#the fun of staying up way too late for absolutely no reason and the low key stress of the apartment bomb plot the first time through

[crows--den]

The ssum really is just "That tamagotchi is a whole ass man"

[artycomicfangirl]

Hi hi here I am again the Luiasy shipper!

Your answer on my question about your headcanons for the couple was soo good! It added about some takes I had for them and made me develop some new ones! So I have another question for you regarding the two.

If Luigi and Daisy ever decide to have a kid or kids what do you think the parenting style between the two would be like?

I am excited for your answer about this.

Oh nice! Another fun one too, this will be great! Sorry for the lateness, been doing all sorts of Christmas Prep!

Also Sorry if I ended up rambling about other things along the way. Couldn’t help but branch out into other topics!

- Luigi -

💚 I like to believe that a Parent-Matured Luigi is the voice of reason amongst his own family. Kind of what I probably think Peach is also with her own Family with Mario. After all, he married a now Empress! that kind of does make him a future Emperor, right?

He is known for teaching restraint. Brings the calm after a conflict.

The one that often instills the importance of fairness, equality and so on. It’s not that Daisy doesn’t do any of these things! But Luigi is the one to give gentle reminders.

His kids do something that’s a bit out of line? Luigi rarely ever yells or shouts. And if he somehow does, it’s never supposed to be towards his little ones or beloved. But instead occurs when he is in high panic mode and needs to warn them to look out for danger.

I for some reason feel like he is VERY good at controlling and balancing out his own emotions though. When he has to give some form of Discipline, he would have to be a bit firm with it. But overall he’s very patient and understanding.

Maybe when his kids go through a more rebellious phase when they are older, he of course is the more concerned and hesitant for their safety. Including what they do, and what they get involved in. But once he actually gets to know more of the situation, he learns to be open and willing to understand more.

—————————————————

💚 “Now, sweetie…You shouldn’t push that kid into a muddy puddle. That wasn’t very nice…”

🌻 “But He made fun of your nose! He said you look like a clown!”

—————————————————

💚 While both Parents do this, Luigi is usually the one who brings up Dinner to his kids if they’re feel down or sick and confined to their rooms. This is usually because he cooks dinner. While Daisy Handles Breakfast and Lunch. In short, no matter their status, either one of them takes turns if the other is unable to do so.

He gets absolutely heartbroken seeing his kids low on energy and hurting from being sick. Even when he has to to work, he shifts his schedule accordingly so he can spend as much time with them, if Daisy has to attend urgent issues.

He comes up to their bedrooms with some nice warm tea. Some soup if the kids can’t stomach anything too hearty.

On that same note, he finds himself singing lullabies! There are a couple of times where he wakes up in the middle of the night to soothe the crying of babies, that Daisy has caught him humming along to a tune.

💚 Because Luigi tends to stay up a bit later sometimes because of dealing with Plumbing Paperwork, he lets Daisy sleep before him.

He’s grown a habit with waking up a bit earlier than Daisy. Sometimes because he one day feels like making breakfast for the family, or he really has to leave for work early. Either way, he leaves a handwritten note on his wife’s bedside table for her. And one in the kitchen too!

💚 Protectiveness. When it comes to protecting his family? Family-man Luigi is almost like a different person.

More or a what-if scenario. Picture this. The Villain says something out of line. Thinking the Emperor is too much of a ‘pansy’ compared to his wife to do anything. Although Luigi is composed. Little did they know, they should have paid attention to the hint of electric spark that flickered in his eyes.

—————————————————

💚 “…It was a pleasure meeting with you sir. Be careful when you do go home tonight. I’ve…heard there’s a big storm coming soon.”

—————————————————

- Daisy -

🌼 Daisy is the one who’s wanting her children to be in top energy and health every day!

A glass of fresh milk/Juice every morning. She’s more quick to give reminders on the dot, right away. With chores and other tasks, she makes sure that things get done right away.

🌼 Now as a mother to the children she adores, Daisy has learned to become serious enough to tone down some of her signature fiery tomboyish nature. But of course once in a while, this flares up in the form of showing pride for her children. Cheering them on, Encouraging them. Daisy wouldn’t be Daisy without her boundless energy, even as an Empress!

In comparison to Luigi singing lullabies. Daisy is a great storyteller. Bedtime stories? It’s ALWAYS the Sarasaland Empress’s duty! All the adventures she took upon, how her husband saved her from peril a few times, and how she saved him. Stories about the big bad purple Alien being defeated by the Heroes in Caps and overalls. Completed with some sound effects aided by none other than her beloved.

🌼 When disciplining her children, Daisy is the more serious one.

Not that she’s hard on her kids, nor that she yells or shouts at them either. But she is more likely to give some stern talking to correct bad behavior.

Daisy is amazingly good at sensing lies. Her BS radar is highly accurate. So if she catches her children who claimed to have not eaten that entire jar of cookies? Truth be told, she can’t help but be amused at this. She plays along too! It’s the entire reason why the kids play up their cuteness in front of their father. Daisy actually finds it hilarious that Luigi falls for it most of the time!

—————————————————

🌼 “Oh! I see you’ve been Guarding those cookies very well!”

🌻 “Yeah!”

🌼 “Well done! I’m so proud of you! Now, why don’t we celebrate by having some cookies!”

🌻 “…They’re sleepy Mama…”

🌼 “Hm? Sleepy?”

🌻 “They are so cozy inside…so you can’t see them right now…”

—————————————————

🌼 When it comes to protectiveness. Luigi May be the steady force who goes on the defense. But Daisy is the raging flame.

Although I did mention that Daisy is not as impulsive and short-tempered as she once was. But hurt her family, and you will be a goner. You absolutely do not want to be on the receiving end of a Mother’s fury.

Doesn’t matter if she is wearing the most regal of dresses. She WILL find a way to roundhouse kick you.

While Daisy is a confident woman, she does sometimes get embarrassed of this rough side of her that pops up. especially in front of her children. But so far, they have been nothing but in awe of their mother’s strength!

[inmarbleimmobility]

1.1.6 - How He Protected His House

THE ONE WITH THE CHAIRS!!! my youngest brother and i goof about this chapter All The Time because this is as far as he ever made it in the brick. so sometimes we'll be at a holiday gathering and my mother will inevitably ask about how many of us there are while setting the table and my brother will go, "seven? yeah we have enough chairs for that, we could do up to eleven actually, it would be more but that one upstairs is too big-"

anyway!

"the most beautiful of altars [...] is the soul of an unhappy man who is comforted and thanks god" is fascinating. on the surface obviously he's talking about how compassion and love are more important than material goods. but also, the altar is *the* single most important part of a physical church to the point that the church is essentially built around it - compassion and love are the center around which Myriel's entire belief system (and the one Hugo argues for) is built.

I love that Myriel has "pupils from the secondary school" over!!! I'm imagining like tea in the headmaster's office but it's with the nice old bishop who just loves hearing about everything you've been learning lately

the bit about Baptistine's sofa dreams is actually kind of crushing?? "whoever attains the ideal"???? Hey Hugo, I know this is The Miserable Book but that's a little bit of a downer even for you. like, no, material things shouldn't be the ideal, of course! beautiful furniture is no substitute for the things that truly matter! (which, if I had a nickel...) But I feel so bad for her here. Let a woman have her one velvet sofa. (also, for someone who's going to talk so much about a certain "priest of the ideal" later, that's a weird way to talk about your ideal!)

it's fascinating also that Myriel still has the "grooming articles that betrayed the elegant habits of the man of the world"! it's a surprising bit of vanity that maybe he doesn't even realize is vanity? or maybe his 10 step skincare routine really is that good.

Myriel's "copper crucifix with traces of silver" caught my eye, because Valjean's crucifix in his terrible room in the Rue de l'Homme Arme is copper too. probably I'm reaching here and and all 18th century crucifixes were made of copper, but either way it's an interesting bookend.

i'm about to get very Red String Conspiracy Meme here for a second BUT! The Candlesticks. the church says you Must have a certain number of (specifically beeswax) candlesticks present on or near the altar at any mass. the absolute minimum is two, but the number increases up to 7 depending on who's celebrating mass/what type of mass is being celebrated. someone who needed a quick 1500 word essay could make something out of this - the fact that aside from the silver cutlery (which there were practical reasons for keeping) the only other Thing he has is those two silver candlesticks, the fact that two candles specifically are used for the low mass, the table/altar comparisons, the altar being a surface on which a sacrifice is made... all of this is an extreme reach but playing with catholic aesthetics is fun, okay, so sue me.

"The beautiful is as useful as the useful. [...] Perhaps even more so."

there sure are a lot of Guys Who Like Flowers in this novel, huh! Myriel, Mabeuf, Jean Prouvaire, even Valjean... I'm sure that means nothing at all!

"Nisi Dominus" etc is Psalm 127:1, "Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

"[the bravery of priests] should be peaceable" - and this is where we run into the limit of the Myriel Approach. his need to remain peaceable is the core of that whole interaction with G- and his aversion to the scaffold - he does not believe violence can be justified, which is why he can't change the system, he can only try to mitigate the pain it causes. it feels to me like a direct parallel of Enjolras' "death, I abhor thee, but I use thee".

[inkheartedwanderer]

a typical tuesday night || e.m. (blurb)

a week in the life - tuesday 

eddie x reader

content: domesticity, absolutely nothing happens :) do I like this? not really, it’s too late and my braincells are not functioning the way they should, but I couldn’t write yesterday and I want to post all 7 days

word count: 0′8k

“Do you come here often?”

The voice, low and a bit raspy, reaches your ear over the noise in the room. You turn to your left. Leaning his arm on the sticky wooden surface of the bar, the boy looks at you with a playful grin and glistening eyes. He’s cradling a beer in his ring clad hand, and his wild hair sticks to his forehead with sweat.

You bite your lip to hide a smile. “Only on Tuesdays,” you take a sip of your own drink. “I like the band.”

“Did you come alone?” His eyes are so big and round you can’t help but hold his gaze.

The Hideout is small and badly lit. Its stone walls do a poor job at keeping the cold outside, even in the few times that a crowd gathers inside, and there’s a lingering smell of stale beer and urine in the air that clings to your nose when you breathe in. A total of five regulars spend their evenings playing either pool or poker, and a handful of local bands play a few days a week, bringing in small audiences that keep the business afloat.

It’s not the kind of place you frequent and, were you here alone, you’d be on edge. There’s only one reason why anyone would find you here on a Tuesday night.  And you do come every week like clockwork. Just for Eddie.

“I’m actually here with my boyfriend.” You twirl one of your rings around your finger, trying to conceal your amusement.

He simply smirks, “I figured a pretty thing like yourself wouldn’t be single.” There’s a hint of enjoyment in his words. He juts his head towards the platform that serves as a stage, “So what’s the verdict?” 

“They’re… okay.” You chuckle, lifting your hand to hide your face. You can’t keep playing pretend anymore -the chuckle becomes a laugh.

“Just okay? Oh, come on sweetheart! Not fun.” Eddie clutches his chest in mock offense, but his dimple betrays him -he’s happy, happy that he gets to play music and get paidfor it, happy that you never miss any of his concerts, happy that you’re here like every single Tuesday. 

He leans forward to plant a kiss on your cheek, a sticky one because he’s still clammy from the gig. You giggle and open your knees out of instinct, to let him stand closer to you. His arms snake around your waist, pulling you into his chest. “I think we were great.” 

You kiss his neck, right under his jaw. “You were, babe. Better than ever.” His curls are knotty when you brush your hand through them. You can feel his heartbeat, still thumping with the adrenaline of playing onstage, under his shirt.

He pulls away, keeping his arms around your shoulders. His voice is still coarse from the all the singing, but sweet as ever when he speaks. “Now, you’re just saying that.” He pouts so pretty that you’re afraid you might melt. 

“I’m not! Plus you looked great up there.”

Ever the dramatic, Eddie presses his fingers against his cheeks and bats his eyelashes at you, “Did I?” He drops the act when Jeff and Gareth approach the two of you. “Hey guys, you ready?”

“Yeah, everything’s in your van.” Jeff pats your back and Gareth nods at you. They’re nice, but still a little shy around you, even after all these weeks. 

You jump off the stool. The floor is sticky too. “You guys have to get famous fast.” You say in a loud whisper, looking at the waiter over your shoulder to make sure he’s not listening. “So we don’t have to come here anymore.”

Eddie laughs and picks up the big black case that holds his acoustic guitar from where it’s leaning against the bar, then offers you his free hand, which you take happily. Little demonstrations of affection like this one, which felt so daunting in the beginning, are now as natural as loving him is.

You stay a little behind Jeff and Gareth as you make your way outside, towards Eddie’s van. He leans over and whispers, “How does dinner sound? After we drop these two off.”

“I’m starving.” You admit.

“I’m craving Benny’s burgers and chocolate milkshake.” 

You raise an eyebrow. Benny’s food is great, but usually an unnecessary expense for two broke fresh out of high school kids like Eddie and you. “Don’t look at me like that. I just got paid.”

“Let me treat you to dessert at least.”

Eddie knows arguing will get him nowhere, you’re too stubborn to let him spend his savings on food for you. So he smiles, sweetly and big, and then his lips meet yours. “Deal.”

[lenskyq]

"when Daniel attacks the cops in Blood Brothers/Lone Wolf, it's so terrible! they don't have to be harmed at all, it's literally shown in Parting Ways! low-morality Daniel is who attacks first. cops were just defending!"

