#turo would find it funny

[k-chips]

Sada: You talking shit about my man?! I'll fight you-

Turo: Sada no

Clavell: SADA NO

Sada: Hold my lab coat-

Turo and Clavell: NO WAIT

[lyricalchrysanthemum]

scvi spoilers

My brain: haha what if I brought the Sinnoh trio to Paldea. They’re immortal. They’ve traveled through time. They sure would find the ScVi conflict interesting.

My conscious: please let them rest

Like I can imagine

Lucas finds out through the grapevine known as his research circle that Paldea was THIS close to making time travel real and just. Kicks down the door.

Lucas (Candace voice): BARRY. DAWN. HOLY FUCK.

[ahdkshax]

Alright Tumblr, I have a Question and You have the Answer.

Which Pokevillain would beat the other in hand to hand combat?

This will be a series of polls and voting, y'know, the normal stuff. I even properly seeded the competition based on my own bias and what I think would be funny.

Here is the bracket:

[Description of the image for ease of reading:

A tournament bracket of all the main villains from Pokemon.

Round 1 consists of Cyrus VS Maxie, Colress VS Rose, Guzma VS Sada, and Archie VS Turo.

Round 2 consists of the winners of round 1 against Ghetsis, Giovanni, Lysandre, and Lusamine.

Description end.]

Each round will last 1 day, as is common on Tumblr.

The first rounds will begin eventually and will be in a reblog to this post as the place to find them for convenience. I will also be tagging the matches with the tag #pokevillainviolence for easy organization. (This tag will also work for like. art that gets made if that's what happens lmao)

Now, have fun and let's see which villain can kick the other's ass!

[frontierpodiatrist]

arven/nemona hc rambling (mostly arven)

back at it again with my "deep in the blorbo pit" (tag someone left on another post of mine; thought it was really funny) type posts about arven and nemona's parallels (and then in comparison to the rest of the quartet) and more about their relationships to their parental figures

i have a sort of fondness for transfem arven hcs, though i have very specific arven hcs and interpretations specific to violet-verse, and parallels with nemona i was thinking about earlier that i want to talk about

smth which i see in a lot of ppl's arven timeskip designs is that he has facial hair, something that i firmly disagree with...bc i feel like he wouldn't want to look like turo. he's already very resembling of him, which after his death, i'm sure would haunt him anytime he looked at himself in the mirror, lending to a sort of disconnect and self-esteem issues about his appearance. i feel like in violet-verse, arven would have a lot of hang-ups about traditional masculinity. turo is very traditionally masculine in appearance, in the behaviour that we witness though perhaps not purposefully (being aloof, uncaring, strict, arrogant, powerful, etc.), and arven has very strong and negative complex feelings towards his parent that abandoned him and he was previously led to believe didn't care about him. even after coming to terms with a narrative that clashes with his own, i feel like this wouldn't necessarily dissipate my personal hc is that juliana is the protagonist, bc i find the juxtaposition of arven being the only boy in the group interesting, especially in violet-verse where he has such negative associations with the only man he really knows (outside of saguaro, who is more "effeminate" in his likes and actions, and is insecure about, something i'm sure imprinted on arven). and i also find it interesting IRT his relationship with penny especially, who i strongly id as transfem herself. while he is most friendly/comfortable with juliana, due to her being a stranger unaware of his father when she arrives, he relates the most to penny on a number of factors. in this disconnect you could interpret that he has with masculinity, or male figures in his life, hearing about her father and her experience would probably be very interesting to him i feel like it's pretty heavily implied arven has identity issues because of his parent's (in this case his father's) reputation overshadowing anything about him as an individual, to the point he feels he needs to become famous of his own accord to wipe away their influence on how people see him. he doesn't really have anything he considers his own, or defining him, up until postgame when he finally settles upon cooking, though previously he thought it only a hobby. if you interpret his relationship with saguaro as very close, it's possible this is him emulating the only adult in his life really that he feels a connection with, as well. i also hc that turo was disillusioned with people, the Robot Autism and disillusioned with being human which is why he was obsessed with the future and the idea of "surpassing humanity" -> passed onto arven who struggles with his own identity as a result That being said, IRT his disconnection to gender as well, arven feels very...big brother-ly (especially in japanese) or mom friend-y, as well as cutesy and having a very strangely cute but also weird way of talking in japanese that is sort of conveyed in english. i feel like arven has a lot of hang-ups on parenting, and family. he feels like the type of person who would want a family, or kids in the future, but that due to his upbringing would struggle with the idea of being a "father", or a "mother" for that matter. but then has anxiety about being a parent at all, or the idea of a traditional family unit. aside from saguaro (who appears very "masculine" like turo, but in personality, is the complete opposite), all of arven's friends are girls. his entire support network now, is mostly girls, the only ones he feels are there for him. growing up all he had was his turbulent father, leading to some sort of complex of boys = bad, girls = good Now, about Nemona.

i'm sure anyone who likes nemona knows the whole nemo = nobody thing, etc. i think it's fairly obvious as well, that she struggles to find an identity outside of battling. unlike arven, her family isn't the only thing to her, but it's as if they were never really there at all. but you know who was? geeta. she follows geeta's advice and beliefs almost exactly, never acting outside of them because she seems so desperate for her approval and acknowledgement, because geeta is in her mind the only person who has ever validated her existence or given her something to work for. even a lot of her personality feels like it was mapped onto geeta, she will remind herself mid-battle how geeta ought to act, how a "champion" ought to act, and model that she's student council president, she's a champion, she's got great grades, she's an overachiever—and geeta is chairwoman of both the "school" and the "league", two things nemona has both, in the eyes of others, conquered. much like arven, i feel that without battling, without geeta's influence, nemona might not have much of a sense of self either, mapping pretty much all of her identity onto hers

in a sort of strange turn of events (aside from the protagonist, who is essentially a blank slate), it feels as if penny has the strongest sense of identity b/w the four of them, she knows what she wants, she has friends and a social circle outside of this group, she carved an identity for herself, she doesn't seem to imprint or map onto any particular adult or person other than herself. and in a way, you might be able to map this to the fact that unlike the other two, she had a loving and guiding parent to help her form her own identity (even in spite of all the bullying and other things she went through), where the other two did not. she had a support network

[pigefox]

Scarlet/Violet : trauma and healing

TW: neglect / family trauma / death mention Obvious endgame spoilers for Scarlet/Violet below the cut, read at your own risk... then again, this is more for me than anyone else, but...

I played Pokemon Scarlet. The endgame had me shook.  I almost didn’t want to finish the game, but not for the reason you’d think. I talked about it before, but I grew up in a toxic home. My mum and dad were constantly fighting, my brother was a chaotic violent mess, and I was sort of just left there to deal with it all. Had to take all three sides just to get by on the day to day. As I got older, the family grew apart. My estranged brother is out there on his own, and my father was left to figure his own shit out. It’s been just my mum and me ever since, and though we’ve had a rocky relationship, we’ve come a long way. We’re not perfect, but we understand each other. It was very important for me to mend that gap between us. I found out my father died October 12th, 2019. It left me feeling confused. Sad, angry, and frustrated. I hadn’t seen him since 2012, and not once did he try to reach out. For me, there was no closure. I had wanted to find him and tell him how I felt about what had happened. How I was disappointed in him, and just wanted him to be there. I wanted him to see how far I’ve come, and how much I’ve grown. I thought that maybe, it would have been enough to instigate change. Maybe he would sober up, and at least have a relationship with his daughter.  Over time, I came to accept his death, and moved on. Now... when I was playing Scarlet... I felt a lot of emotion through the whole Sada bit. Between her breaking the news that the professor was dead, trying to make amends by putting a stop to the “original” professors’ plans, and telling Arven that he was still loved, even to the very end. It had me in tears basically the whole time... but nothing could have prepared me for experiencing Turo’s story. I watched a Violet playthrough for the Turo scenario, and I don’t think there are words to properly describe how it made me feel. When I looked at him, I saw my dad. When he said that he had died, I felt like I was thrown back to the day I found out. When he wanted to make things right, I imagined it was for me. When he apologized for being gone for so long, I forgave him. And when he said: “your father truly loved you”, I believed him. And when he said “farewell”, I felt closure.  “Even if it was fake, it... felt real, you know.” I know. It took me a while to gather my thoughts on this, because I don’t think a lot of games had this kind of impact on me. But it just hit too close to home for me to ignore. It’s kind of funny, how something as simple as a video game can help you recover from trauma you never really healed from.  Having this kind of thing resolve right at the end of the year... really does help us to carry on with life. For that, I’m thankful. 

