#virtue box

[mimic-of-hysy]

Sobbing over the shuji fic parade of my old stuff 🥹🙏🫰 hope youve been okay!

hi chu !

what better way to celebrate his birthday than rbing all the links i good get to work from my fav shuuji writer :3c

ive been decent. hope the universe has been kind to you, you deserve it buddy

[roach-works]

im working on a silly thought right now but: it deeply sucks that advertising is annoying, irresistible, and omnipresent, and we all just have to cope with that constant ongoing sandpaper irritation. meanwhile there's less and less grace for humans that are annoying, which is something that every human is at some point, and some of us are really annoying for most of our lives.

like. everyone has to be beautiful and graceful. everyone has to be sensitive and kind. or else they have to be apologetically disabled: autistic, bipolar, deaf. they have to be so so sorry for inconveniencing you, cutting you off, weirding you out, holding you up, annoying you. they have to take responsibility, they have to listen and learn, they have to make it up to you.

i don't think i want to live in a world where advertisers get to crawl into my eyeballs and earholes as often as they possibly can, but if im abrasive and clueless to someone i better be a card carrying member of the Broken Brain Club or prepared to grovel.

[bet-on-me-13]

Ghostly Host AU

So! Ghosts need a physical Anchor in the living world, or they are liable to fall apart and fade away if they stay for too long.

In Amity Park, this usually isn't too much of a problem. Sure most Ghosts can't stay for a week without a Host, but the ambient Ecto-Levels in Amity Park are enough that they can stay for a few days or so at a time with little worry.

This changes however, during Reign Storm.

When Pariah Dark awakens, Tens of Thousands of Ghosts use the Fenton Portal to escape the Rule of Pariah Dark, running away into the Human Realm.

If Amity Park had stayed where it was, this would have been fine. They could have stayed in the Living Realm for a few days, and maybe the Weaker ones would need to find a temporary Host, but that was fine since Amity was filled with thousands of Liminals.

Unfortunately, Pariah Darks first move was to suck Amity Park into the Ghost Zone, alongside all of the Ecto-Energy that had accumulated there.

Now left trapped in the Living Realm with no way back to the Zone, thousands of Ghosts suddenly needed Hosts or they would start dying off by the Hundreds. In a Panic, they spread out across the Planet in search of viable Hosts.

Any normal Person wouldn't do, they needed a Living Being that could actually handle their Power, or someone who matched their Soul. Preferably both. Liminals were the best since they had a durable Body and a Malleable Soul, so any Ghost could use any of them as a Host.

But outside of Amity Liminals were very rare, and finding someone who matched their Soul was time-consuming and hard. Thankfully, in recent years the population of Aliens, Metahumans, Enhanced Soldiers, and even extra durable baseline Humans had spiked across the world.

All across the planet, People suddenly found themselves stuck with a new Passenger in their Bodies.

Those new passengers thankfully weren't malicious, for the most part, but it was still annoying. The only good thing was that they now had new Powers, which neat.

They could summon the Ghosts in their Body outwardly, and then command the Ghost to use their Powers in whatever way they wanted. Only other Hosts could see another person's Ghost, which meant they looked very awkward to normal people when they fought. Generally, Hosts seemed to act more strangely after getting a Ghost, as if they lost a few of their Inhibitions.

Why did they feel the sudden need to strike a flamboyant Pose? Or over dramatically scream?

[jazz-kitty]

hey if requests are still open and its not a bother there is one zero escape character with a canon favourite pokemon

WAIT OMG... thats so cool i never knewwww thank u for showing me... impromptu akane with pokemon i think she'd have!!!

[anghraine]

jenndoesnotcare replied to this post:

Every time LDS kids come to my neighborhood I am so so nice to them. I hope they remember the blue haired lady who was kind, when people try to convince them the outside world is bad and scary. (Also they are always so young! I want to feed them cookies and give them Diana Wynne Jones books or something)

Thank you! Honestly, this sort of kindness can go a really long way, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

LDS children and missionaries (and the majority of the latter are barely of age) are often the people who interact the most with non-Mormons on a daily basis, and thus are kind of the "face" of the Church to non-Mormons a lot of the time. As a result, they're frequently the ones who actually experience the brunt of antagonism towards the Church, which only reinforces the distrust they've already been taught to feel towards the rest of the world.

