#unordinary flight

[uno-nightshadow]

Right so I’ve dubbed my winged au: unOrdinary Flight.

Here’s the first installment with qpr Jeraphina and bat John.

[aromantisk-fagforening]

thinking about unOrdinary

I think if your main take away is that John is a bad person you kinda missed the point. not to say John is great, but the point of John's story is both to point out the different standards for people of different classes, how firm the hierarchical borders are (he's the only one who can cross them, making them consider him flawed). and it's also about bad (medical/psychological) treatment, and how that can cause serious damage, like we see with John having flashbacks and a seriously bad self image.

the point is that the system fucking sucks.

John doesn't do everything right. But he hasn't really been able to. he is terrorized constantly both times, him lashing out is a symptom of a bad system, not personal ethics. how do you say, if you activate someone's fight or flight system don't be surprised when they fight.

the only thing I'll actually accept as him being bad is the fighting against the safe house, that was bitterness, which makes sense, but doesn't justify his actions in that case.

[heliianth]

very frequent to see hate for the king john portion of unOrdinary which makes me sad bc not only is blykes solo vigilante arc EXTREMELY interesting and arlos conflict with his aunt sets up there which also gets really interesting later, but its like…. were seeing john in his purest “fight or flight” state. guy is having the worlds most violent and prolonged mental break, everything he does is some desperate grab for control so he can feel safe again. its both very revealing of his violent demeanor in new bostin being a direct result of the might makes right culture he grew up in but also what happened in readjustment just baking self-hatred into that panicked-animal-biting-whatever-moves mentality

i get that most of the hate is cuz its 36 episodes give or take and it mustve sucked waiting a whole week in between each of those (sometimes longer) only to see john keep degrading, but……. even disregarding the other arcs with other characters happening at the time, its important? its important to see him like that? i dunno. so much discussion abt it makes little to no effort at analysis beyond “john is the villain now” and even that is extremely surface level, and leads to people assuming things about the author which reek of the fact that people were reading johns mental breakdown as a cathartic revenge fantasy :(

[anon-on-a-spaceship]

I think reading the new chapter of UnOrdinary sent me into fight or flight

[idontknowmyownmind]

Just a thought about another sibling AU

Older Roksu and Younger Cale

Brown haired Roksu

Roksu loves Cale, truly, but he also flinch when he really see him after Jour's death

That's why he distants himself from Cale and not interact with him that much, if he has to than he will not really look at him

Cale, being an observant boy he is, know and also try to not bother his brother

It's hurt him but he endure

The plot:

Cale accidently made a deal with some God

The deal is to send him to another world and save it, he can go alone or bringing someone he want

He choose to bring Hans

(Honestly it's similar to my other AU with brown hair Roksu but with different plot)

The only thing send into another world are their souls

So their body is still in TBOAH world, basically they are in a coma

No matter what they do, no one able to wake Cale up

It happened when Cale's 12 years old

The world Cale and Hans being sent into is similar to Youjo Senki, where Cale need to face unordinary war

His soul was sent into a 5 years old body of some random girl while Hans was sent into a 12 years old body of random boy who actually the girl's (that Cale posseses) older brother

Their main objective in those world is to put an end on the war and organize the world after war before they can go back to their world

The God Cale accidently made a deal with promise to keep their body healthy despite in a slumber for long (but they will not grow, so when they are back they will look the same as they left no matter how many years passed)

To keep Cale's (and Hans') body safe, they place him in a secluded tower protected by Eruhaben magic

Since Cale in a come before the main timeline, Roksu's group never actually meet him (expect some like Eruhaben, Ron, Choi Han)

Cale join the army at the age of 7 and become know by the age of 9

By the age of 10 he already got a high rank among soldiers and feared by the enemies

He has a flight on sight order by the enemies but also one of those with high bounty

In all his hardship in the new world, Hans always by his side

If you see Cale, than Hans is there

Because of this, Cale become accustomed to war and the way of thinking in the midst of war

He had a sharp mind by nature, and because of this war his mind became sharper and more critical

Cale also made his heart as hard as stone in this battlefield because mercy would only kill him slowly (thing he learned at the start of the war)

He became a commander who was respected and feared even among his warriors

Every strategy he thought of had terrifying accuracy and effectiveness

Years goes by and now he is in his early twenty

He feels like the war is almost at its end

In a globally big scale war that worse than before, he finally put an end on it

The war is declared ended when he is the age of 23

Of course the aftermarth is like another war with different field

It need another years to actually settled everything into something managable

By the age of 29, this world can be said to be more into peaceful side

It seems like the God also think that it's enough, so they send Cale and Hans back into their world by having them getting caught in a terrorist act

(PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IN THIS WORLD CALE IS IN A BODY OF A GIRL)

When Cale is back to his original body, 15 years already passed

So he supposed to be in his 27 but appareance wise he still 12

Cale wake up in unfamiliar bedroom and unfamiliar surrounding

The God keep his promise because Cale can move fluidly even though his body had not been moved in years

Hans also in the tower but different room

They look around the place and outside through the windows

(Just imagine Rapunzel's tower)

His body feels lighter than ever, it turned out that the mysterious God was feeling kind because he was getting Cale's body used to his experiences while in the other world

He can also sense and see the mana around him clearly

This allows him to control mana very easily and allows him to wielding magic

Somehow he also tuned with spirits

Lets say that for those who doesn't know better, they will think that Cale is a superior race such as a whale or dragon

Waiting for three days to gather enough information, they decided to left the tower

They hide their identity and collecting information as they journey

Cale contemplate whether he need to go back to Henituse or not

Hans suggest that they wait for a bit before deciding

(Since it's older Roksu, that's mean Roksu is in his thirty here)

World Tree want to talk to him and inform him through the spirit

Cale went into them and the spirits welcome him enthusiastically which make the elves belwildered

From there, a rumor of a red haired kid who is loved by the spirits and nature itself spread

It's not long before it reach Roksu

Upon hearing this, he went to check on Cale and found him gone

He then went on a hunt for his younger brother but Cale always manage to slip pass him

Their reunioun is not something grand and not in front of many eyes

It's only the two of them, at Jour's grave

After months of searching, Roksu finally caught a glimpse of Cale

They locked eyes, Roksu stare impassively (but you can see longing in his eyes and how he seems like having so much questions) while Cale look at him with small smile

"Hi, hyung. Long time no see. Wow, you look way older than the last time I see you."

Cale said lightly as if they had not seen each other for just a few days

"And you look the same as last time I see you."

Roksu doesn't understand how Cale is not aging

They talk some more, a light talk without actually talking about the elephant in the room

That's how Roksu come back to the Henituse duchy, with additional people

Cale follow Roksu leasurely while Roksu make sure that Cale always in his line of sight

/END/

lol, idk what to add anymore ⭐️

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

//So with 30.8% of the vote, Seiko Vs The Lizard takes the spot for our 10th round.

//Dr. Kimura Vs Dr. Connors. I'm actually REALLY excited for this one! The things these two can do against each other are so interesting,

//But let's move onto the semi-final...And I'm happy to say...It's TIME...!

[NOTE: I have shown my bias towards one particular matchup on this list (you'll know which one if you've followed me for a while) and while I personally would love to do it, do not let my opinion sway your bias]

//Connections are under the cut:

Deku: Both were born as starry-eyed kids in a world populated with powerful people with unique powers and abilities as one of a few people who do not possess one themselves, driven by their affection for a faction that represented their world (Ultimate's and Heroes). Both wished to have powers of their own but are driven by different motives (While Hajime's motives were rather selfish, wanting to become someone that mattered, Izuku wanted to become a Pro Hero to help people with a smile). Both would be given the chance to receive these abilities, along with a title they would inherit with a similar "Hope" theme ("The Ultimate Hope" and "The Symbol of Hope") from some of the most important people in their world that they greatly admired (For Hajime, it was Hope's Peak Academy, a school he attended as a Reserve Course student that he looked up to since he was a kid, and for Deku, it was All Might, the Number 1 Pro Hero and his idol). The power they inherited is among the greatest power in their worlds, and permits them to use various powers and abilities from other individuals (The Ultimate Hope Talent, which bestows upon Hajime every known Ultimate Talent in history, and One for All, which bestows upon Deku the power and quirks of previous users.) Both would attend a school full of individuals with similar capabilities (Hope's Peak and U.A.) and for contrasting reasons, this led to them taking on different identities (Hajime's personality and individuality was erased by the researchers that gave him his talents, becoming Izuru Kamukura, and Izuku Midoriya adopted the Hero Name of Deku to represent his own individuality and what he stands for). At their best, both characters are selfless heroes who are admired and looked up to by their classmates and best friends (Class 77 and Class 1-A respectively), who include a jealous rival (Nagito and Bakugou), a love interest (Mahiru and Ochako), and their best friend who always looks out for them (Chiaki and Iida). Though fundamentally similar heroes, their tales, however, are not the same; Hajime's is of a fallen hero, whereas Izuku's is of a rising hero.

