#and that those parts are destined to meet as they make a different shape this time in another universe

[sorcerous-caress]

Maybe we'll write the first notes that will become the beginning of a song someone will sing for us.

Inspire a set of hands to pick up an instrument for the first time and strum a melody.

Be the echos that linger on the tongue, that someone humms to stride forward.

Writing is a beautiful thing, I will gladly say I'll humm each verse you craft for a long time.

The idea that I'd have any lingering effect on anyone at all makes me feel immense joy <3 thank you so much, this was so beautifully written.

I hope so, I really hope some people would see my writing or read my encouragement for others and get inspired to write their own stories or craft their own art. It's like a chain because I myself was inspired by others to start writing! And other people in the future will be inspired by any of my readers who started/went back to writing because of me.

Even if they don't, it's alright. I'm honestly grateful that they made time to read what I wrote and hear what I have to say.

And I'm thankful for your existence. Your writing style is especially captivating, and you inspired so many things in my blog. <3

[cottagedreamy]

Sometimes, i think how beautiful is the love between all the strawhats. I'm not talking about the romantic one, but the platonical. Besides i believe that any names could describe how their relationship works.

Oh, they just love so much each other. They LIVE, they keep going for them. They watch their backs, they fight GOD for them, they would burn, drown, kill, loose limbs for keep their nakamas safe.

It's so cute the fact that they do everything together. If they bath, they bath together. If they're gonna eat? They eat together! They're gonna sleep, they sleep together. One of them got a fever, they'll gonna look after them while asleep. Someone is sleeping without an blanket? Someone will bring one for them. One of them is working? There's always someone to make them company.

They tease each other, they hit their asses, they gonna fight for the insignificant things, they gonna argue, they gonna disturb each other, they will call you dumb and hit you, they can be mean for fun, and never say "i love you", because they just gonna show their love in different ways that doesn't need words.

It's funny to think they're so close, even they spent more time apart than together. But the dedication they have for each other, I feel like it was in the stars that they would meet, and at the moment when they needed it most, they appeared in each other's lives like sacred angels and bringing good company and shaping their bonds. unique characters that make it feel more like a family than a simple pirate crew. They are far from the conventional pirates we are familiar with in fiction. Because that ship became more than a shelter, it became a home.

And one day, this crew will be disbanded, and they will be able to go on with their lives peacefully. Travel, study, maybe get married, manage somewhere... And then, will their hearts sometimes go back to the sea and think "I miss those crazy days, with those people and with my captain..."? Everything will be just memories in the very distant future, but they will always carry a part of themselves in each other. They changed their nakama's lives forever.

But they've never got a chance to say "i think you're my family. And i love you", but like i said, they don't need to say. Their actions do it for themselves. They have so much love to give.

Oh, to be loved by your friends. To be cared by them. To call the sea your home, having a place to came back, but risk your life for some people that you've meet for a little time in your life, because you learned you can love, and now you have someone to share this love. Oh, they are destined to meet, they're all made for eachother. They're soulmates.

[theflyingpeaches]

The Office Affair: Litigation

Higuruma x Fem Reader NSFW

MDNI!!! FROM THIS SENTENCE ON YOU ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU ARE 18+

Summary: You are being sued, and things are not looking too good! Thankfully you have a great defense attorney like Hiromi Higuruma on your side. He will prove your innocence, though innocent is not a word he would call you. Lines are blurry, and things got complicated once your attorney started to fall for you.

Words: 4,263

Contains: Fingering, squirting, oral sex, sucking tits, making out, office sex, simp!higuruma, pillow talk, eating ass, unprotected sex, creampie, idk man- this shit is filthy.

Law Firm : 6:04am

The sound of high heels clicking could be heard all around the firm. Eyes stared and people gossiped. Every time you came to the office it was like this. You were used to it. In fact, you anticipated it, and those who were really pessimistic would say you kind of liked it. 

Thankfully not everyone was in quite yet. Just a few of the early birds- still, it was enough for you to feel nice and judged.

You wore a tight black one piece swimsuit under a black mini pleated skirt that barely left anything to the imagination. 

Your swimsuit was as close to a bikini as it could possibly get without being disconnected. It barely covered your breasts as it showed so much cleavage and a bit of underboob. It connected to the g-string bottoms that were of course barely covered by your tiny skirt. The slightest breeze would uncover all your goods. 

Everything was all tied together with the fur coat you wore around your shoulders that dragged on the floor as you walked. Hair down, face done up and beautiful.

There was only one destination for you in this building, and that was all the way back into your lawyer's office. 

Your stiletto heel sock boots stopped as you were in front of his office door. You didn’t knock, no. You’d just enter. You knew it would bother him.

"Hello Mr. Higuruma. How are you this morning?" You spoke, setting your purse on the ground next to the chair that faced his desk.

As you took a seat, you noticed the cup of lollipops stocked on his desk and you didn't hesitate to pick one up.

"Good morning ma'am. I'm very well." He kept his head down sifting through the folder in his hand as he greeted you. "I see you're dressed more professionally this morning."

You pulled the wrapper off of your heart shaped lollipop and tossed the trash right on top of his desk with no regard.

"Ooh, I didn't know my lawyer was also a part time comedian." You rolled your eyes, "If you need to meet with me before or after work this is what I'm going to look like. You know this, and yet you keep recommending the same times. Almost like there's an ulterior motive." 

His position remained the same, but his eyes now looked into yours. "That's very funny- and you said I'm the comedian?"

Your cute red lips pouted before putting the lollipop into your mouth. 

"So let me get this straight- you have a cup full of red lollipops from different brands even though I'm pretty sure you said your favorite flavor was blue? Why?"

"It's your favorite flavor, is it not? You always come in here and cherry pick the red. Figured I'd save you some time." Higuruma began to stack his papers together as he prepared your case file. "Besides, I like the taste by proxy."

By proxy. He wasn't even using that word correctly, but he used it how he wanted you to hear it.

"Excuse me?" You frowned. 

"So it seems that this case just got a little interesting. Please keep calm as I tell you this, but the Saito's have another witness."

"What?!" You pulled out the lollipop before you could choke on it. "How is this possible? They are paying people! They have to be!"

"I know. Unfortunately they are very rich and very powerful." He placed the folder to the side and continued to look at you. "You are in good hands though."

"It's bullshit. I'm innocent and here I have eight fucking witnesses standing against me… Just tell me now if I should take the plea." You forcefully exhaled, tossing the lollipop into the trashcan nearby. This information just ruined your appetite.

"Don't even joke like that. It is my job to make sure that justice is served in your favor… I'll do anything to see that through."

He was so serious. He said the word anything which was a very vague but powerful word.

"Maybe I'll have conjugal visits." You smiled.

"Unnecessary." 

"I know for a fact you would come visit me on some conjugal shit if I got locked up." You giggled, "Your dick is hard right now as we speak. You liked the outfit more than you thought, huh?" 

"You're trying to seduce me?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Don't insult me Mr. Higuruma. Don't say try . I definitely got it up as soon as I opened the door." You stood up and let your coat remain on the chair as you did. 

He couldn't stop looking at you. He was so whipped and you knew it. It was cute how he protested though.

“Try.” You scoffed. “Are you saying I don’t turn you on?” You spoke as you slowly walked around his desk.

“I never said that.” His eyes followed you until you were right beside him.

You’d step over his leg and take a firm seat in his lap. You arched your back and leaned forward partially on his desk so that he could see a bit of your ass peeking out from your mini skirt.

“Shit.” The man spoke under his breath as you pressed against his manhood. 

“You offended me Mr. Higuruma.” With your upper half resting on his desk, you’d use one hand to move your hair completely to the side so it was out of your eyes and off your back. 

You looked back at him with your incredibly irresistible eyes and pouty red lips. Unfortunately you were so sexy when you were being manipulative.

His hands gripped your bare waist as he leaned forward to pepper kisses onto your shoulder and up to the nape of your neck. 

His voice lowered as he spoke in your ear, “You know I want you. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t touch me.” You moved your head slightly away from him.

“Let me make it up to you.” His hands ran down from your waist and hips to your thighs. He’d massage and rub them as he stayed close to you. “Let me eat your pussy. I know you like that.”

“No.” You protested, “That can’t always be your get out of jail free card.”

“Let me make you cum right now, and then let me take you out later.” He gave your shoulder a few more kisses, “I’m gonna give you my card, and I want you to buy a nice dress that I can rip off of you after dinner tonight.”

You loved when he got like this. His negotiations were the best because you always got way more out of it than you expected. You were totally fine with him just eating you out.

“That’s so unprofessional Mr. Higuruma.” You licked your lips, “Eating my pussy and taking me out to a romantic dinner? I’m your client.”

“C’mon baby. Get on my desk.”

You sighed, “The Saito’s really have another witness?”

The man stood up, pulling up to your feet with him. You could really feel his hard cock pressed against you now. You came into his office so horny for him this morning, but knowing he’d never fuck you while his colleagues were still here, and here he was getting ready to give you everything you wanted.

“Don’t worry about that right now.” His voice stayed low, “I’m gonna take care of you.” 

His hands turned you around so that you could face him. “You're so sexy, baby. You turn me on so much, okay?” He grabbed your hand and placed it on his cock so you could feel his hardness, “Only you can do that baby. No one else.”

“You sure Hikage down the hall didn’t do this to you?" You teased, running your hand along his length.

His cock was so pretty. You couldn’t wait to see it. It was so thick too, and his length was perfect for you. Long enough for you to feel the maximum pleasure, but not so much that he hurt you.

“Who?” He frowned. 

“Fuck.” Your free hand roughly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him close to you. “You know exactly how to talk to me don’t you?”

“You like that?” He kissed your jaw, “C’mere baby. Let me help you.”

He grabbed your legs and sat you down on his desk. He'd keep moving your legs up until your feet were on the table as well. He loved when you kept the heels on.

His hands parted your legs as far as they'd go, and you kept your eyes on him as he did. You were so fucking horny for him right now, and you knew he was about to give it to you good.

Your skirt didn't fully cover you, but he'd still flip over the part that did. His hand rubbed against your pussy and upon doing so his fingers felt the dampness of your arousal.

The bottoms of your swimsuit were soaked, and he could see the dark patch from your wetness. Before he had ever even touched you your pussy was slick and ready. 

"You excited?" He smirked looking at you. 

"Shut the fuck up." You looked away from him bashfully. Why did he have to speak on it?!

"Don't be embarrassed. I love how wet you get for me." His head lowered and he planted meaningful kisses on your right thigh trailing inward, "Look at me honey."

His eyes remained sharp on yours as his lips made contact with your clothed pussy.

"No." You protested.

You may have been demanding and dominant with him, but once the intimacy started he'd take it all back. You knew as soon as you locked eyed you were going to buckle under his power, and you'd try to hold out as best you could.

His fingers pulled your underwear to the side and he smiled at the sight. He loved how the material clung so tightly to you as he pulled away. He loved your aroma. He loved the sight of your beautiful pussy.

"Mmm, so sticky for me. I gotta make you squirt now, huh? You want that?"

He didn't wait for your response as he ran his tongue against your folds. The tip of his tongue made contact with your clit for a brief moment and you shuttered. Dammit! He was already getting the best of you.

"So sensitive." He pointed out. "Look at me baby. I want you to watch me please you."

"Stop." You spoke with no conviction whatsoever. You liked when he mentioned everything in the moment, but it still made your cheeks feel so warm.

He'd do it again- flick at your clit with his tongue. His fingers delicately pulled open your lips so that your clit was nice and isolated. So perfect for him to attack.

You whimpered silently with your teeth biting down on your index finger. You knew you'd have to be quiet in here, and you were doing your best. Higuruma wanted you to be quiet as well, but the sadistic part of him wanted you to slip up so bad.

Finally his tongue traveled downward to your cute little inviting hole. He didn't hesitate to slip his tongue in. It was your favorite when he fucked you like this as his gorgeous nose rubbed against your clit.

"Fuck!" You whispered loudly. Your free hand reached for his hair, grabbing a fistful.

"You taste so good." He spoke muffled, "Look at me baby. Look at what you do to me." His hands gripped your thighs, pulling you in closer.

If you were any place else you'd be moaning so loud, but not here. Didn't mean you wouldn't slip one out. As his tongue moved in and out of you, you could feel his eyes burning a hole into you. He wanted you to look at him so bad, but you wouldn't do it. You couldn't give him that.