It's not that the Church doesn't deserve this antagonism, but a lot of people seem to take this enormous pride in showing up Mormon teenagers who have spent most of their lives under intense social pressure, instruction, expectation, and close observation from both their peers and from older authorities in the Church (it largely operates on seniority, so young unmarried people in particular tend to have very little power within its hierarchies). Being "owned" for clout by non-Mormons doesn't prove anything to most of them except that their leaders and parents are right and they can't trust people outside the Church.

The fact that the Church usually does provide a tightly-knit community, a distinct and familiar culture, and a well-developed infrastructure for supporting its members' needs as long as they do [xyz] means that there can be very concrete benefits to staying in the Church, staying closeted, whatever. So if, additionally, a Mormon kid has every reason to think that nobody outside the Church is going to extend compassion or kindness towards them, that the rest of the world really is as hostile and dangerous as they've been told, the stakes for leaving are all the higher, despite the costs of staying.

So people from "outside" who disrupt this narrative of a hostile, threatening world that cannot conceivably understand their experiences or perspectives can be really important. It's important for them to know that there are communities and reliable support systems outside the Church, that leaving the Church does not have to mean being a pariah in every context, that there are concrete resources outside the Church, that compassion and decency in ordinary day-to-day life is not the province of any particular religion or sect and can be found anywhere. This kind of information can be really important evidence for people to have when they are deciding how much they're willing to risk losing.

So yeah, all of this is to say that you're doing a good thing that may well provide a lifeline for very vulnerable people, even if you don't personally see results at the time.

[jackass-jones]

Thinking of vlr Akane is so conflicting cuz on one hand I’m so upset that she doesn’t ever get a moment to just rest and enjoy being alive again I’m upset that she just gets deeper and deeper into this role she’s built for herself and she loses her humanity and will never ever be that girl who died in the incinerator. But on the other hand, I need her to get so, so much worse I need her to be so obsessed with perfection she has this unique ability to change the course of history and she will burn everything and everyone to the ground in the blink of an eye if it means she can "reset" and get a perfect timeline and I desperately need her to never be satisfied with anything because really, is there anything that’s worth all the damage she’s caused?

[celestiall0tus]

Heavenly Light, Hellish Shadow - The Pandora Box

Here we go everyone. The closest to a miracle box you'll see in my works. Now, let's reintroduce the kwamis:

Humilitas and Superbia, Humility and Pride.

Humilitas, Kwami of Humility:

Favorite food: Anything

Weapon: Sword

Miraculous: Earrings

Superbia, Kwami of Pride:

Favorite food: Prime Rib

Weapon: Broadsword

Miraculous: Earrings

Castitas and Libidine, Kwamis of Chastity and Lust

Castitas, Kwami of Chastity:

Favorite Food: Cake

Weapon: Lasso

Miraculous: Belt Chain

Libidine, Kwami of Lust:

Favorite Food: Strawberry

Weapon: Whip

Miraculous: Belt Chain

Patientia and Ira, Kwamis of Patience and Wrath

Patientia, Kwami of Patience:

Favorite Food: Anything made from scratch and homemade

Weapon: Scythe

Miraculous: Pocket Watch

Ira, Kwami of Wrath:

Favorite Food: Jerky

Weapon: Pitchfork

Miraculous: Pocket Watch

Diligentia and Desidia, Kwamis of Diligence and Sloth.

Diligentia, Kwami of Diligence:

Favorite Food: Croissants

Weapon: Glaive

Miraculous: Ring

Desidia, Kwami of Sloth:

Favorite Food: Anything quick and easy, requires no effort

Weapon: Staff

Miraculous: Ring

Caritas and Invidia, Kwamis of Charity and Envy

Caritas, Kwami of Charity:

Favorite Food: Anything

Weapon: Bow

Miraculous: Necklace

Invidia, Kwami of Envy:

Favorite Food: Whatever someone else is eating

Weapon: Bow

Miraculous: Necklace

Temperantia and Gula, Kwamis of Temperance and Gluttony

Temperantia, Kwami of Temperance:

Favorite Food:

Weapon: Dagger

Miraculous: Anklet

Gula, Kwami of Gluttony:

Favorite Food: Anything and everything

Weapon: Sword

Miraculous: Anklet

Liberalitas and Avaritia, Kwamis of Generosity and Greed.

