#we eat the rude in this household. thank you.

[whalesforhands]

the gojo-geto household’s playtime!

“Would you like another cup of tea, Mr. King?”Nanako’s voice is pitched far too high, an attempt to act a flair of elegance to her words as crumbs of the cookies Tsumiki had baked linger by her lips.

“Oh, with pleasure, Princess Of Green Bunnies.” You watch with amusement as Suguru tips his cup down towards the girl, trying his best to move his admittedly larger frame around without knocking anything over. Your hands gently wiping Nanako’s face when she leans in closer towards you momentarily.

“Mama—“ She coughs, sputtering in her next words. “Mrs. Queen! I am perfectly fine!” She’s whining up at you as you only silently pat her head.

“Can we eat now?” Megumi— No, Prince of The Animal Kingdom, impatiently drums his fingers against the plastic table, staring down at the potato chips and corn snacks before him. Tsumiki tuts, lightly smacking her little brother’s hand. “That’s rude, Prince! We have to wait for the Princess of Stitches to give us the signal.”

Mimiko nods. “Thank you, Princess of Strawberries…” A shy tilt of her head towards her plushie before she clanks her plastic spoon against the plastic teacup.

“Ah! Mimi has an announcement!”

“I wanna eat…”

“Gumi, be patient.” A ruffle of his hair from the long-haired man to sate him.

“I want to thank you all for coming…”

There’s a trudge, before from within the large pile of pillows and blankets, emerged the domineering figure of he who cannot be exorcised, he who rises from the dead, he who kidnaps children and swallows them whole!

The Banished Demon King Who Rules Over the Banished Bad Guys!

(Also known as simply, in Megumi’s complaints of the too long title, The Demon King.)

Gojo Satoru’s boisterous laugh is heard as he uses his tall frame to tower over the tea party, the gasps of shock and horror music to his ears. “My, my! A wonderful tea party!” With a rude step forward, he plants his foot upon the play table, albeit with a bit of care as to not rattle it too much, ego and confidence radiating off of him.

“But it seems my invite got lost via the carrier pigeon!” He places a melodramatic hand to his forehead. “You tiny lot wouldn’t be so cruel to not invite me, would ya?” The glitter upon his paper crown glints underneath the lights as his eyes search the puffed up faces of his daughters and uninterested one of his son.

“You were never invited, cruel monster!” Several plastic utensils are thrown at him as he deflects them with his ‘evil magic’. (He turned Infinity on momentarily before turning it off again.)

You only watch with a pleasant smile next to Suguru, just happy to be a part of this whilst lightly clapping along. Geto’s stare moves to watch you, lips quirking up at the sight of you. He chuckles when he spots a bored Megumi at your other side, sneaking bites of the snacks now that the girls were distracted.

(Megumi wanted to play his console, but everyone voted for this first, so he did too, to the twins and Tsumiki’s delight.)

Satoru’s blanket that acted as his all-menacing cape is unwrapped from around him as three gazes of unwavering determination face him. “I see…” A glint from those sunglasses hiding the ever mischievous pair of blue. “Then I suppose a kidnapping is in order to placate my evil desires! WAHAHAH!”

You don’t even have time to react before you’re scooped up into a pair of arms, the half-eaten biscuit still in your hand as you’re thrown over your husband’s shoulder, his long legs carrying you away and out the door into the living room, cackling all the way as you begin to put on airs.

(This was not in the script.)

“Oh no~!” You let out a gasp for dramatic effect as you’re carried further and further away. “I’m being kidnapped by the evil king! Save me!” The smile on your face completely going against your words, finding it hard to get into character.

“Our Queen has been kidnapped by the evil curse! Oh no!” Nanako raises a foam sword as Tsumiki fixes the ribbons in Geto’s hair. “Quick, we must have an emergency meeting plan to save her!”

——

Gojo settles you down gently on the nearby couch, humming lightly as he sneaks a kiss from your lonely-looking lips. “Gotta play it up a bit, honey. You don’t mind, right?” His once discarded blanket is now upon your shoulders, lightly and messily knotting it to act as ‘binds’. “And so you won’t get cold.”

“How sweet of a Demon King.” You lean forwards to peck his forehead, swooning at him as starry blue eyes meet yours, nuzzling his face against you with a grin on his face.

“Special treatment for my loveliest Queen, of course—“

“Halt right there, evil doer!” Tsumiki has taken charge of the party. “You haven’t won yet, since you forgot our secret weapon!”

“Papa!” Nanako and Mimiko push forward a very compliant Suguru, his hands raised as the sparkly ribbons and bows in his hair attract the demon king’s attention.

“Hello~” Geto only simply waves with a smile on his face.

“Evilllllll BLAST!” His fingers glow red before immediately flickering out, Geto taking the ‘hit’, clutching his heart as he makes a show of stumbling around, before dropping to the ground conveniently right next to you.

“He defeated the King! He’s too strong!” Nanako is gasping in defeat for her siblings, falling to her knees as she acts troubled.

“This curse has more plans!! I eat children who don’t give their daddies enough love today!!!” Gojo gives a sneaky pat to the prone Geto on the ground next to you before he turns to face his defeat.

“Order of Sorcerers! Plan B!”

“RAHHhh- Ow! Hey!” He’s getting pelted by an onslaught of toy bullets as an arm is held up in front of him to defend himself, stray bullets bounce against his face and off of his sunglasses, falling to his knees as he’s sniped from a distance.

Megumi.

Mimiko rings the bell in signal as Tsumiki hands out the next orders. “Megumi has temporarily stunned the monster!” A thrust of her sword upwards towards the ceiling. “All troops! CHARGGEEE!”

“Since when did princes use guns?!” Satoru is adamantly taken aback, holding both hands in the air in surrender as the twins held his legs down in place, Megumi pointing the toy gun menacingly at him as Tsumiki held a pillow up over her head in victory.

“Admit defeat and set our Queen free, monster!”

And they descended upon the poor man like ants to a fallen ice cream scoop, running at him as they poked him with their foam swords, bludgeoned his face with pillows, as he squealed, simply letting himself get overwhelmed and laying in defeat as he continues to get pummeled.

They’re distracted. This is your chance.

“Are you tired?” Your voice is gentle as your head hovers above his, looking down into his lovely copper-amethyst gaze as black ribbons of his hair splay out against the carpeted floor.

He really does look like something out of a fairytale. You’re surprised he wasn’t asked to play a princess.

“My back is a little sore...” Well, hunching over a tiny plastic chair all day isn’t very healthy. “But I’m mostly fine, dear.” He makes it a point to keep his already soothing voice low, tinged with gentle reassurance and eyes blinking slowly up at you.

(He still has the very important role of keeping the roleplay alive, after all.)

“And how is my gorgeous Queen doing?” The act is temporarily dropped when a hand reaches up to cup your cheek, grazing over the skin as his stare holds your own, the background noises fading into nothing as he takes this moment entirely for himself.

“Kiss me?” A plead that you can’t deny.

You relent, a lean downwards that allows you to press a kiss to the man’s forehead, easing his stress and begetting the softness of his eyes, before pulling away.

“Mm. Good… But I prefer somewhere else…”

A loud crash.

“The monster has fallen!” Nanako arises victorious, socked feet standing upon Satoru’s prone body, heels digging into his chest whilst her twin sat upon his stomach as he feigns death on the ground, Tsumiki patting the defeated man’s arm and Megumi poking his face with a stray bullet as the grown man fights to keep the ‘dead’ act as a smile is a laugh away from twitching onto his face.

masterlist

Notes:

“Daddy! You can’t put the word ‘evil’ in front of everything and call it a day!” Mimiko has a small pout on her face as she looks up at the light-haired man, star-shapes carrots on her fork as she regards the figure with a narrowed stare.

You and Suguru both had to console the defeated demon king quite a bit, despite the fact that he had voluntarily taken up this role.

Gojo regrets buying those toy guns. They actually hurt quite a bit.

nvy’s aftertalk:

sorry guys i was playing minecraft and studying lol

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ADWD: Tyrion II (Chapter 5)

Fair warning, this is the chapter where most Aegon Blackfyre evidence is found, and I'll be covering all of it.

They departed Pentos by the Sunrise Gate, though Tyrion Lannister never glimpsed the sunrise. "It will be as if you had never come to Pentos, my little friend," promised Magister Illyrio, as he drew shut the litter's purple velvet drapes. 

Illyrio repeatedly calls Tyrion little friend.

That might not seem troubling, but if you hop on over to A Search of Ice and Fire, you'll find 'friend' can often be a dangerous word for Tyrion Lannister (and many others).

"Thank you, my lord of Lannister." He pulled off his glove and offered his bare hand. "Friend."

Tyrion found himself oddly touched. "Most of my kin are bastards," he said with a wry smile, "but you're the first I've had to friend." He pulled a glove off with his teeth and clasped Snow by the hand, flesh against flesh. The boy's grip was firm and strong. - Tyrion III, AGOT

x

Tyrion let the eunuch help him mount. "Lord Varys," he said from the saddle, "sometimes I feel as though you are the best friend I have in King's Landing, and sometimes I feel you are my worst enemy." - Tyrion I, ACOK

+.+.+

"Unsullied tell no tales," Illyrio assured him. "And the galley that delivered you is on her way to Asshai even now. It will be two years before she returns, if the seas are kind. As for my household, they love me well. None would betray me."

Cherish that thought, my fat friend. One day we will carve those words upon your crypt.

Ominous.

+.+.+

"One hears talk of stone men as well."

"They are real enough, poor damned things. But why speak of such things? The day is too fine for such talk. 

I was reading about greyscale and stone men, and realized it's like the Valyrian version of being a wight.

I have nothing else to add.

+.+.+

Till then, let us drink and dream. We have sweet wine and savories to enjoy. Why dwell upon disease and death?

Why indeed? Tyrion heard the thrum of a crossbow once again, and wondered. The litter swayed side to side, a soothing movement that made him feel as if he were a child being rocked to sleep in his mother's arms. Not that I would know what that was like. Silk pillows stuffed with goose down cushioned his cheeks. The purple velvet walls curved overhead to form a roof, making it pleasantly warm within despite the autumn chill outside.

[...]

The litter was as slow as it was comfortable, however, and the dwarf soon found himself itching with impatience.

"How many days until we reach the river?" he asked Illyrio that evening. "At this pace, your queen's dragons will be larger than Aegon's three before I can lay eyes upon them."

[...]

The dwarf was so stuffed that he had to undo his belt and the topmost laces on his breeches. The boy's clothes his host had dressed him in made him feel like ten pounds of sausage in a five-pound skin. If we eat this way every day I will be the size of Illyrio before I meet this dragon queen. 

Guaranteed Bran and Tyrion were meant to be back-to-back.

Both are travelling a far distance to a Targaryen.

One is gorging, the other is starving.

One is pleasantly warm, the other is freezing to death.

Both are impatient, but only one is rude enough to express it. (and it's not the frozen starving child)

Both have a travel companion who wants to dream.

<- Bran I

Are we there yet?

