#this boy took 5ever to create

[deadbloodzero]

Happy Birthday!!

Please give a warm welcome to our beloved ruined daycare attendant, Eclipse! I'll be bringing him to LA Comic Con this weekend, so if you happen to see him, come say hey!

[miguelswifey04]

Oh! Imagine a power bottom Miguel who's super bossy and teasy!

so sorry it took me 5ever to get to this but here i am <3

power bottom! miguel x switch! reader (male x male)

cw: smut: no plot, anal sex, bottom! miguel, sub! miguel, top/switch! reader, nsfw 18+, unprotected sex

as you look down at miguel , his eyes glinting with anticipation, a mischievous grin spreads across your face. you gently stroke his hair, enjoying the softness beneath your fingertips.

“very good, miguel ," you purr teasingly. "you certainly know how to please, don't you?" miguel’s chest swells with pride at your praise, but his eyes narrow in a challenging manner. he never misses an opportunity for a little power play. “damn straight, i do," he replies, his voice dripping with confidence. "but a good boy like me deserves a reward, don't you think?" you chuckle, leaning in closer to him as your hand trails down his muscular chest. your fingers trace the outline of his abdominals, feeling the firmness beneath your touch.

“oh, i think i have just the reward in mind," you whisper, your voice filled with promise. miguel’s eyes widen with anticipation as he tries to guess what you have in store for him. he can't resist a little teasing of his own. “come on, don't keep me waiting," he growls playfully. "i know you want to have your way with this tight little ass of mine."

you laugh, unable to resist his bratty charm. the power dynamic between you two is electrifying, and you can't wait to see where this evening will take you. “you’re right, miguel," you reply, your voice dripping with desire. "but first, i want you to beg for it. beg to feel me inside you." miguel's eyes widen in surprise at your request. he’s usually the one in control, but he's more than willing to submit to your desires.

he bites his lip, a shiver running down his spine as he looks up at you. "please my love," he murmurs, his voice trembling with need. "i need you to fuck me. i need to feel you deep inside me, stretching me, making me yours." his words send a jolt of desire through you, and you lean in, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. as your tongues intertwine, the power dynamic shifts, and you take control, gently pushing him onto his back. your hands trail down his body, feeling the heat emanating from his skin. you can feel the outline of his hard cock straining against his suit, begging for release. but you want to prolong his pleasure, to make him truly earn his reward. with a wicked grin, you whisper in his ear, "not yet, miguel. first, you'll have to submit completely to me."

miguel's eyes widen with excitement as he eagerly nods his consent. he’s ready to surrender himself to your every desire, to let you take him to new heights of pleasure. his moans of pleasure fill the room as you nibble and suck on his bottom lip, teasing him mercilessly. “mmm, you taste so good, miguel," you murmur against his lips. "but you need to be patient. you know good things come to those who wait."

miguel squirms beneath you, his breathing becoming ragged with anticipation. his soft rear rubs against your bulging crotch, teasing your own desire for him. “please" he pleads, his voice filled with desperation. "i need you inside me. i can't wait any longer." your hand trails down his body, reaching the bulge in his suit. you can feel his throbbing length straining against the fabric, yearning for release. “oh miguel," you say, your voice husky with desire. "you’re going to have to beg a little more if you want me to give in."

his eyes widen with a mixture of desire and frustration, but he knows he must obey. he lifts his hips slightly, creating a tantalizing friction against your hand as he bites his lip. “please," he whimpers, his voice heavy with need. "i need you to fuck me. i need to feel your hard cock stretching me, filling me, making me yours." the desperation in his plea sends a surge of desire coursing through your veins. you can feel your own arousal building, throbbing between your legs.

unable to resist any longer, you lean over miguel, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. your hands move to his suit, peeling it away from his body, revealing his chiseled form. as his bare skin touches yours, heat radiates between you. your hands roam his body, tracing the contours and curves, teasing and caressing, driving him wild with desire. without breaking the kiss, you align yourself with miguel’s waiting entrance. slowly , you begin to push inside, the tight heat engulfing you, causing a gasp to escape from your lips. miguel moans, his hands gripping the sheets beneath him. you start with a slow and teasing rhythm, savoring the sensation of miguel wrapped around you, his body yielding to your every thrust. the room fills with the scent of arousal, the sounds of your combined moans and gasps intermingling in the air.

as the pleasure intensifies, miguel’s nails dig into your back, his hips rising to meet your thrusts. the sensation is overwhelming, and you find yourself losing control, your rhythm becoming frantic and primal. you can feel his hot breath against your neck, his nails leaving a trail of tingling sensations across your back. miguel's moans mix with yours, harmonizing in the charged air of the room. the weight of his body against yours, his muscles flexing and relaxing with each movement, heightens the intensity of the experience.

as you continue to move in sync, the feeling of his plump rear against your thighs is almost intoxicating. his softness contrasts with the firmness of his body, a delightful combination that drives you to new heights of pleasure. your movements become more urgent, fueled by the primal desire that pulses through both of you. the sound of skin against skin, the wetness and heat enveloping you, only intensifies the sensations. the room is filled with the heady scent of pulsing desire, mingling with the sound of your breathless gasps. miguel’s hands grip your shoulders, nails digging into your skin, as he loses himself in the pleasure.

with each thrust, you feel a delicious friction, a perfect fit that has you both losing control. miguel’s walls tighten around you, signaling his impending release. and in that moment, his body tenses, his breath hitching as he reaches the pinnacle of pleasure. you feel the warmth of his release against your chest as his moans of satisfaction fill the room. his orgasm triggers your own, a powerful wave that crashes over you. you thrust deeply, your body shuddering as you release inside him, filling him completely with your essence. As the euphoria slowly subsides, you both lay there, limbs intertwined, basking in the aftermath of your passionate encounter. the room is filled with the scent of sweat and satisfaction, and a sense of contentment washes over both of you. miguel looks up at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of adoration and satisfaction. you can't help but smile as you brush a strand of hair away from his face, his soft breath against your skin reminding you of the new heights you just explored together.

a/n: i’ve never written a male reader x masc/male reader before, soooo, i hope you like it <3

tags 🏷️!! @kairiscorner @sabcandoit @meeom @astro1bloom @emiemiemiii @obi-mom-kenobi

[feysandfeels]

Bless that T Swift/SJM crossover anon!! Can I add some other ones?!

The 1 - Chaol & Celaena after she’s Aelin again (or Chaol & Nesryn.....poor Chaol)

The Last Great American Dynasty - more like the Last Great Terrasen Dynasty lol

My Tears Ricochet - Aelin @ Arobyn

Mirrorball - Lysandra

Mad Woman = AELIN

The Lakes - Aelin talking about Rowan when she’s tired of it all

Not my (Chloe Ting sponsored) ass realizing just now that the original anon meant all the sjm pairings, but since I’m deep in the acotar trash atm I only made those. 

ACOTAR I & II

Apologies jeje. 

Manorian: generally speaking they have such reputation vibes. Immaculate record for immaculate couple.

... Ready for it? - “But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom Holdin' him for ransom” // “Younger than my exes but he act like such a man, so I see nothing better, I keep him forever Like a vendetta-ta” // “You should see the things we do, baby In the middle of the night, in my dreams I know I'm gonna be with you So I take my time Are you ready for it?”. Listen do I really need to explain this or do we all just see it?. This song has the electricity, the sexyness, the roughness, the daring aspect that makes manorian be the GOD tier couple that they are. 

I’d Lie - Right, bare with me  but I will lol at this forever because Manon is basically “And I could tell you his favorite color's green He loves to argue, born on the seventeenth His sister's beautiful, he has his father's eyes And if you asked me if I love him, I'd lie”. It’s such a weird song to associate with them but it fits her so well hahahahaha because my girl lives in such denial that I just can’t hahahahahahaaha and like “I don't let nobody see me wishing he was mine” this is MANON FOR DORIAN ALL THE TIME, and everyone is like but we see you wanting him so just do something about it!!!

Rowaelin

Willow - this screams Rowan looking at Aelin: “Wherever you stray I follow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man”. He straight up left Maeve and the blood pact thingy they had for the blond girl he met three months prior. Also “Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark Show me the places where the others gave you scars Now this is an open-shut case Guess I should've known from the look on your face Every bait and switch was a work of art”, this speaks of the vulnerability shared through HoF about their scars and of Rowan realizng that every step he took was so he would met her. Willow is Rowan’s song for Aelin. 

The Lakes- LET HER GO TO TERRASEN WHERE ALL THE POETS WENT TO DIE, LET HER STAY SO THAT WISTERIA GROWS AROUND HER FEET BECAUSE SHE HASN’T MOVED IN YEARS. 

Elorcan

Hoax - the balance of the deep betrayal and the love, the hurt and the I would choose you again all of the nuances of Lorcan’s betrayal and the shattered illusions that speak of them even in their absences, are in Hoax: “Stood on the cliffside Screaming, "Give me a reason" Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in Don't want no other shade of blue But you No other sadness in the world would dI believe in Don't want no other shade of blue But you No other sadness in the world would do”.

Lysandeon

Paper rings- “The wine is cold Like the shoulder that I gave you in the street Cat and mouse for a month or two or three Now I wake up in the night and watch you breathe”. This song matches their energy so well even if the lyrics don’t all offer exact parallels. They did however play cat and mouse for a month or two or three. “I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings Uh huh, that's right Darling, you're the one I want” Lysandra being accustomed to the finer things in life but she would slum it for Aedion; she is here for thick and thin.

Nesraq: 

Gorgeous - “Of your magnetic field being a little too strong And I got a boyfriend (Chaol), he's older than us He's in the club (palace) doing, I don't know what (Yrene....) You're so cool (Sartaq really is the coolest), it makes me hate you so much (I hate you so much)” // You make me so happy (dude Nesryn loves spending time with him and he feels valued), it turns back to sad (fuck what about Chaol.. we promised each other it give it ago), yeah There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have (because he’s the prince and I’m not royal) You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad”.

Chaorene: 

Dancing with our hands tied - even if the lyrics don’t create perfect parallels, I think the main theme of the song being two people that want to be together, but feel their relationship has a lot of baggage would fit them well. Yrene has to get over her hate for Adarlan (even though she has every every every right to hate Adarlan) and Chaol has to get over *himself*. “I, I loved you in spite of Deep fears that the world would divide us So, baby, can we dance Oh, through an avalanche? And say, say that we got it I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted”.

 Sam x Celaena:

I know places - them trying to run away so they could find a safe place to be in love? indeed. Me crying right now because they never got to? you bet: “'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes And guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes And we runBaby, I know places we won't be found and They'll be chasing their tails trying to track us down Cause I, I, I, I know places we can hide, I, I (...)”.