Um, well, how would… no? it seems to me that when people say such things, they really don't understand what happened at the border and what happened in Parting Ways.

at the border, they were surrounded by cops, whose main task is to prevent Daniel and Sean from crossing the border, arrest Sean and present Sean before the court. it is absolutely obvious that they will not let the Diaz brothers go. so Sean and Daniel have only two choices, it's to give up or to continue the fight. the second option means that Daniel will have to attack the cops.

I really wonder how people imagine a "humane" way to cross the border when it doesn't exist.

if Daniel had just moved the cars out of their way without hurting anyone and opened the way for them to move on, the cops wouldn't have let them go. they wouldn't say something like, "well, since you broke through our fence with the help of unknown magical powers of your younger brother, then have a good trip!".

the cops would continue to chase the Diaz brothers and attack them because there are no other options here. they won't let them go just because Sean and Daniel just drove past the fence, and even more so they won't do it when they witness Daniel's superpowers. the cops came there for the sole purpose of stopping and detaining them. how can people imagine that the superpower demonstrated by Daniel and going beyond the fence will convince the cops to abandon their goal, turn around peacefully and leave with the words "oh no, we screwed up! well, it would be impolite to continue chasing them, so we give up"?

"but in Parting Ways!…" in Parting Ways, the cops literally started shooting at them, trying to kill them, as soon as Sean drove on. they started shooting even before Daniel even damaged their cars and demonstrated superpowers. wtf, people. if they want to cross the border, they will have to attack the cops, otherwise the cops will kill them. the cops try to kill them even when Daniel isn't attacking them. after that, how can you say that a low-morality Daniel, who wants to cross the border, could not attack?

this is literally what Sean says to do when he decides to cross the border. In Parting Ways, Sean wants Daniel to do what he does in Blood Brothers and Lone Wolf, which is why the highly moral Daniel says he doesn't want to do it and jumps out of the car.

Daniel: I don't wanna! I'm not hurting anyone else!

Sean: It's too late! They're shooting at us, Daniel. This is the only way!

Parting Ways directly tells us that they can't cross the border any other way, but the fandom somehow drew the exact opposite conclusion from this. it really blows mind.

The only reason the cops didn't follow Sean was Daniel falling out of the car. the younger Diaz, who demonstrated incomprehensible superpowers in front of them, is clearly a much higher priority for them than his older brother.

if Daniel had stayed with Sean, the cops would have continued the chase. if they had driven on without attacking the cops, the cops would have continued the chase. so… it's obvious. low-morality Daniel attacks not because he wants to be awesome cool badass, but because they have no other way out. high-morality Daniel jumps out of the car not "for fun", but because he does not want to attack (and it is necessary to attack in order to cross the border together).

"Daniel destroyed the cars" but did not erase the cops and Florens's memory of what they saw.

it's a little funny when criticize the Blood Brothers and the actions of the Diaz brothers at the border, but ignore that what happened at the border in the Blood Brothers is what Sean demanded from Daniel in Parting Ways. Daniel, who is comfortable with Sean's desires and shares them is bad. Sean, who forces a scared Daniel to do something Daniel doesn't want (risking his life), is good. although what Sean demands from Daniel is bad by the same logic.

okay…

[shy-the-schizophrenic]

My Last Letter To You.

Kris,

I'm writing you this letter so I can have closure and say everything I need to say before I block you. I don't understand how you honestly can do this to me. To us. You were given another chance. You promised you wouldn't hurt me again. You wouldn't drink. And look at you. You can't help yourself anymore. And your piece of shit coworkers are just that. Pieces of shit. You lied to me. You blew off a night falling asleep with me to go get drunk with your coworkers. Your female coworkers. You lied. Once again. You can never be trusted, you've proven that to me. The one alcohol slip up, okay. But tonight? There was no reason. You chose alcohol over the beautiful love and life we could have had together. You told me to kill myself. Deny it all you want but I will never forget. You made fun of me for crying about you being with girls. You're a heartless man who spits venomous words at people he loves. Atleast tonight you didn't deny your love for me. Well kris. You killed my love for you. You proved to be like every other man in my life. You abused me. You're a drunk. It's disgusting. You're disgusting. I'm disgusted with you. I was disappointed, hurt, confused. No more. I know now that this is who you are. And who you are isn't deserving of me. I'm an amazing person. I've made mistakes but I'm a good person. I don't go out of my way to hurt people. I keep to myself. I continously work on my shortcomings. I saw a bright future for us. But now your future, I see it falling apart. You're going to lose your kids all over again and drink yourself into oblivion. Or you'll end up in jail. You're going to lose everything you've ever cared about just because you wanted to get drunk with some hot girls when you could have been with me. You think those girls are going to be there for you when you lose it all? No. Neither will I. I told you, you could come to me when you feel like drinking. When you felt low. Don't. I don't want any part of your life that you're choosing to ruin. I want nothing to do with you. You broke my heart for the last time. Only my ex fiance got that many chances. And I will not end up that girl I was with him. That will never be me. I should have seen your red flags. Your constant need to lie. How deep your alcoholism goes. I wish I did before I fell for you. But it's okay. Because you aren't feeling this right now like I am. And by the time you realize how low in life you are by losing me and choosing to go back to drinking, I will be fully over you and you won't even cross my mind. I will be free and you will be wracked in guilt and full of sorrow because your life will be empty all over again. And you can try to replace me. You never will. No girl will ever amount to me and the love I bore for you. I would have died for you. I would have done anything for you and you killed us. You killed my love and you will never revive it. I hope you feel every little bit of pain you've made me feel over the past couple months with your abuse when you wake up. I hope you realize what you've lost. Because it's absolutely too late. I'll tell you goodbye but you will never hear I love you. I won't give you that. You'll occupy my mind for a while. And it will kill me not to text you. But I'll be fine soon. I'll find joy in life again while you spiral downwards and for that I'm truly sorry. You don't deserve it. You have a kind heart but your demons have eaten you alive and it's so sad to see. This is why I never date addicts or alcoholics. Because I know one day they will relapse and I will have to watch them put their drug of choice ahead of me and everything they care about. I won't watch you waste away kris. I can't. I hope you get better. I don't see that happening at this point though. You don't want the help. You don't care about anything. You don't even love your children enough to stay away from alcohol. They deserve a better dad that and I deserve a better lover than you. Best wishes kris. Goodbye forever.

[francesderwent]

Troy and Gabriella, also reylo

TROY AND GABRIELLA

first of all screaaaaaaming because I adore the crap out of them and firmly believe that they are extraordinarily valid!!!

my FAVORITE moment? has GOT to be "Can I Have This Dance", because it's all about the fact that what they have is a MIRACLE, and it's worth fighting for!! but they're not trying to stay in the same moment forever, they're gonna lead and follow through life, they're gonna keep on getting better.

WHOLESOME, all caps!! more wholesome than anybody else, maybe!!!!!

I'm legit going to fully seriously say "Love Story" because they absolutely epitomize the Fearless kind of pure, sincere teenage love, and they are kind of the Romeo and Juliet of jocks and nerds. and also! I believe in my heart that those crazy kids made it, and they got married and had the white dress and everything!! "Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel / this love is difficult, but it's real / don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess / it's a love story, baby, just say yes"

ship: it's crazy how few teenage ships from the gajillion teenage shows I've seen even come close to the sheer perfection of their energy. closest would be Scott and Allison from Teen Wolf, probably! EDIT: I am an idiot and the correct answer was obviously Scott and Kira.

a childhood friends AU! we'll make it so they only see each other in the summers so starting school together DOES change everything, but I love the "just like kindergarten" line so much that I think it would be fun to make it true. that singing together feels like when you met a kid and started playing together and suddenly were best friends, because that's what happened for them! and they're growing all the time but they never leave that behind.

I'm gonna throw them in the honorable mentions because they deserve it!!!!!

REY AND BEN

they are a ship of MOMENTS, aren't they?? I think my favorite, the one that took my breath away in theaters, is when their eyes meet in that last battle in tros and she sees him and she knows it's really him, knows that he's shed every mask he's ever worn and is looking at her with his own eyes!! both younger and older than he's ever been!!!! and he nods at her and that gives her the courage she needs! this connection that has been like a haunting is now a lifeline!!

I have absolutely no idea what to say here because there is a part of my brain that is absolutely refusing to give any ground in the reylo battles of late 2019 by even thinking the phrase fucked up when it comes to them, but also I feel like calling them wholesome might be a stretch? too bad, I'm going to!! because they've both got their issues and they hurt each other in deep ways but in the end they're honest with each other and they save each other!!!!!!! and isn't that what counts?

"Only Love" by Mumford and Sons!! "I didn't fool you but I failed you / in short, made a fool out of you and a younger heart / and I rage and I rage / but perhaps I will come of age and be ready for you / and you saw me low, alone again / didn't they say that only love will win in the end?"

I already connected them with Zutara, so now I'm gonna draw a line between them and Jude and Cardan. I think my reasoning basically boils down to "big snake paradoxically and symbolically healed by violence" but I don't think that means I'm wrong, necessarily

I love the idea of a Ben never goes dark AU in a million different ways, but especially when he's just not especially force-sensitive, not especially good at it, except that he has this deep force connection to this random scavenger out in the middle of nowhere who's really good with the force. despite this, Ben is Leia's favorite child and Rey is Han's favorite not-child.

they did not make the list!

[justiceformercutio]

Mercutio's End

As I walked down the streets of Verona, I called for him. “Romeo! Romeo, where are you?” There was no response, of course, because this boy would never truly respond to my calls, no matter how subtle or obvious they were. Still I kept calling, it felt as if it were all I could do. 

I walked past rows and rows of homes, looking in every window for him, but each one was filled with a simple silhouette of a man and woman in love. I must’ve walked for an hour before I saw even a glimpse of someone outside. It was my uncle. There was no reason for him to be in the streets this late, especially as the Prince of Verona. I made eye contact with him and he approached me with recognition, although we shared a distance that seemed too long for someone to instantly recognize another.

“Mercutio! I was just looking for you. Have you considered my proposition for you to come and stay with me? I feel it truly important that you consider how you play into the royal family as you are coming of age,” he yelled as he approached me quickly. 

As soon as he finished, I saw Romeo run into a building behind my uncle, seemingly in a hurry. 

“Yes I have! I will have to talk to you later about this matter though, as I am currently searching for Romeo. I believe I am close to finding him, so if you could please excuse me,” I said as I urgently pushed past him. 

Though, as I got closer to the house I thought Romeo had entered, all of the surrounding houses looked very similar. In fact, all of them were exactly identical. Each one had the same walk up to the door in the front that was slightly cracked as if someone rushed in and forgot to close it all the way. In every window was the same boy, my Romeo, and his new love Juliet.

I despise Juliet. It was not that she didn’t seem nice, or that she was a Capulet. Truly, my hatred had nothing to do with her specifically. Juliet was just another barrier between Romeo and I. It was no fault of her own that Romeo must jump from one woman to the next. One royal princess to another, with the exclamation that he has found the true love of his life. I find it absurd that he can do that and be so unaware. 

Romeo must have seen me from the window without my noticing, because now each front door was wide open, each with a single Romeo standing in the doorway. 

“Why are you standing in the night all alone, Mercutio? Why don’t you come inside and have a drink?” he asked, completely oblivious to my obvious distress.

As soon as I took my first step, I was suddenly staring at the ceiling of my bedroom. This was a recurring dream, the only thing changing as the days go on is the girl that I see Romeo with.

My breakfast was nearly done when I heard my uncle come in through the front door. I instantly knew that he was looking for me. He was going to ask if I would consider following him around town today and observe his duties in the city, as they were supposedly my own in the future. Of course he could never understand why someone would not want to be in his position as the prince. He refuses to see that the kind of absolute mind-killing, creativity-drowning work that he considers fun could never appeal to me. I am simply not the right kind of person. 

My family buys into the idea of royalty and god-given right to rule, however I feel it is insane. I know plenty who could rule better than every single person in my family, including myself, and no one seems to understand how that could be possible. I am in control of what I do in my day-to-day life, and I will not be sucked into a tradition that favors monotony. 

I got up and made for the back door in an effort to avoid him, but he saw my back entering the hall and called my name firmly.

“Mercutio. Come here and talk to me for a minute. I think it’s about time for us to make some decisions.”

I moped back into the room with my shoulders low, although I knew nothing would come of this conversation. Frankly, I wanted to go find Romeo. I knew he would simply disappoint me more, but my love for him would drive me to the ends of the world if it meant I could spend an hour with him. 

“What is it, uncle? I have made it very clear how I feel about taking some position of responsibility, much less replacing you,” I snapped. 

“I believe I remember telling you that you don’t have much of a choice. You will serve as prince one day. You were born into the station. Every person born into this position has served our kingdom, and you will not do any different.”

“I find it absurd that you believe that just because of my heritage that I am fit for such a role of responsibility. I did not choose to be in this position, and I will not suffer the consequences of something as ridiculous as fate. I am in control of myself and my life.”

“If you’re going to continue shouldering your responsibility, then you might as well not consider yourself part of the family,” he says tight-lipped.

I instantly shot up out of my chair and marched for the back door. He called after me but I was so blinded with rage that it did not matter what he said, I needed to be gone. Anyways, Benvolio would be expecting me in the square soon and I can’t continue to keep him waiting. 