Sunny: Both characters are the seemingly depressed main characters of their respective video games, which largely take place within a realm separate from that of the normal human world (Danganronpa 2 takes place inside a virtual reality, and over half of Omori is spent within Sunny's Headspace, a world made of the machinations of his mind) Both realms also exist as a coping mechanism for each character's trauma (Hajime/Izuru was placed into the Neo World to restore his original personality after he and his friends were brainwashed into being Remnant's of Despair, and Headspace serves as Sunny's "Happy Place" which he closes himself inside to cope with the death of his sister Mari) but both realms came under threat of a demonic force that threatened to take it over (Monokuma/AI Junko and the "Something"). Both characters suffer from experiencing the traumatic death of the person they loved the most, which was inadvertently caused by them (As Izuru, Hajime worked with Junko to mastermind the original Chiaki Nanami's death, and Sunny accidentally killed Mari during an argument where he pushed her down a flight of stairs) and through different means, both developed a second blank-faced and soulless personality from this trauma that existed purely in their minds, which one way or another, threatened to take over, though by different means and motives (Izuru Kamukura was born when Hope's Peak wiped Hajime's personality away after giving him infinite Ultimate Talents, and then remained as a spiritual figure inside Hajime's mind until Hajime was almost killed during a fight with Nagito, and Izuru automatically took over. Sunny has Omori, which is the manifestation of himself inside Headspace, and threatened to take over Sunny in the real world, inviting unimaginable horrors into the poor boy's mind until Sunny confronted his trauma and defeated him). Said alter-ego's also have contrasting relationships with their dominant personalities (Hajime and Izuru are shown to be quite chummy, and in spite of Izuru's lack of personality and emotional attachment, he does seem to hold Hajime in high-regard. Omori however, represents the side of Sunny that closes him off from the outside world, the "killer" he believes he is, and basically represents all of the boys inner demons).

John: Both went to a fundamentally depressing school full of remarkable people, where there is a hierarchy based on the abilities and talents of the students (Hope’s Peak acted as though Talents was the reason why someone matters, and New Bostin views the higher tiered students to be literal Kings and Queens), as two people who lacked these abilities, being given less than flattering nicknames (Talentless and Crippled respectively). As a result, they grew up as resentful and jealous young men until they were given the chance to possess the most potent gift of all; one that enables them to possess enhanced forms of other people's abilities (Hajime became the prime subject for the Izuru Kamukura Project, which granted him access to every talent in the universe, making him superior to all others, while John unlocked the power of Aura Manipulation, a power that allowed him to sense other people's powers and fighting capabilities, as well as duplicate them and amplify said powers.) But as a result of being the top dog, getting these would make them go down darker paths, and as a result, they would lose not just their former selves but also any close friends they may have had, becoming the opposites of what they once wanted to be (Hajime would transform into Izuru Kamukura, the Ultimate Despair, who contributed to the Tragedy by upsetting the stability of life at Hope's Peak and ultimately causing the death of Hajime's closest friend, Chiaki Nanami; while John would turn into a ruthless tyrant seeking vengeance on those who had bullied him and his friends, eventually becoming a bully himself and losing his friendship with Claire and Adrion.) Eventually, both would conquer their pasts, even though hints of their original personalities remained (Izuru remained as a fragment of Hajime's mind and John retained some of his savagery and violence) but were saved by new friends who helped them come to terms with themselves (Chiaki for Hajime and Seraphina for John).

Min-su: Though starting out as notably kind and thoughtful people, a great tragedy turned both of them into fallen heroes and the deadliest villains known to man (Hajime took part in Hopes Peak Academy's Hope Cultivation Plan following the death of his fellow Reserve Course students that the academy completely ignored because of their lack of talents, with the intention of developing his talents; but Izuru Kamukura, a more cynical character, was born to host his body. Min-Su is an Isekai hero who returns from another world only to confront the somber reality of losing his family and being rejected by society as a pitiful nobody). Even though each of them was given their powers with the intention of using them to save and bring hope to their own worlds, once they turned evil, they started abusing and unleashing their abilities to cause the world to descend into complete misery. They are both the de facto leaders of a group of people in a similar situation as them (the Brainwashed Class 77-B and the 9-Heroes) and both have also waged war against the entire world with the sole intent of plunging it into pure Despair. At one point or another, both were battling a group of resistances that pushed them to stop trying to build a utopia centered around despair and free the world (The Future Foundation; the Restoration Government and the Resistance Heroes.) The difference lies in that Hajime eventually overcomes his despair, returns his original personality and joins the hero team, whereas Min-Su only progressively loses his mind more and more as the series goes on.

Infinite: Both signed their lives and what heroism they had away after being tempted by the ultimate power of their universe (Hope and Talent and the Phantom Ruby) which was eventually gifted upon them, or rather infused into them, to use at their leisure by a powerful group of people with a dark underbelly (The Hope's Peak Academy Steering Committee and the Eggman Empire). Both characters snapped and gave up everything, including their old personalities, to undergo said villain's brutal experiments, with the catalyst for their decision being told to their face that they are weak, useless and don't matter in the grand scheme of things (by Juzo Sakakura and Shadow the Hedgehog respectively) and through some coercion and manipulation, the two became the right hand man of the most evil villain in their respective universes (Junko Enoshima and Doctor Eggman), aiding them in bringing complete control and destruction to the entire world, in which they succeeded (Izuru led the Ultimate Despair against the world and helped Junko bring about the Tragedy, and Infinite defeated Sonic, allowing Eggman to conquer the world). Thus becoming the biggest and most powerful threat to the resistance organization that battled against them, including a spiky-haired protagonist (Makoto Naegi and the Future Foundation, and Sonic the Hedgehog and the Resistance). Both characters are also shown to possess a degree of boredom to the world that they let guide their actions (Hajime/Izuru is so powerful, he doesn't have to put effort into most of what he does, taking the excitement out of doing anything, whilst Infinite initially accepted Eggman's offer to join his army because he was bored with the peaceful world as it was) Both at one point possessed a title with the word "Ultimate" in it (Hajime is the "Ultimate Hope" and Infinite was once the "Ultimate Mercenary").

[travelhype65]

TravelHype promises quick and easy comparisons of not just flight fares but also allows you to explore all your favourite destinations in the world at a glance. From cheap flights, and hotels, to car hire, we bring travellers a large flight and hotel range that is tailored to their specific needs. With TravelHype you can avail the unordinary. We are your one-stop travel site for airline discounts and hotel deals.

[klutzymaiden123]

hello!

I am a huge fan of your story and its probably my most favourite thing I've ever read on the site :0

After I've caught up I'm probably going to write something more in depth but on the mean time may I have a description of each of the characters hero outfits??

I'd love to draw them all together!

I love your work, and I hope you have a great day :)

Omgg, thank you so much! This is so sweet, I'm honoured that you love it so much because as you can tell, so do I!

Oooh okay, so settle in, I'll try using some reference pics for each of the girls!

Helga/Blue Jay.

Okay, so when I first wrote this story, I was kinda on the tail end of my obsession of The Hunger Games, so her uniform was very much inspired by Katniss' Mockingjay uniform. This does not mean it was the same down to the tea, but it was where the braid, the black and the practicality came from.

