#i wonder if christine (or someone like her) will be in the story...

[seaoflove07]

Love Planted a Rose 🌹

~ Dark ~

• Artwork by The Drawables •

Full Art Cover and Story Description, Here.

OCXCanon. 🔪 Azusa & Christine’s Story. 🌹

Fan Fiction Written by Me.

Fandom: Diabolik Lovers.

Masterpost.

- The scene starts in the Bathroom -

• Official by Rejet •

Christine was staring at herself in the mirror while brushing her long blonde hair. She already took a bath and put on makeup, but she hasn't fully got dressed yet. She’s wearing a black lace bra and panty with a short silk pink robe. Today is her first day off, and she getting ready to go to the mall. She was planning on going alone, but Ruki told her, “She will never leave the manor without one of them.”

Azusa happily said he would accompany her. He didn't even give her the option to choose between the brothers.

Christine: (I'm truly am their prisoner…)

- Azusa appears behind her -

Azusa: “Rose-san… what is taking you so long…?”

She flinches at the sight of him in the mirror.

Christine: !!

She turns around.

“Azusa! What are you doing in bathroom? I didn't even hear the door open. Please get out, I'm not ready yet.”

Azusa: “Eh…!?”

He moved closer to her and flinched.

He stared at the bruises on her neck.

Azusa: “Rose-san… who did this to you…? Was it… one of my brothers…?”

He gently touched her bruises with his cold fingertips.

Christine: (I can see the anger on his face… Is he really that upset because someone hurt me?…)

“Last night at the Sakamaki’s mansion…Reiji got upset with me. So… he choked me...”

Azusa: “I see… ... did you like it, Rose-san…? Did you enjoy… someone else giving you pain…?”

Christine: “What!? Of course not!”

Azusa: “I should be the only man… giving you sweet pain… you are my Rose, and only mine…”

Christine: “A-Azusa! What the hell are you talking about!? I-I am not—”

- Azusa suddenly starts chocking her -

Christine: !!!!

“A-A… zu…. sa…!”

She pushes him but Azusa doesn’t budge. He still has his hands around her neck firmly. Out of desperation, she starts hitting him repeatedly on his chest.

Azusa: “…I need to cover… the bruises he left on your skin… with mine…”

He tightens his grip around her neck.

Christine: Gasping “… S-Stop… it…!”

Tears run down her cheeks.

Azusa sees her tears and he couldn’t understand why he felt his heartache.

He licks her tears slowly.

Azusa: “Mmm… your tears… are delicious too…”

He releases his hands from her neck.

*Cough, Cough*

Christine: “Azusa… why did you… do that!?”

She starts sobbing.

Azusa: “…I’m sorry… Rose-san…”

He leans down, wrapping his arms around her, and kisses her neck gently.

“I just want… to be…”

*Smooch*

“The only one… to touch you…”

*Smooch*

“And… to give you pain…”

*Smooch*

“I don’t like... seeing other men’s marks on you...”

He continues kissing her neck.

Christine stands there frozen, her neck hurts so much and she can’t believe the words that are coming out of Azusa’s mouth. Was Yui right when she said,

“I wonder in this case if Azusa-kun chose you instead?”

Christine: (This is insane! He almost could have killed me! I don’t fully understand his reasons to want to give and receive pain. Now he has me locked in his arms and gently kissing my neck. How did things get to this?? I don’t know what to do with him, I don’t want this...)

“Please, Azusa... I forgive you... but please stop kissing my neck and holding me like this. It’s not right...”

Azusa: “Do you know, Christine… Pain teaches me… my place in this world… but… I don't know why… seeing you cry… made my heart ache… and I didn't like it…”

- He continues to kiss her neck -

Christine: “A-Azusa… I know this world can be cruel and sad. But it also can be beautiful and bring happiness… So far I am not happy with how my life is going, but I'm trying my best to continue living in this world, and I know in my heart I have to find that happiness and to be positive that one day I will.”

He stops kissing her neck and locks his gaze on her sad brown eyes.

Azusa: “You are not happy…. Rose-san…?”

Christine: … …

Staring at his lavender eyes. For a second, a little flashback hits Christine’s head.

Angry green eyes were staring back at her.

Telling her how useless she is and that without him she is nothing.

Accusing her that everything is her fault.

Telling her she needs to lose weight.

Saying,

“That dress doesn't look good on you. You need to change.”

Breaking her stuff and telling her she has to wear the clothes that he got her.

If she disobeys? He will cut all her outfits and throw them in the garbage.

Then after, will come a load of insults…

(The most disappointing thing about my relationship with Mark was that even after all this… I still loved him. I was the biggest fool for thinking that we would be all right one day. But instead, He was walking away with someone else and I was losing pieces of my heart…)

“I am not… someone took that happiness away from me…”

Azusa: “Who…?”

Christine: “I-I don't want to talk about it…”

Azusa: “… Then hit me… cause me pain, Rose-san… it will make you feel… happy… Pour all your anger… on me…”

Christine: “Please Azusa, not this again. I’m not gonna hit you. So can you please leave? So I can finish getting dressed.”

Azusa: “Hmm... Rose... If you're not gonna hit me… then give me… a sip of your blood... You don't mind if I suck your blood, do you...?”

- He Bites her Neck -

*Slurp*

The flick of pain.

Christine: “Ah…”

Azusa: “Enjoy this sweet pain… Rose… forget about everything… feel my fangs… Agh…”

He pulls down her robe and sinks his fangs deeper into her upper shoulder.

Christine’s heart is pounding. The way he has her locked in his arms, the fact that she’s only wearing a bra and a thong. His bites become deeper, his body pressed tight to hers. She starts feeling tingles in her belly. His bite hurts a lot, but one thing Azusa is right. Is… that at this moment she can't think of anything else.

Azusa: “Mm... Mmm... your blood... is so warm and sweet... Haah… so delicious… relax Rose… entrust your body to me…”

Christine: (Blood… That’s the only thing vampires want. Blood and only blood. He doesn't care about my feelings. Only my blood. I don't have the strength to push him off so I let him have my blood without a fight…)

*Gulp*

*Slurp, Slurp*

Azusa: “Lots of blood… comes oozing out… It's so good… too good… it's so sweet… and you smell wonderful… sweet delicious rose… my precious flower…”

*Gulp, Gulp*

*TimeSkip*

Christine borrows one of Ruki’s scarves. He offered it to her. Her neck was messed up with bruises and bite marks. Since it’s summertime, none of her outfits covers her neck, and the makeup she tried to apply doesn't have good coverage. So buying a new high-coverage foundation and concealer was on her top list today. After Azusa sucked her blood she was feeling a little dizzy. Ruki made her sit on the couch for a while and gave her medication and told her to drink plenty of water. Once she was feeling better Azusa and her went to the mall.

- At the Mall -

Christine: “This mall is so big and nice. Do you come here often, Azusa?”

Azusa: “No… actually, it's been a long time… since I visited this mall… my brothers and I don't go shopping much… unless we need something…”

Christine: “Oh, I see. Well, I hope you don't get bored. The stores I plan to look at are probably not to your liking. But I don't mind going later to a store that you are interested in.”

He smiles adorably.

Azusa: “I will not be bored… with you… I’m happy to spend time together… with Rose-san… Can I hold your hand… while we walk…?”

Christine: “Huh?”

Azusa: “You don't want to…?”

Christine: (He’s looking at me with sad eyes…)

“It’s just we are not a…”

(A couple, is what she wanted to say but decided it was better not to…)

“Never mind… it's fine you can hold my hand.”

Azusa: “Thank you… Rose-san… let's start walking…”

Azusa takes her hand. His hand is very cold but his touch is gentle, which Christine found it unexpected. She thought he was gonna squeeze her hand tight. Since all he loves is pain. She feels weird holding his hand. After Mark, she hasn't touched any other man. She didn't care for going on dates after the breakup. But here she is walking in one of Japan’s mall while holding hands with another man. And not just any man. A vampire...

*TimeSkip*

Azusa: “Rose-san… you sure love shopping…”

Christine: “Azusa, you don't have to carry all my bags, I can carry some too.”

Azusa: “No… I told you… I got it… I want to be useful to you… now which store… do you want to go to next…?”

Christine: “Fine, and thank you. I'm getting a little hungry and I can definitely go for a cup of coffee. Why don't we take a little break?”

Azusa: “Then let's get a delicious meal… come… let's go find a café…”

Once they got to the café they both ordered a sandwich with two cups of coffee. Now sitting at the table, with their food, Azusa grabs his chili powder from his pocket and pours it into his coffee and sandwich.

Christine: (Shock!…)

“Ew, Azusa. What are you doing??”

Azusa: “Eh…? I like to add… shichimi togarashi to all my food… Fufu…”

Christine: “Shichimi what!? What does that mean?”

Azusa: “Shichimi togarashi… it's a spice blend… of seven-spice ingredients… it’s my favorite food… and I like to add it… on everything…”

Christine: “Okay, I can understand the food, but why on the coffee? I've never met anyone who adds chili powder to their coffee or any drink, to be honest.”

Azusa: “It tastes amazing… Fufu… Say… Rose-san…? Would you like to try my coffee…? With the shichimi togarashi…?”

Christine: “No, thank you. I don't like spicy food.”

She takes a bite of her sandwich.

Christine: “Hmm… so yummy, this sandwich is really good.”

She takes another bite.

Azusa: “You’re so cute… Rose… Say… are sandwiches your favorite food...?”

Christine: “No, pizza is my favorite food.”

Azusa: “I see, Rose… I want… to get… to know you…”

Christine: “R-Really?”

He nods.

Azusa: “I like you… and… I want to know… about your favorite everything…”

Christine: (He’s making me feel so nervous!…)

“How about…”

Her voice begins to sound shaky.

“W-We can… go eat dinner at a pizza restaurant one day. O-Or! I can make homemade pizza too and we can eat it together and talk more…”

(I can feel my cheeks flushed. Why am I feeling like this? I should stay away from him…)

Azusa: “I like both… ideas… Rose… Tomorrow… a pizza night… with just two of us…”

Christine: (His smile right now is very sweet. Staring at him, even with all the scars on his face and dark circles underneath his eyes. I find him very handsome. I am so tempted to caress his cheek right now…)

Her cell phone started to ring.

“It’s my father! I finally have a signal!”

She answers the call.

“Hello! Dad?”

Father: “Christine, darling I finally hear your voice.”

She suddenly feels emotional hearing her Dad’s voice.

Christine: “Dad, I miss you so much! Sorry I wasn't able to call sooner, I didn't have a signal on my phone. I hope Mom and you weren't worried sick about me.”

Father: “I will always be worried about you, Christine. You are my precious daughter. Mr. Karlheinz was so nice to call me and let me know that you arrived safely at his son’s mansion and that you are a great worker. I knew my daughter was very hardworking and the best. You always make me proud Christine.”

Christine: (It’s so weird that she still hasn't met Karlheinz…)

Father: “How is everything? And are you making new friends?”

She stares at Azusa who hasn't taken his eyes off her.

Christine: (She wishes she could tell her dad the truth. But she can’t. She's their prisoner and The Mukami’s will not let her go. Why? She still doesn't know. But she has a feeling that whatever Karlheinz has in store for her, It is not good. For her to be able to escape she needs a good plan which she still doesn't have one. So she lies to her father…)

“I’m doing well Dad. I'm actually with one of the brothers at the mall enjoying a cup of coffee. So don't worry, everything is fine.”

(Her heart aches because she is not doing well and she's been harmed by them. But she can't risk any danger to her family, these are vampires and Ruki knows where she lives back home, she will die of sadness if something bad ever happens to her family. She will sacrifice herself in a heartbeat for them…)

Father: “I’m happy you are doing well Christine. I love you, darling. I'm gonna let you go, for now, I got to pick up your mom at the grocery store. I'll let your mom know that everything is going excellent for you.”

Christine: “I love you too, Dad. Tell mom I love and miss her, and that I hope I can talk to her soon.”

Father: “I will darling. Take care and talk to you soon, goodbye.”

