#that’s not where i put the read more break lol and i’m scared to even check if a part of the ficlet got deleted……..

[metagalacticx]

drive-in movie date, dinner at a fast-food place at one a.m.

fictober day ?+1✨

this isn’t relevant to the story but: i miss them ❣️

————

They’re barely two miles outside of Beacon Hills when Mason starts dozing off, head tipped against the glass and his scarf bunched up around his neck. 

He should be in bed.

If Corey were stronger, he thinks Mason would be. Curled up by his side and wrapped in his favourite blankets with a bowl of soup on the night table. But Corey’s developed incredible resistance to nearly every strain of Mason Hewitt’s persuasive techniques.

He knows Mason’s Mom would disapprove of him being out of the house with a cold, but Mason laid the facts bare and Corey couldn’t argue, especially with the sore throated raspiness he used to declare that he wasn’t really sick.

Fact number 1: this was the last weekend they’d be spending together for at least two months and they’d been planning this one for a while.

Fact number 2: Would you really want to leave without having a fancy dinner with me? I got all dressed up.

Fact number 3: you love me. 

There was something about the way he said ‘You love me’, like he was asking. Like he wasn’t sure the answer would still be yes.

Corey had scooped him in a hug and sighed. Because yes, he absolutely did. Does. Forever will.

So here they are on their way to a drive-in movie, Mason asleep in the passenger seat and rain clouds hovering above, fanning the flames of uncertainty and guilt roiling in Corey’s gut.

Mason shifts a few times, and Corey looks over with mounting concern, but his breathing remains stable.

Corey wants to wrap him in the blankets they brought, but he doesn’t want to pull over for that, so he toes the accelerator a little more firmly and tries to outrun the clouds.

They don’t make it. In that they do, but the clouds get there before them. Rain pelts the roof of the car, unceasing in its onslaught. The ground is punctured repeatedly and  left with widening puddles of silt. And just like that, the planned date is all but ruined. He’s a little anxious to wake Mason, so at first he just sits there with the car in park while his boyfriend snores lightly in the seat next to him. He bites his lip and stares straight ahead, hoping that the rain will ease enough for the event to be uncancelled. 

But they have no such luck.

When Mason finally stirs Corey smiles, loose and tender.

"What happened?"

"Sorry," he says, about everything. He figures no explanation he could give would matter anyway. He’s just sorry about it all.

Mason’s eyes go round and he straightens, looking around like he could find a spot to peek through the steady sheet of rain. Like he could see in the dark. "Oh... We can still do dinner, right?"

"We kinda missed the time…"

"How long was I asleep?"

Corey isn’t exactly sure but he thinks it’s pointless to fill in the rest of the story, because it doesn’t matter now. But he can tell Mason wants to, so he tells him about the rain and what time it started, how heavy it got. He tells him about the reservation and how long ago it was booked for. He checks the time on the dashboard and tries not to wince as he watches Mason’s face fall when he tells him how long he was asleep in the passenger seat.

"Sorry," he mumbles, and Corey doesn’t like it.

Corey wants to wrap him up, keep him warm. So he leans over the console and takes him in his arms. Mason sags against him and they both take deep breaths. On the exhale Mason coughs.

"You okay?"

He brings his hands to Mason’s back and rubs.

Mason hums and squeezes Corey closer. His forehead is warm against his neck, fingertips burning through his shirt.

"We should get you home."

Mason coughs again. "Can we get food first?"

Corey smiles, "Yeah. We passed a Wendy’s a little ways back. We could probably make it. But I think we should stop somewhere else and get you some soup."

"No soup," Mason groans. Corey chuckles because the protest devolves into a coughing fit.

"Your Mom wouldn’t like it if I didn’t at least buy you some."

"Fine," he drags out. "No chicken, though. That’s for sick people. I’m just having an off day."

[intern-seraph]

forget-me-not (Chp 1)

also on ao3

Summary: For the first time in your seven years alive, you meet someone new in your small town. Little do either of you know that your brief friendship will bind you together long, long after you are forced to part ways.

A/N: hi :)

shoutout to matcha twstjam for being my cheerleader thru this insane, ongoing journey

For those who have been following me on my socials, i'm sorry you know that this fic has been in the works for over a year as of last month. I was originally intending on publishing it only when it was complete, but it very quickly grew way out of hand and I realized that it would definitely not be complete any time soon. Still, I wanted to put it out into the world! So I decided to publish the first chapter! When will the rest come out? Who knows? I certainly don't lol ALSO the presence of forget-me-nots in the actual fic is, at most, debatable lmao i just thought it was a cool and fitting title

Anyways, I have a deep, desperate need for more jewishness in fan content, so I'm filling that dearth myself.

————

You peer out from behind the gnarled oak tree at the edge of the town park. Its trunk is almost half as wide as you are tall, and its boughs are so thick and heavy that the branches droop under their own weight. Once, there was a rope swing that hung from one of the thicker branches. It was destroyed in a storm a few years ago, and nobody has bothered to replace it since. As one of the few children living here, you don’t mind its absence much. After all, you only ever come here to read. Usually you sit on the other side of this very tree, enjoying the shade and the rustling leaves. However, today someone’s taken your spot. The stranger seems to be only a few years older than you, dressed entirely in black. Their clothes shimmer as light filters through the leaves, and you know that the fabric must be fine and expensive. Slivers of their pale skin peek out from the ends of their sleeves and the hem of their robe. It’s a far cry from the homespun woolen garments and rough, sun-kissed skin of your neighbors. The most bizarre thing about them, however, are their spiraling black horns.

You hug your book to your chest, unsure of what to do. You’ve never seen this child before, after all, and you know all of the other kids in town (all four of them, that is). Even worse, you just know that whoever this is must be rich and therefore important. Why are they here, of all places?

“Um…” You tiptoe over the tree’s massive roots and draw closer to the stranger. “Are you from around here?”

The stranger startles, and you yelp as the world burns bright green for a moment. With a grunt, you fall back and land squarely on your butt. You lie there for a second, blinking away the spots in your vision before your throat begins to tighten and tears form at the corners of your eyes. Beside you, the stranger’s blurry face appears. Your sniffling turns into sobs, and you cover your face with both hands as you start crying.

“H-hey,” says the stranger, touching you lightly, “don’t cry! I didn’t mean to scare you!”

You wail even louder, rolling onto your side and curling up into a ball. The stranger pats your shoulder stiffly.

“I’m sorry,” they whisper, voice breaking. “Please don’t be scared.”

Finally, your crying peters out. You hiccup as you wipe your tears away on your sleeve. “I-I’m sorry for scaring you,” you say. The stranger remains silent. “That was magic, right? I scared you and you used your magic…”

“That’s okay. Are you hurt?” The stranger extends a hand into your field of view and hauls you up onto your feet with little effort. Now that you can see clearly, you lean closer to examine his face. He’s a boy around your age, you think. His cheeks are round and soft but you can see where his baby fat is starting to recede. His lips curl into a small pout, accentuated by the embarrassed flush coloring his cheeks. You can’t help but gawk at his electric green eyes. They’re so distinct that, without taking his horns into account, their color and slit pupils alone would tell you that he’s not human. When he notices you’re staring, he shifts back in discomfort. You jolt and giggle abashedly.

“No, I’m okay. Uh, who are you? Are you from around here?” You start to circle him, eyeing his odd features with interest. Are those scales crawling up the back of his neck? Why is the back of his robe moving so weirdly?

“No,” he mumbles. He holds something close to his chest. A book! “I’m… from really far away. My grandmother brought me with her to do some —” his nose scrunches up “— official business. But that’s boring so I left.”

“Won’t your grandma be worried?”

He puffs up like a particularly proud pigeon. “Nuh-uh. I’m big and strong so I can take care of myself!” As he speaks, the thing moving under his robe finally lifts enough to reveal itself: a thick, scaly black tail. It swishes from side to side as he practically preens. Cute. “What about you? You’re here all alone!”

“I know everyone here, duh.” You crouch down and pick up your book, then trot over to sit in your usual spot now that it’s empty. The stranger pouts at you, puffing out his cheeks. You turn your nose up at him. “This was my spot first.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. You can sit next to me, I guess.”

He blinks slowly at you, fingers tightening on his book, before he breaks out into a brilliant smile and plops down at your side. You take note of his sharp fangs. Part of you is tempted to touch them, but you restrain yourself well enough. “What’s your name?” asks the stranger.

You give it to him immediately, pausing to spell it out letter-by-letter just to show off. He nods, but when you ask him the same question, he balks.

“Is it okay if I don’t tell you? I don’t wanna… uh…” He waves his hands for emphasis. “I don’t want my grandmother to hear about me.”

“Well then what should I call you?”

“Hmm…” He furrows his brow and scrunches his eyes shut. Then, he gasps and beams at you. “Nickname! You can gimme a nickname!”

“A nickname, huh? How about…” Your voice trails off. You stare at him, pursing your lips. First, you glance up at his horns, then his tail (thumping against one of the oak tree’s roots), then back up at his horns. “Horn…ton? Yeah, Hornton!”

“That sounds weird.”

“Too bad! You’re Hornton now!”

Hornton rolls his eyes. He opens the book in his lap, clearly trying (and failing) to look smart and above-it-all, but you can see the pointed tips of his ears turning red. Giggling, you follow his lead and open your own book. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch his petulant expression melt into contentment while he reads. He’s cute like this. He’s cute in general — which is a thought that makes you want to gag — but you especially like his sweet little smile. Although you were loath to share your spot beneath the tree, he does make for good reading company. That is, he’s quiet and doesn’t take up too much of your personal space. Before you know it, the sun is setting.

You dog-ear your page and nudge Hornton. “Hey, it’s getting late. You should go back to your grandma.” Hornton jolts, but doesn’t react as violently as he did earlier. His tail thuds against the tree trunk.

“Oh, yeah. I gotta go!” He doesn’t move, only fidgeting with his robe. “Uh, thanks for sitting with me.”

“Why’re you thanking me? It’s no problem.” You pause and look away. Feeling your face grow hot, you say, “Will you be back again?”

“C-Can I?”

“Yeah! I mean, you’re a pretty decent reading buddy, so… yeah.”

“Yes! I’ll be back tomorrow!” He smiles so broadly that you think it must hurt.

“Cool! I’ll be here after noon, that’s when our classes are over.” You stand up and start patting your clothes to get rid of any dirt. Then, you turn and give Hornton a grin of your own. “‘S nice meeting you! See ya!”

He waves timidly, eyes wide and almost shimmering. You don’t give it too much thought, you just start sprinting back down the dirt road leading into town.

—

“Mister Crowley!”

You slam the front door open, practically vibrating with excitement. The schoolmaster yelps from further inside your house, then rushes over to greet you. He’s pouting, feathers positively ruffled. Gently, he grabs you by the shoulders and gives you a once-over.

“Now, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you!”

“I was at the park!” You grin and hold up your book.

Crowley sighs and shakes his head. He wags his finger at you as he starts walking you to the dining room. “Now, child, what have we said about staying out late?”

“Uh… tell you?”

“Indeed! I have been very generous with allowing you free reign of the town! Nevermind all your tchotchkes and trinkets! If you’ll be gallivanting around like this in the future, make sure to inform your very magnanimous guardian beforehand! I was about to send the entire neighborhood out to look for you!”

He probably wasn’t. You know him well enough to know that. But the concern is appreciated. “Sorry,” you say.

“As long as it doesn’t happen again,” Crowley mutters. He pulls out your seat at your little dining table and returns to his own chair. Just at a glance, you can tell that he’d tucked in to his dinner before you came home. As you pick up your fork, a soft little body butts up against your calf. You squeal with delight and duck under the table to scoop up Grim, your bratty street cat. He mrows petulantly, but lets you cuddle him. It had taken a week of relentless begging for Crowley to let you take Grim in, and you had to pinky promise to take good care of him. Then, your friends got the bright idea of trying to bind the cat to you as a familiar (despite your lack of magic), and while it hasn’t worked yet, it certainly helped warm Crowley up to the idea. Something about his sweet baby becoming a beast tamer. You’re not sure what that is, and you’re definitely not a baby, but if it works, it works.

The air is filled with the quiet clink of silverware. After a while, you speak up. “I met someone today.”

Crowley nearly chokes. He pounds on his chest, coughing into his fist. It takes a second for him to recover. “You what?”

“There was a boy at the park,” you explain, “we read together.”

“What did I tell you about talking to strangers?”

“Nothing, we already know everyone in town.”

His mouth opens and closes silently. Then, sighing, he shakes his head. “Well, yes, but you were supposed to say that we don’t talk to strangers.”

“He wasn’t scary or anything,” you lie, remembering how you startled each other.

“Very well! Be careful, though. If something were to happen to you, I don’t even know what I would say, er, do!”

You pointedly ignore that slip-up in favor of finishing your meal. Pushing your chair away from the table with a screech, you grab your dishes and your cat and say a quick “good night!” to your guardian.

—

First thing in the morning when you and Crowley arrive at the schoolhouse, you’re accosted by Ace and Deuce. It’s mostly Ace doing the accosting, really, but Deuce joins him in hanging on your back like the world’s heaviest and most annoying koalas. You shake them off and whip around to start wrestling with Ace. Deuce takes his loss better, choosing to sit on the grass and watch you and Ace play fight. Crowley clears his throat several times, probably to get your attention, but you’re preoccupied and he gives up quickly in favor of unlocking the door and stepping inside. There’s a holler nearby, a series of rapid footsteps, and another heavy body falls on you with a grunt.

“Epel!” you wheeze out, squirming on top of the also-squirming Ace. “Can’t breathe!”

“Oh!” Epel rolls off of you, and you roll off of Ace. “Sorry, looked like you were havin’ fun!”

“Was fun,” Ace mumbles, “until you two crushed me.”

“Oops.”

“You didn’t die, though,” you say before you get up. “Also you started it!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“How do you guys do this every morning?” says Jack as he trots up to join you all on the lawn. He rolls his eyes in a remarkable impression of his mother when she’s scolding all five of you. “We’ve gotta go to class.”

“Ace started it!” you repeat.