Bran never said the words aloud, but they were often on his lips as their ragged company trudged through groves of ancient oaks and towering grey-green sentinels, past gloomy soldier pines and bare brown chestnut trees. Are we near? the boy would wonder, as Hodor clambered up a stony slope, or descended into some dark crevice where drifts of dirty snow cracked beneath his feet. How much farther? he would think, as the great elk splashed across a half-frozen stream. How much longer? It's so cold. Where is the three-eyed crow?

Are we back to chapter transitions being useful? That would be nice.

+.+.+

"Would it were so. A large dragon is more fearsome than a small one." 

Are you sure? A tank is more fearsome than a person, but it still requires a driver.

+.+.+

The magister shrugged. "Much as it would please me to welcome Queen Daenerys to Volantis, I must rely on you and Griff for that. I can serve her best in Pentos, smoothing the way for her return.

x

"You flatter me." Illyrio waggled his hand. "Alas, I am not made for travel, so I will send you to Daenerys in my stead.

Illyrio keeps reiterating that he can't stay to meet with Daenerys in Volantis.

There might be more to this, but I think this is being emphasized because Illyrio's absence allows Tyrion to convince Aegon to turn towards Westeros.

+.+.+

Come, drink a cup of wine."

"Tell me," Tyrion said as he drank

Again, I couldn't possibly summarize all the drinking in this chapter.

Assume he's intoxicated until I tell you he's not.

+.+.+

"Tell me," Tyrion said as he drank, "why should a magister of Pentos give three figs who wears the crown in Westeros? Where is the gain for you in this venture, my lord?"

The fat man dabbed grease from his lips. "I am an old man, grown weary of this world and its treacheries. Is it so strange that I should wish to do some good before my days are done, to help a sweet young girl regain her birthright?"

Next you will be offering me a suit of magic armor and a palace in Valyria. 

Another thing that will be heavily stressed throughout this chapter is Tyrion's belief that Illyrio shouldn't care who rules Westeros.

Hence people believing Illyrio is Aegon's father.

+.+.+

"If Daenerys is no more than a sweet young girl, the Iron Throne will cut her into sweet young pieces."

+.+.+

"Fear not, my little friend. The blood of Aegon the Dragon flows in her veins."

Along with the blood of Aegon the Unworthy, Maegor the Cruel, and Baelor the Befuddled.

Lol.

+.+.+

The fat man grew pensive. "Daenerys was half a child when she came to me, yet fairer even than my second wife, so lovely I was tempted to claim her for myself. Such a fearful, furtive thing, however, I knew I should get no joy from coupling with her. Instead I summoned a bedwarmer and fucked her vigorously until the madness passed. If truth be told, I did not think Daenerys would survive for long amongst the horselords."

"That did not stop you selling her to Khal Drogo …"

First of all, gross.

Second of all, Tyrion's spot on. If he cared about Daenerys, why would he sell her to Khal Drogo? He didn't expect her to survive.

Whatever their plan was for Aegon, it never involved Daenerys.

+.+.+

"Dothraki neither buy nor sell. Say rather that her brother Viserys gave her to Drogo to win the khal's friendship. A vain young man, and greedy. Viserys lusted for his father's throne, but he lusted for Daenerys too, and was loath to give her up. The night before the princess wed he tried to steal into her bed, insisting that if he could not have her hand, he would claim her maidenhead. Had I not taken the precaution of posting guards upon her door, Viserys might have undone years of planning."

First of all, double gross.

Second of all, is George doing that thing again where he believes a man (Khal Drogo) can tell if a girl has had sex? Please make him stop.

Third, if Aegon was always the plan (and he was), I'm not sure how Viserys bedding Daenerys would have undone years of planning. Yes, I realize I'm being nitpicky.

+.+.+

"Viserys was Mad Aerys's son, just so. Daenerys … Daenerys is quite different." 

If you say so.

Your father always had a little madness in him, I now believe. Yet he was charming and generous as well, so his lapses were forgiven. His reign began with such promise . . . but as the years passed, the lapses grew more frequent, until . . . - Daenerys VI, ASOS

+.+.+

The frightened child who sheltered in my manse died on the Dothraki sea, and was reborn in blood and fire. 

She talks of prophecies . . . a hero reborn in the sea, living dragons hatched from dead stone . . . she speaks of signs and swears they point to me. - Davos V, ASOS

+.+.+

This dragon queen who wears her name is a true Targaryen. When I sent ships to bring her home, she turned toward Slaver's Bay. In a short span of days she conquered Astapor, made Yunkai bend the knee, and sacked Meereen. Mantarys will be next, if she marches west along the old Valyrian roads. If she comes by sea, well … her fleet must take on food and water at Volantis.

Being a true Targaryen means conquering and sacking cities.

+.+.+

Tyrion pondered all he knew of Volantis, oldest and proudest of the Nine Free Cities. Something was awry here. Even with half a nose, he could smell it. "It's said there are five slaves for every free man in Volantis. Why would the triarchs assist a queen who smashed the slave trade?" He pointed at Illyrio. "For that matter, why would you? Slavery may be forbidden by the laws of Pentos, yet you have a finger in that trade as well, and maybe a whole hand. And yet you conspire for the dragon queen, and not against her. Why? What do you hope to gain from Queen Daenerys?"

"Are we back to that again? You are a persistent little man." Illyrio gave a laugh and slapped his belly. "As you will. The Beggar King swore that I should be his master of coin, and a lordly lord as well. Once he wore his golden crown, I should have my choice of castles … even Casterly Rock, if I desired."

Tyrion snorted wine back up the scarred stump that had been his nose. "My father would have loved to hear that."

"Your lord father had no cause for concern. Why would I want a rock? My manse is large enough for any man, and more comfortable than your drafty Westerosi castles. Master of coin, though …" The fat man peeled another egg. "I am fond of coins. Is there any sound as sweet as the clink of gold on gold?"

How funny is it that they believe she's travelling from city to city to eradicate slavery when that was never the point? My god, she's already taxing slavery.

I'll fully admit Illyrio supporting Daenerys and/or Aegon so he can become master of coin is weak. Master of coin is not an esteemed title to these people. Tyrion didn't want it, and it's usually held by lesser nobles. Hell, Littlefinger was practically lowborn.

I don't think that automatically means he's the kid's father though.

+.+.+

"I told you, my little friend, not all that a man does is done for gain. Believe as you wish, but even fat old fools like me have friends, and debts of affection to repay."

Liar, thought Tyrion. There is something in this venture worth more to you than coin or castles. "You meet so few men who value friendship over gold these days."

That would be fAegon evidence.

Debts of affection to whom? Certainly not Daenerys, I know that much.

+.+.+

"How is it that the Spider became so dear to you?"

"We were young together, two green boys in Pentos."

"Varys came from Myr."

"So he did. I met him not long after he arrived, one step ahead of the slavers. By day he slept in the sewers, by night he prowled the rooftops like a cat. I was near as poor, a bravo in soiled silks, living by my blade. Perhaps you chanced to glimpse the statue by my pool? Pytho Malanon carved that when I was six-and-ten. A lovely thing, though now I weep to see it.

"Age makes ruins of us all. I am still in mourning for my nose. But Varys …"

"In Myr he was a prince of thieves, until a rival thief informed on him. In Pentos his accent marked him, and once he was known for a eunuch he was despised and beaten. Why he chose me to protect him I may never know, but we came to an arrangement. Varys spied on lesser thieves and took their takings. I offered my help to their victims, promising to recover their valuables for a fee. Soon every man who had suffered a loss knew to come to me, whilst city's footpads and cutpurses sought out Varys … half to slit his throat, the other half to sell him what they'd stolen. We both grew rich, and richer still when Varys trained his mice."

"In King's Landing he kept little birds."

"Mice, we called them then. The older thieves were fools who thought no further than turning a night's plunder into wine. Varys preferred orphan boys and young girls. He chose the smallest, the ones who were quick and quiet, and taught them to climb walls and slip down chimneys. He taught them to read as well. We left the gold and gems for common thieves. Instead our mice stole letters, ledgers, charts … later, they would read them and leave them where they lay. Secrets are worth more than silver or sapphires, Varys claimed. Just so. I grew so respectable that a cousin of the Prince of Pentos let me wed his maiden daughter, whilst whispers of a certain eunuch's talents crossed the narrow sea and reached the ears of a certain king.

I bet Varys was responsible for those whispers making it across the narrow sea.

I have to make a bit of a retraction here. In Tyrion's last chapter I said I had no reason to question Illyrio on the statue, but after reading the whole passage, I can see there's a few problems here.

Tyrion catches him lying twice. Big red flag. Doesn't mean I think the statue is Aegon, but it does put the entire story into question.

In other news, the mice stuff made me laugh.

+.+.+

He drained it down, and yawned, and filled it once again. If I drink enough fire wine, he told himself, perhaps I'll dream of dragons.

When he was still a lonely child in the depths of Casterly Rock, he oft rode dragons through the nights, pretending he was some lost Targaryen princeling, or a Valyrian dragonlord soaring high o'er fields and mountains. Once, when his uncles asked him what gift he wanted for his nameday, he begged them for a dragon. "It wouldn't need to be a big one. It could be little, like I am." His uncle Gerion thought that was the funniest thing he had ever heard, but his uncle Tygett said, "The last dragon died a century ago, lad." That had seemed so monstrously unfair that the boy had cried himself to sleep that night.

Dragon dreams typically affect those with dragon blood, therefore Tyrion having dragon dreams is major Tyrion Targaryen evidence.

I personally believe this is another classic be careful what you wish for.

+.+.+

He had read about Valyrian roads, but this was the first he had seen. The Freehold's grasp had reached as far as Dragonstone, but never to the mainland of Westeros itself. Odd, that. Dragonstone is no more than a rock. The wealth was farther west, but they had dragons. Surely they knew that it was there.

Let the speculation begin! Why did the Valyrian Freehold never attempt to conquer the mainland of Westeros?

The wealth of the westerlands was matched, in ancient times, with the hunger of the Freehold of Valyria for precious metals, yet there seems no evidence that the dragonlords ever made contact with the lords of the Rock, Casterly or Lannister. Septon Barth speculated on the matter, referring to a Valyrian text that has since been lost, suggesting that the Freehold's sorcerers foretold that the gold of Casterly Rock would destroy them. Archmaester Perestan has put forward a different, more plausible speculation, suggesting that the Valyrians had in ancient days reached as far as Oldtown but suffered some great reverse or tragedy there that caused them to shun all of Westeros thereafter. - TWoIaF

Two reasons are given:

Sorcerers foretold that the gold of Casterly Rock would destroy them. (Beware of lions, Daenerys.)

Valyrians suffered some great reverse or tragedy in Oldtown. (Beware of Oldtown, Daenerys.)

When I was researching this chapter I often came across the following theories:

Dragons need to be near volcanic activity.

Valyrians feared skinchangers.

I'm not sure either of those theories are supported by the text, but both are quite fun.

+.+.+

Though he said no word of complaint, his distress must have been plain to Illyrio Mopatis. "Come, drink with me," the fat man said. "A scale from the dragon that burned you, as they say."

Hair of the dog that bit you.

+.+.+

"I dreamed about the queen," he said. "I was on my knees before her, swearing my allegiance, but she mistook me for my brother, Jaime, and fed me to her dragons."

"Let us hope this dream was not prophetic. 

Daenerys has never intentionally fed anyone to her dragons, but it happened on the show, so it's definitely on the table.

