#they're very interested in their second uncle not leaving thanks

[ariaste]

I've also been getting annoyed about this lately! I agree with all of the above, AND I have another couple of flawed features to point out about this type of language.

FIRST: "Normalize [thing]" and "Destigmatize [thing]" are imperative sentences. Not only that, they are singularly useless imperative sentences. Why? Because no individual is ever capable of personally destigmatizing something all by themself. By the very definition of the words, those are not actions that a single person can ever take: Destigmatization is a collective, communal process that happens slowly over time and throughout society, and it happens with baby steps: educating people, inviting persuadable people into conversations and connections, and the small, everyday, unglamorous actions we take towards positive change ("Volunteer!" "Donate!" "Don't try to pet service dogs when they're working!" "Excuse me, can you spare a dollar? Oh, thank you!" "Pass the salt, please!"). THOSE are useful imperatives because they are directly, individually actionable. Destigmatization itself is not actionable -- it is the END RESULT of a lot of people doing a bunch of other, smaller actions. So if you're going to go around making imperative statements and telling people what to do, at least point them in the direction of something they CAN do.

Except, whoops, fun fact: Humans really hate being told what to do. If your goal is to advocate for [thing] to be more accepted and acknowledged, then using this kind of rhetorically forceful shorthand might not actually be serving the goal you're pursuing. Sure, the people who already agree with you will also be nodding along and saying "Yes, destigmatize [thing]".... But for the people who don't know about [thing], the people you're trying to reach and educate, the people who are PERSUADABLE -- those people, since they are humans, still really hate being told what to do. At best, their reaction is "[shrug] whatever, I don't have a horse in this race." At middle, their reaction is "Uh, don't tell me what to do." At worst, it's "Fuck you, I'm gonna dig in my heels and say no for other reason but the fact you got imperative at me." (We all know somebody like that.)

A more effective persuasive tactic is to use an I-statement (we know about this as a best-practice for resolving relationship arguments, yes? But it works in many other circumstances as well). Examples:

Normalize trans rights. -> I support trans rights.

Destigmatize mental illness. -> I wish it was easier to talk openly about mental illness.

Normalize giving your friends flowers for Valentine's Day. -> I'm going to give my friends flowers on Valentine's Day, I want to make this a thing!

SECOND: Notice how the normalize/destigmatize statements implicitly erase you from the conversation. This is a problem for two reasons -- For one thing, your voice is important, and your opinion is important. For another thing, humans are so much more easily persuaded when there is another human involved, rather than an empty, near-meaningless, passive echo-chamber statement. It's like the difference between active voice and passive voice: "I read the book" versus "The book was read". The human brain is hardwired to find the former more interesting and engaging -- we're a social species!

Now, I'm not saying that merely switching your language is going to ✨magically✨ make your bigoted uncle stop saying bigoted things -- that particular project is always going to take a lot more hard work! But your aunt (you know, the one who has never been socially permitted to consider her own mental health even once?) is going to respond much differently to that "I wish" statement than she does to the "Destigmatize" statement. Why? Because she doesn't know what to say in response to the "Destigmatize" statement. She's not online, my guy, she doesn't know that meme, and even if she did, it doesn't leave an opening for a personal response. On the other hand, if you say something along the lines of "I wish it was more acceptable to talk openly about mental illness", then she might be curious about what you mean; she might express worry about whether you're doing okay; she might, through the course of the ensuing conversation, tentatively open up to you about her own struggles, whether that's with post-partum depression or alcoholism or anxiety or that nebulous "sometimes it's just... it's just really hard :(" feeling she doesn't know how to label.

THIRD: Repeating something ad nauseum is a way of carving it into your brain... except the thing you're implicitly re-emphasizing to yourself might not be the thing you actually want to learn. Using a lot of imperative-focused language reaffirms a worldview that there is a Single Correct Way for people to behave, and that way is the way that You Personally Have Espoused, and that therefore You Can Never Be Wrong. That's... kind of a fucked up worldview to have -- it is the one of the building blocks of fascism and authoritarianism. It also reduces our capacity for nuance, flexibility, openness to new perspectives, critical thinking, and a tolerance for enough of a margin of error that we can extend grace and forgiveness for people who are still learning (and so that we can receive grace and forgiveness from others when WE are still learning). If we believe that we can never be wrong, then what happens when eventually we're wrong about something? Disaster.

The I-statements, on the other hand, implicitly emphasize to your worldview that while your voice and opinion ARE important, they are YOURS -- and therefore other people's voices and opinions also have room to be important as well. Speaking personally, when I use I-statements, I feel more empowered as an individual. I feel like I have stood up for my beliefs and done a small brave thing by expressing what *I* think -- ME! Not a faceless crowd that I can lose myself in (and therefore lose my agency, my sense of responsibility, and perhaps even my ethics), but Me! Myself!

FINALLY: If I say "Destigmatize giving your friends flowers for Valentine's Day" then that doesn't tell my brain that I have to do anything different or be part of the change I want to see in the world. Structuring the sentence that way gives me permission to lay around and continue on exactly as I have before, and make no adjustments to my own behavior, and wait around for giving-friends-flowers to be a Thing before I start participating in it. But if I say, "I really want to give my friends flowers for Valentine's" or "I'm going to give my friends flowers for Valentine's" -- now that's a PLAN. That makes my brain go, "Oh! Right! I can take action! I have agency! I can be the change I want to see in the world! Things become unremarkable when I make them unremarkable! I do not have to wait for the faceless crowd of Society to collectively shift, I do not have to do things on Society's schedule! I CAN JUST DO IT."

Flowers on Valentine's Day is a funny, lighthearted example, but I'm sure that you can see how impactful that linguistic change would be for more serious issues (Example: "Destigmatize mental illness" versus "I'm going to make sure my family knows they can talk to me about their mental health struggles, and I'm going to be warm and supportive and compassionate when they do"). Notice as well that it is much HARDER to say something that's an actual fucking commitment. "It's terrible how the elderly are treated; we need to normalize volunteering at nursing homes" is muuuuuch easier to say than, "You know what, I'm going to call around to nursing homes and see if I can volunteer, I'd love to play some board games with grandmas."

Conclusion: In the words of the ancient sages, "If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself." You're allowed to be part of the change. You're allowed to stand up for your beliefs as YOURSELF. You're allowed to talk about why YOU PERSONALLY care about the things you find important. You do not have to erase your individuality to be progressive -- and in fact, it is your individuality that gives you the power to personally be a force for good in the world.

'can we normalize this'

'we need to normalize that'

can you all shut the fuck up for a minute and reconsider how constantly demanding normalization only retrenches the moral position that weird = bad?

like no you're not actually going to be able to normalize a lot of stuff, because it's statistically unusual or aberrant. you can't normalize shit that is not by any definition normal.

what you need to do is fucking stand up for the weirdos, freaks, and deviants, and remind everyone who is normal that their position just makes them normal. not good, not right, not correct, not better, not perfect, not beyond reproach or improvement.

being weird isn't bad. stop normalizing that, already.

[atlantablack]

Okay okay, if you're up for it, for the micro story ask, what about "don't leave"?

I feel like the real challenge here is - can I keep this micro - brevity is not my friend but let's see

Bilbo is already half-way to Dale -- his pack heavy on his back, Gandalf a steady presence at his side -- when he hears the sound of hooves behind them.

When he turns, worried that something has managed to go wrong in the hours since they left Erebor, he finds Thorin barreling towards him on a pony, closely followed by Dwalin, Kili, & Fili.

All he can really do is stare, open mouthed, as the group speeds toward him. What could have possibly happened? A traitorous part of his heart whispers, he's come to ask you to stay, but he knows that's a lie. He'd been in Erebor for an entire season and Thorin had never once given him any indication that he wanted Bilbo to stay past the winter.

Bilbo knows it's a lie and so it makes no sense to him at all when Thorin swings himself off of the pony, strides forward, and the first words to come out of his mouth are, "Don't leave. Amrâlimê. I do not have the right to ask this of you but do not leave."

Thorin's eyes are very blue and Bilbo's heart is beating very loud. He dimly recognizes that his walking stick has slipped from his fingers but it seems rather unimportant in the face of Thorin's earnest words.

"I don't understand," he says, clinging to his composure by his fingertips. "Why would I stay?" What he doesn't say is, how could I not, when it's you asking, how could I not?

Thorin flinches but resolutely takes another step forward to grab his hand. Bilbo lets him, unwilling to deny Thorin anything even now.

"I do not have the right but I will ask regardless," Thorin says so quietly his words are in danger of being whipped away by the wind. "I would ask that you stay by my side so that I may court you. So that I would not have to know the bleakness of days spent without you by my side."

Bilbo stares. And stares. Oh, he thinks, wondering if this is what it feels like to fall in love all over again. It's a rock slide and a flood. It's the anxious twist of Thorin's mouth, the way the midday sun hits the blue of Thorin's eyes and leaves them dazzling.

"Oh," he says out loud. And then again. A wet sounding laugh bubbles up and out of his mouth. "Oh, of course you stupid, stupid dwarf. All you had to do was ask me."

Fili and Kili break out into cheers but Bilbo doesn't have eyes for anyone except Thorin and the smile that breaks across his face. When Thorin kisses him it's a thousand shades of summer and fresh spring rain, which is to say, it's home.

[everythingpeaches]

In which it's Peter's birthday, and the Marauder's throw a party.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. YOU LOOK LIKE A RODENT AND YOU SMELL LIKE ONE TOO!'

James and Sirius finish their piercing rendition of happy birthday with a dramatic flourish, striking a pose from where they are stood on top of the drinks table.

There is a raucous round of applause from their usual crowd of sycophants, and even Peter looks rather pleased despite the insult.

'What did you think,' asks Sirius, coming to sling an arm around Remus’ shoulder, 'We wrote it ourselves.'

James approaches alongside him, his party hat hanging off the side of his head.

'Don't give up your day job, Black,' says Mary, holding a venomous looking glass of liquor in a well manicured hand.

'Ah well, you see MacDonald, I am unfathomably rich and have no need for a day job.'

'Well you were,' says James, 'But then you got disinherited.'

'Oh yes, of course. Silly me. Thank goodness for good old Uncle Alphy, eh?'

'Where's Pete gone, we need to give him his present?' Asks Remus, buckling slightly under the heavy weight of a drunken Sirius.

'Gone,' the boy draped across his shoulders says, wiggling his fingers and waving out into the distance, 'gone and left us for cake and womanly kisses.'

'You sound jealous, Black,' says Mary.

'Of the cake maybe, but I have no need of womanly kisses.'

'Been getting enough elsewhere, have we?' Marlene teases, shooting a pointed look at Remus who has suddenly become very interested in the bottom of his bottle.

'Oh look, my drinks empty,' he says, attempting and failing to unlace himself from Sirius.

'No, you can't abandon us too!' complains the other boy, grabbing hold of Remus’ arm.

'I'm not abandoning you, I'm getting a refill.'

'That's what they all say, then they're off in some corner with a long-haired temptress. Look!' Sirius points at where Lily and James have snuck away, standing awfully close to each other by the fireplace and laughing.

'There, there,' Remus says, patting Sirius' hand where it's wrapped around his forearm, 'You're the only long-haired temptress I'm interested in.'

