#to get the design credits sorted out. and then i found out she was supposed to be trade only

[tsubasaclones]

now HERES a girlie i havent drawn in forever

[ecargmura]

Pokemon Horizons Episode 59 Review - Dance Dance Quaxvolution

We’re back after a week break! Did you miss my reviews? I missed Pokemon Horizons too, even if it was only gone for a week. It’s finally time for the Implementation Test and Dot’s leading them off with her long awaited match with everyone’s favorite Gym Leader Larry!

True to the games, going to the Gym Center made Dot and the others have to look for Larry. Since the receptionist told them that they have to find him, they’re practically on a hunt for the ordinary salaryman. Fortunately, they did manage to get a clue from this dancer lady and her Oricorio Baile Forme. The whole dancing segment was cute, honestly. However, Oricorios have been a bane for me recently as I remember how I lost to an NPC in the Indigo Disk DLC who had two Oricorios and they chained-spammed Revelation Dance with their Dancer Ability. I have to say that the dancer named Diva, according to the credits, is a very well-designed character. It feels like a waste for her to be just a regular character of the day. Her Oricorio’s dance is a key component for the match against Larry, hence why this segment was introduced before the start of the actual battle.

Like in Episode 18 and in the games, Larry is found at the Treasury Eatery, the rival of the Anything Eatery from the previous episode. I kind of like how Roy had a reverse reaction regarding Larry’s status as a Gym Leader. What I mean is that Larry was first shown as an Elite Four member in the anime which is why being a Gym Leader was a shock for him. In the games, Larry was first seen as a Gym Leader and then his reveal as an Elite Four member was supposed to be a big surprise. I also really like how the battlefield is set up! The animation was so good!

Dot seems a little impatient in this episode, but I guess it’s because she wanted to prove herself. She lost her match against Iono in the Basics portion and she won in the friendly match with Poppy, but that was all Iono’s doing and not her own. It makes sense why she’d be frustrated with herself. Unfortunately, Dot was given a huge disadvantage because both of Larry’s Pokemon, Dundunsparce and Starpator, are fully evolved while she’s the only one of the kids who has two first-stage Pokemon. The odds were clearly not in Dot’s favor as Quaxly got paralyzed due to Dundunsparce’s Glare and she used Tinkatink for the first time in an official battle and she got knocked out instantaneously. The reason why Dot seemed a little out of it in this episode even showed when she wasn’t in sync with Quaxly like she normally is. She was too focused on her strategies that she forgot to add in one important thing: Quaxly is her partner so she needs to be in sync with him. That’s how Dot decides to use everything she witnessed before and during the battle to her advantage like the steps Quaxly learned from the Oricorio from earlier, the spins that Tinkatink did when she used Brutal Swing and the wing flaps from Starpator. The realization of this important factor was the reason Quaxly evolved into Quaxwell. Though, it did suck that Quaxwell lost immediately, but it makes sense given Larry is way too strong for her and the duck was paralyzed.

Passing the Implementation Test means that the assigned Gym Leader gives a report. Though, I’m not too sure if it’s a certification or just proof that she passed the test. Anyways, Larry allowed her to pass because she fulfilled all the necessary requirements: using two Pokemon, being in sync with her Pokemon, and Terastalizing at the right time. I just hope that Dot learns to relax and trust in Quaxwell going forth. I honestly can’t wait to see what sort of energy Quaxwell will bring to the group now.

The final portion of the episode was hilarious. The chef gives the kids the special rice ball menu that was in the games, but Larry has to pay for all of it, much to his dismay. He did pay for the player’s meal in the game, but he has to spend three times more money since he’s feeding three kids and their Pokemon. Geeta, please give Larry a raise already! Speaking of food, the last segment with Dot eating with Quaxwell had me thinking of octopus sausages ever since my Discord friend mentioned how the shape of their hair look like them. I cannot unsee it now.

I guess my only gripe for this episode was the fact that Larry didn’t adjust his tie while his Tera Orb was being activated like how he did in the games. The anime had him adjusting it before getting out his orb. I really liked how he did it in the game, so I was a bit bummed out. Despite that, Staraptor being coated in the Tera Crystal was such a beautiful sight.

Now that the first of the Implementation Test has finished, what are your thoughts on the battle’s results? Were you satisfied? Angry? Please let me know!

[akito-shinonome-daily]

#unreality — what was up with all that?

➥ it’s been a little over a day, so i figured i should probably explain myself…

TLDR: i impulse-made an arg, decided against going through with it, and left the parts i had already finished up rather that undoing the work. it was going to be themed to a story, but not horror.

✱ there will be no more arg content on blog!

➥ below the cut will be the above message in more detail and the “solutions” to the parts of the arg that went up. ⤦

so! i (very much on a whim) was inspired by all the daily vitamin blogs to try making my own arg. after my counterpart-of-sorts, vitamin-akito went on a hiatus, i suppose i wanted to continue getting that arg fix—but by trying my hand at creating one. my hope was that it would be subtle enough that it wouldn’t effect things on this blog for those who wouldn’t be interested in such a thing. it wasn’t horror-themed and i wanted to utilize hiding things in plain sight, so i only had to be suspicious long enough for people to pick up on it, and those that were in the know would then be given more clues/codes/directives on the side while the blog otherwise ran normally.

unfortunately for me, i must be quite a bit more nosy than the average person, and no one really seemed to pick up on my “subtle” approach. i eventually tried tagging things with unreality and posting hints when i saw no one was making any progress, but the only one i know of who got to the end was my irl fish, who had some hints from me, and of course the added assistance of me accidentally reblogging one of her posts to the secret side blog, making it pretty clear i was hiding something. to her credit, she went through the process of finding that blog properly, so she’s still the “winner” of the scrapped arg to me!

the clues are all still there if you have a desire to look for them now. otherwise i’ll be writing up an explanation/walkthrough of what i had left up below. i’ll try to leave clear blocks between steps in case you want to use it as a hint when you need but otherwise solve it on your own. i’ll also be including my thought process where applicable.

and just to be very clear this is /gen /srs. no lying. this is ooc, me irl, mod speaking, telling you that there is no more arg. this is not just a misdirection or anything like that. there is no more arg. 👍

also i’m not mad at all that nobody really found anything. it was experimental for me, and it was specifically designed for someone to be like “that’s weird…i’m going to comment on that and see where it goes.” part of my decision to leave it up was to answer the question “how close to other people look?” so i don’t blame anyone for not engaging much with it. in hindsight, i didn’t really give any reason for intrigue like the vitamin blogs use. i was purely relying on people being nosy. so it this was a learning experience for me.

perhaps in the future i will run an arg on a separate blog with the same/similar idea. tbf, my idea was almost more kohane-focused than akito-focused anyways, which is partly why i scrapped the idea. the other part being i chickened out of the rp aspect (i have ✨anxiety✨) so unless you’re reading this like “i think a combo arg/rp blog where i try to save my favourite pjsk characters from doom would cure what ails me, and i need it now,” and are willing to profess that supportive desire to me, it probably won’t happen any time soon. and i may not put my name on it if i ever do make it.

but without further rambling ado, here’s the solution to the first part of arg that’s all still up online:

if you think you want to play along, start with the #akito_posting tag in chronological order.

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① the buildup

the original “subtle” plan to clue people in to the arg was the series of screenshots taken from the neo 2DMV. all posted without any comment and tagged with only “#from neo 2DMV” and “#akito_posting”

the underscore is not in my actual “#akito posting” tag, and was meant to be a clue in that something about these posts was off, and that they were connected. if the images are brightened/adjusted and zoomed in on (as shown below in order of their posting) they all contained the text “day 203.” personally i can still see the text without adjustment, but they is probably helped by me knowing where and what to look for. in my plans, the arg would always tell you the next day to look for clues. it wouldn’t be fair to make you comb through every image that goes up on the blog, so i figured that was a fair compromise for my “hiding in plain sight” gimmick.

as time went on and i didn’t notice anyone picking up on anything being strange, i added the unreality tag to the final neo screenshot, which had “day 203” hidden in it 3 times and just “203” another 3 times. i’ll admit 2-3 of them got very hard to see with the compression, but i was still thinking some would be findable.

come the time of their posting however, i got comments on the unreality tag, but no one seeming to successfully find the answers—leading to me writing this post the evening it went up with the colored text as clues to where in the image to look, as when i told irls where in the image to look they did not have trouble finding things. the final lines in pink were a way a just implying that all the clues in that post led to the same post, so it was OK if it was too hard to read some of them. additionally the use of the akito_posting and unreality tags were meant to tie it back. the tags also said it was a hint and not me trying to write a heartfelt akitoya poem…but another experiment of mine proved that people might not read my tags as much as i assumed. this post did go up in the middle of the chibi akito saga however, and fish did tell me it got lost for her, so it’s possible my data there was a little unfairly skewed.

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② day 203

as day 203 was going into the main tags, it already had unreality as a warning. i also added the tag “aRe You PAyInG AtTeNtiOn? diD you catCh the siGns? diD yOU evEN kNoW to LoOk FoR It?” as a last ditch effort of “hey, this is the one. look at this one.” as for the strange capitalization, we’ll discuss that later…

each image contains one hidden letter, shown below, in order, with adjustments for visibility.

however, since no one seemed to find anything again. (fish was working on it since i had already asked her to check on the “day 203” hint, and i asked her to post some of her progress to see if that could help anyone else out.) i added another hint post.

the three symbols are meant to represent contrast, brightness, and sharpness in a photo editor, all of which are applied to the zoomed in akito from day 203. those are my suggestions for the best ways to make the hidden text a bit easier to see, tho once again they are visible if you just zoom in on the right spot. each symbol also contained a link, to the #akito_posting tag, the day 203 post, and an online tool for cyphers respectively. the tags also include a new tag 🥓🔍 which was a hint for the actual cyphers meant to save anyone from wasting too much time trying to work the code in the wrong direction.

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③ @LVTEZD

so if you put all the letters in order, you’ll find this blog on tumblr. lvtezd is a caesar cypher with a shift of 11 for “akitos” but that’s just a fun fact so i could have a random name for the hidden blog and i enjoyed that 11 is akito’s character number.

now lvtezd is primarily blank. the pfp is a darkened screenshot from the journey 2DMV to match with akito-daily and be a little reassurance that you’re in the right place. there is one post.

if you recall from the tags of the day 203 post, there’s some wacky capitalization going on. typo intentional. btw.

as of writing this post now, i’m thinking the au mentioned here might not actually be posted to akito-daily so i can save it for the potential arg/rp blog i make in the future. there’s plenty of similar aus out there i can draw for and i have plenty of my own aus (mostly crossovers 👉👈) to put on akito-daily so i’m keeping this one close to the chest for now.

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④ the final message

recall that 🥓🔍 from earlier? a quick google should point you in the right direction.

but if you’re just here to read the write-up, then that’s meant to be a little hint at “bacon cypher.” named for a guy whose surname was bacon. simply put, bacon’s cypher encodes a each individual letter to a five-piece string of two figures. typically a and b. this can be applied to plain text by letting a = lowercase characters, and B = uppercase characters. also i = j and u = v for the version i used, so getting “haue” at the end is not a true error.

i unfortunately had to encrypt my final message manually, as i couldn’t find a tool online to do it for me and don’t know how to write a code/algorithm that could do it for me. fortunately for you solvers, i have found a tool on the cypher website linked to earlier that will take text and convert all lowercase characters to 0 and uppercase characters to 1. the output may look like binary, but this is still bacon’s code. depending on the bacon decrypter you’re using, you might be able to tell it 0 = a and 1 = B, otherwise you can use a text replacement tool to convert your 0’s and 1’s to a’s and b’s.

you probably will get a result out with no spaces or punctuation, but it should be easy enough to get to this final message:

“a mind after my own i see / really though i decided not to do the arg / thank you for the effort / this is the end of the rabbit hole / you have my word”

the text in the tags on day 203 follows the exact same decryption process, giving “look carefully”

and that’s it! if you were actually willing to read through this all and you still have any questions / comments / encouragements for me, lmk! ask box is always open with anon on for your comfort (except when i accidentally turn things off and don’t realise it…) or leave a comment or reblog on this post. thanks for reading and taking an interest!

if you happen to see this and want to know how i did the encryption manually, i used the set up below. red box for the plain text, blue box for the bacon code for each letter, and green for the plain text with the capitalisation i then just to typed it up as shown. unfortunately this was a lengthy process (what’s shown below is only about a fifth or sixth of my total work) and obviously there is quite a bit of room for error. i think i had 4 or 5 letters off (out of maybe a 80 or so?) that i had to correct when i checked the decryption.

[kybercrystals94]

The Hostage

(Part 4)

Read here on Ao3!

Master Post here!

Rated: T | Words: 1306 | Summary: A change in plans...

One rotation earlier…

Omega sits up at the chirp of an incoming transmission. Javik seems startled as well, staring at the transmission code for several moments before hesitantly answering. 

“My friend!” a voice crows cheerily through the speaker. “I am calling to check on your business deal. I trust it is going as smoothly as we planned?”

Javik visibly relaxes. “Syko, it is good to hear your voice. I did not know you had my comm channel.” 

“You gave it to me,” Syko says with a chuckle that crackles like static. “Or were you too drunk to remember?” Another rumbling laugh.

Javik smiles. “It wouldn’t surprise me. We did get the good stuff.” 

“The great stuff!” Syko sighs. “Are you still waiting for the clones to deliver your bounty?”

Javik glances at Omega. “I haven’t made contact yet for the trade off.” 

“Why not? Time is money, my friend.”

“When they arrive, it will be four against one,” Javik says, lowering his voice as though it will prevent Omega from hearing him. 

Omega rolls her eyes. 

“But don’t you have the collateral? A gun to her head will prevent any funny business.”

Javik is practically whispering when he says, “But after the trade off…what’s to say they don’t come after me then?”

There is a long pause. “Fear is unbecoming of a bounty hunter, Javik.”

“It is not fear,” Javik protests, “it is common sense.” 

“Hmmm,” Syko muses. “I suppose I could help you, for a piece of the payout. I will not take any credit for the bounty, but I expect to be compensated for my time and effort.”

“Of course,” Javik says, “that is more than fair.”

“I know it is,” Syko says. The humor is gone from his voice. “Send me your coordinates, and I will be there within the rotation.”

The transmission cuts off before Javik can say anything else, although his mouth is half open to speak some sort of reply. He shuts his mouth with a snap and begins typing. 

“Who is Syko?” Omega asks. 

Javik doesn’t look at her. “None of your business, kid.”

“Do you trust him?” Omega persists. “I promise, my brothers won’t do anything to you if I tell them not to. You don’t need Syko’s help.” 

“I trust Syko a thousand times more than I trust a little brat,” Javik retorts. “Now, shut up!” 

Omega flops back down on her cot, glaring daggers at the aspiring bounty hunter hunched over the console. She doesn’t know how he can be so smart and so stupid at the exact same time. He managed to kidnap her and disappear so that her brothers hadn’t found them…but he is terrified enough that he’s been stalling all this time. It makes sense that this wasn’t his idea at all, but a plot designed by this mysterious Syko.

There is something bigger at play, and Javik is too stupid to see it. 

Omega has plotted and schemed dozens of ways to get word to her brothers; however, Javik - somehow - never sleeps or is out of her line of sight…except when she goes to the refresher. She has searched that tiny room a hundred times for any sort of tool or weak point. Nothing. She imagines Javik sleeps when she sleeps, but the moment she opens her eyes, Javik is wide awake. He never even looks tired. It is infuriating to be outsmarted by an idiot. A paranoid idiot at that. 

Whatever Syko’s plan is…she just hopes it ends with her back with her brothers, and Javik robbed of his entire bounty. 

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Syko drops down from the hatch with a thud of heavy boots on durasteel. He is wearing a sweeping, scarlet coat that billows around his knees when he spins to face Javik. “My friend,” he says, holding out his arms. “It has been too long.” 

Javik towers over Syko, but something in the way he hikes up his shoulders makes him look smaller than the man looking up at him. “I cannot thank you enough for your help on this job. I wouldn’t be able to get into the guild without it.” 

Syko claps a hand on each of Javik’s arms. “It is I who should be thanking you,” Skyo says, a broad smile showing blinding white teeth. Javik smiles back, but looks a little confused by the sentiment. Syko continues breezily, pushing Javik aside, “Where is our collateral, huh?”

Javik jerks his head in Omega’s direction. “She hasn’t been much trouble. Talks more than I’d like, though.” 

Syko meets Omega’s gaze, and Omega narrows her eyes at him. “You don’t look like a bounty hunter,” she tells him scathingly. 

“And how many bounty hunters have you seen?” Syko asks. 

“A few,” Omega says. “And I’ve studied holopics.” 

“What an interesting hobby,” Syko says. “So you must know there’s a bounty on your little, golden head.” 

Javik’s expression goes slack with surprise, and he looks at Syko. “Wait, what?” 

Syko rolls his eyes, draws his blaster, and shoots Javik through the chest. 

Omega makes some sort of strangled noise, clapping her hands over her mouth, as Javik falls to the floor. 

Skyo kicks at the body, doing little more than jostling it. “Now that he’s out of the way,” he says to Omega, casually, as though they are not having a conversation over a still warm corpse, “let’s make a call to your brothers.” 

A combination of fear and shock make tears well up, a lump lodging in Omega’s throat as she tries to force herself to look away from Javik’s lifeless form. Now isn’t the time to show weakness, Omega, she scolds herself. However, it feels like all her courage has evaporated, floating away like the smoke still curling from the hole in Javik’s chest. 

“We don’t have all day!” Syko barks impatiently. 

Omega startles, eyes flashing up to the face of her new captor. She swallows, swallows again, trying to dislodge the thick emotion stuck there. “Why?” she asks, voice small. “Why call them? Aren’t you just going to take me to the Kaminoans?” 

Syko glares down at her. “Javik was right. You do talk more than you should.”

Omega has to step over the body to follow Syko to the cockpit. Her boot catches on Javik’s arm, and she nearly falls. Syko grabs her shoulder to steady her, rough fingers digging into the soft hollow of her joint. She wrenches herself away the moment she has her feet under her.

Syko sits down at the controls. “What’s their comm code?” 

“What are we going to tell them?” Omega asks instead. 

“We’re going to tell them where we are. Then, they’re going to join Javik while I reap the rewards of two bounties,” Syko says. 

“I’m not going to tell them to come,” Omega decides, “I won’t.” 

“Fine,” Syko says, as if he expected as much, “I’ll just look through the transmission records and tell them myself. You don’t have to say anything.” 

He deftly sorts through the meager communication log and begins a connection. Omega lunges forward as soon as she hears the transmission is accepted. “Hunter, I don’t have much time! Something is wrong! You need to–” Syko ends the transmission, slamming his fist on the controls with terrifying force. 

“You stupid girl,” he says, but there is no heat to match his actions. In fact, he sounds pleased. 

Omega stares at him defiantly. 

He smiles at her. “That is exactly what I needed.” 

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Syko’s ship has a cell. It’s compact and smells terrible, but Omega notices something the moment Syko activates the shield, locking her in: there is a vent. 

It’s small, almost too small, but Omega will make it work. 

Syko might be smarter than Javik by a lightyear, but there was one advantage Javik had over his murderer. 

He never underestimated his prisoner. 

