kid,” Sonic ignored Rosy’s positivity to get his complaint out.

    “Well, we can still try to contact him,” Over suggested surprising everyone in the group.

    “How’s that?” Draw won the question race and followed up with more than he should have. “These two have really good Ring Radios that are a lot smaller than this one and they can’t reach anyone but each other.”

    “Tails had the same problem,” Over managed to dismiss Rosy’s fast growing concern by revealing that he already knew about her and Sonic’s. “It’s part of why he left. He spent a good while here trying to boost the signal using the crystals.”

    “The crystals?” Blister poked her nose into the conversation. “I thought they must have been rather valueless considering no one seems interested in gathering them.”

    “On their own they are,” Over agreed with the mouse’s presumption. “But gathered together like they are here, and according to Tails likely amplified by the pit, they are able to drastically improve radio signals and their distances. It’s why Radio Point persists here. If not for this pit radio communication would be far less reliable than it is.”

    “Not like Tails to give up on tech,” Sonic remarked wondering what was going through the fox’s mind.

    “He didn’t actually. He left with the goal of finding another pit, or perhaps meeting up with the Queen of the Sky and brainstorming with her about a solution. I’ve no idea if he’s achieved either goal though. The pit is pretty unique, and the Queen of the Sky is a she-devil who even the clouds part for when she races.”

    “It sounds like Zooey’s been having fun,” Rosy laughed nervously. “But if you can get in touch with Tails…”

    “Don’t worry,” Over reassured Rosy of his intentions, “we’ll be trying to now.”

    Per his word, Over began working countless buttons and knobs around the room. From a console with a handheld mouthpiece and a speaker, a horrible static sound came across and filled the room.

    “Static? Sonic verbalized his curiosity. “Ring Radios work across dimensions. What could be causing the interference.”

    “Maybe that thing in the sky,” Over hinted at Yoluku, but offered nothing more as he worked some more dials.

    A high-pitched sound came across the speaker and cut the static for a moment, but the static soon settled back in. However, a green light lit up on the console and Over smiled. “We’ve got him!”

    “Really!” Rosy jumped up with her question and stared at Over with urgent pleading.

    “Go ahead and see if he can’t here you.”

    With Over’s permission, Rosy dashed to the console. After only a moment of studying it, she picked up the hand piece and depressed the button in its side. From there it was a moment longer as she fought to contain her excitement and actually managed to speak. “TAI~LS~!!!!!”

    -…o…sy- -I… …at y…?-

    “Ah, ah, ah… TAI~LS~!!!!!”

    ~It was really him. It was really Tails! I was so happy I could cry finally hearing Tails’ voice again after so long. But… Well, unfortunately the signal wasn’t good. We could hear each other, but it was impossible to hold a conversation. I just couldn’t make out what Tails was saying through all the static. Sonic checked to see if our Ring Radios could connect to Tails’, but they didn’t even pick him up like the one connected to the big dish.

    ~Ooh! It’s so frustrating. I finally had a lead on Tails, but he was out of reach and I had no idea what to do. Over tried to improve the signal, but in the end, we lost it and any chance to find where Tails was. Still… Still, we actually talked to him. He was alright.

    ~The last time I saw Tails he was fighting those mean old pirates who want revenge against him. But he wasn’t there when I found Sonic and helped him beat them. And even though pirates like Blister are inspired by them, as far as I can tell, Tails hasn’t gotten involved with any more pirates. And while that’s good, it means we have no leads again.

    ~But you know, I was able to talk to him and that means Tails is okay. As long as Tails is okay, Sonic and I can find him. And we will! Sonic promised after all. He was going to get all of us home!

    ~…Though, I’m actually enjoying this little adventure and don’t feel the need to go home yet.~

Scene 40 · CLEARED Radio Link, End

-----

How’s that for a little treat! Tails has finally appeared for the first time since the Prison Prairie chapters. Well, at least over a really shaky radio connection XD I also introduced an OC I expect to be a one off, but I’ll see if he gets any positive attention and demand to see more of him. For now though, this scene wraps up the last of my survey based scenes. The next one is going to be purely off the top of my head. So that means adventure, mystery, and maybe some plot progression. Please look forward to it!

-----

Special Thanks to Cutegirlmayra Story by @JoshTarwater/SonicFanJ Inspiring Song – Lumacie Archipelago: Mystic Woodland – Tsutomu Narita – Granblue Fantasy Original Soundtrack

Fair Use Disclaimer

Sonic the Hedgehog and all affiliated characters and logos are the express property and Copyright© of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS used without permission under Title 17 U.S.C Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 in which allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. “Fair use” is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be considered copyright infringement. The Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey alternate universe (AU) consumer written work of fiction is a non-profit transformative work primarily for personal use and can and will be taken down without warning or prior notice at the request of the copyright holder(s) should it not be recognized under “fair use”.

*Sonic Ring Bond logo created by DEE Art – twitter.com/daryliscute.

Sonic Ring Bond AU and Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey are the creation of Joshua David Tarwater/ynymbus/sonicfanj/@Joshtarwater and is to be, including all contents herein considered for all legal purposes the property of the Sonic the Hedgehog intellectual property (IP) and copyright owners, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS. All story contributors via prompt, suggestion, written scene, art, and all and every other contribution acknowledge that all contributed material is forfeit for legal purposes to SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS upon official request from SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.

[autumn-foxfire]

A couple of disjointed notes on jjk designs

Along with female characters having you know personalities, motivations and arcs they also have very nice and non sexualized designs. Like its been so long since i saw so many female characters non of which felt like they were dressed up a certain way for the audiences sake. Like we got so many! We got five known girls out of just students so far and they all have varied designs in the way they wear their uniform and all of them seem to speak more about their personal sense of style and aesthetics rather than being made with horny teenage boy in mind. Like Maki has the shortest dress but she never once feels sexualized in it, its really great.

N like i didnt fully expect this because i remember watching the first ep and seeing yujis classmate get groped by a curse n sitting there like ah :) anime. But i think this was something that was on its way out of geges artstyle even then (with exception of meimeis brand new almost tit shot but meimei already makes me uber uncomfy so thats not out of line considering we barely see anything). Like in the prequel we also see a woman get groped by a curse n maki isnt wearing her hhh whats the english word stockings? So her legs are more bare but even then we dont ever see like anything we arent supposed to even tho she like does splits n stuff, mad impressive. So that leaves to me an impression that even back then Gege was hhh about this sort of stuff n maybe did it here or there cuz 'this is how shonen is done' but fortunatly decided to completely drop it by the time Nobara joined the team n honestly mad props cuz its rare that a manga makes me feel so comfortable about liking female characters, like off the top of my head id name nozaki kun n ouran and have beastars balance on that line sorta, its just so rare, especially in anime. N as a woman its so much easier to relate and love the female cast when they arent constantly being presented as blow up sex dolls. Its just really refreshing n really good n god bless geges soul for putting miwa in a suit to joy of every lesbian ever bls give her a scythe next BLS.

On a slightly different note, Momos anime design....YIKES. Like i think the anime so far did a p good job with colors, as far as im aware they changed toges color scheme p much entierly n he looks great, yuji has this dusty pink that looks real nice n maki has this dark green that looks very good. Miwa is sitting on a line for me tbh like she looks ok but i do think her hair color should have been idk like a little less pure blue? Little less saturated? Idk art lingo, but for me shes sitting on a line of 'she looks ok but ciuld have been better'. Like its weird in the op she looks nicer, the lighting gives her hair this silver-whitey feel that works very well for her but then in the anime her hair is just a tad bit too bright blue for me, still digestible tho.

Momo in my humble opinion looks like a disaster n im not just saying that cuz for some reason i thought her hair was sorta dusty pink like yujis. Like her hair is just so...bright. its this weird lemoney yellow that is such an eyesore n distracts me whenever i see a group photo, likw my eyes immidietly fly to her she sticks out like a sore thumb between everyone else with more natural looking/ better made unnstural colors. Like maybe if they went with a darker or more natural looking blonde??? Idk. Her hair is very bright n her face is the sort of pinkish pale n the two colors together seem to at the same time clash n melt into each other where at the same time the outline between her face n hair doesnt seem clear n they both just scream at you. Ill probably get used to it as the anime goes on but rn the prevailing feeling is '...is it too late to fix that?'

Oh also gojos eyes have been bothering me less so i think i got used to them after all, but mad props to both gege n the mappa (it botheres me more in anime cuz also color) to be able to convey a feeling of an ultimate top of the chain predator through eyes alone like SKILL. i think they also bother me cuz without his blindfold gojo just looks like a completely different character to me like if you showed me the two pics of him before i watched/read jjk i would probs say those are brothers not the same person. In conclusion im basically like a baby who starts crying when her dad shaves off his beared cuz she cant recognize him anymore.