"Mm mmm." You shook your head. "I won't." You moaned softly.

He wouldn't be taking no for an answer again. You were going to obey him one way or another.

He grabbed your leg and moved it over his head so that your legs were together now. Forcing you on your side, he'd draw a long wet stripe with his tongue from your pussy to your asshole.

"Hiromi! Oh my God!" You fucked up. Not only did you break the silence in a major way, you called him by his first name, and you looked into his eyes… he won.

He'd repeat his actions, but his tongue would remain around your tight hole. You were not prepared for this at all! He'd never done it before, and unfortunately like with everything else he did to you it felt so fucking good.

"Be a good girl and stay quiet okay?" He was patronizing you now.

His tongue circled around your sweet little hole before attempting to force entry. There was no way he was really trying to penetrate your asshole with his tongue was there?!

"Dammit Hiro." You whimpered even more- gently stroking the hairs at the nape of his neck as you kept him close to you.

"Yeah baby? Talk to me. You like my tongue in your ass?" He grinned so sinisterly as he knew what he was doing. He knew that dirty talk would only fluster you more.

"Yeah, I like it." You now caressed his face as you looked at him.

"Like what? Use your words."

You knew he was going to drag this shit out! Why did you ever have to look at him and give him that satisfaction?!

"I like…" You hesitated and bit your bottom lip. Why was he making you say such lewd things? "I like your tongue in my ass."

"I know you do. Are you ready to cum? Let's get you there, okay?" He spoke before penetrating deeper inside of you.

His middle and ring finger slipped right into your pussy. They forced in and out at a blistering pace. His thumb now drew circles into your clit. He was pleasing you in three different ways and it was practically impossible to be quiet at this point.

"Hiro! Ah!" You moaned so loudly someone in the office definitely heard that shit. You placed a hand over your mouth before you yelled out again more muffled this time. "I'm gonna cum! Fuck!"

Your back arched, and he'd not let up on the speed he pleased you at. You were at his mercy and you both knew this.

Your stomach tightened, and you could feel it all getting ready to come to a head. Within a few more seconds you felt yourself becoming high. Your orgasm hit, and your pussy overwhelmed Hiromi with that squirt he loved so much. Your walls tightened, and you felt this fluttering sensation.

His mouth was wide open ready to drink you up. The liquid gushed into his mouth and he'd drink up as much as he could. Of course with how hard you came it was impossible to get all of it.

The man spread your legs once again and lapped up your juices. You were so delicious to him. There was a bit of a mess now but he didn't mind.

He'd sip the bit of your squirt that spilled on the desk before standing up to look at you. He didn't want to miss a single drop. Just nasty for no reason.

"Let me taste." You looked at him with those sickening eyes. 

He'd lean over and press his lips to yours hard. Your essence was all over him. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close. He was so obsessed with you. Moments like these were why he had to fight for you. You couldn’t do any time. He wouldn’t be able to live without you.

His tongue was so deep in your mouth, and you enjoyed tasting yourself on him. He on the other hand enjoyed that cherry flavored lollipop on your tongue. By proxy as he’d say.

“Fuck- I need you baby.” He growled. 

He’d withdraw his lips from yours and trace them across your jaw and down your neck. Down your collarbone and to your thinly covered tits. His teeth bit your clothed nipple before moving to your underboob. He’d suck the uncovered skin, wanting so badly to mark you.

The red lipstick you put on him was placed right back onto you as he kissed and sucked your skin.

He knew you took your clothes off for a living. Being an erotic dancer, it was not okay for you to have any hickies or bite marks on you, yet here he was wanting to get you in trouble. Well if he was gonna mark you, then you would mark him too!

“Come here!” You grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him up.

You’d plant a kiss on his lips once more before moving to his neck and going in for a deep bite. 

“Shit baby. Yeah, I like that.” He grabbed the back of your head, pulling you closer.

Yeah, name two hornier people at six in the morning. Impossible.

His hands reached for pants as he went to unbutton them. He’d unzip and pull them down until his cock sprang right out.

You kind of loved it. It was so nice looking with its rosy head and thick girth. The man stayed relatively trimmed for the most part. Pained you to say, but you were sure that his cock was made just for you, because the way it felt was like he was sculpted to touch your inner walls in just the right way.

“It’s your turn now, hm?” You looked into his eyes once again and you felt yourself being trapped. It was like once you did that you were forced to listen to his every command.

You grabbed his cock, taking pleasure in the feeling of the thick veins that decorated his pretty length. From the precum leaking out of his tip you could tell that he was on the verge of cumming soon.

Just as you began to scoot off the desk so you could suck him off, he’d stop you. You had to wonder why. Did he not want head? You always sucked the absolute remnants of his soul away when you did, so why didn’t he want it?

“No.” He held your chin in his hand as he forced you to look at him. “If you put it in your mouth I’m gonna cum immediately.”

“That’s kinda the goal.” You frowned.

“I want it in your pussy. I want you to take all of my cum in your pussy. Only for now, okay?”

He was always so embarrassed about how fast you made him cum when you touched him sometimes. He knew the second your lips touched his dick he would explode on you, and while it wouldn't take much to get him back up, time was of the essence here. You had a case to discuss.

He delicately pushed you down to lay flat against his desk. Higuruma grabbed both of your legs and placed one on each shoulder. He couldn’t wait to be inside of you. 

Pumping himself just a couple of times, he’d press the head of his cock past your folds and into your entrance. 

“Yes sir.” You moaned, teeth biting at your bottom lip. “Mmm,  your cock feels so good.”

His hand pulled your thin top up over your left breast and pawed at your soft flesh. His thumb rubbed against your nipple. 

Your eyes began to roll back as all you could hear were the lewd sounds of your skin slapping together. The wetness of your pussy only amplifying the sound.

His dick was slightly curved upwards and it made hitting you g-spot no problem at all. Seemed no matter how many times he fucked you, you were going to remain nice and tight just for him.

"Fuuuck- mmm I love how your pussy grips me so tight. Keep pulling me in baby. Yes." 

His bodyweight pressed down on you so he could get even closer. Yes! Deeper! His lips reconnected with yours and you pulled him by the back of his neck once again.

"Yes sir." You moaned into his mouth still trying to be relatively quiet.

Higuruma pulled away just a little so he could look in your eyes and speaking in between his thrusts, "When this case is over I want you to retire. You come live with me. I'm gonna take care of us."

Your pupils dilated upon hearing the words. Due to the career path you chose there weren't many people who saw you as wife material . But five months of litigation can do things to a guy.

Trial was on the horizon, and you both knew that. During this process Hiromi got to know you from the inside out, and somewhere along the way he liked what he saw. Loved what he saw, rather.

His hand that wasn't occupying your breast reached between you so he could draw circles into your clitoris. Your walls were closing in on him. Your stomach tightened. It wasn't just the way he fucked you. It was his words that would draw out your next high.

He wanted to be more than your lawyer. More than an inappropriate relationship. He wanted a life with you, and you could see that too. 

"Hiromi." You whispered on his lips.

"You ready baby?" He'd kiss you again.

"Give me everything." You nodded on the verge of tears. How dare he say these sweet things to you?!

"Look at me." He demanded as you attempted to look away. His hand grabbing your jaw and fixing you on him. "Cum for me baby. Just one more time."

Honestly he was racing against his own orgasm. He couldn't be too sure that you'd come before he did. One thing about Hiromi though, if that did ever happen, you would still get it out. He could never live with himself knowing that he was the only one who came.

Your mouth opened, but no words came out. You could feel yourself squirting all over the man once again. It was a good thing he moved his papers to the side before all of this. Before Hiromi, you never even knew that you could squirt, but he made you do a lot of things you didn't think were possible.

"Yeah, cum all over me baby." He'd kiss you once more, "Squeeze me just like that."

You looked deep into his eyes as you felt his warm seed spurt into you. It was so much. Ropes of cum that seemed almost endless as it filled you up. You could feel it leaking out of you already, and you knew it would be a big mess once he pulled out.

"Dammit." He sighed, "I wanna go again, but we have to get down to the case. I won't lose you over something stupid."

You nodded, lowering your legs from his shoulders and wrapping your arms around him

He'd pull out of you, and before too much of his seed could spill out, he'd move your swimsuit bottoms back over your well served cunt.

"Keep that there, alright baby?" He smiled before kissing you.

"You're playing with fire Hiro. I told you I'm not on the pill."

"I know what you told me." He pulled you right-side up as he lifted as well. "Maybe I just want you all to myself."

"Forcing me into retirement by pregnancy?" You rose an eyebrow, "Bold of you."

You'd move out of his grasp and smooth your skirt down so it was flat again and barely covering you once more. As you stood your legs felt wobbly, and you could feel a thin line of cum running down your leg.

As runny as it was you didn't know if it was yours or his. His cum was usually so thick. Perhaps it was a mixture. Either way you'd walk back around his desk so you could grab some wipes from your purse. Both makeup and baby wipes were needed in this case.

You bent down to grab your purse, and as you did you felt a hand on your thigh. Looking back you saw Higuruma on one knee. He'd lean into the back of your right thigh and trace the cum all the way up with his tongue. This was one of the nastiest men you ever met. Or perhaps he was just nasty for you.

His tongue stopped once he reached your clothed pussy where he'd give it a kiss. You felt his nose pressed against your ass and it gave you butterflies. You really didn't utilize that pretty nose enough.

You pulled a makeup wipe from its casing and tossed it playfully onto the man's face, "Clean yourself up, whore. We have business." You giggled.

He pulled the wipe from his face and stood up once again. He'd give you a kiss before wiping all your red lipstick off of himself.

"Alright, let's be serious now. The Saito's have a new witness, and here's why that doesn't matter. Listen carefully, okay?"

Just like that he was back in lawyer mode. You had to wonder what your life would be like if you never met him. 

Would you survive this case? Were the Saito's really paying people off? How much time were you facing? Now was the time to strap in. You had a case to win!

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

GHOST'S INTELLIGENCE

It's obvious that the direwolves are no ordinary pets. They all share magic bonds with the Stark kids to some degree.

Today, I want to focus on the most extraordinary of them (at least in terms of appearance), I want to focus on Ghost.

Ghost is partly given his name because he's always silent:

"He's not like the others," Jon said. "He never makes a sound. That's why I named him Ghost. That, and because he's white. The others are all dark, grey or black."

AGOT, JON I

However, for an animal who is supposed to be silent, it was his sounds that made Jon discover him:

They had been riding off with the other pups, but Jon had heard a noise and turned back, and there he was, white fur almost invisible against the drifts. He was all alone, he thought, apart from the others in the litter. He was different, so they drove him out.

AGOT, JON VIII

It's not impossible even for a silent animal to make noise by the way they move. However, I find it interesting that Martin choose not to specify what kind of noise Ghost made and Jon turned back. Could be a noise only Jon heard because he was the only person destined to be linked with this specific direwolf? Was it the bond between them appearing even before their first actual meeting? Could Bloodraven be the one who interfered and made the noise so it was possible for Jon to be linked with Ghost, because he knew that would be important to later developments? I'm not ruling any speculation out.

Moving on, when Jon decides to leave the Night's Watch and his friends try to get him back, it's Ghost once again who makes a noise and betrays their location:

Out of the corner of his eye, Jon glimpsed a pale shape moving through the trees. Leaves rustled, and Ghost came bounding out of the shadows, so suddenly that Jon's mare started and gave a whinny. "There!" Halder shouted.[...]

Ghost moved out from under the trees and Jon glared at him. "Small help you were," he said. The deep red eyes looked at him knowingly.

AGOT, JON IX

I find the last sentance of the above passage the most interesting. Ghost looks Jon knowingly. The direwolf knows he was "small help" because he betrayed their location on purpose. After all, he's an animal known for being silent. Except this time he wasn't. Because like Jon's friends, the direwolf also wanted Jon to return to Castle Black (maybe a subconsious part of Jon also wanted it?)

Ghost also showed intelligence when he chop off the hand of the dead Jafer Flowers and brought it to Jon. The direwolf was playing detective outside the Wall (and he was more successful than many human ones, lol).

Finally, I wanted to hightlight that Ghost isn't only linked to the Old Gods due to his appearance but also the direwolf is wiser than men according to Jon:

And suddenly Ghost was back, stalking softly between two weirwoods. White fur and red eyes, Jon realized, disquieted. Like the trees …

AGOT, JON VI

The direwolf's red eyes were darker than garnets and wiser than men.

