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yuri-on-cards · 1 year

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Yuri!!! On Cards: Writers

Before reading this, the outline of the project can be found here which you will need to read as well. This post describes all the specifications for the stories specifically.

First: the prompts

As mentioned in the main information post, there are four kingdoms, one for each suit, each of which has a designated realm. Based on the suit and its King, the kingdoms also have certain traits characteristic of their domain which can be interpreted as much or as little as you want.

For the sake of reference, the cards of each realm will be included before the prompt:

The Kingdom of Spades, Realm of Dreams King Yuuri, Wanderer of Dreams Queen Minako, Tamer of Minds Knight Mari, Protector of Innocence Ace of the Kingdom Minami, Soul of Symphony

In the Kingdom of Spades, known as the Realm of Dreams by most, knowledge of the mind and intricacies thereof is paramount. Though a seemlingly calm people, ebbing and flowing as of streaming thought, dreams are known to turn, a nightmare inbound for those who do not heed the warnings. The King of its kin, known as He Who Wanders the Space Between, is as mysterious as he is open, private as he shares, deep in the shallows of the phyche. Should one come to meet the souls of this Kingdom, beware of your innocence and the purity of mind as, though they may protect it, stings of curruption may as well make them your doom.

The Kingdom of Hearts, Realm of Desires King Viktor, Reflection of Truth Queen Mila, Driver of Passion Knight Michele, Carrier of Pride Ace of the Kingdom Chris, Allure of the Soul

The Kingdom of Hearts, inhabitants of the Realm of Desires, are driven beyond compare, their souls burning with passion and bodies with dedication. There is no place they cannot reach, obsession claiming one too many as joy and fullfilment turns to longing and despair. Ruler of the land, known as He Who Reads the Heart, leaves no desire untouched, bringing forth truth and love as he strikes down the hateful among. Should you encounter the fickle people of this realm, complex to the point of distraction, may your heart guide you true and let you walk free of the yearning aches of your mortal soul.

The Kingdom of Clubs, Realm of Stories King Phichit, Weaver of Legends Queens Axel, Lutz and Loop, Keepers of Tales Knight Sara, Borrower of Sorrows Aces of the Kingdom Phichit's Hamsters, Critters of Song

In the Kingdom of Clubs, the Realm of Stories and ruled by threes, one must always use their critical eye. A place of entertainment, fun and laughter, dishonesty runs rife as lies, deceit and trickery is built into the people's cores, twisting, turning and manipulating the narratives they weave. King of their ilk, known as He Who Fibs the Fibber, spins legends from grain, brings fun, dance and song as his critters follow and exposes the beguiler for the corruption of the art. Should you meet his people you are sure to take away the most fantastical of tales but beware of their spiel as they may soon make you the fool of their tragedies.

The Kingdom of Diamonds, Realm of Treasures King Yuri, The Orphan King Queen Georgi, The Broken Star Knight Jean Jacques, The False King Ace of the Kingdom Otabek, The Deep Shadow

The Kingdom of Diamonds, known as the Realm of Treasures in many capacities, is a talented people, thriving on competition and striving for achievement. It is an easy origin of greed, those who reach for grandeur and riches beyond their means bound for a tragic fate. The young orphaned King, He Who Humbles the Deluded, is as gifted as he is cunning, successful beyond his years as he peers into rich shadow. Should your path cross that of this kingdom's people, you may find your searches serendipitous but be mindful that a corrupt soul finds no more than the rotten returns of its sacrifices.

Free of the restraint of a realm are the Jokers:

Makkachin, the Joker of Companionship, has seen many places and accompanied many a soul. Originally of the Kingdom of Hearts, her care for others runs deep as does her ability to soften any frozen chest and rigid mind.

Vicchan, the Joker of Memory, will linger wherever he goes and remain in the hearts of those he meets. Originally of the Kingdom of spades, he, as the ruler of his fount, sees the mind and saunters where no mortal can, revealing secrets yet untold.

Again, these are up for interpretation and should not be considered hard rules you must follow. Think of them more as those fancy descriptions of places found in old fairy tales that are vague and exaggerated on purpose for the imagination of the reader. If something doesn't quite fit, may it rest in the descriptions of the past.

There is also no specific writing style or time period required but keep in mind the aesthetic of the setting. Think of this as a Royalty AU. You decide what that entails.

And as mentioned in the main post, you are highly encouraged to reach out to the other authors of your suit to make the kingdom seem connected, especially if you reference other characters than your own in your ficlet. Writers of typically connected characters (i.e. Viktor and Yuuri) are also very welcome to keep that connection and work with the writer for the other card.

In terms of rating, please keep them rated for General audiences or Teens and up as Mature and Explicit make the ficlets inaccessible to some, especially younger readers. If you're unsure if your writing is too close to M or E, please reach out to Arrow or Lil on the server or directly.

As for technicalities, the stories are meant to be ficlets (100-1000 words), one made for each character which ideally contains some description of them and their place in the kingdom. Otherwise you have creative freedom in terms of content. If you feel inspired to write longer fics, you're welcome to do so as well but they will not be the main fic connected to the character through this event. They will however be linked in the final master post of links if you wish.

If you have ideas for stories that take place in the kingdoms or the universe but aren't necessarily about a single character, you're very welcome, in fact encouraged to write those as well. They will be linked in the master post as well if you wish, much like the longer fics.

Your ficlets can be posted to almost any site though it's recommended that you use either AO3 or Wattpad as those are what the admin team for this event are familiar with. If you have questions about platforms/websites feel free to contact Arrow or Lil. If you don't have an online platform where you post your writing, this blog can post it for you with links to your blogs or profiles.

As stated in the main post, the deadline for your ficlets is the 31st of August. Please keep the final versions off social media and your fanfiction site of choice until this deadline. By the start of September, you're free to post but please have them posted before the 8th of September as the final master post of links will be posted on the 9th. Posting later can result in your link not being part of reblogged posts. As for where you can submit your works once finished and posted, please send the link to the ficlet to Arrow or Lil in the server or directly and it will be added to the final master post. For those without a platform, please send them as either a Word or Google document. If formatting is important to the fic, send a PDF.*

And that should be all. If any changes happen they will be posted on the blog and linked here as well so that everything can be found in one place. If information changes a * will be appended on the outdated information.

Happy writing!

Edit: The method of submission has been changed. Please put your links for files in the corresponding folder in this Google Drive. More information can be found here.

#yuri on ice #yoi #yuri on ice fanfic #yoi fanfic #fanfic #collab #master post #yuri on cards

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evoldir · 1 year

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Fwd: Job: KonstanzU.EvolutionaryBiology

Begin forwarded message: > From: [email protected] > Subject: Job: KonstanzU.EvolutionaryBiology > Date: 29 April 2023 at 05:42:19 BST > To: [email protected] > > > > At the University of Konstanz in Germany we have an opening for an > > Assistant Professor/Jr. Group leader in evolutionary biology > > (earliest starting date: June 2023) > > The person we are looking for should be an evolutionary biologist who > works on questions in either molecular evolution, and/or the genomics > of speciation and adaptation. The position is intended for a Ph.D. > biologist, ideally with prior postdoc experience, a strong publication > record in evolutionary biology, and with expertise in evolutionary > genomics. A total of three research groups two of which are headed > by Junior Group Leaders make up the evolutionary biology group in > the Department of Zoology and Evolution Biology at the University of > Konstanz: https://ift.tt/gNP9Obi > > Our taxonomic emphasis is on fish, particularly on cichlid fish, but > also other fish model systems are used in our research on comparative > and speciation genomics and comparative developmental biology. We > are especially interested in the origins of (convergently evolved) > adaptations, speciation, and phylogenomics of cichlid fish adaptive > radiations from Nicaragua and Africa. We are open to consider anyone > investigating other interesting taxa and questions. > > For publications of the lab see: > > https://ift.tt/mHlS52D > > Space in a modern fish facility is available and the exclusive support > of a 50% technician will be provided to this new group. Wet lab space, > equipment, departmental facilities, including core-facilities in > proteomics and genomics, and annual financial support for research > expenses and student support, are provided by the University of > Konstanz. The lab has sufficient space and state-of-the-art equipment for > research in zoology, ichthyology, genomics, molecular, and developmental > biology. > > The University of Konstanz and the Department of Biology are among the > most highly ranked institutions in Germany and provide a lively and > academically outstanding research environment. Konstanz is a lovely > historic town located on Lake Constance on the southern border between > Germany and Switzerland. The position comes with a competitive salary, > and excellent health and retirement benefits. > > Appointments are initially for three years and are renewable for > several years after that. Habilitation is possible, and a modest amount > of teaching (in English at the BSc and MSc level) is required. The > Assistant Professor is expected to acquire external funding and to > supervise undergraduate, and graduate students as well as postdocs. > > The University of Konstanz is an equal opportunity employer and > tries to increase the number of women in research and teaching. The > University of Konstanz is committed to further the compatibility > of work and family life and has onsite child care facilities > https://ift.tt/sMIg67N > > Additional information contact:[email protected], > phone: +49 7531884163. For our current research see: > https://ift.tt/L6EedAF > > Applications- including a statement of research interests, research > plans, a full CV and names and email addresses of 2-3 referees - should > be emailed to:[email protected]. > > Applications will be reviewed as soon as they are received, but should > be submitted by May 26th, 2023. > > Prof. > Dr. Axel Meyer, Ph.D. > Lehrstuhl > f�r Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie > Department > of Biology > Building > M, Room M806 > University > of Konstanz > 78457 > Konstanz > Germany > > fon > + 49 (0)7531 88 4163 > fax > + 49 (0)7531 88 3018 > > secretary: > [email protected] > tel. > + 49 (0)7531 88 3069 > > https://ift.tt/7K6naWE > > Axel Meyer

#IFTTT #Email

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shitpostingkats · 2 years

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Organization XIII, ranked by their titles

Roxas: The Key of Destiny Nice and epic. The good double meaning that he wields the key, yet also is the key to the organization plans, turned and manipulated to unlock a door with no will of his own. The organization sees him as the key to their destiny, but really, Roxas is the key and the bearer, and through his arc, learns to be the keeper of his own fate. 1000/10

Demyx: The Melodious Nocturne Rolls off the tongue in a pleasant way. You might think, “what the heckity is a nocturne? It sounds cool as heck.” Well, a nocturne is (what a surprise), a musical term. But specifically, it is a word used in both art and music, to describe a piece evocative of night. A cool sounding term for a fantasy character that, when you google it, actually means something interesting and thematically relevant? what a rarity/10

Larxene: The Savage Nymph Now, the usage of ‘nymph’ might take some points off this one, being more befitting a character with nature powers, like Marluxia. Or, she could be using nymph in the more entomological definition, meaning young insect, like a wasp or a hornet, something with a bit more ‘sting’ to it. The real confusion of the second part keeps her from the top slot, but the delicious zeugma of the first half makes up for it. #savage/10

Axel: Fury of the Dancing Flames Ooh. What a wonderful epithet. There’s such a nice prose to it, not found in any other members of the evil squad. On top of that, it covers all the bases that we as the audience need to know about Axel. What is he? Angy. How will he express that? Fire. Like, boring, non-dancing fire? Nope. Sick-as-hell dancing fire. Axel should get to dance too tho/10

