#please this show is going things to me and making my attempt poetry

[iguessitsjustme]

[artful-aries]

Can I please have How they flirt headcanons for zhongli scaramoche and Childe? Thank you in advance 🤗

Hello hello!!! I have no excuse for taking so long to put out content other than my job killing me and getting distracted with oil painting

How They Flirt With You (Zhongli, Scaramouche, Childe)

Zhongli:

His flirting is as refined as osmanthus wine

He is very gentlemanly when he flirts; chaste, grazing touches, deep, meaningful looks, and his willingness to jump at your beck and call are very prevalent as he seeks to woo you

Zhongli wouldn’t overload you with compliments, that would make it seem like he only cares for your physical appearance or that he is too obsessive. When he does compliment you, it is pure poetry that falls from his lips

“Your eyes shine like the purest noctilucous jade. For all of the wonders of Teyvat, you are certainly the most captivating.”

He knows his compliments can come off pretty strong in their own right, which is why he keeps them to a minimum unless he is absolutely sure that you are okay with it

None of his flirtations would come across as needy or desperate, he is calm, cool, and collected as he effortlessly but respectfully flirts with you

Being as old as he is, he does not clam up when it comes to things of this nature, nor is he afraid of the possibility of rejection. It’s all part of the mortal experience that he wishes to see more of

The unfortunate part of Zhongli’s flirting is that he can be incredibly long winded and wind up telling you the whole history of processing silk flowers into usable fabric before he can think to stop himself

He tries to pay attention to what you’re interested in, but if a topic comes up that he’s knowledgeable about, he can’t help himself but to delve deep into the topic with you

It’s not that he’s trying to show off in a conceited way, but Zhongli does like showing you that he is knowledgeable and capable in a wide variety of subjects. He just has a hard time reigning himself in once he gets started.

If you decide to flirt back with him, his demeanor isn’t going to change much other than he’s going to have a soft smile permanently plastered to his face

The way you flirt amuses him, but it makes a warmth seep deep into his heart, and his hands tingle slightly as he practically eats up your flirtations

He wants nothing more than to kiss you in these moments, but Zhongli is going to bide his time and wait. Like stone, he knows his feelings are not subject to change for a long, long time, but mortals can be fickle with their affections. He wants to wait and see how serious you are about him before trying to take things to the next step

Scaramouche:

Chant “tsundere” in the mirror three times and Scaramouche will appear

When he starts developing a crush, he’s going to deny it to himself for a while. What use is a crush to him?

As the feelings only continue to grow as he’s around you, he has two options; avoid you, or bully you (these are clearly the only two rational options for when you have a crush on someone)

Scaramouche will attempt to avoid you first, going weeks meticulously avoiding you before he finally just gives up. It’s clearly not working for him, if anything, it’s making his thoughts of you worse

So, dropping back into your life like he never left in the first place, he starts bullying you

He never gets physical and doesn’t say absolutely horrendous things, but he will frequently imply that he thinks you’re an idiot or a weakling

You might genuinely think he just hates you, and rightfully so. Yet if you ever actually get genuinely upset with him, especially to the point of storming off or giving him the silent treatment, Scaramouche will internally panic

He won’t apologize, at least not outright, but it is very easy to see the shift in his demeanor. He makes sure that you’re in earshot to hear him say nice things about you to others, or he just sort of hangs around you as though he’s silently begging you to forgive him

When you do finally start talking to him again, he can’t help but feel a little giddy even though it makes him feel weak and pathetic

From there, his flirting actually begins, but he’s certainly no charmer. Scaramouche is still as abrasive and hard to get along with as ever, but he does random acts of kindness for you now. He’ll call you an idiot, but give you bundles of your favorite snack. He’ll scoff at you cooing over a cute cat, but will sneak a cat plush he made himself that looks just like the kitten you were cooing over the other day into your belongings

If you decide to flirt back, he’ll laugh and ask if you’re serious. When you confirm that you are in fact serious with your words, a blush will develop on his cheeks, and he will finally be rendered speechless instead of running his smart mouth

Childe:

This man is quite the tease, and it’s hard to tell when he’s just looking to get a reaction out of you or when he’s being genuine in his flirtations

He’s touchy to a fault. He sees no problem with hoisting you up randomly over his shoulder and carrying you off somewhere. The way you fluster and struggle against his hold his just so cute to him, you can’t expect him to behave when you give him such nice reactions

If you gave indication that you would genuinely start hating him for being so handsy, Childe would reign it in. As much fun as it is to push your buttons, he doesn’t want you to hate him

His touchiness doesn’t completely die, but it’s a lot more gentle and sweet, more like proper flirtation rather than borderline manhandling you

With his connections to Northland Bank, he likes to spoil you just a little bit with gifts. Nothing extravagant since you’re not dating yet, but just nice little sentimental things to show that he’s thinking of you even when he can’t pry himself away from his work

Childe also flirts by showing off, especially when it comes to fighting. He makes sure that the fight is never too dangerous or scary, but he wants you to see him absolutely decimate his enemies

It’s like he’s showing you how strong he is, that you can rely on him if you wanted to

That being said, he definitely gets a little cocky and gets himself hurt a time or two, but that just gives him an excuse to play up the injury a little so he can get you to tend to him

He will totally give you flirtatious winks and teasing remarks as you help him apply bandages to his bare torso, saying that surely you must have been dreaming of the day he got hurt so you could do this

This would be your chance to turn the tables on him and get him flustered. Shoot him a teasing remark back or let your hand ghost over the curves of his muscles and the man will turn as red as his hair

Childe loves a competition though, and will ramp up the flirty comments and gestures until you give up and walk out a blushing mess or you give in and finally kiss his stupid lips already

He knows that no matter which way things will turn out, it’ll be all the more thrilling for him

The Harbinger totally doesn’t mind staying in the flirting stage for a while; he almost likes the chase more than the reward. Almost.

[two-hands-toward-the-sun]

Hi! For the Mary Oliver poetry prompts, could I ask for: 17 Barbie and Wanda? (or another fem couple, if you prefer another one :)

Hi!! Thanks so much for the prompt! <333 It’s my first attempt writing a ghost-ish story, and I really hope you like how it turned out.

#17. And what does this have to do with love, except everything?

After everything that happened (or didn’t happen) in The Land, finding out that ghosts do exist hardly fazes Barbie.

Pearly and translucent, Wanda drapes herself across the stained ceiling of the Kentucky motel. She reclines like she’s just barged her way into Barbie’s apartment and made herself comfy on Barbie’s sofa, as she did a thousand times in life.

“I shouldn’t still be here, you know,” Wanda says.

Barbie folds her arms across her stomach, gazing up at her. Wanda’s voice has a strange echoing quality, as if she’s speaking through a metal tube, but it’s still her voice—low and vital, warm and a little scratchy.

“I know.” She doesn’t say anything else for a while. A TV blares from the room next to hers. Wanda flicks her eyes sideways in silent, withering disapproval, and it’s so dear and familiar that Barbie wants to cry.

Instead, she rolls over on the creaky mattress and opens the drawer of the nightstand. “I have something for you. Before you…go. Will you come down here, please?”

Wanda drifts down to join Barbie on the bed. Crossing her legs, she looks at Barbie expectantly. Barbie unfurls her fingers. A black tube of lipstick winks up from her palm. She unscrews the top, revealing the bright pink shade. “Tacky flamingo, or something. I thought you’d like it.”

“Oh, you gorgeous thing. Come to Mama.” Eagerly, Wanda stretches out pale fingers. They pass straight through the little tube. She makes a face. “Yeah, of course that wasn’t going to work. Anyway, it’s spectacular. Thanks, Barbie-baby.”

“Don’t.”

“Hm?”

Her heart thrums in her chest so hard it hurts. “I’m sorry I—I mean I tried too, I guess, and I hope it showed in the things I did, but—I wish I’d told you before.”

Wanda stares at her, one eyebrow raised. “Now you’re making me nervous, honey. Told me what?”

Barbie swallows hard, and says, “That I love you.”

And Wanda—her wonderful, witty, quick-talking Wanda—is speechless.

As morbid as it is, confession is easier in death. How could Barbie flinch for fear of rejection when the worst outcome possible is already in the past? She has already mourned over Wanda’s grave. But even being so keenly aware of that, the silence that descends between them still punches into Barbie’s gut.

Then Wanda says softly, “Hey.”

She drifts forward, like smoke prompted by a breeze. The cool planes of her hands cup Barbie’s cheeks. Eyes slipping shut, Barbie reaches out with her own hands, seeking an anchor that only comes in the form of a chill over her palms.

“I love you, too.”

Wanda’s kiss is water in the desert, winter after the harshest summer.

Barbie drinks her in, savors her. Then, slowly, painfully, she pries her fingers loose. The air grows warm. Barbie opens her eyes to catch the last wisp of Wanda’s smile, before she is gone.

Barbie wipes the scorching tears from her cheeks. Wanda’s final words echo inside her skull.

After all, there could be no haunting without love. And without love, there could be no letting go, either.

[thelostgirl21]

A collection of unsent drafts that Radovid, Comma Prince, has written over the last 20+ years...

Dear Jaskier,

I think your music is phenomenal and filled with homoerotism...

I totally blame you for my sexual awakening...

Please do me?

---

Dear Jaskier,

Are you gay?

Would you like to be?

I could show you!

Gods, I'm hopeless...

---

Dear Jaskier,

Is it wrong to want to be stuck in the middle of a bard / Witcher sandwich?