Moreso, I was heavily inspired by this one design I came across in the beginning stages.

Specifically, the feathers on the shoulder pads, which I thought were neat.So, while her arms are bare, her shoulder guards are covered in grey feathers with a blue sheen. Her vambraces are similar to Wonder Woman's.

And rest of her uniform consists of something like this

And her hair is swept back into a braid like this:

And picturing her face, it's similar to this.

Lila/Lark.

Okay, so I was finally able to find some images that best convey what I have in my head.

So, she wears a halter-ish shirt green shirt that, like Helga’s, is bullet-proof, but most importantly, wind resistant.

She keeps her weapons strapped on her back, crossed over her shoulders like this:

And her pants are black and cover her legs, tucked into her knee high, flat boots.

Her face and hair was heavily inspired by this character I came across on pinterest.

Rhonda/Raven.

Rhonda has a red, peek-a-boo top; it’s stylish but protective.

And comfortable black pants, matching boots and like everyone else, she has vambraces (although hers don’t form into gloves).

Minus the gold rope in this picture and make the armour silver instead of gold, and it’s basically this.

Her hair is pulled back into a braid like this

And picturing her face, this is what I think of

Phoebe/Wren

Her uniform would mostly resemble this image. Only it would be purple rather than yellow and she wouldn't have that sword.

Like Helga, her vambraces would be silver. She also has a belt that holds her knives.

And her hair is in a ponytail with curtain bangs, like this.

This was how I imagined her face.

They all have superhero masks as well (Rhonda's is dark red, but the others are black); I didn't add them because they resemble birds spreading out their wings to take flight, but honestly, regular superhero masks are fine. But yeah, that's the closest I can explain their uniforms; again, sorry I just find it difficult to describe unordinary clothes! Thank you so much for this, I appreciate the effort and I'm, once again, so honoured that the story appeals to you so much! 💙

[leweebdepoche]

Peace is a right no one should be able to take from anyone else (；′⌒`) (►__◄)

GUNDAM SEEDS (Mecha/Drama/Science Fiction) 2002-2003 - 50 episodes

Mitsuo Fukuda

Rating 10/10

If like me, you are a big mecha fan and a deep pacifist, then I have only one anime to recommend: Gundam Seeds. The Gundam series is obviously well known, but I won't hide from you that I have a favor for Gundam Seeds. Excellence has been found with an incredibly good plot, breathtaking animation for the year of release, and superbly constructed characters. The charm of Gundam lies above all in the original, complete, and very human construction of the hero, Kira Yamato.

Born and raised in Heliopolis, Kira is a coordinator, an augmented human with a passion for machines and engineering. Like all inhabitants of Heliopolis, he believes in political neutrality and has no interest in weapons of war. But one day, the Earth Alliance attacks his peaceful colony and his dreams of peace are shattered. Under the pressure of a situation that sees the death of many innocent people for the sake of warlike political intentions that are difficult to justify to the victims and survivors, Kira finds himself against all odds piloting the latest GUNDAM model in an attempt to save his friends and the colony's inhabitants. This is followed by a constant flight to get the passengers of the vehicle to safety. Kira soon finds himself trapped in the situation against his own will, and it is an internal struggle between his deepest convictions and the urgency of the situation that drives the thread of his development.

Unlike the other Gundams, in Seeds, Kira finds himself legitimized to ask himself so many questions. His inner wanderings will not be discarded as in the first Gundams, and it is a path to peace that quickly takes shape as the episodes progress. Kira the first, accompanied by Lacus, understands that war has no winners and only losers, whatever the outcome. Together, they will work to undermine the various parties involved, both of whom are determined not to give up the fight without a victory, and force them to sign a lasting peace desired by all the inhabitants of Earth and space. And this is what fascinated me about Gundam Seeds: this complex and brilliant reflection on peace, its importance, its price, and its indisputability. And oh how useless war is. Its misery allows no justification. And peace is due to every human being, whoever they may be. This is a fact that no one has the right to discuss, although unfortunately, even today, many leaders think they have the right to destroy human lives in the name of interests that serve no one but themselves.

For an ode to universal peace, Gundam is the most beautiful song. Not only will these anime convert you, but they will also make you experience epic battles, and discover moving, touching, deeply human characters who will leave an indelible mark on you. Let yourself be touched by the beauty of an outstanding and unordinary anime whose message deserves to be raised to the level of international law. War has no place in the 21st century.

[talesofnovembria]

Are you worthy?

The game had begun.

Two had already taken off into the depths of the castle, eager to begin their search. It was expected of those present to make their way out of the central room to the rest of the building, just as those two had done… but she hesitated. This was a game, but relatively anything in regards to an end goal, or even rules had been left a mystery. All the contestants had were a vague idea on where to go from this starting point.

Use your head. You don’t know what to expect, none of us do. It would be smarter to work together.

A tiny voice crawling in her head managed to point out the obvious, “It’s a game. There can only be one winner.”

He was right, of course, but there were a couple problems with that. For one, this was a game of honor. Any other sort of scenario like this one, it would have been smarter for her to go on her own, prepare herself for the inevitable conflict, and there was nothing to solidly deter her away from that in the present situation… except for one thing. Looking around the room at the others here, only two of whom she recognized.

And recognized was not the same as knowing them. What were they capable of? The Divine King had made it very clear this event came with risk, and all of them had still made the conscious decision to attend. It seemed to be one of the aspects that had all of them on edge before the announcement of the game’s beginning. It wasn’t hard for her gaze to wash over the others and feel that with not only her background, but her line of work, might give her some kind of unfair advantage. What could any of them do to her?

And where was the honor in that?

For two, the very threat of some kind of unknown risk. Again that nagging question came back… what were they capable of? Spirits and humans in a world where the very rules of existence were so unclear. How would they protect themselves? A worrying feeling sank into her very being. If this were her own team, she’d leave no man behind. They were a team for a reason.

The blue haired girl, Vivi… the blond with one metal arm, Arthur… and a spirit tinted to the color of blue, who’s name she didn’t know. They were the only ones currently left in the room… in a way, her team… but only if they saw it the same way.

And that led her to be the one to address them first, “I don't know about the rest of you, but I think we may stand a better chance sticking together. See what this place has to offer. If you'll allow me, I'll go where you do."

Arthur had gone up to the Divine King, not only to make sure he was alright, but to see if maybe there was some more information the host of the event might have to offer to them. He only confirmed what she assumed, that this was meant to be a free-for-all. Only one winner.

At one point or another… it must be expected that they would turn on one another. A sickening feeling in some regard.

But one good thing had come of focusing on him first. He’d been the first to agree with her, though proposed an idea of his own. Splitting into two smaller groups. There was safety in numbers… but he had one point. Even if the four of them aimed to work together, they could cover more ground if they split up. He had also brought up the prospect of looking for the others as well, though that plan wasn’t as desirable. All of them had to remember they were still part of a game.

If they came across the others, then fine, but they should also look to give themselves a fighting chance rather than spending all their time looking for someone else.

She hadn’t paid much attention to what the blue spirit was doing, though her attention had finally retreated from her own inner thoughts when Vivi spoke up, "We have no idea what could be waiting for us out there.  We don't know if we'll be strong in numbers, but it's worth a try."

She had paced ahead, coming to the now unlocked doors that lead to the rest of the castle. She’d given a glance over her shoulder to ensure the other three were coming, “Come on then! Let’s get this show on the road!”

Well, she certainly had enthusiasm to share.

This really was the team then?

The blue haired one taking charge.

The skittish, but caring, blond.

The bone covered spirit in formal wear.

And an unusual canine companion.

A strange combination, and yet fitting in a way.

"It seems the decision has been made then," she mused more to herself than the others in the room. Once she had also come to the doors, she offered a passing glance to the other two members of their team. Eventually, they came back to Vivi, "It would be a good idea if we also keep track of where we are and where we have been. At least that way if we come across something that may be dangerous, we have somewhere we can return to. I'm open to suggestions on where we go first."

Vivi hadn’t offered a suggestion, but her ears turned to listen to those behind her.

"Would... do you want to... maybe partner up with me for now...? While we look around. Or-- I mean if you'd rather with one of the others that's fine and all I just.... Yeah...."