[turojo]

what's your muse's biggest dream? and in return, what's your muses worst nightmare? their best and worst possible ending according to them?

Turo's dream was the future in a sense. He wanted to see TOMORROW in a sense of great advancements and achievements in his lifetime. Lifelike AI, androids and cyborgs amongst organic things, technology that was seamlessly blended into the everyday or systems that can think for themselves for greater output. He was greatly inspired by Heath's work and his own specialty in coding and technology.

His nightmare actually came true already. Failure on a such a grandiose scale and the inability to differentiate reality from work. He wasn't as level headed as he thought he was and his work slowly took the place of where he should've been, with his family and using the work to benefit people. Funny enough that finding tomorrow in a theoretical sense warped into creating a time machine to bring the past and future NOW and then keeping everyone out of the funny pit they would've called paradise for only their family's benefit and the horrors that came from it.

But overall this genuinely is the best possible outcome. Should he and Sada succeeded the paradox Pokemon would've taken over Paldea, both of them would never come out of Area Zero again most likely locking themselves in with Arven and uuuh, yeah, bad end for real.

At least in this ending one parent snapped out of it midway is good...should've done it better though and like...not run off for ten years. But hey! He's uh...back (hopefully he stays on the straight and narrow).

The better reality has both parents alive and realizing they should've stopped with their research after the tera orb project, return to the surface, enjoy their success and accolades for what they did for themselves and Paldea, and raise Arven as a functional family. But that sounds too good to be true sadly.

[ask-turo-and-sada]

Another story!

"Another story, huh?" Turo muttered, rubbing his chin. "Let's see...."

What other stories did he know...?

"Okay, how about this one."

The girl scooted closer, watching Turo in interest.

"Once upon a time, there was a boy and a girl who went to school together. They both wanted to be professors when they grew older, so they were in a lot of classes together. For the boy, it was love at first sight. The girl was beautiful, brave, smart, and strong. He made sure to always sit beside her and that any projects were done together. As time went by, his feelings for her only got stronger."

"What about her?" The girl asked. "Did she like the boy too?"

"Of course. She thought he was amusing, especially when he ran into doorframes or poles." Turo chuckled. "She had the most blinding smile that it was hard to see where he was going. She enjoyed playing hard to get and enjoyed the funny faces the boy made when he concentrated or the way he would pace when talking about something that fascinated him."

The girl giggled. "Did they get ever together?"

"Oh, of course they did. They've been married for 25 years and have a 15 year old son."

"Are they happy?" The girl asked, tilting her head.

Turo smiled. "Extremely happy."

Current time: 10:00 pm.

[See if she'll let Turo leave or find another game to play?]

[a-tale-of-legends]

With the dilemma of the professors, why not just put them both in the AU? Both Professors have the same goal and they both mention Arven’s other parent leaving and how no one else was willing to help them, hence making the AIs. If they are together, Arven gets both a mother and a father and they’d have someone to work with along with the AIs of themselves. They both want to make a time machine and bring back Pokemon from the past and future, of course they’d want to collaborate on that as they’d have similar goals just different points in time.

I love how I get this ask just after I post a similar idea except Turo isn't an ai, he was just called by AI Sada to help with whatever is going on in Area Zero. This isn't bashing your idea btw, I just find the timing very funny.

Going to your idea, my first thought was " damn, Arven getting the wambo combo of angst here", cause you know. Two neglectful parents. Both end up dead. It's very interesting how you see the professors wanting to work together here, though the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. In both versions, the original goal was to bring paradise for those they care about, mainly Arven. So naturally, what better paradise than bringing both the past and the future to the present? It would be a perfect world, in a sense.

I was gonna go on a tangent about how I was worried with both of the professors existing, it would lose the tragedy that I think they have, but honestly? They can still be tragic characters even without the starting point of their spouse leaving them. They died trying to find paradise for Arven, and in my personal hc, they finally realized how terrible parents they have been. Honestly it's even more tragic since the two might have died together ( maybe one fell first then the other....imagining them reaching for each other before death....oof).

So honestly? Good idea! I know myself, so I'm gonna mull over it for a while, but thank you for the input!

[insecateur]

Ok I heard you say somewhere you also like professor birch so i'm very curious to ask your opinion on the mainline pokemon profs

Also damn you, you are lowkey making me want to practice my french again

yes!! birch is my favorite pokémon prof actually :^) i haven't drawn him in so long i would like to draw him again at some point... and maybe write something about him also...

i'm so sorry that i'm inspiring you to get back into the cursed hell language that is french. i'm (somehow) picking up writing in french again and remembering all of our nightmare tenses is filling me with dread

opinions on mainline pokémon profs (chronological order)

putting it under a cut just so it's not too annoying LMAO

oak: i like him a lot!! i love that he has such a stocky build... he's so THICK in pokémas it's so funny. he's the OG obviously so you gotta respect that but i do just like him in general.

elm: he was actually my favorite pokémon prof as a kid... i loved him in the anime, there was something about him being so tsundere about oak lmao. i like that he is a nerd and i like that his area of expertise is pokémon eggs, i think it's cute!

birch: MY BELOVED... i think birch needs more love... he is My Type. (beard. kind of a mess.) i find the way he seems to get attacked by wild pokémons a lot very moe. my headcanon is that he was apprentice pokémon prof alongside sycamore and maybe... they had a thing together... (i would like to write about it someday perhaps...)

rowan: oji-san... i like his mustache... obviously he's augustine's mentor so i like him. if i were learning to become a pokémon prof under prof rowan i would simply have a crush on him... it's inevitable... also i like that he's very outwardly stern and serious which contrasts with the previous profs who are more chill.

juniper: my gen5 knowledge is lacking bc it's the region that interests me the least but i do like her! her area is interesting and i like that her dad is also a pokémon prof. i remember liking her when i played bw (did not play b2w2 sadly)

sycamore: nasty man. never seen this guy in my life. would not trust him ever. j/k I WAS VERY NEGATIVE ABOUT HIM AT FIRST... he kind of checks all the cliché french guy boxes which annoyed me at the time LOL but obviously i have Come Around. i like the subtleties of his personality! i wish he had played a bigger role in the games tbh

kukui: my second favorite... i drew SO MUCH art of him when sumo was first announced. i like that he is basically the chillest guy but also very dedicated to what he's passionate about, which funnily enough is opposite to what sycamore is into (i.e. battling) HIM LIKE... letting pokémons use their moves on him to study them. absolute chad. also he's hot

magnolia: i'm so sad she's basically a non-entity in the games lol we finally got a new female prof and... well. i know it's because she's basically About To Let Sonia Take Over The Mantle but it makes me sad... i feel like pokémon has a bunch of older ladies and i wish they could get bigger roles!

sonia: idk if she counts??? she's listed as a mainline prof on the bulbapedia page so i'll say she counts. i like her! i actually really liked the whole storyline where hop realizes he wants to become a pokémon prof and he starts studying under her etc... it was very sweet. also i like her design. her 6* EX in pokémas looks gooood

laventon: I LOVE LAVENTON SO MUCHHHH HE'S SOOO CUTE i love his bobble hat... i love his fashion sense... legitimately one of my favorite PLA characters i've been meaning to draw him for ages and still haven't because my brain is too busy rotating the two same french men over and over

cannot really say much about the new profs for the next gen because we don't know anything about them LOL i love the past/future theming though. they are both hot and i appreciate that. i like that turo is wearing a futuristic skin-tight suit—

[omamervt]

I always find it funny when I see a Game Theory about Scarlet/Violet's time machine not being real because of the evidence that a Pokemon we've not seen yet is likely involved. All the evidence you need to know that it's not true is the AI professor. I'd accept it as a possibility if it weren't for the AI. Turo and Sada were corrupted by their own desires and went down a dark path that eventually cost them everything. They could have easily been fooled by a Pokemon or whatever simply giving them what they wanted to see. But the AI? Doubt it. It was smarter than them, and it questioned every single one of their beliefs. Do you really think it would have told you you were dealing with a working time machine, would it have gone THROUGH the machine itself, had it considered ANY other possibility? I think barring any new information about the Pokemon that Arven said injured Mabosstiff, we have to assume they really did manage to punch a hole in time.

