#and yesterday we got a couple of cat toys for her. she LOVES this one cat toy we got that has colorful fish attached to a stick

[rosymiel]

i think i just got adopted by a cat

[mayaswell2000]

When I was young (2): Cousin Yumi

Yesterday I was reading a book and got asked "who's the one role model for you and what are their qualities?" At the moment, I couldn't think of anyone.

How is that possible? I'm 35 years old and I can think of no one to look up to? For a long time, it was my mom. I thought she was a victim and a winner because she turned me into a "winner" on paper. Then I realized she was actually a deeply abused person who also abused me emotionally growing up. So she's out.

Then I thought of Eric's Aunt Sharmen, a doctor at her 60s. She takes care of dying people and travels around the world via a boat with her husband once in a while. She skis a lot and raised 3 wonderful sons. But again, what's the true admiration? I admire that she has a well-paid and respectable job, that she can still work at her 60s, that she can travel all around the world, that she is a successful mom? It all seems effortless to her.

And today when I was on the road, Yumi came across my mind. She's my closest cousin. I looked up to her so much growing up. Under One Child Policy, she IS like my sister I never got to choose to have. Yumi is two years older than me. Her mom is my mom's older sister. Her parents are both working-class factory workers who never went to college, given the social environment back in China. My grandparent are abusive asshole parents, to my mom and her mom.

She took me to places my parent never took me to. She talked to me the way my mom would never do.

One time she came to my essential school to pick me up. This boy classmate was on the way out too. He saw me and called my name from afar. Yumi said, your classmate is cute, maybe he likes you! I could blush so easily!! But that's the kinda of thing only your sibling would say.

She would take me to eat An Hui wonton at the food stand downstairs of her condo in the MIDNIGHT. She would take me to eat KFC and McDonalds frequently, which was such a luxurious experience in 90s China.

She would show me the popular Japanese shows at the time, shows like a 16-year-old falling love with his teacher (魔女的條件);She would take me to roller-skating with her then "boyfriends";She would take me shopping for cute clothes (She has such a good taste in fashion, at some point she was a luxury store saleswoman);She would introduce me to every one of her boy friends. She also got to own a couple of dogs (we used to hang out in grandparent's neighborhood and ran into one dog named Huahua -- a typical brown-looking TuGou in China).

She would take me snowboarding with her boyfriend, now husband Kevin. She would take me on the back of her bike, with me standing at the back, like I could fly. She was the one who taught me typing on a keyboard, which is a lifelong skill I'm using everyday now. I can type fast and blindly thanks to that one-time learning session from her. She learned typing on a typewriter in technical secondary school "Zhong Zhuan" after her parents' divorce. She would take a bunch of friends over to her place to celebrate my birthday ( I can't remember how old I was, maybe 8 or 9) It was the first birthday "party" I can ever remember. All her friends were kind enough to bring me gifts. Her dad even bought me a birthday cake. I remember I memorized the zodiac order that day. Later in the day, we went on a ferry to cross the bund.

You see, Yumi showed me a world of "can'ts". I had so many "can't-do" in my childhood. Ice-cream, no! (Turns out it's because Asians are mostly lactose-intolerant not because ice-creams are "BAD") KFC/McDonald's, no! (Even though they have the coolest toys and yes, they have ice-creams too) Having dogs or cats, absolutely not! (my mom has OCD and is a neat freak) Shows about love and relationships, of course no! Dating and thinking about boys? 1000% no! Only bad girls would do that, and yes Yumi was considered a bad girl, super-duper cool in my eyes.

Yumi never went to high school or college. Her grades got really bad in junior high during her parents' divorce. My mom told me her dad visited a "massage" place and cheated on her mom. Her mom got crazy mad and went to his bus company to make a scene. She also cut off all his clothes. I don't know how much of that was exposed to Yumi directly but I can imagine how disappointed she was toward both of her parents.

At 14, she was already disillusioned with her parents, especially with her mom. My disillusion came along 20 years later. I envy her for that. She could leave her toxic home so early in life but I couldn't. Can you imagine? A 14-year-old girl chose which parent to go with in court. She ended up choosing to live with her dad and later moved to PuXi (West side of the bund in Shanghai) and got far away enough from her mom.

You see, Yumi was the one who showed me a taste of freedom in my childhood and adolescence. She showed me that freedom was possible. Happiness was possible. Doing what you like as a kid was possible. Life isn't all about home work, grades, exams, mom's pride or anger, dad's approval or disapproval, yelling and fighting. Life CAN be about happiness. And happiness CAN be in your own hand. She was already so brave and determined at the age of 14.

You see, she achieved independence so young, while I am still struggling to find independence even today.

OK I have a confession to make. I'm a snitch bitch. Maybe she still doesn't know or she knew but doesn't care anymore. I knew all along while she was dating Kevin. He was the manager of the skateboarding store she worked at. He's good at all kinds of sports -- skateboarding, snowboarding, motorbiking, fishing... He's the kind of guy Yumi wanted to marry -- fun and a hobbyist. There is one problem though: Kevin is divorced with a son, which is frowned-upon in China. She knew the kid when he was a little baby. I knew the kid when he was a baby, and man, wasn't he a cute baby?He's 14 years old now. Man, how time flies!

Yumi never told her mom about this like EVER. You see, she was scared of confronting her mom, a rare personality we share in common. She thought her mom was crazy and could do anything to sabotage her marriage. She was 100% right. She got to distance herself from her years ago and date whoever she liked. But marriage was different. It seems like Chinese parents naturally have a say in children's marriage. Such a privilege they got to abuse! If she knew, not in a million years she would agree to this marriage. And so, Yumi introduced Kevin to her mom, my Aunt Xiao Niang Niang, as a single childless man.

By the way, despite her craziness in dealing with relationships, Xiao Niang Niang is one of the few people who treats me well unconditionally. She successfully persuaded a key essential school headmaster to transfer me in, which changed my life forever (my old elementary school was full of bullies who sexually bothered girls). She lended my parents money when they needed to buy their condo. She lended me money again when I decided to go to the U.S. And she never asked the money back.

All along, Xiao Niang Niang didn't know about Kevin's history and his son. Yumi didn't know I told my mom the firsthand. We discussed about this a hundred times behind her back. Shameful right?! We were such toxic bitches! After 6 or 7 years after Yumi and Kevin got married, my mom told the older sister, and she told Xiao Niang Niang. Of course, she was not thrilled. She probably thought it was karma. Old Chinese people really don't approve of divorce and stepchildren even though she was a divorcee herself.

They kind of get along now. She call the kid her own grandkid, and Yumi isn't interested in having a kid of her own, which is no surprise given her awful childhood. It seems like they have some minor problem conceiving but in my opinion, it's a blessing again. They both work in a state-owned bus company, not rich but very comfortable. They can afford to ski anytime they want.

You see, Yumi knows what she wants from very young. She told me she wanted to get married before 26, and she did. She likes guys who are determined, and can show her a great time, and she finds herself one. She never yields from her own decision, no matter what she hears.

She's affirmative in all her life choices. No hate, no regret, no doubt. Not a bit.

Not giving a shit about societal expectations and her parents' expectations, she created her own path and lives life on her own terms.

She got rid of her over-protective parent and went on her own journey. She chose to be a fashion saleswoman. She chose to date and marry this guy she loved regardless of his history. She chose to live the life as she wanted it to be. It may be far from perfect in other people's eyes but she couldn't care less. This is her life.

I wish I had the courage to do things on my own. I wish I had the bad luck to be away from the toxic family drama earlier. I wish every choice of my life was made by myself. Maybe I could be happier now this way. Maybe I could be a different me.

I'm so happy for Yumi.

There's no single boring moment around her. She's a great sister to me, and one of the most interesting and independent people I know.

I miss her.

It's such a lonely world, so I'm forever grateful that we were so close when we were young. She was so generous to share her joyful moments with me, allowing me to experience freedom, happiness and the purest and most loving company. So that young me wasn't a total loner and bummer.

THANK YOU and I love you Yumi!

[hozierandco]

Sam Fender x Reader / call me lover

Friends to lovers. Lots of fluff.

Plot: Y/N and Sam have been friends for as long as they can remember but growing up has led them to grow apart. There are many things they have to tell one another.

The thing with kids is that they grow up. Too quickly, with too much silence surrounding them.

Sam was a boy, Y/N was a girl but to one another, they were just friends. They had known each other for as long as they could recall and had not doubted one second that they were just friends. Of course, there were the subtle questions from their parents, the hesitation when Sam would spend the night at Y/N's but their parents too knew it was just friendship.

Although they agreed that with all the secrets and trust they shared, they would be the best of couples, they thought it to be too pure to be broken.

Their friends too believed that it would inevitably happen, that they would end up together. Of all people, Dru was the most persistent on the matter. He had known Y/N for a longer time than Sam since Y/N's mother was the doula and a close friend to Drew's. Therefore, the two of them considered each other as siblings.

He  liked to tease Sam to make him confess a crush he would have on Y/N. To no avail.

And then, there had been Y/N's first boyfriend when she was 15. At a time in his life when he was still playing Fifa in his room when he was not toying with his piano, he had to endure his best friend clung to her boyfriend's arm.

For the first time, he felt repulsed by the sight of Y/N but mostly by that of the Alex Turner wannabe her heart had fallen for. He began writing about love and deception though he had no reason to have known either.

Of course, the idyll was cut short with Alex Turner #2 coming back from summer camp without his virginity anymore, exploit he felt the need to share with the whole school.

Sam and Drew had come to Y/N's rescue the day at school and together, they had eaten pizza and waited for Y/N's tears to disappear. It was the world against them from now on, and nothing could change that.

Sam had worked his ass off to make Y/N proud and had done all he could for his A-levels. In spite of all the intensity and long hours of going over Horatio Nelson and the Boer War with Y/N, he gave up and started working in a pub. He was to be a musician, no matter what.

His fingers got crooked because of his guitar, his voice sore but at last, he was given a festival to play at. Drew would be there too of course.

As for Y/N, she had started working in an architect's office while studying at the local Uni.

Things got so fast. The kids grew and were soon overwhelmed with new responsibilities. Y/N had a new life for herself and Sam was about to tour before releasing his debut album. When he found out that a label had signed him up, the three friends along with Dean and Joe had screamed their lungs out.

It had come out of the blue that Joe fancied Y/N and it had also come out of the blue that Sam didn't like this turn of event.

The tour meant that they would not see each other for at least half a year as Sam's studio was in London. They had never been away from one another for so long so the day Sam left North Shields, it felt like the soil was crumbling under her feet.

Y/N informed herself of Sam's whereabouts through Dru as Sam didn't reply to her texts. Dru was regularly implying to his friend that he should call her every now and then, but he was always "too busy". Just like that, silent formed around them.

"Sam, call her", Dru begged one more time.

Sam sighed. He did not dare calling her, he felt as though he had let time rule his emotions. The more distance he put between them, the harder it was to think of something to say. Sure, he was busy but he always had been busy.

"You know what day it is today, don't you?"

Sam stared with round eyes at Dru.

"It's her bloody birthday, Sam. Just call her, okay?"

Dru had taken Sam's phone from his coat that was lying on the floor and forced Sam to take it.

Sam went to the room, right next to where he was and dialled Y/N's number, ending up on the voicemail "Hi! I hope that the voicemail just indicates that you're getting hammered somewhere and I also wish you a happy birthday. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, I wish I could make it up to you. I miss you and I love you"

It was not until the message got sent that he realised what he had just said. Sam knew that opening up always led him to say too much and he couldn't take the risk to lose Y/N.

"What's wrong?" Dru asked when he saw Sam visibly agitated.

"I screwed up"

"You just had one call to make, how can you screw up a call?"

"I said something I shouldn't have. I told her that I loved her"

"As in I love you?"

"Yeah, I mean it's not something we say to each other"

"And do you? Love her?"

"Yes, Dru. I think I do. I think I always loved her"

"Well then, you haven't screwed up. You've just made things easier"

Days went by without a word from Y/N and Sam to pass time was playing with his phone a couple of times a day, not knowing what or if he should write to her. But then it got worrying, he feard that something had happened to her.

"D'you have news of Y/N?", he confronted Dru one night.

"She didn't say that she loves you back, huh?"

"She hasn't said anything at all, in fact. Is she alright?"

"That's odd. Yeah, she's fine, I just got a text from her, not even ten minutes ago. I can ask her to reach out for you if you want"

Dru is a magician as not only five minutes later, Sam's phone buzzed.

Y/N: Dru said you called on my birthday. My phone was off, you should have left a message... Sam: I did! You didn't listen to it? Y/N: I didn't get anything... Sam: Can I call you now? Y/N: No, not tonight. I'll call you tomorrow morning, good? Sam: Yes :)

Sam was not a morning person but he woke up as early as he could. He waited and finally she called. On FaceTime. She looked radiant, unlike him who severely lacked of sleep.

"Hey!"

Bring the tone down, Fender, Sam thought. You're gonna freak her out.

"Hi, sorry I couldn't call you yesterday. It's good to see you"

Just like that, one moving still of Sam was enough to have her mood lit up.

"So, can't make a voicemail work, huh?" Y/N joked around.

"I promise you, it worked. I don't know what happened but it's good I get to tell you like that"

"Tell me what?"

"Well, first that I'm sorry I've been an idiot lately. It's just that I've missed you so much and I wanted to see you and I couldn't stop thinking of you all the time"

An unfamiliar noise of a plate falling.

"Garlic's going on an adventure?" Sam referred to Y/N's cat that was known to be the clumsiest cat on Earth and that Sam had helped naming six years prior.

The distraction was much needed as Sam was blushing and it started showing on camera.

"Let me just go somewhere quieter"

As Y/N left her living room for her bedroom, Sam saw the silhouette of a man trying to assemble the splinters the plate had left behind.

"Sorry for that. What were you saying?"

"Nothing. I'm just sorry I didn't call you earlier and I hoped that you had a great birthday..."

"You sure there was nothing else"

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure"

The two of them chatted for another 5 minutes when the conversatio became awkward.

Y/N was certain when she hung up that Sam was about to reveal his feelings. And she would have let him. In fact, she would have revealed hers as well.

But Dan had to be in the way. Or was it Ian? Stan? Y/N had always done this. When she was thinking of Sam too much, she was collecting men to share the night with.

She never got attached to anybody but liked to wake up by a man's side.

A few weeks later, Dru called Y/N with good news.

"We've got some rest from the tour. We'll be at Shields for a month or so. I cannot wait to see you again, little sister!"

Y/N had set her mind to meet them at the train station from where she would get in the tour bus with them. Since Sam's aborted declaration, Y/N had not gotten any news from him and was not taking any.

When the van arrived and its doors opened, Dru ran to Y/N and hugged her "Ah, come here, you!"

There was a new face amongst the original team.

"Hi, I'm Lisa" the stranger introduced herself. By gazing that her hand was in Sam's, Y/N took a wild guess that the two of them were a thing.

"Nice to finally meet you. You're the 5th Beatle or so it seems. The boys could not shut up about you"

Y/N grinned at Dru and fainted a smile towards Sam. Unfortunately, she couldn't say as much for Lisa and blamed Dru to have kept it a secret.

Lisa was gorgeous, it was undeniable. Her posh accent had made the journey with her and contrasted with hers and the boys'. As long as Sam is happy, I'm happy, Y/N tried to convince herself as she got in the van.

"So, pub?" Dru asked. It was not even 5 pm but the idea seemed to everyone's taste.

"I'll join you later if that's alright. Joe, can you drop me off? I've got a few things to do before I join"

"You alright?" Dru whispered at her as he was seated next to her in the back of the van.

"Yeah, I'm fine" but as she answered, she stared a little too long at Lisa and her brown curls, her tanned skin and her perfect Julia Roberts smile.

"It's Lisa, huh? I don't like her either. Too posh for Sammy"

"I've never said I didn't like her"

"Then what?" Dru hesitated and then exclaimed "Oh!"

As he had nearly shouted, all of the boys and Lisa turned around to laugh at his looks of bewilderment.

Dru shushed himself down as his friends took the piss at him "Finally got the epiphany that you're ugly, Michael?" Dean mocked him.

As Dru brushed the joke and everything went back to normal, he went on with his whispering "You fancy Sam?"

Y/N simply nodded which got Dru leaning back in his seat, stirred by the confession.

"There, you go, princess" Joe stated as he had parked right in front of Y/N's flat.

They all greeted Y/N goodbye and agreed that they would see each other at 7. Sam did not dare looking at her in the eye. He knew he should have said something about Lisa but he had not come around it, why would he since she had her own life now?

As she opened the door, Y/N started tearing up a little, stunned by all the events. She seized her phone and sent a text.

By 6.15, the intercom rang. Y/N had changed into a wrap dress made of sequins and black heels.

"Hey!", she exclaimed to the man who was waiting by the door. This one was Chris, a chap she had seen some days prior. He reminded her of Alfred Enoch somehow with his chiseled jaw and round cheeks. Y/N didn't feel like being alone tonight and Chris was good company.

"Y/N, here!" Joe informed as he was in charge of getting a new round of drinks "By the table over there. Oh hi" he said to the stranger "I'm Joe"

Chris was by far the best-dressed man there as, clearly not familiar to pubs, he was wearing an open white shirt over brown chinos.

Dru and Tom made some space for Y/N and Chris to sit once Y/N had introduced everyone to her date.

The conversation was very much alive by 8 except for the fact that Lisa and Chris felt left out as it was all about childhood memories and family-related topics.

Sam was all eyes for Y/N. It was as though nothing awkward had ever happened between them and as though they were kids all over again.

In an effort to include Chris in the night's ambiance, Y/N asked him to dance with her. She hoped by that that she could get a reaction from Sam as dancing was THEIR thing.

At her birthday parties, they were always the two ones inventing silly dance moves on cheap Eurodance. As teens, they would always wiggle at gigs while the rest of the audience would look at them tenderly.

"I should get going. I've got a meeting in the morning" Chris let Y/N know as a song by Marvin Gaye ended. It was only 10 pm but Y/N didn't hold him back.

"C'mon, Sam. Invite her to dance, you're dreaming of it" Lisa rushed him. "She's your best friend after all"

What if he didn't want to be her best friend anymore?

Sam got up and joined Y/N. Tonight, he would tell her the truth. Not tomorrow, tonight.

"May I accompany you?"

"Yes, you may. Lisa's not into dancing?"

"I don't know but I'm into dancing with you"

"He's in love with her, isn't he?" Lisa asked Dru who had just ordered more drinks.

"Yeah, I think he is.. I'm sorry"

"Don't be, it's no big deal. Sam and I were just fooling around anyway. She's sweet, just what he needs"

"They just have to admit it now"

"So, Chris.. You two are together for long?" Sam asked.

"No, I mean technically we're not together. We've met twice with tonight"

"He seems nice"

"Yeah, I suppose. You and Lisa?"

"About the same: couple of weeks, nothing too serious"

"What did you mean to tell me last time?"

"Last time?"

"Yeah, you were saying that you missed me and all"

"Well, yeah. Touring without you sucked. I've missed you every fucking day. I want to be with you all the time. It's always been like that me and you"

"I missed you too, Sam"

The song had changed.

"What I'm about to say could ruin what we have but I just have to say it: I've always loved you, Y/N. It took me a whole ass tour to realise that. It's what I told you on the voicemail"

"I love you too, you idiot!"

Dru admired Lisa's ability to remain amicable even when she understood that Sam and Y/N had just confessed their feelings. He had judged her badly and saw what Sam had seen in her: a genuine goodness.

Sam was eager to kiss Y/N but had to make sure that Lisa was alright. He wanted more than anything else in the world Y/N and him to be together but he couldn't do it like that.

He turned around to Lisa only to see her kissing Dru. Sam shook his head and turned back on Y/N who was laughing at this sudden act of PDA.

Sam laughed along and then joined his lips to Y/N's.

[my-bated-breath]

Closing Thoughts on Vincenzo

No one asked, but here you go.

I watched the last two episodes of Vincenzo yesterday, but even in the midst of my viewing experience I was able to synthesis and analyze what I was enjoying and not-enjoying, what worked and what didn’t work (for me), so that itself says something about how immersive it was. Of course, Vincenzo is a great show — the action is sharp and satisfying, the schemes are elaborate and spectacular, the humor is cracky yet genuine, and the characters are so, so lovable. And I loved the romance side plot, because yes, I am weak. Still, the last 2-4 episodes strained some of that, and this is my take on why I felt not exactly disappointed, but underwhelmed in the final stretch. I’m also including what I did like at the very end, as that makes sense with how I’m structuring this kind-of-analysis.

spoilers below

Tension, Stakes, and Pay-off

The tension in Vincenzo has been ramped up ever since the death of Vincenzo’s mother, loudly and painfully declaring in that moment that “this is not a game” (contrary to Vincenzo telling Hanseok in jail that he’s toying with him). This leads to a chilling confrontation between Vincenzo and the antagonists while also uniting the residents of Geumga in all-out, unapologetic war. And there is no more game of chess — just one of cat and mouse, with Vincenzo descending upon his prey.

Hence, Vincenzo is noticeably less soft, and he strikes Babel with the steel of his resolve. His schemes feel much more sinister than mischievous as they had been before; he is ending this, once and for all. So, how does the show amp up the tension and stakes from there?

Well, it’s all in what I said before. The tension is teased out in Vincenzo stealing everything Hanseok has ever treasured and then taunting/threatening him in prison, and then with the Babel villains descending into chaos and desperation. The stakes, however, are less noticeable, because Vincenzo is kind of obviously winning. The stakes have already been established with Vincenzo’s mother, then paid off with her death, and then paid off even more with Vincenzo mercilessly seizing the upper hand.

That’s why I feel like Myunghee and Hanseo’s death just... happened. Because it’s been 3 whole episodes since Vincenzo has founded this new resolve, that sort of dragged out follow-up loses its thrill and gratification. They’ve been defeated now, completely and totally. But so what? They’ve been on the losing end for more than 3 hours of screen time now, and even their last resort of a counterattack didn’t hold much narrative weight (which is something I’ll get to later). Their deaths are not boring to say the least — I saw a post that said something similar to “Myunghee, a woman who danced to the music of others’ pain, died dancing to her own” and “Hanseo, a man with no heart, has a hole drilled into that empty cavity.”

But their deaths also happen very isolated from everyone else, not just physically, but emotionally as well. It’s almost as if Vincenzo’s clapping his hands and saying, “Let’s wrap this up now, I’m getting a little tired.” And while I wouldn’t say their deaths are unnecessarily cruel, given everything they’ve done, I don’t think Vincenzo does this in response to anything particularly substantial. Is this for his mother’s death? For Chayoung’s injury? For everyone else? Well, maybe, but it sure didn’t feel like he was contemplating that during or after torturing them. If I put the Vincenzo from the beginning of the show there in those two scenes vs Vincenzo from the end of the show, post character development and all, I think the only difference would be that beginning-of-the-show Vincenzo would still be unfamiliar with Babel’s crimes and see this as a waste of time.

