#an event coordinator for the restaurant

[larrylimericks]

23Jan23

It’s always a myst’ry brunette, Not Lizzo in snatched Yitty sets, Nor men by his side That make rumors fly, Cos they’re not skinny/white/female/het.

[mitsies]

proposal ; satoru gojo

gojo satoru proposes quite often. each time, it all goes terribly wrong.

satoru gojo x gn reader, proposal, established relationship, parenthood (later!!), dad!gojo, 5+1 trope, so much fluff!!!

the first time gojo satoru asks you to marry him, he ends up nearly choking to death. he recalls it with a faux bitterness, and you with indignance and a tinge of amusement.

it was a fancy dinner restaurant, with low-hanging chandeliers and the aroma of obnoxious perfumes. people clothed in dressy designer gowns and suits flocked the bar and tables. you watched them as you sipped your drink, wondering what they were doing here tonight.

"that man with the red spotted tie? i bet the younger lady he's with is his mistress."

gojo's words made you choke back a laugh. his voice was low, to avoid anyone overhearing. he smiled at how your lips pursed to hide your smile.

this was your favorite game- you would find a person to observe, eyeing them, and gojo would follow your gaze. he'd then create a backstory for them- a game of fill-in-the-blank based on their actions and appearance.

the both of you would often go on fancy dinner dates (with gojo being vain and rich and enjoying dressing up, and with you benefitting from him being happy,) but today was a more momentous occasion. it was the two of you's 6th anniversary of dating.

you weren't expecting much, nor did you want a lot. just the regular flowers, sub-par wine, and overpriced food would do. you were content with his presence and no greater plans.

gojo, however, had other ideas for today. without your knowledge, he'd coordinated with the kitchen staff to create a secret proposal scheme- and he did a damn good job if he said so himself.

a large, gaudy, and expensive ring was stowed away inside a cupcake of your favorite flavor. there'd be two to share, and when you bit into it, you'd discover his proposal and say yes. that was gojo's plan, anyways.

when the plate of sweet treats were brought out, they just looked too good. gojo couldn't help but have his right away too- after all, it was best to avoid suspicion, right? so he popped the whole thing into his mouth like a pill.

and gagged. loudly.

a piece of fine silver, an immaculately cut and expensive diamond, and the tiny lapis lazuli studs in the form of a gaudy engagement ring was lodged in his throat.

at this point in the story, gojo typically pretends to forget what happened afterward. you would laugh and explain to the audience that he did, in fact, have to get heimlich-maneuvered by an elderly man. he ended up spitting out the ring and you never even knew it was there, assuming he was choking on his overly-chewy steak.

that date ended with an unpaid bill, apologetic staff, and an embarrassed couple. 'an ultimate success', gojo would chime into your story, since he 'got you in the end'.

you'd snort a laugh and push his shoulder playfully. 'more like an ultimate fuck-up', you'd smile. he would grin right back at you, brighter than a diamond.

the second time gojo satoru proposes, you get hit by a car.

it's a warm, sleepy day in thailand. gojo opted to take you with him as his plus one to some stuffy clan event being held there. instead of attending the event fully, though, the two of you decide to leave 10 minutes in to roam the unfamiliar streets.

the sun is about to set and it's held in the sky by the clouds, cradling it like a child. the world is alight with oranges and the streets are quiet. it's an abandoned little town, the one you end up in.

the buildings are dilapidated and birds nest in the rafters of old structures. graffiti decorates the walls and empty boxes line the streets. vines and flowers and grasses bloom and blossom through the cracks and creases of the decaying village, like nature was reaching back into the world to take what was hers.

your formal wear was itchy on your skin but you really didn't mind, as you laughed like a fool as satoru made stupid joke after stupid joke. his smile was enough to rival the setting sun as he beamed at you as if he'd never seen anything more beautiful.

gojo, who'd been a few paces ahead of you, falls into step next to you before grabbing your hand to get you to stop walking.

he says your name and it's more gently than usual. "look at the sky," he whispers, like it's a secret.

you look up to the expanse of tumbling clouds and the streaks of dusk and you're left breathless by the unusual serenity of it.

"it's not half as pretty as you." gojo is so quiet you almost can't hear him, but you smile a little. you turn, about to make fun of him for being cheesy and cliche, and then it's all a blur- you see satoru, on the floor for some reason? and you hear jingling and satoru shouts something and- 'bam!' gojo would pantomime, gesturing an explosion with his hands.

you'd roll your eyes before continuing the story. an elderly driver with a done-up and ancient, creaky, rickshaw had slammed you into the pavement and kept on driving.

you lay, dazed, back on the ground. gojo appeared in your vision, blurry and doubled. panic is prominent on his face, and you feel his hands on you.

for a few minutes, as gojo tries to manage both his own anger at the old driver and the fact that his partner just got hit by a rickshaw going at 100 miles per hour.

he helps you sit up, and you do so slowly. you're still seeing doubles of everything and the word is spinning and your head hurts like hell, but you don't think your bleeding, and gojo is slowly coming back into focus so you're probably, maybe okay.

'it was traumatizing,' gojo would narrate, 'blood everywhere, guts on the floor, everything.'

you'd smack gojo's shoulder and he'd cackle like a fool.

'it wasn't bad,' you would state, 'he's making it seem like i was on the verge of death. i was not.'

'i was not,' gojo mimicked. you'd shove your shoulder into him and he laughed, wrapping an arm around your waist.

this story ends with you in the hospital with a minor concussion and gojo stashing the engagement ring in his suit pocket and tucking it into the depths of his overly-stuffed suitcase.

'god, you getting hit by a car-'

'rickshaw,' you corrected, 'not a car.'

gojo side-eyed you. 'like i said, a car, was so inconvenient.'

you glare at him, and you hear your audience laugh. 'next time, the car is going to be hitting you. and it won't be just a concussion.'

attempt number 3 is less painful for you, but incredibly embarrassing for gojo.

it's snowing on the school campus. you and satoru observed as maki beat the shit out of yuta, as per usual. you wince as a particularly brutal blow strikes him.

"jesus, she's not holding back."

gojo smiles. "i wouldn't want her to. how else is he meant to learn?"

you raise an eyebrow. "i'm surprised you're allowed to be a teacher."

"me too!"

the silence pursuing your words is comfortable, the only thing breaking being the loud smacks coming from the field until gojo says:

"i'm sure they'll be fine. want to go for a walk?"

you tsk as he stands from the bench you are both sitting on. "now, what kind of teacher would that make you, satoru?"

"one with priorities."

you smile and take his extended hand. "damn right."

your walk is quiet. neither of you speaks much, and you're both happy that way. sometimes, silence is lovely.

gojo is not quiet around many. he is, by nature, loud, and that is something he hadn't grown out of. you feel a little blessed that he can find it in himself to be peaceful when you're around, though.

he's holding your gloved hand but you can still feel the cold emanating from his palm as he leads you through a grove of leafless trees, just behind the school campus.

"i love the snow," he says at some point.

you hum in agreement and steal a glance at him. satoru looks angelic in this scene, under a snow-filled tree, like a heavenly deity that you had the honor of encountering.

you turn your face so he doesn't see you staring. you've been together for years at this point, but you don't feel like embarrassing yourself at this moment.

when satoru lets go of your hand, though, you turn back around from your faux-examination of the winter scenery- just in time to see a big cloud of snow from the tree drop onto gojo's head.

he collapses from his place on the ground (why was he on the ground?), and he looks like a surprised deer. only his head peeks through the pile of white around him.

you stare for a beat before breaking out into laughter, so hard it makes your ribs hurt- and in the distance, you hear even more people laughing. you glance around to see the current 1st-years, yuta, maki, inumaki, and panda doubled over in laughter. panda had a phone out, presumably recording the whole scene.

'i should've killed him,' gojo grumbled, and you snort.

'too bad. he'd already sent the video to everyone, so that wouldn't really help your case.'

'maybe it's not too late.'

'i think it is. it's all okay though, right? because it all worked out in the end?'

you batted your lashes and gojo huffed at your blatant mockery of his previous words.

'well, i suppose you were worth it all. just barely, though.'

the final failed proposal was gojo's last ditch attempt at making it romantic.

it's your average day, about 6 months after the last mishap. spring flowers blossom all around your little picnic blanket as you smooth it over the grass. satoru places the basket over in the corner and began to unpack it.

it was one of the rare days when you both had a little time off, so in honor of the good weather, you and satoru opted to spend a while outside.

what you don't know is that satoru has a skywriter scheduled to come out in 5 minutes, to pull across a banner asking you to marry him.

and what satoru doesn't know is that the company he'd booked had a 2-star yelp rating.

so, when the skywriter dances across the blue canvas with a grey trail of letters following it, your name is spelled wrong. very wrong. to the point where it's unrecognizable.

"gertrude, will you marry me?"

you read out the words the skywriter spelled out, and smile dumbly. gojo wants to gouge his eyes out. "good for gertrude. strange name, though."

and then it starts raining. like, really raining. torrents of water rush down from the sky out of nowhere, soaking the both of you in a matter of moments.

"okay, well," gojo tries to conceal his disappointment, "i guess this was kind of a bust."

but you smile at him and he's not too upset anymore, because how could he be?

"there's always next time, satoru. could you help me with the stuff?"

the both of you rush to clean up your picnic. and then, you hear a rumble of thunder in the distance.

the hairs on the back of your neck rise and you think satoru feels it too because he grabs your hand and tugs you away. "i think we should go-"

a loud, crackling noise followed by an astonishingly bright light strikes the place where your picnic blanket used to lay. a small stream of smoke billows, before its vanquished by the water.

gojo looks at you. you look at him. and wordlessly, the both of you leave the park as quickly as you can.

(what neither of you realizes is that a little box with an over-the-top engagement ring was left abandoned at the park that day, never to be seen again.)

without the engagement ring, gojo isn't quite sure what he's meant to do.

he could try again. he could buy another one. but honestly, the demotivation he's feeling wouldn't do anything for his proposal skills. he is feeling very much slumped.

it's a week after the picnic fiasco, and life has been as normal for you. but for gojo, he's been stressing over everything for what feels like an eternity.

it's the last friday of springtime when he comes home from teaching to you laying on the couch. you're reading a book with a red cover in your flannel pajama pants and his oversized t-shirt. you look so good, and gojo doesn't know what to do with himself so he just stares at you from the doorway like some creep before entering your shared apartment.

he calls out a greeting to you and you reply in kind, asking how his day was. he keeps the conversation going as he showers, calling out his replies. he returns in his own overpriced loungewear and slides next to you on the couch.

he lays his head on your lap, looking up at you. you diligently and wordlessly rearrange to make this more comfortable for both of you.

the last rains of spring are pounding against the windows of your home, and the sky outside is dark blue. the yellow lighting of the lamp casts a warm glow on the two of you, and gojo thinks it brings out your eyes, and he doesn't know what he's saying when he says it but it's spoken nonetheless:

"i want to marry you."

you don't react in the slightest, flipping the page of the book you're reading and working your free hand through gojo's hair. but he doesn't miss how your movements falter for a moment, just a second.

"haha. funny."

gojo sits up. you're looking at him now, and he sees a flicker of confusion flit across your face.

"i'm serious. i mean it."

you blink. "you want to marry me."

he nods.

"oh."

"so..." gojo scoots back from you on the couch, so he's not in your face. "this is me proposing."

and then he waits. he waits for the burglar to come in and shoot both of you in the face. he waits for the microwave oven to explode in the kitchen and set the apartment on fire. he waits for the ceiling to collapse and bury you both in the rubble. he waits for you to say no.

"then i guess this is me saying yes."

but he is waiting for nothing. he smiles at you, so brightly that he could illuminate the stormy nighttime sky. and you kiss him, this boy made of diamond, as if he's going to disappear.

'i was so smooth, you can't lie,' gojo said with a stupid smirk.

'you're right, i can't lie. and you weren't smooth. at all.'

two little voices giggle and your heart was infinitely warmed.

you and satoru were sat telling your story to your young kids, aged 6 and 7. it was late on a wednesday, and you'd run out of stories to tell, so you resorted to the undoubtedly entertaining tale behind your engagement.

'you're so silly, dad!' said your 6-year-old daughter shigure. she had recently learned what the word 'silly' meant, so obviously it had to be used in every sentence ever. 'so so silly!

satoru ruffled her hair and you were taken for a moment at how similar the two were.

your 7-year-old son, fuyuki, interjected. 'i'm too old for bedtime stories now but i like this one i guess.'

you raised an eyebrow. 'oh, really? i guess we won't read you them anymore. y'know, since you're too old and cool for them-'

'no! i was just kidding!'

you snort. 'okay. i see.'

satoru stood and you followed suit, wishing the children goodnight before shutting off the lights in their room.

your husband sighed before stretching and cracking his back. he winced at the sound.

'you really are getting old,' you said lightly. he glared at you playfully.

'says the one whose hearing is giving out already.'

you waved a finger at him. 'that is a direct result of getting hit by a car-'

'rickshaw,' satoru corrected.

'a car,' you repeated, 'which, by the way, is technically all your fault.'

satoru groaned as you both made your way to your own bedroom. 'that was forever ago.'

'still feels like yesterday.'

'sure it does, grandpa.'

you were, at this point, by your bedside. so you threw a pillow at him.

he (almost) caught it and threw it back onto your bed. 'get in, spouse #1.'

you exhaled a breath of laughter. 'you first, #2.'

the night was cold as you slid in after satoru, and in all honesty, he was even colder, but you couldn't find it in yourself to care.

your head laid close to his chest and you could feel the rising and falling of his breathing. you tried to match it.

'i'm glad i asked you.'

his voice was out of nowhere. you raised your head to look at him inquisitively.

'i mean,' he amended, 'i'm glad this is how things ended up. really glad.'

you thought about your life. you thought about how you met, about the restaurant anniversary, about the crazed rickshaw driver, about the video of gojo losing to the snow, about the lightning and your failed picnic, about the rain against the windows and the color of the book you were reading, about everything from then til now.

there were so many words you could have said to tell him about how much you agreed. but you opt to return your head to his chest and listen to his heartbeat.

'i'm glad too,' is all you said. he already knew.

the name shigure means rainshower in late summer, winter, or autumn.

the name fuyuki means wintery tree.

[astrojulia]

Tarot Cards as Professions

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Major Arcanas:

The Fool: Work with abroad, connections with imports, language teacher, multinationals, entrepreneur, intern, college student, art major.

The Magician: Entrepreneur, job that needs skill with the hands (acupuncture, hairdresser, artisan), actor, salesperson, influencer.

The High Priestess: Education, especially children, nutrition, psychology, cook, housewife, food engineering, toy factory, fortuneteller, spiritual advisor, librarian.

The Empress: Management, business administration, foreign trade, secretariat, translation, decoration, stay-at-home mom, model, cook, farmer.