The walk to the town square does not usually take me long, but today it felt like it must’ve been an hour. I when I first stormed off, I was near a running pace, but I slowed down to make sure I had time to cool off. I didn’t want Benvolio to ask me about anything I didn’t want to speak about.

The truth is, Benvolio has always been very perceptive of other people. More specifically, he can always tell if someone is upset. So much so that someone may not be aware that they themselves are upset, but he notices and will bring whatever is bothering them to the surface. 

When I first told him that I had feelings for Romeo, he said that he actually already knew. That the way I teased him about his love life was a little too much, and that when I did so I displayed a twinge of hurt in my jabs. He’s right. I’ve always tried to make funny quips at Romeo, hoping maybe one day that the one he should be loving and running away with is me. Maybe if I made fun of the way he spoke of dreaming and their true meaning, then he would realize that he is the one I am dreaming of. 

…

  I scanned the square, hoping that in one of the many shops that occupy the area, I would find him. When I did find him, he was actually only a few yards away from me and I had missed him entirely. The dream and altercation with my uncle must have had more of an effect on my outlook than I had believed. 

“Are you hungry? I had to skip breakfast and I would love a good sandwich right about now” He said eagerly. 

“I actually just ate. My uncle decided to pay a visit”

“Oh my lord. Can he not leave you alone? I have never seen someone so persistent on something so impossible in my whole… Nevermind! Why don’t we go get a drink somewhere? It’ll be a good place to get out of this heat and wait for Romeo” 

“I’m not in the mood for a drink right now Benvolio. I have the feeling that getting drunk may actually only amplify what I am feeling right now” 

“Did you have the dream again? Who was the girl this time?”

“Juliet. She finally replaced Rosaline. At least there's a little change of scenery.” “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire.”

[fishnets-fingers]

Harry’s House - Album Review

A review from two tumblr moots - Maya [ @fishnets-fingers​ ] and Aprajita [ @0oolookitsme​ ]. While Aprajita listened to the album when it came out, Maya bit the bullet and listened to the leaks a week before the release. We’ve put down our thoughts for each track, we wrote an album review with a rating, and ranked it with the older albums in Harry’s discography.

 1. Music For a Sushi Restaurant

M- Weird. But I love the way it sounds. Definitely the right opening track. The horns - I LOVE. It really threw me off because this is not the type of music I was expecting from him but I’m not complaining if the whole album is gonna be like this. It’s cause I love you babe. Every kind of way. Just a little taste. You know I love you babe. These lyrics are my favourite. 

 A- I literally laughed when I focused on the lyrics. Like, this song is so goddamn fun, could be played in a club too maybe, or just depressed and tipsy students could dance to this during parties. And when the ‘aah’ goes from low to high, just makes me clench my eyes cause it just feels so good! + The moment I heard: scooby do bo, I was like yas king!   (literally obsessed with this song these past two days)

2. Late Night Talking 

M- The Coachella song. Didn’t like it when it was performed but it definitely grew on me. I LOVE the chorus. Very cute premise of staying up and talking with the one you are currently infatuated with. Nothing very remarkable about it for me. 

A- There would be rare moments in my life when I’d want to play this song, but those moments will be just perfect. Defo the one I’ll skip sometimes. But when he tunes the words before the “If you feeling dow…”, is the reason this song is playing continuously in my head, and not to forget the 12..34..56 kinda chorus. This one kinda gives me the vibes of when the whites are on a car ride during summers, yanno?

3. Grapejuice 

M- The whispered one two three from Harry in my ears really invaded my personal bubble. HELLO ASMR KING LMAO. Very eh for me… I’m very curious to see how he’d perform this live (I’m picturing he sits down on stage). The crooning chorus was divine. I feel like the only way I’d appreciate this song to its fullest when it’s being played is on a long road trip and it’s super dark outside - with patches of light pouring in through the streetlight - and everyone in the car is asleep and it’s eerily quiet, except for the whir of the car. 

A- The 123 really did catch me off-guard cause you know, I didn’t expect his voice to be so low and raspy. I’m not THAT infatuated with this song but I just know I’ll probably grow on this song when I’ll start going on walks during the afternoon or late mornings, cause I’d defo play it at that moment.

4. As It Was 

M- Sweet sweet as it was. Harry’s pumped up kicks era. It’s a nice reminder to know that he’s just as messed up as the rest of us. I loved it when it came out but I’m tired of this song, to be honest. It’s overplayed - it’s on every other story/ reel/ post/ video on instagram - and I’m ready to move on. 

A- This song is chef's kiss and because I don’t see this song on Insta that much, I don’t think I’ll ever skip this song. Like.. I could hear this song in whatever mood I’m in, literally.

5. Daylight 

M- My little gem. I absolutely love this. It’s this album’s Golden. I have a feeling that this was written super late at night. Or at least that’s the vibe I’m getting. The ooh in the chorus is the best part. Wished this would go on for a whole ten minutes… sigh. 

A- I’ve been listening to this one a lot lately. Like, 's the best song so far. I love the poetry kinda vibes from the lyrics and the music is>> Like this instantly made it to my faves. I can’t -and won’t-  stop listening to this literal gem.

6. Little Freak 

M- Mayhaps we’ve got ourselves another Complicated Freak on our hands? Oh how wrong I was, expecting it to go a very different route. Still don’t know how to feel about this… I feel like this is

the song in the album that I’d skip and suddenly listen to it in a few months and mentally curse myself for not appreciating it a bit sooner and have it on repeat. 

A- His voice… omg. This song is the ‘Cherry’ of this album. He sounds so vulnerable! Like I can imagine his nose getting slightly pink because of the chilly atmosphere while listening to this one. I expected this one to be a sex song so I wasn’t ready. All I know is that I’m ready to see this on my ‘on repeat’ playlist on Spotify. “You never saw my birthmark..” …and I LOST it.

7. Matilda 

M- It’s very sweet. I got very emotional listening to it. I love the perspective he took while writing it. Not a skip. It has a place in my heart.

A- I love the tears I had in my eyes while listening to this song as I was alone in the kitchen, sitting on the slab and preparing myself tea. The fact that I read the novel this song has been inherited from just makes it so much more meaningful to me cause you see, I read that story when I was 11 or 12. Don’t even be surprised if you see me listening to this one while having a breakdown in the bathroom.

8. Cinema 

M- I think this is the most different out of all the songs in the album. Love the way he says cool. Definitely going into my horny playlist. Don’t like the bridge that much though. Bit too long in my opinion. 

A- After 2 emotional songs, this changed my mood in a snap of fingers. Like my mood doesn’t change this quickly when I’m on my periods mate. I might skip this one sometimes, though.

9. Daydreaming 

M- Absolutely loved all three minutes and seven seconds of this. Very dancey. I could totally see myself convincing people to start a conga line when this song starts at parties. I saw a post that said Taylor Swift’s exes are making music together and sign me up if it’s gonna give us more bops like this. 

A- Literally can see myself dance-walking to this song. Like, I’ll be dancing like some old but active and fit old man to this song lmao.

10. Keep Driving 

M- This is hands down my favourite song on the album. It’s super airy and his voice sounds beautiful. Had this on repeat for days now. Side boob, cocaine, choke her with a sea view, edibles, puff pass - Harry what in the name of debauchery. It’s my favourite of all the bridges. Only can pepper in shit like in a sweet sounding sound. 

A- I agree so much with your review. I can see myself humming this song out of the blue. That’s literally what I’ve been doing since today morning so-. Love this song. Can listen to this song on any type of car drive. But this song is either made to be heard super early in the morning, or on a chilly evening. But there's hustle-bustle around during both the times.

11. Satellite 

M- I expected this to sound similar to cinema but it’s not. It’s giving me a very Jonas Brothers vibe. Very forgetful for me. Don’t particularly like it. 

A- I kinda like this song. Like, really like this song hahah. He did a few innovations with this one but honestly, I love ‘em.

12. Boyfriends 

M- Boring. It’s a sweet song but it’s the one song I dislike on the album. Hate me all you want but it’s a guaranteed skip from me. 

A- This song- hmm, I think I’ll only listen to this when I’m feeling the loneliest. Like this song digs a pit in my chest, at least it feels so. I’ll be scared to listen to this song most of the time so I don't know how often will I let it play.

13. Love Of My Life 

M- Shoot me in the face, this was so beautiful and vulnerable. The synth was just chef’s kiss. It’s unfortunate, just coordinates, keep echoing in my head for some reason. All in all, such a lovely way to sign off.

A- The piano in the end is what broke the dam.

Final Review & Rating: 

M- Lyrically not his best. I think Fine Line was the best lyrically. It’s much more ambiguous than what he used to write - much more ambiguous than what it used to be. It’s giving me a lot of similarities to Bon Iver but he’s just not on par yet (sorry Harry and the writing team). Sonically, I absolutely love it. Super different and playful. Groovy. Jazzy. Disco. It’s the best sound he’s ever put out. It’s still at the bottom and this is just my first impression but albums usually take time to grow on me and who knows maybe in three months, I have a feeling it will knock his first album to the bottom of my list. 7/10. 

A- I’m really starting to grow on this album now, but it still sits at the bottom for me. The more I play, the deeper I find it so I have a feeling that this might take the position of his self-titled album by the end of this year… I’ll give this album an 8.5/10 :)

Ranking: 

M- Fine Line for me still is on the throne. Followed by his first album and then very closely, followed by Harry’s House.

A- Fine Line > Harry Styles > Harry’s House.

[anotherfantasycardgame]

Blog Update #05 - March 18 2024 - On Card Design, Card Framing and New Games

Lately, as there has not been much work to do internally on Mirror's Game, I've been unable to keep myself from formulating possible changes to the current state of things in Mirror's Game that could be applied in the future.

I've also been unable to stop thinking about a new card game. I really like the way this game has turned out, and I am very happy with the direction the game has taken in its supplemental expansions that haven't been made public and are in testing, but the way I stay true to my creative self is to keep working on ideas. I intend to see Mirror's Game through, since I consider it a success and I enjoy working on it a lot. I really couldn't ask for more from the system as it is.

It does progressively get more difficult to design new ideas that aren't outright broken or power creep, or strictly worse than existing cards. There is a sort of discipline that develops over years of experience in a system. Embracing a more horizontal design works for some time, but when your game inevitably has to move on from this space, if it is not done gradually it will sting in many ways.

I think it's possible to gain a sort of instinct in regards to the power of cards in the game you've made. It is just as easy to ignore this instinct and allow some wildly powerful things through, however. Sometimes I'll develop an idea for a card only to find that we've tried something similar in the past and found it overwhelming. Usually my solution to this is finding a way to put a form of restriction on cards. I think doing this is overall better for keeping strong, fun cards in the game. This game needs this pretty badly since we lack a feeling of progression through accumulating mana, the feeling of progression can only really come from disassembling the opponent's field and working towards depleting their stocks.

The way our restrictions manifest are not always crystal clear for players, and most people try to use the numerous "downsides" on cards to their advantage in a way and that adds to the fun of the game overall. Sometimes cards read on paper as if they are very strong and turn out underwhelming, and usually it is better to remove such a thing from the game as to not break the illusion too much. If the power is more understandable to players, like a creature with 2 good stats and 1 weaker stat, then the player can form their own narrative around the card players may think things like "of course x has to be low, this card would be too good if x was more!" or "that ability would be broken if it cost x!" this can generate some excitement in players while also building card assessment skills.

In the world of card design through text, another limit in design is the space for text on cards. I did not choose the area for text in Mirror's Game totally arbitrarily, I tried to use the proportions MTG cards use as closely as I could while trying to balance that with my own design sensibilities. This gave me about 8 lines of text to work with, but the amount of words you can fit in this space can fluctuate unless you mess around with the spacing and such constantly. We usually don't need to shorten cards, sometimes words are added or cut for aesthetic framing of the text. In some cases there is not much that can be done about the issue and we simply have to accept the slight "ugliness" of the text on the card. Most players don't ever notice this, but if you are having this problem consistently it is probably in your best interest to find new words to describe things in your game that take up less space or find a new font, or adjust font sizes within reason.

Mirror's Game frequently uses many long words. We don't shorten Continuous, On Summon or anything like that. I think this keeps the game accessible, despite the fact it seems more laborious to read the word over and over, most players will learn to just ignore that text unless absolutely necessary to clarify to an opponent who does not understand the card. It does help that when we have an activated ability that there is not such a label. Ideally it becomes subconscious for players that if it is one of the repeated phrases then it is a trigger or lingering effect and if it says something else then it must be activated. You can't rely on this assumption as an excuse for bad design, though. If players are seriously confused by your language, or if your language in some way conflicts with their preconceived ideas about what certain words should mean then it is for the best that is changed, even if you feel it is less original or less flavorful or whatever.

Even though I've often found myself short on space for some designs of cards, I have considered making changes that would decrease the size of the text box on cards for Mirror's Game. This sounds counter-intuitive, but I would also be decreasing the size of the font if I made these changes. Yu-Gi-Oh has proven that you can put almost any font size on a TCG and people will power through it if they desire to play the game is strong enough. I wouldn't actually make the text that small though, that is just an example. I wanted to make this change so the artwork has more room to be shown off, and because I think that when the borders are removed for Full Art cards that it could look better with less text on the card. In this process I also intended to make some of the colors brighter on the cards and also decrease the transparency of the text box on cards.