“I’d love to go with you.”

"Let's go, big guy. You follow me for now, okay? We'll see what we can find."

It seemed those two had made their decision, but there was no need to press the issue. She’d simply remembered her first thought. So long as they were helping each other out, then this was a tactical way of seeing more of the castle grounds before they found their way back to one another. Rather than try to press the issue, she accepted it. Calling over to Arthur, "I'll go off with Vivi then for now. We can always meet up later and compare findings. Good luck you two."

He waved, calling back to them, "Good luck to you guys too! I'll try to pick up anyone we run into if I can."

From there, they went their separate ways.

Salena hadn’t noticed until too late that Vivi was no longer with her. A mocking tone whispered through her head, “Nice going. Not a few minutes in and you’ve lost your new partner. Good job mutt.”

Hush.

She should turn around, look for Vivi… but she should also take part in the actual game. The girl looked like she could take care of herself, if their one interaction prior to this was anything to go off of. She… should press on ahead for now. They were bound to meet up again at some point.

So long as she was beginning her exploration, it was best to take navigating in a methodical approach. She should start with the current floor, but that line of thinking could always change.

How… unsettling it was she found herself in the throne room first. The room was pristine, stone under her feet and along the walls. The space was enclosed, yet light seemed to flood in from around her. Stained glass made a multitude of colors shimmer in the stone room. There were smaller spirits here, simpler than the Divine King, or even the one that had gone off with Arthur. They noticed her when she entered, but had largely gone back to their cleaning duties.

So these spirits were the King’s his staff in a way. They were ignored for the time being, as they didn’t appear to be a threat.

At the very center of the room was the throne itself, adorned in gold, vines and sunflowers decorating the seat. There were ancient symbols here, ones neither one of them could understand. This kingdom was unique, and it would be foolish to assume that even in Alexander’s massive library, there would be anything on these designs. Statues lined along the walls, giving the whole room a beautiful, but regal setting.

Not like the frozen throne that flashed no more than a split second. That’s in the past.

Her feet carried her closer to the throne, her fingers tracing over the symbols, as well as the soft texture of the sunflowers’ petals. They were old, but somehow still full of life. A shine in the corner of her eye caught her attention. There, in the center seat was a crown. Golden… decorated in jewels.

Her name echoed from what felt like every surface in the room. She found her fingers laced over the top of the piece. This had to be the Divine King’s crown yes? Why then were they chanting as if she were meant to take it? How could she? Was it just part of the game… or were they tempting her? It was a role unfitting for her, one she’d never want.

She never deserved a crown upon her head… she didn’t even deserve to be here in the first place.

It was becoming unbearable. Too many voices buzzing around in one spot. Silence them.

The beast pushed herself to her feet, leaving the crown in its place. She couldn’t take it, and she dared not to look back at the reactions of the spirits pushing her to make her choice. Their hums filled her ears as she walked towards the staircase in the back of the room. She’d noticed it briefly before other things had called her attention.

“I thought you said you were going to take a methodical approach to this exploration thing.”

And I am.

“You’re going up a flight of stairs.”

Look, the upper floors are bound to be fewer than the ground level, so I’ll work my way from the top to the bottom. That still keeps the methodical approach in mind.

“Whatever you say dear.”

He faded into the background again, just as another shine caught her eye. They’d been scanning around the area as she had her internal conflict. Every room could hold something important, even the staircases, so best to see if there was anything that looked out of place or unordinary. What she’d managed to find was a… pin? It was golden in color, but nothing around here showed any hint as to what this might have gone to.

Or at least, nothing did until she had gone up a few more steps.

There were more of those spirits there, a white pillar towering over their smaller forms. They were trying to pick up some smaller objects along the ground with their… what she could only assume were hands. That made her raise an eyebrow. Weren’t they spirits? Could they not pick up anything regardless of the item’s size? Were the ‘rules’ here really that specific? A soft sigh passed through her lips, gathering two more pins to go with the one she’d already found.

Her hand seemed to hover over the gem resting with them. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary gem… but looks could always be deceiving. Even he knew that. He’d probably have her move on from here, untrusting of something that honestly looked similar to a prison of his own.

How he hated his time trapped in that tiny crystal.

Thankfully they were not alone. Surely these spirits could understand her, and therefore answer a simple question, "That gem. Is it dangerous?"

A shake of their heads. With that confirmed, she took it into her arms.

There was one little other tidbit of information the spirits had spilled: His Majesty would be rather upset if he found out they were irresponsible and dropped it on accident.

That in itself seemed so… out of character. Granted, it’s not like the man wasn’t capable of getting mad, but rather it seemed silly to get upset over an item like this. It was just by itself, and on display… and it wasn’t dangerous. Well, if that was the case, might as well help out.

“Oh yes, let’s waste some time worrying over a little display rather than continuing on our way.”

And like most of his backseat commentary, she ignored that comment.

The spirits offered no help, but it seemed simple enough to figure out. There were three pins, two gold and one silver, with the silver one being longer than the gold ones. Ok, so it made sense then that the two gold ones would go near one another. The silver one must be like a support pin for the gem, which would leave the smaller ones being used to hold it up. It didn’t take long to put everything in place. She stood back from her work…

Only to be showered in confetti… Now where did that come from?

She just went with it, ignoring the snickering echoing in her head.

"Well, at least the display is fixed. Probably don't want to leave this laying around for the Divine to find hmm?"

As if one could sense this, it had made the proper cleaning items appear, working on the mess. Meanwhile, the other one had another plan. It had dropped something in her lap… a key? No clue as to what it had gone, just left with her before they disappeared. Guess that was her cue to leave, but not before she made one final remark.

A waste of time was this?

“Hush mutt.”

The key was tucked away into one of the pockets on her shorts, making her way to the top of the stairs. Just as she got there, a voice made her look back the way she came. There was… someone younger coming towards her, with… white hair? She crossed her arms, “Might want to watch where you are going unless you want to trip, or run into someone."

That advice largely went ignored, the stranger coming to her. She held a flower in her hands, one that was offered to her, "For you! Everybody gets a flower!"

"Alright? Thanks?"

And with that she was on her way. That was…

“Strange? Unprompted? Odd? Take your pick.” She shook her head, taking the flower as she tucked it behind her ear. Might as well keep the small gift that was offered to her. Finally, she could get back to the path she’d begun once her first foot hit the stairs. There were hallways, but there had to be another staircase around that would lead her to the top floor. She can check the rooms on this floor when she was done on the upper level.

Sure enough, she found what she was looking for. Nothing caught her eyes this time, though the sound of windchimes in the air filled her ears. She closed her eyes, listening to the calming tune.

It’s almost peaceful here.

“Don’t let your guard down. There’s no telling what will happen.”

I know.

What stretched out before them was a balcony, three separate areas to choose from. Yes, this would make for easier searching, then she could return to the second floor. There were only three rooms, and if they were hidden this far up, there had to be some secrets kept here. Items of mystery and value, although cliché, were usually in a basement, or on the highest floor. The same seemed to ring true here. She had her options laid before her, though one room in particular drew her attention towards it. A calling perhaps? She’d gotten feelings like this before, so it wasn’t too out of the ordinary.

Salena pushed the door open, her gaze falling on a sword. Magic seemed to pulse off it, a light glow surrounding it as she stepped into the room. From what she could tell, the sword was made by an expert. She had a specialty in crafting weapons herself, but there was power radiating off this one, even if it was stuck in stone. There were… runic symbols? Something carved along the blade itself. This certainly put a fair amount of her work to shame.

A voice echoed softly around her.

Such A Furry Little Face....You Have Come So Far, Haven't You, Dear One?

...

Tell me...Are You Worthy?

Worthy? There was an easy answer to that, yet instead of answering with that response she stepped closer, "Worthy.. that in itself is a very vague question. Worthy of what? Of the blade before me? Of the Divine's blessing should I win? To win? I could go on.."

Worthy Of Whatever You Feel You Are Worthy Of...I Am Merely A Weapon To Be Used By Whoever Finds Me. I Shall Carry Out Whatever You Feel Worthy Of, Whatever Means That Much To You.