A sort of side note: Now, one of the strong points of this show is its use of comedy in its otherwise very serious schemes (I still thinking about episodes 8 and 15 all the time). But with the impending climax and increasingly serious tone, there was no comedy to make said-serious schemes as engaging to watch. So now unable to rely on one of its greatest strengths, the show must rely on emotional impact. Or similarly: narrative weight.

Narrative Weight

In episodes 19-20, Chayoung is shot, Hanseo dies, and Chulwook is stabbed (and you think he’s going to die but he doesn’t). Who said there was no emotional impact in these episodes again?!

Oh right. Me.

Beyond Hong Yuchan and Oh Gyeongja’s death, injuries and fatalities suffered from our protagonists’ side don’t really have that many consequences. You can argue the consequences of Hanseo dying is that we’re all very sad, but both we and the characters are barely given a moment to grieve before we have to move on. What does Hanseo die for? He dies as an abuse victim just beginning to break out of the cycle he was trapped in, and that itself isn’t necessary a bad narrative choice, and he dies as a warrior in this Mafia vs Conglomerate war, but what does he die for? If it’s for Vincenzo and Chayoung to live, they pretty much get lucky with Hanseo running out of bullets. If it is to show that he had changed, and that this tied into some greater theme of redemption, then his death really isn’t really given enough thought for it to resonate well. I would’ve loved to see Vincenzo reflecting on Hanseo learning to trust and love again, despite all the mistakes he made in the past, and how that influences his own decision to embrace his version of villainous justice. But no. This is something I only thought of after reading a few Vincenzo posts and trying to justify my own moral for the show.

Don’t forget that Chulwook almost dies too. Like I genuinely believed he was dead, shed a tear for the daughter he would never meet, and then the show went like, “Guess what? Psyche!”

I’m not very fond of that injury/pseud-death-but-not-really.

And now we have Chayoung, the person who Vincenzo is the closest to. Don’t get me wrong, I amso weak for her never giving into Hanseo and asking for death over Vinceno getting hurt, for guarding Vincenzo from the bullet, for Vincenzo’s shocked and empty eyes, for Chayoung’s glazed gaze, for him desperately and powerlessly hugging her tightly because that’s all he can do for her now. Afterwards, she’s in the hospital, her shoulder is recuperating, and there’s a nice Chayenzo parallel to episode 4 when Chayoung was waiting by Vinny’s hospital bed. But afterwards afterwards? She’s just in the hospital. Sidelined from the climax.

Vincenzo told her, “I will finish this, for you.” That could’ve worked, because we could’ve seen Chayoung emotionally or spiritually with us during the climax and Myunghee and Hanseo’s deaths. But like I mentioned earlier, it really didn’t feel that way. Ultimately, the narrative tells us that Chayoung’s injury just means she can’t strain herself for a couple of days, despite initially delivering it so dramatically and emotionally.

As one of my friends said while we were discussing this episode: Vincenzo is the titular character, but Chayoung has so much to care for too. Her father died because of Babel, and she said, “We should share the danger.” Instead, we got a decentish-but-slightly-underwhelming scene where she is driven to see Vincenzo off. Okay then.

Characters

Speaking of, Chayoung receives much of the short-end of the character development stick in the last 4 episodes. I found this to be acceptable in episodes 17-18, and she does have that moment where she looked uncertain and nauseated at the death of the “hunting dogs” before shoving down her misgivings, clinging onto a facade of strength as she says “this is what I wanted.” Also, even though it wasn’t episode 14, I wasn’t complaining about the Chayenzo moments either.

But still, this is the second most important protagonist in the narrative and nothing about her really changes in these last few episodes. Nor does she experience catharsis alongside Vincenzo, emotionally or otherwise. There had been some buildup about whether or not Chayoung can swallow the cruel path that she has chosen, but if she’s not even the given the chance to make her own decision on said cruel path, that’s just wasted set up.

(I know that during the Babel Tower party-fiasco Vincenzo told Chayoung that he originally wanted her to push the button that’ll kill one of the hunting dogs, but then decided against it upon seeing Chayoung’s wavering face, but like. Narratively, if she was the one to press it, and then we had some follow-up character arc about her coming to terms with her decision... Oh, we could’ve had it all.)

Another thing I want to point out is that Chayoung has been a foil to Vincenzo in that she represents the happiness, love, and innocence now unattainable to him. (This is just his view, by the way, since Chayoung isn’t exactly innocent herself, which he could’ve seen if the show had only taken this direction.) That is to say, Vinceno’s most interesting character moments are drawn out of him by Chayoung: In his apartment, when they are under the ceiling-stars, and she asks him whether he has ever killed anyone. On the rooftop, when they decide that Hanseok must lose everything before he dies, and he promises to her that he’ll stay in Korea to see things through to the end, in direct contrast to himself at the beginning of the show. In the highway pass, when she embraces him after a gunfight, the closest he’s ever grazed past death. When they drink makgeolli together and he tells her about what her father wanted to say to her. When they sit together by the riverside and she tells him that his mother would have been proud of him.

One of my favorite parts of episodes 11-12 during the gun fight is just how emotionally present Chayoung is, despite not wielding a gun herself, or even being anywhere near the action. I’m not sure if I’m getting this right, but I think this is the first time Vincenzo had killed people on screen, so to see Chayoung embrace him so tearfully afterwards almost felt like he was being reminded of his humanity. And this also shows that Chayoung, despite saying that she would feel distant towards Vincenzo if he did have blood on his hands, loves him closely, so closely it hurts.

We think about Vincenzo, what it means to be a consigliere, and his distorted flashbacks of flesh and blood and killing and losing himself, and that teddy bear, slowly panning out to a child, staring at him in fear. We think about how is it possible for him to love again? Can he even know what love is?

Then Chayoung appears, a woman whose very presence unraveled the mystery that is Vincenzo. But the moment that Chayoung’s development was stunted, that was the moment Vincenzo lost his foil, and we, the audience, lost the ability to see how his past, present, and future reconcile.

Themes: Loving in Sin

In episode 20, Vincenzo and the monks have a conversation about whether he was worthy of love or not before being told that he was Vaisravana — and though he could never be accepted by Buddha, he would be appreciated at times, and he would have his own role to play too. I like this conversation a lot in concept. In execution, it would’ve left much weightier an impact if only we had seen Vincenzo’s journey to reconcile his villainy and humanity play out more, if we had a glimpse into the moral conflict warring in his mind. The last time the drama showed that to us — not told it to us — was with the death of Vincenzo’s mother.

I would add more, really, but I feel like my review up until here says everything I want it to. In my opinion, there was no real epiphany that Vincenzo reached upon hearing those words from the monk because he hadn’t reflected on it enough for there to properly be one. And the ending to Vincenzo and Chayoung’s romance would’ve felt a lot better if it was Vincenzo choosing to love her despite his fear of himself, despite his belief that he could only hurt people. (Also that ending monologue wouldn’t have felt so tacked-on, like, oh wait this is supposed to have a theme right? Here, this is vaguely related, right?)

Because a lot of this emotional potential was not quite met, I think the finale also had to resort to some cheaper ways to make us feel for the romance, such as Chayoung rushing to see Vincenzo off and Vincenzo leaving the diplomacy-relations party early (he very poetically disappears while walking behind this sculpture, but I thought it was hilarious that if the shot didn’t get cut off there in another 2 seconds we could’ve seen him walking out of where that sculpture thing blocked him lol).

Overall though, I’m pretty happy with the romance’s ending, at least conceptually. The way they incorporated the story of cow herder and weaver girl and the bridge of pigeons (not magpies!) that will allow them to see each other again every year was so bittersweet, and as someone familiar with this myth, it made me very nostalgic. Also, I do think it works better with Vincenzo’s themes that he would be apart from Chayoung in some way. They each have their own lives to lead, but although they met by coincidence, they’ll remain by each other’s sides by intention. He is a villain, and so is she, but villains love tenaciously.

[nalgenewhore]

masterlist - ao3 - next chapter

 ☽ ☼ ☾

As he sat at his gate, he watched the other people. Something about airports had always intrigued him, so many people in their own lives, on their own paths all converging to this one place before jetting off once more. 

Lorcan was restless. On the arm of the uncomfortable chair, his fingers tapped out a furious beat. The monotonous drone of the phone line ringing in his ear didn’t help. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. I miss your voice and I need you to pick up so I don’t lose my fucking–

“What, the fuck , do you want?” 

He chuckled, “Good morning to you too, princess.” Inside his chest, his heart fluttered. Fuck, he missed her. He missed both his girls. The minute they’d dropped him off at the airport eight weeks ago, he’d been itching to go home. 

“I told you not to call me that.” There wasn’t any bite to her words and Lorcan knew - hoped - that she was wearing that soft, sleepy smile of hers. 

He hummed, stretching his long legs out and crossing them at the ankle, “Tell me to stop without smiling and I’ll stop. Easy-peasy, Lochan.” 

Elide just muttered a curse in Blackbeak and sighed as if talking to him was some sort of divine torture, “Why are you calling? It’s not even three yet, Lor.” Instantly, remorse flooded through him. He’d forgotten completely about the time difference and told her as much. “Mmm, it’s fine. Did something happen?” 

“Nah, I just wanted to say hey before my flight. I’m sorry for waking you up,” he said. Lorcan ran his tongue over his teeth. “I’ve… I miss you two.” 

The teasing, light mood dropped a bit. Lorcan could hear her breathing slowly and then she answered, her voice weaker than normal, “I know, Lor.” Her swallow was audible. “We miss you too.” Before he could respond, before he could offer her any sort of fleeting comfort, Elide spoke again, “Hold on one second, ok?” 

She was gone before he could respond. Lorcan could hear something rustling, like someone slipping out of a bed. He froze, hardly daring to breathe. She wouldn’t- Elide and Lorcan both knew better than to have someone over when they had the kid with them. 

There was soft murmuring he couldn’t quite make out and the unmistakable whine of their daughter. Lorcan slumped down in relief, cursing himself for this… jealousy. It wasn’t fair. “Hello?” snapped Stella Luna.

He chuckled, delighted by his child’s greeting, “Hey, Tiny.” 

She gasped and that innocent sound, filled with childlike wonder and elation, soothed his aching heart. “Daddy?” 

“Hi, Stella. I’m sorry I woke you up so early, I wanted to say hey before I get on the plane,” Lorcan explained with a smile. Thinking about Elide that summer had been painful enough, knowing he was so far from her, but it was nothing compared to the agony of missing his daughter. 

“Are you coming home today? ‘Cause I got kindergarten tomorrow, Daddy. Mama said you would take me,” Stella said. 

“Yes, I’m coming home today. I’ll take you to school tomorrow, ok?”

“Ok, Daddy. I’ve been very busy, you know. Yesterday we went shopping and at Mintage, mama found me a Wednesday Addams lunch box,” Stella regaled, her words dripping with wonder and awe. “I’m so excited ‘acause I love Wednesday Addams, Daddy, did you know? We watched it last night at Fenny’s house ‘acause he let me choose. He said he was sick of the Addams family and that’s why I called him a dummy.” 

He laughed, pausing for a moment to listen to the PA. “Passengers boarding Flight 1203 to Varese, please make your way to gate C49. Passengers in zone one, please line up at the boarding desk.”  

“What was that? It sounded funny, Daddy, like a robot,” Stella said. 

“My plane’s getting ready to take off, Stel, they want everyone to come to the gate,” Lorcan explained. “How was Fen’s?” 

“Oh,” she started, “it was very good, Daddy. After the movie, he taked me to his show an’ I wanted to bring Salem but it’s too loud for him so I sat with Essar and she got me a juice box when I was thirsty. I think it was a secret ‘acause they only give them to me. It was grape which is my favourite, but I didn’t want to finish all of it so Vee drinked it after his show. Then Fenny and me and Con and Vee went to Grampy’s and I fell asleep so Fenny took me home.” 

“Passengers in zone two, please line up at the front desk.” 

Lorcan checked his boarding pass, “Kid, I have to get on my plane now, ok?” 

“Ok,” Stella replied, a little sadly. “I miss you.” 

The corners of his lips turned down. Lorcan hung his head, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he tried to think of what he could say to comfort his child. Eventually, he said, “I know, Stella Luna. I miss you too. I promise - once I’m home, no more tours, ok? I love you.” 

“Love you too, Daddy,” she chirped, already his happy, bubbly little baby again. “Bye-bye!”

“Bye, Tiny. Put your mother on for me,” Lorcan said, laughing through the sentence. He could hear Stella Luna hand the phone over to Elide. 

“Yes , you can sleep now,” Elide said with a kiss smacked on Stella’s head. “Lor, you still there?” 

“Yeah, ‘m here. I have to get on the plane now.” 

“Ok. Do you want us to pick you up from the airport?” 

Though it pained him to say it and further delay their reunion, Lorcan said, “No, don’t bother. I’ll be tired and I’ll probably just crash when I get home. I’ll see you tomorrow, though.”

“Can’t wait, Salvaterre.” 

He smiled a small smile, one that was only ever for Elide, “Me neither, Lochan.” 

 ☽ ☼ ☾

He woke up somewhere high above the Cambrian Mountains. For a few moments, Lorcan stared out the small window, groggy and confused. 

It took him a second to remember what was happening and why he was on a plane. When he finally did recall, Lorcan pulled his laptop out of his camera bag and placed it on the desk. The band he’d been working with over the summer had bought him a seat in business class for both his flights home. 

Lorcan shifted in his seat and absentmindedly toyed with the curved barbell that pierced the delicate skin connecting his upper lip to his gum as he waited for his computer to turn on. He leaned down, searching through his bag for the USB that carried every shot he’d taken in concert that summer. 

He found it and sat up straight. A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he saw the background of his laptop. He hadn’t changed it in the three years since the photo of Elide tattooing Stella’s name in Ozuye on the outside of his right thumb while he held a sleeping Stella Luna to his chest with his free arm had been taken. The tattoo was his favourite, though it probably tied for first place with the cartoon-inspired Wednesday Addams on his inner left wrist. 

The placement of both designs had been purposeful, so when he was shooting something, he could see them clearly and think about his daughter. He had never met anyone who loved the Addams family more than Stella. 

Lorcan put his headphones on and played a playlist at random. Pink + White played as he opened Photoshop and uploaded a file he hadn’t even looked at yet. The photos weren’t needed for another month, but he would rather get them done now so he could focus on the upcoming studio show. 

He still hadn’t decided what or who his subject would be. Maybe he would take a break from concerts and focus on something else.

For the rest of the flight, he worked to distract himself from the fact that he’d be seeing Elide again. It hardly made any difference, his mind on her like always. Lorcan had been in love with Elide for… forever. He finally realised it, though, a couple weeks before she had their daughter. 

He had wanted… he had wanted a family with her. A real one, where Stella wouldn’t be perpetually split between two homes, but Elide hadn’t wanted that and Lorcan respected her wishes. Maybe it was foolish, but six years seemed like long enough to be pining for someone. 

As Lorcan got lost in the thoughts he spent most of his waking hours repressing, a hissing voice that sounded suspiciously like his mother snapped, Elide Lochan is not ‘someone’ and she is certainly not someone you get over. Ever. Stupid boy.  

His lips twisted with a rueful smile, though the memory of his mother ached and stung. Lorcan swallowed past the painful tightening of his throat and saved what he was working on, electing to watch something he’d downloaded on Netflix until they’d landed in Varese.

The air in Varese was balmy and he couldn’t stand it. Lorcan was seconds away from trying to peel his skin off. He had always hated the heat, but this steaming humidity was his hell. 

When his zone was called to board the flight, Lorcan could hardly keep the grin from his face. The thought of seeing his family, no matter how it hurt him to know Stella would come home with him tomorrow and Elide would stay in her apartment, was a joy nothing else had ever replicated. 

His heart seemed to beat a frantic timpani, each pat-pat saying, wait for me, wait for me, wait for me . 

 ☽ ☼ ☾

There was a crick in her neck. Elide muttered a curse with her eyes shut and reached out to her bedside table, only to feel nothing and hear an innocently delighted giggle. 

She smiled and kept her eyes closed. Slowly, Elide reached out, “I wonder who could be laughing right now. And where could they be!” 

There was that little laugh again, though Elide knew her child was doing her absolute best to stay silent. She heard Salem’s meow of protest and Stella’s sweet shushing. 

Staying silent had never been Stella’s strong suit. Elide continued on, now patting the blankets. “Hmm, I do wonder if they could be hiding beneath these blankets!” As she said ‘blankets’, Elide opened her eyes and ripped the covers away. A quick blur of orange and black flashed past as Stella’s fluffy cat was freed and Salem bounded away. 

Stella Luna’s shrieking laughter filled the room, gloomy from the rain that poured steadily against the large, paned windows. Elide laughed too as she grabbed her daughter and pulled her into her lap, her fingers digging into the soft part between Stella’s ribcage and hip bone. Stella squirmed away, begging her to stop, “No, please, mama, it tickles!” 

Elide chuckled softly and relented, choosing instead to gather Stella up in a long hug. “Oh, good morning, little one. How did you sleep, hmm?” She pulled back and brushed her hand through Stella’s hair. 

“Um, I slept good, mama, but I’m really hungry now, so I would like to have breakfast.” 

“We can do that. What do you want to eat?” 

Stella flicked her eyes up to the ceiling. Though her shape was Elide’s ethereal monolid, the colour of rich browns and deep blacks was all Lorcan. “Pancakes, mama. Can we make them look like bats?” 

Elide snorted and nodded, “Of course we can. Why don’t you go wash your hands and we can make them, ok?” 

The four-year old was off before she could even say yes, hurriedly careening into the bathroom. Her mother laughed again, but the care-free sound bled into a pained groan as she stood up and stretched. Elide really needed to stop crashing in her daughter’s bed. 

Stella hollered back from the toilet, “Mama, can we have chocolate chips in the pancakes?”

Elide smiled as she walked through Stella’s room. On the floor, one of Stella’s toys obstructed her path and Elide jammed her toe into a wooden box. She gritted her teeth against the pain and asked, “Will you clean your room today?”

“Uhhh,” Stella contemplated, “I guess. I dunno why , mama, I don’t care if it’s messy, why do you care?” 

“Because your room is messy and you might hurt yourself if you don’t know where something is,” Elide replied steadily. As she pulled on a pair of shorts, she heard little feet race into the kitchen. Elide twisted her hair up and clamped it into place with a hair clip. When she padded into the kitchen, Stella Luna was standing obediently on her stool, her hands clasped like a perfect little child. Elide hooted at the sight, “Oh, you little demon.” 

Stella grinned proudly at the nickname and pushed her wild hair back with both hands. She sighed in annoyance, “Mama, help please. It’s too much.” 

“Of course, witchling,” Elide said. Stella clambered up onto the counter to sit patiently. Elide hummed something soft as she parted her daughter’s hair and weaved two simple pigtails. As she braided, Salem gracefully leapt onto the counter and made himself comfortable in the fruit bowl, resting his chin on his crossed paws like a proper gent. “Better?” 

“Yeah,” Stella chirped as she climbed down and ran to the pantry. She flung the door open, “Mama, is Daddy coming home today?”

“He is. Remember, he called last night, baby,” Elide replied as she pulled out eggs and milk from the fridge. 

“Oh, I thought that was a dream ,” explained Stella. She lugged over the large container of flour, carrying it with both arms and almost tipped over. She decided to put it on the floor and push it to the counter. “I wanna play music!” 

Elide laughed as she picked the flour up and began measuring out the dry ingredients, “Go for it, Stella.” She watched in delight as Stella ran to the record player and sat on the floor in front of it to peruse the stack of records.

A couple moments later, Stella had decided and put the vinyl on. She pranced back over to her stool as music played. “Mama, can I crack a egg, please?” 

When I met you in the restaurant, you could tell I was no debutante

“Yes, ma’am,” Elide passed her an egg, “Be careful, you remember what to do, right?” 

“Yup!” Stella delicately cracked the egg on the side of the liquid measuring cup and used her thumbs to open it. The yolk and egg white plopped perfectly into the milk and vanilla. She picked up the whisk and mixed it all up. 

Dreaming, dreaming is free

Stella was soon bored and trailed over to the living room. She sat down and started to dance with her frog stuffie, singing along, “I don’t want to live on charity, pleasure’s real or is it fantasy…” Elide grinned at the sight and found the silicone mold in the top drawer.

A few minutes later, Elide slid a stack of bat wing pancakes onto a plate. “Stella? Food’s ready.” 

 “Ok, mama,” Stella said. She skipped to the table and climbed onto her chair. “Can I have maple syrup too?” 

Elide had already grabbed the bottle and grabbed a pair of forks drying in the dish rack. She put the plate down and sat, passing Stella her fork. Stella doused the pancakes in maple syrup and attacked viciously, stuffing an entire pancake into her mouth. Elide laughed loudly, “Baby, eat your food properly. C’mon, you know better.” 

Stella grinned around the sticky-sweet mess and chewed thoroughly before swallowing. Elide took the plate and cut the food up into bite-sized pieces before passing it back. The four-year old abandoned her fork in favour of her wee hands and stuffed as many chocolatey-mapley-buttery pieces as she could into her mouth. 

“Good gods, child,” her mother said. “You’ll choke.” Delight surged through her at the sound of Stella’s gleeful laughter, albeit muffled. She grabbed a napkin and reached out, holding her daughter’s chin hostage as she wiped the mess away. “I am so happy your father is coming back, he’ll finally take you off my hands, you gremlin.” 

Stella gasped loudly and wrenched her chin free, “Mama, can we go to the airplane place? I want to surprise Daddy. Pretty please?” 

She made her eyes big and wide, sticking her bottom lip out. Elide cracked immediately, “I think he’d like that, wouldn’t he?” Stella nodded with such vigour Elide half-thought her head would fly off. “We’ll do that later, Stel. Why don’t you finish your breakfast?” 

Stella needed no further prompting. 

 ☽ ☼ ☾

His bag was the second bag out. Lorcan easily slung the black duffel over his shoulder. He made his way out of the baggage claim and around fellow passengers numbly awaiting their belongings. 

Lorcan thought about pausing, his fingers twitching to grab his camera and freeze the moment. There was something slightly surreal about it all. A voice told him to stop, to do it, but the sweet, pure voice of his baby calling him home was louder. 

He was still listening to miss star’s jamzzz and clicked the ball of the piercing in his tongue against his teeth to the beats. I’m Not A Loser by the Descendents’ played at maximum volume as he strode across the scuffed and dingy linoleum. 

Vaguely, he thought he might’ve heard someone calling for him. Pausing, Lorcan half-pulled a headphone off his ear. He looked around, narrowing his eyes in confusion at the sea of strangers. 

“Daddy!” 

“Kid?” 

A wee one shot out through the passing crowd. Her hair, jet black and thick, curled out of her assumedly once-tight and neat braids. Her eyes were thin and dark, so rich and depthless, framed by long lashes. The little lass seemed to have a piece of the sun setting her warm, coppery complexion aglow from beneath. “ *Até , hi-hi!” 

