#they caught my eyes immediately. was very close to getting them for the cosplay reasons but obviously i love my sense of fashion 😂😂😂

[thisiswhatmylifehasbecome]

would rimmy tim wear these yes or yes @ursifors 🤠

[jackalopesao3]

Obey Me Cast Receiving Oral HCs

Super NSFW

⛔️ Minors do not read/interact ⛔️

⚠️ 18+ only ⚠️

I don't even like giving blowjobs but here we are 🤷‍♀️ I have no idea why I felt the need to write this. I'm such a hoe for these fictional demons, a fictional angel, and a fictional sorcerer. Please put me out of my misery.

Characters: The Brothers, Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, and Solomon

Lucifer

💙 Likes to be in control when receiving so you will be on your knees.

💙 Sometimes he will stand and other times he will sit at his desk chair.

💙 Likes to keep a hand on your head to control your movements.

💙 Sometimes he'll just hold your head still with both hands and fuck your face.

💙 Typically doesn't get naked for them and just unzips his trousers.

💙 Lucifer isn't very expressive when receiving and stays pretty composed. He'll either just stare at whatever is in front of him or look down at you to make sure you're servicing him properly.

💙 Loves the feeling of your lips wrapping around his cock and deepthroating him.

💙 When he gets to close to release, a very faint blush will spread across his cheeks and his mouth will open just slightly in a silent pant.

💙 He lets out one breathy moan when he cums and his eyes close.

💙 Will praise you for your efforts and stroke your head as he comes down from his high.

Mammon

💛 Is a blushing mess when he's receiving.

💛 "Of course you want to pleasure the Great Mammon."

💛 Prefers you on the bed with him while he's on his back, he can hide his facial expressions better this way.

💛 He gets hot easily so his clothes always end up in a pile on the floor.

💛 Is very sensitive. Has come from just you licking and teasing underneath his head.

💛 He is a whiny, needy, drooling mess. He just looks so adorable when his breaths puff out from his reddened face.

💛 Will also keen and bite his pillow as he nears release.

💛 You may have to hold his hips still as he will start bucking his hips uncontrollably. He just gets so into it.

💛 Slip a finger into his ass and curl it while you deepthroat him and Mammon.EXE will stop working.

💛 Gets really clingy after he fills your mouth with his seed. He is super affectionate and thanks you for pleasing him.

Leviathan

🧡 Is also a blushing mess when receiving. No matter how long you've been in a relationship, he is still a shy boy at heart.

🧡 Leviathan is loud. You have to be careful when his brothers are home due to the volume of his moans.

🧡 Will totally let you go down on him while he's gaming. Has forgotten to mute his mic before though so best to remind him lest his teammates hear all those lewd noises he makes from your ministrations.

🧡 Will give you shy little praises as you suck him off. "Y/N...s-so good...aah!"

🧡 He can go either way with keeping his clothes on. If he's not gaming while you're doing it, he likes when you take your time with him and strip him of his clothes.

🧡 Despite thinking of himself as a, "yucky otaku", when you kiss down his body and praise him it makes his heart soar.

🧡 He is very sensitive, almost as much as Mammon. He will tear up from the pleasure.

🧡 He loves when you cosplay as his favorite characters during the act.

🧡 Play with his balls gently while bobbing your head up and down on his length and he will lose it.

🧡 When he gets close to climax his toes curl and he bites his lip.

🧡 Afterwards he likes to pull you close and kiss all over your face while repeatedly whispering "I love you," to you again and again.

Satan

💚 Prefers to be in control when you're going down on him and much like Lucifer, you will find yourself on your knees.

💚 Likes to be seated in a chair, clothed or unclothed it depends on his mood.

💚 If he's feeling particularly randy that day, he will collar and leash you, holding your leash as he looks down at you working so hard to please him.

💚 He loves watching your head bob up and down on his cock but he also enjoys holding your head still and fucking your face.

💚 If he has any precum on his head before you start, he will tell you to lick it off, watching intently as your tongue laps up each little bead.

💚 Will growl things like, "Right there, kitten! Don't stop!" when he's getting close. He growls in arousal, doesn't moan.

💚 Despite his almost feral growling as you bring him to the edge, he remains in control. Will keep his dick perfectly still as he empties his seed down your throat, you can feel his member throbbing against your tongue as he releases.

💚 Likes to pull you on his lap afterwards and praise you for a job well done.

Asmodeus

💗 Asmodeus loves a good blowjob, anytime and any place really.

💗 "Such a naughty little minx, aren't you, Y/N?" He'll tease you if you do it somewhere you could get caught.

💗 When the two of you are alone, he prefers that you both are naked so you can enjoy each other's bodies in all their glory.

💗 Please worship his cock and tell him how amazing it is - kiss along its length and rub his balls.

💗 He likes when you start with his tip, sucking on it softly and slowly taking more and more of him into your mouth.

💗 Is very vocal, calling out your name while he moans in ecstasy.

💗 If you're okay with it, he will take pictures of you with your lips wrapped around his cock or your tongue licking up his shaft.

💗 Kiss and suck along the underside of his member to watch him lose his mind.

💗 His moans get louder and louder as he reaches climax and he will stroke your hair as he cums, cupping your cheek as he watches you drink every last drop.

💗 He is also very cuddly and loving afterwards and will snuggle into your side.

Beelzebub

❤️ Will suggest doing a 69 with you - he loves to give and the vibrations from the moans you make around his cock.

❤️ Beel gets hot easily, so he prefers being naked when receiving.

❤️ Does get worried about you choking on his massive length and girth of his package.

❤️ Seeing your cheeks stuffed full of everything he has to offer is a big turn on though.

❤️ Despite not having control with things like food, Beelzebub is a very gentle lover and good at controlling his reactions. He's very aware of his size and strength.

❤️ He's vocal, letting out low moans and guttural growls as you work him towards release.

❤️ Insists on making you as comfortable as possible so isn't picky on what position the two of you are in.

❤️ Loves when you suck on his balls and tease them.

❤️ Will warn you when he's about to release as he typically cums a lot more than the average demon.

❤️ He will moan your name as he empties himself down your throat and thank you afterwards.

❤️ Definitely cuddles afterwards and will want to return the favor as soon as you're ready.

Belphegor

💜 Will be a pillow prince on days he's feeling particularly in tune with his sin.

💜 Just lays on the bed as you suck him off, eyes closed and letting out soft moans.

💜 Gets incredibly aroused if you tease him and will beg for release if he's in more of a sub mood that day.

💜 On other days he likes you on your back while he straddles you.

💜 Will fuck your face as you lay on the bed, in complete control of your body as he thrusts in and out of your mouth.

💜 Likes both of you to be naked when he's on top like that.

💜 Belphie has just a slight sadistic streak in the bedroom and gets turned on when you're all but choking around him.

💜 He will never hurt you though and if you show any sign of distress, he stops immediately.

💜 For either position, his tail will come out and wrap around you affectionately.

💜 When he's on his back, he whispers your name as he releases his seed into your mouth. If he's on top, he lets out a growl as he fills your throat with his cum.

💜 Is always up for cuddling after. Gets really sleepy after orgasm. Likes to nuzzle into your neck and shoulder while his arms, legs, and tail wrap around you.

Diavolo

💙 I wholeheartedly agree with the majority of the fandom that Diavolo has a huge dick so he tries his very best not to buck his hips when you go down on him for fear of hurting you.

💙 He likes to sit on the edge of the bed while you kneel between his legs so he can watch you. Diavolo absolutely adores you and loves seeing you work your little mouth around his girth and length. He always has a comfy pillow for you to kneel on so you don't feel sore.

💙 If you can't kneel, that's okay. Dia is honestly quite happy with any position. He wants his lover to be as comfortable as possible.

💙 He let's out soft moans and whines. He's definitely touched starved so he gets really into it. Don't be surprised if he lets out a deep growl and fists your hair.

💙 He loves praising you while you suck him off. He will stroke your face and hair lovingly during gentle sessions.

💙 One of his favorite things is when you make eye contact with him and the two of you exchange a loving look. He loves when all your attention is focused on him. Sometimes he will take one of your hands and lace your fingers together, giving your hand a squeeze when you lick a particularly sensitive spot.

💙 When Diavolo cums, he cums A LOT. He will warn you ahead of time and always gives you the option of swallowing. He will not be hurt in the least if you spit. He knows his load is a lot to handle.

💙 Diavolo likes to reciprocate and will happily go down on you afterwards if he hasn't already.

💙 He loves to cuddle and becomes slightly possessive post-orgasm and will hold you close to him.

Barbatos

💛 This man is not used to others doing things for him both in and out of the bedroom. He probably doesn't have a lot of time to relieve himself either as he's so busy.

💛 That being said, he prefers to sit or lay down on the bed when you go down on him. He wants to be completely relaxed so he can focus on the pleasure you're giving him.

💛  For some reason, I imagine him being slightly shy about it. You will have to ask/initiate. It's probably been a long time since he's had intimacy with anyone. Barbatos might even be a bit shy about it.

💛 He doesn't make much noise except for some small gasps when you swirl your tongue on his head just right. He may let out a few soft grunts and pants as well.

💛 Barb likes foreplay and when you take your time pleasing him. He wants to enjoy these rare moments of intimacy with you. Play with his nipples and gently bite his thighs when you're warming up. That will really get his blood pumping.

💛 He tends to stiffen up as he comes before letting out low moan and releasing all that tension. He really doesn't care if you spit or swallow. He is sure to praise you after.

Solomon

💗 Shady wizard is likely a horn dog and will let you suck him off just about anywhere. Sometimes he'll even pull his cloak around you and hide you in it while you do your thing to him.

💗 When you're alone he prefers to sit or stand so he can watch you. Will place a hand on your head and sometimes help you bob your head up and down on his length.

💗 Solomon isn't shy about telling you what he wants. He'll tell you when to suck and where to lick and will watch you as he gives you instruction.

💗 Sometimes he'll just hold your head still and fuck your face when he's feeling particularly dominant. He'll also talk dirty to you as he uses you and your mouth like a sex doll.

💗 He uses magic to soundproof the room if he wants to be loud. Definitely curses and grunts as he's getting close.

💗 If you don't want to swallow, he'll occasionally pull out and come on your face or chest. Will pat you on the head afterwards while teasing and also praising you.

Simeon

💚 Holy boy is still a horny boy at times but he is the most shy out of everyone. You will definitely have to ask and be the one to bring it up.

💚 Always makes sure the door is locked and that he has some kind of sound proofing spell up as he doesn't want anyone walking in.

💚 Even with a sound proofing spell, he's still rather quiet. Simeon will bite his wrist or muffle his cries into a pillow.

💚 Prefers to be on his back so you can't his flushed face and his blissful expression. He also wants you to be comfortable though so he will do another position if that's better for you.

💚 The underside of his shaft is pretty sensitive and he will buck his hips on reflex if you slowly trail your tongue from his balls to the underside of his head.

💚 The closer he gets to orgasm the less he cares about keeping quiet. Will moan and sigh your name as he fills your mouth with his seed.

💚 Is a little shy afterwards but also clingy. Simeon will hold you close but will blush when he makes eye contact with you.

[asmo-ds]

i have another one! so the mc is really into fantasy fiction with demons and angels, gore, horror and spooky things in general and when they arrive instead of being scared they're like finally i'm in my element and are having fun and are excited because they hate how boring the human realm is. how would the bros (and the side characters if you feel like doing them) react to them? i love your headcanons so much btw!!

&

w/ Horror Fantasy Lover! MC

Warnings: mentions of spooky scary stuffs, CHAPTER 16 SPOILERS

Summary: How the Obey Me! Characters react to finding out MC has a particular interest in horror fantasy and feels more comfortable in the Devildom then they do in the human world aka where they aren’t surrounded by apex predators that want to eat their soul

- After explaining the entire situation to the clueless human who stood in the student council room he could see a sort of sparkle in their eye and they smiled widely before shouting “FINALLY! MY TIME HAS COME HAHAH!”

- His first thought is “oh they won’t last a day”.

- He gets a headache when he realizes he put them with Mammon of all people.

- He is glad that MC has an interest in such things seeing as they will be living among the strongest demons for the next year

- I feel like Lucifer loves horror fantasy novels, so if he and MC have read any similar ones they are sure to discuss and recommend to each other 

- Lucifer enjoy when they come in to talk to him about things they saw that they had hear about before arriving at the Devildom because its cute to see the human so excited

- Overall finds it adorable how enthusiastic MC is about the subject

- But is also worried because they feel so comfortable around demons who can and will eat them

- BUT also glad you aren’t afraid of the demons because they can smell fear and it is overwhelming and easy to lose control when they smell it

- When MC wants to see his natural form ( bc I just know hey don’t stop at those half-human half-demon forms Solmare shows us) he worries he may scare them off, but shows them regardless and is relieved when their excited smile doesn’t falter

- When he is first showing MC around the Devildom he considers just thowing the human over his shoulder because they wont stop running towards dangerous stuff to observe it

- Like oh my Diavolo, does this human have a death wish why would they WANT to drink the potions that can and will kill them in a matter of seconds

- If his hair wasn’t already white he’d be getting white hairs from stress, like WHAT KIND OF EXCUSE IS “I’ve never drank a potion but I’ve always heard about them”?! PLEASE GIVE HIM A BREAK

- Mammon isn’t big on horror stuff so he hates when MC brings it up

- If he sees horror fantasy related stuff for sale or being bet in a gamble you can bet your ass he’s bringing it home for MC no matter what

- Sometimes when they walk around the Devildom, MC will point out creatures they’d only heard of in their stories and he loves the way their eyes light up as everything they’d read about for so long came to life

- Tolerates the subject to make MC happy, even if he can’t sleep at night because of it.

- A bit worried about the fact he has to babysit the human who is way too casual around violent predators that want to eat them

- If MC asks to see his natural form he gets flustered for a second, but then gets cocky and goes off about how “oF cOuRsE tHe HuMaN WaNtS tO sEe ThE GREAT MaMmOn iN aLL HiS GloRy”

- When MC walks into the House of Lamentation with Mammon and he introduces himself as Leviathan... their eyes light up

- They question him about all sorts of things they’d heard in old stories and if he could really turn into a giant sea monster

- After a while of knowing MC he finally promises that when they go to the beach next he will show them his natural form 

- He summons Lotan when he’s mad at Mammon and when he turns to Lotan to command him to attack the avatar of greed he sees Lotan is preoccupied with the human who was giving him belly rubs and talking to the giant sea monster in a baby voice

- He like horror fantasy animes so he is 100% willing to discuss them with MC 

- Whenever a new horror fantasy game or show comes out you won’t see MC and Levi for days because they’ll be holed up in his room on a mission to complete the anime or game

- He and MC like to cosplay as horror fantasy characters together as well just for fun

- Whenever he sees them look at a creature that may be normal around the Devildom but is very dangerous to interact with as a human he is immediately noping the heck out of there, dragging them away despite their cries of wanting to see the “little cute fluffy animal :(”

- When they show up and their eyes light up at the explanation that they’d been summoned to hell, he can’t help but laugh because he already knows this human is gonna be a trouble maker and cause a lot of problems for his dad Lucifer :^)

- One of his favorite genres of movies and books by far

- Loves to watch MC grow curious and fascinated by all the things in the Devildom that they never thought would be real

- He takes MC to see creatures at the Devildom zoo that you would NEVER see in the human world 

- He could spend hours talking about the topic with MC and sometimes one of the brothers will walk in on them talking about scary fantasy stuff and just slowly back out bc they get SO INTO IT

- Is glad to help them learn more about creatures that reside in the Devildom

- By that I mean he hovers behind MC menacingly in demon form whenever a demon agrees to let the human examine and study them

- If MC wants to see his completely natural form he gets a bit blushy and a bit nervous as his form is the embodiment of wrath and meant to strike fear within humans

- After he finally transforms and they start to examine him enthusiastically without a shred of fear he thinks to himself “oh that’s right this is MC, my idiot human = who could crawl inside a demons mouth and still be unsettlingly happy”

- Nope nope nope

- He doesn’t like scary stuff unless he’s allowed to cling onto a cute person for comfort

- Really likes the look of excitement in MC’s eyes though as they see creatures they never thought they’d get to see because they get a sort of glimmer that just makes him go so soft for the human

- Glad they feel comfortable around demons because it means they will be more willing to come clubbing with him

- But is still sure to hover around them while they enthusiastically examine and question demons around them

- Makes flirty comments about wanting MC to examine his natural assets (aka his naked demon dick is what he wants to show them)

- In all seriousness he is very proud of his natural form and is very willing to let MC study him

- Still worried that MC is gonna get hurt by one of his brothers or another demon if MC asks to see their natural forms because he knows how easy it is to go feral and lose all reason in such forms

- He finds it cute how interested MC is in everything around the Devildom

- Very concerned about the easy going attitude around his brothers and every single being in the Devildom

- MC sometimes comes very close to eating foods that will make a human sick because they want to understand demons better and want to live just like one

- Sometimes forgets MC is only human because they just fit in so well with all the demons

- Shocked to learn how boring the human world has become as he always remembered it being exciting whenever Mammon would bring him, Belphie and Lilith down 

- He’s a bit shy about his demon form because he knows a lot of humans are afraid of bugs 

- But when MC so delicately yet enthusiastically examines his natural form he almost cries

- So soft for this human but so SO worried

- tries to warn them to be more cautious outside of the House of Lamentation, but knows that they aren’t gonna be because they get carried away with learning demon life

- When MC first came through the attic wall and was able to see him they made eye contact and were both like o.O

- Then MC’s face lit up as they started to talk about how cool magic was that it could hide a whole entire person and floor of a house and he is just confused, but he knows he can easily manipulate them due to their enthusiasm towards this type of stuff

- Was shocked they weren’t even afraid of Lucifer and were actually excited to see his demon form up close if they got caught

- While he is still covered in their blood and stuff after getting out and stuff the future MC comes downstairs and is just like OMG YOU KILLED ME SO EASILY 

- MC gets dangerously close to him again asking questions about his claws and tail and powers etc.

- After that whole ~ordeal~  he grows protective over MC seeing how they trusted him so easily due to their enthusiasm because he knows there are people out there who still want to hurt the human

- He is surprised by the description Mc gives of the human world as he remembers it being so interesting, but he guesses that since it has been very long since he last went but is still sad to hear it’s less interesting’

- Can act like a brat whenever MC puts themselves in danger due to their curiosity

- If they ask to see his natural form he is a bit shy because he worried they might get scared by him seeing as how he killed them in only half demon form so how were they going to handle his whole entire self

- Seeing their eyes light up at his explanation as to where they were made his heart leap with joy

- He knew this year would go smoothly with such an enthusiastic human!

- He was wrong. 

- It feels like every five seconds he will be getting a call from Lucifer about MC almost dying from getting too close to demons and other Devildom native creatures.

- Worried about the poor human but doesn’t want to ruin their fun so he scolds them very lightly and assigns familiars to protect them 24/7

- If MC wants to talk to him about any other creatures, rather than going to find them by themselves, he is glad to educate them on any false stories they’d heard

- When MC asks to see his final form he laughs it off at the time, afraid of hurting or frightening them

- But if MC insists enough he will show them and is rather shocked when they enthusiastically poke and prod at him while asking a bunch of questions.

- He knew MC would be like this as he was one of the main people to  prepare for MC’s arrival

- He’d prepared a bunch of horror fantasy novels for the brothers to put in the human’s room

- Was a fan of reading those books as well, but mostly because he liked to see how the humans interpreted the existence of such creatures

- When Diavolo starts getting stressed about MC’s constant questioning to random demons who try to hurt them, Barbatos decides to entertain MC for a bit and offer them a crash course on demon foods so they could better understand the diets of the creatures around them

- Worries a bit for their safety as he knows Mammon isn’t the most reliable, but still decides to trust him for the sake of his own sanity

- If MC wants to see his natural form he hesitates for like a second before transforming

- Finds it cute how the human examines the big scary demon with so much enthusiasm

- As a fellow human he can understand the dissatisfaction with the human world and it’s lack of interesting events

- But he also worries because he is comfortable going up to demons casually because he knows how to use magic and demon pacts, but MC goes up to demons casually with no way to protect themselves

- He finds it a bit funny to watch the demon brothers freak out over MC talking to other demons and putting themselves in danger

- Teaches MC all the ways to safely interact with creatures in the Devildom by using spells to protect themselves

- Forces some of his 72 demons to let MC study them and learn more about them

- Finds their enthusiasm cute but concerning

- He gets very protective every time they go to the Devildom, y’know since MC has a habit of literally chasing demons down to ask questions about their demon forms, powers and other creatures they see

- He is a bit worried when he learns about the humans intense fascination with creatures such as himself and the demons that they are now surrounded by

- Is as protective over them as he normally is with Luke 

- Like the way Luke chases demons to insult them while MC chases them to ask questions and study them makes him consider getting a leash

- If MC wants to see his complete angel form he is more than happy to show them since he is meant to bring comfort to humans as an angel

- Still finds them absolutely adorable when their eyes light up as they see things they never thought they’d get to witness irl

- Tries to teach them more about those creatures they want to examine without the danger of being attacked by demons and such

[mammoney-honey]

Summoning Circles: What to Offer the Brothers GN!MC

MC doesn’t need to set up anything to summon them since they have their pact but sometimes its just nice to add a bit of drama. It’s also a good way to get the brothers to accept Just Because gifts. So what would would MC lay out as an offering for their favorite demon in their pentagram?

