#this took approx. 6 hours

[transrevolutions]

HAPPY MANDY MONDAY (+ a bonus adam!)

[dnpbeats]

(Almost Solid) Proof That Dan Ran PhilsLion

I'm convinced that Dan was the person who ran the PhilsLion twit and I have receipts.  For anyone who doesn't know, PhilsLion is a twitter account that tweeted from the POV of Lion. It's commonly thought that this account was run by Phil. Besides the fact that he would interact with the account, there are multiple tweets that seem to be about him and dan. Unfortunately there's good reason to believe it wasn't Phil running it. HOWEVER there are many reasons that lead me to believe it was Dan who was tweeting from it, some of which is evidence based and some of which makes logical sense.

DISCLAIMER: All tweets I've included that are ostensibly about dan and phil's relationship are in reference to things that are confirmed by d&p themselves (e.g. the fact that d&p were romantically involved when they first met). I will not discuss anything that is not supposed to be public knowledge.

First let's look at when the Twitter was created. (Note: I am in UTC-8 so all screenshots will be in that time zone. I will say what time it would've been in UTC+0 (d&p's time zone) for clarity.)

Dan’s twitter account was created in May 2009. The first tweet from him (assuming he did not delete any older ones) was May 15 at 1:18pm. Presumably this is the day he got twitter.

On May 16 2009 at 3:19am Phil tweeted that he uploaded “I was kidnapped.” 

In this video he mentions his own personal twitter account, and there is an annotation of Lion saying “i want a twitter” (20sec into the video)

About 3 hours after the video was posted (6:26am UTC+0), we get the first tweet from PhilsLion (presumably this was right after the account was created)

May 16th 2009 was a Saturday. We know from Dan’s video “THE POWER NAP” that he worked at ASDA on Saturdays and Sundays from 5am-10am. So he would’ve been awake shortly after Phil posted the video. Also note that Dan presumably had an iPhone at the time (he tweeted something about iPhones in June 2009 and had no previous tweets before that about getting a new phone). He specifically tweeted in Sep 2009 about tweeting from his iPhone. Based on the fact that Dan literally showed up to work drunk and took a nap, I don’t think he is above going on twitter at work.

While this is not proof that Dan created the account, we can see that it’s definitely possible for him to have created the account. We know he would’ve been awake at the time the account was created, and it was approx. a day after he created his own twitter account, so making a twitter account would've been fresh in his mind.

We do have proof that Phil did not create the account. First, he edited the description of “I was kidnapped.” to say that someone [else] created PhilsLion:

He also tweeted May 16th (10:35am UTC+0 if that matters to anyone) basically saying the same thing as the video desc, implying that someone else made the account:

Finally in “AmazingJason” (posted May 26th) he mentions, again, “someone [else]” creating the Twitter account (about 20seconds in, the timestamp is linked). He encourages everyone to follow it and links it in the description of the video:

So unless Phil was really pushing that someone else created it even though he himself made it, it wasn’t him.

If you want to skip to Proof™ scroll down to the next photo of Phil. Before that, I’d like to debunk the 11:11/different time zone thing–I think this is the biggest reason people have claimed that the account was not run by Phil or Dan but rather some other random fan. On May 30th at 4:12pm UTC+0 and June 3rd at 4:19am UTC+0, PhilsLion tweeted about making wishes at 11:11. In order for these tweets to be made at ~11:11 local time, they would need to have been made in either UTC-5 or UTC+7. UTC-5 is US Eastern Time. UTC+7 is a time zone mainly consisting of Southeast Asia. This includes parts of Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. I have an explanation for this, which is certainly the biggest reach of this whole thing, but it is a plausible explanation :p

It’s very possible that it was Dan who tweeted this if he was on vacation with his family at the time. We know Dan and his family have vacationed in Asia many times (at the very least they went to Thailand in 2006, India in 2010 and 2013, and Sri Lanka in 2016). So while there’s no proof (that I know of) that Dan was on vacation at this time, it’s certainly possible that he was. The location of the tweets would fit with where we know his family likes to go on holiday. Additionally, the second tweet talks about water skiing, which tends to be a fun vacation thing rather than something people do regularly (note this tweet would be at 11:19am in UTC+7)

There’s further proof that PhilsLion was not always in UTC+7. On Christmas 2009, PhilsLion tweeted “goodmorning” at 6:21am UTC+0. This would be 1:21pm in UTC+7. It makes a lot more sense for this to have been tweeted in England.

Then fast forward to January 8th 2011. PhilsLion tweets “I was up all night” at 8:05am UTC+0. This would be 3pm in UTC+7. So again, it seems that PhilsLion was not in UTC+7 at this time.

Okay, now onto much more solid evidence. First, the handwriting of PhilsLion. This is the most tangible piece of proof. On June 25th 2009 Phil posted “AmazingAlex,” where Lion can be seen behind him in one of Phil’s shoes:

Lion tweeted a photo the next day, saying “I’m on a boat :)” in reference to being in Phil’s shoe

Note that the drawing/writing does not appear in the video and therefore was done by whoever runs PhilsLion. Here is some of Dan’s writing (found in TABINOF) for comparison:

This is from the “how to draw cat whiskers” page. Notice how the As all have the crossbar quite high up, just like in the twitter picture. Additionally, the top loops in the Bs are all very skinny compared to the bottom loop. Here’s another one of Dan’s capital Bs from the blindfolded portrait page, which is similar to Lion's writing:

I’m not a handwriting analysis expert, and yes it’s different drawing on MSPaint vs. a piece of paper, but the handwriting certainly has similarities.

And now, the more circumstantial evidence, but things that seem (imo) to be too big of a coincidence to not have been written by Dan (FYI these are going to be added in order of how much of a reach they are, not chronological order, lol). First we have “I month you”:

This tweet is proposing an alternate word for “love” and ends with “I month you” (i.e. is replacing the word love with month), and was tweeted on November 19th 2009. AKA exactly a month after dan and phil met IRL for the first time.

Another one that seems very related to Dan and what we know of his situation is this tweet about “Lion’s” dad:

In Dan’s own words in BIG: “I didn’t think I could ask my family for help or share my feelings about this, mainly due to my dad. Funny guy, kind of a woke hippie who did and said a lot of things I did respect but at the same time used to walk around the house saying how he hoped someone he had a problem with at work would 'die of bum cancer.' Yep, so picked the one area to be a bigot that would further traumatize your child. Nice! This experience coming from a childhood hearing the word gay meaninglessly thrown around as an insult at home[.]” 

Note that Dan was still living at home at the time, so if this tweet was made by him, it wouldn't have meant literally “getting away.” Also, Dan was at home when this was tweeted but it was 3 days before he was going to see Phil.

Next there’s this tweet:

The “admirers” thing could be referring to anything really, but was tweeted during the time that Dan (and Phil) were in the Clipstar video contest. Also, Dan posted this dailybooth two days before this tweet, and most of the comments are just gassing him up, so lol (the pic doesn’t load but based on the comments I think it was a screenshot from his clipstar vid).

This tweet from Christmas Eve 2009. Dan and Phil were together and filming the interactive Christmas adventure:

Proof they were together if anyone needs it:

This tweet (tweeted November 26 5:45am UTC+0)

Many things to note here. The song linked is called “When I See You Again.” It’s by Dave Bullas (one of the founders of SiTC), whom d&p were/are friends with. (They had other friends who were friends with him as well. PJ has the top comment on the video.) The lyrics of the song are not really happy as they insinuate a breakup. But it’s interesting to think about them in the context of wanting to see someone who you are not able to. This tweet was 3/4 days after the “I wonder how biology…” tweet and 3 days before Dan went to see Phil.

Also, Dan just LOVES recommending music to people. He does it a lot.

(^ Proof Dan was seeing Phil on the 29th if anyone needs it)

Now a tweet exchange which doesn't technically prove anything, but I thought was curious. Phil tweeted December 29 2010 about getting a new camera:

Lion tweeted in reference to this 20 minutes later:

I find this interesting because Phil made no comment anywhere about manuals or ignoring them. So it could just be PhilsLion making schput, but a lot of the other Lion tweets are in direct reference to something Phil said/did. It would make sense if Dan ran the twitter acc and he was talking about something that he witnessed Phil do that we don’t know about. Also note “my new camera is here” vs. “phil picked up his new camera” (Lion giving more specific detail than Phil in terms of the manner in which he obtained the camera).

Some Tweets (1, 2, 3) which aren’t proof of anything but just sound like things Dan would say:

For context, this is about floods that happened in Queensland. Again, I have no way to prove Dan said this. But if you’ve ever read, like, anything Dan has said in a print interview ever or watched any of his liveshows, you know that he often tries to say stuff with superfluous/pretentious language and then ends up not making a whole lot of sense. Things that he’s said have been misconstrued so many times, or just outright don’t make sense to anyone but him. So this series of tweets checks out, if it is Dan who ran the account.

This Twitter exchange which doesn’t actually prove anything but is very sweet if it is dan who tweeted it:

The photo is a screenshot from “AmazingJason”:

Note that two weeks later (October 23) in “Life without the internet!?” Phil says the internet led to him “meeting the best friend of [his] life.” The comments all assume he is referencing Dan, but in the video he holds up Lion, so presumably that’s actually who he’s talking about. That is, unless Lion represents Dan :p

Lastly, this tweet which is a Fall Out Boy lyric, but again would be cute if it was Dan:

There's a few more tweets that are interesting to think about being from Dan but don't actually prove anything so I won't put them here lol.

So, at the end of the day, could it be some random fan* who made the twitter account? Yes. But in my opinion there isn’t really anything proving it’s not Dan. On top of that, there are enough things that fit with what we know factually about d&p now, but were not well known at the time, that make it seem much more likely that Dan ran this account vs. a random person.

*technically when the account was started, Dan himself was a random fan. So there’s that too ;)

P.S. best practice is to not interact with old tweets, so pls don't go on a retweet spree

[itwashotwestayedinthewater]

only real ones remember 2017 when i took 2 ativan and spent approx. 2 hours livestreaming my webcam directly from VLC to twitch filtered with a bunch of effects. posted the link to tumblr, exactly 6 people came in & then left back to back

[frodo-with-glasses]

COMMISSIONS OPEN!!

Heya! Wanna throw money at me to make me draw something?? Well, for just $20 an hour, now you can!

Read below for price estimates and FAQs, and if you’re interested, please email me at FigTreeIllustrationsLLC@gmail.com to get started!

PRICING INFO

Because I’m too lazy to come up with complicated price structures, I’ll just be charging a flat rate of $20/hour for any work I do on the art piece. The clock starts when I pick up the pencil or digital stylus and ends when I put it down.

This does mean that prices will vary, depending on how time-consuming each art piece is, but I can give you some rough estimates.

Upper Body Sketch: Approx. 30 min = $10 for one

It takes me about half an hour to draw a bust or upper body sketch. This time can be shortened if I’m already familiar with the character design, or lengthened if I’m drawing an unfamiliar character or doing some weird perspective stuff.

Every additional figure would probably take another half an hour, adding about $10 each.

