#you will all learn about the crow road or so help me

[chocolatepot]

rated G | 2,350 words | one-shot

Crowley & Muriel

Additional tags: Bookshop Owner Muriel, Cute Muriel, Sad Crowley, The Crow Road

When they finished, Crowley was sitting in the armchair opposite theirs, without a glass in his hand. They got the sense that he’d been there a while, watching them read. “Good book?” “Oh, it’s,” Muriel said, and then paused, looking down at the cover where the book rested in their lap. “It’s very interesting. It’s about … humans?” Muriel learns how to manage the bookshop from Crowley, and learns how to better understand humans from Iain Banks (as well as Mark Twain and Charlotte Bronte).

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Being Karasuno’s Manager

🧁🍩Miss Manager loves to Bake 🍪 🍰

Karasuno featuring Seijoh x female! manager (she/her pronouns)

Warnings: pure fluff

AN: This is probably the cutest anon request ever 🥹

Let me just say this

Kageyama might be “king of the court” but YN is “Queen of Karasuno” 👸

Honestly these boys absolutely worship you

Literally, they act as if they don’t have three managers

They literally will lay down in a puddle of mud while you step on them

Will do the above 👆 for any of their three managers

But you, you my love are super special to our boys

Why you ask?

Well it’s because you provide them with nutrients to survive 😌

That’s right, your love of baking and the fine art of culinary creations only helps you out with our beloved crows

You’ve learned to cater to all their needs

Filling recipes with top tier ingredients for success

Things like fruits, nuts, and even sneaking some veggies in there

Like zucchini bread or carrot cake

Listen, even if it’s in a desert, it still counts as a fruit or veggie

I don’t want to hear “tHe SuGaR cAnCeLs It OuT”

Because like these boys need the sugar to run and jump all over the place ok 🤚🏻

You bake almost daily as a form of stress release and therapy

Please you need it with the team you manage 🙄

And you always bring in the treats for the boys!

And they ALWAYS eat them up

“These are fantastic Yn what are they called?” Hinata asks

“They are Fudgy Pumpkin Brownie bites! It’s a new recipe!” You exclaim as Kageyama and Noya go in for thirds

“You fit a whole pumpkin in here Yn?!?” Hinata : D

You 👉🏻😐

“I think she means that there is pumpkin in the recipe not one per bite,” Ennoshita explains

I never claimed they were smart Yn

Anyways, you are always there to help our precious boys fill their bellies

You are in charge of snacks for games and practice, often finding joy in everything you do

So when the prelims for the road to spring nationals start, you are busy whipping up some goodies

You bake the entire weekend before, preparing for every possible scenario

Protein muffins for in between matches

Chocolate chip cookies for after they win matches

You even prepare some of your famous Strawberry shortcake cookies just incase the boys happen to lose

Not that we think they will, don’t get me wrong but it’s always nice to be prepared

Anyways, the prelims start and Karasuno dominates

Like, did we really thinking they wouldn’t 💅

Anyways, tensions run high as the boys go into their match with Seijoh

You remember the first time they fought against Seijoh and how the loss crushed them

But fueled up on your high-protein muffins, these boys are ready to kick butt!

And kick butt they do!

They beat Seijoh and prepare to meet Shiratorizawa in the finals

After the game, you notice how upset Seijoh is after their loss

You knew this was the third years last tournament and seeing them cry hurt

You thought about if it was your boys

And with that, there was only one thing left to do

So you pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a little note and stuck it in the box of cookies

As your team was preparing to leave, you grabbed your box of Strawberry Shortcake cookies and ran over to Seijoh

Karasuno rn 👉🏻👀

“Excuse me?” You said as the entire Seijoh team turned around and looked at you

“You guys played an excellent game and you deserve these,” you said handing Seijoh your expertly wrapped cookies

Oikawa accepted, saying nothing

Please you left him speechless

Too bad Kunimi’s too sad to even record this moment 😭

You smile and wave as you run back to your team

Meanwhile, back the gym the Seijoh boys are extremely sad

“Hey what did that manager from Karasuno give you Oikawa?” Kindaichi asked as Oikawa reached for the box

He reached for it, opening it as the note slipped out

Iwa picked the note up and began reading it

It read “Thank you for playing your hardest! You deserve these. Xoxo YN, Karasuno’s Manager”

“It’s cookies,” Oikawa said as he began to pass them around and Iwa showed Oiks the note

Oikawa rn 👉🏻😐🥺😭

Please the entire Seijoh team is eating your cookies and crying Yn 😩

The next few days go by

You are in the gym taking notes when a teacher comes to get you

“Excuse me?”

“Yes,” Takeda asks

“Umm there is a team of boys at the front gate here to see Yn,” the teacher says

Karasuno 👉🏻 a team…. OF BOYS 😐😑

Tanaka and Noya 👉🏻 FOR YN?!?? 😡🤬

“Oh my ok!” You say, getting up and walking towards the gates of Karasuno

Tanaka, Noya, Kags and Hinata are ready to go

It takes the entire rest of the team to hold them back 🙄

“WHAT IF THEY KIDNAP YN??” Noya shouts

“They literally showed up at the front of school in broad daylight, like that’s gonna happen,” Suga say, rolling his eyes

“Someone has never watched dateline before,” Tanaka adds

Of course, you ignore them and head for the gates

As you approach, you see the white track suits

You 👉🏻😐😳

“Umm hi,” you say as the boys of Seijoh all look at you

“Team!” Oikawa shouts and they all scream

“THANK YOU FOR THE COOKIES YN!” while bowing

You rn 👉🏻😐😳🥹

“You are so welcome! Thank you for coming!” You say smiling and going to hug them

You hug Iwa first and boy is he stiff 😅

It’s safe to say the entire Seijoh team is now in love with you Yn 🥰

Bonus

“Omg is Oikawa crying?” Kageyama says, shoving Hinata out of the way as they watch around the corner.

“Hey watch it butthole!” Hinata shouts as he pushed Kageyama out of the way.

“I’d cry too if YN hugged me,” Noya added as Tanaka nodded.

“You guys are about to have something to cry about if you don’t get your butts back to the gym RIGHT NOW!” Daichi shouted, looming over them as the boys all turned and ran back to the gym.

[mockerycrow]

CHIROPTOPHOBIA (Roommate!Gaz x GN!Reader)

roommate!gaz masterlist

summary; you meet kyle’s team for the first time and bond over his suffering. 2.9k words! note; the flashback is implied to be past "the day we met"!

[WARNINGS; alcohol consumption, pre-relationship, phobias of bats and rabies, near panic attack from gaz, fluff, humorous overall.]

The pub Kyle dragged you to—the tables have turned it seems, as you’re usually the one dragging him when he’s on leave—is fairly loud and smells like peanuts and alcohol, but has such a comforting vibe to it. It’s familiar. Messy, but honestly for a meeting like this, there’s no other pub he would have chosen. Of course Kyle is the one driving with you in the passenger seat. You’re controlling the music this time, the radio turned to a comfortable volume where you can still hear each other if one were to speak. 

Tonight is the night. You’re meeting his team for the first time and for some reason, you have this nervous itch under your skin. You’re bouncing your leg in the car, chewing your lower lip and looking out of the car window. Kyle nudges you after taking his eyes off of the road for a moment to check on you, considering how silent you’ve been. “Hm?” You hum, your head snapping to look at him. Kyle’s leaned back comfortably in his seat, one hand on the wheel and the other leaning on the center console like an arm rest. He’s wearing a delicious dark red button up, his facial hair minimal like always.

Fuck.

“I asked if you were alright.” Kyle murmurs in response, his eyes glued to the road. You catch a glimpse of a necklace dangling in the neckline of the button up—you avert your eyes to the road ahead of you, the car slowing to a stop at a red light. “Yeah, just..” You let out a slow breath in an attempt to calm yourself, but of course, it only makes the flighty feeling underneath your skin worse. Your eyes read the license plate of the car in front of you absentmindedly. “Nervous, I guess.”

Kyle’s thumb taps against the steering wheel at your response. “Nervous?” Kyle echoes with a questioning tone. “No need to be nervous, sweets. They’ve heard a lot about you, they’re excited.” He assures you, smile evident in his tone as he speaks. You roll your shoulders for a moment before groaning as all attempts to chill out have failed thus far. “Okay, but what do we even talk about?? Like, I’m horrible at talking about myself. Ask me my favorite color and I’ll tell a lie out of panic.” You complain, glancing over at him as the car starts moving once more. 

Kyle lets out a chuckle, the sound heard clearly over the music playing in the background. It warms your stomach for just a moment before the beat passes. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out, yeah? There’s going to be five of us there.” Kyle hums, your eyes hovering on his charming soft smile. He says your name before continuing. “I promise you won’t have to carry the conversation. You’ll be fine; now, cheer up, we’re nearly there.” 

Right. Everything will be fine.. Everything will be fine.

Kyle only regrets introducing you to them slightly. The ever so slightest, littlest bit. He should’ve known the conversation would go like this. Go to.. That.

“So,” Price had uttered, his voice hoarse and low before he took a small sip of his glass of alcohol. “How long have you known about Kyle’s problem?”

Kyle’s head snaps to his Captain, his eyebrows pushed up the farthest they can go. “My problem?” Kyle gawks, shock evident in his tone. You can’t help the laugh that leaves you, the laugh that causes Johnny—Soap, who you learned him to be after Kyle’s stories—to lean forward with a grin. Ghost seems reserved, but you’re certain you see his crows feet. “His problem?” You echo with a smirk, side eyeing Kyle as you sip on your own drink. You set it down, your eyes landing back on Price, his Captain. “You mean his bat problem?”

Kyle groans, rubbing his face. “For the love of God.” He hisses, holding no venom in his tone. It causes everyone’s amusement, to his disappointment. Ghost shifts in his seat as Price lets out an amused huff, his fingers twitching around his glass. “Ye mean he’s always had a fear of—” Johnny begins to speak, but is interrupted by Gaz shoving at his arm playfully. “Oi! It’s not a fuckin’ secret noo’, is it?” Johnny says, his accent thick and accompanied by a winning smile. “No, it isn’t.” You agree, sending Kyle a grin who is sending back a “please don’t” look. Of course, you don’t listen.

