#or like a 'I'm not like OTHER fans' flavor in other cases.

[itstimetodrew]

Something about reading a carrd that has "I'm critical about my interests" listed is very funny to me. Is it a warning? A badge of honor? I'm gonna make a carrd where I announce how I've never had a critical thought in my life. I merely absorb and accept whatever information is presented to me without question and repeat it back like a parrot.

[evercelle]

Hi!! I'm a big fan of your work and I was just wondering how you plan out compositions?

for me, the story/concept/feeling u wanna convey is the basis for all composition! technical components like line weight, posing, coloring, etc. are all in service to "what is the image supposed to say?"

example: wanted to draw valentines-themed saiou, so i drew them in a chocolate box! ...but it was kind of unsatisfying, so i re-drew ouma and moved some bg elements to try to make a more balanced and interesting composition.

posing reflects a lot of a personality, so "how does the pose express the character's own personality/feelings towards the other?" prompts ideas for how to arrange the composition. like in this case... western valentine's theme -> if ouma had cupid''s arrow? -> needs more distance to nock and draw -> ouma perching on/pinning saihara down. that's the flavor -> then, rearrange the ribbons and treats to follow the flow...

i'll also check layout and values throughout: for example, after finishing fontaine's aq, i wanted to draw smth about furina & focalor's partnership, and focalor controlling her from the shadows... so the concept was "a dance where you can't relax from your partner's lead."

the lineart's a hot mess, but the spotlight helps divide the image, direct the focal point and ties into the aq story.

tl;dr: pose, sightline and visibility are the key traits i focus on in a draw, but the bottom line is always "story" first. hope this helps... even a little bit (':

[markrosewater]

Hey, Mark, I'm not to make another UB-related request. This isn't coming from an anti-UB place, and it's just one Goose's opinion, but I'm sure there are others who feel this way.

Can we get rid of flavor words, please? I haven't seen a single upside to them presented, just downsides:

For decades, one of MtG's biggest strengths was capturing the ludonarrative. Having to spell it out makes it seem like you all have lost confidence in your ability to make card design that makes sense with the captured flavor.

If a design is intended to be funny (the Street Fighter cards come to mind), it feels like you're pointing at the "joke" and saying "See? Please laugh." As a person who has a comedy background, I'm sure you understand why killing the frog is bad.

Death of the epithet: The most minor of the criticisms, but I really think "Ian Chester, Science Teacher" reads better than "Ian Chester" and then calling his ability "science teacher." (I may be mixing up the WHO teachers, but this applies to both, luckily.) Epithets also make it easier to depict multiple "moments" of a character without giving a card up as the "definitive" version of that character.

It feels like you don't trust players to get why the card text is what it is. Telling your audience you don't expect them to be smart (or rather, literate) enough to "get" it doesn't really help. I've seen people say they add flavor to the cards, but the flavor isn't diminished by removing the flavor words (flavor is when things are fleshed out and living, not when things are spelled out). If it's for fans of the IP, then they already get it (Oh, the activated ability that grants flying is referencing this character's rocket propulsion). Non-fans of the IP aren't benefited either, as they will sus out said character has rocket propulsion or be left completely in the dark (see Cult of Skaro: These words do nothing to tell me about the ability. If you were to leave them out, I'd still be able to sus out that each ability corresponds to one of the four Daleks depicted).

Lastly, they make cards harder to read. When trying to grok a card, there should be as few words as possible I'm supposed to ignore.

I understand some people will go "I recognize the thing" and a bulb in their brain will light up, but something being easy like this doesn't mean it's better or that we actually like it more.

I guess there's the potential upside that you could slot in numerals to power up my Baron von Count deck, but I don't see any real tangible upside to them. Obviously I'm missing something. Can you say what it is?

(Also, even if you don't answer it,thank you for taking the time to answer this book of an ask. These are feelings I've been sitting on since AFR and keeping an open mind on in case I changed how I felt from my initial reaction.)

Flavor words can do some things that we can't replicate elsewhere. I agree they can be overused, and are not always used optimally, but I don't think we want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[monsteractialuna]

So I'm a massive fan of demon aus and stuff so i ummm made my own demon au 👉👈

I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to write a fic or not for this,, I plan on maybe writing a few chapters, see if I vibe with it, and then post it or leave it in the abyss depending on how I feel when I'm done.

You are a freelance demon hunter with an odd relationship in regards to the demons you hunt. You allow those who kill criminals or the scum of the Earth to go free but hunt and kill those who harm the innocent. You never thought that your work would follow you home, and you certainly never thought that your work would wake you up every morning with pancakes and waffles. Who taught these demons to work a stove?

Some fun facts about the characters and stuff below the read more :)

-Y/n was raised by a demon, hence why they have such an odd relationship with demons. Y/n views them more as people who can make mistakes and less like evil creatures from hell. Y/n allows demons that kill horrible people to live because their Mother was one of those demons, often targeting abusive spouses and partners.

-Sun and Moon used to be one entity but had split decades ago due to a disagreement. They hadn't seen each other since the split until they both broke into Y'n's house.

-Y/n has lost several limbs during their hunts; but since they're on good terms with multiple demons they are always patched back up and made "whole" again. Y/n's mother is constantly on the verge of tearing their face off from stress.

-Since Sun is a plasma demon his body runs extremely hot. He has to maintain constant control of his body temperature or he risks burning everything around him. He also has to control the brightness of his body as if he gets too excited he WILL blind people. Sun smells like ozone before a lightening strike.

-Moon is a demon made entirely of frigid cold water, so just like Sun he has to work to control his body temperature. His natural temperature is extremely cold but if he gets too upset the water that makes up his body could solidify turning to ice. He can freeze the water in the air around him easily. He smells like the ocean during winter.

-Y/n is one of the only demon hunters capable of locking demons into objects. If they cannot kill a demon they will imprison them into an object and keep them in a locked room inside their house. They often put Sun and Moon inside a plasma ball and a snow globe when the two start fighting. Gay demon jail.

-Y/n is capable of using their mother's demonic magic, which is how they are so proficient during hunts. Mother's magic is plant based and helps Y/n control roots, vines, and other flora in their surroundings. The bracelet they wear signifies the bond the two have and Y/n can communicate with their mother through that bond. The bracelet can only be removed if the bond is severed, either through one party dying, both parties agreeing to sever said bond, or a strong enough desire to break free of the bond in some cases.

-Bonds between a demon and a human can come in a few flavors, romantic bonds are symbolized through the demon's solidified magic turning into a ring, familial or friendly bonds are symbolized with a bracelet, and forced bonds are symbolized via a collar around the victims throat.

-Vanessa is Y/n's protegee, after Y/n helped save Vanessa from a forced bond from a demon Vanessa decided she wanted to become a demon hunter to get revenge on the demon who enslaved her. Vanessa doesn't fully believe that demons aren't just evil creatures from hell, but does trust Y/n's judgement.

-The other animatronics are also demons! Y/n is friends with most of them :) Roxanne is a demon that specifically hunts human traffickers, Chica is a demon who hunts people that dump waste into the environment illegally (and then proceeds to consume the dump to ensure the environment isn't too badly effected), Freddy and Bonnie hunt down child abusers and often work as a team to do it, and Monty hunts poachers and exotic animal traffickers.

-Moon falls for Y/n first and falls fast. The minute y/n kicked his ass the first time he was down bad. He makes himself a nuisance to Y/n because he isn't entirely sure how to process these feelings and decides to makes it everybody else's problem. Sun originally just wanted to be friends but as time went on he realized he was falling for Y/n too. While Moon fell in love with you for your ferocity during hunts, Sun falls for your kindness and understanding towards those affected by other demons. Sun absolutely adores your passion and need for justice and it literally makes him swoon.

[niteshade925]

Apr 6-8, restaurant and fast food:

Started to go around visiting other relatives, went to a restaurant that had more local specialty dishes.

Another cold dish appetizer. This one is a mix of peanuts, spicy vegetables, century eggs, Chinese vinegar, and cooked clam meat. I'm not a big fan of century eggs, but I like the clams:

Deep fried river shrimp with dry seasoning of salt, pepper, cumin, and roasted sesame:

Dry-braised turbot fish (dry-braise/干烧 is a method of cooking that originated from Sichuan):

Sugar and vinegar small yellow croaker (sugar and vinegar/糖醋 is another general type of dish, and the flavor profile is sweet and sour, but it's very much not the same as "sweet and sour" in Americanized Chinese food, so I opted for the literal translation here):

Stir fried snow peas, shrimp, cashews, and Chinese sausages:

Soup with eggs, tofu, shrimp, and Chinese ham:

Also, Chinese KFC breakfast is very very different from American KFC. They have Guangdong-style congees and xiaolongbao buns:

But I went for a xianbing/馅饼 instead, which is a stuffed and baked flatbread. In this case it was stuffed with grilled tenderloins and onions, and favored with cumin (my favorite):

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

The Day We Learned to Argue ~Part 4~

This is simply a fan translation and is not intended as a replacement for the game. Expect grammatical errors.

One afternoon, under the piercing blue sky, I prepared handmade sweets and delicious herbal tea for the tea party.

Rio: "Emma, is this place heaven?"

Rio blinked his eyes, looking back and forth between the table piled with sweets and my face.

Emma: "Hehe, it's not heaven, but it does feel like it, doesn't it?"

Emma: "I prepared all your favorites for doing a good job."

I heard yesterday that Rio and Silvio single-handedly destroyed the notorious thief gangs that troubled both the Kingdom of Rhodolite and Benitoite.

(I heard that Rio would receive a special reward from the princes, but since he's my precious friend, I wanted to do something personal.)

(I considered giving him a gift, but when I thought about what would make Rio more happy, the first thing that came to mind was to spend time together.)

Rio: "There's even pain perdu (french toast) and all these other sweets. They all look delicious."

Emma: "Thank you."

Emma: "Since these are all the things you said were delicious before, you can have as much as you want."

Rio: "Not just the sweets, but I also get to see your smile."

Rio: "Am I really allowed to be this happy?"

Emma: "You deserve even more. It was truly an achievement."

Emma: "Good job, Rio."

Rio: "Thank you!"

Rio said with a beaming smile, then popped a piece of pain perdu into his mouth.