+.+.+

You are a clever imp, just as Varys said, and Daenerys will have need of clever men about her. Ser Barristan is a valiant knight and true; but none, I think, has ever called him cunning.

Lol.

Kind of funny it was Illyrio who sent Barristan to Daenerys.

+.+.+

They changed out teams only thrice that day but seemed to halt twice an hour at the least so Illyrio could climb down from the litter and have himself a piss. Our lord of cheese is the size of an elephant, but he has a bladder like a peanut, the dwarf mused. 

Diabetic urinary frequency, Tyrion.

+.+.+

"Our last news of Queen Daenerys is old and stale, I fear. By now she will have left Meereen, we must assume. She has her host at last, a ragged host of sellswords, Dothraki horselords, and Unsullied infantry, and she will no doubt lead them west, to take back her father's throne." Magister Illyrio twisted open a pot of garlic snails, sniffed at them, and smiled. "At Volantis, you will have fresh tidings of Daenerys, we must hope," he said, as he sucked one from its shell. "Dragons and young girls are both capricious, and it may be that you will need to adjust your plans. Griff will know what to do. Will you have a snail? The garlic is from my own gardens."

I don't think anything shady is happening, but it's bizarre he has no idea what's going on.

+.+.+

"No. A sellsword, you would call him, but Westerosi born. Daenerys needs men worthy of her cause." Illyrio raised a hand. "I know! 'Sellswords put gold before honor,' you are thinking. 'This man Griff will sell me to my sister.' Not so. I trust Griff as I would trust a brother."

Another mortal error. "Then I shall do likewise."

I love that the guy who put too much faith in Bronn is saying this.

+.+.+

"The Golden Company marches toward Volantis as we speak, there to await the coming of our queen out of the east."

Beneath the gold, the bitter steel. "I had heard the Golden Company was under contract with one of the Free Cities."

"Myr." Illyrio smirked. "Contracts can be broken."

"There is more coin in cheese than I knew," said Tyrion. "How did you accomplish that?"

The magister waggled his fat fingers. "Some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood. I say no more."

That would be fAegon evidence.

A contract of blood would point to Blackfyre.

+.+.+

The dwarf pondered that. The Golden Company was reputedly the finest of the free companies, founded a century ago by Bittersteel, a bastard son of Aegon the Unworthy. When another of Aegon's Great Bastards tried to seize the Iron Throne from his trueborn half-brother, Bittersteel joined the revolt. Daemon Blackfyre had perished on the Redgrass Field, however, and his rebellion with him. Those followers of the Black Dragon who survived the battle yet refused to bend the knee fled across the narrow sea, among them Daemon's younger sons, Bittersteel, and hundreds of landless lords and knights who soon found themselves forced to sell their swords to eat. Some joined the Ragged Standard, some the Second Sons or Maiden's Men. Bittersteel saw the strength of House Blackfyre scattering to the four winds, so he formed the Golden Company to bind the exiles together.

From that day to this, the men of the Golden Company had lived and died in the Disputed Lands, fighting for Myr or Lys or Tyrosh in their pointless little wars, and dreaming of the land their fathers had lost. They were exiles and sons of exiles, dispossessed and unforgiven … yet formidable fighters still.

"I admire your powers of persuasion," Tyrion told Illyrio. "How did you convince the Golden Company to take up the cause of our sweet queen when they have spent so much of their history fighting against the Targaryens?"

Illyrio brushed away the objection as if it were a fly. "Black or red, a dragon is still a dragon. When Maelys the Monstrous died upon the Stepstones, it was the end of the male line of House Blackfyre." The cheesemonger smiled through his forked beard. "And Daenerys will give the exiles what Bittersteel and the Blackfyres never could. She will take them home."

When Maelys the Monstrous died upon the Stepstones, it was the end of the male line of House Blackfyre.

That would be fAegon evidence. Admittedly, I do think the author excluding women sticks out.

"How did you convince the Golden Company to take up the cause of our sweet queen when they have spent so much of their history fighting against the Targaryens?"

That would be fAegon evidence. My problem with that is we have Jon Connington's point of view, and he clearly believes Aegon is Rhaegar's son.

I find it extremely unlikely anyone in the Golden Company has been told he's a Blackfyre.

Black or red, a dragon is still a dragon.

That would be fAegon evidence. However,

In a coat of gold or a coat of red, a lion still has claws

I'm only reminded of that.

+.+.+

"And Daenerys will give the exiles what Bittersteel and the Blackfyres never could. She will take them home."

With fire and sword. It was the kind of homecoming that Tyrion wished for as well. 

The priest had dreamed the same dream, when first he'd seen the red comet in the sky. We shall sweep over the green lands with fire and sword, root out the seven gods of the septons and the white trees of the northmen . . . - The Drowned Man, AFFC

+.+.+

Soon enough the magister was fast asleep, leaving Tyrion to brood alone. He wondered what Barristan Selmy would think of riding into battle with the Golden Company. During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Selmy had cut a bloody path through their ranks to slay the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders. Rebellion makes for queer bedfellows. And none more queer than this fat man and me.

That would be fAegon evidence.

High probability Barristan Selmy will be going to war with the Golden Company one more time.

But I seriously doubt he'll be killing any Blackfyre Pretenders, so that's not foreshadowing.

+.+.+

Magister Illyrio gave him a curious look. "I did not dream my little friend was so devout."

The dwarf shrugged. "A relic of my boyhood. I knew I would not make a knight, so I decided to be High Septon. That crystal crown adds a foot to a man's height. I studied the holy books and prayed until I had scabs on both my knees, but my quest came to a tragic end. I reached that certain age and fell in love."

Tyrion would be the worst High Septon ever.

Don't you dare drag Rickon's name into this.

+.+.+

"A maiden? I know the way of that." Illyrio thrust his right hand up his left sleeve and drew out a silver locket. Inside was a painted likeness of a woman with big blue eyes and pale golden hair streaked by silver. "Serra. I found her in a Lysene pillow house and brought her home to warm my bed, but in the end I wed her. Me, whose first wife had been a cousin of the Prince of Pentos. The palace gates were closed to me thereafter, but I did not care. The price was small enough, for Serra."

Serra would be more fAegon evidence. Illyrio's second wife was from Lys.

The Lyseni are also great breeders of slaves, mating beauty with beauty in hopes of producing ever more refined and lovely courtesans and bedslaves. The blood of Valyria still runs strong in Lys, where even the smallfolk oft boast pale skin, silver-gold hair, and the purple, lilac, and pale blue eyes of the dragonlords of old. The Lysene nobility values purity of blood above all and have produced many famous (and infamous) beauties. Even the Targaryen kings and princes of old sometimes turned to Lys in search of wives and paramours, for their blood as for their beauty. - TWoIaF

Serra had blue eyes. We've only gotten conflicting reports on Aegon's eyes.

This beardless boy could have any maiden in the Seven Kingdoms, blue hair or no. Those eyes of his would melt them. Like his sire, Young Griff had blue eyes, but where the father's eyes were pale, the son's were dark. By lamplight they turned black, and in the light of dusk they seemed purple. His eyelashes were as long as any woman's. - Tyrion IV, ADWD

x

His silvery hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were a deep purple, darker than this boy's. - The Griffin Reborn, ADWD

Two things to consider:

Jon Connington would know the colour of his eyes better than Tyrion.

Jon Connington might be seeing something he wants to see.

+.+.+

"A Braavosi trading galley called at Pentos on her way back from the Jade Sea. The Treasure carried cloves and saffron, jet and jade, scarlet samite, green silk … and the grey death. We slew her oarsmen as they came ashore and burned the ship at anchor, but the rats crept down the oars and paddled to the quay on cold stone feet. The plague took two thousand before it ran its course." Magister Illyrio closed the locket. "I keep her hands in my bedchamber. Her hands that were so soft …"

Aww, the harbor rats brought death. :(

The hand thing is weird.

+.+.+

Tyrion thought of Tysha. He glanced out at the fields where once the gods had walked. "What sort of gods make rats and plagues and dwarfs?" Another passage from The Seven-Pointed Star came back to him. "The Maid brought him forth a girl as supple as a willow with eyes like deep blue pools, and Hugor declared that he would have her for his bride. So the Mother made her fertile, and the Crone foretold that she would bear the king four-and-forty mighty sons. The Warrior gave strength to their arms, whilst the Smith wrought for each a suit of iron plates."

Are you sure it's Tysha you're thinking about?

+.+.+

"The horselords come this way, whenever some khal takes it into his head to gaze upon the sea. The Dothraki are not fond of towns, you will know this even in Westeros."

"Fall upon one of these khalasars and destroy it, and you may find that the Dothraki are not so quick to cross the Rhoyne."

"It is cheaper to buy off foes with food and gifts."

Implying he was buying off the Dothraki with Daenerys.

+.+.+

"Sellswords will not stand against Dothraki screamers. That was proved at Qohor."

"Not even your brave Griff?" mocked Tyrion.

"Griff is different. He has a son he dotes on. Young Griff, the boy is called. There never was a nobler lad."

Looks like we're gearing up for a sellsword vs. Dothraki screamer battle!

Probably in a field.

Probably of fire.

+.+.+

That night Tyrion Lannister dreamed of a battle that turned the hills of Westeros as red as blood. He was in the midst of it, dealing death with an axe as big as he was, fighting side by side with Barristan the Bold and Bittersteel as dragons wheeled across the sky above them. In the dream he had two heads, both noseless. His father led the enemy, so he slew him once again. Then he killed his brother, Jaime, hacking at his face until it was a red ruin, laughing every time he struck a blow. Only when the fight was finished did he realize that his second head was weeping.

✨ foreshadowing ✨

Jokes! There was some truth to it though. Dragons flying above, dead Jaime, and Tyrion weeping.

+.+.+

Ghoyan Drohe had been a Rhoynar city, until the dragons of Valyria had reduced it to a smoldering desolation. I am traveling through years as well as leagues, Tyrion reflected, back through history to the days when dragons ruled the earth.

Are you sure it wasn't an accident?

Maybe it was Jon Connington?

+.+.+

Tyrion slept and woke and slept again, and day and night seemed not to matter. The Velvet Hills proved a disappointment. "Half the whores in Lannisport have breasts bigger than these hills," he told Illyrio. "You ought to call them the Velvet Teats." They saw a circle of standing stones that Illyrio claimed had been raised by giants, and later a deep lake. "Here lived a den of robbers who preyed on all who passed this way," Illyrio said. "It is said they still dwell beneath the water. Those who fish the lake are pulled under and devoured." 

Stonehenge and stone men references.

+.+.+

The next evening they came upon a huge Valyrian sphinx crouched beside the road. It had a dragon's body and a woman's face.

"A dragon queen," said Tyrion. "A pleasant omen."

"Her king is missing." Illyrio pointed out the smooth stone plinth on which the second sphinx once stood, now grown over with moss and flowering vines. "The horselords built wooden wheels beneath him and dragged him back to Vaes Dothrak."

That is an omen too, thought Tyrion, but not as hopeful.

Not a good omen indeed.

"I have," the lad insisted. "Why should I go running to my aunt as if I were a beggar? My claim is better than her own. Let her come to me … in Westeros." - The Lost Lord, ADWD

Two more candidates for sphinx is the riddle.