The Emperor: Business administration, work related to areas of technological innovation, the military or sportsmen, CEO, tycoon.

The Hierophant: Philanthropic areas, ONGs, religious work, social work, diplomacy, and a degree, journalism, writer, editor, priest, spiritual guru, politician.

The Lovers: Sales area in any sector, tourism, theater, advertising, the arts in general, porn star, stripper, masseuse.

The Chariot: Activities related to transport, cars, the latest technology, chauffeur, mechanic, athlete.

Strength: Aesthetics, physical education and various body therapies, medicine, zoologist.

The Hermit: Teacher, writer, doctor, antique dealer, restorer, librarian, gardener.

Wheel of Fortune: Financial market, exchange offices, casinos, lottery houses, stock exchanges, and areas related to public relations, hospitality, game show host.

Justice: Public jobs, won through competitions, politics, police, with government positions, in the diplomatic area, law, insurance company worker.

The Hanged Man: Nurse, auditor, inspector, porter, secretariat, general assistants, yoga instructor, prison guard, philanthropist.

Death: Doctor, farmer, geologist, business administrator, gardener, accountant, assassin, death row executioner, surgeon.

Temperance: Working with liquids in general or with what is transported in liquid form such as alcoholic beverages, medicines, juices. chemist, chef, food critic, regional or even international traffic.

The Devil: Does not limit the individual to a professional wing, so he can also go to extremes for the desire he has, such as landlord, drug lord, sex trafficker.

The Tower: Social assistance, humanitarian aid, medicine, firefighter, police officer, construction worker.

The Star: Music, painting, sculpture, poetry, cinema, makeup artist, dressmaker, beautician, agent, promoter, sound artist, astronomer, harpist, dealer, meteorologist.

The Moon: Oceanographers, sailors, fishermen, owners of bars and restaurants or nightclubs, artists in general, medium, hypnotist, psychiatrist.

The Sun: Motivational speaker, entertainer, comedian, social relationships, work with the public, artist in general, member of society.

Judgment: Work done at home, connection with the law, lawyer, judge, work with disabled or people excluded from society, social assistance, board member, executive producer, director.

The World: Pharmacist, massage therapist, scientist, teacher, community leader, religious leader or priest, fashion designer, makeup artist, interior decorator.

Wands:

Creative industries such as advertising, marketing, and graphic design.

Entrepreneurship and starting your own business.

Athletics, sports coaching, or physical training.

Outdoor jobs like park ranger or tour guide.

Event planning or organizing.

Firefighters or rescue workers.

Ace of Wands: Entrepreneur, startup founder, motivational speaker, fitness coach, personal trainer.

Two of Wands: Business strategist, project manager, travel agent, international consultant, import/export specialist.

Three of Wands: Sales representative, marketing manager, e-commerce entrepreneur, market researcher, international trade coordinator.

Four of Wands: Event planner, wedding coordinator, party organizer, festival manager, hospitality industry professional.

Five of Wands: Conflict resolution specialist, mediator, lawyer, debate coach, competitive sports coach.

Six of Wands: Public relations manager, spokesperson, social media influencer, motivational speaker, winning athlete.

Seven of Wands: Defense attorney, human rights activist, political campaigner, advocate, civil liberties lawyer.

Eight of Wands: Courier, delivery driver, airline pilot, travel blogger, expedition guide.

Nine of Wands: Security guard, bodyguard, soldier, endurance athlete, self-defense instructor.

Ten of Wands: Overworked entrepreneur, project manager, event organizer, professional organizer, heavy equipment operator.

Page of Wands: Assistant in a creative field, aspiring artist, intern in a startup, social media coordinator, apprentice.

Knight of Wands: Travel journalist, adventure tour guide, professional athlete, race car driver, stunt performer.

Queen of Wands: CEO, business owner, charismatic leader, life coach, influential speaker.

King of Wands: Executive manager, entrepreneur, leadership coach, consultant, director of a creative agency.

Cups:

Counseling, therapy, or social work.

Hospitality industry, including restaurant management and bartending.

Wedding planner or event coordinator.

Artistic fields like poetry, writing, or acting.

Healing professions such as nursing or holistic therapy.

Psychologist or counselor specializing in emotions and relationships.

Ace of Cups: Therapist, counselor, social worker, holistic healer, emotional support specialist.

Two of Cups: Marriage counselor, matchmaker, relationship coach, wedding planner, love psychic.

Three of Cups: Event organizer, party planner, celebratory event coordinator, community organizer.

Four of Cups: Meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, spiritual counselor, psychologist, therapist.

Five of Cups: Grief counselor, trauma therapist, hospice worker, emotional healing practitioner, bereavement support.

Six of Cups: Child psychologist, teacher, daycare worker, children's book author, pediatric nurse.

Seven of Cups: Creative writer, fantasy novelist, imaginative artist, dream analyst, visionary.

Eight of Cups: Travel blogger, adventure seeker, spiritual pilgrim, explorer, wanderlust photographer.

Nine of Cups: Life coach, happiness consultant, gratitude coach, self-help author, wellness retreat organizer.

Ten of Cups: Family therapist, marriage and family counselor, foster care advocate, wedding planner, family mediator.

Page of Cups: Creative writer, artist in training, intuitive healer, aspiring therapist, dream interpreter.

Knight of Cups: Actor, romantic poet, musician, art therapist, love and relationship coach.

Queen of Cups: Psychic reader, intuitive healer, counselor, compassionate caregiver, therapist.

King of Cups: Therapist, counselor, intuitive mentor, emotional intelligence trainer, psychologist.

Swords:

Legal professions like lawyers, judges, or law enforcement officers.

Journalists, reporters, or investigators.

IT specialists, computer programmers, or hackers.

Teachers or professors specializing in critical thinking or philosophy.

Military or defense-related careers.

Strategic planners or analysts.

Ace of Swords: Lawyer, judge, legal consultant, investigative journalist, strategic planner.

Two of Swords: Mediator, conflict resolution specialist, negotiator, diplomat, relationship counselor.

Three of Swords: Divorce lawyer, grief counselor, trauma therapist, emotional healer, heart surgeon.

Four of Swords: Rest and relaxation specialist, meditation teacher, spiritual retreat organizer, yoga instructor.

Five of Swords: Military strategist, competitive sports coach, lawyer specializing in litigation, debate coach.

Six of Swords: Travel agent, relocation consultant, therapist specializing in transitions, boat captain.

Seven of Swords: Private investigator, spy, intelligence analyst, cybersecurity expert, undercover agent.

Eight of Swords: Social justice lawyer, human rights advocate, disability rights activist, therapist specializing in limiting beliefs.

Nine of Swords: Insomnia specialist, anxiety therapist, nightmare counselor, sleep coach, mental health counselor.

Ten of Swords: Surgeon, coroner, forensic scientist, mortician, grief counselor.

Page of Swords: Researcher, journalist, fact-checker, apprentice in a legal field, investigative reporter.

Knight of Swords: Military officer, police officer, attorney, competitive fencer, conflict resolution specialist.

Queen of Swords: Judge, lawyer, critic, journalist, literary agent.

King of Swords: Judge, attorney, CEO, strategist, military general.

Pentacles:

Financial advisors or investment bankers.

Real estate agents or property developers.

Agriculture, farming, or gardening.

Architects, builders, or construction workers.

Conservationists or environmentalists.

Accountants or bookkeepers.

Ace of Pentacles: Financial advisor, investment banker, wealth manager, entrepreneur, luxury goods retailer.

Two of Pentacles: Financial analyst, accountant, bookkeeper, event planner, stock trader.

Three of Pentacles: Architect, contractor, project manager, teamwork facilitator, craftsman.

Four of Pentacles: Wealth manager, investor, financial planner, asset protection specialist, treasurer.

Five of Pentacles: Social worker, philanthropist, charity organizer, financial counselor, volunteer.

Six of Pentacles: Philanthropist, humanitarian worker, non-profit manager, social worker, charitable fundraiser.

Seven of Pentacles: Gardener, farmer, agricultural consultant, sustainability expert, botanist.

Eight of Pentacles: Craftsperson, artisan, apprentice, skilled tradesperson, technical trainer.

Nine of Pentacles: Luxury brand manager, independent business owner, successful entrepreneur, vineyard owner, art collector.

Ten of Pentacles: Real estate developer, property investor, family business owner, generational wealth manager, financial advisor.

Page of Pentacles: Intern, student, apprentice in a practical field, aspiring entrepreneur, entry-level employee.

Knight of Pentacles: Accountant, financial planner, farmer, skilled tradesperson, meticulous worker.

Queen of Pentacles: CEO, business owner, property developer, hospitality industry entrepreneur, financial advisor.

King of Pentacles: CEO, business mogul, successful investor, high-level executive, financial consultant.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[sweetkpopmusings]

minghao boyfriend headcanons <3

a/n: posting his next as requested !! one of my best friends said "minghao makes me want to believe in scorpio men" and she was so right for that. i have also said that if someone doesn't feel about me the way that "hai cheng" describes, i don't want it. this is my long-winded way of saying minghao is my kryptonite <3 pics not mine !!

content: fluff | wc: 1.4k | warnings: none! | pairing: boyfriend!minghao x gn!reader | requests: open

minghao's giggle will ring in my ears for hours after i hear it for a few seconds so you can imagine how long thoughts of boyfriend minghao will linger in my mind after writing this :,,,-)

to put it simply, minghao is so so dreamy

he's romantic!!! in a natural way that isn't rehearsed

he thinks of you so dearly and treats you with so much care that everything he does makes your heart swoon and your knees weak

always has his hand at your back when you're walking in a public place. always asking you if you've eaten/had enough water/taken your medications or supplements/etc. always always always looking around the room to check on you, whether at home or at a party or a crowded restaurant, because he wants to confirm with his own eyes that you are still there and doing okay

and he really just wants to look at you 25/8 because you make him feel so safe <3

he adores picking out outfits for you and lying them on the bed/hanging them on the closet door so you can grab them the next morning before you head out to start your day

if you two are attending an event together, he will shyly ask if he can coordinate your outfits <3 he is over the moon when you say yes and even more over the moon when people do double-takes at you two because y'all have taken couples outfits to a whole new level of elegant and cool

he loves how it feels to show your relationship through something as expressive as fashion, and he's so proud to be seen with you :,-)

frequently sends you silly selfies

and also cool af selfies

these are the majority of your phone notifications when he's traveling, and he will ask you to send you selfies too

jokes that "i'll forget your face if i don't see it daily" but really he's collecting photos for the album he has on his phone so he can look through them when he misses you which is every second he's far away from you

he also asks you to help him to pick which photos to post !!! he takes your opinion so seriously and knows you would only pick the best pictures

definitely has opinions on which photos of you are the best he thinks every photo of you is perfect and absolutely adores taking photos of you !! he knows all the best poses and angles to show off your beauty

he'll make mental notes of places that are perfect for lil photoshoots and will take you to those places on your dates

he even sends you a message before those dates and tells you to dress up <3 this is also a time he'll often pick out your outfit so it pops with the scenery <3

please i love him so much

whenever he teases you, he giggles right after

like he's being savage but he's so enamored with you and how cute you look when he teases you that he can't hold back the giggles

also giggles like a child when you roast him because he loves that you feel comfortable enough to tease him

he tells you when you've said something particularly clever because he's proud of you and your wit i'm yelling

minghao has a notebook where he writes down quotes, lyrics, artworks, etc that remind him of you

whenever you're having a hard time, you two are apart for a while, or he just wants to express how much he loves you, he'll share one of these with you

he also keeps a list of everything you've ever recommended to him

i mean everything

like a movie you mentioned on your second date ?? he has watched it several times and can recite most of it from memory but it remains on that list like a souvenir of your first conversations

a coffee drink you said he had to try the next time he went to that one coffee shop in that one neighborhood ?? not only is it on that list, but he also makes notes of what he was doing every time he drank it

this notebook is basically his diary chronicling your relationship it's so beautiful and sentimental and a precious belonging to him <333

he revisits these places or things when he wants to feel close to you :-( there are pieces of you everywhere in his life and he'll never let them go <3

the best listener in the world !!!

before he shares his advice or opinions, he will ask you questions about your thoughts and feelings on it, encouraging you to explore the situation more on your own

he doesn't want to influence your feelings before you have the chance to sort it out yourself <3

sometimes he might be a little stubborn about his views, especially if he is offering you advice to resolve a problem, but, ultimately, he will respect your decisions

honestly it's one of the things he loves so much about you -- the fact that you're an individual and you don't always have to see exactly eye to eye to love and support each other

he always asks for your input too because your mind is beautiful to him and he knows he can rely on you for honesty and clarity

he acts so young in love, but he's so incredibly mature

like he blushes when you kiss him on the cheek and he looks at you with puppy eyes more often than not

but he also enjoys having serious conversations about boundaries, love languages, relationship desires, and so on

very much the type, once he gets comfortable enough in the relationship, to say "our future" instead of "my/your future" <333

he's grateful every single moment of every single day that your paths intersected

intersecting paths are definitely a recurring theme in the art he makes about you

as an anniversary present, he gives you a small painting that depicts a special moment in your relationship, like the building you stood in front of the first time he said "i love you" or your favorite flower intertwined with his favorite flower tied together with a ribbon that has the date you two met on it

keeps special house slippers, pajamas, toiletries, and clothes for you in his home at all times

he says it's because he likes to be neat and prepared but really it's because he never wants you to have a reason to leave when you stay late at night

adores painting, drawing, and doing anything creative with you <3

sharing his hobbies and passions is one of his love languages for sure, so coexisting while making art together is one of the most intimate ways he can say "i love you"

in general, he simply loves coexisting with you

reading together, napping together, watching the sunrise/sunset, walking around the city, any activity you can both do simultaneously is something minghao will sign up for in a heartbeat !

he finds so much peace in your presence that he seeks as much time with you as possible

and, whenever either of you want some alone time, you both can say it freely

the respect you two share for each other as individuals is so special

it enhances the love you have toward the other, and it enhances how meaningful time together is

he loves to compliment you, and the word that falls from his lips the most is "pretty"

you are so breathtaking to him, in every possible way. while he tries to use the most accurate words each time, something about "pretty" captures his admiration for you enough for it to become instinct

he WILL completely lose it when you call him pretty

because he melts at your compliments and also because "pretty" has such a powerful meaning now that he defines it with you sorry i'm sobbing at this

minghao is just a breath of fresh air and the feeling of warmth that comes when someone says "i love you" as they tuck you in for the night and kiss your forehead softly

as his partner, you will never feel forgotten or uncared for because he is always watching out for you and holding you, whether that's physically, emotionally, or mentally

minghao is a sweetheart who loves you with his whole heart and soul !!! every moment he spends with you is a dream come true to him, and, while he can't believe his luck, he is so grateful for you

i'm going to curl up into a ball now because minghao is so !!!!! i hope everyone gets the minghao they deserve <333

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

If your still taking requests I would like to make one. It's Modern AU Dadvi is taking you and your son out for lunch. Your son just learned how to walk and is trying to walk up to the entrance of the cafe your good to and your son falls on his butt. He starts to cry and Levi comforts him

levi would be such a good dad i'm sobbing

Restless and Clumsy | 2K Follower Event | Modern!AU Dadvi Drabble

✧ word count ➼ 700 ✧ notes ➼ modern!au, fluff

You couldn't understand why it was taking so long for your food to arrive.