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[hostilemuppet]

Ngl I forgot about Rosé for a minute. Just for a minute tho. I remember what she did. Also I just realized that the reason Angelina & her’s child looks kind of like a dragonfruit is because of her hairshape 😭 (1/2)

as much as id love to take credit for the "rose bud" + "ripening fruit growing into its own" symbolism, that was all unintentional 😭

my choice for theming pitaya over... pitayas, was because they are a pink fruit (although a bit more reddy-pink than pitayas (character) magenta), and naming/theming a troll over a food is very easy to make a coherent design while still feeling troll-y, to the point i have to stop myself from naming every troll oc after some sort of food! (also i like drawing food and drinks, especially desserts and ones with fun colours. sue me 🙄) "pitaya" sounds more like a name than "dragon fruit", so i went with pitaya. making pitaya is also how i found out that pitaya and dragon fruits are just two genus of the same fruit, and not completely separate as i had (somehow) been under the impression of beforehand. every days a school day! pitaya has green accents in her design, again because of real life pitayas/dragon fruits, but also because two of her grandparents ALSO have green in their designs

(although as it is i think chardonnay looks too much like guy diamond, and since there is ZERO relation thats a really bad thing so im gonna give her a fresher coat of paint eventually. the green was supposed to represent the grapes, but "white+grey+green" is kind of guy diamonds exact colour scheme. maybe more of a golden colour for the wine itself?), so its a recessive trait, kind of like curly hair (related: i kind of regret not giving pitaya textured hair like angie, i think shed look adorable with it, but i went with a more leaf-esque super stylised hairstyle. maybe when shes older she can get a less leafy hairstyle? but that might also imply she was straightening her hair as a toddler and thats so sad 😭 neither gia or angie would do that to her. hair CAN get curlier as you age if you have both curly and straight hair genes (which pitaya has) but id worry about it implying the worst...)

(ignore how she has no glitter in the reference image, that is the doll i use for colourpicking her palette and i havent drawn her a lot recently 😬)

with rosé, theres even less symbolism there. rosé is not based off the flower at all, and in fact the reason i really tried to name her something OTHER than "rosé" was bc it just looks like shes named after the flower, and theres already several trolls in various official trolls instalments named rose! (maybe i could have gone with rosado or rosato and made her hispanic or italian... live and learn! i like having the é anyway, theres not a lot of characters whos names have accents, its one of the reasons i really liked lírio d'água's new name!)

(rose from crazy party forest (rip) and rose from trollstopia)

rosé is specifically rosé, named after the wine, bc shes introduced as a teenager so it makes you think of underage drinking which fits with her delinquent attitude, but rosé specifically being a nice wine still communicates her being a rich kid in a fancy school, especially with her being a sparkling wine (glitter troll). she has nothing to do with flowers at all, if her hair resembles a rose bud its completely coincidental: it is the typical troll silhouette but messier with a lot more strays and flyaways to show her rebellious attitude, and a little curl in the fringe for cuteness (+ to make the hairline more interesting. love a good fringe). but it representing her never getting her shit together and growing up IS good... however, no spoilers, but there is a point where she gets her shit together and... well, she doesnt grow up, per se, she remains a maladjusted womanchild forever, but shes one capable of taking responsibility for her actions. for better or for worse!

[sasuhinasno1fan]

Secret wedding

@etherealxgenie guess who's your secret santa again this year? So, I struggled a little coming up with an idea for wedding , and then this came out. This is an au where the miraculous don't exist, so apologies for the long explanation of the before. I hope you like it and happy new year!

Soft music played through her speakers, allowing her to focus. Hand sewing a design might be incredibly time consuming but she was fine with this. the crescent moons along the lapels of the suit would match perfectly with the suns on the matching jacket. She still wished it could be white, but she was thankful that the lapel design was even agreed to.

“Marinette?” her mother called, knocking on the door before it was pushed open slightly and her head poked in. “You have a visitor.”

“Is it Nathalie?” she asked, feeling tense. Her mother usually waited for her to invite her in, so her coming in without waiting felt nerve wracking.

“No, no. um,” her mother hesitated.

“Dupain Cheng, let me in. we have a problem!”

“Chloe?”

Not seeing much reason to stall, her mother opened the door and the blonde walked into her room, looking perfect as always. Her oversized sunglasses were blocking her eyes and she looked untouchable as always, even with this supposed problem.

“What are you doing here?”

She and Chloe weren’t friends. Well, sort of. They didn’t go out of their way to hang out, not unless their buffer of Adrien was also present. Life in middle school made it very hard to be around each other, but after learning a bit about Chloe, Marinette found it hard to hate her as much. She had her moments where she pushed her, that was for sure, but she learned to see past the immediate reaction of snark. She’d gotten better at seeing when she meant it versus when she was hiding behind it.

“Have you spoke with Adrien recently?”

“Um, sort of? We had a fitting a few days ago.”

“And he wore that?” it was hard to tell with her glasses, but Marinette assumed she was looking at the suit jacket she’d been working on. The black fabric with silver moons lining the edge was opposite of the white jacket and original blue moons she originally had Adrien request.

“His dad suggested it. Adrien agreed.”

“I’m sure he also agreed to the 50-course dinner at the reception.”

“50?” she noticed her mother hadn’t left and she looked as stunned as she felt. “The reception I had with your father only had 10 courses, and that’s because we had a hard time picking foods both he and I agreed on and matched each other so they had separate rounds.

“I’m so guessing Luka is fine with the 2000 guests who’ll be attending this wedding at the Notre Dame Church.”

“2000? Wait, Notre Dame? Isn’t it still technically closed for reinnervations? They’re still attempting to replace the stained glass.”

“Thus is the problem. The Lukadrien wedding isn’t about Lukadrien anymore.”

Marinette would credit herself with getting Adrien and Luka together. It wasn’t her plan, far from it. She had a crush on Adrien since he gave her his umbrella during his first few days. She’d only seen Chloe’s best friend, not the kind person he was until that moment. She could admit now she went way too far in how she felt, her crush an obsession at first. She felt entitled to his love because he went out of his way to be nice to her. God, it still made her cringe remembering how she acted whenever anyone gained a crush on him themselves. She had a full schedule to know where to find him! She didn’t realise in her attempts to get him to like her, even with her awkward ways and inability to speak a full sentence to him, she was just setting him up for someone else.

Juleka she’d known forever, since her first day of school, but she’d never known she had a sibling until they became better friends in their second year. She got to meet said sibling when invited for the debut of Kitty Section during the city-wide music festival. She’d been upset that Adrien had to cancel last minute and was instructed by Captain Anarka to go get Luka. She’d been impressed with his calm demeanour, how confident he was with how he teased her and back off when he felt like he went too far, his ability to calm her with such a simple song. She was sure if she wasn’t obsessed with Adrien, she would have given Luka a fair chance. After a large fight between the Captain and Agent Roger, Adrien had appeared, saying his dad changed his mind. She’d been so eager to see him she hadn’t thought to give him a warning of the piano right where he was walking. She watched him gush over it and Luka easily invite him to join their band. After their performance, Luka asked Adrien if he’d consider joining officially, even as a temporary member, to which he agreed. She should have noticed when she’d find Adrien texting Luka. But she believed Alya when she talked about how Luka must like her and how it would be a matter of time before Adrien figured out how he felt.

God, how was Kagami still friends with her? Her crush on Adrien made her do some insane things.

She and Alya had been blinded by the idea that their friend group would all be together, but others had started to see. Kagami tried to warn her, but she’d been too focused on trying to beat her. Kagami didn’t shy away from making it known she liked Adrien and she was more than happy to be his practise date. She managed to get herself invited and dragged Luka along with her. It was supposed to be ice skating, a ploy to get Adrien jealous.

God, Luka was so sweet, knowing exactly what was going on and still willing to be used. To this day it felt like she couldn’t apologise enough for what she’d do. She’d stare right at him and call him Adrien. How was he still friends with her, even now? Kagami picked it out very quickly that day, telling her her attempts at getting closer to Adrien was actually pushing him closer to Luka. The two had spent an hour of the practise date skating with each other, Adrien laughing and squealing as Luka lifted him easily. She said that if she wasn’t careful, Marinette would be pushing him straight to Luka. She thought it was some tactic to throw her off.

Things all came to a head when they participated in the Bob Roth video contest. Since Adrien wasn’t involved in public performances that wasn’t on the Liberty, the band wanted him in the video, which helped birth the idea of the masks and complimenting shoulder pads and braces to hide their identity. When they found out the contest was just a way for XY to get new material to copy, they’d all stormed over to the TVi studios. Adrien got him, Luka and herself inside and when Bob Roth threatened to have them framed as copycats and go after their families, it had been Adrien who stopped Luka from getting into a fight with him.

“Luka, don’t! If he wants to act like he can outsmart us, fine. We’ll just have to see which of us is more popular. Paris’ angel or a hack of a DJ.”

He’d gotten them back to the Liberty and gone live on his Instagram, revealing he was in the band before telling the whole of Paris what happened, how they signed up for Bob Roth’s contest, the video Marinette had filmed and edited, making sure to show the time stamp for then the file was created, how XY stole it. He even talked about how, yes, he could be lying, but asked them why he’d go through the effort of showing evidence instead of just asking for those to take his word on it. Turned out Adrien had more followers. Kitty Section got their song back and a contract to boot though Adrien got into trouble with his dad for being in the band. He had to officially withdraw from them but Luka told him he was more than welcome to join their jam sessions anytime.

“Kitty Section won’t be the same without you.” Luka had said. “Even if we won the fight, losing you doesn’t seem worth what we got.”

If anything, that had to be the moment, the one that filled Adrien’s heart. Because on Adrien’s fifth name day, the day Marinette felt confident enough to give him her gift and tell him how she felt, Luka had been waiting for him at school. Adrien had talked about how he always wanted flower as a gift, like someone going out of their way to buy him flowers and give them to him just because, not because of who he was. With a massive bouquet that she found out from Juleka that he made himself, he told Adrien he liked him, a lot and if Adrien was up for it, he wanted to take him out on a date. Adrien agreed, happily. Her heart broken then, since she didn’t quite realise just how right for each other they were at the time. Her friends, minus Juleka and Alix, were surprised and Alya was mad. She refused to go to school, refused to answer his concerned calls or texts and just followed what he did during then on social media.

Adrien gave up a lot to do the things he wanted. He got to attend school but with the pressure of placing first always, being the best in fencing and doing what his father wanted no matter what, it kept him from having normal things he wanted. She hadn’t known it at the time, since he kept it a secret for so long, but in order for his father to not dismantle Kitty Section himself, Adrien offered to leave himself, giving the excuse of a busy schedule to any people who came to Kitty Section for him. Adrien’s schedule got busier when news about dating Luka got out, but that wasn’t the only thing. She later learn he accepted more jobs and orders to keep Luka, to not break up with him. His father wasn’t allowed to touch Luka, not change him to fit the brand and in return, Adrien looked near exhausted with all his jobs he’d been doing. Marinette finally talked to him after finding out he threatened Lila after she got her expelled with the stolen necklace trick, finally explaining why she’d been so quiet.

“I’m sorry Marinette. If I’d known…I wish I could say I’d feel different but I think I always had a crush on Luka, ever since I met him. I am sorry that I made you suffer though.”

And how was she supposed to be mad at him? She hadn’t talked to him for weeks and he still went out of his way to protect her because to him, she was his friend and that’s all that mattered. She’d looked at those dark circles, how he was laser focused on his phone anytime Luka would text and she knew what she had to do. Chloe had actually been the one to help her expose Lila, to embarrass Gabriel a little so he had to ease up on Adrien to save face. She eventually got over her crush, apologised more times than she could count and gave out her parents’ pastries like band-aids. She was there to see their relationship grow from casual boyfriends to something strong enough to withstand so much. Adrien’s dad in general, the knowledge of Luka’s dad, the public’s opinion, Bob Roth being Kitty Section’s manager, Adrien’s career and his fight to get Felix to be friends with him again and Luka’s anxiety with school coming to a head when offered a place in his dream university, but for in person only. Through it all, they supported each other, any fights were resolved with honest and real apologies and never wavered from each other.

So, when Luka came to her to ask for help with a proposal, she jumped at the chance. Somehow, they managed to hide it from the whole of France and the two had their private proposal inside one of the Le Hotel Paris event rooms, the one Chloe said Adrien would daydream about being proposed in as a child. It was when the announcement was made and planning started, that things took a turn.

With school and the influx of jobs Adrien had been shouldered with and Kitty Section about to go on their first tour around France – since the international tour was agreed upon for that summer between semesters – Gabriel and Nathalie took on most of the planning. Both grooms wanted small. Adrien even wanted it at his house, so the statue of his mother could represent his mother being there, even though he hadn’t been back to the mansion since he moved out to a shared place with Nino, Luka and Nathaniel. Adrien wanted to wear white, another nod to his mother who loved dressing him in white formal wear and also sneakers. Luka agreed that most formal shoes hurt after an hour. Luka didn’t want a big cake, as he didn’t really like it, or a strings quartet for the band. He wanted a local band the two liked and for their first dance to be the last thing they did before leaving as a moment between them to calm everything down. Marinette had been commissioned to make their suits and was working on the little details – crescent moons and suns on suit jackets – when Nathalie interrupted.

“Adrien would look much sleeker in black and they should match. So, you’ll need to change your design.”

Adrien had look flustered but he told Marinette to switch it, apologising. She had brushed it off as being busy but she should have known it was more. He gave up a lot of freedom to have what he wanted before, why would it change now? Everyone knew Gabriel didn’t like Luka, it wouldn’t be a stretch for Adrien to hand over control just to still be able to marry Luka in the first place.

“How bad is it?” she asked Chloe.

“Rocker boy called to say Adrien is hiding inside their closet after a meeting with his dad about the order of the ceremony. I don’t know what was said, but this is getting insane. The original list was 120, and that was with others plus ones. If we don’t do something, the wedding might be off and I have not given up on Adrien and trusted him with that rocker for that to happen. So, let’s go.” She turned heading to the door when the designer called after her.

“Go where?”

“To plan a secret wedding for them to elope. Can’t stop them after that.” She stated. “Hurry up!”

Marinette had no other choice but to pin the needle in the lapel, dumping her sewing equipment on the desk and grabbing her bag before she ran off after the blonde. If anything, she needed to make sure Chloe knew what secret event meant. She had a habit of going overboard with planning.

________________

“Hey kitty.” Luka said, softly knocking on the door of the amoire – Adrien begged for them to have it when Felix offered it, but Luka still thought it looked stupidly ostentatious next to their other items – hoping to get an answer. Calling Chloe had been a last-ditch attempt. Nino had no luck and a meeting to run off for, being a well-established DJ. He already knew he had zero luck and he’d hoped Chloe could do something. All she said was, “Oh fuck this. enough is enough.”

He was a little scared about what that meant. He still had a fiancée in the closet who refused to move after explaining the decisions his father made about their wedding. He didn’t argue about Gabriel being involved orginally, hoping he’d actually listen to what his son wanted, but seeing how he’d done this since Adrien was in collége, choosing what he wanted the brand to look like rather than his own son wanted, was clear things weren’t going to change and Adrien was bearing the brunt of it. He wish he argued against it more. He wanted to keep him safe from his dad and he was failing at that.

“Kitty, can I please come in?”

The door swung out, revealing Adrien sitting surrounded by their longer clothes. He shuffled to the side and Luka climbed in next to him, shoving the clothes over as much as he could. He stayed quiet as Adrien pulled the door closed, leaving them in the dark. He understood why Adrien was hiding here, it felt nice. When he went searching for Adrien’s hand, it gripped his tight as Adrien dropped his head onto his shoulder.

“I should have never accepted my father’s help. I should have seen the increase of schedule for what it was, his way of breaking me down so I had no choice. I mean, the Notre Dame?”

“It’s a beautiful church.” He said, knowing the silence meant Adrien was glaring at him. “I’m not happy about it either but Adrien? All I was is to get to say I do and call you, my husband. Do I wish we could do it our way? Yes, but I just want the day to end with us together.”

It was clumsy, but Adrien was able to pull him down to kiss him. He pressed an extra kiss against his forehead, holding tight to his hand.

“I just wanted this to be perfect for us. I was going to step away from the Agreste brand after the wedding but its like nothing I do will get us away from him.”

Luka couldn’t disagree. Everything down to Adrien’s major in university was chosen by his father. Adrien wanted to be a teacher, either a music or physics, even fencing, but Adrien was majoring in business. It felt unfair he was able to work on his anxity to get his degree in music while attending school was all Adrien wanted but he wasn’t allowed to persue what he wanted. Fighting and arguing with Gabriel Agreste was a tempting thing but he knew as easily as he defended Adrien, his father would easily snatch Adrien away. He meant it about not caring how he married Adrien, just as long as he got to call him his husband at the end, but with how much Adrien has lost or given up in his life, he wanted Adrien to have the wedding of his dreams, not something that reflected the Agreste brand.

“I just kept saying yes. Why did I keep saying yes?” Adrien moaned, mad at himself.

“I said yes too. I knew you didn’t want it but I still agreed.” Luka reminded.

“Because I told you it would be easier to tell them what we want and for them to deal with everything. You’re just as busy too. Now this dream is becoming a nightmare and I don’t know how to wake up.”

As much as he could in the space, he hugged Adrien, pressing kisses into his hair. His phone rang, finally giving light to the closet.

“If it’s Nathalie or my father.” Adrien started.

“It’s Chloe. I’ll put it on speaker.”

“Luka?”

“Marinette?” had Chloe gone to Marinette? “You’re with Chloe?”

“More like she burst into my room but yes.”

“Oh, who cares Dupain Cheng? Couffaine, where’s Adrikins?”

“I’m right here Chloe.”

“Good. Less relaying of messages. Have you gotten your marriage lisence?”

In the dim light, the couple were able to share confused looks.

“Yeah? Everything’s been turned in. Nathalie took care of it weeks ago. I even checked.” Luka said.

“Perfect. Adrien, come over to my hotel room tonight and Couffaine, go see Dupain Cheng an hour after.”

“Why? Chloe, what are you planning?”

“You’ll see.”

“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Marinette asked. “Don’t they have to do this in city hall?

Chloe didn’t say much before she hung up, leaving the two to share confused looks.

_________________

“Techincally it just has to be officiated by an elected official, such as Daddy.” Chloe said, watching the garden be set up. “I already had him check, technically this isn’t against the law. Besides don’t you want them to be happy?”

“Of course, I’m just worried. We’re going against Gabriel Agreste. Aren’t you worried?”

“Please, my mother loves Adrien, she’ll ruin his father to make him happy.”

Marinette still worried but decided to trust her. Adrien was Chloe’s best friend and she was risking Gabriel’s anger to do this. She already managed to book a private garden and get a team to set up a flower arch and a long farm table for the guests. If she managed to come up with this and leagelly execute it, she was going to have to trust her.

“Mari, they’re here!” Alya called from where she had Nino’s phone.

“Perfect. You’ve got it here?”

“Go Dupain Cheng.” Chloe ordered.

Felix met Adrien and Luka until she got there, looking unmoved by his cousin’s multiple questions, instead admiring Luka’s motorcycle.

“Finally. Marinette, he’s not telling us anything. What’s going on?”

“You’ll see. Adrien, go with Felix. Luka, with me.”

More begging for answers happened but eventually, they followed orders. Leading Luka to the trailer Jagged got – because he was all for annoying his father-in-law and making his son happy even if he couldn’t be at the wedding to keep the chances of being found out low – Luka was silent until they got there.

“Is this something that’ll make Adrien happy?” He asked.

“Has he guessed what it is?”

“With what Chloe asked, he has hopes but isn’t sure.”

Smiling, Marinette nodded. “Yes, it’ll make him happy.”

Luka stared at her, no doubt looking for a lie in her song. He eventually nodded. “Alright then.”

“When you’re done changing, follow the path where you’ll meet up with Adrien. From there, just trust us.”

___________________________

Adrien stilled in the doorway, staring at the suit on the hanger. His mom liked dressing him in white formal wear, saying he brought light to dim events. She was still around when he realised, he was bi and she took the news easily.

“Do you think one of us would have to be in white?” He asked, when talking about his dream wedding, this time to a guy.

“Why can’t you both be in white? Sweetie, remember, white doesn’t make the bride. Queen Elizabeth started that trend. I could care less what you wear, as long as the person you marry is someone who makes your heart sing and be full of love.”

When he found Luka and when he proposed to him, he knew then he would be in white, so his mom would know that man made his heart so full. The added blue moons were to represent Luka, blue being his favourite colour and the moon representing the times Adrien snuck out of his house at night so they could hang out. Luka’s suit would have suns on the cuffs since he called Adrien sunshine for so long. But then his dad wanted him to be fitting of the Agreste brand. They would be in sleek black with no colour. He just bearly got his father to agree to the silver moons, Luka’s suns having to disappear completely. He’d only gotten to try on the original jacket once but there the full suit was. Blue crestent moons clustered on the lapels on the top and the lining of somehow subtle black cats against the grey background. It was his suit, the suit he was going to get married in.