That ends my notes on design for now

XD Lucy, I’m so glad you’ve fallen in love with JJK like I have. 

It’s a really interesting manga and I can’t wait for the anime to animate everying we’ve seen from the manga so far (it’ll hurt so good T-T). I especially love the girls designs because they just feel so much more... natural, then most female designs you get in anime. They feel like girls (also, can I just say how much I love how excited Nobara was to get a tracksuit of all things. It’s not something you really see in manga/anime and yet a girl that gets excited over comfy clothes is so much real to me XD).

I have similar feelings about Miwa’s hair. It’s way too bright in comparison to the rest of the anime designs, they should have dimmed it or something, she just stands out in a way that she shouldn’t have (though I do admit that I like the colour of blue... I’m so conflicted). And I don’t really mind Momo’s hair too much though I do think it could have been better colour of blonde (JJK using bright colours even though it’s such a heart-breaking anime T-T).

Gege and Mappa really did do a great job though T-T

[innaminitus]

No more lies

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Request:  Hello girl🤗How you’re doing? Hope you’re fine If you don’t have a lot of request going Could you take this request with Peter Where Peter and reader are best friends, the kind that gets confused with a couple, reader discover that he’s Spider-Man and she’s terrified of something happening to Peter but saw it coming and then they really start dating Plus, nobody noticing the change until they see them making out or something XD (can be a lot of months later) just all the flufff 💞 Hope you can (from anon)

Warnings: Star Wars references

Word count: 1582

EVIDENCE #1 THAT PETER PARKER IS IN FACT SPIDER-MAN

You rang the bell to Peter’s flat, hoping to find him there. He didn’t answer your texts nor calls and he promised to help you with chemistry. The test was tomorrow and you had no business in getting another F, so you really looked forward to his help.

May opened the door for you.

“Hi, Mrs. Parker, Is Peter here?” You asked, smiling at her.

“Y/N! Come in.” She let you in and closed the door. “He’s in his room.”

“Thank you!” You walked in the direction of his room and as always didn’t bother knocking. “Pete, why are you-“

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY SWAMP?” He shouted and all you could see before he slammed the door was that he was undressing from some sort of a red onesie.

You shook your head and leaned on the door.

“I’ve seen you naked before, you know…”

“Only because Ned slid my swimmers down!”

You giggled at the memory of your last year’s trip to the beach.

“Are you done?” You sighed. “You know what, I don’t care, I’m coming in…” You opened the door and saw him tucking the red onesie to his closet. It looked weirdly similar. “What’s that?” A sleeve was poking out of the closet and you immediately recognized it. “Is this Spider-man’s suit?” You furrowed.

He quickly tucked it back.

“N-no, that’s just my… Halloween costume! Yes. Halloween costume.” He nodded as if he was confirming it to himself.

You raised your eyebrow.

“It’s April.” You sat on his bed and took out your books and notebooks.

“I want it to be perfect.” He sat down next to you. You wanted to say something, but he covered your mouth with his hand. “No more talking about the costume.” You furrowed and licked his hand. He jumped with disgust and tied to wipe the hand on your t-shirt, but you escaped him, giggling. He eventually wiped it on the bedsheet and took the chemistry book. “What are you too dumb to understand here?”

EVIDENCE #2 THAT PETER PARKER IS IN FACT SPIDER-MAN

You were going home with Ned and Peter from school, Peter’s arm swinging around your shoulders. You decided to go for hotdogs and were waiting in a line to get some.

You ordered first, Peter was after you.

“You’re not paying for your girlfriend?” You heard the salesman say and widened your eyes.

“She’s not my girlfriend…” Peter laughed nervously and poked your ribs.

“You wish I was.” You rolled your eyes, but blushed slightly.

It wasn’t the first time someone had mistaken you for a couple.

“To be honest you two would fit together,” Ned said when you left the stand. “You act like an old marriage already.”

“N- no, we don’t.” Peter shook his head and took a bite, his arm was once again around you.

You raised your eyebrows and lifted the hands you unwittingly joined on your shoulder.

“I think we actually might,” you said and shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter, because-“

“Help!” A scream of an elderly woman made you stop. “Thief!”

You saw a man running from her with a yellow bag in his hand. You turned to Peter to say you should call the police, but he was already gone. You opened and closed your mouth like a fish pulled out of its tank and looked around.

“Where is Peter?”

Ned shrugged.

“I- I don’t know-“

“Hey, it’s Spider-man!” Someone shouted and you turned to the direction everyone looked at.

Spider-man came out of nowhere, swinging on his web. He shot the web to the back of the thief and pulled him up. The thief was swinging now from the streetlight and Spider-man tied him there tightly before returning the bag to the woman.

You wished Peter was here, he was a fan of-

“Ned…” You looked at him. “Where is Peter?”

“I just told you-“

“Bullshit. Why is he always gone when Spider-man is near?” You raised your brow. “Ned, is he Spider-man?” He smiled nervously and you grabbed your sides. “Ned.”

“These are not the droids you’re looking for.” He waved his hands in a Jedi manner and backed himself before clumsily turning and running in the direction of your home.

These two idiots.

EVIDENCE #3 THAT PETER PARKER IS IN FACT SPIDER-MAN

EVIDENCE #4 THAT PETER PARKER IS IN FACT SPIDER-MAN

You waited for Peter in his home. May let you in and went shopping and you were sitting on the backrest of the couch.

You wanted him to admit that he’s Spider-Man. He was doing stupid, reckless things and you wanted him to stop. You hated the thought of him getting hurt…

You heard the lock in the door and Peter entered the house. When he reached the living room he jumped at your sight.

“Y/N, you scared me-“

“The floor is lava!”

You’ve never, ever, saw anyone do a backflip that fast. He landed on the armchair and you gasped, quickly standing up on the cushions.

“I knew it!” You shouted and pointed finger guns at him, as always when you were fighting. “You’re Spider-Man!”

“Y/N, that’s not what you think! Put the guns down!”

“How could you keep that a secret?!” You pretended to reload the guns.

“PUT THE GUNS DOWN!” He raised his hands in the air.

“You lied to me!”

“You are very reckless with your weapons, Y/N!” He jumped on the coffee table and then onto the couch you were standing on.

“Just tell me the truth,” your voice was shaking. “Are you Spider-man?”

He took a deep breath to say something, but closed his mouth.

“Yes.”

You clenched your teeth and hit his chest.

“How could you?” You kept hitting. “How could you not tell me? I thought we were friends! We were supposed to tell each other everything! No secrets, remember? You pinky swore…”

He seized your wrists and you had to look at him.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to know because I knew you would try to stop me. And… I thought that the less you knew the safer you would be.”

“You were damn right. I don’t want you to do it.” You shook your head. “It’s too dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“But it’s alright, Mr. Stark makes sure my costume is as awesome as possible and-“

“Tony Stark takes part in this? A grown man lets a teenager do all of this?”

His hands slid from your wrists to your palms and he wrapped his fingers around yours.

“Please, don’t worry.” He tilted his head. “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt it, just…” You couldn’t find words, so you just pulled him for a hug. “Don’t you ever lie to me again,” you muttered in his chest when his warm arms wrapped around you.

“I promise.”

You moved away slightly, so you could see his face.

“Pinky swear?” You moved one hand so you could stick out your little finger, the other one was still wrapped around him.

He did the same and entwisted his finger around yours.

“Pinky swear.” He kissed your palm and you kissed his. He looked you in the eyes when he slowly lowered your joined hands and within a second pressed his lips onto yours. You were so shocked you didn’t move at all, you only widened your eyes. He stiffly moved away. “I- I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking-“

You almost jumped at him, your lips met his again, but this time you weren’t so passive. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he deepened the kiss. After a few seconds you moved away, but still held him close.

“I… Um…” He was stuttering. “Maybe you would like to… You know…“

“Yes,” you laughed and he smiled with relief. “I’d love to date you.”

He moved away.

“Wow, that’s totally not what I was going to say… Awkward…” Your smile faded and you were sure you got pale. You were so stupid- But then he laughed. “I’m just joking! Just joking!”

He tried to kiss you again, but you threw him off the couch.

“It’s over, Anakin. I have the high ground.” You threw pillow at him and he laughed. “Die in lava, asshole.”

He took something from his pocket and before you could realize what was happening, his web was pulling you to him. You landed on his chest and laughed with him before placing a soft kiss on his lips. It felt so good to kiss him-

“And what are you kids doing here?”

EVIDENCE #1 THAT PETER PARKER IS IN FACT YOUR BOYFRIEND AND NO ONE NOTICED

You were sitting on the bench at the cafeteria, Peter’s arm wrapped around you.