[i-write-boop-spoops]

scarvio has so many pretty men in it, can't wait to see which ones take your fancy. i know which ones i like! :3c -thenerdlordparade

cards on the table my friend, i have yet to play either scarlet or violet (i'm getting violet for christmas + i have exams anyways) so i'm not super familiar with all the fine fellas that have been introduced. i have thoughts though.

i have conflicting feelings about turo knowing what i know about the game… i mean he’s still super-hot, and there’s plenty of angst and drama potential… plus cute step-parent stuff with arven… very conflicted...

jacq is so ran through omg he is such a slut and i stan him.

i know all of tumblr is creaming themselves over larry, and i kinda get it? but also, i don’t? like yeah, he’s kinda sexy, and he’s so tired it’s funny, he’s just a normal guy, trying his best, working too much, just wanting to sleep and eat nice food. but he seems like super vanillia and not adventurous at all (sfw amd msfw), like you’d be like “yo, let’s go ice-skating for a date” and he’d be like “no” then hand you money so you can go by yourself (while complaining  about it)

and yes brassius is still the man who has my heart trapped in wines~  from what i’ve seen he has a different personality than i was expecting (thought he’d be like hubert from three hpuses) but i still really like him… (i wanna say it’s not the whip, but it is) also i like to think he would paint very beautiful portraits of your pretty face :)

i am waiting until i’m a good bit through the game before i decide to write for one (or more) of these beautiful scarlet/violet boys. i still haven’t seen all the new characters (like i don’t really know the elite four or the other team star bosses) so i might find someone else that strikes my fancy!

[paradisegrave]

˗ˏˋ ʚㅤ★ㅤɞ ‿︵ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤThe funny thing about Celeste is that during all of those time loops, she COULD have switched out her Pokémon for literally anything else. Competitively, her team is terrible and there are a few certain battles that always gave her trouble that WEREN'T Professor Turo and his Paradox Pokémon. She KNOWS this.

ʚㅤ★ㅤɞㅤ˗ˏˋㅤYet every single loop, she managed to go to the same exact spots and find those same exact Pokémon over and over again. Even her Pawmi she would eventually end up benching because her mother wanted it, she would catch. She can't bear the thought of tossing aside her partners just because those are HER partners. If they're not strong enough, it's her fault and she has to be a better trainer.

ʚㅤ★ㅤɞㅤ˗ˏˋㅤIf she does attempt another gym challenge in another region and they have some rule where she can't bring her Paldean team, she'll catch new Pokemon but she's NEVER giving up on her original team.

[m3ltedmint]

TOTALLY SANE THEORY /SPECULATION ON PROF SADA AND TURO

👇

(It's ok if I don't make sense I just gotta share this)

I talked to myself about the amazing [painful] implications that were " totally in mind " when planning Prof Sada and Turo's story, which makes it more of a gut punch when it comes to all the things they've done to meet that they've been dreaming of as children could've been prevented. All by looking into professor Burnet's and Fennel's work about how they've achieved access into other dimensions [might even say worlds and universes if USUM is actually cannon/applicable to SV ] and just sat down and talked to them to see how and can they can gain access to such technology. So that their blindsided passion to find these Pokémon can be fulfilled in a way knowing that they CAN get to see these Pokémon. Which I say would be a slap in the face if Sada and Turo learned this in like Masters or something and be hit with the guilt they don't delve into more about their neglect of Arven as all that time in Area Zero to find these fantastical future and past Pokémon was doing to much. As there is others who've managed to contact Pokémon/ Pokémon like creatures from other dimensions and possibly even timelines [based on Guzzlord's world you find being a destroyed Alola] which can cool off this burning need to find these Pokémon as they can just work with them who know what they are doing to make this a reality rather than a wild goose chase with funny crystals. [Ngl it's too late for me to delve into this further and i got school tmmr ]

Here's a vid of me looking back as a voice recording summarizing what I've been talking to myself about

VOLUME WARNING - I didn't know that I was talking that loud to my laptop mic so lower your volume to hear this comfortably-ish

[blankdblank]

Glass Heart Pt 7

Prompt Wk 14 - “I can’t prove anything, but I would have thought our friendship would have awarded me the courtesy of your trust.”

…

All – @himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @sweeticedtea, @ggbbhehe4455, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, @jogregor, @armitageadoration, @fizzyxcustard, @here2have-fun, @lilith15000, @marvels-ghost, @catthefearless, @imjusthereforthereads, @c-s-stars 

  x Thorin – @evyiione, @deepestfirefun, @queenoferebor

@sdavid09

…

Five days you had gone unseen in the task of carpeting your castle. Tedious and detail oriented room by room each now had their proper flooring with most of the walls done as well. A final list of detailing molding and tiny accents were completed and you had finally reached the point you had hoped for. Turo arrived on Wednesday along with his team and a full trailer at a time all the furniture had begun being moved back in a room at a time. Early Thursday chores had to be called on account of a brewing storm set to grow worse through the night freeing you to return for a soaking bath followed by a flannel wrapped sprawl across your inflatable bed to rest before whatever Thorin had planned for you.

It couldn’t be a date, you kept reminding yourself and for the short drive to the Durin castle where you grinned at Gloin’s excited opening of the door. It seemed everyone was in a hurry and you were guided by Gloin right up to Thorin’s studio attached to his suite in the middle of what seemed to be a mass exodus when every other Durin seemed to be fleeing off to anywhere but there. With a sigh you turned from the door closed in front of you to the wall of windows to stare off at the view wondering when Thorin would be arriving to hopefully explain what was going on. Five minutes passed and it seemed as soon as you had sat on the small loveseat your eyes dropped shut and you were gone to the world.

*

“Fili. Could you send me Jaqi’s number?”

Thorin wet his lips pacing in his bedroom on the phone to his nephew, “I texted her the time yesterday like you asked. She agreed.”

“Yes, But it would be easier for me to ask her when she’s going to get here if I had her number.”

With furrowed brows Fili replied, “Gimli said she got there already.”

“What?!”

“Ya, Uncle Gloin let her in, what, twenty minutes ago?”

Thorin turned and exited his suite to stroll down the hall finding the window overlooking the driveway clearly housing your car visible through the raindrop coated windows in the rain picking up again. “Her car’s here…I’ll find her.” Hanging up the phone he pocketed to begins his search.

Kitchen, sitting room, living room, study, smoking room, all of the main floor was searched and sat empty making Thorin pause with brows furrowed mumbling, “She’s here, but not,” Instantly a gasp left him and he raced up to his studio, “He wouldn’t!” Under his breath taking three steps at a time he mumbled, “Don’t be there, don’t be there, don’t be there!”

Just in case at the top of the steps he waited a few moments to catch his breath them made a bee line to his studio door. Anxiously his tongue darted out in the hovering of his hand over the doorknob, a deep breath later and it was gripped and turned. Slowly he eased the door open wondering just what you had been peeking at, or more importantly, which of the projects focused on you would have your attention at that very moment.

A gentle bluish grey light was cast across the room and curiously he peeked into the room. The first once over leaving the impression of the room being empty, yet in his silence he caught the sound of another in the room breathing soundly. Stepping inside he eased the door shut behind him then turned again to explore fully. It only took a few moments as in his eyes adjusting to the light he caught a strip of curls cascading over the arm of his loveseat under the window. Moving closer a grin spread across his face seeing your arms resting across the arm in front of your face, with not a peaceful grin but an adorably smushed scowl in your clear exhaustion. Over the other arm of the loveseat your crossed legs were propped up with socked feet melting against the curve, your worn jeans shifted and brushed up over your lower legs paired with your drooping white shirt revealing your left shoulder and the white bra strap laying under the fraying braid looped around your neck dangling nearly to the floor.

Smoothing his hand over his lips he was torn, he had planned this night and wanted to cook with you as soon as you got here he would speak to your through in a means to impress you with his cooking skills before the film he no doubt would try to snuggle with you through as you finished off the wine. However, you were clearly exhausted and he hated the notion of waking you for two reasons. The obvious one to let you rest, showing he preferred catering to your well being over a simple date that could easily be rescheduled. The clearly winning reason being this was a perfect moment and even in his imaginations he couldn’t have possibly gotten all the details right no matter how many times he had tried to sketch a tranquil moment from you like this after so long apart.