AGOT, JON VIII

I believe the magic is strong in this one direwolf.

Bloodraven told Bran that most children of the forest have golden eyes but there are exceptions with red or green eyes that are stronger in magic(greenseers). What if the same applies to direwolves as well? After all most of them have golden eyes:

"In a sense. Those you call the children of the forest have eyes as golden as the sun, but once in a great while one is born amongst them with eyes as red as blood, or green as the moss on a tree in the heart of the forest. By these signs do the gods mark those they have chosen to receive the gift.

ADWD, BRAN III

[wolfstarmie]

Character Thoughts

Since my fic is a year old, I figured it'd be fun to just ramble about my silly fish, their origins in the story and how they have changed from initial ideas.

Stroganoff

When I first thought about this fic, I knew I wanted to make the main character/salmonid parent be a Big Shot. Big Shots are just my favourite salmonid boss (they’re hug shaped!) so I figured it’d be fun to write from that perspective.

Originally he wasn’t related to Sprout, but with time it was something that just made sense, as with the rest of the backstory that got out of control real fast.

When it comes to his design, parts of his unique charm are purely because I designed him before I fully understood how salmonid anatomy worked. Hence his adorable OwO face. Then there’s his red hair. This is because I suffer from having amazing taste in men, and most (if not all) my fanfics feature ginger men in some form or another, and so… well I gotta carry tradition >:U

Cookie

Poor Cookie. When I first posted the fic to AO3, folks were already alarmed at the major character death tag. I’m not sure how early her death was planned, but I believe it was about as soon as the concept of the fic itself. The official lore that salmonids don't fear death is super fascinating to me, and it felt natural to explore it by contrasting two extremes: A lack of care about death itself, and the grief one feels for a parent.

As for Cookie herself, she was always a motherly figure, though I can’t recall when I made her a goldie. Though out of all the salmonids, the special boss that hoards a billion eggs would make the most sense as a mother figure. 

Another point of contrast Cookie brought with her was her justified hatred of inklings. In many ways, she's the very opposite of Sprout: They both share aggressive views on inklings, but where Sprout embodies the negatives of those views, Cookie learned to overcome her own pain at what inklings did to her, and love Ravioli for just being herself.

While Cookie and Horn were destined to never meet, I did have thoughts of how Horn would learn of the previous owner of her home. One idea was that of Cookie’s ghost protecting the young woman during spawning, though that never came to be.

Speaking of Cookie in spirit, one little fun thing that I think is worth sharing is Cookie’s full title. The Great Kind Mother, Cookie Of a Thousand Winds. I personally hate the wind, but it sure does come up a bit during the fic…

Vanilla

Vanilla was not always planned on being an important character! In fact, while he was the first choice in the fic for where Stroganoff got ink; in the first draft, Stroganoff fought an inkling for ink before realising it wasn’t good enough for his new baby. 

A cut joke from that forbidden draft had Stroganoff eating some ink (for the greater good), and Vanilla having some great advice: “Why is your mouth blue?”

“I ate some ink. Will you help me?” “Have you tried not eating ink?”

In earlier plans, he was just a one sided villain, who potentially helped Sprout and maybe grew a conscience afterwards. I can tell you the exact chapter where this all changed, however: Chapter 12. In the original draft, he was downright mean to Cookie. In an attempt to tone it down and still have him be a bastard, I gave Cookie a way to fight back: being his mom. And then everything went pear shaped after that. I got attached to him, and he started turning out WAY different than originally planned.

(Still a lovable bastard though)

He’s also a manlet. I forget when this was decided, but he’s in the ballpark between 4 foot and 5 foot. One day Ravioli will be taller than him, and it will not be a good day for him.

Horn

Ah, Horn. She was always destined to be a punching bag for Ravioli after Cookie’s passing, but was wildly different for a while. The original plan had Horn be a male scrapper, bond with Stroganoff over machinery, and build a scrapper car with him.

There’s a very deep and meaningful reason for why I chose a scrapper and not any other boss: Whenever I’m playing salmon run and going over to the big shot cannon, there's always a scrapper there. Always. I can’t murder giant fish in peace without nearly being the victim of vehicular manslaughter.

Horn’s original name was Oepsie (a very sweet skewer made with bacon, and yes it does just mean ‘Oops’), and Ravioli would have been more than happy to call this poor salmon a mistake for living in Cookie’s house.

Continuing on the theme of names, another name Horn had for a while before I settled on ‘Caramel Horn’ was Cherry! I forget why the name (probably another terrible joke), but I eventually decided I didn’t like Cherry, and instead went with Horn (which IS another terrible joke).

She didn’t have a damaged tail originally, though there was a point in which she did have both the prosthetic and a desire to make her own scrapper car. At some point I just didn’t like the idea and scrapped (heh) it.

Unlike a few other characters, the first bit of designs for Horn were done digitally, so I can actually share 'em

Sprout

He’s always been a bastard. Much like milk, he got worse the more I thought about him. If there was ever a person to say “the world would be a better place without you,” it’d be Sprout. 

I cannot recall when I made Sprout and Stroganoff brothers, as it was not the original plan, but it's one of those things where the more you figure out characters, the more things slide into place.

Sadly all the information that would be worth sharing is better revealed in the fic, but please know Sprout is the type of person who’d have an overly dramatic villain song in a musical, and takes childish insults way too seriously.

The first drawing I did of this bastard was of him wielding a zweihander. Whether or not he should have a zweihander is up for debate.

Potato

He’s trying his best. While a very minor character, he’s definitely the kind of person Ravioli needs in her life: A friend. Maybe not the highest quality friend, his own ideas clashing with Ravioli’s sheltered upbringing, but at least it's someone Ravioli’s age.

His heart’s in the right place, but he’s a very unlucky kid when it comes to showing Ravioli cool stuff.

Fun fact! I named my palafin in pokemon violet after him, and he was my lead for most of the game. Maybe not the most thrilling fact, but I figured it was worth sharing how, in another life, Potato got to be a dolphin.

Ravioli

Ravioli… poor girl. There’s so much to say and at the same time, there isn’t much to say at all. There’s no secret about her on the cutting room floor, no devious plans that had to go to the wayside. She’s just a young girl (perhaps not the naturally brightest) trying to figure things out in a chaotic world trying so hard not to put her on a dinner plate.

All I can really share is that there have been many thoughts on how Ravioli would one day come into contact with other inklings, or at the very least octolings, and none of them have worked out in a way that makes sense for the story.

She yearns to learn about her own kind, but is destined to be alone. 

Also anytime I reread my own writing and get reminded of this child's... suboptimal choices, I just sigh.

[puppy-phum]

4.8.2023 - MorkDay visiting Mork's place?

+ boys caught cuddling by P'Aof [x] Jimmy's pictures as Mork [x] [x]

We've now received some updates from the filming crew that would suggest we've moved from Day's house to Mork's place. The neighborhood they last filmed at seemed quite run-down and poor which am not surprised by. I just like the switch in mood this has brought with it bc while Day's house felt cold and almost clinical with all the clean lines and blue/gray colors, Mork's place feels homey and lived in with a lot of yellow and green. Obviously, we haven't seen too much of it, but the change is already very visible.

(One cool detail is the pictures on the wall you can spot in P'Aof's video. One picture is of Jimmy while the other one seems to be of a woman ppl assume might be his sister.)

This also affects MorkDay's relationship. As we've gotten out of Day's house, it's obvious that MorkDay's relationship has shifted from mutual distaste to something caring and more affectionate. Mork has allowed Day into his space, into his home and his workplace, while Day has become brave enough to adventure outside the safety of his house. Day is slowly growing and learning while Mork is probably experiencing being hit by the cold truth that what he does for Day might no longer be something he does just bc he gets paid for it.

Mostly I'm very excited about the stark contrast between these two places. It really shows how differently MorkDay live and how different they are as ppl. Without these circumstances that force them together (like the mock trailer states, neither of them has a choice), I don't think they would ever meet. Day is obviously from a fairly rich family while Mork struggles to even make ends meet. Day stays cooped up in his house until Mork; Mork seems like he refuses to even step one step in one of those rich neighborhoods in his regular life.

They're from completely different worlds which is probably why I love their dynamic so much. I'm personally a huge fan of fate/destiny as a thought and believe that in some ways we're destined to meet certain ppl that will shape us and our lives in some ways. But I also think we can affect how they shape us and which shape we finally take after they leave or become part of our lives, so these fateful meetings are just the chances offered to us. As some part of this thinking comes to play between MorkDay, I'm very excited to follow their relationship develop and for us to start seeing hints of how they were always supposed to meet, how they kind of needed this meeting. The comfort you once reach when you find your person/ppl is something I think can be more romantic than actual romantic love.

(Also very excited about Jimmy's pictures bc his outfit in those would suggest we've reached the era where they're going to film MorkDay traveling and adventuring around places. I am expecting the beach to make an appearance soon too!)

[stillresolved]

It's symbolic, whenever he and Ballister narrowly meet each other from these two different fronts they've taken on in a battle he'd never dreamed of seeing, not even in his worst nightmares, to be anything but at eye-level.

Ambrosius stares up at a shape he hates to call villainous, the menacing silhouette, the distance Ambrosius is himself participant in creating, and feels the squeeze of it in his chest.

"Bal!" he shouts, because as much as Bal doesn't seem able to stop whatever crazy crusade he's set himself on, Ambrosius can't let him go on it.

"Can't we talk? Can't we try to talk? Just once?" a pause, a harsh breath under widened, pleading eyes, shortness he can't justify, because he doesn't feel physically exerted... as much as he feels always on that precipice his heart is hanging from.

"Here," he throws his sword to the ground, symbolic and idiotic, and a reminder of what he did with it. He grimaces. "Let's talk."

((ONE FOR THE KNIGHT EXES!!!!!!!!! for some bizarre reason I feel like I've written something similar already SO FORGIB ME IF IT'S REPETITIVE OF SOMETHING OF THE PAST 🥺 also hope it makes sense, wasn't so sure about the writing here, MWAH ♥ ALSO HOPE IT'S NOT GOD-MODDY? to yknow idk i had this visual of Ballister 'having the high ground' Obi-wan style so hope it's okay~?))

@mythvoiced / so he picked violence today....

Oh Ambrosius. 

Bright-eyed, righteous, level-headed Ambrosius. Sweet, loving, hopeful Ambrosius.

That’s why Ballister was drawn to him, all those years ago, wasn’t it? Because Ambrosius, heir to the heroine herself, beloved child of the Kingdom, always saw the best in people and Ballister only knew the worst of people. Lived as if he only expected the worst of people.

Loving Ambrosius was an exercise in faith. Faith that against all odds, things would turn out okay. Even if the nay-sayers said Ballister would one day end up in the very prison cells they used to lock away the criminals threatening the good of the kingdom. Even if the nay-sayers said Ballister was only using Ambrosius for extra points with the queen. Ambrosius always told him to ignore those voices. Words said out of love, out of encouragement, Ballister knows, but how could he say such callous words when Ambrosius has always lived his life, knowing who he is, knowing what his destiny would always be?

( And to some degree, Ballister will only admit when he is alone, it came true. The faith that Ambrosius believed so fervently in did bare fruit. Or at least, it should've, if not for– )  

How? Ballister has always wanted to ask him- how did it feel to step forward in life, always knowing the summit would be the inevitable destination? What was it like, knowing that even if he did stray from the path a little, his destiny would still be there waiting for him, like an armor waiting for its knight to slip into the shell?

The ground shakes beneath them. Ballister keeps his feet planted on the ground as part the wall begins to crumble. Lower, at its foundation, a pink dragon metaphorizes itself into a rhinoceros. A speedier steed as the knights of the kingdom charge at her. Nimona will be able handle them by herself for the time being, but soon, Ballister will join her. The mastermind, hand in hand with the heart of the crusade. 

For now, there is another matter, one in the shape of his beloved a hero of the realm to contend with. A knight, it seems, who foolishly approaches Ballister, not as an enemy, but as a lover. Ballister tries not to let it show: the way his fingers twitch around his sword. When was the last time someone had called him Bal?

It doesn’t help that Ambrosius is looking upon him, pleadingly, like he knows, believes that Ballister will be a better man. Ambrosius, the hero of the realm, the champion of justice, light, and most of all peace. Ambrosius, who looks at Ballister like he is still that man from three years ago, a man who is better than the crude means of plundering and vandalism and violence he has sunken to.