“So, it all started at this summer camp Kyle and I attended together..” You begin with a smug tone, which makes Kyle sigh in defeat. You glance at him and he motions for you to go on. You stifle a laugh before taking a sip, glancing between the men. “We were young, I don’t remember how young but we were over the age of thirteen.” You begin, gears turning in your skull to attempt to recall the story. Your fingers tap against the table for a moment; mindless fidgeting. “We were partnered up since the camp had a buddy system for anything exploratory. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m sure it didn’t start here, but anyway…”

“Do you even know how to navigate the map?” You question Kyle, who is standing on a large rock that sits in the middle of a split path, holding out a giant piece of paper that had worn down fold marks; the map. He huffs, glancing down at you, where you’re standing in the midst of the split path with a worried expression. “Of course I do! I did pay attention to the navigation classes, you know. Did you?” Kyle asks you with an accusatory tone, but you know he’s just jabbing at you due to worrying so much. Always the person to try to calm you, hm?

“Yes,” You utter, telling a half truth. It’s not that you didn’t pay attention, but at the moment you were running on maybe three hours of sleep minimum and barely processed anything that was being taught to you. You have half a mind to blame Kyle directly for this, as you stayed up nearly all night, secretly playing games with him. “Just.. didn’t grasp the concept as well as you.” You pout, making Kyle roll his eyes and turn his eyes back to the map. You look around the forested area; the only sign of humans being the man made gravel paths beneath your worn down hiking footwear.

You take a deep breath, the lukewarm air entering your nose and filling your lungs. It smells like.. Well, outside. You can smell the scent of the pungent soil, the woodsy smell of partially rotted wood from the century old trees that surround you. You can smell some sort of animal excrement that makes your nose wrinkle—you also focus on that sweet, sweet, annoying cicada zing that constantly rings through the air. The sun is high in the sky, right in the middle of the blue. The air smells clean and when you Kyle, a little voice in your head says that there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.

“Alright!” Kyle exclaims, the sound of his voice and the map crinkling between his fingers back into an imperfect square snaps you out of your thoughts. You glance at him where he’s stuffing the map into the water bottle holder, between the bag and his water bottle. Probably a bad place for it, but you don’t get the chance to correct him. Kyle hops off of the rock, his feet landing onto the gravel below, making you back up half a step. “It’s the left path that’ll lead to the hill.” Kyle continues, looking at you as he loops his thumbs between the straps of his backpack and himself. 

You blink for a moment, raising a brow. “Are you sure?” You ask, some residual worry remaining. Kyle’s eyes dart for a moment before they meet yours once more. “Yes, I’m sure. Bloody hell, makin’ me doubt myself.” He laughs for a moment, reaching for the handle of your backpack and pulling you closer. You huff and shove him gently, but you fall into a nice pace next to him, walking the left trail together. You glance around the trail, your eyes scanning the trees and the assortment of plants, poking out just enough into the path to brush by your exposed femurs. You hope none of it is poison ivy or anything of that sort.

The walk is nice, but it is long. You find yourself drinking much more water than you anticipated, which when the opportunity presented itself, you paused Kyle by putting a hand in front of him. He stops when his chest presses against your palm and he looks down at you with a questioning look, his brown eyes scanning your face. You throw a thumb over your shoulder at a little area of fluffy, concealing plants. “Gotta piss.” You utter, making Kyle groan. “We only have a little ways t’go. You sure you can’t hold it?” Kyle attempts to negotiate, which causes you to look at him. “I’d prefer to not piss myself.” You respond.

Kyle groans and looks around, finding himself a rock to sit on while you do your business. You roll your eyes playfully as you make your way across the trail and behind the plants you spotted before. You set your pack down and took out a travel sized pack of tissues from the front pocket. In the middle of you doing your business, you hear a sound you never wanted to hear—Kyle’s scream. Your heart nearly jumps out of your throat hearing it and your mind races a million miles an hour.

“Kyle??” You shout, swearing under your breath as your fingers struggle to button your pants back together. Your hands are trembling because you’re quite literally out in the wilderness with only pocket knives and walkie talkies as defense and communication. You nearly trip over the backpack that rests on the ground, but you catch yourself and stumble out to the path, your chest feeling tight. You look around, your eyes wildly moving to spot your friend. You find him on the ground, scrambling backwards, dirtying up his backpack in the process. “Kyle!” You shout, exasperated. You run towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder when he screams again, his arms coming up and flying around his head like something is attacking him. 

“Jesus—Kyle, what’s going on??” You grab his wrists to stop him from hitting you. He looks up at you with pure fucking unadulterated fear. Fucking hell, he’s already broken out into a worse sweat than the heat previously gave him. You look around, ready to rip out the knife sticking out from the other side of his backpack, but you don’t see any active threat. You let out a harsh breath, putting a hand on your beating heart. “Kyle, what in the hell made you scream like you were bein’ chased by a damn bear??” You curse him, lightly kicking his backpack. Admittedly, you feel a bit frustrated at his.. Joke.

“Bats,” Kyle gasps out, scrambling to his feet, so fast he almost topples back over onto the gravel below. Which, by the way, is all over his backside now. “Fucking bats—Oh my God, I didn’t get bit, did I? They were fuckin’ everywhere t.. the second you were gone, please check my head, they didn’t, right? No bites??” Kyle rambles, grabbing onto your upper arms. He quickly shoves his backpack off, thumping against the gravel path. He hurriedly contorts his neck in different ways, presenting his skin to you, even pulling at the collar of his shirt to show you more skin. You blink, standing there for a moment before he says your name desperately.

“Bats.” You repeat, your eyes roaming his neck for bites. Kyle pulls back and you hold eye contact with him for a moment. A beat passes. “Do not laugh at me,” He hisses, seeing the way your shoulders are moving up and down, the way your eyebrows quirk and the way you press your lips together in an attempt to hold down a smile. “Oi!” Kyle shouts as you aren’t able to contain your laughter. It’s not a joke! Even better.. It’s a fear. “You’re such an arse!” Kyle snarls for a second, going to pick up his bag. You reach and grab his wrist, pulling him to prevent him from stomping off like you know he would have.

“Wait! Wait, wait—” You choke out another giggle before waving your free hand in the air. “I’m sorry, Ky. I am.” You murmur his name, feeling his wrist flex underneath your fingers. “Let me check your neck, yeah?” 

Kyle huffs. His face is burning from embarrassment. He knows it’s stupid, but he genuinely isn’t able to help it. He relents, turning around. You pull at his shirt a bit, your fingertips brushing over his skin. You let out a soft sigh. “No bites, right? They’ve got rabies. Can’t be bit.” Kyle pushes out, showing how panic is still running through his veins. You let go of his shirt and pat his back. “No bites, Kyle. You’re fine.” You assure him, more serious this time but the humor running through your words is not lost on him.

He turns back around and lets out a relieved sigh, his eyes nervously looking in the sky, in the trees. “So..” You begin, picking up his bag for him, grunting as you hand it to him. Kyle slides his backpack on with a huff. “What happened?”

Kyle rubs the back of his neck as you fetch your own backpack, using the remaining water in your first water bottle to rinse your hands, then using a small travel pack of hand sanitiser to clean your hands thoroughly. “Bats happened,” Kyle says your name afterwards, grumbling in his tone. “They surrounded me, they did.” You let out an amused noise, your lips curling into a grin despite his look of warning. “Uh huh. Let’s get a move on, bat boy.”

“Oi!!”

Johnny lets out a whistle, interrupted by a loud, boisterous laugh of his own. His hand comes slamming down on the table a couple of times, jostling the drinks and wallets sitting on it. Price has such an amused smirk, his eyes glued to Kyle who is sipping on his non-alcoholic drink, hiding behind it. “That’s also how I found out he has like, a chronic fear of rabies, too,” You add, glancing at Ghost who is leaning forward a bit, showing his interest in your story. “Yer pullin’ my fuckin’ leg!” Johnny exclaims, causing you to smile and shake your head. “Honest.” You utter, putting your hands up for a moment.

“I appreciate the origin story.” Price breathes, his smug and amused smirk remaining. Which reminds you, something has had to happen for Kyle’s phobia.. Phobias? to be triggered. You make a noise in the middle of a long sip of your drink—the drink being alcoholic, and you can feel a light buzz behind your face. “That being said.. What happened, Captain?” You say, emphasizing his rank. Price huffs out a noise, wrapping both of his hands around his glass. 

“This was maybe..” Price pauses for a moment, his eyebrow quirking as his brain takes a moment to think. “..Maybe two years ago by this point. We were in the middle of nowhere, to be frank. Just me and Kyle, an’ it was getting dark.” Price pauses for a moment to take a sip of his drink. “Found a cave.” You let out a snort, immediately picturing Kyle’s face contorting with paranoia. “It began to sprinkle a bit and we didn’t want to sit in soaked knickers. Despite being his CO, Kyle nearly decked me for tryin’ t’pull him into shelter.” 

Your jaw drops and your head snaps to look at Kyle, who looks more relaxed under the influence of everyone getting looser—for the exception of him—from alcohol. “I apologized, I promise.” Kyle chuckles, seeing the look on your face. “Mm, that he did. Nearly took back his apologies when I had to include his fear in the reports.” Price retorts, his smirk widening when Kyle lets out a sigh, obviously embarrassed about his behavior. “It’s irrational, I swear. I genuinely don't have the foggiest idea why they petrify me,” Kyle admits, making eye contact with Ghost for a moment. “Well, I think it’s the threat of rabies, but wouldn’t I be scared of every animal, then?”

You space out as the boys quietly debate the route cause of Kyle’s phobia of bats and rabies, your finger circling the rim of your glass as your eyes are just lingering on Kyle. You’re not really paying attention to what anyone is saying, but Kyle’s face sure is interesting due to the alcohol in your blood right now. Your eyes slowly move down to the necklace dangling between the open folds of his button up. You quietly curse yourself when you realize you’re practically staring right at his chest, downing the rest of your drink. You put the glass down onto the table and you look directly at Johnny. “Guess what I dressed up as for Halloween the following October?”

“Wha’?”

“Batman.”

Johnny howls, slapping the table once more, knocking his knees against Ghost’s, causing an elbow to fly into his ribs and a lazy smile to appear on your lips.

