#earlier in the dream i was at a girls house doing crafts with her father who was a successful artist

[griffintail]

I watched this really cute anime movie about a deaf girl recently, and it gave me an idea I thought you might like!!

What if Tommy had a kid (how he came upon the child is irrelevant) who was deaf? Music, especially the discs are a big thing for Tommy, so it’d be a big adjustment for him to realize “Oh yeah, they can’t hear this”. He learns sign language with a LOT of help from others cause he wants to be able to communicate with his kid, and he and his kid sometimes gossip and tease people using sign language cause aside from a few basic signs, no one really knows what those two are talking about; well..maybe Tubbo knows, only cause he was the one Tommy spent the most time learning sign with.

Bonus, what if when his kid’s a little older they decide they wanna hear the discs their dad talks about, so they ask Uncle Techno to help them craft something akin to hearing aids; but y’know with magic and stuff. And when they hear their dad’s discs for the first time they cry cause it’s even better than they ever could have imagined??

I just, I like the fluffy stuff!!

- from, an Anon Who Probably Has Cavities From All This Sweetness🍬🍭🍫

To Hear

Summary: Tommy cares for a deaf, child (Y/N).

Pairings:  Parental! Platonic! Tommy x Deaf! Child! Reader

Warnings: Swearing

A/N: Bruh, I was so excited to make this I did in a few hours. I have been thinking about this since you sent it in. I use some elements from Lost Ones but it’s soo not canon to my story.

*Any full sentences in Italics means they’re talking in Sign Language.*

 I hope you enjoy it ♥

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Tommy didn’t know.

        How was he supposed to?

        He’d never met anyone that was deaf and didn’t know the signs. (Y/N) was also a baby when he first got her, not exactly like she could go, hey, I can’t hear.

        So, he didn’t know for ages. He really didn’t know what he was doing raising a baby, so when she wasn’t talking by the age of one, he thought it could be a normal thing. He was worried but it could be normal! Babies weren’t super smart after all.

        It was Wilbur that figured it out.

        When he had come to visit his brother and found out he had a baby, of course, they sat down and had a serious talk about it, said baby still happily playing with her toys despite the yelling earlier. After Wilbur realized his brother wasn’t going to simply give up this child, especially after a year of work, he decided he might as well accept it. So, he went over to the child and sat next to her.

        “Hi (Y/N).” Wilbur smiled lightly.

        The child didn’t react though, having not noticed someone was next to her. Wilbur frowned slightly at this and put a hand on her arm, making her look at him now.

        “Hi, little lady.” He greeted her again.

        She made little babbles to him as she turned back to her toys.

        “What words does she know?” Wilbur asked curiously, a small smile on his face again as he remembered when Fundy was a child.

        “Uh, none yet. I can’t get her to say any. She likes making sounds but not much else.” Tommy admitted.

        Wilbur looked at him surprised and Tommy knew now that this wasn’t normal if Wilbur had that face.

        “You said she’s one, right?”

        “Y-Yeah.” He nodded nervously.

        His little girl wasn’t saying words and Wilbur looked concerned. Had he screwed up with his little one?

        Wilbur looked back at (Y/N) though, his mind at work.

        “(Y/N).” He said, but she once more didn’t look at him. “Tommy, does she ever respond to her name?”

        “I mean, sometimes. Not all the time.”

        “When she does respond, are you right in front of her?” Wilbur looked up at him.

        Tommy thought about it before nodding slowly. “Yeah.”

        “Does she ever get scared by your yelling? Or anyone’s yelling for that matter. Loud noises?”

        “Not really, w-what has this got to do with anything?” Tommy questioned.

        “…Tommy, I think (Y/N)’s deaf.”

        Tommy stood there for a moment before shaking his head. “No, no, you’re wrong. She makes noises and things like that. She wouldn’t make them if she couldn’t hear them. And-And we relax to my discs all the time, they calm her down.”

        Wilbur stood up, putting a hand gently on his brother’s shoulder. “She’ll still make sounds, but she won’t be able to form words, Tommy. She would have said any sort of word before now. She can also feel vibrations, they probably feel nice but she can’t hear any of it.”

        At the moment, Tommy couldn’t form words as he stared at his brother trying to deny what he said, but…it made sense. Tommy could never get her to respond to her name. She never really seemed to care when he’d try and teach her how to speak. When he and Tubbo were being loud, she never even flinched. Even a small moment when he had been shouting and swearing profanities when she was napping came to mind as he remembered she never even woke up to that.

        “My baby’s deaf.” He whispered. “What…I…God, how didn’t I notice?!”

        “Calm down Tommy.” Wilbur took both of Tommy’s shoulders. “You’re a smart kid and you’ve been doing this for a year. You can figure it out and I’ll help you with it. I’m sure Tubbo will too.”

        From there, it was a lot for Tommy to process. He had just gotten used to the fact he was taking care of a child; now he had to think several steps ahead and make sure he was ready when she got older. It was a shock to his best friend as well, that felt stupid too for not realizing it sooner, and they both took steps to figure it out.

        There were countless days where instead of going out and adventuring, Tubbo and Tommy practiced having sign language conversations with each other. Other days, Tommy would try and teach (Y/N) simple sign words so she could now start to ask for what she wanted. The relief he felt when she actually started to pick up was immeasurable. He nearly cried when she signed dad to him for the first time without him teaching her.

        When L’Manberg was starting to be formed, he made sure everyone within their walls knew how to talk basics with his child in case she needed anything from them. Tommy never liked leaving (Y/N) with anyone but himself and Tubbo and Wilbur, but when war came, things changed and he had to make sure his baby was being taken care of properly.

        Somethings that Tommy did became said with the new thought.

        Tommy still did his daily ritual with (Y/N), sitting with her and listening to a music disc. His heart broke a little each time now though as when they listened together, he realized every time before he was the only one listening to them. She couldn’t hear a single note. That frustrated him to no end some days as he wished his baby could hear such beautiful sounds but there was nothing, he could do to change it.

        Years went on. L’Manberg was independent from the Dream SMP, Wilbur and Tommy were in power, Tommy had one of his discs back from Dream from a little scam, and (Y/N) was eleven years old.

        “Can we go see Uncle Tubbo?” (Y/N) asked Tommy.

        “Yeah, in a bit. Got to finish writing this for Wilbur. Bitch is so lazy.” Tommy smirked before going back to writing.

        Wilbur looked over at the sounds of (Y/N)’s giggles.

        “What are you doing Tommy?” He asked his brother.

        “Nothing Wilbur,” Tommy called to him.

        “He’s president, tell him to get off his lazy arse.”

        Tommy had to put a hand over his mouth as Wilbur raised an eyebrow.

        “What did she just say? She was going too fast for me.”

        “Just a stupid joke Wilbur.” Tommy grinned as he gave (Y/N) a subtle thumbs up.

        The older man shook his head as he went back to his potions as Tommy finished writing. Putting the book away, Tommy nodded his head for the door of the van and both he and (Y/N) left. She wore her own L’Manberg uniform as they walked down the path towards Tubbo’s home.

        “It still sucks his old house is gone. I liked it.”

        “Yeah, but what are you going to do when you have a power-hungry green bitch?”

        (Y/N) giggled again as they got to Tubbo’s house, Tommy barging in.

        “Tubbo!” He called.

        Tubbo poked his head out from where he was gathering up a few things and smiled.

        “Hey, Tommy! Hey (Y/N).” Tubbo greeted them.

        “Hi, Uncle Tubbo. Did you get any new bees?”

        “I did, they’re with the rest of the hive. You can go see them, just don’t scare them.”

        “I know. I’ll be back dad!”

        Tommy gave her a salute and she was gone.

        “She been doing ok?” Tubbo asked.

        “Yeah, she’s been pretty good.” Tommy grinned. “She talked shit about Wilbur in front of him and it was pretty funny.”

        “I still can’t believe you taught her to swear.” Tubbo shook his head as he went back to his chests.

        “It’s hilarious! No one else knows what we’re saying but you!”

        “That’s because I learned with you. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t know either.” Tubbo reminded him. “Jack figure it out yet?”

        “No.” Tommy rolled his eyes.

        A few of the new members of L’Manberg and the Dream SMP struggled to remember (Y/N) was deaf and often startled her or would simply walk up to her and try and just simply talk. The little girl struggled with her deafness sometimes as she was different from everyone else. Tommy was always there to assure her though that she was fine the way she was.

        “But hey, I was thinking about how to get my disc back from Skeppy,” Tommy mentioned.

        “Oh yeah, what this time?” Tubbo asked.

        (Y/N) came back in smiling as Tommy and Tubbo were talking animatedly about their plan. She gave a simple clap to let them know she was there as she often did when she’d enter a room and no one noticed. They both looked over and motioned her over, talking about their plan instead in sign so she’d know what they were talking about.

        They were talking about the discs again and she frowned slightly. Her father loved playing discs when they were home and she liked feeling the music but she couldn’t help but always wonder what it was like to listen to what her father could hear. To know why he liked them so much that Dream would take them from him.

        A few months past and (Y/N) got herself a new uncle when he settled down close by to their homeland. Technoblade had come to see what his brothers were up to and decided to stick around for a while to see if their government got out of hand. (Y/N) wasn’t sure what that meant but she thought he was pretty cool.

        One of the coolest things was that he already knew rough sign language, having needed it for one of his travels. She thrilled for her father not have to teach someone once more the basics, instead Techno taught himself how to sign better and more advanced words so he could talk to her when she was around.

        She was around a decent bit of time.

        As Techno was now around, Tommy liked to spar with him and (Y/N) liked to watch her father’s skills at work. Alongside that, Techno told her a few stories about his travels or just stories with the sign he taught himself. He often also lent her books for her to read in her spare time.

        Tommy had never felt more grateful for his oldest brother.

        Sure, he couldn’t talk shit around Techno because he’d know what he was saying, but seeing (Y/N) smile to be able to talk to someone else made up for it.

        Today though, (Y/N) had to ask Techno for a favor. All of the boys and her were at Wilbur’s to just have some family time, so now was the perfect time.

        “Hey Techno.” (Y/N) stood nervously in front of him as Tommy was arguing with Wilbur in the kitchen.

        “Yeah?” He raised an eyebrow as he watched her.

        “You know how to do enchantments and stuff right?”

        “Yeah, I do quite a bit of it.”

        “Are you really good at it?”

        “I’d say so, why?”

        “I want to hear.”

        Techno leaned back in his seat watching her. She looked rather passionate about hearing.

        “Why?”

        She hesitated to move her hands. “Dad really likes his discs and I just.” She paused. “I want to hear what they’re like, even for a few moments to have something more with him.”

        Techno gave a small smile as he nodded. “Yeah, alright. I’ll work on something when I get home. You got to go into the kitchen right now though and curse Wilbur out.”

        “Easy! Deal!”

        A few moments later, Tommy was dying of laughter as Techno smirked in his seat as Wilbur demanded to know what (Y/N) was saying. Wilbur knew he should have been getting more lessons from Techno.

        It took Techno a few days but he managed to get small devices enchanted to hear for a few hours.

        “It’d take me a lot more work to get permanent hearing. That’s a long project and I’d need some help. But these will work for a few hours before they bug out.” Techno told her as she held them in her hands, having taken her to “watch her”.

        “Thank you so much Techno.”

        “It’s what I do. And I guess you can start calling me Uncle.”

        She grinned before putting the devices in her ears. For a moment, there was nothing, but that was because Techno made sure they were in a quiet place so she wasn’t overwhelmed. He waited before speaking.

        “So?”

        She jumped at the sound before smiling widely.

        “I can hear!”

        “Great, let’s go see Tommy.” He said as he signed along with his words.

        She wouldn’t know what each word would sound like, that would take more than a few hours, so she’d still have to see sign but that wasn’t the purpose of Techno’s work. They walked back to Tommy’s base and Techno knocked on the door as (Y/N) was looking around in amazement. Tommy flung the door open, grinning to see (Y/N) was already back.

        “You bored her already?” Tommy laughed, (Y/N) looking over as she smiled at the sound of her father’s voice.

        “No, I only needed her to see if what I made actually worked,” Techno told him as they went into the house.

        “And what the hell is that?” Tommy asked as he looked at (Y/N) as Techno’s back was turned. “How stupid was it?”

        (Y/N) giggled. “You sound pretty cool dad.”

        Tommy frowned, confused, as Techno leaned on a wall. “What does that mean?”

        “Uncle Techno helped enchant devices that let me hear for a few hours.”

        Tommy stood frozen for a moment before he snapped his head to Techno.

        “Is she serious?” He asked.

        “Dead serious.” Techno nodded.

        Tommy looked at (Y/N) and grinned, hugging her tightly.

        “You can hear!” He laughed, making (Y/N) cringe. “Oops, right. You’re not used to that.”

        “I’m ok.” She told him figuring he was feeling guilty.

        “She won’t understand words, remember.” Techno reminded his brother.

        “Right.” Tommy nodded. “There’s so many sounds you should hear. I don’t know where to start!”

        “Well, I asked Uncle Techno so I could hear your discs.”

        Tommy’s eyes went wide before he grinned taking (Y/N)’s hand and pulling her to the jukebox outside.

        “Wait right here.” He instructed her as he rushed back inside, Techno coming out lazily with a smile.

        Tommy ran back with a familiar purple and white-colored disc. He rested it on the jukebox before speaking to (Y/N).

        “This is Mellohi. It’s the disc I gave to Dream before I got it back. One of the discs I played for you all the time when you were a baby before I knew and even after. This is one of our discs.”

        Tommy picked up the disc again, taking a deep breath before putting it on. He sat next to (Y/N) on the bench as the song started to play. (Y/N) sat in amazement as she felt the familiar vibrations but also heard the sound it made. Tommy had such a wide smile as he wiped the corner of his eyes of tears as he watched (Y/N)’s reaction to one of their discs.

        She begged him to put on another and Tommy gladly brought out the rest of his collection, Techno having long ago left to see his mission accomplished. They spent those hours they had listening to their discs, Tommy telling Tubbo at one point and the other boy joining the two of them. The trio sat there until the enchantment ran out, but Tommy couldn’t be happier.

        His baby had heard their discs and he swore to himself that he’d help Techno with whatever he needed to make it permanent.

[showtunesdream]

Ok, so I have seen almost every English version of Cinderella made since 1950 and it is my favorite fairy tale. So I saw the new Amazon version and I have a LOT OF THOUGHTS: (Spoilers)

I am here for Cinderella remakes, and I really hoped this one would enchant me. But...it didn't. I've read several reviews to help me specify just what didn't work for me, and I think it ultimately comes down to discord in nearly every element. Discord: too many notes at the same time; no unity, no connection. I'm all for pulling popular tunes, but they have to fit the character's emotion. I'm all for powerful female choreography, but having a chorus of women violently pelvic thrusting in ball gowns was...just weird. The artistic choices have to fit the narrative. 

All the women in the story are trying to assert some authority and agency in a world we are consistently told is exclusively patriarchal "because tradition." But it feels like that tone clashed with the producers' desire to include all the fairytale elements they felt audiences would expect. I think they could've done it, but they didn't get it right. It would be a fine line to tread, bc on the one hand you are talking about female disenfranchisement and lack of agency/rights, and on the other you’re trying to do fairytale love--the subject matter is really quite a heavy burden for that storyline.

 I've also seen comments that the cinematography and pacing were a mess, but I didn't get past my "do I like this?" vibe enough to notice. 

A few other assorted critiques: There was no chemistry between the prince and Ella, there was a lot of tell and not show (you can have a chorus sing it multiple times but I'm not gonna buy it unless you back it up with acting), and also the prince was not appealing in the least. Like, maybe that was the point, but if so, forget the romance plot altogether bc if I'm not falling for the guy, why would our heroine? There was more chemistry between the prince and his manservant (braid guy) than between Ella and him. There was nearly more depth of character in the manservant than in the prince as well, which is saying something.

One of the most annoying instances of tell and not show was Ella’s appearance. They kept talking about how dirty she was, and the stepmother even says “you would be so pretty if…” but the only real difference in Ella’s appearance is that she has a darker complexion… So what are we saying here, that she is unappealing bc she isn’t white enough? Admittedly that is reading into it a bit much, but just put some damn ash on her face and it’s a non-issue!

Moments of magic included the original songs (why did they not do the whole score this way???), and the performances from the sterling cast members as you'd expect. Also, I loved the building they chose for Ella's family estate/basement. (Oh, and also if you are going to turn the stepmother into Mrs. Bennett, then you have to show the financial difficulties in some wayyyy...) 

Overall, I could see what could've been a homerun concept in the script. I wanted to love it. I really did. But the execution fell woefully short for me.

**If I could, like Fab G, wave my wand and fix some things:**

-All original songs, not poorly fitting pop covers. The worst offenders in my eyes were “Material Girl,” “What A Man,” and “Find Me Somebody to Love.” The ball song should be about the princesses/stepsisters’

/Gwen/Ella’s aspirations, and maybe the prince’s too, if this fix version means he gets character development, like, say, a superobjective. 

-We open as before, with the narrator telling us how tradition has ruled everyone’s lives for years. As the townsfolk sing, we get the feeling that Ella isn’t the only one who is not so happy with the status quo. Ultimately everyone will learn through Ella that they don’t have to be struck in the same old ways. 

-As she works in the house we see Ella using her flair for fashion, her gift for making women feel beautiful to act a modiste/lady's maid to her stepmother and stepsisters. We see her transform an outfit/hairdo with a clever and fresh idea noone would have thought of. We get that speech about “it doesn’t matter if I think you’re beautiful. What matters is how you feel...etc.” Insert song about fashion and how amazing women are just in general, with makeover magic. (She didn’t feel like a fashion designer to me, I didn’t feel that creative spark/passion. I needed them to amp this up.)

-Ella’s personal appearance reflects her gift for inventive style as well.  (I really struggled with her being on one hand a fashion designer and on the other hand having no color in her dress, AND having everyone talk about how untidy her appearance was (which again, it wasn’t. Also, were she really covered in cinders and ash, she wouldn’t be able to handle fabric without making it dirty….)

-Ella’s dresses are made of found and reused materials, cleverly crafted. Like a set of old drapes a la Sound of Music, or forgotten antique dresses harvested for their fabric. After the prince buys her dress she can afford to buy new fabric and make her pink dress (that then gets ruined by Vivian.)

-If we *are* going to keep the idea of borrowed pop songs, then at some point all of the women sing No Doubt’s “I’m Just A Girl,” illustrating how their gender in this society makes them second class citizens: the stepsisters, Vivian, and princesses have to marry to gain opportunity/privilege, Gwen can’t get a word in on state matters, the queen is constantly shut down by her husband, etc. However, better for them to sing an original song that reflects this--maybe have “Dream Girl” come in earlier and get expanded/reprised.

-We needed to see the hardship that Vivian spoke of, bc I never saw it. Why remarry when you are clearly a wealthy widow?

-I still haven’t figured out how to give the prince a character that Ella could fall in love with. Show his kindness separate from supporting Ella? Give him an “I want” song that isn’t about his father wanting him to get married? Give him some kind of point? We’ve seen the “I don’t want to be king and am lost until this amazing girl inspired me” trope work before, but your boy has to have more to him than this guy did. 

-I also would like to find some way to extend the insta-love a bit. I’m a huge fan of meeting as commoners, as in the 1997 Cinderella, and there, they make a connection that properly works. Maybe it all boils down to a lack of chemistry between the actors? And/or give me better lyrics? Hmm. 

Anywho, I'm just rambling. So sad to see this fall so short of its potential.

[cheesy09]

Reminiscing Times

Annnnd... it’s the 13th of January!!! 🥳 Happy Birthday Victor, you soft, tender, capitalistic CEO!!! May you receive abundant happiness this year and the next as well!! And P.S. Victor, please don’t keep wine and spicy food away from me, I beg youuu! 😭

Summary: The melody from a piano carries memories from the past. Victor thinks back to the day she came crashing back into his life and turned his whole world upside-down. He couldn’t imagine a world without her after that.

