#The grass is always greener on the other side kind of plot

[muzansfangs]

hii ogm!! i'm loving the drink event and can't wait to see more stories! i wanted to request a manhattan with muzan (fem reader) where muzan is a politican, similar to in Kimetsu Academia where hes a politican!

sorry if i wasn't being to direct!

feel free to deny the request etc and have a great day! <3

The grass is greener on the other side.

Starring: Muzan Kibutsuji x f!reader;

Format: one-shot;

Warnings: nsfw, age gap between Muzan and the reader but the reader is 21, corruption kink, anal sex, modern au, unprotected sex, mention to reader stretching herself out before the encounter, pet names, slight degradation, use of handcuffs;

Plot: You knew only one thing for sure and thus was that Muzan Kibutsuji was your father’s rival. With the incoming election day, you were busy running errands for your father, when you found yourself face to face with the devil himself. From that infamous night, you always found yourself tangled into the silky bedsheets of Muzan’s bed, allowing him to strip you off of your sense of self-preservation, dignity and purity with every secret meeting.

Drink chosen: MANHATTAN (anal sex, corruption kink, handcuffs, shy reader);

MASTERLIST FOR THE EVENT | RULES FOR THE EVENT

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"Dad, I can't make it to the conference in time. My flight got cancelled. I'll take the next one in the morning" you blatantly lied to your father, eyes staring at the golden number decorating the white door of the hotel room you were supposed to meet the reason of your little defection at.

It was not the first time you abandoned your duty as the daughter of a man running for becoming the next Prime Minister to follow your lecherous whims. You felt ashamed of yourself, when this started. You were not that kind of girl, but this man had clearly brought out the worst in you, convincing you it was perfectly fine to fight for what you wanted. To be a little selfish was essential to live without regrets.

Even if your choices would have hurt and disappointed the ones you loved.

But if they did not know about your whereabous, they would have not suffered, right? Therefore, here you were, telling lies to the man who raised you, spoiled you and treated you like a princess since the day you were born. All of this for the sake of a secret affair with his younger rival, the very man he was competing with to conquer the hearts of the electors.

“Don’t worry, honey! You have already done so much for me. — your father reassured you from the other side of the phone, causing your stomach to clench as the remorse ate you from the inside out — You will attend the next one” he exclaimed confidently, while you fluttered your eyes close and nodded your head mournfully. If only he knew where you were, if only he saw you now, wearing that scanty dress to please Kibutsuji, he would have undoubtedly watched his perfect little girl turn into a stranger, a backstabber deserving nothing but vituperation.

“I’m sorry, dad. For real. I’ll be rooting for you anyway” you said with a tinge of sorrow in your voice, right before knocking on the door and hearing the sound of footsteps approaching it from the other side.

“Oh, sweetheart, I know you will. I really have to go now! Take care” your father said then, right when two piercing red eyes locked with yours on the threshold of the hotel room you deemed as nothing more than the Gates of Hell.

Your breath was suddenly stuck in your throat and you barely forced yourself to end the call with a “Bye, dad” before Muzan snorted and stepped aside to invite you in. He was visibly displeased at the sweet way you had whispered the epithet rightfully reserved to the man you shared the same blood with.

He hated the fact that you were his daughter and, if he had to be honest with himself, he had decided to lure you in his den to get back at him. At least, at first. Horrified at the idea of growing attached to you, something that had inevitably already happened, he tried to act distant, but you constantly made it hard to let him consider you nothing more than a cheap harlot. Why? Those eyes of yours, your shyness, were endearing to say the least.

“You can’t stay away from me, can you?” he mocked you, closing the door behind you and watching as you kept your eyes transfixed on the polished marble floor under your shoes.

“I wish I could. It’s not that simple” you whispered, shrugging your coat off of your shoulders and abent-mindedly hooking it on the clothes hanger.

The moment your voluptuary curves were exposed to his gaze, you felt it. Shivers ran down your spine, while you did not dare to turn around and face him. It was unncessary, anyway. He walked stauntered towards you like a predator, his hands searching for yours as he pressed you against the wall. His cologne intoxicated you, while his hot breath fanned the shell of your ear in a scandalous way that made your thighs squeeze together. Planting your palms to the wall before you, he intertwined yours fingrs and nuzzled your cheek with his pointy nose.

“I think it’s true what they say. The things we love are frequently the ones that destroy us” he murmured in your ear, his lips tracing your jawline hazardously.

No matter how many times you had crumbled at his feet, granted him the chance to break you down and build you up again, his touch left you always in a haze. Your cheeks heated up, a knot between your eyebrows, as you tried to hide your face from him. If only you could understand how much that tender trait of your personality drove him nuts.

“Don’t hide from me” he stated, surprisingly tenderly as he reached his hand up to wrap it on the back of your neck.

His grip was secure, when he forced you to crane your neck to meet his gaze. His lips captured yours shamelessly, hungrily, his tongue darting out of his mouth to lap at your parted lips and enter your mouth with the same confidence he held when he walked on a stage. Arrogant and unhinged, demanding and never coy he snaked his arm around your waist to make sure your back was flattened against his firm body. Timid moans fell from your lips, sounds he galdly swallowed, whilst leading you towards the king-sized bed at his back.

Lifting your lids to peer up at him, you hesitantly turned around to be face to face with him and your hand cupped his smooth cheek to run your thumb over his cheekbone. Theoughout the time you two had spent together, you had learned to read his body language. He never gave you the chance to be the master of your sea, but he did not disdain small attentions that oulked the strings of his heart. He had almost given you the impression he was touch-starved, as a dog who had been forced to just bark and growl all of his life and showing off his sharp fangs to keep potential threats at bay.

Muzan had barely opened up with you about his past and personal life. All that he asked of you was someone to keep his bed warm at night, even if you had to crawl into the darkness with him to quench his thirst for you.

You kissed him again, slowly, making sure your bodies were pressed up, that not an inch stood between you two. He reciprocated your attention, careful to remark how you were merely able to take the initiative because he had reluctantly allowed you to. You would have never forgotten it anyway. Not when his hands unceremoniously tugged the straps of your dress down your shoulders and proceeded in ripping it apart. You gasped, the sound of the garment coming apart at the seams making you knee buckle.

Muzan flicked his gaze up, tugging the ruined item down your curves to expose your body to him. The way you bit onto your lower lip nervously, still striving to avoid his plum red eyes made him want to ruin you over and over again. Every single time you two met, Muzan stripped you off of things he had yet to touch. Today was not an exception.

“What? Are you sulking over that dress? – he taunted you, quirking a dark eyebrow up before unbuckling his belt hastily – Ask your dad to buy you a new one. After all, he would be ecstatic to shower you in gifts” he bitterly commented, discarding the leather item onto the floor and shoving you down onto the bed by pushing onto your midriff.

His cold touch made your skin sizzle and your mouth went dry, when you lifted yourself up on your elbows, watching him stride to his suitcase and delving his hand into it, rummaging to draw something out.

“Or you wish it was me the one who sent gifts to you, huh? I bet you do. But, mon chéri, you know your dad would toss them into the bin. Therefore, I am forced to give you something else. Something your dad cannot see” he bantered again, his words sounding like a dagger in your heart, words representing the lyrics to the melody played by some metallic object clinking in his hands.

With your heart thrumming into your chest, you let your eyes wander to figure out the source of the chiming only to feel your breath hitch in your throat, when you found out they were shiny handcuffs. The look on your face spoke volumes, your body shuddering in anticipation as you kept on switching your focus from the object dangling from his index and his face.

Mischief twinkled in his eyes, watching in delight as you shifted your position on the bed in sheer desire and pure terror of exploring your tastes, terrorized to find out that you were probably as deranged as he was.

“You are noxious to me. You’ve poisoned me. I should not be here and let you mess me up” you uttered, sitting in a kneeling position on the snow-white sheets of the bed.

Muzan grinned and grasped your chin between his thumb and forefinger, face dangerously close to yours as he grinned at your face “Then why are you here? Why are you not in the crowd rooting for you daddy, huh? You’re royally screwing up, darling” he cooed, forcing you to lay face down on the bed.

With your cheek pressed against the rose-scented blankets, you chewed on the inside of your cheeks in a spiral of self-deprecation. He was right. You had deliberately chosen to follow him that infamous night and, much to your dismay, the following ones. It was all on you and your greedy heart, hypothetically assuming you still had one in your chest.

Muzan climbed on the bed behind you, his hands reaching for your wrists and pinning them togther behind your bed as he slapped the cuffs around them, factually preventing you from moving your arms freely.

“Have you done what I had asked of you?” he then inquired, hands already slipping underneath the waistband of your thong and dragging the thin item down your thigh.

“Yes, I did” you whispered, ashamed of yourself as he hummed in return.

The things you had done for him, things that had not even crossed your still innocent mind made you want to rip yourself apart. But how? How could you blame yourself for wanting him?

“Splendid. — Muzan chimed, reaching for something behind him on nightstand — Just relax. Look, I’ll let you see your beloved daddy while I fuck you up, alright?” he sarcastically taunted you, as you began to put the dots together. The remoter, he had grabbed the remoter. He remembered the exact hour your dad was supposed to speak to the Country.

Sweat beaded your forehead as you squirmed underneath him, a hoarse chuckle rambling from somewhere deep into his chest as the screen of the tv projected the smiling, proud face of your father. His eyes seemed to bore right into yours as Muzan fumbled behind you with his pants and grasped your hips into his calloused hands.

“Ah, look at him. My rival has a good taste in neckties. Where does he buy them? Marinella? Those are surely italian-coded” the raven-haired man behind you noted, deliviring another unfathomable kick in your guts.

“You are a bastard” you whispered, eyes widening as he pressed the girthy tip of his cock against your puckered hole. The stretch left you breathless, eyes watering in the process. Frankly, seeing the face of your father partially blurry was far way better than having a clear vision.

While Muzan grunted, makinf sure you could feel every inch of his cock dilating you, the words your dad said made you choke out an uncontrollable sob.

“My sweet daughter could not be by my side today. Her presence is a blessing. Hopefully, she’s now somewhere out there to bless someone else’s day. I love you, sweetheart!” your father said and there was a burst of applause to echo throughout the room.

Wincing softly in pain, hips rotating to accomodate to the intrusion in your most private area, you had to endure the way Muzan sneered and began to rhythmically thrust into you, a crazed expression on his face as he pounded into you without much care of your condition “Oh, you have no idea. Her ass is a fucking blessing, sir” he mocked your father, earning a stifle moan from you.

You wished you could space out, but it was impossible. The stimulation you were receiving was driving you mad. The pain gradually subsided, causing a series of unbridled moans to erupt from your throat. Drool was running down the angle of your mouth, back arching convulsively, as you heard every words your father said and felt every comment Muzan made.

“Fuck… Nah, I’m going to have to send my regards to your father, kitten. — he rasped out, giving you one last thrust, before pulling out with a groan and releasing onto the small of your back — After all, I’m going to steal his lucky charm from him, once I beat him” he whispered after a few seconds.

Trembling, astonished, you closed your eyes and laid there with a drained expression on your face. Muzan Kibutsuji was going to be the death of you.

AUTHOR NOTE.

Hello there! The third request for my event is done! Honestly, I hope you’ve enjoyed this one as much as I did. Why? Guys, come on, it reflects my main story “Guilty pleasure”. I felt like I had deprived you of ‘Politician Muzan’ for way too long not to write this one as soon as possible. Now, likes, comments and re-posts are greatly appreciated!

Until next,

X O X O

TAGS: @doumadono @axesfordays @tomorika-pura @cursetopia @the-dark-creature @yazzzmints

[adamwatchesmovies]

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

If all you know about Everything Everywhere All at Once, is that it won a bunch of Oscars and topped many Best of the Year lists, you're not prepared for how strange a film this is. It may seem weird for weirdness' sake at first but stick with it. You’ll see just how emotionally rich and creative a story this is.

Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) are being audited by the Internal Revenue Service, preparing for their Chinese New Year party and about to welcome Evelyn’s overbearing father (Gong Gong, played by James Hong) to their home, all while Evelyn struggles to accept her daughter’s lesbian relationship (Joy is played by Stephanie Hsu) - all on the same day. On their way to meet with Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis) at the IRS, Evelyn gets a strange message from a version of her husband from an alternate universe: the omnicidal Jobu Tupaki is on their way to destroy everything that exists and Evelyn is the key to saving all of reality.

Films like The One and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse might have made the idea of multiverses a bit more well-known, but it’s still wild stuff. What makes EEAaO even stranger is that Evelyn needs to access the skills and memories of her parallel universe selves to defeat Jobu Tupaki. To access those skills, she has to perform what you could sort of call “rituals”. They're random, ranging from declaring your love for someone to going for a nap, eating something weird, putting your clothes on backward or giving yourself a paper cut. Doing these actions allows Evelyn to see versions of herself that are culinary geniuses or martial artists.

If that wasn’t strange enough, Jobu Tupaki is one of the strangest antagonists you've ever seen. They can do almost anything because they have the abilities and memories of every version of themselves from every parallel universe, and there are infinite universes. Even ones where people can shrug off bullet wounds, manipulate matter with a thought, or have evolved a wildly different anatomy from the one we know. When Jobu Tupaki attacks, they’re generating sex toys out of thin air and whacking people in the face with them so hard they die, moving in impossible ways, or doing all sorts of things no human being could do.

You're wondering “How do you fight against someone who can do almost anything with a thought?” For that, you’ll have to watch the movie. You might also be asking “Is it just pure absurdity?” The answer is “No”. Beneath the weirdness is a lot of substance. As Evelyn explores other versions of herself, she sees paths she didn’t take. If she hadn’t married Waymond, she could’ve gone on to become a world-renowned opera singer, or a rich and successful actress in Hollywood films (kind of like Michelle Yeoh did, in a clever bit that makes you go “Wait, so are we just living in another alternate universe that Evelyn will visit to pull memories and skills from?). Everyone has played that “What if?” game and I’d wager that when you do, it’s almost always because you think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Jobu Tupaki believes that “because every action and reaction creates an alternate universe where the opposite took place, nothing matters”. There is a lot of anger and depression in this film and although the focus is on a physical confrontation, if Evelyn wins at the end of the day, it’s equally important for her - and others - to deal with their feelings, to see that what they have matters and is worth keeping.

Everything Everywhere All at Once has a plot like none other. It also has poignant emotional moments as its characters consider mature themes like love, suicide, rejection, what could’ve been, and more. The performances are strong. The story calls for a wide range of emotions from the actors, asks them to portray alternate but recognizable versions of the characters they're creating and perform all sorts of wild stunts. Also noteworthy is the script. The film is often quite funny, and in ways that take you completely by surprise. You’ll see a trophy and think it’s just a weird-looking prop. That that’s the joke but later in the film, that same prop will come up again to be used in a way that makes it clear it was designed to look that way specifically, which now makes it twice as funny. So much of the joy you get from this film is not knowing what comes next. While there is something nice and comforting about seeing a “Standard” plot, this is the kind of picture you just can’t predict at all.

I know many people will love Everything Everywhere All at Once. I also suspect some will find it too strange for their tastes. I understand. To those people. I’d ask them to consider just how bold and imaginative a story this is. You’ve never seen anything like it. You'll forget this film. If that’s not enough for you, there are many big laughs and equally big emotional moments packed within its 139-minute running time. That sounds long, but it earns every second. Everything Everywhere All at Once lives up to the hype. (March 28, 2023)

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dong Yue is such a troll because from the wiki I got this

At the end of the novel, the author lists twelve hypothetical questions that a reader might ask and answers them. Some of the answers are very similar in nature and, sometimes, contradictory.

The eighth asks how it's possible for Monkey to have a wife and children. He states that the book is simply a dream.

Since the Supplement is about Wukong’s desires, it would be funny if Wukong subconsciously thought Princess Iron Fan was pretty and that Demon Bull King didn’t deserve her (therefore uncle) and that she’d make a good mom for his 5 sons that he also apparently desired? Wukong desiring Tang to be a warlord though XD

Anyway bad timeline where everyone is OOC because it’s a fever dream sounds crazy awesome I wish I could read it.

Sometimes people are all about allegories, and nothing about substance! Which nothing wrong as long as it is entertaining. I do like how he anticipated the question because he knew himself, but he didn't explain them well enough. Also that Red Boy also doesn't exist in the book as it was said that these were Princess Iron Fan's first kids so its like Wukong willed Red Boy from ever existing as well! THAT IS FUNNY! He wanted a big family and no annoying nephew! Nooooo!

But you can read it actually it’s in English!

Here’s a link!

You are going to make a profile but still. Even comes with audio options if you want it out loud.

Have fun with the crazy fever dream!

While I will admit it is absolutely insane. I myself hope one day to have a script of how to make it into something of substance because I think there is a lot to work with. Time travel and inter-dimensional transportation aren't anything new but to know that this was one of the first 'time travel' books out there is pretty fun! It’s somewhere between a dream and a nightmare, where the dreams become so intense that they just go overboard. I feel like nowadays a lot could be played with, especially with how to look into what Wukong really wants and what he is willing to do to take it when in the middle of his journey. Like to measure himself mentally where he has changed from being willing to do anything in his power to get what he wants verse actually seeing the consequences of his desire affecting those around him that he has grown to care about and how their lives are ruined as well.

Sanzang becoming a general probably is too farfetched but the idea is that he becoming controlled by a Evil King because Wukong left and Sanzang lost his way. Now THAT can be interesting. Bajie tries to go back to Gao but as expected by rejected and thus he also joins the Evil Army. THAT is a cool take. Wujing being lost in all this and going back to hire hermit lifestyle, THAT IS SAD. BaiLong been forever, forgotten by his family and force the roam the Earth has a horse. THAT IS ALSO SO SAD. I don't know why people look any further for angst when if this story could be put in a more cohesive manner without the loose plot point or useless quests could be an interesting introspective of Wukong's desires have how they have changed from what he thought he wants versus what he wants now.

I do feel like a lot of the takes are more out of character but that is what makes it kind of scary and a bad timeline way. To think that because you (Wukong) can push people to new means. Maybe Wukong just wanted a big family before and missed his monkey, projecting that onto Princess Iron Fan who is deprived of both a son and husband and he understood that missing family. And maybe he feels responsible for both Bajie and Wujing on his journey to keep them together else they lose their ways and just go back to being forgotten criminals of heaven, nothing better than canon fodder. And his greatest fear of Sanzang losing his way... and becoming more like him. Choosing violence as the real answer to his problems, similar to Wukong. Any little desire he wished for Sanzang to be "more like him" taken to the extreme of him being a general sending out armies.

And it's that image of King Paramita, his desire for a family verse General Sanzang, his desire for Sanzang to be stronger (or rather just a little bit crueler to their enemies) being forced to confront each other in the climax!

Like I said there are a lot of wishy-washy side quests in the middle that really lead nowhere and are more of a commentary of the times and certain historical figures but there CAN be a lot of interesting plot points that could be SO MUCH FUN to play with! Wukong is always some of the first to say that he is a monk that left the family but maybe he still has that desire to be more than a grandpa to his monkeys and he a family man, but is that worth the cost of the friends he made along the way? I like to think that a lot of dreams are more his distorted desires which is what a lot of the book is. He even meets himself in a human form in the book which helps him out of his red strong of desire to help see reason.

It is only at the end when he sees the son he never knew kill Sanzang does he lose his mind, going into his giant form as he tries to destroy everything around him in a second.

But he can't.

Because he finally starts to wake up.

And when he sees that Fake Fish coming in as their "new" fellow disciples.

Man does NOT hesitate to snap his neck for messing with his dreams like that.

Have to admit that is definitely one way to end a story! But why anyone that is interested I definitely recommend it a read if anyone has the time!

[binniesthighs]

call me babydoll | reader x chan

a/n: chapter threeeee here it is!!! hehe thank you all for being patient for this update and thank you as always for giving this fic your love!! i start out the first part of this chapter in 3rd person which is a lil different, but i wanted to try it out! hehe i love hearing what ya thought of the chapter too! 😊

Pairing: self insert, female reader x bang chan 

Genre: action, mystery and suspense, fluff, smut, angst 

Tags: (of this part) bodyguard au, secret agent au, royal au, moderndayprince!chan, secretagent!reader, secretagent!jeongin, secretagent!jisung, collegestudent!seungmin, skz side characters, 3rd person for the first section, adventure and mystery, action and peril, plot driven, running out of time, slow-ish burn, growing feelings, sexual tension, explicit language, mentions of food, brief talk of gaining weight while travelling, there’s a few spoilers hidden in this one...can ya find them? ;) 

CWs: blood and other wounds, shooting at a convenience store, thoughts about death and dying when in peril 

Word count: 5.6k 

Parts

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR

Two years of pocket change and Seungmin had finally saved up enough money to afford to study abroad. It had nearly taken him life and limb, and he might’ve suffered (1) concussion from a bowl of soup being thrown at his head, but, he had done it. 