---

Dear Jaskier,

Do you think one can fall in love with someone through their songs?

Because yours are filled with so much beauty, poetry, symbolism and inner truths, that I think you have one of the most beautiful, intriguing, and beguiling spirits I've ever seen...

Or heard...

Actually, indirectly heard since I've never had the pleasure of hearing your voice.

I mean, I've heard your voice through your songs - as in the things you wish to say through your lyrics! Just not "your voice" as in... Ah, the sound coming from the vibrations of your vocal cords?

Gods dammit!

---

Dear Jaskier,

Would you believe I've a master in the 7 liberal arts, too?

And in the art of being a gay disaster, apparently...

---

Dear Jaskier,

Penis.

---

Dear Jaskier,

I thought writing it down would take my mind off it.

Spoilers alert: it didn't.

Penis, cock, dick...

Ah, fuck it!

---

Dear Jaskier,

After his fifth attempt to find me a princess to marry, I finally told my brother that I'm gay, and now he's pissed!

Apparently, they were all really counting on me to have kids since Hedwig can't give him an heir, and now I've ruined all of his and Dijkstra's brilliant plans!

Fuck, I hate Dijkstra so much...

At least Philippa has the decency of looking fabulous!

I'm telling you, that mage really slays!

Probably literally, too...

Yeah, on second thought, not sure that's such a good thing...

---

Dear Jaskier,

So, apparently my brother has forgiven me for ruining his plans of succession, since it's not like it's going to be his problem to deal with!

Yeah, after "much thinking on his part", it has finally occurred to him that heirs are only useful once you're dead, so he's never going to have any use for them!

Therefore, I should feel free to" waste as much royal seed as I want!"

Gods, I hate him so much, sometimes...

Although, that means I won't have to marry a princess, right?

---

Dear Jaskier,

Marry me?

---

Dear Jaskier,

I had a moment of weakness, and asked Philippa to find out where you were from and...

You're a Viscount?!?!

Oh my fucking Gods, I can't believe you're a Viscount!!!

Look, I'd totally have wanted to marry you regardless of any titles of nobility, but this makes things so much easier!

You see, Mom was a Baronness!

So, if Dad was allowed to marry a Baronness, and my brother chose to get married to a barren Princess, I'd like to see anyone try to tell me I can't marry a Viscount!

---

Dear Jaskier,

So, I asked Vizimir if I could get married to a Viscount, and he rolled his eyes at me, dramatically said "fine!", then asked "where the fuck is Lettenhove?"

Where the fuck is Lettenhove?

---

Dear Julian Alfred Pankratz,

Julian is actually kinda pretty, you know, although I can see why you'd want to choose a more personalized name, given your career as an artist...

Jaskier suits you.

Fuck, I've never actually met or spoken to you, but I've already decided that Jaskier suits you?

I'm hopeless!

---

Dear Jaskier,

I heard your new song and I'm so, so sorry...

I think I'm still a bit in shock over it...

I mean, how long has it been between you two? Twenty years?

And he just...

Look, I have no words!

How could he?!?!

Spent the whole dinner last night crying in my fucking soup, to the point I actually got my brother worried.

Tried to pretend I'd been reading this really tragic romance novel, but he didn't look too convinced.

He'll probably have Philippa breathing down my neck for a few days to make sure I'm okay...

Is there anything I could do to help you feel better?

I'm guessing you mean "burn" figuratively, and you wouldn't actually want me to ask my brother to arrest him and have him burn on a pyre, right?

Right?

Because we've got at least one of those...

---

Dear Jaskier,

Our bard sang the song again, and I had to excuse myself to from the room for a moment.

I know I said I wanted to marry you, but not like this!

I don't want you to have to give up on those you love for me to be with you.

I just... I just wish I could hopefully bring you even more love and happiness in your life...

Does that make any sense?

---

Dear Jaskier,

Just to be clear, that was just the anger, heartbreak and disappointment talking. I would never actually use my position to have Geralt of Rivia killed nor harmed in any way!

Unless you were to clearly ask me to...

Hurt him a bit for you, that is.

But, just so you know, I draw the line at any form of dismemberment or permanent maiming!

---

Dear Jaskier,

So, rumor has it the bastard has finally apologized, and you two have been spotted traveling together again?

Good.

He better treat your right.

---

Dear Jaskier,

How dare you?!

How fucking dare you?!

First, I am pleased to confirm that I was a hundred percent right, and "Jaskier" truly does suit you.

But sweet Melitele! You have no right to be so good looking, hot, and adorable at the same time!

What even was that curtsy-bow... ah, bounce?

You're just like I imagined, and nothing like I could ever have imagined, and, fuck... you're perfect!

Your voice even seems to sing when you are talking! How is that possible?

What I wouldn't give to actually listen to you perform one of your songs...

---

Dear Jaskier,

And just like that, we are back to penis.

---

Dear Jaskier,

I still can't find the words...

It was...

You are...

I am...

Fuck.

I am yours, is what I am!

I can't find the words, but I still remember every single one of yours...

Every one of them, right down to their very melody...

Been harassing our bard to teach me to play it...

Sadly, helping you won't be as easy as you make it sound; Philippa's started figuring out I'm not as clueless as I pretend to be, and from her sudden interest in me, I fear she might be misinterpreting my intents.

Still, I just want to make good on my word, and find a way to keep you and your family safe, Jaskier...

I need you to be safe...

Hopefully, Dijkstra and Philippa can convince my brother to reconsider his deal with Nilfgaard. After all, it's not like Vizimir ever would listen to me when it comes to making political decisions.

I'm way too much of an idealist and bleeding heart, according to him...

Still, I don't get why no one in this place seems to understand the value of win-win scenarios...

---

Dear Jaskier,

The good? My brother has been convinced. If she comes to Redania, Ciri will be fiercely kept and protected from Nilfgaard.

The bad? Convincing him involved a tiny bit of regicide, and I can't tell my brother about it, else I might end up a little dead, too.

Say, I hear your Witcher has a thing for adopting royals... think he'd adopt me?

Hopefully, once Vilgefortz has been exposed as a spy and a traitor to the Brotherhood, all this madness will stop; and we'll be able to catch and get rid of Rience once he looses access to his master's resources and protection.

I swear, I never expected things to get that bad, Jaskier... But I'll find a way to fix this. I have to.

Maybe if I can convince Ciri to come to Redania with your Witcher and his Sorceress, the combined power of Cintra and its allies with the North will he enough to stay Nilfgaard's hand, a second war will be averted, Dijkstra and Philippa will finally leave me alone, your debt to them will be considered paid in full, and perhaps your family can help change the way Redania has been ruling things as of late...

Yeah, I'd like to see Dijkstra and Philippa think they can get away with bullying your Witcher, a Witcher trained Princess, and two of the most powerful magic users of the Continent.

Of course, there's no guarantee Ciri would even want to listen to me, but I've got to try, at least.

[celestiall0tus]

Separate Worlds - Chapter 6 - Found

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Luka stepped into an open mic bar. He looked around as he made his way to the bar. Alix looked up from the glass she was cleaning and smirked.

            “Can I help you? You seem lost,” Alix remarked.

            “Do you have slots open for your open mic event?”

            “Yeah. We’ve got an opening in about an hour. Does that work for you?”

            “Good enough, I suppose.”

            “Lovely. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll put your name on the books.”

            Luka nodded and took a seat near the stage. Alix took out her phone and messaged Marinette.

~~

            “I don’t know. Does this dress make my butt look big?” Adrien asked.

            Juleka deadpanned as she glanced over at Adrien in a dress while Marinette adjusted it. They had been at the Agreste manor for about an hour now. She hadn’t been doing much while Marinette fussed over the dress and Adrien.

            “Adrien, sweetie, this isn’t about you. Now hold still. I don’t want to make a mistake,” Marinette hissed.

            “But if it doesn’t look good on me, how will it ever look good on your client?”

            Juleka snorted as she checked the time. They had another twenty minutes before it was the end of their workday. She sighed and stared blankly at the schedule book until Marinette sighed.

            “Alright, Adrien, take it off. I think I’m done.”

            “Are you sure? You could make an adjustment here. Oh! And what about-.”

            “Adrien, please, take it off.”

            Adrien shrugged and removed the dress. Marinette tore it away from him and put it up.

            “You seem tense, Marinette. Everything ok?” Adrien asked.

            “Just a little stressed is all.”

            Adrien hummed, then smirked. “How about we take the edge off, yeah? Alix is working, right? Why not hit the bar? You, me, Juleka, and, I don’t know, Felix?”

            Marinette stumbled and tripped over herself at the mention of Felix. Juleka shook her head and helped Marinette up while Adrien snickered.

            “You’re not funny, Adrien. And I’m not attracted to your brother.”

            “Really? That’s a shame. He finds you very beautiful.”

            Marinette blushed. “How do you know this? There’s no way he’d tell you, right?”

            “Hell no, but I read his diary. Oops, I meant his journal.”

            “Oh, what does it say?” Juleka asked.

            “Juleka! We shouldn’t-!” Marinette started.

            “Oh, the usual stuff. Her beautiful raven hair he wants to run his fingers through. Her amazing keen eye for detail and imaginative mind that allows her to create amazing pieces. Oh! And let’s not forget her crystal clear blue eyes that always shine with a spark of creation. And how he’s always on edge, waiting to see what fantastical thing she’ll make next. Then he starts in on all the poetry and that’s when I get bored. I prefer the passages where he may or may not detail how he wants to be, how you say, taken command of by a goddess.”