There weren't a lot of people at the restaurant and the kitchen didn't seem particularly busy. However, you figured that it was due to you arriving at a time in which there was low-staffing.

You looked over at Levi, who was currently poking your restless child, trying to keep him distracted by conversing with him or trying to get your son to try to catch his finger that he was hovering around him. It was a relaxing sight to behold—if it was working.

You could already see Levi's jaw clench as he struggled to keep the frown from appearing on his face. He was starting to get flustered and frustrated with the fact that he was unable to calm your child down, something he was usually proficient at.

Levi sighed and leaned back in his booth, his eyes glancing over at you.

"Should let him wander a bit."

You raised an eyebrow as you sipped at your water. "He can barely walk. You sure?"

"He'll be fine," he reasoned with a small shrug. "He's a strong kid."

"He can barely wobble forward without falling if we don't catch him."

"He's not going to learn if you're just hovering over him all the time."

You parted your lips to speak, but couldn't find a good comeback to fight against Levi's logic. You knew he was right. You needed to let your kid actually try walking on his own.

"I'll go with him if you're really that worried about it," Levi offered as he heard you sigh in defeat.

You nodded, accepting the compromise, and watched as Levi picked your child up off the high chair and set him down onto the ground, holding his hand as he slowly wobbled up to the entrance of the cafe.

The more that your child found his footing, the faster he was going, eventually leaving Levi's grasp, running at full speed towards the other side of the door.

Given his lack of coordination and the uneven flooring, it wasn't long before he went tumbling to the ground, doing a mini-roll forward from the gathered momentum. Your heart broke the minute you heard your child crying while sitting on the ground, barely reacting when Levi picked him up and rested him on his arm.

"Tch," he tutted as he patted your son's back, slightly bouncing him up and down in an attempt to soothe his distress. "I look away for one second and you decide to start going off on a mission, huh?"

Although the tears were still streaming down his face, he immediately calmed as soon as Levi started talking, with his crying dying down so you couldn't hear him anymore from your seat in the booth.

It wasn't too surprising. You remembered that Levi regularly chatted to your belly when you were pregnant, so of course he was going to draw comfort from Levi's voice alone.

Levi began chatting with him about completely random things, complaining about how annoying work was, or how he had yet to find a good teashop. Levi's lips slightly downturned into a frown as he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away your child's tears, noticing that he bit his lip as he was falling.

"You're going to be a fierce competitor with your mother in terms of accidentally hurting yourself, huh?" he mumbled as he ran his finger around the wound, noticing that it wasn't actively bleeding.

Before long, your kid began babbling incoherently back to his father, responding to Levi's discontent with the state of the cleanliness of the house as if he was offering legitimate solutions. Levi was nodding in response, providing feedback as he continued chatting.

They came back as soon as your food arrived, and by that point, your child seemed to have completely recovered, immediately reaching out for you, and would have fallen again with how much he was wriggling if it wasn't for Levi's firm grip on him.

Levi sighed as he sat down, slightly exasperated, but clearly not showing any signs of significant discontent as he looked over at you.

"Looks like he inherited your clumsiness."

[tgmsunmontue]

SunMonTue's TG and TG:M MASTER LIST

This post is linked from the pinned post of WIPS, and kept up to date. Fic title links to AO3, hashtag links to the first tumblr post/chapter for the fic (which also have the photos etc which I often leave off AO3 unless critical).

If there is no AO3 link, that's because it isn't on AO3 yet. (It starts posting on AO3 when it's finished, or within one chapter of being finished).

HANGSTER

Another Time Mature ~17k Hangster

Jake wakes up in Rooster's body about ~30 or so hours post-Mission and they have to deal with it. They're adults. Apparently. #Another Time

Bird on a Wire  Explicit ~8k Hangster

Hangster AU Meetcute. Jake tries to make a good impression on one of the servers at a restaurant. Except he turns out to be the head chef. Who in turn tries make a good impression. Their families try and help. #Bird on a Wire

Caring, Keeping and Collecting Transformers TBC WIP Hangster

Maverick is unknowingly surrounded by Transformers. He knows something is up though. Just not quite what it is exactly. Bradley and Jake, having never met, are embarking on their own journeys and will have to learn to deal with the fact that they've both been adopted by Transformers. Despite having years more experience, Maverick is no help at all. #Caring Keeping and Collecting Transformers - A Guide

Come on baby light my fire… Explicit ~5k Hangster

An apartment fire alarm at 1am featuring Jake in his underwear and Bradley with kittens. (And a writer that cannot decide on an ending...) #Come on baby light my fire...

Guilt doesn't help. Try Remorse. Teen+ <1k Pre-Hangster

Set on the carrier in the evening directly post-mission, Hangman and Rooster have a conversation. Sort of. #Guilt doesn't help. Try Remorse.

It's all academic darlin' Explicit ~38k Hangster

Bradley is a professor but living his best life with IceMav parents. Jake is a pilot. Maverick sort-of tries (and fails) to play matchmaker, so he tries again. Touch of epistolary and sprinkling of one-sided unknown/mistaken-identity. #It's all academic darlin'

It's not who you know Mature ~13k Hangster

Low-angst Nepo!Baby Bradley and his four years at the USNA and his head-in-the-sand approach to the nepotism and the fact that he ends up being known as the guy with the two hot dads instead... #It's not who you know

Jake's Cakes Teen+ ~2k Hangster

MeetCute. Iceman has tasked Bradley with organising Maverick's 60th birthday cake. This goes as planned until Mav decides to be a gremlin. #Jake's Cakes

Life is too short to waste time matching socks Explicit WIP Hangster

Also features Bob/Javy/Nat - set post mission with the Dagger Squad having been made a permanent squad. #Life is too short to waste time matching socks

Lonely Nights Explicit ~11k Hangster

Set in 2009, Bradley is ~27 and Jake is ~23. They're both on leave, out in a gay club and looking to hook up. This is a PWP and sits in the longer Sagas of Solitude Series. (A Nepo!Baby-Bradley AU where Bradley went to the USNA and has a better relationship with Maverick, however DADT has not yet been repealed.) #Lonely Nights

Mercury & Manganese Teen+ ~2k Hangster

An AU MeetUgly (where I failed to meet the assignment as it feels too soft, nice and gentle to really be a MeetUgly? Maybe?). No one is in the Navy. This centres around chefs and restaurants and drinks, but it's all very background. Background established IceMav. #Mercury and Manganese

More than movie magic... Explicit ~25k Hangster

Jake is a Hollywood actor and Bradley is a stunt coordinator. Jake's about to make a few self-discoveries. So is Bradley. #More than movie magic...

Online and Anonymous Explicit 1/16 WIP Hangster

Years before they meet in person Bradley and Jake strike up a friends-with-benefits relationship online. And then something more like an actual relationship. Epistolary fic set in a world where papers were pulled and events of TGM will take place and DADT exists until it is repealed at the end of 2011. #Online and Anonymous

Saga of Solitude Explicit WIP Hangster and IceMav

Nepo!Baby Bradley and his life at USNA. DADT fully in force. Hangster AU. #Saga of Solitude

Take more chances, dance more dances Explicit ~13k Hangster

Meet!Cute with Jake as the best man at Natasha and Javy's wedding and Bradley is the instructor teaching them how to dance... Very slight whiffs of Cyclone/Mav and Javy/Nat/Bob if you're looking. #Take more chances, dance more dances

Team Player Explicit ~7k Hangster

Jake's cousin plays for the Sydney Roosters and gifts him with merchandise. Regularly. Bradley has an unexpected realization. #Team Player

The Roost Teen+ ~2k Hangster

Hangster AU MeetCute. The Dagger Squadron have put Jake in charge of organizing a cake for Mav's 60th birthday and retirement celebration. Little does he know he's about to ask Mav's son to make it. #The Roost

With our pets, a house becomes our home Explicit ~5k Hangster

Jake adopts a puppy and then proceeds to fly across the country to take up a flight instructor position at Corpus Christi where Bradley is the vet (DVM) that Jake takes Brisket to once he arrives. Bradley asks him out. MeetCute. #With our pets, a house becomes our home

You need to learn how to fall Explicit ~17k Hangster

Bradley keeps growing past the 6'5" limit of being a naval aviator, Maverick lets out an internal sigh of relief. He's not going to be the one responsible for stopping Bradley from becoming a pilot. However, because karma is a cruel mistress, Bradley becomes a sky diver, specialising in spin recovery. Mav will never understand why his godson continually jumps out of perfectly good planes. Later Bradley's level of skill is such that he becomes a civilian contractor to the Airforce and Navy to teach pilots how to survive parachute spins from ejections. The Airforce contact Bradley first, it annoys Ice to no end. #You need to learn how to fall

OTHER

He remembers... Teen+ ~1k IceMav + Bradley slice-of-life

An AU set just before Bradley enters the USNA (so ~2001?). 18 year-old Bradley remembers key points and people in his life. Prologue of Saga of Solitude. #He Remembers

Life is too short to waste time matching socks Explicit WIP Bob/Javy/Nat

Also features Hangster - set post mission with the Dagger Squad having been made a permanent squad. #Life is too short to waste time matching socks

Once Upon a Time in 1996... Explicit ~25k IceMav

Maverick wakes up to a great day. Then it all turns to shit. #Once Upon a Time in 1996...

Together or not at all... General ~2k Javy/Nat

The evolution of Javy and Natasha's relationship as viewed from the outside. Mostly. #Together or not at all...

[imaginecolby]

i got you || c.b.

summary: when colby has a little too much to drink, you spend the evening taking care of him.

colby wasn’t normally a messy drunk. he’d learned his limits pretty quick after a couple of run ins with people that he knew he shouldn’t have been messing with. that was more than enough encouragement for cutting himself off when he knew he’d had too much.

however, tonight was a different story. he’d been significantly stressed out about work. he and sam had taken on a much heavier work load than what they were normally used to. filming, editing, and traveling was beginning to hit him like a freight train. all of that on top of creator events they were being invited to, he felt like he needed a year long break. 

you were sitting in the office with him, across the room on the couch reading a book. he was at his desk finishing up his portion of editing for the most recent video he and sam had filmed.

after a few hours of silence, colby let out a loud groan, startling you and pulling you out of your reading state.

“you okay?” you asked, looking up from the page.

“yes. i’m finally done.” he said. you set your book down and watched as he stood up from his chest and stretched out, cracking a few bones in his back. he walked over to the couch and you held out your arms as he crawled into your lap. he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and rested his head on your stomach. you lied there with him playing with his hair and rubbing his back for a little bit.

“so, what do we wanna do tonight?” you asked him.

“i wanna go out, just you and me. it’s been a while since we’ve had a proper date night.”

“mmm, that sounds good.” you said with a smile. he picked his head up and rested his chin on your chest.

“perfect.” 

since it was getting close to dinner time, you and colby both showered and started getting ready. accidentally coordinating your outfits, which was actually pretty common in the years you’d been together, you snapped a couple of pictures with each other before heading out. 

still having just moved to las vegas, there were still some places left for you to find. you drove to an area you were pretty familiar with, and came across a cute little restaurant that you hadn’t been to yet.

looking up the menu before going inside, you agreed to try it. the food ended up being amazing, as well as the ambiance. you and colby ended up spending a few hours there, ordering multiple drinks and appetizers, in addition to your entrees.

after dinner, you decided to walk to a bar that was down the street. it was one that you’d been to before, and remembered liking. neither of you was ready to head back home, so you decided on a few more drinks instead. 

at the bar, you’d been nursing a second cocktail for a decent amount of time, while colby had already taken a few shots, as well as his usual drinks. 

“do you need to talk about something? you’re throwing those back really fast.” you asked as he’d downed a fifth shot.

“i’ve just been so stressed with work, i need something to help me let loose.”

“we could’ve just stayed home and had sex if all you needed to do was let loose.” you teased.

“who says that’s off the table?” he asked, raising a brow at you. he stepped closer to you and wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you into him and pressing a kiss to your lips. you pulled away and laughed, rolling your eyes. he was getting bold, and you knew he was close to the point where he needed to be cut off. 

by the end of the night, you’d stopped drinking and sobered up enough to get the two of you home. once you finally wrangled him out the bar and he drunkenly stumbled back down to your car, you’d gotten him in the car and buckled in safely.

“babe, drive slower. you���re making me dizzy.” colby moaned.

“my love, we are at a red light. just close your eyes and rest. we’re almost home.” you said. 

once you finally made it back home, you helped colby get into the house. it felt like he was making every noise possible as he stumbled up the stairs.

“oh, i don’t feel so good.” he whined, placing a hand on his stomach. he let out a small burp, and you knew it was all over then. 

he sprinted down to the hallway to his room, and you heard him start to heave.

“thank god we made it inside.” you sighed. you kicked your shoes off in the hallway and ran to meet colby in the bathroom. he was sitting up against the wall, taking deep breaths. you wet a wash cloth and placed it on his forehead.

“did you get it all out?”

“i think that was everything i’ve eaten in the past week.” he said softly.

“c’mon, lets get you to bed.” you said, helping him up from the floor. he stumbled over to the bed and you helped him change into his pajamas. 

he sat at the edge of his bed, and you watched him as he swayed. he was zoned out so hard, you were worried he was gonna fall to the floor. 

“here, for your head so you don’t feel like absolute shit tomorrow.” you said, handing him some aspirin and water.

“thank you baby. you’re too good to me.” he said, laying down. 

“i got you, always.”  you said, leaning down a pressing a kiss to his forehead. you yourself changed into your pajamas, and got into bed. you sat up in bed for a bit while colby began falling asleep, making sure that he didn’t throw up again. once he’d been asleep for a bit, you scooted down and made yourself comfortable, falling asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.

[senjuushi]

keep forgetting that there are just like normal people in this world and it's not all war torn soldiers. anyway master with an exhibitionist kink but not around other soldiers cause they all know how the guns are treated. taking cute boys on cute civvie dates and then embarrassing them in front of normies is a special type of powerful i think

Yessss, love this! >:D If I'm interpreting this right, non-sexual exhibitionism is just... so fun~

. . .