“Felix? Did Chloe plan a wedding for me? With Marinette’s help?”

“The most surprising thing is that they didn’t kill each other through this.” was all Felix said before ordering him to get changed and leaving him.

Adrien pulled on the suit carefully, taking his time to put on every piece and notice the details, like the stitched peacock, with his mother’s initials on the side that sat over his heart. Luka’s initials was on the cuffs, like he assumes Luka’s suns were, on the arm closest to his heart. Like all of her creations, like Marinette was able to hide her name, she was able to disguse the initials so they didn’t look heavy, but he knew they were there. A pair of neon green sneakers sat on the table, the letters AC painted onto the heel of them, the date painted on the side. He took in the whole look in the mirror, smiling at what looked back at him. This was everything he wanted to see on his wedding day.

Remembering Felix’s instructions, he left the trailer and walked up the path. Waiting in the middle was Luka. Adrien couldn’t help but smile at the navy suit, seeing the specks of yellow on the cuffs. His own sneakers were the same colour as the lettering on his, his own lettering matching Adrien’s sneaker colour. His fingers looked oddly empty without his normal rings but by the end of this, they’d have matching rings.

“Hi.” He called, smiling at Luka, who smiled back at him and easily took him in his arms.

“Hello. You look amazing.” He said, fingering the blue crescent moons. “figured out what’s going on?”

“If I knew you weren’t that amazing of a liar, I’d think you had something to do with this.” Adrien said, already spotting the initials of Juleka and their mother on his sleeve, just above the suns. “Who do you have on your heart?” Adrien asked, wondering if Marinette sewed it like his.

“Yours.”

“I have my mom’s. I hope that’s ok.”

“Trust me, she’s the only one I’d willing give my place too. I think she would have been in on this, if she were here. I already feel close to crying seeing you, so who knows how she’d cope.”

Adrien laughed, dropping his head on Luka’s shoulder. “Not well.” the two stayed silent, taking in the feeling of what they were about to do. “We’re doing this right?”

“Adrien, I meant what I said. I just want to be married to you. but I also want you to have the wedding you want.” Luka reiterated, hugging him close.

“It’s starting to look pretty good so far.”

“Alright boys!” Alix, in a fitted suit and her hair pushed back, appeared behind them, gesturing to the rickshaw covered in flowers. “Your chariot awaits!”

The sight and knowledge of what was going to happen, caused them to burst into giddy giggles, before they climbed in. It got even funnier when Alix started tossing rose petals behind her as she pedalled them down the pathway.

“Alix! We’re getting covered here!”

“Go with it cinnamon roll.”

Luka dusted off as many petals as he could, tilting Adrien’s face up to press a kiss against his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Ready to do this?”

“I’ve been ready since I knew I loved you.” Luka said, pressing their foreheads together, right before they both got a face full of petals.

“Whoops, sorry!”

Finally, petals stopped being flung as Alix slowed to a stop and the two got to see what Chloe had been working on. On one side was the decorated farm table, two almost throne like chairs sitting next to each other on one side, their friends all sitting in their seats at the table. On the opposite side, was a stage covered by a tent covered in flowers and ribbon, with the band the two wanted waiting by their instruments. Their alter was a flower arch, covered in peonies, Luka’s favourite flower, in every colour imaginable. M. Bourgeois Chloe standing underneath, Marinette and Juleka all waited for them at the top of their aisle as they got off and Alix ran to join the others in her seat.

“This is for you.” Juleka handed one bouquet of roses to Adrien, “and this is for you.” she said, handing the bouquet of peonies to her brother.

“Are we going together?” Adrien asked for clarification.

“Seems silly to make you go separately now. You two had to fight to be together, might as well stand with each other for the biggest moment of your lives.” Marinette said, making sure their suits were straight and everything was ready. “Did you notice your shoes?”

“What about them?” Luka asked, looking back at the ‘LC’ painted on his. Then he noticed Adrien’s. he looked at Marinette, who just smiled at him. A glance at Adrien with a sheepishly shy smile confirmed it. Adrien wanted his last name instead of Agreste. Without Gabriel breathing down their necks, Luka would happily give it all if Chloe’s dad could get the paperwork in quickly enough.

“Chloe?” he said, watching her arch a brow, “Thank you.”

“You’d better keep that promise even more now. I didn’t give him up for you to make him sad, do you understand me?”

“I won’t.” Luka said, letting Adrien lace their fingers together. “I promise.”

With the band playing ‘Endlessly’ by Amaranthine, their closest friends and chosen family watched them walk down their aisle, still holding hands when they arrived to Chloe’s father.

“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today for the union between Luka Couffaine and Adrien Agreste. We are witnesses to their love and to see the commitment and promise they’ll make to each other. Now, because I was told the actual ceremony I do takes too long,” the crowd laughed as Chloe shrugged, “And the planned wedding was also going to take too long, we’ll skip to the vows. Who would like to go first?”

“I will.” The two turned to each other, and Adrien took a deep breath. His father wanted him to write his vows ahead of time so they could be edited and he’d been putting it off for so long because of it. but looking up at Luka, he knew exactly what he wanted to say. ���Luka, when we first met you, I had no clue how important you were going to become. You didn’t know me, past what all of Paris knew and your sister telling you I was pretty nice, but you welcomed me so easily, it felt like you weren’t real. You are an incredible listen and I always felt at ease with you. getting to know you everyday we texted or got to hang out made me wonder how a relationship would work. I didn’t know yet how I felt, though Kagami tried really hard to get me to see it. but I wouldn’t change what happened after. You always put others ahead of yourself and you were ready to fight Bob Roth for us and I wanted to be your shield for once. Having to officially leave Kitty Section sucked but what you said that day suddenly made it so clear to me. I wanted to scream it from the rooftops but I also wanted to keep it to myself. You knew the life I had, the things I had to give up, the troubles and you still decided you wanted me. I knew I was going to fight for you, but that made me fight harder. I’ll still fight for you, even if it meant dealing with wedding details, I didn’t want just so I’d still end up at an alter and marrying you. I love you Luka Couffaine and I am so glad you choose me.”

“I would choose you 1000 times over. I didn’t know the bright sunshine I’d get in my life when I met you. you were like a curious kitten, not knowing the world but wanting to know everything. It took a while to realise you knew how to use your claws. Skating with you that day, watching you have fun and smiling, I knew any other crushes I had weren’t going to compare to what I had for you. watching you rip into XY and Roth made it even more clear. Seeing you sad that you had to leave Kitty Section, I knew I wanted to do whatever possible to make you smile. it didn’t matter what your dad threw at me, I wasn’t going to give up after you said yes. You always give up things you want to get something in return and I’m making it my mission that you won’t ever have to do that again. Even if you answer with ‘I’m fine’. I’ll protect you with all I can.”

Adrien couldn’t help but kiss Luka, biting down a smile when the Mayor coughed to interrupt them.

“Can I have the rings please?”

The two shared panicked looks, as Nathalie was the one who held their wedding rings they choose, one of the few things they could pick. Nino, however, ran up and handed the Mayor a small string bag. Overturning it into his palm, the Mayor held out their rings.

“Let’s just say, Felix is really good at not getting caught.” Nino explained as he headed back to his seat.

Adrien shot a look to his cousin who just raised an eyebrow. Normally he’d scold him, but he wouldn’t this time.

“Luka, repeat after me.”

“With this ring, I thee wed, to have and to hold, through sickness and health, till death do us part, for all my days.”

“Adrien?”

“With this ring, I thee wed, to have and to hold, through sickness and health, till death do us part, for all my days.”

“By the power invested in me, by me and the city of Paris, I now pronounce you wed. you may kiss your partner.”

Everyone cheered, but Luka and Adrien were deaf to it as they lost themselves in the kiss that sealed them together for life. They pulled away, pressing their foreheads together, smiling at each other.

“We did it.”

“Good wedding?” Luka asked.

“I got you so I think we’re doing good so far.”

“And it’s only just the start.” Luka promised.

__________________

Gabreil found out about his son’s engagement from social media, two days after the fact. Pictures of the actual proposal and a selfie of Adrien showing off his ring. Seemed only fitting he found about the marriage the same way. He’d tasked Nathalie with making sure no information about the wedding he planned was leaked, to make sure it was perfect. When she came running in and shoved her iPad in his face, he thought she lost her senses. A video of Adrien and his fiancée walking down the aisle, bouquets in their hands. A photo of them at an alter of a flower arch, Andre Bourgeois standing as officiant. Their first kiss as husbands. at a table cutting into a simple round cake, decorated to look like the setting sun. multiple candid shots and videos of them and their guests – all of their friends and no parents or adults around – dancing with that band he’d forbidden playing. A short clip of the married couple slow dancing to a Disney song as the others held sprinklers to surround them in sparkling light.

And to round the post off, a selfie of Adrien and Luka, holding up the wedding rings that had gone missing when Felix was last at the mansion.

Finally married to the love of my life. Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life as a Couffaine.

[quibbs126]

So I was thinking today about more party members for Felix’s crew, I came up with two today

First was a small lizard lady (but like, one the horned lizards) who’s fast and kind of neurotic, and kind of the thief of the group, though she’s surprisingly one of the members with the most common sense

The second character is an axolotl that’s mainly based on this one depiction I saw of Dream from Dream SMP but he’s an axolotl (context, I like to search up “character design <thing>” from time to time, and one time I looked up “character design dream” and got a lot of stuff for dream smp, but I’ve never actually seen it). I found it like a year ago and it’s just been in my photos, and I liked the concept, so I kind of want to use it

I’ll put the picture here so you can get what I mean (I don’t have designs down yet), though I don’t know who the original artist is. I tried looking for it but couldn’t find it. If anyone knows the original artist, please tell me so I can credit them

Basically I want something like the hooded image, where the character is always wearing a hood, but some of their gills poke through

Now, all I really had for them was that they were kind of shady and maybe the healer of the group

But then I decided to listen to the soundtrack of The Count of Monte Cristo, and my brain connected the two, and now I think it may be getting out of hand

So basically my brain is sort of making the axolotl character Edmond Dantes, aka the Count, which possibly translates to him having a deep voice like Thomas Borchert. And also that he’s a VERY good singer (that part I’m keeping regardless)

Anyways, so this culminated in me coming up with the idea that he’s actually a banished prince, though perhaps not through fault of his own, but due to betrayal by someone he trusted, casting him out on land (because he’s from an underwater kingdom), and nowadays he’s living on the surface, as just a normal person, but he’s definitely bitter about what happened and has been plotting revenge on his enemy. He plans to one day return to get his revenge on those who betrayed him, and while he was once was carefree and innocent, we see that he’s become very cold and jaded from his experience, particularly when we go to his homeland for story purposes. Before that, yes he was sometimes shady, and clearly he had a chip on his shoulder about something, he was always at least seemingly nice. But maybe being back here just brings out the worst in him. Also, during this reveal of himself, he takes off his hood to show his gills scarred from his last time here. He hasn’t gone back yet because he’s still perfecting his plan and/or he needs to become stronger/find something that will give him the power to defeat his enemy. I suppose his character arc would be him learning that revenge isn’t the answer to his trauma and he needs to embrace it and let it go so he can move on

But also like, this is played completely straight and serious, and is that going too far for an axolotl character? Because like, he and the rest of the royal family would still have their derpy looking faces, and would it be asking too much for the audience to take them seriously?

[spacenutspod]