Stella launched herself up and Lorcan dropped his bag to catch her. He held her tight to his chest, one hand cupping the back of her head. “Tiny, Creator above. I missed you so much, my darling moon.” 

“Hi, Daddy,” Stella whispered, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. “It’s nice to see you.” 

Lorcan laughed raspily at her formal greeting, “Wow, so fancy, miss Star. ‘It’s nice to see you’, really? You’re killing me, Tiny.” 

She giggled, shaking her head as she pulled back, “No, I’m not fancy, Daddy. I’m tough ,” she snarled, baring her teeth intimidatingly. 

Lorcan laughed again, his head tipping back, “The toughest .” 

Stella beamed and abruptly stopped, an outraged gasp escaping her. She grabbed his face and pulled his head back down. When she felt his stubble, Stella Luna pulled a face, “Daddy, you have to shave. It’s scratchy.” 

“What, I thought I looked nice like this, babe,” he said, shifting her to his side. “It’s that bad?” 

She stared at him for a while before slowly shaking her head, “No… it’s ok, Daddy. Mama likes it like that.” Stella laid her head on his shoulder. Lorcan smiled and held her tightly again, his eyes closed. 

For a long moment, neither said a word, until Stella became restless and started peering out around her. “There’s so many people, Daddy.”

“There is,” he agreed. Lorcan brushed something from her cheek and Stella batted his hand away. “So, you learn to drive while I was away, or something?”

“No! I’m still little , Daddy,” Stella Luna corrected him with a giggle. “Mama drived me.” She pointed vaguely towards the entrance, “Mama’s over there and she said, ‘Stella, hold my hand and stay close ‘till we see your dad, ok?’ but you’re so tall and I sawed your head so I ran and didn’t listen to Mama.” Gasping softly, Stella put her hands over her mouth, “Oh no. Mama! Mama, hello? I am here,” she curled her arm over his shoulder as she craned her head to look around. “Where she go?”

Lorcan looked around as well, loving and hating the way his pulse sped up at the prospect of seeing her . “I don’t know where your ma is, maybe she- oh,” Lorcan cut himself off as he saw a familiar flash of long black hair through the crowd. “There she is.”

Through the throngs of passengers and travelers, Lorcan saw a fair skinned, petite woman. Her hair was dark, streaked with purple, and fell to her hips. She left it be in its natural waves, but had it cut into a blunt, pointed fringe that framed her heart-shaped face. Her round, plush lips were painted deep, nearly black, red. They curled into a teasing grin, “Hey, Salvaterre, I see you’ve finally decided to rejoin the rabble! Was the tour too preppy for you, what with all the first class flights and champagne?” 

He laughed and reached out to flick her nose, “Shut your mouth, Lochan. I’m common folk for life.” Elide laughed and Lorcan smiled, “Fuck, I can’t believe that you two came to pick me up.” He pulled Elide into a hug, something finally settling inside him as he held his girls for the first time in two months. 

“No, no swearing, Daddy,” Stella chastised him, her frown disapproving, “Fuck is a bad word. A very bad word and we’re only allowed to say it when we listen to music.”

Elide laughed and slipped her arm around his waist, “A wretched word, really. It’s like you want our daughter to become a menace to society.” 

“Oh, really? And what if our daughter wants to be a menace to society?” 

Stella Luna nodded, sticking her chin out, “Yeah, what if I want to be a menace to society, mama?”

Elide shook her head at the two of them and narrowed her eyes at him, “This is your doing, you know, Lorcan.” Oh… how his heart stopped as his name tumbled from her lips. Lorcan struggled to breathe for a moment and Elide’s warm grin faltered. “Lor? You alright?” 

“Y-yeah, just jet-lag,” he said quickly. Lorcan averted his eyes from Elide’s concerned gaze. Stella Luna wiggled, whining slightly. When she was set down on her feet, she grabbed Lorcan’s hand in one of hers and Elide’s in the other.

“Let’s go!” she shouted, tugging them along with all her might. At fifteen kilos and a solid one-hundred centimetres, it wasn’t much, but her determination made up for it. Over her head, Elide shot Lorcan a smile and a wink. 

Lorcan rolled his eyes and chuckled. Stella skipped and hopped along to Elide’s car. Lorcan tossed his duffel in the trunk as Elide helped Stella into her booster seat and he walked over to the passenger seat. “Daddy,” Stella said, “did you know my birthday is in two months? That means I’m gonna be five whole years.”

“Wow, you’re going to be so old ,” he said dramatically, smiling in the rearview mirror when Stelle’s jaw dropped open and her eyes widened. 

“I don’t want to be old. Old people are yucky. Like you and mom.” Elide and Lorcan looked at each other and burst into gutsy laughter at their daughter’s words. Stella sniffed primly and turned her face to the side, “It’s not funny to be old. Being old means you die. Do you want to die, Daddy?” 

“If I die, I become a ghost and I’ll haunt people,” he said. 

“Would you haunt me ?” the girl asked, her eyes filled with morbid curiosity. 

Elide huffed a laugh. She turned the car on and smoothly pulled out of her parking spot to the freeway that would take them back to Orynth. “You two are ridiculous. Stella, baby, no one’s haunting you.” 

“Yeah, except for me,” Lorcan ever-so-helpfully stated. 

As Elide exclaimed in annoyance, Stella giggled uncontrollably. The dark haired woman couldn’t help but laugh along and the sound of their laughter soothed the dull ache of missing them. 

☽ ☼ ☾

“ Até, ‘m tired,” said Stella, trailing up to Lorcan. She was all ready for bed, dressed in her Jack Skellington pyjamas. Her dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese had been devoured an hour ago. Lorcan was in Elide’s kitchen, washing the dishes as Elide worked on a sketch and Stella checked her backpack over and over and over again. She was not going to be caught unprepared for her first day of kindergarten. 

He rinsed off the iron skillet and placed it in the dish rack. Lorcan dried his hands and turned to his daughter, who held her hands up expectantly. With a fond smile, Lorcan scooped her up and asked, “Time for bed? Did you brush your teeth yet?”

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded and dropped her head onto his shoulder. “Daddy, don’t forgot Mr. Ribbit.” Stella said softly, already falling asleep. She clutched at his shoulders, a yawn splitting her little face in half. 

His grin softened and he kissed the top of her head, “Can’t forget your frog, now, can we?” There came a low chuckle from the living room. Elide walked over to them, her pencil stuck in her hair and carrying the fuzzy green animal. She passed the animal to Stella and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Lorcan offered her his hand, “Come with us?” 

Elide nodded and slipped her hand in his. They walked to Stella's room together. She breathed evenly and deeply, her eyes closed. Her lashes brushed the tops of her rosy cheeks. Lorcan set her down with care and tucked her blankets around her. “Good night, my darling moon,” he said softly - in his native tongue - and brushed her hair back before it could tickle the tip of her button nose.

“Night-night,” Stella whispered, her eyes cracking open. “Are you gonna come drive me with mama tomorrow to school?” She snuggled into her pile of pillows and held her blanket up for Salem to settle in beside her. The cat curled up against her and purred softly as he flicked his fluffy tail over her protectively.

“Yes, I am.” 

She nodded, “Good. That’s good, Daddy.” 

“Alright, Tiny,” he laughed softly, “go to sleep, yeah? You’ve had a big day.” He kissed her forehead and stood up to let Elide say good night. 

Elide sat down on the edge of the mattress and cupped Stella’s face in her hand, her words soft and too low for Lorcan to hear. She too chuckled and kissed Stella Luna’s cheek, then got up and stepped over to Lorcan. 

They closed the door and silently walked back to the living room. Lorcan sat down on the couch and rubbed his eyes. Elide curled up in the opposite corner and smiled, “Tired?” 

“Yeah,” he said, dropping his head back against the couch. “Fuck me, I have to go home.” 

“Why don’t you just stay here tonight? You’ll have to come back tomorrow anyway,” Elide said, her voice measured. 

Lorcan looked at her, but her face was turned to the side. “Are you sure, El? I honestly don’t mind and I haven’t been to my place in a while.” 

She glanced over at him, “No, c’mon, it’s fine. It’s not like we’ve never done it.” 

“Done what?” 

Elide shot him a flat look, “Slept in the same bed.” 

Lorcan choked and his eyes widened, “El- what? I was just going to take the–” 

“I swear to Anneith if you say ‘couch’, I’ll strangle you. I’m not making you sleep on my couch when you’ve been gone all summer.” Elide stood up and walked to her bedroom, her hips swinging enticingly. Lorcan quickly looked away. “Besides, my bed is big. I promise I won’t give you my cooties.” 

He snapped his teeth and crossed the room to join her. “Fine. I’ll stay.” 

Elide crossed her arms over her chest and smiled cockily, “I knew you would.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Lorcan said, pulling her into his arms. Her body melted into his. They fit perfectly together. They always had. “You’re always right, aren’t you, princess?” 

Elide hid her smile and slipped her arms around his waist, her cheek pressed above his heart. For a long moment, neither said a word. Then, Elide pressed her forehead against him and whispered. She couldn’t speak any louder, fearing that the tears she’d held back for years would finally spill over. “It’s nice to have you home, Lor.” 

“It’s nice to be home,” he murmured, gently rubbing her back. 

“It wasn’t the same without you.” It’s never the same without you.

He closed his eyes, hating the tears that blurred his vision. “Wasn’t the same without you, either, Lochan.”

 ☽ ☼ ☾

an: ahh ! it’s here ! a few things will b different for this wip, so i just want to let u all kno: 

- chapters will b posted once a week on mondays, at 8pm pacific standard time

- there will b flashback chapters !! 

- there will b depictions of recreational drug (marijuana) and alcohol consumption - i will put warnings for these n if there r any other triggers u would like me to warn, pls let me know

- if u want to b added/removed from the tag list, just send me an ask - it is rlly no trouble at all <3

translation: *Até: Father/Dad in Lakota (i headcanon lorcan to be native american - speficially Oglala Lakota. this will b more apparent/relevant in future chapters. i call his tribe 'the ozuye'. 'ozuye' means war-party in lakota)

songs played in chapter: (by order of appearance) 1. Pink + White - Frank Ocean 2. Dreaming - Blondie 3. I'm Not A Loser - Descendents

@mythicaitt​​ @werewolffprince​​ @schmlip-scribble​​ ​ @the-regal-warrior​​ @ladyverena​​ @ttakeitbacknoww​​ @shyvioletcat​​ @alifletcher2012​​ @tswaney17​​ @ourbooksuniverse​​  @flora-and-fae​​ @thesirenwashere​​ @queenofxhearts​​ @maastrash​​ @mynewdreamwasyou​​ @cursebreaker29​​ @empress-ofbloodshed​​ @b00kworm​​ @hizqueen4life​​ @silversprings98​​ @amren-courtofdreams​​ @minaidss​​ @superspiritfestival​​ @sanakapoor​​ @ireallyshouldsleeprn​​ @spyofthenightcourt​​  @thegoddessofyou​​ @more-espresso-less-depresso-xx​​ @claralady​​ @neonhellas​​ @darlinminds​​ @readingismyonlyhobby​​ @autophobiaxx​​ @silversprings28​​ @myshadowsingeraz​​ @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​​ @elriel4life​​ @always-in-a-daydream​​ @jlinez​​ @ladywitchling​​ @mariamuses​ @darklesmylove​ @adelzd-bookblr​

[notchesandbullets]

Saving Her (Ojiro Mashirao x Wolf!Reader)

Part 4: Surprising them at school, Principal Nezu’s arrangement, Ojiro’s determination when it comes to anything concerning your health and safety.

Word Count: 4.2k

When you came to, the sunlight that streamed through the window had you stretching out languidly with a yawn that rivaled a cat's.

So much for being a wolf. You giggled to yourself.

That was the best night's sleep you had gotten in a while.

You rubbed your eyes, opening them and gazing around the room.

It was empty, Ojiro nowhere in sight but you weren't worried or hurt. You distinctly recalled that he had class today. Popping out of bed, you quickly made it neatly before prancing downstairs.

Last night, Ashido had left you a spare change of clothes for you in her room in case you wanted to change into something that fit you better but you couldn't bear to take off Ojiro's hoodie. However, you did change into a pair of shorts since those pants were getting a little too hot.

Tail swishing behind you as you took the stairs, you explored a little bit more now that the building was vacant. You didn't want to bother anyone.

The cement stairs that were clearly only supposed to be used for emergencies since there was no carpet or any decoration might have seemed cold to some but you never felt more at home. Padding down the halls, you couldn't help but notice how quiet it was.

The dormitory seemed hollow compared to the day before when it was bustling with life. Now, not a single soul was in sight.

Usually you liked the quiet, so you couldn't for the life of you figure out why you were suddenly feeling lonely.

You scratched your head, unsure of what to do. Sure you could always visit them but—

Gasping, you nearly tripped over a crack in the ground due to your absentmindedness when an idea popped in your head.

That was it!! You would visit them!!

Alright!! You cheered, then glanced at something over your shoulder that had the gears turning in your head.

Hmmm...

At UA, Aizawa pointed to a diagram on the board with a bored look on his face. "As you can see here, if you recklessly break all your bones like that problem child, Midoriya, then you'll be left powerless to be able to help in a fight."

The student straightened up with an embarrassed flush, stammering as his teacher bluntly called him out.

Bakugou cackled wickedly. "Hah, Deku!!"

"The same can be said for someone who always solves everything with his fists." Aizawa continued without missing a beat.

"Hah?!" Bakugou shouted, outraged.

Aizawa shot him a look, eyes flashing red and black hair rising threateningly. That shut him down pretty quick.

Maintaining his monotone tone from before, he gestured to another point on the board, calming down.

"Read the sections on quirk combat in your textbook for tomorrow's lesson. We'll start with—"

A soft knock on the door interrupted him and he raised an eyebrow, not expecting any visitors for today. Present Mic and Midnight had promised not to bother him anymore during lectures unless it was an emergency and while he didn't expect his two best friends to exactly keep that promise, he didn't necessarily think it would come about this soon. Which is why he didn't think it was them at the door.

The class fell quiet as he strolled over to the door, cracking it open.

His jaw nearly dropped in surprise when he saw you on the other side, holding a container of some sort with padded oven mitts on.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." You said sheepishly, staying out of sight of the rest of the class.

He leaned against the door, successfully blocking his students, who were craning their necks to see, from your view when he noticed you shuffling your feet uncomfortably. Your fluffy ears were twitching nervously and he could only guess it was due to being out and about in a school you've never been in before.

He was about to scold you for coming here on your own when you held up the rectangular pan and his nose crinkled, catching a whiff of chocolate.

"I just came to drop this off," You said with a timid smile, offering up the pan and letting him take it. "It took a bit of practice but I think I got it right. Let me know how it tastes!!"

You flounced off down the hall before he could stop you and he shut the door with one hand while holding your confection in the other, shaking his head in disbelief.

Your mindfulness for others' knew no bounds.

Aizawa's students exclaimed as he came back holding one of Sato's containers.

"What is it?!" Ashido shouted, jumping up to try to get a better look at it.

"Who was at the door?" Kirishima interjected at the same time.

"Is anything wrong?" Ojiro asked, raising his hand to be polite.

Scratching the back of his neck, Aizawa set it down on his desk, uncovering it. A chocolate chiffon cake stared back at him and the edges of his mouth quirked up in a faint smile.

"So, apparently Y/N had some time on her hands and made you all something." He declared emotionlessly, schooling his expression into one of indifference as his class erupted into cheers.

A huge smile stretched across Yaoyorozu and Uraraka's face when they heard that. Ashido exchanged an excited look with Jirou and Hagakure cheered from the side along with Deku. Sato grinned, proud that you somehow remembered what he taught you yesterday. It smelled amazing from his seat and he couldn't wait to try it.

Apparently, none of the others could either as they all surged forward, crowding around Aizawa's desk.

Ojiro ducked his head down, wondering why he felt so elated all of the sudden.

"Y/N-chan was here?!" Kaminari exclaimed, head swiveling to see if he could catch a glimpse of you outside the door even though you were long gone.

"She didn't stay?" Todoroki asked curiously, accepting a piece of cake from Sato after he finished cutting it with a knife Yaoyorozu created.

"She left." Aizawa bit his tongue when he noticed the disheartened looks on his students' faces. "But she might be back later."

Good spirits restored at the possibility of seeing you when class was over, they got back on track, hoping to pass by the time more quickly so that they could see you sooner.

Jaws dropped in shock as they tasted the cake you had made.

A huge smile broke out on Uraraka's face. "It's delicious!!"

"This would go so well with some tea!!" Yaoyorozu added on.

Mineta's eyes rolled in the back of his head. "It practically melts in your mouth."

Asui stayed perched behind Kaminari as Jirou helped Sato distribute the rest to their classmates. Her tongue shot out, stealing a piece of his cake and the electric boy pouted, saddened that half of his piece was now gone. He couldn't hold up the facade for long though, he had such a soft spot for her.

"Bakugou, you want any?" Kirishima offered, holding up an extra he snagged from an irritated Jirou.

He looked away, scoffing. "Why would I want that? It's dumb."

"She made it with love." Kaminari teased, holding out a plate for him.

"Tch, like I care." Bakugou scoffed haughtily.

Kirishima pointed to the slice of cake slyly. "I bet you can't enjoy it more than me."

"SHITTY HAIR, IS THAT A CHALLENGE?!" He yelled, swiping it in a flash.

"Yes." Tokoyami interjected, completely unfazed as his rage was directed to him in the next second.

Aizawa sighed, not having the energy for this. Activating his Erasure the second Bakugou's palms lit up, he noiselessly sank into his sleeping bag when his students finally quieted, the only chatter being filled with praises of the cake you had made.

"Sensei?" Asui questioned, tilting her head.

He groaned. "I don't care what you do but whatever you're going to do, do it quietly."

A chorus of affirmative noises and nods were thrown his way.

"Wake me up if Y/N comes back." Aizawa drawled before promptly falling asleep, leaving his rowdy class to finish eating the cake you had made.

Aside from Bakugou who had started terrorizing Midoriya, the rest of the students were munching on the delicious cake rather quietly out of consideration for their exhausted teacher, a couple of them making their way back to their desks as homeroom relaxed.

"That was sooooo good." Ashido said with a dreamy look in her eyes as she finished her piece.

"It is really good." Shoji agreed, then turned to look at his friend, the only one who was still sitting. "Ojiro, don't you want some?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," He said, almost tripping on his way to the front of the class, causing Tokoyami to look in his way and Hagakure to stop in her tracks.

He swore he could detect the mischief in her voice as she asked him how bad he wanted it, holding the last plate high above her head.

Ojiro simply shook his head at her antics, plucking it easily out of her hands. She tended to forget that he was taller than her.

He could practically envision her pout as the invisible girl slunked back to her desk, defeated in her mission to give him a hard time.

One forkful of the confection was all it took for a warm smile to grace his features, tail giving away his happiness as it twitched uncontrollably behind him. He wasn't surprised when someone toyed with it, the touch familiar due to countless times of the blonde playing with it every chance he got.

"Ooooo you like it." Kaminari teased, fluffing the fluffy end of his tail, rubbing the soft tip against his face. "I bet Y/N would love to hear that you liked it."

Ojiro shook his head at his teasing, rolling his eyes slightly when Uraraka and Ashido joined in. It was really good and he would definitely compliment you later for your hard work but for now, he had to do something about all the attention he was attracting.

Shoji helped him deal with their dramatic friends but no one missed the way the tips of his ears burned all the way through the rest of the period.

"It's so obvious that he likes her!!" Hagakure squealed excitedly at the fact that your crush was mutual.

Yaoyorozu hushed her. "We shouldn't make them uncomfortable."

But even though she scolded her, she couldn't even suppress the idea of seeing the two of you together.

Ashido flopped over Todoroki's desk that she had taken over when he left to go talk to Midoriya and Iida. "We should get them together!! Lock them in a closet or something until they confess!!"

Jirou raised an eyebrow. "That's a terrible idea."

"We should let them come to it on their own." Asui said, placing a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "If they like each other, kero, then their relationship might end up being stronger."

No one could see Hagakure's facial expression but they could hear the mischief dripping off of each word.

"I have a plan."

Down the hall, you were navigating the halls roaming with students, trying to find the office Principal Nezu was in.

Eventually, you found your way there, thanks to a little help from one of the students. They were nice. You were half expecting more judgement since you looked so different from them but then again, at a hero academy, the diversity was no joke.

"Ah, Y/N!! Please, come in."

The short principal was sitting at his large desk, waving you in. You closed the door behind you, glancing around the room curiously. It was pretty big but it was modest. He had some artwork on the walls and you could only guess that they were from some of his students.

It would be weird if it was from his staff instead.

You bowed respectfully. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, sir."

"Oh, not at all!!" The chimera exclaimed, waving a paw to ease your worries. "I wanted a chance to talk to you and now, here you are!!"

He hopped out of his chair, coming around to sit next to you instead of across from you. At your questioning gaze, he explained himself.

"For conversations like these, I believe it's more beneficial to create an environment where you feel comfortable rather than maintaining my status." Nezu elaborated cheerfully, smiling when your expression cleared in understanding and gratitude. "Now, Aizawa has informed me of your situation but I would like to hear it from you, if you don't mind."

Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you told him everything you had told Aizawa and Ojiro, recalling it with perfect clarity. This past week had been wonderful with people so accepting it felt like you were going to pass out anytime one of them did something out of the ordinary for you and you had to remind yourself that this was all temporary, that you wouldn't be allowed to have it permanently.

"Unfortunately, the agreement that Aizawa signed makes you his foster child and while there are regulations in place to protect you, it is not a permanent solution." Nezu told you sympathetically and you hung your head, none of this news to you.

"You will need a capable guardian to take care of you." He continued and you bristled, just barely holding back from snarling at the implication.

"I can take care of myself." You seethed through clenched teeth, the hair on the back of your neck rising. "I've lived on the streets before. I can do it again if I have to."

If he was offended by the bite in your tone, he didn't show it. Rather, he set his paws in his lap, folding them neatly.

"I did not mean any offense." He reassured you easily.

You sighed, ears drooping as if you had been scolded. "I know, I'm sorry, sir."

"It's quite alright, you have been through quite a lot." He said, patting your knee comfortingly. "Do you have any living relatives? Someone who has a stable home and can take proper care of you?"

You shook your head sadly. "None that I know of, sir."

Your mother had been an only child and your father didn't grow up with the rest of his siblings. If there were any, they certainly didn't know about you. Your family was... complicated.

Sadness flashed across Nezu's expression and he cleared his throat. "Would you like me to see if I can find a guardian for you so you don't have to go to an orphanage until you turn of age?"

Ears perking up at the hopeful possibility, your eyes brightened considerably. You knew you were a minor and that you weren't allowed certain freedoms until you reached that age. To have someone you could fall back on until then was an idea you never thought feasible for you.

"Sir?" Your voice shook with excitement, as if you couldn't believe what he was offering you.

