#you know nova really isn’t everyone’s cup of tea

[novathesheltie]

[wqintraining]

NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 1, EPISODE 12 (PART 1 OF 2)

We open in the institute as a panic ensues, older kids screaming about the front lawn being covered in bloody and body parts, while the younger students are running up to the teachers, afraid that they’re in danger. Dani, James, and the others assure them everything is okay, but they themselves don’t have any real idea what happened either. 

Julian and Sofia, in their boxers and pajamas, respectively, fly out of Julian’s room, trying to help contain the panic by restraining kids with their powers. Julian calls out that there’s nothing to worry about, and the X-Men are gonna figure out what’s going on here. 

SOFIA: “Your speech last night was wonderful, but you know we aren’t actually X-Men yet.” 

JULIAN: “Work for the job you want, right?” 

Cessily and Sooraya are still in their room, Sooraya shaking on the floor as she prays, while Cessily is curled up in a ball on her bed, calling Roxy to make sure she’s okay. 

CESSILY: “What…what is going on?” 

Storm, Kitty, Sunspot, and Wolverine step outside to examing the site closeup, all disturbed, but none of them phased. They quickly deduce from the remnants of the bodies that these were Purifers, and they all heard a screeching sound, but the younger members aren’t sure what that was. Storm, however, is aware, and she’s terrified - the Phoenix energy inside Jean has been unleashed. RIght now, she is a threat to herself, and a threat to the entire planet. 

Storm says they need Cyclops immediately, and asks Laura where he is. Laura sniffs the air. 

LAURA: “Emma’s room. With Emma. They stink of each other.” 

Kitty and Roberto are shocked, while Storm hangs her head. 

STORM: “Oh Scott…” 

We cut to Cyclops and Emma in bed together, their eyes glazed over as they remain catatonic. 

STORM: “...what have you done?” 

Cassandra Nova sits in her estate, sipping tea. As she sets her cup and saucer down, she grings. 

NOVA: “The Phoenix has lost control. Cyclops and the Queen are out of commission. Now…now is the time to strike. Now is the time, Charles, for the world you sought to build to burn.” 

We cut to a factory not unlike the one from last episode, but packed with ten times as many Sentinels. With a thought, Nova activates them all. Their order? Exterminate every Mutant on Earth. 

In the common area, the training squad and Roxy are gathered, Sofia on Julian’s lap, while Cessily and Roxy are holding hands. Sofia has her eyes closed, and everyone is looking at her in suspense. 

NORI: “Well?!” 

Everyone else shooshes her. 

ROXY: “Should we really be doing this? I don’t want to get involved with any of the stuff y’all do, okay?” 

Everyone else shooshes HER. 

ROXY: “Okay, new girl doesn’t get to talk. Got it.” 

From Sofia’s perspective, we hear the winds whispering in her ear. Eventually, Sofia’s eyes open and she takes a deep breath. 

Sofia tells them all it’s bad. From what Storm and the others are saying, it sounds like Mr. Summers cheated on Mrs. Summers with Ms. Frost, Jean found out, went fully Phoenix, and both did what they saw outside, and did *something* to Scott and Emma. 

Everyone is shocked by this, with Sooraya being the most disappointed in Cyclops. Julian commends Scott on trading up, only to get elbowed by Sofia. 

JULIAN, groaning: “He…still shouldn’t have cheated though. Obviously.” 

Cessily asks if Cyclops and Frost are okay, but Sofia isn’t sure. 

Noriko swears. This is really, really bad. They’ve all heard the stories about Jean before. 

Brian, looking at his phone, tells them with terror things are even worse than they think. 

Across the world, we see Sentinels flying over cities, hunting down, and killing every Mutant they find, and blowing away anything and anyone who stands in their way. The sequence ends with a Sentinel flying over a baseball field, where a visible Mutant is playing with his little league team, only to die in terror. 

In Emma’s room, the four remaining X-Men stand over Scott and Emma’s catatonic bodies, Kitty and Roberto watching what’s happening across the world in horror on the former’s phone. 

They’re undermanned and under siege, but Storm remains coolheaded as she takes charge of the situation. The teachers here may not want to be X-Men, but they’re all still heroes. In their time of crisis, she knows they can count on them. She will be organizing and dispatching them, as well as herself and Sunspot, across the globe to protect as many areas as they can, and put the Sentinels down as quickly as possible. 

Jean is just as immediate an issue, however, and one which needs to be addressed. Much as she loves Jean as a friend, regardless of what he’s done, she knows Scott is the only one who even has a chance of helping her get control of herself before she goes full Dark Phoenix. Fortunately, as far as waking Scott, “...and Emma, I suppose”, up, the X-Men have two other telepaths on call. Kitty says she’s been in touch with them, so she’ll go and grab them, which is exactly what Storm was planning on. Laura meanwhile is to stay here and defend the other students while everyone else is away. 

STORM: “Outside myself, you are the strongest fighter we have right now. I know you will not let anything happen to your friends.” 

Laura promises she won’t fail. Kitty heads out first, saying she’ll let them know as soon as she’s picked up Betsy and Rachel. 

LAURA: “Perfect…who are Betsy and Rachel?” 

We cut to the balcony of a castle, where two women are enjoying tea underneath a beautiful, flawless blue sky. One of them is a Japanese-British woman with purple hair in knight’s armor, dressed in the colors of Britain’s flag, while the other is a butch ginger in what looks to be a mage’s outfit. 

BETSY: “What do you think, Rachel? We spend Christmas with your family and then Boxing Day with mine?” 

RACHEL: “I was moreso thinking we spend Christmas Eve with mine, Christmas with your, and then have your fake British holiday to ourselves.” 

BESTSY: “Rude. But also impossible. I have appearances to make all day on Christmas Eve.” 

RACHEL: “Oh, to have your problems.” 

BETSY: “They’re your problems now, too, my love.” 

As Betsy takes Rachel’s hands, we see wedding rings on both of them. 

A loud roar draws the two women’s attention, though neither seems particularly bothered. 

RACHEL: “Speaking of problems…”

BETSY: “Shall we finish our drinks first?”

RACHEL: “Nah, should probably get to work.” 

BETSY: “Well alright then.” 

The two fly into the air, conjuring a psionic sword and shield and spell circles, respectively, and fly into battle against a massive hydra, the camera panning out to show they’re in a medieval fantasy realm. 

We cut to space, panning out away from Earth to show just how small and insignificant it is. It’s on a moon which clearly isn’t our own where we find Jean, sobbing as she grows plant life all around her, only to make it wither and die in an endless loop. It’s seemingly this god’s equivalent of taking breaths. 

Her solitude is partially broken as someone speaks to her telepathically. 

“Hello, Jean. It means a lot that you’d contact me at a time like this. I’ve missed you.” 

Jean sniffles. “I’ve missed you too…Professor.” 

Across the globe, in major cities, suburbs, and remote villages, Storm, Sunspot, Warpath, Dani, Karma, Nightcrawler, Beast, Dazzler, and Northstar do battle against the Sentinels. And they’re not alone. Iceman, Colossus, Archangel, Jubilee, Rogue, and Gambit are all briefly shown taking out the Sentinels who’ve come for them. 

Despite all of the X-Men’s victories, back in her estate, Nova watches news reports of them, continuing to smile with smug confidence. 

In the Institute’s foyer…

JULIAN: “Get out of my way, Laura!” 

Laura is guarding the front door, with Julian screaming right in her face, the rest of the training squad and Bling! watching. 

LAURA: “Right now, it’s Wolverine. And no. The X-Men are handling the situation.” 

JULIAN: “They can’t be everywhere, and I’m not about to just stand around and do nothing while a bunch of religious flatscan nutjobs kill us!” 

Laura tells him he’s not ready, only for Nori to speed over and tell her it wasn’t so long ago she was being told that, but going out to fight Sabretooth anyway. Besides, they haven’t sparred all together since before the Hellfire mission - that changed them. 

NORIKO: “We’re not ready to be X-Men. Duh. But right now, if we can even take out one Sentinel, it’s worth whatever it costs.” 

Laura continues to sneer at her friends. 

LAURA: “I’m not letting you get yourselves killed.” 

Sofia flies over. 

SOFIA: “Laura, we can–” 

LAURA, snapping: “Don’t! Not you.” 

Sofia is hurt by Laura getting aggressive toward her, but ends up glaring back at her. Refusing to back away, Hellion, Surge, and Wind Dancer stare Wolverine down. Without another word, they all can see what’s coming, with the three students wrapping their hands in TK energy, electricity, and wind respectively, while Wolverine pops out her claws. 

BLING!: “Are these crazies about to fight?” 

CESSILY: “What? No. Of course not. We’re passed that. Right, guys?” 

BRIAN: “Please, please don’t fight.” 

Sooraya sighs. “They’re going to fight.” 

We cut away as the battle begins. 

We cut to Otherworld, where Betsy and Rachel are dusting themselves off, standing next to the dead body of the hydra they just defeated. Rachel flirts with Betsy, asking if she wants to get home and take off that dirty armor, while Betsy teases her by questioning why slaying monsters always seems to put her in the mood. 

RACHEL: “Duh. Cause I love watching you work.” 

BETSY: “Please. Do you know how many times I’ve heard that line?” 

RACHEL: “No, but I don’t really want to hear about your old suitors.” 

Rachel puts her arms around Betsy, leaning in for a kiss. 

BETSY: “There are definitely better uses of our time.” 

Betsy leans in to kiss her wife, but before she can, the two hear a portal open above them, the Blackbird flying through. 

The two look up, questioning what the X-Men are doing here, only for the plane to park in midair, and for Kitty to phase through the floor of it, plumbeting from the sky. 

KITTY, with the biggest grin: “RACHEEEEEEL!” 

Rachel’s eyes light up as she dons a wide grin. 

RACHEL: “KITTY!” 

Rachel blasts off into the sky, leaving Betsy to literally eat her dust. 

BETSY, coughing: “No reason to ever be jealous of her, you said.” 

Rachel catches Kitty, the two hugging in mid-air. They’ve missed each other so much! It feels like only yesterday they were battling warwolves and dealing with obnoxious Omniversal Majestrixes. 

Kitty’s smile eventually fades though. Much as she wishes she could be here to hang, they have a big problem back on Earth and they need their help. 

Out in space, Jean laughs with a psychic projection of Xavier’s head, the former telling the latter about the time Surge stowed away on a mission. 

XAVIER: “It seems like every class since the first and best has only gotten more rebellious. I do not envy your position.” 

Jean sighs, unable to maintain the jolly mood. Jean asks how things are with Queen Lilandra, with Xavier admitting he’s never been happier. He loves her, and he’s even come to love living in the Shi’Ar Empire. Xavier, in turn, asks how things are with Scott. 

Phoenix energy surrounds Jean as she tenses up and struggles to not cry. 

JEAN: “See for yourself.” 

Xavier reads her mind and becomes enraged. Jean can hear him slamming his fist. 

XAVIER: “That stupid boy! What was he thinking?!” 

Jean doesn’t understand. What’s wrong with her? She thought she was perfect, she thought she was doing everything right as a wife and partner and leader, so why, WHY, would he do this to her?! 

JEAN: “I want to just blame Emma. I want to just call her a damn seductress and wipe every trace of her off the face of the Earth, and go back to normal. But I looked into their minds. I haven’t been the one on Scott’s mind for a long, long time.” 

Xavier sighs. 

XAVIER: “Cyclops is a great man. But he is still only a man. And all men are flawed. All men make mistakes, be they small or large. I thought I raised him better than this. Whatever flaws he possessed, I never believed he would do something this foolish.” 

JEAN: “Neither did I…what should I do, Professor?” 

XAVIER: “You are a goddess among men, Jean. While what Scott’s done goes far beyond any basic standards of decency, you will never be able to find anyone who meets standards as high as your own. You can either reject this notion, continue to try and live your best possible life as a normal woman, and set yourself up for future disappointments, or you can embrace what you are. That choice is entirely your own, but they’re the only choices you have.” 

Jean hangs her head, not helped at all. 

JEAN: “Professor…tell me about Cassandra Nova.” 

In the institute, Wolverine continues to stare down Hellion, Surge, and Wind Dancer, the other kids afraid of what’s about to happen. 

Julian makes the first move, launching a TK wave at her, but Laura jumps into the air, allowing the wave to blow up the front entrance. Cessily, Sooraya, Brian, and Roxy all run to take cover. 

Before Laura can hit Julian, she’s swept away in mid-air by Sofia’s winds. She sends Laura flying toward a wall, but Laura just manages to flip herself off the wall and land back on her feet. Laura gives them one last chance to stop this and go back to their rooms before she has to hurt them, only to be answered with a fist to the face from Surge, Laura clearly shocked that Noriko’s gotten fast enough to just hit her like that. 

Moving as a blur, Nori proceeds to land hit after hit on Laura, coming at her from all over the place, landing bodyblows and punches to the face. 

Laura is able to quickly catch onto Nori’s pattern though, and kicks her upside the head, but in the split second she takes to move, Julian puts a TK shield around Nori, causing Laura to end up sending herself flying back on impact. 

Still not knocked off her feet, Laura seethes. 

LAURA: “Fine.” 

Laura rushes Sofia. Surge, still shiedled, moves to intercept her, hoping to pull off the same trick, but instead of hitting her, Laura grabs her and throws her down onto the floor, smashing through the tiles. Nori is seemingly unable to get back up. 

The lookers-on panic at the sight of this, Cessily shouting at Brian to tag himself and make everyone run away, but Julian, barely shielding himself from Laura’s attacks, tells them to stay out of this. 

JULIAN: “Sofia, get her off me so I can focus!” 

Sofia tries to blow Laura away with her winds, but Wolverine plants her feet in the floor with her foot spikes as she grabs Julian, puts him in a hold, and starts repeatedly stabbing at his stomach. His shield will break soon, and while stabbing this spot won’t kill him, he’ll be permanently injured. 

Laura suddenly lets go of Julian though, stumbling back as she groans. 

LAURA: “What did you–? 

SOFIA: “I compressed the air in your ears and popped it. Ms. Frost taught me that trick. We’ve learned a lot by actually studying.” 

Sofia blows Laura outside and, with Julian free from Laura, he flies outside and up into the air, and hits her with all the TK energy he’s got to slam her down into the ground face first and hold her down. 

JULIAN: “That’s three tons of force, Laura! I can hear your bones cracking and healing! This is what I can do!” 

To Julian’s shock, Laura actually starts standing up, the former nervous as it’s clear he can’t keep up this type of attack for long. Before Laura can make too much progress, however, Sofia flies up next to Julian and presses down on her with her winds, sending her back to her knees. 

SOFIA: “Hold back a little. We’re partners now. We do this together.” 

The two hold hands, thinking they have this fight won, but as Laura flashes back to Dr. Sarah Kinney saving her, and Laura’s subsequent murder of her, she finds the strength to propel herself out of the range of Julian and Sofia’s attacks. The two try to hit her again, but she’s too fast, successfully making it to the school building and scaling it in seconds,  Julian and Sofia panicking because with the angle she’s put herself at, they can’t attack her without attacking the school. 

LAURA: “This ends now.” 

With a running start, Laura launches herself off the roof to take the couple out in mid-air…only to be shot down by an electrical blast. Laura falls to the ground, shaking from being tazed. 

Julian and Sofia look down and see Noriko, standing in what used to be the doorway, leaning against some rubble with her fingers pointed like a gun. 

NORIKO: “I don’t know what she broke…but that was for breaking it.” 

Noriko passes out. 

The Blackbird comes through a portal, arriving back in the institute’s hangar bay. Kitty, Rachel, and Betsy get out of the plane, with Rachel determined to give Cyclops a piece of her mind once she’s stitched his mind back up. 

RACHEL: “Do I HAVE to fix the White Queen too?” 

KITTY: “Only because we may need her. Far as I’m concerned, she should stay locked up in her head.” 

The three meet up back in Emma’s bedroom, where Storm and an injured Roberto are waiting to greet them. 

KITTY: “You alright there, Beto?” 

ROBERTO: “I’m just relieved none of those things touched my face. I wouldn’t be able to carry on if they had.” 

Wolverine arrives, injured, dazed, and still healing from her fight. Storm questions what happened to her. Laura just snarls. 

KITTY: “Well, we wanted a Wolverine…” 

Storm makes quick, proper introductions, introducing Laura to Betsy Braddock AKA Captain Britain, and Rachel Summers AKA Prestige: the defenders of the multiverse. 

LAURA: “Wait…Summers?” 

RACHEL: “Cyclops and Jean are my parents.” 

Laura just tilts her head in confusion. 

Betsy pats her on the back 

BETSY: “Time travel, honey. We’ll explain later.” 

With everyone assembled, Storm hands out new marching orders. Rachel is to stay here, fix Scott and Emma’s minds, get them up, and find and save Jean, and defend the school if necessary. Betsy meanwhile will join herself, Kitty, Sunspot, and Laura in taking on and stopping Cassandra Nova, Kitty having managed to track her down by triangulating where the Sentinels were coming from. 

STORM: “Failure is not an option. Our people do not die today. To me, my X-Men!” 

Storm flies out of the room, Kitty, Sunspot, and Captain Britain following behind her, but Laura stays behind for a moment, hesitating, before running out. 

Out in space…

XAVIER: “Cassandra Nova…” 

Jean explains what they know about her, what she’s done and been doing, and who she claims to be. 

JEAN: “Is it true?” 

Xavier admits that, yes, Nova is his twin sister. In a sense. Conceived without a body, Cassandra made one for herself by copying his DNA to make her own body. She grew with him until she had fully formed hands and eyes, when she decided to try to kill him by attempting to strangle him with his own umbilical cord. 

JEAN: “She was BORN evil?” 

Xavier hangs his head. He defended himself by hitting her with a psychic blast, which caused his mother to have a miscarriage, resulting in Nova’s physical body being stillborn. Despite this, she  survived as chaotic cellular matter that clung to a sewer wall for decades, rebuilding her physical form and perfecting her effort to mimic human traits. She convinced herself that the womb in which the two of them had fought and the universe she now lived in were the same, a universe where only the two of them were real, and so she sought to destroy everything he held dear to break him free of the delusions he treasured. 

XAVIER: “I thought I’d dealt with her permanently the last time we met. I was wrong.” 

Jean is shocked both that the Professor would have kept this all a secret from thtm, and that he’s implying he’d tried to kill her. Xavier shouts back that she of all people does not get to judge him. She’s seen her power firsthand; she needed to be stopped. 

XAVIER: “Listen to me right now, Jean. You must go to Genosha immediately. Listen to what’s happening on Earth right now. Magneto cannot defend the Mutant nation alone. He needs you.” 

Xavier shouts at Jean again and again as she doesn’t answer him. Then, she starts laughing. 

XAVIER: “Jean?” 

“Not quite.” 

Jean’s green costume turns blood red as a grin spreads across her face and her flames become more wild and out of control. 

DARK PHOENIX: “You and Scott. Both liars. Both hypocrites. Both treacherous.” 

XAVIER: “Jean, stop this!” 

From across the universe, Dark Phoenix cackles as she inflicts psychic agony on Xavier. 

DARK PHOENIX: “You were right about one thing though, Charles. I am a goddess. All living among mortals will ever do is bring me pain. So I will be leaving for Genosha. To burn it along with the rest of the Earth, before I regrow the planet with a new species I have no connections to.” 

Xavier is helpless to do anything but moan in pain as his psychic projection disappears, the full Dark Phoenix aura emerges around Jean, and she begins flying back toward Earth. 

Part one of the finale ends as we cut between Storm and the others loading onto the Blackbird, the Sentinels continuing their attack, Nova remaining calm in her estate, Magneto proudly standing over several dead Sentinels on Genosha’s shores, and Dark Phoenix heading for Earth. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

[phoebelovingcare]

So for the character meme, how about Marx?

Maruku! This got long so it’s actually going under a cut

Favorite thing about them:

oh no you want me to pick one. uh. uhhh. I love Marx don’t do this to me. Uh. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... wings. The wing reveal is fuckin sick, and the odd shape of them compelled me to draw him, and the result of me learning to draw those wings means I’m here answering this ask today!

Least favorite thing about them:

fanon. See also the unpopular opinion section later

Favorite line:

“Got a plan? Glad to help!”

...ONCE AGAIN gonna break my trend to talk about WHYYY I like this line. It’s not a part of his victory speech. It’s not a part of his convincing spiel. THIS is the lil bit of dialogue for his pause screen in Guest Star. And I like it because of it’s ambiguous nature and implications! Kinda goes with what I imagine I’ll ramble about in the headcanon section, but it reinforces that Marx isn’t RANDOM, he’s PLANNED. Choreographed! No improv, he’s only willing to help if they have something planned for him to execute. I love it. Mwah.

brOTP:

BANDANA DEE. Oh I’ve never talked about my Marx backstory online have I- okay so Marx WAS King Dedede’s court jester, and as such was in the castle with Bandan. The two of them were really good friends, and while everyone is well aware of Marx’ tricks and danger nowadays, they still kinda are. They’ve both known each other for so long that Bandan can tell when he’s pulling some bs, so it all works out!