Xaldin: The Whirlwind Lancer I’ll say, I tried to keep personal opinions of the characters out of this ranking. It’s pure coincidence that some of my favorites have the dopest names. And nothing proves that more than Xaldin’s placement here. Do I like this man? Nah. But, I have to admit, his bossfight in Two is really artful. Someone had to sit down and ask themselves “How do we make the wind intimidating?” And their core concept started with a whirlwind, lances, and terrible sideburns. The sideburns didn’t make it into the name, and thank the stars for that. But the rest is very nicely menacing. 7/10

Xemnas: Superior of the In-Between Another name that says what it does on the tin. Xemnas is constantly getting referred to as “The Superior” instead of everyone just calling him “boss” like a normal person. It’s got more than a hint of over-dramatic edginess to it. But that is one of the reasons we love Kingdom Hearts. Same thing goes for the audacity Xemans has to call him realm “The In-Between”, which sounds way better than “Our neo-neo-gothic nightmare pocket dimension with Escher-esque skyscraper clipping” drama queen/10

Zexion: The Cloaked Schemer “Cloaked” and “Schemer” describe approximately 90% of the organization. It’s like if your job description at the office was “Guy who has hair and opinions”. Zexion isn’t even the schemer-iest egg in the carton! Fine name in most other evil friendgroups, just not this one. come on Zexion you can do better than this/10

Vexen: The Chilly Academic I really appreciate that, despite roughly 4/13ths of this emo dream team having a background in science, Vexen is the academic. No one else. Nope, not even those three other guys who worked in the same lab as you. Nah Vexen, science is your thing, we’re not gonna step on your gimmick. Like we’ve come to expect, 'Chilly’ here pulls double duty as both a literal descriptor of his powers and a more metaphorical adjective about the villains temperament. Though, I don’t know it you can in good faith call someone who spends so much of his screen time either shrieking or giggling “chilly”. 5/10

Saix: The Luna Diviner You know, I always thought Saix’s title was the lunar diviner, but nope, I’m looking at the wiki right now. It says Luna. Which kinda cuts the pacing of the title right through the gut. I much prefer his japanese title, Demonic Dancing In The Moon, which has the benefit of 1) Matching with Axel, and 2) Being metal as hell. Also, diviner??? When has Saix ever delivered a single prediction in the entirety of the series, other than the usually correct “I am going to go absolutely apeshit now”, which any good scientist will know, is a variable controlled by the tester and thus, suffers greatly from confirmation bias. moon moon/10

Luxord: The Gambler of Fate Most of these epithets follow a very simple pattern; adjective, what-they-bring-to-the-company. Roxas breaks the rules because he’s important, Xemnas does it because he’s the CEO, and Axel does it because he is simply The Best Boy. But nowhere, in any game we have received so far, is there reason to believe Luxord is special enough to similarly defy the mold. We didn’t even know how his regular name was pronounced until kh3!!! Luxord smacks of someone who doesn’t know how much of a background character he really is. I mean, come on, the gambler of fate? Mi amigo, you show up twice and keel over to a child beating you at go-fish. We’re not exactly dealing with the grand machinations of the cosmos here. Nomura, if you give me reason to, I will consider adjusting this rank/10

Xigbar: The Freeshooter Again with shirking conventions! However, I will give credit where credit is due, Xigbar seems to have the narrative weight to deserve it. Which is where my actual complaint comes in: you go out of your way to stand out from the pack, and the best you can come up with is freeshooter? Boring. No pizazzle, no flamboyant adjectives, just blunt as lead and twice as clunky. Man is a hundreds year old ceiling dwelling sniper with an eyepatch and a surfer accent, there’s gotta be something more interesting than freeshooter. Xigbar I had such high hopes for you/10

Marluxia: The Graceful Assassin Graceful, I’ll give you. No one goes harder on the pastel instagram aesthetic than Marluxia. But ‘assassin’ seems a weird choice. Especially for the guy who was put in charge of hiring new assets (Sora) to the Council of Depressed Queers. That is literally the opposite of assassinating. I mean, Axel’s killed like three of his coworkers, and this femme king gets to be called the assassin? I’m sorry my gay, but pink glitter and a weird mech does not instantly make you a bringer of death. let Marluxia commit homicide/10

Lexaeus: The Silent Hero/The Taciturn Stalwart Dude has a completely different title in Remix and no one noticed because he’s just that Boring. 0/10

#kingdom hearts #kh #essays #rankings #rambles #organization xiii #organization 13

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richincolor · 4 years

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Today is Rich in Color’s eighth anniversary! Can you believe it?

We’ve read so many fantastic books over the years, so our bloggers compiled a list of eight books that we wanted to recommend to our followers. These books are ones that we love and that have stuck with us through the years. How many of them have you read?

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

In an unforgettable new novel from award-winning authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galuzzi, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

But there were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline Dancing Cat Books

In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore Feiwel & Friends

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert Disney-Hyperion

Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father’s closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there’s much more to his family’s past than he ever imagined.

Danny has been an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family’s blessing to pursue the career he’s always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny’s lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their friend group to its core, Danny can’t stop asking himself if Harry is truly in love with his girlfriend, Regina Chan.

When Danny digs deeper into his parents’ past, he uncovers a secret that disturbs the foundations of his family history and the carefully constructed facade his parents have maintained begins to crumble. With everything he loves in danger of being stripped away, Danny must face the ghosts of the past in order to build a future that belongs to him.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan Little, Brown Brooks for Young Readers

Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.

Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi Balzer + Bray

Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.

When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.

But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi Wednesday Books

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can’t yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender HarperCollins

From Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

#all american boys #the marrow thieves #wild beauty #picture us in the light #the astonishing color of after #pride #the gilded wolves #felix ever after

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liketheinferno2 · 3 years

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TBH, it makes complete sense that Kingdom Hearts is kind of a confusing and growingly complicated nonsensical mess when it comes to the actual plot events, yet is still beloved and inspires so much fanwork and love and appreciation, because it's a crossover half with FFVII and FFVII is also like that.

FFVII can get brutal and KH is mostly fluffy and goofy (haha geddit) but the core story philosophy for both seems to be that, no matter what literally happens in the story, who does what and where and why, it doesn't matter as much as consistent overarching themes and successfully making your audience feel emotions. When you cut to the core of KH's story it's almost deceptively silly because even though it's pretty G-rated it still deals with shit like "they keep sending Axel to assassinate people including his kids," because that's the kind of stuff that makes you feel a big sad no matter how old you are or how safely it's presented.

Likewise, in FFVII you don't need to keep track of exact dates and bits of lore and What Even Happens or what a protomateria is to truly understand what's going on here -- the point is to effect you through the art, move you and make you feel things. Everything else is secondary.

#let him speak

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my-arlington-academia · 4 years

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The Sweet Elite characters as tarot cards

Ooooookay! This is something I wanted to do for a while now (totally not because I'm a huge persona nerd) but yeah, my understanding of tarot cards is really basic and limited so don't take this too seriously! I just thought that it would be fun to make.

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Scholar: The Fool/ The Jester/ The Madman (number 0 or XXII but most times without a number)

Obviously, as the main character, Scholar is the one going on a journey. The Fool is often portrayed as wearing ragged clothes and carrying a small bag with their belongings, showing that they're going on an adventure. The card represents freedom, madness, inexperience and chaos.

Here the description is pretty self-explanatory. I think it's easy to see how Scholar fits this card 👌

Alistair: The Sun (number XIX)

Well, another obvious one! The Sun Arcana is often portrayed as a child or children playing in a field of sunflowers under a blazing sun meaning that their innocence will be replaced with knowledge. The card represents optimism in difficult situations, hope, happiness, discovery and accomplishment.

Now we can make the joke that Alistair is literally a ray of sunshine! 😂☀️ (Not that anyone ever doubted it.)

Axel: The Star (number XVII)

I swear I'm not making these puns on purpose! But since Axel is literally a rock *star* the card does fit him...

The star is often portrayed as a woman with one foot on the ground and the other in water (which is apparently a metaphor for the conscious and unconscious mind) and the star shining above is her core essence. The star in itself can allude to a person with great influence, a star shines above it all but is fated to fall one day. Thus, the Star Arcana represents self-confidence, loss, faith and peace.

Claire: The Empress (number III)

This one may seem weird but when I looked more into it, I realized that The Empress Arcana fits Claire a lot!

The Empress is often associated with the goddess Venus in Roman mythology (and Aphrodite in Greek mythology.) The Empress is seated on a throne in a field meaning that she looks after nature, she also wears a crown meaning that she's the one ruling over nature, not only growing it. The Empress Arcana represents motherhood, romance, life and fruitfulness.

Basically, Claire is like a mom rather than a cold-blooded queen. She just looks after the people around her and that's why the Empress fits her.

Ellie: Fortune/ Wheel of Fortune (number X)

Okay, this one was hard to choose. Believe it or not but at first I gave Ellie the Death Arcana. Though it doesn't mean literal Death but rather starting anew I kinda didn't want to give that card to her since her biological parents are dead... thus I went with the Fortune Arcana instead which is surprisingly similar to the Death one but much more light-hearted!

The Fortune Arcana is portrayed as... Well, a Wheel of Fortune. The card represents opportunity, fate, luck and success.

The reason why I chose this card for Ellie is because even though her parents' death was unfortunate, that bad luck brought her good luck too. If her biological parents hadn't died her dads wouldn't have adopted her and from what we've seen so far, she always says that she's really happy with them and that they're great parents. The Fortune Arcana is all about big changes through luck, be it bad or good luck.

In the end, I'm happy that I changed her card to Fortune because while the Death card also means a new start, that new start is achieved through the end of something else. But in the case of the Fortune card, that new start is achieved through a particular event involving good or bad luck. In Ellie's case, I believe it was both.

Karolina: The High Priestess/ The Popess (number II)

This is another odd one, isn't? Karolina sure doesn't look nor sound like a Priestess 😂 But like with Claire I looked more into it and that card does in fact suit her I think.

The Priestess Arcana is most times associated with Pope Joan, a woman who pretended to be a man in order to become the Pope. It is unknown if she really existed but it is said that the church was so ashamed of their "mistake" that they tried to get rid of all records that had Pope Joan in it. Unfortunately, it is said that she was stoned to death because of her "betrayal".

The High Priestess card represents power, passion, wisdom and tenacity.

Karolina is really headstrong and she's the type of person who would be able to do anything to get what she wants. Thus, I believe that the Priestess fits her.

Neha: The Lovers/ The Twins (number VI)

This one took me a while to find but after thinking for a bit I think this card fits Neha after all.

The Lovers card is often portrayed as a naked woman and a naked man standing before eachother. While the card is in most cases seen as a sign of an irreversible relationship, it is said that sometimes the card doesn't even have anything to do with a romantic relationship but rather having to make an important choice which will lead you to two different paths in life. That's why the man and woman in the card are often separated by a crossroad. The two paths can represent the "right" way and the "easy" way, that's why the decision is so hard to make between those two roads.

The Lovers Arcana represents trials to overcome, beauty, failure and love.

I chose this card for Neha because I think that she's the kind of person who has a hard time choosing between her feelings and her logic. Between the right path and the easy path. I may or may not be completely wrong about this one. There's maybe another tarot card that would fit her better but I thought this one really suits her.