Rio: "Ah, it tastes like the flavor of your love!"

(I'm so glad Rio is happy.)

Rio: "Today is such a wonderful day. I feel like I could even be nice to that arrogant man now."

Emma: "Hehe. Did you guys become close after overcoming the crisis together?"

Rio: "No way!"

Rio: "But if Prince Silvio hadn't been there, I wouldn't have gotten involved in the case in the first place."

Rio: "I'm grateful to you for allowing me to have this tea party."

Emma: "Um, didn't you two work together to solve the case?"

Rio: "Well, it's more like we divided the tasks and did what we had to do individually."

Emma: "But accomplishing such a big task with just the two of you must have required teamwork, right?"

(They shared their opinions, planned strategies, and defeated a group of enemies through coordinated play.)

(The way I'm imagining it, it sounds like a natural bonding experience.)

Rio: "Hmm, well, there was some of that, but he always tries to boss me around whenever he gets the chance."

Rio: "He's a loudmouth and a tyrant, so there's no way I can cooperate with him. Ouch!"

Silvio: "*sigh* That's quite a remark to make toward someone who saved your life, isn't it?"

Silvio suddenly appeared, grabbing Rio by the scruff and glaring at him with his sea-colored eyes.

Emma: "Prince Silvio."

Silvio: "What?"

Emma: "First, please release Rio. Then, I have something I want to give you."

(I've been carrying it with me since I didn't know when we'd meet again. It feels like now's the good time.)

Silvio: "........."

Emma: "Thank you very much for everything. This is a homemade treat I made. I hope you'll enjoy it."

Silvio's eyes show a hint of surprise as I hand him the wrapped baked goods.

Silvio: "What are you plotting?"

Emma: "I'm not plotting anything."

Emma: “I heard that there were men who were proud of their strength among the bandits you both took down.”

Emma: “Not only did you defeat them all, but you also exposed the nobles of Rhodolite and Benitoite, who were behind them.”

Emma: “After accomplishing such a great feat, I wanted to do something for you guys.”

Emma: “That's why I organized this tea party for Rio, but I thought you might not appreciate an invitation, so...”

Emma: “I thought I’d at least give you this.”

(Though I’m not sure if he’d appreciate it.)

(I thought it would be better to give something I made rather than something Silvio could buy himself.)

Silvio: “I simply dealt with my countrymen. There’s no need for you to do anything.”

Emma: “I insist. I want to thank you for helping my friend Rio.”

Emma: “I thought that if you guys had fought together, that would have happened.”

Silvio: “Oh, did I?”

Rio: “We’re even. I saved you, too.”

Silvio grinned smugly, and Rio stared at him with an incredulous look.

Silvio: "I probably helped more."

Rio: "You sure? I don't remember it."

Silvio: "You probably forgot because you bumped your head. Let me refresh your memory."

Rio: "Ow, ow, ow! Don't grab me so hard! You'll break my head!"

Silvio: "Let it break. If your head can break now, it'll break soon enough, even if it's not now."

Emma: "Prince Silvio! Please stop!"

I intervened hastily, and Silvio glared at me.

Silvio: "If you want me to stop, then brew some tea, woman."

Emma: "Excuse me?"

Silvio: "I’m hungry. I'll eat your sweets, so brew some tea."

Emma: "U-Understood! Here's some rose tea."

I poured the tea into a spare cup, and Silvio sat next to me, unwrapping the sweets.

Rio: "Serving tea for this brute... you're really kind, Emma."

Silvio: "Hey, do you want me to grab your head again?"

Rio: "Hell no."

Rio: "Hmm. But seriously, your sweets are delicious!"

Rio: "I've seen various jewels in the bandits' hideout, but your sweets are more valuable than any gem."

Rio: "They're tasty, sparkling, and uplifting."

Silvio: "Hmm, not bad."

As Silvio spoke while munching on a cookie, Rio reached his hand toward the plate near him.

Rio: "Please only take what's yours, Prince Silvio! I won't give you any of my sweets."

Rio stood up in a hurry and pulled the plate closer to himself.

Rio: “The sweets Emma gave me are my spoils of war!”

Rio: “They’re filled with Emma’s special lovey-dovey power just for me.”

Rio: “This is absolutely, absolutely, exclusively mine!”

Silvio faintly raised the corner of his mouth as he watched Rio loudly declare it.

Silvio: “You’ve changed.”

Rio: “Huh? What do you mean?”

(Prince Silvio?)

Silvio: “I just remembered something from when I was a kid.”

Silvio: “I have a younger brother who’s a real piece of work.”

Rio: “.........”

Silvio: “Back then, my brother and I were kidnapped by thieves.”

------------Flashback-----------

Valerio: “Looks like they caught all the bandits. Hm, what’s this?”

Valerio: “A medal with a pin on the back? Maybe one of the thieves dropped it.”

Silvio: “It’s got the same mark as the tattoo the bandit had on his arm. Must be their emblem.”

Valerio: “Then, is it okay for me to take this?”

Silvio: “It doesn’t have any market value.”

Valerio: “It’s cool. I like it more than jewels. This kind of thing is called a spoil of war, right?”

Valerio: “I don’t want to forget today, so I’ll take this with me. Ah!”

Silvio: “What?”

Valerio: “........”

Valerio: "I don't need it after all."

Silvio: "Huh? Why are you suddenly getting mad?"

Valerio: "I don't need it since I'm giving it to you."

Silvio: "You think I'm gonna steal it? I don't need this worthless junk."

Valerio: "I don't need it either."

Silvio: "Then don't sulk, you little brat. Take it if you want."

Valerio: "Okay. I'll put it on you."

Silvio: "Don't touch my scarf! Don't try to put junk on it!"

Valerio: "S-Stop it! Don't grab me. Waah!"

Silvio: "Hey, stop pulling! Don't involve me in this! Fall on your own!"

Valerio: "Ouch!"

Silvio: "You're covered in sand now because of your stupidity."

Valerio: "Shut up. It's because of you, big brother."

Silvio: "Don't blame me for your clumsiness."

Valerio: "........"

Silvio: ".........."

Silvio: "What?"

Valerio: "Hmph."

Silvio: "I'm the one who should be angry."

Silvio: "Hey, where's the medal?"

Valerio: "Ah!"

Silvio: "It got washed away by the waves. You still wanted it after all."

Valerio: "I said I didn't want it. You're so persistent!"

---------Flashback Ends--------

Silvio: “Just seeing the insolence of this damn mutt reminds me of unpleasant things.”

(He may say such things, but I’m sure he cares about his little brother.)

Rio: “I see.”

Silvio: “What kind of reaction is that?”

Emma: “Um...”

I stood up, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Emma: “Right, I also prepared a cake. It’s a rose cake I made following Yves’ recipe.”

I walked over to the cake, which was still in the box, and was about to bring it to the table when一

Emma: “Please enjoy this masterpiece. Ah!”

I tripped over a small stone, and my body swayed, the box slipping out of my hand.

(The cake is going to fall if I collapse like this.)

Rio: "Emma!"

Silvio: "Hey."

Emma: "........."

Before I knew it, Rio supported me, and Silvio caught the cake box.

(Both the cake and I are saved?)

Blinking my eyes in surprise, I saw Rio’s smile and Silvio’s exasperated expression.

Rio: “Phew, I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

Silvio: “Tch. Clumsy woman.”

Emma: “Thank you. I owe both of you for saving me.”

As I expressed my gratitude, I looked into their similarly colored eyes.

(These two just now seemed perfectly in sync.)

(They may fight a lot, but their compatibility in crucial moments is outstanding.)

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Part 3

[opbackgrounds]

What exactly had Oda 'not known to self-edit'? Cause I someone who DID drop the series during Punk Hazard, but binged is right before the you-know-what-reveal - it reads great at onces, though I can see why weekly readers suffer. I can't think of a single thing that's doesn't look like setup for later - so I'm curious, what's so unnecessary for you?

There are too many characters, mostly. There didn't need to be 9 samurai. There didn't need to be 7 Vegapunks. There didn't need to be 11 Supernovas. For every character Oda introduces, he must find a place for them, and this is both One Piece's blessing and its curse. It makes the world feel full and lived in, where no matter where you look there are other characters who could be the protagonists of their own story, but is also how you get Raizo spending 25 chapters fighting the long earlobe guy in what's ultimately a meaningless fight no one cares about. Oda himself acknowledged this when he (semi) lightheartedly said he wished he'd made fewer warlords, because then he wouldn't have to write stories for 7 different characters. It's a compounding problem that gets worse as the series gets longer, and Oda is forced to juggle more and more balls with varying success.

And even if that were not the case, there's a lot more fluff than the old days. I pointed this out during Water 7, but if you want an example of a tight arc look there. The gags and little character moments that are essential to the series are all there, but they're purposeful to the plot. There's not an ounce of fat in the whole arc, and it's largely regarded as one of the best in the series.

Compare that to Wano when you have entire chapters dedicated to the little fox spirit or Franky running around the city looking for blueprints to the mansion. They're fine in isolation, heart warming and funny respectively, but it's a lot of wasted pages for not a lot of purpose. A few such scenes sprinkled in sparingly can add flavor to the story, but too many grind the feeling of progress to a halt, and take away time from things that are more important to the plot and/or themes. Like, did you know Tama was a Kozuki? Putting that information in the manga itself would have done a lot to clear up the thematic confusion caused by Hiyori's speech at the end of the arc. But there was too much fluff and too many unimportant characters getting page time that that bit of info is regulated to an SBS where many fans will never see it.

[olderthannetfic]

First as a disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I'm not an anti (I'm anti death threats and am fine with incest, age-gap, abusive ships etc)

However I'm probably still a social/political enemy for various reasons but you sometime post asks from people you disagree with I think and I think you might know this answer.

Anyway onto my question I'm the kind of shipper who likes canon compliant ships and looking for hints and stuff but these days it feels like everyone boasts about how much their ships deviate and poop on canon etc. Do other shippers with my mentality still exist and I just don't notice them (Outside of anti spaces) or are we actually a dying breed?

--

Eh. I think "political enemy" has a pretty fluid definition if one is really into playing politics. If you aren't out campaigning on a white supremacy platform, we probably have some goals in common.