Lucifer

Lucifer is hard to get gifts for because hes a man of few words and fewer guilty pleasures

MC does their best to keep an eye out for things he does like and finally sets things up when they feel that Luci needs a bit of a break

They mostly offer things that would make for a good date night but with one small exception: special gourmet dog treats 

He won’t admit it, he says Cerberus is just a well trained guard dog, but that big boy gets only the best and MC knows that Lucifer will appreciate the gesture

The rest is all about setting the mood so Lucifer couldn’t possibly say no to staying

The first thing to accomplish this is the finest bottle of hellfire aged wine, a special request put through to Diavolo for whatever he thought Lucifer would like most

And to accompany a good drink you need some good food as well. A charcuterie board supplied with recommendations from Barbatos and Luke. The little guy should be called a mouse rather than a dog with how much he loves cheese. It took a long time for him to stop talking about it

One of the things that MC looks most fondly on of their time with Lucifer was quiet nights in listening and dancing to new music. They didn’t always share the same tastes but they were always willing to give it a go

So MC would find a vinyl, the only thing Lucifer would listen to the purest that he is, of their most recent favorite song or band so that they could share it with him

The last thing offered is that which Lucifer would want above all else as his own, MC

They can think of nothing else that would gain Lucifer’s attention more than offering their full and complete self. His pride could never allow him to deny taking MC when they offer themselves so willingly

He appears in full demon form, he can’t think of who would be ballsy enough to try and summon him and he has to pull back on his full power once he sees its MC

“MC, my dearest love, the pageantry is appreciated but overall unneeded. All you ever have to do is call my name, all I wish is to hear my name on your lips. But now that I’m here lets make sure you are screaming it”

Mammon

He is another one who is hard to gift things to but for the opposite reason as Lucifer. He likes too many things, wants everything and so it makes it impossible to tell what would actually mean something to him

MC tries their best to lay out things that will show how much they love and appreciate their favorite demon

Money of course is the first thing that is set out but not just spare Grimm or human cash

No, MC will put gift cards out for Mammon’s favorite places or for a date that they can have together. It feels more personal that way and they hope it shows that they pay attention to the things he likes

Mammon has a wardrobe to rival Asmo’s but he insists that it all has to do with his job as a model. Gotta keep up appearances and all that yanno. Hes just a label whore though and everyone knows it

He also just melts at the idea that MC might be thinking of what he would look good in so if they put out a new outfit or accessory, even if its just new sunglasses or a belt, he just about explodes

He will scoff and say that hes not sure if human styles are really his thing but of course puts whatever it is on quickly

Next would be a very special edition of the TSL dvds, a directors cut that even Levi couldn’t get his hands on. He has watched it with MC so many times he could practically recite it but they were always borrowing from Levi so it was about time to start wearing out their own copy

The last two things are more personal, something that shows just how much MC thinks of and misses being with him

The first of that is MC’s favorite set of pictures they took with Mammon, a silly photo booth strip that captured their first kiss. MC had surprised him on the first snapshot and it showed a progression of him getting redder and redder before finally kissing them back

Lastly is a page from their diary, as intimate an offering as they can possibly give. Its from a day where the longing for Mammon was at its strongest and filled with sweet words of how much they miss their first man

Mammon is freaked out at first thinking he is being summoned by another witch and is confused to see MC before taking it all in

“H-hey you don’t have to go through all this. I mean of course The Great Mammon won’t say no to the the things he deserves but ... b-but you only ever need to say my name, there is no where I’d rather be than with you”

Levi

Levi has a bad habit of just buying whatever he wants but considering that he has so many fandom’s its not hard to find some piece or another he doesn’t have 

MC feels like his brothers don’t give much thought to his gifts though, just typing in a name they know and getting whatever they find. They want to give him something more personal and can’t just be bought and shipped in two days

MC starts to watch a lot of craft, cooking and cosplay YouTubers to try and put everything together themselves. It felt more genuine that way at least to them

MC tries to keep things diverse, hitting a couple of Levi’s favorites but mostly avoiding anything Ruri related since they are afraid of messing it up lmao

Instead they focus on the anime’s and games that they watched and played together. Almost like a collection of inside jokes that they are using to summon him

The first thing MC sets out is a prettily decorated plate of macrons, doing their best to replicate the colors and flavors described in the one bakery time management game they always played

MC also went through Levi’s super secret fanfiction accounts I will fight you he is totally a fic writer because he has so many self inserts and fix it fics  and wrote out comments for every single thing he had written. They printed them out not because they didn’t think he read them but to show that they were the ones that left them

Along with the comments MC also created art for Levi’s most beloved OC, creating cute enamel pins of them in chibi form with the cannon character he paired them with

 The last two things came as a sort of combo, a couples cosplay from the romance anime they had watched together. The protagonist had been a shut in otaku who had found his soulmate when they were reborn into his world and Levi had latched onto him immediately 

It had taken a lot of blood sweat and tears trying to get both of the outfits cannon perfect but damn it MC was not going to settle for anything less

At one point they forgot they were making it for Levi and just got caught up in the the drama that was finding the perfect buttons and trim color

Overall they were so proud of the sewing skills they just wanted to call on him the moment they were done so he could see but they got a hold of themselves so they could set up what they had planned

Levi was summoned into the circle still wearing his headset and fingers tapping at a controller that had been left behind

His demon side comes out at having been cost a serious match from the sounds of it but his anger turns to confusion at seeing MC and then into wide eyed amazement at all of the things in front of him

He started to gush about every single thing he saw before he realized that MC was there beaming at him 

“You went through all this trouble to prove that you aren’t a normie and yet you summon me this way?? J-just say my name like you’re supposed to! I kind of like hearing you say it anyway ...”

Satan

Satan surprisingly doesn’t like being the center of attention and thus doesn’t really like surprises or receiving gifts. He also doubts that anyone understands him enough to give him what he wants cocky ass that he is

The idea for the things to set out in his summoning circle came to MC when discussing love potions with Satan and Solomon one day. They were talking about how smell plays such a strong part and Satan let slip some of the things he might smell after MC listed some of theirs

So while MC doesn’t have much, well any, experience in magic or potions they do want to try to stir up those feelings those smells produce in Satan

The first thing he had said came as a surprise to no one, the smell of parchment and ink

MC used each of them as their own separate offering on the pentagram. They used a fancy new calligraphy quill dipped in green ink that matched his eyes to write a long love note for him

The ink was still wet on the parchment that they set down and left the quill and remaining ink as the second gift

The next thing he mentioned was another one MC expected: tea leaves

So MC just walked into their local tea shop and let their nose lead the way. Anything that caught their attention or made them want to keep smelling they bought, creating their own special blend just for Satan

It wasn’t necessarily something that Satan would say for himself but MC had started to burn different candles in their room when he would come to rant when he was angry, trying to find a scent that he could associate with being calm when they helped him work through the anger

Whatever candle seemed to work the best is the candle that MC sets out for him. Probably something woodsy, pine or balsam or even sandalwood. It brings back good memories for MC, kissing all those worries of his away and hopes it does the same

The last item is one that made MC blush when they heard Satan admit it, he had liked the scent of their shampoo

He hadn’t said that specifically but he had closed his eyes and described a scent that he couldnt place but that he adored and when MC was taking their shower that night it clicked 

It might have been a little lame, leaving a bottle of shampoo out for Satan but MC knew that when he realized what that scent he loved so much was that he would get the cutest blush

They weren’t disappointed when they summoned Satan. He hid his shock of being summoned this way well, taking his time to walk around the circle and examine each offering. He immediately knew where they had gotten the inspiration and teased them about being such a sap

He stopped when he got to the shampoo though, not sure how that fit into the equation until he smelled it. It dawned on him and there was that blush that he tried to hide by turning his face away

“You always did like to make things difficult on yourself didn’t you? I’m only ever a call away for you kitten. Now come here and let me really breath you in, you’re simply intoxicating to me and I can’t stay away.”

Asmo

Asmo is never shy about when he doesn’t like gifts that people have given him but he has only ever cherished what MC has gotten him. Every small trinket and gift he has on full display in his room and he will wear something that MC got them when he misses them the most

He also will do it when he wants to bother his brothers and show off that MC simply lavished him in gifts (Mammon and Levi are the only ones who fall for it lmao)

So MC decides to offer Asmo things that will allow him to parade around their love for him, things to keep them close when MC isn’t there

The first thing that MC gets Asmo is new nail polish, a color that they agonized over finding because they wanted it to match his eyes perfectly

Asmo has a very organized planner, its how he keeps track of all the events he is invited to, when he has dates, who hes slept with, who hes going to sleep with and everything in between

MC commissions custom made stickers for him so he can decorate the pages of his planner even more. Specifically a whole sheet of cute stickers of them together he could use for when they planned date nights

The next thing was something for Asmo’s room which he was always changing and refreshing so it looked forever interesting for Devilgram pics

MC gets a large print of Asmo’s favorite picture of them together and puts it in a beautiful frame that perfectly matched his favorite decorating style. Perfect to show to the world that Asmo was their favorite demon and that they looked so good together

And so they can take even more pictures of themselves together MC buys a Polaroid camera for Asmo. His phone will always be his favorite thing to take pics on but this way they could have them printed instantly and it continues to let him be trendy

Lastly MC gets Asmo a necklace. A dainty rose gold chain that he can wear with practically everything and with a diamond accented heart shaped locket that could easily be tucked away if needed. It was an enchanted locket, thanks to the help of Solomon, and it warmed when MC was thinking of him

Its the first thing Asmo grabs and quickly puts on, showing it off for MC

“Oh MC you are simply the cutest thing I have ever seen~ I’m sorry I don’t have something to give you in return. I hope the fact that my heart beats only for you will make up for it, now come here I’ve been without kisses too long.”

Beel

Its SO hard not to just grab whatever is in the kitchen at the time and throw it in the summoning circle and call it a day for Beel

But he is more than just his hunger and MC is always striving to show him that they understand that 

It was harder than expected, just because asking anyone what Beel might want always got them food answers. They thought Belphie might be helpful but only got told “he probably just wants a nap ... its what I would want”

MC starts to think of all the most special moments they had with Beel, trying to think what about them made them so memorable and they knew for a fact that it wasn’t the food

The first thing they come up with is a banner that MC made to cheer him on at one of his games. It had gotten a little tattered and torn because it had rained that day but they just couldn’t let it go

Mostly because Beel after winning had ran up into the stands and kissed them for the first time. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t ever kissed but they had always been the one to make the first move but this time Beel had come to them. Of course in the biggest gesture possible

It was cheating a little bit offering a cookbook, it was still food related, but it felt better than putting in actual food 

This particular cookbook was special to MC too, they had spent several months trying to recreate one of the recipes from it down in the Devildom when MC didn’t have it. Even their D.D.D had been no help in finding the human world dish they were trying so hard to recreate

It had finally been Beel who had found someplace that sold the food they had been craving. He had even been able to bring it back completely untouched just so that they could have it all though he didn’t complain when they offered him several bites from their fork

MC pulls the next thing from their own shelves at home, a well read copy of Lord of the Flies. The spine cracked and little notes about their favorite parts scribbled in the margin

It was one of the human novels that Satan had and one of MCs favorites from school. Beel had caught them reading it and thought the title was ironic but the more he watched MC get engrossed in reading the more curious he got

He eventually asked MC to read it to him, he actually liked books even if most didn’t take him for the type it was just that he had a hard time actually reading himself. He always got distracted by food but audio books always worked well for him when he was working out, it turned out to be even better when MC read to him when he was eating

It was the best of both worlds for him and he found the story actually pretty funny, slightly worrying MC but they figured they couldn’t blame a demon for getting enjoyment out of a story like that. He did find their lack of food concerning though so at least there was that

One of the things that Beel often complained about when MC was living in the devildom was that when he went to go eat they weren’t always there. Sure Beel would ask them to tag along whenever possible but it didn’t always happen. He would call them from the kitchen at times and tell them that he missed them

MC was sure the other brothers would have something to say about it but knew that Beel would genuinely enjoy the next thing MC offered. Amagnet with his favorite picture of them. It was MC caught in a candid he took, mid bite in a dessert he had made them and his hand could just be seen wiping some whipped cream off MC’s cheek

It was a way that Beel could have MC with him at his favorite place every time

The last thing that MC laid out was something that was inspired by Beel. He had once given them a coupon for a free meal by him and they had thought it was just about the cutest thing ever

They made him a whole coupon book of favors ranging from cooking any meal he wanted to recording his workouts for him and of course lots of coupons for hugs and kisses

Beel isn’t used to being summoned at all so hes slightly disoriented when he finds himself suddenly in the human world. As soon as he sees MC though its nothing but smiles and he doesn’t even notice the gifts until after

“MC did you know I was thinking about you? Sometimes I just say your name and hope you will appear ... so if you ever think of me just say my name. I want to be here, even if its during dinner” 

Belphie

Belphie is not one to beat around the bush at all. He is a creature of habit and just wants more of the same things that he already has. Dont fix something if its not broke right?

So its fairly easy to fill his summoning circle with things that he loves, just adding to his ever growing collection of happy nap time things

That isn’t to say that MC just grabs whatever blanket or pillows they have laying around, they still want it to be special for him

So yes the first two things they offer to Belphie is a pillow and blanket, there was never going to be anything else but MC spent a long time putting their love into finding just the right ones for him ... and still couldn’t find what they wanted

MC used this as an excuse to create something themselves for their sleepy boy. They dived deep into youtube and pintrest and spent more money than they care to admit on materials until finally they made what they wanted

The first was a quilt large enough for three cause the twins like to make MC a sandwich in a cow print pattern that matched his pillow and demon form marks, lined with the softest fabric she could find that was the same purple as his eyes 

His pillow was another quilted design, this time of a cloudy night sky with a sleepy cow jumping over the moon. MC stitched his name in pretty gold thread on the back long with a sweet ‘I love you’

There was one last fluffy thing to give to him, this one MC knew he would probably scoff and tease them about but they couldn’t help it. They saw the angry looking cow plushie and just could not walk away 

They have actually been sleeping with it when they miss him most and even if he doesn’t like the plushie the fact they have slept with it so much will make him a bit fonder of it

Even though they were pretty sure that Belphie knew every star in the sky MC couldn’t help but get a book with stories about the constellations. He might already know them all but they thought that he might still enjoy hearing them read to him as he drifted to sleep

The last thing MC has to offer him is also star related. A star map of the day that they made their pact. It was the day that MC had fully forgiven everything that had happened before and their relationship had truly began

When Belphie was summoned he was half asleep but knew who it must be even in his sluggish state. He gave a big yawn and looked around at all the things around him 

“At least things are already set up for the perfect nap, including having you. MC next time just say my name alright? Its much more of a drag this way ... and I want to know when you are dreaming of me”

[thekitsune]

MikaSasha Week Day 6 - First Kiss Late Submission

This is two days late. Sorry everyone, but like I mentioned before. Work at my job was just awful the last two days. I finally got it done though, and before the Week ended thankfully ^^

This is a continuation to my ‘First Date’ submission so I hope you all remember it or are excited. Also, I made a slight reference to one of @llamaalpacca ‘s submissions in this, but it isn’t in the same continuity as their’s. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Sasha was not sure how they reached this point. After their first date, she was worried that Mikasa might not have been too happy with it, but then she was presented with a bracelet as a gift followed by a kiss on the cheek. To say that she was flustered would be an understatement. (She ran into two poles on the way home). She was so happy for the next few days and continued texting with Mikasa all that time. (She did spend several minutes on each text though. She was lucky enough to have a good date with her, she didn't want to ruin it with some stupid text!)

Where was she going with all this? Oh yeah, she had no idea how she ended up stuck in a closet with Mikasa. She remembers that their college was throwing a festival, and she wanted to enjoy it with Mikasa. So she asked the girl out on a second date. Mikasa was surprised, but she instantly agreed. The moment they arrived, Mikasa took Sasha's hand into her own and began walking around. Mikasa seemed to be enjoying herself. She had to refrain from laughing at the cute look that the girl had when she spotted a four foot stuffed panda at a sharpshooter's booth. She had made a mental plan to come back to it so that she could win it for her.

Anyway, they ran into Connie and Eren who asked them if they could grab something for them from the closet for their class's cosplay cafe. (they were cosplaying as characters from some kind of giant-slaying anime) Honestly, Sasha justed wanted to enjoy her date with Mikasa, but she owed Connie for lending her the money to pay for the bill at the restaurant they went to on their first date. Plus, Mikasa mentioned something about owing Eren for something as well so they agreed to go grab it for them and continue with their date.

They got to the closet, and Sasha began looking around inside it for whatever Connie had said they needed, honestly she couldn't remember what it was now. When she told Mikasa, her date walked in and also began looking around. As they looked though, they were surprised to hear the door behind them slam shut. Gasping, Sasha had grabbed the handle to try and open it, but the door wouldn't budge. Mikasa kindly asked her to move and proceeded to ram it with her shoulder. And while it was impressive, and hot, to see the door, and wall, gain cracks from the force of the hit, the door remained shut.

The two groaned and went to text Connie and Eren, but the boys were not messaging back for some reason. Sasha had groaned and pulled at her hair in anger. Mikasa just sighed in annoyance before sitting on the floor, or she would have if Sasha hadn't stopped her. The floor was filthy so Sasha had placed her jacket on the floor for Mikasa to sit on. The memory of Mikasa's blushing, smiling face just caused Sasha to get flustered again.

Hm, yeah everything is caught up now. "So, how much longer do you think we'll be in here?" Sasha asked Mikasa from her spot on the floor in front of her. Mikasa sighed as she leaned back against the wall.

"I have no idea. When Eren cosplays, he gets really into the role. Like really into it. I'm surprised he dropped the act long enough to ask me for a favor," Mikasa informed Sasha who groaned as she looked back at her phone.

"And Connie was probably too stupid to charge his phone today so it's probably dead," Sasha groaned as she began to pound her head against her knee. Mikasa watched for a few seconds before gently taking her by the shoulder and stopping her. Sasha looked at her with an embarrassed smile before stopping.

As the two sat there in silence, they began thinking about their situation as well as other things. "Sasha...?" Mikasa quietly uttered Sasha's name which caused the girl to look up at her in confusion. "Yes?" Sasha responded.

"I'm sorry I let our second date end up like this. I should have told Eren I was spending time with you so I could pay back my debt later," Mikasa apologized while looking at Sasha apologetically. Sasha's eyes widened before she quickly got on her knees and leaned over so she could cup Mikasa's cheeks.

"Hey this is no one's fault...besides whoever hit the door outside. I'll beat the crap out of whoever did it even if it was an accident! *ahem* Anyway, this is not your fault. I also agreed to do this to pay back Connie for a favor he did for me. Besides, our date isn't over yet nor is it ruined. I'm still with you after all! I would happily sit in silence with you over doing literally anything else even eating!...okay maybe, not eating...well...let me get back to you on that one, but everything else I would put to the side to spend time with you!" Sasha reassured Mikasa with a smile on her face. Mikasa's face lit up red as she heard this.

Sasha blushed as she saw this and was about to move back, but Mikasa had gently taken hold of her shoulders and leaned up. Feeling her eyes widen, Sasha let out a small gasp as she began trembling in shock, anticipation, and slight fear. However, all that evaporated as soon as she felt Mikasa gently kiss her. Closing her eyes, Sasha wrapped her arms around Mikasa and melted into the kiss. Shifting off Sasha's now dirty jacket and onto her lap, the two continued kissing...until the door opened and they fell out and into the hallway.

Feeling both of their faces going red, they looked up and saw a smug Eren and Connie looking down at them. "Told you they would end up finally kissing if we locked them in a room together," Eren smugly stated causing Connie to laugh.

"Yeah, you were right. Hopefully now, Sasha will shut up about not having kissed Mikasa yet. That got annoying fast," Connie replied with Eren nodding in response.

"I totally get what you mean. Mikasa went on and on about how she just wished Sasha would swoop her into her arms and kiss her already. I had to get them to kiss somehow. There's only so much I can take," Eren complained with Connie laughing. All the while, the two boys were absolutely obviously to the growling, angry girls slowly raising to their feet behind them. Having stood up first, Sasha tapped Connie on the shoulder which caused him to turn and immediately pale. Eren, confused, did the same only to gasp.

"I want to beat the living crap out of the both of you, but," Sasha motioned to her girlfriend who still had her head down and was still growling...while the closet door behind them finally shattered as if by Mikasa's own anger, (or it was a delayed effect from her ramming into it earlier) "I think you both will face much worse. Thank you for the help with the kiss. Accept our appreciation." Sasha proceeded to step back as Mikasa took a step forward in silence now. The boys whimpered as they glanced at each other before turning and running for their lives.

Mikasa moved to chase them, but momentarily stopped as Sasha gently put her hand on her shoulder. "When you're done with them, meet me at the sharpshooter's booth," Sasha simply stated before giving a small smile. Mikasa returned it with a nod before scowling again and chasing the boys. Sasha would pray that Mikasa went easy on them, but she honestly didn't care at this point.

As she walked over to grab her dirty jacket, the memory of the kiss flashed in her brain for a moment which caused her to blush. Smiling softly, she began to head to the booth. If she managed to win Mikasa that panda then maybe she will be rewarded with another kiss. Chuckling with a dopey smile on her face, she ran to the booth. All the while, everyone in the festival heard the screams of terror and pain from two, very dumb  boys.

[alexadru]

White Knight - Pay & Play to Win (Fate Grand Order edition)

Weiss had often wondered what made Ruby waste so much of her time on her scroll and when she had asked the question one day, her leader had simply shown her.

Fate Grand Order. 

That was the title of the mobile game Ruby was sinking at least a couple of hours a week. Time which she could have spent improving her grades and becoming a better leader. The young girl was the face of team RWBY, after all, and Weiss would not settle for less than the very best.

That said, she did not have any particular complaints about her progress over the months, but she disagreed with all the time she was wasting pointlessly on a silly game. 

A fact which she voiced without any restraint and which incurred another childish (in Weiss' opinion) argument between the two girls.

Ruby: "It's not childish! It's based on the greatest heroes from Earth's history, their stories and it has many life lessons. Plus, it's fun."

Weiss simply shook her head at the absurdity of her argument. She found it hard to believe that some fictional characters and their half thought out stories could ensnare people into playing that game for hours.

Ruby: "Why don't you give it a try first before you say it's childish? I bet you'll change your mind."

Another absurdity uttered by her partner, but, against her better judgement, Weiss, decided to give the game a try. If nothing else, but to prove Ruby wrong. 

After an entire week and a lot of wear to her scroll's battery, Weiss would have an epiphany and would, begrudgingly, agree with Ruby. This game was fun.

From the intriguing story, the likes of which Weiss had never seen or read to the beautiful art of the characters, the heiress could say she was hooked. She continued to play regularly, enjoying the experience as she continued to make progress through the story.

Weiss had not reached the point where she would spend money to get certain characters like she had heard from Ruby that some players did. That was until she saw him and she literally fell in love.

After spending a substantial portion of her allowance to get him when he was in the gacha, her joy could be heard across campus as she literally screamed like a fangirl when he answered her summons.

Her object of adoration? The servant Saber, King Arthur. He was everything she dreamed about. From his kind, loyal and slightly playful attitude to his charming, soft looks which made her blush every time he'd give a smile when she would level him up.

These were all traits that she had voiced quite often to her team, which was present in the room on the day the Weiss alarm rang for the first time. Weiss talked so casually about the game these days that it showed just how much she was sucked into this world.