Raquel: Justice (number VIII or XI)

This one is easy to see! Raquel was really vocal about her anger and really protective when the whole Nakano scandal happened.

The Justice Arcana is portrayed as a King or a Queen holding a sword and a balance meaning that they will punish whoever breaks the law. The card symbolizes a strict trial of justice. It represents objectivity, rationality, equity and triumph.

Finally a simple one to explain! At first I was considering on giving her the Strength Arcana but I like Justice better for her. It might be a stupid reason but I think that the Justice Arcana sounds cooler than the Strength Arcana 😅

Tadashi: The Emperor (number IV)

I legit wanted to try and give him the Death card somehow to keep up with the trend of "haha, you like bullying Tadashi!!" (Which is not wrong but sshhh!🤫) The Death Arcana just didn't fit him in any way I think. I mean, you could say that when his father was arrested and he broke ties with him it could be seen as a new beginning for him and a big change in his life. However... to apologize for all the time I treated him like shit I decided to give him the Emperor Arcana (which sounds really cool, right?) Also, this card really fits him so I'm happy with how it turned out!

The Emperor is portrayed as... Well, an Emperor (duh) sitting on a throne, he's often associated with Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology. However rather than mindlessly going to war, he's considered to be a guardian who fights for the peace of its people. That's why The Emperor Arcana represents fatherhood, compassion, stability and protection.

But of course, to diss him just a little bit, The Emperor Arcana can also mean that maybe you're trying too hard to look after everything, you have a strong desire to control everything in your life (which is obviously impossible to do) and that mindset may or may not end up with you giving trouble to the people around you.

Yep, it sure sounds like our mister student council president 😂

Tegan: The Hermit (number IX)

Oof, okay. I'm not totally sure how to explain this one but you'll see that this card suits him.

The Hermit card is portrayed as an old man in a dark place or on a cliff carrying a lantern to illuminate his surroundings. The card represents introspection, inner guidance, prudence and wisdom.

Basically, the way I see it is that Tegan is someone who helps others from behind the scenes. He never puts himself on the spotlight however he's a really smart and driven individual. Kind of like a candle in the dark if we want to go into cheesy descriptions 😂 But yeah, he has a great value and he often does his good deeds in the background so he's seen as a support even if his place in the team is really crucial he rarely takes credit for it. (Probably because he does his best to turn the attention away from him 😅)

Tyler: The Moon (number XVIII)

And finally we have Tyler! Oh godddd I love him 😭💗 Anyway, here goes.

The Moon Arcana is portrayed as a wolf and a dog howling at the moon, they symbolize our fears in the conscious and unconscious mind. The card represents inspiration, illusions, fear and creativity.

From that conversation we had with Tyler in chapter 8 I think it's pretty obvious that he has some self-confidence issues. He's scared that he isn't good enough. He's constantly comparing himself to others and doesn't see how amazing he is 😥 But of course there's also the creativity and inspiration part which hints to his talents in the fine arts 👌

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Aaaaand that's a wrap! This actually took me longer than I expected but I'm happy I did it! It makes me feel like I was productive today even though I didn't finish my homework... yet.

#sweet elite #se #main 10 #tarot cards #arcana #headcanons #does this count as headcanons?#idk tbh

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choccos-aaart · 4 years

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Learn stuff about the story of April and friends!

>>BASE<<

[SPOILER WARNING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED?!] Also this is a LONG post -Chocco

LAST UPDATE: 13.07.2021

Random Facts Story Meme By ~PhoenixTorque If you're looking for a serious meme, you're in the wrong place! This is meant for original fiction, although it might work for fanfiction as well. It can be done with as many or as few spoilers as you wish, so feel free to skip over a question if you don't want to spoil things for potential readers. So pick a story and get started!

So, what's your story called? Like hell I know! XD It’s gone through multiple changes, but right now I’ve got “Poject: Proclo.” Despite me growing used to it, I’m not very proud of it...

Did you have any early/working titles? Yes! (It’s very embarrassing, though...)

Cloronve Niathea (2016-2017) - I jumbled up a bunch of words just so I could claim a tag

The Cloronia (2018?-2019) - I thought the 2016 one was stupid

Project: Clonerion (2019-2020) - I thought the early 2019 one was stupid.

Project: Proclo (2020-2021?) - I thought the 2020 one fell into this “definitely could have a definition in English which makes no sense in this context” trap

Project: WHAT THE HELL?!

Why did you choose the final title? It’s titled “Steel House in the Prairie”!

Keeping this answer because I thought it was funny: “I didn’t! I don’t even have one that’s confirmed, yet!”

Was it easy or hard to choose a title? It’s pretty damn hard, I’ll tell you that

Who's the protagonist? Some cyborg kid named April

Why are they the protagonist, and not someone else? Well, here’s multiple things that tick off...

Audience knows just as much about the situation she finds herself in as she does

She undergoes major development, especially in relation to the other characters and in regards to the story’s main themes

She goes through situations that miraculously make her do protagonist things

ETC!!! XD

Are they a hero or everyperson? April’s an ambitiousless everyperson that just so happens to know how to fight.

What's their job? April’s only 15! And she hates being seen in the public, anyway! XD

Do they have a sidekick? Best Friend? April does make good friends with Pillia and Matro who technically do become her first best friends/sidekicks in her whole protag/hero journey

Do they have a love interest? Rivals fighting for their affection? A harem that hangs on their every word? Nope!

Is there a secondary protagonist? Who? I wouldn’t say, necessarily.

The main antagonist? Sad man Skatra XD Doc and co. seems like one at first, but it turns out that they’re also on the same side as April, too.

What do they have against the protagonist? Well, Mr Skatra’s got a goal, right? And April’s pretty much getting in the way of that goal. (Duhh!) Also, he and April are thematic opposites (Like hell I’m revealing this out to the public, tho XD) And also, April’s past has done some major damage to Skatra’s past (yeah, I know. Fiction just so happens to have coincidences like these, but c’mon. Fiction is an art.)

Are they a loner, or do they have a second-in-command? Mr Skatra works very closely with his daughter, Eyn!

Villain with good or bad publicity? Skatra’s got no publicity lol! (All seriousness, people are pretty indifferent to him. But that’s because he hasn’t achieved his goal, yet...)

Sure, but who REALLY runs the plot? Let’s face it. Skatra’s practically the reason for everything major in this story.

Who's the most important character not on this list? Why are they important? Doc/Sarlife hasn’t really been in a direct answer to any of these questions yet. They’re important because not only do they make a huge part of Skatra’s first conflicting side to begin with, but they also have their fair share of importance in the themes of the story, too.

Who's the least important character that you pay attention to? Probably Matro. He’s one of April’s friends, yeah, but the most important thing he does in the main storyline so far is just transport our characters XD

What's the most prominent canon ship? Well, I’ve nobody that’s really canon, yet. Unless Eyn’s slight crush on Pillia at the start counts. It’s not really that important. But I feel like I’ll hint it throughout the story. (Good luck on getting her, Eyn! Must hurt when you learn you’re on opposite sides, huh.)

Any other ships? Aside from Eyn’s small crush, there’s no other main characters that are canonically together.

Any noncanon crack!pairings you would read/consider writing? OH BOY. Alright, here’s a list of my bets:

April + Eyn - Everyone loves that good rivals/protag+antag pair. How can you get any better than that? They even start off thinking they’re gonna be great friends at the start (which is actually kinda sad...)

Matro + Farqua - They bicker quite a bit at the start, but they slowly regain their friendship as the story goes on. Classify them as rivals, if you want. And also, Farqua’s the one that works for Skatra, so there’s some good guy/bad guy stuff going on. BONUS: They’re red and blue with some major height difference, as well!!!

Doc + Wyra - These two consider each other pretty close and as close as they are, you’ll find Wyra teasing Doc a bit, too. That’s usually a joy to watch. They’re also your typical brawn + brains duo. Also, there’s the serious business + ball of energy there. I think this one’s sweet.

April + Pillia - Pillia’s probably April’s strongest relationship out of everyone in the story. She practically becomes April’s sidekick. Pillia’s good at turning trash into treasure, which means she can turn April into something great, too.

Matro + Doc - I’ve made sure that it looks as if they’ve been friends for ages. Matro even gets really upset after learning that Doc’s gone totally nuts. When Doc does end up joining forces with team April, Matro’s obviously got mixed feelings on the situation (considering what Doc’s done), but still wants to maintain their friendship as much as possible.

Doc + Skatra - Here are two of April’s main antagonists, so that’s a start. Also, despite being on opposing sides of the situation, Doc doesn’t necessarily see Skatra as an enemy, they see him as someone who needs help. Although trying to stop Skatra, Doc’s trying to find the best possible way out of the situation for this guy. This probably the more angstier ones, of the bunch.

Pillia + Ida - I’ve stated early in the script that these two are close friends. I haven’t had a phase yet where I’ve developed them as much as the others, but they’re the ones that are left, so I’m expecting some, soon. I’m probably gonna base some of their interaction off of Lister and Kryten from Red Dwarf, especially >>This Scene<<

Sorry, Eyn, Skatra, Ida, and Wyra, you’re all lonely as hell XD (don’t worry, I’m aroace XD)

Who is your favorite character to write? Tough one between Matro and Farqua.

Who is your least favorite character to write? Not that I’ve got a least favourite to write, but as of now, I’ve worked with Ida the least out of the main cast. (Sorry! I’ll get to you soon, I promise!!!)

Which character is the most cooperative? Ida, probably. She’s actually the most bored.

Which character is the least friendly? Doc, no matter how much they try to be.

Which character would you most want to meet in a bar? Matro seems the most fun to get drunk with! With his guitar, especially.

Which character would you least want to meet in a dark alleyway? Eyn. Especially in her Axel Duiti outfit!

How many characters are there total? I’m not counting. But, there are three main focus characters, and six other secondary characters!

How many are allied with the heroes? Out of the main characters, it starts off with three, then six, then seven.

How many are allied with the villains? Out of the main, it starts off seeming to be six, in actuality is three, then just two.

How many hate both of them? Oh... Uh... IDK I’ll write that later XD (Well, the situation’s trying to be as private as possible)

How many refuse to pick a side? Ida seems to have the most side struggles out of everyone. Farqua’s unwillingly pulled apart in all directions, too.

How large is the core cast (in 80-90% of the scenes)? Dunno excactly how to calculate much XD Let’s hope it’s a decent number.

Be honest—how many characters are actually important? Let’s hope all nine of them do something!

When does the story take place? Likely far future (probably not in this universe, though!)

Where does it take place? Lightyears away from Earth, in the Piarosar system

Would you want to live there? If it weren’t for the war, then yeah. Seems pretty cool.

Does your story end in the same place it starts? This part of the story, yes. I plan for it to be part of a bigger story.

What/whose POV is the story told from? It’s in script form! Well, mostly from April’s point of view.

If not omniscient, whose thoughts would have the most spoilers? Skatra and Doc’s!

What genre is your story? Sci-fi, action, & adventure (despite being set inside a building. Well, it’s a massive one, though...)

Where in a library would you file it? Sci-fi. Duhh.

What format are you writing it in? Script! (For a comic)

What format do you wish you could write it in? Still script! For an animated series!

Would you be for or against a movie? It’s better suited for a series. But hell yeah, that’d be cool.

Indie flick or multi-million blockbuster? An indie project. Don’t want it too big, you know...

