#she and i are both on the same india trip

[cinematicnomad]

my upcoming work trip is probably the longest i've gone on since i started traveling for this job and i am already pre-exhausted. blue are days with international flights, yellow is for when i'm in india, and green is for when i'm in turkey. all in all, 27 days between the time i leave my apt and when i get home.

[johns-prince]

1967 is decidedly peak year for Lennon-McCartney as John and Paul were reportedly and observably the closest they ever been. Coming and going together, John always hanging around Paul's house, practically inseparable.

Then somewhere from the end of 1967 to the beginning of 1968, India happens, and just all of a sudden these two are having a falling out? For no real reason? Go on, you can't believe that.

1967, we know John and Paul started taking LSD together. While they were close before, tripping out like this gave them access to getting much closer to each other than before. We know the experience of dissolving into each other through that eye contact thing was described by Paul as both disturbing, but good, and other subsequent trips with John as fantastic because of this new access to each other in ways they hadn't realized was probably possible.

There really isn't much of John talking about these specific trips with Paul, but considering how insistent he had been to take LSD with Paul, and the fact they continued to take it together to the point even Jane was jealous of John getting to experience that with Paul—he was probably over the moon about it. Finally, he gets to experience this much much deeper connection with Paul, melds them into one, their thoughts and feelings becoming singular.

Aside from how much closer John and Paul had gotten, it seems the Beatles at a whole were as close as ever. You have their trip to Greece in the same year, and how there were talks about them buying an island and living on it together.

1967 was really the year for the Beatles, for John and Paul especially.

Still, there's reservations. Paul mentions how you can't come back from the kind of experience he shared with John. You could say that he meant between all them, but that's only because Paul has a habit of including the other two whenever he's uncomfortable with the strong use of “I, me, myself,” in conjugation with John in certain contexts. We were jealous, we loved him, we felt like he was leaving us. Paul only briefly mentions George and Ringo, like a second thought, when describing his first LSD trip with John.

But it was just Paul and John, and I'm sure there were many other subsequent trips that involved solely them.

So they can't go back. Their relationship has changed in a fundamental way that both excites and pleases and disturbs Paul. We can only presume John wasn't as disturbed by it as he was pleased by getting to have this closeness with Paul that no one else would be able to share in. It was all their own.

Paul loved the Lennon-McCartney relationship for everything that it was, but he probably didn't want it to swallow up his whole self/identity (which is normal) Additionally, while I believe Paul is actually pretty straight heterosexual male, I do believe he had this special exception for John—and how can you reconcile that? I don't think Paul had the emotional and mental capacity to quite start to confront the fact there was some romantic/sexual tension between him and John that couldn't just be explained away.

For comparison, Yoko was willing to let her whole identity be swallowed up in the JohnandYoko partnership and relationship that we know today. Because it was technically giving John everything he needed from a partner that would keep him satiated or delusional enough for her to keep him and his connections and finances under her thumb. Even when it inevitably frustrated her that she felt living and thriving off of John's coattails, she made the choice to forgo her individualism and identity for what being with someone like John could give her. There would be no Yoko Ono in the papers and in any relevance without John Lennon.

It was kind of a perfect storm because Yoko and John were both very insecure people, fearful of failure and being a failure and being left behind, whether that be by others or the world.

In another essay I would point out that Yoko got with John because she needed him, needed him to help her complete herself, to transform her into a cultural and artistic icon. I'm not sure she always necessarily wanted him by choice as she needed him as means to an end.

Paul didn't exactly need to be with John as much as he wanted to be John, he wanted to be by John, next to, creating, collaborating, existing with. That's why in a way it was kind of silly for John to fear Paul going off on a solo career after writing yesterday. If Paul wanted to leave John and the others he could've, but he didn't. He wanted to be a Beatle, he wanted to be John's partner, to continue making music together until they were old men. Paul chose to be with John because he wanted to be. Simple as.

Anyway, Paul might have his own complexes and issues but Paul wasn't dealing with the black hole in his chest like John was. He had his insecurities, but Paul never needed to meld his entirety with another to try and make himself complete. Paul was much more secure in himself than John, even if he had to fake it at times, Paul always seemed to know himself better. Paul didn't carry around a self-hatred and lack of self worth like John did.

From an outsiders perspective, I can't fault Paul for not either wanting to be John's everything and anything, and not being able to be that infinite everything and anything for John—because of the time, the place, the sex, all the psychosexual bullshit in between, and because in the end it probably would've devoured them.

I doubt John knew how to deal with it either. John was always prone to extremes, one or the other, you love me fully unconditionally or you don't. What made the whole affair unfair was that he had the hardest time believing anyone could love him fully unconditionally. And Paul did (he still does!) but there's only so much a normal human being with flaws and hangups of his own can take.

By 1968 it seemed like John was hardly in a great state—increasingly abusing substances, feeling completely trapped by his first marriage (no fault of Cynthia, she tried so hard to make it work and make him happy), smothered by expectations, Brian's death (he's cursed y'know, everyone who's ever loved him dies on him), and probably some kind of mental illness brought on by it all—John wouldn't have been in a very stable mindset to really consider or even care too much about any repercussions about leaving his first wife and child to then go gallivanting as a free man, with his best male friend, collaborator, and partner.

But Paul, steadfast, moderate and conservative, not yet completely in the mental anguish shitter like John is, would be conscious enough of these consequences, what it could mean for the band, for them. These things mattered. And maybe John's a special case but Paul's not gay so how could it work to begin with? If he can't make any justifications for it or excuses (maybe if I had been a girl I could have...) then it just can't be done.

Yeah we love each other yeah we want to be in each others pockets till the day we croak, we feel like we NEED each other like air in lungs (yeah we might've fucked) but there's nothing to do about it so we just need to go on like usual and keep it at that.

Because it worked fine before, the way we were dealing with it. Why try to fix something that isn't broken?

But it was broken.

John wanted more but Paul couldn't give it to him. Paul has a right to how he feels, we can never say exactly what, and he wasn't in any wrong in denying or rejecting John if that's what happened.

But, I've always believed too that Paul always had an unrealistic expectation of his own relationship with John.

Because it's just not fair to expect John to keep on going on like everything is normal and his relationship with Paul and all the feelings and wants that entails are normal.

Not holding similar feelings for a friend is just as valid as holding deeper feelings for a friend and finding you can't stay friends due to not being able to go back on these feelings.

But why couldn't Paul have John, and Linda, and a big family, and John. Why can't he have his cake and eat it to. Why couldn't John have his relationship with Yoko and still have his partnership with Paul.

Because they aren't normal best friends that's why. Their partnership wasn't normal. Even Paul admits to it. Paul had to “make way” for Yoko because in a sense he was John's first girlfriend. Of course Yoko couldn't be secure in her marriage with John if Paul was still in the picture. Even if Paul doesn't understand the depth of meaning behind this because he's preposterous doesn't make it any less obvious. And don't think for a second John would've made it any easier for Linda, and like hell Linda would've put up with it.

So, John was “if we can't be lovers we can never be friends,” and Paul was, “I'll have my cake and I'll eat it to.”

I'm not trying to paint anyone as a villain in this. Both sides are understandable, both sides don't actually want to lose the other, both sides love each other, they just have different perspectives and feelings on the matter.

It's whether these differences can be reconciled and reasonable compromises can be made.

But we're talking about John and Paul and as we know, these differences were not reconciled and they were not reasonable men to be making reasonable compromises. Also they were two men.

John wanted all or nothing. Paul couldn't give all, because it's unrealistic and because Paul probably already thought he was giving John as much of him as he could reasonably give. But it wasn't enough.

If they could have kept each other and their relationship as it was despite getting married, I do believe Paul would have had no problem keeping Linda and his kids in one box, and his special little relationship with John in another box. They were able to do it before with John's marriage to Cynthia, why couldn't the same apply?

We know why. Cynthia was never a real, genuine threat to Paul and the Beatles (but mainly Paul) in the end, John always chose to go off the other boys, to go stay nights over at Paul's home instead of staying home with his wife and kid. She simply didn't interfere.

The many girls Paul screwed around with, while certainly put John on edge, and he hardly liked or got along with any, weren't anything too serious and at that time John was willing to put up with it or he hadn't the capacity to really evaluate his life as it was and his relationship and feelings towards Paul.

But Linda was a genuine threat. She wasn't going away. Paul loved her, she could give him everything. And what could that mean for John, especially if he had been making his feelings known, he was pushing for something deeper, definitive, with Paul? How could John stand a chance.

Yoko was nothing like Cynthia. How John treated her and their relationship was nothing like his last marriage. Paul was no longer the sun in John's universe, it was Yoko, and for once Paul was actually put on edge, similar to that of Stu, if not worse. She was his wife, his partner, a woman, a girl. Since Paul wasn't a girl then what chance did he have to put a stop to it, what right did he have to say anything?

John starting it by bringing Yoko into their sessions as if to make a point. Maybe Paul got the point of he didn't not entirely but maybe he was tired and can't Paul McCartney get a little tired of these games when he's hopped skipped jumped and crawled to try and prove to John each time that yes I love, yes I won't leave you willingly, yes I'll put up with you because I love you and you love me right? We're in this together for the long haul.

Can't go back to compartmentalizing relationships outside of Lennon-McCartney, and it seemed their relationship couldn't remain as it were with wives and children between them. Things were different now, they were different. John and Paul had grown, and while their past comments about sticking together as partners even after the Beatles go bust, even in their old age, is cutesy and sweet and coming from young boys who really didn't know any better but knew they loved each other and loved creating together—what's to become of them now that Pandora's box had been opened.

It's all led up to the point when things begin to breakdown, the band starts to pull apart, relations splinter, and John starts bringing up divorce, divorce from the Beatles, divorce from Paul.

The details we won't be privy to, we can only speculate and theorize and piece the puzzle pieces. But it's such a short time frame for such a massive change from John and Paul's relationship in 1967—almost always found together, John at Paul's home, John and Paul arriving together to the studio, taking walks, dissolving into each other—to how they treated and behaved toward each other in 1968, especially after India.

Without proper communication, without making the effort to confront the reality of what they were to each other and what that might mean, plus the drugs and the alcohol, I'm not surprised these unexplained feelings between them began festering.

I've lost the plot somewhere halfway in the post. But something happened.

The final straw was probably in India. But before India, the tension must have been building, like the calm before a storm. Taking LSD together changed the way they saw their relationship, or maybe simply gave them a more honest approach to it, a much less inhibited understanding of what they meant to each other. It scared Paul, or worried him, but he still liked it, which might've been just as worrisome. John was probably thrilled about it, loved experiencing it with Paul, and it might have enlightened him further on what he actually wants. Though drugs should never be trusted. Then Brian died. The Beatles were shattered with grief. John was beginning to spiral. And then it was 1968, and in February the boys went to India. Everything changed significantly there. John and Paul spent a lot of time alone in one room. They were seen together a lot. John often gazing. Something happened. Something happened and we don't know what but it did. Sex? Maybe, maybe not. A confession? Maybe, maybe not. They come back, worse than for better. John works tirelessly to break Paul's heart and drive him to some sort of reaction. To fight, to stay. Love me love me. Paul couldn't or wouldn't because "if I had been a girl then maybe I could have..." but he wasn't so he they had to make way for Yoko. Paul loves Linda, John loves Yoko. They get married a week apart. John and Paul divorce the Beatles breakup. John really didn't actually ever love Paul and they didn't grow up in the same bed or write eyeball-to-eyeball and hey did you know he loved Yoko because she reminds him of a bloke in drag? She's me in drag. John actually manages to instill some of that insecurity and fear in Paul—about his talent, about who he is on his own, whether or not John ever loved actually him. They fight nasty like bitter exes. Paul is the first to lay down the arms with Dear Friend. John responds with Jealous Guy. They're on and off. Paul continues to try to make the effort to connect with John again, despite John and despite Yoko. The lost weekend happens, a total mystery in itself. Calls are missed and time still passes. John comes to the inevitable conclusion that he still loves Paul no matter how hard he tries to not love him, that he can't escape. John backtracks a lot. They start talking again. They occasionally see each other. They rent a studio to use after the new year in 1981. John is suddenly killed in December of 1980. Paul keeps John's name and legacy alive for years and years and years. Paul reminisces about their shared past like a widower. Their relationship will be compared to a marriage, a love affair like that of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, and even soulmates. They are only ever known as brothers, collaborators, and friends.

The greatest songwriting duo that ever was. The lovers that never were.

[nanamineedstherapy]

Heat & Dust: Where the Wind Calls Her Name

Modern AU: Nanami Kento x Indian F!Wife Reader

Summary: Nanami & his wife were happy. That was before Rajasthan. Because when the wind howls through the ruins, the whispers call a name. (A slow-burn tragedy about a love lost & a man who never stopped looking.) Trigger Warnings: Smut (so minors & ageless blogs please touch grass), Heavy Angst, Unreliable Narrator, Shakespearian Tragedy, Haunting Love Stories, Loverboy Kento Nanami, Emotional Torture, Rajasthan & Indian Folklore, Death (Past & New), Ghost Prince GS, Hopeless Romanticism, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat. The Reader is of Indian descent, but you can hallucinate whatever you want, body type, skin complexion, etc., descriptions have not been used. The town is real & abandoned overnight for haunting reasons, but the palace described is fictional. A/N: Welcome to My TED Talk on Why Nanami Kento Can’t Have Peace. So yesterday, I watched an Indian horror movie, & then I remembered a convo I had with my Indian atheist friend (hardcore non-believer), who casually dropped the fact that in India, “Oh yeah, we don’t dress up too much around ruins.” And I was like… excuse me???. Apparently, this isn’t just a "women beware" thing—even guys warn each other about this, because it’s not just women—cute men have also disappeared or gone insane. So instead of reacting like a normal person, my brain said: “What if Nanami Kento went full Majnu?” So naturally, this is now Nanami’s problem. Also, why do I keep making this man suffer? I love him, I really do, but if he’s not in maximum emotional distress, am I really doing my job? Anyway, Nanami is suffering & the narrator is a liar. Believe nothing. Enjoy the pain, besties. 🖤

Rajasthan was a furnace in late autumn. The sun bled into the horizon, streaking the sky with burnt oranges and bruised purples as a foreigner husband and his local wife trailed behind their tour group.

"Are we really doing this?" She murmured, her fingers lightly brushing his wrist. The tour guide was droning on about the history of Kuldhara, the abandoned village known for its curse. But their real interest lay in the looming structure ahead—the palace of a prince, a name lost in history but kept alive by local whispers.

The palace was breathtaking, a relic of Rajasthan’s royal past, its sandstone walls glowing amber under the setting sun. Nanami Kento had never been one for grand romantic gestures, but even he couldn’t resist the allure of this Mahal, with its intricate mosaics and whispered legends. His wife had been the one to suggest the trip. “It’s a place for lovers,” she’d said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “And we could use a little adventure, don’t you think?”

They had been married for five years, a union that defied cultural expectations—a half-Danish, half-Japanese man and an Indian woman who had met in the unlikeliest of places: a student exchange in Tokyo. Their love had always been quiet but fierce, built on mutual respect and a shared disdain for the supernatural. They were atheists, both of them, grounded in logic and reason. Ghosts, spirits, curses—these were the stuff of fairy tales, not their reality.

Nanami adjusted his sunglasses. "It’s just a palace. You wanted to see something ‘haunted,’ right?"

She scoffed. "I was joking."

"You were not."

A smirk tugged at her lips. "Fine. Maybe a little."

The group paused in front of the arched entryway; the marble cracked and overgrown with creeping vines. A hush settled over them as the guide began to recount the tale:

“This story isn’t in most history books, but ask the locals, and they’ll all tell you the same thing. Hundreds of years ago, a foreign prince came to this land—as a conqueror, though he stayed because of a person who lived here. Some say it was a woman, others say a man. The details were lost over time, but what we do know is that he had wealth, power, and control over vast territories. Yet, despite all of that, he chose to stay here, in a kingdom that wasn’t of his customs.

The prince was renowned for his striking beauty—his unique hair and captivating eyes—a ruler of immense charm but even greater misfortune. He built alliances, settled disputes, even took on the customs of the land. He was even undefeated in wars, a genius strategist. Some say he did it all for them—for the one person he couldn’t bear to leave behind.

But love like that rarely ends well.

One night, he vanished alongside his lover, a woman likely, promised to another. Some say they were caught and killed before they could run. Others say the prince’s enemies set a trap, making sure neither of them left these walls alive. But the strangest stories come from those who claim he never left at all.”

Nanami’s wife rolled her eyes. "He sounds like a tragic anime protagonist."

Nanami exhaled sharply—a rare, barely-there laugh. "You watch too much TV."

She elbowed him, and he caught her wrist, pulling her closer. The air between them shifted—heavy, charged.

"Come on," she whispered. "Let’s go somewhere less... crowded."

His hesitation was brief, a flicker of logic against the pull of her hand. They drifted past a crumbling archway, slipping into the shadowed halls of the abandoned palace. The moment the voices of the group faded behind them, the atmosphere thickened.

It wasn’t fear. It was anticipation.

She tugged him into a hidden alcove, her back pressing against cool stone. "No one’s here," she murmured, fingers curling into his shirt.

"Careful, darling, you sound too eager," he smeirked, his voice lower and rougher.

"Maybe I just believe in you more than the ghosts," she teased.

But the Mahal had other plans.

He kissed her before she could say anything more—slow, deliberate, consuming. The taste of sweat and dust mixed with the softness of her lips, and for a moment, nothing existed beyond this—just the weight of her body against his, the sharp intake of breath when he gripped her waist beneath her t-shirt, the warmth of her skin beneath his palms. Her lips kissing his with a hunger that made his chest ache.

They kissed like they were the only two people in the world, the cool marble at their backs and the faint scent of eucalyptus in the air.

When they finally pulled apart, she laughed, her voice echoing strangely in the empty hall. “This place is magic,” she said, her fingers tracing the patterns on the wall. “Can’t you feel it?”

Nanami smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I feel you,” he replied, his voice low. “That’s enough magic for me.”

And then—

The wind shifted.

A whisper of cool air, unnatural against the desert heat, coiled around them.

She shivered.

He pulled back slightly, brows furrowing. "Are you cold?"

She shook her head. “I just... felt something.” Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, as if she couldn’t quite put it into words.

A beat of silence hung between them, heavy and unspoken as he waited for her to elaborate.

Then she laughed, the sound light and airy, brushing it off like it was nothing. “Forget it. Let’s go back,” she said, her smile returning as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Her lips brushing against his ear, voice dropping to a whisper. “I want us to start trying for a baby.”

He shivered, a mix of surprise and warmth flooding through him. He’d wanted to have a family with her ever since he’d laid eyes on her.

