#But the tea shop was such a fun distraction! Might visit it later again. ^^
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joshay98 ¡ 15 days ago
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Hey Mom, Dad and Lil' Bro!
27. A Glimpse Of Roses
“Hey Mom, Dad and Lil’ Bro, I hope you are doing well! So, got back to the court from… wherever that place was. Completed our mini-task. Got a small reward with this gem… oh yeah! Uhm, “Granny” was kind enough to inspect it for us. Little gem actually holds some power in it so it fits perfectly for Orah!
We’ve also been informed that Rose decided to visit one of the other courts. She wanted to learn more about her ancestry. So, it might be a while until we see her again. Hope she will be ok all on her own. Sad she didn’t consider any of us for help but I guess that’s just how Rose is. A bit of a lone hunter. Pray she comes back soon!
Lune was already heading back to her room. I think she didn’t take the news of Rose leaving well. Might have to cheer her up. Actually have something in mind.
Finally took a bit of a gander through the town. Never got to appreciate how pretty it can be here. Lots of places to visit. The sky is full of stars. Could stargaze here. And guess what! A sign pointing right towards a tea shop! A bit of a hassle to get there because the sign was on a main road while the shop was tucked away in an alley. A bit counterproductive if you ask me but I guess some just like their quiet.
Was a really lovely shop as well! Loved the scent of the dried herbs. Felt a lot more cozy than that other smokey place. And the owner was such a kind soul! A warm welcome, even for new strangers. Was even kind enough to offer a specialty on the house. A tea made out of blue roses! The outside sitting area was also this quiet little garden area. Could’ve spent the entire day there.
Ok, but I actually wanted to find a tea shop because I wanted to see if I could procure some of the tea herbs from that last little break. I’ve grown quite fond of the taste, heh. I… didn’t actually know the name. I forgot to ask Kyoko. Thankfully the owner kinda knew what I was talking about! It’s called “Jasmine” and I got a small box full of them! Ooh, I can’t wait to brew my own cup!
Ah, but Orah insisted on paying for the tea. And I insisted on her not paying. But she did insist and you know how the whole song and dance goes. At the end it just resulted in her buying an extra box of tea. So I guess we each have a box now. Well, I’m sure she will enjoy it. And the little box they come in is also really… adorable? Wait. Why is there a second box in my backp- ORAH!
I’m gonna- have a stern talking with her.
There is also another thing. I know this is probably not going to happen but if it is at all possible could you maybe let me know how you are doing? I’ve been just getting a bit worried about you recently. I really hope you are doing fine. I love you, Levee."
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For you see, that Blue Rose tea wasn’t just an ordinary fancy tea. It did allow one to see a glimpse into the future. And what Levee saw was the City of Tears. An empty street in front of a closed shop. Not a soul in sight. One wonders what could’ve happened during that time.
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parkers-gal ¡ 4 years ago
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Reader meet Tom during a Meet and greet for the first time. She’s European (like Belgian perhaps. You can choose that) and she catches his attention. They start as close friends and whenever she gets to London, they meet up. After a while they start a relationship (can be long distance) and they just adore eachother a lot.
a good story
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wc | 3k (SORRY i rly went off)
i chose france because i heard they have a bit more diversity...? i hope that makes it a bit more universal :) plsss i didn't proofread — hope u like it ! <3
—
You try to wipe the sweat off your hand for the fifth time in the last two minutes. Your pulse picks up while the line moves up again. You’ve been waiting for about an hour and a half, but you really don’t mind. Not when that mop of curls and pile of muscles is so close. Besides, you get to fangirl with the rest of the fans in line around you.
You’d been in deep conversation with a girl and her girlfriend for a good while until one of them went off to get coffee and the other asked to use the bathroom. The security guard assured them that they’d return to their exact position in line, ensuring they wouldn’t have to wait all over again. You missed them, though, because they weren’t back within seven minutes so you preoccupied yourself with the lanyard around your neck with your VIP Access pass attached to the end.
You play with the strings of the Spider-man hoodie; it’s the midtown hoodie that Peter Parker wears in the first movie. You wore it to be cute — and it is, especially with these jeans — but now you’re afraid you might die of heat exhaustion. As the security guards usher yet another fan through the curtains, your feet move forward a couple of feet until the movement stops and you’re stuck waiting again.
The girl and her girlfriend return not a minute later, one of them offering you a bite of their croissants from Starbucks. You ponder the offer before politely declining; you don’t want your breath to smell, or something to get stuck in your teeth. You know you’re overthinking this entire situation, but you can’t help but be nervous when you’re about to meet the one person you’ve spent so much of your time gawking over — and through a screen, at that. It’s pathetic, you admit, but you can’t help it. There’s just something about him.
Another fan goes through the curtains and suddenly you’re less than five turns away from meeting the beloved Brit. You can’t help but feel a little more connected to him, knowing that you’d flown all the way from Paris, France for this London Meet-and-Greet. It’s a wonder how you got your schedule to work so well.
You move forward another spot, tapping your index and middle fingers on your hip while tracing the lines of the tiled floor. You try to distract yourself — counting every prime number you can think of, naming all the superheroes in the Marvel Franchise — until you’re one spot away from going through the black curtains.
“You’ll be in in less than three minutes,” the girl smiles while informing you of the estimated time frame. You thank her, taking note of the tag attached to her uniform.
You take a deep breath, shaking away all nerves and last jitters before wiping your hands one last fateful time. And then all at once, the curtain opens and allows you to step through and into the room where a young actor awaits your arrival. It’s so surreal that you have to watch your feet to ensure they don’t trip and cause you to stumble.
“Hello, love. How’re you?”
Your breath hitches and when he finally takes a good look at you, his breath does too. Your eyes lock for a beat, the two of you lost in a trance before you finally spit out a response.
“I’m… really good. How’re you?”
He smiles, eyes crinkling and face lifting up. “I’m great, thank you.”
You nod, the tip of your tongue playing with your front tooth. You shake out of it, though, setting your bag and your lanyard down on the provided table before stepping a little closer to him.
“Ah, the Midtown hoodie,” He points out, holding your wrists out so he can examine the sweatshirt himself.
“Yeah,” you smile bashfully. “It’s… stylish.”
He laughs wholeheartedly, something that eats away at your shell and causes you to join his chuckling.
“What’s your name, darling?”
You bite your lip, inhaling sharply at the term of endearment. “Y/N.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Tom,” he offers a hand, something that makes your face scrunch up with a laugh.
“Can we hug instead?”
“Please?” He insists, realizing how embarrassing his last move was. The two of you embrace strongly, and you inhale the scent of Tom Holland while you can.
When you separate, you grow a little more courage, and pick up the conversation. “I loved you in The Impossibly. Obviously in the Spider-man movies, too, but your other movies are really good, too.”
“Thank you, love. That means a lot,” he scratches his neck with a sheepish smile, a blush rising from his neck and onto his cheeks. He smiles, an action you mirror. “Is this your first Meet-and-Greet?”
You nod, “Yeah, I’m a bit nervous.”
He nods in understanding. “Are you from England?”
You shake your head, “I’m currently living in Paris.”
“Ah, the country of romance,” He looks as if he’s thinking of what to say next — as if he shouldn’t say it. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one,” You smile again, and the glint in Tom’s eye changes just a shade, as if he’s just unlocked a new level. He looks excited for a different reason now.
“How long are you staying in England?”
“Till the end of the week,” You can’t help but feel giddy because it’s only Monday, which means you have until Saturday night to explore the great country of Britain, home to Tom Holland and Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch and basically every celebrity you’ve ever been a fan of. You can’t anticipate what Tom’s to say next, because you don’t want to turn your experience into a Wattpad story, but you hope he’s about to offer something in relation to sightseeing.
“Would you want to… could I show you around? Show you all the best places?” He looks shyer than you, almost, and you swallow your heart so you can answer calmly.
“You’d do that?’
“Of course,” He smiles softly. “You look like a lot of fun.”
You’re taken aback at the compliment, and you stumble out a reply as best you can. The two of you are reminded to take the picture so the line can move forward again, and you will yourself not to frown at the coming end of your encounter with the famous Brit.
“Could we do this?” You show him a picture from your phone and he nods excitedly.
The two of you link hands, standing close together while you smile into the camera. Your encounter comes to an end, and though you’re disappointed, Tom asks for your number, giving you his phone for the occasion. You’re giddy as you wave goodbye, leaving the tent with your picture and his lingering energy.
A day passes, giving you time to recover from your celebrity-interaction and time to get settled into your comforting hotel room on the seventh floor. You’re a bit wary that Tom won’t ever text you, and seeing as you don’t have his number, you realize you have to wait it out. You don’t want to risk waiting for the entirety of your stay here, though, so you grow worried. But alas, Tom texts late on Tuesday night, apologizing for the radio silence that came when he had to finish up the Meet-and-Greet event. You’re relieved, to say the least.
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He exchanges details, telling you to meet him at a corner cafe at ten in the morning tomorrow. You comply, promising to get a good night’s rest before saying your goodnights and sleeping the hours away. You’re promptly awoke but your eight-thirty alarm. With a groan, you get up to shower, and the cold water wakes you right up.
An hour later and you’re ready for some quality, top-notch sightseeing. You grab what you need, locking your hotel room door before going down the elevator with a sweet elderly couple. You follow the map on your phone until you arrive at a small shop on the corner, just as Tom had said. You pull the door open, the smell of coffee beans entering your airways. You exhale the familiarity of it all, smiling to yourself before searching the shop. You spot Tom in a corner booth, and as you make your way over, he sets his phone face-down on the table with a smile, waving at you. You take a seat across from him.
“This place is cute.”
“Right? Best tea in London.”
Your stomach grumbles, loud enough for the both of you to hear and then share a laugh about. “I suppose I should eat breakfast.”
“I suppose I should join you,” he replies in the same tone, the two of you sharing tender smiles before someone comes over to take your order.
The conversation picks up and all tension and awkwardness wafts away in the air, leaving you in Tom’s comfortable aura. You talk until the check is paid, and as you step out on the crisp air of the city’s streets, you turn to Tom for the agenda.
The day goes on like that. The two of you go all around the city, visiting The British Museum, the Tower Bridge, Big Ben the clock tower, the Buckingham Palace, the Portobello Road Market, the National Gallery, and even the London eye. Tom knows everything like the back of his hand, and the ancient city makes you feel so significant. Your last stop is Cambridge University, something you’ve always wanted to see in person.
Tom’s been taking your picture all day. On polaroids, your iPhones, and even some of the tourist-profiting workers who beg for sales. He claims it’s so you can start scrapbooking, a conversation the two of you had covered during your many word exchanges.
The two of you have been all over the city since the end of breakfast at almost eleven o’clock. Now, it’s almost eight o’clock and you’re hungry as fuck. After some debate, the two of you decide to take a big red bus back to your hotel for some room service or hotel-restaurant food.
Tom sits in the seat beside you on the bus, the two of you up top and enjoying the city. You get lost in conversation again, the two of you going through today’s latest pictures and video-memories. You end up goofing off, so much so that you almost miss your stop.
The two of you stumble to the entrance of your hotel. Tom smiles, grabbing the door for you. You reply with a sheepish “thank you,” before waving hello to the front desk women.
“Do you want room service or do you want to dine in the restaurant?”
“Would you mind if I joined you for room service?”
You shake your head with a gentle smile, the two of you racing to the elevators. After hitting your floor number, the elevator goes up and the two of you talk again and again. Tom excuses himself to the bathroom when you get into your room; it gives you the opportunity to change out of your clothes and into a pair of sweats and a loose tank. Tom comes out ready for room service but is grown flustered at the sight of a different outfit on you.
“Getting comfortable?”
“Duh,” you lean back on the queen sized bed, back hitting the headboard. “Stay for a movie?”
He smiles, “Hand me the menu.”
He ends up staying until ten o’clock. You promise to go clubbing with him, for a full London experience, and the two of you schedule to do just that on Friday night. You book the entirety of Thursday to finish your sightseeing with him, and before you know it, you’re spending every day in London with Tom.
On your last day, Saturday, you eat breakfast with him at that first fateful cafe. He tells you he can’t take you to the airport — he’d probably get mobbed by fans — and you understand, promising to call him once you land. He promises to come with you to France one day, so the roles can reverse.
You finish your final cup of coffee just as Tom finishes his tea. He smiles sadly, one you mirror.
“I’ll see you soon, you know. And you can still drop me off at the airport.”
“I know,” he smiles sheepishly, hand reaching across the table for yours. “But I’ll miss sightseeing with you. I forget how amazing my own country is, sometimes.”
“Well,” you smile, “I’ll be back, so don’t worry too much, Tom. It’s not like I’m going across the world.”
“Yeah,” He chuckles, “And besides, I can come see you sometime.”
“Absolutely.”
“It’s just so weird to have friends in France and shit,” He chuckles, running a hand through his hair. “Like you live there and I can just go and visit you whenever.”
“I’m still a call away.”
“And thank god for that.”
You exhale after a beat of silence. “This is so fucking crazy.”
“What?”
“This. You, us hanging out. Just four days ago I was paying to see you, and now I’m having breakfast with you for the third time?”
“I promise, I’ll refund that Meet-and-Greet money.”
“Why?” You look at him quizzically and he bites his bottom lip.
“Well we’re friends, so you don’t really need to waste that money and I can get it back so-”
“Don’t,” you look up at him. “It makes for a good story.”
He nods, and after the two of you pay the check, you’re standing from the booth of the quaint little shop one final time, making your way to your door and settling in the passenger seat of Tom’s car. With your luggage in the backseat, he drives all the way to the airport, the loud sound of plane engines filling your ears. He drops you off at the terminal with a hug and a watery smile.
“See you soon!” He waves until you’re out of sight and the security guard is threatening to give him a ticket.
Half a year goes by, with quick three-day weekend trips back and forth, to London and to France even. You’ve seen Tom a total of seven times in the past six months, and you’ve grown closer than ever.
About a month goes by after your last trip, until your boss is telling you that you’re getting a week off for the upcoming paid break. You’ve already confirmed your flight and hotel plans to London, wanting to surprise Tom.
You decide to do it the night before you’re due on the airplane to the country of Brits.
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You can’t help but grin at your phone, eventually laying down to sleep while you can before your early morning flight. Tom’s on your mind, in your future, and in your dreams. The last month of FaceTimes and text messages have been amazing, but unbearable because you miss his presence. The extreme amounts of flirting, however, have definitely picked up over text. Your week long trip to London marks the eighth time you’ve seen Tom since that first fateful Meet-and-Greet. You can’t help but feel like the dynamic is changing a bit, though. The two of you have upped the levels a bit, and now you’re more cuddly, more flirty, and definitely more interested.
When you land, you text Tom but frown when the usual immediate response doesn’t come. Moving past a crowd of waiting people, you head to baggage claim to get your luggage. After excruciatingly lifting it off of the conveyor belt, it lands with a thud on the ground and you start wheeling it towards the exit.
The building is extremely less crowded thanks to your early flight booking. When you look up, you see that familiar head of precious brown locks, and you squeal. Tom never leaves the car when picking you up or dropping you off at the airport, for fear of paparazzi and fans catching him. But this time, he’s out and in the building to come get you.
Abandoning your luggage, you drop your carry-on on the floor as you run over to him as fast as you can. He can sense you’re about to jump into his embrace, so he prepares for the bone-crushing hug.
Your arms go around his neck while his hands settle on your waist. He smiles, chin settled in the crook of your neck while he inhales the scent of you.
“Tommy, oh my god. I missed you so much.”
When you pull apart, you’re each a jumbled mess of excitement and tears, so much so that when Tom’s hands grip your face to pull you in to a passionate kiss, you’re immediately calmed. Though you’ve never kissed before, it feels so right.
Your lips chase after his, deepening it as your hands go to his hair and his to the small of your back. When you separate, your foreheads lean against each other while you pant.
“That’s new.”
“Sorry, I should’ve asked.”
You chuckle, “I would’ve said yes.”
He interlocks your fingers, smiling. “I missed you.”
“I missed you more.”
Suddenly, he’s reminded of the fact that the two of you are in public, and when he looks up, he sees a group of girls holding their phones up and capturing the moment he’s just shared with you. Quickly, he pulls you into his chest protectively, hiding your face in your neck.
“We need to hide or else they’re gonna know it’s m-”
“Don’t,” you settle him. “It makes for a good story.”
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shadow--writer ¡ 5 years ago
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bro do you think i could get like,, a coffee shop (or bookshop) au headcanons for the main six? if you're comfortable with that ☺️✨
Ah coffee shop/bookstore aus are my favourite I love them! I hope you don’t mind me going wild on my favs (Julian and Muriel) lol
Requests are still open! And asks about my new MC! Send em in!! (also fic requests are open lmao)
Main six x MC coffee shop/bookstore modern au
~~~~
Julian
You work at your local bookstore and this very hot doctor comes in almost every week 
You don’t know why, but you’re curious as to why
He always comes during your shift, asking for new books, books on medical treatment, old history, history on leeches, types of leeches, birds and birdcare
The first time he came in when you locked eyes he fell over
You and your coworkers started a little bet to see what he’s coming in for next 
But he doesn’t come in the next week
Or after that
You hate to admit it but you’re starting to miss him. He never failed to make you laugh with his strange requests
The past few times he came in he was always a bit red
But his face lit up whenever he saw you
You started crushing on him and now that he hasn’t come back for a while you’re...a bit sad
Next time he comes in is when you’re closing up
He’s out of breath, wheezing on his knees
Amused you let him catch his breath
“MC...I’m sorry I haven’t come in a while! School and work got hectic and I didn’t have time-”
Shushing him gently you bring him inside, pulling out your secret stash of tea you keep in the back
Asking him what’s wrong makes him go bright red
Confused, you sit and wait
“Would you believe me if I said I fell in love with this cute bookworm who works in one of my favourite store?”
You’re a little hurt but happy for the person he loves. He notices the hurt and laughs
“It’s you sweetheart. I’ve seemed to have fallen for you.”
I’m sorry, but after he confesses he would totally steal you just to make out with you behind the science textbook section (....I might write this wait)
Asra
Asra works at this sweet little tea shop that you like to visit every so often after work/school
He’s the cutest barista and you always smile when he’s there
Slowly you’ve warmed up to one another, him bringing you your favourite tea with a little note
Don’t hit on the baristas, but he might make an exception just for you
He adds some stuff to your tea to make it special and he always gets excited when he sees you come in
When you stay late he breaks out the coffee to help you stay up studying/working
He’ll spend time after work just to talk to you
He smells good like cinnamon and tea leaves
If you fall asleep he’ll let you sleep a bit while he closes up, and then wakes you before he leaves
He really enjoys your company, and you always brighten his day when you come in 
Days you don’t come in seem to drag on and he’s a little lonely 
Oh no
oh no
he has a crush on you now
But you bet your sweet arse you developed some weird outta nowhere feelings for him too
It’s why you avoided the tea shop, you didn’t want to make things weird
He sees you passing by and runs after you just to tell you
He really does miss you 
His confession is all a jumble. “MCILOVEYOUSOMUCHPLEASECOMEBACK!”
He’s very cute and when you go back he’ll make you a latte with snake art
Nadia
Nadia works at a cute little bookstore with a small cafe off to the side
It’s not very popular, just tucked away but it has a very nice atmosphere
They make the best pastries and have the best espressos
The first time you came in Nadia was there and willing to help 
She misheard you and sent you to the wrong section but she was too nice so you felt bad
Later on you tell her about the incident 
She is so embarrassed but it’s sweet
She finds your compassion so very sweet 
Some days you’ll come in just to study for school or read a book over coffee
She likes talking with you (distracting you from your schoolwork and her from her actual job. The manager doesn’t mind)
She handles everything with such grace it’s hard not to fall deeply in love with her
Sometimes you’ll come in just to talk to her 
It’s about when she starts to fall for you too, making your guyses interactions a bit awkward but still very sweet
She confesses by kissing you behind the bookshelves, she tastes like bittersweet chocolate and coffee 
When she pulls away you are bright red, making her giggle. 
“Consider it a thank you, MC. You’ve made my days so much brighter just with your smile.”
Oh my gods is she hot 
You aren’t gonna survive this 
Kiss her back 
“I...I hate to admit this, but I think I love you.”
Muriel
You work for a fun little animal themed bookstore 
Kids love it 
But one day this huge I mean tall and broad man walks in, hunched over, asking for a book on how to take care of chickens
Well that’s new you’ve never had a request like that from someone who looks...well, like Muriel does
But as always, you put on a smile and sweetly show him the way to chicken care
He’s so nervous oh poor baby 
He’ll grab your sleeve as you go back to the counter, his hair falling into his eyes but you can see how red his cheeks are
“Can...can I have some help finding a specific book? I...don’t know my way around.”
Of course you help how could you not
Soon after that he becomes a regular, and you learn he is in school to be a Vet and he has a small house up in the mountains 
Where apparently he has been saving animals
The first time you learn about Inanna was when he came in asking for a book on dog breeds
When he couldn’t find her breed he asked for a book on wolves
and you are starting to worry
But it’s okay he knows what he’s doing
As shy as he is, he falls for you fast and hard. Soon coming in with very poor excuses 
But it’s okay because you get to see him more and more, falling for him yourself soon enough
When you show him to books on bird seed, you kiss his cheek making him sputter
After a moment, he kisses your forehead, whispering ‘I love you’
And that was the day you knew this man was gonna kill you with his voice
Portia
Portia is this super cute barista at this fun energetic coffee shop
You are a poor hardworking person who needs their coffee fix
But oh my god Portia thinks you are the cutest most beautiful thing to walk through those doors
Her coworkers tease her but they let her act on her immediate crush
Looking up to this bubbly redhead holding your coffee, you fall for her too 
And soon you come in every week, sometimes three times a week
To study and get coffee
No...no other reason....
Portia is thrilled to see you in the coffee shop so often 
Eventually she leaves her number on the side of your coffee cup 
OMG no other person has done this in this au bwahahaha they’re all dumbasses 
She’ll confess with a few hearts in your coffee and a wink 
After work you’ll wait for her before pulling her along and kissing her behind the building 
Ah, young love
She’ll giggle and after this you come in more often and when she finds out where you work she’ll come to visit you
“MC! You came again! Welcome!!!”
Bright smiles and laughter 
Your day always seems better when she’s around
Lucio
You work at an old coffee shop with a fun rustic vibe and this man comes in so often 
Like every 
single
day
to order the same exact thing
The same exact super sweet coffee with two cookies on the side. He’s an odd one isn’t he
He’ll start to flirt with you right away
“Hey gorgeous, you make this all for me?”
Of course you did
That’s your job
Eventually you start flirting back and that’s when things start picking up 
Lucio catches major hardcore feelings
You’re that cute barista and he caught feelings for you
Unfair
You catch feelings too 
Eventually
He’s very blunt and flirty and..okay sure you kinda like that in him 
One day he was so aggressively flirting that you grab his shirt collar and plant a hard kiss on his mouth
Then get back to work as if nothing happened
Leave your number and winking face by his coffee
Ooooooooh man are you gonna get it after work 
;)
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crystalglassjar ¡ 4 years ago
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🦋 Butterfly Baby 🦋
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-🦋 Butterfly Baby 🦋-
this isn’t exactly a fanfic but not exactly a list of headcanons either. it’s basically an “I suck at writing but I’ve already planned out an entire story”. is there a beginning, climax, and satisfying ending? no lmao
-📋 story description 📋-
xiao and hu tao get together and have a family. hu tao is 19 at the start of this fic if you’re wondering. I just really needed to get this story out my system...hehe...and reply to this post if you can figure out why the story is called Butterfly Baby
-‼️warnings‼️-
mild spoilers, also this was written on 2/7/2021 so some stuff might seem incorrect after more story quests come out. also major character death if you read the alternate ending
-📜 the actual writing 📜-
• hu tao and xiao start hanging out together (aka hu tao comes to bother xiao and eat almond tofu with him whenever he stops by wangsheng inn)
• xiao eventually grows fond for hu tao but makes many attempts to keep her at an arms distance, all of which were in vain
• xiao and hu tao are both in denial about being in love but obviously xiao takes his denial to a whole other level
• xiao doesn’t visit the inn for 2 weeks but eventually caves and goes back because he missed hu tao the silky texture of almond tofu
• ganyu finds out after overhearing verr goldet (desk lady at wangshu inn) reporting back to ningguang about her observations
• ganyu thinks it’s an exaggeration until she goes to wangshu inn for some business affairs sees xiao and hu tao chatting over some almond tofu and tea
• xiao pretends to not notice ganyu peering from behind a wall
• xiao brings it up during ganyu’s adepti training (ganyu story quest) and she just looks away and apologizes
• xiao knows she wouldn’t tell anyone so he doesn’t bother making her feel even worse than she already does
• xiao and hu tao start actually dating (in secret) but it’s hard to keep at least a few people from noticing an adepti and a funeral parlor director walking near the outskirts of town
• xiao once again tries to distance himself because he feels like he’s not worthy of her love after all the people he’s killed and that an adeptus can’t be with a mortal, hu tao shuts that argument down with “but I don’t care”
• hu tao is a bit hurt that he thinks it matters if she’s a mortal
• she laughs at the rumors that she’s dating an adeptus even if it’s true
• zhong li eventually hears about the rumors and is pretty sure it’s true because hu tao comes to his statue everyday and recently brought up questions about love
• fast forward 10 months of hush hush dating and he finally proposes. no ring or anything fancy, just a simple “do you want to get married?” while they stood at the peak of guyun stone forest
• hu tao says yes without even thinking about it and immediately kisses him and starts excitedly talking about wedding plans that she totally hasn’t been thinking about for the past 3 months
• xiao comes to ganyu to ask for help with wedding planning and ganyu nearly looses her head when she hears him say “so I’m engaged now..”
