#mention of Cater being his nephew cause I like that | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kueble · 4 months

Text

I Just Need You By My Side, Cause I'm Warmer in the Winter With You

Another very self-indulgent Christmas fic.

Teen. Warnings: Mentions of torture. 5,600 words.

Ghost/Soap

---

“Shouldn’t you be packing up?” Ghost asks him from where he leans against his doorway. Soap shrugs and sets down the pencil in his hand. He’s been sketching for about an hour now, trying to wind down at the end of a hectic day. Everyone on base is giddy at the thought of going home for the holidays, and the energy is almost overwhelming..

“Sorry, but you’ll have to get used to my ugly mug around here. I know you’re one of the only ones here most Christmases, but I don’t have anywhere else to be this year,” he explains, hoping years of interrogation techniques pay off and Ghost doesn’t call him on the lie. Though it’s partially true, since there’s nowhere he’d rather be then in the barracks with him.

“Don’t you usually have a big family celebration? Remember you rambling about nieces and nephews and being forced into midnight mass by your mother,” Ghost asks, eyes narrowing behind the black balaclava he’s chosen to wear today.

“Glad to know you actually listen to me when I shoot my mouth off,” he laughs out.

“Never miss a word, Johnny,” Ghost tells him evenly.

“So any other year, yeah I'd be home, but things are out of sorts this year with my sisters traveling to their husband’s families, and me Ma and Pa planned a little trip of their own,” he says. Sure, the little trip was right down the road to his brother’s house where everyone would be gathered like every other year, but no need for Ghost to know that.

Last year it was excruciating to leave Ghost on the tarmac, saying goodbyes as everyone else went home to their families. He doesn’t know much, but it’s clear Ghost no longer has anyone waiting for him back at home. They’d all joked about him haunting the base, probably maskless with the skeleton crew left behind and any other puns they could come up with. Still, there was a bleakness in Ghost’s eyes that he never wanted to see again.

Thankfully he’s never been able to hide his feelings from his parents, especially his mother, and she didn’t even bat an eye when he told her his plans. She’d said something cheesy about the magic of the season bringing them closer together, which he’d quickly scoffed off. He wasn’t doing this with any ulterior motives in place. It was a simple fact that his best friend shouldn’t be alone over the long holiday break they were lucky enough to get two years in a row.

If he happens to be completely ass over tits in love with him, he’s smart enough to keep it to himself.

“Guess it could be nice to have some company, even yours,” Ghost teases with a snort. Soap rolls his eyes, but he’s smirking still.

“Do you cook anything for it or rely on the mess hall for Christmas dinner?” he asks, already planning how to make things nicer for him. They may be stuck on a mostly empty base, but there’s no reason why he can’t make it as comfortable as possible.

“Sometimes I make a pot of soup for the week, but nothing special for the day itself. Tend to keep to myself,” he says softly. And that just won’t do.

“Happy to help sample anything you cook, but since I burn water, I’ll order us something nice from town. It shouldn’t be too late for a small catering order. You like lasagna?” he asks, already thinking of the perfect little Italian place near here.

“Wouldn’t say no to it, but there’s no need to get fancy over me,” Ghost mumbles. It only makes Soap more determined to bring a little Christmas magic into his life this year.

“I’ll take care of dinner and you just bring the good company,” he says to settle it. He’ll place an order first thing in the morning, already planning to buy way more food than they need. Ghost deserves to be spoiled, and leftovers are a rare commodity around here.

“Not sure I’ll contribute much in that regard, but yeah, I can show up,” he agrees.

“No one else I’d rather spend the day with. Honestly,” Soap admits, but Ghost just huffs at him.

“Piss off, Johnny,” he says with a laugh. Before he can figure out a response, the man is already gone. It may just be the hardest thing he’s ever done, but he’s damned sure going to make sure Ghost knows how much Soap likes being around him, especially now. Likes, not loves, because he has a feeling that’s something he’ll take to his grave. Being around him will just have to do for now.

—

The poster fell off the wall for the three thousandth time, and Soap barely managed to keep himself in check. Price would have his head if he blew up the base, but it’s getting more and more likely. It’s a stupid thing, really, just a fake Christmas tree by a fireplace, but he bought it to cheer up their rec room. He grumbles under his breath, reciting every swear he knows and probably inventing some new ones along the way.

“Problems, Sergeant?” Ghost asks from his spot on the couch. There’s a hint of laughter on the edges of his voice, and Soap spins around to glare at him.

“There is in fact,” he spits out before taking a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. No use in pissing off the man he’s trying to decorate for. “These walls are apparently covered in fifty some years of filth, and I can’t get the damn tape to stick. Seriously, it’s like teflon and I’m actually afraid to think about what could be coating this wall right now.”

“This that important to you?” Ghost asks, head tilted like he’s studying him.

“Aye,” Soap sighs out. “Just wanted to brighten up the room a bit. We can’t have a real tree, and I’ve been banned from open flames on base, but I thought this stupid fucking poster might work. Wanna sneak off base and burn it with me? Might raise my spirits.”

“How about I fix it instead,” Ghost says, standing up to stomp over to the wall.

“You’re more than welcome to try, but not even sure duct tape will hold the damn thing at this point,” he says, scowling at the wall. Seriously, he was going to beg Price to get the room deep cleaned as soon as he was back on base. Can’t be safe.

Ghost shrugs before bumping him out of the way with his hip. He holds the poster with one hand and reaches into the back of his jeans with the other. The knife he pulls out is on the small side, but it does the job when he stabs it through the poster and into the wall. Nodding proudly, he slides another knife out of his sleeve and buries it in the other top corner. The final blade is tucked in his boot, and he takes a few steps back before flinging it at the wall.

It lands perfectly in the bottom center of the poster, and Soap chubs up in his sweats at the display of skill.

“Guess that works, too,” he murmurs, actively avoiding Ghost’s gaze. No need to show off how fucking gone on him he is, and he knows there’s hearts in his eyes right now. He’s bound to be suspicious just based on how desperate Soap is to make things perfect, to give him a better Christmas than year past, and he should try better to keep his feelings hidden. Not looking to get his heart broken over the holidays.

“Anything for you, Johnny,” Ghost tells him as he strides back to the couch and picks up his book again. Soap can feel his cheeks heating up and blurts out some half-assed excuse before making a tactful retreat.

—

He debates waiting until morning, but Soap is too curious about the package in his hands to wait that long. His box of gifts from his family arrived today, but he didn’t bother unpacking it until after dinner. Everything was neatly labeled - or scribbled by his nieces and nephews - with his name except for one.

To Ghost, From Ma MacTavish. Open Immediately.

Not one to disobey his mother, Soap raps on Ghost’s door and hopes this isn’t something too embarrassing. Lord knows his entire family is annoying enough already over his little crush, and he doesn’t need his mother stepping in to help him. There’s a rustling from behind the door before it’s swung open by a brooding Ghost. Anyone else might not see how moody he is, but Soap can tell just by studying his eyes.

“What do ya need?” he asks, voice cracking from disuse.

“Got a special delivery for you and instructions for you to open it right away,” Soap informs him, holding up the package like the peace offering that it is. Ghost eyes it suspiciously but steps aside and lets him into the room. While he’d love a chance to look around, Soap keeps his focus on Ghost out of respect for his privacy. He knows just letting him into the room was a big step for the other man.

“Your mum sent this?” Ghost asks as he takes the parcel from him. Soap nods and smiles warmly as Ghost’s eyes widen. “Better not keep her waiting then,” Ghost mutters before sitting on the edge of his bed. The package looks huge, even in his large hands, and Soap really wonders what it could be.

He tears the paper at the seams, carefully working a finger down the edge of it. It’s gentle in a way that hints of Christmases past and perhaps being yelled at to keep the wrapping for next year. Soap’s grandma used to do that and iron out each crease to save money.

When Ghost finally removes the paper, soap breathes a sigh of relief at seeing the present isn’t anything to worry about. Trust his mother to try and take care of someone she’s never met. Ghost holds up the blanket, blinking slowly at it. Soap supposes he isn’t used to getting many gifts, especially not something handmade. The blanket itself is a mix of blank and white granny squares, no doubt crocheted with love by his mother. Everyone in their house has at least one of these piled at the foot of their bed, and his heart warms at the thought of Ghost having one on his.

“She made it?” he asks in a whisper, and Soap wants to cry about it. There’s no reason a gift should put him in such a state of awe, and he vows right then and there to spoil him as much as he’s allowed to under the guise of friendship.

“You’re looking at a Ma MacTavish special right there. Everyone in the family has one, and it looks like she thinks highly of you,” he confirms.

“Never even met me.”

“Well, I suppose I’ve entertained her with a tale of two of the man who saved my life so many times. Besides, how else do you think she’d know the perfect color scheme for an emo bastard like yourself,” He says in an attempt to lighten the mood. The corners of Ghost’s eyes crinkle up, and he knows there’s a smile beneath the mask.

“You’ll have to thank her for me. No, wait! I’ll get a thank you note together for the next time you send mail home. That alright?” he asks almost timidly, which isn’t an emotion Soap’s sure he’s ever shown before.

“She’ll love that. Sorry to barge in on you so late at night, but I’m glad I did. Should probably be heading to bed, though,” Johnny says with a pout. Dreams of being asked to stay, to tuck himself against Ghost under that very blanket flash through his mind and he has to get out of here quickly before he shows his hand.

“Me too. Night, Johnny,” Ghost says, and he understands it for the dismissal that it is. The last thing he sees as he ducks out the door is Ghost spreading the blanket across the top of his bed and smoothing it out. He’ll have to send his mother a thank you note as well.

—

There is absolutely no reason for them to be in Soap’s room instead of the rec room, but he wasn’t about to say no when Ghost suggested it. Currently they are sitting on his bed - which is way too small for two grown ass men - with their backs against the wall and his laptop propped on top of their thighs. Ghost is a constant warm presence at his side, and he’s pretty sure he would be completely lost if he hadn’t seen this movie so many times.

They each have a glass of their preferred poison in hand, and Ghost has his mask tucked up over his nose while he purses his lips at the screen in front of them. He is so fucking stunning with the light from the laptop highlighting the planes of his face, and Soap would be weak in the knees were he standing. Not that Soap is abusing his trust just to watch him more than the movie. Absolutely not. Still, the sight of Simon’s sharp jawline is a rare one and he can’t seem to stop staring. He longs to scrap his teeth over the scar that curves around it and has to hold himself back from scooting even closer to him.

“I don’t get it,” Ghost says, breaking him out of his dangerous thoughts.

“How so?” he asks, eyes already turned back to the screen to see what part of the movie they’ve reached. Nearly done at this point, but the silly plot has been a fun distraction. They don’t often get downtime, time totally free of responsibilities, and he hopes he can go without this once everything is back to normal.

“This just seems so improbable. His family forgot to bring him to the airport and they don’t have a single family friend they can call in the meantime? The police are actively searching for these two assholes and yet a child is the only one who manages to take them down? Gotta admit some of these traps are pretty awesome, though,” Ghost rambles out.

“One, I can’t believe you’ve made it this far in life without watching this. Two, this film is a masterpiece because it makes you suspend reality. Three, I’m pretty sure this is why I ended up in demolitions anyway. Do you know how many things I blew up after seeing this? I thought my Pa was going to murder me just as an example for my brothers and sisters. One time I rigged a frying pan to hit my brother in the face and it broke his fucking nose,” Soap says, unable to hold in his laughter. “Pretty sure he was about to pack me off and make me Nan deal with me, but my Ma couldn’t let her baby go.”

“You’re a real piece of work, Johnny,” Ghost tells him softly. He brings his glass up to his mouth, and Soap watches him swallow slowly, desperately trying to remind himself how they’re friends and nothing more. “Glad it brought you to me, though.”

“Yeah,” he breathes out, heart pounding in his chest.

But then they fall into an easy silence, and he’s forced to turn back to the movie. They both finish their drinks as the plot winds down, and he’s about to offer another when Ghost grabs his wrist to stop him from standing up. He looks down, worried that he’s overstepped somehow, and the tightness in Ghost’s clenched jaw startles him.

“We’ve had a good week, yeah?” Ghost asks quietly.

“Loved every second of it,” Soap blurts out before he can stop himself.

“Might not love this so much,” Ghost says with a sigh. “I’ve…I’ve never been this close with anyone, barely even shared this with Price, but I’d like to give you some sort of explanation for why I keep to myself at Christmas. If you’ll listen, that is.”

“Ghost, I will always be here, no matter what you want to tell me. Thank you for trusting me so much, but are you sure you want to do this while we’re drinking?” he has to ask, needs to be sure his friend won’t regret this come morning.

“You think I just keep bourbon and scotch on hand? That’s kinda the reason why I brought it with me. I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while now, but I needed a little courage to do it. Just, just don’t say anything until I’m done, ok? If you do I might not be able to finish,” he warns him, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Sensing how important this is, Soap sets both their glasses on his bedside table and closes the laptop. His desk lamp is on, so they’re not totally in the dark. He knows rumors of Ghost’s past, has heard a bunch of shit about his time in captivity, but every scrap of information is dear to him. He longs to know the man beside him better than he knows himself. He leans back against the wall and angles his body towards Ghost before saying, “Course. I got you.”

“When I was little, the only person I cared about was my mum. She kept me safe, kept my dad and brother away from me the best she could. I know now that my brother was only doing what he could to avoid my dad’s rage, but it still hurt back then. I won’t lie, I had a real shitty childhood and ran into the service as soon as I could. After that, things started improving. I came back home, kicked my sorry excuse for a father out of the house, and got my brother off of drugs. Hell, I stood beside him as he married the love of his life, and I wouldn’t give that up for anything, but the memories threaten to crush me sometimes.”

He trails off and palms the back of his head, chewing at his lower lip. Soap stays silent, unwilling to break his promise even though Ghost looked on the verge of falling apart. They sit there for a long moment while he regroups and continues his story. Soap longs to reach out, to offer some sort of physical comfort, but he knows better than to act on it. Simon doesn’t enjoy being touched on a good day, and he’d absolutely hate it while letting himself be this vulnerable.

“Things were going well until I got betrayed and snagged by Roba. Fuck, Johnny,” he breaks off, swallowing thickly before pressing his fingers to his mouth. “It was bad. I won’t go into details, but you can only be tortured for so long before you start to doubt yourself, start to go mad instead of trying to fight it. I have no fucking clue how I managed to survive after being left for dead, but I eventually made it back home.”

Ghost shifts his legs, twitching as he picks at the fabric of his sweats. He takes a few deep breaths and stares ahead at the wall, shoulders tense as he continues. “They died on Christmas, and it was all my fault. Roba still had his hooks in me, and couldn't let me go since I escaped with my life. One more betrayal led me back to my mum’s house that only hours before had been full of celebration and Christmas cheer. When I got there, the whole house was up in flames. The fire was so hot, but I had to save them. Only it was too late, because they were lying dead near the doorway. They even put a bullet through the forehead of my nephew. He was so small, so fragile, and I couldn’t even save him.”

He falls quiet, and it seems like he’s finished. Soap knew it was bad, but wasn’t expecting something so tragic. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he just lays a hand on Ghost’s shoulder and squeeze it gently, deciding to risk the touch at this point. It seems to shatter something inside of him and he slumps over to lean on Soap’s shoulder.

“The men involved?” he asks quietly.

“Killed them all. Didn’t bring back my family, though. So yeah, Christmas fucking sucks, but at least I’m not alone this year. Didn’t know it would be easier with you here, but you always manage to help me stay calm. Should have expected it,” he says. His voice is tinged with exhaustion, and Soap knows he’s worn himself out.

“Thank you for trusting me with this. I, it’s, well it’s fucked up that you had to experience that. I know nothing I say can help make it much better, and I’m honestly not sure how you managed to get through it, but I’m grateful you did. I can’t imagine being here without you,” Soap says after a long moment. He knew Ghost has a shitty past, had heard about him digging himself out of his own grave, but this is a whole new level of horrible. If it happened to him, he can’t say he would still be here to talk about it.

“Price helped a lot. Pushed me through it and then kept me around,” Ghost says, turning to stare at the wall. Soap isn’t sure what he can offer at this point, but he has the feeling Ghost might not want to be alone after unloading all of this.

“Stay with me?” he asks, watching as Ghost’s shoulders rise up. He still isn’t looking at him, so he keeps talking. “I mean, you don’t have to, but I can’t imagine wanting to be by myself after such an intense conversation. Would feel bad if I let you go back to your room, really.”

“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually sleep with the mask on,” Ghost says with a chuckle. And ok, he can work with that.

“So let me freshen up and get myself ready for bed. You can go after me, and I’ll just sleep on my side. I can keep my eyes shut, give you your privacy,” he suggests. Ghost finally turns to look at him, and there’s a telltale hint of red around his eyes. If Soap was still religious, he’d offer up a prayer that the other man agrees. He clearly needs comforting tonight.

“Yeah, ok,” Ghost mumbles. “Gonna change into my sleep stuff, though. I’ll get ready in my room and be back in a few.”

He practically leaps out of the bed, and Soap hopes he holds true to his word. He goes through his nightly routine on autopilot, not even aware of it until he’s crawling into his bed. He leaves the side of the covers up and turns onto his side to face the wall. It’s only just catching up to him that he invited Ghost into his bed, but tonight isn’t about him. He’d be offering the same closeness to Gaz if he shared something as horrific as Ghost just did.

If anything, this only proves how amazingly strong Ghost is. He had to reinvent himself twice, the second time with no one to support him. They’ve all seen and done some really horrendous things in the name of queen and country, but he can’t fathom coming home to find the burning bodies of his family at his feet.

He’s yanked out of his spiraling thoughts by the sound of the door opening and shutting. The clunk of Ghost setting down his boots seems impossibly loud in the silence, and he holds his breath waiting for Ghost to come to bed. He hears the muffled sound of Ghost removing his mask and setting it on the bedside table and fights the urge to turn around and look at his gorgeous face. He’s here as a friend tonight, and his feelings don’t matter right now.

The bed dips behind him, and the covers shift as Ghost settles in behind him. There’s an awkward few seconds where they both shuffle around trying to figure out how two large men can fit in such a small bed, but then Ghost sighs and rolls onto his side to frame Soap from behind. He slings an arm across Soap’s hips and presses his nose against the nape of Soap’s neck. The last thing he hears as he drifts off is a soft, “Thank you, Johnny.”

