#can't wait to add to this lineup!

[omaano]

SW Hades AU June Update

Other monthly updates: May - June - July - August

This month I’ve had some time to organize my notes and plans for my Star Wars meets Hades AU - I have a massive table for all of the characters, which original Hades game character they had been modeled after, and whether they need portraits/tokens/keepsakes/crests/etc. it’s colour coded and everything. (Fennec had to be cut out from the lineup and I’m hopelessly heartbroken about the whole thing* 😭)

Everyone has an icon who needs one (I’m sorry about the Echo and Fives one, okay? But they come as a package deal, and I also wanted to make sure that Echo is easily distinguishable from all the other clone characters and not just the average looking clone guy next to Fives who - by order of elimination - must be Echo), and everyone has a crest who needs one (except for maybe Barriss… I feel like that the Jedi order symbol doesn’t fully fit her, but for now I will keep it as a place holder. I can't come up with anything better for her at the moment T^T. The froggie returned to the “chtonic companions” line (it is exactly the plushie that Echo and Fives would give Grogu), and now there is Batcher too! If you notice any similarities between Batcher and Boba’s old rancor rag doll, it’s mostly because I took that one and modified it to fit the lurca hound, since they have a similar back ridge pattern.

I also think that it could be a cute in-universe thing if the Batcher doll had been modified from the rancor. Timelines are very flexible in this AU anyway, so it could be totally plausible.

Speaking of! I have a character sketch for Omega and Batcher!

It took me a while to settle on which version of Omega I wanted to put into this AU, but I am very happy with what I could come up with in the end. I had some trouble with what to do with her face, since Hades is really lacking in young teenage characters, and even Melinoe and Eris from Hades2 didn’t prove to be of much help, so I allowed a bit more of my own style to slip back in. With everything else I think it hit a nice enough balance. I mixed her s2 and s3 appearance into one outfit and gave her back her hat and old crossbow (I know she got a new one from Echo, but I prefer how this one sticks out over her shoulder).

This seems to be a girls’ update, since the next sketch I want to share concepts Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls! I’ve wanted to add them to this AU for ages, but all that armor and posing had just seemed too much of a hassle up until I had to seriously distract myself from some irl stress. So now I’ve got the trio to stand in for the fury sisters as first bosses. (I'll need to adjust Koska a little, I see it now)

God bless whoever’s decided to make one of those 30 cm action dolls of these guys, they had been so helpful when it came to looking up reference details! (While we are at details: I made Koska left handed (I think? Or opposite handed at the very least) because I had been coming up with their composition under the impression that she had her flame thrower in her right vambrace like Din and Boba do, which, upon further inspection, she does not ^^;)

Some in-universe thoughts regarding them: 1) Din can very much lose the Darksaber to whoever kicks his ass if he runs with is as his weapon of choice, and then has to return to reclaim it from that enemy (he doesn’t want to but they are in his way), and if he loses it either to her or another enemy Bo-Katan will most definitely have an opinion on the matter. 2) Boba is more than happy to swoop in as a “godly call” against Koska. If he has the option to claim the Call boon from Boba, it's a pretty good indicator that it will be Koska waiting for him at the end of the level. 3) After a while and enough encounters Axe starts showing up around and in the arena on this AU’s equivalent of the Elysium level. Paz would do anything not to have to talk about that minor detail. (Din: "Why does Axe Woves keep calling you baby girl?" Paz *steam escaping from the edge of his helmet* "how about we stop talking for a while." <- This meme has been on my mind for months, now you have to suffer it with me XD) After that it’s a boss fight of Din vs Paz and Axe.

This post is getting a bit long, so I will leave my progress with Obi-wan’s background to the next update. I will also make a separate post on the new little portrait icons, but I really liked how cute Rex and Omega looked next to each other in the big lineup Q^Q

*the only thing that made me dedicate myself to this decision with a heavy heart is that Fennec had been in the Bad Batch, and that would give me the ideal excuse to imagine her in a Hades2 inspired AU where she is helping Omega (as a stand in for Melinoe). I’ve thought a lot about this even before the test version of the game came out, and a lot of it would track now that I’ve seen some game play and story and characters but. Let’s not be delusional, I can barely keep up with this project, and the Hades2 art style, while super pretty, has a twist on the first game's art style that makes me want to cry when I think about replicating it ^^; so that just remains a nice little thought experiment.

Ventress went through the same thing, mostly because I think that in a strange way she would fit very well with Hecate's role. Especially after that s3 episode where she had her cameo with her new fancy haircut.

[arataka-reigen]

Fall Anime Lineup Review by yours truly 🙋‍♀️🍄🌻

This season, I decided to watch as many anime as I could just for funsies :^) in total, I have started 19 shows, and I will be reviewing most of them here to help you decide whether to give any of them a go or not.

(This review will include exclusively animes that debuted this fall, so no second seasons or continuing shows from the summer season)

I will be classifying these anime in three categories: "definitely worth the watch," "anime i've dropped," and "not a masterpiece, but check it out if you like the premise"

Reminder that this is my personal list, and as such it 100% reflects my personal tastes (like my preference for female main characters and yuri shows)

So I might give 5 stars to shows other people would find bad, and that's okay! I invite others to make their own lists as well <3 (insert lets take ibuprofen together meme here)

(Last thing: i've added cw for only a few shows, and this is by no means an extensive list of all possible triggers for any of these shows, so watch at your own risk and if you want more info you can always ask or dm me)

Without further ado, let's get on to it (under read more because im not a jerk to make you scroll past All That)

Definitely worth the watch / Top 5 Shows of the Season

The Apothecary Diaries

Summary: Drama, Historical, Medical, Mystery. An apothecary gets kidnapped and forced to work in the emperor's palace as a low-level servant. She is determined to quietly work until her years of servitude are over, but when the emperor's infants fall ill, Maomao uses her medical abilities to solve the mystery of their illnesses and accidentally attracts attention to herself, being brought to work in the inner palace instead.

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: This show is incredibly well animated and voice acted. The characters are brilliant and the stories are beautifully touching. It appears to be slightly episodic so far, with Maomao having to solve a new mystery or save someone's life every episode, but there is still a sense of a continuous story being told and I can't wait to see where it goes.

The strongest part of this show is definitely the MC. Maomao is incredibly competent, self-assured, and a no-nonsense person, but she is also completely obsessed with drugs and poisons, going so far as to test them out on her own skin and become completely giddy when she is presented with the opportunity to work with drugs in the inner palace.

Another great quality is the sorority between women, Maomao was raised in the red light district, and the courtesans there taught her a lot about life, which Maomao applies to her everyday life.

If you only have time to watch one anime this season, this is the one I'd tell you to watch.

CW: self-harm, child death, kidnapping, classism.

Edit to add one more cw: pedophilia (it is treated as a bad thing and not endorsed, but it caught me by surprise while i read the manga so i thought to warn this is an upcoming topic that will probably appear on ep 6)

Sousou no Frieren

Summary: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy. What happens when you are a 1000 year old elf who has to live on after your friends' death? For 10 years, Frieren and her companions fought against the demon king, disbanding after he was defeated. The story accompanies Frieren after Himmel, the Hero, dies, and she has to come to terms with the fact that the short 10 years she spent with him have made a big change in her life.

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Much like The Apothecary Diaries, Frieren's tale is not full of battles and fast paced episodes, actually it is slightly episodic, accompanying Frieren as she goes around collecting spells (that's her hobby) and traveling around the land through all the places she went with her party back in the day, seeing their statues and getting to experience new things while trying to figure out what those 10 years of adventuring meant to her.

This is MadHouse we are talking about, so of course, the animation is one of the strongest attributes. Sound design is also very good, you get to feel the quiet moments and appreciate them. The ending song is so good.

Also like Apothecary, Frieren's greatest qualities are the characters, especially the MC and the feelings they have to face.

Tumblr loves characters haunting the narrative right?? You guys are gonna love Himmel, the Hero istg

CW: death, grief, mild violence.

My New Boss is Goofy

Summary: Iyashikei, Workplace, Comedy. Momose used to be harrassed by his last boss so he decided to quit his job and joing a different company. Momose's new boss, Shirosaki, is an airhead and being in his presence is a fun and healing time for Momose

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: SALARYMEN YAOI. This show will heal your soul. The animation is simple but pretty, the cute effects like the ones on the gif above really help set the mood of a cute show. You've heard of cute girls doing cute things on anime, now get ready for cute salarymen doing cute things such as adopting a cat and naming it their shipname, riding the merry go round together, etc.

Also, may I offer you a canon bi/pan male character who is not embarrassed to come out?

Btw this is iyashikei, so nothing really happens, that's the whole premise of this genre. No drama, only healing. Idek if there is anything i could put as content warning. CW: cuteness overload.

I'm in Love with the Villainess

Summary: Isekai, Fantasy, Comedy, Girls Love. Rei wakes up in the body of the hero of her favorite otome game. Her favorite character in that game happened to be the villain, though, so now she is determined to dedicate herself to pursuing the villainess.

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: I debated a lot whether or not to include this on my top 5, but the incredibly deep and honest discussion about sexuality on ep 4 definitely swayed my decision in its favor. The animation is nothing special tbh and at times can feel very static, but the character design is good enough for me.

This anime is like if Maria from Hamefura was the one who got isekaid and then fell in love with OG Katarina, so... yeah, of course I love it.

It seems that this anime will go in some interesting and unexpected directions as well in the future so I consider this is a must watch of the season.

CW: classism, discussions of homophobia, mc can come off as a bit of a stalker,

To complete my top 5:

I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness

Summary: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy. Despite being innocent, Charlotte is accused of evil deeds, has her engagement annulled, and is forced to flee her country. While crossing the forest, running away from royal guards, she collapses near the residence of one man known as "The Demon Lord"

When he hears her story, said Demon Lord decides to let her live with him and teach her all about the naughty things in life (such as splurging on clothes, eating dessert instead of dinner, and playing games all night long).

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: EXTREMELY WHOLESOME. You'll be cheering for these two to get together in no time at all.

It's kinda like My Happy Marriage, but with less drama lol the female lead was raised as a servant in her own home, much like Miyo, and then gets rescued by a male lead who wants her to learn how to assert herself and live for herself, pursuing her dreams and valuing her own life.

Not a single moment with the male lead so far has been anything but incredibly wholesome and funny, Allen is genuinely a good person who wants Charlotte to heal for her own sake. He gets incredibly happy when she hides a secret from him because it means she is becoming her own person.

So far, this anime hasn't had a single problematic trope this type of romance anime usually has, and i don't think it will. What it does have are fun tropes like: "and there was only one bed", side characters hardcore shipping the MCs, male lead who is genuinely a good person but laughs and talks like a villain, etc.

ALSO, this series has not one but TWO catgirls <3

I could genuinely talk about all five of these animes for hours, but I still have lots of others to review. Hit me up if you want to talk abt any of them, though, i'm gonna be super happy.

Honorable Mention:

Spy X Family Season 2

Rating: ★★★★★

Anime I've dropped or will probably drop soon

The Vexations of a Shut-in Vampire Princess

Summary: Comedy, Fantasy, Vampire. Komari is a shut-in vampire who is weaker than most vampires because she refuses to drink blood. One day, she wakes up to the news that she was appointed as commander of a unit of the imperial army and must now do her best to win wars and survive while all the vampires under her command fight for her position

Rating: ★½ (a full star is too much, so I'll give it half a star)

Review: This one is bad, fam. The reason I found why it is so bad can be summarized in a 3 words: the male gaze.

Komari is filled to the brim with yuri bait, with every female character being into the MC, but all of it is 100% targeted to male audiences. This show is NOT classified as shoujo ai, so i wouldn't get my hopes up and ultimately dropped it after only the first episode.

If you need one more reason to Not watch this, I'll let you know that in less than 10 minutes of the first episode the MC almost pisses herself because that's a thing they decided to include for no reason at all.

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-rank Adventurer

Summary: Adventure, Fantasy. After losing his leg as a newbie adventurer, he retires and returns to his hometown, becoming a handyman for the village. One day, while searching the mountains for herbs, he finds a child and raises her.

His grown-up daughter leaves to become an adventurer herself, and after years, she hasn't returned home not even once...