“Whatever, c’mon.” Jack hauls both you and Ace up by your forearms while you both giggle. He shakes his head, marching you both into the schoolhouse with Epel and Deuce hot on your tails.

"Ah, there you are! I was wondering what was taking you all so long. Take your seats! We have Professor Trein visiting from the city today for our lesson."

Ace groans as he flops into his seat. You lean over and smack his shoulder. Deuce takes his own seat beside you, trying his best to look enthused.

Professor Trein works in the capitol as a history professor for the university. While he's nice enough (and his familiar Lucius is cute and fluffy), every time he comes to give a lesson at your schoolhouse is somehow more boring than the last. You sink down in your seat, ready to daydream until class lets out. When Professor Trein takes Crowley’s place in front of the blackboard, you feel a tap on your shoulder. Without looking at him, you take the slip of paper Ace passes.

‘my mom wants u to come to a party tonite’

Aside from a time scribbled beneath the words, there’s no other information. Great. History lessons with Professor Trein followed by a party where you’ll be stuck at the kids’ table. Again. At least you have a few hours to hang out with your new friend after school.

—

After class, Epel hands out little brown sacks full of apples to everyone. “Ma ‘n Pa said that they’re ‘not fit to sell’ or somethin’, and Meemaw said I should give ‘em to all of you.” You sling your sack over your shoulder, say your “see you later!”s to your friends, and march off to the park.

Beneath your tree, Hornton is waiting. You sprint towards him, grinning, and he looks up at you with wide eyes before returning the smile. He has his book in his lap, open to a different page than he left on.

“Hi,” you say shyly, hugging your sack of apples to your chest. “Were you waiting long?”

“Not really. I mean, maybe? Dunno, I didn’t really notice.”

You sit next to him and set the apples between your splayed legs. Fishing a plump red one out, you wipe it on your blouse and offer it to him. “Here!”

“Why do you have apples?” He eyes it curiously, hand hovering over it.

“My friend’s family has an orchard so he gave us all some after class.” You wave the apple around. “Take it! They’re good!”

Hornton takes the apple. He inspects it in the sunlight for a moment, then takes a bite. His eyes light up as he sinks his teeth into the apple’s hard skin, and he demolishes the fruit in less than a minute. Licking the juice off of his lips and fangs, he mumbles a messy thanks. You just smile and bop your temple against his. As you pull your novel out of your bookbag, you take another apple from the sack and shine it on your trousers. Out of the corner of your eye, you spy Hornton staring longingly at the sack.

“You can take another if you want,” you say.

He jumps, green eyes going comically wide. Cheeks flushed a bright ruby-red, he snatches another apple from the sack and rubs it clumsily on his very expensive robes.

“Do you like apples?”

“I do now,” he replies. He’s visibly struggling to keep his attention both on you and the book in his lap.

Curious, you lean over his shoulder and try to make sense of the foreign words in his book. Your brow scrunches up. “What’re you reading?”

His body goes tense the moment you touch him, but he doesn’t flinch away. When you glance up at his face, his expression is more severe and excited than you’ve seen yet. “It’s about arky… archee… uh, it’s about buildings and art! And this is the chapter about gargoyles!” He jabs an excited claw against an illustration of a beastly statue whose jaw hangs open. Water pours down its chin. The page (and the ones preceding and succeeding it) is clearly more worn than the rest of the book. “We have a bunch at the — I mean, at home — and Grandmother saw that I really liked them so she gave me this book!”

“What’s a gargoyle?”

He looks at you like you just confessed to murder. Shaking his head, he flips back a few pages. “They’re ‘ornamental stone carvings of animals or people that project from the side of a building and serve as the spout of a gutter.’ You’ve seen one before, right?”

“No.” You lean in closer to inspect another illustration. “They’re weird.” He stares at you, aghast. You roll your eyes. “Cool weird. We don’t have these out here.”

"Oh… that's a shame. Maybe one day you could come see the ones in my home."

You peer up at him. "Maybe. I gotta ask Mister Crowley."

"Who's that?"

"I live with him. He's weird."

"Cool weird?"

"Weird weird." You nudge him with your shoulder. "Do you live with your grandma?"

"Yeah."

"So it's you and her and your parents?"

Hornton goes completely quiet. He fingers the gilded edge of the page. Softly, he mumbles, "They aren't here anymore."

"Oh. Mine too. That's why I'm with Mister Crowley."

“... Do you know what happened to them?”

You shrug and pluck another apple out of the sack. As you wipe it on your trousers, you reply, “Nah. I dunno if Mister Crowley knows, either. He says he found me in a box left outside the school. There was a note, but it only said my name.”

“Oh.” Hornton looks away. “That’s sad.”

“I guess.” You shrug again. “If they didn’t want me, I don’t want them neither.”

He stares at you, wide-eyed. All he manages is another quiet, “Oh.”

Scowling, you take a bite out of your apple. “I don’t wanna talk about it anymore. Let’s just read.”

“Okay. I… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He seems to wilt at your curt statement. You add, “Really, it’s fine. Please, I wanna get through another chapter before I have to go.”

“You’re going somewhere?”

“Yeah, some party at my friend’s house. It’s not even for him, so I dunno why I’m invited, but I think his mom invited everyone in town.” Another bite. You look over the words on the page, not really processing them. “So I gotta go in a couple hours.”

“That must be nice,” Hornton sighs. “Getting invited to parties all the time.”

“What? No, it’s boring. It’s just boring grownup stuff most of the time. It’s only fun when it’s a birthday party, and there’s only four other kids in town so those never happen.” You emphasize this with a long groan.

“Really?” He thinks on this for a moment. “I guess it’s like the parties Grandmother throws.”

“What kinda parties?”

“Uh, they’re… big and fancy, but there aren’t any kids at all. And I can’t go dance or talk to people. And… um… it’s a lot. I don’t like them that much.”

You watch him as his voice shrinks and his head droops. Gently, you bop your temple against his. He perks up a little. With a small smile, you say, “Maybe I can invite you to my birthday party this year. It’d be fun!”

For a moment, you’d swear his eyes water. He beams at you, reaching out to grasp your hand. “I’d like that.”

—

The party at Ace's house is full of tipsy adults while you and your friends drink your juice in a corner. Well, everyone except Ace. His mother parades him around to talk to the other adults who apparently know him. None of you envy him — he looks miserable.

It turns out that the party is for Ace's brother. He emerges from a side room with his girlfriend on his arm and introduces her as his fiancée. When Deuce gives you a questioning look, you lean over and tell him that that means they're going to get married. The adults cheer and sing and dance for hours longer; the celebration only pauses for bedtime (which is fine with you, the party was boring anyways).

The next morning, Crowley wobbles out of his room with most of his weight held up by his cane. He has a faint green tinge to his face, but that doesn't stop him from walking with you to the schoolhouse. This is all, of course, just to announce that class is canceled for the day. You gather with your friends and, after a brief argument, decide to play in the park together.

That's how you find yourself nearly tripping over a familiar figure sitting beneath the oak tree. Hornton looks up from his book, gasps, and reaches out to help steady you. You wheel your arms around haphazardly for a moment before you breathe out a sigh of relief. Then, you take in Hornton's face and gasp.

"Oh! You're here today!"

Before you can give a proper greeting, Ace hollers your name. Both you and Hornton turn to look at the four boys coming to join you. Ace stops, bare toes curling in the grass. He eyes Hornton warily, the sloppy heart painted around his left eye scrunching up. "Who're you?"

"Uh…"

"He's Hornton and he's my friend," you say for him.

"'Hornton?'" Epel repeats. He snorts. "That's a stupid name."

"It isn't my real name," mumbles Hornton.

"Your name is stupid, Epel," you snap. You cross your arms and stick out your tongue. He returns the gesture.

"You guys are children," says Jack. Epel appears comically devastated at the deadpan insult. You huff softly.

Deuce snorts. "You're the youngest!"

"By a month!"

"Your friends are loud," Hornton whispers. You nod. He picks at the page he's on, a tiny film of gold foil flaking onto his black claw. "Should I go?"

"No!" Your friends turn to stare at you. Hornton blinks slowly, pink tinting his cheeks. He smiles bashfully, shrinking a little into his robes. Ace, meanwhile, gets that certain spark in his eye that instantly makes you shoot him a glare in warning. He grins, showing off one of his missing baby teeth, but keeps his mouth otherwise shut.

"Wait, is this the kid you mentioned yesterday?" Deuce asks. He peers over at Hornton. "I thought you were kidding."

"Why would I kid about that? That'd be weird."

"'Cause you're weird," Epel mutters, and you lunge for him while he shrieks with laughter and ducks away.

"You've got pointy ears," says Jack, his own fluffy white ears swiveling towards Hornton before he turns to look at you, "kinda like your dad."

Ew. From your spot on the grass wrestling with Epel, you sit up. "Mister Crowley is not my dad."

"But you live with him?"

"So?"

"I live with my Meemaw," Epel adds. "She's not my mom."

"See?"

Hornton observes your conversation. He tilts his head and hums thoughtfully. "I live with my grandmother, that doesn't make her my mother."

"You talk funny."

"Epel!"

"What? It's true! He talks all fancy like Professor Trein!"

"Fancy?"

"Fancy!"

You roll your eyes and shove Epel. Ignoring his indignant squawk, you scurry over to sit beside Hornton. "Wanna hang out with us?"

He stares at you, mouth agape. Again, he smiles shyly. "You're really inviting me?"

"Duh," Ace drawls. "Why else would they ask?"

Hornton tucks his book into his robe. A tiny green light sparks at his fingertips for a moment as he does so. Then, he stands up. He holds his curled fists close to his chest, guarding. Ignoring his nerves, you grab his hands and use him as leverage to stand, too.

"Whaddya wanna play? Or talk about?"

"Uh… I don't know?"

"Do you guys think you'll ever get married?" Deuce blurts out. All 5 of you turn to stare at him. He goes pale before blushing furiously. "Wait, no, I mean —! Since Ace's brother's gonna get married I was thinking about it!"

You hum. "I'unno. Maybe? Mister Crowley cried last night when I asked him if I'd ever get married."

"Ew."

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna get married," Jack asserts. His tail swishes with excitement. "My mom and dad said that I'll know when I found 'the one.'"

"What does that mean?"

He shrugs. "Dunno. But they've been together for forever."

"True. Ace?"

He makes an exaggerated gagging sound. Complete with gestures. "No way! My brother and his fiancée are so gross with each other all the time! It's weird."

"It's gross 'cause he's your brother, dummy."

"And?"

"My mom's not married," Deuce says, plucking at the grass. "She says my dad was a… uh… a 'good-for-nothing scumbag'. She gets all sad when she talks about him, so I dunno about getting married."

"My Grandmother told me that I have to get married one day." Hornton shrugs. "But I don't really think about it."

"So you've never thought about your wedding?" you ask.

Ace shoves you. "You're the only one who has! You're always reading those kissing books."

"So?"

"Kissing books?" Hornton repeats.

"They're called romance and they're good!"

"Real life is grosser," says Ace. You shove him. "Hey!"

"What if we did our own wedding?" Jack interjects. Everyone pauses to look at him. "It can be like training. For when Ace's brother has his, I mean."

"Yeah but who would be who?" Deuce glances over at you, then Hornton. "Why don't you guys play the people getting married?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, yeah! Me 'n Ace 'n Jack 'n Deuce will put up the… the thing!"

"Thing?"

"A chuppah! We gotta make a chuppah!"

"We gotta get some big sticks!"

"I think I saw some branches over on the other side of the tree."

"Nice, Jack! Hey, you 'n Hornton should make some rings! We'll be right back!" Deuce scurries off with the other boys, leaving you and Hornton standing in a stunned silence.

“What?”

“I guess we’re playing wedding?” You shrug and start looking for wildflowers. Hornton watches you with wide eyes. You glance over at him. “C’mon! Help me make the rings!”

He crouches down next to you. Giving you a helpless look, he holds his hands to his chest in hesitation. “Um… how do we do that?”

“We’ll get some flowers and tie the stems! Like making flower crowns! Oh oh oh! We should make flower crowns, too!”

“Oh. I’ve never made a flower crown before. Can you show me?”

“Yeah!” You kneel next to him with a fistful of brightly-colored wildflowers. Hornton watches in rapt attention as you slowly weave their stems together, forming a ring just big enough to fit you as a bracelet. He claps when you present it. Then, without a word, you reach up and drop it onto one of his horns. Hornton sits in stunned silence for a moment before he blushes and mumbles a quiet thanks. He takes the leftover flowers and carefully weaves a crown for you, this one large enough to actually be a crown. His brow furrows as he finishes the crown and then places it on your head. Giggling, you touch the petals. “Thank you, honey!” “H-Honey?”

“Yeah! That’s what the ladies in my romance books call their gentlemen! If we’re getting married I should call you that!”

“Oh!” He smiles, shoulders hunched, then grabs one of the few remaining flowers. “Here, uh, honey. I’ll make your ring.” He winds the stem around your left ring finger, sticking his tongue out in deep concentration. Once he’s knotted the stem, he uses a claw to snip off the excess. Without your prompting, he holds out his own left hand for you to do the same.

“We match!” you whisper-shout, holding your hand next to his.

“Mhm!” His tail thump thump thumps behind him. “Wait, let me try something…” Hornton leans over and touches your flower crown and ring. A bright green light envelops the both of you, and you gasp and squeeze your eyes shut. Once it fades, you crack open one eye. The flowers seem unchanged.

“What’d you do?”

“I tried a spell my Grandmother taught me. It’s s’posed to keep plants from withering!” He twists the flower ring on his finger. “I mean, I don’t know if I did it right, but if I did then we’ll always have these!”

“I like that.” You take off your own ring and cradle it in your palm. “I like it.”

A holler from Epel breaks your focus, and you turn to look at the oak. Beneath it, the boys have stuck four massive branches in the ground. Now, they’re arguing over who will give up their jacket to use as a canopy. Beside you, Hornton sighs and takes off his cloak. With a flick of his wrist, it floats up to rest atop the branches and shade the ground beneath it. The boys shut up, seeing the matter settled.

