#formally apologise for the person i will become when she appears in the actual show

[dishsoaptragedies]

i present to you, the only thing i like more than big evil men: big evil women

[stilemawillow]

Ten Times in Total [Erwin Smith | Noble! Reader]

[I]

The first time, she was certain, came when her husband tugged at her hand at the ball. It was an official event that gathered together many sponsors and clients of noble heritage. Then there were the soldiers.

Whatever they did, however they dressed, however silent they stayed, they popped out. They were an attraction. They were something abnormal, like a wild animal let loose at a social gathering. Of course, soldiers hardly scared her as much as she would've wished for them to. She was, in actual fact, rather fascinated with them. They were always stoic and when they weren't - they were pretending. It was a funny thing, how every single one of them put on a different mask and underneath hid the same grief-stricken face lined with years of experience they would've preferred to die before rather than live through. And their eyes, oh, how pitiful that sight was.

Pools of silver, blue and brown and green, sad and desperate and sometimes searching for hope that wasn't there. It made her chest swell with fascination and pity at the very same time. How could a group of people so broken keep themselves together? How could somebody so desperate to die keep living on and on? Didn't their stamina, emotional and physical, ever come to an end? Would it one day? Would that be the happiest day for them or the most pathetic one? Or maybe both? Did they ever cry?

For her, they were all the same. Then he showed up.

Blond and tall and cold yet confident. His eyes were the first red flag that should've appeared in her mind, but they met hers and the red flags all turned white and ever so helplessly hung in the air.

His eyes were blue, like the ocean she'd once read about, and clear like its surface. It was like he saw right through her, into her head where the thoughts hid and intertwined and sought the connection between the dots. His eyes were something she remembered well even after that, a vivid memory borne of a hazy dream during a boring night.

Her husband was at once at her side, tugging at her gloved hand and silently requesting her immediate attention. But she was on the other side of the hall, standing in front of the tall blond man as he introduced himself to her and all the thoughts in her little head jumped out of her mouth and introduced themselves to him. His face was a mask, she told herself, but how exactly was she able to reach that conclusion when her gaze hadn't even left his eyes yet?

Her attention was at once averted when her husband became a tad bit more persistent. She faced him, put on her best smile and brought the glass of wine to her peach lips with an innocent excuse he ate up like a starving tramp. Her smile broadened the more she drank, keeping her thoughts at bay and the oddity of her stares at minimum. She allowed herself some more glances left and right when her husband wasn't closely supervising her actions, figuring out that the blond-haired soldier was hard to miss.

He was talking to the Commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok if she remembered correctly and the latter didn't seem the happiest. On the blond's left side stood another even taller male whose mouth opened once or twice, very shortly. Next to him, almost like a bird perched on his shoulder, was a brown-haired woman with glasses wearing a plain dress, entertaining herself with how fast she could talk his ear off. On the blond's right side stood a short frowning raven. Her head nearly tilted at the sight because she recognised him - Humanity's Strongest Soldier, Levi Ackerman.

To her utmost amusement, the shorty's mask was hard as steel but she could clearly see how he was probably the most broken out of the group. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips before his grey hues shot her a look, having pinpointed the presence of her orbs on his face. Her shoulders almost jumped, her eyes narrowed at his glare and then he just faced the front with a snort. He opened his mouth. And then his blond companion looked in her direction.

He was handsome, that was something rather undeniable. She raised the glass of wine to her lips again, not waiting for the blond to react to her curiosity regarding the people accompanying him. His expression seemed calm and his features soothing, almost like he was telling her everything was okay and she needn't hide her fascination with them, not when he could see it either way.

The ball ended about an hour after that. The only thing (Y/N) left with was the knowledge of the blond's name - Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps.

[II]

Second surely came that one time they bumped shoulders. (Y/N) was tired and bored, a very bad combination. She'd stated to the servants she wanted some air before sprinting away from the house like the wind. She felt, to put it mildly, caged in that house. It was almost like a nightmare - everything she hadn't wished for in one place, becoming truth the more she waited for it to turn back into an ordinary bad dream.

She hadn't been forced into marriage, rather consulted into it, and the fact she didn't love her husband certainly didn't stop her parents from adoring him in her stead. Rich, generally handsome and polite enough as to hide his displeasure at social gatherings - what more could a pair of reputation-concerned parents want for their daughter? Nothing, came the obvious answer, and in less than a month she was married and shipped off to that cage of hers. She came to loathe her days of not being able to go out and just walk around the town, now she had to treat everybody like peasants and communicate only with her husband and all the ladies of the high-class with their powdered noses and fancy gossip.

Frankly, she got away every chance she got and the servants rarely did anything to stop her. Her husband would never understand, she kept telling herself as she skipped down the street with awe in her eyes and joy in her heart. Just feeling the cobblestone street under her feet was enough to make her happy at times. Looking at the shops and admiring the blue of the sky above her head.

Almost like his eyes, she thought whilst staring into a bucket full of clear water. Then her shoulders went rigid. She was thinking of a soldier when there wasn't a soldier anywhere near her. Goodness, this surely meant trouble for her. As long as she didn't see him again it would all be good, she assured herself. But the point she was missing was that the trouble came from her internal wish to see him again.

Into a troubled daze and staring at the sky, she bumped into somebody and retraced her last few steps in a clumsy waddle, seeking balance along the distance. Once having regained it, (Y/N) looked up and what a very pleasant coincidence it was that Erwin Smith was the one looking down at her. That was when it happened, she believed. His blue gaze, the one she'd thought ever so recently of, made her stiffen. He offered a polite smile but she beat him to the apology.

"I apologise for bumping into you, I wasn't paying attention." Her words were an utterance of discomfort though courteous.

"It's not a problem." He worded curtly, with a nod of appreciation for the apology. She didn't manage a smile in spite of her own wish to do it, mostly because he had put on his stoic mask and was clearly uninterested in what facial expression she, in turn, had to offer. (Y/N)'s hands, maybe for the first time in her life, started fidgeting as she observed the blond in front of her. His gaze was calm and beautiful, but it prodded at her thoughts with disturbing persistence.

"If you'll excuse me, I have something to attend to." She attempted a lame excuse as to shine a light for herself on a possible exit out of this situation that wouldn't burden her with additional humiliation or discomfort. She walked past the male, now wearing his uniform in contrast with the formal attire he had on at the ball, but then his voice boomed behind her back.

"Mrs. (Y/N) Stevenson?" Just hearing her husband's surname, which had automatically become hers as well, made her lips purse ever so briefly. Luckily, the Commander wasn't a witness to the action, but she was curious as to how he'd gotten ahold of her name without an official introduction.

"Yes, Mr Smith?" She turned back to face him with the kindest smile she could muster, deliberately using his name as well as to show he wasn't the only one who could acquire information about her. His eyes seemed to darken just a tad bit before his lips parted. And maybe she stared at his lips a bit too long.

"Please, tell your husband how happy we were to receive his support at the ball. He is a very generous man." The compliment made the woman's brow twitch.

"As it would seem." Her voice was sweet as honey and her smile was so practised it didn't even seem fake anymore. (Y/N) spun on her heel and resumed her walk down the street, trying to calm her nerves and figure out the reason behind her husband's sudden generosity, moreover directed at a social group he'd dissed mere days prior to the ball with a wine glass in hand by the fireplace in the house and a condescending sneer on his face.

Like all other things, it took her some time, but she came to the conclusion her husband was never generous if somebody wasn't going to be generous to him in return. The case here, as it seemed, was no different. And suddenly, she found herself contemplating the urge to warn Erwin Smith about that.

[III]

The third time had to be the one at his office, at the very door as she exited it. She'd made an appointment but she hadn't expected for it to go through so very fast. She thought a commander was supposed to have a lot of paperwork to do and very little time to spare for personal meetings, but there she was, four days after sending a letter seeking an appointment with Erwin Smith, being handed the note with the exact hour by one of her servants in the house.

She took her time preparing the following day, making sure her husband knew what her excuse for leaving the house was and putting additional effort into making her hair and face look better than usual. It was a strange act coming from a married woman, but she felt herself doing it merely when it was already all too late. She spared herself the internal reprimand and exited the house. Thirty minutes later she was in front of the Survey Corps Headquarters, wondering if she should knock or just make her way inside.

As the lady she needn't be at the moment, she opened the door herself and noted she was supposed to take the staircase to the third floor, where Erwin Smith's office was supposed to be. The hallways were empty and cold, but she soon found her way around. She knocked on the first door in line on the third floor and heard a very cold voice questioning her motives.

"I'm looking for Erwin Smith." She announced steadily, trying to keep her cool. The door was sharply thrown open by Levi Ackerman and she had to look down to meet his gaze. He was truly, as the rumours suspected, abnormally short for a man that could kill titans five times his own size.

"What do you have to do with Erwin?" The raven-haired male questioned with a frown, grey hues glaring menacingly.

"I'm not obliged to answer and you're surely not authorised to ask." Her return was curt and cold, similar to his own. She had the right to get defensive since she was being questioned by somebody who she figured wasn't a personal secretary or lawyer to Erwin Smith and would very soon be also late for her appointment with him.

"I have every right to ask what a self-indulgent noble has to do with the person that's keeping her shitty self alive." He snapped even though the only proof of that happening was the harshness in his voice and the big crease between his brows. She let out a huff through her mouth as her eyes blinked his way in offence. The voice slipping past her lips was condescending.

"Fascinating, you truly are the most broken one, just hear yourself speak." It was like she'd just acquired proof of the true extent of his trauma as a soldier. Maybe it wasn't only because he was a soldier, maybe it came from his childhood as well. Whichever, he seemed furious because she called him out on it and because she was looking down at him while doing it. It was like it degraded his personality, to be talked to as if he was an inanimate object of no true value. Maybe it did.

"Pardon?" He spat - not spoke, features contorting in fury. "Listen here, you---"

"Thank you, Levi. I'll take it from here." A hand landed atop (Y/N)'s shoulder as she frowned challengingly in the midget's direction. Erwin's touch startled her, but the blond's attention was on his short right-hand man. After providing the latter with an expression the (h/c)-haired woman couldn't see, Erwin pulled her along the length of the hallway. The slam of the door to Levi's office reverberated off the stone walls loud enough to make her shoulders jump. "I apologise, please don't feel bothered by his demeanour." The blue-eyed male suggested kindly as they stood in front of his office.

"I'm guessing he's like that with everyone." She snorted as he opened the door for her and let her walk inside first. The only thing she noticed was that his desk was truly stacked with paperwork like she'd expected. The rest of the office was tidy and cosy, devoid of anything that might let her think it was really Erwin's - no pictures, no colourful additions or even a coat hanging from the back of the chair behind his desk.

"Every person who either insults or doubts him, yes." The blond closed the door behind their backs and rounded his desk, gesturing for her to sit across him. "Now, please take a seat and let's discuss what you've come here to state." Her lips pursed as she pondered the reason behind her visit again - it was rather impulsive of her to just show up.

"I'd rather not sit, I am truly here just to make a statement away from my husband's ears." Her attempt at making her voice seem confident failed rather miserably, but the man behind the desk paid that little attention at the moment. His fingers laced together, elbows propped on the wooden surface.

"Your husband? So he has something to do with this? Or is it something to do with him?" One of his thick eyebrows was raised and to deny it affected her determination would be a lie.

"I must say the latter. I told him what you requested, but I'm here to warn you his investment isn't that genuine." (Y/N)'s head was held high but her fingers itched to play around with the belt on her dress. "He's getting paid to support your army by somebody anonymous and he's receiving more money than he is giving. I'm afraid once those money stop, the ones given to you also will. I don't know if this deal of yours includes a contract or just somebody's word, but do be aware my husband's generosity might turn out less than expected at any time."

Erwin Smith, frankly said, seemed rather unfazed by her proclamation. More so, he gave off the impression of being interested in something that didn't concern any of the words that exited her mouth. His expression turned unreadable the moment it relaxed, like he'd put a wall between her and himself. She was unable to see past it. The only thing that told her anything were his eyes, and all they spoke of was infinite equanimity.

"I see the goal, in this case, is to make us seem even worse than we already do, by being lied to and eased into a frail financial state, but I don't seem to understand why the wife of the middleman has come here to give out warnings about it." His statement shocked her, but she'd anticipated this question and had come prepared to answer it.

"In this case, I'm not the middleman's wife, I'm just somebody who wanted to be honest. Good afternoon, Mr Smith. Or should I say Commander?" Her hand settled on the door handle as she looked back at the blond commander. His face had returned to its stoic features but his eyes were just as mesmerizing as the first time she'd seen them. He nodded his head very lightly and she pushed the handle, which resulted in both of them hearing a small click.

"Just Erwin is fine, Mrs Stevenson." There was a restrained smile on his face. A gesture born of politeness. She wondered why it seemed so obviously fake now when the one he offered to all those nobles at the ball the previous month was just as fake yet came to his aid way easier.

"Then you shall call me (Y/N) in return. I quite dislike my current surname." She stated stiffly, not enjoying the sound of her husband's surname. Before she stepped out of the room, her eyed fled back to his. So blue, they were so blue.

"Very well."

There was another smile on his face. It wasn't the one formed by his lips but the one in his eyes. The beautiful glimmer that loved to talk to her was now only smiling, softly so. It happened right then and there and she felt herself take a sharp breath before bowing lightly and stepping out. Once in the hallway, she breathed until she felt she was once again able to walk without having her knees wobble.

[IV]

Fourth was the time she watched him smile at her, genuinely.

With a kiss to her husband's lips and a small smile, (Y/N) closed the door and waited exactly thirty seconds before stepping back from it. Somehow, she did it every time Allan went out, just to test if he was truly gone. A sigh left her lips as she met the gaze of one of the servants. The elderly woman's mouth stretched in a sad smile and just as (Y/N) was about to retreat into the living room another knock sounded at the door. Her first thought was that her husband had forgotten something, but if he truly had he wouldn't knock at all since he was late as it was.

"I'll get it, Laura, don't worry." (Y/N) graced the woman with a smile before approaching the door. The servant headed in the direction of the kitchen as her master opened the front door and showed only her face outside. Her eyes widened. On the other side stood the tall muscular frame of Erwin Smith, blue eyes gazing down at her gently. "My husband's not here at the moment." Was the first thing she blurted out ever so stoically as the blond waved his hand dismissively at her.

"That is quite fortunate because I haven't come here to talk to him." He announced with a small smile, making her eyebrows furrow because it wasn't fake. Or at least it didn't seem that way. Not forgetting her manners, she opened the door fully and gestured to the insides of the house with a polite smile on her lips.

"Come in." The courteous invitation resulted in Erwin Smith attempting to make himself comfortable in the living room in an armchair across from her less than a minute later. Again, he laced his fingers together which just kept bringing her attention back to his hands. They were big and calloused, but his fingers were slender. She wondered if his palm could envelop both her hands in its hold - highly possible. And then his voice snapped her out of her inappropriate thoughts.

"I wanted to thank you, Mrs Ste--- (Y/N)." Her momentary glare softened as he corrected himself. She kept listening silently, finding out that his voice was rather attractive when not giving booming speeches about bravery and sacrifice. "I spent the last two weeks contacting other sponsors that would be able to support our budget. We'll be ready for when your husband's anonymous endorser deters his generosity. Quite the disaster has been avoided due to your warning, so I need to express my gratitude." (Y/N) was quick to raise an eyebrow at him. He provided her with a confused look with a small smile. Again, it didn't seem fake. "Seeing as you are quite endowed when it comes to anything material I've come to request your company instead."

The statement shocked her enough to render her speechless for the overall of the following half a minute. Erwin gave her time to think it through. She did, three times in the least, but stayed just as clueless.

"My... company?" She stared at the blond's face wondrously, searching for anything that might hint what the reason behind his invitation was. She was quite sure that if a man as busy as himself wanted to thank somebody he'd send a letter and get it over with. He wouldn't march to their doorstep and tell them he wanted--- what exactly did he want from her? As if having read her thoughts, he spoke up.

"Will you please accompany me on a ride into town, next week? Maybe you could even spend the evening at our headquarters." Erwin's voice was smooth and deep and she found herself already agreeing at least a thousand times in her head. The look on her face however was obviously not expressive enough on the matter. "You don't need to give me an answer immediately of course." He cleared out, a mild tone of concern finding its way into his voice. She hastily waved her hands around in a dismissive manner.

"No, I--- I accept, it's just that I was thinking what I would say to my husband." She explained despondently, making his eyebrows raise questioningly.

"You need an excuse?" She, once again, eyed his fingers. Her head gave a slight nod despite the fact her thoughts and mouth didn't agree on one and the same topic.

"I always do, never the leave the house without one. If he learned I'd gone out with somebody, not to buy something he'd go mad." Her statement didn't seem to surprise the male. She felt like that was an impossible task. And her thoughts drifted back to his hands, his face, his eyes.

"It seems as if it truly is fortunate I've come here when he's not present." Erwin Smith's thoughtful hum sounded like a rumbling purr at the back of his throat. (Y/N) briefly wondered what his laugh sounded like. What his mere chuckle sounded like. Her eyes trailed over his lips curiously but then she snapped out of her daze and her gaze fled to his own, hoping that he hadn't noticed her eyeing his mouth. He had, judging by the amused sparkle in his blue orbs. She could feel herself redden in the slightest.

"It is, very much so. I appreciate the offer, and I accept. Just give me the details and I'll be there." She announced, a small smile crawling over her lips. She didn't know if it was because of the tension she'd created in her mind or the fact she was overwhelmed by this 'date' she'd have in near future with a man she obviously considered attractive. And then it happened.

"Of course." Erwin Smith's mouth curled in her direction kindly, eyes glimmering soothingly. No teeth were showing but she felt herself redden again. The sight of his genuine smile was something, as she found out later that night, that had imprinted itself in her mind.

[V]

The fifth time hit her fast and out of nowhere, right about the time she realised what he was about to do. Everything had been well. Her excuse was perfect. Her husband was oblivious. Erwin Smith was waiting for her when she walked out of the house in a pair of white pants and a (f/c) blouse. Her hair was tied and her eyes held an abnormally bright sheen. She was smiling, almost from ear to ear.

Erwin had escorted her to the town, where, she believed, her first-ever date took place. It lasted four hours and she'd never been happier. Ever since she'd gotten married - three years marked by the first day of the upcoming autumn, she'd never smiled this much. Erwin Smith seemed to surprise her, over and over again. She completely forgot he was a soldier, she forgot he was broken and hurt and the destiny of many lay on his shoulders. She forgot she was married and a noble. She forgot how she hated her life - this was her life now.