Sadness washed over her when her dad hung up. She tried to hold back the tears, but she failed.

- Azusa wipes her tears and caresses her cheek -

Azusa: “I see… you are close to your family…”

Christine: “Yes, I am. I miss them. This is the first time I'm away from them.”

Azusa caresses her chin.

Azusa: “You have me… Rose… I will keep you company…. So you won't feel… alone…”

Christine: (My heart is racing so fast! Not long ago he was choking me and now he's being the sweetest man. I don't understand him…)

Christine: “Are you close to your parents Azusa?”

Azusa: “I don't know my parents… and they are probably dead by now…”

Christine: “Huh? I know Karlheinz isn't your biological father. But… are you close to him?”

Azusa: “In a way, he kinda is… like our father… But… I'm not close to him… My only family is my brothers… and Justin, Christina and Melissa…”

Christine: “Oh, you have another brother and two sisters?”

Azusa: “They are my close friends… that I consider family… I'll introduce you to them…”

He removed his bandage and showed her his arm.

“This is… Justin… and over here is Melissa… and next to her is Christina… Say “Hi” to Rose-san…”

Christine: !!!!

“Is he serious!? He's showing me the cuts on his arm…)

… .…

Azusa: “Justin says you're really pretty… Fufu…He’s not wrong… Say, Rose-san… Why are you so quiet…? It is rude of you… to not greet my friends… Say “Hi” to them...”

Christine: (He looks very serious. I don't want to anger him so I guess… I have no choice…)

“Hi… It's… nice to meet you…”

(I can not believe I just spoke to his scars!…)

Azusa: “Fufu… They like you… I can feel them tingling in my skin…”

Christine: “Azusa, can you tell me a little about your past?”

Azusa: ... ...

“That is not... important... and my past… shouldn't concern you…”

Christine: “… I'm sorry…”

“Anyway... let’s finish eating and we can head back to the mansion. I don’t think I need anything else.”

*TimeSkip*

When they got back to the mansion, Azusa brought all Christine’s shopping bags to her room. He told her he had so much fun with her and gave her another sweet smile, then he left.

Christine: (I am curious to know about his past. Something horrible and dark must have happened for him to think that self-harm and pain are the way to live. What has this world done to him? For him to think this way. I don't know why, but I want to help him. I want to show him that there are other options to cope with depression…)

Christine: “Ugh, I forgot to give Ruki his scarf back. I should go downstairs to return it.”

She saw Ruki and Azusa in the living room talking. They both gazed at her, as she walked closer to them.

Christine: “I’m sorry if I interrupted. Ruki, I just wanted to give you back your scarf and thank you for lending it to me.”

Ruki: “You’re welcome, Livestock.”

Christine: “I’ll be heading back to my room now, sleep well.”

- Azusa follows her with his eyes -

Azusa: “Ruki... can I keep that scarf…?”

Ruki: “Why on earth would you want my scarf? It’s summer and you have your own scarves.”

Azusa: “Your scarf has Rose-san’s scent... I don’t want you to have her scent near you...”

Ruki: “Good Greef, Azusa! Have you gone mad? I could wash the scarf you know.”

Azusa: “Please Ruki… let me have it… I want to have her scent near me. Is comforting…”

Ruki: “… I have noticed you have caught your interest in that woman.”

… …

“Here, you can have the scarf.”

Azusa: “Thank you… Ruki…”

He sniffs and puts the scarf near his cheek.

Ruki: “As your older brother, I will advise you, don't get too invested in Livestock, we still don't know what that man's plan is with her yet.”

Azusa: … …

*TimeSkip*

- Azusa’s Room -

Sharpening his knives on his bed, he takes the scarf that Ruki gave him out of his pocket, and he smells it. Inhaling every detail of Christine’s scent.

Azusa: “Haah… roses…”

“… Justin, I can’t get enough of her scent… her sweet blood… mix with her flowery skin scent…. it has become addicting to me…”

He cuts his arm and stares at the blood dripping down.

“She is the princess… of my dreams… my precious flower… my red rose… She is only mine… and I will not… share her… with anyone…”

— TO BE CONTINUED —

• Artwork by MonMonArtz •

[metalandmagi]

The differences in Aspec representation

(and why variety is important) I didn't know what to title this, but since it's pride month, I wanted to talk about two books that I just read and the different approaches they take to aspec representation....mainly because no one I know would read these and I just wanted to talk about them lol

Book 1: Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio.

This is a New Adult romcom where our main character, an extremely co-dependent 23 year old woman named Orie competes in a Survivor type reality TV show to prove to her family that she is totally not co-dependent (and you know, to win the prize money and stuff).

This book is what I like to call "accidental" or "sneaky" aspec rep. What the fuck does that mean, you ask? I call it that because the author includes a scene in the book where Orie is talking to another character about her view of romance, and the other character makes the comment that it seems like Orie is demisexual or demiromantic or aspec. And since Orie is not the kind of person who thought to ever google her sexuality, we're kind of just left to sit with that. So even though the main character never calls herself demi, the readers know that she is. And more importantly, the themes in this book are so attuned to the aspec experience it's not even funny.

Remember how I said Orie is co-dependent? Well, the main conflict of this book is Orie coming to terms with being able to do things by herself and struggling with the fear that her family and friends will all abandon her one day because she feels like a perpetual burden or third wheel. She wants to find her perfect fairytale romance, but she has a hard time connecting with people that way, so for a while she thinks it's best to stay with her boyfriend that she clearly feels nothing for, just because she feels like she's supposed to. By the end of the book, Orie feels like she must pivot into being able to do EVERYTHING by herself because she might be forced to eventually. Sound familiar? I can't speak for everyone, but this is something most aspec people struggle with their entire lives. Yes allo people can have this fear too, but I feel like it hits us differently. Because the world doesn't treat platonic friendships as importantly as it should, and because we don't view romance or sex the same way as most people, we are left with that fear of exclusion all the time!

This book is the aspec experience, whether the author intended it to be or not, and it actually hit me much harder than I thought it would because I was completely blindsided by it. It's a super funny, heartwarming romcom, especially for fans of Survivor. I loved it because it made me feel even more seen than a coming-of-age grapple with sexuality like Loveless did. And I don't even know if it was on purpose. I've followed Christine Riccio for a very long time, and idk if she is some form of demi, but her characters and themes (even in her other books) make it seem that way.

Book 2: Aces Wild by Amanda Dewitt.

As you can probably guess, this book is completely, unapologetically ace in its representation. The plot revolves around a group of aspec teenagers who rob a casino in Vegas. Which means that yes, it's basically a modern AU Six of Crows fanfic where the author wondered, "What if Kaz Brekker grew up as the rich heir to a casino empire?"

I promise I don't mean that like an insult, because I actually liked the book a fair bit, especially the writing style. It's hilarious and fast paced, and as someone who is extremely familiar with casinos, this is the kind of book that makes me angry because I should have written it first.

The thing about this book compared to Attached At The Hip is the fact that the characters are aspec is completely irrelevant to the story. AND THAT IS TOTALLY OKAY! AUTHORS DO NOT OWE IT TO PEOPLE TO MAKE EVERY QUEER STORY A COMING-OF-AGE STRUGGLE WITH SEXUALITY! This book is a fun romp, and the fact that the characters are aspec doesn't really make a difference to anything at all. The main character still has a crush, and there is still romance just like any typical YA romcom. HOWEVER, my only real problem with this book stems from the side characters feeling like cardboard cutouts with no reason to feel like they're all friends. Their interactions aren't bad, but the book relies on the fact that our main group is all aspec to convince the audience why they're friends. We get a little bit of backstory about how they're all nerds who met in a chat room, but not much depth to them. There are too many side characters and too few pages for anyone (except the main character) to feel fleshed out. It's because of this that it feels like the aspec rep is sort of...an afterthought. I don't know if the author is aspec (and it shouldn't matter either way) but I don't like it when characters (especially ace characters) feel like afterthoughts. We get enough of that in real life.

But that doesn't change the fact that this is the only book I've read (or media I've encountered in general) where the majority of the characters are aspec. It's a hilarious good time, and this type of low stakes representation is just as important! It's important to show that aspec people exist without needing to fit a "coming to terms with your sexuality" kind of narrative.

So yeah, this was just my excuse to get my thoughts in order, and to try and convince people to read these 😅

[britishchick09]

i had no idea that poto ace and aro week was a thing until a few minutes ago, but i have the perfect thing for it... a story from the poto rewritten short stories collection! :D

read it in full below or check out the audiobook my mom helped make! (and be sure to check out the other 5 stories!) i proudly present...

💚🤍🖤 christine the love detective 🖤🤍💜

 Christine was dreaming. She was with Papa, Raoul, Meg and Erik, all of them clad in white clothes. They laughed while sitting in a field of dandelions. A gentle breeze flew by.

Just then, the breeze picked up and a dandelion became caught in Christine's throat! She coughed it out while sitting up in bed. To her surprise, a flower petal floated out of her mouth!

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Meg exclaimed, standing on the bed next to her.

"Wha- What was that for?" Christine asked, trying to catch her breath.

"It's a gentle shower of tulip petals! You rolling over wasn't part of the plan."

Christine took the wet yellow petal with two fingers. "Why did you choose tulips? Roses are the Valentine's Day flower."

"And tulips are the friendship flower! And my favorite. Valentine's Day isn't just about romance, you know," Meg gave a sly smile. "Although I bet you'll be kissing Mr. E lots today…"

Christine felt her face flame. "No, I won't! Just once or twice."

"You'll do it so passionately that you'll have dozens of kids when you let go!"

"Stop it!" Christine exclaimed, playfully hitting Meg with her pillow. "That's not how it works, silly!"

Meg squealed as she fell down, her foot nearly hitting Christine in the face.

"I'm not interested in having children, not with Erik or Raoul or anyone else," she told Meg. "I'm not even interested marriage!"

"As Mama says, maybe you'll change your mind one day. But if not, that's okay. You have your friends!" Meg said as she sat up. "Valentine's Day is for all types of love- friendship, family…" She jumped out of bed. "And especially romance! Race you to the bathroom!"

She dashed out of their bedroom, but Christine stayed put. She slowly got out of bed as one word floated through her mind- 'romance'.

I've always enjoyed singing and reading about romance, and it's fun to think about others falling in love, she thought. But me falling in love? I can't imagine it! I know what romance is, but I don't know it. I've never felt it for myself.

Christine wandered to the kitchen, her mind lost in thought. She smiled at the smell of blueberry crepes.

"Good morning, Madame Giry." she greeted the matriarch, who was standing at the stove.

"Good morning, Christine," Madame Giry replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oui," Christine fiddled with a strand of her bedhead hair while watching Madame Giry carefully cut the crepe into a heart shape. "When you fell in love with Meg's father… What was that like?"

"Oh, falling in love with Jules was wonderful," Madame Giry responded with a smile. "When I saw him for the first time... why, I felt a light sensation that I had never felt before. My world felt new," She sighed dreamily. "It was a time I'll never forget."

"It sounds lovely." Christine said softly.

Madame Giry looked over at Christine. "Don't fret. I'm sure you'll find that special someone eventually."

Christine gave a small smile as the bathroom door opened. Meg sneakily tried to get a bite of breakfast while Christine took a couple plates to the living room table. The blueberry crepes were wonderful (especially when they looked like hearts!), but uncertain thoughts slightly dulled the taste.

'You'll find that special someone'… Christine spit toothpaste out of her mouth in a scoff before rinsing her toothbrush. Madame Valerius said the same thing when I was teen-aged. I don't think I'll ever find anyone more special than my friends! She splashed water on her face as a realization came to her. What if that means I'll never find true love? That's fine by me, but it means I'll never truly understand!

She worriedly turned off the sink and dried her face before going to the girls' bedroom.

As Christine made the bed, she thought back to when she saw her friends for the first time. She felt relieved upon seeing Raoul save her red scarf as a kid and was overjoyed to reunite with him years later. Meg made her feel welcome in the opera house and Erik was a surprising (and awkward) sight when they met in person!

But I didn't feel any light sensation, Christine thought. I've never felt that way with anyone.