One Saturday, as Weiss was farming like mad for materials to make her prince perfect, Ruby said something that changed her perception on life.

Ruby: "Hey, Weiss. Don't you think that Arthur is kind of like Jaune?" The girl commented as she busied herself leveling up a well known red Archer.

The innocent remark was met with the heiress looking up from the device abruptly, ready to refute the claim and defend the knight. However, Weiss stopped short to consider her words for a few moments. Moments which turned into seconds which then turned into minutes. Her eyes widened as if she reached a revelation. 

Ruby... was right! 

Abruptly, she jumped on her feet and walked out of the room with hurried steps. The rest of team RWBY heard her knock on JNPR's door. It opened moments later.

From the other side, Jaune had answered with a bit of apprehension. It wasn't often that someone would knock so loudly on his team's dorm room, except for Nora when she'd forget her scroll. What he didn't expect to see in front of his eyes was the familiar figure of his former(?) crush which he was trying to move on from with little success.

Jaune: "Weiss? Is everything alright…" The boy didn't get to finish as her hand grabbed his wrist, earning his full attention.

Weiss: "Come with me for a bit!" 

Unable to resist, he was dragged away by the small girl. Weiss had surprised him by how strong her grip was as she led him somewhere. The poor boy was caught so off guard, he couldn't do anything.

30 minutes later, Jaune found himself in the changing room of a store. It wasn't an ordinary store, however, but one that specialised in cosplay. Outfits belonging to famous fictional characters were sold here and for some reason, he found himself ready to change into one.

Of all the places in Vale, he did not expect the girl to bring him here. Nevermind the fact that she had given him an outfit and was told to try on, something from a game Ruby played if he remembered correctly. 

It was very unusual from the normally serious Weiss he knew. Still, he begrudgingly started undressing and putting on the outfit, having a new-found appreciation for the people who enjoyed cosplaying.

Weiss waited outside the changing room for 10 minutes, her mind a jumbled mess of thoughts. All ranging from curiosity about how Jaune would look to her slightly panicking that she acted so out of character and dragged him without giving a single explanation.

Looking at her feet she considered her thoughts about the boy and found that she didn't know how to feel about him. Given what occurred in the last few months, Weiss genuinely didn't know the nature of their relationship. She never thought of him much before and only recently started noticing him.

Her head snapped back up when she heard the door open.

Jaune had exited the changing room looking awkward. His steps were hesitant as if he didn't know how to walk properly in the extravagant armor. Oddly enough, despite having more layers on him, he felt a lot more exposed as if a lot more eyes were on him. Which could very well be the case, the store was huge and packed with other customers.

In his personal opinion, when Jaune checked himself in the mirror before exiting, he found that the look suited him. The blue went well with his eyes and while the silver armor was not that special, the gold accents brought everything together, matching his hair as a bonus. 

However, he looked nervously at the girl who had dragged him here. Jaune didn't know why, but he felt that she had done this for a reason and while she didn't share that reason, he hoped that he didn't disappoint her.

Weiss was quiet. Almost unusually so, despite her normally verbose self. She had seen the boy exit the changing room, donning the clothes she had picked for him and her mind came to a halt.

Baby blue eyes danced around, drinking in the sight of Jaune cosplaying the prince of her dreams. The boy who had both annoyed her the most and had been the kindest to her.

Weiss: "Jaune, would you smile for me, please?" She requested quitely.

Jaune: "What?" He didn't have a good feeling about the situation. Not with how quiet Weiss was being, her previous scrutinising gaze only adding to his nervousness.

Weiss: "Just… just give me your best charming smile."

And her weird requests kept coming. Jaune was smart enough to not question them, so he did as she requested. He tried to smile once, but it felt shaky, so he stopped, took a deep breath and tried again, his thoughts on how the beautiful girl in front of him made him feel before.

Weiss' breath hitched in her chest as she looked at him. It was impossible how well he fit the look. Everything from the blonde hair, his tall and lean physique to his boyish face was a near exact match to the Saber Servant. The only discrepancy was the eye color, deep blue instead of aqua. No less perfect in her vision.

Her face burned.

The old saying turned out to be true. The clothes did make the man and in this case, they made Jaune into her dream.

Jaune: "Weiss?" He stopped smiling and was a bit worried that she had yet to say anything. 

His words seemed to have been a wake up call as she acted almost immediately. Abruptly, her small hands pushed Jaune back until he was inside the changing room again. The surprise gesture made him trip and fall on his butt inside the small room.

Weiss had followed him inside with no hesitation. After closing the door, she wasted no time in straddling him by sitting in his lap and giving him a deep, hot kiss, catching him completely off guard.

They broke it off after nearly a minute. The two panted as they struggled to regain their breaths, Weiss managing to do so much quicker.

Jaune: "W-weiss? Why di…?" To say he was shocked was an understatement. This went beyond anything he expected to happen when she had dragged him with her.

Weiss: "Where have you been all my life?" Her purring voice nearly made him melt from all the affection it held.

Jaune: "I-I've literally been asking you out for weeks." Did she really not notice him all those times?

Weiss: "Nevermind that. What matters now is that we're here and we can do whatever we want." To prove her point, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward until her body was pressed completely against his, feeling everything. She pressed her forehead against his, the intense gaze in her eyes sent shivers down his spine.

Jaune: "I think I need an adult…" As freaked out as he was by her gesture, he could not deny the butterflies he felt in his stomach or how hot his cheeks felt. Weiss Schnee had kissed him and it made his heart start a marathon in his chest.

Weiss: "I'll make a King out of you." With a slow, sensual lick, she wet her lips and captured his again. This time, her fingers went through his hair as she got lost in the sensation. Weiss nearly moaned when she felt his hands on her slim waist, pulling her closer as he began reciprocating.

They continued like this until the staff found them and kicked them out for indecency. Weiss managed to somehow buy the outfit anyway, though. 

Now they simply walked around Vale with the heiress hugging his right arm to her body closely and leaning her head against it. The boy blushed all the way, but remained quiet. 

The day had only begun for them.

[ravenbloodau]

The Voyages of Ker'Tak and Skye

Ker'Tak's ship had landed on Earth, as ordered by the High Concil of Planets. They were ready and eager to explore this once uninhabited planet..

Or, what they had *thought* to be an uninhabited planet. Turns out the whole planet was teeming with intelligent life. Humankind, is what they introduced themselves as on an old satellite that the High Council had found.

Ker'Tak was relatively young, so their crewmates sent them out to scout amongst the younger generations of humans. Diguised, of course, to prevent fear amongst the younglings.

Their curiosity was peaked when they heard someone talking of a celebration of one of the younglings.

A "birthday party" celebrating the Human known as Skye Lafayette. Everyone appeared to just be calling her Skye, however.

"You should come, Eric," Human Gia, Skye's twin sister, as Ker'Tak gathered. "Eric" was his cover name, "she'd enjoy your humor!"

"Thank you Gia, I think I will attend," Ker'Tak nodded quietly. They were nervous, needless to say. Human younglings were so energetic, so spontaneous, and much stronger than their adult counterparts.

"Great! The party is Friday!" Gia waved good-bye as she ran off with other human younglings.

Ker'tak waved back, and watched as Gia ran with her pack.

They felt a strange warmth flush up in their face, as if this meeting meant something. These humans were small, insignificant, often useless.

Ker'Tak couldn't and didn't understand why the High Council was so interested in humans and their homeworld after the first reports were sent in.

"Keep observing, Ker'Tak, the younglings will be the ones we learn the most from," Ket'Sa ordered, "Who knows? Maybe these humans have more ability than we give them credit for."

Ker'Tak took that to say the High Council could use them as manual laborers. It seemed they had the ability for such work, and were significantly shorter than the Si'Tians.

Despite what little they knew about humans, however, Ker'Tak felt oddly at home amongst them. The members of their pod always called them strange, emotional, and at times impulsive. They took the insults as compliments and pressed on in their mission.

Friday, October 3rd rolled around and Ker'Tak found himself on the doorstep of Skye and Gia's abode. The loud noises from inside startled Ker'Tak, but they thought for a moment, pausing at the door.

This was a custom of humankind, they should be kind and respectful. They should knock.

They knocked cautiously, patiently waiting for a reply. Ker'Tak was startled by the sudden appearance of an identical youngling to Gia. It was Skye, they were sure of it.

The messy red streak in her hair and the oddly bright expression Skye carried, as Gia described her, caught Ker'Tak by surprise. They put on their best smile.

"Hey, is this were Skye's birthday party is?" Ker'Tak beamed awkwardly. Of course it was, they had made sure of it, but Human Skye took no notice of their fumble.

"Yep! You've got the right place!" She laughed it off, "You must be Eric, Gia told me about you! It's nice to finally meet you! I'm Skye!" Her introduction was quick, and she held out her hand to Ker'Tak.

Ker'Tak, unsure of exactly how to commence the "handshake" took Skye's hand. She shook their hand firmly, with a sort of glowing confidence.

This somehow got Ker'Tak to relax, and smile a little more genuinely.

"My name is Ka- Eric," Ker'Tak was almost caught using their true name. Skye laughed as she invited Ker'Tak in.

"Alright Ke-Eric, come in! We've got plenty of food, games, and a cake that'll be all set in a couple of minutes!" Skye led them in.

The atmosphere of this living-den was rather warm, disarmingly charming in it's own sense. Ker'Tak found themselves relaxing as they ate and talked alongside the crowd.

They laughed with Ker'Tak, telling their own jokes and making fun of silly things humans do. Ker'Tak learned that humans celebrated their dates of birth every year, using that to determine age, instead of every cycle around the sun at the same time each year for everyone.

The oddly decorated cake caught their attention, as it was decorated with symbols and letters from ancient languages Ker'Tak had seen before, and nearly everywhere they turned, something reminiscent of space and interstellar travel seemed to pop from the decor.

*You look like a Monkey*

*And you smell like one too!*

The songs ended, and Skye blew out candles that signified her age. Kar'Tek went to "use the bathroom." They had no intention of bathing, however.

Unfortunately, the current tech they were using to hide their appearance was running low on charge.

Kar'Tek had to find a reason to return to their ship before their cover was blown.

Gia's voice came from beyond the door.

"Eric? Eric, dude, you alright?" Gia called. Kar'Tek didn't answer as they tried to find something to work with to get away from the party.

"I am alright, just washing up!" Kar'Tek lied. The device around their wrist beeped loudly and the illusion dropped.

*No no no no no not now, I have to return to the ship* Ker'Tak stared into the mirror, now frightened by what the human younglings could do to them if they found themselves staring Ker'Tak down.

"Eric? Is that a blood sugar monitor? Are you sure you're alright?" Gia didn't give Ker'Tak time to answer, "Skye! Get the bathroom key! Eric's in trouble!"

"Eric?" Skye's voice bounced around the small room, "I'm coming in," Ker'Tak heard a small whisper, *"Please be decent."*

Skye stepped into the bathroom, closed the door and looked up from the floor. Her jaw dropped as Ker'Tak started to tremble before her.

"Eric?" Her voice dropped a tone as she reached out to Ker'Tak, "Is that you?"

Ker'Tak looked at Skye, and very *very* cautiously, they answered her.

"Human Eric did not exist, in truth. I am Ker'Tak, a Si'Nian, from far past your star. I was told to come and study humankind, under the orders of the High Council of Planets. I apologize for any inconvenience and any worry I may have caused you, Human Skye," Ker'Tak apologized, trying to keep their gaze to Skye's.

She seemed stunned, but neither fear nor shock was the overall emotion conveyed. It was awe that seemed to etch itself into her features.

"Ker'Tak, that explains earlier..And all those jokes, you were trying to understand," She whispered as her hands moved up toward her mouth, "You...You're incredible."

Ker'Tak was taken aback by this remark. Ker'tak was *below average* for their species, and this human youngling saw them as *incredible*?

"I believe you are mistake, Human Skye, I am below average for my kind, in height and emotional control. I am, as my colleges say, impulsive," Ker'Tak admitted ashamed.

"Impulsive isn't a bad thing, nor is being emotional," Skye started almost immediately, "You're incredible to me, and you would be to my friends."

"I do not believe your colleagues would appreiciate my being here, especially after I have disrupted such a special day for you and your pod-mate," Ker'Tak was still nervous, although Skye was a progressive and uniquely brave human youngling, they couldn't be sure of the other's reactions.

"Well, Ker'Tak, I can frame this as a planned part of the event, I am a sci-fi nerd. I can get you out of the house as long as you can stay a little longer. Are you in any pain?" Skye was concerned, it was showing in her expression.

Pain? Why would she be worried about pain? Does she really not know what Ker'Tak was capable of? Why was she being so kind to them?

"Ah, no, I am not in any pain Human Skye, I simply used an device that manipulated the light around me," Ker'Tak reassured her, still unsure of how to proceed, "I can stay longer, but how do you plan to get me out of your living-den?"

"Oh, I can tell them that you're in cosplay-" Skye paused, "we humans like to wear complicated outfits for the sake of fun, some of us mirror TV shows or fictional characters we enjoy, others come up with entirely new ideas and use them to create a series of costumes in order to tell a story."

"This plan involves telling your colleagues that I am in "cosplay"? Does that mean anything significant to them normally?" Ker'Tak inquired, rather confused as to how this plan could work.

"No, not normally, but they'll think it a nice touch to the space theme I've had going for this party, not much of it's accurate though, based mostly on science fiction," Skye admitted, halfway between her normal hue of peach and a bright red.

Ker'Tak nodded, understanding what she meant, and what she was trying to do.

"I am not insulted, in fact, it's rather curious how humans managed to invent the exact same language as another race we know as the Shin'Khan. But that is a discussion for another time," Ker'Tak let their worries lighten, maybe Human Skye was right to come up with such a simple plan, after all, she knew her kind better than they did.

"So you're willing to go through with the plan?" Skye asked and Ker'Tak nodded,patiently awaiting her instructions, "Ok, just, act ummm, I wouldn't say natural, but honestly just be yourself."

That was it? That was the plan? Ker'Tak nodded, now slightly concerned in Skye's certainty for saying these things, but they went along with it anyway.

"Skye? Is Eric alright?" Gia called to her sister.

"Yes! He's alright! In fact," Skye started to open the door, "Oh move out of the way!" Gia laughed as the crowd parted to give them room to step out of the bathroom.

Ker'Tak was hesitant, but the stepped out of the bathroom and awaited the reactions of Skye's peers.

The gasps of awe got Ker'Tak to open their eyes, and the younglings cheered and laughed.

"Eric! Skye! This is amazing! How did you get the costume in? And look that that makeup, it's amazing! You guys out did yourselves!" Gia laughed, "It looks so real."

Ker'Tak felt a wave of anxiety wash over them as Skye took one of their lower hands. She mouthed the words "It's ok. You'll be okay."

They nodded, and proceeded to continue the act of being Human Eric.

They proceeded to mess around with younglings, too, tapping them here and there as the festivities went on without a hitch.

Ker'Tak fell into the comfort of being themselves amongst the human younglings, but they choose to linger close to Skye. They didn't know it at the time, but that sense of security meant something significant to their species.

It meant that they could be accepted, and accept humans, as they were.

Towards the end of the evening, around 2000 hours, everyone had been dismissed from the gathering except for Ker'Tak.

"Hey Eric, I can walk you home if you want," Skye offered to escort them out of her living-den, most likely to protect them from any hostile humans.

"I would appreciate that, Skye," Ker'Tak walked towards the door and opened it for Skye.

Walking down the dim street, Ker'Tak found themselves distressed, looking down at Human Skye more and more often.

"Human Skye, if my crewmates discover that I have been seen like this, they may try to eradicate your memory of me," Ker'Tak admitted upon pausing under a street light.

Skye looked back at them, and smiled.

"I'm ok with that, I just want to make sure you get back alright. You've given me one of the best days of my life, Ker'Tak, and I hope to one day repay the favor, even if I don't remember you," Skye was kind in her response, but also greatly saddened by the fact that she would forget Ker'Tak.

They were truly remarkable to her, even if she knew very little about them. She found their way of speaking, their way of conveying emotion to be unique, and as powerful as any human expression of emotion.

Ker'Tak's distress grew as they saw Skye's eyes start leaking water.

"Human Skye, are you in distress? I did not mean to upset you!" Ker'Tak panicked a little, reaching out to the youngling, "You do not have to repay me, and I doubt that you will ever see me again after tonight."

"That's just the thing," Skye mumbled through her tightened throat, "I *want* to remember you, and get to know you better. It would be selfish though, not to take you back to your ship."

Ker'Tak was taken aback by this. They knew humans bonded easily to other animals, like the wolves and bobcats of the Earth, but to have "pack" bonded to them.. So quickly.. It was remarkable. The High Council certainly could not take such a bond away, not until they could study it further.

"It is possible you won't have to forget, Human Skye," Ker'Tak started, gingerly taking up Skye in their arms, "I could bring you back to the ship, and explain to them the events of tonight, and how you aided me to escape."

Skye sniffed halfheartedly taking up Ker'Tak's lower arms. Quietly she nodded.

"Lead the way."

Ker'Tak and Skye walked together quite a ways into the woods to get to Ker'Tak's ship. However, it is always hunting season in the backwoods.. *Especially at night.*

A gunshot was fired toward the two, and Skye let out a yelp of pain. Ker'Tak flinched, and in ducking behind an old wall in found just nearby, they saw Skye stumbling over. Something was dripping down her arm and chest.

"Ker'Tak..." The weakness in Skye's voice brought panic upon Ker'Tak. They debated the use of their comm, it would make sense as someone was hurt, badly by the looks of it.

Ker'Tak lept over, their legs moving springing them forward enough to catch Skye and get back out of the line of fire behind another wall.

"*KER'TAK, WE'RE BEAMING YOU BACK UP IMMEDIATELY*" Their Captain told them, and they were beamed back aboard the ship, Skye still wounded in their arms.

The wounded youngling let out a sharp cry, crying weakly as she struggled to breathe.

"OUT OF THE WAY! CLEAR THE WAY! WOUNDED HUMAN!" Ker'Tak landed with a running start, brushing past the Captain and rushed toward the medbay.

Immediately the Captain followed them, and watched as Ker'Tak worked to heal Skye's wound.

"Ker'Tak, my lung, the bullet's in..." Skye's vocals broke off into violent coughing as Ker'Tak managed to pull out the metal shrapnel in her side.

"Rest, and do try and hold still. This will hurt," Ker'Tak told Skye and she nodded. The sheer anguish on her face as they stitched up her lung and her skin almost got Ker'Tak to stop.

But they stitched her up and injected a growth steroid to speed up the process and avoid scarring. She would need to stay overnight, for safety's sakes.

"Ker'Tak, this human was harmed how?" The Captain asked as Ker'Tak closed the pod Skye was in.

"Another Human shot her with a primitive gunpowder weapon. Originally the weapon was aimed toward me," Ker'Tak admitted, "Human Skye was escorting me back to the ship after my disguise was dropped."

The Captain stiffened as they looked over at Human Skye.

"She's seen too much of us, you know we have to preform a memory wipe," The Captain began. Ker'Tak stopped them.

"Captain, Human Skye has expressed much *discomfort* in losing memories with myself involved. She is comfortable with us, in fact, she and her peers were very comfortable with me in my original form, even if they believed it to be a disguise," Ker'Tak looked over at Skye, "She saved my life."

"She...You called her Human Skye?" The Captain's expression dropped to a painful concern.

"Yes Captain," Ker'Tak nodded as the Captain looked them over.

"Well, Ker'Tak, it is time we contacted the Humans openly. Your comfort amongst them and their younglings confirms not only their intelligence and sympathy, but also their compatibility for the High Council's regulations and recommendations," The Captain smiled at Ker'Tak, "Well done, Doctor."

"Well done?" Ker'Tak asked, befuddled by their captain's sudden congratulations, "What do you mean?"

"I mean congratulations, you have offical made First Contact with the Humans, according to their knowledge. As of this moment, they will become a part of the High Council of Planets, join their fleets, learn from us as we may learn from them," The Captain spoke boldly, "You have introduced an entire species to an endless Universe."

Ker'Tak paused for a moment, then looked back at their Captain.

"Thank you, Captain, but I do believe I should take care of my patient first, before we send our official reguards," Ker'Tak nodded.

The Captain allowed it, so Ker'Tak took a uniquely close care of Skye that evening, talking to her about the many ways things were about to change.

"Does this mean I won't have to forget you?" Skye asked as 0800 hours rolled around. Ker'Tak nodded, which caused Skye to smile.

"You will not have to forget me, or anything else about last night's events, or today's, or tomorrow's. In fact, if anything, we may be working together from here forward, Human Skye," Ker'Tak tried to wrap their mind around it, working with a human female, "Even if you are deemed a weak, useless human female, I like to entertain the thought of working alongside you."

Skye smiled, trying to not give show as to how harshly that last remark came off.

"That's good, Ker'Tak, I'd like to think that of you as well."

They started talking as the world became captivated by the starship and the arrival of the Si'Nians on Earth.

Everyone wanted to talk to the girl who had saved and alien, and all across the galaxy, everyone wanted to see what the doctor had discovered in the human race that made them decide it was time to reveal what was *really* out there.

And here the two were, sitting in the medbay of the starship, mid-afternoon, talking to each other as the bright rays of daylight filtered through the window.

This was going to be an exciting ride.

[konpithepuppy]

[TRANSLATION: POTATO 04.2021]

7 MEN SAMURAI CROSS TALK + RECENT MEMO

Scans not mine

Neither an English nor a Japanese native speaker

Feel free to correct me, thanks

WHO IS NO. 1 IN TERMS OF ACTING ABILITY!?

For the purpose of checking out the acting ability of the 6 members, different patterns of "smile" were shown. At the end of a heated discussion in the round table discussion, a member who is good at telling lies was revealed!? (The interview was taken in the middle of February.)

Reia-kun is a professional in acting to deceive people

Yabana: This time's theme is "acting ability".

Sasaki: (in loud voice) WHAT!

Nakamura: No, he didn't mean "act here now" LOL. You run into the conversation too fast. Recently, for a project for YouTube, we did a prank on Bana-san (Yabana), right?

Motodaka: We did a cosplay where we shouldn't be recognized. During that time, I desperately covered everyone with my body so that everyone's disguise will not be caught by Bana-san's sight LOL. It was an acting where I used my whole body.