Write a nice, long description about the story: (Done that) “April is a cyborg kid who finds a large, mysterious building when she gets lost in a prairie. She learns that the main entrance of the place is totally out of the question, so she tries finding her way in from above. Too bad that she can't get out from where she came from, and now she's forced to find another way out.

April then later discovers that inside the building is a community of robots and different races of creatures. Some even decide to help her on her little journey outside the building in the safest way possible. Unfortunately, it also turns out that some couple randos' got some sort of weird deal with April and they clearly don't like her.

Even worse, It also turns out that the building has problems of its own. Robots are disappearing from their homeplaces and so are some of the rest of the people. If this keeps up, soon nobody will be there to keep to the building and its people. And when April finds out what exactly's been going on, there lies the chance that maybe she could do a large part in preventing a major catastrophe that'll take place if nothing's done. And get this. It's not just the building that gets it. Good thing April's not that big a scumbag to not do anything about it.”

That sounds interesting, but can you cut it to under 200 words for the back cover? A sci-fi about a cyborg kid who gets stuck inside a mysterious, giant building after getting lost far outside the city. Upon her arrival in the building, it turns out that her goal isn't just to escape and make her way back home, but to also somehow prevent a huge catastrophe that awaits if she doesn't do anything. Good thing she isn't that big a scumbag.

Quick! Write a 200-character-or-less (with spaces) teaser (think ff.net)! Now give us a catchy tagline for promotional material! A cyborg kid gets stuck inside a mysterious, giant building in the middle of nowhere. Turns out that her goal isn't just to escape, but to also prevent some huge catastrophe from happening.

Is there magic? Maybe? (Really depends what characters I introduce and where they’re fro) Time travel? In a way, this happens. Psychic powers? Nop. Talking animals? No. If I count the aliens, that’s kinda insensitive lol! Pajamas? Not exactly? Different dimensions/realms? Not necessarily. More like they explore our reality. Aliens? Yes! High school? Our protag’s in year 9? Poison? Sorta Dragons? No... Cake? Not many of the main cast can actually eat XD Large guns? O.O?!!!!! Children? Yeah, that’s like almost half the main cast Ninjas? Nope XD Large cities? Not really Advanced science? Yep! Teenagers? Yep! War? In the background, but I might explore this some more in future... Faeries? Nope... Corrupt government? I guess???????? Romance? Nope! XD Witches or Wizards? Nop Spaceships? Maybeeeee Fanservice? In a sense where it means “thing that isn’t necessary for the story, but just to make fans happy”, probably when the alternate versions of the characters pay a visit Ridiculously long names? Hm....... IDK An old, wise mentor? Not in that sense... Swords? Uhh... No??? Internet? Yeah, Housewives? No I guess lol Conspiracies? ??? Overprotective parents? WEll, sorta I guess Revolutions? I don’t recall that idea coming :P Scented soap? I WISH Stuff blowing up? YEHA Monkeys? Idk? Not here?? A happy ending? YeaH?!?!??? Sorta. How much of the story have you finished? More planning than actual writing tbh

How much of the storyline have you decided on? A lot of the skeleton, now just the actual in betweens

About how long is it? Pretty long. IIt;s actually a part of a bigger thing.

How long is it in-story from beginning to end (flashbacks don't count)? LONG>

Do you ever think it will be finished? YES> DON’T DOUBT ME Anything else you'd like to add? I’m good!

#Chocco's OCs #Project: Proclo #Chocco's info dumps #Chocco does memes #Chocco's writing #Cloronve Niathea

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axelotyls · 2 years

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I LOVE 23SOCKS!!!!

#axel axelotyls moment #axel loves art core #so real #real #anyways #i love art rñ

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lovemxnot · 5 years

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Legends never die | Bang chan

Figure skater!Chan X Former figure skater!reader

Genre: Figure Skating!au, angst but it's a happy ending, Hurt-comfort, slice of life.

Word count: 2.5k

Warning: not so explicit mentions of panic attacks.

Synopsis: there, in the back corner of the skating rink arena, always sat a figure hidden in the shadows, watching him practice. Fed up chan decides to confront them only for him to regret it immediately once he saw who it was.

A/N: I love figure skating, and I love bang chan. So here you go.

Once upon a time, legend was just another connotation of your name. Hotshot, rising star, the impeccable, unmatchable rapidly rising figure skating champion.

History has it legends never die.

Well, history could go and burn in a ditch because the torn ligament in your leg could beg to differ. You might have not been physically declared dead, but you might as well be. Your accident was no accident at all, broadcasted on every news and sports channel for everyone, everywhere to see your pathetic fall. Tabloids printing your name in big, bold red headers, publicizing it even more to reach those that lived under a rock and didn't watch the annual winter Olympics or the tv in general.

New, fresh, young blood was a threat, one rusty jealous old skaters couldn’t handle chancing their spotlight stolen from them. A few tweaks to your blades before they hit the ice and there you have it Ladies and gentlemen, the great fall of the uprising figure skating star L/N Y/N.

And a great fall it was indeed. One that had you walking with a limp in your step, a cane in your hand and a stagger to your heart. Three years after everything has been said and done, and you could barely look at the ice rink and not feel your heartstrings tug in longing.

Missing would be such a weak word to express the amount of pining you felt of feeling the ice grating under your feet again. You missed skating so much it physically hurt you. But you were done for, you could hardly stand near the ice rink without seeing the flashing lights of cameras, the nauseous smell of iron suffocating you and spreading nicely like a red carpet on the ice, the horrific yells of the crowds as medics surrounded your fallen form on the icy floor. Your legs give out under any amount of pressure applied to them without your staff in hand. There was no way you could skate again.

Pity is what got you to where you are now, hidden in the shadows of your old training stadium(that without you and you pretty green bills wouldn't have been built), weeping out of sight, sitting in the same dark corner at the same time you used to book your training sessions every morning, staring as the newbie, a boy named Bang Chan, skated his heart away.

His skating was truly a form of art. The way his lean body would twist and turn weightless in the air, defying gravity, perfectly landing all his jumps without a hitch or a stutter in his form, pivoting in the air, body stretching out, beautifully illuminated by the lights, tips of his fingers and nose blushing red.

He was a masterpiece.

It was a shame you hadn’t had a duet with him before you lost your self-control and any feeling in your leg.

He didn't know you, you never showed your face to him, and he joined the team after you- A replacement of yours, one might say. He just knew that there, on the clock, sat a figure staring at him skate like their life depended on it, not one minute late.

In your defense, your body was so used to waking up at the first peak of sunrise on the horizon that you couldn’t help but keep on at it. It was an unhealthy regime, but it was either you go on your day like before, or you sit at home and cry yourself to sleep every second while watching old videos of you skating.

Fed up, he finally decided to call you out. Only for him to regret so once your somber face came into light.

Everybody knew you. Well, knew of you. of your tragedy. You used to be a phenomenon, an exemplar model younger athletes would look up to, gathering medals and trophies left and right, quickly escalating the ladder with pure talent, until the steps were taken from under your feet and you fell down with no one to catch you.

Whatever snarky remarks Chan was going to say died on his tongue, face turning sullen instead, sympathy clear in his eyes. He couldn’t imagine the amount of pain you must have gone through. Skating was his life’s purpose, to have it suddenly taken, stolen, to have the rug tugged from under his feet would be the end of him.and it was apparently no different to you either.

No words were exchanged, you left the stadium silently.

The next day you went again, only this time you didn't hide in the contours of the building. Instead, you sat up front where he could see you crystal clear. He flashed you a smile when he saw you, but didn't dare say anything. And neither did you.

Wistfully staring at the ice scraping under his blades, the sound so pleasing to your ears, Chan noticed your stares but never said anything. What could he say? Nothing, no words he utters would be able to stitch your wounded heart up. Unless he could bend time in his favor and warn you of such malicious events that were about to prevail on you, he couldn't do anything, he was utterly powerless.

Or was he?

Days passed were you gazed in silence, and he practiced, you naturally fell into a routine, greet each other with a smile- more like chan would smile at you with his little dimples popping out while you forced a half-assed smile because the boy was always nice to you and he was nothing like the people that treated you like trash just because you weren't under the limelight anymore.– Fold up on one of the chairs and simmer in your pot of hatred for greedy human kinds and what they would do for gluttony.

Until one day you hear music ringing around the stadium, not Chan’s usual one, but a mellow tune that forcefully shoves you back in time, three years back to be exact.

There stood chan, in the middle of the ice rink, in the same starting position you were in the last time you heard this song. Electricity trickled under your skin, blood pumping hot, limbs frozen in shock, hot drops of sweat dripped down your spin, cane slipping from your under your sweaty palms, but your feet strangely strong enough to carry you forward without a pause till the polyester barrier shielded you from the boy dancing behind it. You were standing perfectly fine without any support. Which further concluded Chan’s guesses that your injury wasn’t physical anymore. It was all up in your mind. Fear, fear of falling again, of feeling the tremendous amount of pain, of disappointment, of maleficent plots against you.

It was your dance, down to the T, to every fluid gesture of your hands, to every glid of your skates. He danced to it even better than you did and it irked you. Was he rubbing salt in your wound?

He reached the part where you had the mishap, a triple axel, and he landed it perfectly. Tears blurred out your vision, yet it couldn’t stop you from seeing yourself fall over and over again behind them.

Once the last note played out, and your eyes met with his through the clear plastic guard, your feet took off to the other side, away from the stadium and away from him.

He felt antsy, perhaps that wasn't the right thing to do. He knew you would take this the wrong way, that you’d get triggered by it and run away. But then again, perhaps what you needed was a physical nudge. So after a couple of days of no show from you, he had reached out to you- via text, asking you to meet him at the ice rink again, after hours were done.

You weren't going to go, fear and anxiety still creeping down your back, the melodious tune echoing in your head like a horror movie soundtrack, memories woven into it. Envy was heavily weighing on your chest too, but if you just sat around wallowing in your cocoon of hatred on the boy with the pure intentions, then you would be no better than those who had set you up for failure.

Plus you missed seeing him. Seeing him skate that is.

There he sat you down, stared at you hesitantly for a moment, words on the tip of his tongue, contemplating on whether he should speak or act first. Actions have always been louder than words, so he kneeled down and tugged at your feet, lacing them up in your old practice skating blades- ones you thought got thrown away, left to exist only in your memories. He lured you up to your feet, but you immediately fell back down. The tight fit of the skates on your feet felt like they were strangling you, cutting off your air supply, when it was nothing but paranoia.

“Chan, I can’t.” Your voice was almost frantic, eyes watering, hands gripping his arms so tightly you were sure he was going to bruise.

Regardless he gently pulled you up again and into the rink, hands steadily supporting your whole weight.

It felt weird, how you were stubbornly stomping your feet firmly to the ground, yet it smoothly glided on the icy surface. Its been so long, way too long since you’ve felt this. It felt like you were finally home, but the house has been neglected for years, abounded, filled with dust and mold. Left for the spirits of dead dreams to live in.

“What you went through... I can't tell you how sorry I feel for you, but you have to understand, it has been three years, Y/N.” That made you look up, into his eyes. Your name sounded so different coming from him, “Nothings wrong with your leg, your completely healed. you can skate.”

you shook your head deliriously, feeling your legs go numb at the mention of them.”No. No I-I cant.”