Liberalitas, Kwami of Generosity:

Favorite Food: Bread

Weapon: Staff

Miraculous: Bracelet

Avaritia, Kwami of Greed:

Favorite Food: Anything very pricey

Weapon: Spear

Miraculous: Bracelet

Some quick things to get out of the way with my kwamis and this newest batch.

Animosity and Wrath: While these two seem fundamentally close, which they are, Animosity is ultimately hate, not just rage. Hate is often a byproduct of anger, hence why they are so closely related, but Animosity doesn't always need to come from a place of anger, but 9 times out of 10, it usually is. So, Ira is the pure essence of anger and a short fuse, while Orikko is hatred personified.

Sloth and Lethargy: These two were a little harder to explain at first, but ultimately comes down to the definitions of them and their pairs. So, Sloth is the reluctance to work while Lethargy is low energy, but not reluctance. This is further shown in the pairs. Diligence is careful, persistent work while Determination is firmness and unyielding. They are both what leads to Diligence and Sloth, but not them at the same time. So, here's the explanation for them:

Diligentia is the act of the hard work that could take years to accomplish and the keen eye for every detail in the work. Sloth is the refusal to work. Determination is the unyielding force that drives us. Lethargy is that low energy state when we need to relax and take a break.

The Pandora Box:

I wasn't going to call it this, but I like it, so it stays. Now, this is where I say it's the closest you'll get to it being a miracle box because this box contains the jewels of the Sins but is guarded by the Virtues.

Now, the box:

The box itself is very unassuming. The most notable things about it is the bizarre art/markings and that there is no way to open the box. This is because the box is more of a prison, crafted by the Virtues to hold the Sins. And while the design is near flawless, there is but one flaw to it. While no ordinary mortal can open it, a holder would have access to the contents within. Something the Virtues will keep away from the holders and other kwamis.

The Virtues and Sins are the result of Velze's "death" just as is the creation of Gimmi. They were once a core ensemble of the family as the core beliefs, good and bad, that Velze upheld. The kwamis as a whole embraced them, until the Sins started causing trouble that their virtuous pairs deemed them too dangerous to leave to their own devices, containing them against the wills of their siblings.

Now the Virtues have assigned themselves the task of watching over the Sins and keeping them contained until they are all called back on the final day. At least, that's what they hope.

[uppercut-athletics]

Training hard every day to fight like a warrior. Let strength, bravery, and virtue guide your path. 🥊

[mimic-of-hysy]

Hacking big settie x hawks feelings after this. I'm crying over the banter y'all must have had over it hehehe.

hes a dramatic fucking bitch and I will not let him forget that I know

[beatsforbrothels]

Joshua Virtue - Daisy (ft. Defcee & Pink Navel)

[hyperfixationtimego]

Do you think Korekiyo has a wide knowledge of meme culture or is more of a hermit?

okay okay okay I love this ask so much

my personal take on it is that he is VERY knowledgeable about memes but ONLY the outdated ones because he has to know EVERYTHING about them before he starts using them. the poor guy is a walking anachronism of language. all he knows are dead memes. everyone hates talking to him /hj

[rindomness]

hello hi tell us about mementos and the security level

OH HELLO. Welcome to my personal hill to die on. This post is long. It's one of my out-loud rants in text form. Sorry in advance. There's a cut down there somewhere.

Thesis statement of whatever's about to come next is that Mementos fucks actually as a concept its execution was just horrible and also Yaldabaoth is a terrible final boss. OKAY LET'S GET INTO IT

First things first I really do think Mementos should have gotten a security level. The game plays "Mementos is the public's Palace" very straight, all the way to the end, insisting that Yaldabaoth is created by the public's desire for a status quo yadda yadda yadda. So like. Here's the screenshots actually

I didn't get the whole conversation mostly because I think I was streaming at the time and complaining out loud but like. He just straight-up says this? And then they do nothing with it???

Imagine this with me. Enter the imagisphere or whatever.