Rating: ★½

Review: Oh, I wanted this one to be good so badly 😭 it was one of the animes I was most looking forward to after reading the premise. Actual dilf character who is in his 40s and not in his 20s? I wanted it to be good. But, alas, it is bad. There is nothing problematic with it at all, the anime is straight up just bad. Bad animation, horrible pacing, terrible exposition, abhorrent setup of the story, not enough moments dedicated to setting up the story and making the characters interesting at all.

I Shall Suvive Using Potions!

Summary: Isekai, Fantasy. The God of Earth accidentally kills Kaoru and, as compensation, offers to lead her to a new life in another world with any power buff she wishes for. She chooses to be able to make potions with any effect of her choice, infinite storage space, and other stuff

Rating: ★

Review: ngl the first half of the first episode was pretty interesting, with Kaoru dying and then bargaining for compensations, but after this it just gets very very very boring. Nothing too bad about this one, it's just not worth anyone's time.

Tearmoon Empire

Summary: Fantasy, Time Travel, Comedy. Following her execution at the guillotine by the hands of the revolutionary army, Mia Luna Tearmoon wakes up to learn she has returned to when she was 12 years old, before the downward spiral and decline of the empire that led to her death. She finds her bloodied future diary, and decides to use it to change events to ensure she doesn't end up at the guillotine once again.

Rating: ★

Review: i honestly still don't know where i stand with this anime. It's got an interesting premise, but the development of the story is not at all interesting. This and the S-rank Daughter anime are under a category of "animes i wish had better writers."

CW: death, torture

The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch

Summary: Fantasy, Comedy, Gag Humor. Alyssa, a witch who lives alone in the forest, picks up an abandoned human baby one day. 16 years later, Viola had not only grown into a daughter who adores Alyssa, but also into a woman of exceptional proportions, and the people around them mistook Viola for Alyssa's mother

Rating: ★★

Review: it pains me to drop this one ngl, as it is a very sweet mother & daughter story and I feel like we don't get enough of those. The story can be very wholesome at times, and i've had more than a few good laughs with it. But it's just not interesting enough to keep you watching, and most of the jokes get old pretty fast. I'd recommend watching just the first episode because it is cute and funny enough by itself

Not a masterpiece, but check it out if you like the premise

Hoshizuku Telepath

Summary: Comedy, Girls Love, Supernatural. Fifteen-year-old Umika Konohoshi, with a love for aliens and space, is having a hard time socializing at school, but she hopes her words will someday reach other people. When self-proclaimed alien Yuu Akeuchi enters her life, Umika will learn more about being open.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: Just cute girls doing cute things + this one is actually classified as Shoujo Ai, so i have high hopes for a bit of romance. So far, it's just been very, very cute, wonderful animation, cute characters, cute interactions, cute everything

None of these characters are neurotypical btw.

I highly recommend this one, it almost made my top 5.

16bit Sensation: Another Layer

Summary: Time Travel, Workplace, Comedy, Otaku Culture. Konoha is an illustrator who loves beautiful girls and bishoujo games. She works at a video game studio and dreams of making bishoujo games. However, in the present, where mobile games are all the rage, Konoha spends her days as a sub-illustrator just coloring the back of background characters.

One day, after some happenings, Konoha got her hand on a masterpiece of a bishoujo game, and upon opening the package, she is suddenly taken back in time to the golden age of bishoujo games (the 90s). She joins a company named "Alcoholsoft" in pursuit of her dream of making games.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: Main character loves infodumping about her special interest so much she manages to get herself a time travel deal after infodumping on a random old lady.

This is another anime that almost made my top 5. It has a slow start and the continuity sometimes makes no sense ngl, but the premise is still very interesting. I was used to stories where characters get isekaid into a completely different time and space, but this girl is just sent back 30 years in time so she can witness the boom of her beloved bishoujo games.

The MC can get kind of annoying sometimes, but it isnt too unbearable, I still highly rec it.

Shy

Summary: Action, Super Powers, Drama. As the planet approached its third World War, individuals with superpowers appeared from around the globe to maintain peace. They became the symbols of their respective nations, striving to limit crime and bring evildoers to justice. Teenage heroine Teru "Shy" Momijiyama is Japan's representative in the world of heroes. When a mysterious threat called Amalareiks emerges, Shy must work together with her fellow heroes to stop them at all costs, all while dealing with her own feelings of inadequacy and shyness.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: a lot better than I expected, the myanimelist score does not do it justice istg. This season is full of shy and reserved main characters, but I feel like they get to be a lot more interesting than your usual shy characters. Both Hoshizuku Telepath and Shy deal with their shy characters in interesting ways and I rec both.

I also absolutely adore Iko, who is one of the first people saved by Shy in the anime, but she ends up badly hurt, which sends Shy into a spiral of doubt and fears.

CW: mild violence, death, grief, self hatred and suicidal thoughts

Migi and Dali

Summary: Comedy, Mystery, Suspense. Osamu and Youko want to adopt a child, due to their increasingly old age, they decide they can only take one kid. They decide to adopt Hitori, a gentle and beautiful boy.

However, Hitori's humble and overly polite exterior is merely a facade. In reality, Hitori is a carefully crafted character played by identical twins Migi and Dali. They did all that to be able to infiltrate their childhood town and uncover the mystery of their mother's death.

Rating: ★★★★

Review: This show is batshit insane and absolutely hilarious. These twins mistrust everyone around them and are constantly on edge to maintain the facade of being only one person, the extents they go to keep this up make for hysterical situations and I just couldn't stop laughing while being absolutely horrified by everything that goes on in this. This is a very disturbing anime, though, and the cw for this is gonna make you question whether or not you can trust my opinion, and you know what? I don't know if you should trust me either. But like,,, it really is that fucking funny. It is also just incredibly disturbing and fucked up as well, so watch at your own risk.

CW (this one is very problematic, don't say i didn't warn you): non sexual forced infantilization, non sexual forced pet play, non sexual groping, forced partial nudity, forced eating, minor incest vibes, implied murder, invasion of privacy, surveillance, classism, fursona, bullying, kidnapping and imprisonment. Most of these things happen to a minor, so.. yeah... not great...

If you would like more info on these cws before starting this anime, feel free to send an ask or dm me.

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions

Summary: Mystery, Detective, Comedy. Totomaru wants to solve murders and help people, but lacks the skills for it. Following the advice of one of his seniors, he ventures out to enlist the aid of the reclusive Ron Kamonohashi. Five years ago, Ron was the most promising detective from the illustrious Detective Training Academy Blue; yet for reasons unknown to the public, he sank into obscurity.

The true reason Ron withdrew from the detective world was not from lack of desire, but rather from something out of his control—and Totomaru might just be the key for his return to his former calling.

Rating: ★★★

Review: This is the classic sherlock ripoff that comes around all the time. Not saying it is bad tho, it is quite fun and the dynamic between Toto and Ron is very good. The animation is pretty decent as well. I have only seen one episode so far, but I already like it.

Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me

Summary: Romance, School. As part of a punishment game, Ryuuto is forced to confess to the girl he likes, Runa Shirakawa, a very popular student.

Runa doesn't have a boyfriend at the moment, so she simply agrees to date him.

They have different friends and ways to have fun, and they are different in almost every way. Nonetheless, they begin to relate with each other.

Rating: ★★★

Review: this romance is quite fun and cute, Runa is very carefree about her relationships and isnt embarrassed by things like sex or whatever, she is quite experienced (as the title says), but she has never experienced real love so she just goes around dating in search for it. Ryuuto is very different and gets embarrassed just thinking about holding her hand. He also wants to make her feel appreciated and figure out what her interests are, so he is one of the first dudes to actually treat her like a human being, which, god, it is so real how men take women for granted and this anime shows that by the juxtaposition of Ryuuto being an actual decent person.

Anyways, it doesn't get a higher recommendation from me because the main source of conflict so far in this anime is another female character, who hates the female lead. And that. Uhh. I don't like stories like this. Im a women loving eomen. Im a yuri enjoyer. Im a girl's girl. So, i'd enjoy it more if the antagonist wasnt a girl who hates the female lead. But it is good enough so far to give me hope that this will change in the future.

The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons

Summary: Slice of Life, School. The Yuzuki family, which consists of four brothers, lost their parents two years ago. Hayato, the eldest son, is a hard worker and the pillar of the family. Mikoto, the second son, is calm and collected, but he has a soft spot for his younger brother Minato, the third son, who is energetic and lovable, but clumsy and awkward. Gakuto, the fourth son, is a studious and mature first-grader who is often referred to as a "wise man." The story follows their daily lives.

Rating: ★★★

Review: this is the only actual shoujo of this list. The rest is either shounen or not classified as either. I have only watched one episode so far, so I can't say a lot about it, the first ep was cute and wholesome, as most slice of life is. I say go for it if you want some wholesome family.

Undead Unluck

Summary: Action, Comedy, Super Powers. For the past 10 years, Fuuko has been afflicted by a condition that brings extreme misfortune to anyone who touches her. This has resulted in the deaths of her parents.

As she stands on a bridge above train tracks, Fuuko is touched by a strange man, causing the footing underneath him to break and dropping him in front of an oncoming train. However, when Fuuko finds the man's corpse, she discovers that his body is regenerating and that he is coming back to life.

The man is immortal and wishes for death. Together, the two will look for the best death possible.

Rating: ★★

Review: god, this one is absolutely insane and so full of blood and death, help. But it is good, I had A Lot of fun with the first ep and I'll give it a chance because I can see myself getting really into the main couple. This is a hardcore shounen tho, so it does include some classically annoying tropes, especially since the dude has to touch her to be hit by her unlucky powers.

This season only had 2 shoujos, and one of them had a classic shoujo problem (problematic age gaps), so i didn't watch it. Here is to hoping next season has more shoujosei.

Thank you for reading until the end (wtf, are you crazy) and happy watching <3

[desiderio-dixon]

Seesaws and Stray Dogs

Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Negan's sister!reader

Genre : angst!! some comfort and fluff

Warnings : violence, gore, the lineup, mentions of Daryl's time as Negan's prisoner, guilt, toxic sibling relationship, please lmk if I missed anything!

Word count : 1.2k

Request (by anon) : "daryls wife coming out as negans sister how will everything unfold when she learns????"

A/N : I could definitely expand on this universe more in the future! Hope this is along the lines of what anon was looking for!

❀~~__~~❀~~__~~❀

The last time you'd seen your brother, it ended in yells and tears. You were furious to find how he'd been treating his wife, the same wife that was wasting away each day. You'd told him, "Don't call me." And left his apartment. He didn't have much of a reaction, that stone cold expression, never meeting your eyes. But he'd stayed true to your request, and hadn't called ever again.

When the world turned upside down and the dead began roaming, you figured he was dead. Of course you still cared for him, had fond memories of seesaws and stray dogs. But you couldn't stand to think of the person he'd become, so it was easier to believe he was dead. To mourn, and then move on.

And move on, you did. You found a group, a group that quickly became family. To add, you even found love.

Daryl is a big heart hidden behind a gruff exterior, and he stole your heart before you even knew it. After months of pining, you finally threw in the towel and kissed him. It was clunky and awkward but it made your heart grow ten sizes. It wasn't long before he'd found a ring for you. A simple thing, a dainty band with a small green gem in the center. It isn't much visually, but it means the world to you.

Now, on the worst day of your life, you twirl the ring anxiously around your finger over and over. Beside you, Maggie trembles, pale and sweaty. A little further down the line is Daryl. He's hurt, bleeding and doubled over. You want to crawl to him, to stretch your body over his and protect him. Let his blood seep into your clothing. But you can't, you know that. Around you, the saviors keep alert, waiting for someone to act out of line. For someone to give them a reason. You won't.

And then the trailer door snaps open. "Pissing our pants, yet?" At first, you think you're hallucinating. Some sick and twisted trick your brain is playing on you. There's no way that your brother is the big bad wolf.