“Okay, I think we gotta start with… uh…” Deuce frowns and scrunches up his nose. After a long moment of deliberation, he looks at the rest of you helplessly.

“You gotta give each other your rings!” Ace shouts.

You tilt your head. “But we already did that while you were getting the sticks.”

“Then give them back and do it again!”

“Why?”

“‘Cause you gotta!”

You roll your eyes but slide the flower ring off your finger. Hornton does the same, cradling his delicately in his palm. You drop yours in his hand and take his. Pinching the stem between your fingers, you glance over at Ace. “Aren’t you supposed to say something?”

“I’m not the one who’s… uh…” His nose scrunches up as he thinks for a moment. “Mom called them an o-fish-ant?”

“You’re not a fish,” Deuce supplies helpfully.

“It’s ‘officiant’, stupid,” you interject. “Did you guys even pick someone for that?”

“I’ll do it,” says Jack, “‘cause if I don’t, this’ll never be done. And then I’ll miss lunch and my mom will yell at me.”

“You’re taking this way too seriously.” Ace folds his arms behind his head. “We’re just playing!”

“A wedding’s a wedding.”

“Whatever, do your fish thing!” “It’s ‘officiant’!”

Jack clears his throat. You and Hornton turn to give him your rapt attention. His nose scrunches up and one fluffy ear flicks at the air a few times before he begins speaking. “Uh, we’re gonna… start with you giving each other your rings.” He pauses, pursing his lips. “... Go on. Do it.”

You raise your left hand dutifully, and Hornton slides the flower ring onto your finger. You do the same for him. Both he and Jack look so serious about this that it’s hard not to giggle. “Okay, now what?”

“Um…”

“Oh! I remember one’a my cousins got married and she walked ‘round her husband a bunch!”

“That sounds weird.”

“It was! But she did it!”

“How many times did she do it?”

“I dunno.”

“Wouldn’t you get dizzy?” Deuce mumbles.

“I mean, she seemed fine.”

You glance at Epel, shrug, then look back at Hornton. “Wanna do it?” He nods eagerly. Again, you try not to giggle. Hornton beams. “Okay, I’ll go first! Epel, how many times should I do it?”

“Uh… I dunno, until you start getting dizzy?”

“Bet I can do more than you,” you whisper to Hornton. He stares at you, wide-eyed, then grins so sharply you barely recognize him.

“Bet you’re wrong.”

You both laugh. Taking a deep breath, you start to walk around and around and around Hornton. He spins with you, wobbling. Meanwhile, your friends count every lap. One, two, three, four — you get to seven, and decide to tap out. Hornton puffs out his chest and, a little green in the face, starts circling you, instead. He also makes it to seven.

“Aw,” you mutter. “It’s a tie.”

“I totally could’ve beat you if I went first.” You stick your tongue out at Hornton. He giggles to himself. Then, he turns to Jack. “So, uh, what next?”

“Umm…” Jack’s face screws up in contemplation. His ears swivel back and forth for a moment, before he hesitantly replies, “Uh… you’re married now?”

“I don’t think that’s it,” you say.

“Aren’t we s’posed to… kiss?”

You stare at Hornton, who appears just as flustered as you now feel. “I think so.”

“Wait!” Ace reaches into his coat pocket and retrieves a small pinecone. He sets it on the ground between you and Hornton. “You’re supposed’ta crush it first!”

“Isn’t it supposed to be glass?” Jack asks, and Ace shoves him. “Hey!”

“Do you wanna go get glass to step on?”

“... No.”

“‘Kay, then pinecone it is!” He gestures enthusiastically at the pinecone. “Crush it! Go! Go! Go!”

You squeeze Hornton’s hand, giggling, and in unison you both lift a foot and crush the pinecone under your feet. It gives a loud, crackling crunch, and its little seed pockets burst and go flying. Your friends hoot and holler in celebration.

“‘Kay, now you need to kiss!” Ace declares.

Hornton turns beet red. “Kiss?”

“Like, for real?” you squeak.

“Uh, yeah, otherwise it’s not a wedding.”

You fidget with your ring, face hot. Hornton stares at you with wide, uncertain eyes. All the while, your friends (well, everyone but Jack) chant, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

You’re the one to take the initiative. Squeezing your eyes shut, you lean in and give Hornton a brief, chaste kiss. It lasts only for a second, and from his startled squeak, it’s almost as if he expected that nothing would ever happen. Behind you, Epel and Ace gag dramatically.

“Ewww, you actually did it!” Epel shakes you by the shoulders and cackles through his words. “Gross!”

“You wanted us to kiss!” you protest. Before you can say more, he lifts you on his shoulders. Your words become a shrill squeal, and you can see Ace and Deuce struggling to lift Hornton, as well. “EPEL! PUT ME DOWN!”

“You’re married!” he crows. “You kissed someone!”

For his part, Hornton buries his face in his hands while Ace and Deuce finally manage to lift him up together.

“Uh… mazel tov,” Jack mumbles.

“We’re not actually married!” Even as you say this, you can’t help your rosy cheeks, nor the way your heart races as you meet Hornton’s electric gaze. He smiles bashfully as he grips Ace and Deuce’s shoulders for balance.

Hours later, after you and Hornton and your friends have spent the rest of the day dancing together and chatting and playing tag, you and Hornton are the only ones left at the park. Everyone else went home as the sun began to set. You run your fingers over your ring’s petals, fascinated by their softness.

“Did you have fun?” you ask, voice small. “I know my friends can be a lot…”

“Yeah.” A faint flush brings life to Hornton’s pale face. He smiles, and the sun casts him in gold. “I haven’t had this much fun in forever. Thank you.” For a moment, he hesitates, then he reaches to grab your hand. “Um… will you be here tomorrow?”

You nod, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “Mhm! Do you… wanna read together, maybe?”

It’s as if the sun is rising again when he beams. He gives your hand a squeeze. “I’d like that.”

Though you’re loath to leave, you force yourself to give Hornton a squeeze in return before you pull back. “I gotta go before Mister Crowley starts worrying. Bye, Hornton.”

“Goodbye.”

—

When you go home, you can’t stop yourself from spinning the flower ring on your finger. Crowley asks you what you’re giggling about over dinner, and all you do is grin and show him the ring and crown. He rolls his eyes, muttering about children and their whimsies (whatever that means), and shoos you off to bed once you’ve finished and cleaned up. Before you crawl under the covers, you take off the flowers and place both pieces delicately on your nightstand.

The next day, once school is over, you run to your oak tree. You’re wearing your ring again, unable to stop looking at it and its perfectly-maintained petals. With an excited shout of “HORNTON!” you swing around to the other side of the tree.

And it’s empty.

Your heart drops.

‘Maybe he’s doing something with his grandma?’

The next day, you approach your tree again, less enthused and more nervous. He’s not there.

‘I thought we were gonna play together again.’

Day after day, you check your tree. Day after day, you’re greeted with no sign of the boy you’d started to befriend. Spring turns into summer. Ace’s brother gets married, and all you can think about during the ceremony is a scaly black tail thump thump thumping against the ground. When the leaves of your oak tree begin to turn gold and orange and red, you stop checking.

The ring and the flower crown remain just as pristine as they were the day they were made. You leave the crown on your dresser and wear the ring to class every day.

Years pass. You grow up. Your friends start taking extra lessons after classes a few times a week to train their magic. A new teacher from the city starts to visit, a young man named Divus Crewel. He teaches chemistry and alchemy, and you take to it like a fish to water. The private lessons you get from him almost help to soothe the beast of envy that grows in your chest every time you leave your friends to their magic classes. By the time you turn 13, the ring no longer fits. You keep it and the crown in a little wooden box tucked lovingly beneath your bed. Sometimes, you take them out and marvel at how little they’ve changed. Your friends, however, change just as rapidly as you do. Their magical prowess grows at a startling rate. You content yourself with cheering from the sidelines and working on your alchemical skills. Ace and Deuce try to bind Grim to you as a familiar first when you’re 16 (It doesn’t work, but your hair briefly catches fire). They next try when you’re 18 (It almost works. Crowley says it may have to do with your utter lack of any magic. You try not to feel resentful.). At last, on your 19th birthday, they succeed. It’s quite possibly the best gift you’ve ever gotten; Grim’s life is prolonged for as long as he’s bound to you.

By 20, you and your friends (by some miracle) all get accepted to the university in the city, the same one that Professors Trein and Crewel teach at. You start working under Crewel as a student alchemist (He says you’re one of his most promising students, especially because you have no magic to use as a shortcut. For once, you don’t wilt at the mention of magic.). You see your first real gargoyle on one of the older campus buildings. You take a photo, your mind conjuring up a fanged grin and excited electric green eyes. ‘Does Hornton still like gargoyles?’ you wonder as you save the photo. Years later, at your graduation ceremony, you take another photo of the gargoyle. Now, it’s decorated with a few fabric-flower leis that your fellow graduates managed to get over its head. ‘Look, Hornton, the gargoyle is celebrating, too!’

You return to your hometown after receiving your degree. Crowley graciously allows you to stay at home (although you suspect he might just like having another hand to help around the house) while you continue your work as an alchemist. Crewel has hired you full-time as a lab assistant. Every day you take the train into the city for work. Sometimes, when you get all caught up in your head and the novelty of watching the world pass by through the window, you find yourself reaching for your left ring finger to twist a ring that isn’t there.

‘It’s been almost twenty years,’ you chastise yourself, ‘why are you still thinking about that boy?’

Despite your age, your experience in romance is limited to the cheesy romance novels and cheap bodice-rippers that populate your bookshelf, interspersed between your textbooks and notebooks. For some reason, you could never bring yourself to try dating. Every time the thought comes to you, you feel the phantom sensation of a soft stem wrapped around your finger. Your friends tease you about it. Ace calls you a dweeb. Epel says you’re acting foolish over a stupid game you played as children. Deuce laughs and does a pantomime of your fake wedding. Jack just shakes his head knowingly. He’s the most understanding about it — wolves mate for life, and he gets why you would take a play-wedding to heart. That doesn’t stop him from getting a jab or two in on occasion, though.Some days, you pull the box out from under your bed and look at the flowers. As always, they look just as perfect as the day they were picked. Now that you’re older, you’ve learned more about magic. The spell required to make and maintain such perfect preservation requires both skill and a wellspring of magic. The amount of magic alone would send most experienced mages into overblot. This only stokes your curiosity. How did Hornton, a child hardly older than you, cast such a spell with ease? Who was he? It’s a question that haunts you. It’s a question you know you’ll never get an answer to.

[moonroses-restuff]

Stay A Little Longer - Bi-Han x Reader

A/N- this was highly enspired by the recent new ep from the Apothecary Diaries. I hope you enjoy it.

Warning: sad Bi-Han, not proof read lol. Sfw

You were on the roof, staring at moon light and stars, drinking some alcohol after such a stressful day. Your body was aching from all that unnecessary training with Bi-Han. You couldn’t help but wondered what was going on with him. He was much rougher than usual during training. Much angrier. Almost like he didn’t care if he hurt you.

It scared you. Luckily, Kuai Liang was there to stop his older brother to cause you any harm. You sighed as you drank up the last bit of the alcohol before you head back down and return to your room. You packed up your things and headed to the area where you climbed up.

Step by step, you carefully climbed down. Only until you were jumped by surprise from a sudden voice.

“What are you doing, Y/N?”

You gasped and lost your footing and fell down. You groaned in pain, “Damn, who was that? You startled me.”

“My bad.” You turned around to see who the hell scared you and made you lost your footing when you gasped to see Bi-Han.

“Bi-Han! Why are you here?” You asked.

“I should be the one asking you the same question.” He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry. I’ll get up then.” You were ready to get up and get away from since he’s been in such a bad mood already since training that you didn’t want to cause anymore problems for you and for him. But suddenly, his big arms wrapped around you from behind, preventing you from leaving.

Your heart skipped a beat, “Could you let go of me?” You said, but he didn’t listen as he pulled you back down and sat you down.

“Don’t wanna. It’s too cold for you.” He mumbled, resting his forehead against your back.

You scoffed, “Ironic since you’re the one with ice powers.”

He groaned, “You’re the one without a jacket at this time of the night.”

You rolled your eyes. You didn’t know whether he was joking or not. But you didn’t want to further question him. But that’s when you nose caught this stretch form him.

Is he drunk?

“Are you drunk?” You asked, turning your head to face him. You took a good closer look and you can tell that his cheeks were pink and his eyes were red.

“Can’t help it since Kuai Liang and Tomas were there.” He sighed, burying his face more into your back.

“I see…”

“They both invited me for a drink. Once the booze were out, I filled myself with alcohol until I passed out. Once I’ve woken up, I endured a headache and wanted some fresh air until I saw you climbing down.” Bi-Han explained the details which surprised you. He wasn’t the type of person to be social with anyone. This was probably the longest conversation you ever had with him.

Come to think of it. You did notice how he gobbled alcohol for the past weeks now. You didn’t say anything since his outburst were out of control and didn’t want to bother him. Even, Kuai Liang and Tomas were distant threw out the days. You haven’t been here long enough to know what was really going on. Then again, you didn’t want to interfere with their buisness in the Lin Kuei.

But that doesn’t relate to this situation where you are trapped with his arms around you. You tried to break free from his grip but no matter what you do. He still wouldn’t budge. You didn’t want to be put up with a clingy drunk.

Then something hit you. You technically did fell on top of him, even though he was the one that startled you and he did catch you. It was probably rude of you to not even say thank you to him. Or else, he’ll have your head off by now.

It wouldn’t hurt to say thank you. You turned your head slightly about to say something when you felt something wet dropping on your bare neck. Your eyes widened and turned back to face him only to see tears dropping from his closed eyes. Your heart beats. Bi-Han pulled you closer as much as he can while you stayed quiet.

“Stay a little longer,” he whispered, “Just keep me warm. Just a little longer. Please.”

He pleaded. He sounded so vulnerable and you don’t know why. You took this opportunity to ask him a question.

“Bi-Han,” your soft voice got his attention, “What is wrong?”