Full-Body Sketch: Approx. 1 hour = $20 for one

Drawing an entire figure is a little harder than just drawing the upper body, so this one might take longer. Again, this time can be shortened or lengthened depending on my familiarity with the character, how complex the design is, and whether I’m doing any complicated posing or perspective.

Adding additional figures can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, adding $10-$20 each.

Animals: Approx. 1.5 hrs = $30 for one

Animals are not my strong suit, though I have gotten better at drawing them over time! However, the extra time studying reference photos and trying to get the anatomy correct can stack up quickly, so you’ll want to be aware of that if you’re commissioning something with an animal involved.

Posters: Minumum 3 hrs = approx. $60

Posters take a little extra time—and usually some trial and error—to plan the layout in a dynamic way. They also take up an entire sketchbook page and tend to include multiple people and some extreme perspective to add visual appeal. You can expect a poster to take about three hours minimum to complete.

Multi-Panel Comics: Minimum 4 hrs a page = $80

Drawing a comic big enough to cover an entire sketchbook page can take me anywhere from 4 to 6 hours of work. If drawing a long-form comic, I will probably divide the work over several days. Brainstorming will happen on the first day, when I’ll plan out how many panels I’ll need for the comic, and then I’ll get in contact with you to tell you an estimated price before I proceed.

Digital Coloring: Minimum 1.5 hrs = add approx. $30

Coloring things digitally takes about double the time it would to sketch; I’ve noticed it takes around two hours to color a simple image, with another hour added for each figure involved. This first image took me about an hour and a half to outline and color, while the second took about five hours.

Add to Redbubble Shop: Subject to Redbubble Pricing

If your commissioned artwork is Lord of the Rings-related, I can put it into my Redbubble shop, where you can have it printed on stickers, t-shirts, journals, mugs, and lots of other products! I won’t charge any extra fee, but you will have to pay whatever price Redbubble asks. Full disclosure: I receive only 10% of the profit from Redbubble sales; the rest goes to the website to cover manufacturing and shipping costs.

FAQ

No NSFW

No nudity or sexual content

Canon ships only

Will draw gore/injuries

Will draw OCs (please provide references)

Will draw for other fandoms (please provide references)

The artist reserves the right to reject any commission without disclosing the reason

The artist will give price and progress updates over the course of the process

You, the commissioner, have the right to terminate the project at any time and for any reason

If the project is terminated halfway, you will be charged for the artist’s time, but the artist might give a discount for incomplete work

Payment will be calculated at the end of the project and rendered using PayPal

Once again, if you’re interested, please email me at FigTreeIllustrationsLLC@gmail.com!

[moonlightndaydreams]

Forbidden (A SKZ Family Secret) Part 8 of 8

Read: Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 2.5 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6 // Part 7 // Part 8

Fem reader // Han Jisung // female Aunty Lina (Lino) // Hyuna (Hyunjin) // Suengmin

You are the nanny/housekeeper for Han and Hyuna (Hyunjin), helping take care of their two sons and keeping daily life in order. But what happens when Han and his Sister-in-law Lina take an extra liking to you, and you are caught up in a secret that you never could have imagined?

Chapter Summary: We wrap this story up. A baby is born.

Writer's Note: I can't believe I am at the end of another story. In my head this one was more fleshed out and in depth but I didn't have the skills to really do it justice. I just hope your love of SKZ family and your imagination brought it to life for you.

I now also have a thing for Aunty Lina.

Word Count: 3.7k approx. (part 8)

Warnings: This chapter contains mature themes, childbirth, mentions of trauma and healing (not related to birth but as a family), mentions of sex and kinks.

-----------------------------------

Being tied up and used as some sort of breeding slave did tire you out, so after your bath with Lina you took a quick nap for an hour or so. You were woken to the sound of voices in the other room, and decided to get up and say hello and see if you could help with anything. You walked out into the living room to find Suengmin and Channie were just arriving home. Lina was folding clean laundry and Han was on the coach reading a book. Yep, they’d definitely been fucking while you were napping, you could tell.

“We had a wonderful time, didn’t we?” Seungmin said, looking at Channie who he was carrying in his arms. “We went to the aquarium and looked at the fishes, didn’t we?”

He looked like such a father in that moment, and you wondered what thoughts must go through his mind when he spends time with Chan like this?

Seungmin tried to put Chan down on the floor, but he protested and clung to him tightly. “Oh that’s right, you like Uncle Seungmin to carry you? He wouldn’t let me put him down for a second.” He said bewildered. “Must like being up high up. Daddy isn’t quite this tall, is he?” He quipped and danced around the room making Channie laugh. Han rolled his eyes at his brother’s dig about his height.

Just then the front door opened. Binnie had arrived home too. He stood dead still when he saw the scene in front of him. A look of absolute horror on his face. You knew what he was thinking. You’d been thinking it too. That watching Suengmin and Channie together in this way looked just like the sketches Hyuna had in her book.

“Oh, hi Bin!” Han stood up, but Binnie silently stormed off to his room.

“Teenage boys.” Han shrugged.

“Why don’t you show me your cars, Channie?” Suengmin suggested in the hopes the boy would let him put him down. To his relief, Channie was happy to go look for his toys. “That kid’s getting heavy.” Seungmin sighed rubbing his shoulder.

“Here let me help you, Sweetheart.” Lina went and sat down by Chan’s box of toys. “Now which one should we show Uncle Seungmin?”

“LOOK!” A loud, distressed voice interrupted. Everyone paused and turned to see Binnie, standing, furious with tears streaming down his face. He was holding Lina’s sketchbook, holding it open at a page where Suengmin was holding one of his sons up in the air playing airplanes.

Seungmin’s eyes widened in shock when he saw the sketch.

“Look!” Binnie said again, walking further into the room so everyone could see clearly what he was showing them.

The room fell silent except for the heavy panting coming from Binnie as he tried to control his anger. He flicked a few pages and held them up aw well.

“IT’S ALL FAKE ISN’T IT? You’re our father aren’t you? THIS FAMILY IS FAKE!” He screamed and started tearing the pages out of the sketchbook and tossing them into the air.

“No Binnie!” you cried, holding your hands out to stop him. But you were too far away and it was too late. Pages upon pages flew around the room landing all over the floor.

The front door opened once again. Hyuna. Her eyes darted to each person then her gaze fell to the floor, landing on on the pages that fallen. She ran over to a page, kneeling down and took it in her hand. Her other hand covered her mouth in disbelief. She looked up at you with tears in her eyes. “How could you?” she trembled, thinking that it must have been you that brought the book out.

Binnie turned to you. “YOU KNEW!?” he looked at you like he was about to murder you, then he looked around at the room. “YOU’RE ALL LIARS. THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU.” And he ran off to his room and slammed his door. Hyuna ran down the hall after him.

“Binnie? Please honey! Open up.” You could hear her pleas from where you stood in the living room.

You swallowed hard and looked at Han. He bent down and picked up a page that had fallen at his feet, and stood silently looking at the sketch in hand. “Is it true?” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, Han.” Seungmin said softly. Han didn’t even respond to Suengmin. Han was looking at you, shaking. “You knew?” his voice trembled. He looked so betrayed and you hated yourself so much. He took your silence as a yes, dropped the paper to the floor and walked out of the house without a word. Lina jumped up “Han. Please wait.” She called as she chased after him.

That left just you, Seungmin and little Channie in the room. You felt panic rise through you. You thought you were going to vomit. You looked around at the pages on the floor. “This is such a mess.” You sobbed as you got down on the floor, frantically trying to gather all the sketches. “We have to fix this.” You mumbled to yourself. You paused to see Seungmin crouch down beside you to help pick up the pieces. If this whole thing was killing you, what must it be doing to Seungmin?

“You knew?” he asked surprised.

You nodded. “Hyuna told me.” You sucked your lip in. “You know about this, right?” you pointed to your stomach.

“Yeah. You fit right in with our family.” He chuckled sarcastically.

“I’m going to go put these in my room. I don’t want Hyuna to see this destroyed. I’ll see what I can do to fix it.”

“Do you think it can be fixed?” he asked.

You looked at him sorrowfully. “I really hope so.” You whispered.

Neither of you were talking about the sketchbook.

You put the ruined sketchbook and all it’s torn pages in your bedside drawer. You were determined that you were going to put it back together for Hyuna. You sat on your bed defeated. This was so fucked up. Who knew where Han was? You hoped Lina was able to catch him up. But oh God you felt like you had ripped his heart out and stomped on it. You had never wanted to keep secrets from him. He probably felt like his whole world had crumbled in that one moment. You broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. You could hardly breath as your chest heaved and snot ran down your face. You felt like you were hyperventilating. You couldn't get enough oxygen into your lungs. Then you felt a strong pain in your abdomen. Your baby. Your hands clutched your stomach as you tried to calm your breath, but you were suddenly so frightened that you felt like your were having heart palpitations. Something was wrong.

You felt another strong pain. Oh no!

You made your way back to the living room. “Seungmin?” you stumble towards him.

Seungmin looked up from where he was on the floor with Chan with red and bleary eyes. He immediately saw that something was wrong.

“I think I need to go to the hospital.” You managed.

He stood up. “Should I get Hyuna?” You shook your head. You didn’t want to disturb her if she was talking to Binnie. “You’ll have to take me.”

Seungmin’s eyes darted around the room as though he was trying to find another solution, but eventually nodded. “We’ll have to take Channie with us.” He concluded.

------------------------

You sat in silence on the way to the hospital, trying to remain as calm as possible. Next week you would be considered full term and so if the baby was to come now you hoped that she had a good chance of being born safely.

Suengmin tried calling Han on speaker phone in the car, but his phone was turned off. So was Lina’s. They were supposed to keep their phones charged and ready in case of a situation like this, but after what just happened back at the house you couldn’t blame them for not wanting to be reached. You didn’t even know if Lina had managed to catch up to Han. Hyuna’s phone was switched on, but she didn’t answer. At least Suengmin could leave a voice message and hope that she called back soon.

Seungmin looked at you empathetically. This was absolutely not the way you envisioned going to the hospital - with Seungmin and Channie in tow.

At the hospital you were taken to a bed and hooked up to some monitors for observation.

“You are two centimetres dilated. You are in the very early stages of labour. Normally you would stay home until things progressed further.” They said. “But you’re heart rate and blood pressure are extremely high. We need to keep you in to monitor you. Then we can decide whether or not you can go home until you’re closer to delivery.” They explained. “You might want to see if anyone else can look after your son, it’s going to be a long wait for him.” They suggested, nodding towards Channie, and left you and Seungmin alone.

Suengmin’s eyes lingered on Chan who was sitting on his lap, then to you. “Are they really thinking of sending you home? You’re in labour. They said so themselves.” He said in disbelief.

“I’m just relieved that they don’t consider this an emergency.” You sighed in relief. “You really don’t don’t have to stay, Seungmin. You should take Channie home. I’ll be alright.”

Seungmin didn’t answer. “Do you really want to give her up to me and Lina?” he said suddenly.