Without a word, he pulled out his phone and called the driver, his voice steady but tinged with urgency.

As she stepped away, though, she hesitated.

Just for a moment.

Her gaze flickered toward the shadows of the palace, her smile faltering.

But then she shook it off, linking her arm with her husband’s waist, who kissed her forehead and pulled her towards the exit.

---

The first time he noticed something was wrong, it was subtle.

She was quieter on the ride back. Thoughtful. Her fingers tapped against the car window, her gaze unfocused.

"You’re not feeling sick, are you?" he asked, eyes flickering toward her.

She turned to him too slowly, blinking as if shaking herself from a daze. "No. Just tired."

He accepted it. At first.

But the things were going to change forever.

The moment the words had left her lips—“I want us to start trying for a baby”—Nanami’s world had narrowed to her, like it already didn’t revolve around her. His hands, usually so controlled, had trembled as they gripped her hips, pulling her closer. His lips had found hers in a kiss that was equal parts desperation and reverence; his breath had hitched as she melted into him.

“Are you sure?” He’d murmured against her mouth as soon as they walked inside their hotel room, his voice rough with need. When she nodded, his restraint had shattered.

He had been everywhere at once—his hands roaming her body, his lips trailing down her neck, his teeth grazing her skin in a way that made her gasp. He was drunk on her, consumed by the idea of her carrying his child, and it showed in every touch, every kiss, every ragged breath. His composed demeanor was gone, replaced by a raw, primal hunger that left her breathless.

Nanami had been relentless, each thrust drawing a gasp or moan from her lips. He’d already brought her to the edge multiple times, his hands and mouth working in tandem to unravel her completely. But now, as he hovered above her, his hips moving with a rhythm that was almost possessive, he was focused on one thing: filling her. The thought of it—of her carrying his child—had him teetering on the edge of control.

“K…Ken…Ahh,” she had whimpered his name, her nails digging into his back as she arched against him. Her legs wrapped tighter around his waist, pulling him deeper, and he groaned, his forehead dropping to hers.

“I’ve got you,” he’d murmured, voice rough, breathless. His hand had slid between them, thumb circling her clit as he felt her tighten around him again. “Come for me one more time, love.”

She had, her body shuddering as she cried out his name. He was about to follow her over the edge.

But then, she had frozen. Her eyes wide, as she’d turned her head sharply toward the window. “Do you hear that?” she’d whispered, voice trembling.

Nanami had stilled, his brow furrowing as he tried to catch his breath. “Hear what?” he’d asked; his tone had been calm but tinged with concern.

“Music,” she’d said, her voice barely audible. "It's... it’s faint, but it’s there. Like a sitar or something.”

He had seriously listened but had heard nothing except the sound of their breathing and the faint rustle of the curtains. “I don’t hear anything,” he’d said gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Are you sure?”

She’d nodded, eyes wide with confusion. “It’s there, Kento. I’m not imagining it.”

Nanami had studied her face, his analytical mind kicking into gear.

He had known her well enough to recognize when she was serious, and right now, she looked genuinely unsettled.

“Alright,” he’d said softly, pulling out of her and sitting up. “Let’s figure this out.”

She’d blinked, surprised by his calm reaction. “You believe me?”

“I believe that you heard something,” he’d said carefully, his tone measured. “Whether it’s real or not, we’ll find out. But I need you to be honest with me—are you sure you’re ready for this? For us trying for a baby?”

Her eyes had been filled with tears, and she’d shaken her head. “I’m not lying, Kento. I want this. I want us. But I heard something, and it's...”

He’d sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, let’s take a breath and figure this out together.”

As he’d reached for his robe, she’d grabbed his hand, her grip tight. “I’m sorry,” she’d whispered. “I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

He’d turned back to her, his expression softening. “You didn’t ruin anything,” he’d said, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll figure this out. But for now, let’s just... breathe.”

She’d nodded, but the unease in her eyes remained.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Nanami had muttered before walking away.

She’d sat there, alone and confused, the faint strains of music still echoing in her ears.

Later that night, as they lay in their bed, she had sat up abruptly, her eyes wide. “Did you hear that?” she’d whispered.

“Hear what?” Nanami had asked, already half-asleep.

“A voice. It was… singing.”

He’d dismissed it as a trick of the wind or her exhaustion, but the next day, she’d insisted they return to the palace, her tone urgent and her eyes wide with something he couldn’t quite place. “I need to see it again,” she’d said, her tone urgent. “There’s something there, Kento. I can’t explain it.” He had to spend two hours convincing her it was nothing and they’d stick with their itinerary with the hotel.

Maybe it was the stress of traveling. Maybe the unfamiliar environment was playing tricks on her senses. Or maybe, just maybe, she was overwhelmed by the idea of starting a family. He’d convinced himself it was temporary, something they could work through together.

But then it started happening every time.

Just as he was about to cum inside, she’d flinch, her body tensing as she turned her head sharply, her eyes darting toward some unseen corner of the room. “Do you hear that?” she’d whisper, her voice trembling. “Music. It’s… it’s faint, but it’s there.”

And every time, he’d stop, his patience wearing thinner and thinner. He’d listen, his brow furrowed, but hear nothing. “There’s no music,” he’d say, his voice calm but tinged with frustration. “It’s just us.”

She’d insist, her eyes pleading with him to believe her, but he couldn’t. Not when it kept happening. Not when it felt like she was pulling away from him in the moments they should have been closest.

Nanami was a logical man. He prided himself on his ability to analyze situations, to break them down into manageable parts, and find solutions. But this... this defied logic. He’d run through every possible explanation—stress, fatigue, even the lingering effects of jet lag—but none of them fully accounted for her behavior. And the more it happened, the harder it became to ignore the gnawing doubt in the back of his mind.

Maybe she doesn’t want this. Maybe she doesn’t want kids with me. Maybe she doesn’t want me.

The thought was like a knife to his chest. They’d been together for so long—twelve years of knowing each other, five years of marriage. He’d fought for her, convinced her family to let him marry her, to leave everything behind and build a life with him. He’d never doubted her love before, but now... now he wasn’t so sure.

He didn’t want to believe his intrusive thoughts; he really didn’t.

She loved him, right? She married him.

But then why did this trip feel like he was better off back home than traveling the world with the love of his life?

So next time he hadn't been as kind to her.

“Ken baby,” she’d breathed one night, fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer. They had been in their hotel room, the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the curtains. Her touch had been warm, familiar, and for a moment, he let himself believe everything was okay.

He’d kissed her deeply, his hands sliding under her thighs to lift her onto the bed from the table he’d been fucking her against. His movements were urgent but reverent, as if he couldn’t believe this was real. He wanted her, wanted this, wanted the future they’d talked about for so long.

But then, as he’d continued to roll his hips, tettering on the edge of her and his own release, his eyes dark with desire, she’d froze.

Her head snapped toward the window, her eyes wide with fear. “Do you hear that?” She’d whispered, voice trembling.

Nanami had stilled, jaw tightening. “Hear what?” he’d asked, tone clipped.

“Music,” she’d said. “It’s… it’s coming from somewhere.”

He’d stared at her, his frustration bubbling over.

“There’s no music,” he’d said flatly, voice tight. “Are you... changing your mind? Is that what this is?”

“What? No!” She’d protested, voice rising. “I heard something, Kento. I’m not lying.”

He’d clenched his jaw and pulled out and away, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “If you’re not ready, just say so. Don’t make up excuses.”

Her eyes had been wide, hurt flashing across her face. “I’m not making anything up! I heard music. Why won’t you believe me?”

“Because there’s nothing there!” He’d snapped, voice sharper than he intended. He stood, pacing the room, his frustration boiling over. “If you’re not ready for this, fine. But don’t play games with me.”

She’d stared at him, her chest tightening. “I’m not playing games,” she’d said quietly, voice breaking. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m not lying to you.”

Nanami had sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to take a shower,” he’d muttered.

He’d grabbed his robe and left the room without another word.

She’d sat there, alone and confused, the faint strains of a voice singing her name still echoing in her ears.

Kento didn’t know that was the last time he was ever going to have sex with her.

---

Then, back in Tokyo, small things had began piling up.

She flinched at things he couldn’t see.

"You’re being ridiculous," he said one evening when she refused to step into their dimly lit living room. "It’s just shadows."

"You don’t understand," she whispered.

"You’re right," he snapped, patience thinning. "I don’t."

She recoiled as if struck.

Then she’d begun walking in the night, her side of the bed cold. She claimed she heard music, faint and haunting, like the strains of a sitar playing in another room. Nanami would check the apartment, of course, but there was never anything there.

“It’s stress,” he’d said one evening, his tone gentle but firm. “You’ve been working too hard. Maybe you should take some time off.”

She’d glared at him, her usually warm eyes icy. “You think I’m imagining this?”

“I think you’re exhausted,” he’d replied, reaching for her hand. She’d pulled away.

And then there were the whispers—half-heard murmurs when she thought he wasn’t listening.

She’d started to wake up in the middle of the night, staring at the corner of their bedroom. Sometimes mumbling under her breath, as if answering a question.

The fights started small—her frustration at his refusal to believe her, his exhaustion at her growing paranoia.

But resentment festered like a wound left untreated.

She’d insisted she wasn’t crazy and that something—or someone—was following her.

Nanami, the pragmatist, had suggested therapy. “Just to rule things out,” he’d said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Please, darling. For me.”

She’d agreed, but the sessions only seemed to make things worse.

The therapist diagnosed her with schizophrenia, a word that hung between them like a death sentence.

She stopped going to work, retreating into herself. She spent her days at home, staring out the window or pacing the apartment, her once-vibrant personality dulled to a shadow.

Then the arguments got more frequent.

When he suggested starting medication, she laughed.

It wasn’t a kind laugh.

"You think I’m crazy?"

"I think you need help."

Her lips curled. "Of course you do."

She stopped sleeping beside him.

Stopped talking to him unless necessary.

Work became a distant thing, then a nonexistent one.

Nanami tried to be patient, but the distance between them grew. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was losing her. The woman he’d married—strong, independent, full of life—was slipping away, replaced by someone he barely recognized.

And one day, he came home to find her in the dark.

---

Nanami had come home to the sound of laughter. It was a sound he hadn’t heard in months, and it stopped him in his tracks.

It had been rich and warm, spilling from her lips like it belonged there.

A weight had lifted from his chest, and for a moment, he allowed himself to hope.

Maybe she’d been getting better. Maybe they’d find their way back to each other. Maybe she’d been finally healing. Maybe—

But as he’d stepped into the living room, his heart sank.

She’d been sitting on the floor, her back to him, knees tucked beneath her, hands gesturing lightly—casual, intimate. Her shoulders had been shaking with laughter as she spoke to someone, voice soft.

Except there had been no one there.

“Darling,” he’d called, his voice trembling.

She’d turned then, still smiling, but the moment she’d seen him, her expression had shifted—a flicker of something unreadable before she’d schooled her features.

Her eyes had still been bright with a joy he hadn’t seen in so long. “Kento. You’re home.” She’d greeted him like he was an afterthought.

He’d forced a smile, though his pulse had thundered in his ears. “Who were you talking to?”

Her expression had faltered, just for a moment. “No one,” she said quickly. “Just… thinking out loud.”

“What was so funny?” he’d pushed.

She hesitated. Then, softly added, "you wouldn’t believe me."

His fists had clenched. "Try me."

Then her eyes had flicked—just slightly—to something over his shoulder.

And that was when he’d felt it.

The air had moved.

A cold breath against the back of his neck.

A presence too close, too real.

He’d turned.

And for the first time in his life, Nanami Kento saw a ghost.

Tall. Pale. Dressed in fine, outdated robes.

Beautiful eyes and hair.

Beautiful white hair and piercing blue eyes.

The man—the prince—was watching him with an unreadable expression.

Like a king appraising a pawn.

Like a conqueror surveying his land.

Nanami’s knees had buckled, and he’d fallen.

His wife had rushed forward, instinct taking over, her hands gripping his face, her touch grounding—alive, but her hands had been cold against his skin.

"Kento—!"

But he wasn’t looking at her.

He’d been looking at him.

And the ghost, Prince Gojo Satoru, had simply smirked.

Like he’d already won.

Nanami had realized then—this wasn’t just madness.

It wasn’t a break, a disorder, a cruel trick of the mind.

She hadn’t been losing herself.

She’d been taken.

And he had let it happen.

The pieces had fallen into place with cruel clarity.

The voice she’d heard in the palace, the laughter, the way she’d become distant—it wasn’t schizophrenia.

It had all been Gojo.

The ghost of a prince who had taken a liking to her, who had followed her home and woven himself into her life.

Nanami felt sick.

He had failed her.

He had dismissed her fears, convinced himself she was ill, when the truth was far more terrifying.

And now he was losing her to a man who wasn’t even alive.

“I’m sorry,” he’d choked out, his voice breaking. “I should have believed you.”

Her face had crumpled, and she’d pulled him into her arms. “It’s not your fault,” she’d whispered. “I didn’t want to believe it either.”

But as they clung to each other, Nanami couldn’t shake the feeling that it was too late.

---

In the weeks that followed, she’d grow weaker, her once-vibrant spirit fading like a dying flame.

Nanami watched helplessly as the woman he loved slipped further and further away, her laughter now a ghostly echo in their empty home.

And in the corner of the room, Gojo watched, his smirk never wavering.

But as he’d sat by her bedside, holding her hand as she slept, he’d make a silent vow. He would find a way to bring her back, even if it meant confronting the dead monarch himself.

After all, love was the only magic he had ever believed in.

Then Nanami had tried everything—doctors, therapists, even a desperate visit to a priestess who had taken one look at him and shaken her head. “There’s nothing I can do,” she’d said. “This is beyond me.”

And now, she was gone.

She died on a quiet morning, as if the universe itself was too ashamed to make a sound.

No violence, no struggle—just silence.

Nanami had left for groceries, and when he returned, the door was ajar.

The air inside was stale, thick, suffocating.

He’d called her name.

No answer.

He found her curled on their bed, her body unnaturally still, her hands resting lightly on her stomach as if she had merely dozed off. Her lips were parted, and for a moment, he swore he saw them move.

But she was cold.

Kento stood there for a long time, unable to move, unable to breathe.

It wasn’t real.

It couldn’t be real.

He shook her once, twice. "Darling."

Her head lolled to the side.

His fingers clenched around her shoulders. "This isn’t funny."

Nothing.

A sound escaped him—raw, broken.

They told him it was heart failure. A tragedy. Sudden. Unexplained.

But he knew better.

The days that followed were a blur.

Nanami moved through them like a ghost himself, his grief a heavy cloak that suffocated him.

He expected to see Gojo’s ghost lurking in the corners of their apartment, taunting him, but the white-haired figure was nowhere to be found. It was as if Gojo had vanished the moment his wife had taken her last breath.

Nanami hated him for it.

Hated him for taking her, for leaving him alone, for existing at all.

But most of all, he hated himself for not being able to save her. For not believing her in time.

The days stretched into weeks. He drifted, weightless, his mind full of echoes.

He stopped speaking to people. Stopped working.

The world became a distant thing, muffled and unreal.

But the pull remained.

---

It was a month after her death when Nanami stood in the shadow of the Mahal, its sandstone walls glowing in the afternoon sun, looming over him like a specter from a past he couldn’t escape. It didn't hold the same allure anymore.

Now, it felt like a tomb.

He didn’t know why he’d come. He hadn’t planned it.

He hadn’t planned on anything at all.

Maybe it was desperation, or maybe it was the faint hope that he could confront Gojo, demand answers, scream at him until his voice gave out.

But deep down, he knew the truth: he was here because he had nowhere else to go.

The palace was empty; no tourists.

Nanami wandered the corridors, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

He found the alcove where it had all begun—the place where he had shared that fateful kiss.

The memory was sharp, painful, and he clenched his fists to keep from breaking down.

There was no sound, no music, only the faint rustle of wind through the palace’s ancient halls. Nanami sank to his knees, his anger giving way to despair. He whispered, his voice cracking. “Why? Why her?”

Still, there was nothing. No ghostly figure, no laughter, no sign that Gojo had ever been there at all.

Nanami felt a surge of frustration.

Had it all been in his head? Had her illness been just that—an illness—and he had been going insane and started seeing it too?

As he sat there, his mind racing, the air got heavy with the scent of eucalyptus and decay, and a faint sound reached his ears.

It was music—soft and haunting, reminiscent of the tunes she had described hearing all those months ago.

But this time, it was accompanied by the gentle jingle of the anklets she’d worn on their wedding day and during Karwachauth ever since.

Nanami’s breath caught in his throat.

He stood, following the sound through the palace’s labyrinthine corridors until he reached a small, hidden chamber.

Inside, the walls were covered in intricate carvings, their details illuminated by the faint light of a single oil lamp.

And there in the center of the room—

She’d looked just as she had in life, her eyes warm and full of love, voice soft. “You shouldn’t have come.”

Nanami stumbled forward, reaching for her, but his hand passed through her like smoke. “Darling,” he choked out. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. “It’s not your fault.”

“What are you talking about?” Nanami demanded, his voice rising. “You didn’t choose this! He took you from me!”

She shook her head, her form beginning to fade.

“No!” Nanami shouted, lunging for her, but she was already gone, the music fading with her.

The next moment, there was nothing.

Only silence. Vast and consuming.

Then—a shimmer in the air, warping the space around it, like heat rising from the desert sand.

A figure materialized.

White hair. Piercing Blue eyes. Pale skin. A presence that did not belong.

Nanami could barely breathe.

Gojo Satoru stood before him, his gaze vacant, his posture relaxed in a way that felt unnatural—like he was here, but also elsewhere. His voice, when it came, was soft. Too soft.

"Why her?"

There was no malice, no satisfaction. Just neutrality. An absence of feeling.

Nanami swallowed, his throat dry. His fingers curled into trembling fists. "You really don’t know, do you, Kento?"

Nanami’s jaw clenched. "Enlighten me."

Gojo tilted his head slightly, as if considering the request. When he spoke, there was no anger, no cruelty—just a simple, unwavering truth.

"You married an Indian woman. Lived with her. Loved her. And yet, you never learned the most basic rule."

The air around them shifted, thick with something rancid. The wind through the broken palace walls carried the scent of decay, of age, of something that did not want to be disturbed.

Gojo’s voice remained even.

"In India, there’s an unspoken rule—one even atheists follow."

The air grew colder.

"You do not show off your women in ruins."

Nanami’s stomach twisted.

Gojo blinked slowly, like a creature that had forgotten how to mimic human expression. "You don’t dress them up and parade them around cemeteries, old buildings, palaces." His voice lowered. "People get possessed. Things follow them home."

Nanami felt his breath leave him.

The memory came back. The moment he lost her.