He didn’t say a word and you understood. The two of you sat like this for hours. In silent. You can hear his breathing increased as you felt more tears falling. You never seen him like this. You didn’t know how to react or do for him. You breathed out from your nose and relaxed your body as you leaned back, holding his hand in comfort.

Bi-Han wanted to tell you his vulnerability. But he wasn’t ready to open up. No matter how much he wants to tell you about the pain he is facing. He couldn’t. But sitting here with you and having his arm around you was close on being comfortable. The warmth of your body made him ease up a bit. For that, he’ll thank you for this moment one day.

Perhaps one day, he’ll open up to you about his mother’s death anniversary that he drank himself up for the past weeks. But for now, he just wants to enjoy this night with you and not bother you with his issues.

A/n- need more vulnerable Bi-Han. This is my first time writing in a while. Ignores some Grammars lol

[asterefflores]

Yup, yours truly is back! To cause trouble again (sorry lol can't help myself) the last few ones have been great! And I loved em tho if I could trouble you a lil more I would like em to be a bit more longer? *Kicked* I'm a sucker for long reads (sorry (not sorry at all)) soooo let's get right into it.

Soooo, this time around my request is kid Cale!!! Or kid kimroksoo!!!! Whichever you decide to write (tho honestly speaking we both know the fun one would be roksoo who pout over the whole situation lmao, and ofc tristan NEEDS to THERE) either ways, so a curse or something similar had hit the one of the brothers or....both of em *eyebrow wiggle* (why take one when you can have both *crackles in evil*) now everyone is panicking cuz they have turned into children the others are dying from cuteness, the actual children raon, on and hong are having the time of life and Tristan is just shaking his head and sighing in the brothers are making trouble again and how can be forget the brothers where if it's one of em, then the other is having the time of their lives teasing thier brother and if it's both of em who are children, they are just sighing in why can't they be just left alone In peace?! Well rok soo is enjoying his slacker life even as a child since everyone is pampering him, Cale is shaking his head but secretly love all the attention he is getting from both his hyung and all thier family.

That's the request lmao, what do you think? (Sorry for the trouble lolololol)

Have a great day and tc!💐

Not really exactly as what you want or imagine I guess but here it is at last, tho it contains some spoilers lol,,

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

Tristan quietly sighed and rested back in his chair, closing his eyes with his arms crossed, deciding to rest a bit as Madelin made him promise.

“Your Majesty!”

‘Well, there goes my rest.’ Tristan opened his eyes and looked at his assistant, who suddenly barged into his office, looking unusually panicked with the communication device in his hands. “What is it?”

The assistant hesitated as he quickly realized he had disrupted the Emperor’s break time. “There is an emergency call from the Henituse Duchy, sir…”

Tristan paused with one blink. He suppressed a sigh and moved to sit properly with his legs still crossed, his hand reaching for the device to the side on his office desk, “Take the call.”

“Yes, sir.”

The assistant immediately pressed accept, and the screen appeared before Tristan, revealing a distraught Deruth Henituse.

Tristan tried not to frown horribly, just as he usually does whenever he looks at the man.

-Hyung—

“Tsk, I told you not to call me that.” Tristan sighed, instantly annoyed, “What do you want now?” He narrowed his eyes, “You didn’t call just to panic over what present to get for RokSoo and Cale, did you?”

The assistant prepared to disconnect the call as Deruth Henituse had done such a prank before, which only put their Emperor in a foul mood for almost a whole week. Having seen how the man was ridiculed intensely by their Emperor, the assistant was sure that no one from the Henituse family would dare pull such a stunt ever again. Well, maybe, except for the two redheads. Their Emperor was exceptionally kind and weak when it came to the two brothers.

-No, no…it’s RokSoo…

Tristan frowned slightly more as he could tell the man on the screen was hesitating and scared. “What the fuck did you do?”

-I did nothing!

Deruth quickly started explaining, frightened by the look in Tristan’s eyes that slowly shifted to something dangerous.

-We don’t know how to turn him back! And I’m afraid the curse is affecting his mind now! What do I do, Hyung?

“……”

Tristan kept staring for a long moment with a deadpan face. He calmly stood up, “I’m coming over right now.”

-Yes, please do, Hyung!

“Say Hyung one more time, and I’ll rip out your tongue.”

 

Tristan didn’t have to look at the screen to know from the silence that the man paled with a flinch, taking his threat seriously, as he should.

-…you will bring the Empress with you, right?

He raised an eyebrow and looked at Deruth, “No.”

Yet, here he was, in Cale’s office together with Madelin.

“Didn’t we agree for you to get along with Deruth Henituse, Tristie?”

“I don’t recall agreeing to become his Hyung.”

“Honey, you’re announced as that to the public.”

“Relatives could still be distant as to call each other formally.”

“And do you call him formally?”

“Why would I even need to speak to or about him?”

 

“……”

Cale watched in amusement at the couple before him. It’s always interesting to watch Madelin make the vicious Tristan Battlesea appear as a pouting kid throwing a tantrum with his arms crossed and looking away from his wife like that. 

“I apologize for having my father scare you into hurrying here, Dad, Mama.” He said as he brought the cup to his smiling lips while the two looked at him, frowning with a quiet sigh as he found it was lemon tea even when Ron wasn’t in the office with them. “Little Hyung is not dying or anything.”

“…little Hyung?”

“Hm?” He looked at the two, who seemed lost. “Are you saying that father didn’t explain the situation to you?”

“He said something about turning RokSoo back.” Tristan slightly frowned, “I would’ve used the spirits to check on RokSoo without needing to come over or hear from that dumbhead of a father—”

“Tristie.”

Tristan kept looking at Cale with his arms crossed, “—but I know RokSoo gets uncomfortable when I do so, so I didn’t.”

“Haa, how can I scold you now when you say something cute like this out of nowhere?”

Tristan gave his wife a deadpan look, “It’s common consideration of one’s discomfort, don’t you do it too?”

“Of course I do, but it’s so damn endearing when you do it.”

“I don’t see the logic in that.”

“Sure, you shy cutie.”

Tristan only sighed elegantly and just let his wife keep pinching his cheek tenderly, used to Madelin’s many loving teases, knowing there was no helping it when she was a bit upset with him.

“As sweet as it is to see you two loving each other, please don’t flirt in front of this poor, innocent son of yours.” Cale casually sipped the tea and stopped himself from laughing as Tristan looked silently grateful for the distraction.

Knock, Knock—

“Ah,” Cale looked at the door, “Hyung is finally here.” He put the cup on the table, stood up and calmly walked to open the door.

“…why are you smiling like that?”

Madelin and Tristan blinked when they heard a kid’s voice instead…

“Would my little Hyung please allow me to carry him?” Cale asked with a gentle smile.

RokSoo frowned at the punk before him looking at him with a playful glint in his eyes and arms open and awaiting to take him from Ron.

“Come here. I know your trip here was tough enough already.”

RokSoo let himself be taken from Ron’s arm, instantly relaxing in Cale’s arms while the punk chuckled.

“Hoo, was the Kitten possibly troubled with this servant?”

RokSoo shivered and quickly looked away from Ron’s benign smile. Cale was right; having Ron smiling at him was scary enough before, but it was even more frightening when he looked up, and the vicious old man kept smiling down at him like he was one of those little rabbits he liked to hunt down, ‘Vicious old man…’ He shivered again when the old butler laughed quietly.

“You should really fix the way you smile, Ron. At least when around kids.”

“……”

RokSoo lightly wrapped his tiny arms around Cale’s neck when the smile disappeared from Ron’s face at the comment, ‘This fearless punk!’ However, he felt safe when Cale started lightly patting his tiny back, knowing that no matter what in their house, no one could bother him or anything at all if he was with Cale.

He now really understands how good Cale is with kids. No wonder all the kids gravitate to his Dongsaeng wherever he goes. 

“Now, let’s take you to our parents.”

RokSoo blinked as he looked over Cale’s shoulder at the office, but he couldn’t see who was on the couches behind the door. ‘Tristan and Madelin are here?’ So that was why he was suddenly asked to get to the Duke’s office when he was about to take a nap.

“Ron, take the kids and give us a moment alone.”

“Yes, Puppy.” Ron smiled at the sigh from his Puppy Young Master. He looked next somewhere in the air, “You’ve been caught.”

“Gentle Human!”

Raon, Hong and Ohn suddenly appeared before the door, looking at Cale with puppy eyes.

“It’s been so long since we saw Purple Grandpa! We miss him! Let us see him!”

Cale lightly patted Raon’s head with his other hand and turned around with his usual smile, “Dad?”

“It’s fine.”

‘What happened to not wanting to meet anyone?’ Cale held back a chuckle and stepped aside, and the kids immediately ran inside.

“Purple!”

“We missed you!”

“Cheerful Grandma! Do you have cookies today, too?”

RokSoo and Cale sighed as they listened to Raon and Hong immediately asking for Madelin’s cookies, with Ohn sighing but happy to see the couple.

“Come in, Ron.”

Ron walked after his Puppy Young Master into the office and closed the door behind him, following the two redheads to stand behind the sofa.

“Ah…oh, crap…”

RokSoo stiffened when their mom suddenly froze as her eyes fell on him. ‘…why is she looking at me like that?’ He found Madelin’s wide eyes a little scary at that moment.

“…can I hold you?” She asked carefully, almost in a whisper, with hopeful eyes and awaiting hands, “Please…?”

“……” He silently nodded despite not feeling like leaving his Dongsaeng’s side, and Cale gently moved him into Madelin’s arms.

“Awwh…”

Everyone looked at Madelin, who seemed overwhelmed and lost for words, hugging the child in her arms so carefully as if afraid to crush him.

“Aww, no, I think I’ll cry~~”

She whined as she rested the side of her face atop RokSoo’s head while gently caressing his red locks.

 

Raon came closer to whisper to Madelin, “Isn’t my Human cute?”

 

Madelin nodded without looking at Raon, cupping RokSoo’s cheek, “He is~~” She whined again as she couldn’t contain her endearment.

“Hehe~” Raon turned to Tristan, poking his shoulder. “Purple Grandpa, isn’t Human cute?”

Hong jumped onto Tristan’s lap, looking up at him with his tail wagging happily, “He’s so sweet, right?”

“Haa…” Ohn sighed again at her young brothers, but she was also secretly waiting for Tristan to react as he stared long at RokSoo, seemingly shocked or observing.

“…undeniably cute, of course.” He slowly nodded, “Since when and how, though?”

“Shh, let’s bask in the moment.”

He sighed at his wife as she looked close to lying down with RokSoo tucked in her arms like one of her little teddy bears at home.

“Don’t you sigh at me!” She frowned at her husband, “You got to see baby Cale when I wasn’t around! You cheater!”

“My win.”

Everyone watched as Tristan only taunted his wife with a prideful nod.

Madelin tossed him a look with a raised eyebrow, “Let’s see if it’ll still be your win tonight, then.”

He let out an amused hum, “Should I take it as a challenge, then?”

Ron looked amused as he noticed his Kitten and Puppy Young Masters were rendered speechless at the couple’s loud flirtation.

“Purple Grandpa! Cheerful Grandma! You shouldn’t fight at night!!”

Cale held back a laugh while RokSoo sighed at the look from the couple when Raon suddenly interrupted their staring competition.

“Anyway,” Tristan calmly turned away from his wife to look at Cale sitting before him, “How and when?”

He brushed his hair back with his hand, “We suddenly woke up and found him a baby. He doesn’t know what happened either.” Cale said as he casually sipped his tea, “It’s been 4 days now.”

Madelin blinked and slowly looked down at reddish-brown eyes. “Are you hurt, honey?”

RokSoo felt awkward under Madelin’s loving eyes like this. “…no, mom.”

“Do you feel pain or discomfort anywhere by any chance?”

“…no.”

Madelin nodded while playing gently with his hair, “Good, at least we can have our time finding a way to turn you back.”

“Yes, no need to rush.” RokSoo assured her with a stoic face.

 

RokSoo frowned when he noticed from the corner of his eyes, ‘What is this brat laughing at?’ Cale’s shoulders shook slightly as he held back a laugh, hiding his smile behind the cup.

“I want to know, exactly what was that idiot panicking for?”

“Tristie.”

Tristan nodded and kept his eyes on Cale, “What was Deruth idiot Henituse panicked for?”

“Try again, honey.”

He turned to Madelin, “It’s enough that my question is understood.”

She held out her finger, shaking it like she was reprimanding a kid instead, “Nope, now try again, my love.”

“Haa, what was Deruth panicked for?”

Madelin nodded, looking satisfied. “Good, I’m proud of you.” She caressed his smooth cheek for a moment with loving eyes, “We’ll both have a talk with him later after this.”

Tristan didn’t look impressed.

RokSoo shivered at the smile and tone from Madelin, ‘Vicious…’ He was sure that promise wasn’t meant to be kind. For what reason did Tristan and Deruth get into another fight this time? When will the two get along?

“Father is worried because Hyung can’t use his Ancient Powers in this body to protect himself in case he gets in trouble or someone kidnaps him, which will not happen, obviously, not on my watch.” Cale sat relaxed, almost lying down as he explained while brushing his hair, “Another reason is that Hyung here likes it a bit too much, so he thinks RokSoo is slowly being brainwashed.”

RokSoo flinched slightly at being exposed, ‘Why is this punk so good at reading people?’ But could anyone blame him? RokSoo can slack off and be looked after like this; everyone will do everything for him since he’s a weak child now, and people will soon forget or leave the Hero Silver Shield alone, right? Although it’s a bit concerning he can’t use his Ancient Powers because they’re powerful on his small body now, as long as everyone is around him, he’ll be fine. No one dared to attempt anything ever since Cale became the Duke, so why worry?

“I see.” Tristan looked at RokSoo for a while.

“……” RokSoo felt unsettled whenever his dad looked at him as if observing him with knowing eyes.

“As much as I’d like you to be comfortable and enjoy your slacker life, I must let you know that you’ll soon turn so tiny to fit in anyone’s palm. Is that still okay with you, RokSoo?”

RokSoo almost choked on the cookie Madelin gave him.

“Tristie, you scared our poor kid!”

Tristan gave a slight shrug, “He should’ve been scared when he turned like this out of nowhere, but he chose ignorance.”