+.+.+

The dwarf rolled over, pressing half a nose deep into the silken pillows. Sleep opened beneath him like a well, and he threw himself into it with a will and let the darkness eat him up.

God I wish the darkness would eat you.

Final thoughts:

Holy dense chapter.

I'll say what I've always said, I think there's compelling arguments on both sides. I'll let you decide.

37 down, 12 to go. :(

-> return to menu <-

[votestaynight]

1st Day - "One day" (scene 2)

―――That's right, I have to go and help Sakura. I'd feel bad, both for letting my junior do all the work, and for Sakura coming here so early in the morning.

But I'm too late. It seems breakfast has already been made. I can smell the elegant scent of breakfast befitting Sakura. Sakura has finished cooking and is opening the cupboards. I can see that all she has left to do is set the table.

"I'm sorry. I'll at least get the dishes ready, so you go and sit down." "Huh? Oh, you're here already, Senpai?"

"Not 'already'. We're usually eating by ten past six, so I certainly slept in." "I don't think so. You're not in any clubs, so this is still early for you."

"Clubs have nothing to do with this. When you bring clubs into it, the problem is that you come here when you have morning practice to go to." "Ah… no, I'm doing this because I want to, so please don't worry about my club."

"Yeah, you always say that. That's why I wake up early, clubs or not. It's rude for me to sleep in if you're going to be here."

For me, waking up early is waking up before Sakura gets here, and sleeping in is making Sakura prepare breakfast on her own―――like today. Though, this has only been a habit for a year and a half or so.

"Anyways, you take a rest. We only have to set the table, so at least let me do that." I stand next to Sakura and take out the dishes. Sakura is stubborn at times, and in situations like this, she won't rest unless she's forced to.

"Oh, then I'll help too. I'll load the plates and you can take them out."

"No, I'm saying I'll do it all myself." "That won't do. You're head of this household, so you should just sit contentedly in the mornings."

"Sit contentedly? A head of household who leaves you to do the work by yourself is a failure. It's okay, so go to the living room."

"That's right, please be a failure. This is repayment for letting me eat good food all the time. So if it's possible, I'd like for you to rest."

"Hey. We're going fifty-fifty on the groceries, so you shouldn't worry about it. I should be the one thanking you. Since you've started coming here, our meals have improved."

"Oh, I knew it. You don't get it, do you Senpai? That's not why the meals here are good." "Huh? What do you mean that's not why?"

"No, it's nothing. But please take responsibility because I can't eat a pleasant meal anywhere else any more." Sakura smiles while blushing.

"I-Idiot, don't say such weird things. What if Fuji-Nee hears that? She doesn't understand jokes." "You're right. It would be a big problem if Fujimura-Sensei overheard that." "Right. Don't say so much weird stuff." "Yes, I won't. I won't say anything. So I can help you, right Senpai?" "……" Sakura looks up at me, naturally and calmly.

"Fine, do what you want. If you want to help so much, go right ahead." "Yes, I'll do as I please." "…Geez, you really don't listen to anything I tell you anymore, do you Sakura?" "That's true. Maybe I'm becoming more like Fujimura-Sensei." Speaking softly, Sakura reaches up for the cupboard.

Her silky hair and smooth skin catch my eye. "――――" …How can I put this… it's troubling. She must be maturing as she seems really feminine these days. Her casual movements and her figure are so beautiful that I instinctively look away.

"Senpai? Is something wrong?" "―――No, it's nothing. Don't worry, it's nothing." "Hm?" …Honestly. Why am I feeling tense around my friend's sister? After all, Sakura's not like that. She's a good underclassman, and a junior I need to take care of.

First of all, the relationship between me and Matou Sakura is just that of a Senpai and a junior. She's the sister of a close friend of mine, but since she's a grade below me, we weren't that close.

It all changed a year and a half ago into this cooperative kind of relationship. Sakura came to cook when I was injured, and after that, I think we just ended up like this.

…I think we intended to do it until my injury healed, but some trivial thing came up to make her stay with it.

Anyways, Sakura is a good cook, and perfect at cleaning and doing the laundry. It's a big help to have her helping around here in the mornings, but it's been a bit troubling recently. The problem is not in Sakura, but me.

"――――" Frankly, Sakura is beautiful. She's one of the best looking first years, and I'm sure there are lots of guys who want to date her. And on top of that, she's been growing in certain places recently and some of her casual gestures have started to catch my eye.

…That's what I mean by a small problem. Maybe I'm just feeling guilty about being attracted to my friend's sister. Usually I'm fine, but when I'm caught off guard like just now, I blush… does this make me an unsuitable Senpai…?

Breakfast is placed on the table. A perfect breakfast consisting of chicken salad, cooked salmon, spinach, radish and carrot miso soup, and yam soup.

Sakura and I bow and start our meal quietly.

The sounds of our chopsticks echo. Sakura isn't the talkative type, and I'm not versatile enough to talk while eating.

Naturally, mealtimes are quiet. Usually it's louder, but today, the loud person is… She must have been watching spy movies last night as she's eyeing us while hiding behind a newspaper.

"Fujimura-Sensei, don't you think you shouldn't read the newspaper during meals?" "……"

Fuji-Nee ignores Sakura's question. She's acting weird, but Fuji-Nee always acts in suspicious ways during breakfast. Sakura must be used to it, as she continues to eat with no particular care.

Sakura prefers to make Western foods. She learned to cook Japanese food after she started coming here to help. Fuji-Nee and I preferred Japanese, so Sakura learned to make Japanese food for our breakfast.

Now she's so good that she's almost surpassed me, her teacher. The salmon is especially good as it's cooked to perfection. Her miso soup is tasty, and she has shown some capacity even for making yam soup by grinding yams. Actually, I think this is the first time she's made it.

"Sorry, Sakura, can you pass me the soy sauce?" "There you… oh wait, Senpai. Your soy sauce is empty." "Fuji-Nee's will do then. Can you get it?"

"May I, Fujimura-Sensei?" Fuji-Nee nods. Her newspaper trembles.

"There you go. Are you going to use it on the yam soup?" "Yeah, you usually put soy sauce on yam soup, right?" I put the soy sauce onto the white yam soup. After stirring it, I put it on the rice and take a bite.

Mm, the stickiness of the yam and the taste of the soy sau―――― "Ugh…! This is terrible! This is oyster sauce!" I almost throw it back up. And then,

"Haha, ahahahahahaha!" Fuji-Nee throws her newspaper away.

"How's that? It was my plan to switch the labels earlier this morning!" The female spy throws up her arms to show her happiness.

"W-What are you thinking!? You're always like this even though you'll be turning twenty-five this year!" "Haha. Did it teach you a lesson for what you did yesterday? It's divine justice for picking on me with everyone else."

"Divine justice doesn't come from people! I thought you were calm, but this is what you were thinking about!?"

"That's right. That's why I have to go and start grading the exams now. Yup, I should hurry up." Fuji-Nee sits back down and finishes her breakfast quickly.

"Thank you. Breakfast was lovely as always, Sakura-chan." "Ah… thank you, Sensei." "I'm going on ahead then. I'll get mad if you two are late."

And she runs off. …There's something wrong with a world in which that thing is a teacher.

"…Um, Senpai?" "Sorry about that. Fuji-Nee didn't really take the time to enjoy your breakfast." "No, it's not that. Um… did you do something to her yesterday? It's a bit too much for Fujimura-Sensei to play with food."

"Uh… well, yeah. I accidentally called her by her nickname." "I guess it can't be helped in that case. You didn't apologize to her, did you, Senpai?" "Sorry. I forgot since it happens all the time."

"You mustn't. Fujimura-Sensei doesn't like you calling her so, Senpai. You made her cry again, didn't you?" "…I made her run away too. Yesterday's English lesson was a self-study because of it." And I was awarded a student honor written on note paper, but I threw it away.

"Geez. It was all your fault, then." Fuji-Nee is like a big sister for Sakura, so she's basically on Fuji-Nee's side. That's good in its own way, but I wish she'd consider my situation where I have to deal with Fuji-Nee 24-7.

Fuji-Nee was originally an acquaintance of Father's, and she's been coming to the house a lot since I was adopted. She started to show up even more after Father died, and she's now almost a dependent, eating breakfast and dinner here.

―――No. Maybe she's why I was able to make it on my own even after my father died. Fuji-Nee, Sakura, and I are now the residents of the Emiya household.

…But I'm the only one who knows that my father was a magus. It's said that magi must hide their identities. That's why I've been hiding the fact that I'm learning magic ever since I became my father's student.

I say I'm learning, but I can't even cast a single magic spell properly. With this kind of a skill, it wouldn't make much difference whether I hide it or not. But because it was how my father wanted things, I've trained secretly since then.

I finish breakfast and prepare for school. I clean the dishes with Sakura while listening to the news on TV.

"―――" Sakura is staring at the TV screen. Over the screen runs an exaggerated teletype reading "Gas Leak Accidents Continue".

It seems there was a big accident in the neighboring town of Shinto. It happened in a building in the business district. It seems a whole floor of people ran out of oxygen and fell unconscious. They've called it a gas leak, but this kind of accident is happening often recently.

"Are you worried about the news, Sakura?" "Eh? No, not really. I just thought it's near… Senpai, your workplace is in the Shinto area, right?" "Yeah, but it's not really a big place. I don't think an accident like that would happen there."

…But it's not a risk I can completely ignore. Gas leaks can happen in any building, and on top of that, it hurts to think that hundreds of people are suffering.

It's said that the accidents are happening often because of defective construction work during the rapid development of Shinto. Whether that's true or not, I certainly don't want any more victims―――

"…It is dangerous. We'll have to be careful here too." "Oh, don't worry, Senpai. I check the gas twice every time."

Sakura boasts with pride. "No, that's not the point." …Yeah, I've thought so before, but Sakura is a bit off too.

"Senpai, did you lock the back door?" "I did. I bolted it. Is there a problem?" "Not at all. Then I'll lock the front door now. When will you be home today, Senpai?"

"I think I'll be a bit late. What about you, Sakura?" "I'll be back at the usual time. I'll probably be here earlier, so I'll start getting dinner ready." "…Yeah, that'll help. I'll try to come home early too."

We lock the gate. Sakura and Fuji-Nee also have keys to my house, and the rule is that the last person out locks up. "Let's go. You won't make it to morning practice unless we hurry." "Yes, let's hurry then, Senpai."

We walk down to the town together. Passing the long wall and going downhill, we reach the residential district. My house is on top of the hill, far away from the center of town.

Going down the hill takes us to the residential district, and beyond that… We reach the crossroads at the center of this town.

From here, there are many roads: a big bridge leading to the neighboring city… …A hill road that leads to Ryudou Temple… …The residential district on the other side of town… …The shopping district Sakura and I always use… …And the school we're headed to right now.

We head for the school without stopping elsewhere. We don't talk much as we walk up the hill. Since it's still seven o'clock, there aren't many others on the road. Other than us, all you can see are a few others heading to their morning practices.

"Well, see ya. Have fun at your club." I part with Sakura at the school gate like usual. Sakura's in the archery club, so we have to part here in the mornings.

"……" But today, Sakura doesn't go.