OTP:

Fun fact, when I was first learning about Kirby lore the only two characters I knew about were our token traitors. Then I watched a thirty minute video on the lore, and the SECOND they said that it was implied that Magolor may have known Marx well enough to refer to him as “a good friend”, I immediately went “oh they’re gay?” That is the ONLY time I have ever shipped something with zero outside input saying they were cute together or anything. I simply Always Have.

nOTP:

Each to their own but you guys DO know that he fucking dropkicked them right /j. Anyways my Marx is an adult and my Kirby is not. No shade to those who ship it, but it’s not my cup of tea (even if your headcanon has no age gap)

Random headcanon:

Here is my character guide for Marx, that kinda shows his personality... but of course that’s a post I’ve already made, so here’s one I’ve literally never said out loud that a lot of my friends will immediately know why: Marx still hangs around with the revived Nova! His wings contain a similar capacity to the power stars, so he doesn’t need to gather them up to summon her. Nova can only grant one wish per person, so Marx basically just talks to her a bunch and then leaves. He has a special interest in ancient tech and magic, so he likes asking about what makes her tick (hehe) and just being around her in general. He Just Thinks She’s Neat!

Unpopular opinion:

YES, HE IS AN ASSHOLE, STOP SAYING HE DID NOTHING WRONG HE FUCKING DROPKICKED A CHILD. Make your Marx manipulative!! Make your Marx a little shit who teases people about things they’re sensitive about when he’s bored!!! Marx is a BASTARD, so act like it!!!!

Song I associate with them:

...I have a Marx spotify playlist. Lemme grab a handful: Sweet Tooth by Scott Helman, Snobbism by Neru, Let’s Face It I’m Cute by 11 Acorn Lane, Wild Things by Alessia Cara

Favorite picture of them:

this one

[mollyollypuddingpolly]

Home For Christmas

Anne and Gilbert

A/N : I began writing this way before Christmas, I don't know why a was in a Christmas-y mood this summer but anyways I thought it turned out good enough to post.

---

He'd told her he'd only be home two days before Christmas. He told her it was the only ticket he could get because he had been so busy studying for finals that he forgot. She was disappointed, but didn't let that show in her letters. The last few times she has seen him where in two day intervals when she ventured up to Toronto on a free weekend, so she had hoped for much longer. Of course the break continued after Christmas, but his classes resumed early, so they couldn't even ring in the new year together.

Anne decided she'd make the most of her time before he arrived, spending it with Marilla and Mathew so when he did come she could spend more with him without feeling guilty of neglecting her family through the holidays. Of course, they'd share Christmas dinner together. A tradition since Bash joined Gilbert at the Blythe farm.

Anne and the other girls stepped on to the snow dusted platform and pulled their coats tighter across themselves as the warmth from the train gave way to the chilly December air.

Anne smiled, remembering her first time standing on the platform. She glance at the small bench where she once sat, eagerly awaiting what would become her home. As the train cleared the station, She spotted the cherry tree now not white with bloom but with snow. Still beautiful and breathtaking. Pure white amongst many evergreens. Still a bride, she thought and a warmth filled her cheeks when her brain reminded her, you'll be a bride someday after all Anne. And what an adventure that will be. She shook her head to clear away the thought, still plenty of time before that of course.

"Anne!" Diana's voice pulled her from her thoughts, she turned toward the sound and noticed Diana had already approached her parents who had offered to bring Anne home too. She quickly made up the distance, allowed Diana's father to take her bag and climbed into the carriage.

"What ever had you so preoccupied?" Diana asked with an raised brow. Anne smiled sheepishly.

"I was just remembering the first time I got off at this platform. When Mathew picked me up and didn't have the heart to tell me they'd sent for a boy," Diana smiled and took Anne's gloved hand.

"And I am forever grateful to him for doing so," She said. Anne hummed with a smile, "Just think, if you'd been sent back not only would you and I never have met, but I'd be in Paris being 'finished'," she said saying the last word with such distaste she she received a sour look from her mother next to her. Anne only smiled, she could only imagine where she'd be if the Cuthberts hadn't kept her, and her imagination could come up with some horrifying possible alternatives.

To keep her mind off that she looked at the passing scenery. Snow had fallen the night before, just enough to give the fields a soft cover but not cause difficulty along the roads. She inhaled the cold air and exhaled watching her foggy breath disappear into the winds. She gazed at the lake of shinning waters, it's beauty enhanced by it's now glistening frozen surface. And she held her breath when the crossed the bridge, as she always did because her imagination didn't often like to let her think crossing one wouldn't end in tradgedy.

The carriage slowed as it approached the gate of Green Gables. Anne's heart jumped at the sight of her home. She hadn't been to visit recently due to spending her free time preparing for finals, but now she was home. And there was nothing that could make her happier.

Or almost nothing.

Anne walked towards the front door, which flew open before she reached it. Mathew stood, arms outstretched, which she willingly jumped into. Dropping her bag onto the wooden deck. He squeezed her tight and she breathed in the warm smell of a wood fire on him. Then he picked up her bag and led her inside.

"Marilla!" Anne said, walking into the kitchen. Marilla stood inspecting a tea cup. Which she quickly set down at the sound of her name. She turned to her Anne and beamed before pulling her in as well.

"Oh how we've missed you!" She said, then more sternly, " I trust that you did well in your exams."

Marilla leaned back, her hands still resting on Anne's shoulders.

"I believe I did, we get our results when we return," She said. Marilla nodded asking about Diana and the other girls before Mathew spoke up once more.

"Well we best get you set up in your room, I can carry up your bag," he offered, halfway to the steps.

"Nonsense," Marilla said quickly with a sharp look at Mathew, "Anne can carry her bag up herself," Mathew nodded suddenly.

"Right, here you are then," He said passing her the bag. Anne looked at the two quizzically.

"Okay… just let me take my jacket and scarf off first," she said, setting the bag down again. The two nodded, smiles plastered on there face. Anne looked at them with narrow eyes before turning back out into the hall.

She took the steps slowly, taking in the comfort of being back home. She remebered again her first day at Green Gables, she was too upset then to enjoy her walk down the simple hallway, but now this was a place filled with memories. Like the time she and Diana had raced up the steps giggling about bosoms before getting in terrible trouble that almost forced them to stop being friends. When Ruby Gilis had to stay with the Cuthberts after her house burnt down. And Anne finally made a second friend. When she realized she did love Gilbert and raced down the steps and to his house, but then thought she was too late. Caught up in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice that her bedroom door was slightly open.

Almost.

She shrugged, Marilla probably left it open after dusting. She pushed open the door, excited to see her simple, cozy room after the long train ride. But when the door pushed back her heart leapt with joy, and it wasn't over her small, comfortable bed.

"GILBERT BLYTHE, YOU DEVIL!" She hollared, tossing her bag and running into his arms with a grin. He grinned back and laughed as he squeezed her tightly.

Anne wouldn't know it, but down stairs Mathew and Marilla were giving each other a knowing smile.

She leaned back before diving back in, this time their lips met, his arms twist up her back, her finding solace in his hair. A chill went up her back every time they kissed and her face turned warm. She couldn't help but smile into the kiss as did he, she pulled back unable to contain her laughter, instead resting her forehead on his.

"What are you doing here? You said you couldn't get in untill the 23rd!" She said, her arms at rest on his shoulders. He adjusted his around her waist with a cheeky smile.

"I actually got back yesterday, but I wanted to suprise you. So when you told me that you wouldn't be home untill today…" he left it off letting her fill in the rest. She pulled back, lips pierced, intending to give him a sour look, which gave way to a smile.

"You sneak! And Marilla and Mathew where in on it?" She leaned back, still in disbelief, how did you convince Marilla to let you up here she thought but didn't ask. He smiled.

"They were, and so was Diana. I had to make sure you wouldn't get some funny idea of coming up to Toronto to suprise me," he said, she sucked in a breath at the thought, she wouldn't put it past fate to cause that kind of chaos.

Anne lead Gilbert downstairs, where tea and family was waiting for them.

"Bash!" Anne shouted, dropping Gilbert's hand to give the man a hug, he accepted squeezing her back tightly.

"Anne! Ah it's so good to see you! Gilbert's been here only one day and he's already talked my ear off over how much he missed you," he said as he let her go, she turned to Gilbert, smug, who suddenly seemed interested in a spot on the ground.

Anne greeted Delphine she's so big! Then everyone sat down for tea and scones.

Anne laughed when Delphine bit into a scone, smearing jam all over her face. She leaned forward and helped the small girl by whiping the corners of her mouth. Marilla was having what started out as a friendly conversation about Gilbert's studies turned into a long, explaination of all he'd learned so far, Anne commented when she could, and made a mental note to check out some medical books from Queen's when she returned so she could keep up.

It warmed her heart to see him so passionate about becoming a doctor. She remembered briefly a time when he almost gave that up, thinking the task too much for him bare. She didn't know if it was her words that day or his own self reflection that brought back his desire to purse medicine, perhaps some combination of both.

After tea, the two went for a walk through the forest. The path that she took to school untouched since the snowfall, their foot steps were the first.

"Diana isn't sure yet if she'll be aloud to continue to Redmond, but I really am excited about the idea," Anne explained, she knew he'd heard it all in her letters but something about him being here made it feel more real. " Of course, I can only go if I get the Avery Award, but everyone says I have a shot at it. Oh! And Cole has applied to an art school in Nova Scotia too! So at least I'll have one friend,"

Gilbert smiled, rubbing his thumb in circles on her hand as he held it.

"There's not a doubt in my mind that you won't win it, Anne," He said turning to look at her, she peered into his eyes. Eyes she could get lost in and had many times before, even before realizing what that meant.

"I hope so," She said, still unsure. But she wouldn't know until end of spring, so no point in worrying.

Gilbert seemed to think the same thing, taking hand he turned her around, spinning her slightly so they stood face to face, she laughed as he did it.

" I was just thinking about when we first danced together, and how we haven't had the chance to do that again,"

"Well," she said with a smile, "There isn't any music, but I do believe my imagination is more than strong enough to make up for that," she said holding out her hand and he took it, guiding her in a waltz as he hummed along to a tune he'd heard once before.

They stepped back and forth, through the clearing in the woods, as snow began to gently fall down on them. Anne looked up at Gilbert with such happiness and piece in her mind that nothing could have ruined this moment.

Nothing.

Stepping into the middle Gilbert spun Anne once more, but it was hard to tell with all the snow how safe the ground was, and catching a bit of ice, Anne slipped, falling down and taking Gilbert with her.

"I'm so sorry, are you alright?" He turned to her urgently worried she'd hurt herself. But she was staring up at the sky with a smile, and when she turned to him she began to laugh, which he returned as well. They laid there, laughing for far longer than anyone in there right mind would lay in the snow. Then Gilbert laced his hand in hers and began to help her up.

"Merry Christmas, Anne," he said once they both were on two feet again.

"Merry Christmas," she replied, giving him a kiss.

"

[shintorikhazumi]

English!AU (2): Has To Be.

A/N: Yey. I don’t know smack about what I’m writing. So warning. Badly written. Rip. Might suck. 

Hannah solo chap. Next chap two idiots and their chaperones are coming along.

Enjoy?

~ShintoriKhazumi

She wanted to cross her arms and show just how irritated she was by all of this.

But she couldn’t.

The tea was getting cold from her ignoring it, hands folded on her lap, unwilling to take up the cup and allow it to serve its purpose of providing her refreshment.

Like anything could refresh her for what was about to go down.

“After all that effort to create as much distance as possible... and here you are.” Hannah hated that condescending chuckle. “Sorry and without freedom. Simply under father's mercy."

She grit her teeth, fingers twitching. She needed to keep it all in. Control. Control. She could do it. She had long since been trained on ways to hold her composure, not that she'd ever found the need to use this skill back in Luna Nova.

Ah, Luna Nova. How she missed it. She had the freedom of expression, she could voice out her every opinion. Well, yes, she could be a little bitchy at times. She was working on that bit. ‘Sorry Akko.’

Here, however, she could not allow herself to lash out. She had to be composed, elegant, dignified. Bottled up and choking on all the expectations she had been trying to escape.

And yet, here she was. Back in their clutches.

“What a sad, sad girl.”

The voice was incredibly irritating. Hannah would love to shove a sock in it.

"Pathetic really."

'Shut it.'

“I bet you’re planning something. Conniving as you always were.”

Hannah released a sigh, shutting her eyes to avoid looking at the sore sight of her current companion.

"I'm not here because I want to fight you... Jared."

'I'd rather murder you right now without needing to. Annoying little prick.'

"Right. No fighting. And yet you came back." Jared sneered. "That in itself is already a declaration of war, my dear, dear sister.

“Listen.” Hannah growled, finally looking him in those similar-colored eyes that reminded her that she really shared the same blood as this terror of a family. “I’m not here because I want to be.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Well that’s because-”

“The Prince of Wales, Harold Windsor, enters.”

Hannah whipped her head about, eyes wide, unable to mask her emotions this time around. And it seemed like her the new arrival was unable to as well.

"Why... Are you here." It was a question that didn’t really sound like one. It felt more like a statement whose true meaning actually translated to, ‘I don’t want you here.’.

Hannah agreed with that sentiment. 'Does it look like I want to be?' She sighed internally, preparing her mind for the onslaught of either words or actions about to befall her.

Calmly, she responded. "Grandfather called for me."

"What?!" Harold marched forward, brows furrowed deeply, gaze burning hot. “He did not! I heard nothing of the sort!”

Hannah barely flinched. She needed to keep up her facade, afraid as she was. She could not show weakness nor fear. No. Not in front of this man.

Not in front of the man she once called Father.

“I suppose he did not feel the obligation to inform you, sire.” She replied, voice level.

“And why would he not? I am rightfully the next in line! I must know these things!”

‘Do you now?’

“How should I know? If you don’t know, your majesty, what makes you think a lowly servant such as I would?”

A flash of indignance crossed the man’s face as his hand quickly raised, ready to come down on Hannah, swift and solid.

She cursed her body, frozen with a familiar fear, cultivated since long ago. It was coming.

It was coming.

Her eyes were the only ones to react, shut tight just as she was about to receive the hit.

The strike never came.

Opening her eyes, Hannah was surprised to see Jared. His arm stretched out in front of her, as if to shield her from that man.

In front of them both was her bodyguard who had caught Harold’s hand in a tight grip.

“How dare you interrupt me-”

“I am simply carrying out the work assigned to me. To protect the first princess, Hannah Windsor, until the end of the selection.” The bespectacled man stated firmly, releasing Harold’s hand.

Turning to his charge, he directed her to the door, remaining close to the current heir apparent should he plan something else.

“It’s time for your audience with His Majesty, the King, Miss Hannah.” He said, far more gently than his cold voice from earlier.

“...y-yes. Yes, thank you. Sir Mark. I... I shall go.”

She left the room quickly, unable to bear the atmosphere any longer. Once out the door, she had found herself accompanied by two guardians, leading her to the room she knew was her grandfather’s.

She could only hope things would not get worse.

//

“Why am I here.”

“Why must everyone ask the same boring questions.” The old man replied, stroking his chin. “Isn’t the answer obvious?”

“Your Majesty-”

“Hannah.”

“G-Grandfather.” She heard a pleased hum. “I thought we had an agreement.”

“Well, I thought so too.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Hannah slammed her fist into the bedpost, feeling her held back fury escaping. “I told you I wanted to be a witch!”

“And I’ve told you that witches are not to be part of the royal family.” He replied calmly.

“Exactly! So why?!” Hannah interrogated, clearly exasperated at these events. “You told me I could not be. But if I truly wanted you to let me go, I would manage Cielton for three years, raise their industry economic value, earn it publicity and recognition on the map, and I did all of that!” Her voice raised higher.

She should be frightened, screaming at the monarch of their country; but when it was just the two of them, no guards, no other people around, there was only Hannah and her grandfather. Two members of a family.

“We had a deal.” She said, voice breaking.

“I’m sorry.”

“I wanted no part in this.” She angrily wiped the tears away on her sleeve, huffing away her crying. “Didn’t you already announce that I’ve stepped down from the selection years ago?”

“...”

“Grandfather!”

The man remained silent. This only fueled Hannah’s pain and feelings of betrayal. Her grandfather was the only family she had left that she believed she could actually trust, yet he wasn’t even listening!

“The moment the time limit you gave was up, I would leave for my life as a witch. I would turn my back to the family. Just like you and father told me to. That was the deal. You would take care of the announcements, the excuses. All of it. You said so because if it was found out that I was leaving to be a witch, the backlash would be too strong.”

Hannah sighed, sitting on one of the lounge chairs, burying her face in her hands.

“You didn’t hold up your end of the bargain!”

“Neither did you.”

“What!?”

“I know of you commuting to Luna Nova during those three years. You didn’t enter two years ago. You’ve been there for five.” He revealed. “I also know the Young Cavendish head is your friend.”

Hannah suddenly stood up, realizing she’d been found out. “Grandfather, I-”

“Thus, you didn’t hold up your end completely either. You went behind my back.”

“That was!”

“And so, our deal is invalid. I did not announce your backing off from succession either. So consider things fair.”

All her statements died in her mouth as Hannah slumped back into the chair.

“...Why does it have to be me?”

“Why not?”

“I’m serious.”

“I am too.” The old King chuckled mirthlessly. “Hannah, dear. You were thirteen. And your father was sneaking out in town creating one too many scandals for me to keep up with.”

“I have two older brothers.”

“And none of them did as well as you did. One doesn’t want the throne-”

“I don’t either!”

“-for good reasons.”

“...”

“I do not trust Devon with this land, Hannah. The way he looks at the crown, drinking in the sight of its power as though it were intoxicating wine... He will destroy this country, Hannah.”

“Jared-”

“Is incompetent. We both know this.”

Hannah couldn’t reply to that.

Time ticked by in uncomfortable silence. Only emotional breaths, and the rustles of sheets were heard.

Hannah felt the stinging of restrained tears at the back of her throat. Her eyes burned, her head throbbed. Her nails dug deep into her palms as she considered all of this.

It wasn’t fair. It truly wasn’t.

“...does it have to be me?”

“There’s no one else.” The King said sadly. “It has to be.”

[kayr0ss]

Spectacles

[LWA, Diakko, they’re getting old so Diana needs glasses, Akko will never let it be easy, crushes, cute feelings realization, relaxed town day]

Diana’s sudden need for spectacles brings clarity to more than just one aspect of her life.

-----

“You’re squinting again.”

Diana blinked at the feeling of being poked on the forehead and looked up to find Akko all up in her face. This was nothing new, but the proximity—which was welcome on most days—seemed to catch her off-guard and defensive.

“I’m just checking a message.”

“And having a hard time doing it.” The brunette finally pulled back, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at Diana. “Your phone font is laughably large, and you’re holding it out a mile away. I’ve seen that before.” Her attempt at seriousness gave way to giggles, “my mother does it.”

The blonde witch found herself blinking, unable to respond as swiftly as she was accustomed to. Something was eating away at her attention, keeping her from moving to the next thought. Was it the chatter coming through the window from Luna Nova’s courtyard? The smell of Lotte’s apple pie from the table beside theirs?

“Your mother? What do you—”

“Nothing,” Akko chortled, “come on.”

“I have texts to finish decoding,” Diana started apologetically.

“Not with eyesight like that you don’t!” Akko held a stern finger up.

She blinked again, enraptured as she watched the brunette’s endless reservoir of determination focus into a single goal for this overcast afternoon:

“We’re getting you glasses!”

---

“I thought we were procuring spectacles?”

“Nis is pwart of da proshesh,” Akko replied with indignation, chewing through a hefty bite off a cheeseburger.

“The process,” Diana replied with a smile, “starts with a burger?”

“Everythwing stagrst wid a burg—”

“Chew first. Talk later.”

With an eyeroll that could put Sucy to shame, Akko sputtered a muffled ‘yes, mom’. The sight of it made Diana’s lips curl ever so slightly upward, then she blinked, dropping her gaze down to her cup of coffee upon realizing it must have been rude to stare at her counterpart while she ate. Akko devoured the burger with such vigor that it didn’t take long before the sound of chewing was replaced with words.

“Have you ever had a crush?”

Diana paused, caught off guard by the question. She realized, with great incredulity, that—“I… think I’ve never had one.”

“You’re shitting me.” Akko’s jaw dropped. She leaned forward on instinct when Diana whipped out napkin, comfortable while the blonde wiped away a smudge of burger dressing along her chin. “You are literally nineteen years old.”

Diana neatly folded the soiled napkin away. “It isn’t exactly something you have time for, when, you know.”

“The weight of a thousand expectations settles on your shoulders?” Akko playfully stuck out her tongue, but the sentiment hit right home even if she was kidding.

“Worded quite precisely,” Diana admitted. “Of course, there were many expectations that Andrew and I would eventually come into an arrangement but—oh dear!”

Akko had nearly choked on her soda. “Sorry!” she squealed, wiping herself down before the sugary drink dried into something sticky.

“I just—pfft!—I’d have paid to see how that panned out.”

--

The plan was simple: make a trip to the optometrist on this free afternoon. Of course, Akko made no mention of what felt like a million stops between Luna Nova and the elusive optical clinic, but Diana was foolish to think for a minute that it was going to go smoothly. Not that she minded the brunette’s company, she simply preferred it when things stayed…

“Diana! There are street musicians!”

…on schedule.

She should have refused. Really, she should have. In fact, she realized that Akko had swayed her into getting dessert, taking the longer road (“Let’s take the scenic route!”), going into a shop to look through dresses, and purchasing several vials of questionable ingredients for Sucy. She supposed another few minutes of distraction wouldn’t hurt—the music was pleasant in itself anyway.