Konno: And us, who are being covered, were disguising ourselves with all our might. It was fun!

Sugeta: Rinne even changed his pants on the spot LOL.

Nakamura: Yabana, how suspicious were you at that time?

Yabana: I think [I got suspicious] when I saw Taiko's face laughing happily LOL. It's obviously that that is his face when he trick people. With that, Taiko's acting level is quite low.

Sasaki: That's what I also think LOL.

Nakamura: Speaking of YouTube, we always have a birthday surprise plans for the members, but for some reason, we didn't pull anything for Katsuki's and Konpi's (Konno) birthdays.

Konno: Yeah. Honestly, I thought, "Have they forgotten about my birthday?" and I got sad LOL.

Motodaka: I am not saying to prepare us 2 different surprises, but why did you not prepare anything?

Yabana: No, you don't know? Perhaps the reason why we are talking about this now might probably because we've got something for you too, you know?

Sugeta: Yeah, this might be a foreshadowing, you know?

Motodaka: There's definitely none LOL. Our birthdays passed a long time ago already. If you insist, Reia's birthday is coming soon, right? LOL

Yabana: When you make it look like there's a surprise but there's none at all is the saddest pattern of prank LOL.

Sasaki: Who might be in the 1st place in acting in private among us?

Yabana: It is probably Reia-kun. He often deceives people, he is an expert in acting!

Nakamura: I myself think so too LOL.

Sasaki: Didn't you fool HiHi Jets and Bi Shounen all along?

Nakamura: I did, but I can't remember what it is about. They are pure so they believed for around 2 years in the proper lie I said to them LOL.

Motodaka: Reia is good with acting in times like that. Me too in the past, he told me, "the staff are very mad" with a facial expression that looked real and I completely believed him.

Nakamura: Fufufu...if you look closely, I am doing the face saying, "I am lying." On the contrary, Taiko is usually bad when telling lies. His feelings are shown on his face immediately. It is easy to understand his face like "Is that an emoji!?"

Yabana: A speech bubble saying, "I am telling a lie now" is faintly coming out from him LOL. That's why when he talked at the beginning of my prank video, I noticed about it immediately.

Motodaka: Rinne is also easy to know if he is telling a lie, right?

Konno: His feelings totally show in his behavior.

Nakamura: Yeah, yeah. He is bad at acting lively especially when he is feeling down LOL. He obviously couldn't talk.

Yabana: It is like he is saying, "I am having a problem."

Sugeta: ...I agree with you LOL.

Sasaki: Konpi is also easy to understand, right? When he fools others, he will certainly look at my eyes and will grin.

Konno: I want to make the 2 of us the suspects LOL.

Nakamura: When Katsuki tricks people, his ears immediately turns very red LOL.

Yabana: His ears are a lie detector, right? It turns very red like it is going to explode.

Nakamura: If there is someone he likes, he will be exposed immediately. She will be like, "This person probably likes me. Since his ears are super red." LOL

Motodaka: What~ I don't like that. Somehow or other, I think it is something you can't falsify LOL.

Sasaki: On the contrary, Yabana is good with lies . He said he was interviewed in the street by chance for 「Getsuyou kara Yofukashi」recently, but that one is also an acting, right?

Nakamura: The truth is that he can't play intruments too, right?

Yabana: Hey, stop it! To the readers, what they just said are both lies, okay?! LOL Or rather, I have not deceived people or lied to anyone!

Everyone except Yabana: That's a lie~!

Nakamura: 7 MEN 侍's best actor is not me but Yabana-kun~.

Yabana: Stop~that~! LOL

Influenced by the acting coaching of Koichi-kun for the DREAM BOYS

Nakamura: I really like the performance of Taiko when he is on stage.

Yabana: I know. Well, he is in character, but suddenly his aura of being a stupid brat was gone and becomes a human being LOL.

Motodaka: Yeah, right. When he was on stage, he became able to speak good Japanese.

Sasaki: ...I hate you all! LOL

Yabana: I also like Rinne-kun's acting in「DREAM BOYS」. There's a scene that (Domoto) Koichi-kun enthusiastically coaches, and as the result of Rinne steadily absorbing the advices, Rinne is turning into Koichi-kun day by day LOL.

Sugeta: I think since he presented a really good example, so I was influenced naturally. I was thankful. Rinne likes Katsuki's acting in 「Nounai Poison Berry」.

Konno: Ah yes, that was a good one.

Everyone except Konno: You haven't seen that, right? LOL

Sugeta: Konpi has not seen any of the members' stage plays until now, right?

Konno: That's just a coincidence LOL. Because during the showing of 「Oretachi Oenya!!~」where Taiko and Rinne appeared, wasn't it exactly during our preparation for 「~The Happy Prince」?

Nakamura: If you say so LOL. Katsuki's acting and Konpi's acting in 「The Happy Prince」were also good.

Yabana: Yeah, right. Serious acting suited them. Also, Konpi's appearance when he sat on the chair and turned round and round LOL.

Konno: Thank you! I had put all of my acting into that scene LOL.

Sugeta: Bana-san tried different acting patterns in daily special corner of「DREAM BOYS」. I think that was really good!

Yabana: I change my hairstyle depending on the day. And then, I match my acting with my hairstyle like, "Today I will go for a mood that looks slightly weak," or "Today, I am in all back hairstyle so I will go for a character that seems strong," and I am changing my acting a little by little. I also changed my costume a little by little, for some reason, all the cast laughed at me on the day where I appeared in tank top...LOL.

Sugeta: Coz you are skin and bones LOL.

Konno: Yeah, right. You are so thin that you look pitiful LOL.

Sasaki: Reia. For me, Reia's acting on stage is also good of course, but I think his acting on television is overwhelmingly good. You do understand me, right?

Konno: Yup. That's exactly about the drama「Gekikaradou」(TV Tokyo) he is appearing in currently, right?

Motodaka: In a sense that he can do whatever he wants is very Reia. I think it is a great thing that he was able to properly reflect himself to his character.

Yabana: The "yey🎶" in that drama is also like Reia's humor, right?

Sasaki: Well, but the usual Reia that we see is close to his character in Dream Boys.

Yabana: We think, "When will we be get beaten?" so we are constantly scared of him.

Nakamura: You are kidding LOL.

Sasaki: Let me ask just in case, since you are moving towards dramas, it doesn't mean that you are throwing away stage plays, right? Please make this clear.

Nakamura: Of course! LOL. Don't say weird things, I want to challenge acting in stage plays from now on too!

Motodaka: Which reminds me, the stage play where Rinne is starring (「Hidamari no Ki」) is starting soon, right? It starts in March, right?

Sugeta: Yup, you're right. By the time this magazine issue comes out, the Tokyo performance have started already.

Nakamura: Doesn't that look super interesting? I also wanna watch it soon.

Motodaka: More than anything else, I am sincerely hoping that the play will start safely. This is what everyone who got an experience with stage play thinks.

Konno: Rinne is lucky so he will definitely be okay! I believe in that!

Sugeta: Even though you said that, you surely won't come and watch, right? LOL

Konno: No, I will go. I will watch you!

Sasaki: This one is an acting, absolutely LOL.

Konno: I am coming~ LOL.

RECENT MEMO

Sugeta Rinne:

I see off my younger sister, who is taking the national examination, at 6 this morning.I want her to do her best that she can use all the effort she exerted up to this day. Not only my sister, but Rinne and my younger brother also got a charm from our papa. Rinne's charm is a prayer for the success of the stage play.

Konno Taiki:

The selfie project in ISLAND TV is difficult. Every time the day I'm in charged gets closer, I become desperate. I already ran out of idea during the 2nd time we did it LOL. I want to take applications of the poses that the fans want us to do!

Yabana Rei:

When I met Tatsumi (Yudai)-kun by chance last January, he gave me a New Year's money. I was moved at how kind senpai he is. Someday, I also want to give New Year's money to my juniors and be respected LOL.

Sasaki Taiko:

I finally purchased a drum set. Since I do not know which one to buy, so the drummer who I am acquainted with and I admire came with me to the store. I am really thankful that he recommended me the items that match with my style of beating the drums!

Nakamura Reia:

I watched at home the movie「The Letters」where Yamada Takayuki-san is starring. I am glad that the story is very deep, and more than anything else, Yamada-san being immersed in his acting is so great that I was drawn into [the movie] the whole time!

Motodaka Katsuki:

I went fishing for the first time with my brother who is 4 years younger than me. My brother caught a large number of fishes that I can't imagine that it was his first time. The total amount of catch we had that day was 77 horse mackerels! It was so delicious when I made it into namerou (finely chopped fish with miso paste) that it disappeared in no time.

[artificialqueens]

(Love)Sick Overseas (Phianca) - Albatross

AN: Phi Phi is feeling a bit under the weather but determined not to let it ruin her vacation. And who should she happen to run into on her way back from picking up cold medicine but Bianca Del Rio?

Just a short, fluffy little Phianca sickfic. And yes, I do think they’d be cute together and no, @VeronicaSanders, there will be no Bitney sequel. No Bitney, ever.

Getting sick in the middle of his trip to the UK had certainly not been part of Jaremi’s plan. No, he had been looking forward to this excursion for months and he’d be damned if something like the sniffles was going to stop him. At first it wasn’t even anything too serious; just a sneeze every now and then or a runny nose in the morning. But by the fourth day it was clear the symptoms were not going away…if anything they were getting worse.

But Jaremi was stubborn, if nothing else.

A bit of cold medicine until it all passed and he’d be fine…at least, that’s what he told himself.

Now here he was, returning from his second trip to pick up some OTC cold remedy and his nose was already protesting mightily. Even his throat was starting to feel scratchy but Jaremi was determined to continue his vacation plans uninterrupted. So what if his head was a little foggy or he was slightly unsteady on his feet every now and then?

Drinking had the same effect so all was good to his mind.

With enough effort he could remember his way around the city and all the places he wanted to visit and that was fine with him. Once he returned to the hotel with this last batch of cold medicine, he’d be off for a bit of shopping around town. Who knows? He might just find some new inspiration for his drag looks while he’s out there. That’d certainly be a plus.

As he was pondering over which stores he wanted to stop at first, a vibration from his pocket captured his attention. Curiously, he pulled the phone from his cargo shorts and felt his heart jolt a little as he recognized the name flashing across the screen. No other than ‘Roy/Bianca’ along with a small icon showing a fully beat and smiling face of the queen in question.

Somewhat amused and certainly wondering as to what his long-time friend could possibly need, Jaremi answered the phone on the fourth ring with a pleasant, “Hello?”

“Turn around, bitch,” came the joking voice on the other end.

Almost painfully, Jaremi instantly twisted himself around at Roy’s insistence and found the older queen speedwalking to meet him. The sharp turn caused his head to spin a little more than it ought have but Jaremi pushed the feeling aside as he greeted his close friend with a bright grin. Before he could even ask what Roy was doing here, he felt a light and friendly rap to his arm as the older queen bitched him out, “I was calling your name for the last two minutes. Looked like a fucking idiot with you ignoring me! You got earbuds in or something, bitch?”

Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, Jaremi admittedly vaguely that he had just been lost inside his own thoughts for the last block or so. Rolling his eyes, Roy accepted the answer and asked what Jaremi was doing all the way out here.

“Vacation. Sightseeing,” the younger queen replied. “Just relaxing for once. What about you? Got another show out here or something?”

He knew that answer was unlikely. Not that he stalked Bianca’s tour schedule by any means, but he often made sure he was at least up to date on known shows and as of two days ago he was sure Roy was still tucked away somewhere in the US doing god-knows-what for his next tour. So it came as little surprise when Roy replied with a shrug of his shoulders, “No, just on vacation, too, I guess. If you could call it that. Courtney has some event next week and asked for my help. Figured I’d make a real trip out of it in the meantime. Relax too, you know?”

Nodding in perfect understanding, Jaremi knew all too well what Roy meant. After all, he was one of the hardest working queens in the business. He hardly ever took time off for himself. Even when he wasn’t touring, he always had his hand in something whether it was for a future project or just to help another performer. It was admirable but often Jaremi wondered if Roy would eventually burn out going on like this. It wasn’t his business but he did worry from time to time. More than he’d ever admit verbally to anyone. 

Even now Roy seemed a bit anxious just to be doing something and seeing Jaremi must have felt like a godsend as he immediately proposed that the two head out for lunch and catch up. Jaremi could see that he was itching to talk about something of substance and didn’t have the heart to say ‘no’ or even to delay until later in the day. So he simply followed Roy in a state of reluctant obedience as he eagerly led them off down the street to a cafe he’d spotted the day he arrived. Roy had already been on his way there when he found Jaremi so it almost felt like a sign from the universe to invite the younger queen…if Roy believed in that sort of thing.

Though their styles of drag were quite a bit different, especially with Phi Phi lending herself more to cosplay as of late, there were still a number of similarities the two had bonded over. Whether it was creating new and unique looks, comparing tips on how to overcome certain costume design challenges, or just an easygoing kiki with one another as they gossiped over whatever drama had recently been stirred up in their drag centered universe. There was never a lack of topics to discuss, though today Jaremi seemed a bit out of it.

Normally he had a sharp wit, far more than what he’d normally dare say around most other queens, yet this afternoon he wasn’t nearly as quick with the shady remarks. Instead he let Roy dominate the conversation almost entirely rather their typical back and forth. Despite how much Jaremi had tried to hide it, he could feel his mind growing increasingly cloudy as their meal went on. He wished at the very least he had taken some of the medication he had brought but it almost felt a little rude to do so. If only he could subtly sneak off to take some of the pills but even going to the bathroom whilst carrying the bag would have been suspicious.

So all he could do was suffer in silence as his nose began to clog up and his throat felt increasingly dry in spite of however much he drank. And though Roy didn’t comment on it, he had certainly noticed the change from their typical kiki sessions. At first he thought Jaremi was simply tired, and once or twice he worried he was actually boring him, but still Jaremi was trying his hardest to pay attention, not even sparing a glance to his phone, so Roy figured it had to be something else.

One of Jaremi’s usual habits was to go all out on desserts, sampling at least one or two with every meal in a foreign country, but today he declined to even look at that particular menu. It was then that Roy knew for certain something was definitely off with the younger man. As they awaited their checks, he questioned his companion quite bluntly, “What’s up with you, queen? You’ve been out of it since we got here.”

Jaremi faltered for a moment before immediately trying to defend himself but Roy’s withering gaze stopped him mid-sentence. Ashamed, he reluctantly admitted that he was getting sick and hadn’t had a chance to take his next round of medicine before Roy had caught him on the street. He expected Roy to withdraw in concern for his own health because after all, his voice was his money maker, but instead Roy did something quite unexpected. He actually scooted his chair closer and around the table as he touched Jaremi’s wrist in concern. His brows knit together in sympathy that sharply contrasted his exasperated voice asking, “Why didn’t you say something? We could have done this another day! Or even just waited until we got back to the states!”

Shrugging Jaremi tried to play off the situation as though it weren’t as big a deal as Roy was making it. His voice was quiet and starting to show evidence of his illness as he replied, “It’s fine, really. The symptoms aren’t too bad. And it’s been awhile since we talked…It was nice just to catch up by ourselves.”

Shaking his head, Roy muttered, “Idiot.”

The statement would have been more scathing had it come from anyone else but Jaremi’s heart felt like fluttering again as he heard Roy state quite definitively, “Let’s get you back to your hotel.”

Their checks arrived at that moment and despite how usually he’d do anything to keep himself from acting like a child in front of strangers, Jaremi couldn’t stop himself from whining, “I have plans!”

“I don’t really care,” Roy declared apathetically with his trademark glare. “You’re going back to your hotel even if I have to walk you to your room myself.”

The pair stared each other down and if Jaremi had any intention of disobeying Roy’s demand, he ought to have pretended to give in right then but the silent argument went on long enough for Roy to figure out that he’d better follow through on his initially empty threat. Otherwise Jaremi would be back on the streets as soon as his back was turned, probably hacking up phlegm in just a few hours to boot. 

No, if he wanted Jaremi to rest, he’d have to escort him back to his hotel and wait until the younger man fell asleep. Which shouldn’t be too long considering how heavy-lidded his eyes already looked.

Much like a rent-a-cop on duty, Roy ushered the protesting queen back to his hotel room. To his surprise it took little more than a sharp glare and a few cutting words to convince Jaremi to take his medication and at least sit on the bed. Beyond that, Jaremi utterly refused to do anything else to indulge Roy’s unwanted mothering. He was all but pouting and nearly on the verge of a temper tantrum that would have rivaled one of Alaska’s yet Roy stood firm with remarkable patience.

“Sleep will be good for you,” he reasoned in as best of a persuasive tone as could be managed, “You already look like you’re about to drop from exhaustion anyway.”

Jaremi couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling at the statement, however true it might be. His muscles were starting to give out and probably the only thing that kept him going right now was his desire to defy the older queen at every turn. But Roy was determined to outlast him. Despite how eager he was for something meaningful to do earlier; getting a sick Jaremi to relax and go to sleep seemed far more important. Deciding to take an approach he had followed a number of times before, he made a shooing motion with his hand and told him to lie on his stomach.

Skeptical, Jaremi only gave him a brief glance, essentially saying, ‘The fuck?’

Rolling his eyes once more, Roy urged him, “Just do it. I’m not gonna do anything sketchy or weird.”

Still, Jaremi was unconvinced…at least until he heard a quiet, almost suspiciously gentle attempt at persuasion, “I promise….Please lay down?”

It was highly unusual to hear such a tone from Roy. Typically he’d just give up after awhile or make some sort of scathing remark but today he was actually being…soft. It was a little off-putting but Jaremi found that he genuinely liked seeing this more caring side of his friend. Thinking at the very least he trusted Roy not to do anything unwholesome, Jaremi relented and laid on his stomach in the middle of the bed while his head rested on a pillow.

He turned to look at Roy as he carefully set himself down on the edge of the mattress so as not to cause it to dip any more than necessary. Just as the younger man was wondering what he planning, he felt the light trace, almost scratching of fingertips running across the expanse of his back. An involuntary shiver rose through his spine at the sensation but much to his surprise he found himself almost leaning into the touch for more.

His voice bordered on a happy purr as he admitted, partially muffled by the pillow, “That feels really good, actually.”

Practically hearing the smirk Roy was undoubtedly wearing, the older man mentioned, “Yeah, Adore loves it when I do this whenever she gets sick or hungover.”

Then almost immediately thinking better of it, he quickly added, “That doesn’t leave this room.”

There was an edge to his voice that caused Jaremi’s stomach to turn but all he gave Roy in response was a content nod. As was the Roy’s intention, the body beside him was slowly relaxing and drifting off to a lazy lull of a sleeplike state. Almost as an afterthought, and perhaps mostly influenced by his sick addled mind, Jaremi found the courage to ask, “What is going on between you two any way?”

This was a common topic of debate amongst the queens and fans alike but no one really had a satisfying answer. Figuring now was as good a time as any, Jaremi took his chance to ask Roy directly. Sounding quite used to the question, the older queen replied with a chuckle in his voice, “What do you think?”

He genuinely wanted an answer, Jaremi realized, and would wait very patiently until the younger man gave him one. Almost guiltily, he forced himself to examine both his own feelings and what he’d observed first and secondhand of the two queens’ atypical relationship. Sounding unsure yet still a bit hopeful, Jaremi answered softly, “I think…you’re just really good friends.”

He turned his head up to face Roy and study his reaction yet much to his surprise, he found a calm, pleased smile waiting for him. The elder queen nodded his head in confirmation and it was there they let that particular conversation drop. Burying his face into the pillow for a minute, Jaremi couldn’t deny just how light and happy he felt. His heart was racing and he was sure his illness had nothing to do with it but either way, he was satisfied with what he had learned.

He was almost at the point of falling asleep when Roy drew back his fingers. Jaremi’s drowsy eyes reopened and he turned to look at the older queen once more. He was mildly surprised to find Roy sliding fully onto the bed to lay beside him.

Trying not to let on just how happy was, Jaremi slowly drawled out, “Gonna stay here till I fall asleep?”

There was a hint of a smirk resting on Roy’s lips as he replied casually, “Maybe a little after that too…Is that alright?”

Feeling like a child who’d just gotten everything and more that they could ever want for Christmas, Jaremi nodded his head and bit back a quiet yawn. 

Roy’s eyes had gone noticeably soft as he gazed down at the half sleeping form beside him, still struggling futilely to stay awake. He almost chuckled at the fruitless effort but hid it behind a fond smile instead. He raised a hand to ruffle Jaremi’s hair and urged him once more to finally go to sleep. This time there was no protest, no argument as the younger queen nodded and nestled himself snugly amongst the pillows. 

In another very un-Roy-like behavior, he leant down and pressed a brief kiss to Jaremi’s cheek. In truth it was just a little too close the lips to have been accidental but Jaremi was all too willing to let that slide for the time being. All he said in response through his bright grin was a sing-songy declaration of, “You’re gonna get sick tomorrow.”

Shaking his head, Roy laughed softly and affirmed quite adamantly, “I’m not gonna get sick.”

“You’re definitely gonna get sick,” Jaremi mumbled half into the pillow as his eyes slid shut.

Whatever Roy said in response was muffled and unheard as Jaremi dozed off into a content, dream-filled state. True to Roy’s assertions, the next day he felt perfectly fine. Not a trace of Jaremi’s cold to be found in his system. The day after however…that was another story.

[waltzofthewifi]

Kota Chapter 11: Behind the Mask

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Lacy, for some reason, followed Chloe out of the classroom.

She found her sobbing in the bathroom, eye makeup already smeared. When Chloe saw Lacy enter, she scowled.

"Go away," she snapped.

For some reason, she didn't.

Maybe it was because no one else followed Chloe (well, Adrien might have if he could, but they were hiding in the girls bathroom so he couldn't come in). Maybe it was because she didn't want to deal with another akuma. Or maybe Chloe reminded her so much of several of her sisters that Lacy couldn't help but feel bad for her.

So Lacy stayed.

That didn't mean she knew what to say.

"I'm sorry Sabrina's been ignoring you all day," she eventually said.

Chloe sniffled. "Are you?"

"It sucks, feeling like you're all alone," Lacy stated. "I've been there before."

Chloe huffed. "I'm not all alone."

Lacy sighed. If Piper was here, she would know what to say. She always knew how to make their sisters listen, even the brattiest ones. Lacy, on the other hand, had no clue.

She thought about something her dad said once. If you don't know what to say to someone, just let them know you're there.