The principal laughed slightly as your tail began thumping on the chair, giving away your excitement. "They will have to pass all the requirements, of course, before they are considered eligible but I believe I already know who will be the best fit for you."

"Would..." You swallowed hesitantly, curbing your nervousness to get the question out. "Would they want someone like me?"

A wolf. A rare quirk that came with trouble. A hybrid who wasn't actually supposed to exist. Not to mention your endless amounts of energy and your proneness to knocking things over.

"Oh yes, fear not, Y/N." Principal Nezu said and something in his voice just caused you to be set at ease. "The person I have in mind will undoubtedly love you without fail, I just believe they will need a bit of a push. Let me see what I can do but in the meantime, you are allowed to visit UA whenever you'd like."

You were speechless. For him to already have someone in mind shocked you. "T-Thank you, sir."

He hummed, hopping off the chair and making his way back to behind his desk. "You will need your own room, you may stay at Heights Alliance for the time being."

"Oh but—" You grimaced, unsure if you were allowed to protest his generosity.

Nezu paused, placing the key that he had gotten out of the drawer on his desk and motioned for you to say what was on your mind.

"I... I kind of like staying with Ojiro-kun, if that's alright." You mumbled, playing with your tail nervously.

You didn't fully understand your attachment to him but you felt safe around him. Safer than you had felt all the years of your life. You wanted to stay by him.

"I do understand. It's part of your animal quirk, you naturally gravitate towards people like that and don't want to leave them but I'm afraid the parents of the students will not be as understanding." Nezu sighed, handing you the small key for your new room.

You took it with a nod of thanks, standing up with a heavy heart. Dragging your feet towards the door, it felt like the weight of the world had just been placed on your shoulders. You didn't know what you were going to do.

You felt... lost.

Nezu cleared his throat, halting you in your tracks. "That being said, there's nothing stopping you from staying with him. After all, I'm sure the students take comfort in each other after all they've been through and your teacher is there to ensure nothing bad happens."

Your eyes widened as you realized what he was telling you. That you needed to have a room to keep up appearances but you didn't need to only stay there.

Mouthing a 'thank you' to him, you took your leave, walking a bit until you found a quiet stop. Clutching your hands over your heart, you willed it to stop beating so hard. You were panting and you were sure that if you were to look in the mirror, you would see flushed cheeks and sweat on your forehead.

You weren't quite sure what just happened but you knew that your future was going to be a lot better than you anticipated.

Class 1-A was disappointed when you didn't show up by the time the bell rang and as much as Aizawa tried to hide it, he was a little sad too. Glancing up at the clock, he noticed that you probably headed back to the dorms.

Running a tired hand through his hair, he expelled a sigh from his lungs. Maybe your conversation with the principal took longer than you thought.

He looked on albeit fondly as his students tripped over each other in their haste to get back, undoubtedly eager to see you. In such a short period of time, you had already affected each and every one of them. He was curious to see what kind of impact that would have on the class as a whole later on down the line.

If she's allowed to stay...

At Heights Alliance, you jumped as the front door flew open with a bang, yelping in surprise and nearly dropping the cup of water you were carrying from the kitchen to the living area.

Dark Shadow was quick to catch it, returning it to your hands with a gentlemanly like bow as Tokoyami recalled him.

"Ah, thank you." You said sheepishly, setting it down on the coffee table so that it couldn't spill due to your clumsiness. "You have really good reflexes."

He bowed his head, accepting the praise and left to avoid the influx of bodies as the girls crowded around you, Ashido and Hagakure squealing in your ear.

"Y/N-chan!!" They chorused together.

"Thanks for the cake, it was really good." Jirou commented, nodding in approval as she returned the tin. "Tasted just like Sato's."

You were shocked. They finished all of it?! There wasn't even a single crumb left.

"Why didn't you come back? We wanted to see you!!" Uraraka exclaimed, pouting as you moved to put the pan in the sink, still somewhat shocked that they actually finished it.

You scratched the back of your head sheepishly, flashing her an apologetic smile. "I went to go see Principal Nezu and it took a bit longer than expected."

A chorus of "ahh's" from the girls filled the space around you and you collapsed into a fit of giggles along with Yaoyorozu.

Holding up the key, you dangled it in front of their faces. "He gave me my own room!!"

"So, that means you can stay?!" Asui asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

You laughed, covering it with your hand. "Yeah, at least for now."

"Well come on then!!" Jirou shouted, dragging you towards the elevators that you still despised.

You casted a look over your shoulder, finding Ojiro in the masses easily due to the fact that he was the only one staring back at you. Face growing warm, you pushed down the butterflies in your stomach and motioned for him to follow.

You felt like you hadn't seen him in forever, even if it had only been since last night. You missed him.

Within minutes, the six of you had arrived at your room on the third floor.

It was a tad bit smaller than the rest of the rooms since the dormitory was only supposed to hold twenty students but it was still larger than any cage you had been given to stay in before. Not to mention, you had it all to yourself.

You didn't take back what you told Principal Nezu about wanting to stay with Ojiro, but now at least he wouldn't feel like he had to let you stay with him. You hoped that would take a bit of pressure off of him now that he didn't have the responsibility of looking after you.

The room was bare since you didn't have any belongings with you but you didn't mind. The flooring was much nicer than anything else you had the privilege of sleeping on and it sure beat the cold pavement outside if you were being completely honest.

"Where are you going to sleep?"

All heads swiveled towards the source of the voice, Ashido and Uraraka sharing a mischievous look. You blushed once you saw who it was. Not that you needed to look to know. You would know that voice anywhere.

And you were the one who invited him up.

Ojiro had his arms folded over his chest and was propped up against the door frame, raising an eyebrow at you as if daring you to say what he knew you were going to. There was no way he was going to let you sleep on the floor.

You knew exactly what he was thinking.

Sighing slightly as your ears fell in despair, he pushed himself off his post and strode over to you, grabbing your hand. "Come on, let's go."

You stumbled after him, caught off guard and sent the girls a helpless look but they just trailed after you, leaving you at his mercy. "W-Where are we going?"

"To the mall." He said without looking up from his phone, typing a message you couldn't see with one hand as he led you down the hall. "We're going to get you a bed and then some other things."

You didn't know what to say. "You don't have to—"

Squeaking as you collided in his chest when he pivoted on his foot to face you, a blush blooming across both of your faces before he cleared his throat.

"I'm not taking no for an answer." He said, uncharacteristically firm as he echoed your words from the other night, then his gaze softened. "You need a comfortable place to sleep. I told you I would treat you with the kindness you deserve, remember?"

You nodded meekly, shifting your weight from side to side as your tail swished behind you.

Ojiro exhaled softly, ruffling your hair. "Part of that is making sure you have everything you need, okay? I don't want you to sleep on the floor. It's not comfortable and you could get sick."

Your heart warmed in a way you didn't completely understand and blinking up at him innocently, you smiled as he blushed and retracted his hand. Rolling your eyes at the poorly suppressed squeals sounded behind you, you turned around, planting your hands on your hips and raising an eyebrow at Asui since she was the only one not cowering from your stare.

A smile played on the edges of your mouth as you fought to keep herself from laughing at the hysterical sight.

Yaoyorozu looked guilty and apologetic while Ashido was giggling and pointing back and forth between you and Ojiro. Uraraka wasn't much better and neither was Hagakure. Jirou was twirling her earphone jack around her finger, smirking at the two of you and a sigh rushed out of your lungs.

"I guess we're going to the mall." You said with a grin.

Taglist: @katsukis-sad-angel​

[unmanageable-day]

you can read the first part here but i think it’s not that necessary lol

Pairing. Mingyu x y/n x Wonwoo

Genre. angst / ugly break up, mention of accusing of cheating

Summary. Mingyu doesn’t want to be that person he hates the most, who regrets everything later and realizes how precious one is after that person is not within his reach anymore. Unfortunately it is probably already too late

a/n: i used to have the longer version of his in my draft but tumblr didn’t let me save it and it got lost just like that.

He had been declining your intention to meet in person. It had been 5 days since he got discharged and went back home. You sent text messages to him everyday, asking if you could come over. He kept making excuses, saying he wanted to rest or he didn't feel good. Frankly he never felt good since Wonwoo visited him in the hospital. He knew once he agreed to meet you, it would be over that instant. It was difficult to get a wink of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Wonwoo's words kept echoing in his ears.

It's now a waiting game. She wouldn't want to be associated with you. She probably regrets knowing a Kim Mingyu. It's now a waiting game. Enjoy while it lasts. Being Y/N's boyfriend.

One day, it seemed you had reached the peak of frustration and it showed in your most recent text. 'Mingyu, I don't know how to put it into words. But I really need to talk to you and I don't think I can hold it any longer. If we can't meet, then I think I should just tell you through text.' Even Mingyu could hear the way you talked.

Without thinking, Mingyu called you right away. He was afraid to receive more texts from you because he knew what you would say. The idea of being dumped through text was scarier than he thought.

"Y/N?" "How are you doing?" "I'm.. good, I guess." "Look, I..." "After lunch. Is that okay?" he asked weakly. "Okay. I'll bring your favorite bread pudding." "No need to. I'm good." Mingyu tried hard not to choke himself when he realized tears were ready to stream down his cheeks. "But still.." "Y/N?" "Yeah?" "I love you." It was odd even for him to say it now. "Oh.." You sounded taken aback. You paused, not knowing what to say. "Anyway, I'm hanging up first," Mingyu continued. He knew he can’t take it anymore. 

He dragged his feet to wash his face. His mother was excited to hear that you would come over. She had no idea that you coming just for one purpose only; to end everything with her son. Mingyu had to force a smile and lie that he and you were fine.

Mingyu’s mother escorted you directly to the son’s room as you arrived. You found Mingyu sitting up on his bed, staring at nothing. His mother had to call him to snap him back to reality before leaving his bedroom.

You sat on the other edge of his bed. "Mingyu, I’ll just be straight to the point. About us..."

“Wait,” he interrupted with a weak voice. “I'll get you some cake Joshua brought yesterday. You'll love it.” Then he got up, leaving you in his bedroom for a moment.

You sighed. This should be easy.

Mingyu came back with a little smile, two plates of strawberry cake were on his hands. "Joshua is learning to bake. He's not on my level yet but the taste is not bad."

You smiled listening to him.

"Seungkwan just arrived from Jeju yesterday and brought some tangerines. I think my mom has prepared some for you too." He kept on going about his friends. Jeonghan finally going official with his girl friend. Seungcheol planning to go mount climbing with his gym buddies. Seokmin making new friends with some guys in the office. Until he was running out of his friends' life updates, Mingyu eventually slowed down talking.

"Can I have my turn to talk?" you asked, trying to read his mood carefully. He had been smiling a lot when he rambled about his buddies. You just didn't know—or maybe you just didn't care that much anymore that the smiley face was just a disguise.

No. Don't.. Mingyu now wore an expressionless face, his eyes locked on yours. He wished you could read his mind. He didn't dare to say 'don't say a word' right into your face.

"Mingyu, I.. I don't think we can, I can.. now it's just..." Why was it so hard to you to complete your sentence? It used to be easy with your previous boyfriends.

"Don't.." he mumbled.

"What?"

He shook his head slowly. His jaw was clenched, teeth gritted as he almost blurted it out. Don't continue. Don't speak a word..

Inhaling deeply, you continued. "Mingyu, don’t you think it would be better to end—"

"Y/N, please tell me we'll be alright," he cut in. His eyes looked desperate, searching for mercy while gazing deeply directly at yours. He gripped your hands, continuing, "I was wrong. We should have never fought. I messed up. The fault was all mine."

"Mingyu.."

"I'll do anything. Anything for you to forgive me. I will not ask anything about you and Wonwoo anymore. If you want to hang out with Wonwoo on weekends, you can go and I won't say anything. If you guys want to have your exclusive movie night, or game night, or even sleepover, it's okay, I won't question you anymore." He put his head down as he started to sniffle.

‘Seriously? You never got jealous over Chaeyeon just once?’ Mingyu asked one day, fascinated by the fact that you were his first girlfriend that never questioned about his best friend who was a girl.

‘Why should I?’ you chuckled. ‘I also have Wonwoo, remember?’

‘We’re definitely the coolest couple,’ he cheered happily.

Both Mingyu and you had been understanding about your respective best friends. You had no problem with Mingyu going out with Chaeyeon even when it was just the two of them. Mingyu also used to be fine when you had to cancel your dates because Wonwoo needed you. Until it didn’t work that way anymore one day.

"Mingyu, don't be like this."

"I'm sorry," he sobbed harder as he squeezed your hands. "If I have to beg on my knees, I will. So, please, let this stay in the past and we'll start anew."

You stayed still, feeling uneasy as you watched Mingyu weeping his eyes out. He kept mumbling 'I'm sorry's and 'this is all my fault's desperately.

"Mingyu, stop crying. Your mother will think I'm being violent to you." You reached out your thumbs to wipe off the tears all over his face. Contrasting the affectionate gestures, your tone sounded cold and your expression was dull. Or maybe irritated. That was what he thought judging from your frown.

Mingyu held your hands cupping his own cheeks. "Y/N, please?"

You quickly pulled your hands away. "Mingyu, let's give ourselves some more time to think, okay?"

—

"Mingyu?" You were flustered to see him in front of your door. More than a week had passed and you hadn’t seen him again to finish the last hanging conversation. You never expected him to come to you first like this.

"Y/N.." A smile—a bittersweet one—slowly crept up his lips, showing off his canine. He didn't look as content like he used to. His eyes couldn't even hide his sadness and he looked unsure of what he was doing. But from the way he called your name, there was a longing feeling in his voice.

"I'm sorry but you should go home, Mingyu," was all you could say.

He should know better that his presence was unexpected and probably unwanted. "I don't want to. It kills me inside to be home alone. It feels like dying to think that you're not within my reach, that you're so distant from me. Y/N, if you want to despise me, you can. If yelling at me can relieve your frustration, yell at me and I won't talk back. Y/N, please, just hate me for the rest of your life but please don't be like this. I can't stand this cold shoulders, it's torturing me. I just want to be a part of your life, as a person who can have all your trust, as a person who will always believe in you and be by your side, as a person who loves you with all my heart."

A cynical tsk was suddenly heard. Without making a sound, Wonwoo was approaching your side with his light steps just like a cat. "You finish with your words?"

"Jeon Wonwoo.. what—" He choked on his own words, effectively stopping himself from doing what he used to do; questioning your intimate friendship with Wonwoo. A train of memories of you and him arguing in a big fight suddenly slipped across his mind.

'What is exactly your relationship with Wonwoo? You often ditch me for him. Is he really that important and I'm not? I'm your boyfriend, Y/N.' 'Are you seeing him behind my back? Are you fucking him?' You thought you could hold it in, but not with him accusing you like this. 'Mingyu, you sound crazy, do you know that? Are you hearing yourself?' you snapped. 'I sound crazy right now? How about you always saying 'Wonwoo this' and 'Wonwoo that', when I am literally your boyfriend who puts you, my girlfriend, on top of my priority list?' 'Do you know how many times I have to hold myself back, because I don't want to be that insecure bitch saying 'don't go with Wonwoo', 'do you have to go with Wonwoo?' and 'I don't like it when you go out with Wonwoo'?' 'Are you playing with me now? Am I just a toy?' 'Is it fun two-timing me over your so-called best friend?' 'Two-tim— Mingyu, you—' That was the first time you raised your voice to him that you wanted to slap him hard. But you didn’t. 'Okay. Let's do this. Is it me or is it Wonwoo?' 'Mingyu, you're out of your mind!' you almost shrieked. 'I ask you one more time, is it me or is it Wonwoo?' 'I really can't do this. Fine if you really want to hear my answer. Sorry, Mingyu, good bye.' It hit him. 'Y/N! You didn't mean it, did you?' 'Sorry, Mingyu.. Wonwoo and I value our friendship in a way you will never understand. Wonwoo it is,’ you told him as you started to walk away. It hit him hard. He quickly reached your arms. The last thing he would want was regretting his decision and realizing how precious one is after losing her. 'Y/N! No, no, no. Forget what I asked. I can't lose you like this!' A heavy sigh escaped your mouth along with tears streaming down your cheek. 'Mingyu, I'm tired. I don't want to hurt you anymore. You're tired of that too, right?' you weakly said as you wiped your tears. With him not saying anything anymore, you left him without turning back.

Mingyu recalled one of the ugliest fight between you. It was painful to remember all the following parts when you gave up talking to him. When you chose Wonwoo over him. When you said you were tired of hurting him. When he just realized what he did wrong when you disappeared from his sight.

"If your business is done here, you should go home. Or are you going to ask why I'm here?" Wonwoo cooed.

Mingyu tried to ignore him. He turned to look at you, but you still looked unfazed, looking away as you crossed your arms. "I.. didn't know Wonwoo was here.."

A mocking chuckle escaped his mouth, scratching another wound to Mingyu's pride. "I am her best friend. I am here all the time. As a matter of fact, we were fucking. But you disturbed us."

To be honest, you were shocked to hear Wonwoo talking like that. On a normal daily basis, he was calm and speak nothing but good words. He never got himself involved in a cat fight. Except, when it comes to you, he will never hesitate to throw hands at anyone who dares messing up with you.

"No need to be surprised, right?" Wonwoo continued. "You said it yourself. You asked Y/N once, right? I guess you were very curious about whether she and I fuck each other. We do, Mingyu. We do."

You remained silent. Partially it was because you were taken aback at Wonwoo's odd behavior. He didn't usually get mad easily. You knew he would always take your side. But at the same time, maybe Wonwoo being like this would help to make Mingyu go away.

Mingyu was trembling on his spot. "Y/N, please say something," he weakly pleaded. At this moment he couldn't even tell if Wonwoo was just talking bullshit or it was actually the truth. Back in the days, when he confronted you about it, you immediately said no. For now he just wanted to believe what you said weeks ago.

Your mouth was sealed. Your eyes travel to take a glance at the tall guy just to flash him a dark, cold expression of yours before looking at the ground again.

“Y/N, please..” He was on the brink of crying.

You looked up and found his teary eyes. “You didn’t believe me when I said no. So what makes it different if you do  now? It won’t change anything anyways.”

"The real question is, Mingyu, what are you doing here?" Again, Wonwoo retorted, smirking, folding his arms on his chest. Surprisingly this gesture made him even more intimidating despite his slim figure. His victorious, confident smile definitely was what made him look superior. “Oh, right!” he continued, chuckling—mocking, “After a lot of things happened, I almost forget you’re still Y/N’s boyfriend. Or are you not anymore?”

You noticed how uncomfortable Mingyu was standing before you. At the same time, you were also reminded how he doubted your friendship with Wonwoo, how he always suspected you and Wonwoo, until he wrongfully accused you. Then you remembered what he said days ago, about him not saying anything about Wonwoo anymore. It turned out you still have a heart to not let Mingyu break down completely. The big, tall guy clearly had no idea what to do, or what to say. He was tense, nervous and restless, knowing that his presence unwanted. Even the habit of brushing his fringe back was only done once since he came; usually he did it thousands times and you used to mimic him on behalf of his friend, Seokmin.

You softly asked Wonwoo to go back to your kitchen to check on the scone you two made, and thankfully he obeyed you. Even when he left you, his victorious smrik wouldn't disappear as he kept eyeing the taller guy.

"Mingyu, it's not healthy for us—for you, to keep it this way," you uttered. "You should stop apologize too. It's already in the past. Even I won't bring it up again. You will be forgiven, I promise, but not now. For now, I think it’s best for us to go on our own."

"Please, give us another chance," he sobbed, his voice cracking.

You heard Wonwoo calling your name, followed by an unclear mumbles. But you sure did hear that your scone was failing.

"Mingyu, I'm sorry but I'm running late for Wonwoo's mom's birthday dinner." You looked concerned, but definitely not apologetic.

All energy in Mingyu's legs felt like vanishing totally. His stomach was filled by lots of emotion—mostly anger to himself, that he felt sick. He wasn't sure if he could support himself to stand straight and walk properly. Why did he even pick up a fight with you and vomit hurtful words, that you can't bear with him anymore?

"You see, there are some of your stuff here, and I should give it back to you but it's a mess right now. I'll have your stuff delivered to your house tomorrow."

Eventually Mingyu went down on his knees, still crying.

Wonwoo just shouted your name again. "Coming!" you exclaimed.

“What are those?” he asked between his sniffles, rather in horror as he noticed a box filled with various things. What he saw there shook him even more. 

Confused why he suddenly talked about anything else, you looked at the box as if it was nothing. The only thing visible to your eyes was an old scarf that Wonwoo unintentionally burned one day. So you assumed it was just a pile of useless stuff he found in your house. “I don’t know. Wonwoo has been decluttering the whole day. I think he’s going to throw them away.”

Mingyu’s heart sank again. How can you not see what was in that box? A snow globe he got for you when he traveled to Japan. A couple bracelet that he made it himself. Mini photo frames that had him and you in the pictures, smiling so happily. There were still other small stuff that he noticed which were gifts from him. And you said so easily that they were going to end in a dump.

"Mingyu, please?" Squatting down to be in the same eye level with him, finally you looked at him in the eyes, hoping that he would get it that him leaving was one thing you were expecting at the moment. "If there is any other way, I would look for it. But if it means I have to cut Wonwoo off, I can't. I hope I have made myself clear, Mingyu."

"There must be some other way and you don’t have to cut Wonwoo off. Let's look for it, together. Please?"

Shoulders shrugging and head tilting slowly at your side, you looked unsure with your brows furrowed. "I don't think so, Mingyu," you said, shaking your head. "You said it yourself, that we were a mistake."

"That— I don't mean—"

"Mingyu, you should never repeat the same mistake. You don’t want to get hurt for the second time."

[timebird84]

🎄 PotO Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

By @notaghost3​

Summary: Christmas is fast approaching and Christine still has no idea what to get Erik for their first Christmas. However, when inspiration strikes, she didn’t exactly ask for help…especially not from the cat.

Modern AU. E/C. Set in my “The Belonging You Seek” Universe but can be read just fine on its own!

Tangled Up in You

Not A Ghost3

The fairy lights in the store window twinkled white as they walked by, Christine’s eyes lingering on the decorations just through the glass.

“…I mean it’s our first Christmas as married couple- what do I even get him? It can’t be tacky; I don’t do tacky. I was thinking a nice watch, but he already has one and…”

Christine sighed and resisted rolling her eyes as she wrapped her arm tighter around Megs elbow. The crosswalk sign blinked red in front of them as it waited for the cars to finish passing. 

She thought she might scream if she had to hear Meg contemplate what to get her dearest husband for Christmas again.

But here she was, and she wasn’t screaming.

She shook her head; her own willpower to keep their friendship alive really surprised her sometimes.

Instead of screaming she just nudged Meg playfully to the side- effectively (albeit temporarily) shutting her up.

“Meg,” she said, firm in her tone but a smile on her lips. “Raoul will love whatever you get him. Because it’s from you.”