I usually block people for being extremely annoying on a day I'm feeling hormonal or for attacking people particularly viciously in my comments, not for nominally being in some other camp.

--

I think the more canon-adjacent fandom flavors are actually really common.

They're a little lost in the tumult of "My headcanon is actually canon!!!" stuff on tumblr that we like to laugh at on my own blog.

They're also less common in oldschool m/m-shipping spaces because those are often inherently non-canon ships. In the past, it was because homophobic censorship wouldn't let anything be made. These days, it's because the flavor of m/m a lot of people like is more easily found by adding romance to a buddy canon than by trying to add buddy-ness to a romance canon in many cases, and this can be true even if canon is original m/m aimed at fandom types.

Here's the thing: oldschool m/m shippers tend to be particularly prone to building community spaces and recording our history precisely because it's so easily erased and so often attacked. This type of shipper also tends to have more of a cohesive identity. That makes it far easier to name ourselves and set up little fiefdoms on modern social media.

I'm one of these people. Shittons of the people doing amateur fandom history work are. Much of the OTW old guard are. And lots of us know each other at least a bit, so if you're running into one of us, you're probably running into more of us.

--

However, that doesn't actually mean this type of shipping is the most common or that there have never been spaces devoted to something else.

That old Beauty and the Beast tv series with Linda Hamilton had epic canon shippers. So did Moonlight (the vampire tv series). So did and does Twilight.

A lot of these shippers had this as their first and possibly their only fandom and carried on being obsessed long after canon was over.

Lizzie/Darcy shippers put anything I have ever been a fan of to shame. No matter what the AO3 numbers show, this ship far, far exceeds the popularity of Destiel or any of the other m/m heavyweights.

--

I think the problem you're running into is that in the modern era of binging things on Netflix and regular joes being huge media geeks, analyzing canon in a nerdy way and obsessing over your canon ships is just how a big chunk of the population engages with media.

Fan theories that are closely tied to what was actually on the screen/page are the bread and butter of water cooler conversations and have been since The Sopranos and its ilk.

Yes, I know some fuck will immediately show up and go "Ahem, ahem, I am a GEEK and SPECIAL and the people around me never have intellectual conversations about media literally ever!!!!" just like every single time we have this conversation. But times have moved on, and being overinvested in canon theorizing just is a normie activity now, and that's great! Except when you want a special term and space to find your people.

The only time canon shippers really stand out from that is if they're extremely fic-focused, and then they often start straying farther from canon, especially if they stick around the same fandom for a long time. Either they start becoming more fans of some fic writer or they start wanting to diversify what they themselves are writing.

The really good close-to-canon fandom activities are at their best when lots of fans find the same currently-running canon at the same time and before canon itself passes its prime.

Even I started out on alt.tv.x-files, analyzing the shit out of season 2 and not caring much about non-canon things. (Though, admittedly, I was more NoRomo than MSR.)

--

That said, antis are not actually that canon-focused in most cases. They will do the "My headcanon is reality" thing as much as anyone. They just tend to spend a lot of time hating on explicit m/m and a lot of explicit m/m is of non-canon ships.

Honestly... anon... you might want to figure out what the latest CSI-ish franchise is and find the obviously-future-canon het ship from that. Those tend to get the 10 seasons of build up and fan theories that don't stray too far from canon.

This stuff is not only not a dying breed, but it's so common that one of the editors of NCIS delivered a deeply cringeworthy lecture at my film school about what "shippers" are and how the Tiva shippers affected the production.

People into those ships don't need tumblr: Major entertainment magazines are publishing their fan theories for them.

[dduane]

hello! i've never read your work before (i'm a lil french boy and your stuff has never come up before, i really just saw your reblog on the star trek screenshot and got curious) but ive been meaning to get into reading again, and you seemed so nice so i felt comfortable to ask:

do you have any recs in your work in fantasy ; magic is very cool but i really dislike the harry potter style magic (i really enjoyed brandon sanderson's work tho, such fun and interesting magic styles and world building!!) i've always loved good dark steampunk too, my favourite game franchise is Dishonored if you know of it

i'm always too hesitant to pick up books on my own and rely on recommandations 😰

i hope you feel better soon too! Food poisoning is so exhausting, so sending you my best wishes

(waving at you) Hey, thanks for the good wishes. The food poisoning seems to be over now. (I had a run-in with a salad that either had dodgy lettuce or dodgy dressing: the jury is still out on which.)

About those fantasy recs: My fantasy at the moment (excepting various standalone books) comes in two flavors—the LGBTQ-centered Middle Kingdoms works, and the YA-oriented Young Wizards series. At the moment I'd suggest that the YW books might be a good place for you to start, particularly because the first two of them are available in France from Lumen éditions, which brought them out some years back. (These were also translated from the newer, 2011/2012-revised editions of the books, and are presently the only traditionally-published versions that were set from the NMEs.) Amazon.fr has them here and here.

And just in case you're concerned—the magic style and general ethos of these books are absolutely nothing like what appears in the Potter books (which I guess is no surprise, since the first book of the series came out when certain other writers were just starting college). I have absolutely no patience with the wave-your-wand-and-shit-just-happens style of magic... or with wizardry that only happens on one planet, or to one species. So I think you're in for a very different experience here. :) And there are plenty of YW fans around if you want to discuss what you've found.

Meanwhile, thanks for asking! À bientôt.

[yuri-is-online]

Hello, it's hotarubi-sho anon again. Just saw that post on Taiga asking mc if she's "ditched this future" too and wondering what your thoughts are on that! My mind is blank rn bc I'm having a really bad tummy ache and need something to think about lol.

I have a lot of thoughts on the potential of it because I am a huge huge HUGE fan of romances that involve some kind of time travel shenanigans, the flavor of "I'd love you in every world/every timeline" never gets old for me. The angst of one person not remembering the other (or both of them) but they fall for each other all over again. A person crazy enough to end their alternate selves and take their place bc their loved is dead in their own timeline. A person willing to turn back time at a great cost bc nothing matter's more than their partner's wellbeing. Insane, I'll never not go crazy for these plots, if it's not at least this dramatic I don't want it (lol)

Wondering if the mc in the burning academy is from a "future she ditched". How is she connected to the time loop? Is she the cause? How does it happen the first time, does she do it just to save whoever was on the balcony? Why does Taiga have awareness about this when he can barely remember her? His messed up memory having something to do with experiencing loops would make sense. I feel like the Like Dove must have done something very terrifying in some future for his reaction now. And suddenly his importance has increased it's like I'm slowly being made to understand why he's the poster boy now lol.

So many questions and not enough answers I really hope Hotarubi chapter doesn't make it WORSE please answer some plot points instead.

See the one thing I want to disagree with is the idea the like dove does something terrifying? Because it's a dove... so what could it do shit on him? I see more reasons to be afraid of Peekaboo than the dove... but then again it is still an anomaly. Maybe he saw it during a particularly traumatic event that he struggles to remember so that's why he reacted so badly to it? (i am so sorry i abandoned you to your tummy ache I hope it got better)

I think whatever caused the timeloop likely started the previous year with the clash, as for why his memory is clear about it his memory loss seems to relate to the first and second year students. He knows who the third years are and has a solid grasp on things that happened during his first year at the school, it's the next two where things get screwey so I want to know more about those.

I don't want to say MC is the cause of the timeloop just yet? But not because I don't think that could be the case, I just don't have the evidence for it yet. I think The Hotarubi Chapter will answer some stuff, but likely make the questions we do have deeper. I think there's a chance that the chapter might end with Ritsu telling us he's finished reading the school's records about the clash and then that will be our set up going into Mortenkranken's chapter. Maybe anyway?

[fuck-customers]

🎂(8/21/23) This will be a bit long but now that I don't work at the bakery anymore I felt like sharing the list of things that customer's did that genuinely irked me amongst other feelings:

Things customers do or say at work that make me want to commit a war crime (+ my thoughts I can't say outloud):

"I want to get one of everything. 🤪" (Fun fact, 1 of everything is about $100)

"I'm shouldn't even be in here right now." (Then why are you???)

"I'm breaking my diet for this." (I don't care.)

I shouldn't be eating this I'm diabetic." (I have family that's diabetic. Please actually take care of yourself. 😐)

Does __ count for the B5G1F?" (No, it's actually only the vanilla cake squares. /s)

"Can I have one of that and one of that?" (The name. Is on the display case. SAY THE GOD DAMN NAME.)

"Are yall still open?" (You were able to open the door weren't you? You were able to step inside…weren't you??)

"Wow I got here just in time huh?"

(Yeah. You did. Now hurry the fuck up.)

after paying for the things they've already wanted "Can I actually get _ too?" (I can't really tell you no but holy shit why did you just now think of this?)

after paying for their things they proceed to look at all the merchandise and find something else "I'm gonna get this too." (Of course you are. 😐)

points at the devil's food cake, which is clearly labeled "Is this a brownie?" (Does it look??? Like a brownie??? If you move to your left about 4 feet you'll see actual brownies.)

"Can I get a devils food cake square?" "With which icing?" "…what do you mean?" "We have 3 different icing flavors for the devils food cake. Which icing?" "Oh. Chocolate. :)" (Fuckin- you can clearly see that we have 3 different icing flavors on display why is this so hard.)

"I don't get how you can work in here." (I need a paycheck and I get a good discount.

Also after a while you get bored of all the sugar.)

"I wouldn't be able to work in here. I'd eat everything. Haha" (Haha, yeah, I bet you would. 🙄)

literally anyone who comes in reeking of weed (…can you don't though? Idec that you smoke but why are you coming in when it's so strong???)

"Can I get a pint/quart of this flavor of ice cream?" (…why. I hate making pints and quarts its stupid and if the ice-cream is super frozen it's an actual pain in the ass.)

any family of 5+ that comes in all wanting ice cream (Please go away.)

"Can I get the pieces that have a lot of icing?" (Not really, cause the baker spread it pretty thin.)

*grown adult gets pouty when they realize that the cake squares I gave them had a

thinner layer of icing than the display* (Much like when you were a kid, pouting doesn't help. Do you want the cake or not?)

someone asks how good a certain item is I generally say it's pretty/really good. "Oh, its just pretty good?" (Yeah, cause I'm not a huge fan of that item. But you might like it cause, you know, different taste.)