For only the second time, VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic’s suborbital space plane, was transformed into a science laboratory. Galactic 05 successfully completed its mission on Nov. 2, but for Kellie Gerardi, Galactic 05 crewmember and Virgin Galactic Astronaut 021, the training and preparation for the flight goes back almost a decade. She sat down with NSF to detail what it takes to conduct commercial suborbital research. Gerardi said her training began two years before the flight, but unofficially started a decade ago. She volunteered as a coat checker at the Explorers Club in New York City while in college. The organization is an esteemed society that aims to promote and recognize pioneers in scientific exploration and field study. Honorees include the Apollo 11 crew, Elon Musk, Sir Edmund Hillary, and more. Kellie Gerardi in her flight suit prior to the mission. (Credit: Virgin Galactic) While volunteering, she met Richard Garriott de Cayeux, a video game designer who, in addition to being the son of NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, purchased a seat aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket and visited the International Space Station in 2008. Gerardi thanks Garriott de Cayeux for first introducing her to the idea of commercial spaceflight. “I graduated the same year that the space shuttle program retired, and I was oblivious to the existence at that time of this sort of nascent commercial industry and it blew my mind,” Gerardi said. “I just remember thinking ‘I want to be a part of that’ and so the goal was never even originally how do I get myself to fly? It was how do I help create the Star Trek future where we’re democratizing access to space, we’re expanding Earth’s economic sphere?” That encounter led her to meet the Suborbital Researchers Group, which included Dr. Alan Stern, who would fly alongside her on Galactic 05. Gerardi worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) before joining Masten Space Systems. During that time, she was able to work a few test stands away from Virgin Galactic’s work zone in the Mojave Desert. She got her first taste of astronaut life and hands-on research while participating in an analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station while joining the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) in 2017. “I was supposed to be there in 2016, but I was pregnant and couldn’t fly,” Gerardi said. “So, literally right after I gave birth, and when I say literally, I mean I was still wearing Spanx under my flight suit to keep all of my organs in place, I was like right there. That was really exciting because we tested a real prototype of their EVA suit during the Mars Desert Research Station rotation.” Kellie Gerardi donning her EVA suit as part of Mars Desert Research Station Crew 149. (Credit: Kellie Gerardi) During this time, she began working for Palantir. All of these experiences would lead Gerardi to her first flight to the edge of space. IIAS shared which experiments they planned to fly with Virgin Galactic more than two years before the actual flight took place, Gerardi said. When she found out she would be flying those experiments, she had a different reaction than most might expect. Gerardi aboard a microgravity training flight. (Credit: Kellie Gerardi) “I know that I’m supposed to say I never could have dreamed of this, but that wouldn’t be true because I dreamed of that in detail, excruciating detail,” Gerardi said. “When I knew that I was having the opportunity to fly, of course it’s like an overwhelming gratitude for the trust that IIAS is placing in me, the confidence they’re placing in me, the pressure that is being placed on my shoulders to be the, you know, best ambassador that I could be, not only for IIAS but also for suborbital science generally, for the commercial space industry, for women in STEM, for just like, you know, pick your sort of roulette slot, and I felt a sense of pressure to live up to those expectations.” Gerardi says she and Dr. Stern both agreed one of their most useful experiences in preparing for the actual flight was parabolic microgravity flights, where an airplane pitches up, giving passengers nearly 2G of force pushing against them, before pitching over and downward in the shape of a parabola, allowing just under 30 seconds of near zero-G conditions. Gerardi and Stern partnered with the National Research Council of Canada, which allowed for microgravity training aboard a Dassault Falcon 20 aircraft. “It is a very dynamic environment in space, especially like immediately post-boost, and you’ve got the main engine cutoff (MECO), and then you’ve got the coast to apogee, but when the reaction control system (RCS) is firing in that vehicle, it’s like something that was two inches away is now two feet away, and the vehicle inverts,” Gerardi said. “So that part of flight, it’s like you can academically prepare for it, and you know what’s going to happen, and they prepare you so well. But when you’re experiencing it, it’s like, thank God we had that muscle memory to rely on of parabolic flight, because when you’re doing something with fine motor, like I’m opening a payload stowage solution, I’m unstowing, I’m securing, I’m doing things, and that I don’t think I would have been able to do had I not had that extensive experience in microgravity.” IIAS facilities in Florida also allowed for flights aboard an Extra 300 for high-G training. There was one additional piece of training that happened before getting hands-on experience at Spaceport America in New Mexico; training to use a maximum absorbency garment (MAG). “This was just not on my vision board when I dreamed of going to space as a little girl,” Gerardi said. She said they were instilled with the importance of hydration. “You’re in the desert and it’s so hot, and if there is a delay, you don’t want to accidentally restrict your hydration,” Gerardi noted. “Hydration really makes a difference with G tolerance. If you’re dehydrated, you can lose up to half a G of tolerance in your ability to withstand high G-forces. So it’s really important. So I understood why MAGs are so important and helpful.” She also noted it could be helpful for somebody who might have a nervous bladder to be able to fully enjoy the flight. Besides field testing it, she noted something special about hers. “It was space-themed,” Gerardi noted while chuckling. “It was like little kids like drawing [a] space-themed diaper. So yeah, it was really funny.” Ships mated? Research teams onsite? Astronauts in training? Must be a spaceflight week #Galactic05 is tracking for this Thursday, November 2. pic.twitter.com/D7pIGSIReg — Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) October 30, 2023 One week before the flight, the crew arrived for official pre-flight training in New Mexico. Gerardi notes the training for herself and Dr. Stern was different from the third passenger, Ketty Maisonrouge, who was participating as a paying customer as opposed to a researcher. “That was just because there’s different operational and safety concerns when you’re free-floating things or like stowing things,” Gerardi noted. Training included practice inside a simulator as well as inside the actual ship, VSS Unity. “They have a full mock-up of the vehicle that they close off and they run with audio, pilot audio, and visual out the windows,” Gerardi remembered. “You see like on screens like you dropping away from [the mothership] Eve. And so those were really high-fidelity simulations that were built to spec. And so we ran through those, Alan and I ran through those with our payload team a number of times.” She noted that throughout the whole process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was watching. That included someone from the FAA present via Zoom during key tests including bailout and oxygen training. Gerardi undergoing hypoxia training in 2021. (Credit: Kellie Gerardi) When it came to the training aboard the actual space plane, Gerardi compared it to memorizing choreography. She said the last thing she wanted was to be the first participant allowed to free-float an experiment and mess it up, removing the ability for future flyers to perform something similar. “I mean even the night before I was in my hotel room with a blindfold on doing a one-handed version of the release [of the payload] over and over again,” Gerardi said. “I had a backup mock-up and just practicing so that even if all other senses were impaired, I was going to be able to get that thing safely stowed.” Gerardi’s three experiments included the previously mentioned free-floating experiment known as “Configuration of a Confined Fluid in a Low-Gravity Environment,” with the goal of better predicting and controlling the shape of fluids in microgravity to help prevent an incident like in 2013 when ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned during a spacewalk as a result of a clogged filter. The hope is to also use the data to develop syringe designs for administering medicine in space. She wore Astroskin, a biomonitoring device that is also currently used aboard the ISS. This device tracks body functions such as heart rate, breathing rate, and skin temperature, with Gerardi’s mission marking the first time it was used to collect data during the launch, re-entry, and landing phases of flight. .@KellieGerardi is wearing an Astroskin biomonitoring device developed with the support of the Canadian Space Agency (@CSA). Fun Fact: The Astroskin is currently in use by astronauts aboard the @ISS! #Galactic05 marks the first time this technology will be used during launch,… pic.twitter.com/yXNlpSBwo2 — Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) November 2, 2023 Gerardi also wore a continuous blood glucose monitor. This was attached a few days before her flight and she was wearing it when this interview was conducted less than a week after her flight. The monitor was used to gather data that may help to address concerns that insulin resistance might develop more quickly during spaceflight. One of the key differences Gerardi noted in the training for Galactic 05 compared to other vehicles was the ability to make changes to payload storage and functions on the plane as late as the day before flight. Those plans are typically finalized months in advance on longer-duration spaceflights. “Alan changed one of the stowage solutions for his payload with his carabiner and his tether the day before flight,” Gerardi remembered. “It was such a better solution, too, that if we had been of, I don’t know, restricted to dogmatically enforced timelines just for the sake of locking it in, but without the ability to have any sort of pragmatic thinking, we would have had a suboptimal solution that could have resulted in us interfering with each other’s choreography.” Gerardi notes one of her biggest struggles was to be able to turn on a GoPro camera and verify that it was recording 15 minutes prior to release. What research is @KellieGerardi conducting during #Galactic05? Let’s discuss! First: Kellie’s fluids experiment will free float in the spaceship cabin to examine how a confined fluid behaves in low gravity. Data gathered from the #Galactic05 spaceflight can help inform a range… pic.twitter.com/4Rp6NTnmYY — Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) November 2, 2023 “The payload was right next to me on my right side, and only with my middle finger could I like barely graze the top, but I wouldn’t be able to check that the light was on and can you imagine if I did all of this and the GoPro light wasn’t on,” Gerardi anxiously remembered? “What I ended up being able to do was loosen one of my left shoulder straps, maintain positive control of it, but maneuver my body to reach down and check and see the light reflecting off of my finger from the GoPro and then re-strap up and tell them cabin was secure, and the fact that I was able to make those modifications, it was great to be able to work with the [Virgin Galactic] team.” Then it all came down to flight day.  Gerardi said her suit was hung out for her similar to how her wedding dress was when she got married. Then it was time to board Unity. “I mean that was maybe one of the most profound parts of the flight seeing all my family and friends, amazing, as we were taxiing away, but the last thing I saw was all of the Virgin Galactic flight line engineers in a line waving us off and sending us off,” Gerardi recalled. “I know what it’s like to send hardware to space and to feel that, but sending colleagues and humans and people that you just sealed off and put in there. I mean, it was just, I had chills kind of from that visual and it was so meaningful.” The Galactic 05 crew walking out on launch day. (Credit: Virgin Galactic) The mothership Eve, with VSS Unity underneath, took off at 9:00 AM local time from Spaceport America, beginning a climb to a release altitude near 50,000 feet. Gerardi remembered the clear blue skies that day, including her family being able to see the entirety of her flight from the ground. However it was something in the air that jumped out at her. “I got to see this gradient of blue going from the lightest to the darkest navy and then it got really dark real quick,” Gerardi said with a child-like smile across her face. “For a few moments circling at that release altitude, I just thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. And then a few minutes later I thought something else was the most beautiful thing in the world. But it was, like, staggering. That mental picture stands out to me on most immediate recall.” Then came the moment of release, which Dr. Stern called ‘surreal.’ “You’re dropped and you just watch Eve go, whoosh, and then all of a sudden, you’re flat on your back, and it’s like riding a rocket to the stars,” Gerardi vividly remembered. “I mean, you’re just going backwards, and you feel that you’re riding a rocket. Like, it is right behind you…I’ve done a ton of high-G flights. I’ve done centrifuge training, I’ve done it all, but just being on your back and riding a rocket to the stars was like, I just, it was like sci-fi. And it was so cool.” Galactic 05 drop and ignition. Another suborbital spaceflight in the books! Congratulations @AlanStern, @kelliegerardi, @VirginGalactic, and @Spaceport_NM! @NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/8LUNTABDyo — Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) November 2, 2023 Gerardi said she had a smile plastered on her face the entire time and is looking forward to seeing the raw flight footage to recall her expressions. “I looked at the brief clips I shared of everyone else’s faces that are taking it very seriously, and maybe even doing breathing techniques, and I’m just cheesing,” Gerardi joked. See AlsoGalactic 05 UpdatesVirgin Galactic/Orbit sectionNSF StoreClick here to Join L2 Gerardi noted there were special callouts on this flight that were specific to the research being conducted, in addition to astronaut instructor Colin Bennett calling out time increments every 20 seconds. She said that the entire first portion of the flight following unstrapping from her seat is blacked out due to her focus on completing her experiments. “I was aware that we were in space, but I was so paranoid about getting the science and doing right by my team, and doing right by so many people who had placed their faith in me that I was aware, but not present in that portion,” Gerardi said. “I was so solely focused on getting this payload safely unstowed, getting the data.” In fact, on her planned timeline, 20 seconds were allocated for acclimating to microgravity. However, Gerardi immediately jumped into the science. “I just started a free float, and in that first block, I already doubled, nearly tripled, the maximum amount of time we had ever gotten in parabolic flight of a free float,” Gerardi excitedly said. While the results of the experiment have not yet been released, Gerardi said all data will be available to the public free of charge once it is published. One thing she did note was that her experiment performed very differently than she’d expected. Kellie Gerardi conducting her fluids experiment mid-flight. (Credit: Virgin Galactic) “I had never seen the experiment behave the way it did in space, even after seeing it hundreds of times on earth and in freefall, near freefall,” Gerardi recalled. “I had never seen it behave like it did. And so I was just so excited. Everything worked so perfectly. And then I stowed it and I was like mentally cheering myself on because I got it stowed.” “So I looked like a professional. And I am a professional, but it was important to me that I looked like one too, because it was like, I was so conscious that everyone was watching, and this was the first time that Virgin had allowed someone to do what I was doing, and it was very important to me that I did right by that opportunity so that the next person has an even easier time convincing the team of what they want to do in space, free-floating-wise.” Following the completion of her experiment, Gerardi remembered the cabin being extremely quiet, saying you could hear a pin drop with no motors or RCS thrusters firing during that portion of the flight. Completing that task finally allowed her to look out the window at the Earth. “I turned out my window and I really saw space and Earth for the first time and I, it took my breath away, like it really took my breath away,” Kellie noted with her eyes starting to water. “I watched myself on video, like the breathing and the awe, I was just in a stupor and it makes me kind of emotional to think about, but I also probably interrupted everyone’s apogee experience because twice Alan told me that, and I don’t really remember this, but I just was like, ‘oh my god, oh my god’, and it’s like everyone else had already had a lot of time to look out the window and I was just so focused and so this was my first time really, really experiencing it and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Gerardi’s first view of the Earth while in flight. (Credit: Virgin Galactic) As she remembered looking out the window, away from her seat 2L, Gerardi waxed philosophically, with the tears still in her eyes and a large smile on her face. “We’ve all seen, since childhood, so many pictures of the Earth and so many photos from much further away than I was, but it was the first time that I had experienced Earth as a planet,” Gerardi said happily. “I don’t quite know how to describe it, but I think I had a very academic understanding of Earth as a planet and being this cognitive dissonance of being both a part of it as a home but also away from it enough to experience it as a planet among other planets was an incredibly powerful and disorienting sensation and I just…that thin bright bright blue band of atmosphere it’s like the just fragility of it and nothing that I hadn’t seen before from images, but unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. And so it was just that and it was magical and overwhelming.” Gerardi noted with this interview being done so close to the completion of her flight that she had yet to truly process what it meant. While describing the planet, Gerardi had large, bright eyes and a smile that kept growing with each added description, as she processed the memory in real-time. She noted that there were two call-outs prior to re-entry, one of which was to get near to your seat, followed by the final call to strap in. Gerardi says she waited until the very last chance to reattach her five-point harness. Following landing, Gerardi ran to hug her daughter, Delta V, named after the impulse per unit of spacecraft mass that is needed to perform a maneuver. The moment was shared on her Instagram account, which currently has over 346,000 followers, and on TikTok where she has an audience of more than 728,000 followers. She wants the trolls and naysayers to understand the significance of the reunion portion of flight. @kelliegerardi I promised Delta I would come right back home to Earth…. Thank you @VirginGalactic ♬ Coming Home – Diddy – Dirty Money “I shared this reunion video of me and my daughter and it was just so powerful. And of course you get the trolls who are like, you were gone for less than two hours, why are you so dramatic?” Gerardi laughed. “First of all, blocked. Second of all, you know, away for only a short period of time. Like, that wasn’t the message. That’s not why my daughter was running to me. That’s not why I was running to my daughter. We’ve been away from each other for many weeks while I worked overseas. The message was that this is something that fewer than 100 women have ever had the opportunity to do in history. And the limiter has always been access and not aptitude.” “It’s like, I do not think I’m extraordinary or special in any way, and I look forward to broadening that horizon. But this was the fifth commercial flight ever for Virgin Galactic. So, one, to accomplish this from their side safely and to return me to my daughter on something that still has experimental stamped on that spacecraft and to watch my daughter watch me experience this thing that for her entire life, she’s always known from the day she was born that that was mommy’s dream. So it was all of that was layered in, in that reunion. And it had nothing to do with the time away. It had everything to do with the profundity of this moment in time and what it means.” Kellie Gerardi with her husband and daughter shortly after returning to Spaceport America after Galactic 05. (Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF) Readjusting to normal life following the trip had been tricky for the first few days post-flight. Gerardi noted that she had been crying every night before sleep, not knowing exactly why she was crying. She also recalled two funny moments while out with family. “Every time that I’m driving in the car with my husband and I turn to him and still grab his shoulder, I’m like, I left the freaking planet,” Gerardi said excitedly. “I literally keep having these moments where I have to almost grip something and tell the person next to me, I left Earth. I went to space.” One person who was happy to tell people about Gerardi’s trip was her mother, which led to the second funny moment. “We were in [a local supermarket],” Gerardi remembered with a big smile. “I was ordering sliced turkey from the deli and she’s like, ‘my daughter just got back from space’, this is like two days after we got back. I’m like, mom!” Gerardi says she hopes to continue to share her experience and the idea that in this day and age, anything is possible. “It’s not the era of, oh, you have to be the old stiff astronaut, everything’s going to be all that, right,” Gerardi asked. “I flew to space in the year of the Barbie movie, in the year of the [Taylor Swift] Eras tour, in the year of the [Beyoncé] Renaissance tour, okay? It’s like, we were going to bring it. And so, that was all top of mind for me.” The author along with Kellie Gerardi following the interview for this article. (Credit: Sawyer Rosenstein for NSF) Gerardi has published a personal book titled Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner’s Guide to Life in the Space Age, in addition to a children’s book series called Luna Muna. While reading the latter to a group of students at her daughter’s school, Gerardi came to a really unique realization. “I look at Delta and I look at all of her classmates and they literally are just like, ‘Oh yeah I could go to space one day too, but I could also do a lot of other things’ and it’s like that’s so true,” Gerardi recalled. “My gender schema was very different than my daughter’s when I was growing up. I think that’s why I wore jewelry in space.” “It’s why I had hot pink nails,” Kellie said showing them off, still sporting the bright color. “It’s why I wore friendship bracelets. Not that I did that intentionally to make a point, it’s more that I brought my full self to space and felt there was no part of me that even thought for a second I should tone it down. It’s toning it up. Get in losers we’re going to space!” Onlookers view VSS Unity after it had completed the Galactic 05 flight. (Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF) Besides hoping for more of her colleagues to get the chance to perform research in space, Gerardi hopes that type of willingness to be yourself in space will encourage even more people to pursue their dreams and achieve spaceflight: suborbital or orbital. “I think it makes it more real and accessible and authentic to people to understand, like that’s why it’s the human in human spaceflight,” Gerardi said. “If we were just sending robots, yeah, for sure, we could talk only about the hardware, but we’re not. We’re sending human beings who have periods, who have children, who have lives and communities and families and emotions and all of that gets rolled into that experience. And that was mine.” (Lead Image: From left to right, Kellie Gerardi, Dr. Alan Stern, and Ketty Maisonrouge following the Galactic 05 flight. Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF) The post From Countdown to Touchdown: Flying Aboard Virgin Galactic appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

[forzalando]

Flustered | Fred Weasley

Pairing: Fred Weasley x F!Reader Word Count: 2.5k Warnings: mentions of underage drinking and alcohol, tickling, making out Summary: Your flirty friendship with Fred Weasley comes to a resolution after an argument surrounding the Yule Ball that took place all those years ago. 

A/N: hi friends! this is a Fred Weasley fic based on a tik tok i saw last night (all credit for the bolded line goes to the creator of the tik tok). also thank you to @gcdric for discussing this with me very late last night, i hope it turned out well omg i’m NERVOUS. anyway! off we go. please let me know if you’d like to be added to my taglist! i’m updating it since i was on hiatus for awhile! love you guys!

As you sat on the couch of the Burrow, your eyes fixated on the many pictures in the Weasley’s living room, your mind began to drift off with thoughts of the freckled, red-headed boy sat in front of you giggling with his siblings.

There was something extraordinarily special about your friendship with Fred Weasley. After ten plus years of him being the most important person in your life, ever since your first day at Hogwarts when he tripped over your robes as you and your fellow first years hurried into the Sorting Ceremony, you couldn’t imagine life without him.

You had been through so much together; every Hogwarts experience there was to be had, first kisses, first heartbreaks, the Second Great Wizarding War, he was by your side through everything.

“What’s on your mind, Y/N? You look to be thinking entirely too hard for my liking,” Fred sassed, breaking you out of your trance.

“Too hard for your liking?” you retaliated. “What do you care what I’m thinking about?”

“It’s supposed to be a relaxing weekend! You’re much too deep in thought to be relaxing, so of course I care.”

“Well, if you must know, I was thinking about you, Freddie.”

“Carry on then, love. I’ve always wished for your thoughts to be consumed by me.”

With a cheeky wink, Fred went back to a game of exploding snap and you didn’t need to watch to know that Ginny was absolutely kicking his arse. However, you didn’t miss the sly smile that George gave you when Fred’s attention was diverted from you.

It wasn’t uncommon for the two of you to flirt with one another. In fact, you would dare to say it was the most predominant form of communication between the two of you. There was the occasional time or two where you thought that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same, but he’d always look away quickly or press a kiss to your cheeks instead of your lips, laughing it off as the two of you caught up in a moment that would cross a line that could never be crossed, though you so desperately wanted to.

After another round of exploding snap, Ginny said her goodbyes and apparated back to her flat, but not before promising that she wouldn’t miss anymore family dinners for quidditch practice, which you knew would happen inevitably but smiled nonetheless at her enthusiasm. You’d been a regular appearance at the weekly get-together for as long as you could remember, you were practically part of the family so you could say with appropriate accuracy that Ginny definitely missed dinner more than all of her siblings combined due to her busy schedule.

“Well, I suppose it’s time for us to head back as well,” George mused, eyeing the leftover pies in the kitchen. “Are you staying at ours tonight, Y/N?”

“I’d love nothing more. Besides, I didn’t get to play Fred in exploding snap and I want to knock his ego down just a little bit more.”

George linked arms with you and Fred, laughing about his brother’s awful skills as you apparated to their flat above the shop.

You’d spent many a nights at the twins’ flat over the past couple of years. After the war, you had moved in for a while until you found a job and managed to rent your own place. But, they never got rid of your bed that took up a large corner of their living room, which came in handy after weekly Weasley dinners when you just wanted to spend a bit more time with your favorite boys.

“I’m absolutely knackered,” George said once the three of you had settled on the couch. “I think I might go to bed now, if I’m honest. Besides, I want to be up early to work on those new design sketches for the storefront.”

“George Weasley, you have never gotten up before 10 o’clock on a Sunday in your entire life,” you scoffed.

“There’s a first for everything, Y/N. Goodnight to you and Freddie!”

As George turned away from you both, he faked a yawn and when he was sure Fred wasn’t looking, winked back at you to further confirm your suspicion that he wanted you to be alone with Fred.

He had just about had enough of the tension between you both and took every chance he got to get the two of you alone, by any means necessary.

When you heard George’s bedroom door close, you noticed Fred scoot closer to you on the couch until your legs were touching. He slung his arm over your shoulders and you swung your legs up to lay across his lap.

“What were you thinking about earlier? While Gin and I were playing by the fireplace?” Fred wondered aloud.

“Oh, I was looking at all the pictures on the walls at your Mum and Dad’s. I saw one from you and George’s first day at Hogwarts and I was thinking about how we first met.”

“Hmm, so you were thinking about one of the most embarrassing moments in my life?”

“Please, you’ve done much, much worse. Remember that time in our sixth year when you tried to outdrink George after we won the Slytherin match and you – ”

“Ah, ah, ah, I thought we agreed to never speak of that incident again,” Fred said as he visibly shuddered.

“I was just pointing out that I can think of quite a few moments that were far more embarrassing than tripping on my robes.”

“You’re one to talk! Don’t you remember our fifth year when you and George were running from Filch and you knocked Wood to the ground? Bloody broke his arm, you were so lucky Madame Pomfrey had him fixed up before our next match or he would’ve had a heart attack.”

A loud laugh escaped your lips as you covered your face in embarrassment; that was the year you had followed Oliver around like a lost puppy, although your schoolgirl crush paled in comparison to how you’d felt for Fred back then and now as well but neither twin would ever let you live it down.

“Do you remember the Yule Ball? When Flitwick caught you trying to spike the punch and you slipped and fell in the middle of the dance floor?” You chuckled at the memory, even if the Yule Ball was an event you had tried to forget.

“You were so mad at me that night and the whole week before, I was terribly distracted. If we had been on good terms I would’ve gotten away with it and the slipping never would have happened.”

“Well, it’s your own fault we were fighting! I still can’t believe you didn’t ask me to go with you.”

“Oi, it’s not my fault when you never said you wanted me to ask you.”

“I thought I had made it painfully obvious when I asked you every morning at breakfast if you’d found a date yet and told you that I didn’t have one either.”

Fred threw his head back and laughed, the thought of your shocked face when he had asked Angelina was too priceless a memory to ever forget.

“You were so jealous,” Fred mumbled.

“Jealous?!” you screeched. “I wasn’t jealous, I was annoyed that I had to spend all night with some Durmstrang tosser stepping on my toes. We’ve had this argument literally a million times.”

“No, you were definitely jealous. You shot poor Angie daggers the whole night and she’s such a lovely girl.”

“I shot her daggers because she hogged you and I didn’t get to dance with my best friend a single time at the only Ball we ever had at school.”

“I would’ve asked you to dance if you weren’t mad at me, and you know she was only dancing with me to make George jealous, even if he was oblivious.”

You smiled at that; you knew Angelina only had eyes for George and that going with Fred was some elaborate ruse. Shockingly, it ended up working, and he and Angelina have been together ever since.

“Still think you were jealous,” Fred challenged, poking you in the exact spot on your abdomen that he knew you were ticklish.

“Fred Weasley, for the last time, I was not jealous,” you emphasized as you poked him back.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, love,” he said lowly, a daring glint in his eye.

Never one to heed warnings or follow directions, you poked him again and within seconds he had you pinned underneath him on the couch, his fingers trailing up and down your sides as you couldn’t help but laugh boisterously beneath him.

“Fred – ” you gasped. “Freddie, please, I actually think I might pee on your couch.”

“Not until you admit you were jealous that I asked Angelina!”

You shook your head, the combination of laughter and trying to catch your breath kept you from firing back a witty remark.

After a few moments, you simply couldn’t take anymore and shouted out, “FINE. Fine, you win.”

“What was that, lovey? I couldn’t quite hear you.”

“I said, fine, I admit it. I was jealous that you asked Angelina when I wanted you to ask me,” you grumbled, struggling to catch your breath in between words.

“See, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

You glared up at him and moved to push him off of you when you realized just how close his face was to yours. If you concentrated hard enough, you could count each individual freckle splattered across his nose and cheeks. Almost instinctually, your eyes flickered down to his lips, but you wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of staring, so you quickly looked away.

Fred noticed that you couldn’t take your eyes off of him and, in true Fred Weasley fashion, couldn’t resist a flirty joke.

“You really want to kiss me right now, don’t you?” Fred chuckled.

“Yeah,” you sighed, “yeah, I do.”

Surging forward, you pressed your lips to his and immediately wove your fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. You were so tired; tired of the constant flirting and feeling as if you would forever have to love him from afar while he lived his life blissfully unaware of how much it hurt you to hide how you felt.

His arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer to him; the raw emotion in the way he desperately kissed you left little doubt in your mind that he had wanted this for as long as you had. His hands slipped under your shirt and his fingers blazed a trail of fire up your spine; a breathy moan escaped your lips but Fred swallowed the sound with his mouth, deepening the kiss and pulling you even closer.

A scream from behind the couch caused you to jump apart, chests heaving and hair sticking up every possible way. You sat up to look over the back of the couch to see George Weasley, looking visibly shaken and guilty, with his hands covering his eyes.

“Oh my god, I leave you alone for thirty minutes and you’re about to shag on my bloody couch. Jesus, ok, let me just, uh, well, I’ve probably ruined the mood, haven’t I?”