“Why are you not eating the veggies?” You asked, watching him push them aside.

“Watch your own plate.” He murmured.

You speared a piece of carrot on your fork and waved it before Peter’s face.

“Eat.”

He just rolled his eyes and obediently ate the carrot, then took the opportunity of lowering his head and pressed his lips onto yours in a sweet kiss. You heard someone choking and you moved away with raised eyebrows.

“What’s wrong with you?” You asked Ned as he tried to breathe.

He pointed a finger at you.

“You just kissed! Like a couple!”

Peter furrowed.

“Ned… We are dating for at least a month now.”

“What?”

[artificialqueens]

Chronicles of the Impossible (Miz Cracker x Brooke Lynn Hytes [Miz Crooke?]) - fandomfeministe

A/N: Well, courtesy of Saiph I had enough ideas for my rare pair that they said I might as well keep going. So I did. XD

Chronicles of the impossible; or, five small realisations (Part 1 - Cracker)

Realisation the first - Brooke’s domesticity

Cracker had never anticipated being here. Not the literal here - in the small apartment in Nashville that Brooke called home - although that was kind of a mindfuck, considering they were now here together, alone. No, the strangeness he was contemplating was instead more about how they were here.

The last guy Brooke had brought home, he knew, was a one night stand - one of the quick hookups he’d had post-Vanjie - and their time here had started in a similar way. Invited to Brooke’s homecoming gig back at Play, the first time he’d been on stage there in months, Cracker had been able to truly relax and just enjoy watching his lover perform. And oh, could Brooke Lynn Hytes perform.

They’d barely made it inside the door, pulling at each other’s clothes the second it shut, and would have ended up with Brooke attempting to fuck Cracker up against the wall were it not for a pair of inquisitive cats appearing and nearly tripping up the pair of them.

“Shit,” Brooke cursed, pulling up his loose jogging pants and trying to shoo Henry and Apollo towards the living room, ignoring Cracker’s giggling fit as he talked to the felines like they were his babies. “No, you’re staying out of the bedroom… you can meet him tomorrow, but right now, he’s busy…”

By the time he’d turned back, there’d been a trail of clothes leading towards the bedroom, and Brooke followed it with anticipation. The night that came after? Well, the triumphant feeling Brooke had on stage had followed him home, and the energy he still had made Cracker wonder if his wobbling knees were going to let him walk in the morning. Worth it, though, he thought. This man gave him everything - hands down the best sex he’d ever had - and the energy it took from him left him with the distinct need to sleep late the day after.

When Cracker eventually awoke, it was to the sound of a cheerful, laughing Brooke clearly in conversation with someone. The voice sounded female, but wasn’t one he recognised, so he decided to pull a change of clothes from his bag and slipped into something fresh, leaving the Canadian to his conversation while he went in search of coffee. He smiled at Brooke on his way to the kitchen, and Brooke smiled back, wishing him good morning before returning to his FaceTime. He’d taken no more than a few steps towards the coffee pot before the woman spoke again, and Cracker’s jaw dropped as he realised who he’d just been kind-of introduced to.

Brooke’s mom.

Oh shit.

“Who was that, honey?” he heard her voice ask, so sweet and genuine he could tell from the other room. “A… a friend? A boyfriend?” she asked, an undeniable note of curiosity and, dare he say it, hope creeping into her voice.

Oh, shit.

Padding silently to the doorway in his bare feet, he watched his lover respond as he wrapped his hands around the freshly poured cup.

Brooke’s face, mostly its usual self, still had one or two of its tells that all was not quite what it seemed. His nose wrinkled slightly as he flinched, almost as if trying to shrink back from the question, and his hand reached up towards his throat, subconsciously trying to cover the flush to his skin that was slowly creeping up his neck. “Aww, mom, no,” he replied, determinedly trying to avoid looking at Cracker before he went to pieces. “He’s a friend. A good friend,” he added, a little too quickly to be truthful. His mother, however, didn’t seem to buy it.

“Really? One who’s at your place at this time in the morning?” she asked more pointedly, causing Brooke to lower his head to hide the smile that was beginning to grow on his face, lest it give the game away. The game being, Cracker thought, that things this was still just sex between them. That all they were was a pair of fuck buddies. “I know you better than that, baby.”

Cracker grinned. Mama Hytes was just too cute. She reminded him of his own mom, actually. And the fact that Brooke clearly cared about her and her opinion so much? He loved that - loved the fact that he was starting to see what the softer side of the Ice Queen looked like when he melted, as it were. And the look still on Brooke’s face when he turned to smile back at him? He was glowing with affection, for both people he was around right now. Indeed, the bitch was fucking radiant.

He was absolutely done for.

Realisation the second - Brooke’s smile

Cracker had touched down in LA a mere hour and a half ago, and already he was in a cab heading for a hotel with a suitcase at his side and a growing desire to retch burning at his throat. Was this the stupidest idea he’d ever had? Probably not, but it certainly ranked somewhere in the top ten. Its position in the chart depended on one thing - the reaction his lover had when he turned up to surprise him after his gig. Oh, fuck. That wasn’t something you did for somebody who was just a friend, was it? Letting that thought run in circles around his mind as the LA landscape flew by in the cab window, Cracker’s mind turned to the last time they’d been together - both making an appearance at a charity event somewhere out in the midwest, the pair of them so busy that the cities had begun to merge together. It wasn’t like London, Paris, or any of the gigs on their earlier tour where their contact was limited to the few minutes they could grab together - rushed blowjobs in the dressing room; quick, breathy fucks in whatever space they could manage, even once exchanging handjobs immediately after coming off stage, literally unable to keep their hands off each other.

No, their last time had been very different.

It had been slow. Soft.

They’d made more of an effort to control their longing, carefully de-dragging and heading back to their hotel in separate cabs, affording them the opportunity to shower and shed the fog around their minds as well as the grime from their bodies. When Brooke had finally knocked on Cracker’s door, they hadn’t immediately torn at each other’s clothes or gone straight for a release. Instead, they’d lain together on the slightly too-small bed, arms wrapped around each other, the warm kisses making both men feel like they were blushing teenagers again and not grown men in their thirties.

When the intimacies had finally become more intense, and the clothing began to come off, it wasn’t the pressured, driven act of frantic lust that it had usually been. Rather, as soon as one of them had removed something, the other took their own sweet time, exploring the exposed skin with alternating touches from lips and hands. Taking it in turns, both men had found themselves under the covers as naked in their emotions as with their bodies, unashamedly enjoying the slow burn and the build up to the crescendo that they’d never yet allowed themselves to develop.

It had been a night to fuel his fantasies and imagination ever since.

A few hours later, and still thinking he must have been nuts to do this, Cracker had arrived back at the hotel, showered and changed, and was on his way into WeHo. Mickey’s was not a venue he’d frequented as often as some of his friends, being very much an NYC queen as well as a regular touring girl. However, he was still recognised enough by the staff and performing queens - as relatively anonymous as he was in his casual boy clothes - that he was allowed into the backstage area to go hang out with the girls who’d already been on, and those who hadn’t yet. A PA knocked on the dressing room door for him, and a wonderfully familiar voice told his visitor to enter. His lover’s back was turned to him, and their eyes met when the younger queen looked up in the mirror, in the middle of putting on an earring.

“Cracker?!”

Brooke’s face, fully done already, had stilled. Coral painted lips gaped and eyes that opened wide were framed by their usual lashes, the man who owned them touching his mouth, a picture of serenity.

The object of his affection watched him fondly, waiting, and mere moments later was rewarded with what he’d been looking for as Brooke turned around, almost painfully slowly. His eyes trailed over him, climbing up his small but muscular form - still tired from the long flight, with bags under the eyes and skin dull from lack of rest, when the blonde’s eyes found his, a smile spread across his face that seemingly put him at the centre of his universe.

Deliberately, measuredly, Brooke rose from his chair, the long yellow dress he wore making him look like a gorgeous statue made from sunshine. That statuesque figure drifted towards him, the enamoured expression reaching all the way to his eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he whispered, putting his hands on either side of Cracker’s face. “You came all the way to LA?”

“From New York,” Cracker confirmed, his voice cracking a little in disbelief that this was going well, and that his plan hadn’t been a total disaster. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, that definitely worked,” Brooke replied dryly, leaning down. If he’d been shorter, or Cracker had been taller, this would have been the moment for an embrace. Another moment of intimacy, perhaps, touching foreheads or noses for a moment as each contemplated the fact that the other was finally there, somewhere he could touch.

When their lips met, Cracker could have sworn he’d felt the fireworks enough for both of them.