“I’m here.” His palms ingulfed yours, warmth spreading down to your core, pacifying the jetters from taking over your body, “I’m always here, I won't let you fall.”

Music, the same one from the last time you saw chan, started playing, jump-starting your heart and filling it with panic.

Sensing it chan squeezed your hands. “it’s okay,” he comforted, softly swaying them in the air on beat, in the exact same way you did in this dance number. “ It happened three years ago, Y/N. You're not there anymore.”

He pulled you closer to him, eyes pouring into yours, unrelenting“ You’re here, home. with me.”

It felt like he was coaxing you out of your shell, letting you freely pour your emotions and fear, eyes brimming with them, staring intensely into his, so fazed by them you didn't feel the pull and tug he was playing with your hands, softly moving your body with his on the ice, until you did, and you mind went into panic mode. The need to hide suddenly arouse and struck you like a comet, setting your nerves on fire. You buried your head in his chest, arms tight around his torso.

“It's okay,” his voice reverberated through his chest, heartbeat unwaveringly pounding under your ear, his body heat calmed you down, reminding you of the end of the night where you would bury yourself under your covers, tugged in and warm, no thoughts clogging your mind, no expectations, no fears, just you and yourself.

His chests rhythm lured yours into coping it. Breathing in, and out. In, and out, until your heart tempo matched his, thrumming in unison, Thoughts still harshly resurfacing despite your dire efforts of pushing them deep down.

Tentatively he swayed you around the ice, very very delicately moving you with him, waltzing around. He was doing your dance, you remember every move despite the three years gap, for how could you forget the thing that brought you so much suffering?

Paranoia bubbled up, clutching your lungs. You looked up, into Chan’s eyes once again, ready to complain once again, only for it to be you this time that is rendered speechless. You saw his craving, his passion for skating, lost in mimicking the moves without moving his body. The same flames that burned in your eyes not so long ago.

His eyes caught yours again. “Look,” he whispered, “ you’re skating.”

Looking down, you noticed your feet had unconsciously started drifting alongside his. Your hold on his waist tightened but you’re feet kept going.

He slipped your hands from around him and interlaced them with his instead, distancing you a fair amount away from him, enough to give both of your bodies freedom without you feeling too freelance.

Looking down at your feet then back up at him again, a laugh- a mixture of panic and pure exhilaration- bubbled up “ I-I’m Skating..”

Baffled, he was, by the bright smile that coated your lips, your eyes swiftly going to and fro his eyes and your skates. It lit sparks in his heart that could outlast the flames that blazed deep in him whenever his blades hit the ice.

Renaissance of long-forgotten passion flared his heart rate drastically up, previous doubts of falsy made moves quickly dissipating, his sleepless nights of guilt were all worth it if it meant he could see that smile on you again.

Music ignored, you revel in the sound of his laugh, echoing in the empty arena. Without hesitating, He pushed you away, letting your legs freely skate on without his hold, “Now dance for me.”

Fear was still present, but the reassuring gaze chan sent your ways made you sure that if you fall this time, he’ll be there to pick you up.

Slowly you skated around the rink once alone, sticking close to the railing, with nothing except for chan's stare holding you steady. And before you know it, there you were, with the crowds yelling your name, thunderous claps, flowers and stuffed dummies thrown into the rink, the flashes of camera following you around, but none of them could compare to the proud smile chan was sending you from his place at the kiss and cry after you landed all your jumps. With no falls this time.

You flew into his open arms, hands laying reassuringly around you. lips chastely brushing, foreheads touching, he whispered, “ you did well.”

So maybe after all, history was right.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the everlasting, undying gold-winning star of the winter figure skating Olympics L/N Y/N!!”

#넌 잘하고 있어 #an early bday gift to the man that helped me through a lot of shit in my life without him even realizing i exist #so really #thank you chan #i cant stress enough how grateful i am to you #okay i realllly like this figure skating!au #been trying to finish this for a week now but collage is a bitch #tHis may or may not have been inspired after i busted out ugly crying bcuz of chan saying'you did well'in his live #nothing i do is ever perfect or good enough for me and i tend to overwork myself for that reason until i have a mental breakdown #i dont think i hear this enough and i didnt realize it until chan said so #credit to the owner of the pics #stray kids #skz #straykids imagine #Chan #skz imagines #skz chan'skz blurbs #bang chan #skzinc #skzwriters #stray kids fanfic #stray kids writing #Bang chan X reader #skz X reader #stray kids X reader #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios

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is0gild · 4 years

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Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 2

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 6,462

PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

The first thought I had when I woke up was…

...who the heck painted my ceiling green?!

Because last I checked, it was a midnight blue… or maybe more of a cobalt blue? Azure, possibly…?

Whatever it was, it was most definitely not green.

I narrowed my eyes up at it groggily before deciding I didn’t care and rolled over in bed, curling onto my side. Which led me to my second question…

...where had this frigging baby crib next to my nightstand come from and what the actual frick was it doing in my room?

No… forget the crib… what was the deal with the absolute mountain of Huggies boxes stacked up behind it?

Either this had to be just one of the weirdest, dumbest, not to mention lamest pranks Anna had ever pulled on me or…

...or this wasn’t my room.

I shot up in bed, wide eyes darting about. Yup, definitely not my room. Not unless I had decided to do a few home improvements in my sleep and say, I don’t know, move my door to the total opposite wall. Or how about the entirely different furniture, complete with a giant shelf packed tight with more baby books than a person could possibly ever need in one lifetime? Then of course there was that heaping pile of toys and stuffed animals stacked in one corner. Did I mention the sheer amount of Huggies? Because dear god, the Huggies…

I was going to have nightmares about drowning in an endless sea of them, mark my word.

It was as I was shuddering at that mental image that it finally all came rushing back to me and I gasped - my wedding! My escape! My shoplifting! My breakdown on Rayne’s doorstep! My-

Wait, wait, go back… Rayne!

...that’s probably where I was. Still in her apartment. But… I didn’t remember this room… not walking into it, not even so much as a glimpse of it, just… not at all...

Placing a cool hand to my forehead, I searched my muddled brain some more for the details of what happened last night. Or, seemingly last night anyway, if the early morning light streaming in through the window curtains was any clue. I remembered… her inviting me in… discovering she was married and expecting, which would somewhat explain the almost disturbing amount of diapers… and then I’d-

Oh dear lord, I had utterly and one hundred percent lost my absolute marbles. Oh gosh, what must she think of me…

I couldn’t remember much after that. Nothing, in fact. My memories just abruptly stopped. Had I... fainted?

Well I wasn’t going to get any answers if I kept hiding in here. Even less so if I curled up into a ball under the covers and waited for the earth to swallow me and my shame up whole, as lovely and tempting a thought as that sounded.

Sighing, I put one bare foot on the carpet, then the other and reluctantly arose. I spotted my… well... “my” ankle boots tucked neatly next to one of the bedpost legs, prompting me to look down at myself to see that I was still in the, erm… borrowed sundress, now thoroughly wrinkled. My hair was still in its braid, though calling it that would have been generous as it was now more just one big frazzled knot. Tossing it back over my shoulder with a sigh, I approached the door, reaching a hand out towards it. My fingers hovered over the knob, hesitating for a split second before twisting it open and stepping out.

A rapid click-clack filled the air as I quietly stepped into the familiar living room from the night before. It didn’t take long to spot the source. Rayne was seated at the table in the dining space, fingers quickly tapping away at her laptop keys. She looked like she had just gotten out of bed, still in pyjamas and her hair thrown into a loose, messy bun at the nape of her neck. She had a pencil tucked behind one ear and the light from the screen reflected off the lenses of her black-rimmed glasses, her entire focus trained on her work.

“Morning, sunshine,” she chirped, not looking up nor putting the brakes on her typing. “Be with ya in just a sec.”

“Take your time,” I murmured, not wanting to interrupt whatever she was in the middle of. I figured it was the very least I could do after having a total core meltdown in her living room yesterday.

Not quite sure what to do with myself in the meantime, I once more reached for the tangled-mess-formerly-known-as-braid that was my hair, idly toying with it as I glanced around. It didn’t seem like there was much more to the apartment than what I’d already seen. To my right, there was a short hallway with three more doors, each closed. Presumably one another bedroom where the happy couple slept, one a restroom, which would make the third a…?

Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I stretched a hand out towards the nearest mystery door to take a quick peek.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Rayne sing-songed while otherwise still fully engrossed in her laptop.

I froze, fingertips brushing the doorknob as I turned my head to blink at her. Then I pursed my lips to one side. “...closet bursting full of baby diapers?”

Her typing abruptly silenced and she directed an eyebrow quirk my way. “Actually, yes. How did you know?”

“Wild guess,” I said dryly. “I’m sorry, did you say you were having a baby or a litter?”

“Shush, you, I’m nesting,” she harrumphed, fingers blurring across the keyboard once more.

For now, maybe it’d be better if I kept my hands to myself. Who knew what other potential death traps Macguyvered out of baby paraphernalia lurked about this place? Hugging myself, I trudged over to the dining table, took a seat opposite of Rayne and waited.

Hardly another minute ticked by before she gave a satisfied final tap to the laptop. “Annnnnnd done!” she beamed, clicking the device shut. She then leaned forward, resting her elbows atop the table and propping her chin on her interlaced fingers as she regarded me. “So…”

“So…” I fidgeted some more with my frazzled knot, averting my gaze. “...on a scale of one to off-my-rocker, how crazy did I sound last night?”

She closed her eyes with a bright grin. “Oh, you were batshit, sweetpea.”

I winced. “That’s... what I thought. Sorry.”

“Don’t be!” she brushed it off with a flick of her hand. “It was the most excitement I’ve had in weeks, so actually I’m a little grateful.”

My mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Well then… you’re welcome, I guess. I’m glad my neurotic episode could brighten an otherwise dull moment in your life.”

“Oh hush, you know I love you.” Crossing her arms, she leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “Now it was a bit hard to keep up, but let me see if I got the gist here. You,” she struck up a finger, “were going to get married…”

I hung my head, “Yeah.”

Another digit rose. “...but realized you didn’t love him…”

My shoulders slouched as I sunk down in my seat, my voice getting smaller as I said, “...yeah.”

Up went the third. “...that you never loved him…”

Grimacing, I slumped forward, pressing my face into the table, “Uh huh…”

“...and so you dumped him at the altar.”

I groaned, banging my forehead against the hard, wooden surface. “I am the worst.”

“Aw, sweetheart, no.” The scraping of her chair against the floor could be heard as she scooched around the table closer to me before I felt her hand rubbing light circles against my back. “You… just got scared is all, and you panicked… I mean, really? You did the right thing.” I turned my head, resting my cheek against the table now as I gave her a dull stare. She pressed on hastily, “No, seriously! If you’d had stayed, you wouldn’t have been happy. He wouldn’t have been happy. It would have been a terrible marriage, your lives would have been miserable… really, you did him a favor! I mean, sure, could you have handled the break up a bit better?” Her face scrunched up slightly before she flung her hands up in the air with a shrug. “...Maybe?”