“George,” you hissed. “What are you doing sneaking around, I thought you were going to bed?!”

“Yeah, I said I was,” he said sheepishly as he uncovered his eyes, “but I might have been eavesdropping on your conversation. When I heard it go all quiet, I thought I’d come out and see if you two fools had fallen asleep, but clearly, that was not the case.”

“Eavesdropping? I swear to Merlin, George, you’re a ten year old boy. I can’t believe you! Of all the immature and invasive things to do, my God.”

“Well, pardon me, I just wanted to see if my idiot brother would finally grow some balls and tell you he’s in love with you!”

“I’m not sure what you’re on about but that doesn’t mean you can just sneak up on people,” you chided.  “Fred, would you please back me up here, what is wrong with you – ”

You turned around to pull Fred into the argument only to find him sitting on top of the coffee table with a dazed look in his eyes and flushed cheeks.

“Fred, are you alright?” you asked worriedly.

He slowly lifted his head and looked into your eyes; you could see just how flushed his face was now that he wasn’t staring at the floor and good Godric, he was as red as the hair on his head.

“I…I…You,” he stammered. “You kissed me?”

“Yes, I suppose that is what happened,” you muttered sheepishly.

“Y/N Y/L/N…you…you kissed me?”

“Freddie, what the hell is the matter with you?”

George burst into laughter and you whirled back around to glare at him, however, this time, he didn’t hush up like he usually did.

“Like I said before, he’s in love with you, and now he can’t even form a coherent sentence because you kissed him, this is golden. Ol’ cock sure Freddie, a pile of mush because of a little makeout sesh, I’ve got to send an owl to Lee…” George trailed off as he turned and rushed back towards his bedroom.

You took another look at Freddie and smiled at the lovestruck look on his face. He was shaking his head in his hands and you saw the redness on his neck as well, which only happened when he was well and truly flustered.

“This is so humiliating,” he groaned as you sat down next to him.

“I think it’s rather cute, if that makes you feel any better,” you said as you chuckled and placed a hand on his thigh.

He removed his head from his hands and looked at you adoringly, the giddy smile on his face ignited butterflies in your stomach and your heart beat wildly in your chest.  

“All the times I imagined how this would pan out…it definitely wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I mean, not that I’m mad about it, it was incredibly sexy how you just grabbed me and kissed me, but I wasn’t supposed to be a bumbling fool afterwards.”

A moment of silence washed over the both of you as Fred intertwined your hands and steadily held your gaze.

“George was right, you know. I am in love with you. Have been for quite a long time, if I’m being honest.”

“Well, in the spirit of honesty, I guess I should say that I’m in love with you too.”

“Bloody brilliant,” he sighed as he leaned in to kiss you again, but you stopped him just before your lips touched.

“You’re not going to pass out or anything if we kiss again, are you?”

“No promises, love, but I’ll try my best.”

taglist: @theweasleysredhair @hufflepuffbaby9 @theboywhocriedlupin @swellwriting @fortisfiliae @thoseofgreatambition @wildfire-whizbangs @woakiees 

[holdontorogers]

𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐛.𝐛.

gif not mine, credits to owner

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠; tfatws!bucky x bartender!college!reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭; 2,218

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲; Bucky has a secret place in Brooklyn that he found out as soon as he got his apartment after the blip: the bar you work at.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; +18 ONLY | MINORS DNI, angst, cheating (your bf/ex), hints to oral (f receiving), sex dreams, alcohol consumption, metal arm kink (i guess lol), swearing, friends on their way to lovers, unrequited feelings, mentions of college, stress, let me know if something’s missing and sorry for any typos.

𝐚/𝐧; so this was suppose to be out last weekend but headaches, college and stress delayed the process, hope you enjoy. 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐬!!!

⊱⋅ ───────── 𖥸 ────────── ⋅⊰

“So, pretty amazing what you and Captain America did the other week”, he chuckled more for himself then any other thing as he pretended to ignore the fact that you knew everything about his past — and about him, in general. 

“Yeah well, I guess it feels good to know that the shield is finally with the right person”. You gave him a nice smile and intended to say something else but someone was already calling out asking for their drink, you rolled your eyes playfully for Bucky and walked away.  

Safe to say that Bucky is way more interested in your company than the bar itself, that’s why he would come by almost everyday by the end of the night and stayed for as long as you would like. 

The bar was packed, more than usual, and Bucky pretended to ignore the fact that he was bothered by not having as much of your attention as he planned to. 

Given that between missions and your senior year in college plus all your work at the bar, sometimes visiting you while you moved around the crowded place was one of the only ways you two could spend some time together.

 “It won’t magically fill up you know?” Bucky  was so lost in his thoughts and distracted playing with the now empty beer bottle he didn’t even notice you brought him another one.

“You know I can’t get drunk right, doll?” he said with a playful smirk, “and why would I want to get you drunk?” you winked and went back to attending the other people in the bar as Bucky followed your movements with his eyes. 

He sees you quickly looking at your phone following the action by a frustrated sigh, and he immediately clenches his jaw. Your ass of a boyfriend was probably leading you on yet again on another Thursday night with some lame excuse. Bucky could not believe how poorly this man (boy) treated you. If only Bucky could have the chance to show you how you should properly be loved and cared for...

When you came back to where he stood you seemed even more annoyed.

 “Is everything okay, doll?”, you looked at him with an exhausted expression and a tension between your eyebrows, “yeah, just... can’t wait to finish up and go home, how long are you planning to stay?” Bucky furrowed his brows, were you tired of him? 

“Don’t know yet, why?” you shrugged and looked over your shoulder discreetly “that girl keeps checking you out and I don’t know, maybe you would like to take her home?” I actually would like to go home with you. Bucky could swear this suggestion was as painful to you as it was to him, but he knew that that was only his mind playing tricks with him.

 “I still don’t think I have a way with the ladies right now” your eyebrows rose in amusement and you tried to study his expression “Well, if anything, just tell her your arm vibrates”.  You winked and returned to your duties once again. Meanwhile, Bucky realized the heat in his cheeks thinking about what you said. It’s amazing how much power you had over him, as he imagined how you would react under his arms. 

How soft his right arm would be on your warm skin, how the friction between metal and warmth would drive you insane once his metal arm was touching you... He could see all the different ways that he could make you his, make you forget all the shit you go through everyday, make you feel unique and loved. 

(...)

However, Bucky saw you seemed more upset and stressed out than usual so he decided to stay. He waited until you closed the bar and helped you sort everything out. You looked once again at your phone with a much worse look than before. 

“Doll what’s wrong?” he rarely asked you about your relationship, and always did good in pretending to ignore the frustrated looks you’d constantly give to your phone. 

You met his concerned eyes and saw all his attention in you, which makes your heart soften a little. You unlocked your phone and opened a conversation with one of your friends, showing it to Bucky with watered eyes. 

When he looked at the conversation from a few days ago he used all his self control to not shatter your phone or run down to haunt the man in the pics you showed him. There was a girl pressed against the wall of a club right between your boyfriends arms, and that girl was not you.

All the anger in Bucky’s eyes settled for worry when he looked at you. He held you in his arms and ran his fingers through your hair to calm the silent tears that were falling involuntarily from your face. 

“He’s an asshole and he never deserved you.” You nodded and continued to let yourself be taken care of by Bucky, “and just tell me the words so I can gladly kick his ass”. You laughed and that felt odd, but not surprising since Bucky always brought up the best in you. You had no idea how you two became such close friends, but you were glad to have him in your life. “Thanks Buck, you’re the best friend I could have right now ”. 

As Bucky walked home after taking you home the events of the night went over his head. He was a mess of nerves, angers, worries and sadness. He knew how much you needed a friend right now. He knew how you handled your own feelings and barely talked about it. He knew it was a big deal for you to show him what was going on. And yet the thought of showing you how much better he could treat you if you saw him beyond a friend wouldn’t leave his mind. 

 ───── 

**Bucky’s lips were drawing your skin like it was meant to be there this whole time. It’s like his mouth was designed to know how to touch you in all the right spots. He would caress your skin and take such good care of you. His words were soft and yet you knew he was in control, and you loved being at his mercy. You were willing to let him do anything as long as his lips never left your body again.

Goosebumps were consuming you as he kept going lower and lower. His lips finally started to trace down your inner thighs as you whisper his name as an exasperated request. Bucky’s lips were wet and soft and hot at the same time. He smirked and finally went down to where you needed him most.**

Your heart was racing as your alarm made you jump scared instead of properly waking up. It took a while to remember where you were and what the hell was going on. You sighed when realizing you just had a dream with your best friend.

You decided to take a cool shower before starting your day, as the minutes you usually lay in bed before forcing yourself to wake up were effectively replaced with a very intense dream that led you to question all your life choices.

Your mind begins to wonder and you asked yourself if Bucky got the phone from that girl in the bar last night. You had a bothered look on your face even though you knew you should not be feeling like this.

And you shouldn’t be having these dreams as well, but it’s been so long since you’ve actually felt good.... It’s been so long since you had an orgasm. It almost felt natural to think of Bucky that way, as if the desire of having him between your legs have been there all this time just waiting for you to notice them. You shook the feeling out of your head - or at least tried to. 

You couldn’t help but think about the recent events of your life. You have been beyond busy and missed so many warning signs from your now past relationship. You left out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, biting your lips and thinking about your situation. 

You’re suddenly annoyed and wondering why the hell you stuck around in the relationship you were at. It wasn’t adding anything else to your life anymore, it wasn’t doing you any good and you were pretty sure the main reason your boyfriend has been so neglecting lately was because he was cheating on you. And you were right. Now you were a breakup hot mess drowning in work and college assignments barely making it through the days without stressing yourself out. 

As the caffeine started its magic and you were getting ready for the day, your boss texted you saying that you could have the day off. She would surely find a way to compensate for this miraculously free day you had but you wouldn’t complain. Today especially was a very much needed day for you to give yourself some tranquility. You got ready for your classes in a very comfy yet cute look that made you feel good and went out.

On your way to college you texted Bucky to see if he was available this afternoon. He was surprised to read about your day off and quickly answered back saying he would be free. You both agreed to meet at Central Park once you were done with classes. Your smile and excitement once again surprising you as your dream would not leave your mind. How would you face him? You had no idea but he was your best friend and one of the closest and greatest person in your life right now. Your frustration of a sex life would not be in the way of this friendship.

The classes went by rather quickly and you were catching up on your readings when Bucky met you at the park. The sun was starting to set and there was something about the sunset atmosphere and Bucky that made his features seem even more in evidence. You smiled and waved at him as he raised his brows and walked happily to where you were. 

“Hey doll, how’s the day been?” he seemed extremely relaxed and care-free as he tugged you in a warm hug, his cologne invading your senses and numbing you for a moment. You cleared your throat before answering him “It’s been weird” you frowned “I was called off work God knows why and I have been able to catch up on most of my readings for school so” you shrugged still surprised with how smooth things were. “So it’s been a good day?” his brows drew together in amusement, and you both started walking aimlessly through the park.

“Yeah it’s been good I guess, weird but peacefully good, what about yours?” his eyes were sparkled with excitement and he had a half smile illuminating his face “I’ve been good, I was watching that show you told me about when you texted me about your free day so, only good moments I guess” he winked as you studied his face and his genuine expression and you felt weird butterflies in your stomach — which you ignored.

“So how do you like Friends?” you poked him teasingly and he smiled “It’s a good show, Alpine and I have good laughs, but I don’t know I feel like it’s something that should be shared you know? I bet watching with someone would make it a hundred times better”. Bucky looked at you as if you should’ve read something between the lines.

You would usually take his words lightly and never question their meanings, but tonight was different. You could almost feel something in the air. You were absolutely sure that it was all on your head but... Something about the way Bucky always looked at you in such admiration and softness. You could spend all of your days studying his expressions and getting to know him. Life may not have been kind to him but kindness was all you knew when it came to James “Bucky” Barnes. 

He cleared his throat and caught your attention. Yep, you were staring at him instead of thinking about an answer. “Sorry doll, I just meant — ” Bucky read your silence as an awkward moment but you were quick to stop him “No! You were right! Friends is absolutely better when you watch with people... I’m sorry, I’ve been a little distracted that’s all” you smiled at him hoping he would take your answer and not think too much about this. Bucky thought you were distant and quiet because of what he found out last night, but the truth was that you couldn’t look at him without thinking about your dream. 

Every single time your eyes met his or that you accidentally touched him was like an electric wave washed over you. The memories you created in your sleep would not leave you as Bucky would do normal things like, winking when telling a joke, wetting or biting his lips. Every little action made you hold out on reacting in a way that would ruin your friendship for good.

Crossing a line with Bucky would be a bad idea, wouldn’t it? 

[forthegothicheroine]

The King in Yellow, 1949

Much of this story is true.  Warnings in the tags.

When I had pneumonia in my early teens, my mother brought home an armful of VHS tapes from the library to alleviate my misery.  Knowing my snobbish preferences, she had grabbed copies of whatever she found in black and white.  I remember something musical that I suspect was Busby Berkeley, I remember Mildred Pierce (a bad choice, as it turned out- the plot includes a young girl dying of pneumonia), and I remember a period piece called The King.  I faded in and out of consciousness while I watched it, but it soothed me while I was awake and filled my fever dreams with sparkling images.  I could never find it at the library again, nor at Hollywood Video or even early Netflix (once my father got the subscription service where you could order practically every DVD.)  It was a bit odd that it seemed to be so obscure, given that it starred old Hollywood legend Ingrid Bergman (and, although I initially forgot it, Marlene Dietrich.)  But even big stars make films that fall by the wayside in public memory, and it seemed that this was one of them.  Google was no help, and at the time that was that.

I didn’t see the film again until I was watching Turner Classic Movies at my grandparents’ house.  I loved watching that channel with them while filling out the crossword puzzle that came in their little TCM catalogue (all of it based on movie trivia, the only kind of crossword puzzle I’ve ever been any good at.)  I recognized a certain scene where Bergman stood on a balcony, looking sadly at the moon.  Her face had an expression of unutterable melancholy, and the crescent moon reflected in each of her eyes, giving the impression of two moons in one sky.  I had very little time to catch up on what I’d missed before we had to go meet my cousins at the local Italian restaurant.  I knew logically that the movie would be long over by the time we returned, but I turned on the channel anyway.  Of course it had moved on to the lesser known Alfred Hitchcock film Stage Fright, but then I heard Marlene Dietrich sing before I could reach the remote to turn the tv off in disappointment.  I knew that I had heard her sing before, and I knew it had been in The King.

Dietrich’s singing often comes across as somewhat campy today, with its Rs pronounced as Ws and it’s up-and-down tone.  Madeline Kahn parodied it brilliantly in Blazing Saddles, such that it was a bit of a disappointment when I finally saw Dietrich’s western Destry Rides Again and found it to be lifeless and inconsistent next to the parody.  Still, we remember her voice for a reason, and when I remembered it that night, I knew that its sardonic loneliness had rung through The King and made me shiver in my dreams.

The TCM schedule didn’t list The King in its time slot, but something else.  If I had taken down the name, maybe it would have helped me find it.  Sometimes the same movie runs under multiple names.

I didn’t see the film all the way through for many years, after I graduated college.  I had found a web page that listed public domain film noir, including one called The Masked Guest.  The website described it as a costume noir, and I curiously clicked on the link.  Once I took in the credits running on the youtube window, my eyes grew wide and I did not move from my place on the bed until the movie had run its course.

The credits did indeed list it as The Masked Guest, but I recognized the strange repeating design on the title cards.  They told me that in addition to starring Dietrich and Bergman, it was directed by Fritz Lang, and a character called The King was credited to “???”  (I hadn’t seen that kind of credit since the first Karloff Frankenstein.)  When the King finally appears on screen, though, it is unmistakably Orson Welles’s voice that booms out from behind his elaborate costume.

Here are the things I understand about The King, or The Masked Guest, or The Man in Yellow, or any other title I’ve found for it on public domain archive searches.  Dietrich and Bergman play princesses named Cassilda and Camilla, respectively.  Though Dietrich’s accent is German and Bergman’s is Swedish, they blend together to give the film the impression of being set somewhere on the map that I can’t quite find.  The scenery and camera angles are very Freudian, with a great deal of archways and pillars.

The first act of The King involves frankly dull romantic plotlines, and the only thing that really saved it was the feeling that the suitors were supposed to be insipid, a suspicion lended credence by the fact that the love interests were listed so low on the credits.  Dietrich is the scandalous sister and Bergman is the responsible one, though each takes on aspects of the other as the film goes on.  Dietrich sings her song at a party, dressed in a fake 17th century gown and leaning against a piano.  Although just a moment ago she had been laughing and joking with her gentleman friends, her song takes an abruptly serious tone (not seductive, not sentimental) as she tells the story of a city lost to time and memory.  Bergman slips away from the party and onto the balcony, where we see that wonderful shot of the moon in her eyes.  Is she mourning?  Is she longing?

Dietrich cuts off the song by abruptly screaming “Not on us, King!  Not on us!”  She flees the party weeping and shaking, and from there on the film goes mad.

Though uncommon, it is not unknown for movies to switch between black and white and color, done most famously in The Wizard of Oz.  The film The King recalls here is the silent Phantom of the Opera, which had a masqued ball scene tinted in shades of red and green that tried to provide a whole spectrum of color.  The effect is even odder in the masqued ball scene in The King- the only color that appears is yellow, highlighting things like candlelight, Dietrich’s hair, a passing gown, a vase of tulips.  It also highlights one particular masked figure, whose expressionless mask was decorated with a black pattern against a sickening yellow canvas- the same pattern I had seen in the opening credits.  The color of his costume causes him to stand out from the crown even when he is far off in the background, just one head among many others.  It must have taken long and painstaking hours of work to color in every frame.

Dietrich still seems broken up days after her song, though Bergman tries to coax her into joining the dance.  Finally, at midnight, Dietrich goes out to face the party, but only to demand that every guest remove their mask.  The yellow man with a voice that once warned America about a Martian invasion tells her that he wears no mask.  Bergman reacts with disbelief, but Dietrich starts laughing like a woman unhinged.  As she laughs, the yellow hue seeps out of the King’s clothing and face- if that really is his face- and begins to color the entire ballroom crowd.  I think that what follows is bloodshed, but if there is any carnage (doubtful under the Production Code censorship), the blood must be tainted yellow and splashed across the camera like daubs of paint.  Dietrich’s laughing face is doubled and tripled on screen until it dissipates, but even when it has faded offscreen, it feels as if her ghost continues to watch the proceedings.  

By the end of the scene (filled with German Expressionist camera angles and mad violin screeching), only Bergman remains alive, cowering behind a grandfather clock.  It does not hide her for long.  The King steps towards her and extends his hand.  Reluctantly, but with a fatalistic expression, Bergman takes his hand.  They walk away together hand in hand.  The screen shifts back into black and white, and then the credits roll before we can get a good look at all the bodies in the scene.  The credits say it was based on a play called The King in Yellow, although Raymond Chandler of all people apparently had a hand in the screenplay.

As I said, that’s what I think I understand.  It’s an oddly experimental art film for the era, and it may be awaiting rediscovery by the film festival crowd.  I feel as if I alone know about it, though that obviously isn’t true.  It is my little secret; I tell myself that my husband doesn’t need me to show it to him, it would be too odd for his taste.  I’ve rewatched it many times, even if it seems like each time I search for it I have to find a different video platform or torrent.  Naturally, no subscription site has it available.  Maybe I am the last person who will ever watch it.  Maybe no one will ever think to look for it again after me, and it will be completely forgotten.

When I was hospitalized, they let me use my laptop at night before I went to sleep (no power cord, though, in case I tried to hang myself.)  I found a youtube link for The Man in Yellow, and I watched it every night.  It wasn’t a soothing sort of movie, but having it in my mind all day and then watching it in the evening allowed me to think as opposed to crying endlessly while the other patients shot me awkward looks.  I clutched the childhood stuffed animals my mother brought me when she visited, and I always held them extra tight when the masquerade scene started.

