#he's still too shy to really bargain with others though haha

[babyblueetbaemonster]

Tesinktober 2022 Day 22 --- Training

"Thank you for saving my daughter. In return, I shall teach you the art of saving money!"

[nikethestatue]

What is your opinion on the themes SJM portrays in her books, like the whole good triumphs over evil, through love all is possible, court of dreams, I am not afraid, etc. Do you like it? I enjoy them fine but I sort of wish she also explored more interesting themes like most authors do about human nature, nature of love, self destruction, dualities, etc (like common classic ones). Personally I find it more compelling when authors explore themes that aren’t necessarily sunshine and rainbows. I think it’s interesting that people praise SJM for not shying away from complexity and darker stuff but compared to other works I’ve read she’s a fairly black and white author that tells classic tales of a hero who is good and a villain who is bad. Yes her characters often have more “grit” than other happy go lucky YA types, but they’re still ultimately good morally. This isn’t a knock against SJM because I do enjoy her hopeful themes and I think it’s sweet she wants to convey these things to her readers. Sometimes I wish she just mixed it up a bit you know. But maybe that’s just not her style. (I also suspect all her books going forward are going to be rom-com-ish.)

i am actually very much of the same opinion--i wish for MORE darkness. More trials. I think in her quest to make sure that everyone's got their HEA, she sometimes forgets about the characters that she originally wrote.

Looking back at TOG, and at CC, I thinks she did it much better in both of those series, as opposed to ACOTAR.

Aelin truly did some terrible things, and she was grey and she went through hell. We knew that there would probably be HEA, but the journey to that end was difficult and painful. Aelin lying in a coffin in that mask, tortured so extensively that she had new skin all over her body is pretty intense stuff. Her relationship with Rowan was uncomfortable at times, though eventually, beautifully rendered.

In ACOTAR, it feels like SJM is ....scared? She is scared to make it painful. She is scared to make any of them be questionable or grey. Rhys was fantastic in the beginning BECAUSE he was so interesting and so malevolent at times. Feyre truly suffered, and was faced with terrible decisions. By ACOWAR, the need to make them all saintly really started to show and for many, Feysand, unfortunately, lost its appeal. They were TOO happy. The trials were too predictable. SJM killed Rhys and for WHAT? For half a page? Feyre cried. She asked others to wake him up and they did. That's it. That was the extent of the drama.

Where was a terrifying bargain that Feyre needed to strike with some entity to bring him back? Where was the sacrifice? SJM literally just repeated exactly the same thing that she did with Feyre's resurrection.

I think you can do hopeful and you can do HEA, but it shouldn't be so predictable. Like we all knew that Nessian will squabble a bit and then be together. That's it. Like how many scrying sessions do we need? And if you are gonna kill Cassian, then kill him for real!! And then have Nesta use her Power of Death to fight for him WITH Death and claw him out of it. Not just be 'haha, jokey jokey, I was hardly even in danger!'

it's still is a fantasy book. Let's see some more magic and fantasy which are difficult to overcome. I think it all boils down to really poor bad guys in ACOTAR. They are not scary. They are barely evil. No one understands their motivations. Therefore, the fight is never very genuine. Hybern? Come on. He guy barely raise his head and died in the same book. Amarantha had potential, but was again killed at once. ACOSF didnt even have a villain.

CC, i think, is a more interesting book, with more complexity than ACOTAR. SJM's obsession with Rhys isnt doing her any favours.

[vodkassassin]

world state: refresh, chapter two

Last chapter: “—From the description, it’s basically the same as the synopsis of your run of the mill VRMMORPG anime, except the virtual games are real worlds.”

“Sure, but if they’re real worlds, then what does being a Game Master mean?”

Shen Yuan grins down at him.

“Hey, Airplane,” he says. “How do you feel about being an actual god?” [Read ch. 1]

—

“Oh, yaaawn!” She throws herself back onto the plush surface behind her and stretches her arms above her head. “Man, what a chore! Hey, Dorazou, make a note to always double check the Mission Rating before accepting an Assignment in the future. No way in hell am I gonna be doing that again!”

“AwRAWRight!” The tiny avatar cheers, pumping a little red scaled fist into the air. “Reminder set! Hey, Host, if it’s any consolation, this system thinks you totally aced it!”

“Hmm,” she crosses her arms and stars at the collection of screens that have popped into existence before her. “The mission grading will be the judge of that. Let’s see, here…. Oh, awesome! I earned a double S score! You know what that means!”

Dorazou gives another little roar cheer that sounds more like a kitten's mew than anything. Ah, so cute! “Host may close her next Assignment! Congratulations!”

The agent gathers her hair up into a loose and messy bun at the top of her head, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Awesome. Let’s choose something easy, why don’t we? That last world was only an A-rank, but it gave me a lot more trouble than I bargained for. It should have been labeled at least S-tank! Dorazou, bring up all available Assignments. B-rank or lower only, please!”

“Gotcha!” The tiny dragon-themes sprite gives a little twirl, it’s clunky arms flailing adorably. “Assignment list set to: Easy!”

“Perfect, thanks! Let’s take a look, now… Otome-world…. Fantasy style cooking show star, haha. I have zero talent in that area, so please decline it for me, Dorazou…. Another Knights Order needs a Pure Heavenly Maiden for such and such ritual, ah, that honestly just sounds so sinister, decline! And here we have yet another otome assignment, damn. These things are such pests. Oh, what’s this?”

Sitting up, the agent leans in and peers closely at the screen, eyes bright in excitement. “Hey, Dorazou! This one calls for a team of agents!”

“That is correct!” Dorazou says, beaming. The dragon floats up to sit comfortably on the girl’s shoulder. “System Agents 74 and 81 have put in a request for additional manpower in the Game Master Assignment for World-120MAX. If Host accepts, she and four other agents will be tasked with working under the leadership of Agent 74 in creating and managing a Game World.”

She tilts back again, kicking her legs up into the air with some excitement. “What’s the deadline?”

Dorazou is quiet for a moment as it studies the screens. It gives a hearty cheer and pats the agent on the head. “No deadline! Host will remain on Agent 74’s GM Team until it is decommissioned by the Team itself!”

She jumps off the beanbag entirely to float up into the air, catching the little dragon sprite and hugging it to her chest. “Awesome! So it’s basically a neverending paid vacation, if we want it to be? That totally rocks! Dorazou, we lucked out with this one!”

“AwRAWRight!” The tiny system cheers, looping its scaly arms around her neck in a hug. “Is Host choosing this Assignment, then?”

“As if I’d ever turn down a chance like this! System Agents hardly ever get to work together! Dorazou, please confirm my acceptance!”

“Assignment chosen! Does Host wish to rest in the home space before starting?”

“Nah, I’m way too pumped now,” she clenches her fists and grins. “Dorazou, let’s go meet our new friends!”

“RAWR! World-120MAX loading! Twenty-eight percent! Fifty-percent! Eighty-three percent! World load complete! Entering database now!”

The agent grins as she dissolves into light. This is gonna be sweet!

—

“Nice to meet you! My name is Myra Khol, System Agent 23! I’m here for the Game Master Team Assignment!”

“The what?” The boy says, expression just positively befuddled as it has been when she’s first loaded into the world, and Myra tilts her head in slight confusion. Has this guy never met another agent before?

She hops down from the tree and steps over to him, a little surprised when he takes a step back in return. Man, this guy is shy! How cute!

“Wait a minute, did you just say ‘System’?” The boy straightens up, his eyes going even wider than they’d already been. “Does that mean you are also a transmigrator?”

“What else would I be?” Myra huffs out with some bemusement. “You guys clearly haven’t put any people in this world yet, so the only ones you’d be seeing are yourselves or another agent.”

“Agent…” the boy echoes, holding the fan up to his lips in thought. It’s an endearing gesture, something so old fashion being slightly out of place with the futuristic fantasy design of the boy’s outfit, and yet it still somehow fits him.

Myra blinks at him, and then decides to take pity. From the looks of it, this kid is a noob at the job. She remembers when that had been her. The good old days!

“Didn’t your Systems explain it to you guys yet?” She asks.

At her words, the boy’s expression darkens. “The System? No. Why would the System explain anything?”

Oh. That sounded like anger, there. Myra reaches out a hand and nervously scoots her precious Dorazou over until it’s hidden behind her back. The little dragon makes a tiny noise of confusion, but goes along with it.

The boy narrows his eyes at her action. “Speaking of systems… is that one yours?”

“Um, well,” Myra coughs. “Yes? But! Dorazou is such a sweet little thing! Wouldn’t harm a fly! Please take care of it!”

The boy looks confused. “Wouldn’t harm a fly! Have you never been threatened with Punishment Protocol?”

Myra gapes, aghast. “No! That’s reserved for triple S class worlds on the highest difficulty setting! Why would an Assignment like that be given to newbie agents?”

The boy stares at her, face pale.

“Oh.” Myra presses her hands over her mouth, staring at him in horror. “I mean, I’ve heard it happening only once. Someone being given an extreme-difficulty Assignment for their very first world. It was basically an impossible mission, but she luckily managed to complete it successfully. The Assignment Parameter glitch that led to it was suppose to have been fixed since then, though. Are you really saying…?”

The boy lets out a weak sounding laugh, bowing his head. He rubs the back of his arm across his eyes, and Myra feels something in her chest ache at the sight. These two agents… they’ve really been through the wringer, haven’t they?

Clearing her throat hesitantly, she asks, “The Assignment said there were two agents behind the request. Since you’re here, where’s your partner?”

“He’s on the other side of the Level, touching up on some persistent glitches that are occurring in quadrant five,” the boy releases an aggravated sigh. Then, he glances at Myra in surprise. “Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Shen Yuan, it’s really nice to meet you.”

Myra grins back at him, relieved. “Is it? For a moment there, I thought you weren’t happy to see me.”

“Are you kidding?” Shen Yuan laughs again, and this one is much lighter. It suits him way better than the faintly grieved sound from before. “I am ecstatic to meet you. It’s nice to know that we’re not as alone as we thought. Here, I’ll take you to my… partner. He should be about finished by now.”

Myra bounces onto her toes in excitement. She grabs Dorazou by the tail and troops after Shen Yuan when the boy turns his back and begins to walk away.

“Man, not being given a tutorial world really sounds like it sucked,” Myra says, side eyeing her new teammate as she comes up beside him.

Shen Yuan has an odd smile on his face when he replies. “It was… definitely something, yes.”

“You want me to lodge a complaint with Management?” She asks, a pinch of worry between her brows. “If all three of us do it, they’ll have to take another look at the glitch and make double sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Shen Yuan is quiet for a long while as they walk along the quaint little dirt path. The silence stretches into minutes, and Myra decides to leave him to his thoughts, because it looks like he’s pondering something pretty deep.

She busies herself with checking out their surroundings as they move along. Shen Yuan has called this area the Level, and she’s assuming it’s the first of its kind, and therefore intended to be the Starting Area for the Players when they enter into this world. She’s done her reading while loading into the Assignment, so she’s fairly confident in her ability to assist Shen Yuan and his partner with whatever sort of administration work they need help with. So far though, from what she’s seeing, the two of them are actually off to a really good start. One or both of them must have some sort of experience in world building.