But then he sees you, and he laughs. A big, hearty laugh that crinkles the corners of his eyes. And then he's strutting over to you, bat swinging at his side. "Holy...shit!" He exclaims, leaning down to face you eye-to-eye. You meet his eyes, searching them. In your peripheral, you see Daryl begin to struggle, trying to reach you. You want to tell him that it's okay, that this is your brother, but you're not sure that's even true anymore. Who has he become? "Definitely did not expect to see you here!" Negan bellows, a happy grin on his face.

You can feel the confused gazes surrounding you, both from your friends and his. You don't dare look away from him, eyes steely and jaw set. But still, your hands move on their own accord, twirling the ring over and over. "Now this here...is an absolute plot twist! That is my baby sister, y'all!" He looks at your hands, at the ring you obsessively touch. "Oh! Now don't tell me my little sister is married to one of these pricks!" Daryl squirms.

"I am, not that it's any of your business." You spit. Negan twirls around, giving the lineup a good once over.

"Now wait! Don't tell me! Let me guess." He walks back and forth, exaggeratedly rubbing his chin in mock-thought. He stops in front of Rick, glancing to see your reaction. You don't move. And then Glenn, but when Maggie cries out, he swiftly moves on. Right to Daryl. You swallow harsh, holding your breath as he raises his bat to him. "I think I hit the jackpot! Get up, kid. Come sit next to your husband." You stand on shaky feet, sending one last lingering glance to Maggie before stumbling your way to Daryl.

When you reach him, falling to your knees, he shuffles forward, hiding you behind his frame. Negan laughs at the display. "Well, now that we've got that settled, let's get started!"

When all is settled and done, you can't look away from the patch of dirt and leaves you're perched on. Because if you do, you'd see your friends. Abraham and Glenn, or what's left of them. A mangled mess of gore, the soil below drinking their blood and tinging a crimson red. And you'd see that he's gone. Your love, ripped from you as you kicked and cried and screamed. You're not sure how long you sit, staring at the ground. But night turns into morning.

And then Maggie stumbles toward her husband. All the girls leap up, yourself included. You, Sasha, Rosita all help Maggie. Like some kind of widows club, you think bitterly.

There's a sense of guilt too, that this blood was spilled by someone of your own. That the same evil that runs through him could be in your veins, too. Rick can hardly meet your eyes.

In shame, you exile yourself to Hilltop with Maggie and Sasha. There's nothing for you in Alexandria anymore. You knew Negan wouldn't hurt you, but everyone else was free game and you didn't want to be there to see it. Let him believe you were dead. Maybe then he'd let Daryl go.

Hilltop is where you and Daryl reunite. It was somewhere around a week after the lineup, a week of hell for everyone. Daryl was weakened, beat and starved and sleep deprived. He practically falls into your arms.

The tears roll freely as your hands roam over his back, confirming that he's really there. Really with you. You're overcome with a strange mix of gratitude and guilt. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." You cry into him, tears staining his shoulder. He doesn't say anything, but he squeezes you tightly. That says more than words.

That night, as you both ready for bed, Daryl tells you all that he went through at the hands of your brother. You run your hands over the fresh bruises and the aged scars. "I'm sorry. I thought he was dead." You mumble, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder. The dim light of the lamp casts an intimate glow over the two of you.

"He will be." Daryl grunts, but then he timidly adds. "...if ya want him to be." You know he's no stranger to a morally gray (or rather morally black) brother. His own brother was once his enemy too.

"I don't know, honestly. He's my brother but he hasn't been the same since even before all this." You sigh. "I wish things were different." The things Negan has done, they're unforgiveable. And yet, he may be the only blood you have left in the world. Doesn't that mean something?

You settle into the bed next to Daryl, wrapping your arms around his frame. His skin is warm and comforting against your own. Familiar. You begin to doze off, feeling safe knowing he's here with you, but before you reach sleep, you hear him. "Me too."

At that, you make a promise to yourself. You won't let your brother hurt Daryl anymore, no matter the cost. No one, including Negan, will take Daryl from you ever again.

[project-sekai-facts]

What are your predictions for the lineups of the next event(s)? Cause at first we were thinking tsukasa5 lim but then VBS got it,and now we have the Toya mixed event with a Toya, Kanade, and An 4 stars as the event starting tomorrow , when a lot of people were expecting kamiyama2 with Mizuki, so now what do you think?

yeah sorry i didn't do an event prediction post this month. i already made predictions for a lim mixed event and my though process was "i'll read lead to shine more and then do a prediction post in the morning". and then it was the morning and mmj hakolim 4 existed. anyway.

the lim event for this month is. kinda hard to predict despite the lack of options. obviously we have to consider the 4th anniversary banner at this point in time, which has six rateups and takes a lot of options out for this month's event.

so i'll start with my 4th anniversary predictions

emu banner. unless she's august, it's her. it can't be rui or tsukasa, and she's gone longer without a lim than nene. while that doesn't really mean anything, the fact she's getting incredibly close to 4 years without a mixed event it makes sense and lines up pretty well for this to be emu mix 2

haruka 3*. the only mmj characters eligible for the banner are haruka and airi. ideal idol just happened and capped haruka at 7 lims and while airi isn't capped, haruka's gone longest in the game without a 3* card.

the rateups i'm less sure about. i think the vbs rateup will be toya, if only because he has less lims than an. niigo will most likely be ena. mizuki5 is likely gonna be either 1 or 2 events away from this so. yeah. leoneed i'm less sure about. there's a leoneed event in september definitely, but i'm not sure who it will be. i initially predicted ichika but considering something shiho said in leoneed wle i wouldn't be surprised if it was her. if it's a shiho event, saki's on 4th anni. if it's an ichika or honami event, shiho is on 4th anni (probably unless they make saki reward card AGAIN).

yeah so emu/toya/ena/saki or shiho 4* + haruka 3*

oh yeah rin is almost definitely fes that'll be explained in like 2 seconds (watch me be wrong)

anyway now that that's out the way

rui basically controls everything here. he has to get a lim this month or he's fes. unless clpl decides to keep him waiting even longer than the gap between kanade fes 1 and spojoy. i've seen some spec over rui/honami/mafuyu but imo...nah. actually this is less for it being darkfes again and more for the mafuyu/rui kizuna that just dropped.

not sure how many people have picked up on this, but the game tends to hold off on giving kizuna until they're "done" with a pair. it explains why groups like the rainbow canvas trio got kizuna immediately but groups like thrilling white day trio took ages to get kizuna. the latter 3 attend the same school and interact quite a lot, so they held off so they had more fleshed out dynamics to pick title names from, but ena doesn't really have a huge window of opportunity for further interaction with emu and honami, so they're about as fleshed out as those dynamics will get after one event.

obviously the stories are only written so far ahead, so things do change, like shizuku and tsukasa interacting again in pandemonium ages after their kizuna title released (though their titles probably would be the same had the kizuna released later). this would also explain the delay on emu + bad dogs kizuna and the mafuyu/rui one, maybe they planned something more but the opportunity never came so they gave in. like seriously if mafuyu and rui are gonna have an event together soon why would they add their kizuna just before it? like maybe hypothetical honami/mafuyu/rui event provides nothing for their dynamic but i dunno it feels like an odd choice.

ANYWAY maybe i'm wrong. for some other possible lineups, there's ichika/honami/rui who all have some level of interest in gardening, ichika/nene who aren't on first-name basis even after that one 4koma where they accidentally slipped up, mafuyu and nene have no proper interactions yet so that's an interesting dynamic you could explore, or you could do an an/ichika broadcasting club event (this is the least likely option). i mean maybe they will just eliminate almost everyone who's still on 5 lims in one fair sweep by doing honami/rui/mafuyu august event into saki/toya/emu/ena anni + honami/rin fes, but seriously when has the game been that nice with distribution meta, especially with whatever is going on right now.

oh yeah for normal september events it'll be leoneed and niigo. saki basically has to be rateup whatever way you do it. maybe ichika/saki/honami or ichika/saki/vsinger. mizuki5 is where things get interesting because although people have speculated mizuki/ena/meiko, there's the possibility of this backing onto the anniversary event where one of them has to be limited. you could always do n25->ln->anniv tho and that solves the problem. or mizuki5 could be mizuki/mafuyu/meiko if the game decides it hates the concept of plot relevant 4*s.

i think i've contradicted myself like 5 times now. here's a rough mockup of some of my thoughts (ignore where it says EN name i just write my notes in the ensekai column)

[teacup-shifterrr]

Hiya!! I'm Teacup!

My main is @teacup-captor and this is mah shifting sideblog :3

(I made this sideblog bc I wanna talk abt shifting but I'm anxy to do so on my main </3)

IF YOU SEE THIS AND YOU KNOW ME AND YOU KNOW ABOUT SHIFTING OR ARE A SHIFTER TOO HI PLEASE TALK TO ME HELLO <333

Also also also!!! I love getting things in my inbox!!! Feel free to ask me anything abt my DRs or sending me shinies or blorbos!!! <333

Tag system:

Post lineup - queued post. I'm to dyslexic to keep writing queue I know how to spell it but it makes my brain hurt

[Name] the [title] - various DR selves! Mostly phrasing it like this so I don't accidentally tag my stuff as someone's blorbo. You can see these tags at the end of this post :3

Please DNI if you are or support:

Proship. Can't believe I forgot to add this. Proship fuck off. Fiction affects reality. Terfs/swerfs Pro-endo/"non-traumagenic" systems Aspec exclusionists Racists, antisemites, islamophobes, transphobes, homophobes, ableists and mysogonysts Pro-Israel (🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮) Pro-ED/thinspo Against therians, otherkin and other alterhumans Believe in "narcissist abuse" or demonize mental illnesses (pull yourself together if u do this 😭)

Anti shifters or people who are confused in general you may ask questions <3 I'm sorry beforehand though I have a tendency to read some genuine questions in a snarky/negative tone (adding a /genq usually helps for me)

So!! Little about us under the cut!

We have DID, AuDHD and various other things! We like to draw and make things! We learnt about shifting in 2022, decided to try, but since we decided we weren't really taking it seriously back then we're counting our "official" start in spring 2023, when we got hyperfixated on Mario and decided to get back into shifting.

We've minishifted a handful of times (most often opening our eyes in our DR, going "HEY WAIT THIS ISN'T MY ROOM! >:(" and opening our eyes in our OR in protest, only to realize what we had done and die)

Our main DR right now is our Mario DR where we are princess Peach's adoptive younger brother!!

Other DRs we have include (but are not limited to)

Spiderverse DR (we have a blog for that, @c-eddermann-3570 it's a taaad inactive)

Good Omens DR (Flight Risk)

Good Omens DR the sequel (Reborn)

And various other DRs that we haven't fully worked out/named

[jsprnt]

Healing Hearts PT.6 | Virgil van Dijk

Would a fresh start bring you more than just a new job?

A/N: the moment we’ve all been waiting for! this is a long one, enjoy :)

C/W: mention of abusive relationship, blood.

WC: 5.012

Summary: Y/N L/N is a very skilled and praised physiotherapist. A certain event pushing her for a fresh start, as a physiotherapist for Liverpool FC. One question always being in the back of her mind: Will she be able to let go of her past and allow herself to experience new things?

"The swelling has been going down thankfully. You're very lucky it's a minor injury. I've discussed your injury with both Dr. Woods and Dr. Davis, and we think you'll be back in a few weeks, though we'll have to keep monitoring it regularly. Especially since you're being included in the national team lineup." I say, filling in some important documents about Ibo's injury.

"Thank you doctor. I really hope I will be fine for the national matches." He says, French accent shining through. I give him a crooked smile, turning my full attention towards him.

"You know I can't promise you anything except that I'll help you to my upmost ability, as your physiotherapist." I state. He nods his head, acknowledging what I tell him. I give him some more instructions about how to make sure his injury doesn't get worse. He walks out of my office a while later, feeling more confident in healing faster.

I glance at my planner, checking off the appointments I had completed. Realizing I had a fifteen-minute break. I grab my phone out of my handbag, checking my messages.

I had sent my friends a couple of cute pictures I took last night, asking which one to post.

I had done my make up and dressed up out of boredom. Wanting to go back to posting on my Instagram regularly, keeping my friends and family up to date since I now lived in a different city again.

I add some other pictures to it, making it photo dump and adding a caption. I press post, scrolling through my timeline before checking the time. Next appointment: meeting with physiotherapy team.