🏷️; @kivino @mlmxreader @soapybutt17 @microwavedcheetos @frazie99 @narcolepticduck @ch3rrykoolaid @kimdiedlater @glossysoap @thisuserloveshalloween @ornateorchid @missborntodiex @indefenseofkara @lieutenantlashfaz @queen-leviathan @specter319 @theunplannedvariable @spacelia @1117sblog @snoowply @dumb-fawkin-bitch @abigatorchomp @s8nsbride

this is from my overall taglist which you can find here. if you would like there to be a roommate!gaz taglist, comment below! mistakenly tagged/wrongly tagged? let me know, no hard feelings.

[katskitscat]

If they ever make a DLC for TOTK, I want them to add two or three cutscenes that have Queen Sonia in it.

(I gotta emphasize real quick. I'm not gonna claim that these are inherently good or would make everything better, they just would make me very happy to see. Even just one of these or something similar would make me pleased, because in the end what I crave is lore above all else.)

We learn from the Steles that Rauru was more of a fan of hunting then ruling, so to me that implies that he often left governing to Sonia.

1) One idea I had is a scene of Zelda learning to use her recall ability in Sonia's study. She is trying to make the small blade come back to the air when she sees Hyrulian tapestries of how Hyrule's monarchy was founded. One of marriage, one of alliance, one of conflict, one of coronation. Rauru and Sonia's wedding, their alliance with the other races of Hyrule, the war with the Gerudo, and then the crowing of Rauru and Sonia as king and queen.

The one I would use for this scene is a tapestry of Sonia securing their alliance under Rauru's reign with the Zora. While Rauru is front and center, it is Sonia's diplomacy that secured their support.

(This also helps give the opportunity to add more info about the ancient sages, especially the Zora sage who in this context might very well be the same Zora that Sonia made a alliance with)

Sonia is a priestess, possibly a diplomat, and likely was already a person of influence in hyrule before her marriage. So I would like to think that Zelda takes notice of this, and Sonia tells her that wars must be fought but that a good kingdom is built, or rebuilt, on strength, courage, and wisdom. All three depend on the monarchy's ability to make connections with their people.

Zelda takes on a more political apprenticeship of Sonia, being reminded of a broken kingdom and a Queenhood that is waiting for her back home.

2- It's my own personal feeling that Rauru was over confident and Mineru similarly resonating. As Zonai, I strongly believe that they were treated like Gods or positions of authority even in their infancy. The last of a mighty dynasty. I think it makes them blind to the present, especially because it looks like to me that Rauru and Mineru had very little interest in the past and is possibly enthralled by the future.

In the throne room tear memory where Ganon swears false allegiance (or even a new memory of their first meeting), I think that Rauru should accepts the oath but carelessly agitates the Gerudo by standing quickly after, staying some informal words to Ganon, and leaving. Ganon and his company probably viewed this as rude, like the swearing of a whole culture to his reign was not as important as his hunts. Like he is so above them and their conflict even tho a entire proud warrior race just bent the knee to him in defeat.

This is mostly fed by the claim Ganon makes in the game that Rauru is arrogant. Considering that Ganon doesn't actually hate Link in the games, and honestly seems to respect him or otherwise is amused by him despite having conflict, it kinda tells you he may have good reason for this claim.

This scenario gives Sonia the opportunity to mend some broken or miscommunicated social etiquette. She stayed seated despite Rauru leaving as the Gerudo bow their heads. She has a expression of disbelief and slightly annoyance, of which turns soft and sweet when addressing the Gerudo. She thanks them for their time, and orders her guards to take them to comfortable sleeping quarters where they can stay before they take the long road back to the desert. She says that she looks forward to their budding friendship as they turn to leave, of which a singular Gerudo woman, possibly the future sage, looks back to her before following her king out.

Zelda probably has been trying to tell him about the calamity Ganon in the past, but he brushes that off as a villain he, a powerful light bringing Zonai, can fight off. He speaks to her in a comforting tone her like she is a frightened child who is scared of a monster in her closet, despite Zelda having actually thrown hands with said closet monster for 100 years. I would imagine he does this rather gently, if he was completely delusional instead of slightly overzealous it wouldn't be the same Rauru. He has never seen anything like the calamity or the demon king yet, so of course he himself is probably the strongest thing he has ever known.

Zelda tries to tell Rauru that Ganon shares a aura and name with the beast that she trapped for 100 years, thought conflicted since her history books claim the Calamity had never had a host or it's own body. This uncertainty makes Rauru dismiss the theory that Ganon is more then just a fellow king. He prides himself on being a king who acts on certainty, which likely would Upset Zelda since she was forced to share a body with Calamity and could be theorized that a part of her Triforce energy being depleted because her own body was infected with Ganon's aura.

Sonia confronts him on his blunders, he does not listen very well and has forgotten that different gestures are interpreted differently by the other races. They have a slight argument, where Nintendo finally gives us the confirmation of a child that they share together. I strongly believe that it's a daughter that Sonia sent to train in light magic, being watched over by three ppl who I believe should be Sonia's sisters who all reside in the ancient goddess Shrines protected by the dragons. Sonia talks about her divine heritage, her ancestor being the goddess Hylia's reincarnation during the legendary Eras. She believes that Rauru coming to the shrine of the light god all those years ago was fated, their souls bound by the divine light of the goddess who gave them their gifts. (My personal belief is that the stones were created by the primordial goddesses when Hylia took a human form centuries ago, and protected by Hylia's descendants in a shrine forgotten by time. The sacred stones were in the possession of Sonia before they were given to the sages)

She urges him to think of the legacy that their daughter will inherit once she activated her powers, and to not think that just because Zelda exists that it means that their legacy is prosperous by fate alone. Rauru hears her and accepts her critique, and he hints that he is thankful for his queen to keep him on track. Sonia jokes that he better shape up, since Zonai out live Hylians she won't be there forever to steer him back on course (foreshadowing of her early death). In the back, we see Zelda but this is the appearance of Puppet Zelda.

3- the Last idea I had. Sonia's funeral. We should be given a opportunity to see more Hylian culture before Rauru had them temporality take the culture of Zonai. Sonia's funeral involves interring her body in a ancient crypt that can be revealed to be the time shrine that we start off in (being the only one that has a Hylia goddess statue) or a crypt that had collapsed on itself on the normal earth. The memory included Zelda being farther away from the ceremony, and watching as Sonia's sisters, Rauru, and a hidden 6 yr old daughter and heir bury the queen.

I like the idea that her grave has a stone slab statue on-top of it that looks like Sonia sleeping. The statue has a sundelion in its grasp.

I think it would help out more of a impact on the viewer about Sonia's end. If Link awakens all the bright bloom and shrines, he should not only get the ancient hero aspect but discover the hidden tomb of this queen. Better yet that it was once kept there as part of Sonia's own personal blessing, likely put in the crypt by her own daughter who may have been the first Zelda to fight the Calamity with the Legendary hero.

That's pretty much most of my thoughts for Sonia and the royal family. I love TOTK for what it is, but I understand that Nintendo is a game mechanic first kind of company instead of story driven one. I would love to see comics or even a dungeon mini series for this timeline of Zelda where the reward is knowledge about the Zonai and the workings of the goddess Hylia. (even tho the guy in charge of the game is saying he's exhausted everything for it, I personally think he's wrong and Nintendo needs to have him work with someone who prioritized story telling first.)

[theminecraftbee]

25 for the wrapped drabble!

25: "Bremen", PigPen Theater Co.

It was part of the plan, everbody would stand On their hind legs, hands holding high the other Like a tower of brothers, and the one on the top Would crow warnings and call in the morning And call out the storm that was coming The one on the bottom would steer 'til the road was clear And people would learn to rejoice and to fear our coming

It is, ironically, a mild, wet temperature over Dogwarts, the sort of weather that mostly feels dreary rather than being properly cold, or snowy, or icy, or any of the sorts of things that the kinds of people who claim to bring forth winter would be expected to have over their fortress.

"Oh, come on, you've gotta be cheating!" says Skizz, throwing his cards down on the table. They're stained a strange purple. "Dippledop, tell them that he's cheating."

"I mean, I don't know, Skizz," Impulse says. "You aren't good enough at cheating to have taught me how to spot it..."

"I mean, you're the one marking cards," Martyn says idly.

"You know I can't help it!" says Skizz. "It's my ender-what's-its. My purple scales. My, my general, uh, what's a good word for it -"

"Ourple," Etho says.

"What?" Impulse says.

"He's ourple," Etho says, and then doesn't elaborate at all.

"You know, if you're going to accuse me of cheating, why not accuse him?" Martyn says. "I mean, look at him. He's wearing a mask while we're playing poker. That's basically against the rules."

"I don't have a face, man," Etho says.

"Did you mean -" Big B starts. Impulse puts a hand on his leg. Big B stops.

"I'm just saying," Martyn says, as he takes the distraction as an excuse to palm one of the cards using and replace it with a king he's been keeping in a pocket. He knows the king won't be suspicious largely because he's been keeping track of the cards Skizz has had, and the king he's about to put in his hand is the same one that Skizz had three hands earlier.

Martyn is going to win, like, so many meaningless favors from people who are all definitely going to die before Martyn can call them in, but hey. He's definitely going to die before he has a chance to worry about it, either.

(At one point, it had been about winning. He's good at cheating.)

"You know what, yeah! That is cheating! Show us your face, huh, Etho?" says Skizz, pointing dramatically. Big B snorts into his cards.

"Uh, I mean, I don't know, man," Etho says, putting his hands up and nervously backing up. "It's like - you know I don't take this off..."

"Actually, yeah," Impulse says. "I sorta wanna see you try to keep a poker face. Take it off, Etho."

"Woah, woah boys. I know we're all friends here, but I don't know if I'm ready for a strip tease," Martyn says, which makes Etho turn bright red, and also makes Big B flustered enough that Martyn can see his hand. Okay, that's not a threat. Not that Big B's a threat to anyone, really, but he's still green for a reason.

Skizz isn't a threat for a completely different reason. His heart's right there on his sleeve. He has a shit hand this round. He gave that given that well away the moment he drew it.

That leaves Etho and Impulse to figure out.

"I - oh, geez, guys," Etho says. "I -"

"Take it off!" Skizz starts chanting. "Take it off! Take it off!"

"I'm - I like you guys, but I'm not taking off my mask!" Etho says. "Impulse, Impulse, we're buddies. You should understand!"

"Yeah, but like..." Impulse says, before shrugging. "I mean, if it really upsets you, I guess... Guys, maybe we should stop."

"Naw, don't try to talk him out of it!" Skizz says.