Quietly he found his sketch pad and a pencil he left in his arm chair he lifted and set down silently opposite her. Over to the corner he crept then lit a match with a flinch of his face stealing a glance back to you. An oil lamp on the table in the corner was lit and gradually raised brighter until he felt he could get all the details without stirring you, ensuring he avoided tripping over your lopsided sneakers at the foot of the loveseat you had removed before sitting no doubt. Lowering into his chair he readied his hands around the sketch pad and pencil propped against his raised leg while he began to sketch away.

Lost for time four sketches were detailed perfectly with another to begin at your bangs falling more across your face and the shifting of shadows in the darkening of the sky in the growing rains he made sure to capture on his phone as well for lighting details if he got distracted with minor sections again. A deeper breath from you tore his eyes from the page and in a low hum you stated at the sound of pencil scratching paper, “You better not be sketching me.”

Instantly a smirk split across his face and he hummed back, “Don’t move, nearly have the shading right on your hand.” A grumble from you sounded and his smirk shifted to a pleased grin at your remaining in place, “Thank you. I am sorry to have kept you waiting, I wasn’t told you had arrived.”

“Well, it’s better than posing in art school. Least it’s warm.”

A spike of jealousy sparked in his chest and he asked, “You posed in art school?”

“Mhmm. We all had to take turns, I drew the pinup stick.”

His brow inched up, “Pinup?”

Your eye cracked open and you replied, “Ya, our Professor didn’t tolerate nudity so we all had film or photography genres, I got pinup. You ever try holding a martini shaker with your ass out on a single leg while dusting for an hour, fucking painful.” Making him chuckle.

“Your eye is open.” He hummed at you making you sigh and close your eye again.

A few more strokes and the sketch pad was set aside, “There. Up you get.” In his sitting up he caught the popping of your hip and back from your shifting out of the awkward position. The regret for waking you clear in his eyes had you looked up, still you found your feet and brushed your curls from your face hiding your bare shoulder in winding up a messy bun secured with the band on your wrist. As your arms dropped your sleeve did too in the swinging of your side swept bangs across your face when he popped up with brows raised. Nodding his head to the side he said, “Chicken.”

Your brow inched up and you followed him through the studio to his suite, the fully lit navy and silver room lined with mahogany paneling and furniture, just by the smell of it you could feel it was his even without having followed him. Faint wafts of his soaps and cologne faded into the scent of lemon soaps clearly from the freshly cleaned kitchen with utensils set out. From the fridge he brought out the ingredients, leaving the vegetables by you bringing your attention to the recipe propped up making you smirk at the unusually spicy chicken and pasta dish so out of the usual Dwarven comfort zone. “Peppers and spices, I don’t doubt I’ll see you with a gallon of water at your seat.”

The smirk on your face was met by his devilish smirk in his easing the pan of chicken breasts pre seasoned into the preheated oven, “I happen to enjoy spices.”

You nodded and turned to begin dicing the pepper you had grabbed and got another whiff of his cologne wafting your way along with his warmth at his move to your side, hiding your bodies will to speak out weakly you replied playfully, “Famous last words. Bet it will look lovely on a headstone.”

“Ha.” He let out a fake laugh, “Very funny. No doubt you could eat these like candy with your time out in Elven lands.”

You giggled softly in reaching over is hands slicing a tomato to grab another pepper, “Oh yes, where I get my fiery nature, nothing but peppers and honey for me.”

Smirking at you he caught your eye asking, “Honey adds to your flames?”

Your smirk deepened, “No, but a pinch of sweetness lures in targets for another burn.” Making him laugh in your weak giggle slicing through the pepper.

“I did not think of that.” He purred back lifting the cutting board to slide it all into the simmering pot with a sliver of water in it. Another supply of dicing came next and was soon added along with pinches of spices and you manned stirring the pot while he focused on boiling the noodles easing his task of continuing his stolen glances at you. “Do you get many comments, on your tattoos from the Elves?”

You stole a glance up at him and you let out a weak chuckle, “They have tattoos, in different styles, more visible places. I know more than a few were interested in my ‘subtlety’ so to speak, as for locations. But then they understood it all has to do with locations of power, wisdom and strength. Except for my wrist,” his eyes lowered to the paw prints on your wrist, “A reminder, just for me.” You added in peering down into the pot you were stirring again.

“Went to Gondor once,” You glanced up at him and he flashed you the side of his index finger revealing a series of Runes of his family motto between seven stones signifying his tie to Durin I. The ink worn to a pale grey over the years making you smirk, “Amad was furious when she saw it, but it helped me stay on track. We all need our little reminders.”

The chicken was soon done and he pulled it out of the oven he then shut off and returned to check on the pasta, lifting a thick strand out he curled around a fork to test the cook on it. Uncurling more of it, uncertain of your preference he offered you dangling from the fork catching your eye. Tilting your head you took a bite deepening his smirk he hid in your glance up at him, “Another minute.” Making him nod.

Over the sink you held the strainer while he poured out the pot. Onto two plates the pasta was served heartily with a chicken breast laid out over the helping of sauce over the noodles. Nipping at his lip he carried the plates over to the preset table you had missed earlier as you carried over the remainder of the food for more helpings that you set beside the waiting glass of wine. Looking at the wine brand you missed his step closer to you to ease out the chair beside you, “Would you prefer an ale, or whiskey? Balin mentioned he saw you with whiskey before.”

You shook your head, “This is fine, if you’d prefer something else-,” Sitting down he scooted the chair in under your legs then pivoted to sit on his own seat on your right swallowing dryly seeing you seated in this moment just as his mind had imagined it, coated in the rain muddled moonlight from the open windows behind you sounding with constant pattering of drops across the glass.

Shaking his head he stated reaching out to grab the bottle and the corkscrew, “I should get back to the taste of wine. Amad is hosting a sort of mixer for the traveling wine club friends she met on a cruise last year. Mention of bringing all sorts of obscure brands.”

The cork popped out and he raised the bottle, setting the corkscrew down to collect your glass for filling, he then set down again to fill his own. Putting the bottle aside he reached for his fork and you asked, “Never thought I’d hear of her on the water, wasn’t she the one who was shouting in that boat racing match when we were younger?”

Thorin chuckled and shook his head, “No, that was her sister, Malta.”

You nodded, “Ah,”

“She is terrified of pelicans though.” He said chuckling as you let out a weak giggle.

The conversation again dipped more into older stories of your youths instead of the terms Thorin had wished to share with you. A second helping cleared the supply and with the dishes put away the film on a knight he had mentioned was put on with another helping of wine carried over and by the sequel switching on by itself again your eyes drooped and his sideways slump turned him into the perfectly angled self heated vibrating pillow. Low snores filled the air as even his own exhaustion caught up to him, a stolen peek into the suite to see how you were getting on had a stolen picture from Kili to be sent to his uncle later before he slipped out again.

.

Inhaling deeply in another crash of thunder when the credits had gone silent groggily you sat up feeling his arm sliding from your side to your hip and off behind you as you spotted the time on the clock on the wall.

Again the first film started over and nipping at your lip you slipped out of his tangled limbs and crept out and into his studio to pull on your shoes. Upright again in the flickering lantern light you caught sight of a figurine bringing you to his desk on your left, the figurine of your aloof smile beside another of you scowling turned you away as you mumbled, “Have to get back.”

Turning around you forced out the memory of the move for the second helping of wine, down the steps you hurried quietly to the side door you slipped out of making sure to lock the door behind you. Hurrying in the rain you climbed into your car and sighed easing the key in the ignition still hearing his low rumble behind you. “I didn’t tell you, you look lovely tonight,” Shaking your head you shifted gears and turned around in the driveway to head back to your castle, still feeling the brush of his nose against yours followed up with the warm tender press of his lips to yours. A heavy slam of a broken branch hitting the wall had you pinned to his chest and carried a few steps behind the wall as he turned back to the window he opened to pull the metal shutters closed on with the window shut again after.

To yourself you muttered, “Must have been the wine.” Inhaling sharply your fingers fidgeted on the wheel on the long driveway remembering his hummed request for another dinner in a couple days when he was through with a project of his taking him to the Iron Hills for a few days.

.