Pairing: Victor x Reader Word Count: 1,556 Genres: Fluff

“Wasn’t today fun?” You asked Victor as the two of you walked into his house, hanging up your coats and scarves. The way you were radiating happiness was tangible, and Victor caught sight of it easily. 

“Well, it was certainly... something,” he said as he gently brushed his hand through your hair, smoothening down your strands. The feel of his fingers in your hair sent lovely tingles throughout your entire body. Victor’s lips tugged up slightly and he closed his eyes, his smile a little helpless. “I never expected you to invite my father and Aunt Grace all the way to Loveland City.”

Thinking back to the two people who had been all too excited to be at Souvenir for their favourite CEO’s birthday, you gave Victor a warm smile. “I wanted this day to be special for you and I thought calling them and spending time at Souvenir’s along with Mr. Mills would be a wonderful idea. Of course, I didn’t force them, but I was so glad they could make it.”

The two of you walked into the living room and sat down on the couch together, making yourselves comfortable. He hooked a finger through his tie and loosened it slightly, letting out a soft sigh in the process. Looking at his dark tousled hair and his calm, relaxed appearance made your insides feel warm and fuzzy. You would have been satisfied to just prolong this moment of tranquility between the two of you... but you weren’t done yet!

“Hold on! I’m not done yet!” you declared as you walked over to the piano. You picked up the brown envelope you had placed on it earlier that day and spun around to face him with a giant smile on your face. “Ta-da!”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “What is it now?”

“It’s your present,” you stated, matter-of-factly, while opening the envelope and pulling out its contents.

“I know that, dummy,” he replied, his trademark nickname for you coated with a layer of affection. “I’m asking what the present is.” 

Faced with the question, you suddenly grew slightly bashful. “Th-that is... um...”

Seeing your shy appearance and the way your eyes flitted all around the room, Victor frowned, his beautiful eyebrows scrunching up together slightly. “You sure picked a strange moment to get so strangely shy.”

Your cheeks reddened even more. “I-I’m not shy!”

You couldn’t help it. You had been working on this present for him ever since his last birthday. You had had multiple setbacks and there were even times where you wanted to give up, but you persevered, because that was what Victor would want you to do -- never give up. He made you feel strong and beautiful; to make you a better version of yourself. So this present which you had written out and practised with so much love and affection was the least you could do for him.

“W-well, I... wrote you a song,” you managed to get out. You looked at him, wondering if he was going to give you some snarky comment or other, but you were surprised to be met with his surprised face. His eyes were wide, and beheld a slight sense of purity and innocence. You would never tell him, but he actually looked cute like that.

“You...” Before Victor could continue his statement, you immediately cut him off, sitting yourself at the piano in a fluster. You arranged the music sheets in front of you and said, “I’m not sure how it turned out ‘cause I wanted you to be the first one to hear me play, and this would be my first time composing music, but...” You turned to him and met his eyes determinedly, your heart pounding in your chest. “I tried my best. So, I hope you like it.”

Turning back to the piano, you took in a deep breath to calm yourself down and began playing. The melody started out heavy, at a lower key, reminiscent of the time the two of you first met, when your company was about to go bankrupt. At that time, you never imagined that your future investor would also come to become the most important person in your life; someone you didn’t want to live without, no matter the cost. 

Slowly, the melody became lighter, softer, gentler... just like a certain CEO. Your fingers danced across the notes, bringing to your mind memories spent in his office to hand in reports, times you managed to drag him out for events he probably wouldn’t dream of being at otherwise, those moments in time where he’d offer you those rare, precious smiles; smiles reserved only for you. All the difficult times you’d been through, times you’d thought your life was falling apart... he’d always been there, watching you and supporting you with the gentlest affection. 

You hoped to convey all your feelings -- the love and gratitude you felt towards him -- into this composition that was crafted only for him.

After you were done and turned back to face him, you found that Victor had already fallen asleep.

“What? He fell asleep?!” You whisper-shouted to yourself, completely stupefied. You couldn’t believe this man! He sure had some gall to fall asleep when you had poured your heart out into that piece just now!

You walked over to the couch and sat down next to him, watching his gentle sleeping face with a soft smile. His long eyelashes cast shadows across his cheeks, and the living room lights caste a faint glow on him that made him look dashing and splendid. You remembered the first time you came over to his house and giggled at the memory. He had fallen asleep to the sound of the piano then too.

Giving into an urge, you leaned over and brushed your lips against Victor’s cheek, the feather-like kiss sealing a moment in time.

You cuddled into his side and rested your head against his shoulder. You closed your eyes, listening to sounds of Victor’s deep breathing. Your heart beat slowed down to a rhythm that matched him. 

“Happy Birthday, Victor,” you whispered, content on saying the words even if you knew he couldn’t hear you.      

───※ ·❆· ※─── ───※ ·❆· ※───

For some reason, his name sounded special, whenever she was the one who said it.

Victor didn’t know when he started thinking about baseless, sappy nonsense like this. When he stopped putting his work on such a giant pedestal and started to look after himself more often because she would worry if he didn’t. When things around him started to look a little... different. Even the colour of the sunset looked different. Brighter; more orange, and yet softer at the same time.

All he knew was that all of this was possible only after she re-entered his life.

She was like a shooting star. She had re-appeared before him so suddenly, so instantaneously. At that time, he still wasn’t aware it was her, the girl he’d been seeking for all his life, and had unknowingly continued that maddening, desperate search for her. But despite not knowing her true identity, he still felt this inexplicable attraction towards her, like a moth to a flame. She showed him wonders he’d never seen before, made him feel things he never felt before and even granted him the gift of wishes.

After his mother passed away he didn’t think wishes could ever come true.

But she defied that. Her very existence had become the embodiment of a fervent wish he had made ever since he fell in love with her.

‘--ictor... Victor...” A gentle hand shook him awake, and Victor blinked opened his eyes only to be met by her big, starry ones and Pudding cradled against her chest. She smiled at him. “Oh good, you’re awake. I was a bit surprised when I found myself awake even before you.”

“You fell asleep too?” He asked, sitting up straighter against the couch, adjusting his shirt in the process.

“Yep. But Pudding here ended up waking me up,” she grumbled as she brought the furball up to her face and playfully rubbed their noses together. Then her features turned stern and she looked chastisingly at the cat. “Listen, Pudding. Never ever put your paw on someone’s mouth, especially if that person is sleeping.”

“It probably did it because a certain someone was busy snoring in her sleep,” Victor smirked, his tone mixed with mirth.

“I wasn’t snoring!”

“And how do you know that?”

“Well... I didn’t wake you up, did I?” He could tell she was struggling to come up with excuses and Victor chuckled to himself, his heart pounding with warmth. “I never said you were snoring loudly. Cats have very sensitive ears after all.”

“Ya-well... I... um... uh...” Her cheeks turned a bright rosy red, clearly flustered. Victor watched on in amusement as she sighed in frustration. “You always have to have the last word, don’t you Victor?”

He laughed and stood up, ruffling her hair in the process. It was easy to find himself relaxed with her, and honestly? Victor wouldn’t have it any other way. “Come on, dummy. It’s dinner time.”

It was another unforgettable birthday. And it was all because of her. 

“Oh, and also. The song you wrote? It was... really nice.”

───※ ·❆· ※─── ───※ ·❆· ※─── 

Thank you so much for reading. For more of my works, you’ll find them in my Masterlist :D    

[arsonistslut]

Suddenly...Liu woke up. His face didn't feel like it was burning anymore, and the sunshine that flowed into his room was starkly different from the darkness of the room he was just attacked in. It wasn't just that, though, everything around him seemed to be in a sort of dreamy haze. He was about to stand when his brother burst in the room. Liu nearly jumped out of his skin, quickly realizing that the scars that riddled Jeff's body before were totally gone. Was everything from before just a dream?

"Wake up, bro! You're gonna be late for school!"

All he could do was just stare at Jeff, confusion riddling his face.

"You alright, man?"

"..Y-Yeah, I'm fine!"

Liu rushed out of his bed and began preparing for school as his brother waited downstairs, rushing down as well once he was ready and walking into the kitchen, expecting the same wordless room where his parents usually were in the morning. Carla looked over at her son and smiled as she ruffled his hair.

"Good morning, you two!"

"Mornin' mama!"

Liu thought something was deeply wrong. His brother was never this jovial, and their parents barely ever talked to them in the slightest, and that was for 15 years! Was..was that all a bad dream? Was all that Sully shit a bad dream, was Jeff getting set on fire a bad dream? When him and his brother got to the school bus, Jeff sat next to one of the other kids, and Natalie sat next to Liu.

"Hi, handsome!~"

"Hey, Nat! How are you?"

Liu was thankful that at least she didn't change.

"I'm doing really well, my dad's recently gotten arrested, so now I'm living with my grandma, she's a sweetheart!"

"O-Oh, that's great!"

"Hey, did you hear about Jeff's new girlfriend?"

"No, he never told me! What's her name?"

"Cassie! I'm gonna be honest, those two are the cutest. They're such sweethearts, they're practically made for each other!"

"That's wonderful!"

Liu then looked outside the window..he couldn't help but wonder how he'd just realized this, but it was such a beautiful day outside! The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, days like this came practically once every century in New Orleans. Maybe everything from before really was just a bad dream.

A delighted giggle came from Sully as he watched Liu go about his day in the world he'd so carefully crafted for him in his head.

"Finally safe..safe from the horrors that would taint your pure soul."

Nina boredly flipped through the late night channels, sighing as she wasn't able to find anything that interested her. It was far past her bedtime, and her eyelids were getting heavy, so when a particularly eye-catching news report showed up, it grabbed her attention right away.

"And now, we turn to New Orleans, which has been the site of a brutal massacre tonight, as 7 people have been recently found brutally murdered over the course of an hour. Police are not releasing any names of the victims, but they have apprehended a suspect who they believe is the killer, 17 year old Jeffrey Woods was recently arrested after having set the house of Bruce and Aurora Arkansas on fire. The lone survivors of this horrible night are reportedly one individual, along with the daughter of Bruce and Aurora. Liu Woods, Jeffrey's brother, has gone missing, if you have any information regarding where he may be, please contact the police. We do have footage of Jeffrey's arrest, but be warned, it may disturb some viewers."

The TV then showed footage of a group of police officers surround a pale teenager, his whole body caked in blood. Jeffrey shrugged and laid his knife down on the ground, placing his hands behind his head and allowing the police to arrest him. As he was led to the back of a cruiser, Jeff looked into the camera.

"You win some, you lose some, I guess."

The TV then cut back to the clearly shaken reporter.

"We'll provide more information as it comes to us. IN other news.."

Nina shut her TV off, a wide smile growing on her face. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she related to Jeff. What was keeping someone like her from going on a rampage like that...? Snatching her laptop off her desk, Nina quickly logged onto 4-Chan and started a thread. She pondered over what to call it, then typed in an adequate name.

"Jeff's Killers."

Chapter 19: "Nothing but pure evil"

"Jeffrey..do you feel even the slightest bit of guilt for your actions?"

Woods had shown no shame throughout his trial. No guilt or remorse for his actions. He sure as shit wanted to, but when the judge asked him that question, he couldn't restrain the smile that came to his face as he remembered how good it felt to plunge his knife into his father's head, how good it felt to snap Troy's neck, how good it felt to drop that match. Besides, wasn't Zalgo right? This was going to keep happening until he died.

"I don't. They all deserved what they got. Besides, I didn't have any other choice."

Silence followed his words. Some gasped, some began to sob, some just laughed in amazement, but most of the courthouse was silent.

"Jeffrey Woods..you are nothing but pure evil. This court finds you guilty of all charges, and sentences you to death."

The judge forced back tears and pointed toward the door.

"Get him out of here.."

Woods was led away by a pair of policemen, and the courtroom cheered as he was led away.

"And then, my sentence got reduced to life in prison, and now..here we are, doctor."

"I see.."

Dr. Oborn wrote down more notes in his clipboard, before looking back up at his patient.

"Doc..can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Jeffrey."

"...Was that judge right? A-Am I just..evil?"

"While murder is a horrific crime, and many people do seem to see you as nothing more than a psycho who killed for fun, I've spoken with you for over a year now, and I don't believe you to be evil. After what you've told me, I now know that your condition was likely caused by the trauma you referred to earlier."

"..Doc, I.."

Jeff let out a burst of relieved laughter, almost tearing up from joy at the doctor's words.

"You h-have no fuckin' clue how much that means to me! I..I thought I was a lost cause for the longest time..I-I mean, people don't feel happy when they kill someone, y'know?"

"You're not a lost cause, by any means. We've made incredible progress today, and I believe that you will be able to comfortably integrate back into society soon enough. Although, I am confused by one thing."

"What?"

"..How did you know about the things that happened after your hospitalization?"

"Zalgo showed me."

"Zalgo? Who is that?"

"Zalgo is the reason I believe in the afterlife. Apparently, it's a medical miracle I even survived the incident at the party, let alone heal so quickly that my body's now one big lump of scar tissue. Zalgo helped me to survive."

"This is the first time you've mentioned this.."

"Demon."

"Demon to me. You have previously stated your beliefs in Leveyan Satanism, so is this a sort of..representation of the devil?"

"No, the devil isn't real. Zalgo is. Look, can we t-talk about something else?"

Dr. Oborn placed one of his hands on Jeffrey's shoulder, growing concerned due to his growing..worry, almost.

"Is everything alright, son?"

"I...didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Nightmares, again?"

"No, I saw things, doctor..I've seen how this world will end."

"You've seen the apocalypse, you say?"

Jeffrey then just shook his head, something he feared he would do suddenly worming it's way into his brain unannounced.

"Jeff..are you having intrusive thoughts?"

"I..I don't want to hurt you, you don't deserve it.."

"Nothing will happen to me, son. I'll be just fine!"

"You..you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Thank you, doctor.."

"Of course-"

Dr. Oborn was pleasantly surprised when Jeff reached across the table and hugged him, but didn't hesitate in hugging his patient back.

Chapter 20: A new terror

"Listen, man, I know what I saw! Some lanky motherfucker was running around my backyard, and wearing a white hoodie! They didn't catch Jeff The Killer, he's still fucking running-"

Carlos Kennedy changed the channel of his radio, confused as to how someone could genuinely believe that it was a good idea to log onto a radio show, ramble about how you believed a convicted killer was still able to run around your backyard, and think you'll be taken seriously. His attention to that was quickly interrupted by seeing a person lying near the road, face down. The good Samaritan quickly stopped his car and got out, rushing over to the seemingly unconscious person that was lying in a ditch.

"Hello?! A-Are you-"

A knife to Carlos's throat quickly cut him off, blood spraying out of his wound. The girl who stabbed him lifted his corpse off the decoy, a teenager in a white hoodie and a somewhat poorly made, but nonetheless effectively scary Jeff The Killer mask.

"Good work, Jethro."

"All I did was sit here, but thanks, Nina."

This was the first recorded murder committed by Jeff's Killers, after a year of just being a bunch of teenagers hanging out in an abandoned house where a bunch of patricide took place.

[kimberly-spirits13]

Moroccan Outlaw

Pairing (Bart Allen x reader)

Synopsis: Living in the wilderness of Morocco by yourself after your parents were killed for witch craft, you fight to survive with everything that you have learned of magic and the myth that now surrounds your name. You think that your life will never change of this endless cycle until one day, a certain team comes to your dwelling to investigate strange news of something powerful lurking in the forest. That is when your life changes forever.

Warnings: None

     You had never considered yourself a threat to anyone or anything that wasn’t a threat to you. You nor your parents had ever meant anyone any harm, however the world is a cruel one and doesn’t take lightly to things that it does not understand or take the time to adapt to. At the age of 7, your parents were taken and burned after being found out they were practitioners of witchcraft and magic. They had both come from a long line of magic users and taught you everything that they knew, including the combat that your father had picked up while serving in the army during his time. The only thing that you had of them now was a few books of magic, a few charms, and faint memories that haunted your dreams at night.

           The town considered you a myth, a legend, and even an outlaw. At just the age of 8, you had learned what it took to survive in these rare conditions and kept to yourself, avoiding people at almost all costs. Tonight, was a full moon. This was the most significant time of the lunar phases because it was when the most powerful book of spells that your parents had left you gained even more spells and charms to use. You had opted to stay in your house and practice the spells that you would be gifted. Well, if it could even be considered a house. The place that you lived was like a three- story tree house over a wide stream. It was in a smaller clearing but still high enough up that no passerby would see it. There you and your panther, Onyx would live out your lives.

           It was a normal day waiting for the spells and nothing in the world was happening to your knowledge outside of the usual mess of things. Well, at least that it what you thought.

_______________________________________________________________________

“Team, there has been a sudden disturbance in a sector of the forests of Morocco. It is thought to be magic with the level of power and magnitude that it emitted, however we cannot know for sure.” Nightwing informed the team, “We need to find out who or what this is and see who’s side it’s on.”

           The only ones who weren’t on a mission right now was Nightwing, Blue Beatle, Impulse, Beast Boy, and Robin. Everyone else was either off or on mission assigned earlier. They got into the ship and headed off to Morocco to investigate whatever was going on.

_______________________________________________________________________

           You settled in on your cot next to Onyx and watched as the sun started to set. Everything was going as planned. You had your herbal tea next to you and your spell book in your lap just like all the nights before. Everything was calm and peaceful until the magic sensors that you had put around your dwelling picked on a low flying craft. Onyx’s ears pricked up as you listened closely.

           Hearing it get closer and then the sound stopping made you go on high alert. You walked to your table and summoned a looking spell to see what on Earth was going on. You saw nothing at first, but upon further investigation, you found that the ship was shielded with invisibility tech.

           “Interesting.” You thought, “Tell me who these people are.” You said after seeing a few figured jumping out.

           “Heroes?” You thought aloud, “I wonder what they’re doing here.” “Onyx, it’s time to go for a hunt.”

           Onyx’s ears pricked up and he stood, walking to your side. Sliding on your combat boots and gloves, you stepped out of the shelter and traveled by the trees to where the ship was, not too far away. You observed them from a distance, sticking to the shadows and staying out of site along with your panther who was circling the group.

           “Nightwing, I feel like we’re being watched.” The smaller one with a cape and jet -black hair said to who looked to be the oldest.

           “I know what you mean.” Nightwing replied, “Just keep your guard up and...” He stopped dead in his tracks, “Impulse, don’t move a muscle.”

           Everyone started at Impulse as he stopped, noticeably frightened at Nightwing’s command. They looked around until seeing a massive black cat staring at them from a small clearing like it was about to pounce. Then they all saw what Nightwing really was pointing out. A snake was coiled up in front of Impulse waiting for him to take a step closer. All of them were startled when you spoke up.

           “Down Onyx.” You said in Arabic.

           The panther went into a resting stance and didn’t pounce at the team but you on the other hand came into few after a few seconds of moving in the shadows.

           You then stared at the snake, eyes gleaming red before it contracted and looked straight at her hissing. After a second it had been ripped apart and withered away with the wind.

           “You know you really should be more careful hero.” Your magic swirled from your fingers before disappearing once more, “The floor of these jungles move with life.”

           You jumped down to the ground, leaning on a massive boulder, “Who are you? Quickly, before I have Onyx sick you.”

           “We’re part of the Justice League.” The leader with a blue and black suit and domino mask said, “I’m Nightwing, this is Robin, Impulse, Blue Beatle, and Beast Boy.”

           “What is your business?” You demanded.

           “We are here to investigate a surge of energy. Now I can assume that you were that energy surge. We’re here to take you somewhere where you’ll be safer and away from all of this.” He finished.

           You smirked some at how hopeful he sounded. That was something that you had learned not to trust over the years. Hope was a delusion and something to pity for all who really relied on it.

           “I’ll come. But only if you can catch me.” You smirked, lifting your index finger which started swirling with glittering red and purple smoke before your body was completely engulfed in it and you reappeared in the tree tops.

           “Base.” You said to Onyx before starting off away from where the team was.

           “Catch her.” Nightwing said as they all started to go after her in preassigned teams.

           After some time of losing the team, you stopped on a branch and rested for a second.