            Marinette’s jaw dropped and her face turned red.

            Adrien smirked and looked back at Marinette smugly. “Oops. Did I say all that out loud?”

            “Is Felix home?”

            “Oh, yes. You finally going to take him into your arms and-.”

            “I’m going to tell him everything you just said.”

            The mirth vanished from Adrien’s face when Marinette ran out of the room. He cursed and chased after her.

            Juleka stepped out of the way and watched the show. She grinned as Felix rushed out to find Marinette and Adrien wrestling as Adrien attempted to gag Marinette. The enjoyment fled when Adrien’s tussle with Marinette shifted to Felix as they messed around. She swallowed hard seeing the twins wrestle around. She took a deep breath to stabilize herself when Marinette’s phone rang. She grabbed it and ran back out.

            “Marinette! Phone call!” Juleka called.

            Marinette hurried over to Juleka and accepted the call. Juleka heard Alix’s loud voice and noisy background. She raised a brow while Marinette listened, then agreed to meet with Alix. Marinette hung up and smiled.

            “Who wants drinks? It’s on Alix tonight,” Marinette announced.

            “Free drinks? I’m in!” Adrien yelled.

            “Count me out. I have an audition tomorrow and I-,” Felix started.

            “That’s ok, Felix. Probably the less, the better,” Marinette interrupted.

            “What? Boo! C’mon, Felix. Live a little,” Adrien whined.

            “Another night, but not tonight.”

            Felix waved good-bye as he returned to his room.

            “Oh, thank goodness. C’mon, Juleka. Let’s back up and head out.”

            “Yes! I mean, sure.”

            Juleka rushed and gathered Marinette’s supplies with Adrien. They carried them to Adrien’s car as Marinette joined them.

            “Do you mind driving us, Adrien?” Marinette asked.

            “Will I need to be the designated driver?” Adrien countered.

            “No. That will be me. Or Alya, if she joins us, which she likely will.”

            “Works for me. Hop in, ladies.”

            Juleka and Marinette got into the backseat. They sat in relative silence except for the radio playing. They arrived and entered the noisy bar. They headed up to the bar where Alix served drinks.

            “Hey everyone! Come for the show?” Alix yelled.

            “Something like that. Uh, the usual for me, please,” Marinette said.

            “Surprise me!” Adrien called.

            “And for you, Juleka?” Alix asked.

            Juleka leaned over the bar close to Alix’s face. “Fuck me over, please.”

            “Uh, maybe something light, yeah?”

            “Please. I can’t handle these feelings.”

            Alix considered, then shrugged. She set Adrien up with a Sex on the Beach, Marinette with a mimosa, and Juleka with a few shots of Sweet Jesus Lord They’re Killing Me. Adrien and Marinette sipped on their drinks while Juleka threw back the shots. Juleka let out a breath and shook herself.

            “Another round, Alix!” Juleka called.

            “Alix, I don’t think-,” Marinette started.

            Alix ignored Marinette and put a few more shots out in front of Juleka. Juleka threw them back as her world blurred and spun. Warmth spread through her as rock music filled her head. She knocked back a couple more shots before she danced along to the music with a small group.

            Marinette watched Juleka spiral while Adrien got himself another drink. Marinette sighed and put her drink aside when Rose burst into the bar.

            “Oh, hey, it’s Rose. Hi, Rose!” Adrien called tipsily.

            Rose scanned the room before she headed up to the bar. “Where’s Juleka? I know she’s here.”

            “Can’t say for sure,” Alix commented.

            “Dammit, Alix. Juleka needs our help, and this isn’t helping! Do you honestly think this-!”

            “Take a seat, Rose,” Alix said.

            “What? No! Are you even listening to me?”

            “Take. A. Seat,” Alix repeated.

            “Fuck you! I’m finding Juleka and taking her home. Now, where is she?”

            Rose scanned the room as the performance ended. She glanced over the raven-themed musician on stage when she heard Juleka’s loud applause. She rushed in and grabbed Juleka’s wrist. Juleka gasped, then smiled when she saw Rose.

            “Sweetheart! Welcome to the party,” Juleka slurred.

            “We’re going home now, Juleka.”

            “But why? The party just started. Why not just let loose and have some fun with me.”

            Rose snarled and dragged Juleka outside. “Juleka! This isn’t fun or anything! You’re destroying yourself and I hate that you make me watch this every time. Why can’t you just ask for help instead of doing this?” Rose demanded.

            Juleka blinked. She frowned and tore her hand free. “Look, I don’t want to hear it. You didn’t have to endure what I have. Do you have any idea what it’s like to lose your very fucking twin? Huh? Do you?”

            “No, but that-.”

            “Exactly! You’ve no fucking idea. You’ve no fucking idea the years of torture. The years I spent fearing I would be lost too. Taken away like that jackass took my brother, my twin. That no matter what you do, you can’t beat that pain or fill that void. Nothing worked! Nothing ever worked! I can’t escape that pain or the fucking reminders! At least here, sheets to the wind, I can forget it. I can ignore that void and feel happy! I’m sorry I can’t be better, but I can’t fucking escape that pain any other way.”

            “Juleka, please, listen. There are-!”

            “No! I’m not listening anymore. I’m going back inside. I’m going to order some greasy ass food, drown my sorrows even more, and listen to the emo ass looking edgelord raven dude make love to his guitar.”

            Juleka turned and stumbled to the door when she ran into someone. She stumbled back and lost her balance. She yelped and braced for impact when she was pulled in close to the person she ran into. She blinked several times as she focused. She curled her lips back in disgust seeing it was a man. She pushed him away and stumbled.

            “Back off, man! I only date women, and I happen to have the most amazing nag in the whole city.”

            “I’m still right here,” Rose commented.

            Juleka whirled around to face Rose. “Did I stutter? Or do you got to clean out your ears?”

            “Juleka, are you drunk?” the man asked.

            “Who wants to know?”

            The man reached out and cupped Juleka’s face. She grabbed his wrists and tried to tear herself free, but he held her tight.

            “Look at me, Juleka. Focus on my eyes.”

            Juleka’s face twisted in confusion as she fought to focus. She blinked several times before she saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at her. She gasped and fumbled as she reached out to him.

            “I’m not dreaming, am I? Please, tell me this isn’t a dream. Tell me this is real. Please, is this real?”

            “It is, Juleka. I’m here. We’re here.”

            Tears poured from Juleka’s eyes as she threw her arms over Luka and wailed. “Luka!”

            Rose gasped as the twins embraced each other. “Wait. Is it true? Are you really Luka?”

            Luka glanced up at Rose. Her eyes widened seeing his golden eyes, just like Juleka’s eyes.

            “Oh my! Uh, keep her company! I’ll be right back.”

            Rose ran inside the bar up to Adrien.

            “Rose is back! You care to join us?” Adrien asked.

            “No. I need your keys.”

            “But I don’t want to go home yet!”

            “It’s not for you. I need to get Juleka and Luka back to Liberty. Anarka needs to see him.”

            Adrien choked on his drink. “Luka? Luka’s here?”

            “Yes. Keys now.”

            Adrien fumbled as he pulled his keys out and handed them to Rose. She ran outside to Luka and Juleka, who sat on the sidewalk in each other’s arms.

            “Luka, bring Juleka and follow me.”

            “Why?”

            “Because there is someone else that has wanted to see you again.”

            Luka’s eyes widened and he nodded. He put an arm around Juleka and helped her to Adrien’s car. They got in the backseat while Rose drove them to Liberty. She helped Luka get Juleka onto the ship and below deck.

            “Put her on the couch for right now. I need to see if I can find Anarka,” Rose instructed.

            “Find me for what, lass?” Anarka asked.

            Rose jumped as she turned to see Anarka sitting at the counter bartop in the kitchenette. “Oh, well, I-.”

            “Who be this stranger you bring aboard without the captain’s permission?” Anarka demanded.

            Luka turned towards Anarka. Anarka’s jaw dropped as she dropped her bottle of rum. She stumbled over to him and cupped his face.

            “You… your face. It’s just… but it’s not. And your eyes! A pair of gold doubloons. Luka, it’s you!”

            Anarka threw her arms around Luka and sobbed. He gasped at her tight grip, but returned the hug.

            Rose smiled and slipped out of Liberty. She headed back up to Adrien’s car to see Gold Mouse leaning against it.

            “Oh! Hello.”

            “How did the reunion go?”

            “It was amazing. They’re finally back together after fourteen years.”

            Gold Mouse hummed.

            “What’s the matter?”

            “Keep an eye on Luka and his temper.”

            Rose groaned. “Not another one with a fiery temper.”

            “Juleka and Anarka’s are more tempered. Luka is… wild and uncontrollable. Be careful.”

            “He won’t hurt them, will he?”

            “I hope not. But if he does, I know a little gremlin can kick his ass.”

            Rose puffed out her chest. “Damn right. No one hurts my Jewel, even when she’s mean.”

            “She is right though. You are a bit of a nag.”

            Rose’s jaw dropped. “Excuse you!”

            Gold Mouse smirked. “Head back. I’ll follow and take you home.”

            “Thank you. Let’s go.”

Patreon || Discord || Ko-Fi

[sleepymoppet]

An ode to Laurance Zvahl

Notes: I’ve been rewatching some of the Aphmau RP content recently for nostalgia purposes. And currently it’s been the My Inner Demons Series, but I want to start with the first set of pixels I had a crush on.