Dorian x Celaena: 

The Way I loved you - To Dorian from Aelin... with love, friendship love that is. Because she recognizes the potential in him, in them, she knows he would be good to her and she knows that she indeed fell for him hard enough to want him for herself, but it just doesn’t feel like *that* anymore.

Red - From Dorian’s perspective: “Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly”// “Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted Was right there in front of you Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words To your old favorite song Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword And realizing there's no right answer”. They were literally a crash and burn. But neither of them can actually bring themselves to regret it. It was fun while it lasted and in its way it brought them closer. 

Chaol x Celaena: 

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - self explanatory, this is them through QoS. My Celorian ass is here for this pettiness I will take no criticism.  

Forever and Always - “Was I out of line? Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide Like a scared little boy I looked into your eyes Thought I knew you for a minute, now I'm not so sure So here's to everything coming down to nothing Here's to silence, that cuts me to the core Where is this going? Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore” This was essentially Chaol’s thought process wondering why him an Celaena don’t work anymore and feeling like... a “we were supposed to be together 5ever what happened.... besides me not doing much to prevent her bff’s death and working for the dude that orchestrated the murder of her nation ?”

August - if I’m being honest this song fits them too not my fave song from folklore being for my least favorite couple in this story but if I gave Feylin some of my all time favorites I can give this one to them, but like “But I can see us lost in the memory August slipped away into a moment in time 'Cause it was never mine And I can see us twisted in bedsheets August sipped away like a bottle of wine 'Cause you were never mine Your back beneath the sun Wishin' I could write my name on it” Even though Chaol was ready to leave it all for her (he would literally cancel plans.. his life plans in case she’d call) she knew that this was an impossibility, their time was brief and it slipped away like a bottle of wine. She could never be his, because she was not entirely herself with him being Aelin meant opening up a lot of things and if Chaol had a hard time getting past a lot of Celaena’s traits then we can imagine the work, literally work he would have to do to accept Aelin... you know what, we don’t have to imagine it... it’s right there in QoS and ToD, anywho, he could never write his name on her back because she was never his, because he did not accept her for all that she was. 

Aelin x Dorian x Chaol: 

Long live - “I  said, remember this moment, in the back of my mind The time we stood with our shaking hands The crowds in stands went wild We were the kings and the queens” // “Will you take a moment? Promise me this That you'll stand by me forever But if, God forbid, fate should step in And force us into a goodbye If you have children some day When they point to the pictures Please tell them my name Tell them how the crowds went wild Tell them how I hope they shine Long live the walls we crashed through I had the time of my life, with you” // I’m emotional right now and I need to cry it out.

I’m not 100% sure on the Chaoyrene one... but I think it’s good enough for me to post this hahaha

Anywho, I hope whoever asked for this enjoyed it 💛💛

[giyuwu-san]

burn the stage — part 1 // dabi

—  A multi-chapter fic complete with your favorite indie and mainstream bops. Watch as you fall in love with the captivating guitarist of a band one drunken, perfect night. (BAND AU)

↱ PAIRING : Dabi x Female!Reader

↱ WORD COUNT : 5K

↱ WARNINGS : Mentions of alcohol, Suggestive themes, Strong language, Dabi being hot

↱ TAGS : @yusemis​ @lordexplosionsextra​ @astrrnmy​​ @basicallyberry​ @j-brielmalfoy​ (I actually remembered my taglist this time wow)

↱ AUTHOR’S NOTE : Thank you sosososo much to @kaikamikazi​ for allowing me to use her likeness for Kai’s character! Happy birthday to my favorite clown <3 everyone please wish her a happy birthday woot woot !!! And also huge huge thanks to @doughnuts-5ever​ and @jojosmilktea​ for helping me proofread/betaread this fic huhu it was a whole ass mess you guys are absolute legends tysm!!

↱ PLAYLIST

↱ SERIES  MASTERLIST 

------------------------------------------------✈

scene one; no song

          "Thousands of years ago, our ancestors looked up at the night sky and saw a field of lights." 

The aged man paced around the room, hands folded behind his back and hair graying by the roots. His side facing the blackboard on the wall, he continued;

          "None of them really knew what they were," he stopped and looked at the vast sea of students perched atop of chairs in the big room. "But, they made a fascinating observation."

You sat listening to your professor, your chin perched on your open palm, and eyes focused on the notebook that sat idly on your connected desks. 

          "They noticed that the patterns were predictable and had clear effects." The man said with some form of self-acknowledged eureka, his left hand coming up to the height of his face, index finger pointing up at the heavily-lit ceiling. "The seasons, the tides, the harvests."

          "Incredible, isn't it?" he resumed.

The man was about to continue on his tangent. But that was until a hand shot up in the air, followed by a voice. 

          "Uhm, professor?" the boy who raised his hand asked. "Aren't we supposed to be learning about chemistry?" 

Your professor looked at him, who now appeared to be slightly frightened by the blank but disrupted gaze of his teacher. 

          “Pfft—” 

You turned around to see your friend Kai, her head resting upon her folded arms. Was she seriously trying to sleep through the lesson again?

          “The one opportunity we got to sleep,” she sighed. “You just had to ruin it, brainy.”

          “Is that seriously what you call a sufficient insult?” you asked as you fully tilted your head towards her direction.

          “Wasn’t saying it to insult him.” She said casually as she massaged her head with the hand closest to her, face still partially buried within her entangled arms. “Wasn’t saying it to compliment him either though.”

You scoffed.

          “You’re unbelievable,” and at that, the darker-skinned girl turned to you with horror in her eyes.

          “Oh no,” she said petrified.

          “What?”

          “You’re being a Karen again.” 

You looked at her dumbfounded, sighing.

          “I am not being a Karen,” you started. “I’m just saying—” 

It was already too late, however, as Kai had both her hands covering her ears, blocking out your protests as well as all her other life issues. 

You sighed once more and turned your attention back to your professor, your notebook still open on your desk.

          “Your semester is practically over,” said your professor, standing idly in front of all the students, his left hand reaching up to habitually play with the fabric of his suit tie. 

          “So, let me have some me-time every once in a while," he continued.

‘You never let us have any me-time—’ is what you could feel the hoard of tired students internally screaming around you. 

The aged man cleared his throat and set along to once again resume his lengthy ramble. 

          “Where was I?” he asked himself, his feet already departing from his standstill position in the middle of the room as he started walking about once more. 

          “Ah yes, so it seemed logical that these lights shaped everything else in our lives. But with the scientific method disproving all these theories, why do people still look for meaning in the stars?”

A hand shot up in the air once again, only to be shot back down by a quick hand gesture from the professor.

          “Calm down now, I’m not done yet,” he said. 

          “Many prolific historical figures of our kind, such as the Iikes of William Shakespeare, have used the concept of astrology as a metaphorical expression, more than an actual study. Whether or not he truly believed in it, he still used the idea of astrology to create some of his most well-known epigrams to date,” he continued.

          “With lines such as; ‘These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us.’ from King Lear, ‘A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.’ from Romeo and Juliet— I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with that one." He faced the students once more. "And my utmost favorite, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars—’” 

          “But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” 

          “—From Julius Caesar,” the professor smiled. “Well done, Miss L/N.”

Shock settled into your form, having realized that you had said that much louder than you had anticipated. Now with the burning stares of your classmates and uncontrolled laughter coming from a seatmate you used to call your best friend, you let out an exasperated sigh, head falling onto your desk and arms protecting you from the unfiltered judgment of the outside world. 

You sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day before finally coming out of hiding, your chin once again finding shelter in your welcoming palm. You stared down at your open notebook, observing each line and angle. Stared at the drawings of orbits clashing together with the unwelcome intrusion of jotted scientific equations. A picture of the sun as each planet aligned themselves accordingly within their rotation, along with the lengthy compound formula of 4 Bromo, 3-4 Dichloro, Ethyl Hexanoate, written briskly, and uncared for.

But despite your apparent unhappiness and deep-rooted sorrow, you lifted your head forward and listened to the lesson in front of you.

"You seriously need to loosen up," said Kai, her head faced towards you. "When was the last time you danced to music alone in your bedroom?"

You thought about it for a second.

She sighed.

          "You're so sad," she sighed once more and patted your head. "Poor baby."

She brought her hand down from the crown of your head, arm now resting on your shoulders as she brought you in closer. 

          "I'm gonna get you laid tonight," she said with conviction. You looked at her profile, absolutely bewildered.

          "I'm sorry, what?"

          "That's right," she nodded her head in content. "You're having sex tonight, just leave it to me."

          "Shouldn't we work on having me dance to music alone in my bedroom first?" you countered.

          "Even better," she grinned at you with the type of grin your primary teachers warned you about. You know, those creepy man smiles that you should run away from when faced with in a dark, ominous alley? "I'm taking you to a bar."

You could feel Mrs. Peterson screaming at you to run. 

But nobody really listened to Mrs. Peterson. Sorry.

You sighed once more at your beaming friend and nodded your head slowly.

          "Whatever," you finally said. Attention spanning back to the lecture in front of you as you turned your head. "After the class ends."

Kai smiled and leaned back into her chair, legs crossing and folded arms supporting her head from behind. She looked utterly satisfied.

          "Alright Karen," she said. 

          "My name is not Karen," you grumbled.

          "Then stop being such a Karen and let me have my fun," she closed her eyes and smiled. Totally abandoning the lecture playing out before her. Chemistry was all just a bunch of bullshit anyway. 

scene two; black eyes

Ambient lighting and muffled voices were what greeted you and Kai as you both entered the bar. The light that shone down above you cast an evanescent sheen across the tiny, hidden bar. 

You fumbled in with your red dress and heeled boots, bridging the edge of comfortable and painfully exposed. It’s been years since you've last worn a dress. 

          "Are you sure this isn't some kind of ancient speakeasy?" you asked Kai, uneasy. 

          "A speakeasy for bands and stuff sure," she shrugged. "Sadly, no dancing flapper girls, so sorry to disappoint." 

You nodded and started heading towards the bar. No matter how badly you wanted to keep up the 'holier than thou' attitude, college was rough and unforgiving. 

You ordered your drink and sat down on the stool, Kai following you shortly after as she sat beside you. 

          "I heard there's gonna be a good band playing tonight," she rings up the bartender and orders a drink. 

She takes one look at your drooping face and sighed, her hand coming up to massage your shoulder. 

          "Loosen up," she takes a sip from her drink, "just for tonight, okay?"

You sighed and nodded timidly, copying her as you took a swig of your own drink. 

          "Looks like they're almost up," she taps your shoulder. "Mr. Compress is about to introduce them." 

          "Mister wha—" she shushes you before you could continue, leaving you no other choice but to sigh and watch.

The man with the strange name took center-stage with the microphone in his hand. The crowd seemed to know who he was, for they cheered and started gathering at the front of the stage. 