           “Watcha doin up there?” You heard from below. You smiled some when you saw Impulse.

           “Becoming quite bored of this endeavor.” You said.

           “Well then, allow me to entertain you malady.” He darted up the tree fast enough to not give you time to react, “Gotcha.” He smirked grabbing you.

           “Please, can’t a girl play hard to get?” You said before disappearing once more, “Over here lover boy.” You waved from a different tree.

           “Impulse, Y/N is a witch, take her to the starting point and we’ll give her a dose of some white light.” Nightwing said into the comm before Impulse was about to take off after her again.

           “Got it wing.” He replied.

           Impulse chased you to the starting point before you noticed what was happening. You went to turn around before Blue Beetle shot a beam of white light at you. With somewhat of a mix of a screech and scream, you fell off the branch that you were on and plummeted to the forest floor.

           “I got her!” Impulse said going for you.

           After a few seconds, you regained your senses and looked around before meeting his gaze. Rubbing your temples you spoke up, “Thank you.” You got out of his arms and brushed yourself off.

           “No problem beautiful.” He said smiling at you as he got a good look at your figure.

           Your skin glimmered in the moon light, contrasting against the dark red and black costume. Your now purple and gold eyes shinned in the moon light as you swept your hair out of your face.

           “I don’t even know you name.” You said feeling weird that this random costumed person would just chase you down only to save you.

           “Oh, I’m Bart, Bart Allen. That is presuming you’re coming with us.” He said.

           “Y/N, Y/L/N.” You replied putting your hand out for what you thought would be shaking hands. Instead he took yours and kissed the top of it like he was trying to either be a gentleman or funny. You couldn’t decide which one it was.

           “So, you’re coming with us?” Nightwing asked.

           “Yes, well, that is as long as I can grab my panther and my books.” You said, “Trust me, it won’t be long.”

           He nodded and you chanted a spell before the entire contents of your home was in a small box and your panther walked up next to you. He wasn’t that big and would never get that big which is why your parents wanted you to have him.

           You sat next to Impulse and watched the forest fade out of view. Your home was now a tiny speck in the great big world, and you figured that you’d never see it again whether you wanted to or not.

           “Have you ever been outside of your home?” Impulse asked you noticing the weary look on your face.

           You shook your head, “Never.” “My parents always hid me away in fear that I would also be... well, executed with them if we were ever caught with magic.”

           “I’m sorry.” He said giving a sympathetic look at taking your hand, “You’ll like it at the cave, trust me.”

           “I’m sure I will.” You said as Onyx laid his head on your lap.

______________________________________________________________________________

           *Narrator voice* A few months later

           “Hey babe.” Bart said kissing your cheek.

           “You missed Speedster.” You said before he pulled you into an actual kiss.

           “Watcha reading?” He asked laying his head on your shoulder.

           “Spell book, tonight’s a full moon so it got new spells a few minutes ago.” You answered.

           “Could we cuddle?” He asked you.

           “Will you still let me read?” You asked.

           “Mhmm.” He answered.

           “Okay.” You picked up your book and the both of you walked to your bedroom with Onyx who was tailing you.

           The both of you curled up on your bed while Onyx jumped to the foot of it and laid down. Wrapping into the blankets, Bart laid his head on your thy and rubbed circles on your hips.

           “I love you.” You said.

           “I love you too Y/N/N.”

[punkpoemprose]

December 5th- Secret Santa

Universe: Modern AU

Rating: G (General Audiences, fluff to the max)

Length: 5627 Words

A/N: It’s worth noting that I would probably get more pieces done if I kept my word count lower, but here we are. This lovely bit about volunteerism and falling in love proves, I think, that I have fully mastered the Hallmark Christmas movie formula. Thanks for being patient with me as I play catch up! Hopefully I’ll finish the rest of the fics I’ve started that were already supposed to be posted. Whoops!

The Bjorgman family was a large one, and it was no secret to anyone that their matriarch was always looking for “just one baby more” to join their ranks. It was how Kristoff had been adopted into the fold many years before, how his younger sisters and brothers, all adopted themselves, had come to be called as such. It was why every holiday was spent split between their family home and the small orphanage from which they all had been “found” by Bulda and Cliff.

The aged couple couldn’t really bring themselves to bring any new kids into the fold, but that didn’t stop them from finding ways to bring children into their family, and why Kristoff found himself lifting crates of apples off the back of his pickup truck, in the snow, to bring to the orphanage’s kitchens. Since his parents first realized they couldn’t have children themselves, since the day they found him eight years old with no family to call his own, they’d become the unofficial, official sunshine club for the children's home. They were forever coordinating donations, finding ways to organize events and trips for the kids, and Kristoff had grown up with the work being a part of him and a part of his life. Despite having been out from under his parent’s roof for three years, he never hesitated to find a way to help his family in their work to help the kids who weren’t so lucky as him and his younger siblings.

“Kristoff honey!” his mother yelled from one of the adjoining rooms as he dropped the final apple crate on the kitchen counter with the others. There were three more there, plenty enough for the amount of apple pies his mother planned to bake for their annual “desserts and dreams” program.

It was really just a party where the kids at the orphanage filled out their Christmas letters. It was a simple enough process, there was sugar and kids nervously writing usually very small requests on a piece of paper that they’d then hang on trees in local businesses and churches. Even people who couldn’t adopt a child could adopt their wishes for the holidays, and it was, generally something that they’d had great success with in the past.

Before his mother had stepped up, when he was still in the orphanage himself, there had been little celebration for the holidays. He still remembered the disappointment of no tree, no decorations but what he and the other children made themselves, and certainly the fact that there were no presents. But he remembered his first Christmas after being adopted clearer than that, he remembered how the whole house had seemed to glow with lights and tinsel and how he cried into his parent’s arms when he was given a present. It had been a lot to handle, and over the years he’d watched his younger siblings go through similar Christmas 180’s.

His parents hadn’t allowed another holiday without celebrating since for the kids in the orphanage. As they’d quickly learned their first year organizing the party, the year he’d turned 12, the community really did want to help give kids Christmas, they just didn’t know how. It had taken his mother and her fighting spirit to show them the way, and they hadn’t stopped since.

“Yeah Ma?” he shouted back, walking to the kitchen door to close it. It was flurrying out, and the last thing he needed was to hear about the puddles he’d caused by leaving the door open for a moment more than necessary.

“There’s a few new volunteers that need instruction. They just walked in, the rest of us are busy. Once you get the apples handled would you mind getting them on decorating?”

He huffed out a sigh, walking back through the kitchen, down the hallway and towards the room he assumed his mother was in. He wouldn’t tell her no. He couldn’t. Both because he really was unable to deny his mother any of her wishes, and because Bulda was not the type of woman who ever took “no” for an answer. Once she got something into her head, she was a woman on a mission until it got done. His father, Cliff, said that it was the whole reason they’d gotten married in the first place.

“She walked up to me in the middle of a football game and said ‘you’re gonna be my man’ and the rest is history”, was what he used to say. It was, truthfully, almost identical to the story of how he came to be their son. He still recalled her walking up to him, touching his cheek and saying “cutie, I’m gonna keep you”.  

He was decidedly not his mother’s son. He knew the irony of that well enough, but it was true. Bulda was outgoing as the day was long, and he was not. Working with people was not necessarily his strong suit, but he would admit to it, and he considered that something. Kids he was alright with, but other adults he preferred to avoid. It was also why when he wasn’t helping his mother, he did carpentry work. Of course he had to talk to people in order to determine what they needed done, but they rarely wanted to hold much of a conversation and that was good enough for him.

“Ah Ma,” he said as he walked into to room, seeing his mother toiling rather heroically over a desk piled high with envelopes and legers, “why don’t you let me handle the math for a little while, you know I’m not good with…”

“Pish posh!” his mother said, waving him off with a smile, “You know I have to run the numbers six times myself before I’m willing to let anyone else double check me, and that’s your father’s job. Go on, it’s just a couple regulars and a new girl, you’ll be fine.”

He gave serious thought to telling his mother that her definition of “fine” and his must be very different, but when he heard one of his younger sister’s calling out for help he thought better of it. They, as they always did, had their hands plenty full without his hemming and hawing about a simple task.

“Yeah, but tell me if you need more heavy lifting done, if I hear you and Dad lifted anything over three pounds I’m going to skip Christmas dinner.”

Bulda, for her part, feigned shock as he walked away. They both knew he wouldn’t dare.

***

“I’m umm…” the girl before him, Anna, was already the most difficult volunteer he’d ever worked with. Not that he thought that she was trying to be difficult, but it was clear to him that whatever she did, it was not usually volunteering at an orphanage’s pre-Christmas party. He had to admit though, that besides his family and the handful of recurring volunteers they’d trusted over the years, there probably weren’t many people that could say they volunteered at an orphanage’s pre-Christmas party.

“I’m pretty good at making paper snowflakes?” she offered.

It had been a simple enough question, he thought. He’d just told her that she was supposed to help make or hang decorations for the party, and had asked what she was good at. He hadn’t thought it was a difficult question, or an involved one. He’d really just meant to ask her whether she wanted to decorate or whether she wanted to make the decorations, but it hadn’t come out that way, and so he had a rather nervous, but very pretty redhead looking at him like she was on foreign soil.

“Okay,” he said, deciding that even if he wasn’t good with people, he could be polite at least for his mother’s sake. “There’s… uh, paper and scissors over at the table, I’m sure you can figure something out. Thanks.”

He did his best to kind of gesture to the table in question and back out of the room slowly to go find somewhere else to be, but she caught onto his sweater sleeve.

“You’re not going to…”

He wasn’t sure whether she meant “stay” or “help” or both. Under any normal circumstance he would say no and walk away, to go do something else helpful that wasn’t arts and crafts with a stranger, but this situation was far from normal to begin with, and she looked panicked. He really wasn’t certain as to why she was even there. She looked a little too old to be the usual college or high school kids they got for community service hours, and she looked too young to be one of the rich types from the nearby city who came for the photo-op. There was something in her eyes though, a determination mixed with her nervousness, and that’s why he sighed and, without giving her an answer, walked over to the table.

***

She was good at making snowflakes. Or at least she was much better at it than he was. Hers were delicate things that looked like they had fallen straight from the sky themselves, he had made sort of squarish abominations with chunks missing that looked more chewed out than cut. She was giving him an A for effort, but had a feeling that not even his mother could truthfully come up with a compliment for what he'd created. But Anna did.

"You're getting better everytime!" She said holding up his latest attempt, "It looks a lot more circular than the last couple!"

Despite the fact that she'd shown him three times how to cut the paper to end up with a snowflake instead of a snow brick, he was still managing to come up with a mess. He appreciated her patience though and despite his earlier reservations, he was finding her easy and even enjoyable to talk to.

"So what do you do for a living Anna?"

It seemed, again, a simple enough question, but when he saw her face go flush he thought that maybe he'd managed to offend her. 

"I uh... I'm unemployed at the moment. I just finished my degree in early childhood education though, so the goal is to teach."

He watched as she nervously ran her fingers over her braid, and tried to give her a reassuring smile. He had no idea how to talk to women, and while it seemed as if things had been going fine before he asked, he wasn't sure what he could do to make her more comfortable.

"That's great!" He said, trying to really show her that he meant it, "Volunteering with kids while you apply seems like a smart plan. My parents could write you a reference letter if you want."

She smiled shyly, "That would be nice, thank you. I'm just happy to help. I just really needed to do something that felt..."

She shrugged and looked to him for the word she was lacking.

"Meaningful?" He offered. It was the word he'd use to describe what he and his family did there. Rewarding and positive also came to mind, but at the end of the day, making something out of nothing for kids who barely had anything was one of the most important things he could think to do with his time.

She nodded and gave him a look of appreciation that he hadn't expected. She picked her scissors back up and went to work cutting another perfectly folded page.

"So do you work here?"

Kristoff shook his head. It felt like it most days really, especially during the holiday season when his mother and father seemingly had daily plans for the children housed there. Whether it was parties, organizing donations, crunching the budget to swing presents for children who hadn't received donations or taking nice photos of the children for various agencies to show perspective parents he almost always spent his evenings there. Oftentimes he showed up just to do a couple things and force his mother to go home. Some days she'd try to stay late into the night to get things done, and while he respected her greatly for it, she sometimes needed someone else to step in and make her rest. She often needed to be reminded that she couldn't save the world singlehandedly. 

"No, I'm a carpenter. I used to live here though, before..." he didn't know why he was telling her. Normally most of the volunteers knew him. He was "Cliff and Bukda's boy" to everyone in the community and they all knew that he was adopted. He certainly didn't look at all like his parents. But Anna wasn't from the area as far as he could surmise and she was perhaps one of the first people he'd ever needed to tell.

"Oh... I'm so..."

He waved her off before she could continue.

"Oh don't be, please. It's not a sore subject or anything. I was adopted when I was eight, and we've been coming back ever since to volunteer and help out the other kids. It's also how I acquired several siblings."

Her concern was sweet, but entirely unnecessary. As he glanced over to the opposite side of the room where his younger siblings were working with other volunteers to cover tables, put up decorations, and prepare papers and pens for letter writing Kristoff knew for a fact that he was one of the luckiest men alive. That he was talking to Anna and that they both seemed to be enjoying the he conversation despite it's awkward "getting to know you" was an unexpected addition to his luck.

She smiled at that and pulled apart her folding to reveal another perfectly cut snowflake. "That's really sweet you know. My family doesn't really..." She shook her head and he decided not to pry, "I'm glad you do this, and that I have the opportunity to help. It means a lot."

Kristoff grinned, "Well for the kids it means even more than you know. Thank you for coming to help out."

The soft way she reached over to touch his hand after setting down the snowflake was wholly unexpected, and it caused his heart to race in an unfamiliar way. He could feel his face warming.

“No, I mean… I’m sure it does, but I was trying to say, being able to do this means a lot for me. If that makes sense? Does that sound selfish? I’m not really…”

She trailed off and lifted her hand from his. He wasn’t really sure why he flipped his palm and caught her hand in his as she was drawing away. It was instinct, he just didn’t want her to think he thought she was selfish for feeling good about what they were doing. He thought that she was the type of person who should feel good about doing good things, he wanted her to feel good, and that was foreign.

“It does make sense,” he said looking her in the eye, secretly glad to see that he wasn’t the only one blushing. “I mean… this feels good, right?”

He was confused when he saw her eyes go wide and when she gave him a shy grin.

“It really does.”

***

Kristoff still wasn’t sure how he’d ended up catching an early dinner with her. They’d been talking, and then his mom had pulled him aside with the good news that someone had sponsored all the kids, plus some. An anonymous contribution marked “from Santa” which meant that every child would receive not just one gift, but a few. It was generous to say the least, and they hadn’t expected it.

When he’d returned to her, smiling, and feeling very good about the world, she’d mentioned needing to grab dinner before the party started and he’d said that they could go together. He had to ask himself whether it was a date. He hadn’t been on a date since high school, and that really didn’t count because it had just been once and then he’d never really seen the girl again other than in lunch. That had been all he needed to know that he was abysmally bad at dating, but now sitting across from Anna as she mowed through a burger, he really considered the idea that trying again might be worth it.

“So you’re not from around here?” he asked, knowing the answer. It was a small town, everyone knew everyone. She was new and other than the fact that he’d heard through the grapevine, AKA his mother, that she had moved into the old Arendelle place, a large empty manor house that had been in town for years, but uninhabited since before he’d been adopted.

“Well not really,” she said before poking a fry in her mouth and chewing thoughtfully, “My parents grew up here, and my sister and I lived here when I was a baby, but I don’t remember it. I was raised in the city.”

He nodded, “Must be a lot different there, I’ve only ever just driven through.”

She sighed, “Too different. Everything is so fast there…” she took another bite of her burger and with her mouth only slightly full, continued, “My sister likes it, but there’s things about the lifestyle there I’d rather… move away from? If that makes sense.”

It didn’t really make sense. He didn’t know enough about what she could be talking about for it to be making sense, but it didn’t really matter. He’d never been so interested in hearing someone speak, save for his family, and sometimes he didn’t even have an interest so much as he had a love for them that made it worthwhile.

“I can’t say I get it,” he said with a shrug, “but it is a lot slower out here, if you want to get away from something, this is the place to do it.”

She smiled, “I’m just excited to get a fresh start, you know? It’s nice to meet someone who’s so different from…” she trailed off, “Well my ex, I hope you don’t mind my brining it up, it’s just a big part of why I’m here now. I want to be a better person than who I was.”

He didn’t mind. He didn’t think there was anything she could say to him that he would mind hearing.

“I don’t think you can do that,” he said and nearly choked on his coke when he realized what he’d said versus what he’d meant.

“I mean!” he sputtered, “I don’t think you can be better because you already seem really great.”

She laughed. It was a beautiful sound, even when she snorted and covered her face with her hand.

“Well,” she said still laughing, “That’s sweet of you, but I’m afraid you don’t know me very well.”

“I’d like to.”

She grinned broadly, “I’d like that too.”

***

His sister, ten years younger than him and not even a quarter of his size, was pulling him down the hallway of the orphanage their parents had adopted them both from.

“Kris!” she said once they were far enough away from the main room where the kids were eating apple pie and writing their Christmas lists with the help of the volunteers, Anna included, and had his sister not stolen him away, the pair of them as well.

“What is it Jemma, we’re supposed to be helping the kids,” he gave what he hoped was a disapproving look, not that it ever affected any of his younger siblings. He might be the eldest, but he had no power over them. He tried to play tough, but at the end of the day they walked all over him like a doormat and he loved them too much to fight it.

“That girl you’ve been with all day, I know who she is.”

He rolled his eyes, “Yeah, we all do. Her name is Anna, she just moved here, she’s going to start teaching preschool in town once Mrs. Hollis goes off on maternity leave.”

His sister looked at him like he was stupid, throwing in an eyeroll for good measure.

“No Kris, I mean I’ve seen her before, in a magazine.”

He snorted. “That gossip rag you like that Mom keeps threatening to toss out?”

She treated him with another eyeroll, and he wondered if he was half the sass she was when he was thirteen. Somehow, he seriously doubted it, but in his experience, all teens were difficult until they hit sixteen or seventeen and realized just how much they didn’t know yet. With a few exceptions, amongst which he liked to consider himself at that age, even if his mother and father might disagree.

“It’s not a…”

He shot her a look and she trailed off. Even she couldn’t deny that it was, in fact, a gossip rag.

“Fine. But shut up for a minute and listen to me. She’s an heiress. Her name is Anna Arendelle, her parents owned Arendelle industries and when they died it all went to her and her sister. No one knew much about them, but then she started dating this guy Hans Westergaard who comes from like a massive family of Hollywood agents and it became kind of a big deal because he was spotted out at parties and stuff cheating on her with other women but they were engaged and...”

He stopped her with a shake of his head, “Look Jem, I don’t know if you’ve got the right girl or not here, and even if you do, I don’t need to know her backstory, she’s just nice and she’s…”

She jumped in then, “No, you do need to know because she’s not ‘just nice’, she’s volunteers at an orphanage in the middle of nowhere and pay $100 per kid for Christmas presents nice. Also, she’s single.”

Kristoff did not like the thing that his sister was doing with her eyebrows, he also didn’t like that she was implying that he should have an interest in her that was financially motivated, but he supposed that at thirteen thinking that way was more normal.

He did his best to emulate her eyeroll and wrapped an arm around her, dragging her back down the hallway and into the fantastically decorated dining space where the party was in full swing. “Go help some kids write their letters Jem you little troublemaker and I won’t tell Mom that you snuck and found out the identity of an anonymous donor.” There was no malice in his tone, and they both knew he would do no such thing.

From across the room, Anna’s eyes met his and he couldn’t help but hold her gaze and smile.

He didn’t care that she was an heiress. He didn’t care that she had just gone through some kind of highly publicized breakup. It didn’t matter to him.