With grease stains on his sneakers Seungmin traversed the long and stretching corridor of the airport terminal with his backpack strapped onto him tightly. The air smelled different here. It was fresher than he was used to--coming from a large city center--everything here felt more pristine. Outside of the tall glass windows, airplanes lifted off into the sky like massive metal giants. He couldn’t remember properly, but the last time that he must’ve been on a plane, it likely had been when his mother...

Seungmin shook the dusty and cobwebbed ideas out from his head. 

No more sad thoughts. 

I’m gonna like it here. He thought to himself, then clipped the little buckle to his backpack straps over his chest with a determined huff. 

I’m really going to like it here. 

With his phone in hand, he tried his best to decipher what the signs said above him. Mostly, they looked like a jumbled mess of symbols, but luckily he had spent some time trying to learn the language between shifts and sneaking peeks at his little dictionary under the diner counter. The whole terminal buzzed with a lovely kind of energy, and he was thrilled to get to know it better. The first wonderful thing about travelling abroad was that no one knew who he was, and he could be whoever he wanted. In this new land, no one knew him or anything about the dingy little apartment that he had lived in. No one knew about his less than honorable roommates or the debt that he had put himself under to go to college in the first place. 

I could be a prince for all they know. 

Seungmin liked that idea a lot. 

His stomach grumbled as he passed by food stands, however he hadn’t had the chance yet to change his currency, so he knew that he would have to wait just a minute longer. Seungmin had been assigned a host family by his college, and he hoped like crazy that they would be the kind to cook for him. Seungmin had heard somewhere that kids who go on study abroad gain a ton of weight at first...but he didn’t mind. Where else would he get the chance? 

There had been a host father that had sent him an email a couple weeks ago--that he promptly had to run through Google Translate--who told him that he would meet him outside the main luggage claim area after his flight landed. Seungmin had tried to look up and see if his host family were on social media, but he could find no such profile of theirs. He decided it probably was better that it was a surprise. 

Seungmin lugged his two large suitcases out to the summer air of the new and strange land, and it finally hit him. Standing on the solid ground of another land thousands of miles away from his home, it was really all happening. 

The landscape outside was like that of a movie scene: rolling hills and jagged mountains capped with snow, adorable little homes built into the countryside and tiny cars with horizonal license plates. The sun was warm in the cerulean sky that puffed with perfectly white clouds. On the air, the scent of flowers wafted, and he was certain that there was a lake nearby too--he had researched it. There were old men in their caps with a crook in their back, and ladies with long floral skirts and dresses with Mary Janes. Each of them had smile lines on their faces and under their eyes as if they had all lived lives well lived. There were pretty girls too with slender legs and delicate arms swaddled in light scarves. 

Seungmin wouldn’t have minded getting a girlfriend on this trip. While he kept the fact to himself, Seungmin had never really done anything with a girl before outside of some awkwardly handsy kissing in middle school. Maybe this time around, he would finally get his chance: he had read somewhere that girls often like foreigners. 

“Seung Min! Seung Min?” A man’s voice called. 

The young college student whipped his head around in the direction of the sound, finally finding a middle aged man with salt-and-pepper hair with whiskers of the same color. He had red cheeks and a large nose, and looked a bit like a character from a comic. Seungmin waved back, greeting his new father. When they met, the older man threw him into a large hug with a chuckle. He smelled a bit like Tabaco and old leather. He had a couple missing teeth, but that didn’t lessen his bright smile. 

“English?” Seungmin’s host father asked. 

“Yeah! I can speak English.” He returned with a welcoming grin. 

“I thought it would be good for us to speak English since I don’t know your tongue and you don’t know mine...meet in the middle?” 

“Thank you for coming to get me!” He said, handing the man his suitcases which were just a bit too big for the tiny trunk of the car that looked as if it had come from the 80′s. In the end, they decided to put his bags in the backseat. 

The man beamed with smiling eyes. “Of course...son!” 

Seungmin gave him a little bow, “Heh, thank you.”

“Get in the car! You must be hungry right? Long flight?”

“Oh yes, it was really long.” 

“You will eat well here! Mother knows how to feed well. She will put meat on your bones. She did with me!” He guffawed out with hearty laughter, and Seungmin already knew that he would really like this man. 

“We have a room ready for you back at home, and I will show you tomorrow how to use the buses. Okay?” 

Seungmin nodded with a bit of rose to his cheeks. He found his hand wandering down to his arm which he pinched at lightly--cliché as it was. His host father coughed and the engine sputtered, then they took off away from the sounds of jet engines to the countryside which was scattered with churches with protruding steeples and all kinds of homes with red-orange roofs and perfectly symmetrical windows. Seungmin couldn’t help but keep his eyes glued to the window as they drove on to take in the whole scene. Never had he seen a place so beautiful or magical looking. They drove on past a crystal clear lake that stretched on and on to the base of a mountain appearing to claw at the heavens, and adorned in emerald green pines and other deciduous trees. If it was even possible, he had never seen greener grass in all his life. 

“Beautiful, eh?” His host father said while tuning the radio. 

“It’s amazing.” The young student said in his amazement. “Oh, do you know if there is somewhere I can change my money? I don’t have any of your money yet.” 

“Ah!” The older man said with a wink. “I know of a place. I can take you there first.” 

The radio hummed with a static fuzz as Seungmin’s host father messed with it, skipping over the channels, blurring the music and the talk radio all together. 

Seungmin tried out the best he could to make out the words he knew, but even then he didn’t focus too hard, not when he had all this to take in. 

Mad....crime....joke...violence in the South...drugs...unknown...information...hiding...red... 

“Ah!” His host father called out after changing the channel once more, “I love this song!” He held his chest with an affectionate grasp. “The song of my homeland!” 

Seungmin whipped his attention back, trying to listen to the song that sounded anthem-like, and was sung by what sounded like several men harmonizing. Seungmin tried to focus on the melody--it was nothing like he head heard before. It sounded very...honorable. 

The small car whipped up to what looked to be a gas station on the edge of the town with one single pump and a little convenience store attached to it. In the window he read the yellow and black sign saying Currency Exchange. 

“This is what you need?” 

Seungmin nodded in his thanks then stretched his legs out once he exited, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Are you coming too?” 

The older man shook his head and took out a pack of cigarettes. “I’ll gas the car, you go in.” 

The young man gave his host father one more nod, then set fourth inhaling the immaculate summer air into his lungs. It was as if the very oxygen there held the vitality of life; he almost felt bad wasting it on himself. 

The door swung open with the tiny tinkling of bells and he entered to the smell of cured meats hanging on hooks along side the dry scent of the refrigerators holding their display of soft drinks with labels that he had never seen before. He chuckled a little seeing the giant slab of meat with twine hanging from the ceiling as such. 

“Free sample?” The attendant said while he picked his teeth with a toothpick. “Foreigner?” He added after looking Seungmin up and down. 

“Yes, and no thank you. But, can I exchange my currency here?” 

The unamused man nodded in the direction of the little kiosk in the corner of the shop. He went back to reading his tabloid where he slumped in a stool surrounded by an assortment of candy and cookies. 

Seungmin picked his mother tongue first on the little screen, robotic and green, thankful to see Korean for the first time in this new place. He navigated to the options screen. Behind him, the little bells tinkled to the shop door again, followed by the sound of the attendant scrambling out of his stool, metal legs scraping the floor. 

The student turned his head around in the commotion, taking in four very strange looking customers. Firstly, they were all covered in blood in one way or another, and each of them wore clothes--pajamas from the looks of it--which were shredded, torn, and blackened by something that might’ve been soot. Three men and one woman, and they all had a bit of a crazed look to their eyes. Clearly, none of them cared that they had walked into the store looking as such. 

Seungmin pressed his body to the corner of the shop, as if this could make him invisible. The attendant cowered behind the counter with a series of scared sounding whimpers. 

“Wh-what do you want?” He asked in his native tongue with quaking breaths. 

One of the men in the group wearing a flannel with chocolate brown hair threw open one of the fridges, took out a water bottle, cracked it open, then greedily slugged the liquid down his throat. 

“Pay the man, Fox.” He said to a man with pure white hair and shattered glasses. 

The man with white hair and glasses nodded, digging through his pockets. The man with the flannel then proceeded to revenge the place, opening up snacks and shoving the cheesy dust into his mouth with gluttonous moans and crunching loudly with an open mouth. Had he not been doing something as unsavory as such, Seungmin thought that he was pretty handsome, and somewhat familiar. The other three simply stood and watched as he did so calmly, and surveyed the shelves themselves after a moment. 

The attendant clocked Seungmin with fearful and confused eyes and Seungmin truly didn’t know what to do besides melt into the corner with the currency exchange kiosk. 

A man in running clothes ran a hand through his deep brown hair, then turned to grab several first-aid supplies in his hand. Seungmin noticed that he had a horrible gash over his eye that crusted and bled into the white of his sclera. The woman approached the attendant with arms crossed over her thin camisole that was stained a number of different colors which Seungmin didn’t want to identify. He noticed that she was only wearing white socks that were nearly stained green. 

“You do currency exchange right?” She said with a bold kind of confidence. “EGP?” 

The attendant shook in his boots, then pointed a trembling finger at Seungmin. The young man nearly felt his heart stop. The woman had stern eyes that were bagged with exhaustion, but that didn’t make her any less intimating. While she too looked a wreck, there was something about her so cold and threatening that Seungmin felt like crumpling up into a ball. Over it all, she was startlingly beautiful too. 

“Are you done?” She asked him kindly, and Seungmin struggled to get out a feeble “yes.” Of course, he hadn’t actually drawn any money out yet, but this seemed to be the best answer. 

The man in running clothes dumped a large arrangement of goods on the counter with an emotionless expression: coffee drinks, shooters of alcohol, gauze and tape, Band-Aids, anti-bacterial ointment, gum, a couple lighters and toothpaste with four tooth brushes, combs, several bottles of water, sour candy, and, oddly, condoms. 

The man with white hair came behind him to provide the cash to pay, and the attendant rang the odd group up with nervous glances to the man in the flannel who destroyed the store further. That man laughed maniacally as he popped open the plastic packaging to a pastry, then shoved in as of much of it as he could, smearing white cream over his lips. 

“Bee!! You have to try this!! A day driving through the woods and this is fucking fantastic!” He jumped up and down like an ecstatic toddler--but this was a strange juxtaposition to all the blood staining his arms and the fabric of his flannel. 

“Have some decency, Your Highness.” The woman chided, then held out her hand as the bills dispensed from the little machine. 

“Your Highness?” Seungmin muttered, not really understanding why he was still in there in the first place. 

“Fucking scam.” She muttered. “Is this all that you have??” She growled at the attendant. 

“It’s a little thing!! What do you expect??” He stammered with hands thrown in the air as if she had pointed a gun at his head. 

“F, tell Carroll to wire us when we get to Egypt. This’ll barely get us a place to stay.” 

“When I get internet access, sure, I’ll try my best.” The man with white hair said with an edge to his voice, sarcasm clearly giving it a type of bite. He then took to shoving all of their goods into plastic bags since the attendant had been too fearful to do so. He slid a few spare bills onto the countertop. “This is for everything that he ate.”  

“Do you have a bathroom?” The woman demanded, and the shopkeeper nodded, giving one more fearful glance to the college student. 

“Is there somewhere around here to get clothes?” The man with running clothes asked. 

“I-In town, a couple minutes in--” 

Outside of the little store, the sound of tires screeching on cement screamed, and all four of the strangers whipped their heads in the direction. Seungmin jumped too at the sound, and held his backpack to his chest tightly as if it were some kind of safety vest. 

The four strangers gravely exchanged terrified glances before throwing their bodies to the floor without a word. 

“GET DOWN!” The woman screamed, and in milliseconds, the rapid-fire crack of machine gun bullets came shattering the glass of the convenience store. 

Seungmin too threw all of his weight to land on his stomach on the cold linoleum floors and pressed his cheek against it while his ears rang. Tiny shards of glass pricked at his hands, but this adrenaline didn’t even let him feel the pain. He was certain that he must’ve been hyperventilating, because the room had started to spin among the relentless sounds of metal shells hitting the ground and metal shelves being upended from the force. The room filled with the smell of dozen different kinds of foods as packaging was ripped open and food and drink came spilling to the ground. The shopkeeper whimpered out loud prayers in his native tongue while he hid behind the counter. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as three of the strangers whipped out hand guns from their waistbands and knelt down behind the remaining shelves to shoot back at the black van outside. 

Seungmin pinched his arm with eyes shut. 

He wished he hadn’t. 

oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. He bit the words into his lip. 

“Hey kid!” The man with white hair growled at him. ���You okay?” 

While the two of them looked nearly to be the same age, this other man with snow white hair seemed to know what he was doing, so Seungmin decided to take the smallest bit of solace in that over the deafening sound of bullets. 

“I-I think so?!” 

“Keep your head down!” He said with gritted teeth, then angled his gun with a squinted eye. 

“Bee??? Bee?” The fourth man with the flannel cried. 

“Head. Down.” She said while firing more shots. 

The room filled with a thin haze, and Seungmin covered his ears with bloody fingers. 

The strangers fired their guns until there was nothing left, then escaped hiding behind the shelves with heaving chests. The young man had curled up into the fetal position, mouth feeling deathly dry with hot tears streaming down his cheeks. 

Seungmin didn’t know that he had gone on this trip for his life to end. 

How fucking cruel fate was. 

His body shook, and he clung to his bag for dear life, waiting for it all to end, and for his time to come. Seungmin would’ve thought that in the moments before he had died, he wanted to think of all the good things that had happened in his life, but, he was disappointed to find that all he could come up with was fear. 

“Did you get a look at him?” One of the strangers yelled on the other side of Seungmin’s muffled ears. 

“NO!” One of them barked back. 

“He was wearing the crest!! The red!!” The woman called out. 

The world was black behind his eyelids, but anything was better than the scene that was actually unfolding before the terrified college student. Soon, the sounds faded, and Seungmin was then really convinced that it had finally happened. This was it. He was even still scared to open his eyes. 

A grip at his arm pulled him up. 

“You okay? They’re gone. You kinda blacked out there for a second.” It was the woman had pulled him up to his feet. 

His head spun seeing the carnage of the destroyed store, and the student became dizzier by the second. 

“I-I think I’m about to black out again--” His knees felt week and his vision blurred. 

“Hey! Hey!” One of the other strangers, the one with the running clothes scooped him back up and gave a light pat to his face. “You’re alright! See?” 

Miraculously, Seungmin really was unscathed. 

“Who-who are you? Who...who the hell were they? What the FUCK was that?” 

The four of them exchanged glances once more, communicating some kind of silent understanding between all of them. 

“What’s your name kid?” The white-haired one said as he put his gun back into his waistband. 

“S-Seungmin?” 

“Ok Seungmin, there’s a lot going on here that you really shouldn’t be aware of, and there's a lot of answers that I can’t give you, I just need to to trust me, alright?” 

“O-okay?” 

Now that the shop was devoid of windows, the summer breeze came blowing into the store--an odd contrast to the mess that was made all over the glass shards and food. 

“You’re safe now. They’ve gone. No one can hurt you.” 

“A-are you sure about that?” 

“We need to get going. I don’t know why the hell they leaved when they had us cornered, but we can’t be here for long.” The man in running clothes said with a tentative bite to his lip. 

The woman nodded. “You’re right Two.”

“What do we do with him though?” The man supposedly named Two said, motioning to Seungmin. 

“D-do?” His eyes widened to frightful full moons. “D-do????” 

“We take him with?” The man in the flannel suggested and shrugged. 

The woman rolled her eyes. “You don’t call the shots on stuff like this, Your Highness.” 

“H-Highness? What??” Seungmin blabbered. 

The man with white hair snatched the young student’s bag from his hands. “You got a laptop in that bag of yours?” 

“--H-HEY!” 

He man pulled out Seungmin’s dismal Chromebook that he had also saved several months for. 

“Hm. This will do.” 

“I guess we don’t have any other choice...” The woman rolled her eyes. “Introductions later. They could be coming back.” 

“Hey, HEY!” The shopkeeper yelled, then rose from his hiding place to look in despair at his destroyed shop, and his aging cured meat slab stuck with bullet holes on the floor. 

“We’ll take care of it all. We apologize.” The man in the flannel bowed deeply. 

Sunlight stung Seungmin’s strained eyes, and he realized that he had completely forgotten about his host father in his little car from the 80′s. To his surprise, the little car was nowhere to be seen. 

“M-my dad??” He said under his breath, also realizing that all of his belongings had gone with the man too. All he now had left to his name was his passport, a spare set of clothes, his laptop, and a couple school journals. 

“Get in.” The man named Two said while throwing open the door, but then gave him squinted wink. “Been to Egypt before?” 

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

“This mission is fucked.” Jeongin muttered to you, voice echoing slightly in the cobblestone alley. 

“Yeah, it certainly seems like it.” 

You fiddled with you new blouse. It was two times as itchy as you had expected and two times as expensive, but you had been desperate. With all of the spare supplies destroyed in the bombing, you and your partner had found yourselves hopelessly empty handed. 

“Carroll is gonna have our asses. Fuck...” Jeongin slicked a hand through his hair with a bandaged arm. “We can’t take that kid to Egypt with us!! We already have to be on high alert for the prince...and now this??” 

Your partner threw his head back incredulously against the brick wall, then stopped to watch the rest of the group sitting outside of the café and garnering odd glances from passerby's. 

“Well what the hell else to do we do??” 

Jeongin shrugged, then looking to the side shamefully. “You...know what the protocol is. We can’t stay here to watch over him until someone from the agency comes...and, we’re running out of time...White Rabbit is waiting for our correspondence..” 

“Absolutely not.” 

The poor young kid, naïve as he was, you couldn’t but help but feel bad for him. Not only was he all alone out there as he had explained, it appeared as if his host father had made off with all of his things too. It was hard to not pity the kid. 

“Y/n, you know that he’ll only drag us down. If we take him with, his life becomes our problem. If he dies, we’ll have to answer to whoever his family is and we both know that could get messy. We already have a mission: get the intel, then get the prince home. Not take that kid along with us for the joyride.” 

“You’re forgetting that they’ve seen him with us now. He’s associated with us. If we leave him in the dust, there’s gonna be an innocent kid dead in a foreign land, and it’ll be our fault for letting that happen. Do you want that to happen?” 

Your partner sucked at his teeth in thought for a moment, then groaned out. 

“I really fucking hate this babysitting thing.” 

“It’s the three of us and the two of them. The odds are still pretty much in our favor.” 

“It’s still dangerous odds.” Jeongin threw his hands onto his hips, then paced the length of the alley for a small stretch. “As of now, you’re assigned to the prince. Forget about the kid, Two and I will worry about him. The prince is the priority. If shit hits the fan, don’t even think twice, take the prince and get out. Okay? You should never leave his side.” 

You nodded in agreement, feeling a sneaky sense of pride. After all of the chaos and the uncertainty, Jeongin was really coming into his own. 

From the little patio where the others were, it looked as if Chan and Seungmin were getting a long swimmingly. You assumed that it had something to do with shared trauma. Weirdly, Chan had taken to the young man like a bit of a pet. Knowing all that the prince was going through, it made sense...perhaps this also could’ve explained why he had kissed you more than once. Anyone in his position would’ve acted as frantic as such--at least, this was what you had convinced yourself. 

Two sat with the two men wearing thick black sunglasses to hide his gnarly eye wound, sipping espresso. Jeongin started walking back towards the group when you grabbed at his arm. 

“--Wait, I need to talk to you about one more thing?” 

Your partner’s rather gaudy Hawaiian-themed shirt flapped in the breeze. “What’s that?” 

You drew him in closer. “What do you make of Two? He doesn’t strike you as suspicious?” 

“Suspicious? Why?” 

“I-I don’t know...it’s just a feeling that I’m getting. We know next to nothing about him--” 

“--But isn’t that how this goes? We’re not supposed to know things about each other? That’s the point? He’s stuck with us this far...and...” 

A couple passed by the two of you with linked arms, and Jeongin stopped his thought out of distrust of the two of them listening in. 

His voice lowered even further, “If Carroll trusts him, so should we.” The young man nodded, then patted your scratched shoulder. You winced, and he quickly apologized. “It’s...fine that you’re suspicious. Its best for us to be, you know?” 

“Expect the unexpected?” 

Your partner dished out a little eyeroll, “Yeah. Something like that.” 

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

It was as if His Royal Highness Prince Chan had never seen the inside of a public airport before. Everything was just so novel to him, and he gasped out at all the little trinkets and tchotchkes. 

As excited as he was, he still tried his best to keep a solid composure under his disguise: a cap, a hoodie, and thick framed sunglasses. The royal didn’t look the most non-descript, but you figured that it was better than nothing. 

The young kid sulked seeing the inside of the airport once more, as he had claimed that he had just left from there. You still didn’t know what to make of him all the way, but at least you could tell that he had a good heart. While in the car he told you and your companions how he had saved up all this money to travel, studied the language and arranged to go to school here too. While all of his plans had been thwarted, at least the kid was still getting to travel...with a price on his head...but still...he was getting to travel. 