'Well in that case,' Sirius says, eyes darkening mischievously, 'Shall we sneak away and find our own dark corner?'

'Tempting, but maybe we shouldn't leave the party we're hosting one hour in.'

'You ruin my fun you know, Moony?'

'I thought I was your fun?'

'You can be both, you're a very complex person like that.'

'I'm going to assume that's a complement. Oh look, here comes Pete.'

The birthday boy was indeed making his way over to the group, a satisfied and slightly smug smile plastered across his face. He, too, is wearing a party hat and also a lot of red lipstick across his lips and cheeks.

'Bloody hell, Wormy, who's attacked you?' Sirius asks with a laugh.

'Dianna Jones, that's who I saw you huddled away with under the stairs isn't it?' Mary says.

'Oh she's in our Care of Magical Creatures lesson, she's really nice!' Marlene answers encouragingly.

Remus thinks nice is probably an overstatement, but not wanting to burst Peter's bubble he smiles and agrees.

'Nice one, Pete.'

'Thanks. We're going to Hogsmede together next weekend,' he says and then, apparently unable to stop himself, he adds, 'She asked me!'

They all make noises of approval and Pete puffs up his chest proudly. He is rosy cheeked from drink and grinning madly.

'Oh Pete, we've got your present!' Lily says, finally rejoining the group with a very satisfied looking James.

'What have you two be-' Remus stops Sirius with a hand over his mouth.

'I'll just grab it,' Marlene says, hurrying away.

Sirius licks Remus' hand with an extremely wet tongue.

'Eugh!' The werewolf wipes his hand down the length of Sirius' arm to dry it off. 'You're disgusting.'

'You love it.'

There's a second where Remus thinks Sirius is going to say 'you love me' and his heart jumps nervously because, yes he does, but he hasn't got round to telling Sirius that yet and he doesn't want it saying in front of his friends in the middle of a very busy Gryffindor common room. Sirius, too, seems to sense danger in his choice of words and his face flushes. They both look away from each other, the rest of the group seemingly unaware of their sudden awkwardness.

Marlene thankfully chooses that moment to reappear with Pete's elaborately wrapped birthday present. He tears off the paper like a child on Christmas morning and cries out in pleasure when he sees the brand new wizard chess set inside.

'Oh wow, thanks guys! Mine was so battered.'

'We know,' said Mary, 'This one has a self mending charm.'

'Ah it's great, thanks so much!'

The rest of the party goes on, and the crowd starts the thin as students stagger back to their dormitories. Eventually it is just their small group that's left, spilled out over cushions and around the fireplace.

James has got his arm around Lily, who's laughing at a story Mary and Marlene are telling. Pete is half asleep, mouth drooping open where he leans back against the armchair. Sirius is sat against Remus' side, fingers tracing patterns on the back of his hand as they talk.

It's in moments like this, Remus thinks, he is most happy. When the moon is a distant memory, a barely visible cresent hidden behind cloud cover. He struggles to remember the loneliness of his early childhood. How good life can be, he thinks, and hopes for many more nights like this one.

[turtlesocksv2]

Liveblogging DFF Ep 2

It's time for Dead Friend Forever episode 2!

Ok I have to say this but it cracks me up every time i watch a Thai show and we get that little disclaimer at the start saying "we do not condone any characters/jobs/actions in this show it is for entertainment only" like what kind of 2003 FF.Net "Please don't sue me i am poor and only playing with these characters like dolls" ass thing to see in front of Mafia Dramas (Kinnporsche), Serial Killer hijinks (Dead Friend Forever) and fucking bittersweet adult midlife crisis vibes (Moonlight Chicken).

Top is absolutely losing it, and they need to leave poor Fluke alone. He is trying his best! What more do you expect from him?!

Oh, Tee is the first to break off from the group. RIP Tee, we'll see how that works out for you.

The mask the killer wears really is very freaky. well done, props department.

Phi the only one awake. I see you. I support you in your killings.

Oh I really thought Top was donefor there. Phi taking control of the group is so interesting. The way he leads everyone down what investigation paths...

Alright just what did you guys do to Non last time??? thank god the 3 newbies to the group are having a little sidebar asking that question. Clearly whatever it was was awful for the group to jump immediately to Non is Dead and his Ghost is Cursing Us and He Wants Us Dead Too for What We Did. But also, i think this rules out All Three Newbies working together to I Know What You Did Last Summer the group, otherwise this scene would make no sense. We'd have another Gossip Girl Dan situation where actions taken when they're alone don't add up to the reveal. So at least 1 of the newbies is not involved.

LOL at Tan trying to get Fluke to spill what the core group knows. If i was Fluke I'd be feeling very very threatened right now. "You think you're going to be next. I'm worried about you." and now Jin is being mean to Fluke too! for the love of god, Fluke is trying! just because he wants to be a doctor doesn't mean he can perform surgery in a cabin in the woods! Leave him alone!

"a good-mouthed and good-hearted man like you doesn't need to remind me" yessss. kill him.

lmao Por has old fucking floppy disks. are these people old enough to have used a floppy disk in their lives. but i know i've got old floppies around somewhere so it makes sense there'd be some at a like summer vacation house that gets used rarely. but also, did i miss that Por hid the footage last episode? because otherwise wouldn't the harddrive that had the footage still be in the room they were all in when Phi hooked it up to the TV?

Was that a mystery medicine bottle in the closet? 👀👀 yeah i'm gonna need someone who can read Thai to to screenshot and tell us what that says.

Oh i really don't need the squelching noises from Fluke tending to Por's wound, please.

Ok, that Por jumpscare with the balcony door got me. and How the fuck does Por have the strength to strangle someone when he's been bleeding out all night?! Obviously a hallucination or something but what caused the hallucination?!

Thank you, White, for bringing back up that they are in the Cult Sacrifice Woods and this might be a Cult Killer or have to do with the cult. a very important thing to remember.

I would absolutely be looking at that footage the second Tee and Top turned their backs, the fuck. No you don't get to act that sus about what happened three years ago and play it off! Phi fighting the fight to keep that footage intact and eventually seen. Tan trying to gently break the idea that the group was bullying Non to White.

oh SHIT the way Uncle Deng got fucking GOT by that wire i screamed! i knew something was going to go down because obviously they couldn't escape the valley mansion in episode 2 but jesus. fucking. christ.

Tee finally remembering he has a boyfriend that he abandoned to the serial killer lmao. Tee and Top keep almost getting away and then going back. they are being herded like cattle. but also, it's kind of sus.

No PhiJin and barely any TeeWhite stuff this episode, which makes sense in that they are busy they don't have time to fuck, but i do find it interesting that PhiJin seem to be on the same page the episode with like no relationship tension between them just situational worry considering Jin was literally biting Phi's dick last episode. Putting aside grudges to stay alive: i'm proud.

anyway that was a really good episode! Tee and Top are the worst. Fluke needs to get the fuck out of this toxic friend group. White needs to dump Tee and get the fuck out of this toxic friend group. Phi and Tan can kill whoever they want i support it. ❤️

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Hello! I sent this to vinelle and she said you've already seen it, so, thoughts on the new spiderverse? Do you have a favorite spiderperson? Thanks!

I have seen it.

Well, the thing is, as usual, I don't think you'll like my thoughts.

Also, putting in a read more as this is a fairly recent movie that I assume people don't want to be spoiled on.

It had fantastic animation, great art style, interesting designs for all the characters in a myriad of different styles. Wonderful diversity of the cast and universes. It's also nice to see what our heroes are getting up to after the last film, how all their problems weren't solved and they're still in much the same messes as ever.

However, for me, it's much weaker than the first film and not just because we get a "WAIT UNTIL PART TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO".

First, for the part two bit, we get that this is a build-up film to whatever the next film is. We only introduce the problems and don't really get around to resolving them. We spend so much time between spider HQ and evil spot man that we don't focus on either as villains enough to really justify the time spent on either. Peter B Parker suffers a similar fate in that he just kind of... shows up with a baby. He's clearly comic relief again, but there's a very large question of why he's here and why he's doing what he's doing when he has about two seconds on screen to justify himself then uh change his mind, I guess. And from what we saw of part one, while we had some great fight scenes, I'm not sure they all justify what will ultimately be around a 4 hour runtime for both films.

The other bit is that it's a movie that... kind of gets the characters to do what it wants them to do. It's a hard sell for me to tell me that all the Spidermen (except for Myles) are getting together to make every other Spiderman's life miserable because one Spider Vampireman blames a teenage kid for the universe collapsing. Miguel comes off absolutely unhinged and I'm hard pressed to believe that most, if any, of the Spiderpeople we see recruited go along with this (when their role isn't so much to save people and help out other Spiderverses but make sure Uncle Ben dies horribly). We get a lot of justification for Gwen in that her life was falling apart, she'd lost her father completely as well as her only friends, and this gives her purpose and a found family. However, Peter? Peter who is an adult with a child and watching out for his own universe?

We also know of at least one universe that has survived without a Spiderman that is supposed to have a Spiderman (looking at you 42) so... why do they all assume the universe collapses if Spiderman doesn't do the same things in exactly the right order. Perhaps there's proof offscreen, but what happened to New Mumbai (especially given Spot was fucking with a particle collider) doesn't read as proof for me. Especially not for in universe characters.

It's also a bit strange when, from the last film, the point was that all the Spiderpeople are choosing to be Spiderpeople in a very individualistic manner that... doesn't lend itself to these people forming an HQ making decisions they don't agree with.

Myles even brings this up. Why is Hobie involved if he doesn't like what they're doing? Hobie never answers this then uh... leaves when it's convenient for him to do so because the plot said so.

Now, this one might get me killed if the rest hasn't already, but while I loved the animation itself the way it happens in the film is often a bit much. Don't get me wrong, it has great style and I love this age of artistic vision we're entering with animation. However, there was often too much on screen at any given moment (and this is the case with both the style and the dialogue). We'd get rapid fire quippy dialogue as the screen whirls past us, five things are happening at once, and as a result it's almost exhausting to watch. There were a lot of parts of the movie (the Lego Movie reference for example) that felt thrown in to show off artistic prowess as well as to make a gimmicky reference the audience will like. The issue isn't that they're there at all, but that there's so damn many of them. Add into that that we're already in a two-part film and I start to wonder if we couldn't have cut a lot of this.

To sum up though, don't get me wrong, I thought it was good and easily one of the best animated films I've seen in years. I will absolutely see the continuation film. I would still recommend people go see it but I'd tell you that if you're in it for story more so than art maybe just stick to the first one.

As for my favorite spiderpeople? You've come to the wrong blog. But I suppose I'll pick Peter B, you good old comic relief guru homeless man. He didn't do much in this film, but he was my favorite from the last one.

[phantombanquet]

SR Masquerade Dress Epel Personal Card Story “A really famous restaurant!” Part 2

City of Flowers - Topsy-Turvy Event Hall

Malleus: Is this the right place to lay this?

Epel: Y-Yes...

ZAP!

Stall Owner: Did you just float the truck to carry everything all at once...

As expected, magic is real great.

Epel: No, only Malleus can do this kind of thing...

Stall Owner: Anyway, thanks, you two! I was really saved!

Malleus: However... If you open the wooden crate and look inside, there are a few apples that were damaged.

Was it carried incorrectly? I apologize for that.