          "Let's go take a closer look too," Kai stood up and started dragging you with her. "Take your drink with you."

You looked at the already half-empty glass and shrugged, opting to chug it down instead. You finished your drink and walked with Kai towards the pit of people, still confused about what exactly was going on.

The strangely named man started to speak.

          "Ladies and gentlemen," he threw his free hand in the air by his side flamboyantly. "What an incredible pleasure to have you all here tonight. I am delighted to see some familiar faces, and some new ones too." 

He grinned.

          "I'm sure a lot of you are here to relieve some stress, no?" he asked, and the crowd cheered in affirmation. The man chuckled and continued;

          "Well, I best not keep my wonderful patrons waiting then." The crowd cheered louder. "Without further delay, may I present to you, The Villain League!"

The crowd roared as four people took the stage, varied instruments at their disposal, but the one that caught your eye was the one that stood at the center, a guitarist, and a good looking one at that. 

He was mostly dressed in dark clothing, aside from the white t-shirt he wore under his long coat. His features were hidden beneath the shadow cast by the dimmed lights.

And that was when the music started.

Electric guitar blinded your senses and opened your eyes. The exhilarating sound numbed the nerves that coursed through your entire body. Every hair on your body stood on its roots, awakened by the new thrill of music.

The lights turned on to the max, and the crowd went wild. Hands flew up in the air, the drinks in the opposite limb gambling on the edge of death.

It was music like you've never heard before. 

          "Holy shit," you said to yourself, the alcohol in your system taking its effect.

The man in the middle started singing, and you gasped as you took in the rest of his features. A good portion of his face and neck were covered in burn marks, as well as the top of his torso, which then spread across his arms. You awed.

How could someone who looked so damaged be so perfect?

Your eyes watched in wonder as your ears listened with delight. You made a mental note to thank Kai for dragging you into one of the best nights of your life. 

So this is what college was supposed to be like.

You smiled, feeling the bricks fall off your shoulders. You stood straighter as your eyes opened wider, and shined even brighter. 

This is so awesome.

You threw your hands in the air and let out a scream with the rest of the crowd. Kai catches sight of this and follows along with your mania, a laugh escaping her lips.

You were enjoying the aura of absolute chaos, but nothing had prepared you the moment your eyes caught his, staring right back at you. His mouth formed a devilish smile that made all the heat rush through your body in mere seconds. 

          "The girl in the red dress," he said into the microphone. Your eyes widened in unalloyed shock as they caught sight of the mischievous glint in his own. "Come out on stage with us."

What the fuck?

The crowd cheered louder and started to look around to find who he was referring to. They soon caught sight of you, who was still calculating the odds of you being the only girl in red. 

The sea of people parted and formed a direct path from you to the stage, and you were honestly shell shocked. 

Kai laughed and cheered you on.

          "Congrats Karen, you've officially been promoted to Moses!" she cheered even louder.

          "What, I—" you sputtered out.

Kai took her left hand and smacked your back, forcing you to stumble forward.

          "Go!" she yelled at you through the howls of the crowd. "Get. Fucking. Laid!"

At that, the crowd burst into an explosion of screams. Whistles and hoots were all that was heard as your shaking legs made its way towards the stage. 

You eventually made it to the edge, and the enigmatic guitarist leaned down to help you. Grasping your hand firmly in his, he hoisted you up easily. 

          "What's your name?" he leaned into your ear as he said it, his steady voice combating all other noises, and winning. 

          "Y/N," you said right back into his ear, a shiver coursing through your body as the current situation was doing its number on your sanity.

          "Nice shoes Y/N," he said cooly, and your head started spinning.

          "Uh, thank you—"

          "Let's have a good time together," he smirked at you, who blushed madly. 

You looked over at the rest of his bandmates. A young girl with a blonde fringe manning the second electric guitar, she looked at you and grinned widely at you. Eyes smiled shut and tongue jutting out, she threw you a peace sign in welcome. 

You looked behind you and saw a strange-looking man playing both the bass and keyboard. You made eye contact with him and he smiled, only for him to completely change his expression and give you the stink-eye, much to your confusion and anxiety. 

Finally, you looked over at the drummer who had dead-looking baby blue hair; he glanced at you and nodded briefly in acknowledgment.

          "Don't mind the last two," the mysterious guitarist chuckled, "they're a lot more decent than they seem."

You nodded and smiled at him.

          "So," he started. "Care to join in on the fun?" 

You took a deep breath.

          "Okay."

It was funny how you had started with not even being able to dance alone in your room. And now here you were, dancing along with countless strangers to music you never felt before.  

scene three; ilysb

            "You're new here, right?" the man said. He was sitting across from you with his head resting on his hand. His piercing blue eyes were focused only on you. 

It had been about an hour since you stepped foot inside the hidden bar and thirty minutes since you were standing on stage with the band having the time of your life. 

You looked over to the stage and saw your drunk friend Kai singing 'I Kissed a Girl,' microphone in her hands as she belted her heart out to the cheering crowd. 

You couldn't help but chuckle, before turning your attention back to the enigmatic man staring intently at you.

          "That's not slightly creepy at all," you answered jokingly. 

The man chuckled slyly.

          "I play here almost every night," he retorted coolly. "I would have definitely remembered you if you weren't new." 

You nodded. Smooth.

          "Fuck men!" you turned around to find Kai screaming into the microphone, one hand on the microphone stand and the other on the microphone itself. You sighed at the common occurrence. 

          "Fun friend you got," the man with burn marks said, attention also brought over to your crazed friend.

You sighed and nodded.

          "I'm this close to dropping her," you said with no conviction.

He seemed to have caught on to your tone and answered accordingly.

          "But you never will," he said.

          "Yup," you nodded once more.

You looked over to him again, the alcohol in your body taking full effect.

          "Wanna get out of here?" you asked him.

He looked at you with his eyebrow raised, a small smirk playing on his lips.

          "And abandon your fun friend?" he asked you.

          "Yes," you looked at him straight in the eyes as you said it.

          "Sounds fun," he said, already standing up from his seat.

You followed suit, casting your drunk friend one last look before following the strange man out of the small speakeasy.

The cold night air greeted your body that clung tightly onto the limited warmth of your sweater jacket. You walked idly with the man standing beside you, the streets painted a dark vignette by the evening sky. The night suited him, you thought.

You let out a deep exhale which invaded the darkness with its cold color, the hues fighting until the dull white was engulfed by the overwhelming darkness of nightfall.

You looked up at the stars that were scattered across the sky, their white twinkle enrapturing the night sky with its light and color. Their light so bright that it couldn't be overthrown by the darkness of black. Instead, they were displayed up in the sky, allowed to show off their beauty with no restraints. 

          "Orion's in the sky," you observed quietly. 

The man turned over to look at you.

          "The constellation?" he asked as he too tilted his head up to watch the night sky.

          "Yeah," you nodded, "I can't find the Pleiades, though." 

Absentmindedly, your feet started moving in hopes to catch sight of the constellation. The dark-haired man watched you quizzically.

          "Do you really think moving around will make them appear?" he asked you, who was now trudging farther and farther away. He sighed and started following you.

          "There're so many buildings around," you groaned in your drunken state. "Can't a girl just see her stars when she wants to?" 

He tilted his head in slight amusement and chuckled lowly. 

          "If it's the buildings you're worried about, I know where there's a field," he said. You turned around instantly.

          "Show me this field, good sir." 

          "It's this way," he tilted his head over to the right, feet already walking towards its direction. You followed him, skipping.

You eventually were led towards an open field located on a small hill in the park. Wow, we had a park?

          "Woah," you said in wonder. Your arms flying up from your sides as you spun around the grass, hair dancing in the breeze from your movements.

The man just watched you curiously, a small smile of endearment flickering on his lips.

You let out a big sigh of contempt and threw yourself down onto the grass floor, feeling at peace as the earthly bodies embraced you. The man who led you here followed suit, leaving little to no distance between your two figures as he laid down beside you.

          "Can you see the Pleiades now?" he asked from beside you.

You looked up and examined the heavens, and your eye immediately catches the open star cluster that painted the sky. A gasp escapes your lips as you point up at the constellation you were looking for.

          "There they are!" you squealed slightly, unable to control your excitement in your drunken state.

          "Why'd you want to see them so badly?" he looked at you and asked.

          "If you catch sight of Orion, then you're most likely gonna find the Pleiades too." You started, eyes focused eagerly on the stars. "There's this whole story behind them you know, about Orion and the Seven Sisters.

          "It was said by Greek mythology that Orion fell in love with the sisters, and pined over them for 12 years. He would always chase after them in hopes that they would become his someday. But that was until one day Zeus decided to turn him and the sisters into stars. So Orion could chase them forever for the rest of eternity but never once be able to touch them."

          "Wow," he said from beside you.

          "Yeah," you said from beside him.

          "You said they were the Seven Sisters," he said.

          "Yeah?" you turned your head over to look at him, his eyes seemingly glowing under the star studded sky.

          "But I can only see six at most," he stated.

          "Oh," you turned your head back to the sky. "That's because those are the only ones visible to the naked eye. If you look through a telescope, a dozen more stars are visible."

          "Is there a story behind that, too?" he asked.

          "Yup," you stated and continued. "According to storytellers, Merope— one of the sisters, is hiding her face because she's the only one of the sisters who married a mortal and thus isn't respected for it. 

          "Her husband, Sisyphus isn't represented in the night sky either, cause he was condemned by Zeus to forever roll a stone up a hill in Hades only to watch it roll down again when he almost gets it to the top."

          "That's..." his voice drifted off, "really sad." 

You hummed in affirmation.

          "You really like astronomy, huh?" he stated. "I'm assuming you're into astrology too?"

          "Yeah," you answered.

          "So, you're some type of zodiac girl," he said. "How quirky."

You scoffed.

          "What type of music are you into?" he suddenly changed the subject, surprising you.

          "I don't listen to music that much honestly," you said, surprising him, but not showing it on his face.

          "Okay," he said. "Very quirky."

You laughed at yourself.

          "Are you okay?" he asked you jokingly, maybe the alcohol was finally starting to get to him too. "Childhood trauma? Emotional baggage? Crazy ex-boyfriend?" 

          "Traumatizing college life," you said matter-of-factly. "And also just downright not having the time to listen to music."

          "Spotify's expensive, too," you added.

          "Ever heard of a radio?" he asked.

          "Yes, but I can never concentrate on studying when music is on," you said.

          "Ah," he said in a moment of realization. "It all makes perfect sense now. What's your major?"

          "Organic chemistry," you said.

          "Yeah," he nodded. "Makes sense."

          "Kindly enlighten me then, cause I can't make sense of anything going on in my life," you said.

          "You're a young adult suffering from the expectations and academically-focused constructs of our society," he said.