Ambrosius is a man who sees the best in people. Sees and believes in the best of everyone. That is why he is considered the HOPE of the Kingdom, one who speaks and believes in the potential for peace and serenity in the realm for both humans and monsters alike. 

Ballister watches Ambrosius throw his sword to the side. Gloreth’s blade clangs against the ground– what scandal, what blasphemy, how far will the golden child fall now– the metal echoing against the cobblestones. Ballister keeps his grip steady around his sword with no intention of mirroring his love. Nor of sheathing said blade either.

However.

However much of a hero Ambrosius may be, he is still but one person in a system of thousands. And a system that keeps the walls of the Kingdom up, a system that declares monsters savages to be destroyed, a system that casts outliers like Ballister as no better than monsters themselves, is a system, which keeps the Kingdom at the top, that is inherently violent. 

“Talking won’t change anything. The Kingdom will never change unless something is done. You know that as well as I do– try speaking to the Director about the monsters as anything but vermin. She’s already closed her ears to any alternatives.”

Ambrosius can speak of peace and compromise all he wants, but the only thing that such a system will respond to, the only action that will bring about change is violence itself. 

Ballister points his blade at him, the man he once loved. “You’ve chosen your grave where you stand now, Goldenloin. Prepare yourself.”

[cityandking]

self, fate, past, & exit for vesper and minah!

ty tabby!!! /oc asks: relationships edition

Self: How is your OC's relationship with themself? Does your OC like who they are? Is there anything about themself that they would change?

VESPER — vesper's largely at peace with herself. she had pretty much no close companions except for herself for years, so she's gotten to know herself quite well. over the course of Inquisition she truly comes into her own, and she's at peace with who she is and what she's doing. it's a good growth period for her—she likes who she is, and wouldn't change anything

MINAH — minah doesn't like herself very much at all. she's comprised largely of faults and she picks at them like scabs when she doesn't have anything to distract her, so she's gotten very good at being distracted. that said, she's not really interested in changing? there are precise things she wishes she'd done differently in her life, but she doesn't want to be a different person per se. there's a certain comfort with being so intimately familiar with your own faults—better the devil you know, and all that

Fate: Does your OC believe in destined meetings? True love, soulmates, hearing the bells? Have they ever experienced this?

VESPER — no, she doesn't put any stock in fate. there was a brief period where she considered the idea that she was the Herald by some actual touch of the Maker—a faint, tentative devotion—but that was cut off quite neatly by the spirit(?) of Divine Justinia and the truth she discovered in the Fade. she's certainly never applied it to relationships

MINAH — I think she has a deeply deeply buried inner romantic. she doesn't expect anything to come of it, but there's a tiny, hidden part of her that sort of expects to just Know if she were ever to meet The One. that said, she hasn't yet, and honestly I don't know if she ever will

Past: Does your OC have any past partners? How did the relationship(s) end? Are any of their exes still in their life, and if so, do they get along?

VESPER — had a pretty casual thing with another mage in the Ostwick Circle shortly after her Harrowing. it was very much a case of exploring things together—he was a friend, and they were free in a way they hadn't been as apprentices, and neither of them harbored any illusion that it was love. but she was fond of him, and it was a blow when he was sent to another Circle, thus ending the relationship. she never confirmed that his transfer was because they had been seen together, but the possibility hung over her head for years after, enough that she never got that close to anyone in the Circle again. she didn't get to say goodbye, and to this day she doesn't know what happened to him. (I suppose she could have looked him up with the Inquisition's resources, but I'm not sure what she would have found. if he was alive, he might have come to stay with the Inquisition for a while before going on his way. they'd be happy to see each other, if they ever met again.)

MINAH — she had a boyfriend as a teenager, but the relationship fell apart after her parents died, and she hasn't seen him in years. she's had a number of partners since then, but nothing long-lived and nothing she ever considered romantic (though whether or not her partners did is a different question). she's definitely been part of some weird triangles (and other shapes) in the troupe, but that's kind of just what troupe life is like. she's more of a FWB/one-night-stand kind of gal, and those things naturally ran their course or got too feelings-y and she kindly but firmly put a stop to it. many of those exes are still in her life, and she gets along well with them—minah's great at an amicable breakup. (the hookups less so—she tends to have sticky fingers and has acquired new clothes and jewelry from rich locals who invite her home after a show. nothing egregious, but y'know. a girl's gotta make a living somehow)

Exit: Has your OC ever had someone important leave their life in a way that was unremarkable, unintentional, or clumsy? How do they feel about it? Is there any chance they'll meet again?

VESPER — her parents. she was taken away by the templars and that was just. it. she kept expecting a letter or literally any other acknowledgement, but the only thing she got was a letter from Kit about a year before the Circles fell informing her that their father had died and he was Bann now. it was anticlimactic through and through. but she was used to being the extra, the forgotten child, a sunset daughter, and mostly she let it go (she does sometimes wonder, if things had been different, if they might have loved her for real). (her lover in the Circle too—one day he was there, and the next he wasn't. she missed him more than she ever missed her parents, which probably fucked with her head more than the actual mess with her folks.)

MINAH — well, her parents died, which was definitely unintentional, but it was a big thing, memorable, sharp. in terms of people quietly, clumsily leaving her life... there hasn't really been anyone that important. a few people in the troupe who vanished between stops on the road, but even then, most people who left the troupe got a proper send-off. any clumsy leavetakings were probably her own fault

[aspiring-writer-hidden-voice]

Hey, loves! SuntoryAngel here! Just a single one shot idea I’ve been bouncing around for a while and thought why not share it. I don’t own rights to Fairy Tail!

In Fairy Tail episode 20 “Natsu and the Dragon Egg!”, there was a moment where Natsu and Happy have a fight over fish then he proceeds to snap at Lucy for an off handed comment she made after the blue Exceed storms off, one that made him remember Lisanna. His response was curt, harsh, and I always wondered if he ever apologized to her for it. I know it was created by secondary writers who were given an opportunity but it still lingers within my mind.

This will take place after Tartarus, where he and Lucy have become closer than ever.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Fairy Tail One-Shot

“Just Shut Your Mouth For Once”

Down the busy streets of Magnolia walked a young man with wild hair. To most he would seem odd by his bizarre style, being as it was such a different hue than those they were used to, The emblem upon his visible shoulder was more than enough to distinguish who, or exactly what, he was: a wizard from the local Fairy Tail guild. A few locals who had remained after the town’s several close calls with destruction greeted him by name in passing, some even asking if he was on his way to a certain establishment that specifically served fire wizards like himself, but his onyx eyes were locked upon the distance. He came to a stop halfway across one of the arch bridges and raised the eyebrows of several nearby onlookers when his head bent suddenly to meet the cold stone beneath their feet. “Oh, man, how am I ever supposed to be able to make up for that?!” The head that had caused a mild crater to appear in the supposed immobile rock lifted as a hand patted his shoulder, his gaze finding honey hued eyes that instantly made his heart pound and lips lift into a grin as he stood at attention. “L-L-Lucy! Hey!”

“Hey yourself.” The blonde woman was dressed within a fitted button up v-neck shirt the color of daisies, navy pleated skirt with constellation patterns, familiar brown leather pouch on her belt, long golden hair gathered into a side ponytail, another familiar insignia upon the back of her hand that was similar in color to his hair. Lucy Heartfilia, infamous Celestial Wizard of Fairy Tail, and proud owner of several keys that connected her to several spirits whom she loved dearly. One of her slender blonde brows rose in question but she decided not to voice it as her teammate and closest partner chuckled nervously. “Whatcha you doin’ on this side of town, Natsu? Happy hanging out with Wendy and Charla, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, said something about going fishing or flying or something.” His hands crossed behind his head as he began walking, his original destination that had been her residence still set within his autopilot navigation. She fell into step beside him, a few bags hanging on her arms that bore logos from some of her favorite shops. One in particular, a sapphire star with wings on both sides, wafted scents that caused several heads to turn in their direction if it weren’t for the beauty of she who was beside him. They, however, returned to their tasks or errands when he shot each a warning glare before turning his attention back to the blonde. “Whatcha get, Luce? One smells like food.”

She instantly clutched the bag in question to her shapely chest. “Oh, no you don’t! These are mine so go get your own, Dragon Boy!”

“Aw, c’mon, just one bite!” He teased, slinging an arm around her shoulders as if to snatch the bag from her and grinned as she wrestled free.

A connection was made within her mind as her vacant apartment came into view and she came to a halt, cracking heard as her head slowly turned to fix him with a narrowed stare. “Wait a minute… You were on your way to break into my house again, weren’t you?!”

His lips parted then lifted into a telltale grin. “Guilty!”

“I just went shopping and we literally just got back from a tough job late last night, Natsu, I’m really not feeling up for company.”

Concern filled him as she raised a hand to rub her temples, the shadows he’d noticed beneath her usually sparkling eyes darker than he’d seen in a while and the lackluster of her hair shown that she hadn’t even taken a bath yet. He of all people knew just how much she loved taking baths, no matter what the hour, so the fact that she hadn’t jumped in the tub the second she arrived home was cause for the initial reason of his visit to come back full force like a train. His fingers took a gentle hold on her wrist while the other relieved her arms of the bags, taking care to not crunch or squish their contents when she protested, and easily lifted her over his other shoulder like a sack of potatoes while not missing a stride. “Upside daisy,” he chuckled at his own irony as she pounded his back with fists and screams for him to put her down. “Cam down, it’s not like I’m kidnapping you or nothin’.”

“I said put me down! Everybody’s looking at us! Are you even listening to me, Natsu Dragneel?!”

“If you’re so worried about people staring then-” The oxygen in his lung suddenly turned to ice as he nearly missed a step when entering the multiplex. A shadow fell over his eyes as he entered her apartment, not saying another word as he placed her upon her feet outside her bathroom once the bags had been dropped off at the center table. His hands fell on her shoulders so as to turn her towards the closet that was to the left while he himself continued onward to the tiled room where the tub would be found.

The silence of her comrade was disturbing as she watched him turn on the tap until it was three quarters full then ceased the water’s flow with a twist of his wrist. Her brows furrowed with worry as he heated the water with his own flamed until fine mist had filled the air. She blinked when he turned around, eyes clenched shut, and shrieked shrilly when his hands deftly unbuttoned her blouse. “What the heck are you doing?!” It fell to the floor despite her efforts to keep it on her being, the warm air surrounding them causing her tired muscles to relax against her will and quickly covered her bare chest as he unclipped the belt around her waist to carefully place the pouch that housed her keys upon the counter. “Natsu?”

“Water heated by dragon fire has additional properties,” he said simply as if answering her question as he walked past her then drew the curtain that was the separator. “Muscle tension, insomnia, all that shtick.”

“Did you seriously partially strip me just for me to take a bath?” Honey hued eyes drifted over to the waiting tub. Waste not what not, right?

The breath he wasn’t conscious of holding slipped between his lips when the sounds of her slipping into the water reached him, crossing his legs as he sat on the floor to lean against the bed frame. Arms crossed over his chest, onyx remained locked upon the curtain despite the passage of time as the shadows lengthened across the room until it gave a telltale flutter. Lights came to life with a flick of his finger as did the fireplace. His stomach was twisting itself into knots but not for hunger as the dragon slayer moved about the apartment. There were scents of sadness, lingering anxiety, and the faint smell of ink on paper with lukewarm sealing wax was enough for him to gather enough of an idea of how her night had been spent: she’d written her worries out in another letter to her parents. The box where he knew her numerous letters were stored stared down at him like an enemy that he could never defeat fully no matter how hard he tried.

Dressed in a comfortable pair of relaxed fit tee and shorts, Lucy stepped out from behind the curtain and tilted her head when she spotted him glaring daggers at her letter’s box. “Um, earth to Natsu,” she called, walking to stand beside him and playfully pinching his cheek with a smirk. “Whatever planet you’re on, come back.” She blinked as instead of him retaliating with a jab or returning the pinch he simply blinked and met her gaze, the heart in her chest thumping a little heavier as his dark onyx eyes bore into her own. Worry formed a lump in her throat as his skin slipped from between her fingers as he turned towards her so they were facing each other. He was easy to read but right now she had no idea what he was thinking as he walked past her to sit across from the fireplace. Fire wizards in general were attracted to their element but he was a dragon slayer; he couldn’t consume his own fire so the fact that he was sitting so close to the crimson and golden flames was a sure sign that something was weighing heavily on his mind. With a sigh, she settled beside him on the left side, her gaze upon the flickering flames that filled her apartment with warmth that held off the chill of the night outside. “Okay, spill it, what’s going on with you today? You’re acting weirder than normal and your normal is pretty weird.”