Realisation the third - Brooke’s performance

They’d had to tear themselves apart after that, given that it was time for Brooke to go onstage. Allowed to watch from close by, but not so close that he’d be a distraction, Cracker slid into a booth and watched the next queen perform, before it was time for his own guy to come on.

It was definitely worth the wait.

He was lipsyncing to a mashup of Ariana Grande songs tonight - right in his wheelhouse - and it was clear from his body language how much he was enjoying it. The first number, a slow and sensual buildup, saw his body move languidly around the stage as his legs and dress flowed like water. Then, as the music changed to something more fast-paced, the fabric was torn away to reveal a bandage-style costume that glowed under the club’s lights, and if Cracker was honest, barely covered all of the important parts. He crossed his legs without thinking.

Watching Brooke Lynn perform was always revelatory, but tonight, there was an energy to his presentation that was nothing short of glorious. From the moment he’d walked out there playing a naive young woman in love, to the highly-sexed writhing around the stage he was doing after dropping into the splits right into his line of vision, the whole thing was mesmerising. And to tell the truth, when he looked right at him, trailing a finger seductively over his lips and right down over his chest, he couldn’t help but return a wry smile. Brooke was clearly returning the favour he’d been paid all those months ago in London, and the reference did not escape him.

The smile on Brooke’s face as he circled the stage was infectious and beautiful - it was as if he was sharing a particular secret moment of laughter with whoever he made eye contact with. The sheer joy of the performance, its exuberant display of his talent, made Cracker lean forward, unable to take his eyes from Brooke and his spirit. The silent sigh that escaped him then was a signal - a signal that the game the two of them were playing was changing, even though neither of them had noticed.

The desire he felt wasn’t purely carnal anymore.

Realisation the fourth - Brooke’s friends

It occurred to Cracker, as he arrived at the party, that for someone with such a very particular reputation, Brooke had one of the widest variety of friend types of anyone he’d ever met.

There were your Nina West types - the old friends from way back, the ones who provided the emotional support and the kick up the ass that his lover so sorely needed from time to time, without getting too much of a rise out of him. The queens who were the campy, mama bear types, loved by everybody, who you’d never peg as picking out people like Brooke to be their best friend.

There were your Gia Gunn types. The young, stunningly gorgeous queens who had the sharp tongues and sharper reputations - almost the complete antithesis of the Ninas of this world. The types that would have driven Cracker absolutely bat shit crazy and want to slap somebody if there had been too many of them on his season of Drag Race (and the types that made him respect Bianca del Rio all the more for not doing so). Still, Brooke liked her, and that had to be good enough for him.

There were your Vanjies, too, of course. That one Cracker had to be able to understand, because he himself was a friend of the outgoing Puerto Rican queen. It was, of course, a weird subject between the two of them now, what with Vanjie being Brooke’s ex and Cracker still feeling guilty about messing around with Brooke in the first place. And while it was true that Vanjie hadn’t given them his blessing, so to speak (there was nothing between them yet that needed it, nope), at least he wasn’t hostile. As long as the two of them didn’t rub things in his face, they were at a stage where things would be OK. And to have Vanjie’s loyal, boisterous energy in their lives was certainly better than not having it at all.

Cracker entered the apartment - waving happily at a passing Kameron in greeting - and reflected on what all of this said about the man he’d chosen to spend so much of his time with. Each one of the people here thought Brooke was a likeable, fun person and above all, a loyal friend, hence the crowd of invitees in this little place he called home. It showed a kindness that belied his Ice Queen image, open-mindedness that did him credit and a generosity of spirit that made his heart swell three sizes whenever he looked at the younger man.

“Hey, boo,” he heard behind him, the familiar Torontonian twang making Cracker smile before he even turned around. Brooke’s hug - full of warmth, that smelled of his shirt’s fabric softener and the cigarette he’d smoked earlier - was a heartfelt embrace. It was a simple, everyday gesture that still, somehow, felt reckless, new and brilliant. It was quite the step for two overthinkers such as themselves.

Realisation the fifth - Brooke’s panic attack

One in another series of firsts, this definitely unwelcome event was one that had completely sideswiped Cracker. He hadn’t seen it coming.

Their evening in NYC had been coming to a close in perfectly lovely fashion; for once, an evening that had absolutely nothing to do with drag or either of their circles of friends. Cracker had been reflecting on just how good for them it was to just spend an evening at dinner, not just shooting the breeze but really talking - although it was suspiciously like an actual date - when they’d decided to call it a night and get an Uber back to Cracker’s place.

Waiting outside for the car had given them a bit of time, and a slightly tipsy Cracker wanted to use it for all it was worth. He’d stood up on tiptoes to kiss his guy senseless, and there they were, making out in the streets like horny teenagers, when he was shaken out of his reverie by the man in his arms suddenly tensing, and talking over the top of his head.

“Fuck…”

“What?”

Cracker turned his head to follow Brooke’s line of vision when he saw what the taller man was worried about - a couple of guys exiting the bar down the street, one of whom who was definitely using their drag names in excited conversation, flailing arms gesticulating in a drunken manner, pointing towards them both.

“Oh, fuck…”

Letting go of each other and separating before either of the other men could get out their phones in the manner of amateur paparazzi, Cracker could practically sense his lover getting twitchy. Thank heaven that, in what was a blessed coincidence, their car pulled up at that point and the pair of them were whisked away before the accidental voyeurs had too much time to process. It was more of a relief, Cracker realised, when he saw the look on Brooke’s face as the car whisked them through the NYC streets.

Back at his tiny apartment in Harlem, Cracker was practically carrying the Canadian through the door, supporting him as his breathing became more erratic and his body less stable. Cracker knew that Brooke had his difficulties - just like him, had a tendency to get in his head and let the negativity take over - but they’d never yet really been close enough for long enough to experience it in each other. He just about managed to lead him towards the couch, sitting him down and taking his face in his hands.

“Stay with me, OK?”

Brooke nodded, but could do little else.

“I’m going to help you breathe through it.” He took one of Brooke’s strong hands, holding it gently between his own. “First, five things you can see, OK?”

It was an old technique, hardly innovative, but it almost literally brought a sufferer back down to earth in the middle of an attack - something Cracker had to use on himself more than once. Brooke, however, definitely seemed like he’d needed the help, if his heavy breathing and partially closed eyes were anything to go by. Cracker didn’t push it, though. He knew time was not a luxury, but a necessity, in this case.

“Um… OK… the blue of your shirt. The brown of your eyes, and hair,” Brooke began, apparently one to go by colours. Funny, Cracker thought. So was he. “Um, the grey of the couch. The red of that painting on the wall… and your lips, they’re pink, I guess…”

Not too far there, yet, but better than nothing, he supposed. Brooke was talking, now, and able to look at him if he mentioned his face. Cracker reached up, slid off Brooke’s jacket and his own, so they could both get more comfortable, and continued. “Four things you can touch… go on…”

Brooke’s breathing, still heavy, was at least a little slower now, and he took fewer pauses. “Your shirt… it’s soft. The couch… we’re sinking in… your jeans… they’re rougher… and your skin… you’ve gone cold…”

It was no surprise, really, Cracker told himself. He’d felt like his blood was running colder as soon as he’d realised Brooke’s predicament… but there they were. “OK, good, you’re doing well,” he said soothingly, reaching over to rub Brooke’s back. “When you’re ready, three things you can hear.”

Brooke’s breathing was longer and slower now, and Cracker instinctively reached up to cradle the back of his head as his lover clutched the back of his shirt in his fist, head resting on his shoulder. “The traffic outside. There’s a lot of car horns,” he said, the feeling of his breath tickling Cracker’s neck. “The sound of your breathing. And your heartbeat.” Cracker wasn’t sure that the last one counted, but he didn’t have the heart to point that out.

“Two things you can smell, then. Go on.”

“Your cologne. And your sweat.”

Cracker couldn’t help but chuckle then, cradling the taller man in his arms. The bluntness of the reply was pretty funny, and he couldn’t hold it against him… especially as he’d definitely felt the cool sweat running down the back of his neck as he’d wrestled Brooke to the couch. Poor thing.

“And the last one, babe. C’mon…”

“Taste…” Brooke paused, tilting his face down a little, licking his tongue across Cracker’s bottom lip, ever so gently, as the smaller queen held his wrist to feel the heartbeat coming in at a more normal pace. A smile drew itself across Cracker’s face as he stayed there, letting Brooke use him for his own comfort, which was good for both of them, really.

They stayed with limbs entwined on the couch for god knows how long after that, Cracker lying back on the couch with Brooke curled into him. It was peaceful, being like this, and it gave both men time to think. If tonight had proved anything, it was that they understood each other on a level that even they didn’t quite understand. He’d been willing to take the relationship a little further than they’d been enjoying for a while now, but tonight had meant that the pair of them were forced to reflect on how much they trusted each other. Cracker thought back to how they’d started, out of something stupid at first, then been drawn to each other regardless. Now, he knew that they saw the true beauty of each other, far beyond the surface he could see.