• hu tao somehow convinced zhong li to help her with planning
• zhong li isn’t too shocked about the engagement but hopes that xiao knows what he’s getting himself into
• hu tao, with a lot of effort, convinces xiao to move into the wangsheng funeral parlor with her
• xiao has a tough time adjusting to mundane life (haha get it because- no? not funny? ok I’ll stop)
• it doesn’t take much negotiation with ningguang to secure a venue at yujing terrace
• xiao would’ve preferred a private wedding at jueyun karst but didn’t know how to ask cloud retainer about it
• one month of planning later and they get married at yujing terrace
• basically everyone in Liyue attends the wedding including traveler
• the adepti got their invites delivered from ganyu and watched the wedding from afar
• I know nothing about Chinese weddings so uhhhh that’s for the reader to dream about
• hu tao throws a flower ball made of silk flowers into the crowd (customs of liyue, volume 1)
• may or may not have forgotten about contraception during their wedding night.....
• too embarrassed to go down to bubu pharmacy get morning after medicine
• hu tao prays to rex lapis that she won’t get pregnant
• zhong li, sipping his tea: I pretend I do not hear
• xiao doesn’t know if he should tell hu tao about zhong li being rex lapis so he just hopes he’ll never have to reveal that secret
• xiao nearly breaks his skull on the wall when he realizes what he’s getting himself into
• people of Liyue are still in shock about an adeptus marrying a mortal (since they were never confirmed to be dating beforehand) and nearly explode with buzz when the funeral parlor director starts growing a baby bump
• “have you seen the wangsheng funeral parlor director? last time I saw her, it looked like her belly was growing a bit. do you think she’s pregnant? oh my archons, a half adeptus baby? I can’t believe it!”
• xiao asks zhong li if he can go out an order a crib, rocking chair, baby clothes, etc for him
• zhong li obviously says yes
• fast forward 9 months and hu tao goes into labor just an hour before the funeral parlor was closing for the day
• zhong li rushes hu tao to her room and tells the undertakers to fetch the midwife
• hu tao calls for xiao and of course xiao is there within 10 seconds
• midwife nearly shits herself when she walks into the bedroom and sees an adeptus
•the midwife nervously asks if xiao was the father
• there was a popular (false) rumor going around that hu tao had an affair with zhong li and the baby was his, mostly because people refused to believe that hu tao was pregnant with a half adeptus baby. these rumors were only fueled further when zhong li was overheard asking a shop keeper if he should order multiple sizes of baby onesies just in case.
• zhong li just nods his head and xiao looks away in shame
• midwife gives helps deliver the baby while thinking “if I fuck this up, this adeptus is going to kill me”
• surprise! the baby is completely fine and healthy
• ganyu asked the qixing if she could take a day off (much to the shock of everyone who knew she wouldn’t even take her yearly vacation leave)
• ganyu has never ran so quickly down Liyue’s streets and nearly kicked down the funeral parlor door
• she’s super excited to know that there’s going to be another half adeptus in Liyue but is also incredibly worried about the idea of a half yaksha child
• I can’t come up with a name for the daughter so ill just call her daughter
• zhong li is named the god father and ganyu is the named god mother
• xiao and hu tao take the baby down to jueyun karst
• ganyu and cloud retainer both think the baby is such an adorable and precious little thing
• the rest of the adeptus are just like “xiao wtf...but ok”
• refer to my posts about xiao as a father if you want some more cute details but I don’t wanna just write a copy paste of my past post
• everyone at Liyue harbor is gossiping about it
• hu tao is a very fun and free mom and teaches the kid to become a tiny ball of chaos with the pyromania of klee and the sneakiness of yaoyao. aka the kid is now unstoppable
• pyro vision because of course
• hu tao teaches her daughter how to master pyro, how to write poetry, and most importantly, how to become a funeral parlor director
• the daughter actually prefers swords over poles and gets classes from the guhua clan, and more specifically,
• zhong li was very eager to give the kid a vision and was managed to get the pyro archons permission
• xiao confronts zhong li about the vision it in secret
• xiao: you gave her a pyro vision. do you know how destructive she will be? 
• zhong li, taking another sip of tea: ✨ I pretend I do not hear ✨
• hu tao overhears the conversation and puts two and two together
• hu tao and xiao have their first ever argument ever since they got married
• “why didn’t you tell me before?”
• “because it was a secret!”
• back and forth until they hear the baby waking up and crying
• they agree that there’s no point in arguing now and go off to calm down the baby
• they end up living a happy life as a family of three, and after hu tao’s death, xiao continues to raise the child as much as he can (with the help of zhong li and ganyu)
• their daughter becomes the 78th director of the wangsheng funeral parlor
~the end~
-↪️ alternate ending ↪️-
• osial somehow wakes up during one lantern rite
• xiao was distracted by a different, much smaller, demon
• the guizhong ballista and jade chamber had been repaired by now and were better than before, and they were able to defeat osial without sacrificing the jade chamber again
• however they didn’t get to the jade chamber fast enough and a small part of Liyue was destroyed
• one place in that part of liyue being the wangsheng funeral parlor
• xiao is overcome by grief because he believe it was his fault that he wasn’t able to protect this family
• he finally succumbs to the corruption
• what he didn’t know what was that hu tao did indeed die in the destruction, but his daughter (currently age 12) was still perfectly well and alive
• ganyu takes in the daughter
• zhong li took over the post as director after hu tao’s death and became the 78th director
• zhong li continued to teach the daughter about how to properly run a business and conduct flawless funerals
• the daughter becomes the 79th director of the wangsheng funeral parlor when she’s 18
• she also becomes the new demonslayer of the adepti, following in her father’s footsteps
• even through the trauma of witnessing her mother’s untimely death and being given the news that her father’s had also died, she made it through and raised a happy family of her own, while wearing the hat that her mom passed down.
~the end~
-📝 author’s note 📝-
ok...so that was longer than expected. let me know what you guys think! see any typos or anything off? please mention it! if you guys have a header for hu tao please do share~
74 notes ¡ View notes
equalseleventhirds ¡ 5 years ago
Text
Pilgrimage
I made a fun & friendly post about considering all the fates worse than death for a tragedy, and I got to talking to myself about it. Self, I said, if you were asked to write a terrible fate worse than death for these boys, what would it be? Well about that…
 - - -
Georgie hasn’t been to visit Jon since the apocalypse ended. Or, before that probably, she certainly hadn’t been popping in for a cuppa when she was trying to cut him out of her life. But then the world ended, and then unended, and Melanie has been insisting on having him around for dinner, or to go on a shopping trip, or just to visit the Admiral. Because they’re friends. Because this is what friends do: meet up, talk, and make sure their other friends aren’t alone.
Melanie’s been to visit Jon. Georgie hadn’t gone with her.
The… place where he lives is too creepy, she thinks. It was probably creepy back when Smirke built it, it was extra creepy when it was some impossible tower, and it’s still creepy now, even if it’s fallen down to earth. The Eye’s tower.
-
“So this is it? The Panopticon, or whatever?” Georgie felt Melanie’s hand shaking, and tightened her grip.
“…yes. I’m afraid so.”
Martin rolled his eyes. ��See what I said about him being ominous?”
-
Jon opens the door before she knocks. It’s either some remnant of power in him, or he’d been watching out the window after Melanie called him. Georgie doesn’t ask.
“Hey, Jon.”
“Georgie. Hi.”
She steps inside, then stops. “Shoes on or off?”
“Oh, er… on. I haven’t quite finished cleaning all the… Shoes are probably better on.”
-
Jon was panting, standing over the nearly-empty chair where Jonah Magnus once sat. Martin laid a hand on his arm. “You did it, Jon. He’s gone.”
“That’s it? All done? You killed the big bad guy, so the apocalypse ends?”
He barely even winced at her tone. “It’s—I don’t think it’s going to be quite that simple—”
“Then why are we here—”
-
“Melanie sends her love, by the way.”
“Does she?”
“Yes.” She holds his gaze as levelly as she can. He just grins at her, holding his hand palm-out until she rolls her eyes and reaches into her bag. “Fine, and she sends her latest batch of halwa.”
“Thank you,” he says, plucking the container out of her hand and immediately popping it open to try a piece. “Mm… you can tell her she’s almost as good as my grandmother now.”
Georgie can’t hold back her laugh at that, short and disbelieving and a laugh, which she wasn’t sure she’d ever accomplish here. “Your grandmother always bought halwa at the store, you told me so—”
“Ah, yes. But I haven’t told Melanie, have I?”
“Jonathan Sims!”
-
It hurt. She’d thought she was immune to fear, to the fears, and maybe she was, to smaller ones. Normal ones. Real ones. But every ounce of impossible, enormous Fear that had clawed its way into their universe was bearing down on the tower at once, and Georgie wasn’t afraid, but it hurt.
“What now? What do we do? Jon, Jon, what happened, what do we do?”
“I…” She could see a trickle of blood coming from his nose… his eye… Hadn’t Martin said Jon couldn’t See anything about the Fears? Was that what he was trying to do? “I think… we can still stop it, maybe, but it’s… the tower, Jonah’s throne…”
“What do we have to do?”
-
They make it through about an hour, sharing out the halwa between them and chatting, about the books Jon finally has time to read, about the podcasts Georgie’s gotten Melanie into, about the really huge rug Jon’s planning to order when he gets everything cleaned up enough. It’s… it isn’t normal, but nothing’s really ever going to be normal again, is it? But it’s almost nice.
Except then she has to go and say the halwa’s made her thirsty (and it is sweet and dense and perfect, Melanie did an amazing job and she’s going to rat Jon out as soon as she gets home, and Georgie really cannot eat something that sweet at her age without something to wash it down). And then Jon gets up to make tea. And stops at the cupboard, and pulls out three mugs.
He doesn’t look at her, keeps his eyes on the kettle, on the mugs, on the tea bags, on his hands. But eventually he says, low but clear: “Whenever I make tea, I. Um. Bring some to him. He can’t really drink it, but it helps me feel better.”
And what can she say to that?
-
Jon stared at the seat, the throne, horror dawning on his face. She could tell—they all could tell—that he Knew what to do. He just had to tell them.
Martin grabbed his arm, shook him, spun him around to look at them. “Jon. I know this is—hard, for you. But what do we need to do?”
“Not us. Me. What I need to do. Someone touched by the eye, and who more than me?” He was biting at his lips, and she recognized the rhythm, from when he was stressed from essay after essay and trying to calm himself. “I have to take his seat. There has to be a king.”
“If there’s a king—” Melanie’s voice was strained, from the fear or the Fear, and Georgie tightened her grip again “—then wouldn’t it just be the same? Someone ruling over this, this ‘ruined world’?”
Jon was already shaking his head. “No, not if it’s now. Not if it’s someone who wants to stop it. Dream logic, remember? Except.”
“Except?” Melanie prompted.
“Except they won’t be able to leave. They’ll be—be trapped in the fear forever. In everyone’s fears, forever. Like I was, with the dreams, but for seven billion people—”
Georgie couldn’t help the gasp at that. “The dreams like we—with you watching all the time—”
“—or, more like our journey here, when we went through all those domains,” he continued, as if he couldn’t hear her. Maybe he couldn’t, with all his attention locked on Martin, drinking him in like it would be the last time he ever saw his face. “Because, because it’s here, and I said—Martin, I told you at the beginning, the eye can’t see inside itself, so I’d be—”
“Alone,” Martin whispered. “Always watching, and alone.”
-
She goes with him. Of course she goes with him. On some level, that’s what this visit has been about—seeing Jon, sure, but also seeing… Martin.
Martin is the whole reason Jon’s here, after all. Living in the ruins of the Panopticon. Living at all.
Georgie doesn’t look away. Doesn’t wait in the other room (the little living space Jon had made with curtains and boxes and a folding divider Melanie found for him), safe and ignorant. She knows Jon wouldn’t blame her. Might encourage her, if she brought it up, even if she said she had to go.
She thinks she might blame herself if she did.
It’s still difficult to stand there and watch without some kind of distraction, though, so she does bring her tea with her.  Bobs the bag up and down (Jon remembers she likes to leave it in even after she adds sugar and milk, like some kind of monster, he’d teased back in uni, before that word became so damn loaded), clinks the spoon against the side.
She’s trying not to stare, but there’s not a lot else to look at, besides… there’s not a lot else to look at. He must have brought that little end table in here pretty soon after moving in, set it up next to the chair with a lamp and a book and… a pillow on the floor next to it.
She doesn’t ask.
Now Jon sets the third mug down and carefully, carefully pries Martin’s hand off the arm of the chair, pushes his fingers to curl around the mug, guides them down together to the table. He keeps one hand on the mug, like he’s afraid Martin will move suddenly and spill it. Maybe it’s happened before.
There’s only so long she can avoid looking, of course. And Martin looks… a lot like the last time she saw him, just after the end of the end of the world. Very, very still, sitting upright, although Jon’s gotten him some cushions and a blanket since then. His eyes are still wide, too wide, and staring at nothing. At everything. At everything but what matters.
And his lips are slowly, slowly moving.
-
“But why does it have to be you! It’s always you! The whole world is touched by the Eye now, isn’t it? Can’t it be—I wanted you to—”
“I’m—I ended the world, Martin, it’s only right I fix it.” He was pleading now. “I just—Martin, please.” Jon reached up, curling his hand around the back of Martin’s neck, and pulled him down until their lips just brushed.
He closed his eyes, and Georgie wanted to look away, leave them this one last moment together. She’d be glad, later, that she didn’t, that she kept watching, watched them kiss, watched their tears, watched Jon break away and head towards the chair. Watched Martin grab him and push him away, taking the seat himself.
“Martin, no—”
Martin turned his head, slow, so slow, smiling one last time at Jon. “When are you going to stop blaming yourself?”
-
“Is he… talking?” She moves closer, squinting. “What… what’s he saying?”
Jon smiles, brushing his thumb over Martin’s slow-moving lips. “The same things he said to people in the apocalypse, of course. No matter how many times I told him they couldn’t hear him.”
And Georgie can see it now, the minute shapes, forming words as familiar as any casual conversation.
Excuse me… Sorry about this… How are you?… You’ll get through this… Just hang on… Hi there��
- - -
End notes: Every once in a while (not every night, bcos he has 7 billion ppl to get through), if someone were to look at the unchanging body of Martin Blackwood, and if they were good at reading lips, that someone might be able to see him talking one Jonathan Sims through his fear dreams. Of course, no one does see that; the only person who’s close enough would be asleep at the time.
124 notes ¡ View notes
jaxsteamblog ¡ 4 years ago
Text
Love Letters
This is the plain text version of an IMAGE SET! Please check out the chapter on AO3 for the visual, or enjoy the plain text here! If you end up liking the visual chapter, make sure to thank @the--descension and their fic, as well as @zk-modernau!
Click here to read the full fic on AO3
Image ID: Screenshots of a text chat between Katara in green chat bubbles and Zuko in white chat bubbles. / End Image ID 
[Author’s note, timestamps are not included in this transcript as they were not accurately edited in the app. Texts will be labelled by sender first, followed by the message. Readers using accessible software please be aware that text messages will include extra punctuation for emphasis and misspellings. Emojis used will be typed out as a description.]
Blue text box with the date December 09, 2020
Yellow text box with lock symbol that reads Messages to this chat and calls are now secured with end-to-end encryption. Tap for more info.
Katara: BTFS!!!!!
Zuko: That good huh?
Katara: WHY are there so many earth kingdom cities????
Zuko: Oh, geography class. My favorite.
Katara: Crying emoji. This is worse than anatomy.
Zuko: NOTHING is worse than anatomy.
Katara: True. 
Katara: But why do I have to memorize this? I can Booble ALL OF IT.
Zuko: Same reasons as anatomy.
Katara: Three red angry emojis 
Katara: I’m making everyone wear name tags.
Zuko: That’s one way to handle it.
Zuko: Have you learned anything about FN yet?
Katara: Why else am I dating you if not for that?
Zuko: I thought it was for my stunning good looks….
Katara: I do miss your face.
Zuko: I miss yours too.
Katara: You’re coming for the coronation right?
Zuko: That’s the plan.
Katara: How is your family being?
Zuko: Terrible, as usual. Who knew a failed kidnapping plot would put them in such a bad mood?
Katara: Straight face emoji
Katara: I still think you should’ve said something.
Zuko: It would just make things worse.
Katara: I know.
Katara: I keep thinking about you during these stupid lessons.
Katara: I can’t believe you already know all this BS.
Zuko: I’ve been learning it since I was a kid. Male shrug emoji
Katara: Sure, but I’ve seen your interviews and stuff.
Katara: You’re really good at it.
Zuko: Aww, are you internet stalking me???
Katara: Shut up!!!
Katara: I feel like every interviewer has a crush on you.
Zuko: Again, my stunning good looks.
Katara: That’s starting to sound like sarcasm. You are aware that you’re handsome, right?
Zuko: Love IS blind.
Katara: I’m serious! You have really nice cheekbones.
Zuko: And you say you can’t be diplomatic.
Katara: You’re impossible.
Zuko: I just don’t do well with compliments like that.
Katara: I’ll have to find other ways to compliment you then. Smiling devil emoji
Zuko: Sounds like a challenge.
Katara: I have to go. Arnook has me working with Pakku on “Courtly Behaviors.”
Zuko: Sounds terrible. Have fun!
Katara: Miss you! Six emoji hearts alternating red and blue
Zuko: Miss you too.
Blue text box with the date December 22, 2020
Zuko: So, by the end of it, Uncle had the guy by his collar and the wife was mortified. 
Katara: I cannot believe this happened.
Zuko: Me neither. It only ever happens when I’m home.
Katara: Do you ever wish you stayed in Ba Sing Se?
Zuko: I used to, from time to time.
Katara: Not now?
Zuko: Now I think about how the Water Tribe Queen can’t go around dating a tea server. 
Katara: What if we both left and ran off to the earth kingdom interior? We can open up our own tea and herb shop.
Zuko: Training not going well?
Katara: Training is FINE.
Katara: I just really miss you.
Zuko: I miss you too.
Zuko: I think about you all the time. It’s really distracting.
Zuko: I zoned out in the middle of an important luncheon today.
Katara: Why????
Zuko: I was thinking about you.
Katara: That’s dumb. You’re dumb.
Zuko: You like me dumb.
Katara: Hot and dumb, himbos forever.
Zuko: Hey, Thuy’s calling me. I gotta go.
Katara: Say hi!
Zuko: Will do. Talk to you later?
Katara: Heart eyes emoji
Blue text box with the date December 30, 2020
Katara: And it happens every new moon!
Zuko: That sounds like a lot of work every month.
Katara: It’s unbelievable.
Katara: I mean, maybe the South Pole did it before the war. But it’d be news to me.
Zuko: I guess that’s why they really want a Bender on the throne.
Katara: It makes things easier but also, we know the moon is going to come back. Like, scientifically.
Zuko: I think Arnook might be holding on for different reasons.
Katara: Shoot. Yeah. You’re right.
Katara: Crap, now I feel bad.
Zuko: Sorry. I do understand what you’re saying though.
Katara: Maybe I can change it? Make it more about Yue and less like we’re all gonna die if we don’t appease the spirits?
Zuko: That sounds reasonable. 
Zuko: You’re really getting good at this.
Katara: I’m good with the tribe stuff. I’m still bad doing all this talking out the side of my mouth.
Zuko: Pardon? Monocle emoji
Katara: It’s an Earth Kingdom expression. When you’re not talking straight and buttering someone up. Or backhanded compliments.
Zuko: Unfortunately, you’ll have to do that a lot.
Katara: Whyyyyyy? I’ll be queen. What are they gonna do about it?
Zuko: Rebel?
Katara: Against the ocean? Eye roll emoji
Zuko: Sounding a bit tyrannical there darling. Fire emoji
Katara: They’re making me do all this stuff!!! It’s not fair!!!!
Zuko: It’ll get easier.
Katara: Can’t I just go visit you? Let’s go to Ember Island again.
Zuko: I wish. 
Zuko: You look good on a beach.
Katara: Everyone looks good on a beach. That’s why it’s popular.
Zuko: Fair.
Katara: I can’t believe that was just a few months ago.
Zuko: I can’t believe we’ve been dating for a full season now.
Katara: Do we have an actual anniversary? Thinking emoji
Zuko: Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about it because I don’t want to jinx this.
Katara: Three cry laughing emojis
Katara: Would it be the summit tho?
Zuko: I guess so?
Katara: We wasted SO MUCH TIME this summer.
Zuko: Well…
Katara: It’s not my fault you were dating someone else.
Zuko: If I had been bolder during the war…
Katara: How would that have even worked?
Katara: I hadn’t even hit my peak rage against the Fire Nation
Zuko: Probably wouldn’t have been down for dating the crown prince then huh?
Katara: But it was you. So who knows?
Zuko: You think you would’ve still fallen for me?
Katara: Didn’t I do exactly that?
Zuko: That wasn’t me though.
Katara: Tomato, potato
Zuko: Your brother says that.
Katara: He stole it from ME!!!
Blue text box with the date January 03, 2021
Zuko: Sorry I missed your call.
Zuko: Kat?
Zuko: Are you mad at me?
Katara: Yes.
Zuko: I’m sorry Katara, the meeting ran long.
Katara: I know.
Katara: I’m still mad.
Katara: Today was really rough.
Zuko: What happened?
Katara: I don’t want to talk about it.
Zuko: Hey, did you want to call now? I’m free.
Katara: No.
Zuko: Katara.
Katara: I just really needed you! 
Katara: Arnook keeps yelling at me because I keep forgetting names and stupid stuff like that, and Pakku is telling me that I’m going to cause the next world war because I’m rude, and now one will train with me because I’m the stupid princess now and I’m really really lonely!
Zuko: I’m sorry Katara, that really sucks.
Katara: It does suck!
Katara: And when I call my boyfriend when he told me he’d be free, he didn’t pick up!
Zuko: I couldn’t control that.
Katara: I know.
Katara: I’m sorry.
Katara: I really want to see you.
Zuko: We can video chat?
Katara: No, I really want to see you in person.
Katara: We just started dating but I never get to be with you.
Katara: And when we are together, something bad always happens.
Zuko: I know. I’m sorry.
Katara: It’s not your fault.
Zuko: It kinda is though. It’s my family.
Katara: I just wish you were here.
Zuko: Me too. But I’ll see you soon.
Katara: Ugh, don’t remind me. Fed up emoji
Zuko: You’re going to do great. And you’re not going to be taking over right away. Arnook is still around for a bit. 
Katara: Promise YOU will be around for a bit?
Zuko: I’ll stay as long as I can.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
16 notes ¡ View notes
ericsonclan ¡ 4 years ago
Text
A Visit to the Bakery
Summary: Minnie goes out to buy some bread and meets someone very special in the process.
Word Count: 2905 
Read on A03: 
Minnie rose with the dawn. It was how she had lived her entire life no matter the circumstances. Living on the street, she’d been sure to wake first each morning to go scouting for food and supplies for the other street rats. She would wake Sophie and they’d head out together, searching for whatever measly scraps they could to survive another day. When she and Sophie were taken by pirates and later on during her time with Lilly and the Delta pirates, Minnie had been expected to pull her weight each and every second of every day. There was never any rest, no time for reflection on the hell her life had become, no peace.
Now she awoke in her own bed, feeling the sun’s rays warm her face as she shuffled out from under her covers. She had a bed of her own for the first time in her life and a roof over her head. She even had her brother back by her side. Tenn was sleeping peacefully in his own bed, a calm smile on his face. She’d let him sleep a bit longer before waking him and asking if he’d like to go to the market with her. Minnie’s eyes drifted over to third bed in the room, now empty. She missed having Sophie around each and every day, but to know that she was living her life doing what brought her the most joy gave Minnie a deeper sense of happiness than she’d felt in the last several years.
Rising to make the morning tea, Minnie tucked her bedsheets back in place, moving around softly for fear of waking Tenn up. He had always been an extremely light sleeper. Minnie approached the cupboard in search of the kettle. One of the pans slid against another as she pulled them out, causing Tenn to stir in his sleep. His chin raised, revealing the beginning of the scar that ran from the base of his chin to the top of his cheekbone. It still haunted her that she’d giving him that mark, taking off a piece of his ear in the process. Tenn had told her countless times that it didn’t matter to him, that the scar had no effect on his own life or happiness, but it still served as a constant reminder of the person Minnie had let herself become.
It was strange living in this cottage, carrying out a peaceful existence by the sea, when their very benefactors were those she had hurt the most. Minnie wondered where they were now. They’d visited a few months ago, so it was probably nowhere nearby. Sophie was likely up by now as well, sketching the sunrise or helping with the morning chores. Minnie hoped the others were doing well too: Mitch, Violet, Willy. The last time she’d seen them, Willy had sprouted up to nearly her height. She’d wanted to say something to him about how much he’d grown, but she saw the fear in his eyes when he looked her way. As much as she might wish them well, Minnie understood why the other street rats no longer trusted her. She’d harmed them too much for things to ever be the way they used to be between them.
She still had her siblings though: Tenn in body and Sophie in spirit. Knowing her sister loved her despite all she had done gave Minnie hope whenever the despair and self-loathing became too much to bear. Taking a seat at the table, Minnie pulled her hurdy gurdy into her lap, playing a short tune as she waited for the water to come to a boil. Sophie had picked the instrument up for Minnie on a whim one day at the market. Minnie hadn’t know what to do with it at the time, but over the months her fingers had began to master the dexterity needed to pluck at its strings and direct the crank embedded in its side at the same time. The tune she played was soft, haunting. It was a ballad she’d heard long ago and had been trying to remember.
The whistle of the teapot went off, bright and cheery. Minnie set aside the hurdy gurdy, rushing to take the kettle off the heat to quiet it. Tenn was already stirring too much though; he was truly awake now. After a few moments he entered the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of one of his eyes.
“Morning,” His voice had grown deeper over the years as he’d grown, but his voice held the same comforting cadence it always had.
“Good morning. Sorry I woke you,” Minnie placed tea leaves to steep within the water then went searching through the cupboards for something suitable for breakfast. “We should have enough for today, but it’s looking like we’ll need to do another market run soon. Would you be interested in coming with me?” Minnie popped her head out of the cupboard to catch Tenn glancing wistfully out the window. “If you don’t, it’s fine,”
“Oh, I can go with you, Minnie” Tenn’s tone was sincere, but Minnie knew him too well to not recognize when he was hiding something.