What mattered was that she was one of the only people he’d ever enjoyed talking to. What mattered was the smile she gave him from across the room and how much she’d enjoyed dinner with him, though his newfound knowledge did explain why after fighting over the check they’d gone Dutch. He didn’t care about what she had in a bank account. He cared about how the little boy sitting with her was giggling, and how when she looked at the boy and he told her something in return, he could hear her laughing too.

He crossed the room and was not particularly subtle about moving to help a child who was just a few seats from where Anna sat.

***

A couple weeks had passed, and another party was well on the horizon. This time, his mother had insisted that he and Anna finish wrapping the massive pile of toys and gifts that they’d been able to purchase with the “anonymous” donation they’d been grateful for.

Kristoff was fairly certain that only he and Jemma were really aware of who Santa was, but at the same time, he knew for a fact that his mother had set up her party plans to keep him and Anna together through the process.

So he’d helped her move some boxes into her house. So they’d gone out to dinner a couple more times since they met. He didn’t see what the big deal was given that he was just trying to be friendly. That he’d helped her fix a squeaky cupboard and thought he’d felt her eyes on his rear, and that he’d blushed furiously because he’d thought he’d felt her eyes on his rear meant nothing.

He suspected Jemma had said something to their mother about how good they looked together or something because his younger sister and mother had shoved them in a room, together, alone, for what was going to be a couple hours of work.

Anna, smiling as she wrapped, seemed to be unaware of their scheming at least.

“So I was thinking, one of the other volunteers told me that there’s a Christmas craft market in the next town over tomorrow, and you know there’s only a week until the big day and I have to find something unique for my sister and trust me, she’s the woman who has everything…”

Something he’d learned about Anna was that she was an over-explainer. When she had something to say, but was worried about how it would be received, she ran on about it for a while, trying to justify what she was saying, even if she only needed to justify it to herself.

“I’d like to go with you if that’s what you’re asking,” he replied, trying desperately to try to fix some of his crumpled wrapping to make it look even slightly attractive next to her flawless work. He thought that maybe he should only be tasked with things that could go in bags and perfect squares. Any other shapes and types of gifts were his holiday kryptonite.

She clapped her hands together and cheered, making him smile.

She plucked the gift from his hands, and he relinquished it gladly, relaxing as she masterfully straightened and primped the paper until the object resembled a gift instead of a wad of paper and tape.

“Good because I was hoping to get some things for the other volunteers and for your family and you know everyone better than I do.”

He laughed, “I think you give my social skills too much credit.”

It was sweet of her to think about getting everyone gifts. He was happy that she was starting, through their little menagerie of family and church ladies and local likeminded folk, to build some friendships in town. She was a nice girl, she deserved to have nice people around her. He still wasn’t sure if that really included him or not, but even if as she met people she was interested in him less and less, he was happy to have been one of the first people to welcome her into town.

“No, I don’t think I do,” she said with a grin, “People like you. Even if you don’t talk to them much, they really like you. The other volunteers have so many nice things to say.”

He shrugged. Most people had good things to say about his whole family. Cliff and Bulda were good people and they did their best to raise their children well. He supposed it made sense that he’d be included amongst someone’s praises of his family.

“But yeah, thank you for agreeing to come. I’ve been really enjoying spending time with you.”

He laughed at that, “That’s a new one.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, “I’m serious, you’re fun to be around. You’re no strings attached and that’s nice. It’s…”

She waved her hand in the air as she searched for a word, finally landing on “refreshing.”

“Not so many blunt people in the city then?”

“No,” she said thoughtfully as she handed him a football, something neither of them were going to attempt to put in anything other than a bag. “They were blunt, but everyone always wanted something from you. They’d be blunt and rude and whatever else they thought they could get away with, but there was always an ulterior motive. They always just talked to me to get to my sister or I was a walking net worth. I wasn’t a person they wanted to get to know. I was a means to an end.”

He frowned when he heard the emotion in her voice. He was not good with crying girls, not even his sisters, so when he looked up at her and saw tears in her eyes he set the football down and scooted across the space on the floor between them and did his best to give her a comforting pat.

It just made her tears fall faster.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as she leaned into him. They’d only known each other a short while, but already he was desperately connected to her. He’d thought that if she left his life as quickly as she’d come that he would be fine, but it was a lie, and he knew it. He was already falling for her, and that in and of itself was completely new territory.

He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned, his hand tentatively falling on her back in a comforting gesture. They were surrounded on all sides by gifts and wrapping paper and sundry and it struck him as a strange place to cry, but he didn’t think that telling her as much would help, so he just held on to her tightly.

“You shouldn’t be sorry,” she said, “You should be proud. You’re so nice to me and you don’t even get anything out of it.”

He smiled then, “I think you’re selling yourself short now. I get plenty out of being nice to you. Like you being nice to me. I don’t really have people lining up to be my friend you know, just Sven, and he’s a dog so he has to like me.”

She laughed at that, a little snort that accompanied her tears.

“But still,” she said, “I’m used to people wanting money from me… do you even know that I’m…”

“Rich?” he asked, then quickly added, “Jemma’s into gossip rags, but I don’t really care what they have to say about you. I don’t want money from you or anything like that, I just think you’re a good person Anna. Though, I will admit when we figured out you were Santa it did make me smile. What you did was very generous.”

She grinned then, still with some tears on her cheeks. “Ho, ho, ho?”

He laughed at that and pulled her in to his side a little tighter.

When she leaned up, looking determined, and asked him a question, he was surprised.

“What if I want something from you?”

He gave her a curious look. Her eyes were still a little wet, she was flushed and looked a bit nervous.

He responded quickly, because he knew the answer, “If it was something, I could give you, I would. Honestly I’ve been trying to figure out what to get you for the holidays since y—”

He didn’t get to finish what he was saying because she was shifting around and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. A quick one, but one that made it obvious enough what she was getting at.

He came to the sudden and sweeping realization that all the times he had asked himself whether going out with her and doing something was a date, she must have been asking herself the same.

“I don’t want to be that girl who leaves a relationship and hops right into another, but I really like you a lot Kristoff,” she said, nervously overexplaining herself again in a way he thought was beginning to find endearing, “I just think that maybe this is worth giving a shot? I think that you like me too, and if not that’s okay I think we’re good friends, and I know we’re still getting to know each other and everything but I just really want to take a chance because—”

He took a chance then too, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her lips. When her arms wrapped around him and she leaned into the kiss, he knew he had made the right choice.

Her lips were soft against his and when their noses bumped together the soft laugh she treated him to, caused him to melt. She was perfect, and he counted himself the luckiest man on Earth that his Ma had forced him to be social a couple weeks before.

When the kiss broke, his forehead rested gently against hers and one of her hands moved from his back to card through his hair gently.

“Did you do that because you wanted to? Or because of the mistletoe?”

Though she asked the question, her voice was so full of mirth that he knew she was teasing. However, when he looked up and saw that there was, indeed, mistletoe hanging above them, he knew he had his mother and sister to thank.

When Anna started laughing though, he knew he couldn’t be mad about their interference.

“I noticed it when we walked in. I picked the spot on purpose,” she said, continuing to giggle as she spoke, her fingers leaving his hair to press against her lips as she blushed, “I was hoping you’d do that.”

He grinned in return. “I’d happily do so again… if you want me to, that is.”

She didn’t waste anytime closing the gap between them, presents at their sides forgotten for later. He’d never been so glad for a new volunteer in his entire life.

[monochromeweek]

Symphony of Dreams (Day 4)

In the Kingdom of Atlas, there was a legend that a person received their Soulstone, a clear gemstone that was created from the magic of the world once a person became the age of eighteen. It has the properties of finding a person’s significant other…a soulmate in layman’s terms. If you believed in the legends, the gemstone was said to glow when in the presence of it’s other; the closer the two were to one another, the stronger the glow. At first, people just had them out everywhere…but over time it became tradition to put them in some form of jewelry: necklaces, bracelets and watches were usually the more popular choices.

 And the Princess of the kingdom of Atlas had turned eighteen just a few days ago and received her Soulstone…and now her father was holding a ball in order to find her soulmate so that the both of them could get started in learning how to run the country in full instead of just the basic lessons that Weiss had been getting.

 “Are you nervous Weiss?” Weiss’s sister, Winter, asked as she saw her sister pacing nervously in her bedroom. On her neck was her own soulstone, but it wasn’t glowing…at least not yet. But she had rejected the lessons that her father had tried instilling in her which was why it was the second child’s duty to do what the firstborn refused to do.

 “A little. I mean…what if my soulmate is a terrible person? One that hates me, the kingdom or anything else? I’m worried…” she admitted softly, grasping at her hands lightly in nervousness. “What if…my soulmate is a faunus? Father would hate that…” she started to say before feeling Winter’s warm hands on her shoulders.

 “If your soulmate is a faunus then father will just have to deal with it; he can’t determine who has the other half of your soul after all. And it would be a little karmic if you ask me…” she said with a smile before seeing the newly crafted necklace that housed the all-important stone. “Now come on, you can’t be late to your own birthday party, right?” she asked getting her younger sister to laugh lightly. “There we go,” she said with a grin before leaving Weiss to her own devices. A few minutes later, Weiss picked the necklace up and placed it around her neck, feeling a little odd with the vulnerable jewel being shown to the world as she exited her room, taking a light breath before putting a face on.

 “Come on Weiss…you can do this. You got this,” she said to herself before she came down the stairs, hearing the music and seeing the lights, not realizing that one of the lights were coming from the soulstone on her neck.

 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Three Weeks Earlier

 Blake rubbed her wrist lightly, the bangle jangling lightly on her wrist as she did so. Even though she was currently reading, she was a little worried that she wouldn’t be able to ever find her soulmate. She had been searching ever since she got her Soulstone a month ago and sighed lightly as she looked at the gem and closed her book.

 “Sis? You okay?” Blake’s younger sister, ilia, asked as she looked over at the feline that was her older sister. She knew that Blake was staring into the distance and wondering who her soulmate was…as well as her worries about who her mate could be. “Thinking about who your mate might be out there in the Kingdom?” she asked as Blake blinked and nodded.

 “I am…I know mom and dad said not to worry but…I do. What if it’s a guy? You know I’m gay and I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened…and there’s so many other things that could go wrong and well…” at this she was stopped as ilia hugged her older sister.

 “Relax sis…your soulmate is probably a beautiful girl who is perfect for you and will love you for you. I doubt they’ll care about your ears either,” she stated with a smirk as she knew that was another concern that her sister had. “And if they do, then I’ll personally kick their ass,” she stated before getting a light laugh from her. Before she could say anything else to that effect, both of their scrolls buzzed, as did several others amongst the Kingdom.

 “Wonder what’s going on…” Blake muttered as she grabbed her scroll from the night table and pressed the button to get it out of sleep mode. “Hm…Princess Weiss’s eighteenth birthday party. Blake, you should go! You have that nice dress from that time mom got us both dresses for formal events. Who knows…you might even find your soulmate there,” ilia said with a grin as Blake just shook her head at that.

 “I highly doubt that sis…but I’ll go. You may even be right,” she replied as she noticed ilia smiling lightly at that.

 “Good. Now you have fun for the both of us, okay?”

 “Sure thing sis. Sure thing.”

 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 Blake was glad to have decided placing her bow on, knowing that if she hadn’t then she would be ridiculed and mocked the rest of the night instead of being able to enjoy it. The music wasn’t bad, nor was the food or the entertainment but she noticed that the birthday girl herself wasn’t there. Not yet. Hearing steps coming from the hall that was behind the upper tier of the place. However, once she saw the white-haired female that was when she also noticed a warmth on her wrist and the soulstone starting to glow.

 ‘ilia was right…my soulmate is here, but it didn’t start shining until…no way…’ Blake thought as she made her way closer to the birthday girl. As she did so, she noticed that her Soulstone and that of Weiss’s were both getting brighter and brighter. That was the final nail in the coffin and knew that she’d have to talk to Weiss sooner rather than later. She just wasn’t sure when that would be…

[ft-dads-au]

The Princess and the Knight

Femslash Fairies 2020 Prompt: Fairy Tale Pairing(s): Erza x Mirajane, Gray x Natsu A Collaboration by @mdelpin​​ and @oryu404​​

AO3 | FF.Net

May 16, 2021

“Are you sure he’s going to be fine with you guys?” Gray fretted nervously even though he could already see that Aki was perfectly happy sitting next to Atlas on the sofa, both kids focused on the cartoon that was playing on the TV.

“He’ll be fine,” Erza declared, flashing him a reassuring smile, “You’re actually doing us a favor. Atlas is much easier to manage when Aki is around. Just go and have a good time, we’ll call if anything comes up.”

The sound of Natsu’s footsteps coming down the stairs echoed all around them, and it didn’t escape Erza’s attention that Gray had already begun to smile at the sound. It warmed her heart to see it. She’d never expected Natsu to find love again so soon after Lisanna, and she knew he still had some trouble accepting it, but she truly believed these two were right for each other.

Gray wasn’t the only one who was aware of Natsu’s imminent arrival, both boys looked up from the cartoon expectantly and were not disappointed as Natsu lunged himself at them in a mock tackle, both boys giggling as their sides were tickled.

Erza let them play for a minute, knowing the boys had been waiting but soon reminded her brother of his plans. “Hey, don’t you guys have to be somewhere at 8?”

“Oh yeah!” Natsu flashed a grin at his sister, a recent development that she was thrilled with, having thought at one point that she’d never see it again. “Monster trucks wait for no man.”

“Monster trucks?” Gray groaned in protest, “Seriously? What are we, five?”

“Hey, last week we went to the stuck up wine thing you wanted, it’s my turn to pick. Trust me, you’ll love it!”

Erza went into the kitchen, ignoring the bickering that was still going on behind her. She found Mira peering through a book as she waited for the microwave popcorn to finish popping.

“What’s that?”

“Oh! It’s a book that Aki gave me when they got here, I guess it’s a collection of fairy tales,“ Mira explained as she handed the book over to Erza, “I was just looking through it. It’s pretty cool.”

Erza read the title on the cover, ‘The Enchanted Closet’ by Rogue Eucliffe, illustrated by Juvia Lockser. “Rogue wrote this, huh? That’s surprising, he didn’t strike me as the fairy tale type of guy.”

“I know, right?” Mira chuckled, “They’re not like any of the conventional fairy tales, though. The one Aki showed me is about a princess and a female knight. I skimmed it a little, it looks good.”

“Well, assuming we ever get them to bed, I look forward to reading it. Hana might get a kick out of the story too. Did you know that when I was little, I dreamed of being a knight” Erza giggled at the memory as the microwave beeped, “I used to chase poor Natsu around the house with our dad’s practice swords all the time, our cat too! ”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Mira grinned, “I kind of liked the idea of being a princess myself.”

They poured the popcorn into several bowls and took them and some juice boxes out to the living room where Natsu and Gray were still saying goodbye to the kids, Hana having joined them.

“Will you both get out of here already?” Mira groaned.

“Right!” Natsu smiled sheepishly, looking slightly uncomfortable at Mira’s presence.

Mira sighed at him, “You have to get over this, I’m fine with it. Now go, have fun.”

“Okay,” Natsu bowed his head slightly before grabbing on to Gray’s arm and dragging him out the door, calling out to the kids, “Please be good for your aunties.” before closing the door behind them.

“It’s going to take him a while to not feel guilty,” Erza reminded her, “especially around you.”

“I know it’s just, he should be able to realize that Lis would have wanted him to be happy.”

“Give him time, all of this is a big adjustment,” Erza advised as she wedged herself in between Atlas and Hana, “Now, what are we going to watch?”

Mira climbed on the sofa, placing Atlas on her lap so she could sit next to Erza. It wasn’t long before Atlas tugged at Aki’s hand, urging him to sit with Erza so they could be next to each other again, and to Erza’s surprise, Aki complied.