What a perfect Assignment for them, if that’s the case.

Especially if what Shen Yuan says is true, and he really had suffered through a triple S class of extreme difficulty for what was suppose to be their tutorial world. He really deserves a paradisal vacation such as this, where he can recuperate from the troubles he’d faced.

“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Shen Yuan finally says, voice so quiet that Myra wouldn’t have heard it if the rest of the world around them wasn’t dead silent. It seems the audiosphere hasn’t been set up, yet.

Myra glances over to her side, and finds Shen Yuan staring down at the ground with a frown on his pretty face. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides.

“You said they already patched the glitch, so it shouldn’t have happened. They — whoever they are — clearly didn’t do their job.”

Myra bites her lip, and hugs a strangely quiet Dorazou to her chest. “Yeah, so we should file a complaint, right? And we can get the rest of the team on board with it, too, once they get here. I’m sure they’ll agree, too.”

“The rest of the team?” Shen Yuan asks, frown still present. He flicks his wrist, and the fan opens with a sharp snap and a skillful flourish. Myra stares at the action in awe. So refined! So graceful! And the fan itself was exquisite.

“I’m sorry, could you elaborate on the… Assignment Parameters you mentioned before? Xiao Lei and I just needed help, and the system said we’d have it. It didn’t explain what that help was, or where it would come from.”

Xiao Lei must be the other agent, Shen Yuan’ partner. Myra files the name away and directs a bright smile in the direction of her new teammate.

“Sure thing! Basically, your request generated a new Assignment in the listings for agents. It asks for five agents to form a team directly under you and your partner, though Agent 74 is suppose to be the team leader. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?”

Shen Yuan blinks at her, before his frown returns in full force. It looks faintly irritated this time, and the boy calls out, “System, what is my, uh, Agent number?”

There’s a faint sound of static, before a slightly stilted and robotic voice replies, “Host is filed as Agent 81.”

Myra glances down to see a Siamese cat, tail poised elegantly in the air and ears perked upright, weaving between Shen Yuan’s every step like a ghost. The cat glances up at her and blinks it’s bright blue eyes at her with an indifferent gaze.

“Oh, is that your System? It’s so cute!” She squeals.

The cat glances away from her, and Shen Yuan huffs.

“It’s an absolute snob, is what it is,” the boy refutes.

His system doesn’t look back up, and Myra feels a little bad for it, but…. Well, she supposed, if she’s been trapped in an SSS-rank hell world for her first Assignment, she might have some resentment toward her system, too.

She clutched Dorazou to her chest at the terrible thought, and is comforted when the little dragon spite turns around to nuzzle her back. It seems she’s really lucked out, huh?

“Does your system have a name?” She asks, scratching Dorazou behind the ear.

“Does it need one?” Shen Yuan asks coldly.

Myra cringes, glancing down at the aloof-looking cat that darts between his legs. It doesn’t even twitch at the way that it’s host speaks about it, and Myra decides to change the subject least the air becomes too awkward.

“So, um, I guess your partner is the designated team leader, then!” She tries, her smile fixed in place.

Shen Yuan shrugs. He flutters the pretty fan in front of his face and holds his other arm behind his back. He looks like some sort of regal young master of an ancient dynasty, with a posture like that. Myra wonders what the setting of his last world had been. Imperial court drama, perhaps? That sort of plot was almost always a guaranteed S rank.

“It suits him,” Shen Yuan says. “He has the most experience in creating worlds, so I guess I’d follow his lead even if he wasn’t the boss. Though, I’ll definitely be there to advise him, so he doesn’t get too carried away.”

“Carried away?” Myra wonders.

“It happens, sometimes.” Shen Yuan grimaces. “If it’s true that we’ll be a team, then I’ll be counting on you to keep an eye on him, as well.”

“Yes, of course!” Myra is a little confused, but Shen Yuan obviously knows his partner best, so she’ll take his words to heart. She salutes him. “You can definitely rely on me for that!”

This gets her a faint smile, and she inwardly cheers. This boy is surprisingly difficult to get a response out of. Myra hasn’t met someone like him in a long time.

Suddenly, Shen Yuan pulls to a stop, and gestures ahead of them. “We’re here,” he says, and then sighs. “Looks like he’s not finished… I wonder….”

Myra looks ahead of them, to see a huge structure looming in the distance. The forest they’ve been strolling through has given way to an open plain, grasslands mixed with an opaque sandy desert. A few hundred meters away sits a hulking building, which in closer examination is not a building at all, but in fact some sort of autonomous being. It’s collapsed on its side, limbs askew, a central panel of its torso gaping open to allow its mechanical insides to be strewn about throughout the grass and sand around it. There’s faint noises of metal hitting against metal coming from within it, and when Myra squints, she can just make out a tiny figure perched on the very edge of the thing’s opened chassis.

Shen Yuan takes a step forward, and Myra keeps back. He closes his fan with a satisfying clack and slips it into the pocket of his shorts, and then cups his hands around his mouth. “Hey, Shang Lei! Come here!”

Oh, so the other agent’s name was Shang Lei, not Xiao Lei.

Myra pokes at her lip in thought as she watches the distant figure poke it’s head up out of the mechanical innards of whatever creature they were tinkering around inside of. Shen Yuan, Shang Lei… those names both sound pretty Chinese to her. And in Chinese, Xiao is often used as a diminutive or an endearment. So, this must mean that Shen Yuan and Shang Leo are actually very close friends, right? Myra covers her smile with a hand.

Due to context gathered from Shen Yuan's earlier words, it must also be likely that they were partners in their last world. Meaning that Shang Lei also experienced what was, in layman’s terms, called a Hell Assignment. And it is likely that the Hell Assignment was also Shang Lei’s first Assignment, given that Shen Yuan has no idea about a lot of System Agent common sense.

If they were partners all this time, if Shang Lei had previous transmigration experience, he’d have schooled his partner on it by now. And yet, Shen Yuan was ignorant of a lot of things.

Myra presses both her palms to her cheeks and sighs quietly as she watches Shang Lei approach them. Shen Yuan has stepped up to meet him, but she can clearly see the hesitant way that Shang Lei holds himself, the wary way that he eyes her. The way that he slides himself into the shadow of Shen Yuan’s barely taller stature when he realizes she’s looking back at him.

She sighs in her heart, as well, and clutches Dorazou in one arm like a teddy bear. Her system pays her on the hand.

“—apparently posted an assignment asking for other agents to come and lend us a hand.” Shen Yuan is explaining quietly to his partner — his friend. He gestures at her with a hand. “This is Myra Khol, the first one to accept the mission.”

Myra steps forward the smallest step she can take without it seeming like she’s wary of them, too. It still makes Shang Lei duck even further behind Shen Yuan. She does not let it dim her smile.

“Hi, I’m Myra, System Agent 23! I’m pleased to meet you, boss!”

Shang Lei peeks out from behind his friend with wide eyes. There’s a complicated expression on his face.

“... Nice to meet you, too,” he mumbles, and curls back behind Shen Yuan as soon as the last word is out.

That is it! Myra has decided! She will help these two to the best of her abilities, not because it’s the Assignment, but because she wants to!

Dorazou! Edit Assignment self parameters!

[[Host!]]

The dragon sprite makes a soft noise from within her grasp. She sees the way that Shang Lei’s eyes dart down to it, and the frown that graces his face as he glances shyly back toward her with an expression that almost looks faintly concerned. For her. And given the fact that it’s very possible that Shang Lei’s opinion of systems is the same as Shen Yuan’s, due to their not-so-great past experiences, the look that he’s sending her now makes Myra’s heart melt.

[[Assignment parameters, self edit mode!]]

Myra’s smile broadens.

Take care of Agent 74 and Agent 81! Priority!

[ga-yuu]

~Kurama~Main Story Chapter 9~

Chapter 8

*

*

*

------Part 1-----

Kurama: "-----Those eyes."

Yoshino: "hmm?"

The fingertips on my cheek, come up within a touching distance of my eyeballs.

I didn't have to raise my voice because----

The emotion in Kurama's eyes was neither anger nor contempt.

Kurama: "I don't like your eyes. I hate the way how it's shining so strangely in the dark night."

Yoshino(blushing): "Kura..ma..."

(Why are you looking like that?)

I exhale and search for the answer as quietly as possible.

Yoshino: ".....I think it's Kurama's eyes that are doing the talking."

Kurama: "I can't see my own eyeballs, and maybe I should take yours out, carry it around."

Yoshino: "Take my eyes out....!"

This time I backed away in a panic and Kurama snickered at me.

Kurama: "I was joking. I have no such vices."

(Thank god!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Don't joke...

2. Kurama's jokes are not good for me...(+4/+4)

3. Don't scare me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshino: "Kurama's jokes are not good for my heart.....they're life threatening."

Kurama: "You already have a short life span...how can shorten it even more?"

Kurama is still keeps looking into my eyes even after he let goes of his fingertips.

Kurama: "I don't mind having shiny things at hand, but if you hollowed them out they wouldn't shine as brightly as they do now. It makes me angry for no reason."

Yoshino: "What do you mean?"

Kurama: "Don't ask me, I don't like this kind of idle sentiment."

(Even Kurama himself doesn't know what's inside Kurama, despite the fact that he attracts so much human awe and admiration.)

(.....He’s distorted.)

No more questions were answered by Kurama as he tipped back his cup.

..........

A few days later -----

Morinaga and Shigehira hurried back to Kamakura to report before Yoritomo.

Morinaga: "I apologize, Yoritomo-sama."

Shigehira: "With the rebels in retreat, I was caught off guard that Yoshino-san would be taken. Once we got the information we went after the rebels to get it back..."

Yoritomo: "But they were out of reach. Well, that's understandable. Morinaga and you were both busy cleaning up after the battle, right?"

------Part 2------

Yoritomo: "But they were out of reach. Well, that's understandable. Morinaga and you were both busy cleaning up after the battle, right?"

The clenched fists of the two men convey their frustration.

Yoritomo: "I was on the lookout for suspicious activity at court, but I didn't realize until it was too late. The court must have been involved in Yoshino's abduction in some way. Yasuchika's people are lazily dodging us because they have no proof."

Shigehira: "Crap..."

Morinaga: ".....Is Yoshino safe with the rebels?"

Yoritomo: "That’s upto Yoshitsune. But at least he won't take her life right away."

Morinaga: '...In the last war the rebels lacked more strength than the Shogunate. That's why Yoshino is likely to be kept around as a bargaining chip. .....At least that’s what I think.”

Yoritomo: "That's right. Also given, Yoshitsune's personality, he would never kill a woman without a good reason."

After Yoritomo's quiet announcement, a short heavy silence fell over the three of them.

Shigehira: "......We have to do something to get her back."

Morinaga: "Yeah, she's one of us."