I shove my phone in my back pocket, grabbing some documents we need before walking along the hallways to the gym, Dr. Davis would definitely be there.

I feel my stomach grumble, lunchtime was soon and I couldn't wait to eat honestly.

I walk in greeting some players who are working out hard. The faint smell of sweat and deodorant hits my nose. I scrunch my nose, trying to focus on my own perfume. I could never get used to the smell of men exercising, no matter how long I worked in this industry.

Suddenly, a ball rolls up to my feet. I turn my head to the right seeing Trent and Dom. My left hand fidgeting with the documents in my arm.

"You guys are playing two touch in the gym?"

I raise my brows at them, taking the ball and rolling it under my foot. "That's what I said. This is gym time!" I glance at a slightly frustrated Mo, chuckling at him before turning back to the other guys. "You guys sound like my parents when I was younger. Stop being an arse and kick the ball back!" Trent yells in his Scouser accent.

I gasp at him, grabbing my chest offended. "Hey, I'm only twenty-five, he's the old one!" I point to Mo as he gives me a surprised look. The other players in the gym looking up due to the slight commotion. "I am not old- I'm thirty-one!" He exclaims. I try hold back a laugh, glancing at the other players who have slight grins on their face, overhearing our banter.

I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, turning my head to see a slightly sweaty Virgil. A sweaty but powdery-musk smell enters my nostrils. His curly baby hairs sticking to his forehead, his signature waves slightly frizzy. He leans forward, his face close to mine.

"If he's old what am I then?" My eyes widen, feeling his minty breath fanning my face. I stare up at him for a second before I hear my name being called by Dr. Davis, who's looking at us from the entrance of the gym. "Well- I've got a meeting, you'll have to ask Trent!" I give him a sheepish smile, scooping up the ball with my foot and kicking it back to Dominik, surprising myself at the fact that I hadn't lost the football skills I had learnt in primary school.

"Train hard everyone! I'll be there James!" I yell before jogging away hearing some chuckles behind me as leave the gym.

"Since we're done discussing everything, y/n how has it been working here so far." I look up from the stack of documents, smiling at the two senior physio's.

"It's been two weeks but it feels way longer honestly, in a good way of course. Staff and player are nice and the workplace is very positive." I state. They look at me with bright smiles, looking very relieved. We chat some more before Dr. Woods dismisses me for lunch.

I bid them goodbye and walk back to my office. Putting away the documents and walking into the canteen. I fill my plate with some tasty food, remembering not eat too much since Virgil was inviting me over for dinner later.

I sit next to Clara, chatting, well more like gossiping about literally everyone.

"She cheated on him?!" I yell a little out of shock as she tells me the latest celebrity dating drama.

I take a sip of my water, swallowing before asking her more about it. Some players asking if they can sit our table. I absentmindedly nod at them, not paying attention as I'm too invested in Clara's story.

"Who cheated?" I hear a confused Curtis say. We glance at him briefly realizing multiple players at had been sitting at our table. You'd think they'd be invested in their own banter, but they quite literally had been eavesdropping our conversation.

"Why's everyone looking at us?"

I murmur to Clara, embarrassed smile on my face.

"Because you are very loud." I look at Robbo, mumbling a quick sorry before Clara and me turn back to our own conversation again, this time with way less volume.

I shove the last bites of veggies in my mouth listening to the details of her juicy story.

"Show me a picture of the guy." I say, very curious. She taps on her phone handing me it. I look at the phone screen, my mouth falling open. "She cheated on him with this?" I exclaim, totally baffled. My hand covering my mouth in disbelief.

I feel a presence behind me, turning to see Curtis look at the screen. I quirk my eyebrow at him.

"What? You girls are so loud I want to know the gossip show me!" I roll my eyes at him playfully before I show him the picture.

"Oh- was she blind or?" I laugh at his comment before I hear the guys at the table complain about wanting to see the pictures too.

I sigh before showing them the phone, hearing a couple words of disbelief. "Maybe he has a nice personality?" I hear Harvey say.

This becomes the only topic of our conversation at our table, dragging on for the next fifteen minutes. And they say women gossip more than men.

"No, it's crazier since her partner- well ex is hot."

I hear Clara say. I nod at her comment. "She's not wrong."

My eyes wander around the table as the guys seem to be more invested into the drama than us now. I chuckle at their banter, my lips curling up into a smile, dimples on display. My eyes lock with Virgil's who's sitting at the end of the table. He smiles back, and a warm feeling seeps into my chest, a faint blush covering my cheeks.

A knock on my door takes me out of my concentrated trance. I watch as the door swing open, revealing Virgil. I check the time, training must've ended early?

"What's up?" I raise a brow, fidgeting with my pen before standing up from my seat. He smirks at me and walks around to sit on the treatment table, looking very comfortable. "Something wrong?"

I walk up to him, almost standing in between his thighs due to his frame. "Nothing wrong." He says. I notice a glimmer of mischievousness in his eyes.

"Why are you here then hm?" I fold my arms up to my chest, lifting my head slightly to look him in the eyes. He laughs at me before mirroring my stance. "I came here to confirm tonight, you'll be at my place at 7 right?"

"Yeah, you thought I forgot? In one day?"

He huffs, before shaking his head. "No, just confirming." He smirks, and I can’t help but wonder why he's being, so- weird?

"And I was wondering- do you have any allergies?" I raise my brows. "Why are you cooking? I instead of a fancy private chef?" I scoff, a hint of teasing in my tone.

His expression turns offended, scoffing back. "Yes, I will be cooking, you don't think I'm capable of making a nice dinner?" He retorts.

I raise my hands in defense, holding back a laugh. "Okay Mister Chef, don't get too riled up. I'll look forward to it." I study his face for a reaction, the corners of my lips tugging upwards.

"I'll show you, just be on time." He says, giving me a cocky smile. I feel my heart pound faster in my chest, that smile was to literally go feral for, I had to admit. "I'll be there just send me the address."

I put on my halter-neck dress, struggling to reach the back as I check the time. Fuck, twenty minutes until I have to leave. I fight against the flexibility of my arms some more before huffing and giving up, thanking myself for befriending my neighbor.

I walk out of my apartment, going up to Sofia's door and knocking on it. The door opens and I greet her before turning around, giving her the message. She chuckles before reaching down to zip up my dress. I turn back facing her again and give her a hug as a ‘thank you’. She whistles at me, her arms folded. "Damn girl, which lucky guy is seeing all of this tonight." I laugh at her, trying to convince her it's nothing like that, though see doesn't seem very convinced. "I doubt that, but let me know how it goes?" I nod at her before leaving back to my apartment. "Don't drink too much!" She yells after me. "I won't!"

I stand in front of my mirror, hands smoothing down my dress before I pack my handbag. I grab my lip liner, meticulously lining my lips and applying a pretty gloss on top. I breathe in and exhale slowly, my hands clammy for some crazy reason. Am I nervous? I shake my head at my distress, not believing I was nervous for something so simple. It's just dinner.

My phone buzzes on my coffee table, I grab it walking out of my apartment after being fully ready. My Notification Center being flooded by my Instagram post being liked, I smile at myself before checking the most important message. Virgil had sent his address finally.

After a half hour drive of me fighting with the directions and the navigation system, I finally arrive at his home, a nice big gate around it. Though, his house wasn't anything I expected, it was defined huge but not modern like I thought his house would be.

I reach for my phone, ready to call him but I'm stopped by the gates opening. I sigh before driving up onto his huge driveway, catching a glimpse of the other cars he owned. I hadn't seen them before at the training center.

I gather my bag, jumping out of my car and fixing my dress, walking around to his front door. The door opens, a nicely dressed Virgil smiles back at me.

Oh fuck, he looks insanely good. He's wearing a off-white polo shirt, the sleeves a little snug on his biceps, paired nicely with some black pants. His hair in his signature hairstyles and it looks like he had cleaned up his facial hair a bit.

"Hey!" I greet, stepping into his home. I glance around, noticing the touches of marble and wood decorate his home. "You look beautiful." He hums, leaning down and pulling me into a warm hug, a hand softly running down my arm. I try to stop my brain from short-circuiting, focusing instead of allowing my mind to wander.

"I really thought you weren't coming after I said I'd be cooking." His voice vibrates in my ear. The musky smell of his cologne engulfing my senses.

I pull back. "Do you think I'm going to pass up an opportunity to taste your cooking? I need to know if the 'worlds best defender' can cook a nice meal as well, no? Besides, you hurt my nose. I need some compensation for that!" He laughs at me, before leading me further into his home, keeping a hand on my back, in between my shoulder blades.

He guides me into the main room. I glance around noticing the kitchen, living room and dinning room are all on one floor, connected.

"Your house is so pretty." I breathe out, glancing at him. "Did you have it designed?" He hums, nodding. "I did but I worked with them to make it my own." He says.

He leads me to the dining table, it wasn't a huge one, the dark walnut wood giving it a cozy touch. A pretty chandelier dangling from the ceiling, casting a warm light into the room.

The table is filled with plates, wine glasses and cutlery. Most importantly the decent amount of food. He pulls back my chair to allow me to sit. I turn back to look at him. Maybe, chivalry wasn't dead. He walks around the table to sit down across from me.

I gasp, my eyes widening. "So, you made all of this?" I motion to the table with my hands, making a circle motion with my fingers.

"Of course I did, did you think I was bluffing?"

I eye him up suspiciously, raising a brow. "Well- no, but not this." I say. "You shouldn't have, training was very intensive today and you must be tired." My expression falters into a concerned one. He really did all of this, for me?

"No, it's okay. I wanted to really show you how sorry I was. Besides, I like doing things for the ones I care about." I freeze at his words, staring at him with wide eyes, he cares?

He clears his throat, before asking I want a glass of water. I nod, as he starts pouring water into a glass and handing it to me. I reach over, grabbing it and lifting the cold glass it up to my lips. My pink lip gloss leaving a stain on the edge of the glass.

"So, chef are you going to explain what you've cooked tonight?" I say, a smile tugging on my lips.

"Of course, just a second." He stands up, walking over to the glass sliding-doors leading to the backyard. He slides them open and a nice breeze blows in to the house immediately. He walks outside into the backyard, I tilt my head curiously.

Then he appears again, a big plate in his hand and a smoky smell reaching my nostrils. Steak- he'd grilled steak on his barbecue?

I follow his every move with my eyes, he walks up to me placing a piece of steak on my and his plate. He walks back to me, grabbing the plate from in front of me and cutting it. My heart practically melt at the action, my face flushing.

"Smells amazing, thank you." I say, looking up at him. My eyes following the movements of his hands. He places the plate with cut steak in front of me again, giving me a smile. "My pleasure." He says, his voice silky as ever.

He sits down again, motioning for me to start eating. "I'm not a course-meal person myself, so I just put out everything at once. I hope you're okay with that?" He makes eyes contact with me, a faint smile on his lips.

"Oh- it's fine I promise. I'm not a fan of that either." I say, shaking my head slightly. He looks at me pleased, before starting to explain every dish he had prepped.

We dig in before the food gets cold. I taste the steak, humming at the taste. It melting on my tongue. "This is insanely good. How'd you learn to cook like this? Your mom?"

He nods, a reminiscing look on his face. "That and I worked at a restaurant when I was younger. Washed the dishes, but could overhear the chefs talking about how to prepare the food all the time."

"I guess, I could actually call you chef?" He chuckles at me before suggesting I taste the spaghetti, coated in a creamy tomato sauce.

"This is really good, oh my god." I gasp at the taste, this had to be the best spaghetti I have ever eaten and I have probably eaten spaghetti in every country I had visited.

He grabs the decanter filled with red wine, I imagine him meticulously decanting it and smile to myself. "Wait- I'm driving home remember? I can't drink." I say. "You can drink it's fine. I'll drive you home, you can relax. You're my guest."

I smile at his words, watching him move carefully. I could definitely get used to being wined and dined like this again.

I notice the almost empty bottle next to it. He walks over to me to fill my wineglass. I eye the familiar label, trying to figure out where I had had it before. I didn't know much about wine, but this one was etched into my memory for some reason. He notices my confusion and gives me information about it. I think carefully as he speaks, finally remembering where I had had it before. I mentally slap myself for remembering the shitty memory.