Silence.

“We’re teammates and partners, right? I’m here if you need to get something off your chest.”

More silence.

To say she was concerned for him was an understatement. Her hands rose, cupping his face between them, and gently turned his head until their gazes met. The shadows caused by the flickering flames made his features seem to be chiseled out of stone into an expression she’d never thought possible as his Adam’s apple bobbed: hesitation.

His head fell forward to rest upon her shoulder, earning a catch of her breath. Relief filled him when he saw the fatigue and stress were hanging less upon her gaze, even the shadows beneath her eyes were lighter. Wendy had discovered that his dragon fire, which possessed vast abilities and magical energy, was great for common remedies or soothing day-to-day physical problems. He made the mental note to pay extra close attention in the future of the subtle hints the blonde was known to unconsciously showcase despite her assurances that she was fine. Just as she always helped him during their travels by soothing his motion sickness with scalp massages this would be a way he could repay the Celestial Wizard for everything she did not just for the team or guild but for him.

The only time she recalled of him doing such an action was after their encounter with the Dragon’s Cry Staff. “Natsu,” the whisper of his name was so soft that it could rival silk as her hands rose to pet his pastel hued locks, “please talk to me.”

Heart in his throat and lungs burning, he took a deep inhale through his nose in hopes to steady his racing blood but found his senses filling with her natural scent of starflower and moon dew that made his gut twist more. “That day at the pond…”

“Which one? There are several.”

“…when Happy and I had a fight…”

“Again, which time? You guys have several a day.”

“It came out before I even realized it…” The flesh of his bottom lip snagged on his sharp eye teeth as he inhaled. “…I said something that I shouldn’t have…to you….”

Memory rushed past her like a movie reel until that particular one came to a screeching halt in the forefront of her mind. “Oh, that one.” She sighed, slowing her fingers ever so slightly. “What about it?” Honey hued eyes widened as he remained silent. That day happened so long ago that she was honestly surprised that he was bringing it up now of all times. Was this what he was worrying about and making him act so strange? “Natsu, that was forever ago. Why are you bringing that up now?”

He just wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground as the underlying hint of dejection in her voice grated against his ears. “Lucy,” Natsu raised his head so that their gazes could meet, her hands falling to rest upon his shoulders as his hands grasped her waist, lifting and placing her within his lap as if she weighed nothing more than a regular doll, and wrapped his arms around her shapely waist to keep her close as their foreheads met. “I want to hear everything you have to say.” Intense sincerity such as his was causing her fair cheeks to become tinted with pink as he continued. “What I said to you that day can never be taken back or made up for but please believe me when I say that I never want you to not speak your mind. Whatever it is you’re thinking, big or small, I want to be the one you tell it to.” One of his hands rose to cup her cheek, his tanned fingers gently stroking along her jawline with feather-like strokes. “Everything that comes out of your mouth should be heard and I won’t let anything or anyone take that away from you ever again.”

The heat in her cheeks grew tenfold as he tilted her head downwards so that his lips met the same place that hie forehead had been. Her legs that were on either side of him suddenly tightened, causing their torsos to be flush against one another as he embraced her tightly. A hand rose back up to his hair, lithe fingers combing through his tresses that could rival the color within her cheeks, as she relaxed within his hold. “I knew you didn’t mean it back then,” she whispered, fondly nuzzling his temple as the sandalwood and warm amber wrapped around her like a blanket, “but I appreciate the apology.”

“Forgive me?” He felt literal fireworks explode within his veins as she pulled back until her lips pecked against the corner of his mouth, the smile she gave him making the fire behind her and the stars outside the window seem dull. All tightness within his chest, even the beating of his heart that had made him think it would burst forth from his rib cage, subsided as she snuggled into his warmth. Shimmying backwards until his back met the bed frame earned a giggle fest from the blonde and he settled into a comfortable position as she made no indication that she wanted him to let her go. Her hand though did lash out as his did, both taking hold of the bag of confectionary delights that bore the sapphire star with wings as its logo.

She smiled, deftly opening one of the sea foam colored boxes so that cinnamon entered the air. The chocolate square was neat with a flakes of dried pepper sprinkled like a topping. “As if I’d go and not get you anything.” Lucy leaned back slightly while offering it to him. “Presenting the new Hot Cocoa Bon Bons, complimentary of a fire and wizard that you know.”

It disappeared between his lips that gently took the brown square from between her fingers and earned a wide grin. “Whoohoo! I thought that hot chocolate you got that one time from them was good but this takes the cake!” He eagerly opened his mouth once more, eyes glittering with anticipation as she reached for another. With his battle honed speed his own hand opened one of the other boxes, plucked a brown square that smelled of a decadent rich fudge and slipped it between her lips to earn a soft squeak of surprise as she placed another between his own.

[tsuukirana]

✦˚ ·  𝟎𝟔 | 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍

Teyvat was a weary place, battered and beaten by the history of war. Mortals come across these barren lands to dream. While very few make it out as heroes and survivors, many come and go as quietly as the wind. One woman stands against the story of time, destined to tread upon this unholy ground with nothing more than an outstretched, soft hand. Darkness can rise to her neck but she never once dared to look down. Her followers wish to be beside her as she veers to the land of defeated gods, hoping to solve a forgotten mystery.

The Tsaritsa’s right hand is a lonesome soul, constantly wandering the snow-covered grounds of Snezhnaya. Those serving beneath her swear their loyalty by the blade, guided truthfully by the sound of her gentle voice. Her youthful face shields a thousand years of unspoken torment, yet she continues forth her journey in overseeing the future, hoping there might be change.

Back to 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 & 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒?

Explore 𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓?

Inspired by Aponia, the Third Flame-Chaser by Honkai Impact 3rd.  

You stare at him in awe, lips parted just slightly to watch his rough, teal locks flutter like butterflies. Each strand bends to the curves and pattern of the wind. Split ends raising themselves upwards as if to ward off the most vicious of creatures, their sharp tips threatening anyone who dare cross this man’s path. You remember stories of wandering spirits guiding children to safety in Snezhnaya, one made of gentle souls hoping to save helpless humans. You figure that if things were slightly different in your meeting, you would have thought that this man was a wind spirit, hoping to guide you onto the path of righteousness. 

However, this man with sharp fangs was anything but a kind wind spirit. Hands that seemed clean enough on the surface were dyed a dark, crimson color. His polearm resting between the tips of his fingers remains light to the touch, and easy to maneuver. It is colored in the same liquid that flows beneath his skin, albeit slightly thicker, and crueler. Your eyes flicker toward the shape of his body. His bulky yet lean arms showcased a variety of lustrously colored markings that glow so luminously under the golden lights of false stars. Though beautiful, his flesh wounds create disharmony in his portrait. You press your lips tightly together.

His skin and appearance remind you well of the Balladeer yet he seemed more human. Narrowing your eyes, you tighten your hold upon the Knave’s letter, crumpling the edges slightly. Would you dare say he was more human than you? More so to be provided divinity? 

“Enough of your foolery, you shouldn’t be up here. It’s time for you to come down.” He repeats, adding a bit more gruff to his lines. They sound as if they were rehearsed thousands of times before meeting you. “And the stars do not speak. Do not talk about things you do not know about.” 

You hum, “You must be deaf then.” His ears perked up at your sudden insult but he restrains himself from pressing forth. “If you listen closely, you might be able to hear what they are saying.” 

He does not think of himself as deaf. If he were deaf then he would not have heard the cries of his people. However, such thoughts of his only serve to prove your point. He presses his lips tightly together. He remains silent for a little while, admiring some familiar features he notices on your face. He thinks of you as someone he has met before in his previous life, yet he cannot put his finger on it. The soft yet tragic look in your eyes reminds him of his reflection in steel waters. He thinks of you as a weak mortal, so would that mean he was one as well?

He ponders on your words for a moment, unsure of what to make of the situation. He tightens the hold on his polearm, the sharp blade brushing against his skin lightly as he shivers. His knees are unusually weak in your presence, and he was sure that he has never met you once in his life. Nevertheless, his body begs to differ. The scent that lingers on your skin is familiar to a peculiar woman. Imprisoned in his memory, she is held there for eternity, waiting to be set free into the sky. She waits for recognition. 

A woman with hair like yours, her arms outstretched at the center of the battle. Her hands were bare and soft, a trait unfitting of a warrior. If she wasn’t a Lord, he would have laughed at her foolishness. There was no room for weak-minded gods who cannot defend their honor. With no ego to uphold and status to seek, he believes that they are unfit for higher positions. Resist these temptations, she sings, tears beckoning sympathy, Let not your anger control you, for the future holds great misfortune. 

Heed my words! While his god stands beside him, his fingers tremble at her strong words. If you continue this mindless slaughter, the world may fall apart. He acts as if he is moved. He could care less for the strange ramblings of a lesser god. And so he observes her merciless slaughter by his friend’s hand, her blood spilling across the ground and his skin. It is sticky sweet, not any less bitter and metallic than his other victims, but more noticeable. It burns his skin. His friend looks at her blankly as her fingers graze his cheeks, slowly crumbling underneath his sword. A loose smile hangs from her lips. 

Gods roar in her name, screaming as their attempts at peace are broken. They raise their weapons, their tears growing hot as fire as they rushed toward the center. He is tugged forth by his god, left to walk over her helpless body to reach the other side. His head turns only for a fraction of a second to see her once last time, burning her image in his memories. Barbatos, why must you spare her not a second glance? He asks. Are your ears deaf from the music of war?

He calls back to you with an empty tone, his gaze hardened and his heart numb. “I do not hear anything.” He remains ignorant to your words, just as he was to that powerless woman. “If you continue to spout such nonsense, I would take you as mad.” 

“Mad?” You laugh, “I suppose you may call me that.” The distant look in your eyes makes him feel as if there was more to discover. In his time wandering the lands of Teyvat and specifically Liyue, he never once felt as if he didn’t know anything. The idea frustrates him for a moment, the feeling of being blind yet open-eyed makes him quiver. 

“You are not human.” He carefully says, his teeth grazing the bottom of his lip as his fingers grow clammy. “These words you speak, and that tone of yours, you are not from here,” nor were you from this time, he presumes. With that strange ancient trailing that drips from your tongue, he is sure that you are not from this era.

“I am from Snezhnaya. Are you referring to my accent?” You play dumb to his words. 

“You are from Snezhnaya, I could tell from your Vision that guard is not the work of any craftsmanship I’ve seen. But that is not the point I am trying to make.” He replies. Your gaze flickers onto your guard for a moment, commemorating him in your mind his sharp intuition. 

With the Fatui being so prevalent in crowds with Delusions, most people can’t tell the difference between a true Vision, and one the Tsaritsa manufactured. Though, you suppose it may be difficult to find someone from Snezhnaya with its signature guard, for not many are created due to the scarcity of materials. Gold and silver tend to be used for the creation of automata. 

“You are different. You almost remind me of the Traveler.”

“Traveler, you say?” A smile creeps up on your face. You hope that with only a few more bits of prodding, he may disclose the location of this strange, otherworldly being. You think this interaction will bring about great progress, much more so than your previous rock dealings. “What a fine compliment. In what ways do I remind you of the Hero of Mondstadt?”

“Do not be too nosy.” The man lets out a huff: “You are simply not from here. You talk in the native Teyvat language yet you pronounce your words differently. I would even say that you remind me of the Lord of Time with that slur in speech. Although she passed many moons ago, I sense remnants of her power in you. Say, are you–”

“No, no,” You wave, brushing off his accusations. You already knew what sort of puzzle he was trying to solve. And if you were to hear the end of his sentence, you might find yourself freezing more than just the air. He stops in his tracks, withdrawing his tongue as he stiffens. 

“I think you may have gotten me mixed up with someone else. I’ve only arrived here a few days ago with my fiancé. We heard that Liyue has one of the most breathtaking scenery. From the Traveler’s experiences here, we thought it was a nice place to settle for our wedding. We are big fans of them you see,” You pull your hand down, “After what they’ve done to help Mondstadt, we’re happy to know a protector is going around.” 