"Sakura? Are you not feeling well?" "…No, that's not it, but… um, would you like to come to the dojo?"

"No, I've no business there. Anyways, Issei asked for me, so I have to go to the student council room today."

"…I-I see. Sorry for troubling you then." Sakura bows. "Hm?"

"I'll be going now. Please look forward to dinner tonight." Sakura runs off like she's ashamed of something. "…?" Hm? I wonder what that was all about…?

"Issei, you there?" "I am. You're a bit late today, Emiya." He must have been studying, as Issei looks up from the paper he's reading.

"Just you, Issei? Where are the others? Shouldn't they be here now as well?" "No. Unfortunately, our members are very businesslike. They have their set work hours, and they don't want to come in early or stay late." "That's why the student council president is doing the routine duties himself, huh? I guess this place has its own problems."

"No, it's the kind of trouble I like. You don't need to pity me." "Huh? Uh, no, I wasn't pitying you or anything." "Hm. I'm not happy about that either, but I'll pretend I didn't hear it. It still means that you care."

Issei, who is organizing the papers he was reading, is the big boss of this student council room. He's the guy trying his best to reform this lax student council, and he's been a friend of mine since first year. His full name is Ryudou Issei. Despite his old-fashioned name, he has elegant features and he's really popular with the girls. And he's also the student council president, so you'd think he'd take to it like a duck to water, but…

"Hm. Hot tea is certainly a good way to start a morning." He's just sipping tea like this, so he's not that firm.

As you can see, Issei has a plain personality. It's easily misunderstood, but he doesn't involve himself in love affairs nor engage in normal student recreations. It's because he's the successor of the Ryudou Temple, up in the mountains. He's fine with that idea, so there's a good chance he'll shave his head when he graduates.

"So, what am I doing today?" "Hm? Well, I'd like to let you sit down and take a rest first… but I guess we don't have time. I'll explain as we go, so bring your usual tools and follow me."

"Frankly, our school's budget is completely unbalanced." "I know. The athletic clubs are favored, so other clubs don't get much, right?" "Right. As a result, members of the other clubs are in trouble. I'm working hard to make the budget go to them, but I'm having trouble because it's not clear where the money's going. In particular, there's no solution for the shortages of heaters during winter."[l]

"I see. Oh, can you hand me the torque screwdriver? The biggest one. And the conductive wire too. …Yeah, I should be able to fix this." "Conductive wire? …Uh, is this it? Sorry, I don't know exactly.[l] Tell me if I'm wrong." "You're right. So, what was that about the shortage of heaters? Are there other broken ones?"

"Yes. In the 2nd AV room and the art club. The petitions requesting new stoves are multiplying." "But there's not enough budget to meet the demand, huh? As I thought, it's just getting old. Good thing it's not broken on the inside."

"…Hm. You think it can be fixed, Emiya?" "Yup. In cases like this, old things are nice because they're easy to understand.[l] It's just a shorted connection, so it should last the whole year if we replace that." "I see! Good job, Emiya. I'm always so pleased when you're reliable."

"You're wording it weirdly, Issei… Oh, I'll be finished soon, so could you wait outside for a bit?" "All right, I'll be out of your way."

Issei leaves the room quietly. …It seems he assumes that I'm going to do something delicate.

"…Well, it is delicate, but…" I place my hand on the old electric heater. Usually, even if you're used to fixing things, it's hard to figure out what's wrong with it just by looking at it. So the fact that I figured it out means what I'm doing is not ordinary.

I block off my vision and look inside the heater with my sense of touch. ―――In that moment… An image appears in my head.

"…There are two places where the wire's about to break… The pipe should last a bit longer… Insulation tape should be enough for the power cord…" …Good, I can fix this with the tools I have with me.

If the pipe were broken, it couldn't be fixed by an amateur. If that had been the case, I would have had to "strengthen" it in a very unamatuerish way. But in this case, just looking at it will suffice. That is the "magic" Emiya Shirou learned from Kiritsugu.

"――――All right, let's begin." I take the cover off and start to work. I already know where it's broken, so the rest is easy. "…Man. This is the only thing I'm any good at."

That's right. Emiya Shirou has no talent for magic. Though it doesn't make up for it, I think I'm quite skilled at visualizing structures like I did just now. In fact, when I first figured out a structure and reproduced it, my father looked surprised and said "what a useless ability".

I guess my strong point isn't a useful ability. According to my father, it's already a waste of effort to perceive the structure with my eyes. For a real magus, there's no need to understand every corner of a structure like I just did.

They say that the battle of the magus comes in reading the center, the core of things instantaneously, and changing it faster than anything else. That's why reading the structure is a wasted effort, as even if you do understand the structure, all you can do is determine where magical energy could be more easily transmitted.

So all in all, it turns out that my strong point is just in fixing things like this. I don't have to open them up to look for damage. If I can quickly search for broken parts and have the skills to repair them, most things can be fixed. Though, that's only the case for simple things that can be fixed with "amateur knowledge".

"―――Done. On to the next one…" I pack away the conducting wire that I used and go out into the hallway with screwdriver and wrench in hand.

"Issei, the repairs are done." ――――But. In the hallway is someone else apart from Issei, a girl.

"――――" I'm a bit surprised. The person talking to Issei is Tohsaka Rin, from class 2-A. She's a lady who lives in a big mansion on top of the hill, a perfect honor student. Good looking, smart, athletic, and faultless. She's intelligent, well mannered, and modest about her looks. People say she's the ideal woman.

So it hardly needs to be said that the guys at my school treat her like an idol. Though in Tohsaka's case, she's so perfect that she's considered unreachable. It's commonly believed that only teachers and guys like Issei can even talk to her.

…Well, to be honest, I'm a guy too. So I'm one of Tohsaka Rin's admirers.

"……" Tohsaka looks at us as if she's in a bad mood. It seems to be true that she and Issei don't get along.

"Ah, sorry Emiya. I'm the one who asked for help, but it seems like you're doing all the work. Forgive me." Wow. Issei's an amazing man, talking like that and ignoring Tohsaka.

"Don't worry about it. So, where next? There's not much time left." "Yeah, the AV room is next. It seems it's been working badly for a while, but now it finally died."

"It can't be fixed if it's dead. It would be quicker to just buy a new one." "…True, but it'd help if you could take a look at it. It might be dead to my eyes, but only faking it to yours."

"I see. Well, let's take a look." There's only about 30 minutes left until homeroom. I'll have to hurry if I'm going to fix it.

I start for the AV room with Issei. But it's impolite to ignore her completely when we've met like this.

I turn back to Tohsaka, who's standing in a daze. "You're up early, Tohsaka." I make an honest comment, then follow Issei.

"We barely made it. Thank you, Emiya. I caused you trouble again. I would be a failure as a friend if I made you late doing things for me." "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal for me to be late. Though I guess it would be for you to be…" "Indeed. Well, I'm glad we made it." Issei heads to his seat, relieved.

It's exactly eight o'clock. The first homeroom bell has rung, so Fuji-Nee should be here in about five minutes.

"―――Phew." I'm a bit out of breath since we ran here from the AV room. Taking a deep breath, I head to my seat.

"You're so noisy in the mornings, Emiya. I was wondering what you'd been doing since quitting the club, but all you've been doing is helping out Ryudou? It's not my concern, but don't do anything to bring the club into disrepute, okay? You're pretty uncommitted after all."

Matou Shinji, a friend of mine from middle school, is standing in front of my seat. As you can tell from his last name, he's Sakura's brother who's one year older than her.

"Yo. Is the archery club doing well, Shinji?" "O-Of course…! There's no point in telling an outsider, but it's been peaceful since a certain attention-hog left. We'll do well in the next competition!"

"I see. Mitsuzuri must be working hard." "Huh? You're talking rubbish. The archery club is doing well because of me. You're just an outsider, Emiya, so you'll just embarrass yourself if you talk like you know about it."

"I see, I'll be careful. But I won't have any concerns with the archery club since I don't have any business there." I put my bag on the desk and pull out the chair.

"What's that about? You're saying you're not interested in my archery club?" "I said business, not interest. It'd be weird to go there when I'm an outsider, right? But tell me if something comes up. I'll help if there's anything I can help with. You weren't good at fixing the bows and bowstrings, right?"

"Oh, thanks. I'll call you if there's any work to be done. Though I don't think that'll happen."

"Yeah, that's good. You're not captain material if you leave work that needs to be done. Don't give Fujimura-Sensei too much trouble. She's scary when you piss her off." "…! Huh, mind your own business. You're an outsider, so keep away from the dojo!"

Shinji returns to his seat in his usual manner. …Hm, he seemed even more irritated than usual today.

"What a guy. How can he talk like that when he's the one who drove you out?" "Oh, you were here, Issei?" "What do you mean!? You're so cold, saying that to a friend who was listening in out of concern!"

"Hm? Why would you do that? I'm not doing anything that should make you worry about me." "Idiot. Of course I'll worry about you. You're the sort to lose your temper easily. Some people would cheer if you beat Shinji up, but all the girls would condemn you. It's not good to let a friend get into a situation like that."

"I see. You're right now that you mention it. Thanks, Issei. I don't think it'll be a problem, but I'm grateful for your concern." "Yes, well, as long as you understand… but it's strange. You lose your temper easily, but you're tolerant of Matou." "Yeah, that's just his style. You get used to it if you hang around him for a long time."

"Hm, I see." "Yeah. If you understand, go back to your seat. Fujimura-Sensei will fly in here any second now." "Haha. It's more like her to come floating in than flying in."

The homeroom bell rings. A homeroom teacher usually would come five minutes early, but our homeroom teacher isn't like that.

For class 2-C, homeroom starts one minute after the bell rings. Right when we hear… "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late…!" And Fuji-Nee runs into the classroom.

"All right, I made it! Good morning, everyo―――" Wham! Fuji-Nee falls over with a terrible sound.

"――――――――" The classroom is filled with silence, in contrast to the clamor from a second ago. A sudden change of atmosphere. Just as you'd expect from Fuji-Nee. Her nickname of "human jet coaster" isn't just for show.

…But that really was a bad hit. Fuji-Nee is still on the ground, having hit her head on the platform. You can't see her expression with her head facing the ground, so it gives you a bad mental image.

"…Hey. Front row. Wake her up." "…What? I don't want to. I'm scared she'll bite me if I go near her…" "…She's not a Mimic or anything. She won't go that far." "Hey, if you're saying that, why don't you do it?" "Uh, I'll pass. I'm not used to this." "Me neither! And why would you make a girl do it? A guy should do it!"

The front row is getting noisy. As we're in the middle rows, we can't tell what sort of state Fuji-Nee is in. We can't tell, so we all stand up to look.

"Hey, she's not moving. Has she passed out?" Someone asks. If so, the problem would be how to get her to the nurse's office.

Everyone here is a warrior who has been with Fuji-Nee for the past year. They probably want to get out of the habit of taking their teacher to the nurse's office.

"Fujimura-Sensei…? Um, are you all right?" A brave female student calls out to her. Fuji-Nee doesn't even twitch. A sense of worry runs through the room.