Through the sheets of rain a large truck of mattresses. Under the covered spot outside the front door you guided the team of men through to carry the supply of mattresses into the rooms they were bought for with yours being the first to be unloaded at the long stretch of stairs leading to your tower top suite you couldn’t wait to move into in the next couple weeks. Once unloaded you thanked the men and went to making each of the beds that had been unwrapped and set onto their platforms, some of the rooms being the only thing in the rooms at all. All the while the rain poured harder and you kept to your busy work until the growl of your stomach grew too loud and you locked up, rushed to your car to drive to the diner in town across from your courtyard.

The empty diner gave you ample space to choose from and in a short wait in front of you the owner set out your full omelet spread complete with pancakes and a hash brown casserole complete with juice, toast and at his insistence sausage slices. Through your meal a few more customers entered keeping mainly to themselves, at least until one had mentioned the large truck passing through town with a clearly far from subtle glance your way for input making you smirk and reply, “Mattress delivery.”

Ah’s filled the room and the conversation quickly dipped back into more pressing matters, mainly the big Berry Festival coming up where men bake pies and treats for women to bid on. Clearly Bombur’s and Bofur’s had won the years prior with Bifur’s in a clear third and one man behind the one asking of the truck stole a glance at you then shared, “Not to mention Thorin’s.” The men all nodded clearly glancing over at you as you aloofly took another bite of your food pretending to ignore them.

Another blurted out, “Yes, had all the Lasses scrambling over it, only sank in the ranks for those holding out for the Bur’s treats. Not much on blueberries but he certainly knows his way around ground cinnamon.”

Another bite hid your smirk and all until your final bite you waited and left the bills on the table and slipped out of your booth heading for the door only to glance back in someone asking, “Lasses usually use hints on what they’d bid on. Any hints for you Miss Pear?”

Turning around you shrugged saying, “As long as it doesn’t have bananas, not really picky on puddings.” Out the door you strolled back into the waning storm to head back to your car mumbling, “No one’s planning on baking for me. Ridiculous.”

.

A shower bed into a nap for you once you had shut the metal shutters in the growing storm worrying you about the windows being damaged. Morning had Thorin off on another flight after having sent a message off to you.

‘Sorry I fell asleep on you Garfield. Heard about the early delivery, wish I could have seen you off. Heading to the airport. I won’t be gone past a few days, I swear. We can try out another recipe I’ve found along with that classic snowed in film for the actor from the Knight films we watched with that one actress in that crazy dog film you mentioned. Sending you a picture too that the boys snuck of us asleep. I’ll make sure the family is out again so we won’t have a crowd. Hope the weather picks up in case you have more. I’ll text when I land.’

The film clearly was a romance and the night alone in the castle had your heart and mind racing about what he might be expecting to happen and the image only worsened things making your stomach clench in detailing all it could on spending part of the night in his arms. Again that kiss kept replaying in your mind leaving you irritated through your readying a late lunch when you woke up in time for another call from your friend who gave you a warning that your ex had forced his way into your old studio’s records room where he might have found the forwarding address you had left and hadn’t been seen since then. Shaking your head you cleaned up from lunch when you hung up, partly wishing he would show up so you could give him a piece of your mind and a smirk eased onto your lips in imagining the Dwarves reacting to his arriving.

.

The messages between you and Thorin were rather innocent and left you wondering just how you could handle the continued dinners with Thorin if this in fact was not a date. Worries crept up again with doubts flooding in after leaving you teetering on the idea of just canceling before having to deal with learning the answer either way. The rains did not die leaving you cooped up and trying random recipes emptying your pantry so off to the town shop you went. Each aisle added a bit more to your cart and staring up torn between two types of chips your body jerked into the handle of your cart in trying to escape the reach of the person who suddenly kissed your cheek. Wide eyed Thorin stated softly, “Garfield, I’m so sorry!”

His hand still on your hip in his step closer in the shake of your head, “No, I, just, I don’t usually just get, touched. I was stuck on chips.”

“Does your side hurt? You hit the cart pretty hard.” He asked moving closer looking over your face testing your comfort on how close he could get, “I should have cleared my throat or something.”

You shook your head, “I’m ok. You’re back, and now if anyone’s gonna pop out at me I won’t be so jumpy.” You said with a weak chuckle failing to break his concerned gaze only bringing him closer.

Inching closer his hand on your hip subtly drew you closer at his careful observance of your features in asking, “What’s wrong? Something happened when I was gone?”

As your lips parted the try to turn your head was broken in the smoothing of his fingertips across your cheek scooping the curls laying across your face out to your ear. “I-.” From your ear he trailed a fingertip around his eyes suddenly were on yours again and in a clench in your chest a breath was forced into your lungs due to the reminding flicker of pain your winded moment caused. In your exhale you answered, “Got a call from my friend, just some fuss back there cuz I left. Don’t worry it’s nothing.”

“It has you flinch like that, far from nothing. What was it?”

You shook your head, “It’s hard to say.”

“Garfield, you can’t avoid-,”

“I’m not avoiding. It hurts, to say.” In the welling of tears and pain in your eyes his flossed with remorse and his hand cupped your cheek. “To you-,”

In a caring rumble he purred back to you, “I am sorry. You don’t have to explain right now, when you wish to I’m here for you.” All at once following his warm breath on your lips a warming comforting kiss began. A slight adjust of his hand still on your cheek and his arm slid around your back pinning you into his warm chest while he melted around you. If there was ever a kiss to make you forget the world, one like in the movies set irritatingly close to an explosion or more popularly in a downpour where two separated lovers left it all unspoken pouring it all into one physical action it would have been like this, at least in your mind.

Yet reality soon snaped back and whistles and snapping pictures lurched you back into reality as your warm blanket of a possible lover had drawn back tapping his forehead to yours, lowly humming, “For now, we’ll think of better things.” A devilish smirk eased across his lips and he guided you to turn facing the cart with his arm finding its home again around your waist, purring by your ear, “Like our second date tomorrow night.” A tender peck was left on your cheek and he took hold of the cart saying, “Now, what are we buying?”

Through the shop he helped you reach the higher objects, remaining at your side wrapping himself around your back whenever possible in your frozen moments of choosing again with his head resting on top of yours, a position he made sure to capture a picture of after silencing an alert for a text from Dis. Once you had paid he helped you fill your trunk then groaned at Dis’ call he answered, “Yes Dis?” His brow ticked up, “Vili, stop shouting. You’ve had two children already, why are you panicking?” Stopping your loading of your trunk you peered up at him in his hand rising to rub his forehead, “Ok, yes I am on my way. Vili, don’t push it, I’m ten feet from my truck.”

Hanging up he leaned in kissing your cheek again, “I am sorry, Dis’ being induced and wants me in the room with for some reason.”

“Well you are her brother.”

He chuckled saying, “Yes, with the boys she wanted me there too, then kicked me out ten minutes later.”

You nodded and giggled in saying, “Well give her my best through the door then.”

Making him chuckle, “I will, see you tomorrow and send pictures.” Hurrying to his truck he answered the next call, “Yes Amad, I am unlocking my truck now,” after the click of the locks unlocking he said, “I am in the truck.” Closed the door and huffed turning his phone onto speaker he set into its holder, another glance your way came when he backed out and left the lot turning towards the Midwife’s on the other side of town.

Emptying out your cart you closed your trunk and turned only to gasp and clamp your lips shut into a forced grin at Dwalin, who chuckled saying, “Sorry there Miss Pear. You didn’t happen to see Thorin? Bilbo said he saw him out here.”

“Ya he just got called away Dis’ being induced.”

His brows dropped and he huffed, “Great…”

“Do, you need a ride?”

“I,” his eyes flashed back to you then he said after a quick pause, “Nah, you just shopped. Hate for your food to spoil.”

You shook your head, “Didn’t get anything cold.”

Dwalin’s head tilted to the side, “Alright then, if it won’t put you out.”

You shook your head and unlocked your car you walked around to get in as he did the same trying to quietly accept his curled up position making you giggle and reach over between his legs to release the seat latch easing his slide backwards to a more comfortable spot. “Thank ya kindly. I’ll be sure to put it back when I get out.”

You shook your head, “No need, rarely get passengers. If ever.”

Making him chuckle, “Ah just wait till Thorin hears and that’ll change.”

You giggled again, “I think he’s a bit too serious to be seen in my car.”

 Dwalin chuckled saying, “You really have been gone a while.” Making you glance at him after you had backed out, in shifting gears you looked forward again and he purses his lips for a moment, “Have you heard about the Berry Festival?”

You nodded pulling out to the street, “Yes.”