Now that Jeongin had been able to contact HQ thanks to the kid’s computer, everything was arranged. Flight tickets, sleeping arrangements, supplies and Bun even knew that you were on your way. You had little desire to see that man considering how you had heard that he was one to live up to his eccentric reputation, but there was little other choice. Jeongin’s words ran through and through your head, “If Carroll trusts him, so should we.” 

Over it all, it was the prince who had worried you most. He was out in the open, and undoubtedly whoever those bastards were with the red crests would be close on your tail. Your neck strained with a pain that only seemed to grow stronger with every corner that you turned to ensure that no one was there. While the handsome prince liked to joke about how his life was on your hands, it was much more serious than that. 

You had seen the fear in his eyes that night--it was so tangible that you could practically hold in your hands. He was a man terrified of death, and he knew that he had little control over it. You had control over it, but you knew that you could only stretch yourself so far. 

Your group of five neared your gate in the international terminal lined with several dozen different kinds of multi-colored flags. You situated yourself between Two and the Prince on one of the thin teal chairs with flattened cushions. Chan tapped his hands on this knees impatiently as he inspected the place. 

“Kind of exciting isn’t it?” He said with a tiny grin. 

“What?” You moved to look at him with his obscured features. “Exciting?” 

“Yeah, you know, travelling together. It kind of feels like an adventure. I mean, they’ve got a gun to our heads, but at least we’re together right?” 

You scoffed, simply amused at how he had taken the severity out of the situation. It was clear that this prince knew little about the concept of perspective. 

“I’m not following.” 

“I get that...we need to be careful, but who said that we can’t, say, enjoy the journey?” 

“You’re saying that you want us to have fun while we’re running for our lives?” 

The prince smiled. “You know that I like having fun. That and...I’m just trying to be optimistic.” Under his cap, he slicked his brown strands back. “The three of you seem to be so tense all the time. Obviously, that can’t be good for your health--” 

You cracked out with laughter. “You’re being ludicrous, Your Highness. We have to be on high alert at all times--” 

“I said, that you could call me Chan, remember?” He rather languidly spread out his legs in his seat, removing his glasses for moment. “How about, when we go to Egypt, I take you out somewhere nice to eat? We can relax, talk, get to know eachother more--” 

You raised your hand up to silence him. “--If this is just a ploy to get me alone, I politely rescind the offer. Here I was thinking that you were concerned about all three of us...” 

“--I am!” Chan quickly piped, “I-I’ll take you all out for dinner! But...but...you’ll have to allow me to take you out for drink then. Just the two of us. I still hold to my word of wanting to get to know you.” 

The prince’s face was puffed and bloated, and scraped with little pink and red cuts, but nothing stopped him from pulling out his signature charming and persuasive grin. 

“Try to kiss me again, and I won’t hesitate. You might be royalty but I don’t ca--” 

“--Hmmm no promises.” Chan then cut in, his grin turned even more indulgent while you watched him inspect your frame in that god-awful scratchy blouse. 

Next to you, Two let out a particularly amused sounding scoff of a laugh. 

“Forward as ever, Your Highness.” Jeongin deadpanned, then buried his nose in his coffee and newspaper once again. He hadn’t gotten to finish doing so earlier. 

Seungmin, the young student stifled his own laughter which then gradually got louder and louder. “I can’t fucking believe this. Me. Kim Seungmin, the most normal-ass person in the whole world with you four: a fucking prince, secret agents...and now we’re going to Egypt??? Egypt???” 

“Why does that sound like the set up to a shitty joke?” Two popped a bubble he had blown with the gum from the convenience store. Turns out he actually had a bit of a “gum habit” as he called it. 

“Settle down kid.” Jeongin said without his eyes leaving his paper. “You’ll make a scene.” 

The prince yawned, sliding his sunglasses back on. 

“I never really did end up getting as much sleep as I would’ve liked.” If you could’ve seen his eyes, you would’ve then seen him eye your shoulder. “May I?” he politely asked. 

Rather than giving him an answer, you rolled your head around as if to say do I need to? 

Chan let out a happy little hum after resting his head on your shoulder, nuzzling in slightly. 

You met your partner’s side eye, and he repeated for you, I really fucking hate this babysitting thing. 

“Thank you Bee.” Chan softly muttered, almost too quiet for you to hear. “I really do owe you everything.” He was careful at first, but he reached out his hand to rest it atop of yours. While the action made you twitch at first, you remembered how the same action had calmed him in the van when you had escaped the gala. 

You told yourself that you were just being nice. 

The young kid pulled out a journal from his backpack and started scribbling something, Two popped a bubble, snapping it on his unnaturally white teeth, and Jeongin sipped at his coffee. 

This really was the set up to a shitty joke. 

A woman cleared her throat over the intercom and announced, Flight C1180 to Cairo will be boarding in one hour. Thank you for flying with us today. 

~🌹~

Bunch of (Ro)ses! 

@minaamhh @dazzlehoseok @synnocence @jjewibeans @hyunsluvv @unexceptional-h @bobawithchaitea @lechanters @sailorhyunjinz @silencefavarchive @eunaeiekim @lunarskzzz

[teacup-tyrant]

Kaz Brekker & Loss of Purpose

Do you ever think about how Kaz and Inej's motivations and goals over the course of SoC & CK run completely opposite to each other? Because I'm having a lot of thoughts today.

Inej spent her time in the Dregs floundering with no aim, “demanding an aim to land true.” She found her motivation and goal during the series and it ends with her off to hunt slavers, aka fulfill her life's purpose.

Conversely, Kaz was hyperfixated on taking Pekka Rollins down and the series ends with him completing his goal. So what does he have left after that? I'm sure he's having a grand time with his multiple gambling halls and running the Dregs and whatever other schemes he gets up to but NONE of that is as grandiose as The Goal that he had worked towards for years. Now, he's the one who's supporting Inej's goal, and I have no doubt that he's playing an active role in helping her (from the hints that we get in RoW). I just... idk, I hope that's enough for Kaz's Big Brain. Kaz without a problem to solve kind of worries me.

Here is my best analogy: it's kind of like how once professional athletes retire, they have no idea wtf to do with their lives. They spend most of their life training and being focused on one goal and when that's suddenly gone, they have nothing left. If they don't find something else, a lot of them fall into bad fixations like drugs or crime and over 75% of them go bankrupt (I swear to god, that's an actual NFL stat). They often don't have enough help transitioning out of their careers and then literally do not know what to do with their lives. They're used to the emotional highs, the routine, and the attention. Once your whole purpose in life disappears (i.e. your career that you've worked towards your WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE ends), sometimes your self-worth disappears along with it, and you're left with an empty shell of a person with no direction unless they have a new venture to throw themselves into and a really good sports psychiatrist.

So, what do retired professional athletes have to do with our dear Bastard of the Barrel? Loss of purpose. If they don't find a new outlet, they fall apart. I'm not saying that would happen to Kaz (it definitely doesn't happen to every professional athlete; this is just a comparison). Obviously, I hope it doesn't. Maybe he falls into a rut and then finds glorious new purpose when a certain Queen of Ravka needs him to go on a Quest For An Ancient Artifact™. (that alone worries me bc it's SO cookie-cutter of a fantasy plot and I really hope there's more to it than that for a SoC 3 premise but that's another can of worms) But I think it's just an interesting point to bring up that sometimes you can work towards something your whole life and think the world will be ~perfect~ once you achieve it, but it doesn't always turn out that way. Greener grass on the other side and all that, you know?

WHO KNOWS. I SURELY DON'T.

But anyway, thank you for coming to my excessively long TED Talk about how Kaz is actually a retired NFL player. Bet you didn't ever expect that comparison.

[5hining-aus]

SHINee’s Disney Movie Plots

Disney Anon requested a little something for their birthday and while I was thinking of what to write, I came up with an idea. If the SHINee members had their own Disney films, what would the plots be? This was the result, hope you like it!

Onew

He lives in a town known for having a high population of heroes

You know, the kind of people who always end up being the only ones who can fix the main conflict in their story

Anyway, Jinki isn’t one of those chosen ones, he’s a baker

He really doesn’t mind being normal. Sure, a grand adventure sounds fun, but he’s quite content running his little bakery in the town square

Besides, a lot of the heroes end up becoming jerks anyway

But one day, something weird happens: all the heroes have disappeared

Everybody in town is worried, but nobody does anything since “they aren’t heroes”

Eventually, Jinki decides that enough is enough and that someone has to do something, so he closes his shop, packs some food, and sets out to find a way to fix things

Along the way, he encounters many obstacles, but he keeps moving forward, using what he has available to him to solve the problems and eventually saving the day with the help of the friends he met along the way

The general tone of the movie would be fairly lighthearted, with the characters occasionally poking fun at tropes that are usually found in “chosen one goes on an adventure to save the day”-type films

Moral: You don’t need to be a hero to do the right thing OR Everybody can be a hero

Jonghyun

He’s a Prince who is going to become King soon

There’s one problem though: he has no clue what he’s doing

Actually, that’s not entirely true. He’s been taught how to be a King since the day he was born, he knows exactly what he’s supposed to do

He’s nervous. The fate of his kingdom rests on his shoulders, but he doesn’t think he’s ready

More accurately, his advisors don’t think he’s ready, and their beliefs are influencing Jonghyun and making him believe that he won’t be a good King

Eventually, he gets so filled with fear that he tries to run away

The thing is, he grew up in a palace, with servants to help him with pretty much everything. He’s never been out on his own, so he doesn’t get far

A kind elderly shopkeeper finds him huddling somewhere during a rainstorm and takes him in for the night

They have a heart-to-heart talk over some warm food (you know, as you do with complete strangers) and Jonghyun finally lets out everything that he had been holding in for so long

The shopkeeper reassures Jonghyun and gives him some advice that convinces him to return home and claim his rightful place on the throne. His reign has a shaky start, but King Jonghyun quickly becomes one of the most beloved monarchs in his kingdom’s history

Moral: Change is scary, but if you trust and believe in yourself, then you can do anything

Key

Kibum is from a small, perhaps not-so-well-off place, but he manages to get a scholarship to one of the top schools in the country.

Obviously he jumps at the chance to go to this school, but once he’s there, he feels a bit embarrassed because of where he’s from when compared to his classmates

Key starts lying, telling people he’s from another, “fancier” place

He makes friends, but it’s quite clear that some of them are only his friends because they believe that they’ll benefit from it

Eventually, people ask Key more questions about his life before attending that school, so, instead of coming clean about where he’s actually from, he lies more

It gets messy and his story starts to get confusing

Eventually, he slips up and gets found out. His “friends” pretty much abandon him, but his actual friends, while upset with the fact that he had lied to them for so long about so much, do forgive him

Moral: Be honest with yourself, and be honest with those around you. Be who you are because those that mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind

Minho

It’s your classic ‘Prince and the Pauper’ story, with Minho being the pauper

He works in the Royal Stables, tending to the animals, mucking stalls, making sure the horses are fit to ride, all that

He loves his job, he really does, but every so often, he imagines what it’d be like to be royalty

He gets to find out what it’s like soon enough though

The Prince returns home for his coronation after spending a few years abroad, and he and Minho are shocked to discover that they have very similar faces

That’s when the Prince, who had always wanted a way to escape his royal life, gets an idea

Minho and the Prince switch lives for a few days, experience everything that they want to experience, and then switch back before anybody notices

It’s the perfect plan

Or so they thought

The Prince learns fairly quickly that, when you’ve lived in luxury your whole life, manual labour is very difficult. The scrubbing, the scraping, the hauling, the brushing, it’s exhausting. Plus, there’s this one horse that he swears just has it out for him (her name is Muffin and she is Minho’s absolute favourite)

Meanwhile, Minho enjoys his first few days living as the Prince, but then he has to take care of some princely duties, and finds out that it isn’t all relaxation and fun. Nobles are horrible. And the lessons on how to be a proper King are almost worse

The duo agrees to switch back earlier than originally planned, having had enough of each other’s lives, and having a new respect for each other

Moral: The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Also, don’t pretend to know what someone’s life is like until you’ve been in their shoes

Taemin

Taem is a magic user who attends a school with other magic users

Now, at the beginning of the movie, Taemin...isn’t the most skilled member of his class

His teachers and his family all say that he’s just a late bloomer, but they’ve been saying that for years and he’s starting to think that he’ll never bloom at all

His classmates don’t help either. A lot of them bully him for not being great at magic

It also doesn’t help that everybody in his entire family is known for being very strong, very capable magic users

He’s constantly getting compared to his brother and cousins and he HATES it

His classmates gave him the nickname ‘Magic Hands’ as some sort of cruel joke

That may also be a good name for the movie

Part of him wants to quit, to leave school and just live a life without magic

But another part of him wants to prove all those jerks wrong

He chooses to do the latter, and begins practicing whenever he can

There’s a cool Rocky-esque training montage and then it’s the end of the school year

The school’s year-end Magic Showcase is going on and Taemin decides to sign up

It’s his turn on stage. The room is quiet and everybody is looking at him

He begins to panic, but then one of his biggest tormentors is all like “Look at Magic Hands, isn’t even pretending that he can do magic” and just starts heckling him

At first, Tae is mortified and about to run off the stage, but then he decides that if the people want Magic Hands Taemin, then they’ll get Magic Hands Taemin

He pulls himself together and casts his magic, causing every light in the room to go out

The usual group of jerks are about to start teasing him again, when somebody points out that something’s happened to the ceiling

The ceiling, which was once a plain old ceiling, was now covered in thousands of glittering stars

Everybody oohs and ahhs and then, with a wave of his hand, Taemin makes the stars explode, and it pretty much starts raining glitter

Taemin’s family is proud of him, his teachers are proud of him but, most importantly, Taemin is proud of himself and all he accomplished

Moral: You may not be naturally good at something, but through hard work and dedication, anything is possible

[archiveddvrpg]

Congratulations, DAPHNE! You’ve been accepted for the role of BIANCA. Admin Minnie: We were honestly thrilled just to see your name again, returned to us in the flesh, but to see that you were applying for Bunny? And to actually read this work of art (read: your application)? The other admins can attest: I was copy/pasting whole paragraphs from your application and drooling over every word. You’ve captured every intricate, glittering detail that makes our Bunny unforgettable and deliciously mean. With a meticulousness and a great deal of fun that I think Bunny would envy, you’ve done her complete justice — in fact, you may have even done better than our little Bunny deserves. As the person who plays Maeve, I’m being entirely selfish and taking a moment of silence to applaud you and wish you a very warm welcome back! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Daphne Age | 23 Preferred Pronouns | She/her Activity Level | I will generously rate myself a 7/10 given the current situation, but the next two weeks might be a bit more on the 5/10 side until I get some things sorted out! After that, I’m all in. Timezone | EST

IN CHARACTER

Character | Bianca / Bernadette “Bunny” DuPont

What drew you to this character? There’s a running theme in stories that children symbolize some form of uncorrupted good. They’re humanity’s saving grace, so blameless in their innocence that they somehow become our last hope for redemption in worlds tainted by the actions of mankind, and in the Bible, Jesus even says the kingdom of Heaven belongs to people like them. Then there’s Bunny’s namesake, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who had her first vision when she was fourteen. The Church exhumed her body on three separate occasions almost half a century after her death, and every single time, they found her corpse completely incorrupt and untouched by decay. To christen Bunny after her is so extreme a juxtaposition that it almost feels blasphemous, and yet it’s so slyly irreverent that it strikes me as being exactly something Bunny would do herself if she could. Because as much as she would have you believe she’s saintly, and as much as her identity capitalizes on the pretence of girlhood, make no mistake: Bernadette Du Pont is as corrupt as they come. And if Heaven truly belongs to people like her, then we should be scared, because where Saint Bernadette never decomposed from the outside in, Bunny reeks of rot and ruin from the inside out. It’s the kind of heavy-handed symbolism that I (and Bunny) just can’t resist, and I think a love for the worst kinds of irony and references that go six feet under (heh) is something we both share.

As that one saying famously goes, there’s something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls. Bunny is no exception to the rule. I’m fascinated by what drives her, because all her antics are motivated by a lack of motivation, and yet interestingly enough, the boredom that drives her isn’t out of deprivation; it’s built from a constant exposure to excess. Easton was defined by the fact that he had nothing, but Bunny sits at the other end of the extreme. I wanted to know how things might look from the side where the grass appears to be greener. What are the consequences of being spoiled rotten and drowned in adoration, and how does someone who’s developed so high of a tolerance derive satisfaction from what they haven’t had to earn? It was only after years of being the perfect daughter that Bunny must have learned the answer: you pry it from the hands of those who would do anything to keep it. Bunny is remorseless in her mischief. She’s a hellion of a girl, a thoroughbred so pure that all sorts of nasty recessive traits have manifested in her personality, at least under that polished veneer, but she lacks a certain seriousness that would otherwise classify her as being Gillian Flynn-esque. What she lacks in seriousness, however, she makes up for in facetiousness, and I think that helps to make her nastiness more palatable, as well as loads more fun. Fun isn’t the type of character I normally gravitate toward, but I’d love to try my hand at someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously (despite still demonstrating the capacity for occasional emotional depth). In Bunny’s life, it’s Bunny’s world, and in Bunny’s world, she plays both the princess and the pauper; the bratty little girl and the darling of Verona. But, as she often tells herself, there can only be one Bunny, and so there are certain moments where her true self must show through; where she’s prone to break character, if she’s truly as incorrigible as she seems. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of it with Bianca, but trust me when I say that no one would be happier to see how far we could push her worst possible interpretation. So Bernadette was a saint, you say. She couldn’t possibly have anything other than good intentions, never mind that they’ve only ever said one thing about good intentions in the first place. Let them eat cake, Bunny laughs from up high, surrounded by her festoon of sweets. Some will think her naive; others will think her cruel. Both, however, are right.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character?

I. CARTE BIANCA Okay, so let’s be honest. The Capulets aren’t doing so hot, and the Montagues are absolutely killing it right now, so maybe, just maybe, looking like a Montague sympathizer might not be the worst thing in the world? I keep coming back to how Bunny’s already had to rely on their mercy not once, but twice—first with Hector, and then again with Brielle—and not once, but both times, she somehow ended up with a Montague who happened to be more forgiving. Sure, we could write it off as luck, but we’re talking about Bunny here! She’s spent her entire life looking for ways to work things into her favour, so if she doesn’t see that as an opportunity to milk the situation for all it’s worth, I’d be hard pressed to believe it. I’d love to see her approach Brielle, or even Henry or Genevieve (with regards to how things played out with Hector) under the guise of common interest, or maybe even a debt to be repaid. Her name’s already been soiled, so why let that go to waste? Thanks to that video, everyone thinks they know where she stands. She was given bad cards, but not the chance to play them just right, and if Bunny had her way, she’d have you believe that she intended for it to happen from the start. So let’s go back to the beginning, then. Let’s explore the consequences of that incident, and see her try to talk her way out of trouble. We already know her strengths don’t lie on the front lines, but that’s not what makes a well-rounded team. I say, let Bunny do what she does best. Sure, it’s risky business. Sure, the Montagues might skin her alive. But maybe, just maybe, just maybe, it’s exactly what the Capulets need.

II. FOREVERLAND, NEVERLAND Bunny’s been friends with Juliana and Maeve for as long as she can remember, but the truth is that you can be acquainted with someone for a long time and never really know them. The romantic in me loves that melancholy thought: the idea that, once upon a time, things were simpler, and that it really wasn’t so long ago that they were children with few worries who needed little in common to get along. But life can change very quickly, and both Juliana and Maeve have responded in ways that prove they’re more mature than Bunny ever was. Whereas before they might have been too young to know any better, I’m sure that now they’re starting to realize that Bunny wasn’t always a good friend; Bunny, on the other hand, has stagnated. Life was good for her in her childhood, so it’s not surprising that she wouldn’t want to leave it behind. And then there’s Cyrus, who only galvanizes that. I think both of them are absolute drama queens, and so he and Bunny bring out the worst in each other, but in the best possible way. It’s fun as hell, but in this sense (and this sense alone), Bunny is aware that she’s somehow fallen behind, and it makes her insecure and gives her reason to resent the girls. I want to see how what’s left of their surface relationship falls apart at the seams as they’re forced to confront more stressful matters around each other, and as Bunny’s true nature becomes more apparent, I want one of them to call her out on it. Because aside from Katarina, who mainly does it out of spite, I don’t think anyone’s ever told Bunny something that she might not want to hear, even if it happens to be for her own good—and I dread to think of how she might take it.