“Ugh!” I full on faceplanted into table once more. “The absolute worst! I deserve to be locked in a tiny, cramped box filled with spiders and worms and dung beetles and moldy, rotten eggs and, and anchovies and-”

“Sweetie, sweetie, you’re spiraling again,” she cut me off gently, taking hold of my shoulder and pulling me back to sit up straight once more and look her in the eye. “The point is, I’m sure he’ll understand.” My eyelids drooped at her. “Eventually! I’m sure he’ll understand eventually. Just… give him some time, let this whole thing blow over, then you two can talk. Get some closure. Okay?”

I looked down at my lap with a sigh and just gave a weak, noncommittal shrug.

“Okay then. Now,” she hesitated, gnawing her lower lip. “...can I ask… when you made a run for it, why of all places did you come to my apartment? I’m always, always here for you, you know I am, but it’s been… god, I don’t even know how long… years since we even last spoke. You didn’t have someone else, any other friends or anyone you could have turned to?”

I swallowed hard and slowly shook my head. “I don’t… have any friends. Not really. It’s… always been hard for me to make them. I’ve just never been good with people. You remember how I was as a child back when we were at summer camp, all nervous and awkward and hardly able to string two words together.”

She gave me a small smile. “Yeah, and all the other kids didn’t even give you a chance, just figured you were some snooty, rich brat who thought yourself better than them and couldn’t see you were just shy.” Her grin turned a touch wicked. “I pummeled them good though and made them regret ever picking on you.”

One corner of my mouth twitched upward and I nodded. “I was always so thankful for your friendship. I’m… sorry we drifted apart over the years.”

“S’okay,” she waved a dismissive hand. “We lived so far apart from each other, only seeing each other every summer. It’s just something that happens sometimes as people grow older, I suppose. But hey… looks like we’re not quite done with each other yet.”

“Guess not,” I chuckled softly before my face sunk into a frown once more. “I never did get any better at making friends. Everyone I know now… they’re all my parent’s friends… or they're his friends…”

She tipped her head to one side. “His?”

I gave her a pointed look. “Him.”

“Oh. The dumpee. Right.”

“They’re all just… they’re not people I really know, they’re… acquaintances, you know? And they’re all from munny, they’re all from that world, they were all at the wedding, they… none of them would have understood. Except for Anna, but she still lives with Mother and Father, so best she could do was help me escape. But after that?” I fell silent, shaking my head.

Her brow furrowed. “What about your home? Couldn’t you have gone there?”

I gave a derisive snort. “With what munny? I fled in my wedding dress, so I didn’t even have my phone on me, much less my wallet, so it’s not exactly like I could've called an Uber. Besides, even if I could have, that’d have been the last place I went. My parents pay for my condo and after what I’ve done, I can’t face them. Not ever again. I’m never going back… Mother, Father, my old life, all of it... it’s the past now.” My face hardened as I murmured, “The past is in the past.”

She blinked at me a couple times. “Don’t you think you’re maybe being a bit over dramatic? It’s your parents. They love you, no matter what. I mean, sure, maybe they’ll be a lil pissed, but-”

“No, you don’t understand,” I shook my head with a scowl. “What I’ve done… I did it in front of all their friends, their colleagues, their… I’ve embarrassed them in front of so many important people. And don’t even get me started on how much they spent on the wedding that I didn’t even show up to,” I grimaced, now squeezing the giant knot that was my hair. “I had a… we had… they had a plan for me, for my whole future, and I just… blew it all up and threw it back in their faces. So no, they won’t just be pissed, they’ll be furious… we’re talking yelling, screaming, we’re talking Hulk smash, we’re talking end of days, wrath raining down from the heavens kind of mad here. They’re going to cut me off and…” I gulped, slumping down further into my chair, eyes downcast as I whispered, “...and disown me.”

Rayne placed a hand on top of one of mine and I glanced up at her again as she said, “You should call them. But maybe… just give them a little time to cool off first? In the meantime, it’s a good thing you found me again.” She smiled and I couldn’t help a tiny one of my own in return. With a couple pats to my hand, she added, “What luck you chose my town to get hitched in, huh? Talk about coincidence! What would you have even done if you’d decided to pull your lil disappearing act in a whole other city?”

“Actually, we were deciding between a few venues in different cities to host the ceremony in.” I frowned thoughtfully. “But something kept pulling me back to Radiant Garden in Twilight Town. I think… it was because of you. Subconsciously, I was already planning an escape route weeks ago. You were already my way out, my rope made of blankets hanging out a window, it just... took me a while to realize it, I suppose.”

“Well, happy to be your blanket rope any day, boo,” she tapped my nose with a grin. “A lil warning next time would be nice though, kay? Ya know, just a quick heads up, something like, ‘hey, I’m planning on making like a banana and splitting from my own wedding and need a place to crash’ will do.”

I breathed a short laugh. “Noted, though I don’t really plan on making a habit of this.”

“Speaking of plans, any ideas what your next step’ll be? What exactly is your plan here?”

“Ugh, don’t get me started,” I rolled my eyes. “Already had this talk with my reflection yesterday and trust me, she was totally useless.” Rayne stared at me blankly and I cocked my head at her. “What?”

“...context, sweetie.”

“Oh, right.” I suppose there were still a few dots that I needed to connect for her. “Well… after Anna helped me escape, I needed a change of clothes. If I kept parading around town in my wedding gown, it probably wouldn’t have been long before my parents tracked me down. Luckily, first store I stumbled across was a used clothing shop. After I changed into this,” I gestured towards the crinkled mess of a sundress I was wearing, “right then and there in the dressing room is when my panic attack went into full swing and I sort of got into a lively debate with the mirror about where my future was heading. That was about as effective as you might imagine,” I grumbled the last part. “But then I thought of you and asked the person working there for a phone book.”

“Ah.” She looked past me to the coffee table in the living room, where the White Pages had been left, still rumpled but now dried of my tears. “That explains that, I guess. But… it’s a phone book, why didn’t you just call-” She paused abruptly, eyes lighting up as it clicked. “...busted phone?”

I nodded. “Busted phone.”

Her eyebrows knit together now, voice quaking with hardly contained laughter as she asked, “So the next logical step to you was to steal the phone book?”

My eyes darted to the left. “...yeah.”

“As opposed to, ya know, borrowing a pencil and jotting down the addresses on a scrap of paper? Like a sane person?”

I huffed out a soft growl, wrenching at my tangled knot once more. “Hi, have you met me? Not good with people, remember? My brain just shuts down and I get all, I dunno… chicken with its head cut off. And being on the lam after going rogue on my wedding day? Did not help matters when it came to thinking straight, believe me.”

She snerked, ruffling my bangs. “Oh you poor, sweet, socially inept weirdo you! If it makes you feel any better, you’re in good company. As you might recall, I myself am about as eloquent as a potato.”

“But twice as pretty,” a third voice chimed in and we looked over just as Riku used his foot to shut the front door behind him, smirk in place and bearing a styrofoam cup carrier tray with three steaming drinks in it.

“Rude,” Rayne deadpanned, removing the pencil from behind her ear to flick it at him.

He sidestepped it without breaking stride, lips twitching wider. “Not even. You know how pretty I think potatoes are.”

“Dork,” she shook her head as he came to a stop next to her and planted a kiss atop her forehead, depositing one of the drinks on the table in front of her.

These two? Actually kind of adorable.

But also… ugh. Love. Gross.

She smiled, bringing the cup up to her nose with a curious sniff. “Mmmmm, pumpkin spice? How did you manage to swing that this time of year?”

“Aqua,” he said, making his way over towards me now but eyes still on his wife. “She’s squirreled away a secret stash in the back just for you.”

“Bless that woman, she’s an absolute angel,” she sighed happily, blowing on the beverage before taking a cautious sip.

He gave the two remaining cups a quick glance before handing one to me with a friendly grin. “A little birdie told me you’re a fan of peppermint.”

“You remembered,” my eyes crinkled as I looked to Rayne, who merely winked at me. I felt the pleasant warmth from the cup seep into my fingers as I inhaled the aroma deeply. Sure enough, it was some sort of minty mocha blend. I gazed up at Riku, managing a shy, tiny smile. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” he brushed off. “By the way, we haven’t officially been introduced yet. I’m-”

“Riku,” I nodded. “That much at least managed to slip past the fog of crazy and reach my brain yesterday… nice to meet you. Looks like you already know me by now,” I held up the drink he’d gifted me, pointing to where Elsa was scrawled in sharpie across it. Then I grimaced somewhat as I put it down on the table, fingers playing with the coffee sleeve wrapped around the cup. It had a grinning feline face printed on it with the words Lucky Cat Café printed underneath. “...sorry by the way... about last night.”

“Don’t be. You have nothing to be sorry for. Sounds like you were in a tough spot and needed a friend.” He stood beside Rayne once more, resting a tender hand on her back as she leaned into him a bit. “And any friend of Ray’s is a friend of mine. Happy to help in whatever way we can.”

“Thanks…” I murmured, still staring hard at my to-go cup. The side opposite of the logo had a small blurb of a story recanting how before it became a chain, the first Lucky Cat was a humble little shop in San Fransokyo run by a woman and her two nephews. “...you’re both too kind, really…” I paused with a sigh and a shake of my head, “but I’ve imposed on you both too much already. Thank you so much for letting me stay the night, but I couldn’t possibly ask for anything more from either of you. In fact, I should just go. Just… give me a few minutes to get myself together and then I’ll leave you both in peace again.”

Rayne narrowed her eyes at me. “You will do no such thing!”

I rose from my chair, “No, seriously, it’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’ll figure something out.”

What though? Good question. Was still working on that part.

Her eyelids drooped as she set an elbow on the table and leaned forward. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you still have a bit of a munny problem, as in you don’t have any.”

I gave a weak laugh and shrugged, “Psh, details.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “And just where do you think you’ll sleep while you’re broke off your ass?”

“I have… prospects…”

“...that wouldn’t have anything to do with the box you mentioned yesterday?”

My eyes shifted. “And Carol, can’t forget about her.”

Somehow, Rayne did not look reassured. “And Carol would be?”

Boy, were my fingers really getting tangled in my frazzled knot now. “A… a cockroach?”

“A cockroach,” she repeated, voice flat.

“A hypothetical cockroach,” I clarified with a nod.

“That doesn’t make it better,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look, there’s no way I’m letting my friend live in a box-”

“Not just any box! A Rolex box,” I interjected hastily. The silence stretched and I floundered a bit under her unamused stare. “So… you know, like… a really nice box.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, no. Not happening. You’re staying with us.”

I shook my head, waving my hands back and forth in front of me. “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly! I don’t want to be any more of a burden than I’ve already been and besides, you don’t have any space for me, not with the baby on the way and-”

“The jellybean won’t be here for another six months at least,” she cut in, looking down to place a gentle hand on her belly. “We were going to turn the spare room into a nursery, but we can clear all the baby stuff out for now and you can use it at least until the kiddo arrives. If you need it for longer, well then, we’ll figure it out at that time.”

“But-”

“Oof!” Riku grunted as Rayne shoved him forward with a smack to his rear. Rubbing his posterior, he looked from her to me. “We, er… we ask that you-” He hissed in pain as she pinched his arm, narrowing her gaze up at him. “I mean, we insist,” he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, whispering, “insist, right?” She gave a firm nod. Clearing his throat, he continued, “We insist that you stay with us. We, uh… won’t take no for an answer.”

Well… when one makes such a super sweet and super coerced offer like that, how could I possibly refuse?