"Listen, we don't know each other," Lacy said. "I don't think you want to know me, and honestly I don't really want to know you either. But right now you're sobbing in a smelly bathroom, and you're not alright, and you need someone to stay with you. So even if all I can do is stay here, I will."

"Why? Why do you care?"

"Because I've sobbed my heart out in a smelly bathroom before," Lacy replied. "Because someone a lot like Lila stole someone I thought was my friend - and I don't know what I would have done if some random new girl hadn't found me there and stayed with me until I felt better."

Chloe started at her for a moment.

"And because the three people I admire most in life would have followed you too," Lacy admitted. "If they could. But ones on the other side of the ocean right now, and ones - well, she's dead. But mostly because I've felt alone before, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

Chloe scoffed. "Please. You have a perfect family, I doubt-"

Lacy cut her off with a laugh that surprised even herself. "Perfect family? I've never even met my mother."

Chloe blinked. "What about that woman you're always around?"

"Elisabeth? She's my stepmom." Lacy sighed. "And I love her, but that never changed the fact that my own mother never bothered to visit me. And it's not like she couldn't! My sister met her - twice! But I guess I'm not worth the time."

"Oh." Chloe said.

"So yeah, I know what it's like to feel alone," Lacy said. "When everyone has this picture perfect family and you don't."

"My mother forgot my birthday again," Chloe blurted. "Sabrina and Adrien remembered, and my butler and my father, but she didn't. And then Sabrina immediately ditched me after giving me my present, and Adrien's sitting next to Dupain Cheng, the pinnacle of all things I'll never be, and I just-"

"Feel forgotten," Lacy finished. "It brought up all the old insecurities again."

"Yeah," Chloe agreed. "And lashing out, it helps. Sometimes."

"Fight or flight," Lacy said. She herself was very much flight - whether it was shutting up whenever Lila or Drew was around, running from akuma attacks, or skipping school when she had a scary teacher. But Chloe must have been a fighter - she wanted to defend herself, even if there was nothing to defend from.

"Maybe," Chloe said. "I don't always know why."

"My sister stole a car once." Why that came out her mouth, Lacy had no idea. "Well, she said she talked them into it. She has the same ability as Lila has, except better, and whenever she felt ignored by her father, she talked people into giving her free stuff, knowing the effect would wear off and she'd get caught. I guess she figured that if she couldn't get her dad's attention for being good, she'd get it by being bad."

"That makes sense," Chloe said. "Sometimes, I'm afraid that people will forget me. Especially Adrien. Or my mom. And I'll just fade away."

Lacy hesitated. "Honestly I don't know what to say to that."

"What? No magical therapy cures from the daughter of a therapist?" Chloe huffed and crosses her arms.

"There's no magical therapy cures period," Lacy said. "Therapy takes a lot of work. Change takes a lot of work."

Chloe eyed her suspiciously. "You ever go to therapy?"

"Yeah," Lacy agreed. "My father had a colleague that I used to go to - since my dad couldn't do it right, being so close to me. He helped with a lot of my problems with my mom, and my teachers, and - well, I'm a mess, and he helped with a lot of that. Actually, I'm the reason my father switched his focus to youth, especially those with learning disabilities and family struggles. Because he saw how little people knew how to help me, and he decided to make sure he could help others like me, even if it meant a little more schooling."

"Your father must love you a lot," Chloe said.

"Yeah," Lacy agreed. She looked down at her feet. "Sometimes I feel selfish for wanting my mother to love me, when I have him and Elisabeth. Like they're not enough."

"But mothers are supposed to love you," Chloe argued.

"Yeah." Lacy sighed. "They are."

Silence. Lacy shifted her weight, wondering if she should say something.

Chloe broke the silence first. "Want to get out of the smelly bathroom?"

Lacy nodded. "Yeah."

The two girls sat down on a bench in the locker room, and Chloe was quiet for a moment.

"Do you think Cesaire is right?"

"Uh..." Lacy stammered. "Kinda?"

Chloe scoffed. "You can be honest, you know."

"Yeah, I do," Lacy said. "You - I get it, change is hard and scary, but when you're entrusted with something like that, I don't know, you need to take it seriously."

"I do," Chloe said. "Ladybug's the only person who's ever trusted me like that. But, if I try to change, and I don't-"

"You'll feel even worse," Lacy finished. "Failing at something can be scarier than not even trying. Like procrastinating a big essay."

"I guess."

"And you will fail," Lacy said.

Chloe shot her a glare, and she backtracked.

"Not you, specifically. I meant - my father always told me, that when you try to do any big changes in your life, any big improvements, he always said that you will backslide once or twice. And that's why a lot of people give up. But that's okay! I mean, not giving up, but backsliding, and being afraid, and I think Ladybug would understand. But I think she'd appreciate it if you showed you took it seriously, even if just through little things."

"Maybe." Chloe sighed. She was quiet, staring at the wall, and Lacy shifted on the bench awkwardly.

Chloe's head lulled, falling onto Lacy's shoulder. "I'm tired."

"Schools almost over," Lacy replied.

"I don't want to go back in there," Chloe admitted.

"That's fine," Lacy said. "We can stay out here as long as we need."

"Thank you," Chloe replied.

They stayed silent for a moment, Lacy listening as Chloe's breathing became steadier and steadier.

She sniffled, and raised up to look at Lacy. "Can you come over to my place tonight?"

"Sure," Lacy agreed. "I'll just have to let my father know."

.

"- and if she's even a little bit mean to you-" Alix continued.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Lacy replied.

"She'll regret the day she was born," Alix finished.

Lacy rolled her eyes. "Alix, I'll be fine. I promise."

Alix sighed. "Okay, if you say so. But if I find out she brought you to tears, or you get akumatized-"

Alix was cut off by a phone alert.

"Another akuma," Alix said after checking her phone. "Other side of Paris."

The two of them reached the stairs outside of the school.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Lacy said, continuing down the stairs and waving bye to Alix.

"There you are."

Lacy startled as Chloe put her hand around her shoulders.

"You startle too easily," Chloe scoffed.

"So I've been told," Lacy grumbled.

"Hey Chloe!"

Both girls jumped this time as Adrien passed them on the stairs.

"I hope today wasn't too bad of a birthday," he said. "I'd hang with you tonight, but-"

Chloe scoffed. "I'm having a girls night anyways. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Adrien replied before continuing down the stairs.

Chloe's limo pulled up a second later, and Lacy felt a glimmer of excitement at the idea of riding in one, if only a short distance. Limos were cool - Piper had once promised Lacy a ride in one, but outside circumstances kept that from happening.

Chloe smirked, clearly reading the excitement on Lacy's face.

The ride to the hotel was just enough time for Chloe to snap a selfie of them together and post it on her Instagram.

"What's your instagram?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, uh, I don't have one."

Chloe gave her a look over her phone.

"I'm cursed when it comes to technology," Lacy explained. "Bad things happen when I use it."

Chloe didn't look convinced. "We're getting you an Instagram tonight."

"Okay... but if we get attacked by killer birds, it's your fault."

In Paris, no one thought she was joking when she said that (unlike when she tried that excuse on her friends in New York), but Chloe wasn't swayed.

"Everyone has an Instagram," she stated, just as the limo rolled to a stop in front of the hotel.

.

Of course, Chloe's apartment was huge. Lacy couldn't help but gasp when she walked in.

Chloe flicked her hair as she continued into her room, beckoning Lacy to follow her.

"So what do you want to do?" Chloe asked, plopping down on her sofa.

"I don't know." Lacy sat down next to Chloe, shifting from the nerves she always felt when visiting someone's home for the first time. "What do you feel up to?"

"Well, let's see. Sabrina and I like to cosplay, but I know you're not really into superheroes."

"Not really, no."

"Which I don't understand, but whatever. Have you ever tried jewelry making?"

Lacy perked up. "I've always wanted to."

Chloe smiled. "Well, Daddy bought me some expensive crafting supplies for making jewelry we could use."

Lacy quickly agreed, and Chloe dug the supplies out of her extremely large closet. She showed Lacy the few things she had learned so far before the two started digging in.

They fell into a comfortable rhythm quickly, chatting about the different beads, lengths of the necklaces, and their favorite jewelry designers as they crafted. After an hour, their workspace had expanded to cover most of Chloe's amazingly soft bed and the floor, and Lacy had almost glued her thumb to one of her fingers.

Chloe had created three necklaces - her designs were gaudy and flashy, but she had the details like length correct. Lacy had finished two necklaces, both looking disjointed with one too long to wear and one so short it was almost a choker.

"I think I'm jewelry-ed out," Lacy admitted, leaning back onto Chloe's bed.

"Agreed." Chloe half-flung the bead case onto her nightstand and plopped down next to Lacy.

The two girls were silent for a moment, and it was a peaceful silence, but Lacy eventually had to readjust the pillow her head fell on.

"Hey Lacy," Chloe whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for coming over. I didn't want to spend tonight alone."

"Of course."

Lacy shifted her pillow again.

"You don't sit still, do you?" Chloe asked.

"No," Lacy admitted. She rolled over to face Chloe. "Your bed is really comfortable, you know?"

"I know. After all, I have to get my beauty sleep."

"I thought you woke up like that." Lacy flashed a cheeky grin, and Chloe playfully hit her with a throw pillow.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" Chloe yelled, pushing herself up and fixing her hair.

Her butler came in. "Madamoiselle, your father wanted me to tell you that he cannot make dinner tonight for a meeting."

"What?" Chloe demanded. "Tell him he's being ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

"I will. Is there anything I can get for you two in the meantime?"

"Ugh, no, we're fine. I'll call you if I need you." Chloe dismisses the butler with a hand wave, before collapsing back onto her bed.

"The one person I can count on being there on my birthday," she lamented. "By the way, your phone's been going off for five minutes now and it's driving me nuts."

Lacy glanced up, looking for her phone - which would still be across the room in her backpack. Bemoaning leaving the comfy bed, Lacy swung her feet over and went to retrieve the bag.

"Who is it?" Chloe asked.

Lacy unzipped her pocket and pulled out her phone. "It's Marinette - which is probably not who you want to hear about."

Chloe groaned. "Please no. I get enough of her and her goody-two-shoes-ness at school."

Double-checking that her parents hadn't contacted her, Lacy quickly sent Marinette a text telling her she was busy and put her phone back in her bag.

"Part of me thinks I should defend her, but I don't know if that would help," Lacy admitted, retaking her position on the insanely soft bed.

"Don't tell me you've fallen for it too," Chloe groaned.

"Oh, I see," Lacy mused. "You think it's all an act, don't you?"

Chloe scoffed. "Everyone's acting, Lacy. Some people just get away with pretending to be the good, heroic student who everyone likes and flocks to. It's no wonder Rossi targets her so much."

"And you're jealous."

"A little." Chloe sighed and rolled over. "It's not fair. She has the perfect family, more friends than I can count, and she's not tragically poor either - it's like everything someone could want. And it was one thing when I could, you know..."

"Bully her?"

"Yeah, but now she blows me off like I'm nothing. And now Adrien's starting to have a crush on her, instead of me."

"You don't like Adrien anyways," Lacy replied. "Not like that."

Chloe grumbled. "He's the only guy who pays me any attention - except for Kim, but I thought he was kidding until he got akumatized over it!"

"I have seen a lot of people make that mistake," Lacy admitted.

"And Kim was different back then anyways - he's played meaner pranks than that. I mean, everyone blames me for the akumas but he caused the first one!"

"Yeah, but he's changed."

Chloe scoffed. "Maybe he has."

"But that's beside the point, weren't we talking about Marinette?"

"Ugh, even thinking about her makes me mad."

"I get it." Lacy turned so she was facing Chloe, who turned to her. "Girls who seem to have everything together, who are confident, popular, well-loved, they're easy to hate."

"Really easy," Chloe agreed.

"But I don't think Marinette's faking it."

Chloe scoffed. "Everyone's faking it. Even you."

Lacy opened her mouth to argue - of course she wasn't - but closed it when she realized Chloe was right. It was the small things - the pressure mostly from her sisters. Only movies with romance were worth watching. Don't do any activities that will ruin your hair (even climbing! Lacy had sat out so many climbing lessons at camp because the rest of her cabin was). Gossip. Always watch your image.

That's what a daughter of Aphrodite was supposed to do, right?

"Yeah, okay," Lacy agreed. "I do it, you do it, everyone does it. But the person behind the mask - I think for Marinette, it's usually just someone who really, really wants to go sleep. Not someone trying to be the most popular girl in school or compete with you for attention or anything."

"Oh really? Then what's her problem with Rossi?"

"Lila? She lies."

"So?"

"You know how my phone buzzer was bothering you a little bit ago? Marinette's pet peeve is liars - and yeah, the fact that she flirts with Adrien isn't helping anything either."

"That is not making her many friends at all," Chloe added. "So you really think all this comes naturally?"

"You say that like it means she has no flaws." Lacy frowned. "But I'm not going to tell you what those are, because you are a jerk to her."

"Fair enough. But she does have flaws?"

"Everyone has flaws, and crappy parts of their life. You thought I had a perfect life too, remember?"

"You handle it all better than I do."

"It's called therapy. You should try it sometimes."

Chloe chuckled. "Fair." She pushed herself back up and undid her ponytail. "Today was exhausting."

Lacy pushed herself up as well. "You should try to go to bed early after a day like today."

Chloe fussed with her hair for a minute, but Lacy pushed her hands out of the way and started doing it herself.

"Maybe take a nice bath in that bathtub I saw in there," Lacy suggested. She stretched for the brush on Chloe's nightstand and started slowly combing through her hair.

"This feels nice," Chloe said.

Lacy haltered, but just for a second. It wasn't something she had intended to do, but something had caused her to do it anyways.

A bittersweet memory tugged at her brain, and Lacy remembered Silena combing her hair like this, and singing, just a few nights before she died...

Lacy shook the thought out of her head and focused on the hair in front her hair. Absentmindedly, she began to hum as well, and eventually she let herself sing.

"A naeoidhean bhig cluinn mo ghuth Mise rid' thaobh O mhaighdean bhan"

.

"Pound it!"

"Two akumas in one day again," Chat Noir commented. "Hawkmoth must be getting impatient."

"Honestly the akumas have been the least stressful part of my day," Ladybug admitted. "School drama sucks."

"Tell me about it," Chat Noir grumbled. "Who knew school could get this complicated?"

"Speaking of drama, I think I owe Rena an apology," Ladybug said. "I was thinking about how Chloe handled the drama with Sabrina, and I was sympathetic at first, but then I found out she ruined someone's artwork and, I don't know. I'm not sure why that makes me want to talk to her - I guess I realized I missed her too. And I didn't handle it well either."

"I'm sure you handled it fine," Chat Noir replied. "You didn't get anyone akumatized, did you?"

"Well, no-"

"And you didn't lash out at anyone, right?"

"I did, but she kinda deserved it, so-" Ladybug sighed. "I'm a mess today."

"So many akumas will do that to you." Chat Noir rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I lost my temper today too, and probably made things worse for my friend."

Ladybug shook her head. "I've never seen you lose your temper with someone who didn't deserve it."

"I'm not saying she didn't," Chat Noir argued. "But - like you said, drama sucks."

"I don't have time to be dealing with drama on top of everything else," Ladybug complained. "But if I don't do something, people are going to get hurt."

"You're braver than I am," Chat Noir said. "I can handle akumas fine, but when it comes the littlest bit of social pressure, I panic."

"Trust me, I'd take an akuma any day over some of people in my class," Ladybug agreed.

Chat Noir's ring beeped. "Looks like I have to go. Until next time, my lady." He gave an extravagant bow, before bounding off.

Ladybug watched him go. It was nice to know that whatever drama happened in school, her partnership with Chat Noir would remain untouched.

Her own earrings beeped, reminding her to recharge before visiting Alya. She ducked into an alleyway, and her transformation dropped.

Marinette dug into her purse for her macaroons and handed one to Tikki.

"I wish I could tell Chat what's going on at school," she mused. "He's such a good listener, and I always feel better talking to him."

"You can," Tikki replied. "As long as you're very careful not to reveal too much."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Marinette replied. "We've already run into Lila so many times, it would be easy to guess who I'm talking about."

"She does have a habit of causing problems," Tikki agreed.

Marinette sighed. "She's become more of a headache than Chloe."

Tikki finished her macaroon, and Marinette called for her transformation.

"Tikki, spots on!"

.

Alya stared at the ceiling, not having the will to do anything else.

Today was a disaster. She had lost her temper at Miss Bustier twice after the argument with Chloe, and had almost snapped at Nino too. She had been seconds away from earning herself a detention for a bad attitude (why didn't Chloe ever get detentions for a bad attitude?), and then had accidentally grumbled at her mom when she got home, which just made everything worse.

Her phone buzzed again on her nightstand, but she couldn't bring herself to check.

Someone knocked on her window, and that made Alya sit up. Only two people ever did that.

Usually such a visit would make her excited, but tonight it only filled her with nerves. Had the superheroes heard of her outburst at school? Did they think she went too far?

Alya took two deep breaths before approaching the window, where Ladybug was waiting for her. The superhero looked a little nervous, but not angry.

Alya opened the window for her and Ladybug gave a small, awkward wave.

"Can I come in?"

Alya blinked. "Yeah, Yeah, of course you can come in!" She backed away, letting Ladybug crawl into her room.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Alya asked.

"No," Ladybug replied. She sat in the desk chair she usually did when visiting, shifting her weight several times as she did so.

Ladybug's nervous, Alya noted.

Wait, am I making her nervous?

"Listen," Ladybug started. "What I said yesterday - sometimes, what I'm saying gets a little jumbled, and I don't always mean what I say-"

"You mean, say what you mean?" Alya asked, sitting down on her bed.

"Yeah." Ladybug sighed. "And when you - no, sorry, I - I shouldn't start this off with an accusation, should I? I don't know what I'm doing."

"It's okay." Alya leaned forward, giving Ladybug an encouraging pat on her knee. "My friends get nervous all the time."

In fact, Ladybug very much reminded her of Marinette right then - the nervous, constant motion, the mixing up her words.

Ladybug gets nervous. It was oddly humanizing.

"Right, okay," Ladybug continued. "I guess I'm trying to apologize here, for being so defensive yesterday. I did not mean to imply that you've been anything less than amazing as a hero, and both me and Chat Noir appreciate your help tremendously."

"Really?" Alya asked, her chest swelling in pride.

Ladybug nodded. "Really. So you have to understand, when I say I want you to be better, it's because I know you can. And because me and Chat - we're starting to become overwhelmed with everything, and out of everyone, I trust you most - except for Chat Noir, of course. And I need your support."

Alya straightened up. That was a huge responsibility, but she knew she was up for it.

"I will do whatever I can to support you, Ladybug," Alya said.

Ladybug smiled. "I know. But what I'm talking about is a big responsibility, and there's been times where I - I know you're up to it, but you have to be a little more careful about who to trust."

Alya nodded. "Right. I know I'm a lot more trusting than some of my friends sometimes, but I promise I haven't told anyone about my secret identity. Except for Nino, but he's really trustworthy too!"

"I know, I know," Ladybug assured her. "But yesterday, when you brought up that rumor you heard somewhere-"

"I know," Alya sighed. "Not my greatest moment. I was just - shocked."

"The girl who told you that - do you trust her?"

Now that was a question.

Alya hesitated. Did she?

"I mean, I like to believe I can trust most people. I've always believed in seeing the best in people, but I'll admit, there's been some things that have tested my faith in her. For one, my best friend Marinette - you met her, she set up that first interview we did! - doesn't like her, and then there's the whole spiel about Ryuko yesterday. But I don't know, it seems wrong to exclude someone just because they're trying to fit in - and that's the thing, she's the new girl. Or was, at least. And moving to a new school is scary, and I want to make sure she feels welcome, because Marinette and everyone was so nice to me when I moved the last time, but - ugh, why does it have to be so complicated." Alya sighed. "I just want to be able to, I don't know, be nice to people without it being a whole thing. But it never works that way!" Alya frowned. "I did yell at Chloe today, though."

Ladybug chuckled. "Everyone lost their temper with Chloe today. I wouldn't worry about it."

Alya chuckled. "She was a force to be reckoned with today."

"Tell me about it," Ladybug agreed. "Just be careful, okay? I - I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I think I've proven I can handle myself."

At that exact moment, with Ladybug hanging out in her room like they were college buddies, was the moment Alya's mom decided to poke her head in.

"Hey Alya, I just wanted to ch-" her eyes went wide. "Uh - hello, Ladybug. Is there anything we can help you with?"

Ladybug gave a polite smile. "No, Ms Cesaire, we're just catching up on some blog-related news."

Alya's mom beamed. "It is an amazing blog, isn't it? We're super proud of all Alya has achieved."

Alya felt a smile creep across her face.

"You should be," Ladybug agreed. "She's an impressive person."

Did I die and go to heaven? Did Ladybug just compliment me? In front of my mom?

This is the greatest moment of my life.

"I'll leave you two to it, then."

Her mom closed the door, and Alya tried to school her expression back to something professional.

"You should be proud of yourself, you know?" Ladybug said. "You have done a lot, both as a blogger and as Rena Rouge."

"Th-thank you," Alya stuttered, her grin coming back on her face.

"No, thank you." Ladybug stood up and headed to the window. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you around."

.

Refreshed was not the word Chloe would use, but she did feel better when her alarm went off the next morning.

She turned it off, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, and slipping her feet into her favorite pair of slippers. On the other side of the bed, Lacy was still fast asleep.

Chloe sighed, taking a moment to stretch her neck and arms. She debated whether to wake Lacy or leave her sleeping, but eventually decided that she didn't want to have to sneak around all morning.

She shoved Lacy in the arm, but Lacy didn't twitch. Chloe shook her arm once, but no movement.

Chloe sighed in exasperation. She did not have the patience for this.

"Lacy!" She called, moving right up to the other girl's ear.

That caused her to twitch, and eventually Lacy cracked open an eye.

"Chloe," she grumbled. "G'morning."

"Good morning to you, sleeping beauty," Chloe commented. "Come on, Jean-Luc should be up with breakfast for us soon."

Lacy pushed herself up. "Breakfast sounds good."

"And then I'm doing your hair and makeup," Chloe decided.

Lacy looked at her for a moment, expressionless, before yawning and plopping her head back onto the pillow.

"Oh come on, it's not even that early!" Chloe complained, snatching the pillow from under Lacy.