You think that if you were to say these words around the Balladeer, he wouldn’t have hesitated to pull your tongue out of your mouth. Such boisterous remarks you said. He would be disappointed to be lumped in a small group that worships the Traveler. If not for your feigned disguise against this unknown man, you would have laughed at the absurdity of your words. 

“A protector.” This man peers down at your finger, noticing a thick silver band resting at the base. He tries not to scoff at such materialistic possessions. People were always fascinated by small objects. He thinks that putting too much meaning into one thing makes you a fool. “If you are here only to celebrate, I suggest you stay away from some of the open plains. Dangerous ores are surrounding Liyue and Mondstadt.”

Your ears perk up in interest. “Dangerous?” You presume that he is talking about the same, mysterious meteorite that is going around. The ones that settled upon your hands, forcing you into their world. You think this man knows a bit more than he realizes.

“Yes. They are known to cause people to fall into slumber,” he answers, “If you do encounter these, you shouldn’t touch them. I believe the Traveler and their small companion are looking for them. Some of the locals have already fallen ill.”

“How fascinating,” you place your thumb against the base of your chin. “Very well. I shall heed your words for once. If I were to ever encounter any of these stones, I’ll be sure to find the Traveler.” You slowly stand up from your previous position, straightening out your legs as you chuckle. “I’ll return to my room for the night. It’s chilly.” 

He chooses not to react to your words, nor to your tall stature which towers over him. The air grows warmer as the wind blows softly against your cheek. Tucking the Knave’s letter between your fingers, you shift the weight of your body so that you are facing him. You bend your knee slightly, giving him a polite gesture. “Still, I don’t think this will be the last time we see each other, is it Adepti?”

He remains unfazed by your recognition. “So you figured it out?”

“I don’t think it's hard to deduce your identity. With those markings, it’s easy to say that you are more than just someone around these parts.” His gaze hardens on you, and you think that the hairs on his neck were beginning to stand. Was he on guard now? Or more so than before? Regardless, you got the information you needed. Talking with him a little while longer would only prove fruitless.

You press your finger to your lips, smiling: “Don’t be too worried. I don’t think this information will hold any value in my travels. What could a married woman do with the knowledge about Liyue’s great protector?” He does not laugh with you. Instead, he seems lost in his thoughts. “Though I suppose it would make a great story for my fiancé.” 

“Do as you will,” The Adepti said, turning his head away from you.

The Balladeer awaits at his bed as if commanded to wait. He is left biting the tips of his thumb as he looks towards the wooden door. The white blanket which you’ve draped across his figure had been pulled to the ground, pooling at his feet. The night was still young and fresh but he cannot help this uneasy feeling which settles in his stomach. When he awoke from his strange dream, you had disappeared from the room. The warmth you’ve left in his hand had long faded. He holds back the click of his tongue. To say that he yearned for you to stay by his side was humiliating, yet admitting it calms the storm in his mind.

He raises his eyes to overlook the desk. The letter the Knave had written for you is now gone, the table stripped empty of what belonged to you. He concludes that you’ve taken her word and perhaps left him behind for whatever meaningless task she dumped onto you. Bringing his hand to cover the side of his face, he says to himself that this cannot be true. You could never leave him for such a traitorous rat. You had to remain by his side, you promised you would watch over him of course, so why must he doubt your words now? Was it because of her presence? Does her overarching existence threaten him? 

He stares down at his hands, to eye the way his fingers move and bend. They were slender and soft to the touch, very unfitting for a Harbinger of his status. The Doctor once called him a failure for being unable to form callouses, a sign of being a grown man. Even Tartaglia once told him that all Snezhnayan boys first become men when they slaughter their first prey. He scoffs at the memory. He has slaughtered many things yet he remains nothing more but a boyish figure in the hall of adults. 

Gripping his hand into a fist, he lets his nail settle between the cracks of his palm. He hates the idea that this skin of his was not his own, and was something made to replicate a higher being than him. He hates the thought that his purpose and creation were nothing more than something that didn’t live long enough to succeed in its purpose. To have his heart ripped from his chest to serve someone else, he finds it utterly despicable.

The soft click of the door unlocking snaps him out of his daze, his body scrambling up from the bed to watch as you make your way into the room. He notices that your eyes are a lot more distant today than usual, not that they weren’t already, but that they now hold similarities to an empty tea kettle. He wonders what was in that letter. Biting the tip of his tongue, he hopes that you found nothing special and that your promise stays afloat. 

“So you’ve awoken, Balladeer,” You start, placing the letter onto the wooden desk. “I hope that your dreams were painted well tonight. I wonder if those nightly terrors you once had still fester. You see, I was a little worried to see that you were out of breath.”

“Where did you go?” He questions, inhaling sharply, “It’s been quite some time since I had nightmares. Don’t treat me like a child. Now I must ask again, where did you go?” 

He bites the bottom of his lip in hope that you don’t see him lying through the skin of his teeth. And though you noticed the tense nature of his body, you chose not to look into it deeper, nor did you bother to address his stiffening muscles. If he does not want to be treated like a child, then perhaps you shouldn’t coddle him too much. 

“I went to watch the stars. I believe the innkeeper, Verr Goldet mentioned it having a great view. Perhaps next time we should go together. We might be able to scan the area for any materials.” 

“The stars?” He laughs, dropping back down onto the bed, “You went out in the middle of the night to watch the stars?”

“Yes, because stars come out at night. Regardless, they were as beautiful as Goldet says, although I might add that the view in Snezhnaya might have been a bit better.” 

He swallows loudly and his eyes tremble just slightly as you make your way closer to him. You stand before his sitting figure with his head in your hands. Your soft hands pressed against his cheek. Oh, so that’s what it was all about, he said to himself, for a moment he almost thought you might have left him for the Knave. What a foolish thought it was. You brush away the string of tears that slipped past his guard. You press your lips tightly together as a moment of silence grows between the two of you. Your mouth is closed shut as you struggle to find the right words.

“Were you worried?” You asked, letting him click his tongue at you. The tears he grew have now stopped, almost as if he had created a barricade to stop himself from pouring out his feelings. A shame, you unconsciously slip, perhaps you wanted to see him shed a bit more emotion.

He grins, albeit with a bit of hesitance: “What is there to be worried about? You came right back to me in the end.” While his words may have stripped him of any insecurities which lie on the surface, it does not erase what was beneath them. He knows that in any case, the Tsaritsa may pull you away from him, lock you far away and leave him to rot at what fleeting touch you’ve left for him. He is at the mercy of her, and he feels as if he cannot defy her. 

“You seem rather confident.” He raises his hand to hold yours. His grip is loose yet tight enough for you not to pull away. “Did something happen while I was gone to provoke such feelings?”

“Hah, there was nothing.” The Balladeer scoffs, “Did you think I would suddenly leave?”

You think that no one can stay for very long, even if they are immortal. They’ll always float around the space in Teyvat, aimlessly wandering until given the right purpose to fulfill. You believe that it is no different from you. Someone who started as a small child, raised in the tiniest of cottages at the edge of Snezhnaya by a singular mother. A nobody who left their home in search of a new way of living, abandoning all sense to join a newly formed church and orphanage in cities. Wanderer, you believe it fits you quite well, you might even say Stranger fits better.

You mindlessly answer, “You might, it’s a possibility.” 

He presses his lips against the base of your palm, his teeth gliding over the surface to teasingly bite you. It stings for a moment. The feeling of his porcelain canines dragging across your skin sends shivers down your spine. He laps at the small mark, bubbling satisfaction rising in his stomach. “Then you’re taking me for the wrong person,” 

“You and your peculiar words.”

“Who would I be if not for them?”

You hum, seemingly amused by his reaction. Brushing aside his previous comments, you chose to speak about a more pressing manner: “I met a strange man on the roof tonight.” 

Your fingers rise to touch his fangs, the tip pressing against the center of your finger. You feel him hesitate for a moment, his urge to bite down on your hand growing stronger as he pulls you close. You sense fierce jealousy pooling beneath those violet eyes. The act is intimate, yet you think nothing of it. “He was an Adepti.” 

“An Adepti, you say.” 

“That’s right. He had the skin of a mortal, but he didn’t seem very human.” You continue, “I think he was watching me for quite a while before talking to me. I should have questioned a bit more about his identity, however, it seemed a little too pressing. I didn’t want to scare him away by knowing too much.”

“I see.” The Balladeer tilts his head downwards. He is lost in his thoughts for a moment, scarcely worried at the possibility that the Adepti might latch onto their plans in Liyue. Dealing with his senseless troops seemed difficult enough, he cannot imagine what it would be like to have someone looming over his shoulder as you travel. “Did he say anything of importance?”

You sigh under your breath, “Yes. It was about those meteorites appearing around Mondstadt and Liyue. He advised us not to go through the open plains, for many locals have fallen ill by touching them. I suspect that we haven’t encountered this issue because our sample size has been too small for us to be affected. Regardless, I wouldn’t want to rule out the possibility that once we get our hands on a larger one, we might start feeling its effects.”

“Aside from that, he gave us information about the Traveler. It’s been confirmed that they are looking for these meteorites as well. I would like to believe that they are not alone in their journey.”

The navy-haired man huffs in annoyance. More fools that he must take care of, he thinks to himself. If it was just the Traveler, striking them down would have been easier said than done. Though now they have a bit more on their hands. “For what obstacles lie ahead of us?”

“Two women,” Ignoring the way the Balladeer tightens his grip around your hand, you continue forth, “One is an Astrologist while the other is. . . rather unique. I cannot put my finger on it quite yet but I believe that only the former will be an issue.” 

“Anything on them as well?”

“Not that I know of personally. We will know when the time comes,” He releases an exhausted sigh. 

He rests his hand against yours, intertwining his fingers between the cracks. Your alluring smell leaves him rather speechless in this conversation, his mind far too drawn out and tired to think of any clever remarks. You take his silence for thought. You assume that once he heard the news about your investigation in Liyue getting harder, it would make him more susceptible to irritation. 

He would have called you a fool if he were to hear your thoughts. A blind, ignorant fool to a poor man’s worship. Despite the way he looks at you with his eyes drunk on your image, he has bit little charm to capture your attention. He figures that you are doing this on purpose, and you might even toy with him and say that you are. You notice the way his cheeks heat up to match the warmth in the air, a flicker of a flame wavering beneath your hold. 

“. . . I ask one thing from you,” He whispers to you, letting only your ears hear his voice. His words come out softer than he intended, his tone betraying his hardened exterior. 

His violet orbs capture yours like a butterfly to a net, encapsulating you in his gaze as you lean closer. You brush a few strands of his navy hair away from his face, settling them behind his ear. He fights the growing heat on his cheeks. “And what is that, Balladeer?”

He holds his breath for a moment, unsure of whether or not it was worth asking you now. He was scared but did not want to admit it. Slightly nervous yet all the more tempted to ask. He knows quite well that regardless of what he is going to say, you already knew, and had planned your answers at least a few hours in advance. You were merely playing into a game that Celestia had created, and you had no intention of breaking the streak. His fear only comes down to what your answer will be for him, and whether or not he would be satisfied.

He presses his lips tightly together: “Will your journey with me end once this is all over?” 

To which you reply to his call with the brush of your finger. The surface of your skin glides across his soft, porcelain body. He settles his head in your hands, finding comfort and love in them. A feeling that he had been so forcefully ripped from by his mother. A touch that he craves so dearly. He finds you to be rather intoxicating at this moment, the heat of your breath settling on top of his teeth.

“There is no end,” You answer, “For we are immortal.”

[to-be-a-dreamer]

Wanted to add more to the Pearchwood Hollow AU because I realized that I forgot to talk about Important Things in the original post.

(This is copy+pasted directly from a discord brain dump so if you've already seen this no you haven't)

So. The whole Point of the story is that the things we experience, the people we meet, and the decisions we make only matter if we remember them and learn from them. They matter because we decide they matter.

At the beginning of the story, Davey is having one of those "Oh all my friends are going different places for college and things will never be the same again" kind of crises but especially about his relationship with Jack because they had been friends for years before getting together and knew going into the relationship that they wanted drastically different things from life and, in the back of his mind, Davey always knew they wouldn't last.

And so he's sifting through all of these feelings in addition to the fear of losing his best friends in the world and trying to figure out the point of it all. What was the point of starting a relationship he knew would only end in heartbreak? What was the point of the friendships he made during the first eighteen years of his life if they were always destined to grow apart and grow up to know nothing about each other?