“Any hints on what you might be interested in? Past the ban on bananas?”

You shook your head, “Not really picky.” Wide eyed you stopped suddenly when Gimli stepped out in front of you with a hand raised, hurrying around the car he let himself inside the back seat with a grin that was soon matched by Fili and Kili in their dives to slide in with Ori being pulled in with them. The pair of them pulled the door shut then grinned at you saying, “Thanks!”

Fili, “See Ori, said we’d get a ride.”

Kili, “And you’d said we’d have to walk.”

Shaking your head you started to drive again keeping an eye out for any more Durins along the way as the guys in the back stole glances between one another then Gimli said, “You know lads, I could use a good blueberry caramel brownie about now.”

Kili, “Nah, I prefer those cream and berry tarts myself.”

Fili, “Apple pie for me.”

Ori was nudged then said, “I sort of like those raspberry mousse sandwiches between two warm cookies.”

Looking at hem in the mirror you exhaled and they grinned asking, “What about you Miss Pear? What dessert tickles your fancy.”

“You all aren’t going to stop till I give you an answer, are you?” They shook their heads and you sighed, “Niro made this one dish once, this cinnamon blackberry sort of, bowl, crumble, pie thing. All gooey and sweet, let me have two of them.”

Dwalin, “Oh, the blackberry surprise! I know that one.”

“Wouldn’t say is fight off a hoard for them but I can’t say it hasn’t popped into my head I’m picking berries in my greenhouse since they sprouted.”

Fili, “Why would you have to fight off a hoard?”

You chuckled, “Apparently Durin treats are a commodity around here I heard.”

Kili, “Ah no. Not at all. Just the Bur’s.”

Dwalin nodded, “Nobody’ll outbid you on it.”

You chuckled, “Really? Cuz I remember you tackling Frerin to get his after you’d finished yours.”

He sent you a playful glance, “Not happening.”

Making you giggle, “If you say so.” At the corner you spotted another two cars packed with Durins taking their turn to unknowingly guide you straight to the exact spot you were going.

Right behind them you pulled in and parked letting them out into the sea of Durins all of whom whispered about your being there to the point where Thorin by the door turned around after hearing the echoes of your name. His ready to defend you mood dropped seeing the men pouring out of your car thanking you before your easy turn to pull out and let another car take the spot you were partially blocking. Watching you pull out and drive off Thorin’s lips parted and he fought against the urge to rush after you, though that thought died in Dwalin’s arm looping across his chest to turn him saying, “We have just the answer you were looking for.”

Thorin’s brow inches up and he glanced at Fili added in his turn to head inside, “Just the one question no one could seem to get answered.”

Dwalin chuckled at Thorin’s, “What are you on about?”

Dwalin, “Gran’s Blackberry Surprise.”

He whispered into Thorin’s ear making him grumble. “Don’t go bringing up food I was going to eat with Jaqi.”

Dwalin rolled his eyes, “For the Berry Festival, Cousin!”

Thorin’s lips parted and he asked, “How’d you get her to answer that? Everyone just kept saying no bananas!”

Fili chuckled, “Oh we did it stealthily.”

Gimli nodded, “Never saw it coming.”

The boys chuckled and Thorin mumbled, “No doubt if I explain it to Gran she won’t mind sharing the recipe with me.”

Dwalin nodded, “Absolutely! Gran has loved hearing your progress in courtship.”

Thorin chuckled, “Oh yes, five months of challenging banter and finally I stumble into a second date, must have been thrilling.”

Dwalin chuckled, “No less rocky as we had expected. Besides, Gran has been a lot more supportive than others. Most had you pegged at a year of pining.”

Thorin, “Who?!” Dwalin chuckled and nudged Thorin in through the cracked door he opened wider where Dis could be heard asking about him once again.

.

Snacks and treats were passed around and one special tin of specialty biscuits was discovered to be empty and the sharp turn of Bilbo’s head complete with inhaling glare focusing on his husband had the nephews he was plotting with scattering away for safety. Crossing the room Bilbo showed Dwalin the empty tin with brows raised, “Well?!”

Dwalin crossed his arms over his chest, “Why do you always come to me first? There’s dozens in this room! One of the Bairns could have snuck them!”

Bilbo blinked through a deep inhale then ordered, “Prove it then.”

Dwalin shook his head, “What do ya expect? For me to hang them upside down till they break? I would never!” Bilbo rolled his eyes lowering his arm to his side, “I can’t prove anything, but I would have thought our friendship would have awarded me the courtesy of your trust.”

Bilbo, “I am your husband! Empty your pockets!” His finger jut out along with his lower lip in the try at a terrifying glare startling others but only making him all the more adorable in his husband’s eyes. “Don’t you think that lovey dovey smirk will work either!” He moved closer trying to reach for Dwalin’s pockets only to have the Dwarf wiggle and squirm away from his reach, and a grip on his wrist found him spun and wrapped in his husband’s arms atop his lap forcing a scowl onto his face met with a warm peck on his cheek. “So help me Dwalin, when you release me-,”

Dwalin, “Oh now, Ghivashel,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic wrapped bundle of those very same biscuits making the Hobbit’s eyes snap wider through his sharp inhale, “Thought they might get mishandled, found some spares.”

He pulled one of the package as Bilbo muttered, “Spares-.” Only to nibble on the cookie Dwalin offered him, his muttering continued in his snacking when his wrists were freed in Dwalin’s move to circle his middle with his arms nuzzling his head into the side of the Hobbit’s head.

Pt 8

[inviictas]

⌜   DEMIWOMAN, THEY / THEM / SHE / HER   |   extraordinary being by emeli sandé, gryffindor, entj  ⌟    ⏤   meet CHARTREUSE LILANI “LEE” PELEKAI ; a TWENTY TWO year old who kind of resembles SYDNEY PARK, don’t you think? they originally hailed from KAUAI (   HAWAII   )   /   TURO (   SPACE   ) where they lived with their parents, STITCH & ANGEL   /   THE GRAND COUNCILWOMAN (   LILO & STITCH  ), but word is that they’ve been proving themselves to the united galactic federation this past year, in preparation for their near inevitable takeover. they’ve always been pretty STEADFAST & METTLESOME, but have gotten way more CONTRARY & GARRULOUS since they woke up. maybe their power of ALIEN PHYSIOLOGY can help in taking down the dome. you can check out their stat page HERE.

we are all in the gutter,       but some of us are looking at the STARS.

section one of three : backstory. 

the story they tell always begins the same way. it’s lost clarity, over time - details growing dim - but it always begins with once upon a time. once upon a time, a king and a queen wanted nothing but the children that they could never, ever have. they mourned the loss of something that was denied them by grace of their own creation, and nothing more. seeing their heartbreak, feeling their sorrow as if it was his own, a wise man set out to give them the greatest gift that he could - and in very little time at all, three perfect children came into this world, a credit to the parents they were handed to. the three were inseperable, their island kingdom a place of beauty and wonder that they explored, together, experienced, TOGETHER. they were loved. so loved. and they loved each other, too. more than anything. but the price for creation was high ; higher than what anyone could have anticipated. each of them had born with a capacity for something horrible. something evil, at it’s core. and together, together, they could have razed the world. the heroes arrived to try and save them. they knew the only way would be to separate that which never should have been separated, and though their family tried to fight, it was for their own good. one child to land, one to the law, and one to the cosmos. and they would never see one another again.

chartreuse wasn’t born as much as they were created. seeing that stitch and angel, former experiment turned family wanted little more than the children that, as experiments themselves they could never have, dr. jumba jookiba set about giving them the gift that only he could. soon after, experiments 630, 631 & 632 - chartreuse and their siblings, kaleidoscope and cerulean - were activated.

the three “triplets”, in all ways but literal, were the pride and joy of the parents they were given. everything that they could have wanted, in every single way. their family was completed in a way that no one had ever thought would be possible for them, and everything should have been perfect - for a time, it certainly seemed to be. with watchful eyes upon them, they explored the world of kauai together ; always confident i the sentiment that there was nothing much they couldn’t do, so long as they were. the only problem, the only thing that put a crack in this perfect existence, was the glitch. it was a genetic defect ; their father had had one, too, but for the triplets, it seemed to be more... pure. they were sweet children. they were good children, in as strong a way as that word can be used. but they couldn’t control when they lost themselves, and while they glitched, kauai and the people living there were in danger. the three of them together were almost unmanageable - and they were only six years old.