"I'm awake, I swear," Lacy replied.

Chloe (playfully) hit her with a pillow. Lacy moaned, but didn't move.

"This is why you're always late, you know," Chloe grumbled, moving from the bed and towards her mirror.

"Fine, fine." Lacy swung her legs over the bed, and yawned again. "I'm up. See?"

Chloe sighed, turning back to her mirror to start untangling her hair. She glanced over her shoulder again, and saw that Lacy had plopped back down again.

Chloe gave up on trying to wake Lacy before breakfast. When her butler appeared with breakfast, the smell jolted Lacy awake. The butler set them up for breakfast on the patio, and Lacy marveled at the view.

"Paris is so beautiful," Lacy muttered as she sat down. She was wearing her usual gray jacket over the ladybug pajamas she had borrowed from Chloe, her hair still a bedhead. Chloe mentally ran over how she was going do her hair, and what clothes she could lend her (just this once!).

Lacy noticed her looking and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Just thinking what I'm going to do with your hair," Chloe admitted.

"Woah, I did not agree to let anyone mess with my hair."

"Oh come on," Chloe whined. "It's kinda a girls night thing, isn't it?"

Lacy hesitated, but eventually relented.

"But only if I get to do yours too!"

"Uh no," Chloe replied. "No one touches my hair."

Lacy crossed her arms and gave Chloe a defiant look, and Chloe was surprised when she found herself relenting.

"Fine. But it better look nice!"

Lacy smiled. "Deal."

.

Marinette was in a moderately happy mood the next morning.

It was threatening to rain, and she was still wary of Chloe's recent Chloe-ness, but she had made things with Alya a little better the previous night, and she made it to school ten minutes before the bell rang!

Alya arrived just after she did, and the two girls exchanged bright, genuine smiles before heading in to class together.

Alya grumbled when she saw who was already there. "I can't believe both you and Lacy beat me to school today."

Lacy turned from her conversation with Alix and Kim when she heard her name and gave Alya and Marinette a bright smile and wave.

"She does seem more awake than usual," Marinette noted. She slid into her normal seat, and when Alya hesitated, invited her to the one next to her.

Nino looked back with a little pout, but didn't say anything.

Max entered the room, giving Marinette a confused look before taking his seat.

Marinette sighed. "I'm not always that late, you know?"

"Yeah, you kinda are," Alya teased.

"Hey, I beat you today," Marinette countered.

Alya grinned. "You must be wearing off on me then."

The girls both giggled.

"I've missed you, girl," Alya said.

"Me too," Marinette agreed.

"Listen, I know I already apologized, but-"

"It's okay," Marinette interrupted. "I know you're just making sure everyone is included, and while what you did was wrong, I know you won't do it again."

Alya shook her head. "No, of course not. Your space is your space."

"Thank you," Marinette said. "And if I ever invade your space-"

"I'll let you know," Alya confirmed.

Miss Bustier walked into the room, and she gave Alya and Marinette a bright smile.

"I'm so glad you two made up," she declared.

Marinette smiled. "So are we."

Adrien came in a few seconds later, slipping into his seat next to Nino, and Lila followed soon after.

She stopped when she saw Alya and Marinette sitting together.

"Oh, Marinette, I'm so glad you apologized to Alya," Lila declared.

Marinette sighed.

"Actually, I apologized to her," Alya admitted.

"But you did nothing wrong?" Lila questioned.

Alya sighed. "I appreciate the concern, girl, but our friendship is really only between us." Alya turned to Marinette. "Right, girl?"

Marinette nodded. "Right."

Lila looked stunned, and she was uncharacteristically quiet as she took her seat in the back.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's start with our morning exercise," Bustier declared. "Let's see who's first - Alya, and Chloe!"

Marinette deflated. That was bound to put everyone in a bad mood.

Alya scowled as she stood up, and walked up to the front of the classroom. Chloe also stood up, and Marinette noticed that she looked different - she wore her hair in a more stylized, loose ponytail, wore gold makeup instead of blue, and had on a black shirt with her khakis instead of that horrible white. She looked almost nice.

"I'm not complimenting her," Alya said, crossing her arms. "She was nothing but rude yesterday, to everyone. She can't expect us to just drop that and-"

"Alya," Bustier interrupted. "This is a new day, and this exercise is intended to start everyone off with a good thought. Holding onto a grudge from yesterday will not help anybody."

"It's okay," Chloe said. "I don't need Cesaire's opinion to feel good about myself, I already know I'm awesome." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "I can still give my compliment." She studied Alya for a moment. "Cesaire, ugh, if I must compliment you on something, then I guess your Ladyblog-thingie is cool. As one of Ladybug's superheroes, I have personal knowledge of how much she likes your blog."

Marinette blinked. That... sounded like an actual compliment?

"Though I do think you need more Queen Bee content on it," Chloe finished. She sat back down at her seat, flicking her hair one more time.

"Thank you, Chloe," Bustier said, with a bright smile. "That was a wonderful compliment."

Alya looked as stunned as Marinette felt. She blinked a few times, before dazedly heading back to her seat. Halfway there, she paused.

"Hey Chloe," Alya said. "I think your hair looks nice."

Chloe grinned smugly. "Of course it does, but thank you."

Alya shook her head, still dazed, and took her seat next to Marinette.

"Did I imagine that?" Alya whispered.

"Nope," Marinette replied. "I think Chloe just paid you a genuine compliment."

[luxexhomines]

Hello! I was reading through your blog and wanted to ask if you could write for Tsumugi with a female S/O who is the Ultimate Witch? In or out of the V3 universe is fine. Thank you!

Hullo, anon! Thanks for the request!! Although Tsumugi isn’t my favorite character, I so enjoyed writing this. I put it out of the V3 universe, so there are no spoilers for anyone wondering. Wasn’t sure if you wanted the reader be doing “real magic” or magic tricks, so it’s a little vague, haha.Icon credit to 64pxs! Also wow my third request finished in one day although it’s past 1AM & technically a new day here now!

Guess I’d classify this as fluff, too. It’s not that long, so it’s not under the cut. Here you go!

Tsumugi x Female! Ultimate Witch! S/O

You knocked on her door and grasped the doorknob, fully intending to open it and peek in the gap, but your plans were abruptly foiled by her voice.

“Don’t even try,” she cackled. “The door’s locked and I’ve got a chair keeping it closed, you know?”

When you tried to turn it, it was true. It wouldn’t budge an inch.

“Oh, come on, Tsumugi!” You whine right outside the door, making sure she could hear you loud and clear. “I haven’t seen you leave that room for a third day now! I know that you’ve got snacks and a bathroom connected to your room, but that can’t be healthy,” you beg. “Please come out…”

Either she’s ignoring you, or she’s ignoring you. Two perfectly possible options. You could even hear her plaintively humming a random tune, a tune that seemed reminiscent of a folksong–but what did that matter now, when part of her reasons for doing so was to drown out the sound of you?

“Can I at least come in, Tsumugi?” You knock on the door again, but you’re soundly rejected.

“No! You’re not allowed in here for the rest of the week, even if I do come out of the room,” she says firmly.

She was getting strangely obsessive about hiding the contents of her room from you, and you were extremely worried. The only times she ever pulled stunts like this was when she hadn’t finished preparing a cosplay for a con coming up soon, but the problem was that there were no cons coming up soon. As you understood it, she had taken a leave from work to do whatever it was she was doing in that room, and you had no clue what was so important that she’d take a week off of work to do it. She thrived off of that income to make living wage and make cosplays in addition to all her the money from her sponsors.

You could only sigh at the plain white door and walk back to your own room, resigned to your lonely fate for the rest of the week. It was anyone’s guess what she was doing or why she was hiding it from you, including your own, despite being her girlfriend.

You supposed you’d go practice your magic for the upcoming magic show you were holding while Tsumugi did…whatever it was she was doing. There was no time to waste at her doorway, calling her name to a silent answer or pounding on the door in exasperation. 

You took a deep breath and gathered your focus for the first act, a rather simple attention-getter with birds flying from your sleeves like colorful ribbons spewing from them. Somehow, it was always the easiest magic that was easiest to mess up, so you ended up practicing the act for at least an hour, worried about the possibility of success in a live performance.

Falling back on the bed, you pant slightly in exertion. Who said magic was as easy as waving a wand? That’s only what magicians wanted other people to believe, after all. If the magician was dropping dead from exhaustion, no one would enjoy the show–no, it was much better for them to believe that the magician possessed unlimited amounts of mana and could continue performing magic for an entire day but just ended it at around an hour for the audience’s scheduling convenience.

But even magicians weren’t immortal. You decided to take a break and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a drink of water to hydrate yourself before returning to practice, throwing a bitter, yearning look toward Tsumugi’s closed door.

It was going to be a long week, just you and your magic.

On the day of the magic show, you hoped Tsumugi would emerge from her cave, maybe make an appearance. But it was fifteen minutes before the show, and she still hadn’t come.

You let out a sigh of disappointment and return to your dressing room as you pick at your ratty, ripped seams of what used to be a smart looking, black long-sleeved tailcoat and matching pencil skirt. You’d had it since your very first show, and you liked it very much, but it was ready to retire and had been for a while now.

In fact, you were surprised Tsumugi hadn’t commented on it–she usually would make note of any clothes you owned that were no longer serving a functional and aesthetic purpose and bring you out to buy new ones. Speaking of Tsumugi, your dressing room just burst open with a long, blue-haired girl in spectacles and carrying what looks like a newly pressed outfit in black.

“Tsumugi! You’re here,” you gasp. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

She rushes over to you, out of breath and frenetic.

“Oh, good, you’re in your dressing room! Take this,” she thrust the plastic protected outfit at you along with a box of what you assumed to be shoes. “Sorry I’m late, it took me so long to finish this. Go change, your show is starting in ten minutes!”

You look at her in confusion, but do as she asks. You’re used to her frantic nature, even if she was rather laidback most of the time. When you finish dressing, she claps her hands together in delight, and swooning.

“Oh, I knew you’d look great in this! I’ve had this idea for forever, I’m so happy I finally get to see you wear it. I can die happy now,” she declares passionately, almost drooling with excitement, her blue eyes glimmering brightly.

You examine the outfit, which includes a pair of white gloves, black heels, a black top hat, and a similar black tailcoat, black dress shirt and pencil skirt, along with a tie of your favorite color wrapped snugly around your neck that curves over your bust gently.

“Tsumugi, you made this for me?”

She nods proudly.

“I think I did a bang-up job of it, too! It’s absolutely perfect for you,” she beams at you, as lovely and warm as the golden sun, and you can only grin like a fool in response.

“You sure did. You sure did,” you repeat, amazed by her accurate, neat needlework and toiling dedication she had offered you in making the outfit.

“Now, go out there and amaze the crowds,” she encourages you, giving you a light push on the back and going out to join the audience below.

The magic show goes splendidly–you don’t know if you’ve ever done a better job, and all kinds of flowers, roses, daffodils, daisies, skyrocket toward your lone figure standing at the center of the black stage, hoping to be caught by you. You wave at the audience happily and skip on and off the stage to the standing ovation before exiting for good.

Luckily for you, Tsumugi is waiting at your dressing room, so there’s no need for you to push through the masses to find her, and you immediately envelop her in a hug, tackling her, and her breath leaves her with the impact you’ve come at her with. She wraps her arms around your back, and you can feel her pride for you simply seeping out like radioactive waves.

You don’t let go of her for a long, long time, and when you finally let go of her, you smile at her in a daze. You can’t believe your girlfriend is this gorgeous, kind, devoted, thoughtful girl standing in front of her.

“I think I’m in love with you, Tsumugi,” you say, staring straight into her eyes, endless pools of blue.

She smiles back, pushing her spectacles up slightly.

“A good thing, too, because I think I’m in love with you, too. That is, if you couldn’t tell after I spent over a week cooped up in my room to make this ensemble for you,” she replies, gesturing at your outfit.

You pat her on the head.

“Yes, yes, I know, good girl. But I was so lonely,” you pout. “Did you have to leave me alone like that for such a long time? I could have died of loneliness!”

She simply laughs full-heartedly.

“I suppose we’d be in trouble if you were a rabbit, huh? But there’ll be no more loneliness on my watch. That sounds rather presumptuous of me to say, but you can trust me on that,” she smiles charmingly as she puts a hand on her hip.

You laugh back at her, sharing in her joy and playfulness.

“You’d better live longer than I do, in that case,” you tease.

Tsumugi bends toward you and places a small kiss on the tip of your nose.

“Your wish is my command, royal magician of the court,” she chuckles.

You smirk and slip a hand around the small of her back, pulling her in closer so that both of your bodies are pressed against each other, and kiss her on the lips deeply. 

“Then, my first command is that thou shalt stay at my side for the rest of our mortal lifespans.”

You can feel the corners of her lips stretch out and upward at this, and you take that to be her response as you draw her in for many more sweet kisses.

[aerialflight]

Thor Ragnarok (Time Travel)

Notes: I literally wrote this all in one go. The idea was inspired due to @adelmortescryche ‘s influence and I still can’t believe I wrote this to be honest. I had a lot of fun doing it though! I hope you all enjoy and comment or reblog at the end!

AO3

Tony was so fucking tired that it’s impressive that he was still awake at all.

After putting a lock on Loki who looked contrite at being caught and not, you know, trying to take over the world, the Avengers – a name that they’re sticking to no matter how comic-book based it sounded – had a grim Thor and disgruntled Hulk looking after him since Loki seemed oddly wary of the big green guy. Which, of course, should be utilized at all cost.

After they took care of that mess, they got to the slow labor part of the job. Of being superheroes.

What even was his life anymore these days?

Anyway, by this point he was running on adrenaline and sharp urgency that drove him to broken buildings that had people crushed under the debris of battle, directing people to hospitals, or reuniting families that weren’t together during the alien attack on New York.

And wow, that’s a sentence he never thought would cross his mind out of a sci-fi movie. This was so not how he wanted to be first introduced to legit aliens.

Tony pushed forward though, backed up by Captain America and Black Widow who proved to be soothing presences to the mass of people frantically trying to go home or find their loved ones in this whole doomsday scenario gone very wrong that turned out semi-alright in the end.

He ended up lugging Hawkeye around periodically as the man’s bird-eye view (ha!) sharply picked out which areas of the city they circled around needed help. Telling this information through the coms to the rest of the team had them quickly operating on an efficient system that worked out well for them. Something that surprised Tony for all their rocky starts and issues with each other as a unit.

Well, he figured, there were some things you couldn’t share without ending up liking each other, and stopping an alien invasion was one of them.

The process took hours and by the time the situation was well-handled by the police who could take care of the rest, Tony was ready to collapse the moment he landed with Hawkeye in his arms towards the group all gathered in the middle of a broken street under an equally wrecked lamppost that was crookedly bending in the wrong direction.

Thor and a now haggard looking Bruce Banner were there too, Loki hazardously thrown over Thor’s shoulder like a body bag. The almost-conqueror now conquered was glaring heatedly at them all, not talking due to-

“Is that duct tape?” Tony blurted out incredulously. Hawkeye choked next to him.

Bruce shrugged.

“Anything can be fixed with duct tape.” The scientist said mildly.

Thor nodded, the ridiculousness of the entire situation flying right over his head.

“The tool seemed quite necessary in this situation, as proven by Banner here,” Thor said seriously. “My brother possesses a silvertongue.”

“Yeah,” Natasha responded blandly. “We noticed.”

Cap sighed, looking fed up by the entirety of this conversation.

“Should we go back to the tower? SHIELD should be arriving in a couple of hours to receive Loki.” the blond frowned. “Though we’ll probably have to stick around and make sure that it happens.”

He really looked like he didn’t want to do it. Tony couldn’t really blame the old man. He just wanted to wash his hands off of this whole affair and get back to Pepper.

(God, Pepper. He had to call her soon or she’ll kill him for scaring her like that. He needed some sort of normalcy in this entire mess.)

“You know,” he started speaking without any real idea what was going to come out of his mouth. “I’m still really up for shawarma? Cause I’m craving for something right now and Pepper’s always telling me that I should eat before I sleep before I forget.”

Surprisingly, all of them agreed. Turns out punching extraterrestrials really worked up an appetite.

They ended up at a small, mostly ruined restaurant after the third try. The owners there just rolled with the fact they had the saviors of the city in their restaurant as if it were any other day to them.

You gotta love New Yorkers.

They ate in silence, Loki tussled up and left outside. By this point, Tony was pretty sure by now that if the bastard wanted to leave, he would’ve by now. But he didn’t, which was pretty worrying but so not Tony’s problem and he was perfectly fine with just, eating his meal in peace.

Of course, because the world loved to fuck over any good thing in Tony’s life, it didn’t last.

A bright light suddenly was bursting right in front of them, blazing hot and nearly blinding all of them in its close proximity. It slowly started to condense in on itself until it took actual shape into – what Tony belatedly realized – human form.

That’s it. He was done. He couldn’t take another hit right now.

Why did the universe hate him?

They all stood up, Cap jolting out of his nap and reaching for his shield while Natasha untangled herself from Hawkeye, both assassins getting ready. Bruce stood up, shoulders and mouth tight with worry. Nobody would want the Hulk to appear right now and escalate something, but he was preparing to defend them all the same. That kind of thing meant something and Tony couldn’t help be a bit proud. As for Thor, his eyes were darting immediately to the door where Loki was tied up outside, looking ready to attack first and ask questions later.

As for Tony, he cursed hard at the fact he had stupidly stripped himself off his armor. He couldn’t help it with the sense of claustrophobia that had his throat tightening at the thought of continuing to wear what he essentially almost died. He should’ve held on a little longer, should’ve been ready for anything even if it seemed like it all ended.

And Rhodey told him he was too paranoid. Ha!

Just when Tony was relatively sure they were all going to die, the glowing finally stopped and Tony’s brain impossibly stopped working.

It was Thor.

It was Thor?

Whoever it was, he looked an awful lot like him. Goldilocks was no more, his curling blond hair cropped short and revealing darker roots than Tony first believed. The red cape was gone and the man was instead wearing a practical brown cloak that was fraying at the edges and a giant traveling pack the man was slung over his shoulder with ease.

However, the two biggest differences sent a jolt of shock – see what he did there? – through his whole body right down to his toes.

One, Tony couldn’t see the ever-present hammer. Unless he was hiding it underneath the cloak or it was hidden somewhere in that bag, he had no idea.

Second, the man was wearing an eyepatch. And unless it was Halloween where Thor decided to cosplay as Nick Fury’s immortal cousin, this Thor most likely lost an eye at one point.

Seeing how the man was the God of Thunder and could match up to the Hulk, this was very concerning.

That is, if this really was Thor.

First thing this Thor said was, “Oh shit.”

The next thing was, “Is that shawarma?”

The ragged appearance of the man did nothing to erase the radiant grin he was now sporting as he casually walked toward the table full of armed Avengers and picked up a bowl of shawarma before taking a giant bite out of it.

Tony wasn’t even kidding. It looked like the man was unhinging his entire jaw as he bit it, completely undeterred by his baffled audience that included his gaping double.

“You have no idea,” The one-eyed Thor managed to say while chewing enthusiastically. “No idea how much I miss Misgardian food.”

And, well, what the hell were you supposed to say to that?

The shock was quickly wearing off of Thor now as he glared threateningly at the bizarre aberration that stood before them. He clenched onto his hammer and took a step forward.

“Loki, stop playing one of your games.” Thor ordered. A shiver ran down Tony’s neck at the God’s tone. Natasha was narrowing her eyes at the lopsided copy as if she was trying to figure something out.

He hoped she did soon. He worked too hard to stay alive today to die like this.

One-eyed Thor somehow managed to look completely unimpressed, raising an eyebrow and staring at Thor in a way that for some reason Tony couldn’t help but think meant, “Oh honey” which would’ve been a lot more hilarious under different circumstances. He had no idea the blond had it in him.

“You know as well as I do I’m not Loki.” One-eyed Thor waved his shawarma in a scolding manner at the other god. “You can sense magical signatures well enough. Calm down.”

“It can be faked.” Thor rumbled, irritation increasing with every gritted word.

“You know him well enough to tell.” The other Thor pointed out. He took another bite out of the wrapped up food.

“You’re from the future.” Natasha abruptly said. She was staring at him as if she didn’t know what to make of him. “Time travel?”

The man swallowed before beaming at her.

“Observant as always Natasha.” He said cheerfully.

Everyone blinked at the use of first name. It was strange to hear such familiar address from the overly-formal prince.

And then what Thor confirmed sunk in.

“Time travel?” Bruce was shaking his head furiously, looking about ready to blow a gasket. Tony couldn’t blame him, he felt like doing the same in the face of something so out there. And they just fought aliens. “That should not be possible.”

The other Thor smirked far too smugly. “Magic.”

“No.” Tony denied. And will continue to deny for the rest of his days, cause fuck that. “No, everyone knows that’s a fucking cheat answer and like hell I’m going to let you get away with that.”

“But it’s the truth?” this Thor widened his eyes, looking so confused and overly innocent that Tony instantly knew was Thor’s version of a shit-eating grin. Jesus, he could give 16-year-old Tony who was the biggest piece of shit there was a run for his money with that look. If Tony wasn’t so outraged by the topic, he’d almost be impressed.

He could definitely see himself get along with this version of Thor.

Cap was staring at one-eyed Thor with disbelieving eyes before finally closing them as if he was only now accepting how crazy his life was.

“Yeah, no dice.” Hawkeye looked far too amused by the situation now that it was clear they weren’t in danger, smirking with shoulders relaxed. “How did you get here?”

While the question was said nonchalantly, the archer was shifting his stance in a way where he was subtly glancing outside the shop to check up on their resident magician. Seeing if he really wasn’t playing a part in this madness.

The one-eyed Thor whether didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“An accident.” He shrugged. “Pissed off someone and ended up here. My ride should come soon and I’ll be out of here in a jiffy, don’t worry. Shouldn’t affect the space-time continuum too much. The guy who sent me here isn’t powerful enough to bend time to his will.”

“You’re using modern lingo.” Tony didn’t bother to try to hide his glee. “You said space-time continuum! Oh my god, you’re more ahead of the curb than Capsicle! Ha!”

Said mentioned man shot an exasperated look at the billionaire. “Stark.”

Before Cap could really get into it, a more minimized bright light suddenly shined right next to the other Thor before dimming down and making it clear who appeared this time.