"Haha, you know, I want to see it too," Big B says. "It's a bonding thing, right?"

"Oh, well you can't argue with the bonding thing, now can you," Martyn says.

"Guys," Impulse starts saying, and then there's the sound of a creaking door, and everyone stops at once as the courtyard changes from dreary and wet to a certain chill. If Martyn didn't know any better, he'd say it's the chill of the grave, but there hadn't ever been any for him, so. Probably not.

Instead, it's just...

"My loyal Dogwarts," says Ren, quietly. "What is all of this commotion about?"

"We're playing cards, My Lord," Martyn says immediately. "See?"

He shows his hand to Ren. Ren chuckles.

"Well, laddie. Show me how you win at cards."

Well, the answer to that's 'by cheating'. But he can't really show Ren that, now can he? He's got to keep some things in his pocket. Besides, it's not like any of the favors in the pot matter.

They're all gonna die before they matter. Some of them already are.

Martyn loses the hand to Impulse. He collects the favors with a sheepish grin. Ren barks out a laugh. "You'll get them next time, laddie."

"I'm sure I will," Martyn says.

"Mom, Ren's playing favorites," Etho whines.

"That's - that's unbecoming a knight of -"

"Yeah, Ren's playing favorites," Big B says.

"I mean, dudes, uh, I mean - my loyal Dogwarts -"

Martyn laughs so hard that he forgets to pay attention, and loses the next hand too.

[deusexlachina]

Wannabe Warden Part 4 (Anders, Fenris and Isabela): Make good impressions by setting half my friends on fire

In which I exploit my police connections to safely recruit fugitives so I can get strong enough to convince a Grey Warden to come out of a retirement he wasn't allowed to have in the first place.

With Other Aveline in charge of the police and in my pocket, she gives me a bag of money and looks the other way to the numerous very illegal things I am about to do, all to get the muscle needed to get into the Deep Roads and become a Grey Warden. I take the money and tell her I look forward to working with her.

I use the money to pay a visit to Xenon the Antiquarian, an apostate with eternal life but without eternal youth, so unfortunately he cannot help me in my quest. At least, he can't accompany me. In fact, he helps me tremendously. In exchange for Other Aveline's "thank you money" to fund anti-aging research so he can not be a husk, he sells me the Anderfels Cleaver, an axe that deals fire damage. I don't mean it has some bonus fire damage. I mean all of its damage is fire. That means it's not affected by armour. Conventional defences mean nothing to the Anderfels Cleaver. Best of all, mabari are immune to fire, so me and my obscenely large hurtbox can safely swing away without killing my own dog. (Nightmare Ultra mostly doesn't have friendly fire, except for allies - only your squad is safe!).

I hear my mom's family home is now a front for Tevinter slavers, so I serve them an eviction notice in the form of the Anderfels Cleaver. Slavers are not immune to fire - in fact, they take extra damage, I guess because racist people can go burn in hell. All their heavy armour just serves as a shell to cook them in. Having cleared the slavers out of the family home, I scrounge up every penny, getting over 7 gold - a 140% return on the axe. This makes the Anderfels Cleaver a sounder investment than venturing into monster-infested tunnels and hoping to find treasure instead of monsters and diseases. But I'm not in this for the treasure. I'm in this to become a Grey Warden.

I invest the new gold into Maker's Sighs, a potion that resets all a character's skill choices so you can give them good ones instead of the literal garbage they were saddled with by default. I ditch Pommel Strike to get Cleave, a balanced skill that nearly doubles your damage for ten seconds on a twenty-five second cooldown. Bethany becomes a deadly ice mage. Other Aveline gets sick of tanking for me and goes offence by jumping on the Cleave bandwagon. Varric learns how to hit things when he shoots. My squad is an efficient fighting force, armed to the teeth and with Antivan Crow-level tactics. Unfortunately for Anders, he isn't part of my squad yet, so he hasn't learned to STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF THE MAGIC AXE THAT SETS PEOPLE ON FIRE. Anders Cannot Die Here because he is animated by a demonic version of Justice, which is good because otherwise I would have burnt him to a crisp several times over.

Anders' boyfriend, Karl, was already made Tranquil, which is like a whimsical equivalent of the lobotomy. Anders' possession by Justice temporarily unlobotomizes Karl, suggesting that there may be a cure for Tranquility. However, Anders unilaterally decides that There Is No Choice But To Kill Him, and Karl agrees, because being Tranquil falls in that Thedas euthanasia threshold between a stomachache and immediate death.

After this harrowing ideal, I flirt with Anders, hoping that being a Grey Warden can be transmitted sexually. He's impressed that I'm brave enough to flirt with a demon-possessed mage who just killed his last partner.

Unfortunately, he's not impressed enough to immediately induct me into the Grey Wardens, not least because he quit being a Grey Warden after they made him give up his cat.

To be clear, you're not allowed to quit being a Grey Warden. You're so not allowed to quit that Duncan stabbed a guy to death when he backed out in the initiation. This doesn't stop Anders from quitting, just as it doesn't stop Alistair from quitting if you hire Loghain, who doesn't attempt to quit the Grey Wardens despite his being recruited at least partly out of sheer spite for previously trying to kill them all.

In any case, Salrokka! Anders is back in the game. And with a Grey Warden in the party, replacing currently-weak Varric, things are starting to go in our favour. I help Fenris, a fugitive from Tevinter who was enslaved until sometime after his master infused his skin with powerful lyrium enchantments that make him a living superweapon who is especially resistant to magic, because sensible people don't own slaves in the first place. To put it mildly, Fenris has had a hard life, so I give him some shiny dark armour like he has in Blue Wraith. It's the least I could do.

With my help, and with Guard-Captain Other Aveline pointedly looking away, Fenris storms his old master's house to try and kill him. Unfortunately, instead of metaphorical monsters, all we find is literal monsters, who are not as cathartic to skewer. Because Fenris joined my squad, he is coordinated enough to stay out of the way of the friend-slaying Anderfels Cleaver. He is KO'd anyway because there's an Arcane Horror, but I save the day.

With Fenris, my squad is even stronger. I meet Isabela, who, just as she did years ago, single-handedly defeats several armed men in a cutscene. This is a nod to how overpowered she is. Trained properly, she's extremely deadly but also difficult to hit. Just like Good Queen Morwen.

Isabela has more mods than any other companion, but in accordance with Sturgeon's Law most of them are for making her white, because they were made by the real-life equivalent of Tevinter. Fortunately, you don't mind digging for treasure through piles of literal garbage like Hawke & Friends, you can find some neat stuff for Bela. One of my personal favourite looks is a combo that makes her heavier and armoured instead of her default look with a corset and a buttflap. ("That's just silly," I say, one run after making yet another goth girl PC) I could be sly and argue it's to reflect her amazing potential as a tank, but honestly, I just think this look is rad as hell.

Isabela is challenged to a duel by another pirate, but she expects him to cheat, so she hires me to protect her. This I sort of do. She is attacked, and I do engage her attackers, but she is not safe at all because I am using the Anderfels cleaver and repeatedly set Isabela on fire, with the Anderfels Cleaver, in the Chantry. I could make some laborious joke about Isabela being hot, or the fires of hell, but this is not a blog that makes cheap jokes. This is the caviar of Dragon Age 2 Let's Plays. You and me, we're refined people, and you deserve better. We don't laugh at cheap puns. We laugh at Isabela getting hit with a flaming axe and set on fire again and again and screaming and still not thinking to move away from the fire.

Isabela is a jolly good sport about this, perhaps because she lives in a world with powerful healing magic, making full-body burns the equivalent of a sprained ankle. After discreetly leaving the mass grave with a roast pirate aroma the Chantry has become, Anders patches her up and, I assume, gives her a sympathetic "first time?" smile. Who's to say he doesn't? I'm telling this story, and I can embellish as much as I please. I see why Varric does it. It's addictive.

[envious0fm3]

Is a deity reaching out? (PLEASE I need help to see if one's reaching out and identifying who"

Okay so I want to begin with I'm a beginner witch, I don't do deity work but I've had a sudden interested in them. I've been seeing things that seems like signs but I truly don't know if I'm going through spiritual psychosis or something. I've been doing divination to confirm but I'm not that experienced in divination. I asked my pendulum board if there's a deity reaching out to me. It said yes, I know that doesn't necessarily mean there is one. I went to my spirit box and changed communication to a spirit box to see if that would be better for conformation. For the past 4 days I've been communicating that way and recording the conversation and going back to the recording to see what words are coming through. I've been seeing snakes a lot, shows or movies I watch recently all involve with daemons and I wouldn't even know that's what the movies about or show or even with Greek mythology or hearing about gods and not intentionally doing it. I get certain urges to research stuff about daemons or stuff about other deities, I've been getting dreams back to back. Like I'll have 3 to 4 dreams a lot this week, last night I had a dream about being in a room with million of bee's, the other day while driving I seen two crows in the road. Back to the spirit box I've asked some questions and I know there's a big thing with trickster's so I don't know if what I'm truly talking to is a deity. I've been asking these questions for four days in a row to see if I get a different outcome. I will be putting the questions I have asked though and the responses to see what your thoughts are.

What are you known for? They replied back with known to "disagree" "does not care anymore" "made them sink or see" "roses" "God" "death" "water" "father time" "who's there when the nights falling" which idk what that means.

What are you associated with? The responses back were the sound of music notes, "snakes" "owl" "interesting" "of a great thing" "I'll wait for you" "love yourself" "often says" "support for" "you" I then asked if they’ve sent me signs. They proceeded to play this certain music note, “color” “plants” “company” and said “this is wrong discussion” “be patient” “for so long” “with us” “music notes again” “Oh dear” “you don’t even hear us” Next question was

How long have you been reaching out to me? They replied with “well” “we’ve been waiting a little long” “years” “a bunch” “Atlanta” “listen to what he says” “snakes” “what he’s trying to say”

I asked what signs have they gave me and its says "you know"

What are things you would want me to know? The reply was “you’ll know from the start” or maybe it says star, “dark” “likes bees” “give me a second” “now” “demon” “i’m a god” “lay down or laying down” “water” “get closer” “learn” “love” “we’ll talk about that later”

What element are they associated with and they only gave me a direction and they said North.

Other random statements

Starting the session “Good Afternoon” “it’s you” “what you got on” because ngl what I had on was pj’s and it looked badd, “have the way of life” Then I said that we’re going to be contacting throw the spirit box they replied with “here we go”.