It was a love song, one that Akko seemed familiar enough with to hum along to. The lyrics were as sweet as honey—and if she was going to be honest, a little too enamored for her liking. “Curious,” she found herself mumbling.

A crush. She’d never given much thought to such a frivolous and wholly unnecessary concept before. Of course, romance she was familiar with—many an evening was filled with Barbara’s NightFall dissections and commentary. But romance was grand, with so much finality and depth. The lovers in the stories books she’s read seemed to be so fully consumed by their emotions that it began to pain them as well. Whereas a crush… was it the fluttering of the stomach? A giggle one grows fond of? The feeling of—

“Ding dong?”

—slight exasperation but tenderness despite it all?

Akko made a doorbell out of Diana’s cheek, and with a tick of the eyebrow the blonde gently moved the offending finger away, “I’d really appreciate it if you stopped doing that.”

“You were totally spacing out!” Akko teased with a grin, unfazed by the rejection. Her hand slipped easily into Diana’s, and just before she could pull them towards the cotton candy cart, Diana set her foot down.

“No more detours,” she declared with firmness. “Glasses.”

“Mou, Diana!”

“Come on,” this time it was Diana who tugged at Akko’s arm. “Before it gets dark.”

--

Akko happily nipped at her puffy, pink cloud of sugar. It was hopeless; when Akko set her mind to it, she found that she couldn’t ever really say no.

“Hey, Diana?”

They were finally walking towards the optical clinic, much to the relief of Diana’s tired feet. “Yes?”

“You were thinking about crushes earlier, weren’t you?”

The blonde witch felt her ears go red, “I—Well…”

“You were mumbling out loud,” Akko nudged her shoulder. She giggled a little, “it was kind of funny. Such a literary perspective. I thought you were going to write an essay critiquing the notable differences between classical romance and modern-day infatuation.”

“Infatuation…” Diana trailed off. “Is that what a crush is?”

Akko just shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe? I think crush is a little more… wholesome? I guess.”

“Go on?”

“Like… you like being around the person.” Akko flailed her free arm around, trying to make gestures she couldn’t quite figure out like that crazy divination professor when trying to read tea leaves. “Hanging out with them never feels tiring, and little things makes your stomach get all weird and like—”

“Like…?” Diana blinked. Akko froze and in a mixture of concentration and… panic?

“Ahh, this is impossible! You blush and feel warm inside and stuff! There are butterflies which make you feel like they’re throwing a violent party in your stomach.”

Diana stopped walking to give Akko a blank, expectant look.

“What!”

Diana tried to fight it, but her pressed lips curled into a smile and then she broke into giggles. The giggles grew into chuckles.

Then she laughed. A full, hearty sound that Akko couldn’t help but smile at.

“That doesn’t sound pleasant at all!”

--

The sudden clarity of the world made her dizzy. The blonde witch blinked—were corners really that sharp? She could read! She could read the text from across the room, and her phone font was suddenly offensively large.

Akko was studying her with such scrutiny that she wanted to hide away.

“How do they look?”

The brunette huffed and crossed her arms. “Frustratingly good on you!”

Diana blinked, unsure how to respond to such a direct compliment and rubbed the back of her neck. “Th—thank you?”

“Well are you comfortable?” Akko inched in closer to inspect the wiry spectacles. “They don’t pinch at the nose or anything?”

Diana is a little disoriented by the sudden change in her vision and all of Akko’s movements but there were so many details she’s never seen before.

“Freckles,” she suddenly blurted out.

“Eh?” Akko inched back.

“You… you have freckles.”

…and long lashes which curled naturally upward, and a little button nose, and eyes in a clear vibrant red. Akko’s eyebrow shot up and she blinked a few times before smiling.

“That’s your first observation?”

The second observation was that Akko had a blindingly radiant smile. But I knew that already. It was framed by a slight blush that had always been there, but she never really noticed before.

“Uhm… Diana?” Akko takes her hand to capture her attention. “You don’t have to keep wearing them all the time yet. You take them off and break them in a little at a time.”

Akko’s words fell into obscurity. Diana’s gaze moved towards where Akko’s hand met hers.

There were… butterflies in her stomach?

“Diana? Are you okay?

She could feel blood rushing up to her face as quickly as the realization was setting in. Akko was looking straight into her eyes with concern, and when the brunette’s palm came into contact with her cheek everything turned crystal clear.

‘Have you ever had a crush?’

“I…”

She had never had trouble with vocabulary before, but—

“Stomach. Insects. Violent party.”

--

A/N: Hey guys! I’ve missed ya’ll! Sorry, still rusty as usual, but I keep trying to come back and write anyway. Is Diakko and LWA still alive these days?

Times have a been tough since I started working (around the end of my Diakko writing spree days, I think?) I guess. I hope everyone is doing well. I’ve recently gotten into Haikyuu! and absolutely adore everyone ++ you can expect some Kiyoyachi fics sometime soon, maybe? Also found the time to watch She-Ra and I love it so far!

Inching my way through so that I can post an update to my multi-chapters, so to everyone who have reviewed recently and still encourage me to continue - thank you so much. You guys are the best! I’m still hanging on as well. I’ve gone into graduate school on top of work, so things are crazy, but somehow I manage. See you soon. :)

PS - I don’t think I was able to proofread this well enough so I am sorry luvyu

[emybain]

can you do some with nova and adrian in the house with hugh & simon like in archenemies

soo...I tried. im terrible at writing adults for whatever reason. also, im sorry bc I used this as self indulgence and basically continued a previous tiny group of fics that I plan to keep adding on to

anyway, this is nodrian house hunting, basically. that's it. 

Nova’s hands curled tighter around her mug as thunder and lightning disrupted the steady downfall of rain. She shifted closer to Adrian underneath the blanket they were sharing to get a better look at the new image he pulled up on his tablet.

    “Two bedroom, one bathroom,” he read off, scrolling down to look at the description of the apartment. “Sun filled updated condo in a great location...completely renovated kitchen...front porch and fenced in back patio…” He nodded, lips pursed.

    Nova sipped her tea, enjoying its warmth. “Square footage?”

    “Just over one thousand.” Adrian scrolled back up to the pictures included with the condo. Nova nearly choked on her drink.

    “Great skies, Adrian. You said you were looking for an apartment, not a house.”

    Adrian began swiping through the photos. “This is a condo, Nova. It’s just the first floor, not both.”

    “Well, they’re charging quite a bit for just the first floor.” Nova leaned in front of her to set the mug down on the coffee table.

They were sitting in the living area of Adrian’s home, looking for a place for Adrian to call his own due to the many circumstances including privacy. When Adrian had first mentioned house hunting after he returned from his Africa trip, they had planned on meeting at Nova’s place to keep away from the prying eyes of Simon and Hugh, Adrian’s nosy dads. However, they hadn’t planned on the heating system to stop working throughout the entire apartment complex during a week of storms, so they agreed to just meet at Adrian’s house and keep it low key. Lucky for them, Simon and Hugh had been gone for the better part of the day, running errands and working with other Renegades to rebuild the system. Neither of them held the knowledge that their former worst enemy and current girlfriend of their son was cuddled up next to him on their couch in the middle of their living room, doing the most domestic thing on the planet. Max, who was just in the early stages of his teen years, was locked away in his room with his video games. He had been in the living area when Nova came over, but immediately fled to the safety of his bedroom to ‘avoid gross couple-y things’.

“I don’t mind going a little over budget.” Adrian shrugged nonchalantly. “The kitchen is actually really nice for a condo. Lots of light. New appliances. I think this is in one of those old neighborhoods that they’re trying to bring back to life.”

Nova raised an eyebrow. “A little over budget is a few thousand. Your price ranger is under one-fifty. This is almost three hundred, Adrian.”

“I’m well aware.” Adrian shot her a look, eyes glinting in amusement. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “The yard’s too small anyway.” He exited out of the condo and went back to the main list.

“Now you want a yard?” Nova shifted to face him better. The blanket twisted with her. “What are you going to do? Adopt a dog?”

“I might.” Adrian glanced at her again, this time quicker than the last.

After a few minutes of scrolling, he opened up another listing. Nova resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This one was a house. Or, as the description read, single family home. “What are you going to do with a two story house, Adrian Everhart? With three bedrooms?” Upon closer examination of the description, she blinked in confusion. “Buddy. This isn’t even in Gatlon.”

“Would you like to do the searching for me?” Adrian offered her the tablet jokingly, although she could tell he was a little miffed from the tight set of his shoulders. Nova wanted to shrink back into the blanket, but she refused to.

“I just want to know why you’re looking at places bigger and more expensive than you mentioned before. Not to mention that they don’t really look like a first home for a twenty year old planning to live by himself.”

Adrian set the tablet back down in his lap. “Maybe I don’t plan to live by myself.”

Nova gave him a long look, which he returned. “And who’s going to be living with you? Oscar and Ruby are getting married, so that rules out him. One of your old friends?”

“Well, maybe I plan to live by myself at first,” Adrian paused, “but it never hurts to be prepared for the future.” He went quiet after that and tore his eyes from Nova’s. As he returned to the main list, it struck Nova, turning her cheeks a dark color.

“Adrian-”

“Look, here’s an apartment. Two bedroom, one bathroom, in the price range and in Gatlon.”

She rested her hand on his neck, forcing him to turn his head back to face her.

“What?” He feigned being oblivious, but Nova saw through it.

“Adrian,” she started again, biting her lip. “We don’t know what’s in the future. We haven’t even been together for six months yet.”

“I don’t need six months to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Nova.”

It was Nova’s turn to fall silent. Her eyes fell to the tablet, with the apartment Adrian had pulled up. It was hideous, judging from the first photo. Definitely not Adrian’s style.

Nova couldn’t deny that she had thought of what life would be like if she and Adrian stayed together long enough to make a huge decision like moving in together. But every time that her mind brought it up, it terrified her. Almost her whole life had been spent alone, even when she lived in the subway tunnels with the Anarchists. Even now, when she had been spending the past two years surrounded by people and building relationships that had previously been made up of lies. She lived alone, she made all her own decisions, she worked independently among a group of people. The last time she hadn’t truly been alone was before her family was killed.

Sure, since she had started dating Adrian, for real, some of those things were altered. She began to be more open and friendly (because Adrian told her that she gave off a ‘I’m-better-than-everyone-else’ bitch vibe whenever she kept to herself), and she was more open to collaborating. But none of those were as big as changing her whole living situation by moving in with Adrian. Moving in with Adrian would mean exposing herself and trusting him in the rawest ways possible. Not that she didn’t already trust him. She trusted him with her life. But this was a different kind of trust, and she didn’t know if she was ready for it. For now, at least. So she told him.

“But things could change later,” Nova said quickly, upon seeing Adrian’s face fall. “And...I guess you’re right. It doesn’t hurt to prepare for the future.” To reassure him, she tilted her head up and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Adrian reached for her hand, entwining their fingers together. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re not against moving in together one day?”

“I’m not saying no,” Nova corrected, although the corner of her mouth began to twitch at the change in mood.

A grin painted itself on Adrian’s face, and he leaned forward, cupping Nova’s face and pressing his lips to hers, not quite as gentle as before.

“I love you,” he murmured, tracing his thumb just underneath her ear.

“I love you, too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. As Adrian slowly moved his hands to her waist to pull her into his lap, the tablet slid to the ground with a thud that neither of them heard.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, wrapped up in each other’s embrace, kissing slowly and savoring the moment, when a click came from the front of the house, followed by the sound of a door opening.

Upon hearing the voices of Adrian’s dads, calling to Adrian and Max that they were home, Nova’s eyes flung open, meeting Adrian’s panicked ones. She all but leaped from his lap, nearly falling to the ground in her struggle to unwrap her legs from where they were previously situated around his waist. Adrian reached for the fallen tablet and straightened his collar, which was slightly disturbed. Nova pushed herself to the other end of the couch, and reached up to make sure her hair wasn’t tussled.

Adrian loved playing with her hair, she had come to learn since starting their relationship. Whether it was when they were just spending time together or an hour long of kissing and cuddling, he liked to have his hands in her hair. Because of that, her hair tended to be messy after their dates. And not just unbrushed messy; it made it clearly obvious that Nova had been doing questionable things with someone. That someone being Adrian.

His dads entered the room, Hugh leading, and paused when they saw Nova sitting next to their son on the couch, both trying to keep their breathing steady. Simon was the first to break the silence with a smile.

“We didn’t know Adrian was having you over, Nova. It’s nice to see you.”

Nova managed to smile back, eyes flickering between him and Hugh. “Uh...yeah. It’s good to see you, too.”

Hugh, who remained quiet, had been wary of Nova ever since her identity had been revealed years ago. While they were on friendlier terms, he still exercised caution around her, and he still held a bit of a grudge against her for everything she did to his family. Which he was allowed to hold. Just as she was allowed to hold a grudge against him for all the times he had wronged her. Despite the fact that both parties had apologized for wrongdoings against the other. Perhaps one day, they would find a compromise that would put the past behind them. Today was not that day, for obvious reasons.

Simon cleared his throat, glancing at their set up, made of blankets, pillows, and hot drinks. It was practically screaming evidence that he and Hugh were interrupting a date. “So...what are you two up to?”

Nova exchanged a quick glance with Adrian. “Apartment hunting,” he stated plainly, holding up the tablet to show them. “I, uh, asked Nova the other day to help me out. She actually has a knack for real estate.”

Nova nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “Yeah! Who knew, right?”

“Any luck?” Hugh finally spoke, strolling over to the couch to peer over Adrian’s shoulder. Nova tensed.

“Not really.” Adrian laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and readjusting his glasses. “At least, not in the city.”

“What about the suburbs?”

“Nova doesn’t think it’s wise to buy a house at my age.” Adrian’s tone was light, meant to come across as joking, but Nova still felt a wave of guilt roll through her when Hugh’s eyes laid on her again.

“Well, it’s not like you have to listen to me,” Nova retorted, looking down. “I’m just here for suggestions.”

She nearly jumped when the couch shifted with the weight of Captain Chromium settling into it, creating a barrier between her and Adrian. Simon caught her eye as he sat down as well, although in the armchair beside the couch; his look was sympathetic. Nova tried to hide her blush.

“You see, the key to narrowing it down…” Hugh went off onto a lecture on house hunting, going full out and using his hands for emphasis. Nova watched as Adrian nodded along, clearly uncomfortable, compared to not twenty minutes before when they were snuggled up together.

“Well, I guess I should be going.” Nova stood to leave, only for Hugh to push her back down. She had to restrain from glaring at him. She was already on thin ice with this man.

“This is important for you to hear as well, Nova. You may learn a thing or two.”

The smug look Adrian gave her almost made her throw a pillow at his face, just to wipe away the smile.

[seouledbysisi]

Ambitious Dreams

Chapter Six

Hyoeun ran up onto the stage. Nori was very captivated by his very presence. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Her phone had been vibrating all day but she didn’t care. All she was worried about was supporting this talented man that was onstage. She had never seen him exhume this type of energy and it made her see him in a new light.

Hash ran up to them through the large crowd. “Sorry, I’m late. My interview ran over a little.”

Nori glanced over at him speaking to Changmo.

He hadn’t realized she was there yet.

Nova waved to him from the other end.

He decided to walk over to where she and Elle were. “What’s up?! Wasn’t expecting y’all to be here.”

She nodded as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. Ash had bought her some loaded fries. He insisted that she eat something even though she wasn’t hungry. “Yeah, Hyoeun invited us. He gave us tickets so here we are!” She yelled over the music.

Hash looked around and noticed Nori standing beside a female that he didn’t recognize. “Hey Nori!” He pulled her attention.

Nori smiled. “Hey! “ she waved then turned her attention back to Hyoeun.

He smiled a little. “Tell me something?”

Nova returned his attention. “What’s up?”

“She really likes him, right?” He asked as he nodded towards Nori.

Nova gave him a sad smile. “Yeah. She does. But it’s not that she doesn’t like you it’s just-“

He shook his head still smiling. “No, I get it. He’s more of her vibe. I’m cool with it.”

“Really? You’re such a great guy and some girl will be lucky to have you for sure!” Nova reassured him.

He smirked. “I know. I think Hyoeun will benefit from having her around. He needs someone whose going to spice his life up.”

Nova nodded. “Well I don’t wanna be rude, this is my coworker, Elle. Elle, this is Hash Swan.”

“You can just call me Hash.” He held his hand out.

Elle grinned. “Nice to meet you! You have good music.” She said excitedly as she swayed to the music.

“Well thank you. I try. What do you do?” He asked.

She smiled. “I’m a junior style consultant.”

He nodded. “Sounds cool.”

“There’s never a dull moment for sure!” She responded.

Hash nudged Nova. “I like her energy. Keep her around.” He said lowly and walked back over to Changmo.

Nova glanced over to Elle who was oblivious at this point. She didn’t want to read too much into what Hash was saying because after all he was a really nice guy so compliments didn’t necessarily mean that he liked someone.

Marz came onstage afterwards. When he performed I Can Be Your Rockstar he kept staring at Nova and there was no way that he could hide it.

Ash latched his arm around her waist as if to say back the hell up cause she’s mine.

Marz girlfriend’s eyes moved from Nova back up to Marz. She wondered if something was going on between the two but she couldn’t be for sure and she surely didn’t want to cause a scene or make Marz angry with her. After all she needed him like her life depended on it. At this point maybe it did, because when he wasn’t around she felt like she was barely hanging on.

Nova bobbed her head to the music but made sure she didn’t make eye contact with him. Ash had already damn near staked his claim on her so to save the drama she was going to do everything possible to stay away from it.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Ash asked in her ear.

Nova shrugged. “I told you I wasn’t hungry!” She yelled over the music.

“We’re going out after this. You gotta eat something, okay?”

She nodded.

He scooped her from behind and rocked her hips with his. “This isn’t too much for you, right?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.” She leaned her head back on his shoulder and swayed with him.

Nori looked in her direction and her eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets. She snatched her away and pulled her into her embrace. “Are you drunk or are you high?” She asked frantically.

“Now you know I don’t have anything in my system! What’s the big deal? Y’all been trying to put me on him for the longest.” Nova laughed.

Nori threw her hands up. “I’m all for this but I’m making sure you know what you’re doing.” She laughed.

“I do. He’s cool and I’m pretty sure he’s tired of being rejected. Plus he’s pretty cute when he’s possessive!” She snickered.

Elle cornered in with them. “I knew you liked him!”

“We’re friends. That’s it!” Nova rolled her eyes.

“Yeah sure y’all are-.” Elle started.

Nova held a finger up, “BUT I’m not totally opposed to spending more time with him.”

“Finally you admit it. We all knew! What about Marz?” Nori asked as her eyes dragged to the stage that he was on.

Nova shrugged.

“Wait- what about Marz?! I want the tea!” Elle interrupted.

“Well they-“

Nova shook her head to cut her off. “There is no tea. He has a girlfriend and I’m not in the business of stepping on other people’s territories.” Suddenly a loud crash was heard and equipment from one of the rides went flying everywhere.

Everyone screamed and began to run. It was so many people trying to get away that you could barely see which direction was safe. Nova felt a hand grip hers and pull her away. She wasn’t sure who it was but at this point she didn’t have time to think. It was a now or never situation. She just prayed for safety.

Hyoeun leaped off the stage. “Nori!” He began to yell frantically searching for her. He wasn’t worried about his own safety he just wanted her to be okay. “Nori!”

Elle was pushed to the ground. She heard a loud groan as she hit the gr- it was Hash. Her eyes widened. She immediately began to cry. “I’m so sorry!” She yelled and tried to get herself up. She was a mess at this point. She looked up at the huge crowd and became so overwhelmed.

He held his hand out and jerked her up. “Hurry, lets go!” They ran together with the crowd.

Emergency sirens were ringing from every direction. Everyone had been split up.

Nova began panicking when she searched the parking lot and couldn’t find Nori.

Ash held her and rubbed her hair to calm her down. “She’s fine. Hyoeun is looking for her.”

She shook her head. “I won’t be okay until I see her!” Tears blurred her vision.

Ash pulled his phone out and began to call Hyoeun. He held Nova close with his other arm. Her arms were wrapped around him so tight he could barely breathe but strangely he was okay with that. Her warmth was keeping his calm. Hyoeun wasn’t answering.

Nova looked up at him. “No answer?”

He shook his head and held her head into his chest. “They’re okay. They have to be!”

She was beginning to shake. “But what if-“

“Nova!” Elle yelled as she walked hand-in-hand with Hash.

Nova tore away from Ash and ran to her. “You okay?” She grabbed her cheeks to check for any cuts or bruises. She had a small cut above her lip. “Elle, I’m so sorry.”

Elle shook her head. “I’m fine. I just got knocked over and my face made friends with the ground.”

Nova passed a look between the two who were still holding hands. “No more making friends with the ground.” She rubbed her shoulder.

“I can’t make any promises but I’ll try not to. You know I’m super friendly!” She giggled.

Nova couldn’t help from being distracted by the two still holding hands. Like she understood him being a gentleman and getting her to safety but damn, she was safe now. “You sure you’re okay?”

Elle looked over at Hash and finally realized that their hands were still interlocked. She snatched it away. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” She spoke to him quickly as she fiddled with her fingers.

He slid his hands in his pockets. “It’s cool. We’re all shook up and caught in the moment.”

“Hey! I found them!” Ash yelled in their direction. He had kept trying to call Hyoeun but still was getting no answer. He was relieved when he saw Nori and him emerge from the crowd. He ran to them quickly. “Dude, why the fuck haven’t you answered your phone?”