Literally anyone who doesn't know the pick up name for a cake, or any details about the cake.

Wanting a fondant cake with a 24 hour notice and getting upset when we can't do it (fondant takes a least 2 days to dry)

People who forget which store they placed their order at. (We only have 2 locations????)

People who don't understand that we close early on Sundays.

People who leave the store reeking of weed. Like, the smell stays for like 5 minutes.

People who come in for a specific flavor that

we've never made. And get upset that we dont/wont/can't make it.

Everyone who doesn't understand that pumpkin spice and carrot cake are seasonal flavors that replace each other during the year. (And no. We can't just make you a carrot cake cake during pumpkin spice season because we physically don't have the ingredients.)

Everyone who doesn't understand the big 5 get 1 free deal.

People who try to open the door an hour before we open or an hour before we close and look visibly upset when they see me not move to let them in like we arent???? Open???

People who don't even try to open the door at our smaller store and think we're closed when we are open. (And people are often inside.)

People who try to hold a conversation for way too long

People who don't take an extra 2 minutes to look for what they want before asking me

where it is only for it to be a foot to their left.

People who dawdle at closing time.

People who leave their phone/cask/card in their car and have to run out to get it. They normally don't notice until their rung up.

People who try to break a $100 bill within the first hour of being open then get surprised when we don't have enough change to do that.

One of the worst interactions I had was in the bakery. This lady asked me if the strawberry cheesecake was good. I said "if you like strawberry it is." I guess that offended her somehow and she made it her mission to see my try a piece so I can tell her if it's good.

The problem with her plan is I'm allergic to strawberries. She was not having any of my "lies" and found anyone and everyone one and told them I am a horrible worker because I refused to "accommodate her request." She eventually ran into the only douche canoe manager we had at the time and got him to start insisting I try a bite to make her happy. I ended up just walking out on the rest of the shift and he tried to write me up. HR forced him to drop it when I threatened to sue.

-Rodney

[sistersofsilver]

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

So I ran a series of polls this past week trying to detail where we were in terms of what I'm going to call the flagship Melinoë pairings. That would be Melinoë/Moros, Melinoë/Nemesis, Melinoë/Arachne, Melinoë/Eris, and Melinoë/Icarus.

The most popular ship names are under the cut

edit: and hey, if you think these names should be updated i have a current poll going right now

Melinoë/Moros: Doomwitch had the lead at almost 58%! This was the ship that got these polls made in the first place, and in the end over half the shipping fanbase agreed!

Melinoë/Nemesis: MelNem sweeps at almost 88%! Toxic yuri fans were united on this one and honestly? Respect.

Melinoë/Arachne: Shadow Spindle wins at 24% with AraMel close behind at 20%. Watching this one was wild. Like... no one knew what to do with this one. I for one, expected more arachnophobes.

Melinoë/Eris: MelEris sweeps at almost 63%! Once again, the toxic yuri fans stay united. Points deducted for not getting up to 69% though it's what she would have wanted.

Melinoë/Icarus: Waxwitch absolutely sweeps at nearly 91% surprising probably no one. Almost every other option had some percentage of "a secret third other thing???" vote but here that isn't the case!

Thank you to everyone who voted! Those of you who commented on your own personal tags, or ones you've seen around I have taken note of them thank you so much.

Next on my agenda: Since we have a variety of flavors of tags; we got portmanteau, witch variants, one phrase variant I didn't expect to gain traction- I want to run a poll in the coming week or so to see if we can agree on a tagging style. Should we all go with witch variants? I saw someone float the idea of nightmare variants? Should Chaos reign and nothing change? Think on it a bit and let me know later!

[jerzwriter]

Mostly Pleasant Surprises 3 of 4 The Best Laid Plans

This is the final installment of "how they finally got together." I promise. 😊

Book: Open Heart (Book 2 Timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick & Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Rating: Teen

Series Summary: It's been months since the chemical attack, and "kind of" exes-turned-friends Tobias & Casey have been stubbornly denying their growing feelings for each other. But when a series of events threatens to come between them, will they find their way back together?

Part 3 Summary: Casey's friends are determined to get her and Tobias together at long last. When Bryce has a chance encounter with Tobias, it seems like all systems are go. Will they get the fairy tale ending they deserve?

A/N: Graduations and family events are over; I'm getting my babies together! For the 2 fans still remaining, I hope you enjoy the final two parts as much as I've enjoyed writing them!

Series Masterlist || Tobias x Casey Masterlist Full Masterlist

Casey was half asleep as she plodded through the cafeteria.  She never showed up this early for work, and it showed.

“Excuse me,” an intern apologized, even though it was Casey who had tripped into him.

But the exhausted resident was too tired to care. After muttering something nasty about interns under her breath, her eyes went wide. If she didn't watch herself, she would morph into Ethan Ramsey! In the distance, Bryce and Jackie waved her to their table. Delighted to see friendly faces, she rushed to join them.

Bryce eyed the food on his friend’s tray with disgust. “What... the hell is that?”

“Breakfast!"

“On what planet? A scoop of grey cottage cheese, artificially flavored orange Jell-O, chocolate milk, and a package of Fruit Loops.” Bryce looked up in horror. “Are you pregnant?”

A bark of laughter escaped her. “Please! There’s a better chance of Sister Agatha from St. Joseph’s being knocked up than me.”

“How can you be so sure?” Jackie teased.

“Because if God wanted a vessel for another immaculate conception, I assure you, he’d choose Sister Agatha over me.”  

“Ouch,” Bryce winced, placing one of his pancakes on Casey’s plate. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. God could do much worse than you.”

“What’s the pancake for?”

“I don’t know,” he smiled. “Do you really want to eat any of the crap on your plate?”

Casey looked down at her plate with a sigh. “No. I’m so tired, I didn’t even know what I was grabbing.”

“Why so tired?” Jackie asked. “You were already in bed when I got home last night.”

Casey went to answer but couldn’t find words. Sitting with her mouth agape, Sienna slid into the seat beside her and saved the day.  

“She wasn’t feeling well last night... she went to bed early but was up and down a lot.”

“In that case, why don’t you take a sick day?” Bryce asked. “Ethan knows you’re still easing back into work. I don’t think he’d mind.”

Casey mumbled something unintelligible as she stuffed a forkful of pancakes into her mouth.

“Uh, come again?” Bryce asked.

“I said, I doubt Ethan would be all right giving me the day off to get over Tobias.”

“Over Tobias?” Jackie asked with a raised brow. “I’ve been waiting for you to be under Tobias. When did this happen?”  

 “Casey saw something online last night,” Sienna jumped in. “But we don’t have all the facts.”

“Online?” Bryce asked protectively. “What exactly did she see... online?”

“It’s nothing,” Casey stated. “Tobias was on a date, that’s all. But it doesn’t matter... he and I are just friends. So, it doesn’t matter.”

Jackie was already scrolling through her socials to find the damning post as Bryce looked pointedly at Sienna for more details.

“We don’t know that he was on a date!” Sienna insisted. “A nurse from Kenmore posted something that alluded to that, but I have my doubts."

“Nurse’s name?” Jackie asked.

“Audrey Kenner,” Sienna replied before Casey could stop her.

“There’s nothing daming on her Insta now. Are you sure it was there?”

“It was there,” Casey spat. “Trust me.”

“Yeah, but it’s gone now,” Sienna tried to placate. “That tells me something is fishy! You can’t jump to conclusions.”

Bryce nodded in agreement. “Sienna’s right. Everyone knows he's crazy about you. Talk to him.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Casey said, dropping her fork to her plate with an exasperated sigh. “It doesn’t matter because we’ve only been friends, and that’s what we’ll stay.”

She ignored her friends eyeing each other but took the opportunity to steal a second pancake from Bryce’s plate.

“Fine,” Jacie shrugged. “Fairy tales are overrated anyway. But you should get yourself back in the game. It’s bad for your complexion to be celibate this long.”

“What?” Casey huffed, rubbing her face. “My complexion is fine!”

“For now,” Jackie said without missing a beat. “But you’re in the danger zone.”

“Then I’ll up my skincare routine. Because I’ve decided to focus on work... my career. Who needs the other shit, anyway?”

“You do,” Bryce interjected. “Come on, Case. All the work and no play make Jane a very dull girl. That’s never been my Casey.”

“Well, near-death experiences have a way of changing outlooks.”  

“What have you changed your outlook on?” Elijah asked, joining the table.

“Casey’s going to remain celibate for life,” Jackie said as Elijah erupted into laughter.

“Sure she is!”  

“You know,” Casey said, pushing away from the table. “I’ve really had enough. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Casey... come back,” Sienna called, but Casey marched right out the door.

“Nice work, Greene,” Bryce groaned.

“What did I do?” his friend wailed.

“Nothing,” Sienna sighed. “Casey’s just nursing a broken heart.”

“A broken heart?” Elijah asked. “Who broke her heart?”

“The internet,” Jackie deadpanned.

“I think she has the wrong idea about Tobias,” Sienna stated.

“Are we sure it’s the wrong idea?” Elijah asked.

“No,” Sienna replied. “But I’m pretty confident. The only way to know is to ask him, but Casey refuses.”

“So,” Elijah shrugged. “Ask him yourself.”

“I’m not going to overstep like that!” Sienna insisted. “It’s up to her to ask if she wants to.”  

“You’re right,” Bryce insisted. “And if she doesn’t... maybe it means she is over him.”

Jackie let out a laugh. “You know she’s not over him! The girl was all googley eyes looking at him not two days ago.”

“Of course she’s not,” Bryce replied. “I was being facetious.”

“She’s scared,” Sienna countered. “She’s had her heart broken a lot... her college boyfriend, her med school girlfriend, by he of whom we shall not speak of at Edenbrook, and even by Tobias last year. It’s not surprising that she’s protecting herself.”

“So,” Elijah grinned. “What do you say we force her hand?”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

“If she’s so over T, let’s hook her up with someone else!”

“Terrible idea,” Bryce grimaced.

“Yeah,” Sienna agreed. “That wouldn’t work.”