He was in love.

[bookdragonlibrary]

Second Friday YJ appreciation

1-3 ; 4-6 ; 7-9 ; 10-13 ; 14-16 ; 17 ; 18 ; 19 ; 20 ; 21 ; 22 ; 23 ; 24-26

—————————— Private security 

- Will has the dad belly! Lian is cuter and cuter! <3 (But it’s just me or she seems less Asian than in season 2? Where’s Jade?)

- Lucas Carr! :D (For those who don’t remember him, he appeared in the first YJ comic book and in season 2 when he teachs Gar at Mount Justice.)

-  Why Dr Jace stays at Luthor Grande Hotel, in Metropolis! 

- Bowhunter Security! With orignal Roy/Arsenal, clone Roy Will/Red Arrow and clone Jim Harper/Guardian (So if he’s Guardian again, what about Mal? He’s still a hero? Which one?) I love the dynamic of the Harper family and Roy calls Will bro!! He has finally dealt with his trauma (he seems to) and considers Will like he’s older brother! :3 

- Dick in a security costum! Just like in Titans with the policer costume. He has a new outfit every Friday! 

- “An old soul in an young body” Another clue for the Motherbox theory! So the first Halo is still alive inside or gone for good?

- Zatanna! TT.TT

- American genetically modified beef! xD

- Am I the only one who sees Jeff x Dr Jace miles away?

- “To the SUV!” My new war cry! 

- Now Brick has red skin, it means he activated his metagene. How did he get out of jail by the way?

- I love how they show the Prince’s not understanding. He asks questions instead of jugement and “it’s a machine. I don’t understand.” instead of “You’re dumb” or something.  

- I’m kind of afraid of Wolf sleeping. Don’t tell me he’s getting old and will die soon :( 

- All Halo knows from her post life is violence, torture and hatred. No wonder she doesn’t want to remember... 

- Don’t forget the clipboard! xD Will is more loyal to it than to his hat! 

- OMG! Giovanni aged so much in just 7-8 years! He’s what? Between only 40-50! Side effect of Dr Fate’s control?

-  “Wall” My heart, why? TT.TT So heartbreaking than Dick is too afraid to be part of a team because he lost Jason and Wally and Barbara gets injured.

- “I’m older than Jim.” So Jim was made after Will. interesting!

- Harper’s family business! Need more episodes with those 3!

- I really loves the humour in this episode! xD 

—————————— Away Mission

- Forager! Orion! Wait, what a bastard! :o 

- Gregor tries to protect his little twin brother and has compassion for the Quracis refugies. I love him! 

- Bear! Wait there’s a thing between him and Dreamer?! The notebook with the photos! The nostalgia!

- So the New Gods use metaslaves? O.o 

- Traci, Jaime and Bart! :D And Jaime finally talks! Now Scarab’s turn! “There’s no sound in space. The physics on the show is so messed up!” It’s Jaime or Scarab who speaks? Or Jaime took the comment habit of his bug friend? I definitely see Scarab saying something like that! xD So Traci watches the shw for the story or for Gar? “Hello Megan!” Their ringtone for the missions is the generic of this show! So cute! 

- Cassie and Tim have a conversation without yelling at each other. That’s an healthy relationship. So I hope they won’t break up :( “Awkward...” Sorry Virgil, you seem pretty alone :(  

- Jaime, why do you massage your side? Bart didn’t hit you that hard, did he? And he calls him amigo, sorry Bluepulse shippers... (Well, at least it isn’t hermano, so maybe Bart’s just pinning, whatever that means.) I was expected Scarab to yells “Incompatible!” to the boom tube... “Who watch the show for the physics? Who uses a boom tube for the physics?” I love the dynamic of this trio! And Traci is so adorable! Bart’s haircut changes every frame or what?

- “I hacked the Justice League’s computer!” That’s my boy! xD And G designation is for Grayson right?

- M’gann and Cassie are two mad girlfriends, poor guys (Jaime, Bart and Virgil) they didn’t do anything wrong :/ “Superoblivious!” xD 

- “Excuse me?” xD The Yj comic reference with Lucas Carr! Brion who wants to impress Halo.

- Even in bug form, M’gann is still white! :) It’s me or Blue just growls?

- Guys, stop stressing Brion, you gonna make him fail :( What did I say? —‘ “My trees” So Lucas Carr is a neightboor or something? “Excuse me?!” New color for Halo: Yellow is for attacking. I want to see what the green does!

- I love how M’gann put down her little brother like the older sister she is. So she used to hide behind a green form and her little brother behind a beast? You can see M’gann growth throught the comparison with her brother. “I have been dealing with the red and green oppression.” Wait, so there are red martians too? And is for Darkseid he made the bugs made at the New Gods? So they have less allies against him?

- Every metateens we saw so far doesn’t look human anymore. I don’t know if thee Light are doing that on purpose so we could not recognize them anymore or it’s because the forced evolution is too much for their body :(

- Is Halo healing herself like a reflexe or does Sphere help the processus to begin? Violet? That’s so cute! Wait, another supermartian parallel!

- Bart still has the same energy! (I hope this is not an act this time...) I love the Team dynamic: Virgil helping Cassie and thir hand five, Bart trying to stop the bugs from attacking Jaime, Cassie rescuing Jaime, Jaime helping Traci :3 The weapon has to be similar to Genesis tech to hurt Blue however...

- Baby martians look... cute? I think when he kills the green martian, it was on the mental plane and not a memory since he has that beast form. The nostalgia! Everyone is back in season 1 and with their season 1 version of themselves, except Artemis and... why do you have to bring Wally in every single damn episode?? Conner is M’gann shield! 

- And two more metateens dead TT.TT Wait, failsafe? Poor Forager! He just wants justice and kindness :( I love how Cassie and Jaime jump on his side and M’gann adds two arms to adapt to his appearance. I’m sure M’gann’brother made the green bug mad telepathically, because Mantis already knew Forager brought the Earthlings and Bear on New Genesis when he first stopped the bugs’ attack.

- I need more of the trio Traci/Jaime/Bart to see their friendship, Traci’s story. And more Cassie and Virgil screentime because we barely saw them in season 2 and in this episode :( 

- Why Blue seems so angry all the time? He had like one positive line in this episode. Is he still dealing with his trauma in season 2? Is he angry at himself? I don’t know if it’s anger, frustration or self-hatred :( I just want him to be happy after the nightmare in season 2 :( But I think it would be more human if he still has to deal with himself after being mindcontrolled for months... 

—————————— Rescue Op

- Black Spider and Terra. The goggles have to much screen time to not have an importance after. Who was Jackie? “All the bosses will be proud” So Shadows + Light + Darkseid?

- So Barbara is indeed in a wheelchair :( I love how she still can push Dick down :) And barbdick are a new couple :) We need another ship name, a more YJ like one :)

- The Outsiders trio is so cool! So Forager don’t use pronouns so much. So he’s a he, she or them? Wow, Halo knows a lot about New Genesis. Another clue for the Motherbox theory. M’gann is so done to explain she’s not a earthling: “I’m not from Earth” “I’m from Mars!” “Brion is the alien to Forager” this is so true. Thanks for putting this! I love how Brion is so enthousiastic to meet aliens :) He looks like a kid! So bioship is in a car camouflage. Maybe that’s why Halo hurt herself so bad :( Mars town xD “That’s what we were thinking too. We? Uh Me” (and Oracle xD) So is Tara controled, brainwashed, has her memories rewritten? Or is she willingly working for the Shadows?

- Why I think Forager x bioship will become a... ship? xD Like Will x clipboard xD

- Dick, if you don’t want them to go to the Shadows, why did you show Brion their localisation? --’

- Halo’s enthousiasm is so cute! Forager’s too! 

- Why it feels like Sensei is manipulating Brion with words just to make him mad? I’m sure he’s lying.

- Can we talk about Brion’s extreme reaction to Halo’s death? Parallel to Spitfire maybe? And can we please stop killing Halo? I know she will ressurect but it’s still painful :( 

- Why the ninja fighting style reminds me of Robin? Like an older Damian?

- It’s indeed Sphere who starts the healing processus. “Is Halo a new god?” Another clue for the theory?

- When Ra’s mention “the Detective”, Dick growls. Is he mad at Batman? Or at the comment? Ra’s isn’t with the Light and at the head of the Shadows anymore. So who? Sportmaster? Cheshire or Deathstroke would be good clues! Ra’s should be mad at Jade with how he said “Get out!”