And like, over the course of the plot, he and the rest of the characters learn that it's because the memories they share and the relationships they made are what shaped them into who they are today, and will go on to be the basis of the entire rest of their lives. That looking back on those memories is what makes it worth it. That everything in life ends eventually but we go through it anyways because we're human and that's how we learn things, that's how we grow. And they all learn to appreciate those little moments, the little memories that they realize formed the core parts of their identities.

But then at the end of the story, every character has forgotten everything that happened. They forgot all those lessons. And we see them making the same mistakes and having the same fears as they did in the beginning. Not one single character has made any growth by the time the story ends so what was even the point? No one learned anything.

No one except the reader who followed these characters through their journey of learning that memory and reflection is the most important part of life. Of learning that every person leaves a huge impact on the people they meet, even for the briefest of seconds. Of learning to cherish every moment because yes, it will end eventually, but the journey and the memory made it worth it. The reader remembers. And that's what makes the story worth telling.

[aeoki]

High and Low: Epilogue 2

Location: High and Low Stage Characters: Tetora, Hajime, Tomoya, Hinata, Midori, Touri, Mitsuru & Sora

Season: Autumn Writer: Akira

Midori: Ahh~ I’m tired… I tried to be all energetic but now I’m exhausted.

Tetora: That’s so fast! You’ve gotta train more, Midori-kun~

If you trained, people will probably stop being disappointed with you and won’t say there’s less than meets the eye! Hard work and muscles will never betray you!

Midori: That’s such a pain… They’ll just make me do all sorts of stuff if they think I’m “someone capable”, so I’m fine just doing a moderate amount.

Tetora: It feels like you’ve been pretty gloomy this whole time, Midori-kun. You were pretty cheerful when you came to save us.

Midori: That’s the whole reason why I’m so tired… It’s all your fault so I won’t let you complain, Tetora-kun. Don’t make me do something that’ll take a lot of time and effort.

Tetora: Osu. Sorry. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again in the future.

Midori: You say that but you're repeating the same mistakes over and over… I can’t trust you. It’s like you didn’t grow at all.

Tetora: I have a bit! You just can’t see it!

Here’s proof – Look, tadaa ♪

Midori: ………!?

Tetora: I might be someone experienced who’s not that smart but I’ve learnt a thing or two after repeating those mistakes. In order to make you motivated, gathering a whole bunch of cute things is the best method.

How about it? There’s this plushie? Stuck on the tree over there so I’ll take it off and give it you as a present ♪

Now, you’ll definitely feel motivated ♪

Midori: Ko-Ko-Ko…

Tetora: Ko-Ko-Ko?

Midori: It’s a koalaaaaaa ☆

Tetora: Woah, you scared me! What? Koala?

Is that a koala? This is really Australia, huh. They’re just hanging out over there.

Midori: No, this is just a decoration. It’s wearing clothes.

I’ve seen real koalas but they weren’t anything special… I was so excited to go and touch them but they got angry and scratched me.

Tetora: I see. I’m, uh, sorry that happened to you.

Midori: It’s okay. If it’s something given to me by a cute animal, then pain and scratches are more than welcome…♪

Tetora: Osu! You understand that too, huh, Midori-kun! Scratches are medals in the eyes of a man!

Tetora & Midori: “♪~♪~♪”

Hinata: Uh, I feel like what you guys are talking about doesn’t really make sense.

Touri: Well, they both look like they’re happy so it’s probably fine?

Sora: HaHa~♪ Exactly~! Everyone’s shape of happiness is different so it’s something no one has the right to deny!

If Tetora-chan and Mido-chan are smiling happily then that’s fine! It’s a happy ending~♪

Touri: …We still have a mountain of problems, though.

Like, what will happen to Kurone-san.

Hinata: Knowing Anzu-san, she’ll probably forgive him even after betraying her trust and causing all that trouble.

Anzu-san really loves everyone, after all.

Tomoya: Yeah. It seems “High and Low” will end in success too, although it was kinda forced that way.

We reached our destination, met up with Hajime and the others in one piece, and we’re now rounding it off with a performance.

There were some unexpected things that happened with the TV show but it’ll still be completed as planned.

You could say we’re in a favourable position since we managed to stand out with our weird trip, for better or worse.

They’ll edit the footage we filmed and there are some parts that weren’t filmed too. The people who watch it will have no idea what we were caught up in.

Their understanding of the show would probably be one where they see we’re forced to take part in a weird low-budget travel show and things turned out to be a mess.

It was the same for us during the “Old-Fashioned Sports Festival” but this time, we got to touch the thing that exists at the bottom of the idol industry.

The thing that Kurone is confronting.

He’s got some sort of goal and he’s definitely headed in a bad direction.

This time, he caused all that trouble for Anzu-senpai and us, and even went as far as doing something that would make us hate him…

Maybe he did it so we wouldn’t have to come in contact with that bad thing. Maybe he thought if we hated him, we would distance ourselves from him and we wouldn’t be involved.

Hinata: Ahh, the thing that our upperclassmen often do at Yumenosaki?

Tomoya: Yeah. But we’re used to that so we can’t hate him the way he wished.

He caused a lot of trouble for us but he helped us too. He’s also one of our colleagues, a “producer”.

I’d like to do something for him if that something exists.

Just what can we powerless children do?

Mitsuru: Baam ☆

Tomoya: Gyaaaaaah!?

Mitsuru: Tomo-chan! Don’t just stand there and talk. We’re idols so let’s get to work. Let’s sing and dance and have fun~☆

Let’s give our thanks to Australia for giving us such a fun time!

Hajime: He’s right, Tomoya-kun! After all that time thinking I wouldn’t be able to meet up with you!

A small miracle happened so let’s be happy! Together!

Let’s show the world how happy we are~♪

Tomoya: You’re so laid-back, you guys… I’m sure ignorance is bliss for Hajime but how are you so cheerful after going through all that awful stuff, Mitsuru?

Mitsuru: Heheh, that’s “Ra*bits” for you, y’know~!

Even if we experience something horrible, we’ll have the time of our lives with a smile on our faces! If other people see us like that then they’ll automatically be happy too!

Tomoya: Yeah… You’re right. That’s “Ra*bits”.

I’m the leader of “Ra*bits” on paper so that makes me the most distinguished.

But I’m still inexperienced and there’s so much I have to learn from you guys.

Tetora: Osu. I feel the same. I learnt a lot from Midori-kun this time.

A school trip is all about learning new things…! We had a blast so we’re probably the ones who got the most out of this school trip!

Midori: Yeah… It feels almost silly to think I was worried about all that stuff before we even came.

Oddly enough, you don’t really have to worry about every little thing that happens in life.

Preparing for a trip is the most fun but at the same, it’s also the most stressful.

Midori: But nothing will change unless you actually set out on a journey.

We still have no idea what the future has in store for us.

But if you make up your mind and dive right in, you’ll be surprised to see that things might just work itself out on its own.

“♪~♪~♪”

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Deadly fall: The Parcae

THE PARCAE

Category: Roman mythology

In Roman mythology, the Parcae (plural of “Parca”) are the three goddesses embodying destiny – it is their will that decides the shapes and events of the life of both mortals and immortals (gods and humans). They do not decide the individual actions of people, there is still a form of free will, but they decide important events of life: when someone is born, when someone dies, or if someone is destined to partake in a great war… The gods fear and respect them, and none have power over the Parcae – not even Jove/Jupiter, king of the gods, is just an herald and servant to the Parcae’s decrees. No one can change their decisions, no amount of prayer can make the Parcae change their will, and what they did can never be undone. They are described as weaving sisters who manipulate the literal “threads of life”.

Originally, the Romans only had one goddess of fate, “Parca Maurtia”, who worked close alongside a goddess of birth known as “Neuna Fata”. But this duo would become a trio when the Romans discovered the Greek Moirae, and decided to reuse them for their own mythology.

The first of the three Parcae is Nona, an adaptation of Neuna Fata. She was the Parca who “spins the thread from her distaff onto the spindle”: understand, she takes care of birth and the beginning of life. It was said that she appeared most notably during the “dies lustricus”. This “day of lustration” or “purification day” was the naming ceremony of a Roman baby: it happened nine days after a boy’s birth, but eight after a girl’s birth (because Romans believed girls aged and matured faster). By receiving a name, the child was identified as its very own individual, part of the family yet detached from its mother, and by extension it became deserving of its own fate: on the dies lustricus, Nona would appear and determine the child’s lifespan. It was so important that the ceremony of writing the new name of the baby was called “Fata Scribunda”, “The Written Fate”. She was called Nona, the “ninth”, because she also acted as a goddess of pregnancy: mothers called upon her during the ninth month of their pregnancy, when birth was to be due.

The second of the Parcae is Decima, whose role is to “measure the thread of life with her rod”. She sometimes gets confused with Nona when it comes to determining the lifespan, as sometimes people with short lives are said to have been “ill-gifted” by her. Generally poor Decima has little personality to herself as she was created to fill the gap between the other two, to match the “three goddesses” pattern. We can theorize that, like her Greek equivalent, her role might have been to give people good and bad things across their life.

The last of the Parcae is Morta, the “iron-hearted” sister, whose job is to “cut the thread of life”: she is an adaptation of Parca Maurtia, and she is an entity of death. It was believed she was the one who decided the way a human would die, and was often associated with stillborn infants. No one can die until she cut their thread: in fact, in Statius’ Thebaid, the story is told of how a living man accidentally ended up falling into the underworld, and yet did not die since the Parcae hadn’t cut his thread – and similarly, characters in Roman theater could sometime say that their life had been prolonged by Morta out of pity: “white-robed Morta” can promise to those she likes the gift of old age.

Mind you, these different functions were not always clearly cut, as poets and writers liked to depict them as all three being spinsters with distaffs, instead of just Nona, while others claimed that on a man’s day of death, the three “harsh sisters” came, with no postponing of the meeting and no one being able to not answer their call. Daughters of Nox (the Night) and Erebus (Darkness), living in the underworld alongside ghosts and chthonian deities, Mors (the Roman equivalent of Thanatos, and by extension the Parcae’s brother) is usually depicted as their helper or assistants: when it isn’t Morta who cuts or tears apart the thread of life, it is Mors who does so with his sword – and when Hercules manages to subdue Mors (the myth of Herakles vanquishing Thanatos), it is described as him “stretching the wool on the distaff of the Parcae”. In their abode, they engrave in steel and bronze the fate of the entire world, the destiny of each individual, mortal or immortal – and no one and nothing can erase or destroy those archives, not even Jove’s own lightning. According to Ovid, they were the ones who established the law according to which any person who eats the food of the underworld would be forced to stay forever among the dead, and according to Statius, when Orpheus managed to bring back Eurydice from the world of the dead, it was the Parcae’s task to accompany her in order to “repeat their task” of giving her a new life.

In art, a classical iconography was formed over them. The Parcae were usually depicted with a form of headgear, be it a crown of gold, a crown of oak branches, or even a veil over their head. The Romans usually invoked the Parcae alongside Apollo, as both were “seers” and deities able to see into the future: they were also given the sacrifice of black sheep, the same types of animal killed for the Furies (the Roman version of the Erynies, a monstrous trio of goddesses of revenge and punition, who were said to dwell alongside the Parcae in the Underworld – a description of it even claims that the Furies sit by one side of the throne of the ruler of the underworld, while the Parcae sit by another).

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Also called the “Black Sisters” (in their grim and darkest form), the “Triple Goddesses” or the “Elysian Sisters” (for some believed they could grant the prayers of the souls reaching the Elysian Fields), the Parcae took part in numerous myths – some inherited from Greek mythology, others entirely invented by Roman authors. In many of these myths the Parcae notably act as prophets for the gods.

# Ovid recalls a unique myth in which, during the Titanomachia (the war between the Titans and the Olympians), the Parcae warned Styx (the goddess of the underworld river, and an ally of Jupiter) that Saturn (Kronos) had found a monster born out of Terra (Gaia), half-bull in the front, half-snake in the back. Anyone who would take out the guts of the creature and burn them in a fire would be destined to vanquish the Olympians: to avoid that, Styx snatched the monster away from Saturn and locked it up in a “black grove” behind a “triple-wall”.