I had it on a date with Theo at a three star Michelin restaurant. He had asked the waiter for their 'very good red wine' in the rudest way possible, embarrassing me in the process. Then he'd bragged about the bottle being worth seven grand the entire dinner. A chill travels down my spine, remembering how he'd lashed out at me later for 'ogling the waiter' in his twisted words.

Wait-? This bottle is worth seven thousand and I'm being served it on a simple dinner? I snap out of my thoughts before looking at the glass of wine in front of me. Looking back at Virgil, trying to not look as shocked as I am right now.

"Something wrong? You don't like it-" I interrupt him. "No, I just remembered we're I've had this wine before, that's it."

He raises a brow. "Where have you had it?" I give him an awkward smile, before dismissing it. "Not the best memory, but this will probably make me forget it." I chuckle at him.

We continue to eat in a comfortable silence for a while before he breaks it. "I know you've told us about yourself, but tell me more. I want to learn more about you." He says, small smile on his face.

"What do you want to know?" I say. "Tell me more about your upbringing, how you grew up."

I take a sip of the wine, it's taste coating my mouth. I explain my childhood to him, as he occasionally chimes in to tell a story he relates to. I smile at myself, feeling very comfortable.

"To be fully honest, I don't have the best relationship with my parents. Mainly, because growing up they'd always been more busy with their business, so they were physically and emotionally pretty absent. Though, I don't know if I could complain- I mean their determination for work made it possible for me to grow up comfortably. Even though it meant I had to raise myself sometimes."

He nods, acknowledging my feelings telling me about his relationship with his father and how it had shaped him as a person. "I guess, we aren't so different after all hm?"

We finish dinner and I can't help but glance into his backyard, noticing my curiosity, he offers to take a walk in his backyard. I nod eagerly as we walk along the neatly designed pool tiles. "Do you swim a lot when it's sunny?" I ask him. "I do, but I love swimming when it's colder. The jacuzzi is the best when it's cold." I roll my eyes at him playfully. "Must be nice." I mock as he laughs at me.

The sun had gone down and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. I shiver as a cold breeze blows past me, making my teeth clatter slightly. Virgil notices as he interrupts himself, looking at me concerned. "Are you cold?” A shy smile forms on my lips, nodding at him. He walks back into his house, quickly walking back out with a white sweater in his arms.

He walks up to me, carefully pulling the sweater over my head. I imagine to not smudge my make up. I shiver at the touch of his hands on my arms, holding back a surprised gasp. His hand goes up to fix my hair, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Thank you." He smirks at me, an unknown look in his eyes as he glances down at me.

"Do you want to go back inside?" I nod at Virgil, walking back into his house alongside him. He tells me sit at the kitchen island as he cleans up the table, forcing me stop helping him with cleaning. "I said you're my guest, please go sit down and have some more wine."

This leads to me sipping on the seven thousand pound wine like it's orange juice, sitting onto the bar stool and leaning against the marble island, my elbows propped up on it. I watch him rinse off the dishes and cutlery before placing them into the dishwasher. I don't know if it's the wine or not but looking at his back, cleaning the kitchen with gloves on made him look so- husband material, it feels almost too domestic. Though, it definitely made him look so hot, that was for sure the effect of the wine. Sober me would never, right?

I let out a soft giggle, my face was probably insanely flushed. He turns back to look at me, chuckling to himself as he washed his hands. Walking up to me and holding onto my shoulders to stabilize me. He looks at me before looking at the nearly empty decanter.

"Are you drunk?" I look up at him, a sheepish smile on my face. "Not yet." I laugh and his chocolate brown eyes gaze into mine. I unconsciously hold my breath, he looked insanely pretty from this proximity. I try get off of the bar stool as he tries to hold me back stabilizing me again, fixing the white sweater. I huff at him. "I'm not drunk, I swear." I whine, hearing a deep chuckle leave his throat. His big hand engulfs mine as he holds onto to it, my soft skin grazing against his slightly calloused palms. He places a cold glass of water in my hand.

He starts gathering the wineglass and nearly empty decanter in front of me and puts them away. I press my lips onto the edge of the glass, sipping onto the water as I follow his movement from behind it. A sudden familiar tune makes me jerk my head around, looking for the origin of the sound. I catch the glowing screen of my phone, left at the dinner table. I get off the bar stool, half-full glass still in my hand as I make my way towards it.

I pick it up, taking notice of the anonymous number calling me. I glance up at Virgil, seeing that he's still busy with cleaning up and look back at my phone again. Who would be calling my phone at eight thirty in the evening? My finger hovers over the green circle, eventually pressing it quickly, lifting the phone up to my ear, my left hand fidgeting with the glass.

"Hello?" I mutter, holding my breath awaiting an answer back. I catch Virgil turning around, eyeing me confused, but his face relaxes when he realizes I'm on the phone.

I furrow my eyebrows, my face twisting into confusion as no one speaks back, the only sound being of someone's breathing in my ear. I start pulling the phone away from my ear, but I freeze at the sound of someone's voice breaking the silence.

"Now you're picking up the phone? you fucking bitch!" The person shouts, a sinister tone lacing his voice. Theo.

I gasp, jolting at the voice. My hand jerks, letting the glass of water slip through my hands. The loud sound of the glass splitting into millions of pieces deafening my ears. Water splashes up, pieces of glass cut through my skin, a painful stinging feeling on my face. My eyes widen in shock, disassociating for a second before I'm pulled out of it by Virgil's hands on my waist, gently carrying me away from the glass.

I blink multiple times, trying to focus at what just happened. My hand falls to my side, the screen being seen by Virgil as he takes it out of my hand, hanging up on the caller.

"Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" He mutters, looking very worried. He grips onto my shoulders, shaking me slightly. I avert my eyes to him, eyes still wide in shock.

Tears cloud my vision, gathering at the corner of my eyes before rolling down my cheeks. I feel his thumb caressing them away, his other hand traveling to my nape and pulling me into his chest. I shake in his hold, his arm wrapping around my shoulder as he caresses my hair.

I feel his shirt become wet as my tears fall.

"It's okay, you're safe." He mutters into my ear softly, his frame enveloping me tightly. My breath hitches, pulling away from him and noticing the blood- and some make up stains on his shirt.

"Blood and the glass- I'm so sorry-" he shushes me, wiping away the tears falling down. "It's fine. You're the one bleeding, again." I look up at him with glossy eyes, he was right. I kept getting myself in these bloody embarrassing situations, with him.

He glances down my body, noticing some cuts on my legs as well. His arm travels down to the back of my knees, stabilizing his hold on my back before carrying me bridal style onto his big sofa.

He puts me down in the corner of the sofa gently, the soft fabric pressing comfortably against my skin. He walks away and comes back with a first-aid kit, treating the small cuts carefully.

"Who was that calling you hm?" His gaze pierces into my eyes. I avert his gaze, focusing on him treating my cuts instead. "Do you know the caller?" He presses on, treating the last cut on my face, a silent curse ringing through my mind.

"y/n- tell me." His fingers pinch my chin, lifting my face to meet his gaze. I let out a silent huff before pulling my legs up to my chest, he grabs the blanket on the edge of the couch, draping it over my naked legs.

I open my mouth to speak, my eyes wandering around the house, fidgeting with the blanket. Was I really about to trauma dump on my patient?

"I- it's personal I can't-" he interrupts a stern look on his face. "y/n." I sigh, a lump forming in my throat, I try swallowing it down.

"My ex- it was my ex boyfriend." I breathe out, scanning his face for a change of expressions. He furrows his brows, looking at me skeptically.

"There's more to it. Am I right?" He says softly, caressing the palm of my hand.

I swallow again, trying to croak out the words I had been keeping to myself this entire time. "Tell me." He encourages.

"We dated for five years, met him when working for Ajax, moved with me to Barcelona later. His mother is a big sponsor in the football industry. I broke up with him after he started becoming- more and more- umh abusive and controlling. That's why I got a job at this club and moved here." My voice cracks towards the end of my sentence.

A soft hum leaves his lips, a tender look in his eyes. "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault obviously, I just got shocked by hearing his voice. I'm sorry for the glass and your shirt-." I narrow my eyes at the mess next to the dining table, fragments of glass and water everywhere.

"It's okay. It's fine, as long as you're fine." He mumbles and I almost don't catch the end of his sentence.

"Do you want to watch a movie? To take your mind off it hm?" His voice a little deeper as he looks at me waiting for answer. I nod, too exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions I experienced in a short amount of time to reply with words.

He turns on the TV, across us, mounted on the huge wall. The bright light emitting from it making me cringe and squint my eyes. I shift from my position, sinking back into the sofa. He chooses a movie I had never heard of, the soft blaring of the actors calming me down as Virgil sits back as well, our bodies closer now.

A warm, comfortable feeling seeps into my chest, my eyes fluttering shut. My last conscious memory being, my forehead touching something broad and warm, a hand caressing my hair softly.

[chloe-spade]

Tangled Up Act One: When Will My Life Begin

Seventeen years have passed since that faithful day and the young boy has become a young man with an open window, looking around. He was playing hide and seek with a lovely chameleon he adopted years prior, and now was looking for him.

The Tower's height never scared him anymore as he used his hair to look around for his friends again. It was a morning activity that was fun and helped Silver relax for the day, as predicted. But that wasn't going to deter him from winning the game.

"It seems like Epel isn't hiding out here," Silver hummed as he entered the tower once again.

He stopped for a moment before using a strand of his hair to pull the camouflaged chameleon from his hiding spot and he giggled. "Gotcha!"

"That's so unfair!" Epel pouted, "You always know to find me."

"What did you expect?" Deuce, a bluebird, questioned. "Silver became an expert after a while."

"He's good," Ace, a red hedgehog, added, "You keep underestimated him, and just because you are a chameleon doesn't mean you can't hide from him."

"But I was actually practicing," Epel groaned again.

Silver laughed again and took Epel into his hands, sitting on the window. "Sorry about that. I just like playing this game in the mornings, helps me wake up as well." He paused for a moment, "Well, is it a two out of three?"

Epel made a sour face in response.

"Ok,ok," Silver relented, "What do you guys want to do?"

"Oh, how about we go outside? Like outside, and I mean, outside this tower." Ace recommended, "I heard the grass is much softer when spring slowly turns into summer and I could smell all the flowers."

"And fly around the blue sky." Deuce chirped.

"And maybe I can actually win at hide and seek," Epel added, "This tower is becoming predictable for hiding spots. I need more space and atmosphere."

"No," Silver objected, "Come on, I like it in here and so do you guys."

"Not really."

"I wouldn't so."

"I hate that place."

Silver rolled his eyes, and lifted Ace and Epel, "For you guys, it's not, but it's nice and homey for me, like Father intended. Now, are you going to help me clean?" Silver smiled and grabbed his broom looked at the clock and watched how the clock struck 7:00.

☀️

7 AM, the usual morning lineup

Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean

Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up

Sweep again and by then it's like 7:15

☀️

Silver sighed as he looked up at the clock, it was exactly 7:15. He was almost exhausted from how fast he worked, but he was done.

"Already?" Ace questioned, "That was fast."

"Time flies when you do chores, I suppose," Silver chuckles, "Let's have some fun."

☀️

And so I'll read a book, or maybe two or three

I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery

I'll play guitar and knit and cook and basically

Just wondering, when will my life begin?

☀️

"Ace, stop," Silver huffs, "They're warm, and you need to wait," he puts down the tray, "I don't want you to have a tummy ache before lunch."

"You also ate all the cookies before everyone else," Deuce added, "which sucks."

"You glutton," Epel scoffed.

"It was good," Ace pouted, "and that means eating cookies as well."

"No fighting," Silver lectured, before he looked above the fireplace and stood back, "Hey, don't you think that looks, uh, bland?"

The Animal Trip looked over at the area and examined it.

"Pretty bland," Ace agreed, "It needs something, like your touch. Like, a…"

"Like, a portrait! Or a beautiful painting." Deuce cheered.

"I even have some ideas!" Epel beamed.