III. THE IMITATION GAME Bunny’s biography mentions that she has a penchant for forgery, which, frankly, is also no surprise given the emphasis she places on appearances. But that says a lot to me about Bunny’s strengths: not only does it reinforce her ability to pretend (and double as a microcosm of her personality), it means there’s an actual tangible use that comes from her eye for detail, which is super exciting for a number of reasons. This is prime ammunition for heists in the making! It’s time for the Caps to snatch some Montague valuables from right out from under their noses!! Not right away, of course; Bunny doesn’t share anything of her own accord, not even her talents. And nothing paints a funnier picture (literally) than a privileged white girl trying to navigate the shady underbelly of the black market herself, but you can bet she’d be damned if she didn’t try. Fortune favours the bold, and so I’d like to see her succeed and maybe even rope one or two people into her growing little business, particularly those with more savoir-faire in the area than she. But fortune is also fickle, and what I’d like even more is for it to eventually blow up in her face, for her to end up in hot water with powerful clientele, and for the Capulets to have to pull her out. (And if Katarina should be involved in this, even better. Let the sibling chaos ensue.) Because then, you see, Bunny owes the Capulets big time. Then, she has more reasons to do things for the mob—you can tell that right now, her heart just isn’t in it—and less of a need to prove her loyalty. And that’s when the fun can really begin.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? Yes! We’re told to kill our darlings, after all, but I’m banking on the fact that only the good die young.

In-Character Interview: The following questions must be answered in-character, and in para form (quotations, actions written out if applicable, etc). There is no minimum or maximum limit for your response - simply answer as you would if you were playing the character.

What is your favorite place in Verona?

Oh, thinks Bunny. She doesn’t bother trying to mask her delight. It’s a difficult question; with so many excellent answers, which should she tell him? Perhaps the Phoenix and the Turtle? It does have its own homely charm, she supposes, but as a lady, she is well-travelled, and the truth is that it simply can’t hold a flame to the grand old cafes in Paris (a good cafe au lait and pain au chocolat has always been preferable to an espresso, in her opinion). Or perhaps she should say their home? The Du Pont villa is nothing short of magnificent by anyone’s standards; Bunny has spent many a day inside on her favourite chaise longue with a Sidecar in one hand and Cicero in the other. But still no, she decides, and quite vehemently, at that. It’s too mundane to make a memorable answer.

“Favourite” is such a big commitment for a word, and Bunny considers it deploringly, like a child asked to pick a single toy from their treasure chest. Why choose one when you could have them all? That’s just it, she decides. She will not pick. She will have all of Verona, or she will have none of it. Bunny smiles at her interviewer, now satisfied. “Do you have children, Signore?” She asks him, making sure to do so shyly. He answers no—a little too quickly, a little too eagerly—and though she pretends not to notice, Bunny’s smile grows ever so slightly. “Well,” she continues, eyes wide, “when I am a parent someday, I should like to be a good one, and good parents love all their children equally well, do they not?” The interviewer agrees. It’s rather unfortunate that her parents don’t fit this syllogism of hers, but Bunny doesn’t blame them, of course. It’s different when the choice is so obvious.

What does your typical day look like?

“In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I’ll put on an ice pack while doing stretches. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep cleansing pore lotion.” Bunny pauses to gage the man’s reaction, but her interviewer doesn’t interrupt. So she continues. “In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply a herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for ten minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine.” The man finally cracks a smile. For a moment, Bunny thinks he understands, and she beams. That is, until he ruins it by asking if that’s the secret to having such perfect skin, because if it is, he ought to let his wife know.

Bunny flushes with anger. She can’t understand why he would interrupt her perfect charade with such a stupid question. First of all, her glowing skin is a culmination of the best Du Pont-Alescio genes; second of all, his poor wife is probably an old hag, which means that unless she bathes in the blood of virgins, she might as well submit to her fate of being ugly for the remainder of her life. She wonders if he knows how easy it would be to ruin him—for her to approach his wife alone, inconsolable and in tears—and it calms her enough to smile down at her feet, as if the pinkness in her cheeks comes from humbly accepting his compliment, rather than shirking him for his attempt. Realizing that her clever little reference is wasted on him, Bunny then switches over seamlessly. “And then I have dance practice.” Bastian and Eleonora had been all too happy to keep indulging a hobby they thought she’d truly shown interest in; what she’d really shown interest in, however, had been the studios themselves and their many mirrors.

“I always drop by the Phoenix and the Turtle on the way back, if only to say hello to the lovely Signora who manages the cafe.” Truthfully, Bunny’s never met a more insipid woman in her life. But she of all people understands the importance of building rapport, and in this case, it comes with free pastries and a cozy nook by the corner window (which she’s unofficially claimed as her own space). “If it’s a nice day, I might go for an afternoon picnic at the Twelfth Night garden with Juliana and Maeve.” On the odd occasion that she does, this is, without a doubt, her least favourite part of it—which is why she says it if it’s a Nice day, because if she doesn’t feel like playing Nice Bunny, weather unpermitting, then absolutely nothing makes it worth the company. And even if it is a Nice day, it’s still a Maybe, because Verona is small, but the male brain is smaller still, and Bunny supposes the lack of real estate in both means that somewhere along the line, they had to sacrifice creativity. A pity, really. She’s long since lost count of the number of times she’s let a boy take her there on a date, if only because she’d been bored enough to pluck at their heartstrings like a harp.

And when it isn’t a Nice day, the interviewer wants to know? Then she might seek out a certain gentleman caller, while making it known that she truly had nothing better to do. “Then I’m home before sundown,” Bunny yawns delicately instead, as if the mere thought of it brings her fatigue. There is an idea of Bernadette Du Pont, you see, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real Bunny. Only an entity, something illusory. Maybe that’s why she loves the pointless falsehoods of routine.

What has been your biggest mistake thus far?

Bunny stills, suddenly very attentive, and wonders if this is a test. How was it that she’d accepted a hand to pull her back up, and that it had somehow dragged her down with it instead? Her lip trembles. It was the principle of the matter. Don Capulet had told her so himself, Regina Daly only waiting for him to say the word, and for the first time in her life, sitting there in his office, Bunny had been afraid. In that moment, she’d understood that there were some things from which her parents could no longer protect her. For so long, she’d been perfect. She’d set the bar high, and then higher still, until eventually she’d outdone even herself, and down she’d tumbled. It was fight or be sentenced, and so reluctantly, she’d fought, not with a gun or with her tears, but in one of the few ways she knew how: Don Capulet could deny her clemency, if that was what he wished, but he could not deny that she was truly her parents’ daughter.

Perhaps he’d changed his mind and now meant to first humiliate her. Was that what they wanted, she wondered? For her to beg forgiveness, to carve out her pyrite heart with the broken crown that came from old nursery rhymes? No, Bunny decides, casting those horrid thoughts aside. Taking that Montague boy’s hand had never been the mistake; the mistake had been thinking she was immune to making them. She’ll save her tears. They’re as precious as they come. She won’t apologize for putting herself first—not here, not now, not ever again. So Bunny sits up a little straighter. She lifts her chin and props it up on her elbows, putting on her best impression of a particular look she likes to call Bonjour, Tristesse. “Finding out how many calories are in the almond croissants at Phoenix and the Turtle,” Bunny says cheekily, her voice filled with a wistful regret. As if that had ever stood a chance at stopping her from eating them. The man laughs at this and agrees that their croissants are to die for, but Bunny can tell that he’s already writing her off as another vapid heiress. Hasn’t he ever seen what rabbits can do to a garden? This, she supposes, is the worst of her vices: not pride, nor greed, but a voracious appetite in all things bad for her.

What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

Bunny is all smiles again, pulling a golden heart-shaped necklace out from under her collar. The craftsmanship is absolutely exquisite for such a tiny piece of jewelry, and she knows it. Usually, she prefers to be more coy about who gave it to her—leaving it up to the imagination, she finds, is so much more en vogue—but she sacrifices her love for the air of mystery in exchange for the completeness of her story, which in some cases, can be equally as important. “My parents had this made in Tuscany for my eighteenth birthday,” she begins. Bunny turns the heart flat on her palm so that its apex faces the interviewer. At the bottom is a hole just big enough to fit a key. It’s a locket. “You can see the four chambers well enough, but it only fits the portrait of one person inside.” She has always made sure to phrase it exactly the same—that way, it prompts people to ask her whom she holds closest to her heart. It’s worked every single time but one, and the interviewer, of course, is not that exception. Some people guess her father; others her mother; others still guess Katarina, of all people, and Katarina, snorting, had guessed that she put herself (the closest guess by far, as Bunny had indeed briefly considered it).

“Both of them are bankers,” she says, as if a single person in Verona doesn’t know who her parents are. “And Maman has always said that secrets are as good a currency as any other.” Bunny pauses for dramatic effect and lowers her eyes; withholding information has never been more enjoyable. “I’m sure you of all people, Signore, should understand that I do not give them away freely.” The interviewer smiles and closes her fingers back around the necklace, clearly charmed by her answer. Bunny remembers Cyrus with his head in her lap on a dreadfully sunny Sunday afternoon, reaching up unprompted to examine her mechanical heart. Although she’d delivered the exact same spiel, he’d said nothing until she’d grown impatient and asked if he didn’t want to know. “I’d wager you put nothing in there,” Cyrus had mused finally, tugging on the chain to pull her closer—just close enough to see the smugness in his eyes. “Am I right, darling Bunny?” She’d swatted him away crossly. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Bunny had said, her mood now soured. She would die before granting him the satisfaction of knowing that for once, he had been right.

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

The sunlight streams through the curtains, hitting the windowpane at an angle that almost feels like a spotlight. Her thoughts? Bunny wears her allegiance like a pageant sash, and she’s long since tired of this flimsy title she hasn’t earned. Some boring old man said once that there was no avoiding war. But she’s distracted, and can’t quite remember which of them had said it—not all of them are old, but all of them are men, and most of them are boring, so who can blame her, really? Her thoughts, thinks Bunny with a callous satisfaction, would shock this man into cardiac arrest. But the show must go on, and so Bunny Du Pont, ever an advocate of the people, folds one leg over the other and schools her features into the perfect combination of innocence and remorse, intent on giving him exactly just that. If the interviewer has any remaining doubts, then this should throw him off her trail for good. “It’s awful,” Bunny says softly. Her breath catches in her throat. This much, she doesn’t have to fake: it’s so bland of a statement that she almost chokes on it (at the very least, it’s on brand with that terrible video). It’s not that Bunny doesn’t find the war quite awful; just that she finds it awfully tedious. Sure, the violence had been somewhat exciting at first, but her amusement for even that has already worn thin, fading with the shine of all things new. The burden of responsibility, on the other hand, has not. Bunny chews on her lower lip, her eyes already dewy, but not quite for the reason he thinks. Still, she decides to give the poor man one last chance. “I don’t suppose you have a penny, Signore?” The interviewer does not. Bunny pouts. Ah, well. World peace it is.

In-Character Para Sample: (tw; suicide)

JAMES DEAN AND THE (FRENCH-)ITALIAN DREAM STARRING THREE-TIME IMAGINARY AWARD NOMINEE, BUNNY DU PONT*

Lately, Bunny’s been having the same dream.

She’s sitting in the second dining room of the Du Pont family villa (the one her parents normally reserve for their important guests), still clad in her silk pajamas and about to reach for a strawberry meringue, when suddenly, over the tiers of cupcakes and chocolate fountains and swan-shaped fruit centerpieces, she notices an incredibly calm (and almost certainly dead) young man in a red jacket and jeans slouched at the other end of the table.

The first time it happens, she almost topples forward into the custard pudding.

“Hello, Bunny,” says the American movie star. He looks as if he could have walked straight out of his poster last month at the Rivoli, and Bunny wrinkles her nose, as if by refusing to acknowledge his presence, he’ll get the message and walk straight back (he doesn’t, of course; to think she would have learned by now). He’s got some nerve to be smoking a cigarette in the comfort of her very own home,  especially when he comes unwelcome and uninvited.

“Put that out, please,” Bunny sniffs. The please is ornamental—let it be known that Bunny Du Pont was raised with nothing less than impeccable manners—but she only deems it fit to address him once it becomes apparent that he isn’t going anywhere. Movie star or not, there are no exceptions. Bunny Du Pont doesn’t dream about boys, not even for James Dean. Quite the contrary, in fact; they dream about her. If there’s one place she can afford to be candid, it’s in the safety of her own conscience, or a lack thereof, and so a triumphant little smirk settles on her face, her cheeks going rosy with pride.

“So the dead do dream, then?” James muses. Bunny startles, unaware that she spoke out loud. Then she remembers that here, of all places, she doesn’t have to, and sneers at him sweetly.

“Well, you would know better than I, wouldn’t you?”

He shrugs, unperturbed. “So would Roger O’Hara, I reckon.”

The name of the mild-mannered boy who’d helped her through school wipes the sneer right off her face. Sweet, poor Roger O’Hara had been the smartest boy in her class. Then he’d gone back to America for school overseas and ended his life a month after. It didn’t take, they’d said, but what exactly didn’t take wasn’t altogether too clear. What was clear, thought Bunny, was that it was incredibly rude to imply that she was responsible for his mental state of being, just because she’d coerced him into becoming second-smartest—

“What’d he like to call you again? Jenny?”

It had been a running joke between the two of them: the Hare and the Bunny, Roger and—

“Jessica,” Bunny says, reluctant.

His annoyingly perfect brow furrows.

“Right,” James says finally, taking another puff of his cigarette. “See, that was after my time.”

“Oh, don’t be pretentious,” Bunny frowns. She throws a grape at his head to emphasize her disapproval, and yet can’t help admiring his (or would it be considered hers?) dedication to character. James—er, Not-James—is only herself, after all. How else would they be able to understand each other? He knows everything she does.

“And a little more,” Not-James tacks on helpfully. Bunny glares.

Why couldn’t it have been Donatella or Mademoiselle Bardot?

The fourth time he shows up, Bunny decides to try a different tactic.

“You know,” says Bunny, with far too casual of an air to be up to any good, “that car crash was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to you.”

She peeks at him over her cuticles. Not-James watches her, eyebrows raised, gaze steady. He doesn’t take the bait. Well, she decides petulantly, that’s all fine and good. She doesn’t need him to egg her on anymore: she’s already so far into her bratty little whirlwind of a tantrum that she might as well commit. Everybody only loves him because he’s tragically and woefully dead, anyway, so the sooner he knows the truth, the better.

“If you were alive,” Bunny says matter-of-factly, “you would have just grown old and become a washed-up has-been.”

Like the rest of us will, she leaves out.

Not-James stubs out his cigarette. Bunny stares at him defiantly, eyes glittering, her hands bunched into fists, and for a second, victory tastes sweeter than anything in front of her. But then he stalks over, crosses the table in less than five strides, and knocks her chair over so swiftly that she can’t help but let out a rather unladylike shriek, flailing helplessly as James Dean sweeps her off her feet. The world slides forward, her chair tips backward, and Bernadette Du Pont finds herself falling almost all too suddenly, sinking down through her family’s treasured antique ceramic tiles and into a rabbit hole of darkness with no end in sight.

“Self-pity ain’t a good look on you, Bunny,” the so-called man of her dreams calls down from above. “See you on the other side.”

When she sits up in bed, she’s shaking. Not out of fear—okay, maybe slightly out of fear, but mostly out of fury—and she pushes her sleeping mask off in a frantic sort of frenzy, well aware that if anyone could see her right now, they’d be laughing at the sight of such a tiny girl, trembling with more anger than her body could ever hope to hold.

See you on the other side, he’d said ominously. Bunny fumes. It’s insulting in every possible sense of the word, no matter whether he meant the world of the living, the dead, the awake, or the has-beens. Self-pity? Bah humbug! She’ll show him the other side. Bunny goes to sleep that night on ten milligrams of Niotal, and when she wakes up the morning after having slept like a baby, she preens in contentment at her own cleverness—that is, until she sits up. Not-James is lounging casually in her armchair, flipping through a newspaper printed from the day he died.

“Don’t you dare Adele me,” Bunny warns, cutting him off before he has the chance to ask who that is.

She flops back down onto her bed and stares at the ceiling.

Well, fudge.

LA FIN

*Note: no Bunnies were harmed in the making of this production.

Extras:

Character inspirations: Veruca Salt and Marisa Coulter are the big ones; also Florence Pugh’s young Amy March, Amma Crellin, Margaery Tyrell, and the Princess from The Swineherd

((I just want to say that I got more carried away with this than I expected!! So thank you for taking the time to go through this, especially if you made it to the end! :) ))

[carrotcouple]

The Grass Is Always Greener When You Love Me Deeper, Darling (AO3)

Happy Birthday to my wifey @rest-in-bees! You mean the entire world to me! Thank you for being by my side for the past three years! I wrote you crack and fluff with no angst!

The days have been calm, boring even. Everything goes perfectly. He wakes up, answers the multiple messages from Gin, Chuuya, Dazai and Higuchi on his phone, occasionally he has one or two messages from Atsushi, but those are usually random. He goes to the Port Mafia and does his work for the day, steals, destroys, lies and sometimes spills blood on Mori’s orders. Higuchi is always by his side making things as smooth and easy as possible for him. They’ve changed over the years, the two of them. They’ve settled in a friendship and partnership that makes it easy to interact. Of course, things are very different with the weird push and pull that Gin and Higuchi have been doing and the space between them that has gotten smaller and smaller with every interaction.

Ryuunosuke supposes he will have to talk to Gin about that soon.

In other words, Ryuunosuke is very bored. 

Nothing exciting is happening, aside from coming back home to have pistachio shells strewn all over his bed like rose petals, courtesy of Dazai. 

It’s not that Ryuunosuke is dissatisfied. He’s very pleased with how things have settled down and as he’s changed over the years, he finds this stability very calming.

Too calming actually.

He’s aching for a fight, for some kind of drama, for his heart to beat so hard he would be able to hear it in his ears and feel it in his fingertips. 

The rush that he used to feel back when he first met Atsushi is gone.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t feel it. He does feel it every now and then when he has to fight a particularly annoying group of idiots or when he meets Atsushi and his brain teeters on switching to fight or flight mode. He doesn’t get why though. 

Of course, Gin has noticed his restlessness by now and is joining Dazai in his attempts to make Ryuunosuke’s life a little more exciting. Now Ryuunosuke wakes up to life like wax statues of the grudge in his room and he’s this close to murdering both Dazai and Gin.

Luckily, with Rashoumon always with him, Ryuunosuke doesn’t fear anything other than Dazai when he has that no good grin on his face. So those wax statues are promptly and stoically disposed of.

If his neighbors screamed in terror at the sight of the grudge in the dumpster...well...that has nothing to do with him.

Anyways, Ryuunosuke is still bored and slouches on the sofas in the longue of one of the Port Mafia buildings. Higuchi tries to cheer him up with baked goods and rumors of underground wars they might have to quell.

It is on one such day, as Higuchi is trying to shove a document on the history of a Yokohama drug trafficking into his face, that Ryuunosuke receives that fateful phone call from Chuuya.

“Chuuya san,” Ryuunosuke picks up the phone immediately. He has a certain respect for the man. His fighting prowess is like no one else’s and he can put up with Dazai, in fact even push the man around himself sometimes. That deserved respect.

“Akutagawa! I need your help!” Chuuya shouts into the phone.

And Ryuunosuke’s heart goes thump, thump.

Chuuya needing his help. That doesn’t happen everyday. Chuuya tends to finish all of his missions flawlessly with no help at all. To ask Ryuunosuke for help, it has to be something very serious, something that can relieve Ryuunosuke’s boredom.

“What do you need?” Ryuunosuke is already dashing out of the longue, Higuchi shouting after him. 

“I need you to go somewhere,” Chuuya is shouting and Ryuunosuke can hear the rush of air, meaning that Chuuya is flying.

“I can get anywhere immediately with Rashoumon,” Ryuunosuke says.

“OK, do you remember the alley behind Agni Cafe?” Chuuya asks and honestly, how could Ryuunosuke forget that alley, the place where he first met Atsushi and had made Rashoumon bite his leg clean off?

“I’m right near there, actually,” Ryuunosuke says, moving as fast as he can. It doesn’t take long to see the alley and practically dive towards it.

“Right, when you get there you’ll see-” Chuuya is still flying and still shouting and Ryuunosuke slides into the alley and prepares for a fight, “-three kids that aren’t from around here, are lost and need to be escorted safely back to wherever they need to go!”

Ryuunosuke nearly spits up a lung. 

There are indeed three kids, two boys and one girl. They look like they’re maybe seven years old. They’re wearing backpacks and holding hands. Ryuunosuke almost drops his phone. The three children look up at him and Ryuunosuke has to resist the urge to leave immediately. 

“Chuuya san,” Ryuunosuke says slowly.

“You have to do it OK?” Chuuya shouts. “I would do it, but I’m on the trail of a bunch of cockroaches!”

“But I-” Ryuunosuke is desperate.

“No excuses! Bye!” And the call cuts. Ryuunosuke pulls his phone away from his ear to stare at it in pure disbelief. Why would Chuuya call him to escort a bunch of kids when he could have called maybe Atsushi?

“Ah! It’s the oniichan with the black fancy coat that Chuuya niisan talked about!” The little girl brightens up and the two boys instantly start clamouring in excitement.

“Did you see him fly?”

“He wasn’t flying!”

“Yes, he was!”

If this is some plot of Dazai’s that Chuuya has been talked into helping out with, Ryuunosuke is going to gruesomely murder his former mentor.