The way she had laughed in that alcove, her lips swollen from his kisses, her body pressed against his, flushed and breathless. The gold that had glinted at her wrists, her throat, catching the dying sunlight—making her glow. The way her voice, filled with love, with life, carried through the hollow halls of a palace where no living thing should have heard it.

They had looked so blissful.

But now, the memory felt like a knife twisting in his chest.

Because he’d been watching.

“You looked so happy,” Gojo murmured, his voice almost thoughtful. “So in love.”

There was no malice. No regret. No sympathy.

"And I…" Gojo’s voice barely wavered. "I wanted that."

Nanami’s heart threatened to crawl out of his throat.

Gojo blinked, his expression unchanging. "My love left me," he said. "Married another. Her family pushed her into it, and she stayed once she met him. I waited for her. I waited for her to come back."

His head turned slightly, looking out the window, gaze distant. Like he was watching a memory. Like he was watching something only he could see. "She never did."

The stillness in his voice was unbearable.

Nanami’s vision blurred with rage. "So you took mine instead?"

Gojo turned to face him, eyes boring into Nanami's.

His face was still empty. Void of anything human.

"Maybe I did," he said. "Maybe she left. Maybe she came back to me. Maybe you stole her from me in another life. Maybe she chose you. Maybe she didn’t love me as much as I thought. Or maybe—" Gojo exhaled softly. "Maybe I see why she fell in love with you."

Rage coiled in Nanami’s chest. His hands trembled, nails biting into his palms.

Gojo watched him without blinking. Without caring. "After everything I lost—after she left me to marry someone else because her family pushed her into it—I wanted what you had."

Gojo’s voice did not rise. It did not falter.

"So I took it."

Nanami’s body locked up, something primal and violent rising in his chest. His throat burned. His vision swam. His grief was a wildfire, an avalanche, a noose tightening around his own damn throat.

“You’re a monster.”

Gojo continued, reactionless. "Maybe," he admitted.

Then—Gojo’s head tilted ever so slightly.

"But you’re the one who brought her here."

The words slammed into Nanami’s ribcage like a hammer.

"You didn’t protect her," Gojo murmured. "You thought she was insane before you believed her."

The words hit Nanami like he was being set on fire. 

Because he knew.

He knew.

Deep down, he knew the truth in them.

He’d been so focused on their future, too confident in logic and reason, on starting a family, that he’d ignored the warnings—both spoken and unspoken—the unease in her eyes, the way her voice had shaken when she begged him to listen, to believe her.

And now she was gone.

He would never see her again.

She had slipped through his fingers like smoke, like an illusion he was never meant to hold onto in the first place.

He stood there, rooted in the ruins of a past that no longer existed, a future that had been severed clean from his grasp.

Gojo did not smile.

He did not mock.

He simply stood there, blank and unfeeling, watching as Nanami shattered into something that could never be put back together.

"Give her back."

Nanami’s voice cracked, raw and desperate.

It was not a demand.

It was a plea.

"Please." His fingers twitched, reaching for something that wasn’t there. "Just give her back."

For the first time, Gojo’s expression shifted. Not in pity. Not in regret.

Just something fleeting. Almost human.

"I can’t."

His voice was quiet. Unshaken. Final.

"She’s not mine to give."

And then he was gone.

No shadow left behind.

No footprints in the dust.

As if he had never been there at all.

And maybe he hadn’t.

Nanami never saw Gojo again.

Not in the palace.

Not anywhere.

And neither did he see her.

Not that day.

Not the next.

Not in the ruins where he had kissed her for the last time.

Not in the house where she had once lived, where the echoes of her voice had turned to silence.

But still, he searched.

Through the palace.

Through the crumbling ruins.

Through the empty villages.

Through the desert, where the sand swallowed footsteps whole.

Through the places where even the ghosts had grown tired of lingering.

But there was nothing.

There had never been anything.

No ghosts.

No answers.

Just silence—cold and unrelenting, stretching on and on until it hollowed him out from the inside.

Or maybe—maybe he had seen her.

Maybe she had whispered to him in the dead of night, her voice curled around his ear like a secret. Maybe he had caught glimpses of her in reflections, in the shimmer of heat rising from the sand, in the spaces between dreams and waking.

Or maybe it had all been in his head.

Maybe she had never been there at all.

The whispers started soon after.

Of the foreigner with blond hair who wandered through the ruins, his steps slow, his gaze hollow.

Of the man who murmured to the crumbling palace walls, who spoke to shadows, who waited for a love that would never return.

At first, people tried to help.

They approached him with cautious kindness.

“Are you lost, sir?”

“Do you have family we can call?”

“Here, drink this—eat something.”

But Nanami did not answer.

Did not acknowledge them.

Did not even seem to hear them at all.

He knew you’d be mad. 

You never liked when other women gave him attention.

He would sit in the dust, his fingers tracing invisible patterns into the stone, lips moving in silent conversation.

With whom, no one knew.

And slowly, they learned to leave him alone.

He became part of the ruins themselves.

A figure wrapped in dust and sorrow.

A cautionary tale whispered to children.

"Don’t wander too far, lest you meet the mad foreigner who searches for his dead wife."

The weeks passed. Then the months.

His hair grew long and matted, strands clumping together, dirt and sand tangled in the once-golden locks.

His clothes frayed at the edges, sleeves torn, fabric thinning from exposure to the harsh desert winds.

His face, once sharp with quiet confidence, sank inward—cheekbones too prominent, lips cracked, skin burnt raw by the unrelenting sun.

A living corpse.

The police and NGOs found him once, coaxed him into a rehabilitation center, gave him food, bathed him, handed him clean clothes.

But the moment they turned their backs, he was gone.

He ran.

Back to the palace.

Back to the ruins.

Back to the last place he thought he'd seen her.

He was twenty-seven, but to those who saw him, he was ageless.

A mad saint.

A lost soul.

A pagala baba, dressed in tattered rags, muttering prayers that weren’t prayers—just a name, her name, over and over again.

Still—he walked.

Because maybe, if he searched long enough—

If he wandered through the ruins until his feet bled—

If he kept looking, kept listening, kept believing—

Maybe one day, he would find her again.

Maybe she had just stepped away for a moment.

Maybe she would return.

Maybe one day, he would wake up and she would be beside him.

And the desert, mercifully, swallowed his grief whole.

Because one day—

He disappeared.

No one saw him leave.

No footprints in the sand.

No body was found.

Just gone.

But still—the whispers remained.

At night, when the wind howled through the ruins, when the air was thick with the weight of something unseen—

Some swore they heard it.

A hum.

A laugh.

A faint, lingering strain of music.

Some claimed they saw a figure—tall, blond, beautiful, with kind eyes.

A man, waiting. Searching. Wandering.

Still looking for the love stolen from him.

Still lost in the ruins, long after his body had faded into the sand.

Still hoping—

That maybe, this time, he would find her.

Or maybe he already had.

No one knew.

No one ever would.

But they all agreed on one thing—

That sometimes, in the dead of night, when the desert wind carried the echoes of the past, those who listened closely could hear it—

A faint hum of laughter.

The ghost of a love stolen.

Or the sorrowful strains of music that followed him wherever he went.

A/N: So, my dear readers… how did you like Schizophrenia? No, Just a Rajasthani Prince With No Bitches. Did Nanami ever find her? Did Gojo win? Or did our beloved blond idiot just walk himself into an early grave, Majnu-style? Comment below: 🔘 “They were reunited” (Delusional Romantic)🔘 “Nanami died searching” (Realist Pain Enthusiast)🔘 “Gojo gaslit gatekept girlbossed all of us” (Clown) Let me know which version of suffering you believe in. Your engagement fuels my villain arc. 💀✨

All Works Masterlist

[alphacrone]

a quick one-shot that's been on my mind since i watched the finale last night.

-

Around dawn, when Hardison was snoring lightly into his pillow, Parker slipped out of the room.

It was her room, technically—even theirs, when Alec was in town. But Parker never liked to call it that, not when it was just a place she laid her head while away from the home they’d built together. 

She didn’t mean the house, either, though she loved that place and missed it fiercely while they were in Louisiana. Hardison had put so much work into it, a beautiful ranch-style build for Eliot with a courtyard of flowers—both the beautiful and the bizarre—for when Sophie needed a break from everything. The library had been for Nate, a place of stained-glass windows and quiet contemplation, where he’d spent a good chunk of the end of his life. The server room and workshop had been for Alec—and Breana, though he’d never admit it to her face—and the vents? The vents had been the first thing he’d planned, and were so complex and labyrinthine that it had taken Parker months to master them all. 

It was the closest a place had ever felt like home to Parker, but she knew better than that. Home wasn’t walls and windows and vents; home was people. Her people. 

The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the sky was starting to lighten as it drew near, a cobalt blue that reminded Parker of the Hope Diamond, of the Star of India, of a million different gems she’d stolen at one point or another. It was the sort of color that made you believe you really could start anew, go on a journey and come out of it changed, maybe even for the better.

It wasn’t hard to find him. Eliot didn’t like to admit it often, but he and Parker were cut from the same cloth. Parker wondered if she’d be more like him if she’d had parents who loved her. She wondered if he’d be more like her if there wasn’t so much blood on his hands. 

The roof of the Hancock-Whitney Center was technically off-limits, but Parker assumed those rules were for normal, honest people. As the tallest building in the city, it housed an emergency heliport, but it was a poorly-kept secret around New Orleans that some of the richer lawyers who worked in the penthouse offices constituted “trips to the Caymans” as emergencies.

There was something freeing about being up so high without a rope or harness. One misstep, one miscalculation, and Parker would tumble to her death, gone in seconds. It was a thought that frightened normal people like Hardison and Sophie, but sent a chill of excitement down Parker’s spine. No one could touch her when she was so high above the world.  

Eliot, she knew, came to places like these out of a sense of duty. Like a livestock dog, he’d choose the best vantage point to watch over his flock—even if that flock included every innocent person in the world. When he needed to think, he could stare out over the city for hours, silent and still. 

He was there now, perched on a ledge with a six pack by his side. There was something endearing about the way his admittedly short legs dangled over the edge, like a child in a chair built for someone larger. Parker let her footsteps gradually grow louder, knowing Eliot would hear her long before she reached him. 

“Can’t sleep?” He asked, not bothering to turn around. Parker climbed up next to him and stole the bottle that hung loosely from his fingers. 

“Got a couple hours,” she said truthfully. “How long have you been up here?” 

Eliot shrugged. “Dunno. When did Hardison and Breanna start arguing about dipshits and dorks or whatever?” 

“Dungeons and Dragons,” Parker corrected, though they both knew Eliot already knew that. “Four hours ago.” 

Eliot tipped his head as if to say, well there you go. Parker always found it amusing how expressive he was when he wasn’t busy scowling. She took a long pull of her stolen beer and handed the bottle back. 

“Would you really have let me kill him?” 

It was the question that had been on Parker’s mind for days now, in the quiet hours where she tried to nap on the loaned chopper that took her to and from Colombia. Eliot had been serious, when he’d told her he’d have her back no matter her choice, but something didn’t sit right, like puzzle pieces that looked like they should fit together but didn’t quite mesh no matter how hard she forced them. 

“Of course,” Eliot said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. “I told you, Parker, you’re not Nate.” 

“No,” she agreed. “We’re different than them. But you don’t…do that anymore.” 

If she didn’t know him as well as she did, Parker wouldn’t have noticed the miniscule twitch of the muscle in Eliot’s jaw, the way his shoulders set to brace for a blow. “I don’t,” he said quietly. “But you’re not me, either.” 

“Would you?” Parker heard herself ask. “Do it again?” 

For the first time since she’d sat down, Eliot looked at her. His eyes were always so soft, so sad, even when the rest of him was a hardened tool of violence. Hardison had mentioned it once, late at night when the two of them had been too wired to sleep. He thinks he’s broken, Alec had whispered. And that he can never be- fixed? Healed?

You could, she’d said. You do. You fix everything. 

The half-smile he’d given her had been so devastated, Parker had nearly cried. 

“I would,” Eliot finally admitted. “With the right motivation.” 

“And what’s that?” Parker asked. 

“C’mon, now,” he said, elbowing her gently. “You know the answer to that.” 

And she did. There was no doubt in her mind that if her life was in danger—or Hardison’s, or Sophie’s, or Breanna’s, or even Harry’s—Eliot would kill the entire world to keep them safe. 

“But that’s not what this was, with Ramirez,” Parker said, looking out over the city. Even New Orleans had to sleep, but there were hundreds of dots of light speckling the darkness. There were people coming home from graveyard shifts and people getting ready to replace them. There were students up late studying and parents up early with crying babies. There were friends out partying still and lovers wrapping themselves in each other’s arms and families coming together for a meal or a hug or to say hello or goodbye. Thousands of souls laid out in front of Parker’s eyes—and Eliot would just let her end one? 

“Ramirez hurt children,” Eliot said simply. “He would’ve gotten one killed sooner rather than later. Leaving him alive is a risk. A calculated one,” he added quickly. “But a risk nonetheless. You wouldn’t have been protecting one of us, Parker. You would’ve been protecting those kids.” 

“Thought you looked down on vigilante killings,” Parker whispered, voice growing suspiciously thick. 

“Usually, yeah.” Eliot shrugged. “But I trust you. And even- even if it was a wrong call, a death I couldn’t justify, I’d still have your back.” 

“Even if I killed Hardison? Or Sophie?” Parker dipped her face against her shoulder, trying to wipe away the tears that had started falling. 

“I can’t imagine a world where that would happen,” Eliot said with a gentle laugh. “But yes.” 

“That’s horrible,” Parker said, making Eliot laugh harder. “I’m telling Hardison you said that.” 

“Do not-” Eliot turned to shove her, but Parker was already dancing across the helipad, tears drying on her cheeks. Eliot followed after her, beer forgotten, scowl back in place, and for the first time since Edgar Ramirez came across her radar, Parker’s heart felt light. 

[wizardsnorlax]

Ok so update on the Spiral Jon fic I'm writing: I'm getting it onto Ao3 bit by bit because it's super difficult to write on mobile, but I need to take a break and get ideas for the season three events out before they get lost, here's a link to the season 2 notes

Ok here we go

Melanie does not join the Archives, this is for the best

At one point in season 2 Jon gave Sasha Georgie's contact info for "in case of emergency" use so Sasha is gonna be (mostly) ok she just needs to pop an allergy pill every once in a while

Sasha might be good with the hardware of a computer but the software might as well be a completely different language so she's very little help with Georgie's show

Jon takes to reading Statements like I took to weed gummies

Sasha follows about the same trail of clues as Jon did in Canon but Daisy's grip on Sasha is a bit harder to hold so Sasha gets claw slashes on her arms instead of a knife at the throat

Things that have changed about Jon while Sasha was gone: his hair now has ringlet curls, the extra flexibility in his joints has progressed but not to the point anyone has noticed let alone would consider a problem and his eyes are twitchy from the stress of filling her position to the point he looks like he's constantly ODed on caffeine

Sasha gets back in the office and when everyone learns they can't quit or be fired Jon makes it his personal mission to be as much of a menace to Elias as possible

but he'd never do that to Sasha, she gets doodles of her hanging out with Cecil from Nightvale because she's a good boss:)

Martin scolds Tim for how he's been treating Jon and Sasha because of the changes caused by first and secondhand paranormal bullshit exposure

Jon gets to go out for drinks with people who actually like him

Everyone learns why Jon has a shirt that says "the difference between me and Superman is Superman has Super Vision, I need constant supervision

A discussion about who takes Jon home with them is had because at some point the poor goober lost his shoes and started trying to wrap around Martin like a belt

Sasha gets kidnapped on her way home

Michael helps her because some part remembers being an archival assistant and she's treated hers so much better than Gertrude did

Helen doesn't take Michael's place but the door still rejects him and the corridor collapses as both Sasha and Michael crash into Jon's new flat

Michael is freed but is in such bad shape he needs to be in the hospital for several weeks on recovery

Things attempt to be normal

Tim and Jon are menaces to Elias in very different ways

Jon doesn't want anyone traveling alone

Elias doesn't care but can't STAND the idea of Jon being there without a buffer so Sasha gets to have company on her trip, Tim goes to India and gets the ghost bullet, cue Mystery Mousketool meme

Martin, Basira and Daisy are handling the workload as best they can but since none of them are particularly suited to the task things go badly because Martin is terrible at direct leadership

When Sasha and Jon get kidnapped by Trevor and Julia, Sasha decides that the best way to clear some of the air is through lore dumping her backstory (still to be determined)

Jon is deemed suspicious by the false cop cause he does NOT look sober

Insert attempted police brutality interrupted by a shotgun

While the false cop is regenerating Jon gets the "how did you two meet" Statement from Julia

They get to the cabin and Jon freaks out a little at the idea of reading ANOTHER cursed book

Big relief when nobody gets eaten this time

Nobody ever believes him but Jon has kept every promise he's made (not that he's made many before but it's the principle of it)

Yoinks the page

Our duo finishes the assignment

Back home

Sasha learns about the storage unit

JON STOP REACHING FOR THE EXPLOSIVES YOU ABSOLUTE GREMLIN

Tim is EXTRA motivated to wreck shop at the Unknowing

Jon and Martin stay behind to be distractions

Big boom happens, Tim makes it out because the guy's literally too angry to die, Sasha is in the coma, Daisy is in the Coffin and Basira is just having a time of it

Jon gets mind fondled by Elias and it makes Martin want to rip the bastard's throat out but the best he can do is have the cops rough him up as much as possible

Jon is temporary head of the Archives and the pressure swallows him whole and he crashes like a meteorite because he desperately doesn't want to be the one giving orders

Martin's "assistance" has been leaving cobwebs in places nobody checks

And thus we enter season 4

[happysprings]

You are something!

Warning - smut (in future), kissing, holding onto each other

Summary - Woozi and Gia are getting married ...what happens when scoups encounter Gia's best friend Niki..how will he overcome the culture professional and distance barrier.

Part 1

At the Tiger British Pub in Busan

"Everyone finally my best friend is getting married to the guy she loves!!! Everyone cheers 🥂" you were shouting on top of your lungs.. who cares if you're is single your Best friend is getting married to the love of her life. At least someone gets something good.