Yoritomo: "Will have to keep an eye on the rebels and wait for the right moment. It will take some time, but we've Kagetoki already working on it."

Shigehira and Morinaga: "Yes."

.................

Same time, at the Rebel House----

Yoshitsune: "I can't say...I'm happy to welcome you. I've already informed them that you're here, fox princess."

Yoshino: "Minamoto no Yoshitsune.......sama."

(We've come this far at last.)

One word from this person or even a slight lift of the eyelashes can change the atmosphere.

(....My body feels heavy. What is this intimidating feeling.)

Yoshitsune: "Kurama and Benkei must have had a hard time."

Benkei: "No, it was my fault that the damage was greater. I'll accept any punishment you give me."

Benkei with his broken knees bowed his head deeply.

Yoshitsune: "It's not your fault. Benkei and Kurama both broke their bones to rescue those below them."

Kurama: "..............."

Yoshitsune: "The turmoil of the war was unpredictable. Isn't that right? Yoichi."

-------Part 3------

Yoshitsune: "The turmoil of the war was unpredictable. Isn't that right? Yoichi."

Yoichi-san, who had been standing in the corner looking a bit sluggish, shrugged.

Yoichi: "We did manage to find out that part of the Court was involved, though. The unity of the noble families who seem to be involved is strangely strong. The reason why no information was leaked to the Shogunate or to us until the war began is that there is a considerable mastermind on the other side."

Kurama: "Is that man and Ibuki related?"

(Ah......)

Yoshitsune: "The demon mentioned in your letter."

Yoichi: "It’s still under investigation. We don't know for sure but at least Yasuchika-dono is probably related to Ibuki."

(Eh?)

Kurama: "-------That fool."

(He's a Onmyoji and also involved with demons? What's going on inside the court?)

Yoshitsune: "Continue to investigate, Yoichi."

Yoichi: "I will."

Benkei: "What about Yoshino?"

(.......!)

Without blinking, his amethyst eyes turn to me and I feel nervous.

Yoshitsune: "----Yoshino."

Yoshino: "Yes."

Yoshitsune: "You will be held in this house until the war with the Shogunate is over. If you don't resist, we will guarantee your life for the time being. I'll give you a room. If you are bored, you can take a walk in the garden."

Yoshino: ".....I understand."

(I'm glad.....for a change that they didn't kill me...)

(If I try to escape, I won't be forgiven....)

(And I also promised that I would return to everyone in the Shogunate.)

My heart ached for my friends.

Kurama: "So you've just arrived here and now you’re already in tears? You miserable little puss."

I was a bit annoyed when I heard the unkind voice and I replied back.

Yoshino: "I'm not here on a picnic, and I think it's normal to be nervous."

Yoshitsune and Yoichi: “....!”

Yoshitsune: "By the way, was it Kurama who brought Yoshino to the camp?"

Yoichi: "Yeahhh....Also she understood our ‘Kurama’ quite well? Our ‘Kurama”

Kurama: "Why are you saying that twice?"

Yoichi: *whistling~*

Yoichi-san whistled deliberately to disguise the fact.

Yoshitsune: "Just as well. Kurama, Yoshino is in your care."

------Part 4------

Yoshitsune: "Just as well. Kurama, Yoshino is in your care."

(Eh!?)

Yoichi and Benkei: "............!!!"

Benkei: "....Are you sure Yoshitsune-sama?"

Yoshitsune: "We don't want anything to happen to the prisoners in our care. Whatever her everyday needs are, we must make sure that she gets everything, except for freedom."

Kurama: "I refuse. She might be the prisoner, but I'm not going to babysit her."

Even when Kurama glared at him coldly, Yoshitsune-sama shakes his head nonchalantly.

Yoshitsune: "It's rare to see Kurama talk to anyone else other than us. Don’t you think Yoshino would be better off in the enemy territory with someone she knows a little better?”

(Apparently, he is speaking as if he has good faith.)

Yoichi: "Heh......Hahaha..."

Yoichi-san laughed, shaking his shoulders as if he couldn't bear it.

Yoichi: "Haha....it's okay Kurama.....there is a first time for everything... I'll support you for sure."

Kurama(glares): "Don't pat on my back. I don't want your support."

Kurama raises his eyebrows as Yoichi-san laughs and pats on his back.

Benkei: "Being taken cared by Kurama....... I'm a bit worried about it."

(Then what about me, buddy? I'm the most anxious one here...)

Kurama: "If so, Then Benkei, you do it."

Benkei: "No, Yoshitsune-sama's orders are absolute. Kurama, I'll add some extra snacks for you tonight. Promise."

Benkei patted him on the shoulder, and Kurama looked down at me with an annoyed expression.

..........

For some reason, Kurama agreed to show me to my room....

Kurama: "....................."

Maid: "Ku-Kurama-sama."

Kurama: "What?"

When the maids saw Kurama and me walking down the corridor, they came up to us as if in a panic.

Maid 1: "I have already prepared the room. I'll be back later to burn incense, so I'd like to ask Yoshino-sama what she likes...."

Yoshino: "Ehhh...umm.."

Kurama: "Not necessary. Back off."

------Part 5------

Kurama: "Not necessary. Back off."

Maid 2: "So, what time would you like to eat?"

Kurama: "Same time as everyone else."

Kurama shows no interest in the maids, who asked him fearfully, and they continued on their way.

(Kurama accepts being cuddled by humans as a matter of course.)

The arrogance is so natural that it's almost refreshing.

Kurama: "Yoshino, don't be shy."

As we were about to turn down the corridor, Kurama noticed my delay and glanced at me.

Yoshino: "Oh! Yeah! Sorry.."

(....As long as I can remember the front and keep my feet on the ground, I’m in Kurama's sight, right?)

I thought to myself as I walked quickly after him.

Yoshino: "By the way, why are the rebel soldiers and maids call you 'Kurama-sama'?"

(When you and I met again in Kamakura, you ordered me not to give you any unnecessary honorifics.)

Kurama: "They say that it is only right to be humble to the guests of Yoshitsune, a foreign warrior. It's unconscionable that a human should make a distinction without knowing who we are. It's annoying, but it's no use trying to reason with the ants that keep springing up. I've decided to leave them alone."

(So that's it...)

Yoshino: "I can honestly see why you'd want to use the honorific, whether it's your position in the rebels or not. I mean, you give out this intimidating feeling."

Kurama: "....You seem to have soon came to treat me with a sullen attitude, huh?"

Yoshino: "I didn't mean to..."

The suspicious look in his eyes made me squirm.

Yoshino: "....I mean, my emotions are all over the place and I feeling nervous and crazy at the same time."

Kurama: "-----You're a really strange woman."

(Not really the words I want to hear from Kurama....)

While we are thinking about whether to say something back or keep quiet, we arrive in front of a room.

Kurama: "This is your room."

(So big....!)

Yoshino: "It's a very nice room for a prisoner...."

Kurama: "Are you dissatisfied?"

Yoshino: "......Not at all."

(I should be grateful that I am not treated unkindly. But it's indeed unsettling.)

Kurama: “You may be smart, but you’re still a lapdog. Remember that the only reason you’re still alive is because you’re not a threat.”

(....That’s right.)

Kurama looked at me with amusement as I fell silent.

Kurama(evil smile): “Tell me what it’s like to be in such an appalling situation, little puss.”

Yoshino(blushing): “-----This is a nice room.”

Kurama(evil smile): “Ohhh...really”

I manage to smile through my anxiety and Kurama raises one end of his lips.

(It’s infinitely more difficult to get out of here on my own by any stretch of imagination.)

(But try not to lose heart and believe that the time will come when we will return to the Shogunate.)

Kurama: “Good nerve. It’s quite impressive.”

I looked at Kurama’s face as he closed the distance between us, and his red eyes had a mysterious glint in them.

(Oh no! I think I’ve provoked something!)

I was slowly backing away, but----

Yoshino(blushing): “Wh-Why are you coming closer???”

Kurama: “Because you’re running away.”

(Ah)

My back hits the wall, and I lose my chance to escape.

Kurama: “Are you done?”

Kurama calmly stops in front of me and touched my hair.

Slowly, the fingertips combed through my hair and traced down my neck.

Yoshino(blushing): “Wa-Wait....not this....again...”

Kurama: “Don’t make me say it again. I’ll do what I want and when I want.”

Yoshino(blushing): “No....you should.....Mm....Ah....”

His lips touched the edge of my ears.

Kurama: “The temperature of your body has risen.”

Yoshino(blushing): “Stop it now!”

I try to pull away, but Kurama’s hands were holding my shoulders and he was laughing lowly.

Kurama: “Heh...I don’t love you. So does that mean, you react like this when any man touches you.”

Yoshino(blushing): “No...it’s Kurama.....”

(Ah)

My ears are bitten even more sweetly, and the rest of my words are swallowed up with my breath.

Kurama: “Kurama, what?”

I shivered as a hot tongue crawled over my ear and pecked at my soft skin.

Yoshino: “Mm...a.....Ku.....rama.....ahh....”

The slightest resistance is contained by a sweet stimulus rather than by force.

Yoshino: “Mmm....”

(I feel hot.)

I looked up and stared at Kurama with my tearful vision. <-- her orgasm face.

However, the contrast between the black hair and red eyes that adorned the well-formed shape drew my attention.

Kurama: “................”

Kurama looked at me as if he was observing my expression...

Kurama: “.....I see. So you like the way how I look.”

Chapter 10

[purplesurveys]

1017

survey by lets-make-surveys

1 - Are you one of those people who can watch TV shows and movies over and over again without getting bored? Yeah this is pretty much my approach to all of my favorites. if a show or movie is able to join that club, then I automatically have no problem watching it over and over. Case in point, Friends for TV shows and The Proposal for movies.

2 - If you drink coffee, do you like it plain or would you rather have something like a latte or something flavoured? I never take coffee black. I mean I’ve had a few sips of it from friends’ cups before, but it just made me miserable loooool.

3 - How did you used to dress ten years ago? Do you dress in a similar way now? Ten years ago I was 12 and had no fashion sense whatsoever. I just put on whatever hand-me-down I got or whatever my mom would get me when she’d go window shopping. Didn’t really start putting in effort in my outfits until the end of high school.

4 - When you’re grocery shopping, do you buy known brands or are you happy to go with the generic store version? Known brands, because most of the time they end up having a better quality as well. 

5 - Do you have a close relationship with any of your cousins? I’m super close with only one cousin, the eldest one on my mom’s side. He’s pretty much like an older brother to me and my siblings. Everyone else on my mom’s side is too young for me to get truly close with; my cousins on my dad’s side are too shy and also live too far away for me to be able to keep up a close relationship with them.

6 - Who was the last person to sleep over at your house? Does this person stay over often or was it more of a one-off? Gabie, I think. She stayed over a lot before, but obviously not anymore.