“You already have other plans, don’t you?”
“It’s just… the sky is so clear today.  Was hoping to finish that painting I set aside weeks ago. I haven’t seen that same hue in forever,”
“You should go for it then,” Minnie pulled some bread and cheese from the cupboard, cutting them into slices. “I know how much it’s been eating away at you not being able to finish it. Besides, we could use more pieces to sell anyway,” They did their selling on different days than their shopping. They’d head down in the next couple days to set up their stall and sell their crafts and wares.
“Thanks, Minnie. You always know just what I’m thinking,”
“That’s a big sister’s job, silly. Now let’s eat,”
---
After a pleasant breakfast Minnie bid Tenn farewell and headed out with the large wicker basket to restock their food. Walking down the path from their cottage, she could feel the sea breeze brush at her bangs. The smell was as salty and rich as ever. Despite all the horrors she’d suffered in her life on sea, Minnie still found herself fond of the smell. There was always the promise of something new in the air when living by the shore. She was glad they’d been able to find an isolated plot as well. Even in a quiet port town, Minnie often found the presence of so many strangers overwhelming. Years of bodily and emotional trauma had left her with a limited amount of energy each day. Most times Minnie fell short of what she wanted to accomplish each day because of the chronic fatigue. She preferred the peace and familiarity of her newfound home to the streets of Halverport, but the shopping needed to get done.
Walking familiar streets, Minnie followed her regular route to get everything that was needed. Most of the sellers were familiar with her now, but Minnie still noticed the stares of passerby as they caught sight of her scarred face. She couldn’t blame them. The burn marks were severe, far worse than you’d expect to see on a young woman attending the market. Minnie had accepted them long ago as an everlasting symbol of her betrayal. She’d earned them in the same fire that took most of Violet’s sight. It was only right for her to bear the weight of that guilt in physical form, not simply within. Still, the stares wore her down. They were the only reason Minnie occasionally considered growing her hair out to better hide those scars. Instead she kept her head low and focused on the task at hand.
She’d almost found everything she needed when Minnie found herself stuck on the last item on her list: bread. She’d planned to drop by the normal stall she frequented where the sweet old lady that ran it always slipped an extra roll or two into the basket for her and Tenn. However, the woman was nowhere to be seen today. Minnie hoped she was alright. She didn’t want to travel all the way back up to the cottage with no bread, so she’d have to venture further and find another seller. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Minnie made her way further into the village, hoping the search wouldn’t be long.
Luckily, she was able to spot a bakery only a few streets over from where she usually shopped. Minnie stepped inside hesitantly, hoping the prices wouldn’t be too high and she could at least get enough for her and Tenn until selling day rolled round again. The shop was quiet as she entered, likely having just opened given the early hour. Was there anyone in here at all? Where was the seller?
“Hello?” Minnie called, her throat feeling dry and her voice rather rough.
A girl immediately emerged from the back room, brushing flour off of her hands. She looked to be about Minnie’s age, with warm brown eyes and hair that was pulled to the side in a bun decorated by a single flower. Her face was still covered in flour, but she seemed unaware as she smiled at Minnie. “Well, look at you! A new face come to frequent my bakery! Don’t get a lot of those around here,”
“The woman I usually buy from wasn’t there and-” Minnie cut herself off. This girl didn’t need to hear the entire story, just her order. “I’ll take three loaves of bread please,”
“Alright, what kind? Rye? Wheat? Pumpernickel? Sourdough? Baguettes?” the girl prattled on for a minute before her face fell slightly, recognizing that she was overwhelming Minnie with the list. “Oops, I got ahead of myself, didn’t I? You probably just want some brown bread, am I right?”
Minnie nodded silently. “If you don’t mind,”
“Of course not! Anything for a customer. You know what…” the girl looked around for a moment at her empty store then lifted the part of the counter that could be raised to step through, motioning for Minnie to follow. “Since you’re an early bird, why don’t you come on into the back room and pick out the loaves you like best?”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”
“C’mon, it’ll be fun! I’ll even throw in some free samples!” The girl was smiling so brightly at Minnie she couldn’t find it in herself to say no. Awkwardly she stepped forward, following her to the back room. “I should probably introduce myself,” the girl called back as she led the way. “My name’s Renata. Yours?”
“Minerva,”
“That’s a pretty name. It suits you,”
“T-thanks,” Minnie found herself distracted as they entered the back room. There were dozens of racks everywhere full of all sorts of breads, sweets and other delicacies.
Renata looked around the room with a proud smile. “Magnificent, isn’t it? Back when my parents ran the place we used to be able to fill up the entire room, but I think I get by alright,”
Oh. Were her parents dead then? Was it expected to say something in condolence to her? Before Minnie could think on the matter further, a warm roll was thrust into her hands.
“Here. Something to munch on while you look around,”
Minnie slowly bit in. The warmth of the bread immediately filled her mouth, filling her with a sort of comfort deep inside. Minnie found a smile crossing her lips, mirroring Renata’s own smile in some small way.
“Good, right? Secret family recipe,” Renata lifted a finger to her lips, winking playfully at Minnie.
Minnie swallowed too fast and choked a bit on her mouthful of bread.
“Are you OK? I’ll get some water,” Renata rushed to get a cup, offering it to Minnie before she’d had time to regain her composure. All she could do was nod and accept it gratefully.
“So, Minnie, tell me about yourself. You can’t have grown up around here, so what brings you to Halverport? Do you live here?”
“Up in the hills along the shore,” Minnie answered. The roll had already been consumed. She meant to start looking for the loaves she needed, but Renata had already placed something new within her hand, this time a sticky bun.
“I love it up there!” Renata exclaimed. She gave an encouraging nod when Minnie looked unsure about the bun. “Sometimes I climb up that way to bother all the seagulls. I didn’t know there was anyone living up that way,”
“Not many do,” Minnie took a bite of the bun and her eyes widened in surprise. It was utterly delicious, even more so than the bread. Renata grinned as she saw Minnie take another excited bite.
“The buns are my favorite. The secret is cinnamon, but a healthy dose of sugar also helps,”
That must be it. Minnie had hardly ever had any sugar in her life. Being given something so sweet and syrupy out of the blue was an unexpected gift. Or was it a gift? Minnie eyed Renata with caution. What did this girl want? Minnie clearly didn’t have the look of someone with money. Did she want a favor then? The bun was already gone, decimated in the throes of Minnie’s excitement. “I can pay for that,” Minnie offered.
Renata waved a hand dismissively. “Like I said, they’re free samples. It’s nice having company in the kitchen again. I should probably get you that bread though, huh?” Renata grinned sheepishly and Minnie found herself regretting that she’d gotten her back on task.
They headed over to the regular loaves. Renata motioned at them grandly. “Take your pick,” she said, stepping to the side.
Minnie certainly wasn’t a bread connoisseur. She picked up a loaf or two, tapping on it then placing it back. Was that the way to test bread? She caught Renata smirking and immediately felt her face burn in embarrassment.
“Want me to pick the best ones out?” Renata offered.
“Please,”
As Renata leaned forward, rummaging through the bread racks, Minnie caught a whiff of something that reminded her of the sticky bun from minutes ago. It couldn’t be the bread though; they were a good distance away from the sweets section. What was that special ingredient Renata had spoken of? Cinnamon. The answer came back to Minnie all of a sudden. She looked over at Renata who was busy critiquing the loaves intently. She smells like cinnamon .
“Here we go!” Renata declared, holding forth three loaves of brown bread in her hands. “The best of the day,”
“I’ll take them,” Minnie began to transfer them over to her basket. She was taken by surprise when Renata used her now free hands to grab hold of Minnie’s and pull her back over to where the sweets lay.
“I’m gonna give you a few more goodies for the road. Gotta make sure you come back for repeat business. And I won’t take no for an answer,” Without waiting to hear Minnie’s protests, Renata began stuffing treats into the top of her basket. She stopped for a moment, looking up at Minnie. “Is it just you at home or do you have family?”
“Just my brother at home,”
“Then I’ll have to pack extra for him!” Renata picked up a loaf and displayed it proudly. “I’ve been told my banana bread’s the best in town. It’s cuz of the cinnamon again…” her voice dropped down to a conspiratorial whisper. “But don’t tell anyone, k?”
“O-OK,” Minnie couldn’t help but feel flustered as she smiled back at Renata. She’d just come here for some loaves of bread. What was even going on? “I should probably get going. My brother will be wondering where I am,”
Renata’s face fell at the news. “Oh… ok. I’ll see you out then,” Quietly she made her way to the front, Minnie following closely behind. Had she insulted Renata by saying she had to leave?
Minnie looked back worriedly once she’d stepped through the divide between the front and back of the store. She found Renata smiling just as brightly as ever though.
“Come back anytime, OK? I want to hear what your brother thinks of my famous banana bread,”
“Will do,” Minnie felt the tension leaving her gut knowing she hadn’t overstepped after all. “Thank you for all the free samples,”
“It was my pleasure,” Renata reached up to itch her nose and looked at her hand in surprise when she saw all the flour on it. “Gosh, have I had this much flour on my face the entire time? I must’ve looked like a clown!”
“No, I thought you looked nice,” Minnie froze at her words. What was she even saying?
The sentiment seemed to be appreciated by Renata though. She smiled brightly at Minnie’s words. “Really? I’ve have to be wearing more next time you come by then too,”
“Alright then,” Minnie wasn’t sure why she was agreeing, but who cared at this point? Nothing seemed to faze Renata anyway. With a final wave, Minnie exited the store. Her feet felt light under her feet as she started the walk home. Usually a grocery run like this would have completely wiped her out for the rest of the day, but Minnie felt a renewed sense of energy now. She wanted to play music or paint… something. She was feeling inspired.
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insphoeration ¡ 7 years ago
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BTS - Types that would suit them
*Edited and re-uploaded
I would like to start out by pointing out that these are all my own opinions, I do not know BTS personally. 
I think all the boys need someone who is understanding of their lifestyle, expecting them to put you before everything they’ve worked so hard for is an obvious no. 
Jin
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Jin has said in the past that his ideal type is someone puppy like, but also someone who can take care of him, this makes sense in that he is so used to taking care of others that he needs someone to take care of him. Jin is pretty old fashioned as well so he needs someone to settle down with, I don’t know that he’d be able to be with someone who didn’t want kids or didn’t want the typical wife role. So someone he can do domestic things with, like cooking, would draw him in. I can see Jin with someone sweet and nurturing. 
Picture this: Ten years in the future, Jin and his significant other have the rest of the boys around to celebrate their son’s birthday. He wraps his arms around his significant other in a back hug, placing his chin on their shoulder as they watch their family smile and laugh together. 
Suga
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Suga has said his ideal type would be someone like him, but I think his ideal type would be someone the opposite of him, while also respectful of his boundaries. Suga is very calm and cool on the outside but we see him letting loose and being silly sometimes. I think he needs someone who is an ambivert/extrovert to bring him out of his comfort zone, someone he can be himself completely with, someone who he doesn’t have to be serious with all the time. That being said, Suga himself is an introvert so while a fun loving person would be good for him, that person would also need to understand where to draw the line. Suga has suffered from mental illness and might still be so it’s good to have someone around who doesn’t make you feel so alone but if that person becomes too pushy it might drive them apart. I can see him with someone like hobi, excited but also nurturing. 
Picture this: Suga’s significant other texting him to remind him to eat, knowing he’ll just text back sure and not really eat, they go to see him, dragging him from his studio to take a walk outside. The two of them get something to eat and find somewhere nice to eat, Yoongi looks over and see’s his significant other smiling at him, reminding him to take care of himself. Another time, his significant other goes to visit him and he’s laying on the couch, wrapped in a ton of blankets and they just know, so they lie directly on top of him, the two of them laying there in silence for as long as it takes. 
RM
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Like Jin, RM is so used to taking care of others, he needs someone he can let loose with. All the boys need someone who understands their schedule but RM the most because he is the busiest one. I think RM needs someone who is understanding in all aspects of his life- his career is very stressful and while this person would need to be there for him, this person would also need to lay off as to not smother him as that might add to the stress. RM needs someone to listen to him and to listen too, sometimes when you’re stressed all you need is a distraction to take your mind off of it. RM is also very intelligent so he would want someone who is not only woke but also classy (if that even makes sense). Someone screaming about a topic they aren’t educated on would just be a huge turn off for him. 
Picture this: Namjoon and his significant other just walking around and talking, sometimes about politics but sometimes about dumb trivial stuff too. “Can you light a banana on fire?” “Potassium is combustible so probably.” Namjoon and his significant other going on coffee shop dates, and just sitting at home reading to each other. 
J- hope
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Hoseok also needs someone who will listen to him, he is the rock for everyone else so he needs someone who will be his rock. He is also very high energy which means he needs someone with high energy who he can go on adventures with. Also someone who needs a sympathetic S/O to understand that he isn’t always J- Hope but Hoseok, someone who has bad days and insecurities like everyone else. I can see Hobi not really sharing his significant other, him keeping that part of his life, and his life with BTS separate. 
Picture this: Hobi and his significant other at the beach, after deep life chats, they play around, building sand castles and splashing around in the water. His significant other splashes him and he chases them around, when he catches them he twirls them around, they are giggling like children. OR him and his significant other dancing around in the bighit practice room, weather serious or not, it doesn’t matter to him. 
Jimin
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Jimin is very insecure so he needs someone to constantly validate him. He’s pretty confident on stage but off, he needs a lot of reassuring because he can be kind of sensitive. I’m not so sure that another insecure person would be good for him. I think he would be drawn to someone confident which would be good for him, he might learn to let go of his insecurities. I don’t really see him getting along with someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to have a lot of pressure on you, he wouldn’t really take your advice, but he might open up to someone he can relate too. 
Picture this: Jimin and his significant other sitting under a tree by a river on a sunny day, sharing headphones. The breeze is calming and he feels like he can breath better, that might be the air but it’s probably because there’s no pressure to be perfect. OR Jimin’s significant other going to the gym together, keeping each other fit but also healthy, they take turns cooking for each other, healthy meals with the occasional cheat day. 
V
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Tae also needs someone strong and outspoken, he is a pretty chill person but has his silly moments, I think someone with a certain air of confidence could be good for him because it counters the chill aspect of his personality but in the end we all need someone we can be ourselves with so if you’re confident to the point of being egotistical, that wouldn’t work for V. He’s said he want’s someone who can make him hot chocolate, which is very specific so it sounds like he wants someone who he can just talk too. I think he is like Namjoon in that he puts on a front a lot but deep down he is really a huge dork and that makes sense since he is still so young. I can see Tae with someone chic, someone who pays attention to the details and brings them up without mentioning it, this would melt his own cool exterior bringing him back from V to Tae. 
Picture this: They boys and their significant others have all gone camping, Tae makes smores while his significant other gets drinks. They come back with green tea that Jimin’s significant other insists it healthier, they go back a little while later and come back again with hot chocolate because they know Tae would enjoy it, the both of them end up cuddling by the fire. 
Jungkook
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Lets be real, Jungkook can be a bit of a brat. For the others I put down some contrasting personalities but for Jungkook I think someone like him would be perfect. He needs someone to keep him in check, someone he can banter and have fun with, someone who doesn’t just take his shit but serves it right back to him. He needs someone who has similar interests to him like working out and singing, even if you’re not very good at singing then just dance around and sing crazy and have fun but listen to him sing seriously because thats his passion. I see Jungkook and his future significant other working out together, and pulling pranks on each other.
Picture this: Jungkook waits in the car, his significant other walks in front of it, holding the coffee’s, just at the right moment he beeps the horn, his significant other damn near throws the coffee tray in surprise. Jungkook is still laughing, wiping tears away, when his significant other has handed him his coffee, they are seated and ready for him to drive. Jungkook takes his cup, written on the side where the name should be: muscle piggy. 
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i-have-a-concern-blog ¡ 7 years ago
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I Don’t Know Where This Is Going
I’m not sure what this is, nor if it is something good?? I felt like writing last night because the internet went out, so this is a thing. 
Warnings: none?
Word count: 1,645
rk800 Connor x reader (in first person)
My hands stung, heat burning into the trembling skin as I clutched the mug of tea. The cafĂŠ was emptier today, that is to say, there were only three customers as opposed to the usual six. I distracted myself from my shivering by observing the people who had also braved the weather to get something warm. Mrs. Fikuhara was curled up into a booth at the furthest corner of the tiny room, the recent widow drinking a glass of milk while filling out what was most likely a crossword. Mr. J was on the other end of the room, just watching the rain as it fell from the wide window next to him.
        Benji was in the back, whistling along to the radio as he tidied an already spotless kitchen. I could see his head bobbing around past the serving window, the fluorescent lights making his head as shiny as his beloved kitchen. Lola, the waitress, was doing her best to be diligent to her customers while also scribbling notes from her calculus book into a notebook. My fingers tightened against my mug. Numb to the pain, I gingerly sipped earl gray before diverting my gaze out the window beside me.
        “Benji’s Café” had always been my favorite place to visit for any occasion; tucked in-between an old-time condemned cinema and a two-story antique shop, the already small café was almost ignorable. I had discovered it while nearly braindead from college and two steps away from an anxiety attack, it was a beacon of hope in a dark night. I stepped through the door and was welcomed into a home. The set-up was rather casual with tables and booths (only enough to seat a max of forty) and a wrap around 50’s style bar, behind the bar was Benji’s cramped kitchen. The café was a mix of retro and grandma’s attic, which charmed me instantly (Mom always did say I had strange taste). I had been a regular ever since. Overtime, I had made friends with the other regulars and the workers here; somedays Benji would let me try new recipes of his while I helped Lola with her homework.
Outside the café, rain was falling in sheets. The temperature was just floating between snow and rain, leaving an awful slush mix to cling to the power lines and flow down the streets in brown mush. Every once and a while a stray person would dart under awnings and alcoves as they scurried home, even fewer cars flying by, sending slush crashing onto the sidewalks. If I hadn’t lived so close by I probably wouldn’t have risked the weather today, then again, it had been only cloudy until I arrived. As of the current moment, I was nearly regretting my choice, my skin chilled and my clothes clinging to my body in displeasing ways.
        I took another sip of my tea, sliding back into the booth with a sigh.
        “Oh, this is my jam!” Benji sprung out of the kitchen in a quickstep, sweeping up Lola in a lively dance as an upbeat song carried over from the radio. The two began to laugh uncontrollably as they tripped over one another. A smile curled onto my face as I peered over the rim of my mug, the room having gotten a little bit brighter.
        “Benji stop” Lola snorted, thick curls going wild as the older man spun her about, “you’re making me dizzy!” Her laughter carried around the room.
        “Step on his toes Lola, show him you aren’t to be fooled with!” Mrs. Fikuhara cackled from her booth, using her pen to jab at the air as if she could jab Benji himself. Mr. J smiled brightly, waving to Mrs. Fikuhara before signing rapidly.
        “Mr. J’s right Benji, let the poor girl work, she’ll never graduate high school at this rate!” Benji deflated, releasing Lola from his grip as he gave a dramatic sigh.
        “There’s no love for the cook is there?” He threw his hands about before turning to me. “You love me, right?” I took my time in setting my mug down, clearing my throat as I slowly sat up.
        “Eh,” I shrugged, “sometimes.” They all began to laugh as Benji cried in offense.
        “No more free tastings for you then, if I’m such a bother!” Gathering himself into a “haughty” presentation; shoulders back, spine straight, and expression prim, Benji executed a perfect pivot and marched back to the kitchen. His display was met by a chorus of apologies.
        “Come on Benji!” Lola threw her arms out, asking for a hug as she smiled apologetically.
        “We didn’t mean it!” Mr. J smiled.
        “You know we love you, silly boy!” Mrs. Fikuhara shook her head. Benji slowly turned, sending a pointed stare in my direction as he approached Lola’s waiting arms with painstaking hesitation. I rolled my eyes with a snarky grin.
        “I’m sorry for bullying you Benji, I love you to the moon and back, will you ever forgive me?” Benji’s face lit up brighter than the sun.
        “Aw I love you too, I forgive you kiddo!” He scooped Lola up into a bear hug, maintaining eye contact over her shoulder. He lifted his arm to point threateningly. “I’m watching you,” he mouthed. I responded with another eye roll.
        Two hours later, the rain was starting to let up as the sky darkened. The cafÊ waved goodbye to me as I stepped out into the chill air. I pulled up my hood and scolded myself for ever leaving home in this weather. Hunching my shoulders, I began my trudge home. Only three blocks, I encouraged my cranky brain. Three blocks are really no time at all. My brain scowled its non-existent face, enough time to get pneumonia. I sighed, kicking my feet through slush piles as I walked. I kept my head down, not wanting the freezing rain to bite at my face.
        One block in my brain was in almost full revolt, every thought bordering between reasoning and murder. I like visiting the café, reasoning scuffed its shoes. You couldn’t have taken a car, or an umbrella, or have had the common sense to think, “hm, maybe this is a bad idea,” murder gestured with wild movements. I shuffled on in silence for a moment. I need a therapist.
        My eyes lost focus of the gray and brown sidewalk beneath me, instead I found them focusing on the dark sky, flinching with every frozen droplet of rain that hit my face. I also discovered, that by some miraculous feat, I was no longer on my feet, but instead sprawled on my back. A deep ache pulsed in the back of my head, shooting down straight to the tips of my fingers and toes. That’s fun. My miraculous feat then decided to bounce on over, replacing the rain on my face with large, slobbery licks. Hello dog.
        “Sumo no!” My brow furrowed as the dog above me snorted, was this a talking dog? Was I sumo? “Miss, are you okay? I’m sorry about Sumo, he gets excited!” An arm appeared in my vision, pushing past the large dog above me to take me by the shoulder and lift me into a sitting position. Not a talking dog then. My brain spun as I chased thoughts around it like a carousel. After realizing that I had been addressed I scrambled to respond.
        “No problem man, he’s a nice dog.” My words felt slow, trying to reassure my point I lifted my hand to plop onto the dog’s-Sumo’s-head. Sumo sat and continued to nudge into my hand. “Good boy.” I smiled.
        “Miss, are you alright? Did you hit your head in the fall?” The voice sounded worried, it was a nice sounding voice, soft enough to be kind, but with a rough edge that could mean business.
        “Me, oh yeah I’m fi-“My words slurred to a stop as I pulled my eyes to look at the owner of the voice, catching myself in dark eyes. Pretty. And expressive. But mostly pretty. The man’s face scrunched, impairing my view of his pretty eyes as he cocked his head to the side.
        “You do not show signs of a concussion; however, it is very likely that the fall was jarring, it might take a moment for your head to clear.” I listened to the calm explanation before deciding to cradle the back of my head in my hands. I hissed as my finger brushed over the tender knot that had formed just under the crown. “Would you like assistance standing?” The man offered his hand, after I accepted it, he glided into a standing position; careful to support my clumsy weight as he helped me up.
        “Thank you for the hand.” I muttered as my thoughts began to settle.
        “You’re welcome, it was the least I could do.” I scowled past the spikes of pain that jabbed into my face; peering down at Sumo, who still sat and watched the two of us.
        “It’s really no problem, he seems like a good dog. He’s a saint Bernard, right?” The man nodded affirmative, leaning down to scratch between Sumo’s ears.
        “Yes, he belongs to my partner, we were heading home until he found you.” A silence slipped between us, the hiss of rain the only thing the could be heard between Sumo, the man, and I.
        “My name is Connor, it is nice to meet you.” The man gave a somewhat awkward smile and he offered his hand. His dark hair was dripping with water, his suit faring in the same way, yet he still smiled with bright intensity and an air of friendliness. I gave him my name with an equally bright smile, taking his hand, not minding the chill of our skin or the slickness of the rain.
        “It’s a pleasure to meet you Connor”
In which the reader doesn’t notice if a person is an android because they don’t care/believe everyone is a person. (Benji’s an android and he’s awesome). 
I hope I got Connor’s character?? He didn’t have much of a presence?? I don’t know what I’m doing??
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thong-in-the-twist ¡ 7 years ago
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It’s not a great story II
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I am having too much fun writing this for my own good.
Part I Part II Part III
“Here you go,” you hear just as he puts your teapot on the table. All the pictures behind your eyes are promptly substituted by what you see in front of you. Namely, your handsome companion. You can’t help but notice that his hips are quite narrow, which allows him to very elegantly slide onto his seat. And that he is generally quite slender.
But you are not going to allow yourself to explore that thought.
“Thank you,” you say with, what you hope is an easy smile – one that would not tell him what you’ve been thinking about. You don’t want to seem eager or desperate, even though sad truth is you are probably both.
He smiles, his adorable dimple appearing anew. Is it wrong that you want to make him smile so you can see that dimple? To distract yourself you look down, curious what he bought for himself and you see a teapot just like yours.
“I can’t keep drinking coffee – I have enough strain on my heart as it is,” he says jokingly, but it sends your mind into overdrive mode. What’s wrong with his heart? Was it broken? Is he suffering for someone? Your lack of understanding clearly disturbs him, because he supplies with uncertain voice: “the delays are quite stressing, aren’t they?”
You huff out a laugh. Yeah, they are very stressing.
“Yeah. The retail workers suffer the most, though.” Both of you look at the counter and they do look exhausted. But clients have visibly calmed down. People settled into waiting mode, knowing that throwing fits won’t help and resignation took over as an overall mood. Thanks to that both coffee shop and the station itself shimmered down to bearable decibels level.
“That is true,” he agrees. A silence follows and you can feel your anxiousness rising. You don’t know what to say and you don’t want to lose the thread of connection you’ve just made. If you don’t think of something to say, and fast, he’ll go back his book and you’ll be unable to interrupt him. Your heart is pounding wildly in your chest and you hate how suffocating it is. His hand touches his book and your turmoil reaches a critical level. But your companion only fixes it. “Work or leisure?” he asks.
Soft oh escapes your lips because you weren’t expecting him to actively hold the conversation. It’s unexpectedly gratifying thing and although you try not to read too much into it – it’s relatively hard not to.