Hyoeun shook his head. “I dropped it somewhere back there when I was looking for her.”

Ash noticed him limping. “You okay? Do you need to get that checked?”

Hyoeun shook his head fast. “Nah, I’m good. Let’s just go!”

Nori grabbed his arm so he could settle his weight on her a bit. “You saved me so now it’s my turn to help you out.”

He gave her a warning look.

“Let me do this! Don’t give me that look.”

He smirked. “You’re gonna be the death of me.” He chuckled.

They all gathered into Ash’s green expedition.

Ash opened the front seat door for Nova and shut it behind her. He jumped in and cranked the vehicle. He hooked his phone up to the Bluetooth in the vehicle. His phone began to ring. Marz. He answered it. “Hey, y’all good?” Marz asked over the big speaker of the truck.

“Yeah. Y’all?” Ash answered as he turned onto the freeway.

“Yeah. We’re heading to grab some food. Y’all got the girls? I didn’t see them. We looked for them.” Marz revealed.

Ash sighed. “Yeah they’re with us. Is Jangmi and Lee okay?”

Lee? Who the hell is that? Nova thought to herself. She couldn’t remember anyone else being around but then again Ash had occupied all of her space.

Marz got quiet. “Yeah they’re fine.”

“Alright, we’ll see y’all at the house. We gonna grab some food and head there.” He hung up. He looked over at Nova whose leg was trembling. He reached over the middle console and grabbed her hand. He laced their fingers.

She tightened the grip and caressed his hand with her free one.

They went inside a McDonald’s to order food. Ash ordered himself two burgers and a large fry. Nova just stood behind him slightly quietly.

“What you want?” He pulled her next to him. “You gotta eat, Nova.” He rubbed her shoulder.

“Just a nugget and side salad.” She spoke quickly and stepped back with Nori as he paid for the food. He handed her a large cup.

Hash ordered his food and then pointed at Elle.

She looked around. “Me?”

He nodded and beckoned for her. “I got you. Order whatever you want.”

“No no! I’m good. I can buy my own food.” Elle became flustered. Why the heck is this man being so nice to me?

“Order. I’m not taking no for an answer.” Hash pushed.

She finally ordered a burger and fry.

They got back in the vehicle and headed to the guys house. They pulled up to huge house. It was nice.

Nova’s eyes widened. “Do y’all all live here?”

Ash grabbed their food and nodded and headed to the front door. They all followed him to a big room with a huge tv and two sectional couches in it.

Nova’s eyes blinked a few times when she saw a familiar face. She stiffened.

Ash noticed her hesitation. “What’s wrong?”

Lee. When he had asked Marz about Jangmi and Lee,this is who he meant. The devil herself. She rolled her eyes and continued over to one of the couches.

Ash sat beside her and handed her the food. “You sure you’re okay?”

She nodded. “Yep! Just be prepared to take me home soon.”

He eyed her. “Let’s just enjoy the moment. We could’ve died tonight. I just want to be beside you and share your comfort.”

She nodded with a slight snare.

Jangmi stood from the couch and walked out.

Marz just watched her. He didn’t dare follow. Quite frankly he wasn’t too interested in her nor her friend’s drama.

Lee walked near Nova. “What the hell are you here for? Have you not tortured my friend enough already?”

Nori’s attention caught quickly. She stood up to be sure her friend was okay.

“What exactly have I done to your friend?” Nova questioned. Now she was really irritated!

Lee cocked her head to the side. “You want what you can’t have. Marz doesn’t like you so back the fuck off! They’ve been together for years, nothing you say or do will change that!”

Nova laughed. “I’m not trying to get him, what imaginary world are you and your friend living in?”

“Just stay away from him!” Lee continued.

Nova stood. “Let me make something clear, I’m all the way over here minding my own business. If your friend is threatened just by my mere presence then that sounds like a personal problem to me! Now you back off!”

Nori walked up. “Walk away little girl. You don’t want these problems!” She directed at Lee.

“Lee, you and Jangmi are dismissed. Take her home. I’ll talk to her later.” Marz spoke up.

Lee’s eyes widened. She was fuming. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re going to dismiss your girlfriend? You’re a disrespectful asshole. She should dump your ass!”

Marz shrugged. “Been waiting on that anyway.” He said under his breath.

Lee whipped her head around. “What did you just say?”

He simply shook his head. “Nothing. Take her home.”

Lee walked out the room to find her friend.

Nova sat down with her face in her hands.

Ash grabbed their food up and held out his hand. “Let’s go to my room.”

Nova nodded. As soon as they made it to his room her emotions fell apart. She was livid. She wasn’t a home wrecker. “I don’t deserve that. I don’t, Ash!” Tears fell onto her cheek.

“No you don’t. Don’t worry about it. Jangmi is insecure.”

“But why? I’ve never even made an advance at him. Barely talk to him! And on top of all of that I’m here with YOU!”

Ash sat on his bed and patted the space next to him. “It’s not about you. They’ve had problems for a long time. They’re just finally being brought to the table I guess.”

Nova looked up at him. “They act like I’m the problem.”

“You’re not. That’s been a sinking ship for about two years now.”

“So why does he keep her around? He doesn’t seem happy anyway!” She rolled her eyes.

Ash exhaled deeply. “Circumstances.” He said plainly.

Nova laid back on two of his pillows staring at the ceiling.

He laid on his side and cozied up close to her. They laid in silence. He caressed her soft coils on her head. He’d never been happier lying next to someone who wasn’t even his. For all he knew Marz and his girl could break up and pull Nova right from under him. He wanted to savor this moment as long as he could.

[ghostandblog]

A Kiss From Diana

FF / AO3

Summary: Seven unconnected snippets of Diana kissing one of her friends.

Pairing: Diana x Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Hannah & Barbara, Amanda, Jasminka, Constanze

Word count: 1838

Akko

Diana feels weird looking at a shooting star from the ground knowing that once she stood in the middle of the stars in space.

A lot of things have been different these past weeks, even if things got relatively back to normal, but in subtle ways, the way that Diana saw the world around her was different too. It wasn’t something she could discuss with anyone, not only due to her usual closed nature but because she feared that no one else would understand her.

But Diana was thankful that there was someone else who she knew felt the same way, because she was with her during everything.

The stars would never look the same to her again.

“What did you wish for?”

Akko’s voice interrupts Diana’s thoughts.

“Good fortune and success in this new chapter of our lives. But mostly, prosperity for you and me, and for all of our friends and loved ones, too.” Diana smiles fondly while looking at the sky, then she turns to Akko. “And you?"

“Aww, man, now I feel silly.” Akko says while making a pout face. “I just wished for the new Nintendo Switch.”

Diana chuckles a little, then gives her a small kiss while caressing her check. “Well, hopefully, we can manage to get one very soon.”

Akko grins at her then holds her other hand.

“All my other wishes already came true. I honestly didn’t think of asking for something else.”

Diana just smiles, thinking how no other star could compare to the one in front of her.

Lotte

Diana likes the peacefulness of the schoolyard when it comes to studying, and she learned that Lotte likes it too.

She learned a lot of things about her these past days. The number of freckles that covered her nose and timidly disappeared over the rest of her face, how her glasses hid the expressive, vivid eyes that marveled her every time. Now, she was learning all about her most special interest.

Akko and Hannah warned her about this.

“So, do you like it? This chapter is one of my favorites! Also, the best to introduce people to the series!”

Diana gives another look to the page she was reading. Between the love triangle involving that Bella girl with a vampire and that one werewolf, plot twists involving long-lost relatives, annoying miscommunication between the main characters, and, for some reason, a side plot that included time travel and sky pirates, she was trying to make sense of one of Lotte’s favorite hobbies.

“Is…certainly a unique story. I can’t say I’ve read anything like this before.”

As an attempt to change the subject, she gives her a kiss on her temple while playing with her messy orange hair.

Now she learns that it only takes a kiss on the forehead to make Lotte blush.

Sucy

When her lips meet Sucy’s she expects her to throw some poison, snakes, or poison-covered snakes at her. To Diana’s surprise, she doesn’t do anything like that, but she makes sure to keep her expression as stoic as possible.

Is Sucy the one that looks surprised. As surprised as she can look, Diana thinks. But the tone of her voice gets a little shakier.

“What… what the hell was that.”

Diana just crosses her arms.

"Akko mentioned to me how she tried to kiss you one time. Twice, if I recall correctly.” Diana tries to make something of the other girl’s red face, if it’s embarrassment or something else. “Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

Sucy blinks, seemingly annoyed, then tries to look away.

“So? What did you think?”

Diana licks her lips, looking down. She turns to Sucy with an amused expression.

“Mushroom-flavored lip balm? Seriously?”

Hannah and Barbara

A serving tray with a cup of Diana’s favorite tea, a plate of pancakes in the shape of a heart, and a small box of chocolates with a rose laying on top of it. Very subtle.

Diana stretches her arms.

“Breakfast on bed? May I ask what’s the occasion?”

“Does it there needs to be an occasion to show how much we appreciate our best friend?” Hannah questioned loudly and frantically.

“Yes, we only want you to know, like, how much you mean to us, Diana!” Barbara continued, nervously.

Probably nothing to do with that copy of “How To Confess To Your Roommate for Dummies” that Diana found under Hannah and Barbara’s desk. Not at all.

Very very subtle. But she would be lying if she said their antics weren’t endearing.

“You two mean a lot for me, too.” Diana says while getting up from her bed. “Unfortunately, you have chosen a bad time for this. I already promised Headmistress Holbrook that I would assist her in some chores for our school, and I’m afraid I need to leave as soon as possible if I want to arrive on time.”

Their expression turns to disappointment almost in sync.

“But I’ll make it up for you.” Diana says as she walks to the bathroom, stopping to the side of the two girls. “I’ll get back by tea time, and then I’ll bake something just for the three of us.” She kisses Barbara’s right check and Hannah’s left chek much to their surprise.

She keeps her pace, Barbara still freezing, Hannah the only one able to speak.

“D-Diana! You don’t need to!”

Amanda

“Let’s start with chapter two, shall we? Seems to be the one you have the most trouble with. The History of Transmutation in-“

“Yaaaaawn.” Amanda’s exaggeratedly prolonged yawn interrupted Diana.

A study session with Luna Nova’s top student would be an important opportunity for any other classmate, but to Amanda, it was just another boring chore.

“I will let you know that I’m not exactly thrilled to spend my afternoon helping study someone who doesn’t seem to care to improve her grades, but as you know, your roommates were so concerned that you wouldn’t pass your classes that they asked me about it.” Diana expected that stating the obvious would change Amanda’s demeanor. “Because you do know that they care about you, right, O’Neill?”

Diana’s attempt at guilt-tripping makes Amanda roll her eyes. Of course she knows. What she doesn’t know is why it was such a big deal for everyone. Amanda already had ideas to keep in touch with their friends In Case Anything Happens, as she said.

“It’s just…it’s hard to give it my all you know? Don’t really care for grades, don’t really care for this school. Of course I care about my friends, Cavendish. But when it comes to this place…I don’t feel like there is something worth making me stay in here, alright?”

Diana sighs, gets up from her seat and advances closer to Amanda, who isn’t sure why she decided to come near her if she’s gonna give her another speech about responsibility, tradition, duty or whatever.  

Before Amanda can complain, she feels Diana’s hand on her chin, tilting up her startled face a little. She gives her a kiss. Quicky, yet gently at the same time.

And before Amanda can reciprocate, Diana pulls away, keeping the serious expression on her face.

“Would that suffice?”, Diana says before returning to her seat.

She thinks is cute how the red in Amanda’s face doesn’t quite match her hair.

“Geez, Cavendish, you sure had gotten better at pep talks, I’ll tell you that.”

Amanda bashfully reopens her book, half looking at the text, half grinning.

“Alright then, chapter two, wasn’t it? The History of Transmutation in Modern Witch Society..”

Jasminka

The smiling girl stands in front of the blue team’s dorm room door, offering one of the cornflakes from the bag she’s carrying.

Diana accepts one. She is not hungry, neither is in the mood that kind of food, but she doesn’t want to be seen as uncourteous.

“Sorry to bother. Is just that the cakes you brought for Akko’s flying practice the other day were just so delicious Diana. I couldn’t help but wonder if you may have more with you, or even the recipe?”

Diana eats the single cornflake she took, then inspects Jasminka’s apparently-closed eyes, who patiently waits for her answer.

"I’m afraid I don’t have anymore, Antoneko. But I was thinking of preparing another batch for our picnic with all our teams together, next week. If you are interested, perhaps you would like to assist me.”

“Really? Oh, thank you so much! I can’t wait!”

Diana feels the scents of candy near her, specifically strawberry and cinnamon. Before she realizes it, Jasminka is giving her a kiss on the check.

Was this typical Russian customary or just Jasminka being herself? Either way, again, Diana doesn’t want to be seen as uncourteous.

She approaches her timidly and gives her a small kiss on the right check. She takes her time, to see if she can catch the scent of cinnamon again.

When she turns back, Diana can see a visible red on the other girl’s face and her smile getting even wider. For a brief second, she can’t help but think how adorable she looks.

Then she figures it out. It was just Jasminka being herself.

Constanze

“No no, no, I can’t open the door! You go open it!”

Amanda’s loud tone isn’t that of her typical laziness, as Diana can hear it from the other side of the door. Is more akin to the one she uses whenever she has a scheme going on.

Terrific. She braces herself for the worst.

To her surprise, there is nothing out of the ordinary when the door is opened. Just Constanze with a questioning expression on her face.

“Greetings, Von Braunschbank.” Diana wasn’t sure if it was customary to say her entire surname, but she hoped that wasn’t the case. “O’Neill summoned me here, saying it was important for me to come to your team’s room and that she would inform me why once I was here… but I can already tell there is an ulterior reason for that, isn’t that right?” she says while glancing at the American girl grinning at them from her bed.

“You betcha.” With a movement of her wand, she reveals a previously invisible tiny object hanging at the top of the door, above the two girls who look up at the same time. “Mistletoe! And you know what that means, you two!”

Constanze blinks then covers her face.

Diana sighs while closing her eyes.

“Yes, I know what it means at a certain time of the year. You do realize that Christmas was two months ago, right, O'Neill?”

“Awww, c’ mon! Don’t be so lame!”

Amanda can’t decide which of the two girls looking at her has the most stern, unamused look in their eyes. Constanze’s furrowed eyebrows certainly make it look like is hers.

They quickly raise from their position, accompanied with wide eyes blinking at high speed, when Diana stoops a little and gives her a peck on the check anyway.

Amanda just laughs.

(this is gonna get kinda dated when nintendo releases a new console, isn’t it?)

Diana is one of my favorite characters on the show, but I’m not sure if I write her properly. So this is mostly an exercise to see how well I do in that regard.

Sucy’s part of the story is a little shorter than the rest because as I was writing the original idea I had, I found myself expanding it more and more to the point that it didn’t count as a snippet anymore. So I decided to leave that one for another fic. I think it may be worth a try.

Thank you for reading!

[purplesurveys]

575

Coffee mugs, teacups, or water bottles? I’m not crazy about liquid-holding stuff, but I’d go with water bottles if I had to pick. Bubblegum or cotton candy? As in, those two as flavors? Bubblegum. How did your elementary school teachers describe you? I wouldn’t know but I wouldn’t be surprised if they found me unremarkable. I never recited, got average grades at the first half of grade school, and never really made an effort for the teachers to recognize me. I didn’t start taking stuff seriously till the second half of elementary. Do you prefer to drink soda from cans, bottles or cups? I prefer to pass on the soda. Earbuds or headphones? Earphones.

Movies or TV? Movie, definitely. Favorite smell in the summer? THE BEACH!!!!!!!!! And seafood being grilled at beachside, yummmmm. Game you were best at in P.E./gym? Table tennis. What do you have for breakfast on an average day? On an average day, I skip breakfast. But when my dad is home, he always makes me eat something, and usually that’s fried eggs and hotdogs with white bread. Sometimes he’ll fry rice and pair it with leftovers from last night. Name of your favorite playlist? Right now, it’s a playlist I titled ‘things I wish I said’ and it’s dedicated to Nacho. Lanyard or key ring? My key ring is attached to my lanyard, so that I never forget both my ID and my keys when leaving for school. Favorite non-chocolate candy? Fruitella. Or anything that’s chewy and fruit-flavored (which is still weird to me, considering I hate fruits). Favorite book you had to read for school? Dekada ‘70 and Without Seeing the Dawn. Most comfortable position to sit in? Improperly.

Most frequently worn pair of shoes? I think it’s my pair of Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, but not sure. I don’t keep count. Ideal weather? This question is on like 1 out of 5 surveys, ugh. I like bleak and cold weather. Pencils or pens? Pens. Obsession from childhood? The TV shows Hi-5 and Spongebob. And pogs. Favorite crystal? I don’t think I have any. Favorite activity to do in warm weather? Sulk and complain. Unless I’m at the beach. Favorite activity to do in cold weather? Sleeeeeeeeeeep in, take surveys, and stay in bed wrapped in a blanket. Five songs to describe you? I’m not feeling like anything right now, so I don’t think any of them would be able to describe me. Best way for someone to bond with you? Have samgyupsal with me :) Top 5 favorite Vines? “Come to Del Taco! They have fre...free sh...FREE SHAVACADO” “There’s only one things worse than a rapist – boom” “A child!” “No–” “T-T-T-T-T-T-T-TARGET” “Has anyone ever told you you look like Beyonce?” “...No they usually tell me I look like Shalisa” “Who the fuck is that?” “ME” “Ahhhh, stop, I coulda dropped my croissant” Ads you have stuck in your head? None of them because fuck them all. Average time you fall asleep? 10-11 PM. Sometimes a little later than 11. What is the first meme you remember seeing? Oh man I hopped on that train pretty early. I reached the very first batch of meme comics that came from 9GAG, e.g. the Y U NO guy, the FFFFFFUUUUU– guy, Forever Alone, Bad Luck Brian, the original trollface etc. Suitcase, duffel bag, or backpack? Backpack. I don’t use the other two. Lemonade or tea? Lemonade. Last person you texted? Gabie, I think. I didn’t talk to anybody all day because depression hit bad today, so I can’t remember all that well. Jacket pockets or pants pockets? Jackets, they’re usually more spacious. Favorite type of jacket? Windbreakers or hoodies. Favorite scent for soap? I don’t have a preference, soap should just smell nice for me lmao. Sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes? Honestly, none of these but if I had to go with one, I’d pick sci-fi. What clothes do you sleep in? Thin and short ones, because I like feeling more cold than warm. Favorite type of cheese? FETA!!!!!!!!!!! What saying or quote do you live by? I don’t like relying on quotes. What are you currently stressed about? Right now, nothing. I’m just feeling down in general. Favorite font? I use Proxima Nova for all my reviewers and school notes, because to me it looks pleasant. It’s actually the default font that my org uses to maintain our branding, and since I’ve worked on a lot of documents for the org, the habit of using Proxima just carried over to my irl files and I ended up liking it. What did you learn from your first job? Proofread every single goddamn thing you write 10, 15 times. From internship. I thought I was decent until my emails were bombarded with copy edits. Favorite fairy tale? None. Favorite tradition? Like, in general? My elementary/high school has a tradition of extending recess break and giving away either free ice cream or slices of our homemade tarts for the feast day of the Assumption of Mary. It’s always one of the most exciting times of the school year. Talent you're proud of having? Reading people. It’s more of a skill than talent, but still. If you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? I hate questions like this that force me to be creative, so I’ll pass. If you were an anime character, what genre of anime would it be? No thanks. Character you relate to? Monica Geller. Favorite website from your childhood? Y8, probably. And YouTube. Any scars? [trigger warning: self harm] One on my eyebrow, another on one of my toes, and I still have my scars from when I cut myself a few weeks back. Favorite flower? I like any except anthurium. Any good luck charms? Not really. Least favorite flavor of food or drink? Rootbeer/cola and buko. Left or right handed? Right. Least favorite pattern? I dunno if I have a least favorite one... I don’t really pay attention. Worst subject in school? Like, my least favorite among the ones I’m currently taking? Probably layout class. Favorite weird flavor combo? This isn’t a flavor but I’m willing to have mayo with a bunch of other food. When did you lose your first tooth? I was either in Kinder 2 or in Prep, so I was 5-6. Favorite potato food? French fries. Gas station coffee or grocery store sushi? I’ll take the sushi. The gas stations here look so filthy. Earth tones or jewel tones? Earth tones. Do you call them fireflies or lightning bugs? Fireflies. PC or console gaming? Consoles. I’ve never played on PC before. Writing or drawing? Writing. Podcasts or talk radio? Barbie or Polly Pocket? Fairy tales or mythology? I hate both. Cookies or cupcakes? Your greatest fear? Being humiliated in front of a crowd and losing my loved ones are two big ones. Your greatest wish? To have a lot of money later on in life haha. Who would you put before everyone else? G. Lamps, overhead lights, fairy lights, or sunlight? Overhead. Nicknames? Robyn, Byn, Reben, Rolayn. Favorite season? The season where it rains all day and it generally gets slightly colder. We don’t really have a name for it other than the wet season. Favorite app on your phone? Twitter. What is your desktop background? It’s one of the default Apple backgrounds but I picked the landscape that has a pinkish hue. How many phone numbers do you have memorized? Four. Favorite historical era? I like all of them but in terms of social history, probably the Victorian era and the 1900s-1950s. There are some very interesting anecdotes about the way they used to live in terms of cuisine, sanitation, education, etc.