"…That was a bad fall. She hit her head right on the platform. She'd have to be invincible to come out of that without a scratch." "Hm. How about getting her for our baseball club?" "D-Don't even joke about that! The day she's in charge of us, we'd get into the regionals!" "Fujimura-Sensei, Fujimura-Sensei…! It's no good, there's no response…!"

"Hey, why don't you wake her up since you're in front of her?" "What!? No way! If she's really dead, I'll be killed!" "But things could get bad later if we leave her like that." "But no one wants to go near her." "…I guess it can't be helped. We'll have to do… that." "Yeah, that." "All right."

All our hearts become one. …Well, not Shinji and I, because we're too scared.

"One, two… wake up, Tiger!" Even though everyone said it at the same time, it's only as loud as a whisper. The "Tiger" part is especially quiet. But still… …A twitch. The silent Fuji-Nee reacts.

"Whoa, she moved!? It's working, everyone!" "All right! Continue the punishment!" Everyone must be stressed from the impending exams. Even though they shouldn't, they repeat Fuji-Nee's nickname while waving their arms.

"Wake up Tiger, it's morning!" "Sensei, you're a tiger if you don't wake up!" "Don't give up, Tiger! Stand up, Tiger!" "Yeah, wake up, Sensei! Then you'll be a true Tiger!" "T-i-g-e-r! T-i-g-e-r!"

"Gahhh!! Don't call me Tiger…!"

A roar of lightning. She stands bravely as if the fall has done nothing at all.

"…Huh? What are you all doing? You can't stand up in middle of homeroom. Come on, sit down and I'll get started." Fuji-Nee stands before everyone in her usual manner. …It seems all memories from the moment she entered the classroom have fled her head.

"…Hey, it seems Tiger doesn't remember what happened." "…Lucky. We're really fortunate this morning." "…Well, I don't know if we can call it 'lucky'…" Everyone returns to their seats, chatting.

"Huh? Did someone just make fun of me?" "No, we didn't. Maybe you imagined it?" "All right, good. Then I'll start homeroom, so listen up."

Fuji-Nee starts homeroom slowly. She chats in between the announcements, so we don't get through it very fast.

"So everyone, please note the curfew.[l] It's at six o'clock, so people with club activities shouldn't stay too late either." "What? Six o'clock is too early, Taiga-Sensei. Can't the athletic clubs be exempted?"

"Nope. And please address your teacher as 'Fujimura-Sensei'. I'll get mad if you call me that again." "All right, I'll be careful." He sits down again, not showing any signs of listening to her.

…How stupid of him. Fuji-Nee gets mad when she says she will. It makes no difference that he's a student and she's a teacher. He doesn't realize that she just gave him a final warning.

"Well, that's it for today's homeroom. Let's meet again in English class in third period, everyone!" Fuji-Nee leaves, waving her hand.

She's the teacher responsible for class 2-C, Fujimura Taiga. Her nickname is Tiger. You might doubt it, but it really is her nickname.

People like calling her so since she has a name like "Taiga" even though she's a woman. But Fuji-Nee herself hates the nickname. According to her, it's unfeminine. But she's that kind of person, so I think it's her own fault she has an unfeminine nickname.

"We're starting class. Day monitor, the bows." The teacher for the first period enters as Fuji-Nee exits. It's like this every morning, as Fuji-Nee continues homeroom until the very last minute.

And the classes end like every other day. There are many kinds of students: ones that go to clubs, ones that hurry home, and ones that stay in the classroom for no reason. It looks like I won't be in any of those categories.

"Sorry, Emiya, about the rest of the repairs… do you have time today?" "Well, I do have plans, but…" It's not like I'm just playing around. After all, the main reason I quit the archery club is because I wanted to prioritize work.

It's already been five years since Father died, and I decided to start working to pay my living expenses. If you work a lot, there are some jobs you just can't refuse.

Today's an example. They're restocking inventory at work, and they asked me to come if I can as any help is appreciated. But it's certainly not something I have to go to. They're probably just having people come in because they want to party after work.

"――――" There are two options. I―――

[hopefullygettingtaller]

Thanks for your reply. Corporal punishment is not “household violence”: Look it up. Sounds like you could do with some good old fashioned corporal punishment.

If you don’t have the stomach for a response, don’t make a rude comment in the first place. Seems like you believe in free speech so long as you’re the only one exercising it.

Now go eat your broccoli and do your homework.

Dude my comment was about your demographic??? HOW is that malicious?? Like genuinely are you going to hunt down everybody that sees something wrong with your attitude?? If you are going to, please tag me in your little fight posts I want to look at them and get some entertainment. (Also please look up what free speech actually means i am begging you)

Broccoli tastes good and my grades are flying

Let's talk about how it feels to support a violation of children's rights, shall we?

[shop-korea]

LOOKING - AT - POST - 2 - SHOW

CLICK - 'POST' - FIRST - THEN - U

COME - BACK - AND - FILL - IT UP

NEW - OWNER - OF - TUMBLR

MAKER - OF - WORD PRESS

MAKER - OF - WOO COMMERCE

INCOMPETENT - INFERIOR - BUT

WAY - IMPROVED - FROM - ONLY

10,000 ITEMS - PER - WEBSITE

NOW - 100,000 - TRUE - BUT YES

BOGUS - STILL - CRUDE - & RUDE

DIFFICULT - CONFUSING

TORTURE - EXPENSIVE

DEMENTED - DEMEANING - YES

CAUSE A TEAR - DISCOURAGING

CITY - OF - MIAMI - STATE - OF - STRANGE

TIME - MARTIAL - LAW - ILLEGALLY - TRULY

IMPOSED - BY - LOCAL - AUTHORITY

ILLEGAL - MARTIAL - LAW - IS - BY - THEIR

US - ARMY

AT - MIDNIGHT - NOBODIES - CAN'T LEAVE

WHERE - THEY - SLEEP - OR - WORK ALSO

FULLY - AUTO - MACHINE - GUNS

TINY - BULLETS - RECYCABLE

US - FIREARMS - BIG - BULLETS - LOUD

US - RIFFLES - HEAVY - LOUD - HUGE

BULLETS

MARTIAL - LAW - NOW - ISSUED - FOR

ALL HOURS - BY - REPUBLICAN PARTY

OF FLORIDA - AND - ITS - REPUBLICAN

GOVERNOR

THIS - MORNING - A - STUPID - WHITE

MIDWEST - MIAMI - POLICE - MAN HE

DIDN'T - KNOW - WHAT - A - TENT

LOOKS - LIKE

2023 - AMERICANS - BOUGHT ONLINE

283 MILLION - TENTS - 4 - THEIR - FUN

AS - FAMILIES - SOLE - HOUSEHOLD

2024 - 10 AUG - FORMALLY - FLORIDA

BY - ITS - REPUBLICAN - PARTY - HAS

OUTLAWED - WHAT - THEY - NEVER

CREATED - OUTLAWS - TENT

IN - VIOLATION - OF - NATIVE - AMERICAN

INDIANS - 'WE'VE - PLACED - YOU - NO WE

WILL - MAKE - CERTAIN - NO ONE - WILL

EVER - REMEMBER - INDIANS' - PER - THE

REPUBLICAN - PARTY - OF - FLORIDA

INVENTOR - OF - TENTS - BASED - DESIGN

ON - INDIAN - TEE PEE - AN - AMERICAN

MILITARY - COMMANDER - CREATED YES

TENTS

REPUBLICAN - PARTY - OF - FLORIDA

BY - GOVERNOR - HAS - ILLEGALLY

REQUIRED - LOCAL - POLICE - WITH

BIGGER - BULLETS - US - FIREARMS

TO - DECLARE - MARTIAL - LAW

24 HOURS

DECLARED - ILLEGAL - THE USE

OF - TENTS - IN - FLORIDA - BEGINNING

10 AUGUST 2024

MID WEST - WHITE - DUMB - POLICE MAN

WAS - GOING - 2 - ORDER - 'SEEK'

SHELTER - I - INTERRUPTED - WEIRDO

WANTS - 1,000 - MEN - AND - WOMEN

2 - STAY - IN - INVISIBLE - SHELTERS

I - SAID - 2 - SEEK - BECAUSE - WAS

GOING - 2 - TELL - ME - OR - JAIL

MISS UNIVERSE - 2018

MISS UNIVERSE - 2015

MUST - BARE - HER - NAKED - ASS

IN - PUBLIC - 2 - WEE - WEE - PUT'G

THAT - ASS - IN - A - NEW - TALL

KITCHEN - TRASH - BAG

US - JAILS - LIVE - TOILET - THE

LAW - FOR - DISOBEDIENT - 2 LAW

SHELTER - OR - JAIL - AND - YOU

WILL - SHOW - YOUR - RHYMES

WITH - SUBIC - HAIR - BELOW

YOUR - WASTE - YOU - WILL - BE

HANDED - TOILET - PAPER - WITH

CHEMICALS - MADE - IN THE USA

WE - MIAMI - POLICE - WILL PHOTO

THE - WEE WEE - TIME - 2 - PROVE

MENTALLY - ILL

METAL - INSTITUTIONS

MIAMI - POLICE - ASKS - FOR - WEE WEE

2 - CHECK - HEROINE - COCAINE

THANK - GOD

MANY - NURSES - DEAD - TODAY - FROM

TAKING - WEE WEE - AND - POOP

GIVES - TOXIC - SHOCK - DEATH - EYES

OPEN - WHEN - FOUND - DEAD

DEAR - GIRLS - OF - SOUTH - KOREA

MARTIAL - LAW - ILLEGALLY - DECLARED

BY - REPUBLICAN - PARTY - OF - FLORIDA

BEGINNING - 10 AUGUST 2024 - BY

LOCAL - POLICE

TENTS - LIKE - COCAINE - A - US PATENT

WE - MUST - SEE - YOU - URINE - LIKE MY

WAY - WEARING - LIKE - CHOIR - GOWN

SITTING - ON - PORTABLE - TOILET - AS

WE - USE - TRAVEL - WIPES

ANTIBACTERIAL - NO - FLUSHING - YES

NEEDED - WE - CAN - SLEEP - ON - THE

STREET - ALLOWED - UNTIL - SEPT 2024

ENDS

BLK - FOREIGN - MIAMI - POLICE - MEN

BUDDHISTS

U - MUST - B - BEHIND - THEM

AS - WOMEN - 5 FEET - LIKE - NORTH

KOREA - ARMED - LIVING - OBEDIENCE

REQUIRED - BY - REPUBLICAN - PARTY

OF - FLORIDA - 'STRONGER - GUN

RIGHTS' - ILLEGAL - OPEN - CARRY

NON-MULES - REPUBLICANS FLORIDA

U - MUST - B - 2 FEET - AWAY - AS SIDES

AS - WOMEN - FRONT - STAND - 1 FEET

AND - HEAR - TO - APPROACH

LIKE - NORTH - KOREA - ONLY - 4 GIRLS

ALL - AGES - PROSTITUTES

NOT - MANY - BLK - BUDDHISTS

JAPAN - CHINA

BUDDHIST - PRIESTS - WHO - DON'T EAT

PAST - 6P - NO - MEAT - EATING

ONLY - GARLIC - ONIONS - CERTAIN

VEGETABLES - THEY - DON'T - ALLOW

FEMALES - MANY - THINGS - ALSO CAN'T

BE - NEAR - THEM - BUT - MALES - ALSO

NEAR - THEM

CHINA - 1989 - TIANMAN - SQUARE

10 AUGUST 2024

01 OCT 2024

ONLY - US ARMY - THE - LAW

MARTIAL - LAW - AND - MIDNIGHT

NO - LOOSER - CAN - LEAVE EVEN

WORK - NO LOOSER OUT AT NIGHT

BUT - FULLY - AUTO - MACHINE

GUNS - LIKE - SHOULDER - BAG

NEW - AND - SMALL - BULLETS

SAFER - KINDER - NICE SOUND

GETTING - STORAGE

I - SAID - AT - ONCE - FR - WHITE

DUMB STUPIED - 'YOU - MUST ...