After some time making changes I thought would be good, as well as cleaning up some details on the card template... I realized that the changes weren't significant enough to keep. I now know that the only reason I'd have to change the template drastically at this rate would be a major mechanical adjustment to the game. At this point I think it is better to keep things consistent. The frame is very modern. We don't have any sort of the skeumorphism-esque "problems" like those MTG felt it had, that was resolved in eighth edition for MTG cards, but Mirror's Game does not feel like that at all. I think the game retains a "handmade" charm while still be reminiscent of larger and more popular games that influenced it. I think players might feel like they've been tricked if the game looked wild and flashy but in the end still played similarly to games they know. There is nothing inherently wrong with embracing the fact that games inspired by trading card games and new independent trading card games are highly derivative of the games that came before them. If the game is so different that you feel it is not derivative of games like MTG, Duel Masters, or YGO then it is likely that the game won't find an audience with the traditional TCG fans.

I've recently felt some internal conflict with this fact. The fact that games like Mirror's Game, while they do objectively play different from the most popular games, are ultimately derivative of games like MTG and DM. The fact that is true is not what bothers me, I am by no means bothered by the fact "somebody thought of it first" because those great works are an inspiration and also a resource for ideas to expand upon and ideas to circumvent when they proved problematic for their games.

For example, I think that implementing a "Legendary Rule" (Only one per deck, one on the field among all players) like they were in the first 10-15 years of MTG in a new card game is totally foolish, and is a decision a game maker today would make solely on the basis of nostalgia. It's hard to disprove the concept of "Legendaries" as a useful tool in design, I think the way MTG does Legendaries now is as good as it's gonna get, but even MTG has began to make more and more cards that circumvent the Legendary rule. One may look at the Bounds in Mirror's Game as "Legendaries" but there is a lot of other implications by the nature of which a player resolves a Bound in Mirror's Game. The most obvious way is in which many cards exclude bound creatures from their effects. Through this the grandiosity of bounds is expanded upon in game, and their special status is amplified as more and more cards exclude them from interactions. This also makes cards that include them feel special in a way, or if it feels more like "they forgot to exclude them" maybe like a mistake, then a player might feel smart for figuring this out.

My internal conflict comes more from my desire to create a new game, and it is hard to accept that many of my new ideas feel more and more derivative of MTG and DM than Mirror's Game does in its current state. This is confusing because on the surface Mirror's Game can seem as the most derivative, I've even had kids confuse the state of the field for Pokemon TCG, and it is completely true that those games and YGO were my main inspiration, yet somehow in the end the execution and turn to turn gameplay has felt like its own thing. I just can't remember how it ever got to this point. It can really only be a culmination of playtesting and finding solutions. I guess back then I was more willing to throw away hours of work, or more willing to try things and fill in the gaps until something was whole. With Mirror's Game, it also took years to make these developments, so maybe it is foolish to think a fresh idea will come about just like that? I am trying not to be too hard on myself for having these new ideas that feel old, I guess I just impressed myself too much with my own previous work and the parts of it that have originality that it becomes hard to understand even as someone involved in its creation how it ever came to be.

At the time of writing this, I keep coming up with games that would use "shield" cards like DM, or games that want to use a Ruler like FoW or a Commander or something, or some combination. But the truth is that those types of game pieces don't feel like a proper beginning place to me. Maybe the effects of cards and things like that should be figured out first and the means through which battles in the game lead to the resolution of the game can be decided later. Its hard to do this when you've already got pretty good ideas in working games as to how conflicts should resolve and how they should feel for players. I wish to stay away from "pure" Life totals, like YGO and MTG have because I think those games have got that figured out, and games like FoW also have this done. I turn to many Japanese TCGs for inspiration but they are also all derivative of DM or feature many strange qualities that complicate things before they start to work on solutions for existing problems in the core of TCGs. I also do not want to repeat the segmented life total design in Mirror's Game. At least not while Mirror's Game is the only game that has been put out by us. It could be that there is simply not a need for me to design a new game just yet. Maybe the inspiration will come when it really feels like expanding upon my current project is impossible.

[moniquejulia491]

Does Running Really Melt Pounds? The Truth About Weight Loss from Running

<h2>The Skinny on Running: Does It Really Help You Lose Weight?</h2> <p>Many people go running regularly, and for good reason - it has some great health benefits. But some folks still wonder, can running actually help you lose weight? Let's break down what running can do for your body and whether it's an effective way to slim down.</p> <h3>Running Gets Your Lungs and Immunity in Shape</h3> <p>Putting in some miles is a surefire way to improve your lung capacity and boost your immune system. Every time you lace up and hit the pavement, you're strengthening your respiratory and circulatory systems. All that deep breathing works your lungs like a muscle. A stronger set of lungs can ferry more oxygen to your muscles. </p> <p>Your body also gets a workout fighting off germs when you perspire during a run. This "stress" on your system leaves you better able to battle colds and flu in the long run. So in many ways, running is like getting a natural immunity boost!</p> <h3>Will It Help Melt the Pounds Away?</h3> <p>When it comes to shedding pounds, running can absolutely help - but diet plays a big role too. Here are a few keys to using running effectively for weight loss:</p> <ul> <li>Go for a slow, steady pace on most runs to burn more calories per mile.</li> <li>Swimming is another great low-impact option that torches tons of calories.</li> <li>Watch your late-night snacking - nutrients from dinner keep you full overnight.</li> <li>Eat plenty of protein to feel satisfied and aid muscle recovery.</li> </ul> <p>Most importantly, running needs to be part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Commit to regular runs 4-5 times per week for effective fat burning. But don't expect running alone to melt pounds - balanced nutrition is key as well.</p> <h3>Give It a Try - You Might Just Get Hooked!</h3> <p>The fitness and health payoffs of running can really add up, especially if you stick with it consistently. And who knows, you may even find it's a fun stress reliever. So lace up your sneakers and hit the road or trail - your body will thank you later.</p> <p>With running's impressive benefits, it's easy to see why so many have become devoted to the sport. Just be patient, start slow, and listen to your body. You'll be logging miles and feeling fit in no time.</p>

[disneyanduniversalnews]

Top Reasons Staying at Universal Orlando Resort Will Save You Time, Money and Your Sanity

Staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel truly makes your vacation as spectacular as possible. Don't be tempted by far away imposters! Booking a hotel on property can you help in three critical ways: saving time, money and sanity. Affordability is paramount to most families, and efficient use of time is as valuable as gold on vacation. Plus, these accommodations can reduce the overall stress you navigate during your tip!

Staying at one of the eight incredible hotels at Universal Orlando Resort gives you the best overall value for your theme park escape. Don't believe it? Keep reading!

How To Save Time

Complimentary and quick transportation

Don't spend your day looking for a parking spot, loading and unloading the trunk or trying to remember where you parked in the first place. Guests staying at Universal hotel can take advantage of complimentary transportation between their hotel, Universal Orlando's theme parks, and Universal CityWalk. Plus, you have a quick commute to go back and forth throughout the day as needed. With the shuttle or water taxi, you can arrive early or stay late (or both!) to take advantage of all the action, especially during special annual events that can go on as late as 2 am.

Early Park Admission

One of the best ways to save time is to avoid the long lines of some of the most popular rides and attractions. getting to the park early, before most guests can enter, enables incredible access to relatively empty queues. Guests of all Universal Orlando's hotels receive special access to the theme parks with Early Park Admission up to one hour before the theme park opens. Early admission includes Universal's Volcano Bay, too! You will be shocked at how much you can do in one hour of focused ride time.

Valid theme park admission is required.

Resort-wide charging privileges

You don't have to meet up with the teens to pay for their coffee orders. No need to compromise and force everyone to eat at the same restaurant for lunch. See an interactive wand or a super soft hoodie you must buy? No problem. Guests staying on-site can access resort-wide charging privilege with their room key (if you allow it). Ditch your bulky purse and roam hands-free!

Merchandise Delivery

Why would you want to spend time storing your unique take-home gifts in your car or, worse, have to carry them around all day? Just have them delivered to your hotel! Universal Orlando hotel guests receive complimentary delivery of any merchandise purchased at stores throughout the resort. Go ahead and shop 'til you drop. Universal will deliver it for you.

How To Save Money

Grab-and-go options for food and drinks

You don't have to sit down at a restaurant to have your meals when you stay on-site at Universal Orlando Resort. Spend less money by using the grab-and-go options at the hotel - or there are even some throughout CityWalk and the theme parks. Universal does a great job of offering a variety of dining options for every budge (peak below for some sit down recs!) and it's so convenient to make a quick stop for a snack or sandwich and get back to the fun.

Universal Express Unlimitied

One of the most impressive money-saving aspects of staying at select Universal hotels is the benefit of receiving complimentary Universal Express Unlimited passes. You will enjoy free Universal Express ride access allowing you to skip the regular lines at most attractions within Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Island of Adventure. The cost of this amenity varies but let's just say that for my family of four, this is an absolute game-changer! Complimentary Universal Express Unlimited is available to guests staying at Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

Budget-friendly hotel options

There are hotel options for every budget and family at Universal Orlando Resort. Save money by choosing one of the value-priced hotels (that still offer unique and impressive accommodations and less-expensive food options). Universal's Endless Summer Resort hotels, Surfside and Dockside, both have a California-cool vibe and offer shockingly affordable 2-bedroom suites that sleep up to six people.

How To Save Your Sanity

Take a siesta

Staying at one of the either Universal hotel gives you options you just wouldn't have otherwise. When your home base is only minutes from the theme parks, you can easily head back, take a few hours to lounge at the pool, recharge with a nap or just get some quiet time. Relax, get refreshed, and then head back out for more fun!

Access to the concierge

Want to get reservations at Toothsome Chocolate Factory? How about getting recommendations for the best place to buy merchandise? The concierges at the hotels can help with all of this and more. Let go of the stress you don't need and let someone help you figure it out.

Enjoy a sit-down meal.

Treat yourself to a sit-down-and-stay-a-while kind of meal at one of the phenomenal dining options at the hotels. Whether it's taking a leisurely morning to enjoy a hearty breakfast before a busy day in the theme park, or getting away from the crowds for dinner-time, you'll be grateful for the chance to just take a breather and catch up with your family over a delicious meal.

Get more sleep

Some families adore being rope-droppers. They get up early and want to be in the park when it opens. When you are only 10 minutes away from the entrance, you be like my family sleep later and still get there early! Everyone knows the last 20 minutes of sleep is always the best.

Enjoy access to the gym and spa

If the gym equals stress relief to you, having the opportunity to get in a run, lift or stretching session before, during or after your time at the theme parks will be priceless. Guests at all Universal Orlando hotels have access to fitness centers at their hotel stocked with various equipment for your workout pleasure.

Spend a day at the pool

With music, family-friendly entertainment, games, and activities at the Universal Orlando hotel pools, you can save money and sanity by opting for a pool day at your hotel. There is so much to do! Or if you prefer- and I've certainly had days like these - don't do anything at all and just relax poolside.

Staying on property at Universal Orland Resort hotels makes your vacation more manageable and more fun! It lets you decrease unnecessary stress from your adventure and increase your equipment quotient exponentially.

[starlingsrps]

be my baby.

“ten minutes and i mean ten, elizabeth rose. you can’t be up all hours on the phone with that-“

receiver sandwiched between her ear and shoulder, eliza rolls her eyes as she kicks her bedroom door shut behind her. an eye roll is dangerous, considering she’s already as close to being grounded as an adult can be, but she (almost) doesn’t care anymore. the phone cord is too short to go far into her room so she yanks what she can under the door and sits on the floor with a curse.

“oh come on,” indigo says on the other end. “i wanted to hear what she was going to call me this time.”

eliza huffs and sighs, looking up at her ceiling. “she doesn’t even really call you anything anymore,” she says. “you’re ‘that-‘“ she pauses to imitate the low, annoyed noise she makes instead of saying his name. he laughs and she fights to smile. “well i’m glad you think it’s funny.”

“a little bit.”

“you don’t have to hear it all day,” she points out.

“okay, that’s fair. is she still mad?”

the door to her parents room slams shut hard enough that she feels a faint rattle against her back. “yeah, i’d say so. i think it’s friendlier in moscow.”

it’s been a week since she got home at four am after going out for the night with indigo in seattle. she had done so knowing damn well there was no way she would be home in time for her eleven pm curfew but she decided to pretend that it didn’t exist. eleven came and went while they were still at the concert and once it had been over, she didn’t see any reason to head back to tacoma. it wasn’t like it would be any better if she were an hour late or three, she said with bravado she didn’t quite feel. she was twenty after all. it wasn’t exactly like she could still be grounded.

so no, she hadn’t been grounded but it had been a long week of stony silence and slammed doors. she has taken to staying at the office later and later, trying to find some additional task to do to avoid the bus they. the night she had asked the operators if she needed help with emptying their wastebaskets was the moment she realized she needed to do something or she would snap.

“what if you came here?”

“baby, if i want to sleep in the house, i’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“but you could sleep here,” he clarifies. “permanently.”

the meaning of the offer comes a moment later and she raises her eyebrows. if staying out until dawn causes her parents to lose their minds to this extent, she’s fairly sure that her moving out to live with her boyfriend, who she is absolutely not married to and who they absolutely do not like as much as they pretend to, would probably lead to her being shipped off to nebraska to aunt valerie’s goat farm.

what could they do to her anyway? she was twenty with a job and a bus pass. indigo moved out of the neighborhood and downtown last year and doesn’t seem to have destroyed his entire life. they both have decent jobs and one driver’s license between them but the fact that it’s different for boys holds her back. “but what will the neighbors think?”

he laughs again. “‘joe and adelaide? you know they don’t.”

she sighs and rests her head against the door. “i can’t.” 