- Talia with Damian? So who is... Jason?? An amnesic Jason. Ok. I’m fine. I just need to... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???? (I don’t like the deisgn of Talia which is too close from the animated movies: no bra is definitely not a good idea to fight and she looks too white for an Arabic person :/ Damian is ok I guess?) Do Ra’s want to “return” Jason when he will have his memories back or to use him against the batfamily? Jason should have been trained by Sensei for Dick to not recognize his fighting style.

- Brion really looks like Conner’s mentee with his clothes xD The parallel with the first trio (Robin, KF and Aqualad) Why are you breaking my heart like this? Except they did save Superboy when we don’t have intel of where Tara is :( Dick is still so sensitive when we talk about Wally :( And he looks so much like Batman now: same speech. Same situation, same result: another team is born! Poor Violet :( And the guy with the spiderweb tatoo could work with the Shadows? Or am I confusing with RWBY? xD 

3 episodes = 3 trio. I love it! :D I know we will have more scenes with the Outisders but I also need the other trios: more screetime with the Harperfamily (the bowfamily?) and the Team!  

I guess we will see the Batman Incorporation next week? Since we didn’t see them at all in 6 episodes. And more second season team would be great too, they only have one episode so far :( 

[firebirdsdaughter]

Okay, so...

... Now that I have a clearer Raw I can pause...

LONG POST

Ryusoulger Episode 1 reactions! Aka, the episode that decided to come for my life.

In no particular order:

Okay, so maybe it’s a little ‘hm’ that Kou pilots the mech entirely on his own. But it’s not the first time anyone has piloted a mech alone--including non-Ranger allies. The first person who springs to mind is Commander Aya from Jetman. In GoGo V, the robot assistant Mint piloted the robot alone once. And besides, it’s only the first episode. We’ve got plenty of time for the others to get in there.

I’ll be honest. I knew the Masters were probably going to die. At the very least, I knew something bad was going to happen to them.

What I was NOT expecting was THAT.

Ryusoulger scores one for on-screen death and incineration.

First fight of the new Robo Suit Actor (I feel so bad I forget his name). Thank you for your service Kusaka Hideaki, I wish you all the best.

But let’s go back to the beginning!

Dramatic ceremony that apparently no one else is around to witness.

Wait, so if Mynasouls/Minusouls are already being made/Druidon already showing up, and just have never reached the tribe before... Does that mean Touwa and Banba have just been doing a really bang up job of fighting them off? I mean, I expect the stakes are raising sharply now, but... Could cause tension in the team if there’s a ‘the only reason you guys had a peaceful life for so long was us’ sort of thing.

Also, Kou having a little bit of prankster in him is super cute. Are you and Touwa going to get into prank wars that drive the others nuts?

Random fact I didn’t notice before? In the opening, when the others are flying all over the place and Banba is just sleeping? He’s holding two RyusoulKen. The boy is freaking holding his brother’s sword for him, that’s so cute.

I’ll see if I can’t use this video to get a shot of the pendant looking like it’s changing colours and put it at the bottom, okay?

It has since come to my attention by rewatching this that Mystery Scarf Person is standing next to a torch that looks similar to the ones used in the ceremony scene this episode, which could indicate that he is Gold. Or... Related to the tribe, at the very least.

But the most important question to ask as to whether he’s Gold... Does he has Chainsaw?

I am never going to get over that chainsaw thing.

Also looks like we may have Druidon we haven’t seen yet, which doesn’t surprise me. Tank dude is clearly going to be Kou’s rival, but maybe one of the other Druidon was responsible for what happened to Banba and/or Touwa’s Master? (assuming Touwa had one and wasn’t solely trained by his brother)

I’m loving that little shot where it’s Ui sitting alone and then the others come over to her and it looks like they’re encouraging her (well, Banba just stands in the back bc he’s a grump but also solidarity) and then they all look at the sky. I live for the implications that there’s going to be a theme of companionship in this series bc I LOVE FRIENDSHIP. I LOVE FOUND FAMILY. And given how they trio (and possibly the brothers, too) lost people so important to them at the start, I think they’re all gonna need it.

I like them cutting the logo free. I also like the way it looks like stained glass for a hot second before becoming the usual red and yellow.

Sentai mooks continue to be distracted by pretty lights and it remains their downfall.

Kou! Don’t break the camera!

Dan seems pretty fussed that Druidon showed up. But... If he knew that the other two had gone to fight them, shouldn’t he already know that?

Hey, look! There’re other people!

Aw! Kou is trying to be comforting!

And... Gets shoved into the mountain. I love these three.

Oh my gosh, he tries to tackle Ui, but she just bops away, I love her.

Well, we’ve found the source of the bananas.

I love Melt hiding the banana behind his back like it’s incriminating evidence...

I think Kou is looking to the other two for help here and they just abandon him. God, he’s so adorable, though, I just wanna pinch his cheeks.

Also that fraction of a  second ‘I got myself into this’ face right before the cut to commercial. XD

WHY DOES HE HAVE A HAMMER? WHAT DOES THE HAMMER SAY?

The Masters are on a nature walk!

No, I’m kidding, they’re probably on patrol or something. But it looks like they’re on a nature walk.

Wouldn’t it be funny of one of the other Masters, if they exist, was played by the Ichimonji of the KR NEXT films? Is he even still acting?

Not the ankles!

Do the Masters have other names?

Why does Tank dude being in the temple cancel their transformations?

What I love about this fight is that Master Red and Kou are clearly worried about each other. Red yells for Kou when he’s thrown, and Kou tries to protect his mentor. It’s cute!

Until tragedy strikes.

Is Kou ever gonna be able to hear ‘Tata Soul’ again w/out thinking of this?

God... It was a gut punch when Red got hit by those slashes, but I was not expecting Pink and Blue to get fire breathed.

Also, yeah, there were better ways to do that, but that’s always true w/ diving saves. Maybe they didn’t thank they could pull them out of the way in time?

The complete silence was a good choice. IS this the same director responsible for that scene in Build where Misora tells the others Kazumi is dead? Bc this reminded me of that. If so... Man, you do ‘characters losing someone indescribably important to them’ very well.

I’m still not entirely convinced we’ve seen the last of them. Maybe only in flashbacks or as spirits, but you’re telling me you hired Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask/Kamen Rider Ibuki, and even an alternate version of Hongo Takeshi/some other dude from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (?) to kill them off in one episode? After those press announcements? Maybe they were trying to cover up what was gonna happen, but I’m not convinced. I mean, maybe their previous parts aren’t that big a deal, but it really seems like the went for a bit of name-recognition there... Are they gonna throw that away after one ep?

I will not deny I was emotionally encouraging Kou to get up and kick Tank dude’s ass right there. You can do it, sweetie!

Tank dude gives a speech while Mushroom creature is greatly distressed in the background.

See above for my feelings regarding Kou piloting the mech alone here.

Also the first time I watched I wasn’t thinking about that I was too busy crying.

Also I guess Tyramigo does talk, but... He seems fairly... Well, he doesn’t talk much. He’s got, like, two lines. I’d kind of like a serious, more ‘stern’ red rex. Hmm... Maybe the personalities of the Kishiryu reflect the predecessors’?

So here’s the jam. Doe you predecessor have to die for you to be the ‘true’ inheritor of the RyuSouls? Did Elder know this? If so... You dickwad.

Kou giving Tyramigo pets on the nose was super cute. I think I would kill for Tyramigo.

Also pretty sure I would kill for Kou, he’s very cute and now I love this actor.

Still very distracted by the way the Elder’s wig does not match his beard. What the hell, costuming?

So here’s my question. Do the special coloured Souls absorb the souls of the Ryusoulgers who die while tied to them? Are gonna have an ep where the team have to go ‘inside’ them or, like, summon the souls out of them, AtLA style? Are we gonna meet the original Ryusoulgers at some point?

Okay, but... The Elder uses the word ‘nakama’ when telling the trio about Touwa and Banba? At least, I think he does... Doesn’t that usually have ‘friendly’ connotations? Makes it seem like the two are less straight up ‘deserters’ and just... I dunno, went through the apparently necessary rite of passage of having your mentor/predecessor die before the others and were allowed to leave? I’m confused.

I don’t know why we needed to transform here, but I love the dancing mechs.

Also they did do a ‘three swords’ version of the ‘swords of justice’ thing. I am literally going to start crying--for very different reasons than this time--the first time all five of them do it together.

Still sad I didn’t get to see my boys in the preview, but at least I know they’re coming soon.

Also still can’t get a read on whether we’ll be hiding our identities this season. I kind of like it when they do do that, it adds another layer of tension to things, but it’s fine if they don’t, too.