She emphasized the last word with a playful wink, careful to hide the bitterness that built like bile in the back of her throat. It didn’t do any good to let the past control her present or her friends. 

At least that’s what she’d been telling herself. And it was working…to some degree.

“Yeah, I just want it to be perfect you know? It’s a special one, you only get a first Christmas together once…I want it to be memorable,” Meg replied, practically dragging her across the street as the crosswalk light signaled it was safe to cross.

Christine laughed at that, stumbling to catch her footing on the other side of the street. “However it turns out, I’m positive it’ll be memorable…this is you we’re talking about.”

Meg rolled her eyes and readjusted the purse on her shoulder. 

“I know, I know…” then Meg got that look in her eyes.

That mischievous, I-know-more-than-I-should, smirky look of hers.

“Well, let’s not forget that I’m not the only one celebrating a first Christmas together, hm?” Meg chided, wagging her finger playfully in front of Christine’s face as they walked to the next store.

Christine couldn’t help the blush that she knew crept on to her cheeks or the way that she glanced down to avoid Meg’s peering gaze.

It was true. It was a Christmas of firsts all around.

“Yeah, yeah…” she smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. It seemed like only yesterday had been February and today was a week and half before Christmas—

She supposed time really did fly when you were happy. 

“Sooooo…what do you and Erik have planned? Oh wait! Don’t tell me…uh…ice skating? No, no he wouldn’t do that…um—”

Christine laughed, cutting her off. “Erik wouldn’t be caught dead ice skating, not in public at least. You know him. He has social anxiety; he doesn’t like people.”

Meg cocked a grin then. “Well he certainly likes one at least.”

Christine shook her head, her smile growing larger. “Hey, he likes you too, and your mom!”

“Oh I know, I know…but you know what I mean…” she trailed off as she unwound her arm from Christines and opened the door to the jewelry store she had next on her list. “I will say, it was a little strange with you two at first…I mean he held me as a baby—”

“Erik is not that old—”

“Well I was practically a baby, Chris! I might as well have called him Uncle—”

Christine raised an eyebrow at that, never having heard that one before. “Are you telling me you’re going to start calling me aunt or something?” She barely got the sentence out through her giggles as she eyed a pair of sparkling earrings in their glass case.

Meg’s eyes were wide as she turned back to her, mouth open. “Are you trying to tell me…” instead of finishing the sentence she wiggled her left hand’s fingers, pointing to her own sizable wedding ring.

Christine picked up on what she was implying before she could say another word. “Oh no. No. No, I was just saying that. We haven’t…we’ve barely talked about it really ah…no. No ring,” she flustered, eyes quickly finding anywhere— anything— else to look at to distract her from Meg’s prying eyes and smug smile. 

She wasn’t lying. There was no ring, no promise of marriage, and they really hadn’t truly talked about it. The word had been thrown into the air a few times sure but…they hadn’t even dated for a whole year yet, really. She didn’t want to move too fast and jump into things; she’d done that before and paid for it. As Meg was a daily reminder of. But that was different, Erik was different.

She felt like wherever he was she was home, and that was a feeling she’d learned not to take for granted.

Maybe she did want to marry him, maybe she did want the ring and the house and the kids and the perfect little movie life.

But maybe Erik didn’t.

She didn’t know.

“It’s only been like eight months since we started dating, Meg…” she shrugged at Meg’s now somewhat disappointed look. 

“No, I shouldn’t have assumed, but you can’t blame me for hoping— I just want you happy, Chris!”

She gave Meg a small smile at that before turning back to the same dangling earrings from before.

“Any idea what you’re getting him for Christmas?” Meg asked, coming to stand close beside her.

Christine shook her head, moving on to look at the next pair. “No idea. What do you get someone who can already buy whatever they want?”

Meg nodded. “I know the feeling…”

Christine blew out a puff of air, making a loose hair curl fly up and then back down in front of her face.

“Well doesn’t he like those nerdy things? What about some…I don’t know…Legos? Is that even right?”

She laughed at Meg’s willingness to help and shook her head. “He already has too many of those in his basement. He is an architect after all. Besides…I want something better than that, something personal, y’know?” 

It was Meg’s turn to shrug then, picking up a bracelet off a display holder. “Well, I suppose there’s always a watch, right?”

Christine laughed, but on the inside sighed.

A week and a half until Christmas.

What was she going to get him?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Christine closed the fridge door as she felt a pair of hands come up behind her, snaking around her waist.

“Well good morning to you too,” she chuckled, turning around in his arms and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He was still in his flannel pajama pants and sweatshirt...it must be nice to work from home she supposed. She had dressed while he slept and she usually bid him goodbye while he was still in bed, his cat faithfully curled up asleep beside him.

He hummed against her.

“Did I tell you I found it?” He said, unlacing his arms and walking towards the laundry basket that sat in one of their kitchen chairs. 

She shook her head, popping the lid onto her coffee cup that she’d pulled out of the fridge. “No, what’d you find?”

He made a show of holding up his hand for her to wait as he dug through the laundry before raising a tattered clump of red yarn up in the air.

“Ta da!” He sang as he shook the yarn out, a long scarf tumbling out of the clumped form as he did.

“Oh Erik!” She exclaimed as she hurried over to the kitchen table, taking her scarf from his hands and wrapping it around her throat and tucking the ends into the coat she had already put on. (She was honestly running a bit behind and if she didn’t leave soon she would have to find a better excuse than “I lost my favorite lost scarf” because she’d already used that one and she didn’t like repeating excuses unless they were necessary.

“Yeah, I’m afraid Ayesha had hidden it by the washer with the rest of her treasures,” he chuckled, giving the cat that sat licking her paws on the floor the side eye.

Christine bent down and rubbed Ayesha’s ears (earning a side eye from the cat herself) “This isn’t a kitty toy, silly—” 

“Can’t really blame her, it’s just about in tatters, she probably mistook it for a ball of string.” He shrugged, straightening the clothes he had disrupted in the laundry basket.

She frowned at that, standing back up. “It’s not in tatters,” she was quick to defend the simple scarf around her neck, “it’s just…well-loved that’s all.”

She watched as he rolled his eyes and picked up the laundry basket of their clothes to go put away.

“Well loved or not, it’s looking rough. Why don’t you just let me buy you a new one?”

“No!” She said a bit too quickly, making him stop in his path on the way back to the bedroom of their apartment. 

“No, it’s special. My mom made it for me and…” she glanced at the floor, picking at the loose threads of her coat. “It’s really all I have left of her besides her locket. I barely remember her as it is and…”

She kept rambling until she heard the gentle clatter of the laundry basket being sent down and then there was a pair of arms around her again, holding her close. She didn’t cry, she usually reserved tears for when the pain of her father not being there anymore hit, but it still hurt.

A lot.

“Shh…don’t feel like you have to convince me. My own mother never made me anything, I didn’t even think about it. Don’t listen to me…” he trailed off as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then pulled back, holding her by her shoulders.

“Now you’re gonna be late if you don’t leave,” he reminded her, scooping the laundry basket back into his arms, and calling Ayesha to follow him. 

“I’ll miss you,” she smiled as she picked her keys up off the counter and watched him walk towards the bedroom. 

“I’ll miss you more,” he called over his shoulder before the door shut behind him.

But the words lingered in her mind as she opened the hallway door to her apartment and stepped out:

My own mother never made me anything…

She nodded to herself.

She had a very good idea what to get him for Christmas now. 

XXX

Christine had never knit anything before in her life. 

Never. 

But here she was, red yarn and steel needles in her hand, “how-to-knit-for-beginners” tutorial video pulled up on her laptop in front of her on her bed and bedroom door locked in case of curious well-meaning eyes.

She could do this.

She’d already watched the video and it didn’t look that hard. It was just loops. And more loops and more loops and then a knot — she could do this!

Her first attempt was…less than useful. Her stitches kept dropping and she couldn’t understand why in the world the yarn was so tight around the needles. It looked so easy when other people did it!

She’d just have to start over.

And she did. Three, four…eight more times until she got a steady start and a few neat rows of stitches done. She held her work up to admire it, the Sunday afternoon light streaming in through the window. She took a moment to glance out the window, watching the snow as it softly fell. Maybe they’d actually have a white Christmas this year. It seemed like the snow was just narrowly skipping around Christmas the past few years and it would be so nice to wake up to snow—

She felt her pile of excess yarn uncoil from her lap and then a tug against her knitting needles. She raised an eyebrow and looked down:

Her yarn was gone.

“What the…” she looked around herself but then followed the taught string to the edge of the bed and then looked to the floor beneath it.

Ah ha.

Blissfully tangled up in the dark red yarn was Ayesha, chewing on one end of the string and batting a bundle of it with her back paws.

“Ayesha!” She whispered harshly, careful to not be too loud in case Erik realized she’d locked herself in their bedroom on purpose. She hadn’t known the cat was in here when she came in, she must’ve been sleeping under the bed…again. 

Ayesha merely stared up at her from where she played on her back, still attempting to eat a bit of the string.

“Bad cat,” she scolded as she reached down to wrestle the thread from the cat’s grasp (not an easy feat mind you, Ayesha had claws like a bear) and pile it back up on the bed with her. She wiped the wet string on her shirt; Erik wouldn’t mind, it was his cat after all.

“There now,” she said to herself, situating herself back into an easy pattern of slowly knitting and eyeing the yarn.

She heard a familiar “meow” and then the rustle of the comforter as Ayesha leaped up on to the bed, determined to play with her newfound toy.

“Ayesha, no,” she said firmly, pulling most of the string close to her side. “This is for your daddy, not for you.”

Ayesha slowly blinked back at her.

She swore that sometimes that cat and Erik made the same faces. 

She settled on gently batting the actual ball of yarn around the bed after realizing that Christine wasn’t going to let her have the loose string that she knitted with. Everything was going okay then; Ayesha was being quiet, her yarn stitches didn’t look a total hot mess, and Erik’s new handmade scarf was slowly coming together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a few days before Christmas and she’d made good headway on the scarf, only having a few more rows to make and to be honest, she was quite proud of herself.

Maybe she should pick up more yarn and make him a whole set of things: a hat…gloves…a sweater…

She stopped herself there. Knitting a scarf only involved knitting in a straight line and maybe that was enough for her right now.

She pulled her coat tighter as she walked up the stairs to her apartment, digging around for her keys in her pocket as she neared her door. Erik was constantly thanking her for letting him move in, but she thought she might explode if she had to tell him one more time that she wanted him there. After all, she certainly wasn’t about to move in with Erik. 

He’d been living in his friend Nadir’s basement. 

Basement. 

Nadir had a wife and a baby nearly due and she was honestly the one who convinced him to move in with her. 

Though she knew good and well he still had a lot of belongings in that man’s basement. 

Nadir was a saint for putting up with him. 

She shook her head as she reached her door, putting the key in the lock—

She stopped.

She could hear a muffled voice on the other side — Erik’s — and some rushed footsteps.

Her door never unlocked slower it seemed.

Was something wrong? Had there been an emergency? She had just been thinking about Nadir and Mandy— had their baby come early?

“Erik?” She called out as she opened the door.

She didn’t see him.

“Erik?” She tried again, shutting the door behind her and poking her head into the kitchen. Not here either.

Her eyes roamed the living area until she saw it. 

A long red string. 

Christine’s eyes widened. 

She followed the trail of string all the way to the the bedroom door that was cracked open.

“No, no, no…” she whispered to herself as she pushed the door open, already dreading the sight of what she was sure would be waiting for her—

Instead it was Erik, back to her but facing the bed, Ayesha looking a bit too proud of herself perched on the edge of the bed.

“Erik?” She said again but was interrupted.

“Did you…” a swallow, “did you make this?” Erik asked softly as he turned around, half-unraveled scarf held gently in his hands. 

She felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

Of course the damn cat would blow her secret.

She nodded, coming to stand next to the bed with him. 

“Yeah, I…well it’s silly,” she tripped over her words as she sat down on the bed beside Ayesha, giving her a pat on the head to distract herself. “I was so sad that your mom had never made you anything and I treasure my old red scarf so much for that exact reason and well…” she looked up at him.

His eyes very nearly had tears in them, just waiting for the right moment to fall.

“I thought I’d make you a matching one,” she finished with a shrug before looking back at Ayesha. “It’s not that good, and this one keeps unraveling it and—”

“Hey,” his voice was low as she felt him take her hands in his. 

She let her eyes drift back to him and watch him kneel beside the bed, so he was eye level with her where she sat. 

“It’s perfect.”

And he looked so genuinely happy when he said it that Christine laughed in spite of herself and squeezed his hands. “Really? I can remake it—”

He shook his head as he put the scarf over his head then threw the other end around his neck, a purple knitting needle still hanging off on one end.

“How could I not love it?” Erik said, bringing his hands back down to hold hers. “You made it for me.”

Gosh she loved it when he smiled.

She bent forward and kissed him, still holding his hands tight in hers. “I just wanted our first Christmas to be special,” she breathed against his lips as they parted, feeling her own eyes start to well up with tears of her own (out of happiness or pent-up frustration that Ayesha had ruined her Christmas surprise she wasn’t sure).

“Christine any day with you is special,” he said in that tone of his that made her heart drop and knees weak.

She smiled and shook her head.

“Well, now I need to find you a new Christmas present,” she forced out a laugh despite the tears that now rolled down her cheeks.

Erik swiped at them with his thumb, holding her face in his hands before pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.

“Oh nonsense, this is Christmas gift enough…”

But then he winked and stood up.

“Besides, if you really feel like getting me something else, I’m sure Wal-Mart still has that Yoda Lego set I was eyeing up last week…”

[hell-much]

RFTA - Cutting Room Floor - 6

A cut scene from the epilogue featuring jealous!Sansa and an alternative version of the discussion about who will succeed Margaery as Hand. 

...

“You’re awfully quiet, sweet girl.”

Blue eyes that had been drifting over the scenery blinked up, appeared a little caught. Margaery studied her wife’s face for a moment longer. The weariness in her eyes had not lifted since yet. When she had arrived, Margaery had blamed it on the strains of the long travels, but since then almost three days had passed. Three days that Margaery had assured where only very sparely occupied by official ordeals, that had, or should have, given Sansa appropriate time to rest.

“I’m sorry. I must have been lost in thought,” Sansa lied, even more poorly than usual. Her eyes dragged to where Olin was playing with Sam and Gilly’s children on the greeneries and she managed a small smile. “I didn’t know hide-the-treasure, was something kids played in the South as well.”

Margaery followed her gaze. “I thought Olin must have picked it up in Winterfell.”

Sansa shook her head. “Not from me.” Eyes wandered out to black water bay once more. “Maybe Arya taught him.”

“Maybe.” Margaery observed her and her sad eyes for another moment, then reached across the table and squeezed Sansa’s hand. “I’m so happy that you’re here.”

Sansa’s grip on her was loose, bore the perfect equivalent to her weak smile. “It was well overdue.”

It was. There was no denying it. In the almost six years they were separated, Margaery had not missed a single year in coming to see Sansa in Winterfell, while Sansa had only made it south once; her short visit to Highgarden a couple of years back. Not that Margaery believed in counting up things like that.

Their situations were different, it was as simple as that. For Sansa to leave for a couple of weeks or even months was not as simple. Not that it was always simple for Margaery either.

In the first couple of years, the dire situation of the North had left Sansa indispensable, and then after, once Arya had become absent more frequently, there was nobody she trusted enough to leave Winterfell and the North in their hands. That reason was debatable in Margaery’s eyes, but she had always known and loved her strong sense of responsibility. And there was the plain fact that Sansa’s aversion against the South -safe perhaps Highgarden- had, and would never completely cease.

Decisive Margaery pulled her napkin off her lap and set it next to her plate. “I still have some time before her grace awaits me, shall we go for a walk? There is a most gorgeous secluded little spot down by the water that I wanted to show you.”

Enthusiasm looked a great deal different, but Sansa nodded her head.

“I have hoped that I could show it to you one day,” Margaery elaborated as she hooked her arm through Sansa’s and they started their path along grovel paths. She lowered her voice with her next words. “It’s most romantic.”

Sansa mustered a small smile. “I should have known you had ulterior motives.”

“Always, my love. With you always.”

Margaery watched her closely, saw the smile stay in place a moment longer, before it was replaced once more with the same weariness from before. She supressed a sigh, and led her along the path in silence for a while. Decided to give her a chance for once to break through the silence, to maybe speak what was on her mind at last.

Nothing came though, they walked quietly next to each other, followed the narrow steep way down to the sea, their only conversation occasional words about watching their steps, muttered thanking when helping each other down particular steep parts of the way.

Margaery kept silent until they had reached the spot. A small ledge, overlooking Blackwater Bay, only accessible through a small gap between the trees. An old, weathered stone bench that was nearly taken over by the bushes surrounding it, served as the only indicator that once more people than her had known about this spot. It was just that wilderness of it, that created the magic. High grass and wildflowers, low hanging branches of willows.

She spun around to Sansa and offered her most enchanting smile, as she captured both her hands. “Gorgeous isn’t it? It’s where I come to hide out in all too long days. I have not even shown Olin.”

There was a small hint of genuine awe in Sansa’s tired eyes. “It’s beautiful. Even if I don’t know how I feel about you walking that way on your own, without telling anyone.”

Margaery chuckled. “I’m always very careful, I promise.” She pulled Sansa towards the bank and they sat down. “But it truly is gorgeous, isn’t it? I found it one day when chasing after one of the bloody cats.”  

Amusement snuck into Sansa’s features. “That’s a long way to make for an animal you claim to not even like.”

“You know as well as I the tragedy that would have occurred if I had not found the retched animal.”

Sansa nodded thoughtfully, and Margaery used the returning silence to find her lips in a long kiss. The reciprocating took a moment, but it came, however reserved. Her hands snuck around Sansa’s waist and traced over the heavy material of her dress.

“Aren’t you boiling, my love?” She asked between kisses.

“It’s a summer dress,” Sansa gave back.

“A northern summer dress,” Margaery gave back teasingly. Her hand found the skirt of Sansa’s dress and pulled it up a little. “At least lift your skirts. I don’t want you to have a heatstroke.”

She bunched the fabric up to Sansa’s knees, set a hand on top of her leg, fingertips gracing at the inside of her thigh. With a smile she leaned in for another deep kiss.

“There, isn’t that better.”

Sansa shook her head amidst a meagre smile. “You’re incorrigible.”

Abandoning her lips, Margaery moved her own along the extent of Sansa’s neck, sucked gently on the sensitive flesh. “I have had a lot of time alone here, wishing you were with me.” Her hand graced a bit further up Sansa’s leg, and she pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “Imagining all the things we could do.”

It took a moment for comprehension to settle in Sansa’s eyes, just another proof of how absentminded she was. She pressed her lips together and gently pulled Margaery’s hand away.

“Let’s save that for later,” she pleaded.

Margaery followed her request without a single objection and leaned her head onto her shoulder. This notion had been a stretch under the best circumstances, in Sansa’s current mood an impossibility.

“Forgive me,” she pleaded and set Sansa’s skirt back in place. “I got carried away.”

She entangled their hands and for a long silent moment they looked out together on the sea. The consideration to ask what was weighing on her, but decided against it. She didn’t want Sansa to think that her rejected advances was what let her question her state of mind. Even when the lack of any physicality between them was peculiar, very much untypical for them.

In the first night after their arrival, she had still believed Sansa’s claim to be tired. But in the two that had followed since then, when Sansa had curled up on her side and closed her eyes the moment they had slipped between the covers, had her increasingly bewildered.

It was undeniable, that Sansa had been distant, only Margaery had no idea what had brought that on.

“Has Olin gotten around to giving you the grand tour of his chamber yet?”

At Sansa gave another small smile. “Yesterday. I’m now acquainted with all his toys. And he made a small parade of all his favourite clothes.”

Margaery chuckled. Gods help them, his adoration for clothes and fancy fabrics, for anything that was extravagant, reminded her a little too much of Loras sometimes.

“Did he present you his sword too?”

Sansa nodded. “Before anything else.”

“Gendry made it for him,” Margaery elaborated.

“So he said.”

“He has given him lessons in using it too.” Margaery smiled pensively.

Gendry had been most wonderful with Olin. Never tiring answering the thousand questions that their son spew every day, he had been taking him ridding several times now. Olin adored the ground Gendry walked on, and for once, other than with Tyrion, who was on the receiving end of Olin’s admiration still, Margaery found Gendry truly deserving of it.

“Isn’t he a little young for that?” Sansa questioned, an edge in her tone.

Margaery looked up at her with drawn up eyebrows. “I thought we settled on letting me be the mother that constantly worries?”

“This is not the same as climbing trees, or riding horses,” Sansa shot back. “This is basically learning to kill someone.”

The manner she said those words, had Margaery frown. From what she had seen of their training sessions, he had shown great consideration and patience in taming Olin’s enthusiasm of wanting to be an abled knight yesterday. Had taught him how to handle a sword responsibly, rather than charging at his opposite with it blindly.

“It’s a lot more playful than you imagine it,” Margaery gave back.

“I don’t know if weapons are that ever.”

“Oh my, your imagination is getting the better of you there, sweet girl,” Margaery smiled up at her, brushed, a hand through her hair, but only felt her more tense under her touch. “Didn’t your brothers play with swords when they were Olin’s age? … And Arya?”

“Wooden swords,” Sansa answered. “My father would have never allowed a real sword in the hands of a seven-year-old.”

“Olin’s is hardly sharp enough to go through butter,” Margaery assured quickly. “Gendry explained me that it’s just supposed to get him used to the weight. You should watch them practice in the next days. That will ease your mind certainly.”

The rigid posture that had crept into Sansa’s body remained, as she averted her eyes and gazed out at the water. “Perhaps I will.”

There was a bite in her voice that fit her tension, and startled Margaery. A distinct distance emitted from her suddenly. Different than those of the last days; that had been weary, distracted, now she appeared downright cold. Aloof even when Margaery still sat cuddled against her.

But now, Margaery also had an idea where it could stem from. After a year apart from Olin, this time was the first time that he didn’t cling to Sansa from the moment he saw her. Of course he had been looking forward to the arrival of his mama, for weeks, but he was reaching an age, where neither her nor Sansa were his entire world anymore. He spent time with his friends, had interests that didn’t and couldn’t involve them.

That after the year he had spent in Winterfell, where he and Sansa had been joined by the hip, came as a shock to Sansa was to be expected.

“You know you have no reason to be jealous of Gendry, right?”

Blue eyes turned to her with sharpness. “I don’t?”

Relieved to have at last gotten to the bottom of this, Margaery smiled and kissed stiff lips. “You will always be his favourite person in the whole word.”

The tension had still not left Sansa, her eyes flitted over Margaery’s, then she lowered her gaze. “Am I still yours too?”

“How can you even ask that?”

Sansa’s hand tightened its hold in hers, her eyes still lowered and her face unreadable. “It’s not just Olin whom Gendry spends a lot of time with, is it?”