“since when do you let them tell you what you can’t do?”

she laughs and looks around her room. he has a point. “i mean, you’re going to marry me eventually anyway,” she says, shooting for a flippant tone that she doesn’t 100% feel. she hates girls who say they’re not that kind of girl - they usually are anyway. this though, the type of girl who lives with a boyfriend before getting married, who sets up her own life? that’s not a type of girl she ever thought she could be. she doesn’t even know where she would find one those girls to ask about logistics.

“when you least expect it,” he agrees. “why wait?”

“can we please use my bed instead of yours?”

“if we can get it here. come on, it’ll be fun.”

“i’m not making dinner every night.”

“that’s fair. i can cook.”

she hums and stands, nearly dropping the phone in the process. she has a gut feeling that cooking for indigo generally means opening a can but that he’s willing to offer is more than she can say of any other man she knows. from down the hall, she hears the thump of the vacuum cleaner coming out of the closet and one of her mother’s earth shattering sighs. eliza has spent most of the years since joey died clawing at the walls and wanting to be anywhere but home and here’s her out.

“okay.” she takes a deep breath. “when are you picking me up?”

“tomorrow too soon?” he asks, making her laugh. “i want you here.”

she softens. “i want to be there. but maybe saturday.”

“saturday it is.”

they exchange i love yous and she hangs up, opening the door to face her parents.

[demonicheadcanons]

Obey Me Brothers + Little Affections

AN: Keep thinking about the little things each brother would do to express affection. Some warm fluffy stuff because we all need it. Enjoy!!

The hair drying one on Lucifer’s sparked this entire thing thanks

Lucifer

- Washing and drying your hair. You know if you get your hair washed at a hairdressers and they just. Go to town with a towel drying your hair? He finds it hilarious and loves doing that. You’ll hear him chuckle, unable to see him because your face is covered by the towel. He’s softer towards the end but initially when trying to get most of the excess water his only concern is not actually hurting you. He’s also genuinely trying to help, just having a little fun with it at the same time.

- Continuing on from this, Lucifer will ruffle your hair. If it doesn’t really upset you, he loves to make a mess of it, and he grins at you, your hair sticking out every which way.

- The second his brothers aren’t around, he seems to canonically love holding your hand under the guise of keeping track of you or comforting you. Its partially true - the MC gets into trouble easily, so its good to keep a hand on them. However, the comforting affect goes both ways.

- Sharing information with you implies a close bond (or at the very least, a strong curiosity, like when he hints at where Mammon’s card is / when he talks about the album) and it means Luci cares about you a lot. He likes to talk about his interests and introduce you to things he cares a lot about. A lot of the time this comes in the form of music, because it’s something he’s able to enjoy whilst still doing his work.

- Doing origami or other paper crafts together? Really relaxes him. It’s so peacefully intimate and cosy. You sit together at his desk, work documents hidden out of sight for now, and make whatever you can out of colourful little bits of paper. He likes making flowers, although he’d never say it out loud, but he makes you countless crowns with paper flowers of all different kinds. You walk in one day when he’s taking a break from work and he’s got paper cranes lining the entire length of his desk. He calls you over and puts one on your head for absolutely no reason before acting like it never happened.

- If no one else is around and he’s feeling a bit daft, he’ll sweep you up into his arms with no warning and just hold you like that, staring directly into your eyes with a daring and loving smile on his face. This happens most when it’s late at night and all the coffee he’s had is starting to wear off and he feels a little more relaxed and open. He’ll carry you to his room to cuddle, too, if you don’t have anywhere else you need to be. Just pray none of his brothers encounter you two because he’ll set you down on your feet immediately and he won’t help you up if you fall.

[[Other Brothers under the read more]]

Mammon

- Fist bumps!!! He passes you and holds his fist out, and pouts if you don’t immediately bump your hand into his. Do the snail or turkey thing once and he falls in love with it. Lucifer, tired and stressed after a lot of work, decides for once to go along with giving him a fist bump because he’s too tired and no one else is around, and Mammon does the snail thing. The look on Luci’s face is worth everything that happened after. But when its you, Mammon just smiles and beams at you. He’s really happy.

- Sitting so close together that you can’t possibly move without disturbing the other. Sides fully pressed together even if he doesn’t have an arm around you or your hand in his. He likes the constant contact, it’s healing. So heavily invested in whatever you’re watching that the two of you simply don’t realise how close you are until the episode ends and you realise you’re leaning your full weight against him and his face is red but he’s smiling so softly you can’t bring yourself to move.

- You’ll have to start the habit, but, tackle hugs. You see him in the distance somewhere and sprint over and tackle him full force. He’ll act mad at first, especially if he trips and falls over or he’d been talking with someone else, but he holds onto you tightly and his face is beautifully flushed. After a while he’ll do it too, although he’s a lot gentler, but if you hear him call your name you need to turn around quickly and hold your arms out. He’ll lift you up into the air and twirl you around once or twice before just, going on with his day as normal. You hear his laughter as he walks away, bright and bubbly and confident, exactly as he should be.

- The absence of insults is important for Mammon. He’ll tolerate it if it’s every now and then but he’ll really notice if you’re always kind to him, he pays attention and holds tightly on to every compliment you give him. When he feels low he finds you and holds you in his arms, fingers playing with the loops in your jeans, as he recites off every nice thing you’ve said to him, hoping you’ll reaffirm them. Did you mean it when you said he was one of the most caring people you’d ever met? When you said his eyes made you feel at home?

- He likes feeding the crows with you. It’s something he does without telling anyone, but one day he takes you out along with him and the crows take a liking to you instantly. He likes how you look with his crows standing proud and confident on your arm, your hair a mess from their flapping wings as you laugh and try to get the last bits of food out from the bag.

- If you style his hair and put random accessories in it - anything from silly plastic hair clips to flowers to feathers - he’ll keep them in all day. He doesn’t care who sees because his MC spent their time doing this for him, and he’s happy to tell anyone who dares criticise him.

Leviathan

- He’s awkward with any affection at first, but he actually builds up to quick tight hugs when he’s really happy. If he’s incredibly excited - just won tickets for something, or some idol liked his comments - expect to be tackled in a hug. He gets flustered after, but if you hold tightly onto him he won’t let go immediately.

- If they even vaguely relate to his own interests, Levi will try hard to be invested in anything you really enjoy. For example, he’ll watch your favourite shows with you or try and read things you enjoy, etc.

- At the same time, Levi will share his interests with you. It’s not something he can really avoid doing as it’s ingrained in him to ramble about his special interests, but it will come in seemingly smaller forms - for example, he’ll hand you his headphones one day, blushing, and ask what you think of this song, or he’ll show you a paragraph in a TSL book that has particularly good rhythm or evokes a lot of emotion. If he lends you his books or DVDs it’s practically a proposal.

- You two have full conversations with Henry as he swims about in his tank. About silly and pointless things or very serious topics, from jokingly scolding him to venting about the future and about school and such. It warms Levi’s heart.

- Horn pats. When he’s in his demon form, pull him down to your level and pat his horns. He’s so flustered he can’t move the first few times, but one day he’ll start coming up to you and asking you if you want to do it. He likes being able to be in his demon form, and likes that you’re comfortable with him even when he doesn’t look as human.

- When he’s very comfortable with you, he likes to wrap you up in surprise hugs and laughs if you try to squirm your way out of his grip, a brilliant mischievous glow in his eyes, any self-consciousness long forgotten.

Satan

- I’ve said this before on another post but Satan likes to pet your hair and run his thumbs over your palms, pressing into them gently like he’s touching the pads on the paws of a cat. He traces circles and presses kisses into your palm and over each finger tip and knuckle, like it’s his own form of worship.

- It takes a long time to build up the confidence to do so but I can see him like. Playfully nipping at your skin if he presses light kisses against your shoulders or neck. If it makes you laugh or blush he smiles against your skin.

- If you fall asleep somewhere he’s the first person to go get a blanket to throw over you - he’d rather just let you sleep if you’re somewhere safe instead of disturbing you to lift you elsewhere, and risking waking you up. Occasionally he’ll kneel down beside you and stay there with a book until you wake up, and he’s fallen asleep like that once or twice.

- Just. Talking. Laying down together and going from topic to topic, saying whatever crosses your minds with no filters and no judgement. Letting time pass by with the comfort of the other, laying on your back in the planetarium or library or in his room, wherever there aren’t books piled up. No responsibilities except to listen to the other, and every now and then you laugh and he feels like maybe this could be home.

Asmodeus

- Sharing things, whatever it is. Food, clothes, jewellery. Taking a necklace off and putting it on him because “this would go so well with your outfit,” or holding out your fork and telling him to try some of your food, it tastes heavenly. Perfume, as well, is a must - he wants the two of you to smell the same.

- Like Mammon, he likes to have some kind of contact with you at all time - holding hands, an arm across your shoulders, anything. But the main point of contact he truly adores is if he has his hands on the skin of your stomach or back, even in the most innocent way possible. If his arms are around you and you’re comfortable with it, he’ll tuck his hands under your shirt and trace shapes against your hips, stomach, back, lower ribcage. Wherever he can. It’s something he’ll do absentmindedly without everything thinking about it, and it recharges him when he’s low on energy.

- He actually really likes working alongside you, whether it’s school work or something related to a part time job, or a potential business idea. He’s smarter than anyone would give him credit for and he loves how you look when you’re deep in thought, trying to solve something, and how your eyes light up as you figure it all out. He’s not one to just give you the answer to things, so if he knows something and you don’t he likes to hint at it like it’s a game. When you guess the answer right he presses a kiss to the tip of your nose and beams at you.

- Late night phone calls where you talk about whatever’s keeping you awake. He doesn’t mind who’s calling who, he wants to ramble or listen to you at any given moment and he’ll give up his sleep if it means you can get something that’s bothering you off your chest. Similarly, there is no greater comfort for him than getting to complain to you about something or other, something that’s genuinely bothering him and that’s stuck in his head. He feels like it only disappears when you take a hold of it for him for a little bit.

Beelzebub

- Sharing food, obviously, means a lot to him. Feed him bites of your food, give him anything you don’t want, and he’ll love it. He especially loves if you share food that’s important to you in some way, and you’ll find him giving you little bites of his food too the closer you two get. It means a lot to him when people embrace the fact that he eats so much, instead of scolding him for it or making jokes about it.

- He really likes holding hands. Your hands are so small in his and yet you trust him not to injure them as you pull him along. He feels possessive sometimes but isn’t outwardly affectionate enough to do anything about it, and the last thing he wants is to make you uncomfortable. It’s the perfect thing for him.

- Stacking random things on the other. Sitting cross-legged in a park, pulling daisies out of the lawn that’s about to be mowed anyway and gently placing them into each other’s hair, on the other’s shoulders and laps. If you’re laying in his bed he’ll take random light objects off his night stand and place them on top of you. There’s no purpose and no intention, and yet it makes him smile and gives him butterflies, and he laughs if you glare jokingly up at him but let him continue.

- Run your hands through his hair, down the sides of his face, under his jaw. Anywhere. He melts in an instant, mouth slightly open as you poke his cheeks or tickle his neck and shoulders with feather light touches.

Belphegor

- Nap. On. Him. Any time, any where. Snuggle up to him, lean your head against his shoulder or bury your face into his neck or lay down on his lap and just rest. He blushes every time and it takes him a second to recover. Sometimes he’ll angle himself so he can lean against you two and he’ll fall asleep as well.

- He likes those kind of monkey hugs where you wrap your entire body around him and he can bury his face in your neck and hold on as tight as he wants. He’ll walk around like that until you get to the attic and he can throw you into his pile of pillows and blankets, and he flops down on top of you and clings onto you again, trying to hide his face because he’s smiling so wide his cheeks hurt.

- He loves playful, back and forth banter. He’ll tease you constantly, loves if you pout at him, loves it more if you retort with something and keep it running for a while before the two of you start laughing.

- Being childish. He’ll stick out his tongue at you or pull a sudden face and he expects you to do it back immediately. If you don’t he’ll poke and tickle you, telling you how disappointed and hurt he is.

- Headbumps! But not too hard. Gently bump your head against his shoulder to get his attention and he’ll pat it. Bonus points if you nuzzle into his hands then - he’s hard to fluster but you can hear him swallow as he starts to go red. You’ll immediately have all of his attention to yourself.

- Belphie is the king of silent conversations. The tiniest gestures, nods, tilts of the head. He can pick up on all of them, knows exactly what you’re trying to say without you saying it, to the point where sometimes you won’t even realise you’re not talking aloud.

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s Weekly Text – Doctor’s Words

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for contents that are yet to be released in the global server! ⌚

Week of Release: 9th-15th May, 2022

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

✧ [Scenario 1] ✧

Victor: I’ve received your medical report and have had it reviewed by a private doctor.

MC: The hospital didn’t say anything, yet you insisted on asking a private doctor to look at it again. Making a fuss about nothing.

Victor: ...

Victor: That’s not what the doctor said.

MC: Don’t you scare me!

Victor: If I had the time to scare you, I’d have rather spent it doing something else.

Victor: He said, you have to try your absolute best to go to bed early and get up early.