Hachikyu

The sheer fact that he's on a date with you at all has Hachikyu feeling like the embarrassment might actually kill him. He can't shake the irrational worry that the people around you somehow know he's something less than human... and you clinging to his arm really isn't helping his nerves. When you intertwine your fingers with his and teasingly tell him how cute his blushing face is, Hachi is close to begging you to stop tormenting him. But at the same time, this intimacy is everything he's ever wanted.

Siegblut

From the moment the fluffy stuff starts, Siegblut very obviously can't take it. He's overheating in no time at all from sheer embarrassment, going dangerously red as you take every chance to kiss his cheek, hold his hand, or press yourself as close to his side as possible. The whole situation would feel like some kind of sick joke if it was anyone other than you, and yet... Sieg can't help the silent surge of pride every time he notices someone watching. He's yours, and you're not ashamed to make that clear.

F

Being on a date, to begin with, is absolutely surreal. You take him to a nice restaurant, so different from his usual life, and F has no idea how he's supposed to handle this. There's no opportunity at all for his typical behavior. You order food for him and watch his nervousness with an unbearably tender smile, and somehow, this is the most exposed he's ever felt. Later, outside the restaurant, the little kiss you leave on the back of his hand might be the most torturous thing of all— being treated this sweetly is unfair.

Love1

He goes into the date hoping expecting to be able to steer the situation in a direction that won't end in you seeing anything too vulnerable. It doesn't work. The second you pull him down for a sweet, chaste kiss in full public view, Love1's brain shorts out a little. The affection isn't subtle, and this really isn't fair. No amount of joking around can hide how red his face is getting, or how his coordination is steadily getting worse... if you keep it up, soon enough, you'll be wiping up a panic-induced nosebleed.

Ghost

Existing in public, in general, puts Ghost on edge. He'd rather half-hide behind you and not have to face the normal world. The bookstore you pick is quiet, at least... but your constant closeness isn't making this easier. By the time you wrap your arms around him from behind, Ghost is tense enough that he can't stop a little yelp from slipping out. You rest your face against his back and hold him like that, and he's not sure if he's going to panic or die of joy then and there. It's embarrassing, but he won't stop you.

Gras

He starts out thinking a civilian date will be a perfect chance to "romance" you... but once he's actually in the middle of a cutesy flower-viewing event filled with happy couples, Gras is having serious second thoughts. You're cuddled up to his side and holding his hand and there's no way at all he can make this sexual. Feeling all flustered and soft inside makes Gras want to stab someone. There's no way you're serious about such a romantic moment, and the perceived taunting is absolute torture.

[patrochillesvibes]

Not seeing much patrochilles content on my page and I want to self indulge, got any cute hcs or just any hcs you haven't shared yet ? I'm all ears

Hmm, well this is primarily a kink blog and when I’m not horny posting I’m usually chatting with KnicKnock about different ways to (emotionally) torture the boys. Cute? Okay, I’ll try…

I think one of the reasons why Achilles’ and Patroclus’ relationship is so strong is Achilles is very vocal about his needs. If he wants attention, he will go right up to Patroclus, no matter what Patroclus is doing, and say ‘I need/want attention.’ And it’s usually a physical gesture. If Pat is sitting at his desk doing work, Achilles will just sit in his lap. If Pat is reading, he’ll take the book/scroll and throw it. If Pat is watching TV, he will stand in front of him and block his view. Even outside a modern AU, Achilles still does this. Pat finds it endlessly adorable and can never help himself in indulging him.

Achilles loves his Patroclus endlessly. He’s very proud of him, thinks the world of him, and is possessive of him. He loves to say ‘this is my husband’ when introducing him. And he loves sharing photos of him with his friends to brag about him.

Achilles likes, no, needs to have his hair played with. He will often let Pat braid his hair. Always, always, always Pat braids his hair before bed to prevent it from tangling. In the Iliad era, Patroclus always brushed Achilles’ hair before bed.

Achilles is very particular about lipstick. Some lipsticks are meant for leaving prints on necks and around cocks, while other lipsticks are meant to just look good. Achilles always drags poor Pat along when he goes lipstick shopping. All lipsticks must be tested for kissability. Sephora employees find it super cute and will often take pics or videos of them to post to the internet.

In The Iliad era, Achilles will only eat food Patroclus makes. For example, Pat and Ajax could make the exact same thing in the exact same way, and he will only like Pat’s. In a modern AU, he’s just a regular picky eater. Patroclus often spoils him by hand feeding him.

Going out to restaurants is often a struggle. Achilles never seems to end up liking what he ordered and will usually end up stealing food from Pat’s plate. Even if he orders a dish Pat ordered the previous week, Achilles is going for Pat’s food. And yes, Achilles is the girlfriend who will say they don’t want anything at McDonald’s and then eat all your fries.

Pat is not really a tech guy, so it’s Achilles who is customizing his phone. Achilles carefully selects all lockscreens and backgrounds etc. The lockscreen is usually a cute couple pic and the background is usually a pic of Achilles looking sexy. Sometimes Pat gets anxiety opening his phone in public bcs he never knows if there’s gonna be a nudes jump scare.

In Achilles’ phone Pat is ‘Husband💕’.

Patroclus doesn’t really care about fashion. For Achilles, fashion is everything. For date nights, parties, and events their looks must coordinate. Achilles carefully curates their outfits. And it will literally take Achilles hours to get ready. Pat has learned to tolerate it. Oh, and this is the same in all AUs.

Achilles has a 70-step skincare routine. It can take him a good hour to get ready for bed. Pat will lie in their bed reading a book or checking emails on his phone, patiently waiting for him.

Achilles’ unspoken philosophy is ‘spoon or be spooned.’ If Patroclus does not spoon him in bed, he will spoon Patroclus. And if Pat ever ends up on his back, Achilles will sleep draped across his chest with a leg thrown over his legs.

They have a designated date night every week. Sometimes it’s a big night out and sometimes it’s a movie night curled up on the couch at home. This was also true in their Iliad era. Every week they took a few extra hours for themselves. Often they would go to the beach to swim and lie in the sand.

When he can, Achilles likes to pack Pat’s lunch for work. He likes to slip in little love notes (or his panties).

Achilles is usually home first and will greet Pat at the door. Often he jumps on him.

They are very ritualistic about kisses goodbye for work (or whenever the other leaves the house/tent) and before going to sleep.

Achilles absolutely cannot cook. Most food is burnt. And he often mixes up ingredients, salt for sugar, baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon and paprika etc. Pat never says anything as he doesn’t want to hurt his feelings and so has built up a tolerance.

In a modern AU Achilles insists on holding hands everywhere. ‘What if you lose me?’ 🥺

They’re both equally obsessed with matching couples sets of ordinary items. Couple coffee mugs, couple bathrobes, couple underwear, couple bracelets etc.

Patroclus was very much the homemaker in the Iliad era. He hunted animals so they could have rugs. He collected flowers to put in vases. He collected shells to put on shelves for decoration.

That's all I can think of for now... Thanks for the ask!

[lesbianslovebts]

Just curious, without capitalism which parts of autism do you think would still be disabling?

For the purpose of this question, let's assume that all my basic needs are met, I contribute to society what I can without it adversely affecting my health, and I have some disposable income and time for enjoying life. Personally, I would still struggle with the following non-comprehensive list:

Speech delay. I didn't start talking until I was three, and my mom had to speak for me to strangers, relatives, doctors, waiters, etc. into my teens.

Bullying and social ostracism. Even controlling for factors like social class, autistic people are hated and shunned precisely because of our struggles with social interaction.

Sensory overload. I would still experience intense pain in overstimulating environments, which includes "mundane" places like grocery stores, restaurants, and my own home (i.e., not just in a job setting).

Meltdowns and shutdowns. As a result of the former, I would still have exhausting episodes of uncontrollable distress and bouts of depression and burnout.

Anxiety. Changes to routine, unexpected events, and new situations are distressing even if they're good things like meeting with friends or going on a date.

Emotional dysregulation. I struggled with self-harm from middle school through college.

Trauma. Autistic people are especially susceptible to abuse of all kinds.

Comorbidities like IBS, insomnia, and a weakened immune system.

Proprioception, motor coordination, and clumsiness.

I could go on, but I think this gets my point across. And keep in mind that I have lower support needs. There are many autistic people who have more support needs than I do. Their lists would be even longer. Capitalism makes life hell for autistic and allistic people alike, but my disability would not disappear even if I lived in a utopia.

[justanotherarmyfangirl]

Dark&Wild (2) The First Day

You are an interpreter for international idols, but you soon realized their lavish lifestyle came at a cost, and somehow you became the price. The man who came to collect had a special kind of vendetta, and you, so foolishly, sparked his interest.

Thank you for 100 notes on chapter 1! I think maybe I will move the goal to 200 so I have more time lol 😭

yandere loan shark!Yoongi x blind!reader x bodyguard!Jungkook x idol singer!Jimin x idol rapper!Namjoon x idol singer!Taehyung x detective!Hoseok x detective!Seokjin

TW: 18+ only, violence, guns, hostages, noncon touching, reader is blinded before events that take place in the story, Jimin is an addict, Yoongi is a sadist

---

The first day you met Min Yoongi just so happened to also be the last night of JTJ’s International tour. 

After tonight it was back to Seoul for the group’s grand finale at Jamsil Olympic Stadium, which meant you were no longer needed except for the occasional international interview over video chat. Which also meant being able to sleep in your own bed. No more takeout heated up in the microwave. No more sixteen-hour working days, waking up before sunrise to follow the guys from public appearance to practice to late night parties, making sure their needs were understood by locals. 

And best of all, no more cleaning your dirty clothes in hotel sinks, ugh. You could of course always try out the luxurious restaurants each city had to offer or pay for a dry cleaning service, but you were adamant about saving every single won you earned in hopes that one day you’ll have enough for the experimental eye surgery you’ve been researching. A couple more tours, and you think you’ll finally have saved enough.

You think about the future you’ve so meticulously worked towards and can’t help but smile to yourself. 

If it had been tomorrow when Min Yoongi came to collect, perhaps even yesterday when you weren’t so excited about returning home that you couldn’t sleep and instead chose to visit your friend and idol Park Jimin (The second ‘J’ of ‘JTJ’), if it had been any other day, then maybe, you could have gotten the future you had hoped for.

But it was tonight.

THE FIRST DAY

Three doors down the hall on the right, you knocked. “Jimin, it’s me.” No response. Maybe he’s sleeping, no, Jimin is a night owl. You pull out the key card he gave you. If he hadn’t wanted you to visit, he wouldn’t have given it to you, right?

“Jimin?”

It was eerily quiet, not a sound, not even the background noise of a television. But you knew there was someone here. 

And you knew it wasn’t just Jimin. 

By the heat of the room, there were a lot of bodies. By the quiet breaths not matching up and the small shifts all around you.

And there was something else, you could feel eyes on you. Many many eyes. But why would there be a bunch of people in Jimin’s room and why would they all be pretending not to be here?

You follow the hotel wall until you hit an open corner and then step towards where the bed would be, remembering the layout of Jimin’s quarters, similar to yours only flipped. 

“Jimin.” You turn your head towards the end of the room when you catch a quiet whimper.

It was a cologne you didn’t recognize, so it wasn’t Jimin, nor Joon or Tae. Maybe another staff member, but why would they be sneaking up behind you? It made no sense.

Nothing about this made any sense.

Suddenly, hands were around your throat. But you had already anticipated the worst, you had learned to navigate through life working with your other senses.

You were good at memorization, you were fluent in seven languages because of it, and studied countless more. You knew the layout of your room enough to know Jimin’s room as well, and because you made sure to keep your body flexible and coordinated, you practiced taekwondo and kickboxing regularly to let off the anger you felt over the unfairness you endured.

“Oh she’s a fighter.”

“Who’s there?!”

Your legs knock into the room's bed and you reorient yourself. The man who tried to attack you groans at your feet. You were lucky, he had severely underestimated you. But that was only one man, and by the shuffle of feet around you, you knew there were more. Too many.

“Jimin!”

“Keep her quiet!” the voice barks again.

“What did you do to him?!” you scream.

Hands grab at your body, so many you lose count. You kick and flail, elbowing, digging your nails into their skin, fighting dirty. You were already at a disadvantage, so you took every opportunity given to you to hurt your attackers.

“What a wild one! And you said she’s your interpreter? Is she also your bodyguard?” The voice mocks in a low rumble, laughing while his men pin you to the bed. Hands clamp down over your mouth, the weight of their body presses down on your limbs to stop your unsuspecting rampage. 

“Y/n, stop.” Jimin’s voice whimpers a soft plea, he sounds like he’s been crying and you immediately stop moving.

“Interesting.” The low sadistic voice is by your ear now. What have you walked into?!

--- Ten Minutes Earlier ---

“Please give me more time, please. Once our tour ends, I can get you the money!”

“Jimin, what the fuck were you thinking?” Namjoon whispers lowly.

“He wasn’t thinking, were you, Jimin?” Yoongi laughs, pacing the room. “Too busy getting high, dodging my men, right?”

“I can give you half-”

“I don’t want half! I don’t want it when your tour ends, I want my money right fucking now.” All it takes is a sideways look to one of Yoongi’s men and they put both idols to their knees in front of Yoongi. “I’ve been generous enough, don’t you think? How many extensions have I already given you? And I’ve personally come all this way to collect my money, tsk tsk,” Yoongi tuts, “And this is the welcome I get?”

“Listen, I’ll pay the other half, how much does he owe you?” Namjoon interjects.

“Well, let’s see,” Yoongi moves past Jimin’s shaking body towards Namjoon. “With the interest of course, it will be five-point-two billion,” Yoongi smirks.

“You owe him five-point-two billion won?!” Namjoon looks at Jimin, furious.

“NO,” Yoongi roars, bringing the rapper’s attention back onto him instead of the cowering singer. “That would be your half,” he smiles wickedly.

“Fuck,” Taehyung is speechless, frozen in fear, but manages to let the curse word slip out in pure disbelief.

If Namjoon weren’t already on his knees, he would have fallen to the ground in shock. “Please, can’t we make a deal?” he stutters, hoping to buy some time. Yoongi sighs and cocks his head to the side, gesturing towards Jimin and suddenly all pistols are aimed at the crying singer. “Wait! Wait-”

Every head turns as a quiet knock rings on the door, followed by your soft voice calling for the singer in question.

“Who is that?” Yoongi sneers.

“She’s our translator,” Namjoon speaks, “Don’t hurt her, she has nothing to do with this, she’s harmless, she’s blin-” The door clicks and everyone goes silent.

“Jimin?” Yoongi watches you move slowly into the hotel room. His men wait for his signal, but he’s busy studying you, the way you use your hands to follow the walls, your eyes staring far off into the distance. You make no sudden movements, you’re quiet, you turn your body to scan the room, but you’re not using your eyes, instead you’re listening. 

Yoongi looks over to the three singers still being held at gunpoint catching Joon’s pleading eyes and the idol starts shaking his head no, hands clasped as he mouths ‘please.’