More random statements

"Hi, question how do you know?" "put music on" "Leo" "envy" "2021" "get turns on earth" then I think it said "at night no questions" at least that's what it sounded like. (This is probably referring to one night that I was asking questions) Then proceeded to say "if you have to you have to" then it said "you are new" "that's so bad" "Hey bad girl" which I got so confused because idk if that was supposed to be humorist.

It would say random things like number 2, look at all the stuff because I had my spirit box, emt meter, tarot cards, pendulum board, “we find stuff” “who do you want” “the audience stays” “no right” “here” “ I don’t think it’s enough”

When I went to go get a lighter because I wanted to light a candle I couldn’t find it

“there” “I seen one” “there” “there is one” “faster” which i found it and it was right in front of my face.

First session and noticing I'm recording the conversation

“hold on” “i’m on the phone” “i’ll go through the phone” 

Thinking of my ex for a second during the session "Damn girl, are you thinking about a ex.

Last question I asked was do they get annoyed with me asking question it replied back with "a lot of response"

After my 2/4 sessions, a day after, my mom put a show on and something in my head was telling me to watch it. It was the show called Abigail the good witch. During as I was watching it there was certain words that caught my eye that kept repeating like "death" it even showed roses. Then at the end to were the credits is. It was a raven or a crow. At this point, I don't know if what i'm going through is spiritual psychosis or actually a deity around me. I need help and advice on what you think is happening and if it is a deity what deity would it be.

[xtruss]

Saving an Endangered Route 66 Gas Station: Once A “Safe Haven” For Black Travelers

— Rebekah Brandes | NiceNews.Com | Friday October 04, 2024

“If you ever plan to motor west,” Nat King Cole crooned in 1946, “travel my way, take the highway that’s the best.” He was singing, of course, about historic Route 66, which spanned more than 2,400 miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois, to seaside Santa Monica, California — winding over the Missouri Ozarks, across Oklahoma, and through the Mojave Desert.

Established as part of the first federal highway system in 1926, Route 66 is “an artery of transportation,” per the National Park Service. It was officially decommissioned in 1985, but much of it is still driveable, with iconic landmarks serving as popular road trip stops. And since 1990, multiple programs have been put in place to protect the cultural significance and history of the highway.

In its early days, Route 66 — nicknamed the Main Street of America — was promoted as being the shortest and most scenic route from Chicago to Los Angeles. For many people, though, there was even more reason to stick to the highway.

Fertnig/iStock

The Threatt Filling Station in Luther, Oklahoma, was once the only Black-owned gas station along the route, and it provided one of the few respites for people of color who were driving, CBS News reports.

“This was literally, literally a safe haven for people during the Jim Crow era,” Edward Threatt, whose grandfather owned the station, told the outlet. “My grandpa, he was a smart man, to be able to acquire 160 acres of land, because we had so much property they could stay out back.”

In 2021, the filling station, which hasn’t been in use for decades, was named one of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places — a list of over 350 culturally significant sites generated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Each year, 11 locations are added to the roster. The 2023 iteration included another Route 66 business: the Osterman Gas Station in Peach Springs, Arizona, considered “a focal point of the Hualapai Tribal community for generations,” per the organization.

Threatt is working with members of the nonprofit’s Hands-On Preservation Experience, or HOPE, as well as restoration expert David Gibney, to bring his family’s filling station back to life. Not as a stop to pump gas, but hopefully a place for people to rest from the road and learn about the station’s history.

The Threatt Filling Station off Route 66 in Oklahoma. Chon Kit Leong/Alamy Stock Photo

“The complex represents the power of Black entrepreneurship and family stewardship through generations. It helps illuminate important but underrepresented stories of life along iconic Route 66,” Jennifer Sandy, field director for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, told Fast Company in January 2022.

The project requires great attention to detail. “We want everything to look like (what) was originally there,” Gibney explained to CBS News. “And that’s the real task here.” All the restoration work must be done by hand, he noted, adding: “A.I. can never replace it. Robots can never replace it.”

The painstaking process is a worthy endeavor, and one the original owner, Threatt’s grandfather, would fully support. “He’s proud of us. I mean, I know he is,” he said. “And he expects us, me, my cousins, who are now the elders of the family, to preserve this and pass it on and make sure it is never, ever outside the family.”

For Molly Baker, a manager for HOPE who is working on restoration efforts, it represents an even bigger picture: “Part of telling the full American story is making sure that everyone has their story told, and that there’s representation for everybody.”

— Published: August 19, 2023

[fiadhaisteach]

31 Days of Dragon Age

Oct 01 - Introduce your Hero of Ferelden

Fenorain “Surana”

Spirit Healer/Arcane Warrior Mage Age: 18-19

'Tis long so, have a cut.

Fenorain came to the Chantry/Circle young enough that she doesn’t really remember her family. She came into her magic early & was kidnapped from her clan to the Circle. She believes her parents were Dalish because of faint memories of green sails and her name. When asked, she said she was called da’fenorain, which simply means ‘little darling’. However, the scribe assumed the diminutive was a stutter, and recorded her name as Fenorain. Her tattoos aren’t vallaslin, but she honestly never thought she’d see the outside world again and they were her small defiance against the Chantry and best attempt from vague memories.

At the time of her Harrowing, and recruitment by Duncan, Fenorain was somewhere around 18 years of age.

She fed the prisoner and healed the Mabari hound. Her dog’s name is Mor'dharlin, or big puppy.

In Lothering, she freed Sten from his cage, recruited him, and later returned his sword to him. She spoke to everyone and completed every task asked of her. Leliana was recruited and later softened/not hardened ((fat lot of good that did anyone. Thanks for nothin’ Justinia)).

After Lothering, they were ambushed by the Crows ((thank you mods)), on the way to Denerim to see if we could deal with Loghain, which obviously didn’t work, but found out about Genitivi & headed to find him, since we knew the Arl was sick, thanks to the knight in Lothering, and he wouldn’t be much help in that state. Recruited Zevran.

She took care of a couple of chanter board things that were on the path, got the ashes, & found out Redcliffe was under siege.

Helped Redcliffe fight and saved the village of Redcliff from zombies. Saved a little boy and returned his sword. Bella got ownership of the Tavern.

After helping the blacksmith’s daughter escape the keep, found all the good stuff happening up there. Let my good friend, Jowan, atone for poisoning the Arl by killing his wife to save his son. 😘 ((I mean if Isolde hadn’t been trying to hide Connor’s magic, Jowan may have found another way into Redcliffe, but she handed it to him on a platter. So, the Ali exiling, Jowan enabling, tart got to sacrifice herself for the greater good. i.e. me not having to go to the Circle before the Brecilian elves & the arcane warrior lesson.))

Speaking of, Fenorain brokered peace between the werewolves and the Elves, by convincing Zathrian to lift the curse, after saving a halla, bringing a couple together, sharing sad news betwixt another couple, and bringing an unconscious elf and some ironbark back to the camp.

She sided with the mages in the tower, of course. Irving lived. Recruited Wynne.         

Zevran stole her heart… eventually. His lighthearted façade didn’t go over well at first.

Acquired Flemeth’s grimoire peacefully & lied to Morrigan about it, then went to retrieve some things from Ostagar and ran across a golem in Honleath on the way. Shale was recruited and the townsfolk were freed from the cellar, with no one possessed.

But we still needed the dwarves to help with the Blight so… off to Orzammar, stopping at this old Warden Keep on the way. Killed a possessed warden but let a questionable one continue with some research as long as he kept it ethical. She also gained a new power by drinking yet another odd concoction.

Beneath the Stone, Fenorain reunited one family, but separated another by helping Dagna to the Circle, and passed on news of a heroic death to a grieving mother. She helped Orta join the assembly and Burkel to create a Chantry. She passed a little lyrium through but also helped the Shaperate by returning a tome and proving the Legion of the Dead was connected to a noble house.

After learning the truth of female warden’s ends in the Deep Roads ((*shudders at broodmothers*)) and defeating Branka, Caridin created a crown, and then he and the Anvil of the Void were destroyed.

Fenorain placed the crown on the head of the hereditary heir, Bhelen Aeducan, secured the dwarves’ assistance, and recruited Oghren.

Everyone headed back to Denerim to finally deal with Loghain. Fenorain reunited Alistair with his sister, Goldanna, after forcing him to agree to co-rule with Anora and executing her father. Also took care of a bunch of other stuff while in town, including cleaning out a possessed orphanage, running a slaver out of town, dealing with Leliana’s stuff, and others.

Shortly before the battle of Denerim, Alistair was convinced to perform a ritual with Morrigan, which allowed Fenorain to slay the Archdemon and survive.

Alistair and Anora awarded the Wardens Amaranthine Arling, which Fenorain, as Warden Commander, took great care of. She recruited the former Arl’s son and put in many upgrades to the Keep, saving both the Keep and the City from being overrun by the Mother’s forces, though Fenorain killed the Architect too.

Fenorain later hears tale of a companion thought lost and hunts her down only to let her go again, still on friendly terms, but with a little more closure.

[dream-meister-translations]

ITSUKI - VOICE COLLECTION

━

"The Moon Road is complete. Come on, Emma. Let's go."

"I've been finding myself looking for you as of late. As for the reason why… Even I don't know…"

"Let us walk the Moon Road together."

"Allow me to be your guide."

"This is quite an interesting place…"

"I hope it doesn't rain."

"Emma… I was wondering if I could buy this… And that… And also-- What? No…?"

"Even when I find myself in a place as mysterious as this… As long as I'm with the Moon Wanderers, I know I'll find my way…"

"We will be coming upon the next Moon Road soon… Oh, sorry… What can I do for you?"

"Something's off, I'm often told, but I don't see it myself. The placement of the ornaments? No, it's not about that…"

"What's the temperature and humidity today? Hmm? Oh, when you said you could read the air, I… Thought that was what you meant."**

"Let's do this together."

"I will lead the way."

"We have to go here next."

"Phew!"

"I'm okay now."

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm not going to let you guys get in my way."

"I wish upon you, Moon. Decend gently and shower blessings down upon us."

"You saved me. Thank you."

"I'm… Sorry…"

"Oh, it's over. I'm glad everyone's okay."

"I wanted to help them…"

"When it comes to treasure hunting… Leave it to us."

"Growing stronger each day… Right?"