A sword in a stone. It was here because it was meant to be pulled out by someone yes? Someone worthy from the sound of it. So then why was she wrapping her hand around the hilt as if she thought she might be able to pull it out?

"And what if I believe that I'm not truly worthy of anything?"

Then You May Choose The Path Of Unworthiness. It Is A Painful Route To Take, Dear One.

A tingle of what felt like static sparked under her fingers. A sense of panic began to wash over her, “Let go of the blade.”

That just made her grip it tighter. Teeth grit together, ears pinning back against her head, a slightly strained voice released from her mouth, "You say that as if I don't know that road. It's one I chose to walk long before I came here. I don't understand it, probably never will. How can others see worth in someone like me when I can't see it in myself?"

The static feeling began to race up her arm.

.....You Have Already Felt That Pain, Yes?

Her arm started glowing. Glowing a bright yellow that shone even from under her long sleeved clothing.

“Salena! Let go of the damn sword!”

None of them noticed the sword come out a few inches.

You Must Learn To Find That Self Worth, Then. So Many Here See You As A Good Friend.

A snarl ruptured from her throat, a familiar pain shooting through her arm. She knew this feeling, the hairs starting to smoke amongst the sea of gold. Her head was screaming at her to let go, yet for some stupid reason, she was still hanging on. Her free hand moved to the stone under her, having knelt down in front of the blade shortly before, now running her claws along them… as if that might mitigate some of the pain. She fought to get her words out, "Is it wrong that I don't understand why? There are those here that barely know me."

No Problem At All. Healing Takes Time And Work. But The Strangers Who Look At You...Do Look At You With Understanding. You Must Look Inside Your Own Heart To See The Worth That They See In You. You May Find It To Be True In The End.

More pain…

“You damn bitch! I am begging you! Let go of the damn blade!”

Her eyes widened.

Fire… Burning fire!

“Oh hell no! You are not doing this on me!”

He raced through the hallways of her mind. By now, he knew exactly which alcove was connected to which set of memories. He only needed to find the ones on ‘him’ and his followers. None of them could risk an attack coming out of the panic seeping into her very mind. The locks on the doors were cracking, wood splintering under the strain. Well, not if he could help it.

“She should just listen to me. Let go of the damn thing hurting her, but noooo. She has to be her usual stubborn self.” His hand waved, more chains crawling over the doors. That should keep them from surfacing. With any luck, she’d come to her senses before even his locks broke.

Her head pressed further into the cool metal of the blade, huffs escaping her maw. How much longer should she keep going on? No… it didn’t matter how long. Endure.

"Understanding huh...? Like me...?"

Her eyes closed, thinking back to all those in her life. Alexander. Malceum. Cassandra. Hell, even the Good Doctor himself.

What about Arthur and Vivi? She saw worth in them, and they did in her did they? These strangers she just met but might be just like her?

She opened her eyes, finally seeming to come to an internal understanding. She fought against the pain, using her free hand to push herself up from the ground, "I've always wondered what I kept fighting for... Why keep going if there was no point, that I had no worth...? I was taken in... everyone sees a worth in me that I can't... bogged down by my past sins.. my past mistakes.. But so long as I am still here, at least I have those worth keeping safe. Maybe if I can finally do just that.. I'll be able to see it for myself.. Until then..."

Her one grip on the blade tightened, knuckles probably would be white were it not only for her fur, but the constant glow shining off it, "I won't stop fighting. Maybe I'm worthy, maybe I'm not, maybe you really are right. Isn't that how it usually is sometimes? Having to be told something you should already know?"

A long silence.

You Are A Wise Woman, Indeed. Hurt By The Fate Life Has Given You...But You Have Grown To Understand A Lot Of Things.

The pain finally died away, the glow fading to reveal her normal fur… or at least normal save for the slight black marks on the end, tiny wisps of smoke, and the irritated red of burns see running across her skin. A calm breeze passed around her form, her arm trembling roughly from the trial she endured.

Ah, Yes. I See...I Understand...Well. Aside From That. I Only Pray Life Gets Better For You From Here On Out, Madam Salena. But I Am Impressed With How You Manage Through Your Troubles.

Even with the pain gone, her hand still refused to let go of the hilt; although, she did manage to crack a smile, "How can I do anything else? Anything to ensure I don't lose what I have left to hold onto. I hope that you may find someone worthy of you."

A selfless lady, indeed. I could not be any prouder, even if we just met.

A sentient weapon? Proud of her? It really shouldn’t be… but who was she to try and convince it otherwise?

The echoing voice giggles around her, About that worthiness.... 

...

I think I already have a few choices.

From there, the sword sank back into the stone, silence surrounding her. Her hand released its grip, allowing her to stagger over to the closest wall. No way she was going anywhere else for a little while. Her uninjured arm clinged to the other one, stinging racing through her entire side. Her back pressed against the stone, lowering herself down. The sword shouldn’t mind if she rested here for a while.

And then on cue, a frustrated voice rang in her head.

“I can’t believe you! Actually no, scratch that. I can believe you would do something as stupid as this! It’s light magic! You know what that does to you! I told you to fucking stop, but as always, you don’t want to listen to me. I don’t know why I stay with you half the time when you do things like this! Oh right, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have a willing host. This game just started and look at what you’ve done day one. Not looking good for-”

Alastair…

“Don’t interrupt me.”

Alastair please…

“What the fuck do you want?”

Do you think I’m worthy?

He fell silent for a short while before the voice came back, “Worthy of what?”

Anything.

“I think that if you weren’t worthy of something, you wouldn’t have a home… a family, a husband, people that care about you… shall I go on?”

I asked for your opinion, not what those in my life might think.

An audible sigh, “Look dear, I can’t give you all the answers. It’s just as the hunk of metal told you. It’s kind of something you have to answer for yourself.”

She fell to silence. There was another sigh, “Come on, you need to rest. Once you have, we need to get your arm treated. Just, close your eyes and sleep, I’ll take care of your nightmares.”

Thank you…

“Yeah yeah, just rest.”

Her eyes closed, head leaning back against the stone wall. In the darkness, a presence was felt. Golden looked upon her for a brief moment before fading back into nothingness.

What an interesting first day.

---

((Cameo appearances from: The Divine King / @diviinc, Vivi / @viviskull, Arthur / @punsandfuturekingsmen, Lament / @lamentinglewis, Jun / @thetownfarmer))

[mildlyemo]

Can’t You See Me? - Chapter 1

These eyes were not looking through me... they were looking at me. For the first time in one thousand years, a pair of human eyes had seen me. All I could do from then on was "hope it's just a painful dream”.

-

"What a boring schedule," I scowl, looking at my departure log

I slip in and out of the hospital walls. There's a reason why I leave this location until the end of my shift. Because there always has to be a ridiculous amount of deaths.

Stroke

Cancer

Old age

COVID-19

I've seen it all, far too many times for me to count. The smell of disinfectant has been ridiculous since late 2019, and it's starting to really piss me off. At this rate, I'll have to extend my shift for at least 12 hours. Just to look for all the souls that are about to be confused by its fumes.

"The final death of today, floor 14 room 147," I sign

I float through the door and head straight towards the hospital bed, ignoring the insignificant surroundings. I have a straightforward job to do, move the soul on to heaven, hell wherever, as long as they don't linger on earth. Otherwise, I'll have a nasty case of hauntings, which is meant to be considered supernatural, written off as fiction. As soon as humans believe in the supernatural, the devil and his loyal underlings start to cause trouble.

"Choi Lee Go, time of death 10:47 pm, cause of death old age,"

"Ready to go Choi Lee Go?" I ask, looking up from my

clipboard

The woman looks confused, not surprising considering she just died. I'll consider myself lucky her soul wasn't full of vengeance or sorrow.

"I'm Azrael, and I'll be leading you to heaven unless you want to pick hell instead," I say, hoping to shorten the process.

"Yes dear," the woman finally expresses, smiling warmly

I release the tension residing in my hands as I watch the staircase to heaven appear seamlessly. I offer the woman my hand to help her up. However, she is determined on climbing the stairs herself. What a pleasant surprise; I pluck a pitch-black feather from my wings and console my clipboard.