It's October. You've just defeated Okumura, and you just watched the mysterious black-masked figure you've been told cryptically about for a while now kill his Shadow. You watch Okumura have a mental shutdown live. It's horrific! It's worrying! What happened? What's going to happen to you? The Phan-Site meter starts dropping rapidly. You go to Mementos to prepare for the next Palace.

There's a security level.

NOT ONLY did this act make the public lose faith in you, but now you're enemy #1, and it's reflected in the collective unconscious. This Chekov's gun that they set up back in May goes off. You have to be much more careful in Mementos because if you aren't, you could get kicked out. The stakes are higher. Mementos, the public view of you, has changed. It's not just doors opening for you anymore.

THAT WOULD BE SO COOL. RIGHT? RIGHT??? BUT NO! No we don't get a security level until the depths, which contradicts itself, actually, because once you get to the depths, the whole POINT is that the public ISN'T reacting to you or your actions! Why the hell would they care that you're In There!

The obvious answer is that it's because the security level belongs to the Holy Grail/Yaldabaoth/the fuckass cup/whatever you personally call him. And okay, whatever, but the game goes out of its way to establish that the Grail isn't really a separate entity from "public desire," he IS "public desire," the status quo incarnate, so once again, I ask, why is this the only time you have a security level! (I know it's because this is the home-stretch to the final boss and mechanically it has to act like a proper Palace. I still think it's stupid.)

And now that I'm talking about the Grail. Hi. Hello. If you've talked to me on Discord you already know this but I fucking hate the Grail. I think it's stupid. I think it's thematically inconsistent. I think its only purpose is to be the "Let's fight God!" final boss. I truly believe that if I hadn't gotten into Persona 5 through Royal, I would not still be into Persona 5, because I would have gotten so frustrated with Yaldabaoth that I would have dropped the game. I regularly complain for half an hour straight about this thing in voice calls. One person once told me the only thing they knew about Persona 5 was that this cup sucked because I wouldn't shut up about it.

I've somehow managed to not do this on Tumblr but I can't really talk about Mementos without talking about it so I guess we're talking about the cup

Narratively: Yaldabaoth just sort of comes out of nowhere??? The whole game is building up to Shido. The whole game. And you do it! You defeat him! And then... there's this other thing??? Apparently??? I was genuinely really confused when I got to this part of the game the first time because I was going ok we beat the final boss complete with eight hundred phases! Hooray! And now there's this other fucker. Going back through the game there's some foreshadowing for him? But it's kind of all concentrated in the start of the game, around Madarame's Palace, when you're just getting used to Mementos, and then it all sorta just disappears.

YOU KNOW WHAT IS FORESHADOWED, THOUGH? MORGANA.

Imagine with me x2 because this is where I thought the game was taking us when it went "btw we need to tackle the depths now"

Morgana has no memories. Morgana knows there's something in the depths that explains who he is. Morgana assumes it's because he's human, and will become human again if he finds out what it is. The WHOLE POINT of exploring Mementos was for Morgana's memories! And then he starts getting these really unsettling dreams, right, where he's a Shadow, or has a Shadow, or whatever. And then you get to the depths.

What I thought was about to happen was that we were going to find out that Morgana was more or less what the Grail claims to be(a being created by the wishes of the masses) and that Mementos was going to be Morgana's Palace. "Oh but Morgana has a Persona-" Morgana's already a weird case I could easily see him having a Shadow or being a Shadow himself while also having a Persona. I'm ignoring Maruki because we're talking about vanilla and Maruki didn't exist yet.

I thought our final boss was going to be Mona's Shadow and that by defeating him(the part of Morgana(as a Shadow/Metaverse being/etc) representative of what they were trying to make Yaldabaoth: wanting to let the status quo handle everything, more or less, the desire to let the system do what it's designed to even if that thing is "crush everything in its path") we would reaffirm that change is possible as long as we all work together. Morgana getting to be this very physical symbol of rebellion and force of will and getting to go NO I want to try even if it hurts me.

What actually happened was... a lot more underwhelming.

What we got was, in a game where one of the primary themes is "rebellion against systemic injustice, you can't just get rid of the One Guy and fix Everything," a final boss who was... one guy who if you got rid of him you'd fix everything?