"I will light the way for us all."

"I see… So we're friends now, too. Then I ask for your continued support."

"Little by little… I think I'm beginning to see exactly who you are."

"I care a great deal about each and every one of the Moon Wanderers. Of course… That goes for you, too."

"I really want to make my dream come true. Even more so, now that I've met you."

"I need to tell you my secret-- No, I want you to know…"

"You are a part of the Moon Wanderer family. Just like Crow and the others. You are my friend, and I love you."

"I'm a Moonlighter. I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"There's something I need to tell you. I want to be brave enough to tell you everything there is to know about me."

"I want… To walk beside you all. Not ahead of you. Not behind you. But alongside you."

"The moon shower… It was supposed to be cold, but… But now it feels strangely warm."

"The idea of exposing what I really am… I'm scared, but… If it's with you… Then maybe it won't be so bad."

"Even if you look different…"

"I run my thoughts into the night sky. I ask that you shine an equal light on me. I want to be with you all…"

"So… Where are we heading today? We can go wherever you want, just let me know."

"Late at night. After work. Just you and me. Hanging out. But then that means… Was this… A date?"

"I like to cook, but I'm usually with Gran, so I rarely get a chance to show people what I can do."

"…I like the guild home. Ever since you joined the Moon Wanderers, this place feels... Warmer... Somehow."

"There are few clouds out and no light in the area. It's easy to read the moonlight here…"

"…You're a keen listener… Oh, you know one thing I've been noticing lately? I like more things when you're around."

"I like talking to you. You know so much and I have a lot to learn."

"If you wouldn't mind… I'd like to talk to you like this more often from now… How does that sound?"

"Weather, the direction of the wind, the brightness of the moon… There are many things to consider when reading the Moonlight."

"You want to know more about moon readings? Hmm… This cane is one of the tools I use, would you like to hold it for a moment?

"Moon readers are the ones who guide us on every journey. I, too, take pride in this."

"That is why we must constantly seek out new wisdom, and become more and more capable, each and every day of deciphering the truth from fiction. Teaching you is itself a learning experience."

"I'm not very good at teaching, but… If you really want to learn, I will try my best."

"You want me to lend you my ear? I… I'm sorry, but… My ears cannot be removed."

"A secret to tell you? Oh, umm… No… Sorry… I was just playing around…"

"What do you want to talk about? Oh, Rouge. Is it about his debt? He asked me to keep it a secret."

"I was just thinking… You have the most beautiful voice."

"Beautiful and warm. Even when you speak softly, it's nice to hear your voice."

"…Hm? Oh, shit! I'm getting off-topic again. Okay, please… Tell me the rest of the story."

"E-Emma…? You don't have to get so close. I can hear you, okay?"

"Is there something on my face? Oh, no, you're just so close, I… Thought there was something wrong."

"I think you're a little too close, but… I can see your face now… It's not bad."

"Where do I want to go? Well… Anywhere you want, so long as you're here with me."

"Next time, why don't we spend a little longer out on the Moon Road? …I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Hm? What is it? My cheeks are so soft? I think… It's the same for you, too, isn't it?"

"…? Are you looking for something? I don't see anything. If I had to take a guess, I'd say you were looking at my chest."

"…Oh, you're worried that my chest is cold? Don't worry, it's hot enough now."

"Oh, do I have something on my face? I thought I cleaned up after eating…"

"You're acting weird, are you okay? Did I do something wrong? I… I hope not…"

"I feel our bond has deepened considerably. Hm… Would you like a hug or something to show my affection?"

"Such a special gift… Are you sure you want to do this? Th-Thank you… Birthdays… Are happy things…"

"Hey, Emma… I only have two arms… I mean… Thank you, but I can't take it."

"You know what I like… That's amazing. Are you--… Are you psychic?"

"Hmm? A gift for me? But I didn't do anything to-- No, I'll take it. Thank you."

"Oh, my God! What is this? Have I… Have I done something to offend you!?"

"--Mm… Someone's getting a little playful, aren't we?"

"Emma, this is for you--… For you, who was always there for me."

"You've always been looking out for me. I… Thank you…That makes me strangely happy."

"Thank you for everything. For today and every day from now. I cannot thank you enough."

"Hm? This is… I'm sure there's someone out there who would appreciate this more than me?"

"It's getting late. We should head back for today."

"Take it. Please. I can't promise you'll like it, but I can guarantee you one thing: I put my heart into it."

━

ITSUKI : …Uhm!? Na-Navi! W-Why are you pulling so hard on my clothes. H-Hey! Stop that! NAVI : Oh my God, I'm in trouble, so much trouble! Anyway, you didn't have to make a big deal out of it! You could've just fallen over like you were supposed to!

━

CROW : Hey, Itsuki, where do you want to go explore next? There's a place I really wanna visit! Let's go! ITSUKI : We just got back yesterday. Fufu, that's so like you… Well, let's get on with the next moon reading!

━

ITSUKI : Noah, I've been wondering… How do you know I'm happy, even when I haven't said anything to you? NOAH : It's pretty obvious. The corners of your mouth are reaching a little higher than usual…

━

CROW : Hey, Itsuki, let's do this again today! ITSUKI : Just like always.

━

NAVI : I'm going to play a prank~ ITSUKI : Even at a time like this?

━

ITSUKI : Navi! NAVI : What is it~

━

ITSUKI : Brilliant, Navi! NAVI : Can you praise me some more~?

━

CROW : Nice assist, Itsuki! ITSUKI : I'm used to supporting you.

━

NOAH : Itsuki, if you're just gonna be lazy, I'm leaving you behind. ITSUKI : You're such a hardass, Noah…

━

**A common phrase “Ba no Kuuki wo Yomu”(場の空気を読む), “understanding the situation without words” or “sensing someone’s feelings”, is a very important concept for understanding Japanese culture. The literal meaning is “reading air”. Because of this cultural trait, many foreign visitors feel that Japanese are very kind and thoughtful towards them during their short stay in Japan.

[thewittyphantom]

I got another Z-one event in Duel Links, the final one so far!

Yusei: Z-one! You can’t save the future if you’re willing to sacrifice millions of lives! Don’t just think about the people of your era! We need to find a better way to save everyone - both in the future and the present! Z-one: There can be no salvation without sacrifice. The goal you speak of is impossible. Yusei: Can this future of yours be as wonderful as you claim? Destroying the Ener-D Reactor won’t make people more compassionate. A true peace is achieved by changing hearts for the good - not through destruction. If you allow the world to be destroyed now, the future will be destroyed as well! You know I’m speaking the truth, Z-one! Z-one: ............!! Yusei: I promise to protect both our eras! I know I can because I found a new path ahead of me! But to get there I need to break my boundaries - which I can’t do on my own! I need my friends to help me! They make everything I do possible! The friendship within Team 5Ds is what gives me strength! Jack! Crow! Akiza! Leo! Luna! Bruno! Let’s forge our bonds to save the future! Jack: Yusei!! Crow: Yusei!! Akiza: Yusei!! Leo: Yusei!! Luna: Yusei!! Antinomy: Yusei!! Yusei: I’ll rev it up to blast through my limitations! The stars unite to brighten the future! Form the road of light! Limit Over Accel Synchro! The evolution of light! Shooting Quasar Dragon! Z-one! This is the symbol of our friendship! This is Team 5Ds! Z-one: Limit Over...Accel Synchro? This was never written in the history books... Yusei: Ready, everyone! Antinomy: Go!! Jack: Shooting Quasar Dragon! Leo and Luna: Attack the Timelord! Akiza: From the dawn of time! Crow: The Burst of Creation! Z-one: Aaaaaaagh! I am the last survivor of humanity...I am the one who had to suffer for very long! I have the right to change history! Yusei: No you don’t, Z-one! No one has that right! If you’re telling the truth about the future, then maybe there is no hope for mankind. But that depends on the choices we make now, and you have no right to take that away from us! Every person on the planet has the potential to change the future. You need to believe in us! Z-one: I don’t have time for that! This potential you speak of...You will learn that it’s meaningless! Witness my true power! The essence of all! Beyond the light of the Timelords lies the true secret. Where emptiness transforms into the infinite! I Special Summon Sephylon, the Ultimate Timelord! You will learn...Just how powerless you are!

[eelifnazfirat]

The Mist

Do you know that quiet girl who always reads in classes? Yes, I am her. But the quality that differentiates me from a huge part of the population is the way my imagination processes the things I read. My favorite genre is fantasy because I feel like it opens thousands of different portals with each novel. The problem starts here, a normal person goes on with their life after finishing a great book right? Well, I can’t. Most of the time I find myself spacing out, feeling the world slipping through my fingers. I wake up to a new reality, and even worse, I don’t know what to expect. Sometimes I find myself having a cup of tea with Percy Jackson, walking through the glorious halls of Hogwarts with Hermione Granger, trying to live a generous life with Peeta Mellark after being a victor in the Hunger Games, pulling off an impossible heist with the Crows, accompanying Cress Darnel in her endless exilation around the Luna…  It sounds nice, but it isn’t when you are trying to focus on something important. I mostly feel like I am not my body, my mind or my thoughts. Before you go, “Oh, you don’t have to be like everyone else.” I would like to remind you how humans react when they see something different. This is probably how racism, ableism, sexism, and tons of discriminative states of mind were created and I don’t expect people to understand me. These aren’t the only problems with me, I have an imaginary friend. Her name is Melinoe and she is the constant voice in my head. I named her. Melinoe is the Greek goddess of spirits and ghosts so I think it fits. (Did I mention my obsession with Greek Mythology?) The problem is, even when I want her to disappear she is always in the back of my mind and she is so unstable. She is my best friend but she can also destroy my self-confidence in seconds by whispering negative thoughts in my ear. I keep hearing and seeing things that aren’t real. I hear people whispering mean things about me every single time I walk through halls, order at restaurants or even when I am just trying to cross the road! I know those people aren’t talking about me, it’s a part of my visions but it succeeds to hurt me every time. I think all my imaginations are a coping mechanism. I used to deal with a lot of problems. (Mostly parents arguing and not being able to resolve anything without involving me in their issues, my mom kicking my dad out whenever she feels like it, my mothers monthly states of depression in which she refuses to cook and clean…) As you can guess my relationship with both of them is destroyed. I don’t have friends so my only activity is sitting in my room and opening the same magic portals over and over again while my lack of human communication keeps decreasing my ability to love myself, to get out of this state of mind that I can’t feel like I belong in my body. The worst part is, I have repeated this unhealthy pattern so many times that it became comforting. Do I feel like I hate myself? No problem! I will just blame it on Melinoe instead of seeking help because she's the one that whispers mean things in my ear anyways! I know this is wrong and quite pathetic but I never learned to deal with it healthily. Also, I can’t help but realize that I am the one holding myself back. Time and spirits whisper in my ear that I have to let them go but as always, I choose to ignore it, trying to save time before even they abandon me, leave me to suffer in this agonizing pain that keeps growing every time I realize how little time I have left with my comfort zone. Whatever I do, I can’t help but realize the mortality of time. I force myself to make my thoughts flow to text so I can amplify the emotions I am feeling. I am forcing myself on something that isn’t a pattern. I am preparing myself for the inevitable end. Only mortal time will tell what the ending will bring. Will I destroy myself before it gets to me or will it catch me unarmed and shatter me to the littlest bits?   