They let Hana pick the movie and settled in comfortably to watch.

~~~

“Alright, time for bed!” Erza clapped her hands with a smile once the credits started to roll, “It’s way past your bedtime already.”

Mira helped Atlas change into his pajamas while Erza did the same for Aki, and Hana dressed herself, recounting all of her favorite parts of the movie. They all went to the bathroom to make sure the kids brushed their teeth well, and then it was time to wish each other a good night.

“Story?” Aki bounced on his feet in hopeful excitement, soon joined by Atlas.

“Of course, I made sure to bring your book upstairs with us,” Mira chirped, showing the book to the kids. Secretly, she was just as excited as they were to dive into the story she’d caught a glimpse of earlier. “But just one story, and then it’s time for you to sleep.”

Hana and the boys huddled together under the sheets in Natsu’s bed, their eager faces waiting while Mira grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the bed. Erza took a seat right beside her, on the edge of the mattress, straightening her skirt as she sat down.

“The Princess And The Knight?” Mira asked, flipping through the pages of the book in search of the story. A loud, excited yes came from all three children, causing her to chuckle with delight.

“Alright then, I found it!” She made herself comfortable in her seat and brought her index finger to her lips, signaling for the kids to be quiet.

“So, Once upon a time…”

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a girl, the only daughter of the town’s blacksmith. Her mother had died when she was young, so she spent her days at her father’s side, helping him with his forge and learning how to craft beautiful weapons. She especially loved his swords, which though ornate, were perfectly balanced.

Her father didn’t only teach her how to make the weapons, he taught her how to use them as well, and many a pleasant night was spent sparring as she learned how to fight to defend herself and protect others.

Over the years, her skills grew, and she would fight anyone who would accept her challenge, including the knights who commissioned weapons from her father. Much to her father’s satisfaction, she soon surpassed even them.

Yes, the girl was a talented swordswoman, but she was also rather lonely. Even though she was quite beautiful, with long scarlet hair that flowed down to her waist in soft curls, and kind eyes that shone as beautifully as any brown diamond, she was also intimidating.

Mira peered at Erza over the edge of the book, barely containing her glee when she caught the other woman rolling her eyes at her, and quickly continued.

The boys shunned her because they could not best her, and the girls didn’t quite know what to make of her strange ways. No matter how much she tried to fit in, her advances were always shunned. And soon, she stopped trying, resigning herself to a life of loneliness. She resolved to work even harder to become a knight, even though no woman had ever achieved it, a fact that only made her more determined.

It was around this time that she began to hear of a princess trapped in a tower from the knights that often visited her father. Full of curiosity and always eager for a tale, she asked her father if he knew anything about it.

“What do you know of this princess the knights were talking about?” she asked him one evening as they sat by the fire after their evening meal.

“Do you mean the demon princess?”

“A demon princess?” The girl repeated eagerly, her curiosity aroused even further.

Her father chuckled, beckoning her to his side, and as she sat at his feet he grabbed a silver hairbrush which had belonged to her mother and began to brush out her hair, “It doesn’t matter how old you get Pet, you still love a good story. Let me see, I’m surprised you hadn’t heard of it before, this story has been going around for a long time. It began when I was a boy.

“Not too far from here, there lived a beautiful princess. The firstborn child of a king and queen that ruled over a vast and prosperous kingdom. She had been born with hair as white as snow, and eyes as blue as a summer sky, a recessive trait in the royal family that prophesied demonic powers.”

“Just like us, auntie Mira!” Atlas exclaimed excitedly.

“Well, you two definitely have a demonic side to you every now and then,” Erza joked, dodging a playful swat from Mira, “See?”

“Just let me finish the story! Now, where was I…”

“Yet as far as anyone could see, the princess was an angel, sweet and kind with no hint of malice to be found anywhere. ‘Much like you, my Pet,’ her father declared, and the girl rejoiced at the pride she heard in his words.

“But there were those that still believed that the princess held great power, strong demonic magic that had not yet manifested. So they sent an army to the kingdom, determined to capture her and control her magic to their will. This much I know to be true, for I remember seeing the clouds of smoke from the battle, which went on for days.

“The King tried to protect his family, but their kingdom was a peaceful one, the soldiers no match for the veterans that were at their door. One by one, her family fell dead trying to protect the princess, and all she could do was cry in fear.

“But then something peculiar happened. The pain and loss the princess suffered awakened the very demon that had lain dormant inside her and might have remained so had she been left alone.

“Those soldiers went in expecting to face an angel, but they were met with the wrath of a demon. None of them left that castle with their life.

“The princess, not used to the strange magic, collapsed from the strain and was locked away in the tallest tower of the castle, one of the few parts of the structure that was still standing. Wizards from the Magic Council set many measures in place to dissuade those who would attempt to obtain her power from ever being able to reach her. At least that’s what people say, but I don’t think that’s what happened at all.”

“What is it you think happened, Father?” the girl asked with interest, knowing her father to be a wise man.

“I think the demon princess was so horrified by her actions that she used the last remnants of her emerging magic to enchant the woods around the castle and set up trials and obstacles to prevent anyone from ever getting to her again. Then she locked herself in the tower, determined to keep her demon from hurting anyone else,“ he declared, his words laced with great pity as he continued to brush the girl’s hair.

The girl remained quiet for a few moments, considering her father’s words before asking a question, “Surely she must have known it wasn’t her fault. She was attacked, did she not have the right to defend herself?”

“It’s not so easy to deal with the guilt of taking a life, Pet, regardless of the circumstances. She was a young girl, and she was forced to endure a lot of death and violence. I would not blame her for wanting to hide away.

“Regardless of how it may have happened, many men have tried and failed to reach her. Some following tales of her beauty, while others sought control of her power, but none have ever succeeded. The few that have returned have never been the same again. They speak of monsters and other horrors, but their tales are all different, which I have always found interesting.”

“What do you think it would take to rescue her?”

“I think it would require a noble knight, one who only wished to free her for her own sake.”

The girl frowned, “Why must it always be men who perform the great deeds, Father? Women are just as capable, are they not?”

“I never said it had to be a man, dear heart, “ the blacksmith retorted, eyes twinkling, “You did. I firmly believe the measure of a person lies in their heart, not their gender. And frankly, I know of no one with a purer heart than yours. If you set your mind to it, I have no doubt you could reach the princess, and convince her to return to the world she left behind.”

The story of the demon princess captivated the blacksmith’s daughter, staying with her as she grew older. The idea that she could be the one to rescue the princess had taken hold of her, giving her life a purpose it had previously been lacking.

Once she came of age, she decided to set out on a quest. To prove her skills and worth as a true knight, and to free the demon princess from the terrible fate she’d met.

‘How lonely she must’ve been in that tower all those years ’, the girl thought, especially if what her father believed was true.

She ventured out into the world, armed with nothing but a satchel of traveling supplies, and her own sword, the finest ever made by her father. She walked for many days until she came upon a large field covered in flowers of every color imaginable.

The girl had never seen anything like it before, and she spent quite some time examining all the different types of flowers. She soon decided she’d bring some to the princess, a small reminder of the beauty that lay beyond the confines of her tower.

Once she’d picked the most beautiful flowers she could find, the girl moved on, eventually reaching the enchanted forest that surrounded the castle. At first glance, it looked no different than the woods near her own village, so she entered it bravely, choosing the path she thought would lead her to the castle.

Soon, she began to hear noises, the crunching of twigs behind her, and unnatural growls, but she continued on, remembering how her father had said no one had ever had the same story.

The girl believed the trick to getting through this obstacle was courage. If the princess hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone else, then it was likely that none of the things she would see or hear were real. She believed that with all her heart, and so she continued on her path, trying her best to ignore the sounds that came ever closer.

It was night time when the first creature approached her. It was wolflike in appearance, although it was larger than any wolf she had ever seen. With red glowing eyes that hinted at great cunning. It howled loudly, and soon others came, surrounding her and cutting her off from any means of escape. Their fangs dripped with saliva, making them look ravenous. They growled as one and moved ever closer.

The girl’s heart raced in her chest, but she slowly removed her sword from its scabbard and held it in front of her to boost her courage. Reminding herself that nothing in the forest could hurt her, she ignored the wolves, pretending as if they weren’t even there. With her head held high, she took a shaky step forward. The first one was the hardest, but once she realized the wolves were only looking at her with mild interest, she continued on her path, soon reaching what seemed to be a garden maze, the likes of which she had only seen in storybooks. There was no way around it.

The hedges that made up the maze’s walls were tall and impossibly neat, giving proof of its magical origin. The girl soon realized it would be incredibly easy to lose her bearings once inside, so she climbed the tallest tree she could find, trying to see the inside of the maze, but no matter how high she climbed, the hedges seemed to grow taller blocking her view. It was pointless to continue, there was but one course left to her. She would have to figure out the maze as she went, but it would have to wait until the following day. It was dark, and she was tired. She settled down to sleep in front of the entrance content in the knowledge that she had made it past the first obstacle.

“What are you doing here?” A voice asked from behind her, and when the girl turned to see who it was, she was stunned.

A beautiful girl sat atop one of the wolf creatures from the forest, her long white hair billowing around her even though there was no wind, while her blue eyes peered at the knight with open curiousity.

“I’ve come to rescue the princess,” the knight replied simply.

“Why would you want to do that? Do you seek her power?”

“I seek nothing but to free her from her tower.”

The girl snorted, “Likely story, they always want something.”

“I do want something,” the knight confessed, her cheeks coloring at her admission. She grabbed her satchel and searched for the flowers she had carefully packed, taking them out to show the girl she suspected of being the princess. To her dismay, the flowers had wilted and now looked pitiful, “I was hoping to make a friend.”

The girl looked intrigued, She climbed down from the wolf, grabbing the flowers from the knight. “Let me see those.”

She blew softly on the wilted flowers, and much to the knight’s surprise, they perked right back to life.

“These are very beautiful, thank you,” the girl smiled, her eyes twinkling with the force of it. “A female knight, huh? Perhaps you might be different from the others after all. We shall see.”

“Remember to follow the flowers,” she proclaimed before climbing back on the wolf and disappearing into the night.

The knight jerked awake to find it was already morning. She scrambled to her satchel, dumping out the contents on the ground only to find the flowers she had picked so carefully were nowhere to be found. Not sure what to believe, she chose some of her provisions and ate a small breakfast, placing the rest of the items back inside the satchel.

She entered the maze slowly, keeping her eyes on the hedges. If they could grow taller, there was no doubt in her mind that they might also be able to move. She had a feeling this obstacle was going to be difficult. Each direction looked much the same as any other, and so she picked one at random, hitting dead end after dead end. It took her hours to reach the center, and she was growing discouraged. It was when she looked for her water canteen that she noticed the solitary red flower that grew on one of the hedge walls. It seemed almost exactly like one of the flowers she had picked the day before.

Remember to follow the flowers, the words came into her mind unbidden, and she blinked slowly as the dream reasserted itself. She thought about whether she had noticed any flowers before but couldn’t recall, having been too focused on keeping track of whether she was walking in circles.

But now that she had seen one, she followed the direction it pointed out, finding more and more flowers along the way until she finally made her way to the exit where someone was waiting for her.

Or rather something. A creature with pointed ears, wings like a bat, a reptilian tail, and long, sharp claws stood before her. The demon’s eyes were as white as her hair, and her skin was pale, almost translucent, showing the black veins that ran underneath it.

The girl knight took a shuddering breath as she faced her adversary, drawing her sword yet keeping her distance and assuming a defensive stance. The demon opened her mouth, but all that came out was a diabolical screech, and when she lunged at her, the girl knight had no choice but to engage in battle. Blow after blow, the polished metal of her sword clashed with the demon’s razor-sharp talons, but all she did was counter and dodge the attacks.

“Please, I don’t want to hurt you,” the knight pleaded, jumping away from the fierce whips of the demon’s tail just in time, “It was you who came to me in my dream, wasn’t it? I still mean what I said, I want to be your friend!”

And as the knight spoke those words, she could distinguish the princess’ sad voice through the demon’s ear-piercing screams.

“Who would want to be friends with a monster like me? Leave while you still can. I can’t hold it back, it’s too strong! I don’t want to hurt you!”

The knight thought of all the times the demon could have hurt her but didn’t, and she took a huge gamble. She placed her sword on the ground and walked towards the demon who continued to hiss and spit, but as she suspected, didn’t attack.

“You’re no monster, and I have no intention of leaving you behind.”

“Don’t come any closer,” the princess cried in fear as the knight moved towards her, “It will kill you, just like it did the others!”

The knight ignored the princess, having already decided on a plan of action. She didn’t stop her charge until the demon was within striking distance. It peered at her in confusion, its tortured eyes looking incredibly tired. The knight smiled warmly before wrapping her arms around it in a tight embrace. The demon struggled until the knight murmured, “ I’m here now, you don’t need to protect her anymore.”

“Thank you, brave knight,” the demon finally spoke, it’s voice receding as the princess appeared in its stead.

“I don’t understand,” the princess looked around her in confusion as the maze and everything else that had been a part of the demon’s magic faded into nothingness.

“I think I do, The demon was always a part of you. It’s a manifestation of your magic. When you were in danger, it came to your aid, and it has been protecting you ever since.” the knight explained.

The princess thought about it a moment, clearly not entirely satisfied with the explanation, but soon she shook her head and smiled at the night shyly, “So, it looks like you did rescue me after all.”

“That’s a knight’s job,” the girl said proudly.

“And don’t knights usually get a reward for rescuing the princess?” she teased, enjoying the flustered look on the knight’s face. “Well then, brave knight, close your eyes.”

The girl had no idea what to expect when she closed her eyes, but it was certainly not the soft pressure on her lips, which lasted but a second and was immediately followed by a melodious giggle.

She opened her eyes to find the princess grinning at her, eyes full of mischief. “Why did you do that?”

“Cause you’re my friend,” the princess grabbed hold of the knight’s hand and ran, dragging the still flustered knight behind her. “Come on, slowpoke, I want to see everything that’s waiting for us beyond this castle!”

And so they embarked on a new adventure, leaving the ruins of the castle behind them to discover all the marvels the world had to offer. Although the princess never reclaimed the throne, and the blacksmith’s daughter wasn’t officially knighted, that didn’t matter to either of them. Somewhere along the way, they had fallen in love with each other, and nothing would ever be more important to them than that.

They lived happily ever after, forever remaining the princess and the knight in each other’s eyes.

“The End,” Mira smiled fondly as she closed the book, placing it on the nightstand next to the bed so that Aki could find it easily once he woke up. He’d already fallen asleep, a small smile on his face, and his teddy bear held tightly in his arms.

“That was amazing…” Hana swooned as she got up to go to her own bed, knowing her brother was likely to thrash around in his sleep. “Good night!” she hugged her aunts and left the room, still reveling in the fantasy world of knights and princesses.

“Did they eat a lot of cookies?” Atlas wondered sleepily, about to nod off as well.

Erza got up from the bed and tucked the boys in. “I’m sure they did, all kinds of delicious, freshly baked cookies,” she appealed to him with a ruffle through his hair, and with that, the little boy closed his eyes and departed to dreamland.

“That was quite a story. You’d think Rogue would be a little more subtle with the casting, though, “ Mira giggled.

Erza rolled her eyes, “No kidding. Come on, Princess, I think there’s still some cake left in the kitchen.”

“Whatever you say, brave knight,“ Mira smirked, grabbing Erza’s hand and dragging her down the stairs.

Both girls had big smiles on their faces, their hearts filled with the fond hope of what could be. Someday.

@femslashfairies​

[deviant-reads-stuff]

Books I Read Throughout 2020-Part One

For many of us this year has been incredibly stressful and difficult. There were times throughout this year that my mental health had suffered, but there were also times where I couldn't have been happier. If I were to make any comparison to what the year was like, I would say that it was like the scariest and exciting roller coaster that anyone has ever been on. During the year, while the world seemed to burn around us and everything terrible happened, I managed to surpass my reading goal for the year. Something I did not expect to do, especially since I had months where it seemed that I couldn't finish anything. In times like this, I think it's important to take a step back and look to the positive things, even if they are small.

Here I am going to give a brief description of the first 10 books that I read, with a small snippet of what I thought of the books at the time.  

Book One - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Finished Reading on January 4, 2020

"It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time."

For years I have heard good things about this book and for many, this is an all time favorite. I was excited to pick this one up, especially since I had read

I am the messenger

by this author and loved it.  While I do not view this book as an all time favorite for myself, I do think it was beautifully written. I just personally wished that it was a bit shorter at times as it seemed to drag on. Despite feeling that it was a little long, my favorite part of this book was the role in which Death plays. I won't mention anything more in case some of you are still contemplating picking this one up.

Book Two - All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) By Martha Wells

Finished Reading on January 5, 2020

"In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth."

This was a novella that I greatly enjoyed, but unfortunately I have not kept up with the series. I believe my library did not have the rest of the books and at the time I didn't want to purchase them. As my library continues to get the rest of the series, I will gladly continue to read them. I thought the story was unique, and at times funny. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who wants a science fiction book that is quick and easy read.

Book Three - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them By Newt Scamander

Finished listening to an Audiobook on January 7,2020

"An approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander's masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the Wizarding World. Scamander's years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books - the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail ... Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. This is an essential companion to the Harry Potter stories, and includes a new foreword from J.K. Rowling (writing as Newt Scamander) and six new beasts!"

I am not one who will usually listen to audio books. I have an incredibly difficult time listening to anything that is over 3 hours because it's hard for me to really concentrate on the storyline. On occasion, though I will listen to them, depending on the length of the title and if the general consensus is that the audiobook is better. Fantastic Beast was a great audio book to listen to when I took my daily walks. I was able to delve a bit deeper into the wizarding world and learn more about the creatures briefly mentioned in Harry Potter.

Now, I do want to briefly bring into attention that I will no longer purchase anything written by JK Rowling. I have always distanced myself from creators as I use books and music to escape, but it has come to my attention that JK Rowling has repeatedly done harm to the trans community. That's not something I agree with or can support in any way shape or form. For those who do continue to purchase and read JK Rowlings work, that is your choice and I will not say anything about it (unless it is actively causing harm here). This is my own personal choice and opinions on JK Rowling.  

Book Four - The Near Witch

Finished Reading on January 9, 2020f

"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.And there are no strangers in the town of Near.These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger-a boy who seems to fade like smoke-appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know-about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget."

I am going to be perfectly honest. I will pick up everything that V.E Schwab writes eventually. Including this book, I have read 10 of her books and I have enjoyed every single one of them. The Near Witch is one of V.E Schwab's earlier works that had previously gone out print. Recently, the book has gone back into print and received a cover change. The story takes you to another world with superstitions, magic, and adventures. While it is apparent that this is an early work of V.E Schwab that does not mean that it's not a great book to pick up. This book brought me back to the type of books that I read when I was younger and it was an overall great experience.

Book Five - How's Moving Castle By Diana Wynne Jones

Finished Reading on January 12, 2020

"Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle.

To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye."

Howl's Moving Castle is probably one of my favorite stories of all time. I first watched the animated film by Studio Ghibli. In all honesty, I have a hard time determining which version is my favorite. The movie and novel do have some differences, but I think both can be enjoyed. Howl's Moving Castle shows how the pressures placed upon us and how we view ourselves can have a negative impact on ourselves, but only if we let it. Sophie struggles with being eldest daughter, and struggles with seeing her worth, but as the story progresses, we see how resilient and strong she is.

Book Six - Bird Box By Josh Malerman

Finished Reading on January 21, 2020

"Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now that the boy and girl are four, it's time to go, but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?"

I had originally watched the Netflix movie before listening to the audio book. I was curious about the book as I noticed a lot of people was divided on whether or not the movie was better than the book. Although I thought the audio book was great, I definitely enjoyed the movie more. Normally this is never the case, but I thought the book was adapted well onto the screen. What are your thoughts on it? Was the movie better than the book?

Book Seven - Skyward By Brandon Sanderson

Finished Reading on January 25, 2020

"Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul."

Skyward was the first Bandon Sanderson book that I've ever picked up, shocking I know. I was not disappointed at all. Skyward brought me out this world and I found myself rooting for the girl who fought for everything that she's ever had. If you haven't picked this ne up yet, what are you waiting for?