          "Damn," you started. "You're right." 

You sighed and placed your attention back at the azure before you.

          "The moon's crying," you stated.

          "What?" he asked, confused.

          "The moon feels sad," you answered vaguely.

          "The moon is sad," he stated beside you, eyes now focused onto the heavenly body in question. "The moon's just a broken planet that needs the sun to make it shine."

          "Just because it needs help doesn't mean their shine is any less beautiful," you said back.

A long silence passed between the two of you, he looked at you, whose focus was still set onto the night sky. Whatever had you so enchanted by them, he might never know, but as he watched your features bloom with the ethereal sparkle of night, the twinkle in your eyes matching— no, outshining that of the stars you looked so fondly upon, he just sighed softly.

          "Whatever you say, zodiac girl."

scene four; still with you

You were walking home with him in the cold night air, wind dancing softly around both of your figures as the gentle shrill tickled your senses. 

It was colder than usual, you thought. But maybe that was just from the thrill of not spending your nights like you usually did, alone in your bedroom studying a topic you couldn't care less about. You sighed.

When was the last time you were able to lay down on your bed listening to music?

You were grateful for Kai, who you just realized had been abandoned at the bar she forced you into. You prayed for your survival the following day. You say that, but in the end, you were nonetheless thankful for giving you a college experience other than cramming every day.

You thought about what you would have been doing if you weren't forced into the bar, and laughed at the predictability. 

You finally made it to your front door.

          "Goodnight," the blue-eyed man said to you. 

          "Yeah," you said back. "Thanks for walking me home."

He nodded and watched as you made your way over to your front door.

You stopped.

You didn't know if it was the alcohol in your system, the cold night air, the thrilling atmosphere of spontaneity, or all of the above. But right now, you weren't in the mood to answer any multiple-choice questions.

You wanted to live for once. You wanted to feel anything else other than the dread of an upcoming deadline or relief after a grueling exam. 

For once, you wanted— needed to be free of the expectations and academically-centered constructs of society. Constructs that you never wanted to question until now.

Even if it was only for tonight, you wanted to do the thing you wanted to do. 

Even if it turns into a mistake, you would gladly take it for a few minutes of freedom.

You turned around and ran towards the man whose names you realized you didn't even know. But you were too far gone to be stopped. 

Your hands found the side of his face and pulled your faces close, eyes meeting and lips almost touching. You breathed nervously.

          "Can I kiss you?" you asked suddenly.

Shock and confusion flickered before his eyes but disappeared just as quickly.

          "Sure—" he said, and your lips finally connected.

The kiss lasted for mere seconds until you pulled away, flustered and drunk and confused.

What were you doing?

You turned back around to enter your home and scream at yourself.

How could you just throw yourself at him like that?

But suddenly, his hand grabbed your arm and pulled you back towards him, connecting your lips once more. You could have sworn you melted.

The kiss lasted much longer, lips moving against one another and breaths being mixed together in the cold night outside your apartment building. Your hands in his hair and his arms around your shaking frame.

You pulled away to catch your breath, your air puffing up in the chilly twilight.

You pulled onto the sleeve of his jacket and led him towards your apartment, rushing past the other tenants and employees, you quickly got on the elevator where more kisses were exchanged in a drunken haze.

The elevator doors opened, and the two of you rushed out with you guiding him to your door.

You hurriedly put in your key, hands slightly shaking, the door opens and you hastily go inside.

He comes into your small apartment and closes the door with his foot, the door meeting the frame with a soft thud. He pushes you against the wall and your lips meet once again.

You didn't know how much time had passed with his lips moving against yours and hands roaming across your body, the contact sending both heat and shivers to course through your entire being. 

His lips moved to your jaw, slowly making its journey down to your neck. Your breath hitched. 

Some more time passed with low moans and heavy breathing coming from the both of you, now laying on your twin-sized bed half-naked.

You looked out the window beside your bed and saw the stars and moon staring back at you, illuminating your figures in its magical glow. 

It was like time didn't exist when you were engulfed in his arms, his lips peppering your body in kisses and bite marks causing you to moan softly. You wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling, with the moonlight shining softly on his features.

Your hands found themselves buried in his soft hair, time passing by faster as more clothes were being discarded around you.

          "Y/N..." he said your name softly. His light voice passes by you, sending shivers down your spine. 

Your breath hitched. Having no name to call out to, you whimpered instead. Your bodies intertwined together under the dim light of your apartment, and your heart taking timid steps towards him, tripping and falling deeper and deeper. 

It was colder than usual, the low-pitched hum of the air conditioner you forgot to turn off comforting you from afar. Your body shivered more, not used to the sensations. It felt good, it felt really good, but there was something about it that pained you and made you want to fall apart. 

The unfamiliarity of the pleasure and sweat clouded your mind and made you think back to the times when you were studying instead. This was far different than the dull absence your mind feels when reviewing all your lessons. But even then, thinking back to the simple emotions that came from your textbooks and notes, maybe these simple feelings were special to you too.

The night progressed further, and time was lost once and for all in the midst of your shared pleasure, the night turning darker as the sparkling sky glowed onto your sweaty figures. 

You both reached your climax and breathed heavily, eyes meeting and foreheads touching in what seemed like a hazy afterglow, both your minds fogged and judgments clouded. 

Your hand delicately went up to touch his cheek, his eyes shimmering in the glow of the night sky. He looked at you with the faintest smile. Underneath it was painted the most beautiful purple, his broken and damaged face sending your heart into a fit of shooting stars. 

His body collapsed next to you on the small bed, arms encasing you tightly against his warm body.

You looked over to the window beside your bed. The sun was slowly rising, and the moon began to fade away into the brightening sky. 

You felt your eyes slowly closing, finally giving in to the sleep you denied yourself all night.

Goodbye moon.

And just as the moon left your sky that February sunrise, so did the man who slept next to you that very next day.

[agirlunderarock]

How I accidentally wrote 20 page paper on Boromir for one of my Final Ever University Papers PART 2

So this took me 5ever because I had to go through my actual paper again to find the sources and the citations I had, and then throw out the academic fluffer I had to speak with. But anyway just be prepared for a long ass read because we gotta touch on nearly every source I argued with in this post before getting to the good stuff. If you haven’t read Part 1 well here it is

Okay Okay where was I?

I said that academics were wrong with how they were judging Boromir right? Is that where I left off? Well thats where I’m starting

So before I go further I need to explain that the main premise for my paper is an argument to characterize Boromir with loyalty and fear, instead of power hungry and whatever the hell used, and then throw out this good vs. evil binary that’s often used to describe the lord of the rings- because lets be real, it looks like that on the surface but everyone has their ups and downs at least once or twice, and if not within the Lord of the Rings, it comes from books that are set in previous ages. 

ANYWAY

Keep the fear and loyalty things in mind alright?

Fear sounds like an odd choice for a character I’m supposed to be defending right? I know.

We’ll get to that just bear with me. 

So in order to say that academics were wrong, I first had to look at where they were coming from and try to see what textual evidence they had. Because if you’ve done academic research, you know how important textual evidence is. 

So while finding literally nothing that focused specifically on Boromir, I found  J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia : Scholarship and Critical Assessment by Michael D. C. Drout, which I still have questions about but hey it was a good starting point. You would think that a whole Encyclopedia dedicated to Tolkien would have more than a handful of entries dedicated to Boromir. I mean mentioning him in Gondorian politics or relations with Rohan or even Boromir I instead of just Boromir II but heres the thing, IN THE WHOLE IN ENCYCLOPEDIA HE WAS ONLY MENTIONED 8 TIMES.

THE NAME BOROMIR (which in this document only refers to Boromir II) ONLY APPEARS IN EIGHT ENTRIES.

You know what those entries are? 

‘double of,’ - okay what the fuck does that mean?

 I honestly don’t remember what it means I think it had to do with character foils, you know like how Neville is a foil for Harry in Harry Potter? If I remember correctly, it identified the common foils, Gandalf v. Saruman, Frodo v. Gollum and Aragorn v. Boromir. I could be totally wrong about this, its been exactly a year and I didn’t focus on this entry.

 ‘Faramir and,’- yes we know Boromir is Faramir’s older brother. What else ya got?

 ‘herosim of,’- Ah yes sounds promising

And you think it would shed some positive light on our boy right? RIGHT? Heres what the entry said per the quote in paper “It is in fact Boromir’s desire for the victory of Minas Tirith and his own glory there in that motivates his own grasp for the ring: the heroic motivations of fame, reward, and revenge (in this case on Sauron)” ( Drout 270 ).  

LIKE EXCUSE ME WHAT THE FUCK- sorry wait, let me show you how I rephrased that for academic purposes:  This description does not actually describe Boromir as being heroic, but later explains why these descriptions of heroism are actually evil compared to characters like Aragorn, Frodo, Gimli and the rest of the Fellowship.

 ‘penance of,’- Yet another character who achieves redemption through death. Great. I hate it. Shut up. Kill this trope.

 and finally,  ‘tyranny of.’- yes because Boromir was obviously a tyrant, but I say again SHOW ME TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

AND I’M TALKING ONLY ABOUT THE BOOKS HERE REMEMBER ALL OF THIS IS INFORMATION ON THE BOOKS. like there were entries on things from the movies, and even fanfiction, but THESE ENTRIES WERE BUILT ON RESOURCES THAT BUILT ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE BOOKS

I’m getting off track here

SO 

ANYWAYS

At the end of each of those entries were list of sources that the author used to create those entries. So guess what that meant- Ya girl was hand delivered sources to search for and hopefully they had some specific pages references for me to look up within the actual book series. At least you would think thats what I found, but NOOOOOOOOO, what I actually found is that EVERY SINGLE REFERENCED SOURCE CHARACTERIZED BOROMIR ONLY BY HIS ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE RING FROM FRODO.

Thats like living your whole life and having people who say they know you intimately (not in the romantic sense in the knows you to your core sense) BUT the only thing they really know about you is that one time in pre-school you tried to draw a rocket on the wall but actually it looked like a penis thats the only thing anyone will remember you for. I didn’t do this by the way, nor know anyone who did this but some kid somewhere probably did

But you know me at this point I had to check the sources and see what they were saying. So I took up Patrick Grant’s  “Tolkien: Archetype and Word,” where he talks mostly about Frodo. I know its a stretch BUT he talks about loyalty specifically Sam’s loyalty to Frodo, and remember we want to establish that Boromir is incredibly loyal, so we have to see what he’s actually up against according to the critics

“…Sam Gamgee, whose part is least publicly acclaimed of all, but who in the sense in which we are now using the word, is especially heroic. His unfailing devotion to Frodo is exemplary, and here again Sam is a key link in bring the meaning of the book to the reader, the everyman who admires great deeds but wonders what his own part might be in important events which seem well enough wrought without him” ( 180 ).  