—

Unsurprisingly, Ghost is gone when he wakes up. The bed is still warm, though, so he knows he spent the whole night. He wishes he could have woken him up with a Merry Christmas, but understands his need for time to himself. Chris, last night had been a lot. Hopefully he can still provide a little holiday cheer tonight, but even if they eat in silence he’ll have a great time. Every second spent at Ghost’s side is a better gift than anything he could ever fine underneath the tree.

He spends the morning in the gym, working out his frustrations. Life wasn’t fair, but it has been exceedingly rotten towards Ghost. He knows there isn’t anything he can do to change his past, but he’ll damn sure be here for his future. It feels like they crossed a line last night, but he’s not sure which one. Nothing romantic happened, but he feels closer to Ghost than anyone before. He’s willing to bet Ghost hasn’t opened up this much to many people, probably just Price, and he’s ashamed at how giddy that makes him feel.

They might not ever be together, but they’ll always be solid.

After lunch and a long, self-indulgent shower it’s easy to keep himself busy by running through last minute preparations. They hadn’t said anything about exchanging gifts, but Soap kept finding the perfect things for him.He knows Ghost will love the aged bourbon, even though it hurt his Scottish heart to buy it. There’s also a new knife that came highly recommended by their armorer and a deck of cards with holographic skulls on them. Wrapping was never his strong suit, but he managed to slap some paper onto his gifts. Sure, it looked like they were wrapped by a small child, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

He just finishes heating up the catering he picked up the day before and is about to text Ghost to hurry up and join him when his phone goes off. It’s an incoming FaceTime from his mother, and he decides there’s plenty of time to take it before Ghost swings by. He’s been missing his family all day, but they promised to call at some point.

“Ma! Happy Christmas!” he shouts, laughing as his entire family tries to crowd into the camera view.

“You’ll each get a turn, back off,” his mother says, already throwing elbows at his siblings and their kids. His dad stands next to her, silent as always but with a huge smile on his face. He lifts his glass in cheers, and Johnny waves back in response.

“We’re about to eat dinner, but It’s good to see you all. Make sure everyone gets hugs from me, even though I’m not with you this year. And pass out my presents! Make sure the kids know how much Uncle John spoils them. I want photographic evidence!” he says, laughing as one of his nieces tries to jump into the view again. His dad picks her up and wanders off, no doubt about to bribe her into behaving with cookies.

“I hope staying away is worth it,” his mother says, but she doesn’t look mad, just nosy. She’s been on him for months to bring his boy home, no matter how much he tells her they aren’t dating. Ghost is one hundred percent his boy, though, even if he hasn’t realized it yet.

“It’s worth every second away from you all,” he answers honestly, “I’ll be home as soon as we get more downtime, but you know why I have to be here. Thanks for understanding.”

“Anything for my baby,” his mom says, snorting when he scowls at her.

“You ever going to stop calling me that?” he asks, knowing full well she never will. He isn’t mad, not really, just likes to give her grief about it.

“If you didn’t want to be my baby, you’d have been born higher up the chain,” she tells him with a smirk.

“We can argue about it later. Let me get dinner on the table and then we’ll chat again later, yeah? We can pass around the phone so all the kids can show me everything they got,” he suggests, and his mom nods in response.

“Go feed your boy,” she tells him and ends the call before he can quip back at her.

“Not my boy,” he mumbles to the empty room.

But then someone clears their throat from behind him, and his heart sinks into his chest. Fuck. He spins around with a fake smile on his face to find Ghost standing there with his arms crossed.

“I’m assuming you heard all of that?” he asks with a grimace.

“You lied about your family not being together,” Ghost says, though he knows it’s a question.

“Aye, I did. And I don’t feel bad about it. I couldn’t leave you here alone again. Like it or not, I’m here for you,” he says with a sharp nod. He’s already gearing for a fight, ready to be stubborn as hell about it, but what Ghost says next throws him off his game.

“Because I’m your boy,” he asks, and Johnny can hear the fucking smirk in his voice. He has a plain balaclava on today, which is as dressed down as Ghost seems to get.

“Don’t suppose you’d be willing to let that one go? We can forget about it,” he offers quietly. Because who is he to keep dreaming, right? He’s been dropping hints for at least a year now, and Ghost hasn’t taken the bait. He teeter-totters between thinking the man returns his feelings to thinking he barely tolerates him. Regardless, he meant what he said and he’ll be standing by his side as long as Ghost lets him.

“And if I don’t want to forget it? What if I wanted to be your boy? Though I’d prefer man, if we’re being honest here,” Ghost says, and he freezes while his brain catches up.

“You fucking with me?” he asks, just because he needs to know, needs to be sure before he makes a fool of himself. Well, more of a fool than he already has.

“No, but we could fool around later if dinner goes well,” Ghost tells him, laughing as he reaches up and pulls the mask off. He tosses it onto the table, barely missing the salad bowl.

And fuck, he’s a bonnie lad. Soap can’t even speak, just stands there staring at him, eyes trailing over every exposed inch of his face, committing it to memory in case this is the last time he sees it for a while. “You’re stunning,” he whispers in awe. Then he has the pleasure of watching Ghost’s face darken, the apples of his cheeks turning pink and making the freckles dotting them stand out even more.

“Shut up,” he murmurs before stepping closer. “But yeah, I’m all in if you want this too. Want me. I’m sick of wasting time. Maybe next year we can be with your family instead of me keeping you stuck on base.”

“I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life,” he says truthfully. “And I’d rather be stuck here every single year if you prefer it. But you heard my Ma. She wants you home with me.”

“Let’s make sure we make it to next Christmas, then,” he jokes, but there’s a hint of worry in his tone.

“Never letting go of you now,” Soap warns him with a laugh. Ghost chuckles and moves in so close the toes of their boots touch.

“Hard to let go if you haven’t even touched me yet,” he points out. And fuck if his smirk isn’t as lovely as Soap had imagined. It’s crooked, a scar bisecting the left side, but it’s perfect to him.

“Better fix that. Can I kiss you, Ghost?” he asks softly.

“Simon. Call me Simon when we’re alone,” he says breathily, and Soap knows how out of his comfort zone he is right now.

“Simon, can I kiss you? Please?” he asks and Simon just nods at him.

And so he does. He cups Simon’s cheeks, brushing a thumb across the constellation of freckles there, and leans in to press their mouths together. It seems almost anticlimactic after all their flirting, but the feel of Simon’s chapped lips against his is one of the best things he’s ever experienced. He can almost feel the tension leave both their bodies as they melt into each other. He keeps things light, pulls back before thinking better and darting back for another quick kiss.

Kissing Simon isn’t a burst of fireworks, but it’s like coming home which is even more perfect.

“Would now be a good time to tell you I’m really fucking in love with you?” he asks teasingly.

“Only if I can say the same,” Simon says, chuckling as he palms the back of Johnny’s head and drags him into another kiss.

And if they stand there kissing in the middle of the rundown rec room, lost in each other long after their dinner has gone cold, it’s no one's business but their own.

#call of duty #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #ghost x soap #soap x ghost #ghoap #ghostsoap #soapghost #my fic

122 notes · View notes

emersonfreepress · 3 years

Note

okay so is there content that you had planned for the ROs and story in general but then scrapped cause there wasn’t a good place in the story to stick it in? and if so, can you share what it was? 👀 👀 👀

yes, definitely. *rubs hands together* oh man, you done asked THE question today xD I can't wait to get into this 😁

Academics. I almost decided to have classes and grades be a minor part of gameplay, but the more time I spent designing it the more I realized I wanted nothing to do with it 😂 I haven’t really enjoyed academic gameplay in other interactive fiction because I 1) hate having to choose between studying and interacting with awesome characters, 2) have terrible short term memory, and 3) hate school in general!! So instead I just opted to have the MC be really good at school, point blank period so I could focus on social drama and relationships instead! 😆

Physical skills. I spent literal months crafting the catering scene around setting up stats for stamina/endurance, dexterity, and strength instead of just magnetism, confidence, and persuasion. They had their own backstories with the MC’s parents being overly invested sports parents instead and I think the background choices were like... martial arts, gymnastics, and track? But yeah, I ended up scrapping it all because I was spending hours on research about those individual sports so I could integrate them into the MC’s narrative organically but like... when I tried to think of what use they would be in the actual story, I came up blank. Best decision yet, esp since it means a lot less coding!

Skin tone customization. For one, I noticed that a lot of my favorite IFs don’t offer that customization and it hasn’t impacted my experience at all. For two, I originally realized I might as well not implement it since I am striving real hard not to introduce any customization that won’t actually be mentioned in interesting or meaningful ways in-story. I don’t think it’s really all that common for real life friends (esp in high school?) to comment or compliment each other’s skin and like... when it comes from someone who doesn’t share a similar complexion or ethnic background, that type of commentary gets... d i c e y. So then I wanted to be sensitive to that but what’s the pay-off? An RO mentioning how they love your skin tone once? Awkward sentences with the MC referring to their own skin color? Idk, just wasn’t vibing with it. I’m open to revisiting it in beta or something but for now it’s scrapped.

Singing, Rapping, and Gaming as Hobbies/Talents. I feel bad about scrapping these, honestly 😂 They’re great and I really wanted to incorporate them but it just came down to already having a lot of stuff to code. Plus, I know I can write the Hobbies/Talents I stuck with far better. And for Book 2 purposes, as well!

Leo. as @sourandflightypeaches asked me about a long while ago, I had to scrap an entire RO 😢 His name is Leo, he was the nephew of wealthy west African diplomats residing in Emerson, and I love him dearly! His backstory was largely based on my mother’s childhood and the circumstances she lived through after immigrating to America. and... ok, i’m about to go on one hell of a tangent so buckle up and bear with me if you can 😅

my intention with this story, aside from writing things that I personally enjoy (graphic violence, spooky woods, social drama, romance, conspiracies 😚), is to explore greed, wealth, and how the ways people and families interact with those two things influence young people and who they grow up to be. here i go sounding pretentious af 😝 and here’s where I apply a cut for those who want to preserve a little mystery to the main characters!

With Gabe, we’ve got someone who grew up with very little stability or financial security but who has found unscrupulous methods to gain status and money, with both noble and selfish motivations.

Kile has some of that childhood experience in common with Gabe, having been in the foster care system since infancy, but they lucked out when they were adopted into massive wealth by a caring, loving couple—a couple that uses their wealth and privilege to be far more lenient and protective of Kile than is actually reasonable or responsible.

Jack comes from a prestigious wealthy family on his dad’s side who he loves dearly but there’s no getting around the fact that they love him back as much as they despise his working class mom.

Jessie is a spoiled sweet heiress (being the baby of her family and the only girl) and while she lives blissfully ignorant of the harmful source and impact of her father's income and career, she bears the weight of the expectation to fulfill very traditional gender roles, including her behavior and appearance, but also extending to her career and life plans.

Rain's wealth led to them growing up sheltered and isolated but also extremely accommodated, giving them maximum freedom and opportunity to discover and develop their personal talents and interests. However, they have almost no positive relationship with their parents who have essentially decided to give up on a kid that couldn't be exactly the accessory they tried to mold them to be—both in terms of their identity and personality.

Rupan/Rohan, at their very core, rejects everything about conformity, self-importance, and excessive luxury—which means they have never, ever truly fit in with their peers. Going full non-conformist, however, has resulted in them becoming alienated from much of their family, as well, despite them all loving each other very much. Their history with false friends and betrayals has led them to over-indulge in their vices and reckless behavior to compensate for that isolation. Sometimes, they just get in over their head and many times, they know better. Every time, it's just that the feeling of finally belonging is utterly intoxicating.

Vivian/Vincent has two extremely successful parents who didn't inherit but instead built up their wealth and they aspire to be just like them, to a degree that is well and truly unhealthy. Their mother specifically is an over-achiever and applies mountainous pressure for them to follow in her footsteps, especially academically. Vi is completely capable of achieving what their mom expects of them, but they were already an extremely sensitive perfectionist so this has made them intensely critical of themself. This is a large part of why they are such a rigid, no-nonsense person and that in turn has made them one of the most disliked people among their peers—which is a huge personal failure to them since their father is a very well-liked and socially successful person in town.

And the Emersons are peak privilege: inherent high social status, brains, looks, charisma, athleticism, and massive wealth. They could never have been anything less than extremely popular, just by virtue of their last name and the nature of the town's social dynamics and politics. And they do enjoy that privilege (esp Curt lol). However, it should go without saying that being so high profile, even (or maybe especially) just in the isolated scope of your hometown, isn't always a boon. Their family's and their own perceived failings are widely discussed and privately mocked and/or celebrated. Real friends are scarce while fake ones and snakes are plentiful. Plus their dad is a gigantic dickhead who sees his kids as extensions of his own status and reputation and not much else. Public shortcomings make for an unbearable time at home and the world outside the estate is at once overly accommodating, full of assumptions, and even subtly hostile at times—all unrelated to their own actions or character.

And with the MC, I think the narrative will make it clear there are several ways that story can go. You start off with irresponsible parents that have lost their wealth due to their own mismanagement and material ambitions—how that affects any individual MC should differ based on choices and consequences!

So why bring any of that up when I was supposed to be talking about my cut OC? 😂😂

Leo was going to be the unwelcome recent addition to his uncle’s household, the son of a brother his aunt hates for (petty af) Reasons, and she took that resentment out on him directly by restricting his access to nearly every aspect of the family's wealth. Especially material goods and living conditions. He was basically treated like the help, tasked with playing nanny for his many younger cousins and burdened with doing the homework and providing academic cover for his dumb as rocks cousin in the same grade as you all. To sum it up, he was basically a victim of trafficking at the hands of his own family with his uncle out of town enough to feign ignorance to how bad his wife was treating his nephew and his aunt going out of her way to keep him busy, at home, and isolated. This is sadly a super common form of trafficking in Francophone African cultures (although I don't think most people view it as trafficking. and I’m sure the same is true of other cultures but I don’t want to speak outside of my purview). And like I mentioned above, it’s how my own mom's (and idek how many cousins') child/teenhood went.

It’s a perspective on modern wealth, privilege and greed that I really, really wanted to tell. I am confident in saying it hasn't been explored in interactive fiction yet (though correct me—and direct me 👀—if I'm wrong) and out of all the wealth/greed explorations I came up with, it's the one I have the closest personal ties to and the strongest feelings about. The characters and plans I had for it were detailed and I'm proud of them but at the end of the day... I just couldn't find a place for Leo in the story at large.

Leo was, in fact, the last main character I came up with, when I had already designed and fleshed out the larger story and started crafting the timeline of major events. I think the worst thing I could have done for a story and perspective that I care about this much is shove it into a plot that didn't have room for it at the very base level, regardless of how well the character or his story is written. Shoe-horned characters always stick out. I didn’t want to disservice Leo by having him be the character that did nothing or could be removed from the main plot without affecting it at all, y’know? That’s so much worse than just forgoing the indulgence, imo :((

ugh.... Leooooo 😭 I'm so sorry bb, I failed youuu 😥

#lovely anon #answered #hotmess #ok I am truly so sorry for going on and on like this #writing #ch design #ty for this question it was really nice to revisit this stuff 😃#and a nice reminder to not look back lol #scrapped

41 notes · View notes

a-very-fond-farewell · 4 years

Text

The forbidden crack! Untamed prompts: 19/?

Wedding Planner AU [xicheng edition]: “Chickens on the Loose”

[let me have this]

Jiang Cheng doesn’t believe in love and that’s precisely the reason why he plans other people’s special day. The most extravagant, the boldest, the loudest, the better. Because if there’s something he got to accept over the years is that people aren’t willing to pay for something realistic, but for something unattainable instead. Over-compensating bland, ordinary reality with fantasy and dreams is his job and he’s well aware that no one can compete with his genius. Not with his father owning a catering and food chain company. Not with his mother being the most sought out wedding gown fashion designer on the market. They taught him everything there is to know on how to make other people’s dream come true before the inevitable envelope of a dainty, innocuous divorce application can make its way in a once happy household. Better make the satisfaction last, because Jiang Cheng will only accept advanced payments in cash, no monthly installments allowed.

His sister YanLi may have married honoring tradition over useless exaggeration, but what did her love bring aside from suffering and neglect? Marrying into the richest family in the country to the heir of a textile empire has given her nothing but sorrow and a husband too proud and distant to even visit her regularly. Jin Ling growing up without a father, spoiled rotten by the wrong side of the family who lured him into their shining world of nothingness day after day. At least Jiang Cheng’s family did rise from nothing and learned to trick the rich into relying on useless services soon enough. But Jin ZiXuan and his family had never worked once in their life and didn’t know how to take care of their loved ones. Not that Jiang Cheng’s parents could do any better, their marriage a wasteland where no love could grow, but at least they were honest about it. Better enjoy a dream while it lasts.

That is why if even Wei Ying’s marriage were to turn out to utter shit like YanLi’s, at least it will not be Jiang Cheng’s fault. Everything needs to be perfect, from the vows to the tea ceremony, from the food to the color scheme, from the seat arrangements to the music. Hell, some of his stepbrother’s requests may be too much to handle for most, but not for Jiang Cheng and if Wei Ying wants a parade and a whole week worth of celebrations, Wei Ying will have exactly that.

Hence he will not, under any circumstance, allow anyone snooping around as he plans the wedding of the century. No, not even the fiancée’s overprotective older brother asking people for blackmailing material on Wei Ying behind Jiang Cheng’s back. Not even if he pays him in nature, no ma’am.

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

Lan Huan is the best divorce attorney in town precisely because he believes in unconditional love. That’s why he doesn’t see the point of two people (or three people, on one memorable case in Europe) spending the rest of their life together if change is inevitable and something to be expected. He would much prefer to get the best deal out of it for his clients and prevent children to suffer from it in the process.

Judges fear him and his diplomatic smile that can never hide his tunnel vision drive for victory. His trusty private investigator Nie HuaiSang is equally terrified by his assets, but still feeds him with the juiciest details whenever Lan Huan asks for favors, discreetly requesting the younger man to do background checks on this or that subject. Settlements may be nice, but not if the (soon to be ex) husband or wife in question can be easily found guilty of adultery, gaslighting, or even violence. Not on Lan Huan’s watch.

That’s why his world gets completely turned over the moment his younger brother Lan Zhan announces his intention to marry a man he hasn’t known for a full three months yet. Truth to be told, Lan Huan had never seen him this happy: glowing with something akin to adoration, affection dripping from every pore, love spilling all over just by mentioning one name, Wei Ying. In case this rascal happens to crush his precious baby brother’s heart, Lan Huan needs to find dirt on this man and squeeze everything he has out of his dead cold hands the second his brother files a request for a divorce.