Book Eight - The Name of the Wind By Patrick Rothfuss

Finished Reading on January 30, 2020

"My name is Kvothe.I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.

So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature--the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend."

I first read this book in 2015 and picked it up again earlier in the year. I personally feel like I enjoyed the book more the second time around. It's a lengthy and often slow story of a man telling the story of his life. I have often described this book as having a similar ambiance to The Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter. Don't get me wrong though, this is a completely different story of those two series, but I couldn't help but draw a comparison.

Book Nine - Red, White, and Blue By Casey McQuiston

 Finished Reading on February 15, 2020

"First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?"

I needed something lighter and easy to read after The Name of the Wind. Red, White, and  Blue did not disappoint, and I was whisked into the life of Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry. This LGBTQ+ book is full of entertainment, self-discovery, drama, and love.

Book Ten - Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)

Finished Reading on February 17, 2020

"In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has."

The Lunar Chronicals is a guilty pleasure of mine. Each book in the series is a re-telling of famous fairy tales. Cress, the third book of the Lunar Chronicals, is a sci-fi/ fantasy re-telling of Rapunzel. While each book follows a different fairy tale, the whole series comes together and forms an epic story. As we follow a shy young girl, who spent her life locked away from everyone suddenly get swept into the resistance, we learn that hope is always possible even in hopeless situations.

[voyager-into-the-unknown]

Plance Fic Part 5

A Day with the Holts

Part 4 can be found here if you missed it: https://truegryffindorforever2.tumblr.com/post/188743512520/plance

Lance arrived promptly at the Holt residence at 11:00 a.m. He walked up to their front doorstep and rang the doorbell. He heard Pidge’s voice from inside the house. “I’ll get it!” The door opened. Standing before him was a young woman that Lance almost didn’t recognize. She was wearing a light green, knee-length dress with a flouncy skirt, and with a darker green cardigan, and sensible black flats. Her hair was braided into a neat bun with a few stray curls to frame her face. Around her neck was the same golden heart-shaped locket that he had seen her wearing lately, but today she was also wearing sparkling golden earrings. He hadn’t ever seen Pidge dressed so femininely before. She had, apparently, experimented with the makeup that her mother bought her last night as well—eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara...Her brows seemed thinner and more carefully shaped, her cheeks rosier, her lips pinker, with a bit of gloss. She was stunning. Lance just gaped at her in shock.

“Hi, Lance! Please come inside.”

“Pidge, you look beautiful! I mean, not that you don’t always look beautiful, but today you look especially glamorous.” He couldn’t stop staring at her. She looked up at him and gave him a dazzling smile. Her already rosy cheeks seemed even pinker for a moment.

“Thank you. You look very handsome in blue. It brings out your eyes.”

I knew it, he thought, feeling his face heat up. She thinks I look good in blue. “I brought dessert, and another surprise for later.” He was carrying a white box from the bakery and a white bag filled with the cookies that Hunk baked. His guitar case was slung across his back.

“Let’s put those on the sideboard,” she said, indicating the white packages. “Is that your guitar?”

“Yes, I was hoping to play a song that I wrote for you later today.”

“You wrote a song for me?” Pidge looked absolutely delighted. Her eyes sparkled more than her earrings.

“I wrote a part for you to sing as well. I’ll teach you to later if you’d like.”

“Sure!” She was genuinely enthusiastic about the idea. “You really are Mr. Perfect,” she gushed. Lance looked incredibly bashful for a moment, but then smiled and set his guitar down in the living room.

“The dining room is this way,” Pidge called to him, beckoning him to follow her. He followed her into the next room, where, he saw, Sam had just finished setting the table.

“Hello, Lance.”

“Commander Holt, sir.” They shook hands.

“Katie, the oven timer just went off.”

“I’ve got it, Mom!” She disappeared into the kitchen. Sam and Lance followed her.

“Hello, Mrs. Holt.”

“Lance, dear, it’s good to see you again. Sam, could you pour the drinks? And Lance, could you grab the salad bowl?” Pidge had a large casserole dish, that she held with oven mitts. Colleen was carrying a basket, covered with a white cloth. Everyone followed her back into the dining room, where Bae Bae was excitedly jumping around and wagging her tail.

“Down, girl!” he heard Pidge say to her dog.

It took several moments, but everyone took turns serving the item that they had carried into the dining room. When at last they were ready to be seated, Lance pulled out a chair for Pidge, and she thanked him. Sam and Colleen exchanged approving smiles at this gesture. Lance was the last to be seated, and upon doing so, Mr. Holt asked that they bow their heads to say grace before the meal. Bae Bae already had her little paws on Lance’s thigh and whined for attention. Lance waited until the prayer was over to give the family’s beloved pet a scratch behind her ears.

“Aw, who’s a good girl, huh?” Lance asked.

“Ruff!”

“Bae Bae, leave Lance alone,” Colleen said. Pidge was giggling at them.

“So, Lance, how are things going with the young pilots that you are training?” Sam asked.

“Great, sir. The data collection module on the new virtual reality flight simulator has been upgraded, thanks to Pidge and Matt. We are able to give the pilot trainees more accurate feedback on their strengths and weaknesses than ever before, and design an individual training program for each candidate.”

Sam lifted his eyebrows. “That’s good to hear. Iverson says you’re a natural when it comes to teaching the youngest cadets. He says you have a way with kids.”

Pidge smiled proudly at her boyfriend, then looked at her father. “He really does, Dad. They absolutely love him.” Lance smiled as he took a sip of his drink.

“Iverson may be retiring as early as next year. He may be making a recommendation soon regarding the next head flight instructor.”

“I don’t expect that it will be me. I’m too young, and I don’t have the experience.”

“Actually, all of the Paladins have more combat hours than any of the MFE pilots, Lance. There’s so much Altean technology in the new Ares fighters that I think that a Paladin might actually be an ideal candidate for the job. I can put in a good word for you if you’d like.”

Lance beamed at him. “Thank you. I would really appreciate that, sir.” Colleen and her daughter exchanged knowing looks. Sam was beginning to warm up to Lance a bit.

“We will need more pilots that are familiar with alien technology when the Defender Project is in the testing phase. The designs that Matt and Katie have shown me are nothing short of astonishing. I think their work will go beyond anything I could have dreamed of when I designed the Atlas.”

“The Atlas is the most amazing craft in the history of human ingenuity,” Pidge said proudly. She gestured across the table. “My father, the humble genius.”

“I mean it Katie. You and Matt have surpassed me, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

“Dad, you just like to brag on your family.”

“I suppose that I do.” He grinned at his wife. “Colleen, the Caesar salad and baked ziti are excellent, as always.”

“I agree,” said Lance. “Mrs. Holt, you’re a great cook. Thanks for inviting me over.” He took another bite, then chewed and swallowed. “The garlic knots are outstanding. They taste just like the ones my mom makes.”

“Well, thank you for the compliments, guys, but I am afraid I cannot accept any praise for the garlic knots, Lance. I didn’t make them.”

“Those are Katie’s,” said Sam. “It’s her great-grandmother’s recipe.”

Lance looked at Pidge in surprise. She smirked at him. “All this, and I can cook, too.” She winked at him. They all laughed.

Dessert consisted of coffee and some of the gourmet cheesecake sampler that Lance had bought from the bakery on Tesla Avenue. Sam tried the traditional New York style, Colleen selected a slice of the strawberry cheesecake, and Lance had a chocolate chip flavored piece. Pidge, of course, had a peanut butter flavored slice. I knew she would love that, Lance thought.

When everyone was finished, they talked for a bit, about Matt, the other Paladins, and current events. Then they all helped Colleen clear the table and clean the kitchen. “I’ll finish up here,” she insisted. “Sam will need help moving the furniture.

Lance removed his sweater and rolled up his sleeves, then helped Sam move the living room furniture aside, while Pidge went into her room to change her shoes. She came back wearing her new, strappy high heels, and without her cardigan. He hadn’t realized that her dress was sleeveless and was designed to accentuate her slender figure’s gentle curves. Lance didn’t think it was possible, but she looked even more beautiful than when she first greeted him earlier. As she descended the staircase, he stared at her, transfixed.

Sam cleared his throat to break Lance from his reverie.

“Well, it’s best if you review the basics facing the same direction. Lance, stand to her left. We will review the box step first. You should join hands.

“That’s it. Left foot forward, slide right, feet together, right foot back, slide left, feet together...good...you’re getting the hang of it. Count it in six...1,2,3,4,5,6...”

“We should try it in dance position now, Dad.”

“All right, turn to face each other. Lance, raise your left hand and take Katie’s right hand. Good. Now, Katie, put your left hand on his shoulder. Lance, put your right hand on her back like this...”

They practiced the waltz, first with the counts, then with the music. Then Lance taught her the rumba, a dance that originated in Cuba. They were so lost in the music and each other’s gaze that they didn’t even hear Matt enter through the front door. He kissed his mother’s cheek and hugged his father. Bae Bae tried to leap into Matt’s arms, so he picked her up and was greeted with slobbery doggy affection. “Who’s the best girl, huh? There’s my Bae Bae!” He set the dog down and then turned to his sibling.

“What’s this I see? I thought Lance was dating my baby sister, but I come home to find him dancing around our living room with this glamorous young woman that I have never seen before.”

The music stopped. “Matt!” Pidge hugged her brother.

“Hey, Matt.” Lance shook his hand.

“You two look great together. Pidge used to have to dance with me when we were kids, and I was so clumsy, I always stepped on her feet.”

“Well, Lance hasn’t stepped on my feet, not even once,” Pidge said cheerily.

“I hate to interrupt your dance lesson, but I need to talk to Dad for a bit.”

“Is it the new navigation system design?”

“There are a few glitches I thought you could help me with.”

“I can help too,” said Pidge.

“Oh no you don’t, young lady,” Colleen interrupted. “I’ll take over the lesson from here.”

Colleen had them review the triple step and the rock step, which resulted in Lance and Pidge dancing the jitterbug around the room, laughing to the upbeat jazzy soundtrack Colleen selected. Lance taught Pidge another Cuban dance, the cha cha. They even tried a few simple lifts. (Lance picked her up with ease because Pidge was so lightweight.) Matt and Sam had returned from Sam’s study by then, and the Holts applauded when the song ended.

“Outstanding!” Sam was impressed.

“Sam, how about we give these kids a break, and show them how we used to dance when we were young?”

Sam and Colleen demonstrated the foxtrot and the Viennese waltz with the ease of professional dancers, and Lance, Pidge, and Matt applauded. Matt left to run a few more errands while his sister and her boyfriend tried mimicking his parents demonstration.

When they had enough dancing for the day, Lance helped Sam put the living room back in order. Pidge had disappeared upstairs to change into a long green tunic, black leggings, and sensible shoes once more.

“There are plenty of leftovers we can eat for supper, and Matt is picking up pizza on his way home, so Lance should definitely stay to eat dinner with us.” Colleen was insistent.

“Thanks Mrs. Holt.” Lance reached for his guitar case. “I will sing for my supper, I but I need to practice first.”

“Come upstairs then,” Pidge suggested. Lance followed her up the stairs to her bedroom.

To be continued...

[miningmyminecraft]

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The highest grossing films within the Philippines have a tendency to change every year, but what would not change is the fact that they're normally the same bubblegum-sort, feel-good flicks that is good for the second, but doesn't really age nicely. There are the Vice Ganda comedies, the John Lloyd Cruz romps, the Vic Sotto fantasies. Currently, the highest  grossing film is the freshly released Hello, Love, Goodbye, starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, clocking in at virtually 900 million pesos. While it still falls principally under the standard tacky drama, it's become a well-reviewed movie that is deep, non-formulaic, and relevant.

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The movie walks the line between documentary and drama, strolling us by way of Joy’s seek for justice in opposition to Dante. The movie contains an anthology of 5 different tales that includes designated classroom cleaners in a Tuguegarao highschool. Each of the tales touches upon the theme of “cleanliness”—whether why not look here or not bodily, moral, or otherwise. A cast of first-time actors brings the five tales to life, and offers them an authentic, pure feel. Those who went to highschool in the Philippines could find moments of tender nostalgia in Cleaners‘ narratives.

Affluent Julie Monserrat falls in love with student-slash-combo participant (that's much like at present's DJ) Dido, and their forbidden romance rocks the entire town. Already a traditional, thisMike de Leon opus has been described by many as one of the best Filipino films of all time. Starring Mark Gil in his most iconic function as Sid Lucero, it explores the fraternity culture during the last phases of martial legislation in the Philippines.

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Dukot is a dramatic action crime film set within the Philippines starring Enrique Gil, Christopher De Leon, and Shaina Magdayao. The film tells the story of a center-class government official whose estranged son gets kidnapped. When the abductors demand a high sum for ransom, he should come up with the money before it’s too late. The dramatic comedy Four Sisters and a Wedding stars Brenna Garcia, Bea Alonzo, and Bea Basa and is ready in Manila, Philippines. The film recounts the story of a Filipino family consisting of four sisters and a brother.

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John Denver Trending has glorious cinematography and nicely-developed characters (John Denver’s mom is an particularly interesting figure). This makes its on-line witch hunt story feel all the extra resonant, and illuminates the raw horrors of internet-pushed mobs. Director Arden Rod Condez retains the narrative tightly centered, and never lets it descend into the same irrationality that a few of its characters embody. Impressively, this extremely relevant film is Condez’s directorial debut.

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A caregiver named Jaica is employed by Vivian, a successful businesswoman who recently found she was unwell. Little does Vivian know, Jaica performs a considerably larger function in her life— one which reconnects her to her distant son. At that time, Siguion-Reyna, son of movie legend Armida Siguion Reyna, was known special info for breaking barriers. One of his earlier films, additionally that includes Roces, wasLigaya ang Itawag Mo sa Akin, which illustrated rape. It was initially given an X rating and was only aired to the general public after quite a few concessions that resulted in scenes on the slicing ground.

When Lito’s fellow inmates notice he’s an harmless man, they assist smuggle in his young daughter Yesha so the two can proceed bonding. Starring Kapamilya actress Kathryn Bernardo and Kapuso star Alden Richards, Hello, Love, Goodbye is the best-grossing Filipino film of all time.

This intensive, months-lengthy course of results in a movie that literally looks like nothing else that Pinoy cinema has to offer. Ulan could be about love, nevertheless it’s not your average Filipino romance. The film stars Nadine Lustre as a author named Maya, who’s struggling to find romance and happiness. As Maya journeys via life,Ulan weaves fantastical tales from her creativeness and childhood as a reflection of her psyche. We see her speaking withtikbalangsin one second, and typhoons in one other.

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Most of the Philippines' critically acclaimed films are gritty and heavy, but this Maryo de los Reyes basic sticks to the reality of highschool, which is light, relatable, and fun. There are many extra intricacies between and after these occasions, and you may need to essentially watch Karnal to understand why it's such a fantastic Filipino movie. The combination of a powerhouse forged and formidable director Peque Gallaga led to this beautiful Filipino traditional.

The movie tells the story of mysterious happenings in a remote village which end in Ferdinand E. Marcos implementing Proclamation No. 1081, which locations all the Philippines under Martial Law. The movie delves into the difficulties of the village folks as they cope with this new proclamation. The drama Himala takes place in a poor Filipino village and stars Nora Aunor, Veronica Palileo, and Spanky Manikan.

When the brother, the youngest of the siblings, declares that he plans to get married, the sisters devise a plan to speak him out of it, revealing the deep-seated animosity they've for each other. The romantic drama The Hows of Us stars Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, and Darren Espanto.

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Anyone who didn’t will nonetheless benefit from the 5 stories’ easy however meaningful takes on adolescence. Another more distinctive Filipino love story that came out in 2019 wasIsa Pa with Feelings .

It seems to be the case for lots of the nation's most groundbreaking movies. Mang Kepweng was a popular comic strip by Al Magat a couple of humorous village albularyo. The character was dropped at life by comedy legend Chiquito and it spawned a number of installments, with Mang Kepweng and Son being the fourth film within the sequence. Dindo Fernando, Vilma Santos, and Hilda Koronel play a person, his wife, and his lover on this Danny Zialcita film about the intricacies of marriage and adultery. The in style Filipino movie won six prizes on the 31st Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards , including Vilma Santos' third Best Actress win.

It’s a type of films where the protagonist has to make a tough alternative – on this movie, K’na has to make a sacrifice between her village clans and real love. all not on Netflix – can now be accessed freed from cost, due to the kind hearts of our filmmakers. We’ve listed 10 of these local films – from blockbuster hits to horror movies – under. It’s a black comedy by the use of city fairy tales and magical realism. It has impeccable use of cinematic language — from scoring, to cinematography, to editing.

It reached P880 million box office mark after a month of hitting the cinemas. The movie is not a typical “LizQuen” love story that showcases the Philippine Art and nostalgic 90’s vibes. It depicts the story of a pair who faced many challenges from their school romance to turning into actual adults entering the real world. 2019 has been a great yr for Philippine cinema as it supplied numerous motion pictures that entertained a lot of Filipinos throughout the globe. You can watch more award-successful Netflix Originals, documentaries, motion pictures and TV reveals by choosing a plan that’s best for you.

The film tells the story of the romance between the young couple, Primo and George, who dream of building a life collectively and are already devising their future. However, their plans are put to the take a look at when they're confronted with obstacles that put their relationship in danger. Set in the Philippines in 1972, the drama From What is Before stars Perry Dizon, Roeder, and Hazel Orencio.

The movie tells the story of Elsa, a Filipina villager who claims she has been visited by the Virgin Mary. The go to changed her life as she now appears to have particular healing powers. Her newfound talent begins to trigger hysteria in her small village.

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This Jose Javier Reyes movie is known for being known as "a properly-made gentle porn movie" by none aside from then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Live Show, which was originally named Toro, depicted the lives of poor individuals who had to resort to performing lewd acts on stage to outlive. It is among the few extensive-launch movies that featured full-frontal nudity. After pressure from the Catholic Church, the President herself had to suspend it from airing on theaters. Though initially banned by the MTRCB, it was allowed to re-air after the title, which meant pay-per-view sex, was changed.

The film tells the story of Basha and Popoy, a young couple deeply in love who spend all of their time together. But when clashing ambitions and tensions come into play and the couple splits up, they're both feeling devastated and heartbroken. Strangely sufficient, pandemic motion pictures have turn into extra in demand because the coronavirus outbreak. If you have received the guts to sit by way of movies that observe the results of a virus, check out our suggestions. A record of greatest Filipino motion pictures would be incomplete with no Dolphy starrer.

It indulges the equipment behind the love team to flex its muscular tissues, creatively and financially, proving the online value of the pair by putting out an enormous-display romance that’s so rigorously calculated to a fault . And lastly, it indulges the actors to show their benefit as reliable actors, with tacked in confrontation scenes and weepy dialogues that profess the true nature of formulaic love. The marriage is a attainable gateway to a greater life however Teria’s leaving, the way in which the movie is a one-take shot of her going across the island earlier than reaching the pier, more so embodies the ills and the heartaches that kind the core of the Filipino diaspora. Are the “mainstream” and “indie” labels even applicable nowadays, when budgets and industry don’t considerably differ?

If it’s a matter of sensibility, how can we distinguish when “impartial” filmmakers are directing studio-backed motion pictures, whereas established actors and filmmakers from the big networks are also increasingly going “indie”? And let’s not even delve into the query of whether or not it’s primarily based on notions of quality.

Produced by then-married couple Nora Aunor and Christopher de Leon, the World War II-set drama follows Rosario , a woman deserted by her lover when he joins the Resistance, solely to then fall in love with a Japanese soldier . But Hello, Love, Goodbye is the mother of all migrant dramas—and never why not pinoy movies just because it's officially the best grossing Filipino film of all time. The dramatic motion crime movie Metro Manila, set in Manila, Philippines stars Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, and Althea Vega.

The story revolves round beautician Coring as he takes in Nonoy , who is the son of his crush. With Lino Brocka behind the digital camera, Ang Tatay Kong Nanaydelves into the themes of homosexuality and single parenting through a comedic lens. This Filipino film is a traditional rich-woman-poor-boy romance delivered to life by actors Vilma Santos and Bembol Roco and director Celso Ad Castillo.

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The movie follows the story of Oscar Ramirez and his household who flee a lifetime of poverty in a small village in northern Philippines to the bustling heart of Manila. The quick paced lifestyle and hardened locals quickly overwhelm the household, and Oscar should do what he needs to to survive in the massive metropolis. The romantic drama One More Chancestars John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, and Derek Ramsay.

[linearao3]

Dark Water, Ch. 1-16, summarized.

I’ll be publishing the last chapter soon (as in, in the next few hours), but in the meantime, something I said I’d do earlier and forgot to: a flavorless but thorough (read: long) summary of 16 chapters of Dark Water.  Below the cut, for content and for lennnnngth.