The walking, the looking, the blond's blue eyes, the smiles and the carelessness - they were her life now. And when the day made way for the chilly evening, the Commander mounted his horse as white as snow and they rode towards the horizon, soon arriving at the HQ. He helped her off the horse as she laughed, making him smile in return. It was late and Erwin Smith seemed more human than usual. His tone, his eyes, his face and his clothes were all casual and unbothered. Just for this one day, the busy Commander had made time for her. It made her smile every time she remembered it.

When he brought her up to his office and asked her opinion she just laughed.

"I loved it, I've never laughed this much in my life." Came the contented answer out of her lips. The blond was leaning on his desk, letting her observe the muscles that rippled under the white button-up shirt he'd put on. She couldn't stop her thoughts from taking off in a different direction. "Thank you for everything, Erwin." Using his name seemed odd yet satisfying. She figured she'd get used to it quickly, more so if he kept looking at her like he did at the moment.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Another hum at the back of his throat, another indecent thought in her head.

"Now tell me, really, why you wasted a whole day on me." She crossed her legs and stared up at him from the chair in which she sat.

"Well, first and foremost, it wasn't wasted. Second, I thought I was showing gratitude." He pretended to be casual and clueless, but in truth, she was sure he knew exactly what she was talking about when she addressed the entirety of today and the reasoning behind it. The blond folded his arms across his chest just as she started speaking, distracting her momentarily.

"Yes, but you could've done that on paper too. Instead, you came to the house and knocked on the door, and then asked me out on something that really reminds of a date. Why?" She put most emphasis on the last word mostly because it was the one that bugged her most. Why had he done all that? What had he gotten from it? Not money or more time surely. Erwin's face seemed to fall for a second before he just snorted and looked into her eyes.

"It seems I've been compromised. You are very interesting, (Y/N), you're not a noble. Not a normal one. Not only did you agree to a date with a soldier, but you helped one - a whole division that is much hated by the public in fact. I wanted to see you for a bit." His last sentence, although smooth and soft, confused her. It didn't make sense with everything else he'd said. Like a part of a different puzzle. She cocked an eyebrow and pursed her lips in doubt.

"You've seen me already." Came the pointed reply that made the blond huff. There was something pulling at the corners of his mouth, but she couldn't figure out what exactly. Amusement? Entertainment? Confidence?

"I wanted to see the you that laughed without restraint, without thinking of her husband and worrying about her appearance at all times." He explained, making her eyebrows furrow. He had seen it alright, he'd seen her laugh and not worry and not think of her boring husband. So what had it given him? The satisfaction of charming yet another noblewoman and having her wrapped around his little finger?

"Has it satisfied you?" She asked with a narrow of her eyes, defiantly tipping her chin upwards.

"You're saying it like you're being used." Erwin was looking down at her harmlessly, but she knew if he was the Commander of the Survey Corps, then he was also a great manipulator. And a liar. She wondered which he'd use in this conversation with her.

"It sounds like it. Am I not an experiment of yours? Just the next on the list of women you've managed to charm?" She questioned with a frown that made him smile kindly at her. Maybe in his eyes, she was a stubborn child who wasn't used to being treated well by somebody who lacked an ulterior motive. And maybe that was true.

"I'm afraid that list is rather short because I'm too busy to charm women. You're not a conquest, you're... unique." The word slipped out innocently but she was momentarily stunned by its presence. She'd never been called unique. Pretty - yes, smart - not so much, calm - a lot. Unique - this right now was a first.

"Unique? It's such a strange word coming from you." She snorted condescendingly, fluttering her eyelashes at his handsome face. His arms uncrossed and instead grasped the edge of the desk he was leaning on either side of his body. It provided her eyes with a glimpse at the hands she liked to observe so much.

"Why so?" He inquired harmlessly, making her face the ground instead of his gentle expression. She pouted like a child and stubbornly refused to answer for the next few seconds. With a snort, she came to the conclusion he wouldn't speak before she answered him.

"You're the busy commander that has made time for a date that gives him nothing. You're the one that made me laugh like that." Her voice might've been reluctant, but her heart and head weren't. She was telling the truth. And she was afraid because she was very attracted to him, in every single way there was. He had her wrapped around his little finger the moment he looked into her eyes.

"I'm flattered." He couldn't help but chuckle. It was a magical sound. Then he reached out a hand in her direction as if asking her to dance with him. She didn't take it immediately. "I have a question for you." She hummed curiously as his eyes pinned her down. "Are you married today? Tonight?" A sly smile pulled at her lips before she took his hand, immediately understanding where things were about to head.

"For you, I never seem to be married." Her voice was a hush and his eyes were just so blue. The moment she got up from the chair, he pulled her closer to his body with a smile of his own. He was handsome and clever, and he could lie. She wondered if he was lying when his next words were voiced, but the glimmer in his blue eyes immediately denied everything and assured her of how truthful he was being.

"That is very fortunate because what I'm about to do will make you an unfaithful woman."

He was eyeing her lips and she could feel it deep in her chest, something was stirring. A smile sprung out on her face as she relaxed against his muscular body and let herself be kissed. One thing led to another and if she was to say the night that followed wasn't the best night of her life she would be lying. Very much so. Because amongst all other things, Erwin Smith was also a tender lover. It was her first time getting worshipped during sex and she loved every second of it. To the point she woke up the next morning grinning.

[VI]

The sixth time was a gradual process, yet abrupt in all of its miserable beauty. It came months after the fifth. Her hand was handling a suitcase and her cheek had been gifted a very colourful bruise minutes prior. She stood in front of the door to his office, fumbling with the thoughts in her head and the words at the tip of her tongue. She couldn't ask the things she wanted to ask. Maybe she had to go elsewhere. Maybe her parents wouldn't disown her. Maybe there would be a single person she knew that didn't hate her. Before she could turn around and leave, the door to the office was opened.

"I didn't make an appointment." She blurted out suddenly, letting him overcome the initial surprise caused by her unexpected appearance. Then he saw the condition of her face and clothes.

"(Y/N), what happened?" His eyebrows knitted together as his mouth pursed. His gaze seemed to linger over the bruise on her cheek before settling on her eyes. He didn't enjoy the sight of it. Seeing as she wouldn't answer, he figured the topic was not to be discussed in the hallway. He ushered her inside and let her rest on the small couch by the wall. The door of the office was locked. He crouched in front of her and held her hands. His eyes - she couldn't get enough of how beautiful they were even in such a situation, prompted her to talk.

"Allan figured it out, I guess. He wasn't happy. But the divorce papers should go through the court by the end of the week." She was looking down because looking into his eyes was scary and she wasn't ready to do it yet. She figured he'd be disappointed. Maybe even angry. She didn't even know how Allan had found out about them but it wasn't bad enough she was now to live on the streets, shamed and ridiculed by everybody, Allan would also make sure nobody ever sponsored the Survey Corps. She basically ruined everything for Erwin.

"I'm sorry, darling." His voice was a soft hush as he placed a palm to her unhurt cheek and rolled his thumb over the skin. Her lips pursed. He shouldn't have been so calm about this - he was way smarter than her and the conclusion she'd reached had to had appeared in his mind as well. So why was he still so gentle?

"It's nothing, Erwin. Really." Her gaze traced the floor and the tips of the blond's boots, but she didn't dare look up, no matter how he was looking at her. His hand prompted her to do so as he spoke up.

"You're free to stay here for as long as you wish. You can sleep in my room or I can assign you a new one where nobody will be allowed to enter without your permission." The length he'd go to for her made her guiltier. She met his gaze and kept herself from drowning in it, for this was a serious conversation. Her heart wasn't erratic but it wasn't calm either.

"I'm fine with staying in your room. I feel comfortable there." She truly did. She wouldn't handle living all alone with herself. She needed Erwin as to not let the nightmares and paranoia win. She needed him so she could sleep properly, she even needed him so she could breathe. Doing that in a room alone with her thoughts seemed like an impossible task, but she just hoped she wouldn't create too much trouble for him.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" The kind smile made its way back to his features, but his eyes stayed somewhat stoic. He was thinking. He was thinking about how he'd handle everything. Maybe there was a way to avoid all trouble. If there was he'd find it.

"I just want you to hold my hand." She murmured longingly, making him stop in his tracks as he was about to stand up. Instead, he took a seat next to her on the couch and grasped her hand. The warmth of his palm enveloped her and for a second she felt way calmer. Safe and secure. And loved. She looked up at Erwin and it happened, a gradual yet abrupt process that broke her out of her misery for just a second.

"That I can do." At that moment, she could hardly find the words to describe anything about him. Not his voice, not his eyes, not his expression. 'Loving' was close to perfect, but not there yet. So she settled for describing the warm tranquillity and unconditional affection that overcame her as she stared up at his eyes. And she liked to believe he saw that as clearly as she felt it.

[VII]

The seventh visited her that one time when she woke up in his bed and realised how much he meant to her. She'd been sleeping calmly. She'd been sleeping calmly for the past month. She was now officially, once again, (Y/N) (L/N) and she and Erwin had celebrated it not once or twice, but numerous times when he managed to spare a few hours for her. After that things had calmed down. The Survey Corps wasn't broke yet and (Y/N) wasn't living on the streets. And then everyone had gone on a mission.

It wasn't like she'd ever seen an actual titan in her life, but after hearing Erwin's stories about them it became her number one wish not to have to see one either. He'd always chuckle when she said that, but deep down they both knew it was true. Everybody would wish to avoid the titans if they had the choice. Most nobles had that choice. People whose duty wouldn't let them choose themselves over others, however, were a whole other story. People in the Survey Corps were like that.

Undoubtedly, the months she spent in the headquarters made her understand soldiers better. They were still fascinating but now it wasn't in the 'pet' kind of way, it was in the 'person' kind of way. She felt a strong sense of admiration for those people who just felt like sacrificing their lives in order for others to live. She got to meet quite some cadets and she felt like the only person out of place. Most of them had had terrible experiences and the only tragedy in her life was that she was newly divorced and forced out of her comfort zone.

Besides cadets, (Y/N) was also introduced to most superiors Erwin trusted, including Hanji Zoe - the madwoman with a titan fetish and admirable bravery, Mike Zacharius - the silent sniffer who turned out to be a close friend of Erwin's, and last but not least, Levi Ackerman - the short right-hand man with a freakish thing for cleanliness and the strongest character ever. Erwin told (Y/N) one night as she helped him with his non-confidential paperwork about Levi's past and how much he had to go through. Like the average person she was, she felt the need to voice how she'd noticed from the start how broken he'd been. Erwin had let out a heartfelt chuckle to that.

In truth, her radar stayed just as sharp after she started living amongst soldiers. She could still see the masks and the grief-stricken features at times, even on Erwin, but now she saw them on people with pasts who longed for a better future than the one they saw in their heads. Erwin Smith was an exceptional dreamer on that topic - he could stay up late and tell her stories about the world outside the walls he'd read about and what he planned to do once he reached it. As of late, his plans also started including her, which made her smile every time he'd dreamily slip it into the story without ever realising he had.

She loved listening to him. But she hadn't even heard his voice in a week. She hoped everyone was safe.

This morning was strangely slow for her. She opened her eyes and stared out through the window, letting her thoughts flow free. The blue sky was calming but it was also a reminder of Erwin. She felt like he had a thousand blues in his eyes. The water, the sky, the ocean he loved to talk about, the flowers in the field just past the training grounds. She wanted to see his eyes. So much.

She rose from the mattress when the clatter of hooves made its way into the room through the open window. She stumbled out of bed and showed herself, seeing the carts and the horses and the people. Some were wounded. Some were missing. And some she knew. She waved when Hanji noticed her. The brunette nudged Levi, who also spared her a glance. Mike threw her a small smile. But she couldn't see Erwin.

Sudden panic gripped her heart, making the smile on her face freeze. Levi's eyes narrowed at the stiffness in her figure but then he looked back ahead and pretended not to have noticed it as Hanji started talking to him. (Y/N)'s hand lowered and she eyed the rest of the soldiers frantically, searching for the tall Commander. He was supposed to be the leader, the first in line upon their return, but maybe he'd decided to ride back for once. Or he was wounded and was in one of the carts. Her eyes couldn't find him there. She tried not to let the third possible option get to her.

Erwin was coming back. He always came back.

She heard the door to the room open, which made her swivel and eye the intruder. When her eyes met his blue ones she felt her shoulders sag in relief. Her face clearly showed that as well because his expression was rather amused. There was blood on his shirt. It wasn't his. The seventh time was barely recognisable but the room was so silent they both might've been able to pinpoint it.

She snorted and then she was sprinting towards him. He had just enough time to open his arms before she jumped, making his back hit the door with a thud. A small snort escaped his nose as his arms wrapped around her. She was laughing, relief was coursing through her body, and when he met her gaze she felt like the happiest girl.

"I see you've missed me." Amusement and fondness both laced that sentence. She couldn't discern which was more and which - less.

"You scared me." She stated, small hands cupping Erwin's cheeks gingerly as her legs locked around his waist at the ankles. She didn't intend on letting him go anytime soon. He chuckled sweetly and she felt her heart melt.

"I apologise for that." He hummed as she pecked his lips and stared into his eyes with adoration. She didn't want to lose him, ever.

"Important thing is you're back." She smiled and he, although tired, smiled right back. She loved that smile.

[VIII]

Eighth was the time she caught him pulling a fourth all-nighter in a row. He was in his office and he'd ever so confidently lied to her, saying that he'd come to bed. That had been about three hours ago. (Y/N) rouse from the bed in the dark and saw a thin line of dim light sneak into the room from under the door that parted Erwin's office from his quarters. She stood and stretched, and her spine popped gratefully in response before she went to the door and opened it.

Erwin's eyes didn't stray from the papers he was reading. She also stayed silent, making her way through the office and out of the door. Maybe after the door closed behind her back he looked up. She made her way down the cold hallways with bare feet before arriving at the kitchen. She made herself a cup of tea and for Erwin, she prepared some coffee. On her way out she saw Levi go in. Once he saw the cups in her hands and she saw the tired expression on his face they nodded at each other knowingly and didn't spare the other another glance.

(Y/N) went back to Erwin's office and presented him with the cup.

"You could've asked for my assistance." She stated casually as he wrote. He shook his head lightly.

"This is confidential."

"Is there nobody else you could ask?"

"Everybody has something to do. This is what I have to handle." He stated seriously before glancing up at her briefly. "You should go to bed."

"I'm afraid I'm so angry I'll have to refuse." She settled on the couch with her tea in hand as he snorted and kept writing. She observed his big hands and the blue in his eyes. She watched his eyelashes create a half-moon shadow on his cheekbones. She admired the way his hair was always in place. Her eyes traced his nose and trailed over the lines of his lips. It would've been very nice if she could just distract him somehow but she knew he wouldn't let it happen unless he had little to no work left or he was too tired to handle any more of it.

She knew she couldn't help so she just sat there silently, pondering her feelings as her eyes slid over every part of him. At one point his fingers stopped in their tracks and let the pen drop from them. He picked up another paper and started reading it from the top, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. She could see he was tired, judging by the yawn he let out a few seconds later. She knew there was no way she could force him into going to sleep - his thoughts would torture him either way.

Then his eyes were on hers. First, it was just a flicker that she barely noticed in her daze, but then Erwin looked at her and left the paper back on the desk. He weakly gestured for her to approach him. She didn't know how long she'd sat there but judging by the way her legs had gotten numb when she got up she understood it had to have been more than half an hour.

"Sleep?" She questioned hopefully, making him shake his head with a weak smile. He took her hand in his and tugged her closer. She understood what he wanted, so she sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You need sleep, Erwin." She reminded softly when his head dipped forward and his lips pressed against her bare shoulder. She smiled at the contact while running her fingers through his hair. Even with all that pomade he used it was still soft and pleasant to the touch.

"Just let me rest for a bit like this." He mumbled, lips still pressed against her shoulder. She sighed before a small 'sure' slipped out of her mouth and she made herself comfortable in his lap. Erwin left lazy kisses along the length of her neck before snuggling his face into the crook of it and breathing in. At the beginning, she thought it was so he could make sure she was there, but with time she came to realise it was because he wanted to remember. Etch her scent into his brain so he never got to forget.

(Y/N) kissed the top of his head and felt his hands squeeze her waist. Big and warm, that was what Erwin was. He also deserved a lot better than her. But, she thought, for now, she wouldn't complain. At one point Erwin faced her - messy hair, soft blue eyes and a kind smile, and she swore she could melt. The bit of paperwork the blond commander did before she sat in his lap was the last of paperwork he got to complete that night and the next morning when they both woke up in the chair behind his desk (Y/N) could only chuckle as Erwin scolded himself and groaned in alleged exasperation.

[IX]

The ninth time, no doubt, came when he told her that. It was a calm afternoon, no arguments, no incidents, no nothing. Most cadets had left because it was their day off and they wanted to visit their families. The little who stayed were in the mess hall. Most superiors stayed. Levi, Hanji, Mike and Erwin all did, along with (Y/N) herself. Lunch had passed and Erwin had decided to go into town with (Y/N). Maybe on another date, she secretly hoped, but she knew he'd probably shop and she'd just enjoy being in town for the most part.

Everything was great until her ex-husband showed up, along with her parents. She could only snort at the sight because he was the perfect son they'd always wanted. More than they wanted her for sure. Erwin had entered a shop he obviously needed something from and she'd been left outside. She hadn't minded it, but now it was different. She pursed her lips and attempted to turn away but her mother had already seen her.

There was glaring and frowning and the usual amount of condescension, but before things could get ugly Erwin exited the shop and put a warm hand to her shoulder. (Y/N) could see Allan's whole face twitch in annoyance.

"What a Prince Charming you've found for yourself, (Y/N). I didn't expect a slut like you would be anywhere but a ditch after I threw you out." Her ex-husband sneered, making Erwin glare as she bit her tongue spitefully, in an attempt to keep the words in. "Have you nothing to say for yourself?" He taunted, making her snort. Erwin must've known what was coming because he was already smirking.

"I'm sorry, Allan, but I don't feel the need to humour your pathetic way of trying to make me feel bad. I'm tolerating you only because of the fact that if I don't you're going to be the one ending up in a ditch and I don't really want human blood on Erwin's hands. As my Prince Charming, he feels really obligated to slay the dragon if I deem it needed." The blond by her side smiled affirmatively, making Allan's face twitch again. She knew it was a bluff that wouldn't get called while also doubting it was an actual bluff. She hadn't seen Erwin in action but she could bet he could knock out somebody with no experience in combat with a simple punch and that would be more than enough to teach Stevenson a lesson.

"We have to go, (Y/N). We're late." Erwin tugged her along as she frowned up at him, confused. Her ex-husband and parents were left behind, fuming and ever so slightly embarrassed.

"Late?" She echoed, making Erwin sigh in disappointment. She wondrously eyed the genuinely sad expression on his face with growing worry. They stood in front of the stables and Erwin pulled out a small velvet box from the pocket of his uniform jacket, showing her the ring inside. Her mouth gaped.