“I wish it was leisure,” you answer and shake your head. Your companion nods as if he understood and you smile at him because he is still smiling. It makes him look approachable and there is something about him that you can’t really place. An aura that puts you at ease.
Suddenly he lifts the lid of your teapot and peers inside, and you watch him lost for words as he pours you tea, before he fills his own cup with his beverage.
“So, business?” he prompts as if it was perfectly normal to pour tea for strangers. It’s so weird but it makes you feel pampered and you reach out across the table to introduce yourself. He shakes your outstretched hand and adds: “nice to meet you, I’m Zhang Yixing.”
“Nice to meet you, too. And yes, we can say that it was a business trip.”
You learn that he has the same destination as you do but his situation is much worse since he is supposed to meet his counterparty tomorrow in the morning. He laughed that he deliberately bought tickets for a day before in case something like that happened. Talking with him was easy and before you knew you were walking over to the counter to ask for a refill with two teacups in your hands.
*
“Should we try moving to the platform?” you ask, eyeing departures screen. The delay hasn’t changed since the last time, and it is still showing 280 minutes. Adding it to your original departure time tells you that your train should depart in less than half an hour.
He turns his head back and looks at the screens as well.
“It is supposed to arrive in fifteen minutes, so I guess we could slowly start moving,” he says looking back at you. You nod, feeling how uneasiness settles into your gut. His company made the wait bearable – fun even. He was a very good story-teller but even better listener, with pleasant laugh and intent stare. You stretch, hearing how your spine cracks. Apparently, it’s loud enough for Yixing to hear because he utters heartfelt nice and you just laugh.
Should you just give him your phone number? Is it too forward? Because you really want him to ask you out.
You drink the rest of your tea, stuff your phone into your bag and grab your jacket which you hung over the back of your chair. Yixing is also moving, but he starts with bringing your teapots and cups back to the counter.
It feels familiar. Waiting for him as he comes back and grabs his things feels familiar. It’s not familiar, because you clearly haven’t done it with him, but him showing you to go first is familiar, because it feels like a good relationship should. You had those. You’ve been in good relationships, you can say that even if they didn’t end well – they were good. The felt right.
And walking out of that coffee shop with Yixing feels good which doesn’t help you.
You are walking in silence until you see toilets sign. Immediately you feel those teas in your system and you think it’s a great idea to visit it before catching the train. It will also have an added perk of you being able to naturally distance yourself for Yixing. You don’t really want to, but for the sake of your sanity, you probably need to.
“Please, go ahead, I have to use the toilet,” you say quickly, “it was lovely meeting you,” you add as an afterthought and not giving Yixing chance to answer you disappear in the toilet. After relieving your bladder you stand a longer moment in front of the mirror. What are you doing? It is not a great story, you understand that? Yixing is a lovely stranger and you are not going to see him again, so calm down my heart, we are not going to get hurt by our imagination.
You wash your hands, you brush your hair and apply a new layer of tint. It helps up pretty nicely but you reapply it for therapeutic reasons.
Yixing is waiting for you in front of the toilet which immediately foils your plans not to get hurt by your imagination – because it goes wild. Especially when he sees you and smiles, straightening.
“Shall we go?” he asks with a smile. You start suspecting that he is never not smiling. As you are lost for words again, you can only nod but it seems enough. As you walk Yixing explains that your platform was changed and the train is going to arrive in less than five minutes, but they are not sure when it will be able to depart. You listen, feeling how your heart is thumping madly in your chest because this whole thing is unreal.  
The platform is very windy and mostly empty. The cold is biting at your cheeks and creeping down your collar as you tread carefully down the pavement, not to step into a puddle. It’s still raining and water is flowing down the platforms even if it’s not raining directly on you.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon,” muses Yixing and you nod, trying to keep yourself from shaking. The weather is definitely not sparing you, but before you can freeze your toes you hear the characteristic sound of an incoming train. A second later an announcement comes to confirm that it’s indeed your train finally coming after 280 minutes of delay.
You check your ticket to remind yourself where your seat is, just as Yixing does the same. You unconsciously compare your tickets and you hold your breath when you notice that both tickets show car number 16. Your eyes follow to the seat number and… it’s not even close. Your 43rd seat and his 96th.
You deflate a little but it clears your head. It is not a great story and it is not a story from your dreams – it would be too much of a coincidence if you were seated next to each other. And if it was a story, the author might have to work really hard to explain such a coincidence. But you are not close, and that hypothetical author is safe.
For now.
The train comes to a halt and it’s a welcomed sight because you are chilled to the bone by now. You walk together looking for your car as doors open and weary travellers leave the train. You can understand the weariness, you feel the same one, and you have yet to start your journey.
You board the right car and you are surprised to see that it’s a car with compartments. You were sure you bought tickets for the no-compartment car, but the number is right. You find your compartment and your seat and you stop in the doors. Yixing stops as well and he smiles just as you do the same.
“So…” you say slowly, “thank you for keeping me company.”
“It was my pleasure,” he says, a smile growing bigger. “I hope your journey is going to be just as pleasant.”
You wish him the same and close the doors to your compartment. You are alone so you drop your bag on the seat opposite of you and you sit down next to the window. You are still cold, so you don’t take off your jacket. You wish there was the coincidence. You wish you were seated next to each other.
But there wasn’t. In the end, it’s not a great story, and sure as hell, it won’t be. You are not going to feel the familiarity of being next to Yixing, you won’t feel his dimple when he smiles. And sure as fuck, he won’t fuck you in this compartment that you, so coincidentally, have just to yourself.  
So stop imagining that.
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September 13th, 2018 CTP Archive
The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on September 13th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Gemini Journey  by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero.
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RebelVampire
COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!
Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Gemini Journey by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero~! (http://geminijourney.com/) Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!
QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?
Shen
i liked when she was getting ready for interviews and she messed up her makeup and her buttons popped 100% relatable
Tenor | Shinavar
Hi Hi! Q1: TOO MANY. But specifically I really enjoyed Veil's anger he morning after Gemini went missing. I just really appreciated getting to see someone actually care someone just wandered off, and him still having lingering emotions about the whole incident of her returning home.
aliceapproved
Oh gosh, that one was such a BIG MOOD!!!
saetje
whoo-hoo! Thanks @RebelVampire for putting on CTP. And hey all, thanks for coming :)!
Kabocha
Oh, boy, this is a hard one to answer, to be honest! I really liked the first chapter, where Gemini and Veil were going up against the Dragon-Roach... I was like "WAIT HOW CAN YOU HATE DRA--- Oh." Also, this scene: http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=69 Veil. You are the best.
It was fantastic handling of that... Creeper Kappa? Is the flasher a Kappa?
Shen
i just give 100% of my heart to Veil he works so hard hes so tired let him rest
Tenor | Shinavar
Flasher, I'd say
aliceapproved
Gosh, yeah, the dragon cockroach was really creative and I'm SO HAPPY there's a Kappa and they had to do the "bow" move to "defeat him"
Tenor | Shinavar
But yeah I love how 'street smart' he is about like, everything going on.
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
a book nerd with street smarts
Kabocha
Veil has no time for any of these Shenanigans
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
he's amazing
aliceapproved
I really love Gemini's "guilt" expression in one of the interviews
Superjustinbros
Hello!
RebelVampire
yeah i think veil is also a great character balance to gemini. cause when you have someone who is into the shenanigans, you need someone to be a grounding influence
Tenor | Shinavar
I also really like that though because he shows a level of attentiveness and perception to the world around him. <3
saetje
yess! It's a flasher Kappa! Glad you liked that scene.
Shen
yeah sometimes the "straight man" character can come off as a wet blanket but he genuinely cares for Gemini. i'd like to see more of that, like how they mnet or something one day in the future
aliceapproved
Yeah! Veil and Gemini are such a dynamic complimentary duo, from personality, body shapes, and orange and blue colors!
Shen
EXCELLENt design
Superjustinbros
Oh yea, huge props for how polar opposites Gemini and Veil are
aliceapproved
OH!!! One of my favorite scenes is when Gemini firsts visits the creepy circus and the scene transitions to her perfectly waking up in bed. That was such a cool transition!
Kabocha
Yesssss!
mathtans
Yes, I agree, the two play off each other well.
Kabocha
It was!
Superjustinbros
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=198 Also, I like this scene, in part cause it reminds me very well of what happens to me some days
aliceapproved
I'm really eager to see how the circus devolves and how Veil and Gemini will handle it. Also those rad fox twins!
mathtans
(I may have to leave at a moment's notice when the baby awakens, if I suddenly go silent.)
Jess
You guys are so nice. I don’t know if I can add smilies fast enough haha
Kabocha
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=55 Also, the lighting on this page was woooonderful. I wasn't sure how to read Veil's expression though. It was kind of like... "wait. Do you not want her to move out? Or... Are you just... ....caught off guard by dog fire?" ....Then the next panel is like "Back to reality."
Jess
Yeah the scene where it transitions from her as a circus performer to her in the bed was one of my favorites. @saetje really owned that scene
Tenor | Shinavar
I read it as he's a bit hurt at the "You can finally be alone!" more than her moving out
Superjustinbros
wow that is some really good lgithing
Jess
I think that was the first time that I didn’t second guess the panel format
RebelVampire
to repeat something already said, i loved the dragon bug. that was such an immensely creative idea, and i think it was a great way to open the comic. we get a great way to get not only the impression of what the world is like, but we get to get a great feel for the personalities of the characters.
mathtans
I gotta say though, my favourite was apparently Death owning a flower shop that has the slogan "You Don't Gno-me". Gotta love those little details.
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=44
Tenor | Shinavar
GASP I MISSED THAT
OMG I LOVE IT
Jess
Yaaaaay!!
RebelVampire
yeah i give death's appearance an A+. that and gemini's confusion about why death asked about her immortal soul
aliceapproved
I looove all the mythology monsters at play in the background!
saetje
A lot of those details are thanks to @Jess who does final rendering/lettering. Flower-shop Wraith/Death will actually be showing up again I think next update, haha.
RebelVampire
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=45 although i was also distracted by the page right after. this feels so true for getting a job.
mathtans
It's the Wraith of Khan.
Shen
LOL Gemini's entire job ordeal is so relatable. "i workeds hard on this one application im gonna go get a treat" girl, same
Superjustinbros
hehee
Kabocha
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=157 Veil's distress :<
Tenor | Shinavar
Gemini sets off my inner Veil tho bc I know so many friends who do like
1 app a week
Shen
UGH hes so cute when hes sad XD
Tenor | Shinavar
and it's like: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-
mathtans
Back to what Rebel said though, I agree the dragon as a bug was hugely creative, and a good way to see the main characters play off each other.
Tenor | Shinavar
istg I relate to Veil the entire job process lmao
Kabocha
I love the expressiveness of both Veil and Gemini, but yeah, I really really feel for Veil
aliceapproved
I love how much Veil cares! He cares SO MUCH!!!
Tenor | Shinavar
Did anyone else notice in he dragon roach scene Veil has Gemini's shoe the whole time as the weapon?
RebelVampire
i love that page, @Kabocha like the lighting plus that expression made my heart weep
mathtans
I like that Gemini did start to take it more seriously for Veil, or at least seems to have been at interviews.
RebelVampire
weep so dang much
mathtans
Tenor: I don't think I picked up on that.
Kabocha
Although, how much is Gemini caring vs the Circus influence infecting her with confidence?
Tenor | Shinavar
I realized it after I noticed Gemini running around without a shoe and had to go back to see where I missed it lmao
saetje
@Tenor | Shinavar AH! Someone noticed that!
Superjustinbros
(I'm gonna go AFK for a bit, got some things I have to do but I'll hopefully be back later!)(edited)
Tenor | Shinavar
IT'S CUTE BUT MAKES ME WONDER HOW WE GOT TO THAT POINT LOL
saetje
Yes, Veil took Gemini's shoe despite having larger feet than her. I could jsut imagine the behind-the-scenes squabbling about it
aliceapproved
OOOH Good point about the influence! I'm really intrigued by the hypnotic circus
Tenor | Shinavar
Kabo: Caring about what, specifically? Like, about the circus, trying to get a job...?
(Sorry if I'm slow on the draw, got kids here )
Jess
On our world dragons: Yeah. It came from a conversation that dragons are the pests of the magical/mythical world. To the roach/dragon thing just kinda took form from that Ahahaha
RebelVampire
yes i noticed the shoe and thought that was a great art touch of continuity
Jess
Ahaha yeah!!! I mean. My boi got nice shoes. He can’t be using them for that
aliceapproved
I'm really glad dragons have the roach aesthetic, too! As someone who loves all dragons, I draw the lines at cockroaches XD
Shen
yeah that poster at the end threw me for a loop i thought it was a legit magic look-alike so when i saw the poster i was like "whoaaa no way" haha makes me VERY interested to read more
aliceapproved
Veil is so clean haha!
Kabocha
@Tenor | Shinavar -- Just in general honestly. Gemini started putting more effort into things, but it didn't feel like she actually really gave a damn more than she had gained some level of confidence.
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
i really liked gemini's haunted mascara
saetje
I'm glad you all like the Dragon Roach opening/idea too. It's also the idea...trying to imagine how mythical things might have 'evolved' along with our modern world, and yeah. Dragons are pretty much pests you always have to exterminate, yeah?(edited)
Kabocha
Although maybe that's the magic of the circus
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
or maSCAREa
mathtans
I grinned at it being one of the flying types.
Tenor | Shinavar
Ooooh that's fair, and a good point.
mathtans
Made me think of ants. I hate the flying ones.
saetje
@mathtans directly related to past experience with real life 'flying ones'. Nothing makes a roach worse than realizing it's one of those
omg ants too
Tenor | Shinavar
Saetje: So would this modern world have those 'fortune cat' memes but with the dragons instead? Reblog for good fortune?
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
god i related to that line so much bcus of how often i had to deal with flying roaches as a young childe
saetje
hmm, fortune cat memes? Like on tumblr when someone reblogs a picture of a cat with money on its head? XD
Tenor | Shinavar
Yeah~
!*
aliceapproved
OMG
Kabocha
I could do without the flying insects aaaaaaaa
aliceapproved
gEmini and Veil on social media haha!
Shen
i bet Gemini is a memelord
Jess
Yeah!! For the circus - we’re at the point not where we can start unraveling some of the mystery. Throughout the story so far we wanted it to be sorta ambiguous about if that Gemini in the circus was the same one. In the next oncoming scenes you’ll see what’s real and what’s not. But hopefully the way it’s being read is that the readers (y’all) are realizing it might actually be Gem
Tenor | Shinavar
I'd collect flying insects if they were smol dragons justsayin
Oooou~!
Jess
She is definitely a memelord Hahahah I love that
saetje
I doubt about dragons being seen as fortune memes since dragons are seen as pests and they tend to keep you from your money (ala sitting on the horde and breathing fire) or take loose items into their hidey holes-- so they're not seen the same as lucky. But that might just be for Gem and Veil's part of their world
aliceapproved
I'm so excited for the Circus to "unravel"
Shen
i bet she texts memes to Veil from across the room and then just waits for him to look at her in disapproval =3
Tenor | Shinavar
I've been under the impression the circus might not be entirely real and the performers there are stuck against their will - kinda fae-style. <_< So either she's performing against her will and is not yet fully bound or it's been an illusion to GET her there
RebelVampire
is veil thus the type to post all the old timey book quotes then? XD
in regards to the social media thing
mathtans
Yeah, at first I thought maybe Gemini was just seeing herself in place of who was actually up there, but with the poster it seemed likely that they were actually making her do the things.
aliceapproved
Oooh, I think it could go either way with trapped souls and she's not bound yet, or it's all an illusion to trap her.
Also, Veil posts moody aesthetic boards
Shen
XD
aliceapproved
"Juggling is not a garbage job" :V
saetje
yeah we're getting into I guess the third act and I hope it comes together and makes sense. as we unravel some mystery. There's more stories we want to tell after "Barley & Bay-Lily" that all follow continuity, so I want to wrap Barley & Bay-Lily where you all know what's going on but there's more overarching questions than answered in some ways.
I'm loving these thoughts on it!
mathtans
Clever play on Barnum & Bailey, by the way.
Jess
Thanks!!
RebelVampire
i want to say i loved the juggler. that was a great design and gemini's reaction to it made me laugh. although i do wonder now if the juggler is part of the circus conspiracy
mathtans
I wonder if it's significant that they seem to be foxes.
Kabocha
Foxes are tricksters, so I mean
aliceapproved
Kitsunes!
Tenor | Shinavar
My fear about the poster though, and why I hink it's a trap, is it said her "final act"
mathtans
'Tis true.
Jess
Also I don’t know if anyone noticed but the juggler was only juggling 2 balls with 4 arms
aliceapproved
Very fitting to make them foxes! Cute and mischevious and devllish
Tenor | Shinavar
so it's like; HHHHHHHHHHHHH GEMINI BBY NO RUN AWAY
aliceapproved
YEAH!! GEMINI GET OUTTA THERE
Jess
So lots of talent going on in the streets of New Olympia hahaha
mathtans
Jess: I caught the four arms. Guess I didn't count the balls. Seems like less of a challenge there.
Shen
"mysterious circus ive never heard of down a dark alley? sounds like a great time and not at all suspicious!"
Jess
Right!?
saetje
yes, what @Kabocha said. The idea for GJ is this is HER story/myth/hero's journey. Foxes are pretty archetypal to suspect characters in folklore and fairy tale. WHAT they are exactly, well. More to be revealed :' D you guys have some awesome theories.
mathtans
Maybe there was a chainsaw off panel.
saetje
hahahaha
Kabocha
This'll be really cool to see as it approaches the end
(of the chapter, anyway)
Tenor | Shinavar
yeeees
Jess
That’s true! Whether she was a good juggler or not is the true mystery
mathtans
The foxes are actually out of work actors.
saetje
oh god.
Mathtan you figured it out
noooo
Jess
Yesssss
aliceapproved
I misread that as "work out" actors LOL
Tenor | Shinavar
choke
saetje
oh even better
Tenor | Shinavar
Explains why they are trying to start their own circus
aliceapproved
LOL "Get BUFF with JUGGLING"
Shen
LOL
mathtans
Appearing next in the Big Top - Jazzercize.
Tenor | Shinavar
WHEEZE
saetje
Possessed Scary Circus Zumba
Shen
Crossfit but its clowns
Jess
That’s terrifying
Tenor | Shinavar
I h8 u all bc I can't draw this right now
RebelVampire
i would pay to see clowns doing crossfit
saetje
now tHAT'S a million dollar comic idea, Shen
or idea in general, yes
aliceapproved
I know it's probably way off in the future, but I'm curious about plans for Veil-focused arc in the future
Shen
yeah same, im sure its planned but im interested
RebelVampire
QUESTION 2. While searching for a job, Gemini clearly has gotten wrapped up in a dangerous situation involving a circus. What do you think the circus’ goal is in general for the people it entraps? Who exactly are the fox ringmasters running the show? Why was Gemini in particular targeted as opposed to other people in the audience? Why did Gemini seemingly come home in a trance, and what do you think it means for whatever is happening to Gemini? How do you feel the performer who represents Gemini’s ideals fits into all of this? Do Gemini’s anxieties have something to do with all this do you think? Lastly, how do you think Gemini will get out of this mess (or is she just doomed)?
Shen
i wanna know why he puts up with her tbh ^^; seems like she can be a bit self interested
aliceapproved
Also that it's confirmed he has friends cuz of that phone call. I'm sorry, I keep assuming he's a Sad Books lonely boy
Shen
no friends its just his mom
saetje
yeah you guys don't know if he's just sadly talking to a dial tone
Kabocha
The circus' goal is to... Basically steal her life energy! Somehow. But we'll see. Or enchant her and spirit her away~ Once she becomes part of the spirit world she won't really be albe to retuuuuuurn~
Shen
SAETJE THATS SO SAD XD
RebelVampire
well now you made it sad. XD
Kabocha
@saetje oh noooooooooooooooooooooo
aliceapproved
LOL! As for Question 2: Like most shifty magic things, steal her soul! Trap her in the circus
Kabocha
What about Gemini's mom? I'm sure he's probably got her on speed dial
RebelVampire
i assume soul stealing. i mean thats pretty standard evil fair. and who doesn't need a good soul
Shen
i dont think they targetted Gemini specifically as much as they laid out a trap and waited to see who stumbled in, and she did so they ensnared her
mathtans
Veil seems too organized to talk to a dial tone. It'd at least be the official time signal.
aliceapproved
I think the Circus targets ppl who are down on their luck or confidence or don't have a quote "real job" atm? Like job hunting is really stressful and feels hopeless a ton of times
so it looks for vulnerable ppl imo
mathtans
Gemini came home in a trance because the cab was too expensive.
Jess
That’s how I do too
saetje
BRB faking trance to get out of cab faire
aliceapproved
To heck with fantasy Uber and Lyft!
Kabocha
It shows them something akin to their best selves, maybe?
saetje
hahaha
RebelVampire
what if this is a known phenomenon in their world so when someone says "they ran away to the circus" they mean that whoops, got that soul life energy sucked out
aliceapproved
Yeah! The play of "UGH I should just run away and join the circus" it's so cool!
Shen
i once saw a video of a woman pretending to be a ghost to get out of paying a toll
Tenor | Shinavar
Q2: The specific part I havenb't already kinda answered is: I feel she is part of Gemini's subconciousness in the sense of having her "act" together. Her life wouldn't be too chaotic, she's able to balance all that is expected of her without being a 'clutz' or anything she seems to think at least minimally negatively on. (seen by her admiring the grace and such)
Kabocha
She's a representation of everything Gemini wants to be?
aliceapproved
^^^^
Tenor | Shinavar
Not exactly but def a bait, in some way
Kabocha
Except moving more toward that ideal means that Gemini gets trapped...
Well, representations don't have to be literal >_>
<_< I figured it was all pretty figurative
Tenor | Shinavar
True true
RebelVampire
the thing i cant figure out is why the trance thing. like gemini was in the circus, just suck out her soul. why give her the chance to escape?
aliceapproved
Since we see Gemini specifically, I'm assuming the audience members are just an illusion
Maybe these foxes like playing with their "prey" and make it a slow burn
mathtans
It could be through the music that the circus gets you. That alley cat seemed real scared of it, while Gemini was drawn in.
Alice: Oh, I like that.
Tenor | Shinavar
Rebel: If i works like fae magic, you gota get them to agree to it
aliceapproved
Yeah, why play if there's no risk involved?
mathtans
Rebel: To recharge?
Tenor | Shinavar
You also can avoid like - all legal repercussions if it's "willing" >_>
aliceapproved
^^^
Jess
Ahahaha consensual death is the best ... death?
aliceapproved
For lawyers, yES!
mathtans
Now waiting for the scene where Veil rules-lawyers the foxes.
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
thats how it be sometimes
aliceapproved
Law & Order with VEIL
Tenor | Shinavar
Also it hurt a lil bit I couldnt resist. Crossfit clown from geminis world lol
Shen
JKRFJGJHMHG LMAO!!!
saetje
omg @tenor hahaha
mathtans
That's a garbage job. ^.-(edited)
Tenor | Shinavar
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE VEIL THROW DOWN VERBAL LOOP HOLES IN CONTRACTS
saetje
IT'S NOT A GARBAGE JOB, VEIL. I mean MATH.
Tenor | Shinavar
Just like, pops on some glasses and busts out a book from no where
Kabocha
That's Veil's magic power -- BOOK LEARNIN'
Tenor | Shinavar
YES
Jess
Yessss
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
magic is a thing, he probably just pulls out outta his pocket dimension- which is in his pocket
Tenor | Shinavar
He has a pocket just for his books
aliceapproved
I love all the art you guys do of Veil with his book beasts! They're the best!
Tenor | Shinavar
all 2k of them
saetje
haha,t hat's actually a joke we've been wanting to use somewhere-- "I love your dress" "Thanks it has pocket dimensions"
Jess
Omg I love it. All pockets are pocket dimensions from now on
Tenor | Shinavar
OMG YES PLZ
DO IT
aliceapproved
OMG PLS DO THAT
Tenor | Shinavar
AS A PARENT IT'S A NECESSITY wheeeeeeeeeze
aliceapproved
pockets are THE BEST
imagine a pocket dimension!
This world gets better and better! Minus the creepy circuses
Jess
Right
Hehehe
mathtans
"My pocket dimension is full of clowns...."
Jess
Nooooo worst dimension
Kabocha
I saw a few other people ask it, but... Why is Veil so tolerant of Gemini's shenanigannery? I mean, I am a far less patient roommate than he is...
saetje
I figure a pocket dimension dress would have to be some kind of plot device though for a future arc. i mean, HAVE to be.
Tenor | Shinavar
New def to clown car
Kabocha
matth whyyy
Tenor | Shinavar
Kabo: My shipping side if he finds it endearing
Exhausting but endearing
saetje
wellp, clowns ruined it
RebelVampire
i do applaud veil's sheer patience
Kabocha
I WAS LEANING THAT WAY BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S JUST ENTERTAINED OR WHAT
RebelVampire
but i do assume the blushing is more than just blushing
Tenor | Shinavar
CON GRATS REBEL
YOU DID IT
Jess
Ah. Well be answering that soon. I think so far we’ve been focusing on Gem and some of her worst traits - her selfishness, but
Shen
nice~
mathtans
Kabocha: Because I can. As to why Veil's tolerant, maybe he knows someone like Gemini in his family or his past.
Kabocha
I figured Veil was kind of perpetually blushing unless otherwise upset.
Shen
i am absolute ship trash and i am waiting for this to sail but i am patient
Jess
And we’ve focused on veils best - his smarts and his loyalty
Tenor | Shinavar
I keep getting little hints Veil at least Likes her.
Kabocha
Hm. So he knows Gemini could be Amazing if she'd try?
RebelVampire
i think there is some of that yes
Tenor | Shinavar
But doesn't push it
RebelVampire
wait veil has bad traits?
i dont accept this
Tenor | Shinavar
No he doesn't
don't listen to them
shh
Shen
no, veil is perfect
Kabocha
Veil's afraid of bugs....
mathtans
Veil just likes Gemini for her shoes. Much shoe blushing, wants to wear them.