Jimin whimpers and you whip your head in his direction calling his name again and Yoongi grits his teeth. He pokes one of his men, shaking his hand towards your direction to capture you.

His man grabs your throat intent on keeping you quiet, but you elbow him and do the very opposite of what Yoongi expected. You fight back. You land a hit square on the surprised man’s jaw and he doubles over. 

“Oh she’s a fighter.”

“Who’s there?!” you yell angrily. You are acting fearless because you don’t understand the danger you have entered in, Yoongi thinks, he will have to fix that.

You spin your body around erratically, winded, knocking into the bed, arms out and positioned by your head. He looks you over once more. At first he thought it was mere wildness, survival instinct, but no, he sees the calculated steps in your movements.

“Jimin!”

Yoongi needs to get the situation under control, he lifts his hands up, rousing his men, “Keep her quiet!” 

“What did you do to him?!” You address Yoongi, even though you don’t see him, your features twist in anger, facing him directly. You wildly fight back against his men, like a caged animal willing to fight to the death before it’s caught. 

Yoongi watches it all, unable to look away from you, unwilling to admit he is impressed, he jeers you on instead. “What a wild one! And you said she’s your interpreter?” he regards Namjoon. ”Is she also your bodyguard?”

You scream, teeth bared into practically a growl before a hand clamps over your mouth. Yoongi watches as each one of his men tackles a limb to the bed. Four men for one blind woman, really? He will have to replace them when he gets back to Seoul.

Yoongi massages his temple, now what is he going to do with you?

Jimin calls you softly and you finally stop resisting. So obedient to such a pathetic man, Yoongi thinks. “Interesting.” Jimin doesn’t deserve such loyalty.

Yoongi turns his back to you. “Well now that we are no longer interrupted, the money, Jimin-”

A piercing yell fills the room as one of his men yanks his hand away from your mouth, he slaps you hard across the face for biting him. “You’re robbers, are you stupid? Do you think you’ll get away with this?!”

Yoongi laughs.

Taehyung forgets to breathe. Jimin quietly cries and Joon tries to think of a way to recue you and his groupmates, frustratingly drawing blanks.

Yoongi moves towards you, and his men seeing the anger flash through his eyes move away, knowing better than to get in the way.

You try to sit up but long fingers dig into your scalp, yank you forward until you fall onto the floor. You press your nails into his knuckles, but his grip is too tight, he’s used to people fighting against him.

His hold is so tight you’re convinced he’s about to pull your hair out, and you move your head towards him, but he’s pulling tighter, twisting, forcing your head into a painful position, looking straight up. Cold metal is pressed painfully between your eyebrows. A barrel of a gun, you realized.

“I am not a thief, I am a businessman.” Yoongi speaks to you in English, surprising you. “Your employer, he owes me money. It is my money. Who is the robber? But maybe…” He yanks your head backwards, stepping over you, until your body is pinned between his legs and the hotel bed, head held down onto the mattress, his crotch pressed against your face. “...we can work some things out.” 

Yoongi turns to a helpless looking Namjoon. “You wanted to make a deal, yeah?” You feel his body weight heavy on you, you can smell his musk, trapped in between his thighs. You let out a strangled yell when he forces your face closer to him. 

“Y/n, was it? See, Jimin did a bad thing,” he mocks, “And he put all his little friends in danger. He took a lot of money from me and pissed it all away on drugs and gambling, and now, he has no way to pay me back. What am I supposed to do, huh? Let him get away with it? I have a business to run!”

“Coward,” you grit out.

“What did you say to me?”

“Men like you, think they rule the world. You’re the big bad ones, the ones who everyone should fear. But you’re the scared ones, you hide behind your weapons and your influence. You’re a coward.” you emphasize. 

You can’t see Yoongi smirking down at you. “And what of the men you are working for? Do you really know them?”

“Jimin is a good man-”

Yoongi addresses Namjoon. “I’ll take two-point-six billion won…and her.”

Namjoon swallows, “N-No-”

Yoongi aims his pistol at Jimin. “No?” Jimin’s sobs fill the room once more. With Yoongi’s gun no longer digging into your forehead you try to free yourself again, feeling disgusted by the way Yoongi forces you into the humiliating position.

“I’ll take two-point-six billion won now, and her, and that’s the deal. Consider your interest paid off, Park Jimin, since you’re such a good man.”

“Please, don’t do this,” Jimin pleads.

“I’m not doing anything, I am making a deal, do you want to take it or not?”

“Jimin, you can’t,” Taehyung whimpers. So all three are here with you. They’re okay. You feel relieved.

“Say yes.” You shocked the men with your outburst, “Jimin, say yes. It’s okay. I don’t have anyone, it’s an easy trade.”

It’s true, you did not have anyone. 

Your parents disowned you when they found out you planned to marry a man they disapproved of at such a young age, and in a sick twist of fate, that man proved to you they had good reason to hate him, beating you so badly you went blind from head trauma. You barely escaped with your life, you escaped to a completely different country... 

You escaped and made friends with three men who would go on to become international superstars, who gave you a job even though you were handicapped. You were loved by their fandom as their chic noona translator, an unthreatening female presence. You were able to make more of yourself than you ever thought possible, you became confident again. If it wasn’t for Jimin, for Namjoon, for Taehyung, you would have given up a long time ago.

“Say yes,” you whisper, soothingly, struggling in Yoongi’s hold to turn your head towards where you think Jimin sits.

“So loyal to these dogs,” Yoongi mutters.

“Their lives are just more important.” you say in a detached matter-of-fact way. “Yours? You don’t compare. I am used to feeling inadequate, but you, that must be so hard,” you jeer.

His nails dig into your cheeks as he finally lets go of your hair.

“Watch your mouth, I should kill you right now.”

“Seems a waste of what, two billion won.”

You hear his sardonic chuckle, “Actually, they are making almost eight billion off of you, it's a steal. I would ask for a raise, if you live.”

You try not to react, but you go still in shock nonetheless over the won amount and Yoongi smiles. “Well, Jimin, is it a deal? Are you willing to give me your translator for the eight billion you owe me?”

“I-”

“No, he’s not.” You hear Namjoon’s deep voice speak up.

“Yes he is.” You’re not sure what compels you to argue, but the man above you just sounds so smug, so righteous. The idea of him losing eight billion won over you sounds like exactly what he deserves. 

“Y/n…” Jimin whines.

“It’s okay,” you reassure him, “he doesn’t scare me.”

Yoongi is becoming furious at your attitude, the way you address him so coldly, switching your tone to such a soft sweet manner when addressing Namjoon or Jimin and throwing nothing but vitriol at Yoongi.

“I’m going to have so much fun breaking you,” he sneers, pushing you away. “Grab the leader.” 

Namjoon. You hear his familiar grunts. Yoongi paces forward as his men restrain the idol. Yoongi delivers a swift kick into his side, he groans in pain.

You can’t help but shiver, crying, “Stop!”

His men cover Namjoon’s mouth as Yoongi cocks his pistol.

You try to crawl on shaky hands closer to where you think Namjoon is being held. A gunshot rings out. Splintering and loud in the hotel room. It makes you freeze.

“I told you to watch your mouth. This is all your fault.” Yoongi mocks.

It can’t be. Your head falls to the ground as you hear Taehyung and Jimin’s muffled screams. You feel devastation like the day you woke up in the hospital, bandages across your face. He k-killed Namjoon.

Yoongi holds the hot end of the gun in front of Namjoons eyes, placing a finger over his mouth in warning. 

“Well Jimin, pleasure doing business with you.”

His men grab your limp body off the ground.

And that’s the last time the idols saw you. You couldn’t see them or say goodbye, but you knew this was the end.

---

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[bagofburntcreampuffs]

ʀʜʏᴛʜᴍ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ

Progress★

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➼ now playing...in a Good Way

The Winter Festival is tonight, and you’ve been practicing long and hard to ensure your first performance was perfect. In the days leading up to the performance, your band members started to get much closer to you. It was starting to feel like a family. Lilia was a strong supporter when it came to you having to speak up on parts you wanted to change. Cater loosened your nerves beforehand, giving you tips on how to calm yourself. Kalim helped get music sheets and helped you out when it came to vocal strain. 

In the morning, Professor Crewel and Vil burst into the room as you guys were getting ready. Vil coordinated the mixed colors of your dorm’s uniform as accents to your white-bluish outfits. Lilia’s green left an electric vibe to his snowy outfit, while both Cater and Kalim’s reds shined brightly against their outfits. You were grateful for Professor Crewel since he picked the fabrics. Even if the colors seemed to clash, the blend of hues almost looked too flattering on your band members. 

Your lavender accents mixed perfectly against the blues and whites of your outfit. You brush out the creases and stand up straight and tall. You are standing by the doorframe to the practice room as everyone is looking over the music sheets and going off about how excited they are for tonight. 

“Are you nervous?” A voice suddenly speaks from behind, startling you. You quickly turn to be greeted by Jamil. He holds out a cup of water for you, and you take it, silently thanking him. “I’m a lot calmer than I thought I would be.”

Your fingers dance and graze around the rim of your cup as Jamil continues to look at you. “Is that so?” He tilts his head at you in curiosity. “I think Cater helped me calm down. I was super nervous because I was listening to Azul ramble about the restaurant.” You respond.

“Azul handled the food for the food stands too, right?”

“Yeah, I’m sure everyone’s loving what he has done tonight.”

Jamil nodded thoughtfully throughout the conversation as you both made your way backstage. 

It’s nearing 8 p.m., and as you guys start moving items to the stage, you help other people prepare for their performances. 

Tonight you were the main event and the closing show, so everyone was excited for yours. The assortment of other shows consisted of bands that Crowley invited to perform; he oddly did his job decently well and got a good mix of people to perform. You guys were going to play 15 songs (you guys had the longest performance, all thanks to Crowley wanting that representation), and you were up on stage at 11 p.m. That leaves you 2 hours and some time to spare, so you walk along the backstage near the dressing rooms. 

Throughout the day, you haven’t looked at your phone once. It made you wonder what was happening at the moment with your friends. Just as you were about to turn on your phone, you were greeted by Jamil once again, “I was looking for you.”

You turn to face him and say, “Hi.”

“Hi.”

He leans forward against the railing beside you, and your hands hold onto the railing behind your back. Both of you, facing opposite directions. You leaned back onto the railing, relaxing in his presence. It’s silent until he starts, “It’s loud back there.”

You chuckle at this, “I bet, especially since we’re starting in 5 minutes?” As you say, you can hear Crowley talk into the mic and introduce the first band. The crowd goes wild at the name, and you can see Jamil cringe at the noise. The screams ring in your ears even with the muffled spell Azul put on you. 

The loud music starts to play soon after, and Jamil tugs at your arm. He’s saying something, but with the screaming and the muffling spell, there isn’t much you can do but read his lips. You look confused, and Jamil tugs at your arm and leads you away from backstage and down some stairs. He opens a door, and it leads you outside. The chilly air grasps at you as the music and screams fade away.

“Sorry, I was trying to ask if you wanted to leave for a second,” Jamil says to you. You smile at him and just nod your head as an okay. You guys walk around behind the building, continuing to chat as much as you can. 

Your foot makes creases against the snow, hearing the crunch follow with every step. Jamil’s slightly ahead of you. You watch his breath surround him and then move away from his face. The wind blows against the both of you, and you're able to see his hair move as it reveals his red-tipped ears. 

“Do you get cold easily?” Your question breaks the silence.

“What?”

“It’s so hot back in your dorm that it makes me wonder if this weather bothers you.”

You both stop on the sidewalk, staring at each other. Again, you watch as his breath swallows the space between you. It fogs your view of him for a quick second and then reveals him again. His face was flushed from the cold as it kissed his nose and cheeks.

“It’s nice.” Jamil finally answers.

“Really? I thought you wouldn’t like it. Some people don’t like the change.”

“I think change isn’t so bad.”

You hummed and started walking towards Jamil, “Well, how about in the future? Would you live in a cold area?” 

“What do you mean?”

Jamil starts to match your pace and walks by your side. The cold starts to affect the tips of your fingers. You dig your hands into your sides.

 “I know so many people who want to go back home. In the future, you know? Like Azul, for example, after he graduates, he wants to go back to the ocean and work. Make a business down there. So, do you want to go back home or do you want to live somewhere new and maybe travel? You don’t seem like the type of person to stick in one spot.”

Jamil’s breath gets stuck in his throat. Why is it always you who make him feel so vulnerable? His hands are held tightly in a fist inside his pocket. He can feel his teeth tighten against each other. Whether it’s from the cold or thoughts about the future, he isn’t too sure. You aren’t assuming that he’ll be stuck with Kalim forever. You make him feel like he has a choice. He isn’t sure what to say, though, because it feels like he’ll be stuck with Kalim forever. So, for now. He’ll play pretend and act like he still has a dream for his future self.

“I want to travel; I don’t want to stay put.”

"I had a feeling you would say that.” You smile at him like you have no care in the world. Jamil smiles back because, as for tonight, he could forget about serving Kalim and dream of a newer future.

You two continue to talk until the cool air starts to affect you guys. Jamil turns on his phone, checking the time. It’s 9:30, He watches from the corner of his eyes as you rub your hands back and forth, simulating heat. He puts his phone away and turns to look at you. “Let’s go back inside, I don’t want you getting sick before the concert.”

“Ah, okay!” You respond as your teeth chatter, considering you’re a merperson, the weather wasn’t meant for you. Jamil looks back to see you guys made quite a bit of distance from the stage as he can barely hear the music blaring from the theatre. Your body shudders almost violently, you curse the thin fabric of your outfit. Jamil notices though and immediately takes off his jacket. In a flash, the thick coat swaddles you up and warmth comes back to your cheeks. 

“Let’s move quickly before you freeze to death”, he gives you a light smile and you nod your head quickly in agreement. Both of you try to tread swiftly and carefully to the stage’s back door, it swings open and the warmth covers both of you. Lilia and Kalim’s laughter rings throughout the hall as you walk towards the dressing room.

“I know! I told Malleus to not go th- Oh! Y/n and Jamil! We’ve been looking for you.” Lilia exclaims getting up from his seat.

“You were looking for us, in the dressing room, while talking?” Jamil asked.

“Well I got tired of looking, and it seemed like you two were busy anyway!” Lilia smirks and gives you a little wink. You noticed his gaze wasn’t directly pointed at you and followed it to the jacket that was still covering you. Quickly taking off the jacket with a heavy blush, you handed it back to Jamil with a quick whispered ‘thank you’. 

Lilia's smirk still hangs on his lips, “Now that you’re here, you can head to the makeup area. Vil’s waiting, he’s doing Cater right now though. But! He said you were next.”

“Oh! Did you already go Lilia?” 

“Nope! I’m after you.”