The Dj was a friend of your and Gia's. and he started playing Pretty you. Everybody was dancing, However you and Gia were super drunk and both of you stood on the counter and started dancing to the song, a few seconds later Woozi and scoups entered the Pub. While scoups was looking around for Gia suddenly he hears Woozi shouting "hyung here... there she is on the counter, I need to get her down. Godd she is so going to be embarrassed once she is back to sober." Hearing this scoups smiled and spotted Niki with Gia, before he could ask any questions Woozi commanded "hyung please get Niki, help her please " scoups nodded and went near you who was dancing alone on the counter. He extended his hand and said "come down you'll fall" you saw that and shouted "go away my friend will be married soon and also I am single you are not my boyfriend....and..." Before you could say anything you tripped but scoups caught you. Scoups held you in the bridal position "I know but now you have to stay quiet drink water and go home then sleep. it's very late now" you looked at scoups nodded and tightly wrapped you are around his neck and you buried your face at the crook of his neck and slowly you drifted to sleep till you got in the car. Woozi sat at the back with Gia and scoups was driving while you were the passenger princess who was sleeping peacefully. They soon arrived at Woozi's apartment where Woozi carried Gia to the elevator and went home. Scoups parked the car and tried waking you up . "Hey Niki wake up you're home. Or else I'll have to carry you" but it was all in vain because you passed out a long time back. Scoups carried in the bridal position towards the elevator and finally reached Woozi's apartment. Scoups went straight to the guest room and slowly he dropped her on the bed he saw your face and removed a strand of hair from your face and whispered "you sure are cute. Good night!" And covered you. Scoups spoke with himself, " you're such a baby, you passed out in my arms now sleeping like this! What are you? I think I have seen you before" Saying this scoups disappeared from the room. In the living room scoups met Woozi and asked him "what is all this ??Why were both so drunk?" To which Woozi blushed and said "her parents finally said yes!! Me and Gia will be married soon." Hearing this scoups hugged and congratulated Woozi " I am very happy for you jihoona but are you going to share this with the company and the fans ???" To which Woozi said "I'll go the hybe tomorrow and will say that I want them to announce my marriage, it will be better If I announce it before dispatch does." Scoups nodded and said "you know it will be tough but we all are with you".

Next day

You woke up with this terrible headache. You could hear noise from the kitchen. But when you start to come to your senses you noticed you were wearing the same dress as yesterday however you dont remember how you reached home ? Or was there someone else..but you couldn't remember ?? "Niki breakfast eat something hurry up", you heard Jihoon calling from the living room. You woke up and freshened up. You searched and searched only to find a pair of shorts and an oversized hoodie..it is indeed cold in Korea compared to India. You sat and looked at Gia who was apparently looking at her. "How did we get home last night ?? You remember??" Gia asked. which Jihoon replied "me and seughcheol hyung brought you guys home " "the last thing I remember was me and Gia were drinking and laughing about how her parents reacted when they found out about Jihoon. But after that I barely remember anything " "yes because you guys were so drunk that you both were dancing on the counter and we had to drag you down". Both the girls looked embarrassed "but you love me jihoona" Gia said cutely. "I love you too but don't do this again". "You two are so cute..I love you both" you said eating you instant ramen. "I understood you dragged Gia but who got me here I don't remember anything " you roughly fisted her hair in frustration. "Save it niki or else you'll go bald. I told you seughcheol hyung was there, he had to carry you!" "Carry me ???what does it mean" you asked in a shocking tone " meaning when you were dancing on the counter you fell and luckily hyung was there he held you and a few minutes later you blacked out or may be asleep and Gia slept in Car and I had carry my love and hyung had to carry you to your room" hearing this you got flustered and embarassed suddenly the door bell rang only to reveal scoups standing there. The moment you see him you ran inside your room as if you saw a ghost.

Scoups gave a confused smile "Do I smell bad?? " To Gia said "why don't you go and ask Niki that." "Well I really don't want to scare her off she just came to korea yesterday" to which Gia said "No it's not her first time in Korea she used to visit korea a lot for work purposes " "really!?what exactly she does?" Before Gia could say anything she got a call from home . Scoups stood and knocked on your door and said "come out and eat..I get that you were drunk and I am going..enjoy your meal" and then Woozi called him.They both went to the company and discussed the matter and at the end they agreed to release the statement within a few weeks.

At home

"oh my godd this is so embarrassing Gia, scoups the leader of seventeen had to carry me here" " oh really you never address my Jihoon as leader of the vocal team "dude he is the general leader of seventeen. What do they call him?? yess the alpha leader." Smirking at you Gia asked "so you like him?? You know he is indeed single and you two would actually look nice" "no are you crazy?? I just like his stage presence! In a professional way" so Gia sarcastically laughed.

Later in that afternoon you got ready for the studio. How can you forget your other purpose of visiting south korea. You are a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and choreographer, obviously not as famous as seventeen but a little in India. Before you left home you asked Gia to pick you up at 8.

You left the apartment and reached the studio where you were collaborating with a Korean choreographer named Jasper Kim. You guys went on practicing the whole day. At 6 you took a break and called Gia to remind her about the pick up service that she promised to provide to which Gia agreed and promised she'll be there. At 8 when you came out you found Dk and Joshua were picking you up because something came and Gia got occupied. You got a call from Joshua to guide you to the car. You settled at the back seat whereas dk was joshua at the front, suddenly Joshua pulled his phone and said "you guys were really drunk that night, watch this" and Dokyeom was laughing like crazy. You took the phone and what you saw shocked you to the core. It was a video of scoups holding you that night and your hands were around his neck, in the background of the video you can hear Gia saying "jagiya it will awesome right if scoups and niki starts dating or may be get married than we can go on a double date" and the video ended. You covered your eyes and started saying "guys can I book a flight right now and go back right now !!?? I am really a laughing stock ...godd" To which Dk said "there is one more thing you can do" "please tell me what?" With hopeful eyes you looked at Dk as Joshua said "start dating scoups you two would look nice together " you made a face and said "shut up I'll just apologise to him when I see him." Even after all this both the guys were still laughing. You reached woozi Gia's shared apartment and saw nobody was home, so you again went out to 7 eleven got yourself some food that you always crave in India and came back home and you slept. You had the same routine from the past 8 days, you go to the studio you practice and come home most of the time it was Gia and Woozi who would pick you up but today you got a text from Gia while waiting outside the studio

--- Scoups oppa will pick you up..and no don't take a taxi its late and kind of dangerous. Sorry kind of middle of a family dinner .

Here is scoups contact number - xxxxxxxx17

Love you 😘

You unwillingly dialled his number and he picked up, his voice was powerful and sweet "walk towards your right...move straight look ahead" you spot him and reach the car, scoups opened the door and took your bag and put that at the back seat. You settled there and greeted him and thanked him for picking you up. He just smiled and told you not to worry. Since Woozi and Gia will be busy he will pick you up. Now you start the actual conversation "I was thinking and trying to..you know ....about that night" scoups pretended that he didn't remember anything "what which night " "that night when me and Gia were drunk and you had to carry me.. did you forget ??" Scoups smiled and said "do you want me to forget?" "Yes.. about that I am really very sorry you had to see me like that" and ended and now he was not responding to you so again you said "are you listening " he stopped the car near a restaurant and told you to get off. You and scoups went inside the restaurant where he ordered food and finally it was just you and him. Scoups finally spoke "okay now you don't have to feel sorry..you didn't do anything I carried you to the car settled you and you slept in the car and again I just dropped you in your room. It is very natural for you to pass out when you drink too much. Don't get all awkward and here comes the food let's eat". You saw the food was Indian " you ordered indian food?? Thank you so much I can't even explain how happy I am right now and also I was craving home food so much". You guys ate the food while chatting about life choices. Within the conversation you understood that scoups is way more mature and understanding than what you assumed of him. Scoups paid for the dinner then you guys went straight to Woozi's apartment. As you reached scoups gave you your bag and the moment you were about to get out of the car both your cell phones started ringing you were getting call from Gia whereas scoups was getting a call from Woozi you both looked at each other and answered the call and both of them said the same thing Gia told you bring scoups home and Woozi told him to come home with you. Scoups parked the car and you both stepped out and reached the elevator. The moment you entered the elevator there was a guy who was trying to come closer to you. You were utterly uncomfortable and suddenly the guy spoke "hey you look beautiful and have.....like a very very very sexy figure..would you like to go out with me ?? Come one give me your number" "no thanks I am not interested please move" to your surprise the guy was about to touch you suddenly seughcheol grabbed your waist pulled towards his chest and spoke in a husky tone "she has a boyfriend and her boyfriend doesn't like to share and also I hate it when someone makes my girlfriend uncomfortable...you do understand I can fight !? " The guy didn't recognise scoups because of the mask and the cap but he backed off saying sorry. That whole time scoups held your hand as if you were his possession and the moment the elevator hit your floor his hand moved to your small back and got you straight in front of the apartment. "See I am really sorry you had to go through it. Don't think too much about that I am here and I will always be there." He spoke softly and you looked at him and thanked him again. He gave you the sweetest hug. Your hands were around his waist and his one hand was caressing your hair and the other held you close. You felt so safe and you felt like you were melting. Then when he pulled away your eyes locked. Seughcheol slowly removed a strand of hair from your face and tugged it behind your ear. He touched your cheek and both of you were looking at each other's lips and you were coming too close, you were about to kiss and suddenly you heard the apartment door open and you both backed off and saw Gia dragging you in and engulfing you into a hug. Both of you got inside the apartment and saw all the guys and other friends were also there it was more like a mini party.

Gia ran towards the center and announced " guys I'd like to announce two good news... First one the music video that I and Niki were working on finally released 5 min ago." Hearing this you got all happy and clapped whereas everyone else congratulated you and cheered. And then suddenly Gia moves near Woozi and hold his hand "the next news is ... We are getting married within 2 months!!!" Everyone started shouting and cheering them you went to Gia and hugged her tightly and shed some happy tears afterall she was your best friend. Suddenly Jeonghan shouted " can we please watch the music video ?? I am really waiting for this part" hearing this Gia went and played the music video. As the music video started you appear on the screen wearing casuals and roaming in some antic market.. the moment you appear on screen the crowd started cheering. And then as the music video preceded your outfits changed to Indian princess style where they can see you dancing. Everyone watched the whole video in awe.. once the video ended everyone complimented you. Seungkwan started " you looked so beautiful and so graceful" then Dk spoke "waah I was little shocked but man you look pretty! aju yeppeuda" while everyone complimented you, you searched for seughcheol he didn't say anything there but did complimented you with his eyes and you blushed. Your phone started buzzing from people congratulating you appreciating your work so you stepped out to the balcony and replied to some and then got distracted by the city lights of soul.. suddenly scoups voice pulled you out of the trans "man! My girlfriend is fire!! I must say you are beautiful graceful and I don't know but a lot things.." you blushed and smiled "I am glad that you liked it.. so where is my gift dear boyfriend??" Scoups was taken a back hearing this, before he could react you reached out for his hand and took him to your room, people in the room already went it was just the boys and they were too busy in playing the dagger game. You reached your room and closed the door from behind and you boldly move forward and peck his lips softly. He got surprised first but then he held you by waist and the other hand held the back of your neck. And started kissing you hungrily and you held his torso tightly and you kissed him with the same feverish passion. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead to yours "I won't be able to control If we move forward.' and closed his eyes inhaling you scent suddenly you hear Gia's voice you break free and you both go out of the room to only find a SinB standing there who gave you sarcastic smile as she spoke "seriously??? I never said I broke up..show some loyalty choi seughcheol. " Your heart broke in million pieces as she spoke on the other hand scoups just said " see I can explain. It is not what it looks like." To which SinB said "yes it is what it looks like you are the side chick and you choi seughcheol play with whoever you want to play but come back to me once you're done." "Have you lost your mind ??? We are not even together! " Scoups said in frustration. "We were when you were searching for that girl who you once saw in the street sing some foreign song." "Get out of here before I actually do something... Seriously you don't wanna mess with me right now!" Scoups said this in a heavy husky tone. Hearing this SinB disappeared and you locked yourself in the room. Scoups knocked your door requested you to come out. But no response. Jeonghan requested him "give her some space once she is fine she will listen to you." "But you know it's not true whatever this SinB chapter is. It is the the company who is forcing to create this fake dating scandal for few months." Joshua came and said "hyung we know that but it's hard for Niki right now..give her some space. We all are here and will talk even Gia could talk to her " hearing this Gia said " don't worry I am here with her..I will speak to her once he cools off".

The next day Gia tried to speak with you but you cut her off saying you were too busy and went to the studio. You danced the whole day.. and finally at 9 you left and took a taxi home. Meanwhile in the taxi you received tons of missed calls and texts from scoups Gia jeonghan and others but you ignored all of them. You reached the apartment and saw an extra pair of shoes at the entrance. You got inside and saw scoups was waiting for you. Seeing you scoups stood and said "hey can we please talk??" You let out a deep sigh "you really don't have to do this.... That was probably nothing..we both were drunk and let's just think that it happened we kissed so what.." scoups came closer to you and held you "no that's not true.. I was not drunk... And no matter drunk or sober I would have kissed you" hearing this you smiled sadly. "So what is it ?? Are you not dating SinB ??" You said pulling out the article. Scoups held your face and said "company made me do this, there is nothing going on between us. " You removed his hands and said "so there was something... Cheol I am not a toy but.. again it doesn't matter. You live here, I live in India. Even if we want something between us it could never happen. " You said that looked at him face, he came forward and smashed his lips to yours and held you kr nape. You felt his lips and automatically your lips started moving with a sync, as if it came to you naturally. Suddenly his hands came to your waist and he pulled you close and his tongue started exploring your mouth as your arms snaked around his neck. After a few minutes you broke the kiss and touched your foreheads as you spoke "maybe I am not ready for this right now cheol..I need some time to rethink, meanwhile you solve this mess and let's give each other a little space." Hearing this scoups closed his eyes in defeat. "I have to go cheol.. " you said detaching yourself. He looked at you like a lost puppy and asked "where?? " And you replied "back to India I have a flight in an hour I already packed I need to leave" saying this you left his side and took your rucksack and bid your goodbye and left the apartment. The whole ride from the apartment to the airport you were sobbing. As you reached you looked back at the city and went straight inside the airport and you were gone.

Chapter 2...

https://www.tumblr.com/happysprings/774100294362710016/chapter-2-few-days-before-the-wedding-guys-and?source=share

Chapter 3

https://www.tumblr.com/happysprings/774104209408868352/chapter-3-next-day-you-got-your-dress-for-the?source=share

Chapter 4

https://www.tumblr.com/happysprings/774115485409214465/chapter-4-the-event-started-with-the-groom-and?source=share

Chapter 5

https://www.tumblr.com/happysprings/774137666083143680/chapter-5-the-performance-ended-and-everybody?source=share

Chapter 6

https://www.tumblr.com/happysprings/774144953819578368/chapter-6-the-night-almost-came-to-end-you-held?source=share

Chapter 7

https://www.tumblr.com/happysprings/774145341008363520/last-chapter-7-after-he-cleaned-you-up-he-stayed?source=share

[mezzy-1]

VALORANT UNIVERSITY HEADCANONS

@eviethelesbian once again thank you for the Headcanon List. Also shoutout to @darthladyofillusions because I included ur OC :)

Harbor is a history professor dating Astra, the archeology professor.  Both of them met on a trip to a site in India

Both of them reached for the same the brush at one point and they laughed it off later

Both of them are excellent teachers in their own way.  Varun has a habit of going on tangents about stories and is super nerdy about his subject.  Efia’s classes are fun and her energy is infectious

Cypher has a family and does cyber security for the University.  Nobody knows his actual name.

Nobody knows him that well but when he comes out of his office he’ll say hello to anyone nearby.  He goes home quickly though and usually avoids working late.

Cypher’s office is full of pictures of his family, drawings from his daughter, screens, and the scent of imported Moroccan teas

He and his wife and kid see the students off when they graduate, and all of the students are amazed to realize that this guy has such a good family life.  (They thought he was a no-life kinda guy)

Liam ‘Brimstone’ Byrne is the university’s Dean and basically runs everything as much as possible for the good of the students.  Tariq and him are the brains and guiding hand of the university

He retired from the military after he was given an educator’s license and became a professor of tactics at a military academy.  He then took his skills elsewhere and turned the college into what it is now

Liam keeps the students at the forefront of any policy changes and takes an interest in professors that are considered brilliant but difficult to work with.  He’s an expert of recruitment and reining in the right people

Has snacks in his office for students but they can only get them if they complete a pull-up on an pull-up bar he has in his office.  One arm only.

Sabine worked at R&D at a pesticide company but is the only Organic Chem teacher that the Valorant U could get.  Somehow is a good professor despite hating students and no general teaching

She doesn’t really hate them but it isn’t a good idea to get on her bad side.  It’s rumored she poisons the students she hates.  

Stared daggers into the first person (Jamie), to make a Breaking Bad reference and since then nobody brings it up

Classes with her are pretty tense but if a student actually tries and gives their all, she’ll notice and be kinder to them.  Especially students who study chemistry.  Double for O-Chem.

Sabine’s style of teaching could use work, but when she tries to explain complex ideas she’s genuinely in her element.  She once explained how tetrodotoxin and nerve ion channels worked to Zyanya’s little sister 

Zyanya is a professor for sure, probably the best Spanish teacher ever.  Beyond terrifying to new students

She will not let students forget proper accents and grammar, and god help the people that do.  Somebody once forgot their homework and Zyanna was literally this close to killing them

Her Spanish is specifically Mexican, and that extends to the class through some of the words she teaches.  Especially bits in culture and authenticity

Zyanya’s idea of testing people is borderline an interrogation.  10 minutes of extensive and stern conversations and multiple pages of writing.  People say it feels like their souls have literally been drained

Students come out of the classes fluent or scarred for life

Ling is a professor of medicine and completed her PHD around the same time Viper completed hers.  They were amazed to see each other teaching

She does Tai Chi for relaxation but did at one point learn Kung Fu while living abroad in a monastery for a couple of years.  She once broke a board in front of her class just to prove it

Hosts meditation hours during finals week and her office hours are always super useful for all of the medical and nursing students.  Calming as hell to anxious people

Tala got a scholarship via cross country and another from basketball, and wants to major in physical therapy.  She also got a job doing late night shifts at the library as security.