they would have done everything they could. they would have been there, to help them. perhaps they would have succeeded. but the intergalactic empire didn’t enjoy the news of three glitching ‘experiments’ on one, small island. it was TOO MUCH, they said. too dangerous. they were putting innocent people at risk, especially if the three got older and more difficult to contain, instead of better. the grand councilwoman decreed that experiments 630, 631 & 632 would be separated and raised as so, immediately - and though their ohana fought tooth and nail, though they tried as much as they could to change their mind, the intergalactic empire won out. they had shown leniency once before ; they couldn’t allow it now.

one was to remain on earth, and live her life the way it was intended that all three would ; kaleidoscope. one was turned over to a lab, and later, to a prison, turned into a weapon ; cerulean. and the third was to be raised by the grand councilwoman herself, heir apparent to the galactic empire ; CHARTREUSE. it wasn’t a name fit for a future ruler, and so, they were called only by their middle name - lilani - and later, by lee.

they were only six years old, back then. when they asked where their parents were, and why they weren’t with them or their siblings, the grand councilwoman would sigh and tell them the same, simple story ; a FAIRYTALE that explained the situation in terms a child could understand. a biased fairytale, of course, that glossed over how hard their family would have fought to help them - but a fairytale, nonetheless. as they grew older, lee learnt to recite it themselves. it was a reminder of the life they had, once, but it could be nothing more. perhaps it was the wording. perhaps it was the fact that they had been so young when they were taken. but the grand councilwoman became ‘MOTHER’, and the story they used to ask for every night became their humble beginnings, but not their whole life. they had more important things to concern themselves with, as the future ruler of the galactic empire.

there were those among the federation that looked down upon them, from moment one - and try as hard as they might, lee could not ignore the looks passed between dinner, or the way their lips would curl when they brushed by them, in the corridor. they were an experiment, some would say as if it were dirt - they were something artificial, and somehow, less. the grand councilwoman was fair and just. strict, and law abiding, but in her own way, she cared. such behavior was frowned upon from the aliens who lived on planet turo, what they needed to remember as a whole being that they were frowning upon the councilwomans child - but it never stopped altogether.

the glitch was used as an excuse for why they weren’t worthy to be heir. it made them volatile. destructive. dangerous. they were something the planet did not need, and many an adviser voiced this concern ; but the councilwoman, for her part, remained blind to the criticism. it could be fixed. her scientists were tasked with attempting to find a way in which to cure the defect, any means necessary. and in the mean time, to satisfy those that felt lee was a danger to themselves, and to others, a chamber was built that could withstand lee’s most horrible impulses, when they were glitching. members of the council guard were tasked with keeping an eye upon them at all times, their personal bodyguards, so to speak ; to keep them safe, they were told, and to act FAST when they began to glitch. inside that chamber, lee could do anything. it wouldn’t break. but they were alone.

more grew fond of them as the years passed than hated them, and more saw the efforts the councilwoman took as noble than frowned upon them. over time, a great majority of the turo subjects saw the attempts being made to keep lee SAFE and to help them as equally necessary, and commended the grand councilwoman for being so fair. for giving them a chance. it was funny ; lee was aware of just how many of them had hated them, once, from the stark memories that they had of first arriving. politics was a strange and ever changing place. as they grew and proved they didn’t have to destroy, the people warmed to them. had they ever stepped a toe out of line, they could be sure that they would have turned.

but this was their life. it was all about the future, THEIR future in politics, in ruling. their lessons revolved around the stars, around the ins and outs of the galactic empire’s systems. lessons about being prim & proper, about being FAIR and just, about doing the best that they could to rule, and to make good decisions. they had to learn to navigate these people ; the very ones that would tear them apart if they made a mistake were who they had to please.

in their twenty first year, lee was tasked with travelling the galaxy on diplomatic missions - all in the name of gauging public interest in them, and to allow them the chance to win them all over. they had never really left turo, up until then ; it had never seemed prudent to allow, and the grand councilwoman didn’t feel entirely good about allowing it when she did, and insisted there be a chamber built on board the spaceship carrying them that would withstand their glitches, just like the one within their home - just in case. she needn’t have worried. lee had been a fantastic student all their life ; they knew what to say and how to act in public, they knew how to be liked. they were a politician’s child, after all, and this had meant adopting a certain degree of sophistication.

they were on their way HOME, finally, when they passed out only to wake up in a strange and unusual place that they hadn’t thought about, consciously, in years. it turns out, there’s another way to tell the story. 

once upon a time, a child was taken from their parents for their own good. they were never supposed to see their family again ; but the universe finds a way.

section two of three : headcanons.

they’re an artist, through and through. when they were little, they would draw pictures of the people and things that they remembered from earth - faces of their ohana, landscapes of kauai, insignificant items that they could remember from home. as they got older, the features would change. they would try in some ways to age the people they remembered, so someday, they might recognize them - but their features would simply grow less clear, and their sketches became less detail orientated and more based upon feeling. they didn’t STOP with just earth things ; they’d paint the night sky seen from their window, planets they passed and fantastical things they saw - sketch book upon sketch book filled with their memories.

they started assigning stars and constellations to the people they remembered, too. heavily influenced by their childhood fairytale, cepheus, the king, was stitch and cassiopeia, the queen, was angel. they and their siblings made up orion’s belt, or the three kings. kalei was alnilam, leo alnitak, and they always thought of themselves as mintaka. three parts of a whole. the thought was, as they looked out at the nightsky, that somewhere a million miles away, they were looking at the SAME view as one another. it got them through the early years, at the very least.

they still consider stitch and angel as their parents, but the grand councilwoman has been ‘MOTHER’ for years now. she wasn’t a horrible person, much as she was difficult to please, at times. she cared, though she didn’t show it in any traditional ways. since it had become obvious long ago that returning to earth would never be a reality, lee let them go - keeping their few memories close, but allowing themselves to move on to stay sane.

don’t be fooled by the lack of reference to the glitch ; it was, and is, a problem that has plagued them their whole life. if not for the chamber created specially for them, lee might have wrecked the destruction that everybody FEARED. it became increasingly clear over the years that any ‘fix’ to their dna would have caused inconceivable damage to them, themselves, and though the desire was there to do so, the grand councilwoman stopped short of allowing it. 

part three of three : wanted connections.

if your character is from space, or has been there, hit me up ! there is huge possibility for them to have met lee, either on turo or while they were on their diplomatic mission.

give them ... friends. someone to help them navigate earth, which is going to be tough. someone who thinks they’re sweet. etc. 

enemies. people they butt heads with. people who can’t stand them. people THEY can’t stand. 

whatever rlly im so chill and will take what im given.

[cathrynstreich]

Reading the Market Trends…and Responding

At first glance, Bob Eidson’s path in the real estate business may look a little circuitous. But upon closer inspection, it was exactly the route needed to bring him to where he stands today, ahead of the curve on one the industry’s most up-and-coming opportunities: the investment property/Airbnb model. Here, Eidson shares how his frontline experience in the recession-era mortgage space readied him for real estate success back in his hometown of Lexington, Ky., where he tapped into his passion for creating urban infill development and read the signs on where the market was headed next. 

Maria Patterson: Your background in real estate is very varied, but let’s start at the beginning. How did you first get started? Bob Eidson: I bought my first two properties when I was 19. After school and military service, I started as a young analyst with a West Coast hedge fund that specialized in complex real estate debt assets. Those guys understood the collateral better than anyone I’ve ever known. I then joined a group out of business school where the emphasis was placed on avoiding foreclosure and keeping people in their homes. We partnered with the California Association of REALTORS® and Prospect Mortgage, and started training REALTORS® in short sales. And on the nights/weekends, I was volunteering with Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services to help counsel those facing imminent foreclosure. Those two experiences opened the door for me to then jump into the largest opportunity to make a significant impact to millions of homeowners: join Bank of America and grow their short sale business 100 times.

MP: That’s when the industry was trying to wrap their minds around HAMP/HAFA, right? BE: Correct. Bank of America wanted to massively increase their short sale business, so I joined a Corporate Strategy group tasked with increasing short sales 100 times. Bank of America had acquired Merrill Lynch & Countrywide, and had the nation’s largest portfolio (about 13 million mortgages). I spent two years on the strategy side coming up with the people, processes and technology for how to go from being the worst bank at doing short sales to being the best. Bank of America went from last place to first place in the HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives) short sale program. Last I checked, they still held that first-place position.