Okay that seems fair from how Tolkien himself has talked about Sam right. And you’re probably like okay, but what the fuck does that have to do with Boromir? Literally just further down the page  he says:

“…. The fellowship breaks only when the bond of obedience is broken, as it is by Boromir, whose pride and lust for personal power are evidence of false heroism” (180).

LUST FOR PERSONAL POWER???? PRIDE?????

SHOW ME THE PAGES SIR

GIVE THEM TO ME

I know you’re probably thinking, ‘but wait he’s actually kinda right-”

WRONG

Its anxiety, I’m telling you

I counted 

its fear and anxiety

but again I’m getting a head of myself. Basically Grant just took a shat on Boromir to make Sam look good.

EXCUSE ME SIR SAM IS A GODDAMN MASTERPIECE ON HIS OWN THANKS. DON’T TRASH BOROMIR TO COMPLIMENT SAM. Also be wary of people who do this in general, if they put someone else down instead of just out right complimenting you take it as a warning

Oh and did I mention that because Grant says Boromir is technically being selfish, another critics analysis makes Boromir Evil, because acts done out of selfish pursuits are seen as evil and a “perversion of human will.” But you know, thats just how it be sometimes when you’re putting literature in conversation with one another.

Just know I pick on Grant a lot, mostly because he says shit like this:  “…the most blinding love derives directly from such obedience,” (180). when it comes to Sam, and then takes a shit on Boromir. Like we’re going to come back to the obedience thing in a little bit, but just know that Merry, Pippin, Faramir, Eowyn, Even Sam at one point, and I mean I guess by some extension movie!Arwen take a big ‘ol shit on the idea that the only way to be heroic is to be OBEDIENT.

I get it, its another Catholic thing. I’m Catholic, I know what its getting at. But consider- no

Basically I boil this shit down to one thing

Sam Only Owes Loyalty To Frodo.

Literally his main concern throughout the book is Frodo and then the Shire and what that encompasses. So yeah its easy to be loyal and obedient to someone who shares all the same ideas and values as you and has a pretty similar lived experience right??? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY And before anyone says Sam was loyal to the fellowship, Sam would literally cut a bitch for Frodo. He woulda fought Aragorn in the Prancing Pony if he thought he had to. He gave a second thought to Merry and Pippin when they left the Fellowship, but it wasn’t a “we should go back for them all or wait for them” It was “i’m gonna support mr. Frodo, even if Idon’t much like the gollum creature he decided to drag around but fair i guess cuz none of us know the fucking way into Mordor.” 

So I made a chart to demonstrate why comparing Boromir and Sam is a big no no, and what kinda things Boromir was working with the whole time he was part of the fellowship.

Did I forget to mention that this was supposed to be a visual research paper?

So Sam and Frodo had a lot of the same Fears and values.

Our Boy Boromir over here has to deal with being a political/military figure, meet the demands of his father, he’s gotta try to be a good brother, he’s gotta learn to get along with the fellowship, and then each of those new or old loyalties has different responsibility and expectations he’s supposed to meet. And because I had to include Aristotelian ideas as part of the class, to quote myself: Despite the Aristotelian concept that it is impossible to be a virtuous friend to many, Boromir’s actions throughout The Fellowship of the Ring show him attempting to do this ( Aristotle 9 ). Like thats literally why he ends up a member of the Fellowship, he’s a little unsure of this plan, but hey its the best one he’s heard and if everyone thinks its going to work then by golly he’ll see it done. But again Aristotle (just in your head pronounce it like chipotle for me please) wants to try to establish a structure that I think is stoopid, he’s got a thing that says  “it is a more terrible thing to defraud a comrade than a fellow-citizen, more terrible not to help a brother than a stranger, and more terrible to wound a father than any one else” (15). 

So remember those loyalties in the little blue squiggles up in the picture, we already know that Denethor, and Faramir bump heads a little, and then the soldiers serving with Boromir probably have their own ideas about how Gondor should be defended, and then he goes to the Council of Elrong and they’re saying something completely different from what he’s heard- theres a lot of threads pulling the Captain in different directions. He’s got a lot hats to wear and demands to fulfill and living under the shadow of Mordor with all of those responsibilities is bound to give anyone anxiety. 

But don’t just take my word for it

The movie actually reinforces this. I know the book says Boromir was “...pierced with many black feathered arrows” But the movie specifically makes it 3

Now I’m sure Mr. Peter Jackson didn’t intend for what I’m about to say, but I think its a pretty cool notion to think about. Because you can summarize Boromir’s conflicting loyalties into “family’ ‘country’ and “Fellowship’. Like his father would have him bring the ring to Gondor, his role as a military/political figure for Gondor means he should be doing whatever he has to in order to protect his country, and the Fellowship is like nah man we destroy this thing and everything else will fall into place, and Boromir is left having to decide whih of these things to act upon. Family, Country, and the Fellowship are the competing signs that make up is character arc, and his grapple with these three things is ultimately what leads to his death.

Now if your thinking family and country should be lumped together- theres a reason for it, just trust me, bare with me please

But basically what I’m trying to get at is given all these factors, you can’t compare a character like Boromir with all these responsibilities hanging off him to be comparable to Sam whose only responsibility is Frodo. 

But you know who does share all these same demands

Faramir

Like take a look at their character arcs- if you can the text on this next pic is super teeny

If thats too small for you don’t worry about it because we’re gonna get into why Faramir is a better foil for Boromir, and how this should affect the way we as the reader come to understand his character. So fun stuff in the next part! Sorry for dragging this out, but just like my original paper, this turned out to be WAY longer than I expected. 

[midnight-in-town]

It’s so nice to reread the series and come across this cover again, because I always wondered if the layout of Mephy’s little pawns on his right hand was meaningful or just random/for the aesthetic. 

However seeing the current arc, I’m almost sure that this was drawn like this on purpose, which makes it even better!

Look, look, first of all you’ve got Rin and Yukio facing each other and this could really be depicting how Yukio just left his brother and the Order to join the Illuminati, as well as the on-going conflict (mostly from Yukio’s perspective) that led to this decision. 

Mephy was totally expecting such an event after all, he even deliberately worked for it, finally pushing Yukio to his limits in ch94.

However, as it is, Rin remains on the Order (or more simply remains Mephy’s trump card) while Yukio moved on to join Lucifer and the Illuminati. 

Then Shiemi and Amaimon: starting with Shiemi on the cover of ch44, she’s on “Rin’s side”, as if supporting him, and then again it makes sense for several reasons.

Shiemi is the one (with Suguro) who warned Rin that something was really wrong with Yukio in the current arc. 

In fact, she used to be closer to Yukio (knowing him for a longer time and all), but his inner conflict ever since the Kyoto arc led him to slowly get estranged from her while Rin grew closer to Shiemi instead. 

This leads to why the current blossoming romance is Rin/Shiemi and not Yukio/Shiemi, despite Yukio and Shiemi having better odds at the beginning of the series (I want to expand on that but in another post about shipping in AnE in general once I’ve reread the whole series).

Another reason to “Shiemi being on Rin’s side” could be her own part of the current arc, since...

after finally admitting that she’s got feelings for him (and not Yukio, sorry my boy, long ago I was vouching for you guys), she’s taken by the Vatican for a matter that’s most likely related to Shemihaza. 

So Shiemi is in love with Rin and also remains on the Order’s side, even if this is probably not as willingly as it appeared to be in ch99.2. 

In fact, since she chose to drop becoming an exorcist after the talk with her mom and despite her initial wishes, it’s pretty clear that her character’s arc will have to address what she really wants for her future and, since we’ve established in different parts of the story that a part of the Order is rotten anyway, this will probably be related. 

This is where Amaimon jumps in and again, the current arc might explain why he’s lurking behind Shiemi on the cover of ch44. Yeah, sure, Shiemi was his bride that he chose randomly to force Rin to attack him in an early arc, but lately...

it doesn’t seem to be such a random narrative (or related to Rin/Shiemi) choice after all. 

The “Shiemi has a link to Shemihaza” theories have been going strong for a while now, with Shemihaza who was described to be “the emperor of creation”

while Amaimon is a Baal, but more precisely the King of Earth. 

However, while Shemihaza was said to be a part of the Order along with Armumahel and Azazel, Amaimon considered himself to be neutral, probably only being involved so far in Mephy’s schemes because he owes his current vessel to Mephy. 

And yet, this scene happened...

...which is giving me the feeling that either Shemihaza and Amaimon have a significant history or that Amaimon is pissed because maybe he shouldn’t have taken Shiemi in particular as his “bride” (I’d rather believe in the former though). 

Nonetheless, I think we can safely expect Amaimon to be involved in Shiemi’s personal arc, whatever the reason for his outburst and anger was, and since both are related to Nature, I’m also wondering if we might not finally get another mention of the Garden of Amahara (maybe it was created by Amaimon and Shemihaza?). :))

Moving on, that leaves only Shura’s pawn on the cover of ch44, who’s in an interesting position since she’s backing up Yukio but at the same time facing Mephy. No surprise but there again, I think it’s related to the current arc. 

First of all Mephy and Shura have this weird dynamic: she doesn’t trust him at all, but she plays by his rules when she knows it can’t be helped and he’s been edging her on down the road of becoming the #1 caretaker of the Okumura twins since 5ever. Please observe the development between ch34 and ch81:

What Mephy also did is that he made sure that the twins would be the ones who would solve the matter with Hachiro, which also helped Shura with moving on from Shiro...

...and which led to her saying something super important as a conclusion to her arc:

The reason it’s super relevant and interesting (and also the reason I believe it’s related to her position on the cover of ch44) is that Shura is also one of the few who can get Yukio to be 100% honest. 

Sure, that led to them bickering all the time and Yukio saying that he always hated her, buuuut thanks to the Aomori arc, we know that’s far from being true. 

Anyway, personally I had forgotten, but actually there was a time in AnE where Yukio was not full of angst (until he meets Todo), or so you could think because the truth is that he was just better at hiding everything behind his smiles, but anyway it never fooled Shura then...

and it’s still not fooling her. 

So, now that Yukio completely broke down about everything...

...maybe Mephisto will give her an opportunity to go after him, or she’ll simply choose to go by herself. For now all she knows is that he escaped, she doesn’t know about the Illuminati yet, but when she finds out... she might just drop the Order (since she said she didn’t care) and chase after him, especially since the Illuminati also took what was left of Hachiro. 

So she wouldn’t be on neither the Order’s side or the Illuminati’s: she’s on the twins’ side and she’s facing Mephy on the cover of ch44 because she knows he planned it all out and now she may have to go and try bringing Yukio back (whether Mephy offers his help/an opportunity or not though, we’ll see).