You looked down at your stomach but didn’t say anything.

“Because if you do, I don’t want to pretend I’m her real father.” He said softly. You lifted your gaze to meet his. What was he saying? ���I mean, I’ll raise her like she was my own, but I can’t do to this to Han. It fucking hurts like hell to not have your children know who you are.” His eyes filled with tears, and so did yours. “Could you really cope with your baby calling Lina Mummy and not you?”

“But what about Lina?” you looked at Seungmin unsure.

“I know she wants to me a mother, but I know you want to be too.”

The tears spilled down your cheeks. He was right. You wanted to be a mother. You wanted your baby to call you Mummy. You just thought it couldn’t be possible.

“I’m not even sure what’s going to happen now anyway.” You said sadly, thinking about what had happened back at the house. Everything had crumbled.

“Don’t keep this lie up just because I was a coward. You don’t know how many times I wished I had stood up to our parents and told them I was going to marry Hyuna? This whole family is a mess is because of me.” He said solemnly. He squeezed his arms around Channie in a tight embrace.

“Oh Seungmin, it’s not your —”

The door flung open and Han and Lina rushed in. “Baby!” Han wailed. “Oh my God, tell me everything is okay.” He was at your side fussing over you.

“Han?” Seungmin said hesitantly.

“Suengmin?” Lina patted him gently on the shoulder. “Let’s take Channie to our house. Hyuna is…well she has her hands full with Binnie… Come, let’s give them space.” She said quietly.

“I’ll speak to you later, okay, Hannie?” Suengmin tried again, but Han ignored him.

“Come on Channie, let’s go back to Aunty Lina’s.” Lina scooped up Chan and smiled at you kindly with red, puffy eyes and her and Seungmin left the room.

“Oh Han!” You held his face in your hands. “I’m so sorry.” You wiped his tears from his cheeks.

“I was so scared something had happened to you or the baby. I don’t know what I would do if —”

“Shh, Han. I’m okay, and so is the baby. They’re just keeping me in for observation and to see if I can go home. But…” he looked at you with concern. “They said I am in early labour. So we should meet our little girl soon enough.” Han’s expression changed from pained to relieved.

“She’s going to be here soon? I’m going to be dad. Really this time.” He half smiled.

“Han, you’re already a Dad.” You reassured him, squeezing his hand.

He shook his head. “Am I? Binnie was so distressed. I don’t know what I’m going to say to him when we get home. I don’t even know if I should try calling him. I just…” you could see the anxiety taking over. “I’m not really his father!” he choked.

“Hannie,” your tried to sooth him. “Binnie told me he’d always think of you as his Dad.” You went on to explain how you found Binnie with the sketchbook and that he had suspicions already.

“Is that how you knew too? The sketchbook?” he blinked away his tears.

You shook your head slowly.

“Then how did you know?” he asked puzzled.

“Hyuna told me.” You whispered softly. Han dropped your hands and sat back creating distance between the two of you. “She knew everything Han. About you and Lina, me, the baby. She knew it all.” You said bewildered.

“Seungmin too?” he pushed. You nodded. He dropped his head in defeat.

“Is there anything else?” his wounded eyes met yours.

“Yes.” His face couldn’t look any more hurt. “Hyuna�� She’s painted a portrait of me…as a gift for me to remember by pregnancy. She thought it might be a nice keepsake when I give the baby up.”

“She did that for you?” you nodded. “ahhh!” you winced as you clutched your stomach.

“Baby?” Han was immediately close to you again, holding your hands in his. You had been keeping the discomfort of the contractions to yourself. They’d been manageable for the time being. But they were getting slightly stronger.

“I think we should focus on you and the baby right now. I love you. I’m not going to be angry at you for keeping secrets. Who am I to do that when look at me? Look at my family.” He scratched his head. “It’s all messed up but we can figure it out later.” He became suddenly focused on the immediate situation. Everything else would have to wait.

-----------------------------------

After a few hours the doctors were happy with your’s and your baby’s obs, but your contractions were becoming stronger and closer together, and your cervix was dilating rapidly. You were really about to have your baby.

Lina had returned to the hospital. She quickly updated you on what was happening on the home front, and that Hyuna and Seungmin were tending to Binnie and Channie. Lina seemed to be putting aside the family crisis, just like Han was doing, despite the whole situation being just as much a shock for her as it was for Han. Their world had just been torn apart, but here they were supporting you through the hardest but most rewarding thing you’ve ever done.

At three-ten in the morning your little girl was born. Little baby Yongbok. She was absolutely perfect. As you held her in your arms you promised her that you would never leave her. No matter what was going to happen you were going to be part of her life. You were going to be her mother. You couldn’t imagine any alternative. Not now. The words of Hyuna, Binnie and even Seungmin echoed through your mind. That lies and resentment eat you. That you’d be denying your baby the truth of who they were. That you’d be living a lie to fulfill an expectation of other people. To think about what you wanted. Everyone knew the truth of your baby now anyway. But what about Lina? You’d break her heart.

You looked to Lina who seemed to somehow sense your thoughts.

“She belongs with you, kitten. You’re her mother.” She whispered with tears in her eyes.

“Oh Lina, I need you!” you sobbed. “I need you to be her mother too. You’re part of this - you, me and Han. Our baby…Oh Han!” you reached out for him, pulling him close. The man was a blubbering mess. The three of you cuddled together around your baby. Baby Yongbook. A little ray of sunshine.

For the next little while it was like the four of you had run away. For the next little while nothing else mattered. You looked down at the most precious and perfect thing you had ever seen in your entire life and you felt a sense of calm, and you trusted that everything was going to work out.

-----------------------------

Once you returned home, you’d found that Hyuna had moved into your room so you could have the master room where you could fit a cradle and would have more space for you and Yongbok. She left all of Han’s clothes and items in there, insisting that the two of you should be together, especially in these early days. She’d hung your portrait on the wall too. “Holy shit, baby!” Han said when he saw it. “Yep, I definitely want to keep you pregnant all the time.”

You felt guilty that Hyuna had given up her space like this, but you were extremely grateful. Your room was not big enough to accommodate baby furniture.

Then reality set in. The whole family was hurting. There was tension between Han and Seungmin. Lina felt resentful that Hyuna had lied about the father of the boys. Everyone hurt for Han and Binnie who slowly came to terms with the reality that they weren’t biologically father and son, but still Dad and Son.

Everyone loved little Yongbok though. She was the one thing that brought hope to the family. It was as though whenever anyone held her they’d feel this sense of peace and hope. Everything could be worked out. When they held her they could understand what it was like to be in each other’s shoes. It still hurt and everything was still a mess. But it seemed like everyone wanted to heal and forgive.

Suengmin had said it best. “It’s like everything had to fall apart and crumble, so we can start to build things back up properly. The way it should have been built in the first place.”

Everyone agreed that they felt the same way too. But it was also made clear that no one was allowed to rush each other in their healing. Each person was affected differently, and they had the right to take as long as they needed.

That was especially true for Binnie. It was going to take a long time for him to work through the confusion he felt. He was having an identity crisis and trust issues. His Dad - that wasn’t really his dad - had a baby with the nanny? But, being the insightful and wise young man he was, he tried to remember that he now had an opportunity to have a second father. “Dad will always be Dad, but Seungmin, well, he’s not just an uncle. He’s a second dad. But I’m still going to call him Seungmin.” He concluded.

Han, once he realised that his position as “Dad” wasn’t really under threat, his confidence started to return. Han wasn’t as hurt as he probably should have been to learn that his wife and brother were in a lifelong secret relationship. His view as always was “Why can’t you love more than one person?” and this sentiment applied to his wife and brother.

Lina focused all her time and attention on you and Yongbok. She didn’t really share much about how she felt about the secrets coming out. You were pretty sure that, although she hated seeing Han hurt, inside she was relieved that she didn’t have to keep living her life in secret.

It eventually came time to discuss the inevitable. What was the family going to do moving forward? One thing was clear though. Everyone should be with their rightful lovers. “But who moves in with who?” asked Lina. Han didn’t want to simply swap with Seungmin because he wanted to be with Binnie and Channie.

“Maybe Yongbok and I can move in with Lina, and Seungmin move in here?” you offered. Han looked absolutely horrified. “Wait! And I stay here alone in my bed?” he pouted. Everyone sat in silence racking their brains.

“What if everyone just moves in here?” Binnie suggested? “But I don’t want to see any funny business. That’d be weird… and gross.”

“There’s not a lot of room,” Han sat in thought. “But I think we can make it work.” He nodded like he’d cracked the case. Everyone turned to Han waiting to be enlightened. “We’ll turn my office, because it’s biggest, into a bedroom, and make - now Hyuna’s - bedroom into an office.” He said brightly.

“Who gets the room with the en-suite?” Suengmin said flatly. Hyuna hit him in the arm.

“They do of course. They need a bigger room, there’s four of them. We can just use the main bathroom.” She explained.

Binnie threw his hands over his ears. “I DO NOT need to hear about the throuple sleeping situation.” He cried shaking his head.

So that’s what happened for the time being. Everyone moved into the one house.

The entire family continued to live a lie, but this time it was a facade for the outside world. Inside, however, the family had never been more open and honest with each other than they were being right now. They could start building a new future, bit by bit. They each wanted the same thing. Love and happiness, not just for themselves, but each other too.

————————

A year or so later… an update, because I want to wrap this up and this was the lazy way. Think of it like those clips you get at the end of a movie that shows you what happened without it taking another half an hour.

* Everyone still lives in the one house. They got too comfortable and fell into a routine that was “good enough”.

*Turns out Hyuna and Seungmin are really feely-touchy touchy with each other and no one saw that coming.

You glued the sketchbook back together.

* Channie calls Seungmin “Daddy” much to the encouragement from Han who decided his brother should be able to claim a son as his.

* Yongbok calls you “Mummy”, and Lina “Umma” and Han “Daddy” (yay!!)… although really, she can’t quite talk (but you’re teaching her who is who)

* Oh, and Lina has morning sickness! (Oh snap!)

------------------------------------------

It’s never really the end…

who knows I might write more little side stories, and I’m definitely open to answering “asks” related to this Skz Family universe. 🥰

------------------------------------------

Forbidden Tag List @lyramundana @channieandhisgoonsquad @2chopsticks2eyes @queenmea604 @leeknowsthigh @chlodavids @antoniorhinothethird @bangtanmix73 @linocvp1d @sunshinesquokka @lolareadsimagines @hannieslovebot @noellllslut @sweetracha @mrblue-kai @muddy-waters

[kuyajermsss]

CAWAG HEXA DAYHIKE 6 mountains. 26 kilometers. 17 hours.

Alam kong masyadong ambisyoso ang pag-akyat ko ng Cawag Hexa (7/9 difficulty) lalo na't Batulao pa lang ang pinakamahirap na experience ko sa bundok—which is 4/9 and just a minor hike.

But I was feeling very bold and confident, I took the challenge. Nasurvive ko naman ang first major hike ko hahaha.