Francisco "Poe" de Marino, Finn Askari, and Reina Jaffa have a detective agency in Los Angeles.  Two clients come from Santa Teresa, a rich town up the coast.  One, Armand Huxley, hires Finn to find his missing maid, Rose, and the blueprints she stole.  The other, Leila Solo, hires Rey to find her husband, Hans "Han" Solo, who has run away, and also hires Poe to investigate the disappearance of her son, Ben.  She tells Poe that Ben was expelled from college for fighting off-campus, stole his father's gun, and disappeared.  He was presumed a suicide after his car was found abandoned at the beach.  She has just learned that the bar where Ben got in trouble for fighting was a gay bar, and she thinks there might be more to the story -- that's why she hired Poe.   Poe discovers that the man Ben got in trouble for beating up in the bar was an old, rich man from Santa Teresa.  He is reluctant to go there, because he grew up there and feels guilt about his mother, who died while he was fighting in WWII, but he drives there with Mrs. Solo.  She acts strangely while going through Camarillo. Finn discovers that Rose (Vietnamese name Thai Co Hoa) has a sister, Thai Co Be, who rides horses at the track at Santa Anita Park under the name Paige Tico.  Rey meets a mysterious man on a motorcycle who tells her that Han will be at the Santa Anita racetrack.  Finn and Rey arrive separately, but converge when it turns out that Paige rides horses owned by Han.  Since Han is drunk, Rey drives him and Paige to Santa Teresa.  Finn tails them, because he believes Paige has the blueprints in her big suitcase.  Han also acts strangely while driving through Camarillo. Local male sex workers reveal that the man Ben fought with was Orson Krennick, a local honcho.  Krennick has recently died.  When Han comes home to the ranch with Rey and Paige, Poe overhears him fighting with Leila, and hears Paige moving around late at night. Rey, who is staying a motel, goes to a bar, where she meets the man on the motorcycle again.  He introduces himself as Ren.  Rey expresses interest in his bike, but he is reluctant to let her drive it until she tells him to call her by her nickname, implying that she's willing to be his friend.  Rey drives it, with him sitting on the back, extremely fast on extremely winding back roads, until Ren directs her to a spot on the bluffs overlooking the sea.  He tells her the story of an indigenous woman who was left behind and lived alone on one of the Channel Islands, and when she came to shore, discovered that her entire tribe had died.  Ren is moved when Rey weeps at the story.  He kisses her, and asks to take her home.  She agrees, and they go back to her motel room.  After sex, she tells him he can stay the night. Finn, seeing lights on late in the Solos' barn, suspects that Paige is meeting someone to sell or hand off the stolen plans. He sneaks onto the property and is heading towards the barn when he hears a gunshot.  He finds Paige dying on the floor and calls for help.  The police question him, but the Solos, prompted by Poe, vouch for him. Rey wakes up early to make a call, which Ren overhears, where she identifies herself as Malka Szmacziarz and asks if her parents have been found.  He thinks she lied about her name to him because she doesn't trust him, and she reproves him, saying she wants to trust him.  Poe comes to pick her up, telling her about the murder, and Ren meets with a yakuza group, for whom he has transported and marked a large amount of money.  Ren has been introduced to the group through his Japanese-American friend, Donny Mitaka, and he dreams of become a feared and respected leader of the group. At the Solos' ranch, as Han is speculating that Paige may have been killed by the jockeys' union, which is violently racist, Leila's brother, Luke Skywalker, a war hero with a missing hand and a mystical, self-made religion, arrives with a threatening letter he has received.  The letter contains a typo which Leila remembers from old letters of Ben's, but the typewriter matches one used by Beckett, a shady real estate agent who has been pressuring Luke to sell his land. Han takes Poe and Rey to see his prize horse, Blue Hammer, the descendant of the champion he trained, Falcon.  They're visited by a greasy horse dealer, Donato "D.J." Jimenez, who goads Han and expresses insincere regret and morbid curiosity with regard to Paige's murder.  Han orders him off his property, and asks Poe to ride Blue Hammer in the upcoming race. Finn, investigating the site of Paige's murder, is attacked by a knife-wielding girl who turns out to be Rose.  After he convinces her that he didn't kill her sister, she reveals that she only handed the plans off to Paige last night, and that Paige was carrying a lot of cash.  Whoever killed her has taken both.  Rose tells him about her history as the Huxley family's servant under the French colonial government, and challenges him about his origins, which he carefully conceals with assumed accents.  They find a discarded butt of a French cigarette, and speak to Bibiana, the niece of horse-trainer Arturo, who tells them she saw someone tall. Poe comes up with a plan: Rey will pose as an English heiress and ask Beckett for a property like the one Beckett may be trying to extort from Luke, offering an outrageously high price.  Beckett is suspicious of the details of Rey's story; while he's making a call, she raids his files and finds a map of Luke's property, Olive Tree School, with an oil line marked on it.  Beckett catches her and physically threatens her, but Ren comes to her rescue with a knife he took from her the night before.  He asks her to go out dancing with him and his friend that night, and she agrees. The Solos, on finding out that Rose is Paige's sister, welcome her to stay for the night.  Rey tells the Solos what she learned at Beckett's office.  Mrs. Solo says that the oil line used to belong to her, but that she sold it to Huxley; he pays Luke an easement fee for the passage of the oil through the property.  Mr. Solo is alarmed to hear Poe talking privately  about the death of Orson Krennick with Leila, and becomes more upset when Poe won't tell him what he's learned. Finn, distraught over the murder, his treatment by the police, and being forced to cut off his hair in the absence of care options for black hair, accepts tequila and gets very drunk.  He argues with Rose, who tells him she is a soldier.  Finn tells her how he was taken from his parents by British colonial forces and trained to be a soldier from a young age.  When parents in his community, including Finn's own father, protested, they were gunned down by British soldiers.  He deserted afterwards.  Rose tells him how Vietnam has been serially occupied by the French and the Japanese, and the atrocities they've committed.  But she's a soldier because she has hope for the future. Rey has dinner with Ren, Donny Mitaka, and Mitaka's girlfriend, Bess Ine.  She dances with Ren and he asks where she was during the war.  She confesses that she's a Jew from Poland; her parents sent her alone as a child to the British Mandate of Palestine during the German invasion, but she hopes to be reunited with them.  She takes him back to her room, where they have sex and sleep together.  She wakes up to him having a nightmare, and recognizes him from Mrs. Solo's photograph as Ben Solo.  He responds by telling her that Ben Solo is dead, and was a monster from a family of monsters.  When she pushes him, he tells her her parents are dead, and flees on his motorcycle. Rey goes back to the Solo's ranch to tell them that she's seen Ben, and what he said to her.  Han and Leila fight, with each one claiming that the other represents the "monstrous family" Ben mentioned.  But separately, they admit they believe the opposite.  During the war, being disqualified from service by his age, Han smuggled drugs and alcohol from Mexico, doing business with Beckett and Krennick, and lied to Leila and Ben, telling him that he was spying for the allies.  Leila's biological father was Lorde Varder, aka Anderson Skywalker, a poor firefighter who married a wealthy opera singer, Paz Mayberry, and went into politics after she was committed to the Camarillo mental hospital, crafting policies which deprived Japanese Americans of rights and allowed him to buy valuable land cheaply.  He left Luke an olive orchard which used to belong to the Mitaka family, and he left Leila the oil holdings she sold to Huxley, so much of the family's wealth is derived from his immoral actions.  Both Han and Leila believe that it was Ben's discovery of the skeletons in their closets which drove him to a mental breakdown, for which they had him involuntarily committed. Ben drives his motorcycle aimlessly through the city, and ends up getting drunk at Maisie's after hours, admitting that he stole Rey's stockings, and that he told her Ben Solo was dead because he had once planned to kill himself.  Rey, sharing a bed with Rose, admits to herself that her parents are likely dead, and grieves together with Rose. In the morning, Finn discovers that Huxley has left a message saying that he doesn't need to look for the blueprints anymore.  He and Rose agree that that seems to mean that he's gotten them back himself.  Rose decides to go back to Huxley.  When he takes her to the Huxleys' house, Huxley embraces her inappropriately, while his wife insults and belittles her.  Finn sneaks back to the house after seeming to leave, and hears Mrs. Huxley hitting Rose.  He finds Rose and offers to work for her for the change she has in her pockets, offering his skills as a detective and client confidentiality.  Rose tells him that the blueprints are for a guided missile, which Huxley is trying to sell to the French for use in Vietnam.  She is trying to steal the plans and the offer letter that goes with them, so that the Vietnamese government can deprive France of the weapon and undermine American support for the French. Rey thinks that the Solos' stories don't quite make sense and center too much on their individual guilt.  Pio, the librarian, tells her that Ben exhibited symptoms of mental disturbance for a long time prior to his "breakdown."  On a hunch, she goes to the beach where Ben's car was discovered the first time he disappeared.  She tells Ben that she's deduced that he meant to murder someone when he left his parents' house.  He admits it: he meant to kill Stephen Pallatine.  But he was already dead.  He tells her that, while Luke was away as a POW in the Pacific, Pallatine took over the school and caught him kissing Donny Mitaka.  Under the guise of aversion therapy, he sexually abused Ben for a long time, keeping him late after school, which his parents never seemed to notice.  When Luke returned, he tried to tell him, but Luke was dismissive, and when he tried to tell his parents, Luke encouraged them to believe that Ben was mentally ill.  At the mental hospital, he was frightened by the apparently arbitrary shock treatments administered to patients, and falsely confessed to making up the story of his abuse.  Rey vows never to let anyone hurt him again, and he carries her into the sea, offering to take her wherever she wants. At Huxley's house, Finn discovers that D.J. is Mrs. Huxley's lover, and smokes the kind of cigarette they found at the crime scene.  He tails him to a house in the hills, where Rey has just arrived with Ben.  Ben tells her to wait outside, but she and Finn follow him in.  Spying, they discover the D.J. has the exact amount of money that Paige was carrying when she was killed, and that he and Beckett are both working with the Japanese mob to take the Mitaka orchard land and turn it into a horse ranch so that they can launder money through the buying and selling of horses.  When the mob boss, Oka-san, discovers that Ben concealed that he intervened between Rey and Beckett, he's threatened with having a finger cut off.  Rey charges in to save him, and Finn charges in after her.  Ben kills Oka-san to save Rey while Rey wounds one of his lieutenants badly and Finn overpowers another.  When Rey realizes that Ben intends to take over the gang, not leave it, she tells Finn to go and begs Ben to stop.  Ben kills the wounded lieutenant for threatening her and him, and, feeling that Rey has abandoned him, uses her knife to cut the marks of her fingernails permanently into his face. Finn drops Rey off at Luke's school and goes back to see Rose, who has discovered a quantity of cash, also exactly equal to what Paige was carrying, behind Mrs. Huxley's bureau.  She can't find the plans anywhere in the house, and she believes Mrs. Huxley murdered Paige, took the money, and disposed of the plans.  Finn isn't sure, but he promises her he'll find her sister's killer.  Rose kisses him, and they have sex in her room.  She tells him to leave, but on his way out, he overhears Huxley arguing with his father, and figures out that D.J. killed Paige and is asking Huxley for money for the plans.  He goes back to Rose to tell her what he's learned and that he knows where the plans are. Rey sees a memorial to Stephen Pallatine at the school and tries unsuccessfully to destroy it with her knife.  She warns Luke that he isn't safe, because the gang is going to try to drive him off his land, but she ends up shouting at him, confronting Luke over his betrayal of Ben.  Luke reveals that Pallatine played on his own fear of insanity, as well as his desire to believe the best of his birth father and his hometown.  Ben, overhearing Rey's reproaches and overwhelmed by seeing the memorial and the marks of her knife in it, impulsively uses turpentine from the art room to light the memorial on fire.  The other buildings quickly catch. Poe, coming to pick up Rey, finds the fire, and Luke trying to save the school.  A fire truck arrives, driven by Capt. Aimee Linn, not in response to Luke's call for help, but to warn them to evacuate because of the risk of flash flood in the long-dry Salsipuedes River.  Poe refuses to leave, trying to stay to fight the fire, until Capt. Linn takes over the firefighting and tells him to evacuate Rey and Luke, which he does.  They watch from the foothills as the river floods. Rey makes Luke tell Leila the truth about what happened to Ben.  With the fire still burning and the flood still raging, she despairs of ever finding a place that isn't weighed down by the sins of the past, since every place she has ever lived has been consumed by conflict.  Ben goes to his grandmother's abandoned mansion, despairing of ever succeeding with the gang or seeing Rey again.  He is startled when Rose arrives; she saw the candles he lit from Huxley's house, which used to be a sign from Paige that she was dealing with a representative of his gang.  She offers him the money she stole from Mrs. Huxley to take her to Hanoi once she finds the plans.  Ben, disoriented by the flood and hoping that the money will placate Oka-san's lieutenants, agrees.  There's a problem, though -- Rose's money is dirty; it's the marked bills the gang gave D.J. to launder through trading horses. In the morning, Rey is watching Poe ride his old favorite horse, Blackbird, who never got to race because of the track closure during WWII.  Poe sees Ben going towards the barn and thinks he's going to burn it, and the horses, the way he burned the school.  He pursues him on Blackbird, but Rey jumps onto the horse with him, and then, when Ben runs to his bike, off the horse and onto the bike.  When he finally stops driving, he admits that he feels like he's doomed; he had a vague plan to steal horses, but completely messed it.  Rey promises he isn't doomed, and that she'll help him get out of the mess he's in.  He doesn't feel worthy of help, but Rey tells him he doesn't have to deserve help; he just has to need it.  He recognizes that she needs him to help her, too.  They have sex and promise not to leave each other. Finn follows Huxley to a meeting with D.J., where Huxley says he doesn't have the cash D.J. wants for the plans.  D.J. offers to take land deeds instead, or Rose as a hostage.  Huxley threatens to shoot D.J., but D.J. calls his bluff.  Finn follows D.J.'s car, but loses him when D.J. goes to the sheriff's office.  Finn decides to go back to Huxley's house and try to convince Rose to run away so that Huxley doesn't offer her up as a hostage. Poe visits Aimee Linn in the hospital; she's been badly hurt fighting the fire.  She asks him to investigate the condition of the oil line in the Salsipuedes River, and he promises to, but allows Han to convince him to make a call about it to the fire department instead.  He and Han go down to Santa Anita to practice on the track.  On the way back, Poe is struck with a bad feeling, and discovers that the oil pipeline has blown, leaking crude oil into the sea. Rey wants Ben to run away, but Ben feels obligated to Rose and to Mitaka, since it was his family that stole the orchard from Mitaka's family.  Rose suggests that they bet the marked money on Poe and Blue Hammer in the race the next day, which will also earn enough money both to pay the gang for Rose's trip and to buy back Mitaka's land.  Finn, discovering that Rose has left the Huxleys, remembers that she talked to Mrs. Solo about Paz Mayberry's estate, and finds her there with Ben, Mitaka, and Rey, who tell him about their plans.  Finn and Rose have sex, and she confesses that she wants to have a family; Finn realizes he wants a family with her.  Ben and Rey have sex, and Rey confesses her fear that her parents sent her away because she was too weak, and that she didn't deserve to survive.  Ben reminds her what she told him: she didn't have to deserve it, she just had to need it. Poe volunteers to help clean the spill, and spends the day riding Blackbird up and down the coast, running messages between park rangers, volunteers, and sailors.  In the evening he returns to the Solo's ranch, where Beckett comes calling and tries to blackmail Han.  His intention is to blackmail him over Ben's murder of Oka-san, but Han misunderstands him, and thinks, because he has himself mistakenly come to believe that Leila murdered Krennick in revenge for Ben's supposed death, that Beckett is trying to blackmail him over that.  As it happens, Beckett murdered Krennick himself, and panics at the idea that he's been discovered; he threatens to shoot Han, but Leila kills him with a poker.  Poe is planning to cover up the murder when Ben arrives with Finn, Rose, and Rey, asking for his parents' help.

[dragonswordmaster]

Symphony of Dreams (Day 4)

In the Kingdom of Atlas, there was a legend that a person received their Soulstone, a clear gemstone that was created from the magic of the world once a person became the age of eighteen. It has the properties of finding a person’s significant other…a soulmate in layman’s terms. If you believed in the legends, the gemstone was said to glow when in the presence of it’s other; the closer the two were to one another, the stronger the glow. At first, people just had them out everywhere…but over time it became tradition to put them in some form of jewelry: necklaces, bracelets and watches were usually the more popular choices.

 And the Princess of the kingdom of Atlas had turned eighteen just a few days ago and received her Soulstone…and now her father was holding a ball in order to find her soulmate so that the both of them could get started in learning how to run the country in full instead of just the basic lessons that Weiss had been getting.

 “Are you nervous Weiss?” Weiss’s sister, Winter, asked as she saw her sister pacing nervously in her bedroom. On her neck was her own soulstone, but it wasn’t glowing…at least not yet. But she had rejected the lessons that her father had tried instilling in her which was why it was the second child’s duty to do what the firstborn refused to do.

 “A little. I mean…what if my soulmate is a terrible person? One that hates me, the kingdom or anything else? I’m worried…” she admitted softly, grasping at her hands lightly in nervousness. “What if…my soulmate is a faunus? Father would hate that…” she started to say before feeling Winter’s warm hands on her shoulders.

 “If your soulmate is a faunus then father will just have to deal with it; he can’t determine who has the other half of your soul after all. And it would be a little karmic if you ask me…” she said with a smile before seeing the newly crafted necklace that housed the all-important stone. “Now come on, you can’t be late to your own birthday party, right?” she asked getting her younger sister to laugh lightly. “There we go,” she said with a grin before leaving Weiss to her own devices. A few minutes later, Weiss picked the necklace up and placed it around her neck, feeling a little odd with the vulnerable jewel being shown to the world as she exited her room, taking a light breath before putting a face on.

 “Come on Weiss…you can do this. You got this,” she said to herself before she came down the stairs, hearing the music and seeing the lights, not realizing that one of the lights were coming from the soulstone on her neck.

 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Three Weeks Earlier

 Blake rubbed her wrist lightly, the bangle jangling lightly on her wrist as she did so. Even though she was currently reading, she was a little worried that she wouldn’t be able to ever find her soulmate. She had been searching ever since she got her Soulstone a month ago and sighed lightly as she looked at the gem and closed her book.

 “Sis? You okay?” Blake’s younger sister, ilia, asked as she looked over at the feline that was her older sister. She knew that Blake was staring into the distance and wondering who her soulmate was…as well as her worries about who her mate could be. “Thinking about who your mate might be out there in the Kingdom?” she asked as Blake blinked and nodded.

 “I am…I know mom and dad said not to worry but…I do. What if it’s a guy? You know I’m gay and I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened…and there’s so many other things that could go wrong and well…” at this she was stopped as ilia hugged her older sister.

 “Relax sis…your soulmate is probably a beautiful girl who is perfect for you and will love you for you. I doubt they’ll care about your ears either,” she stated with a smirk as she knew that was another concern that her sister had. “And if they do, then I’ll personally kick their ass,” she stated before getting a light laugh from her. Before she could say anything else to that effect, both of their scrolls buzzed, as did several others amongst the Kingdom.

 “Wonder what’s going on…” Blake muttered as she grabbed her scroll from the night table and pressed the button to get it out of sleep mode. “Hm…Princess Weiss’s eighteenth birthday party. Blake, you should go! You have that nice dress from that time mom got us both dresses for formal events. Who knows…you might even find your soulmate there,” ilia said with a grin as Blake just shook her head at that.

 “I highly doubt that sis…but I’ll go. You may even be right,” she replied as she noticed ilia smiling lightly at that.

 “Good. Now you have fun for the both of us, okay?”

 “Sure thing sis. Sure thing.”

 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 Blake was glad to have decided placing her bow on, knowing that if she hadn’t then she would be ridiculed and mocked the rest of the night instead of being able to enjoy it. The music wasn’t bad, nor was the food or the entertainment but she noticed that the birthday girl herself wasn’t there. Not yet. Hearing steps coming from the hall that was behind the upper tier of the place. However, once she saw the white-haired female that was when she also noticed a warmth on her wrist and the soulstone starting to glow.

 ‘ilia was right…my soulmate is here, but it didn’t start shining until…no way…’ Blake thought as she made her way closer to the birthday girl. As she did so, she noticed that her Soulstone and that of Weiss’s were both getting brighter and brighter. That was the final nail in the coffin and knew that she’d have to talk to Weiss sooner rather than later. She just wasn’t sure when that would be…

[jasbethso]

A Year of Bittersweet Capstone

This school year has been extra challenging for us. Not just because it is our last year in high school but because of our capstone subject. Every time I hear that word, it seems very daunting and bothering at some point. Knowing that I have a few knowledge about wirings and how it works, I have already prepared myself on the amount of stress capstone may bring. As I am writing this personal blog, it amazes me on how I can look back at some of the hardest part of this school year and how I can finally say 'Salamat God kay tapos na'. My biggest achievement is finally relating to Aristotle's 'The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.' This is truly hard yet rewarding task for all of us. I am very glad we are able to make our project as we have envisioned it to be.

Imagine if we were given the whole school year just to work on this project without other tasks, it would be the ultimate dream. Flying agricultural drones and robots equipped with artificial intelligence? If only we were given enough time for it, it would not be impossible. Of course, in reality, there are a lot more to do and accomplish in school. We had to juggle our time between doing school works for the whole day and going to a group activity for this project after school.

To be honest, I think our school is not ready for this subject and so are the students. The school is introducing robotics in the subject but there are only few teachers who are knowledgeable on programming. We cannot just solely rely on those Indian people on YouTube to teach us all of these things. Programming is new to us, especially we haven't had any computer-related subjects. We only had ICT subject when we were in 7th grade and nothing else. I also know some students in previous school years having the same subject who had the same struggle. However, since this is part of the new curriculum of K to 12, we cannot do anything but to bear with it. Also, as a student, we also wanted to do our best for the project but we lack support. It is ironic that the school is not even initiating a seminar or a workshop for programming but is having a subject for robotics. This is our struggle. I would not be shocked if other students would encounter this problem too in the next coming years. Unless the school would really take it seriously in coming up with ways on how to make students be ready and equipped for this subject and the so-called 'Industry 4.0', everything would be fine.

I salute all those programmers in YouTube who are very willing to share their innovative ideas to their subscribers. This allowed us to at least have an overview on how to properly connect and wire all the sensors. Following the instructions in YouTube was somewhat easy but programming was the hardest part since some were not willing to share their codes for the Arduino. Although they also film their codes but sometimes it is just 2 seconds of the whole instructional video. It's funny how we were so desperate to know the code that we had to screenshot some clips of the video and zoom in just to get an idea of it. We were totally clueless at the start of the year.