[rael-rider]

Guardians of the Galaxy #6

Wow this was so lackluster and it started really OK but just fizzled out and had no point. Also me ranting so if this isn’t your cup of tea then steer clear. I do say one or two nice things about this though.

Why does Rich even need a fricking energy rifle to fight the Black Order? Who by the way he totally wrecked in their own mini (Oh and he suddenly forgot who Proxima was, Marvel editors where you at?). Yes I know about New Warriors vol 1 #17 but Rich was so much weaker back then and he couldn’t do energy blasts back then (unless he was absorbing energy) and they were fighting Terrax IIRC so it made sense at least at that time for him to have an energy rifle.

What the hell was the point of this story? Also all that attention given to Cosmic Ghost Rider that had little to nothing to do with the main story, most of the actual Guardians not doing anything until the very end. Just give Cates a Cosmic Ghost Rider ongoing with Knull, Wraith, and symbiote OCs.

Everyone saw the Thanos implanting himself on Eros thing and dismissed it as being too obvious. Now Cates tries to do it for laughs when he has Eros proclaim “Oooh it was too obvious” like what? That doesn’t excuse that shitty decision.

Hela did nothing and she jobbed in the end, Knowhere is gone (what will Cosmo do now), but for what reason? Why? Way to fricking use that stupid black hole gun as a quick way to end the story. I also love how everyone really forgot or didn’t give a shit about the heroes that were in the black hole “Oh yeah they died” and they never mattered.

Whatever was being set up between Gamora and Nebula didn’t mattered.

Phyla acting weird “Oh you silly boys” what? Also her and Moondragon need to have their own personalities again and be more defined since they’re just there in the book. How does Alt Heather’s powers work anyway? She had a pet dragon tattoo and now she makes random cool Dragons appear? Cosmic Ghost Rider said she was crazy powerful so at least build on that. How does Alt Phyla’s powers work? What happened to her sword? Why is she flying around like she’s Carol Danvers? Why is she using her Cosmic Awareness all the time? Or better yet bring back 616 Moondragon and Phyla-Vell and actually care about them.

Also that “I love you” from Peter towards Gamora is obviously meant to be  romantic and honestly it didn’t upset me because it was inevitable since comic writers do anything the movies do nowadays and I was expecting it. It’s so weird to me that Cates set Rich as the one Gamora has romantic feelings for when Nebula goes after him but then totally forgets about him. He really does because Rich doesn’t do much in this arc and wasn’t even allowed to have close moments with Peter and Gamora or even talk to them in any significant way. He doesn’t react even when Peter gets “killed” and he gives some buts when Peter is determined to save Gamora which is something very OOCs for him to do. If I was a new reader I would be asking myself why do Gamora and Star-Lord even care about him? They felt like casual acquaintances. But I guess the Rich and Gamora thing is now dropped, which I’m fine with it (wasn’t big into it when Bendis tried to bring it back out of the blue especially since Rich was in love with Namorita in Thanos Imperative) but I just hope this doesn’t lead to love triangle drama because it would be the perfect way to fuck up some good relationships for cheap drama and oh boy it’s going to happen huh?

In the beginning of this comic Peter has PTSD about Gamora killing him, he’s legit upset at her to the point he has anxiety attacks when he relieved the moment that she killed him. That some serious stuff and he’s justified in feeling that way since she drove a sword through him with the excuse of “I can just bring him back with the Infinity stones”. Now suddenly Peter is just like “I was just mad because after everything you did I still loved you” OK fine I can see that but at least build to that confession. Or at least have him say something along the lines of “I want you to know that I love you but I am also angry with you for murdering me” or something along those lines, don’t dismiss the fact that Peter was panicking about relieving that moment and being a wreck of a human being. I know Gamora wanted to talk to him in issue #4 but he wasn’t open to it and he’s honestly justified in feeling that way, again she killed him. It would be good if they dealt with that properly before they take their relationship even further but whatever, I don’t much care under this writer now.

Like I said if they’re going to have Peter and Gamora be a romantic couple just build to it but no writer ever really seems to care much about it.  Bendis who pulled the BFFs thing really didn’t care to build on why they were BFFs they just became besties behind the scenes (and why would he care to build on it because he already admitted he didn’t read anything that came before his own run). I did like Peter telling Gamora to take her time when she told him she was unsure of how she felt, which makes a lot of sense since she just killed him and wasn’t particularly remorseful about it and

Oh and Peter telling Gamora “No don’t kill Eros and stop Thanos from coming back because that makes you no better than he is” like what the fuck? The guy who was ready to die in the Cancerverse to make sure Thanos was perma dead and to keep him from coming back just said that? Get out. Peter would be OK with Gamora killing Eros especially since Eros tried to kill her for that same reason.

Peter’s speech about everyone being a Guardian while they were drinking in the bar was good.

Rich dodges being a Guardian once again. It’s obvious the real reason for the first time was because he had his own ongoing and this time it’s because of editorial and writer reasons. But I’m fine with it since it ads to my headcanon that he prefers to work solo. He never really followed Nova corps protocols either and got in trouble for that. Steve even had him as a reserve for his Secret Avengers because being Nova was his priority and kept him busy and he really couldn’t commit to that either. Doesn’t mean he can’t work as a team especially since he was the General of the United Front but remember that after Annihilation a bunch of races and planet figureheads wanted him to join up with them and he didn’t. He was also very cautious and hesitant in re-doing the Nova corps (but I think that involved so many other reasons). New Warriors being a special case which made a lot of sense considering who he was and at the point he was in his life.

But really Rich might as well not have been in this comic and honestly after reading this I am glad he isn’t permanently in it. Cates doesn’t get the character at all nor does he care about him. He’s obviously setting up something with Knull and using the cosmic characters for that end. Not to mention Ewing is supposedly planning something with Rich and Wendell and I’m glad he’s going to be written by someone who cares about him. Shame I can’t even have one good post-Cancerverse Peter and Rich talk or a good emotional moment between those two considering how much of a wreck Peter can be when depressed and all those times Rich just pushes him to safety only to go and do something dangerous himself (plus the importance for Peter to be there with Rich when Rich is facing his own end). But at least Duggan did show that Peter was upset about Rich popping back to the world of the living and not telling him although I expected him to be more emotional considering the state of things.

Oh and Rich is back to comic limbo I guess, at least until whatever Ewing is planning with him and Wendell happens. At least I’ll look forward to those two, I love their relationship and it seems Ewing set an interesting dynamic between them in the Annual.

[twyt-podcast-blog]

❝tea with yours truly❞

—grab your cups and let me serve you some hot pipping tea.

today’s episode: the mgas.

unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know what time it is. it’s been five seasons now. it’s the freaking mgas. mnet global auditions that never feel global but who cares? am i late to start talking about it? no. why did i decide to wait? because, i’m over it. i’m over survival shows. i’m over having a heartbreak and being an emotional wreck when my faves are eliminated. that’s why i decided to wait and to stalk. lol. i binged watched freaking four episodes of it. even then, i did not miss the entire season. i was a bit impatient. everyone’s talking about it. everyone’s balls and ovaries are bursting left and right. my bad, if you thought that this podcast is suited for work, you’re listening to the wrong podcast.

before anything, i just want to say that i’ve caught myself listening to luxe’s every night. it was really a good song. y’know, royal, trc, sphere, kt and...nova...are going to recruit new trainees for their companies, but what about the groups that they already have? see, royal’s luxe haven’t been around since march. their main rivals are still fresh in the memory. i’m talking about trc’s k.arma and kt’s eclipse. eclipse even got a summer comeback. the best time to come back honestly with all the festivals. sphere’s convex came back in april. that’s not too long ago. then, you have nova ( /sighs;) i guess that nova is in need of trainees so that they can one day debut something. anything. didn’t i ever tell you guys that, as a little child, was obsessed with jewelry. i didn’t have their talent though.

anyways without further ado, here’s my opinion, as if anyone really cares about it honestly, about the first four episodes of the mgas. i got my notes. it’s all opinions. my opinions. yes, i’ll be biased; however, i expect y’all to bother to check the episodes and performances to make your own opinions and faves.

oh, i almost forgot, today’s drink is starbucks’s matcha frappucino. it’s summer. we drink our tea cold, but doesn’t mean that what we are spitting isn’t pippin’ hot.

episode one started with a nice little shot of the places where the auditions were taking place. cute. there’s a lot of hopefuls. then, we get to see the ceos that we love so much ( /chuckles;) then, they do some lowkey scripted chitchat. you know “oh, it’s a new season again” “i know right.” “i can’t wait to meet the contestants and sign trainees who will probably never get the chance to debut” lol. speaking of contestants, there are 100 people. let me tell you who caught my attention. first, there’s this one named kim seungmin? seunghun? legit, he was imitating animals. like, top pick of the episode. yes, i’m weird like that. to be honest, the entire episode, the ceos were savage. but, i don’t blame them, because sweeties it’s freaking season 5 so you’re supposed to bring it. period. you’ve seen the show at least once, you should know. lot’s singing, dancing, rapping. y’know. it’s what you expect. by the way, an ex-member of convex freaking showed up. i was shook. like, i remember that there were redemption stories since mga season 1. but, it was usually former contestants given a second chance or trainees. a freaking ex-member. it’s freaking romeo under a new alias? i mean you guys know the rumors...but he left allegedly for personal reasons. i have the highest of expectations on him. like, i feel for his fans from back when the season two of the mgas happened. the rollercoaster ride of emotions. i feel for y’all. i’m not gonna lie to y’all. the first episode...i mean...i’m binge watching so i didn’t really take the time to really find my top picks.

let’s move on to the next episode.

episode two: the way episode two started was weird. i mean i can’t be the only who watch that little moment involving...let check my notebook for the names..ah yes, choi yena, wang jackson and son hyejoo. it’s been five seasons... doesn’t the mgas have the budget for seats for all the contestants? as for the skinship moment, y’all know that the fans are out there being like “i ship hyena or yejoo”. anyways. moving on. episode two is, in a nutshell, more singing. more dancing, more rapping. it’s also leads to the first round of eliminations. as i mentioned before, i’m not here for the heartbreak. i know that through binge-watching, i’m not getting emotionally attached to nobody. i’ll cry moving forwards from episode four and onwards. rappers who come up and perform their own stuff. i support you. i kinda expect rappers to be able to pen and to have the courage to take the stage with their own work. does that discredit the other rappers? no, i just happen to love the creative rappers and we all know tiger jk love them too. over the years, the rappers with creative genius had more chances to land in trc. it’s just how it is. so, yeah, choi yoona caught my attention. the whistling rapper, na jaemin too. i like him. recycle boy, hwang minhyun seems to have left an impression because they replayed his clip. oh, and, see, the girl hyejoo who had a moment in the beginning of the episode had another highlight moment. she switched from dancer to rapper and promoted a self-made song. should i make her a top pick? i mean she fits what i like. maybe, if she’s still around in episode four. i’m just gonna say one thing...that guy...park jinyoung. yes. biased? maybe. i mean give me a man with a guitar and that voice. mhm. so, at the end of the episode, they go through the elimination. they also reveal the top three for each category. who am i not surprised for? freakin’ minho.

up to this point, the people i got my eyes on are still alive. there are two episodes left tho. like i said, i didn’t dive into everything. i’m playing catch up. on top of that, i had to have my eyes on my picks. anyways.

i’m taking this moment to take refresher but also talk about our sponsor. so, we are sponsored by this lovely game reminiscent of that one otome mobile game that destroyed our sleeping patterns. if i love you is nice f2p game where you decide to use a dating app. you will be texting, chatting, going on dates and receiving phone calls from waifu or husbando. the upside is that you don’t have to set alarms and to miss on work or school. now back to the mgas.

episode three: so, isn’t just me or interviews are meh. i mean maybe it’s because i just want to reach episode four as quickly as possible so that i can get into the social media aspect, but, some of these interviews...chile. y’all sound so cocky and cocky isn't cute. i could also blame the editing, because it’s mnet. you can’t expect a snake to be nice. it’s the duo performances. man, it’s a staple since the first mgas. i am watching and i’m loving every single second that i am given. the groups overall are really strong. i already brought up names and they didn’t disappoint me. i’m not going to go to deeply on episode three, because episode four is right down in the corner. i kam already seeing myself getting attached, but i can’t deal with a double heartbreak back to back. i need to calm down. i am betting after watching this top 3 that minho is simply gonna ride smoothly. he was in the top in season 2. he bet it’s gonna be the same for season 3. like, everything he did was great. it’s like everything he touches turns to gold. also, two of my picks were eliminated. i’m talking about jinyoung and yoona. see, i should have waited until i reach episode four before i freaking choose the people i’m rooting for. anyways.

all this binge-watching without a chance to really watch highlights on naver as led to the last episode to have aired.

episode four: my children, we made it. all caught up. it’s essentially the second round of the duo performances. they were nice. i want to say that i feel genuinely bad for the contestant lee nakyung. so, first, the ceos commented on how she had been throwing away her jacket every performances. i got to admit that you can’t use the same trick over and over and over again. then, they said that she had better chemistry with minho? that was sad. the way it was edited it pretty much gave the vibe that nakyung is nothing without minho. he was the partner. i feel like everyone who will partner with minho, who’s a vet, might get similar backlash that minho is their saving grace. the girl’s talented. mnet, i know that the comment was about her lack of chemistry with her new partner, but your editing really sucked. sorry, i had a lot of feelings about this above all. anyways, like the hopefuls are very good this season. like, i see no holes. at the end of the day. it is still a competition. then, my friends, they panned on two empty seats. so they brought back the people who were eliminated, bitch. my eliminated faves were separated, but, y’know what, i’m okay. also, i’m sorry that wang jackson was not on list, but then, he did that with park jinyoung. they did that. also, i didn’t give ryujin or sia the attention they deserved. i had to go back and watch their performance to understand why they were top three. ladies, yes. yes. YES. i hope i conveyed my opinion well. minho, again, top three. no surprise there. so, back to the returning kings. they are my picks. y’all know that i’m jinyoung biased at the moment. i got other people on my radar. i’m sad that hyejoo was eliminated. was rooting for her. nakyung, i’m gonna shield her and protect her from harm. i will fight. now, i can finally get into it. maybe some of you were expecting your names to be shouted out. moving forward with episode five, i will be able to really go in-depth with the performances and the people. i also get to check their social media and to see what kind of people they are. 

[britshits]

Hello Al! We hope you are having a wonderful day or night ! Could we possibly ask for an opinion? Thank you for your time :)

helloha ! thank you, i hope you are too — and you absolutely can ! general disclaimer you’re probs bored of reading: everything under the cut is solely my opinion; if you would like me to take this down, all you have to do is ask and i will do so, without question.

icon & url: the fact i, with my crappy eyes, can read the text in your icon even when it’s displayed as 40x40px is 👌 text in an icon done right ! beyond that, the astronaut immediately catches my attention as does your url; both tell me you’re a sci-fi group right off the bat and it’s got me excited.

first impressions & graphics: i really appreciate the overall appearance of your main ! the graphics are very attractive, without being over the top and distracting, and i appreciate the green, black, and grey colour scheme. it actually reminds me a whole lot of a group i used to run, so there’s some positive nostalgia there. anyway, foliage is very different for a sci-fi group, but it works perfectly in your graphics. one thing i would note is that everything seems a little blurry ( and no, it’s not just my eyes ) so i think the theme resizing them may be distorting them a little bit ? i don’t know. it’s not overly bothersome, just something to double check if you want to. also, shoutout to the admin who is using jackie aina ! love her !

plot: to be honest, i’m really surprised to say this, but your plot isn’t my cup of tea; like the writing is great, but the source material is just really not engaging to me. i’m much more of a star trek and gattaca kind of dude, as opposed to the 100 and terra nova, so this kind of plot leaves me yearning for more technology, spaceships, and ( for lack of a better word ) science-y things. that said, i think you’re probably on to a winner in the sense that people who may not enjoy hard sci-fi may feel comfortable in a group like this where they can explore the inter-character dynamics that come with building a new society. i do like the “dangerous unknown” aspect, though — that has great potential to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

rules: your first rule about closing the main to allow admins a break is FCKN GENIUS !! with your permission, i’d like to implement something like that the next time i run a group ? i’ll forgive you banning harold for that alone ( i’m joking, but i’m also a little bit ? at you asking me for an opinion if he’s banned for you, due to the association with a blog that has him all over ). speaking of banned fcs, i do think there is a discrepancy between some of your list and the taken fcs, if you’re basing it on being problematic, but if it’s all requests / comfort-based, then fair dos. overall, your rules are clear and easy to understand; no qualms here ! 

application: i am so shocked you’re appless ?? i really had it in my head that this was at least a semi-appless group. surprise aside, your app is fine, i have no complaints about it and it covers all the necessary muse details. 

other pages: y’all have some really detailed pages, which i love ! the joining checklist is esp. great for navigating through what could be a lot of information. everything is detailed but not overwhelming and i appreciate that you’ve taken care to preserve skin tones on the locations page, because so many people don’t bother. the species page is also wonderful ( tag ys, i’m the satanic leaf tailed gecko djsfjkds ) and the attention you’ve put into the descriptions, without simply copying and pasting, as well as deciding on some super cool anomalies, speaks to how dedicated you are ! i also appreciate the character page being split into the pilgrimages and the calendar page is super cool.

things to double check: you’re missing a space between “bedtime.They” on your plot page. the guidelines are not linked on the joining checklist page. unfollow picloadr, i know it always tries to sneak in there. the plot drops/events link on the after acceptance checklist is broken. 

summary: overall, this is a really solid rp ! most of the things i’ve highlighted above are down to personal preference and, despite it not being my personal cuppa, i really enjoyed going through everything. it makes a change to see a really well-built, sci-fi group in the tags, and i wish you every success !

[blamebrampton]

Eurovision 2018 final

And now, 12 hours after the rest of the world, and startlingly unspoiled, I hit the finals! I’ve not been recapping the touristy bits in the ‘postcards’, but if you’re thinking about visiting Lisbon, or Portugal in general, get to it; it’s utterly gorgeous. I’m hoping for somewhere in the top 10 for Jess, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Denmark win. They won’t. It’ll be someone awful, I just know it.

We open with fado music and it is pretty bloody splendid: melodic twanging steel strings and a heart-rending woman’s voice singing a song that is almost certainly of woe but resilience (my Portuguese is terrible). There are no unattractive people in this broadcast, it should be mentioned. Yet another reason to visit!

Another hot fado female vocalist, this time with drummers. She sounds more political, but again, I have no idea. I do know that Portugal is a country that has an amazing tradition of vocalists and narrative music, and I think we are seeing it shown well tonight. I like this a lot better than the usual blather from presenters. Though I like the women, they are admirably quick at moving things along.

And now some local DJs. Look, it was never going to stay glorious. Flags go past. There are many. We are welcomed to the grand final and the crowd goes wild. Hello contestants, I’m thrilled you get a moment in the sun before the horror of the contest descends. They are all smiling and lovely and I hope they all go on to have happy lives. Denmark are actually amusing! Bless their hairy hipster hearts!

You know, I can honestly say that everyone I’ve heard in this final can actually sing and on that basis alone, 2018 is already a good year.

The presenters are back. NCIS is dressed like a Goth prom queen, Blondie is wearing a beaded shower curtain, Saintly is cosplaying a tall Kylie Minogue (I loathe the fact I need to specify Kylies these days) and Little One has come dressed as an entrant from Greece. I actually know all their names now, but they’re longer, so it’s nicknames for me, I’m afraid.

I’m not going to repeat performance notes from the semi finals, but if you’ve missed every other piece of Eurovision commentary, a. Well done! b. What the hell are you doing here? c. I’ll let you know if anything new happens.

Ukraine, Melovin, Under the Ladder. Now I’m not focusing on the madness of the staging, I can mention that he and his backing singers are selling the hell out of this one. I like it a lot better the second time around, and the vocals are tight. It’s still a totally nuts Dracula moment, but if it wins I will not be at all upset.

Spain, Amaia y Alfred, Tu Cancion. Arena full of people holding up their lit phones. Young people singing to each other from opposite sides of the stage. It’s all very sweet. Now they are holding hands. Now they are hugging. Keep it nice, kids, you’ve got two minutes to go. They are lovely, but so wholesome that I feel listening to this song represents 100% of my daily intake of Vitamin C and roughage. Nice climbing crescendos and key change towards the end. Big lights, earnest singing into each other’s faces… this is a song that speaks of carefully studied microphone angles and breath mints. Bless.

Slovenia, Lea Sirk, Hvala, ne! This is the one that stuck with me since I last saw it, but more for the snappiness of the staging and performances than for the song itself. They are enormously charismatic and the choreography is very well put out there. She changes it up tonight and tells them to stop the music and has the audience sing the refrain with her, which I really liked and thought much more successful than the fake cut in the semis, even if the chap in the audience the camera cut to was clearly wondering what the hell was happening and whether he had accidentally eaten the wrong brownies before he headed out tonight. I’m keen on these girls and hope they do well!

Lithuania, Ieva Zasimauskaite, When We’re Old. Sweet whispering song girl is back. She remains sweet and whispery. She and Joanna Newsome would make a lovely duet. Her voice is genuinely delightful, though there is a little more assist in the reverb than she needs: makes it all sound a bit more Jared Leto than is optimal. But I quibble, she is a delight. Her husband comes to join her at the end again and she seems deeply moved. Bodes well for their future.  