And I get it Atlus doesn't want to actually shake the boat that much but at the same time Yaldabaoth comes out of nowhere and says absolutely nothing of substance in a game that, over and over again, gets SO CLOSE to saying something really powerful and then sinking back into what's comfortable. It's the aesthetic of rebellion without the teeth of it.

Anyway now that I've complained for an essay's worth here's some positive stuff

I really do like Mementos. It gets a lot of shit for being repetitive and boring and like I sort of get that but on the other hand it is a JRPG. I'm not sure what you expected from the area that is, mechanically, "Here's where you go to grind." I don't see a problem with having this area. I think the special floor events manage to spice it up enough that it's not all that boring. I like Jose being there in Royal, I think he adds a lot, actually. The implications of everything Jose says are fascinating to me. The fact it's impacted by the weather! Like, as a world component, Mementos is so so cool actually guys. I know it's a Persona game so "world impacted by cognition" is sort of the bare minimum but it's really cool!!! The aesthetics fuck! The only layer I really don't like is.. fuck, I think it's Kaitul? Whichever one gets unlocked after Kaneshiro's Palace, I haven't gotten there in my current playthrough yet. It's just... too dark to see, all the time, imo. Mementos feels(except for... 90% sure it's Chemdah) very oppressive and spooky and I honestly think that's great. It's a depressing place to be! For a game about how corruption and systemic violence hurts everybody, it's really good!

In conclusion... don't ask me about Mementos unless you want an essay LMAO in seriousness I understand why Mementos gets shit but I think it should get less of it. And also that I could have fixed it(the cup. The cup is the big bad part of Mementos. Not the grinding you're going to get that with a JRPG no matter what you do you signed up for it when you launched the game.)

[unopenablebox]

i was feeling vaguely bad about stealing cookies out of the vendor fair today without talking to any of the vendors so i decided id go tell one specific booth that i like one of their products and would like some promotional materials about related ones, since it's true and i won't be very inconvenienced if they put me on their mailing list or something

i think their sales guy was really excited someone was talking to him because he gave me a sticker AND a buy-2-get-1 code for a product i actually use AND

this stuffed alpaca

i wouldnt have guessed i wanted a stuffed alpaca but its actually extremely cuddly and nice and im very pleased

[simcardiac-arrested]

zavijava info PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!! PLEASEEEEE ZAVIJAVA COME HOME ... PLEASE .... umm um um ill tell you about umm . tma au im making for nastya if u tell me about her .PLEASE!!!!!!!

so she is definitely a star of some kind. i mean she is an angel but in that story in particular The Stars are kind of angels. like they’re otherworldly beings and they jus kinda hang out. cosmically. it’s a different dimension separated from the human one but like, obviously stars still exist for humans, they just don’t do anything crazy because the rules of the world dictate that their realities shouldn’t interact. angels can observe the other world from far up above yet they still exist on a different level. But tbh zavijava had never enjoyed the otherworldly ethereal whatever lifestyle—she just didn’t feel like she fit in there. she is a #1 humans fan though so she knows that’s where she’d fit in. so she does just that. she fits in perfectly :) and normally :) yay :)

[waytootiredstudent]

I am currently starring in one of the funniest dramas in a discord server that I was ever part of.

Like. Someone accused me of tracing/stealing artwork. Which. Bro. First of all not the same thing. Second of all. The source. The source you're providing. Like. That's. Me. Those are my posts. That I drew. And posted.

But wait it gets better.

Because I DO trace sometimes. But those are 99% training works bc I can't for the life of me figure out a pose(HANDS)/a background/a perspective(HANDS. ITS ALWYAS FUCKING HANDS) (okay sometimes it's just shortening in general) (but hands. it's so often hands.)etc.

But the pieces you picked out? Well. Yeah. I do traced over parts of those pictures. True. Good job buddy. But like. Specifically. My own pictures. Of myself. That I made. Specifically. For this work. As reference. For myself.

And like. Since this is about some nsfw art as well. Im like. Bro. I will not post those pictures of myself. Are you insane?

So basically this guy is super upset with me for. Stealing my own work.

[celestiall0tus]

Long Road - Chapter 13 - Release

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Gimmi stared at the box in disbelief. “This is why you brought us here. This is why you brought me here, isn’t it?”