“Well…” Madelin hesitated and looked down at RokSoo, “Honey, you do have a bad habit of neglecting concerning stuff happening to you.”

“……” He looked down and felt awkward. ‘Will I really turn that small?’

-Yes, you will.

His eyes trembled at Tristan’s voice in his head.

“I can help you, though; I was just making sure if you wanted to stay a bit more as a baby.”

He looked at his dad.

“Someone played a prank, it seems, or not really a prank. I can only assume it’s to please…some people here.”

“……”

Cale stared long at his dad with everyone. “Killian did it?”

Tristan sighed, “Sorry, he took it a bit too seriously when I once told him I wish I could make Madelin see you two as babies since she…” He avoided everyone’s eyes, “…you guys know her condition.”

The room was too silent for a long moment.

“Tristie…”

Cale observed as Madelin looked so touched, almost close to crying. He couldn’t blame her when she had an incredibly considerate husband like Tristan Battlesea. It was really sweet of Tristan to care about Madelin, his beloved, to the extent of even taking her ranting seriously about having him seen one of their kids as a baby while she hadn’t. Since she can’t get pregnant, she can at least be overjoyed to see them as babies and live the dream for a while, but it is only a wish. It’s clear that Tristan didn’t mean it at all to actually turn them into babies. However, it seems the prank worked only on RokSoo and not on him because of the Invulnerability power.

“Hold on…” Madelin suddenly frowned as she slowly looked down at RokSoo in her lap, “…why will he turn so tiny then?”

Tristan hummed; his eyes looked amused. “…because it’s a curse based on your wishful thinking.”

“What?!” She turned sharply to her husband.

Tristan shrugged, “I know you’re thinking like, ‘I wish I could fit him in my pocket’ or something similar.”

“Wait, no! I mean, yes! He’s so adorable, ok?!”

“Cheerful Grandma! You can’t turn the Human to dust!”

“I won’t!”

‘Not as small as dust…’ RokSoo only sighed, munching on the cookie.

“How can I stop my thoughts, Tristie?!”

“You can’t; your wild head is something else, after all.”

Madelin gasped as if offended, “At least my wildness takes you to heaven every night!”

Ohn and Hong looked lost yet amazed, “You can fly to heaven?”

“I’m strong and mighty! The people of the Empire aren’t better than Dragons. I can come up with a spell and take both my humans to heaven and come back!”

“Haha,” Cale couldn’t help laughing elegantly with the cup in his hand, with Ron looking quite amused behind him. At the same time, RokSoo almost choked again as Tristan quietly sighed and tried to conceal the little embarrassment by calmly bringing the cup before him to his lips, even though he had avoided it the entire time since it was lemon tea.

“Anyway, I can lift the curse from RokSoo myself.” Tristan explained with a slight grimace as he put the cup down. “But first, come here.”

“……”

Everyone stared silently as the Emperor took RokSoo from his wife’s arms. “…you’re even younger than when Cale was inside the World Rock.”

No one got to say anything when Tristan gently hugged RokSoo in his lap.

“……”

RokSoo stayed still at first and slowly hugged back, getting used to Tristan’s quick hugs by now, but it was his first hug from his father as a child.

Tristan left a kiss on the top of RokSoo’s head and looked down at him, “There, now you’re even.”

“……”

RokSoo didn’t know what to say, while Cale and Madelin smiled at the scene as Tristan didn’t want any of his kids to feel neglected, even in the smallest things.

“Oh, no!”

Madelin panicked when suddenly, RokSoo glowed and seemed to shrink.

“Human is turning to dust!!”

‘Why dust?!’ RokSoo wanted to sigh as Raon kept saying scary things.

However, it felt like everything had stopped when Tristan put his hand on RokSoo’s head.

RokSoo was suddenly wrapped in a bright, silver light, growing bigger and bigger until the light faded.

RokSoo opened his eyes and almost shrieked at finding out he was sitting in Tristan’s lap.

As an adult. Sitting in his father’s lap.

“……” He was at least still dressed decently.

“This never happened.” He said while he calmly left Tristan’s lap and stood up, activating Dominating Aura and silently exiting the room with a stoic face.

“……”

No one uttered a word about what happened that day as they felt sorry for the poor older redhead more than pressured by his Dominating Aura.

[nestastits]

Hello!!

So, as a Nessian stan I have a question because I love your takes, and I would love to know it on this specific topic. So, when I first read ACOSF, I had to put the book down a few times during the hike scene because it brought up some "bad memories" lol. When I re-read the book now, I completely skip the scene to the moment she's crying, and he's comforting her because I just can't handle the rest of it very well, so I really wanted to see your take on the hike because maybe with a different perspective I can see it with different eyes and not be triggered by it 🤡

Okay so the Hike scene is definitely one of the hardest scenes to read in Acosf and one of the most misinterpreted as well.

I know many are upset at Cassian specifically for this scene because of him saying it was “punishment”. But I think it’s important to note that Nesta had just told Feyre the truth of what the pregnancy would do to her. And it’s also important to remember that Nesta didn’t do it to help Feyre or because she loved her, Nesta did it to ultimately hurt Feyre for allowing a vote to be placed on her. Now I do not blame Nesta for telling Feyre she had a right to as her sister, but she did it for the wrong reason. I’m still mad at Rhysand for lying to Feyre, I’m still mad that Rhysand treated the knowledge of his mate’s life being in danger as a threat more so to him than to Feyre. I’m still mad that Rhys went about it as a high lord instead of a mate, and that he ordered the IC to lie to her. And while the IC could have told Feyre, they ultimately must follow what their high lord says and since Rhys treated the situation as a court matter instead of a family matter, I understand the complications of telling Feyre the truth.

Once the truth is out and Rhysand learns of it, he threatens Nesta’s life. I know many are upset at Cassian for not barging into Rhys office and killing him for threatening Nesta’s life but the situation is complicated for Cassian too. He knows Rhys is not bluffing and he knows the extent a mate would go when their mate is pregnant, Rhys could of very well seen Cass as a threat to Feyre and killed him too. It’s also important to remember Cassian had a right to be upset at Nesta in this scene. She had snuck out the HoW to see Feyre for answers, fought with Amren (rightfully deserved), and told Feyre what the baby would do to her in the wrong way because Nesta was hurt herself too. He was also upset that she backtracked on all the healing exercises and mental improvement she had been working on in this scene. And he himself didn’t understand why Nesta had done this. Nesta didn’t even understand why she did it. Just that a line had been crossed.

Cassian has also been paying attention to all of Nesta’s methods of coping. He knows that Nesta would want to be alone and away from eveything, he knows she’ll want silence to think. This is why he decides to take her to the sleeping mountains (I believe this is what they are called? lol). He is hard on her at first because he doesn’t understand why she just did this. It’s also important to remember that the Mother was encouraging Cassian to keep Nesta going. He says how this female voice in the back of his mind told him “just one more” this is the Mother! Nesta broke down into herself and stopped talking entirely, she wouldn’t say anything to Cassian. He is not at fault for not knowing that she wasn’t drinking, he is not at fault for not knowing she was suicidal, he’s not at fault for not knowing why she was scared of fire. Nesta is a reserved person who doesn’t let anyone in. Especially Cassian because of how she feels for him. Cassian still tries his best to help her despite not being let in by her. The Mother tells him to continue this journey for Nesta. And it helps Nesta once she finally breaks down and just pours all of her feelings to him.

The breaking down part of the hike was essential for Nesta’s healing journey! It’s where she finally lets Cassian in, it’s where she finally voices all these things that have been slowly eating away at her for years, it’s where she finally lets someone else know her fears. Cassian does a wonderful job at reassuring her that “There’s nothing broken to be fixed”. He tells her how the sharpness and edge she has is not bad at all, it just needs to be directed correctly. He tells her how she will get through her trauma and be better for herself first and then the people she chooses to let in as well. He holds her through all of it and places soft kisses to her temple to help reassure her too. Then he trains her with the art of sword combat. When he tells her to “Begin” I feel like it has a double meaning. First to “begin” mastering the use of a sword, secondly to “begin” a new chapter of her life where she can start truly healing without doubts.

I also want to say Nesta is Sjm’s self inserted character. Sarah has said that a lot of Nesta’s thoughts and journey mirrored hers. The hike scene is something sjm went through herself. She wrote this scene for Nesta to be able to open up. Sarah said she went on a hike similar to this that helped her. I think this is why acosf is a tough book to read because it was especially hard for the writer to write all the things she personally felt into a character. Acosf is more of a “healing” book than a plot/story book. There are many mental health scenes that are hard to read if you haven’t gone through something like Nesta, or if you have never had the mindset she had at the beginning of the book.

Hope this helps 🥰

[blissfullyecho]

things that i’ve learned during my self-improvement journey that may or may not be controversial (and cause angry anon messages lol)

i talked more in depth in my new book that’s coming out about the things i’ve learned that actually helped me improve but here is a quick list of an updated “things that i’ve learned” since i made a list like this earlier this year.

1. it’s better to follow beauty standards than to do your own thing. society’s beauty standards ONLY become society’s beauty standards when everyone collectively shows more grace and interest in a specific type of person. beauty standards don’t just happen because an article wrote down what women should look like and now we follow it. they happen because there is a certain type of look + certain types of features that is adored by a MASS of people. your life will be a lot easier if you look good and follow society’s standards of beautiful. stop with the “it’s on the inside that counts” because that only works if you caught everyone by appearance first. no one gives unattractive people the time of day to even prove themselves to be awesome and beautiful on the inside. be for real.

2. morning routines give a false sense of productivity. it’s like people feel like they have to do 100 things in the morning before they tackle on their day. you’re gonna be tired before even starting work because your morning routine took 4 hours. wake up, do the basics, workout if you like to workout in the morning, and then get to work. writing gratitude lists and levitating in your living room for a couple hours is not going to make or break the rest of your day, i promise.

3. evening routines keep your mind and body active because you’re not allowing your body to just chill and your mind to go with the flow. keeping it simple before bed allows you a better night’s rest. brush teeth, skincare, and read a book. be zen before bed and stop trying to check off to do lists for an evening routine.

4. i’m not accepting myself. i’m not going to accept myself if i don’t like how i look. i’m not going to accept myself if i just got cheated on. i’m not going to accept myself if I’m not making the grades i want to make. take your self-acceptance advice and shove it. if i don’t like something about myself, you best believe i’m changing it. i don’t need to accept myself. i’ll accept myself when i’m happy with where i am. that’s like you being in an unhealthy relationship with someone and i tell you “accept where the relationship is”. no, goodbye i’m leaving this person and you can have him and accept where that relationship goes. it’s so stupid.

5. your advice to me should not be “oh just be confident”. confidence doesn’t come all of a sudden. confidence comes when you show up for yourself day in and day out and make things happen. confidence comes when you accomplish things. confidence comes when you put in effort and work and start seeing the benefits come into fruition. if you tell me to be confident, i will pinch you.

6. i’ve said it so many times this week, but i’m not manifesting. if i want something, i’m going to work at having it in my life immediately. i’m going to create a plan of action and take calculated steps to get what i want. if you think i’m going to write “i have $1,000,000 in my bank account” 55 times for 5 days, you have got me mistaken. i guarantee you i would be up day and night reading about business, finances, marketing, customer service, anything and everything about entrepreneurship and business and start a business that’s going to generate enough income where i have $1M in my account. no, i’m not going to have more faith in my crystals than in my own abilities of working hard. stop being scared to work.

7. this is one i recently had to learn: most people get into a relationship because they are ready to settle down. before you start letting your loneliness get the best of you, ask yourself “am i ready to settle down and potentially become a wife/husband and mom/dad in the next 1-3 years or do i just want affection/attention/the feeling of being wanted/loved/adored?” only get into a relationship when you’re ready for the next step, NOT when you are in your feelings.

[nickeverdeen]

hi! can i request romantic matchups for arcane and tlou2? i’m lesbian so only women please :)

my pronouns are she/her. i have long black hair, dark brown eyes and warm olive skin, average height. i’m on the curvier side but still look quite lean, probably because i did dancing in the past. i don’t have any muscles tho lmaooo but at least my posture is good and i’m flexible. i have very feminine style but i prefer dark colours and more intense then cute looks. lovee jewellery

i’m an introvert and very protective about my personal space. i was told i look intimidating and give off cold first impression which i can see but honestly i just need time to warm up to people. was also told i have a black cat personality.

from how i see it i’m confident and have good leadership qualities but prefer work alone most of the time. bold and flirty especially when i like someone. i’m usually chill but at times can get annoyed easily, i’m also opinionated and stubborn. call people out on their bs very quickly, can be quiet straightforward, sometimes even bossy lol. my mbti is intj

for my interests, i’m really into social sciences, history and astronomy! love studying languages, arts, books and cinema, i’m a big horror fan. and listening to music of course, mostly rnb, punk, indie and hip hop

for my partners i prefer strong personalities so they can keep up and tone me down at times lmao. really appreciate initiative and protective traits in people, i like to be the one approached

thank you!!