I watched the movie when I had to move away from my beloved San Francisco.  I watched the movie when I lost the last of my grandparents.  I watched the movie when a doctor unwisely took me off my medication and I couldn’t manage to eat for a month.  I watched the movie when the whole world got sick and we all locked ourselves away from each other.  I don’t mind that I don’t entirely know what it means.  I don’t mind the nightmares.  In the hospital they kept telling us about mindfulness exercises, and maybe the fact that I can focus on every aspect of the film so closely that all else falls away is the reason I keep coming back to it.  I’m being mindful.  I’m not letting any stray thoughts invade my head.  I’m just watching and waiting for the next beat of every scene, leading inexorably to that yellow-stained bloodbath.

Streaming media doesn’t last forever, and each time I find The King, I worry that it will be the last time I ever can find it.  My efforts to download it have so far been unsuccessful, odd considering that it is in the public domain.

When I watch The King, I am once again a child in my bedroom being cared for in the throes of agonizing sickness.  I am once again sitting on the couch with my grandparents in front of the tv, both of them alive and lucid again.  I am once again in the hospital, all alone except for my stuffed animals and the staff trying to keep me alive.  The film reflects in my eyes like the crescent moon in Ingrid Bergman’s gaze.  It sings to me.

I am determined to find a way to obtain The King under any name so that I never have to worry about losing it.  During some of the worst times in my life, it is the only thing that has kept me sane.

[screamingatanemptyroom]

Please Fix the Story pt 24 - Sci Fi

The battle with the Hive, and the traveler! Moving onto the end game after this. (Still will take a few parts, but the end is in sight!)

Masterpost linked here.

Enjoy!

_____________________________

The atmosphere in the conference room was tense.

“The numbers don’t look good.” General Gladus stared at the display with a frustrated sigh. “We just have the few Mechs stationed in the Fifteenth Sector. The Hive have a full colony… thousands of drones, directed by a Queen. They have already landed on the nearest moon, destroying the defense base there, and will be within striking distance of the planet in..." He rechecked his numbers. "Eighteen hours.”

Pointing his finger at the hologram, the display zoomed in on the larger dot surrounded by countless other smaller red dots. “The Queen is the key. She controls all the drones. If we take her out, we can halt the invasion long enough for true reinforcements to arrive.”

I nodded, trying to follow along. “So if we don’t have the numbers to defend the planet, we go on the attack and try to strike the Queen?”

“It can take a whole squadron to take out a Queen. “ He quickly put a damper on my excitement, frowning. “A normal Hive drone is the size of a human. She’s larger than two Mechs put together, around six stories tall, with armor to match.”

I thought about the story, what I knew about what technology was available years ahead… Hadn’t Chris gotten a special Mech to fight Queens? “What about a bigger Mech? Big enough to take on the Queen?”

The general paused at that. “The military engineers at the academy have been working on some prototypes… but the bigger a Mech is, the harder it is to control. In a few years we might have one that a single Guardian could operate, but the ones we have now? No one would have the capability…”

“I do.” I interrupted, speaking with certainty. “Let Liam and I try it.”

“Honey, I know you’re a Grade S Guardian, but…”

“I’m more than that. You remember that I almost destabilized? It was because of a sudden increase of my power” Because I’m not really your daughter. “I’m much more powerful than a grade S… “ I reached out and grabbed Liam’s hand. “And that’s not even to mention our 100% resonance match.”

Liam grinned, squeezing my hand. “Trust us, General. Alaira and I can fly anything they can build!”

The General stared at us, obviously unnerved at the idea of sending his daughter into the worst of the fighting. I reached out and grabbed his hand. “Trust me, Dad. I’ll make you proud.”

“…” He let out a long sigh. “I’m already more proud than I could ever be…” He rubbed his forehead. “Fine. Let’s see if you can work the thing… but if you can’t move it perfectly, then the plan gets canceled. I’m not sending you out there to die.”

“Thank you!” Awkwardly hugging him, I felt a twinge of guilt as he patted my back gently.

I wish your daughter could be here to feel your love and pride in her.

“Don’t celebrate too soon… Even if you’re big enough to take on a Queen, we still have to get you to her.”

I stepped closer to the display, studying it. “She’s directly in the center of the army… hiding away on the moon in the ruins of the defense base. With their numbers versus ours… we just don’t have the firepower to get there.”

Warning! Mission Failure Imminent!

As the blue writing and loud warning appeared only to me, I felt no fear, no terror at my imminent doom. It was now more annoying than anything else.

If you're not going to suggest anything helpful, then shut up!

Warning!...

SHUT UP! I screamed in my head, feeling a thread of shadowy power emerge from around me, erasing the words from existence.

The warning fell silent.

What… what was that? Some sort of magic? How much about myself is still hidden in my lost memories?

Enjoying the new silence in my head, I looked over at Liam who was staring at me with a worried look.

“Are you okay? You weren’t responding.”

I reached out, smoothing out his forehead, which was wrinkled with concern. “Yes. It’s difficult to explain, though. What did you say?”

“If we don’t have the troops to blast our way to the Queen, then what about a diversion?” He pointed at the area of the diagram between us and the Hive. “We act like we’re staging a frontal assault, and when they’ve deployed enough forces to weaken the rear, you and I strike from behind!”

The General nodded slowly. “It would take quite an attack to make the Hive divert forces to the front… Even if we threw everything we had and left nothing to protect you two, it might not be enough.”

I grinned. “Don’t worry about protecting us.” Grabbing Liam’s hand I added. “You forget who I matched with. We can handle our own defense. All that’s left is to figure out how to make a big enough distraction to give us a way in.”

“DID SOMEONE CALL FOR A DISTRACTION?!”

Princess Ilene pushed past the guards at the door with the two other girls in her group at her sides. “Sounds like a job for the Harem!”

Liam raised his eyebrow. Harem? He mouthed silently at me. I shook my head, not wanting to get involved.

Alaira’s father did not look impressed. “Princess. I don’t recall you showing any interest in military matters previously.”

“That’s before the Hive kidnapped Chris!” Ilene cracked her knuckles. “Now I gotta go crush some space bugs.”

Who says Chris was kidnapped?

“YEAH!" "We're going to save him!” The other two girls struck dramatic poses on either side of Ilene.

“…” The room stared at them in silence.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, wishing away my headache. “Princess, maybe this would work better if you explained to my father what skills you three brought to the table? “

“… I suppose.” She sniffed, gesturing at Wen grandly. “She has designed a Mech with the ability to tow 50 mini cannons.”

Wen grinned, explaining further. “The guns are strapped to a small engine, and will fly at evenly spaced intervals behind the controlling Mech. It’s still a work in progress… You can’t target, and you can’t control them individually… at least not yet.”

“But that’s still 50 extra shots for one Mech.” General Gladus looked much more interested. “How many have you made?”

“Just one, but if I add a small hologram projector to the guns, it will look like we have 50 fully operational Mechs with us! THAT should get the Hive’s attention.”

Ilene and Allie chimed in. “ We’ve already practiced piloting the Mech and can operate it smoothly.”

“… That… might just work…” He shrugged. “Strong work, Ladies…”

“We call ourselves the Harem… Alaira came up with the name!”

“Don’t credit me, please..”

The General glanced at my cringing expression and chuckled. “…Glad to have you aboard… I think.”

“All right!” The young engineer high-fived her companions, grinning proudly. “I was originally saving this invention for Chris, but now I’m going to use this to SAVE Chris!”

“YEAH!”

“…” The General was now staring at me with a look of consternation, to which I raised my hands helplessly. “…Sure.”

“So that’s the plan then.” I took a deep breath, calming the fast beating of my heart at the thought of the fight to come. “The Harem will distract the Hive, and Liam and I will take out the Queen.”

We’ll save the world.

We’ll complete my mission.

It will work… it has to.

“We’ll strike first thing in the morning.” General Gladus watched me with a worried gaze, but obviously held back from speaking further. “… Good luck.”

_____________________________

Liam and I tested out the massive Mech prototype called the “Queen Killer,” able to move it with an ease that shocked Alaira’s father and the engineers. After confirming the plan a final time, I returned back to my dorm to get some rest before the battle.

I found myself too keyed up to sleep, staring blankly at the ceiling. If we complete the mission, will I get all my memories back? Will I stay in this world or be forced to leave? Will Liam stay with me? My frantic thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on my door.

Wary, I checked the security system, quickly opening the door once I realized who it was.

“Liam, what are you doing here? It’s still a few hours before we’re supposed to meet for the mission.”

Liam wrung his hands together, staring at the floor quietly. “I… was hoping…”

“What is it?”

“Can you come with me?”

At my nod he grabbed my hand and pulled me along. I started to ask where he was taking me, but seeing the determination on his face, fell silent. I didn’t feel any wariness, despite my lack of knowledge of our direction.

_____________________________

“Aren’t you scared?” A voice asked, coming from high above me.

“No.”

“Why not?” The despair in the voice was heartbreaking. “Everyone else is.”

“Because it’s you.” I grinned. “Can’t be scared of you, Liam.”

_____________________________

I blinked, my gaze once again resting on our clasped hands.

I’ll keep trusting you Liam.

He took me to the upper deck of the academy, a large platform surrounded by multiple gardens. In the dead of night, the multicolored flowers and trees were barely visible. Rather than a clear sight, it was a combination of the senses: of impressions of movement, of gentle sounds of the wind swaying the branches and leaves, of brief flashes of colors in the light of the multiple candles that lit up the platform.

In the center of the platform stood a minister, the elderly man looking tired but still smiling gently. Off to the side were the Harem girls, watching silently, and Alaira’s father who stood by with a combination of tears and joy.

The King and Queen were nowhere to be seen.

“This.is…” My voice trailed off, filled with awe at the sheer amount of work it must have taken to move everything up here from the ballroom we had planned it in.

Liam knelt down, holding my hand with a solemn look.

“Alaira... I don’t know if we’re going to survive this battle, but I know one thing: If I’m going to die tomorrow, I want it to be as your husband.”

His hands were shaking with nervousness as they held my own.

“Please marry me.” His words were simple, but they struck my heart with a force that made me sway on my feet.

_____________________________

“Please marry me.” A trembling man held me close.

_____________________________

I smiled at the thought that I had answered this question before. “Yes.”

Liam let out a sigh of relief, standing up and hugging me gently. “Thank you…” He hesitated. “Bel.” The name was spoken only for me to hear, sounding like a prayer.

“You realize we had already planned to get married today?” I chuckled. “You didn’t have to re-propose.”

“I needed to hear it again.”

With a wide grin, he led me over to the center of the platform. There, in front of friends and family, the minister led us through the vows. As I spoke the words, holding Liam’s hands tightly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had done this multiple times before.

How many lifetimes have I already spent with him? How many times have we been married?

Liam leaned in to kiss me, the gentle movement the barest touch on my lips, and then hugged me tightly against him.

“I love you.” He whispered in my ear.

My father stepped forward and clapped us both on the shoulder. “Alright, kids, that’s enough excitement pre-battle. Go get some sleep. I’ll throw you a combination victory party and wedding reception once we survive the Hive.”

Laughing, Liam and I left the party behind. We were unable to sleep, and simply laid in each other’s arms. My head rested against his chest, hearing his heartbeat and breaths. Closing my eyes, I prayed that we would make it though this battle safely.

And just maybe, if we survive this, I’ll figure out how to get our memories back.

I thought of the shadowy power I had displayed to shut the system warning down, an ability I had tried to repeat without success several times since. I don’t know who or what I am… but I do know one thing:

I won’t accept my fate.

_____________________________

Soon it was time for the battle.

Liam and I boarded the Queen Killer Mech and flew it around the battle site, staying out of range of the Hive’s sensors. We floated in Space watching the holographic display from the Mech's communication system as the Harem and the few soldiers Alaira’s father had brought with him advanced from the front. It looked as if there were over a hundred Mechs, an intimidating site, but we knew it was just an illusion, holograms attached to remote guns. Their actual numbers were quite pitiful compared to the army in front of them.

We could only hope the Hive would fall for the trick.

“Advance!” The General’s voice came over the intercom. I felt myself tremble with nervousness at his serious tone. I wasn’t really his daughter. Most of the time I felt like the worst fraud when I was with him. But I genuinely cared for this gruff, strange man. He loved his daughter, and wasn’t afraid to take on the world to protect her.

I hope he makes it. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach at the thought that he might not.

But if we don’t fight, none of us will.

The army of Mechs, both real and fake, moved forward. As the Hive flew to meet them, I got a close look at them through my headset. I had seen their appearance in Alaira’s memories, but somehow, seeing them with my own eyes was all the more horrifying.

Large insects, each the size of a human, with a black and red exoskeleton that coated everything, even the wings. Enormous pincers grew outwards on their heads, sharp enough to tear a Mech open, to cut a human in half. Their dark, multifaceted eyes took in the space emotionlessly. They were unstoppable, insatiable. The Hive’s only goal was to devour, to destroy. They numbered in the thousands; enough to make even seeing the moon the Queen was hiding on difficult.

I felt a deep feeling of terror growing within me, fear and despair mixing, threatening to take away my reason.

It’s not my emotions.I tried to push down the feeling, but they continued to grow, trying to overwhelm me. It’s Alaira’s.

She had died there, next to that moon, surrounded by the Hive. Their pincers destroyed her Mech, pulled her out from the safety of the piloting sphere. She was overwhelmed, and even with the fracturing of her mind she knew she was doomed.

“Are you okay?” Liam’s voice in my ear calmed me down. “Your strong emotions are interfering with the Connection.” I took a deep breath, repeating silently.

You are not Alaira. You are not Alaira.

I knew exactly what it would feel like to die in battle with the Hive, though.

The Hive started swarming to the front, line. The Queen was directing them to defend her against the “larger” threat. There were only a few hundred left to guard the rear.

“It’s working!” General Gladus’ excited voice sounded out. “They’re falling for it.”

“Then we’ll get to work.”

“… Good luck, Alaira. I love you.”

I hesitated. “… I love you too… Father.”

It was time. I grabbed Liam’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Focus on your shield.”

He took a deep breath. “You know I can’t control it.”

“You can let me in, Liam. You are in control. Use it for its purpose: to protect yourself. To protect me.”

He closed his eyes, positioning himself behind me within the Connection chamber in the Mech. His hands were on my back, and through the physical touch I felt his nervousness. The air around the Mech seemed to shift, and I knew that I had to act quickly before the mental shield weakened.

I flew the Mech forward, quickly reaching the highest speed. At the noise of our passing one of the drones turned to face us. Soon they had swarmed around us, their pincers opened to attack.

FEAR.

Alaira’s emotions were running full force, but I pushed them down once more, going faster. I could feel Liam behind me, keeping the connection between me and the Mech easy despite its enormous size. We flew into the swarm, and the sturdy alien insects splattered against the mental shield, which held firm under the blows.

Liam and I sighed with relief.

“See? You CAN control it!”

“We still have the Queen to deal with.” Liam’s voice was worried, I could feel his concern though our connection. “She’s a little big to be squished by a shield.”

“Well that’s why we brought the big guns.” After a few more moments we broke through the Hive’s line of defense, and landed on the Moon, trying to locate the Queen.

“Where is she?” The scanners were starting to scramble, as if interrupted by an unknown signal. The Hive shouldn’t have that kind of technology, though.

“I don't see her on the Moon's surface. Has she left? First, let’s try the defense fort. It should be big enough to hide the Queen.” At Liam’s suggestion we flew forward, making our way to the building. The clear defense dome seemed intact, the computers opening an airlock, allowing us to pass forward after communicating with our Mech and confirming our identity.

“How would the Queen be here without destroying the dome?” I muttered, trying to scan the surroundings and noting that it was picking up several lifeforms, even if it was still too scrambled to give a clear location.

“ I don’t know, but I don’t think that hole was there before.” Liam tapped my back, and I looked towards the Hanger, the largest building in the complex. A six story hole had been torn out of the front wall. Wary, I moved the Mech closer, ducking down and entering the main area, which was fortunately tall enough to accommodate our oversized Mech.

The area was mostly lit up, a few of the florescent lights sparking and flickering from recent damage. The few Mechs that had remained had been torn to shreds and tossed in a pile. The space was wide-open, extending outwards into shadows.

“What the…?” My voice trailed off in shock as I stared at the unbelievable sight in front of me.

In the center of the hanger stood the Queen. She was bright white with red and black markings along the side of her rotund torso. She brandished hundreds of spiky claws like a millipede, with large bright red wings extended behind her. Towards the top she sported multiple large pincers, with a final one extending from her head. Her eyes glowed with a bright white light, staring at us with fury.

She was frozen into place, unable to make a single movement.

“What is going on?” I whispered to Liam.

“Bel, you actually made it this far!”

A cheerful voice rang out, causing both of us to groan with frustration. A Mech emerged from the shadows, we couldn’t see the pilot, but Liam and I knew who it was and spoke his name together.

“Chris.”

“I keep telling you, it’s not Chris.” The voice coming from the Mech seemed annoyed, the large robot swinging a sword back and forth. “As always, you two are wrong.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, clenching my fists at my side within the Connection Chamber of our Mech.

“Exactly what I told you, Bel: I’m ending this.” He lifted up his Mech’s free hand, and in it was a large bomb blinking with a bright red light. A single red button marked the trigger, and I tensed up as he caressed it lightly with a large metallic finger.

“That’s a uninite bomb.” Liam spoke up. “You’d destroy the moon with one that big! You'll kill us all with the Queen!”

“Exactly! I’m willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to save everyone. Not like you… monster.” He spit out the last word, his voice filled with hatred. “I’m the HERO. I’m the one who everyone cares about. I’m the one SHE SHOULD LOVE!”

“Oh, SHUT UP!” I activated the opening on our Mech, and slid down a cord to the ground, pulling off my helmet to reveal my face. The air inside the defense shield was slightly stale but breathable.

Liam was startled, jumping down to stand beside me. “Bel, wait!”

“It’s okay.” I grinned at him. “Trust me.” The Mech straightened up behind us, falling into a standby position. I looked up at the Mech controlled by the Pseudo-Chris.

“If you’re going to threaten me and insult my husband, then do it to my face.”

“Nice try. If I leave the Mech, I can’t control it. All you’ve managed to do is to give away your only advantage!” He laughed confidently. “I am in control, Bel. The Hive, the Queen… all of it! I’m the only one who can save your soul from destruction.”

“You brought the Hive here… you’re the one who advanced the story so quickly.” I paused, thinking it over. “How come you can go against the story? I always get warnings whenever we stray too far away from our characters.”

“You don’t understand. You never have. All that matters is that the roles are obeyed, that we follow our fate. I may have taken a… detour… but in the end I will fulfill my role as a hero, and save everyone, at the cost of my own life.”

“Why are you doing this?” Liam growled, standing close to me.

“He was hoping that I would give up.” I answered for him calmly, staring up at the Mech with a disgusted expression, “He made a seemingly impossible situation, hoping I would see accepting my fate as my only option.”

I thought of the system's warning that I had no chance of survival. They had tried to manipulate me. Tried to force me to do what they wanted.

But I hadn't.

“You see things so clearly sometimes, Bel.” Chris’ voice showed his approval. “And even though it didn’t work, I can still just end things here. I’ll destroy the Queen, which will complete your mission. The system can erase your memory again and we’ll start over.”

I felt a sense of fear at his words. How many times has this already happened?

“No matter how many times we have to do this, there will only be one outcome in the end: you will accept your fate.”

_____________________________

“You will accept your fate, Bel.” The young handsome man stared at me with disappointment. “You can’t keep hiding with this monster forever.”

“He's not a monster. Besides, you’re the one who sent me to Liam.” I grinned. “You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“It was temporary. You were supposed to be his prisoner.” He snapped. “Now, because of you, he’ll be the first to be destroyed. You can’t distort the higher realm. Everything depends on it.”

“It’s not right…”

“It’s the reality of our roles. Now enough stalling. What will you choose? Will you follow the rules, or will you let everything be destroyed to protect your precious independence?”

“No…”

“Even you can’t be that selfish.” He growled, reaching out to grab my arm painfully. “Accept your fate, Bel.