But for some reason Nie HuaiSang cannot seem to be found for the job this time around. Not unlike most of his other contacts and informants, who have seemingly disappeared at the mention of his brother’s fiancee’s name. If this Wei Ying is such a big fish in the sea to make even Lan Huan’s most loyal colleagues dissolve into thin air, then he must find the answers by himself.

And if it means to bomb the wedding preparations to get shit done, oh he will. He’s not above flirting to get what he wants, but if this Wei Ying turns out to be a good person in the end... well. Lan Huan prays things won’t get too messy to proceed with the celebrations in the end. Hopefully, that is.

[fun stuff under the cut.]

NHS went to uni with Wei Ying and he knows LXC won’t find anything on him bc WWX himself is a blackmail master and will 100% diss you in front of your children calling you out on your deepest secrets so no. NHS will not mess with that and he urges to do as much to all LXC’s informants and sources.

JC looks scary but his staff loves how dedicated he is and they make bets on when he’s going to lose it and sleep with someone out of frustration. although they think he gets more turned on by going over every point in his check-lists at times...

LXC’s colleague always ask him if he’s dating anyone, clearly to set him up with someone (who will not be of LXC’s liking, he’s sure). to which he answers by smiling and lying saying he has a terrible personality. since nobody believes him, he asked his friend Meng Yao to make a scene at the firm once: (all too pleased to mess with his bestie’s reputation) Meng Yao murder-walked into the office and demanded to meet LXC, only to cry in front of everyone and smack him across the face for cheating on him. THEN his sister A-Su made her sudden appearance and smacked LXC’s other cheek lamenting the same, ridiculous thing. the two siblings gaped in fake horror at each other before spitting on LXC and storming off of the building.

NMJ laughed his ass off for weeks after the sharade. he started dating A-Su not long after (with both JGY and LXC’s blessings) bc he was mildly impressed by her willingness to jump on the opportunity to make a fool of both LXC and her brother at once. LXC thinks they are a good match, but he worries A-Su might be too tiny and full of undiluted mischief for NMJ to be able to handle her antics.

NMJ used to date LXC, but they were too driven and competitive to let their relationship get in the way and in the end they stopped seeing each other. they still care deeply for one another, but they love their jobs at the firm too much and making things messy at the office wasn’t worth it. A-Su knows about it and doesn’t feel left out because of it, glad that they settled into their respective lives while still being loyal friends to each other.

JGY tries to set LXC up with a new woman every week, saying he would benefit from having a cute wife taking care of him. but LXC doesn’t know what business JGY has to talk about women that way when Meng Yao’s been a raging homosexual since the first time he has landed his eyes on another boy in kindergarten. too many crushes on boys to even be aware of how many hearts he has broken in his life. all those pretty girls falling for his looks, poor kids. only JGY’s younger brother Mo XuanYu could rival his victim count, but barely so.

ZiXuan is secretly keeping an eye on his half-brothers and half-sister while he works as a representative for his family company and this is mainly the reason why he has distanced himself from YanLi and Jin Ling in these past few years. he would like to approach his three half-siblings and maybe have a chance to rekindle lost relationships, but by stressing over it he is losing sight of the found family he actually has. YanLi wants him to come around, eventually, but she knows how lonely ZiXuan has been with no siblings and how secretly jealous he is of the bond that she has with her family. so she won’t pressure her husband, but she feels lonely nonetheless.

the two wangxian lovebirds are too happy to notice the mess LXC is making and they don’t even realize he’s there until like, three days before the actual wedding.

LXC may be a shark but he’s not subtle. JC doesn’t know what he does for a living but he assumes he has too much time on his hands, hence not someone worthy of his time. but LXC always causes troubles on the venue or messes up with the flower arrangements or prods for information to the wrong people and JC is over it.

“if you don’t have anything better to do help me find the sommelier so I can ask him what’s wrong with him and if he studied anything at all” or “if you have so much time to waste be useful and learn how to make flower crowns for the children to play with” or “if you can sit on your ass all day at least look over my nephew while I go look for someone to emotionally bully to let off some steam.”

Jin Ling is five and even more bossy than his uncle and orders LXC around to be his pony when JC should babysit him at work. LXC discovers the boy is JGY and A-Su and Mo XuanYu’s nephew and that JC doesn’t what any of them to interact with Jin Ling. but LXC secretly lets them hang out with the boy when JC is too busy to notice.

JC and LXC get closer the more the latter understands that there’s not much dirt on Wei Ying (aside from some questionable pictures taken during a university party back in the days, but that’s beside the point). LXC appreciates how crafty and ingenious JC is, always helping others around instead of just shouting orders...even if his temper is atrocious at times.

JC forces LXC to take dance lessons with the lot of the main family members and LXC meets JC’s mother for the first time. she is competitive about her dancing skills and Wei Ying tries to win her over by asking her to show everybody how it’s done by leading her ex-husband in a tango. after publicly humiliating her ex-husband (and making him fall in love with her once more), she insists on practicing a waltz with LXC and basically threatens him to cut off his balls if he dares to lead JC on with his charms.

LXC realizes he’s been playing and flirting too much with the man for him not to notice, but JC seems oblivious. no. he’s completely oblivious and kind and beautiful as he dances with Jin Ling and twirls him around in delight. LXC played too hard and now he’s in too deep.

the only source of drama in this would be JC finding out LXC let Jin Ling hang out with his other uncles and aunt despite the warnings. JC was starting to trust the man... and LXC stabbed him in the back. he would have much preferred not to discover it from his nephew (who let it slip that LXC “told him not to speak of his uncles and aunt to Jiujiu”), because he would have given LXC a chance to explain himself otherwise. but no. JC cannot have good things apparently and now he’s heartbroken without even knowing why.

without the lucky charm that is JC (holed up in his flat eating junk food to forget the pain of being an afterthought in other people’s lives), everything goes to shit three days before the wedding: the chef quits, the tea set for the ceremony breaks, one of the maids has accidentally torn apart one set of wedding robes and so on.

the venue gets flooded with live chickens when a truck transporting them breaks down in front of the building and the chicken escape. Jin Ling is loving every second of it, but everything gets destroyed in the ruckus and JC’s hard work is ruined.

Wei Ying is heartbroken and Lan Zhan silently accuses LXC of being the cause of this and urges him to fix the mess unless he wants to receive the cold shoulder for the rest of his days. but LXC is a cowards and spends his time actually fixing the broken things or replacing them or finding seamstresses to help with the garments and so on himself. anything but facing JC and be rejected.

ZiXuan comes to his senses and blurts out that “he really just wanted to have a loving family” the moment JGY, A-Su and Mo XuanYu come check on LXC. they hug and cry and laugh and YanLi gently reminds them that this is not about them right now and that they should help with the preparations if they have so much time on their hands. her mother is very proud of her and nods appreciatively at ZiXuan’s shocked and weirdly intrigued expression after being humiliated so boldly in front of everyone. the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree indeed.

the day before the wedding Wei Ying threatens to call the wedding off if JC doesn’t show up for his big day: not because he’s the planner, but because Wei Ying wants him close on his happiest day and he will not have it any other way.

LXC goes to fetch JC in his apartment himself the night before the wedding and they yell and they make peace and then they make love and then they woke up late the next day and they have to rush to the venue.

Wei Ying is livid until JC appears and then they celebrate the wedding of the century. A week of celebrations later Lan Zhan deadpans that they actually got married already like, one month in after meeting each other, but Wei Ying wanted a big wedding and he didn’t want to deny his husband a single thing.

JC tries to strangle his brother as the last family picture is being taken.

give me an award already.

#mdzs #cql #the untamed #the forbidden crack! untamed prompts #xicheng #wangxian #mdzs/au: modern #mdzs/au: wedding planner #mo dao zu shi

118 notes · View notes

songxiaolin · 4 years

Text

A tree can grow 10 thousand feet tall but its leaves will always fall back to the roots

Guests were common at the Songxiao sect of Jinghai. People came and went; asking for advice, coming for help or training, sometimes offering donations that were almost always turned away. This was different. This was family. Wei Wuxian had accepted their invitation – not that there had ever been any doubt there – and so more had been put into preparation than before.

Lin Ming stood in the kitchen, checking on the ma shi as the eggplant for the yú xīang qié zi simmered in the sauce. She was certainly taking liberties with the dishes she had planned for dinner but neither Song Lan or Xiao Xingchen would know or care.

“Are you certain you don’t need help?” asked Xiao Xingchen. He had been hovering behind her, Baiying sleeping in his arms, for awhile now.

She wiped her hands on a towel and gently patted his cheek. He smiled.

“I know, you can handle it,” he said. “I only like to help.”

With his hands full, it was more difficult to be able to write her response but he managed to hold one palm out, cradling the baby with one arm against his chest.

You do, she wrote. But you’re helping now. Maybe you can go collect the beans. Zichen should have them.

“I can do that. I’ll be back.” He was a good judge of distance, pressing a kiss to her forehead that was only slightly off center before he turned to leave.

Lin Ming watched him leave with a smile before turning back to her work. Set to the side were a pile of hot peppers. She narrowed her eyes. There were plenty of other things that Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen could eat — she was also making liáng cài — and didn’t Wei Wuxian like spicy food? He was a guest, after all, and it was important to cater to your guests. Her smile grew as she grabbed a handful.

It would be a good visit.

“Yuchun, don’t eat that.” Song Lan’s voice was stern as he pulled the now drool-covered stick away from the toddler

“Babies always put things in their mouths, don’t you know that?” A-Qing asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

Song Lan smiled tightly, watching the young girl shove another sweet in her mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” he said.

“Alright, alright.” She swallowed. “Is that better?”

“Yes, thank you.” He wondered what Xiao Xingchen would say. The other man had a knack with the oldest that Song Lan hadn’t quite mastered yet. “You’ll be a good example for Yuchun.”

A-Qing seemed to consider this suspiciously for a moment before brightening.

“Of course I will! I can teach her all sorts of important things,” she said.

Song Lan immediately felt a wave of anxiety about all the possible trouble that could cause.

“I’m sure you will,” he said, voice slightly strained. With a high-pitched laugh, Yuchun lunged forward on unsteady legs and Song Lan caught her before she could go too far. She squealed and his smile softened as he picked her up.

“When is he going to get here? I’m tired of having to wait.” A-Qing’s voice was a whine.

“Soon,” he said, tossing the last of the vegetables that Lin Ming had requested into the basket. Yuchun reached for it and he handed her a green bean. She shook it a few times before sticking it in her mouth. “Be patient.”

“I am patient,” said A-Qing, impatiently stomping her foot.

Song Lan sighed.

“You are very patient, A-Qing,” said Xiao Xingchen as he approached, still holding Baiying. He knew that tone well. “Be patient a little longer.”

It was her turn to sigh.

“Fine, Daozhang.”

“Perhaps you should be the one greet Wei Wuxian,” Song Lan suggested as he picked up the basket of vegetables. He knew Wei Wuxian and was on good enough terms but he’d rather Xiao Xingchen deal with this sort of situation.

Xiao Xingchen knew that and smiled, nudging the man in black with his shoulder.

“Good idea.” He turned to A-Qing. “Will you help Zichen carry the vegetables back?”

“Sure, I guess.” She took the basket from Song Lan’s hand. “C’mon, Yuchun, follow me!”

The toddler gave a squeal and Song Lan set her down, watching her follow after A-Qing.

“I should make sure they don’t get too far ahead,” he said.

“It’s fine, Zichen.”

“Still—”

Xiao Xingchen laughed slightly and shook his head.

“Take Baiying, then,” he said, holding out the now waking baby. “I’ll wait for my nephew.”

Song Lan brushed his hand over Xiao Xingchen’s arm before taking the baby.

“Alright. I’ll go help Lin Ming,” he said and followed after A-Qing and Yuchun.

******************

In the kitchen, Song Lan set down the basket of vegetables next to where Lin Ming was working. He could feel Baiying drooling on his shoulder but for once he didn’t care. Spying the chopped up pile of hot peppers, he frowned.

“You can’t use all of those,” he said.

Lin Ming turned to him, mouth twisting in amusement.

Our guest loves spicy food, she signed. I’m being a good host.

The expression on Song Lan’s face said he was not even a little bit convinced.

“Lin Ming.”

Don’t worry. I won’t put any in your food.

There was no arguing with her and he knew that.

“Just remember, this is important to Xingchen,” he said.

Her round face turned more serious and she kissed his cheek.

I know, she mouthed.

******************

Xiao Xingchen didn’t have to wait long. He had been about to start pacing, start wondering if he should begin looking, in case his nephew ran into trouble, when he heard the familiar sound of approaching footsteps. He straightened and turned his head towards the sound.

“Xiao-shishu!”

At Wei Wuxian’s voice, he broke into a wide grin and stepped forward in that direction, arms moving as if he wanted to hug the other man but stopped. His bow was quick and less than formal. Even though Xiao Xingchen couldn’t see, Wei Wuxian returned the bow, smile planted firmly on his face.

“Shizhi, I trust the trip here wasn’t too bad? I know we’re out of the way,” said Xiao Xingchen, patting his nephew on the arm.

“Ah, no, no. It was no trouble at all. Have you seen how far Cloud Recesses is? This was nothing, don’t worry,” Wei Wuxian said, putting both hands on Xiao Xingchen’s shoulders for a moment.

“Good, I’m glad. Come, Lin Ming planned all the food and there’s two people that I can’t wait for you to meet.”

Xiao Xingchen took his nephew’s arm and began leading him towards the main home.

“Oh, you do? I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise, shishu,” he said.

“I know you will, I’m not worried.”

There was an undercurrent of laughter to Xiao Xingchen’s voice; Wei Wuxian never failed to amuse him.

“Ah, you put so much trust in me, “ Wei Wuxian said with a laugh. “I’m flattered, truly. A lot of people might think that’s foolish.”

Xiao Xingchen smiled, slight and knowing.

“It wouldn’t be the first time that someone called me a fool.”

“Then we’re both in fine company, aren’t we?”

Xiao Xingchen’s laugh was bright and clear, ringing across the courtyard.

“I am,” he said and gave Wei Wuxian no time to comment on his word choice. “Come, don’t mind the chickens.”

He lead Wei Wuxian inside; the main room was nothing special with wood floors and paper panel doors separating the room they used as a bedroom from the rest of the house. There were still repairs to be done but it was no longer an abandoned house but a home. From the kitchen in the back, the smell of spice wafted.

Lin Ming looked up and grinned, picking up Yuchun as she stood to greet them. Using one hand, she signed ‘hello’. There was delighted surprise on Wei Wuxian’s face.

“Lin Ming! Have you been staying out of trouble?” he asked, though most of his attention seemed to be on the little girl.

From where he sat holding Baiying, Song Lan scoffed in a good-natured way causing Xiao Xingchen to laugh.

“Who is this little lady?” Wei Wuxian leaned forward and poked a finger at her. Yuchun hid her face in Lin Ming’s shoulder before peaking at him then hiding again. She repeated the whole thing two more times before giggling. Wei Wuxian smiled. “She’s even smaller than Sizhui was.”

“This is Yuchun,” said Xiao Xingchen, holding out his hand. Lin Ming took it and guided him to Yuchun’s head. Smiling, he stroked her fine hair. “She’s— We took her in. I suppose you could say she’s our daughter.”

It had always been implied, ever since they took in the two children, that they would be raised as their own but it had never been put so bluntly. Lin Ming smiled, her cheeks flushed, and hugged her daughter to her chest.

“Daughter?” Wei Wuxian’s tone was surprised but then he smiled. “She’s perfect, shishu. She looks just like you. Can’t you see the family resemblance, Lin Ming?”

She laughed and rang the bell at her waist once.

“You’re too much, shizhi,” said Xiao Xingchen though his tone was flattered. “Zichen?”

As Song Lan approached, Wei Wuxian straightened and bowed.

“Please, don’t,” said Song Lan, free hand stopping the bow like he had once before.

“Right, right. Of course. It’s good to see you again, outside of the conference.”

Song Lan’s face twitched slightly at the mention of the conference. Carefully, he placed the baby into Xiao Xingchen’s arms.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed, tone implying that if he had to deal with another conference, it would be too soon.

Wei Wuxian chuckled; he could sympathize with Song Lan’s opinion, but most of his attention was on the small but chubby baby that Xiao Xingchen was holding. He wondered if Jin Ling had been so tiny on that day when everything had gone wrong. He always regretted missing that.

“And who is this?” he asked, not so surprised to find his voice cracked a bit as much as he tried to hold it back.

“Our son.”

“Ah, Xiao-shishu. He’s wonderful.”

Both Lin Ming and Song Lan could see the wet of tears in his eyes, knew Xiao Xingchen could hear it.

“Here,” said Xiao Xingchen. “You should hold him.”

Not waiting for answer, Xiao Xingchen held the baby out towards him. There was the briefest moment of hesitation before Wei Wuxian took him, cradling him in his arms and bouncing slightly as Baiying sucked on his fingers.

“What’s his name?”

“Baiying. For Zichen’s temple.” Xiao Xingchen paused. “And after you.”

It took awhile for the words to sink in, for Wei Wuxian to truly understand what was being said. He looked up.

“After me?”

Lin Ming glanced at Xiao Xingchen, her smile fond.

“Yes, I wanted to. You are family, after all,” said Xiao Xingchen. His forehead was creased as if he wanted to say something else but didn’t, instead reaching out to slip his arm around Song Lan’s.

“Ah—” He didn’t bother hiding the tears now. Baiying reached out, grabbing Wei Wuxian’s finger, gurgling contentedly. Wei Wuxian’s laugh was choked with emotion. “Ah, shishu, you shouldn’t have. He’s going to have a reputation already.”

“A good one,” said Song Lan, tone firm as if he would accept no argument otherwise.

Next to him, Xiao Xingchen nodded, tightening his grip on Song Lan’s arm in quiet thanks.

“Yes, a very good one,” Xiao Xingchen agreed. “But you traveled a long way and must be tired. You should sit and rest while we finish getting dinner ready.”

Lin Ming started to sign something but found it was next to impossible to do while holding a toddler. Without a word, Song Lan took Yuchun from her, freeing up her hands.

I made it especially for you, she signed at Wei Wuxian.

“She did make it especially for you,” said Song Lan.

Xiao Xingchen took his meaning.

“Oh. Well, you do like spicy food, don’t you?”