For a moment all Margaery could do was stare at her and wonder if she heard right, understood the unspoken insinuation behind the question. Sansa was jealous indeed, but not for the fear that Gendry could replace her with Olin.

She couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled past her lips if she had tried. She didn’t even in herself to mad at Sansa’s implied accusation, simply because it was that ridiculous. Gendry was… even in her wildest imagination, even if Sansa didn’t occupy her every thought, she could not see herself thinking of him like that. Not to mention that he hardly managed a day without mentioning Arya.

“Please don’t laugh at me,” Sansa pleaded quietly, still not looking at her. “Olin told me how much time you spent with him. How often he’s having supper with the two of you. How often you are in your Solar alone. The servants are talking too.”

Margaery cupped Sansa’s face and forced her to look at her, set a firm reassuring kiss against her lips once she did. “That’s what has been weighing on you these last days, wasn’t it? Oh Sansa.” She smiled at her adoringly and leaned in for another kiss that Sansa averted.

“If it is all so laugh worthy, why didn’t you ever mention him in your letters?”

“I didn’t want to risk disappointing you.”

Sansa blinked in incomprehension.

“We are assessing if he can be a candidate to succeed me.” She took Sansa’s hands in hers and placed a kiss against her knuckles. “As Hand of the Queen.”

With understanding slowly dawning, Sansa’s features relaxed for the first time since she’d arrived, and at last she offered the normal appearance of her wife again. Not that sad, sulky shadow of her. Margaery couldn’t resist finding slightly agape lips in a sweet kiss.

“I’m sorry,” Sansa whispered, resting her forehead against Margaery’s.

Margaery shook her head and ran her hand through her hair, without pulling back. “It’s fine. I get it.”

“No it’s not,” Sansa said meekly. “I should have trusted you and not assume something so… I should have known better than to assume you would ever hurt me like that.”

“It’s all right,” Margaery promised. “I don’t know if my reaction would have been different if roles were reversed.”

Finding out that her wife had failed to mention someone she spent vast amounts of time with? That was deemed to have imagination going a little mad. Especially when for the majority of the year there was this forsaken distance between them, where they had only letters to rely on.

Margaery smirked. “If you recall, I wasn’t exactly thrilled when Yara Greyjoy was visiting Winterfell.”

Now Sansa chuckled too.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you,” Margaery went on. “I should have told you, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up, until I was sure.”

That had happened too many times. Over the years there had been several promising candidates, and she had written to Sansa in great detail about each of them. In the end when it inevitably turned out that they weren’t suitable it left both of them disappointed.

Hesitance and hope shimmered in Sansa’s eyes. “Are you sure now?”

Margaery pulled back, needed a little distance between them. “Not yet,” she said through a sigh. ��He has a smart head on his shoulders. He has certainly grown into the role as Lord of Storm’s End and he knows the needs of the people in the city better than anyone we had considered before. That appeals to her grace especially.”

“That sounds promising,” Sansa voiced carefully.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Margaery felt that her smile was weak.

“What is it that you don’t like?”

“Only… his upbringing… he knows so little about politics, about diplomacy. There is so much that he will have to learn.”

“If you keep looking for a perfect duplicate of yourself, we’ll be separate for the next three decades.”

“I know.” Margaery sighed.

That she wanted to find someone to follow her who would fill the position in her sense was always the greatest problem. But Margaery didn’t consider it unreasonable. She was giving up the ability to form the realm in her sense, she needed to make sure that whoever came after her would not overturn all her achievements.

“You know I will always be biased because I want you with me,” Sansa mused through a smile. “Would you like to hear what I think still?”

Margaery found her lips in a quick kiss. “Always, my love.”

“I think the needs that the Hand of the Queen has to fulfil have changed since you took it. The realm, and the position of Daenerys have stabilized since then.” Sansa smiled. “Making her the most beloved queen, wasn’t that your mission? And that you have achieved, haven’t you? She’s most beloved among her subjects.”

Wistfulness filled Margaery at the memory Sansa evoked, still she nodded.

The words were clear, as what that what she had not said. She was not needed here at the same extent as she had been six years ago. Her talents didn’t not hold the same impact they had back then. Whomever followed her, did not need to fill the position exactly as she did. Perhaps, a change, a fresh set of eyes, as Gendry Baratheon could offer it, could even work to advance all the achievements she had made.

Had her reluctance to loosen her reigns more to do with herself, rather than was good for the realm? Perhaps.

“He’s a good candidate,” Margaery concluded at last. “The best we had in years.”

Sansa’s smile was the first really cheerful one in these last three days.

There it was again. That sense of hope, that frightened Margaery more than she could say, because she had disappointed it so many times in the past.

“But I need to be sure. As much as I want to be with you, I can’t just leave from one day to the next. Do you understand that?”

This time Sansa leaned in and kissed her. “You wouldn’t be the woman I loved if you could.”

“I’ll make good to my promise to you, Sansa,” Margaery vowed. “I swear.”

Sansa set an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I’ve waited six years, I can wait a couple more. I know you’re worth the wait.”

[kuroororo]

The Tales of KurooCat and a Broke College Student: II

~~~

Art by vgmt_sue on Twitter!

Your lovely feedback was super appreciated!! :> I hope you guys enjoy this one too! WARNING for naked Kuroo. Also boo thangs are 18+ ❤️

Part 1 Part 3

~~~

“W-Wha-? How??”

Just yesterday, you were completely alone. No friends, no family, and no one to talk to. From high school graduation til now, you’ve lived a pretty solitary life consisting of your studies and the sound of silence. Who would’ve known that there would come a day where you would be waking up in bed with a man? A very NAKED one at that.

His body was impossibly toned, immaculately sculpted from what you could guess was years of work and dedication. Or steroids. His arms were long and thick with muscle, braided with veins and littered with scars. Perhaps he fought a lot? You noticed a fresh, white bandage wrapped around his arm, further aiding your theory. The black, pointed ears on top of the strangers head twitched at the pitch of your scream. His fingers curled in like paws and batted at the strange membrane.

“Mmm...Not so loud...” Long eyelashes rose and unveiled piercing brown eyes. Where was supposed to be round pupils were long vertical slits, almost like a cats. He grumbled, batting his head some more. “I just woke up.”

Not so loud?

NOT SO LOUD?

How can this complete stranger say that, especially in such a relaxed manner?! He’s acting like he’s NOT a very handsome man in your bed, completely naked, with what seemed to be cat ears attached to his body-

Speaking of cat- Where was your cat?

“Kuroo?” You called out. At the name, pointed ears twitched in your direction, brown eyes focused on your movement. Ignoring the movement, you called for your cat again. “Kuroo? Where are you, kitty?!”

Glancing around and looking at the open window, you surmised that he must have jumped out the window while you were asleep. Is that how this stranger got in? The one time in two years you leave your window open, conscious of the needs of a cat, this shit has to happen-

“I’m right here, (Y/n).”

Your head snapped to the stranger currently sitting in bed with you. In bed. With you. With a squeal, you jumped up off the bed and slammed your back to the wall, putting as much space between you and the weirdo as possible.

“H-How do you know my name? How did you get in h-here?” You barely sputtered with a rapid heartbeat.

“You let me in here, (Y/n). Also, I heard you say your name while you were filling out paperwork at the vet.”

Something slithered under the sheets, something skinny like a snake. Before you could faint at the idea of a snake also being in the bed with you, the bushy tip of a tail slipped out and curled into the open. The end of the tail had a dark-spot just like the kitty you rescued yesterday.

“And what do you want to name the little rascal?” Koda asked, as you filled in the papers.

You looked down at the cat laying on your feet and noticed how there was a darker splotch of black at the end of its tail.

“...How about Kuroo. It means black tail.”

“...Kuroo?”

A smirk. A faint, devious, albeit hot smirk spread upon pink lips, answering your question.

“It’s me, babe.

“It’s Kuroo.”

Before you could snap at him for calling you babe, the sharp rap of the door being knocked shocked the both of you. Kuroos eyes narrowed preditorily at the door, bushy tail flickering. It was almost like he was ready to attack.

“(Y/n)?” A voice called, muffled through the door. It sounded like Yukie, your dorm neighbor. “Is everything alright? I heard you scream.”

Looking between Kuroo and the door, you bolted for the door, closing it behind you so Yukie couldn’t see in.

You relaxed when the door clicked shut. If anybody found out you had a boy in the dorm, you could get in huge trouble with the school! A cat was less reprimandable, but a bOY?? A being with a Y chromosome in a building where only X chromosomes exist? You couldn’t fathom what could happen to your scholarship if you got caught.

“Hi, Yukie!” You said to the red haired girl. Despite it being almost 11 in the morning, Yukie had a dazed out look like she just got up from bed. But then again, she always looked like that anyways. “Did I wake you?”

“No...Yeah...Well, I heard you scream and got worried. Everything okay in there?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. But I’m fine, though! Just nightmares..” You apologized, scratching the back of your head. That was half the truth. The idea of waking up with a complete stranger was truly a nightmare to you. But nowadays, girls would say it’s a blessing, especially if the stranger was as handsome as the man in your room.

“Okayyyy...” Yukie drawled out. She was probably still drowsy. “Well, if you need anything, feel free to scream like your getting murdered again.”

Your face instantly ignited bright red. Where you really that loud? You forced a laugh, gesturing that you were going to go back into your dorm again.

“Will do. Thanks.”

Yukie gave you a smile and waved off with a yawn, heading back into her dorm. When she closed her door, you blew out a sigh. Now, you’d have to figure out how to deal with your issue back in the dorm room.

Ask questions. Demand answers. Kick him out. You finalized in your brain. With some newfound determination, you gripped the door handle hard and entered the room.

All that conviction you mustered instantly deflated and left your system the moment you opened the door.

With a blanket wrapped around his waist, Kuroo the cat- er, human? crouched down in the middle of your room, batting at the crumpled notes your threw on the floor a couple days ago like a toy. He juggled it around a couple of times before looking your way at the feeling of being watched.

He looked up at you, one eye covered by black unruly hair. “Is she gone.”

Still in a stupor at the amount of CUTENESS you just witnessed, you only nodded.

“Yeah, she’s gone.”

A black tail perked and lifted from under the sheets, forming a tent. Right when you closed the door, you were about to demand answers when he pounced on you. You fell back against the door with a thud, sliding your body down the wood as Kuroo laid his whole weight on you. At first, you thought it was an attack and almost called for Yukie, but then you felt the soft membranes of his cat ears nuzzle against your chin. It was so strange, he had four ears: two human lobes, and two pointy ones. He must have some pretty great hearing. He nosed your neck and purred contently, louder, deeper than he did when he was a cat.

“Can you do that thing again?” He murmured against your skin. You hadn’t noticed til now how deep and smooth his voice was, especially as it vibrated against your neck. Big hands took yours and raised your small palm between his ears.

“You mean...Pet you?”

He chuckled into your shoulder, tickling you. “Yeah...It’s been so long since someone’s did that I forgot what it was called. It felt nice...Let’s do it again.”

With his warm body, smooth words, and powerful purring, you almost did. Before you remembered that Kuroo was a CAT that turned into a HUMAN. Using as much force as you could muster, instead of petting his head, you pushed against his chest.

“Wait- No. You have some explaining to do!” You said sternly. “The only reason I didn’t tell Yukie and security about you because I don’t know how it’ll effect my college reputation. We’re already not allowed to have pets here, but guys? This isn’t a co-ed building, I could get into some serious trouble if we get caught. So you better start explaining now.”

Kuroo held your hands to his chest and grinned. “Even if you did call for help, they wouldn’t catch me. I could just turn into a cat and hop out the window~ By the time security came, I would be long gone.”

He could just turn back into a cat? What did that mean? You looked up at him with a face painted in confusion. “What are you...”

Kuroo closed his eyes and took a deep sigh.

“...Do we have to talk about that now? Can’t we just skip all that and go back to cuddling?”

Your face ignited once more. “We were NOT cuddling!”

Kuroo grinned, showing sharp, pearly fangs. “Well, we weren’t at first. But then you kinda wrapped your arms around me and I couldn’t resist.”

“N-No way...”

“You drooled a bit on my chest too. Be glad your cute or that would have been totally gross.”

“Sh-Shut up!!” You cried. Despite the intense irritation you were feeling right now, you couldn’t deny how weird this man made you feel. Pushing the thought away, you glared at Kuroo hard. “And don’t dodge the question! I’m going to repeat myself one more time. What are you?”

Sighing again, he let go of your hands and scratched at the back of his head. “Guess there’s no turning into a back into a cat and pretending it didn’t happen now, huh?”

You crossed your arms and agreed. “Nope.”

Kuroo groaned, running a big hand down his face as if this was the most unnecessary conversation he’s ever had.

“....Well, (Y/n). Some of us are just born different. Some of us have a deficiency in our lungs, some of us were born to be shorter than others. I was born to have the ability to take the form of either a domestic cat or a human.”

“A human with cat-ears? And a tail?” You tugged on his tail lightly for emphasis. It was brushing against you leg side to side for a bit, tickling you, until you got sick of it. When you pulled his tail, Kuroo yelped, and reached out to grab your wrist.

“D-Don’t do that...” He hissed. It wasn’t an angry, threatening hiss, but it was a hiss nontheless. “That shit makes me excited.”

Oh.

OH-

You didn’t know how your face hasn’t melted off yet because of the extreme temperatures youe cheeks were meeting today. Letting go of his tail and yanking your hand away from his, you tried pushing the conversation forward. “So, does your mom turn into a cat too?”

Kuroo shrugged. “Don’t know. Never met her. And if I did, I don’t remember. The earliest memory I have is when I was just a kit. I think my dad was carrying me around in the rain. He was a cat at the time too, if I recall.”

Your eyes softened. “What happened to him?”

“I don’t know. We were living on the streets for a while as strays until we got separated. I haven’t seen him ever since.”

You knew what that was like. Not knowing your parents enough for some tangent memories to reminisce about. But you had your grandma to take care of you. Who did he have?

Sensing your grief, Kuroo gave you a smile. “It’s okay, though. I’ve found others to take care of me, and to take care of. So it’s not as bad as you probably think.”

“Wait, there’s more of you?” You perked up. Kuroo groaned again before throwing his upper body into your lap.

“Yes, but can we stop with the questions now?” He whined into your lap. He was rubbing his face into your stomach. “I want some cuddles.”

“Um, no, mister!” You said pushing against his forehead. “This is not the time for cuddles.”

“Then when is the time for cuddles?”

“Wah? That’s not the point-“

“So, cuddles aren’t off the table.”

“Listen.” You forced through gritted teeth. No matter the amount of teasing, you can’t let him throw you off track. “It’s just- What are we gonna do now? I took you in because I thought you were a cat that needed help. But now I know that your human too with others like you waiting for you. It’s different now- You don’t...”

He doesn’t have to be here.

And when he leaves, you’ll be alone again.

You didn’t understand why your eyes burned, or why your heart was hurting so much. Maybe it was because for once in your life, you didn’t need to be alone anymore. Maybe you can care for something and have something care for you. Maybe you’d have someone to pass the years with, to graduate college with, to move into a new home with, to make memories with even if he was just a cat.

But, Kuroo was just fine on his own. He didn’t need you- You needed him. And who were you to keep him from his family.

Sensing your distress, Kuroo gently nuzzled himself in the space under your chin and started purring again.

“Y-You can’t stay here...” You sniffed, not looking at him

“I’d like to....”

Those words made you look down at him. His eyes were just the same as they were when he was a cat. They were still only focused on you. He laid his chin on your chest and continued to stare. You shook your head.

“Maybe you could have, if you were just a cat.”

“I am still a cat. An injured one at that.” He raised his right arm to remind you of his bandages. You remembered the snake he was fighting. Was he like Kuroo too?

Kuroo lifted himself off your chest and sat up straight. Until now, you hadn’t noticed how big he was as a human. “How about,” He started, his ears perking up. “We wait til my arm heals up to think about it. Then we could worry about all that. But for now...” Kuroo grabbed your small hands with his big ones. “I’ll stay here.”

You were confused. Kuroo definitely had lived through rougher experiences than a snake fight. Why was he insisting on staying here? Why did he keep demanding your affection? Why did it even matter at all?”

“Why?” Was all you could ask.

Kuroo shrugged again.

“I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want to leave you.”

~~~

If Kuroo was really gonna stay with you, he needed some clothes. At this, Kuroo protested greatly, preferring to stay in his natural state of nakedness. He even offered to go back in cat form. You declined, saying that seeing him as just a normal cat again would be weird. But it did help when you wanted to go out with him to get clothes.

In cat form, he stayed in your canvas bag while you two were picking out clothes, only sticking his head out to protest when it came to certain patterns. In the end, you got for him some XL sweaters and some pairs of plaid patterned pants since he seemed to reject the idea of jeans. You also grabbed a black beanie for him so he could cover his cat ears.

Stopping by your favorite cafe, you snuck to the back and threw him and the clothes into the gender neutral bathroom so he could put them on. You dissuaded customers from coming closer, saying that the bathroom was occupied for a moment, and that you were waiting in line.

You heard a ‘poof’ and some grunts. Before you knew it, the door your were leaning on opened, almost making you fall to the ground. Thankfully, Kuroo caught you in time.

He grinned down at you. “Falling for me?”

You scrambled to right yourself up. Giving him a once over, you noted how nice he looked in a beanie. He totally pulled off the grunge aesthetic. Not that you would tell him that.

He was still smirking at you“N-No! It’s just- “ You babbled. You wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, now matter how sexy it was. “Whatever! Let’s just get something to eat.”

Grabbing his arm, you led him to the counter. The pretty girl with glasses behind the cash register greeted you both. You’ve seen her many times here and around campus. Her name was Kiyoko, you think.

“Hi, (Y/n). The usual?” She asked. When she looked up to your companion, her eyes widened, a glint of emotion swirling in beautiful crystal orbs.

“Yeah, and he’ll just have a turkey sandwich, I guess. With a cup of water.” You took out your wallet.

“Not gonna let me order?” Kuroo asked, quirking a brow.

“Nah, too much hassle.” You handed Kiyoko your debit card. She rang you up and gave you your receipt, informing you that your order will be ready shortly. You and Kuroo took a seat near the back for privacy. He sat across from you while you twiddled your thumbs.

“You know, you have great taste in names.” He started. You looked up from your hands and tilted your head in confusion.

“What?”

“You named me Kuroo because of my black tail right? It’s funny actually, Kuroo’s actually my last name. What a coincidence, right?”

Your face brightened. That WAS a real coincidence. Who would’ve known you’d be able to guess his name correctly just by looking at his tail. And who knows, maybe his whole family had black- tipped tails too.

“If that’s your last name, what’s your first name?”

Kuroo smiled at you. “Tetsurou. It means ‘Iron cheerfulness’.”

You wonder what that alluded too. Before you could continue, you heard Kiyoko call your order. Getting up, you went over and grabbed your (drink) and (food) along with Kuroo’s.

“Ah, thanks! I’m starving.” He said as you handed him his sandwich. He ripped the wrapper away and started digging in. It made you wonder what he ate as a cat. He told you there was no way in hell he’d eat cat food again (again?), but it made you wonder more about his life on the streets with other cats. As you took as sip of your drink, something unusual caught the corner of your eye.

On Kuroo’s sandwhich wrapper, it was labeled with his name. That part wasn’t too strange because it was probably so you can tell which foods belonged to who. The part tha weirded you out the most is that you don’t remember giving Kiyoko his name. And you didn’t know why it said “Tetsurou” on there either.

He told you his first name in the privacy of the back-half of the cafe, there’s no way she could’ve heard you. The way she looked at Kuroo was weird too....

It was almost like she recognized him.

With a shrug, you dismissed that thought and took a bite of your meal.

~~~

WOw, that took a whILE!!! Again, thank you sooooooooo much to everyone that commented! It really means so much to me :’)))) PLs continue to support this comment hoe with comments ❤️ ❤️

Also, should i make a tag list? 🤔 🤔 🤔

[ameth18blog]

Unexpected Encounters. Chapter 10: The Search (Part 3)

Washimi and Gori were in the east of the city, they had just left Gori's apartment. The two friends reflected calm in their faces and ways of walking as when they were at work. They passed everywhere with their eyes fixed ahead.

"How long do you think it will take us to find them?" Gori asked.

"I ignore it. This city is very big, so they could be anywhere. We could take hours on this," Washimi replied.

"Well, if that's the case, then I think we should start there" said the gorilla pointing to the park, which was the same one they had visited the day before.

"And why there?" asked the eagle.

"If that was where Koka and Hana found the emeralds, perhaps we could find some clue of the others who came to this dimension because of them" said Gori.

Well, not a bad idea. Then let's go" said Washimi.

Both friends came to the park. It was not as crowded as the day before, and more considering what had happened the day before. It was noticeable that for that reason there were not many children, but there were few. Although it was noted that they were being cautious for some situation that seems suspicious that put them in danger.

"Washimi I have thought something" said the gorilla.

Her friend watched her without saying anything.

"Maybe those beings if they want to use my App when they find out about it."

"Don't tell me you've been thinking about that since yesterday."

"Of course, after years ago the app said that Haida and Retsuko were soul mates and it was 100 percent correct. And since it has come to unite other couples, I thought it could be extended to beings from other universes".

"Perhaps you think that the beings who are lost in this universe are at this time more interested in finding a partner than in going home."

"Of course there is, there is always time to find love and be happy with that other person."

"You never change".

Washimi lowered her head when she suddenly noticed that her communicator and Gori's were blinking.

"Gori, our communicators" said the eagle as she and the gorilla looked at her arms.

"That means they are close. I'm going to show you my application".

"Concentrate."

She could see those who were in the park were a lot of parents with their children, but she could see that some of them had unusual coat colors. They thought it must be them, so they calmly approached. There were a total of 5 families and each of them had children.

The first was a family of two male spouses who had two sons:

One was an orange bear and afro hair with dark orange sideburns. He wore a yellow disco shirt and pants and cream and orange platform shoes.

The other was also a bear, but he was cream-colored, wearing a red hat, a red robe, red pants, and red slippers.

One of the children was a cream-colored bear like the second adult bear. He wore a small yellow and red cap with a propeller on top, a long-sleeved yellow shirt, red pants, red and yellow shoes.

The other child was also a cream colored bear like the second adult bear and the other little one, although unlike the other bear this was a baby, it also had orange hair like the first adult bear, only this baby had curly hair and it was not an afro. He wore a long-sleeved red button-down shirt, yellow pants, and red and yellow shoes.

The second family if it was of two male and female spouses who had a son:

One was a green bear. He wore a green beret with a colored logo of varying shades of orange. He wore a button-down shirt and green military pants, black shoes, and a gray identification tag. On his shirt were orange stripes on his shoulders denoting his rank as a sergeant.

The other was a red porcupine, his quills were a darker red color which were full of flake-like dander. He wore a pink shirt and skirt and light blue shoes.

The boy was a red bear, which had a green abdomen. He wore a green beret with a colored logo of different shades of orange like his father's. He wore a white shirt, black pants and shoes, and a blue jacket.