Austria, Cesar Sampson, Nobody But You. I resent Cesar’s bad T-shirt more than in the semis, because he is a hot young man and we should be allowed to enjoy him in all his loveliness and that plasticky bit is very distracting. The backing vocals in this track are probably the best in the whole contest, and he has a beautiful voice that I hope to hear more of. In a perfect world, John Legend writes a better version of La La Land in which this chap and his best friend come to LA to pursue their dreams and both succeed without hurting each other. It’s actually a decent song, it just sounds like a lot of other decent songs. But his performance is something very special.

Estonia, Elina Necheyava, La forza. She is lovely, her frock is lovely, her voice is lovely, this song is not going to win. Which is a shame, because I would like to see the ECS back in Tallinn. If they had a European Frock Contest, this would be douze points from everyone.

Norway, Alexander Rybak, That’s How You Write A Song. He is a super chap and I hope he does win Eurovision twice, but if he does it with this song, I will be looking at the countries that vote for it with thinly veiled disdain. This is the sort of song that would have had Paula Abdul dancing with an animated cat in the 1980s. But I will say that it is lovely to have him back so that Nigel Kennedy will finally have to give up any idea that he’s the hot young man with the violin. The crown, which was never really Nigel’s, is clearly Alexander’s.

Portugal, Claudia Pasqoal, O Jardim. Pink hair gets an extra 10 points from me to start with. Sounds like London Grammar, in both tune and delivery, but since I love them, that’s fine. Her frock is a nice wrap-around black number with thigh split. She’s joined on stage by a woman who looks a bit like Kirsten Stewart, and the two of them are in fact much cooler than practically everyone else in the stadium. That was a nice soft song that you would wrap up a big night or start a romance with and I liked it a lot. I want to see it in the top five, but not winning, because it’s too expensive to do this two years in a row!

The presenters make a knowing reference to the queerness of Eurovision and it comes off as an inside joke not an arch piece of commentary, and this is the point at which I accept that I have fallen for their charms and will never be free of this annual horror.

United Kingdom, SuRie, Storm. We’ve done something unusual this year and sent someone good. It won’t help, but it’s a pleasant change. More pink hair, with a sort of Annie Lennox hair and jumpsuit arrangement. I hate to say this, but this song is actually pretty damned good. What the hell? We’re usually awful. The staging is admirably simple and the performance is a cracker, and there is some fuckwit invading the stage to shout something and WELL DONE YOU, YOUNG WOMAN, you held that together amazingly! She is in fact bringing it even more strongly, even though the incident clearly affected her. How amazing is she! ‘Some absolute cockhead’ is the Australian boy commentator’s description of the stage invader and he is 100% on the money.

They skip to the green room with Little One while they deal with the stage invader situation and she is talking to vampire boy from the Ukraine who offers to bite her neck and talks about his personal brand. If he doesn’t have 100,000 followers on Instagram and a YouTube ‘presence’, I will be very surprised.

Back to the show!

Serbia, Sanja Ilic & Balkanika, Nova Deca. This song remains as OTT and epic as in the semis with costumes and wailing mysticism that puts me in mind of nothing so much as one of those epic episodes of Xena that your girlfriends used to trot out in the 90s to talk about when lesbian subtext becomes text. It’s classic Eurovision and if it wins I will be thrilled.

Germany, Michael Schulte, You Let Me Walk Alone. It’s apparently a song to his father, who died when he was young, and it’s got a hell of a dose of the Ed Sheerans, from the hair to the singing style. It’s saved from the annoying side of the Sheerans by the personal message, which comes through strongly. Though it’s a little unfair in the ‘you will never know, because you let me walk this road alone’, unless his father took his own life. Just saying. Exactly the right mix of sentiment and ten-year-old newness that could win, thanks to a very strong performance.

Albania, Eugent Bushpepa, Mall. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this song in the semis and I am still surprised about it now. It’s everything I would usually mock, including a safe 80s chord sequence and handclapping, but it somehow works superbly and he looks a little nervous, yet has an actually superior classic rock voice, instead of the standard ‘thinks is great, is OK’ frontman. I think the dungaree drummer, who has done both of his straps up tonight, has won me over.

France, Madame Monsieur, Mercy. It’s political! And about refugees. And my French isn’t good enough to follow it entirely, but she is all the children, her name is Mercy and she is fleeing war and is alive and she needs our help. It’s actually a cracker of a tune, and the Jean-Paul Gaultier outfits are the classiest of the evening. Far too attractive for this shindig.

Czech Republic, Mikolas Josef, Lie to Me. I think what troubles me most about this song is that I keep expecting Will Smith to appear. Much as in the semis. They are perfectly good, it is just not my cup of tea. Nice little flip at the end, and the dancing is excellent. Bless em.

Denmark, Rasmussen, Higher Ground. I’m putting this out there: I think I want these guys to win. But it’s entirely based on the fact they are singing about pacifist vikings and I have mentally built them up into a rejection of toxic masculinity in favour of human decency and manliness meaning things like facing your fears and having integrity, which I can get behind. If there is a MeToo/Weinstein moment for any of these chaps, I’m coming after them with an axe. I do like a Wailing Medjeval Epic though.

Australia, Jessica Mauboy, We Got Love. Jess is gorgeous and she loves a crowd, which is good because the crowd loves her. Every lovely thing I said about her in the semis remains true. Alas, it also remains true that this song could be better. But it’s grown on me. We may be powerless to bring down the US government, and its lesser evils the UK and Australian governments, but we’ve got love and regular elections, and New Zealand, and it will be OK in the end. She’s a champion and I hope she makes the top five!

Saintly and Blondie are back mocking social media and rightly so.

Now NCIS is eulogising the first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, Lys Assia, who died at the age of 94 in March. For five seconds. There’s efficient and there’s cold, ladies.

Finland, Saara Aalto, Monsters. This is the other song I want to win, though I have to confess I wouldn’t mind if the UK won, after SuRie’s amazing turn. But Saara’s voice fills the stadium and sails up and down the scale. Still with the Annie Lennox Bondage Backup Dancers, which makes two tributes to Scotland’s finest Oscar winner in the one show. I’m slightly less convinced by the song the second time round, but the performance is great. Her backwards death dive at the end is a cracker!

Bulgaria, Equinox, Bones. This song remains all about the girl’s Heey-yays for me and nothing has changed. It’s another one that is very good, just not for me. Cup of tea time! Good lighting at the end. T2’s Turkish Apple is definitely the right tea for tonight!

Moldova, DoReDoS, My Lucky Day. Kids, I am all for polyamory, but it should be based on mutual communication, not sneaking about. It turns out well for them, though, and it’s a fun song.

Little One is here with the audience and everyone is Very Drunk. I think she is trying to pick up a tall British girl, and I like her even more.

Sweden, Benjamin Ingrosso, Dance You Off. This is a favourite with the punters but not with me. Soz, Ben.

Hungary, AWS, Viszlát Nyár. It’s the lovely Lordi Lite lads and while I respect his vocal cords for surviving the sustained abuse, I am skipping through this one as it’s getting late here and there are hours of judging to go.

Israel, Netta, Toy. The Aussie commentators have mentioned that she would have broken a stage invader and I think this true. She looks as though she would have enjoyed it, too. I feel you, Netta. The chicken bits are a bit distracting, but she sells the hell out of this and it’s bright and bouncy. Another one I won’t mind winning. Also, more pink hair. I was clearly two years ahead of the curve on that one.

The Netherlands, Waylon, Outlaw in ’Em. Apparently, Waylon is cool with people who don’t really like country. Which is good news. I do like country if it’s Johnny Cash or Dolly Parton, but yeah, on this one we’re just going to have to quietly share a beer and talk about something else, Waylon. You’re a good chap and your band is excellent, so if you win I won’t be upset, even if I still don’t like this song. It’s just my taste rather than there being anything objectively bad about it. Hang on: turns out the band are the dancers. They are going off and taking the piss in epic quantities and I like it quite a bit more after that.

Ireland, Ryan O’Shaugnessey, Together. Apparently China cut the broadcast of this one due to the gay backup dancers and Eurovision cut their contract in response. Well done, Eurovision! This song remains sweet and beautifully performed, with the backup dancers really carrying the whole show. But there’s not a lot to it aside from the lovely staging.

Cyprus, Eleni Fouriera, Fuego. Another one I will not be surprised if it wins. Spectacular combination of song and performance, with fabulous backing dancers/singers (again, the best combo set). If Beyonce came to Eurovision in disguise, this would be her performance, and I am reading the whole thing as a tribute to Queen Bey, which is pretty easy given that practically every aspect of it references her. She is nervous as hell at the end, but the performance was stonkingly good.

Italy, Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro, Non me avete fatto niente. Written in response to the bombing in Manchester, this is a strongly serious track from a country that can often be flippant at Eurovision and in the first thirty seconds we see the passionate political engagement that explains the entirety of Italian politics. It’s a strong piece and well performed, including wailing hero notes  towards the end and overlays in the various languages of Europe declaring defiance to terrorism. I think it might be in with a shot.

Presenters have had a costume change. NCIS is Morticia Addams, Blondie is Meryl Streep circa 1988, Saintly is Sophia Loren circa 1968 and Little One has come as a Glomesh handbag. Oh, holy moly, it’s recap time before the votes. We learn that SuRie was invited to perform again and has decided not to. Bless her toughness! I am fast forwarding through this as life is too short.

Blondie’s cleavage is plunging to her belly button and I am just impressed by the amount of double-sided tape holding that outfit together. The interval act is local musicians, who are splendid, but I need to get a few things done while I listen, so you go and download it from the official site. Worth your time!

Another recap, more fast forwarding. Australia’s commentary team are doubling as the royal wedding commentators and I think I might actually catch that on SBS as it would be a bit of a giggle. It’s Australia’s multicultural channel and I love it because it’s full of international films and news, but I have an American friend who refers to it as ‘That channel where your government gives you free soft porn.’ Mate, it’s Swedish film and you just need to expand your horizons!

Blondie is with the audience and she has found some Irish people who are delightful. And now they are doing Portuguese pop culture things that go over my head, and recapping Junior Eurovsion, which is like Senior Eurovision, but with more sedate images and sober contestants. The Junior winner sings a little of last year’s Senior winner, which is apparently a new condition for entry into Lisbon as every man and his dog as been trotting it out. Saintly presenter might be a little drunk, you know.

NCIS and Little One are in the Green Room, introducing Salvador Sobral, last year’s winner, and he’s looking a bit healthier, which is good! Still as fey as ever, but find your schtick and stick with it, I say. Lovely new song, you should download it, too, as I need to put a load of dishes on, so won’t be describing it. Ah, he’s had a heart transplant. Excellent! That is good news!

He’s joined by the legendary Caetano Veloso and they (Caetano for the most part) sing last year’s winning song and it’s quite lovely. Salvador is visibly moved by the whole thing. Where is his sister? Apparently he’s been slagging off some of the other songs and it’s caused an upset, but seriously, Sir Terry Wogan made a career out of that and there are thousands if not millions of us who do it on an amateur basis, so why should he miss out?

Little One has some fans pretending to do some last-minute voting, and she has been the hardest working presenter. I hope that tall British girl she was chatting up earlier has a cold bottle of gin and a big cake for the two of them later tonight, she’s earned it!

Jon Ola Sand says votes are ready to go! Jury votes first.

Ukraine first: 8 The Netherlands, 10 Israel, 12 France.

Azerbaijan, 8 Hungary, 10 Serbia, 12 to Albania.

They are FLYING through this.

Belarus, 8 Norway, 10 Austria, Australia is nowhere at the moment, 12 to Cyprus!

San Marino, 8 Sweden, 10 Germany, 12 to Israel. He’s chattier than the others.

The Netherlands, 8 Sweden, 10 Austria, 12 Germany.

FYR Macedonia, 8 Serbia, 10 Cyprus, 12 ESTONIA! YAY

Malta, 8 France, 10 Italy, 12 Cyprus, which is starting to pull ahead. Australia still nowhere.

Georgia, 8 Austria, 10 Estonia, 12 Sweden, who take the lead. Meh.

Spain 8 Austria, 10, Israel, 12 Cyprus. UK still on 0, which is for once entirely unfair.

Austria, 8 Sweden, 10 Germany, 12 Israel, who pop in front. It’s a big battle tonight!

Denmark, 8 Austria, 10 Australia, THANK YOU! 12 to Germany.

UK, 8 Bulgaria, 10 Israel, She cracks onto Jon Ola and I respect that, 12 Austria. Not a sausage to Oz, you bastards.

Sweden, 8 Australia, 10 Austria, 12 Cyprus.

Latvia, 8 Estonia, 10 France, 12 Sweden.

Albania, 8 Bulgaria, 10 Cyprus, 12 Italy!

Croatia, 8 Moldova, 10 Israel, 12 Lithuania. The UK has 4, which is not enough, but there we go.

Ireland, 8 Germany, 10 Bulgaria, 12 Cyprus. Nothing for Oz. I’m reading this as a protest against Peter Dutton’s appalling treatment of refugees.

Romania, 8 The Netherlands, 10 Spain, 12 Austria.

Czech Republic, 8 Sweden, 10 Ireland (nice!), 12 Israel.

Iceland 8 Israel, 10 Albania, 12 Austria. Denmark is down on 7, alas.

Moldova 8 Bulgaria, 10 Israel, 12 Estonia!

Belgium, 8 Sweden, 10 The Netherlands, 12 Austria, which is terrific given how good his voice is!

Norway, 8 Austria, 10 Sweden, 12 Germany.

France, 8 Germany, 10 Australia, Merci!, 12 Israel. They and Austria are creeping ahead.

Italy, 8 Denmark, 10 Germany, 12 Norway.

Australia, 8 Estonia, 10 Germany, and Ricardo Gonzales’s Aussie Portuguese accent is a cracker. 12 to Sweden and FUCK YOU ALL the Australian jury. This is how we get Turnbull and Dutton.

Estonia, 8 Cyprus, 10 Lithuania, 12 Austria.

Serbia, 8 Italy, 10 Germany, 12 Sweden.

Cyprus, 8 Italy, 10 Moldova, 12 Sweden and you are all clearly drunk. The jury votes are all over the shop.

Armenia, 8 Israel, 10 Moldova, 12 Sweden.

Bulgaria, 8 Czech Republic, 10 Lithuania, 12 Austria.

Greece, 8 Sweden, 10 Moldova, 12 Cyprus. I typed that 30 seconds before she said it. No need for correction.

Hungary, 8 Austria, 10 Albania, 12 Denmark! YAY! The Vikings go off! They are chuffed.

Montenegro, 8 Moldova, 10 Albania, 12 Serbia. Big surprise!

Germany, 8 Ireland, 10 Austria, 12 Sweden because they are all drunk. But Austria is still ahead!

Finland, 8 Sweden, 1o Bulgaria, 12 Israel.

Russia, 8 Israel, 10 Sweden, 12 Moldova; look, they were fun.

Switzerland, 8 Lithuania, 10 Estonia, 12 Germany.

Israel, 8 UK THANKS, 10 Sweden, 12 Austria.

Poland, 8 The Netherlands, 10 Germany, 12 Austria.

Lithuania, 8 Sweden, 10 France, 12 Austria.

Slovenia, 8 Cyprus, 10 Austria, 12 Sweden.

Portugal, 8 Austria, 10 Albania, 12 ESTONIA! Oh, Portugal, you are so delightfully odd. I love you guys.

That’s it for juries, but we have the popular votes to go. Australia currently in 12th, Denmark and UK nowhere, which is cruel on both counts. Austria in first place, which I think is down to a great performance. Sweden second, probs down to the drink. The Israel song is third, which I think will go up with the popular vote.

Jon Ola Sand is back. He says the public votes are exciting. Here we go! They are reading them out from lowest to highest.

9 to Australia. Fuck the lot of you. Unless that’s a protest against Australian refugee policy and black deaths in custody, in which case, fair enough. 18 to Portugal and Spain 21 Sweden YES! Good! Sorry, I mean, Oh well. 23 Slovenia 23 Finland Rude. Should have been more. 25 UK Very rude! Should have been lots more! 32 The Netherlands 58 Albania A joke. The people are morons. 59 France Ripped off. 62 Ireland 65 Hungary 66 Bulgaria 71 Austria NO!!!! WOE!! Sorry, mate. You were triff. 75 Serbia Should have been more. 84 Norway 91 Lithuania 102 Estonia 115 Moldova 119 Ukraine Fair, they deserved some points for that show. 136 Germany Surprised it wasn’t more, he’s rather good. 180 Denmark I’m good with that one. They are stoked. 215 Czech Republic 249 Italy and they are also thrilled. 253 Cyprus I think she is both heartbroken at not winning and thrilled at not bankrupting a Cypriot TV station with the cost. ISRAEL HAS WON! (though I missed how many popular points they got. More than 253)

(This will be a tiny bit awkward if the whole Iran war thing kicks off. Maybe this will be the kick up the bum that Netanyahu needs to pull his head in. I would very much like my friends in Israel to have fewer things to worry about, so not starting wars seems like an excellent idea.)

Netta is thrilled, the ladies are a little drunk, Jessica Mauboy has snuck off to party with the Irish mob and fingers crossed Mr Austria’s phone is already running hot with people who want to put that glorious voice with better songs. But keep the backing singers. They were ace. Netta sings us out and we are DONE for another year. Goodnight, Eurovision. Why can’t I quit you?

[starstwinkleplanetsshine]

The Call of Resistance Chapter 6

Read on AO3

Chapter 6: The Complication 

The low, unmistakable sound of conversation woke me the next morning. I panicked for a slight second, wondering why I was hearing male voices coming from my kitchen, but then I remembered last night--the crash. The two Resistance fighters. The two Resistance fighters that I had invited to stay the night in my living room. Lux’s better- than-anticipated-but-still-not-great reaction. The sense of panic receded but it was replaced by something different. Apprehension. I got out of bed slowly, not in any rush to start my day, and put on my day clothes and brushed my hair, putting it into my signature braids, before leaving my room. I didn’t usually get ready before heading to breakfast, but something about the dark-haired pilot made me want to look slightly more presentable than I usually look in the mornings. With a yawn, I rounded the corner to the kitchen to see Poe and Chewbacca sitting at the table, Chewbacca admittingly looking a little squished, and Lux standing by the counter with a cup of untouched caf and breakfast. 

“Well good morning, Nova.” Lux raised his eyebrow at me, not noticeable enough for our guests to pick up on, but I knew it was a reaction to my appearance. I usually dragged my feet to the kitchen in the mornings, unable to hold a conversation until at least one full cup of caf. 

“Good morning.” I sat next to an empty seat at the table next to Poe and motioned to the plate next to Lux, “Haven’t eaten yet?” That was unlike him. The complete opposite of me, Lux usually rose before the suns and was halfway done with his chores at this hour. 

“Banthas, no. We already ate. This is for you.” With a smile, Lux brought the plate and drink over and placed it down in front of me. He rarely made breakfast for me, usually only on special occasions, and I could tell he was just trying to make a good impression on the two strangers. 

“Wow, that's very kind, Lux. Thank you.” I took a sip of the steaming caf, relishing in the bitterness and the warmth as it slid down my throat, settling into the way it made my heart race just slightly. It wasn’t until after I had taken a few more sips that I noticed Poe was looking over at me. I met his gaze and he looked away towards Lux quickly, 

“Thank you again, Lux, for breakfast. It was delicious.” 

“It was nothing, you're our guests.” Came Lux’s humble reply, filling up his own cup with more tea. Lux had never been a caf drinker. 

Chewbacca's voice cut through the air, and it didn’t take Poe’s translation to know that he was also thanking Lux for the meal. I was slightly embarrassed that I had slept so much longer than everyone else in my house, but it was our one day a week that we didn’t have to get up with the suns, and I was not about to give that up. To make up for this, though, I ate my food quickly. I didn’t pay much attention to the conversation Poe and Lux were having, from what little I caught it seemed like they were discussing their favorite foods, and before long I had taken my empty plate and cup to the counter, placing the plate in the sink and refilling my cup. I stayed standing, facing the table, and leaned back against the counter. The boys’ conversation had lulled, so I felt it was a good time to change the subject. 

“So, Poe, what were you wanting to do about your motivator?”

Poe’s face fell and his mouth formed a thin line, as if he hadn’t thought about his damaged ship yet and he didn’t like the reminder. “Well, I would like to go back and see if it's cooled down enough. If not,” he rubbed the back of his neck, and I tried with everything in me to ignore his arms as he did so, “then I guess I’ll have to go into town and see if I can find a new one.” 

I nodded, taking a sip of my caf before replying, “Finding a motivator for your hunk of, er, your ship won’t be easy...but I think I know the place that would be your best shot.” It looked as if Poe was going to say something about my ‘hunk of junk’ comment, I saw his eyes dance with playfulness for a moment, but he ultimately decided against it. 

“If you could tell us how to get to where you’re thinking, that would be a big help. And then we can be on our way and get out of your hair very soon.” 

Something about the thought of them leaving made my heart sink, and I could feel a knot, no, a pit forming in my stomach. They couldn’t leave. Not without me. “It would probably be best if I went along with you,” I tried to make it sound like I was doing them a favor and not like I didn’t want them to leave, “Tatooine is not a very friendly place.” Chewbacca spoke in what I could only assume was agreement, and Poe nodded slowly. 