            “Now you’re getting it. See, old director there knows what I am and that box is something related to me, us. It’s no ancient relic of some lost world. No remnant of an ancient civilization. Whatever made the box is us, as is what is contained within. And that seems like a direct violation of what Father wanted. Or rather, what you wanted,” Kaalki mused.

            Gimmi fumed. “I am not Velze. I am Gimmi.”

            “You aren’t fooling any of us, so no need to keep lying,” Longg hissed.

            Gimmi took a deep breath as she balled and unballed her fists. She turned and glared at Longg with red, gleaming eyes.

            “Aww, what’s the matter? Did I-?” Longg started.

            “Fall,” Gimmi commanded.

            Longg gasped as she fell to her knees. “You little! I’ll-!”

            “Silence!”

            Longg shut her mouth as everyone turned to them.

            “Gimmi?” Marinette asked.

            Gimmi didn’t look Marinette’s way. Her eyes remained on Longg. They held each other’s glares until Gimmi turned away and approached the box. She placed a hand on it as a bright light flashed. Everyone shielded their eyes except for her. She narrowed her eyes as the light faded and a set of seven angelic kwamis hovered over the box. The top one, a light purple kwami with three sets of wings and eyes with a seventh on its forehead, floated up.

            “Father! It’s good to see you!”

            Gimmi sneered. “I am not Velze, Humilitas. You will address me as Gimmi and nothing more.”

            “Oh, forgive me, Gimmi. You are so much like Father.”

            “Enough. Why have you sinned against Velze.

            The angel kwamis all gasped.

            “We’d never! Father is everything! We’d-,” Humilitas started.

            “You have. You cage other kwamis and directly betray Velze’s wishes,” Gimmi cut in.

            “No, you must understand. They were becoming unruly. Sowing seeds of discord and mayhem. Something had to be done. They would not listen to reason, so we did what we had to.”

            “No reason is good enough to betray Velze’s wishes. To sin against him. You will release them immediately,” Gimmi ordered.

            “I don’t understand. What kwamis are so dangerous that they’re locked away?” Marinette asked.

            “Yeah. What’s more dangerous than things like destruction, animosity, and reality?” Juleka asked.

            “I… but… their very nature is to cause mischief. They won’t listen to us and will just cause mayhem,” Humilitas attempted.

            “Please. Plagg and Orikko are no different. And for the record, Juleka, Vana is far more dangerous than I am,” Gimmi hissed.

            Vana clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers into finger guns.

            Gimmi rolled her eyes. “Enough of this. If you will not obey me, I will release them myself.”

            “No, wait!” Humilitas yelled.

            Gimmi ignored Humilitas and grabbed the box. She modified it and opened it to reveal a set of jewelry: earrings, belt chain, pocket watch, ring, necklace, anklet, and bracelet. She snapped her fingers and the jewelry dissolved into pure essences. The essences floated up and manifested into a set of seven demon kwamis. The head demon, a purple-black ombre with three sets of horns like Velze’s, a set of wings, and a tail, snickered.

            “Freedom! Freedom at last! Thank you, not Velze.”

            Gimmi rolled her eyes. “Gimmi, Superbia.”

            Superbia laughed. “You say that like I should care. Though I suppose you did release us from being wrongfully imprisoned. I suppose I can address you by the name Daddy gave you.”

            “Wrongfully? You were cursing mortals!” a light blue lion angel kwami with two sets of wings yelled.

            Superbia waved his hand dismissingly. “How black and white. We were enhancing mortals. Daddy gave us freedom to do what we wanted, did he not? That means we’re allowed to do as we please.”

            “This isn’t what he wanted. He wanted us to enrich the lives of mortals as they had before. With holders,” a yellow angel kwami with one set of wings pointed out.

            “We were also given the freedom of choice. And we choose to do so much more. Though, looking at our favored siblings and their darling little pets, perhaps we could have some fun with that too. While we still spread our blessings,” Superbia mused.

            ��What? There’s no way-!” Fluff started.

            “I don’t care what you do. Velze gave us all the decision to choose for ourselves. If this is what you choose, then be prepared to reap the consequences,” Gimmi cut in.

            “But of course. We wouldn’t expect any less, now, would we?” Superbia mused.