------o------

When Atsushi walks into the cafe, he is stunned at the number of flower vases crowding the shop. It doesn’t seem that out of place for a cafe, but Atsushi has been frequenting this shop for four years now and they’ve never had so many flowers. Lucy, his best friend, is behind the counter and muttering to herself. She looks up at him and nods. Atsushi quickly takes a seat. 

Lucy knows what he likes. 

The flowers aren’t flashy or too fragrant. They’re all small bouquets of forget-me-nots and gardenias. They’re lucky that none of the customers that visit the cafe are allergic to pollen or have asthma, otherwise Atsushi is sure the Master would have never allowed the flowers to be put up.

Was the shop trying to change the aesthetic?

“Here,” Lucy puts a coffee and a brownie with ice cream down in front of him. Then she slides into the seat across from him, holding a tall pink lemonade for herself. 

“So, what’s...with all the flowers?” Atsushi asks. Lucy sighs heavily and takes a long sip of her lemonade. There are no customers, so she is free to just sit with him.

“That’s what I want to know,” Lucy says.

“Lucy chan has a secret admirer,” Youko chuckles from the counter and Atsushi glances at the poor lady that Dazai has asked to strangle him one too many times. Then he looks back at Lucy who has her face buried in her hands.

“Ah…” Atsushi says in understanding. Now the choice of flowers make perfect sense.

“Please,” Lucy says into her hands, “tell her not to waste her salary on me,”

“What are you talking about?” Atsushi asks, leaning back and eating a spoonful of brownie and ice cream. “She does what she wants.”

“But this is too much!” Lucy looks up. 

“It’s not like she’s asking you out,” Atsushi says.

“That’s the problem! If she was asking me out, I could reject her!” Lucy snaps. 

“What’s the big deal? Just accept it. She doesn’t listen to anyone. And anyways, it’s not like you’re against it.” Atsushi shrugs at his best friend and Lucy mumbles something into the wood of the table.

“How has your day been so far?” Lucy asks, trying to change the subject. Atsushi takes pity on her and accepts her feeble attempt.

“Stopped a bomber with Kenji kun. The guy was trying to imitate Kaji Motojirou from the Port Mafia,” Atsushi explains. “Then I discovered Dazai san has been stealing things from my kitchen? Kunikida san beat him up for me.”

“Sounds like him,” Lucy nods.

“But what I can’t understand is why he seems to be stealing pointless things,” Atsushi tells her. 

“Such as?” Lucy asks. 

“The broken and rusted spatula Kyouka was going to attempt to use for something, burnt out candles, unshelling all of our pistachios and taking the shells only and other various things of the sort. To the point where Kyouka and I didn’t even realize things were missing until we thought about it.” Atsushi shrugs. 

“Speak of the devil,” Lucy mutters as the door opens and Dazai sings out a greeting and behind him comes Kyouka. 

“These are a lot of flowers!” Dazai comments. “Are they for me?”

“You wish,” Lucy rolls her eyes. 

“Ah, your coldness is blinding,” Dazai fake swoons and Kyouka frowns behind him. Then Dazai takes Lucy’s hand and Kyouka instantly smacks him on the back of his head.

“Ouch! Kyouka chan!” Dazai whines.

“Dazai san, do us a favor and leave us alone,” Atsushi deadpans. “Your advances are wasted on someone who is just about as gay as I am.”

“It’s fine. Dealing with him is equal to dealing with an idiot,” Lucy says. Dazai fake swoons again and Atsushi is tempted to call Chuuya and let Dazai listen to him scream at him. Kyouka smacks Dazai again and turns to Lucy.

“Are you OK?” she asks and Lucy flinches and turns red.

“Yes,” Lucy nods. “I am fine,”

“We only came to get something for Ranpo san before he heads out for his case,” Kyouka says. “We will be on our way soon,” she dips her head towards Lucy and then drags Dazai by the back of his coat to the counter where Dazai’s attention immediately switches to Youko who takes what he says in stride and quickly prepares what Kyouka orders. 

“Someone’s staring,” Atsushi hums into his coffee cup. 

“Shut up,” Lucy bites out. 

Atsushi just shrugs and finishes up his brownie. 

Kyouka ends up dragging Dazai out who waves enthusiastically and then his eyes zero in on Atsushi, a wild grin spreading across his face. A shiver crawls up Atsushi’s spine and he immediately feels the urge to check every single thing he owns and also make sure everyone he knows is not being faced with something unexpected. 

And then the cafe door shuts. 

“Lucy, please, if I die, my belongings go to you and Kyouka,” Atsushi blurts. 

“What the fuck?” Lucy asks, her eyes judging him. 

“And also, the stash of fancy high class tea I never use goes to Akutagawa,” Atsushi continues, absolutely terrified. With very good reason, Atsushi believes. The last time Dazai had smiled like that at someone, it had been Chuuya and Atsushi had watched Chuuya nearly destroy their office after he learned that Dazai had somehow changed his name on several of his official documents to ‘Dazai Chuuya’.

Well, they did actually get married after that debacle. 

But still! What’s terrifying is terrifying!

“Speaking of Akutagawa…” Lucy trails off. “How is wooing him going?”

“I’m sorry?” Atsushi chokes out. Being shocked is a horrible move. One of Lucy’s absolutely maniacal grins stretches across her lips and Atsushi shivers. 

------o------

Gin, Ryuunosuke believes, was an incredibly well behaved child. When they crawled in the streets searching for food, she never complained, even when her stomach grumbled loudly, she would hold onto his tattered shirt silently. When he got into fights, Gin would never let herself get caught, she would crawl into shelter if the fight was too much for her, or she would flawlessly lessen his opponents. When he would have to go somewhere, she would wait for him. When they couldn’t sleep on cold nights, she only smiled in absolute delight as he used Rashoumon for puppet shows to take her mind away from the cold. She never strayed from his side. 

Ryuunosuke was horribly naive to think that all children could be like Gin. 

It’s only been two minutes and he’s already lost sight of one of the boys. 

This makes the other two start wailing and shrieking in absolute distress. Ryuunosuke wants to yell at them to shut up for maybe five seconds so he can at least attempt to remember the last time he saw the little devil. But they’re attracting enough attention as it is. He doesn’t want to have to deal with people trying to call the police on him for trying to make a bunch of little brats stop crying. 

“Keiji kun!” The little girl starts screaming hysterically and then she starts to run off. Ryuunosuke nearly has an aneurysm. 

“Wait right there!” He snaps a little harsher than he needs to be, but he can’t help it. His only experience with children are Gin, Elise and Q. The girl freezes, but miraculously shuts up, turning to look at him with wide tear filled eyes. The boy that is still standing near Ryuunosuke looks up at him with similarly tear filled eyes, except now he looks scared. 

Fuck.

Ryuunosuke takes a deep breath. 

Calm down, think of them as Gin. Think of them as Gin. What would Atsushi do in a situation like this?

“If you run off, we’ll also have to search for you,” Ryuunosuke says slowly, nearly gritting out every word through his teeth. “That’s why we should look for…” Ryuunosuke pauses. He doesn’t know the name of the child they just lost. 

“Keiji kun,” the boy next to Ryuunosuke supplies helpfully. 

“We’ll look for Keiji kun together,” Ryuunosuke says. The little girl brightens up and she immediately dashes back to Ryuunosuke, grabbing his hand with her tiny one. Ryuunosuke flinches, pulling away from her grip instantly. She stares up at him with confused eyes. 

She doesn’t understand.

Ryuunosuke’s hands are littered in scars and callouses. He’s broken his hands time and time again to live. To live like a murderer. He shouldn’t be holding hands with a little girl who had no idea how much blood is on his hands. The only person aside from Gin willing to hold his hand is Atsushi when they’re helping each other stumble away from a finished fight.

“My name is Nana!” she beams, her tearstained face transforming. She grabs at his hand again, and this time, her grip is as tight as a child her age can make it. 

“I-I’m Koutarou!” The boy next to Ryuunosuke says. He doesn’t reach for his hand, thankfully. Instead, his fingers latch onto Ryuunosuke’s coat. 

“Oniichan, what’s your name?” Nana asks him. 

Everyone knows that Akutagawa Ryuunosuke is a mass murderer. 

“Ryuunosuke,” Ryuunosuke huffs. They aren’t going to meet him ever again, so it isn’t a problem. 

“Ryuu niichan!” The two of them chirp at the same time, their eyes sparkling. 

Ryuunosuke is going to kill something.

“No,” Ryuunosuke breathes out through clenched teeth, telling himself to think of Gin. Think of Gin. “You will only call me oniichan.”

“OK!” Both of them are undeterred by the sudden spike in his bloodlust. When he was asking for things to get interesting, this wasn’t what he was asking for.

“Now, let’s go find...Keiji kun,” he says and the three of them retrace their steps back to where they started from. They find him soon enough, pressed against the glass of a confectionery shop. He’s getting the glass dirty with his grubby fingers and his nose. 

“Keiji kun!” Nana and Koutarou shout happily at the same time. He turns to look at them and smiles. 

“Oh! Koutarou kun! Nana chan! Oniichan!” he says, like nothing’s wrong. 

“What do you mean ‘oh’?” Ryuunosuke snaps before he can stop himself. Keiji’s eyes widen. Eh, well, he’s already started, so he might as well go the full mile. “Do you realize what could have happened to you? You got separated from your guardian in Yokohama. Do I need to enlighten you on how dangerous this city is?” He’s the most frustrated that he actually had to go looking for a child that wasn’t concerned in the least by the fact that he had gotten separated from his group while Ryuunosuke had to deal with his two hysterical friends. 

Keiji’s nose starts to wrinkle and Ryuunosuke watches his eyes go shiny. 

Oh for the love of God.

“Oniichan is right!” Nana comes to the rescue, sounding very stern, like she wasn’t trying to go her own way two minutes ago. “Teacher always tells us that we’re supposed to keep an eye on each other and hold hands! Keiji kun let go of my hand!” Nana says matter of factly and then holds out her hand to Keiji who seems to try to hold back his tears as he takes Nana’s hand. 

“Now,” Ryuunosuke says, already exhausted. “Let’s go to the nearest police box.”

------o------

 “Now, now,” Lucy leans forward and onto her elbows, her chin resting on the back of the folded hands. Atsushi hates that smile on her face. “Why don’t you tell me how your relationship with Akutagawa has been developing?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Atsushi splutters, he can feel the heat in his face. He’s probably blushing up a storm and Lucy just sits there, staring at him with that knowing look on her face. 

“Atsushi, you do know that you’re a terrible liar, right?” Lucy asks him. 

“I know,” Atsushi hisses. “Just…” he slams his face onto the table, “I don’t think that many people have noticed…”

“Everyone has, Atsushi,” Lucy leans back, sipping on her lemonade. Oh how the tables have turned. “Everyone except for Akutagawa himself.”

“That’s because this is just me realizing he’s attractive, OK?” Atsushi snaps. “I don’t have a crush on him yet! I’ve just realized he looks nice!”

“And he’s your type,” Lucy stirs her lemonade.

“And he’s my type!” Atsushi exclaims reluctantly. “But, that doesn’t mean I want to date him or something!” 

“By the way, isn’t that him right there?” Lucy asks, suddenly looking out of the window curiously. 

“Huh?” Atsushi turns to look and almost chokes on his coffee. Lucy is right. Akutagawa is walking quite a bit of distance from the cafe and he’s holding the hands of three small children. Atsushi slams his hands down on top of the table as he shoots up to his feet. “No way!” Atsushi hisses, pressing his hands and face against the shop window in absolute horror. “Why is he with three kids?”

“Maybe he’s kidnapping them?” Lucy says, watching in disinterest. 

“Why?!” Atsushi screeches. 

“I mean, doesn’t the Port Mafia pick homeless kids off the street?” Lucy asks him. 

“They do! But!” Atsushi practically flattens his face against the cafe window. “Those kids don’t look homeless?”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Lucy raises an eyebrow at him. Atsushi glanced back at her for a second and then realizes Akutagawa is going to leave his sight in a bit. 

“I’m going to follow him and stop him if I need to!” Atsushi declares. Before Lucy can say another word, Atsushi has leapt over his seat and dashed out the door. He hears her calling his name but he’s too busy wondering how to fend Akutagawa off without involving the children. 

But first and foremost, Atsushi has to find out what Akutagawa is up to. So he slips into ‘stealth mode’, as Dazai likes to call it. It’s something Dazai took him two whole years to teach. Atsushi has perfected it now and can slip up behind Kunikida easily. The downside of using this in public is that people around him often fail to notice he’s there and accidentally bump into him. So now Atsushi has to maneuver his way around perfectly and quietly while keeping an eye on Akutagawa from an appropriate distance. 

And then one of the boys spots a shop on the side and stops, stepping away from Akutagawa. Akutagawa doesn’t realize it at first but he freezes the next second and spins around, murderous intent on his face. 

“Keiji kun!” he barks. The child attempting to become one with a glass display flinches and turns to look at Akutagawa. Atsushi may or may not have used his tiger vision to keep an eye on things properly. And he watches the little boy tremble. This calls for Atsushi to interfere!

“I’m sorry, Oniichan!” The boy wails and immediately rushes forwards to take the hand of the little girl holding Akutagawa’s hand. The little girl frowns.

“We just told Keiji kun not to wander!” The girl pouts. Akutagawa sighs like everything in the world is testing his patience and then rolls his eyes. 

“Let’s go,” he says. 

So Atsushi may not have moved from his hiding spot. But things were looking really interesting and he has not yet determined that Akutagawa was going to harm the children. So Atsushi follows silently. Watching Akutagawa holding the hands of two children is making his heart do weird things in his chest.

Atsushi has only followed them for another thirty seconds when the little girl screeches in absolute delight, lets go of Akutagawa’s hand and dashes towards a toy shop with anime character design posters on the front. 

“Hey!” Akutagawa snaps. “Nana chan!” The little girl is too lost in her own world to even hear him. Atsushi hears a familiar crackle and his heart leaps in his chest. 

No way, even Akutagawa should know better right?

Rashoumon extends from Akutagawa’s coat and Atsushi dashes forward. Only to stop when Rashoumon merely curls around the strap of the girl’s backpack and tugs her slightly backwards, halting her in place. Rashoumon slithers out and grabs the backpacks of the two boys as well. 

“I should have done this first,” Akutagawa groans. 

“Woah! What is this oniichan?” The little girl asks in absolute delight, forgetting the shop she had been looking at earlier. 

“It’s my gift, Rashoumon,” Akutagawa says, rubbing his forehead. Luckily, no one has actually noticed Akutagawa using Rashoumon. Akutagawa is kind of well-known after all, Atsushi muses. 

“Gift?” one of the little boys lights up. 

“My mom says that people with gifts are scary,” the other boy says. 

“That’s not wrong,” Akutagawa says. “But that’s not completely true either.”

Oh? Atsushi leans forward in interest. Is Akutagawa of all people giving three children a Gifted People 101?

“Just like how there are good people and bad people, some people use their gifts for good things and some people use them for bad things as well,” Akutagawa grimaces at this, probably thinking of all the gifted in the Port Mafia. Atsushi doesn’t blame him. They are a prime example after all. And the detectives in the Agency also worked on their own moral system. “I know someone who has a very strong and dangerous gift, but he can also do wonderful things with that gift.”

Atsushi flushes, was he talking about Chuuya? 

“Really?” The little girl asks, patting the tendril of Rashoumon attached to her backpack. 

“Yes,” Akutagawa says. “Now can we please finally make some progress towards the nearest police box?” He sounds like all of his patience has left him and he’s keeping himself from ditching these children with what little willpower he has. 

Wait, police box?

Atsushi’s heart does a clearly unhealthy and unnatural flip inside his chest. 

Akutagawa was helping a bunch of lost children! What the heck?

Atsushi shakes his head, turns towards the wall of the building he’s been hiding against and slams his face into the bricks. 

I know he’s your type, but you have to get a hold of yourself!

He can almost see Dazai, Chuuya, Lucy, Kyouka and Ranpo laughing at him in the back of his mind and he slams his face into the building a couple more times, ignoring the looks people are giving him. Excuse him, it’s not like it’s his fault that gifted people all seem to have something wrong in the head. He is clearly gifted, so it’s a given that he’s a little insane. Yes.

“Alright, let’s go back to following them,” Atsushi turns back towards Akutagawa and the children, only to see they’re gone. “Ah! I lost them!” Atsushi cries out. But they were heading towards the nearest police box so Atsushi knows which direction they’re heading. Atsushi quickly rushes in the direction of the police box, wondering why it didn’t occur to Akutagawa to leave the children at the Detective Agency. 

And Atsushi is so focused on heading towards the police box, he almost misses the fact that Akutagawa has moved to the side. Or rather, the children have. They’re crowding around an ice cream stand, absolutely sparkling. Akutagawa looks disgusted. 

“We need to leave,” Akutagawa hisses.

“Oniichan! Buy us ice cream!”

“Ice cream!”

“Ice cream! Ice cream!”

Akutagawa looks up to glare at the ice cream vendor, like it’s his fault for existing at all in that one place that distracted the children and Atsushi stifles a laugh as the vendor yelps in terror. Atsushi has been on the receiving end of worse glares from the mafioso. The look Akutagawa is giving the vendor is just very displeased, not I will murder you if you so much as move your mouth, so Atsushi isn’t very concerned. 

If anything the displeased look is kind of sexy, Atsushi reasons. 

“Stop!” Atsushi whisper-shrieks to himself and slaps his hands against his face. “Stop! Stop! Stop!” Atsushi slaps his face repeatedly, once again ignoring the looks people around him are giving him. “Don’t give Dazai san and Lucy more reasons to torment you!”

But he is sexy! Atsushi’s mind betrays him. 

“I know!” Atsushi snaps, pinching his cheeks and daring his mind to betray him again. 

“OK, fine, what flavors do you want?” Akutagawa gives up and takes out his wallet. The three children at Akutagawa’s feet brighten like the sun and rush to hug him. Akutagawa looks absolutely horrified. Atsushi will have to see what kind of look Akutagawa would give him if he hugs him. 

“He’ll probably kill you,” Atsushi mutters. 

“Are you their older brother?” the vendor has the gall to ask Akutagawa. 

“I have a younger sister, but she is much more behaved than these three,” Akutagawa deadpans. 

The vendor chuckles very awkwardly and hands the children their ice cream as Akutagawa glares at him. Akutagawa pays him, looking like he would rather rip out his own liver than hand over money for some flimsy frozen flavored cream. 

Atsushi may be a little in love.

“Excuse me?” Atsushi asks himself incredulously. 

Oh god, he thinks he may be a little in love.

Why?

Two years of reluctant partnership and two years of a strange kind of friendship and one month of realizing Akutagawa is his type and Atsushi is in love?

Does that even make sense?

Of course it doesn’t. Atsushi must be overthinking things. 

“Let’s go,” Akutagawa says and he looks like he’s said that enough times to hate saying it. Just as he says this, one of the boys steps forward, trip and falls over, ice cream and all. 

“Koutarou kun!” The two other children cry out. The boy sits up, looking stunned with butterscotch ice cream all over his uniform and dirt on his forehead. For a moment he looks like he’s about to burst into a crying fit of distress, when the bit of Rashoumon that’s attached to his backpack lifts him up and to his feet. 

Atsushi watches in absolute awe as Akutagawa bends over examining the boy’s knees and then sighs like the most inconvenienced person in the world and uses Rashoumon to clean the front of the boy’s uniform and rub the dirt off the boy’s forehead. 

“Don’t cry from something that small. I will buy you another ice cream so watch where you’re going next time,” Akutagawa says. Then he stands up and turns around to glare venomously at the ice cream vendor. “You should know what I need right?” Akutagawa asks flatly. 

“Yes!” The vendor cries out, scrambling to get another cone of butterscotch ice cream. He hands the cone over to the little boy and the child smiles brightly despite the redness around his eyes. 

“Oniichan! We won’t get distracted anymore!” The girl tells Akutagawa. 

“That would be prefered,” Akutagawa says and Atsushi can tell Akutagawa doesn’t believe the little girl at all. But surprisingly, the rest of the trip to the police box is uneventful. With Rashoumon attached to the children’s bags and Akutagawa’s flat look that says ‘no’, they arrive in no time. 

“There’s the police box, oniichan!” The children tug on Akutagawa’s clothes. 

“I know,” Akutagawa says. “I can’t go there, so the three of you will have to go there by yourselves. Don’t get distracted, I’ll be watching you.” 

After all, Akutagawa is still wanted. Sure, the Port Mafia has helped with keeping the city safe from outside threats, but they still are the living and breathing darkness that dwells in the night. Atsushi feels a little sad about that. It makes it significantly harder if he wants to invite the other on a date. 

Atsushi doesn’t even bother fighting his own mind at this point. 

“OK…” the children look upset. 

“Oniichan,” the child that had said that gifts were scary and had also dropped his ice cream looks up at Akutagawa, “who is that person you were talking about earlier? The one with the dangerous gift?” Akutagawa frowns and then makes a face like he’s eating something sour. 

“He’s...my partner...you could say...but that’s not important! Go to the police box!” Akutagawa snaps. 