But Jackie was intrigued. “It could. What do you have in mind, Elijah?”

“That new guy that signed up for the softball team.”

“Oh! The hottie from Radiology!” Sienna enthused as a smug Elijah nodded.

“That’s him!”

“I’ve seen him,” Bryce shrugged. “I’m unimpressed. Besides, Casey doesn't even know him."

“Not yet,” Elijah grinned. “But if we talk him up... offer to set them up?”

“It’s brilliant!” Jackie jumped in. “She'll realize she has no desire to see anyone else, and it’ll force her to face the fact that she wants Tobias.”

“Since when do you care about other people’s love lives?” Bryce asked.

“I don’t. But I’m invested in this... I’ve been watching those two circle each other for months and I deserve the payoff."

“Don’t do it,” Bryce warned.

“Too late,” Elijah grinned, looking up from his phone. “I just texted nurse Sarah who confirmed radiology hottie is single, and he was asking her about Casey just the other day.”

“Great,” Bryce sighed. “So he has a thing for Casey. Let’s use him to trick her into seeing she has a thing for Tobias. Except she already knows she has a thing for Tobias; she’s just too scared to address it. What could go wrong here?  This isn’t a dumpster fire waiting to happen.”

“You are such a drama queen,” Jackie griped. “Elijah, you know him... talk to him about Casey. I’ll start to upsell radiology hottie at home tonight. By the way, does he have a name?”

“Jake,” Elijah smiled. “You know he’s a nice guy... worst case scenario, Casey falls for him instead.”

“Yeah,” Bryce shook his head. “That’s the worst-case scenario.”

“Relax, Lahela,” Elijah laughed. “When we’re heading to their wedding one day, you won’t be able to say you played a part in getting them together.”

“Whose wedding are we speaking about, exactly?”

“Casey & Tobias’s!” Jackie spat. “Duh!”

“Knock yourselves out, guys,” Bryce said, stepping away. “But count me out of this.”

~~~~~

Across town, Tobias was just beginning to wake up and eagerly reached for his phone, disappointed to see Casey had yet to respond. He instinctively shot her another text, and when he didn't hear back a few hours later, he tried once more.

Casey picked up her phone when it buzzed in her pocket... she knew Tobias was persistent. He was bound to show up if she didn’t answer, so she shot a text his way...

She felt her stomach turn, and her eyes went moist. Great, she thought. He needs to tell me... tell me he’s been dating Audrey. She was angry at herself for letting this bother her so much. All she wanted to do was cry.  But there was no avoiding this. Maybe biting the bullet and confirming her worst fears was the way to go. But not during the work week... she had just returned to work and didn't need the distraction.

~~~~~

The next few days passed in a blur; before they knew it, it was Friday night, also known as Pizza Friday, at the roomies. Jackie & Elijah’s attempt to sell Jake was now entering day three, but Casey was still not biting.

“No,” she stated firmly.

“Why not!” Jackie demanded. “Look,” she held her phone with a picture of the handsome radiologist in Casey's face. “Look at him! He’s adorable! He’s got that dopey, doe-eyed look so many of you chicks go crazy for and blue eyes. Not for nothing, I’ve noticed blue eyes are your thing.”

“So? Go out with him yourself?” Casey shrugged.

“Meh, you know guys are just a passing interest to me,” Jackie replied.

“Well, for the hundredth time, I’m not interested either.”

“You know, you snooze, you lose,” Elijah smiled. “A hottie like that won't be on the market for long.”

“Would you stop calling him a hottie!” Casey cringed. “And I’ll take my chances... the answer is still no.”  

“Guys...” Sienna attempted to intervene, but Jackie spoke over her.

“Because you’re not over Carrick.”

Elijah’s and Sienna’s heads flung toward Casey, and if looks could kill, they’d be planning Jackie’s wake.

“There’s nothing to get over,” she said through clenched teeth.

Jackie was undeterred. “Look, the Casey I know would have been all over this. It’s time to get back out there, hon. And if Carrick isn’t a thing, what’s the harm in talking to the guy? Worst case scenario, you tell him you're not interested."

“She’s not wrong,” Elijah agreed. “It doesn’t even have to be a “date date.” You can just happen to be at Donahue’s at the same time; you grab a beer together....”

“No!”

“Fine,” Jackie snapped. “But when you die alone surrounded by seventy-five cats, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

“I happen to like cats,” Casey smirked.

“Well, Jackie may be giving up, but I’m not,” Elijah insisted. “I’m sorry, Casey, but I think this one has real potential!”

“I’m not giving up!” Jackie yelled as Sienna unsuccessfully attempted to change the subject once again.

Casey's head pounded as the three friends continued to bicker. She rubbed her temples as the noise and the monotony continued.

“Fine! Fine!” She yelled. “If I share a beer with this guy, smile, and go home... do you promise to never discuss this again?”

“Absolutely,” Jackie beamed.

“Then make it happen. But I’m just doing this to shut the two of you up. It's not a date! Is that clear?”

“Crystal!” Elijah grinned. “Just leave it to us.”

~~~~~

Casey sat hunched over the bar. Her lack of enthusiasm was impossible to miss as she downed her third beer of the night. Her dutiful sidekick, Sienna, hadn’t left her side, still trying to make her best friend smile.

“If it makes you feel better, I think Jake is working tonight. So they probably won't spring him on you today."

“It doesn’t matter,” Casey sighed. “I just wanted some time out with my friends, and their stupid quest isn’t helping at all.”

Sienna placed a comforting hand on Casey’s shoulder. “Their hearts are in the right place, but their brains... not so much.”

“Well, if they spring him on me tonight, I’m ready,” Casey grinned, gesturing toward her attire. “See this? My rattiest, oldest jeans, accompanied by my shittiest sweatshirt! The messy bun and minimalist makeup complete my look."

"And what look is that?" Sienna laughed.

"I call it... I'm not interested."

“You jerk. You’re still prettier than just about anyone in the room. So that plan is a major fail!”

“I don’t care,” Casey shrugged, her mood slipping even lower; then, she spoke in just a whisper. “I’m having lunch with Tobias tomorrow.”

“You are!” Sienna enthused. “That’s great news!”

“Don’t get hopes up,” Casey frowned. “He said he had to talk to me.... he’s going to tell me about Audrey.”

Sienna let out a long sigh. “Do you know this for a fact?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I just do.”

“Casey,” her friend winced. “Sometimes, you’re your own worst enemy.”

Casey motioned to Reggie for another beer... and she didn’t even like beer.

“I can’t do it again, Si. I’ve had my heart broken one too many times. What kind of an idiot falls for Tobias Carrick... Boston’s biggest playboy who’s already hurt me once. Tomorrow, when he tells me about Audrey, I will smile and wish him the best, and then I’m moving on. I... I can't do this again.”

“Casey....” Sienna whimpered.

“My mind is made up.”

“All right then,” Sienna said, swirling her drink. “Then you do what you need to do.”

“Casey?”

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find an incredibly handsome man with the kindest eyes she’d ever seen standing behind her. Even sitting, she could tell he’d stand a good half-foot above her 5’9” frame. “A little bird told me I’d find you here,” he smiled.

“Mmm hmm," she hummed, playing it cool. "Was the little bird’s name Elijah or Jackie?”

“I won't give them away," he grinned. "But, I can already tell I’m going to be thanking them soon. What are you drinking?”

“Blue Moon,” she said, nodding toward the bottle Reggie just delivered.

“Well, this one is on me.”

She should have gone home. She knew she wasn’t interested in anyone whose name wasn’t Tobias Carrick. But that familiar ache in her chest told her another heartbreak was just hours away. With that on the horizon, would it be so bad to give this man a chance?

“Would you like to grab a booth?” Jake asked.

Casey grabbed her beer from the bar, stepped off her stool, and sauntered past him. “This isn’t a date,” she smirked.

“I never said it was. But if I play my cards right... maybe the next one will be.”

She found herself smiling despite herself. “You have one hour."

That hour went by in a flash. Even if Casey would have noticed it ended, she wouldn’t have been inclined to point it out. Jackie and Elijah were right. Jake was delightful. Smart - he graduated top in his class from Harvard Medical – followed by a residency at Hopkins. He had already published more than physicians twice his age, and Edenbrook considered snagging his a coup. Still, he couldn't have been more humble. He was easy to talk to and far more interested in talking about her than himself, though she managed to get her questions in. He was very close with his younger sister, who had turned him into a bonafide Swiftie. As he talked, Casey couldn't help but think this guy checked every single box. He was perfect for her, everything she ever thought she wanted, and she was decidedly not interested.

She might regret passing up this opportunity one day; she was sure she'd be discussing this with her shrink. But, no matter how mesmerizing his blue eyes were, they weren't the ones she wanted to be gazing at. Jake's shy, unassuming charm was the polar opposite of Tobias’s confident swagger... but how she missed it.

“What do you say,” Jake asked, pointing to her empty bottle. “I realize my hour is up, but would you care for another?”  

“Sure," she smiled. "What's the harm in one more.”  

~~~~~

Tobias looked good. Too good. In his black cashmere coat, herringbone gaberdine pants, and black turtleneck, he was well overdressed for a Saturday night at Whole Foods. He was picking up a few items and then had the night free. He considered stopping by the Puddingstone. Seeing some old friends wouldn’t be the worst idea, and maybe it would keep him from counting the hours until he’d see Casey tomorrow. He just reached the checkout area when someone called out his name.

“Lahela,” Tobias grinned, extending his hand.

“You can call me Bryce.”

“Sometimes I do,” he smiled, taking notice of the younger man’s scrubs. “Just getting off shift?”

“Yeah! It was a long day. I can’t wait to get home and get some sleep.”

“On a Saturday night?” Tobias mocked. “Come on, Lahela! You’re too young and too good-looking for that... you should absolutely have a date.”

“Is that why you're so dressed up?" Bryce asked.

“Excuse me?”

Bryce exaggeratedly sniffed the air. “Is that Tom Ford? And those clothes.... not exactly a going home after grocery shopping look.”

“Nah,” Tobias chuckled. “No dates for me. At least... not tonight.”  

“It’s Casey... isn’t it?”

Tobias looked startled as a brief silence fell between them.