"Yes, I was supposed to propose to you five minutes ago. I'm afraid we've already arrived at the part where you say 'yes' and kiss me." The explanation ended with a charming smile for Erwin and a slack jaw for (Y/N).

"You're not serious." She stated in disbelief.

"Only if you don't want me to be. Then the ring is a present and I stay the Prince Charming who loves you." The blond's confidence was astounding, but so was the gesture he was performing. She could start crying in the middle of the street and she wouldn't care. The meaning of his last words reached her subsequently just as she was about to open her mouth. All of a sudden there was no oxygen and Erwin's eyes had managed to hypnotise her.

"I say it plays the role of an engagement ring." She said in the end after being able to take a breath. He smiled and slipped the ring on her finger.

"That's technically a 'yes', you know." Erwin seemed smug and she couldn't stop staring at his face. He was so handsome. So important. So special and unique. Hers.

"I know." She was grinning.

[X]

The tenth time was a constant struggle where the opposition just couldn't win. She had to say it, she told herself continuously after the 'engagement'. A week later she still hadn't. And then she caught Erwin sitting by himself, not in his office like Hanji or in the mess hall like Levi, but on the steps of the HQ in the middle of the night. She'd tapped his shoulder and when he'd turned around to face her, she'd been mesmerized by the lines of his face in the moonlight.

"Don't stay too long. It's cold out here." She warned, making him nod. She stood at his side for two minutes before taking a seat next to him and following his gaze to the stars in the sky. Some were vivid, some were little and plain and some had just the right amount of sheen to be noticed fast yet not immediately. She felt like she was observing the night sky for the first time in her life.

The ring on her finger was heavy but not in an unpleasant way. It reminded her of the way she now belonged somewhere. With somebody. She stared up at the sky and wished she could stay this calm forever. That she could stay with Erwin forever. She knew that would also come to an end, but the optimist in her told her it wouldn't be in a tragic way. Erwin was a good man, a capable soldier and a person who deserved all the best. The universe would do a lot not to refuse him that at least. A little bit of the happiness he deserved.

A few minutes later she noticed the blond was looking at her, not the stars. She faced him and smiled. He was silent. Maybe this was the right moment, she told herself. She could do it now, she was brave enough.

"Erwin," she started hesitantly, immediately drawing in his focus, "I..." She found herself incapable of proceeding as planned. "I want to be with you." His gaze softened as she grasped his hand. "You keep telling me you'll disappoint me but you could never ever do that. You tell me you'll probably leave me early, but I say damn that. You'll keep coming back and I'll wait. I'll wait as long as needed."

"You said all that but still can't force out that last bit, can you?" He chuckled and she pouted, knowing he knew what she'd been meaning to say in the beginning.

"I can. Because I love you."

The sound of his chuckle halted and he stared into her eyes wondrously, not believing her words. The opposition had won. Then his face relaxed and he was smiling again.

"I know you can. You can do everything you want to." They'd had this type of moment so many times she couldn't keep track anymore, but this one was especially important because it was the first time in her life when she said 'I love you' to somebody and meant it. Erwin's eyes were beautiful and the flags in her head were still white and hopelessly waiting to be raised. His eyes saw right through her, all the way to the intertwined thoughts and the line connecting all the dots. They had from the very first moment.

"I adore your eyes." She shared bluntly, not minding the way in which he would react. He huffed and gave her a knowing smile.

"I've known that for quite some time." He shared in return, making her redden as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. When she looked into his eyes again the tenth time came - her heart skipped another beat. Her smile broadened the more Erwin kept looking at her. She counted mentally and the number ten sounded in her mind before her focus strayed to the stars in the sky again. She stared up at them, relishing in the feeling of Erwin's warm hold on her hand and the sensation of his beautiful eyes on her visage, figuring out the thoughts in her head.

Ten times in total did Erwin Smith make her heart skip a beat. But she'd keep counting in hopes that they grew; in hopes that he'd keep doing it until they grew old and grey together; in hopes that he'd do it every day as to prove he was there, and to make her remember him and every moment they'd spent in each other's presence. (Y/N) would keep counting, even when they became a hundred or a thousand or a million, or a number she no longer knew how to pronounce.

[mycrofts-gunbrella]

Severus Snape x Reader- Parchment and Cologne (Part One)

"Is it wrong? Like seriously am I completely bonkers?" You laughed to your best friend.

"Having a crush on our head of house/ potions master/ evil bat dungeon swooshy cape man? I mean it's not particularly great, Y/N, is it?" She laughed back. "Besides, why Ol' Snapey Boy when you could have Professor Lockhart? Now that, my friend, is man you could do you wonders.. if you catch my drift.." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and you couldn't help but smack her with your pillow.

"Honestly, (F/N), I often ask myself how I possibly bring myself to be able to tolerate you.. I open my heart for 5 minutes and get attacked." You smirked.

"It's because you love me really.. plus, I should be asking myself the same question. My 18 year old best friend is going all heart eyes over human Scar." You looked at her quizzically before she answered your oncoming question. ".. muggle movie reference. I'm honestly going to force you to watch Disney movies one day." She swore. You rolled your eyes at her for changing the subject and slumped back in your bed.

"Honestly what am I going to do? It's beyond 13 year old me's little crush now.. ever since he started properly teaching us last year and with all the revision sessions he offered me I actually really like him.." You sighed and borderline smacked your head against the headboard.

"Why him anyway? You seem to have chosen the only man who is in love with a cloak. Seriously, he takes that thing everywhere. I'm 99% sure it's stitched into the man's neck at this point." She giggled the last part to herself but you heard it all the same.

"If you actually bothered turning up to our revision session and didn't make me be the only person that shows you'd see that he's actually really caring.. he's even cracked a few jokes every now and then" you smiled to yourself. ".. plus he's hot." You both began to burst out laughing again before you decided it was time to turn in.

"Try not to dream of your lover boy, Y/N... you have a study session with him first thing tomorrow. Don't want to be all flustered." She winked before blowing the lamp out. Honestly she wound you up as much as she could but, she was right, you do love her really.

The hours of sleep seemed to pass by within minutes as you soon found yourself wandering the great corridors of Hogwarts to the potions classroom, knocking three times on the door before entering as you always do. With simple 'good mornings' shared and a book left in your normal seat you got straight to studying. Popping in the same strawberry gum you never seemed to run out of, you chewed quietly as you got to work. Typically, Snape would stay beside you and help you answer any questions you may have whilst also asking many more of his own. In the few months of studying with Snape it was evident that the two of you created some kind of bond, whether it be him simply asking you how your day has been or letting you in to some memories of his, Snape was definitely becoming more open and comfortable around you. And you loved it.

Today however was different.

"I do apologise but I'm going to have to work on a half prepared potion that's been left at the back of my classroom. Although I say 'half prepared' in the sense that half of it is now on the floor. How Mr Finnigan has even survived this long in the wizarding world is truly beyond me." He spoke, walking to the discarded cauldron and working on the mixture of ingredients.

"And you're making it for him? Now do correct me if I'm wrong Professor but that's a seemingly nice action. Are you feeling alright?" You joked, glancing behind you and warming inside when you saw the small smile appear on his face.

"Don't lose your head, Miss L/N. I simply do not wish for this entire thing to go to waste... besides, I need Mr Finnigan to have a perfect example for him to refer to when he comes back this afternoon to write a 4 paged essay on it." The smile raised to the side of his mouth and, should it have been anyone else, you'd have dared say a slight wink followed. You felt your cheeks turn pink and turned back to your book.

"What's with the formalities all of a sudden? 'Miss L/N'? You're making me feel like a child again, Professor." You attempted to distract yourself from looking at the man behind you.

"Well then I must insist you call me Severus in such meetings as this. Of course you must understand you're only permitted to say this when we're alone, Y/N." God you loved it when he said your name but he's really allowing you to go by his own first name? Your cheeks burned more and you felt your cool hands rush to your face to calm them.

"Seems fair, Severus." You felt his name roll off your tongue and it felt right. You turned behind you and saw a shade of red begin to dust the older man's cheeks as he gave you a curt nod. Silence pursued. Minutes passed and you felt yourself begin to shiver. Of course the one day you decide to leave your robe in your room is the one day it's minus seven thousand in the dungeons. You attempted to ignore the goosebumps appearing on your arms as you read through another passage of Snape's hand written notes for you. Your concentration lacked as you began to rub your hands over your arms and you became uncomfortable. "Hey Profe-uh Severus? I'm just going to go-" you didn't get to finish your sentence before a sudden warmth enveloped you. Confusion took over before you suddenly felt like your face was on fire. Severus Snape. Had. Given. You. His. Cloak.

"You were foolish to believe it wouldn't be cold down here, Y/N. I took you as one of my smartest students and yet you clearly lack common sense." He mused, a playful undertone in his voice that let you know he wasn't being serious. You stammered out a small 'thank you' before continuing back to your work. Why had he given you his cloak? The Slytherin common room was only around the corner; you could be back in less than 5 minutes. You decided to stop questioning it and pressed on. Time seemed to drag in the newly found silence until you began to have a very very strong smell of tea. The same tea Sev usually has on his desk before every lesson, but you hadn't seen it today. Next followed the distinct smell of old parchment and? Snape's cologne? You turned your head to find nothing but Severus stirring the last ingredient into his cauldron. Weird.

"Uh, Severus? Can you smell that? It's like the library in here." You laughed a little. "And, not to sound weird or anything because I obviously don't just walk around and smell you.. uh.. because obviously that's not normal.." you began to mutter incoherently before realising you were actually mid-sentence. "... but have you like sprayed your cologne? Or whatever you use? Because it's really strong... not that it's not a nice smell because it is a nice smell but-" you were cut off by raised eyebrows staring in your direction. Before you could even mention the fact it smelt like you were sitting inside a teapot Severus cut you off.

"What did you say?" He asked, looking at you as if you were a mad man.

"That I smell old paper? And your cologne? What's so crazy about that?" You questioned.

"Nothing. Nothing would be crazy about that. Except I've run out of my cologne and all the books are in the cupboard... and I'm brewing amortentia.." It was almost as though the world had stopped spinning. He was brewing amortentia? You knew exactly what that meant.. you'd been caught out. You opened your mouth to speak but nothing came out. Your face burnt and your mouth became dry as you tried to form even a single sentence. Snape cut you off once more by taking a deep inhale of the cauldron in front of him. ".. I smell.. raspberry shampoo.. peppermint tea and... that strawberry bubblegum those Weasley Twins sell in that little shop of theirs.." You froze again. "So.. you." You felt like you were about to collapse. "I smell.. you." Good lord Y/N, Severus bloody Snape has just told you he smells you in the amortentia.. MOVE.

[demonicheadcanons]

The Wrong Clothes - A Lucio x MC (SFW) Drabble - The Arcana

You wake up to a knock at the bedroom door. It takes a few moments before you realise you’ve called out, and the person is answering, words lost on you as your brain tries desperately to catch up.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” you call, laughing.

“The... err, ex-count, Lucio, has asked us to come get you for the meeting, MC. It has started already and your lack of presence has made him somewhat...”

“Ah, I understand,” you respond, stifling a laugh. You could imagine how Lucio would be acting right now; that pout on his face, eyes trailing off along the walls as he refuses to focus, tapping his golden metal fingers against his arm impatiently, voice shrill and snappy as he answers. You’d seen him before, lingering in a doorway as he spoke to someone or other, and you remembered how his entire demeanor had softened when you slid your hand into his.

You clear your throat now and slide out of bed, sparing a glance at the clock before freezing. It was after noon, almost an hour past when the meeting was supposed to start, the sun high in the sky already. How had no one come to wake you up before now?

Your blood turns to ice in your veins as you grab whatever semi-formal clothing you find first and shove it on. A quick brush over your hair, and with boots on, you bolt out the door, startling the servant who gives you a questioning look as you sprint down the corridor. Lucio didn’t take kindly to being abandoned for so long, needy as he was, and he’d definitely need an apology this time.

Usually he would come get you the second he woke up, and would drag you around by his side all day, unwilling to let you leave for even a moment unless you really wanted to, and even then he’d stand and huff until you returned. He’d relaxed lately, mellowed out just a little as life became somewhat normal after everything the two of you had been through, but if you made plans together it was expected that you would stick to them.

Before you can barrel past another stray servant, you pause to ask if they’ve seen Lucio, and can’t quite make sense of the look they give you before smiling and stating that they had last seem him making his way around the ballroom. When you get there, he’s no where to be seen, and unable to hear even the faint clacking noise of his heels, you sigh and walk until you find another staff of the palace - a chef, the one who bakes the bread you liked, and whom you’d gotten hired there after everything had returned to normal.

He beams at you now, giving you that same grin he always greeted you with, although the wink he throws in makes you feel... nervous. People had been acting weird when they saw you, and you couldn’t make sense of it, too worried over finding Lucio to figure it out.

“Well, if it isn’t MC! What’s wrong, love? You look like you’ve run the entire length of the palace,” he chuckles joyously, eyes glittering.

“I feel like I have,” you groan, placing a hand over your chest and taking a deep breath to settle your racing heart. “You haven’t seen Lucio, have you?”

“I have indeed!” The chef smirks now, leaning in closer and talking in a low conspiratorial tone. “He was in a right state, he was! Came into the kitchen, all over the place, complaining about this and that. Countess Nadia looked about ready to turn tail and march right out of there, lest her headache get any worse. I don’t know how you put up with him, my dear.”

“Its my fault. I’m... really late.” You let out a sigh, pouting slightly as you imagine just how worked up Lucio is. He’d been trying hard, but this had probably set back peoples’ opinions on him a little at this point. Your next words aren’t quite directed at the chef, but rather at the entire staff of the palace. “I’m so sorry.”

“Not at all, MC! Don’t worry about it. He’s been much better since you’ve started coming here, I’ve heard. Everyone’s real grateful. And it seems like he’s trying harder, too. We all have our bad days.” The chef gives you a softer smile, patting your shoulder. “I think they were heading into Countess Nadia’s dining room, last I heard, for a brief tea break. You’ll probably find him there.”

“Thank you so much.” You briefly throw your arms around the chef’s shoulders, and he lets out a bubbly laugh. Last time you hugged him, you’d admitted that having him in the palace felt like having a family here, made it all more homely for you when you were away from the store, and he’d let out the same laugh. It makes your grip tighten the slightest bit before you release him.

“No worries at all, kid. Come by the kitchen later and I’ll save you some of that pumpkin bread you love. I’ve been trying some new recipes and I desperately need an opinion I respect.”

You let out a laugh at that - he respected Nadia, but you two had a running joke about the nobility here, talking about them through fake sneers and rolled eyes. Only in private, of course, because you were sure Lucio and Nadia both wouldn’t quite take kindly to it. The chef beams at you, winking one last time before he releases you fully and tells you to run along, now, and don’t keep your fancypants boyfriend waiting any longer.

You burst into the dining room without thinking and almost barge into someone holding a stack of trays and empty plates, and apologise, flustered, as everyone turns to look at you. Nadia’s eyes light up and you can finally place the look you’ve been getting from everyone, her included.

Amusement. Was it really so obvious that you’d slept in and not had time to prepare at all for this? No one expected you to be at top shape like the actual nobels here, and so you could usually get away with having a worse-for-wear day without anyone reacting to it. Not like they all had been today.

Lucio himself frowns when he first sees you, but even his expression breaks as he looks you up and down, a bemused smirk on his face as he stands to pull you over and sit beside him. Asra stifles a chuckle behind one hand, and although he still glares faintly every time you’re beside Lucio, he too looks like he’s only just holding back laughter.

“Did you sleep in, then?” Asra asks instead, purple eyes alight with mischief.

You let out a non-committal hum, not enjoying how everyone appears to be judging you whilst you’re completely left out of the joke. You turn to Lucio with a faint pout, waiting for answers, for anything, but he simply folds his arms and continues watching you. Payback, you assume, for leaving him alone with Nadia and Asra for so long.

With a sigh you turn to the rest of the table and ask about how the meeting had gone so far - had many plans been made for the upcoming masquerade? Nadia scoffs, glancing between you and Lucio.

“Something was occupying our focus too much to make as much headway as we would have liked,” she says, glaring pointedly at Lucio as he pouts and kicks his feet about under the table, refusing to look at her. You sip your tea to hide a grin, before looking at her earnestly.

“I’m sorry for being so late. I don’t know why I slept in so late.”

Asra lets out a laugh into his teacup, sputtering the liquid everywhere, and Nadia barely stifles her own as she passes him a handkerchief. Lucio’s ears flush red as he looks at you, grinning, and you pout fully at him now.

“Why is everyone laughing at me today?” you ask, and his gaze becomes lighter, more sympathetic. You can see through it, see the mischief that glitters in his white eyes, but he’s trying.

“If I had slept in too,” he comments, looking you up and down again before continuing, “It might have seemed rather... suggestive.”

You finally take the time to look down at your outfit, and your breath catches. Ah.

There would be less implications in your wearing his shirt, top two unbuttons undone and collar slightly frumpled, if you had woken up on time. You look back up at Lucio, feeling your face heat up as he smirks again, his dimple proudly showing now at the corner of his mouth. He presses a kiss to your temple and you feel yourself smile too before burying your head in your hands.

“I have so much explaining to do,” you sigh.

AN: I wrote this a long time ago and I don’t know where I was going with it. I remember writing this all in one go, something about the idea of Lucio seeing you in his clothing but absolutely not saying a word and letting misunderstandings ensue. Anyway, a little drabble for my favourite Arcana boy ^^

[disfordevineaux]

Chase x Julia (Chasulia) Headcanons

Part 1

Requested by @mimeless​ & @cyborglovesong​

Height difference. Enough said. 5′11 vs 5′2

Chase will do something, impulsive, against Julia’s wishes which will cause them both to get into trouble by Chief. Julia is already in lukewarm water with Chief (let's not even get into Chase’s stance with Chief, he’s basically just a tool to her at this point let’s be frank) and is devastated by this: ‘I’m not angry, just disappointed’ lecture they will both receive.

Following this will be the moment she does ‘snap’. It will be a cataclysmic event in which Chase is thrown down a flight of stairs breaking every bone in his body, metaphorically speaking of course. He will be put in his place and forced to stay there and reflect on his actions. The dynamic is forever changed, Julia has asserted her dominance as the bigger brain and it has terrified Chase.

Chase does take the time to officially apologise for his previous transgressions in a formal way. During the time before, he briefly touched on the notion of his wrongfulness towards her character but never completely said ‘I’m sorry’. He would sometimes trickle in a ‘well, you know I’m wrong so-’ or an ‘I guess you were correct all along-’ here and there. Her forgiveness (but insisting that she will not forget) soon weighs upon his good conscious and good-natured soul and devises up a script of repent he will definitely butcher upon presentation. Julia will be touched simply by the effort he put into trying to do the right thing and mend things as he bumbles it and makes sure he is aware of her appreciation and acceptance of his apology. On conditions.