“NO!”

_____________________________

“NO!” I shook my head, clearing aside the memory. “No matter how many times you ask me. No matter how many worlds you drag me through. No matter how many times my memory is wiped. I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT!”

“Fine. Then it’s time to move to the next world…” His Mech raised its hand holding the bomb.

“You’re pathetic.” My words were quiet, but seemed to echo in the otherwise silent hanger. “Even when we were in the higher realm you were always trying to trick and scheme to get things to go the way you wanted. You thought by forcing me to Liam’s side as his ‘prisoner’ you could force me to accept my fate, but that backfired too, didn’t it?”

“… “ There was a long stunned silence.

“You… you remember?” The Mech’s head shook back and forth in a jerky movement. “No, your memories were wiped!”

I quickly thought through the few memories I had experienced over the last few weeks. “You wanted me to play my part… but I didn’t want to be in a romantic relationship with you. I would solve things my own way, which pissed you off.”

“YOU… NO! YOUR MEMORIES ARE GONE!” The whole Mech was shaking slightly.

“No matter the realm, no matter the roles we play, one thing remains constant: you’re a pathetic loser.” I smiled. “And I like Liam more than you.”

“HE’S A MONSTER! YOU CAN’T LOVE HIM! YOU HAVE TO LOVE ME!”

“Bel…” Liam whispered. “You realize you’re making the unstable man with the bomb angry, right?”

“Trust me, I have a plan… probably.”

“Oh, good.”

I looked up at the Mech, raising my voice. “I’ll never love you!”

“YOU HAVE TO!”

“Get used to disappointment, loser.”

The Mech was shaking more violently as he whispered hoarsely. “Y-you’re lying… you have to be. You don’t have your memories…”

I AM lying. “Too bad for you I’m telling the truth. I remember everything important.”

“…Then what’s my name?”

I spread my hands out helplessly. “Oh buddy, I just said I remembered everything IMPORTANT.” I leaned forward. “You were never important to me. You still aren’t.”

“SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!” The Mech was rocking back and forth with his screams and then suddenly became very still.

“Got him!” I pumped my fist in the air victoriously.

“What’s… what’s happening?! I can’t control my Mech!”

I chuckled at his panicked tone.

“You see, there’s a difference between you and me. You might be the hero, but I’m the one with greater than Level S Guardian abilities. In fact, you used that very trait of mine to try to force me to partner with you. It was a burden before I formed a Connection with Liam, but now?” I reached over and grabbed Liam’s hand. “It makes things really easy. One of the skills I’ve practiced was controlling Mechs from a distance.”

“That’s…”

“Impossible? Only if you’re weak. The distance makes things challenging but it’s still fairly simple for me.” I paused. “By the way, I WAS lying earlier. I needed you to have strong emotions to disrupt your Connection with your Mech so I could take it over.”

“…” Enjoying his stunned silence, I gestured, controlling the “Queen Killer” Mech to step forward.

“Now I could let you blow yourself up and kill the Queen to complete the mission, but unlike you, I don’t feel any satisfaction out of sacrificing myself or others needlessly. I’m also not going to let you die, because I have a feeling that could have negative effects on this world.”

The Queen started moving, whatever restraints the pseudo-Chris had placed on it obviously released. I could feel her anger at being obstructed in her mission. Her overwhelming need to consume life and move on drove her constantly, and even the briefest of pauses enraged her. Her hungry eyes focused on me, sensing a threat.

I released all my abilities to the limit, feeling a light throbbing headache at controlling two Mechs at once, and one of them being the large Queen Killer.

“It’s time for this story to end.” I whispered, feeling satisfaction as the giant robot pulled out a sword and brandished it.

“My mission will be completed.” The sword tore a huge rent in the Queen’s side, spilling green blood. The insect queen screamed in rage and pain, her pincers tearing off some of the armor on the Mech’s arm.

“The world will be saved.” A second strike hit, cutting off several claws. The Queen clamped onto the Mechs’ chest with her mandibles, trying to burrow into the center. I was glad I wasn’t in the suspension gel, feeling the pain of the attack.

“And it will all be done without you.” My Mech swung the sword downward, and the Queen’s head separated from its body. It still clamped onto the chest of the robot, its eyes’ light slowly fading away.

“NOOOO!” Pseudo Chris screamed out, but it was too late. The Queen was dead. Her army would become useless.

The world was safe.

A beautiful chime rang out, and bright blue words formed into the air.

Congratulations!

Mission 100% complete.

**** You have finished the mission! ****

Stay in this world?

YES/NO

“It doesn’t matter if you completed the mission or I did. I still have the next world, and the next and the next!” The Mech was still frozen into place, but it didn’t stop his angry words. “Time is on my side!”

I sighed. “No. It’s not.” As I had completed the mission, I felt a strange surge of power. A similar sensation to when I had stopped the system voice from speaking earlier. I focused carefully, and a shadowy power poured out in the world around me, much stronger than before.

“Bel?” At Liam’s worried question, I turned and smiled at him.

“Don’t worry, Liam. It’s just time to change the game.” He grabbed my hands and nodded silently at my words, supporting me.

I turned my attention to the System’s message.

“We will not stay in this world any longer.” The shadowy power around me increased.

…

WORLD TRANSFER FAILED. UNKNOWN INTERFERENCE.

“Oh, that’s just me. You see… this world’s victory was all I needed to finish piecing together my soul.”

…

“I really do remember everything now.”

And I did. Who I was. Why I had made the deal I had made.

“I fixed every world you sent me to. Without memories. Without my protected status as the heroine. Just a hated side character or villain. Admit it… I won.”

… NOT YET.

“You’re right. There’s still one last story to be fixed.” I grinned at Liam, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. “The Higher Realm.”

Our world.

YOU MUST ACCEPT…

“I must do nothing.” The dark power that surrounded me erased the blue words in the air before they could form that hated sentence. “YOU must transfer us back. Back to the beginning.”

…

…

“Do it.” I gave no room for argument.

…

WORLD TRANSFER INITIATED. LOCATION: THE HIGHER REALM.

“I love you Liam.” I hugged him tightly. “Let’s get married one last time.”

“I love you too… But what do you…?”

TRANSFER COMPLETE.

[apinchofm]

Moments

Little moments in an AU in which Miriam turned Phoebe long before the events of the books, inspired by this post by @whoffle-747

1915

Miriam wasn't impressed by many people. It wasn't a species thing, she was just very tricky to impress. But the young daughter of the British ambassador to France impressed her.

Phoebe had been there to study at university, one of the first women and women of mixed heritage at that. Then war broke out and she switched her history books for helping bandage soldiers at one of the makeshift hospitals that Miriam was overseeing in Paris.

However, the war was brutal and civilians could be caught at any time. And Phoebe was caught in a crossfire, trying to help an old woman to safety.

So Miriam saves her, adding to her small family. Jason is happy to have a sister and Phoebe is more than ecstatic for more time alive to pursue her wants and desires.

Present Day

Phoebe was sat in her pyjamas, a glass of wine and her laptop on, as she was cataloguing new pieces for Sotheby's Auction House in London. All the time she had, and she dedicated it to the study of historical objects. Not only did she love it, but also loved learning of parts of the past, how people lived, art that was created. It was also a way of covering the tracks of her species.

Her phone rang and she smiled when she saw her sire's name, "Hey, Miriam."

"Hello, aziziti. How are you?" Miriam greeted

"Good. Just looking at a beautiful crystal jewellery box that I hope you get me for my birthday." Phoebe joked, "What's up?"

"It's Marcus. Um, he failed to sire a friend of his who was dying and well, it wasn't exactly pretty. Police involved but Matthew covered it up." Miriam explained.

"That's awful," Phoebe said. She didn't know Marcus well, having only met him twice in the past century but she knew the pain of losing friends, family.

"Actually, I was wondering if you could come to Oxford, talk to him.

"I barely know him." Phoebe pointed out, sitting up more, "

"I know, but this could be a good chance for you to get to know him. And Marcus needs a gentle touch and well..." Miriam knew when it came to comfort, Matthew wasn't exactly an expert.

"I can't just drop everything," Phoebe said, her eyes on her laptop.

"I will sort it. How would you like to finally work at the Ashmolean museum?" Miriam asked. She knew how to get Phoebe - it wouldn't be fair to ask her to drop the work she was currently doing unless she got to continue doing what she loved, and she has always loved museums.

"You are awful, you realise?" Phoebe said, a smile on her face, "Just awful. Fine, I suppose I can come to Oxford and babysit Matthew's son."

"Not babysitting, befriending and comforting." Miriam corrected, "Thank you. You are my favourite daughter."

"I am your only daughter." Phoebe pointed out.

.....

"Hello, Marcus."

"Phoebe?" He smiled, "Wow, uh, it's really good to see you." 

"A while, I think the seventies?" Phoebe said and Marcus nodded, letting her in. He took her bag and coat from her, hanging them up

"Your home is lovely," Phoebe complimented, looking around with interest. 

"I don't think you came here to compliment my interior design skills," Marcus said raising an eyebrow.

"I heard about your friend. I'm so sorry." Phoebe said sincerely, "I can't imagine..."

"Yeah. Thank you." Marcus said.

Phoebe held up the bottle, "I stole an 1885 Bordeaux from my brother. Want to catch up?"

The two sat in the living room, catching up over the past few decades. Phoebe found Marcus to actually be more thoughtful and intelligent than she had given him credit for as was she. 

"Our makers are hard to say no to." Phoebe sighed, when she told him of her and Miriam's phone call, "But you always do." Miriam usually was the one brokering peace between father and son.

"It's more fun that way." Marcus winked, "But I follow all the big rules. I've never broken the Covenant, for example." 

"Considering it was your grandfather who wrote it, I would hope that you didn't!" Phoebe laughed, "Oh, how is your grandmother? Ysabeau?"

"Well, lonely but I sometimes get her out of Sept-Tours with the promise of a ballet or opera that she likes," Marcus said with a small smile.

"Good doctor and spends time with his grandmother." Phoebe listed, "Careful, I may think you are civilised." 

"We can't have that," Marcus smirked, as he refilled their glasses with wine, "What about you? You can't just be babysitting me?"

"I'm at the Ashmolean." Phoebe explained, "Bribed with the promise of fine art." 

"Ah, the closest museum to my main workplace." Phoebe scoffed when she realised, "They are clever when it came to picking out my spy."

"I think it's also because I'm one of the few vampires you haven't tried to sleep with. Is it true you and one of Domenico Michele's children..." Phoebe smirked, recalling a story Jason had told her.

"It was two of his children." Marcus corrected, "And what do you mean I haven't noticed you? I would have to be a mad man with blood rage not to notice you."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows in interest.

"I've always noticed you. But I was told no by Matthew." Marcus defended, "And Jason. Probably why we don't see each other often. You're too good for me." 

"Well..." Phoebe put down her glass and leaned into him, her eyes flickering between his eyes and lips, "I'm right here. And they don't speak for me. So what are you going to do about it?"

Marcus grinned, "Oh, you minx."

.....

"Why the eighties?" Phoebe asked, the next morning, flicking through his record collection"New Order? Really?"

"Brilliant band." Marcus defended. She turned to him, "Iconic."

"Whitney was iconic." Phoebe said, "And I don't miss the synth."

"What?" 

"I don't think this is what our parents meant by looking out for me." Marcus teased as her bare legs rested in his lap.

"I got a pretty good look last night," Phoebe said. Marcus leaned down and kissed her leg, making her giggle.

Neither of them heard the door open as they made out on the sofa, ready for yet another round of sex.

Matthew cleared his throat, and the two turned to him, separating.

"Matthew!" Marcus rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Matthew! It's been a while." Phoebe smiled politely, grabbed the throw from the sofa and covered herself up, though the older vampire had the politeness to look away.

"Phoebe." Matthew nodded politely, "Miriam had told me you would... well, this is unexpected. I'm going to start waiting for an answer at the door from now on."

.....

"Matthew's made me grandmaster of the Knights,"

Everything was insane. Matthew was mating with a witch, Diana Bishop who was powerful and found Ashmole 782. There was a daemon couple now living with Marcus and Phoebe who were carrying a witch baby. The Congregation were pissed off. Miriam was pissed off. Baldwin was furious.

And Marcus was now Grandmaster of the Knights of Lazarus. Phoebe found that she wouldn't be going back to her regular life anytime soon.

But she would stand by him.

"I can't do this." Marcus was pacing in his study, where he and Phoebe were speaking, "I can't."

Phoebe nodded, and tugged at his hands, stopping him and pulling his focus to her, "I believe as grandmaster you can make difference in a way your father and grandfather couldn't. You have a chance for an open, better set of knights to protect all of us. Not just vampires, or the de Clermonts, but all creatures in the way you've been protecting Sophie and her baby. You can do this. If I recall, you are the same person who treated both Catholics and Protestants during the Troubles, despite being told he couldn't."

Marcus nodded, listening to her words, and kissed her hand, "Okay." He picked up his jacket and pulled it on, "Don't wait up."

"Where are you going?" She asked.

Marcus smiled, "I have some recruitments to make. Can't fight a war without knights, now can I?" Phoebe grinned at him.

......

"A vampire in a museum?" Marcus teased when he arrived at the Ashmolean one evening.

"You always become more attractive when you're angry with me," Marcus smirked. Phoebe narrowed her eyes at him.

"You could have told me about the miniatures." She said pointedly.

"I didn't know about them until Ysabeau called me and she's been having all these hunches for the past month." Marcus said, "I'm sorry."

"Paperwork first," She slid over a form with a pen.

"Is this necessary? You know me." Marcus said.

Phoebe exhales heavily, "This is a museum and you are buying an artefact that I was only told about today."

"Have I earned the right to see the artefact?" Marcus asked, proudly presenting the signed paperwork. Phoebe took it, reluctantly smiling at Marcus.

"Yes, you have." She went back and got them for him.

"Wow." Phoebe breathed, looking over the miniatures, "They don't make like this anymore."

"No, they don't." Marcus smiled, happy that these were of Diana and Matthew. It meant they were safe.

Phoebe sighed, "I think that answers our question if they made it or not. I can make sure this doesn't make its way to the Congregation."

"Thank you," Marcus said.

.......

She inhaled the scent. The same one from the crime scenes, as a vampire was making its way through the people of Oxford. But this time it was one of her co-workers, dead. Emily was so young as well, an undergrad who had stayed late.

"Phoebe? Your sister is here." Silvia said after the police were finished speaking to her. She nodded and made her way back to her office.

 Miriam. She was sitting on Phoebe's desk, a sympathetic look on her face. 

As soon as she saw her, she hugged her, "It's awful." 

"I know. I'm just glad you weren't here. Baldwin's coming." Miriam assured her.

"Because it's a vampire?" Phoebe asked, "I could smell it. It's the same one that's been murdering all these people."

Miriam hesitated, "No, but because its Blood rage."

"Bloodrage?" Phoebe gasped, "I should talk to Marcus-",

"Baldwin will deal with that." Miriam stopped her, holding her hands, "Just act normally.

"Marcus is grandmaster, it's his job to hunt-"

"No. Not Marcus'," Miriam shook her head. Phoebe looked at her confused.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked. She had rarely seen Miriam look so shaken.

"Bloodrage runs in the de Clermont bloodline. At least Ysabeau's bloodline. All of her children - Matthew, Louis and Louisa - have it. Marcus carries it." Miriam explained.

"Miriam, there is a vampire with blood rage killing people." Phoebe pressed, "Matthew isn't here. Louis and Louisa are dead. Did Marcus- ?" Oh, god. A child Marcus could have created accidentally?

"Marcus has no children here and all the ones who did were culled." Miriam explained, "And he doesn't know. He believes, like most creatures, that it was wiped out by Philippe centuries ago."

"He needs to know! That's why Domenico is sniffing around." Phoebe urged, recalling how the Congregation member had been hanging around their home, a restaurant they visited.

"We can't tell him." Miriam said, "We cannot. It isn't our place."

Phoebe shook her head, "In all the time I've known you, you have never kept anything from Jason and me and you encourage us to the dame in return, but you have been lying to him, about something important. His children are dead and he doesn't know why!"

"I know!" Miriam yelled, then lowered her voice. She wasn't angry with Phoebe. "I know."

Phoebe shook her head, "I was offered the day off, I think I'm going to go home." She picked up her bag and coat.

"Phoebe, if you say anything-" Miriam warned gently.

"What?" Phoebe snapped, "What?"

"Phoebe. I am not speaking to you as your sister or your mother. I am ordering you as your sire to not say anything and that will go for Jason as well." Miriam ordered.

"Fine. But please don't call me tonight, sis." Phoebe replied coldly before walking away from her."

.....

"Baldwin." Phoebe smiled when she saw him waiting outside of their house, "How are you?" Most didn't along with Baldwin, but she did. Over the decades, she would often alert him to artefacts that could expose their existence and he was impressed with her intelligence, resourcefulness and her kindness.

"Phoebe, lovely to see you." Baldwin nodded politely, "Please speak to Marcus about his grandmaster position."

"He's with Gallowglass. Why? He's been doing a great job." He had recruited new members, rallied some of the older members who were content with his leadership.

"He's not focused." Baldwin insisted, "These vampires he has recruited-

"Marcus does care about us all." Phoebe challenged, "And those recruits are men he and Gallowglass and Miyako have worked with. He will be a grandmaster that you, Philippe can be proud of."

Baldwin shook his head and sighed, "Fine. But I need you and Miriam aren't doing this out of misguided loyalty to Matthew. There are bigger issues afoot than him and his witch."

"I could care less about what Matthew wants," Phoebe snapped, "This is about all of our safety - vampires, daemons witches. And considering what's been happening here."

"The vampire murders, yes." Baldwin mused.

"Why haven't you told Marcus about his bloodline?" Phoebe asked. Baldwin avoided her gaze and that's when she realised, "You don't want to hurt him."

"Matthew's done enough of that. Even I'm not that cruel. If it was my child, I would have told him." Baldwin replied, "I already have to deal with his stupid father and now this vampire that threatens to expose us all."

Phoebe frowned, "The blood raged vampire. He seems to be avoiding North Oxford." Phoebe shook her head and Baldwin

"Now that is helpful but worries me." Baldwin said, "I have to go. I'll expect to see you Sept-Tours before long." 

"You know, Baldwin," She called out, and smiled slightly, "If you were as nice to the rest of your family as you were to me..."

"You don't cause me as much stress." He pointed out.

......

A month. That is how long Marcus didn't speak to anyone until he called everyone to Sept-Tours. Because Ysabeau had told him that he carried blood rage and Baldwin confirmed it, telling him the real reason for the cull of his children and providing him with proof.

Miriam apologised for keeping it from him, but he needed time. Especially when she accidentally let it slip that she had told Phoebe.

"Are you angry with me?" Phoebe asked Marcus quietly when they were alone in his office. Sure, her clothes had been unpacked in his apartment and she was treated as his partner by Ysabeau and Marthe but he hadn't said anything to her.

"No," Marcus shook his head, and held her hand, "No, just... when did you know?"

"After the break-in at the museum." Phoebe admitted, "I wanted to tell you. Badly, but I was told not to."

Marcus nodded, but his jaw was clenched. Everyone else in on it before him. But at least she hadn't known from the beginning.

"Marcus, I love you and I begged Miriam to tell you. If I had known the first day we saw each other again, I would have told you." Phoebe pleaded, "I would have told you."

"You love me?" Marcus asked and she nodded.

"I didn't expect to, but I never loved anyone like this in all this time," Phoebe said.

"I love you too," Marcus whispered. She rushed into his arms, relaxing when he hugged her in his lap, "And it's okay. We're okay. But I need to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Be my mate." He asked, "I know it isn't the ideal time to ask, but in these past few months, I have had to re-evaluate how I see everything and I've found myself seeing you everywhere." Marcus was irrevocably in love with her.

Phoebe smiled and nodded, "I would love more than to be your wife, your partner. As long as we take obey out of the vows like my mother did."

"Deal." Marcus grinned, "But I fear asking Miriam for permission will be a terrifying experience."