“I do, I do,” Wei Wuxian said, looking up, still bouncing Baiying lightly. “Yunmeng food is very spicy, that’s why it’s the best.”

Lin Ming mouthed ‘I told you so’ at Song Lan who gave a resigned sigh. It made Yuchun laugh and he did it again.

“Then come, let’s sit and eat and you can tell us how everything has been with you,” said Xiao Xingchen, letting go of Song Lan’s arm to take his nephew’s instead, leading him towards the table.

Wei Wuxian’s steps were slower than usual.

“Xiao Xingchen,” he said. “Thank you, for everything.”

“There’s no need to thank me, shizhi, we’re family.”

#drabbles #songxiaolin #found family #i want to put this in tags because i'm proud of it but :|#untamed fanfiction #there #really tapped into every memory i had of my own kids at this age #surprise: three or four month olds are just as drool-y as year and a half old toddlers

12 notes · View notes

dvrcas · 4 years

Text

* ╰ KATHRYN NEWTON ; TWENTY ; SHE / HER —— wow, DORCAS MEADOWES sure has grown ! it’s almost hard to believe they actually passed recruitment… i still remember them being so INTUITIVE & OPTIMISTIC now they just seem MATERIALISTIC & CAPRICIOUS. guess they’re special if they made it this far. word in the halls is they’re training to be a HIT WITCH but i don’t think they’ll make it out alive. after all, they’ve shown signs of being NEUTRAL in the war.

character inspo: amy march ( little women ), shelby wyatt ( quantico ), glinda upland ( wicked ), rachel green ( friends )

dorcas louisa ruth meadowes hails from old money, sweltering summer heat, peaches, spanish moss, and crickets at dusk. she grew up in the american deep south, the baby of a well-established pureblood family.

with four older siblings, two doting parents, and a fleet of nannies, dorcas was never in want of attention. basil & myra meadowes married and had children young and fast; her mother had dorcas’s eldest brother when she was only twenty one, and had dorcas ( the youngest ) five years later.

( her siblings, in order: montgomery, or monty. the only boy, aged 25. clementine, 23. the twins, willow & winona, 22. and last comes dorcas, 20. )

their parents loved them, to be sure, but basil & myra were never much for hard work; the nannies dealt with diaper changes and crying toddlers and scraped knees.

but when the sun was shining, the meadowes would gather their offspring and spoil them rotten with picnics, and weekends at their beach home, and banquets with all basil & myra’s friends. and so all dorcas’s childhood memories of her parents are of laughter and golden days and bliss.

basil & myra held frequent catered banquets, the adults getting flushed and tipsy off rot-your-teeth sugary drinks, cooing over the dolled-up children. dorcas adored the attention. she loved dressing up in her best clothes and showing off the meagre magic she could do ( though she still had impressive control over wandless magic for a child ) and being patted on the head and called darling.

i’m pretty sure jkr has said that ilvermorny is the only north american wizarding school but i’m gonna go ahead and say fuck that cause i can’t see dorcas and her siblings going to ilvermorny, since 1) it’s in massachusetts and 2) it “ has the reputation of being one of the most democratic, least elitist of all the great wizarding schools ” and i think dorcas would’ve gone to a preppier school

also, one school for all of north america ? yeah ok, sure

so we’ll say she went to a smaller, more prestigious wizarding school in virginia, the wizarding equivalent of a private school. aglionby academy vibes from the raven cycle.

it wouldn’t be quite fair to say dorcas excelled in school. she did quite well, but she wasn’t top of her class. more like … fourth in her class.

she wasn’t even top in her siblings. they all had their unofficial roles to play. monty was the athletic one, clementine was the brainy one, the twins were charming and mischievous, and dorcas … dorcas was the pretty one.

but that doesn’t bother dorcas. she loves her siblings, and she loves her parents. everyone knows how close the meadowes family is.

the thing about dorcas is that she never seems bothered. she floats through life with a carefree, laissez-faire attitude, apple-cheeked and dimpled, laughing off any failure that comes her way, because hey, no big deal, it wasn’t that important anyway.

( if you asked dorcas what is important to her, what matters to her, she would have trouble giving you an answer. )

dorcas flits from short-lived interest to short-lived interest. when she was thirteen, it was horseback riding. when she was fourteen, it was wandlore. when she was fifteen, it was poetry. but none of them lasted very long, conquered by that old familiar restless boredom.

dorcas is the quintessential baby sister ( think amy march ) which is why, when monty enrolled in a martial arts course, dorcas insisted on enrolling as well. ( i feel like wizards probably have their own unique styles of martial arts, but i’m gonna say it was something like jiu jitsu where you use the opponent’s strength against them, since dorcas is fairly small )

soon after, monty was recruited by the american quodpot team and had to leave. but dorcas stayed on. something about the thrill of it, the foreignness and the physicality, kept her hooked. when she was on the mat, there was no past or future, just in the moment.

not that she vocalized any of that. if you asked her, it was just a fun way to stay in shape.

dorcas’s parents found their daughter’s new ‘ hobby ’ strange, but delightful and cute, trotting it out as a fun tidbit at parties when they showed dorcas off. did you know, dorcas reckons she’s a wrestler now – bless her ! watch out, she’s dangerous ! followed by a round of laughter.

as a child, dorcas would’ve loved the attention, but now, it was starting to grate. not that she would’ve ever dreamed of protesting — she loved her parents, and they meant well. there was no sense in making a big deal over a silly hobby. it wasn’t that important anyway.

the only person who took her seriously was her coach, a fearsome, grizzled wizard with an amusing name. in fact, robert robertson took her more seriously than she took herself. he wouldn’t let her quit when things got tough, and under his tutelage she branched out, explored other fighting styles, met other experts.

her parents’ interest in her martial training waned quickly, especially when a new hobby came along, one with well-defined cheekbones and striking grey eyes. seymour darville was the nephew of a family friend. also pureblood, of course. he and dorcas hit it off right away, and it wasn’t long before they were an item and their gossipy relatives finally had something to gossip about.

years went by. dorcas grew from a teenager to a young adult. she continued her training. meanwhile, her relationship with seymour solidified. her older siblings all found partners and wed young, just like their parents. dorcas became an aunt four times over. their gossipy relatives began dropping not-so-subtle hints, wondering when it would be dorcas’s turn to take the veil. the cement of dorcas’s future life was hardening.

seymour proposed over a candlelight dinner with roses and a ring, violins enchanted to serenade them. it was picture-perfect, something straight out of a romance novel.

dorcas didn’t answer. she told him she needed time to think about it. for a girl unable to commit to most things, a husband was an awfully big commitment. especially one she feared she’d fallen out of love with. but her family was expecting it, and his family was expecting it, and besides, there was nothing that made a girl half so interesting as a diamond on her finger. right ?

and that was when dorcas was recruited for edin, by robert robertson personally. dorcas had never been overseas before. she’d always stayed home, comfortable with the spanish moss, the peach trees, and american pureblood tradition. going to edin would be … insane. training to be a hit witch ? dorcas wasn’t a hit witch. she’d get one month in before she got bored and wanted to leave. not to mention how far it was. and she had family in georgia, a loving boyfriend, a future.

these were all things dorcas’s family said when she told them she would be going to the united kingdom for a year.

i’m just worried about my little girl, darlin’, her mother said. you’ve never been so far from home before. what if something happens ? what if you don’t come back ?

to which dorcas replied, well, of course i’m coming back. i can’t miss my own wedding.

and of course, that derailed their protests completely, as dorcas knew it would. dorcas would go to edin and play hit witch, have her fun for a year, and then she would come back to her family and her fiancé. shackled to home for life. and edin, and dorcas’s martial training, and the one thing she’d committed to in her life, would stay an ocean away.

some other things:

even though rappaport’s law forbidding muggle and magic interaction was lifted in 1965, when dorcas was five years old, the segregation between muggle and magic was too deeply ingrained to fade that easily. as such, dorcas is HELLA clueless about the muggle world ! her private school had very few muggleborns, and the muggleborns that did attend kept quiet about their heritage. there was no muggle studies or anything of the sort.

she’s also used to being rich af lol

other than on the mat, dorcas tends to avoid conflict. she’s genuine, kindhearted and optimistic, and remarkably in tune with others’ emotions, though her pureblood naïveté might rub some the wrong way.

she’s like … fucking good at fighting. she’s nimble and surprisingly strong, and people tend to underestimate her. she works hard to keep herself in top physical health. she eats healthy and exercises regularly.

this was a fucking NOVEL i am so sorry

#edinintro

4 notes · View notes

mystic-sky · 5 years

Note

Do you have any hc's of the Jirov brothers getting married? ~ :) (to the reader of course xD)

hi bby, sorry I took a while to get to this. It’s finals season and ya girl is fighting the books. Thanks so much for requesting, I hope you enjoy and request again soon!! xx

Yuliy

He’s never pictured himself getting married. He’s oblivious when it comes to love.

But if someone were to ever mention the idea of marriage to him he wouldn’t know what to say. He’s never thought of indulging in such a thing. But as the years go by, what more is there to do after bringing peace between humans and vampires?

Our reader is there, and I’d like to think that a more realistic relationship that they’d have is one where the reader confesses to him after being long term friends. And he doesn’t accept nor reject your feelings, but becomes more aware of you in a romantic way.

He starts getting shy around you, and for some reason it’s not as easy to make conversation with you anymore when all he can think about is the romance.

It’s important you don’t pressure him too, since he doesn’t know the first thing about being someone’s lover. If you were to ask him he’d probably think it were somewhere along the lines of protecting you, and that’s just what he does.

Until one day, he realizes he wants more than that. He’ll start thinking to himself, “Were they always that pretty?”

He’s the kind of lover who’ll come around as long as you’re patient.

When you two start dating the other Jaegers constantly ask him when he’s going to pop the question and/or have children (wasn’t it like social standard in the 1930s to get married in your youth?)

Blushiest boy here

You assure him he doesn’t have to rush, and you’re happy as things are now.

He does eventually ask you. He has to ask Dorothea how he should propose. She presents him lots of flashy ideas that might be out of his comfort zone and he looks into all of them to create one big mesh? He wants to do something you think he might like.

But after some failed attempts he decides to just outright ask you.

He starts stuttering, which he doesn’t really do too much normally. Maybe you laugh a bit to make it easier for him.

You guys have a traditional tribe engagement party and/or wedding to honor his people. Your clothes/dress have pretty patterns its so fucking cute.

Maybe he wears his hair in a neat little bun.

It’s a small wedding considering he doesn’t have much family. Just the Jaegers and some of your family members.

If you have a big family and they come they help make up for the hole in his heart.

If you’re an aunt/uncle he plays with your younger nieces and nephews at the wedding. It’s so cute and people 100% are convinced you guys will have children from this moment alone.

Spring wedding!!

Yuliy wants to incorporate lots of flowers somehow. He’ll have flowers in his hair, flowers in your hair, flowers on your dress/whatever you choose to wear. Lots of fucking flowers.

Unless you’re allergic? He’ll holdout for your sake.

Honeymoon in his home country that never ends?

Your honeymoon consists of you guys building a home out there. Although it sounds like hard work and the opposite of what a vacation honeymoon should be, you guys make it into a loving experience.

You spend a few years building the home maybe, paying a lot of attention to detail and spending quality time together in peace away from vampires and Jaeger stuff.

Mikhail

He knows how to make his lover feel special, whether it’s through actions or his words.

He doesn’t waste time when he has eyes for someone. He’s quick to let them know. I don’t think it’d be in some super forward way. But he’s pretty honest with himself, so that makes it easier to be honest with you. That’s one of the best qualities about him, you’ll never feel unsure where the two of you stand.

So when he proposes to you, you’re not really surprised. He’s all about making things meaningful, so he does it when you both are alone.

He’ll cook for you or take you somewhere nice and just ask you. Maybe you kind of knew the whole time.

I don’t think he’d have an engagement party? If y’all have one then it’s likely a small one: you, Yuliy and some friends and mostly your family.

Traditional tribal wedding!!!

He cuts his hair how it used to be? Or maybe he does a bun.

I can kind of picture him doing a neat, half up and half down for his wedding.

Or maybe a cool fishnet braid?

The options are endless

Bun Yuliy is his best man cause like why not.

One cool thing is that Mikhail remembers a lot of the dishes his mom and the tribe used to make, so he’s very attentive to the catering process of the wedding.

You learn some dishes too? Maybe you even become so good at making a particular dish that he tells you it tastes like home or the way his mom used to make it.

If you want to wear traditional clothing, he helps make your dress/whatever you choose to wear for the event.

Winter wedding!!!!

It just feels right. A cozy indoor winter wedding with lots of comfort dishes and intimacy between you and your guests.

I can also picture Mikhail suddenly being really insecure about his scars on your wedding day and maybe you both have an intimate moment where express to him how beautiful he is to you.

Bonus intimacy if you’re in your wedding clothes/dress and you do the thing where he wasn’t supposed to see you yet but you don’t care once you found out he’s not feeling so well. You give him such good pep talk and he tells you that he doesn’t know what he did to deserve you.

Have some forehead kisses to help amplify bonus intimacy cause maybe you both wanna save the full on kiss for later.

Honeymoon doesn’t matter to him as long as he’s with you. You guys travel around the world making memories together.

He bought you a camera as an engagement gift and you take so many pictures with it.

He helps you make scrapbooks with the photos from all your trips.

Eventually you guys settle down and your home is covered with large portraits of black and white photos of you two.

He also collects antiques and stuff to store in your home on all your trips too.

Maybe Yuliy lives with you guys, and when/if you guys have children he’s always looking after them for you if you guys go away on a trip.

#Yuliy Jirov #yuliy x reader #Mikhail Jirov #mikhail x reader #Sirius the Jaeger #Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger

96 notes · View notes

wyntertimes-blog · 4 years

Text

From Todays: PopBitch News Can't be arsed to switch your gas and electricity supplier? Get free service LOOK AFTER MY BILLS to do it for you. 2 minute sign up, they switch you to a great deal taking care of everything. When that deal ends they automatically switch you again without you having to do a thing! Average saving £253. Over 200,000 customers signed up and they're rated 'Excellent' on Trustpilot with 5,842 reviews.

[Find out more here]

"I never had a rider. I got my thermos." – Slick Rick

Free newsletter every Thursday subscribe

Email stories to us [email protected]

* Getting loose with Ivanka and Jay Kay

* The secret portrait of Karren Brady

* PLUS: Cock rings on the 6 O'Clock News

>> Strange times <<The poll winners' party

It probably won't surprise you to learn that champagne corks were popping at 10pm prompt at the Baby Shard on Thursday night, as the Times and the Sun celebrated the projected result of the exit poll.

It's also unlikely to surprise you to learn that Rupert Murdoch, Rebekah Brooks, Les Hinton and all the usual News UK suspects were there too, getting their fourth and fifth trolleys of booze brought in to the office by the time Blyth Valley announced.

The one thing that might surprise you though is that in among the revellers was... Cate Blanchett.This year's series of Love Island has taken three of the top ten spots in Ofcom's list of most complained-about shows of 2019.

>> Straight shooter <<Randy Andy makes 'em standy

It's been a bruising few weeks for Prince Andrew since his cataclysmic interview with Emily Maitlis – but he's probably brimming over with remorse and humility now, right?

Erm.

Earlier this month, Handsy Andy went on another of his (straightforward) shooting weekends. At breakfast one morning, everyone else in the party was sat quietly reading the papers when Andy came into the room.

As no-one stood up for him when he entered, he bellowed "OH HO HO! LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN, SHALL WE?" Then walked out of the room and re-entered, so that everyone could oblige him.There's a This Morning team WhatsApp group entitled "We Hate Phillip".

>> Big Questions <<Who's asking what this week?

What could have caused the Mail to pull a recent exclusive of theirs about a French masseuse meeting with Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace back in 2000? The story made the paper's front page at the end of November but, save for a report of the Mail's report in the New York Post, there's no trace of it online now.If you subscribe to Popbitch, chances are your internet search history is something you'd rather was kept private. Protect yourself online (plus bypass digital censorship) by using a VPN. CyberGhost is currently offering Popbitch readers a 79% discount on its 18 month plan, which protects up to seven devices, for just £2.15 a month.

[Find out more here]

>> Westwood ho <<Getting loose with Ivanka

Before she became the accomplished businesswoman and occasional threat to global security that she is today, Ivanka Trump had teenage ambitions of becoming a fashion model.

Thanks to her family connections, she was seen for a number of jobs in the late 90s and became a bit of a favourite of Vivienne Westwood. Westwood's team used to make a point of letting the models pick the music they put on in the studio as a way of helping them to relax and feel comfortable on a shoot.

Ivanka's choice of music, every single time? Jamiroquai. Which she would then sing along to.

Peanut from the Kaiser Chiefs is preparing to run his 100th park run over the Christmas holidays.

>> Bah humbug <<More drama at the BBC

The BBC is going heavy on trailing their version of A Christmas Carol this year, making a big song and dance out of the fact it stars Guy Pearce, is written by Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight and has been exec produced by Tom Hardy. One person who's been a little left out in the cold though is director Nick Murphy.

Poor Nick was so miffed that the BBC didn't invite him to take part in a special Q&A event about the show that he ended up turning up anyway to rage at the head of BBC Drama there. His ire hasn't just been reserved for TV execs either as he's started taking pot shots at Tom Hardy on Twitter too, claiming that the catering department was more involved in production than Hardy.

There may be some lingering resentment there, as Hardy was set to star in A Christmas Carol (as well as produce) until he suddenly decided to bail out. But if you ask us, Nick, you had a lucky escape.

On set at Hardy and Knight's previous BBC1 collab, Taboo, crew members reported that Hardy wasn't shy about staying in character, stark-bollock naked, for much of the time. And we can only imagine what it would have been like trying to direct with the Ghost of Christmas Past's dick and balls wafting all around.

Nick Cave Watch: Everyone's favourite goth dad was spotted at an Elton John concert in Melbourne this week.

>> Picture this <<More corporate creepiness

One of Jeffrey Epstein's former employees claims that Epstein kept a 6ft portrait of his mysterious 'fixer' Ghislaine Maxwell above the pool in his sprawling New Mexico mansion. Not just any old portrait though. One of her naked and "posing provocatively".

He wouldn't be the first icky businessman to have had a life-size nudey portrait of a close associate on their wall though. West Ham's porn-purveying chairman, David Sullivan, was once well known in the football world for having a huge painting hung in his basement office.