Here's a quick recap (long post ahead):

Una pa lang, sinabihan na agad kami sa jump off na mag water ration. Dahil impyerno ang Cawag due to limited water source, and open trail with hardly any trees to shed from the sun's draining heat, kailangan mo talagang magconserve ng water for 15-20 hours.

Approx 4 hours daw paakyat ng 1st mountain.

We left the jump off at 2am.

Sobrang OA nung pagka-mabato ng trail, parang rock climbing na esp sa last part ng ascent. Certain parts of the trail are slippery. Mahamog na nga, malumot pa.

Syempre hindi kumpleto ang experience kung hindi tayo nadulas hahaha. Good thing wala namang injury but minimal scratches lang on knee. Tanga lang ako for thinking na kaya kong maglakad ng mabilis on slippery slopes despite wearing proper shoes. Wala pang first summit, may sugat na agad si tanga hahaha 😅😅

MT. BALINGKILAT (1100 masl)

Reached the summit by sunrise.

We were told that the ascents of 1st and 4th mountain are the hardest among the six. Naka-ilang 'take five' din kami jusq. Palakasan ng binti at baga itong unang bundok hahaha.

May water source sa summit, yun nga lang hindi ko sure saan galing yung tubig hahaha. Buti na lang malakas sikmura ko sa mga ganito.

The descent from the 1st mountain was the most challenging. Maraming nag-back out dahil dito. Mahirap nga naman kasi dahil sa big boulders + sharp rocks + knife edge. All these while under the sun. 🥵

BUT because I love rocks, and descents are my fave, sobrang na-enjoy ko tooo. Promise para ka lang nakikipag-patintero kay kamatayan hahaha. One small step and you're gone lol 💀

MT. BIRA BIRA (450 masl)

We reached the 2nd mountain by 9am. Too bad, walang signage kaya picture na lang daw as proof hahaha.

*Yung nasa likod ko, yan lang naman yung binaybay namin papunta sa pangalawang bundok hehe 😎

On to the 3rd mountain, banayad na yung daan pero jusq lusaw na lusaw na kami. Hindi kinakaya ng payong at ng pamaypay yung pagkabanas ko hahaha

Buti na lang at mabait si lord. Mga ilang beses din kaming binigyan ng clouds kaya temporarily nakasilong kami mula sa init ng araw. 🙏🏼

MT. NAULAW (450 masl)

Sobrang weird nito kasi itong bumagsak lang na posteng to ang palatandaan mong nasa 3rd mountain ka na hahaha

Wala ulit signage kaya picture na lang kahit hulas na hahaha

Continuing to the 4th mountain, may nadaanan kaming sapa. We decided to regroup and eat our lunch here. Pahinga na rin ng konti.

Anw, wala talaga sa plano ko ang maligo pero dahil banas na banas ako, nagbasa na ko just to beat the heat. Nagpatuyo na lang kami paakyat ng 4th mountain.

Also, huling water source na to kaya after this, tipid na talaga sa tubig.

Nalagas na kami dito. From 26 pax, 12 na lang ang naglakas loob na tumuloy. We were given an option earlier to exit at Bira-Bira, kasi wala na raw exit moving forward. Pag tinuloy mo, you rly have to finish 'til jump off.

Medyo gloomy na yung weather while climbing the 4th mountain. Somehow thankful because the heat from the sun's gone. But still, kabado pa rin dahil baka abutan ng ulan sa summit.

Wala na kaming idea gaano kalayo ang peak. Nilalaban ko na lang ang bawat hakbang kasi pamatay tuhod at baga din tong bundok na to jusq.

MT. DAYUNGAN (935 masl)

Exactly when we reach the summit of the 4th mountain, saktong bumuhos yung ulan. Wala na kaming nagawa, kanya-kanyang payong at kapote na.

The 5 of us in the lead decided not to wait for the rest of them sa summit, dahil bukod sa malakas na ang ulan, kumikidlat-kidlat pa. Bumaba na kami agad and went straight to the next mountain.

Walang signage + walang clearing. Next! 😂😂

Mas lalong naging challenging ang descent from the prev mountain all the way to the 5th mountain. Aside from the cold weather and heavy rain, madulas at maputik na yung trail. The odds of falling are very high this time hahahaha

Well, tumigil na rin naman yung ulan after 20-30mins, pero sobrang dreadful na maglakad because of our wet socks and shoes.

MT. CINCO PICOS (881 masl)

Hindi ko masyadong naintindihan yung talak pero parang sarado raw talaga at hindi pa binubuksan ang Cinco Picos, and will require more than a day to climb it. Kaya diyan lang daw talaga sa area na yan (am not sure if we were at the foot of the 5th mountain) ang mga Cawag Hexa hikers.

Huminto na nga yung ulan, pero umay na umay ako sa talahib. Parang 65-70% ng trail going to the last mountain puro talahib.

Sobrang taas, humahampas na yung talahib sa mukha mo, nahaharangan pa yung path. Madulas na nga yung trail, di mo pa masyadong makita yung dinadaanan mo bc of the tall grass.

Buti na lang talaga naka-raincoat and pants ako. Hindi ako masyadong nagasgasan hehehe

MT. REDONDO (660 masl)

Finally! Ang mga bagong graduates ng Cawag Hexa dayhike hahaha.

Sobrang solid din ng mga kasabayan ko sa lead group, mapupush ka talaga to move forward. Ang lalakas! 💪🏼💪🏼

Hindi na kami masyadong nagtagal dito sa last summit kasi nagparamdam na naman yung ulan. Nag-snacks lang ng konti, pahinga, tapos laban na ulit.

*Akala ko mae-enjoy ko na yung descent pabalik ng jump off. Puro talahib pa rin pala jusq. Umay talaga. 😤

We arrived at the jump off by 7pm. Tinapos ang Cawag Hexa in 17 hours. Pinilit madaliin pabalik para di abutan ng dilim at ulan sa damuhan hahahaha.

Still amazed with my ankle mobility kasi naka-ilang tapilok at dulas ako pababa pero dedma lang hahaha. Hindi naman ako na-injure hehehe.

So that's it. I'm keeping a lot of core memories from this hike 💖

At para sa mga taong nakausap at nakasama ko sa akyat na 'to, congratulations sa ating lahat. Pwede na mag-G2? 👀

Di ko alam na pre-climb pala ang Cawag Hexa for G2. I guess, kitakits na lang sa susunod na ahon!

[disaster-kitchen]

Campfire Pork Shoulder Tacos

5lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2" cubes

1-2 cans of beer- you want like. A lager? Probably not an IPA, and a stout is going to be too dark. (This year was a can of Great Lakes Mexican lager and then half a can of their amber lager.) You can also use stock or water if you want.

Marinade (I mix the day before in a mason jar for easy transport, but I forgot to take a picture):

Equal parts orange juice and lime juice, fresh squeezed; approx 1 large orange and 3-4 limes (about 1/2c each)

1tsp dried cilantro

1tsp dried oregano

1-2 tsp whole cumin seeds (or 1 tsp ground, but really, get the seeds)

Pepper

2 1/2tsp salt

1 head garlic, peeled, crushed- approx 5-7 cloves (I would honestly recommend more garlic.)

Dump your pork and marinade into a ziploc bag and jhuzh it around, then throw it back in the fridge/cooler for about 2 hours while you get your fire burning down to coals.

In a cast iron dutch oven, add the pork and marinade/juices, one can of beer, and maybe a little extra salt and pepper. Slap the lid on and chuck it in some banked coals or a 325 degree oven until the meat is fork tender- check it in an hour. Take the lid off for the last half hour to cook down the juices and let the meat get a little smoke.

Warm your tortillas by the fire on the pot lid, and serve with sour cream, fresh cilantro, pickled onions, and some hot sauce. Cheese, guacamole, and salsa were also present but I'm a purist.

5lbs of pork will feed 6 very hungry people with nothing left over except regrets about overeating.

Some notes!

If you want to scale up, increase the amount of marinade liquid. If you want to scale down, reduce the salt.

This year it was done in 90 minutes (alarmingly ahead of schedule); last year the fire died and it took closer to 3 hours. Your cook time is going to be variable depending on your fire and how well trimmed the meat is. I have made this in an oven, but I do not remember how long it took.

If all the liquid cooks off, things will start getting crispy, which is great! Highly recommend. Just watch it, because you can go from deliciously crispy to charcoal very quickly.

Add more liquid if you're worried about things getting charred- more citrus, beer, or even water is fine. (Or all three, if you're ahead of schedule by 2 hours and panicking about things burning. You, too, can find yourself crouched over the fire like some kind of goblin, squeezing an orange into pulp with your bare hands.)

I added: the juice of 1 orange and 2 limes, half a can of amber lager, and a few glugs of water so the bottom of the pot and half the pork was submerged. The whole thing simmered for another half hour, and the liquid immediately turned into gravy. Delicious, delicious gravy.

I will probably try to replicate these conditions next year, without the panic. If I can pull it off, I'll figure out more consistent instructions. Or I'll have to make tacos more than once a year, oh nooooo.

The reviews for this year: "Wow, you can really taste the panic! This is the best batch so far!"

[ikeromantic]

Alice in College pt 4

An IkeRev Central characters AU! Written for my IkeRev 1K Celebration, a boarding school AU was the poll winner. Approx. 3800 words. 4/6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

“I am an idiot. I always give myself very good advice but do I take it? Nooooo . . .” Alice stood in the empty dining hall, wondering again why she’d decided to come. The reason was simple. Curiosity. But on balance, it wasn’t exactly a great reason, or even a good one. 

The door swung open, and Alice startled. “Da- oh.” It wasn’t Dalim standing there, but some stranger. A student she had not met. He was tall and lean, with dark brown hair and wide, grey eyes like a stormclouds. Oddly enough, he had a similarity to the kid Blanc and Loki hung out with, right down to wearing a matching top hat. 

“You.” The guy crossed his arms. “You do realize dinner was over an hour ago?”

“Umm. Yes?” She frowned. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Alice.”

“And I don’t have time to introduce myself to an idiot.” He looked around. “So. Why are you here after hours? It’s against the rules.”

Alice sighed. “I’m waiting on a friend. But if you’re going to tattle on me, I can just leave now.” 

He held up a hand. “I didn’t say I was going to tell on you. Just be careful. There are worse things than detention with Mousse.” 

“What, like Dean will turn me into a frog for a year?” She grinned. 

“Dean won’t, no. But he isn’t the one in charge.” He paused, his gaze narrowing. “People have gone missing here. Or died. People like you.”

Alice felt a flutter of fear in her belly, but didn’t want to let him know he’d scored a point. “Yeah, well, if it’s so scary, what are you doing here after hours? You could be in danger too.”

He gave a bark of laughter. “Me? No. I’ll be fine. I’ve got defenses. But you? You should stay where it’s safe. Where the lights are on and the rest of the students hang out.”

“Look, I’m not going to let you scare me. I’m not defenseless either. I know how to protect myself.” Alice tried not to think back on London and the times she ducked into a shop or ran home to get there before dark. She’d never been very brave, but she wanted to be. 