“Do you need help finding Vil, N/n!” Kalim exclaimed from the side, who was starting to feel left out.

You think carefully, “Maybe.?”

“Jamil should take ya! I get lost easily too, so you two should get going!” Kalim rushes up from his seat and starts dragging you both to the door. Once he finished pulling you guys to the entrance he shut the door, and you both could hear his giggle from behind.

Somehow, just somehow, this feels like it caused tension between you and Jamil as you walk down the hall. You realize that the silence probably isn’t as awkward as it seems, but it feels awkward. “Hey.” Jamil’s voice echoes out into your mind, you look up to him slightly surprised by how loud it was.

“Sorry, you weren’t paying attention. We’re here.”

You nod and knock on the door, which promptly swings open as Vil towers over you. “I was wondering if you were going to come at all. I wanted to take you and Cater at the same time, but finding you was harder than I thought. You also weren’t answering your phone! Why have the thing if you don’t use it.” He continues to nag as he pushes you inside, but he stops quickly and turns to Jamil. “I’ll return them promptly, but I have to talk to the potato alone. So, don’t wait for them.” Vil turns quickly and shuts the door before Jamil can reply.

You took a look at your surroundings and realized Cater wasn’t here and almost as quickly as you realized Vil seemed to have read your mind. “He left a while ago, most likely wandering and talking to the other performers. I wouldn’t worry.” He grabs you towards the seat in front of the vanity. It’s crowded with a bunch of makeup, he shifts around the drawers to find items with the right shade.

Now it's just you and Vil. In an awkward silence.

Taglist:@ars-tral @bookworm666 @cecil-garlicbread @mysme-stuff @doughnuts-eater @kirexa @s7-evermore @jub1l1fe-c1ty  

[thefinalcinderella]

Tsurune Book 3 Chapter 2 - Rainbow-Colored (Part 2)

Not much to say about this one except the headache it gave me

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. First flush refers to the “the very first plucking of a tea plant's harvest season. It’s said to yield the purest and freshest cup of tea

2. Imina is the real name of a deceased person or a noble

3. An interpretation of imina as a combination of inochi and na (life and name)

4. 妥協 (dakyou) is the word for compromise using kanji, while  折り合い (oriai) is a more “Japanese” way of writing it

5. Buji Kaeru or “Safety Frogs” are frog-shaped charms hung from children’s backpacks to pray for a safe return home

6. The ge (餉) in asage (breakfast,  朝餉) and yuuge (dinner,  夕餉) means “boiled rice.” Gekare is written with the characters 餉枯れ which means “withered rice”

7. Inko means “parakeet”

8. Kaito says “ぴーちくぱーちく” which means the chirping of small birds or the high pitched sounds of people talking

9. Greensleeves’ lyrics are in the original English in the novel but there was also a Japanese translation after this that included another fifth line so I just pasted the corresponding line in English there

10. These people are saying Edo era slang. Teyandee means “what the hell are you saying”

11. Edo shigusa refers to the system of behavior and manners for Edo merchants

12. Shihan-Mato archery is a more casual activity than kyudo. The archer uses a short bow and shoots sitting on the ground.

13. The etymology of Himiko’s name is debated but the hi in Himiko can mean “sun” and “miko” can mean priestess or just child

Previous | Next

The café restaurant near the highway was popular for its abundant use of vintage-feeling wood, which gave the restaurant a nostalgic and warm atmosphere.

The Kazemai and Kirisaki kyudo clubs jointly held a work experience event. Since many people quit kyudo after high school, the aim was to deepen friendships in places other than kyudo and to seek a way of living where everyone could continue to do kyudo even after graduation.

Tommy-sensei stroked his chin.

“In the restaurant industry, not only individual skills are required, but also coordination between each area, such as procurement, cooking, customer service, and accounting. The restaurant has kindly allowed us to fully book the location to perform a simulation.”

Everyone rushed to their roles. They put on waiter’s aprons. Hanazawa, Shiragiku, Seo, and Masa-san acted as the customers.

“Welcome.”

Minato went to take their order. Upon getting there, the long apron tied around his waist fell to the floor.

Masa-san spat out his coffee.

“W-W-What happened?”

“Sorry. I was in such a hurry that I didn’t tie the ribbon tightly enough.”

As Minato was putting on his apron again, Shiragiku frowned.

“Doesn’t it smell like something is burning?”

In the kitchen, Kaito had immediately burned the hamburgers.

Nanao dealt with it with a smile.

“My deepest apologies, but please wait a little longer. That Kacchan, he’s totally hopeless.”

Nanao started preparing dessert. Next to him, Seiya was trying to pick ingredients from the shelf at his feet. It happened when Nanao was about to peel off the plastic wrap.

“Ah!”

“…This is the first time in my life that I’ve had pudding on my head.”

“Sorry, Seiya!”

“It’s fine. I was just thinking of trying a new hair treatment anyway.”

Nanao could practically see a menacing demon behind Seiya.

“I’m really sorry! Don’t get angry!”

“Don’t they say that life has valleys and valleys?”

“Isn’t that just valleys—and anyways, don’t make me do such a cliched comedy skit!”

After the meal was finished and the bill was paid, Ryouhei said, “Thank you very much. The three girls playing the role of customers said, “It was a delicious meal,” and clutched their stomachs.

Meanwhile, there were those who watched the members of the Kazemai High School Kyudo Club, who seemed like they were performing a corny gag.

“What are those guys doing?”

“That’s why you can’t expect anything from amateurs.”

The twins were totally calm and collected.

Senichi and Manji’s father was the founder of a restaurant chain. Under the corporate philosophy of “Sincerity” and “Do things right away,” he focused on offering a comfortable space and a healthy menu, as well as reducing food waste and excessive packaging. Saying that those who didn’t know the field were useless, the twins, who had experience in the kitchen and the dining area, were in charge.

Shuu was drinking black tea with a cool expression on his face.

“It smells good. Is this first flush?” (1)

“It’s nice, isn’t it? We secretly prepared it for you, Shuu.”

The actual owner of the restaurant’s voice echoed.

“Who made this chocolate parfait? It’s mixture with mango jam added in. We don’t have something like this on our menu.”

“Crap.”

Senichi and Manji were scolded by the owner.

After the completing the work experience, the members of Kazemai and Kirisaki sat around the same table.

Ryouhei was talking animatedly in front of Shuu.

“Whoo, it was so fun. I’ve started to keep a hand-tamed Java sparrow. I don’t know what to name it, though.”

“Ryouhei, don’t ask Seiya about that no matter what,” Kaito said, and Seiya answered immediately.

“Bunta, Bunko, Bunzaemon.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, so stop it.”

Minato asked Nanao, “How was Lucy’s name chosen?”

“It was decided at a dinner party at the Onogi house. My mom did a homestay in Australia, and her host family’s cat was named Lucy. According to her, the cat loved people and climbed into everyone’s lap.”

“Is that so,” Upon hearing that, Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo murmured.

Shuu put down the cup in his hand.

“When Captain Cook found a peculiar animal on his first visit to Australia, he asked the natives what the animal’s name was, and they replied in their language, ‘We don’t understand what you’re saying,’ which sounded like ‘kangaroo.’ Nowadays, it’s widely believed that it’s a fictional story.”

This was the first time Senichi and Manji were hearing of this.

“You mean that’s a lie?”

“Kangaroo was the original name. Who first told this story, was it a joke, or was there ridicule in it? Or was this story a hoax?”

Masa-san took over the conversation.

“This isn’t a made-up story, but I have a similar anecdote. In the old days, babies were given ugly names on purpose to protect them from illness and accidents. When they grew up, they changed their names, but when the family registration system was introduced in the Meiji era, there were many unfortunate Ainu people whose childhood names were recorded as is.”

“Names are important things,” Minato said.

“Because a name is the greatest gift from the gods. In ancient times, telling someone your real name meant giving your life to them. They are called imina.” (2)

“——As in ‘name of life’, maybe?” (3)

After endless uninterrupted conversation, Tommy-sensei called it a day.

It was decided that once Ryouhei had decided on a name for his sparrow, he was to let everyone know.

After the Kazemai and Kirisaki joint work experience event ended, the club members were busy practicing at the Kazemai kyudojo. Although the event was only for the second-years, the new members had grown more comfortable with the place, and here and there one could see easygoing conversations between seniors and juniors. These days, all the first-years referred to Coach Takigawa as Masa-san.

Kanbayashi said, “Narumiya-senpai, I don’t get this part.”

“Oh, about that…”

“Narumiya-senpai, I’m going to buy replacement strings later. Can you help me choose some?”

“Yeah, sure. I was just thinking about going to the store too.”

Yes.

He secretly made a fist.

Kazemai first-year, Kanbayashi Hikaru, was Narumiya Minato’s fan. Of course, no one knew about this. If President Takehaya were to find out, he wouldn’t be able to take a single step closer to Minato, so he was being extremely careful.

Kanbayashi blinked a lot. Not only during tournaments, but also during practice, his nervousness increased even if there were just people in the stands. In kyudo, the moment when the bow was drawn and the archer remained still was the highlight, so if you blinked a lot, it would be very noticeable. He couldn’t fix it no matter how many times he was warned about it. However, there was an advantage. Even when he stared at Minato, he wasn’t found out because he blinked so much on a daily basis.

Kanbayashi complained in his mind.

I never thought I’d become a regular. Huh? Is that decision really the right call? Does everyone really understand? I’m Kanbayashi with the blinking eyes, you know? Someone who visibly shows how freaked out he is, something an archer shouldn’t be?

That day, he immediately went to Tommy-sensei to give up his position.

“This position is too much for me. Today was a fluke. It’s proven that I can’t do tournaments.”

“Ho ho, let things happen the way they happen.”

He was flatly refused.

Even if this school got second place at last year’s Inter-High, aren’t they being too generous, or rather, bold, or maybe just careless? This definitely isn’t normal. Everyone here’s crazy.

He started kyudo in middle school because he thought that since kyudo was an individual sport, even if he wasn’t good at it, he wouldn’t get in the way of others and could learn slowly at his own pace. He hadn’t expected group tournaments, and he keenly realized how poorly he had done his homework and how unimaginative he was.

Minato really loved kyudo. He had experienced target panic in the past and was still working on preventing a recurrence. He was extremely straightforward, hardworking, and somewhat of an airhead. Kanbayashi had never met such a pure person, or rather, someone who didn’t seem like he was of this world. He worried if Minato could survive in this troubled world with such defenselessness, but it seemed that he would be fine as long as the president was by his side.

Kanbayashi sometimes fell into a strange state when he looked at Minato.

I’m a wicked person. I’m sorry. I’ll reflect on myself. Before he knew it, he found himself repenting. And then, for no apparent reason, he’d end up smiling. He didn’t know if this was the right way to describe it, but it was similar to the feeling he got when a baby was staring at him.

There was reality in Minato’s words. His daily actions proved that there were no lies or falsehoods in them. Above all, Kanbayashi could tell that he really cared about other people without asking for anything in return at all. And even if the problem wasn’t solved at all, you’d feel, Well, it’s okay. I feel like this person understands me, and that I’ve been pardoned.

But if someone with such clear eyes sympathized with you, the sullied ones might bite back, unable to accept the facts.

There was a period when Minato and Masa-san didn’t talk to each other at all. He wondered what happened between them, but before he knew it, they were back to normal.

“Masa-san, I found the not-for-sale book you told me about before, but it was too expensive.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s buried somewhere in my apartment. Do you want to come over to find it?”

“To your apartment? …No, it sounds like a pain.”

“Don’t think you can get fish without working for it.”

“I like meat better than fish.”

“Isn’t being vegetarian the trend these days?”

“The Narumiya family has always been meat eaters. In the first place, Masa-san, you’re a generation behind.”

As the conversation between Minato and Masa-san continued, with topics flowing endlessly from one to another, Kanbayashi couldn’t help but think, Ah, I’m so lucky to be able to spend time with these people. Perhaps Kanbayashi was broken as well.

On the way home after practice, first-year Keyaki, second-year Kaito and Seiya, and Masa-san often engaged in a kind of debate. Keyaki and Kaito had completely different appearances, but they shared the same views on many things, so they often worked together as a tag team.

Keyaki was serious and earnest. He was diligent, hated unreasonableness, and was most likely not wrong in what he said. However, the strong sense of purpose in his eyes and overbearingness were intense.

Damn it, telling women and children to shut up? I won’t accept defeat, and I won’t tolerate being underestimated!

His intensity was so overpowering that it exhausted them as well. If you approached someone belligerently, the other person would also be on guard. Even when he tells him to relax more, he knew that it wasn’t easy to do so. Kanbayashi also couldn’t stop blinking even when he’s told to stop.

Masa-san said that Keyaki’s enemy was society. The society was a large discarnate entity that operated according to a fiction that was created by someone. It was like a religious organization with strict commandments, and any violation of these prohibitions would result in strict judgment. Peaceful conversations were necessary for compromise. It seemed that compromise, or as they said in native Japanese terms, “coming to terms,” (4) was more important than making distinctions about whether or not something was black or white.

Kazemai’s strength was trust. Everyone caring for each other. He thought that such things were platitudes and didn’t exist in reality, but he couldn’t hide his surprise when he was confronted with them before his eyes.

Kanbayashi was addicted to crane games. This was the only area he was confident in. He didn’t really want it, but he happened to find a stuffed “Yomigaeru” toy with a halo on its back in an easy-to-get spot, so he got it.

As thanks for allowing him to touch “Minahead,” he decided to give it to Nanao.

Around that time, Ryouhei was alone in front of the bus stop.

Elementary school students were passing by while singing the Frog Song. The Buji Kaeru (5) charms tied to the sides of their backpacks bounced to the rhythm of their walk. It made him happy that the elementary schoolers of today also sang nursery rhymes.

When the bus arrived, he sat at the window seat in the very back. Looking out the bus window, he saw many yellow hats neatly lined up and moving away from him. Were those children with matching bags sisters?

My sister works people hard.

She would say things like, “Ryouhei, go buy mom and dad a present for their wedding anniversary. I’ll shell out two-thirds of the money.”

She’s very energetic, and she eats well, sleeps well, and laughs often every day. Even now, she’s humming a poem that she learned in reading practice in elementary school.

This happened a long time ago.

I woke up in the middle of the night, hearing something that sounded like a scream. It must have been my imagination. Well, I fell sleep right away.

About a month later, Nee-chan suddenly started throwing out stuff from her room. Not just books and clothes, but also all of her precious drawings she kept.

Another month later, she said that she was going crazy. There was a haze in her head, she couldn’t retain anything she read or saw online, and when she shopped, she really didn’t know how much she was spending. If she went down an unfamiliar road, she couldn’t go back to where she was before and got lost. They say it’s as though she had dementia, but from my point of view, there wasn’t anything outwardly unusual about her.