            The other demon kwamis snickered.

            “Fine. Begone, all fourteen of you,” Gimmi ordered.

            The demon and angel kwamis all vanished. Gimmi let the box fall out of her hand as it dissipated. She turned away and headed for the door when Fluff blocked her path.

            “Uh, sorry, Gimmi. But there’s a problem. We can’t let them wander freely,” Fluff protested.

            “Yeah. Orikko, Plagg, and other concepts are at least manageable. Not those ones,” Mullo added.

            “If you want to go after them, be my guest. However, I will do no such thing myself,” Gimmi stated.

            “What? But we can’t. Tikki, please, you speak sense into her,” Fluff begged.

            Tikki shook her head. “Velze gave us the right to choose. That includes, well, them too. We cannot control them anymore than we can control each other. I especially can’t step in knowing Plagg is left to his own devices, no longer restrained by what the Mage did to us. Who knows what he’s getting up to now.”

            “And do not forget that Trixx and Styx are also out there, unsupervised. If you worry so much about our wayward siblings, worry first about those two and so many more,” Gimmi added.

            The kwamis didn’t argue and fell silent. Gimmi sighed and turned to Marinette.

            “I’m leaving and you have a date to get to,” Gimmi said.

            “Oh! Right. Uh, come on, Luka, let’s go,” Marinette said.

            Marinette pulled Luka along before their friends or kwamis could say something. They headed to the exit of the Louvre where Gimmi stopped. Marinette put a hand on Gimmi’s shoulder.

            “Hey, are you ok?”

            A long silence. “No, but don’t worry about it. It’s my burden to bear.”

            “But you don’t have to bear it alone. You’re here for me, I’m here for you. We’re not alone in this. Remember?”

            Gimmi inhaled, then sighed. “I know, but this is something that cannot be helped. It is simply a truth I must endure. A piece a reality I cannot deny, but hate hearing all the same.”

            “Will you please share with me what it is? Even if I cannot help you, I want to understand. I won’t understand at all if you don’t share.”

            “Someday, but not today. Now hurry along. You two have dawdled long enough.”

            “But-!”

            Gimmi vanished before Marinette could finish. Marinette stared out in disbelief, then sighed.

            “Marinette?” Luka asked.

            “It’s ok. Just frustrated. She tells me I’m not alone and to always share my burdens with her. Even though when I do, she gets annoyed and is just so blasé about it, but she still listens and tries to help in her realistic ways. I just wish I could do the same. And, yes, I know, give her time, but I don’t think it’s a matter of time or space. I’m afraid she just doesn’t want to burden me even though I’m allowed to burden her.”

            “Perhaps you should tell her that. You looked like you were doing well until Gimmi left. Maybe you should tell her exactly what you told me.”

            “Yeah. Yeah! I will. In fact, I’ll do it right now!”

            “Uh, Marinette? One thing.”

            “Huh? What’s that?”

            “Our date?”

            Marinette’s eyes widened as she covered her mouth. “Oh! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I just… I didn’t forget. I just-!”

            Luka chuckled and smiled softly. “It’s ok. You care for Gimmi and it’s endearing. It’s one of the many things I love about you and your melody.”

            Marinette blushed and kissed Luka’s cheek. “I will never understand how you have the patience to put up with me.”

            “I do.”

            “Oh? Care to enlighten me?”

            “Because I love you.”

            Marinette’s blush deepened as she looked away. She opened and closed her mouth as all words failed her. She let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned against Luka’s arm.

            “We… we should get going,” Marinette mumbled.

            Luka frowned and looked away sadly. “I’m sorry if that was too sudden. I just-.”

            “No. Don’t… don’t apologize for how you feel. I just… there’s some lingering guilt. And just… just realizing that why you put up with me all this time was because you loved me still. It just… it puts in perspective. I was so bad to you.”

            “Hey, it’s ok now. Remember, we’re starting over. It doesn’t matter what happened then. What matters is what happens moving forward.”

            “I know. I know. I just… it’ll be difficult moving past all that. I… I know I’ll be reminded of it again. I just… I can’t help it. Will you… will you be patient with me?”

            “Always.”

            Marinette smiled and squeezed Luka’s hand. “Thank you. Let’s get going.”

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