# In Ovid’s version of the myth of Phaeton, the Parcae warned Jove one day by giving him a prophecy according to which the day when the land, the sea and the heaven would burn in flames, would be the day when the world could potentially be destroyed. When Phaeton loses control of the chariot of the Sun his father and scorches the world, Jove understands that the prophecy is about to be realized, prompting him to kill Phaeton.

# When the great hero Meleager was born, the Parcae appeared: Nona said he would be noble, Decima that he would be brave, but Morta, looking at a brand burning in the hearth, said he would live as long as it took for the brand to be consumed. Meleager’s mother took away the piece of wood from the fire and kept it protected in a chest for many years, until her son was adult… But after a series of disastrous events in which Meleager killed his own uncle, his mother’s brother, she was so struck by grief she threw the piece of wood in the fireplace, in which it burned: and Meleager burned like the brand his life was attached to.

# They were the ones who prophesized that Thetis’ son would be greater than his father, prompting the gods who lusted after her to marry her to a mortal king – giving birth to the great hero Achilles.

# According to Pseudo-Hyginus, all those that managed to escape from the realm of the dead did so only because the Parcae agreed for it to be: Ceres in her quest for her daughter Prosperpina, Liber Pater (Dionysos) when he rescued his mother Semele, Hercules when he brought up Cerberus, Asclepius when he became a god, Mercure (Hermes) who acts as a traveler between the world of the dead and the living, and Castor, Pollux, Leda… All had to get a specific permission from the Parcae.

# Finally, Ovid wrote that when Chiron was infected by an agonizing and painful poison but could not die due to being immortal, he begged the gods to relieve him and they agreed to have the Parcae “unloose the threads” of his fate and “putting him in death power”: the sisters-goddesses took back his immortality and allowed him to die.

[cosmosim]

The Best Travelling Wine Tasting in Different Destinations

The best travelling wine tasting experiences take you to renowned wine regions around the world, from Napa Valley to Tuscany, Bordeaux to the Barossa Valley. These curated tours allow you to sample exquisite wines, learn from expert vintners, and explore stunning vineyard landscapes. Each destination offers its own unique flavours and winemaking traditions, creating a rich, immersive experience for wine lovers. Perfect for combining travel with a passion for wine, these tours are unforgettable adventures.

The Heart of American Wine of The Most Famous Wine regions in The World of Travelling Wine Tasting

Napa Valley, California, is one of the most famous wine regions in the world, making it a top destination for travelling wine tasting. With its award-winning wineries, scenic vineyards, and iconic Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa offers personalised wine tours and tastings. Visitors can enjoy everything from private cellar experiences to food pairings, making it a must-visit for any wine enthusiast.

The Historic French Wine Haven Known As History and Exceptional Blends of Travelling Wine Tasting

Bordeaux, France, is another prime destination for travelling wine tasting, known for its rich history and exceptional blends. This region produces some of the world’s finest wines, including Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Wine lovers can explore historic châteaux, participate in guided tastings, and immerse themselves in the deep-rooted French winemaking traditions that have shaped the industry.

Tuscany’s Chianti and Brunello Adventures Blend The Beauty CountrySide of Travelling Wine Tasting

For those seeking a travelling wine tasting experience with picturesque views, Tuscany is the ideal destination. Known for its stunning landscapes and delicious Chianti and Brunello wines, Tuscany offers tours that blend the beauty of the countryside with exceptional wine tastings. Visitors can tour charming vineyards, meet local producers, and indulge in authentic Italian wine culture.

Australia’s Shiraz Paradise is A Top Travelling Destination for fan of Bold with Travelling Wine Tasting

Australia’s Barossa Valley is a top travelling wine tasting destination for fans of bold, full-bodied wines. Famous for its Shiraz, this region offers intimate tastings at boutique wineries and large-scale vineyards alike. Travellers can take part in vineyard tours, barrel tastings, and enjoy food pairings featuring local Australian produce, all while soaking in the beautiful, sun-drenched landscapes.

A Taste of the Cape of South Africa, Introduces visitors of Travelling Wine Tasting

Travelling wine tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa, introduces visitors to a vibrant wine scene known for Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. The region offers a mix of modern and historic wineries, stunning views of the Cape Winelands, and expertly curated tastings. The unique terroir and flavours make Stellenbosch a must-visit for adventurous wine lovers.

Argentina’s Malbec Mecca Its A Favourite Destination for Travelling Wine Tasting

Argentina’s Mendoza region is synonymous with Malbec, and it is a favourite destination for travelling wine tasting. With its high-altitude vineyards and impressive mountain views, Mendoza provides unforgettable tasting experiences. Visitors can enjoy vineyard tours, wine pairings with local cuisine, and learn about the region’s distinctive winemaking techniques.

The Sauvignon Blanc Star of Scenic Beauty and Excellence of Travelling Wine Tasting

Marlborough, New Zealand, is renowned for its crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Travelling wine tasting tours in this region offer a mix of scenic beauty and wine excellence. Visitors can explore innovative winemaking practices and enjoy tastings that showcase the vibrant, zesty flavours that put New Zealand on the global wine map.

Conclusion

Travelling wine tasting across the world’s top regions offers a unique opportunity to explore diverse winemaking traditions, flavours, and landscapes. From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the sun-drenched vineyards of Barossa Valley, each destination provides a distinct experience. Whether you’re a fan of bold reds or crisp whites, travelling wine tastings allow you to dive deep into local cultures while savouring the finest wines the world has to offer. Each trip becomes a celebration of wine, food, and stunning views, making it an essential experience for wine lovers worldwide.

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Mehendi Artists in Pune: Tradition Meets Creativity

Mehendi, an integral part of Indian culture, symbolizes joy, beauty, and celebration Whether it's for weddings, festivals, or special occasions, applying mehendi is a cherished ritual that connects tradition with artistry Pune, a vibrant city with a rich cultural tapestry, is home to numerous talented mehendi artists who are known for their creativity, precision, and ability to create intricate designs that captivate

In this article, we explore the world of mehendi artists in Pune, their expertise, popular mehendi styles, and how to choose the perfect artist for your event

1 The Importance of Mehendi in Indian Culture

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In Pune, where traditions meet modern lifestyles, the demand for skilled mehendi artists has surged, especially with the growing popularity of destination weddings and festive celebrations in the city

2 Popular Mehendi Styles in Pune

Mehendi artists in Pune offer a variety of styles, each with its unique charm and appeal Whether you're looking for something traditional or contemporary, there's a design for every occasion

a) Traditional Indian Mehendi

This style is rich in intricate patterns, including paisleys, florals, and peacock motifs It often covers the entire hand and forearm and is the go-to choice for brides The detailed designs are created with great precision, and artists ensure that each element is symbolic, representing beauty, love, and happiness

b) Arabic Mehendi

Arabic mehendi is known for its bold and flowing designs It often features large floral patterns, vines, and leafy trails Unlike traditional Indian mehendi, Arabic designs are less dense and more spaced out, giving a modern yet elegant look This style is popular for engagement ceremonies and casual festive occasions in Pune

c) Rajasthani Mehendi

Rajasthani mehendi is characterized by its intricate motifs, including depictions of royal figures, elephants, and traditional patterns This style is often elaborate and is a favorite among brides who want a regal, timeless look for their wedding day

d) Fusion Mehendi

As the name suggests, fusion mehendi combines elements from different styles It could be a mix of Indian and Arabic designs, or a combination of traditional motifs with modern patterns like geometric shapes and abstract designs Pune’s mehendi artists are known for their ability to blend tradition with innovation, creating unique designs that reflect individual preferences

e) Minimalistic Mehendi

For those who prefer a more understated look, minimalistic mehendi is a great option This style focuses on simple yet elegant patterns, often featuring delicate floral and geometric designs It’s perfect for modern brides and those looking for something chic for smaller functions or casual events

3 Top Mehendi Artists in Pune

Pune boasts a thriving community of talented mehendi artists who are skilled in creating breathtaking designs that cater to various tastes and preferences Here are some of the top mehendi artists in the city:

a) Neha Mehendi Artist

Known for her intricate bridal designs, Neha is a popular name in Pune’s mehendi scene With years of experience, she excels in traditional and Arabic styles, offering personalized designs for each bride Her attention to detail and ability to bring a bride’s vision to life make her a favorite for weddings and special occasions

b) Ajay Mehendi Artist

Ajay is renowned for his artistic flair and expertise in bridal mehendi His designs often include traditional motifs, such as paisleys and peacocks, but he’s also known for incorporating modern elements into his work Ajay’s team is often booked for weddings, sangeet ceremonies, and festive events across Pune

c) Shalini Mehendi Artist

Shalini is a versatile mehendi artist who specializes in both traditional and contemporary styles Her portfolio includes stunning Rajasthani and Arabic designs, and she is known for her ability to customize designs based on the client’s preferences Shalini’s work is loved for its neatness and creativity

d) Ayesha Mehendi Artist

Ayesha’s minimalist yet elegant mehendi designs have earned her a dedicated clientele in Pune She is especially popular for engagement ceremonies, festivals, and pre-wedding functions, where her subtle, refined patterns are in high demand

e) Poonam Mehendi Artist

With over a decade of experience, Poonam is a veteran in the industry She offers a wide range of mehendi styles, including bridal, Arabic, and fusion designs Her ability to adapt to the latest trends while maintaining the essence of traditional mehendi has made her one of Pune’s most sought-after artists

4 How to Choose the Right Mehendi Artist in Pune

Selecting the right mehendi artist is essential to ensure that you get the design you desire for your special occasion Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice:

a) Portfolio Review

Before booking a mehendi artist, it’s important to go through their portfolio This will give you a sense of their style and expertise Most mehendi artists have Instagram pages or websites where they showcase their work, so you can easily browse through their designs

b) Experience and Expertise

Choose an artist with experience, especially if you’re booking for a wedding or large event Experienced mehendi artists not only create beautiful designs but also understand the importance of time management and precision during busy events

c) Customization

Each person’s taste in mehendi is unique Look for an artist who is open to customizing designs based on your preferences Whether you want something traditional, modern, or a fusion of both, a good artist will be able to cater to your needs

d) Quality of Henna

Ensure that the artist uses high-quality, organic henna This is crucial for achieving a deep, long-lasting stain and avoiding allergic reactions Many mehendi artists in Pune use natural, chemical-free henna to ensure the safety and satisfaction of their clients

e) Booking in Advance

Mehendi artists, especially the popular ones, tend to get booked months in advance, especially during the wedding and festival seasons It’s important to book your artist early to avoid last-minute disappointments

5 Conclusion

Mehendi is more than just a form of body art; it’s a cherished tradition that adds beauty and meaning to celebrations Pune’s mehendi artists are known for their creativity, skill, and ability to transform hands and feet into stunning works of art Whether you’re a bride looking for an elaborate design or someone seeking a simple, elegant pattern for a festival, Pune has a range of talented artists who can bring your mehendi dreams to life

By choosing the right mehendi artist, you ensure that your special occasion is adorned with beautiful, lasting memories etched in henna

[masongrizchel]

The Journey Matters More Than the Destination

I’ve been thinking about goals and the constant drive to achieve the next big thing. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle, always looking ahead to that next milestone, that subsequent success. But something shifted in me recently, and I realized that life isn’t just about getting to the next goal. There’s so much more to experience along the way.

I started noticing the small things that often get overlooked when we’re too focused on what’s next. I began paying attention to the people around me and the connections we make, even if they’re fleeting. There’s something beautiful in meeting someone new, hearing their story, and realizing that, in that moment, your lives are intertwined, even if just for a short while.

Then, there are the sunsets—those moments when the world seems to slow down just enough to catch our breath and admire the beauty around us. It’s a reminder that there’s more to life than deadlines and checklists. Nature has a way of grounding us, pulling us out of our heads and into the present moment.

And what about new hobbies? I’ve found joy in trying things I never imagined I’d enjoy. It’s like rediscovering a part of myself that I didn’t know was missing. Whether picking up a new book, learning a new skill, or simply spending time differently, these moments add richness to life that goals alone can’t provide.

Interestingly, as I started to embrace this mindset, I noticed that my goals began to shift, too. What I once thought was the ultimate achievement now seems less important compared to the experiences I’m having along the way. And that’s okay. Goals are meant to evolve as we grow and change.

Now, I’m learning to appreciate the journey for what it is—a collection of moments, experiences, and connections that shape who we are. The next goal will always be there, but the journey truly matters.