She gave a frustrated sigh as she wrapped her corset over her torso. It was light pink... the color of love.

I feel love, but not romance. It sounds so wonderful! And yet... Christine laced her corset as she thought, Romance is such a mysterious thing. I want to know exactly what it is so I can feel it for myself someday. Everyone else has, so why can't I? I'm going to figure it out once and for- She winced as she accidentally pulled her corset laces too tight. …all.

Christine loosened the laces, determined to solve the mystery of love.

...

 After ballet practice, Christine and Meg hung a string of paper hearts up on the back wall of Christine's dressing room. They had spent most of the day before creating the decoration, which was their gift to each other.

"Be careful!" Christine told Meg, who was standing on her vanity seat.

"I- woah!" Meg nearly tripped, causing Christine to wince. "I am! For the most part, anyways," She secured the other end of the string with surgical tape. "There we go!"

She and Christine stood back, smiling as they looked at their creation.

"It's perfect." Christine said.

"The cutest string ever!" Meg agreed before reminding Christine, "Don't forget to put on your heart necklace. It's perfect for you and your boyfriends!"

Christine rolled her eyes. "The hearts represent Papa, my mother and me!" She took the necklace out of her father's bowl and smiled. "But maybe today, it can be Raoul, us and Erik."

"Aww, the middle heart is bigger because we're sisters!" Meg exclaimed, giving Christine a hug.

Christine chuckled softly. "Something like that."

She was clasping her mother's necklace when someone knocked on the door. After turning the necklace around, Christine opened the door.

"Raoul!" she exclaimed with a smile. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Raoul smiled back. "Happy Valentine's Day, Christine!"

"I have a little present for you," Christine handed him a card. "Here you go."

The card showed a boat with a heart on its sail. On the water below was 'My love for you is bigger than the sea'.

Raoul chuckled. "Nice! Thanks so much. I couldn't find any roses at the flower shop, so…" He took a bouquet of red flowers out from behind his back. "I got you some chrysanthemums!"

"Oh!" Christine sniffed the flowers as she held them. "They smell just as lovely as roses."

Meg took a sniff as well. "She's just saying that to butter you up for some kisses. Roses are way better."

Christine's face grew warm as she gave her friend a look. Raoul's cheeks and ears were pink with surprise!

"I, uh, I guess they are," he said before composing his slightly flustered self. "Are you ready to go out? To the Bois, not some sort of romantic thing!"

Christine giggled. "I am," She gave the bouquet of chrysanthemums to Meg. "We'll be back soon."

"Have fun on your definitely not romantic date!" Meg said with a wink.

...

 Christine and Raoul spent the afternoon at Bois de Boulogne. They strolled down a tree-lined path while snacking on a box of chocolates from Rousseau's. (Their joint gift to each other!)

"You're in love with me, right?" Christine asked. "Romantically, I mean?"

Raoul popped a chocolate in his mouth. "It depends. Most of the time I'm not, but…" He swallowed the chocolate. "Sometimes, this attraction comes over me. I look at you and think, 'Hey, she's pretty'. I feel it when we're close."

Christine touched her hip with his. "Like that?"

"No, there has to be a certain mood. Like when we danced at the masquerade or after coming home from the bistro. But when we're kissing each other in silly places..." Raoul paused to kiss Christine on the nose. "See, it's not there."

"Huh. And what does that attraction feel like?" Christine asked as they resumed walking.

"Oh, I don't know, it feels..." Raoul thought for a few moments. "Well, I don't know how to describe it."

I don't, either. Christine thought with a small sigh.

"I guess it feels like a magnet. I feel drawn towards you," Raoul chuckled. "Hey, that must be why they call it attraction!"

Christine couldn't help but chuckle as well. "It definitely is!"

"It's not a strong magnet, though. It's sort of weak. But that doesn't mean I don't love you! The romantic part isn't that strong."

"How funny," Christine said as Raoul handed her the chocolate box. "We're best friends, family and somewhat romantic at the same time."

"You feel attraction, too?"

Christine flushed midway through a bite of chocolate. "No, I was just talking about you. I… I've never felt romance before."

"Oh. Well, that's fine. You're lucky. Romance is a complicated thing!"

Christine gave the box back to Raoul, gazing at the foliage surrounding them as she thought, I've never felt romance, but what about actions? I don't mind Raoul seeing me in my underclothes, but most friends wouldn't dare to be seen like that! Come to think of it, Meg and I like to snuggle in bed. And I kiss Erik on the lips like it's nothing, Christine gasped. But those things can't be romantic! I-

"Are you okay?" Raoul asked.

Christine jerked her head to him. "Wha- Oh, yes, I'm fine," She paused before asking, "How do you know when you're... more than just friends?"

Raoul's ears turned pink. "Are you talking about us?"

"Sort of. Casually undressing in front of each other doesn't seem like something friends do."

"My navy pals and I did that all the time. Once you've known someone for a while, you become more comfortable around them."

"So it's not romantic? And neither is hugging in bed or kissing someone on the lips?"

Raoul ate a chocolate. "Not unless you make it."

I don't feel romance, I don't do it… Christine disappointedly bit into a chocolate. All I can do is dimly understand it.

...

 A while later, Raoul was singing a love song while Erik played the piano. Raoul's voice was off-key, but he looked so sincere that Christine didn't mind.

Raoul finished singing and told her, "That was my bonus Valentine's gift to you!" Then he said to Erik, "Thanks for the instrumental."

Erik gave a sly smile. "This is definitely the best way to be a third wheel."

"Bravo, brava!" Christine cheered. "Where did it come from?"

"From a guy in Flanders during my navy days. I told him that it reminded me of you and he gave a copy to take home to my love."

Christine put a hand on her heart. "Aww, how sweet!"

"Now it's time for my Valentine's Day gift," Erik said, swiftly rising from his piano. "That's your cue to leave."

Raoul playfully rolled his eyes before giving Christine a hug. "See you later."

Christine smiled at his slight ocean scent and pulled away. "See you later!"

Once he left, Christine said, "Here's your gift."

She gave him a little box containing some dark chocolates and a card. Underneath playing cards in the shape of a heart were the words, 'You're the queen of my heart'.

Erik laughed. "Cards on a card! How clever," He set the gifts on his table before shyly asking, "A- Are you ready to see your gift?"

"Oui!" Christine replied with a nod.

Erik went into the kitchen and came out with three big bouquets of roses. He even wore a rose flower crown!

"Oh!" Christine breathed. "How wonderful!"

Erik gave a triumphant smirk. "And all the other guy got was 'sweet'."

Christine was given the many roses, which were hard to hold. "This is quite a handful!"

"Only the best for my angel. Nadir forced me to go to the flower shop and buy them. I was so nervous that I forgot what a bouquet was!" Erik sat on the bed, fiddling with his cape as he said, "I- I hope you like them."

"I love them! They'll go perfectly with Raoul's chrysanthemums and Meg's decoration," Christine set the roses on the table, looking at them for a few moments before quietly asking, "What does love feel like? Romantic love, I mean."

"Oh, it's wonderful," Erik replied with a smile. "Strange feelings take over and I can't stop thinking about you. It's overwhelming, really. Quite frightening. Terrifyingly invasive."

Maybe it's good to not feel romance! Christine thought in surprise.

"And yet, it's the most amazing feeling in the world."

"But what does it feel like?" Christine asked, making Erik confused.

"You know, like feeling light and happy."

"Ah, the physical feeling. Well..." Erik tried to think of a way to describe it, but came up blank. "Here, kiss me passionately. That'll do the trick."

Christine wasn't sure about the passionate part, but she readily kissed Erik on the lips after joining him on the bed. He smiled, a look of dreamy bliss on his face as she pulled away.

"Quick, describe what you're feeling!" Christine told him.

"My heart feels light... and my hands are starting to tingle. Mmm, it feels like a pleasant tickle."

"It feels like the rush of satisfaction you get after belting out an aria on stage." Christine guessed.

"Oh, it's even better than that! What does the kiss feel like for you?"

Christine looked down at her lap. "...I feel nothing."

Erik snapped out of his dreamy state. "What?"

"I take that back, I feel a little happy. But I don't feel what you're describing," Christine looked at Erik. "What does attraction feel like?"

"Kind of like love. Except your heart aches a little and your face feels hot. I think about how pretty you are and-" Erik giggled. "Well, it makes me so giddy! You face is so cute and your voice is so beautiful and you're the most adorable person in the world-"

Christine's face burned with a blush as she thought, At least I know what flattery feels like!

"Okay, thank you for the compliments, but we need to get back on track. Name one thing that's attractive about me."

"Um... I don't know..." Erik chuckled bashfully. "Your lips."

Christine absentmindedly licked her lips. "And what makes them attractive?"

"I don't know!" Erik exclaimed, looking away with a bright pink blush. "Seriously, I really don't know why some things about you are attractive. They just are. That's how romance is. You don't know why it gives you these feelings, it just does."

"Well, that doesn't help me!"

"With what?"

"With..." Christine gave heavy sigh. "With love research."

Erik frowned. "Love research?"

"I'm trying to make sense of it all, but... it's awfully hard to understand since I've never experienced it."

"Oh, is that why you've been acting like a questionnaire?"

"Oui. I've heard so much about romance, but it's hard to truly feel it."

"Well, I didn't feel any attraction until we really got to know each other, so maybe you just need to find the right person. ...Which isn't me, I guess."

"No... I know I'll never feel it," Christine said, her voice breaking slightly. "Because I'm broken."

"Broken?" Erik repeated as she turned away from him. "No, you're not-"

"Everyone can feel and understand romance except for me!" Christine looked down at her lap. "I don't love you as you love me. I don't love anyone like that. I like reading romance stories, but when I try to understand it…" She felt her voice choke up. "I can't. There's a wall of fog preventing me from seeing it clearly," She sniffled. "And it'll never go away."

Christine buried her head in her hands before sinking down onto the bed. She wept into Erik's comforter.

"Oh, Christine…" Erik said softly. "I… I don't know what to say. I'd say 'it's okay', but I know it isn't for you. A- And I like feeling romance despite the terror, so it's not okay for me."

Christine raised her head a little. "That's fine," She sat up with a sniffle and wiped her eyes with the side of her hand. "On one hand, I'm relieved to not feel it. It's complicated and a little scary. And I could never stick with one person. But on the other hand, if I can never understand…" More tears welled up in her eyes. "Does that mean there's something wrong with me?"

"No! There's nothing wrong with you!" Erik exclaimed while wrapping his cape around her. "Plenty of people don't feel romance. I- I mean, I've never heard of it lasting forever, but it could happen," He looked out the window for a few moments in thought. "I think I know why you're like this."

Christine looked up at Erik. "Why?"

"Well… there's this thing called asexual, which is the absence of the disgusting deed. I definitely don't understand that horrible practice," Erik said with a shudder. "I call myself asexual because of it. You don't understand romance, so…"

"So maybe I'm aromantic!" Christine realized. "And asexual. That explains so much!"

Erik chuckled. "Yes!" He used his fingernail to wipe the tears away from Christine's cheek. "You're not broken, Christine. You're just a little different. A- And while that can seem bad at times…" He smiled. "It makes you unique."

Christine smiled back. "I suppose you should know that better than anyone else."

Erik lightly stroked his mask while saying, "Well, I still view my differences as ostracizing, but I'm getting better at it. I learned that from you."

Christine blushed. She wiped the rest of her tears away and took a deep breath as she rose from the bed. She slowly walked over to the many bouquets of roses as a vision came to mind.

Little ghost versions of Christine and Erik floated beside each other as red hearts danced around them. But just as the ghosties were about to kiss, a wall of fog appeared in between them.

Just then, Ghost Christine was crushed by a magnet! Ghost Erik struggled a bit while freeing her. Once he did, everything around the ghosties faded. They hugged before contently floating away, yellow hearts surrounding them.

"I'm aromantic," Christine declared before striding towards the flowers. "I can't feel romance, but that's okay with me. I'm perfectly fine with platonic love," She inhaled the roses' sweet scent. "Besides, there are much better things to do than fret about romance."