Stall Owner: The scrape probably happened while the truck was moving, so it's not your fault.

And this is nothin' to worry about. Right, Epel?

Malleus: Is that so?

Epel: Yes. When it comes to eating it raw or using the entire apple for candy, you can't sell it, but...

At uncle's stall, he sells candy that are made from processing the apples, so a few scratches is no problem.

Malleus: I understand. So it's not just disposed despite being scratched, correct?

Epel: We can't waste them! The apples from Harveston are super delicious.

Stall Owner: That's right. The stalls now are mostly selling apple candy arranged for the City of Flowers.

Epel: Ah, you're right. The menu is full of pictures of sweets I haven't seen before.

This pound cake is shaped like the Bell of Salvation. And also... Is this a pie? It kinda looks weird.

Stall Owner: The theme for the City of Flowers festival is “topsy-turvy”, right? That's why the pie's crust and filling were reversed.

Epel: So you mean that the filling made from the apples is wrapped around the pie crust? That arrangement method is amazing!

Malleus: It is quite well-made. The other apple candies appear very interesting as well.

Stall Owner: Ah, right, I should thank you for helpin' me out. I'll treat you two to apple candy from Harveston.

Epel: But, uncle, you still have to make apple candies for the festival, right?

You can leave it to me to thank Malleus-san. Thanks to the truck being carried here, I still have lots of time left.

Stall Owner: I feel bad, but... Well, I'll leave it to you then. Use the cooking utensils and seasonings as you like.

─────────────────────

Epel: It's ready! They're not like the fancy looking sweets that uncle sells at his stall but...

Malleus: It smells pleasant... Did you bake these apples?

Epel: Yes, I baked the thickly sliced apples in lots of butter.

Please try it together with vanilla icing on the side... It's really good!

Malleus: Is that so. I'll have a bite. (He starts eating)

...I see, this is good. You can enjoy the taste and also the texture of the fresh fruit.

Epel: Actually, these baked apples were made using the scratched apples from earlier. It doesn't feel wrong, right?

Malleus: Ah, thanks to the baking, I could not recognize it. Indeed, I now understand why you said it was no problem.

Epel: The people of Harveston are used to eating delicious leftover apples without wasting them.

They've been recently selling apple juice...

In the festivals at Harveston, there's a whole line of food stalls that serve even more authentic pies and apples.

They're even tastier than my simple dish... I want Malleus-san to try them one day, maybe?

Malleus: I see, it's in Harveston, correct? I'll remember it.

Epel: ...Ah! I just noticed a lot of time passed by already. I have to get back soon.

Malleus: I will also return to my group. This became quite a feast.

Epel: Thank you so much as well!

City of Flowers

Epel: T-Thank you for waiting! It's been 30 minutes, did I end up being late...?

Azul: No, you were not. There's still 30 seconds before the promised meeting time, so it's no problem.

Epel: I can't believe you were even counting the seconds... I would've been in big trouble if I arrived late...!

Azul: Oh? (Azul starts sniffing Epel)

Epel: Uhmm, is there something wrong?

Azul: No... It's just that I could smell the nice, elegant fragrance of apples from Epel-san's body.

There weren't any stalls selling apples on the route we took. Where did you eat?

Epel: Fufu, there was a little situation that happened.

Deuce: A situation? That's a shame.

Or maybe you found a hidden famous restaurant?

Epel: Famous restaurant... Yes, it was a really famous restaurant! But, it's almost time for the meeting, so I don't have time to talk about it right now.

I'll explain how really amazing the restaurant is to you two when everything settles down.

Because after that... There'll be plenty of time to enjoy this exchange meeting!

END!

Link to Part 1

[thecryptidzenith]

Seconded on most of these. Seacaster half-siblings is too good a concept not to follow up on, especially given that Bill's said "Leave it to Bill Seacaster to sire twins in two different women." Ayda originated from Aguefort pointing at a phoenix and saying "I fucked that bird." Seacaster siblings all the way. It's so thematically relevant given the variety of families in Fantasy High. The moment we got any kind of information about Cathilda's past, I wanted more. She's so nice, and her putting on the clothes of Cathilda the Black was Iconic.

I could see Gilear and Hallariel having a kid. At the moment I think they're both too... domestically incompetent for it, but it's not like Cathilda won't be there. I'll also admit to some bias on this front, I've a distaste for that sort of thing.

Hard agree on the Gukgaks moving out of Strongtower. They deserve it, and now that Gorthalax is no longer ruling in hell, they may as well. I will also add onto this: Bud Cubby & Sklonda friendship. Sklonda's an ex-cop current law student (potential future public defender) and Bud's a postal worker. Take it down from the inside, motherfuckers. Littlefolk rise up. It'd also be hilarious given Bud's reaction to Riz saying that his mom is a cop when they first meet. She'll come around eventually, Bud.

Mountains of Chaos/Gukgaks extended family gimme gimme now. There's just. There's so much good stuff there. Pok literally mentions Riz having aunts & uncles & stuff, I want to see them. In terms of Pok stuff, I do think the Bad Kids meeting him could be interesting, but I'm way more interested in the specifics of what he was doing for Solace. Kalina says it herself, Pok was a secret agent. Even if he ended up in heaven, there's no way he hasn't done some fucked up stuff. Seeing them grapple with that would be neat.

Kristen reconnecting with her brothers is also excellent. It's also a great way to show how much she's grown. For other Kristen stuff, I'll add on that I want her and Tracker to be broken up or break up during the season. I think that's a neat dynamic, especially since Tracker's doing moon goddess stuff in Fallinel. It makes more sense than the alternative, to me.

I think Gorgug's bio parents might be part of the band, but either way, there should actually be some interactions between them. The emancipation of Adaine O'Shaughnessey is also a pretty easy 'hell yeah.' Everybody being trying to bond with Aelwyn is incredible too, I don't have super solid thoughts about what she should be doing, (besides maybe dealing drugs. Jawbone catches her and they have a very awkward conversation about it, but she's a lot chiller around him after it cause he was very sympathetic and knew where she was coming from. Fuck, I might write that, actually)

I don't think driving is as much of an important thing in the Fantasy High universe, but yeah, it's all very representative of their characters. I can see Adaine multiclassing easier than I could see Riz multiclassing, but fuck it, multiclassing for everyone. For more gamey elements, I'll also say that I want the battle maps back. They probably will be, now that it's not a live show, but that was one of the things that was so special about Fantasy High and I want it back thank you. Everyone who worked on those sets is a master of their craft and I love them.

And come on, Kalina is my girl (she's not a girl) I absolutely want to see her again, especially outside of being menacing towards everyone. Okay, maybe a little bit of menacing as a treat, she deserves it.

Sorry if this was too much i Also Had Thoughts.

things i wanna see in fantasy high junior year

seacaster half siblings

backstory on cathilda and her children

hallariel and gilear pregnancy announcement

gorthalax and sklonda engagement / moving in together

riz and sklonda moving out of strongtower

travel to the mountains of chaos (riz gets his own "fallinel" episode)

bad kids meeting pok in some roundabout way

kristen reconnecting with her brothers

gorgug building a relationship with his bio parents

the emancipation of adaine o'shaughnessey

sandra lynn, jawbone, fig, and kristen all attempting to bond with aelwyn

which of the kids would be learning how to drive, and how would it be going

adaine and riz multiclass

KALINA my favorite bitch back as cassandra's familiar

[agent-yolk-writes]

Team Prime + Reader Who Works at Monarch (Part 3)

In which we see what the others think of you and I am Jared, 19. In my defense, the heat we're getting over here made me a little delirious. Remember to drink water! If you haven't seen it already, I recommend @simping-overload's fic that was inspired by this series! It's a TFP/Pacific Rim crossover! 10/10 would recommend!

Anyways, thank you for the outstanding positive response from Part 2! I have no idea what I'll do in Part 4 since what I have planned will not be enough. I'm very open to suggestions and my inbox is always open! Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you guys in the next part!

Read Part 2 Here!

The US Government? Hiding secrets from its other secrets? It's more likely than you think.

Humans...hunt monsters? Sure they encountered an oddball creature when Team Prime landed on Earth but would they be considered a monster?

Of course, Ratchet and Arcee are probably the group's most reluctant Autobots. Yes, it is an annoyance that they have another human to protect now, but...it just doesn't sit well with them even if you are related to Raf. Arcee especially, given all the times you try to be subtle about your observations when she was in her alt mode. First MECH, now...what was it? Monarch? How many secret organizations do these humans needs?

Bulkhead and Jack seem pretty neutral about it. To Bulkhead, this just means they now have another brainiac on their side. To Jack, you don't seem like you'll do anything malicious. And Raf did say you were on a medical leave of sorts, hence your visit to Jasper. He has seen you around town, and he has also seen you following/observing the others when they were in town. He'll leave the questions to the Bots.

Miko is So Freaking Ecstatic! A secret agent that studies kaijus ("MUTOs, not kaiju.") for a living! That's so cool! What kind of monsters have you seen? ("...Some.") Can she come with you one day? ("I'll have to talk to my boss.") Are there any monsters in Nevada? ("Let's hope not.") Can the Autobots be classified as MUTOs? (You thought about it for a second before telling her that, while indeed they are Massive Organisms, they are not Unidentified or Terrestrial...no offense to her friends.)

Bumblebee is the only one that had the most exposure to you. While you had never properly interacted, he thinks you're really interesting! Raf always talks about you, and it increased ten-fold when the kid learned you were staying with his family for some time. He can see how happy Raf is with you, and that makes him happy. Bee had thought about trying to make contact with you whenever you trailed him but decided against it for obvious reasons.