Hazal is in a band called Nightmare.  Her and several other introverts got together and started one.  Only perform in the most obscure venue.  She can play bass REALLY WELL

Tala found out and now shows up to every performance the band has.  If it weren’t for the lights flashing red and blue, you could see Hazal blushing when she spots Tala in the crowd

That’s how she met Hazal.  Tala was approached by her because Hazal wanted to study late and the two became acquainted

Both of them love the late nights that they share and Hazal is always at one of Tala’s games.  Tala picks her out of the crowd every time, and at the end Hazal always kisses her 

Mateo is a veterinary student and is everyone’s friend.  Except Iselin because some of his patients got into her office once and trashed her latest project model

He keeps fish, dogs, lizards, cats, and nearly everything else.  At one point he was in charge of a project that kept some monkeys around at one point 

The animal counterparts are a chameleon (Dizzy), a Chinese High Banded Shark (Thrash), a bullfrog tadpole (Mosh), and an Axolotl named Wingman

He has a crochet version of his (radivore) crew, courtesy of Omen being bored one day

Mateo is a Gen Z kid, and his vocabulary beyond salvaging

Jamie is an English major, I mean, obviously

Everyone likes Jamie, he brings a certain energy to everything he does and it resonates well with people.  His writing has a level of power and rhythm that makes it both easy to listen and layered

He is a songwriter, and poet, and even has a collection of published short stories.  His mums are proud.  His scripts are also incredible and his goal is to get his own musical to Broadway 

When Jamie is in a play, it’s usually as the protagonist or the main antagonist.  It is wonderful to see him on stage, especially because he’s trained as a Shakespearean actor

Tayane is THE art student and the reason most of the faculty drinks.  And also the reason why most of the students drink too

Absolute ragers getting thrown anytime Tayane is involved.  This woman does not stop until the sun is up

Her graffiti portraits are inspired, colorful, and almost always on government property or university property.  Brim started commissioning her in order to stop her from painting everything

The commissioned murals are a lot better for her, and gave her legal access to make huge projects on some of the older buildings

One of the walls is a silhouette of a woman with big circular glasses, geometric pink and yellow patterns around her, and surrounded by flowers

Vincent Fabron is the art teacher and Viper HATES him.  He’s also that one teacher an unreasonable amount of people of have a crush on

He was a tattoo artist while taking art lessons in France, then moved into high class art.  His gallery pieces gained a lot of attention and he gained a lot of money from them.

Now he teaches art, and has done graphic design for many upscale companies.  His own business card has won awards from design and art societies though

Omen is a guy in a scarf and hoodie that is somehow in everyone’s classes.  He crochets in the back sometimes.

Texts notes at 4am to anyone who needs it and is incredibly nocturnal.  He doesn’t need sleep he needs friends

Students never remembered or learned his name, so they just started calling him Omen after the laptop brand he uses

Erik ‘Breach’ Torsten is a coach they brought in and actually manages a paralympic team.  May have criminal past according to some of the athletes he manages

He will scream at people in Swedish during games, practice, going over strategies, and if he sees them in public.  Friendly but so loud

His prosthetic arms were a courtesy of the university’s science program.  They were partially a gift and partially a test to see what they could do.  Erik made sure that he could flip people off with the arms

Iselin the professor of Industrial Design, and she is the most stern professor ever.  At times she works for a wilderness recreation company and does product design for them.  

She is very organized, and her lecture presentations are always available, she lists the pages to read, dates for every assignment are posted a month in advance

Iselin’s a professional and rarely eases up, but the few times she’s been out with the other faculty she’s been surprisingly fun.  Especially with Ling for some reason

Kirra is a Biology professor that has so many plants in her room.  Has a parakeet, dog, and fish tank at home too.  Does wildlife photography on the side.  

Kirra protested in college and was arrested once for sabotage.  So she is totally chill with people missing class for stuff, and gives extra credit for students involved in causes

Goes on wilderness expeditions with some students for a class and memorized several survival books worth of information and knows every plant, animal, and fungus she comes across

Klara is an engineering major and Tayane just comes to those classes because she can.  It usually results in the equipment being plastered in stickers and paint.

They met when Tayane decided to tag the garage that Klara was keeping her final project in.  Both of them sort of caught feelings as soon as they saw each other

Klara fell so damn hard, and realized this while Tayane was doing a kegstand.  Klara whispered ‘she’s perfect’ mindlessly and then realized Sunwoo was right next to her

Sunwoo finished what was in her cup, patted Klara on the back, and said ‘good luck’ before walking away and pretending she didn’t hear

Her final project has been her ‘Lockdown’ which is basically an EMP crossed with a massive DDOS hack.  It went off once and downed the college’s internet for a week.

She’s going to switch it to something a little less destructive at this point, and Tayane is helping her brainstorm.  Currently it’s a robot but she’s trying to figure out what to make it do

KAY/O is Tariq’s gamertag.  The man is a CS:GO fiend and has crazy flashes due to muscle memory

Liam and him are MARRIED.  I’m not budging on this one and you will find me dead in the ground before I let this go

Tariq’s good at a lot of random stuff and doesn’t help out too much at the college but is well-known as the ‘guy who Brim allows to help grill things’ because nobody else is allowed

Helps Liam plan out things for the students and assists in any sort of set up that he can do

Ryo is studying Japanese History and works as a mechanic at a chop shop.  It is shady as hell over there but Yoru will hook people up if needed.  They definitely steal parts though

He takes business classes and there’s a real chance he might double major.  His business acumen and aggressive nature would make him the ultimate CEO

Sasha is the professor that most students simp for, and he teaches Russian Language classes.  Throws things at students that don’t pay attention and rarely misses

He has an owl nesting outside of the window to his classroom, he named it Matrioshka after the nesting dolls.  It had owlets so it seemed fitting.

His babushka lives out of the country but gets a continuous stream of gifts from him

Sasha is that one professor that has a weird story for everything in his room.  The bow he has? killed a grizzly bear with it.  Glass eye on display?  It was a gift from a glassmaker that was caught with illegal firearms.  Weird rock?  It was at the sight of a historic battle and has a bootprint in it

Has SO MANY books from Russian writers he reads in his off time.  Also does archery at a cabin he has in the woods.

Nobody could handle Novikov at the cabin, the sheer hotness of him splitting firewood, bow hunting, and chopping trees would send people into a simp coma

At the end of the year, he writes each student a short note in Russian telling them something worthwhile.

Sunwoo is an amazing sprinter and also amazing at darts.  Loves adding photos to the corkboard she has in her dorm

She isn’t really sure what she wants to study at the moment or even if she wanted to go to college.  Gotta love families pressuring college on their kids right?

It isn’t as depressing though, she shows real talent and enjoyment in studying Business but surprisingly is leaning towards learning Journalism as well

She writes stuff for the school paper, a blog, and even has a (somewhat inspired by people around her) science fiction story.  She hasn’t thought of a name yet.

It’s about secret agents that fight against an alternate dimension that tries to steal a powerful crystal from them.  It’s quite popular with the people who she let read it and people are constantly asking for updates

Sunwoo is trying, and hopefully she’ll manage to find somewhere she can feel comfortable

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kayra is studying botany, and started a garden in one of the common areas.  At first it was small but cute, then after a few weeks the flowers and bushes spread outside of the garden and overtook the common area.

It's now her favorite place to get away from people because trellises were added in and nobody can see through the vines.  There’s a chance she keeps patio furniture in the garden too

Has been living in an apartment with Hazal.  Tala has been the only one in there and says its overrun with houseplants and hanging lamps.

(@darthladyofillusions I hope this is accurate to some extent)

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

One time in Stockholm (and Gothenburg… and another city!)

A fic where the dcla characters go to Sweden. This first chapter followed the Violetta characters exploring Stockholm. They experience baby fever, sharing hotel rooms, having a Swedish fika and nerdy book stores. Enjoy!

(Read on ao3 instead)

It was around 19:00 at Arlanda Airport. It was early in May, and the sun was still up. It was shining right onto the 7-month-old’s face, causing them to wake up from their nap, thus causing them to immediately whimper.

“Shh…” Camila hushed, patting her baby. “We’re here now. You’re gonna get to sleep in a hotel room soon, in a real bed and not an uncomfortable plane seat.”

“Why couldn’t we ride first class?” Ludmila muttered.

“Because travelling is expensive as it is,” Violetta said, “And we wanna spend some money here, right?”

“Vilu, we’re millionaires!”

“Still.”

“We’ll get first class on one of the flights home,” Diego reminded them. “We can afford first class on all of them, but just because we can does not mean we should . You always gotta spend money carefully even if you have plenty.”

Leon looked out the window. “Are you ready to see Stockholm?”

“I’m ready to sleep first,” Francesca admitted. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Ludmila grinned. “Well, luckily I booked the hotel and it’s one of the best in the city! We’ll sleep like royalty!”

It was a strike of luck that everyone managed to get May free of work: Violetta, Leon, Francesca, Diego, Ludmila, Naty and Camila. Since all of them were free, they decided that it would be fun to go on a trip together. They thought about a country in Asia at first, but they couldn’t decide on what country. Half of them really wanted to go to Japan (they claimed they wanted to see the country, which of course was true, but for most of them, they wanted to find merchandise of some animes they grew up with… both Italy and Latin America LOVED to air animes back in the days, so they grew up with plenty). The other half wanted to go to South Korea, except for Camila who wanted to visit India. Eventually, they just gave up on deciding on an option that would make everyone happy.

So, they instead discussed the countries in Europe that they hadn’t been to yet. The Nordic countries, the Balkans and Eastern Europe came up as options, and they decided, why not one of the first ones? Thus, Sweden was an obvious choice. It was in the middle, so if they wanted to visit any other of the Nordic Countries, it was just to car trip or take a boat. Or fly, if they wanted to go to Iceland.

Violetta looked down at her belly. She was afraid she might be too far gone to go on a flight, but the baby wasn’t due until august, so she took her chances. Both she and Francesca had researched a ton beforehand on when it’s the most risky to fly while pregnant. Francesca was likewise knocked up, although her baby was due in late september. The friends were excited to have gotten pregnant at the same time.

Camila already had a child. Her little Kim. This was the first trip they ever took overseas.

Right. Kim, like all babies, got assigned a gender at birth. However, Camila thought it was wrong to impose gender roles on a literal infant, and to not risk accidentally doing it herself, she decided it was for the best to raise the kid non-binary until they were old enough to be able to decide a gender for themselves (or they wouldn’t need to pick any gender at all! It was a free choice!)

Camila was raising Kim alone. She had never really gotten along with anyone long enough to have a long lasting relationship, and claimed that she had too much of a need for control to let anyone else co-parent. Thus, she had a baby with herself. 

Now, of course she wasn’t all along in raising Kim. She had a big support system, including her family and her friends. On the plane ride alone, all her friends helped her with Kim, whenever they got fussy or needed to be comforted, letting Camila rest a bit. Violetta, Francesca, Leon and Diego especially offered to take care of them, seeing it as a good practice for the babies they were gonna have later this year. Naty and Ludmila gladly also liked helping out, although Ludmila had a hard time with all the grosser stuff that babies do…

A travel agency bus stood outside, waiting to pick them up. After the flight, everyone was almost too tired to concentrate a lot on what the bus driver said, but they did like the scenery as they entered Stockholm’s city. 

Finally, they arrived outside the hotel that Ludmila had picked out. She was the only one excited over it. The other ones were just happy to be at a hotel. 

”Hello!” Ludmila exclaimed in as good english as she could. ”We have booked rooms here! Vidal, Ludmila!”

”I don’t think I ever get used to you saying my last name…” Naty said (in Spanish). 

The check-in went pretty smoothly, until it was time for them to get their cards to their rooms.

”Wait… we only got two cards…” Francesca noted.

”You only booked two rooms,” the worker by the desk replied.

”That can’t be… we’re supposed to have four rooms,” Leon noted.

The worker checked the computer. ”No, I’m sorry. Only two rooms have been booked.”

Everyone glanced at Ludmila, who started to awkwardly chuckle. ”Uh… oops!”

”Listen, we have two more rooms available,” the worker said, ”But not until tomorrow. Is it possible you wait until tomorrow and share the rooms tonight? There is a foldable bunk bed in one of the rooms!”

”That is fine,” Violetta said. She honestly just wanted to sleep right now.

”Okay. Apologies for the inconvenience.”

”No inconvenience!” Diego assured the worker, and then glared at Ludmila again, ”It was us that made a mistake in the booking.”

—

Leon, Diego, Francesca and Violetta decided to share a room for the night. As they came inside, it was only one bed. 

”Didn’t they say there was a foldable bunk bed?” Leon asked. 

”Here!” Diego pulled down a bunk bed that at first glance looked like towels stuck on a wall with sticks. 

”The bed looks way more comfortable than that!” Violetta said, and laid down. Francesca laid down next to her.

Diego and Leon decided to also lay down.

”You know…” Leon said, ”Technically, all four could share the bed. We just have to be a little creative.”

“Yeah, maybe we can sleep like sardines!” Diego suggested.

“Or we’ll do some acrobatics…”

“Here’s what we’ll do. Our beautiful wifes, who carry our children… they’ll get to choose their spots first.”

“Why, thank you!” Francesca replied. She went to the left side of the bed and laid down. Violetta then went to the right side of the bed.

Leon nodded, and crawled up next to Violetta. But instead of lying on the same side as her, he instead grabbed a blanket and pillow, and decided to sleep on the other side of the bed, his feet facing Violetta.

“If Violetta moves in her sleep, and the baby faces me, then my knees will get folded instead of my stomach,” he explained, demonstrating it by folding his knees.

“Smart,” Violetta said, “We should do this at home, so you don’t accidentally get knocked out of bed.”

“The baby loves to kick in the middle of the night, I don’t know what it is!”

“Well, we’re in another time zone, so maybe she’s sleeping.”

Leon placed his head gently on her belly, trying to listen. Then he smiled softly. ”Yeah, I think she’s fast asleep.”

”I wonder if ours is sleeping too,” Francesca said.

Diego, instead of gently putting his head on his wife’s belly to listen, decided to yell at it. ”Hey! Are you sleeping?”

Everyone went silent.

”Yeah, she’s sleeping too,” Diego concluded. 

-

Camila, Ludmila and Naty got to a room with two beds, including a crib they had put out.

”Ok, I really wonder how it went when you booked the rooms,” Camila said, ”But I appreciate you at least considering I had a baby with me.”

She put Kim into the crib, and they immediately started whimpering. 

”Maybe you can sleep in bed with me,” Camila suggested, lifting them up again. ”It’s easier if you wake up at night.”

”Aww, cuddling with a baby all night…” Naty said. ”How cozy!”

”You can cuddle with me!” Ludmila said, hugging her.

”You’re not a baby.”

”I can be.” 

Everyone gave Ludmila a weird look.

”I didn’t-” Ludmila shook her head. ”I just mean I can cuddle with you like a baby, not that I want to-”

Naty and Camila started laughing, much to Ludmila’s embarrassment. 

Then Kim started to whimper.

”Aw, you’re tired,” Camila said. ”I’m tired too. Let’s get you into pajamas, and then a bottle, and then I’ll sing you a lullaby.”

”We can all sing you a lullaby!” Naty suggested.

”Yeah, you’ll get a whole choir.”

Everyone changed clothes, brushed their teeth and got ready for bed.

As Kim had finished their bottle, Camila started to rock them slowly.

This is when Kim started to realize they were very tired, and instead of just trying to fall asleep, they started crying. Camila however, seemed to be fully prepared for this.

”It’s time for the lullaby,” she told Naty and Ludmila.

”What should we sing?” Naty asked, ”What do you usually sing?”

”I sing whatever.”

”What if we sing Peligrosamente Bellas ?” Ludmila suggested.

”Well, it’s not exactly a lullaby song,” Naty said.

”It could be! We could do a lullaby cover version!”

And with that, Ludmila started singing a much slower and softer rendition of the song. Immediately as Kim heard her voice, they stopped crying and looked at her curiously. 

Naty started to sing her part of the song, singing just as slowly and softly as Ludmila.

Camila started to join them in the chorus, as she gently rocked her baby. 

And as they all finished singing, Kim had shut their eyes and fallen asleep.

Camila hushed the others and put the baby down next to her in bed. 

”We better get to sleep too…” Naty whispered.

Ludmila was already ahead of them, having completely passed out within a second after finishing singing.

Camila continued stroking Kim for a moment, to make sure they really fell asleep. Then she and Naty both fell asleep as well.

-

Francesca woke up, feeling well rested. As she opened her eyes, she noticed Violetta facing the opposite end. Their bellies almost touched, like the babies were trying to reach each other. Francesca smiled, and already planned on telling her daughter how Violetta and Leon’s daughter already met her in the womb. 

She sat up a bit, and realized that Leon and Diego neither looked that well rested. Diego had fallen down on the floor, yet was sound asleep. Leon was sleeping on the edge of the bed, almost using Violetta’s feet as a pillow. Francesca was not sure how they ended up like this, but she was impressed how they managed to sleep. 

Ludmila meanwhile woke up, and immediately noticed Camila sitting in the other bed, nursing Kim.

”Good morning,” Camila said.

”How long have you been awake?” Ludmila asked.

”Only an hour. Kim slept through the night! They must have been exhausted!”

”I’m gonna shower…” Ludmila admitted.

Camila wished she could shower, but someone needed to take care of the baby. Hm, she could just shower after breakfast, and let someone watch Kim in the meantime. She was hungry now. 

She finished nursing Kim, and burped them. 

”So, are you ready to go?” she asked.

”Huh?” Naty suddenly woke up. ”Good morning!”

”Good morning!” Camila replied. ”We were just heading for breakfast. Ludmila is showering.”

”Ugh, does she have to shower…? I left my comb in there.”

”Your hair looks fine. You can tie it up during breakfast, and then you can fix it when we go back here.”

”I guess so…” Naty quickly changed outfit and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look too bad, but she still wanted to fix her hair a little bit… oh well… when Ludmila stepped into the shower, she never came out, so it was just to go.

”Oh,” Camila said, ”Can you hold Kim? I need to hold onto the room card so I don’t drop it.”

”Of course!” Naty happily took Kim from her. She beamed as she felt the little baby in her arms. ”Hello! You’ve slept well tonight! I didn’t wake up from your cries once!”

Camila opened the door, and was about to take her baby back when she noticed Naty’s smile as she held them.

”You can hold them on the way down if you want, too.”

Naty got even happier. ”Thank you! I mean… sure!”

-

They met up with Leon, Diego, Violetta and Francesca at breakfast.

”How did you sleep last night?” Diego asked.

”Fine,” Camila said. ”Kim passed out practically all night, so the rest of us could also sleep.”

Kim sat in a high chair, biting a teething ring.

”Me and Francesca also slept ok,” Violetta said, ”But… our husbands not so much.”

”I slept okay!” Leon admitted. ”My neck hurts a bit, but I can just sleep in that bunk bed instead!”

”Or we’ll get our own rooms today,” Naty said. ”Even though I’m also fine with staying in our current one…” She petted Kim softly. 

”Should we just do that?” Francesca asked. ”Should we just stay in our current hotel rooms? It’s cheaper that way anyway.”

”Yeah, and once again, there’s extra bunk beds,” Diego noted. ”We just tried to all share one bed. Now we know that’s too tight.”

”Wait, all four of you shared a bed?” Camila asked. 

”Yes…” the four of them replied.

”Cozy…” 

”Ludmila has arrived!” Ludmila announced. 

”Good,” Camila said, ”I need to shower, and someone needs to watch Kim in the meantime.”

”Of course, we’re a village!” Violetta said. ”Everyone’s helping with the kid!”

”Who’s gonna watch the kid, then?” Ludmila asked. 