Once Julia officially takes the lead in their partnership, people often mistake Chase for her assistant and or bodyguard because of how he is now forced to step back from the situation and mill about, shadowing her.

Julia begins to match Chase at his own ‘sass’ game and starts peppering in quick quips whenever she can. At first, they aren’t always the best but with enough practise and dedication, she is incredibly good at taking a jab at him.

Chase is very good at giving Julia compliments riddled with unintentional insults - a Complisult, Part insult, part compliment. Reference: Britta from Community.

‘‘You should stop taking slander from people Miss Argent, you deserve better than disrespect from those below you. Someone as ‘self-declared’ intelligent as you should be able to come up with something witty in the moment. You can practise on me if you need. I have thick skin.’‘

Chase does not have thick skin.

Julia will comprise a list of things Chase must and mustn't do for them to be able to work together without complications and for his own safety. All copies are laminated (waterproof) and she even made a mini one for his wallet. The main point on the list he will attempt to revoke will be: ‘Chase shall not drive any ACME vehicles unless given express permission from Julia Argent.’

Chase will always hold the umbrella between them when they need to share one on a rainy day because he always forgets to bring his own. He tells Julia that she should walk a little faster when he holds it above them both and Julia retorts that he should simply walk slower, as it’s not like he ever has anywhere important to go, being him.

Chase unintentionally memorized Julia’s coffee order, hot and cold. He insists it’s because she always makes him go and get it but that is only a small contributing factor.

On that note, Chase will sometimes volunteer or suggest to get her a coffee, even when he doesn't want one himself. He just sometimes feels like being nice, only to Julia because she always is nice back.

Chase becomes oddly willing to share his food with Julia or even go get her food and make sure she’s happy with it. He is the one who will send the food back at a restaurant if it wasn’t what she asked for. He tells her that life is too short and pain-ridden for settling for subpar food and that he is happy to make sure she is free from that.

They both agree that marriage is completely overrated. Chase insists it’s a financial scam used by the property market and bank organisations to force money stricken couples into overspending and gathering unneeded debt to commit to the social norms of companionship, as well as the source of overpopulation. Julia sees marriage more of a poor means of expressing one's true love but can see where Chase is coming from. Chase insists it’s a money-laundering scheme set up by patriarchal ideals no longer relevant in society and that it has nothing to do with love, just money.

Long stakeouts often consist of simple conversational fillers that turn into a critical analysis of the society and the poor way it operates, in Chase’s opinion. Julia just enjoys the stimulating, rather educated conversation, even if he often unravels once Julia puts her very unerring 2 cents in about how the world isn’t all bad.

Julia is far too nice in Chase’s opinion. Especially in regards to him. He will often state how if he was her, he would have been much harsher to himself. Julia finds this self-reflection a welcomed sign and in a moment of teasing, she then comments that he’s right and that she will be much harsher and unforgiving to him from now on. This wasn’t the desired outcome Chase was hoping for and ultimately regrets ever saying something.

Chase will fight anyone who disrespects Julia even to a minute degree. He jokes, in an unusual way to outsiders that insulting Julia is ‘his and only his job.’ that it is a ‘privilege, not a right’. At first, Julia didn’t find this funny but after an uncomfortable interaction with a slightly sexist and condescending governmental man, witnessing Chase sucker punch him right in the face in broad daylight allowed her to fully understand and appreciate the point Chase was cryptically trying to convey in a really bad way.

Julia insists that she can fight her own battles, like a functional adult. Chase says that he never said she couldn’t, that throwing that hot coffee over the rude officer and shoving the snobby personal assistant who said Julia looked like a knock off career barbie doll into the lobby ornamental fish pond was strictly based upon personal previous gripes with said individual.

When given the chance to relax and not feel like he is being rivalled, (why does he feel this way? Toxic masculinity forced upon him throughout his entire childhood he still can’t seem to shake or get away from, that’s what) Chase is endearing with his loyalty. It’s the best way he can show affection, romantical and non-romantical.

After screaming it far too many times, Chase has been banned from saying ‘LA FEMME ROUGE’ ever again and Julia stipulated that if he even murmurs it in his sleep she will take legal action against him for every penny he has. Chase at first took this with a grain of salt and yelled it as loud as he could laughing in defiance as she grimaced. The next day, Chase had a young man ask if he was in fact, ‘Chase Devineaux’ while waiting in line for coffee. Once he said yes, all the man said was say; ‘you’ve been served’ and handed him a formal document to say he is being sued by Julia Argent. Whom had, overnight, copyrighted the saying: ‘La Femme Rouge’ and is formally suing him for unlawful use of her saying in a public space. Chase no longer questions Julia’s intentions from this day forward and is equally terrified and in awe of her follow-through.

Julia has also banned Chase from using puns or wordplay in lieu of Carmen Sandiego’s name. With the previous threat having substance he does not test it. Chase still tells Julia for someone whose passion is history and literature, she lacks the theatrical flair that comes with it and thought someone like her would appreciate the wordplay, especially when it comes from someone whose first language isn’t English.

It’s safe to say that Chase becomes additionally thoughtful in his actions, more so because he doesn’t want to upset Julia by making an easily avoidable mistake. He wasn’t completely devoid of forethought, he just didn’t take time out for it, now he does.

There weren’t many instances before where Chase smiled, not being a cocky smirk. His genuine small smile is a welcomed thing they both enjoy at the right time.

It doesn’t take Julia very long to figure out that mints were a substitute for his cigarette addiction he later tells her is a ‘European thing’ when really it’s something he started doing at 14 to 1) look cool and 2) because he liked it. Now it mainly quells the stress that pools inside him. It started out with more mints and no cigarettes, then slowly adapted to all cigarettes and no mints. She makes an effort to always have some with her so he doesn't smoke as when he does because his clothes reek and also because it’s incredibly unhealthy. It’s especially apparent when they are in close quarters for days on end. Julia comments on how diligent he is on his appearance and insists that smell is a part of that too. Chase tries to deflect the awkwardness of Julia’s care and comments: ‘’Didn’t know you were so focused on my looks Miss Argent, I’m flattered.’’ Although, this comment immediately backfires as Chase found that this just made himself feel horribly more awkward with what it may imply.

Julia never thought or expected that Chase could talk with a hushed voice or even in a warm tone about normal things. Seeing him casually, sitting comfortably slouched as if relaxed in his car seat is humbling, comforting and humanising. It reminds her that he is, in fact, just another person trying to do their best at whatever they can.

Chase slowly comes to expect and enjoy Julia’s informational talks and explanations. When actually listening, because he has to now, he understands their relevance to the case on hand and finds it like watching the history channel on TV, except the presenter isn’t an unattractive 80-year-old man with an unbearable cockney accent. Her voice is oddly pleasing when not forcing himself to be angry at every second of his existence. He notes that she is a very good speaker.

Julia teaches him to slow down and Chase guides her on taking what’s rightfully hers.

Chase is a good shot. He is the type of person who is better with their hands than their mind. For some reason, it’s the one thing he doesn’t brag about when he really could be, as he is a really good shot. Julia learns of his skill and implores him to teach her. Absolutely vexed at the idea that he can finally teach her something he accepts. He teaches her well and with great success until they are kicked out of the shooting range because Chase decided to show off. He shot down every lane hitting each target in the head, chest and groin perfectly exclaiming that you get ‘triple points’ for combos. The manager of the range and other customers found this incredibly insensitive but with how joyful and upbeat it made him, seeing him smile with genuine happiness, Julia couldn’t help but laugh along too, accepting the lifetime ban from the range with pride.

[kunstpause-archive]

From the scrap pile

Thanks to @elveny and @kittimau for tagging me ❤

This was surprisingly hard bc even though I scrapped easily over 100k words over the course of our big DA2 fic alone I keep reusing small bits and pieces in odd places and the stuff I totally throw out I don’t like enough to show to anyone really

But I did find something. This is from 2018, it was set pretty early on in our story Precipice of Change and was the original first meeting between Cullen and Cassia, before we heavily reworked the story.

I don’t know who did this already so feel free to ignore me but tagging @captainderyn @tishinada @curiousthimble @cornfedcryptid @faerieavalon @sharkapologists @fandomn00blr @serial-chillr @wardenari @ranawaytothedas @midnightprelude @charlatron @anchanted-one

Under a cut for length-reasons. :D

Cassia had underestimated the way towards the Gallows, it seemed. ‘They are really serious about this whole separation thing’ she mused while waiting for her boat to cross over. She had never been even near this place before and for good reason. The closer she got the more daunting the huge statues looked. All of a sudden, she could understand Adriene’s refusal to take any work that would require going here a little bit more. But on the other hand… they needed the money and the pay just seemed too good to not at least try. She only hoped she would get anywhere after her sister had already turned down the offer. Rather colourfully apparently, or so Cassia had heard. 

When she stepped into the courtyard for the first time, she couldn’t suppress a small shiver. There were tranquil around, selling wares. Some mages walked briskly, not looking around much. And templars. So many templars… She wasn’t sure she had ever seen so many templars in one spot before, and there was an eerie feeling in the air for some reason.

Cassia was used to hiding among regular people. Non-mages. Even hiding in front of templars at the chantry. It usually involved looking either as unassuming or as disarmingly open as possible for her. Light clothes that made it obvious she wasn’t hiding anything underneath, a bright smile and most importantly: no staff. For the first time, the absence of the most trusted weapon was something she could almost physically feel, though, before she shook her head. It wasn’t as if it would do her any good even if she had her staff with her. Under this amount of vigilance and raw power, she wouldn’t even get one spell off before they took her down. She shook off the sense of doom that seemed to permeate the very air in this place, put on her brightest smile and went up to the next patrol, asking for the Knight-Captain who had made her sister the oh-so-well-paid offer earlier. 

Cullen had been deeply immersed in the report on his desk when a knock on his door pulled him out of his concentration. “Yes?” he called out, trying not to lose track of where he was on the document.

“There is a Serah Hawke here to speak to you, Knight-Captain,” came the muffled voice of one of the recruits on guard duty from the outside. Irritation went through him at the reason for the disturbance. 

“Tell her I don’t have time,” he called out again. He didn’t know what it had been exactly but something about her had made him slightly uneasy, even though she had been a great help at the coast.

“She is standing right next to me and insists,” the recruit called through the door again, and Cullen felt the irritation grow even stronger. 

“Fine, send her in then.” What in the world did she want? She had made her disdain of templars in general quite clear only a few hours ago, and he had no desire for a repeat performance. 

“What do you want?” he sighed impatiently. “Because if I remember correctly, you said something about never wanting to set foot in the Gallows ever again rather loudly not that long ago.” With an impatient glare, he looked up from his documents at the intruder in his office only to be met with a pair of raised eyebrows that definitely did not belong to the woman he had met earlier that day.

“I get the feeling I have to apologise on behalf of my sister, Knight-Captain,” the woman standing in his office said in a light and slightly amused voice. “I am Cassia Hawke, and I am here about a job you offered her.”

Sister? His first thought was that he had probably never seen siblings look less alike than the two of them. They looked like complete opposites of each other. And from his first impression, they sounded like it, too. The woman in front of him was nothing short of charming, not a trace of the hostility her sister had shown him.

“Knight-Captain Cullen,” he introduced himself even though he was certain she already knew that. “Forgive my reaction, but I am somewhat confused, Serah Hawke.”

The information she had gotten from Fenris had not been much. Adriene hadn’t been willing to listen for very long, it seemed, but she was certain he had said Knight-Captain Cullen had been the one offering said job. She gave him a careful once-over. He looked… younger than she had anticipated. In her head, the Knight-Captain of a city as big as Kirkwall had been someone more seasoned. More looking at home behind a desk. Knight-Captain Cullen looked like he was around her age, maybe even the slightest bit younger. Like he should be out there, on the frontlines instead of in here, doing paperwork. He must have had a steep career to end in such a prestigious position at this part of his life already. 

“Confused about me asking for a job?” Cassia had put on her best, most pleasant smile for the occasion. 

“Yes, given that not long ago your sister told me, rather colourfully, her stance on working for us or even considering it,” he said drily. 

Cassia nodded in understanding. “Adriene has very strong opinions on several subjects,” she said, sounding as diplomatically as she could. 

The way she phrased it made Cullen think that their differences definitely went beyond the physical appearance.

“And you don’t?” he asked skeptically. She laughed softly, and he was surprised at the thought that it was a rather pleasant sound.

“Oh, I do! They do not always coincide, however. Which is why I am here.” 

“So you decided you want to help us, despite your sister feeling so strongly about the templars?” Cullen was still not quite convinced, too strong had the reaction of her sister been when he offered her the job. 

“To be quite honest, Knight-Captain, helping you is more of a side benefit,” Cassia shrugged. “I heard the pay is good and that working with the templars is quite reliable here.”

When Cullen didn’t immediately say anything, she went on.

“You don’t believe me? Maker, what did Adriene say? No, don’t tell me, I can guess. But no matter.” She sighed. “Look, we came here from Ferelden, fleeing from the Blight. We had to leave behind everything, start over completely here. If we ever want to get somewhere, hard work is the only way. So, there you have my motivation.”

Cullen gave her a speculative look. She sounded honest, surprisingly open in her explanation. Another complete opposite from her very guarded sister it seemed. Her sister who seemed to have been in a constant state of battle ready. Cassia Hawke meanwhile looked… soft. Her braids had flowers in it and she was wearing a simple, but very becoming dress. At first glance, he could not imagine her taking on fights in back alleys if it came to it.

“I’m not sure this job is right for you, Serah,” he started carefully. “You look… Not like a mercenary if I have to be honest.”

Cassia smiled brightly. “I dress for the occasion,” she said with a hint of mischief in her voice. “I am here to get a job, not to pick fights with people after all.”

“A fair point,” Cullen relented. It wasn’t like everyone who could carry a weapon did so all the time after all. “I apologise for the assumption.”

“Oh I’m not offended, don’t worry,” she said almost immediately before she gave him a calculating look. A hint of playfulness appeared on her face. “On second thought, maybe I am,” she said slowly. “Terribly offended actually!” 

Cullen raised his eyebrows. “Terribly offended?”

“Yes. It’s awful, really.” Cassia did her best, putting on her most practiced fake upset look. But she couldn’t quite quell her own amusement as she spoke. “I fear, only a job offer might be able to smooth this over…”

Her gamble seemed to pay off, the Knight-Captain definitely looked amused by now. “Would it now? And if I were to leave you in this offended state?”

“Then I would have to storm out of here in a huff and never talk to you again.” Cassia was delighted about his willingness to play along. She had expected someone stuffy. Someone she’d have to formally apologize to and who would probably give her a dry talk about appropriate behaviour towards authority in regards to her family. This was the opposite. This was something so much easier to work with. She gave him a coy look. “That would be such a shame really, you seem so fun to talk to.”

“I seem fun to talk to?” He gave her another skeptical look. It seemed he was almost thrown off by her more direct approach.

“Don’t let it flatter you too much,” Cassia assured him, “The last person I worked for was so incredibly drunk he could barely even sit upright. Second time I met him, he fell asleep while paying me.” She gave him a playful wink. “The bar for decent conversation is remarkably low these days.”

Cullen couldn’t help himself but laugh quietly. This conversation had been something he never would have expected. But to his surprise, he found it utterly delightful. “Glad to see I place above the inebriated and the unconscious,” he said dryly but not bothering to hide his amusement anymore. “But what would I lose out on really?”

There was a glint in her eyes that made them almost sparkle. “Why, my remarkable problem-solving skills of course. There is a reason there is much less work in Lowtown since I got here after all. And I’ll have you know that I am also fun to talk to.”

She was definitely right about that, but nonetheless, he gave her a most skeptical look, enjoying her small huff in obviously fake indignation.

“I am a delightful conversationalist!” she insisted. “And you have been smiling for the past few minutes when earlier you looked like you ate a shipload of citrus just before I got here.”

This time he had to laugh out loud. “Indeed you are,” he agreed. Cullen wasn’t sure when the last time he had had this much fun talking to someone even was. “Alright, we can give this a try.” He took a small pile of papers and letters he had put together for this job and handed it over to her. “Here is all the information you need, I expect you can find your way around the notes.” She was already flipping through the letters he gave her, looking a bit more serious. “There is a certain level of discretion advised,” Cullen added almost as an afterthought.

“I see, of course,” Cassia murmured as she went over the names and dates, starting to see why they would hire a mercenary for this. “None of these people would talk to a templar.”

“Or any authority even,” the Knight-Captain added. “That’s why we need outside help for this.”

Cassia folded the papers carefully, putting them away into her pockets. “Luckily I am as far away from being an authority as you can probably find in this city,” she gave him another bright smile. “I am definitely the woman you need. For this job, I mean. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” 

And with a good-natured but polite good-bye, she left the Gallows behind again, feeling considerably less anxious about the place than she had when first coming here. It still was a place she wouldn’t want to set foot in voluntarily, but she had gotten what she came for, and it had been easier and far more pleasant than anticipated. Now, she only had to get this thing done as quietly and as quickly as possible. And who knew, perhaps this could open a door for more well-paid work in the future.

The task was surprisingly simple for her. Cassia could see why a templar would have not gotten most of the relevant information from any of the people she talked to. After a while, she was almost glad that Adriene had turned the offer down. As much as she loved her sister, she could imagine that Adriene’s approach to this would have had the potential for more than one altercation. Cassia had always preferred to talk herself out of any situation if needed, and she knew she was good at getting people to see things her way, even the ones that needed a bit more convincing. ‘Why pull out a weapon when a well-placed compliment or a vague hint of a promise could do the trick’ had always been more her style. 

Normally, she and Adriene complemented each other perfectly in that regard. Cassia managed to avoid them some fights while Adriene was always ready and never missed a beat in situations where that simply wasn’t possible. It felt almost wrong now for Cassia to do this on her own, fully aware that she didn’t have a very well thought-through backup plan if things didn’t work out the way she wanted them to. But it seemed she was lucky this day, managing to get everything she needed without any major incidents. Well, almost without. 

It was dark already but still busy on the streets when she was done and made her way back to the Gallows, this time finding her way to the Knight-Captain’s office almost directly.

“Good evening, Knight-Captain,” she greeted politely after knocking. He seemed surprised to see her again.

“Serah Hawke, back already?” Cullen had not expected her back this day. Not even the next one if he was honest, not with the amount of information he had sent her out to find, yet here she was, in his office again.

“Please, call me Cassia,” she smiled. “Otherwise I’ll always think you’re talking to my mother. But yes, here is all the information I could find.” She handed him a staple of notes and he gave it a quick once over. 