Silver smiles and gets up onto the furnace, Deuce delivers his paints and paintbrush, and he starts to examine and looks around, and starts to paint for a while until lunch begins.

☀️

Then after lunch, it's puzzles and darts and baking

Papier-mâché, a bit of ballet and chess

☀️

"Checkmate," mumbled a dazed Silver, on the floor, wrapped around his hair. But it was worth it to finally beat Deuce in chess, even though he'll bruise later.

"Are you ok!?" Epel gasped in worry.

"I told him that dancing while playing what a bad idea," Deuce sighed. "But he was stubborn."

"..at least he wasn't sleeping," Ace piped up.

☀️

Pottery and ventriloquy, candle-making

Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch

Take a climb, sew a dress

☀️

"I hate this," Ace muttered, "It's tight." He struggled as the dress slowly began to tighten his quills, causing some of the fabric to break apart.

"…well, you are ripping it apart," Deuce muttered, resting on Silver's shoulder.

Silver smiles and looks back at the book, "This is what the book says. And it looks nice, and I made sure it'll be good for you."

Epel laughs, "It's nice and funny. And I think it fits you so well."

Ace pouted, looking down, "Stop it…this was embarrassing. Why couldn't Epel wear this?"

"He knows that if he were to touch me, I'm about to bite him," Epel answered with pride.

Silver watched and yawned, having a feeling of a more boring day. He walks upstairs, grabs the books rests on his bed, and yawns once more, looking down at the books with boredom, already prepared to reread everything.

☀️

And I'll reread the books if I have time to spare

I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's a room somewhere

And then I'll brush and brush and brush and brush my hair

Stuck in the same place I've always been

☀️

"Thank you," Silver took the brush from Deuce and sighed, "You guys are right. Outside would be much more fun than all of this. It's got so tiring, being here all day. And with everything here all at once, I need something new, and I want that."

☀️

And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'

And wonderin' and wonderin'

When will my life begin?

☀️

Silver climbs down walks over to the window and looks up at the sky, watching the sky filled with different stars above, whenever his birthday comes. He wants to feel it. Feel the fire within the lanterns and feel the breeze that'll allow them to be carried to the heavens.

☀️

Tomorrow night, lights will appear

Just like they do on my birthday each year

☀️

Silver slowly began to paint himself with his new painting, watching the strange stars from beyond the trees and wishing to be there with his friends and his father, enjoying his birthday. The one wish he always wanted to ask every year and he concluded that it was that year he won't hesitate.

☀️

What is it like out there where they glow?

Now that I'm older, Father might just let me go

☀️

Silver sighed as he rested on the window again, but with a more somber face than his previous happiness from earlier. To think he would laugh his friends off about how boring the tower was but now he sees it, feels it, and hates it. He just sighed sadly again, looking up.

Deuce, Epel, and Ace go over to Silver and begin to comfort him, by nuzzling him.

"Hey, it'll be alright," Ace spoke, "maybe this year, he'll stop treating you like a prisoner and let you go."

"Maybe," Silver agreed, "but I know my father. No matter what I said, it would be told on deaf ears. Like last year, and the many years before that."

"Silver, know that you'll get your wish, and we'll be right here beside you, watching those lanterns fly up into the sky." Silver giggles softly and pets Deuce's feathers.

"Hey, I'll be fine," Silver yawned and walked away to his bedroom, "I'll ask him soon…I promise."

He entered his room, looking at the paintings he made when his hair was long enough too. He lay down on his bed, looking up at them before he felt his eyes gotten heavy. He hums and slowly falls asleep, using his hair as a soft blanket, as he tends to do.

"He's been up here for years," Deuce mourned, "I hope he can finally walk on the grass and have fun." He nuzzles Silver's head, "It'll be better than just being cooped up in here."

"Yeah," Ace groaned, "He's so…I don't want to say this but he's pretty clueless about the world. I mean, he didn't know what I was when we met, and he called me a small mini dog, with spikes."

Epel chuckled, "He was only 7, Ace, but it did cement his living situation. Now, come on, we should rest before Crewel comes back." They walk over and carefully rest themselves within Silver's hair and slowly drift to sleep, enjoying the soft hair.

☀

The Kingdom of Sol was not so far, especially to an outsider. With King Lilia in charge, the kingdom is a thriving location with every celebration becoming a long-awaited tradition that everyone knows of.

Another known thing was the thieves.

Three wanted thieves were now on top of the kingdom, ready to go one of the most horrendous crimes of all time.

"Look at the view," Fang hummed, "I could never get old of it."

"Indeed, but we have a job to do," Jade reminded, pulling Fang towards an open window that Floyd had opened, "and don't forget, you owe Azul after that horrendous stunt of yours. It was either this or your tongue."

Fang groaned, "I get it, I get it."

Fanf was a thief, a thief who accidentally stole from Azul Ashengrotto, a man who works for himself, and now has to repay his new debt, the only thing he could steal is the kingdom crown, and it was either his own life or a luxury he could steal.

Many do not know much about Fang, the other being known as the Beastman. He wasn't feared, per se. Just wanted since childhood to steal anything he could eat, wear, and steal. He was caught occasionally, but he had some small allies that always got him out.

"Don't worry," Floyd giggled, "if this is valuable to repay your debt, then you steal it. It's quite simple."

Fang huffs and wraps himself with a rope, "You doubt me?"

Jade and Floyd roll their eyes and begin to move Ruggie down into the crown room. Fang carefully looks around to make sure the guards are around the crown, making sure that nobody comes in or out. The crown sits ideally onto a special case, with the name "Silver" engraved on the podium it remained on, and looks like it hasn't been touched in years, well, until Fang's hand grabbed and stuffed it into his satchel.

He didn't know why Azul wanted such a remarkable yet clearly sentimental item. Fang was appalled when he was told about the job and almost got his tongue ripped out. He was a thief, but he was not low enough to steal something that meant so much. But he had to do it, regardless of his feelings.

He almost jumped as a guard sneezed.

"Ah, spring fever, right?" Fang teased.

"Y-yeah, not the best at the mom-," The guard answered before quickly turning around, locking eyes with Fang.

It was only a moment before his spear almost gutted Fang, and the thing that saved him was a quick pull from the twins.

Fang laughed as he landed on the castle roof, with glares from Jade but a giddy smile from Floyd.

"Was that really necessary?" Jade sighed as they began to climb down.

"Who cares! It was fun, almost seeing Fangy getting gutted," Floyd added with a laugh.

"Guys!" Fang laughed, "Sneaked into the castle, through the guards, and stole the most valuable item all in one morning, and if that doesn't tell you that this was going to be a great day, then you'll be extremely wrong! This just become a very great day!"

☀️

"Today's the day," Silver announced, "Today's the day I'm going to ask him."

"Finally," Ace groaned, "you've been cooped here for years, and now's the day you asked. But I have a bad feeling about this."

"How so?" Questioned Silver, putting away his art supplies, "I think now that I'm older, he's bound to be more understanding. I'm almost 18 years old, and I'm strong and responsible enough to help out."

"We know," Deuce chuckled, "We watched how you trained for this day."

"All the bruises and splinters are all worth it, "Silver smiles and carefully set the paintbrushes down, "I'm excited, and I'm so prepared for this, but I have to be very convincing/"

"Have you practiced in the mirror?" Epel asked.

"Of course I have, not that it works as my impression of Father is not the greatest." Silver admitted. "But I know what to say and what to do and if things do go south, I know how to distract him."

"Silver!" A man called from below, "My little flower!"

Silver gasped and helped the animals behind the curtains. "Ok, just stay here. I got this…just pray for me."

"Our little paws are crossed." Epel whispered as Silver walked away.

"Silver, I'm not getting younger down here," Silver's Father, Crewel announced, fixing his hair. Silver peaks out and quickly set his hair on the small hook and released his hair, watching it fly down onto the ground, easily for Crewel to grab it and use it as a rope, Silver pulled it with all his strength, raising Crewel to the top of the tower's window. Silver helps Crewel inside takes his cape, and proceeds to hang it on the nearby hanger.

"Oh, Silver," Crewel cooed, cupping Silver's cheeks, "how could you do that without fainting? It must've been so tiring for such a delicate flower such as yourself."

Silver chuckled, "I know but I'm used to it, and besides, it makes me stronger every day." Crewel smiles and pats Silver's head.

"That's why I'm so proud of you," He laughed, "such a cute young boy."

"Not that young," Silver protested.

"Tomoto, Tomato," Crewel laughed, smelling the air. "Oh! What delicacy you baked today?"

"Oh, the usual, chocolate chip cookies."

Silver answered, set down his stool, and gave Crewel his brush. He sits down and gives Crewel his hair to brush. Silver begins to hum, but unknowingly to him, he is humming so fast that the magic of his hair comes and goes within a few seconds. That caused a small panic in Crewel as he brushed quickly and gasped as the magic surrounded him.

"Silver," Crewel lectured, "What has gotten into you? That was…oddly fast. What's the deal?" Silver flushes a little, and looks over at the hidden painting, watching Ace, Epel, and Deuce egged him on.

"Well, I was just excited about something."

"Hmm, what about?"

"Well, my birthday, Father," Silver spoke up, "Um…we both know that my birthday is tomorrow, and I have one massive request that would make me very happy."

"Other than the paints, sewing supplies, hair supplies, gardening supplies, and the newest brush after you broke your old one?" Crewel teased and laughed. "Aw, don't worry, if its for my sweet little flower, anything."

Silver took a breath and said, "I want to see the floating lights…"

"Floating lights?"

"….ah, well, I could be more specific." Silver stammered, "I want to see the floating lights that I see every night on my birthday. And I mean, by seeing them, not just from the tower, but outside. Out there, and I know you think I'm not ready for it, but I know I'm ready."

Crewel's eyes darkened for a moment, but kept a kind smile, "You mean those bright stars?"

Silver sighs, "They're not stars, Father."

He climbed up and showed Crewel a star diagram he created years prior, causing a small gasp from Crewel. "I recorded every moment of star movements depending on the year, but these stars only appeared on my birthday as dusk appeared, it's a repeating pattern and I know that." Silver climbs down and shows his newest painting, which surprised Crewel again, "All I'm asking is for this one day to see these in person and that it'll make my life complete."

Crewel was silent for a moment, before sighing. "I understand you, I truly do," he stood up and asked Silver to get down to stroke his hair, "You are already capable but…you want to go outside? Why, Silver."

Crewel chuckled before walking towards the window and closing the doors.

"Look at you, as fragile as a flower. Just a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower?"

"Yes, I do, but," Silver began but was interrupted.

☀️

That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear

I always knew this day was coming

Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest

Soon, but not yet

☀️

"But—," Silver protested but was interrupted by his father again, finger on his lips.

☀️

Shh! Trust me, pup

Father knows best

☀️

A hip to the tower and the smallest window close, leaving the tower dark but Silver was prepared as he prepared a candle to look around for Crewel but didn't expect a scare from him as he looked. He was now annoyed but kept his composure.

☀️

Father knows best, listen to your father

It's a scary world out there

Father knows best, one way or another

Something will go wrong, I swear

☀️

Silver wasn't exactly convinced, especially when Crewel had to grab his hair to cast an illusion of a thief, trying to steal his hair, that was until he tripped onto the floor and all spooky shadows of things he should fear. It even ended with a crude shadow of a man, ready to grab if it wasn't for Silver's quick reflexes.

☀️

Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand

Cannibals and snakes

The plague

☀️

"Wait no!" Silver gasped.

"Yes!" Crewel cackled, shining the green light onto Silver's face.

"Father, please-," Silver begged, only to be pushed onto the floor by a mop, and face to face with a horrible painting of a shared tooth man.

☀️

Also large bugs

People with pointy teeth, and

Stop, no more, you'll just upset me

☀️

Silver sighs and looks around for his father again. He sees Crewel and walks toward him, but once he does, it is just a mannequin. Silver frowns and looks back at the stairs, lights leading up and Crewel walking down with a smirk.

☀️

Father's right here, Father will protect you

Darling, here's what I suggest

Skip the drama, stay with Papa

Father knows best

☀️

"Father, I think you overreacting," Silver groaned, "I am fully aware of those horrible things. I am not stupid, nor naive."