Optimus Prime...well, he's taking it as you would expect for a Prime. Always looking at the positive side of things while being blunt about any risks that might come from this. A scientist who studies life that inhabits the Earth...affiliated with the same government in charge of watching his comrades and yet they were just as unknown to each other. While it doesn't sit right with him, he'll be sure to talk to Fowler about it next time he visits. He now understands why Raf would be rather vague about you sometimes. He was simply trying to protect you as he would with the Autobots.

~~~

You took the grilling like a champ. You expected it to be more intense, but that could be prejudice stemming from all those sci-fi movies. But they haven't blasted you to your base atoms, so you call it a success!

"Say, can I ask a question now?" You asked. "If you're hiding out in a former missile silo...that means you have contact with Uncle Sam and his merry band. If that's the case, do you have some kind of POC?"

Miko cocks her head, "A...what?"

"It means Person of Contact," Raf explains. "They're asking about-" Suddenly an alarm went off, cutting off your nephew. It was loud, and the noise quickly bumped off the walls. You instinctually placed your hands over your ears as you shouted, "What is that? Are we under attack?"

Prime was quick to assure you, "Fear not, Dr. (Last Name). It is simply a proximity alarm. The only one who is able to trip it is-"

"PRIME!" An unknown yet familiar voice reached your ears.

You followed everyone's gaze to the new face in an ugly suit and an even tackier tie staring up at Optimus. You'd imagine whoever was the designated Person of Contact would be in full military fatigues as a way to display dominance as said sci-fi movies tend to do.

"Multiple disturbance reports in the shopping district, several accounts of a civilian being followed by Decepticons...didn't I tell you guys to stay out of trouble and out of the public eye?" You couldn't help but shift your eyes at the others, wondering what kinds of trouble they've gotten themselves into.

"I apologize, Agent Fowler." Wait a minute. "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to make contact with another human in order to ensure their safety from the Decepticons."

It doesn't take long before your eyes meet his, and it doesn't take long for your mouth to run away from you.

"Well mark my stars and stripes...It really is you, Corporal Fowler!"

[minzart]

For the Great seven au, What if the some of the Hero's also manifest?

Like Alice

Simba

Ariel

Jasmine

Snow white

Megaera

Aurora

Oh just Imagine how their interactions with Yuu, Dorm leader, AND the great seven will be

I'm pretty sure they will be questioning the true intent of the Seven. I mean can you blame them? They're going to think their all up to no good and that the kids are involved somehow.

Ok ok ok, so, here's post with teh RSA overblot and the bases of the other's personalities

Apologies for taking so long, but hey! At least it's finaly done? ( '°-°)

Alice (withe rabbit, Cheshire cat)

Considers her boy a big brother figure, she was remembered as a child, so a child she is, she notices his little interest in the young human that transferred recently and encourages him to take action, it isn't that hard! Just say how you feel already!

She finds Yuu interesting and creative, having things in common with adults but is able to enjoy the simplicity of playing like a child, she remember the little tag play she convinced her "brother" to play and Yuu had ACEPTED, they looked so cute!

She fears Riddle and the Queen, less Riddle tho, he's too cute for her to fear that much, but he is, in her eyes, technically the Queen's son, and he did show some temper problems, she fears for Yuu's safety and is outraged that he likes Yuu too! The audacity! That's her "brother"'s love!

The first thing the queen did was scream "of with her head!" the second she laid eyes on Alice... they are spirits and dead, needless to say, it didn't work

Simba (Nala, Timon & Pumbaa )

He encourages his boys to follow his heart, kinda like an older brother, he teases the boy and laughs at his reactions, but by the end of the day give sgood advice

He likes Yuu, kid knows how to be chill and have fun, and of course, is responsible, a kind of responsible that isn't that harsh to fear, he wants the kid to have a good time and a break, someone help them

Attacks Scar the second he sees his face, and then realizes they are ghosts and not capable of dieing two times, and then he realizes that Leona is probably, technically Scar and his brain can put two and two together after he sees Leona interacting WITH Yuu and now is on overprotective mode, you get away from them or he swear he's gonna repeat the fight scene again

Scar is so done with his nephew, so done, he just wants to nap, leave the kids alone you big kitty they are fine, and don't you dare to threaten his boy, or there will be consequences... for yours

Bonus: Zazul, the one I'm using as official dorm leader (Mufasa and Sarab)

First of all he's pround of his boy, such a hard working man, look at him go! But please take a break he knows how hard it is to deal with... immaturity....

Rater found of Yuu, that kid is helpful and very pleasant and OH-... young love~ don't worry boy, uncle Zazu here will help you in the matters of wooing show them your moves~

Fifth meter away form the lion thank you very much, lattimer he was almost eaten, he realy doesn't want to repeat that, no no no the little human is for his boy only go away nobody likes a lazy lion

It's fun time for Scar it's so easy to mess with the bird it's almost pathetic... that is... until he discovers his brother can have a solid form and he can't, he so mad, he's so fucking mad

Ariel ( sebastian, flounder)

She's loving being a ghost, seriously she and Rielle are basicaly besties sharing interesting things about the lad world with each other, look at him go and dance! She's so pround!

She finds Yuu adorable and encourages Rielle to ho after his heart! If you never talk so someone how can you show your interest! And even if you lose your voice, theres many ways to "talk" with each other, she encourages town trips and warns about boat trips

Argues with Ursula the second she has a chance: "YOU WERE CHEATING!" "There was nothing in the contract that says I couldn't intervene", absolute against Azul and Yuu's friendship if that's his soul the honey nothing good is coming out of there

Ursula is so done with this child, it was business dear, get over it, AND DON'T BRING HER BOY INTO THIS

Jasmine (rajar)

Encourages her boy to follow his dreams while he can, have fun, make friends! Don't waste any time worrying about other things that teens realy shouldn't worry about

Loves Yuu, look at this good kid, encourages her boy to follow their heart and always be true, for lies are always exposed and love is a matter of trust, don't excitate to use the CARPED ;)

Sumon Rajar on spot the second Jafar is in her sight, AWAY WITH YOU CREEP, and we're ghost... you can't hurt me nor I you... great, no I'm not talking to you, instantly disappears, Rajar being left as her boy's bodyguard

Jafar is absolute "delighted" such a great company fucking hell not the brat, tried to be polite one time and now he just doesn't fucking care anymore, sass is strong between the two

Snow white ( 7 dwarfs)

Is so pround of Neige and his kind heart, taking care of the seven dwarfs and always keeping a smile even when times are hard, she's just so pround. And I bet she notices his crush on Yuu first than himself honestly, the boy works so hard that he deserves some love, so why not try to make him relax a bit?

Yuu baby she wants to protect, they work so hard and are so tired poor thing, walks and chilling by wheels are her specialty, but if the two are in the kitchen? BONDING TIME WHEN COOKING LETS GOOO

Oh boy there's just so much to unpack here, she tries her best to be polite, the warnings of the hunter still ringing in her head, it's a.... reunion of shorts.... Grimhild was her stepmother after all, a bad one but still... it hurts a bit, but she Hope's they can still interact in neutral terms at least...for the boys sake

The evil queen is having a crisis, an absolute meltdown internally, maam has to get a therapist to interact with snow outside of a brief but cold hello

Megaera (pegasus)

Her and her boy are a sassy duo to deal with, will throw shade at everyone, talk about exes and she's probably having some flashbacks reminding her of how she herself didn't belived in love after so many heartbreaks, but she's the first to notice his little growing crush that he tries so hard to kill, and muses herself using rever psychology withi him

She's rather found of Yuu, there's a charm to the teen that she can understand why her boy likes them

She has no chill with Hades, she is going all out, her the fuck away of her protege you weird corpse

As for Idia, oh great, a shut in, nice, you don't have competition then, there's no way her boy will have a problem with this as his counterpart... after shenanigans: oh? Ok alright the candle boy has some sass he can pass.

Bonus: Hercules (phill, pegasus)

Himbo bros go brrrrrrrr, sappy romantic boys, dumbasses and realy seeking approval of strangers? Buddy tell me about it, and when he notices his boy's crush? 100% supportive, go for it! Show your interest! Talk! Have fun! Let's goooo

Yuu is baby that needs to be protected, and he will be overjoyed if they want to train togheter! Or talk.. after all they both share an interesting similarity, they fell like they don't belong

Punch... that's... that's their first interaction... I think you can see where this is going

Haha... "how to talk to introverts.com", he's... a little but conflicted about Idia, the guy seems ok, not as manipulative as Hades seems like it, but... you can never be sure...

Aurora (3 faries + animals)

Sleep, responsible and no lies, they are a very calm and rather regal duo, Aurora's aura and her boy's is very calm and tired, in a way that says too many responsibilities to attend to

She finds endearing the little prefect, very polite and fun to be arround! And honestly... her boy needs this... more simple influence, she knows how much she misses the dimpler times, why can't he have it now then? With someone he clearly loves

As her mother before her, Aurora knows that, even if Maleficent was petty enough to curse her, when she didn't do anything wrong in the first place, the fary is still royalty, and as such, deserves to be treated as one, she never talked to her in all honesty, only heard the stories her aunts and parents tell, so she can't deny she's a little bit... curious... to know more about the wicked witch of thorns

Malleus ismuch the same for her, she instantly knows he's much younger than Maleficent and this lack of eons makes him a fresh retake on the dark fairies she has heard about, he's polite and still has much to learn, she has noting agains him, but nothing to favor either

ATENTION EVERYONE!

Asks for the AUs are still closed

If you send me an ask for any of the AUs I will throw it in the trash

This is a very old ask that I was working since my block for the AUs beggin since last 2 years I think

So yeah, if you sent me an ask before I closed them, before the big fucking READ ME in my pined post, so there's a big probability that I will answer them

But if you send the ask recently about the AUs? Sorry, it's going out of the window

[pollyna]

Fritz is going to pass in history as the only person who got to do the most improbable and embrassing thing and to take Admiral Kazansky down with him. The man who's he worships the ground he walk on and who's been his greatest crush since when Bradely showed him a picture of his uncles back when he was ten years old. Frizt has a thing for older man and an even bigger things for Thomas Kazansky.

So when it happens and said Admiral ends up on him, face at least than once centimetre away, he feels like heaven has opened his door for him and only him. He takes to feel like that for almost two entire minutes before everyone and their staff manager is shouting and taking Admiral Kazansky away from his chest. He misses him already.

They're gonna talk about this at his wedding and during his eulogy, years from now, because it was so awsome. Not the part where he tripped in front of all the people he could have tripped in front of but, y'know, the following part was actually so awsome.

Phoenix is at his right, Roo at his left and Vice Admiral Cyclone is patting Admiral Kazansky everywhere to see if it's okay. And the Admiral is laughing, full blown scale laugh. Simpson check the kid, I'm alright, and try to not made his life impossible. It wasn't his fault. Fitz is looking at this man, a couple of steps from him, standing up, straightening his uniform and coming towards him with his end out to help him on his feet and he can't find a single word to say to him if not I'm so sorry Admiral.

Think nothing of it ki-Lieutenant, you probably saved me from hours of long boring speeches. Let's get your ribs checked, I'm not as lit as I was thirty years ago.

People are going to talk about this day yes, at his wedding and at his funeral, as the day he tripped, took down Admiral Kazansky with him and then Admiral Kazansky himself took him, with an arm around his shoulder to the doctor. Ah, fuck them and their eating together with the Admiral, he got the preferential treatment and the man is hugging him! Or at least he's giving half of a hug. Fritz isn't pitchy.