”Well, we share the hotel room, so us two,” Naty said. ”Or… just me, if you…”

”No, no! That’s fine.”

”Thanks, guys!” Camila kissed Kim on the cheek and then went upstairs.

”Ludmila, we thought about just keeping the rooms we got,” Diego explained.

”What? Why?”

”Because it’s cheaper that way.”

”We’re rich?”

”It’s also more convenient,” Leon noted.

”Yeah, especially for Cami,” Naty said, ”It’s great someone else shares a room with her so someone can watch her baby if she needs to do something.”

”Well… I guess…”

”Come on, Ludmi! Don’t you want to share a room with this little nugget?” She pressed her cheeks against Kim’s, who let out a coo. Everyone chuckled.

Ludmila shrugged. ”Alright. Fine. We’re not here for the hotel rooms anyway, we’re here to see the city.”

”Right!” Violetta said, ”Do we have a plan on what we want to do today?”

”I want to visit the old town,” Francesca said.

”I really wanna see the Vasa museum,” Diego said. ”Imagine, they have retrieved a whole ship and preserved it!”

”I’m fine just eating somewhere good,” Leon shrugged. 

”You know what we should try?” Naty asked. ”That ’Swedish fika’ thing!”

Francesca started snickering as Naty said this.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Francesca said, still grinning.

“Is that when you just go to a café and buy pastries?” Leon asked. “Cause that sounds really cozy.”

“I could really go for a pastry right now,” Violetta said. “I heard they have quite good pastries in Sweden.”

“Yeah, they’re not so much a food culture,” Francesca chuckled, “So I guess they use it all for pastries instead!”

“Hey, they must have some dishes,” Diego said.

“Of course, but like… not like we do.”

Ludmila glanced at Kim, who appeared to stare very concentrated into thin air.

”What are you looking at?” she asked.

Kim just grunted in response.

Diego smirked. ”I think they’re taking a dump.”

”Huh? In the middle of breakfast?”

”Babies don’t care where, they just do it,” Violetta shrugged. 

Ludmila looked at them weirdly. ”And you’re all just acting like nothing is odd about them just… using the bathroom right in front of you?”

”Yeah, I mean, it’s a baby,” Francesca said. ”Not a grown person. That would be weird.”

”We’re having babies of our own soon anyway,” Violetta chimed in, ”You just have to get used to gross things.”

”Are you done?” Naty asked Kim. Kim looked at her curiously.

Naty sniffed on them slightly, and wrinkled her nose. ”Yeah, I think you are. Let’s change you.”

”Wait, why are you changing them?” Ludmila asked. ”I want to eat breakfast with you.”

”I’m done eating, and besides, the diapers are in our hotel room. Come on, Kim.”

As she walked away with the baby, Violetta chuckled. ”I think Naty has a big case of baby fever.”

”Naty is not pregnant,” Ludmila replied. ”It would be impossible.”

”Usually people get pregnant because they have a baby fever,” Francesca said. ”Honestly, it’s probably no coincidence me and Vilu got knocked up with so little time apart. Both of us have always wanted kids, but once Camila popped that baby out… we just really wanted to have one of those of our own.”

”Yeah, Camila was an influencer in a way,” Leon said. ”A baby influencer. I mean… not that we weren’t trying for a baby before-”

”I don’t wanna hear any details!” Ludmila exclaimed.

Leon grinned. ”… but Camila having her kid kinda got us into the mood to try harder for one.”

”Stop! You can get all the babies you want, I just don’t want to know the process.”

”Don’t worry, we might just settle for only one kid… when we told Germán, he beat me up , so I think I might need to get a vasectomy. For my own safety .”

Violetta patted him sympathetically. 

The others around the table weren’t sure if he was joking or not, but knowing Germán… it was likely close to the truth. 

-

“There we go, all clean again!” Naty said, putting Kim’s pants back on. Right then, Camila came out of the bathroom. 

“Oh, hello!” she exclaimed, going up to them. “Here’s your comb, Naty.”

“Thank you. I had to take Kim up because they needed a change.”

Camila blew raspberries at her kid. “You pooped your pants in the middle of breakfast? Haven’t I taught you better manners?”

Naty laughed. 

”Thanks, Naty. You’re the best.”

”Aw, it’s just fun taking care of the little one! They’re so cute.”

”Who knows! Maybe you’ll have a baby of your own one day.”

”Oh… I don’t know.”

”You could make a little partner for my kid, and we’ll have an arranged marriage.”

Naty snorted. “Sure… I have always wanted kids, but… I don’t know how Ludmila feels.”

Right then, Ludmila came inside the hotel room. “Ok, the others are figuring out how the subway is working. They’re waiting for us at the entrance.”

“Alright!” Camila put on a baby carrier, and put Kim inside it. She then checked her bag she was bringing with her that she had everything in it. “I’m ready.”

Naty quickly combed her hair. “Yes! I’m ready, too.”

As they met up with the others, they discussed where to go first.

“Maybe we should go to the Vasa museum first?” Leon suggested. “Then we’ll find some fast food place to eat lunch, and then we can go explore the Old Town.”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Francesca said. “Which subway train should we take to get there?”

“I’m looking it up,” Diego said.

-

“They keep playing that Hold me closer song all the time,” Camila commented as they were getting off the subway. “Seriously. They played it in the hotel lobby, I heard someone at breakfast play it from their phone, and now someone is playing it on a speaker.”

“It’s the song Sweden is sending to Eurovision!” Francesca explained. “Did you know Eurovision is in Italy this year?”

“Yes, you have mentioned it only every other day since last year,” Ludmila noted.

“Måneskin confirmed my bisexuality,” Diego admitted.

“I think they confirmed everyone’s bisexuality,” Violetta chuckled. “I’m glad you guys forced us to watch Eurovision. It was so fun last year.”

“Where’s the boat?” Naty asked.

“Over there, I think,” Diego said, pointing at a building further away.

“So is the whole museum just on this one boat?” Ludmila asked. “Nothing else?”

“This ship sank, and was retrieved from the ocean and got renovated! I honestly think it’s kinda cool!”

“And why didn’t they do this to the Titanic?”

“Maybe because the Titanic sank 3000 meters deep?” Violetta suggested. “The Vasa ship sank like… just outside of Stockholm.”

“Yeah, I think I read it sank basically as soon as they set sail,” Francesca chimed in, trying to not giggle. “Ok, it’s horrible, but like… how bad can you be at making a ship sustainable?”

“The 1600s were a different time,” Leon said.

As they got into the museum, they immediately noticed you could take guided tours, in Swedish or in English. But the group rather wanted to walk around themselves.

You could, if you wanted, take an audio guide completely for free, if you just went to their website. Naty checked it - yep, they had an audio guide in spanish. Perfect! She and Diego immediately got their headphones on, and started walking around. The others kind of wondered what they would look at first.

However, it didn’t take long before Kim started to whine. 

“I’m going out with them,” Camila said, “They’re overwhelmed by the smell, all the voices and lack of bright colors.”

“Are you sure it’s not just you who feels like that?” Francesca asked, giving her a smug face.

“Well, I… kinda feel that too, but Kim definitely feels like that!”

She walked outside the museum, taking out her baby from her carrier.

“It’s alright, sweetie. You don’t need to see more of all those brown and beige colors. Back in the olden days, they didn’t have pastels. Everything looked so boring…” She kissed them on the cheek, as she continued walking.

Then, by complete accident, she bumped into a woman.

“Discúlpame!” she exclaimed, and then immediately realized she wasn’t in a Spanish speaking country. “ E-Excuse me! ”

“Wait, do you speak spanish?” the woman asked, in spanish.

Camila lit up. “Yes! Yes, I do! You do, too?”

“Yes! I studied in Spain for a semester, and I studied Spanish back in middle and high school.”

“They teach you Spanish in Swedish schools?”

“Well, in 6th grade you can choose a language between German, Spanish and French. I picked Spanish.”

“Interesting!”

With the woman was a man, who seemed a bit bored by this conversation. He spoke Swedish with her.

“Vem är det här? Nån du känner?”

“Nej, hon kunde bara spanska, så jag kände att jag kunde använda mina spanskakunskaper för att prata lite,” the woman answered him. She then turned back to Camila, speaking Spanish again. “This is my boyfriend.”

“I see! Do you two live in Stockholm?”

“No, we’re only here on a trip. We live in a city one hour away, and took the train here for the day.”

After saying this, she explained to her boyfriend in Swedish what she had just told Camila. He nodded.

“Kan du fråga henne vart hennes man är? Hon verkar vara helt ensam med en bebis.”

“My boyfriend noticed you have a baby!” the woman said, “He’s wondering where your husband is.”

Camila started laughing. “Oh! I don’t have one. I’m on my own.”

“Hon är ensamstående,” the woman explained to her boyfriend.

“Aah… hur säger man ‘jag beklagar’ på spanska?”

“Jag kan säga det åt dig.” The woman turned back to Camila again. “My boyfriend says he’s sorry about that.”

Camila shook her head. “Oh no, it was completely by choice! I don’t need any man, I had this kid all by myself!”

The woman explained this to her boyfriend, who seemed to roll his eyes about it, as if something was bothering him about that. Then he asked his girlfriend to ask Camila another thing.

“My boyfriend wonders if your baby is a boy or a girl.”

Camila was used to this question, and just smiled. “I’m above assigning a baby into gender roles, so I have decided to raise them gender neutral until they’re old enough to decide for themselves!”

“Wow! I love that! Very progressive. You’re right, we do impose gender roles far too early without realizing it. Sweden is very progressive when it comes to gender studies and equality, queer rights, you know… all that.”

“Vad säger hon?” her boyfriend asked.

Suddenly, the woman got a bit more uncomfortable, as if she knew what he would say once she translated. Nonetheless, she did. “Hon säger att hon bestämt sig för att uppfostra ungen ickebinär, tills det att hen är gammal nog att bestämma kön själv.”

Hearing this, the man sighed. “Jag trodde att det bara var PK-Sverige som blivit såhär, men har det nått till Sydamerika också? Herregud, vart är världen påväg? Hon är säkert lebba också… Inte för att det är nåt fel med det, men alltså!”

“Shh! Du behöver inte prata så högt…”

“Hon fattar inte vad jag säger ändå! Jag tycker så synd om den där ungen, att behöva växa upp helt förvirrad om sitt kön för att mamman inte är tydlig…”

Camila saw in the woman’s eyes that she didn’t seem too keen on translating what her boyfriend was saying. 

“You don’t have to say anything,” she assured her.

The woman let out a deep breath. “I promise, he’s a nice guy… but… well, you know how Sweden is progressive and stuff? It is… but…” She glanced at her boyfriend, “Some people think it’s getting progressive a bit too fast and think everything out of the norm is scary and reacts defensively.”

“I’ve met the type like him,” Camila chuckled. “And you can assure him that me not having a man and choosing to raise my kid gender neutral will not affect anything about his life.”

“Snackar ni skit om mig nu eller?” the boyfriend asked, and then got hushed by the woman before she continued speaking to Camila.

“Between you and me, I think in this year’s election, my boyfriend and I will vote very differently…”

Camila looked at her pleadingly. She kind of wished she could tell this girl to just dump him, but she didn’t know her at all. Instead, she decided to change the subject.

“It was interesting talking to you. I heard most Swedes are cold and love their personal space.”

“We do!” the woman chuckled, “But I got so excited over being able to use my spanish skills. But if you were a Swede, I’d probably not even speak to you.”

They laughed.

“Well, I gotta go,” Camila said. “How nice to find someone who understands Spanish out in the wild!”

“Yeah! Bye, bye!”

Immediately as they walked away, Camila noticed the boyfriend seeming to bicker with her. She hoped they broke up soon.

“Promise me you’ll never date someone like that,” she told Kim.

-

As the others finished going through the Vasa museum, they decided to get lunch.

“They have Mcdonald’s here,” Leon noted. “How about that?”

“We should try a Swedish restaurant,” Violetta said.

“How about Max?” Francesca suggested. “I’ve seen commercials for it everywhere! It seems to be similar to Mcdonald’s, but with Swedish meat.”

Everyone thought that was a good idea.

Getting to the Max restaurant, Ludmila let out a sigh of relief.

”Oh, they have ordering machines! Great, I don’t have to speak to people and make them misunderstand me when I try to order!”

They noticed almost no one was ordering by the desk. It seemed like no matter if you were from the country or a tourist who even struggled with English, you preferred to order in private in front of a screen.

”They have so many different hamburgers…” Violetta said. ”I could eat everything.”

”I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a hamburger as much as I do now,” Francesca admitted. ”Almost as if I want to order two…”

”Listen… we’re eating for two. It’s valid. I think I’m gonna order one, but a large one. Look, they got double burgers.”

”Oh my god… and with bacon! I need a bacon burger! My daughter needs a bacon burger.”

”What do you want to eat?” Camila asked. She had gone to the kids menu section, and planned on letting her 7 month old baby choose for themselves. However, Kim immediately clicked on the ”limited edition” section, and pressed the largest, most expensive burger. 

Camila however, just shrugged. ”Ok, but we’re sharing that!”

”I’m gonna try their original burger,” Leon said, ”Maybe a boring option.”

”I’m gonna try the original one too,” Naty said.

”All of these sauces…” Diego said, ”I don’t really know what any of these mean.”

”I don’t even understand how the currency works!” Ludmila admitted. ”Is 95 kr a lot or a little?”

”You can google and convert the money to pesos.”

”Oh!”

They sat down at a large table. 

”Alright, let’s see how well they make burgers!” Diego exclaimed. 

Then everyone took a bite of theirs at once. 

”Mmm!” Violetta and Francesca exclaimed, their eyes widening as they started to take more frequent bites of their burgers.

”Try the fries!” Naty said, ”They’re really crispy!”

”Isn’t Kim eating?” Leon asked. Kim looked like they desperately wanted a taste of Camila’s burger.

”I just need to eat a bit first,” Camila replied.

Leon handed over some fries. ”Here you go, little bug.”

Kim happily took them, and Leon patted their head as they munched on them.

“Aww!” Violetta cooed, “Are you eating fries?”

Ludmila frowned. “Yes, you see they are? Why do people do that to babies? No one is doing that to me when I’m eating fries.”

“You’ll get it if you have kids,” Francesca said, also staring adoringly at Kim.

Camila noticed this attention, and decided to bring the cuteness up further. She cut a small piece of her hamburger, and handed it to her kid.

“Baby’s first hamburger! Cut down into small pieces, but still!”

“Aww!” everyone except for Ludmila exclaimed.

-

After lunch, they headed towards the Old Town.

“Wow! I don’t know where to begin!” Francesca exclaimed, looking around.

“We’re here for a while, we can come back tomorrow and explore even more,” Diego noted.

Ludmila looked at Kim, who was sound asleep in Camila’s carrier. “How can they sleep with all these noises?”

“It’s just like walking around in Buenos Aires,” Camila shrugged. “Big cities have a lot of noise! And frankly, this is pretty quiet in comparison. Kim can sleep through a hurricane!”

“I have heard a lot of people really liking the science fiction bookshop,” Leon said.

“Science fiction! Up your alley, Ludmila!” Diego exclaimed, looking smugly at her.

Ludmila crossed her arms. “Sure… why not.”

It was a bit hard to find that bookshop, but after accidentally walking past it several times, they found it. 

Going inside, they noticed quickly that, despite the name, science fiction was far from the only thing they were selling. Practically the first floor was just manga in different genres.

“Oh, how interesting!” Violetta commented. “I wonder if there’s anything here I recognize.”

“I can tell this place is for the nerds,” Diego chuckled. “Ooh, look, they sell board games!”

“There’s a second floor!” Leon noted. “Vilu, can you walk up?”

“I’ll try…”

Ludmila tried to keep her cool, but everyone could tell she was excited.

“I wonder if they have any Isadora Starfighter merch here…” she said. That had been her favorite book series since childhood. It was one of those series that everyone seemed to have known about or encountered in their lives, but most fans just seemed very casual, or just thought of it as something they liked when they were small and not anymore. Not Ludmila. She kept loving the series even up to adulthood, and loved re-reading the books. She even still wrote fanfiction about it on occasion, and had been praised by people online because her passion had both inspired people to start reading them, but also for old fans to rediscover them.

Diego and Ludmila went haywire in the store, looking at every single thing - even the things they weren’t that interested in, nor were familiar with. The others, however, quickly realized there was nothing here they really wanted to buy. So, they were wondering if they should go explore other places.

”You guys go,” Naty assured them. ”I’m here guarding the fanatics.”

”We thank you for your service,” Leon said. ”Ok, ladies? Where do you wanna go?”

”I’m thinking we’d just walk down the street and see where it leads us,” Violetta suggested.

-

Besides the science fiction bookshop, that didn’t even have that much science fiction books, there were a lot of little stores to explore. Souvenir shops, sculpture shops, small boutiques with various items… it was honestly just fun looking through all the windows they passed. Kim had woken up from their nap now, and looked in awe at everything around them.

Suddenly, Francesca stopped her tracks. ”Look at that!”

In a window, there was a bunch of merchandise for Pippi Longstocking . All of them were familiar with her, as it was basically the only Astrid Lindgren character that was famous outside of Europe (or, correction: Outside of Europe and Asia. Asia also seemed to at least keep track of some other stories by her, considering Japan did an anime adaptation of Ronja the Robber’s daughter… but we’re getting side tracked). 

”Aw, I had that movie where she goes on the run on a VHS,” Camila said nostalgically. ”I loved watching it, and then my sister broke it.”

”Oh, you were looking at Pippi?” Violetta asked, ”I was looking at the Moomintroll.”

Indeed, in the other window, next to the Pippi merch, they had put out a bunch of Moomin merch.”

”Isn’t Moomins Finnish?” Leon asked.

”They can still have merch of it in Sweden, can’t they? And it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re just as big here as they are in Finland.”

”Of course.”

”Oh, let’s go inside!” Francesca exclaimed, ”I hope they got one of those mugs with a Moomin character on it!”

”I’m not too familiar with Moomins,” Camila admitted, ”But I’ll gladly look at Pippi merch!”

Walking in, they noticed this store truly had these characters on everything. Pippi and Moomin water bottles. Pippi and Moomin socks. Pippi and Moomin mugs. Pippi and Moomin plates. Pippi and Moomin plushies, all in different sizes. Francesca really wanted to buy a giant Moomin stuffed animal, claiming it was to decorate her daughter’s room, but then realized it was way too expensive. 

”I should buy something for Paula,” Violetta said. Paula was Angie’s daughter, and was turning six. 

Camila found a cute little Pippi costume for young kids. ”Aww!! Wait, I wonder if Kim can fit in this.” 

She took out her baby to measure and compare. ”I think so! Kim, do you want this?”

Kim just cooed in response.