She gave a soft giggle as Ghost Christine nuzzled her cheek.

"Indeed there are," Erik agreed. "But if you're aromantic, why do you kiss me?"

Christine turned to look at him. "I like the physical feeling. You know, the soft hug of our lips," she replied, making Erik chuckle with a wide smile. "If I kissed Meg or Raoul on the lips, it would be weird. But with you… I really don't mind it. I suppose that's weird in itself."

Erik sighed. "What a queer platonic relationship we have."

Christine glanced at her ghostie before saying, “You know… That’s the perfect way to describe us. We’re platonic, yet people would find our kissing and closeness a little strange. Or, queer, I should say. But it's a good kind of queer.”

“Yes! Little Miss Meg is your sister best friend, Raoul is your dearest best friend and I’m your queer best friend,” Erik laughed. “As if I wasn’t already!”

Christine crouched down and said, "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Then she gave Erik a kiss. The ghosties watched with heartwarming smiles before doing the same.

Christine had learned a lot about romance in the past day. It was a powerful type of love that struck people like Cupid firing an arrow. It gave its targets overwhelming feelings of bliss, took hold of them in frightening ways at certain times and made their world seem new. She would never fully know its power… And that was alright with her. Christine was happy with being an aromantic enjoyer of romance stories and love songs. Her friends were the truest love of all!

[haganezukawaifu]

Rosa Dolce Chapter 2

~ Previous ~ Masterlist ~ Next ~

Bella. The same Bella since I was six. The same Bella I use to play with in the park and sleepover. I haven't seen her since she moved to Arizona. I always wonder how she was doing. She looks just like Renee except without short brown hair.

"Now today's topic is themes," Mr. Mason said. 

Everyone in the class groaned, maybe the class anticipated watching a movie based on a book we read. "Now class, themes are significant in English and  literature." I sat up intrigued. "Theme is the idea, concept, or lesson that repeats throughout a story. It relates to the protagonist's journey. It lies deep in their concerns, passions-their soul. Take "The Alchemist" for example, Santiago's desire to seek buried treasure, or in "Lord of the Rings", Frodo's only motivation was to destroy the one ring," Mr. Mason explained. 

"But that's not all, poems also have themes. Give Mr. Poe for example. His work "The Raven." I'm sure someone in the class can quote a line from The Raven," Mr. Mason said. The class was silent. "Come on. Anyone?" No one answers or bothers to raise their hand. I sigh as I fiddle with my pen. As I look down at my desk and said the line;

"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing." 

 I could feel all eyes were on me at this moment.

"Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there was spoken was the whisper word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore?"-

Merely this and nothing more."

Silence fills the room once again as everyone looks at me, some awe. "Very well Ms. Anderson. Now class," Mr. Mason as he continues to teach. I notice that Bella is staring at me, and I turn to look out of the window. After the last 3 to 5 minutes of being in English, you think English class can't end fast enough. In class, I wasn't often outspoken, but only in subjects I was passionate about like literature. Oh, how I adore it. For the last 45 minutes, the bell rang but not before Mr. Mason assign us a book to read for the week. As I gathered my belonging, I heard a sudden and surprising voice.

"Christine."

I looked up and it was Bella right in front of me. "H-Hey," she said. "Hey." "It has been a while since we have last seen each other," Bella said as she grip the strips in her bag. 

'It has been years.'

"Yeah. I thought you were moved to Arizona with Ms.Renée." "Mom got remarried and she couldn't spend much time with Phil so I decided to live here with Charlie," Bella said. I see. Make sense, her father Charlie Swan is the Chief of Police in Forks. "H-How about you? I wasn't aware you were staying here now," she reply. I sigh in response. "It wasn't my idea to move here but Cordelia decided to open up a flower shop here," I said as I gripped my books in my hand. She hmm in response. There was silence between us. We haven't seen in years. Before I could say anything, I was interrupted. 

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you."

From the sound of it, it sounded like Eric and it was Eric, another classmate of mine.  "Bella," she corrected him as he nod. "Right. Hey Christine," he said. "Right. Um, I guess I will see you around, Bella. Who knows we might have another class together but we should catch up." "Yeah sure," she replies with a nod in response. I smiled before walking out of Mr. Mason's class and heading my way to my Trigonometry and Calculus class taught by Mr. Vanner. Math. Ugh. Mr.Vanner seems to want to make the class harder than it seems, but it isn't. In terms of that, I'm probably the smartest student in the class. If not the first, then maybe the second or third.

As soon as I arrived at my class, I sat in my usual seat. Following the final bell rang, Mr. Vanner announced that there will be a pop quiz.

'A pop quiz on a Monday. How typical to start the day.'

But it was nothing new for Mr. Vanner. Give us a pop quiz on something conceiving or something we don't know, then teach the class about it for four days and then the actual test will be Friday. Mr. Vanner held out the paper and as soon as I took a look at the paper, it was about the Pythagoras Theorem. There were only 5 questions. I already know it.

'This should go by fast as always.'

I answered every equation easily and finished. I stood up and walked to Mr. Vanner's desk but as soon as I place my paper on the desk, another paper was beside mine. And the owner of the paper was Cullen. Edward Cullen. I look at him as he looks at me with those golden eyes and nods his head and walks away. I did the same but with a small smile. Edward and I were always the first to finish. Then it would be Angela. But the crazy part is that I don't know much about him. He's like a closed book in my case. The family moves here two years ago from Alaska, and the moment they came, they became the talk of the town you can say. Our first interaction was quite awkward, the only time we spoke was when we both had a history together and we both were partners. He wasn't much of a talker last year.

'He's not much of a talker this year either.'

Soon as the quiz was finished, Mr. Vanner reviewed the quiz in hand and taught us the formula, as if I didn't know it. After the last 45 minutes in class, the bell rang and it was time for Biology. Then it was Government. When will this day ever end, I thought to myself. And now it's time for lunch. I grabbed my lunch and sat at my usual table... by myself. I always sit at the same table by myself and eat my lunch and read. It's more peaceful that way and I can enjoy my book. I grabbed my book and started reading. It was a classic called "Little Woman." I quite enjoyed it. As I was reading, I saw someone approaching my table and standing there. I looked up and it was Bella.

"Hey," she said. "Hey, Bella." "Umm... You mind if I sit here," she asked. I nod my head in response as she sat down in front of me. "I'm surprised you're not seated with Mike, Jessica, and the rest." "I was until I notice you were seated by yourself and wanted to catch up. So what book are you reading," she asks. I lift the book and say "Little Woman." She nods her head in response before she looks down and starts fiddling with her tray. I close my book and place it on the side. "So, what do you want to catch up about?" "Well, how have you been? How's Cordelia and Anthony," she asked.

'Oh.'

"I have been doing good. Cordelia is doing well. Anthony, he moves out when I turn 14. I haven't heard much from him or seen him since then." Bella nods her head. "And you. How was life in Phoenix." "Phoenix is great. Kinda missing it right now," she said. "Not used to rain and wet weather huh." Bella shook her head. I don't blame her. In California, I was used to the heat and it only rained so often but now I move here, all I see is rain. Boy, do I hate it? "You know Jessica and Mike told me something," she mentions.

'Oh boy.'

Immediately, it caught my attention, I knew what she was saying. "Let me guess. Did they mention I was a witch?" Bella looked a bit surprised when I revealed it before she did. I chuckled at her reaction. "Before you say anything, I'm not. I swear you work in a plant shop and people think you're a witch." "So how come they think you are," Bella said. I sigh at the question. New students are normally warned about me.

'I'm surprised that Jessica and Mike haven't told her why.'

"A girl in my sophomore year climbed a rope during gym class and I watched her while everyone did their own thing. She was climbing so high and my eyes couldn't leave her. Suddenly she stopped, then got dizzy. She start to let go of the rope and fell. Someone caught her, but one person said I probably caused her to fall because I watched. Since then, I was known as the 'witch'. Ridiculous thing if you ask me. Not to mention the cylinder incident." As my head flops down on the table, I sigh. "Everyone thinks I did that when honestly the heat was too high and it exploded." I sigh as I mumble down. I think that is the most I've ever explained myself. Soon I heard Bella sigh. "Well...I don't believe you're a witch." I gave her a soft smile before I nodded. "Thanks."

'At least someone doesn't think I am.'

Then the bell rang. Lunch is over already. "The bell. What's your next class." "Umm biology," she said. "If you like I can take you there. I have Spanish next. And I don't know, maybe after school, I can show you the flower shop. I'm sure Cordelia would be happy to see you." "Uh sure," she responded with a nod. We gather our things and exit the cafeteria. It was nice to talk to someone at lunch. I honestly haven't done that in forever. So maybe things might change.

or will they...

[lucygold95]

POTO Korea Christine 손지수[Sohn Ji-soo]'s essay, "크리스틴을 만나다(Meeting Christine)". (+ Her '시어터플러스(THEATRE+)' interview.)

It seems like 19 years have passed already. When I was a student, I happened to see the movie <The Phantom of the Opera> (2004) (at school. *손지수 graduated 선화 Arts Middle School Department of Vocal Music and 선화 " High " ). Fascinated by the enchanting music, mysterious and thrilling stories, and the charming soprano "Christine" in the play, my photo album was filled with her pictures for a while. I even put a picture of Emmy Rossum on my mini homepage.

Living in a lot of classical music, my dream has always been to be a soprano. "Someday, I will sing on stage like Christine."

After graduating from vocal music and making my debut in Milano, I became a soprano of my dreams.

* 손지수 graduated with top honors from 서울(Seoul) National University Department of Vocal Music. After that, she graduated from the 'Conservatorio di Musicica Giuseppe Verdi di Milano'. In 2014, she made her debut in Milano as Rosina, the heroine of the opera 'Il barbiere di Siviglia(The Barber of Seville)'. According to her, a soprano who was supposed to play Rosina was sick. So 손지수, who was an understudy, suddenly made her debut as the heroine Rosina. She said that the trembling emotions of the day were imbued when she sang 'Think Of Me' as Christine.

"<The Phantom of the Opera>, which will be performed in Korean again after 13 years."

I had a chance to audition for a call(The other Christine, 송은혜[Song Eun-hye], who became a phan after watching 최현주's performance in 2009, passed a general audition and became a Christine. (송은혜 is also a fan of Sierra Boggess.) 손지수 was selected as Christine among the call audition participants. The reason why the call audition was held was because they couldn't find a satisfied applicant other than 송은혜 in the general audition. *송은혜 majored in opera, but worked as a popera singer/an ensemble in the musical Elisabeth. *손지수 is an opera singer and made her musical debut with the Phantom of the Opera.) as Christine in the musical <The Phantom of the Opera>, which reminded me of a precious (art)work in my memories that I had forgotten for a while.

I read a book, watched a musical video, and looked for the movie that I watched 19 years ago. The thrill from the overture made my heart pound once again. Over the years, I became a soprano like Christine, but I never thought I would be Christine in the work. Feeling indescribable gratitude and joy, I met Christine like fate.

...

I came to think that the face of the Phantom in the mask might be our inner self. Everyone has their own wounds, and we often hide behind masks to hide their disgrace. And we want to be comforted and loved by someone.

...

Looking at the Phantom's desperate past, I thought about how many people could overcome it alone without being affected by the difficult environment.

Christine recognized the pure soul of the Phantom in the mask, and enlightened the Phantom with the right love. The Phantom, who was not loved by anyone, received spiritual healing when he met an angel named Christine.

Meeting Christine, who is like a ray of warm sunshine in a dry society, raises great inspiration and challenges in my music life. How wonderful it would be to console someone through my life like Christine told the Phantom true love! In that sense, I am going to the theater as an angelic Christine with gratitude and happiness again today.

[hobipaloozaaa]

Chapter 1

*The story takes place in Veronica's POV

"I don't wanna go" I whined throwing my head against the headrest. Sage laughed causing Nick to roll his eyes.

"Too bad, we told Big Woo we'd go." He said looking down at his phone. I groaned some more. It was Saturday and I had just wanted a full day to relax and lay in bed, meaning doing nothing but eating and sleeping.