Tenor | Shinavar
Je
aliceapproved
I'm sure Veil totally finds Gemini charming and really.. pr-pretty BLUSH
RebelVampire
being afraid of bugs is a good trait
Jess
It’s true. And he won’t dirty his own shoes
RebelVampire
bugs carry disease
Tenor | Shinavar
But is he afraid of bugs
or the fact they can catch shit on fire
aliceapproved
Veil is very much a neat freak which is a double-edged sword
Tenor | Shinavar
like his books
aliceapproved
and not very impulsive, so Gemini helps liven things up for him
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
tenor raises a good point
Shen
thats more "quirky" than a character flaw lol
like "clumsy" girls XD
Kabocha
They're foils for one another, you say? That's how these sorts of friendships balance each other? NEVAAAAAAR! ....I ship them unless there is a reason I should not.
Shen
these ship goggles dont come off
Kabocha
Several people are typing...
aliceapproved
Yeah, this arc is very Gemini focused and how she needs to grow as a character
I'm excited to see how Veil needs to grow as a character in the future
Kabocha
Yesh!
Shen
aye
aliceapproved
Gotta take turns!
RebelVampire
admittedly i do think veil kind of needs to learn to have fun probably
as a character arc
Tenor | Shinavar
But books are fun
Work is fun
saetje
well but organization is fun
RebelVampire
although i do wanna know now who veil is calling
and what he does with his not gemini friends
Tenor | Shinavar
RESPONSIBILITY
aliceapproved
Yeah, that's definitely something I see with Veil
Tenor | Shinavar
Just what the dr ordered
RebelVampire
i agree with organization and books but i meant more in how he carries himself
Jess
Oh! It’s a dial tone
RebelVampire
gotta learn to tweet those memes back
saetje
hahaha
Tenor | Shinavar
lmaaao
Shen
thats fair he could stand to lighten up lol they both need to learn a bit from each other. hes not got time for fun if he has to always be the "responsible" one because someone else took up all the "fun" XD
aliceapproved
Yeah! Guy needs to party and have an impulsive time for once rather than strictly schedule
They need to work together
Tenor | Shinavar
I do agree tho, with how in the know he seems to be, I'd like to know who all he's got, esp depending how they'll influence stuff in the future.
bc it seems he's from here whereas Gemini isn't soooo <_<;
mathtans
Veil can be fun. Veil can't be impulsive.
RebelVampire
yeah i do hope this circus experience teaches gemini more responsibility. in that maybe she should fill out more than a few apps XD
aliceapproved
Does Veil have a hard time making decisions?
Shen
"look how impulsively i filled out your applications for you isnt that fun?"
mathtans
Alice: Not if blueberries are involved.
aliceapproved
And yeah, Gemini certainly learning more responsibility and also, to trust in herself if she applies herself and focuses
Jess
Ahahaha
Tenor | Shinavar
I think Gemini jus needs to get to the point she doesn't need a child leash
Jess
Well and for me - I think when people are going through hardships, like Gem not being able to land a job, sometimes the worst parts of themselves show up. And while I love the character - (and hopefully) she’s shown to be kinda funny and not overly mean - I thought it was important to show her bad side early on
mathtans
I don't see her as mean, just easily distracted.
Tenor | Shinavar
^Same
She's irresponsible but not in a malicious way
Like if she hurt someone I'd be dead up surprised if it was intentional
aliceapproved
Yeah, that's definitely it ^^
mathtans
Tenor: She killed a dragon.
aliceapproved
I never thought of her as "mean"
Tenor | Shinavar
she is a sweet widdle cinnimon bun who needs protected from circuses and flashers
I said someone
Not thing
Kabocha
Gemini is Dovahkiin now lol
aliceapproved
I'm sorry, Mat, but they're pests in this universe. Cockroaches uugh
Tenor | Shinavar
Difference ;)
RebelVampire
oh yeah gemini is still super likeable. its more shes that adult who hasnt quite grown up yet. and youre kind of hand waving her to make stop being a kid 100% of the time.
mathtans
Fair.
aliceapproved
Yeah! She's like a kid fresh out of college
Jess
Oh good! Was kinda worried. But she’s definite selfish and flighty and I’m happy to see that it’s coming through
Without making her irredeemable
Draco Plato
yeah she's definitely still likeable
aliceapproved
Open to the free adult world, but still needs to learn how to adult cuz lord knows school prepares us for THAT
Tenor | Shinavar
Yeah nah there's not a mean bone in that child's body
Free spirit, I think is a good desc?
mathtans
The foxes are also spirits, but they're not free.
saetje
I'm glad! That's what we're going for- she's not intentionally harmful but has a lot of growing up to do. I don't think she realizes when her actions can hurt someone else.
aliceapproved
She's selfish and irresponsible, but there's still potential to be redeemed. She's a well-rounded character that's set up to evolve from this story and that's what makes sticking with this story so worth it!
saetje
no one's free when they teach Clown Jazzercise
RebelVampire
those poor foxes. gemini is actually doing them a service
mathtans
I wonder if this world has the Zodiac? Is Gemini's name at all related to that?
Kabocha
Pffff
Tenor | Shinavar
Oooh. <.< Good q
aliceapproved
Like, Veil is obviously responsible and an adult, so Gemini doesn't seem to think she has to think about Veil's feelings or words on some matters? He's got it all figured out! Me though? I need help. Veil, veil help me! What applications?! Not boring help ;; That's how I see Gemini
Kabocha
Gemini's the twins, yeah? Does Gemini have a sister, or a hidden second side where she's actually really competent?
mathtans
Maybe she's the good twin, and the evil one is in the circus.
aliceapproved
OOH, I'm curious about that, too, Math. I'm a Scorpio!
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
that means you have a scorpion in the circus
Shen
"the twins" the foxes...
Jess
Ahahaha yesssss
saetje
Can't really reveal the Gemini connection yeeet buuut, duality and twins have some play in the overarching story yes!
aliceapproved
DUN DUN DUUUN
Shen
PS im a Gemini~
Jess
Me tooooo!! Yesssss
Are you also plagued by fox clowns out of work
Kabocha
Gemini probably hasn't really taken time to consider other people's feelings long-term. I don't think she's quite there emotionally, but when she actually like.... really has it sink in that she worried Veil, that'll be interesting. Although she did acknolwedge she scared him, so I mean
aliceapproved
Secret revealed, Gemini is called Gemini cuz Jess is a Gemini
Tenor | Shinavar
Naaaice ~ Also omg the fox twins ffft- Makes me think
Kabo: Yeah, I don't think she fully got how bad the scare was?
Shen
sweet im gonna name my next character Sagittarius
Kabocha
Yeah, it's the depth that I think she lacks
Tenor | Shinavar
Like "I'm sorry for scaring you but not sorry I did the action to cause it :D" levels of immaturity
aliceapproved
@saetje What's your zodiac sign if you don't mind sharing?
mathtans
Plot twist, Gemini sells her soul to the Flower Wraith Shop, and the foxes have to buy it back to keep their shenanigans going.
Tenor | Shinavar
kjdhaskj
Kabocha
When she gets more insight it'll be awesome as she grows
Shen
LOL
Tenor | Shinavar
Kabo: Yeeeeees
Jess
She’s two fishes
saetje
Pisces
aliceapproved
Yeah, Gemini maturing as an adult is really exciting to wait for
My sister's two fish, too XD
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
twins............. two fish..............................
i see a theme here
Tenor | Shinavar
I really wanna see Gemini work for Death now hhh-
aliceapproved
OMG
Yes haha!
Maybe a temp job that doesn't work out somehow
Kabocha
Twist: Death only claims dead plants
Tenor | Shinavar
Mostly bc I'm stuck with Death having the VA as the Death from Conker's bad fur day and I just. Can't.
mathtans
"You should probably hold the scythe the other way."
Kabocha
"You're going to hurt yourself if you trim the shrubberies this way."
Tenor | Shinavar
"Why are you wearing all black it's hot af out go change, child"
RebelVampire
i hope death only claims dead plants cause otherwise gemini is basically going from one soul threatening adventure to another
saetje
haha so true
XDD
Tenor | Shinavar
WELL I MEAN
she just have to give death her soul
it's never said when
mathtans
Does it have to be her soul, or just a soul? Or maybe soul music?
Tenor | Shinavar
oh god
Just a soul can be how we find out Death accepts plants
RebelVampire
death better be a fan of soul music
saetje
you've split this concept wide open Maths
Shen
the sole of this shoe
Tenor | Shinavar
Shen NO
Shen
=D
saetje
SHEN YES
Jess
Yessss
aliceapproved
Another note about this story, is that I think it's a really good Young Adult story, cuz I feel myself and a bunch of other adults or kids coming out of college can relate to Gemini's story of trying to find work after moving out to live on their own
Tenor | Shinavar
That's Death's brother, Reaper.
mathtans
Veil: "Your spell checker has done you in. Gemini only has to give you her shoe sole."
Jess
Awwww!! Thanks so much
Tenor | Shinavar
Alice: Yeees. Tho I think this first big arc is good for younger children too
RebelVampire
the shoe in the dragon part was foreshadowing
aliceapproved
Yeah!
Tenor | Shinavar
Like my kiddo would love the art and atm if it goes where I suspect it might, it's a great lesson to learn young
saetje
Thanks @aliceapproved !! that makes me happy to hear because that's also what we're going for
Jess
Yeah actually when whenever we show Gem getting rejected I get real sad. Since some of it draws from our experiences
aliceapproved
You guys nailed it
Yeah, it was a big mood for me this year, so this story has been helping
Tenor | Shinavar
Rejeced? D:
Jess
Younger out of college Jess applied to be the new death - and I got turned down
RebelVampire
QUESTION 3. Though we certainly know Gemini and Veil a bit, much of their past history has yet to have been discussed. Why do you think Gemini has struck out on her own? Do you think it’s just to embrace adulthood, or is there something specific she’s seeking? Was there anything about Gemini’s journey into adulthood that you connected with? What about Veil? What do you think Veil’s backstory is? How do you think Veil and Gemini even know each other? Do you think Veil’s overprotectiveness of Gemini exists for a reason, or do you think it’s just part of Veil’s personality? In regards to their future, do you think that the two will be able to remain friends, or will their differing personalities get in the way of peaceful cohabitation? Do you think Gemini will be able to successfully get a job? Finally, will Gemini move out once she gets a job, or will Veil potentially actively sabotage it?
saetje
I guess now that we're getting more shows like "Aggretsuko" I'd say we'd like to hit around that target. Like, we're sort-of 'mature' only because of some of the (not-NSFW) themes resonates more with older folks. But hopefully there's still more to be enjoyed from a slightly younger YA/teen audience.
mathtans
Interesting last question there - I don't think Veil would actively sabotage, but might passively, without really thinking about it. "You can't move out next week, it's supposed to rain."
Shen
i think Gemini's irresponsibility combined with the double life (???????) shes got going on now is leading to a big fight with Veil. I dread it though
aliceapproved
SAME SHEN!!!
A big confrontation scene!
I can feel it coming
Veil finally calling out Gemini
I can only imagine the emotions!
Kabocha
...Can Veil handle confrontation where he gets pushback?
like, he can handle snark, but, an actual argument?
RebelVampire
yeah. veil might be the type who cant really deal with confrontation like that
Tenor | Shinavar
3: Gemini is homeschooled. If she's trying to branch out there's a chance she might either feel shackled a bit, or she's been encouraged by her parents to stretch her wings. Gemini ran into Veil lost puppy style, trufax. Brought her in from the rain and cold Veil's personality is probably tied to sorta trying to guide Gemini in the sense of law and order. Everything has a place, so you gotta do it- where you going coME BACK OMG I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU. I do believe here is going to be some strife at some point because Gemini has shown a lack of communication and emotional skill and Veil has shown a lack of willingness to bend. BUT I do believe this will clear up after some resolution from some juicy content So yes I believe they'll stay friends.
RebelVampire
although i think the confrontation is coming
saetje
That's a really great question, Kabocha. We haven't shown that yet :)c
Tenor | Shinavar
Maybe at worse a temporary not friends moment to crush our hopes and dreams
aliceapproved
Or maybe "not speaking" terms atm
RebelVampire
actually ya know what i could see as veil's big character arc is addressing change. cause the moving out thing may be more than veil just doesnt want gemini to go. it may be that veil is the sort that completely shuts down when there is change
saetje
y'all you guys have such insight, I'm loving your thoughts here. It's a relief to know you guys are getting a lot of what we're trying to put out and I love hearing your concepts, and concerns, for the characters!
Kabocha
I dunno that Veil realizes how overbearing he can be, to be honest. So.. Gemini's gonna get pushed to the edge and push back against him.
Tenor | Shinavar
Rbeel: Oooooh, that can be true too
aliceapproved
I think Gemini might resolve to move back in with her mom (which is LEAST wanted thing for her cuz I think she loves being out on her own), but Veil offers that she could still say with him, granted now that she has a proper not circus cursed job
Tenor | Shinavar
SOME chaos is good but what is his limit.
aliceapproved
RebelVampire, that's a really good note on Veil!
Tenor | Shinavar
Kabo: Yeah I get that. He seems so happy to 'help' but because he knows what you NEED to do to get done, he doesn't seem to fully 'get' that it's a lot for Gemini
aliceapproved
Veil's very much overprotective
Tenor | Shinavar
A bit of lack of empathy for the situation in the face of necessity?
aliceapproved
Yeah, like filling out applications is FuN???
Kabocha
He also doesn't understand how to break things down into smaller more completable tasks
mathtans
Gemini needs a source of income, maybe Veil's letting her stay for cheap?
Kabocha
he can handle a long list, but.... honestly, Gemini needs to feel accomplished at each step of the way and realize how much progress she's made
aliceapproved
Yeah, Gemini is a person that needs to be eased and break down steps, not all dumped at once
saetje
@Kabocha exactly- one of the flaws we've hopefully seen in Veil is that he can be pushy (literally physically pushing her around town int he beginning arc) and then tends to put too much on Gemini than what she's ready for at times.
Tenor | Shinavar
I got pushy though I didn' know the physical part was part of it
aliceapproved
Yeah! That page with her smushed with all his word bubbles was a great representation of that!
Tenor | Shinavar
I figured him grabbing her was because it was liTERALLY UNSAFE LOL
mathtans
Veil isn't as observant as Gemini, maybe because she's so distractible. He didn't realize she knew his fave berries and such.
saetje
Well I might've misspoke- it was more of a visual analogy for being emotionally pushy than, like, physically harmful or abusive.
Kabocha
He's basically trying to herd her lol
saetje
yes like a little sheep dog lol
aliceapproved
Yeah!
Tenor | Shinavar
OOOH OKAY
I getcha now lol
aliceapproved
Veil is honestly a toothpick and I bet a small breeze could push him over
Tenor | Shinavar
laskdjKLSDFJ
Jess
Lmao
saetje
omg
Tenor | Shinavar
Don't insult my son like that
just bc he can takje flight with those ears don't mean nuttin
Shen
LOL
aliceapproved
He's a GOOD SON!
saetje
oommg haha
aliceapproved
I love him!
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
veil is a good boi
aliceapproved
Boy ain't gonna win a bar fight is all haha!
Bless this sensitive boy!
Kabocha
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=178 "You are in my personal space"
Tenor | Shinavar
Nah legit tho being the tiny I'm surprised he CAN push her, or at least shows she's willing somewhat to be guided
Jess
Guys. It’s the nose isn’t it
Tenor | Shinavar
omg someone draw me Veil getting carried off by gemini plz
Jess
He can do no wrong with a face so right
mathtans
Veil has a large picture of Spock in his room. Big fan.
Tenor | Shinavar
That's exactly it Jess
saetje
Honestly Gem could just pick him up and swing him around like a baseball bat if she wanted, I think.
Tenor | Shinavar
kaisdjfKHJDSF
I mean he is such a stiff
saetje
@mathtans definitely a huge Spock influence!
aliceapproved
OMG BASEBALL BAT
RebelVampire
veil's number one advice to gemini is to just think of what would spock do
Shen
PFFFFF
RebelVampire
then gemini asks who spock is
aliceapproved
http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=186 < a M O O D
mathtans
Gemini to Wraith: "Dammit Bones!"
RebelVampire
oh i loved that page with the giant to-do list
it was a great visual gag
aliceapproved
I definitely "treat myself" for small tasks when there are still more or bigger tasks to do haha!
Jess
Lol me too
saetje
I was REALLY into Star Trek a while back and almost did some 4-panel Star Trek Gemini Journey AU comics...I don't know if I have the sketches anymore though. Kind of psyched myself out of them
I think everyone works differently. You gotta treat yourself once in a while though!
Tenor | Shinavar
^
Jess
But going back to the characters - we hope to focus on their dynamic more and more. We love all y’all insight tho!
Tenor | Shinavar
reating yourself is importaaant
I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC AND AM HYPED FOR MORE
mathtans
Their dynamic is mezzoforte.
saetje
yeah I'm loving hearing all your thoughts and getting some insight into how you all are reading the comic. It can be tough when you're so close to something to really 'see' it anymore
I appreciate your thoughts!
aliceapproved
Yes! They're a great duo!
I'm always excited when there's an update and Veil and Gemini are interacting
And yeah! Ofc dude! Lots of pairs of eyes help
mathtans
Just want to say the style of the comic is really interesting... I don't think I've ever really seen it before, just having the one panel. Most trend to pages or 4-panel or whatever. But one panel can really speak volumes, even if it's just a reaction shot, done in this way.
Jess
That means so much to hear!
Tenor | Shinavar
As someone with a messed up wrist I appreciate it too bc scrolling hurts so this worked great
aliceapproved
I think the webtoons layout for it works really well for scrolling! I love reading updates before bed It fits so well!
saetje
Thanks! Honestly it's how I've always 'seen' it and I'm glad you all like that-- It's been a bit of a point of uncertainty for us. I'm hoping in the future we can get some sort of swiping option for mobile devices to swipe between panels on full-screen instead of always clicking
and yes! Webtoons has done well for us too
Kabocha
Yeah, I'll agree - carpal tunnel makes scrolling format hard, but your website is perfectly suited
thank you for having both options!
Jess
I gotta be honest when we made the decision to do it this way - we were so conflicted. We wanted to do this format becuase we envisioned it with simple panels and @saetje really works hard to make things look cinematic
Tenor | Shinavar
omg if you get swipe in I'd be so happy bc I do like 90% of my reading on my phone ;u;
aliceapproved
Yeah, I would definitely love that as a feature in the future. Clicking is fine, but it can be difficult going back and forth and waiting for a website to load
Oh yeah! This story really reads well as a show or film! The storyboard format
RebelVampire
yeah i was skeptical of the one panel thing at first but once i got used to it i thought it was really nice. especially for how much it allows to be fit on any one "page"
saetje
yeah! Tenor, we always wanted it to be REALLY mobile friendly. Like my ideal is to just let the panels fill a mobile screen and swipe to read. We just....aren't really programmers so we haven't figured that out so much yet XD BUT- I'm really happy to hear the one-panel tapping is easy on wrists! I've heard other people call us 'accessible' for that and that was an uninentional side effect but I'm happy to hear it.
aliceapproved
Yeah! Plus, you get cool scenes like the circus sequence back to Gem waking up in bed in the same pose as the juggler
Tenor | Shinavar
It's muchly appreciated too <33
RebelVampire
on a different note, im really intrigued by the fact that gemini's savings are in the form of like actual treasure. and im really curious if thats literally their hard currency, and if not, where did gemini get all that treasure.
Tenor | Shinavar
I think it is bc she says the coffee was a gold coin + a virgin's tear
Superjustinbros
I'm back!
Shen
"a gold coin AND a virgin tear what a rip off"
mathtans
They're paste gems.
aliceapproved
I think it's Mom's allowance to her before she moved
Superjustinbros
And glad you're aiming for a smooth mobile experience with the comic.
Tenor | Shinavar
So I'm curious, if you two are willing to answer this (and it's cool if not!) But what's inspired you guys to tackle this story? :D
Superjustinbros
I have to admit, sticking to one panel per page helps a lot
mathtans
Yeah, maybe Gemini should store up her tears and sell them on the street?
Tenor | Shinavar
omg math
saetje
omg
Superjustinbros
@mathtans
mathtans
Tear-able idea, I know.
Jess
It’s probably a bit different for both of us: We’re huge myth nerds but we felt like there wasn’t a story that really talked about what ppl just starting their journey was like.(edited)
Superjustinbros
oooo
saetje
@Tenor | Shinavar no problem at all! Honestly GJ has been through many iterations including an animated series pitch in 20...12?? It was my and @Jess 's senior project! It was always very heavily myth-inspired because we're really into that. It's a modern hero's journey
Tenor | Shinavar
Oooh~! <3
saetje
but basically what @Jess said
Superjustinbros
Did someone say, animated series?
Jess
Like the feeling of being unprepared to adult and the lack of jobs. The scariness of being on your own. Finding love, and losing it. And the fear of letting people down.
aliceapproved
That's a really good point, a Journey!
Jess
It’s why Gemini’s full name is Gemini Journey
aliceapproved
Also mythology is SO GOSH DANG GOOD
mathtans
I thought that was a clever play on words.
aliceapproved
I love all the mythical creature references!
Jess
And plus—- all this myth jokes Hahahaha
saetje
Yeah. What can we say--- we were starry-eyed animation students once (well, @Jess was a graphic design major)
Superjustinbros
Seconding mythology
and wow, that's quite impressive!
mathtans
Wouldn't want to myth out.
saetje
yes! I'm REALLY into myth, folklore, and fairy tales. Bookshelves are lined with them, and I still don't know everything. It's a really rich topic.
Jess
I was not a animator hahah but I like them. They are awesome
aliceapproved
World Mythology class was one of my all time favorite classes in college haha!
Jess
Me too!!
aliceapproved
and your animated ad was BEAUTIFUL
saetje
same @aliceapproved !
and thank you!
aliceapproved
Seeing Gem and Veil move is gorgeous and I could see little gifs of them interacting
mathtans
As for the question of the half hour, I'm thinking Gemini answered a "want ad" from Veil, looking for a roommate, and she was the only one willing to take the place. Everyone else thought he was too strict, would get upset if they left the milk out.
RebelVampire
oh thats good to know. i did wonder what the significance was in that her name was gemini journey
aliceapproved
when time allows to work on those kinds of things haha!
Jess
I think myths in general tell important truths about people while still being entertaining. I hope our story gives them justice
aliceapproved
You guys totally do!
RebelVampire
veil does seem like the type whod make horrified faces at the milk being left out XD
Jess
Yeah. It’s a play on the Hero’s Journey
aliceapproved
I wonder if Griffins will make an appearance. I love that Teacup manticores exist haha!
saetje
Definitely lots of fights about how to load the dishwasher correctly (if they even have one)
Superjustinbros
lol
Tenor | Shinavar
I believe you guys give them great justice! I's def creative and fun for sure! :D
mathtans
"You bought the powdered soap again...."
RebelVampire
posting a bit early but i feel we are segueing into the next question already
QUESTION 4. Although the world has present-day elements, there are also a slew of magical things. What aspect of the world intrigued you the most and why? Are there tidbits mentioned that you’d love to know more about in the future? Alternatively, is there any magical related creature or being that you’re hoping to see make an appearance in the comic? In regards to actual story canon, do you feel Gemini is familiar with this magical world or that she still has a lot to learn? In what ways do you think magical elements might come into play and make trouble for Gemini? Regardless of magic, what sorts of other conflicts are you hoping to see/do you think we’ll see, especially in regards to Gemini learning to be an adult?
saetje
@aliceapproved honestly one of our downfalls is @Jess and I want to showcase TOO MANY mythological animals b/c we love so many of them and have a lot of ideas for how they'd work in our world. But, to what cost to plot, ugh.
and yeah griffins are like on that list b/c GRIFFINS
Shen
give me werewolves
ill give you a dollar
Tenor | Shinavar
brb
mathtans
Magical dishwasher.
aliceapproved
VERY GOOD
mathtans
Do they have flying cars?
RebelVampire
have we seen a minotaur yet? need some minotaurs up in this joint.
and unicorns
aliceapproved
What I'm interested is the fact that Gemini is an Antlantean and I wonder how that factors into future story elements if any
And yes, PLEASE griffins, unicorns, and minotaurs
saetje
WELL, here's something I think I can give away that hasn't exactly been pointed out a lot of times in our story yet (we are getting to it): there aren't any humans in the GJ universe (http://geminijourney.com/index.php?c=74) so a concept of a werewolf to them would really be a "werehuman", haha. But there are other wolfed-figured beings like Wulvers from Irish myth.(edited)
Superjustinbros
Unicorns, you say?
~~suddenly thinking about centaurs~
aliceapproved
YEAH THAT'S RIGHT! I remember giggling at that "HUMAN TALE"
Human tale must be so boring to them XD
It's like OUR world, but NO MAGIC
oh wait, they're horror stories
saetje
^^ yes
mathtans
Is Gemini actually a magical girl?
saetje
I MEAN, there are some strong "Princess Tutu" influences already and even more so coming up
Shen
magical girls are my jaaaaaaaaaaam
RebelVampire
did notice gemini was an antlantean, didnt realize there were no humans
i actually hope the gemini veil fight happens
Superjustinbros
What does the transformation sequence look like
RebelVampire
so we can see gemini's home
that sounds amazing
Superjustinbros
I must know
mathtans
Gemini is a duck?
saetje
how did you know?
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
a WHAT
Jess
Nooooo you figured it out
aliceapproved
I wanna meet Gemini's mom haha!
I've seen the art but gosh
or Veil interacting with them
Honestly, Veil and Gemini meet the other's parent(s)
mathtans
Waiting for the episode where Cupid accidentally shoots Veil with an arrow.
Jess
Yeah admittedly - the character designs for gems mom @saetje has done I’m really digging. I can’t wait for her appearance
mathtans
Veil falls in love with a dial tone. Very embarassing.