7 - Does bad weather put you off going out if you’ve got plans to do so? Have you ever cancelled plans due to the weather? Only if a typhoon is really strong; like now, and how they actually had to cancel work today because of the power outages everywhere and because residents in other cities are already being brought to evacuation centers where they can be safe. I had no idea work suspensions were a thing lmao so I was glad to read the message today; I didn’t know how I was going to work with only data and limited battery for both my phone and laptop (power’s been out in our house since 1 AM). :(

8 - When you’re on vacation, do you prefer doing the typical tourist things, or would you rather explore somewhere off the beaten track? I will enjoy a tourist thing or two, but otherwise I’d focus on the less-explored or less-visited attractions. It’s usually the museums or historical landmarks, which is a shame.

9 - Did your family travel a lot when you were younger? From the time I turned 11, which I think was the time my dad got a good promotion and money got a lot better at home. We’d go for vacations locally and abroad every time he was home, which was every 5-6 months.

10 - When was the last time you went shopping for clothes? Did you get anything decent or find any bargains? Around March, I think. Yeah, I found two tops that were both bargains.

11 - Is it true that accessories can make or break an outfit? For sure. With me, it’s bags.

12 - What is your worst memory from high school? What about the best? The absolute worst that I can remember was when we had to role-play as our chosen character in the novel we were taking up in Filipino class; and for some wild reason I chose the most extravagant, bitchiest, flamboyant character...for whom I do not have even the slightest acting chops. When I got to the front of the classroom that’s when I realized my mistake, blanked out, realized I wasn’t going to be able to act as her, and fumbled for the next five minutes. 

My favorite bits from high school were the lunch periods I spent with my friend group. Even if we don’t talk anymore, I’m just grateful I was able to find a home in a group in high school.

13 - Is there any trait in a potential partner that would be a total dealbreaker for you? Right now my biggest dealbreaker is if they aren’t Gabie...lol. Other than that, I imagine being hugely turned off by poor hygiene.

14 - Do you insist people use coasters if they’re putting drinks down in your house? No. I wish we did have coasters as I find them aesthetically pleasing haha, but my mom doesn’t find them necessary

15 - Have you ever been arrested? Were you guilty of whatever it is you were arrested for? Never been.

16 - Name five items on the shelf nearest to you: I don’t have shelves in my room.

17 - After meals, do you wash dishes up right away, or do you leave them in the sink and do a whole days worth at once? I leave them in the sink and soak it with water and dishwashing soap for an hour or so, so that by the time I get back to it it’s easier and quicker to wash. So I do leave them, but I don’t wait until I have 4353894753246 dishes to wash by the end of the day.

18 - What websites do you find yourself spending the most time on? These days I’m primarily on Google Suite, honestly. Work eats up my week.

19 - Do you still download music and TV shows? No. Nearly all media I consume these days is thanks to an online subscription. The only exception is YouTube, I think.

20 - Does your phone have a good battery life? How long does it last before you need to charge it again? I don’t know how it fares compared to other brands, but I’m generally okay with my phone’s battery life. It lasts around 2-3 hours if used continuously, but if I’m out all day and on the go, it can last a whole day with me.

21 - When was the last time you hit snooze? Yesterday.

22 - Did you ever play The Sims? Which expansion pack was your favourite, if you had any? I did play The Sims a lot before – mostly Sims 2 on the PS2, Sims 2 Pets on the PSP, and Sims 4 on the PS4. I never explored the expansion packs too much, though.

23 - Are there any popular film series or TV shows that you just don’t get the appeal of? Game of Thrones and any Marvel movie.

24 - As a child, did you receive pocket money or an allowance? How much did you get? Was it dependent on you doing chores of some kind? Eh, not really. I didn’t receive an allowance of any kind until I was in high school when I started to be given P100 (roughly $2) a day, which was enough for snacks and lunch. No, I didn’t do chores to get the money.

25 - Do you think your parents did a good job of raising you? Would you do anything differently with your own kids? They taught me manners, showing respect, and different values like recognizing my privilege, giving to the poor, understanding my enemies in school, etc. But my childhood seriously lacked emotional maturity, physical affection, and, generally...just being treated like a kid; and I definitely feel the effects from these until today. I was already yelled at from age 5, and that has made me afraid of anyone who ever so slightly raises their voice. I’d do a lot of things differently with my own kid/s.

26 - If something is bothering you, do you have to fix it right away? Not always. Sometimes I run away from it first.

27 - Are there any household jobs you enjoy doing? If so, what’s the reason that you enjoy those things? This isn’t much of a chore as washing dishes or cleaning the bathroom, but I love making my bed. It gives me a sense of productivity and accomplishment, and it’s honestly a form of self-care. I always have the option of letting my bed stay messy and then feeling like shit about it the whole day, so when I do make my bed and fold up my blanket and everything, it gets a little easier to pat myself on the shoulder.

28 - Do you still live in the area you grew up in? Would you like to live somewhere else one day? Where would you go? Yeah, we literally just moved to the village right next to the one I grew up in. I’ve lived here nearly all my life, so I can’t wait to move someplace else. In the city, preferably; with skyscrapers and the constant sound of traffic, construction, and people walking. I feel I’d be happier there.

29 - Do you smoke, drink or do drugs? How old were you the first time you tried those things?  Do you want to quit? I drink, vape, and smoke, but I’m not reliant on any of these. I had my first drink at 18, and I smoked and vaped for the first time when I was 21. No, I don’t have plans to quit.

30 - What’s one thing that really grosses you out? Is it something you have to deal with anyway? How do you cope? Cockroaches. Sometimes we’ll see a cockroach roaming around the house, but it’s super rare so I wouldn’t say I regularly deal with them. I cope by yelling for my mom or dad to come kill it, ha.

[k-liight]

it's been a hell of a long time since I did OC stuff, but here at last is my full cast for Warlock Enterprise! and by full cast, I mean all the characters that are at least somewhat important to the story. lmao there'll be other characters that are just kinda there for maybe like two seconds, and I may add more characters to the actual plot in the future lol. but this is everybody for now! I'm gonna ramble about them all like I usually do with my OCs so if you're interested keep reading dflfjbhgfdkgjs (also note that I made some major design changes to most of these characters LMAO)

Richard Duchaes is the confident dad who comes from a long line of demon hunters going way back into the early medieval times-- pretty much as far back as warlocks even existed in this universe! he can be quite goofy at times, but don't mess with him or his family unless you wanna see him go into angery papa bear attack mode. he's a very powerful warlock and wants his son Mason to even more powerful one day. he's very outgoing and supportive and likes to incorporate witty banter into his battles. Denise Duchaes is the sweet yet badass angel mom who can also be very goofy despite her magnificence. even around other transcendents, she'll keep in her human form, because her true angel form can be quite overwhelming. she's 90% pure light and can bend light rays at her will-- a master illusionist. when alone with her family, she'll carry herself in a dimmer form of her true self so as to not blind them-- that form is translucent and makes her look like wispy smoke. she's very protective of her children, but also likes to embarrass them both, as moms do, haha. Mason Duchaes is of course our hero, a young warlock who dreams of following in his fathers footsteps, but he's rather shy and a little bit behind in magical development. he has a degree of social anxiety making it hard for him to get comfortable around people, but he's very devoted to his family and very protective of his little sister Kalisha. he's down-to-earth and no-nonsense, but he knows how to have fun and it's very easy to make him laugh. he might get insecure of himself at times, but he's very determined to achieve his goals no matter how long it takes. he's more of a left-brain thinker, very logical in what he does and is able to make calculated decisions quickly. Kalisha Duchaes is Mason's adoptive younger sister who's extremely excitable and energetic to the point where she innocently thinks being in danger is fun. she's kind of a mystery baby, her transcendency is unclear and her parents have no idea where she came from. she was found in the woods at a mere three years old and the only thing she remembered was her own first name, and when Richard and Denise couldn't find her birth family, they took her into theirs. now, Kalisha is happy with her family and is eager to join them in the long line of demon hunters. she's quite pugnacious and enjoys fighting demons. she's a tough little rascal that gets right back up when she's knocked down. Amy Stilton is Mason's best friend and magic partner who's also here for a good time and has the unique ability to telepathically communicate with animals. Mason's parents discover that Amy is half-transcendent and half-banal, which is a big no-no in transcendent code of conduct. she also has no idea who her own father is, leading them to believe that her father is/was a transcendent who broke the rules. similar to Kalisha, her transcendency is unclear, so after Mason partners with her and dubs her an "honorary warlock", Richard and Denise set out to solve her origin mystery. she has ADHD and is thus a very creative right-brain thinker to balance Mason's logical demeanor. she's very energetic and emotional, and while she gets easily scared fighting demons, she can channel that fear into good fighting tactics. Sasha Stilton is Amy's aloof and standoff-ish mother who only shows her emotions when she wants to. she's rather trashy and sleazy, but she's also very mysterious in her ways. she smokes a lot a wears too much jewelry and makeup, but she's sympathetic as a minimum-wage worker and single mom. she seems cold at times, but she has instilled a great sense of responsibility in Amy. Maureen Burgstaller is Amy's best friend alongside Mason and also doubles as her school tutor. she's very smart and academic, but she's also sporty and loves working out in her free time. she's a star student and a loyal friend who has known Amy since they were knee-high to a grasshopper and helps her work with her ADHD. she's great with kids and wants to be a teacher one day. Edward Copperton is a wise and friendly old chap who's still very strong for his age and owns the local transcendent tavern, The Waning Gibbous, as well as the head of the area's Warlock Enterprise (which is where the name of the story comes from hollaaaaaa). he exudes kind grandfather vibes and shares mutual respect with Richard and his family. he's very fond of Mason and Kalisha and becomes a sort of mentor to them both. he's been worn down from years, no, decades, of fighting physical and emotional battles, but he is able to take something good from all of his experiences. he's rather prophetic due to his age, but never overbearing. Lucy is a bubbly and cheerful witch who loves good times and all things cute. she's extremely friendly and devotes herself and her magic to helping others. she herself is very cutesy and takes pride in being girly and powerful both. her magic is strong, but her passion is even stronger, and she can cast complicated spells with ease. Lora is Lucy's dark, evil twin sister who is much more stoic and unfeeling than her other half. she frequently teams with demons to get what she wants, but she doesn't strike a fair bargain and is very selfish even to them. despite her cruel nature, Lucy holds no hard feelings towards her. Quentin is an evil warlock and Richard's arch-nemesis since high school. he's very cocky and outgoing, and almost campy in his speech, but paring that with the many lives he's taken makes him all the more twisted. he's over-confident and has a dark sense of humor. he's very violent, but doesn't like getting his hands too dirty, though he just loves pissing Richard off. Kyle is a lowly demon and Quentin's acolyte/scapegoat. he's practically a slave to the evil warlock and is far too weak to rebel against him. he's extremely shy and unsure for a demon, and doesn't even like too much violence. he has a Stockholm syndrome towards Quentin because he believes he's the only one who sees the demon's potential. Grent is a smaller but much stronger demon who frequently annoys the other villains, intentional or not. he's incredibly obnoxious and doesn't seem to know when to shut up, which frequently gets him in trouble (not that he'll ever learn his lesson). while he is powerful, he tends to overshot himself, especially if it's to impress a clearly uninterested woman. he's obsessed with jazz music and thinks he's hot shit, but he's really not. Lady Ultimatum is a rouge vampire who feeds off others' fear. she has built her entire identity to being as terrifying as possible, and loves scaring people into eventually letting her get her way. she's a gambler, but she doesn't play fair at all. if she tries to strike an unfair "bargain" with you, you can turn her down, but over time, you'll be tormented in your nightmares by all your worst fears and eventually become so paranoid that you give in and accept her offer just to make it all stop. she's highly feared and loves every drop of it. Felix is a Norwegian hudrekall who works as a bartender/waiter at the Waning Gibbous tavern. he's very soft-spoken, but is also quite a flirt, and always pays a compliment where he can even when he's not flirting. nearly everyone is attracted to him and he knows it, but he doesn't let it get to his head and is very humble about it. he's sweet and soft, but he definitely has a mischievous side as well. Ildiko is a female warlock of Hungarian descent and Lucy's girlfriend. she's much more intimidating and less bubbly than her beloved, but she's very much a gentlewoman. she's been through a hell of a lot and has the battle scars to show it, plus the horrific marks of a severe burn to her lower face and upper torso which she covers. she's tough as nails and doesn't fuck around, making her well-respected in the Enterprise. and last but not least, Uriah is a new character added to the line-up; he's fun-loving twenty-something warlock who uses his magic in very creative ways. he has a natural ear for music, and likes to use soundwaves from his mixtapes to his advantage. sometimes he can be a bit naive, but he's still a valuable member of the Enterprise. he quickly befriends Mason and becomes like the brother he never had. damn, it took me like two hours just to type up this description XD but I think that's it for now! hopefully I can get back into the swing of OC stuff, especially for this story flbfjgkljds