(Captain Mitchell is sitting on one that blue and really uncomfortable hospital chairs, when Fritz finishes with the doctor. He's looking at him without really been looking at him and, the moment the Admiral is out of the room too, Maverick is on his feet.

I get held back once because of paperwork and you fall on one of my students! And worst of all they call me telling me you were in an accident and at the hospital, Frizt know he isn't quiet screaming but he feels like the man had quiet a scare, maybe he should intervene to say it wasn't the Admiral's fault? But worst of it all Iceman no one, and I say no one, not even Rooster that little traitor, filmed it. Now I'll have to leave with the idea of what it happened without having hard proof of you being clumsy once in a while.

Oh, that's and interesting turn of events, maybe someone should fetch him pop corn if they're going to be there for a little longer? But then they are both laughing, and Maverick is gently moving the Admiral's face to check if everything's okay before kissing his nose. You're allowed to have this kind of fun without me, got it Kazansy?

Yeah, whatever makes you sleep at night Mav he answers sweetly before kissing him on the lips, once and then a second time. Yep, Fritz is gonna need popcorn, ASAP.)

((In the next two days the Admiral comes around during class to check if he's really okay and if he feels like flying or not. Frizt would very much like to inform this man that he's already personally flying without the need of a plane, thank you very much sir.))

[tblsomedoodles]

now we know about them, you have me interested in the two children, ugh

so, if we are bacing anything off the comics, which we don't need to, one of the O'neil-Jones children would technically be Casey Marie (Casey Jr) so thats uhh... uhm

but i can def imagine like a family tree hw assignment with pictures and the 03 turts are all listed as april's siblings, but there are no pictures, and something happens. like, they know angie since they are lil babies, one of em has to slip up.

And then, theyre cousin is gone, big sad and then 2 years later he shows up with 6 more (Cassandra is totally their sister) cousins in toe and three of them have the same names as their parents.

i am def thinking way too much about the backround characters-

Hell yes! I love Casey Marie! I only know her from "The Last Ronin" so if she's in anything else i do not know, but yeah! (also the fact that Rise and 03 would have both opposite but matching Casey & Casey Jr sets would be fantastic. Like 03: Male Casey, female Casey Jr. Rise: Female Casey, male Casey Jr.) (another fun fact, 03 Casey's name is Arnold Casey Jones jr. So technically he is the Jr, even though they'd call his daughter Jr despite her actually not being a Jr lol. I'm making this more complicated than it has to be but it's so silly i can't not)

But the oldest would definitely just be Casey Marie. The youngest would probably be a little girl as well, simply because Casey being a proud dad with two daughters would be just very, very cute.

That family tree assignment is adorable! I could see one of them putting it together and adding the 03 boys as their uncles without consulting their parents or anything. So April just comes over to see how they're doing and is just "But i don't have any siblings-oh. I stand corrected." and she just kinda realizes that's basically what the boys are to her at this point. somewhat annoying little brothers.

And yes, those girls would definitely talk about Angie like all the time when they were small. Luckily none of the adults really take them seriously, thinking the their "turtle cousin Angie" is just an imaginary friend they share. but it still makes April and Casey panic a bit whenever one of the girls tries to talk about the turtles to someone not in the loop. It would take years for them to understand that their uncles and cousin's mere existence is a secret they shouldn't talk about.

But then Angie, their cousin and closest friend, is just gone. They'd be 12 and 8 by then, old enough to understand they're probably never going to see him again. And that hurts. But then! two years later, he's back! he's alright, alive, and brings an entire army of new cousins for them to cause chaos with. (is it a little confusing that the human cousins have the same names? yes. Do they care, hell no. the more the marrier lol. who cares about the technicalities when there's chaos to cause : ) )

Oh, i just had a thought! a young Angie who just started his more serious ninja training, trying to teach Casey Marie what he's learned! but eventually the adults catch on and are like, "As sweet as it is that you're trying to teach your cousin Ninjutsu, maybe you should leave it to Leo." And Leo ends up with a second (and eventually 3rd) student. (probably only a few times a week, not every day like Angie but still.) It means Angie wouldn't learn it alone.

Also just realized i never named the youngest Jones child. So, after consulting a Random name generator, her name is Jackie (short for Jacklyn but they only ever call her Jackie.) So Casey Marie and Jackie. (how am i so attached to these two and they only just got names? wow.)

Thank you! i hadn't thought much on them before so going into it a bit was really, really cool.

[pynkhues]

Hi!!! For the OTP ask game can you do 10, 14, 23 & 27 for Eddie & Chrissy? Sorry if this is too many but truly I restrained myself bc I wanted to ask for all of them 😌

Thank you for sharing your thoughts 🤍

Hi!! And oh my gosh, anon, you were very restrained, haha, there are so many I could answer for them too, the brainrot right now has been so real.

10. Who gets jealous the most?

I think it probably depends on the circumstances overall, but on the whole, I think Eddie. I mean, he was canonically jealous of Dustin having a second too-old-for-him-friend in Steve, haha, and I do think what we see of him shows him to have a lot of heightened emotions generally.

I'm a total sucker for an opposites attract ship, and Chrissy and Eddie are that in spades, especially when you consider the very different worlds they come from, both in the sense of class, family, home life, social circles, and interests, and I love the idea of that both being a part of the appeal of one another, but also that it leaves space for real uncertainty. It'll take time to work out how they fit in each other's lives, and to learn each other's language and there'll always be these parts of one another that will never belong to them, and I think that can leave room for jealousy to seep in, particularly when there are other people around that get it.

I'm actually writing it into my fic, but even in the core group, Steve and Chrissy technically would be more in step in terms of their backgrounds, and in Chrissy's eyes, not knowing Robin's a lesbian, she and Eddie make more sense too (they're both musicians! They're both outcasts!) and getting to play around with that is magggic, haha.

14. What are their love languages? [if you’re unsure, find out here]

Ooooo, I feel like for Eddie, it's definitely quality time? I think it's canon that he spends a lot of time on his own between living with an uncle who loves him but works hours that don't let them see each other much, and even the way he drove Chrissy back to his trailer for the deal, and wanted to help her was an act of service, sure, but more than that, it was a commitment to time together that seemed to resonate with him in this meaningful way given the way she fueled his arc on the show.

I feel like quality time is important to Chrissy too, and is the way she feels loved, but I think she probably expresses love herself through acts of service? We only see these glimpses of her relationship with Jason in canon, but they seem to be underpinned by her supporting him and trying not to be a burden to him, and I think that's a pretty telling illustration of how she's been taught to love, which makes sense given what we know of her mother.

I love the thought that maybe quality time becomes her love language too the longer she's with Eddie, because the two of them can just be together.

23.. How do they like their sex (fast, slow, rough, gentle) ? What positions do they prefer?

They make me so sappy, hahaha, so I tend to think slow and gentle and a little giggly most of the time, and that they're generally going for pretty affectionate or intimate positions like spooning, missionary or lotus / lap sitting. They seek tenderness and intimacy and joy in each other, and that's so important to me!!!

I do feel like they mix it up though, especially when the adrenaline's pumping like after her cheer meets or his concerts, and then all bets are off, haha.

27. One headcanon you have about this OTP

I think they stay in Hawkins for longer than either of them want to, and it's that time together after graduation that builds something real between them.

I headcanon that Chrissy is close with her little brother, and as a result she doesn't want to leave him behind in that house, too afraid their mother will redirect her attentions, and that Eddie's waiting for his bandmates to graduate highschool before they really start to try and tour, so they both end up knocking around this little town neither of them especially want to be in.

It's that though that builds something special, something real between them, because they have this time away from all their peers who've gone off to college and they get to re-build this little slice of Hawkins the way they want it, not queen and outcast, but just as two people, just as them, and when they do leave, they'll leave together and somehow feel like they've never left at all, because home is where your heart is, and by then, home is with each other.

Ask me shippy questions!

[flrtwoo]

wc: 1.3k

as changmin neared the locker room, he heard a bunch of shouts and hoots coming from inside. soon after, a crowd of highschool kids started making their way out of the room, buzzing with energy and excitement. siyeon, who was in the crowd, spotted him and ran towards her favorite uncle.

"uncle changmin!" she shouted, earning a jolt from the clueless guy. when he saw siyeon coming his way, he smiled so wide and opened his arms for her. she jumped into the hug, laughing in happiness.

"that's a lie, you now have all the time in the world to do mom's errands WHICH you can't run away from anymore!"

"okay... maybe but don't think that i'm not dragging you with me to do them!"

you watched changmin and siyeon interact so animatedly from the entrance of the locker room, and you couldn't help but fall even further for the guy who's already stolen your heart. his smile could literally light up the whole world, you truly believed that.

"so i lost to dimples? huh."

"so i lost to dimples? huh."

you turned to meet the owner of the voice. "younghoon i still don't know how to respond to your comments, i love you but also are we really okay?"

your best friend laughed as he slung an arm around your shoulders. "YES we're okaaay it's just funny to see your reactions whenever i make comments about my crush on you!"

"you're sick, you know that? sick in the motherfriking head." you poked his head, younghoon continuing to laugh. "i know, i know."

from his peripheral vision, he saw changmin waving siyeon goodbye and walking towards you. with that, younghoon made it his cue to leave.

"looks like lover boy is coming right this way, so don't feel pressured to come to the lunch! i'll take care of the kids for now, you enjoooy your time." he teased and winked at you. you pretended to gag, mouthing a "what the fuck?" to him as he shrugged and left your side.

once you faced forward, you were met with a very nervous-looking changmin. "congrats y/n! you're the last person i needed to congratulate, i already spoke with younghoon but yea." he said.

"thanks changmin." you gave him a soft smile. he looked extremely anxious and you didn't know what was going through his head, so the both of you just kind of stood there in an awkward silence.

as you were about to end the conversation because where tf was this going to go, changmin cleared his throat. "i know your busy with the team, but can we talk? there's something i actually need to say to you."

"oh, sure! we can talk outside, at least it doesn't smell like chlorine and sweat out there." you commented, trying to lighten the mood. however, changmin didn't respond and just made a beeline towards the entrance of the arena.

you were confused, a little scared even. "what if he didn't want to be friends anymore? what if he was moving away to someplace far? what if he's not actually human? what if-"

"y/n, don't worry! it's nothing of that sort." he chuckled. "holy shit i thought out loud." your face grew beet red, and you stuttered out an apology for how he shouldn't have heard your thoughts.

you two eventually made it outside after an excruciating minute of you fanning the red out of your face and him trying to hold in his laughter at your embarrassment. you found a bench and sat on it, gesturing for him to follow.

as he sat down, he rubbed his hands against his pants, wiping off the nervous sweat that had formed. "okay, y/n i'll need you to listen to me carefully. let me know your thoughts after, alright?" he asked as he turned to face you.

"will do changmin!" you turned to face him too and flashed him an encouraging smile.

changmin was nervous in front of you, but the warmth you exuded from your smile alone was enough to give him the confidence to just think fuck it and tell you what he's been meaning to tell you for a while now.

"y/n the way we met, it was so, how do i put this... out of the blue? i mean, who expects to be punched during work duty and be pushed into the pool for literally standing there?"