Of his now Vice-Chairman at West Ham FC, Dame Karren Brady.Andy Coulson has been advised by friends that having his own name in his new PR firm (Coulson Partners) is enough to stop most major organisations from hiring them. So far it's advice that he (and his ego) seem unwilling to take.

>> Shaky casting <<Merry Christmas everyone!

This year's bleak seasonal murder drama, Responsible Child (based on the real life story of a 14 year-old killer who was tried as an adult and jailed) has been getting rave reviews.

Whether it was the shocking nature of the story, or the impressive performance of the child actor who inhabited the role, we couldn't tell you, but for some reason most of the reviews have failed to mention the most important thing about the production.

The kid who plays the murderer is the grandson of Shakin' Stevens.

This week's Media Masters podcast is a chat with historian and broadcaster David Starkey. His outspoken, unforgiving style and trenchant opinions have earned him a reputation as being "the rudest man in Britain". In this in-depth interview he explains the impact it's had over his career.

[Listen/Download on Media Masters]

>> One love <<The race for Xmas No.1

Now that The X Factor is an utterly spent force, and December streaming is dominated by seasonal classics, the annual race for Christmas No.1 has become a much more unpredictable beast.

Re-releases are subjected to permanent ACR restrictions ('Accelerated Chart Ratio') with streaming, which basically means that old, established classics have to generate twice the number of streams as new tracks in order to compete. (Without this, three of the top four last Friday would have been Mariah Carey, Wham! and The Pogues.)

So who's in the running this year? There's another tedious song about sausage rolls from Ladbaby (hideous; but for a good cause). There's the inevitable Ed Sheeran (this year on Stormzy's record). And of course, there's the now traditional Facebook campaign choice.

Facebook campaigns are a bit of a lost cause but it has to be said: of all the songs that the British public could have picked to champion this year, Jarvis Cocker's "(Cunts Are Still) Running The World", is a pretty good one.

[Join the campaign]

REO Speedwagon's original of Can't Fight This Feeling has been streamed more than Bastille's John Lewis ad cover since its release in mid-November.

>> Electile dysfunction <<Another cock up on the Beeb

On election day, there are very strict rules in the UK which forbid news organisations from discussing politics until polling is closed. Which means that news teams have to ignore the biggest story of the day and compile their news bulletins from whatever innocuous filler they can drum up instead.

As part of their non-political Six O'Clock News broadcast last Thursday, BBC1 chose to air an item about the postal service and people sending tiny items in oversized parcels. Alas, it seems there was a very good reason that the Six O'Clock News hadn't touched that story previously.

One of the parcels that was prominently displayed as part of the pre-watershed segment clearly showed a cock ring.Nominative Determinism of the Week: The Senior doorkeeper of the House of Commons... Phil Howse!

>> 2019: The Annual <<A last little gift from us

That's almost it for another year. We've got a couple of special issues to send out between now and 2020, so we'll be back in your inboxes before the New Year. But if you want to sink your teeth into some more Popbitch material over the Christmas holidays, then download our 2019 annual.

It's totally free, and features some of our favourite stories of the year. Print it off at work! Use it as last-minute wrapping paper! Give a copy to your most corruptible niece or nephew!

[Get it here]

And if you enjoy it – or have enjoyed any of the last 52 weeks of Popbitch – and feel like tossing a few quid into our Santa hat for a Christmas pint then we'd be ever so grateful.

[Donate here]

LAST CHANCE BEFORE XMAS: Anyone who donates £10 or more to this year's fundraiser is eligible to download a special play-at-home edition of the Popbitch Popquiz. We'll email you a digital pack with all the answer sheets, question packs and puzzle pages you need to host your own quiz.

[Donate to Popbitch here]

>> Hmmms <<Cats, dogs, Muppets

Rowan Atkinson deepfaked Dior advert

[Ready to lose your libido?]

The reviews of Cats are restoring our faith and trust in journalism

[Read on Prospect]

Picture of dogs in mid-air, catching frisbees

[Cute: what more do you want?]

Need to stock up on wine before the holidays kick off? Naked Wines is offering Popbitch readers the chance to get a case of six sumptuous bottles, plus free delivery, for just £19.99.

[Get your orders in soon!]

What do you get for the man who has everything?

[Try an annual Wank-Pass]

40 years since the Muppets/John Denver Christmas special

[Watch on YouTube]

A crash course in the 100 most memorable memes of the decade

[Read on BuzzFeed]

The real life, bricks-and-mortar Popbitch Popquiz will return in January. Don't let dry January stop you having any fun. Join us at Smiths of Smithfield for another seven rounds of trivia, music and smut with our host, Tom Webb!

[Tuesday 14th January]

[Tuesday 28th January]

Thanks to: JM, bunkle, CA, JC, Party_B, ST, T, JM, BB, CA, RT, MC, bobbi_fleckmann, EC, intheissynoho, MC, AM

Old Jokes Home

I just smashed my keyboard and I'm so angry.

I lost Ctrl.

Still Bored?

If you've already read this year's annual and fancy revisiting some previous years, the last five years' worth are free to download on the Popbitch site throughout December...

[Load up for the holidays]

You subscribed to the Popbitch Newsletter which usually comes out on Thursdays.

If you would not like to receive any further issues to [email protected] you can unsubscribe

@skippyv20 @yankeewally

5 notes · View notes

dizzyingleo · 5 years

Text

Evaluate Insurance, Credit score Card Or Mortgage In Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - Insurance coverage has developed from being product-centric to customer-centric, according to Nice Japanese Life Assurance (M) Bhd director and chief executive officer Datuk Koh Yaw Hui. Nice Eastern affords Islam-compliant insurance services to cater 60.4% of Malaysia's inhabitants of 28.3mln. Deluxe plans are essentially the most comprehensive, and include a Concierge, collision and harm insurance coverage, in addition to very excessive medical and baggage protection. Your dying profit options might differ in response to the annuity contract or life insurance coverage policy.

As an AIA Vitality members, you can get pleasure from free additional protection or an upfront discount off your first yr premium once you buy selected AIA insurance coverage policies. The Small, Medium Enterprise Banking division offers providers to small and medium enterprises in Malaysia. Nevertheless, previous to cancellation, you should notify Nice Jap Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad by way of a written discover.

I think you might be confusing your self with the aim of life insurance coverage and medical insurance. Interteach affords access to 23 medical centres and 26 medical factors at remote areas, dispatching providers around the clock, over 300 extra clinics, fifty three ambulances, 156 ambulance crews, 2 specialized X-ray mobile cars, more than 70 extra dental clinics, experience in group of medical evacuation and repatriation services.

Aided by the various policy accessible, AIG is able to providing a top quality plan to customers from varied industries, which incorporates firms in the hospitality & leisure, import & export, vitality, retail, communications, along with media & expertise sector. I am over 65 years of age and have Medicare medical insurance, which does not cover something exterior the U.S. That is one principal cause I bought the trip insurance coverage.

You should buy multiple health insurance insurance policies from different providers. Our schegen travel insurance coverage covers these international locations. Premium is the fee that you simply as the insured has to pay for an insurance plan. In line with Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) mid-12 months efficiency report, the insurance and takaful sector grew by +630 base points and the post-stress Capital Adequacy Ratio (AUTOMOTIVE) stood above the 130% mark.

To add more strength to their current health insurance policies, the company has added features like lifelong renewability and portability. Funds totalling RM16.8 million in life insurance claims have been settled to the next-of-kin of passengers and crew members of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Singapore-based mostly insurer Nice Japanese Holdings (GEH) has stated that it has not but given closing approval to a proposed MYR2 billion (SG$660 million) contribution to satisfy foreign ownership requirements in Malaysia.

Allianz Malaysia Berhad is a Malaysia-based investment holding firm. Our core insurance coverage businesses, excluding Validus and Legacy, skilled net losses attributable to 3rd quarter occasions of $748 million in Japan, emanating from 5 occasions and $439 million in North America, emanating from eight events, with the vast majority of the remaining losses arising from prior quarter catastrophes.

The insurance policies had been sold on Allianz's web site since December 2015 and, though the agency's solicitors raised concerns in regards to the advertising claims at the moment, had been only removed earlier this yr. In instances of medical emergencies, you'd need your medical safety to have the ability to provide you with added peace of mind, enabling you to have entry to correct medical care.

She was appointed to go AIA, a leading life insurer in Malaysia with total property value RM51 billion (as at 30 November 2017) and one among AIA Group's prime five markets, in June 2015. For instance, with a toddler life insurance plan, you may plan for your kids's upbringing, their education and even their marriages, proper from the day they're born.

With large-ranging plans that cowl your home and its valuables, Maybank house insurance coverage claims to ensure you and your loved ones receive the required help in your hour of need. The AIA Vitality membership 12 months can start on any day of the calendar yr. At this time, Prudential annuities are just one of many many services supplied by the corporate.

With a low penetration rate of insurance, for instance 54% for life insurance, and a healthy financial growth coupled with a relatively younger population, the prospect for the insurance coverage trade seems to be promising. Tencent established Hetai Life Insurance Co Ltd in July, 2015, which started business officially final year after receiving regulatory approval.

I also suspect the person questioning this seems like insurance coverage agent from company where the corporate does not carry standalone medical products, and their medical card rider is comparatively costly compared to others. The phrases and conditions or guidelines of the AIA Vitality Program (including for any exercise or benefit). Earn AIA Vitality Points for endeavor a variety of health assessments.

As a part of the transaction, Maybank's investors are expected to receive shares within the insurance coverage company in proportion to their existing holding in the financial institution, the sources mentioned - adding that no new cash is expected to be raised within the itemizing. ALIM affords a comprehensive vary of life and medical health insurance and funding-linked products and for the monetary 12 months 2010, ALIM recorded a gross written premium (GWP”) of RM 1.03 billion and is without doubt one of the fastest rising life insurers in Malaysia.

If you happen to apply for or register to grow to be a member of the AIA Vitality Program or activate your AIA Vitality Membership, you may be bound by these phrases. Allianz World Assistance does not charge for this service. A-Plus Med is a complete medical plan that has an growing annual restrict so that you may be certain of all the time having sufficient medical safety for yourself and your family members.

However, one of the appealing features of travel insurance coverage is the fact that touring companions and members of the family (spouses, home companions, youngsters, grandparents, grandchildren, daughters- or sons-in-law, nieces and nephews, and so forth.) depend in the case of lined causes for canceling your cruise. Some insurers are hopeful that BNM (Financial institution Negara Malaysia) might prolong the deadline but they realise that they nonetheless need to have a tentative deal in place ahead of the deadline,” said one particular person aware of the talks.

Jayaraj, that is the way standalone medical card works regardless of any insurance corporations. Any Prudential life insurance policyholder (assured) can register as a PRUaccess plus person. We might at our sole and absolute discretion waive the annual membership price, the requirement to be insured underneath an eligible AIA Bhd. Allianz Malaysia's enterprise insurance contains hearth, engineering, and legal responsibility insurance.

CF Lieu can also be listed under Featured CFP Professionals in his professional affiliation web site - FPAM (Financial Planning Affiliation of Malaysia). Traders in Singapore who're all in favour of insurance firms - our local stock market has insurers akin to Great Japanese Holding Restricted (SGX: G07) and United Abroad Insurance Restricted (SGX: U13) - could need to be taught more about Allianz Malaysia too.

1 note · View note

darkspellmaster · 7 years

Text

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) Theory: We’re not dealing with Undertaker as the Main villain in this arc.

So on the forum I’m on there’s been a lot of bandying about on who is the main bad guy for the Blue Sect arc. Most are convinced it’s Undertaker, but I’m not.

See for me, from the start, this never felt like an Undertaker scheme. There is no joke at the end. Undertaker, much like the Joker from Batman, the Undertaker seems to have plans that have a sort of joke at the end. Look at the Bizarre Dolls for example.

The setup is who wins in a case of an equal number of zombies go on a ship with an equal number of humans? The delivery comes in the form of the whole ending with the fact that the humans do survive, and the punch line is pretty much that the Undertaker had a laugh again at the expense of his former reapers and Ciel and Sebastian. There’s a sick joke there, although to the readers it’s really not that funny. Same can be said for the whole situation with the school, the joke on Queen Victoria with her nephew, and the delivery with the zombies showing up for tea.

You can see how both these arcs are meant to be amusing in some twisted dark way that only someone like the Undertaker could find amusing. Yet the new Blue Cult arc doesn’t show any of those jokes. In fact its humor comes from the boy band music, and they, in turn, represent really a religious aspect that’s built into the arc. This is vastly different then Undertaker who doesn’t seem to equate anything to religion and seems, quiet happy, ignoring any sort of game that doesn’t automatically benefit him.

Now would the Blue Cult benefit him? I don’t think so, and that’s because it’s not going to help the dolls.

Let’s take a moment to look at the dolls. We know how they’re set up thanks to Undertaker:

1. Bizarre Dolls have limited senses. Although we know the upgraded versions have the ability to act like normal humans for a small part as seen with Vice Principle.

2. They need a soul. We have been told over and over that they need a soul over needing blood. So why then would they need to take that much blood?

3. Under normal circumstances, save for the Atlantic Arc, there are usually not that many dolls as clearly it would take a lot of reapers to do what Undertaker did for the ship. It seemed like he probably was working overtime to create them, and clearly since Derek’s was a finer product that means that he took more care and a longer period to create him.

Now let’s look at the Blue Cult group:

1. We know that they cater to all walks of life, but also that they split people based on blood types. (This isn’t the case with the dolls as it doesn’t seem to matter for them what their blood type is.)

2. Music and smell seem to be a way to cause hypnosis and put people into a sleep state, causing others to rest so that their blood can be taken.

3. We know that the blood is removed in a scientific manner that is very much similar to modern blood removal techniques.

4. According to Othello this is stuff that normally only someone like a demon could conger up this sort of mechanism.

What’s interesting to me is that people assume that it’s Undertaker that’s causing the situation, but there’s enough hints dropped that, at least in this case, I don’t think it’s him causing the issue. For one thing we know that Undertaker likes to set things up as jokes, and there’s no joke here. There’s no punch-line period. This is quite different from Undertaker’s other games, like with Weston for example. Another interesting aspect is the use of the stars and such for their playing. Undertaker, as a Reaper, really wouldn’t see the use of this. His goals come from the dead, so the living, save for those he’s interested in, don’t really concern him as much. To add to this we’ve seen how Undertaker operates. While at Weston he let everything run normally, meaning that save for his little plans, he didn’t mess with much in the way the school was run.

On top of this, why would he need a machine to take the blood? This is someone who has supernatural powers, and we’ve seen that his scythe is powerful enough to cut into various things. We’ve also known that he already knows how to inter bodies as he did so with Madam Red. So why would he need blood removal, when he probably already has other ways of doing so that don’t require him to create machines? On top of that, we’ve already seen how he feels about said contraptions as he creates a false one for Stoker.

So, why would a guy like that set this whole Blue Sect up in the first place? I would say he wouldn’t. It doesn’t fit his MO. We know that his goal seems to be to create a perfected Bizarre doll to bring someone back to life (My money on Claudia), and how would taking all this blood be useful, since we know that the body had blood of its own, as we’ve seen with other Dolls when they’ve been attacked and they bleed. Undertaker has never said that he needed blood for them. Once their hearts start pumping and they get oxygen to their system they can move on their own.

Then the question becomes who needs this blood?

I keep going back to the image that Othello had behind him.

While Undertaker certainly does have long finger nails as we’ve seen, they’re squared off, meaning that he rounds them rather than has them pointed. This is sort of important in regard to characteristics of hands. Nails that are rounded or squared tend to be less dangerous over all. You can certainly cut someone with them, but the main point is for them to be used for appearance. The idea of the nails being cut with a flatter edge is also to indicate that someone is not “dangerous” in a violent or “evil” manner.

On the other hand, pointed nails are a different story. Pointed nails tend to be used for villains or “evil” types of characters. These are used to show that the person is intending to harm others with their nails. In most cases. The sharper the nail the more likely that those nails will cut you. Harm can be brought to you with sharp nails, and normally villains with supernatural powers tend to have sharp nails.

Why am I going on about this? Well if you look previously at Sebastian’s hands, they have sharp nails when he was in demon form. When we look at the hand that is holding the gears and clock pieces, the nails are very much in the same vain as Sebastian’s. So that leaves us the question of, is it a demon? Othello seems to hint as much and we know from Sebastian’s own implications that time has no connection to a demon. So it’s pretty easy to at least infer that we’re going to be dealing with a demon here.

But what does that mean for the Blue Sect arc as a whole? There are a few things we can deduce from the events so far in the Blue Sect arc.

To start with we have to look at what’s happening from the beginning to see exactly what the Blue Sect’s Stars and Blavat gets out of all of this.

In chapter 1 we’re given a hint of a religious feel to this location. Edward notices that the Blue Sphere music hall offers up free food, help with education, and the intermingling among all patrons. This is very much in regard to certain aspects in connection to religious cults or orders getting people to join. You see this when people talk about joining cults and are invited to meet and greet parties that are of a similar vein to the Blue Cult’s events.

We know then that Blavat and the Stars are getting a large number of people coming into the events. Not all will continue to come in, but some will become part of the cult.

Secondly, we know that the Stars are getting blood, a lot of it, and when we look at the order of the Stars and the blood that they get it seems a bit telling about their conditions, in various ways.

Room 1, Sirius: Yes we’ve said before that there are similarities to Ciel’s room, but that doesn’t mean that it’s supposed to be his room. In all likely hood the room was designed to seem affluent, and because we’ve only seen Ciel’s room fully and Lizzy’s, we only have his to compare things too. What’s interesting about the room and the silence that comes from it is that there are jars on the side. At least one jar is a mason jar used for preservatives. The likely hood is that this Lord is suffering from a vascular disease since we saw how his veins are popping out.

Room 2 Canopus: Given the bloody bandages and the limited amount of items in the room. To me it seems this person is probably dealing with Hemophilia at the very least, at the worst it’s something to do with anemia.

Room 3 Vega: Vega is a hard one to figure since it’s clearly a girl’s room and it appears there are twins there. We have very limited info on that other than female. This could also be a case of anemia given the fact that one could bleed a lot though their menstruation.

Room 4 Polaris: Now this one is hard. It could be that the blood is being used as a means of dealing with some form of mental disorder. Although I honestly think that the bed headboard has a name scratched into it. At least one Katakana is visible on the headboard and can be read as Ha, and the one next to it seems to be I and the last one is either Ta or Ya if you read it right to left. (So the name could probably be either Heath or Hiatt –meaning from the high gate.)