“Your head really is full of hot air, like a balloon.” He took a long breath, clearly not buying her bravado. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a powder compact or small mirror. “If you aren’t going to be sensible, then take this.” He handed it to her. “If someone - or something - bothers you, just point it at them and twist.”

Alice looked down at the thing uncertainly. “What does it do? I don’t want to hurt anyone . . .”

“It puts them to sleep. What did you think?” He snorted. “You really are such a dummy.” 

“And you’re mean and rude, so I think between the two of us, I’ve got it better.” Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

“Pfft, and people think I’m a kid?” He started laughing.

Alice couldn’t believe anyone would confuse him for a child, even if he slung insults like one. “Anyway, thanks for the - the thingamajig.” She pocketed it. 

“I haven’t named it yet, but I was thinking about calling it a sleep stick. Catchy, right? It’s a prototype, so be careful with it. And with yourself.” He added the last bit in a quiet voice, his expression going serious. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice. And don’t forget. You owe me one now.” 

“Hey! I don’t owe you anything! If it’s like that, take your - hey!” Alice called after him, but the guy was gone. And he hadn’t even told her his name. “What a weirdo.”

“The school is full of them,” said a voice just behind her. 

Alice leapt and spun, her heart hammering in her chest. She held the sleep stick out like a tiny baton. 

Dalim grinned. “Whatcha going to do with that, princess? I’m not in the mood for a nap.” His smile hinted at all kinds of things he was in the mood for. 

Alice lowered her odd little weapon and tucked it into a pocket. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people. And you should stop calling me princess. You know my name.”

“Yeah, but you’re too beautiful for such a simple name. Calling you princess is the least I can do to respect your charms.” He said all this with a straight face, and every word of it put another degree of heat into Alice’s inflamed cheeks. 

“You can stop flirting with me too. That’s probably the same line you use on every new girl.”

Dalim chuckled. “Only the gorgeous ones.” But he did look somewhat chastened and his smile relaxed into something more natural. “Thanks for meeting me here tonight. I half expected that you wouldn’t show.”

“I shouldn’t have.” Alice frowned at him, but her heart wasn’t in it. “So . . . what are we doing? Nothing against the rules?”

He shrugged. “Not explicitly?” She didn’t say anything to that, so he went on. “I thought we could hang out. And . . . I have some contraband from town.” Dalim’s grin widened. “Amon and I were saving it for a special occasion, but spending time with you is pretty special.”

He was at it again with the cheesy pick-up lines, she thought, but it was kind of endearing. “Alright. But if I get in trouble again, I’m never forgiving you.”

“Understood.” 

Dalim led her to the boys’ wing of the school. This was where all the guys bunked in single and double dormitories. Most of the room doors were wide open, with guys shouting to each other across the hall, tossing balls back and forth or shooting each other with paper wads. A couple of people she’d met in class waved at her as they passed.

They stopped at one of the closed doors and Dalim knocked. A moment later, the door opened a crack, and Amon peered out. “There you are.” That was all he said before opening the door just wide enough to let the two of them in.

Amon wasn’t in his hoodie or scarf, just a loose black t-shirt and thin black pajama pants. He gave Alice a thin-lipped smile. “I didn’t think Dalim could talk you into coming.”

“I’m very persuasive,” Dalim laughed. He shut the door behind them as Alice stepped inside and looked around. 

She’d expected the room to be about the same size as her own and the ones she’d seen in passing, but it was quite a bit larger. There was room enough for a small, worn leather couch, a bookshelf, the two beds, and a table. 

“Corner space,” Dalim said, before she could ask. “Amon’s family pulled some strings for us.” 

“Nice.” She sat down on the couch and was surprised when Amon joined her. 

He studied her face in silence, as if waiting for her to do something interesting. 

Dalim grabbed some glasses and a bottle from a box under his bed. The bottle was smoked glass, and some liquid moved beneath the dark exterior. It was a little bigger than a wine bottle, and similarly corked. “The cups don’t match. Sorry about that, pri- Alice.” 

“I’m not fancy.” She averted her gaze from Amon, who was still watching her. “So what is it? What’s in the bottle?”

“Wine bottled from fruit gathered in the magic forest. Grown near naturally occurring magic crystals. They say it has all kinds of extra qualities.” Dalim raised an eyebrow. 

Alice peered cautiously at the bottle. Things in Cradle had a habit of being more dangerous than they appeared. “What kinds of things?”

“We’ll have to find out,” Amon answered for Dalim. “It’s our first time trying it too.”

“What he said,” Dalim agreed. He pulled the cork and began to pour. The wine, if that’s what it was, glimmered in the lamplight. It was gold in color, opaque and a little cloudy. The scent was sweet and reminded Alice of roses and honey, an aroma that grew stronger when Dalim handed her a cup.

“To new friendships,” Dalim held up his cup.

“Friendships,” echoed Amon.

Alice clinked her cup against theirs and took a sip. Whatever was in the glass, it wasn’t wine. That was her first thought. Her second was that it was amazing, and her third thought was that she wanted more. The drink tasted like summer felt. Warm and lazy, humming with life and light. It suffused her with a sense of wellbeing and nostalgia. 

“Kinda makes me feel like a kid again,” Amon said. He smiled at her again, and this time it didn’t look forced. “Just the good parts.”

Dalim nodded. “Yeah.” He gave Alice a questioning look. “Do you like it?”

“I think so. It’s really odd, but good.” She took another careful sip, wanting to hold onto this strange feeling for as long as she could. 

“What does it make you think about?” Amon’s eyes were on her, the strange topaz color shifting just like the cloudy drink in her cup, sparkling in the light. 

He was kind of cute, she thought, when he wasn’t scowling. His long, pale hair curled behind his ears, silky and fine. “Ummm. It reminds me of summer? I guess? Warmth and that feeling of just . . . not needing to be anywhere or do anything.”

“I think that’s a good description. It’s warm and sweet. Like a gentle kiss.” Dalim settled on her other side, sandwiching Alice between him and Amon. 

She laughed. “There you go again, trying to flirt.”

“I sense it isn’t working.” He sighed.

“Just lay off, Dalim. Let her relax.” Amon leaned back, giving her a little more space on his side. 

Alice was silently grateful for his comment as Dalim also leaned back. “So, what do you do for fun around here?”

“Other than flirting with lovely ladies like yourself?” Dalim chuckled. “There are plays, dances, festivals . . . I like to read. And Amon has his experiments.” He shrugged. “If you mean at school, there’s not much. A few clubs, sports.”

“What about you, Alice? What do you do when you’re at leisure?” Amon asked without looking at her. His eyes were unfocused and staring up into the rafters of the high ceiling. 

“Well . . . at home I would bake. Or write out recipes I had an idea for. I worked at a pâtissière, so I was always trying to come up with new ideas for sweets we could make.” She sighed. It seemed like ages ago, even if it was only a month. “I miss it sometimes? But I like Cradle. I chose to stay afterall.”

“Hm. Didn’t have anything to go back to?” Amon was paying attention now, his eyes as sharp and cold as gemstones.

“I - well, no. Not really.” She took a breath, wondering how much to share and whether she ought to say anything at all. “I had my job. My boss was very nice. And I had a roommate. But no one I needed to go back to.”

Dalim set a hand on her shoulder, a gentle caress. “That’s awful.” 

When she turned to face him, expecting his usual flirty smirk, she was surprised to find an expression of genuine commiseration on his face.

He seemed to realize it and let his hand drop. “It’s just, such a lovely lady deserves better than that. Don’t you think, Amon?”

“Yeah.” Amon was still focused on her, his full attention almost a pressure at her side. “You know, we could be like family. Me and you and Dalim. Friends, anyway. And that’s better than family.” He said the last bit with more passion, a flare of anger burning in the depths of his cold gaze. 

“I like to make friends. And you guys seem . . . nice? Nice enough, anyway.” Alice gave him a small smile. 

Dalim put a hand to his chest. “All that and I get ‘nice enough’? I am losing my touch.” 

“Maybe you are.” Amon threw a pillow at him. “Let’s stop talking about serious stuff and play a game.”

Alice perked up. “I love games! What will we play? Cribbage? Dominoes? I’m pretty good at checkers.”

Dalim and Amon exchanged a look that Alice didn’t catch. There was glee in Amon’s eyes and a certain wariness in his friend’s. 

“This is a special Cradle game. It’s played with magic.” Amon slid bonelessly to the floor, his back against the couch now. “We’ll teach you how to play.”

Alice helped herself down as Dalim found a spot nearby. “Ok. So what do we do? How does it work?”

“It’s really easy. I’ll use this magic crystal to make a little ball. And you will use your crystal to catch it and toss it to Dalim.” Amon handed her a small, glowing crystal. “On every pass, we’ll make the ball a little bigger until it pops. Whoever it pops on, loses.”

“Ok. I - I never did anything like that before but I can try.” Alice looked at the magic crystal in her hand. It was smaller than her pinky, and glowed with a faint blue light. 

Dalim leaned close. “Don’t worry, it’s not hard. When it’s your turn to catch, I’ll help you.” 

Amon gave a shrill laugh. His eyes turned red, like a bloody film drawn over them. The crystal in his hands dimmed for a breath and then a crackling ball of lightning appeared in the air just above it. “Impressed yet, Alice?”

“I am, actually. That is amazing.” She leaned closer and felt the hair prickle at the static surrounding the orb. “Is it safe to touch?”

“You might get a little zap if you. I don’t recommend it,” Dalim put a hand on her arm. When she leaned back, he let go. “So - to play the game, close your eyes.”

Alice did as she was instructed, though she didn’t want to. “And then?”

“Focus on the crystal in your hand. See it in your mind. Feel the pulse of magic in it, constrained by the structure. Eager to be let out.” Dalim’s voice was low and easy. 

She tried to feel for the pulse, reaching toward a power she didn’t quite understand. For a long moment, there was nothing but her own racing heartbeat. The crystal was cool in her palm, no different than any pebble she might pick up. A tension built between her eyes, and the mental image she had of the crystal wavered. When it did, she felt the first stirrings of the power within it.

“It hums,” she said softly. 

Amon laughed again. “Yeah, it is kind of a hum.”

“You’re doing great, princess. Now hold onto to that feeling, and open your eyes.” Dalim guided her to the next step with practiced ease. 

Alice slowly opened her eyes while still clinging to the tuneless hum of the magic crystal. Dalim and Amon swam into view. They were both staring at her. 

“You got it,” Dalim smiled. “I can tell because your eyes are as red as Amon’s” 

“S-so now what?”

Amon answered. “When I toss this lightning at you, you’re going to reach for it. But you’re going to use the hum you’re feeling in that crystal to reach out, not your hands.” He hunched forward, anticipation in every line of him. 

“Ready, princess?” Dalim gestured toward Amon. When he did, the pale-haired boy lifted the ball and lobbed it toward Alice. 