1. No regrets present ✅

2. Emotionally stable ✅

3. Aura of happiness ✅

4. Supposed grandson watching myself

Wait…

I take my attention away from the clipboard to finally analyse the hospital room. A family member is beside the deceased. That's not anything unordinary. However, what is unordinary is the fact that Choi Lee Go's grandson is looking at me. These eyes were not looking through me... they were looking at me. For the first time in one thousand years, a pair of human eyes had seen me. I look down at my clipboard. My face is currently disguised with light; this person may not be able to see my face; however, he sure as hell can see my body, my wings, and supposedly his grandmother. I can't linger any longer. I quickly tuck my clipboard away and signal my wings to take flight. I am leaving the human world behind at least until tomorrow arrives.

-

Yeonjun's POV

"Is it 10'o'clock already, dear?"

"It sure is, grandmother,"

I sit idly beside my grandmother, admiring the flowers I had brought as a gift. The environment was astoundingly calm. While my grandmother constantly acted as if she didn't worry about the world, I could see she had become tired. I doubt raising a second child single handily was ideal for herself, especially without her own daughter's support, who had decided to run away for the states carelessly. I gently cradled my grandmother's frail hand. The calm environment made me feel uneasy; I barely felt the presence of other spirits around me.

"Dear, don't you have school tomorrow? So you should get some rest," Grandmother nagged from the bed.

"I don't like being in the house alone... you know that grandmother," I whine in response listening to the beep of the heart monitor the ticking of the clock.

"Yeonjun-ah, do you have meat in your fridge?”

"Does the heater work still? I know that it hasn't been working the last couple of months properly," she continues.

"Why are you worrying about this now grandmother, just rest. You don't need to worry about me. I'm 17 now, after all, basically an adult," I reassure her holding back tears.

"Alright, well, if you think that you're so grown up, I'll just be quiet now,”

I chuckle softly in response. Even at a time like this, she still keeps up her facade of control.

"Now Yeonjun-ah, I want you to know that you must live for yourself from now on, don't worry about other people. I want to make sure that you can live a life that you are proud of and a life where you never have a reason to be sad,"

"What's with you, grandmother? It's not like you're going anywhere," I respond, continuing to battle back tears.

"I'm going to sleep now, Yeonjun-ah. But, make sure that you get enough sleep tomorrow, or I'll be mad," she finally says, squeezing my hand.

"Of course I will, grandmother," I respond by her side

And just like that, the last family member that was ever known to me faded away or perhaps was blinded away?

I'm no stranger to seeing spirits. It's what I would consider a quirk of myself. It's pretty simple to ignore the spirit, and the most trouble it can cause is blocking your view of the bus numbers. However, in addition to grandmothers spirit, I experienced something quite literally angelic. First, a blindingly bright light appeared before my eyes. Then, behind the light, all I could make out is a thin silhouette clouded by a pair of deathly dark wings... an angel? A second flash of light appeared no more than twenty seconds later, and the angelic silhouette disappeared. Dazed by its sight, I look down. Grandmothers body is as expected, right beside me. Her spirit, however, was gone.

-

Hello dear readers! Welcome to my brand new work 'can't you see me?' I truly hope you have enjoyed it! This is my first time writing in a while, and by that, I mean at least one year now. Finding time to write is nearly impossible in year 12 😭. I am unsure what my writing schedule will be like. It will most likely depend on how this chapter goes read & vote wise. So if you would like to read another chapter of this work, please vote and comment on what you think will happen next!

Finally, some MTBI details of the characters we know so far :)

* Azrael - INTJ

* Yeonjun - ENTP

(this list will continue to grow as the story continues and will be available in the chapter before this)

Endless love from,

LVM 🖤

[tenderwitchy]

~ an incomplete list of witchy familiars ~

spiders

patience, wisdom, connectedness, rigor, change, communication

aids in constructing and strengthening spells

assists in guiding our life to maintain balance & rebirth

helps connect us to our past to guide reflection

cats

intuition, grace, slyness, adaptability, longevity, good luck, spirituality

assists with moving in and out of the spirit realm

aids in death and spiritual types of spells

helps in protection and sensing energies

rabbits & hares

tenacity, playfulness, purity, alertness, fertility, creativity

aids in moon and rebirth types of spells

assists in navigating our anxieties and auras to avoid predation

bats

protection, good luck, darkness, renewal, release, awakening

aids in navigating darkness and detection

assists in unpredictable and unordinary rituals

wolves

protection, loyalty, strength, intelligence, tradition, honor

assists in guiding intuition and instincts and understanding your environment

aids in independence and protection from betrayal or attacks

owls

divination, observation, darkness, knowledge, exploration, wisdom

aids in flight and perception, especially of the unseen

assists in finding the truth

falcons

power, communication, patience, balance, precision, guidance

aids in flight and delivering messages

assists in perceptive visions

snakes & serpents

continuity, reincarnation, healing, strengthening, regeneration, cyclical

aids in banishment and transformation types of spells

assists in connections to nature and growth

helps to see through deceptions and embrace passions

toads & frogs

rebirth, prophecy, fertility, transformation, good luck, wisdom

assists with moving in and out of the astral plane

aids in healing and psychic types of spells

bees

prosperity, tenacity, opportunity, community, sweetness, femininity

aids in nature types of spells, especially with fae and trees

assists in the growth of healthy relationships and family

ravens

deception, intelligence, darkness, insight, protection, wisdom

assists in divination and delivering messages, especially between realms

aids in sun and transformation types of spells

can either mark omens of good luck or of death and malevolence

[fourletterworld]

Letting Go - Was a Big Brother

He didn't know how to stop, but we had a plan. I held onto the handlebars alongside him and guided him before letting go. He went forward, steering on his own, pedaling and balancing. He'd taken flight, and I was watching something I'd affected. He was laughing. He wanted to look at me but he couldn't take his eyes away.

"Dust! Look!" he called out. I laughed and clapped at him.

I watched as he ran his bike into a large pile of soft dirt. His wheel sunk in and the bike gently tilted on its side. He stood away from his bike and looked directly at me. His smile was as unwilfully brilliant as the sun and my heart bloomed. I didn't know it at the time but the brightness pierced a hole in my young consciousness and grafted onto my memory like silver nitrate. Feeling it now, as a man, I sense the texture of it all the same beneath my fingers. I was a growing boy raising a growing boy. Responsibility and joy had never known each other so well: the way a sober man falls asleep with a pure heart.

And man, sometimes I think, if only I could do it over and have my little baby brother back. If only I could have had some time to become a man so I could have truly guided him. I could have focused if I didn’t have the obstacles of my own adolescent mind hedonistically drawing the curtains over what was happening to that little kid.  

I think if I had a little boy now, that I was to take care of, a powerful resoluteness would overwhelmingly usurp any other color in my life. My son would think I was a warm heart born from stone. I would be the definition of dedication and love. He'd never know a single wild story of my life, and my circular conflict would straighten itself in opposition to my son's unbeaten path. I'd show him how to tackle his obstacles head on, with honesty and thought. I'd teach him how intellect isn't soft, and that it can challenge you toward self-destruction. I would teach him, that the depression he inevitably inherits from me, isn't a black hole to get lost in but a darkness in which to contrast the worlds vast beauty.  I would demonstrate what it is to be a gentleman so that the world won't misguide him, and I would hug him after I lecture him on a hard truth. I would teach him how to throw a punch, and elaborate on the ugliness of hatred. I would show, by example, tolerance. To live within one's own principals, and to illuminate in his mind the intuitive fine lines that sanctions them. I'd teach him that others may cross these boundaries with steam in their eyes, and to always guide them away with equal force. I'd also teach him that some may walk through his borders innocently, and others with intentional love, and that being disarmed by a woman is the most beautiful thing in the world. That her placing her hand on your most painful burn might not hurt, and that in time her touch might cool it into the past. Though if it doesn’t, the touch can make you forget for a moment, and that something new can grow in that tranquil silence.  And I'll also temper myself, and my fearful control, and trust in that organic thing we call unconditional love to unfold and open the rest of his soul toward the sun. I wouldn't be his friend, but his protector, mentor, model, and still, as I was with Cody, an endless summer of love. A pair of strong arms to lift him from the ground or to hold him until I've drawn as much of his hurt into my astonishingly endless threshold, as long as I can, until he will not let me anymore because he has become his own man.

but I think about Cody, and how I don't want to have a little boy in his honor. What a disgrace that could be, like attributing the old name to the new family pet.