Please keep in mind that these are all my own headcanons and may not be entirely accurate to the lore due to not watching all of the Aphmau RP series. There is honestly too many for me to catch up on. For example, with the MCD version I am imagining it as the time before he got a lot of trauma story stuff. 

Genre: Fluff and a little bit of angst

𝓛𝓪𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓩𝓿𝓪𝓱𝓵 𝓜𝓒𝓓

Very self sacrificing. He would die for someone he cares about without a second thought.

Tries to lighten the mood when things get rough or dark. Refers to joking or teasing others in order to get a small chuckle out of them.

A fantastic liar. Generally resorted to flirting as a way to cover up what he is truly feeling. He doesn’t want to let others see what he is feeling so easily in order to not worry them, and not show any weakness.

Laurance is very witty. He comes up with the best comebacks. It becomes difficult for him to lose a light hearted argument. 

Takes promises to his grave. He never forgets a single promise he makes. Which means he rarely makes a promise for he knows the weight it will have upon him.

Has become a very light sleeper due to his training to become a guard. Can be woken up simply by someone turning in their sleep too much.

Loves his family and is all around very big on the whole “blood is thicker than water” saying. Would often request a few days off to go visit his family in Meteli and just enjoy their company. 

Due to this he will consider those close to him like siblings.

Spoiled Ungrth, his Wyvern, a number of times with many treats. Such as spending hours taking care of his scales and wings after Ungrth had his armor on. 

When Laurance needs a breather, he’s frequently found sitting on a hill overlooking the ocean of Phoenix Drop. He doesn’t even know why but the sound of the waves lapping against the shore just soothes him. With the smell of the salt in the sea wisping past him aiding with his lull into relaxation.

Compares himself to others and often feels he is lesser due to this. In response he becomes much harder on himself when it comes to training or doing his duties in order to improve upon himself.

His old green scarf has grown worn and is a little torn, but he continues to keep it in his bedroom. He just doesn’t have the heart to ever get rid of it since Cadenza was the one who made it for him.

Writes a lot of letters. Some filled with love, others poetry, and even some full of what simply happened that day. It is similar to a journal for him in a way, but he often addresses them to someone he trusts deeply. Even if he never sends most of them. Some are addressed to his deceased adoptive father and he keeps them sealed in a box in a dresser drawer. 

𝓛𝓪𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓩𝓿𝓪𝓱𝓵 𝓜𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓽

Laurance is one of the best cooks out of everyone. He enjoys watching cooking shows and attempts to make some of the dishes himself. He is often referred to as a master chef in his house.

He has a bit of a short temper. He often has to remind himself to step away from a situation that is angering him. He takes his time to calm himself down before addressing the issue once again with a clearer mind.

Has most certainly cried over multiple Disney movies. His favorite, and the ones he’s cried the most frequently to, being the Fox and the Hound and  Up.

While he might have the looks, he doesn’t have the greatest sense of style. He prefers simple patterns, such as stripes, solid colors, or plaids paired with a nice pair of jeans. Cadenza, on numerous occasions, has chosen or made Laurance some clothes that would give his style a little bit more flare.

To accommodate Laurance’s attraction towards darker colors, Cadenza often gives him pieces that suit the Dark Academia aesthetic. Plenty of browns, blacks, grays, whites, dark greens, and dark blues. 

Is a sucker for a good novel. He has his own large book shelf in his room and must constantly be dragged away from book stores before he drops a large amount of money on new novels.

A very big John Green fan, one of his favorites is Looking for Alaska

He hid his love for literature and anime in high school. He wanted to keep up his appearance for the sake of his ego.

Currently he openly shares his interest of literature and anime to close friends, but doesn’t make it his whole personality.

Enjoys watching soccer as it reminds him of the time he used to play it during high school.

[misscammiedawn]

Papyrus (Is "The Garden" on that playlist?)

papyrus ⇢ if you put your ‘on repeat’ playlist on shuffle, what’s the first song that comes up? what do you like about it / associate it with?

CW: Discussion of severe mental illness and suicide.

I had my "mental illness indie playlist" on and for the record Pills & Good Advice by Left At London (her gosh darn magnum opus to living with a SPMI) is the song that came up.

This is legitimately one of my favorite songs of all time and helped me a ton during the worst portions of second puberty when our BPD symptoms were off the charts. Left at London does amazing music ranging from talking about the 2020 social unrest which includes the refrain "Fuck you and the slavers that you work for" or finding joy within having a dissociative disorder or the terror of discovering one. As well as one of the most uncomfortably accurate songs about Disorganized/Insecure Attachment in BPD (the Patreon only edit even including a voice mail that ripped my heart to shreds the first time I heard it.) and a break-up song that includes a lyric that takes me out every time I hear it:

And if falling in love is all that it takes To make you love the world You’ll be bitter when they go Because even infinity in its entirety Still can turn to nothingness When it's multiplied by zero

But let's talk about the song which actually showed up on my random, Pills & Good Advice.

The song is built upon Nat's experiences from being released from a mental care facility after a suicide attempt and the fear and insecurity of being released into the world with nothing but medication and doctors recommendations to keep her from trying to kill herself again.

On my first day out My familiar town Felt the same as in my dreams Crying in my sleep When the sun came down Thinking "I am cured, it seems" But I don't know my name at all But what else is new? Should I show my pain at all? If you only knew You could try to help Care is imprecise All that I have left: Pills and good advice

Each verse of the song fluctuates between moods and depictions of chronic mental illness from the bridge having rapid voices displaying her impulses to experience a high to escape the pain of existing versus the desperate desire to stay the course and get better and mirrored refrains of "Please hold me down" symbolizing both a self-destructive impulse to die and a terror; begging their partner to kill or save her.

The song includes depictions of Identity Disturbance, a BPD symptom where those suffering lack a stable sense of identity and require an external source to mirror and receive acknowledgement from; Nat sings on multiple occasions about not knowing who she is and viewing her support in this crisis as her "mirror". I imagine imposter syndrome for Nat's music/poetry may be invading some lines such as "I'm plagarizing everything, stuttering solioquies (who am I again?)"

The song is set in 3 parts with the third part being a descent where the line (Higher) is repeated after every line and Nat struggles with her suicidal impulses, concluding:

Spend too many of my minutes getting higher (Higher) I've attempted way too much to even count (Higher) I've been committed, but committed to the people that I love And if I try to love myself, I guess that I could live forever crying

Knowing the sickness is a part of her but she doesn't want to die, even if she wants to die; she cares too much about the people in her life (the committed/committed line is actually genius and one of my favorite in all of her discography) and the best thing she can do is commit to loving herself and continuing along with life in spite of the pain inflicted by her illness.

The ending is ambiguous to my ears and /@/ isn't popular enough for me to see a lot of discussion on interpretations.

But on my last day out Let me scream to God, Family, friends, and enemies "So what happens next? Is this what you want? All I am is dead to me" So I can't hear my voice at all What was I to do? Did I have a choice at all? Seems I never do You could try to help Care is imprecise All that I'd have left: Pills and good advice I could try to heal Care is imprecise All that you'd have left: Pills and good advice

On one hand, I view the song as a positive rally into accepting that SPMI are as the letters describe "Severe Persistent Mental Illness", fuck knows I've lived with the weight of those letters on my medical records. It doesn't go away. You just have to learn to live with it. To enjoy the joys before the despairs.

I chose to believe those last lines are saying that other people could try to help but in the end all the sufferer has is medication and therapy techniques, change must come from within and that to live with someone who suffers will cause pain too and all the person helping can do is receive the same level in care in return.

"You could try to help" vs "I could try to heal" with all that I/you having left being Pills and Good Advice.

But in my darker days I focus on the "on my last day out" and how the singer bemoans never really having a choice and all their work in staying clean being for nothing. In that read, I worry that the final lines are the singer giving in to their symptoms and attempting to kill themselves again, with the final line being less of a "we can get better together" and more of a "I know this will hurt you, have you considered seeking psychological help?"

I prefer my positive spin on it but that may be optimism winning out.

Either way, the song is fantastic and deeply personal in a way I almost feel like I'm intruding to hear at times.

Suicide is a topic of massive importance to me; it is also my number one emotional trigger. For the past few months I've had a draft I've been toying on about how I feel it should be discussed and ironically I am terrified to post it because of how sensitive the topic is. It's really hard to put yourself out there.

I admire this work of art because it really tries its absolute hardest to share a perspective of what it's like to be living with these conditions and feeling like no matter how much you reach out to other people, they can't truly help in the ways that you need. It's a song about terror, it's a song about healing and my god I hope it's a song about growth.

But it may just be a song about cycles.