During our second semester, we were thankful that we had the subject Empowerment Technology. This subject was not a burden to us like how other subjects would feel like. It even made things easier for us by guiding us what to do in our projects. Calling it a blessing in disguise? I'd say yes. Our subject teacher, Sir Rae John Arango, was very willing to help us finish our project. He even set a target date for the project. I can clearly remember when he said 'Dapat before kayo magbakasyon tapos na 'yang mga projects niyo para pag Christmas wala nang problema'. Who would not want to enjoy the holidays, right? But of course, knowing that we are procrastinators, we did not meet that target date. Sir Arango still helped us program our projects despite being busy with his Continuous Improvement Project. Even if there were 11 groups for Capstone, he managed to help us all. I truly admire how he was very passionate in helping us one group at a time. To be honest, our capstone subject was only making us knowledgeable on the proper ways in conducting the research but not on how to do the actual project itself, on how to program and build the actual robot. I bet we are all very grateful that the Empowerment Technology subject are able to do this.  Doing the project was somehow a lot easier for us by since our teacher was guided us on what we need to download, search for and other sensors to buy. Sir Arango is an angel sent from heaven to us struggling students or what I prefer to call 'frustrated programmers'. We owe the success of our projects to you Sir. (Sir Arango, if by any chance you are reading this, beke nemen)

We were on our track, fully confident that we are going to be able to at least start programming our project, AgriCop. When we thought everything is going in our favor, Typhoon Tisoy came. There was a blackout in our whole province. When we thought things couldn't get any worse, we were all wrong. There was no signal for us to communicate with other groupmates and to even just search in YouTube for the project. The scariest part of it is that I even had to charge our laptop using the generator while knowing the risks of the fluctuating current. I just needed to start doing the codes but then there was no internet to search for reference. We ended up doing nothing for the whole month of December. A month away from Capstone and a month before cramming and stress because of it.

Working in a group of five made it a lot easier. Although other groups have more members in their team, I mostly prefer to work in small groups. We are the only group with all girls which made it quite difficult since when need to immerse ourselves in mechanical and electronics. We are quite good in making arts and crafts, designing things, doing calligraphies and other artworks. However, this is the complete opposite of what we are used of doing. We had to let go of the paint brushes, scissors and color palettes. Instead, we learned how to properly handle screwdrivers, how to use a grinder and most especially how to solder. It was an intimidating task for all of us but we were open to learning new things. I am also grateful to my brother who taught us how to do all of these things. We did not know what tools to use but he was there to let us borrow all of the things that we needed for the project which allowed us to save a lot of money instead of buying new tools. I am so proud of what we have learned and achieved.

We were already warned by our teacher at the start of the school year that this capstone project would really be worth a lot of money. We had to save money from what my parents give as our allowance in school because sometimes it is quite embarrassing to ask extra money from my parents for this. Also, we had to buy the most basic parts first since our group did not have enough money to buy all things at once. Capstone even tested our negotiating skills since we have figured out that some of the things we have ordered were not useful for the mechatronic system of AgriCop. So, we had to sell it to other groups who needed extra relay drivers and arduino board. We were also lucky since one of our groupmates have vouchers and her shipping fee for her orders is always 50 pesos only. We also had to wait for Shopee's promo such as during 11.11 and 12.12 Christmas sale for us to get discounts. We also asked for scrap materials like aluminum tubes to reduce our expenses. Overall, we spent about 6 thousand for this robot. For me, that is already a large amount of money since it is like the salary of a normal government employee for a month of work. I am very thankful that our parents were very supportive and would understand us if sometimes we go home late just for this project. Seeing how the AgriCop works and operates is worth the amount of money that we have invested for it.

Last week has been the most tiring week in my entire existence. It was the very first time that I have experienced studying the whole day in school, going straight to our classmate's house, eating at around 8:30 or 9:00 in the evening, losing track of time, staying awake until 4 o' clock in the morning and going to school at 7:30 AM. We have gone through this cycle every day last week. It was physically and mentally draining. We also had different summative tests and projects to pass aside from the AgriCop. We did not even have the time to review or even do requirements in other subjects. Staying up late was the most challenging part of it. My father would always remind us to get enough hours of sleep but at that time we just cannot. We were deprived of sleep. The schedule of final defense was moved a week earlier than the planned date. Every single day we were required to pass different outputs in capstone. At that time there was no room for 8 hours of sleep but more space for eye bags and eye strain. We already divided the tasks for each of us. I was assigned to work on the write-up. There was this one time that I can't really handle my sleepiness anymore that I took a nap for an hour not minding how many mosquitoes were already buzzing in my ears and biting my arm. Four o' clock in the morning is our usual 'dismissal' in the group activity. We are so blessed that the father of one of our groupmates would drive each us to our houses even if it is already early in the morning. My father also does the same thing when we decided to do group activity for the last few days in our house. We are very grateful and blessed.

We have invested so much in this project, our effort, money, sleep and sacrificing time for other subjects. At some point, we felt like we were the underdog out of all the groups but I am glad that each of us did not let go of that little hope that we can pull this through. We were all tired. I saw it in the eyes of my classmates and even in my own groupmates' as we go to school in the morning after probably not getting enough rest at all. I heard their voices saying 'Di ko na aram ang uunahon', 'Papano na ini', 'Di pa ngani ako nangarigo nan nagmahaw'. We were all going through the toughest part of our life as graduating students. I always believe that the only way to overcome a situation is not to run away from it but to get through it with high hope. I am very thankful that I have groupmates who would always lift each other up and still laugh at the dumbest things that we would do at 2 AM. The perfect term to describe all of us is 'sabaw'.

We were nervous and at the same time excited during the poster presentation of our project. This was the time that we did not have any practice of our script. We just had the time to read the lines once and then the first judge already stood in front of us. We were glad that they get to appreciate our projects and made suggestions for the design of AgriCop. There was this one science teacher which was part of the judges who made me teary-eyed. Not because I was scared or intimated but because she understands what we have gone through and she was really listening and paying attention to every detail that we are saying. She told us that she really appreciates the Mechatronic System of AgriCop that is not complicated compared to other groups. She also mentioned about how it could help farmers to easily replicate our study using mechatronics. She appreciates how we put into consideration the situation of the farmers and the knowledge that they have when it comes to programming. In every word that she mentioned, I could sincerely feel her genuine appreciation to our project and how we, girls, are able to come up with AgriCop. Finally, there was at least this one teacher who can relate to all of our struggles and how hard research is. She understands our situation and acknowledges all the efforts that we have put in this project. We needed that extra boost of support at those moments. I would forever cherish all the kind words that she said to us.

The day of the final defense came. At this same day, we were also preparing for the awards in school so it made it extra hassle for us. We were practicing the script at around 10 AM and also writing down all the possible questions of the panel. I remember how nervous we were entering the STEM B room to present our project. We weren't able to finish our presentation since we exceeded the time limit and the panel already told us to show the remaining slides. The teachers were very kind to us which is the complete opposite of what we were expecting. I guess they already knew the amount of effort, money and sleepless nights we have invested for this. They commended and congratulated us for the project. They also mentioned that they witnessed how our research studies have evolved from simple studies in junior high to a research product with quality. We feel blessed that the AgriCop functioned properly and cooperated well with us. Leaving that room made us all sigh in relief. Finally, our capstone project is done. After a whole school year of working on it, it is already finished. I remember how we were all jumping around outside the room saying 'Tapos na!'. We also had a mini celebration and ate sotanghon and puto which was the food left for the panels. I can still feel that relief we all felt at that moment. A truly rewarding moment.

Capstone has been a very tough subject for all of us. We weren't prepared for it, especially in programming but we are thankful that our Empowerment Technology teacher guided us all the way. Being in a group of all girls did not became our weakness, instead Capstone allowed us to work even harder and build stronger friendship.  I will leave all of the stress, rants, negative emotions, will and hopes that I have had doing this project here in my blog. As I venture more on robotics in  college or in my future job, I'll look  back at this and remember how we all started. I'd remind myself of a struggling student without any idea of robotics but manages to overcome it and finish strong.

[silaslibraryclub]

Discord Diamonds ep10

Again, as part of #WisdomWednesdays our host @mymindwandersonbrokenfeet also took up the Backspace Challenge. Earlier yesterday, a prompt dropped into the Discord based on real life events: Girl has broken up with her girlfriend but now needs a date to her parent’s wedding this weekend! Who could possibly step in...

Prompt Response : “Five More Minutes” The lives of Sherman and Laura have been a bit upside down as of late. There’s the intricacies of finding DJ’s and perfect songs. There’s the bore of finding the right minister. There’s the joy of cake samples brought home by the dozen. Sherman asked his long-time boyfriend, Bob to marry him not that long ago, and Laura is thrilled that the day is upon them. Only, she’s got three days to find a date, and nothing is looking promising. She’s considered taking a friend, as her father advised. But she always gets so caught up in weddings, in holding someone’s hand, in dancing. Things she used to enjoy with her ex, she now has to enjoy in her dreams. Laura thinks for a moment, laying in bed, lost in dreams of kisses and wedding gowns, then picks up her phone. A few texts go out to friends and acquaintances; and Laura hopes she won’t have to watch everyone else be in love alone. Her phone vibrates and she scoops it up immediately. LaFontaine [6:09] : I might know somebody. Laura [6:10] : Who? I’ll send you the wedding details. LaFontaine [6:11] : Just a friend from college. She’s a little prickly, but she’s got quite a sense of humor. Laura [6:12] : At this point I’ll take a mannequin in a dress, just tell her to pick me up at home. LaFontaine [6:14] : You got it, Frosh. Laura leaps from her bed, jumping up and down in her room, celebrating the simple concept of companionship. - Laura texted LaFontaine half an hour ago wondering where her ride was. Now she’s late for being early and that simply won’t do. She’s sitting on her front stoop, legs awkwardly to the side under her dress. Finally, a beaten black Camaro rides up the road. It stops in front of Laura’s house, double parked, of course. Laura stands up and waves as a tall figure gets out of the car. The woman waves back as she walks up to the house. “You Laura?” she asks. “Uh, yeah,” Laura stutters. Her mind is going in a thousand directions. First of all, she’s late, second of all, she’s casual about being late, third of all she’s gorgeous. She looks as though she could be featured in a sculpture gallery. A master must have crafted her, chiseled jawline, cutting eyes, sleek brows. Her hair flows around her, a river of stars twinkling under the sun. She’s wearing a leather jacket with a dark red button-up underneath. A black tie nearly matches leather pants. There’s no way she isn’t overheating in the summer sun. “I’m Carmilla,” she says. “I-I uh, I’m Laura.” “We went over that,” Carmilla laughs. “You feeling okay?” “Yeah,” Laura clears her throat. “Just a little frazzled because we should have left half an hour ago.” “I got a little caught up in some things,” Carmilla says with a nod. “Well, no point in waiting around here.” Carmilla waves for Laura to follow her, and she does. Carmilla opens the passenger side door with a powerful pull. “It’s a little tricky,” she says as she nearly rips the handle off. Laura slides into a seat that she swears makes a squish sound. There’s gum stuck to the floor and cans of energy drink everywhere. “I was gonna clean but I figured we weren’t going far,” Carmilla says, noticing Laura’s disgusted face. “It’s fine,” Laura replies, really wondering whether or not this entire thing is a mistake. “The A/C doesn’t work, you might want to roll your window down.” “Of course it doesn’t,” Laura sighs. She spends the rest of the car ride in a disgruntled, blushing silence. - The harbor is even more beautiful than when Laura first saw it with her father. The street lights shine over the calm waters below. String lights lead the path to the chapel where the wedding is being held. Laura walks with Carmilla down the dusk dusted street, quiet at first, then pushing herself to say something. “Thank you for coming with me,” Laura says at last. “You’re welcome,” Carmilla says, aloof. She’s got her hands in her pockets and her eyes up at the stars. “How did LaFontaine convince you to come?” “Oh,” Carmilla coughs. She looks down. “They just showed me your picture, told me a bit about you.” “I hope they said good things.” “Apparently you’re a little uptight, but overall you’re a joy to be around.” “I am not uptight!” Laura yelps. “Not really making a good case for yourself there, sweetheart.” “Hmph.” They make their way down the street, making much lighter conversation. Favorite movies, where they have a few guilty pleasures in common. Music, where they have relatively nothing in common. And art, where they both share a passion, be it a passion from two different worlds. They arrive at the chapel, just in time to find seats, just in time for the ceremony to begin. - The ceremony was everything Laura, her father, and her new step-dad could ever dream of. The flower petals that littered the floor made them feel as though they were walking on clouds. The vows shared so intimately and boldly. The kindness and love all around them. Well, except to Laura’s right. Carmilla had fallen asleep once, though luckily she didn’t snore. Laura was half tempted to leave her be, as she didn’t know anyone here. Now Carmilla is awake, thumbs dancing with one another, tapping her foot and looking all too ready to leave. Laura nudges her with her elbow and gives an apologetic glance. Carmilla gives a weak smile but looks back down at the floor. The grooms exit the cozy chapel first, hand in hand, bouquets flourishing against their smiles. Laura watches them go, then looks back at her plus one. “Wanna get out of here?” Laura whispers. “More than anything.” Laura scans the chapel hall and finds a side entrance. She points to it and Carmilla nods. They make a hurried escape, Laura promising her father in her mind that she’ll be there for part of the reception. She leads Carmilla down an alley full of catering workers on their break. Carmilla seems to hate the crowd, but she decides to part the sea of bowties anyhow. They make their way out onto the street, back the way they came. Laura notices a certain quiet about the street. The kind that lingers in your ears and relaxes your soul. She leads Carmilla to an open bench, far from any others viewing the harbor on this beautiful night. Laura sits first, then Carmilla, as far apart as possible. “So are you, uh, are you okay?” “Yeah,” Carmilla says, aloof again, but lying. “Look, I know you don’t know anyone here, and maybe a wedding is a bad place for a first date, but I’m sure that if we try we can have fun together. I mean, if you want to, you can go home if you’re really uncomfortable. Not that I want you to go home!” “Cupcake, breathe,” Carmilla says. “I have some...mild anxiety. Big social events aren’t always my deal.” “Then why’d you come?” “A spitfire cutie who might be easy to tease? Worth it in my opinion.” “I see.” “Not the answer you were expecting.” “Not really,” Laura says. She sighs and frowns. “I was kind of hoping for a smidge of romance.” “Who said we couldn’t be romantic?” “Uh- what?” Laura blushes. “I never said I wasn’t interested. If you want to have fun, we can, I’d just maybe like to stay at least ten feet from any crowds. Twenty feet if the crowd is drunk dancing.” Laura thinks for a moment then snaps her fingers. “How about a dance?” “What? Here?” “Yeah,” Laura says. “Out on the side of the street, with no music.” “You don’t sound like you’re trying to have fun,” Laura says. She pulls out her phone, thumbing through her music before landing on a selection. “Here we go.” “Is this...Iron and Wine?” “Yeah, you said you like to listen to them while you read right?” “You remembered that?” “It’s only been three hours.” “I just didn’t expect you to...nevermind.” “So? Care to dance?” And Carmilla hesitates at first; but when Laura offers her a hand, Carmilla takes it. They sway together at first, like high schoolers sticking to the arm’s length rule. But they slowly move closer, Laura resting her head on Carmilla’s chest. “Romantic enough for you, sweetheart?” Carmilla asks. “Very much so,” Laura replies. “Should we head inside and get something to eat?” Carmilla asks as the song ends. “Five more minutes,” Laura says, never letting go. Five more minutes.

[coffeebased]

It’s been a whole year since I posted last. Part of me wants to apologise for being gone so long, but mostly I’m just glad that I’m here.

Instead of doing a GIANT 2018 READING POST, I’m going to chop it up into three posts:

Favourite Books Read in 2018

2018 Reading Data and Goal-setting for 2019

2013-2018 Reading Data Trends

I was going to do a bigass one like I usually do but it just felt so daunting. Probably because I read 256 books in 2018 and it was pretty tempting to just close that Excel sheet and move on to an empty one for 2019. But what is the point of an unexamined life, anyway?

So this post is basically a listicle with summaries grabbed from Goodreads, as well as the complete list of the books I read in 2018. I really enjoyed all these books immensely and they’re all in my personal canon now.

My Top 10 Reads for 2018:

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

The first great adventure story in the Western canon, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.In this fresh, authoritative version—the first English translation of The Odyssey by a woman—this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, and magic comes alive in an entirely new way. Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, this engrossing translation matches the number of lines in the Greek original, thus striding at Homer’s sprightly pace and singing with a voice that echoes Homer’s music.

Circe by Madeline Miller

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

3. The World of the Five Gods by Lois McMaster Bujold

A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril, has returned to the noble household he once served as page, and is named, to his great surprise, as the secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule.

It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it will ultimately lead him to the place he fears most, the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies, who once placed him in chains, now occupy lofty positions. In addition to the traitorous intrigues of villains, Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle, are faced with a sinister curse that hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. Only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics, can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge—an act that will mark the loyal, damaged servant as a tool of the miraculous, and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death

4. Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal, Translated by Harold Augenbraum

In more than a century since its appearance, José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere has become widely known as the great novel of the Philippines. A passionate love story set against the ugly political backdrop of repression, torture, and murder, “The Noli,” as it is called in the Philippines, was the first major artistic manifestation of Asian resistance to European colonialism, and Rizal became a guiding conscience—and martyr—for the revolution that would subsequently rise up in the Spanish province.

5. America is Not The Heart by Elaine Castillo

Three generations of women from one immigrant family trying to reconcile the home they left behind with the life they’re building in America.

How many lives can one person lead in a single lifetime? When Hero de Vera arrives in America, disowned by her parents in the Philippines, she’s already on her third. Her uncle, Pol, who has offered her a fresh start and a place to stay in the Bay Area, knows not to ask about her past. And his younger wife, Paz, has learned enough about the might and secrecy of the De Vera family to keep her head down. Only their daughter Roni asks Hero why her hands seem to constantly ache.

Illuminating the violent political history of the Philippines in the 1980s and 1990s and the insular immigrant communities that spring up in the suburban United States with an uncanny ear for the unspoken intimacies and pain that get buried by the duties of everyday life and family ritual, Castillo delivers a powerful, increasingly relevant novel about the promise of the American dream and the unshakable power of the past. In a voice as immediate and startling as those of Junot Diaz and NoViolet Bulawayo, America Is Not the Heart is a sprawling, soulful telenovela of a debut novel. With exuberance, muscularity, and tenderness, here is a family saga; an origin story; a romance; a narrative of two nations and the people who leave home to grasp at another, sometimes turning back.

6. The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W. Johnson

A rollicking true-crime adventure and a thought-provoking exploration of the human drive to possess natural beauty for readers of The Stranger in the Woods, The Lost City of Z, and The Orchid Thief.

On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London’s Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin’s obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins–some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin’s, Alfred Russel Wallace, who’d risked everything to gather them–and escaped into the darkness.

Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man’s relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man’s destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.

7. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

An unforgettable memoir in the tradition of The Glass Castle about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes and the will to change it.

8. The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 7 and 8 by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, André Lima Araújo, Matt Wilson, Kris Anka, Jen Bartel

In the past: awful stuff. In the present: awful stuff. But, increasingly, answers.

Modernist poets trapped in an Agatha Christie Murder Mystery. The Romantics gathering in Lake Geneva to resurrect the dead. What really happened during the fall of Rome. The Lucifer who was a nun, hearing Ananke’s Black Death confession. As we approach the end, we start to see the full picture. Also includes the delights of the WicDiv Christmas Annual and the Comedy special.

9. Mister Miracle by Tom King and Mitch Gerads

Mister Miracle is magical, dark, intimate and unlike anything you’ve read before.

Scott Free is the greatest escape artist who ever lived. So great, he escaped Granny Goodness’ gruesome orphanage and the dangers of Apokolips to travel across galaxies and set up a new life on Earth with his wife, Big Barda. Using the stage alter ego of Mister Miracle, he has made quite a career for himself showing off his acrobatic escape techniques. He even caught the attention of the Justice League, who has counted him among its ranks.

You might say Scott Free has everything–so why isn’t it enough? Mister Miracle has mastered every illusion, achieved every stunt, pulled off every trick–except one. He has never escaped death. Is it even possible? Our hero is going to have to kill himself if he wants to find out.

10. The Band, #1–2

Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best — the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.

Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk – or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay’s door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

It’s time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.

PHEW. Did you guys read any of those books? Did you like them? Hit me up!

The books I read in 2018:

Okay, thank you for reading. Keep a weather eye out for the next post, hopefully very soon.

My Ten Favourite Books from 2018 It's been a whole year since I posted last. Part of me wants to apologise for being gone so long, but mostly I'm just glad that I'm here.