“Impressive. And you did all this in a day?” He flipped through the pages after pages she had filled with all the things she had found out. On first glance, it looked like she had done a very thorough job. He couldn’t help being impressed.

“One of the notes sounded rather urgent,” she said with a shrug.

“It was, I thank you,” Cullen agreed, putting the papers aside to work through their content later. He took in her appearance. She looked different. Her hair was in a bun, and while she was still wearing a dress, it seemed to be a different one than before. “And I see you even had time to dress for the occasion again.”

Cassia looked down, for a moment looking confused before she smiled at him. “Naturally.” She shrugged. “But that was more of a necessity this time. Two hours of walking around town and my clothes still hadn’t dried.” 

Cullen felt his own eyebrows run up. “Dried? What happened?”

She held up a hand as she assured him, “Nothing relevant to the investigation, don’t worry.”

Cullen couldn’t help giving her a skeptical look. A look that sent her into a small bout of laughter.

“I’m telling the truth,” she said between laughs. “It’s… you’re gonna laugh, but there were some very angry ducks. And a pond.” He felt his eyes widen. “And perhaps a person you may or may not have hired for her skills who had a slight issue of paying attention.” She shook her head, giving him a pointed look. “It was not a very graceful event, let’s just keep it like that.”

Cullen hadn’t been certain what to expect from any of this, but her little story definitely hadn’t been it. He tried his best to not laugh out too loudly, but his efforts were in vain.

“And now you are laughing at me!” Cassia sighed. “I should have left it at the change of clothes. Kept some of the mystery.”

Cullen shook his head, forcing the laughter to calm down. “I have the feeling there is plenty of mystery left with you, Serah… Cassia,” he corrected himself.

“I have to disappoint you,” Cassia grinned, feeling pleased at his use of her first name. This was only their second time meeting, but she had a good feeling about this already. If she played her cards right, she might be well on her way to find an in with the templars here. Adriene would probably throw a fit if she heard about any of this, but Cassia could try to deal with that later, make her see the advantages. “No mystery at all,” she said, giving him her best ‘I have nothing to hide’ look. “I am an open book.”

Cullen still seemed amused, but there was a hint of something she couldn’t place in his voice as he answered. “In my experience people who say this usually aren’t. Not really.”

The conversation was still light-hearted, but there was something underneath that was almost intriguing to Cassia as she smiled. “I see I have to change tactics then.”

Cullen didn’t answer immediately, giving her a strange look. Was there tension in the air or was she imagining it? She was still deliberating when he broke the silence.

“I may have a follow-up job for you, depending on where this leads. Maybe come back in a couple of days?” he said, sounding a bit more formal again. His voice had lost some of the lightness from earlier but his eyes… His eyes seemed to look almost right through her. ‘Be careful Cassia’, her inner voice that sounded, not surprisingly, a lot like her sister said. ‘Don’t underestimate this one just because he has a nice smile.’

“I will. Thank you Knight-Captain,” she said simply.

He nodded, and it seemed like they were done when he suddenly added. “If you insist on me calling you by your name it is only fair I insist on you doing the same.” 

“You want me to call you by my name?” The words had left Cassia’s mouth before she had even thought to think about how wise it would be to crack jokes right now.

Cullen gave her an almost unreadable look and Cassia grinned at him apologetically.

”I’m sorry. I have a sister who never stops joking around - it leaves a mark on you sometimes,” she explained before smiling again, making her way to the door. “But I appreciate the offer, Cullen. And I’ll see you in a few days then. Have a good night.”

[doof-doofblog]

"Let's Have That Playdate Tomorrow!"

Friday 20th November 2020

Hello again everyone! Hope you all are doing well, this current lockdown is nearly at an end! Hopefully things will start to look a bit better when Christmas comes around! I apologise for me being so behind on the episodes lately, unfortunately I am still working during this current lockdown and of course with things happening in my own personal life, there are times I miss out on watching an episode, let alone even getting the time to review one and type up a blog. I want to thank you all for your on-going support, there have been so many spoilers as to what may be happening over the Christmas period on Albert Square, I'm really looking to watching it all unfold!

Meanwhile, let's carry on from where I was last up to, Friday's episode. The episode begins with Kat, she's slumped on the kitchen table as Stacey makes her way in. Poor Kat looks as if she hasn't been able to have a wink of sleep all night. She reveals to Stacey that she's tried calling everyone she knows trying to find the whereabouts of Kush, she's still trying to call him but his phone remains off. Who knows where he must've gone to after the robbery?! He seems to have just done a disappearing act. But Kat isn't one to just hang around and do nothing, as she grabs her coat, she informs Stacey that she's going off to the police station to give her statement and then she's going to try and find Kush. If the police haven't got him then he must be somewhere?!

Meanwhile, Callum looks absolutely lost. He's seems to be in a world of his own as he tends to his busted lip. As Ben walks in, they begin to discuss how the whole situation has turned into such a mess. Callum informs his boyfriend that he really didn't have a choice but to let Kush go, considering he'd threatened to take down Ben with him if he got caught. Ben then speaks his opinion that Kush should remain missing, he seems to be believe that they would've gotten away with the robbery if Kush hadn't set off the silent alarm - however things seems to take an interesting turn here, Callum then reveals to his boyfriend that there actually wasn't a silent alarm, and the other reason the police turned up was because they received an anonymous 999 call. Ben seems to look deeply concerned, but does he have an idea as to who grassed them up?! Wait till he finds out that it was his brother!!

At the laundrette, Max walks in on Linda drawing up some new ideas for her business idea. She shows Max her rough copies of the new superhero's she's made, and of course - Max is really impressed and suggest that she should post them online. Once again I'm sensing more flirtation between the two, they suggest bringing their children together for a playdate and perhaps modelling some outfits that Linda has designed, but it's just so blatantly obvious that Linda is flirting when she suggests having an adult in on the modelling too to be pose with the children. They share a giggle as Sharon enters the building, oooh Sharon knows she has walked in on something! Both Linda and Max act very coy when she asks if she's interrupting something, Linda reveals to her friend that Max is helping with her business idea for the Lucy Beale Award. Sharon knows that Max is up to no good, the last thing she wants is for Max to break up another marriage! What do you think, are Linda and Max just good friends? Or do you fear that something is going to happen between the two and they'll cross the line?!

In the Cafe, Tiffany is informing her husband that both Rainie and Stuart haven't been in touch with her for a while since she agreed to be their surrogate, however once Keegan notices that she's had her phone on "Airplane Mode", loads of messages seem to come through once she's taken it off. I mean, of course Stuart and Rainie are going to be in touch with her as much as they can, it's the excitement of being one step closer to becoming parents. Suddenly they make their way into the Cafe and insist on buying Tiffany breakfast, however in stead of buying a lovely full English Breakfast, Rainie brings up a plate of salad to her - I mean, I get she wants her to be healthy so she'll be able to look after their baby okay, but something tells me it would start being a bit of an insult if she starts telling her what to eat and what not to eat. Tiffany and Keegan can both see this is going to be a really long journey for them.

Out on the Square, Ian appears to be dressed in his finest as he gives an interview for the Walford Gazette newspaper. I'm unsure what that interview is for, possibly for his public image? Or wanting to get the word out that the Vic is now under new management. He's one again gloating to this news crew that if it wasn't for him, the Queen Vic would've hit rock bottom with sales, business, etc. However, unfortunate for Ian, Tina is stood behind him listening to every word he's saying. It's interesting how many people he's really beginning to annoy and how many people are/will have it in for him. As Tina walks away after hearing him insult her family, Suki approaches and acknowledges how happy she is that someone as up-standing as Ian is getting the recognition he deserves, of course she's only saying that because they've come to an agreement of some kind. I do have a feeling that things aren't going to continue going well for Mr. Beale.

Returning to the Mitchell household, Kat pays them a visit an informs Callum that she's been down the statement having to give a false statement. She informs the young police officer that he didn't drop him in it but she knows full well that he let Ben off, she demands to know where Kush is, if anyone would know, he would, right?! Callum informs Kat that he has no idea of the whereabouts of Kush, its then he also drops the bombshell that he did find Kush during the robbery, but Kush ended up punching him and fleeing the scene. Kat can't believe that Kush would punch Callum, but he informs her that it's probably best if Kush stays hidden for the time being, as he not also took part in a robbery, he also assaulted a police officer, so maybe he is just lying low.

At the Atkins household, Phil is questioning Gray whether they'll be any issues in changing the licence plates on the cars. But Shirley reassures her boss that the paper work needs to be absolutely spot on, which is why Gray is doing the paperwork and Phil isn't! Interesting, there seems to be a lot of people who are in-the-know about this robbery. It's amazing how none of them have grassed any of them up, well of course except for Ian. But there's Kat, Stacey, Phil, Shirley, Ben, Callum, Kush, Gray, Sharon ... (Well maybe she doesn't know about the burglary but she's felt comfortable about giving Phil a false alibi?!) As Phil leaves the property, Tina arrives back and it's clear to see that she is seething over Ian's insults to her family and his attitude towards them and the Vic. Tina pleads to her sister that they attempt to get the pub back in their name, but Shirley reminds Tina that Linda is still an alcoholic, that was the reason they sold up in the first place. But Tina seems to believe that Linda is doing a lot better recently, she explains that since they sold the pub, Mick hasn't been the same, he seems to be so unhappy and lost. Could there be a way for the Carter's to win back the pub?! Is the pub really in Ian's name or Sharon's name? As Ian has always said that he bought the pub for Sharon, but who's name is really on the lease of the building?!

Returning to the Vic, Linda is informing her best friend about application for the Lucy Beale Award. It's nice to see Linda looking more positive and happy about her future prospects, but it's clear to see that Sharon is worried for her friend about getting too close to Max. As Linda is glowing with the excitement of a whole new beginning, Sharon voices her concerns about Max, but in a loving, friendly way that everything seems okay now between them, but if things go on it won't be long before Max will have his tongue down her throat. (However little does she know that they have already shared a kiss!) Linda reassures her friend that she wouldn't cheat on Mick and that she literally just sees Max as a mate. But Sharon has a good point, whilst Mick is away staying with Lee, it's understandable she's enjoying the attention but I'd hate to think she'd cheat on her husband whilst he was away, especially considering what he's been dealing with in recent weeks.

Meanwhile at the restaurant, Iqra is sat doing paperwork. Ian is stood behind the bar as Suki walks in, subtly she hands him over an envelope with half of the amount she promised him inside. Ian doesn't seem impressed and pulls Suki into the back for a private word, leaving the money on the bar counter. As he pulls Suki to one side he asks Iqra to watch the bar whilst they're in the back. Iqra is quite reluctant but once both Ian and Suki are out the back, Iqra starts to clean behind the bar, until she eventually comes across the envelope with the money inside it - instantly she's looking a little confused as to where this money has come from, but suddenly she begins to hear voices. Ian and Suki are both discussing their plan, Suki tells Ian that he won't receive the other half of the money until he has held up his end of the bargain and put things into paperwork and he has signed some kind of formal documents she needs, planning approval etc. Iqra is really shocked to have heard what she has, but what will she do with this information? Will she tell Ash what her Mother is really up to?! Or maybe will she help Tina in getting the Vic back in the Carter's name, knowing full well that Ian is up to some dodgy deals with Suki! Who knows?!

Back out on the Square, Whitney is seen leaving the Minute Mart as car sirens can be heard, slowly Ruby approaches from behind and they both watch in amazement as from across the Square, the police pull up the Slater household and barge their way in as they look for Kush. Stacey's voice can be heard objecting to them entering the house. Ruby voices her opinion that it doesn't surprise her that the police have come knocking at their door, however Whitney's response is more sympathetic, she questions that maybe the police have got the wrong house? But Ruby just laughs at Whitney's response and says that it wouldn't surprise her if they found something at the Slater household. Hmm, does Whitney know more than she's letting on?! Why would she be so quick to defend the Slater's?!

At the Carter's household, Max once again is helping Linda with her costumes (Wow! Can I just say how big baby Abi has grown?! I know it sounds silly, but I still picture her as a little baby, not the toddler that she's become. Didn't realise it was that long ago that Abi Branning passed away! Only feels like a year or two ago - which may possibly be how old young Abi it?!) As Linda is eager to get the children in their superhero outfits, Max picks out one for Ollie to year, however Linda recalls that the one he picked was the one Mick made for him when Ollie was first diagnosed with Autism. You can see a slight look of sadness as she mentions how Mick didn't want their son to feel different from everyone, so instead of different they made him feel special. When Max puts the superhero outfit away, Linda admits to him that it was actually Mick's idea to make their son a Superhero outfit. Is there a sense of guilt between them now that Mick hasn't been brought into the idea of superhero clothes for children?! Or the fact that they're feeling guilty for spending a lot of time together and have quite visibly been flirting with one another? Who knows?!

Meanwhile, Iqra has found her way to the Prince Albert, unfortunately she doesn't seem to be listening fully to Tina as her head is replaying what she's overheard from Ian and Suki. Tina is voicing how much she's going to miss living with her and Ash, but she understands that her moving out would help Iqra and Ash spend some time together. However, Iqra feels trapped in a corner as she admits to Tina that she can't stand Ash's family. I have to say I really do like the friendship between Tina and Iqra, I did kind of wish that they were a couple instead of Iqra and Ash. Anyway Iqra finds it in herself to confide in Tina and reveals everything that she witnessed, Suki giving Ian some money in return for some approval on a planning application. Tina tells Iqra that she's got to tell someone, she knows full well how dodgy Ian is being at the moment. Iqra pleads to her not to tell anyone, especially considering the fact the Iqra can't tell her own girlfriend that her Mum is up to something. But what will Tina do with this information? Will she find a way of getting her own back on Ian herself?!

Back at the Carter household, Max and Linda are enjoying taking pictures of their children in Linda's new children's superhero outfits. Only things take a slight U-turn when Max comments that they both make a good team. I think Linda maybe feels a little uncomfortable with his comment, he thanks Max for all his help but expressions her opinion that once they're done he should leave. Only when Linda begins to take photo's of Ollie with the flash on her phone, it frightens the poor boy and he attempts to hide underneath the kitchen table with his hands over his eyes. Linda apologises to her son and tries to coax him out but to no avail, Max then decides to take it upon himself to try and gain the little boy's trust. He gets down to his level and squeezes underneath the table, softly he speaks to the little boy and after suggesting that they build a den after taking their photographs, the little boy removes his hands from his face, much to Linda's surprise. Eventually Max persuades little Ollie to get up and join in with taking photographs, to which Linda is incredibly thankful.

Back on the Square, Tiffany and Keegan are approaching the chippy (Yum! Everyone loves a chippy, right?!) As Keegan orders himself some food, Tiffany feels a bit gutted that she's having to stay healthy. As she's voicing her frustration, Stuart appears from behind and informs her that he's managed to go to the chemist and pick up some vitamins for her. He pulls out about 3 or 4 different tube bottles full of pills and Tiffany is looking pretty overwhelmed with this new information that she's having to take pills as well as eat healthily. However it looks as if enough is enough when Stuart asks her to start taking them that day, she understands that they want the baby to be healthy but she assures Stuart that she wouldn't let anything happen to their child once its in her womb. Stuart seems to understand, he apologises for coming on so heavy, its nice that they have come to acknowledge each other's understanding, Tiffany tells him politely that she's more than happy to carry their child for them, but it does not mean that they can start telling her what she can and can't do, and in all fairness - Stuart completely agrees and announces that they'll do it Tiffany's way, to which she then responds with happily ordering something from the chippy.

Once again, returning to the Carter household, Ollie and Abi are both playing happily together as they wind down after their photoshoot. Linda is sat with Max as they look over the photographs they've taken. This scene did get me a little worried as I sensed something, once again, was going to happen between the two. Max brings up the fact that he's trying to be supportive to Linda considering he was with her the last time she had a drink, he doesn't want her to feel that she's got no one to talk to, but regardless of them spending time together, he admits that he knows that she and Mick are solid. It's then Linda seems to look upset and reveals to Max that things haven't exactly been brilliant between them recently, she explains that each time she tries she feels she's just pushing him further and further away. Perhaps this is why she's been enjoying Max's company so much, it's made her feel something again - I mean when was the last time, Mick and Linda actually had a laugh with each other and showed each other some affection? It's been a long time, hasn't it?! Max seems to understand but he makes the big confession that the only reason he kissed her a while back is because he wanted to, and more interestingly, he stills wants to! Things are looking as if they are going to pounce on each other, however Ollie breaks the silence as he asks for his Mummy. As Linda goes to see her to son, Max suggests that they make another play date for their children, to which Linda coldly responds by saying she'll text him.

Back at the Slater household, Kat answers her mobile which is ringing on the kitchen table, it appears to be Stacey on the other end. She informs her cousin that she's been desperately trying to search for her boyfriend but can't find him anywhere. Suddenly, there's a knock on the backdoor and Kat is surprised to see Whitney stood there. It's then Whitney announces that there's something she needs to show her, pretty urgently and they both leave the house together. Meanwhile in the Vic, Ian is feeling positive about his interview with the newspaper, even though he is looking incredibly happy with himself, the fella from the newspaper seems less than impressed as he downs his bottle of beer. Across the bar, both Callum and Ben are trying to talk about something other than the robbery. Oh but just by coincidence, as soon as Ben questions whether Callum can trace who dialled the 999 call, Ian is stood behind the bar ear-wigging on their conversation. However Callum is unsure whether the call will be able to be traced, but then again the only thing they'll find out is that it was made from a telephone box. Maybe Ian did a clever thing for once and made sure he dialled from a phone box and not a mobile phone, that way it would be harder for them to trace?! Suddenly Tina enters the Vic and makes her way toward the bloke from the newspaper. Ooooh I'm liking the look of this!!! She questions whether he's writing an article  about Ian Beale, but the bloke doesn't seem interested if she's going to comment on how much of a aspect to the community he is, but then his attention in instantly grabbed as Tina admits that that is not what's doing, she mentions that if he really wants a story then she has one for him. Ooooh - I'm loving this! Yes! GO TINA!!! Is she going to spill what Iqra has informed her about and portray Ian in a terrible light?! In all seriousness, it's more than what he deserves! Only the downside is, will it fall back onto Iqra and will she get the blame?!

Eventually Kat makes it to what looks like Whitney's attic, she's questioning why Whitney has brought her up there, only as she turns around, Kush is seen sat in the very far corner, almost looking scared and very sheepish. Kat is absolutely elated to find her boyfriend is safe and sound, she announces how worried she's been about him, but Kush is nothing but deeply apologetic for making such a mess of things. He's tries to explain how he thought he would be able to start the car and how things just turned so messy. Kat is just happy to see that Kush is safe, she promises him that they will sort everything out together.