Your Arcane match is…

Caitlyn Kiramman

Caitlyn would absolutely adore your dark, intense, yet feminine style

She’d appreciate your fashion sense, and you two would often share little accessories or jewelry pieces

She’d love buying you gifts, perhaps a vintage ring or an elegant necklace she found at some obscure shop

Caitlyn is sharp and well-educated, making her the perfect match for someone with a passion for social sciences, history, and astronomy

Your conversations would be deep and thought-provoking, often lasting late into the night as you explore each other’s minds

Caitlyn understands your need for personal space and would never pressure you to open up before you’re ready

She would admire your independence and give you the freedom you need, knowing that you’d come to her when you felt comfortable

With her background in law enforcement, Caitlyn is naturally protective

She would always be looking out for you, whether it’s making sure you’re safe on the streets of Piltover or emotionally supporting you when you’re feeling overwhelmed

Caitlyn is a take-charge kind of woman

She’d love surprising you with well-thought-out dates, like a private stargazing session or a visit to a historical site in Piltover, appealing to your love for astronomy and history

Caitlyn would never be put off by your cold or intimidating first impression

She’s seen plenty of people try to keep her at arm’s length, but she knows how to slowly break down those walls with kindness and understanding

Caitlyn would be thoroughly entertained by your bold and flirty nature. She might blush at your forwardness but would secretly enjoy every moment of it, finding your confidence refreshing

Your straightforwardness and Caitlyn’s strong sense of justice could lead to some intense debates

But these would only strengthen your relationship, as both of you would respect each other’s opinions and resolve any conflicts maturely

Despite her composed exterior, Caitlyn has a secret love for horror films

You’d have regular horror movie nights, where you’d get to cuddle up close, sharing reactions to every twist and scare

You both value your personal space, so you’d have no problem spending time together without the need to fill the silence

Whether you’re reading in the same room or simply sitting quietly, the presence of the other would be enough

Caitlyn’s strong and steady personality would be the perfect counterbalance to your sometimes stubborn and opinionated nature

She’d be the calm to your storm, helping you see different perspectives when you’re too set in your ways

Caitlyn would match your enthusiasm for learning new things, especially languages

You two might even take up a new language together, exchanging notes and practicing with each other

You both have strong leadership qualities, which would create an interesting dynamic

You’d challenge each other in different areas, always pushing one another to grow and improve

While you might be protective of your space initially, Caitlyn would gradually become the person you feel most comfortable being physically close to

She’d always make sure you felt safe and respected in her arms

You’d share your music tastes with each other, with Caitlyn introducing you to classical or jazz, and you showing her the best of RnB, punk, indie, and hip hop

These exchanges would often lead to impromptu dance sessions or relaxed listening evenings

Your The Last of Us Part II match is…

Abby Anderson

Abby’s strong, muscular build would contrast with your curvier, lean frame, making her a protective force in your life

She’d love pulling you close, her strength a comforting reminder that you’re safe with her

Abby is tough, resilient, and assertive—traits that would match your strong personality perfectly

She wouldn’t shy away from your confidence and would enjoy the challenge of keeping up with you

Even though you don’t have muscles, Abby would encourage you to work out with her, finding ways to make it fun and tailored to your interests, maybe incorporating dance moves or flexibility exercises into your routine

Despite her tough exterior, Abby has a soft side when it comes to those she cares about

She’d be subtly flirty with you, enjoying the way you tease her back, especially as she sees through your “black cat” personality

Abby’s protective nature would be a cornerstone of your relationship

Whether you’re out on a dangerous mission or just navigating life in a post-apocalyptic world, Abby would always be by your side, ready to defend you

Abby would be highly respectful of your need for personal space

She’d never push you to open up too quickly, understanding the importance of letting you come to her in your own time

Abby would show her affection through acts of service, like ensuring you have everything you need for a comfortable life or finding little things that remind her of you during her trips outside the compound

Abby’s seen enough horror in real life that fictional scares wouldn’t faze her

She’d indulge your love of horror movies, holding you close when the tension rises on screen, even though she’s barely flinching

Abby would love exploring with you, whether it’s finding old, abandoned places that speak to your love of history or discovering new areas that fuel your passion for astronomy

While Abby might not be as into music as you, she’d enjoy the playlists you make for her

She’d develop a fondness for the punk and indie tracks you love, especially when they remind her of you

Abby wouldn’t back down from your opinionated discussions, often matching your stubbornness with her own

These exchanges would be intense but ultimately strengthen your bond as you navigate conflicts together

Abby’s not the type to force conversation, so you’d have no problem sitting in silence together, enjoying each other’s company without the need for constant chatter

Abby would admire your leadership qualities, often turning to you for advice or relying on your decision-making skills when situations get tough

She respects your confidence and your ability to take charge

Despite her rough exterior, Abby would be incredibly gentle with you in private, showing you a softer side that few others get to see

She’d love running her hands through your long black hair, finding comfort in these small, intimate moments

Living in close quarters wouldn’t be easy for an introvert, but Abby would be attuned to your needs

She’d create a shared space that felt like a sanctuary, allowing you to recharge while still feeling connected to her

[chilling-seavey]

🎂 🎤 📝 🍐 🍓 💌 🖇️ 💔 🌹 🌊 🍀

I think that’s enough 🤣🤣🤣 (ps. ILY AND YOU’RE THE BESTEST 🥹)

(NO YOURE THE BEST!! ILYYY)

🎂 when is your birthday? ↳ Sept 28th! Hence why my birthday week preparations are in full swing wooo!

🎤 have you been to a concert ↳ Yes! Quite a few! Most recent was Niall Horan (my first love hehe)

📝 last thing you wrote ↳ You mirrored his smile with appreciation, albeit a touch of shyness ghosting over your features, this entire situation completely unexpected, “Alright; lead the way then. I’m curious to see what kind of hotel room warrants a double payment.” Oop Enchante Pt 2 spoiler!!!!

🍐 if you could make one character real, who would it be ↳ TWIG George because I want him obsessed with me and begging to put babies in me frrrrr

🍓 favorite food ↳ I loveeee a good filet mignon with roasted zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes and a glass of champagne oh my wordddd i can't wait until i can afford my true lifestyle

💌 why did you start this blog? ↳ It was the grand ol' year of 2012, One Direction was at their prime, and all my friends had tumblr blogs to read fanfics so I made one too. Back then my URL was niallpizzaandcheesecake ... so cool, I know

🖇️ what are your favorite asks to answer ↳ Any!!! Although I love when people send me little things they see that makes them think of something I wrote/one of my universes :)

💔 is there a fic you wish you didn’t write ↳ Nope! Even my work I may hate, everything I write made me who I am today and helped me develop my skills to learn and grow...even the cringey stuff from the pre-teen years where my characters would randomly break into song

🌹 favorite kinks to write for ↳ BREEDING KINK sorry was that my outside voice I'm actually so normal so idk why I was yelling-

🌊 a kink you would like to write but you think you’d be judged ↳ Hmmmm...definitely the extent I can take my breeding kink interest and the fact that I like to lace in some patriarchy kink stuff in there... I dabbled a bit in TWIG but I'm scared that I'll put yall off if I go all out 😂 ↳ I have also dabbled in sacrilegious things (pastor's son vibes) and I have wanted to try writing running a train-

🍀 what is your comfort show/series and why is it your comfort show? How has it helped you? ↳ I'm not much of a 'watcher'...I basically only watch tv for as long as it takes me to eat and then I pause the episode to pick up next time I eat LOL. So there's no show that's 'helped me' in any way, just some I enjoy more than others. The Marvelous Mrs Maisel is a fave. This Is Us makes me cry every episode and I don't cry easily at shows. Outer Banks is always a fave too...I loveeee some JJ

[thelonesomequeen]

As a blog that’s been around a while…..can confirm. Lol 🧜🏻‍♀️/ I like and have been following Chris' work since his fantastic 4 days but only started to be into gossip/his personal life since the pandemic, so I really didn't follow his past relationships much (just what I read in magazines). I have to admit I liked him with Jenny, I bought the - nerdy girl gets the hot guy, that's so cute - narrative they sold but had no idea at the time that the timeline of their relationship was so shady. Since you have been here for a while and followed both Minka and Jenny eras can I ask you what are the main things you think he is doing in this relationship that he didn't do in his previous ones (besides getting married, lol)? In the people's sma interview he said that his age and experience make him a much better partner now than when he was younger. From the perspective of someone that has been following his career and personal life for a while do you think that he was being honest when he said that and didn't say it just to look good?

From the perspective of someone that has been following his career and personal life for a while do you think that he was being honest when he said that and didn't say it just to look good?

No, I don’t think he was just saying that. I do believe that’s a true statement. Not because Chris specifically said it, but because I think it’s human nature for all of us to learn from relationships and grow as we move forward into the next relationship. Even if things don’t end well, I think there’s always something to be learned. For example—I had an ex who only ever wanted to discuss important topics via text. He was awful at conversation and communication in general. I hated having big conversations via text because I couldn’t pick up on his facial expressions or mood and it made it so hard to read where he was at on some things. We got into an argument at one point and I brought it up about how we constantly had miscommunication errors because we could never have face to face conversations and that bothered me. We ended up breaking up for various reasons, but a few years down the line he actually thanked me for that moment of calling his shit out because it made him a more present partner in his next relationship going forward. Even if things end poorly, I think there’s always something to learn about yourself, what you do and don’t want out of relationships/what you’re willing to tolerate or compromise on, or just how to be a better partner in your next relationship. Chris is much older than I am and if I’ve been able to learn that lesson from my interactions, I’m sure he has as well.

As for what’s different, I think that’s hard to answer from a public standpoint because the differences are probably more noticeable in private between those who personally know him. But from what we can see, he’s willing to be public with her. Posting the photo montage and scare video montage he did of Alba was something I never expected to see from him because he had never put a significant other on his social media like that before. The best Jenny ever got was her voice in a video of Dodger. He also brought her on the Vanity Fair red carpet with him and posed at an official/big industry event. Yes, he did take a picture with Jenny at the premiere of Secret Life of Pets, but that was so low key in comparison to an Oscars after party. I also feel like while it sucks to see him disappear on social media, I feel like he’s made that change to protect the people he cares about the most from his more rabid fans by limiting their access to him. He’s not as open about his whereabouts as he used to be back when he constantly shared IG stories or pictures from his life. And his willingness to travel for Alba. I always expected when he got married, the woman would really have to mold her life around him and where he wanted to be. But he’s taken trips back and forth to Portugal with her and they’re getting their own places there, so he clearly intends to keep doing that in their own space there. I didn’t expect to see that from him because there were plenty of times with Minka and Jenny when they needed to be back in LA for things and he stayed home in MA 🦎

[anduln]

— the journey back home (home is where the heart is)

A few years have passed since the Shadowlands adventures. Anduin is back, though this time, not as king. He’s got a couple more important things to do besides ruling the Alliance, and that includes: having fun! With his best friend, of course.

Or, what if Anduin and Wrathion became the true protectors of the Dragon Isles?

thinking on whether to expand this idea or not! i have this whole plot in my mind of how anduin and wrathion met again in the dragon isles and how their friendship (and possibly relationship…) would blossom again with time. i think they'd have so much fun together, going on adventures, just like they would in pandaria… but you can't help but ask yourself… for how much longer would anduin be able to enjoy his royal break? and how does wrathion marry his current life (as a black dragonflight diplomat, and possibly leader) to his old life (carefree in some ways, but just as exciting, especially with his friend once again by his side?)…?

i don't know, i'm just freeballing here! but i will say, writing about wranduin in the dragon isles is so much fun!!!! might just write a whole bunch of one-shots if i can't quite put my plot ideas together. let me know of any suggestions you might have!!!

p.s.: this time, i've proofread myself over and over again lol. no more mistakes!!

p.p.s.: read this on ao3!

It was a sunny morning in the Waking Shores.

The sky was as blue and vast as the ocean. Ohn’aran eagles were singing and welcoming the new day, and a pleasant breeze swept what little grass remained in that rocky landscape. Deer and their fawn were rising from their sleep, looking for some fresh food. Nature was waking from her slumber as she should, and nothing was out of place.

Except for that ginormous fire-breathing hornswog trying to turn Anduin into a crisp.

He jumped out of the way from its spit, only to fall from trying to dodge another surprise fireball attack.

‘Wrathion! Maybe not the best idea to use fire spells right now?!’

His battle companion huffed in response but drew out his scimitar and launched at the hornswog, nimbly blocking out its tongue when it darted toward him in defense. He slashed the hornswog’s belly, and it jumped back in pain.

He offered his hand to Anduin.

‘And let that beast fry you instead of me? I think not,’ Wrathion smirked.

Anduin groaned, but Wrathion could see his smirk. They clasped their hands, Anduin got up, and off to battle they went.

————————————————————————

‘Stop moving.’

‘It hurts.’

‘Yeah, well, suck it up, pretty boy. You’re the one who insisted on using fire spells, even though I specifically told you not to.’

Wrathion sucked in his breath. Who knew paladin healing spells could sting this bad?

‘And I told you to mind your aiming! Why would you cast a stun spell even though I was so near you?!’

‘I can’t babysit you while we fight! How could I know it’d scare you so bad your fireball would explode in your hand?!’

‘I wasn’t scared, I was merely distracted by your incompetence—’

‘You know I can just stop healing you if that’s what you prefer—’

The two kept on bickering, Anduin’s hand still glowing yellow over Wrathion’s wounds. Toddy walked up to Naleidea, with whom she was buying some supplies for the Dragonscale Expedition camp at the Artisan’s Market, and whispered.

‘Oi Naleidea, do you think the two lads are okay? I mean… why is the Black Prince yelling at King— uh, Anduin like that? It’s not like them to fight.’

Naleidea laughed as she thanked the cheese merchant, eyes bright as ever. ‘Are you kidding me? It’d be a miracle for them not to bicker every time they come back from a mission. It’s become their ritual at this point. Have you never noticed?’

‘I guess you do spend more time at camp… I’m just confused, I guess,’ Toddy sighed. ‘I can’t believe Anduin would join us on the Dragon Isles. Not even as king, but… as an adventurer? I wonder what happened for him to abdicate…’

Naleidea’s face darkened. A moment of silence filled the space between them, despite the bustling streets, and Anduin and Wrathion’s loud voices. ‘Have you not heard? About what happened to Anduin a while ago?’

Toddy’s own face fell in response. ‘Well… I guess I would also want a break from… everything… if something like that happened to me…’

Toddy trailed off, and the two girls got lost in their thoughts. A moment passed, and Toddy cleared her throat, not letting the mood turn sour. After all, their friend was here with them, not lost in another dimension anymore.

‘I have to say I don’t even remember a time when Anduin and Wrathion weren’t a part of the expedition!’ Toddy laughed. ‘Those lads sure brighten up the whole camp, and they’ve been such a great help in taking care of the isles.’

‘I remember,’ the elf smiled fondly. ‘I remember it all like it was yesterday.’ Toddy gazed at her, confused, as Naledeia turned to the human and his dragon friend, now right in front of them, sat down at the stairs leading up to the Seat of the Aspects. ‘Alright, friends. We’re all set to go! Wrathion, are you feeling okay?’