Still I hesitated, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth. “I suppose...only if it won’t be too much of a bother… and this’ll of course only be until I can find a more permanent solu-”

“Then it’s settled!” Rayne leapt up from her chair and I staggered as she tackled me in a death-grip hug. “Welcome to your new home, roomie!”

I couldn’t resist a small smile at that. It was fleeting however as the corners of my mouth turned down once more. “That’s only one problem solved though, what about the million others? There’s still my parents, my ex, my- oh gosh, I have an ex now. My first ex. How weird is that? What am I supposed to even do with an ex?! Like what, do I… send him cards now? Like around Christmas? Or is that too impersonal? Maybe this is more of a fruit basket situation... Oh! And munny! I have to figure out what I’m going to do about that now, not to mention my whole life and future and-”

“Stop,” she put a finger to my lips, silencing my babbling. “Breathe. Why do I get the feeling I’m going to be reminding you to do that a lot now?” she huffed softly. “Just… baby steps, okay? I know it all seems like a lot right now, everything is one big fat question mark, but it’ll all get figured out. You’ve already made a little progress already.”

I blinked. “...I have?”

“Yes! For starters, you’re not homeless! But also, think about it… you’re already doing better than you were last night. I mean, at least you’re no longer a complete basket case.”

“I suppose that’s true,” I muttered, absently wringing my hands together. Not a complete basket case… now I was only like twelve percent of one.

Okay, fine, more like sixty percent.

“See? It’s still scary, yes, but not as scary and overwhelming as it was yesterday! All you needed was a little space along with a good night’s rest to gain some perspective.”

I slowly eased back down into the chair. “I guess you��re right… things don’t seem as bad today. Still bad, very, very bad, but… not as much as last night. Heh… it’s funny how some distance can make everything seem small.”

“And it’ll just keep getting easier, believe me,” Rayne rubbed my shoulder as she too took a seat once more. “Just look at this as a new beginning.”

My eyebrows knit together. “A new beginning?”

She nodded. “Yeah, like… okay, what was your life like before? Before you flew the coop, before this whole mess when everything was all status quo, what was it like with your parents?”

A low hum escaped me. “Well, I guess I always just did as I was told. I got the grades my parents wanted me to get, socialized with the groups my parents wanted me to socialize with, went to the university my parents wanted me to go to, dated the guy I thought my parents would want me to date… never did any wrong, always followed the rules… I was always just the good girl I felt I had to be. Being their eldest child, I felt I had an image to maintain, that I must always do what was expected of me, that I owed it to Mother, to Father, to the family name.”

“Okay, sure, but now all of that?” She smirked at me. “You can just forget about it! No more right or wrong and you can take those stupid, stuffy rules and just throw them out the window! This is a new start for you. Now you get to decide what you want for yourself, no one else. You’re free!”

I stiffened at that, blinking a couple times as her words sunk in.

...no right, no wrong… no rules for me?

I’m… free?

That… actually sounded kind of amazing.

But also totally and utterly terrifying.

Where’s a rock to hide under when you need it?

“Earth to Elsa, come in please.” Rayne snapped her fingers in front of my face and I flinched, wide eyes focusing on her once more. “Sorry, I could just already see you drifting off into worrywort mode so figured I had to reel ya back in quick. Look, I get it. Going from life as practically royalty in a gilded cage to being thrust penniless and clueless into the real world would sound scary and daunting to anyone. But you don’t have to do it alone.” She wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist, hugging him close. “You have Riku and me. Just consider us your Real World for Dummies book!”

That… was actually super comforting to hear. I could already feel the anxiety beginning to ebb a bit. “Thanks, I… that means a lot to me,” I smiled faintly before breathing a small sigh. “Okay then, where should this dummy start?”

“Alright, lesson one,” she struck up a finger. “Everything costs munny. Solution? Get a job.”

One eyebrow shot up my forehead. “A job?”

“Yup! I mean, you’re gonna have to pay for rent somehow!”

My other eyebrow rose to join the first. “R-rent?”

Okay, anxiety back now, and cranked up to a thousand!

“Of course. What, did you think this was gonna be a free ride? Pft, please. I’m your friend, not Mother Teresa. It’s for your own good, you’re going to need to learn how to provide for and take care of yourself. But don’t worry, you won’t owe us anything until you land an actual job.”

“Oh… okay.” That didn’t sound too bad, I suppose. However… “Just one question: how do I do that?”

Her head tilted to the left. “Do what? You mean… get a job?”

“Yeah,” I nodded vigorously, “that.”

“You’re kidding me, right? Have you never had a job before?” You could almost hear the non-existent crickets as I just stared owlishly back at her. Finally she facepalmed. “What am I saying, of course you’ve never had a job. Why would you? You have enough munny to make Tony Stark look like chump change… er, rather, you had. Oi, this might be harder than I thought,” she grumbled, rubbing the nape of her neck.

“What were you going to do?” Riku piped up.

I looked up at him with a frown. “What was I…?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, “You know, as in your career? What were your goals, your ambitions, your plans for the future?”

My fingers were back at it again, getting ensnared in my bedraggled knot. I really needed to see about disentangling the stupid thing. “Well, I… I guess I never really thought about it…”

“What?!” Rayne’s head rocked back at that. “How could you not?! Didn’t you say last night you just graduated? What were you going to do now that you were out of school?”

“I was going to get married!”

Were these people even listening to a word I'd said?!

Riku rubbed his chin, “Let’s try a slightly different angle here. What about your major? What were you studying?”

Here I cringed a bit. “Art History.”

Rayne clapped her hands together once, “Well then, there you go! You can apply to a museum or something.”

“But I hated it. Another thing I did only because my parents encouraged me to. I don’t want to work at a museum or sell art or teach it or have anything to do with it!” And once again, I was slumping forward. Hello table, my old friend. Don’t mind me, I’ll just be banging my forehead against you a few times. “Ugh, why did I have to waste four years of my life on that?! Stupid, useless major!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she tugged on my knot, forcing me to sit back up once more. “It’s not that bad, really!”

“Not that bad? I have no skills, no experience, nothing! No one’s going to want to hire me, I’m about as qualified as a frigging kumquat! Scratch that, the kumquat is more qualified because at least it can be made into a smoothie. Can I be made into a smoothie? No! I can't do anything!”

She puffed out a breath, “Calm down, there’s plenty you can do! You’ll definitely figure this out.”

I tucked in my lower lip as I looked down, mulling it over for a second. Then I glanced back up at them hopefully. “...what do you two do for a living? Would either of you maybe be able to get me a job?”

“University professor,” Riku said, jerking a thumb into his chest. “My field is astronomy, not that that helps you one way or another. You said teaching was out.”

“And I’m a reporter for Meteor Publishing.” Rayne looked away with a low growl, “Though lately I’ve been relegated to online editing work from home because somebody thought it would be a good idea to put me under house arrest ever since we discovered I was pregnant.”

Riku held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Hey now, it wasn’t just me. Vyv agreed with me.”

She scoffed. “Stupid useless boss. In any case, I can’t really be of assistance either, I’m afraid. You kind of need the experience and background to work in journalism. You got anything like that? A course you took for fun in college? Wrote for your high school paper? Anything?”

“I’ve never even so much as kept a personal dairy,” I sighed, eyes downcast once more. “It’s hopeless!”

“No, sweetie, it’s not hopeless! There’s still plenty out there for you! Lot’s of entry-level jobs that’d be willing to train you. It probably won’t be anything glamorous, but you gotta start somewhere! Not gonna lie though, it’ll probably be retail. You know... customer service.”

“Meaning…?”

Looking me dead in the eye, she intoned one single, solitary word that rang out like a funeral toll. “People.”

I blanched.

Okay, this was it.

My nightmare.

She cupped my hands in hers and when she spoke, her voice was gentle. “Sorry, but there’s just no way around it. It’s either that or putting that Art History bachelor’s of yours to work. Pick your poison.”

If you hadn’t gotten the memo by now, me and people? Did not go together. Something about being around them caused my muscles to lock, my heart to freeze to ice, my insides to shrivel, and my soul to exit my body. If it were up to me, I’d have become a hermit a long time ago. But I’d never be able to pull it off... I couldn’t grow that iconic beard that was basically required hermit dress code. Bleh, being a hermit was such a male dominated field, it really wasn’t fair.

All that said, however…

“If I were to go the Art History route,” I began slowly, “it would be kind of like I was still letting my parents dictate my life since they’re the reason I majored in it. No… I want nothing to do with that stupid degree.” My expression hardened. “So, customer service it is then. I’m going to make it on my own, this is just something I have to do. It… will be good for me.” Despite myself, my tone lost some of its edge as I asked, “...right?”

Rayne grinned big at me. “Absolutely! Besides, it’ll only be temporary, just something to give you time to land on your feet and figure out what you really want to do with your life. And remember, we got your back every step of the way. I can help you with the job search and filling out applications. Riku’s definitely more of the social butterfly, so he can prep you for interviews.”

My back stiffened. “Interviews?”

Riku gave a light snort. “You know, as in the thing that will actually land you a job? Resumes and job forms are great for getting your foot in the door, but they’re not enough on their own. Employers actually want to meet you, see if you’ll be a good fit, get a feel for who you are, stuff like that.”

Oh dear…

Was it too late to backtrack and get married?

Zip it, brain, I don’t want to hear that kind of talk! Stay strong, girl!

“Why don’t you give her a bit of a trial run right now, hun?” Rayne suggested, standing up and offering him her chair. “Give her an idea of some of the questions she might be asked.”

“Alright,” he took a seat across from me, scooting forward slightly and plastering on a blinding smile. “Hi, I’m Riku, I’ll be interviewing you for the position we’re hiring for.” He offered me his hand and I twitched back from it slightly. Blank stare darting back and forth between his outstretched palm and his face a few times, I at last tentatively took it to shake. He cleared his throat, looking at me expectantly. I blinked at him. He sighed, “...and you would be?”

“Oh! Um… Elsa… pleasure, to uh… to make your acquaintance?” I ventured.

“Likewise,” his hands folded in his lap. “Now tell me, why do you want this job?”

I straightened up, “Oh, this one’s easy. For munny.”

Riku spluttered and coughed into his fist. Choking back a laugh, Rayne said, “Tact, sweetheart. Try not to be so blunt.”

“Oh.”

This whole interview thing was sounding harder and harder by the second.

Having regained some composure, Riku tried again. “What would you say is your greatest weakness?”

My gaze shifted to the right as my fingers fiddled with my knot once more. “Oh gosh, I have so many, it’s hard to pick just one.”

He gave me a dull stare. “Maybe consider… honesty is not always the best policy.”

“Also remind me later that we really need to boost that self confidence of yours,” Rayne muttered behind him.

“Alright,” Riku lifted his chin, “Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?”

Was he joking? “I don’t even know where I see myself in five to ten minutes, let alone years!”

He smacked himself in the face, dragging his hand down. “We… have our work cut out for us.”

And so it went. Riku tried a few more questions on me, but the rest of my answers continued to go about as well as you might expect. As he and Rayne did their best to prepare me for the real thing, I had to keep telling myself that despite my fears and doubts, this was what was best for me. Sure, it was going to be hard but in a way, that was good. My life had been too easy so far, with everyone making decisions for me. Everyone, that is, except for myself. I had been limiting myself and taking the easy way out this whole time, never realizing my full potential. But not anymore. It was time to see what I could do, to test those limits and break through. This was going to be the new me, not that old fake persona I’d always put on because it was what my parents had wanted. It was time to learn who I really was. And above all, I just needed to keep reminding myself that now…

...I’m free.