“You two drive me crazy,” Bryce sighed. “Everyone can see you're crazy about each other.... and you'd be perfect together... so why don’t you tell her how you feel already?”

“Well, as fate would have it, that's exactly what I was planning to tell her tomorrow at lunch.”

“Nice!” Bryce beamed, patting Tobias on the back. “Finally! I’ve gotta give you credit, though.”

“Credit? For what?”

“Your patience! If I was about to tell the person I loved that I was crazy about them, I’d rush to do it as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be able to wait. You’re much cooler than me, Carrick.”

Tobias’s eyes went distant. “You know what... you’re right.”

“I am?”

“You’re absolutely right. I’ve been waiting long enough; why should I wait any longer?” He grabbed a bunch of loose bills from his pocket and tossed them into his basket.  “Can you take care of this?”

“Sure!” Bryce insisted. “Just...go! Go! But where should I bring your groceries?”

“I don’t care,” Tobias hollered. “I’ll call you later!”

“All right,” Bryce grinned at the cashier as he pulled out his phone. “Si? Who is the man?”

“I’m assuming you’re the man?” Sienna replied.

“Oh, I am absolutely the man!”

“Good to know,” Sienna laughed. “Now, why are you the man?”

“Jackie and Elijah had all those bullshit games, but who is the one who got Tobias to finally tell Casey the truth? ME!”

“Bryce.... what talking about”

“I ran into him at Whole Foods. A sixty-second conversation with me, and our boy is running off for a romcom-worthy ending.”

“Running off to tell Casey?” Sienna asked with concern. “Where is he running to?”

“To Donahue’s...she’s still there, right?”

“He’s heading there NOW?” Sienna yelled.

“Yes, now... why is there....”

“Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!” Sienna was already slipping on her sneakers. “I have to get back there. I have to call Casey....”

“Wait, why? Oh, no....” Bryce gasped. “They didn’t set up that thing with the radiology stud for today, did they?”

“YES! Casey was so sure Tobias was telling her he’s with Audrey tomorrow that she agreed to have a few drinks with him.”

“Oh, shit!” Bryce cursed. “I’m heading over there now.”

“Not if I get there first!”

~~~~~~

The ride from Whole Foods to Donahue’s went by in a flash, and if fate wasn’t smiling on him enough, Tobias found a parking a few doors away. In Boston!  It was reminiscent of the day when he met Casey at the deli; a spot had been waiting for him as if it was bringing him to his future. It was all coming together.

He smiled as he took in a deep breath of the cold, New England air, making sure he memorized everything about the night. The way the streetlights sparkled on the icy patches on the sidewalk, the old Celtic tune blaring from inside the bar—he wanted - needed - to remember every moment of this night.

So, this was what it felt like? He had successfully avoided it for nearly four decades, never understanding what all the fuss was about. But here he was—Tobias Carrick was in love. He had dreamt of telling her for some time, and as he reached for the door, he couldn't believe the moment was finally here.

Sienna was in an Uber, not chancing this to public transit. She dialed Casey a dozen times on the ride there and tried Jackie and Elijah, too... but nothing. Bryce was already running to the bar, grocery bags in hand; his messages to Tobias had gone unanswered as well. Inside Donahue's, Casey and Jake’s conversation continued under the dim lights and the haze of one too many beers.  

“Are you a Disney fan?” Jake asked.

“I'm not anti-Disney, but I’m not obsessed.”

“Tsk. That’s too bad,” Jake frowned. “Maybe we'll go to Disney World together one day, and I could help change your mind.”

“That would be a hard sell,” Casey grinned. Jake was a nice guy... a really nice guy... and this wasn't right. Even if Tobias was about to break her heart, experience told her that she'd be better off taking some time before seeing anyone else, and she could tell Jake deserved better.

“I have a few friends who are Disney freaks. If you’d like, I’d be happy to introduce you.”

Jake deflated a bit but quickly picked himself up. “Hey, if Disney is hard no, I will happily give up the Mouse for you.”

“It’s not that,” Casey smiled. “You seem like a great guy, Jake, and if this was another time, I might let you attempt to make me a Disney convert. But I’m still dealing with the after-effects of the chemical attack... and I’m not quite over someone I loved... so it's not a good time for me to begin seeing anyone."

“I understand,” Jake smiled. “And I appreciate your honesty. But we can still be friends, right? Because I hardly know anyone in Boston.”

“You’ve got a deal,” Casey smiled, extending her hand over the table to shake his hand. The handshake lingered a little too long, and with their hands intertwined, Casey smiled and turned toward the door.

Timing. Life was always about timing. After months of meaningful conversations, long rides, hugs, and occasional kisses, after all the tenderness they shared, the time was finally here. He could have told her dozens of other times, or she could have told him, but this was the moment fate had brought them to; he was going to do it. His heart was so full he worried it might burst, and then...it did.

The packed room seemed to fall silent as he stared at the woman he loved, and his face turned to stone. Her smile, her laugh, that light in her eyes... but she wasn’t looking at him. Maybe it’s not what it seems, a voice inside him pleaded, but that didn't stop his heart from sinking. He was nauseous, and his legs felt like gelatin beneath him. Maybe this was the flipside. This was why he had avoided it for so long. Dating was fun. Sex was fun. But relationships? Love? They were work. Work punctuated with heartache, and he successfully avoided them until he met her. Casey... his precious Casey, sitting no more than a few yards away, her face flushed as she held the hand of another man. Had he imagined everything before today?

Casey looked around the room, and the blood drained from her face as she locked eyes with Tobias.

“Hey, are you OK?” Jake asked.

“Yes... I’ve just... give me a minute.”

She rushed toward Tobias, who wished he could have lurched for the door, but it was too late; there was no choice but to face her.

“Tobias!” she yelled. Breathless, with a genuine grin when she reached him. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing,” he said, acting as nonchalant as he could. But as his eyes darted back to the table and Jake, realization washed over Casey.

“Oh, Tobias! Wait... let me explain...”

“There’s nothing to explain,” he replied with a level of coolness that shook Casey to her core.

“No... you don’t understand,” she insisted. “I want to explain because you should know that....”

“You’re on a date,” he shrugged. “That’s cool. Nothing wrong with that.”

“There’s.... there’s not?” She swallowed, her eyes beginning to glisten, and she suddenly felt much smaller than she was.

“Nope. It’s a good thing... it means you’re really ready to be back out in the world again.”

“Well, I am, but that's not what....”

She grasped his arm with desperation, but Tobias gently pushed it away.

“We’re friends. Right? We haven't been more than that since we broke up last year. You don’t owe me any explanation.”

“Oh,” she whispered, diverting her eyes so he wouldn't see the impact of his words. “I see...”

“Go have fun, Case. We’ll talk soon.”

“T...Tobias...” she called after him. “Are we still on for tomorrow?”

“Actually, I wanted to tell you that I got called into work. I’ll have to take a rain check.”

“Oh... but wait! You said you wanted to tell me something... tomorrow... what... what was it?”

He took a deep breath as he stepped toward her, steeling himself as he gently touched her shoulders. He never thought of himself as a skilled actor, but he had to pull out all the stops tonight. He would have made his college drama teacher proud.

“I was going to tell you that now that you’re back to work... and you’re doing well... you don’t need me as a crutch anymore.”

“Tobias!" She interrupted. "I never thought of you as a crutch! I hope that’s not the impression I gave!”

“Of course not,” he smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. “But it’s time for us to move on... that's what I wanted to tell you... but... it looks like we already have. Now, I really have to go.”

She wanted to run after him, but her feet felt like they were glued to the floor. What had he just told her? All she could do was stand in stunned silence as the man she loved bolted out the door. He had barely taken ten steps outside when Bryce ran up to him.

“Hey,” Bryce gasped, attempting to catch his breath. “Did... did you see Casey?”

“I did,” Tobias grunted. “And now, I’m heading home.”

“Wait... what happened?”

Tobias remained silent, his demeanor like steel as he opened his car door.

“Tobias!” Bryce hollered. “I don’t know what happened in there, but I know Casey, and I know she's crazy about you."

“It doesn’t matter," Tobias said with a wave of his hand. "Sometimes, the universe gives us signs and tonight, it delivered a neon sign to me.  Now, if you’ll let go of my door... I really want to go home."

~~~~

Casey grabbed her coat from the rack, then rushed to the front door in tears.

“Casey!” Sienna hollered, grabbing her by the arm. “Where are you going? What happened?”

“Si,” Casey wailed. “I just... I just want to go home.”

Noticing the commotion, Jackie raced across the room. “Hey, what happened? I saw Tobias was here... what did he say?"

“It doesn’t matter!” Casey cried. “I told you, I’m an idiot... now, please... I need to go home.”

Sienna was already buttoning up her friend's coat. “Then that’s exactly where I’m taking you, sweetie. Don’t worry, I’ll get you there.”

“I’ll come, too,” Jackie added nervously, but Sienna held up a hand to stop her.