Jess
“Accidentally”
I love that
We need to rewrite the next episode stat
mathtans
He meant to shoot Gemini but Veil protected her.
saetje
um YEAH Math is going to be our new head writer
awww
mathtans
aliceapproved
LOL
Superjustinbros
Math, you should re-write all our comics/stories
saetje
omg agree
aliceapproved
I think you guys have a great Valentine's idea strip coming!
Superjustinbros
mind blown from the idea of a Math/SJB production
puns and jokes and visual gags everywhere
RebelVampire
i hope gemini's mom is super awesome. i feel like she must be and gemini wants to be awesome like her
mathtans
Let me try to get to 10 people reading my own comic first, maybe.
Superjustinbros
lol
I read your stuff and it's pretty rad @mathtans
mathtans
Would Gemini's dad still be in the picture, I wonder?
Superjustinbros
Gemini's uncle?
aliceapproved
Gemini's grunkle?
Shen
My dad? your dad?
saetje
hahaha, Uncle Saggitarius, Auntie Pisces...
aliceapproved
OMG
Jess
All dads
Superjustinbros
OMG
aliceapproved
HAHA!!! Great idea!
Superjustinbros
I dunno why but i always caught onto the name Saggitarius
Shen
in a shocking twist, veil isn't Gemini's love interest hes her dad
mathtans
Gemini could have two moms for all we know.
saetje
LORD
Superjustinbros
and it's totally not because I love centaurs
mathtans
(I now ship Gemini's parents, I guess...?)
aliceapproved
For Halloween, there probably should be a "Scary Human Tale" and it's filing taxes
Shen
XD
RebelVampire
well to be fair, dont need to be blood related for him to be her dad in a way. i mean he is basically pushing for her to succeed, teaching her stuff, and generally being the responsible adult
Shen
Veil is her dad confirmed
he loves and supports her and wants the best for her even when shes at her worst
Superjustinbros
daww
Shen
ps saetje and Jess i hope you guys are in DMs with each other just screaming about all the dumb shit we're saying XD
Superjustinbros
lmao
Jess
Are... you here with us
Superjustinbros
I never thought of CTP's featured creators ever doing that
aliceapproved
Repeating what a previous comment mentioned, it'll be fun to see how Veil falls for Gemini, like the spark that ignited his feelings for her and hopefully for Gemini in turn
Shen
LMAO
mathtans
Veil is actually a magic clone of her dad that was sent by the ghost of her grandfather, Thor?
saetje
oh, @Jess is my S/O so we're just chatting in our living room together and loving everything y'all say
Jess
But honestly this has been so inspiring
Shen
oh even better!
Tenor | Shinavar
BACK. #4: THe aspect that inrigues me the most is how diverse the world is and how it just is all one big melting pot. It's colorful and you've no idea what's around the corner. :D I'm curious if something like a Wendigo might get seen! :D
Superjustinbros
Daww, that's cute! (edited)
also WB!
Tenor | Shinavar
THaaaaank
Superjustinbros
np~
brb for a sec
mathtans
Wendigos is scary stuff. O.o
Tenor | Shinavar
Yes they are
saetje
I LOVE the myth of Wendigo! No plans, esp. because they start out as human, but. I enjoy that one a lot
Tenor | Shinavar
But also like, one of my favorites so-
That's fair!
RebelVampire
can never see wendigo in a positive light. 2spooky.
mathtans
Wendigone.
Shen
that eliminates vampires, too....
RebelVampire
i hope there are phoenixes. and i hope gemini doesnt know them offhand and freaks out when one bursts into flames.
aliceapproved
Would aliens fall into the category or is that too sci-fi?
Lol a fantasy world that has stories that are sci-fi
Jess
But what if we made a chain. And it’s a reheaded wendigo that sells burgers with square patties
Tenor | Shinavar
Y R U MEAN TO THAT CHILD REBEl
omg
oMG
plz
Jess
I mean —-
mathtans
Oh, phoenixes are fun.
aliceapproved
Phoenix chicks!!!
Tenor | Shinavar
"We sell Hyumahn meat"
aliceapproved
Little baby Phoenixes pls haha!
Shen
phoenix lady dating a merman
aliceapproved
Fresh from death!
I mean Rebirth!
mathtans
Jess: I got that.
Sassy twitter extra.
saetje
We've been throwing around a phoenix story idea! They're also a personal favorite
again: too many great myth/fairy tale creatures we love, guuh.
aliceapproved
Again as said earlier, I'm really happy that Kappas made an appearance, too! I love it when mythical creatures from all over the world are in one place together
Shen
i just love how he knew how defeat the kappa lol
mathtans
"Why's that bird hanging around the Vietnamese shop?" "It's a Pho Enix."
Shen
BOOO MATH XD
saetje
IE: we thought of Veil and Gem "babysitting" a sphinx and Gem keeps feeding it puns and popsicle riddles (junk food) when it needs, like, existential riddles for nutrients, ha.
RebelVampire
yes i do think theres a great mixture of things from tons of diff cultures. it really makes the world extra super colorful.
Tenor | Shinavar
AWH
Yes plz sphinx bby
RebelVampire
i bet veil has some great existential riddles
mathtans
Aw, those are cute drawings.
aliceapproved
AAAAWW
Shen
GOSH
Tenor | Shinavar
I'll hate it because the puns will hurt so much but UGGGH IT'D BE SO CUTE I'LL DIE FROM IT
Shen
SLEEPY VEIL MELTING MY HEART
Beyonce - Don’t Hurt Yourself
OMG CUTEEEEEEE
Kabocha
Awww, Veil, that is just way too cute ^_^
aliceapproved
Your sketches are SO GOOD
mathtans
(Speaking of, when do we get the pastries that I saw on Veil's plate for the CTP today?)
aliceapproved
Your guys' ideas are SO GOOD
saetje
older concepts BUT. Again. there are SO MANY potential for fun-myth-animal stories we tend to get lost in them, haha. I don't know how much/if any will make it into the comic
I'll mail them out Math!
Jess
The pastries were there all along. In your heart
aliceapproved
Do you guys plan to do little intermission stories before doing a big arc like this one?
saetje
yes! Just like the roach comic
Jess
Yup!
aliceapproved
Like the dragon cockroach felt like a good mini-story before we got a meaty story
saetje
we plan to do little minis between bigger arcs
aliceapproved
YEAH!
Tenor | Shinavar
Sweet! :D
Jess
We want to alternate between large stories and smaller world building stuff
Tenor | Shinavar
Exciiiiiited
mathtans
Anyway, gtg, baby needs me. Best with the comic!
RebelVampire
good luck math~!
Jess
Best!! And thanks for stopping by!!
saetje
thanks for coming Math! Best wishes
aliceapproved
Bye, Math!!!
Tenor | Shinavar
Oh more queestions~ Due to how your comic is constructed, do you find you have more time to work on it, and/or you got a good healthy buffer?
BYE MATH
saetje
oh that's a really good question Tenor!
Originally, for like the last two years we've had almost a 6 mo queue, because also only update bi-weekly. But we recently ran out of that queue because LIFE and freelance hit us hard XDD so we've been trying to catch up somewhat successfully. As far as page-speed creation, I think it can vary widely but both @Jess and I have gotten a lot faster than we used to be. When we're really able to focus after-work hours (no life and freelance jams getting too much in the way) we can do about 4-6 panels in a single week, about 10-20 hours between us
The thing is though, one of the draw-backs of single panel shots is you DO have to show a lot more, I think, than just a page-layout comic.
Superjustinbros
Oooh!
That's interesting~
also bye Math
saetje
like, if we took those panels and made them into a page layout we would get away with showing less, I think, and possibly saving some time? But it's hard to gauge because also there's panel layout and flow and page composition to consider that we don;t have to worry as much about
Jess
Yeah I was gonna say the same thing. Actually the full panels largest drawback is that you have to draw sooooo much. In a comic with many panels you could cut to a talking head suddenly - in ours, because of the layout we have to be very careful not to take them out of context too quickly and too frequently
saetje
yeah good point Jess
Tenor | Shinavar
That's a good point. It's such an interesting thing o consider because - I guess the easiest way I can describe it is like the illustrations in children's books. They can be just so world building and easter-eggy so it's interesting to consider the differences!
Jess
So it’s a mixed bag. On one hand you are making only one image at a time. Sometimes even usi a lot of the same assets. But on the other - it’s a full color illustration and having to show minute changes in expression to keep the pace from seeming too quick can be a challenge too
Yeah that too!!
RebelVampire
im curious if you took printing into consideration. idk if youve printed the comic before or ever intended too. just wondering how a single panel per page comic would work in that case.
Superjustinbros
Yeah, I see what you're saying, do one-panel updates but fill them with lots and lots of detail?
saetje
or if the pacing reads too slow too- panel comics (or comics made by animators in general) can also be too slow b/c us animators LOVE showing those minute pose/expression changes, which can sometimes read slow. I'm always stressed about the pace, ha.
whitneyandcompany
Hi! Love the comic
Tenor | Shinavar
I could see, in print form, largely remaining single panel per page, or for the more fast paced ones tweak to 2-3 on the page
saetje
@Jess and I always imagined the comic a digital-first production, but if we were to go to print it'd likely be something along the lines of what Ava's Demon did. Just, single panels-per-page. But @Jess being the graphic designer who often works in print too might have some other ideas on that
Hi @whitneyandcompany thank yoouu
Jess
So when creating one of the things we did as a priority is consider the mobile screen first. Which is the opposite of what is the norm. If we were to do a book it would be handled where we put a very limited amount of images on a page. Maybe 1-2 similar to Ava’s demon
aliceapproved
Yeah, the drawback of single-paged stuff is exactly that. Focusing more on some things, like a character going through emotions can read more slowly even tho it's important to the story
Tenor | Shinavar
ugh ilu for the mobile love lol
Superjustinbros
Just thought I'd say before the CTP ends- good luck with the rest of Gemini Journey, @saetje and @Jess. It's really coming along well and you're definitely got a good story here to tell as well.
aliceapproved
But it works so well for mobile scrolling, it's so friendly!
Tenor | Shinavar
Like I can't express how frusrating it is for me bc there's SO many people who own their own sites and it's not mobile friendly
saetje
thanks @Superjustinbros have a good night!
aliceapproved
Maybe you could have 3 panels per page if printed?
Tenor | Shinavar
I live on the go I NEED THAT MOBILITY ;n;
Superjustinbros
You too, and thanks for being here, @saetje!
saetje
@Tenor | Shinavar I got to be honest with you- as a webcomic fan and reader for MANY years I feel that
Kabocha
I really look forward to reading this in the future. It's enjoyable and to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for at first... BUT it is a pleasure to read!
Superjustinbros
And cya to you as well, @Jess.
Jess
Awwww thanks!!
Kabocha
Thank you for creating an amazing comic. :3
Superjustinbros
Anytime!
RebelVampire
yeah im glad priority was placed on mobile because it is basically the way thing are going, whether ppl want that or not.
Superjustinbros
^
Tenor | Shinavar
YES it was a fun surprise! (And def last minute for me bc I didn't realize it was something I could read lmao OTL)
saetje
Thank you @Kabocha for your wonderful insights and kind comments! Thanks for coming
RebelVampire
and its definitely a beautiful comic. i think the pacing works out great as well~!
whitneyandcompany
You guys are the reason I downloaded the web toon app, I look forward to every update
aliceapproved
Thank you for making such an inspirational and gorgeous comic!
Jess
Awww well it means so much to hear you guys say that
aliceapproved
I always look forward to your updates!
Superjustinbros
In that case, cya everyone!
aliceapproved
And yes, you're the reason I downloaded the web toon app, too!
saetje
oommmg @whitneyandcompany , thank you
Shen
im glad i got to read this story its so good so far and i cant wait to read more~
Jess
It’s been really humbling for us to put our work out there. But I am so incredibly touched right now
Superjustinbros
Glad to hear~
saetje
Thank you @Shen! I look forward to more of your comic as well! I'm glad you like it.
Shen
GOSH <3
saetje
Yeah everyone, thank you for coming and letting us know you thoughts It has meant the WORLD to us
aliceapproved
You guys are amazing and I love your work
Tenor | Shinavar
Thank you for signing up so we could disect it /shot
RebelVampire
COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!
Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero, as well, for making Gemini Journey. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero’s efforts however you’re able to~!
Read and Comment: http://geminijourney.com/
Donate via Paypal.me: https://www.paypal.me/YeseniaCarrero
Tracy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/saetje
Yesenia’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Demongemini6
Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club
Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about The Hunter of Fenaur by CalimonGraal. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, September 20th, from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!
Comic’s Main Site: http://hunter.fenauriverse.moe/
Comic’s Tapas Mirror: https://tapas.io/series/the-hunter-of-fenaur
1 note ¡ View note
indigo-rainn ¡ 8 years ago
Text
Keep Me Close
Chapter 1 – Tidal
SUMMARY: When something goes wrong during Sasuke's two-year solo quest for redemption, Konoha launches a rescue mission to get him back. However, when things start to go south, the team struggles to make a decision: do they save their friend, or risk everything to prevent his skills from falling into the wrong hands? / SasuSaku, Team 7
A/N: Posted this originally on FFN, but I thought I’d share it here as well. I’ve been getting back into the fandom recently after many years away, and I love how quickly the SasuSaku feels came rushing back. <33 Can’t get enough of these two.
I hope you guys enjoy!
The lavender sky dipped itself into corals along its horizon, darkened just overhead to a touch below indigo. Stars winked on one by one within this shade, reflected too in the shimmering sea, joined by the stirring of an offshore breeze. The rush of waves against the sea cliffs below served as the only sound, spare the soft tapping of footsteps on the ledge above. They belonged to a passing shadow by the name of Sasuke Uchiha.
A gull cried overhead, and the raven-haired shinobi tracked its movements warily before the bird disappeared beyond the trees. His obsidian gaze fell back to the ocean – he hadn't been to the coast in years, and he had forgotten the loudness of it. The salt in his nose, the rush of the waves in his ears – it was all a distraction, a nuisance that he didn’t particularly care for. He could see the enjoyment of it, but now, at that moment he found it put him on edge.
Sasuke paused to pull a scroll from his pocket, and unfurled it on the ground. He yanked open a pen with his teeth, and scribbled his note. He scowled at the mess of it – writing was exceedingly difficult with one hand – and made an attempt at smoothing a few lines.
Kyreen ETA: midday tomorrow. Criminal org.? Q. harbor master. SU.
Sasuke whistled through his teeth as he rose to his feet, rolling the scroll as a bird circled. It landed evenly on his shoulder, ruffling its feathers and nuzzling his cheek with affection. He pushed the creature away from his face and set to tying the parchment to its leg. In a moment, Sasuke had finished, and the bird took off into the night toward Konoha.
During Sasuke's most recent visit to the village, Kakashi had been adamant about daily check-ins. He'd sat Sasuke down, given him a hard time about his "angsty aloofness," and told him to send a daily note. A spree of missing nin reports from fringe territories, coupled with a particularly grueling winter across the continent, had made the council anxious over any "key assets" still out in the field.
"I'm not particularly worried about your wellbeing, Sasuke, but we have to set an example here…" Kakashi had explained tiredly. "Plus, I want to keep track of you. I'm getting old. I'm already old. Allow me this."
Sasuke's expressions tightened as he set off along the coast once more. It was only later, after he'd overheard a conversation between Shikamaru and Naruto before leaving town, that he had realized that the village was more worried about his kekkei genkai falling into the wrong hands than they were for his safety. He smirked at the idea. As if he could be beaten in combat, let alone lose to someone who could then steal his eyes.
Not possible.
What he would do, however, was take out whoever was abducting low-level shinobi along the remote coast of the Mist. Whatever scum waited for him in the fishing village of Kyreen, he would tie them in a neat bow and deliver them to the nearest police force. Then he'd take the missing ninja from whatever cell they were being kept in, dust them off, and return them to their homes. It was a standard mission, something fit for a chuunin – or even Team 7, at their formation – but since Sasuke was already in the region, he volunteered to get it done on his own.
Sasuke settled into a brisk pace. He wanted to get a few more miles in before settling in for the night. His mind wandered.
After all this, he would return to Konoha. That was something he'd decided on, without ever really deciding. It just came to him one morning. He was bone tired, and his body felt ready to stop for a while. He needed to rest, and he needed to train – the constant walking had taken a toll on his physical strength, and that was something he disliked.
He also wanted to plan out the next phase of his mission, and for that he needed maps, intel and, perhaps, a partner. A quiet, unexpected smile lifted his face in the dark.
Sasuke continued walking through the dark for some time. When he grew tired, he shielded his chakra, walked into the forest some ways, and pulled out his sleeping pad beneath an old oak tree. In a moment, he was asleep beneath his blanket.
Sakura sat on the porch at her home, wrapped in her thick down comforter. Ino was next to her, and together they stared out over the village, sipping on mugs of herbal tea. The lights twinkled, and the bubble of people leaving their various places of work grew quieter.
"This is way less fun with tea than wine. Do you have a bottle open?" Ino blurted finally, plopping her mug down and standing up from her seat. She cracked her back to the side, and then the other, and turned to go inside.
"No, but there should be an unopened bottle on the counter. Beers in the fridge too," answered Sakura. Ino disappeared inside: "You want one?" she called out. Sakura looked back and shook her head. Ino made her way back and curled up in her seat again, overfilled glass in hand.
"What's got you so down?" she asked, taking a long sip of the red, and eyeing her strawberry-haired friend. Sakura was never one to decline wine, especially when it was just the two of them.
"I don't know," she said after some time, sipping her tea. Then, after another pregnant pause: "The holidays are hard, sometimes. The hospital has been so quiet lately, and everyone splits off with their person after. The fact that I am totally alone hits home a little harder than usual. You know? It's just me and the cat. And it's not even my cat."
As if in answer to being spoken about, an orange calico slunk out from the apartment onto the porch. It sat between them, made a sound that was a cross between a meow and a belch, and hopped up onto the railing. The cat didn't really belong to anyone – it had followed Sasuke to the house one day, and never left. Now it required feeding and constant attention.
"You're not totally alone," said Ino. "He might not be here right now, but he's yours."
"Don't be ridiculous. He's been here a grand total of twelve days over the past ten years. And five of those days were in prison…" muttered Sakura. "And besides, he is absolutely not mine. Not anyone's. Running around the globe without a care in the god damn world. He's the worst sometimes."
"But, also, the best."
"…Yeah."
Sakura ran her finger along the rim of her mug absently, the taste of ginger on her lips. Ginger tea was his favorite, bizarrely enough. A calming tea, for one of the least calm people she knew of. Fitting, in his own ironic way. She closed her eyes, biting her lip hard.
She had never really known Sasuke, for all of those years she spent on his team, and then searching for him when he left. She thought she did, but she didn't really. Maybe there wasn't much to know, apart from the all-consuming revenge complex, and now that he'd had time to grow, there was a lot to him. All of these little facets and interests and hobbies that seemed odd when connected to someone of his prowess, but formed a part of him all the same.
Like the fact that he loved to paint. She'd left her watercolors out one evening when he'd popped through town, and he had settled into them while she'd stepped out to change as if he'd been painting all along. When he left, she'd put his finished picture up on the fridge – a cherry blossom tree, in full bloom. Now it was framed in her room.
"Sakura?" Ino murmured.
"Yeah?"
"It'll be okay. He'll be home soon," she said, setting her wine down momentarily to wrap her arms around her friend's shoulders with an affectionate squeeze.
"Love you, Ino. Thanks," said Sakura. Ino nodded, and threw up her arms in a big yawn.
"Aaand now that we're finished moping, can we please watch that reality show everyone's been talking about?"
"Only if you promise not to pause it every time that one guy comes on screen." They laughed, gathered up their blankets, and retreated indoors. The cat followed in behind them as a light snow wandered down from the sky.
Sasuke watched the town of Kyreen bustling about from a safe distance, assessing the layout before making his final approach. It was mid-morning, and the village looked nearly the same as every other town he'd passed along the coast, nestled against an inlet with a single dock and a disheveled collection of dinghy's bobbing in the water. There were more buildings in Kyreen than the last town he'd passed through, however. From his vantage in a tree, he counted ten residential homes as well as several shops clustered in a circle around an open market area. A low fence circled the town, with an open gate to the main road. Someone had stuck a hand-painted "We welcome travelers!" sign next to the entrance.
Nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. The ebb and flow here was standard – fisherman went out on their boats, came back with their catch, unloaded, and their wives exchanged the catch in the town square for grains and baked goods and whatever else there was available. The smell of smoked fish filled the air. Happy dogs lounged about in the sun, and children played along the water's edge.
Sasuke picked out the harbor master's house without too much difficult – it was the largest residential building, and had a somewhat new coat of paint. The man who Sasuke suspected to be the harbor master was just inside, his chakra signature seated at a table in the main room. A few weeks ago, this same man had sent an urgent letter to Konoha. Of the twelve shinobi that had gone missing, four had been stationed in or around this town, and one of those three was the master's own son. The town was scared, and thieves would soon circle.
Sasuke dropped from his perch to the ground, gathered his cloak around him, and made his way toward the town. Although snow had not yet fallen, the bite of winter lurked in the air, and the people he passed as he entered town were bundled in furs. Seal furs, by the look of it. Despite the cold, everyone was quite friendly and, were it not for his silence, would have happily engaged him in conversation and perhaps asked him to tea. He found it uncomfortable.
He approached one of the market stalls he'd picked out from afar, run by a very elderly woman selling assorted rice balls. She perked up when he stepped forward.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" she gushed, pulling back her curtain so that he could get a good look at what she had made for that day. Fish, crab, chicken, with various spices for each. He pointed at the fish one, and she grabbed two, wrapping them in a fabric napkin. She handed them to him delicately, and he passed her a few bills.
"I've got a chair over here, if you'd like to sit," she offered as she plopped herself into one of two Adirondack chairs beside her stand. He joined her, nibbling on one of the rice balls. It was surprisingly rich.
"Thank you," he murmured. She nodded and laced her fingers together, looking at him up and down with curiosity. She was a short woman, with dark leathered skin and long fingers. Her hair was wild and gray, pulled back in a messy bun, stuck with beads and braids and at least one feather.
"What brings you to town?" she asked finally. "We don't get many handsome young men passing through these parts."
When Sasuke blanched, she quickly continued: "Oh, wipe that expression off your face. I'm not trying to set you up with my granddaughter or anything silly like that! Just making conversation. Finish your food, child."
He did as he was told, and turned to watch the market bustle about them as he ate. He liked this old woman, as old and grizzled and off-her-rocker as she was.
"Tell me about the harbor master, if you would," he said after a time of silence, turning back toward the woman. She blinked, then leaned back in her chair.
"His name is Enko. Good man, yessir," she answered slowly. "He treats the whole town like family. Every one of us. Good man."
"Go on." The hesitation in her voice spoke volumes.
"Well, his son went missing a few weeks ago. He was a kid, just out of the academy up the coast. He was back visiting, and went into the woods to pick some herbs with his mum. They never came back – the wife was a bloodied mess, cold when they found her. The son had just vanished into thin air." As she told the story, her hand involuntarily moved to her chest, where it clasped a pendant around her neck. "Enko doesn't leave his house much anymore, really. Can you blame him? Nothing like this has happened here before. A week later, two more kids are gone. Another just a few days ago. It's all going to hell."
"Can you tell me more about the kids?" Sasuke asked after a long pause, when it appeared that the woman had caught her breath. "How old were they? Skill level?"
"Enko's son, Dan, was not quite 14. I used to watch him when his parents were busy. Scrappy kid, dark hair and dark eyes. The others were older, all teenagers. The most recent was in his 20s – he had one of those green vests that ninja wear. They were all good kids… I don't know why someone would do something like this."
Sasuke folded and refolded his napkin in his hand, a feeling of unsettledness rising in his gut. He wanted to speed this up. He asked for the woman's name.
"Gana. And yours?"
"Sasuke." He stood and offered her his hand, which she shook gratefully. Then, he turned and trudged toward the harbor master's house.
Sakura sat on her desk at the front of the class, watching her students scribbling away. Exam day was an easy day for a teacher, but a frustrating day for a doctor. Her time felt wasted watching over these kids write – she wanted to be in the ICU, helping her burn victim from the day before. She glanced out the window, the sun shining brilliantly against the newly-fallen snow.
One by one, the students handed in their papers, thanked her, and headed out to enjoy a few weeks of the class-free holiday break. She didn't blame them – her class was known for being one of the most intensive in the Konoha medical school.
Sakura locked up the classroom behind her, exams in hand, and slipped into her office. She dropped off the exams in the TA's box, grabbed her bag, and headed to the hospital wing at a fast clip. She pushed through the double doors, and the rush of beeping monitors and nurses brought her immediate ease. She changed into her scrubs mechanically, dropped her bag in a cubby, and dove into the fray. Within minutes, she was setting a child's arm, and then healing a puncture wound from an exercise-gone-awry, and then back to setting another broken arm.
"Here, I want you to hold up your good arm like this. Okay?" Sakura raised her hand, and the five-year-old she was treating mimicked. It was a way to distract. "Perfect. Hold that there, and I'll be right back with your new armor!" I.E. a splint for his wrist.
She turned, her tray of scalpels and bandages in hand, and froze midstride. At first it was just a pain in her chest. A white-hot pain that snatched her breath. Then it spread, in a blindingly wild fire, filling her with a fear and a horror that was not her own. Her body trembled violently, and she tried to open her mouth but couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe. Then, the screaming. The most viscerally horrible screaming she'd ever heard – a tortured screaming, agony over and over again in her ears, more agony than she'd experienced – ringing in her ears like a violent drum. Screaming. The tray clattered to the floor, tools flying in all directions. She crumpled against the wall, covering her ears, but couldn't get away. Tears leaked from her eyes as she sunk to the floor, nurses crowding around her as she curled into a ball on the linoleum. She couldn't hear them over the screams. Screams that, as she was forced to listen, she knew she recognized.
Then, all at once, it stopped.