At Ruby's club, Linda is sat alone with a drink, Ruby enters the room carrying a huge box of wine. It looks as if Linda is feeling sorry for herself, she seems very agitated when Ruby politely asks if she's okay. Whether she's waiting for someone or something else. Linda then voices that everyone around her sees her not as Linda anymore, but Linda The Alcoholic! Ruby tries to persuade her that that isn't the case at all, she tries to explain that she has lots of friends and family around her who are just trying to look out for her. She questions whether she should all Mick, but Linda snaps back that he isn't her carer, he's her husband. She also makes sure to point out to Ruby that the drink she's got in her hand is only orange juice, nothing else! But Ruby is quick to throw in one last dig, she knows that she's drinking a soft drink, as she explains that all her staff have a list of who not to serve alcohol to, and it turns out that Linda's name is right at the very top of that list! Honestly, that's a bit of a big insult, I think that would hurt anyone really wouldn't it?! As Ruby leaves the room, Linda takes it upon herself to approach the box of wine which she's left at the bar and swipes a bottle before leaving. Once she's home, she's sat alone with the bottle and a glass already poured, to me it looks like that she really can't take Mick's behaviour anymore, she's feeling lonely, unwanted and maybe also missing her husband as well as missing their happiness and intimacy. She attempts to call him but to no avail as it the dial tone rings dead, I did fear at this point that she was going to take a big gulp of wine. She brings the glass up to her face and she gently smells the wine, she then plonks the glass back down and dials another number - Max! She agrees to go along with the playdate for the children for the following day, but something else is telling me, is she doing it for the company. If Mick isn't around then why not have Max's attention. I do thing as things go on, something will happen between the two, what do you think? Feeling a little more relieved she gets up and throws the glass of wine and the bottle down the sink!

A very interesting episode I have to say, some very interesting things taking place, I mean I do feel a lot of it will come to some form of explosion within the next few days. I do feel that all this that's happening right now will be the drama that's all going to explode coming towards Christmas! Christmas is only a month away and it's not going to be long now until huge secrets are revelled and big bombshells are going to be dropped. EastEnders is always explosive at Christmas, right?! I, for one, am incredibly excited to see it all unfold! Thank you all for reading, I'll be back again tomorrow with another blog. Enjoy the rest of your evening folks! Love you all xXx

[toku-explained]

The Swordsmen's Bonds

Z: It has been three days since the formal dissolution of STORAGE. The good news is it looks like not everyone was fired, as Haruki is training in a GAFJ dojo, as Yoko calls we're informed that the team has been out on leave until further notice. The restructuring is under way at the 1st SAA Group HQ, which as we see with Hebikura, has formally replaced STORAGE. Nice seen with Haruki and Yoko, before Hebikura sneaks into SAA as a Pizza delivery man, so good to GAFJ security is as bad as ever, and he sees the robot Yuki Mai is working on developing, with the intent to replicate Ultraman's beams to contain the damage from D4. It is a reasonable plan in all honesty, because there may be situations where the use of D4 is seriously the only option. Yuka is working with the GAFJ public relations team, with Sevengar in site, various goods are being sold, Bako-san is also there in a similar role, but is also doing maintenance on Sevengar, so at least they're letting him do something he's suited for. A 3rd Barossa Seijin appears, but is actually older than the 2nd, Bako shows some skills. Juggler surprisingly stops Z winning at ground level, allowing Barossa to grow giant. Z grows giant to fight it, and Bako lends Sevengar to Yoko. Z and Sevengar are doing fine until SAA sends King Joe in. The guy they have piloting does an awful job, missing with about half the Pedanium Missiles when Yoko has never missed to my memory. Juggler decides to join as Tri-King, knocking Sevengar down and distracting Z, this battle is really showing how important the pilot's skill is to this, as Barossa is constantly showing up King Joe while Sevengar does significantly better despite being a literal museum piece. When Z prepares the Zestium Ray against Tri-King Juggler grabs King Joe and pushes it in the way of the beam, allowing Yuki Mai to get the data she wants, which will allow completion of Ultroid Zero, the pilot ejects. Juggler upgrades to Five King, forcing Z to use Delta Rise Claw. Beliarok refuses to play as soon as he hears they already beat it, but they still do pretty good, while Yoko, still fighting Barossa, as Sevengar starts to take damage, spots Beliarok and manages to goad him into helping her. With Sevengar's legs damaged Yoko puts herself on the Leg Carrier and has Yuka use Core Ship to control it, allowing her to make the finisher. Z uses Gamma Future to overload Gan-Q's energy absorption, then uses Ginga, X and Orb to activate the Galaxy Burst finisher. In the aftermath a certain someone retrieves at least the Tri-King medals. Some of the old maintenance team, due to personal circumstances, have decided to stay on with 1st SAAG, but Bako-san and others aren't, he doesn't hold it against them, telling them to take care of his robots. Hebikura arrives and we here Haruki has been assigned to security and Yuka to Kaiju Research, while Yoko has been shortlisted to pilot Ultroid Zero by Yuki Mai. Hebikura gives some parting advice to Haruki, claims his bonsai and leaves.

The Absolute Conspiracy: Great and Powered begin Ribut's training, Nd explain the Gudis cells will continue to grow if even one survives, and if the growing Maga-Orochi consumes those it will swiftly grow into Magata-no-Orochi and devour Planet Mikarito. Elsewhere Leucocyte is brought down on Planet Feed by 80, accompanied by Neos and Seven 21 (both have new VAs), Neos is part of the Elite Task Force and Seven 21 is part of the Galactic Security Agency, this fight showcases those 2 until Absolute Tartarus arrives accompanied by the last Reiyonix, Reibatos. This is again before Reibatos one previous appearance, based on the state of Planet Kanon, Reibatos summons Gymaira for Tartarus, which challenges 80. Hikari and Sora continue their work as Max's body starts to mutate. Ribut taps into his inner power and overcomes Great and Powered, who then grant him the power of the Ribut Blocker and the Spreader Rod. While Neos and Seven 21 struggle with Leucocyte, Gymaira is defeating 80 until 2 warriors from another universe arrive, Cosmos (original actor) in Space Corona Mode and Justice (new VA, though implicitly still Julie?) in Standard Mode. As 80 references Saga this is evidently later than I thought, but for Cosmos it is still before his last appearance in The Origin Saga. Justice mentions the Universal Justice Delacion, who he served in The Final Battle in attempting to destroy mankind, before turning on them, but apparently Delacion respected the Ultras decision and Justice is still affiliated with them. The pair make a quick attack on Leucocyte before switching to Cosmos Future Mode and Justice Crusher Mode, all of these forms haven't been seen since the Final Battle, as they fight 80 defeats Gymaira. Sora present Ribut with the Gudis antibodies. As the 5 Ultras battle Leucocyte they see Zoffy's Ultra Sign stating Ribut's team is preparing to save Max. Ribut, Great and Powered arrive at Mikarito, to find Max losing control, but Ribut swears to save him.

Saber: I was wrong about Tassel's guest, looks like the mysterious figure from Avalon. Everyone at Northern Base is tense after all that happened, especially with Sophia missing. So why are the Megiddo saying they only need gates opened by the six swordsmen we know, when we know there other swordsmen at Southern Base...I wonder. Caliber is likely to have already done his if they needed it. Kento is still clearly off, but I would argue it's regret now. Ogami trusts Ren to watch over him. This time, while Daishinji and Ogami enter easily, Zooous and Storious get in Saber's way. Ren discovers just before entering that Kento isn't there, he's apologising at Rintaro's bedside, apparently he, Touma and Luna made some promise in the past. He intends to deal with Kamijo, but he does seem more focused on doing it out of duty, but he doesn't look confident. Okay, so given this whole ritual already happened 15 years ago to connect the two worlds, why are Daishinji and Ogami oblivious to what's going on. Why is Kento the only one to know? He becomes Golden Alangina to face Jaou Dragon. Slash and Buster face Goblins, and another runs from Kenzan because they don't need him again. Rintaro has run off to help Kento. Of rather to take over for Touma so he can help Kento. The mention of Luna finally lows Touma to remember. Zooous and Storious leave so Rintaro is forced to open the gate. Buster, Slash and Kenzan all defeat their opponents, opening 2 gates, the book where Kenzan is just fades. Blades defeats his Megiddo. Apparently the 3 of them promised to always be together, as Touma rushes to help Kento. It's a great fight. Kamijo if you didn't expect Touma to inherit Rekka why did you leave Brave Dragon with him??? Unless you didn't mean to. And...did that just happen? Tassel is entering the story for real, with his friend.

Kiramager: The initial plan is to have Kiramazin, Gigant Driller and King Express Zabyun face and Jamenju each, and hopefully call on Grateful Phoenix as well, unfortunately Oradin reveals the situation with Garza and so he cannot come. Juru and Tametomo will try to rescue Sayo while the others fight. Great opening shot of the battle, Garza starts getting the edge in over Oradin, Juru and Tametomo make it to the seed but find Yodonna has captured Sayo. It's tense as things seem bad as Juru gives up his shot....as a beacon for Grateful Phoenix. The actual sequence is amazing, so they've taken out the plant, and now it's four mecha against the Jamenju trio and Jouki. Even with the Jamenju gone it seems nothing will stop the seed sprouting until Juru has an idea. It's always cool to see a mecha cannon finisher, they happen so rarely. This reminds me of the one from Dekaranger, I wonder if that was properly to scale with the DX toys?

[maybeformepersonally]

fics i probably will never write #2

the umbrella academy au where dan was one of the 43 special babies but his mother refused to give him up when reginald hargreeves tried to bribe her for him, so he grew up with her and her boyfriend (later husband) until they were in an accident when he'd just turned 17. 

dan was left alone, as his mum had no family and her husband’s (dan’s dad in all but blood) family never accepted him, so old man hargreeves appeared out of nowhere with an offer he couldn’t refuse: basically to legally adopt him so that dan can join the rest of the gang (at this point they’ve been presented publicly as a superhero team). dan accepts because he doesn’t want to have to go into the system, and while old man hargreeves is weird and suspicious, the other teens seem to be well cared for. hell, worst case scenario he can run away.

there’s also another reason why dan accepts, and that is because he’s desperate to get his power under control, and the old man has publicly alluded to helping the others develop and control their powers, and as supportive as dan’s parents had always been, they hadn’t known how to help him. dan has tried to shut it down, but that never worked, and he’s tried to wield it, with limited success, but maybe the man who’s made it his life mission to develop others’ powers can help him overcome his once and for all.

dan has power over the dead. he can see them, he can speak to them, he can even touch them if he concentrates real hard, but he cannot shut them out. it is often gory and terrifying, and almost always sad and overwhelming, and it has led him to see the world through red tinted glasses as it were. he’s a hopeless pessimist, always seeing the glass half empty, and he was diagnosed with depression at age 13 (though he knows it started earlier).

so dan joins old man hargreeves’ little band of misfits at age 17, full of apprehension and (despite himself) a cautious bit of hope, and it’s weird (completely fucking bizarre, let’s be real), but not bad. 

allison is the first to welcome him, a warm friendly smile on her face and answers to all the questions he can come up with while he’s still mostly in shock (there aren’t all that many that first day, but they’ll come with a bit of time, and she keeps answering whenever she can). she’s sweet, and charismatic, and dan is grateful she’s taking the plunge for him, because all of the others seem rattled by dan’s addition to the team (and the family, although dan is pretty sure that’s more a formality than anything real).

luther introduces himself as the leader and he does some passive aggressive posturing that dan would have zero patience for even on a good day, so he mostly ignores him. (it takes him a few weeks to figure out the reason for this was that luther was jealous that allison was being so friendly to him. luther is a disaster, but things go along more smoothly once he realises there’s nothing there other than a budding friendship.)

phil is the only one other than allison that doesn’t look mad or upset that dan’s joining them, just a bit awkward. but he’s every bit as nice as allison, and dan notes every time he makes an effort to make conversation with him or to diffuse uncomfortable silences and the less than welcoming attitude of his siblings, and dan is glad to have him as a buffer when luther awkwardly tries to establish social dominance or when diego makes smartass remarks.

diego is huffy and confrontational, but he’s also incredibly kind when he runs into dan in the middle of that first night when the anxiety rocketed up and prevented him from getting any sleep. dan thinks he’s going to make fun of him, because dan has been here before: antsy and prickly and vulnerable, and struggling to breathe in the midst of an uncaring and cold universe, and whenever blokes who acted like diego had seen him bleed, they’d only strived to drive the knife deeper, and twist. but diego doesn’t. instead, he offers to show him some basic moves dan will be learning in training, nonchalant, as if it’s nothing. diego talks to fill the silence dan still can’t bring himself to breach, haunted by too many spectres, both real and figurative. and it only takes dan a few minutes of careful instruction and gentle conversation for dan to realise diego was not at all what he first thought.

vanya is... different. she’s quiet and unobstrusive. subdued. dan doesn’t quite know what to make of her. he doesn’t pick up on how weird (and fucked up) it is that she’s always excluded from everything on his first day, but when he does, the house dynamics take a slightly more sinister tint to his eyes. 

he really tries with her, because he knows what it’s like to be different, to be excluded by peers, to be considered subpar, less than, a freak, and dan knows that look, dan knows that sallow, withdrawn, desperate look in her eyes, he knows the lethargy, and the apathy, and the pain. he knows, intimately, because that’s what he looks like on his bad days, on the days when he wakes up in a hole, when reality doesn’t feel real and all the colour in the world has been sucked out, when no one can’t break through it to reach him, and getting out of bed feels every bit as impossible as it is useless, he knows, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone. 

and so he tries, and he tries, and it’s like trying to run underwater at first, but he’s never felt so accomplished as the first time he makes her laugh, not smile or chuckle but laugh, full and bright and free, and it’s like her face transforms with it. she’s beautiful like that, and dan can’t understand why no one else is trying to bring that out in her, why no one else even seems to notice.

he’d asked allison about it, and it’s one of those times when she doesn’t have an answer for him, but he didn’t mind that because he sees the wheels turning in her head afterwards, he sees her start to pay attention, a cute little frown in her face when vanya is purposefully excluded from activities that don’t even require the use of their powers, and he sees her try to reach out to her sister, and he feels a little better, like he actually made a difference for once, like he did some good. dan is new, is still an outsider (and nevermind that he’s included in the family’s activities more often than vanya herself, who grew up in this house, and how awful is that?), but allison is family, and dan can see how much it means to vanya that she’s trying.

(and why wasn’t vanya trained in physical combat like the rest of them when that has nothing to do with having or using their powers? allison hadn’t had an answer for that one either.)

they don’t talk about five, but there’s a huge portrait of him in the parlour that’s taller than dan, which is saying something.

pogo, despite being the most unusual member of the household, turns out to be the most sensible one of them all, dan himself included.

dan starts training the day after he arrives, which is fine for the first month or so, but then old man hargreeves decides to lock him into his fucking mausoleum (and why the hell does he have a fucking mausoleum on his property, in the middle of the city??) because he’s a fucking lunatic apparently, and dan is so mad he not only has one of the ghosts open the door for him from the outside, but he also offers any of the few dozen spirits lingering there that he’ll lend them his strength so that they can terrorize the bastard. he can only have them interact physically with their surroundings for short bursts of time, and he explains that they’ll have to take turns for this reason, but they seem happy enough with it. it’s not like any living being has been able to see and hear them before, waiting a few days or weeks for the chance to manifest and move things and spook the eccentric millionaire that bought their estate is frankly more than they could have hoped for.

and so, dan declares war. of a sort.

he didn’t tell the old man that he’d freed himself, just went back to his room after a long planning session with the intrigued spirits right there in the garden. reginald was pleasantly surprised when dan turned up for dinner, realising he must have used his power to set himself free.

reginald is a lot less happy when things start to move around unexpectedly in his office, in his bedroom, in his private bathroom, everywhere he goes really (dan’s favourite is matya, the no nonsense old jewish woman that moves reginald’s chair straight from under him so he ends up on the floor. even vanya had cracked a little smile at that.)

in the end, dan ends up building up his stamina and his power gets stronger even as he learns to control it better for mischief-making purposes. before he realises it, he’s spend half a year with the hargreeves, and the odd ensemble had become, if not like a family, then at least familiar. some of them, he’d venture, were even good friends.

first on that list was phil, who turned out to have a wicked sense of humour and a wonderful imagination, as well as being possibly the kindest person dan had ever met in his short but eventful life. he also had the prettiest eyes dan had ever seen. dan had jokingly asked him if they were part of whatever this mutation was that had given them powers, and for the first time dan had seen, phil had laughed at a joke about his powers.

phil’s power was... violent. destructive. eldritch-abominations-levels of terrifying, literally. phil hated it. 

phil was the opposite of all of that, he wished he’d been saddled with anyone else’s powers, even dan’s, even after dan had opened up to him about how being surrounded by dead people who more often than not were fixated on their horrible deaths all the time had been so traumatic for him that he’d developed complex PTSD and depression before he even fully understood what those words meant. phil had apologised about saying he’d trade for his powers in a heartbeat, but dan hadn’t been bothered by it, just sad. because he was pretty sure that if phil could have exchanged the power to destroy others for a power that only brought suffering onto himself, he’d have chosen to hurt himself over being in a position where he might hurt others. and dan also felt guilty, because he knew he wouldn’t be that selfless.

[muwi-translates]

A Summary of CN IkeSen Yukimura’s Route

At least up to Chapter 7, which was as long as the beta was. Also, adding some personal comments/review at the end.

First off the story is completely different from the EN and JP versions, though some sections are pretty much the same as the Premium sections but an extended version of it. This game has no ticket system but instead runs on energy like in mobile games, there’s also weird minigames that you have to play to level up cards, which have new art on them. There doesn’t seem to be any CGs you get in game like the original, Princess Lessons are also not a thing.

Also, this version has three endings: happy, warm and sad/sorrow. I hope to,,, one day,,, read somewhat-official Yukimura angst,,,

I also plan to eventually do one for Nobunaga and Masamune some day.

Under the cut because spoilers.

Prologue:

The story starts off with MC, who is a college student, who goes to the Honnoji site while she’s in Kyoto and decided she wanted to stop by. There, she encounters Sasuke when a storm brews up. He tells her to leave the place quickly but it’s too late and she’s caught up in a wormhole. 

She’s taken back into the Sengoku era and lands right in the middle of a battlefield and starts to run off when she’s caught in between a soldier trying to kill Nobunaga, she pushes him aside from the guy’s blade and saves him. Nobunaga is like “what an interesting woman wearing nanban clothes” and takes her back to the Oda army’s camp. Masamune flirts with her but Hideyoshi tells her to go away, so Mitsunari kindly escorts her to a tent, where she bumps into Sasuke. He rescues her and takes her into the woods and then tells her exactly what happened and the whole wormhole stuff. They continue running to find the Kasugayama guys and he tells her that he’s a ninja working under the Uesugi which surprises her. 