"You said we'd go, I didn't say anything" I sassed. "If we all have to be there then why doesn't Christine? She never has to go to these things." I whined throwing myself onto Sages shoulder for dramatic effect.

"She's busy" Nick said not even sparring a glance my way. "Besides you never wanna go but as soon as we go out you start getting lit and then you're good for the rest of the night". He attempted to sway me. I groaned more. "If you were home what would you be doing? Sleeping, playing on your phone? You're better off out with your friends." He said.

Well he definitely had a point. I stayed silent knowing he was right.

For the majority of the ride me and Maru were watching TikTok's on my phone when 2  notifications from Instagram pop up.

Oliver Moy has followed you

Oliver Moy has sent you a message

"Who's that?" Maru questioned looking at me.

"I'm not sure," I answer back. "Hey do you know who this is?" I ask Sage. He peers down at my phone as we scroll through some of his Instagram pictures.

"Nah he doesn't seem familiar." He says. "Nick do you know who this is?" Sage says as he tosses the phone to Nick.

Nick looks down at the phone for a minute when he answers back with; "Some of his friends were on UTI, he's part of the Northstar boys. The ones Viet went to go apologize to this summer." We all think back for a minute that's when I remember the video.

"Oh shit, I remember now!" I yelled. "That's fucked that they took a video of it." I started, "Why's he following me now, does he follow any of you?" I questioned wondering what the sudden interest in me was.  They each check their Instagram. A collective no went around the car.

"Bitch see what he messaged you", said Maru tugging at my arm. I sighed unlocking my phone.

"Why'd the car get hella quiet," I yelled "even stopped the music and everything". Trying to take away some of the unwanted attention.

"We're nosy, tell us what he said" Maru said.

I scrolled to the message.

" Hi I'm such a big fan of the podcast! I hope to be able to meet you tonight." I read aloud.

"Oooooo, he likes youuu" Devin drags out. Making everyone  in the car start to laugh.

"I'm so glad you all think this is funny" I answer back. "He's going?" I ask "They're friends with Woo like that?" I questioned Nick.

"All of his group is going. Woo invited a bunch of different people for the party with UTI." Nick says showing me the list on his phone.

"What's this kid even like?" I wonder aloud. I take the rest of the ride to scroll through his tiktok and YouTube channel and by the time we get to the club I've come to a conclusion.

"So what do you think about him?" Maru asks. I purse my lips, and tell her that Oliver is good looking but not my type.

"Really but he's so cute!" Maru exclaimed.

I laughed at that. "He seems nice just not someone I'd be going out with. He probably doesn't even want to go out or anything. Maybe he just wants me to be in a video or something or for them to come onto the podcast." I state "Anyways I heard through a little birdie that a girlie Nick likes might be there." I tease trying to take attention away from myself.

"Who?" Nick whips around as we walk towards the back entrance. I shrug teasing him. "At least say who told you." Nick pleaded as we walked through the door. Me and Maru laughed as everyone branched out and decided to meet back up altogether later in the night.

As I looked around the room I realized there weren't too many people I really talk to other than the friends I came with. I made my way through the room hoping to latch onto Devin or Cynthia while I wait for the event to start, that's when I felt someone grab me by my shoulder.

"Veeee!" Viet shouts in my ear, wrapping his arms around me. "There's someone here who wants to meet you!" He says as he steers us to a group of people. I take notice of the group when I take in the faces of the group we're walking to. Oliver Moy is one of those faces. I turn to look at Viet who has a shit eating grin on his face.

As we get to the group they all start to smile and laugh one even grabbing onto Oliver. They worked themselves through the group introducing themselves: Sebastian, Regie, Justin, Ryan, Darren, Kane, Tyler, Bae and Angel. When it was Oliver's turn he stepped up to hug me.

"Hi, it's so nice to meet you. I'm Oliver." He said with a smile on his face. I awkwardly patted his back.

"I'm Veronica" I said taking a step back.

"They've been talking about meeting you all day" Viet teased wrapping his arm around Regie's shoulder.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet all of you, but I told Sean I was gonna stay close to him", I say finding an excuse to walk away. I turn and quickly walk towards Sean who was standing with Esther and Jeremy. "You're sticking with me tonight". I told Sean as I looped my arm through his.

"Why's that?", he questioned looking down at me.

"Cause I told the Northstar Boys that I couldn't stay to talk with them because I promised not to leave you alone all night". I said shooting him a look.

Time Skip

Time had passed and we had all had one too many drinks. Sean and me had separated a while ago so I could sit down because my heels were killing me from standing for so many hours. I was sitting down playing with my phone when I felt someone sit next to me.

"I feel like I didn't get a chance to talk to you all night". I heard from next to me. I turned to the voice to see Oliver smiling at me.

[dorokora]

Chapter 14 Episode 8 Part 3 Final:

We start with narration from Solomon’s perspective. Everyone learns "who they are" by being seen by someone. If there is no one who sees you, it is the same as "the one who is nowhere". I've been watching you all along, I've seen you, who is not "omniscient and omnipotent", continue to struggle and struggle. I "know everything that was in this world." However, "I do not know what is not yet in this world." Far behind me, you fall, hurt, and backtrack again and again. There were times when I wanted to pretend I didn't see it. I felt pity. I got angry too. I was also merciful. I almost reached out my hand unintentionally. There must have been a scene like that somewhere. One step, another step. you (MC) keep going on your own pace. Before long, you will surpass me, and now you will advance to a future different from mine. At that moment you turned around and knew what I was looking at. And I knew too. Everything I've done so far will pay off. Many live as "Kyoma Mononobe". I live as a human being, and I am a human being. “This body has already reached its limits,” he (Mononobe) said. This was my first and last interference with this game. Knowing that it would destroy me and my "omniscient omnipotence". "Things (Lil’Sal) that came from the future" had fallen in front of me. Pick it up, hold it up in the air, and say: “Go”. And now, I'll send you off to some future. I don't know where it will lead to. Somewhere even an "omniscient and omnipotent" person doesn't know. Because the future is born out of the desire to have something that doesn't yet exist anywhere in this world.

Back to MC, they can see Lil’Sal and they reached out to them. Lil’Sal wakes up and MC’s missing arm returns to its rightful place. Lil’Sal and MC look at Overlord (who’s currently disappearing in light). The Exception says that Salomonis, O "great spirit of the omniscient king" from the past, you were sent to the past of this city. The "Time Exile" who came from the future, the destination you jumped to is the future of this city. Yes, that desolate scene they used to call the "backstage". That place does not belong to the present where you are now or anywhere in the past. That's right, that other dimension is the future of Tokyo that it will eventually arrive at. Humans on this planet will lose their "role" and will have no choice but to continue to devour the pleasures that have been given to them. We cut to Duo who said that, this means that the someone from Utopia with a “Time” ability was secretly interfering in the occurrence of the Exception Area. Bertro said this was inevitably that it will happen. It's on par with the Old Ones' "Space Leap". The Rule to jump the time of the future world Utopia. It is a threatening technology that can freely manipulate time to accelerate or vice versa. Duo and Bertro being successful clones born in test tubes are the basis of this technology. We cut to see the Exception are disappearing. Boogeyman reunited with Quantum. Barong was let go from Overlord and he and Amduscias share a smile as they reunite. Everything has return to normal. Solomon tells Christine that it was a wonderful performance and thanks her and the other Entertainers. Christine happily accepts. Solomon begins to introduce himself to everyone. He is an agent of "God". "God" is a "mechanism" and believed to be sacred. And the future of humans needed a new "god" in this era. That is why this Tokyo game is being held. A new future "mechanism" created for that. Yes, this "game" was created for the "mechanism" of majority voting, the next "mechanism of the future". The answer to the "antinomy" that he once showed. In order to create an answer to the "antinomy of the three laws" that goes beyond that.

We cut to Turing who explains King Solomon's dilemma. There is an antinomic solution called so. Turing refers to the story of two women once claimed in front of a great king that they were the mothers of this child. And the great king commanded that the child should be divided in two with the sword and distributed to each woman. The real mother who heard the order tried to give the child to the lying woman. And it is said that the woman who tried to do so was recognized as the mother and the child was handed over. The heart of this story is calculating the value of a child for each mother, which is not directly visible to the king. But even that is only the beginning. The true value of the "mechanism" created by the omniscient king, it's just a part of it. Mathematically speaking, he created an algorithm to order two different things. It would have been a great discovery in the past. And mankind has been aiming for better and higher rank. We then cut to Bael. Who explains the pecking order Solomon created. Solomon placed a hierarchy between the two, established a chain of command, and ordered the establishment of an ideal city. As a result, the order of the former ideal city was formed, and long-term stability was obtained. Bael list the current Demons of the Ars Goetia. 67th: Amduscias, 60th: Vapula. 57th: Ose, 35th: Marchosias. 29th: Astaroth. 18th: Bathym, 12th: Sitri, and #1: Bael. We then see Horus asking where is Michael and the others. Bael tells Horus that Michael already left along with Amaterasu and Utopia World Rep. This is surprising to Horus since the Rule Makers rarely move to the battlefield. There has always been stability among the seven Rulemakers World Reps but.. Horus ask if Michael and the others held a majority vote. He said it was a good idea to return to base like Ahura said. Otherwise, he would have really been placed in the “outside” at the center of what happened next. The "future" of Tokyo begins to move.

Back to Solomon. He tells everyone the "game" in Tokyo and it’s mechanism was proposed and created by Utopia. The loop is something that cannot be realized without the power of "time jumping" that those from Utopia have. The locals living in this Tokyo, the world of the future that they should soon welcome. To avoid that devastation, that Utopia World Rep proposed this 'game'. A "game" in which the locals are placed on the board of Tokyo's 23 wards as the foundation of "transient summoning". This should have stabilized this Tokyo 'game' and ensured that it would not end until the desired answer was given. We cut to see Nomad trying to get to the Rulemakers base but is intercepted by Algernon. Nomad ask him if he was hired by Rulemakers again. Nomad also ask where the hell did they kidnapped Claude to. We cut back to Barguest, Oscar was taken to custody. After that, the kidnapped people will be recovered and the case will be settled. Q’ursha said the kidnapped transients are said to have been found in the basement of the Opera House along with Leib and the other Beast Tamers. Barguest said, According to Oscar, if you connect the stolen "parts of your body", you'll be back to normal in no time. If that's the case, Barguest will ask Prometheus of to do the "connecting" work. Barguest calls Prometheus the weirdest member of their guild and said he’s a recluse. Barguest received a phone call from Prometheus. Prometheus tells him something big is happening and to check out the video he sent. Barguest ask Q’ursha if they found the all missing transients. Q’ursha said yeah. Barguest then ask where are the humans/locals that went missing then. We see drones mobs carrying Claude and Jacob somewhere. Back to Bertro and Duo. Bertro said the Utopia world Rep is involved in this incident. They are very familiar with their philosophy. Utopia is a world that "believes" in time acceleration. Spend all the resources in this world on acceleration. For them, "There is nothing to throw away in the world." It won't stop until the resources of the people in Tokyo are exhausted. Because, for that world agent, it belongs to the “him” in the "future".

Back to Barguest, he tells the other Wonderers they need to gather. We then see Raven and Gurangatch taking in a alley. Raven is surprise to see one of his students here and Gurangatch is surprise to see that Raven is a Game Master. Raven said he’s the Raven of the Tower of London. If the city is like a tower then he’ll be able to sense danger before anyone else. Raven tells Gurangatch that all transients need to evacuate this city immediately. Raven said he’s familiar with the plague that destroys cities. His intuition is ringing like alarm bells. If it's just transients who weren't born in Tokyo, they might still be able to evacuate in time. We cut to see Hanuman rushing over to the scene, he said he tried to reach Ryota and the others but they are no where to be seen. We see Wyrm handing Beowulf a sword. If Beowulf kills MC now the loop can start over. Just then there’s something in the sky. It’s Curren, Michael, and Amaterasu. Back to Bertro, he knows what Curren is thinking about. Duo said it’s the the necessary "time leap" to cause a loop. It's a system hack of this "game". Back to Solomon, he tells MC he’s both Solomon and Mononobe. Even if it wasn't the "first time" they met, he’s been watching them all this time. Solomon is looking forward to their future. It was at that time, Solomon was attacked. There was blood. As everyone watched in shocked and Christine screamed in horror. We cut to see Ahura and Loki. Ahura knows that Loki knew about the other faction within the Rule Maker. This faction consist of Michael, Amaterasu, and The Utopia World Rep. The majority is no longer in Ahura or Horus hands and new leadership was passed. We then see Nobumichi communicating with someone on the phone. He will now carry out his next order from the Rule Makers. He wishes for a net that will catch all sin in this world and leave none escaped.