Victor: And take it easy. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

MC: But I’ve just got too many things on my plate every day. There’s absolutely no way for me to sleep on time.

Victor: It’s important to arrange your time reasonably.

Victor: Working overtime but having low efficiency, is not a good choice.

Victor: Let’s start with getting off work on time today. I’ll pick you up at the office straight from LFG.

–

–

✧ [Scenario 2] ✧

Victor: I’ve received your medical report and have had it reviewed by a private doctor.

MC: How did it go? There’s no problem, right?

Victor: There are no major problems, a lot of minor ones though.

Victor: Also, you kept saying that you had chest pain before.

Victor: The doctor gave some advices on that too.

MC: Huh? Do I need to go to the hospital?

Victor: There’s no need to be so nervous.

Victor: He told me everything that you should know.

Victor: You have to go to bed early and get up early for a month.

MC: So I’ll have to sleep early and get up early...

Victor: Every time we go out to have fun, I see you’re up and about quite early.

Victor: It appears that we’re gonna have to arrange more activities in the future to help a certain someone “get up early.”

–

–

✧ [Scenario 3] ✧

Victor: I’ve received your medical report and have had it reviewed by a private doctor.

MC: I was saying earlier that I’m not feeling well. Could the health check-up data discern what’s the reason?

Victor: Since you can feel it yourself, do you still need to ask?

Victor: I asked a private doctor, and he offered some advice.

MC: So what did the doctor say?

Victor: There aren’t any major problems.

Victor: It’s just that, a certain someone must rest well from today onwards.

Victor: Cut down on eating junk food in a gluttonous manner, and get more exercise.

MC: But I can’t really fall asleep when I lie in bed. Maybe I’m already used to staying up late.

Victor: I’m right by your side. You can come find me if you can’t sleep.

Victor: Except for a few too many of the requests in helping you fall asleep, I can promise you everything else.

Victor: After all, the quality of your sleep is closely bound to me too.

—

[pythors-pandemic]

Video Games - Plasma Fanfic

Summary: Kai has commitment issues, but one day while playing video games with Jay, those issues start to be resolved. 

Pairing: Jay x Kai

Takes Place: after season 4 before season 5

Warnings: swearing, raging commitment issues, a little angst, suggestive dialogue, making out

Word Count: 8,022

A/N: I have a headcanon that Kai is afraid of commitment and he and Skylor are FWB so I had fun with that idea and made it a plasma fic

Masterlist

When it comes to emotions, Kai is closed off. It’s why he’s so independent. It’s why it took him so long to find his true potential. It’s why he and Skylor are nothing more than friends with benefits. Nya’s the only person he’s ever been open with, and even then he keeps most things private.

“She asked me on a date. Can you believe that?! Me! On a date!” Kai laughed. He and Jay decided to go out for some pizza. 

“Uh, yeah I can. I mean, dude, you’re hot. And not like Master of Fire hot, you’re hot hot.” Jay said with a mouth full of pizza. Kai blushed.

“Well I know that! I mean, I’d just be such a bad boyfriend. Not to mention, I don’t want to mess up what we already have going. It’s a good thing. It’s fun and there’s nothing tying us down, it’s perfect.” Kai said, feeling a bit more serious. 

“You’re such a slut.” Jay joked. 

Kai made a faux shocked expression and threw his crumpled up napkin at him. “Shut up!”

“But seriously, why does that surprise you? I mean, you two have been fuck buddies for, what? A month now? Why don’t you go out on an actual date and see how it goes?” Jay asked. Kai frowned at this question. He didn’t like romance, and he didn’t like talking about why he didn’t like romance.

“I don't know, Jay. it’s just not my thing.” He shrugged. “I'm not into the lovey dovey stuff. I'm more of a let’s have fun and nothing more. It’s easier that way.” He moved his gaze from Jay to the table. 

“You’re really missing out. Relationships are the best! You get to cuddle and go on adventures together. Not to mention, you get to share your life with someone you care about and someone who cares about you.” Jay gushed. He was definitely a relationship kind of guy. Nothing made him happier than showing his love. 

Except Jay’s reasons for loving relationships were the reasons Kai hated them. Sharing his life? Having someone care about him to that extent? Caring about someone to that extent? Absolutely not. When he thought about getting serious with someone, he gets jittery and anxious. He didn’t need anyone to know anything about him other than the basics. And he sure as hell, didn’t need to rely on someone that much. When you get into a relationship, you bring all your baggage with. Kai had too much baggage for anyone else to handle.

“Whatever, lovebird. I simply do not want to get into a relationship.” Kai said. 

“it sounds like Skylor does, though. I think you’re going to have to be honest with her about where you stand. It’d be unfair to her if you didn’t.” Jay made a good point. It would be extremely unfair to keep his feelings to himself, despite how much he wanted to. 

---

Kai and Jay met up in the Bounty’s living room almost every night for their midnight video game sessions. They liked playing with each other more than the others because they're both equally bad at it, but pretend that they're both equally good at it. Lately, they’ve been getting a little too loud, so they were trying their best to stay quiet tonight.

“FUCK YEAH! You lose again, sucker!” Kai shouted, jumping up from the couch in triumph. 

Jay quickly pulled him back to the couch and covered his mouth. “Shhhhh, Sensei Wu is going to yell at us again! Or worse, Zane!” 

“Oh whatever! I’m not scared of them. I got 5 wins in a row! That’s an all time low for you.” Kai smirked, shoving his hand away. 

“Ughhh! I wanna play with Sensei, maybe then I'll win.” Jay whined. There was a pause in conversation as Kai set up the next round. Jay watched his face as he did. His features were beautifully defined by the fluorescent light of the TV. There was no denying that Kai was an attractive man. He had a sharp jawline and the most wonderful lips. And his hair! It was Jay’s favorite part about him, especially when it wasn’t gelled. It was fluffy and covered his eyes slightly. “Why do you always use so much hair gel? It looks good all natural.” Jay asked. He moved closer and reached out to touch it.

Kai looked over and pushed his hand away. “Why do you always use so much hair gel? It’s curly. Everyone loves curly hair. Total babe magnet.” Kai retorted. Now it was his turn to reach out and touch Jay’s hair. Jay didn’t push his hand away, however. He let him run his hand through it. “And it’s soft… damn.” Kai added, lowering his voice. He got lost in Jay’s hair. He ran his hand from the top of Jay’s head to the bottom of his ear and then paused. Jay looked up at him doe eyed. When their eyes met, Kai realized he might’ve played with it for a little too long. “C’mon,” He said, slapping his cheek softly, “We got another round of ass kicking to do.” 

“Except this time, your ass is getting kicked!” Jay smirked with determination. 

“In your dreams, nunchucks.”

As the game started, Jay did everything he could to mess Kai up. Near the end, when Kai was almost about to win, Jay lunged over and tried to take his controller. They both fought to have it. Kai was laughing and Jay was smiling so widely his face was hurting. Despite his efforts, Kai still came out victorious. “HA! You even cheated and I still won!” He cheered. 

Jay frowned. “You suck! I’m usually good at this.” He crossed his arms and dramatically pouted. 

“No you’re not!” Kai scoffed. “I beat you at everything. Even when we’re training!”

“That is so not true!” Jay defended. 

“Bro, it totally is.” The two angled themselves so they were facing each other. Kai had his leg up and his arm lazily resting on his knee while Jay sat criss cross. Kai smirked as an idea popped into his head. “I can prove it.” 

“Really? We’re doing this right now?” Jay asked with doubt in his voice. 

“Yeah.” Kai responded with a wicked smile. Jay shrugged and decided a little tussle could be fun. They both sat up and Kai started counting down from 3. Once he said go, they lunged at each other. They were both on their knees and struggling to pin the other. Eventually, Jay pushed Kai into the couch. He protected himself by raising his arms up. The two wrested around like kids. When Jay realized Kai might actually win, he went for his weak spot. 

Jay started attacking Kai’s sides. He started to laugh harder and harder as Jay tickled him mercilessly. “Stop! Stop!” He shouted between laughs. His stomach started hurting and he was losing his breath. He tried to squirm away, but the two ended up falling off the couch, Kai on top of Jay. He quickly pinned Jay’s arms above his head. “How well did that work out?” He smirked, his face completely red. He got close to Jay’s face and whispered, “I still won.” 

“Oh yeah?” Jay whispered back. He flipped them over so quickly Kai got dizzy. Jay had each hand on either side of Kai’s head. “What about now?” He said in a low tone. 

Something about Jay’s voice and the position they were in was doing something to Kai. He brought his hands to Jay’s sides, holding him in place. A shiver ran up Jay’s spine. “I yield. You win.” Kai said in a hushed voice, matching Jay’s low tone. Butterflies made their way into his stomach as Jay started bringing his face closer. 

“Good.” He said with a smile that made Kai think new things about him. 

He brought his hand to Jay’s face and slowly made his way to his hair. He moved a piece out of his face. “You really do have nice hair.” He smiled up at him, running his hand through it once again.

“Thanks.” Jay blushed. He was now feeling the same butterflies Kai was. 

The atmosphere changed completely as the two looked at each other, neither making any effort to get off the floor. Kai was rubbing his thumb across Jay’s cheek lovingly. His thoughts were running crazy as he focused on Kai’s actions. His heartbeat quickened when he thought about all the ways this situation could end. He didn’t want to get off Kai and he knew by the strong hold Kai had on his torso that he didn’t want to move either. He wanted to take the moment past the point of no return.

Kai had the same thoughts floating around his head. Jay looked absolutely irresistible on top of him. He enjoyed their position more than he’d ever admit. He wanted to be closer, connected to Jay. He moved his hand to the back of his head, entangling his fingers with the curly mess of hair. His blood rushed as he thought about Jay’s lips on his. His gaze flickered between his eyes and lips. Instinctively, he pulled Jay’s head down. “Jay?” He said in a low questioning tone.

Jay smiled as he realized what was about to happen. “Yeah…?” 

The two were startled apart by a loud slam that came from the sleeping quarters. They sat up and seconds later, Zane was at the doorway. “Can you two PLEASE be quiet?! We are all trying to sleep!” He shouted. “Nex time you guys wake me, I’ll break the video game console.” He threatened. 

“Sorry Zane, we got caught up.” Jay said, helping Kai off the floor.

“A little too caught up.” Kai said under his breath, sending Jay a glance. The Master of Lightning returned the glance and a slight awkwardness fell over the group.

Zane deadpanned. “Right.” He rolled his eyes and left without a second word.

The boys looked at each other. The tension was thick and overwhelming. Neither knew where to go from here. Whether they wanted to talk about what almost happened or wanted to go ahead and let it happen, the words were lost. “Okay… so I guess we should go to bed?” Jay asked sheepishly, opting for the safest option of ignoring it entirely. 

“Yeah… you go ahead though. I’ll turn off the game and stuff.” Kai responded, avoiding eye contact. When Jay left, he let out a big sigh. He didn’t know exactly how to feel about what went down, but he knew Zane’s interruption annoyed him. He wanted to kiss Jay. He really really wanted to kiss Jay. He’d never thought about him like that until then. Maybe he’s been overlooking Jay. He was cute and funny and they enjoyed each other's company. The lovey dovey stuff sounded appealing when he thought about doing it with Jay.

The idea brought a smile to Kai's face, at least for a little bit. The more he thought about an actual relationship, the more anxious he felt. The same kind of anxiety he felt when he thought about going any further with Skylor. Relationships made him feel vulnerable. He hated it. He didn’t want to give himself to anyone on an emotional level. He shook the thought out of his head and cleaned up the living room.

---

Ever since that night, the energy between Kai and Jay had been different. There was something in the air they couldn’t quite explain. Jay had been wearing his hair without any product more often and Kai had been making off-handed flirty comments every chance he got. Kai made off-handed flirty comments to all the ninja, but lately they have been saved for only Jay. Skylor also hadn’t been around lately. Kai wasn’t making any extra effort to avoid her, he was simply preoccupied with Jay. That, and Sensei Wu’s new investment.

“I still can’t believe you bought a random old building.” Cole groand, hauling boxes from the Bounty into the small shop. “What’s it for anyways?” He asked.

“My new business.” Wu said simply. Despite all the ninja’s pestering, that was all he told them. He enjoyed his secrets. 

Cole dropped the boxes with a huff. “Can you two stop messing around and help us!” He shouted at Kai and Jay when he saw them playing around with empty boxes. 

The boys ignored their friend and kept on the shenanigans. “Okay! Now try!” Jay laughed as he put an empty box on his head. Kai smiled devilishly and punched Jay in the head. He tried not to hit too hard, but Jay still ended up falling over. “Nope…” He muttered, “Cardboard makes for terrible armor.” He scratched his head and sat up slowly. He tried to get up, but he was feeling a little woozy.

“Sorry!! Here.” Kai smiled, offering his hand. Jay accepted gratefully and Kai pulled him up. “Your hair’s all messed up.” He said when Jay took the box off his head. Without a second thought, he fixed it for him. Jay sighed at his touch.

“Uh… has anyone else noticed those two have been awfully close lately?” Cole whispered to his other teammates. 

“Hey… yeah. They have been spending, like, all their time together.” Lloyd commented. 

“And Skylor hasn’t been around in a few days.” Zane added. The three boys watched as Kai played with Jay’s hair. “It is most peculiar.” He said.