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Meeting the Avengers family; Chris Evans x teen reader

This request was my first ever Chris Evans request that I had ever written. I hope you guys enjoy it, not really any warnings except for utter teeth rotting fluffiness, sparks of first romance and the Three Leaders of Team Cap picking on a small Tom Holland. 

_________________________________________________________

It was the beginning of May and my dad Chris Evans and I have just arrived at the first location spot for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War film. Now I have been to all the premieres and heck I have all the DVD's but I've never once gotten the chance to go with my dad to see him on set as Captain America (I blame school for that) but now since I've finished my finals and am currently done with school, I have bargained with my dad to allow me to go with him on set to see Avengers: Infinity War and here we are now.

"Okay (n/n) we're here" my dad said as he patted my knee which made me take out my earbuds and shut my music off and I got out of the car with him and we were guided by some of the Marvel staff into the studio where we were welcomed by the entire cast and crew that were there.

"And there he is Captain America ready to return for one more, grand ass-kicking movie!" RDJ proclaimed as everyone applauded and my dad smiled and saluted before going in and hugging some of his cast mates.

"And I see you brought young Evans with you too huh Chris?" stated Scarlett as she came up to me and hugged me. I have known Scarlett ever since I was a little girl when she and my dad first met and for years whenever he was too busy or any other of my family members couldn't babysit me, he called up Scarlett and she became like a second mother to me.

"Hey Scarlett" I said as we hugged each other.

"Hey (n/n), ohhh girl you are getting bigger every time I see you" she said as she rocked me back and forth.

"Is that the Princess Leia to my Luke Skywalker I hear?" A huge smile grew on my face and I ran and glomped my big bro Sebastian Stan. He twirled me around the two of us laughing with each other as he squeezed me in his famous Sebastian teddy bear hugs. "Ohh how you doin doll?"

"Been better just glad to be out of school and see you all become your characters for what may seem the final time. I didn't know you were gonna be in this movie?"

"Told your dad to keep it a surprise from you".

"That's why you randomly took my phone away from me that week!" I exclaimed at my dad as he and the other Avengers laughed. Seb wrapped his arm around my shoulders and brought me in close to him and kissed the top of my head playfully while also gently giving me a noogie.

"Now then, there are some other superheroes you have yet to meet so me along with Seb and Anthony Mackie are gonna give you a little tour around the set to meet them before we get you settled in your trailer".

"For realzies?"

"For sure Lady Liberty!" I heard Mack-attacks voice. He opened his arms out for me and I went into his arms as he rocked me back and forth. "What's up Lady Liberty? You getting bigger or something? Last I saw you, you were—" he then teased me as he placed his hand on my head and measured me and then went about a foot down as he continued, "That tall?"

"Haha very funny!"

"No Chocolachino's right, when I first met you back in 2010 you were about—this big" he teased going lower than Mackie had his hand then I exclaimed out.

"Who you calling small that you wanna crush like an ant!?"

"Hey there will be no ant-crushing while I'm around!" It was then Paul Rudd came up along with one of my favorite actresses and role models Evangeline Lilly.

"Hey Rudd, Eevee" my dad said. "(Y/n), this is Evangeline Lilly and I'm sure you remember Paul Rudd" and believe me when I say I was a little star struck when I found myself standing face to face with Evangeline Lilly.

"Hi (y/n) Paul's told me a bit about you during the Ant-man and Wasp movie from when he met you during the Civil War premiere" said Evangeline.

I froze in shock and nervousness and smiled bashfully I swear my face was probably even redder than the Ironman suit.

"Aww (n/n) gone all shy now!" teased Mackie.

"Shut up" I stuttered. I then turned to Evangeline and said, "It's a real honor to finally meet you I've—I've been a fan of yours ever since I first watched you in Lost. Then when you were on the Hobbit I just—oh my god...." I looked down almost tearing up and everybody awed at me then I felt Evangeline Lilly actually hug me.

"It's always nice meeting a fan of mine. It's an honor to meet Captain America's daughter, I'm thrilled to meet you sweetie" she told me.

"You know Eevee, when we went to Wizard World last year, she actually cosplayed Tauriel and she actually made the cosplay herself. Weapons and all" my dad said.

"Really? Do you have a picture?" she asked.

"Right here, I actually got a video of it on my phone" Sebastian said. We then crowded around Seb and he opened up his phone and played back the video of me doing a testing of my handmade Tauriel daggers in full costume in my hotel room.The video first showed a door and my voice came out.

"You ready Seb?"

"Yeah I'm rolling, Anthony cue the music!" Seb's voice rang out and soon Tauriel's battle music came out and the door swung open and there I was in full costume twirling the daggers pretending to fight and intimidate any orc that came my way. My father's, Seb's and Mackie's voices all cheered out and cried out in exclamation.

"Oh my god! That is so cool!" Eevee exclaimed. "You look exactly like Tauriel! How long did it take you to make the entire cosplay?"

"Four months to make the actual cosplay itself and the weapons about a month so in total five, five and a half. I wanted to be as detailed as possible because she's my favorite character and I wanted to do you justice" I admitted bashfully.

"Well justice is served, wow (y/n) that—that is amazing! High-five badass She-elf!" I then high fived Evangeline and soon the directors called for the actors to get ready for shooting so everyone dispersed and went into their trailers to put away their stuff and get ready for the big day of shooting Avengers: Infinity War.

While heading to my trailer I accidentally bumped into someone dropping my luggage and the damn zipper broke spilling out some of my movies from my bag.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry here let me help you with that" we both knelt down and when we looked up at each other I was staring face to face with the new Spiderman Tom Holland. Though I did see him at the premiere of Civil War I never did really get a chance to talk to him but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I had a small little crush on him.

"Thank you" I said as he handed me my Star wars: The Force awakens Blu-ray.

"So you like Star Wars too?" he asked me.

"Yeah I—I grew up with it and know every single line to the originals and this movie". I said to him shyly.

"Me too, my brothers and I loved having our Star Wars days when we were kids".

"Me too, hell my dad and I still kinds do that with my cousins whenever he's on break. I also love watching them with my big bro sometimes too".

"If you don't mind me asking, I mean I feel like I've seen you before but I can't quite put my finger on it".

"Well you might remember my father. He's the one your character shares a common New York charisma and my brother is the one who had the metal arm which you thought was awesome".

"Oh my god—you're Chris Evans' daughter?"

"Yep. (Y/n) Evans at your service". After the introductions and gathering up my spilled DVD collection to keep me entertained while my dad is filming, Tom and I went inside my trailer and the two of us just talked for hours on end until he was called to set.

For the next several weeks, I got to meet several other actors who had come in to shoot their scenes like Benedict Cumberbatch, the Guardians of the galaxy (Pratt and I hit it off and he officially claimed himself as my 'other father' since he and my dad have the same name, Hemsworth preferred to be the spoiling uncle carrying me around as Thor whenever he could), Brie was also a lot of fun to be around she became like another sister to me alongside Lizzie and Eevee Lilly.

But the one cast member I found myself bonding to the most was Tom Holland since he and I were the youngest on set that and my crush on him was really starting to blossom into something more. He and I hung out almost every day until he got to set, we worked out together, watched movies on my computer together, he shared with me some pictures and videos of his cute dog Tessa, we did almost everything together.

And of course things like this never stay quiet on set. As the Avengers and the Guardians were all at a late night dinner, RDJ brought up the topic.

"Hey have you guys noticed that lately (n/n) and Holland are spending a lot of time together".

"Robert don't you dare even go there!" warned Sebastian as he ate his dumplings.

"No need to get so defensive there Robocop all I'm asking is if anyone else has taken notice of it".

"I have and I gotta say it's kinda cute" said Scarlett.

"I agree, they do make such a cute little couple together" admitted Lizzie.

"Well I don't like it, little brat's not good enough for her!" stated Anthony.

"I conquer! No man is good enough for my daughter!" exclaimed Pratt.

"Pratt stop she's not really your daughter" stated Zoe.

"Well what do you think of it Evans? You haven't said a word on it and she is your baby girl. What do you say?" asked Paul Rudd. Chris drank his diet-coke and stated.

"My daughter hasn't really had the chance to find love, and even when she did the guys she's dated have just used her to get to me or any of us. Broke her heart over and over again. I'll be honest; even though I've never been cool with my daughter dating, I'm grateful she's found someone who seems to care for her and not just because she's the daughter of Captain America. Mackie, Stan, tomorrow we're gonna give those two a little chat".

"Way ahead of you man" stated Sebastian.

"We got your back Cap" said Mackie.

The next day, Tom actually had a break from filming and he invited me to go out for lunch. Once I had gotten dressed and I heard a knock at my trailer and when I opened it there stood Tom Holland all dressed up semi-casual and said.

"You ready (y/n)?"

"Yep now let's go before the High members of the Team Cap Protection Program finds us". We then quickly raced out of the studio and got into a van and headed downtown for lunch.

As we ate, and after a few fan encounters during lunch, I couldn't help of how my heart was racing as I looked at Tom interacting with his fans. He was such a sweetheart and a loving, dorkable guy that I wouldn't mind dating but I doubt he'd want to go anywhere else in our relationship, plus with all the guys that have used me to get to either my dad or any other member of the Avengers have left me scarred and unable to trust anyone in a serious relationship.