Looks like Pink is gonna be yeeting her boys.

I’m liking this so far and I can’t wait for all my children to get together.

On the ED: I live for the dancing mechs. I could spend hours analysing everyone’s reaction to the cartoon Soul meteors. That was adorable. Still don’t know why Banba has different dance choreography, but it’s cute.

Digital french toast and pancakes for anyone who read all that.

All in all, I’m enjoying myself. I don’t usually cry at shows, but I just... I wasn’t expecting it to go that far. This is someone who directed some of Build, I suppose. I think we’re in for more agony.

And I love it. XD

Okay, so... (Ignore my boys screaming in the background please--not the most flattering picture of Banba I know, but leave him alone he’s sad DX)

So... It’s definitely just the way it disappears, but... The other three colour don’t do that? So either it was just a style choice bc there’s only two colours on this side and three on the other and I’m overanalysing, or...

Also. I. I just noticed the water bubbles. Or are those meant to be tears.

WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS MEAN BUILD MAN?

[fleur-de-leap]

A New Dawn - TFP Bumblebee x OC

[sanammma]

Ten Years Gone - Chapter 2

Heyyy there :3 This chapter took so long.. real life was kinda in the way of writing this but with the help of @callmethehunter I was able to finish it in more than 3 months XD anyway I hope you like it :D

July 3rd 1965

“Can I sit here?” Madeline asked a middle-aged man who sat on the edge of the seat. He was looking at his watch and fidgeting nervously. He scanned her briefly and said in a strange whispery voice with a hint of a Scottish accent “Yes, sure sweetheart”. She gave him a warm smile and stepped closer to the window. She put her bag on the ground and opened her thick book, not even taking a glance at it. She sighed happily and waited for the train to start moving.

Maddie was looking at the people who were saying goodbye to their loved ones. She found it rather strange how each and every one of these people had their unique story, their own pain and their own happiness. In her head, Maddie started imagining what their stories might be. She loved this little game. Among the many people, she recognized her dad and her little sister in the distance. They waved at her for the last time and walked away. She had already said goodbye to them. Her dad kept asking her to take care over and over until she snapped at him “Yes dad I will take care, I promise!”  It was her first time travelling alone by train. They usually spent a week or two together in Kidderminster at her aunt’s place but her dad had a few important things to finish at work so he decided to follow her in a few days with Linda, her little sister. She was glad that she was going to be with her cousin, Gina, for some time alone without the irritating presence of her younger sister. “ Maddie, can I play with you?” She rolled her eyes as she remembered the many conversations ruined by that sentence.  Her dad became overly protective of her since he and her mother separated. Her mum went to live with her new boyfriend, supposedly, the love of her life and since Maddie couldn’t stand him, she chose to be with her dad. He felt responsible for her so she understood why he was so incessant, it just really annoyed her from a time to time. She always insisted that she’d be taken seriously, even at her young age of 17. I am a strong, independent girl she always repeated to herself.

“Finally, summer!”  She murmured to herself as the train started moving away from the station. She watched everything becoming so small behind her and she smiled as she took a deep breath, Madeline returned to the open book that lay on her lap. As she scanned the page for the place where she had stopped reading, her mind wandered back to when she met that lovely boy at the library.  She tried to remember his fine features, the golden curly hair and hippie style.  She chuckled to herself lightly, making the man beside her look at her suspiciously. She found herself missing the young man just as much as she missed her cousin.  Surprisingly, maybe even more!  She resumed staring out through the stained window at the trees that stood tall against the burning eye of the sun.  In the silence, the light of the sun was whispering in her ear “You have been seen”. She couldn’t hide her insecurities during the day. Usually, she was almost scared that people can see her.. But not on that day, that day she wanted to be seen, acknowledged and admired. That day, she didn’t want to think, she just wanted to enjoy her time. That - of course – was so hard for somebody like Maddie. Her mind kept on taking her on all kinds of trips. Whenever she joined any kind of conversation people would give her a knowing look, the “that’s-what-happens-in-your-head” look. She didn’t mind it though. On the contrary, she loved being a mystery.  She loved being the girl who nobody truly knew.

Three hours passed and the train had finally reached its destination. Maddie was slightly relieved that she got to escape the weird chatty man next to her. Her relief was immediately followed by a sense of guilt. The man was telling her stories about his wife and his newborn son who he didn’t get to see yet because he was working in another city far away. She wasn’t ignoring him. She merely got tired of listening. He grabbed his bag and stood up, shaking her hand with a sincere smile. “I’m sorry, I must’ve tired you. I hope you have a nice vacation” He said with a shaky voice. “Not at all, sir! I hope little Charlie is happy to see you as much as you are” He laughed and walked away, mumbling urgent “excuse me”s as he made his way to the door. Madeline kept her eyes on him as she grabbed her bag and made her way down the aisle, unable to hide her cheerful grin. Soon she was sitting on a lonely bench waiting for her cousin Gina to come to pick her up as she promised on the telephone. As she was waiting, she read from her book, partly because she wanted to make up for the wasted time on the train and also because she liked to look like her head and her entire existence was completely somewhere else. She kept turning her head around every now and then, searching for Gina. Suddenly, as she was flipping the page, Maddie felt the warmth and dampness of Gina’s palms on her eyelids. She closed the book and threw it quickly in her bag. She got up and hugged her cousin closely. “Gina!!!” She shouted like a little girl. “Oh god, I have so much to tell you about!!” “We’ll talk at home. Now let’s get you to the car. My mum can’t wait to see you!!” Gina said with a similar excitement.

Madeline loved this little family, which consisted of her aunt, uncle, and her cousins Gina and baby Jason.  She felt truly welcomed and loved. She knew that this was partially because she didn’t get to see her mother often and her aunt was trying to make up for the loss. Strangely, this didn’t bother her. She was okay with the fact that she was being loved out of pity. She got in the little worn out Mazda the family proudly owned, the odor of cigarettes immediately annoying her. She reached over to the driver seat and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. The woman’s teeth were yellow and worn out. Madeline was glad to see her again.  Her aunt had an air of simplicity and ease about her so unlike her own mother, who, ironically, Maddie was so similar to. After a 15 minute ride, they arrived at a small, poorly painted brown house. Madeline and Gina went straight to Gina’s room which was actually in the attic. Her parents had given her a choice between sleeping in the living room or making the attic her room. Gina wanted to draw on the walls and make those “do it yourself” decorations to make it her own crazy place but the little 15 year old got lazy and her room ended up with just a few random posters on the walls. Whenever Madeline came to visit, the girls would always have great plans on how to redecorate it, but they always ended up going to parks and eating ice cream. Maddie threw herself on the bed and her long wavy hair was scattered on the sheets, her bangs falling to the side of her forehead, framing her soft features. She looked like a beautiful piece of art with her summer floral dress. Her cousin sat on the bed next to her, grinning and staring as Maddie sat up. They both laughed like little girls and hugged each other.

“Alright, first things first, what’s going on with you and William?” Gina asked with an excitement that made Maddie both proud and slightly annoyed.

“We broke up” she said with an awful simplicity that irritated her cousin. “He was so possessive. He wouldn’t let the small things go”.

William was the popular guy in her school.  He was charming with brown hair and deep green eyes that made all the girls desperate to be with him. Unfortunately for them – and for him -he liked Madeline Clarke, the smart girl who, annoyingly, rarely lost an argument.

Madeline, on the other hand, felt indifferent.  At least she didn’t hate him and she felt special for being envied by all the other girls, so when he asked her out, she had accepted.  Sadly, William was the jealous type, which may have been nice for some girls but it was unbearable for Maddie. She didn’t like to be questioned and could never accept the lack of trust.. Surprisingly though, she wasn’t the one who broke up with him. One evening they were out on a date and he held her hand and told her with a tender voice “I don’t think this is gonna work Maddie, you’re .. we’re just very different people. I’m so sorry”. Maddie didn’t cry or get angry. On the contrary, she respected him and wished him all the best. There were no hard feelings. Gina blinked a few times and asked, raising her eyebrows and patting Maddie on her shoulder “And?.....The good news are..?”

“We had sex!! Maddie exclaimed, “I know that William isn’t the love of my life but he was good!!”

With a half-smile and a raised brow, Gina asked reluctantly “So you gave William, the guy who you didn’t have any connection with, your virginity? Just like that? “

“Honey, but that wasn’t my first time.. I had sex with Bruce last year..”Maddie said in a quiet tone, waiting for her cousin to remember.  

“You never told me that!! “ Gina snapped.

“Ohhh….I didn’t?” Maddie took a few seconds to realize what she had done.  