[mysterythief]

This got long, so I also put it on A03. I'm going to split it into 3 different reblogs here, so make sure you check them all out.

Raising Phoenix

The god stood behind you. You didn’t need to turn to know he was there.

“This will hurt,” he whispered.

You nodded as you rocked back and forth in front of the fire, gently stroking the small girl’s blond hair. She was small enough she fit on your lap, where she had fallen asleep after you had cleaned her up and fed her. She couldn’t be more than 2 or 3. Left on the side of the road covered in ash and blood. You did the only thing you could.

You brought her home.

“What will you call her?” he questioned.

“Phoenix,” was your only response, as the god softly put his hand on your shoulder before vanishing into the night.

***

Phoenix’s laughter rose through the air as she toddled along the road, her tiny right hand tightly clenching two of your fingers while her left pointed out a passing butterfly. Sixth months had passed since you had brought her home, and she was vibrant toddler, lively as ever.

“Fly.” She stated, looking up at you expectantly.

“Yes, Phoenix. The butterfly flies.” You laugh softly.

“Fly.” She repeated again, this time gesturing you to pick her up.

“Ahh, my precious Phoenix longs to fly, yes?” You question as you swiftly pick her up, throwing her up into the air and catching her.

“Fly! Fly!” She giggled and squealed. “Again! Fly!”

You threw her into the air a few more times, letting her laughter and your smile fly with her, until it grew dark.

“Again!” Her cry was softer, having tired herself out.

You kissed the top of her head. “You are the most vibrant bird in the sky my Phoenix. And you will fly above them all. But now it’s time for dinner and bed.”

***

“Tell me a story Father?” Phoenix asked, as you tucked her into bed.

You brushed her blond curls away from her face, amazed that it had already been 3 years since you had brought her home. You licked your finger and dabbed at her chin, where leftover crumbs lay from your celebration dinner earlier that night.

“And what story should I tell you daughter?”

“Tell me about the phoenix.”

You paused and waited expectantly.

“Please.” She added, still learning her manners.

“Very well. Since you asked so nicely, I must oblige.” You responded with a soft smile.

“Unlike other birds, who hatch once their mother has laid an egg, the phoenix is born from the blood and ash of a fire. Covered in soot the phoenix rises. It starts small, a dark little thing, with very little wings.” You put your arms close to your body, mimicking little wings, as Phoenix giggles.

“As the phoenix grows, it become the color of fire. Bringing light wherever it goes as its wings expand to protect those it loves.” You spread your arms out wide as wings. Purposefully placing them in front of Phoenix.

“When the phoenix has lived life to the fullest, it burst into flames, leaving behind blood and ashes for the phoenix to rise again.”

“Why did you name me Phoenix?” The question comes suddenly, as if it had just occurred to the girl.

You smile sadly at your little girl, just barely six, and yet the brightest thing in your world. “I named you Phoenix, because you brought light into my life,” you lied.

She nodded, as if that made sense in her little world, already drifting to sleep as you kissed her goodnight.

***

“Father! Father!” Phoenix crowed as she ran with her water pail to the garden where you were planting the springs crop.

“What, my bright bird?” You questioned as you dug another hole and planted more seeds.

“You’ll never guess what happened while I was gathering water at the stream Father!” 10-year-old Phoenix knelt down next to you, pouring some water into the hole, before helping you cover it with dirt and repeating the process.

“Did you see the fawns again?” You questioned with a loving smile at your happy girl.

“Nope, not the fawns. Though I think they’re still close by.” She shook her head enthusiastically.

“Then did you find a special rock?” You threw out another guess of her favorite things.

“Not today.”

“Then you best just tell me as I’ll likely never guess at this rate.” You laughed; a deep hearty laugh that you haven’t heard in years.

“Jonny Wood kissed me!! On the cheek! It was on a dare from Brock, the tailor’s boy. But he still kissed me! I told him he better watch out cause you’re the strongest man around, and don’t take kindly to boys fooling around with my heart…”

You listened intently as your little girl talked about Jonny Wood the neighbor boy. How she absolutely did not like him back (she did, she just didn’t know it yet). And you wondered how you got to be here so soon. Worrying about boys.

You reveled in it all as you spent the afternoon gardening with your Phoenix, even if you were going to go have a talk with Jonny’s dad later. But for now, it was worth seeing your daughter’s wings as she grew. 

***

Phoenix spun in the common room, in front of the unlit fire place, her new gown of yellow and red flowers spinning around her.

“Oh, Father it’s perfect! Thank you so much!” Phoenix spun towards you, holding her arms out in front of her to grab you around the neck in an embrace. At 15 now, she was a stunning young woman, but still short enough that she had to stand on her tip-toes to hung you.

You treasured her hug, knowing that they wouldn’t last much longer.

“Anything for you, my shining light in the sky.” You push her back from you gently, looking into her bright, youthful face as you cupped it in your own hand. Strange, how not so long ago she was just a toddler, and now she was a growing woman.

“Now I know you’ve been practicing, but show me what you’ve got,” you insisted as you reached down to place one of her hands on your shoulder and you grabbed the other one in your own as you softly placed your own hand on her hip.

You twirled around the room together. Phoenix humming the lullaby you used to sing for her when she was young.

And you selfishly wished your girl could stay this young a little longer.

***

Phoenix married Jonny Wood before the first frost came. At 20 now, a full-grown woman, and still you felt she was too young for marriage. But she loved him, and you knew he would treat her right, so you let her leave the nest.

When the spring came, you helped Jonny build a home for them on his father’s land, while Phoenix knit clothes for the baby to come that winter. When it was finished, she kissed your cheek like she used to when she was little.

“It’s perfect Father. Thank you,” she whispered.

“Anything for you to spread your wings and fly my bright light,” you whispered back.

***

Phoenix grew too fast, and you didn’t age a day. 4 children were near full grown when the sickness came. Phoenix was in her 50’s now, her hair beginning to grey.

“Please, tell me Father,” she coughed. “Tell me again why you named me Phoenix?”

You held her too white hand in your own as you sat by her bedside.

“I named you Phoenix, because you brought light into my life.”  You repeated as you had many times in the past.

“Father, I’m no longer a little girl. I have lived a full life, and I know that’s not the whole reason why you named me.

Please.

Tell me.

Why did you name me Phoenix?” she begged.

“I named you Phoenix, because you brought light into my life. And because I knew you would rise from the blood and ash I found you in to fly,” you cried.

Phoenix cupped her hand around your face, tears streaming from her eyes as she brushed the ones dripping down your cheek. “Then I will rise and fly again Father,” she promised.

You burned Phoenix’s body in her favorite pasture and you didn’t leave until all that was left was ashes.

The abandoned child you’ve taken in sleeps on your lap as the god who gave you immortality softly warns you. “This will hurt.”

[iloveanimalsmorethanhumans]

Modern Day Monsters VI

He gazed out from the podium into the lecture hall.  The seats would be full soon.  All of them. He sighed heavily.  He was growing weary of this life.  It was time for a change.

 He heard them coming. The first wave of students. The group of over eager young people. Early for two reasons.  To see the iconic professor himself, and to do nothing but stare in wonder and ask inane questions as if he hadn’t heard them all before. Then there were the other ones.  The ones eager to learn from the one person who could best describe the way life really was.  Only he couldn’t exactly remember all of it, could he.  Frustrated by his reliance on books written by English explorers.  It made him ill, disgusted with himself and circumstance. 

The footsteps and excited whispers entered the hall. He turned his back to them, shuffling pages and keeping his head down. Shuffling feet on cheap floors, Books recklessly dropped on desks papers shifting and crackling in excited fingers.

The doors swinging shut. He turned to see the first group, the rest would be here before long, he knew.

Mostly women in this group, it almost always was.

His mind felt suddenly hazy.  The room blurring before his eyes, the young women seated in the front row growing distant and indistinct, what was happening?

*********************************************

I sat at the table, the breeze refreshing on my face.  I looked out at the mountains in the distance, and listened to the cars passing on the nearby road.  My favorite little spot tucked at the base of the mountain.  A shadow crossed the table, blocking the sun in front of me.  I looked up.

“I figured you’d be here soon.  Have a seat.” I said, indicating the bench across from me.  He eyed it skeptically. 

Carefully he picked up one foot and slid it between the bench and the table, lowering himself until he straddled the bench awkwardly.

“This will do, I think” He states.  His deep voice accented, but not by any accent familiar to me, which was odd given the circumstance. “What is it you wish from me?” He asks, sounding slightly irritated.

“Look….I’m a writer, okay?

“A noble endeavor” He inclines his head.

“Right, but here’s the thing, you have  to help me out a little.”

He turned his body towards me, folding his hands on the table in front of him and leaning awkwardly forward.

“I’m not sure how you propose  I do that.”

I huffed, irritated. “I don’t know either, but you could start by making up your damn mind! I mean, are you a professor of archaeology?”

“that’s a bit, on the nose…don’t you think? So very, predictable, boring really.” He looked at his fingernails, then stretched his fingers out and turned his palm to study it more closely.  “My hands are quite large.  Is that really necessary? Also, No lines on the palms…” he turns his palm towards me showing the bare clean skin, nut brown and free of lines.

“Not the point!” I squirmed under his intent gaze.

“right. Of course.” Well, suppose I was a traveler.  Perhaps going from place to place, carrying only a bag with a few belongings, finding people in need, dropping wisdom like pearls upon their troubled minds before moving on, mysteriously.  I’ve got lots of wisdom, I’m sure.  I’ve been around for how long now? Since what, 1932 was it?”