Her eyes went wide as she saw the roiling, crackling ball of lightning float through the air toward her. It seemed much larger than it had when it was just sitting above Amon’s hands. Her hair crackled with the static rolling off of it, and her skin prickled uncomfortably. She tried to reach with the hum of the crystal, to stretch out that vibration toward the ball, but the magic didn’t budge. 

Alice tried again as the lightning drew ever closer to her. She didn’t want to get a painful shock. Whatever she did, her connection to the crystal snapped, the hum disappeared, and the ball was almost to her. Panicked, Alice threw out a hand. “No!”

The ball of lightning winked out of existence.

Amon and Dalim stared at her, open mouthed. 

“W-what just happened?” Alice looked from one to the other.

“I told you she could do it.” Amon grinned widely. 

Dalim grimaced. “You broke the spell.” 

“Is that bad?” 

Amon took her hand. His skin was almost fever hot to the touch, dry, and soft as sin. “It’s fantastic. Truly.” His eyes were ablaze with unexpected passion. “You are the only person I know that can break a spell like that. Not counter it. Not block it. But break it.” 

“It’s a power from the Land of Reason. I wasn’t sure you could do it, but Amon thought if we pushed you, you would.” Dalim shrugged. “Good job.” He didn’t sound entirely pleased. 

“We should test it,” Amon said, his grin so wide it looked like it must be hurting his cheeks. “Practice with it.” He was positively gleeful, and his mood was catching.

“Yeah! We can see what sort of spells I can break. It’s like my very own super power.” Alice was getting excited now. She’d never had any kind of specialness to her - never excelled in anything. And now she had a special power no one else had. Well, no one in Cradle anyway. 

Dalim tugged her hand away from Amon’s grasp. “Sure. But not tonight. We need to plan it out. Figure out what we want to test for, what kind of challenges you need.” 

Amon’s gaze narrowed as he looked at his friend, but after a moment he nodded. “Fine. It can wait on proper planning. But let’s not put it off too long. We need to know if we can con- if she can control it at will.” 

“And we will. Later.” Dalim stood and helped Alice to her feet. “I think this is enough for tonight.”

She nodded. “I am excited but he’s right. Let’s get together tomorrow and decide what we want to test and how it works. I don’t want to be caught by surprise again. If I’m going to be your guinea pig, I get a vote on what we’re doing.”

Amon scowled, but after a moment, he nodded. “Fine.”

“Great. So we’re all in agreement.” Dalim still held Alice’s hand. “I’ll walk you back to your room, ok?”

“I can get there on my own.” Alice grinned. “Oliver helped me with reading the map, so it’s a lot easier to get around.” 

“Oliver, huh?” For a moment his smile fell, then it was right back in place. “Alright. Then I guess this is goodnight, huh?” He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing the lightest breath of a kiss across her knuckles. “Goodnight princess.”

Alice tried to hide the little shiver he gave her. It was really quite unfair, this flirtation. She liked Dalim, but he was too smooth. Too . . . polished. On the outside, anyway. She felt like there was more, but he hid it under this playful guise. “Goodnight, Dalim. Amon.” 

Dalim let her go and waved as she stepped out into the hall. The door closed and she was alone again. Well, as alone as one got in a hall of raucous boys. It was quieter than it had been, but there was still plenty of laughter and chatter as she passed on her way back to the girls’ dorms. 

Just as she passed from the well-lit and noisy corridor into the quiet stairwell, Blanc came into view. Alice felt inexplicably glad to see him. There was something about him that put her at ease. “Blanc!”

“Alice.” His gentle smile greeted her enthusiasm. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She grinned. “I was visiting with some new friends. Amon and Dalim.”

Blanc nodded. “Lovely. I am glad you’re making friends.” He fell into step beside her. “I hope you don’t mind my accompanying you? I am headed in the same direction.”

“I don’t mind at all. I like your company.” 

“And I, yours.” His eyes glinted in the low lamp light, reflected flames flickering warmly behind the rectangle of his glasses. 

Alice had the most absurd urge to reach out and tuck a strand of his messy, pale hair behind his ear. Such an intimate gesture and yet the feeling between them seemed to welcome it. Still, she kept her hands to herself. 

“I hope that wasn’t too forward,” Blanc said after an awkward silence. 

“No! No, I said it first. I like that you like me too. Or, my company? You like my company. I like yours. Too. Company. As well.” Alice fell silent again, feeling like an idiot. She was babbling and now Blanc probably thought she was an idiot. 

Blanc laughed, a soft breathy sound that made something inside her uncoil pleasantly. A tension she hadn’t even realized she had. “Perhaps I can persuade you, then, to join me for tea? I’d like to enjoy your company even more, if that’s alright.” 

“I would like that.” Alice couldn’t read the expression he wore when she said yes. A mix, she thought, of delight and some faint melancholy or regret. She wondered why he held onto that trace of sadness and where it had come from. Blanc was a mystery to her, with his reserved politeness and his warm smiles. She wanted to know everything about him. 

“Excellent. Then, instead of supper tomorrow in the dining hall, you and I will adjourn privately for tea. Just the two of us.” 

There it was again, she thought. That secretive smile that seemed to promise so much without giving away a thing. The sensual curve of his lips, the slight lift of his brows, and the heat in his rose petal gaze made her skin prickle pleasantly. “Alright. That sounds good. Should I bring something?”

Blanc reached out then, his gloved fingertips almost touching her cheek. “Just your lovely self.”

Alice nodded. Somehow, that almost-touch was more enticing than all of Dalim’s obvious flirtations combined. 

The door below them clattered open as a group of students passed through the stairwell and onto another floor. The chatter broke the moment, and Blanc’s hand dropped to his side again. Neither said anything as they made their way into the women’s dormitory. Alice wasn’t sure what to say and Blanc seemed lost in thought.

He stopped at her door and she stood beside him, not really wanting to go in yet, but lacking an excuse to stay and talk. 

“I believe this is goodnight,” he said, sounding as reluctant as she felt. “It’s silly, I suppose, but I feel as if I could sit and chat with you for hours. We’ve only really just met and I’m already prepared to talk your ear off.” Blanc gave a self-deprecating laugh. 

“I wish you would,” Alice said, and then realized how that sounded. Her cheeks went hot as she tried to find a way to mitigate the damage. 

Blanc smiled. “I will see you tomorrow, Alice. Until then.” 

She managed a passable goodnight of her own and then went in, not staying to watch him leave. 

Part 5

[nails-teeth-neck]

okay okay so this took me 4 hours so im thinking that i may finally be getting back in the groove after approx 6 years

[scotianostra]

January 23rd is National Pie day.

Is it really a year since I last posted on this? Last year I took us on a journey of our Nations favourite, The Scotch Pie, everyone has their go to Butchers or even Bakers for theirs. The Killie Pie is legendary, The Macaroni Pie is another legend, you can still get this elsewhere, but Greggs discontinued their version in 2015. The  Mince Tattie and Baked Bean Pie was always a favourite of mine growing up, our local bakers did a great job of this, sadly the bakers is no more. And this time of year you can find Bells Steak and Haggis usually on offer at the supermarkets throughout Scotland, especially for Burns Night, which is only a couple days away.

Anyway this year I want to concentrate on the Steak Pie.

Us Scots love a steak pie to celebrate the New Year and cannot get enough of them, according to industry experts. But why has it become an annual tradition across the country?

One theory holds that steak pie became the national dish at New Years because January 1 wasn’t generally taken as a holiday so families were too busy to cook.

They would buy steak pies to feed their families instead, this continues to this day as people want a delicious meal after the previous night’s celebrations. So you could say it was essentially one of the first ready meals.

Or is it that the Steak pie is the nation’s hangover cure on what is often the roughest morning of the year for many, after a night of celebratory drinking?

Another theory is that because it is a big meal you can keep warm and serve to visitors throughout the day, as people come to the house. I don't buy into that one, we Scots always put on a spread on the table, Shortbread, Black Bun, even Dundee Cake was waiting for any first footers and others coming through the door in the wee sma' hours.

In days gone by oor mammies used to cook their own steak pies. so here's a recipe for a traditional Scottish steak pie, as seen in the main pic.

Things you’ll need to make a Scottish Steak Pie

Large Pot/Pan

Mixing Bowl

Pie Dish.

Ingredients

800g Diced Beef Stewing Steak (Approx 2lb)

2 tbsp Plain Flour

2 tbsp Olive Oil/Butter

2 Large Roughly Chopped Onions

500ml Beef Stock (Approx 2 cups)

35ml Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, Pronounced – Wooster-sher ( Approx 0.14 cups)

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Now my mum always cheated buy buying ready made Puff Pastr, but you can make your own.

Add ons

Many Scots swear by a Steak and Sausage pie, rather than just steak alone. We don’t mind adding sausages also, but personally like to have just steak most of the time. However, this recipe is easy to adapt if you want to! We’ll share more in variations below, but you can add 4-6 sausages if you like as well.

ake your mixing bowl and toss the beef in the plain flour, this will help insulate the meat while browning as well as helping the sauce to thicken. You can season the flour to help add an extra depth of flavour if you’d like.

Heat your pan and oil/butter, once hot add the onions and cook until soft.

Once the onions are soft add the beef to brown it, this should only take a few minutes.

This process of browning simply means to lightly cook the surface of the steak to caramelize it and add a richer flavour to the meat.

Once browned add the stock, Worcester Sauce, Tomato puree, Dijon mustard and seasoning.

Bring the mixture slowly to the boil.

Once it begins to boil reduce the heat and allow to gently simmer for 2.5 hrs.

During this time stir occasionally and, if you have a gas stove that doesn’t have a low enough setting to simmer keep rotating the pan to avoid too much heat in one place.

If you’re adding sausages (see variations) then you can chop and add them about halfway through cooking. If they have a high fat content you may want to fry off in a separate pan or even boil for 10 minutes to remove some of the fat so that the pie won’t get too greasy.

Once the sauce is good and thick and the meat is breaking apart nicely tip the mixture into the pie dish, it should be roughly 3/4 full.

Preheat your oven to 180°C or 356°F, approx gas mark 4.

Cover the top of the pie dish with the rolled puff pastry, use your thumb or a fork to push down or crimp the edge of the pastry along the rim of the dish, helping to seal the mixture and the flavour in.

Make a hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to exit during cooking.

Place your pie into the preheated oven for roughly 30 mins or until the pastry has risen and is golden brown.

You can find this recipe and more like it at https://scottishscran.com

[ameliacf13]

Banana bread and cupcakes

Ingredients:

(Dry)

3 cups flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

1.5 tsp cinnamon

(Wet)

1 cup brown sugar

1.5 cups margarine

3 large eggs

5 med sized bananas (brown/spotty)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions: oven: 350F(175C)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined

Beat sugar and margarine in a bowl until creamy

Add eggs and beat in until fully combined

4. Add in mashed bananas (or mash in mix as I did). Add vanilla extract and blend mix thoroughly.

5. Add dry ingredients approx. 1/2 of mix at a time. Mix until combined

6. Grease your pans (cupcake, muffin, loaf) and add in batter until approx. 2/3rds full

7. Place in oven and cook. My cupcakes took 20 mins and my loaf took an hour. Check when done by sticking a toothpick/chopstick in the center. When it comes out clean it's done.