The year before, she had a relationship with a guy named Bruce. They were in sweet young love and one night, when it felt right, it just happened. She lost her virginity and she was happy about it. However, she felt like she was too mature – now that she’s not a virgin anymore – to share with her 14-year-old cousin, so she never told her about him. She felt stupid after a few months and decided to forget about it. Unfortunately, she forgot a little too much. “I’m so sorry Gina, you were too young, I just didn’t feel comfortable” Maddie was trying to make excuses. “I thought we trusted each other with everything!!” Gina interrupted.

She was, indeed, too young…

You don’t trust anybody with everything, honey... “I know, I know!! I’m so sorry” After an argument that went on for what seemed like forever, Gina told Maddie that it was okay, but she didn’t really mean it. Although she forgave her cousin she needed some time to actually let it go. Maddie decided to wait until things went back to normal.

Gina was a lovely person…lovely and a little stupid Maddie arrogantly thought to herself before going to bed.

The next morning, the little family had the traditional full British breakfast with their guest. Maddie didn’t like her aunt’s meals as much as she liked her mum’s but she always pretended to love them. Gina loved it when Maddie made the yummy noises, the “mmmm”s and “ooooh”s. Things between Gina and Maddie were still a little awkward but it was getting better. As Maddie’s aunt was gathering the plates to wash them, she asked the two girls gently “Are there any plans for today?” “Oh yeah mum, Maddie’s going to the library to make sure that the cute blondie is still in love with her” Gina said with a grin. Maddie chuckled, rolling her eyes. “No actually, I never talked to him.” laughter stopped. “We decided yesterday that we’ll go to the carnival with some of Gina’s friends and then I’ll pass by the library to check on my boy” “Maddie’s in looooove” her uncle teased as he was getting up from his chair.

“How do you even know he’s gonna be there?” Gina asked. “I just do.. I believe in him” she said mockingly. “I always see him sitting in the same chair in the same spot… every year.. And we always smile at each other.”

“So when are you gonna man up and talk to him?” “I can’t do that! He has to make the first move” Maddie said with a squeaky voice “Who said so?” her aunt mumbled as she washed the dishes. Maddie scratched her head and sighed, trying to avoid Gina who kept staring at her.

Their trip to the carnival was super fun, but Maddie was waiting for the night to come so she could sneak up to the library. She didn’t know if what she felt was fate or merely a passing crush but she couldn’t stand the idea of not seeing him again. She felt the need to know who he was, what were his interests?, What made him cry. Her heart was flooding with curiosity, or maybe it was admiration? She didn’t know but she was ready to find out.

The sun had finally set as the little group was sitting on a bench, having soft drinks. Maddie looked at her watch and decided she couldn’t wait any longer. She got up, made up a silly excuse and went on her way. Behind her, she heard Gina saying “She’s off to see her lover boy in the library” “In the library?!” One guy was particularly surprised.

She wasn’t even annoyed with their comments. In fact, she was laughing along as she walked on her way.  The library was near. Her dress and her hair were waving in the summer breeze. She felt like she owned the world until that cruel doubt crept up to her mind and made her dwell on endless “what if”s.

After a 20 minute walk, she arrived at the library and went upstairs. She went to the aisle where she usually saw him in and pretended to be searching for a book. She glanced to the left, where he usually sat but he wasn’t there.... For a brief moment, she felt a painful disappointment, but that moment was quickly chased by another, making up for it.

She saw him sitting in her usual spot. Her heartbeat sped up and she felt a rush of excitement in her body. She was hesitant and scared but she realized she had nothing to lose. On the other hand, if she didn’t make this move, she could lose the chance to be with a person who might’ve been perfect for her. She couldn’t stand that idea.

Madeline walked towards him hoping that he would look up from the book and see her, saving her the awkwardness of her having to approach him.  But he kept his head in the book, never glancing away.  To get his attention, she put her hand on his book, leaned on the table, and said “Hi there! , you have really nice hair. My name is Maddie..” she regretted each word as it slipped out of her mouth so she decided to laugh it off. “Oh god, that was so bad!” She chuckled nervously, wishing that she had never approached him. Robert looked up and started laughing with her.  Then he stood up, placed his hands on her shoulders and led her to take his place in the chair. Maddie covered her face with her hands as her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.  All the while Robert’s blue eyes twinkled with laughter. He leaned on the table, put his hand over the book, imitating her. “Hi, you have a very lovely smile, my name’s Robert.” he teased as he extended his arm to shake her hand. She looked up at him and chuckled again. She shook his hand and said, “Hi, I’m Maddie, if you didn’t catch that from before”.  He held on to her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, his blue eyes still twinkling as he said “I’m so happy to see you again, Maddie”. ..

[chousakura]

The Last Letter (Voltron Au)

Summary

Every day seems like a boring life for Keith. For him, it seems like eat, sleep and work, over and over, like a never-ending life. One day, he receives a mysterious letter from a person named Blue. To anyone, the name seems stupid but to Keith, it didn't. A symbol was drawn next's to the name has a symbol that only him know what it means. 

"It couldn't be, right?" Keith asked himself. 

The next day, wanting to find the truth, Keith decides to go back to the orphanage house where he once grew in. Surprising, he meets his childhood friends, in which he hadn't seemed in years since they were adopted and taken away from each other after the orphanage house was sold to a salesman. 

The story, in general, are flashbacks of Keith's days in the orphanage and his time spending with his friends, who called themselves the Voltron team. Back then, the team is consist of six people: Shiro, Allura, Hunk, Pidge, Keith and lastly Lance. They would often go into the neighborhood to help people and play their favorite game, which is hide-and-seek. They even nickname themselves. 

Background 

Black (Shiro) - His parents were murdered in front of his eyes but luckily the police was there quicker and take the killer into custody before Shiro was killed. He was later sent to the orphanage after his relative refused to take him in because of his scar. 

Pink (Allura) - Her father owns the orphanage house but she is neglect by father because of the many children who comes in the orphanage. So she is cold toward her father.    

Yellow (Hunk) - His parents were drug addicts and nearly kill Hunk when they slip a sleeping pills into Hunk’s bottle to keep him quiet. They lost the right to look after him and were sent to jail for attempt to murder while he was sent tot the orphanage. 

Green (Pidge) - Her parents were killed in a car crash by a drunk driver. Her brother, Matt only stay for a few days at the orphanage until he was adopt and taken away from Pidge. 

Red (Keith) - His parents were unknown because he was found in the door steps of the orphanage house. 

Blue (Lance) - He lived with his single abused mother until she died from overworking and sent to the orphanage. 

Ending!!Spoilers!!! (Because I am to tired to write the story with my life going on and I am going through a hard time) 

- Lance died before the letter was sent to Keith. His spirit however is not rest because he had a wish that he want to be granted by his friend. Despite the fact, he doesn’t what his wish is. Plus no one can see him. They don’t even know he is dead too. 

- Over the course of the story, Lance would sent them text through the their phones, leading them deeper into the forest. 

- While Lance is leading them, everyone retold the past they had here at the orphanage. 

- Eventually, Lance would lead them to their secret hideout place where they would all go and hide when people come to adopt. Under the tree, lies five letters with their name written in it. 

Shiro: I wish you and Allura to be together and grow a happy family!

Allura: Allura, you will be a great mother one day!  

Hunk: Hunk, your cooking are always delicious.

Pidge: With your smartness, I am sure you can do anything. 

Keith: I like you. I want to be with you. I love you, Keith.  

“With this, I can finally rest in peace.” Lance whispered. “This time I can really say goodbye” 

The Last Letter is similar to Anohana. 

The ending of this story is quite similar to to this. 

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

With Lance finally able to say good-bye to his friend and confess his feeling for Keith, he is finally able to move on. Before he died, he plan to meet up with everyone at the old orphanage when he found where everyone is. Unable to meet his friends, God decide to grant him three day of his lifetime as a spirit to be with his friends until his time up because of his pure heart of putting other first before him and cry for others when they couldn’t. 

R.I.P Lance

With this, everyone was able to move on with their life and keep in contact with everyone. Shiro and Allura eventually got marry and are expecting twins to be born. Hunk finally had the confident to enter the cooking world. Pidge finally found his brother, Matt who at the same time is already a father and she is already an auntie. Of course, she live her life as a hacker because they make so much money (P.s - Pidge is a good person is someway) As for Keith, he decide to rebuild the orphanage house and open it for kids who had no place to go. 

The End

Shitting ending, right? I was bored and this came into my mind, right off the bat after watching Anohana and watching other sad anime scene. Everyone is welcome to write this story but please link me the story because I would like to read it! Of course, the past holds major part of the story but that is for another time. How they meet and separate will be publish in 2018 XD. RIght now, my life is in crises so until then, wait for The Last Letter. 

Now please excuse me because I am going back to my corner and rethink what I just did.