No, his story is over, and I still have this muscle memory that springs alive at night to catch him.

Maybe that's all it is. I just have potholes throughout this road that has ran through my whole life, and I'm looking to fill them. I'm holding onto the handlebars and steering him away from falling in even though the little boy is no longer on the seat.

I'd walked into that same paternal quicksand again, but suddenly amidst this dream I see red brake lights in the snowy night.

"Jesus Christ" the electric jolt in my chest screams. I'm suddenly driving a car.

I jerk into the reality of it like I'm falling out of bed. I hold the wheel and cut someone off to avoid a collision and I'm thankful for not slipping on the ice. The windshield is filled with blinding snow, and the falling sheets pass by like light years of stars. It must have lulled me into this daydream. Everything around me is beautiful, but I feel so ugly inside I might as well be taking the scenery in through a motel television.

My adrenaline is going and I use it as an excuse to pull over, but really, I just want to do something unordinary. Chaos seems to work like that. You want to surround yourself with the unusual so you don't feel so strange. It's like giving your weirdness company.

There was a long period of time during the last year I had kept myself company with alcohol in my studio/shed after Bridgette went to sleep. I'd hold my guitar in between long pauses of not playing a single chord with my eyes open and my head full. I hadn't even cared about the gentle ride into drunkenness that beer provides, so I'd started pouring myself whiskey into Tupperware filled with ice so that I could quickly evaporate into some synthetic cloud of euphoria. I grew accustomed to the taste of straight whiskey, but who the fuck would drink it if it had no alcohol? People do it, I guess.

Through my cynical lens I find it depressing thinking about the shells of sobriety trying to salvage their spirit with non-alcoholic drinks. The desire never leaves you, does it? It's always there touching you in that empty space. God, will that be me someday? Always bored, living in forced contentment toward a lower threshold of fun? What about escaping into mental wilderness? What about living through great stories? I worry without the escape I'd turn into something like the Tin Man rusted shut from sadness, having watched my personality fallen asleep from the numbing perfume of adulthood.

Anyhow, these escapes of mine keep me lucid enough to keep doing this thing we all do.

So maybe I should understand Cody’s choices better. I’d sincerely asked him one day to never go down any road that I can’t follow him on, but what example was I setting? I drew a line but I'm no better. I steer toward the same cardinal point but to a lesser degree.

I often go through good days, riding creative highs and getting into the snap of productivity and exercise, but I always have it in the back of my head that there is that escape somewhere whenever I say I need it. Actually, I think part of what I enjoy is the rise and fall. I enjoy the facade of the healthy days. I brag about them like I mean it.

"I feel great, I haven't chewed on my stitches in days!" and I still buy it when I hear it come out of my mouth. I mean, I think I do believe it when I'm in the throes of a really healthy lifestyle, and I even start to think I'm normal, but even then, that's not entirely true.

Normal people don't exist while being overly conscious of not hitting their head on the ceiling. Sometimes I wonder if I'm more normal when I'm drinking because I can be so present, but even that doesn't sound right because normal people rarely look like they're having fun.

Christ, the things people will laugh at. It’s like we all come equipped with canned laughter to put adult tension at ease.  I know because I do it too. It just comes out of me to smooth over oddity.

Then there’s the other kind of eager laughter that wants out so bad we’ll convince ourselves that something amusing is actually funny. I’m guilty of this one too. I just want out so bad that I constantly look for those pockets to howl into, but it never leaves me satisfied.

What I really want is to feel out of control. I want my feelings to have nonsensical company. I want to let go of the handlebars of mind, spirit, and body, and for something overwhelming to take me over completely.

But, is it normal to want every laugh to be the kind that makes you momentarily crazy? Because that is how I want each laugh to be.

I want each laugh to make me lose my fucking mind.

[roseweasleyward]

Nuna and the Trip to France

Previous chapter

Chapter Two

Muggle flying. It can't be worse than brooms right? Well, at least there are seats on airplanes. Although brooms are significantly quicker, they had a good flight and in no time there they were: France.

“It smells like flowers’ cookies that just came out of the oven.”,  Luna said with a truly happy smile.

It still surprises Neville some of the things Luna says. However, unlike most people who tend to find her strange, or question the sanity behind such unordinary thoughts, Neville sees a woman whose imagination goes far beyond limits.

As soons as they left the airport, the couple rented a car and drove their way to the small apartment where they were going to sleep during their lovely holidays. You could see Neville was slightly tense while driving (who needs to practice their driving when you can just teleport anywhere, right?), but glancing at Luna and realising how relaxed she was made him feel safer and braver (and almost crash too).

By the time they arrived at the apartment, it was already late, so there was no time to do anything

Neville had prepared. He had planned a whole list, which included the visit to several art galleries, local markets and restaurants and a weekend in a small village nearby. Nevertheless, they couldn't just go to sleep, they were too excited and the night was beautiful! Thus, there was one thing they still could do…. Night out on the streets of Paris! 

[rex-rises]

FR50 - 1

What’s your Flight Rising username and official clan’s name (if not the same)?

FR Username is Rexes. My clan isn’t a clan, but a book of weird and strange characters that a dragon has collected. The book is titled “The Curious Case Files” and in-lore serves as proof and documentation of “unordinary” events and elements in Sornieth.

Questionnaire

[residentanchor]

In a jam

Word count: 2322 Pairing: Analogical Taglist: @cyberpunkjinx @tatergator27 Summary: Virgil’s been having bad days and Logan’s trying to figure out why he has a song stuck in his head... 

Curled up on the couch was not how Virgil planned on spending his day, but he honestly couldn't be bothered to move. It was quiet for the time being with no one around and there was something draining about just laying in his bed all day. At least on the couch, he could see it grow darker and had to eventually force himself up, even if he didn't want to leave the comfort of the blanket from the couch he had wrapped himself in.

It was a bad day. It just sometimes happened, he woke up feeling drained and irritable. There were things that needed to get done and despite work actually being completed, it felt like he had nothing to show for it. Everything just sorts of piled up and left him on the couch to deal with it all. He came down and grabbed a glass of water and some aspirin to help him and really didn't have the energy to walk back up the stairs, so he chose to stare at the wall waiting for the universe to just make things not suck as much.

Eventually, soft steps made their way closer and then down the stairs. Virgil tugged the blanket closer and pushed himself back, staying completely still and silent. Eventually, Logan appeared down the stairs, walking by and making his way into the kitchen not even noticing Virgil on the couch. Virgil heard a few noises as Logan seemed to have poured himself something to drink as the fridge opened and closed once more. After a moment, Logan made his way back into the living room and froze, finally noticing the other on the couch.

"Oh, Virgil. I apologize, I had not noticed you my first time through." Virgil noticed the glass in Logan's hand before looking back up, keeping silent. "Are you adequate today or do you require assistance?"

Virgil thought about asking for help before simply shaking his head. "M'good."

With a nod, Logan took it as a reasonable enough answer. "Well then, let any one of us know if you require further assistance." Logan took a few more steps before a small smirk appeared on his face and he stopped, letting out a soft laugh. "Well then."

Virgil sat up a bit on the couch, watching the strange behavior from the other. Logan's smirk seemed to grow as he shook his head, silently chuckling to himself. It wasn't often you'd find him like this and Virgil didn't want to waste a single moment of it. Logan seemed a bit more at ease and he wasn't sure the last time he saw Logan smile so much before correcting himself. Instead, Virgil saw him turn and look over at him on the couch, the action causing him to freeze. "You, uh... okay there?"

Logan quieted down and he smile grew a bit wider. "Yes, however, I seem to be experiencing a weird phenomenon that I wish to look further into." Logan looked over at Virgil before clearing his throat, his normal stoic behavior returning. "Now, if you would excuse me, I must be on my way."