The third was another family of two male spouses who had a daughter and a son:

The first was a green chameleon with three dark green lines between its eyes, above and below them. He wore a green beret with a colored logo of varying shades of orange. He wore a green military button-down shirt and cream pants, black shoes, and a gray identification tag.

The second was a cream-colored mouse with black ears, they had a stereotypical French-style mustache and black eyebrows. He wore a green beret with a colored logo of varying shades of orange. He wore a green military button-down shirt and cream pants, black shoes, and a gray identification tag. His ears were wrapped in white bandages.

The girl was a dark purple cat, she wore an orange long-sleeved shirt, a green skirt, pink socks and black shoes.

The boy was a green mouse with three cream-colored lines between his eyes and black ears, although unlike the girl, the boy was a baby. He wore a long-sleeved green shirt, blue pants, and black shoes.

The fourth family was another of two male and female spouses who had a daughter:

The first was a sky-blue boar, which had black hooves instead of hands and feet. He wore a dark blue sailor suit with white, including a white hat with a pink stripe, and black shoes.

The other was a purple sheep, with some white woolly hair on its head. She wore a white wool sweater, pants, and white shoes. She wore a purple bow on her head.

The girl was a hybrid, her fur was purple, she inherited her mother's nose, shaggy hair, hands and feet, while she inherited her father's ears, tail, and fangs. . She wore a dark blue dress, with a white ribbon at the waist, and black shoes.

The girl carried in one of her arms a green pickle that had arms, legs, eyes, a mouth and a stereotypical French-style mustache. She also wore a black top hat with a blue stripe. At first glance the pickle looked like a toy.

The fifth and final was another family of two male spouses who had a son

The first was a sea-water-colored sea otter, which had three whiskers on either side of its head. This otter was missing his right hand, instead he used a hook. Both legs were missing and instead had wooden legs. He was missing his right eye and instead had an eye patch. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt, which was ripped at the sleeves and bottom. She is wearing black pants and a black pirate hat with the design of a skull with white crossbones.

The second was a purple deer, whose antlers were pink. He wore white mime makeup, his cheeks were pink, over his eyes he had dark purple makeup. He wore a purple and white striped long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and purple shoes.

The boy was a hybrid, his coat was aquamarine, his cheeks were pink, he had a deer tail, but it was aquamarine on top and purple on the bottom. He had small horns that were beginning to grow on the top of his head and three whiskers on either side of his head. He wore a torn red and purple shirt on the arms and bottom, black pants, purple shoes and a black pirate hat, but without the skull and bones design. This child was a baby.

Something that all these families had in common was that most had rabbit teeth that protruded from their mouths, with the exception of the chameleon, the wild boar, and the hybrid between wild boar and sheep. They all had heart-shaped pink noses, except the chameleon and the boar. The irises in everyone's eyes were shaped like a pacman, except for the chameleon, the two mice, and the cat.

Just when they were about to reach the families, four of the children began to run in various directions while playing, while the three babies stayed playing with their respective parents watching the other children.

"Remember, you have to speak calmly with them, maybe they are still not used to being in this place" said Washimi.

"I understand" Gori said with all seriousness.

They both approached the adults. When they noticed their presence they were watching.

"Good morning" said the eagle.

"Good morning" all the adults replied.

"You come from another dimension and have been trapped in this universe for 3 months, right?" the gorilla said suddenly.

"Gori, I told you that we had to talk things calmly" said Washimi.

"Umm, excuse me. You know what that white light was that brought us here" asked the green bear.

"Yes, those who sent us to look for them explained it to us" replied the eagle.

"Well, before you explain it to us, wait a moment," said the aquamarine sea otter and then called the children who were playing.

When they heard them, they approached.

"Something happens?" asked the little cream-colored bear.

"These ladies are going to explain how we got here" replied the cream-colored mouse.

Really?" said the 4 children sitting on the laps of their respective parents.

Gori and Washimi told everything they knew to the 5 families in front of them.

"So we have to wait for the missing emeralds to be found?" asked the green chameleon.

"Yes, at the moment those who sent us to look for them have 3 in their possession" replied the eagle.

"Well, now that you know everything, you could tell us their names," said the gorilla.

"I'm Disco Bear and this is my Pop husband" said the orange bear with orange afro hair.

"Pleasure. And they are our two sons: Cub and Rory" said the cream bear, pointing first to the little cream bear with a hat on his head and then to the cream baby bear with orange hair.

"I'm Flippy and this is my wife Flaky" said the green bear.

"And this is our son Fluffy" said the red porcupine pointing to the bear with red color and green abdomen.

"I'm Sneaky and this is my husband Mouse Ka-Boom" said the green chameleon.

"This is our adopted daughter Denisse and our son Bomb" said the cream colored mouse pointing first to the dark purple cat and then to the baby green mouse.

"I'm Truffles and this is my wife Lammy" said the sky blue boar.

"This is our daughter Bella and this is Mr. Pickles" said the purple sheep pointing to the purple hybrid and the pickle.

"I'm Russell and this is my mate Mime. And this is our son Robby" said the aquamarine sea otter pointing to the purple deer and the aquamarine hybrid.

The purple deer didn't speak as it was a mime, but still he greeted them with a hand gesture.

After Washimi and Gori introduced themselves. They didn't find it strange to meet same-sex couples and with children, since they already knew several such families.

Then they asked how they got to that universe.

"Well, most of us had gone to pick up the children from school after classes finished, everything was normal. We are all neighbors, so we would go home together," said Lammy.

"Along the way they met Mime and me who were walking Robby and were on our way home. Everything was normal like any other day" said Russell.

"But when we were in front of our house, that strange light appeared that enveloped us all in less than 10 seconds" said Flaky.

"When we woke up, although we were separated, fortunately the children were not left alone, since Flaky and Lammy were with them when they got here," said Pop.

"It took us about two days to meet again, and since we got here we have stayed in a hotel with the money we have gotten by finding certain jobs that we can do," said Sneaky.

"Well, at least we know they haven't had a difficult time here," Washimi said.

At that moment Gori's communicator began to ring therefore he answered.

"Hi. Oh, it's your Retsuko. Yes, we have already found them. And you? How good! They left? Oh I see. Well, if we can meet there. Goodbye" said Gori after finishing the call.

"What was Retsuko saying?" asked the eagle.

"She said that she, Fenneko and Judy already found a group. She also said that they contacted Haida, Ookami and Nick and also found another group. I told them that we too" said the gorilla.

"That is a relief."

"But she told me that Sonic and his friends left, and Jack went with them. It seems they found the location of the master emerald and went looking for it before Eggman finds it."

"I hope they can find it in time."

"I hope so too. He told me that in the meantime we can go to my apartment to meet with the others".

They both turned to the 5 families.

"And what do you say?" Washimi asked.

"Do you want to come with us?" Gori asked.

They all looked at each other and agreed with a nod. The group left the park with Washimi and Gori in front, while behind them were the 5 families carrying their respective children in their arms.

"It's a shame" Gori said.

"What thing?" Washimi asked.

"That all of them are happily united, and they don't need my app and that the children are too young to use it."

"I think you need a new hobby."

After that they continued walking back towards Gori's apartment.

[akuma-homura]

Pet death cw, morbid/gross cw, blood mention, rambling

I know that grief doesn’t go away that quickly, I know the feelings don’t fade away so quickly-- but a day after her death, I really do wish they would. I don’t want to feel sad and tear up and all that. I don’t want to feel sad if I happen to think of Yuki again. I want to be happy that she was even here. I want to think of her happily, even if she’s gone.

I want to fully register that she’s gone, that I won’t see her again, that I won’t hear her knocking on my door in the morning anymore, see her dogging for our food anymore, see her sleep on the couch on her back....

That I won’t be able to pet her anymore... Pat her belly... Throw her squeaky toys and watch her happily chase after them....

We gave her a good life, we did what we could, and-- I don’t know, I don’t know if getting her to a vet earlier would of saved her life, or if they would of wanted to euthanize her because it turned out to be something inevitably fatal and we would of just had to spend who knows how much just to have her die, I don’t know--

It really does hurt, knowing she isn’t here. Knowing she’s gone. It just-- even if she did seem a bit sick, it didn’t-- she deteriorated so quickly and suddenly yesterday, dying--

I’m trying not to feel regrets, like I so often do when someone passes. I did what I could. I made sure she had a comfortable place to sleep in my room, where she wanted to be her last month, for some reason. But when I hear she collapsed in front of my room, I just---

If I had my door open? If I carried her to my room--

But no. She was with my mom, my mom was holding her just earlier before I went to my room. And-- even if my door was open, she wouldn’t of made it inside. She collapsed just before actually reaching my door. And if she was in my room, instead of with mom for that bit--

There’s nothing I could of done. It just... hurts a lot, knowing she was trying to get to my room, before she just... collapsed and died. She still had a slight heartbeat when I checked after hearing my parents sobbing-- I just... hope she knew I was there in those final, final moments. Petting her as I could 

I just. It really felt so sudden. So so sudden. Zacheriah was old, and obviously going to pass soon when he did. Takuya too. Lightning a little too.

Yuki felt... so quick and sudden, just within the past month. She got a little sick-- that’s all it seemed. And she seemed like she was perking up not too long ago too. So there was a little bit of hope--

But then those hopes were dashed. She deteriorated within the day yesterday. And then she died. And blood-- you know how when things die, they apparently. Soil themselves? I don’t know. My mom was holding her body, with a few paper towels on her butt, so she wouldn’t get any poop on her, and just--

...blood. so much blood on that paper towel. 

She didn’t have bloody stools before. But that. It was like it was just blood. Straight up just blood.

I just-- I don’t understand. I wish I at least knew what exactly killed her, in the end. A virus? Bacterial infection? Poisoned(eating something she shouldn’t of)? ...Cancer, with all the bumps she had...?

I wish I knew. I just wish I knew. Some sort of closure on that front. But-- we’ll never know, not really.

She was 12. That’s a long time for a dog, I always hear, but it feels so short when Zacheriah, Takuya, and Lightning were much older. Takuya was-- 14, at the time, I think? Lightning, who was a cat, was 17~18.

We got her in 2009, I remember that. I remember when she was small and in my room with her little box, and I freaked out a little because she kept twitching in her sleep making noises, but it was just her dreaming.

Which she had a frequency of doing, even near the end. I think one of my recent twitch streams caught her doing small lil barks in her sleep.

...

I’m glad I have some good pictures of her, at least. From 2018~2020. One from this year, before she got visibly sick. A couple from 2018 are perfect-- her on her back, they way she would love to lay down-- and the other with her legs on my(?) leg, looking very cute. Also, one with Rose’s butt, Binki, and her, outside. 

...

I’ll miss her. I’ll really miss her. I really miss her. I just want to pet her again, scritch her neck, pat her belly like a belly drum-- 

ha....

[heyiwrotesomethings]

You’ve Cat to be Kitten Me Right Meow

Shinobu Kochou x GN Reader Modern AU, No Demons

“Alright, did I get everything? Do you think you need anything else?” Mitsuri asked.

“Looks like everything. Food, treats, toys, litter, bedding... all the things I’ve ever known cats to need.” (Y/n) smiled, listing off the various items in front of them.

“Right, I just want to make sure. Obanai really caught me off guard with this couple’s retreat thing.” Mitsuri said, looking fondly at the ball of fur sitting on the carpet. “Speaking of couples, are you sure Shinobu isn’t going to mind?”

“She left for a week long health and science conference yesterday, so you guys should be back long before she gets here.” (Y/n) replied, kneeling to ruffle the cat’s fur and rub behind its ears. “Besides I love cats, especially sweet little LoveFluff!” “I really appreciate this, (Y/n).” Mitsuri said. “I’m sure you’ll take great care of her. We’ll be back in three days and don’t hesitate to call or text with any questions or updates. Oo! I love pictures, send a lot of pictures!” “Okay,” (Y/n) laughed, “I can do that. You better get going though, don’t want to keep Obanai waiting too long.” “Okay, okay.” Mitsuri knelt down and gave LoveFluff a few quick pats and kisses. “Be a good girl for (Y/n) sweet baby, momma will see you in a few days!” Mitsuri gave another quick wave and sweet smile before leaving the apartment and shutting the door behind her. “Looks like it’s just you and me, LoveFluff.” “Mow” *** The first day went without a hitch. (Y/n) and LoveFluff played with toys, watched some nature documentaries, and many photos were sent to Mitsuri. Dinner was served and business was done in the appropriate box. Yes, this was going perfectly (Y/n) thought when they got up the next morning. (Y/n) had just filled LoveFluff’s bowl for breakfast and poured themself a lovely warm drink when they were jarred out of their calm state by the sound of the front door opening. “Surprise, (Y/n). I’m home~!” (Y/n) nearly spit out their drink, their eyes darting between LoveFluff and the hall that lead to the entryway. Oh shit, I’m in trouble, they thought. “The conference was a bust. You’d think they would have planned it better but it was so unorganized. I did see Tamayo, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time. We came to the consensus that it would be better to just go home so-” Shinobu had finally emerged from the entryway to witness (Y/n) frantically looking for a place to hide LoveFluff and failing miserably. “...(Y/n),” Shinobu said, sternly. “Isn’t that Mitsuri’s cat?” “Yes...” (Y/n) answered, quickly realizing there was no way around this. “And why, pray tell, is this furry menace infiltrating the sanctity of our home?” “Mitsuri and Obanai are on a couple’s retreat and Mitsuri asked me if I could take care of LoveFluff.” (Y/n) replied. “I’m sorry Shinobu, I should’ve told you, but I didn’t think you’d be back so soon. She was going to be gone tomorrow afternoon and I was going to vacuum and clean up before you got back.” “You mean we still have this fur ball in our apartment for at least another twenty-four hours? (Y/n), the couch and your sweatshirt are absolutely covered in fur!” Shinobu pointed out, disgust obvious in her tone. “You’re mad, aren’t you?” “No shit, honey.” Shinobu sighed, rubbing her temples. “If it makes you feel any better, I closed the bedroom and your office off so she couldn’t go in there.” (Y/n) said, sheepishly. “Thank god for small favors I guess.” Shinobu grumped, walking past (Y/n) with her luggage. LoveFluff thought this was a good time to rub herself on Shinobu’s calves as she walked by, eliciting another distressed groan from Shinobu. “Stop that, you are getting my pants furry! (Y/n), you are going to be making up for this for the rest of our natural born lives... and then some!” she griped as the cat followed her down the hall towards the master bedroom. (Y/n) followed behind and scooped up LoveFluff to prevent her from getting into the bedroom. “She’ll be gone tomorrow, Shinobu. I’ll take care of everything. If you want to stay at Kanae’s for the night I understand.” Shinobu turned on her heel, hand on the bedroom door. “Surely you don’t think you can get rid of me that easily.” “I’m not trying to get rid of you, I just thought you wouldn’t want to be here right now.” “I want to relax in my apartment with my partner without that beast shedding all over the place!” Shinobu replied, clearly exasperated. “I’m going to put my stuff away, then take a shower and then we can talk. I need to clear my head.” “Okay, love you.” “I love you too, even though you can be absolutely infuriating sometimes.” Shinobu blew a kiss, then leveled a glare at the cat as if it had stolen something precious from her. She then disappeared behind the bedroom door, closing it firmly behind her. “I’m in so much trouble, LoveFluff.” (Y/n) whispered to the cat purring in their arms. *** (Y/n) texted Mitsuri while Shinobu was in the shower and updated her on the situation. Mitsuri was quick to sympathize and promised to get back as soon as possible the next day. When Shinobu re-emerged from the bathroom, LoveFluff jumped off the couch and pawed after her. “Oh come on now, I just got clean, shoo!” “She likes you, Shinobu. She just wants you to pet her, or play with her.” (Y/n) called from the couch. Shinobu groaned. “Toss me that feather-ball-string thing.” (Y/n) tossed the mid-range toy over and Shinobu jingled it around. LoveFluff happily ran around after it, occasionally catching it and giving the toy a few kicks with her back legs before Shinobu would pull the toy free and the chase would begin again. “What are you smiling at over there?” “Nothing.” (Y/n) answered, turning back to the tv. Not long after, (Y/n) felt something soft plop onto their lap and looked down just in time to see the heavy set cat jump up from the carpet into their lap. “Oof!” (Y/n) hunched forward a bit and the toy slithered over their shoulder and off of the back of the couch, a movement that LoveFluff didn’t miss and quickly scrambled over (Y/n)’s shoulder and pushed off, sending (Y/n) into a further hunched position. Shinobu’s laughter rang through the apartment when (Y/n) regained their bearings and looked behind the couch with a look of confusion and betrayal etched on their features. “Now you’re going to get it!” (Y/n) laughed. Getting up from the couch, arms outstretched. “You know, I haven’t gotten a hug since you got back. I think now would be a nice time for one!” “(Y/n), no! You are coated in shedded fur!” Shinobu scolded, playfulness still dancing in her eyes. “I just got changed!” She pointed the cat toy forward, ready to defend herself from the approaching figure. “You should have thought about that before you let the cat use me as a human springboard!” (Y/n) yelled, rushing forward. Shinobu smacked (Y/n) upside the head with the cat toy and used the momentary distraction to run behind the kitchen island. (Y/n) wasted no time however, in simply jumping onto the counter and sliding to Shinobu’s side of the temporary barrier and caught her off guard. The pair ran back into the living room with LoveFluff quick on their heels. (Y/n) managed to tackle Shinobu into the couch, holding her tight and peppering her face with kisses. “(Y/n), no, get off! I’m covered in fur now!” Shinobu gasped, trying to stop laughing. “Sorry, love. I’m afraid the cat thinks I’m a good place to sit.” Shinobu looked over (Y/n)’s shoulder and saw LoveFluff laying down on (Y/n)’s back. “You are going to continue to crush me because the cat is comfortable and you don’t want to move it?” “That’s the plan!” (Y/n) laughed, snuggling into Shinobu. “Besides, you are now thoroughly covered in fur, you can’t possibly get any hairier, and the next couple nature docs lined up are focused on insects, and I know you like those so, let’s just relax here and watch them.” (Y/n) smiled. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt...” Shinobu sighed, running her hands over (Y/n)’s hair. “How do you do it? Why can’t I stay mad at you?” “Because you loooove me~” “I suppose that would have something to do with it.” Shinobu agreed, a slight smile visible on her lips. The couple and their house guest hardly left the living room area for the rest of the day. Opting to order a late lunch/ early dinner from one of their favorite restaurants and watching documentaries and movies all day. It was rather late when Shinobu and (Y/n) fell asleep halfway through an ocean life documentary and not long after, LoveFluff rejoined them, curling up near Shinobu’s side. ***

The next morning Mitsuri let herself in with the spare key, Obanai not far behind. She had expected to at least see (Y/n) up, but was pleasantly surprised to see her friends sleeping peacefully on the couch with LoveFluff. “Isn’t this just the most precious sight you’ve ever seen?” Mitsuri cooed, quietly. “I wouldn’t say the most precious.” Obanai replied, beginning to gather the cat supplies around the apartment. Mitsuri’s eyes shone with adoration and pulled her phone out, snapping various photos of the sight before her. “(Y/n) is gonna love these!” Once Mitsuri and Obanai collected all the items and put them in the car, Mitsuri returned with the cat carrier and loudly entered the apartment this time around, causing the couple on the couch to stir and the cat to jump off to investigate. “Hello, my sweet baby angel! Did you have a good time? Did you miss me?” “Mowwww” (Y/n) awoke and rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, carefully extracting themself from Shinobu, who groaned and turned to her side. “Hey, Mitsuri, sorry, I was sleeping. Need help with grabbing stuff?” “No that’s fine, Obanai helped pack up. You and Shinobu look no worse for wear.” she smiled. “I’m sure she’ll find ways to get me back for this for years to come, but it definitely went over better than I thought it would.” “Well, be sure to tell her I’m sorry as well when she wakes up. I’ll make her some ginger tsukudani later this week too. Hopefully that will count for something.” Mitsuri said, coaxing LoveFluff into the carrier and shutting the door behind her. “I’m sure she’d appreciate that.” (Y/n) yawned. “You should get some more sleep so I’ll get going. Thanks again for watching LoveFluff for me.” “No problem. It was my pleasure.” “Oh, one more thing!” Mitsuri called from the door. “Check your phone, I got some cute pics!” Mitsuri left and (Y/n) sat back on the couch in the gap left by Shinobu’s bent legs and unlocked their phone. They smiled at the sweet picture that Mitsuri had sent them. It was (Y/n) and Shinobu cuddled up on the couch with LoveFluff tucked into Shinobu’s side. “What are you doing over there.” (Y/n) turned to the sleepy-looking Shinobu. “Just looking at the cute picture Mitsuri sent me.” Shinobu sat up and lazily laid her head on (Y/n)’s shoulder to look at the phone. She scoffed. “That girl has no sense of personal space.” “Look who’s talking.” “Quiet you.” Shinobu said, softly shoving (Y/n). “Cats’ gone so you need to get to work.” “Alright,” (Y/n) sighed. They got up and got the vacuum cleaner out of the closet. Shinobu smirked from her spot on the couch. “Oh, and I’d like some tea and a foot rub when you’re done.” “You are never going to let this go are you?” “Probably not.”

[love-and-hisses]

We have an update on the kitten formerly known as Athos!⁠ ..⁠ Amy says: "Athos has been re-named...Leo! He has big paws that pad around the house reminding us of a lion! We’re considering a couple of different middle names, include Houdini and Jitterbug...lol. ⁠ ..⁠ It took him a couple of days to settle down - he was constantly moving, to the point that we couldn’t even get a photo. The first day after we got him, he was scared of everything...both our cats and our dog, any loud noise, any sudden movements. Yesterday he came downstairs on his own (he’s sleeping in our son’s room on the 2nd floor) and just skittered to every room checking EVERYTHING out. Yay progress! ⁠ ..⁠ Our Calico wants nothing to do with Leo, but then she doesn’t want anything to do with our other orange tabby, Dreyfus, either. Our dog, who is as sweet as can be, hasn’t really met Leo yet. He’s usually asleep on his bed in the living room at night and in the sunroom during the day. Leo has cautiously approached his slumbering body at night but then usually runs off when he moves. Our other orange tabby, Dreyfus, alternates between wanting to play with Leo and wanting to swat at him a bit. But I think they’ll eventually be good friends. Leo does have an obsession with our daughter’s hedgehog. We don’t know if he thinks she is a toy or what but he seems to have no fear of her spikes! He has sniffed her and touched her spiky back with his paw with no complaint of pain or anything. ⁠ ..⁠ Today Leo got up in my husband’s lap and laid down for a nap - first time for that too. He’s been generally napping in the “safe harbor” under our son’s bed! ⁠ ..⁠ Leo is quite smart, loves to bat around the black fuzzy ball that came with him from Robyn’s house and remembers where he puts it, and really likes to play inside big cardboard boxes. He also watches TV! ⁠ ..⁠ Orange tabbies must all be loud jumpers - we thought it was because our older one is 14 pounds, but Leo is almost as loud as Dreyfus when he’s jumping from any surface! Our calico on the other hand is stealthy and silent when she does so. LOL. ⁠ ..⁠ We’re very much enjoying having Leo as part of our family!”⁠ ..⁠ (Thanks, Amy!!) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdKQkUFhc-/?igshid=1sh1uhkedn5u8

[caramelslate]

Day 3 of Moms Made Fullmetal Week!