We cut to see Michael and Amaterasu. Michael thanks the Entertainers for their services and that it’s now time for Rule Makers to fulfill their true purposes. The manifestation and elimination of the agent of the old God, King Solomon. We see Shiro, Ryota, and Kengo floating in the sky along with other humans. Amaterasu said the pure locals of Tokyo who are not here, especially the main guildmasters, have already been invited to their "base". Michael tells them that this Tokyo's future, the utopia's World Rep. The people of this land can never go against their power. It is an existence that is rooted in the world of Tokyo and has a higher rank than humans. A being who holds the “future” of those born on this planet in one hand. It is guaranteed to be ahead of the sacred artifacts of the guildmasters. Amaterasu said thisis the condition for Utopia's World Rep to ally with them. Michael talks to MC and said it’s been awhile since they met. Michael said in the future where all humans will lose their "role", MC will become a new god. Amaterasu tells MC it’s time for them to finally take their place. Maria tells them to wait. Solomon wants MC to listen to their words. As long as Mononobe’s memory remain in this loop, he won’t disappear. Solomon starts to slowly disappear. He tells MC he sees them moving forward…the future they chose for themselves. He wants to see them graduate from Shinjuku academy. “Give someone a choice.”, That's the only thing a person can do. Solomon then disappears in the wind. Leaving behind Bigfoot who was used as his vessel. And here begins the battle between the Rulemakers and the Great Guild Alliance. Not only the Gurus, Beasttamers, Wanderers, and Missionaries Guild. The Outlaws, Creators, and other guilds join the alliance. In order to save the disappeared humans and their friends, the Transients from all over Tokyo gather together in this alliance. We then see Toji standing in front of the next underground dungeon. The history of this Tokyo, the beginning of itself. Divided from Land of Wa, the origin of the "faith" of this land. A game around the 23 wards of Tokyo, the beginning and the story of the future.

Chapter 14 END

[thehappyscavenger]

Books Read June 2024

Direct Sunlight by Christine Sneed

I fell in love with Sneed's writing after reading The Virginity of Famous Men earlier this year. This is another strong collection with her trademark subtle shifting glances into people's delicate lives and emotional states. Excellent work.

Cocktail by Lisa Alward

This was the final of the 2024 Danuta Gleed nominees I had to read. The funny thing is this is a lot like Sneed's work; literary fiction about relationships, but this didn't resonate. Probably found it the least engaging of the nominees but what do I know? It won the Danuta Gleed.

The Doll's Alphabet by Camilla Grudova.

Also a Danuta Gleed nominee but from a previous year. I saw this mentioned in a Twitter thread about best short story collections. Lived up to the hype. Eerie speculative fiction.

The Dance of the Demons by Esther Singer Kreitman

I heard someone mention Kreitman in the context of being Isaac Bashevis Singer's neglected and forgotten older literary sister. Was she an undiscovered amazing author buried by the patriarchy? Well, not in English she wasn't. I found the novel quite sad and a bit of a slog. An interesting read in the way it captures a way of European Jewry about to be completely obliterated but not a great read on its own. The edition I read included essays and notes on the translation which were very interesting though.

Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness by Danila Botha

I wanted to like this so much. I found it incredibly mid. Also not the author's fault but there was an insane amount of typos in my copy, like 20+ which I've never had in a book before.

Bear by Julia Phillips

Went in and out of like with this one but I thought it stuck the landing incredibly well.

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Quick and heartbreaking look at a sex bot who gains sentience. I thought this was incredibly heartbreaking and wonderful.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Raoul (ALW’s Phantom)

“The Phantom of the Opera” closes in two days on Broadway, and I’m still here to give my second favorite musical the honor it deserves! I’m counting down my favorite performers who have played the three key roles of the show. Yesterday, I presented my favorite people who have played Christine Daae. Today, I move on to the next major part: Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny.

Raoul is a character who, even more than Christine, I feel gets a bad rap. He’s the least popular and well-respected of the three main characters; his goals, motivations, and personality are the most simple and altruistic of the three, and as a result he’s often perceived as the least interesting. People tend to gravitate more towards Christine’s many dilemmas, or the tortured and haunting darkness of the Phantom himself, than the seemingly more whitebread Raoul. It’s telling that in the sequel to Phantom, “Love Never Dies” (by the way, I’ve ONLY been considering the first show, not that one, too, in my choices here, at least as much as possible), Raoul is actually changed into one of the main VILLAINS of the story…which, in my opinion, is both nonsensical and a total show of unwarranted contempt for his character. While it is true that Raoul is the least layered character of the three, I think he works because he serves as an interesting counterpoint to the Phantom. Like the Phantom, Raoul is deeply in love with Christine and admires her voice. But while the Phantom has lived a life of torment in the shadows, Raoul has effectively been raised with a silver spoon: he’s a generally optimistic, outgoing, wealthy young man. In fact, at times it seems Raoul is a bit…slow, shall we say? I wouldn’t say he’s stupid, outright, but I feel that part of the character a lot of people don’t realize is that he’s not necessarily the brightest bulb in the bunch, certainly not when compared to the Phantom. But what makes Raoul so wonderful is that, while the Phantom represents all sorts of complexities and tragedies and decadent possibilities…Raoul represents something simple: pure and wholesome goodness. His love for Christine seems absolutely honest and untainted, and the fact he’s rich never really seems to be something he lords over anybody. He doesn’t try to bribe people, he doesn’t try to use his money as something to flaunt, it just…exists. He’s someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s still willing to take risks and go to great lengths to help those he cares about most. There’s nothing WRONG with Raoul, at the end of the day; he only seems to be “less interesting” because the other characters have so much else going on. Raoul’s motivations and goals are simple: all he wants is to help and protect Christine. He loves her, and he is willing to go to any length to keep her safe and make her happy. There is nothing selfish or self-righteous in his soul. Something interesting about a lot of the actors who have played Raoul best over the years is that they often seem to “graduate” to playing the Phantom later down the line. This isn’t ALWAYS the case, but you will see several examples of that between this list and the one for the Phantom, which shall be done tomorrow. This isn’t always the case, however; what makes a great Raoul doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the Phantom, they simply have to be people who understand who he really is and why he is such a good character in this tale. Once again, this will be a description-less list (just names and pictures). With that said, here are My Top 15 Portrayals of Raoul from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera!

15. Byron Nease.

14. Killian Donnelly.

13. John Riddle.

12. Rhys Whitfield.

11. Simon Bailey.

10. Tim Martin Gleason.

9. John Cudia.

8. Reece Holland. (Yep. The March Hare played Raoul. I was pretty surprised, myself.)

7. Ramin Karimloo.

6. Michael Ball.

5. Steve Barton.

4. Hadley Fraser. (I actually used to dislike his Raoul, and I don’t really know why. Nowadays I think he’s great.)

3. John Barrowman.

2. Andrew Ragone.

1. Patrick Wilson. (Not sure how popular this opinion is, but it is the hill I choose to die on.)

Tomorrow: My Favorite Portrayals of the Phantom!

[mooseonabreak]

This is gonna be kinda long and it’s mostly me rambling/venting, so feel free to ignore it.

Brother asked me to help him find any of his surviving baby pictures (a lot of our baby pictures were destroyed in an accident; most of the remaining ones are of me) and we stumbled across one of my mother’s high school and college photo albums. It’s so strange flipping through stills of her girlhood and seeing faces of people I never got to know or people I barely know in their older years but were so important to my mom in her youth. Saw pictures of her friends, cousins, aunts and uncles– all people I don’t know but people she held so close to her. Saw pictures of her in her college years when she was still chasing after her dreams of becoming a fashion designer and participated in fashion shows. There wasn’t a trace of the wrinkles or grey hairs or disillusionment that come with growing older. She was just a girl.

We found notes from her teachers and friends that told fragments of a story we’ll never know. A hand written apology from someone named Barbara. A thank you note from someone named Christine. We found browning dress patterns tucked between the album pages and pictures that never got tucked inside the plastic sleeves for display. I found envelopes with images of my mother on her graduation day to celebrate her special day that were never sent out. There were so many.

I don’t know why I’m saying all this or even posting it, but seeing a different version of my mom from who I’ve gotten so used to seeing has me feeling nostalgic for someone I never knew. She’s always been My Mom to me. I never got to know her when she was just Her. Obviously not. And I won’t ever because my mere existence means she can’t go back to being just Her. My existence can’t be separated from my mother’s. I saw someone else looking through those pictures, and I guess I feel a little guilty about killing her (metaphorically), because as soon as I stepped into the scene– even if I was just a concept, a theory, I was just a clump of cells and not a person yet– things changed for her.

It’s like survivor’s guilt, I guess. That girl from those pictures and that past locked away by time died so I could live. I’ve heard bits and pieces of what she was like when she was younger, but I’ll never know the full story. She doesn’t talk about it. I wonder if my brother felt the same way flipping through the photo album. Maybe I’m just overthinking everything. Idk. I don’t think I’ll tell my mom what we found either. If I feel this way about it, I don’t know how she’ll react if I tell her.

[boasamishipper]

Hi, I’m intrigued by the Night Court content I’m seeing from you. How did you start up with this show from 40 years ago? Which episodes give you Harry/Dan vibes? (Truly curious! I’m watching the show rn on FreeVee because of you.)

how did i begin watching night court, you ask?

okay so the story ACTUALLY begins several months earlier. i'd been seeing ads for new night court on tv, and i was like hey!! that's the guy from richie rich!! and so i looked up old night court on tvtropes and ao3, found some fics for the show, skimmed them, and moved on with my life.

THEN in november 2023 i got laid off (corporate reorgs my detested) (dw i have since found a new job) and started looking for non-indeed.com ways to fill my hours. cue another commercial for new night court, which was returning to nbc in january. huh, thought i, jokingly. wonder if anybody on here watches this.

one quick tumblr search informed me that there were, in fact, other people who watched this show. specifically the original show. and then i saw this post, thought 'boy that judge and that prosecutor sure have Something going on' and proceeded to devour all nine seasons over the course of two months. (then i caught up with the reboot and watched s2 as it aired.) i posted my first fic, Zeitnot, nine days after i started watching the show, and told my bestie caroline that now that it was up, i had gotten all of my night court thoughts and feelings out of my system and would shortly go back to finishing my other wips.