☀️

Go ahead, get trampled by a rhino

Go ahead, get mugged, and left for dead ("Father, enough..")

Me, I'm just your father, what do I know?

I only bathed and changed and nursed you

Go ahead and leave me, I deserve it

Let me die alone here, go on be my guest ("You are pushing it, Father,")

When it's too late, you'll see, just wait

Father knows best

☀️

Silver gasped as he looked up again, and Crewel was gone, only the scent of the candle wax by the stairs. Silver sighs grabs a match and starts to light the candles again, completely unaware that Crewel was putting them out simply with his fingers.

☀️

Father knows best, take it from your popsy

On your own, you won't survive

☀️

A mirror appeared in front of Silver, and Crewel appeared on its side, looking Silver up and down as if he was judging him up and down, which in hindsight, is not a great move.

☀️

Your sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy

Please, they'll eat you up alive

☀️

Crewel grabbed Silver and started to wrap his hair all around him, causing Silver to become entrapped, muffling towards his Father to let him out, with Crewel laughing.

☀️

Gullible, naïve, positively grubby

Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm, vague

Plus, I believe, gettin' kinda chubby

☀️

That was until he flung Silver like he was a spinning top toy, which annoyed Silver as Crewel grabbed his chin, so they met eye to eye. "You are not…," Silver whispers, trying to hide his nausea, "…funny.."

☀️

I'm just saying 'cause I love you

Father understands, Father's here to help you

All I have is one request

☀️

Silver finally loses his balance and lands in Crewel's arms, feeling Crewel comforting him.

"Silver?" Crewel spoke softly towards him.

"What is it?" Silver groaned, looking up.

"Don't ever ask to leave this tower again," Crewel demanded, his grip becoming tight around Silver's shoulder.

"Yes, Father…" Silver finally yielded.

"I love you very much, my child," Crewel cooed.

"I love you more."

"I love you most."Crewel grinned and kissed Silver's hair, his hand now caressing it.

☀️

Don't forget it, you'll regret it

Father knows best

☀️

Silver didn't know what to say after that conversation after all that had happened, so instead, he went to his room to get his mind off it.

"Maybe Father is right," he spoke to himself, looking at the mirror, questioning if he was even ready to go out of the old tower, a place that he lived in for so many years. "Maybe I'm asking for too much from him…" He sighs, lying down on his bed.

☀️

I've got my Father's love

I shouldn't ask for more

I've got so many things

I should be thankful for

Yes, I have everything

Except I guess, a door

Perhaps it's better that I stay in

But tell me, when will my life begin?

☀️

"Silver," Crewel called out, "I'm ready to leave again," He announced, getting ready. Silver takes a small breath and walks downstairs, trying his best to look unaffected by Crewel's cruel words, and grabs his hair to let down.

Crewel frowns and hugs Silver, "Oh, don't be like that, my flower, I know what I was was horrible but I need you to know that I'm worried about you."

"I-I know," Silver stammered softly, and started to let his hair down.

Crewel sighs and looks at Silver again. "I never meant to hurt you, my flower, but this world is not ready for someone as extraordinary as you or your hair." He grabbed onto the hair, "I'll be back, ok? I love you, my dear."

"I love you too," Silver mumbled softly.

"No more mumbling," Crewel managed to say before sliding down. As he departed down, he called out, "I'll be back with lunch!"

Silver watched him walk away before letting his hair down and mumbling, "I'll be here."

Silver noticed Deuce on his shoulder and sighed, "I'm sorry. I thought I could convince him, and I just froze up. Like I always do."

"I wouldn't blame ya," Epel talked, climbing onto the window. "Your father seems very mean."

"No, he isn't. He's just…overprotective." Silver defended, "…I hope he's wrong. Maybe I still have a chance."

☀️

Despite running what felt like an eternity, the royal guards are still right on their trail. "Jade, can we do something about these annoying guards," Floyd said, annoyed that he was running away from them instead of doing the chasing. "I just want to squeeze them now."

"As much I want to say yes, we are unfortunately outnumbered," Jade responded, sounding extremely out of breath.

They hear the stomping of the guards' horses getting close, and they all quickly run to the left and hide in the thick brush of the forest. They finally were able to breathe for a moment, just as long they didn't give their location away.

"Okay, once the coast is clear we'll take the long way back," Ruggie whispers to the twins.

"What? I don't want to do that," Floyd answered, "this mission was incredibly boring from the start."

"It's either we have a long walk or get captured."

Their short conversation ended when they heard a horse's whale coming right for them. And as the thieves got out of their hiding spot, a large horse destroyed the bush. Looking more furious than the captain himself "I found them!" The apparent captain shouted, alerting the rest of his team.

Once again, Ruggie and the twins begin to run away. While he and Floyd throw many insults at the guards. They ran farther and farther into the woods, able to lose most of the guards but some were very close by. They were able to stop once again, this time behind oak trees, with some old and withered, wanted posters, of them.

"I didn't expect to see these far out here," Jade remakes.

"I guess it shows how popular we have gotten over the last few months," Floyd responded, somewhat admiring the well-drawn wanted papers.

"Azul better keeps his end of the bargain of his deal, because I'm not going to die over some stupid crown," Ruggie mumbled to himself. "Well that's what you get when you try to steal something from him," Jade said with a smug look on his face.

Before stealing the royal crown, Ruggie was already in hot water when he decided to steal a valuable item from Azul. For him not to get squeezed to death by Floyd, Azul offered him a deal.

"If you want to live for another day, you would have to steal the lost prince's crown, after all, a lot of people are willing to buy it at a high price," Azul told him those few days ago, which at that point Ruggie is starting to wish he didn't take the offer. Ruggie hopes that Azul might be generous enough to lend him some of that money after he's risking his life for this act of service. As they pay attention to their surroundings, Ruggie notices his wanted poster…and gets irritated seeing it.

"Oh come on you got to be kidding me," he spoke, ripping off the poster from the tree.

"What is it, Fang," Floyd asked.

"…they got my ears wrong again." Ruggie showed the twins the poster, showing them a drawn picture of himself, only that his ears looked more like cat ears than his hyena ones. "Are they that hard to even draw them?" Ruggie asked, offended by this discovery.

"I'm rather surprised that finally made you upset, you did have to deal with my brother for the past 24 hours and he didn't make you this annoyed," Jade spoke.

"Compared to your guy's wanted poster it looks fantastic, and then there's mine, they always mess up the ears."

That's when the conversation stopped once more, as they heard the familiar voices of the guards, they all stood low and quickly moved. That's when the three reach a large piece of earth, blocking off their path.

"Well crap," Floyd spoke. "It's best that we think of a plan now before the guards catch up," Jade informed. Ruggie noticed this little cliff was much taller than the twins and himself, but not too tall to lift someone over.

"Okay, I have an idea," Ruggie said. "Are we going to lift someone up?" Floyd asked.

"Glad you caught on," Ruggie stated, "since you two are tall enough, you can help me get over the ledge and I could lift you two up with me." The twins looked at each other, suspicious about Ruggie's idea, but since they had no choice they had to do it.

"Alright, just give us the satchel first," Jade spoke.

"Really?"

"Just because we've known you for a few days doesn't mean we trust you, so you can either hand it over or we make you lift the both of us." Jade threatened with a calm smile.

Ruggie sighed and handed over the satchel, and they quickly made a human tower, Floyd being the support while Jade lifted Ruggie over. Once done, Ruggie looks down, seeing his teammates.

"Alright, pull me up," Jade spoke "I would, but I got my hands full."

"What-" Ruggie showed the satchel, the strap cut and him holding a small dagger along with it.

"Since I have a sneaky feeling that Azul is going to cheat his way out of the bargain, I wanted to do it first," Ruggie stated getting up quickly.

"Why you little-"

"Tell Azul I said thanks for your guy's volunteer work."

With that, Ruggie began to run off, hearing the twins cursing him out, slowly fading away when he got deeper into the woods.

But unfortunately for him, he was still being followed by one of the guards. "And here I thought I was going to get a break," he thought to himself when he heard the cries of the royal guard's horse. Ruggie had to be quick to get this guard off his trail, so he decided to go under steep hills, and duck under some branches while avoiding the many arrows that were trying to hit him.

That's when he saw a perfect opportunity, not only there was another hill to go down but some tree branches were low enough for him to grab on. As he runs towards it, he gets his momentum ready and focuses. Right before going down the hill, he jumps onto the branch, with his speed as well he swings around the branch and surprises the unexpected guard. Kicking behind the head was enough for him to fall off his horse, who ran down the hill in the meantime. But stopped when it noticed his owner fell off. Ruggie lands and is shocked and dizzy.

"I didn't expect that to work but man, that was incredible." Before he could do anything else, he realized that not only did he recognize the horse from earlier, but it stopped in his tracks, turned, and glared at him.

"What are waiting for?" Ruggie asked, then grabbed the reigns, "Let's go!"

The horse continued to glare but his eyes slowly drifted to the bag knowing that the stolen crown was hidden in it. He went to snatch it but was pulled away from Ruggie.

"No. This is mine." Ruggie laughs, "It's not nice to steal from- Hey!!"

The horse took another snap at Ruggie's bag, which began a struggle between the two, pulling the satchel back and forth and it seemed like the horse was winning, the unfortunate enemies anciently let their guard down as the satchel was flung to a nearby tree branch over a cliff. Both stare at each other as if to keep an eye on the other.

Ruggie looks over at the horse before jumping off and sprinting towards the satchel, the horse following suit. This was now a war between the hyena and the horse as they pushed, pulled, punched, tripped, and kicked to prevent the other from going near the satchel. The horse had the upper hand, pushing Ruggie off the branch, but backfired as Ruggie grabbed onto the log with strength.

Ruggie gripped the tree log for dear life. The growl from the horse informed Ruggie that he shouldn't be there for long, so like a little bug, he scurried, also trying to avoid the horse stomping his hooves to purposely break his hands while he climbed.

"This is such a weird day!" Ruggie called out to the horse, "I just wanted to get rich and now I'm trying to escape a horse. Today is not my day."

Ruggie took the satchel in his hands, having a mere moment of victory, only moving to take the satchel away from the horse. A small creek was heard, as the branch slowly tumbled down due to the two fighting and the extra weight they brought. Both stood still, hoping if they stood still, the branch would not break.

But it was false hope as the branch snapped and fell. The enemies looked at each other before screaming as they tumbled down the cliff. A rock broke the branch, separating the two. The horse immediately got back up after he tumbled, looking for Ruggie, and sniffing the area for him.

Unaware of the horse, Ruggie hid behind a boulder, big enough to hide his small form.

Ruggie panted, only hearing faint sounds of the horse walking past, before accidentally falling through the vines behind him. Confused, he walked through, which led to a small cavern, and at the end was a huge tower, it wasn't even that old and abandoned, but nicely decorated, especially with the vines growing around it.

"Why is there a tower all the way out here?" Ruggie questioned, walking over to it, and looking up at the length.

"I mean, if it's hidden, I should be safe from the knights and those pesky twins." Ruggie grabbed two arrows from the knights and started to climb it, surprised at how huge this tower was, and questioned why it was built in the first place. By the time he got to the window, he sighed to himself and entered the tower. Ruggie looks around for a little bit, surprised at how decorative it was, considering it was an old tower hidden from society.

"..well," he laughs, "this is a perfect place for me to hide in. And," he opens the satchel, "we are alone at last." The last thing that happened was a huge clang and a body was now on the floor unconscious.

[spicyclover]

Race of champions | Part one

Summary: This is the first time Mabel will attend a racing event. All happy and full of apprehension, the dream weekend will take a somewhat dramatic turn.

Character name: Mabel Lindberg, aka May. 

Part one | Part two | Part three 

Hope you’ll enjoy this part. Let me know in the comments section! And to support me by tipping me!

Little information, I will, for now, only post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Thank you, and Enjoy! :)

Lots of love, xxx Spicy Clover

Mabel is going to R.O.C., and she still can't believe it. It's her first-ever race event she goes to. She's been preparing herself since they announced the lineup of the drivers in September. She's more than excited.