Enko, the harbor master, eagerly led him into the kitchen. Although his eyes were gray – the kind of deep gray one gets from prolonged grief – he smiled pleasantly, and showed Sasuke around the main level of his house as any good host would. He was a stocky man, with thick arms and a thick white beard. His clothes were simple, his demeanor equally so. A fisherman, who'd lost his wife and son, trying to make things right.
"Can I interest you in some tea?" asked Enko, after offering Sasuke a seat at the kitchen table. He nodded, and Enko busied himself at the kettle. Sasuke, meanwhile, took a moment to examine the room.
The house was simple enough – very little decorations, no paintings or photos or anything like that. Old floral wallpaper, a few trinkets on the shelves, and simple furniture. He sensed no other chakra signatures in the house, and he checked to make sure.
Enko set two mugs on the table, and took a deep sip of his own. "I hope you like green," he said quietly, glancing up at Sasuke for nervous affirmation. Sasuke thanked him, and sipped at the drink. It was warm and delightfully bitter. Although not his favorite, it would certainly do.
"Tell me everything," Sasuke said quietly, folding his hands in front of his face and leaning in.
Enko talked at length, repeating much of the information offered by the woman at the stand. He was out fishing for the day, his son visiting home after being away from some time. They went out to the forests to forage, and never came back. Enko stared into his mug, his demeanor saddening as he pressed on.
Sasuke made a sorry attempt to stifle a yawn as the man spoke. He was very tired – he had slept poorly the previous night. He took another sip of his tea and shook his head to clear himself.
"Can you tell me more about your son? How old was he?" Sasuke managed as Enko stood and moved into the kitchen. He took out a few biscuits from a cupboard, and set to arranging them on a plate.
"He was a good boy. Tall, smudge of dark hair. Bright brown eyes, like his mum. Terrible at taijutsu, but he had a knack for substitutions. Best in his class!" Enko seemed to lose his train of thought, before picking it up again. "He was eighteen."
Eighteen? Why did that seem wrong?
Sasuke sat back in his chair. His head was swimming, he couldn't think. Something was wrong. His eyes flicked up to glare at Enko, and found the man watching him closely, an odd gleam to his eye. Sasuke tried to stand up, and stumbled back. His body felt heavy and unresponsive. He squeezed his eyes shut, but found his mind unable to keep a straight thought. He gripped the edge of the table with his hand such that his knuckles turned white, mustering all he had to stay steady.
"W-what the hell did you do to me?" he growled through gritted teeth.
He could sense Enko rushing toward him, but it was at a lag. He tried to gather up his chakra, but the threads evaded him. Something heavy rammed into him, and he fell back hard onto the wood floor. He tried to activate his eyes, but couldn't. He tried again, and the familiar red swam before his vision, but slowly. At a lag. This is bad.
A feral instinct took over, and he drove his knee into the person that had attacked him. Everything was blurry, he couldn't see anything at all. He could feel the edges of his senses going black – he was passing out, that much he knew – and fury lanced through his limbs at the thought of it. He forced his chakra through, and didn't realize until after that he was screaming. At once he could see, and his Mangekyou slid easily into place –
But it was too late. He looked down, only to see that he was standing in the middle of a seal on the floor. A seal for blocking his abilities. There were seals everywhere, actually, and he was in the middle of them all. And they were glowing, in the midst of activating, seconds away from sealing his abilities away. An ambush. A fucking perfect ambush.
Rage consumed him. Screaming in fury, he lit fire to the room. The black of unconsciousness closing in on him, he sent black flames everywhere. Burn in hell, burn in hell, burn in hell–
A blinding light swallowed the room as the seals finished activating. His screams turned from fury to pain. He collapsed in a writhing heap, unable to see or feel or think apart from the pain inflicted by the seals. And then he was out, limp on the floor as the enemy scrambled to cart him away.
End of Chapter 1! What’d you think?? I will upload the rest of the chapters here soon, but if you’re dying to read more now, you can find up through Chapter 5 here:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12764887/1/Keep-Me-Close
Thank you for reading!
xoxo
Indigo
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memorylang ¡ 5 years ago
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Reflections | #32 | March 2020
While in transit to, on and between flights on my journey from Mongolia through Europe to America, I reflected. I processed with ample free hours the Lenten days that met me. I considered how God led my steps. 
So this story runs parallel to the handful I’ve written lately. We’ll backtrack before we move forward, then reaching a huge moment for my leaving Mongolia. 
That pre-dawn, Thursday, March 5 morning, the 49 of my group rode the coach bus from near our Peace Corps office, out of town to the airport. In time, we’d be above the clouds again and again. From the stillness of transiting, came my reflections.
First Friday of Lent 
Hard to believe my journey began Ash Wednesday night, a mere week prior to takeoff. Now I take us back to my city of service last Friday, Feb. 28. 
Like I shared before, I felt pretty exhausted by the time I reached church, with my frantic 36 hours since our evacuation command. And so, with Lent’s first Friday of Lent, a Catholic day of fasting and prayer, I figured no better time to pray off stress. 
I’d come by earlier that day to drop off the Mongolian missal and hymnal books I borrowed the month before. I also gifted the church my copy of, “Rediscover the Saints,” having finished it my week before Tsagaan Sar. Parish staff thanked me and invited me to come back that day if I had free time.  
So I returned. Before I could settle in, staff invited me for lunch. I’d never turn down Mongolians’ hospitality. But the food definitely had meat. So, I thought a quick prayer on it—Should I eat meat on a Friday in Lent, if Catholics offer? 
My response feeling from God seemed to be to, “Just love.” So I smiled, figuring to enjoy their offer was probably the most loving thing to do. And it would be the last meal they’d have with me. 
They invited I say grace in English. Their English teacher was there with staff, so she understood, at least. I really enjoyed the food, too. It was among my Mongolian favorites, банштай цай /bansh-tahy tsahy/, dumplings in the salty Mongolian milk tea. We took a selfie to commemorate our pleasant hour. 
I tried declining seconds, with Friday being for fasting and all, but they still served more, haha. I mused with wonder how Mongolian Christians take hospitality to the next level, in the best ways. And yet, with staff talking about how the government banned seeing their families at Lunar New Year to prevent Coronavirus possibilities, I felt I was leaving a Mongolia very different from the one where I first arrived. I’d miss our days of fellowship after Mass in this little sunlit room. 
Afterward, I had my time alone in the sanctuary to decompress. I wandered before the statue to our Blessed Mother. Then I walked the room, photographing Stations of the Cross’ Mongolian descriptions in case I wanted to learn them in the States. 
My supervisor to drive me to our next location. I graciously thanked everyone and departed. 
Last Supper, Friday Night
Later that Friday night in my city of service, I enjoyed a Last Supper with the American couple who’d supported me so much. 
Here, too, we had amazing food, this time American-style. With sundown, I could indulge a bit! 
I felt especially joyful to meet yet another woman from Brian Hogan’s memoir, “There’s a Sheep in My Bathtub.” (Recall, I finished this book on the Second New Day of Tsagaan Sar, which was Tuesday earlier that week.) This woman recounted stories of her travels around the world for God, including standout details for me. 
She mentioned pretty harrowing experiences with the Hong Kong and Moscow airports. Particularly, she said Moscow’s security just spoke Russian, even in the international airport! So I braced myself. She also suggested I bring snacks so I wouldn’t have to fret on currency conversion. She didn’t like her Moscow airport experience there much. 
As for Hong Kong, she mentioned writing in her devotional journal. Then I realized, I had one of those, too. A parishioner in Reno, Nev. gifted one to me before I graduated uni and joined Peace Corps. In fact, the journal’s been where I’ve penned my usual entries daily since Jan. 1. Fittingly, “Pray continuously” appeared recently, matching my 2020 Lenten aspiration. How cool! 
With the American couple and their friend, I also considered my future. If I return to Mongolia, life would feel different. Mongolia will have entered spring, maybe summer. I'd redecorate my apartment. Maybe I'd bring things new from the States. I'd be wiser, a little older. 
But I'll be loving, all the same. 
By the night’s end, I resolved, if there's one thing God's been consistent with me when I've discerned the past couple years, it's to love. For, no matter what, we're beloved. Love, I will.
My American friends gifted me delicious chocolate cake to take home. They know I love their cooking. I’d keep in touch with this bunch long after returning to America. 
Last Suppers with spiritual people fill me with such peace. And Christ’s command rang true: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). 
Saturday Morning Guests 
The next morning, Saturday, Feb. 29, the older friend with whom I spent my Lunar New Year’s Eve and First New Day came by to fetch me for his friend he introduced me to during the holiday. 
Like old times, my friend came up to my apartment. This time he brought that friend over. And I felt so pleased when my friend, upon entering, explained to his friend, who saw my cross on the wall, that although I’m Christian and a Peace Corps Volunteer, Peace Corps is non-religious. 
It’s so important locals understand this distinction… I am who I am, but Peace Corps is what it is. I loved that a local could explain it to another without confusion. 
My friend had just gotten off a long night shift. So I readied the instant coffees I saved for guests and switched on my Korean electric kettle that sat upon my short refrigerator. I also shared with the guys some Chinese snacks my 重庆 Chóngqìng friend mailed me when I visited relatives in 北京 Běijīng after Christmas. I liked the spiciness, but I cautioned my friends to be careful. Many Mongolians don’t do spicy, but this older friend does. 
Meeting My Older Friend’s Friend 
I first met my friend’s friend earlier that week, Sunday, Feb. 23, on the morning of Lunar New Year’s Eve. 
Before my older friend dropped me off in his own frigid home. He drove me to the then-crowded indoor market. There he took me inside to meet his friendly shop-owning friend. The friendly man sells a brand of хевийн боов (pronounced like /hyehVEEN b-awe-v/), firm biscuit bricks stacked to form Mongolians’ traditional food tower displays. My supervisor Wednesday night gifted me some of these, actually. 
Because all Mongolian families make these towers, the friend saw great business. Apparently the man’s son attends the Chinese school, also. So the friend invited me to visit his home sometime. I said sure, sounds fun. Then my older friend took me back to the car. I waited there alone while he shopped some more. Felt like just another day shopping with my actual dad... 
Anyway, when Peace Corps Mongolia’s evacuation crisis broke out, I totally forgot about meeting my friend’s friend. But Mongolians find ways. 
Final Full Saturday, Among Friends
Saturday morning, kicking off my last full day in my city of service, we drove to my friend’s friend’s house, in the city’s district closer to the mountain’s base. Coincidentally, I’d probably walked by this house Monday morning, while walking with the Mongolian Christian toward Mt. Bayan-Undur. That day, my same older friend drove to pick me up for the rest of my adventures, that First New Day of Tsagaan Sar. 
Entering my friend’s friend’s place this Saturday, I felt the interior could have passed for a small American home, just with fewer walls to divide rooms. 
My friend’s friend treated me to a wonderful brunch, I felt so glad to needn’t cook, that busy day. He also gifted me instant Mongolian milk tea, which I felt really excited to try in the States! 
Meanwhile, the man’s Chinese-studying son was in an unsurprisingly unsocial mood. The lad distracted himself instead by watching a colorfully animated film dubbed in Mongolian that played on the TV nearby. The film’s art style reminded me of some mix between Disney’s “Avatar” and Dr. Seuss. Weeks later, I chanced upon its name, “Mune.” 
I ate to fullness as usual. I hadn’t realized, even on Mongolian Lunar New Year’s Sixth New Day, people still stuff themselves with the same wonderful traditional things they eat the first few days. I loved it.
But during a lull, I felt surprised.  
My older friend, suddenly a tad emotional, said how his English improved so much with me. 
He spoke smiling, saying how he felt grateful I came to Mongolia. I hadn’t expected my rapid departure would move a grown man. I responded with gratitude to have met him and spoke again my hope to return.
Once More Upon Bayan-Undur 
After brunch, since I wouldn’t meet my other friends till later that afternoon, the men I ate with joined me instead. And so, after waiting in the cold nearly an hour wondering whether the others might show, we ascended. 
Our trio walked up past the place where I walked Monday, and we summited. I’d miss this snow, knowing I’d return to a desert in the States. 
We came down the front side, somewhat like the path I’d taken with the weekly hiking group I accompanied winter weekend mornings. On the walk down, I found my pace faster than the other men’s. I wondered if this resulted from my weeks of hikes. Ahead, I realized I followed the овоо /aw-vaw/ stone shrines to know the way down. 
I considered in self-reflection how during my final week in Mongolia, I felt like Aang or Korra meeting their past lives' friends. My ‘past lives’ were Peace Corps Volunteers before me. Our community’s common affection for our service remains. 
Our trio took a route down into the ger (home) district, where we parted with my older friend. He needed rest but would visit me that evening. I returned to his friend’s home. The kind man served me a stir-fry with rice that tasted of my summer host family's cooking. I miss them… Little did I know, the night after, I’d ride through my host family’s town during evacuation. 
My friend’s friend drove me around town to pick up my community friends to visit my apartment and say farewells. Later that night, I’d embark on the sunset trek to end my last city day. 
Thursday Leaving Mongolia: The Airport
Now fast-forward to Thursday, March 5, my departure from Mongolia. After half a week of resilience in the capital followed by an all-nighter to conclude it, I felt a profound experience at the airport. 
Our Peace Corps group of 49 reached Chinggis Khaan International Airport long before daybreak. My past blur here flying out two months before felt stressful, traveling alone. But now I felt calm. For now, I traveled among friends. 
I entered Mongolia’s international terminal early, recalling its location. I settled smoothly into the check-in line then turned behind. I scanned our face-masked crowd to see if I could find the senior TEFL friend I ran into throughout the week. I’d hoped I might see her the night before during Volunteer farewells, but we’d be on the same flight anyway. 
Some time later, I saw my friend and waved. She waved back, but not as expected—I thought she looked as though sobbing. I felt troubled. So, tugging my luggage, I left my spot in the line to join her in back. 
I stood beside her, wishing I could offer something. I waited in silence, trying to feel her pain. 
When speaking, my friend sounded as though with grief. This country has been everything to her. This is what she committed to, as a Peace Corps Volunteer. And she's leaving too soon. She hoped I will get the chance to come back, to finish my service and one day know the pain she feels to leave these people. 
I felt solemn. She was right. 
And while I might be able to return, her service ended. 
Around us, I wondered if anyone noticed, but plenty seemed preoccupied with making our flight. So I reckoned I needn’t worry, since I came to do good. 
My friend held my hand and thanked me for coming. From beneath her face mask, she commented about needing tissues and not having any. I remembered mine and quickly emptied my pocket tissue pouch. She laughed a little and looked glad. She continued to squeeze my hand as we pushed our luggage to move forward in line. 
Trials Leaving Mongolia: The Airport  
Crisis! When we reached the line's front, turns out we both had overweight luggage. 
We lugged our luggage aside. I was 2 kg over—must have been the extra gifts, we figured. So I shifted books and denser snacks to my personal item and carry-on then wore my blazer as an addition to my already five layers. I’d fly with six layers, whatever. Thus, I checked in my luggage. 
But my friend wasn't so lucky. She needed to pay extra to get her luggage through. So she left upset to another window outside the line. With my things in order and feeling quite familiar with the airport, I decided to accompany her.
We waited an awful long time. Another senior cohort friend we’d evacuated our provinces with needed to pay a similar fee. A couple more senior cohort friends joined the line, for they had pets traveling. So I waited among the four. They were such inspirations to me. 
Meanwhile I tried to help my friend, who sat on her luggage and looked a little disheveled. She said something of her amazement how we kept getting stuck together. I agreed. I remembered the fall conference, our evacuation caravan and the week’s surprise meet-ups at Peace Corps’ office. Lovely coincidences. 
During our wait, I felt moved by the love and loss my friend felt toward her community and service. I remembered my grief amid flights three years ago, when Mom was killed and stressfully I had to fly home. So I wished I could say something to help my friend. I prayed this affliction might leave her. I prayed to have the right words. But I knew, sometimes the better words are those unsaid.
Sometimes my friend forgot whether she grabbed something or didn't, whether I grabbed something or didn't. I replied patiently. I wanted to say it'd be OK soon, but such words mean little. I offered my water, offered to cover the expense, even. She accepted my water.
Eventually my friend noticed I didn’t have an expense to pay and that I just wanted to support her. Her anxiety seemed to lighten, and she smiled again. She insisted I'm so kind. She added I didn't have to stay for her. But I reaffirmed I'm comfortable with the airport and felt I’d nowhere to be more urgently. I wanted her to feel OK. She said although she doesn't believe in God, God would reward me very much for helping. I wasn't sure what to make of that. But it felt kind. 
As we neared less than an hour till takeoff, the couple senior cohort friends behind us, too, grew anxious whether we'd make our flight. They said since I didn't need to be in line, I should head to our gate. Still, I knew we'd plenty of time, considering my previous rush through airport security on a crowded day here with less time. But, going ahead would make our group happiest. So I wished everyone well and calmly went in. 
Leaving Mongolia: The Airport  
After a smooth clear through passport control, friends from our evacuation group asked me if I'd seen the others. I explained they were at the payment window. Behind me, I noticed my friend already entering security. I felt glad to give others peace. 
I ran into a couple evacuation friends shortly after. One commented I was better than him, for waiting behind to help. I appreciated his compliment. I didn’t blame anyone for going ahead, anyway. We’re all trying to be prudent. 
I had plenty time to get my bearings as boarding began, too. God always has a way. 
I pick up my next story right where this leaves off, bringing you with me aboard my flights from Mongolia through Europe and back to America. We’re off to Moscow, Berlin and Amsterdam, so get ready for a cultural odyssey like none of mine before! 
You can read more from me here at DanielLang.me~         
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lady-poppy-verona-blog ¡ 8 years ago
Text
million dollar houses (the painter)
“i’ve broken bones for you, and for you only”
((aka: practice challenge one. title and quote creds to pierce the veil)) ((unedited))
🌸
justin, who she would never have called for something like this, is more than willing to help her fill out this shitty paperwork.
well, maybe not shitty. but it’s not something she enjoys.
her parents are half forcing her to join the selection. the other half is god damn, she really needs to get over andrew. she’s always viewed the selection the same way her older sister, daisy, does- stupid, pointless, misogynistic, unlikely to work. but she’ll do it anyways, because, yeah, she’s kind of lonely without someone to cuddle with, and yeah, her family, while they are pretty well off for both their area (a rather expensive, two filled portion of honduragua, right on the beach) and their caste (fives, but by now her father has probably sold enough artwork to buy their way up a caste), still need money to keep themselves going.
who knows, maybe it will work out. she snickers out loud at that thought. justin looks at her, eyebrow raised. “you good there, pal?”
“the answer is a very big ‘no, not really, but thanks for asking’,” poppy answers with a shrug. “okay, you’re the one always telling me how great i am, so tell me what’s great about me specifically, because you know that i hate myself.”
as they filled out the form, poppy thinks back to just what got her to agree to this ridiculous display, something she wouldn’t of done otherwise.
🌸
just a few months before poppy’s 19th birthday, she was dumped. andrew, that absolute dickhead, decided that instead of actually trying to make things work during the draft, he’d breakup with his girlfriend of almost four years at the very coffee shop they’d met each other. she never got anything to let her know he was safe- no letter, no text, no phone call, nothing.
at least she had her friends, though- justin, keri and aisling were always there for her, even when they had better things to do than hold her while she cried and ate ice cream (keri) or tell her that he was a dick who didn’t deserve her (ais) or put up with watching stupid rom coms over and over again (justin). she had made a deal with herself that she was done wasting tears over him three weeks after he had left and returned to dedicating her time to what she really cared about: painting, teasing her younger sister, learning welsh because she had no life, longboarding to the beach with keri.
she hears a knock on her door, the one they’d come up with as children so they'd know it was who it was when they’d visit each other. keri pokes her head in as poppy drops a paint brush back into the already clouded mug of water. keri hugs her from behind, looking at her work. “did you mean to paint in… what is this, gaelic?”
“welsh, actually. daisy’s husband-you know, the teacher?- has a textbook about old welsh kings and the language and such she thought i’d be interested, so she sent it to me,” she says with a grin. lines and lines of dark green writing curl over a sky blue background saying one thing over and over: rwy'n colli chi-i miss you. there’s little spatters of pinks and purples and oranges, looking like flowers falling from the sky.
“it’s pretty. i don’t know who this would sell to, though.” she looks at it appraisingly, probably already trying to figure out mat and frame measurements. she worked at her family’s craft store, framing photos and cleaning up after hours.
poppy shrugs. “i was actually thinking of keeping this one. it’s kind of personal.” it’s about andrew, and keri probably knows it by now. she does miss him, and it almost hurts to go through her pictures on her old, broken-ish phone and have to scroll past pictures of them- cuddling, laughing, kissing- that she can’t bear to delete.
“why are you still hung up on him, p? he’s an idiot who didn’t deserve you and probably has a tiny penis.” she sighs and sits down on poppy’s bed, picking up her book (a history of wales) and attempts to read it without disturbing the leaf poppy has been using as a bookmark.
poppy snatches the book from her, closes it back up, and tucks it in her book drawer, which is full of books she’s reading for the first time and hasn’t finished yet. “he doesn’t. i’ve seen it.” she releases her hair from the ponytail it’s been trapped in and runs her hands through it as she blushes slightly. she hadn’t told anyone about that except for daisy, her older sister, who hadn’t taken it too well. there was a lot of whisper yelling on that phone call.
keri’s jaw drops. “you what?” she leans towards poppy, her voice dropping to a whisper. “did you guys… you know…”
poppy stifles a laugh. “god no. we knew better.” they did, but it was difficult. it’s hard to keep it in your pants when you’re two teenagers in love, but they managed to never go all the way, but still pretty far.
keri shuddered. “let's change the subject please, i don’t want to hear about your nasty secret life. you wanna hear about my and madi’s gig last night? it was a shit show.” madi, one of keri’s friends, often accompanied her on piano while keri sang at parties. “so it’s at some asshole Two’s house for their six year old daughter, right? so we prepare some disney music and some fun little instrumental things and the parents walk up to us about five songs in and tell us, and i quote, that “our daughter has slightly more refined taste.” can you fucking believe it? so they make us play like jazz music so i sang approximately 18 different etta james songs and i did bing crosby. i’m so pissed.” she shakes her head and laughs. “i like jazz, but that’s not what we prepared. what entitled asshats.”
poppy smirks, glad she doesn’t have to deal with that. her family, all painters, had always made clear that if they were commissioned and the person didn’t like the piece, they would pay for the supplies wasted on the unwanted item as well as a new painting. “that’s rough.” she grabs her mug of tea (labeled in sharpie with “not paint water”) and stands up. “let’s go do something. i’m sick of  working.”
as they leave the house, poppy ducks her head into her mom’s study to let her know where she’s going, a holdover from the neighborhood they used to live in- a dirty, dangerous area, where anything could, and probably would, happen, even in broad daylight. “me and keri are going out, probably the fairgrounds and the skatepark. i’ll see you later.”
“okay mari, be safe. i love you,” her mom says as she stands up to give her a hug.
“love you too, momma.”
an abandoned fairground is fun during the day, but even more fun (and creepy) at night. the amount of times she and justin have snuck out here at 2 am is shocking, and the amount of times she and keri have snuck out here at 2 pm is even more. looking out at the little dents and trash where the rides used to be reminds her of times, recently or years ago, she’s gone under the framework of a roller coaster or the back of a mirror maze to fool around with someone- get a little action with a fling, get a little nasty with her boyfriend, or wallow in self pity and make out with keri where no one could judge them for taking out all their sexual frustration as of late on each other. they find the one staple of the fairgrounds, a large, rocky outcrop that’s fun to climb and even more fun to sit on top of and just bitch about anything and everything.
keri grabs her hand, pulling her up and onto the top of the outcropping. “has your family gotten the letter yet?”
poppy raises an eyebrow curiously. “what letter?” she manages to get her legs comfortably swung over the edge. keri gives her a rather pointed glance, waiting for her to get what she’s referencing. poppy still doesn’t get it, and tells keri as much.
keri snickers. “from the palace? about the selection?” poppy shakes her head. “you seriously don’t know what i’m talking about? well, our future esteemed leader”-eyeroll- “is a grown ass man now apparently, and therefore needs a pretty woman to stand next to him and look pretty while he cheats on her the entire time. so, we have a selection to find said pretty woman and possibly the woman to cheat on her with. true love.”
poppy laughs. “you poor gay soul. how will you ever find love now?”
“fuck you, pick a side.” keri says with a smile. “no, but i was going to ask whether you were going to apply or not, especially since you’re single and lonely now.”
“i mean, i could, but the likelyhood of me finding love there is a zillion to one. besides, i dunno if i’m over andrew yet and i don’t want to subject people to that kind of emotional pain.” poppy shakes her head. “so no, i don’t think i will.”
keri ponders this for a moment. “if you do get selected, it might help you get over him. you might find love or something gross like that.”
“i don’t want to. i want to stay here and wallow in self pity.”
“if you don’t apply, i’m won’t make out with you ever again.”
poppy looks over at her. “you wouldn’t.”
“i would. you can’t just use being physical with someone to distract you from your nasty heterosexual feelings. and i don’t care that i’m lonely too, so don’t try to play that card with me.” keri says. she begins to climb down. “let’s go to the skatepark. this is boring.”
when she got home later, her mom and younger sister, lily, ushered her into her mother’s study. “mariana, look what i have for you!” estefani said in a whisper yell.