(narrator voice) she did not, in fact, get all her night court thoughts and feelings out of her system.

anyway so 90k+ words of night court fic later here i Still Am and here i Still Plan To Be for a good long while.

so why night court?

well, to begin, it's the wildest show i have ever seen in my life. it's set in - you guessed it - the night shift of a manhattan arraignment court during the 1980s. the judge (harry stone, played by harry anderson) is a gangly goofy cutie pie dork who loves magic and mel torme and sees the best in people and has the saddest backstory of any of the cast. the prosecutor (dan fielding, played by john larroquette, who won four emmy awards in a row for this role and would have won more if he hadn't taken himself out of consideration to give someone else a chance to win) is a womanizing lecherous pervert with a heart of gold, a sharp tongue, thick hair, and an ass you can bounce a quarter off of. harry shoots plastic snakes in dan's face in their very first meeting and by the end of the show the two are partners in shenanigans and platonic soulmates and perv4perv best friends. (another anon asked me my top harry/dan episodes; i'll answer that in their ask.) other characters include Tall As Fuck Intimidating Ditzy Bailiff Bull Shannon (richard moll), Spunky Naive Morally Upright Prude Public Defender Christine Sullivan (markie post), Hot Court Clerk Who Is Done With Everyone's Shit But Will Nonetheless Participate In The Shenanigans Mac Robinson (charlie robinson), and a collection of short, snarky, tough as nails bailiffs (selma diamond in s1-2, florence halop in s3, and marsha warfield in s4-s9).

the show is incredibly funny. if you don't like one joke wait five seconds and there will be another, even funnier one. physical comedy galore. hijinks and shenanigans everywhere. logic and realism? don't know her. wile e coyote once showed up as a defendant. dan once got so horny he locked himself in a closet and shoved a firehose down his pants. in another episode bull twisted dan into a human pretzel. it has to be seen to be believed.

but what i love most about night court is its heart (something that the sequel series has not found yet, but that's a rant for another day). the characters (at least as long as reinhold weege was involved with the show - again, a rant for another day) feel like real people. they have real flaws. they make hard decisions. they love with all their hearts, and we love them for it. they hurt, and we hurt with them. and the show - especially in the earlier seasons - balances the heart with the humor incredibly well. in 4.01, harry tries to reach out to his mother, who abandoned him when he was five, only to find out that she died, and the show does not shy away from his pain and conflicted emotions. that's the a-plot of the episode. in the b-plot, a ventriloquist's dummy commits suicide. not the ventriloquist. the dummy. and it's one of the best episodes of a start to finish stellar season.

and if you are still not convinced to give the show a try, watch this compilation of the best dan fielding moments. then watch all nine seasons of night court (available for free on freevee!) for more.

[mamaito]

[Housamo] Chapter 14-1 (Incomplete)

[Only translating the first bit, everything else was but a flashback of everything we know and conversed about/with Mononobe.]

[Christine] "Welcome, everyone, to our theater. I have been waiting for you always."

"… Of course we made sure to always remember those words which is: [How would you like for this to be entertaining?], when we're out performing."

"Whatever those eyes of yours may be pulling over you, we won't be doing no half assed program here."

"Seeing this much sorrow in your heart is only but expected. I, possibly may be able to put a stop to everything if it wasn't up to your satisfaction."

"[This world is no longer the original that existed anymore] to [Everyone knows there's nothing new left to make]--"

"[The past has already been taken apart from it's wreckage and the only thing left is to be a part of the arts], I quote from a person I once knew long ago."

"And so the past was then rehashed again, I wonder, how much longer till it's quality goes stale to even compete for your initial interest, even for the slightest bit of it?"

"What can we do to garner your eyes till the very end?"

"As far as everyone is concerned, this world they're in isn't theirs and if anyone else were to notice it-- How do you think they would feel?"

"-- We will be playing the story of [You, who's all alone]."

"… Now then, let's not lengthen this conversation any further."

"We'll be the actors. Now without further ado-- Watch the show from above."

"In which case, this will be the last performance of the Yurakucho Entertainers for Tokyo-- Have a pleasurable experience as we pull the curtains open for you."

From behind, a knife was brandished out secretly. While walking, a warm sensation was spreading and liquid begins to drip down under.

[Kirito] "… What am I doing looking at someone's defenseless back for."

"A-ah-- I didn't realize I've done it."

"Right… I figured this was my chance with this person and I was ready to stab her, and yet…"

["… Huh?"] ["Aren't you…"]

Someone managed to stab you with a knife from behind, They called him the [The criminal who lurks among the theaters shadows], a demon who was said to cut you up to pieces with his sacred artifact.

["You- Wh-Why--!?"] [Why-- Why did you…"]

You can be certain about one thing… There's no saving you from this fatal wound.

[Kirito] "Did you think I was one of your friends? That we were family?"

"… Let me tell you something. I hate it."

The young man raises the knife over you.

-- The last words that Ito said was that she'll dismantle the wall.

[Kirito] "Seems like you've lost your miserable way in this city. Whoever you were planning to meet here-- Whoever it is… You're meeting."

With those departing words-- Who will ever look your way.

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 41

McCoy

“Do you need a hand back to your room Prince?”

Lieutenant Samuels had disappeared, hopefully to excuse McCoy and Scotty from their classes the rest of the day. McCoy looked at Aporal as he helped Scotty up.

“Leonard. I think we’re good,” McCoy replied. “Thanks for staying with him.”

Aporal shrugged.

“No really lad,” Scotty said. He turned to face Aporal. “Thanks for everything.”

The Andorian shifted from foot to foot, and gave a tight nod.

“I’ll just get to my next class then,” he said, and quickly moved for the door.

McCoy shook his head gently. “He’s something else.”

“He’s good,” Scotty said.

McCoy took a long look at Scotty. He was relieved his husband wasn’t physically injured. But it worried him how easily the memory of the Romulans came forward. He wanted to know more about what had happened, but first he needed to get Scotty back to their room.

“You ready?” McCoy asked quietly. Scotty nodded yes. McCoy turned to look at the person at the desk. “Do we have to check him out or anything?”

“Nope. He’s been free to go.”

“Ok,” McCoy smiled tightly. “Come on,” he said to Scotty.

It wasn’t a long walk between the gym and their dorm, but whatever had been given to Scotty to calm him had made him slightly sluggish. But eventually they were there and McCoy helped Scotty from his uniform jacket and boots. As Scotty settled on the bed McCoy got himself comfortably out of uniform as well.

A moment later he was laid out with Scotty pulled close.

“What happened?” McCoy asked quietly as he stroked a hand through Scotty’s hair. He listened as Scotty explained.

“I knew,” Scotty murmured. “I knew it wasn’t Sural. I was safe, but…”

“It didn’t help that it was Francis,” McCoy said.

“Aye.”

McCoy let out a soft sigh.

“It’s been months since we saw Dr. Hudson. Maybe we should see if there’s someone here.” McCoy looked down to see Scotty’s reaction. “They won’t be as good as her, but it would be something.”

“Suppose we should,” Scotty said slowly.

“We’ll get through this, we always do,” McCoy said.

They spent the rest of the day close together on the bed. They held each other, they dozed. They read for their classes, they read for fun. They talked and were quiet.

When dinner came there was a weariness about both boys. Hand in hand they walked to the dining hall. A quick meal and an early evening sounded like a good plan.

Before they could sit and join their friends, Christine was on her feet, hugging Scotty tight.

“We heard,” she told him. Scotty’s face turned bright red in embarrassment.

“No, no!” Jaylah cried. “Aporal told us so we wouldn’t worry!”

“It did still hit the campus gossip unfortunately,” Sulu added. “But it was quickly forgotten when the chem lab exploded.”

“What?” McCoy looked over in surprise.

“Just a little explosion,” said Chekov, holding his index finger and thumb about a centimeter apart.

“Someone lost some eyebrows,” Cora giggled.

Keenser gave Scotty a squeeze on the arm as he sat next to the small alien, and Scotty smiled gratefully.

“Still no Spock or Jim?” McCoy asked, looking around.

Uhura shrugged. “I saw Jim crossing campus earlier, but he barely looked over and waved when I called him.”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Scotty said, quietly bumping his knee against McCoy’s.

Part 42

Scotty

They chatted a bit about how the day had been for their friends, nobody asking Scotty anything so as not to bother him, and the boys enjoyed listening to their stories, however Scotty was also very relieved when they returned to their room and lay back down.

It had been nice. Spending the whole day alone with Leonard, just the two of them close together. His husband had done everything in his power to comfort the young Scotsman and it had worked wonders. He felt way better and from time to time had even managed to forget about what had happened in the morning.

Now, however, pressed tightly against Leonard, darkness surrounding them, he couldn't help but think back to the incident.

Francis hadn't even thought about letting go of him. No, he even had pulled Scotty closer as this one had started to beg. How could someone be like this?

Was it Kinnear's doing? Had the admiral ordered his nephew to make Leonard and Scotty's lives a living hell? Or was it just who Francis was? Maybe he really was a bastard by nature!

In the end, it didn't matter. No matter what the reason, Scotty and Leonard needed to be very careful around the guy.

Scotty's mind moved on to Aporal and he smiled weakly. He really hadn't thought the Andorian to be the kind of person to take care of him and be comforting. After all, he was always trying his best to be an outcast. Yet still, he had even defended Scotty in front of their instructor. Aye, he really was a good friend. At least Scotty hoped that they could be friends. Maybe he could invite Aporal to sit with them in the morning to show him that he was welcome to join their group.

Scotty snuggled tighter against Leonard when he heard his husband starting to snore softly. He must have drifted off to sleep already, even though he had tried his best to stay awake, running his hair through Scotty's hair.

A pang went through his chest as he imagined what Leonard must have thought when Aporal had called him. The fear and worry he must have felt, thinking that Scotty was badly injured. And the memories of one year ago when he had also rushed to save his love, only to be lured into a trap.

"I'm sorry, Len," Scotty murmured gently before he pressed a kiss to his cheek. He hadn't meant to worry his husband and remind him too of those bad times.

Leonard didn't say anything, fast asleep, and it wasn't necessary either. Scotty knew that his love would never blame him for what had happened, but at least he had apologized to him.

When he drifted off to sleep, he prayed that nightmares wouldn't come to haunt him.

The night had been okay with only a few bad images in his dreams and after a quick shower, Scotty was ready for the day.

Leonard and him had one class together in the morning and Scotty was really grateful for that, knowing that having his love around was keeping him calm.

When they entered the canteen, both Scotty and Leonard were surprised to see two familar faces sitting at one of the tables. They exchanged a quick glance before they grabbed some food and then walked over to said table.

"Good morning, Jim. Spock," the Scotsman greeted his friends with an uncertain smile and Leonard also said his good mornings. The prince eyed Spock from head to toe and a flush quickly touched the Vulcan's ears.

"Good morning," he replied, strangely quiet. Jim, on the other hand, was grinning brightly.

"Morning guys! So good to see you!"

"Is it okay to ask how you're feeling, Spock?" Leonard asked, raising his eyebrow only the slightest bit.

"O-of course, sir. I mean... Leonard." Spock took in a deep breath, before he found the confidence to answer. "I'm feeling... all right. Better."

Leonard nodded understandingly and Scotty could see that Spock appeared to be... embarrassed.

"That's great, Spock. Glad to have ye here with us again."

The Vulcan was just about to reply something when suddenly more of their friends started to join them, greeting the two friends happily.

"About time the two of you are back," Sulu said, clapping Jim on the shoulder with a grin.

"What was wrong? Where were you?" Pavel asked, looking from one friend to the other.

Spock awkwardly cleared his throat while Jim looked at him. Apparently the blond didn't want to say anything unless Spock did.

"I... I wasn't feeling too well, but I am better now."

A frown crossed Christine's face.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Spock. You should have told me. Maybe I would have known what to do. Did you go see a nurse?"

Slowly, Spock shook his head.

"No. I did not visit the infirmary. It... it was-"

"A Vulcan thing," Jim finished the sentence for him and Spock gave him a grateful look. He nodded.

"Yes. That is what it was."

Christine gave them a strange look, but she didn't ask any further questions.

"Oh? Well, I'm just glad that you're feeling well again. So, what's the plan for today?"

[anartificialsatellite]

Please note: this is not an invitation to come in here and argue with me about simcoe thank you, if that's what this makes you want to do then you can move along

Slightly related to previous post but not too much, I had kind of an epiphany about a ship thing recently? I have wondered sometimes why I have historically enjoyed stories like Phantom or Labyrinth or various vampire stories, etc. that center around that theme of a young heroine pursued by a dark and/or dangerous and/or mysterious man with an obsessive, possessive infatuation with her, but yet in TURN I've generally found Simcoe and Anna to be like... upsettingly not my thing --

And I realized it's likely primarily for two reasons: One being that everyone in TURN is fully human and there's a supernatural element to the other stories (Erik is human but he's not... a normal dude, you know?) that makes the fantasy aspect of the story more significant or apparent -- not as a genre but rather in a "this is a fantasy" sense, if that makes any sense at all.