What’s also interesting is the fact that Sirius has the least amount of blood meaning that the issue with his probable vascular disease needs the most blood followed by Canopus who probably has the issues of hemophilia. While the other two have lesser version s of their condition as Polaris doesn’t seem to be using as much blood. Since the best blood is given to Sirius it’s clear that those that were receiving the rest were slowly depleting the supply, although they were killed off by being drained.

Thirdly, we also know that whoever is running this group clearly has a connection to a demon. Othello pretty much made that clear when he mentions it. It’s point blank in the text on the page that a demon would have to be the one helping with this.

So who would be the great inventor? Undertaker? Again, not his style also given his dislike of Sebastian, he, like the other reapers, don’t want to have a connection to them all that much. If you go back to the Murder mystery arc, you can see that he isn’t always happy with Sebastian and will, more than often, prefer the company of Ciel. So why would a Reaper work at all with a demon? Why would he need to? I really don’t think he would.

So that leaves the group that we see and Blavat as the connector to all of it.

So with these in mind what can we make out of the whole plan that’s been laid before us?

Chapter 112 Tells us what sort of person Lord Sirius really is: he or she is a genius of a person, a prodigy no less, but also someone who is versatile (a do anything, go anywhere sort of person) who also is two faced. Why is this important? Well this paints an interesting picture. This is a person who can con people, much like…oh Blavat. So the likely hood is that Blavat learned from Lord Sirius.

So what does a person like this do when they’re faced with something that they can’t cure? Why, go the occult route, and bring a demon into existence.

Well let’s start with the whole Plan that Blavat mentions in Chapter 124. He says that the songs explain everything, and this is pretty much true to the point that each song that the S4 sings defines the fact that the blood, or “shine” is being given to the four lords. We also know that from the start the idea was to give blood to the Lords and the pale Blue star.

Funny thing about this, Sirius is a two faced star, which should be a giveaway that the person is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Not only that but then there’s the fact that it’s not a blue star. This is kind of important. Sirius is a normal star with a dwarf star beside it (thus the two faced aspect like a Gemini). This becomes interesting when you consider that there is a pale blue star in the dog constellation. It’s not directly inside of Canis Major, but it is south of it, and it’s a giant Blue star.

So going back to the Demon and the connections here:

We know that Blavat Sky is very interested in keeping things up for the sake of the Blue Star and to help them out.

So that would mean that Blavat has a keen interest in the Blue Star as well as the Lords that run this show.

Given that Othello believes this to be the work of a demon, and we know that outside of Grell, the Reapers have been pretty honest (even Grell herself/himself), so I’m taking Othello at his word here, we can assume that a demon is behind things.

Since that is the case we can then assume that the Lords probably set up a deal with the demon, or at least one of them did.

Or Blavat made the deal with the Demon and his helping the Lords is part of it.

In either case, we can then assume that the deal with the demon was probably made at an earlier age for these people. If it was then we can assume that they are trying to prolong their lives for the express purpose of not having to finalize the deal they made.

Keep in mind that demons are loyal only due to the contract. As such said demon is probably waiting on the chance to eat the souls of these four.

On the other hand, if Blavat is the one that made the deal, then we can assume that eating the souls of the four Lords might be a part of it. Then again, maybe Blavat is trying to keep the people alive.

Whatever the case is I think the Pale Blue Star and Lord Sirius are two different people.

However, I think that the demon is probably connected between these two without at least one of them knowing it.

My guess on this, and again I’m trying to reason things out as to why there would be a second demon is pretty simple. We know quite a bit about the Reapers. Who they are, and mostly how they function (within the context of the important aspects of the trio we’ve met, and Othello’s bringing new stuff in) as a group. Who we don’t know about is the demons. We only have Sebastian and he’s, as per Will and the others, a weirdo. He’s a picky eater who seems to be unlike the others. Or so we’ve been told via his own words.

What we don’t have is the comparisons. We don’t know at all about those that he contradicts, other then what he’s told us, and for the most part he’s a bit of an unreliable narrator. So what better way to learn about the demon world then, well, by a new demon? We may have already seen her in the form of a drawing that Yana-sensei has put out recently.

If this drawing is the demon in question, then what reason would she have to stick around? Well, again, we were told that we’d get some answers here, and what if that demon was the one that was set out to kill Ciel’s father? Remember not all Contracts have to end in a soul being eaten. On top of that, we don’t know if there’s rules in regard to taking more than one contract at a time. We’ve only seen Sebastian, and again, he’s the odd one. So there is a chance that the demon may be working with someone who is still alive.

This would rule out undertaker as he’s dead and I don’t think he can just offer up his soul since he was in the Reapers. So that means it’s someone who still has a soul to give. This opens up a lot of possibilities here and probably will have ties into the Osiris Company.

My guess also is that this female demon may have been the one that convinced Elizabeth to not go back to Sebastian. If she has no idea that this woman is a demon, and given the fact that she’s been brainwashed, then she’s probably given Lizzy a song and dance routine to make her believe that Ciel is in danger from Sebastian. Either though giving her info about him being a demon, or possibly just indicating that Sebastian may have had something to do with actions that Ciel took. We also can point to the fact that way back in the Halloween picture of Lizzy and Ciel with Undertaker, Sebastian was holding up a plate with a lid up and we saw two eyes peering from the darkness.

Please also note that she has black pointed finger tips, very much like the hand we see with the gears. My guess, this demon’s going to get away for now.

This got me thinking about the strange female shadow we see hovering around Ciel in Chapter 113. A demon’s magic could easily explain the brainwashing too. We know that Lizzy is, for the most part, someone that wants to protect Ciel.

So that’s my guess:

A female demon is pretty much controlling the show right now.

She managed to brainwash Lizzy into thinking that Sebastian is evil.

Blavat is either the one contracted or he’s working for the Contractor.

This demon may have been the one that destroyed or helped to destroy the house.

I know this is all over the place, but it’s hard to put everything in order without the pictures that I would use for proof.

Note: Added the pictures. Hope they help make sense of my ramblings.

PS: The Blue Star that’s in Canis is UW Canis Majoris (circle marked NGC 2362) and it has an interesting line onto Sirius. It’s also a Blue Super Giant which means it’s blue and white rather then just white like Sirius. So that’s what has me wondering if this is the Blue Star (or if not this one, then a similar Blue giant or super giant) that Blavat is referencing.

#kuroshitsuji #kuroshitsuji theory #ciel phantomhive #sebastian michaelis #ciel #sebastian #undertaker #elizabeth midford #lizzy #lizzy midford #blavat sky #grim reapers #demon girl #demon #black butler #black butler theory #kuroshitsuji theories #black butler theories

232 notes · View notes

elaf94 · 7 years

Text

My unique BL collection part 8

Key symbols: ♡ manga likability [out of 5] ● uke likability [out of 3] ■ seme likability [out of 3]

-"Suki" da Nante Zettai ni Iwanai: ♡

"I'm not in love with you anymore." When Mamoru was 12 years old, Kanato, the childhood friend he thought of as a brother, told Mamoru that he loved him. But Mamoru replied, "Two guys can't be like that," and rejected him. After that, they went their separate ways. Mamoru wanted to apologize and return things to they way they were before... Now 15, Mamoru moves to Tokyo to pursue Kanato and they meet again at the same school, in the same dorm room... They feel such warmth when they sleep next to each other, Kanato's hand stroking Mamoru's head... Nothing's changed. But they can't turn back time.

READ

-Kowagaranai de, soba ni ite: ♡♡■

Ono Shizuka is a baker who got into an argument with his partner Sakai and fell off the stairs. The accident caused him to forget about Sakai entirely. However, he now is very interested in the beautiful but lonely man.

READ

-Takashima Kouichirou no Risou no Koibito: ♡●●■

One day Kitamura forgets his cellphone, being found by his kouhai. He find out that his senpai is narcissist, telling him that he will keep his secret if he will become his sex friend.

READ

-Love is Blind: ♡●■■■

one shot about a blind masseur and his roomate.

READ

-Tsukiatte Agete mo Ii n Dakara ne: ●■■■

At a bar, easy-to-stalk Akesato meets a guy who's just his type and whose true identity is...!?

READ

-Aishuu: ●●

College student Haneji Kaoru is surprised when popular actor Aragaki Jin appears in his workplace. They were high school friends, but unable to cope with his deepening feelings for the playboy, Haneji cut all ties after graduation. But now that Aragaki has found him, he has no intention of letting Haneji go...

READ

-Makkurayami de Kimi to: ♡♡

Adults have secrets. One night, after hearing a scream, Takimoto Kaoru is suddenly held tightly by someone in complete darkness. He was too surprised to retaliate, but the smell that tickled his nose was… Sakumra-kachou?! In addition he tells him to “sleep with me tonight”?! Takimoto, who couldn’t refuse an elite superior is now being used all over the place! And the appearance of a troublesome yandere ikemen Iwase Yuutarou doesn’t help either. A bitter love, where the guys’ wounds and secrets overlap, is here.

READ

-Yoru to Asa no Uta:

Asaichi can't play any instruments, his voice is average, and he's only in the band for the girls and the sex. Plus, he's homophobic. For some reason, the new bassist is infatuated with him despite the treatment Asaichi gives him.

READ

-Scarlet:

▪1-2) Scarlet: College student Akio is dating his beautiful classmate, Ryou. Unable to stand the slightest loneliness, Ryou accepts any girl who approaches him. One day, Ryou introduces Akio to a girl he is thinking of marrying which makes Akio decide to completely break it off with Ryou. Instead, a heart wrenching love story takes stage!

▪3-4) One Night Stand: During the day Harumi is just a normal businessman but when night comes he changes into a different person.

▪5) My Lover: Keito wonders why he is still in a relationship with the overly depressive Naoki

READ

-Kuroneko Kareshi no Asobikata (and sequels): ●

Shingo, who has the ability to change into a black cat, will sleep with anyone as long as he likes their face and body. Pushed down by a male who has a musky scent, the No.1 popular actor Kagami, has fallen for him. On top of Shingo's sticky abdomen, the beastly form Kagami has shown is--?!

READ

-Mou Ichido, Nando Demo: ♡●■

After an accident, Takahiro loses his memories of his relationship with his live-in boyfriend, Tarou. Will Takahiro get back his memories? Will he be able to fall in love again?

read

-Harete Bokutachi wa: ♡♡ (I really love the GL subplot)

High-school student Chihiro is small and cute, and gets molested by middle-aged men on the train. But it wasn't always this way - up through elementary. Chihiro was bigger than all the other boys and defended his friend, smaller and gentler Keigo, from the bullies. That is until Keigo was transferred to Vienna! Despite promising to write, Chihiro had long ago left behind the memories of Keigo. Now Keigo is coming back to Japan and what's more they'll be living under one roof! Will Chihiro accept the confession from Keigo who has become like a stranger to Chihiro?

READ

-Dokidoki Renai: ♡♡●●

After declaration of love from both. Now Chihiro and Keigo have started dating...but really what is the difference between best friends and boyfriends. Will the two of them learn in time the difference between friendship and love! Not to mention jealousy...

READ

-Samishigariya no Love Letter: ♡♡ (●●Haruto ■■ Hina)

Yuuki is a university student bored with his ordinary life. One day after returning home after class, he finds a strange chocolate tin in his bag. Inside it is a letter with "I want a friend" written on it by an unknown sender. When he writes a reply as a joke, the next morning another letter is inside it...

READ

-Mods: ♡♡■■

Tora is looking for a job, so he decides to apply for this particular place... What he didn't know is that this place is a Male's Brothel. Here he meets Shiro, the most requested male prostitute. At the beginning Tora feels reluctant to work in this environment, but the vulnerability aura that surrounds Shiro makes him stay, plus he needs the money. Everything goes well at first, they stablish this sort of friendship, but shortly after that, feelings, desires and painful secrets complicates their already fragile relationship...

READ

-Tasogare Dare:

Asahi Kikuchi is a university boy who has a hole in his memory and a real difficulty to remember people's faces and names. One day, he meets the waiter at a restaurant right after his girlfriend dumps him, and can't help noticing how much he looks like his first love.

READ

-Minori no Te: ♡●■■

The chiropractors, oasis, is no place for ordinary customers. It caters for all sorts from hotshot, crime syndicate leaders to nationally popular celebrities. Even those socially depicted as assertive are no match to the touch of Dr. Minori Shigehumi's magic fingers. Overflowing with affection, Dr. Minori's technique leads their heated bodies to a greater level of satisfaction

READ

-Mahoroba Days: ♡♡●●●■■

The Kuga House is the most prestigious deer family in Nara Prefecture. Shiraha, their heir, is attached to childhood human friend, Sousuke. Shiraha is popular and loved by all, while Sousuke is a mere servant of the house. But he is always telling Sousuke how much he likes him. Even though he feels special to be singled out by the beautiful and esteemed Shiraha, he knows that there is a line that he cannot cross. But! During mating season, Shiraha can't control himself anymore and he comes on to Sousuke! Since then, the scales of their well-balanced relationship tips and Sousuke's virtue falls into danger!

READ

-Sakura-gari:

The story centers around the 17-year-old Tagami Masataka as he aims to find his place in life. While attempting to start prep school as a rounin, he encounters Saiki Souma, the son of a distinguished noble of the Saiki Koushyaku family, and becomes part of the Saiki household.

READ

-Kaeru no★Prince-sama: ■■●●

Socially awkward Aono was perfectly happy working in Quality Control as but fate would have it he's been transferred to the Sales Department?? As if being ridiculed by his co-workers for his nervous stutter isn't bad enough, he's thoroughly mortified when the departmental star Gouzaka overhears him having a breakdown on the roof. But no matter how often he pushes Gouzaka away or how fast Aono runs Gouzaka is always there by his side...

READ

-Danshi Koukousei-teki Kazoku Keikaku!: (Satoru is cute beyond words)

Hino-kun is good-looking and a rumored delinquent. Actually, he is a kind-hearted high school student who looks after his young nephew. He can see that Mizusawa-kun is good at making sweets so for the sake of his fatherless nephew, he asks him to, "Please marry my older sister!" But instead, he receives a reverse proposal from Mizusawa saying, "I want to marry you."…?!

READ

-Kono Ore ga Omae nanka Suki na Wakenai: ●●

Fujima Taisei is a high schooler who had grown up spoiled by the people around him ever since he was little because of his pretty face. In his pleasant school life, there was only one time that had become the only stain in his life, when a student named Okachi Machi, whom Taisei had grown close to in order to get others' attention, had told him that actually he had never been his friend at all. Now Taisei wants revenge. What will happen these two?!

READ

-Void: ♡■●●

Maki receives humanoid Arata as a birthday present. Arata is an illegal male pet type humanoid with appearance and some memories copied from stolen data of Maki's late lover Ren.

READ

-Okubyoumono ni I Love You: ♡●●

Due to his scary face, Shougo has been alone since entering university. But unexpected events lead him to become close with Hina, from the same university. Shougo, elated at the fact he's become friends with the cool and kind Hina, finds out that Hina breaks out into hives when people treat him with affection—a "love allergy"?!

READ

-Romantic Joutou: ♡■■

Kei [Ω] acts cute & innocent as fancying to have a happy glamourous life with a rich, kind & cool Alpha while needs help from childhood friend Tsugi [B] during heat.. Unfortunately, a dreamy [∝] Ekihito turns out to be a haughty crazy scum, thinks of their relationship as 'Master-Servant' and even plans to collect 66 mistress Omega to have >198 children for pro-league soccer.. Worse that Tsugi's had enough of Kei's whims & wanna leave, what's Kei's gonna do?

READ

-Taikutsu wa Warawanai: ■■

Passer by on the street, Satake Tamotsu gets knocked over by beautiful Tamenaga Makoto whom he falls head over heals for at first sight, but Tamenaga Makoto, though pretty to look at, has a complex...

READ

-Yajirushi: ♡

A student who's had it super easy his whole life & an errand boy with communication difficulties. Also contains multiple one shots about twisted love.

Read

-Yamete kudasai, Koishii desu: ■■●●

the spinoff of Yamete Kudasai Mabushii desu. Following the happiness of the Koga and Sasano, Sugiyama and Hibiya began to deepen their relationship from friendship little by little. However, because it was something trivial, they are still under the impression of “being friends”. Meanwhile, a year passes and a new encounter comes.

read

-Iyayoiyayo mo Kiss no Uchi:

1-2) Iyayoiyayo mo Kiss no Uchi: Souji kun hates his older brother's bestfriend Megumi. Though their relationship was fine, why did they end up being far from their closeness before? 3-4) Start line made Atto Ipo When his close friend Kazu who's unamused & uninterested in anything but Seichi, confessed to him. Super-duper kind & compassionate Seichi just let Kazu do him though not agreed to date yet.. even planed about supporting Kazu when he found a nice gal.

read

-utsukushii koto/Itoshii koto:

Matsuoka is hooked on wearing his ex-girlfriend's clothes and going for nighttime walks into town, feeling the pleasure of being stared at by men wherever he goes. One night, after he is assaulted by a man during a one-off encounter, he is saved by Hirosue, a nondescript senior worker from his company. Drawn to Hirosue's innocent, pure love, Matsuoka continues to meet with Hirosue dressed as a woman, until Hirosue finally confesses to him. (The novel started perfectly with slow and concrete progression, all that crumbled under the rushed, too convenient and unsatisfying "happy" end. The extras served as home remedies for my wound, not curative but palliative)

read

-Pornographer:

An erotic novelist and a college student. What will transpire when the latter is forced to take down sexually-explicit dictation?

read

-Lonely to Organdy: ♡ (3rd saddest story I've ever read)

Haruta gets involved in an accident with a scooter, believing he would die from his injuries but instead of that he starts to see ghosts!

read

#My unique BL collection #yaoi recommendations #BL recommendations #yaoi list #bl list #favorite manga

7 notes · View notes

sohannabarberaesque · 4 years

Text

Moth Mondays with the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera:

Loopy De Loop “himself”

Continuing in our series of “Sharing the Dive,” after the advice of Peter Potamus asking the members of his Travelling SCUBA Par-tay to share the diving experience with others, encouraging such to Discover Diving as a worthwhile leisure opportunity in the bargain, “Le Bon Loup” “himself” shares some of his memories of his “Sharing The Dive” approach with fellow winter visitors from his native Quebec (Canada)--and actually doing so in French, besides.

“Here’s Loopy De Loop, live at The Moth ...”