“pop pop, you have a letter from the palace!” lily said in a yell yell.
estefani mendoza-verona was the strongest woman poppy knew. she had emigrated with her family from brazil when she was 13, five years before she had married poppy’s father, martin, and knew almost no english. they had come from an artistic background in brazil, so the illéan immigration system had placed them as fives. her family had to battle people for every job they got, and estefani had to learn english for all of them, as her parents were older and her siblings were young. when she met martin, who came from a far richer family than hers, she was able to finally support herself and start to help her parents.
all this, and she was still supermodel gorgeous and now fluent in four languages. she tends to switch languages halfway through a sentence, which is what she’s doing now, overly excited about her daughter’s opportunity. “é para a seleção, and i know you’re still getting over sabes quién, but me and lily thought you’d be interested. besides, there’s some good money, et dieu sait que nous pourrions utiliser cela.”
poppy, who gets her love of languages from her mother, understands every word, even the french at the end, which is a little surprising. “eu sei, mãe, mas eu não sei se vale a pena para mim. eu não terminei andrew e não sei se estou pronto para encontrar alguém.”
lily looks at them, annoyed. she barely understands portuguese, and hates being unable to follow a conversation. “what are you saying? is it about the selection?”
poppy laughs. “yes lils, it’s about the selection. mamãe wants me to enter, but i don’t know. there’s good money, but what about andrew?”
lily screws her face up in disgust. “i hate him. he’s mean. you should join just to spite him.”
“i like the way you think, sister sister. who knew you could be so evil?” poppy says, giving her a high five and giggling.
“so you’ll do it?” estefani asks. “you’ll enter?”
poppy thinks for a minute. “what’s the worst that could happen?”
🌸
((here’s the translations lol:
“é para a seleção”- it’s for the selection (portuguese)
“sabes quién”- you know who (spanish)
“et dieu sait que nous pourrions utiliser cela” - and god knows we could use that (french)
“eu sei, mãe, mas eu não sei se vale a pena para mim. eu não terminei andrew e não sei se estou pronto para encontrar alguém”- i know, mom, but i don’t know if it's worth it to me. I’m not over andrew and i do not know if I'm ready to meet anyone (portuguese)
“mamãe”- mommy (portuguese)
and yeah that’s poppy :) i got all the translations from google, so they’re probably wrong lol))
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crazyartdad ¡ 8 years ago
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A New Home: Welcome TO L.A
“But I liked our house” Noodle says grudgingly as she stares out the window of their packed car.
“I know you did, I'm sorry..But look at the bright side! The house is huge and you'll have such a great room to move around!” says father number one enthusiastically as he untangles a particularly nasty knot of blue locks.
The jeep roared as it made its way down the highway, Noodle cautiously holding onto Katsu to distract herself from the dreaded mood she was about to face.
“....We have our own pool, Won't that be fun?” Murdoc adds to the conversation, hoping to turn the attitude around.
“I gotta pee”
“Don't really know where ya want me to stop kid” Murdoc grunted as he fixated his eyes back to the road.
“I don't understand why you guys couldn't work out your problems at home..”She whispered objectively messing with the tag around Katsu’s studded collar.
The car became quiet save for the rumble of engine life and running pavement beneath the wheels that Stuart spoke up to change the subject.
“Hey California! Fresh air, clean out all our lungs hu? Even better new school~” He says looking back at her, ruined eyes peering over sunglasses to save him from the blinding sun.
“FUN” She shouts sarcastically
“Thank Satan we named you Noodle then the other one” Murder speaks groggily.
“ANd that is? Noodle taunted
“Sunny side up” Stuart said with a smirk looking over to the smile forming on Mudz face.
“...I hate both of you”
Murdoc then gives a laugh of approval before reaching for the others hand. Stuart lingers a second before slipping his away, giving him an apologetic look till he gazes at the window to the new view of the city. ***************************************************
“Beautiful American Victorian!, six bedrooms four baths! all original fixtures kindly restored by the late owner's”
“How the hell are we affording this?” Stuart mutters to Murdoc as the sales woman jabbers on
“Don't worry your pretty self luv~” He whispers back in approval
“Real Tiffany fixtures and rose wood flooring!, the late owners were such dashing types. They remind me alot of the lot of you, course minus the child!” she boasts on
“Gay?” Stuart asks questions
‘Oh! Yes yes!, you get a lot of that down here in L.A, um where were you from again?” The realtor probes noisy
“West London, tryin out a few things”Murdoc pipes up with charisma.
“London! How Nice!”
Rolling Her eyes Noodle releases Katsu to the new home to do a bit of exploring herself leaving her anxiety ridden dad to fend for himself against this new conversation stand off. The floors creaked as she strutted along the hallway judging the green vintage wallpaper wondering if she could really call this her home. It smelled, off. Not bad, just something she would smell when she visited grandma's house back in Crokey, listing to the records plays as the smell of peppermint tea flooded the house.
Maybe I could pick out a room She thought before Katsu interrupted her thoughts with repetitive meowing.
“Noodle, Luv? Look what hes yelling at please?” Murdoc asks from the kitchen She gives a sigh of annoyance before following order, trudging down the hallway till she finds katsu clawing at a door under the stairs. She cocks her head to the side lifting the dual colored lenses from her face before stepping to the door. It took a few hard tugs before the handle broke free, earning a curse from the other. Yet before she turns away to leave the problem be the door opens slowly with a breath stalling creak.
Is it colder or is it just me? She questions, staring into the black pit of the basement stairwell. It felt staticky, like the time Murdoc rubbed a balloon along her hair during a carnival or when she touched one of those electric balls in a Spencer's shop.
“Hey! Katsu!” She yelps suddenly, while her cat descended the steps, quickly following after the furry beast.
She stalls midway, looking to the brick wall molded from years of neglect till she eyes the water heater in all it's rusted glory. She made note of all the possibilities of it giving out. Along with other problems the house might hold before she hears another distinctive meow further into the clutter filled level below.
“Baby, what ya doin?” Noodle bellows into the darkness.
Searching around she finds a switch to better search for her missing cat. She spots a heavily aided wine cabinet she suspects Murdoc would be happy to find, along with piles of junk she could barely take note of. She takes tentative steps along the cement, mindful of the cracks she could trip over before something else catches her eye.
A Studebaker turntable, a stunning record player left to rot in a black pit covered in a layer of dust.
“How awful..”she quips running her fingers along the dusted mess, creating marks along the smooth wood. Looking to the side she notices vintage classics in all genres leaving abandoned as much as everything else in the storage lot. Mostly jazz, but she figures with this thing. She could put good use to her record collection.
Crash!
“Ugh Katsu!” She shouts startled at the glass shattered from the bolting feline. Promising to come back later she gives the Player a few pats before returning upstairs to see how the standoff went. ******************************************************
“You said something about there being a study for me to work at home?”
“Yes! You're a Psychologist?” “Psychiatrist, go big or go home right?” he says earning a jab from the Bluenette.
“Fascinating, yes yes, How nice. Spending some time with the family” she says sipping from her cup of tea the male prepared
“I ...I'm sorry, I just don't understand why this house is so cheap, Mudz?” He says looking to the Satanist with worry.
“Well,...according to law, I do have to tell you history of the house, the last owners?”
“God they didn't die did they?” Stuart says jokingly.
‘Yes both of them, Murder suicide,Sold them the house myself. Such a travesty those two, they seemed so nice”
While she looked to her cup sadly the others stared at her in disbelief silently questioning themselves and each other if this really seemed like the right idea.
‘There..there is a nice ranch house an hour out of town , but it's doubled the price of this”
“Where did it happen?” Noodle ask suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Katsu lying lazily in her arms.
“Basement, both of them”
“We’ll take it” She says giving a smile to her repairing family.
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worryinglyinnocent ¡ 8 years ago
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Fic: The Most Beautiful Mistake (6/?)
Summary: Belle French and ‘Rumpel’ Gold have been best friends for a long time, ever since Belle first walked into Gold’s yarn shop. One stormy night, one bottle of wine, and a couple of heartfelt confessions later, and their relationship will never be the same again.
Rated: NC-17 overall, this chapter is T.
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[One]  [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [AO3]
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Six
There’s a sort of reconciliation and Neal attempts to make his father see sense.
As expected, the Storybrooke rumour mill did not take long to start grinding again, and for the next month, Belle’s pregnancy was the only thing that anyone could talk about. Belle for her part was merely grateful that the speculation about the father hadn’t started. There had been a tense conversation with Gaston, who, although hurt that the baby was not his and that it had been conceived whilst they were nominally still together, had dutifully been discreet about it. Belle had not told him who the father was, partly out of fear for Gaston’s reaction to Gold and partly out of a desire to keep it as close to her chest as possible, just stating that since she and the father were not together and not likely to be together in the future, it really didn’t matter. Since everyone was under the impression that the father didn’t know, people had kept quiet. Rumours that were proved to be true were one thing, but speculation of that sort never took hold. That was too dangerous. It didn’t stop Zelena trying, though. Belle was certain that the other woman was going to open some kind of betting pool and she didn’t kid herself that if such a thing existed it would be anonymously very popular.
Truth be told, though, Belle did not take in much of the talking that was going on behind her back – and to her face, on more than one occasion. The first few weeks of her pregnancy were the most uncomfortable of her life, and she’d had to remind herself a few times that it would all be worth it in the end, when she’d have her beautiful baby to show for all the pain. She’d just thought that she was getting over the morning sickness stage of the proceedings, but it appeared that her body had decided to have other ideas.
Morning sickness, she decided as she emptied her stomach into the waste paper bin under the library issue desk, was a misnomer. It was half-past two in the afternoon and this just wasn’t fair. It also wasn’t fair that she still felt like she was about to burst into tears at any given moment of the day. Luckily the library was empty and she didn’t have an audience whilst she was losing her lunch. Given how much she’d been throwing up over the last few weeks, she was surprised that she still got any custom at all coming in, the number of times she’d had to run to the bathroom or, in as in this case, dive under her desk, would most certainly have been disconcerting to any patrons.
Her stomach rolled again and she retched, but there was nothing left to come up, her muscles clenching painfully and forcing bile up her throat. She gave a little groan, resting her forehead against the edge of the desk, and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice beside her ear.
“Belle?”
It was Gold, and his cold hand on the back of her neck had never been more welcome. She managed a whimper of thanks, closing her eyes and breathing through her nose until the wave of nausea passed.
“Better?” he asked, rubbing her neck gently. It felt so good, and she didn’t want him to stop touching her, so she shook her head minutely. “You’ll be ok, just breathe with me, nice and steady.” His hand moved down to her back, stroking gently,  and Belle just enjoyed the feeling of his hand on her, wishing that she could keep it there forever. Still, the moment had to pass sometime, and at length she moved her head away from the desk, and as she sat up, Gold’s fingers slipped away from her.
“I’ll get you some water, don’t move.”
He grabbed the waste basket containing her semi-digested sandwich and ice tea and limped away through the office to the little bathroom, returning a few moments later with a glass of cold water which he handed to her before disappearing again. Belle sipped it carefully, listening to the sound of the sink running and waiting for him to return. The waste bin was clean when he came back, smelling of the citrus disinfectant the cleaner kept in the bathroom.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said softly. “But thank you so much.”
“As I’m sure you know from personal experience, there is nothing in the world more disheartening than having to clean up your own vomit,” Gold said. He sounded so calm and matter of fact about it. “Besides, it’s not like I don’t have years of experience of Neal’s stomach upsets under my belt. It takes a lot to phase me.”
He leaned back against the desk as she drank up the water, his cane cradled between his knees. It was almost like old times. Apart from the fact she’d just been sick because she was pregnant with his baby, but ignoring that fact, it was almost like they’d been before this had all happened.
“Why are you here?” she asked. “Sorry, that makes it sound like I’m not pleased to see you, which I am. What I mean is how did you know I was sick?”
Gold nodded towards the doors. “I was passing and I saw you hunched over. I thought that something might be wrong, so…” He spread his hands. “Here I am.”
Belle nodded. “I’m glad you came. Thank you.”
“Any time,” Gold said. “Like I said before. Anything you need.”
You, Belle’s mind supplied helpfully. I need you. I can get through this on my own. I am perfectly able to. I just don’t want to. I want you here. But that wasn’t something that she could say. He was being so good to her, but this wasn’t what he signed up for. He shouldn’t have to be there. He shouldn’t feel like he had to be there.
“I should get back to work,” she said, wiggling the library computer mouse to get it to come back on, trying to distract herself before she said something that she regretted that would make the awkwardness between them even worse. But God, she had missed him so much over these past few weeks. Missed their little chats about nothing and missed hearing about Neal’s exploits. Neal… He still didn’t know what had gone on between them, and Belle was happy to keep it that way. She was pretty sure that she would have had some kind of angry message from him by now if he knew. She had missed Neal ever since he went off to college, and now, since she no longer saw Gold, she had no idea how he was doing.
Gold got off the issue desk. “I’ll stop bothering you,” he said, picking up his cane and making to leave.
“Wait, Rumpel…” Belle bit her lip, wanting to ask him to stay and talk like they always used to do, to offer an olive branch and try to patch things up between them, because even though she knew she felt more than he did and their relationship would never be what she wanted, she couldn’t bear to lose what they’d had. That would be enough for her, their friendship would be enough just as long as he would give it to her. But ever since that night, he had been so distant. Almost like he was hiding from her. Maybe he was afraid that she’d jump on him again, and she really needed to convince him that he could trust her, that she could keep her hands and her mouth and her feelings to herself and she really just missed his company and his presence in her life.
He turned, and words failed her.
“How’s Neal?” she finished lamely.
Gold smiled. “He’s doing well. He’s made some friends on his course and he’s still working his ass off, but he’s having some fun too. Apparently the other week he woke up in the back of a car that he didn’t know whose it was, but someone else was trying to break into it at the time.”
Belle’s eyes widened. “Is he all right?”
“Yes, she’s his girlfriend now. I don’t know what happened to the car, he didn’t tell me.”
Belle couldn’t help but laugh. “How did he end up in the back of the car?”
“I think it probably had something to do with beer. Most of Neal’s more interesting college adventures have involved beer at some point. My son is a lightweight of the highest order. Sometimes I’m ashamed to acknowledge that he’s half Scottish.”
Unconsciously, Belle brought a hand to her abdomen under the desk, feeling the slight curve of her belly. Her baby would be half Scottish too. She remembered all the tales that Gold had told her about Scotland, and how much she wanted to visit it someday. Preferably with him as her guide. Never mind. She could take her child there when the time was right, and teach him or her all about that important part of their heritage. They might not have a father figure in their life, but that didn’t mean that Belle was going to put him out of the picture completely. Her child would know where they came from, and never feel unwanted or unwelcome in any way.
“Well, give him my best wishes when you next speak to him,” she said eventually, seeing that Gold was still standing in the library doorway waiting patiently for her to respond to him. “Tell him that he needs to come and visit and bring his girlfriend.”
“I think that will probably send him running in the opposite direction.” Gold chuckled. “But I will pass on your love. He sends his in return.”
And then, Gold was gone, slipping out of the library again and limping slowly down the street, his shoulders braced against the cold wind that had set in over the last couple of days. There was another storm brewing, and Belle hoped that he would be all right. He probably wouldn’t appreciate her going over considering what had happened the last time.
She hugged herself, suddenly cold in the big, empty library.
X
God, Gold hated storms. He didn’t think he’d ever loathed one as much as he loathed this one. The wind was howling, the lights were flickering, the TV kept cutting out to static, and all he wanted was to hear Belle knocking on the door. He wanted to let her in and take her coat and tell her to help herself to whatever was in the kitchen, to grouse at her about coming out in this weather whilst being so very grateful that she was there. Another flash of lightning cut the sky outside the window and his hand inched across the sofa towards the phone. He had been doing so well at staying out of her life like she wanted him to, and he’d already broken that rule this morning when she’d been ill in the library, but he couldn’t exactly leave her to suffer alone and he thought that she’d appreciate someone she knew rather than a stranger finding her like that. But just because he’d helped her this morning didn’t mean that he now had the right to call on her for her strength now that he needed it. For goodness sake, he was a grown man, he shouldn’t need someone to hold his hand through thunderstorms. He clenched his eyes tight shut as the thunder growled overhead and his hand found the phone where he was groping along the sofa. He couldn’t call Belle, but he had to call someone. He could call Neal. His son would probably be incredibly annoyed with him for cramping his style, but he wouldn’t talk for long, just long enough to hear a friendly voice and know that everything was going to be all right despite the thunder and lightning outside that was very obviously trying to kill him.
He hit Neal’s speed dial number and listened to it ring as the power gave out completely and the flat was plunged into darkness, just the forks of electricity outside providing illumination.
Neal picked up after two rings.
“Hey Dad. How’s it going?”
“Hi. It’s going… fine.”
He flinched as the thunder came again and when Neal spoke, he could tell that he son was quirking an eyebrow at the other end of the phone.
“Are you sure you’re fine,?” he asked. “Sounds like it’s storming up a bitch up there.”
“It’s not pleasant weather, I’ll give you that much. How’s Boston?”
“We’ve managed to avoid most of the storms so far but it’s pouring with rain. We’re all staying inside for fear of being washed away. Still, it’s good to hear your voice despite the thunder in the background. How’s town?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
“Dad, you know that if you say something enough times it loses all meaning, right?”
Gold sighed, he was all too aware of that which was why he’d started avoiding Belle like the plague when the only thing that he could say to her at any given moment was sorry.
“I know.”
“Dad, is everything all right?” Neal’s voice was earnest and concerned. “I take it from the fact you’re calling me that Belle’s not there with you.”
“No, she’s not. I can’t expect her to come over every time there’s a storm out, she’s got her own life to live you know.”
“I know, I know. She’s probably busy creating a wedding scrapbook or something.”
Gold felt his stomach churning. “Yeah. She probably is.”
“Even so, though… Dad, I get the impression that there’s something you’re not telling me”
“I should let you go, I’m sorry for disturbing you,” Gold said quickly. “You go and have fun with your friends.”
“Dad, I literally just told you that everyone’s staying in because of the deluge. I’m just sitting in my dorm room eating my weight in Oreos right now, you’re not disturbing anything. In fact you’re making a pretty boring evening more lively. So what’s wrong?”
Gold sighed. “You have enough problems of your own Neal, you don’t need to listen to all mine as well.”
“I don’t really have a lot of problems on my plate at the moment. And I can tell you’re agitated and if you don’t tell me what’s going on then I’ll only keep worrying about you.”
Gold narrowed his eyes, well aware that his son couldn’t see him down the phone. He knew that Neal would be smirking though. “That, son, is emotional blackmail.”
“Is it working?” Neal asked.
“Possibly.”
“Dad, just tell me. If I know you then you won’t have told anyone else and you always told me when I was growing up not to bottle these things up. Not that you’ve ever taken your own advice, of course.”
It was going to have to come out at some point, and there was no time like the present. Best to get it all out sooner rather than later, when Neal returned to Storybrooke and could see for himself what had happened. At least with Neal a couple of hundred miles away in another state, he could be spared the worst of his ire.
“I did something terrible, Neal. Unforgivable.”
“Ok…” Neal didn’t sound too convinced. “Define terrible and unforgivable.”
“I slept with Belle.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone for two minutes and thirty-two seconds.
“You did WHAT?”
“I…”
“No, I did hear you the first time. Ok, that is not a mental image I ever wanted, not going to lie, but the fact I need brain bleach aside, why is that terrible and unforgivable?. I mean, ok, Belle is engaged to another man and she’s always been just a friend to you even though I kept telling you to ask her out before Gaston got in the picture and seriously? Couldn’t you have done this before she got engaged?”
“She’s not engaged any more. But that’s not my fault.”
“Right.” Neal’s voice was flat and there was a long pause on the other end of the line. “Right. Ok. Sorry, this is all slightly too much to take in but I’m rolling with it. You slept with Belle and she broke up with her fiancé… Or he broke up with her, or whatever… I’m still having trouble with the terrible and unforgivable part. I mean, it takes two to tango, right?”
“Yes. It does.”
“So what’s the problem? If it’s what you both wanted, why is it terrible?”
“It wasn’t what she wanted. She was sad and emotional and vulnerable and she didn’t know what she wanted.”
“Oh no, I’m going to stop you right there. You don’t decide what other people want and don’t want and you certainly don’t decide that they don’t know what they want. Only Belle decides that. You slept together and she regretted it in the morning and now you’re avoiding each other, is that it?”
“In a nutshell.”
“Right. You know, I don’t think that I should ever have left home if this is what happens when I’m not there to keep you in line.” Neal sighed. “I’m sure that this will all blow over. Things will be awkward for a couple of weeks and then you’ll talk and work it out. It’s not the first time you’ve fallen out with her.”
“It was ten weeks ago, Neal.”
“Right.” There was another long pause. “I get the feeling that there’s something more that you’re not telling me. From the fact that you’re being very specific about weeks and not just saying a couple of months.”
Gold remained silent, unable to bring himself to say the words.
“Dad, please just tell me the truth.”
Gold took a deep breath. “Belle is pregnant.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line and Gold was beginning to think that the call had in fact disconnected and his son had hung up on him in disgust like he’d been expecting him to do for the majority of their conversation. Then Neal spoke again.
“Ok, sorry, I needed a little time to process that, because even though I’d pretty much guessed that was what you were going to say, I was still hoping that you weren’t going to say it and I wasn’t going to have to think about that prospect.”
“Neal, I’m so sorry.”
“All things considered I really don’t think that I’m the one you ought to be apologising to, but…” There was silence again for a moment. “There are so many things I could say right now but I’m not going to… Actually yes I am. Seriously, Dad? Seriously! How many times have you warned me about this kind of thing all through high school? Do I have to give you the birds and the bees talk? I can’t believe that you could let something like this happen? How drunk were you?”
“I’d only had half a bottle of wine,” Gold protested feebly, but he knew that there was really no point in contending the issue because Neal was perfectly correct and he deserved the tongue lashing that his son was doling out to him. Finally, Neal stopped yelling at him to use a fucking condom next time and all Gold could hear was him panting at the other end of the phone in his frustration, the tirade having taken it out of him. Another crash of thunder ripped through the night and Gold cringed, it was as if the skies had taken it upon themselves to join in with Neal’s yelling and were chastising him accordingly.
“Neal, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this; not at your age when your whole life’s ahead of you.”
“I don’t know why you’re apologising to me, Dad, it’s not my kid,” he said.
“You’re eighteen and you’re suddenly getting a half-sibling.”
“Am I really though, Dad?” Neal asked. “Because if you’re to be believed then you and Belle aren’t talking anymore and therefore I can’t see you raising this child together. Actually, how is it going to work, have you talked about that?”
“She said that she didn’t want my help,” Gold said. “She didn’t expect anything from me.”
“You’re still going to have to be involved at some point, even if it’s just paying child support,” Neal said. “Ok, maybe that’s something that you can work out nearer the time, but you’re going to have to stop hiding from her at some point you know.”
“I am not hiding from her! She knows where I am and she’s welcome to come and tell me I’ve ruined her life whenever she likes!”
“Don’t be dramatic, Dad, you haven’t ruined her life.”
“I slept with her when she was under emotional stress and as I result I practically set fire to our friendship and now she’s having a completely unexpected baby that every time she looks at it, it will remind her of just how badly I betrayed her trust!”
Again there was silence on the other end of the phone.
“Dad, you’ve got some really weird issues but I’m not a therapist and I have no desire to be. Ok, maybe neither of you were completely stone cold sober at the time, but I’m going to assume that Belle was conscious and consenting when you slept with her?”
“Of course!” He was a monster, but he wasn’t so much of a monster that he would force himself on her.
“Then it’s not really a betrayal of trust, is it? And you obviously hadn’t ruined her life because otherwise she wouldn’t be keeping the baby with a view to raising it.”
“It’s not that.” Gold sighed; how could he explain to his son the gravity of what he’d done. “I should have stopped myself. I shouldn’t have let it go so far.”
“Aaand we’re back to the whole ‘deciding what other people want’ thing, which I have no desire to rehash.” Neal gave a long sigh. “I really do worry about you when I’m not around, you know.”
“I’m fine,” Gold muttered stubbornly. “I shouldn’t have called, I’m sorry. You go back to your evening.”
“Well, ok.” Neal sounded incredibly unconvinced. “But please, Dad, talk to her, apologise, ask if you can be friends again.”
“How can I? She doesn’t want to see me! She doesn’t want anything to do with me!”
“Has she actually said that, or are you just assuming the worst like you always do?”
“Well, she hasn’t said it in as many words…”
There was a howl of frustration on the other end of the phone. “You are impossible to deal with, did you know that? Dad, I love you, but sometimes I think you need your head examined.”
“Considering some of the terrible choices I make, I would have to agree with you there.” Gold sighed. “I’ll give her some time to calm down.”
“I swear she’s not even angry but sure, give her time. Just as long as at the end of the time you actually do something rather than just hiding.”
“I am not…”
“Dad, you’re hiding. You have got to have the courage to start fighting for things.”
Gold shook his head unseen. It really wasn’t as simple as that. He wasn’t going to fight for Belle if she didn’t want to be fought for, and she’d made it clear that she didn’t want to be fought for.
After another silence, Neal changed the subject, perhaps sensing that he wasn’t going to get any sense out of his father, and at length, as the storm sounded to be passing, they said their goodbyes. Gold thought about what Neal had said, about assuming what people wanted. Maybe it was true; maybe he had jumped to conclusions about what Belle had wanted and not wanted that morning after, being so caught up in his own self-loathing that he hadn’t given it the proper thought. But really, all he had to do was look at Belle’s face and the way that she had acted. She hadn’t been able to get out of his flat quick enough, and if that wasn’t a sign that she had regretted what they’d done then he didn’t know what was. If his presence was so intolerable to her then he wasn’t going to force it on her. Maybe she wasn’t angry with him for doing what he’d done, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to see him and be friends again. They’d had a perfectly civil conversation this morning and it had been good, apart from Belle throwing up, obviously.
Gold sighed, looking down at the phone and running a hand through his hair. If he was being brutally honest with himself then deep down, he had been expecting the end of their friendship for years, ever since it had begun. Belle was so unlike him that he couldn’t believe that she would genuinely be interested in his company. It had all been too good to be true for so long, and now really, it was just the inevitable that had happened. It was a shame that it took them sleeping together for her to realise just how terribly incompatible they were. He was wrong for her in every way, not just as a romantic and sexual partner but as a friend as well. This separation, as painful as it was, was for the best in the long run. She would no longer have to deal with the inevitable stigma of being associated with the town coward. Gold could bear pain. He’d borne enough of it throughout his life, and he could bear some more to ensure that Belle was free from it.
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