Lacking any of that, the "pursued by a dangerous guy who is coming on very strong and inserting himself into your life" thing becomes a little too real and uncomfortable for me, I think.

The second is that there is very much an air of fascination with the man in the other stories to varying degrees - Christine loves Raul but is also both scared of and into Erik's whole thing at the same time. Sarah is intimidated by Jareth but generally stands up to him in defiance and does it with the confidence of someone who is not really scared of him...

Anna doesn't have this for Simcoe and is clearly afraid of him at various points, even though she does go to him to try and bargain for Abe's life and stands up to him there (and gets assaulted for it).

So though it seems very similar at the surface, and I had wondered myself what the difference was, I think ultimately these two factors are absolutely necessary to have a ship like that that scratches my brain in the correct way.

[redgoldsparks]

December reading and reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon.

The Savage Beard of She Dwarf by Kyle Latino

She Dwarf might be the last of her kind, but this only fuels her desire for adventure, danger, and travel. Her famous warrior mother died before she could lead She Dwarf though the final coming of age trials, so our hero is on a quest to find the lost kingdom of Dwarves to see what knowledge she can gain from the ruins. A long the way she battles and befriends a whimsical cast of misfits who end up tagging along for the journey for reasons of their own. This story is action packed, fun, beautifully drawn and extremely aesthetically queer though there are no outright discussions of anyone's gender or sexuality. I highly recommend this comic for fantasy comic fans of all ages, it was released during covid and never got the promotion or attention it deserved. Buy this book for someone for the holidays!

Under a Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire, read by Michelle Dockrey

This third book is the series is more whimsical and light than the first two, which I suppose makes sense as it takes place primarily in a nonsense world. It introduces a few new characters, as well as bringing back Christopher and Kane from book 1. A group of these teens sets out together on a quest, but not all of them return to Earth at the end of it. I'm definitely planning to continue with the audio books of this series.

Batcat by Meggie Ramm

This magical, brightly-colored tale follows Batcat, a creature of comfort, who is driven out of their cozy home by an annoyingly friendly ghost. On their quest, Batcat is forced to face some of their deepest fears (the dark, being eaten) and some of their biggest questions: are they more a bat, or more a cat? Readers of all ages who have wondered about their own place in a world keen on dividing things into categories will relate to this quandary, and delight in the playful ways that Batcat defines themself outside of the binary. I got to read an advanced copy of this adorable book because it was written by a dear friend. Yes, I am biased, but I loved this story and highly recommend people check it out when it is released in March of 2023, or preorder it now!

Funny Planet: How Comedy Ruined Everything by Ken Jennings

This is a conversational, light, easy to read nonfiction that traces the way comedy and humor have spread their roots into almost every aspect of American life. Advertisements are now expected to be funny, as are politicians, the news, the modern art world and some types of avant-garde fashion and food. Also, social media, particularly twitter, which (even in its crumbling perhaps final days) is a near constant stream of jokes and jibes at every current happening, large or small, including very horrific tragedies that probably shouldn't be made light of. And things that were already funny, like sitcoms, have nearly doubled their joke density in the past 50 years. The author explores the historical development of comedy in these different fields, and also wonders what it is doing to our brains to be fed such a constant stream of jokes. I missed a lot of the references by virtue of having seen almost none of the TV shows or comedy specials the author was referring to, yet still found this a quick and lively read.

¡Ay, Mija!: My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs

Suggs' debut memoir is a complete delight. The themes of language, translation, family, queerness, fatness, and being biracial are beautifully woven together into a rich and authentic whole. Nothing is overstated, simply presented as it was lived, and illustrated in a lovely palette of warm browns, bright golds, and smoothing blues. I loved the tiny avatar of the author's internal thoughts and how it interacted with the text and images on the page. This book uses all of the visual tools of comics to tell a wonderful coming of age story and the result is as sweet as pan dulce. I had the chance to read this book ahead of it's review and I can't recommend it more! Pre-order it now or look for it on shelves in April 2023.

The Box In The Woods by Maureen Johnson read by Kate Rudd

This fourth book in the Truly Devious YA murder mystery series introduces a new cold case for anxious teen detective Stevie Bell to bang her head against. This one, a quadruple murder from 1978 which took place in the woods outside a summer camp, was mishandled from the beginning. Dubbed 'The Box in the Woods' murders, the police at the time initially thought it was a drug deal gone wrong, then thought it might be the work of a contemporary serial killer. Stevie is hired by the new owner of the summer camp, who wants to make a podcast about the crime. Stevie doesn't care about the podcast, but she does love getting to bring her friends with her to a camp and getting her hands on a difficult case. This book continues to develop Stevie's friendships and romantic relationship in satisfying ways. I remain very delighted by and impressed with this series, and I'm excited there's a fifth book coming out before the end of the year!

Buzzing by Samuel Sattin and Rye Hickman

]The power of a supportive role playing group can't fix everything, but it goes a long way. Isaac is a teen with OCD, who suffers from near constant intrusive thoughts, cleverly visualized here as bees with mean voices. Over the story he builds confidence and community by leaning into his love of fantasy and drawing; as a former fellow misfit teen artist, it was wonderful to watch him grow. This is a nuanced and diverse coming of age story, I'm so excited for all of the readers who will discover it and see themselves in it. The art is excellent, both in the real world day to day parts of the story and the D&D fantasy parts of the story. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of this book because I am friends with both of the authors- pre order it now, or look for it on shelves in July 2023!

Falcon written and read by Helen Macdonald

This was my second book this year by Helen MacDonald. Shorter and more traditionally nonfiction that H is for Hawk, this book is a collection of facts and anecdotes about the relationship of falcons and humans across many centuries and cultures. Human have long anthropomorphized falcons, attributing to them traits such as nobility, cunning, and martial prowess. Humans have been training and hunting with falcons for at least 3,000 years; lately, we have driven many species to near extinction, and created involved and wide ranging programs to try and rehabilitate the dwindling populations. I listened to this entire four hour audiobook during one long car ride and was well entertained the whole time.

Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni

Chris, Jo, Elise, and Alex bonded over being the only queer waiters at a restaurant, but their friendship long outlasted their stint at the job. Ten years on, the crew, now in their mid and late thirties, face a whole slew of new challenges: parenting, vying for promotions, balancing partying and work, being judged by baby gays at the club, and scariest of all, drifting apart. Fans of Bongiovanni's Grease Bats will enjoy the familiar flavors of a messy, horny, queer and trans friend squad but paired with a more nuanced slice-of-life narrative. These characters are trying to stay true to themselves, invest in their communities, get laid, and support each other. But it's not so easy to balance all of those conflicting needs, and they frequently fall short. I was left hoping that the characters could forgive each other's deeply human failings. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of the book- it's available for pre-order now, or check it out when it's released in March 2023!

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

What a wonderful book to end the year with! This one came highly recommended by many friends and did not disappoint. Epic in scale, with fantasy rooted in Chinese history, this story is set in an alternate mid-1300s with Mongols attempting to control all of mainland China, but resisted by a rebel force. The book opens with Zhu, the only daughter of a peasant family struggling to survive during a famine. A fortune teller predicted a great destiny for Zhu's one brother, and nothing for her. But when her brother dies, Zhu decides she will inhabit his destiny instead. She disguises herself as a boy to seek shelter and education in a monastery, a story trope I have always enjoyed, but especially here because this book takes the narrative in a explicitly trans/genderqueer direction by the end. Elsewhere in the story, a eunuch general in the Mongol army hides a bitter desire for revenge from his dearest friend; the rebel leaders battle each other for power, doing nearly as much damage to their cause as they do to their enemies; and a daughter of a rebel commander despairs over the constant bloodshed and death of the seemingly endless war. This is a complicated conflict, in which neither side is morally superior to the other; I was equally compelled by the personalities on each side and also certain that all of them were on a path towards destruction that they could not escape.

[nursc]

hey! I hope this isn’t a weird question, but I was wondering if you could explain in detail what it is that draws you to spapel as a ship. I really want to like them, but a part of me feels a disconnect in that the writing almost positions the ship as something to benefit spock but not so much chapel. I was hoping that maybe, as a christine fan you could help me put it into perspective and understand it more.

(I really hope this doesn’t come off as rude, I genuinely would love an analysis of how spapel deepens christine’s character bc I love the concept of them)

i don't mind! and i hope i can explain well, i'm not the best sometimes at explaining things i love because. i end up babbling and only scratching the surface.

honestly, i do understand where you are coming from; it does enrich spock’s story more than hers. it plays into the themes the show is analyzing: his culture, his identity, how he connects with the world. they are opposites: she is someone who is greatly defined by being human, who is at ease in most social situations, who laughs easily and emotionally connects with people. and if we go back too discovery, michael recommends that he connect with the person who is farthest away from him. i tend to read that quote more as connected to sp*irk, but i think it can be applied here as well. to love her, to try and understand her, is spock stepping out of his comfort zone. which to me, is a very interesting concept. to see someone who is regarded as stoic loving someone who is more outwardly emotional is a great trope. to see him connecting with his emotions because of them?? that’s quality content. i love it when we can see people growing with each other. how a relationship affects and changes them.

but, that's not your question, is it?

how does this relationship benefit christine?

i think textually, we have to go to the ending of spock amok. christine says that relationships require mutual sacrifice, and that's why she avoids them. in the latest episode, we get spock literally risking another war with the klingons by waiting before destroying the ship in order to save christine. that's a big sacrifice. if we think about the fact her other famous relationship was with her professor, and that reading that now, in 2023, we recognize a woman in a relationship like that, marked by such a power imbalance, is the one making all the sacrifices.

so she was not talking about being the one doing the sacrificing. she was talking about being the one who always has to sacrifice for the relationship. the one who always suffers. spock, in this latest episode, broke that cycle.

i've been rewatching the west wing lately, and i think they provide a good example of that. donna, one of the main characters, who is clever and extremely capable, got involved with an older guy when she was in college, and she dropped out to pay the bills till he was done with his residency. and then he broke up with her. in these sort of relationships, the younger woman is the one who is always giving up parts of herself to appease a guy.

when she is around spock, she is at her brightest and wittiest. her most vibrant self. there are exceptions, of course. she retreats at the end of serene squall, acting like the kiss didn’t matter. but that’s what i find interesting! the development of the relationship, two people moving around each other and trying to figure out how they fit. and with spock, it is an interesting fit. part of why i love them, is.. that she is her most vibrant self around him. she always seems so happy, so delighted, and i love seeing christine happy.

how does it benefit her? i think for starters, christine allowing him to be completely in -- i don't think a relationship with spock specifically would allow any less -- would be something risky and different for her. something she tries to avoid by having one night stands and breaking up with people before it gets too serious. she would be putting her heart on the line and if it worked... the benefits? he is kind, and he is smart, doesn't underestimate her and values how smart she is. that's someone she can be herself with. someone she can talk to like an equal, who will treat her like an equal.

and i love a good pining story gone right! it is tropey! and i gotta be honest, i don't need something to fully benefit one party for me to like it. i like relationships that are hard, and require work. this relationship would require loads of it, they are complicated people, but it would also never be boring. with spock by her side, she'd never have a boring night off, they'd find something to do, even if it is just talking (because talking to him is incredible in her eyes... and like canonically, he is a clever guy with a quiet sense of humor). but it does benefit her as a person, to have someone who is more calm, more precise at her side. who can help her see things from a different perspective, who challenges her, emotionally and intellectually, to be at her best.

i think it deepens her character because love, and how someone is in love, it an important part to understanding someone. how they react, if they are afraid. to have someone like spock, that we know, and who is super complicated, to see how she reacts and loves him, gives us a good understanding of her character: she is loving, patient, warm, with a killer sense of humor, who does want to get into his pants, and despite all her protests about not wanting to get involved, gets involved. it provides us a very rich look into the sort of person she is!

also they are fun and pretty. that's like.. a big draw for me, i'm not gonna lie.

sdfghjk. i hope this helped, and made some sense?? honestly, to me they are a very interesting duo, and i think he provides a good balance to her personality, allowing us to get some great scenes. and it didn't come off as rude!