“Okay, I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt having you tag along.” He didn’t sound thrilled about it, but at least he agreed. 

Lux, on the other hand, didn’t agree. 

“Nova, can I speak with you?”

I honestly should've expected that. 

I held his eye contact for a moment before sighing and walking out of the kitchen. I could feel Lux trailing behind me and I heard Poe and Chewbacca start a quiet conversation as we rounded into the hallway. 

“Are you sure it’s smart for you to go with them?” Lux’s tone was one I was all too familiar with. Worried. Questioning. More of a statement than a question. 

“They just spent a night in our living room and you still don't trust them?” 

“It’s not that I don’t trust them,” Lux let out a sigh, and I could tell he was trying to figure out how to finish his thought.

I finished it for him.

“So you don’t trust me, then.” I knew I was probably being unfair, but Lux’s overbearing concern for me was starting to get old. 

“No, Nova, that’s not it.”

“Well then what is it? We don’t have many chores today, and now that the drought is letting up we don’t have to scrap as much.”

“I know, it’s not about that.” He was being evasive and cold, which wasn’t like him at all.

“I’m just trying to help them.” I said after a few moments of tense silence. Lux let out a breath that I didn’t know he was holding in. 

“I know,” his tone was lighter now, more understanding, “but Resistance fighters or not, they’re still strangers…” he trailed off as though he wanted to say more, but didn’t know how. There was silence for a moment, a long moment, before he finally let it out, “Haven’t you done enough for them?” I was stunned. This was not like Lux. 

“Lux…” I breathed out, my tone one of surprise and borderline disgust. It was the only thing I could think to say. 

“I know that sounds terrible, Nova, but I think they’ll be fine on their own now. The suns are up and town isn’t too far away. They seem capable of handling themselves.” 

“So that means I shouldn’t help them?”

“It means you don't need to help them. Not anymore.” 

“Just because I don't need to doesn’t mean I shouldn’t.” I shot back, my tone biting. Something was wrong, something felt wrong. There was a reason Lux was being so cold towards Poe and Chewbacca, towards their situation, but I just couldn’t figure out what it was. 

Something in his eyes told me he knew I wouldn’t let up, I hardly ever did, and he deflated. “Fine.” The word was short. Clipped. Cold. 

He was not happy with me. 

“Fine.” I responded, my tone mirroring his. If there was one thing I couldn't stand, it was being told that I couldn’t do something. I was raised to believe I could do anything I set my mind to, and that if others say I can't, to turn around and prove them wrong. It's the rebel in me, passed down from my mother and father, and she was growing louder and stronger with each passing day. 

I held his gaze for a moment, wishing he would say something to make the situation less tense, to make everything okay between us, but when he broke my gaze and looked down at the floor, I knew that hope was in vain. A new feeling of frustration rising within me, I turned and stomped into the kitchen, causing Poe and Chewbacca to stop in the middle of their conversation and look up at me as I stalked over to the table to pick up my cup of now-lukewarm caf. 

“I don’t mean to insert myself where I shouldn’t,” Poe began cautiously, as if he was scared every word brought a new chance for me to erupt, “but is everything okay?” 

“Completely fine.” I replied, not looking at him and taking a sip of my drink. There was a tense silence, and I wondered how much the two had heard. 

“I really don’t want to cause trouble between you two.” Poe added, his tone still careful. 

I put my cup down with a little too much force, not being able to enjoy the drink now that it was no longer hot. “No trouble at all.” I said a little too politely, finally meeting his dark eyes and smiling. That didn’t seem to ease his worries. 

“We appreciate your help, we really do, but if it’s too much to ask for you to come to town with us then I’m sure we can manage—“

“—I’m coming with you. Lux may not like it, but it’s not up to him.” I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile cross Poe’s face. 

“Okay then.” He stood up from the table, Chewbacca following him, and began to walk over to the living room where their stuff was strewn all about the floor. “We’d better get ready.” He said it to The Wookiee, but I took it as a cue for me too. 

I went to my room to get my bag and my staff and was walking down the hall when a pang of guilt hit me. I was right in front of Lux’s closed door, and the cold silence radiating from it was palpable, making my heart sink. 

He was only trying to look out for me, I knew that. He worried about me, because Tatooine is a dangerous place for anyone, especially a young woman, and I knew that. All of his caution, even though overbearing, came from a place of genuine love and goodness. 

And I knew that. 

But I could handle myself, and I am smart, and I know how to survive in the unforgiving desert. I’ve been there as long as he had, it’s not like I didn’t know my way around the sands. I was capable, and I knew that. 

But so many times it seems like he didn’t know that. 

And that’s what always made me so frustrated. 

Swallowing my pride and my guilt, I lightly knocked on his door. It was a few seconds before Lux’s tense reply came. 

“What?” 

“We’re about to leave,” I said simply. 

More silence. I was about to walk away when his reply came, his voice softer but still guarded, 

“Be careful, Nova.” 

A part of me wanted to open his door and apologize for being so defensive, apologize for everything over the last couple of months, but instead I just stood there. Staring at his sand-colored door. Waiting for it to open, although I knew it wasn’t going to. Instead of an apology, all I could squeak out was, 

“I will.” I tried to make my tone match his, I tried to make it light and sincere. Caring. I wanted it to be enough for him to know I was sorry without having to say those words. I felt like I had always been able to read Lux’s mind, but now I felt like that connection was breaking, the bond between us loosening as our hearts drifted further and further apart. 

And I knew it was my fault. 

I willed my eyes to look somewhere, anywhere, besides his door, and I forced my feet to move out of the hallway and into the living room, back to Poe and Chewbacca. 

I didn’t say anything, my thoughts still occupied by Lux, when Poe broke the silene. 

“We’re ready when you are.” He snapped me out of the swirling sandstorm in my head and I met his eyes. 

“Let’s get going then.” 

----

The Twins were already creeping towards the center of the sky, which meant two things: heat and a time limit. I worried that we wouldn’t be able to get to their ship, The Millennium Falcon, I reminded myself, and into Mos Eisley before night fell. If only Lux hadn’t sold his landspeeder a few seasons ago then we would still have two and we could take those. I would entertain the thought of riding our eopies, but I seriously doubted they would be able to support the weight of a Wookiee. I was beginning to wonder if Lux was right, if I should just let them go on their own when I saw it. If it weren’t sitting in front of me I would have forgotten completely. But there it was, right next to my own landspeeder:

The speeder Kagara and Calrey let me borrow just the night before, which, technically, I still had to give back to them. I silently berated myself, remembering that I told them I would bring it back to them when I was done and let them know I was safe. I felt a wave of guilt imagining the thousands of scenarios running through Kagara’s anxious mind. I’ll have to bring it back to them today, I thought before calling out to the two boys. 

“We can take these speeders to your ship and then into town. It’ll be a lot faster than walking, and we’ve already lost daylight so doing whatever we can to save time is best.” The two shared a look before walking over to me and the speeders. 

“There’s only two.” Poe said, looking down at them. The look on his face told me he wasn’t impressed. Sure my landspeeder was almost as old as I was, and Kagara and Calreys wasn't too much better, but they worked.

Bold of him to judge my speeders when his ship looked the way it did, Millennium Falcon or not. 

I shrugged. “We’ll have to share. It’s better than walking.” At that, Chewbacca said something that Poe did not like and quickly disagreed with, and the two of them went back and forth for a few moments. With one final “Fine!” from Poe, he turned to me. 

“Chewie says he doesn’t want to share with me.” 

Another interruption from the Wookiee, and an eye roll from the man. 

“Alright, he says he doesn’t think we’ll both fit on one speeder.” I agreed with the Wookiee, the speeders were made for one person, and definitely not one person and a Wookiee. But even though I knew he was right, something about the thought of sharing my speeder with Poe made my stomach swirl, but not in a bad way. It was almost a fluttery way.

I didn’t like it. 

“He’s probably right.” I managed to say, my voice steady and masking any uneasiness I felt. “You’ll have to share mine, then.” Poe nodded, the expression on his face undecipherable, and I quickly walked the short distance to the speeder. I got on mine and started it, scooching as close to the front as I could to give Poe room behind me. Chewbacca got onto his, but instead of feeling Poe slide in behind me, he just stood next to the speeder. 

“Oh,”

“What?” I looked up at him with an expression of what I’m sure was confusion. 

“I just…” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly nervous. Throughout all of the events of last night and this morning I hadn’t seen him be nervous once. I wondered what was causing it now, of all times. “I guess I’m just used to being in the pilot's seat.” 

I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “Well, this is my speeder, so I thought I’d drive it.” I smiled up at him, a playful glint in my eye. “If that's alright with you.” I could tell by the look in his eye that he picked up on my sarcasm, and his nervous demeanor shifted. I chose to ignore the small eye roll he gave before he begrudgingly sat on the speeder in the space behind me. 

I should've been expecting it, but the sudden sensation of his hands on my sides sent shivers up and down my spine and I instinctively tensed up. He must've felt my discomfort, because he spoke quickly and his voice had lost the bravado he usually spoke with. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I just thought that if I put my hands on your shoulders it would impede your steering, so I--” 

“--It’s fine, Poe. Really. I’m sorry for reacting the way I did. I should've been expecting it, it's just...” What was it? Sure, the only person I usually got any physical touch from was Lux, but that was just friendly hugs and a brotherly arm around my shoulder while walking, and only if Lux was in a good mood. But deep down, I knew it wasn't because I wasn’t used to it. I knew it wasn’t because the desert had made me calloused and guarded, unaccustomed to gentleness. I knew it was something else, and maybe it had to do with his golden-brown eyes…

Thankfully Chewbacca interrupted so I didn’t have to finish my thought, not that I had any clue how I would've finished it, anyways.

“He asked if we should get going?” 

“Yes, let's go.” 

Pushing down that sensation in my stomach that I was starting to associate with Poe, I started my speeder and sped toward The Dune Sea. 

We made it to The Falcon much faster than it took to cross that distance the night before, and seeing it in the day was like seeing it for the very first time. I had to push down the awe and excitement that exploded within me as I once again stepped into the ship of legend. I guess I wasn't as good at hiding my feelings as I thought, because I caught Poe chuckling at me. 

“What?” My defenses went up immediately. 

“Nothing.” He was still smiling and shaking his head slightly, but he moved his focus from me to the passageway in front of him. 

“I saw you laughing at me, Poe. What is it?”

“I remember my first time walking onto The Falcon, too. I had that same look on my face as you just did.” 

My defenses lowered a bit at that, picturing him wide-eyed and gawking at the ship. I didn’t let anything indicate my change of heart, though, and I kept my tone guarded. I didn’t like being laughed at. I didn’t care what the reason was. 

“My parents spoke of this ship like it was magical, and to me it was always just a larger than life legend. But now it's real, and I’m standing in it. It's kind of a lot to take in.” 

Poe put his hands up as his eyebrows knit together. “I didn’t mean to offend, I just thought it was...sweet. That’s all.” 

I did not like that. 

Or did I? 

I didn’t know. 

Chewbacca had disappeared into the ship, and I assumed he went to check on the motivator, but when Poe and I got there it was empty. 

Poe was the first one to the motivator, but judging by the smoke and the “dank farrik” that he exclaimed, I didn’t have to ask if it was better. It wasn’t smoking as heavily as it was the previous night, but it definitely wasn’t cool enough to fly. 

“I hate to break it to you, but I think you need a new motivator. If it hasn’t cooled by now, I don’t think it's stable enough to fly.” 

“Thank you so much for that visionary insight. Tell me, what made you come to that conclusion? Was it the smoke pouring out of the console or the fried circuits that clued you in?” I guess it was Poe’s turn to be defensive. 

I raised my eyebrows at him, involuntarily reacting to his sarcasm. I wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of that kind of tone. 

I put my hands up, mimicking his actions just moments before. “I didn’t mean to offend.” If we weren’t standing in the Millennium Falcon, I would’ve made some remark on how a busted motivator is what he gets for flying a ship this old, but judging by the steady stream of curse words he had been spewing since laying eyes on the motivator, I decided to cut him some slack. I walked over to give it a look for myself, but this only confirmed my suspicions. The motivator was still smoking and it was a color that motivators definitely weren’t supposed to be. 

This complicated things. 

As if taking the words out of my mouth, Poe slid a hand down his tired face and sighed, “I guess this means we have to go into town and find a new one?” His tone had softened and he was frowning. Seeing him like this, his charming facade up in smoke with the motivator and his captivating eyes now filled with worry, I wondered if I were truly seeing him for the first time. 

I nodded, suddenly feeling guilty for being difficult earlier. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find someone selling a motivator. Tatooine’s a good place to find misfit parts.” 

“Yeah, but not misfit parts for a decent price.” He turned his gaze from the control panel to me. “I’ve been to these Outer Rim spaceports before. I know a good deal is as impossible to find as an ocean out here.” 

“Usually, you’re right.” I shrugged. “But you’ve never had me with you. You’re looking at this best negotiator this side of Beggars Canyon.” I couldn’t help but smirk as I proudly adopted the name that Lux usually teased me with every time we had to go to Mos Eisley for trade. I never agreed with him to his face, but he was right. I had always been good at talking my way in, and out, of things. 

Poe raised a challenging eyebrow at me. “Is that right?” 

“You think I would lie to you?”

“Not sure. I don’t know you that well yet.” 

There was a shift in the air. Something in his tone of voice that suddenly made me too aware that we were alone in a very small space together. His eyes were locked on mine, and I was hit with a mixture of gratefulness and disappointment when I heard the unmistakable sound of Chewbacca calling out. He sounded like he was just down the hall, and hearing his voice made Poe's eyes change, going from dark and stormy, locked on mine, to guarded as his head snapped to the door. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding as I followed Poe’s eyes to the opening of the passageway where the Wookie appeared a few moments later. 

“No luck, buddy. Motivators fried.” This was clearly not the answer Chewbacca wanted, as he began to shout in frustration. Poe said something to calm him down, but I wasn’t paying attention. I was trying to get to the other side of the room, as far from Poe as I could be. I still wasn’t used to the feeling in my stomach I got when I was around him. 

I tuned back into the conversation when I heard my name. 

“Nova said she can take us to the cityport and we can find a new motivator there. Yes, we have to go. No you can’t stay here. She said she can get us one for cheap!” I was only catching Poe’s side of the conversation, but the other half was easy enough to fill in. Once Chewbacca stopped complaining I was able to speak. 

“We should probably go now, we don’t want to waste any more daylight.” 

And with only minimal complaining from Chewbacca, we were back on our speeders, and I found myself pushing down that all-too-familiar feeling as Poe once again placed his hands on my waist. 

[writingpaperghost]

I Would Offer It Happy With a Smile on My Face (Chapter 17)

Chapter 17: It’s Time To Realize, It’s Time to Open Up Your Eyes

Oh, look who’s back. I wonder why he’s here?

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860734/chapters/63295729

Asahi was balancing precariously in a chair again, this was the one she always sat in and had practically claimed. Not that any of these spare chairs got used all that much. KPaRS really didn’t have a lot of people stop by who weren’t working at this base. Occasionally, someone might comment about her choice of pass time, but they certainly weren’t going to stop her. Many of the members of KPaRS were actually somewhat amused by her antics. Currently, she had Nova hanging out on her head. Someone had actually mistaken him for a hat once, when he’d been perched on her head before.

Then Rin enters, a cup of tea in hand. They walk as they normally do to go to their desk, but stop for a moment by her. They look at her, “Hey Asahi, I think there’s someone asking for you in the lobby?”

Asahi tilts her head in confusion, “You think?”

Rin shrugs, “Well it’s some guy in a suit asking for the, and I quote, ‘excessively cheerful orange brat’.” They take a sip of their tea, “You’re the closest one to that description around here I can think of.”

Who exactly would describe her that way? Asahi wracked her brain while she thanked Rin and let the chair fall back into a normal sitting position. With Nova still on her head, she began to walk to the lobby.

Let’s see, who all did she know around here? Pretty much everyone she knew would actually call her by her name, though. Certainly not something like “excessively cheerful orange brat”. While she was sure that there were plenty of people who thought she was too happy – something she thoroughly believed impossible, thank you – she wasn’t actually sure if she’d ever been called a brat. Maybe that’s what she ought to focus on. Who would call her a brat? That list was pretty – no, extremely – short. As in, she was struggling to actually come up with anyone.

She’d made it to the lobby now, eyes scanning for anyone she recognized. It wasn’t exactly a large lobby, so it really shouldn’t be too hard. Especially because she didn’t really know all that many people on this Earth. She walks around a bit, before she finally does see someone she recognizes. Someone she’s surprised to see. Rin had mentioned it was someone in a suit.

“Mr. Juggler?” She blinked, trying to stare, hoping her confusion and disbelief wasn’t horribly obvious. “…Why are you here?”

He turns slightly to face her and huffed, “About time you showed up. I’ve been waiting for a while now.”

“Uh… sorry?” She offered. Mr. Juggler’s presence was quite the surprise, given she was pretty sure he didn’t like her. Which made the fact he seemed to be looking for her all the stranger. “But seriously, why are you here?”

He rolled his eyes, “Because Naomi thinks that Gai is better at things than I am.”

“…Okay…?” What did that have to do with anything?

Then she realized that his comment was just the beginning of a rant. “She thinks that I can’t do nice things. That I can’t actually be good unless it benefits me – which is absurd. I can be good if I want to be. I just don’t normally want to be. So that’s why I’m here. To show her I can be just as much of a ‘good guy’ as Gai.”

“And… and what does me and being here have to do with being a… being a ‘good guy’?” Asahi asked, almost afraid of the answer. After all, Mr. Juggler was an… interesting character. Who was also very petty, as she was constantly being reminded.

He gives her a look, one that she very much does not like. Then he… not exactly smiles, but it’s similar, “You got a Crystal from me, didn’t you?”

“I… I did?” She has to think back a bit. She did pick up something, after fighting Nova and after he and Mr. Gai left. It was a Crystal, wasn’t it? And it had been Mr. Juggler’s, now that she thought about it.

She digs into her pocket and pulls it out, holding it up and looking at it. “Oh yeah,” She nodded, “I forgot about this.”

That seemed to annoy Mr. Juggler, briefly, though he hid it as quickly as it appeared. Instead, he put on a clearly forced smile, “Right. Well. I’m going to teach you how to use it.”

“But, Mr. Juggler,” She began, at this point not even trying to hide the trepidation in her voice. He may be like a dog who can smell fear, but there was no point in trying to hide it either, at least at this point. “I don’t know what it does.”

He scoffed in response, rolling his eyes, “Don’t worry about that,” He grabbed her wrist and turned, tugging at it as he began to walk, telling her to follow. With a sigh she did, it wasn’t like she had much choice. Besides, it’s not like this could hurt, right? He probably wouldn’t even be doing much, given there was no way he knew for sure what the Crystal did. Right?

“When I’m done,” He said, sounding rather smug, “You’ll be perfectly capable of using that Crystal.”

“Uh, that’s… Nice,” She decided it was probably best to go along with him and simply choose her words carefully. “But again, how can you know what the Crystal does?”

“Because it’s a Crystal of me.” Was his response as he continued to drag her out of the lobby. He didn’t say much else as he dragged her further, leading her farther and farther away from KPaRS. Soon they were outside the city.

Asahi hazard a question, “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere that we won’t draw attention.”

Somehow that didn’t make her feel any better. Maybe it was because she still had no clue what precisely Mr. Juggler had planned. He said he was going to teach her how to use his Crystal, but he didn’t really say what that meant. It couldn’t be anything too bad, though… Right? Then again, Mr. Juggler was an… interesting person, so it was hard to say just what he would and wouldn’t do.

He stopped when they arrived in some kind of clearing – well the she supposed the more accurate descriptor would be a cleared part of a quarry. She glanced around, when had they even gotten near one, let alone one with no one in it at this time of day? Mr. Juggler himself took a cursory look around.

“I suppose this will have to do.”

“A quarry?” She asked, “One that, somehow, doesn’t have anyone in it, in the middle of the day?”

He scowled, “You’re thinking too hard about it. Don’t.” He takes a deep breath, tilting his head back before returning his gaze to her, “Now use the Crystal.”

Well, she didn’t think this could go too badly. She pulls the Crystal out and her Gyro, activating the Crystal’s power. Then immediately jumped back with a startled screech as a sword appeared falling to the ground in front of her. Mr. Juggler watched unimpressed.

“Go on,” He said, “Pick it up.”

“Pick it up?” She echoed, hesitantly picking up the sword. She held it gingerly, as far away from her as she could. “What am I even supposed to do with this?”

With a sigh and roll of his eyes, Mr. Juggler crossed his arms, “You’re going to learn how to use it. Then you can have a weapon when fighting monsters.”

She looks from the sword up to him, “But Mr. Juggler, I already have a weapon,” She said, “I have my bow.”

“You already have a weapon?” He throws his head back and laughs, taking a good minutes before he continues, “Ah yes, your pathetic little bow. Yes, very much a weapon.” He sounds like he’s mocking her. Which he kind of is, okay maybe very much. But she was a bit confused as to why.

“Well,” He continued, leaning forward a bit, bringing him closer to eye level with her. “You should learn how to use a more respectable weapon. One that isn’t a coward’s weapon.”

Asahi blinked, “Uh…” She wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. “I mean… My bow’s worked pretty well so far…”

With a scoff and a roll of his eyes, Mr. Juggler produced his own sword, from somewhere, “Well regardless,” He began, “Today, you’ll be learning a new weapon.”