“Those two have always had a weird little bond, but I think there’s something more going on…” Cole trailed off, turning away from the scene. He grabbed a box from the doorway and brought it further into the building. The others followed suit. Wu instructed them to take the boxes upstairs. Once there, they started unloading.

“Like what?” Lloyd asked. 

“I never told you guys this, mostly because Jay said if I did, he’d ‘zap me into oblivion’,” Cole said with air quotes, “But he’s always had a little crush on Kai. Nothing big, though. Kai’s just… well, you know Kai. He’s funny, flirty, and easy on the eyes. How can you not have a crush on him? Except, Jay told me it was nothing but attraction.” He explained, putting various nicknacks onto shelves. 

“If two people are attracted to each other, romance becomes highly probable.” Zane said. “If this is the case, the closeness makes perfect sense! Maybe they’re dating.”

“Not everyone moves as fast as you and Pixal, Zane. I’m sure if anything romantic is going on, it hasn’t gotten to that point.” Lloyd said. He collected the empty boxes and started breaking them down. “Besides, isn’t Kai dating Skylor?” He asked.

“Not dating, they’re only hooking up.” Zane said. 

“Oh gross.” Lloyd cringed. “But that makes sense. Kai hates relationships. I figured he got over it because of Skylor but nope.” He added, making a disgusted face. “All Jay talks about is love and romance and all that junk, though. Guys, if we’re right, this isn’t going to end well.” He looked around at his brothers. Worry made its way on all of their faces.

“Lloyd would be correct, Kai is afraid of commitment. If feelings start to grow, disastrous consequences are sure to follow.” Zane said. 

They were pulled out of conversation when an unfamiliar car drove up to the building. They walked outside to see Skylor hugging Kai. She had brought lunch for everyone. “Thanks, Skylor!” Kai cheered, pulling away from the hug. Cole immediately ran over to all the food she brought, all thoughts leaving his mind. 

“Nice to see you guys. It’s been a while.” Skylor smiled. She grabbed Kai’s hand and intertwined their fingers. A surge of anxiety flew through him as she did. He tried to ignore it, but he began to sweat. He knew she wanted something more and he didn’t. He needed to tell her how he was feeling before she started to think otherwise.

Zane watched as a frown appeared on Jay’s face. His eyes were dead set on Kai and Skylor’s hands. “Are you alright, friend?” Zane asked him, resting his hand on his shoulder. 

“Uhm, yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” Jay cleared his throat. It was as Zane feared. Jay’s feelings have grown stronger. 

---

Skylor spent the rest of the day with the ninja, and ended it in Kai’s bed. The two snuck away to the bounty as everyone else mingled in what Wu finally told them was a tea shop. 

“Now that’s what I call fun.” She smirked as she got out of the bed. Her face was flushed and her hair was messy. She went to the mirror and put it back up into her signature ponytail before gathering the clothes they threw around.

“It’s always fun when you’re with me, baby.” Kai said with a wink and cocky smile. He smirked as he watched her get dressed. “You have to come around more often.” He added, getting out of the bed himself. 

“Maybe we could go out next time.” Skylor suggested, throwing his boxers at him. Kai’s smile left. “There’s a new restaurant opening up in Ninjago City. We could check it out.” 

“Yeah totally! I could see if the guys or even Nya wanted to join us. It could be a whole group outing.” Kai responded. He tries his best to reject any plans that could be interpreted as a date. It wasn’t the first time the two had an interaction like this, and Skylor was getting fed up.

“Kai. What’s going on here?” She asked bluntly. By this point, she was fully dressed and a little pissed off. 

“What do you mean? We’re just two friends having fun. Nothing more.” Kai said as if it was obvious. He put on his pants and his nerves started to grow. He was putting on his cool guy persona, but Skylor wasn’t having it.

“That’s all? Just friends?” She whispered, walking closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.  “...Are you sure?” Her voice was low and smooth. It drove Kai crazy. She left a trail of heated kisses on his neck.

He closed his eyes as he tried not to focus on her actions. He knew she was trying to get him to say what she wanted to hear, but he couldn’t lie. “Yes. That’s all we are.” He finally said, shrugging her away. Guilt washed over him as he saw her shocked reaction.

“Really? Kai, I like you. I like you a lot. I don’t want to be the ghost in your bed anymore. I want to be more than that.” She responded, exhaust in her voice. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were crossed. She could see Kai trying to calculate a response. “Are we ever going to be more than ‘friends who have fun’ or whatever you like to call it?” She said with a stern expression. Despite her attempts to hide behind a tough exterior, her voice cracked. She felt like crying. She had wasted a month of her life chasing after the unattainable.

“Skylor…” Kai trialled off. He reached out for her, but she backed away. “I…” He tried to find a way to explain, but his lack of words and reserved body language was enough for Skylor. She had her answer. 

“Have a good night, Kai.” She said straight faced. “I’ll see you around.” With that, The Master of Amber left, presumably for good.

---

Kai returned to his family in far worse of a mood than when he left. The lights were dim and the soft hum of music was playing throughout the shop. The ninja as well as Wu, Misako, and Nya were laughing and chatting with warm tea in their hands and smiles on their faces. Kai’s dampened presence did not go unnoticed. “Hey buddy! Woah… are you okay?” Cole’s smile left as he saw Kai walk in.

“Yeah…” Kai croaked. He grabbed some tea for himself and joined the party. 

“Where’s Skylor?” Wu asked. 

“She… uh. She went home.” Kai got lost in his emotions for a second. His frown grew bigger as he thought about how he acted. He wished he could go back and be honest with her. He was kicking himself for it. This kind of stuff happened often. Feelings get hurt when emotions grow big. Usually, Kai was the one hurting feelings. He stopped his thoughts before they became too dark. He shook his head and put on a fake smile, “What are we talking about?” 

Chatter started back up in no time. Kai tried his best to engage, and he was doing a pretty good job at it; at seeming like nothing was amiss. He ignored all his thoughts of Skylor and listened intently to Misako’s stories of Wu and Garmadon’s teenage years. Jay however, could see right through Kai. He figured things between him and Skylor were finally over. A spark of hope struck in his stomach. 

Unlike Kai, Jay was very intune with his emotions. He couldn’t deny his budding affections for the brunette. He had been putting a little extra effort into their friendship ever since the game night because of it. And his efforts were not in vain. The two had never been closer. Sometimes, Jay toyed with the idea of his affections being returned. Kai had been extra flirty and extra touchy lately. In his heart, he saw the two ending up together, but in his mind, he saw no such thing. 

He knew Kai was in no mindset for a relationship, but he couldn’t understand why. Jay loved loving people. He had only been in 2 serious relationships in his lifetime, but each one he held near and dear. The first was a sweet girl from his hometown. She taught him how to express his emotions. She was the first person he shared his truest feelings with. He learned how to be vulnerable with her and everyone else in his life. The second was a boy he met in a small shop in Ninjago City. He helped him come to terms with his bisexuality and even aided in his coming out. He learned how to be himself and be comfortable with who he was. 

No matter how the relationships ended, no matter the hardships or any pain that might have come with, Jay was grateful for his exes. Without them, he wouldn’t be the person he is today. He couldn't wrap his head around why anyone would want to miss out on such an enriching part of life. 

Jay walked over to Kai and rested his hand on his shoulder. “You’re not okay.” He whispered. Kai gave him a glance that confirmed his statement. “Want to go hang out somewhere private?” Kai nodded and the two silently left the comradery. Zane, Cole, and Lloyd shared a knowing glance as they walked away.

---

“I’m guessing things didn’t go well with Skylor?” Was the first question of many Jay asked when he and Kai arrived in the Bounty’s living room. The two sat down on the floor on either side of the coffee table. 

“She asked if I wanted to go to a restaurant with her and I said no.” Kai shrugged. He wanted to tell Jay everything. He wanted to tell him about how he felt awful for not giving Skylor a reason for his rejection, or how he wished he could give her what she wanted but something in his heart tells him no everytime he gets too close to someone, or how he’s been thinking an awful lot about Jay himself. He wanted to tell him that he was only upset that he hurt Skylor. He didn’t care that their fling was over because the game night stuck with him. He wanted to tell Jay that he wanted to kiss him and not her. He wanted to be close to him and not her. He wanted to go out with him and not her. But he couldn’t.

“You’re being vague.” Jay pointed out. He knew Kai didn’t like discussing emotions, but he was determined to get him talking anyways.

“She asked if we were going to be more than friends with benefits and I said no and then she left.” Kai told him. He didn’t say anything else, because there wasn’t anything else he deemed worthwhile.

“That’s still vague. Did you at least tell her why?” Jay asked. 

“... no.” Kai sighed.

“Why don’t you want to go out with her?” Jay asked. Kai furrowed his eyebrows. He was starting to get annoyed with the interrogation. 

“I don’t know.” He responded with a touch of anger in his voice. It was a flat out lie, and Jay knew it. 

“Yeah you do, dude. Why don’t you want to go out with her?” He repeated. 

“I don’t fucking know, Jay.” Kai said through gritted teeth. He was clenching his fists and avoiding eye contact. Of course, anger didn’t have to be his response. Kai could’ve told him it was because he had fond feelings for another, or because she wasn’t what he was looking for, or because he wasn’t ready for a relationship, or he could’ve laid it all out on the table and explained the full extent of his commitment issues, but he didn’t. He got angry.

Jay should’ve taken it as a sign to stop questioning him, but he didn’t. “Yes. You. Do. Why don’t you want to tell me? Is it really that bad?” Jay continued. 

“It’s none of your goddamn business. Would you please stop cornering me?!” He shouted, shooting up from his spot on the floor. 

“No! Why are you bottling this up?! If you just talk about it--”

“I don't need to explain myself!” He cut Jay off. “Not to Skylor and especially not to my teammate who thinks crying and whining about life’s problems makes them go away! This whole ‘share your feelings and you can heal’ thing is bullshit. It doesn’t work. It just burdens whoever you’re telling AND scares them away. No one needs to deal with my baggage, you fucking lightning rod.” Kai spat. He was too angry to care about Jay’s hurt expression. He walked out without another word. 

Jay only felt bad because he pissed Kai off. He actually thought ‘lightning rod’ was a clever insult and despite Kai not telling him anything, he said a lot about himself. Jay was an intuitive person. Kai gave him just enough to work off of.

---

The next day it was pretty awkward between the two. They cleaned and unpacked around the shop with little to no conversation. By nightfall, Kai was sick of it. It was dumb to hold a grudge against someone who only wanted to help. He asked Jay to play video games at midnight per tradition and he happily agreed. 

“I wanted to start by saying sorry. I didn’t mean to lose my temper yesterday.” Kai told Jay as he set up the game. 

“Don’t sweat it. I was being a little pushy. I should’ve known when to stop.” He sighed, handing him his controller. The two decided to play a game where they had to work together instead of fight each other for the night.

“I guess I just don’t like to talk about that kind of stuff.” Kai felt guilty. He pulled his knees to his chest and found a position he could comfortably play in. 

“If you ever wanted to, I’m always here to listen. It wouldn’t burden me in any way.” Jay said with consideration for his words. He was hoping Kai would find comfort in him. As much as he wanted to pretend like his attempts to be there for Kai were, in fact, for Kai, he couldn’t ignore his selfish motivation. He wanted to know why Kai was so off put by relationships. He wanted to know if there was a chance for change. He wanted to know if there was a chance for them. 

“Thanks.” Kai sadly smiled. They turned away from each other and started the game. He took a deep breath as he thought about what Jay said. Maybe he did want to talk. He kept everything inside, and it had been weighing on him. None of the ninja fully knew his past. He had never thought about that before, the fact that none of his closest friends truly knew him.

Without a second thought he muttered, “I don’t want to get hurt,” in the middle of a level.

“What?” Jay asked, not moving his gaze from the TV.

“I don’t want to get into a relationship because I don’t want to get hurt.” He repeated. Jay paused the game and looked at him. 

“Oh.” He said. “Did something happen in the past… or something?” He asked quietly. He knew it was a risky move to ask something like that, but he couldn’t help himself. Anxiety started building when Kai unpaused the game without answering. 

“Yeah and I want to avoid it happening again.” Kai shrugged a few moments later.

Jay smiled to himself. “I’m glad you told me.” He said softly. 

“Sure, whatever. Help me kill this guy!” Kai shouted, moving past the vulnerable moment as quickly as possible. Jay felt a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest. He was beyond stoked that Kai felt comfortable enough to open up, even if it was only a crack. There is a chance for change.

The two became totally immersed in the game. Somehow, they ended up closer together on the couch than when they started. Their shoulders were completely flush. Both were aware of it and neither were complaining. 

“GET HIM!! GET HIM!” Jay shouted. They had made it to the final boss in the game and he was absolutely determined to beat it. 

“I’M GETTING HIM!” Kai shouted back. 

The two combined their strengths and by the end of the battle, they were the victors. “FUCK YEAH!” The two cheered simultaneously, jumping off the couch and pulling each other into a hug. The hug lasted longer than it should’ve. Jay was holding on tight to Kai’s waist, while Kai had his arms wrapped around Jay’s shoulders. One hand was on the back of Jay’s head and his fingers were entangled with his hair. Jay smiled softly. He loved being close to Kai. He loved the way he was playing with his hair. He loved how he could feel his breath on his neck. He loved how his knees were bent slightly because of how tall he was. Jay never wanted to let go.