Atsushi’s entire face is on fire.��

If I don’t ask him out on a date right now, I will make Kyouka stab me.

------o------

Nana, Koutarou and Keiji cling to his coat, looking up at him with those puppy dog eyes that Ryuunosuke is sure would be devastating if he isn’t more enamoured by chilling, glow-in-the-dark, tiger eyes. 

“Run along now,” Ryuunosuke nudges them with Rashoumon. Nana tears up and then hugs his leg. 

“I will come back to see you again, oniichan!” she says tearfully. The boys clamour in agreement. 

“Please don’t,” Ryuunosuke deadpans. They don’t hear him. They hold each other’s hands and then rush towards the police box. Ryuunosuke watches them slip into the police box and sighs. “Not like you guys will ever actually manage to see me again.” Ryuunosuke turns around. 

“Now, you don’t know that,” Atsushi says. Ryuunosuke nearly stabs him with Rashoumon in surprise. Atsushi’s face is red. Ryuunosuke suddenly realizes what’s going on. He nearly turns purple from the pure indignation. 

“How long have you been here?” Ryuunosuke bites out. Depending on his answer he might stab him less. 

“Since you passed the Detective Agency,” Atsushi says, rubbing the back of his head. 

So Atsushi is now dead to me, OK.

Ryuunosuke wonders where would be a quiet and unpopulated place where he might make Atsushi suffer for everything he has seen and heard. Ryuunosuke hadn’t even planned on letting Gin know that he was babysitting a bunch of kids. Was this actually what Chuuya had been aiming for? Was this really planned by Dazai? But before he can make up his mind, Atsushi opens his mouth. 

“C-can I get you something?” Atsushi blurts. Ryuunosuke stares at him blankly. What is he talking about? “Like...uh...dinner? Tea? Ice cream?” Atsushi looks like a nervous wreck and Ryuunosuke has only seen him like that a few times. 

“Why?” Ryuunosuke asks. Atsushi balks and immediately seems to look for a way out before curling his hands into fists and muttering something about Kyouka stabbing things.  

“Because I want to?” Atsushi says. “I want to get something. For you. Specifically you.”

This is a date. He’s asking me out on a date. Oh. 

Ryuunosuke can kill him on another day actually. And he can pay back Chuuya and Dazai later. Going on a date with Atsushi sounds fairly exciting in it’s own way. 

“Dinner,” Ryuunosuke says. “I’m paying.” 

Atsushi squawks. 

“But I asked you out!” Atsushi says incredulously. 

“I don’t think you can afford the place I want to go to, Jinko,” Ryuunosuke shrugs. “Come with me.” He starts walking and after a moment of staring at Ryuunosuke in bafflement, Atsushi rushes forward to walk beside him. 

“Oh thank God, I thought I would have to give you reasons as to why I was asking you out,” Atsushi breathes out a sigh of relief. 

“You have reasons listed? Let’s hear them,” Ryuunosuke says. 

“I can’t!” Atsushi turns scarlet. A flattering color, actually. Ryuunosuke turns to look at Atsushi and then hooks fingers under his chin. The color of Atsushi’s face turns darker. 

“Well, you better prepare yourself, because you’re not going to go home until you tell me them to me,” Ryuunosuke says, mostly because the look on Atsushi’s face is so highly entertaining. He looks like he’s going to combust. Ryuunosuke’s lips twist into a smirk, deciding to really go to the end. “You better remember that you are the one that asked me out on a date, Atsushi,”

Ryuunosuke watches Atsushi’s entire brain fry in that one moment and he walks away, chuckling to himself. Atsushi is standing frozen, looking like Ryuunosuke gave him permanent brain damage. 

“Are you coming or not?” Ryuunosuke asks.

“I am!” Atsushi snaps out of it and rushes after Ryuunosuke. 

Maybe Ryuunosuke will actually have to thank Dazai. 

------o------

A/N - Phew! Writing fourteen pages of crack and fluff with no angst? It required quite the effort from me! Especially cause I always randomly slip in angst without even realizing it! Every single time I slipped in angst while writing this, I smacked myself and rewrote it. In case it wasn't obvious, the flowers in the cafe are from Kyouka. My wifey and I discussed the idea of Aku using Rashoumon as a backpack leash earlier this year, which birthed this fic. The fic title is from Michela's 'Chameleon'!

[virgoxwrites]

plots based off of shawn mendes

LOST IN JAPAN

MUSE A and MUSE B were always friends, though they both felt a spark neither of them acted on it in fear of ruining how close they were. however, when MUSE A moves away, MUSE B realizes they made a mistake in never telling MUSE A how they really felt. MUSE B desperately wants to win over MUSE A, and offers to fly out immediately to come see them and convince them why they should finally be more than friends, despite that meaning they would be long distance.

WHERE WERE YOU IN THE MORNING?

MUSE A has always been head over heels in love with MUSE B. the two were close friends growing up but drifted when high school started, but MUSE A never lost interest in MUSE B especially since their families were still really close, so they were around each other quite a bit. one night MUSE B shows up to MUSE A’s apartment drunk and upset. they end up sleeping together after a long night of MUSE B telling MUSE A everything they wanted to hear about them finally being together. however, when MUSE A wakes up in the morning MUSE B is nowhere to be found.

FALLIN ALL IN YOU

MUSE A doesn’t do relationships after getting their heart smashed by their ex. MUSE B is notorious for falling for the wrong kinds of people, a hopeless romantic who is devoted to people that don’t deserve it. however, one night the two end up at the same club, and decide to go home together. MUSE A feels an instant connection, one they haven’t felt in quite a while. the morning after, MUSE B invites MUSE A to get breakfast with them and they end up really connecting, so they continue to do the same thing over the next few months. MUSE A and MUSE B now have to navigate falling for each other when they’ve both sworn off relationships.

BECAUSE I HAD YOU

MUSE A and MUSE B dated for quite some time, like every normal relationship they had their ups and downs, and eventually MUSE A left, thinking the grass would be greener on the other side. MUSE B then goes on to date someone else, finding themselves happy in this new relationship. MUSE A is left realizing they never should have let MUSE B go, that they were the one. however, MUSE A realizes they can’t be single forever, and has to start dating someone new, so they do just that. MUSE A brings their new significant other all the same places and does all the same things they did with MUSE B. one night they end up at the same party, ironically, both arguing with their significant others. they end up in the bathroom together talking about their new relationships and MUSE A admits that they could never love their new significant other because they had MUSE B. 

WHY

MUSE A and MUSE B have been seeing each other on and off for as long as anyone can remember, though they’ll never make things official, they never stay away from each other for too long. they argue and MUSE A acts like MUSE B doesn’t exist when they have to interact because they have the same friends. MUSE B is constantly trying to make things work between the two, but gets scared and notoriously hooks up with other people in attempts to make it look like their relationship means nothing to them. however, deep down both want to be together, they just don’t know how to tell the other.

MUTUAL

MUSE A is the ideal partner — caring, loving, understanding, good looking, charming, etc. they could have their pick of their long list of suitors, but they routinely choose MUSE B, who has serious commitment issues. MUSE B shows up whenever they want to (usually late at night after drinking) to sleep with MUSE B and tell them all the things they sink sober, about how they want to be together. however, the next morning it’s never the same. MUSE B is cold and distant. MUSE A is constantly left wondering if what they feel is reciprocated or if MUSE B is just playing games.

PERFECTLY WRONG

MUSE A and MUSE B were high school sweethearts, they followed each other to the same college, and managed to have a pretty healthy relationship for quite some time. however, with MUSE A and MUSE B being at uni and discovering themselves things start to change between them and their relationship becomes rocky. they fight and make up constantly, both far too in love to leave. however, after an explosive fight MUSE A finally decides it’s time to end things with MUSE B, but MUSE B won’t go down without a fight, and is determined to prove to MUSE A that they aren’t wrong for each other. that the love they have is enough to fix things.

WHEN YOU’RE READY

MUSE A and MUSE B have been best friends their entire life. growing up they were inseparable and that continued on all throughout middle school, high school, moved out of their parents homes and into an apartment together. always supporting each other, they had an unbreakable bond. however, MUSE A has been in love with MUSE B since high school and is convinced that they are endgame, both of their families agree. MUSE B doesn’t know about MUSE A’S feelings and has never really considered that there might be romantic feelings there. MUSE A is finally ready to admit their feelings for MUSE B and tell them that they’re willing to wait until MUSE B is ready to be together.

[marciestokes]

❄ · · · MARISSA “MARCIE” STOKES  has been in Ellingham for 8 years and they look exactly like AISHA DEE. Having turned 26 years old on their last birthday, they are currently a PHOTOGRAPHER  and ARE HAPPY WITH THAT. Known as the CHAMELEON, it’s no secret that they're AFFABLE & CREATIVE, but also SECRETIVE & RESERVED. If you’re to meet them, please remember that they are a CIS WOMAN and use SHE/HER. {  PAIGE + 24 + SHE/HER + CST }

tw: death mention

0-16

Marcie came as a slightly late Christmas present to a mother with dreams for a girl who would reach beyond the stars. A laughing, smiling little girl who wanted for nothing and gave little fuss. She played her part well; sitting through lessons in piano, voice and cello on top of dance for years. There was no complaining allowed, no going outside of what was planned out for her. Hard work was rewarded greatly but always always expected… On the occasion that Marcie was allowed to actually be herself, or even act like a regular kid, she found herself feeling more rambunctious, loud, and overall a sarcastic shit. But after one of her friends mother’s had a conversation with her own, that was quick to die out. She learned how to make people see a certain side of her, how to change like a chameleon changes their skin.

Marcie’s  father was a man with habits that required a good poker face, a lot of white lies and a “grass is always greener…” attitude. Family felt like a trap and it was the one thing she agreed with the man on. Family began to feel like a restriction of self, high expectations and mostly feeling as though there was no real escape. A person can’t help but feel restless when things aren’t ‘right’. The kicker for her, though, was nothing ever felt ‘right’. She was always striving to find her place, her worth, somewhere to actually call hers.

She floated from friend group to friend group, hanging just on the outside of everything to be seen as someone who was kind and caring but never enough for people to find out who she really was.

16.5-21

for a very long while, marcie felt nothing but anger at her situation. after her mothers death her father decided to take the two of them back to his hometown. the one he had sworn he never wanted to see again. she managed to keep the facade going, pretending to be the perfect kid. finished school, went to the college in town, found people to be around enough to call friends.  then at the drop of a dime, she exploded. the world caved in on her, the world was no longer perfect. she’d blown up on her dad; blaming him for her mother’s accident. blaming him for why she wasn’t able to feel settled into the world. marcie dropped out of school, deciding that she really didn’t want to waste money when she didn’t know what she wanted from  life. she had begun to distance herself in fear of taking any emotions she had out on the people around her. she isolated herself, no longer able to keep up the front that she was just this sweet polite girl. at 21 she stopped talking to her father all together.

22-NOW

it had lasted three years, she would see him in town and would walk the other direction. her father was someone she would see all of her faults in, someone who reminded her of the person her mother tried to mold her into. and at times she was still the girl who had  impeccable manners, that was gentle and well spoken. essentially the embodiment of “sit still look pretty”. Basically, you couldn’t tell the difference between her and a nice vase of daisies. This was the version of herself that she wanted to bury but it came out when she met new people, people who had only seen that side of her and especially when she visits her father now.  slowly however she began to settle into the person she wanted to be. inside she felt as though she should be  bigger than life, to be the person to go dancing in the rain, to have awful pop music blasting throughout the house, laugh at everything and then nothing,  to have tears in her eyes from feeling too much, daydreaming about running away or at least going on a country wide road trip. This was the version of herself that she wanted to bring to the light and she worked hard at expressing it. 

photography sort of fell into her lap. after she gave up on college, she became a nanny. she had loved working one on one with kids but didnt want to really keep with schooling so it worked out perfectly. one day the family she worked for gifted her their old digital camera to test out. she found a calling. since the age of 24 she has been building up her business and has been working on getting a studio space.

Connection Ideas:

Romance: FWB? secret affair? unrequited crush/love? slow burn? Who knows! (i typically like seeing how chemistry works for romantic connections– but i don’t mind plotting stuff out either!)  

Volunteer Pals: every two weeks marcie does volunteer activities through an organization, your muse could be a part of that organization and that’s how they met or could just be a friend wanting to keep her company and get some extra volunteer hours in too.  

Brunch dates: these two have found themselves grabbing brunch one or two times a month to catch up. busy lives means they don’t have much time for constant communication, but they refuse to let the other fall to the wayside. could there be more effort put into their relationship? what were they before life got hectic? 

Close friends: Confidants? Reckless Adventures? sipping wine and sharing memes til all hours of the night? sharing every fault and fear and joke? 

Muse: Someone who Marcie always goes to when they need to shoot, someone she can’t get enough photos of. 

Hard feelings: there’s a couple ways to take this. marcie could have done something that rubbed your muse the wrong way; your muse could have done something that left marcie with a bitter taste in their mouth, or it could just have been a huge misunderstanding. there can be a huge mistrust just from association. can be from just meeting, acquaintances, or even good friends.

[gayregis]

soulapparition replied to your photo

“@soulapparition oh ur so kind... funnily enough this doesnt fit into...”

������������I totally understand. It was a beautiful little slice of life and love that made me want more �� but I totally get the difficulty of building an entire plot around it. 

 Akalshaks I agree. Truly loving someone involves all their flaws, all the things you DONT like. They’re both so much more to each other than their public image. It’s tru love ��

legit... idk how sapkowski did it, but it seems that each one of the short stories has a purpose to demonstrate something about the characters, their relationships, and the lore around them. if/when i start writing witcher fanfiction i want to try to emulate this style where there’s a short plot but a lot is demonstrated about the characters/something is “solved.”

i did like ONE gerlion fic a while ago where i tried to tackle this idea of why its important that dandelion writes about geralt etc but i think it got muddled (idk i dont read my own writing o_o im very noncommittal to this because i used to be committed to fic writing and it made my life difficult).

this is BASICALLY just me brainstorming at this point, but re: the gerlion fic ideas i have..... some possible themes, things to expand upon, issues that the characters have that i think i might look at... also just issues that i think would come up in their relationship/that HAVE come up in their relationship that they dont delve into in canon:

geralt struggling with intimacy is like the biggest theme in what i think about when i want to write abt gerlion lmaooo. i think dandelion at some point just flat out asks him why he doesnt think he deserves love ... haha.......... ouch

similarly, geralt struggling to understand what to do with a friend and what friendship is and what role dandelion plays in his life now that he’s met him... because he’s never really had a friend before...

geralt and dandelion learning to empathize with each other’s backgrounds and realize the grass is not always greener on the other side (geralt might envy dandelion for being beloved, but he realizes how uncomfortable that attention can be, dandelion might envy geralt for being his epic journeys alone, but realizes how lonely such a life can be), thus they learn from each other, admire the other a little more and understand their needs (they both need someone to speak to), and are more satisfied with themselves and their own lives

we really learn very little about dandelion’s life in canon, so i want to explore his profession and found family in other musicians, and the backstory of things he did before he met geralt / when he and geralt were separate and geralt was elsewhere, i.e. what the hell did dandelion get up to in the four years that geralt was chilling in vengerberg. thats four years and dandelion gets into a LOT of trouble.......... relating to the themes of independence and family i think because at some point id like to have geralt and dandelion compare their backstories. id like for a lot of this foolery to come back to bite dandelion in the ass... 

also at some point we gotta face why dandelion doesnt hold a relationship with any woman for more than 0.2 seconds but literally has known and been with geralt for SO long that it his canonical age can’t possibly make sense

i would like for geralt to eventually say something in his own words or thoughts about the topic that yennefer brought up in BOE (”you were with him, thanks to you, he wasn’t alone.”) and also dandelion expressing guilt for having to be rescued... mamma mia these are some big relationship issues that need to be addresses

towards the end of the saga i think it would be important for them to address how their roles have changed in each other’s lives and idk you know couples redo their marriage vows sometimes? geralt and dandelion just need to like go to gulet again i think after LOTL (because its not like anyone died or anything in LOTL)

[charliek-ng-blog]

Hello, all! I am Dani and I will be playing Charlotte “Charlie” King. I hail from CST (Chicagoland area), work full time, and then have a side hustle with art! Roleplaying is a really nice break from all the work I do. I love plotting and writing so never be afraid to reach out with any ideas you may have! 

charlotte king

27

demisexual cis-female (she/her)

single mother to a lovely 4 year old (if she does say so herself)

baker at rosie's pastries

When she was younger, Charlie never saw herself as a small-town girl. Stardew Valley felt stifling and the lure of the big city was too strong and when she graduated high school, she left for one. It came as a surprise at how wrong she was. Cities felt too impersonal. Too busy. Charlie found herself missing home. She wonders sometimes if that's why she fell in love with who she did.

During her time in college, she fell in love with another Stardew Valley resident who had moved to the city as well. He felt like home and they stayed together during her time in college and for a few years after graduation. Not too much longer after her twenty-third birthday, Charlie found out she was pregnant. Unfortunately it drove them apart and made them realize their differences. One of which was Charlie was ready to be a parent and he wasn't.

Charlie's daughter was born in Stardew Valley after she realized that she had been holding onto part of hometown in the form of her ex. Being back in Stardew valley was refreshing and dropped the stress from her life. Once bitter to be there, now she was delighted.

Quickly she picked up a position as a baker at Rosie's Pastries. Cooking had always been a passion, but specifically baking. She loved pastries in particular and creating intricate designs with the dough. She had gone to school for it even so she was pleased to find that a position had been open when she returned.

Charlie had always been quick-witted and patient. Though during her 'the grass is greener on the other side' phase before she moved away, admittedly her patience was wearing thin with the small town. She loved her friends and family, but she'd seemed unsatisfied. When she returned pregnant, she returned happier and more settled. Some understood, others wondered how her tune could change. Still, those who test her patience and kindness, or take advantage of her friends, will see a sharper side of her that since her time in the city has only gotten sharper.

Though separated, Charlie feels no animosity towards her ex and spends time even with her ex's family so they can spend time with the new addition to their family as well. Her ex is still in the city and content with being outside of Charlie's son's life, though his family is taken with him and often will babysit or join and/or invite Charlie and the little boy for holidays.

[junker-town]

If Russell Wilson leaves the Seahawks, which team is best?

If Russ goes the NFL could be turned on its head.

The time following the Super Bowl up until the start of the league year on March 17 is supposed to be the only time the NFL sleeps. But 2021 has so far been a raging slumber party, where nobody gets any rest. High profile quarterbacks have been traded, Deshaun Watson is desperate to find a new home, and one of the league’s premier free agents, JJ Watt, has already agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals.

The biggest plot twist of the NFL offseason might still be on its way. Russell Wilson is reportedly unhappy with the Seahawks, and will maybe, possibly, perhaps be traded to a new team before next season opens depending on who you ask and what reports you believe. It’s all bizarre.

On the surface, everything between the Seahawks and Wilson looked fine, but a lot was brewing. There were reports Wilson was weary of dealing with an offensive line that couldn’t block for him. Then news that he stormed out of a meeting mid-season over being frustrated that his offensive suggestions weren’t being listened to. Suddenly we were thrust into a situation that seemed unimaginable: That Wilson might actually be traded.

The reports, no matter how incendiary, stopped short of Wilson outwardly “demanding” a trade, instead his agent left it to the nebulous concept of having a list of “preferred destinations.” This distinction is largely semantic. It’s the kind of justification used to soften the blow of a player wanting out, hedging bets both ways to keep fanbase and teammates happy, while making it clear a player wants out. At the very least, it’s a shot across the bow that tells the team something has to change in order for Wilson to want to stay, but that “something” is where this all gets a little messy.

Wilson has a tenuous relationship with the organization beyond his most recent issues. There’s lingering disdain from his former teammates reported on in 2018 that remains unresolved, even with some of the key players from the 2012-15 Seahawks gone.

“He protected him,” one Seahawk says. “And we hated that. Any time he f----- up, Pete would never say anything. Not in a team meeting, not publicly, never. If Russ had a terrible game, he would always talk about how resilient he was. We’re like, what the f--- are you talking about?”

We’re left with dueling concepts. Some suggest Wilson doesn’t feel listened to, others say he’s been coddled. If it’s the latter then it’s impossible to believe this friction will be resolved.

However damaging or pronounced internal issues internally seems to be, we’ll never know the complete or true story. All we have to go off now is the short list of preferred destinations Wilson has, and it’s worth seeing if moving to these teams really makes a difference to their futures. These are his four preferred homes, and how he’d fit in:

Dallas Cowboys

There is no question that Dallas would be a better team with Russell Wilson than Dak Prescott. It’s not so much an issue here of Wilson being drastically better than Prescott, and more that there aren’t many quarterbacks in the league better than Wilson. Comparing the two is splitting hairs a little bit.