There you go! It’s all adding up, and obviously since it’s Mephy’s plan xD but I’m so happy Sensei went as far as to possibly plan it all out and leave little clues such as the cover of ch44. I just can’t wait to find out more. :D

Sorry for the long post, it’s really a blast to reread the series! 

[friend-me-up-hussie]

Cirava, tagora and mallek.

Cirava

favourite thing about them: Their fashion and aesthetic. They know what they’re doing, and they’re awfully good at it.

least favourite thing about them: The trust issues. I know they probably got doxxed by highbloods, but they turned so quickly just because their fans liked MC/ the player. I hope they get help for that

favourite line: “oh. my. fuck. this shit is transcendent. wow. you got me speechless”. That was pretty sweet, especially after the ending that we shall not speak of.

brOTP: Cirava♦Tagora. Shipped it way before their routes came out.

OTP: Cirava❤Chixie is good. Chahut, is good too. Chahut❤Cirava❤Chixie is very good.

nOTP:  ok tbh I don’t really have any nOTPs, probably ‘cus I ship practically everything? also maybe I've missed out on a lot of ships or something. I try to catch up on them but for now, I’ll just leave the nOTPs blank I guess.

random headcanon: They 

unpopular opinion: They aren’t my fave? I mean, they’re cool and all, and I love their aesthetic, but it’s not like they’re high on my list of favourite hiveswap characters.  Y’all already know I have a thing for the ones no ones really likes coughZebruhcoughfightmecough.

song/s i associate with them: Love Again by Pentatonix / Where Are Ü Now by Skrillex and Diplo(their backstory good gog)

favourite picture of them: they’re p.cute here

Tagora

favourite thing about them: Tsun-tsun-tsun-tsundere (brand new coffee maker claimed as old one).

least favourite thing about them: charging you for everything, even just for talking. he could probably swindle you out of every penny you’ve got and then some.

favorite line: “My name is Tagora Gorjek, but please, call me Gor-Gor.”. Yep, that’s all it took

brOTP: Tagora♦Me, Cirava♦Tagora, Tagora♦MC, prank bros 5ever. Teal family. all of them supporting each other is 👌.

OTP: Tagora❤Me, Tagora♠Galekh, Tagora❤MC (he’s a rainbow fucker and an alien fucker come on have you seen his route)

nOTP: 

random headcanon: 

unpopular opinion: I’ve loved him since before his route came out. He seemed like a slimeball swindler from the very beginning and I still loved him them. Hell, I don’t even remember how or why I started liking him but since then the mere mention of “Gor-gor" and ill swoon

song I associate with them: Can I Get A Witness by SonReal (You gotta admit, it suits him. It even got the lawyer theme. I swear this is his feelings about Galekh good gog).

favourite picture of them: This is the most sincere I’ve ever seen him

tbh any sprite edits, especially blushing ones, of him are good shit.

Mallek

favourite thing about them: uh, idk what to tell ya it was love at first sight. I have a thing for piercings, and a thing for tall, spiky hair guys (Marshall Lee, Tom Lucitor, Jack Spicer). It just so happens that these two things made sweet love and created Mallek.

least favourite thing about them: um, I guess his mildly violent reactions (pushing MC into the river), though that’s a blue blood thing, and with some help he’ll be alright.

favourite line: “when im done with you im gonna own your entire system;”. I spent about 5 minutes fangirling before I could continue. Then I came across (you should not have tried to be cute at the edge of a river) “yeah you don’t have to try; i mean; fuck;”. Cue another 10 minutes of fangirling.

brOTP: Diemen♦Mallek♦MC, Mallek♦Diemen, Cerulean Fam.

OTP: Mallek❤Galekh, MC❤Mallek❤Galekh, Mallek❤MC (see above), Mallek❤Me, Mallek❤Zebruh, MC❤Mallek❤Zebruh, Me❤Mallek❤Zebruh (fucking fight me)

nOTP: 

random headcanon: He’s a p.good cook. No food-wars style foodgasm or anything, but if social media didn’t give hives, he could’ve had a very popular cooking channel on GrubTube.

unpopular opinion: This boy smells, and you can’t tell me otherwise. He gets so caught up in work that he forgets to shower, wash his clothes, and clean up spills. Have you seen his hive?

song/s I associate with them: Imagine by John Lennon/ High Hopes by Panic at the Disco (got a lyricstuck idea for that now too)

favourite picture of them: admit it, we all nearly died when he appeared like this.

[boratanical]

1, 4, 34 !!! (graphics wise!!) 💖

1. What are your top 3 favorite gfxs you’ve made

oooh tough one but i think it would have to be loona roulette ,  lucky one roulette , and the omg banhana game aka basically i rlly like any of my gfxs that have a nice color scheme and you can look at my other favs here

4. A gfx that flopped but deserved better

i have sOOO much omg but its not like biG flop as in they got less than 100 notes but its more like i thought a lot of ppl would like them or i had a higher note expectation and it didnt live up to it  ( im bringing all of them back LOL)

chohyejin - rlly just shows how unpopular hyunjin, choerry, and olivia hye are akjdflkdsjfk jk but i thought a lot of ppl liked them but maybe its just the gfx quality

loona color chip - honesty thought this was cute and cool but i guess ppl werent feeling it :/

blackpink tape - i thought ppl would like this too since a lot of ppl like the blackpink cherrybomb edit i did but i guess not too 

chanel girl jennie - idk i thought ppl were into the fake ad stuff

bingle bangle album - ok this actually made me sad i thought it was rlly cute cause of the pixel thing but oh well

love scenario - literally sums up why i dont make boy group gfxs bc no one likes them adfjlkadsjf

shinee solo albums - actually this is the saddest i rlly thought ppl would feel this 

34. A set that took you a long time/was really hard but you’re really proud of how it came out

goD i have a lot of these too !!! an average gfx i make might take anywhere from 20 mins - a couple hours but i would be able to finish them in a night but these took 5ever 

egoist (organic life) - so i made them as templates beforehand so when egoist came out i could just get screenshots and put them in but i ended up having to rearranged and add text and so much more stuff and im pretty sure i stayed up late for this but i rlly liked it and a lot of ppl liked it so :))))

ioi copycat - took me 5ever bc i did this on gimp and i didnt know how to use it well so thats that 

loona 1/3 x pokemon - god this was such a pain in the ass like this gave me back pain and hand cramps cause i had to look up sprites and create a template and make sure there was the same amount of layers so it would be all equal and then from there make sure they aligned and i had to this 5 times and i accidentally spelled yeojin wrong so i had to redo hers but now im smart and i know how to make it more efficiently !!!

svt - swh - for this one it was just rlly the logo that took me 5ever alkdjfa

loonaverse - i had to download the game and then screen record and then make them a gif and make sure all of the layers aligned and edit and add text and make sure the transitions were smooth and etc but she cute 

ask me gfx questions !!

[denouementism-blog]

( rome flynn / 25 / he/him ) is that ( mason danvers ) ordering a ( black eye ) at mocha? i heard they’re a ( club bouncer/aspiring singer/songwriter ) who’s known as the ( halcyon ) around here. however, they say ( mason ) is very ( ardent ), but ( lethargic ). well, better get their drink before it gets cold! ( astra / 17 / she/her / pst )

oh boy !! if u thought me, a muse hoe, was going to settle for one character in mocha ?? u thought wrong !! anyways, go ahead and shamsh that like button if u wanna plot ?? idc if we already plotted w/ dani. just shamsh it regardless. cross ur fingers that this shows up in the tags.

alright so for starters ?? mason is a reincarnation of an old muse of mine but it’s like.. an au younger version that the muse bcs his original storyline was rlly meant 4 apocalypse-esque rps. anyways, let’s begin !!

so ya boi mason ?? is a baby ok. he grew up in a super strict household where it was a thing to go into the army or the marines or whatever. in general, his family rlly thought that doing stuff like that equated to success so he was raised to fit that role. his parents made sure he did well in school and filled his time with extracurricular activities and sports to keep him off the streets. rlly, he had little to no freedom as a child. he also grew up moving all over the place bcs his dad was constantly being moved around and consequently, he is a pretty cultured dude ?? like, he’s live in a lot of countries so he can kinda, vaguely speak a multitude of languages. english and spanish are his strong points, tho !! along with that, he knows ?? the smallest amount of japanese and french... but like.. dont test him on it 

all the moving ?? rlly got to him tho. he hated it and he really just wanted to have a home. like, a real home. a place where he actually felt at home. so he kinda grew up feeling v out of place and in general, just felt ?? disconnected ?? so he ended up running away from his home when he was abt 15 and never went back. he had to live in the shadows for a while bcs his parents were.. not the type of just let their kid run away and not do shit abt it, but he basically ?? just somehow managed to survive on the streets and made some cool friends who would secretly let him sleepover. once he was old enough, though, he got a job and slowly worked his way up. 

he ended up finding happiness in writing since it was the only thing that he could rlly do without having money. it was his only source of entertainment and he just ?? would get lost in his own little world of drawing and writing. it wasn’t until he found an old guitar in the trash that he found his one true passion. he ?? quickly caught onto it and started to create his own rhythm and beats and he would sing on the sidewalks and ask for money and stuff. then he started to actually write out lyrics and that’s how he RLLY found his passion. 

currently, he is just ?? chillin. he’s really into being active so he ended up getting a job as a club bouncer and he’s a sweetheart ok !! i love him. i love my son. but yeah, he also writes songs and sends his mixtapes to record labels and he’s just rlly passionate but also super lazy ?? 

he also basically just ?? walks around in leather jackets and rides a motorcycle. looks like he could kill u just with one look, but as soon as u talk 2 him, he’s the softest sunshine baby ever

he also has a youtube channel on the dl where he posts things of him singing like the damn nERD he is. bbut the youtube channel hasnt blown up yet so he ain’t famous

that’s all i can think of at the moment so ?? let’s get into some plots i want

ok so... im lit open to anything for plots, but here are some suggestions: 

possible romantic interest (??) / friend: okay listen !! give me “i saw a creepy guy trying to do stuff with you while you were drunk and i wasn’t about to let that happen so i made the guy go away and i made you sit next to me while i bounced people to make sure you were safe then took you back to my house and let you sleep and made you tea in the morning” type of things. i will love you 5ever. 

possible romantic interest (??) / friend: same basic idea as the other one, but give me “i saw you leave the club while you were crying and i stopped to ask if you were ok” type of things. rlly.. just give me those good Emo plots 

childhood friends: maybe ?? friends that he used to know before he ran away and they think he’s probs dead but whoops ?? guess not !! maybe they’re mad @ him for not telling them, or maybe they’re happy. who knows !

ride or die / savior: people that he may have met when he was around 15-19 that would have helped him out & possibly let him secretly stay at their house ?? or maybe not even secretly ?? just chill ppl in the chicago area that probs pitied my poor bby runaway

partner: look.. this is a v specific plot but like.. i kinda want someone who’s a singer to partner up with him so they can be cute singing buddies ?? he could write songs with/for them and it could be rlly cute ?? they can have a cute band and jdfnhiuhgierj give it 2 me. maybe they even start a youtube channel together. who knows!!

ex-romances: ok so ?? please give me a cute plot based on the sleep on the floor music video by the lumineers. just an relationship where they were super care-free and probs did impromptu roadtrips and just.. the cutest fluff fest ever. but now it’s not rlly like that anymore and they broke up bcs they lowkey had a rlly bad relationship ?? like toxic af bcs they were too passionate and ended up arguing 2 much & shit. or ?? they didn’t even break up. one of them just up & left the other. it would probs be mason bcs hes a flighty mo-fo but who knows !