SEEK - 'STORAGE - UNITS - 377 SQ

FEET - OR - LESS - OR - I - TURNED

2 - OTHER - HAITI - BLK - MAN

MIAMI - POLICE

FORMER - HAITI - PRESIDENT

MIDNIGHT - WEDNESDAY - SHOT AT

THE - HEAD - ALSO - 12 TIMES SHOT

2 - DEATH - HOME - OFFICE - HE

WAS - ALLOWED - JUNE - BIRTHDAY

BY - COLOMBIA - CATHOLIC - MEN &

2 - NATURALIZED - IN - FLORIDA - AS

INTERPRETERS - OF - FIREARM

RANSACKED - OFFICE - AFTER - AND

SHOT - HIS - WIFE - ONCE - SEARCHED

BEDROOM ...

WHY - THEIR - HAITI - BACKGROUND

CATHOLIC - BIBLE - CHRISTIAN VUDU

WORSHIP - OF - SATAN - AFTER

MARTIAL LAW - IMPOSED - ILLEGALLY

BY - REPUBLICANS - 10 AUGUST 2024

THEY - NEED - 2 C - YOU'RE - DOING

WEE WEE

KISSIMME - FLORIDA

NUDITY - AREAS

ARREST - MUST - B - MADE - BY

NAKED - SHOES - ARMED - ALSO

[rasif-khan]

✅ || Here's 100 general rules for life that everyone should follow:

If you’re not following these rules, what are you even doing?

Tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them.

Keep a balanced diet.

Pay your bills on time.

Don’t wear a white shirt when drinking grape juice, red wine or when eating spaghetti.

Reconnect with old friends.

Make new friends.

Invest in experiences, not things.

Make time to travel.

You don’t need to say “yes” to everything.

Floss your teeth.

Get a decent pair of running shoes.

Your story can be rewritten. Nothing is set in stone.

Don’t fill up on bread at the restaurant.

Job rejections are never personal.

Develop a new hobby.

Have a mentor and be a mentor to someone.

“I don’t know” is an acceptable answer.

Don’t buy household appliances from the dollar store.

A handwritten thank you card goes a long way.

Just because you’re available to do something doesn’t mean you have the capacity.

Take your medication.

Normalize going for therapy and make it accessible to everyone.

It’s okay to go out wearing sweatpants. We all have our “sweatpants radius.”

It’s okay to not have everything figured out yet.

If your pet appears during a Zoom meeting, you are obligated to introduce them.

Normalize turning your camera off on Zoom.

Saying “I don’t see race” is not a solution to racism.

Take a day off.

Don’t skip breakfast in the morning.

Start every day with a set of goals, even small goals, of what you’re planning to accomplish.

Order in once in a while. You deserve it.

Limit your use of social media.

Join a support group.

Disability is not always physical.

Disability, gender, race, etc. are never independent but rather intersecting concepts.

Everyone has a voice.

It’s okay to ask for space.

Crying is a vital life skill to have.

Keep a well-stocked fridge.

Cook with fresh vegetables.

Eat some chocolate once in a while.

Everything tastes better with cheese.

Do some yoga.

Relationships take hard work, but when you meet the right person, it’s worth it.

Manage your finances.

Don’t watch the news. It’s anxiety-provoking.

Look after your mental health as much as your physical health.

Do some yoga.

Challenge your misconceptions.

Uplift marginalized voices.

Donate your time, energy or money to support a good cause.

Get married if you want to get married. Have kids if you want kids. Don’t do it just because it’s the thing to do.

Life paths and career paths are not linear.

Eat with a fork and knife, unless you’re having ribs or wings.

Someone who is nice to you, but rude to a server, still isn’t a nice person.

If you see someone having lunch alone, join them. Be their friend.

If you have to choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never done before.

Make a point of asking someone every day how they are doing. Never underestimate the value of checking in.

Not everything needs to be said. Have a social filter.

Do one thing a day that scares you.

When in doubt, go for a walk.

Replace the milk if you finish it.

Slow down and take breaks. It’s not a race.

Honesty is always the best policy.

Revisit your childhood memories.

Stay off your phone in the evening.

Practice mindfulness.

It’s okay to fail but own up to your mistakes and learn from them.

Take off your shoes when you’re at someone else’s house.

Bring something if you’re invited to someone else’s house.

Give people the space to be upset instead of telling them to relax.

Bring a phone charger wherever you go. It’s not heavy and you may need one.

Pursue meaning instead of happiness.

A bad day is not a bad life.

Listen to audio books/podcasts.

Sing in the shower.

Scented candles are great for relaxation.

Never spend a whole day inside. Get fresh air.

Put the toilet seat down when you’re done.

Be forgiving of yourself and others. We all make mistakes.

No one expects you to be the best version of yourself.

Have a creative outlet.

It’s okay to acknowledge your privilege but use it to help others.

Don’t clip your toenails in public.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Stretch your muscles.

Moderate your coffee intake.

Drink tea.

Stay hydrated.

Invest in a planner.

Get enough sleep.

It’s okay to be lazy. Productivity ebbs and flows.

Get a plant.

It’s not their “preferred” pronouns. It’s just their pronouns. It’s not a choice. It’s literally their identity. Use the right pronouns.

Don’t tell someone that they’re stronger for any traumatic experience. No one wants to hear that.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Take an improv class.

You’re never too old to make changes in your life.

Sometimes you may not feel fantastic, but you are.

Love yourself, no matter what..!!

@highlight

#Murshed

#writer

Murshed Al Islam Rasif

Md Towhidul Islam

© Md Jonaidul Islam

Place: Toitong Bazar, Pekua, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

[themomsandthecity]

As a Parent of Gen Alpha Kids, I Promise: They Are Not the Worst in History

Dennis the Menace terrorized adults in the early 1960s. The kids on "Saved by the Bell" made life for Principal Belding total hell circa 1990. And the Plastics had no respect for authority when "Mean Girls" first came out in 2004. And yet, Gen Alpha - the kids of millennials, born between 2010 and 2025 - is being labeled as the most "defiant, disrespectful, and rude" kids in history. TikTok creator and teacher Teresa Kaye Newman certainly isn't alone in sharing her opinion that today's youth are "entitled" and "lazy." As she said in a viral post that is meant to serve as a PSA for parents, "Your children are missing the mark on discipline, they're missing the mark on education standards, they're missing the mark on literacy, they're missing the mark on socialization." I know this TikToker wasn't addressing me directly - but actually, she kind of was. I'm a mom of four Gen Alpha kids, and I'd argue that they deserve far more grace than is being afforded to them. Here's the reality: today's children aren't that bad. If my Dennis the Menace callout wasn't enough to convince you, consider that since the beginning of time, kids have been testing limits. That's what kids do. And, news flash, kids make mistakes (so do adults, but we'll get to that in a moment). First, I want to point out the biggest difference between Gen Alpha and previous generations: nowadays, if a child is rude or misbehaves, we can always rely on someone to shame them or their parents on social media. Kids need compassion, not condemnation. We can also thank social media for pressuring our kids to live up to impossible standards of perfection that don't even exist. I mean, I'd implode too if my whole social standing revolved around whether I had a Stanley water bottle at the age of 10. Can we really blame kids for feeling overwhelmed by all the lofty trends they feel they need to adopt just to fit in? From endless makeup tutorials to body ideals that aren't attainable for 99 percent of young people, to shoes and clothes and accessories you'd need Kardashian money to afford, Gen Alpha is just trying to keep its head above water (a recent warning about the impact of social media from the US Attorney General confirms that). Kids need compassion, not condemnation. I'm sad to think that anyone who had the luxury of growing up pre-pandemic, and before school shootings were monthly occurrences, would turn on today's kids. The stress and lack of stability these kids deal with on a daily basis is unimaginable for those of us who remember life before cell phones and, gasp, the days when you couldn't skip commercials. Speaking of parents, we're facing unique pressures as well. Aside from our own unhealthy relationship with social content, raising a family has never been so expensive. My husband and I pay more now for our home, heating, electricity, food, cars, and healthcare than ever before. Like many Americans, we are a two-income household, and having to work long hours can mean less time to spend with kids doing homework or eating dinner as a family. But like generations of parents before us, we are trying our best day in and day out. Many of us strive to raise our kids to be respectful and hardworking, and I assure critics out there that I know a lot of truly amazing young people at my kids' school, on their sports teams, and out and about in our community. A final word on the topic: I also feel for teachers. Like today's kids and parents, they are dealing with their own set of unique pressures. From attempting to get students' attention in a world saturated with viral content, to overcoming learning loss from the pandemic, to coping with their own fears about school violence, you have to admire the many dedicated educators doing their part to help raise responsible, kind, caring, and ambitious citizens of the future. The takeaway here is that these kids do exist - we just need to look a little deeper at each individual and the… https://www.popsugar.com/family/gen-alpha-criticism-opinion-49330518?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[the-firebird69]

There are several more things that are pissing us off Tommy f is warned and he starts doing stupid s*** so we're going to hit him. Right now people are going to his derelict Stone chips and he's sending a fleet there one that's covered with empire ships and they're breaking out and they're going there as if they really have to the empire is sending more ships to stop it into the other fleets and they're arriving right about now and that's who it was. John remillard is wrong and the clones are taking a beating. About things that are not happening this account that account we're tired of it they were going to cut you off and take over stuff and start doing it now

-three more people have died no three more households from 40 down to 30 and now it's three more 27 households and believe it or not between those 13 households they're about 40 people and we said 70 went out and that's what it is and there's only 30 left he knew only one person for the most part that's a friend of Scott go Bay and he didn't know him too well Jonathan peel skilled musician who's a smart person to talk to him and said he sounds smart like he knows what he's doing and he there's a son of Mack no he was a bja but he used to eat right study and dope correctly and look normal he thought it was normal and he tried to figure out if people knew about it a lot and yes him and he says she Mumble a little bit so do I and stuff like that but he asked differently and she said a lot of smart people kind of mumble and it's nothing rude and to know people listening so one day Jonathan peel came up to him and said and thank you for your effort and he's saying whatever and he's saying to save his life in the future and people have it in recording and he did not make it he knew he was trying and he did some stuff it didn't work. There are a few more people in those three households city New one of them was a friend of Steve prefontaine and he was a bit darker and he thought he was mixed race and he hung out with him for a while and he almost got beat up by him I said what are you doing he said I'm not really erase we'll stop telling me that stuff so stop hanging out with him say he doesn't see anybody and it's a spy job and it's probably some slowing down on that huh and probably he says wow that's bad he looked at it and investigated and found out they knew about him and he said oh you're being used and that's what you want me to do but a new boat and house and move yes oh yeah. It had a lot of meetings and didn't work. There's more out of the three households we didn't know them too well but they were helping an occasion and fell over on soon it's a crushing wait they fell on him.