you laughed at this, recalling the memory of how messed up your first and second meetings were.

"okay, i admit the second time was partly my fault, but still! it's crazy to tell people 'yea i met them in a haunted house where i was the scarer they punched'! but honestly, it's a much more interesting story than all the other 'how did you meet?' stories out there."

you nodded in agreement.

"when i met you the third time, you as siyeon's coach and me as her uncle, not gonna lie i wasn't the happiest about that. i'm sure you knew that too. but we kept meeting and meeting again under the most unexpected circumstances, and eventually i just thought 'maybe they're meant to be in my life, one way or another.'"

"we started talking more and hanging out, and soon i started looking forward to every time we talked and, well, hung out. i mean, you made even the boring things seem fun! that time i was studying for that dance theory test? all you did was ask the dumbest questions and i was already on the floor laughing my ass off!"

you wanted to protest about how your questions were NOT dumb, but changmin stopped you.

"i'm sorry, yes your questions were not dumb, i was just kidding." he patted your head, smiling affectionately at you. you rolled your eyes, however a smile similar to his soon made its way to your face too.

seeing you look at him with so much love in your eyes made something in his mind click and suddenly, his thoughts have never been clearer.

his heart's never been happier.

he didn't just like you. you meant so much more to him, and he knew you needed to know.

"what i'm trying to say is: home is somewhere i feel happy in, where i feel comforted, where i feel loved. and if being with you makes me feel those things, then y/n you are my home. and i hope you feel the same way, because i love you."

changmin exhaled as if he was holding his breath the entire time. he looked at you expectantly, waiting for your answer.

you, on the other hand, was shocked. just plain shocked, and you didn't know what to do, how to react, or what to even say.

the guy who'd stolen your heart had just admitted that you've stolen his heart too, so how the fuck do you respond to that.

after you had stayed silent for 13, 14, 15 seconds (yes, changmin was counting), he lost all hope. sighing, he looked down at his hands. "i'm sorry for putting this all on you, i knew it was a stupid idea, i'm sorry-"

you cupped changmin's cheeks to stop him from talking. he looked up, meeting your glassy eyes. you slowly neared his face until you were inches apart, and whispered your reply.

"i love you too, dumbass."

you closed the distance, lips meeting his as you kissed him slowly, sweetly. he smiled into the kiss, holding you as if you could disappear between his fingers.

it was a very romantic moment that unfortunately didn't last very long, because shortly after a bird landed on changmin's head causing him to scream, you to scream, and the bird to go number 2 on his head.

but oh well, everything about your relationship was so out of the blue anyways, right?

out of the blue | jcm

[chapter 19]

previous | masterlist | next

summary: when you find out that one of the students you coach is the niece of the guy you accidentally punched in the face and pushed into a pool, you're not surprised that he's, well, disappointed at the outcome. however, you're determined to make amends with him for the sake of his niece... and maybe for the sake of his cute face too.

taglist: @s0ngk4ng @wooyoung-a @skiez @kittkyu @stealanity @sofie296 @ccobbiee @deputyjuyeon @enhacolor @simplewonderland @jaerisdiction @arepabella @snuhee @loonathewurld @loki-in-hogwarts @hidejeon @jakesahi @nyujjan @suzy-rainbow @w8nuzone @yeletbz @seungcheoluwu

can't tag: @yannew @deobib

(reply to this post or send an ask/message if u wanna be part of the taglist! :>)

a/n: I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE i had to finish writing this piece but 🥲 last update on wednesday AAAA i hope you guys liked this chapter though, i didn't expect to go past 1k but i think i got carried away? 😃 it's not super edited too, so i'm really sorry if there are any mistakes!! please send me a message or tell me thru the ask box if there are hehe THANK UU <3

[aerltarg]

Targlingsweek 2021

Day 7: Rhaenys, Aegon and Jon

(ver. 1, ver. 2)

Headcanons under the cut

They're an amazing team where everyone complements other two. Rhaenys, the smartest one, skilled in so many different things. Jon, brave and feral. Aegon, the most charismatic and attentive.

Rhaenys overthinks things? Aegon and Jon are always here to remind her that not everything is that deep and serious. Aegon is looking for new ideas? Rhaenys and Jon can always suggest different plans, both smart and crazy. Jon is going to punch someone? Rhaenys and Aegon are always ready either to stop him or to help him both to fight this someone or to hide the body lmao

They're protective of each other. Practice shows that if you talk shit about any of them or their family, you'll mysteriously need the maester's help very soon. Like. Very soon.

Rhaenys started to read and write earlier than both of her brothers. She still does it better than them as well as math.

Aegon is the fastest one and no one could beat him at playing catch-up as children. Jon was the best at hide-and-seek, though. He hid and kept silence too well.

When they were boys, Aegon used to have long hair and Jon short. But when they grew up, they kinda switched hairstyles for their own reasons. Rhaenys thinks it's hilarious anyway.

Also in the AUs where Jon gets his Targ name he would be Aemon. We'd have best bros Egg and Aemon ver 2, where the first becomes a king too but the latter doesn't have to go to Night's Watch for this since he's younger this time.

Some people would be surprised by Aegon's and Jon's interest in plants but the truth is that they only want to please Rhaenys. Thanks to them her collection of rare plants grows bigger with each passing year.

When they were kids, they could spend whole nights long sitting among dragon skulls and telling each other scary stories with only a single candle in darkness. Their favourite one was, of course, the skull of Balerion the Black Dread, the biggest of all. They even tried to sit inside.

Their favourite hobby when they were little was harassing fangirling over Kingsguard. No one could escape them. Though Lewyn's always been quite fond of children, Barristan has been a bit awkward but still very patient around them, and others suffered but didn't complain. Except for Arthur Dayne who had to go through much more royal kids' attention as their father's best friend, a super famous knight and the Sword of the Morning who could show them the legendary Dawn. He sighed from time to time that no one had warned him about this when he was joining Kingsguard but everyone knew he was only joking. Arthur was like a second father to these adorable dragon kids, after all, and couldn't really get mad at them. And if he had to show them Dawn twice a week and go through all this noise every time, then so be it.

Dany is, in fact, like another sibling to them, the youngest one. They played, learnt and laughed together all the time, and they're still very close now, when all of them are adults already. If you want to mess with any of them, be ready to deal with the whole Targlings gang.

Because of the small age gap Viserys is also more like a brother than an uncle to them. His temper isn't the easiest one but they get on well anyway, thanks to Rhaella's care and efforts too.

Making Rhaella upset is a big no-no in Targaryen family. Both as kids and later adults they've tried their best to keep beloved mother and grandmother happy. Sometimes she looks so sad when thinks no one is watching and remembers the past. During these moments Rhaenys is always here with her plants, books and songs as well as Aegon with his funny stories about people he's met today, Jon with his silent but so sincere and warm support, Dany with her smiles and hugs, and Viserys too. Sometimes even Rhaegar when he's free of his duties. Not that Rhaella really needs all this. She always forgets about sadness around her beautiful children and grandchildren and can't help but smile.

When Jon got Ghost, the whole family got a new interesting hobby aka watching Balerion and Ghost interact. Balerion was older and acted a bit patronizing towards Ghost when he was only a silent and stubborn fluffy baby. Well, to be honest, Balerion still does act like that but now it's even more hilarious because Ghost is almost as big as a horse and Balerion hasn't changed at all. Dany and Rhaenys can't help but sigh how cute they are, a small black cat and a giant white direwolf being protective friends.

When they were visiting North, Rhaenys surprisingly found in herself a snow ball fighting talent. Aegon and Jon didn't stand a chance.

Once they travelled to the Wall with their family and spent so much time with Maester Aemon, their great-granduncle, plus-minus generation, so interesting and amazing that they didn't want to leave in the end. All of them, including Dany, write letters to him since then.

Targlings music band regularly gives concerts for their biggest fan Rhaella. Rhaegar joins them sometimes, Dany tries to sing and is pretty good at it, and Viserys tries this and that but never loses enthusiasm.

(In the Happier AU Dany hatches six eggs instead of three, and both generations of Targlings ride dragons together. RIP Others)

[maeum-your]

alexa play so high by doja cat, thank u 🎼🎶🎶

*clears throat* so we all have gathered here, to one and only, same as well, event. we have so far: lost our minds, cognitive functions and braincells. the reason behind this is very clear: park jong-seong. and ofc: MINNIE‼

like i always say: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

and like i also like to say: SKWKWODMDKWSOODKDNSMSOFOCKSKSOCOXOSKSKCKFKDKSKSKFKD

so my thoughts are those above, exactly 💗😁

joking i will jump into a full review now🔥 u didnt tease us for good 40min just so i scream in ur inbox for a few lines🤥

first of all: the MOTHER. clearly should leave the scene, leave everyone alone including her kids. yn doesnt deserve this bitch, she's a bitch. jail for her, and LOOK, this is a warning to her: if u see ME in the streets, RUN‼🏃‍♀️ i will fucking catch u and drag ur nasty self to the POLICE 👮‍♂️

second: party party yey🗣🔥💃 crazy tbh just crazy idk what to say ab the girls but just that they're 🤤🤭💗 i mean i love them🤩😳 loved to see more of their friendship too OMG I LIVE FOR FRIENDSHIPS WHEN U DETAIL THINGS AB THEM IS SO SUAJSJS I LOVE IT

thrid: jake😋💕(yes jake is a whole topic even though he had 2 scenes, he my man🥰) ohhh my poor lil furry my dear grrr grrr my smol barker don't be sad, u make me sad😔 wdym u doing wrongs u dont do wrongs u only do rights and the right thing u should to now is get my number😉 and my heart (but that's already urs😆) hihihihi 🤭💕

fourth: park jong-seong😳 omg im too stunned to speak ab him but wow wowowowowowowowowiwow sirens i see colors i see god im 🕳🏃‍♀️💨 rn cuz HELLAUR U BIAS WRECKED ME W THAT WHOLE MAKE OUT SCENE I DONT HATE U BOO WANNA KISS AND MAKE BABIES IK WHAT BABY MEANS IT MEANS U WANNA GET DRUNK AND NASTY W YN BUT PLSSSSSSS CALM DOWN UR HORNY ASS 🗣🗣🗣 JUNGWON DOESN'T NEEDS TO BE AN UNCLE RN ‼‼‼

five: the fucking anon. a bitch. lia. bitch. disgrace. unfortunately will have to swallow her her cuz im sure she will be there for more time so let's make this clear: heeseung ain't urs. beware me. im not a girl. not a men. im a menace. im here to hunt u. im here to deal w problems. and u re one now. run.

thanks for the amazing chapter here like minnie idk what to say rn just feel but u SLAYED RHE WHOLE THING PLSSSS ILYSM MUAW MUAW 💗💕🗣😋🥰😳 U SAW ME SCREAMING SO U KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVED AND I LOVE UR WRITING UR DESCRIPTION U DESERVE AN AWARD 🏆🏆🏆🏆

LET ME JOIN YOU IN THE SCREAMING BECAUSE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I HOPE MY NEXT BREATH WILL BE MY LAST WHY ARE ALL THE Y/N'S WINNING IN LIFE??????

no fr her mom is an abuser, she ACTUALLY belongs to jail i just hope that y/n and won can get away from her as soon as possible 💔

YES WE NEEDED TO SEE MORE OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP DYNAMICS AND WRITTEN CHAPTERS ARE PURRFECT FOR THAT 🥳

he'd be glad to see that someone is still interested in him after he literally made all of the girls stay away from him. jake is def staying bitchless in this one and i feel so sorry 😭 sunghoon's game is bad too but at least he seems to be getting somewhere with jimin LSJSLSJSJS

I'm sure they don't want to have babies, they just want to do what needs to be done to make them 🤭

LIA. STAY. AWAY. FROM. HEESEUNG. AND. Y/N. 🗣️‼️ I CAN GROWL BUT NOT IN A SEXY WAY GRRRRRR

YOUR SCREAMING MADE ME VERY HAPPY I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU LOVE YOU LITERALLY SO MUCH I'M CRYING

[nerdwaifuu-stories]

The Proposal

Happy (belated) Ninjago Oc Day! Ik I haven’t posted much on this account, but I figured it would be the perfect time to post something about my OCs.

Ig some basic info:

Word count: 4,966

Oc basics: the main two are Hisashi and Emon. Hisashi was a samurai/soldier who I have made Ronin’s (dead) uncle. Emon was a criminal who worked for Chen (although Hisashi doesn’t know about that. He just knows that Emon has previously done crime in his youth), but started to lose interest over time due to several factors. Another oc that’s mentioned is Lex. They are a friend of Hisashi and Emon’s, and they are actually an Oni.