[sunderwearr]

I was tagged by @gloster! thank you!  (this took so long onz)

The rules are you have to answer the twenty questions, then tag twenty people you’d like to know better.

name: Paige

nicknames: ugh. so many. Paigey-poo, Pudge, Pudgy, Pooge, Flat Stanley (def my least favorite), Turn the Page, etc

zodiac sign: Sagittarius

height: 5′4″

orientation: I usually say bi, so bi I guess (I just don’t care tbh)

nationality: (idk if this means where you’re from or your race so I’ll just put both) American and white  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

favorite fruit: Red raspberries mmm

favorite season: probs summer since no school, but if we’re talking strictly weather and shit then spring

favorite book:  maaaannnn I have a list ok here we go

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson - ASDYHFFJDKFD THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHINGGGGG it switches POVs between the two main characters who are twins but the writing styles differ between them based on their personalities and the writing overall is very beautiful and it’s amazing in general so PLEASE read it (one of the main characters is also gay and I know that’s something a lot of people look for so DO IT)

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult - alright so this is my favorite of Jodi Picoult’s books but I’ve read at least ten of the many books she’s written and I would recommend them all.  It’s about the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and a former SS officer who asks her to forgive him for his sins and then help him kill himself.  I love the way it explores the moral implications of her decision, which she doesn’t make until the end, but it’s v good.  10/10 would recommend.

The Legend Series by Marie Lu - Probably my favorite fantasy series.  If you like dystopias I would 500/10 recommend this one, it’s reallll good.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - this is a biography of Olympic track runner turned WWII bombardier turned POW turned Christian evangelist Louis Zamperini.  It’s really interesting, and I think it’s really amazing that he was able to overcome what he did.  I’ve also read his autobiographies and I would recommend those, too.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - this is definitely my favorite classic.  I think most of the reason I like is just how it’s written - the language is really flowery and dramatic, and I find it pretty.

other fantasy series I read a long time ago:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima

Warriors by Erin Hunter

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

favorite flower: idk, I guess an iris?  Haven’t given it much thought

favorite scent: lavender vanilla  (◡‿◡✿)

favorite color: blue 5ever

favorite animal: MANTA RAY i love manta rays soooo much

coffee | tea | hot cocoa: teaaaa

average sleep hours: 6-7 on weekdays, 8-10 on weekends 

cat or dog person: CATS for certain, dogs just don’t get along with me

favorite fictional character: oh boi another list here we go:

Victor Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki - yuri on ice (ofc i love them both)

Akashi Seijuro - kuroko no basket (my son and a literal angel omg)

Gregory House and James Wilson - house md

Kaneki Ken - tokyo ghoul

Germany - hetalia (what a weeeeeb am I)

Daenerys Targaryen - game of thrones (my queeeeen pls step on me)

Tony Stark - mcu

Tamaki Suoh - ouran high school host club

Jim Moriarty - bbc sherlock

(man i hope i’m not forgetting anyone lmao)

number of blankets you sleep with: I don’t really understand this question because I don’t think a sheet counts as a blanket but like???  I never see people say they sleep with a sheet?  Do people not have sheets, or do ppl just assume that blankets include sheets?  But I sleep with a sheet, blanket, and comforter, so three I guess

dream trip: OMG so I’m actually pretty much taking my dream trip this summer!  I’m going on a tour of Europe, we go to London, Paris, Crans-Montana (Switzerland), Innesbruck (Austria), Venice for a day, and finally, a town in Germany, I forget what it’s called though.

blog created: 2012 lmao

number of followers: 292 (and I love you all!!!)

random fact: I can list every European country and its capital, and I still know a good number of other various country capitals.  At one point, I knew every country’s capital and could match every European country with its flag (although I got lazy and forgot a bunch of those lol)

I tag @astoryaboutwar @sizequeenvictor @goldmetalvictor @yuurispasteldildo @viktuuryy @princevitya @russian-katsudon @yuurieatsass  and anyone else who wants to do it!

[therealmnemo]

-Rules: tag 10 people you would like to know better

I was tagged by @nikki-66 (took a while to get into my drafts!)

Birthday: May 26

Gender: Non-Binary

Relationship status: Seperated

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Siblings: Three younger brothers: 27, 18, 14

Wake up time: Ugh, right now.. several times starting around 3am and will actually leave bed no later than 10

Lemonade or sweet tea: Lemonade.

Day or night: Um, depends? Day 

Coke or pepsi: PEPSI - Wild Cherry to be exact

Calls or texts: Texts.

Met a celebrity: I’ve shipped packages for Jason Mewes and Elijah Wood?

Smile or eyes: Eyes!

Country or city: City

Last song I listened to: Love, Love, Love - As Tall As Lions

Nickname: Mnemo, Nickles, Frank

Star sign: Isn’t that the same as zodiac? Gemini 

Height: 5′7″

Time right now:  1:59 pm est

Favourite music artist(s): TOO MANY. Right now I’m listening to a lot of The Chainsmokers and Of Monsters and Men.

Song stuck in your head: Hehe, ‘Cold Water’ by Major Lazer

Last movie watched: Logan

Last tv show watched: The Voice (my parents were watching it) but I have my first YOI episode ready to watch.

What are you wearing right now: T-Shirt and Jeans.

When did you create your blog: Um, a couple years before I actually really used it.. 2013

What kind of stuff do you post: Mostly Dragon Age, shitposts, and pretty things.

Do you have any other blogs moved to / saved URL: Er.. I don’t have any saved URLs, my former ones for this blog were: bittersweetdiversions, nicfrankenberry, therealfrankenberry. I have a few side blogs including @magicalfistingelectricitything, @teamblueandangry, and @dragonageweirdshit

Do you get asks regularly: Outside of tag memes, no.

Why did you chose your URL:See the above evolution of URLs lol just mostly whittling down to what i wanted.

Hogwarts house: HUFFLEPUFF 5EVER

Pokemon team: VALOR.

Favorite color: Purple.

Average hours of sleep: Average? 5

Favourite characters: oh boy, let’s just stick with atm: Anders, Fenris, Hawke, Random Assortment of OW and ATLA characters.

How many blankets do you sleep with: One

Dream job: Voice Acting

Following: I whittled it to 332 recently.. but I’m going through my followers because I’m pretty sure tumblr unfollowed people on me again.

FREE TAG. USE ME AS YOUR TAGGER IF YOU WANNA DO IT <3

[noirlevity]

Pairing: Gureferi Prompt: First Meeting Genre: Romance. Rated T. No warnings Words: 2, 912 Summary: Ferid meets Guren.  

A/N: Happy Gureferiweek! :D  This fic composed of two parts actually. The second part is written to connect with the second prompt for Gureferi week. I originally wanted to make this a long fic using the prompts as chapters but I won’t finish the last two chapters in time. I won’t even be able to post anything on the late submissions week because it will be our finals week. 

& this prolly has words like this --> Feridlooked. Apologies in advances, its because of the copy pasting. I’m fixing it when I get back from hell. 

P.S: Gureferi 5ever. ayeeee <3 XD

The breeze was cold. A strong wind made the branches of the Maple trees quaver. The tiny twigs holding the leaves rattled, sounding eerie like a maracas. Little Guren whistled a song to distract himself so that he won’t be able to hear the ghostly sound of the wind. It was the tune of the nursery rhyme, row your boat.

When the song ended, Gurenwhistled it again, accompanied by another sweep of cold breeze seeping into his pores. Guren was the only one sitting at the bus stop waiting for his mother to fetch him. He was swinging his short legs as he hummed, and fiddled with the tufts of hair that covered his eyes.

His hair didn’t block the sight of the empty street. He saw a bleak afternoon sun suffuse every corner and every crevice with its light, cloaking them with reddish yellow sunlight.

Guren looked up. The skies were painted coppery red. Indigo was starting to engulf the hapless yellows and the oranges that splattered across the gloomy sky. The birds twittered such a disturbing sound. The lack of people in the streets scared him, but he tried to be strong. He was a boy and boys were brave. Boys didn’t cry just because their mother’s were late in fetching them; boys weren’t scared of anything apart from their Mama’s beating and their Papa’s bellows of rage.  

Something screeched in the distance. Gurenwondered if it was a rat. He swallowed a lump in his throat and continued whistling. Nervously, he clutched his bag, digging his fingers on its leather flesh, straining his fingers on the process.

His whistling stopped when he heard footsteps. Feet struck the ground oh so slowly; heels clacking against the asphalt ground in such a loud, blithely manner. Curious, Guren raised his eyes and saw someone who looked other worldly, someone that looked like a foreigner of sorts. In response, his eyes widened, and his cheeks turned red.

With long silver hair, blazing crimson eyes, the person stood-out in the middle of the street like a subject of a painting. He was eye catching that little Guren felt his heart throb at the sight of him. It was the first time Guren felt such an ache. The fact that there was a faint recognition of such a feeling that swelled in his chest perplexed him. The warmth that spread from his cheeks to his limbs was comforting yet embarrassing. This was one of those moments when one who had never understood a particular word could relate a particular term to something. At that moment, Guren knew it was fate.

The person turned to his direction—hair billowing in the wind—and smiled at Guren; it was such a breathtaking smile that made Little Guren’s chest bloat with a second wave of warmth. The person tucked alock behind his ear and strutted towards him; hands perched on his tiny waist. His narrowed eyes were playful and teasing. Guren could not take his eyes away from the beautiful person that was walking towards him, and it was making his throat dry and his heart frantic.

“Hello there~” The stranger greeted the child playfully, waiving his perfect hands, and how had little Guren turned even redder just hearing the sound of his voice!

“Hello.” Guren replied softly. He sounded like he was brooding; he sounded stingy, petulant.

The beautiful person looked to and fro, throwing furtive glances at the empty street as if he was checking something. Satisfied, his eyes flickered to Guren. And then, he sat beside the child, his clothes rustling plaintively against the old bench.