Author’s note: Whew, answered a lotta questions this chapter and we're done with the setup for the most part! Please just bear with me a little longer and I promise things will start to pick up and heat up more by the end of next chapter! You probably noticed a few not so subtle drops both this and last chapter of lyrics from Let It Go sprinkled in. I'm just a dork who's doing her best to parallel the whole running away/Let It Go scene from the movie with Elsa nopedy-noping outta her wedding in this story xD Also, not sure if it sounds weird for Elsa to say "frigging" or "frick" (she's gonna do it semi-regularly-ish) but trust me, there's a reason she does! There's always a method to my madness, I swear! …and sometimes those methods are stupid, but still, what matters is that there IS IN FACT a method xD

Anyway! Next chapter, Elsa gets a job (take a wild stab in the dark as to where, given that the story title, summary, and cover art are NOT subtle), she meets a CERTAIN someone (well, she's gonna be meeting a LOT of new someones, but there's one in particular we've all been waiting for, you know who :3) and at last the true fun, adventure and mayhem can really begin! Thank you so much for reading, and an extra BIG thank you to those of you out there who liked and reblogged last chapter, seeing that always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

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cela-astral-projection · 5 years

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Aric/Aedan Vernersson Character Survey

Basic Character Questions

First name? Aric. Psuedoname is Aedan

Surname? Vernersson

Middle names? Axel

Nicknames? Brother

Date of birth? September 23rd

Age? Early to mid-twenties (died around his 25th birthday), but he's quite responsible for a young man.

Physical / Appearance

Height? 6'3

Weight? 240

Build? Buff but still soft.

Hair color? Pale yellow/white.

Hairstyle? Long, thick and wavy hair that is usually pulled back

Eye color? Silver

Glasses or contact lenses?: He wears glasses when he has to do a lot of writing or reading for eyestrain, but other than that, he has excellent vision.

Distinguishing facial features? He's not big on shaving, so he generally has some form of facial hair.

Which facial feature is most prominent? His jawline.

Which bodily feature is most prominent? His arms or his monster hands.

Other distinguishing features? Bright silver eyes.

Skin? Tawny brown, like his mother's.

Hands? Ginormous meat hooks.

Makeup? Not his thing. Lucio made him put on his eyeliner once. It melted in the sun, and he swore it off because it burned his eyes.

Scars? His hands are a little rough, and he's got a few cuts up his arms, but nothing too pronounced.

Birthmarks? Some darker brown pigmentation on the back of his arms. Pretty faint.

Tattoos? He has some sun paintings (one on each pec) reminiscent of the rock art from his village on his chest in a dark sienna color.

Physical handicaps? Bone spurs on his heels, but that's just an annoyance.

Type of clothes?: It depends on what he's doing. In the palace, he wears grey and charcoal with red and gold accents. When he's just going about his day, he wears lightweight linens in a rainbow of colors.

What are their feet like? (type of shoes, state of shoes, socks, feet, pristine, dirty, worn, etc.) Like I said, the boy has bone spurs on his heels, so they were already giant monster feet, but that just adds to their length. He takes good care of his feet. He likes high-quality boots and shoes. (Unlike his sister who would go barefoot everywhere.)

Race / Ethnicity?: His father is from Lucio and Morga's tribe, and his mother is one of the southern tribes on the frozen sea. (A/N: for all intents and purposes, I write them as Swedes/Post-Spanish Mission Chumash Indians because...that's what Kristen (Celeste) and Erik (Aric) are.)

Are they in good health? Aric was always in generally good health. Until he wasn't...

Do they have any disabilities? None to speak of.

(image of Chumash Rock art for tattoo reference)

Personality

What words or phrases do they overuse? "Yeah, Bud!"

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Optimistic

Are they introverted or extroverted? Extroverted

Do they ever put on airs? Nope. You won't find a more chill, friendly guy.

What bad habits do they have? Nail-biting and hair pulling (trichotillomania, but he has to be very, very anxious)

What makes them laugh out loud?: So many things. And at inappropriate times.

How do they display affection? Gifts, acts of service.

How do they want to be seen by others? Reliable, approachable, trustworthy.

Strongest character trait? Seeing the best in others.

Weakest character trait? Blind loyalty.

How competitive are they? Very.

How do they react to praise? He loves hearing praise and being told he's doing a good job. It gives him warm fuzzies.

How do they react to criticism? He is very open to criticism as long as it's constructive.

What is their greatest fear? Not being able to save his loved ones.

What are their biggest secrets? He's an open book. Except for that whole...fake name-Lucio is my cousin thing. (Which he is not terribly good at hiding)

What is their philosophy of life? How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

What haunts them? His mother's face when he left home.

What will they stand up for? Anyone, anytime.

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? Outdoorsy.

What is their sinful little habit? He wouldn't consider it immoral, but he does indulge in some of the magician's...herbal remedies.

What sense do they most rely on? Sight.

How do they treat people better than them? As equals

How do they treat people worse than them? As equals

What do they consider an overrated virtue? Temperance.

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Probably would do better to realize that some people just can't be reached, but damned if he doesn't try.

What is their obsession? Fishing and his dog.

What are their pet peeves? People that touch his food without permission. Aedan doesn't share food! He will buy your food! NO TOUCH. (Though Celeste will note that he has no compunction about stealing her food.)

Friends and Family

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of?: Small. Mama, Papa, Sister, and Him. There is, of course, the extended family and his tribe, but the core group was relatively small.

What is their perception of a family? Family is the most important thing.

Do they have siblings? Older or younger?: One sister. Same age.

Describe their best friend. Bit of a ditz. Funny (though it's unclear if he means to be). Dog lover. Drinking buddy.

Ideal best friend? Someone not afraid to throw their stuff in a satchel and get lost for a day. Bonfire under the stars. Loves dogs. Not scared of touching fish.

Do they have any pets? Ebba! Borzoi like M & M but with big brown patches and knows how to mind.

Past and Future

What was your character like as a baby? As a child?: He was a happy, inquisitive baby. He was rough and tumble, always on the go. Occasionally he’d scare himself (falling) but he only needed to be told that he was okay and he’d keep on going.

Did they grow up rich or poor? They had no real need for money unless they were traveling, and then they mostly traded for what they needed.

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected? Nurtured.

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? Left them. Wasn't his idea, though. Still feels terrible.

What are their ambitions? Getting to be free and live his own life.

What smells remind them of their childhood? Woodfire. Briny seawater. Spice.

What was their childhood ambition? Be the head of the rowers that went out to the islands.

What is their best childhood memory? Traveling with dad to the surrounding tribes and making friends with other kids.

Did they have an imaginary childhood friend? No. He had so many friends he didn't have time for imaginary ones.

Love

Do they believe in love at first sight? Maybe? His parents had an arranged marriage, and he thinks that's pretty fine. He likes getting to know people to make sure that what he's feeling is real.

How do they behave in a relationship? He's all about making his partner feel cherished and comfortable. He likes to move slow...ish.

What sort of sex do they have? He's not exactly wild. But, he's open-minded.

Has your character ever been in love? Sure.

Have they ever had their heart broken? Nah. If he parts with people, it's amicable.

Conflict

How do they respond to a threat? Try to reason. If not, try to subdue with as little injury as possible.

Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Fists, honestly. If it comes to that. Even then, he'd probably just try to wrestle and pin them.

What is your character's kryptonite? The concept of someone he cares about being hurt.

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? His dog. Not an object, but things aren't that important.

How do they perceive strangers? Never met one.

What are their phobias? Ophidiophobia, so it's probably good that he never really got to know Asra because Faust would have scared him to death.

What is their choice of weapon? If he had to really fight, he'd use a one-handed battle-ax.

What living person do they most despise? Valdemar, but living and person are both kinda uncertain terms.

Have they ever been bullied or teased? No. Even if he was, it wouldn't bother him.

Where do they go when they're angry? For a walk.

Work, Education, and Hobbies

What is their current job? Head guard of the palace.

What do they think about their current job? Get to hang out with his bud most of the time, so that's pretty neat. Could do with less having to enforce his stupid decrees (which he finds ways around if he can.)

What are some of their past jobs? Fisherman and hunter.

What are their hobbies? Fishing, hunting, falconry, reading.

Educational background? No formal education. Dad taught him how to read and write, but he didn't have much use for either of those skills until he came to Vesuvia.

Intelligence level? Himbo-lite.

Do they have any specialist training? Jack of all trades, master of none.

Do they play a sport? Are they any good? Rowing and wrestling.

What is their socioeconomic status? Upper class? Lucio pays well.

Favorites

What is their favorite animal? Ebba.

Which animal to they dislike the most? Snakes.

What place would they most like to visit? He'd like to travel like his dad did before his parents got married, but he's not picky.

What is the most beautiful thing they've ever seen? Poppy fields!

What is their favorite song? No Hurry - Zac Brown Band

Music, art, reading preferred? Reading but music is a close second.

What is their favorite color? Green or blue.

Favorite food: Grilled stuffed portobello mushrooms with bleu cheese.

Possessions

What is in their fridge: Beer, red wine (that hefty stuff that leaves long tendrils when you swirl it. he likes to chew his wine). Meat, cheese, mushrooms, bread, a lot of veggies.

What is on their bedside table? Reading glasses and a book.

What is in their pockets? Money.

What is their most treasured possession? His dog. But calling her a possession feels terrible.

Spirituality

Do they believe in the afterlife? Sure.

What are their religious views? He believes in spiritual guides, and he believes in magic. Though he is sadly more like his father than his mother in that he really can't cast.

Are they superstitious? He's a little 'stitious.

What would they like to be reincarnated as? A peregrine falcon.

How would they like to die? Not the way he did, that's for sure. That sucked.

What is your character's spirit guide? Duckhawk!

What is their zodiac sign? Libra.

Daily life

What are their eating habits? An army marches on their stomach. He always makes sure to have a decent breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Do they have any allergies? Just pollen.

Describe their home. The palace. His room is pretty spartan. Bed, dresser, desk, couple side tables, mirror.

Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? Minimalist.

What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Try to get to the bath before everyone else does.

What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? Nap or go for a hike out in the woods.

What do they do on a Friday night? Drink with Lou.

What is the soft drink of choice? If such a thing existed, it would be original Coke.

What is their alcoholic drink of choice? He's an appreciator of fine whiskey and wine. But, he won't turn his nose up at a good ale or cider.

Miscellaneous

What is their character archetype? The hunter.

Who is their hero? His dad.

What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween? Thor.

Are they comfortable with technology? Ehhhh. Not really. He can use it but would rather not.

If they could save one person, who would it be? He couldn't pick.

If they could call one person for help, who would it be? Linnea.

What is their favorite proverb? Friendship is love with understanding.

What is their greatest extravagance? Gifts. He buys gifts like the world will end tomorrow.

Do they believe in happy endings? Sure.

What would they ask a fortune-teller? Am I doing the right thing?

@vesuviasfastestcourier Will this help until I can write more Aedan fic? :)

#aric vernersson #aedan #character development #character creation #arcana oc #the arcana #oc #mc

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