Talk about “sharing the dive” and not being mocked as a wolf in the process:

It was a couple of winters ago down in the Florida Keys where my “sharing the dive” experience I relate here came about--more specifically, down in the likes of Islamorada, itself the diving paradiso of the American mainland; credit the presence of numerous coral reefs off the Keys for that fact. In particular the world’s first underwater preserve, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. And in a somewhat seedy and ratty-looking motel room, Loopy De Loop, ever the optimistic type, decided to come up with an approach aimed at catering to winter Quebecoise--as in such from Quebec who winter in Florida, considering where the winters in La Belle Province can get to be brutal, even for wolves like me and my nephew Bon-Bon, no?

The approach chosen: Offering dive instruction to my fellow winter Quebecoise, not to mention demonstration dives ... and to make them “feel at home” all the more, I felt it best to offer the instruction in French. Which, I was hoping, might make things somewhat popular with the winter Quebecoise--or maybe not. And besides, you’re not whistling “A la claire fontaine” for nothing when you try and win over fellow Quebecoise in winter. In Florida. In the Keys, even!

Still, one lesson you learn quickly down in Florida is that “Florida Water” is actually a brand of cologne, which may be a little tricky to locate ... but so, back to my experiences: It was in the week between Christmas and New Year’s, by and large, when it seems things must get a little slow as people start to deal with the holidays as a “silly season” of sorts, that I decided to get my “sharing the dive” experience started.

Thanks to a modest little French-language flyer made, for the most part, on a convenience-store photocopier and shared with the local tourist-information office, motels and at least one diver’s bar likely to be frequented by winter Quebecoise, I managed to get in the end a group of no less than five somewhat cheeky pre-teens whose parents somehow must have been of the insistence that they needed something better to do than watch TV and play video games endlessly while wintering in the first place, not to mention giving the parents “some time for themselves”.

And considering that the instruction would naturally be in French, at least to ensure a touch of La Belle Province, at least the group I was to instruct, at least in snorkelling, was able to understand things for once. Even if, understand, the French for snorkel is “tuba,” which can cause some confusion to the English-speaking. At any rate, in explaining myself and the lessons to hand, I decided to exercise my legendary “good wolf” sort of approach, even if it was a little ridiculous to begin with. Approximate translation:

“At least you’re not wasting your afternoons with boredom ... for it is I, none other than Loopy De Loop, as is prepared to take you to another interesting dimension!”

To which an 11-year-old boy whose voice was on the verge of breaking asked me, “What dimension are we talking about?”

“Good question, bon ami ... it’s the dimension of underwater. It’s called diving. And I guarantee without doubt that things will turn out rather caring and patient with you all. Which can only mean something of a wonderful experience to be had by all.”

One thing I was surprised to see in this particular group was a 10-year-old girl still wearing water wings, which had me explaining that water wings aren’t exactly part of the dive experience, to begin with, and that in future, she might want to leave the water wings at the motel. So, the morning following, I explained the basics of snorkelling, introducing such by explaining--in translation here, mind you--”To begin with, SCUBA isn’t always necessary to explore much of the underwater scene around here; on the contrary, most of the reefs around here are in relatively shallow waters--as in about 10-15 feet deep--meaning that just your basic mask/fins/snorkel should more than suffice.” (Pause.) “Not to mention some worthwhile swimming skills as can be translated underwater, as if you didn’t know it.

“But I came across a rather interesting mask/snorkel hybrid,” said I, holding one up, “making the snorkelling experience a little easier for once. And such is what we’ll be doing our diving lessons on.” Considering how new it was, I had to acknowledge they needed to get acquainted with the whole, but at least two of my group managed to get the hang of it.

“Follow Loopy into the water!” exclaimed I, and down to about chest-high on my part, my party dove in ... and for such a party as would have otherwise wanted to waste time on the TV, even if it was cheesy teleromans, were it not for the parents’ desire that their kids just be out for the sake of said parents, it just felt unbelievable. If you were to think for a moment that these kids were to get scared and afraid of the water initially--especially underwater, and considering the week or so I spent with them--quite the contrary: They actually found the experience worth the time and trouble, so much so that the parents behind this particular group added something like 15% of what I was charging originally as a show of thanks.

Spent mainly to cover the rent on my room and a bowl of conch stew at the local dive bar every evening. Which, down in the Keys, is high living, in a way. Merci beaucoup, as we would say back in Quebec City.

“... and that’s the story from The Moth”

(The preceding is an independent fanfic feature having no official connexion or association with The Moth. For more information, please to visit their website ... and tune in to The Moth Radio Hour weekends on your local public radio station; check your local radio listings for the day and time.)

@warnerarchive @hanna-barbera-land @warnerbrosentertainment @joey-gatorman @hanna-barberians @screamingtoosoftly @themineralyoucrave @hanna-barbera-blog @dinobirdy @wherearethememesonmyplate

#fanfic #hanna barbera #the moth #moth monday #crossover #loopy de loop #sharing the dive #discover diving #islamorada #winter quebecers #winter quebecoise #diving instruction #snorkeling #snorkelling #florida keys #hannabarberaforever

0 notes

susannessmartin-blog · 5 years

Text

Amazon to resume shipping to Australia after online GST change

Be sure to see what each of these tools have to offer and adopt whichever will meet the SEO needs of your business best. Type the guest of honor's name and age into the appropriate text boxes and change the "chalk" colors if you choose by selecting options on the Font menu.. You hereby waive all rights to any claim against Bright Hub for any alleged or actual infringements of any proprietary rights, rights of privacy and publicity, moral rights, and rights of attribution in connection with such Materials.. A start for Australia, Heal added. The water is refreshingly cold on a summer day, and all the local kids entertain with some seriously irresponsible jumps designed to freak out squares from the city. About UsSay hello to my leetle friend a modest, homegrown documentary that tells the grisly tale of Miami's cocaine wars of the late Seventies and early Eighties with gusto. Accordingto military records,D was a seaman second class who served in the US Navy and went missing in action when the USS Little sank in the Solomon Islands on September 5, 1942, during WWII.. The round also included two Michigan venture capital funds, Augment Ventures and the First Step Fund, a partnership among Invest Detroit, TechTown, Automation Alley, and Ann Arbor SPARK. Watching them now brings back those emotions I felt growing up. And it's not by accident that she's often snapped by the paparazzi sporting the wearable works of art spawned by the creative genius of one of the planet's hottest designers, Miami resident Ema Koja. For the main course, try the chicken marsala ($14), which is saut with (also homemade) wine sauce and fresh mushrooms over a tender filet of chicken. For every five consecutive nuns you knock out, you can power up to unleash a super punch.. The report found the highest rates of homelessness and housing and food insecurity among students in Northern California.. India with 1.3 billion people is the last remaining large market for smartphone makers, and the new rules pave the way for Apple to control its own retailing and branding, both online and offline. We already won the lottery. The Florida native uses her social media cheap yeezy shoes to promote causes that matter most to her including Black Lives Matter specifically sharing her concern about her nephew being in danger from police due to his skin color.. We'd argue that whether or not you agree with the questions, the other issues which we mentioned above are a bigger dealbreaker, that render any response good or bad irrelevant.. In addition, Boisi held numerous other positions during his 22 years at Goldman Sachs, including: chairman of strategic planning, co chair of the international management committee, partner in charge of global finance, head of investment banking services, and partner in charge of mergers and acquisitions. Observe other brands that you admire and delve into what makes their employees such strong brand ambassadors. Said the difficult pregnancy had put a on our relationship but getting through it had ultimately made them than ever would think that your close friends and family should just support you from day one, but we have had to cope with them pressuring us to abort Bella. As I'm sure you noticed, the factor that propelled my return was appreciation. The benefits will only be evident in a few years. The cost of continuing the lockout were a lot less certain and a lot more implicit (read: hidden and complicated) but likely would have taken the form of decreased league revenues as fans stop watching football and start watching "Breaking Amish.". The researchers confirmed that the travel times calculated by their model were similar to the time it took real objects accidentally dumped into the ocean to be carried by currents. Volunteers from four York County congregations came together to fight hunger. 10% Happier: This app, while seemingly not as ubiquitous as Calm, is geared specifically toward fidgety skeptics and brands itself as "no BS." Check and check. It's still light and fast. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take medicines to thin your blood (anticoagulants). YORK COUNTY, Pa. This is a trick that retail stores have know about for ages. Us (the Boomers), we don care about the if we care about what we do fake yeezys for kids have moving forward and what we have to do to prepare to get all the talent we do have to play as a group. Building a company's Cheap Fake Yeezys capability to deliver makes the difference between turning a great idea into a business or failure. In the mid 1960s, he passed on leadership to his son Dan Rooney, who in 2009 was named Ambassador to Ireland by President Obama. The result was Reggaeton Bachateo, a tropical bachata album with a modern reggaeton twist. Just remember, a nicer building will have a lower ratio of expenses to income than a worse one and other factors, like who pays the utilities come into play. 1.13 crore compared to the money purportedly received by accused already discharged in the cases.. Some of my students grew up on farms, many worked in restaurants, others worked in family businesses that cater to health foods and a few have worked in homeless shelters and food banks.

0 notes

idolizerp · 5 years

Photo

LOADING INFORMATION ON OLYMPUS’ MAIN DANCE, LEAD RAP KYO SEOKYUNG...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 24 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: Midas ETC: This member is a vocal or performance soloist

IDOL IMAGE

who is kyo seokyung? that is an excellent question. ever since his first day as a trainee, midas knew two things about him: he was smart and well-spoken. maybe it had a lot to do with his family, but that didn’t matter, what mattered is that they had someone who could deliver the ‘diplomatic’ answers, someone who could answer ‘risky’ questions, if at all, and give rather ‘decent’ answers. During interviews, seokyung isn’t loud or obnoxious, he’s mostly calm and collected, flashing a smile here and there, running his fingers through his hair, “looking pretty” if you will, just being the “company” boy midas wants him to be, just as they expected since he was a teenager. but he’s funny and he’s witty when the occasion asks for it; he will show his talents and smile, or laugh it off if he’s too embarrassed. he has charm and he always puts it to good use.

he has poise, he has grace, he’s elegant and he’s kind. despite him being humble about it and often mentioning he “is not perfect”, midas most definitely wants everyone to believe so. but he’s right, he isn’t. in reality, seokyung is quite different than the person the fans think he is. while yes, said poise and grace still lives within him, he’s far from being kind, often feeling annoyed by various life frustrations, snapping when things don’t go his way. he’s serious, he’s quiet, he barely wants to talk and act fake in front of the cameras, but he must.

the thing is, he’s just really good at pretending, like any other idol in the industry. and with the family he has, how could he not be?

the company has often pushed him to be the one to give the ‘corporate’ answers most people want to hear. his fans are sure he truly is incapable of doing something wrong, of doing something problematic, something that could get him in trouble because he’s just /that/ good at what he does, he’s great when it comes down to wearing that mask.

most people think seokyung is being one hundred percent authentic during his videos and actually? he is most of the time. but everything is also being controlled and monitored by his company. if a video is slightly controversial, he gets asked to do it all over again. If he says something that could be deemed as scandalous, he immediately gets asked to tone it down or twist it around. he’s a master of manipulation, a tactic he learned from his family. he just knows how to become a person he just isn’t in any kind of occasion.

and yet, he still makes sure to show a bit of who he truly is during his videos. the relaxed guy who has no problem in being bare-faced, who sits outside of his apartment and allows to be sunkissed while he talks about anything that comes to mind. he encourages others to follow their dreams, fight for what they believe in and to believe in themselves. things he sometimes can’t do for himself. but everyone eats it up and no one will complain about it.

but the pressure to be this ‘perfect individual’ does get to him at times. he has to be extremely careful with his steps, because at the end of the day, when the cameras aren’t rolling? he knows he’s not the person people want him to be and if he were to ever do something bad? he’d lose his fans’ trust and that would hurt him deeply, also taking away from him the one thing he’s worked so hard for for years; a career of his own. being perfect is clearly impossible, but seokyung pressures himself so much to ‘be perfect’ that his most loyal fans actually believe it and it’s good. it’s perfect, even.

making videos and showing a more ‘human’ side of himself might be cute, but it’s not exactly what he dedicates himself to. it’s merely just a step, a step to a path where he doesn’t have to carry the burden of dealing with his group mates, a path where it’s just him, solo. the company, of course, does everything in their power to push him into keeping that narrative of the sweet, humble guy who adores his fans. they just know how convenient that is.

there is just one thing that is actually real, honest and sincere and that’s his love for his fans. seokyung makes sure to cater to them in any way possible, because the love he gets from them is actually something he appreciates. this shows, of course, and while the company might think this is all an act, it is for sure, the only honest thing about him. when it comes down to his group mates, he protects and takes care of them when the cameras are and aren’t rolling; yet just another little thing the fans love about him.

pretending perfection, however, will cost him a lot in the long run. he’s aware of it, but he will keep riding on that for as long as he can.

IDOL HISTORY

born with a silver spoon in his mouth could be deemed by something positive for most, but he would beg to differ. his grandfather is the founder of an important electronics company in south korea, a company that his father obviously inherited. in a sense, you could say seokyung was supposed to be the next in line to take over the company and follow his family’s steps.

his mother? a gentle-looking-stay-at-home mom, or as many called her: a trophy wife. up to this day, he’s not entirely sure his sister and him were conceived because their parents loved each other, instead, because there was a contract between them. this, though, is something he cannot confirm and are just mere speculations he came up with.

him? a good kid with an artistic soul, someone who spent most of his time studying to make his parents proud and giving his little sister the attention they were clearly not giving her. he put his entire heart and soul into giving her the best kind of life he could, into making her laugh, entertaining her with whatever jokes, doing his best to be someone she could look up to. his parents, however, were more busy attending parties, always putting themselves, their name and their reputation first. the rest was simply secondary.

an important husband, a beautiful wife, two lovely children. it was truly the picture perfect family for every magazine out there. the wealth was real, but the happiness wasn’t. there’s plenty of people and factors that come into play when it comes to the kyo’s and why they can’t reach true happiness.

with that said, let’s talk about seokyung’s uncle.

up to this day, he still wonders if his uncle’s motives had anything to do with the fact he wasn’t the next in line to inherit the company or if he’s simply just a piece of shit. due to his father’s job, he was barely around to ever give his children a second glance. his brother “promised” to be the fatherly figure seokyung and his little sister sunhee needed, often spending time at the kyo’s and pretending to be a good person. but he wasn’t. his uncle never missed an opportunity to verbally and physically hurt seokyung, however, he never messed with sunhee and not because he didn’t want to, but because seokyung never allowed it; taking the punishment she was “supposed” to receive instead. of course, that man always played innocent, like he was the perfect father both kids deserved. this of course, also included berating seokyung’s dreams of becoming a writer, his talent and his creativity. he was only a kid with dreams, who was getting forced to grow up way too soon.

when doing something bad to seokyung, he always excused himself by saying; “this is what happens to badly behaved kids.”

then there’s his father.

when seokyung was only eight years old, he approached his father and revealed the truth about his uncle. about how terrible and how evil he actually was towards him and his sister. his father believed him, but didn’t do a thing about it. why, you wonder? because speaking up about it would result in a big scandal, because publicly accusing his brother of hurting his children would put their reputation in danger and… he couldn’t allow that.

instead, he gave his son some advice; “man up.”

his mother wasn’t any better.

his father didn’t help, so seokyung approached his mother. he knew it would be useless, because his own mother was often home, so she surely had an idea of what was happening. but she never interfered, she never defended him, she never defended his sister. she remained silent and looked into her child’s eyes, as he cried and explained how terrifying it was to live that way. he knew that the only reason why she never did anything about it was because she was terrified of losing the fortune she had thanks to his father.

she could only say one thing; “i’m so sorry i can’t do anything.”

his grandfather was probably the worst.

both his parents refused to help, so he approached the only man that could possibly do something against his son. however, when presented with the facts, his grandfather categorically denied it, claiming his son would never mistreat his nephew and niece, claiming he was a good and kind man who wouldn’t ever dare do something like that.

he ended the pointless conversation with a sentence; “…and even if it was true, it is none of my business.”

but he’s convinced he’s the bad guy of the story.

because he didn’t leave. because he didn’t stand up to any of them, becase he simply sulked and let people step on him and his sister. because he didn’t feel strong enough to fight, because he didn’t do anything to change the situation. because he simply let it be. there was no other way to solve it, so he simply let it be.

until he had enough. when seokyung turned ten, he decided it was time to confront his family, that it was time to speak up, that it was time to let the entire world know the kind of people they were and all the things and damage they had caused to him and sunhee. but the problem about the young seokyung was very clear: he underestimated his father and his power. to avoid the young boy from speaking up (and of course, to punish him for almost ruining their reputation), his father shipped him off to a private school in spain.

and then, there he was, alone, in another continent, another country, unfamiliar with the language and the culture shock hitting him like a bunch of rocks stuffed in a bag. so he cried every night, he wrote letters to sunhee, letting her know he would be back someday and that he’d make sure to get her out of there. he promised to give her the life both of them deserved, and he was confident in his promise.

overall, the teachers were good and kind people who did their best to teach him spanish and help him adapt, but even then, they noticed how hard it was for him to socialize, how hard it was for him to approach others. there was only one thing seokyung liked about being away from home and that was a girl in his class. she was pretty, smart and funny (or so he assumed because everyone laughed at her jokes). but he never dared to approach her, because every time he thought about it, he felt like passing out.

but there was one thing he did know about that girl: she loved dancing. he knew because that was the extracurricular she took everyday. of course, when his teachers approached him and suggested he should look into extracurricular activities so he could distract himself more and adapt to others? he didn’t think about it twice and signed up for the dance club.

he’s awkward at first, he feels like he moves terribly and has two left feet, but also because he’s the only boy in the club. the girls find it fascinating, but the rest of the kids never miss an opportunity to bully him about it. it’s fine, he always told himself, he had gone through worse. this time, at least, he can dance in the back and admire the girl, the way she moves, so graciously, so perfectly, and he wants to be at her level. so he didn’t half-ass it, he practiced and practiced a lot.

there’s one side, the one who has him learning spanish, sometimes messing up, sometimes doing really well, and it’s just enough to push him by through school life. there’s the kids hiding his things, the kids pushing him around, the kids calling him derogatory names, giving him a taste of another form of cruelty towards him. but it’s fine, he told himself, because one day he’d be old enough to leave this place.