”Great! Because I really wanna dress you in this Pippi wig!”

When it wasn’t Pippi merch, it was merch of other Astrid Lindgren characters, very specifically a character named Emil. None of them were quite familiar with him, but he was apparently very well appreciated in Sweden. 

When it wasn’t Moomin merch it was just… random Sweden merch. Socks with Swedish cinnamon buns or dala horses on them. They also sold both mugs and trays with the caption ”Swedish fika” or ”Fika time”.

”Right… should we go try that ’fika’ thing?” Leon asked. 

”Sure!” Violetta said, ”There’s plenty of café’s around us.”

”Oh, we shouldn’t try the café’s in Old Town. We should find a bigger café.”

”What’s wrong with the café’s in Old Town?” Francesca asked.

”So you know how I had a friend from the US? Ross Lynch? Well, I kind of have friends from all across the world. And I have a Swedish friend too, who has told me some advice about Stockholm…” He suddenly stared into thin air, as if he was speaking to an invisible audience. ”If you want to try a Swedish fika, avoid the café’s in Old Town. Many of them are super small with little to offer anyway. They are also extremely expensive. Trust me, a slice of mudcake should not cost 120 kr. And you won’t even know it cost that much because they refuse to put the prize on display. It’s a tourist trap. Try some local cafés in the city instead.”

”Ok, but… did he recommend any good café’s?” Violetta asked.

”No, because he lives in a city an hour away, so he only knows the ones from there. But I guess we’ll just head to the city and see if we find anything?”

”Sounds good!”

-

They got into the city, and Francesca noticed all the clothing stores. She planned in her head on going back here another day to go shopping. 

They had to walk a bit to find a café that they deemed perfect. Many café’s were these hipster, Starbucks like ones, with smoothies and frappés with too much whipped cream. It didn’t feel authentic enough.

Then, by a corner in a smaller street, they saw a café that was decorated with old couches and armchairs, and overall had the aesthetic of an old house. Excited, they went inside.

Looking at all the different pastries you could buy, the group knew they had come to the right place.

Violetta bought a Budapest pastry, which despite the name had nothing to do with Budapest. She also bought some juice, thinking she’d get thirsty. 

Francesca bought a princess cake slice, and a pepsi max.

Leon bought a chocolate ball, and a coca cola.

Camila decided to buy a Swedish mud cake with whipped cream on the side. She decided to try their raspberry soda as a drink.

They sat down at two couches surrounding a table.

“Well… are we having a fika right now?” Camila asked.

“Yep!” Leon nodded. 

”Mmm!” Violetta exclaimed. ”God, I needed this…”

”Can I taste it?” Francesca asked. ”You can taste my princess cake.”

”Sure!” 

They leaned over with their spoons, tasting each other’s pastries. 

”It was good!” Violetta said, and then frowned. ”But my kid doesn’t seem to like it as much…” She tried to hold herself from spitting up.

”Only one bite of it, too!” Leon said, ”She’s gonna be such a picky eater when she’s born…”

Camila sniffed on Kim. “I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

“Put them in the Pippi outfit!” Francesca suggested.

“Oh, you know I will!”

-

Diego and Ludmila walked out of the science fiction book store with bags full of merchandise they bought. Naty also had to carry some, even if she didn’t buy anything herself.

“Ok, they’re at some café…” Diego said, looking at the phone. “They sent me some directions.”

Ludmila and Naty just followed Diego. On the way, they looked at a lot of different stores.

Naty took a deep breath, wondering if they might need to buy an extra suitcase with just all the new clothes Ludmila especially would want to shop.

Suddenly, she noticed Ludmila had disappeared.

“Diego…”

Diego stopped, turning around. “Where’s Ludmila?”

“That’s why I stopped you.” 

They looked around at the shops nearby. Through the windows of the clothes shops, they couldn’t see anything.

Suddenly however, Ludmila stuck her head out from a candy store. “Hey! Look at all the candy they got!”

Diego and Naty exchanged glances, and then started snickering as they walked up to her. 

“I’ve heard Sweden has a lot of candy,” Diego commented. “They even have this thing where they tell kids to only eat candy on Saturdays, because otherwise they’d eat candy all the time!”

“My parents had that rule for me, too…” Naty noted. “So it’s not just Sweden. I remember feeling rebellious when I ate candy on a Wednesday.”

”I need to buy some!” Ludmila exclaimed.

”Later,” Diego said, ”They’re waiting for us in the café.”

”Yeah, we can go back here later,” Naty chimed in. 

Ludmila looked at them with pleading eyes. ”But what if I forget later…!”

Naty and Diego sighed.

”Alright,” they said in unison.

-

Camila came back grinning. ”Guess who I met in the bathroom!”

She then held up Kim, who now was dressed as Pippi Longstocking, complete with the little wig (who they immediately grabbed and took off).

”Aww!” the others exclaimed.

Camila tried to put the wig back on, but Kim kept taking it off.

”Oh well. I’m still gonna leave you in these clothes, because you’re adorable!”

”They must have a theme park or something for Astrid Lindgren’s stories,” Violetta said.

”They do!” Francesca replied. ”Two places, actually. The biggest one is in Visby, so it’s far from here sadly. But there is this slightly smaller place here in Stockholm called ’Junibacken’! But I looked it up, and they’re also focusing on other Nordic children’s media, like Moomins and ’Pettson and Findus’.”

”Is that the one with the old man and his cat?” Leon asked. ”I’ve seen pictures of that.”

”Yes.”

”We should visit that actual amusement park with roller coasters!” Camila suggested. ”I’ve heard screams from it afar.”

”We’re here!” Naty exclaimed, as she, Diego and Ludmila walked into the café. Ludmila was munching on candy. 

”Did Kim change clothes?” Naty asked. Of course, the baby was the one she gave attention to first. 

Camila smirked, and once again put on the Pippi wig on them. ”Guess who I met!”

”Oh, I love that!”

”We were discussing that amusement park,” Leon said. ”I think it’s next to a zoo, which feels a bit odd. But it’s also next to the ABBA museum.”

Suddenly, both Naty and Camila’s eyes widened.

”The ABBA museum…?” they asked in unison.

”We should visit that, too!” Diego said, ”But I agree about the amusement park. I’ve seen from afar that they got several drop towers. Looks so cool!”

”We can’t ride anything,” Violetta explained, looking at herself and Francesca. ”But we’re still excited to go, too.”

”Yeah, we can be the bag carriers,” Francesca added, ”And the babysitters.” She looked at Kim as she said the last part.

”Why can’t you ride anything?” Ludmila asked. ”We went to that place in Buenos Aires and you could ride everything there!”

”Well, we’re pregnant now,” Violetta explained. ”And not just a month or two, we’re well into the second trimester both of us. It’s simply too risky.”

”Safety first! It’s a bummer you don’t get to have fun on the rides with us though,” Diego said.

”Are you kidding?!” Francesca asked. ”I hate going on rides. I think I’m gonna die on every single one of them, even the little toddler ones. 90% of the rides I’ve gone on have been due to peer pressure. I’ve hated every single moment of it. Being pregnant is the best perk I have right now, because now I have a legitimate reason to skip out!”

”Fran, you could have skipped out this whole time, you know that!” Camila assured her. 

”But it’s not fun to just wait for you while you queue for rides, all alone… so I went with you, despite hating it!”

Violetta put a hand on her. ”Now you’ll have company. I’m to be honest not that big of a fan of theme park rides either. I do like some, but the rest of you are crazy. I’ll never forgive you for when you put me on that roller coaster you ’promised was mild’! I almost fainted when I saw how high up the drop really was!”

”Yeah, we’ll keep each other company!”

Ludmila glanced at Kim. ”You do look adorable in that dress.”

Kim cooed at her, making her grin.

“Yes! You’re adorable!” she giggled, tickling them. 

The others watched Ludmila with smug faces. The second she noticed that, she frowned.

“What?”

To make things cuter, Kim decided to pat her nose with their hand.

“They like you!” Naty exclaimed.

Ludmila scoffed. “Of course. I’m awesome.”

Kim started laughing, for reasons unknown to all the adults, but they started laughing with them. Ludmila couldn’t help but chuckle a bit too.

“That laughter of theirs is contagious!” she admitted.

“Baby laughter is always contagious!” Violetta admitted. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear my own baby’s…”

“I can’t wait to be the next viral dad who makes their baby laugh by making funny noises,” Diego said. “Remember that video? Or that other video with the quadruplets that all laughed in unison?”

“The cutest thing is when they look like you!” Camila said. 

“I would love a mini version of myself…” Ludmila said. “A small little supernova.”

“Right?” Naty chimed in, looking with sparkling eyes at her wife.

“Of course… if I had a baby, it would be even cuter than Camila’s.”

That’s when Kim stopped laughing and suddenly, without warning, threw up.

Ludmila’s softened gaze instantly turned into a disgusted one.

However, the others just snickered.

“I’ll clean them up for you,” Diego offered. “Come on, buddy. You’re way cuter than Ludmila’s potential child.”

“Hey!” Ludmila exclaimed. Diego just playfully stuck his tongue out to her.

As Diego walked away, Ludmila shook her head.

“I don’t know what you see in babies. They lack any social skills, and are just gross.”

Naty sighed, causing Ludmila to raise an eyebrow.

“You’ve been a baby once,” Camila reminded her. “You also lacked social skills, and threw up on people.”

“And after seeing how your mom was to you, I’m wondering if she ever changed your diapers,” Francesca noted. “She honestly gave me the vibe that she was too fancy to even let herself give birth.”

“My mom did say that she only nursed me and put me to bed,” Ludmila recalled. “My dad was the one changing my diapers.”

“That explains a lot…” Leon said. 

“Anyway!” Violetta exclaimed, “Ludmila, Naty? You wanna taste this Budapest pastry? Apparently it’s Swedish despite the name! It was good, but I can’t eat more of it or I’ll throw up more than Kim did!”

“Sure!” Naty said.

There was a lot they did in just one day in Stockholm. But they would be here for more days, packed with even more activities.

What they were unaware of was that in another city of Sweden, hours away from Stockholm, some other people from Buenos Aires had arrived. And they had quite a packed day as well!

Maybe we should see what they were up to over there next time?

[your-old-sins-tournament]

12 YEAR OLD OCS; SIDE A

hạt dẻ hạt phỉ [@tboyblogger] (she/her sister, he/him for brother)

theyre a pair of twin beasts, middle schoolers! i have no idea who is hazelnut and who is chestnut i kept calling them both names like that, theyre they/them in the way there are always two kids. these kids are beasts(?) that look like human but with magic and animal ears and tails. theyre adopted by a desi family of wizards so they do witchy spellcasting stuff. their names are in vietnamese cause. well im viet, and theyre kind of a ripoff of a vietnamese early 2000s tv show about a family of wizards (LOL) coming to the human world and try to blend in, except mine is just about the family trying to take care of these two beasts and the shenanigans revolve around them! if i were to continue writing them now i'd probably do the sitcom format, something like old d*sney channel series like wizard of waverly place (wait i think i also stole from this LMAO) or good luck charlie where the focus is on the interpersonal relationships of everyone in the family and how they are to the kids, growing as they learn to take care of them? idk. but this was 2012, i was 12, so i ripped from cardcaptor sakura and ben10 and pokémon or other similar video games to make them into mahou-kodomo shounen protags going around different worlds capturing creatures-of-the-week but theyre all in the back of my head now </3 vote for them if you like little animal freaks that would crawl on the floor chewing furniture and bite each other then cry to mom

Excavator [@enjoliquej] (he/him)

Behold, a mere mortal man, born with the name Excavator, destined to become part of one of the most fantastical endeavors known to man: Archeological Excavation.  Being gifted with a genius and brilliant name as Excavator, and having a career that shared the same name gave him some trouble with introductions.

A bold and thoughtful quote from our hero:

"My name is Excavator, and I am an excavator."  --  Excavator

Follow Excavator, the world's WORST and luckiest archeologist as he embarks across the world to different locations that his 12 year old writer was learning about in history class. Watch as his boss constantly fires and re-hires him on account of Excavator's stupidity and luck at finding rare artifacts. Embark on his first adventure when he accidentally hurled himself into a tar pit from clowning around and found the Rosetta Stone buried deep beneath. Join him on his trip to China where he gets thrown into a basket and is forced to float the Pacific Ocean for days until he discovers ancient Chinese scrolls hidden in the basket with him, narrowly escaping being fired by his boss yet again. Follow him to India where he believes he traveled to the 1800s and is mistaken for a butler and cleans precious furniture with bleach which ruins everything until he realizes he was just staying at some guys house the whole time and he didn't time travel to the 1800s.

All this and more on The Silly Adventures of Excavator, The Indiana Jones Wannabe!

[luxet0bscuritas-blog]

TW: slavery, colonialism, historical trauma

During our family trip to Amsterdam last month, we decided to spend some time at the National Maritime Museum. Honestly, I wasn’t all that excited at first; we’d already been to maritime museums before, like the one in Sneek, and by that point, I was starting to feel a bit overloaded with ships. Looking back, I’m glad that I went. Two exhibitions really caught me off guard and certainly left an impression. The first explored the history and impact of slavery and indentured labour in Suriname, something I hadn’t learned much about before. The way it was presented - so honest, so human - truly moved me. And the second, which is called Shadows on the Atlantic, delves into how colonial history continues to affect people’s lives - both at sea and on land, past and present. Through contemporary art and videos featuring personal stories.

One remarkable story brought to light in this exhibition is that of Soerdie, the first known female indentured labourer sent from India to Suriname via Barbados. Artist and researcher Sarojini Lewis came across her name in the archives of the Royal Library in The Hague and became deeply moved by her story. Drawing on books, letters, and travel accounts from the era, Lewis imaginatively reconstructs what Soerdie’s life might have been like.

What made the exhibition so enigmatic and captivating was Lewis’s unique approach: she steps into Soerdie’s story through a series of evocative self-portraits taken at historic sites in Suriname. These photographs respond to the energy and silence of the abandoned plantations, as well as the archival materials she unearthed. Her method, known as Critical Fabulation, creatively re-imagines Soerdie’s life, filling in the gaps left by the historical record. In doing so, she also weaves in the story of her own ancestors - Indian labourers who once worked in the same region of Commewijne.

Experiencing this exhibition, hearing Sarojini Lewis’s voice, and seeing her embody Soerdie with such depth and sensitivity was utterly mesmerising, and it felt far more than a lesson in history - it was an intimate encounter with memory, resilience, and the haunting and harrowing impact of colonialism.

It made me realise once again how history has almost always been told from a white and male perspective - in this case especially maritime history in the Netherlands, which people often celebrate as a grand achievement. But that account of history often ignores and downplays how closely it’s tied to colonialism and exploitation. What I honestly appreciated about the museum was how it’s currently making a conscious effort to challenge this narrow viewpoint. Instead of just highlighting the white man's perspective, they’re actively creating space for the voices that have been marginalized and overlooked for too long. This is such an important step toward a more honest and complete understanding of history.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

I think Meghan is positioning herself as a putative diplomat. by u/WorthSpecialist1066

I think Meghan is positioning herself as a putative diplomat. she’s using these tours of Nigeria and Colombia as pr / backdrop for whatever nonsense she has planned next. Hence all the endless outfit changes etc.It’s exactly the same as her trip to India and Rwanda when she was stalking Harry.I think she wants to be top dog, like Secretary of State and Harry is the trailing spouseIrony is they already had this job lined up in the RF as commonwealth representative. They are both just greedy and impatient. post link: https://ift.tt/FMr92mh author: WorthSpecialist1066 submitted: August 23, 2024 at 08:03PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[pie-of-flames]

Beatles Asks - 3, 7 and 13 please!

I'm gonna do these separately because it's a lot.

3. What’s your opinion on The Beatles wives?

This is a very broad topic.

Cynthia: I read Cynthia’s book John: A Biography. Of course, any book like this has to be take with a grain of salt, assuming some level of self-interest and faulty memories. Even so, my heart really goes out to her after reading this. I believe she and John were truly in love. The pics of them together are always really cute. But I kind of doubt they would have married if she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Either John fell out of love or was too fucked up in general, or his mental issues were exacerbated by Beatlemania and later, heavy drug use, for the marriage to last long. He neglected Cyn and Julian horribly and was a gigantic asshole. For example, he hounded her to take acid and then, when she finally did and had a bad trip, he completely neglected her and left her alone to suffer. She says she even considered suicide during that trip. And don’t even get me started on the divorce. He really mistreated her. Granted, he was probably emotionally incapable of treating her with humanity, given his mental health issues. But he was just horrible and acted unforgivably.

Pattie: I also read the George part of Pattie’s book, Wonderful Tonight. She seems fine. I don’t have any feelings about her one way or another. They’re cute together. Both she and George were so young then. George was a shit near the end, of course.

Yoko: You know, who really knows what was going on between her and John? I do think they were genuinely in love. But I also think, in May 1968 when they got together, the relationship offered transactional benefits to both of them. She obviously wanted to snag a Beatle and become famous. She’d been stalking John for a pretty long time. And John desperately needed a “guru” to give he life structure and focus. He was really flailing after India, clearly in mental distress after losing Brian (and Whatever Happened In India™ which may have involved John feeling like he’d lost Paul somehow) and doing huge amounts of acid again. (Enter my theory that he had borderline personality disorder where you latch on to an Important Person to provide your identity.) Both of them were all on board with a codependent, all-consuming relationship. She doesn't seem like a particularly nice person, what with the stories about her ordering around Apple employees like they were her personal servants. She also seems very manipulative, but then again, so was John. Personally, I cannot stand her "singing" (I study classical singing, so...it's just painful to listen to.)

Skipping to the seventies, my impression is John wanted Yoko to control his life and she did,         although they also seemed to enjoy playing power games with each other. I don’t know why he went back to her after the Lost Weekend, but I assume part of it was a need to give up control to another person. It’s hard to tell if they were still in love in the seventies. I would love to find out what was really going on between them in this period because there’s such a drastic difference in opinions, like “happy, bread baking house husband” narrative vs. “depressed, in bed getting high and watching TV” all the time narrative.

Linda: I do think there was a bit of the starfucker in her but she and Paul were obviously in love and devoted to each other, as far as we can tell. No other thoughts. I don't really know much about her. I’m grateful for all her photos of Paul. :)

Later Paul wives: no opinion, I don’t know enough.

Olivia: same. I'm glad she and George were able to have Dhani.