Prompt: Disappointment or Apologies or Grounded 

AO3 link is here.

Enjoy reading!

“Ed?”

Trisha Elric hated scolding the kids. It is fortunate for her to be given two sons that are mostly well behaved. Although her older one is a bit short-tempered and would throw some tantrums every now and then. But that’s common with kids and it’s nothing she couldn’t handle. Most of the townsfolk often admire her sons for being so mild-mannered compared to other more rambunctious kids.

However, this is clearly a different scenario.

He punched another kid and broke his nose?  Trisha stared at the piece of note asking her to come to school tomorrow and explaining the reason why.

Ed couldn’t do that. Well, he easily gets angry, especially when teased but she has never seen him get at least a bit violent. But now, she really needs to know the truth straight from her son. Trisha crouched, brought her eye level to Ed and stared at her eldest in the eyes, and asked, “Did you really punch him?”

Ed looked down at his shoes then to the side, literally looking anywhere else other than back at her and her heart sank. He always does when he does something wrong. She got her confirmation a few seconds later with a small “Yes.” She sighed in disappointment. What is happening?

Ed spoke up, “But Mom, they were taking Al’s lunch yesterday, I saw it happen.” Trisha’s eyes went wide and her head went flying towards her younger son, Al, who was silently sitting by the kitchen. “Al, honey, come here.” With slow steps, Al shuffled to her side. He is chewing on his bottom lip and burning a hole on the floor. She asked it if it was true and for the second time, her heart sits in the pits of her stomach as Al quietly nods his head.

“For how long?” Trisha quietly asked Al. She knew between the two boys, Al was the more soft-hearted one. He gives tiny pieces of bread to pigeons in the backyard and sneaks little kittens into his room. She was afraid that this personality of his might make him a target at school.

She reached out and smoothed his head to comfort the boy. Trisha sighed and sank down the chair and faced her two boys. “Al, the next time that happens, I want you to go talk to your teachers. If not, you talk to me okay? I don’t want you to be taken advantage of in school or anywhere. It is never wrong to tell someone if you’re not comfortable in a situation. Understood?”

Al nodded and several strands of blond hair fell down his forehead, as his eyes filled up with unshed tears. He needs a haircut soon, Trisha thought.

Now, turning to her oldest, “Edward,” she began and Ed slightly flinched. “You know it’s not good for you or anyone for that matter to hit other people. Even if they hurt someone you love. If someone tries to hurt the people you protect, find another way to protect them. Violence is never the answer. Remember that.”

Ed sullenly nodded his head. “I know you love your brother. But sometimes you’ve got to take the high road and forgive. Find a way to get out of that situation without hurting anyone. You’re smart. You’re the smartest kid I know. You’ll find a way.”

Ed suddenly rushes into her arms and whispers “Sorry, Mom.” in a broken voice, almost crying.

Trisha is taken aback. Ed never cries, he’s usually not comfortable showing emotions, unlike Al who wears his heart on his sleeves. She reaches out to Al, inviting him in their little circle and Al runs and throws his little limbs around them both.

They’re going to be okay.

Trisha pulls away, “Now, I want you both to know that things like these have consequences. No alchemy for a week. You boys go outside and play with other kids or go to the Rockbells. Starting today.” Both boys’ jaws dropped open. It’s hilarious how some parents have to take away toys or make them stay inside during punishments like this. But with two aspiring alchemists under her roof, both boys kind of forget how much time passes when they’re inside their father’s library. She had to sometimes fetch them because they forget to come down during lunch. It’s amazing how much they are similar to Van when it comes to these little things.

Van, look at our boys, they’re getting bigger every day. I just hope you were here to see it.

“If I see anyone sneaking around and doing alchemy, it will be extended for a day for both of you. Understood?” They both nod, shoulders dropped, and their faces dejected.

Trisha stands up, “Now you two, come help me set the table for dinner. Just because you’re grounded, doesn’t mean you don’t get pie for dessert.” Suddenly the twin faces of dejection turn to two bright smiles and arguing over who gets to set the table better. Trisha looks at the brothers and permits her lips for a soft smile.

The next day, Trisha sorted out Ed’s situation at school. Obviously, the other boy’s mother displayed annoyance as she apologized for Ed’s behavior. She told the headmistress about Ed's reason and agreed that it did not (and never will be) justify Ed's actions. With this new information, the other parent’s eyes went wide and directed a glare to her own son, who suddenly became interested in the fraying hem of his coat. At the end of the meeting, the other was alternating between apologizing profusely to Trisha and shooting looks at her son. Trisha assured her that it would be okay and that Ed swears it won’t happen again.

When Trisha was on her way home, she passed by Pinako with little Winry in tow.

“Trisha! How was the school meeting?” Pinako asked as a way of greeting. She was wearing a traveling coat and had a small briefcase with her.

Trisha smiled. “Nothing new. I’m just glad Ed’s not getting suspended or something. He just had to do extra work at school for the teacher along with the boy he punched.” She quickly explained the situation to which Pinako hummed her agreement.

“I am sorry, dear. But I had to leave for Rush Valley immediately.” Pinako explained when Trisha asked where she was going. Apparently, one of her local clients had called for her to fix his automail while he’s in Rush Valley as he’s in no condition to travel to Resembool to get it fixed.

Pinako clasped her hands together, “Would it be too much of a bother to leave Winry with you for at least two days? I can’t bring her with me right now as she just got better from having the flu.”

Trisha didn’t even hesitate to say yes. “It’ll be refreshing having another girl in the house. It’ll be better since both boys are grounded. They have to find something else to do.” Trisha smiled at the little girl, who she just noticed was silently crying. She turned to look at Pinako and the older woman explained, “She wanted to come along but I really couldn’t take her. It’ll be more difficult for both of us if she gets sick again.”

Trisha nodded and then turned to the little girl and said, “You know, I have some extra apples at home. Would you like to help me make a pie? I’d like a little helper with me because Ed just likes to eat and Al makes too much of a mess because he’s still a little boy. You’re a big girl now, right?”  Almost immediately, Winry stopped crying and stared at her with watery eyes. “I am a big girl now.” she hiccupped in the most adorable way and smiled. “I’ll help you!” The girl took off to the direction of her house yelling out that she’s going to have pie for dinner.

Pinako looked after her with a small smile on her face. “She is so full of energy, I can barely keep up. Her parents sent her a letter this morning. She ran around the house almost tearing the letter up.” Pinako’s son and his wife are doctors shipped to the military and left Winry in the care of her grandmother who owns an automail shop. The couple barely had the chance to bid them farewell before both were shipped to the war front.

“Don’t worry, Pinako. I’ll look after her while you’re gone.” Trisha said, resting her hand on Pinako’s shoulder to reassure the older woman.

Pinako smiled, a small weight lifted off her chest. She put her wrinkled hand on top of her hand. “I sent you a batch of stew I made this morning because I didn’t know I would leave. So you won’t have to cook dinner. It’s the least I could do for you. Tell Winry I’ll see her in a couple of days.” With that, Pinako set off to walk towards the train station towards Rush Valley.

When Trisha reached the house, she found the boys had already washed up for dinner. Winry was standing on top of the stool in front of the sink and washing the freshly picked apples. A pot was sitting on top of the table, the stew Pinako was talking about. Together, the four of them tried to make a pie, in this case Winry helped measure the ingredients while the two boys kept getting flour everywhere and settled with wiping the counters instead.

While enjoying Pinako’s beef stew, Trisha listened to the antics the small children got into during dinner. It feels carefree to live as a child again. She was subjected to the stories of who hides the best during hide and seek, which kid scraped their knee at lunch, how the teacher asked them what pet they would have if they don’t have one.

“I’d want a kitty.” Al turned to her with pleading golden eyes. Trisha returned that look while saying “I haven’t forgotten the mess of the last time we had a cat in this house.” Al sheepishly shot her a smile as he proceeded to devour his plate of stew.

Eventually, Trisha went to prepare the spare bedroom for Winry while the kids played downstairs. Just as she was changing the sheets, she heard the door creak open

“Mom?” Ed said by the door. He was pushed further into the room by Al. Both boys had their hands behind their backs. When they got in front of her, they looked at each other first then held out their hands.

In Ed’s hands is a tiny flower, almost as big as her thumb and obviously made with alchemy, the curves of the flowers are too smooth to be handcrafted. “For me?” When Ed nodded, she took the flower from his hands, her heart warm. “We made it last week, so we didn’t do alchemy after you grounded us. I wanted to do a rose or tulip but it was too complicated so I went with a simple wildflower like the ones growing on the street.”

Trisha smiled but before she can even speak, Al holds out his hands. This time, it was a tiny kitten curled in a ball, no bigger than the flower his brother made. “Brother helped me out since it was too hard so I guess we both made it but I wanted the kitty.” Al proudly declared, his smile wide across his face. “Sorry, Mom. I never should’ve done that. I won’t do that again.” Ed threw his hands around her waist and Al followed suit. Looking down at both of their blond heads, she set down the two gifts and smoothed both of their hair back.

See, Van? I told you. We’re going to be fine. The three of us. Don’t worry.

[purplesurveys]

1059

surveys by lets-make-surveys

1 - When you wake up, do you get up straight away or do you lie around in bed for a while? Lie in bed, even on work days. I work from home, so there’s nothing to prepare or look nice for, anyway. I can stay in bed and just roll out of it and head to my desk at 9 AM to start the day.

2 - Who was the last person you video-called with? Have you done this more often since COVID hit? Video calls make me anxious, so I’ve always turned them down even when it was someone I’m close with who was trying to call, like Angela. The only person I’ve felt comfortable having video calls with was Gab but that obviously hasn’t happened in a while. I think the last people I saw on video was my dad’s family, though I was still shy and asked my mom not to put me in the shot for too long.

3 - How many times a week do you go out for food or drink? Back then I’d do it 2-3 times a week. Then Covid happened and I had to stop; but now that I’m starting to try to put in more effort to take care of myself, I try to bring myself to a coffee shop for me time at least once during weekends.

4 - Do you prefer getting takeaway or actually sitting in a restaurant and eating your meal there? Dine-in. For me ambience is a big part of eating food, and even if I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance of getting to eat the absolute best meal in the whole world, if I’m eating it alone at home I would still feel like shit.

5 - Where’s your favourite place to get takeaway coffee (or whatever your drink of choice is)? Starbucks. We have five joints in the highway I live on alone, so it’s both a personal preference and a I-don’t-really-have-a-choice type of situation haha.

6 - Do you tend to keep your phone on silent, vibrate or loud? It’s on vibrate during work days; then I’ve formed a habit of putting it on Do Not Disturb during weekends or holidays.

7 - If you have pets, when was the last time one of them annoyed you? What happened? Cooper thought my hand was a toy earlier so he was biting on it, and not in a very playful way.

8 - When was the last time you went into a bookshop? Around a week ago when I was buying presents; I needed to get my cousin the mechanical pencils and eraser she wanted for Christmas. I also came across the bookshop that Gab and I would make a habit to visit, but I didn’t go inside as I didn’t know if I was prepared for the memories that would inevitably flood back. I looked through the stuff they had on their windows, though.

9 - What was the last thing you ordered off Amazon? I don’t know if Amazon operates here. But the last thing I got from a local e-commerce app - don’t judge me HAHA - is a phone socket featuring the face of my newest K-drama crush. I placed my order literally 10 minutes ago.

10 - When was the last time you took a dog out for a walk? Is this your own dog or did you borrow someone else’s? Yesterday. Both were my family’s dogs.

11 - What jewellery do you have on at the moment? Not wearing any, haven’t worn any in a while.

12 - Do you have any products in your hair right now? What are they? Just shampoo and conditioner. I never put anything else on it; I don’t really deem hair products other than those two a necessity.

13 - Have you ever used a VPN to access foreign content online? Hahaha no. I’ve wanted to try it out, but I’ve always been paranoid that the NBI would come knocking at my door the moment I install one of those.

14 - Who was the last artist you listened to? Is this someone you’re a fan of? She’s a Korean singer named Cheeze, though she’s honestly unfamiliar to me. The song she contributed for the OST of Start-Up is my absolute favorite in the entire tracklist, and that’s how I knew of her.

15 - What was the last thing you had to drink? I’m at a cafe joint right now and they didn’t have my usual order of caramel macchiato, so I opted for a Spanish latté because it sounded new to me.

16 - When was the last time you cooked something for the first time? Did it work out the way it was supposed to? I made a Monte Cristo sandwich, if that counts as ~cooking; this was about a little more than a monthh ago. It worked out significantly better than I was expecting, given how rubbish I am in the kitchen. I lacked a couple of ingredients, like mustard for the sauce and the right kind of cheese, but I still ended up liking it.

17 - Black cats are considered to be bad luck - is this a superstition that you’ve ever believed in? Not me personally, but I know this is still widely believed in my country. It’s sad, so I approach black cats whenever I can and play with them for a bit.

18 - Would you ever eat blue cheese or do you find the idea of eating mould to be pretty repulsive? It is definitely not my favorite; I’d say 5 times out of 10 I would consume it, and the other 5 I would set it aside. I enjoy it the most in pizzas and as a sauce for chicken wings.

19 - Do you visit the dentist every six months like you should? Is that the standard schedule? Lmao. I only go when I have to.

20 - How old were you when you first used the internet? Was it dial-up or did you have access to proper broadband? I was first exposed to the internet at around the ages of 3 and 4, when my mom would use the dial-up internet to email my dad (he had just started to work abroad). For many years I thought Yahoo Mail was the only website that existed, since that’s all I saw my mom use. Eventually my dad got broadband for the family by the time I was 10, and the first website I ever looked up was YouTube.

21 - Are you old enough to remember using floppy discs? I remember those; I just never had to use them myself.

22 - When was the last time you purchased an actual DVD or CD? Andi gave me a Petals For Armor CD for Christmas, if it counts. Because they’re the most awesome fucking friend. The last DVD I bought myself was probably a Beyoncé's Life Is But A Dream, which was...holy crap, 7 whole years ago.

23 - Do you shave? Which body parts and how often? I do. I shave my underarms every few days, and my legs monthly.

24 - What’s your favourite season, and what are some of your favourite things about that season? We don’t have the usual four seasons we hear about in other countries; we only have wet and dry. Between those two, I definitely like wet more because I love the rain, and I like how cold it can get.

25 - When was the last time you burned yourself? I took a big bite of a lumpiang togue yesterday when it was still piping hot, so it felt like I almost burned my tongue and the roof of my mouth. But since I was a guest at my dad’s family’s house, I couldn’t spit it out.

26 - Have you ever been the victim of a theft or robbery? What was stolen? Did the police ever catch the person who did it? Someone stole my wallet in high school, and I never got it back. It was a small petty thing that the police didn’t need to be involved in, lol. I know my mom’s family got robbed when she was a teenager, though; the worst thing that got stolen was their grand piano :(

27 - What was the last TV show you discovered that you really liked? What was it that got you to watch it in the first place? START UP. I first heard of it from my co-workers who would mention the show here and there; and because I was new to the team and wanted to have something in common with them so that I can break the ice, I figured I should start on the show myself. Ended up getting obsessed with the show and gaining a new Korean crush altogether.

28 - Have you seen any of the live-action Disney remakes? Which one is your favourite? What about your least favourite? No, those have never looked even remotely appealing to me. I never saw the point of recycling movies that already exist and already feel magical by themselves.

29 - Do you have any exciting plans for tomorrow? If not, how are you planning to spend your day? It doesn’t sound exciting on its own, but I’m very much looking forward to be a homebody tomorrow haha. We’ve been with extended family for five days straight and I’m at a café right now for some me time, so tomorrow I can’t wait to just be at home and lounge around.

30 - Would you ever keep a working dog as a pet? Do you think it’s fair to keep dogs like huskies in flats when it’s so different to their natural environments? If the dog is already trained or certified to be a certain kind of working dog, I don’t see the point in keeping them for myself when they could be beneficial for other purposes. The only time I see myself adopting a working dog is if they’re already at the point of retirement and would need a loving home to live out their remaining years.

--

1 - Are you a fan of garlic bread? Do you eat it on its own or as part of a bigger meal? Love garlic bread; I regularly have it with my pasta and occasionally, pizza.

2 - When was the last time your area was under some kind of weather warning? Did it end up being as bad as predicted? Last month, during Typhoon Rolly. Other cities had worse experiences, but it also wasn’t sunshine and rainbows on our end. We had a blackout for around two days and I had to file for an emergency leave four days into my new job, which was super embarrassing. It didn’t flood in our street but the water was high in other areas in our village, so we couldn’t go out for a while.

3 - Do you ever buy things from charity/thrift shops? What was the last thing you bought from there? I don’t recall ever buying anything from either.

4 - The last time you got fast food, did you eat in, takeaway or go through the drive-thru? My last fast food wasssssss Jollibee, and my parents got it for takeout so that we could eat as a family at home.

5 - If you have multiple pets, do they get along with each other? Hahaha no they don’t. It’s been six months since we got Cooper but the two still don’t get along, unless it’s Kimi trying to hump him. It’s understandable; Cooper is a vibrant pup that’s super excited and play bites all the time, and on the other side is a nearly 13 year old, nearly blind, can’t-smell-as-well-as-he-used-to senior dog; and I get that Kimi’s more sensitive to sudden movements now.

6 - Do you ever buy things off eBay? If you do, do you participate in auctions or do you just use the “buy it now” option? I never go on eBay. And since I’ve never checked it out, I never understood the gimmick of the website.

7 - When you go out, do you worry that you’ve forgotten to lock the door or turn something off? Yeah, this is especially the case with locking the front door.

8 - What fruits and vegetables have you eaten so far today? Do you tend to get your “five a day”? I didn’t know five a day is a thing of some sort; but it’s only 8:47 AM and I haven’t eaten anything at all yet today.

9 - When was the last time you were in pain? What caused it and did you manage to get it sorted in the end? Last night when my back was giving me hell. As for the cause...idk, years of bad posture maybe? I was able to deal with it for a bit with the new massage pillow that my dad got for Christmas.

10 - Do you live in an area that gets lots of snow? Do you like it? If not, would you like to live somewhere that gets that cold? I would love to move somewhere that’s generally more cold. Humidity gets exhausting to deal with.

11 - What was the reason for your last doctor/hospital visit? My fever had already been lasting for a week and wasn’t showing signs of going away. No Covid symptoms, just pure hellish fever.

12 - If someone had told you that 2020 would see a global pandemic, countries going into lockdown, compulsory face masks and millions of deaths, would you have ever believed that you’d live through something like that? My personal biggest surprise for 2020 wasn’t even the pandemic. I would have had a more violent reaction if I was told I would no longer be in a relationship and be barely talking to my then-girlfriend of six years by the end of 2020.

13 - Do you prefer having the blinds/curtains open or closed when you’re at home? Does it depend on the weather or the time of day? Always closed. I don’t ever voluntarily open the curtains or windows to let the sunshine in.

14 - Do you use an ad-blocker on your computer or phone? Why/why not? I use one on my laptop because the ones on YouTube can be extremely annoying. I didn’t know it was possible to put on ad blockers on phones (is it?).

15 - Do you still use a paper diary/planner to organise your appointments and schedules? No, but I’m thinking of getting a planner again for 2021. I used to get a Starbucks planner every year just because I wanted to get into their Christmas promo hype, but I never completed any of them. Now that I’m working and am busier all around, I see the bigger need for a planner. These days, I use a Google extension called Momentum to list down my to-do tasks. My parents also got me a corkboard for Christmas on which I stick notepads with things I have to do for the day.

16 - When was the last time you charged one of your electronic items? Do you have to charge that specific item often? I’m charging my laptop now. At this point it’s always plugged in because I want to keep the cycle count low, though I’m not sure if it’s the healthiest thing to do.

17 - Have you ever thrown or broken something in a temper? Yes, definitely. I’m not normally aggressive when angry, but sometimes it happens.

18 - What does your outfit look like today? Did you pick it out for a special reason? I have on a black sundress that I didn’t change out of. I wore it yesterday when I went to a coffee shop to spend some time on my own.

19 - Do you follow any vlogs or podcasts? What is it about them that interests you? I do follow certain channels who do vlogs, but I never tune into them since most of them have gotten a little uninteresting. I’m also subscribed to several podcasts like Andi’s and Renee Young’s, but I’m not always in a podcast mood; I subscribe because I want to support them.

20 - Aside from Tumblr, what websites do you spend the most time on? Do you go through phases of visiting certain websites? I visit Twitter and YouTube the most often. I will binge Reddit every now and then, and I will get into a Wikipedia black hole at least once a week.

21 - Do you have a good relationship with your siblings? If you don’t have siblings, what about your cousins or extended family? I do not maintain a relationship with my brother after he physically assaulted me last year. My sister and I are on good terms, but we’re not close in that I can cry to her or that we know each other’s secrets. We have a very good casual relationship, and we never argue.

22 - When was the last time you were up early enough to see the sunrise? I hate the sun so I don’t really do that lol.

23 - What movie series did you last watch from start to finish? Was it one you’d seen before? I only ever do this with Twilight. I have my annual Twilight Saga marathon where I watch all five films in one afternoon hahaha.

24 - Do you still enjoy watching children’s TV programmes? What was the last one you watched? Yeah, but only the ones I watched as a kid. My cousins and I watched the Wet Painters episode of Spongebob last Christmas Eve right after we finished Midsommar.

25 - Who was the last person to tag you in something on social media? How do you know that person? I have no idea. I’ve been going in and out of deactivation, so at this point I’m sure people no longer have any clue if I’m on a certain social media website or not.

26 - What was the last thing you took a photograph of? It was a screenshot of something I wanted to show Angela.

27 - Are you a fan of giving animals human names? Sure. I certainly find it funny when pets are given incredibly ordinary human names, like Bob or Mark.

28 - When was the last time you weighed yourself? Were you happy with what the scale said? Christmas Eve eve, when I saw a weighing scale in my cousin’s room. I mean it’s what I’ve weighed for the last 5 years or so, so I have no complaints.

29 - How often do you buy yourself new clothes? What was the last clothing item you bought for yourself? Used to be a few times every month, but I have not bought anything new since before the pandemic. The last items I got were still the tops with puffed sleeves that I bought in March.

30 - What is the reason behind your mood today? Is this something you could have done something about? I’m mostly at ease; a little anxious because work continues for a certain headache of a client even though we told them our office would be on shutdown; and a little melancholic for no reason. I’m trying to combat the latter by doing my embroidery and it’s kind of helping, but the sads are still lingering.