"Hey (y/n),"

"Yeah?"

"Mind if I take you somewhere else before we head back?"

"Uhh yeah sure, lead the way". We then paid for our lunch and our driver took us to a beautiful park and Tom lead me through it until we reached a beautiful gazebo with a beautiful lake surrounding it with water lilies, and swans swimming.

"(Y/n) I—I've really been having fun these past few weeks with you".

"Yeah I've had a really great time too Tom, thanks for making my first studio experience a wonderful one".

"No problem". We sat there in complete awkward silence for a bit before we both said.

"(Y/n) I—"

"Do you wanna head—ohhh you first".

"No, no you first".

"Tom I insist, what were you gonna say?"

"Well umm—ugh uhh (y/n). You are probably the most—no umm you are the most fun person to be around and don't get me wrong when I say I haven't enjoyed it but I was wondering if uhh—that is if you're alright with it would you uhh—consider maybe being....."

"Are you—asking me out?"

"YES! I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to sound like that but yeah...I love you (y/n) Evans. Will you be my girlfriend?" My heart sped up and my face blushed.

"I—I....."

"I know this sounds rubbish and completely cheesy but you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met and Robert did tell me before-hand that you have been used before by other guys but I promise," he took my hand in his and squeezed it to emphasize his point "I promise I will not be like those awful gits. I promise to treat you with the right respect and you never have to worry about me using you to get to the Avengers since I am technically apart of the Marvel world, what do you say (y/n) will you be the Spider-girl to my Spider-man?" Tears formed into my eyes and I let out a choked laugh but nodded and said.

"Yes! Yes!" We then leaned forward into our first kiss before embracing each other while I cried in happiness.

When we got back to the studio with me leaning against Tom's shoulder and his arm wrapped around my shoulder we stopped in shock as standing right in front of us with arms crossed over and putting on their 'Intimidating Soldier faces' were the High members of Team Cap, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and my dad Chris Evans.

"Mr. Evans sir, I promise you we—we didn't do anything we were just uhh—"

"Quiet spider-boy!" proclaimed Mackie.

"Yes sir" Tom said submissively as he looked down.

"Dad can you please call off the Falcon and Winter Soldier there you're scaring the poor guy".

"Its okay guys I've got this" said my dad. He and I walked up towards each other and he continued "so, are you two a thing now?"

"Yes, he just told me he loves me and he loves me for me, not like all those other guys I dated back home. Besides he's already in the Marvel so he promised to never use me to get to any of you guys". He looked between Tom and I a few times before smiling and saying.

"I approve, he's a good kid and he is one of the only guys I would trust you with when I'm not around". I smiled and hugged me dad tightly and he hugged me back. "But remember this Holland, you break her heart, I won't hesitate to take my shield and really cause some harm" he warned to Tom.

"Same goes with me, you harm Lady Liberty, I'mma gonna take you for a flight without your little webbings in our next scene together" threatened Mackie. I could swear poor Tom was going to pass out but of course Sea-bass had to make everything worse. To emphasize his point, Seb took me into his arms as he said.

"This sweet little angel is the Princess Leia to my Luke Skywalker, you harm my Princess, and there will be a fate worse than being frozen in carbonite waiting for you. And I'll even get my father to double account for that since she's met him too and he loves her".

"Oh God Seb don't bring Mark into this!" I groaned out.

"Wait you mean—" Tom started out and both Seb and I nodded and it was at that moment Tom Holland fainted.

"Thanks guys, you broke my boyfriend".

"Anytime". They all answered.

[xfirespritex]

Masterlist

Tye Dillinger:

Falling For The Perfect 10:  Told from the point of view of an original female character we follow the ups and downs of dating, and falling in love with, Tye Dillinger.

Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4  

Chapter 5  Chapter 6  Chapter 7 Chapter 8 

Chapter 9  Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 

Chapter 13  Chapter 14 Epilogue

Tyler Bate:  

Falling Slowly: A Tyler Bate X Reader story.  You meet Tyler while working in a restaurant/bar not far from Full Sail University and, without knowing it, both of you are slowly falling for the other. Some cute awkwardness, some chivalry and some smut for good measure.

Butterflies:

Prompt: *evil laugh* This is so much fun!! So… how about a Tyler Bate fluff fest where the reader is Pete’s little sister and is backstage for Pete and Tyler’s match at TakeOver. Tyler is immediately smitten with reader but doesn’t say or do anything out of respect for Pete. But as he and YN become closer, it’s getting hard for both of them to hide their feelings from Pete???

Requested by: @caramara3

Boy: A Tyler Bate X Reader story. Reader is older than Tyler and is concerned with the age difference. insecurities arise, bad communication and a massive misunderstanding make everything come close to falling apart. Can it be fixed?

Sami Zayn:

Freckles & Seashells: A beach day with a bunch of wrestlers turns into much more. Fluff and smut. 

I Can’t Stay Away: Sami and the reader are in a friends with benefits situation but it isn’t enough for the reader. What happens when they have a huge misunderstanding and both are left brokenhearted?

Part 1 Part 2

Confessions in the Dark: Reader is invited to a Halloween Party by Jose. There she learns a lot more than she bargained for about her friend and crush.

My prompts are:

Quote: “ are you shivering cause you’re afraid or…”

Location: party in the woods

Situation:  stories around campfire

Supernatural element: werewolves

Part 1 Part 2

Time to Heal: Y/N meets Sami at physical therapy and while both of them are healing from different injuries they end up falling for one another. A little angst, lots of fluff.

Finn Balor:

Home Alone Tonight: Told from the POV of the reader, what happens when the reader and her ex are at the same bar and Finn Balor comes to the rescue. Fluff and smut.

Part 1 Part 2  

Ruin the Friendship:  Request by @ caramara3: 

First of all.... YAY!!!!! I am so happy that you're back to writing again!! I've missed you so much!!!! AND... I am dying for some Finn Balor angst smut!!! I've been listening to Demi Lovato's "Ruin The Friendship" and all I can think about is Finn. Let's say Finn and the reader have been friends for years and he starting crushing on her. But he sees her "flirting" with another superstar (Samoa Joe?) and gets jealous. They fight and don't talk for a while until she confronts him. Smut ensues.

Mistletoe and Eggnog:  Requested by @lclb13

may I request a Finn Balor one shot where Y/N goes to see her cousin Karl during the Christmas Raw event and she bumps into Finn , her long time crush? The feelings after so long come rushing back and the two just finally get together? Maybe some angsty smut between them?

A Warm Embrace: Requested by @blueblazezz

I would love a Finn fluff where he is being so sweet and helpful around the house even making you a bubble bath due to you being in crappy achy mood from your period.

A Confession: Requested by @caramara3

Soooo I know you have like a billion fic requests already, but.... I had an idea that only you could possibly bring to life!! It's a Finn piece with angst, fluff, and smut!! Y/N is OGBC and has had a huge crush on Finn since the beginning. When Cathy dumps him, she decides to finally tell him how she feels, but he doesn't really respond the way she expected. It's not until she, Gallows, & Anderson are moved to SD that he realizes just how much he truly does love her.

Mojo Rawley:

Let Her Go :  When the reader gets an unexpected visitor one night in the form of her longtime friend Mojo Rawley they hash out their feelings.

Trent Seven:

Wildfire :  A year after their breakup Trent Seven comes to the reader, hoping for a reconciliation. Still friends but still feeling burned she has her doubts. Will she let him redeem himself? 

A Glass with Dessert: Requested by @ellothelongwaydown

Can I request this prompt “Why should we date?” “Because we are attracted to each other.” “I am attracted to pie, but I do not feel the need to date pie.” With Trent Seven? (Is this an okay format?) 😘

Stay the Night

This is my submission to the lovely 2K followers challenge by @theworldiscolorful

My Prompt: #53 “Will you stay the night?”

Adam Cole:

Love Me Harder: Based on an unofficial request from @hiitsmecharlie​after I posted about maybe opening requests. If this goes well I’ll consider opening requests.

"He falls for (y/n) and he’s flirty towards her but she’s a shy girl and she doesn’t open up easily, and is nothing like the women he’s used to, only one night stands, so he needs to step up his game and fight for her."

Part 1  Part 2 Part 3

Seth Rollins:

Comeback: A barbecue at Roman’s house causes old flames to run into each other. There’s a lot to sort out before they can move forward.

Tell Me You Love Me: So.... I have another idea. I don't know what it is about Demi Lovato, but she is just giving me great ideas! "Tell Me You Love Me" and ANGST ANGST ANGST!!! Seth and the reader are fwb's and while he wants to make it more, she is scared to make it official. They're all out one night and he sees her dancing with some guy and gets pissed. They fight and it ends with him saying "tell me you love me..."Requested by: @ caramara3

Part 1 Part 2

More than Friends:

OMG YOUR REQUESTS ARE OPEN! Seth Rollins. Seth and (Y/N) have been best friends for years, he has had feelings for her all that time and is just so sweet and cute to her. He gets jealous when she accepts to go out on a date with Baron. Roman tries to enter some sense into him. Angsty/fluff (you know me haha), maybe smutty. Hope this is clear. Thank you! Requested by @heeltothequeen

Corey Graves:

Leave Your Mark: A visit to the tattoo shop in Corey’s hometown leads to the reader and Corey growing closer. But, how close is too close and when will the truth come out?

Sunshine and Sugar:  Hello!! If you wouldn't mind I'd like to request a story!! I can't make up my mind between Aleister Black and Corey Graves, but I think something cute and fluffy for either would be nice!!! Thank you so much!! Oh! I really like cuddles and head kisses!!! Early mornings just waking up and tracing tattoos... I'm looking forward to seeing what you create!!! I'm sure it'll be spectacular!! Thank you!!!

Requested by: @vampire-kitty13

TJ Perkins

More Than a Game: Reader and TJ are friends but when he sees her in a new light he decides he wants to know more. Will this work out or ruin their friendship?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Pete Dunne:

This Means War:  Pete and the reader run into each other a year after you had a fling that was both intense but neither of you had put a label on it. You’d let it die slowly, no real closure but no real wounds. Pete approaches the reader for another chance.

Jealous: The reader has feelings for Pete but he seems to like things the way they are. What happens when jealousy rears its ugly head and it makes both parties confess things they didn’t dare to previously?

Safe:  Ok so I have another idea but I don't know if you would write it though. It deals with the reader being in an abusive relationship and Pete Dunne sorta rescuing her from it. How about if the reader is getting back into the whole dating scene after getting out of an abusive relationship and Trent and Tyler set her up on a blind date with Pete? And say maybe one night they're all out and she sees her ex and Pete goes into full protect mode followed by some fluffy smut? 