Whatever lightened atmosphere resulted in clearing up the strange Thor’s presence immediately disappeared at the sight of the next visitor.

“What the fuck.” Hawkeye spat out, hand jerking for the bow. It vanished before it could and appeared in a sneering Loki’s hand, looking exactly the same as his other counterpart.

“If you don’t mind, I don’t want to get shot at. Again.” The criminal whipped his head around and glared at Thor’s doppelganger with extreme annoyance. “I can’t believe you.”

“What?” for the first time since he appeared, there was no sign of playfulness now. Long finished with his stolen meal, he set the bowl down in a decisive move before crossing his arms across his broad chest defensively. “It’s not like I was about to let you get hit.”

“I knew what I was doing.” This Loki hissed. For a brief moment that Tony almost missed, his green eyes flickered up and down Thor’s frame as if-

As if he was checking Thor for injuries.

The very implications were confusing, to say the least. He almost thought he imagined it if it weren’t for the subtle straightening of Natasha’s spine and the way her eyes widened just a fraction from surprise. Hawkeye followed his partner’s lead and his rage leveled down a notch as he seemed to catch it as well.

Assassins. Ugh.

“I’m fine.” The one-eyed Thor rolled his eye – as in singular, there had to be a story there – and jerked a thumb in the Avengers’ direction. “You can yell at me later.”

All that rage slowly seemed to disappear underneath a smooth, cool mask at the reminder. It was such a contrast to the spitting pile of uncontained, raging madness that Tony had come to expect from him that it was disconcerting. It was doubly so when it hit that Loki was actually listening to Thor.

From the dumbstruck look on Goldilocks’s face, this was just as weird to him too.

What the hell was going to happen in the future?

“Fine.” Loki sneered. “Now let’s leave-”

Suddenly, the door behind them banged open and just to pile up on this clusterfuck of chaos that had just been about to leave damnit, the Loki of their time stood there, somehow having broken out of his foot restraints with his mouth and hands still taped over.

“Mmmhmm Hmm!” the degraded Loki sounded out, scathingly glaring at them all.

The double Loki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while the one-eyed Thor starting laughing immediately.

“Oh god, I completely forgot about this!” the man exclaimed, absolutely delighted. “This is amazing!”

“I,” the more composed of the two Lokis sounded completely done. “regret everything that has led us to this point.”

Thor casually waved a hand at the Loki next to him while still staring gleefully at the seething, voice-muffled Loki in front of him.

“This all already happened brother.” Both past Loki and Thor stared in shock at the address, the former with horror and the latter with alighted hope. “Get over yourself.”

Captain America choked.

“Anyways,” the one-eyed man smiled at all of them as if the two hadn’t opened a hundred questions into the open with their existence. “it was nice to see you guys again and you won’t remember any of this, so don’t worry about us changing anything. Live your lives and I hope you get that Civil War business done soon or whatever. Raging fire,” the time traveler made honest-to-god finger guns and pointed both at Bruce with a cheeky grin. “I’ll see you on the ship.”

“Raging what-”

And as flashily as they appeared, they were gone in a flash.

Tony stared at the very spot they were just standing and turned to look at the others to share his confusion when-

The genius frowned.

What the hell were they all doing standing around? Weren’t they just eating a minute ago?

“Hey! How the hell is Reindeer Games here?”

[scribblindown]

Chocobros + Nyx in a Bodyguard AU

A/N: Okay, first of all, so much struggle went into this post. I was writing until 2:30 in the morning, and I was nearly finished until my computer failed me, and I lost this entire post. 

;; I forgot to save between every boy. 

God, I’m so dumb. 

But I hope you enjoy this Bodyguard AU that no one asked for after I typed it the second time around.  (o^ ^o)

(@little-mini-me-world​ pain is real.)

Noctis: 

Attempts the cool and silent bodyguard type, but in reality he’s just awkward. 

He blushes up a storm every time you tease him. 

He acts like he knows what he’s doing, but he really doesn’t. 

 Most of the time you have to tell him if you have a bad feeling, or if you don't feel safe, or else he'll never catch on. 

That doesn't mean that he's bad at his job though! Noctis always makes sure to keep no more than a step or so behind you, and in crowded places he'll keep an arm wrapped protectively around your waist. 

He's crazy fast too! If Noctis ever notices that you're in immediate danger, it will seem as if he practically transports to your assailant, and can take them down before you can even react. 

Noctis would be very hard to get to open up, and he honestly tried to keep your relationship purely professional, but at any mention of fishing, video games, or cosplay, he'll become such a dweeb. 

At first glance he's the "mysterious guy with a dark past" but this is the same guy that says, "Sharp errday," and "Cake, baby," when he takes down your attackers. 

He's pretty scary when he's angry though. His eyes will seem like they turn red, and he will beat your attackers an inch from death until you tell him to stop. 

You're pretty shaken up, but then he flashes you a straight face and a thumbs up before saying in the deepest voice he can muster, "I'm an assassin."

There's your dork. 

He’s also very self-sacrificing. He wouldn’t hesitate to jump in front of you to take that bullet, knife, or punch. 

Noctis would realize that you're the love of his life when he would willingly give up his precious sleep to make sure that you're safe all the time. 

HE WOULD NEVER ADMIT IT THOUGH. NO ONE MUST KNOW. Crush?? What crush??

Avoids eating vegetables under the excuse that they might be poisoned. 

His uniform is a tailored black suit with a black button up and no tie. He keeps the first couple of buttons open to reveal some of that hairless chest of his O-O

On lazy days, (which is almost every day) he wears a form-fitting black shirt and cargo pants. 

Prompto: 

Okay, first of all, who gave him this job 

He would leave your side just to pet puppies. 

Prompto likes to sing the James Bond theme under his breath when he scopes out the area. 

When you ask him to do something for you: “You got it, gurrrlll!” [finger guns] [somersaults out of there] 

He’s very talkative and friendly, so you always feel at ease with him, and people often mistake him for your boyfriend. 

An overly protective boyfriend that wears a bulletproof vest. 

Although, when the two of you first met, he would be very flustered and embarrassed. He just didn’t expect to be assigned to someone so pretty. 

He’d apologize over and over for touching your bare skin, or for yanking your arm to pull you closer to him, and you’d laugh and tell him that he’s just doing his job. 

When the two of you grow closer, he becomes such a comforting presence, and he’s never not smiling at you.   

Even though he’s your bodyguard, he doesn’t mind doing manual tasks for you. 

Have an eyelash in your eye? He’s on it. You’re wearing a dress with a train? He’ll be sure to carry the ends for you. You’re going shopping? He’ll hold your bags for you. 

Honestly he’s such a lovely gentleman. Marry him already. 

You wouldn’t really see him as a bodyguard though, but that would change the moment you see him in action when he activates serious and badass mode. 

Is the guy who cried when he saw a spider in your room the same guy that legit kicked a gun out of a grown man’s hand, did a flip, and caught that gun like a baton?? 

Where the fuck did he learn how to do that??

You honestly thought that the gun he carries around with him was just for show. 

Afterwards Prompto would cry, and he would think that he had failed you because he couldn’t stop the threat from the start. The poor babe honestly believes that he’s so disposable as a bodyguard. 

Protect him, love him, become his emotional bodyguard. 

Prompto’s uniform is a black bulletproof vest over a red, sleeveless shirt and baggy pants. He keeps his gun in a holster at his side and has an earpiece that he always fiddles with because he can’t stand still for long. 

Ignis: 

Is he a model?? Or a bodyguard? The world may never know. 

He’s the type of bodyguard that doesn’t know when to relax. No matter what, he’s always on guard to ensure your safety. Because of this, there’s never a moment with him around that you don’t feel safe. 

He’s very professional and strict, but it’s known to have a soft spot for you. 

Ignis would also be underestimated physically as a bodyguard, but not only is he as sharp as a whip, has multiple plans and backup plans in case anything goes wrong, Ignis can take down three men twice his size before you can even blink. 

Haven’t you ever seen his bare biceps?? Dat boi lifts.

Ignis would be the one to drive you everywhere because he doesn’t trust anyone else to do it. 

After you were nearly poisoned, he would be the one to make almost every meal that you have too. 

He’s also very old-fashioned when it comes to chivalry. Even though he’s not paid to pamper you, he wouldn’t hesitate to carry your books for you, open doors for you, or scoop you up to walk over a puddle. 

He’s such a mom friend. 

He acts like your mother more than your mother does when it comes to your safety, but he also motivates you and tries to help you if you ever feel overwhelmed. 

If you feel stressed, he’ll be there to pull out a chair beside you, pour you some drinks and give you some snacks. He’s here to help. 

Your emotional health is just as important to him as your physical health. 

He would even crack some jokes or give you some memes if that’s what it takes to make you smile. 

When you first see Iggy, he’ll look like the boring and stern type, but there’s more than meets the eye with him. With everything that he does for you, it’s a no-brainer that you fell in love with him. 

After Ignis goes blind trying to protect you, he’ll try to quietly remove himself from your life because he feels like he’s not fit to protect you anymore. 

Please stop this man. 

Ignis doesn’t know what casual dressing is. Every single one of his uniforms are designer, tailored, and pressed to perfection. 

Gladio: 

He fits the bodyguard mold to a T. 

When people see him with you, he’s just so tall and muscular that there’s no hesitation in their minds that he’s here to protect you, and he’s probably the best person for the job. 

Why would people even threaten you with him as your bodyguard tbh, 

He won’t hesitate to tease you though, but that just means that he feels at ease with you and he doesn’t feel stifling. 

Gladio also wouldn’t mind if you asked him to carry you everywhere. He’s just like, [shrugs] “Alright,” because it’s not like he’d have to use much of his strength to carry you. 

Besides, it’s easier on him as a bodyguard because he literally has you by his side at all times. 

Gladio also hopes that it would never have to come to this, but in case he ever has to leave you alone for a while, he’ll teach you how to fight for yourself. 

His security measures can get a bit overbearing, and sometimes you feel a bit frustrated because he feels like your dad, and you think that he’s taking all of these precautions too far. 

You just have to understand that he’s trying to protect you. 

Other than that, you would never have to worry if you really were in danger because you know that Gladio would be there to save you 100% of the time. 

If you were receiving death threats though. 

Cue Taken’s “I will find you, and I will kill you.” 

If for any reason he needs to leave your side for a while, the next person he trusts to protect you is Iris. 

She’s honestly so precious and it’s always a blessing to see her. 

This girl will give you plush toys on one hand, then put your attacker in a choke hold in another. 

You would never tell Gladio, but you’re more intimidated by her than you are by him, and that’s saying something. 

He would also ask you to accompany him to the gym. He has to watch you almost 24/7, and he needs to keep his body in shape, so this is killing two birds with one stone. 

You get to watch him work out and he gets to watch over you. It’s a win-win for everyone. 

He would even catch your watchful eyes on him and would give you a teasing smirk and a, “Like what you see?” 

His uniform is a fitted suit that fits perfectly over his hulking form, but he usually wears a black, fitting tank top with dark jeans. 

Honestly this entire Bodyguard AU thing is just canon for Gladio. 

Nyx: 

The all-around perfect bodyguard. While Prompto and Noctis are a bit too lenient, while Ignis and Gladio can be a bit overbearing, Nyx is the perfect middle. 

He’s assertive, but he’ll let you have some freedom too. 

He calls you “Princess” jokingly. 

He tries to keep your relationship professional, but it wouldn’t be very hard to get him out of his shell. 

If the two of you are alone, pull him into a dance, pull him into the pool, or tell him to lay next to you on the bed, and he’ll complain at first, but soon he’ll be laughing with you. (Just let me have a slow dance with Nyx alright ;;)

With all of the distractions you throw at him, people would think that it would be easy to get things past him, but they are dead wrong. 

Nyx is incredibly observant no matter what, and almost nothing gets past him. 

He’ll catch you trying to sneak out, but then he’ll be like, “Okay, but only I can come too.” 

He’ll definitely be those guys from the YA novels that are like, “You don’t want to get close to me, Princess, I’m a dangerous man.” 

Uh-huh, sure. 

He takes his job very seriously, so you’ll see him posted outside your door or behind you during long, boring meetings, and he’ll keep his stance and form perfectly straight the entire time. 

If you keep on trying to talk to him when he’s on duty, he’ll give you a lopsided smile and an exasperated, “Princess, you’re interfering with my work.” 

Give him a smirk and a, “As long as I’m with you, I feel like the safest person in the world.” 

He’ll hum and turn away, but it takes him at least ten minutes to catch on.

Hold on. 

What?? 

Wait, are you...flirting with him??

For the rest of the week he would just be in a state of shock and have a mental debate of, “No, they were just being cheeky,” or “Holy shit, they flirted with me because they like me.” 

Save him from his suffering, or else he’ll be stuck in this internal monologue for the rest of his life. 

His uniform is a tailored double-breasted military jacket with matching trousers, but he’ll also wear a plain black tee and black pants. 

10/10 would want him as a bodyguard. 

[5hfanfiction]

Back in the Christmas Spirit

Mariah Carey’s song, “All I Want for Christmas is You” never failed to get me into that festive Christmas spirit, even if it was the middle of July (and I was a hardcore wait-until-December person). That is, until I endured the worst breakup of the century right before the holidays.

Brian and I met in college at our dorm’s welcoming event, and were immediately drawn to each other. We had only been dating for six and a half months, but I honestly thought we would be together forever. He wasn’t perfect, but the fact that we could work through our differences made me believe we could make it work long term. Call me cliché, but I was completely in love with the boy, and I was convinced there would be no one else like him.

“Mija, come look at this tree,” my mom gestured toward a Douglas fir.

“Coming, mami.” I sighed. Of course the Mariah Carey song was playing on a speaker at the little Christmas tree farm. I was so not in the Christmas spirit these days.

“I really like the size of the trunk, and it would fit just perfectly right in the corner of the living room, don’t you think?” my mom asked. I nodded robotically. As she continued to drone on about the tree, I pictured Brian and me shopping for our first Christmas tree. It would have to be small, because we were both practical people, and wouldn’t have too big of a starter home. We would take it home and decorate it with our dog or cat (he loves cats, I love dogs). Then we would cozy up on the couch and watch Netflix or maybe play some video games. I smiled, and then groaned.

“Are you okay, Camila?” my mom inquired, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Yeah I just….drank too much hot chocolate,” I lied.

The ride home consisted of my mom thinking out loud about where the Christmas decorations would go, and me scrolling through my camera roll for the fifth time that day. There were so many pictures of me smiling, and Brian doing that crooked half smile he did for the camera.  There were a few candid ones of him naturally smiling, and I swear his smile could light up a room. My eyes started to well up. I kept scrolling anyway, and landed on one from Halloween. I was dressed up as Batgirl, my costume consisting of an old, almost too small Batman shirt, and a mask from Goodwill. Brian was Nightwing. He was the kind of guy who actually put effort into his costumes, and referred to them as “cosplays”. He looked so good in his black leather jacket with the painted on Nightwing insignia and his black skinny jeans that I loved so much. There was someone else in the picture, Gina. Gina was dressed as Wonder Woman. She had found the cape, the boots, and the corset herself, and I had helped her find a cool skirt at a nearby thrift store. Her hair wasn’t brunette, but her large, thick mess of strawberry-blonde locks were epic enough to be for Wonder Woman. Gina was with us so often, we called her our third wheel. She also happened to be the girl Brian left me for.

***

I helped my mom bring the tree inside, and after much deliberation, she decided to put it to the left of the television. When my dad and sister got home, we put on some Michael Buble, and decorated the tree. My family sang along joyously to the music, while I grumbled and hung up the ornaments. The song “Blue Christmas” came on and I thought now that’s more like it.

Afterwards, I crawled into my bed and relived the moment in my head, as I did quite often. It was the morning after his roommate, John’s birthday party. The party wasn’t especially fun for me, because there were a lot of younger, louder kids there, but the food was good, and Brian seemed to be enjoying himself. We played one of those really strategic board games that I wasn’t very good at, but it was right up Brian’s ally. He could tell I wasn’t having that much fun, so he occasionally squeezed my hand and gave me a sympathetic smile. I responded by affectionately running my hand through his soft, almost wavy, brown hair, and burying my face in his neck. I usually hated being one of those couples that couldn’t keep their hands off each other in public, but for some reason that night I didn’t care.

The next morning out of the blue, he texted me “I need to tell you something. Meet me in the lounge?”

We sat there for a couple minutes in silence, while he looked at the table and tried to gather the words. Finally, in a small voice, he said “There’s no good way to say this, but…I have feelings for Gina.”

My breath caught in my throat.

I often use humor as a defense mechanism, so I said “Yeah you’re right, there’s no good way to put that,” with a fake chuckle.

Still looking at the table, he uttered one of those laughs that aren’t quite laughs, more like quick exhales.

“What kind of feelings are we talking about?” I asked, hoping that this was just a little crush that he would get over quickly.

“It….feels like I want to be with her. Actually it kind of feels like I’m already with her, just not officially.”

My heart sank, and my eyes started to sting. This was no silly crush.

They started dating two weeks later.

I groaned and buried my face into my pillow. Just thinking about them together made my chest constrict and the tears flow. I sobbed until I ran out of tears and drifted off to sleep.

***

It was December 23rd, and because I was wallowing in misery, I had neglected to buy any Christmas presents for my family. I drove to a local boutique that I knew would have a lot of knick-knacks for me to choose from. After browsing the shop for about ten minutes, I decided on a mug for my dad that had a Washington State logo on it, a bottle of goat’s milk lotion for my mom, and a teddy bear for Sofi. As I was standing in the long line, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber came on. The familiar pang of sadness hit me in the chest. I wouldn’t be kissing Brian under the mistletoe like I had planned this year.

“You okay?” a voice asked.

I turned my eyes to the voice. It belonged to a girl about my age that had the prettiest , and most captivating pair of green eyes I had ever seen, and long, wavy, dark brown hair under a black beanie. She looked nice, but her stare was so intense I dropped my gaze a split second after I looked up.

“Um…I’m alright,” I stammered, still not making eye contact. “Why do you ask?”

The girl chuckled. “Well, you kind of winced just now.”

My cheeks got hot. Was I really that obvious? “Oh, yeah I don’t really like this song,” I said, shrugging.

“Why not?” the girl asked.

“I….” I trailed off. I don’t usually like telling strangers my business, unlike my mom, who could tell her entire life story to a random person on the street. But there was something about this girl that made me want to tell her everything.

“I’m just going through a tough breakup,” I admitted.

“Ah,” the girl nodded. “That makes sense.”

When I finally looked up at her eyes, they were sympathetic, and yet still curious. I was so busy staring I didn’t notice it was my turn in line.

“Oh right, I’m coming,” I said hurriedly, and quickly put my stuff on the counter in front of a frazzled looking employee.

The girl laughed quietly, and my face flushed again.

After we had both purchased our gifts, we walked outside together. The downtown street was filled with last minute shoppers, and there were tiny trees on the sidewalk that were covered in twinkling lights. I had always dreamed of walking down one of these streets in the winter with Brian.

“There you go with that sad look again,” the girl pointed out.

I sighed. “I guess I’m one of those people who wear their heart on their sleeve,” I said.

“I’m Lauren by the way,” she stopped, and held out her free hand.

“Camila,” I replied, shaking it.

She smiled, and I swear that smile could bring a puppy back to life. I found myself gawking again. Only two smiles had ever affected me this much.

Lauren gestured down the street. “Where are you parked?” she asked.

I blinked. Snap out of it, Camila I told myself. “Uhh, a ways down,” I responded. It was hard to find parking anywhere close.

“Cool, me too,” Lauren said with another smile.

“So tell me about this breakup that’s making you dislike amazing music,” she said as we walked down the street.

“Basically he left me for one of my friends,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Lauren winced. “Ooo that sucks,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, “I replied. “To make matters worse, we live in the same residence hall at school.”

“Yikes,” she said. “Where do you go to school?”

“Seattle Pacific,” I replied. “What about you?”

“I actually go to Oregon State, and I’m from Oregon, but my family just moved here,” said Lauren.

“Oh wow, why did you guys move to this tiny town of all places?” I wondered aloud.

“Well, my mom actually grew up here, and she really missed it”, she responded.

We had reached my car, but I didn’t want to stop talking to Lauren. There was something about her that made me want to get to know her. It could be because she was so easy to talk to, but her good looks didn’t hurt either.

“Um, since you’re new here, how about I give you a little tour of downtown?” I asked.

Lauren smiled one those earth-bending smiles. “I would love that,” she replied.

I think my heart fluttered a little bit.

***

We ended up not caring too much about the town, and got to know each other a little bit. We found out we both had Cuban descent, we both loved to sing, and we had practically the same taste in music and books. 

“You saw The 1975?” Lauren exclaimed. “I am so jealous!”

“Yeah they were sooo good,” I told her. “Definitely one of the best nights of my life. However, my dream is still to see Coldplay live,” I said wistfully.

Lauren stopped and looked at me with wide eyes. “Oh my gosh, me too!”

I smiled. “Wow we are so alike,” I said.

“We really are,” she said, staring at me with a grin. “You know….that guy really made a mistake.”

For probably the fifth time that night, I blushed and looked at the ground. Lauren didn’t know I liked girls. Actually, only a few people knew. Even so, I didn’t know how to like someone other than Brian. The thought just seemed wrong. But Lauren was looking at me with those eyes, and it looked like she was getting closer. I looked up, and her face was suddenly inches away from mine. Her eyes were darting from my lips to my eyes, almost silently questioning me. My heart was racing, but I slowly closed the gap between us, and our lips connected. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Her lips moved against mine ever so slightly, and for the first time since Brian and I broke up, I felt alive. I slowly pulled away, and opened by eyes. Lauren was smiling. I smiled back shyly and looked at the ground.

The kiss was amazing, but…

But what? My mind asked. An amazingly attractive, intelligent person just kissed you and you’re questioning it?

I can’t jump into a new relationship when I’m still hurting from the last one I thought back to myself.

Oh my gosh, she’s waiting for you to say something and you’re standing here awkwardly having a conversation with yourself in your head!

“Look, Lauren…I really like you, but-“

“You need more time,” she finished.

I sighed. “Yes,” I said.

She smiled understandingly and asked “Can I still have your number?”

I laughed. “Yeah,” I said, and pulled out my phone. She put her number in my phone, and I put mine in hers.

“When you get over that guy, give me a call,” Lauren said as she gave me my phone back.

“I definitely will,” I promised.