Summary: Taking place roughly 25-30ish years before the Ninjago series, Hisashi is coming home from a mission. Since he and Emon have been together for some time, he figures it’s time to take it to the next step. He is one ring purchase and a ship and train ride away from trying to reach that next step.

If you want to know more about these characters, there’s some stuff on my art account @nerdwaifuu-art.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers rang through the village as they saw the group in green armor entering the village. The soldiers marched through the middle, many with a look of victory on their faces contrasting the scuff, dirt, wounds, and exhaustion their bodies presented: all a worthy cost for a village's safety. Eventually their march and the cheering stopped as the chief approached the group.

"Oh great heroes, thank you! Thank you for saving us from those fiends! We will never forget what you have done for us! May the Creator bring you prosperity!" The chief cheered. Once he spoke his last word, the crowd of villagers' cheer erupted again, echoing the chief's message. From there, the chief and the captain went off to chat and the rest dispersed throughout the village. Some made their way back to the ship either to rest or prepare for the journey back to the city. Others remained in the village to chat or to explore. Amongst those exploring were two young men: a stout, short dark brown haired chatterbox and a long dark copper haired, silent listener. The two strolled through the village as one chatted away and the other listened while glancing at everything they passed.

"I wonder if the captain saw our hard work out there."

"Mhm."

"I mean we were kicking butt out there."

"Mhm."

"We should probably go to the medics to get our backs checked from how much carrying we were doing..."

"Mhm."

The stout man slowed his walk as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Hisashi, you good? You're quieter than usual, and it’s hard for you to be quieter than you already are..." He paused before he threw himself on track to a ramble, "Anyways, you just seem out of it."

"Yeah... Uh, yes, yes I'm fine, Shiro," Hisashi stumbled, "My mind's just on, uh, other things."

"Oh? Other things? What kind of other things?" Shiro questioned.

"You know... other things..." Hisashi kept scanning the surrounding stands and buildings.

"No, I don't know other things. How about you introduce me to them?" Shiro coaxed.

With a sigh, Hisashi stopped his mini search and said, "I'm just looking for some gifts..."

"Forrrr?"

Hisashi paused for a second, then said, "For my nephew-"

"Ah, why didn't you say so? No need to be so secretive with me," Shiro smirked, "C'mon, let's go find him something. One of these shops should have something he'll like" Shiro kept his hand on Hisashi's shoulder as he started to lead him. Hisashi resisted the push and said, "Actually, I know what shop I want to go to... I just need to find it again..." He looked around once more and then there it was: a small wooden stand run by a middle aged woman. The stand was covered with an assortment of items: jewelry, weapons, metal decorations, toys, metal sculptures, etc. He saw it the first time he arrived at the village and knew he had to stop by it.

"There it is," Hisashi took the lead and pulled Shiro with him as he approached the stand.

"Ah, hello boys~ Do you see anything you like?" The woman greeted them.

"My friend here is just looking, but I do see something I like," Shiro said, shooting a smoldering look towards the woman. The woman giggled and the two continued to chat (or Shiro commanded the conversation and continually bragged about himself). Meanwhile, Hisashi looked at the items. His eyes kept being pulled towards the actual reason that he wanted to come to the stand in the first place—a set of two matching rings sitting in a wooden ring box. Both were made up of a thick metal band that had a space cut in the middle where the gem was, making it appear as if the gem was floating. On the band, on either side of the gem, was a dragon carving colored gold. One ring had a black tinted band with a white gem while the other had a polished, silver finish and a black gem.

The woman noticed his interest in the rings and, once Shiro had taken a short pause, she shifted her focus, "I see that you've found something you like." She picked up the ring box and placed it in the middle of the table. Shiro shot a confused look at the woman and then at Hisashi.

"Oh, sorry, I was just looking at them. They're very beautiful," Hisashi admitted.

"Haha, no need to apologize for looking at what I'm selling, but thank you. My husband's... well, my late husband's father made them," the woman sighed, "Honestly the story is quite sweet. He came to this village and set up a blacksmith shop. A woman came into the shop one day and he fell deeply in love with her. He expanded his skills from weapon making to making small metal trinkets to give to her—" the woman glanced down at some of the other items at her stand before continuing, "She loved every single one and returned his love. Eventually, he decided it was time. He went into his workshop and began on his favorite project. The next time anyone saw him leave his shop, he went directly to the woman, took her somewhere nice, and proposed with these rings. She wore one and he wore the other..." A small smile formed on her face as she looked back at the rings, "Then they passed it down to my husband to use with me, and now here I am trying to sell them," she sighed, "I have no use for them now, and, even though I'm probably making some people roll in their graves, I need the money..."

"Awww, yeah that is really sweet. It's a shame you don't have a lady friend back at home, unless you and that Lexi girl have something~" Shiro teased Hisashi. Hisashi rolled his eyes. 'That Lexi girl' he referred to was Lex, but Hisashi only saw them as a friend. Instead, he had his eyes on someone else; someone else that he deeply cared about; someone else that he actually had something with.

"Plus we're here for your nephew. I don't think he'll have any use for these rings," Shiro reminded him.

"Um, right, of course..." Hisashi watched as the woman placed the rings back to their original spot.

"Oh, a nephew? Is he into metal work? Or I'm assuming he'll like the toys if he's young or the weapons perhaps?" The woman asked.

"Ah yes, a 5 year old who's into metal work-" Shiro quietly snickered. Hisashi shot a quick glare at him.

"Oh, he's quite young, scratch the weapons then," she chuckled.

Hisashi looked around the table some more and decided on one of the small metal figures and an old pocket watch.

"Ah, I'm sure he'll enjoy that," Shiro muttered sarcastically when he noticed the pocket watch was no longer ticking.

"He likes taking things apart and making new things, so yes, he'll probably enjoy this," Hisashi defended his choice.

"Is he trying to be an inventor?" the woman asked.

"I believe he does have an interest in becoming one. He's been fascinated with all the technological changes going on in the city. I don't understand it, but at least he's getting prepared for the future," Hisashi answered, starting to take out his money for his purchase.

"I forgot Ninjago City was going through all that. All the beautiful wood and clay buildings being replaced with tall metal buildings... It's insane."

"Yeah..." Hisashi and Shiro nodded along. While Hisashi searched for the right amount of money, he noticed that the remaining soldiers started to make their way back to the ship. He glanced back at the rings and turned to Shiro, "How about you head back to the ship while I finish up here?"

Shiro nodded, said his goodbye to the shop owner and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hisashi turned back to the stand and asked, "How much are the rings?"

The woman stated the price and said, "So you are interested in them after all?" Hisashi nodded as he took out the right amount of money for the rings, the figure, and the pocket watch.

"So is this for someone or just keeping it for yourself?" The woman wondered.

"I have someone at home waiting for me—"

The woman leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with interest. Before she could ask any questions, with a soft smile, Hisashi whispered, "I met h- uh, this person a while back and now we've been together for 5-6 years now... I figured I should do something special..."

"And decided it was time?" The woman asked at the same volume as him, with a large grin on her face. He nodded.

"Well, I hope the Creator blesses you both," she said, exchanging the items for Hisashi's money. He said his thanks and started to head off to the ship.

"Goodbye, may the Creator bring you prosperity and may the Great Serpent protect you on your journey!" The woman called out.

Hisashi turned around and asked "Great Serpent?"

"Oh, do people in the city not know this story?" Hisashi shook his head, so she explained, "According to some stories I've heard, there's a serpent that sleeps deep in the sea. She apparently used to rule the sea and was the reason for the waves and the storms, so people used to pray to her and give her offerings to keep her happy. Unfortunately that's all I know from the top of my head, and it's all probably just a story."

"Huh, sounds interesting. Thank you," Hisashi said before departing.

Laying his bed, Hisashi could feel the ship rock back and forth and hear his roommates chatting instead of sleeping, excited to be one step closer to home in the morning. But none of it blocked his focus on reading. His brain refused to let him sleep as the nerves have finally got to him. He had a ring in his possession, and he was hopefully going to give it away once he got to the city. To try to calm himself down in the safety of his bed, he took out some letters he got in the past few weeks. Each one started with "My Dearest Sai," and ended with "I can't wait to see you again. Love, Emon Sharma."

It was odd to think that these letters used to be closed off with a "Sincerely" or a simple "From," and "Love" was never a closing he had seen until 5 years ago. Even though it's been years, Hisashi's heart still flutters when he sees the word in Emon's handwriting. It still feels like such a new feeling, especially when he never acknowledged that such feelings could exist in him when he was growing up. Even when his brother tried to describe them when referring to himself and his now wife during high school, Hisashi never understood. Now he did.

After rereading each of the letters, he held the paper close to his chest. He tried picturing everything that Emon described. He tried remembering each random ramble that he sent him that Emon responded to. He silently laughed at the idea of him trying to make sense of everything Hisashi tried telling him. If he tried sending similar letters to anyone else he knows, they would just skim through everything and ask about how he is and how's work, avoiding to say "please tell me more about this random thing you learned ." Emon would be one of the only people who would say that.

The chatter in the room quieted down and the remaining lights started to disappear. With a sigh, Hisashi caught one more glimpse of the contents of the letters before it went completely dark.

"I can't wait to see you again. Love, Emon Sharma."

He softly smiled, folded the letters, and placed them under his pillow.

"I can't wait either..."

"Ah finally, land!" Shiro exclaimed once he and Hisashi got off the ship. Carrying their stuff (armor, weapons, supplies, letters, etc.), the two swerved their way through the crowds of people. Fellow soldiers were pouring out of the boat, being welcomed by their loved ones, going to a nearby inn or bar, or already beginning their ways home. Hisashi looked around at who was there, but he knew that his loved ones were in the city, which was a train ride away. He smiled at the thought of coming off the train to them, and clutched the ring box that hid in his pocket.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop for a drink? Or even for a snack?" Shiro asked, following his 6 foot friend to avoid getting lost.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Gotta make sure I catch the train," he said, glancing back to make sure Shiro wasn't too far behind.

"But the train's not going to leave for a bit," Shiro said, puzzled.

"I know, I just..." Hisashi trailed off and stopped in his tracks, leading to Shiro bumping into him.

"Oof- what's going on?" He asked, but got no answer. Shiro looked past Hisashi to see what was ahead, but it didn't click due to so many people being around. It wasn't until he saw two people: a short, medium tanned, black haired man with a scruffy beard and a towering, brown-skinned, short brown haired (hidden under a hat), female presenting person. The man noticed them and started to wave, then stopped and started approaching quickly while dragging his companion with him. Hisashi gripped the hidden ring box tighter as he started walking to lessen the distance. Once he was within a foot of the man, the man threw his arms around Hisashi and nearly lifted him off his feet within the first few seconds of the hug while saying, "It's so good to see you, Sai!"

"Woah, easy Emon. No need to break me," Hisashi chuckled, wiggling a bit to loosen Emon's grip and free his arms. Once they were free, Hisashi returned the hug and pulled Emon close while Emon buried his face into Hisashi's shoulder. Hisashi wished he could stay in this hug forever. He also wished he could just give Emon a big kiss, but he had to wait until they were in private; until they were in the city...

"Wait a minute—" Hisashi pushed Emon out in front of him, keeping his hands on Emon's shoulders—"What are you guys doing here?"