then there’s the other side, the one where he shuts everyone out at night and he writes. he wrote stories, he wrote poems, he wrote music. sometimes inspired by melancholy, sometimes inspired by his feelings for the girl. there’s him getting good grades, there’s him excelling and looking his best at every dance class, there’s him triumphing everyday, and he was loving the rhythm. it had been slow at first, but he started to progress.

but as usual, his family won’t let him have that.

his father decided spending three years in a foreign country should be enough to learn your lesson, so he takes him back home and seokyung had to say goodbye to school, to his progress, to dancing and to her. but at least he’ll be able to see sunhee, and hopefully now, things at home will be way better than how they were when he left.

but he’s wrong.

the version of sunhee that he met was a different one. the smile on his sister’s face is no longer there and his jokes didn’t work anymore. his sister is haunted and there’s no feeling in the world that can explain how he felt, how angry it made him. that was when he decided he had to do something, he had to get him, but mostly her, out of that place. although seokyung doesn’t deem himself as a very talented kid, he thinks his moves are average and that could possibly give him a ticket to the freedom he was looking for.

getting permission from his parents to audition wasn’t a hard task whatsoever. if anything? they were glad because keeping him away would take a lot of weight off their shoulders. his dad, with his fake-interest and all, even took the young teen to the audition. it was convenient for him to stay, it was convenient for everyone. maybe if he got what he wanted? seokyung would stop nagging them about his problems.

and then there he was, at midas media. getting a spot there wasn’t easy at all, especially when you’re up against a bunch of kids he thought were extremely talented. but he gets signed because as usually, he didn’t half-ass his audition, he went in, did his best and got the opportunity.

this allowed him to stay away from his family. he preferred spending hours upon hours training to perfect his craft than be at home and be berated for whatever reason. he was having the time of his life despite his exhaustion and despite his frustration when something didn’t go well during practice.

so okay, he can dance, but what else could he do? this was the first time he was being encouraged to learn something new, the first time he was encouraged to work on his abilities, to just get better. his parents never did, they couldn’t care less about him getting better at anything. sure, he knew what it entailed to be here and that was why he was training. but nevertheless, he had to put on a lot of effort, not only physical, but emotional as well.

when they found out he could speak spanish, they absolutely loved it. he loved bragging about it to the other trainees and to ‘demonstrate’ how good he was, he would speak long, quick sentences. if he could do that in a foreign language, could he do the same thing in his native tongue? to test that out, they soon had him putting special focus on his rapping. clumsy at first, because there’s a big difference between one and the other, but if they wanted him to try and put this special “talent” of his to work? then, he had no choice but to make it work.

so he spent years working hard on his skills, getting better at each thing as much as he could. not only that, but the fact he was so smart and so well-spoken was clearly something the executives just loved about him. they knew there was still a lot of work to do, but so far? so good. they felt very confident on his abilities and knew that, if he kept up his hard work, he could be a big star.

it was still not easy, no matter the amount of talent he had and certainly lacked in other areas, trying to be ‘perfect’ wasn’t possible and he knew. he was, only human, after all. he wasn’t the best singer and he sometimes had trouble coordinating an ability with another. but he always told himself that his best had to be his best or else, he’d never be able to provide himself and sunhee of the life they truly deserved.

the tears, the exhaustion, the constant battles in his head worked in his favor eventually, because everything lead him to olympus, finally earning the ticket him and his sister needed to move on from their parents. he knew, though, that she would have to wait, that she would have to be patient, just a bit more. if she waited all those years, then she surely would be able to wait a few more.

he presents seokyung to the world, a different version to the real kyo seokyung, but everyone believes the fantasy he’s created of himself because he’s good at pretending. and how could he not be when all his life he had to pretend? when his family taught him that pretending was the best way you could do something in life?

when asked about his family, seokyung simply smiled and let everyone know his schedule barely allows him to see them, but wishes they are doing well.

this is a lie.

eventually, sunhee stops answering his letters, stops talking to him but before that, she tells him ‘you abandoned me’. he didn’t, he explains himself, but she doesn’t believe it. there’s nothing more he wants than to speak up, than to tell the entire world about his family, about his past. but he can’t, and he won’t. he has an image to uphold, his collected and poised one. he’s the one who likes answering questions, he’s the one who uses his poise and looks to almost-look-perfect. he can’t speak up because he would lose all of that.

especially not when midas is eventually giving him what he wants. a blessed opportunity named ‘solo’. he thinks he’s deserving, after all, why wouldn’t he be? he works hard everyday, puts his entire heart into everything he does, it’s the least that he deserves. however, every opportunity comes with a price, and the price of not being able to have much input in his work is what he has to pay. it is midas media after all, and he IS a member of olympus. the single idea of thinking the company would allow him to have much say was ridiculously laughable.

midas never takes a step before looking at both sides of the road, everything has to be meticulously supervised and seokyung being the only boy in olympus to release solo music is already a big step for them. unfortunately, the first try doesn’t go as well as they expected and yet, the only one who freaked out was seokyung. but it’s a “step” they say. “something different later”, they insist. and he has no choice but to sit tight and trust their words.

and that is why he can’t speak up about his past because people would realize that behind that face, there’s a life filled with torment, with pain, with lies, with mistreatment. he can’t allow anyone to see the scars beyond his smile. he can’t let anyone see the real him, not as long as he can help it. so he keeps being olympus’ seokyung, the boy who loves his group mates (a lie), the boy who loves and appreciates their fans, because they love him unconditionally. the boy who doesn’t take it easy, who works hard, who tries his best for his image to be close to impeccable. the boy who trains harder everyday, who will protect his friends from harm.

but he can’t show the real him to the world, the off-camera one, the one who’s not as warm as he shows himself to be, the one who’s quiet, the one who’s reserved, who barely cracks a joke. the one who reads, who writes sad poetry, who pours his heart out using pen and paper. he can’t let them see the hate, the one he feels for his family, and himself. the one with the sharp tongue, who will fight anyone who messes with him but who will also use his voice to stand up for others.

it’s too bad, too bad he can’t stand up for himself.

so he keeps writing to sunhee, even if he never receives anything back but he hopes she’ll be able to forgive him one of these days. that she’ll be able to forgive him for finding a way to escape, for finding a way out. it wasn’t easy and maybe, just maybe, she will see that someday.

#id.bio #id.midas #id.olympus #id.lee taeyong

0 notes

ljln · 7 years

Text

Show Me the Way to Forgive You: Maternal Conflict (repost)

Posted on July 30, 2014 It’s taken a while to get to a place where I can forgive my birth mother for leaving to eventually play mom to someone else’s kids. It wasn’t until I was twenty-three that it dawned on me that if I was having a helluva time trying to take care of myself, how could she and my dad have felt about raising two kids? I knew at twenty-three I wasn’t ready to have or take care of kids, and I might not be ready ever. but anyway, I had that epiphany, and while I’m not saying what she did was right or okay, I understood how overwhelmed and trapped she may have felt. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’m in the same place when it comes to my stepmom. If I had to hazard a guess as to why, I would say that the effects and consequences of having her help raise me and my siblings have been far-reaching and so pervasive as to be deeply entrenched into my way of thinking that it’s caused havoc in my career, my marriage, and the way I relate (or not) to others. Don’t get it twisted, I know I have my share of blame and responsibility, but I contend that my parents’ lack of self-awareness and immaturity didn’t do any of their kids any favors. Organizing the narrative of this section has proven a challenge, because the best way I can think to show and convey what I’m talking about, I have a mish-mash of isolated incidents and general behaviors: • At one point, my stepmom said she hated fat kids, and there I was, along with my younger brother, being fat and offensive. she would often try to put us all on diets which never lasted long (see the last entry on weight and body image issues). • Spending entire days in the NICU when her reprobate of a sister, due to drug use, gave birth to a premature boy who would later develop epilepsy and be semi-retarded—along with driving him three to four cities away for healthcare, but bemoaning having to spend ten dollars for a copay when her daughter, my (step)sister was having painful back spasms. • Ingraining in our heads that a bad something was better than nothing, and that we had absolutely no right to complain about anything. This would set the pattern in the future for bad relationships of all kinds. • Ingraining in our heads that to be a good person, one has to be a martyr and never expect any type of reciprocity. You’re supposed to give, suffer, and give some more with no thought of your own well-being. Never mind if you can’t take care of yourself. Never mind if you can’t meet your own kids’ material or emotional needs—someone else’s kids needed you more than your own, who could take care of themselves. • Praise was rarely given, while criticism was abundant. Getting good grades, doing chores, doing volunteer work for the church, and being a “good” kid were things we were supposed to do anyway. We never had a lack of critical feedback, though: We were almost always too loud, too fat, too mouthy/smart-assed, too ungrateful to be worthy of anything other than constant judgment. • Constant denial that I was going through something beyond the usual teen angst, and dismissing me as a drama queen. For the longest time, mental illness was indicative of a spiritual problem instead of a physiological one. What’s worse is when I was out of high school, she told me flippantly that I just needed Prozac. I always took that to mean I needed medication to be in a mood she and the rest of the world would approve of, as opposed to actually treating me like an adult capable of dialog. In short, she and my dad just didn’t want to deal with me. • The sheer hypocrisy and contradictions dealing with sexuality. See, she was a teen mom who had three different children from three different men (my dad being one of them), and even though she said she would take us (my older sister and I, and my younger stepsisters when they were of age, I’m sure) to get birth control, she was convinced that my sister and I had the same lack of judgment she did (it’s noteworthy to mention that my siblings and I grew up in the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and comprehensive sex ed was still being taught). She would constantly send my younger siblings to spy and report on me, and freaked the hell out if I even kissed a guy (for some reason, my older sister was spared the same scrutiny). This, combined with spending my adolescence in a fundamentalist Baptist church that can be accurately described as “this close” to being a Christian Taliban cell, and yeah, sexuality has been an issue. • One afternoon before I started at a state university to finish/get my BA, I got an angry phone call from her saying that my dad wanted to sell his motorcycle to help me out with school, and that I needed to figure it out and how dare I be so selfish? My family had all gone to Oklahoma for reasons unknown, and I knew there was nothing there for me (and I would have to live there for a year to establish residency to avoid paying out of state tuition fees). Understand that all throughout my college career (if you can call it that), I knew I was on my own in providing for myself. Yes, my parents didn’t charge me rent, and my dad bought my first car from a neighbor for twenty bucks (or was it two hundred?), but I was responsible for tuition, books, supplies, gas, insurance, and repairs/maintenance for the car—and my chore load at home was still more than my younger siblings despite going to school full-time and usually working two jobs. I knew better than to expect anything more than nothing, and to not bother asking. Anything extra was an unexpected and appreciated surprise. • Constantly packing an already full house with her awful niece, who was a teen mother who constantly dangled her daughter in front of my parents, threatening to run off to parts unknown if my parents didn’t give her what she wanted (weekends off from parenting, among other things), and her semi-retarded nephew, who was catered to and allowed to get away with most behaviors that would have seen the rest of us grounded or subject to some embarrassing punishment (she was really fond of having us stand with our noses to the wall, even as teenagers and young adults). Her niece was also catered to and did nothing more than consume resources and boss my brothers and sisters around—that was my job. After I called her out for what she was, she punched me, and my stepmom yelled at me, demanding to know what the hell was wrong with me and I should know better than to upset her, because she could take her baby and run at any moment. Never mind that said niece was sleeping with her half-brother and stepfather under the same roof that wouldn’t allow me to even kiss a guy at twenty years old without being ripped a new for it, I was in the wrong for telling the truth and not being tolerant of double standards, hypocrisy and utter bullshit. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. sure, there were some good things, like learning to stretch a few dollars, her advocating for me any time I had a problem with school officials when in junior high (thankfully, rare, but it happened), and sitting on her lap the first day of eighth grade to tell her it sucked (those were some of the meanest, elitist kids I’ve ever met), the hard truth is that all the bad shit overshadows the few good moments or positive attributes. As a result of the above and more, I spent most of my life believing that I was never good enough, that I didn’t deserve shit, to be territorial, to never fully trust anyone, to be hypercritical of myself and everyone else, and to be a spineless, resentful and seething people pleaser. It’s a devastating and enlightening thing to trace the how and why of my more detrimental traits back to the lessons I learned growing up the way I did with my parents. The sad truth of the matter is that it may take years to undo twenty-plus years of this twisted-ass programming and dysfunction. I guess, this writing is a huge part of it. I know someday, I’ll be at a place of forgiveness. I know, cognitively, that forgiveness is more for the person giving it than the one receiving it, but the only thing I can say for myself is that it still feels that to forgive would mean to convey that what happened is okay—and while I understand that the same principal applies to my birth mother, at least my birth mother knows and acknowledges her wrongs and trespasses, and knows that my forgiveness isn’t a pass—and she’s making an honest effort to be a mom to me (my older sister and younger brother, understandably, aren’t there yet). My stepmom, on the other hand, has never once admitted to doing anything wrong and has apologized for nothing, even though the effects of her methods can be seen to varying degrees amongst the six of her kids (remember, we never really did the whole “stepmom,” “stepsisters,” “half-brother” thing). I may get to that place someday, but not today.

0 notes

existentialstatesofmind · 7 years

Conversation

Our First Christmas

Clare: smiled when Drew pulled her to him and kissed him back. "I guess you do." She said a little breathlessly. Clare was so in love with him and swept up by the excitement of the holidays. She could hardly stand still. This time a year ago, she'd been living by herself scared out of her mind that the robbers were going to come back. Clare hadn't been able to afford much but what presents she'd bought, she had put under her mom's tree for safekeeping. It was hard to believe that things could change so much so fast. Once she got together with Drew though, that was it. She finally had what she'd always wanted deep down since high school. They were so happy Clare was pretty sure their families had to see this coming. She just wanted them all to be together so they could tell them in person. It was so rare Clare could even convince her parents to be in the same room these days. "Sure, we can do that. What for? Is someone diabetic?" She asked immediately concerned about the menu for tomorrow. Of course most of the food they were serving was catered from Drew's restaurant (to give everyone an idea of what it would be like at their wedding) but she'd chosen it. "Aww, cute! What do you think, girl? Are you a Dutchess?" Clare asked petting the dog too. The puppy was thrilled with all the attention so she'd take that as a yes. She frowned a little when Drew groaned after receiving a text. If there was a problem at work, he wasn't leaving to take care of it! This was Christmas Eve and she needed him here with her. "Baby?" She asked curiously. Surely Audra wasn't pregnant and no one had mentioned anything to her about visiting relatives. That was for sure. Clare had bought presents for everyone they were expecting. She waited while Drew talked about his mom's volunteer work. "That sounds like it's really good for her. It was really rough and nothing could ever make up for Adam not being here." She expected they would visit Adam's grave at some point during the holidays. She had on her own every year she was in town and it always had been decorated nicely. Clare did something kinda silly, she wrote him letters and left them there. She liked to think he got to read them somehow. "Oh Drew, why didn't you tell me that?" She started to ask. They could've planned to go there. She didn't want a little girl who was sick to be expecting Drew and him not show up. Clare moved off Drew's lap when she heard the door and pulled down the dress of her costume. She was glad she'd picked one that she could take pictures in and not something even sexier when she realized that it was Audra at the door. Clare turned her engagement ring around so it was facing backwards and Audra hopefully wouldn't notice the diamond. She never took the ring off and she wanted to wait until tomorrow to let Audra in on the 'secret'. As it was she was embarrassed for her mother-in-law to see the house before she finished decorating it for Christmas. Audra was hard to impress. "I've got her!" Clare called back picking up the wiggling puppy. "Dutchess be still." She ordered firmly but gently. "Your Grandma Audra is here and if you're a good girl, she's the one who might actually love you." Clare whispered to the dog. Her mom was going to have a fit. "Hi, how are you? It's okay." She told Audra with a smile. Even though it wasn't. There was a reason she'd invited everyone over tomorrow. She kept a hold on the dog when she saw the small child. Clare was startled that Audra had brought her here. She looked back at Drew, raised her eyebrows as if to say 'can she do that?' Audra was a force to be reckoned with and it wasn't as though Clare hadn't snuck out of the hospital for a day when she had cancer. But if Erika had been a patient for that long...she must be really sick. Erika was so tiny for a four year old. If Clare had known she was coming, she could've prepared. Wiped everything down with disinfectant. "Hi Erika." Clare said softly, smiling warmly at the little girl. She almost fainted a moment later when she realized Audra had brought Erika here so she could go 'break the news to Omar'. So they were going to get to spend Christmas Eve alone while she and Drew had a babysitting job sprung on them? This was what she got, Clare supposed, for saying that they needed the practice. "The more the merrier!" Clare said for Erika's benefit. She felt trapped. Audra knew they wouldn't be able to say no. "What is sweetie?" She asked taking Erika's hands once Drew took Dutchess. She nodded. She knew what it was for. It was bad timing with Dutchess. Clare wasn't going to lock her up the first day they got her. If someone had only warned her. This was a disaster in the making! What were they going to do about Erika's Christmas! Had Audra and Drew bought her presents? She was going to have to divide up the stocking stuffers for the kids too. "Of course she can stay." Clare wasn't going to turn away a little girl on Christmas Eve. "I've got a lot of fun stuff planned and there will be cousins for you to play with tomorrow." She told Erika. She bent over to snatch up the hat before Dutchess could tear a hole in it. She set it on the coffee table. "My niece is just a little younger than you, Mary's three, and my nephew Thomas is turning seven next month." Clare turned to Drew and whispered, "It won't be a problem. Thomas takes after me. He likes to read not rough house." She needed to talk to Drew alone but it would have to wait until Audra left and they got Erika settled.

Drew: watched Clare hold Erika for a moment after he put Dutchess down and saw her squirm a little as if she was trying to get to Dutchess causing him to take her, he put one hand around her stomach and held her under his arm so she can squirm and move to her hearts extent. "Puppy." She tried calling the dog. "I want to see the puppy." She said angered and Drew looked at her. "You need the mask on so Dutchess won't lick your mouth." He said and put her down. Once he heard Clare agree to keeping Erika he watched her play with Dutchess. Once his mom left and he watched Erika, he looked at Clare. "I'm sorry, I didn't know my mom would pressure us into keeping her." he apologized and kissed her forehead only to watch Erika walk to the Christmas tree. "No you don't." he picked her up and tickled her stomach a bit causing her to laugh, then put her down away from the tree. After Erika started to play with her toys, he looked at Clare. "Ready to set up her room?" he asked curiously knowing it'd have to be done sometime soon.

#ofc

0 notes