MP: So what led you back to Kentucky? BE: Bank of America right-sized its portfolio, so I left and got into commercial real estate and development. I moved back to Kentucky, where I had ownership in a bar and the Bourbon Review (a publication covering the world of Bourbon and American whiskey). I immediately started two real estate funds for urban infill redevelopment in tier-two and tier-three markets in the Southeast, Emerge Property & Emerge Development. We focused more on downtown core redevelopment opportunities. All of our developments offered affordable housing as well as market-rate housing. I was looking for opportunities where we thought predominantly millennial and service-based employees wanted to live, in and near the core of a downtown. These are places with high walkability scores. Further, we looked for locations that were close to or adjacent to a greenway transit corridor.

MP: Why was it important for you to develop in these types of walkable communities? BE: You have to interpret the trends and embrace them. I happen to believe that people want a lot more development around transit routes. While working for Bank of America, I moved to Uptown Dallas, and the Katy Trail opened the month I moved there. I watched this trail become a vein of energy for all walks of life and all socioeconomic backgrounds. So when I moved back to Kentucky, I wanted to develop our real estate based on similar opportunities. We believe that the future is brighter if we get people out of gated communities and living amongst each other in or near walkable areas.

Shipping containers are recycled as multifamily housing units.

MP: I understand you’ve made some innovative use of shipping containers… BE: Yes, we have completed six construction projects using old shipping containers. We just finished a multifamily concept for Emerge Development. This marks our third year of doing a project with shipping containers, and the knowledge curve has been steep! Our most recent project features four bedrooms in each of four shipping containers. The building has a stick-built core, which synthesized our evolution in thinking about shipping containers. We realized penetrations were costly, so this project features some floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, which will offer a stunning view of Lexington’s skyline. Further, the roof makes the structure look like a futuristic race car in a 3D view. Almost everyone grew up with Legos, so the use of them is so intuitive. One thing we’ve learned the hard way is that a little container goes a long way!

MP: Speaking of staying ahead of trend, tell us about your foray into the Airbnb market. BE: A year or so ago, a REALTOR® told us we might want to look into Airbnb. We were building affordable, rental and luxury townhomes with which we could serve multiple segments of the Airbnb market. We put one of our properties up on the site, and within the first 24 hours, we completely booked a 12-plex—12 one-bedroom apartments.

Within a week, we had 60 dates booked and we could never have imagined all the use-case scenarios. Right away, someone booked for all of October, November and December while they were renovating their home. We had a traveling nurse who came to town every other week to work four days in a row, and booked those dates for six months in advance. Corporations are using them purely as a place for people to bring clients to for entertaining as a third corporate space. We have an Airbnb that’s being rented to six guys who work for a FinTech start-up. They congregate here at random intervals; one is in Cincinnati, one is in Chattanooga, and one in Louisiana. None of them live here, but they come and go as needed.

MP: What implications does the Airbnb model have for the rental market? BE: I love this question! I think the 12-month lease will go away 10 years from now, as there will continue to be more specialty situations. The duration of median stay will extend. We’re at a tipping point where we’re all using something like Airbnb, whether it’s Uber/Lyft/Turo—everything makes sense to go to that peer-to-peer platform. Also, the shortage of time for everyone is becoming more acute, and the days of filling out clunky paperwork are ending. Everything needs to be seamless. There will be a further aggregation of the labor economy and the housing economy, and those will start to work in parallel.

MP: Do you see any other parallels between Airbnb and the rideshare ecosystem? BE: It’s funny, I just gave a keynote speech on this. The legacy hospitality business was different from the legacy cab business; the service standards were quite high, in a relative sense. When Uber/Lyft came along, the customer experience was 1,000 times better than what it was before. Think about it: Hasn’t your worst Uber/Lyft been better than your best cab ride? Now, compare the contrast with Airbnb and the legacy hospitality business. I think Uber/Lyft were such a force multiplier, in terms of value perception, that people switched almost overnight. With Airbnb, there are still people who prefer to use credit card points, or their favorite corporate hotel brand, when they’re booking travel. The adoption curve has been steep, nonetheless. I see the legacy hospitality business losing marketshare to Airbnb, slowly, over the next 10 years.

MP: How does your connection to the bourbon business tie in to your real estate business? BE: The frontier of our tourism economy is experiences. Half of the Airbnb guests are coming here for bourbon. I understand what the bourbon consumer, tourist and traveler wants. We’re listening and doing focus groups and the applications are all hyperlocal. That is part of the cool factor with Airbnb. Our most successful Airbnb unit is simply called “Bourbon, Bourbon, Bourbon!”

Look at the big-box hotels. All the trends are toward delivering a local theme…and they’re doing a mediocre job at it. People want to stay like a local. No one says, “I want to stay in some agnostic hotel and eat at a restaurant in a strip mall.” People want to stay at a hip place and go to a hipster coffee joint or a funky burger place. Localism is driving consumer preference and there’s a massive opportunity for disruptors to find authentic ways to do that. Airbnb is such an efficient marketplace for expressing creativity, and the best operators are able infuse the localism with good service.

MP: So what advice would you give for real estate professionals wanting to tap into the Airbnb movement? BE: Understand what your area is known for. It’s the age-old adage “Play to your strengths.” For us, it’s also University of Kentucky athletics, the equestrian industry and Keeneland, and, lastly, medical tourism. Lexington has excellent hospitals and people come from all over Kentucky for healthcare reasons. Nurses come for employment and patients come for treatment. I bought a townhome close to a hospital as a place that patients could rent as an Airbnb.

You also have to find people that understand hospitality and service—you have to start there. You have to be ready to answer questions within 5-10 minutes, even if the question is “Do you have any Q-Tips?”; and messaging through the Airbnb app is critical. Responsiveness 24/7 is a must—and you need someone who is going to walk each unit before a new guest checks in.

You also need to build to scale. I started with one unit and that went great, so I added another unit, and grew from there and needed additional scales, like three subcontractors to do the cleanings, or “turns” as their known amongst Airbnb operators. We used to manage 5-6 units; now we’re managing 68 of our own Airbnb units across five geographic locations, and we manage another 115 Airbnb units for other people, as well.

MP: Can you give us some numbers, for the analytical readers out there? BE: Yeah, sure can. We had 80 percent occupancy in the third quarter. That was an all-time high for us, and we won’t do that every quarter. But it’s averaged 67 percent for the trailing 12 calendar months. In the beginning, when I was modeling the likely revenue scenarios, I never imagined occupancy numbers over 50 percent.

MP: OK, but what about the expenses? Don’t you have at least double the operating expenses? BE: The increased OpEx (operating expenses) we have seen is 93 percent. In some cases, you can actually reduce some OpEx categories. We compared utility bills of the same building that was previously a short-term rental to what the current utility usage has been during its time in service as a short-term rental—we reduced utility expenses by 8 percent year-over-year. So with nearly a 200-percent increase in revenue, and about a 100-percent increase in OpEx, you have effectively doubled your profit. Now every sub-market performs a little differently, but we see similar numbers across our portfolio, which spans five different markets. 

MP: So what should someone do if they’re thinking seriously about converting a unit, or buying a unit, for the short-term rental market? BE: For the average person reading this thinking, “I don’t have time to change sheets or answer questions at all hours of the night,” I would say the following: Get in the game! Soon! There are best-in-class management companies emerging in this space at the local and national level. We are exploring a relationship with Evolve, which is one of the nation’s fastest-growing short-term rental management companies. Further, there are some super-intuitive “bolt-on” technology solutions to help automate much of this. We use TurnoverBnB.com to help coordinate turns with independent contractors. We also use Smartbnb to automate our messaging. Guests receive check-in/check-out instructions, and greetings on their second day of a stay with an offer to provide some local guidance on places to eat/shop. If guests ask a question about traveling with a pet, then Smartbnb has some AI features that will copy/paste information about your pet policy to the guest in the form of a direct message through Airbnb.

Take my advice: Get in the game. Rent out a spare bedroom, or your lake house or beach condo. Don’t get a value photographer, by the way—getting a professional photographer with experience in vacation rentals or other staging applications is recommended. They can optimize the light and really help you to promote what makes your property unique. It’s all about authenticity.

For more information, please visit www.linkedin.com/in/successhacker/.

Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at maria@rismedia.com. For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

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