8. Let cool in pan for 10 mins, then let finish cooling on wire rack (up to 2 hrs for the loaf)

Holy crap these are good! Oh the chocolate and cinnamon are subtle but really nice and they're SO soft. 9/10.

[astonmartingf]

what race? there's a race? for me it was a research defended and edited win!!! our defense took approx 30 minutes and the edit was like 6 hours, brighter news we're getting that wchagt update and all the wips in the world because i'm free (hopefully) i'm still waiting on my grades but honestly i could care less, i'm so freaking tired idksjfksbdksn

[akaicodes]

getting Scaffold Identity in ASP.Net Core to work took us approx 2 MONTHS of 6-8 hours everyday, but we MADE IT WORK in the end!! Project was made in razorpages and we even had it hosted on a cloud database as well :’)

(was in a 2man group with my sister, so proud but also very much burned out at the end of the project.. a 1 week break took us right back on track ₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊)

[quahogchowda-blog]

Experiment number 550,000 million is completed... 🤣🤣🤣 With most of the rise/proof "wait time" being while I was sleeping... 💤😴 What am I trying to prove? That baking sourdough bread is NOT an EXACT science. It is not that difficult and should not require all these "rules" that people want to make about baking SOURDOUGH... I have pretty much broken every single rule there is... And done exactly what works for me... in the time frame that works for me... I don't use a scale to measure my ingredients for my bread dough... I don't use a scale to weigh the measurements of ingredients that are going to go into my starter... I don't use heating pads or other contraptions or keep my house at a higher temperature so my sourdough starter or dough can stay warm or cold... I do not use filtered water. I use water straight from the tap despite the caution that it might kill the wild yeast. I don't worry about all this exactness with bulk ferment time... cold ferment time yadda yadda yadda...

Newest experiment... Can I make a decent sourdough loaf with minimal Hands-On time... With most of the wait time being while I'm sleeping... And how will it turn out if I use the "cold baked" method... Avoiding the excessive preheat times which to me is an absolute waste of our natural resources....

Came home from work yesterday and at 3:00 p.m. fed my cold straight from the fridge starter. I didn't think I was going to have enough starter for the two loaves I plan on baking today... so I added one full cup of flour and a half a cup of warm water.... (Normally I only do a half a cup of flour and a quarter cup of water but I gave it extra because I need extra starter today...)

By 8:00 p.m. the starter had at least doubled...

To a large Rubbermaid container I added:

1 full cup starter

3.5 cups white flour

1.5 cups wheat flour

1.5 cups water

Mix quickly just to get all the flour mostly incorporated... And Let shaggy dough sit with lid on for 30 minutes. After the 30 minute wait... I added another 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons salt... And immediately began stretch and folds every 30 minutes at 8:30 p.m. At 10:30 p.m. I moved the dough to a glass pyrex bowl with a lid. I was going to stop my stretch and folds there but thought better of it and 30 minutes later I did one more stretch and fold.

I left the bowl on the dining room table from 11 P.M. until I woke up at 5:00 a.m.

At 5 A.M. I gently plopped the dough onto the floured counter... And gently floured and formed my dough round to get a little more tension but also trying not to deflate the dough very much...

Placed that onto a piece of parchment paper... Scored the top with one slice down the center and plopped the whole thing into my cold cast iron Dutch oven. I did not have high hopes of this rising as well as it did that's why I only did one score down the center. I wish I had taken a picture but it was definitely much smaller than any of my other ready to bake forms.

As suggested I baked using the "cold bake" method for the first time.

Put oven on 450°. And placed the cold Dutch oven into the cold... But now preheating oven... immediately.

Baked at 450° for 50 minutes.

Removed the lid... And I was surprised to see that it definitely got a good oven spring... Continued baking with lid off for another 10 minutes.

Took temperature of the loaf it was 195°.

Took the loaf out of the Dutch oven and placed directly onto my pizza stone that was already in the oven.

Baked for another 10 minutes until bread reached a temperature of 205 and was more golden brown in color.

I don't know what the inside looks like but I'm not really concerned about that. It looks and smells terrific.

And it was EASY PEASY! Barely any hands on time at all... No fuss... No stress...

Experiment was a success! Total time... From starter initial feed at 3 p.m. to completed bake @ 6:40 a.m. = 16 hours... Hands on time equals approx a measly 20 minutes... 🤣

Note: Image of the starter is actually AFTER a 2nd feeding at 8 P.M. (I forgot to move the time band)... I added another full cup of flour to my remaining starter and another half a cup of water... It more than doubled by the time I got up this morning.

[hellogirlslikegirlslikeboysdo]

And the lights are not fluorescent, and there are no words on the page. - Imitatio Essay

Author's Preface and Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7

Description: My final portfolio for one of the creative writing courses I took based around exploring the creative nonfiction essay in its many literary forms, with any and all identifying names or signifiers censored out.

My dad has the feel of the texture of the angler, ugly little minimalist-style loveseat in the corner of our living room practically inside him at this point, and it's all my fault. But mostly his.

This certainly doesn’t come as a surprise, in my case. He’s the one who paid for my room and board, who always said to follow my dreams and gave me “Sure, that’s great!” the day I first shoved the fanfiction.net homepage in his face and said I wanted to make one too. He sounded confused as he said it, the way he does whenever I show him a particularly offbeat show, like he couldn’t follow my way from singing to dancing to acting to writing creative fiction in his head. But he knew he held my tiny hand along the cobblestone walkway, so he added an audible optimistic tilt to the corner of his voice and is always the one to sit across from me in that damn chair when my mother refuses to watch any “dumb cartoons”.

I don’t particularly know why I make him do this, but I know that the fact that I don’t gives me claim to ignorance, making it probably his fault as the only other party in this recurring scenario, and he always likes whatever I pick anyway, so there.

It’s usually been that way, since I started placing myself in charge of family movie night. First because I wanted the three of us to trap ourselves with approx. 2 hours of media we all enjoyed, and then it was in efforts of exposing my family to what I had deemed “quality art” (or, at the very least, art that wasn’t the same 3 crime and/or medical shows, low budget comedies where everyone involves only signed up for the project for a free vacation, or generic action thrillers) in hopes they would enjoy media as much as I did after growing some standards. Of course, my mother had a tendency to kick and scream her way to the couch for these viewings, but my heart was in the right place (or, at the very least, somewhere within the left hand corner).

But then I didn’t know. And I couldn’t explain myself as I tucked myself into the side of that couch, glazing back at my father to find his reaction. The captions on, to make sure he caught all the words. The “Are you paying attention?” and the pausing, the shushing and shushing back.

He’d playfully shove my head to the side, and I’d giggle, and finally he’d ask why I care about his impressions of a webtoon pilot I found off the backwaters of Youtube, and I could justify myself just fine, but I couldn’t answer him.

I figure, faintly, in the recess of my gaping mind, I could wave at the recent scientific discovery that my father would never understand me on the carnal level I hoped he would when I got old enough.

A myriad of reasons dangled behind my actions. Maybe I’d get to probe him for first impressions afterward (Just first—My dad wouldn’t sit through a rerun), not have to worry he won’t get the full picture of my 40-minute character analyzing info dumps, the hopes that he likes it. Really, I’d just wanted him to bear witness to it too, for my own sake. To see if it tugged at him enough to turn to my mother, carefully setting the coffee machine for tomorrow, and go “Hey, [REDACTED]. Come check out this thing [REDACTED] found.”.

I guess I suppose I think I figured that, as long as he was experiencing the same thing I was, he would figure it out then and there, he would call my mother over like that for my TV debut.

[ikeromantic]

Alice in College, pt 5

An IkeRev Central characters AU! Written for my IkeRev 1K Celebration, a boarding school AU was the poll winner. Approx. 3000 words. 5/6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Mousse was asleep again. Alice crept past him and sat at one of the desks. She wondered if he even noticed that she skipped part of her detention yesterday. In fact, she was fairly sure she could skip the entire thing for the rest of the week and just tell him she’d been there while he slept. But that seemed . . . wrong. Mousse was nice and she didn’t want to lie to him.

He did not stir when she pulled a book from the pile and began to read and make notes. 

Alice tried to focus on her studies. There was so much to catch up on, and not just the obvious course work. Students that grew up in Cradle had a whole lifetime of knowledge they took for granted. They knew how crystals worked, where things were, what was safe and what wasn’t . . . She was trying to cram all of that, the practical knowledge and the academic, all at once. 

“You are getting a wrinkle between your brows.” Mousse surprised her when he spoke, his voice still muddled with sleep. 

“Oh. Ha, yeah.” She rubbed the spot above her nose. “I always make that face when I’m thinking.”

Mousse smiled. “It’s a cute face. It tells me you are hard at work.” He stood and moved to stand beside her desk. “What have you selected? Oh! Geography. One of my favorite subjects.” He pulled a chair over and sat beside her, leaning close to read the page she was on.

Alice felt a bit self conscious as she flipped to the next page. “I’m still just reading up on the regions in Cradle, where the cities and towns are. Basic stuff.”

“You have to start with the basics.” He leaned forward, his fingertip tracing the curve of Cradle’s Central District. “These lines represent centuries of history, at least. And uncounted hours of diplomacy.”

“That’s what you’re interested in, right?”

Mousse beamed at her. “Very good, Alice. I see you do listen and learn, even if you sometimes skip out on detention.”

She blushed, realizing he must have woken up after she left yesterday. “Sorry about that.”

He patted her hand. “It’s alright. I won’t tell if you don’t. Learning is about passion for your subject, not punishment for trespassing.” 

“Don’t tell Dean that. He seemed pretty sure the best way to keep me out of trouble is to keep me busy.” Alice sighed. 

“Dean is a very passionate man. He loves learning but he can be . . . a bit strict.” Mousse tilted his head, his hand still resting atop hers. “Are you passionate, Alice?”

Her eyes went wide at the question and her heart skipped a beat. “P-passionate?”

“Yes. I would love to know what you are interested in.”

“Oh. Yes. I - I am.” Alice took a breath. “I love making things. It was what I liked about working in the pâtissière. I’m looking forward to learning what I can make and do here, in Cradle.”

Mousse smiled warmly. “I am sure you’ll find something. Perhaps I can even be a help.”

“Thank you.” She smiled back, feeling silly for thinking he might have meant something less . . . academic. “I should probably get going. I have class soon.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice. Have a good day.” 

“You too, Mousse.” She gathered her things and hurried to her first class of the day. Her mind wasn’t on her lessons though. Alice was still excited at the prospect of discovering what her special powers could do. She had some ideas already for ways to test it, things to try. 

By the time lunch came around and she had a chance to talk with Amon and Dalim, Alice had a list in her notebook. There were so many things she didn’t know about how the magic of Cradle worked, so she’d included every scenario she could imagine. It was a lot.

She sat down with her tray and opened the notebook just as Amon slid into the chair beside her. Without asking, he snagged the notebook and scanned her notes. 