She flashed me a grin, and then turned and walked to her car. I stared for a few minutes as she went, before getting into my Honda. Lauren and I had only spent about an hour together, but I got the feeling she would be an important part of my life. As I drove home, “All I Want for Christmas” came on the radio, and I smiled.

[wooleeza]

C3AFA SG2017 B-Pro Meet and Greet Session

Alright, I have to apologise for the delay here. RL caught up with me and I got distracted by other awesome Kakki-related situations… *cough* photobook *cough* but in case anyone is still interested, here’s my account of the Meet and Greet experience. (This is woefully lacking in details compared to my account of the Stage Q&A, no thanks to my procrastination… time is indeed a merciless memory-eating monster!) Still, long post ahead, for those who are still interested in reading this account.

I headed to the Meet and Greet venue along with Wenchie and Yolanda to join the queue to enter the room. I was truly amazed by the zeal of some of the fellow fans, who were decked out in cosplay (someone was dressed as Cup Noodle King Noctis!) or wielded merchandise from both Kakki’s and Tosshi’s past live shows. In comparison, yours truly only brought a handmade gift for Kakki, which I was allowed to place in a collection basket (we were not allowed to personally hand the gifts to the artistes.) After the verification was complete, we were ushered into the meeting room – there must have been at least 70 people or so, and we were all standing as close to the stage as we could. Thankfully, someone in the audience requested for us all to be seated on the floor, so that we could all get a good view of our beloved seiyuus. Thank you to that brave soul who spoke up for all of us! (C3AFA – please keep the comfort of the fans in mind too! >.<)

We all waited with bated breaths as the MC introduced herself (I honestly don’t remember her name) and asked if we were all ok if the entire M&G were to be conducted in Japanese. More than half the room went ‘Yes’, and I was among the few moaning “Nooooo!”, so she agreed to translate what she could in summary. I heard from some other attendees that her translations were pretty accurate, but I had hoped for more translations to be honest because I only understood less than 10% of what was actually said! She reminded us of the ground rules that no photography or recordings of any sort were allowed, which we all pretty amiably agreed to. Anyway, we were all waiting anxiously for Kakki’s and Tosshi’s arrival.

Kakki entered the room first, and frankly my mind went blank at the sheer beauty of the man up close. How could any man be that pretty!? He smiled and waved at us before taking his seat on the mini stage.  Then Tosshi arrived… or rather sneaked his head around the doorway and lingered there. (So cute!) The fans screamed louder so that he would enter the room, after which he walked in and joined Kakki onstage.

The MC told us to cheer loudly to welcome them both (which we were already doing), and then for inexplicable reasons launched into telling us the history of B-Project. I know it’s meant to promote the show, but really, this segment could have been covered during the stage event or presented in a more enjoyable manner. (Take note, C3AFA!) Sensing the mood drop in the room, Kakki decided that it was his turn to play up the tension at this point, so he flopped facedown onto the table, where the cordless mike was placed, claiming that he was too tired to hold up the mike now as it was post-lunch. Tosshi told us to cheer louder to wake him up, but Kakki said that it wouldn’t work – the cheering would be a lullaby to him. He demanded for a glass of beer instead. Then, he made a big show of taking out a bottle of eye drops from his pocket and squeezing the tears into his eyes. At this point, he realised that there was no tissue nearby. Tosshi decided to play up the tension even more by ripping off a small section of paper from a sketchpad on the table, and pushed it into Kakki’s face! Amid the fans’ laughter, the MC requested for a tissue packet to be passed to him, and fans were beginning to take out tissues from their bags, (bad move, MC!) until another member of the staff placed a packet on the table for Kakki. (Honestly, I wonder what would have happened had I lobbed my tissue packet at Kakki. XD Anyway, I decided to maintain respectable behaviour!)

The MC continued the history segment, but her mike began to sputter in volume so she had to switch over to one attached to the lectern at the side of the stage. Tosshi and Kakki got hold of her cordless mike and took turns testing it by vocalising “Aaaaaaa~” into it loudly. They declared rather raucously that there was nothing wrong with the mike, so the MC tried using it again and tested it by blowing right into the mike. Tosshi and Kakki visibly cringed at this treatment of the microphone, much to our collective amusement.

After that tedious history segment was done, the session became more free form. Tosshi again commented that everyone in the room actually understood exactly what the MC had been saying (in English) except for him. He expressed feeling bad that the session had to be conducted in Japanese on his account, but everyone assured him that it was all “daijoubu!” The MC then asked them about their recording experiences, and Tosshi shared that they are all familiar with one another and the characters by the time they record the songs, so it’s usually very smooth. However, there was one occasion where he was distracted because of a long nose hair (hanage) he had. After that revelation, the word “hanage” became a running joke throughout the rest of the M&G.

Next, the seiyuus were to compete against each other in a drawing contest. If the answers were wrong, or if the drawing was not good, then that person would be the loser for that round. They were to answer questions about Singapore and sketch their answers out, while the fans were not allowed to shout the answers out but could give them hints through gestures. When asked for their pre-battle words, Kakki said that he would show us his own unique style, while Tosshi claimed that he would produce works of art. The first question was “Singapore is also known as the ________ City.” which meant that they were required to draw a lion, but both of them thought that they were to draw the Merlion instead. As they began their artwork, some fans said that there was no time limit stated and that there should be a time limit, which the MC eventually acceded to. The seiyuus were given a time limit of 30 seconds and some fans began to count the seconds down. Kakki seemed somewhat annoyed by this and said, “Hey, you guys are really noisy!” in a good-natured tone. Tosshi then took up his mike and blasted, “Uruseiii!” which caused the fans to cheer even louder. The countdown continued regardless. When the time was up, they revealed their answers and both of them actually drew really good Merlions! Kakki isn’t known to be good at art, but that Merlion was a pretty good representation. Tosshi’s artwork was indeed impressive. However, the answers were wrong, since they only had to draw a lion! At this point, Tosshi quickly flipped his sketchpad over (to the page he had partially torn off to wipe Kakki’s face with) and began sketching a lion in record time. It was a great sketch too! To everyone’s amusement, he had also added nose hairs to his creation.

The next question was “Singapore has a famous dish known as Hainanese __________ rice.” which required them to draw a chicken. It was really funny to see all the fans suddenly begin flapping their arms, so the seiyuus got the hint immediately. As they were concentrating on their drawing, the MC suddenly made an announcement in English that someone had been caught taking photos and recording the segment, and said that this person had to immediately delete the information from her smartphone. Everyone tensed up the moment this happened, and Kakki’s expression turned very grave. He picked up his mike and personally reminded us that photos and recording was not allowed, and the mood visibly dropped in the room. We were fairly quiet after that, so the MC tried to lighten things up by commenting on the sketches they were making. She said that the drawings were indeed unique to the style of both Kakki and Tosshi. At this point, some fans shouted out “Hanage!” which finally lightened the mood again, and Tosshi obligingly added nose hairs to the chicken he was drawing. When both of them had finished drawing, Tosshi revealed his chicken, which was all kinds of impressive, even with the nose hairs added! The man truly has an artist’s eye. Then laughter erupted through the room when it was Kakki’s turn to reveal his chicken, which was… recognisable. *facepalm* I truly have no other words to describe its appearance! It was a rather tragically hilarious representation of the fowl in question.

Obviously, Tosshi won the quiz round, so Kakki had to do a forfeit of saying mushy words to us. We all held our collective breath as he said something along the lines of “You are mine. I won’t hand you over to anyone.” Ahhh that voice!! My Japanese isn’t good enough to understand those words the moment he uttered them, but dammit I was dying from just hearing that soft tone live. We all cried out in sheer bliss after hearing that. The MC cheekily asked if we wanted to hear more from him, but before the clamour rose any higher, quick-thinking Kakki said that he believed we all wanted to hear Tosshi instead. ((Frankly, I came just to hear you, Kakki!)) His hand forced, Tosshi obliged the crowd (after shouting “Uruseiii!” again) with a line that went something like a tsundere “If anyone hurts you, I will kill them.” Yes, he sounded really badass and possessive! After the mushy lines were said, Tosshi was presented with a jar of Ya Kun Kaya spread (coconut jam), our local pride and joy, as his prize. They were both adorably clueless about what it was until the MC told them about it, after which Tosshi proudly waved the gift in his hands.

We had been told prior to the meet and greet that pre-signed gifts would be given out to selected participants, but had no idea how the process would be like. At this point, the MC revealed that 4 people out of all those present would get the gifts, which were small boards bearing Kakki and Tosshi’s autographs. The clause was that we had to win against them in a rock-paper-scissors contest. We were all quite confused as the MC explained the rules but we eventually understood how to play. All participants were to stand. Kakki was to go first, and anyone who managed to beat him (not tie or lose!) would remain standing while the rest had to sit down. Tosshi would go next, and the same rule would apply until only 4 participants remained standing. I managed to beat Kakki (rock vs. scissors), but not Tosshi (scissors vs. rock). T_T After Tosshi’s round, there were a fewer than 10 left standing, so the contestants had to defeat one another until only 4 were left. At one point, there were just 5 players left and I honestly felt bad for the last girl who came so close and yet so far! The boards were given out to the winners and I managed to take a picture of one of the boards when I exited the room later. Those lucky girls! Good on you for winning those boards!

After the high of the jankenpon, the MC announced that it was time for Kakki and Tosshi to say goodbye, to which all of us let out distressed noises. Nonetheless, it was indeed time to bid farewell. Tosshi said his thank yous first, saying that he had not expected to travel to Singapore to promote the anime at all, and he now wants to learn English from Kakki. Kakki said that they really depended on fans outside of Japan to spread the word about B-Project, so he asked us to continue our support and to help them promote the anime as well. Then the MC said that as a parting gift, the seiyuus would personally hand us merchandise as we fans exited the room, which we were all really happy about. Both Kakki and Tosshi left their seats on stage and headed over to the table by the exit, where they would say their thank yous individually to each fan. We were told to line up in an orderly manner and instructed to “please do not to touch the artistes!” Wenchie and I both laughed at that, because we had talked about an imaginary scenario earlier where we would have a mock fight, and push each other in such a way that I would fall on Kakki’s lap while I shoved her at Tosshi, and that if she fainted I would instruct Tosshi to give her mouth-to-mouth. Oh well, there went our devious plan out the proverbial window! We decided to hang around in the room as long as we were allowed, so I basically gawped at Kakki the whole time while he distributed the merchandise, looked into each fan’s eyes and said very sincerely, “Thank you very much.” He’s just that beautiful up close. When it was my turn, I was honestly tongue-tied, but eventually managed to stumble out, “I’ll see you at Kirafes!” and his expression turned incredulous for a second (coz getting tickets for that is war every year!) and I certainly hope he wasn’t turned off by that bold statement! (What can I say, Kakki? I’ve only been obsessing over you for this entire time! T_T) Then I had to look away to receive my gift from Tosshi as well, and my farewell to him was a lot less awkward. He said “Thank you” to me, and according to Wenchie, he also said “Bye bye” to her, which made her really happy. Then we had to leave the room, but I lingered near the doorway to keep staring at Kakki until the staff told us that we had to move away, after which they closed the door.

The B-pro merchandise that we were given comprised a colourful tote bag (I honestly don’t know the anime well enough to recognise the symbols on it), a file, 2 character badges and 2 phone accessories. I managed to get a Momotarou phone accessory among them. <3  Someone traded one of the character badges with me, but the ones I now have are pretty cute. I’d kill for a Momotarou one though!

Final thoughts:

Kakki and Tosshi were really gracious and infused the entire stage and M&G experience with lots of smiles and humour. Kakki is smaller in person than I thought he would be, but I guess they all look much larger on TV. I’ve probably said this ad nauseum by now, but he’s really, really beautiful. I simply couldn’t stop staring the whole time. His voice is so magnetic too – it was magic hearing it in person. I’m almost glad he can’t draw well, because it just proves that he’s human after all! XD Tosshi is really cute – a pint-sized gentleman with an unexpectedly big voice, and I am really impressed at how multitalented he is.

This has been mentioned before by xpeppermin, but I feel it must be reiterated here – fellow fans, please treat your idols with the respect they deserve. It really wasn’t pleasant to see Kakki and Tosshi bothered by the revelation that they were being recorded, and that their photos were being taken when the rules explicitly stated that no photography and recording was allowed. I understand your ‘hunger’, but you’re doing so at the expense of everyone else, which is really selfish behaviour.  Kakki didn’t have to remind us personally, but the fact that he did showed the degree of his annoyance. That tone brooked no disobedience. Also, from what I understand, Tosshi is an extremely private person, so such experiences must be very traumatic for him. He didn’t even understand what had been happening until Kakki spoke up. Also, as I’m not active on Twitter, I was not aware until later that some fans even stalked Kakki at the airport and during his outing at the USS. This is really beyond even what is considered unacceptable. They’re human too – please respect their need for privacy. After all, I really really hope that they will both come to Singapore again. Let’s keep the fan meets wholly pleasant for them so that they would want to come again, which is what everyone wants, isn’t it? Do not hurt the chances of this happening by behaving so self-centredly. Please put yourself in the place of the idols, and do not do anything that you wouldn’t like done to yourself.

For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed my overall experience. I arrived with no expectations, having had no prior experience of any such events, and left with awesome memories to last me till the next time. While I do wish that there had been more time for idol-fan interaction (e.g. getting them to answer written fan questions, or perhaps a group photo with all of us present), I was more than satisfied with what I got. Just like in the song “I Could Not Ask For More” (Sara Evans):

I could not ask for more than this time together I could not ask for more than this time with you And every prayer has been answered Every dream I've had's come true Yeah, right here in this moment Is right where I'm meant to be Here with you here with me

Thank you, Kakki and Tosshi, for coming all the way to Singapore from Tokyo, to spend these few hours with us here in Singapore. Kakki, I’ll never forget the few seconds where our eyes met and we held each other’s gazes as you very sincerely said, “Thank you very much.” Those few moments across the whole of eternity belonged solely to us. In that moment, I encountered the most present you. Truly, I could not ask for more. I only wish I could have said in return, “Thank you for sharing the best of you with me.”

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 67 of 83 : World of Sea

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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 67 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

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Chapter 24: North to the Dragon Sea

Kurin was dreaming.  She was at that pleasant half awake state where she knew that she was dreaming and just let the dream go on.  She was having a flying dream.

Looking down from thousands of feet up, she could see sails that she recognized as those of the Dorton.  By the sun, she could see that the ship was going south, just its topsails aflame in the light of the rising sun, the rest of the ship still in shadow.

She could feel every nuance of the subtly shifting air and adjusted her wings and tail, even the individual feathers, to catch and use it all.  Riding the line of the dawn, she left the ship effortlessly behind.  Another ship hove into view.

The Longin could not be mistaken with her lean, clipper like hull and distinctive big lateen rigged sails.  Dreamily, Kurin knew that she had business with this ship but later.  There was another thing to do first.  The cool dawn air was a glory to fly through and she left that ship behind as well.

There was a serene certainty about her destination that was felt in terms of exquisitely fine changes in the response of muscle and nerve between the place where she was and the place where she was going. It was like nothing that she had ever felt before.  She knew that she could not get lost, so long as she could feel these invisible webs in the air.  It was with the realization that this knowledge of place came from the Orca whales and was relayed through Dari to — — a picture of an anvil-topped Thunderhead cloud formed and she knew that it was herself.

Kurin jolted awake with the realization that she had been sharing the sensations of Thunderhead as he flew south on his errand.  She was tucked into the covers of a bunk and someone was laying alongside her, outside the covers, arm over her.  Tanlin’s face was relaxed, smiling in her sleep, inches from her own.

Careful not to dislodge Tanlin’s arm, Kurin snuggled closer.  She had not slept with anyone since Cat had gone back to the Sea, more than five Gatherings ago.  She missed true human contact terribly, and worse, had not even known it until just now.  Gray eyes slowly opened and looked into her own.  The smile on Tanlin’s face spread to a delighted grin.

“Ye wonted t’ know,” Tanlin said in her thick accent.  “‘Ow do ye like flyin’?”

“It’s wonderful.  How did you do it for me?” asked Kurin marveling.

Tanlin’s brow furrowed as she struggled with the answer.  “We all four share a t’ing in common.  Blind Mecat’s Gifted us all.  T’under’ead an’ Skye an’ Oi were all Gifted at once, wit’ a common tie.  Ye got yer Gift Gat’erings ago.  Nevert’eless t’ere’s an underlayin’ bond between us all.  Last night, Mecat showed us ‘ow t’ reach t’rough yer walls against t’e world an’ let ye experience w’at ye wonted.”

In a quick turn of subject, she added, “Breakfast?”

To Tanlin’s surprise, the usually ravenous preteen Kurin said, “Not just yet.  I have a favor to ask.”

Suddenly serious, Tanlin said, “Ask ‘t, t’en.”

Kurin paused, fearful that she was about to ask too much of another person. “Would you just lie here and hold me for a while?  I haven’t really been held for a long time.”

Tanlin immediately gathered Kurin into her arms and held her close.  In a slightly scandalized tone she said, “‘As naebody given ye ‘ugs since Mecat?  T’at’s w’at, about five Gat’erings?  Near ‘alf yer life wit’out hugs?  T’at’s a terrible t’ing t’ do t’ a child.”

“I did get a few,” said Kurin holding Tanlin fiercely, “when I did something well, mostly.”

“T’at’s even worse,” said Tanlin, stroking Kurin’s head gently.  “‘T teaches ye t’at love an’ affection are conditional.  T’ey should be freely given.  Even Barad understands t’at.”

After a while of just feeling safe in the arms of someone who simply cared, Kurin finally said, “Let’s get that breakfast now.”

Things were finally getting settled down on board the Dark Dragon and her cohort the Soaring Bird.  The search was over.  The chaos that followed the storm was now past.  Nets were spread to begin the process of resupply.  So far as anybody knew, the whole unpleasant mess with the Grandalor was over.

Finally, Sula could relax.  She had settled herself comfortably on top of the bridge where she could observe while her first officer took over. She knew that her ship was in good hands and let her concerns drift with the clouds as she set to work at the lace making tray that Kurin had showed her how to use.  It was a matter of taking the time to get skilled.  This was easy work to bungle…not that Sula was afraid of failure.  All that it meant was…

“Thread from this bobbin around that pin,” she muttered. “Then this bobbin thread and that tie just so…”  A shadow swooping over startled her.  A Wide Wing had swooped behind the foresail, banked tightly around, low over the pilot house and passed just above her.

Sula shaded her eyes and watched as the bird dove, not far off the starboard bow.  She was just about to turn back to her lace when the bird surfaced and began its long takeoff run across the water.  It turned diagonally across a wave that lifted it.  With a powerful down-stroke of wings, as the wave crest passed under the bird, it was airborne.  It swept across the wind flapping and soaring as it picked up speed and turned into the breeze.  It shot up like a crewman going up a line, turned gracefully away and swept downwind, then back into the breeze and up again.  Sula watched with envy as the bird gained the freedom of the sky.

Suddenly, with no warning, the Sea Hawk swooped toward the ship, coming just over the pilot house again.  This time, it dropped something that hit at Sula’s feet with a wet splat.  The skelt was still flopping as she stooped to pick it up.  The starboard bridge lookout whooped with laughter to get her attention.

“We been tellin’ you to eat better!” he signed as he pointed at the bird, nearly doubled over, hands fluttering in silent laughter.  “Now even the birds are tryin’ to get you to eat properly.”

Sula hurled the skelt with good natured accuracy.  It thumped into the center of his chest.  It was then that Sula noticed that the bird was struggling with something on its back.  It got the better of whatever it was and swooped in for a third time.  This time she was ready. She caught what the bird dropped as it swept past.  It was a finely crafted capsule of thin Strong Skin.

It took only a moment to see how to open it.  The tightly folded and rolled parchment began to unfurl in Sula’s hands.

“To whoever receives this: …”  she began and read the note through.  She pressed her hands to her face and shook her head. “It’s true… We did that.  It must be righted at once.”

She looked about her proud ship and the bright day seemed grayer, somehow.  She climbed down from the roof of the pilot house, pausing only to put away her lace tray.  She personally went to the big hailing drum and began to orient it on the Soaring Bird.

The two bridge lookouts gazed on in silence until she left.  Silent fingers carried the conversation that followed.

“Whatever that said, it took the wind from the Captain’s sails, right enough.”

“I’ve never seen her taken so, but the day of the first attack of the First War.”

“Her husband was burned to death that day, wasn’t he?”

“Aye, Davaros was one of the very first to be killed.  I wonder what this news was?  Seemed near enough as bad to her.”

They were interrupted by the hailing drum’s thunder.  “Huld, emergency!  Gather as many of the Captains as you can and return at once.  Emergency!”  This was followed by the ship’s tocsin sounding General Quarters!

“T’was bad, right enough!  Looks like we’re going to war readiness,” commented the starboard lookout as they headed for the assembly of the crew.

When the crew was assembled Sula stood before them, striding nervously back and forth.  Not with her usual calm assurance, as many noticed.

She held up her hands were all could see and signed, “This is difficult for me to say to you who have followed me for so long,” she began, plainly upset.  “I need to lay before the Company of this ship the case for a great wrong committed by myself and ask for a vote of confidence in my Captaincy.”

There were shocked murmurs at this announcement.  This was something that had never happened before.  Crewfolk eyed each other trying to guess what could be so bad.

Sula raised her hands for attention again and got it.  Her fingers flickering in Dayspeech, she stated, “I have participated in the violation of the Second Great Law.  Recent events seemed so reasonable that I never even questioned what was done by the Naral fleet Council.  I stood by and watched the rights of the crew and ship known as the Grandalor stripped away.  They were denied their right to rebuttal of evidence or any semblance of a trial.  I committed this ship to the enforcement of the Naral fleet’s illegal edict.

“It is true that the evidence against them seems irrefutable.  That does not in any part excuse the way that the edict was created or enforced.

“Many among you will remember that the Captain of Captains of the Boren fleet rose to power on an exactly similar precedent.  He was able to convict his enemies by simple assertion because the Second Great Law got set aside for just one case.  And then another.  And another.

“Largely through my error, this evil precedent has raised it’s head again.

“You have heard the case.  Kurin herself sent the message calling this all to my attention.”  She waived the note that Thunderhead had dropped into her hands for all to see.  

“Any who wish may examine the case that she has made.  Then you must vote. My own vote is already known by the fact that I called this assembly.  I vote to convict.”

TO BE CONTINUED

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