‘I’d feel better if Anduin here would stop trying to use his paladin powers to further injure me,’ he grumbled, though there was no bite to it, only exhaustion from a long fight. Anduin chose to mock-imitate him behind his back, and Toddy sighed, while Wrathion transformed into his dragon form.

‘Well hop on, folks. The day’s barely started, and we’ve got things to do!’ The dragon’s voice boomed.

And away they flew. Naleidea smiled, still reminiscing on that one day it all started. And it went like this…

[danothan]

(Heads up, the post discusses the abusive nature of Martin and Hal’s relationship pre-2005, as you may be able to tell from the link, so here’s your content warning)

https://www.tumblr.com/ufonaut/725487371146133504/space-case-the-pre-2005-martin-jordan

Hi hello! I know you already hate Geoff but I was wondering if you knew about this aspect of Stuff He Did/Changed/Ruined. As a comic newbie I thought it was interesting and perhaps you have a take of your own :)

The differing continuities means it’s probably unintentional, but it does create an interesting implication for at least the first GL Knight Terrors,,, I haven’t read the second one yet so they might not follow up on it lol

thanks sm for sharing this with me! i appreciate being informed + considered in the conversation :D while i vaguely knew that hal’s dad was Not Great pre-geoff johns, i didn’t know how or to what extent, nor did i know that the changes in his family dynamic were kicked off earlier than johns’s run either!

gd no matter which version you go with, the common denominator is that hal was the black sheep of his family for being neurodivergent. kid can’t catch a break 🤕

from the explanation of the link alone, i think both versions explain his fear rly well with traumas that realistically play into every aspect of his life. there’s an influence that runs deep: his fear of having power and not knowing what to do with it bc he saw his father abuse that authority, his inability to grieve or acknowledge his trauma bc he was punished every time he tried—these are very different but very important traits in hal’s overall character. i was surprised to see how well aware pre-2005 hal was of the abuse he dealt at the hands of his father. post-2005 doesn’t even know that he was a victim of his family dysfunction, let alone recognize any of it as abuse

i like that in both versions, he has suicidal tendencies to paradoxically prove that he’s not suicidal (i think. i can only confidently speak on modern hal, but hal being reckless with his life is kinda just a persistent theme). the way the current narrative portrays it, hal idolizes his dad sm that when he died, he couldn’t bear to think that his last moments were in fear. it would force him to confront the fact that his dad wasn’t the great hero he worshipped, forcing himself to realize he’s just as vulnerable and that the rose-tinted nostalgia for his youth might be wrong. so he puts himself on the line with bravado bc if he dies, at least he could tell himself that he wasn’t scared. and from what i can tell of the older comics, hal was forced to be brave bc it was a survival tactic; if he could just go along with what his dad wanted, then maybe he could finally get his approval. and all that taught him was that the only thing worse than death is failure, so he’d put himself on the line to prove it. he can tell himself that he’s accomplished more than anyone’s ever believed in him, but his dad’s words still haunt him

the change in his backstory is a change in his character as well, and as someone that enjoys comics as a puzzle to figure out, i’d like to factor in all of these moving parts as much as i can make them fit. before, i thought martin’s death martyred him; now i think that interpretation could include both of these versions moving forward. if current hal is already putting his dad on a pedestal, then the follow up question would be “what does that hide abt him?”

interesting implications indeed…

but this is where i get to share my personal thoughts/ biases! bc i’m very preferential + love complicating things, simply stating that martin’s death put him on a pedestal doesn’t satisfy me. now between you and me, i personally prefer the current narrative (i mean obviously, that’s my only firsthand experience, so i’m taking my own thoughts with a grain of salt here)

a huge part of hal’s interest in planes comes from the fact that he and his dad bonded over them together, but it also bordered on obsession

i mentioned before that hal was treated unfairly by his family for being neurodivergent, and scenes like this one definitely have nd subtext to me. the older comics had his father berate him for “having his head in the clouds” (*cough* adhd), the newer comics have his mother keep his interests away from him bc “he’s consumed by it” (*cough* autism). but what’s difficult abt meshing these two is that martin being a source of ableist abuse becomes confusing if he’s nd too, specifically encouraging hal to indulge in his special interest (btw hal has audhd either way peace and love ✌️)

so i think i would take this the same way as jessica: did irreparable damage as a parent but there were enough good moments that hal wants to remember instead. his dad verbally abused him for having “weak” emotions, but hey, at least he let him skip school! and sure, he might’ve hit him, but would a bad dad introduce him to his special interest? (and so there’s no misunderstanding, i’m speaking facetiously here)

i think hal has had genuinely fond memories with both of his parents, most ppl wouldn’t be able to gauge that there was smth going on with the way he talks abt them, which is not uncommon for abusive relationships in general. it just doesn’t erase the trauma it left him with. jessica cherished and tried to protect hal but ultimately suffocated him, and martin nurtured hal’s passion and gave him “freedom” but harmed his well-being

i’m too under-read and biased to give both versions equal share in my interpretation, but i will say that i rly appreciate the older comics for their explicit portrayal of toxic masculinity in hal. like that shit is literally killing him but i don’t often see his dad playing a role in it when he obviously got it from him, nor is it shown as the root of those problems. if there’s one thing that makes modern comics hard to read, it’s the unironic machismo. again, LITERALLY killing him.

as for the differences in hal’s suicidality that i mentioned earlier, there’s actually a lot of similarities with the ways he treats his own life. in either case, hal tries to be brave to prove smth (to his dad in the old, to himself in the new). the main difference is fear vs worship, and honestly those are just two sides of the same coin. it goes back to that toxic masculinity his dad taught him abt failure, and it ties in with wanting to feel connected to his dad thru their shared interest. at the core of it is denial

i would have to get into more older comics to rly flesh this interpretation out, but i think this is laying out some interesting groundwork. thank you again for this ask, rly gave my brain a treat today!

[soulbondinghelp]

Revisiting this blog now that we have had time to grow and heal

Hey guys, I am the host for the people who used to post on here and I have recently decided to revisit this blog since I have seen some people talking about it again in a positive light. After reading through all of the posts on here, I have come to the realization that a lot of us (including and especially me) were kind of being assholes when we made this blog, even if our intentions were to help people and we did some small amount of good at the time with collecting resources and advice.

The bottom line is, we were judgemental dicks who tried to tell people how they should or shouldn’t handle their spirituality, something very important and close to the heart. Our impulsiveness and misguided desire to help others I feel like did a lot more harm than good. And the only thing to do about that is to apologize and promise to be better people as we try to move forward with our lives. I suffer from paranoia due to PTSD and when we are not on our meds I am an insufferably horrible person to be around.

I was constantly fighting and seeking drama without even realizing it because I thought it was normal. When every single day you get fifteen phonecalls that have people screaming at you/gaslighting you and you also grew up surrounded by family who would do similar things, fighting and lashing out becomes the norm because it’s all that you really know. In these situations, nothing can help you but yourself and taking the drastic actions you’re too scared to do in order to finally take your life back. I was an idiot and I thought that I was fine because I had a therapist and I was “getting help” when in reality, I wasn’t really being helped at all and I was just spiraling and spiraling into more denial because my therapist couldn’t really keep my abuser away from me and any progress I made in therapy was pretty much instantly undone the second my abuser tried to call me or sometimes break into my house uninvited. And it was a catch 22 because no one wanted to be around us for very long when we weren’t medicated and it was hard to find real support or connections for very long since we kept fucking it up in some way and none of the experimental “system rules” we came up with ever seemed to do any good with preventing it.

But that isn’t normal. And I shouldn’t have let myself or anyone in our system become this kind of person. I honestly kind of hate my past self even reading some of the things I wrote on here and typing out this post lol.

Also, I felt like we constantly had some invisible bar we had to reach to ever be accepted by anyone which is part of why we had such a unreasonably strict approach to this blog. When everyone leaves you because you are a toxic person to be around and you are aware that something is wrong but you don’t know what it is, it makes you try to people please in the desperate hope that it can make you less of a broken person.

So again, I want to apologize to everyone we hurt with this blog. We can act like adults now and we are in a much better place. We have mostly retired from the internet lately and I think this trend is probably going to continue since it is just better for our mental health when we don’t post things that thousands of strangers can see and be hurt by if we fuck it up. We have finally managed to cut our abuser out of our lives for good in a way where we can finally feel safe and not feel like someone is going to come after us at any time or stalk us even if it took years to do.

But I’m done with fighting people all the time because the truth is, it doesn’t help anyone in the end, especially not with online discourse. All it does it make things worse and get people hurt. Hell, I’m even done with the community itself because I can’t trust myself not to fall back into the same patterns and fuck it up again. From now on, we are going to put all of our newly found energy and time into becoming the best people we can be and just existing away from the online soulbonding community and most online communities in general.

No more people pleasing. No more being on edge all the time. No more blogs. No more telling people what they should or shouldn’t do or what is or isn’t going on. This is soulbonding. No one even knows wtf we are really dealing with or a lot of the hard gritty things behind why soulbonds are a thing in the first place. All we have is theories and our theories aren’t better or worse than other people’s theories. Even if people don’t see soulbonding the way we do, in the end that is no longer our business because soulbonding should be a personal thing that people should explore themselves.

So while reading through this blog, please take everything here with a grain of salt. Yes, there are bits of good or helpful information here, but some of us were assholes and I 100% admit that and want to not be one anymore.

[lgcdanbi]

to think the end has finally come ! 3.5 years ago, i joined lgc - the first roleplay i joined in years where i didn’t know anyone else - scared but excited at what was to come in this amazing group. i’ve achieved so much with my muses, met so many incredible friends, and made such incredible memories along the way.

i’m slightly regretful that i couldn’t have had a better in-character send-off for danbi and nathan, but for anyone who knows me (or doesn’t know, hi if you’re still following this account!), my life has gotten increasingly busy and i’ve gotten less and less active. 3.5 years ago, i was still a college student with (honestly) all the free time in the world, but the past few months have been some of the busiest they’ve ever been - and it’s been such a shame to not be able to devote any of my available time to the one place that got me through the pandemic, moving across the country, starting a new job, and settling into my 20s.

now, don’t get me wrong - i’m not leaving permanently! i’ll still be on the admin team creating graphics, and who knows, i might come back with a new muse sooner than you (and maybe even i) think, but this chapter of my life with danbi and nathan has definitely come to a close.

under the cut, you’ll find my lasting thoughts on geum danbi and how i expect the rest of her life to go now that she’s left the company (and you’ll find a similar one for nathan on his account, too!). it’ll mostly be for me, so for anyone who’s still reading this - thank you for writing with me, danbi, and nathan! without you, lgc wouldn’t have become home. see you soon, and onto the next 🤍

with that all out of the way, i can finally write this long overdue love letter to my very first muse here at lgc - the longest (!) i’ve ever had a muse, infact.

dear danbi, you are so special to me. when i first envisioned you, you compensated in the role of a sweet, nice older sister that i doubted myself to be. writing you was therapeutic in that way - it wasn’t joy, per se, but a comfort if not to anyone else but me. i won’t lie that my development for you was minimal, if not nonexistent, and for that, i can only apologize. there were so many things - so many things, i swear! - i had planned, but alas, i only have myself to blame that those never came to fruition. at the very least, you found success, friendship, love - and that’s all anyone ever needs in life, right? danbi, i love you, and i hope you’re happier now.

ic-wise, i think danbi’s thoughts of leaving probably started around the preparations for their japanese debut. the anxiety and worry about their japanese promotions was more than she ever had for actually debuting, and i think that all finally came to a point when they were able to come back to korea and take a break for a bit.

after 5 (!) years of training, i think she’ll look back on life and think she has more regrets than she initially thought. not going to college, being away from her family - all for a job that still terrifies her after all this time (and at her big age of twenty 26 lol). 

she’d leave quietly and with a smile, not a sob, when she finally says good-bye. moving out of the dorm would be bittersweet - and she’d feel guilty, definitely, for leaving the crystallis girls when they needed her most (but would put in a great recommendation as @lgcyura for their new leader!).

she definitely had her kdrama moment with @lgcjaesun - in my dreams, she’d say, “if we find our way back to each other, we’re meant to be. if that’s the case, let’s get married - i’ll try not to look forward to it.”

she’ll move back to daejeon and go from being an idol to a successful fan of crystallis and, of course, her little sister @lgcnabi!

i’d like to think that she went back to school - got her degree in marketing or something, so she can be close to the entertainment industry without necessarily being in the spotlight herself. 

yeah, it’s better that way. :’)

[peaky-shelby]

BUCKLE UP I HAVE A LOT TO SAY LOL.

I can’t even begin to describe to you how much I loved these parts. The changes between the two of them has been a rollercoaster. Not gunna lie I felt my heart break in the beginning of the chapter at the pool. I completely understand where she’s coming from trying to stop whatever it was between them because she is his coach at the end of the day. I appreciated how he respected her at this point because it’s heartbreaking for the both of them, but I feel like he finally understood her “it was the first time he noticed the sign of fear in her eyes, a woman fearless in most things was standing scared in front of him.” OH MY GOD OUCH?! Hakimi seeing everything and being such a bystander in their story is simultaneously hilarious and painful for him. I’m so proud of Kylian for defending her when she’s not around too. Like it shows how much he respects her and is loving her from a distance. WHICH HE DOES EVEN MORE WHEN HE CALLS THE MEDIC FOR HER. Like props to bestie Neymar seeing that something was wrong, but Kylian doing something about it has my knees weak. It’s the definition of love shown through actions, not words and I feel like that encompasses him so much throughout this chapter. The dinner with them plus Hakimi is one of my favorite things you’ve written. It’s so funny and I feel so bad for Hakimi 😂 it 100% feels like “I’m being forced to go out to dinner with my parents who are bickering the whole time, someone please help me but also thank god these two idiots are not killing each other. God help them they’re so in love with each other but in so much denial” lmao. When I tell you….the game…THE FUCKING GAME BRO. HAD ME SCREAMING LIKE I WAS WATCHING IT LIVE AND TAYLOR WAS RIGHT THERE. Heart officially warmed with them winning and the celebrations. They’re all so happy finally I’ve wanted nothing more for them. The moment Taylor hugged Kylian I knew their walls finally broke with each other. It felt like a sigh of relief that they accepted whatever feelings they had. I just know how much Taylor saying “proud of you” meant to him. As a former athlete myself, I fully admit there is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling than seeing your loved one in a jersey with your name on it and I know Kylian was dying inside when she asked for his jersey. There’s something so intimate of having your name on someones back and I know he was jumping up and down like a teenage girl in his mind over it. I know I’ve said it before, but the way you write the tension between Taylor and Kylian has be weak in the knees. They’re so intimate with their touches and you can just feel the longing between them. 