Alice gave him a little frown, but couldn’t hold his eagerness against him. “So, what do you think? Is it a good start?”

“Quiet.” He didn’t look up. 

“Rude.” She rolled her eyes and started on her lunch. She still couldn’t decide how she felt about this new friend. He was hot and cold and seemed to have a hard time with social skills. It was endearing, but also a little annoying. 

Dalim sat down a few moments later, and gave her one of his brilliant smiles. “Hello prin- Alice.” He cocked his head to the side, his glance flicking to Amon and back. “Did you get started without me?”

“No, Amon is just reading through my ideas. We haven’t tal-”

“You are distracting me.” Amon didn’t look up as he interrupted.

Dalim snickered. “I see he’s being his usual charming self. You must have written some interesting things if he’s this focused.”

Alice smiled. “Well, it’s just a bunch of ideas I had about what magic crystals might do and how my power could work against it. I was thinking, should he ask Harr and Loki to join us? Or Oliver?”

Amon did look up at this, his expression a mask of distaste. “No. Silver is a coward and Loki is a loose cannon. I won’t waste my time with a child either. They can’t be trusted. None of them.”

“You didn’t say anything to them about your power, did you?” Dalim looked genuinely concerned.

“No? Why?”

Dalim leaned close, his voice pitched low. “I don’t want to talk about it here, but trust me. You need to keep that a secret between just the three of us. Things could get ugly for you otherwise. And I don’t want anything bad to happen to my princess.”

Alice blinked at his nominative. She was his friend, perhaps, but not his per se. But whatever protest she might have given over being named such came second to the cold fear that knotted in her belly. “Do you mean someone might hurt me? Because I can - because of what I can do?”

“You shouldn’t look so surprised,” Amon interjected. “People are always looking for advantage. For power. If they knew you carried this in you from the Land of Reason, you would be taken for experimentation. Testing. Control.” His expression was gleefully malicious. “If you lived through it, you would never be free.”

“Don’t worry, princess. We won’t let anything like that happen to you.” Dalim stroked her back reassuringly. “Just . . . don’t share it with anyone else, alright?”

Alice gave a mute nod. She couldn’t imagine Harr or Loki or anyone she’d met so far trying to hurt her, but maybe they would let it slip to someone else. Like the Red and Black armies, for example. They would probably like to use someone with her power in their war. From her studies, it seemed the two sides would never be at peace until one side was victorious. That wasn’t a conflict she wanted to get involved with.

Amon gave her a thin smile and slid her notebook back to her. “Let’s start this weekend. We’ll keep our experiments up in the tower, and -” his smile widened, “we’ll make sure you don’t get caught.”

Dalim chuckled. “Yeah. Can’t have you stuck in detention another week.”

Alice frowned at them. “I’m glad you think it’s funny.”

“You are so cute when you pout.” Dalim touched her cheek. “But you’re cuter when you smile.”

“Who says I want to be cute?” Alice tried to ignore the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks and the fluttering in her stomach. It wasn’t fair at all that Dalim could have that effect with just a touch and a smile. 

Amon snorted and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. As long as you show up, I don’t care if you’re cute or not.”

Throughout lunch, Alice felt like someone was watching her. She thought at first it was nerves. The result of Dalim and Amon’s warning, obviously. But when she managed to glance around the room, she found Harr’s gaze settled on her. His dark eye was fixed in her direction. When she caught him, his cheeks turned rosy and he quickly looked away. 

She didn’t say anything to Dalim and Amon about it, but she wondered if he’d overheard something between them. 

Her afternoon classes sped past, not half so interesting as her weekend plans - or the dinner planned with Blanc. Alice hadn’t let herself think about that too much. When she imagined being alone with Blanc, her cheeks went hot and there was a fluttery feeling in her chest. She just hoped she didn’t act like an idiot in front of him. Freezing up or babbling or turning as red as a tomato over nothing.

Alice decided to dress up a bit for the occasion - not because she liked Blanc, she told herself - but because her school clothes were plain. She wanted to look cute. After class, she hurried to her room and pulled off her apron and pinafore, and began rummaging in her wardrobe. There wasn’t a lot in there - her trip to Cradle wasn’t exactly planned, and she hadn’t done much shopping. 

There was a formal dress, but the layered skirt and beaded bodice were way too much for dinner. A pair of canvas work pants and a heavy cotton shirt with a sweater . . . hard pass. She pulled a light silk blouse out, and a cute short skirt to go with it. The color was perfect for her eyes and the skirt was just long enough to be proper and just short enough to be flirty. Alice laid them on the bed and went to get a pair of stockings. 

She was bending down to reach into her drawer when the door flew open. Alice spun around with a shriek. Dressed in just her panties and a bra, she ineffectually tried to cover everything with her hands.    

Harr stood in the doorway, his face shading from red into purple. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were as wide as saucers. After a moment, he backed out. His hand reached for the door and closed it slowly, without saying a word. 

Alice quickly threw on her clothes and jerked the door open to see if he was still out there. He was, standing off to one side, and still cycling through shades of crimson. “You! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

“S-sorry. I didn’t realize - I thought -” Harr struggled with a reply, finally settling on a repetition of ‘sorry’ in various forms. 

“Whatever. Just . . . what did you want?” Alice crossed her arms, feeling completely out of sorts. Her face was hot and her heart was pounding, and it was definitely his fault. Though she couldn’t decide if she was more angry about him walking in, or more pleased that he’d been speechless at the sight of her, or embarrassed that anyone saw her in her panties like that, much less someone as gorgeous as Harr Silver. 

He took a deep breath, still unsettled himself. “I wanted to catch you after class, but you practically ran out.” His skittering gaze finally landed on her and stayed. “Amon is dangerous. Please be careful around him. And whatever he has told you . . . it might be best if you find answers yourself.”

Alice felt her brows rise in surprise. “You wanted to warn me about Amon?”

Harr nodded. “He has his own ambitions. And others have gone missing after gaining his attention.” He cleared his throat. “It would be a shame. For you to disappear.” 

“I’ll be careful.” She paused and then added, “Thanks. And, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I probably should have locked the door before I got dressed.”

“Umm.” Harr turned and walked away, his gait stiff and a little awkward. 

Alice wasn’t sure what to make of that. First a warning from Dalim and Amon, and now one about them. Making friends in Cradle was more complicated than she supposed. “It would be so nice if things made sense,” she murmured. It seemed she would need to try to stay cautious until someone showed their hand. Then she’d know who wanted to be a friend, and who was false.

At least Blanc wasn’t problematic. He’d been kind since the moment they met. Alice smiled, thinking of his gentle gaze and sweet smile. She finished getting ready for their dinner, just a touch of make-up and her hair pulled up in a delicate braid. Someone knocked at her door just as she finished putting in her earrings.

It was Blanc, come to get her for their dinner. He looked as dapper as ever in a dove gray vest and pale pink shirt. He smiled as she opened the door and gave her a little bow. “You look especially beautiful this evening. I am feeling even luckier to spend some time with you.”

Alice felt her heart give an extra squeeze as he took her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “You look really nice too.” 

“Thank you.” He held out his arm. “Are you ready to go or do you need another few moments?”

“I’m ready.” 

Blanc linked his arm in hers and led her away from the girls’ dorms. He kept up a polite chatter, asking her about her classes and what subject she was enjoying. It was nothing of any importance, really, but his interest and the way he listened made her feel special. The warmth of his side against hers, and the gentle pressure of his fingers on her arm were completely disarming and distracting. 

He led her to a section of the school she’d only seen in passing. A large atrium encased in glass that held a soft blue glow Alice had come to associate with the magic of Cradle. It was hard to see what sorts of things grew inside from outside the enclosure. It was just a vague collage of green shades.

“This section is usually reserved for students of botany and alchemy majors, but being an upperclassman has a few advantages.” Blanc winked at her as he opened a door hidden so cleverly that it looked like any other part of the glass wall. 

Inside was a tangle of extraordinary plant life. Flowers and leaves in profusion, some similar to things Alice knew, like basil and ivy, while others were so strange they looked more like animals or stones than plants. The air within was scented differently too. A pleasant, earthy smell with sweet citrus and sharp floral aromas. 

“It’s very nice.” Alice reached for one of the nearby vines. The leaves looked velvety soft, covered with a fine furry looking white coat atop the green of the leaf. 

Blanc caught her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “It’s best not to touch anything in here.”

“Oh!” Her surprise was more from realizing Blanc’s hand was free of his usual gloves, and his bare palm was pressed to hers. “I - ok.”

He kept her hand in his as he led her to a small table with settings for two. Silver lids covered the two plates, and the glasses beside them were pearled with condensation from the chilled opaque drink they held. 

Blanc let go as she sat down, and took his spot across from her. “I finally have you all to myself, and now I find that I’m at a loss for what to say.”

Alice gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Me too.” She toyed with the end of her braid. “You could, maybe, tell me about you?”

“I’m not a very fascinating subject,” he chuckled. “I am working on my dissertation. The Magical Calamities of Cradle. Not the most cheerful subject.” Blanc shrugged. “Sometimes I teach. Not very interesting.”

“I don’t know, that sounds pretty exciting to me. I didn’t know there were magical calamities!” 

“You flatter me.” Blanc took a sip from his glass. “What about you? I have read your student file, of course, as I was on your admissions committee, but there’s more to any person than what fits on a page.”

Alice took a swallow of her drink as well, surprised to find it a tame elderflower flavor with notes of hibiscus and a sharp, tart aftertaste. The gentle burn of it in her belly relaxed her. “I’m nothing special. A shop girl selling sweets, until I fell down a rabbit hole.”

“Chasing me.” He shook his head. “I am sorry for bringing you into this mess. It must be very challenging, but I must say, you handle yourself gracefully.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s been the best thing. I learned magic is real, and the world is bigger and stranger than I ever knew. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” She hurried to reassure him.

Blanc sighed. “You really are too precious. But what will happen when you miss your home, your friends? Your family? You’ll leave just as -” He cleared his throat, “Just as anyone might expect.”

Alice wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share, but there was something about Blanc that made her want to trust him. “I don’t have any family. My only real friend was my old boss. I care for him but . . . I don’t want to work in his shop my whole life. I want more. I want something I can fall in love with.”

“Fall in love, hm?” He leaned closer, studying her expression as one might read and re-read a challenging text. “That is the oldest magic there is. And the most dangerous.”

“Isn’t love a good thing?” 

“Is it?” Blanc settled back in his chair with an unreadable expression. “Let’s see what supper hides under such a fancy cover. I hope it’s something with carrots.” 

He lifted her silver lid first and then his own. There were indeed carrots, cut in little circles and cooked with cinnamon and brown sugar until they were golden and sweet. Besides that, roasted potatoes and leeks, eggplant frittata, and a little roll of fresh baked bread. It looked delicious.

Alice grinned, successfully distracted from her line of questioning. “This place has the best food. Everything looks deli-”

Her words cut off as the floor beneath them shook with a sudden, loud boom. 

Blanc was up in a flash. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. “We need to see what that was. Stay close.”

Part 6