[apilgrimpassingby]

hello! i just wanted to say i am so pleased to find your blog😊your views on masculinity are so very refreshing, and i wish there were more blogs like you here.

so i wanted to ask you something!! sorry it’s a bit of a long-winded explanation, i am prone to overexplaining😭

i am sort of unofficially dating this guy—we still have to talk about it, but we do like each other a lot and are just taking it step by step. he’s very artistic, enjoys literature, he’s deep and introspective, and he’s very emotionally intelligent. one thing he has always talked about is how he loves examples of masculine men in fiction that aren’t necessarily athletic, like himself. he is gentle and kind, while still being protective and nurturing, and he takes good care of himself—but sometimes people will call him feminine or girly for his interests, or for actually taking care of his body/having a fashion sense (im pretty sure it is also because he learned to take care of himself this way a lot earlier than other guys in his class, so they were all just kinda like🤨)

i was wondering if you have any suggestions on how i can uplift him and help him feel secure in his masculinity. obviously it is not up to me to make him feel masculine, that’s not what i mean—i was just wondering if there is anything i can do, or avoid doing, to remind him that i don’t think of him as weak or what-have-you, since sometimes i know guys can start to feel that way if they aren’t necessarily athletic or if they don’t enjoy sports, because that is sort of the masculine stereotype—and i would imagine that society definitely makes you feel less masculine if you don’t fit into that.

it’s alright if there isn’t really anything to be said since this might be a bit of a weird question, but it’s something i think about a lot so i decided to just go ahead and ask. i would just hate to add to any of his anxieties or unintentionally cause him to question his masculinity, if that makes sense? i would like to support him in any way i can, whether subtly or directly.

thank you for taking the time to read this if you did, and no pressure to answer it, especially since i sort of just sprung this in your ask box. just know that your blog is appreciated and i am glad that you are here and sharing your thoughts. i hope you are well :)

Here are my attempts to help.

Point to historical/literary examples. Yes, I believe there is an essential "masculine function" that has been more-or-less constant across recorded history and human culture; but the Left is right to say that the form of it has historically been tremendously diverse. Taking care of appearance? The Spartans didn't just braid and oil their hair, their did so in public before their enemies as a show of masculine prowess. Literature? My ideal man, King David, wrote poetry (which the Bible has recorded for us). If you want more examples, message me and I'll happily provide them.

In terms of taking care of his body, it's a part of the relationship - you presumably want him to look good. Do you do it for your woman's happiness? That makes it a chivalrous - and, thus, manly - action.

More generally, step away from modern masculinity and towards historical exemplars. My chosen ones are David (as already said) and the chivalric code of high and late medieval Europe. Many people also look to the men of The Lord of the Rings who are, of course, rooted in the characters of early medieval English and Scandinavian literature.

As for not liking sport, that ties into the above points - a good masculinity is applicable to all men. It's about protecting your wife and children, providing for them, and leading them by word and example. That's what (in my humble opinion) real manliness is. For me, as a Christian (don't know if you're one) the essential masculinity passages are the example of David (1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 23) and Ephesians 5:25-30. Nothing about doing sport or eating steak.

Hope this helps! And don't worry about bothering me, I always like receiving asks in my inbox.

[liladiurne]

Fic-authors self-rec

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️

Thanks so much @perverse-idyll for tagging me!

I'm a bit late doing this. I wanted to do it, but I just couldn't seem to find the energy to babble, even about my own works. It's been sitting half-completed in my drafts for a while. Has anyone else had such a rough beginning of year?

I don't really know who to tag, so please feel free to pretend I tagged you if you feel like playing along.

1. with great outbursts and lightnings

There was no other way to start this list than with my very first snarry, and the piece of writing which I consider the culmination of years and years of struggle to find my personal style and my voice as an author. This story is such a big part of me, and each read, each comment, each kudos means more to me than perhaps all the hits and comments and kudos from all my other works combined. I guess this is my Horcrux, of sorts. I've poured my soul into it in a way I haven't done with any of my other works. I had to dig so deeply into myself and though it's left me raw in many places, it was a good sort of raw. If that makes any sense. It contains a part of me that I don't usually show people, I think. My most cathartic work, to be sure. Anyhow... I made an individual self-rec post about it a while ago, which explains it a bit better, maybe. You can find it here if you want to know more.

To summarise it briefly, Outbursts is a Muggle AU in which Severus is a poet suffering with depression and still mourning the loss of his lover. In an attempt to escape the pain and try to start over, he moves back to London after living in Paris for almost two decades. There, unexpectedly, he meets Harry and their connection is so instant and so strong that Severus believes he's found in him the solution to all his problems. But as it turns out, despite appearances, Harry has been much more damaged by life than he seems, and he carries scars that Severus couldn't begin to imagine. The story deals with a lot of loneliness but also with a lot of hope. It's about two broken people finding each other at key moments in their lives. It's about love, not only romantic but also love for life and the little things we should appreciate each day. It's also about inspiration, and so I've filled it with poetry and music, with pining and longing. It is the first of a series, which I will come back to one day. But for now it can be read and appreciated perfectly as a standalone.

2. Brighter Than Bright

My lovely, slow to update, too often neglected WIP. My monstrosity of a story. Its completely unexpected success is at once incredibly flattering and a bit terrifying, to be honest. I started writing this fic during lockdown, at a time when life was full of uncertainties, and it quickly became my safe place, a sort of peaceful story to immerse myself in. Still now, during the hard times I like to go back to it and find comfort there. And to know that so many other people find comfort in it too is just the best feeling there is. I was excited about it when I started, but far from expecting how many people would be on board with the idea. It was pure self-indulgence, which I expected only a select amount of people to appreciate. But it's grown so much! Look at it go!

The idea to write an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice also offered me the perfect opportunity to finally try my hand at a/b/o. The question of how to explain an accepted m/m relationship during Regency gnawed at me, and omegaverse proved to be the answer. As a big fan of a/b/o and an avid reader of it, I've often found what I've read lacking in certain aspects. Don't get me wrong, there are excellent fics out there, and I will read and enjoy them completely. But a lot of what I've stumbled on left me wanting more, in terms of societal aspects and culture. The smut is hot and I seek it out as much as the next person, but there were always questions of "Why?" and "How?" and "What does the bigger picture look like?" that nagged at me. And so when I began planning BTB, I knew I wanted to explore not just the smut aspect or the dynamics aspect, but answer the question of how it looks and how it's seen in society in a realistic view, not just a black and white view, but a very grey one in which everyone has different views depending on their background. And the addition of the Regency era, in which rules are so firmly set, proved to be a very interesting ground to work on.

Through the character of Harry (and also through Severus), I wanted to show what it's like to be stuck in a role projected on you by the whole of society, to be inundated with false information and not know where to turn to understand the truth of your own nature. I wanted to show that it's okay to want to try to break free from the mold, but it's also perfectly okay to want to stay in that mold.

3. Certain Dark Things

I'm a huge fan of Call Me By Your Name. It's one of my absolute favourite books, and of course the movie is sublime. And so, the idea of doing a snarry adaptation of it had been lingering for a while. It was in the plans, though I didn't know exactly how I would go about it. And then we started putting together the prompts for the first edition of Adopt-a-Prompt fest and I stumbled on one in which Harry was raised by the Malfoys and fell in love with Severus, his father's best friend. And the big AU fan that I am immediately latched onto this prompt. And somehow I had the idea to throw in it some elements of CMBYN (the Italian setting, the villa, the lazy afternoons in the sun, the precocious young man lusting after the older visitor) and kill two birds with one stone. The resulting story is Certain Dark Things.

I wanted to challenge myself with this fic. I've written Harry in a completely different way than I usually do, making him into a strangely enticing character fit for this AU in which the reasons for his adoption remain mysterious and half unexplained. And I also made the decision to write the fic in first person pov. I know that this decision has sadly lost me a lot of readers, because a surprising amount of people aren't willing to give first person pov a chance, but I'm glad I stuck to it, because it fits the story wonderfully, and it works flawlessly. I also tried to keep the backstory to a minimum, because I tend to lose myself in this part of worldbuilding and plotting, and this fic was a true exercise in only giving away what is necessary. I hope I managed that in the end.

4. On the Deficiencies of Translation Spells

I have such fond memories of writing this fic. My very first fest fic, written for CrossGen 2020. I put BTB on hold to work on this, smack in the middle of lockdown, and spent a good two months working on it almost every day and binge drinking iced coffee. I had an absolute blast.

In this fic, Harry falls for Severus during his recovery from the snake bite, but his love declaration goes horribly wrong and results in rejection and then in Severus leaving without a trace. A few years pass, during which Harry leaves his wife and his job and moves to Paris in an attempt to find meaning in his life. When he takes a teaching position at Beauxbâtons and finds out that Severus is already teaching there, his whole world is shaken.

What I love the most about this story is Harry, and how carefree and easygoing he is, all the while carrying around such a heavy heart and not quite being able to find his place in the world. I also loved doing the worldbuilding for Beauxbâtons, though I had to hold back and leave a lot of stuff out for lack of time. The downside of fests! I have a sequel planned, which I hope to get to one day.

5. Miraculous

I popped out this little fic (little in comparison to the others, I mean) for Snarry-a-thon 2022. Once I saw the prompt, asking for escort!Harry and rich!Severus, the Muggle AU lover that I am just had to snatch it up! But it's a stressful thing, doing thon. Such a legendary fest, in a way, with such an astounding quality of authors. I had more than a few nervous breakdowns while working on this, but I think it worked out fine in the end. Once more, sadly, for lack of time I had to shorten it. Originally it was going to be much longer, but I put a lot of pressure on myself and always end up being too slow and having to change my plans. Either way, I can say I'm satisfied enough with the result. It was a very self-indulgent piece which I had a lot of fun working on (despite the nervous breakdowns), with such a gentlemanly Severus, and such a charming and caring Harry. I can't get enough of them.

[vvatchword]

Failure on Every Level: A Texas Story

Shouting Lady got on the bus today and we nearly had a full fucking fight. There was a security guard on the bus and idk what they taught this man but the very first thing he did was rare up and throw out a hand as the Shouter mounted the bus stairs. Guys that is called escalation. I know he meant well but I was like yikes is this your job? You suck.