“No.  Not now. I think you’ve done enough for tonight.”

~~~~~~~

Tobias tossed his keys on the side table as he entered his townhome. The place had never felt this cavernous, this quiet, this empty. He walked to the sideboard and poured himself a tumbler full of whisky, downing it quickly before pouring a second. He brought the decanter with him when he retreated to his couch; sitting in the darkness, he hoped the alcohol would begin to numb the thoughts in his head, and he prayed that when he woke up tomorrow, he'd revert to the man he once was... with no memory of the foolish one he had become. Minutes turned to hours, and by the time he decided to rise, he nearly had to crawl up the stairs to his room.

He collapsed into his bed, fully dressed, only taking a moment to kick off his shoes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scoffed when he saw a text from Casey.

"This was a horrible experiment," he groaned, deleting her message before reading a word. He pushed a button next to his bed, and a buzzing noise surrounded him as his shades came down, ensuring light couldn't peek through until he was damn well ready to let it.

He looked at his phone again, squinting to see another message that had come in. This one was from Audrey, and in this state, he considered replying; the company might do him good. But stopped himself. Audrey, like Casey, was now in the past, and that's where the past belonged. It's not like he didn't have other options. Tomorrow was a new day, and he was determined to come back to life when the sun rose. It was time to move on.

(OK we're almost there... almost. I promise :) )

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[sunaneko-jw]

I am a Japanese Jooster fan, and sorry if my translation is wrong.

In Japan, there are two types of translations for the works of Wodehouse. One is the translation by Tamaki Morimura, which is used for the manga version, and the other is by Masakatsu Iwanaga and Taiichi Koyama.

It seems Morimura's version gives weight to recreate the flavor and character images, while Iwanaga and Koyama forcus on replacing exactly what original text means with Japanese.

Now, regarding the part that all Jooster fans frame and display, "I'm fond of Mr. Wooster...," Iwanaga and Koyama's translation is, ”大好きなウースター様のことですから、お顔を見るとくじけそうな気持ちになりました.”

In this case, the term "大好き（Dai suki）" strongly express the sense of affection. In Japan, it's not common for someone of lower status to describe someone of higher status as "大好き," making it a frank and affectionate expression. It could be interpreted as Jeeves, being the older character, having a deep affection for the favorable young man, Bertie.

Of course, it's also possible to interpret it as "I love him," indicating a strong sense of love. In other words, Iwanaga and Koyama's translation conveys a meaning like, "I have a very good feeling (friendship, affection or love) about Mr. Wooster, so when I saw his despairing face, I almost faltered (in my determination to train him with severe methods)."

On the other hand, Morimura's translation is, "わたくしはウースター様が好きでございます。あの方のお顔を拝見して、わたくしはもう少しで心とろけるところであったと、認めるものでございます."

The phrase "好き（Suki）" is used in a wide range, from a confession of hidden love to a simple expression of goodwill. So, while it may sound slightly more serious than "大好き", the difference from Iwanaga and Koyama's translation is not significant.

The issue arises in the subsequent part. Morimura translates "I admit I came very near to melting," using the imagery of "melt" as "心とろける(kokoro torokeru)" ("my heart felt like it was about to melt").

The problem is that the Japanese phrase "心とろける（herart + melt）" does not necessarily imply a wavering of resolve or a softening of emotions; rather, it carries a strong image of entrancement or in ecstasy. In other words, while Iwanaga and Koyama's translation allows for the imagining of gentle Jeeves, Morimura's translation opens the door to envisioning sadistic Jeeves who is enraptured by Bertie's despairing face. I don't know what the word "melting" exactly means in English, but translation is indeed fascinating!

Note that both Jeeves will carry out the training as planned.

Japanese version of this blog :

日本におけるウッドハウス作品の翻訳には2種類あります。漫画版の元になった森村たまき訳と岩永正勝・小山太一訳です。

私は英語に詳しくないので間違っているかもしれませんが、森村訳が比較的雰囲気やキャラのイメージ重視なのに対し、岩永・小山訳は原文に書いてあることだけをシンプルに日本語に置き換えた感じです。

さて、全世界のJoosterファンが額縁に入れて飾っている"I'm fond of Mr.Wooster…"の部分ですが、岩永・小山訳は「大好きなウースター様のことですから、お顔を見るとくじけそうな気持になりました」です。この場合の「大好き」はかなり強い親愛の情を示す言葉です。日本では通常身分の低い者が身分の高い人を「大好き」と形容することはあまりないので、フランクかつ親しみのこもった言い方と言えます。年長者であるジーヴスが好ましい若者のバーティに強い親愛の情を持っている、という解釈なのかもしれません。もちろん、「愛している」という意味に解釈することも可能です。つまり、岩永・小山訳は「私はウースター様をとても好ましく思っているので、彼の絶望した顔を見て（彼をひどい目に合わせて調教しようという決意が）くじけそうになった」ぐらいの意味です。

一方、森村訳は「わたくしはウースター様が好きでございます。あの方のお顔を拝見して、わたくしはもう少しで心とろけるところであったと、認めるものでございます」です。「私は（人名）が好きです」は秘めたる愛の告白から単なる好意の表明まで幅広く使われますので、「大好きなウースター様」より若干真剣な告白に聞こえるものの、岩永・小山訳とそこまで違いはありません。問題はその後です。森村訳は"I admit I came very near to melting"のmeltのイメージをそのまま用いて「心がとろけそうだった」と訳しています。問題は日本語の「心とろける」に決意が鈍るとか感情が和らぐという意味があまりなく、うっとりする、恍惚とするようなイメージが強いことです。つまり、岩永・小山訳では善人（ぶっている）ジーヴスが想像できる一方、森村訳では大好きなウースター様の絶望した顔を見てうっとりするサディストのジーヴスが想像可能だということです。翻訳って面白いですね。

あなたはどちらの訳が好きですか？

大好きなウースター様への調教を躊躇する優しいジーヴス

ウースター様が好きなので絶望顔をうっとり眺めるジーヴス

なお、どちらも調教は予定通り行います

[oharabunny]

Happy Autumn Moon Festival ☾ ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎

Disclaimer: I was given to write this fic by @kairiscorner for an anon (I am @hisachuu). I'm Chinese-American, so I write from the perspective of one and my own personal experiences! Also, this is a reupload because I was unsure if anyone could see my reblog. Warning: Miguel x GN!Reader // Reader is Chinese-American // Fuckboy Miguel if you squint (but more like a flirt) // Shy!Reader

Word Count: 2229

Summary: Imagine sharing mooncake with Miguel under the moonlight

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. 　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 　　 　　　　 ✦

It was that time of the year again. You made sure to google around September so you never miss the date since it always changed every year according to the lunar calendar, even if the date was usually towards the end of the month. The Autumn Moon or Mid-Autumn Festival. You were disheartened when Miguel assigned you yet another hard anomaly mission for the 4th time in a row with him that you just finished, without so much of a proper break. It was a blessing and a curse. It meant he had immense amount of trust in you along with great approval. (Something you secretly craved) But it was beginning to take a toll on you, as you were beginning to miss your family. You won't be home to celebrate with them with all the work that you do for the Spider Society.

For Miguel.

You were in the middle of your thoughts when you were approached by some of the other Chinese and Chinese-American Spider variants who came up to ask your plans for the holiday. You all chatted for awhile and some were discussing how they were part of the Mid-Autumn Festival like lion dancing or helping their family's vendor in their home universes. Some variants were still teenagers who were volunteers to guide the traffic. Some of the older variants shared their homemade mooncake and gifted you some snacks.

That gave you an idea.

If you couldn't go home to spend the holiday with your family, then you could bring the holiday to Miguel. It's not like he knew about the Mid-Autumn Festival, so perhaps a fun cultural exchange could eliviate some of the stress you were put on.

You told Lyla you would be right back, and quickly left HQ for Nueva York's Chinatown to pick up your favorite brand and type of mooncake: the traditional one with lotus paste with salted duck yolk...though you also picked up a box without the yolk just in case Miguel didn't like it, and also another box of assorted flavored snow skin mooncakes from the freezer section if he just couldn't handle traditional mooncakes as well. You decided to go with your favorite to stay true to yourself since it wasn’t economic to buy all three boxes. You left the other two back on the shelf before checking out.

You also picked up jasmine green tea (your personal favorite) on the way. You went into the cafeteria, and asked the kitchen crew to let you brew the tea, which they happily allowed. You gave them one of the mooncakes you bought (a box has 4 mooncakes typically), and taught them what it was and what it was for. Safe to say they were not the biggest fans, but that was no surprise to you. You were used to it, but there was only one person's opinion you cared about.

Your heart skipped a beat in anticipation and nervousness of what he would think of the mooncake. Would he like it? Hate it? Would he even care?

You slowly approached Miguel's office where his super high platform resided in. To no one's surprise, he was up there working for who knows what, for who knows how long. Almost as he anticipated for your return, he turned around, and cocked an eyebrow at the bag of the metal tin box and thermos you were carrying.

"What's all this?" Miguel lowered his platform quickly for you, which he rarely did for anyone. But for you, he made an exception.

"Ah, well I got us some mooncakes and tea, for you know, the Mid-Autumn Festival." You motioned the bag and thermos at him. "It's today. If you have time, that is." You broke eye contact with him, a habit of yours when you weren't sure about something.

Luckily for you, Miguel was receptive to your emotions and habits from working with you all the time. Overworking you was his way of making you spend more time with him, which is how he picked up your subtle mannerisms. Not that you knew, of course. Your compliant and people-pleasing nature didn't question it, to his delight. Now you were standing before him all fidgety and nervous while holding a bunch of things that you were trying to share with him.

How cute. Miguel mused. "Sure, I have time."

Miguel was not a tea and cakes type of guy, but again, for you, he'll try anything once.

"How about we go on the roof? The moon is said to be at the fullest and brightest tonight."

"Of course."

You two swung and zipped through the halls of HQ, and reached for the top of the building. You set your thermos and bag down on the floor of the roof. Miguel closely followed and watched you as you sat down and took out the tin box, and noticed the intricate details that were painted and embossed on the lid. As you were about to open them, Miguel pointed at the female figure from the design.

"Who's she? And that rabbit."

Your eyes beamed in excitement the moment he asked. You were afraid he was only going along with you for your sake. (He was interested in anything about you.)

"She's the moon goddess, Chang'e, who's famous for stealing her husband's elixir of immortality. Her husband, Houyi, was an archer that was rewarded the elixir by the gods for his services. She escaped to the moon, stayed there, and became its goddess. The moon is said to be the fullest and brightest according to the lunar calendar today which is why she is always referenced for the Mid-Autumn Festival." You explained as much as you could remember from stories you were taught in Chinese language school. You pointed at the rabbit. "And that lil bunny there is always with her because Chinese people think the moon crater looks like a bunny pounding more of the elixir of immortality! So it's like it's always with her."

You looked up at Miguel who was looking straight at you with soft brown eyes as he leaned his weight extremely close to you. He wore a soft smile from listening to you, making your heart flutter and temperature rise on your cheeks.

"You look so lovely under the moonlight." His eyes were half-lidded looking down on you. "Looks like you're stealing something from me too."

He was leaning dangerously close as his lips ghosted yours. You could feel every fiber of your muscles in your entire body tensing up and heat reverberating. Your breath hitched, but before anything else could happen, you panicked and looked down at the mooncake tin beside you.

"U-Um let me cut you your share." You said awkwardly. You didn't even notice Miguel pouting in disappointment.

You opened up the tin box. Miguel frowned and crossed his arms. He looked at the opened tin and noticed a missing mooncake. "You shared them with someone else, first? Guess I'm really not that special to you."