Kai took a deep breath in and relaxed into the embrace. It had been a long time since he had been held like that. It was intimate in a way he wasn’t used to. He nuzzled his head further into Jay’s shoulder and Jay tightened his grip. Kai never wanted to let go. 

He started to feel a little misty eyed. He didn’t totally understand why he suddenly became emotional. Something about the hug lit a match in him. He sniffled quietly. “Are you okay?” Jay asked, pulling away just enough so he could see Kai’s face. His cheeks had a soft pink tint to them and his eyes were closed, but he was smiling. 

“Yeah, Yeah. I’m okay.” Kai cleared his throat and opened his eyes to look up at Jay. “I’m okay.” He repeated. 

Jay smiled back, “Good.” His word choice made Kai think back to the last time they played video games together. When Jay was on top of him and they were about to kiss. He started blushing. Butterflies bubbled in his stomach as he thought about making a stupid decion. He moved his hand to Jay’s cheek. 

“What?” Jay whispered, noticing Kai’s growing grin. Without warning, Kai brought Jay’s face close and pressed a kiss to his lips. Jay pulled away in surprise. 

The two looked at eachother wide-eyed. “Oh god… uh… I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just did that--” Kai rambled, backing away. “I’m sor--”

Jay stopped Kai’s apology by grabbing his shirt and reconnecting their lips. “Don’t be.” He whispered into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Kai’s neck, keeping him close.

Heat built between the two as Kai pulled Jay’s waist against his. A small gasp fell from Jay at the contact. He shifted so he could press lazy kisses along Kai’s jawline and down his neck. Kai’s head fell back as he focused on a spot below his ear. He swiped his tongue across the area before sucking softly, eliciting a quiet moan from Kai. 

The two make their way to the couch, Kai pinning Jay down. Their lips stayed connected as Kai positioned himself between Jay’s legs. He held onto Jay’s thigh as he moved from his lips to his collarbone. Jay’s mind started wandering as Kai’s hands wandered his body. Doubt seeped into his thoughts as he remembered all the things Kai says about romance and relationships. Kai lifted his shirt, revealing his freckled skin. He trailed hot kisses down Jay’s torso. 

“Kai.” Jay whispered as Kai reached his navel. He started to feel overwhelmed. He knew this would be a bad idea considering Kai’s raging commitment issues and Jay’s strict monogamous patterns. He didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. He didn’t want to end up like Skylor. “Kai.” He repeated in a louder tone, making the Master of Fire stop his actions.

“Yeah? Are you okay?” Kai panted. 

He started sitting up, effectively making Kai move aside. “I can’t do this.” He sighed. 

“Okay.” Kai replied. He leaned into the back of the couch and tried not to overthink. “That’s okay.” He said quietly. 

“Despite how sexy you are and how hot that was, I can’t.” Jay joked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s probably for the best.” Kai responded with a little chuckle. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how he was feeling or where to go now, but he wanted to know where Jay was coming from. “Just out of curiosity… why not?” He asked, nervous to hear the answer. 

“I’m not a one night stand kind of guy.” Jay responded, looking over to him.

Kai felt his heart sink. He didn’t want Jay to be a one night stand and he didn’t like the fact that Jay thought that’s what would come of them. Of course, Kai couldn’t blame him for thinking that. He knew what his past looked like to others. He saddened at the thought of Jay seeing him as someone who only wants sex and nothing more. “I’m sorry.” He muttered after what felt like forever. He truly didn’t know what to say. He knew what he was thinking, but he didn’t know how to explain.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too.” Jay whispered back. “I think I’m going to go to sleep.” He added, getting off the couch. Kai nodded, avoiding his gaze. He left without another word.

---

Kai tossed and turned the entire night. He couldn’t get the thought of Jay out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. He felt hot and sweaty as he racked his brain around the day. Something was different in him. He couldn’t figure out what exactly. 

He was starting to think he liked Jay. Not in the way he liked Skylor, but in the way Skylor liked him. He loved the way he kissed him. He loved feeling his lips on his skin and his hands on his body, but he also loved how he hugged him. How he held him close and didn’t let go. How his warmth brought him comfort. And shockingly, he loved how it felt when he was open with him. 

As much as it pained him to admit that Jay was right, Jay was right. Letting that tiny bit of vulnerability show felt amazing. It made him want to tell Jay everything. It made him want to unload his baggage. It made him want to learn about Jay’s baggage. He wanted to know why he liked relationships so much, what his childhood was like, and how he felt when he first became a ninja and what his favorite TV show was, and what villain he liked defeating the most. He wanted to tell Jay what his childhood was like, and how it felt when he first became a ninja, and what his favorite TV show was, and what villain he liked defeating the most.

He wanted Jay in all ways possible. He just didn’t know how to tell him. 

Jay on the other hand, fell asleep rather quickly. He was exhausted, drained. When he got to his room, he cried a little. Nothing big, simply a few tears. He felt awful for what happened. He shouldn’t have kissed back. He shouldn’t have let it go as far as it did. He didn’t want to screw up his friendship, but he also didn’t want to screw up himself. 

He knew full well that Kai was afraid of commitment, and he knew full well it would be a devastating move to think he could change that. He attempted to burn away any sort of hope he had, but even the biggest fires couldn’t diminish the small amount he kept in the back of his head. 

---

“How do you make a romantic gesture?” Kai asked his friends who were enjoying their breakfast. 

“Uhhh… Why?” Lloyd asked, taking a bite of whatever dish Zane made that morning. 

“Doesn’t matter. How do you do it?” He asked again, sitting down at the kitchen table.

“You are looking at the wrong ninja. I know very few things about romance.” Lloyd said. “Zane’s the one with a girlfriend.” He added, gesturing to the cook. 

“I’ve never made any ‘gestures’ as you call them.” Zane responded with a shrug. “Oh! wait…” He paused and pressed a few buttons on his arm. 

“He gave me his heart.” Pixal’s voice came from Zane. “I’d say that was a pretty romantic gesture, honey.” She said. Zane smiled. He filled a plate with food and gave it to Kai who happily took it.

“I don’t think I can give someone my heart, I kind of need it to… uh… live?” Kai said.

“There’s ways you can give someone your heart without literally giving them your heart.” Cole chimed in. “Also, who are you trying to woo?” He added. 

“Okay, dude, I don’t understand.” Kai said, completely ignoring Cole’s question. “C’mon guys! This is important!” He was clearly starting to get frustrated. 

“He means you can show vulnerability to this person. The heart's a vital organ. It is meant to be protected and cared for. It is also the symbol of love. Giving someone your heart shows that person that you trust them not to hurt it.” Zane explained. 

Kai didn’t like that. He hasn’t trusted someone like that in years.  “Right… okay, so… I just… what? Tell them something? I have no idea what I’m doing, guys.” Kai sighed. Anxiety started running as he thought about what he was going to do. 

“I think you could straight up tell them you want to be with them? That would be pretty vulnerable… for you at least.” Lloyd said with a chuckle. 

“Yeah yeah yeah I get it. I’m not good with vulnerability. That’s why I came to you all.” Kai rolled his eyes. 

“This would be so much easier if we knew who you wanted to be with.” Cole muttered. Kai glared at him. “Okay fine! Don’t tell us, but can you even give them your heart? Do you trust them?” he asked. 

Kai thought about it for a moment. Of course he trusted Jay. He trusted him to have his back in battle, and to show up on time when they go out to eat, and things like that, but he didn’t know if he could ever trust someone not to break his heart, no matter who they were. He simply can’t handle emotional pain. “I don’t know.” He finally said. 

“I think you need to ask yourself why before you start thinking of a romantic gesture.” Zane said.

---

“You left your phone here.” Kai told his partner, holding up their phone. The two were standing in the blacksmith shop after closing. 

“Oh… thanks.” They smiled. They reached out to take it, but Kai backed up. 

“Yeah… it was buzzing all night. Who’s this?” He asked, showing them the texts upon texts from someone Kai didn't know. All texts were things Kai would say to them. Calling them baby, wink emoticons, and sexy innuendos. 

Kai’s partner stared at him wide eyed. “Did you go through my phone?” They asked, anger lacing their words. They reached once again, but Kai took another step back. “Kai, give me my phone.” 

“Are you cheating on me?” He asked, tears forming. When they stayed silent he asked again. 

“Yeah.” They sighed. Kai felt his entire body break. He shut his eyes tight and a few tears fell. 

“... Why?” He croaked. 

“Because, Kai. I don’t want you.” They responded, little emotion in their words. 

Kai looked at them with confused sad puppy dog eyes. “What?” He made no effort to hide his tears. 

“You’re not enough. I’m not getting what I need from you. Not to mention all you do is whine about how hard your life has been. Fun fact: everyone’s life is hard. Get over it and stop burdening those around you.” They spat. Their arms were crossed and there was no emotion behind their eyes. Kai threw their phone at them and they caught it. “Sorry, but I can’t handle you anymore.” They added. 

“Please go.” He whispered. They obeyed and left without another word. Once they were gone Kai completely broke down. That night was spent in a puddle of tears. For days, Nya tried her best to console her brother to little avail. 3 weeks later, a strange man with a walking stick and long beard visited the shop with a proposition. 

---

No one but Nya knew about Kai’s ex. He didn’t share that time in his life with anyone. It was the worst he’s ever felt. Someone he loved ruined him, broke him. For weeks the pain consumed him. If it wasn’t for Sensei Wu, he doesn’t know what would have come of him.  He was scared it would happen again down the line. He figured the best way to avoid it was to put up walls. Lately those walls have been getting damaged. He was starting to think it was time to let them break. 

He spent all day trying to figure out what he was going to do. He really did want to overcome this problem of his, and he wanted to do it with Jay; for Jay. Simply talking to him was completely out of the question. He wasn’t strong enough to tell Jay what he needed to know face to face. After racking his brain around it over and over again he finally got an idea. 

“Hey sis?” Kai knocked quietly on Nya’s bedroom door. 

“Yeah? Come in.” She shouted through the door. When Kai entered, he saw her on her bed reading a book about water. “Did you know water is considered sticky?” She asked with a smile on her face. 

“Uh no I didn’t. That’s kind of cool though.” He responded, taking a few steps into the room. “I was wondering if I could borrow your stationary stuff?” He asked. A few months ago, Nya got really into writing letters and using fancy stationery supplies. Most of her letters are to no one, but she enjoys writing them nonetheless. 

“Sure. What for?” She asked. She got off her bed and rummaged around in her closet. 

“I want to send a letter and I want it to look nice.” He responded simply. 

She turned back to her brother with a rather large wooden box. “Okay. Just don’t break anything.” She smiled, handing it to him. 

“I won't.” He smiled back. A sense of relief fell over him when she didn’t ask any questions. “Thanks.” He added before going to the living room. 

Jay wanted to know what happened, Kai was going to tell him what happened. He swallowed his anxiety and got to work.

---

A few days after Jay and Kai kissed, Jay was getting ready to go to sleep when he found a letter on his bed. It was sealed with pink and red wax with an intricate heart stamped in the middle. The paper was a soft yellow color and his name was written in calligraphy on the front. It was quite beautiful. 

Confused, he sat down and read the letter. 

Jay, 

I know this is weird and very out of character for me, but I have to tell you something and this was the only way I felt I could do it. Mostly because, as you know, I’m shit with showing emotion. It was easier to write to you than to speak out loud. So, I guess I’m just going to rip off the bandaid. 

I was in a relationship before I became a ninja. We were together for a year, until I found out they cheated on me. They were the first person I ever loved. I can’t explain how awful it felt to hear that they didn’t want me anymore. In simple terms, it broke me.

They told me I complained about my issues too much and that it was burdening them, which I guess made me think I had to hide to keep people from leaving me. I never wanted to burden anyone ever again, so I never talked about what’s going on with me or what my past looks like anymore. I put walls up to avoid a repeat of history. I never trusted anyone enough to give them my heart after that. 

I hate saying this, but you were right. Talking about issues and emotions does help you heal. I learned that when I first told you I didn’t want to get hurt.

The truth is, I’m not a one night stand kind of guy. At least, I don’t want to be. The way you hugged me a few nights ago has made me rethink everything about myself and how I view romance. It was unbelievably refreshing to feel a connection like that. I hope you felt it too.

I think it cracked my walls. I think you cracked my walls. Ever since we met, you have been my best friend. I love joking around with you and fighting bad guys together and training and eating pizza together and kicking your ass on video games. I’m always smiling when I’m with you. 

I want these walls down. I want to give you my heart. 

I don’t know how you’re feeling about all this, and I’m terrified that I’m scaring you away, but I wanted to ask you on a date. An honest to god real date where we go out to eat in the rich part of the city or something like that. 

I’ll be in the downstairs training room if you want to talk. 

Kai

After finishing the letter, Jay finally understood Kai and his reasons for disliking romance. It all made sense. 

He immediately made his way to the training room. He found Kai sitting on one of the courses. “Hey…” Jay whispered, walking into the room. Kai stood up and their eyes met.

“Hey…” He said. Anxiety was written all over his face. 

“I got your letter.” Jay stated, closing the door. 

“And…?” Kai was holding his breath. 

Jay walked over to the brunette. He hesitantly cupped his cheeks and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. “I would love to go on a date with you.” He grinned.

“Oh thank fuck.” Kai smiled brightly, letting out the breath he was holding. Jay giggled and pulled him into a hug. 

“I did feel it too, by the way.” Jay whispered into his ear, prompting Kai to tighten his grip.