Requested by @caramara3

Tommaso Ciampa:

New In Town: Based on an unofficial request from @sonjashuterbugjohnson

“Y/N is at a bar and this guy won’t leave her alone, keeps trying to buy her drinks. She goes up to Tommaso and his group, asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend, things go from there”

The Road Less Traveled: Requested by @ sonjashuterbugjohnson

Hello! I have a request hopefully it’s not a rambling mess. Y/N and Tommaso Ciampa have a love hate relationship. They are forced to ride together and get snowed in at the hotel. Sharing a room/Bed confessions of feeling all the hits! As smutty as you are comfortable with.

So In Love With Two:

Story Summary:

Prompt: Y/N and Tommaso used to date but had a bad break up. They still have feelings for each other Y/n decides to move on he does not take that well. Jealousy Angst arguing and Make up sex......... (And with further elaboration and discussion) Yes! She and Tommaso used to date but she starts to get close to Johnny over the loss of him. She realizes that there are feelings for both poly for everyone!  (She moves in with Johnny after the breakup). 

Johnny X Reader X Tommaso

Requested by @sonjashuterbugjohnson​

Dean Ambrose:

Weathering The Storm:

Part of the Dog Days of Summer Fic Writing Challenge by @sammiielli and @fan-fiction-galore

Summary: Dean Ambrose x Reader.  Prompts below:

Quote: “I will go through you if I have to- I am leaving.” 

Location: Lakefront cottage

Situation: Power outage and stranded

 Baron Corbin:

Dancing with The Wolf:

Story Summary: Baron Corbin and the reader are sort-of friends. What happens when they grow closer and Corey is all for his friends getting together?

Part 1 Part 2

Neville

Need You

Story Summary: Set the night Neville loses the title to Enzo. Reader goes to comfort Neville. 

Elias Samson

Eye on You

Story Summary: Anon Request -- Hey! Could you write a fluff where Elias has had his eyes on you ever since you came up to the main roster. And that he seems to be there when all the other wrestlers would flirt with you but they would stop as soon as he got there. And then he confesses his feelings to you. Yikes. This sounded better in my head. I understand if you don’t want to write it. But thanks anyway 😘 you’re an incredible writer.

A Gentleman’s Invitation

Prompt:  Hey! I love your writing so much! Could I request an Elias story where y/n (plus size if you can) has a huge crush on him and all her friends know about it and they always try to push them together but they never succeed until one day there’s a long plane ride where the only empty seat is next to Elias and while at first flustered they have a great conversation but y/n falls asleep on his shoulder and he wakes her up at the end and she’s embarrassed about it but he says she looked cute sleeping.

Requested by Anonymous

Beautiful on You

Prompt:  I just thought of an Elias fic, if this is up your alley. I’ve noticed he wears a lot of floral scarves so maybe the reason he wears them is his signal to his girl that he’s thinking of her? Or maybe it started as a joke between them and now she just keeps getting him floral scarves and he just wears them because she got them for him? And if you care to make it smutty instead of just fluffy maybe they can use one of his scarves as a restraint or a blindfold? Sorry if this idea is a mess.

Requested by @secretagentfangirl

Andrade Cien Almas

My Champion

Story Summary: Can you try writing for Andrade? l know you haven’t written him yet but I’m sure it will come out great if the inspiration hits. l was thinking a fic that’s fluffy and angsty (smut optional or even implied) that takes place just after he won the NXT championship and the reader is feeling a little threatened by his working relationship with Zelina Vega (because she’s gorgeous and was there for him immediately after winning and there was that time he was “known” for being a party boy/player) 

Requested by @secretagentfangirl

Johnny Gargano

So In Love With Two:

Story Summary:

Prompt: Y/N and Tommaso used to date but had a bad break up. They still have feelings for each other Y/n decides to move on he does not take that well. Jealousy Angst arguing and Make up sex......... (And with further elaboration and discussion) Yes! She and Tommaso used to date but she starts to get close to Johnny over the loss of him. She realizes that there are feelings for both poly for everyone!  (She moves in with Johnny after the breakup).

Johnny X Reader X Tommaso

Requested by @sonjashuterbugjohnson

Drew Gulak

Take Me Home

Story Summary: 

Y/N and Drew Gulak have been friends for a long time and while her crush lingers she is glad to be his friend and by his side through all the ups and downs. After his loss to Mustafa Ali in Dallas on March 20th Drew is brokenhearted. Even more so when the flight home to Philadelphia to see his family is canceled. Y/N sees a chance to help her friend so she alters her plans to help him out. How will this change their relationship?

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Kyle O’Reilly

Strong and Faithful

Prompt: Hey! I was wondering if you could write me something?  I would love a Kyle O’Reilly one because there’s hardly anything on here for him. I was thinking maybe she’s dating Adam but she’s always been in love with Kyle and he’s always been in love with her but neither of them know that and then she finds out Adam cheated on her and goes and gets really drunk or something with a bunch of other wrestlers and her and Kyle are dancing really sexy with each other and maybe leads to smut and a confession. If you don’t wanna write smut that’s okay I can try and think of something else? I love your writing by the way!

Requested by: @shieldgirl95

Roman Reigns

Someday

Prompt: Hmm... let me think. I'm kinda thinking about maybe some angst fluff smut with Roman Reigns. Only if that's ok with you. Maybe he and the reader broke up a few years ago because he couldn't commit to her. Now she's started a 'fling' with Jason Jordan. RoRo gets jealous seeing them, makes a scene, and the reader goes to his room to confront him about it. Feelings are revealed, fluffy stuff followed by smutty things maybe???

Requested by: @caramara3

Ricochet

Remember When

Prompt:

I need some Ricochet fics in my life like you have NO IDEA!!!! Ok so here's the idea: both the reader and Ricochet had a thing way back in the indies but it ended once the reader got signed to WWE. So when they see each other again for the first time since at TakeOver: War Games, he meets up with her back at her hotel room to talk about them and why they ended it. Things escalate quickly and smut ensues back at reader's hotel room.

Requested by: @caramara3

[gwynne-fics]

wei50-blog replied to your post “wei50-blog replied to your post “Becoming Royals the women of the...”

I am extremely patient and trust you completely!!! ;D Happy togetherness for everybody please! :) Love these YoungRa cuties! <3 Yes, YD is making it difficult for the other noblemen, all because he and R are so madly in love with each other! If they were not a love match, expectations in the palace would not have changed much, although I would have hoped that YD would have still treated his wife differently than his father does, even if it were not a love match.

Although the king’s abuse is known inside the palace, will any of the fathers take that into consideration for their daughters in possible power plays (ie. trying to attach them to either prince)? Also, really appreciate your insight into Kyung-Ran’s intentions! Sheds light on motives and issues I haven’t thought about. Hope she succeeds in getting the girls on Rachel’s side! :)

He definitely would have treated her respectfully! Young-Do wanted to fall in love. He wants love more than anything. Even if Rachel hadn’t been such a good match for him, he would’ve struggled to do the best he could. 

Which also would’ve set a higher standard. Having a king who is abusive to his family and subjects just allows other men to exercise their power that way with very little fear of repercussion. So many of the noblemen are a little lax in how they treat their wives, daughters, and female servants. The king doesn’t care, so why should they?

There are good men who care about whether or not their daughters find good husbands. The princes have pretty good reputations and so there will be some attempts to use them to further minister’s ambitions.

What a fun chapter with so many things to see! <3 R’s orphanage off the ground! Love that she puts all the nobles to actual work! Love watching our couple work together! Why was YD so nervous? The girls at court do scare him? Somehow the old fear related to his father? Still not fully comfortable with not having a mask and allowing himself to show his true feelings for R. Although he is probably glad he does not have to keep up the pretense of going to the pavilion.

Men and women have been kept incredibly separate under Dong-Wook so Young-Do doesn’t have a lot of experience with women outside of the pavilion. He also is still in that giddy new love stage with Rachel where he wants to be around her but gets shy. He also has a lot on his mind and public displays are uncomfortable for him even though, when he forgets to be nervous, they become more natural.

And girls are scary >.>

Young-Do surprising me with his progressive ideas! Not have separate courts? Queens have given him good training, but more along the lines of not using his power to hurt others like his father. Rachel is taking his views further, by actually showing him how to consider others as human beings with feelings.

Hee! It is mostly all of this but it is also the fact that Young-Do just wants to spend more time with Rachel so he might has well just bring all the men with him.

Only 18 days left (love that Young-Do is keeping such close track!)!!! Love watching the two of them together! Love watching Rachel blushing! Love that Young-Do is having so much fun making her blush! They are just so in love! <3 Yes, good for our couple to get all expectations out there in the beginning! ;) Sounds like Young-Do has been planning for their time together as newlyweds! Although, it might be Rachel who will want to keep Young-Do with her all day and night!

Aren’t they just so cute? >.>

I couldn’t find anything that specifically designates a honeymoon but Young-Do is going to make one anyway. At least for the first few days, they are not going to be coming up much for air >.>

And then the few days after that, Rachel might actually let Young-Do go >.>

Can totally see that everyone is sneaking peeks at our cute couple whenever they are together! <3 At least the beginning part of the plan, spreading their love match story, is going well! :) Hopeful the king will leave them along for now, until he gets impatient for a grandson, or unless he wants to use Young-Do as leverage in a more advantageous power play.

>.>

<.<

Can’t really expect that HS and ES can keep their relationship a secret? How much of a worry is it though? Wouldn’t his father just expect him to marry whomever he says, and just keep sleeping with ES? I guess we don’t know enough about HS’s relationship with his father yet to know. So unfair that ES would be blamed for taking HS’s attentions from more ‘worthy’ girls! Reason HS going to the pavilion more like Myung-Soo or like Young-Do?

They are being discreet, the rumors haven’t reached his father yet, but people have noticed there is something intimate going on with them. When his father does find out, there will be some eye rolling and a reminder of his duty to their family. The big issue with Chan-Hyuk is that he wants bloodline purity and Eun-Sang cannot provide that the way Yoo-Ra or Ji-Sun can.

And Hyo-Shin’s reasons for going to the pavilion aren’t nearly as complicated at Young-Do and Myung-Soo’s. It’s a normal behavior for a nobleman, it’s expected of him, and Eun-Sang isn’t available all the time. When it comes to this, Hyo-Shin is very average. 

Bo-Ah is just spouting nonsense that’s been repeated to her over the years--good wives don’t complain about the other woman, men have to be virile or something is wrong with them, and if you are accommodating towards your husband with sex, there will be no reason for him to leave the house at night.

Glad to see R being careful with ES’s situation also. Sending Yoo-Ra to give a message to HS does not give away R’s feelings towards HS and ES’s relationship. Worried for ES, that being R’s personal friend won’t be enough to protect her, specifically now that everyone knows she is holding HS’s interest. Does make me nervous that they are having sex so much! With the protections they had back then, chances of pregnancy are high, and are higher the more they do have sex!

>.>

<.<

>.>

Do have sympathy for Yoo-Ra, and all the noblewomen in their situation. The center of their lives is who they marry and how soon they have a boy. These girls have mostly examples of women be used for sex or as bargaining chips. Without real examples of what respect and love looks like, can see how the assumption would be made that if Yoo-Ra were to become Hyo-Shin’s wife, she, with all her qualifications, would surely eclipse Eun-Sang and there would be no need for her.