"I-I didn't mean to! I just had to brew some tea at the cafeteria and I wanted to thank the kitchen crew." You explained hurriedly like you were in trouble.

"I'm just teasing." Miguel chuckled and squeezed your arm for reassurance. He moved on and noticed something. "They're much smaller than I thought they'd be. Are they mini cakes?" He tilted his head to the side in curiosity, examining all lines, shapes, and characters of the design on the mooncakes.

"No, they're meant to be this size. The cakes are super dense." You had cut up the mooncake into 4 pieces. You held up the plastic tray it came in for Miguel. "Here. It has a salted egg yolk, and the filling is lotus paste. It's sweet and salty, and also my favorite!"

He took a piece of his share and you watched tentatively, unsure of his reaction. His eyes widened, but not in shock, rather in delight. He nodded in approval. He followed with a small smile.

"That was actually really good. I won't lie, I thought the salted egg yolk was weird at first, but it actually works to balance out the intense sweetness of the mooncake." He paused. "Could I get some tea though?" He pointed at the thermos.

"Oh, yeah, of course!"

You quickly pour him the tea into the lid of the thermos that also served as a cup. The tea was still warm as steam was coming off of the cup. You gently blew on the cup before handing it to Miguel. He immediately sipped the tea. He had let the tea sit in his mouth before swallowing to taste the tea.

"Think this might be my favorite tea. The light floral flavor helps neutralize the stickiness and sugar of the mooncake." He noted.

You couldn't be more happy to hear his compliments and analysis. Your need for his validation and approval was more than satisfied at this point.

"It's a bit rare for someone who never grew up on them to like these traditional mooncakes." You reminisced a bit on your childhood growing up. Even the other Chinese kids didn't always liked traditional Chinese food.

"Well I'm just cultured like that." Miguel dramatically flipped his hair, being the cheeky guy he was. "I have good taste."

You giggled. "Yes you really do!" You paused for a second. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." He replied softly, a tone he almost never used with anyone.

"What did you celebrate usually at home?" You could feel yourself regretting to ask due to his past, but you couldn't help wanting to reminisce with him and learn more about him.

"Well, growing up, we celebrated the usual holidays like Christmas and Halloween. Although for Mexican holidays, usually just Cinco de Mayo." Miguel looked away to the moon. You too gazed upon the lunar plane, mezmerized by its soft light as Miguel's voice carried you away. "And you know, my Gabi, she used to make sure I celebrated every holiday she liked with her. Christmas was her favorite. She loved getting presents, playing games, and making cookies for Santa."

You looked back at Miguel. His face was stoic, but you knew better. A war of emotions dazzled in his chocolate brown eyes against the moonlight. You took a deep breath. "She and I have in common then, I love Christmas. It's the best holiday for families. My family usually celebrates major Chinese and American holidays with a good feast. I always pitched in activity ideas for them or else we'd do nothing else but eat eat eat."

"You and Gabi would get along. She had quite the creative and active mind, like you." Miguel snuck a compliment in.

"I would have loved to meet her." Your heart ached for him. "I can never understand the pain and loss that you feel, but I do miss my family a lot too."

Miguel looked down, and then back up into your eyes. "I'm sorry, I know I've been overworking you. Had I known today's a holiday for you, I would've given you a break."

"It's alright. As long as you let me go home at some point." You fiddled with your fingers, unsure of what to say next. "I'm grateful to be here...it's just...I want to see my family more."

He nodded to that. "I can give you the week off, but can I ask something of you first?"

"Of course! I'll do anything!" You jumped up in people-pleasing mode.

Miguel felt some heat when you said that, but held up his composure to ask: "Can I kiss you?"

You were taken aback by the absurdity, but you weren't opposed to it. Unlike before, your nerves couldn't get the best of you this time. "Y-Yes. I'd like that very much." Blush and heat formed on your face. This couldn't be happening right now. You thought you blew it earlier.

With definitive confidence from you, Miguel shifted closer to you and guided his hands so that one was on your hip and the other guiding itself up to cup your cheek. He lingered to gently rub his thumb on your cheek before lightly pinching it.

"Ah! What are you doing?"

"Your cheeks remind me of a lil bunny rabbit. You're too cute." He said before silencing you with his mouth. He was holding you like a flower, as if he was so afraid to crush you in his strength. His kiss was firm yet soft, as if he was kissing his spouse. His body began to hover and push against you until he was on top of you. He nipped your lip teasingly, and pecked your lips. He peppered little kisses all over your face before giving your forehead one final kiss. He pressed his forehead against your own.

"You're wonderful. You know that? I appreciate with all that you've done for me and for all of us. Don't overextend yourself more than you have to. Don't be afraid to tell me no." Miguel spoke barely a whisper. "I...care about you."

You could melt into a puddle and ascend to heaven right now. Everything in your mind was being scrambled like a stir fry. Words could not even begin to form in your mind to explain how you feel. Your tummy was in knots while butterflies were threatening to spill out. You could've sworn the moon became brighter than before. You could almost hear someone urging you to go to him. As if in sync, the two of you leaned in and sealed another kiss under the moonlight.

"Me too."

‎‧₊˚✧[fin.]✧˚₊‧

a/n: How do you feel about this format? I want to switch it up for the style of my new blog. I kept the old fics from the main blog the same format for consistency sake.

中秋快乐！

  ◌                             ◌                                       ◌                                                        ‧₊ :･ﾟ彡       ◌                 ☽︎       ◌             ◌                                 ✩彡 ･ﾟ :                                                                      ◌                                        ◌ ◌                                                  ♡                                         (_(\      /)_/)                                         (      )    (      )                                      ૮/ʚɞ  |ა ૮|  ʚɞ\ა                                       ( ◌    |      |     ◌ )

[justheretoposttrash]

day 11 of endhawks returns: electric boogaloo:

from hawks being a groomed spy who, if not well-versed in murder, is at least well-prepared for it, to endeavor's abusiveness and creation of quirk babies, these characters could have had straightforward downfalls to serve showing the dark side to hero society. hell knows that a bajillion super hero stories have supposed "good guys" in the public eye who actually uphold corrupt systems or have self-serving agendas, and these types of characters often serve as anti-examples---people not meant to be identified with and for whom the audience is usually meant to feel some schadenfreude when they fail. of course, mha doesn't do this, instead telling the story of what it takes for someone who made a wrong decision at one turn, or even someone who's been on the wrong path for nearly all of their life, to walk it all the way back. a different story might have dwelled on "bad heroes", or "phony" heroes---and mha skims this idea, but mostly turns it around in the cases of hawks and endeavor. it implies that, perhaps ironically, these characters' efforts to address the harms they've inflicted---to undo the most unheroic aspects about them---constitute the most heroic act they could take on.

"but how does hawks address killing twice?" unfortunately mha is equal parts an unwieldy story as it is an intentional one, and for every heart-on-its-sleeve piece of closure it gives, there's a loose end that it doesn't tie up outright. a lot of this allows for ambiguity and invites fans to speculate and fill in the gaps, and i'm under the impression that is intentional, though it leaves some things to be desired. long story short, hawks's thought process on killing jin is a whole roller coaster of a mess (too lazy to summarize so here's the evidence:)

week-to-week time crunch pressure, the way that being a mangaka erodes the mind and body, genuine lapses of judgment, etc. aside (again, all doylist factors), in-universe i enjoy the exercise of connecting the scattered dots of what's already there in canon (and inevitably, all roads lead to endhawks), so let's get into it! when enji urges himself to go back to his origin, he confronts the weakness and the monster within, but also his *why*---why he did what he did, why he's going to do what he's going to do. when hawks confronts his origin, he also confronts his why:

there's a throughline in this scene (besides the obviously stated one) between killing jin and standing by endeavor despite the truth of what kind of man he was. hawks wanted to save twice, but utterly failed---in fact, did the opposite of what that little kid holding the endeavor plushie would have chosen to do. his regret and remarks of how jin was a good guy are not narratively enough imo, and that this doesn't get much further development is uncharacteristic and a bit of a shame---but i would argue that, in the very least, his decision to double down on hero work, helping izuku, and standing by endeavor are actually indirect ways of addressing twice's death. endeavor is the one who made hawks want to save people, and staying by his side is almost a reclamation of that fact. he doomed jin rather than saved him, but at least he can save others. (flavor-wise, it understandably might feel sour to some fans that hawks's thought process here doesn't dwell on the villains he spent time amongst, particularly the fact that the LOV were the friends at the core of twice's heart and are what drove him to act. i also 100% agree with those hoping hawks would have saved toga to bring the twice/saving people/redemption thing full circle, and i do think that would have created the far better story.) there isn't nearly as much as a lot of us would like to work with in-story, but at the same time, the stuff that is there is still nuanced and fun to analyze (and gay, as usual, somehow).

circling it back to fallen heroes (geez, remember when that was the topic of this post? neither do i, apparently!), a ton of other superhero stories also tend to have the morally gray "bad hero" character clash with the pure-hearted protagonist, usually to be persuaded back to the side of good or to be soundly defeated. this is what happens in-story between nagant and deku, for instance. but interestingly, while hawks and endeavor do interact with deku significantly, they don't gain their motivation from him. instead, they largely seem to turn to each other, though a lot of that is left unstated/up to interpretation. and though the support they receive from the other most important figures in their lives--tokoyami and the todofam--are what end up defining the very end of the war, they are far less comfortable getting help from people who aren't each other. being the maladaptive loners they are, both hawks and endeavor have to be pursued into receiving this support, and try to push these other people away (not without good reason, to be fair), even giving similar reactions of dismay (and receiving similar reprimands):

(they never have this issue with each other, though. for some reason. 🤔)

so in short, in a story that redefines herodom over and over again through every character---such as following your passions á la hatsume, or finding your confidence like yaoyorozu---it also redefines herodom through the very characters who have, at one time or another, failed to achieve it. and said characters, turning to each other implicitly or explicitly, help each other find what it means to be a hero again.