Shouter was perhaps late fifties, big sunglasses, clearly homeless because she had a rolling suitcase and all her bags balanced on top of it. The homeless often have reusable bags donated by or acquired from a big local grocery store. I'm guessing that the local aid groups use them to donate supplies. You can pick them out of crowds.

What is with mental illness and the n-word? What the fuck is it? The world is full of slurs and all they have is that one. Okay, and fatass. They've got that one down. I never say or do anything to these folks but they tend to pick me out. They ain't wrong, this ass is fat. Again, doesn't bother me. It's the truth and they're stuck living one of the most miserable lives I can imagine. They can call me whatever they want. Won't change the fact I'm on top of the world, comparatively speaking, and if they can get an ounce of pleasure out of it, I'm actually glad to provide the service.

But again. The n-word. My friends. Why. I think because it's the most vile taboo word outside of, perhaps, "cunt." It always makes you cringe and sucks all the comfort out of the room. And there are always, always black folks on the bus when they employ it. Sometimes the slur-user is spitting full racist screeds and you turn to look at them and they are black themselves. And you're like wait. Wait what is going on. This is cursed

My supposition is that it's a way to stop being invisible. It's so awful that everyone becomes aware of it and the speaker becomes the most visible person on the bus. The other riders can't ignore it. It may also be a way of blowing off steam or attempting to wrest some kind of power back--claiming you're better than so-and-so because you're white and that's all you have left. Maybe several elements at once. I mean nobody gets on the bus screaming poetry, you know.

I take that back. There's one homeless guy who freestyle raps every time he gets on the bus. Annoying as fuck but preferable. Once I complimented him on his skills, but he flinched and stared at me like I was going to smack him. Poor guy, seriously. I haven't seen him since the winter. I hope he's okay.

anyway today's shouter was very white. She was screaming furiously into a phone. I'm not sure she was even talking to anyone. She was screaming about dying in the heat, and the implication was that someone had kicked her out. I vaguely remembered her from somewhere, which is a bad sign.

"MA'AM DON'T GET ON THIS BUS ANGRY PLEASE," shouted security guard. This always works, as does "calm down" and "have you tried yoga?"

"HAWRAnGANGaA" or something from the Shouting Lady. She was always talking, always in a stream of consciousness sort of way, with every word shouted and the same non-stop rhythm and volume and mood, like an unstoppable river current, so it was kinda hard to tell what she was saying. She never shut her mouth unless someone was talking to her, and the only reason other people talked to her was because they were telling her to shut up. At one point six unrelated people were yelling at once.

"Ah good," i thought. "Hell."

Security guard yelled about how he was a security guard and had been in the military. Big cringe moment friends. If you are, you are, you know? If you have to bring out your credentials your insecurity is showing. Also he's already twice her size and ten years younger, if she's not respectful now she's not going to start, ok

"I don't care if you were in the military!" Shouting Lady shouts.

for the record, he was trying to win by cowing this lady and this lady thrived on anxiety. Here's how you deescalate, for the record:

You smile. You speak softly. You hold eye contact. You ask their name. You use their name often while speaking to them. What has their day been like? What's wrong? Oh that's too bad. What do you think the solution is? Oh, I agree. Lots of nodding, smiling, gentleness. You make the conversation all about them, all open-ended questions. Their voice may not go down, but it can refocus them, make their tones more pleasant, and they don't have the urge to attack strangers. Half of the problem is that they feel like nobody sees them and nobody cares.

You don't go all full Tough Guy and threaten to pile-drive them like Security Guard literally did.

Everyone settles down somewhat while Shouting Lady shouts her interpretation of what had just happened ("i was attacked by that guy for no reason! You are going to lose your job!!!"). Bus driver asks her to calm down. Shouting Lady shouts about her civil rights and how bus driver is just supposed to drive.

Without warning, Shouting Lady gets up and lifts her phone and marches up the aisle to take a picture of Security Guard. Security Guard launches off like a furious doberman screaming "GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE I WILL RIP IT OUT OF YOUR HAND" and Shouting Lady staggers backwards, clearly terrified. Won't lie, it was kinda gratifying to watch her nearly piss herself. A wise motherfucker ain't fucking with Security Guard. He exuded Do Not Mess with Me or You Have the Right to Stay Silent FOREVER. The guy was short, but stacked, and you had the sensation that he could flip that old lady and smash her flat like a coke can. I noticed she didn't use the n-word on him. She had that much sense, i guess.

Security Guard and Shouting Lady go back and forth a bit. I'm sorry, who taught this man shit? Fire them. Then fire him. As far as I'm concerned he was just making things worse. Made me think about shitty police work. Fight everybody, threaten them, if they don't stop, make them stop by force. Diplomacy? Wtf is that lol. Imma big man grrrr big cock grrr strong grrrrrrr

It also bothered me--i was listening to other passengers--how people attributed her behavior not to mental illness, but to her specifically. Like they couldn't see the reason for why she was acting like that. Do you not see the way she's speaking, do you not hear the way she strings words together, do you not realize that this isn't normal? So why are you trying to use reason on what is clearly emotional? The computer is borked, do not appeal to the computer. Find the root and dig it out. It's emotional and social need. And medicine and therapy. That too.

And then one of the other passengers, an older man in a page-boy cap--might've been the same one from two days ago--rose up and shouted, "Lady if you don't stop I'm going to call down Jesus into this bus right now. I'm going to rebuke that spirit in you. There is something wicked in you"

Me: (thinking) it's called mental illness and a shitty social safety net but go off I guess

Page-Boy Cap starts loudly praying and suddenly Security Guard stalks down there and slaps a hand on his shoulder, then bends his head in prayer. For those of you who don't understand, there's a belief in evangelical churches in the power of healing with the laying on of hands and "where two of you are, there I shall be also". Implication is that you can have miraculous powers if there are two of you or more. Long story short, little public exorcism right there on the bus.

Texas, my friends. Texas

Shouting Lady looks concerned for the second time. I almost never see shouting people of her ilk look concerned. I guess being told you're demon possessed is kinda startling no matter who you are. Also, she probably considered herself Christian too, i realized after some thought. Not uncommon for religion to be the subject of some shouting people. Everyone is trying to impose order on an unreasonable world and that's the crux of faith in general.

Bus driver finally slowed down and she's like, does anyone want to get on the bus behind me

Everyone gets up at once. I think that's when Shouting Lady realized nobody was on her side. She got off the bus in a huff and marched off toward a store to make everybody there sad.

Security Guard got off at the capitol stop.

Oh my god. You know what this means? He's probably one of the guards at the capitol building. That building is absolutely covered with guards fully kitted out in bullet-proof armor and automatic combat rifles. It's actually terrifying to walk in there. There is no reason to have a full platoon stationed there unless you are the most insecure and/or hypermasculine piece of shit imaginable. And guess what Texas' political top dogs are? All peacocking and grandstanding. We neeeeeeed 300 guys in bullet-proof armor and combat rifles here in order to show how very in control we are. We need to protect ourselves from (checks back of hand) high-school trans athletes!!!!

We're in their hands my fellow Texans. We're in these giant children's hands and I hate them

[lifebetweenpages]

MY FAVOURITE WRITER-ISH MOVIES

You’ve read the title correctly, and I can hear you saying: “Lifebetweenpages, you’re still not giving us a recap of the books you have read over the past month (plus a few weeks, give or take)! Bad Bookblr creator!” However, instead, I am giving you my list of movies to watch when you are out of ideas for your books, can’t be bothered to read and still want to feel like an intelligent author. We’ve all been there.

I can also hear you saying “But Lifebetweenpages, how can you be a trustworthy authority on writer things? You’re our favourite bibliomane, not our favourite author!” To this, I raise two points:

I have been writing silly little books since I was virtually a toddler, and I have three main projects sitting dejectedly in my Google Docs currently, my novel which I work on most frequently sitting at an upsettingly ‘decent’ 23k words.

I do imagine you would have more faith in me, dear hypothetical followers, seeing as you only exist in my synapses, and I would hope I hold higher opinions about myself than that. However, I believe many of you (hypothetically) should have (hypothetically) guessed that I’m a writer as well as a reader, seeing as all writers read and many readers write.

Now with that out of the way, let’s jump into our list, and by list I mean my ramblings about two very specific movies.

1 - DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)

I’ve decided to put the obvious up first, so you can skim through this if you have either watched this incredible movie or have already heard glowing reviews.

With its heavy focus on classic poetry and message of embracing the arts and following your passions, it’s not a surprise that Dead Poets Society has became the artist’s top pick movie and a cliche staple on this sort of snappy list.

When I say the movie focuses on poetry, I mean a much stronger term. Dead Poets Society promotes poetry in a way, showing the viewer the truth, joy and magic that comes with the form of art, inspiring them to go out and seize it. If that doesn’t help sell the movie to you, just note that my friends and I, who come out of every poetry analysis in English class with our eyes glazed over, were inspired to create our own Dead Poets Society, meeting every so often. In fact, we reconvene in two days time at the time of writing, and I still need to pick a poem (and it will be a Sylvia Plath.)

Another element that stands out in Dead Poets Society is the atmosphere of the film, somehow drawing in: a contagious teenage sense of wonder and mischief, world-destroying grief, and that Dark Academia aesthetic that people on the internet adore and my blog leans into all together.

So please, even if you aren’t a writer or reader and have stumbled onto this page confused and startled, give this movie a watch, for your own world to be changed if not just for me.