"Lex and I just figured that you deserved a welcome party as soon as you arrived," Emon confessed.

"And Emon really missed you and wanted to see you as soon as possible," Lex added.

"Yeah, that too," Emon chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. A smile stretched across Hisashi's face as he tried to hold in a laugh. His hand left Emon's shoulder and almost caressed his cheek, but he then remembered Shiro was watching from behind and they were surrounded by other people. He slowly pulled his hand back and hid it back in his pocket, trying to ignore the longing look in Emon's eyes. He then said, "Thank you, I missed you so much too. I couldn't wait to see you again..." Emon responded with a soft smile.

"Well, I missed you guys too," Shiro barged in, now standing next to Hisashi.

"Yes, it's good to see you, Shiro," Lex mumbled.

"I thought you would be much happier, Lexi," Shiro snickered. Lex's eyes were shooting daggers, but they tried to hide their gaze behind the brim of their hat as they said, "We best be going now. Don't want to miss the train." Before anyone could say anything, Lex had already turned around and started towards the train station.

"Ah what a shame. I wanted to talk with y'all more," Shiro sighed, "Well, see y'all back in the city tomorrow!" After an exchange of goodbyes, Shiro disappeared into the crowd.

"Well then, let's go," Emon said, linking his arm with Hisashi's. The two then followed behind Lex, trying to keep up.

"What was all the hurry about Lex?" Emon asked them.

Lex turned their head away from the train window and said, "Just didn't want to get stuck in one of his rambles. You get him talking and you'll probably end up hearing too much about what happened during the mission. I'm just not in the mood to hear how he 'sliced one man's head off' or whatever."

"That's fair," Hisashi said, also looking at the passing land outside the window. He was there when all of it happened, and he didn't need to hear about it again. He only wanted his mind on one thing and one thing only.

"Speaking of which, how was the mission?" Emon asked.

"Oh, just a typical mission. The thugs were playing hard to get for some time. Fortunately, we stopped them before anything too bad happened, and we didn't have many major injuries this time around. Just some scratches here and there," Hisashi answered quickly. He took one last look out of the window before sitting up and facing Lex and Emon on the other side of the table, saying, "But, despite the mission, the place we were at was very lovely." Emon leaned closer, interested to hear more.

"It was a small village by the ocean. Whenever we had a break, it was so calming to be on the white beach and just listen to the calm waves. And the village was really lovely too. It was filled with small shops and stands, and the people there seemed nice. They were very welcoming and always closed the conversations with something about 'the Creator' blessing you." Hisashi said. Lex perked up to full attention towards the end.

"The Creator? Like the creator of the town?" Emon asked.

"Or the Realm..." Lex muttered quietly, but, when they got confused looks from the two men, they said, "World. I mean world."

"Oh right, that makes more sense," Emon chuckled.

"Yeah, they often referenced them, but I guess they have plenty of other stories too. Before I was leaving, a nice woman at a shop said something about a Great Serpent—" Hisashi then recited what the woman had told him. Both Emon and Lex were leaning in close to hear every word. When Hisashi finished, Emon, with excitement in his eyes, and Lex, looking like they wanted to say something but decided against it, looked at each other, then back at Hisashi.

"Woah, that's so cool! Bet that was fun to hear about right before getting on a ship," Emon snickered.

"Yeah, but it's merely just a story," Lex uttered, leaning back against the seat, "Nothing to worry about."

"Have you ever heard of it?" Hisashi asked them. Lex hesitantly nodded, "All I know about it is the same as what the woman told you..." Hisashi could tell that they knew more, but he didn't want to force anything out of them. He could probably try finding a scroll or a book with more information.

"Anyways, overall the place was really nice. If we didn't have work and other stuff to deal with, I would say we should go there sometime," Hisashi said, mainly glancing over to Emon when talking. The idea of just leaving the city, getting on a ship, and sailing somewhere to explore sounded so pleasant, especially if it was with Emon and even Lex. He would even want to take his nephew once in a while. Just the 3 and sometimes 4 of them on a ship, seeing what the world offered. But their lives didn't allow for that. Hisashi had soldier duties to take care of while Emon and Lex had their own responsibilities, and there was just too much they would be leaving behind. Maybe one day in the future it could become a reality.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Emon said, smiling. Then the table went silent. Lex went back to looking out the window while the other two sat silently. Hisashi started to fidget with the ring box in his pocket, only bringing back the nerves. He looked up at Emon and could see he was shifting in his seat, shooting glances at both him and Lex. He wondered what Emon could be so nervous about.

Lex turned their head and sensed the nervousness sitting next to them and across from them. They shot a "say something and get it over with" look at both Hisashi and Emon.

"Sai—"

"Emon—"

They both paused and tried continuing, only further interrupting each other, "Sorry, go ahead—no you go ahead—no I didn't have anything to say—no please, I interrupted you—"

With a sigh, Lex barged in, "So, do you guys have any plans for today?" The two paused and looked at each other, waiting for the other to say something.

"I heard the weather is going to be super nice today. Maybe you guys can go to the park," Lex suggested.

"You are such a mind reader. That was what I was going to suggest," Emon said.

"I was actually going to recommend the same thing," Hisashi nervously laughed. He's so glad that he wrote Lex about what his plans were, or he would've just chickened out and waited to do it.

"Hah, perfect. Maybe we can get some lunch too. You're probably starving. I know I am," Emon said with a grin.

"Sounds good," Hisashi replied with a soft smile. He turned to Lex and mouthed the words "Thank you."

They smirked and mouthed back the words "You're welcome."

"Man, no matter how many times I come here, I always forget how good the food is," Emon exclaimed as he finished paying for the food. In defeat, Hisashi watched the check and the money leave. Him and Emon literally went back and forth about who would pay the bill only to find out that Hisashi had left his wallet at home due to him rushing to get ready and look nice for the day, so Emon came out victorious.

"I claim to pay the next check," Hisashi uttered while they got up and left the café.

"Haha, we'll see if you remember your wallet next time," Emon snickered, "Although it's not like you to forget it at all. Are you feeling well?"

"Yes yes, I'm fine," Hisashi chuckled, "Just adjusting to being home that's all..."

And just being a big ball of nerves, he thought to himself. At least he had the ring with him, or his whole plan would have gone down the drain because of one silly mistake.

"How about you though? You seemed nervous on the train," he asked Emon.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Um, yeah I'm good now. It was just being on a train. Y'know I don't really go on them," Emon said. Hisashi raised an eyebrow, but decided not to  further question him.

The two continued to chat as they walked towards and into the park. Circled by the new skyscrapers, the park sat at the center of the entire city. Full of green hills and growing trees, it was one of the few areas of nature in the city. It was still a work in progress as workers were busy with putting in new buildings, benches, and pathways, but it was still a nice place for a stroll and a proposal.

The two walked through the park, chatting and enjoying the scenery. While listening to Emon, Hisashi scanned the area, trying to find the best area. It needed to be a private area with no one around, but also needed to be a beautiful area.

All of a sudden, Emon grasped Hisashi's hand and said, "Come with me, I know a good place you need to see." He then started leading him up one of the hills, looked around, and then continued pulling him along. Down the hill, across some of the grass, and up a slightly taller hill. Once they reached the top, Emon stopped and tightened his hand around Hisashi's, looking out at the view of the entire park.

"Wow," Hisashi marveled at the view. It was beautiful... and there wasn't anyone else around... it was perfect.

"I know right. I came here all the time when I was younger. When I had no where else to go, I would just come here..." Emon's grip loosened, so Hisashi gently pulled his hand away and backed up slightly. He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and took a deep breath as he went down on a knee. This was it. It was time.

"It's crazy to think that I've come all this way," Emon continued, still looking at the view, "I used to come here as a young thief just trying to survive. That's all I thought my life would be until the day I died. But you've changed that..." Hisashi watched Emon go grab something from inside his jacket, but he couldn't see what. "...You've shown me that there's more to my life. Life is not just about trying to get by. It's about learning and experiencing new things. It's about love. It's about so much more than I know, So, I took you here in hopes that I can leave the lonely, barely living thief behind and enter a new chapter of our lives. Hisashi Arima, will y—" Emon turned around, about to kneel down, but he stopped halfway. In his hands was a long, wooden box with a black finish, kept shut with a golden latch. He quickly stood up and hid the box back in his jacket, his eyes not leaving Hisashi. He ran one of his hands through his hair as his face started to flush red. "Sai, I— oh my god..." was all he could say.

Hisashi sat there frozen, unsure what to do. He had planned this for weeks, but now everything just jumped out of his brain.

"Were you about to propose..."

Emon lips formed an embarrassed smile as he quickly nodded. Hisashi's mouth hung open and he looked down at the ring box, unsure what to say. Should he just try to stick to his plan or let Emon continue?

"Forget about me, go ahead," Emon whispered, gently pulling Hisashi's chin back up.

"Um, well," Hisashi cleared his throat and took a deep breath in, looking into Emon's eyes. They had a sort of calming aura about them now. Hisashi's lip curled up slightly as he gathered his words.

"I guess to play off what you've said, you have changed my life as well. Before I really got to know you, I probably seemed like a stone cold guy whose only purpose was to work until he no longer could. You have added more purpose to my life... so much more purpose. And, despite trying to understand everything, love was never one I could get a grasp of. Now I feel like I know at least a tiny bit about it from the past few years, and I'm willing to learn more with you. Emon, I love you so much. I will love you until the day I die. Even beyond death, I will always love you..." Hisashi took a pause, trying to catch his breath from speeding up towards the end without taking a moment to breathe. During the pause, he decided to open the ring box, resulting in a quiet gasp from Emon. He glanced up at him to see the reaction. His smile was bigger, but was being slightly hidden behind one of his hands. His calming eyes started to tear up as he looked up from the ring to Hisashi.

"Will you... would you... uh..." Hisashi started, but his mind was back to blanking out. Improvising clearly took all his brain power. It was his turn to blush red.

Emon chuckled, took Hisashi's one hand that wasn't holding the box, and asked "Will you marry me?" Hisashi couldn't help but laugh along as he quickly nodded. Emon then took the polished silver ring and slipped it onto one of Hisashi's fingers, and Hisashi put the other one on Emon.

"By the way, that was my line," Hisashi joked as he gave Emon his ring.

"Technically it was supposed to be mine," Emon said before pulling Hisashi up and into a kiss with his arms around his neck. Once they both pulled away, Emon held Hisashi close and rested his head against his shoulder.

"I love you so much Sai, and thank you for the ring. It's absolutely as beautiful as you are..." Emon said, then remembered his proposal gift. He let go of Hisashi, grabbed the box, went down on his knees, and held the box up.

"This is what I was going to give you... I hope you don't mind it not being a ring..."

Hisashi took the box from him and unlocked the latch. He lifted the lid to find a ornate dagger inside. It had a pale green jade hilt with silver sheath decorated with floral motifs and pale green and red gemstones. He gently picked up the dagger and unsheathed it to reveal a silver, double edged blade.

"This is beautiful," he said in awe, sheathing the blade and placing it carefully back into the box.

"I'm glad you think so. As soon as I saw it, I figured it would be a perfect gift," Emon said, smiling.

"It definitely is. Thank you," Hisashi said, giving Emon a quick peck on the lips.

"Well, should we get out of here and start the next chapter of our lives?" Hisashi asked.

Emon took a hold of Hisashi's hand and said, "I'm ready whenever you are."

They took one more look at the view, and Hisashi started to lead Emon.

"Let's go."