She spent hours replying to a text from a friend and only sent two lines. She would feel nauseous and run to the toilet, but had nothing to vomit. At some point, she holed herself up in her room on the second floor and only came down to eat. She was startled by even the slightest sound and would find herself crouching on the floor. She said that she had trouble breathing and she couldn’t move her head and limbs because they were numb.

Dad took her out to various places, saying that she shouldn’t be cooped up at home, and Mom showed her therapy books, but they only made her feel worse and had no effect. Nee-chan hardly speaks at all, and the only words that come out now and then are “I’m sorry.” When we took her to the hospital, they told us that if she lost any more weight, she would catch pneumonia and die, so she was given an IV drip and prescribed many medicines.

Mom and Dad had a heated battle over whether to continue giving her the medicine or not. Neither side would give an inch, both saying that I’m right and you’re wrong.

Nee-san asked to be admitted to the hospital because she was going to be a burden, but our parents refused. Nee-chan couldn’t touch her phone, computer, or the home phone, and she was even too afraid to write, so she couldn’t do it herself. Mom wondered if this was all an act.

She had no desire to do anything. She couldn’t take baths and complained that even brushing her teeth is hard work. She couldn’t get up from bed at all. The only time she went out was to go to the hospital. Dad lamented that his daughter was so weak-minded, and Mom cried and wondered why she couldn’t get better. I rubbed my sister’s back when she curled up, unable to breathe. Everything was so painful that I cried.

Nee-chan was found to have an internal disease and had to undergo surgery. I don’t know the name of the disease. Tired of taking care of her, Dad would sigh loudly, and Mom began to mumble to herself. Our meals were almost always convenience store bentos. The plants in our house were dying, and the vacuum cleaner and dryer wouldn’t turn on.

Our family was at its breaking point. I was making plans to live on my own.

After being discharged from the hospital, Nee-chan was taken to Grandma’s house. I was relieved.

Nee-chan returned a month later, but as expected, she didn’t return to how she was before. She barely spoke, moved, slept, and spent most of her days wrapped up in her futon.

After an extraordinary amount of time passed, I returned to Dad’s hometown to go to high school. I reunited with Minato and Seiya there. Nee-chan would get in a good mood when I talked about them.

After that, I would visit Nee-chan’s bedroom when she was sleeping and end up just talking about club activities. Nee-chan just listened to me with a smile, but I felt kind of relieved. When I was going to be away from home for a few days, she told me to call her, so I did.

Five years had passed since that voiceless scream.

Before I knew it, Nee-san was cured.

The days where she would be eating at the dining table like before after waking up continued, and she was able to go outside. Apparently it’s called remission, not complete recovery, but we don’t know the exact reason why. Grandma calls it the “medicine of time.”

What was said and done to her at her new school? I couldn’t ask or find out. I was too scared and didn’t want to know.

I heard something from Masa-san. “Kegare” in Japanese is transformed from the word “gekare” from the words asage and yuuge, (6) and it seemed that it originally referred to the state of not being able to eat. They moved those who were too weak to eat to a remote house and kept them away so that they themselves would not be dragged to the realm of the dead.

Masa-san is a knowledgeable adult and always smiling. Minato and Kaito looks up to him as their master, and are devoted to kyudo. Seiya and Nanao support the two of them, and I’m rooting for everyone.

Shuu-kun is cute, and Senichi and Manji are playful. Tommy-sensei is Kazemai’s captain, Hanazawa-san, Shiragiku-san, and Seo-san are charming and pretty. Keyaki-kun has a strong gaze and always talks about complicated things. Kanbayashi-kun is always standing next to him and smiling, and Himuro-kun is, um, er, sorry, I don’t really have a strong impression of him.

There are several small flowerpots lined up in our yard. Nee-chan planted acorns she picked up in the mountains in them, and now there are adorable leaves opening. Today, I planted some seeds brought by birds.

Nee-chan has resumed her studies. She wants to go to university after graduating from high school and study Japanese literature, biology, and physics. I think she’s being too greedy.

I started keeping a hand-tamed Java sparrow. I named it “Inko” after Seiya recommended it to me. (7)

People, birds, animals, mountains, sea, sky, and the sun. I love them all. I hate bugs, but I’m fine as long as I don’t touch them.

I’m invincible because I got everything I love.

When they got off from the minivan, they heard the sound of dogs barking.

The seven members of the Kazemai kyudo club boys’ team and their coach had arrived at “Wan-Nyan Land.”

As the name suggested, it was a theme park where you could play with dogs and cats. It was divided into small dog, large dog, and cat areas, and there was an open space for enjoying shows.

“I’m really excited. But is it okay for just us eight to come here?” Minato asked Seiya.

“This is our mission from Tommy-sensei to ‘secrete the comfort hormone oxytocin,’ and it’s an eight-passenger car. Don’t worry, I explained it to Keyaki.”

When the eight reached the entrance, Masa-san widened his eyes. Familiar faces were lining up in front of the entrance.

“Masa-san!”

“Keyaki!?”

“When I heard that the boys’ team was coming here, I invited everyone here as well. Please let us join you as well.”

Including the three second-year girls and the first-years, there was a total of sixteen people. While Masa-san was busy with the group visit procedures, Seiya briskly gave instructions.

“Okay, everyone, let’s pause. Now then, Masa-san, please accompany the first-years. You have the responsibility as the adult in charge, right? Don’t worry, the second-years will be looked after by me, the president.”

“Seiya, you…”

Masa-san took Keyaki, who had a big smile on his face, another first-year boy, a blinking Kanbayashi, an expressionless Himuro, and the three first-year girls with him and headed for the Wan-Nyan Show.

“Wan-Nyan? More like Squeak-Squawk,” Kaito said. (8)

“Kacchan, you act like an old man. Baby birds are cute,” Nanao said.

“I wonder if Masa-san will be alright. He was walking with Keyaki hanging from his neck,” Minato said.

“He’ll be fine, he’s an adult,” Seiya said.

“Everyone, let’s go!” At Ryouhei’s call, the eight second-years moved out.

Minato and Ryouhei ran to the corner at the very front. Puppies were running around energetically in a circular area with a roof. The two of them charged at the frolicking mass and started petting all of them. Even Nanao couldn’t speak as the puppies approached them curiously.

Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo opened the double doors to the neighbouring circle. This was where the trained dogs were, and people could hold them in their arms. Someone who seemed to be a regular visitor picked up a running dog from behind and sat down in the corner of the fence. The three girls also managed to sit down with dogs in their arms.

Seo’s cheeks flushed red.

“You really can’t beat the real thing.”

Her hobby was watching animal videos. Shiragiku’s heart fluttered at the sight of Seo petting the dog with an unaccustomed hand, and the lens of Hanazawa’s phone was locked onto her.

Meanwhile, Seiya and Kaito were heading to the dog park for large dogs.

The large grounds were bathed in sunlight and the grass underfoot was tinged with heat. One dog approached them and sniffed at Seiya’s blue-striped shoes and Kaito’s red shoes. Perhaps not interested in either of them, it moved away before they could hold out their hands.

Seiya approached a dog lying down and stroked its chin. The dog got up and entrusted its whole body to him. Kaito watched the two of them out of the corner of his eye as though he was the one who wanted to be spoiled.

“It’s clingy. Isn’t it heavy?”

“I’m used to big dogs. But I have to take a shower before I go home. If its scent is left on me, Kuma will know that I’ve been playing with another dog.”

“Where are you going to take a shower?”

“Minato’s house. I’m going to enter from the back door so Kuma doesn’t see me.”

“They’ll think you’re a thief.”

“There’s no problem, I do this all the time.”

Somebody whistled.

The dog slunk up and went under the small hut.

The name of the song was “Greensleeves.”

Alas, my love, you do me wrong.

Greensleeves was all my joy.

Greensleeves was my delight.

For I have loved you well and long

Delighting in your company. (9)

Nostalgia brought to mind scenes that they may or may not want to remember. The two went into the shade of a tree to avoid the sun.

A heat haze shimmered on the grass.

“I recently learned that the Bernese Mountain Dog is one of the most short-lived dogs. According to a Swiss proverb, ‘Three years a young dog, three years a good dog, and three years an old dog...all else is a gift from God.’ The Ainu call bears kamuy—gods. I named my short-lived dog God and placed him by my side. Ignorance is a scary thing.”

“There’s not really a problem there, is it? It’s just an elementary school kid giving his dog a name that sounds strong. The Ainu people saw the bear as a god. Isn’t that all there is to it? Unlike in the past, medical care is now more advanced. You’re seeing too many connections that aren’t there, Seiya.”

“Fu, you have a point. –Hey, Kaito.”

“Hm?”

“Ah…it’s almost lunch time. Let’s go back to the meeting place.”

The red shoes followed the blue shoes in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

People who had many secrets to hide, who made it unsure whether or not you should catch up with them.

Was it selfish of me to want to know what you’re carrying, or to ask you to entrust some of your burdens with me?

Before they knew it, a cool breeze blew by them as they walked side by side.

After lunch, the eight who came by the minivan plus Keyaki moved out. Minato and the others headed for the cat corner, where they first changed into rental kimonos. The moment they set foot in there, they were transported to another world.

The name of this space was “EDO.”

In the reconstructed Edo streetscape, kimono-clad townspeople, samurai, and cats passed by. The concept was to interact with the cats that lived in this town, all of which were former rescued cats. It was run by a non-profit organization, and the idea was conceived by a local high school student.

The cats roamed freely in the town and slept next to old ladies on porches. There were no Sakura cats there. A fight immediately broke out over Kaito.

In a slightly secluded area, the neighborhood was filled with Edo specialties such as wind chimes, Edo faceted glass, and glass beads against a checkered background. People dressed in happi coats and zori sandals were saying things like, “Teyandee! Damn it! I’m a trueborn Edoite!” (10) and “Oh, my God! I need to hurry up. It’s starting.” They were fake Edoites in every way, but real Edoites didn’t care about such details. In response to the women performing the “Edo shigusa” of tilting their umbrellas as they passed by each other, they said, “Hey, that’s so stylish!” (11)

Kaito touched the obi wrapped around his waist.

“Masa-san, kimono really suits you. It feels like you’re used to wearing them.”

“You’re looking handsome too, Kaito.”

“R-Really? This place is pretty intricate. Hey, what’s that?”

“Oh, that’s called ‘Shihan-Mato archery.’” (12)

Kaito was pointing to a group of people sitting on their soles on old tatami mats laid out on the ground, aiming at targets with long arrows. The origin of the name Shihan-Mato came from the fact that the distance of the target area was 4.5 ken, the bow and arrow used were both 4.5 shaku, the diameter of the targets were 4.5 sun. Everything was four and a half, and its long arrows were what made it distinctive.

Himuro and Keyaki decided to take on the challenge. Himuro hit the target so often that it was his first time, and Keyaki had a look of desperation on his face. While Kanbayashi was waiting for his turn, two boys were standing behind him.

“He’s hitting a lot. Film this.”

One of the boys had pinkish-red hair, and the other had blond hair in a ponytail. The redhead put his hand in the cuff of his happi coat and folded his arms, while Blond Ponytail had a camera in his hands.

Nanao clapped his hands together.

“Oh, I know you guys. You’re the Yotubers Asahina and Eddie, right? I watched ‘Shooting targets in the dark.’ It was a shame.”

Redhead was the one who answered. “You watched it? Yeah, I couldn’t see the target at all, so I couldn’t align the arrow to the height. Eddie hit the curtain, you know. Hmm? What’s with all the familiar faces?”

Redhead and Blond Ponytail looked at Minato.

“Are you guys from Kazemai High School? You’re Narumiya, right? I saw the live broadcast of last year’s Inter-High finals.”

“Yes, that’s me. Thank you for watching.”

“It was a great tournament, really nice to watch. I’m Asahina You, and this is Eddie Fox. We’re second-years from Haneina High School. Nice to meet you! So you’re the fated rival of that famous Young Prince?”

Seiya took a step forward towards Asahina, who was a true extrovert with a brilliant smile.

“Is this live?”

“No, we’re going to edit it later.”

“We came here as part of our club activities. You need our school’s permission to upload this on the internet.”

“Got it. Stop filming.”

Eddie put down the camera at Asahina’s instruction.

“We came here to film because we can see genuine Yumihiki Douji here. Although, those dolls apparently weren’t made in the Edo period, but Heisei era facsimiles.”

Eddie made a strange pose that was reminiscent of a flamboyant gesture in kabuki.

“I am one who is quite learned on all things Japanese. Karate Karaoke Kyudo. Miso Senpai Karoushi. Kawaii Mottainai Hentai.”

Kaito scratched his head.

“Is that good or bad?”

Seiya wore a complacent smile.

“If you like Japanese things, there’s a real Shinto priest here.”

“Oh, my, God. May I visit next day? Which temple do you preside over?”

Eddie seemed to have mixed up temples and shrines, but even Japanese people didn’t distinguish between the two. When visiting a shrine, one would often hear people ask, “Is it okay to clap my hands here?” (13)

Masa-san answered politely, as one would expect from one of his profession.

“Please come visit. I’m often asked this by foreigners. ‘Kami-sama’ is the one enshrined at ‘Yata Jinja.’ God is the name of the god in monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Judaism, and if you translate that as ‘Here is God,’ you’d receive questioning looks like, ‘What is this guy talking about?’ The term Shinto deity isn’t a name, but a description.”

Hearing that, Minato said, “It’s like mistaking Satou-san for Smith-san? I read somewhere that when you say ‘shrine’ in English, it refers to a quiet place for pilgrims and people like them and has nothing to do with Shinto at all, while ‘temple’ refers to a noisy place where people gather to pray.”

“The way of calling and writing proper nouns is surprisingly difficult. Himiko is probably ‘the miko of the Sun’ or ‘child of the Sun.’ (13) In a place where people worshipped eight million gods, Buddha arrived, and the Shinto and Buddhist traditions were combined. In order to counter monotheism during the world war, State Shinto was created and the kami and Buddha were once again separated. State Shinto and ancient Shinto are two completely different things, and Shinto is a prehistoric nature religion.”

“Ooh, I found a heart cat!”

Everyone turned around at Ryouhei’s voice.

“Fare thee well!” Asahina and Eddie ran away, chasing after the calico cat with a heart mark.

Kanbayashi lowered his brows. “Those people sure are lively, Narumiya-senpai.”

“They are. Sorry, we kinda got sidetracked.”

“That’s not true. The teacher-student dialogue was fun!”

Afterwards, Minato and the others enjoyed themselves with the Shihan-Mato Archery, sent a group photo to Tommy-sensei, and headed home.

Previous | Next

[mariacallous]

Right then, while you fumble for your credit cards, I will talk about the rise of fakery: fake news, fake images, fake audio, fake politics.

Let me begin with someone I know. I admire Michela Wrong enormously. She does what journalists are meant to do: she afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.