Still, there are some reasons this would be beneficial for both teams. Dallas has been hesitant to commit to Prescott long term, and there are lingering questions whether he’ll be back to 100 percent following his season-ending injury. Also, when it comes to the current climate of quarterback contracts, Wilson is on a far more cap-manageable deal that what it might cost the Cowboys to ink Prescott long term.

There’s also an out built into Wilson’s deal following the 2021 season. It gives Dallas a chance to try on the union for a year, then eat a cap hit and move in a different direction. If it works, then Dallas can keep him until 2023 without much issue. This also makes sense in terms of a potential trade, with Prescott being a significant return Seattle would be interested, and they could do a lot worse than losing Wilson and replacing him with a younger QB who is still excellent in his own right.

New Orleans Saints

While the Saints might be on Wilson’s list, it’s hard to see how this happens because of New Orleans’ cap issues. The team is deep in salary cap hell, and will require a ton of work to absorb Wilson’s contract.

It’s doable, sure, but might not be realistic. It would require the Saints sending numerous players to Seattle, and there might not be a lot of interest in these aging stars. Still, if you’re New Orleans, this would be a dream scenario.

It’s all about keeping the window open for the Saints as long as possible. Drew Brees retiring and getting Russell Wilson is an absolutely tremendous way to jam that window up for a few more years. It’s still causing the team to live on borrowed time, but when the alternative is Taysom Hill, who showed next to nothing when starting in 2020, then it’s a hell of a tantalizing prospect.

I still can’t shake that cap issue though. I don’t see how this happens.

Las Vegas Raiders

This might be the most curious team on Wilson’s list of preferred destinations. It’s putting a lot of faith than the 8-8 Raiders are a lot like the 2019 Buccaneers, and are really a top-flight quarterback away from not only making it deep in the playoffs, but potentially pushing for a Super Bowl.

However, there’s a lot different between the Raiders and the Bucs. This youthful team isn’t being built on past stars the same way Tampa Bay was, and it also potentially takes Wilson out of the NFC West’s frying pan, and into the AFC West’s fire. Facing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs twice a year isn’t a thrilling prospect on its own, and it’s a matter of time before the Chargers put it all together behind Justin Herbert as well.

Derek Carr, the oft-maligned quarterback of the Raiders, is statistically similar enough to Wilson that it’s hard to imagine Las Vegas giving up players, taking Wilson, and it making a mammoth difference to their fortunes. However, like Dallas, being able to trade Carr back to Seattle in the process lessens the blow a lot, and makes this a possibility.

Chicago Bears

This is unquestionably the most fascinating potential trade destination for Wilson. In each of the other cases you have teams moving on from already good quarterbacks and getting a slight upgrade, but to Chicago, Russell Wilson represents a mammoth leap.

Nick Foles was terrible. Mitchell Trubisky stat-padded his way to a decent looking season on paper, but those who saw him play know what really happened.

The Bears have a 1,000 yard running back in David Montgomery, a clear No. 1 receiver in Allen Robinson, and a defense that’s one of the best in the NFL. They’re a team primed to take a major leap with an upgrade at quarterback, and Wilson would give Chicago something the team has lacked in, well, forever — a steady hand.

When you have an elite defense all you need is a guy who won’t turn the ball over and can make plays when needed. This is why Tom Brady won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay, and the same potential is here with Chicago as well. It’s not difficult to imagine Wilson stepping onto the Bears and immediately making a major impact, potentially challenging the Packers to win the NFC North and make a deep push into the playoffs.

The question becomes: What would Seattle want in return? The Bears established players are critical to their success, and there isn’t a notable quarterback who can be given up in trade. It would likely take draft picks, and a lot of them to lure Wilson to Chicago — but there’s no price too high for getting a player like this if you think it’ll take you to a championship.

So, where does Russell Wilson end up?

Even money is on him returning to Seattle. Things might not be rosy right now, but fights happen in any relationship. Ultimately I think both sides realize that the grass isn’t greener and patch things up.

However, if Wilson gets traded the Chicago Bears are the best choice. Instead of getting some aging players, or assuming salary risk, the Seahawks would get draft picks, and a lot of them. The Bears are close enough to making serious noise that Wilson might be enough to turn the table and get the team to the Super Bowl, and in trading for a player of his caliber Russ would get a bigger seat at the table to call his own shots.

It’s an outside chance, but wilder things have happened this offseason.

[kitcarlklehm]

kit klehm Choosing The Right Kind Of Plants For Your Garden

kit klehm Top service provider. Does everyone else's grass always seem to look greener? You probably want to know if your neighbor just has a green thumb, or a more practical method to keep his garden in such good shape. The fact is, there is no secret in getting a beautiful garden. All you need is some information on how you can care for your garden in the right way. Begin your garden adventures by reading through this article to get some great gardening advice.

kit klehm Top service provider. Controlling pests is essential to a high yield garden. There are a variety of products available on the market that will kill any invasive pest in the garden. Many organic pest controls have been perfected over the years that work very well, although they can be more expensive than chemical alternatives. With a quick internet search one can find many safe home remedies for pest control too.

Use mulch to add nutrients to your soil. Mulch is a much better way to amend your soil than fertilizers because it comes from natural ingredients in your garden. Commercial fertilizers may contain undesirable chemicals. In addition, mulch is free. All you need to do is compost your clippings and yard waste in a compost bin. Before long, you will have enough mulch for your entire garden.

Plan your garden for best results. Before you put one spade into the dirt, you need to decide what you will plant, and where. You want to plot your garden's size, and then decide what plants use according to their individual needs. Consider lighting, drainage, and spacing for each plant.

To make a homemade watering can, use an old bottle of detergent! Simply drill holes in the lid of the cap and be sure the bottle has been cleaned thoroughly. The thickness of a detergent container will make this a very sturdy watering can and the handle will allow you to use it with ease.

You must water your plants correctly, to achieve success with your garden. When watering your garden, always try to do it early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun has gone down. This gives the soil a chance to actually soak up the water without it evaporating. Also, if you have pots, try to hand water them with a can, rather than using a hose. This way you can make sure that each pot gets enough water, since potted plants can dry out completely in a matter of hours, if they haven't had a deep watering.

One way to slowly-water your plant is by using a plastic bottle, such as a 2-liter soda bottle. Punch a few small holes in the bottom of the bottle, fill it to the neck with water and replace the cap. Place it in the soil and use the cap to regulate the flow of water.

kit klehm Qualified tips provider. If you don't have the space to grow a garden in the ground you can still enjoy the benefits of gardening by using containers. Almost any plant can be grown in a container and many plants now are specifically designed for container growing. With a large container you could have a mini-garden right on your porch.

Make bloom-times overlap. Plant both early and late blooming plants next to each other, so that you have flowers all season long. Shallow-rooted annuals can be planted around deep-planted spring bulbs - when the bulbs die down, the annuals will just be coming into flower. For each season, choose one outstanding plant to serve as the key flower. Plant in drifts throughout the bed, and fill in with secondary flowers.

Use hostas to brighten up a shady area. Hostas are the perfect plant to brighten up a shady area of your garden. They are grown primarily for their leaves, which range in color from deep blue-green to vivid yellow-green. Blooms are usually lavender, but Hosta Plantaginea features showy, fragrant white flowers. They are best grown in moist, rich soil which has been amended with plenty of compost. Large clumps can easily be divided in the Fall.

It is important to wear eye protection when you are gardening. Many people do not realize that chemicals can easily get splashed, fertilizer can be blown or dirt can land in their eyes. All of these things can cause major damage to the eye. If wearing eye protection the chances of having your eyes damaged are greatly decreased.

You need to make sure to wear sunscreen when you are gardening. It is important to apply a generous amount of sunscreen on a regular basis when you are gardening so that you can protect yourself from the rays of the sun. Sunscreen should be applied more than just one time throughout the day.

Use mulch in your organic garden. Mulching helps retain moisture, and helps provide nutrients to your growing plants. You should try to use at least a three inch layer of mulch in all of your beds. It will also make your garden beds look as if they were professionally finished.

Make liquid fertilizer from your compost. By adding a little bit of water to the biological decay, you can harvest the nutrient rich concoction and spread it on your plants in an efficient way. By fermenting the compost with about an equal amount of water can give you a great form of liquid fertilizer that will help promote growth without negative side effects or toxic run-off.

The best and most natural way to fertilize an organic garden is with compost. Compost can be made from anything that was once alive. Don't discount the value of your kitchen waste, leaves, grass clippings or anything else that was once alive. By composting it all, you will give invaluable life to your organic garden.

kit klehm Professional tips provider. As you can probably see, each of these simple suggestions is easy to implement. Use the things that you have learned here to help you make your garden better. Pay special attention to the condition of your plants after you implement new techniques. If a method does not provide good results, try other methods. With a little patience, you will end with a garden all of your neighbors will be jealous of.

[archiveddvrpg]

Congratulations, ADRI! You’ve been accepted for the role of HERO. Admin Rogue: It’s difficult to overstate just how excited I was to work my way through your app. Heloise has to balance between a lot of delicate traits, somewhere between educated and silly, between dreamy and promising, and your voice for her shone like the brightest star in the sky. She has the exact softness I wanted with that tiny, tiny steel trap of a bite, perhaps so careful she can’t quite see it yet. You’ve given her this shallow depth that can develop into something true and essential, and she has so much potential that I am desperate to see what you do with her on dash and how she interacts with a world so at odds with her sense of self. Please, please give us to her ASAP, before I die for waiting! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Adri

Age | 21

Preferred Pronouns | She/Her

Activity Level | I assume I’d be on at least every other day! I am currently out of work due to the pandemic, so I don’t have many responsibilities.

Timezone | EST

How did you find the rp? |  Rosey is always talking about it on my dash!

Current/Past RP Accounts | N/A

IN CHARACTER

Character | Heloise Maksimovich / Hero

What drew you to this character? | There’s something about her innocence that immediately drew me in. Admittedly, I tend to always go for the characters who bite back. Mental and physical strength has always been a theme with most of my characters. Heloise has neither. I see this as a challenge. I want to write about the girl with stars in her eyes. I want to write about the girl who bounds flowers to her curls for safe-keeping. I instantly, I fell in love with her softness, I fell in love with her naivety. There’s something about the tenderness of her soul that enraptured me. To Heloise, the world isn’t split between good and bad. In her eyes, even the most foul creatures were deserving of love and warmth. Those that are cold and distant enthrall her and she believes that love has the power to fix them. She’s not unfamiliar to mistakes and she wonders what it is that causes a soul to grow cold. Lack of love? A horrifying loss? She’s childlike, naive, and encompasses otherworldly kindness, but she’s also curious. She’s determined, she’s interested. Heloise doesn’t shy away from tough questions and her mouth has been known to get her into trouble from time to time. She likes to poke and pry. She likes to dissect. She wants to understand people. She wants others to find comfort in her touch. She wants those around her to feel her warmth. Is life truly worth living without love? Without someone to guide you through a rainy day? She’s summer incarnate. Garden roses have made a home of her heart. The sound of her giggles are that of church bells. Her warmth is the whipping of the wind, the kiss of summer’s breeze. Verona’s enveloped with such darkness and she’s a natural source of light.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

1. PASSION – As soon as her biography mentioned the Dark Lady, I knew I wanted to explore her sexuality further. Nobody wants doe-eyes and gentleness, especially in Verona. Back home, girls who paraded their sexuality were spat at, with no hopes of finding a potential suitor. In Verona, it seems to be welcomed. Her desire for passion would never decline, but she wanted a different kind of passion now. Tender and submissive love no longer intrigues her. She wants heavy, white flames licking at her belly and violent intimacy choking at her chest and she knows those who ventured off into the Dark Lady would love nothing more than to assist.

2. COUNSEL – I would really like for Heloise to look to Regina for guidance and show her the grass is greener on the other side. She doesn’t have to be meek and vulnerable forever. It would be interesting to see Regina train her up a bit and show her how to defend herself physically. Physical combativeness is quite foreign to Heloise, the most she’s ever done is snatch her barbie away from Brielle, so I would love to see her buckle down and put on her armor.    

3. INDEPENDENCE – I am extremely eager to explore the relationship between Brielle and Heloise. I would really love it if Brielle left Heloise out in the cold. Literally. Maybe they start to clash due to their different views and Brielle’s had enough. (on many things, but mostly their parents. I’m sure they’re always a hot-topic.) I would be very interested to see how Heloise navigates Verona on her own, without the guide of her big sister, even if it is only temporary. (Imagine Heloise having to get a job to put food on the table…yikes.)

4. STORGE – I would really love for Heloise to finally face the damage her parents have inflicted on her mental health. She was always told to be a certain way, and if we’re being honest, it’s done more harm than good. I would eventually love for her to let them go and break free of the hold they have on her. She’ll always be Heloise, and knowing her, she’ll go searching for someone to fill those shoes and I think Hermione is the perfect person.  

5. ACCIDENTAL BETRAYAL – I really want Heloise to betray Brielle unknowingly. The quickest way to get her to open up is to show slight interest and I think a Capulet would definitely take advantage of that to get information on Brielle. It would be interesting to see her as a pawn for the Capulets and she probably isn’t even aware.

6. SELF-PRESERVATION – Eventually, I would love for Heloise to be forced to defend herself. Maybe during an event, she’s pushed to a “them vs me” type of situation, which is obviously something extremely foreign to her, so the shift/trauma would be interesting in the aftermath.  

These are all subject to change based on the mun by the way! They’re just vague ideas and stuff.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yes.

IN DEPTH

Heloise whirled around her kitchen, busying herself to put an end to the rapid thrumming of her heart. White lilies swallowed the room, deliberately placed through-out as the blistering heat from the sun immersed itself into her home. It permitted a glare, reflecting the brown of her eyes as she inhaled, the watering can trembling as she tightened her hold. Heloise loved nothing more than to divulge information regarding her life and when those around her extended queries, she gifted them with answers. This, she reminded herself, was different. Interviews had never been her specialty. When the Maksimovich household had guests over, her mother would usher her into a quiet corner. Your beauty will win them over, моя любовь. She would simply cower into submission and offer nothing more than a full-lipped smile.

“Heloise?”

The apples of her cheeks flushed, similar to that of red of wine. Her lips formed that of a circle, mouth agape as she shook her head, a weak attempt to rid herself of previous memories. “I-I’m sorry. Where were we again?”

“What is your favorite place in Verona?”

She exhaled and blinked a great deal to rid herself of the white-spots that swam in front of her eyes. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath.  “The Dark Lady.” Heloise’s hair was full of perfume, windswept curls heavy in vanilla bean scent as she ducked her head, warmth creeping towards her neck. “There’s something wholly fascinating about them, the way that they move…” She smiled as she thought of one Sparrow in particular. He knew precisely how to writhe beneath her skin and penetrate soft flesh, injecting himself slowly. Heloise would relish in it and allow herself to succumb to his advances, only for him to turn her away. She sat the watering can to the side and thought it best to veer her thoughts away from Renzo or they would be here for far longer than necessary.

Heloise waved her hand dismissively, accompanied by a faint smile. “I don’t know. When I’m there, I no longer feel invisible.” She whispered delicately, sorrowfully, a crease shaping itself between furrowed brows. There were two places she truly felt at home: The Dark Lady and in Viktor’s arms.

Undoubtedly, the woman across from her would believe her to be foolish if she were to vocalize such sentiments, so Heloise thought it best to move on.

“Anyway, as I was saying, the atmosphere is nothing short of electric, but the company’s even better.” And there it was. Heloise worked tirelessly to get Renzo out of the depths of her mind, but who could possibly blame her? She had been met with a face that could have only been carved by god himself. He was breathtaking, exquisite—a ravishing piece of art placed upon her, a gift, from an unknown artist. “Renzo thinks I’m beautiful, if you can believe it.” Doe-eyed and eager, she leaned forward, gentleness wrapped in every syllable. Her heart wished to jump from her chest and her mouth felt as though she’d stuffed it with cotton, obstructing her airway. “I-I don’t know. I feel a bit light-headed. What’s the next question?”

“What does your typical day look like?”

She flashed the woman a million dollar smile as she intertwined her fingers, the bulk of her anxiety fading away. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as challenging as she thought. “Hm. I don’t know about a typical day, but my mornings are extremely concrete.” Heavily-lashed lids kissed the tops of her cheeks as she giggled, yearning to journey down a long-winded discussion. “I’d have a hard time getting out of bed without my morning coffee, you know. If it doesn’t have at least five sugars, I won’t drink it. When I was younger, I would take my tea spoon and immerse it into the sugar bowl. I would sit there and shove my face full of it. Perhaps that’s why I have such trouble sitting still, hm? A never-ending sugar rush.” Heloise smiled then, sweet memories poking and prodding at her brain. She could see in now, aged six, sitting upon her father’s lap as her spoon clinked against the side of the sugar bowl, her father shoving it out of her reach as he bounced her up and down, almost doubling over in bouts of laughter.

That’s who she remembered. A kind, inviting face that lit up every time she walked into a room. Heloise had been his pride and joy, always eager to boast about her to anyone that bothered listening. “That’s my little girl.” He would say, delight blossoming in his very eyes. “Isn’t she lovely? As sweet as a doll.” It was difficult, still, to think of her parents. It was an open wound, cracked and oozing with ichor. She had tried to tend to it, to nurture it and nurse it back to health, but the peroxide bubbled and the skin remained broken. Gently, she placed the palm of her hand over her heart and wrinkled the button of her nose. She would fold her sorrowful thoughts and tuck them away in the deepest part of her brain to be dealt with when she was alone.

“I prefer something light on my stomach, so I usually stick to fruit.” She continued on as if their brief interlude of silence hadn’t taken place. ”Strawberries and nectarines are my absolute favorite. Once I’m fed, I’ll jump in the shower and relax for a bit.” Heloise nodded enthusiastically, her words soul-crushingly sweet. “I do try and explore, see new things. I don’t think Brielle particularly likes to see me around every corner, so I’ve learned to give her a bit of space.” Though her sister had graciously opened her doors, Heloise felt little sense of belonging. For years, she had wondered if she would catch a glimpse of her again. Their love for each other had been difficult, but it never faltered. She had dreamed of seeing her sister again, but not like this.            

“Oh!” Heloise gasped, regarding the window-pane with such ferocious intensity, you would’ve thought her lover entered the room. A soft, sweet sigh died on the tip of her tongue as adoration welled up in her eyes. “Every morning, I examine each and every flower. I haven’t found any that have wilted yet.” She beamed, as if keeping flowers alive had been her greatest accomplishment thus far. Perhaps it was since it seemed she destroyed everything else that came into her life.  

“You have an intense love for flowers, Heloise.”  

“And you don’t?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“Well, you should.” Heloise was light on her feet, gentle, as she twirled towards the window-pane, soft fingers seizing hold of the stem of a flower. It was a striking blue, one which left her in a haze as she walked towards the woman with such rapture, their faces inches apart. “Here, Forget-Me-Nots. It compliments the blue of your eyes.”

“Thank you.” The woman accepted with little hesitancy.    

“What has been your biggest mistake thus far?”

Doe-eyes began to blur around the edges as the silence stretched on. It was similar to an hourglass that slowly began to run out of sand, each grain plummeting down its top. “Disappointing them. My parents.” But then her thoughts trailed to entangled silken limbs and Viktor’s slender fingertips intertwining themselves into the lustrous strands of Heloise’s curls. “Well…Just one? Viktor, he….” Heloise exhaled, the delicate confines of her heart aching, fragile, on the brink of shattering. “I suppose they go hand and hand, don’t they? My foolishness cost me my family and my honor.” An everlasting affection for Viktor ebbed in the deepest pit of her stomach, but regret rivaled with the tenderness all the same. Perhaps it hadn’t been Viktor himself that she regretted, just the way the two fell apart.

The chambers of her heart twinged as she remembered the delicate harmony of desire that played upon her heart the moment she’d locked eyes with him. Lyre strings strummed about as Cupid launched his bow and arrow, destined for her heart. Heloise’s heart strings had been bound to his from then on—they still were, she thought. He was always there, like a swarm of flies that buzzed in your ear.

A flurry of tears welled in her eyes as she began to walk around in circles. “God, I could see the disgust in their eyes once I told them what had transpired between Viktor and I. I…I just wanted them to understand. I wanted them to hold me, like they’d done so many times before. Mama, she could barely stomach the sight of me.” She was built from a pane of glass, fragile. Docile. She missed the gentle touch of her mother tangling wildflowers in her curls, gazing at her like she was the prettiest doll on the shelf. Now, she carried the weight of her mothers harsh words with her, a prickling thorn in her side. Girls always lie.

White-hot tears blurred her vision as Heloise swayed on the spot. They fell like raindrops, decorating the apples of her dew-stained cheeks. “Mama thought I had been the aggressor, you know. She blamed me, thought I sought him out. I loved him, I did. I loved him and he betrayed me. I-I don’t know…I cannot talk about this any longer. Please, can we move on?”

What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

“I hope this isn’t too trivial.” Nervousness burned in her stomach as she cleared her throat, careening her head to the left. “Back home, I’d dabbled in ballet. I was extremely young then, perhaps seven? Eight? I enjoyed it thoroughly.” She sniffed, a small smile blossoming on her lips as she remembered being gifted her first pair of pointe shoes and the way her mother cried tears of joy the first time Heloise executed a Fouetté properly.