Yep! All of this!

Haha (almost!) ears as handles again! Love Go Nam-Il adopting a baby girl! Impressed he knows the football hold for colicky babies! Aw, I hope we get to see this baby girl grow up! About what is the age range of these orphans? How many is this orphanage equipped to take? With the orphans, now see more of the war, which has shaped so many of the characters and circumstances in this story so far. Have a feeling it will become more front and center as our story progresses!

\o/!

So far, Rachel’s age requirement is about ages three to fourteen. She set it up to take in almost a hundred orphans and when it starts to reach capacity, she’ll build another one. She’s going to make them a necessary part of the city, by turning those that can’t get apprenticeships into messengers and spies. She’s teaching the girls how to be more than just maids so they can get accepted into large merchant or noble houses. She wants to avoid sending any of the girls into the gisaeng pavilion, which is where they might end up if they end up caught for stealing too many times.

[brainsinmyheadfeetinmyshoes]

3y8m, 2y5m, 4m

I can’t even remember the last time I posted an update about the kids. Without daily, dedicated computer time, it’s hard to remember to set time aside for my blog. But we are in the last few days of 2017, and if this is my only thoughtful update in a six-month period, it’ll still be worth it.

Lucian has been in preschool since August. He has done so well--when a kid is ready, many concerns dissipate. I wasn’t a fan of the full-day schedule, but he does completely fine with a nap at school, and has never once seemed exhausted in the evening. He potty trained within two weeks of starting, and it was whole hog--he sleeps all night in underwear and hasn’t had a single accident. His speech is getting so articulate, and he’s actually talkative, whereas his toddler tendency was to silently observe. He is still seeing a speech therapist once a week at school, and he is still working toward the goals identified in his IEP this past February, but the gap is closing. We’ll meet with her in January so I’m curious to hear what she has to say. 

He continues to grow in Spanish too, though it is not as complex. I was super pleased a few weeks ago when he asked our neighbor for a “chupon,” which is a baby pacifier, but he was trying to ask for a straw because you use it to “chupar,” suck. So there was some serious language logic going on with his word choice and I love it.

His teacher says he’s one of the leaders in the class, and he has one or two shadows that follow his lead. Guess that’s his firstborn-ness coming through. School has unlocked singing and dancing within him now too, and he is no longer shy to participate in either activity, so long as everyone is doing it. He still gets goofy and nervous and doesn’t want the attention if we ask him to perform, which is his father’s genetics at play, but listening to him sing Jingle Bells to himself while he plays, or watching him do his awkward 3yo dance moves brings me such joy.

He had a couple prickly months, behavior-wise, with a lot of “No,” “I want to smack you,” “Go away,” etc., type language and deliberate disobedience. It started mid-summer, and I wondered if it had to do with my pregnancy, or with the dreaded mid-year threenager phase. But this past weekend, it’s like he had a breakthrough and was extremely docile and polite. It may have been because my parents were visiting so he felt stimulated and like he had plenty of attention, but the good behavior has lasted a full week now. He IS only four months away from turning 4, so maybe this is the natural exit. I’d be really happy about that. It’s been really hard to deal with his willful challenging, knowing that that isn’t really “him,” when he’s naturally easygoing and open to guidance, but having to discipline bad behavior earnestly anyway. He and Erik had an evening outing this week and Erik really enjoyed it, so I’ll have a mother-son date this holiday week with him too. We get the least amount of solo time with him, and he arguably needs the most, considering how loving and attached he is.

Lionel is also coming out of a rough patch. Or should I say, he’s growing up, haha. He’s not quite 2.5, but finnnnnnaaaaallllly has some reasoning abilities, and is finally open to our suggestions instead of just being headstrong. We’ve had sooooooo many nights in his life where he wakes up screaming and WILL NOT STOP for 2-3 hours. He gets himself into a loop and it doesn’t break. Nothing can break it. Not loving compassion, not threats, not yelling, not distraction, not water, not food, not ignoring. It just goes, and goes, and goes. But he’s to the point now where we can bargain him out of it--”If you want to cry, I have to leave. If you want me to stay, you have to stop crying.” And it’s actually WORKING. He can turn off the waterworks in a flash. During the day, if he gets worked into a fit, I’ll tell him, “Sometimes when we’re sad we need some alone time. Please go upstairs to cry and when you’re done you can come back down.” And he’ll go upstairs! He makes a point to sit on his bed for a dozen wails, then tells me from the top of the stairs, “I’m done crying, Mama,” and comes back down, totally fine. (Lucian is not as willing to be isolated, but he, too, will go upstairs to cry when it’s a crazy, overblown tantrum.) It’s one of the best tactics, born of desperation, I’ve ever used.

But Lionel has a different quality from his father’s genetics--the feeling that rules don’t apply to him. He gets out of his bed multiple times after we put him to sleep, even though we repeat the two rules of bedtime constantly--stay in your bed and be quiet. If Lucian is present, he turns into a clown, and gets into all kinds of mischief. We’ve started to have Lucian nap in our bed on weekends, expressly because Lionel will go right to sleep as long as he’s solo. So there’s something to the whole not-sharing-a-room thing. *eye roll* Two nights ago I went in after bedtime and told him, “If I have to come back again, I have to give you a swat,” and he just nodded deeply, with a dopey smile, and whispered, “Yaaaaaaaaas.” How do you react to that?! Sigh.

We’re trying to impose a whisper-only rule at bedtime, applicable to us too, so as to invite peace and rest into our home. It is reaaaaally hard for me though, since bedtime comes at the end of a 13-hour day with three children and I just can’t even. I’m ready to zone out with Netflix and knitting and not talk to anyone for the next 11 hours, and they’re inclined to push my buttons. But we’re making slow headway, reading books in a whisper, talking in a whisper, not yelling when we tell Lionel to get in his bed for the third time, and I hope that the eventual payoff is that they whisper together before falling asleep instead of playing long, drawn-out games. If I gave one piece of advice to anyone just starting their family, right now it would be to implement the whisper-at-bedtime rule from Day 1. Set the expectation early.

But Lionel is sooooo much fun. He’s inquisitive and a performer and fun-loving. He is a parrot for speech, and repeats everything we say, English or Spanish. He knows soooo many lyrics to Christmas songs, and we’ve barely been listening to them for a month. He learned the ABCs and I’m a Little Teapot from Lucian. He recites stories with me. He asks, “Why, Mama, why?” for evvvveeeerrrryyyything. “Why you sneeze, Mama, why?” “Why he sad, Mama, why?” “Why you change my diaper, Mama, why?” This is acquired language from Lucian, who adds the tag to the end of his questions, too, but Lionel’s questioning is incessant, and it tires me out, haha. I thought I had another year or two before the typical child questioning kicked in, but it started early with Lionel. And it’s not like he understands the answers, but he parrots them right back to me anyway, so his little noggin is constantly working.

He also mimics Lucian’s every behavior. If Lucian lays on his stomach to watch a video, Lionel will copy him. If Lucian comes into the room to show me his book, Lionel does too. If Lucian doesn’t want a banana, Lionel doesn’t want a banana (but he really does). Both boys are finally advanced enough to learn from one another, but it’s pretty cute to realize that he is, and always will be, secondborn, admiring his brother.

One way he differs though, is that he’s more interested in stuffed animals, babies, plush toys, etc. He likes to have one or two animals in his bed every night, and he “borrowed” Celia’s new Christmas penguin to use as a pillow a few nights ago. He likes to push a baby doll in the baby stroller, and gets a huge thrill from the one hand puppet we have. So that’s been interesting, since Lucian still tosses stuffed animals off the bed and has never gotten into the baby dolls.

He is totally ready for school already. He gets right in the mix when we visit Lucian’s classroom, sitting on the rug and doing what the big kids do. He doesn’t follow classroom rules of course, but it’s hard to say whether it’s because he’s 2, or because he’s Lionel. But interestingly, being home alone all day with me and Celia, he doesn’t often seem bored. He self-entertains easily, going from the cars, to the Legos, to the puppet, to the books. Of course he’d prefer that someone play with him, but he’s not reliant on Lucian or on me for entertainment at all. 

He and Lucian play peacefully together more often than not, and they’re getting better at problem-solving, too. They offer spontaneous hugs, and ask each other to kiss minor boo-boos. The only time they really get worked up is when a toy-snatch happens, which are 50/50 these days. So with a bit more self-regulation in the coming years, they really will be wonderful playmates and friends.

And then there’s Celia. The easiest baby, ever. I never really believed when parents said their baby was a good sleeper, but now I wonder how badly we screwed our first two up with sleep, haha. Celia necessarily spends a lot of time in her cradle, so she puts herself to sleep easily. In fact, she gets out of sorts if we try to hold her while she falls asleep, growing crankier and resisting shuteye, but the minute she’s down, she turns her head, twists her body around so she’s on her side, and knocks out. She also has a strong preference for the pacifier, rather than the boob, for comfort. While she is still bedsharing and nurses at night, she always unlatches, whereas Lionel in particular, but Lucian too, would nurse for comfort and require unlatching. She doesn’t use the pacifier at night, but during the day, she likes to have it for napping. It is sooooo hard not to pop it in her mouth at every turn, but we really try not to give it to her if she’s not crying or sleepy. I hope she rejects it at 7mo, as the boys both did, but I think she might be more attached it. We’ll see.

She is between 4-5mo now, and hitting that point where she is alert and engaged, but has zero control over her body, so she’s a bit more high-maintenance. She tires easily whether she’s doing tummy time, or propped up, or held on her feet, or laying on her back, and she can’t use her hands yet, so she needs a lot of support during her wakeful periods. But hand control is on its way--when a toy is held in front of her, she looks intently at it, then her hands spring to her mouth (empty) and she gets all in a tizzy, because she wants the toy. And if the toy is put into her hands (or she inadvertently pulls the pacifier from her mouth), she watches it with such fascination as her hands swing it around.

She is chatty, perhaps the same or more so than Lionel was. We’ll take a dozen “turns” talking before she gets over it. She has a broad range of vocalization too, experimenting with higher pitches, and she’s starting to attempt consonants, not just coos.

With the first baby, every milestone seems far away, and each phase in babyhood seems to last a long time, but by the third, it goes so fast. It’s so hard to believe that in only 6-8 weeks, we’ll put her in a high chair and give her some avocado. The fragile newborn is already behind us, and the interactive baby is emerging.

The boys are so much more interested in her, and loving, than I expected. I thought they’d kind of ignore her for a few months, but Lionel in particular likes to be ON her, giving kisses, tucking her in, poking her eyes, tugging her hands, etc. It’s a little much, but well-intentioned. Lucian repeats to me constantly, “I like Celia, I like our baby.” Both of them say some version of “When you learn to walk, I can hold your hand,” with Lionel’s version hardly recognizable, but a good effort. It’s something like, “When you nana na na na walk, I’cn ho yo han.”

I have three precious kids, and I can’t believe it some days. But they fill my cup.