2 - TICK, TICK... BOOM! (2021)

You know the overwhelming sense of doom that comes with attempting to make your mark on the world? Do you recognise the sense of dread that drowns you whenever you remember the concept of time? Well so did Jonathan Larson, and he documented the experience expertly when writing Tick, Tick… BOOM!

Lately, I’ve been hearing this sound. Everywhere I go. Like a tick. Tick. Tick. Like a time bomb in some cheesy B-movie or Saturday morning cartoon. The fuse has been lit. The clock counts down the seconds as the flame gets closer, and closer, and closer, until all at once -

This was written years before he achieved fame with RENT, years before his genius was appreciated, and years before his untimely death from an aortic dissection. Tick, tick... BOOM! was written when Jonathan was relatively unknown, struggling with balancing work, social life and his art, and completely confused as how to tackle the final fragment that was needed to complete the musical he had been working on for the entirety of his youth, fighting against the tides of the ever-chasing deadline of Superbia's first showcase. Whatever your art is, I imagine you can relate to the desperation of Jonathan.

Andrew Garfield, who plays Jonathan Larson, perfectly portrays the starving artist, ever frantic to please, ever submerged in just how much there is to balance, ever striving to make a difference, and it almost feels as if he has held a mirror up to the artist's soul, portraying all of the irrationality and the unintentional selfishness as well as the charisma and the creativity that I see in myself every time I look into my mind for more than one second.

All of these factors and more that I can't find the words to describe (which is a lot for me, because I always find some words, however shallow they may be) makes Tick, Tick... BOOM! one of my favourite movies. Plus, the songs are absolute magic (I have a very strange favourite - Play Game - how can a song parodying 90s hip hop reflect upon the commercialisation of theatre in such an eloquent way?)

So those are my recommendations for all your tired writer needs, and once you do watch these, my asks are open for you to wax poetic about their glory.

[jellumellu]

CW// Abuse, vent poem, graphic descriptions of violence

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This is my first time writing poetry so it may be disorganized, I’ve finally gotten mostly over my abuse, and this was written over the course of a year and a half, edited and updated as I slowly Remembered bits of the abuse my brain blurred

Again, do not read if you are sensitive to the things listed above.

Sometimes I remember being lulled to sleep by your voice, I remember the few good moments that there were. I almost miss the way your corners of your eyes creased when you smiled, almost.

When laid onto the seemingly secure embrace of your love, I’d barely been able to catch at least half my breath, before you knocked me over. Pinning me down onto a bed of nails, you apologized with teary eyes. Fat tears dripped all over me and our wounds, they slicked the nails, sinking us further down.

Through gritted teeth I reassured you, making an attempt to get up, in the process I had to free myself from you. You cried and thrashed telling me “I know better! You have to trust me! Just stay still” and “I promise I will never make us fall all the way. So I did, you were older than me, and smarter, so why wouldn’t I?

So there we stayed, we still sunk regardless. You made yourself comfortable on top of me, praising me for keeping us up, those praises that seemed so genuine….you spoke with such sugary, and sweet words…still knowing that my being could not support us for long.

You did exactly what you said you wouldn’t

I waited patiently for the day you would get off of me, so we could walk away from the bed of nails. Day by day, you only pushed us down further. Venting out your frustrations and thrashing on my when I protested, speaking to me like a insolent child…but an adult at the same time…It was gradual, but obvious to everyone, everyone except me. They could all see the nails got thicker the lower we got. They warned me, so I tried to get up, but you took it as an insult.

“Please! If you don’t let go, we won’t be able to get up!” You went on about how I didn’t love you, and how I was leaving you all on your own. I couldn’t understand half of what you said, it hurt so bad.

I had to push you off of me.

I pushed you off of me, I got up. Feeling tendons and skin ripping and breaking. I cried fat tears that day, finally, I could cry. I could let the salt of my own tears could finally sterilize my wounds as I got up. It still hurt. It burned more than I could imagine.

My family cleaned my wounds, cradling me, disinfecting the holes in my chest with their care. They cried tears of relief as they began stitching up their child they’d created from their own flesh, blood, and love. I promised myself I would never let myself be caught by another snare like that again.

But my biggest mistake was let you come near again.

You slipped your forefinger into a wound next to my ribs, you yanked me back, interrupting me while I carefully sutured my sticky wounds. Giving little tugs “Can we still be friends? I will not force you to stay. You can leave whenever you want.”

But how was supposed to tell you I wanted to leave, although it was only a finger in my side, you still leaned back your entire weight. If I swatted your hand away

You would’ve landed right back on that bed of nails.

Time went on, my wounds healed a little, not completely, as I didn’t have time to tend to them. I had to tend to yours, they were leaking blood and pus, and when you held me close you would rub it all over my own wounds. You only pushed my saline solutions away, letting me watch as your wounds became more infected “Your saline does not work for me. It isn’t enough.” “You have to take of yourself first.” You said

So I did

I swatted your hand away

And I ran

I RAN

Away from you, away from those who said my wound were not real

You screamed and cried as soon as I did, attempting to hurt and cut up everyone who dared show me something that was even a little more than friendship.

Hell, even you began to say “They were the one that wounded ME, I’m the one who was pinned to the bed of nails…poor me”

Ignore the truth if you want, I can still hear you picking away at your infected scabs. Masking the scent with perfumes, menthol, and sugar.

I know you’re mad at me

But I don’t care

I’ve thrown away that floral top, those little purple shorts with the peach bleach stain, and those little bear socks that you loved so much.

Those awful cloth memories

The holes in my chest have since healed up, wind no longer blows through them. I am full again, with me

[chengxians]

I truly am in deep with this hyperfixation and I am making it everyone's problem.

Yes! Please keep me updated when you get to that point because I want all of your perspective! Since I haven't read most of the book (just a few scenes to verify certain things) I wanna know if it's as chaotic in the books and if you liked the changes!

LWJ's individual arc is actually something I really enjoyed. WY did a really good job playing it out, from someone who believes wholeheartedly in the rules because his mother died for it so he has to because if he doesn't then does anything matter? and then WWX bursts through the door with like the most minimal but important rules and throughout the story, he learns the difference between doing what's right and doing what's just and when each has its place and its wonderful. I do think that LWJ definitely had more wiggle room to help but that's a convo for another time (and maybe a meta I might write later). And the three months in-between with JC where like JC is a sect leader of a pretty much dead sect and he still makes the time to search for his brother (which is like the 3rd time JC picked WWX over his sect) and he loves him. And then he watches them split and wonders why when they love each other. And knows that JC loves WWX. And LWJ loves WWX too. And there's so much!

I, too, adore W@ngChengX!an! There are so many ways they balance eachother! ChengX!an pre-canon and the angst during the SSC, W@ngX!an during Cloud Recesses, Zh@ncheng after WWX leaves and LWJ wants to learn more about WWX and just learns more about JC too (NHS knows all and introduces them bc I'm always a huge fan of the LXC and NMJ playdates with the baby bros), the three months in between, the 13-16 years in between! The jealousy, the angst, the potential! I could go on for days! (I'm actually planning to do an AllCheng agenda post with various ships and dynamics and ideas because while I can't write fic for shit, I can headcanon my days away).

Their perspectives balance out too! WWX thinks in the broadest perspective of what is Wrong and What is Right, JC is the mid-ground perspective of what are the long-term implcations in society, can it impact how we do other things and how can we plan around it and LWJ (now) thinks of the individual, based on their merit and who they are and becomes less judgemental as a result. I think that's mainly why I don't ship W@ngX!an as much as I could have. But the three of them together have way more going for it (also I have a very specific headcanon that WWX does the flute, LWJ plays the guqin and JC sings the lyrics for WuJi since I feel like a grumpy grape like him must be great at slam poetry and lyrics).

Maybe its because I know that they way my loved ones show that they care is because the question me. They care enough to confront me, to meddle, to ask, to let me rant and help me find my way to the choice that's best for me. So even in the most enabling and unhealthy fics I read, I always want that. The "I will side with you, always, but I want you to know my side too." The vulnerability of opening up and showing what the implications are. The messy fights, the yelling, the poking at soft spots is something I will always want to see.

Like one of my fav scenes is when JC confronts WWX before they decide to stage the fight for this reason! Like you see where their priorities lie and that they both have valid perspectives for the positions they're in but they come to the slow realization that they can't have it all. And WWX I think does want to leave, he doesn't want to pretend he's okay and he doesn't want to spend a second more fronting for the sake of YMJ because he's done enough, fulfilled his debts and he wants a little break before even attempting to come back home (Burial Mounds doesn't sound like a good long-term solution but I also don't think he expected to live long).

LXC is definitely an enabler but I think it's also similar to JYL's response to trauma. And he does like so much for LWJ because he put all his love for his parents and family on his brother (gives me a lot of Itachi and Sasuke vibes but less extreme and with less trauma). So, similar to JC and WWX, when LWJ tells him something in a sure tone, LXC believes it.

Like considering demonic cultivation and resentful energy are so harmful (look at the Nies), it would be like if you're brother came to you and told you that he did some crack and now has superpowers after disappearing for months and you believe him because if WWX told JC the stars were falling, JC would have run for cover without looking at the sky. Like, the amount this man trusts WWX is insane. It might have been despiration but also he knows if anyone can do it, it's his Shixiong. And every scene, he asks, he asks WWX to clarify, to let him know, to let him and I just can't with these boys.