“Hoky crow, you’re a pompous ass.” I say in wonder, gazing at him.  “Besides, that sounds too much like Kung Fu. Great show but it’s been done.

He smiles benignly.  “Great show indeed.  I could do Kung Fu.  Makes sense I’ve picked up some form of fighting skill, No?”

“hmmm.  Right….”  I say distractedly, taking out my phone and typing furiously. “Ha! Tahtib! Traditional stick fighting….the art of being straight and honest through the use of stick….”

“booooooring….predictable…….come ON, give me something interesting!” 

“Well. I’d certainly never heard of it.  No need to be a snot about it.”

“Are you really going to do that much research for a few hundred words? It’s a short story.” He yawned loudly, putting his hand over his mouth dramatically. “So much work for such a small story.”

“Ehrm….You are the story? I’d think you’d like a certain amount of accuracy? Some small effort at the least?”

“Accuracy? I’m a fictional character.  I’ve never been real.  What’s to be accurate about? I live in your head.”

“No, Sir, you are an established fictional character.  There has to be some level of authenticity or no one will buy it.  Figuratively and literally.”

“Literally…heh!” he snorted. “Nice”

“You were so dignified just a few moments ago…”

He reached across the table and tapped my forehead with one finger. “I live in there.  You laughed at your own joke. I’m as dignified as you want me to be.”

I swatted his hand away angrily

“Look, just focus for like, two freaking seconds, OK?!? What do you want to BE?”

“Kung Fu”

“NO! Dammit!”

“A writer.  I wrote a book, everyone loved it, I’m in that lecture hall preparing to charm their socks off with tales of my escapades over the past 91 years of existence.  Hell, make it longer.  Since ancient Egypt.  That’s the concept, right? I wrote a book about what it was like to be buried alive and resurrected hundreds of years later.  People love me…”

With disgust I slammed the notebook shut.  The mummy’s weird accent echoing in my mind “Hey, wait!”

“Nope.  I guess it’s just not your turn.  I wonder what the Wolfman is up to….”

I turn my gaze to the mountains once again.  The sun is starting to set.  It’s going to be a pretty one.  I forgot the camera, again. I sigh heavily.

Time to go for a drive and think some more.  Maybe I’ll see some cows.

-ADL

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort - Chapter 3 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Finn

My fingers lazily slide along the frayed carpet in search of my beer.

The glass bottle is more to the left than I remember it being.

I frown as I bring it to my lips, silently chiding it for trying to make an escape.

There's not much left, so I'm forced to lap up the bitter froth caked around the rim.

Kelly strums his guitar in the background.

Every once in a while he stops abruptly and pulls the pencil from his ear, scribbling notes across a sheet of paper with the ferocity that borders on madness.

I used to get envious of the way he could write music.

Now I just see it as a secret treasure that I'll be privy to enjoy before anyone else.

Truthfully, I used to be envious of a lot more than Kelly's musical abilities.

We were four years apart in high school but even back then, the differences between us were notable.

Where he was popular and adored, I was gangly and blended in with the background.

Where he was intelligent and athletically inclined, I was middle of the road and shamefully uncoordinated.

Where he was good-looking and charming, I was plain and boring.

It wasn't until I graduated high school that I just stopped caring.

Even though I knew he surpassed me in... well, just about everything... I got the prize of being able to call someone like him my best friend.

That seemed to make all the rest irrelevant.

"Did that last hook sound like the one in 'Horseshoes and Hairpins?'"

I pull the beer bottle away from my lips and squint.

"Play it again?"

Kelly strums a few chords and his converse shoes tap along to the unique beat.

I try to compare it to the hook in question and shake my head when he's done.

"No," I confirm.

"They're completely different. They're both in 3:4 but that's about the only similarity I can tell."

Kelly smirks and jabs the end of his pencil in my direction.

"You're learning."

"Yeah," I scoff.

"Only took me about seven years to pick up a thing or two about music."

He shrugs, the very embodiment of patience when it comes to my mediocrity.

"Everyone learns at their own pace."

I roll my eyes and force myself into a sitting position.

"Speaking of pace, I need to pick mine up if I plan on being buzzed by the time Fiona and her gaggle of crows come over. I'm way too sober to deal with that shit right now."

Kelly snorts but doesn't look up from his music notes.

Once a month Fiona takes over their apartment and invites a handful of her friends over for a night of girl bonding.

I'm not exactly sure what it entails but it usually ends in high-pitched squeals and sickening gossip that tastes worse than the warm beer staining my lips.

"You want me to grab you one too?" I ask, standing and stretching my torso.

He doesn't answer right away.

He's lost in the musical realm and based on the early hour of the evening, he won't be joining me again for a while.

I round the corner of the living room and pad my way across the kitchen floor.

The refrigerator seems to beckon to me as I pry it open and reach for two more beers.

When I bring them back out to the living room though, Kelly is standing and frowning at his phone.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I got an alert from my vamp," he mutters.

"You need to go feed sometime soon?"

"Not soon," he answers.

"She needs me now."

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that he almost sounds worried.

It's hard to tell, though.

Kelly isn't the type of guy to let fear edge its way into his mind.

He's known for always dealing with situations using a clear mind and a sense of ease.

"What's wrong?"

"She wants me to go to the Village."

My eyes widen.

Whenever vampires and their consorts meet for a live-feeding, it's usually in a setting closer to other humans.

Or at the very least, it's in a chosen setting that's neutral to both parties.

That way if something goes wrong, the human is always close enough to get help.

But the Village isn't a part of our world.

It's a part of theirs.

"Why does she want you to go there?"

Kelly stands, scratching at the back of his neck.

"I dunno. She marked it as a code red, though. She needs a feeding."

As much as it pains me to see the torment in Kelly's features, that old, familiar feeling of envy resurfaces.

I know how much it annoys him to be a vampire's consort but at least he has a vampire.

The one assigned to me fled the scene, sent me a nast-o-gram rejection email the next day and hasn't responded to my sarcastic reply in almost a week.

I know, I know.

Why am I complaining?

Most humans would pay for this type of outcome.

It'd be like winning the lottery.

There's something seriously wrong with me for thinking otherwise.

Yet for reasons unknown to me, I just can't shake the desire to fulfill my role as consort.

"Let me take you," I offer.

Kelly snaps his head up.

"What?"

"Seriously," I continue.

"I'll drive you into the Village, wait until you're done and then I'll drive us back."

My best friend vehemently shakes his head back and forth.

He wraps his hands around the neck of his guitar so tightly I wonder if it'll leave an indent.

"You can't do that, Finn. What if something happens? I can't. I... "

"Well you're sure as hell not going alone," I argue.

"And if you even tried, I'd tell Fiona. How do you think she'd react knowing you traveled to a place like that by yourself?"

Kelly's eyebrows arch with surprise.

"You wouldn't dare."

I grab my keys off the coffee table and dangle them in the air.

"Try me."

[jeanjauthor]

Re that first one, my tits are named Jeff & Chaucer.

Funny storry, that...  I was learning to drive via the help of one of my friends in the SCA (medieval society).  One day, she picked me up, had me drive back to her house, and we watched the movie A Knight’s Tale.  I hadn’t seen it yet, even though it had been out for a while.

Now, you have to understand that in the SCA, I was renowned as the Magna Voce (aka LoudMouth) of the Barony of Aquaterra (round about Everett, WA, north of Seattle, which is vaguely where I lived at the time).  For a few months after it came out, EVERYONE in the local groups (my home barony, neighboring baronies & shires, etc), kept calling me “Jeff Chaucer!”

Not Geoffrey Chaucer, but Jeff Chaucer, aka the way he was portrayed in the movie.

I did not know how he was portrayed, so I did not know if this was a compliment or not, because they always said it about me with a bit of laughter in their voices.  At least, not up untli the day that Fi (pronounced Fee) took me to her home, sat me down, and made me watch the movie.

After watching the movie, I decided that “except for the naked gambling thing”...it was indeed a compliment.  (And it indeed is a compliment, as I can be QUITE flamboyant when I put my mind to it, town-crying and tournament-heralding...except for the naked gambling problem thing.  I don’t do that part at all.)

So, this is half of the setup for what happened next.  You also have to know that while I was the Field Herald (making town-crier announcements and arranging heralds for introducing tournament participants), Fi was our Book Herald at the time (aka the one who helped you design & register your coat-of-arms, as well as get your medieval name registered with the SCA’s College of Heralds...which is the world’s largest College of Heralds, but I digress).

My Device (coat of arms) had been held up for a little bit due to possible conflict, which was then resolved.  If you’re a fan of my writing, you’ve probably seen it, a green four-leaved clover on a yellow shield background.  Well, I submitted my name at the same time, Ærne Clover.  (Ayerrrn, or in a more modern pronunciation, Erin.)  I specifically wanted the Ærn with the -e at the end, because an -a would be pronounced Ayernah, and my SCA name was pronounced Erin.

So then like just two days later after watching A Knight’s Tale, she picks me up to go driving again...and tells me that my name has passed muster and is now registered with the College of Heralds.  HOWEVER, Fi cautions me, the -e part (duteratheme) is a masculine ending, so I officially have “a boy’s name!”

So I immediately look down at my 38H  (yes, cup size H) breasts as I’m driving down a straight section of the road, and announce,  “Hello, BOYS!!”

To which, Fi loses her shit.  She’s dying of laughter, cackling madliy, almost howling...and in between gasps and howls, she crows out,  “Eoin predicted you’d say that!!”  (Eoin was her husband, who has since passed away, alas.  I rather liked him, too; we had great chats about military matters, and he helped me with some of the background research for my Theirs Not To Reason Why series..)

So I start laughing, too, because yes, he did nail my reaction to that!  (She had read the acceptance letter announcements aloud to him, since he knew I was waiting on whether or not my name had passed.)

And then she asked with an absolute grin,  “Sooo...what are their names?”  referencing my “boys” aka my bosoms, bewbs, nursing bags, whatever.

I, with that movie still bright and fresh in my mind, immedately replied,  “Jeff and Chaucer!”  Which they have remained named, even to this day (including a 2.2kg reduction of their mass, yaaaay!).

referring to my tits as "the boys" not because calling them girls would be dysphoric but because they are like goons to me. henchmen.