Virgil watched confused as Logan made his way up the stairs, softly humming a tune to himself. Virgil placed a hand on his chest as he urged his heart to calm down from seeing Logan relaxed and smiling over at him. He sat there for a moment before unfurling himself from the couch, deciding to try and grab a small snack before returning to his own room.

---

It was only a few days later and Virgil found himself in the same spot on the couch. This time things had just piled up too much and he wanted a moment to relax and listen to his music. However, the longer he took time for himself, the more it felt like he was wasting time and should get back to all the work that needed to be done. In an endless cycle, he had collapsed on the couch once more and ignored everything else, staring blankly at the wall.

This time, he saw a couple of people in and out of the living room, most shooting him concerned looks but leaving him alone once he looked away. He saw Logan walk down the stairs just like the other day, but this time he was spotted much sooner.

Virgil looked up at Logan who just watched him with growing confusion. Logan shook his head and made his way to the kitchen, muttering softly to himself. The behavior was almost strange enough to gain Virgil's attention, but instead, his thoughts raced with how he could have possibly screwed something up by laying on the couch and upsetting the Logical side.

Logan walked over with a glass of water in his hand and a small plate, setting them both on the coffee table in between them before sitting on the side of the couch. Virgil slowly pulled his headphones off and reached over to pause the music he had been blaring into his ears.

"You okay?" Logan, who had been glaring down at the glass of water, turned and looked at Virgil.

"I was hoping to ask you that." Logan motioned to the objects on the table. "I brought you a glass of water and a small snack. You seem to have been in a 'slump' lately and studies show that-"

"Is that your jam?" Virgil pushed himself up into a sitting position to look over at the plate of toast. "Did you put your Crofter's on some toast?" Virgil glanced over through his bangs. "For me?"

Logan cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "Well, yes. The natural sugars will help give you a bit of energy." Virgil swung his feet off the side of the couch and reached down, taking the plate. "Also, you do not drink enough water so I provided a nice cold glass along with it."

Virgil smirked and picked up the toast, taking a bite from it. The jam wasn't just for Logan, he knew that, but he always stayed away since he knew how much the other enjoyed it. "Thanks." He reached and grabbed the glass of water, taking a sip before he froze. He slowly pulled it away and looked over at Logan, who was humming a tune just like the other day. Logan's fingers tapped on his knee as he seemed deep in thought about something. The tune was familiar and after a moment, Virgil caught himself mouthing the words for a second. "Are you humming that Crofter's musical song you and Roman sang with Thomas a while back?"

Logan jumped as if not noticing he was making noise and nodded his head. "Yes, I apologize. It seems I have been suffering an earworm from a certain part of the song and can't shake it."

"A what now?"

"An earworm." Logan held up his hands as he started to talk, motioning with them as he explained. "It's when a certain song or tune gets stuck in one's mind, causing them to-"

"I get it, you have it stuck in your head. You really need to get a new hobby. I'm starting to think you're obsessed with Crofter's or something." Virgil smiled and bit into his toast.

Logan sighed softly, "That's the problem. I have done the research and I discovered that it's only a certain line of the song that gets caught in my head. I have narrowed down when it happens but not the why and I am unsure of how to proceed."

Virgil put the plate down, most of the toast eaten and took a big gulp from the glass. "Well, what did you figure out?"

"Oh, no, you seem to be under quite a bit of stress, I do not wish to bother you with my conundrum. I will figure it out sooner or later."

Virgil scoffed and smiled up at Logan. "Just ask for help, I could use the distraction."

Logan seemed to debate the answer a moment before nodding his head. "Alright, well. It seems to be happening when I am around you, however, I do not understand why."

Virgil felt his face grow warm and ignored the racing of his heart. "W-well then. What line, uh..." His tongue felt heavy and he couldn't muster up the courage to finish the sentence.

Logan sighed and sat up tall. "If I must, then..." He took in a big breath and Virgil's eyes widened with what he heard.

“I don't have the vocabulary to describe what I'm feeling inside but for me, it's very unordinary.”

When Logan looked over at Virgil, he couldn't figure out why the other side had seemed to freeze on the spot, his entire face red as he stared shocked at the other.

"Virgil, I understand you weren't there to hear me sing but we have the same voice. This should be no surprise to you." Logan ignored his own heart racing, not understanding why he would be panicking at receiving such a response. "I simply wish to understand why that line keeps appearing when I see or think of you."

Virgil jumped up from the couch and looked around before looking down at Logan. "S-sorry!" He ran up the stairs and Logan sat confused on the couch as he heard what could only be Virgil's door slam shut.

Logan inspected the remains on the table and the discarded blanket Patton usually left on the back of the couch that Virgil had been using before he heard steps come down the stairs.

"Hey, specs, can you tell me why dark and scary went racing into his room?" Roman jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "Patton's really concerned but I thought he was down here moping about."

"He simply was trying to help me with an issue and ran off after I asked for his help." Logan looked down at the floor, baffled. "He told me it was okay so I am confused as to his response. He seemed a bit red in the face, perhaps he is coming down with something?"

Roman walked over and sat next to Logan. "Does this have anything to do with why you've holed yourself in your room or why you've been singing that one line from the Crofter's musical for the past three days?"

"Oh, you've heard that?" Logan turned away, a bit embarrassed. "I'm afraid I simply asked why that line came to mind whenever I saw Virgil and asked for his assistance."

Roman blinked as the line in question raced through his head, smiling as he came to a realization. "Well, then Mr. Fight-or-flight ran for the hills red in the face after that, hmm?"

"Yes!" Logan threw his hands up. "I don't understand, why ask for my help then run away? Was it my singing? That seems simply illogical to me."

Roman burst out laughing before smiling at the other, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You sang it to him? Oh, poor Virge, his heart probably tried to explode!" Roman wiped a tear away and smiled at Logan. "Tell me, smartypants, what is that line about?"

"Well." Logan scrunched his brows together. "It is about how I feel about Crofter's Organic jam."

"So." Roman leaned in a bit closer. "Is it a good feeling or a bad feeling?"

"It is..." Logan took a moment. "It is a strong feeling of positive... appreciation."

"I see." Roman practically had his face touching Logan's. "And this strong positive appreciation feeling you have... you also have it when thinking of Virgil?"

"Well, I suppose that could explain why it keeps getting stuck in my head when he is around, but why would-" Logan stopped talking and nodded to himself. "Ahh, I see. Well." His face grew incredibly red as he stood up. "Then there's only one thing to do."

"Where are you going, hmm?" Logan ignored Roman as he made his way up the stairs and down the hall. "Good luck!"

Just outside of Virgil's room stood Patton. He gave soft encouragements through the door before turning and spotting Logan. "Logan! Do you know what upset Virgil? He won't talk."

Logan adjusted his tie and ran a hand through his hair to make himself presentable. He noted that the action as unnecessary to talk to the side through the door and filed it away mentally for later. He gave a firm knock and waited a moment. "Virgil?"

Logan leaned in a bit and listened but was met with silence. "I see." He leaned back and folded his hands behind his back. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me with my dilemma. It seems I have grown a rather strong and fond attachment to you and, when you are feeling more sociable, I hope you wish to join me on an outing. Just the two of us."

Patton gasped and Logan almost could see the sparkles in his eyes. "Did you just ask him out?"

"Was that not obvious?" Logan frowned a bit. "I am not familiar with these social cues but I was under the assumption that if one had recognized feelings, a mutual agreement of gathering during a meal together was the next step."

The door creaked open a crack and Virgil looked out. "R-really?"

"Well, it is the only thing I can think of why I would rather enjoy your presence and company over a jam I enjoyed enough to sing an entire musical diddy about." Logan turned to the door. "Is this agreeable?" Virgil smiled and bit his bottom lip before nodding. "Excellent. We shall discuss it further another time. Good day." Logan turned and walked down the hall to his own room.

Patton smiled and turned to the silent man in the doorway. "So, about you panicking over your crush on Logan..."

"Shut it." Virgil quickly retreated back into his room as Patton giggled to himself.