Then he ran at her, swinging his sword. She yelped and barely dodged out of the way. “What the hell?”

He turned to face her again, “What better way to learn than by necessity?” He brandished his sword and swung again. This time, she managed to – well not so much block it as deflect it. “Or is it you’re having second thoughts?”

Dodging out of the way of a thrust, she responds with clear panic in her voice, “How about that last one?” She manages to sort of block the next swing, but she really didn’t know what she was doing. “Although I’d have to disagree with the first! It’s a very unhappy method!”

“Oh really?” Mr. Juggler laughed when he asked that. It was about then that Asahi was reminded that for everything he was, Mr. Juggler did not seem to be neither the most sane nor the most stable person. Perhaps the first was a side effect of the latter, but it didn’t really matter in the moment. Because she had no clue what she was doing and very much did not know how to deal with this.

“Yes really!” She yelped, though this time she braved a swing, though he easily blocked it. He used it as an opening to knock the sword out of her hand. It took her a moment to realized what had happened.

He tilts his head, eying her, “You did rather well,” There was something of a smile on his face, though it only counted as one when you were talking about him. Asahi couldn’t help the expression on her face, something most likely of confusion, surprise, and some amount of caution. She wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t going to try anything else.

“You literally just started attacking me.” If there was a small frown on Asahi’s face, that was fine. Sometimes, you had to ignore the happy in order to make it happier. If that meant using some other things, like annoyance, than that was okay. A little bit wouldn’t hurt.

“But you learned at least a little, didn’t you?”

She sighed, brushing some dirt off her socks, “That’s debatable.”

“Well then,” He points to where her sword lay on the ground, “We’ll just have try again.”

“Or,” Asahi raised her hands, “You could actually teach me some things, and then we can try again.”

He eyed her once more, contemplating her suggestion. Or at least she assumed he was. It was hard to tell with Mr. Juggler. She really hoped he’d go with it, because she really wasn’t sure his method was all that effective. Really, all it did was startle her.

“I guess we can try that,” He finally said, eliciting a sigh of relief from Asahi.

---

Asahi trudges into Tomomi’s kitchen the next morning in all sorts of pain in places she didn’t even know could be sore. Even the training she did as Grigio to make sure she could protect Ayaka while her brothers were gone wasn’t this painful and tiring. When Tomomi noticed her, he looks concerned.

“Are you okay?” He asked, “You don’t even seem this tire after fighting as Grigio.” And he’s not wrong. Even the fights where she greatly losing and get’s plenty hurt have never left her nearly this sore afterward.

“My everything hurts.”

He stares at her for a moment, before asking, “Why…?”

“’Training’ with Mr. Juggler, yesterday.” She groaned, throwing her head back, “I didn’t know training could be so intense.”

“Surely it wasn’t that bad…”

She raises her head to look at him, “At some point he started throwing stuff at me, insisting I be able to hit them. He started throwing large rocks at me. I don’t even know how he lifted them.”

“Well…” Tomomi gave her a rub on the shoulder and a pat on the head, “At least you learned something?”

“Maybe. I’m not even sure. All I know now is pain.”

---

As it turned out, no one missed how Asahi was much less cheery that day. She tried, really she did. It helped that by the time that she went over to the KPaRS’ base, she had already had several pieces of candy and two cookies. So she was feeling better, even if she was still very much in pain.

Which showed in how she was effectively flopped into a chair, Gomora and Regina cuddling into her chest, occasionally groaning. Litra was somewhere else in the room, presumably making a nest once again, as her previous one had been cleaned up by the custodial crew. After the fifth or sixth groan of pain from Asahi, though, Jun looked up from the computer on her desk.

“Are you okay?” She asked, “You’ve been awfully… groan-y?”

Rin taps their fingers on their desk, “Does it have something to do with that man who showed up yesterday?”

Asahi raises her head and shifts positions so she can more easily face Jun and Rin, “Mr. Juggler is, as it turns out, a very… Well his teaching methods are like his personality.” She squeezes Gomora and Regina closer to her, pouting, “Which means they’re very… interesting. And maybe a bit excessive.”

“Mr. Juggler?” Rin asked, “I presume that was the man from yesterday?”

She nods in response. Jun’s eyebrows raise, “So what exactly was he teaching you? And why?”

“Mr. Juggler has a Crystal,” Asahi explained, fishing the afore mentioned object out of her pocket to show the two, “Which just sort of… summons a sword. So he decided, that because he wants to prove he can be, and I quote, ‘a good guy’, he was gonna teach me how to use it.”

“And his teaching tired you out.” Rin finished, “Sounds like some training.”

“There were large rocks being thrown,” She pointed out, “I think that counts as, ‘some training’.”

“Large rocks?” Jun echoed, sounding very concerned, “What type of training is that?”

“Mr. Juggler’s, I guess.”

They all jump slightly as the door slams open, even Matsuoka, who was busy working at his own desk, looks up to see why. Katsuhito stands there, looking both annoyed and flustered. He stomps over to Asahi.

“Asahi, I beg of you, please get that man out of the lobby.”

She tilts her head in confusion, “Who…?”

“The smug man in the suit. The one who’s flirting with any guy in the lobby remotely near him.” Katsuhito gritted his teeth, “Preferably, before someone – possibly me – punches him.”

It takes Asahi a moment to realize who he’s talking about. “Oh,” She says, “Oh you mean Mr. Juggler.” She’s vaguely horrified because what was that about flirting with people?

“I don’t care who he is, he’s a terror to any man in the lobby.”

It was then Asahi realized that she had a choice. She could stay and let the poor people of the lobby be terrorized by Mr. Juggler’s apparent flirting, or she could go and suffer through another day of “training” from Mr. Juggler. Something that she really didn’t want to do given how much pain she was in. It was a very tough decision.

She looked over to Rin and Jun, “Do you think it’d be possible to convince him I’m not here?”

Jun gave her a skeptical look while Rin laughed. “Yeah,” Rin said, “I don’t think so.”

Asahi sighed, “I don’t think I can make it through another day of his so-called training. I can’t stand any more rocks being thrown at me.” In her arms, Regina huffed, clearly annoyed at Mr. Juggler.

Rin looks down at their computer, clicking away at something or other idly. Asahi sighed once again, deciding that she couldn’t just leave Mr. Juggler to menace the lobby. She’d just have to suffer through another day of training with him. Then she wonders how long he’s going to keep doing this. She not sure she can make it through another day of this, let alone more than that.

“Ah,” Rin voices, “I think I have a solution.”

Katsuhito walks over to their desk, looking at the computer screen. He smiles and laughs quietly, “Oh, that does need to get done, doesn’t it?”

Jun looks over herself, “But shouldn’t we wait for Fuyuko?”

“Fuyuko said she’d be over there in an hour or so, it should be fine,” Rin said.

Asahi was tempted to get up and walk over to see just what they were talking about, but at the same time, she was just in so much pain. Though she should probably get up soon anyway. With a sigh she shifts and begins the endeavor to get out of the chair. Soon, she was following Jun, Rin, and Katsuhito to the lobby. She had a feeling about this, though she wasn’t sure what the feeling was.

She spots Mr. Juggler, who was very obviously flirting with some poor glasses wearing business man who looked like he would very much like to leave. She can’t decide if she’d rather he notice her or not. Not that she really got that decision given Jun, Rin, and Katushito marched over, leaving her to trail behind.

“Ah, Mr… Juggler, was it?” Rin begins, a pleasant smile on their face. Mr. Juggler was distracted enough that the poor man was able to slip away, looking far more relieved than one might expect. “You’re a friend of Asahi’s, right?”

“No.” Mr. Juggler said at the same time that Asahi said “Kinda.”

He shoots her a glare, “You sure do like to take your time.”

Jun spoke next, “Actually, I’m afraid we need Asahi for something today, so she can’t go do… whatever it is you want her for.”

“Oh really?”

“I’m afraid so,” Katsuhito grinned, “But… if you’d like, you can come along.”

Asahi was very confused. She should have looked at that computer screen.

---

As they stood outside of an old warehouse and Katsuhito began to explain why they were there, Asahi decided she really, really, should have looked at that computer screen.

“It’s simple, really,” Katsuhito began, “We think there’s some Kaiju poachers here, so we need to go… undercover so to speak. The thing is, they only let people in skirts in. So, Asahi’s here because she wears skirts, Rin and Jun both wear skirts outside of work, and I have no shits left to give in that department.”

Jun turned to Mr. Juggler, looking thoughtful, “You’ll probably have to wait out here,” She said, “I can’t imagine you’d want to wear a skirt just for this…”

Whatever the plan was at that point, assuming those three even had a plan and weren’t just winging it the entire time, which was entirely possible, most likely went out the window when Mr. Juggler scoffed. “What is that supposed to mean?” He sounded slightly offended, odd enough.

“Well,” Katsuhito started, pulling several skirts out of a bag that Asahi hadn’t even noticed he had. “A lot of guys don’t like the idea of wearing a skirt. Of course, you might not be one of those, but I’d honestly be kinda surprised…”

Mr. Juggler snatched one of the skirts out of the hands of a surprised Katsuhito. “I’ll have you know,” He said with a snarl, “I look amazing in a skirt.”

Jun rolled her eyes but said nothing. Asahi just watched in a mix of amazement and confusion. Every time she thought she had a good idea of what Mr. Juggler was like, he just kept surprising her. She decided she wouldn’t point out of ridiculous he looked, simply pulling the skirt over his suit pants and leaving it at that. Though, she supposed Katsuhito did the same, while Jun and Rin at least ditched their pants afterwards.

When it looked like Katsuhito was about to say something about it, Jun shot him a glare, “I’m not running around with pants under a skirt. No way.”

“I have shorts on underneath,” Rin simply shrugged.

“Do you… do you always have shorts underneath your pants?” Katsuhito braved a question.

“Yes.”

Katsuhito didn’t end up saying anything else. Most likely because Jun didn’t stop sending him a withering glare until it was clear he wasn’t going to say anything more on the subject.

“So…” Asahi began, “Now what’s the plan?”

“We’ll need to split up, so as to not draw attention to ourselves. When entering present these,” She hands them each a card of sorts, “And pretend you totally know what you’re doing.”

Asahi raises her hand and asks, “What if they ask us a question or something?”

Jun paused for a moment, then shrugged, “Just wing it. Now all we have to do once we’re in there is look for evidence or something. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

Mr. Juggler rolled his eyes, “You’ve never done anything like this before, have you?”

Katsuhito rubbed the back of his head, “That obvious?”

“Yes.”

Jun laughed, “Well this is what happens when you’re understaffed.” Then points at Asahi, Mr. Juggler, and Katsuhito. “You three can be a group. Rin and I will be another and meet with Fuyuko later.”

Katsuhito glances at Mr. Juggler, a concerned and contemplative look on his face. He looks like he’s about to say something, though quickly thinks better of it. Instead, he sighed and attempted to shove his hands in his pockets, only to realize their covered by the skirt. He looks mildly annoyed by that fact.

“Right then,” Jun smiled, oddly cheerful. Asahi suspected she enjoyed Katsuhito’s suffering. “We’ll go first, you follow in a few minutes or so.”

Jun and Rin made their way toward the side of the warehouse, leaving Mr. Juggler, Katsuhito, and Asahi standing there. There was silence for a moment, Katsuhito looking around while Mr. Juggler look irritated. Not anymore irritated than normal, though, but in contrast to Asahi and Katsuhito, it was much more apparent.

“This isn’t the worst way to spend time during the day,” Asahi noted with cheer, “Kaiju’s are really great and all. And I really can’t see a way this could go badly.”

Katsuhito turns to face her with a serious look on his face, “Don’t say that,” He placed his hands on her shoulders, “Don’t say that. If you say that, things will find a way to go badly.”

“Don’t be so… dramatic?” Off to the side, Mr. Juggler looked vaguely amused.

“The last time someone said ‘oh, this can’t go badly’, half a building burnt down.” Katsuhito seemed to be serious, though his comment made her curious as to what exactly happened to burn half of a building.

“Okay…?”

Katsuhito seemed satisfied that she had gotten the message. She sort of had, though she was still pretty confused about why it would be bad to think that things couldn’t go badly. Really, what was the worst that could happen? These were all just normal sized people, surely they all could deal with that if things stopped going as well as planned.

“I think we can go now,” He notes, looking at Asahi and Mr. Juggler. Pointedly, he shoots Mr. Juggler a look and says, “Don’t go scaring anyone you’re not supposed to.”

Asahi thought it was rather brave of Katsuhito to make that comment to Mr. Juggler, because even when he wasn’t being super scary, Mr. Juggler was just constantly intimidating. Either way, Katsuhito guides them towards the warehouse, fiddling with the card Jun had handed him.

When he approached the door, he was startled by the sight of two very scary looking women. One looked very bored, filing at her nails with a file, while the other was bouncing up and down. The second greeted them with a smile, “Ooh,” She cooed, “Lookey, Soba! Tol, medium, and smol!”

The other woman, Soba, glanced up for a moment before commenting in disinterest, “That’s nice, Ramen. Just check if they have the cards, yeah?”

“Okay-doke!” At that, Katsuhito shrunk back further, meekly presenting the card to Ramen. Asahi raised hers up with a grin, while Mr. Juggler huffed holding the card so it was visible.

Ramen glanced over the cards and gave each person a once over, before hesitating of Mr. Juggler. She eyed him for a moment, “Hey… You seem familiar.” She calls over to Soba, “Hey Soba! This guy look familiar to you?”

Soba sighed and looked up. The expression of disinterest disappeared off her face, replaced in an instant by something of fear. She grabbed Ramen’s arm, pulling her closer and hissed in her ear, “Ramen. Let him through. Or so help me you’ll get us all killed.”

Ramen nodded, now seeming a bit scared herself. She smiles, though this one is clearly more forced and let’s them through. As they walk past, Soba’s harsh whispers could be heard, though Asahi was unable to make out what was being said.

That was, admittedly, a concerning thing to hear. What exactly had Mr. Juggler done to make both of the women so scared of him, she didn’t know. And honestly, she figured it was better not to ask or worry about it, at least not too much. Mr. Juggler was a rather scary person, as well as the sort of person who wasn’t easily forgettable.

The inside of the warehouse was oddly clean, for what was suppose to be an abandoned warehouse. Though, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that this group or whatever of Kaiju poachers had been here for a while.

“So what exactly are we looking for?” Asahi asked Katsuhito, as quietly as she could so no one could hear her. There weren’t exactly a lot of people present, it was actually very easy to spot Rin and Jun, especially as they were still in their KPaRS uniform. Apparently, everyone here was blind, as they missed three people in a KPaRS uniform. That or they didn’t care. But as a consequence of the lack of people, it was very easy to hear people from farther away.

Katsuhito shrugged and whispered, “I have no clue. Something really obvious maybe? I don’t know,” He sighed, “Just something we can use as evidence.

“Something really obvious?” Mr. Juggler asked, then laughed and pointed to the center of the warehouse, “Like that, perhaps?”

Asahi and Katsuhito look to where Mr. Juggler was pointing, unsure of what they were looking at. It was large and a off white color, with some sort of pattern or other on it. It was so large, that it took up a large portion of the warehouse, barely short enough to fit under the roof. Asahi was frankly confused as to how they even managed to get it in the building.

“What… what is it?” Katsuhito wondered aloud.

“A Kaiju egg.”

Katsuhito jumped forward, stumbling to the ground, away from Fuyuko, who had walked up behind them. Similar to them, she was clad in a skirt, having elected to wear a pair of leggings underneath. She stood with her arms crossed, looking at Katsuhito in amusement.

“A Kaiju egg?” Asahi echoed in wonder, looking at the object in the center of room with new wonder.

“Yeah,” Fuyuko nodded, helping Katsuhito up from the floor, “And the main reason why we need to catch these guys as soon as possible.”

Asahi blinked, “I’m still not entirely sure what the plan is here.”

Fuyuko regards her for a moment, before sighing, “That’s fair. We need to find the poachers, they should be somewhere here, but they’re not just gonna reveal themselves.”

Mr. Juggler looked thoughtful when he asked, “Do you think a commotion would draw them out?”

Fuyuko thinks for a moment before conceding, “I imagine.”

Asahi wished Mr. Juggler didn’t come along. She saw the look on his face and recognized what it meant. That meant she had two choices, she could run – but he was faster than her, as she found the day before – or she could simply try to block his attacks and hope for the best. As she noticed Mr. Juggler already had his sword in hand, she decided the latter would be best. So quickly, she got her own sword, thanks to his Crystal.

Fuyuko pulled Katsuhito away while Mr. Juggler swung his sword, the expression on his face best described as scary and somewhat crazy. Asahi blocked it, something she’d gotten decent enough at the day before from his training. Unfortunately, she didn’t get all that good at much else, at least when fighting someone who actually knew what they were doing.

“Do you really have to do this?” She asked, still smiling despite the annoyance in her voice. She was not going to let him knock down her smile. This was nothing. She could manage this.

“But it’s such good training,” Mr. Juggler commented with a grin, thrusting his sword, “Very good training.”

“You’re the worst,” She responded, struggling to deflect the thrust. She hadn’t gotten too good at dealing with those either.

“Why thank you,” He actually had the gall to sound proud of himself.

“Seriously?!” Came the annoyed cry of Ramen, the cheerful woman from the door.

“We let you in all nicely,” Soba, the other woman, the one who looked bored, began, “And you do this?”

Mr. Juggler swung around to face them, sword still in hand, and grinned, “Ah, but it got you two to show up, didn’t it?”

Ramen stomped, looking particularly annoyed. She huffed and crossed her arms, “Oh you little-!” Soba grabbed her arm, as though to tell her to knock it off. With a huff, she ignored it, continuing, “We should just deal with you right now, right Soba?”

Soba sighed, “Ramen, don’t do anything rash.”

“Yes, listen to her Ramen,” Mr. Juggler waltzed around the room, running a hand along the Kaiju egg in the center, “It’d be a shame if something happened to this egg here…”

Fuyuko grabbed Asahi’s shoulder and hissed into her ear, “What is he doing?”

“I don’t know!” All Asahi could do was watch Mr. Juggler and hope for the best, “He’s really, really, weird.”

“No kidding,” Katsuhito snorted, “Guess we’ll have to sit tight and hope for the best.”

“Now, now,” Soba put herself between Mr. Juggler and Ramen, “Let’s all not do anything… rash, that we might… regret.”

“I don’t regret. You’re friend though?” Mr. Juggler points his sword toward Ramen, “She might.”

Though Ramen seemed annoyed, she was at least listening to Soba now. But as Soba seemed to be trying to placate both Mr. Juggler and Ramen, Ramen seemed to be inching toward something. There were some boxes by the one of the wall, Asahi had assumed they were empty… but then again, why keep empty boxes?

Soon Ramen was digging through one of the boxes, seemingly searching for something. Mr. Juggler caught it too, but not soon enough to stop her as Ramen pulled something out and threw it at Soba. A sword, and Ramen had a matching one.

“Ramen, take the girl,” Soba yelled, “I’ll take this asshole.”

It was about then that Asahi looked at her hand and remember she was still holding that damn sword. She was the girl. She recognized this quick enough to raise her sword and block Ramen’s strike. Behind her, Fuyuko and Katsuhito backed up, giving space. Which was very fair, Asahi wouldn’t want to be anywhere near a sword fight herself. Except now she had no choice but to be in one.

Brightside, her skills were marginally better when she wasn’t fighting Mr. Juggler. While Ramen clearly knew what she was doing, she wasn’t as good at fighting with a sword as Mr. Juggler was. That would make this whole thing much easier.

That first move was indicative of how most of their fight would go, though. Ramen would attack, Asahi would block or deflect. At least, until Ramen moved back slightly, trying to put some space between them. Then, Asahi swung, somehow managing to knock the sword out of Ramen’s hands. Ramen stared in disbelief for a moment before realizing what happened.

She glanced over to where Soba and Mr. Juggler had been fighting, only to realize that they’d long since finished, Soba sitting there in handcuffs courtesy of Jun and Rin. It was then that Ramen clearly realized she and Soba had lost, rather spectacularly.

Soon they were all outside the warehouse. Mr. Juggler discarded the skirt he’d been wearing on the ground, then rolled his shoulders. “Well,” He began, “This has been fun, but I really should be going.”

“Oh, thank god.” Asahi sighed in response.

If Mr. Juggler heard her, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he continued, “I have an even better way to prove I can be a ‘good guy’.” He smiled, in the way that Mr. Juggler smiled, “Anyway, I have quite a bit of work to do, so I imagine this will be the last you’ll see of me.”

And with that he walked away. Asahi was rather glad. She wasn’t sure how much more of Mr. Juggler she could take.

“And now,” Fuyuko said, “We have a Kaiju egg to get to the Conservation. Joy.”

While Fuyuko, Rin, and Jun walked away, talking about how to remove the egg from the warehouse, Katsuhito walked up to Asahi. He too had gotten rid of the skirt he’d been wearing, though he now held his phone in hand. He was grinning in an odd way.

“Hey Asahi,” He said, “I’m gonna send you some photos. Hold on to them for me, will you?”

“…Why…?” She asked as her phone pinged. She looked at her phone, taking in the photos Katsuhito had sent her. They were of when Mr. Juggler was fighting Soba. She looked up to him confused.

“Just in case,” He said, “I need something to use against him. So he doesn’t flirt with me again.”

“I think punching him would work better. Even if punching is not a very happy way to deal with things.”