[magic-belodie]

MCLLL Episode 17 Priya

I finished Priya’s route of MCLLL episode 17. It cost me 1.112 AP. I got Priya’s illustration. Here is the link to her illustration because of NSFW: https://magicbelodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1425-f0e1351d3663770e1688631297.jpg Here is the summary:

You start this episode on a plane. You are just waking up. Priya is sitting next to you on the plane. Priya kisses you and you two look out the window. You two could see a group of lush islands. Priya and you are going to spend here 15 days. The flight lands, you pick up your luggage, and a limo brings you two to the hotel. The hotel you two are staying is the same from episode 5 alternate life Kentin. Darma welcomes you two and brings you both to the honeymoon suit. At the last minute, Priya and you changed plans to go here instead of India. Your Aunt told you about her trip and stay here. It just sounded like the place to go. Priya and you are very happy with the room. You two deserved after the year you have been through. You two kiss tenderly. After that long flight, you could use a shower. When you come out, Priya goes in the shower. When she comes out, she is in her lingerie. Priya is looking at the view, and she sees the pool with the cave above it. No one is in it now, and suggests swimming. You are in for a romantic swim, maybe even some skinny-dipping. Priya thought you were tired from the trip, but the shower gave you energy. She points you towards a chair and puts on some music. Dancing, she starts to take out her underwear. You are enjoying the show. She walks towards you and takes off your towel. Then she lies on the bed in a position you couldn't resist. You join her on the bed and start to let your hands feel her body. Then it is her turn to feel your body. You don't know how long you two are enjoying each other with kisses and feeling everything with your hands. While moving to the rhythm of the music. Priya and you are felt with desire and moving your hot bodies against each other. You feel like you need another shower. You head together back in into the shower. It was a perfect moment. A little later, you get a meal delivered to the room. You two never took that swim. The next day after a perfect night of sleeping. You two go downstairs for breakfast. While you are eating, you see Darma. He asks if you two are enjoying your stay. You two are, everything is perfect. He also reminds you two that the hike to the Volcano leaves in an hour. You both finish your breakfast and go back upstairs to get ready. There you get to choose your outfit. There is only one outfit to pick. Then, you decide also to bring your sun hat with you. Priya and you go downstairs. There you notice that you forgot your phone. But you have no time to go back upstairs. Priya and you go on the bus. It takes you both to the start of the hike. There, a guide welcomes you with instructions. Then you two start the walk. While you two are walking, the guide talks about the surroundings. You get to take a break when you can see the volcano. It is beautiful. Priya and you are holding hands. You two wish to be alone. Priya sees a path and you two start walking it. You both find your own little paradise. Priya and you are hugging under some trees. You enjoy this moment a lot, but it is better to get back to the group. You two try to find your way back. But when you are back, the group has already left. You don't hear their voices anymore. Priya takes out her phone. She has no network. But you have to find the group and start walking. But you have no idea where you are. Then you suddenly hear a voice. You both think it is the guide. Turns out it were parrots. You are afraid you are going to die. But Priya tells you if you keep moving, you won't. You admire her optimism. You have come to this place for the fourth time. Conclusion, you two are lost. It is already four o'clock. Three hours left until the sun starts to go down. Priya wants to find a refuge. But for that you need an overview of the place. You two decide to go back to the place with the beautiful view. There you see the volcano again. It is better to go there than to stay in the jungle. You are going to try to find a stream. You two can do this. Priya and you find some monkey. Priya thinks you two should follow them. Maybe they have some food. You agree to go. But at the slightest side of danger, you go back. The monkeys have found some fruit. But there are very large bees nearby. The bees haven't noticed you yet. You two give it a shot. You choose the lychess looking fruit. Priya and you get some fruit and walk safely away. Priya starts to get tired, but you keep her motivated, She finds a waterfall, there you two take a little break. Then you find your way to the volcano. At volcano, you find a cave you two can stay in. You two use the hat you took with you as a filter to for the water. So you two can drink. Then you two need to make a fire. You are going to collect some wood. You walk to some trees and take the lowest branches. It took you awhile to get some, but you found enough for a fire. Now you need to get the fire on. You decide to rub two stones against each other. It works, but it goes out pretty soon again. You decide to rip one of your sleeves. And use that to light with the stones. Then it keeps on burning and you have fire. You are proud of yourself. The night starts to fall. Priya suggests eating what you two found earlier. A guest has joined you two. A cute little monkey. You two share your food with it. Then the monkey leaves. Priya and you try to sleep, but you both can't. You go sit back up again. It is still crazy that you two are here together. You ask Priya is she could imagine this. Priya could image the together part, but not the jungle part. She never does things lightly. She meant what she said under the Gazebo. Priya doesn't want you to leave her life. You know that. You have always liked that about her. Even before the Gazebo scene. You never told Priya that. She asks you when you found out. You had a spice dream about Priya and after that dream you asked your self the question. The first time Priya realized was when your roommate looked you out of your room. She wanted to defend you so badly. When Priya got home after that, she decided that she had to be very brave. Because she didn't want to play around anymore. You are very happy about that. You two kiss in the light of the fire. Priya and you must have fallen a sleep. The light of the sun wakes you up. The view of the sunrise is incredible. You were probably the first ones to seen it for a while. You stay hugging each other for a few minutes while enjoying the view. What should you do now. Priya still has some battery left on her phone. She walks up to the volcano to get some signal and opens up a map to make a path back. You could lose signal again. But it is better than nothing. You start following the path. You two found the waterfall from yesterday. These means you are on the right track. Then you hear a sound. It is the sound of a motor from a car. You two run towards it and find a jeep with the guide in it. They were looking for you. You were not the only ones who were worried yesterday. The guide brings you back to the hotel. Darma is there waiting for you. He is so happy that you two are back. Because of what you went through, you don't have to pay for your stay and the extras you want to take. That was the least he could do. Darma brings you two back to the room. Priya and you take a shower together. When Priya gets out, she is only wearing her lingerie. She lies on the bed. She doesn't ever want to leave it. The bed like that looks very inviting to you. You thought you were tired, but seeing Priya like that. You go lie next to Priya in the opposite direction. She always gives you energy. She goes to sit up with her head above you. You melt into it. Priya lies her hand on your neck and kisses you. Priya also still has energy left. You feel her hand put out your bathrobe. You think it is time to get equal. And start to remove her lingerie. You do it without taking your eyes off her. You get the illustration. Her body looks amazing, you start to kiss it. Going down to her thighs. You hear Priya moan, and it makes you felt with desire. As if Priya could read you, she pulls you towards her and kisses you passionately. Her hand slights between your legs, you moan. You start kissing her body. Priya and you get filled with desire. You both scream at the same time and you both come undone. You both collapsed out on the bed, reaching for breath. Priya hugs you. You both never want to leave the bed again and hug each other tight. You turn around and kiss Priya passionately. Then you both fall a sleep, the episode ends.

[ecargmura]

Babel: An Arcane History Book Review

I’ve been curious about Babel, so I asked my brother to buy it for my birthday earlier this year. I’ve heard different things about R.F. Kuang’s writing, so I decided to not look at Babel’s reviews and dive into the book without any prior knowledge about the plot. How was it? It was both the best thing I’ve read and the most depressing.

Story

The story is about Robin Swift who was on the verge of dying in Canton (Guangzhou) but get saved by Professor Lovell who heals him with a mysterious silver bar. He then gives Robin an offer: come with him to London where he works at the Royal Institute of Translation and become a scholar or become homeless in Canton. Robin chooses the former, so he abandons his Chinese name and becomes Robin Swift; he moves to London where he gets assimilated into the life of an Englishman. He then enrolls in Oxford in the translation department. He becomes friends with Ramy, Victoire and Letty and the two become a tight group of friends. Ramy is from Calcutta, India; VIctoire is from Haiti and raised in France for a time in her life; Letty is an Englishwoman. After a few months of attending university, he is approached by a mysterious man named Griffin who is trying to recruit him into an anti-imperialist society called Hermes. Their goal is to overthrow Britain’s colonialism. Robin joins and then he gets entangled in a war of colonialism and anti-colonialism and his own war of survival.

Magic System

While this is considered a speculative fiction, this is still dark academia, which means there has to be some sort of fantasy element. The magic system of this story revolves around silver. Silver is made into bars where one word is written on one side and then the translation is on the other side. What’s written on the bar is what activates the power. However, in order for the power to be strong, the fluency of the language is most important. Translation is the key factor because the word has to be accurate and precise in order for that power to activate. If you’re unable to write or speak that language then the power weakens. It’s an extremely intricate system that matches the themes of the story.

Characters

I really like the characters and how they are written. Robin is easily my favorite character; I really like reading through his struggles and his desire to survival. If one to describe his character, he is a survivalist; he prioritizes survival above all else to the point that it becomes martyrdom whether it be survival for himself or for his friends. Ramy serves as a good companion to Robin. He’s street smart, charming and prioritizes his friends above all else. I think that he has the best relationship with Robin as he calls him Birdie. Their relationship was my favorite and I hate how everything ended. Victoire also serves as a good parallel to Robin as her story is similar to Robin’s, but her personality is much more headstrong in a way. Griffin serves as a good foil to Robin, from his appearance to his end. Griffin and Robin are half-brothers; both share the same father (Lovell) but how they were raised were completely different. Griffin is described to have similar features to Robin, but his hair and eyes are darker. He’s also more prone to violence and silence; he’s like a darker version of Robin in a way.

While Kuang makes good characters, her villains are infuriatingly well-written too. She knows how to write racist white characters well. Lovell was a scumbag who only thought of colonialism. He hates Chinese people, calls them derogatory words like “barbaric” and describes them as lazy and savage yet he loves Chinese goods like their wallpaper and other objects he curated from his Chinese trips and knows the language; he hates the people yet he’s willing to impregnate two Chinese women from different areas just for them to give birth to tools that can benefit him and the empire—said tools being Griffin and then Robin. Robin once called him out for “killing” his mother but Lovell gets angry and calls his mother “just some woman” or “just a Chink” in certain parts of the book. What’s even more scummy of him is that he has a wife and two children, but he barely visits them. He deserved to die. Good fucking riddance.

Other white people were infuriating too as they were jerks to Robin and his friends; the only nice white person in this story is Mrs. Piper. Letty herself show her true colors towards Chapter 23. Like most white people in this book, Letty is selfish and only thinks for her own benefits. She forces her friends to take a picture with her despite their discomfort. She forces them to go to a ball despite their protests. She gets called out for ignoring their suffering as people of color in London, which causes her to become upset, cry, and the three others had to comfort her. She then later betrays her friends by getting a gun and shooting Ramy, whom she had a crush on, because she didn’t want to be associated with a terrorist group like Hermes (how she described them) and that she thought her friends were insane for squandering their chances for an education at Oxford. Letty’s backstory mainly consists of her inability to get a proper education due to her gender, but eventually gets to Oxford as her brother died in an accident. She’s essentially the 1800’s version of a “Karen”.

Themes

From what I can curate, the major themes of this book are identity and violence. Identity plays a big factor as Robin always sees himself as Chinese despite being mixed and China-born. It’s almost an important factor because Robin’s identity as a Chinaman gets questioned multiple times. He has to assimilate as an Englishman, so he has to speak like one; he even had to discard his own Chinese name as proof of his lost identity. While he is always referred to as a Chinaman from his peers, during his trip to Canton, he tells one guy that he’s from China; the man responds with a scoff and says “No, you’re not” (Page 299). Identity is what drives Ramy and Victoire as well. Ramy has never assimilated as an Englishman like how Robin did; instead, he embraces his Indian heritage and still keeps his Indian name. Victoire was raised to speak French, but given that she’s Haitian (therefore Black), she gets upset that Kreyol isn’t considered an official language and that not being able to speak her mother tongue frustrates her in a way. Identity is what caused Letty to betray her friends. It was because of her identity as an English woman in the 1800’s that she believed what she had done was beneficial for her and her friends. 

Loss of identity is also a theme. Language is an identity and losing it affects one’s identity. Loss of identity was what caused Griffin to be discarded for he lost the ability to speak his mother tongue. That was why he faked his death on an expedition and became a member of Hermes. Our other main characters minus Letty lose the ability to speak their mother tongues as time passes in the book. They get upset over this because it’s like losing a part of who they are. They’re foreign-born, but live in London and if they lose their mother tongue, they become closer to Londoners and not as people from their home countries. How they fret over this is actually scary in a way.

Violence is probably the major theme of this story. Violence is the reason why colonialism happens and it’s also the reason why people are affected by it. Violence is the cause of many suffering and sorrow. Everyone in the story is affected by violence in a way. Robin and Griffin are the biggest victims of it. They witness violence, internal and external, and it warps their entire mindset. Robin’s exposure to violence causes him to find a way to survive and to fight for a cause because of his identity. Griffin’s exposure to violence is to fight back with violence as he’s probably one of the more violent characters in the story. 

Violence is also the reason why the villains do heinous things and it’s because of it that the main characters fight back. Imperialism is a factor of violence and it’s because of it that other nations outside of Britain suffer while the British do not care. I really like violence is both a force of evil and a method of good in a way; it’s ultimately a morally gray force.

Gripes

My issues with this story is that some chapters feel like a chore to read through. It’s nice seeing Kuang showing off the fruits of her research to make London and Oxford historically accurate, but it does get too much sometimes.  Chapter 4 was especially hard to read through because of how long and wordy it was. The footnotes were also a bit of a chore to read; it does feel like I’m reading a non-fiction book whenever I see them. Also, what is up with Chapter 30? It felt incomplete in a way as Chapter 31 starts off with the same two words in Chapter 30. 

Conclusion

Despite my gripes, this was an amazing reading experience. I really love every aspect of the story from how it started to how it ended. I really liked how the author wasn’t afraid to explore these kinds of topics in her writing and it showed. I consider Kuang a courageous write for being able to write all of this.

This is definitely a 5-star read and I recommend this to anyone wanting to read dark academia; this is actually my first dive into dark academia and I’d definitely read more. The thickness might be scary, but it’s a fun read; I’m a slow reader so thick books like Babel usually take me around a month and a half to finish, but I actually finished this story in 16 days. It’s something you won’t regret reading!

[carnalapples]

Ok but can I hear about elopement too 👁️👁️

Hell yes: elopement is another DDLJ fic! (same movie as lovebirds) In short, the movie is about two young people who fall in love on a trip across Europe, but one has a marriage arranged for her in India. So this covers the process of going back home after they’ve reunited, because I always love to know what happens after happy-ever-after:

When she looks back on her wedding day—her real one—she remembers it in flashes.

Raj is in one of his father’s kurtas, taken in with pins that make him walk with his back straight. Simran is still wearing her lehenga, the hem carrying traces of oil from the train doors. They make an odd couple, she knows.

When she and Raj sit by the fire, his nose is still covered in bandages. Above the temple, the sun is burning in the sky, and she’s sweating all through her silk. She’s not used to this heat, and it saddens her. It’s only made better by the fact that Raj is as intolerant of it as she is.

When he rubs the sindoor into her hair, his fingers linger at her forehead. His nose is floating so close to hers, and his brown eyes are wide in wonder. She knows her own face must be a mirror of his; even in the midst of her own wedding, she can’t believe she's made it. She holds his hand tightly as he leads her around the fire, seven circles that she’s sleepwalking through. Even when they're done, she can't let go. Not until they’re separated at airport security.

“Congratulations,” his father beams once they finish the last round, pulling them both into a damp hug. “Now we’d better move.” He takes his time calling for a taxi, his jacket long ago discarded as he fans himself with his hat. Simran lets her eyes drift across the street, but she's boiling inside. They've been running and hiding and tensed for so long, she doesn't know how to soften herself.

When they reach the main foyer of the hotel, she's only thinking about having a solid door between her and the rest of the world, until Raj tugs her into one of the alcoves like they're playing a game.

“May I kiss the bride?” His eyes are dancing. She's torn between the wedding steeped in tradition and the Hollywood elopement sealed with a kiss, hasn't known how to feel in a long time. She tips her head in thought, her stomach fluttering wildly.

“I don’t see why not.”

[dsumpsbluey]

Unofficial Bluey Timeline: Part VIII

Backpackers - Episode 36

Bluey and the gang pretend to be bags.

Debuts and Details:

Bandit and Chilli are revealed to be occasional backpackers for trips, including one for India, as noted by their photo next to the Taj Mahal.

For this episode, a new upright model for Socks was created for the Backpacker game. The main difference is found in the size difference of Socks' head between models. This looks similar to the current model of Socks post-season 2 but with slight design differences.

Bananas are equivalent to 6k in Dollarbucks.

The backyard porch from "Horsey Ride" is seen once again, after several episodes of not being present.

Jeremy the Gnome (the Blue and Yellow one) has a casualty, and gets repaired by the end.

Despite the fact that Socks has the passports before they empty the backpacks, Muffin is the one who drops them.

Favorite Part: When they become hiking boots

The Adventure - Episode 37

Bluey and Chloe play Princesses.

Debuts and Details:

Both Bluey and Chloe exchange practically all the roles, except Bluey exclusively plays the Kindly Queen, and Chloe exclusively plays the Grandma Fairy.

Bluey breaks Universal Rule #1 when she says "Hurray" while playing as the horse.

King Kong is canon in Bluey.

Both Bentley and Zara are seen with Calypso, despite being in Mrs. Retriever's. This isn't the last time this will happen, and I don't get why.

Favorite Part: When Chloe catches the tennis ball with her mouth. So real-life dog.

Copycat - Episode 38

Bluey copies Bandit

Debuts and Details:

It is briefly mentioned that the Olympics exist in the Bluey verse

We see some new background characters in the vet (including the vet), with one recurring character being the Surfer lady from "The Beach"

This is the first confirmed death of the show, coming from a budgie

tbh, I don't get why we haven't seen cats in this show yet.

Favorite Part: When Bluey inadvertently copies her dad while re-enacting the budgie event.

The Sleepover - Episode 39

Muffin skipped a sleep.

Debuts and Details:

Muffin had recently found out that Coconuts have water in them.

Bluey and Bingo play as wife and husband respectively (for the first time), while Muffin tags on as "Sheila".

The chip shop Bandit runs has a star on its sign, likely being a reference to a Michelin Star, an award reserved for the highest quality food and restaurants.

Chilli briefly shows her job as Airport security when she plays as the police.

The selfie photo in the kids' room briefly changes to a new version of the photo, but only partially cut off-screen. (It doesn't become a permanent change until season 3).

Favorite Part: Destructive Muffin

Early Baby - Episode 40

Rusty steals a baby.

Debuts and Details:

The BBC-distributed versions recolor the hospital crosses to purple instead of red, likely to avoid confusion with the real-life Red Cross.

Indy is revealed to have a sister, the only mention of this sibling so far. It's also good to note that just like in "Calypso", her baby's name is "Polly" (It's the same name in the next ep, although all 3 episodes have different doll representations of "Polly", which only begs the question on the name's significance to Indy).

Rusty misspells "Hospital" as "Hostible", a flub by the voice actor that was kept in.

Favorite Part: Snickers moving past the screen the first time. "Rawh"