Her beat was Africa, and Michela spent her career puncturing the West’s illusions about its rulers.

After Paul Kagame’s forces overthrew Rwanda’s genocidal Hutu regime in 1994, the world wanted to believe in a fairy story. The mass murder of Rwanda’s Tutsi population would be followed by peace, reconciliation and justice, it thought, as it threw praise and money at Kagame’s government.

Rwanda became the darling of the global aid industry. Under New Labour and the Tories, Kagame was feted.

Now our Conservative government declares that Rwanda is such a serene and safe country, Britain can dump asylum seekers there without the smallest concern for their safety or the faintest suspicion that corrupt officials will siphon off taxpayers’ money.

It was such a compelling story.  Kagame and his idealistic group of young rebel fighters overthrow a genocidal regime ushering in an era of peace and stability. Under his leadership Rwanda became the West’s donor darling, hailed as Africa’s “Switzerland” or “Singapore”

The compelling story was also such balls. Michela exposed the lies, and has suffered a campaign of terrifying vilification as a result.

 As AI and deep fake technology advance, not only journalists, politicians and celebrities, but potentially all of us can suffer equally ferocious attacks as calumny becomes ever easier to manufacture.

But first let me tell you what happened to Michela, then I will move on to the wider implications.

 Her Do Not Disturb, and what a sweet title that was for a book about comfortable myths, was published in 2021.

She looked at the regime’s pursuit of opposition leaders, human rights activists and journalists. She showed how its critics were beaten and cowed into silence. And how, in the most high-profile cases, they  “disappeared,” never to be seen again.

Michela has had her own punishment beating

Writing in this morning’s Observer she described how the regime hired a British  PR company to coordinate the online hate attacks. She expected abuse after the book was published but….

What followed still took my breath away. A tide of vilification, expressed in petition form, on specially created websites, in pseudonymous Amazon reviews, and spread by literally hundreds of anonymous social media accounts. Almost all ignored the topic of my book – Kagame’s extraterritorial assassination campaign – while repeating certain tropes. I’d always taken it as read I would be accused of racism. What was extraordinary, though, for a journalist who reported on the 1994 genocide for Reuters and the BBC, was to be accused of “genocide denial”. But there was method in this malevolence. Genocide denial is now an accusation hurled at pretty much any government critic – including members of Kagame’s minority Tutsis who lost loved ones during the genocide. But it’s a crime in Rwanda, carrying a potential 10-year sentence, so I could in theory be arrested if I boarded a plane touching down in Kigali. When a Brussels restaurant owner cancelled my event after a tsunami of tweets and emails, I wondered if I even needed to worry about being arrested in Belgium. Rwandan government supporters have pushed for the EU’s laws on Holocaust denial to embrace supposed “negationists” like me.

Michela now wakes screaming in the night. Her nightmares convince her that Rwandan agents have broken into her flat.

“In the morning, I sometimes find chairs, duvets and pillows stuffed against the front door: my anxiety has bubbled up in my sleep. A therapist would probably mutter ‘PTSD’.”

As everyone who has been on the receiving end of hate campaigns knows, they work. Years of accusations that Michaela is a “racist” and “genocide denier” meant that…

“Anyone thinking of inviting me to speak at a conference or write an article will, on Googling my name, be presented with a list of accusations only the most stout-hearted – or those who know Rwanda – will casually brush away.”

The experience of Michela Wrong will become commonplace. Here without me needing to go out of my way to find them is a selection of stories from the past few days

Millions of people came across fake sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift on social media. The White House Press Secretary told ABC News the Biden administration was "alarmed" by what happened to Swift online and that Congress "should take legislative action."

As it turns out, there is no federal law in the U.S. that would prevent or deter someone from creating and sharing non-consensual deepfake images. But there is a profitable commercial industry that thrives on creating and sharing digitally manufactured sexual content.

Do not think that fakery is confined to the famous

Yesterday the Times told the story of Helen Mort. In 2020 she found a fake porn film with images of her face taken from social media. Like Micheala she was horrified. She was even more horrified when she discovered that “an estimated 95 per cent of deepfakes online are non-consensual porn featuring women”.

As in the US, there is no single criminal offence in England and Wales that governs the taking, making and sharing of intimate images without consent.

On Thursday digital forensic investigators in Germany uncovered a vast, pro-Russia disinformation campaign against the Berlin government. It used tens of thousands of fake accounts on the social media platform X to attack Germany’s support for Ukraine. Russia generated more than 1m German-language posts from an estimated 50,000 fake accounts. They were dispatched at a rate of two every second.

On Friday Scientific American reported on how artificial intelligence was creating fake tapes of high school principals giving racist speeches. It also automatically generated calls, apparently from Joe Biden, urging citizens not to vote.

“Society,” the journal concluded, “may be woefully unprepared to deal with the resulting inevitable wave of digital fraud and the looming implication that any media item could be fraudulent.”

I don't know where that may in Scientific American’s conclusion came from. Society clearly is woefully unprepared,

Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California described how the malicious actors held all the cards. It was incredibly easy to perpetrate a fraud, he explained.

“I record a person and clone their voice. And then I record myself saying what I want them to say with all the intonation—bad words and all—and it converts my voice into their voice. It’s all the same underlying generative AI technology.”

When it came to uncovering fraud, however…

“Detection is harder because it’s subtle; it’s complicated; the bar is always moving higher. I can count on one hand the number of labs in the world that can do this in a reliable way. That’s disconcerting.”

The falsely accused teachers will find it very hard to clear their name. While those who want to believe malicious fakery will feel justified in doing so.

As well as the innocent being falsely accused, the guilty will be able to say that they are innocent victims and AI generated the evidence against them.

As the technology for fakery explodes, and as states like Rwanda that no one believed capable of running propaganda operations and character assassination campaigns try to distort debate, the question arises what do we do.

I disagree with many of my fellow free-speech defenders who think that little or nothing should be done.  We cannot go on with the Clinton era dispensation, which gave legal immunities to tech companies, without the rule of law falling into disrepute.

Everyone caught up in fake news attacks is baffled by the shortage of legal remedies against the AI companies that are profiting from their misery.

But clearly the law can only go so far. A deep fake outfit based in Northern Cyprus or some other bad land is effectively beyond the rule of law.

It strikes me that there are two possible futures.

The first isn’t so bad. People just shrug when dirt is thrown. They assume the evidence poisonous ideologues and movements use against their hate objects is fake.  Or they follow the “ye without sin cast the first stone” principle. Or, and you can see this happening now, they say that when so many are attacked or are capable of being attacked, once shocking accusations lose their sting.

The second is, I am afraid, as likely. 

Every election is swamped with fake news. The defeated side refuses to accept that they lost in a free-and-fair contest. High levels of trust, on which contented and prosperous societies depend, collapse. As more of us become like Michela Wrong and fear the power of the new technologies to destroy us, the more suspicious our world becomes.

[nwbeerguide]

Maui Brewing Company raises $1.5 million for Maui wildfire relief via their Kōkua Project.

image courtesy Maui Brewing Company Press Release Kihei, Hawaii … In response to the wildfire tragedies across the island of Maui, Maui Brewing Company spearheaded the Kōkua Project, a collaborative beer effort inspired by Sierra Nevada’s Resilience project of 2018 to raise money for those in need. Translated as “extending help to others” in the Hawaiian language, the Kōkua Project was touted as “one beer, brewed by many, to support the people of Maui”. Over 700 breweries across the United States and internationally participated in the project which began in late August to raise funds for the people of Maui. While Maui Brewing Company coordinated the efforts and provided the recipe for their suggested brew, brewing material partners jumped in with support by donating the yeast, hops, malts, and more to breweries that reached out for supplies. Ongoing email marketing kept brewing participants up-to-date on recipes, participating vendors, foundation information, events, marketing assets and logos, tap handles, and merchandising kits “From New Zealand to Japan and every US state in between, the brewing community has come together in a powerful and humbling way to support the people of Maui,” said Maui Brewing Company Founder and CEO, Garrett Marrero. “As one beer, brewed by many, Kōkua supports our Maui ‘Ohana who have been affected by the tragic wildfires. We are grateful to every brewery who has participated this year.” Maui Brewing partnered with Global Empowerment Mission to facilitate the fiscal responsibilities for the Maui Brewing Company Fire Fund. While participating breweries were encouraged to send their donations to GEM, some breweries opted to donate to Hawaii Community Foundation, Makai Foundation, or other legitimate non-profit organizations including Legacy of Aloha. Legacy of Aloha benefits Maui Brewing and TS Restaurants teammates that have been displaced and lost their belongings and livelihoods. The two restaurant groups partnered for the largest impact. Across these collaborative efforts, the beer community has raised $3M for Maui’s relief efforts with $1.5M pledged through the Kōkua Project. President and CEO of Maui Brewing Co. Restaurants, Chris Thibaut sent the update, "We're stoked to share that we've hit the $1.77M mark through the Legacy of Aloha program! The amount of support and aloha our community has shown these past few months has been truly amazing. Huge Mahalo for making a real difference in the lives of our Maui 'Ohana!" The financials provided by Legacy of Aloha did not only include brewery contributions from the Kōkua Project. The Maui Brewing Company team led by Garrett Marrero have been providing ongoing support to Maui, also facilitating supply missions, collecting vital items for the survivors, and delivering emergency drinking water to communities affected by the wildfires. As a result earlier this month, the brewing trade publication Brewbound announced their Best of 2023 Award Winners. Marrero was presented with the Person of the Year Award for “exemplifying the spirit of the craft brewing industry”. Beer lovers and those looking to support Maui’s relief efforts can donate directly to the Maui Brewing Company Fire Fund online HERE. For more information, visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. ### About Maui Brewing Company Founded in 2005, Maui Brewing Company is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery. MBC is based on Maui, with its grid-independent production brewery, restaurant and tasting room in Kihei, as well as restaurants in Kahana (Maui), Ka'anapali (Maui), Kailua (Oahu), and Waikiki (Oahu). Maui Brewing Company is available in 26 states, 1 district, and 3 international countries with more areas to follow. … from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/4aFdA4p

[toomanybandstocare]

{Bad Food Day}

Program: Sometimes your brain makes day to day life more difficult than it needs to be. Steve is more than willing to slow down when your head is in a haze and lend you a helping hand. So if you need a hug, words of encouragement, or someone to remind you that you are deserving of a meal, Steve has you covered.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x GN! Reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Headcannon

Warnings: Struggle with food, Pet name (love, darling), Loving threat, Mention of therapy and med help (not detailed), Not proofed

Camp Upside Down Masterlist

Counselor Note: I had a rough food day, and I feel like Steve would know what to do without me asking.

there are just days where your brain doesn't coordinate with your body, making it all the more strenuous. some days, intrusive thoughts convince you that you don't deserve a basic necessity. other days, food just doesn't sound appealing.

days like these just feel like walking through fog. you can vaguely get through it but there's a thick feeling lingering on you.

days like these, you hope align with a day off from work, so you can just focus on taking care of yourself.

regardless of the day's severity, you don't have to rely on just yourself anymore.

steve harrington supports your dreams and life achievements every art show, battle of the bands, sporting event, or debate competition. but he also reminds you of your worth and value when your brain clouds your reality.

when you first start dating, steve has an odd feeling to date nights.

don't get him wrong. steve is ecstatic you agreed to go out with him. but every time he calls to plan your next date, something stung the back of his mind after every phonecall.

it seemed like you were holding back your thoughts about date night choices and restaurant picks.

so on your fourth date, steve sets his mind on clearing the air of any concerns. he is so enamored by you, that he does not want to screw anything up and make you uncomfortable. so time to communicate.

after getting coffee at your favorite spot, steve takes you on a drive to enjoy the cool autumn day at the flower meadow. a flannel blanket covers the ground as the two of you lounge and chat. just enjoying the day with each other's company.

slight nerves make his voices soft, "so i wanted to ask you something. promise it's nothing bad, alright? i'm very happy with you and excited to be with you." steve reassures your slightly panicked expression. so when you slowly nod your head, eyebrows creased, he continues "i have loved each of our dates. i love spending time with you, but i wanted to check in with how you feel. whenever we call to plan our next date, it feels like you're not saying something, or the complete truth."

steve's wide brown eyes look at you in concern as you fiddle with your paper cup, but he waits patiently for your response. "i, uh, don't really feel comfortable sharing the whole story, but i struggle with food. like it just makes me anxious some days and especially when i go out to eat with people i don't really know," you peer over at him. the sight of steve's slightly wounded broken expression rushes you to continue, "i have so enjoyed each of our dates. it's nothing to do with you, steve. i promise. food is just complicated for me, so meals and snacks can be difficult for me."

steve takes your words to heart and looks at you in complete thought. he puts his cups on the ground and carefully pulls you into his arms and rubs your back. his voice very tender, "thank you for sharing even that much with me. please, let me know if i can help. but for the mean time, let's come up with new places to go out on dates. hm? how about the museum next?"

he doesn't quite understand just how much his understanding, even without the full details, means to you. steve doesn't quite understand what you're going through, but he's determined to love you every way you deserve.

through the course of your relationship, steve begins to be able to tune into your needs and can pick up when bad food days happen.

at first, steve doesn't know how to support you. so he watches how you handle the day and what you communicate you need.

steve keeps a small notebook on hand to write down foods he sees you not hesitate around on these days.

so he keeps a cabinet in his kitchen and a small bag in his trunk filled with your safety foods.

eventually he begins to coax and remind you eat meals or drink water through these days. but not overtly. "hey, i made a lil bowl of fruit. would you like some?" brings you a glass of water as well when he gets up to grab one for himself. "i made us buttered toast for breakfast, love. could you grab some glasses while i plate up?"

as your relationship progresses and you trust him more, you may share if anything caused you to feel this way, but if you don't steve respects that. he doesn't pry because he can't imagine how hard it is to manuever life with this.

later on though, oh my god. steve is fully capable of lovingly threaten you into eating if that's what it takes. "you're hurting the love of my life." "if you do not eat something with me, i will take away that book you're reading."

because from his time watching how you act on these days, steve is aware of how you distract yourself from eating.

he also treats you with the utmost care on these days. soft words. gentle touches. he just knows what you need.

puts his hand on your waist when you just stand in the kitchen with a confused look on your face. "what're the thoughts for today, darling" "not too sure. banana comes to mind" "how about we make banana bread?" "can i just watch?" "anything you want"

if you end up deciding therapy or medical help is the best course of support for you, steve will not hesitate to bring a book and snack pack for himself as he waits in the parking lot after driving you. "how was it? not too scary?" "i don't know if this doc is the right on for me" "how about we go to the front desk and see if there are other's accepting patients. in the mean time, keep your appointment in case you can't switch right away, alright?"

end of the day, steve knows just what you need to help you get through this and is willing to help you any way he can.