“Why are you alone dear?”

Guren didn’t reply. He just hugged his bag tightly against him and scooted a little bit away from the stranger.

The stranger seemed to be amused at this. He closed his eyes, laid back on the seat and added,

“Aah~ your parents must be really bored with you to leave you like this.”

Guren was offended by the statement. He threw a glare at the stranger who was smiling at the sky as if what he just said was normal; as if what he just said weren’t hurtful words. He turned to look at Guren and smiled even wider. At Guren’s childish glare, soft laughter babbled from the stranger’s mouth. His laughter was saccharine, hypnotic. It was beautiful like him.

The stranger didn’t say anything after that. He just stared at Guren, waiting for him to say something; throwing him a playful look. When Guren said nothing, he looked away, and closed his eyes. He looked pleased, amused at the exchange of stares he had with the child. It was almost fun. As amusement started to be replaced with something else, he looked down on his hands that were gathered close to his belly. Fingers loosely tangled with each other, he untangled them and then clenched them into a fist. He opened his right hand, and gazed into his open palm. He remembered that the heart was the size of a fist.

As the stranger was lost in his thoughts, the wind was at it again. The sound of the rustling branches came in a crescendo. The cooing wind caused the foliage to scatter on the ground, making them somersault in the air. Dead leaves crackled as their delicate bodies were being blown away by the wind, causing them to rub against the ground and leave crisp tortured noises in their wake. Despite this noise, the silence was pressing in onGuren and the stranger, enclosing them in a suffocating embrace.

Unable to do anything yet, the stranger mulled; arms over his chest, he thought purposely. When nothing came to his mind, he listened to the sound of Guren’s heartbeat instead. He listened to the sound of Guren’s clenching fist; the sound of his facial muscles stretching to create a delicate curl of the lip; his nervous legs; the sound of his mortality.

The late afternoon sun peering out of the thick clouds was alreadyfading out. The clouds scudded over the sky covering what was left of the sun, in effect casting shadows everywhere. The silhouette of two lone figures stretched on the ground caught Guren’s attention. Guren gazed at it and wondered where his mother was.

The stranger wondered why he wasn’t in the mood for anything. But there was something that had swelled within him, and this was something he could not really put his finger into. The stillness was familiar. The feeling of calmness, albeit disconcerting that was slowly enveloping him was nostalgic. It made him feel melancholic.

“What’s your name?”

The stranger jolted, a bit surprised by the sound of Guren’s voice. It distracted him from the sting he felt in his chest. He turned to Guren, only to find little Guren craning his neck, looking up at him with eyes so innocently sweet; he looked so vulnerable and precious. The stranger could not resistreaching out his idle hands just to caress the child’s flabby cheeks. He placed his hand on the side of the child’s face and ran his thumb on Guren’scheeks lovingly.The child jolted at the sting of his icy skin. He on the other hand, flustered a little bit at the warmth of Guren’s little body.The calming feeling made him lose sight of what he had planned to do.

“Ferid. My name is Ferid.”He finally said about to withdraw his hand, but little Guren grabbed it to make it stay. The child smiled shyly at him and replied, “I’m Guren. I don’t know why you’re here mister, but it seems to me that you came from far away.”

“Oh I did come from faraway~”

Slowly, Guren let go of his hand. The fading warmth of the child’s hand made Ferid a little bit lonely.

“My mother told me never to talk to strangers, but...”

Ferid smiled at that, reaching out to the child again, this time curious, bold. He trailed his perfect hand across Guren’s neck and then pulled Guren’s collar to expose bits of the child’s shoulder. Ferid’s eyes widened at what he saw.

“What’s wrong mister? Is there something on my shoulder?”

Ferid just stared at the exposed skin for a full two seconds. The mark on Guren’s shoulder was a faint brownish mark, shaped like a leaf. He caressed it again just to make sure it was really there; just to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things. As a realization hit him, emotions welled inside of him. It came slowly but surely. Picking up pace, emotions came in a deluge.

“Mister?”

It took every control Ferid had in him to hold himself back from burying his face against Guren’s shoulder; every ounce of control just to stop the temptation of gathering Gurento him just to embrace him tightly.

He had always come back to him in a variety of ways, in a variety of forms. But meeting him in every lifetime was always like meeting him the first time.

-----

 Guren was at the rooftop of a building, gazing through his binoculars. He was tasked to conduct a surveillance in the city because of the rising number of murders in the city. As far as he was concerned, he wasassigned to that territory for nearly a month, yet he still hadn’t spotted suspicious people hanging around the area, and nor were there any news of another set of murders.

Bored, he took a gum out of his pocket, pealed the foil that wrapped it, and then put the gum inside his mouth. He looked through his binoculars again and focused on the crossing as he chewed pleasantly. His eyes widened when he spotted a felt hat donned neatly on long silver hair. He saw someone with red piercing eyes, with a boyish Europeanface looking across the street as if he was searching for something. He saw him smile somewhere. To his surprise, the person raised his eyes and looked directly at him, as if he knew that Guren was keeping an eye on him.

Guren almost swallowed his gum. He was surprised that he nearly choked. In an effort to cough out the gum, he pounded on his chest. When he was able to throw it up, he heaved to compose himself. It perplexed him, why that person looked familiar. He thought he saw him before. Pondering about this, an image of the vacant bus stop of his childhood came to him. The bubbly cackles of children echoed inside his mind likeas though he was having a trance. He closed his eyes; the image of children running playfully, chasing each other appeared like an old film in the canvas of hismind’s eye. Their giggles and chuckle sounded old, haunting. The image faded intoan an image of his child self plodding towards the bus stop, holding on to his sailor hat, clutching on his bag like his life depended on it.

A stranger’s face replaced the image of his child self. He didn’t see his face, but he heard him say, “My name is Fe...”

Guren clicked his tongue and fended off the memory. He frowned and focused on his job. When he gazed into the binoculars again, the person was gone.

But fate is such a playful thing.

Guren was allowed to take a leave for a week. It was colder now, so he wore thicker clothes. He crossed that familiar crossing; that very crossing where he just recently saw that person. He was brooding as he lumbered across the street; down trodden because of stress with his hands buried deep inside his pockets. He exhaled and continued walking. After a while, at the corner of his eye, he saw him again strutting past him with a gait that was peculiar to him. His eyes widened, as such he stopped for awhile and followed him with his gaze. He disappeared in the sea of people like a mirage. Guren thought that he must have imagined him.

Disappointed, he walked away.

----

 Guren was on his way home. He hadn’t returned to his parents’ home for nearly five years. Curious as he was, he wanted to visit that old bus stop again—the bus stop where he thought he had met that person.

It was not an easy thing to do, because it still made him nervous; it still made him scared. There was something that was ominous about that place. But he still decided to go to figure something out.

Like always, the street was devoid of people. It was still eerily cold and gloomy. The birds still twittered such a disturbing sound that still made him feel scared. Walking in that old street, he saw someone sitting at the bus stop, singing a muffled tune. He recognized it as row your boat. Guren felt a weird warmth prick at his chest at the sound of a sweet hum wafting in the air.

Guren went closer; he saw that the stranger was wearing a bonnet, an expensive overcoat, and was gripping something in his hand. He had silver hair that fell on his shoulders neatly. Guren couldn’t believe it was the same person that he saw just days before.

Ferid heard Guren come. He didn’t try to avoid him. He waited, excruciatingly, basking in the sound of Guren’s footsteps. A figure loamed over him; it was Guren. He now stood just a meter away from him. Guren gazed down at him with his stern, laconic face devoid of any warmth. He fluttered his lashes, and then sat heavily on the seat, slumping against the seat. Feridfelt shivers ran down his arm. He stopped humming, and raised his eyes and took a quick glance at his companion. He was surprised when he turned and Gurenwas already gazing at him intently with eyes leaden with questions.

A pause. They were just looking at each other as though they were in a stare down. The wind blew filling in the silence between the two of them. Guren, broke the ice,

“Have we met before?” Guren asked, almost an affront.

What would Ferid reply?  He didn’t know.  But he had to think of something, anything.

“No~This is the first time we met.” Ferid flashed a fake smile at Guren.

“But it feels like we’ve met before.”

They stared into each other’s eyes. Ferid felt like Guren was directly looking at his soul. Self conscious, Ferid looked away. It was the same comfortable feeling that was enveloping him now; the same calmness that was slowly coming on to him, and it was making him a little bit giddy, like a school girl in love.

Guren scooted closer to him, still looking at him. He edged closer and closer, and closer until their hands were almost touching.

“What’s your name?” Guren drawled. His breathe of menthol and chocolate hot against the other’s skin.

Ferid furrowed his eyebrows, but still he managed to raise his eyes to Guren and flash a wry smile. In response, Guren just stared at Ferid, his chest bloating with warmth and his cheeks a little flustered. He wanted to be closer, so he edged a little bit closer to him, and flickered his eyes at the other’s lips; it was an instinctual response.

Ferid noticed this and was feeling awkward. But he didn’t let Guren see this. He just smiled as he wondered whether or not he should tell him his name, no matter how many times he asked for it. Just as he was hesitating, the feeling of wanting to be remembered for just a little while possessed him, and it was stronger than he had imagined. He moved away.

“My name is Ferid.” He succumbed; he looked away in a chaste and graceful manner like how a lady would act around a suitor.

“I’m Guren. It seems to me that you’re not from here.”Gurensaid, staring intently at him with those purple eyes of his.

Ferid almost laughed, this was the same conversation that they had before with almost the same replies from himself. He went with the flow,

“Oh, I did come from faraway~”

“You don’t seem like a stranger to me; its as if I’ve known you for a long time already.”

“I..” Ferid’s voice trembled now, his eyes searching as he felt Guren’s fingers graze his knuckles.

“I don’t mean to creep you out but it really feels that way to me.”Guren pondered.

Feridgiggled and just like the previous time they met, he hesitantly reached out to caress Guren’s cheek, no longer flabby but now well shaped and angular. He dropped his hands before he could touch him.

“Ah~ Is that so?”

“Hey, will I be able to see you around here again?”

Ferid fluttered his lashes in disbelief; his nervous hands clenching and unfurling.

“I’m afraid, no dear~ I actually live in Tokyo. I just came back here.”

“I just came back here too, to confirm something and then I found you.”

Guren blushed slightly at what he said, “Oh forget it.” Guren scratched the back of his head, stood up, and said,

“I have to go now. Nice meeting you.. ah..” Guren looked down embarrassed. “Ferid.”

Ferid looked up at him a little bit panicked. He wanted him to stay awhile. When Guren turned to leave. He grabbed the tip of his jacket, making Guren stare back at him, eyes wide. Ferid slipped something in his hand and smiled at him.

At that moment, the wind blew a little colder, but Guren didn’t mind. Not at all.