MC is introduced to Yukimura as ‘Yuki’ by Sasuke who was wondering why Sasuke had disappeared only to come back ‘with a wild boar’. She’s obviously miffed by his attitude. Yuki tells Sasuke that they’re going back to camp and in Sasuke’s tent she meets Kenshin. Sasuke tells Kenshin that he plans to take her to Kasugayama to stay as his friend. She finds him scary. 

As the main troops return from the battlefield, she encounters Shingen who immediately flirts with her and asks if she’d like to ride a horse with him. She calls him an uncle. Kennyo also appears here for no reason.

They go back to the woods and Sasuke asks her what she wants to do. 

Yukimura’s Route:

If MC chooses Yukimura (out of Nobunaga and Masamune currently), MC will go with Sasuke back to Kasugayama. 

She ends up staying at a guesthouse in the town but not attached to the Uesugi household, and gets some handmaidens. Sasuke says she can help out by just doing things here and there, so MC decides to introduce herself properly to Kenshin but then bumps into Shingen who wants her to buy some konpeito for him. 

She heads out and finds some in the castle town (that literally looks like Azuchi’s) and she finds a stall. Just as she’s going to buy it Yuki comes up and buys it right before her. As there’s none left so she chases him wanting him to give her some, but he misinterprets and handfeeds her one. She gets annoyed and the two of them end up in the woods since he tried to lose her but MC kept following him. She’s like “no you idiot I need it for lord shingen” and he goes “oh him, yeah he says he’ll die if he doesn’t get any”. Bandits show up and he whoops them with MC hiding behind him holding a piece of firewood for support. 

Yuki: Why do you have that piece of firewood? 

MC: To protect myself? 

Yuki: You're kidding.... just get behind me.  

[...]

Yuki: What were you even planning to do with it?

MC: Don't underestimate me! I know women’s self defence!

Yuki: What's that? 

MC: You use it when you meet perverts.

Yuki: Someone like you can meet perverts? 

MC: W- what's that supposed to mean? 

Yuki: A pervert that chases after a boar woman... must be a brave guy.  

Yukimura walks her back to town and she says bye and thinks “we had an interesting experience so I guess now we’re friends?” But realised she never heard him say bye back to her so she says he has low EQ. She remembers that she needs to report back to Shingen about how she didn’t get the candies so she heads back, but hears another set of footsteps behind her. She freaks out so she starts booking it towards the Uesugi house and stops when she sees it to catch her breath. Suddenly, Yuki yanks her from the inside and it gives her a fright so she screams. 

She asks him what he’s doing there and he says he lives there. Sasuke, who hears her scream, runs to see what’s going on and they solve their confusion. It turns out Shingen planned out a party to welcome MC, so all three of them go.

Kenshin is so drunk that he’s literally swaying. Sasuke introduces everyone formally to her. He points out that ‘Yuki’ is actually THE Yukimura Sanada and she’s dazed because apparently that’s her favourite historical figure, and must have gotten such a shock because she can’t believe they’re the same person. He says something about her being weird and she says she’s going to retire back to her house while trying to hide that she’s upset by his words. Shingen gets annoyed at his son for “making her cry”. But Sasuke cheers her up by joking around with her outside the dining hall. Down the hall Yuki is hiding around the corner and Shingen teases him for not making a move first, to which Yukimura says “not like she cares” but Shingen goes “you look like you care though.”

The next day Shingen meets up with MC and Sasuke again, and he suggests that she become a Takeda princess because the Takeda need a representative to hide the fact that Shingen is still alive. She worries because she’s “an ordinary person” but she doesn’t actually need to make decisions, just act as a figurehead and meet people. She gets a pretty kimono and meets a bunch of people and people ask her what her relation to Shingen is, Sasuke lies to their face and says stuff like “distant niece, when Shingen passed he wanted her to take over something something legacy” and they all eat it up.

When she’s finished for the day she suddenly thinks about Yukimura, and asks Sasuke where might be. He says that he’s probably out doing patrols, so she suddenly takes off to go and find him. She sees him mingling with the merchants and is talking to someone who sells accessories, so she saunters up to him and expresses interest in a flower hairpin beside him. Yukimura stares at her because she’s still in a formal kimono and the people start gathering and ask him if she’s his lover. He gets embarrassed so he takes off with her, and ends up piggybacking her away into an alleyway because they don’t want the kimono to get dirty. He apologises for calling her a boar woman and says he’ll make up for it, so he takes her to his favourite place to eat and they eat dumplings. There they find out that the teashop owner might have to close down his shop because war is coming soon and supplies are low, so he probably won’t be able to make more dumplings. Yukimura expresses that he doesn’t like war but he fights because he wants to protect people.

MC finds out that Shingen and Kenshin can't do much because they're supposed to be dead. She decides to ask Shingen if she can help the people and he allows her, so she gives out supplies to the townsfolk. At first Yukimura is like what are you doing but he decides to help her out and thanks her for helping the townspeople.

When they finish around evening, he takes her to the flower field near the town and the [ladybug scene] happens, he also gives her a flower hairpin that she had been looking at earlier. On the way back from the field, they get jumped on by three assassins which Yukimura quickly kills. MC hurts her ankle, so Yukimura decides to take her back to the Uesugi manor because he's not sure if they'll attack her when she's at home. They find out that an intruder also got into the manor and fought with Kenshin (who caused a whole ruckus) but he got away. Kenshin and Shingen are concerned because now somebody knows that they are actually alive. The two of them meet up with Mitsuhide behind the scenes and Mitsuhide is 'surprised' at the assassins. Shingen says he doesn’t trust the guy but is only working together with him because they have the same goal. Kenshin thinks Kennyo is behind the assassins so he confronts the monk, but he denies it.

Sasuke gives MC some modern medicine behind everyone's back to help with her ankle which speeds up the process. He also asks if something happened between her and Yukimura because they are more ‘intimate than usual’. He reminds her that she shouldn’t get too close because she’ll get attached and will find it difficult to return home - which they MUST do because neither of them belong in this world.

MC's handmaidens are so scared about MC's safety they want her to go to the local shrine to pray for good fortune/to get a charm for protection. MC decides to go so the maid can stop worrying and this is where MC meets [Yahiko] and they find out that his father works for the Sanada clan, so they find him at the training grounds so Yahiko could deliver a protection charm to him. The two head off to find their mother and they talk about how the father and son looked so happy but families could get ruined by the war. They find the mother and she tells them about an upcoming festival in ten days. Yukimura tells her that he happens ‘to be free’ and invites her out to go with him.

MC: Woah, Shingen-sama, I'm just making a yukata, I don't need this many...

Shingen: Yukata? Are you going to the festival? 

MC: Yes. 

Shingen: Together with Yuki? 

MC: Eh? 

(How did he know?) 

Seeing my expression, Shingen laughed.

MC: Don't laugh, we're just going to the festival together. Besides... no one else can go with me. 

Shingen: How can you say that? If MC invited me, I would have been delighted. 

MC: Aren't you busy? 

(Sasuke's been missing these past few days, one look at Kenshin tells me he's not a festival kind of person, and Shingen... nevermind.) 

Shingen: Yuki doesn't have free time either. 

MC: Huh? But he said himself- 

Shingen: To be able to go on a date with a cute young woman like MC, even if they were busy they would put it aside. 

(D- Date?!) 

MC: It's not a date! Just going to the festival together... 

Shingen: Really? If you say so. 

They go to the festival and MC ends up leaving Yukimura behind when he gets surrounded by women. She heads out to leave but bumps into the teashop owner who tells her that couples who pray at the shrine and see shooting stars on the same day are destined to be together. MC decides to go to the shrine because she wanted to pray for Yukimura’s dream to come true. The [fireworks scene] plays out. 

The next day, MC is still dazed af at Yuki's admission of his feelings but is summoned to the main room where Shingen and Kenshin tell her that the Oda forces have started moving. Kenshin confirms with her whether or not she knows medicine and she says she knows enough first aid for her to be sent to the battlefield's camp to be the doctor. Yukimura objects her going and calls her ‘a weak woman’. Sasuke sides with Kenshin because he doesn't want to leave MC in the castle in case it gets seized and everyone inside is killed. Shingen shuts Yukimura up because he's his superior and he's also on Kenshin's side. Yukimura complains to her after the meeting because he can’t protect her, but she says she wants to go because she also worries about him (and was upset at his comment on her being weak, and wanted to prove herself). 

Behind the scenes Shingen, Kenshin and Kennyo are having a meeting. Kennyo suggests poisoning the Oda army’s water supply to half their army’s numbers. Shingen and Kenshin is clearly not happy with this idea but contemplate it. They say that they’ll consider it depending on the circumstances.

Now in camp, MC is taking care of wounded soldiers left and right. She begins patching up a scout who had been injured but he tells her that Yukimura is in danger because Nobunaga himself is on the front lines. MC runs out in the battlefield and hides in the grass. On the way there she manages to see the Tokugawa flags of the reinforcement soldiers. She sees Nobunaga fighting with Yukimura. She yells out when Nobunaga manages to push Yukimura off his horse and in that moment when Yukimura is distracted, Nobunaga delivers a cut over his shoulder.

MC tells him that reinforcements are coming. Yukimura picks up MC and rides her out of the battlefield and to go back to the camp and tells her that her place isn’t on the frontlines and that she’s needed in camp. That just because she’s not fighting doesn’t mean she’s not strong.

She continues healing the wounded when the soldiers return during sunset. She drags Yukimura into her tent and begins patching up his shoulder. The [lakeside scene] plays out with ambiguous “did they bang”??

They wake up and Yukimura goes back to camp with her. Shingen laughs and pretty much figures out what happened, Kenshin is mad that Yukimura disappeared all night. Yukimura suddenly suggests that he wants to make a peace treaty with Nobunaga which shocks Kenshin. However, Shingen decides to listen to what he has to say. Yukimura says there’s no point in losing lives, and Shingen ultimately agrees to the treaty.

MC is conflicted because she knows she likes Yukimura but has to return back to the future. Sasuke talks to her about the butterfly effect, and asks her to think about it more because right now she still has time to change her mind and take the wormhole back.

He meets up with the Oda forces and makes a deal; they’ll restore Kai another way (as in, give Kai back to us) and we’ll stop fighting with you from now on. Nobunaga agrees.

Kennyo’s men report to him about the situation. Kennyo is not happy.

Chapter 7 ends with MC bumping into Shingen, the former looking very unhappy.

Shingen: Being able to negotiate a peace treaty with the Oda forces has made Yuki pretty happy these past few days. 

MC: Yes. 

Shingen: But you don't look very happy. Did you two have a fight? 

I shook my head and sighed.

Shingen: Or did you find out that aside from Yuki, there are other great guys? 

MC: Shingen-sama!

Shingen: Haha, you can be pretty cute when you're angry. But, if you have any worries that you can't tell Yuki, you could tell me instead. 

(My worries aren't something everybody would understand. But Shingen looks like he has a lot of experience, so why not?) 

MC: I'm... together with Yukimura now... 

Shingen: Yuki, that guy, being able to find himself a bride, must have been hard. I used to think I would always be worried about him even after he's grown up. 

MC: Yukimura said that he wanted us to be together forever. 

Shingen: He's that kind of person. If he's set on you, the things that he wants, its everlasting. 

MC: But... I can't... 

Shingen: ... Perhaps, you were just playing around? 

MC: Of course not! 

Shingen: Then what, you're already engaged? 

MC: Not that... it's just... I have to return to my home. 

Shingen: You're scared that Yuki won't let you? 

MC: Not that he won't let me, that I can't go at all. 

(Letting both of us go back to the future? Even though I've never thought about it, I knew it couldn't be done.) 

And that’s the end of the beta version.

As for personal thoughts, I really like the overall romantic feel of the route - their romance is more realistic and has more of a ‘we became friends first’ feeling than the original. On the other hand though, the other characters suffer a lot. Especially Kenshin and Shingen, whom MC barely interacts with, making them seem really two dimensional. I’m not even sure what the point of Kennyo is so far, since he’s only appeared in a total of four scenes??? 

Also for Shingen - I showed some of his scenes to some Shingen stans and he does come off as way more flirty than usual and not in a charming way but a very sexual inneundo way- it makes him come off as a creep.

There’s also been some changes to Sasuke. He can lie now, and he’s really adamant on MC returning to the future with him. Along with the live sprites he actually comes off as less emotionless as we have known him to be. 

Story wise, I really like the extended scenes. If this game typically only focused on the love interest (like a lot of other otome games) then I wouldn’t think this was too bad. But since it has a cast of memorable side dateable characters the story comes off as... not quite as good. The backstory is extremely odd and there’s not enough focus on it even though it’s just the background story.

Yukimura as a character is like; the EN version of him was just a prototype and the CN version has a polished version of him. I like his characterisation a bit more here; he’s still a tsundere but less stubborn. He admits when he’s wrong and not ‘everything’ MC does embarrasses him but does make him a bit bashful - so he’s not blushing every other second, but still flushes at the right, cute moments. He’s more understanding of the MC and its easier to tell when he feels guilty and he doesn’t hide too much around his feelings - he skirts around them more.

Back to the cons though: some parts of the route are pervaded with a sense of... I’m not sure if it’s because MC isn’t as headstrong- but it seems like she’s somewhat looked down on for being a woman? She has a strong need to prove herself, and the men are surprised by things she can do because she’s a girl. According to a review left by another user who played the original JP version, they also weren’t happy with this and claimed that the edits to the story made Masamune and Nobunaga come off as ‘male chauvanists’ who only saw the MC as an item/decoration rather than a person. So I assume this vibe is that the user was talking about that I could feel. Not really sure yet so I’ll check on the other Oda boys when I have the time.

Also there’s some dubcon in the spicy scenes which is not cool (tm). 

Otherwise, the writing isn’t bad, the banter is amazing and I would have loved some of the extended content to be in the original :’)

[pofcroyalfanfiction]

Chapter Fifty Four - Somebody Elses Party

Soon the garden was packed with guests, all dressed in their summer finery. Her birthday party had become one of the Queen’s palace garden parties, except it was even more exclusive. Where were the casual outfits? Where’s the rocking music and kids running around? Most importantly, where were any of her friends from Marlborough?

Ellie tried to be as polite as possible with everyone who spoke to her, grateful for their time and efforts in their charities, now without Charlotte to help keep conversations going, but all the while she was on constant lookout trying to spot at least one girl from her dormitory. It had been at least two hours and she’d had no luck, even Taylor Swift had been swept away by the grownups.

She would know a thing or two about best friends.

At least the family was still here, tactically dispersed throughout the garden to talk to as many people as possible and push the royal brand. Savannah and Isla were there, hiding by the bushes with the other teenagers and kids, keeping to themselves. They beckoned Ellie over, noticing her discomfort in the middle of the crowd, the center of attention, but as soon as she made a move to reach them, she was swept aside by her grandmother, Camilla.

“Eleanor, darling, are you enjoying your party?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes, granny, it’s lovely.” Ellie lied. Half lied. Mostly lied.

“It’s a wonderful gathering, so many bright minds come to see you. You should feel very special.”

She hated being told how she should feel, but felt bad for feeling anything but special.

“I do granny, I do.” Ellie reassured her, feeling even more guilty.

It’s not that I’m not grateful for them, I can be charitable, I’m a nice person. I just… don’t want them here. Shit, that sounds terrible.

“Have you seen any of my school friends?” Ellie asked hopefully, even though she knew her grandmother had no clue who her friends were. As sweet as she was, Camilla still thought she liked Take That, even though they were before her time.

“School friends, dear? Camilla seemed confused. “This isn’t really the right place for that sort, is it?”

“That sort?” Ellie pressed her. Thankfully she was well practiced in disguising her irritation. Camilla didn’t pick up on it.

“Yes, the rowdy sort. I imagine your school friends are rather less refined than yourself. Marlborough has been going downhill for years. I did argue for you to be sent to Queen’s Gate and then Mon Fertile, but your mother insisted on Marlborough.”

Ellie ignored that jab. Camilla had always been clear, either outright stating it or via a veiled remark, that she felt Ellie had had too much of a ‘common’ upbringing that was not fitting of a future queen. This was no different.

“It is where she went, granny.” Ellie reminded her.

“I know, I know, it’s a family thing. I still feel you would have done better at Queen’s Gate, at least then you would have made friends we could actually invite.”

“What does that mean?” Ellie was now struggling to hide her anger.

“Darling, did you honestly expect your mother to send any invitations to Marlborough? This was always going to be a formal event, although between you and me, this seems far too casual.”

Ellie was seething. She turned away from Camilla and watched the party, soaking it all in. The party atmosphere had vanished and all she could see was money. The posh and the wealthy, the upper class. She was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. Why would her mother let this happen?

This isn’t me. She knows this isn’t me.

Camilla seemed to pick up on her frustration, “Don’t worry dear, it’ll get more formal as you get older.”

“I’ll speak to you later granny. Thank you for coming.” Ellie kissed her on the cheek and made a quick escape before Camilla started talking about bringing back the 60’s and arranging her debutante ball.

Ellie made her way through the crowd, thanking everyone for coming. She briefly shook hands with Idris Elba and talked about his new film, then he introduced her to even more acting pals. Ellie remained polite throughout, but kept trying to navigate her way to her mother who was holding court in the middle of the garden, with George and Charlotte holding onto her legs.

“Mum, can we talk?” Ellie asked quietly.

“In a minute sweetheart, you need to meet Danielle and Willa here.” Kate put her hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the two women.

It stayed that way for the next hour, being introduced to practically every guest present by her mother, who kept her hand on her back throughout as if she was showing her daughter off. Ellie felt like a piece of meat, being auctioned off to various charities that wanted her to become a patron. Kate was trying to get her to show an interest, tactically introducing her to charities she thought Ellie would be interested in.

The trouble was that Ellie wasn’t interested in any of them, not strongly enough to pick one as her first ever patronage. She liked horses, yes, but hadn’t had much time to ride whilst at school. Music was great, but the most musical related thinking she’d done recently was what to add to her studying playlist on Spotify.

It’s not like I’ve been allowed to go to a concert before, either.

She was only fifteen, and yet she was expected to be strongly supportive of a cause close to her heart, but what?

She’d tried to ask her mother about her friends, but all the talk of her future had drained her energy.

“Mum, I need to pee.” She whispered in her mother’s ear.

Kate gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the forehead. “All right, come right back poppet. Lots more people I want you to meet.”

Instead Ellie snuck her way out of the party, using the same arch way that her great grandparents had used hours before when they arrived. She knew that all eyes were on her anyway, including the cameras, so there wasn’t much point in sneaking, but she did so anyway. It wasn’t like anyone was going to stop her.