Wang Zhuocheng will always impress me because this was essentially his break out role! And the intro scene where LJY mentions that JC killed WWX so why is he checking in MXY? The flashbacks with his family and how much he yearns to keep them together but we know that its gonna fall apart! And his interactions with Jin Ling (who also did an amazing job in the role) were perfect despite the actors being like one year apart in age! Just all of it was so good and I will never not be impressed!

Sorry for the essays! Just really excited about the Untamed and I have a lot to gush about.

this has been in my inbox for ages bc i just kept reading it over and over because op. (kisses your brain) Wow. your meta is actually so fucking good and i am sliding you five american dollars to continue sending me essays about anything and nothing

your characterization (perception of their characterization??) lines up perfectly with mine and tbh you put it in better words than i could. i just. i dont even have words for this bc im just In Awe that someone can word this good

im gonna post this without much comment and followers…..begging u to read this…..op’s brain is so so so big and i adore every single thing about this little essay

[ghostgardn]

🔮 Finding Your Future: tell me a little about yourself and i'll match you with a character of my choice (please specify gender pair)

Congrats on 150 followers!! Your blog theme is really pretty!!

Physical description - I'm 5'9 and I have long and curly dark brown hair and brown eyes. I have a fair skin tone, I'm slim and I've got full lips and fairly large eyes. I also have these dimples that I really like!

I love reading, my favorite genres are poetry, Russian lit, and mysteries! I love learning about new things and knowing a little bit of everything. I adore adventures, witty and playful banter, joking around and having indepth discussions on anything and everything! I adore all forms of art and I have quite a few creative hobbies! I listen to a lot of modern/indie rock and I love watching films very much! It takes me a while to feel comfortable around new people but once I do, I become really talkative and outgoing. I love helping out and I'm the therapist friend, people come to me to vent or for advice and comfort. I'm smart and ambitious; I love being the best at everything I do. I'm quite the hopeless romantic and I love being in love! I adore big and small romantic gestures and I love domesticity sm!! My love languages are acts of service and quality time. I'm a ravenclaw, my mbti is infp and my enneagram is 4w3!

Thank you very much!! I hope you have a lovely day ♥️

Hiiii thank you so much for requesting lovely!! And thanks for the complimentsss too! Also reading this and trying to be impartial is really hard bc we're so alike lol.

🔮 Finding Your Future: tell me a little about yourself and i'll match you with a character of my choice (please specify gender pair)

You didn't specify gender so I'll give you one of each!

Your female pairing is LILY EVANS!

She's just a little shorter than you (5'7) and has dimples like you too. She loves geeking out about books with you and listening to your favorite artists. She loves gifting you their records so you can listen to them the "right" way. Your everyday routine usually goes as follows: You drop off a morning muffin for her with a forehead kiss and sitting with each other as you catch up on missing work on Sunday mornings.

She leaves you little love letters if shes going out without you on early mornings. And you're always ready to greet her in the warmth of the dining hall after her morning jogs (if you choose not to join her). Your favorite dates, after you move out, are ones with you guys going to local record shops. Or book stores and going home and listening to them or watching a movie with a picnic on your living room floor. :)

Your male pairing is PEETA MELLARK!

Peeta absolutely adores you and loves making you sweet treats for your outings with your friends. He is the caterer for your girls nights. He's so outgoing that people don't notice that you're usually introverted until you're at your chatty stage. You love sleeping in with him and he loves running errands with you. A good start to your mornings is you reading your favorite books to him, and he loves showing you his attempted poetry. You're both therapist friends so you never go to bed angry at each other.

Have an amazing rest of your day dear! Love you!

[desudog]

i sincerely hope things improve for you soon masato. stuff like this is never easy to do. if it means anything, i think you're very brave for doing this

oh ive done it! i just had to leave because i didnt want anyone to talk while i was talking elsewhere because i would get distracted, and now i cant ask to come back inside because im on my computer now because the idea of going onto it and seeing any sort of response trying to salvage the situation i was in is horrifying for me right now and that image is certianly us

i also had noticed i was making that group exactly what i hadnt wanted it to be... for a couple of reasons alongside that i was worried i shouldnt be there...

i really do feel like in a way its a curse.. the only thing i can talk about for long is deep things. maybe im at the bottom of a lake so its hard to talk to the bellies of boats. i do really try, but i cant be fun for very long and i have a hard time knowing when i need to stop instead of keep talking if ive run out of enjoyable things to say

its hard espessially to be like that when i know im around people who arent entirely made up of a group of people who love me. it becomes easy to imagine people complaining about me in other places.

i was just about to ask you to make sure nobody feels like i left out of anger, so please relay that information!

but it was also just... im in a vulnerable place. and the only place i have to socialize containing something that frightens me is kindof intense...

and to everyone else im sorry if everything ive been saying doesnt make much sense. i feel like a common misconception at least pertaining my schizophrenia is that im saying normal things in a way thats strange, but in truth, im saying things that cant be communicated... im really struggling to find a way to let you know and let you into my life. its not enough to say "i feel scared" because its never that. i know im a dramatic type of person so it can come off like bad attempts at poetry but putting physical sensations into words is hard. putting very specific feelings of horror and hurt into words is hard. im always doing my best, okay?

some of my favorite animals are fish and birds, among those, cranes and carp. a koi fish can have a sun on its head, "丹頂 / Tanchō", whos named for the red crowned crane, "丹頂鶴 / Tanchōzuru". (These koi are bred to appear like the flag of Japan 🇯🇵 (which is a sun)- ive included one with black marks because it matches more the image of the cranes)

Bipolar depression can feel like living in a normal world of days and nights. The night brings fear and cold and darkness. In a night, you dont eat, of laugh or do anything besides wait for sleep to take you into the day. Being with friends, out on the town or doing something youre passionate for can make you feel awake, but it doesnt remove the night from being there behind you. A rising sun marks the end of the night, it brings warmth and continuation of human life. It brings craft and food and movement and brings color back to the land.

to me, even if sometimes a sun rises around me, a sun rises on my head. it can do this any time. a settled sun brings me clarity and justice, it shows me with light something i may not have seen ,and it gives me the warmth of anger, just enough to know something is righteous, but not enough to feel violent. warm, not hot.

but in a world of depressive-nights and manic-days, time does not pass on a 12 hour to 12 hour basis. So, many nights are days, and must be traversed in the dark. Sometimes, a false sun may give you not warmth, or connection, just color enough to see. A light, a lantern, a torch, a candle. Its not true, but its enough. You have to put in the lightless effort first, in order to begin trying at all, so it can be hard to do...

sometimes, i can paint a sun on my own head. its not warm and it doesnt grant me insight. the paint is actually rather cold and wet. but can grant me the power of bravery when i need it. Sometimes, its fine because i dont need justice as i have already seen it in the past, or ive been told by someone who lives in days and nights and stable vision and selves.

in my head i often see myself living at the base of a mountain. a mountain can effect the weather and make even mornings dark- even a sun whos risen can be blocked by a mountain.

something like that...

maybe someone with seasonal depressive feels like they live in the polar circle.

[3rdgymbros]

━ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮.

— pairing; shinichiro sano x reader

— summary; how would shinichiro woo you?

— notes; this is my first attempt at writing shinichiro, so i hope it’s not too out of character ! please donate to my kofi (https://ko-fi.com/thirdgymbros) if you like my content and wish to support me. reblogs are appreciated !!

❋ In one word: cheesy.

❋ Shinichiro makes plans to pull out all the stops: flowers, balloons, pickup lines, poems, serenading you under the moonlight . . .

❋ The only thing is, he can’t decide which option you would like most.

❋ So, his next course of action is to ask the rest of the Black Dragons what they think.

❋ Shinichiro would absolutely call an official meeting about it, and everyone thinks it’s going to be something serious until he opens his mouth.

❋ Shinichiro probably swears them all to secrecy first before telling them about his little problem – he doesn’t want you to find out about his plans until he’s ready to confess.

❋ The first time that this happens, the rest of the Black Dragons are understandably enthusiastic. They cheer Shinichiro on, encourage him, and give him advice.

❋ The Black Dragons think that the problem has been resolved – except that it absolutely hasn’t.

❋ It turns into a ritual; Shinichiro devotes a part of meetings to reading his latest (handwritten) poem, or playing a part of his (also handwritten) songs, while strumming along (badly) on a guitar. And then, he’ll ask the Black Dragons for feedback (which is usually negative, since Shinichiro’s many talents do not extend to poetry or songwriting).

❋ The ones who suffer the most are probably Wakasa, Benkei and Takeomi; since they hang out with Shinichiro on a regular basis, this means that they inevitably hear a lot more about his attempts to woo you. Shinichiro has also probably made plans to include them in his wooing attempts (such as coordinated dance numbers, or having them star as backup singers in his newest song).

❋ Things eventually escalate to the point where the Black Dragons (read: Wakasa, Benkei and Takeomi) actually show up at your school to beg you to go out with Shinchiro, so that they won’t have to suffer any longer.

❋ They’re all incredibly intimidating, and you’re sure that your face pales when they call out to you as you’re attempting to sneak by. You probably think that they’re here to either mug you, or to beat you up THEN mug you – but when a disgruntled Wakasa explains the situation (and even shows you a video clip of Shinichiro reading aloud his terrible poetry to everyone’s dismay), you actually end up laughing.

❋ When Shinichiro comes to their next (real) meeting with a spring in his step and an obnoxious grin on his face, everyone heaves a sigh of relief.

❋ That is, until Shinichiro asks them about what he should do on your first date.