[ikeromantic]

Bonding

A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfic, approx. 1800 words. This scene takes place well after the events of the Romantic Epilogue as part of my post-route headcanon storyline.

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous: In the Spotlight

Mitsuhide sat on the edge of a stuffed chair, a ‘sofa’, across from his little one’s father. Minoru, for his part, didn’t look any more comfortable with the company. Neither of them said anything. Mitsuhide found that his usual silver tongue had run out of witticisms when faced with the twin challenge of a world 500 years in the future and the need to impress the father of his beloved.

In the kitchen, the chatelaine and her mother Youko were making dinner. Their lively chatter was the only sound as the two men studied each other.

Finally, Minoru cleared his throat. “So. How did you two meet?”

“The answer to that would require additional explanation. Suffice it to say, I met her in the course of my work. Initially, she was a responsibility of mine. To train her so that she knew enough to stay ali- ah, safe.” Mitsuhide smiled. “She was quite a handful.”

Minoru frowned. “Safe? Safe from what? What kind of business are you in?” He leaned forward.

“Intelligence and information gathering.” He silently thanked Sarutobi for the modern words to describe being a spy and torturer.

“You work for a government?”

Mitsuhide nodded. “That is a good way to put it. Yes. For a government.”

His little mouse poked her head through the door. “Everything going ok, you two?”

Both men cleared their expressions and smiled over at her. “Yes,” they replied, almost in unison.

Her bright smile lit up the room. “I’m so glad. I wanted you two to get along. Anyway, dinner is almost ready!” She disappeared again and the smiles the two men wore faded like snow under a noon-day sun.

Minoru turned back to Mitsuhide. “How did my daughter get tangled up with some government agent? She designs clothes. She left for a job in fashion.” His voice is strained, half a year’s worth of worry and frustration pushing at the seams of his soul.

Mitsuhide nodded. “She is amazing at making clothing. That is a career she continues to pursue. But I met her the night she pulled my superior from a burning building. Had she not arrived when she did, he would have died.”

“My baby girl . . . pulled a man from a burning building?” Minoru’s eyebrows shot up, his expression one of incredulous disbelief.

“Yes, and after, he thought she should stay with our forces. For her protection and because he believed there was something special about her.” Mitsuhide’s thin smile reappeared. “He wasn’t wrong. She is very special. A wonder.”

Minoru coughed. “Well, yes, but . . . a burning building? She isn’t, that is, she wouldn’t just -”

Mitsuhide leaned forward. “You know her from her childhood. If she knew someone was going to burn to death and she had a chance to save them, would she leave them to die? Is it so unbelievable?”

He shook his head slowly. He knew his daughter was exactly the kind of girl to put herself at risk for another. “I should not be surprised. When she was five, she ran out into the street to stop traffic for a kitten. Almost got hit by a car. And it wasn’t until after the cat was safe that she even realized how close she came to dying.”

Both men chuckled.

“That sounds exactly like something my little mouse would do.”

Minoru scowled. “Your what?”

“A nickname,” Mitsuhide waved the comment off.

And then the call came for dinner. They all sat down around the table. A spread of familiar and strange foods that piqued Mitsuhide’s curiosity. He wondered which of these his beloved had made, and which her mother. To be safe, he thought, it would be wise to compliment every dish.

“So,” her mother began after everyone was served. “My daughter tells me you’re a warlord working for Oda Nobunaga?”

Mitsuhide choked in surprise, the bite of food sticking in his throat. He glanced at his little mouse for confirmation.

“It just sort of popped out while we were talking.”

With effort and a glass of water, Mitsuhide swallowed and cleared his throat. “I didn’t expect to bring this up until after dinner, but yes.”

Minoru scowled. “You’re telling me you work for a man 500 years dead?”

“I don’t know, he seemed pretty lively last time I saw him,” Mitsuhide quipped.

His little mouse grinned. “Papa, be nice! I told you, we will tell you everything.” She took a deep breath. “It started the day I arrived in Kyoto. I went sightseeing . . .”

Mitsuhide listened as attentively as her parents, this version of the tale filling in gaps and details he hadn’t known. Her timely rescue of Sasuke Sarutobi, her run-in with the forces from Kasugayama. It appeared his little one was better at keeping secrets that he’d credited.

Through the story, her mother made little sounds of agreement or surprise, but Minoru was deathly silent. His expression turned darker at every part until he couldn’t hold back anymore. “This sounds like some ridiculous cartoon! You can’t expect your mother and I to buy this. Tell the truth! What is he, some mafia? A gambler? What?”

Youko frowned at him from across the table. “Now you just hush and eat your food. If our little girl says this is what happened, I believe her. She has no reason to lie. She knows we support her no matter what. Don’t we, dear?”

Minoru’s brows lowered. “You can’t be serious. This, this man shows up with our daughter after months with no word! Not a letter! Not a post card! With this crazy story and we’re supposed to just -”

“Accept it. You know as well as I do that if our girl didn’t write or call, it’s because she couldn’t. When you think of it that way, it makes perfect sense.” Youko nodded to emphasize her point. “Besides, when have you ever known her to lie.”

“She’s terrible at that,” Mitsuhide added drily.

Minoru’s scowl deepened. “Don’t talk like you know her. Maybe you drugged her or something, and now she thinks all that is true.”

Mitsuhide sighed. He’d expected this kind of reaction after Sasuke and his little one explained what ‘meeting the parents’ entailed. He was beginning to wish he could have simply sent some gifts and a contract, or better yet, left that to Nobunaga and simply married the girl. “We did bring some proof with us today, and we have friends tomorrow who can vouch for everything.”

Youko gave Mitsuhide an encouraging smile. “Why don’t you go get it? I’m sure it will make Mino a little less grouchy.”

“I’m not grouchy,” Minoru grumbled.

“You are, papa. But it’s ok. This is really all my fault. I wish I’d been able to call you both. I missed you so much.”

Her father swallowed whatever he’d planned to say, touched by his daughter’s affection.

Mitsuhide went to their bags and grabbed his sword and the clothes he’d arrived in. He carried them back to the dining area. These were unlikely to be enough, he thought, but it wasn’t as if they’d planned to be swept to this time that night.

“Our clothes -” he set them down, “and my sword.”

Minoru poked at the clothing, unimpressed. The sword, however, got his attention. “This . . . it isn’t just some decorative piece . . .” The words were quiet, said more to himself than anyone.

Still, Mitsuhide answered. “No. That blade has taken many lives.”

“And saved some too,” his little mouse added. “Mine included.”

Minoru looked between the two of them. “Maybe you’ve both lost your minds. This thing -” He pointed at the sword, “is clearly an antique, but that proves nothing.”

“You are so stubborn,” Youko huffed.

Mitsuhide was beginning to see where his little one got that quality. Sweetness from her mother, stubbornness from her father. It made him smile.

***

Miyake and Sasuke sat at a nearby bar, drinks in hand.

“So this is called karaoke?” Miyake eyed the screen with words that moved and then emptied his sake cup. “And I can sing whatever I want?”

“Not whatever. I doubt they have any songs you know on file. But I think the enjoyment quotient will still be high.” Sasuke began tapping through the song selection, his expression focused. He stopped when he came across one with the image of a pink-faced girl. “This one.”

Miyake shrugged. “Alright.”

The music started. It sounded nothing like the instruments Miyake knew, or the rhythms and beats that were familiar to him. Still, he could pick out the melody, and it was nice - if strange.

The first word on the screen lit up and Sasuke started singing. His voice was surprisingly pleasant, even though the lyrics were senseless.

Miyake joined him on the next verse, nodding to the beat. It was a cheerful tune, he thought. Perfect to drink to. He poured another glass for himself and the ninja.

They emptied that and another as the song ended. The next pick was Miyake’s. He chose one based on the picture, a cute girl in a ridiculously short skirt.

“This is the theme song for my favorite anime,” Sasuke grinned.

“Then I picked a good one?”

Sasuke patted his arm. “A great one.”

Two hours later, both of them were too drunk to walk straight. Their singing got louder as their ability to pronounce the lyrics dwindled.

“Todokete atsuku naru omi . . .” The song dissolved into drunken laughter.

Miyake threw an arm around Sasuke. “Y-you’re my besht - besht fren.”

Sasuke leaned into the hug. “N-now I have two! Two besht frienz - friends.” He grinned but the expression slid into a sad frown.

“Wha - what ish it?” Miyake peered at the ninja’s face. “Need more sake?”

“I - I wish my other fren wash here,” Sasuke hiccuped. “An Shingen. I wash goin- going to take him to a hoshpital.”

Miyake nodded, though he didn’t understand. “Maybe nexsht time?”

“If he livesh,” Sasuke sighed.

“To Shingen,” Miyake poured them another round of sake. “And nexsht time!”

They drank to the toast.

Sasuke poured another. “And to friendsh we lef-left behind.”

They drank to that too.

After several more toasts that grew further away from the original point - to short skirts and lady’s stockings, to coffee, to the karaoke bar - the two men finally paid their tab and stumbled to the hotel.

Miyake nearly puked on the elevator, as the movement made his stomach flip. He would have taken the stairs, if he thought he could find the steps. He leaned on Sasuke as they walked down the hall. It felt like their room was miles away.

Sarutobi fumbled with the lock, and when the door opened, they fell inside.

Between leaning on each other and the walls, they managed to stand again.

“I’m go-gonna shower,” Miyake mumbled.

“Me nexsht,” Sasuke agreed. He tripped toward the beds and fell into the nearest one, face first.

Miyake made it to the shower, but didn’t manage to turn it on. He slumped to the floor and leaned his head back on the cool tiles, falling into a deep sleep.

Next: Middle Ground

[realcube]

Shopping headcanons w/ BNHA  🛍

Momo x Reader 

Iida x Reader 

Todoroki x Reader

tw// intense money spending 😎, cussing, reader wears a dress-

Momo Yaoyorozu x Reader

Prom in your school was coming up and Momo appeared to be fully booked that day and she felt horrible about it as she really wanted to be the one in all the pictures but..hey, what can you do?

She felt like the only way to make it up to you was by buying your dress and since you hadn’t even started looking yet, she decided to made it a date!

She took you to a designer outlet in hopes of finding you the prom dress of your dreams so that when she sees the pictures of you at prom, she can at least feel like she did something

There were only 5 dress places in the whole outlet though and one of them was for wedding dresses and in all honesty, you didn’t plan on showing up to prom in a gown and veil

However, there were lots of women’s fashion shops so there were a fair selection of dresses in each of those but most of those were party dresses and they were cute but not the sort of vibe you were going for.

Momo didn’t let you look at any shoes though until you found your dress - it was probably for the best though because she said that ( from experience ) the worst situation is when you fall in love with a pair of shoes but can’t find a matching dress; she does want you to suffer the same way she did 

You both popped into every store that sold dresses you cam across and Yaoyorozu made you try on every dress you even spared a glance to and then you’d put on a little fashion show for in every shop

Not that you minded though, you actually thought it was quite fun 

You also found her little cheers for you absolutely adorable, because every time you’d exit the changing room she’d be like 

“Yessss, (Y/N)! That dress is so gorgeous - or that might just be you but that colour really brings out you eyes.”

“Nooo, you can’t wear that to prom. You’ll make all the other ladies jealous!”

“Oh my lord above, that dress makes you look like prince(ss)! I love it! What do you think?” Momo inquired, covering her agape mouth with her perfectly manicured fingers. 

You twirled in front of the mirror, admiring the dress from every angle, “I mean, I adore it but..”

“But what, my love?”

You don’t know why you even bothered mentioning it as you already knew what Momo was gonna respond with but you said it anyway;

“It is too expensive.”

Yaoyorozu gasped, taking your hand and looking you dead in the eyes, “My love, don’t worry about it! I doesn’t matter how much it costs, money is but a number. All that matters is that you strut into prom feeling comfortable and beautiful - and you don’t need an expensive dress to look beautiful but it helps.” She giggled, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder.

She always knows what to say- 

She ended up buying the dress for you and of course you wore it to prom with the matching shoes, brooch and tiara she bought for you as well. 

She’s honestly so extra but that’s one of the many reasons why you love her

Tenya Iida x Reader 

I am a firm believer that this man’s love language is receiving/giving gifts

So obviously he needs someone who is on the same wavelength as him..and that’s you!

Every time he goes out shopping with his pals or just by himself - even if it is just to the supermarket - he will die and be resurrected before he leaves the place without a gift for you

Like it can simply be him going out to get groceries and coming back with a bar of your favourite chocolate

Or it can be him going to a designer outlet looking for a tuxedo and coming back with a Pandora bracelet for you 

And obviously, you do the same for him so whenever you are on one of your all-expenses-paid vacations with your mother, you are sure to bring back a souvenir for Iida

( sometimes you even forget to buy something for yourself because the first person on your mind is always Tenya )

Now, it was your birthday

And considering he’s already set the bar so high and the next step up from the stuff he had already bought you would be a diamond ring - he was pretty stumped for ideas.

He hated to be unimaginative but it’s not like he had many other options at this point so he settled on taking you shopping for your birthday; at a designer outlet, of course. 

It was pretty weird though because him buying you stuff from the love in his heart was different to you asking for him to buy you something - which is what this little shopping trip felt like 

Also, it was very awkward just having him follow you around the shops and stuff - like he didn’t even go on his phone or anything, he just followed you and watched you shift through the clothes like 👀

But you couldn’t get mad at him though because every so often he would go off on his own and come back holding a random article of clothing that he thought ‘would look cute on you’ and you found that absolutely adorable. 

Especially because 9 times out of 10 it was a very dainty piece and he’d hold it up to himself to demonstrate, as if you were built like him at all. 

“I have no idea what these little spaghetti bits are for but I think it is supposed to be worn like this.”

And then he proceeds to wear a thong as shoulder pads 

Shoto Todoroki x Reader 

he texts you in the middle of the night like ‘hi’

‘hi, Shoto! why are you up so late?’

‘i know the PIN for my father’s credit card’

‘ok-’

‘meet me @ the mall tomorrow @ 1pm 

‘why?’

‘we’re going shopping and i will buy that dress you wanted’

usually, you never bought anything. the only time you’d get new clothes was when you got your cheque from your job and most of the time, you’d never accept any gifts or let anyone buy for you

but this was an exception..

of course you agreed, i mean, why would you pass on the opportunity to exploit your boyfriend’s father’s credit card i mean- it’s not like he was tight on funds

so you met up with Todoroki the next day in your usual meeting spot and you showed him the dress you were talking about and he bought it on his father’s card 

he told you to go crazy so you figured while you were at it, you may as well get a pair of shoes to match - so you did!

After you had finished up your little shopping spree, Todoroki took you out for lunch at you favourite restaurant

As the day came to an end, you were sitting on a bench in the park with Shoto, eating ice-cream when he turned to you and said, “Happy birthday, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you--wait!”

He chuckled, a rare occurrence but the perfect gift for your birthday. “Your a smart girl, I’m sure you’ve figured it out already.”

“DID YOU TRICK ME INTO LETTING YOU BUY ME STUFF BY TELLING ME IT WAS ON ENDEVOUR’S CARD?!”

“Yes.”

“Good thing I still have the receipt then.”

“Don’t you dare.”

[101flavoursofweird]

If it's ok for platonic stuff, “Hey, have you seen the…? Oh.” with Kipo and Hugo for the writing ask?

((Thank you for giving me the chance to finally write about Kipo and Hugo :D Apologies, this doesn't contain the exact wording of the prompt, but it was definitely inspired by it!

SPOILERS for Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts - This takes place in an AU of the ending where everyone survives and Kipo's family are happily living in Las Vistas after the 5-year time skip.))

“I do not need glasses,” Hugo huffed. Back in the old world, Mandrills had been revered for their highly evolved senses— particularly for their binocular-like vision. Hugo knew he had been cloned from preserved Mandrill tissue and he had been fed multiple formulas growing up, but surely his biology hadn’t changed that much?

Yes, he was twenty-eight now— Still a young adult by human standards!— and he had taken that hit from mega Emilia five years ago, but his eyesight was just fine, thank you very much.

Kipo didn’t seem to think so. “You almost got run over by the mega bunny bus yesterday,” Kipo pointed out.

“It’s not my fault Jamack can’t control that oversized rabbit!”

If anyone needed glasses, it was Jamack, who should have been able to see all around with his bulging eyes. But the frog couldn’t see five steps in front of him!

Kipo poked Hugo above his nose. “You— walked— right— into— the— ROAD!” She punctuated each word with another poke.

“I looked both ways before crossing—“Just as Lio had taught him! “—Jamack should have stopped the bus to let me pass.”

“Didn’t you hear or smell the bunny?” Kipo pressed.

He had— contrary to why Kipo believed, those bunnies reeked— but he had miscalculated how close the bus was. He had assumed he could cross the road long before it reached him.

“Yes…” Hugo frowned. “Although, I suppose… I may have been… distracted.”

Kipo pulled her hand back from him. “About what?”

“My… my birthday,” he mumbled. (It was coming up in a few days…)

“Ooh— that’s right!” Kipo gasped and grinned at him. “Are you excited?” Her grin faded as Hugo brooded in silence. “You don’t seem excited…”

“I was,” Hugo sighed. “I was very excited to have a party with music and dancing, but then I thought…” He tugged at the starry purple blanket he had taken to wearing around his neck as a scarf. “What if I’m too old to have a party—?”

“You’re never too old to party!” Kipo corrected him.

Easy for her to say— she was eighteen, with her short pink hair, her leather jacket and her clear skin. She would be graduating from school soon. There was no doubt she had matured in the past five years, but she still exuded so much youth.

Hugo, on the other hand, was going to be twenty-eight. He was slower, scarred and curmudgeonly.

Getting glasses would only add to that impression.

Kipo hugged him. “It’s fine if you really don’t want a party… but if you do, I’ll organise it and say it was a surprise! Then it’ll look like it was all my idea— well, everyone else can help too…”

She would take credit for the party, making a spectacle of herself, while Hugo looked like a kind older brother indulging his little sister’s impulses.

“Dad can cook, Mom can arrange the party games,” Kipo continued eagerly. “Wolf can put up the decorations, Benson will pick the music, and Dave will want to give a riveting speech—“

“Absolutely not,” Hugo growled. “He would ramble on and on for an eternity…!”

“Like an old man?” Kipo snorted. Then she glanced behind him and her eyes widened. Hugo followed her gaze to the clock, but he found the numbers blurry. (He just had some pheromones in his eyes, that was all…)

Kipo declared, “Come on— we need to sort out your birthday present!” She grabbed his hand.

“Isn’t it going to be a surprise?” Hugo hummed as she hauled him out of the house at mega jaguar speed.

-

“Okay… open your eyes!”

Hugo did as instructed. He gasped as Kipo came in to view, clear as day. Blinking, he gazed around the observatory, able to distinguish the constellations projected on to the walls. (He couldn’t wait for the next stargazing session with his family…)

“How is your vision now?” asked the bespectacled alpha wolf, Good Billions.

He strode towards Hugo and held up a white chart with black letters on it. The letters got smaller the further they went down the chart, but Hugo was able to read them all.

“I can see clearly again,” Hugo breathed. Kipo cheered. Hugo had never imagined he would feel so grateful to a wolf. “Thank you!” he exclaimed, shaking Billions’ clawed hand.

“You’re lucky I had a spare pair lying around…” Billions sniffed. “Try them out for a week. We may need to alter the lenses or the frames—“

“Look, Hugo!” Kipo lifted a mirror up to his face. Hugo was greeted by his reflection, with a pair of round black glasses at the end of his nose.

Hugo pursed his lips. There was no denying that he did appear a bit older… but he also seemed wiser and distinguished…

“You look great,” Kipo assured him, smiling.

Hugo smiled back at her and adjusted his new glasses. “I shouldn’t have any problem reading my sheet music now.”

“You can play for us later,” Kipo promised. “Now, let’s go show everyone!”

-

((This was also inspired by @artsymajestyuwu's design for Future!Hugo: https://artsymajestyuwu.tumblr.com/post/632268976649633792/kipo-s3-spoiler))