“I think if you asked me to, I would.”

“do you want me to be a good kid?” he smiled.

“yes.” She answered quickly. He moved his face away from hers and placed his lips on the top of her head, speaking on her hair.

“Do you really?” he asked.

She closed her eyes. Falling backwards on him “no.”

He spun her around again; her eyes were still closed. His thumb grazed over her eyelids before his hand cupped her whole face from the back of her neck “then will you stay?”

When I tell you I fucking melted oh my god they're so perfect. Again, the acceptance into each other has just made me so fucking happy. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted for these two. AND THEN 9.1?! OOOOOHHHH GIRL THE SOFTNESS IS BEAUTIFUL. I love their love. And fucking Ann…I don’t have a good feeling at all about her. Her talking to Verratti is giving me anxiety, especially because he’s just coming around to Taylor. Ann is going to fuck it all up somehow and I don’t want to see that at all. 

WOW girl I could keep going but I’ve already written a novel about your writing. Just thank you for such a great story. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got coming down the line. ily and i hope you know how much you are appreciated for the work you put into these chapters.

me when i opened my ask box and saw how long this is

Me after reading it:

I don't think you guys understand what it means when you put so much time into reading and writing about my story. I never had such a great response for any of my works before and every time I see Messages like that i start crying like a baby and rereading it like 10 times because my heart ALWAYS melts with appreciation.

I don't know how I can repay you for this or what i can do to make you understand what this means to me. Honestly, I'm in awe and complete shock that you think my silly writings are worth your time, let alone the effort to write this message.

I ADORE you.

Love you to the moon and back.

[kitmoas]

Hi Kit, it's comic non! I've been rereading the finale of TGU season 1 for the past few days now, trying to properly put my thoughts into words, because I wanna put even a fraction of thought into this as you have with the finale.

There's so much to take in and process and it's... it's so fucking fantastic. It's so thorough. It has so much goddamn depth. It's detailed, and thoughtful; it almost feels like a character study for all four of them. Which is incredibly impressive given Toy is essentially an OC/reader stand in.

I think that's what makes this AU stand out. Toy is so defined but in a universally relatable way. The distinct relationship they have with each of the MCU women just feel so... right? It's a fantastic capture of not just the canon characters, but what they each bring to the dynamic.

I know we talked a bit originally about Kate's assault storyline. I'm sooo blown away by how you've written it. While I love a good comfort fic sometimes, I personally appreciate exploration on how lack of expression, and therefore comfort, affect the character in question. And the way you handled it with a character like Kate is so fucking fascinating. And CRAZY LIKE I WAS NOT EXPECTING THEM TO COME BACK????? The way I gasped (perfect halfway cliffhanger btw). I'm not sure how much you're planning on carrying this particular storyline over to TGU season 2, but wow, either way this was so gut wrenching in the best of ways. I adore Toy, how they feel so protective of Kate. The scene where Kate breaks down was just beautiful, especially Toy's handling of it. That lingering, comfortable silence that settles between them as they hold each other just... brought a tear to my eye. And the part where Toy is concerned about Kate wanting to be touched by them so soon after her recent assault was an amazing addition. And the fact that Kate's comfort is such a priority to them during sex. The anxiety they have to try shaking away, knowing something Wanda and Natasha don't and what that could bring, is so special to me LOL. I hope Kate heals, and if you do continue this plot, I'd be excited to see what you do with it. Especially Natasha moving forward, given her prior reaction.

Speaking of, very happy Natasha finally spoke to Kate. It's so sad that Kate was scared of her, that she probably compared her reaction to her mother's, but I hope she and Natasha can start to work on rebuilding trust again because I love them lots.

Super excited for what you have set up so well with Wanda. I loved the inclusion of the rest of the team; it really helps set up Wanda's distance from the group and Natasha's position in trying to make her see this is bigger than both of them.

And Wanda's confession to Toy!!! My heart!!! It's definitely been a long time coming and I hope Wanda being honest can help her feel more in control of herself. I love the way you've depicted her feelings affecting her and Natasha's relationship, especially with the mirroring from past chapters that Natasha may be developing feelings for Kate. I know Toy loves Wanda too, even if they don't know for sure, and I can't wait to see them come to terms with it. I'm excited for the prospect of what that could mean, and how that could shake or make the dynamic.

I have different views on how it could go, how Kate and Natasha will react to Wanda and Toy being in love. What insecurities that pulls out and what feelings that forces them to recognize, and what that could potentially lead to. I just want them all to LOVE EACH OTHERRR and be HAPPY. And yet I crave the drama and angst LOL.

I just... adored this. It was a fantastic conclusion, I'm so so happy you shared the TGU with us, and I am so thrilled to see what you do moving forward.

Hi my lovely comic non— I have no idea if you’re still around. Or if you have read tgu as of late but I have read this ask so many times and I have kept it as a lil secret between the two of us any time I need motivation to write. But now that I’m officially bringing tgu back for season 2 I want to share your thoughts with the world

Thank you sweets 🩵

Training Grounds Masterlist

Kitmoas | seized within the silk we grew

[ethos-logos-pathos-blog]

wow hi!! i’m the entp 6w7 double lion and thanks sm for your detailed response.

there were 2 main issues i had that i should have expressed more clearly- the first is that i felt 6w7 sort of conflicted with the double lion stereotype of charging in and being pretty fearless. i think i project a fearless persona a lot because i feel i am pretty shy and breakable inside (i was an extremely sensitive kid), but i have trouble internally with claiming it as my own because i’m insecure about my previous shyness and feel fake about it, like i’m worried i’m smothering my “true self” (even though i seriously haven’t been shy in years!). i feel more anxious, fidgety, and flighty than how i imagine a double lion. but you’ve addressed that (although i Do feel i put on masks, but that might be a model because it is deeply exhausting to project facades in the long term)

the second and more prominent worry i had is about my mbti functions and lion primary. i’ve always felt i have low fi- i have a deeply unstable sense of self (which is why i am so clearly enamored with personality tests). my fe is by comparison much higher, i have people pleasing tendencies and sometimes sacrifice standing up for my ideals (although some ideals are non negotiable) in favor of maintaining social harmony.

i also find that my fi is weak in a way where i have trouble knowing my own beliefs- others can often convince me of new stances easily if they talk long enough. (tbf i also think i can convince other people of stuff if i talk long enough lol) long term, i ultimately still process and decide whether they feel right to me and if they stick. but i often agree with and see other perspectives very easily and have to ruminate on them.

things “feel right” to me like a lion, but that doesn’t line up with the low fi i know i have?? like would a lion really be so easily convinced of a new stance in the short term like that? i guess i just feel way more reliant on social validation than a lion like i also often have the sense that others automatically know better than me, like i trust myself less. i always find myself become more birdish when i’m questioning myself because it’s so hard to rely on an internal sense of right for me. so maybe i’m a bit burnt hahaha sorry for the big mass of disorganized thoughts! but i just wanted to thank you for your detailed analysis and follow up with you

Thank you so much for following up with me!!! I'm so sorry I didn't see this sooner (I haven't checked my blog recently)!

Okay, let's break this down.

On the surface, 6w7 does seem to conflict with the Double Lion stereotype, but once you get more involved with SHC and the wonderful little community we have, you'll come to find that Double Lions come in all kinds of flavors :) There are plenty of Double Lions that are cautious and have people-pleaser tendencies. It really just comes down to whether or not your moral priorities are internal and felt and whether or not your preferred reactionary approach is just being authentic to yourself.

So it does seem like you've got some built up negative emotions surrounding your personality, and that definitely indicates there might be some burning going on somewhere, but this still reads as Lion Secondary. The thing that stands out to me is that you're most concerned with authenticity. You're worried about whether or not your confident "persona" is true to yourself because you were shy when you were younger, but let me let you in on a little secret: I was one of those super confident kids that everyone looked up to as a leader, that everyone thought was fearless, but the truth was, I was probably just as scared and fragile and flighty as you were when you were younger. In reality, everyone is. No one is truly confident right from the get-go. We're all just trying to find our way, putting on a brave face in the hopes that it'll all work out in the end. A lot of times we throw on that brave mask and part way through we realize we really do have it all together and that's when it becomes real. So it's okay if sometimes you feel like you're acting stronger than you really are, we all do that to an extent, and I don't think it makes us any less authentic.

And maybe sometimes you do put on masks. Being a Lion Secondary - 100% true to yourself 100% of the time - just isn't always feasible as much as I'm sure you wish it was. There are probably times where you have to put on a bit of a performance or a mask just to accomplish a task or work through whatever situation is in front of you. It really just comes down to what you act like when you're at your most comfortable, how you would prefer to handle a situation given optimal circumstances. In those situations, are you putting on masks, using a crafted persona, or mirroring those around you? Or are you just getting to be yourself? As a Lion Secondary (especially a Double Lion), I'm sure you're thinking "Well of course, given the best circumstances, I'd be myself! Who wouldn't?!" So it might surprise you when I tell you that is a purely Lion Secondary thing. Bird secondaries like to craft personas. Their ideal circumstances would probably be a situation in which one of their crafted personas, such as Tutor!Bird for example, comes smoothly in handy. For a Badger, they mirror the energy/vibe/demeanor of the people around them, so their ideal scenario would probably involve getting to work with a group of people who's energy they really click with and getting to bounce off each other. For a Snake Secondary, like me, my ideal scenario is adapting to whatever situation is placed in front of me so well that no one can tell I walked in completely unprepared.

Now, onto MBTI and the Lion Primary conundrum.

So the unstable sense of self is something I think a lot of us struggle with, especially those of us drawn to personality tests as you've so aptly mentioned. And that's okay, or at least it's going to be okay. I think that SHC has done a lot for me; it's really helped me grow to understand myself in tangible way. I hope these personality tests will help you do the same. Of course, personality tests and communities are not therapy, and sometimes we just need to sit down with a professional and work some things out. I, personally, go to therapy, and, while it was one of the hardest decisions I ever made, it's certainly been one of the best. So I'm a big advocate for it.

Anyways, continuing on, Fi is not one of the ENTP's preferred functions, so it totally makes sense that you're more dependent on Fe (need for group consensus, people pleasing, etc.) Now, does this conflict with being a Lion Primary? I don't think so. When you mentioned maintaining social harmony, I did think for a moment that that does sound a little bit Badger, but I think you maybe have just had some stronger Badger voices in your life or environment perhaps? It seems less like something you feel on a deeply moral level, and more like something you feel is necessary for your safety in a way. Like, "I don't feel confident and safe in voicing my true beliefs in this situation, so I feel it's best to go along with how the group feels right now" instead of "These are my people, my community, and it would be wrong for me to not trust their moral judgement because they come first." The first one is a Lion Primary reasoning, and the second one is a Loyalist Primary (Badger or Snake) reasoning. You're an Enneagram 6, so I think it's very possible that you've learned social harmony is safer than social discord, and sometimes disagreements between people we're close to can set off alarms in our heads about personal safety because we relate them to a time of instability in our past where arguments and disharmony were actually a genuine threat to our safety.

"others can often convince me of new stances easily if they talk long enough"

Okay, I may be wrong, but I don't think this is a low Fi thing at all actually. I think this is a developed Fe, high Ti thing. Otherwise known as an ENTP special (although I might be the only one who calls it that lol). I really think this is just something us ENTPs do, and I don't think it has anything to do with morality. As you go on to say next, "i ultimately still process and decide whether they feel right to me and if they stick. but i often agree with and see other perspectives very easily and have to ruminate on them." I'm the exact same way, my friend. I think we ENTPs just really like to play around with ideas. As Wisteria has previously mentioned in some other posts, sometimes Lion Primaries like to do this thing called the "rubber duck method" where we like to drop ideas into the murky water of our minds and see if they float. I haven't collected enough information on MBTI as it intersects with SHC, but I wouldn't be surprised if ENTP Lion Primaries were the kind of people who do this the most. I think it just works really well with how we like to conceptualize and internalize moral systems. I kind of see it like this:

After being presented with an idea

Is the idea even a little bit possible?

If yes, then lets assume it's true.

Now let's explore it as a truth. How does it work? How does it interact with other truths? What are the weaknesses and strengths of this idea?

Does it feel right? How am I responding to it? How are other people responding to it? What final questions do I have about this?

Finally, do I actually agree with this idea and wish to incorporate it into my system or have I decided that it just doesn't hold up to scrutiny?

The important thing to note here is that you're still ruminating on how you feel about it. You consider your feelings on the matter valid input on whether or not something really is true. From what I understand, true Bird Primaries just don't see it that way. They have feelings about issues, obviously, but they personally value their logic and provable truths over their personal truths. It feels irresponsible to them, even, to choose their personal feelings over what they believe is a logical choice. I think that fact that you don't trust yourself, so you're trying to use a Bird morality and it obviously isn't making you happy, is just more proof that you really are a Lion Primary. I think there probably is some burning here, but I think you're starting to become conscious of it, which is a good thing because that means you can work to slowly unburn and start to trust yourself more. Remember, Primaries are supposed to make you feel good. So when you're trying to stay truly Bird because you don't trust your internal compass, and it's not making you feel good, that's a sign that it's not who you truly are.

I want to thank you again for sending me this ask, and I really, really hope this helped a little bit. You're actually my first ask ever, so I was super excited to see this in my inbox! Also please don't be afraid to keep sending asks or comment on this post if you want to keep this discussion going or have more questions; I promise I'm having a great time discussing SHC, MBTI, and Enneagram with you :)