Thankfully the ticket for the race wasn't that expensive, so she had the chance to take one hotel close to the circuit. It's five minutes away from the event.

We are Friday afternoon, and she checks into her hotel room for the weekend. It's tiny but cozy and has a breathtaking view of the snowy mountains, and the icy landscape is stunning.

She took a lot of warm clothes because she couldn't wait to be outside.

She puts snow pants on, and off she explores this Sweden adventure. She arrives at the main house of the event and enters to get her passes and her little pamphlet with all the racing schedules. She only walks a few minutes outside, but her nose is already red from the cold.

She thanks the receptionist and sits a little away to put everything in her bag. In the corner of her eye, she sees David Coulthard, Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel talking actively, probably about the coming race.

It's the closest she's been to those legends, and she can't help but blush intensely.

They do not notice that they are being observed, but it is only when they decide to get out of the building that they see her. She stands before them with her eyes wide open and a shocked expression on her face.

She begins to stutter and blushes even more, which embarrasses her more. Sebastian is the first to step towards her and takes her phone from her hands to take a photo with her wishing her a nice day before going out.

She stutters a thank you before turning to the two nordic looking at her.

"Well, hello, what's your name?" Asks David taking her phone to take a picture too.

"Ma... ma... Mabel."

"You have a beautiful name, Mabel. Hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to support Team Britain." He adds before heading outside.

It's only Valterri left, and she doesn't really know what to say to him, so she looks at him without saying a word. He's a little embarrassed but does the same thing to his colleagues and takes a picture with her.

Once they left and she was alone. She can't help herself be to scream her excitement.

The receptionist gives her a weird look, but she heads outside. With a huge smile, she takes in the beautiful sunset. She's gonna love this weekend. 

On Friday night, she’s eating her meal peacefully on her own at one of the restaurant's tables for the event. She eats an excellent Swedish dumpling dish with small sweet potatoes and a good glass of white wine. Delicious. She doesn’t really realize she’s there already. 

After her dinner, she takes a walk and looks around the facility. Most of it is made of wood, and it’s really rural. She loves it and can’t help herself to photograph everything she sees. 

In the distance, she hears shouts and encouragement. Curious, she blames herself slowly for the small crowd that surrounds a point of icy water to the several pilots passing after each other and regretting having accepted this cold midnight swim.

“They’re crazy,” she whispers playfully to herself before heading back to her hotel. 

In her sleep, she dreams of a weird thing. Something dark and sweet at the same time. 

[wings-of-ink]

I can't wait to meet our unnamed mystery RO.

Like I'm already down for two of the Ro's but after seeing some stuff about our mystery man. Might have to add a third one to the lineup. lol

If I can carry out my ideas the way I really, really want to - I think it will be a lot of fun (for most, I hope lol). Maybe it will make David Bowie proud, lol.

[litlunacy]

My canon worldstate going into Veilguard. Mage Girls Against the World.

All of these are my first runs on each game, every bad decision included (minus Hawke originally being blue, but purple is so much more fun). (TBH Auriel actually made the most bad decisions I think, despite being the nicest of the bunch and definitely the world's favorite Hero.)

Can't wait to add Nymaraya's dumbassery to the lineup. Especially since we're going in blind without a wiki guide lol.

Templates by Marian Churchland

[criffyzou]

Ignore my failed foray into lighting, that's my current thing to learn on Hero Forge.

Once I finally figured out how to give Brosca pigtails, I realized her old hairstyle was better suited to Lavellan, then also changed Hawke's hair so she wouldn't feel left out.

They now look much more like themselves. I can't wait to add Rook to that lineup !

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

AMARANTHE Announces New Vocalist, Shares 'Damnation Flame' Single

Swedish modern metallers AMARANTHE have released a new single, "Damnation Flame". With its symphonic touch and uplifting chorus, the track once again showcases the band's outstanding songwriting skills while maintaining AMARANTHE's status as one of Sweden's most exciting metal exports.

AMARANTHE guitarist Olof Mörck states about the new song: "'Damnation Flame' breaks new ground for us in many ways, and in all the best ways possible. This is the very first AMARANTHE song to feature symphonic elements, something we've wanted to do for a long time, and the darkened vampiric theme melds together perfectly with our take on modern melodic metal!

"AMARANTHE has always been about being boundless and constantly reinventing ourselves, and by now you know to expect the unexpected. This is 100% pure passion poured into music, as you will no doubt experience yourself from the very first second — enjoy 'Damnation Flame', with the promise of much more to come SOON!"

"Damnation Flame" also introduces AMARANTHE's new vocalist Mikael Sehlin to the band's internationally growing fanbase.

Olof continues: "After a practically global search, and several amazing guest growlers to help us out on shows and tours, we finally found just the right person for the job, in our very own Swedish capital of Stockholm! Mikael Sehlin has EVERYTHING it takes to join the AMARANTHE lineup, and his versatility and musicality completes and underscores our vision for our new album and the general future for AMARANTHE perfectly. From the deepest guttural grunts to soaring screams Mikael is growling perfection incarnate, so please give a roaring welcome to the new star upon the AMARANTHE firmament!"

Sehlin himself adds: "Hello everyone, Mike here! I am very thrilled to tell you I will fill the slot as the new AMARANTHE growler and I can't wait to meet you guys out there! I hope you like the upcoming tracks to which I've had the honor recording growls to. Take care and see you soon!"

AMARANTHE has spent more than a decade establishing itself as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014's "Massive Addictive" and its immaculate follow-up "Maximalism" (2016),AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle.

Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.

Widely acclaimed as a dazzling live act, the Swedes reached a new peak of creativity on 2018's hugely successful "Helix", an album that pushed the band’s vision to new heights, breadths and depths, while showcasing the brilliance of Elize and her co-vocalist, recent recruit Nils Molin.

Not just a glorious return but a wholesale upgrade for their exuberant sound, their latest offering, 2020's "Manifest", is simply the most daring, dynamic and unforgettable album that AMARANTHE have released to date. The perfect antidote to the nagging anxieties plaguing us all in these troubled times, it's a Technicolor celebration of metal's ageless power, blazing with all of life’s colours and chaos, but delivered with utmost artistry and skill.

AMARANTHE 2023 is:

Elize Ryd - vocals Mikael Sehlin - growls Olof Mörck - guitars, keyboards Johan Andreassen - bass Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums Nils Molin - vocals

[mayamiwynwood]

Mayami Wynwood: A Premier Cocktail Bar Restaurant in Wynwood

Nestled in the heart of Wynwood, where creativity thrives and artistry flourishes, lies Mayami Wynwood – a culinary gem that transcends the ordinary and redefines the cocktail bar dining experience. As one of the premier cocktail bar restaurants in Wynwood, Mayami Wynwood invites you to embark on a journey of flavor, innovation, and indulgence, where every sip tells a story and every moment is infused with excitement.

Crafted Cocktails: A Symphony of Flavors

At Mayami Wynwood, we believe that crafting the perfect cocktail is an art form – a delicate balance of flavors, textures, and aromas that come together to create an unforgettable sensory experience. Our talented mixologists are masters of their craft, blending premium spirits, fresh ingredients, and house-made syrups to craft cocktails that are as delicious as they are inventive. From classic concoctions with a modern twist to signature creations that push the boundaries of mixology, our drink menu is a symphony of flavors waiting to be explored.

Immersive Atmosphere: Where Art Meets Libation

Step into Mayami Wynwood and be transported into a world where art meets libation, where every corner tells a story and every sip ignites the imagination. Our restaurant is a celebration of Wynwood's vibrant spirit, with eclectic décor inspired by the neighborhood's famous street art and a lively ambiance that pulses with energy and excitement. Whether you're savoring a craft cocktail at the bar or enjoying a leisurely dinner with friends, every moment at Mayami Wynwood is an immersive experience that delights the senses and inspires the soul.

Live Music and Entertainment: Elevating the Experience

As the sun sets over Wynwood, the excitement at Mayami Wynwood only continues to grow with live music performances, Mayami Wynwood special events and DJ sets that add to the ambiance and elevate the experience. From soulful jazz to upbeat Latin rhythms, our lineup of talented musicians and performers ensures that there's always something new and exciting happening at Mayami Wynwood. Whether you're dancing the night away or simply enjoying the music with a cocktail in hand, our live entertainment promises to make your visit truly unforgettable.

Plan Your Visit: A Culinary Adventure Awaits

Ready to experience the best of Wynwood's cocktail bar restaurants? Join us at Mayami Wynwood and embark on a culinary adventure that will tantalize your taste buds, ignite your senses, and leave you craving more. Whether you're a cocktail connoisseur or simply looking for a night out on the town, Mayami Wynwood offers the perfect setting for any occasion. Come see why we're one of the premier destinations in Wynwood's thriving cocktail bar scene – we can't wait to welcome you!

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (December 4-10, 2022)

GigaBash's Godzilla DLC is now available, and they defied expectations (well, my expectations) by offering a lineup of Heisei Godzilla, Kiryu, Showa Gigan, and Destoroyah. I can't offer any insights into how they play, since I haven't had time to delve into this game, but they certainly look great.

An extremely special collection of Godziban episodes are out on Blu-ray and DVD. The main attractions are two all-new specials ("The Greatest Monsters on Earth" and "Mothra vs. Bagan"), starring the imposing lineup above, plus the entire Destroy All Monsters cast. Extended versions of the season 1 episodes "Son of Minilla", and "The Godzilla Who Came on Christmas Eve!" are also present, and the Blu-ray adds on the Godzilla Fest 2020 special episodes "The Xilien Who Turned Red" and "Lullaby of the Skies" and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Both formats come with a sizable booklet too. They're pricey, as is typically for Japanese home video, so as eager as I am to watch Bagan get pulverized by a couple of moths, I'll probably wait for someone to rip the Blu-ray.

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King! #3 is mostly Ghidorah doing Ghidorah things (although this might be the first time he's burned down Westminster, good for him). King Caesar can't wake up soon enough. This issue also plays a bit with All Hail the King's status as an unplanned sequel. In #2, Cedric questioned why King Caesar didn't intervene when Godzilla was on the brink of destroying the world in the original comic. The Shobijin have many abilities, but breaking the fourth wall isn't one of them, so they gave a vague answer about destiny, and it's just adding to the friction between him and Karen, a member of the family who can communicate with the shisa. Interested to see where they're going with this.

Tickets for the U.S. limited release (January 11/12) of Shin Ultraman are now live. Since Fathom primarily books at Regal, Cinemark, and AMC theaters, Fandango should allow you to see most anywhere it's playing near you. I will be dragging as many people as I can to the subtitled showing.

Mill Creek has issued the 1992 animated series Ultraman Kids: 3,000 Light Years in Search of Mother on DVD. I know nothing about it, and those designs are powerfully unsettling... but it's never even been subtitled before, so good on them?

Normally I wouldn't bother mentioning the millionth Godzilla crossover with a mobile game, but The Ants: Underground Kingdom is an unusual pick—it's a strategy game where you run an ant colony. These are clearly special ants, since the teaser shows them giving Godzilla a boost after King Ghidorah knocks him down. (I'd rather see him take on the ants from THEM! though.) The collaboration runs from December 16 to January 14.

[rosemaze-reveries]

Eating up that interview of the idv cast, can't wait to see more(specifically luchino😍)

aaa thank you!! i'll add him to the lineup 🫡

[nori-the-cat]

hii it's me again btw happy Chinese new year queen but I am bit curious or not hahaha but do you think babymonster might be 9 members are they willing to do it like adding two even is ahyeon there I know is weird for yg entertainment but will they take a risk surprised us this out of nowhere or yg entertainment already plan this year

Happy late Chinese New Year! ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

Will YG Entertainment add more members to BabyMonster?

Cards: 8 of cups, 3 of cups reverse, 5 of cups reverse, and the chariot reverse.

Based on the tarot cards I pulled, it's difficult to give a definitive yes or no answer to your question about YG Entertainment adding more members to BabyMonster. The cards illustrate a mixed picture, with some suggesting a focus on moving forward with the current lineup and others hinting at potential changes.

YG is so wishy-washy. I'm sorry I can't say definitively whether it's a yes or no they will add more members.

I think we will have to wait and see. I also can't predict the future.