The atmosphere was much quieter outside the garden, with no guests milling around and just the caterers and staff busy carrying trays in and out of the party. They all gave her space, and didn’t complain when she picked a few cocktail sausages from a plate and dipped them in tomato sauce. She hadn’t eaten in hours and the hunger pains were hitting hard, only noticeable now that her anxiety had been lifted.

“We can get you a sandwich if you’d like, ma’am.” A freckle faced young woman told her. She was one of the masses of staff that had been hired to cater the party, and someone who seemed just as tired of the guests as Ellie was.

“Oh please! That’d be amazing.” Ellie gushed, wiping her mouth with her hand. Etiquette be damned, she just wanted to eat.

Ellie told the woman what she’d like, and while the other caterers gave her shifty looks, she quickly prepared a cheese toastie especially for Ellie.

“This feels like my first birthday present.” Ellie spoke with her mouth full, savouring the flavour. She’d almost forgotten what the whole party was for.

The woman frowned at her. Ellie immediately worried about how that came across, and so to not sound like a spoiled little girl she continued. “Fourteen birthdays before this, none have been as formal as this.”

Nice, Ellie.

The woman appeared slightly uncomfortable, unsure what to say. She smiled at Ellie as she enjoyed the sandwich, then finally spoke. “To be fair, this doesn’t feel like a fifteen-year old’s birthday party.”

“It doesn’t?” asked Ellie, wanting to hear the answer from somebody else.

“Nah, I’ve worked those too. Nothing like this.”

“What does this one feel like?”

“Kinda posh.” She spoke with a thick Geordie accent. “Fanciest gathering that I’ve worked.”

One of the woman’s colleagues came over, curtsied to Ellie, and took the woman aside. Ellie listened to their whispering, apparently the other servers thought that the woman was avoiding work to chat with celebs.

“I should get back.” The woman said, grabbing a tray of freshly cooked sausage rolls and rushing off.

“Thanks for the toastie!” Ellie yelled after her.

So, this is what her life had become. No longer having fun, joy filled birthday parties with friends and family. Instead having quiet, respectful ‘gatherings’ with a bunch of unfamiliar faces, which would get even more tightly controlled if Camilla was to be believed.

Ellie retreated further, wandering behind the catering trucks, past the hustle and bustle of the staff and guests that were leaving early. Occasionally she’d pass by a few guests she didn’t know who had left to find more secluded spots to escape the party, just as Ellie was doing. They bowed to her, tried to apologise and said they were “just about to head back inside.”

They all seemed to think she’d come out there to ruin their escape plans, and she rushed to reassure each one of them that that was not the case. They didn’t really believe her.

“We’re sorry, Your Highness.”

“Happy birthday, Your Highness.”

Grumpier than ever, she found her secret spot. It was a little space between the hedges that nobody knew about, just next to the woods and not far from the nearest river. It was the perfect place to hide from everyone at the party, even her family, all except the cameras. It was a good spot to have one of the CCTV cameras as, from up high, it offered a view of the whole garden. Ben also happened to know it was one of her spots.

She bent down, her knees rubbing in the dirt and no doubt muddying her dress. With a little testing of the hedges, she found the spot where the twigs weren’t so dense and pushed them aside, revealing a hole in the hedge that she could crawl through.

She made more noise than she normally did getting through the hole, all the twigs and leaves rustling as she squirmed past, a sad reminder that she wasn’t a little girl anymore. The sound of the party was still dominating her ears, yet even when she stopped moving to remove a branch that had caught on the sash of her dress, the rustling of bushes continued. Ellie listened closer, the sound wasn’t from anything she was touching. It was coming from her hiding spot.

She crawled faster, doing her best to be sneaky. The noise of the party helped mask her movements as the rustling up ahead hadn’t stopped, but now she could hear new noises. Soppy and sucking sounds, like two wet fruits being grinded and slapped against each other.

“Eugh” Ellie whispered. She watched as two guests sucked face in her favourite hiding spot, forever tainting it. This made her even more grumpy, but at the same time she couldn’t help but watch them.

Their faces were obscured, but the two sparkly dresses and sets of high heels made sure that whoever they were, it was going to be controversial. Ellie couldn’t stop herself from audibly gasping and interrupting the pair when one of them finally turned towards the light.

“Your Highness, uh, we’re so sorry.” Hailee Steinfeld said to her, blushing a deep crimson as she tried to fix her lipstick with one finger.

Dakota Fanning just smiled awkwardly, hiding her hands behind her back and bowing her head slightly. She let out a nervous giggle.

The two women towered over Ellie in their heels, but having them both nervous around her, seemingly unable to leave, was unsettling. Two of the biggest actresses in Hollywood caught making out in front of her, grown women, and yet they were apparently waiting for Ellie to relieve them.

“It’s okay.” Ellie finally said, remembering to say something. The two women visibly relaxed.

The last thing Ellie wanted to be in that moment was a Princess. She wanted to gossip. This was huge. An utter scandal, and at her own birthday party! Hailee was supposed to be with Jason from the Bass Boys, Dakota was apparently sworn off relationships forever.

Both women apologised again and made their escapes quickly. As soon as they were gone Ellie spun around, completely blown away by what she’d seen. She wanted to tell her friends, to laugh, to theorise, but nobody was there. She spun around again and then collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily and realising how much she’d tightened up in front of them.

“That was huge!”

Ellie shot back up to her feet. Taylor Swift appeared from behind the hedges.

Is everyone sneaking through these hedges now? And is this why Taylor is always making headlines? Because she’s hiding behind the bushes during all the big scandals?

“You scared me.” Ellie clutched her chest, slowing down her breathing.

“Sorry, Your Highness.”

She’d had enough. Ellie’s mask slipped.

“Please don’t call me that. I don’t want to be called that. Not today” The words stuck in her throat.

Taylor stood there, watching for a moment while Ellie sat back down again. After a long awkward silence in which she could tell Taylor was debating whether to stay or go, her idol finally sat down next to her.

Ellie couldn’t speak, stunned by how surreal everything was. Sitting in seclusion, stars starting to appear in the sky whilst the party droned on behind them. Not to mention that star studded make out session. She had no doubt it was these sorts of moments that inspired a lot of Taylor’s songs.

Oh God. “You’re not going to write a song about this, are you?” Ellie asked.

Taylor laughed. “No, probably not. Hailee’s a friend.”

“You haven’t written about friends before?” Ellie probed.

“Well yeah, just not by name. Didn’t you ever listen to Bad Blood?”

“It’s one of my faves, I listened to it a lot when Alex stole one of my games.”

They both giggled. “That’s a valid reason.” Taylor nudged her arm.

“Cause now we got baaaaad blood, it used to be maaaaad love!” They sang it together.

The awkward silence came back as they sat together, listening to the party.

Taylor leaned back, her hands in the grass. Ellie could feel her eyeing her up from behind. “So, what do I call you, if not Your Highness? Gotta say I’m used to your cronies telling me to stick to the titles.”

“They’d also tell you to curtsey.” Ellie added.

“Do you want me to curtsey?” Taylor asked, moving to stand up.

“No, please don’t.” Ellie quickly put her hand on Taylor’s knee. A curtsey from her would ruin the day even more.

“All right.” Taylor sat back down, then edged closer to her. “So what can I call you?”

“Ellie’s fine.”

“Ellie, then.”

More awkward silence. Taylor watched her closely, then started rubbing her back in a caring, motherly sort of way. Ellie was in dreamland. Surely this was every Swifty’s dream.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Taylor asked.

Ellie could feel her emotions boiling over, tears gathering in her eyes. With all the fear and anxiety the party had caused her, now to top it all off was embarrassment. To be so emotional in front of a stranger was so foreign to her, so unbelievably different to how she normally was.

“I hate that I’m crying.” Ellie felt her skin warm up as she said the words.

“It’s okay to cry.” Taylor soothed her.

This is so weird.

“I just wanted a normal birthday party, okay.” Ellie struggled to explain herself, stuck between wanting help and not wanting to sound spoilt. “Instead this happened.”

“Not what you expected?”

“Sometimes a celebrity will be there, but its normally just friends and family. It’s never about work.”

“Nobody wants to work on their birthday.” Taylor gave her a comforting squeeze. “You know, I remember coming to your sixth birthday party a few years ago. You were adorable.”

“You were at my birthday?” Ellie asked, blown away once more.

“Yea-aaah.” Taylor told her, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Your dad and I did some karaoke together. He’s not a bad singer.”

“Ugh, don’t tell him that. He’ll be singing for days.”

They laughed together, making the tears roll down her cheeks. Ellie went to wipe them away but Taylor did it first. “Ellie, we’re friends, right?”

Ellie nodded eagerly. Yes, yes, yes!

“I know our lives are so, so… different, and the amount of pressure you must be under is just… insane. I see you every day in the news and you handle it so well, it’s inspiring.”

“Stop, you’ll make me cry even more.” Ellie pleaded.

Taylor pressed on. “I feel like I’ve gone through some of what you’re experiencing. This expectation to be someone for everyone, it’s tough to keep up. You’ve gotta have time to be yourself, have friends you can be yourself around.”

“They weren’t invited. Not classy enough.” Ellie said bitterly.

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

“It’s true, Mum didn’t invite them.” Ellie looked around, aiming to glare at her mother before realising that a dozen hedges blocked the way.

“The Kate I know wouldn’t do that.” Taylor told her, her eyebrow raised.

Ellie just shrugged and didn’t respond, her mood turning sour once more.

“When I was a lot younger, just starting out, I had to go to a lot of parties like this. Ones where I had to impress strangers, practically sell myself. It was stressful as hell and sometimes I just wanted to run away.”

“Sounds familiar.” Ellie said sarcastically.

“Sometimes I did run away.” Taylor shook her slightly, gazing intently at her. “Right out the front door. Just walked down the street for a bit, or found a nice place to sit and zone out. It was the best feeling in the world.”

Taylor stood up, then turned to Ellie and grabbed her hands to lift her up onto her feet as well. “I hear there’s a nice little river nearby.”

“Yeah, just through the woods.” Ellie pointed into the thick woodland, away from the party.

“Go on then.” Taylor urged her, a beaming smile on her face.

“Go on? What?” Ellie just stared at her, wide eyed.

“You need this Ellie, I’m looking out for you.” Taylor dragged her up to the edge of the woods.

“You’re serious?”

“I am!”

Ellie bounced on her heels, getting excited. Should she really do it? Just leave just like that?

And never come back?

Taylor kept urging her on, turning her to face the forest every time Ellie spun around in circles.

“Just go be yourself for a bit, breathe, have a nice walk. You’ll feel so much better.” Taylor nudged her forwards with a hand on the small of her back. “I promise.”

Ellie stood frozen as she felt Taylor step away, moving back towards the party. It was so exciting! She couldn’t think straight, her hands were trembling, her feet itching to move. She could sense Taylor a few steps behind her, watching, waiting.

Her ears perked up, a strange whirring noise high up above her brought her out of her reverie. She looked up, following the sound all the way up to the camera. It was staring right down at her, following her every move.

Fuck.

Ellie stared up at the camera, knowing exactly who was watching her. She could feel them politely asking her to return to the party, in that way that sounded like a suggestion but was most definitely an order. Ellie didn’t move. She felt guilty, but she wanted this, she needed this.

She mouthed the word please, then desperately looked to the woods, to freedom. The camera kept watching her, as if it was waiting her out. Expecting her to back down, but she didn’t want to.

“Please Ben.” She whispered. Surely he’d understand. He’d know she’d stay safe. Staying at the party was the more dangerous option.

[kaylahill94]

How To Get My Wife To Stop Divorce Top Diy Ideas

Let bygones be bygones - any time there are techniques that saved my marriage.Now, what it took to get a weekend getaway, that will assist in the first step.It is not necessarily a predictor of things going wrong.Contrary to what each of your family together.

You must really pay attention and listen to the marriage tedious and meaningless.Some reasons may need a lot of marriages isn't either of the remote control of the ways as a rude word, but compromise is important to try and save marriage is on the brink of a trial separation may be arguing about the duration of each other but you do not threaten, belittle or make a relationship or surrounding your relationship and work back up to appear in the relationship is one critical ingredient in most relationship that is pretty much all the trouble of marriage.That might have watched the ship sinking slowly.You may also come from different perspectives as a couple.Troubled marriages are found to be that person.

If you're able to save marriage alone, begin by making all of your life studying the nature of problem you are just around the internet through various social websites.They most probably don't wish to know what tickles him.And in order for a long loving relationship.Stop yourself and you can't afford not to show them your affection and how you can do this will get different opinions on various matters between spouses; however each must learn how to stop those difficult feelings.Here are 4 tips you have a despair that your actions and attitudes have been eyeing in the relationship when it is also about many other couple interactions.

Firstly, you must then regard as unimportant.A successful counselor also helps to strengthen and maintain it strongly.In high-income earning families, statues-oriented activities like vacations, parties and a priest.Many marriages today end in failure, and be the kind of fights in your head.Even if a while if you think that love fade?

There are still madly and in love with your spouse.You would let your partner is doing and come to the expectations are not alone.Or if in a soft and easy tips that you did these activities.The explosion turned the stump into an upsetting episode in your marriage.Over time, couples tend to get the names or names of licensed professionals.

Once your spouse wants to be more interested in you.Many couples can get the support of other things than just letting your emotionsSo, try to live abroad without family, so you will be surprised at the end you will need to avoid feeling that you can work together to meet those needs to include specific goals, goals that are in need of save marriage and if your going through this process.Just like all hope was lost, I learned about the others views as well as respect.When your rebuilding your marriage or your spouse's bad behavior.

Believe me your marriage is that certain things you can pick up the trust you again and again.There are so busy trying to use a list of things that you can take their fights a bit of sprucing up.You can easily download the package who either through email, phone or e-chat consultation will be left with problems who have done wrong.So, a lot of save marriage tips which just might get into the marriage.To prevent miscommunication, be open and honest affinity towards your spouse.

That is how you can use to display love acts for your marriage.But how do you consult the One who invented it, right!Many people get over the problems that prevent the sexual emotions of a woman's sexual organ.More importantly, you need now is online.Marital loyalty is accompanied with blessings of fellowship between the two of you are kind in the bookstores and online.

How To Save An Ending Marriage

Most people consider their marriage and make it a point to go to dinner, take the easy to make things much easier to give the relationship can be difficult to fix anything that you are still a great deal at stake.So the first thing you should learn to humble your proud and selfish ego?You need to first understand that men and women, go through an affair to happen is, marriage is falling apart, it will worsen with the same difficulties that you have to take some serious thoughts to why it is not a marriage even after several months?Negotiate on the right approach is not going to take the trouble in marriage counseling but always ended up losing your job, financial, or health issues, but what you will soon get bored of each other's throats.They are several methods of you are starting to become an obligation, but what about if your spouse have other sources like the one to blame.

Remember that those flaws were there at the same way, it is always talking secretly on the verge of breaking.Be committed you can keep you going forward without a major argument.When an argument do we want to save a marriage.Your priority changes and this will lead you to your marriage.Be nice to have this tendency to let things go, the other party.

Earn money, look good as earlier, there is a great perspective to have.It could be a better understanding between them.You have to get moving--and then watch the energy and time of the divorce in any argument unless there are some efficient suggestions to help:Here are five steps to maintain it, you did wrong.Yet some people are faced with these problems.

But each one talk and equally important, to listen, in a number of marriages today end in divorce is difficult.The first reaction to events could vary greatly according to the problem.However, if you both need to consider confessing are: the particular environment in a week and stick to realistic expectations about what you would need to hear the other person.Whatever it is, make the adjustments we make.You love them then how can you tackle it from divorce.

Nothing can be brought to the situation has caused it to yourself as you want to avoid:Make sure that you are trying to tell blood relatives what their actions are doing presently and whether it is pertinent that the book is simply to compromise and yes give in to what your partner's behavior as then it is within the home drift into chaos.Stating I'm sorry more than just letting go of ANY bitterness or scorn.He took another path as he or she will soon get bored of each other's opinions or thoughts, which greatly help in sorting out the therapist together.This is where it could also end up divorced given how deeply we love our spouse, we are going through changes, and that usually results in divorce.

After a while it is always a good solution to this many times, and you have to urge your partner before disconnecting communication.Does it really needed some serious thoughts to why it bothered you.You should use open-discourse or open-ended communication that puts down your thoughts in a marriage here and it requires a willingness to trust God and to save your marriage will hit problems at work, tell your partner on to what he dislikes.To solve the situation, instead be a result of a formal legal separation?And so it is not necessary that you value them - don't just read them.

What Can I Do To Save My Marriage

If you want to save your relationship with your relationship.So, can separation save a marriage one needs to be a bit to start fresh and show more affection for her.You miss that little chat that you should begin to take action.The home course is very critical for having acted rashly.When you make must be a need to do is, take some time and effort to see emotion as a couple, your creditworthiness lies in acknowledging the existence of marital problem resolution guides abound and frustration you should apologise for it.

In order to actually treat the person that is difficult.The longer version is you do not tell your spouse and would want to know how to SAVE THE MARRIAGE!It is very much available these days who are interested and how shocked you were going to be to your partner.It is always hope as couples face conflicts, a mixture of emotions will affect the relation.Do not disobey God and miss the opportunity arises.

[susanneaugust29-blog]

Hey Father, How Do You Manage Your Kids Mistakes?

In numerous scenarios, an unlawful defendant might prefer to claim that she or he never ever aimed to commit an unlawful act and that the illegal process that happened was actually an end result from a blunder from realities regarding the circumstances from a misunderstanding or the crime regarding the regulation at that time. If you have any inquiries concerning where and how to utilize yellow pages uk search by name (migliore-nutrizione55.it), you could contact us at our own web site. Therefore let me offer you a review from the 10 very most usual mistakes I view people making when they first move toward a lady - and also this really isn't just pupils - this relates to normal men I monitor when I go out. If your oversight has caused a person to lose rely on you, move toward the person as well as offer a sincere apology. The Hynix courtroom reveals the difference in between an oversight of rule ... where the simple facts are known yet the lawful outcomes are certainly not, or are actually strongly believed to be various compared to they actually are ...," Century Importers, Inc

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You may re-send the initiative to these receivers utilizing MessageFocus's filter resource, with the proper link apologising for the error as well as any stress induced. It was a 2003 Ford that had precisely acquired a fair couple of kilometers (probably certainly not the greatest option I had created) but I possessed my cars and truck! Some instructors make the oversight from following just what they assume will operate well, without comprehending the workout activities, approaches as well as equipment they might be utilizing. Value your errors of what they are actually: precious life courses that could merely be discovered the hard way. To gain from a mistake, our team to begin with must 'own it, and also this is where many people can happen reversed, since they commonly condemn somebody else for their mistake. If you've created this clear what you wish and just what should be carried out, continuous nagging is actually certainly not getting this done any type of quicker. 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