“As I got older, my parents…” She shook her head, a frown painting itself on her lips. “Well, ballet held most of my attention. It was time for me to prioritize. My focus shifted to learning new languages and perfecting my skills in the kitchen.” Gentle and slow, her words were a hummingbirds chirp as she rested the dip of her chin in the palm of her hand.

“I didn’t mind, truly. I would’ve done anything to make my parents proud. I would’ve done anything to make them happy.” Each syllable solidified the sincerity of her words as her eyes focused on the floor beneath her. “I enjoyed it though, I really did. Cooking’s one of my favorite pastimes, and I’ve always been eager to learn something new, but I’m in Verona now. I’m in Verona and they’re in St. Petersburg. I wouldn’t mind picking up where I left off.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

“Well,” Heloise started, a dreamlike stare encompassing doll-like features. “I believe you’d laugh in my face if I told you I wanted the bloodshed to end, no?” She giggled, a soft sigh escaping parted lips. ”I don’t know much regarding the history. Brielle doesn’t tell me much, so it hasn’t been easy for me to understand. I would hate to see someone else get hurt, but with the way things are going, I’m not sure that’s entirely avoidable. I can tell you this much though…I’ve met lovely Capulets and Montagues. I don’t understand the divide and I doubt I ever will.” Heloise wondered if such a response could be classified as a half-truth. How much could she truly say without incriminating herself, or more importantly, Brielle?  

Blood rushed to her brain as she turned over her words in her head, searching for something that could be taken out of context, but she couldn’t possibly see how her words could be misconstrued. She offered the woman nothing more than a wilted smile and an uncomfortable shift on her feet.      

Delectable fragrances wafted from the oven as she inhaled, the timer buzzing erratically. Childlike in her delight, Heloise skipped on the spot, eyes wide with excitement. “Are you hungry? My muffins are done and I don’t think I could finish them all by myself.”

IN-CHARACTER PARA SAMPLE:

The breeze brought forth the lustrous scent of orchids and Heloise was quietly engrossed by the jarring whipping of the wind. She stood under a peach tree, wrenching at the stem until it snapped. The rustling of crisp, morning leaves was what brought her back to earth, her fingers palming at the flesh of her thigh. Heloise stitched her eyes shut, slow and deliberate, the peach that she held in her grip colliding with the green of the grass. She had dreamt of him the night before, brilliant scorching flames erupting in blazing shades of red as they stood together, alone. It had been so pungent, so sweet that Heloise felt as though she could have reached out and seized the palm of his hand. Perhaps that was why when Viktor finally returned to her, it was almost as if Heloise had been expecting it.

She didn’t want to turn around.

She didn’t want to turn around but her heart began to quicken and overflow with longing and she knew that she would. Their eyes collided then, and she drank in the delicate crease that marked itself between dark brows as if any detail would have changed in the two weeks they’d been apart. Delight and despair flooded her veins, but Heloise walked a fine line. Ferocious waves threatened to push her sorrow beneath the surface, allowing pure bliss to overrun its rival. It was shameful, and though Heloise struggled to admit such defeat, she knew there would be little resistance if he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He was her beacon of light. A flicker of hope. A lighthouse calling her home.

But he made no sudden moves and somehow, that told her everything she needed to know.

“My parents will be back any second. They’ve gone to the market. Regardless, I…we’re no longer allowed to see each other.” Viktor’s glare could’ve frozen the fiery pits of hell, a wilted smirk sharpening his features. He mocked her and Heloise wondered if he had always been this way: hollow, self-indulgent and intemperate. Had she truly been blinded by his sugar sweet kisses and stolen glances? Did her thirst for love allow her to disregard the cold that consumed that of his core? Had her love not been enough to soften him permanently?

She shook her head, wholly aware that she would never make sense of it all. Love made silly girls do foolish things, Heloise thought. If she knew anything at all, it had been that. She allowed him to take hold of her purity and dismantle it for his own sick pleasure, promising her a fortunate life full of excitement and color only to seize the rug right from underneath her. Heloise had disgraced her family in the name of love, and yet the most heinous of her crimes appeared to be the affection she still harbored for the young man who stood a handful of steps away.

“Come on, Heloise. I know you’re a bit daft, but there’s no fucking way you really thought I’d marry you.” His tone was quizzical almost, like he really thought she was nothing more than an ignorant girl with unattainable hopes and dreams. Perhaps he thought of her dreams as mindless and unrealistic, but Heloise knew that someday, eventually, she would prove him wrong. She was desperate to be the protagonist of some love-sick romance and have her own Prince Charming whisk her away.

A single tear fell from her cheek as rain started to fall, a slight drizzle dampening the grass beneath her. If this was a movie, Viktor would run to her and allow a slew of apologies to fall from his lips, taking her face in his hands. His promises would be sealed with a kiss and they would fall together again instead of apart. But Viktor wasn’t her Prince Charming, was he? He wouldn’t run far and wide to search for her, wouldn’t confess his undying love that rooted itself somewhere deep in his heart. A small part of her wondered if he was able to love anything at all, but without love, what was left?

“I love you.” She whispered, her throat emitting a dreadful burn as she tried to withhold her tears.

“I know.” He said, nonchalantly, as though they were discussing the weather.

“You….You used me. Those boys you told, they came here and wrote vile things about me. Why? Why’d you do it?” She began to sob, allowing tears to flow freely now. She could no longer contain it, the dull throb of her heart was far too potent. She thought of the crass and derogatory writings and graffiti scrawled onto the front of her home with spray paint, underlined in red. Whore. Useless. Tarnished. Heloise attempted to sponge it clean, buckets of water sloshing about as suds ran down her forearms. She scrubbed until her fingernails bled. She was a porcelain doll that began to chip away and Viktor had broken her. Heloise desperately wanted someone to put her back together.

Ideally, she would find solace in her mother’s arms, but every time Heloise inched a little too close, she recoiled and glared at her like she’d been something the dog dragged in. Who would she turn to now? She had no one, truly, and for the very first time in Heloise’s life, she was alone.  “Better you know now, I guess.” He offered her nothing more than a shrug, his eyes cold and distant. “This is the real world, Heloise. Fairy-tales don’t exist, you have to get that through your head. You have to, or you’re going to end up with nothing more than disappointment.”

The rainfall increased, shrouding her eyes as she squinted, unable to make out Viktor’s features. At least he couldn’t see her tears anymore. The chill of the rain nipped at her hands and bit her cheeks as thunder erupted in her ears. She parted her lips to speak, but the noise that left her was peculiar, somewhere between a gasp and a gurgle. She wanted to beg him to stay, to engulf herself in the warmth of his grasp, to allow the truth to emerge and surrender to the love that welled up in her heart. But before she could muster up the courage, he granted her one last fleeting glance and walked away with his head towards the sky. The wet of her curls clung to her face and a pronounced chill reached her bones, but she was too grief-stricken to move. Heloise stood there with her arms hanging loosely at her side until Viktor became nothing more than a dark, empty shadow.    

EXTRAS:

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: ENFP: A Campaigner.

“I want to know what you ache for – and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool – for love – for your dreams – for the adventure of being alive.”

Strengths: amiable, lively, curious.      

Weaknesses: highly emotional, over-thinker, overly-sensitive.    

Astrological sign: Pisces, February 24th.

"Pisces personalities are known for being one of the most empathetic of the zodiac signs. They are known for generally being more laid back and agreeable than their other water counterparts."

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/intoxiqque/heloise-maksimovich/

Mock blog: http://mockheloise.tumblr.com/

[soto-translates]

Saiyuki: Love Quizzes

Big thanks to @flowermiko for the original scans!

Ever wonder which of the guys you're most like?  Which one you should date?  Wonder no more.  With these charts from the Gensoumaden TV guide and OVA, you can find out X3

※ 天上転(天)下唯我独尊 [Ten Jyo Ten(Ten) Ge Yui Ga Doku Son] The proper phrase, meaning “I alone am holy throughout heaven and earth”, uses the character 天 (heaven) twice, so the quiz replaces the second 天 with the homophone 転 (turn, roll, change).

BIG Presentation of Chart Results Here’s the result explanations you’ve been waiting for!! The character corresponding to the word you arrived at on the previous page is absolutely your personality type.  Like birds of a feather, your compatibility is on the mark!!

天 [Ten] Heaven SON GOKU ENERGETIC MOOD MAKER Always full of energy.  At any rate, you’re the Goku type who prioritizes exercise.  Because of that personality you often get those around you into trouble, but you’ve got a strange charm and for some reason everyone loves you.  And of course, your insatiable curiosity and appetite (!?) are hard core!! ● I like this type of person -- Genjo Sanzo ー A guardian-like person who seems like he’d forgive selfishness. ● This type is popular -- Kanzeon Bosatsu ー You’ll be teased and played with ... don’t get too close!?

上 [Jyo] Above KOUGAIJI EXTREMELY SHY PRINCE You’re the Kougaiji type with a strong sense of responsibility and a kind soul that thinks of others.  Sometimes you can be too serious and you’ve been left holding the bag more than once.  However, you’re charismatic and quickly pull people to you; you blow away any difficulties. ● He’s the type that would make a good rival -- Son Goku ー It’s amazing watching him break through without any hesitation!! ● The type of person I want to be near -- Yaone ー She gently takes care of both his mind and body (she’s an alchemist, after all)

転 [Ten] Turn CHIN YISOU FAITHFUL TO HIS OWN SELF INTEREST You’re the Chin Yisou type who tends to get too obsessed with a single interest.  In regards to interpersonal relations, you are unable to honestly voice your feelings or act on them.  You should try to be more honest. ● The Chin type is definitely one I pay attention to -- Cho Hakkai ー Hakkai is also the type to straight-forwardly fall in love.  He’ll be charmed!! ● On the other hand, what type likes him... ー Umm, he may be difficult to like as he is right now!?

下 [Ge] Below NII JIANYI SMILING MAD SCIENTIST!? You’re the Nii Jianyi type, bright-minded and not one to show your real intentions.  Your words and actions tend to be unfathomable and your smile can be suspicious, so people around you may suspect that you’re “definitely plotting something”. ● I think I’d get along with someone like him -- Chin Yisou ー Two strange characters!?  However, you must have a condescending attitude... ● It’s good luck to be beneath this sort of person!? -- Gyokumen Koushu ー It’ll be worth it someday to give in to his selfishness!?

唯 [Yui] Merely SHA GOJYO A SKIRT-CHASER, BUT ACTUALLY A SENSIBLE PERSON You usually take things lightly.  Actually, you possess incredibly various talents.  But no matter what you do you’re the jack of all trades, master of none -type for whom many things go unrewarded.  You’re someone who can be relied on in a pinch, though you may grumble.  You’re admired by everyone. ● The type of person I’d take as my sworn younger brother -- Son Goku ーA comrade he bickers with as soon as he’s near ● Popular with the opposite sex -- Woman at the bar ー Your witty conversation is spot on with anyone

我 [Ga] Oneself GENJO SANZO PRIDE HIGHER THAN A MOUNTAIN!? Quiet and blunt.  You are the Sanzo type who is easily misunderstood by all.  Your hand (paper fan) moves before your mouth, but that’s because you can’t show your emotions honestly.  First, find a friend who can open your heart! ● This type of person can understand you very well -- Cho Hakkai ー Someone who understands your thoughts without saying a word ● What about the type that can open your heart? -- Goku and Lirin ー Uncalculating innocents.  Are they small animals or babies!?

独 [Doku] Alone RIKUDO RACE WITH YOUR IMPULSE! You’re the Rikudo type who is moved by emotion, unable to suppress your impulses.  Thus, you tend to cause trouble for others, but in the end you know where to draw the line.  You’re someone who can easily take things too far, so be careful! ● This is the only person who can suppress you! -- Genjo Sanzo ー This is the person you want to be recognized by.  Your embarrassed feelings are important!! ● The person of the opposite sex who will come to like you -- ...... ー Unfortunately right now... And you were such a catch before

尊 [Son] Noble CHO HAKKAI DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE NONCHALANT SMILE You’re the Hakkai type who is good at looking after others and is kind to all.  You’re liked by everyone: man or woman, young or old.  And, you can calmly make decisions and possess the strength of spirit to use your smile as a weapon (!?) and overcome any situation you get dropped into. ● You can’t leave this kinda guy alone! -- Sha Gojyo ー You have your hands full dealing with the sloppy Gojyo ● This sort of person is a good match -- Kanan ー Anyway, their wavelengths are √+.  The perpetually smiling couple.

LOVE LOVE Compatability Check Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, Hakkai ...... Which character is compatable with you in LOVE LOVE?

Fortunes by Kanon Miwa Profile: Astrologer who loves music, reading and ballet.  Pisces.  Type O Motto: The grass is greener on the other side. ※ Birthdates are taken into account, so fortunes will be different from start sign -only ones.

GENJO SANZO Birth: November 29, Sagittarius Age: 23 Blood type: A He’s a person who discovers a new self through knowledge and understanding, and strengthens his own power by exchanging energy with others.  He can fully demonstrate his powers as a leader and will continue on toward his lofty goal so long as he is in unrestrained.  But he tends to abandon his efforts when faced with an obstacle rather than endure it, so when sensitive people get close to him they end up hurt... Also, he will run with wild ideas when pressed. Keywords: Aim high and move your pieces forward

SON GOKU Birth: April 5, Aries Age: 18 Blood type: O Bright and full of charm!  But he can be absent-minded, and this has hurt the people around him.  But he has no evil intentions! He is the type to attempt things normal people would never think to try, and this awakens his hidden talents.  However, he has a habit of jumping into dangerous situations, so be careful!  He is the type to become extremely down when depressed, but shows an innocent selfishness when loved. Keywords: Has good intentions...

SHA GOJYO Birth: November 9, Scorpio Age: 22 Blood type: B A passionate person who combines acute human observation skills with precise powers of deduction.  His mysterious aura often sets hearts abuzz, but also displays a friendly side when he gets used to his surroundings.  Because he’s a passionate person, when he is unable to control himself he can suddenly become deeply jealous.  Until he achieves his wish he may fail or arouse the suspicions of the people around him, but he is the type to grow into a trustworthy person while going through many hardships. Keywords: Broad-minded

CHO HAKKAI Birth: September 21, Virgo Age: 22 Blood type: AB Sensitive, and even though he shoulders a burden, he won’t let you know it.  He’s the type to soothe people with his elegant charm. However, once he breaks through a wall he suddenly races to the limits and egoistically go out of control, so be careful! Even though he appears to act wildly, in actuality he is unconsciously calculating.  He is absolutely an indefatigable person. Keyword: Indefatigable

GENJO SANZO, Sagittarius △ Good 【Cancer】You end up worrying about him.  He’ll interact with you more easily if you’re more aggressive! 【Virgo】If you interact with him like a young lady would, he may instead pull away.  Interact with him as an equal and he will value you more than anyone else. 【Scorpio】If you approach him too aggressively he tends to be surprised and cool down.  First, firmly press forward and then mysteriously attack - that’s the key to success ♡ 【Pisces】Even though you actually have a lot in common, you tend to end up butting heads.  Watch over him kindly. ◯ Better 【Taurus】First, put yourself out there with your own original approach.  Don’t worry about being too bold; that level is perfect for the two of you. 【Libra】First, start with being friends.  As you gradually get closer, he may naturally come to feel more possessive of you. 【Sagittarius】Seems like you could have a telepathic relationship if you don’t restrain each other.  Jealousy and the urge to monopolize each other are the sources of your conflicts, so watch out! 【Capricorn】Precisely because you’re a steady person, you can support his unconventional areas!  Compromising with each other is important ◎ Best 【Aries】Once the flame is lit, your love will grow bright enough to consume you both.  However, if it interferes too much the fire will spread to unrelated areas. 【Gemini】The strength he receives from the sensitive you is the source of his courage.  His somewhat rough words are because he trusts you.  Don’t worry about it! 【Leo】Your existence is connected to his confidence.  The more you love him, the brighter the fire that burns deep within him will burn.  Push forward hand in hand! 【Aquarius】Even he acknowledges your superiority, creative as you are.  Open his heart little by little through casual conversation!

SON GOKU, Aries △ Good 【Cancer】Your sensitivity tends to awaken his teasing nature.  But he actually understands the same pain, so don’t take it to heart! 【Virgo】He easily troubles your intense feelings.  Actively promote yourself and restore balance. 【Capricorn】You both tend to get obstinate.  Don’t mind the small things; you can have a happy relationship if you can be honest with each other. 【Pisces】When you just can’t seem to understand one another, smile!  Cultivate trust by easily smiling at each other. ◯ Better 【Taurus】Heal him with your tolerance and broad-mindedness.  If you do that, he’ll come flying into your heart!! 【Leo】Support him even when he goes so crazy you can’t keep up with him.  If you do that, you’ll have a good relationship. 【Scropio】At first glance you two stand in contrast to one another, but you definitely have that “something” that connects you deep down.  Build up trust thoroughly. 【Aquarius】You’ll progress from an important friend to a best friend he can easily talk with.  A deep bond will form from your almost familial relationship. ◎ Best 【Aries】The fact that you two take on unknown things is the secret to your long-continuing, stimulating relationship.  You’ll have a bright and happy love like a burning flame ♡ 【Gemini】You two get along very well.  If you smile and forgive he selfishness, his kindness will rise even more. 【Libra】You’re the best couple when his power and your wits combine.  However, you may need to be cautious when he gets too excited. 【Sagittarius】Right now, it’s important to take just a few more steps.  If you can share various dreams and goals, you can have a very good relationship beneficial to you both.

SHA GOJYO, Scorpio △ Good 【Gemini】You may end up hurting one another with a careless comment if the two of you don’t watch your words.  Kind words are important. 【Leo】Your upright pride may be too bright for him.  If you listen to him carefully, he’ll find it easier to talk to you too. 【Sagittarius】You’re both filled with vitality, but even if you do the same thing you may be thinking completely different things.  Keep trying to understand each other! 【Aquarius】If you go at your own pace, he’ll go at his own pace.  A tip to have things go well is for both of you to aim for a reliable course. ◯ Better 【Aries】He may dodge you if you bump into him head-on.  Get him to honestly view you as the person fascinated with his behavior that you are! 【Virgo】Even if your values differ, he’s a comrade you can live alongside of.  Your coolness with light a fire within him. 【Libra】To him, you are a bit of a strange existence.  He’ll surely come to understand you if you actively approach him. 【Scorpio】Mightn’t both of you have parts you can’t see because you’re too close?  If you patiently listen to each other, you can deepen your bond. ◎ Best 【Taurus】You should be able to accept his tendency to burn himself with the flames of a dark passion.  If you devote yourself to healing and amusing him, you could have the best relationship! 【Cancer】He will catch hold of your deep sensitivity.  However, be careful of a deep and dangerous corrupting love. 【Capricorn】Although at first glance your personalities are different, your straight-forward approach hits his sweet spot.  You two are strangely suitable for one another.  ♡ 【Pisces】A very good union.  However, be careful you don’t see too much of each other’s good and bad points!  Firmly accept his passion.

CHO HAKKAI, Gemini △ Good 【Aries】Be careful not to rub his sensitive feelings the wrong way!  If you do you can maintain a very good relationship. 【Gemini】Be careful of your pride and his bumping into one another!  While he can be kind he can also be stubborn, so try yielding the first step. 【Sagittarius】He may be puzzled by your assertiveness.  However, fun conversations will develop if you listen closely to what he says. 【Aquarius】There’s a possibility you two will become an interesting couple.  In order to do so, police your plans without acting on impulse! ◯ Better 【Taurus】A slightly plain but stable union.  Cut down on selfishness and follow his lead, and you’ll have a very good relationship. 【Leo】In comparison to his calmness, your feelings tend to jump ahead.  You can slow down, it’s okay! 【Virgo】The longer you carefreely chat, the more your hearts will be soothed.  Things get tense for some reason when you stay silent, so be careful! 【Libra】You two enjoy conversations full of wit.  In order to proceed from friendship to love, the most important thing is to actively push! ◎ Best 【Cancer】He properly understands your feelings.  Respect for one another is the best. 【Capricorn】A good union.  Your feelings for one another envelop you two like a quiet wave.  Don’t forget to add some excitement to your lives. 【Pisces】He’s sensitive and you’re free.  You’re contrasting, but actually you have a destined tie.  However, don’t hold up in your own world! 【Scorpio】You both find what you lack in the other, and are charmed by it.  It will take time for love to bloom, but that’s just the strength of your bond.

※Play the ladder game to find your perfect girlfriend.  Pick a letter to start on and follow the line to the left.  When you hit a vertical or diagonal line, follow that to the next horizontal line, and continue left from there.  The vertical lines with semi-circles 'jump' over the horizontal line.  Keep going until you reach your girl! XD

Please let me know if the translated images are too small to read the text, or you want to see the originals.  And again, big thanks to @flowermiko for the original scans!