We're going to publish in the battle is continuing

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

[pamelalovenyc]

Travel Etiquette: Minding Your Manners Worldwide

Travel isn't just about discovering new places; it's about understanding and respecting diverse cultures and traditions. In an age of globalization, travel etiquette plays a crucial role in ensuring positive interactions with locals and leaving a good impression. This guide will help you navigate cultural norms, ensuring you're a welcome guest wherever your adventures lead.

1. Greetings and Gestures: A Universal Introduction

Each region has its own traditional ways of greeting, be it a bow, handshake, or even a cheek kiss. Being familiar with these can pave the way for pleasant interactions.

Tip: In Japan, a bow is a sign of respect. In France, a light cheek kiss is common, while in Thailand, the traditional 'Wai' involves a slight bow with palms pressed together.

2. Dining Decorum: Savor with Sensibility

Food is a gateway to culture, but the rituals around it vary significantly worldwide.

Tip: In India, eating with the right hand is customary. In China, leaving a little food on your plate indicates that you're full and had plenty.

3. Dress Code: Dressing the Part

Respecting local dress codes, especially in places of worship, is essential to show respect for local customs.

Tip: When visiting temples in Southeast Asia, wearing modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees is a must.

4. Punctuality: Timing is Everything

Time perceptions vary globally. While some cultures are strict about punctuality, others have a more relaxed approach.

Tip: In Germany, punctuality is highly valued. In contrast, in many South American countries, being a little late is often acceptable.

5. Tipping Practices: To Tip or Not to Tip

Tipping is appreciated in some places, obligatory in others, and offensive in a few.

Tip: In the USA, tipping (15-20%) is customary in restaurants. However, in Japan, it can be considered rude.

6. Photography: Capture with Courtesy

While capturing memories is a travel staple, always consider personal and cultural boundaries.

Tip: Always ask for permission before taking photos of people, especially in regions where indigenous communities might perceive it as intrusive.

7. Language: A Few Words Go a Long Way

While you might not be fluent, knowing basic phrases in the local language can be invaluable.

Tip: Simple words like 'Thank You' (Gracias in Spanish, Merci in French, or Dhanyavad in Hindi) can bridge communication gaps and earn respect.

8. Personal Space & Physical Contact: Boundaries Matter

Physical boundaries vary by culture. Some cultures are touch-oriented, while others prefer distance.

Tip: In many Middle Eastern countries, public displays of affection are frowned upon. Conversely, in Mediterranean nations, close personal contact is common.

9. Gift Giving: Thoughtful Tokens

In many cultures, visiting someone's home means bringing a small gift as a gesture of appreciation.

Tip: When visiting a Chinese household, a gift, even something small, is a sign of respect. However, avoid gifting clocks, as they're associated with funerals.

10. Environmental Respect: Tread Lightly

Respecting nature and public spaces is a universal aspect of travel etiquette.

Tip: When camping or hiking, practice the "Leave No Trace" principles. In cities, avoid littering and respect public property.

Conclusion

Travel etiquette is the invisible thread that binds travelers to the places they visit. As Mark Twain aptly put it, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." The more we understand and respect the intricacies of diverse cultures, the richer our travel experiences become.

Remember, every journey is an opportunity to learn, grow, and become a global citizen. It's not just about seeing the world, but understanding and respecting it. As you embark on your next adventure, let these etiquette guidelines be your compass, guiding your interactions and ensuring that you leave footprints of kindness and respect. Safe travels and mindful journeys ahead!

[votestaynight2]

1st Day - One day (I) (Scene 2)

―――That's right, I have to go and help Sakura. I'd feel bad, both for letting my junior do all the work, and for Sakura coming here so early in the morning.

But I'm too late. It seems breakfast has already been made. I can smell the elegant scent of breakfast befitting Sakura. Sakura has finished cooking and is opening the cupboards. I can see that all she has left to do is set the table.

"I'm sorry. I'll at least get the dishes ready, so you go and sit down." "Huh? Oh, you're here already, Senpai?"

"Not 'already'. We're usually eating by ten past six, so I certainly slept in." "I don't think so. You're not in any clubs, so this is still early for you."

"Clubs have nothing to do with this. When you bring clubs into it, the problem is that you come here when you have morning practice to go to." "Ah… no, I'm doing this because I want to, so please don't worry about my club."

"Yeah, you always say that. That's why I wake up early, clubs or not. It's rude for me to sleep in if you're going to be here."

For me, waking up early is waking up before Sakura gets here, and sleeping in is making Sakura prepare breakfast on her own―――like today. Though, this has only been a habit for a year and a half or so.

"Anyways, you take a rest. We only have to set the table, so at least let me do that." I stand next to Sakura and take out the dishes. Sakura is stubborn at times, and in situations like this, she won't rest unless she's forced to.

"Oh, then I'll help too. I'll load the plates and you can take them out."

"No, I'm saying I'll do it all myself." "That won't do. You're head of this household, so you should just sit contentedly in the mornings."

"Sit contentedly? A head of household who leaves you to do the work by yourself is a failure. It's okay, so go to the living room."

"That's right, please be a failure. This is repayment for letting me eat good food all the time. So if it's possible, I'd like for you to rest."

"Hey. We're going fifty-fifty on the groceries, so you shouldn't worry about it. I should be the one thanking you. Since you've started coming here, our meals have improved."

"Oh, I knew it. You don't get it, do you Senpai? That's not why the meals here are good." "Huh? What do you mean that's not why?"

"No, it's nothing. But please take responsibility because I can't eat a pleasant meal anywhere else any more." Sakura smiles while blushing.

"I-Idiot, don't say such weird things. What if Fuji-Nee hears that? She doesn't understand jokes." "You're right. It would be a big problem if Fujimura-Sensei overheard that." "Right. Don't say so much weird stuff." "Yes, I won't. I won't say anything. So I can help you, right Senpai?" "……" Sakura looks up at me, naturally and calmly.

"Fine, do what you want. If you want to help so much, go right ahead." "Yes, I'll do as I please." "…Geez, you really don't listen to anything I tell you anymore, do you Sakura?" "That's true. Maybe I'm becoming more like Fujimura-Sensei." Speaking softly, Sakura reaches up for the cupboard.

Her silky hair and smooth skin catch my eye. "――――" …How can I put this… it's troubling. She must be maturing as she seems really feminine these days. Her casual movements and her figure are so beautiful that I instinctively look away.

"Senpai? Is something wrong?" "―――No, it's nothing. Don't worry, it's nothing." "Hm?" …Honestly. Why am I feeling tense around my friend's sister? After all, Sakura's not like that. She's a good underclassman, and a junior I need to take care of.

First of all, the relationship between me and Matou Sakura is just that of a Senpai and a junior. She's the sister of a close friend of mine, but since she's a grade below me, we weren't that close.

It all changed a year and a half ago into this cooperative kind of relationship. Sakura came to cook when I was injured, and after that, I think we just ended up like this.

…I think we intended to do it until my injury healed, but some trivial thing came up to make her stay with it.

Anyways, Sakura is a good cook, and perfect at cleaning and doing the laundry. It's a big help to have her helping around here in the mornings, but it's been a bit troubling recently. The problem is not in Sakura, but me.

"――――" Frankly, Sakura is beautiful. She's one of the best looking first years, and I'm sure there are lots of guys who want to date her. And on top of that, she's been growing in certain places recently and some of her casual gestures have started to catch my eye.

…That's what I mean by a small problem. Maybe I'm just feeling guilty about being attracted to my friend's sister. Usually I'm fine, but when I'm caught off guard like just now, I blush… does this make me an unsuitable Senpai…?

Breakfast is placed on the table. A perfect breakfast consisting of chicken salad, cooked salmon, spinach, radish and carrot miso soup, and yam soup.

Sakura and I bow and start our meal quietly.

The sounds of our chopsticks echo. Sakura isn't the talkative type, and I'm not versatile enough to talk while eating.

Naturally, mealtimes are quiet. Usually it's louder, but today, the loud person is… She must have been watching spy movies last night as she's eyeing us while hiding behind a newspaper.

"Fujimura-Sensei, don't you think you shouldn't read the newspaper during meals?" "……"

Fuji-Nee ignores Sakura's question. She's acting weird, but Fuji-Nee always acts in suspicious ways during breakfast. Sakura must be used to it, as she continues to eat with no particular care.

Sakura prefers to make Western foods. She learned to cook Japanese food after she started coming here to help. Fuji-Nee and I preferred Japanese, so Sakura learned to make Japanese food for our breakfast.

Now she's so good that she's almost surpassed me, her teacher. The salmon is especially good as it's cooked to perfection. Her miso soup is tasty, and she has shown some capacity even for making yam soup by grinding yams. Actually, I think this is the first time she's made it.

"Sorry, Sakura, can you pass me the soy sauce?" "There you… oh wait, Senpai. Your soy sauce is empty." "Fuji-Nee's will do then. Can you get it?"

"May I, Fujimura-Sensei?" Fuji-Nee nods. Her newspaper trembles.

"There you go. Are you going to use it on the yam soup?" "Yeah, you usually put soy sauce on yam soup, right?" I put the soy sauce onto the white yam soup. After stirring it, I put it on the rice and take a bite.

Mm, the stickiness of the yam and the taste of the soy sau―――― "Ugh…! This is terrible! This is oyster sauce!" I almost throw it back up. And then,

"Haha, ahahahahahaha!" Fuji-Nee throws her newspaper away.

"How's that? It was my plan to switch the labels earlier this morning!" The female spy throws up her arms to show her happiness.

"W-What are you thinking!? You're always like this even though you'll be turning twenty-five this year!" "Haha. Did it teach you a lesson for what you did yesterday? It's divine justice for picking on me with everyone else."

"Divine justice doesn't come from people! I thought you were calm, but this is what you were thinking about!?"

"That's right. That's why I have to go and start grading the exams now. Yup, I should hurry up." Fuji-Nee sits back down and finishes her breakfast quickly.

"Thank you. Breakfast was lovely as always, Sakura-chan." "Ah… thank you, Sensei." "I'm going on ahead then. I'll get mad if you two are late."

And she runs off. …There's something wrong with a world in which that thing is a teacher.

"…Um, Senpai?" "Sorry about that. Fuji-Nee didn't really take the time to enjoy your breakfast." "No, it's not that. Um… did you do something to her yesterday? It's a bit too much for Fujimura-Sensei to play with food."

"Uh… well, yeah. I accidentally called her by her nickname." "I guess it can't be helped in that case. You didn't apologize to her, did you, Senpai?" "Sorry. I forgot since it happens all the time."

"You mustn't. Fujimura-Sensei doesn't like you calling her so, Senpai. You made her cry again, didn't you?" "…I made her run away too. Yesterday's English lesson was a self-study because of it." And I was awarded a student honor written on note paper, but I threw it away.

"Geez. It was all your fault, then." Fuji-Nee is like a big sister for Sakura, so she's basically on Fuji-Nee's side. That's good in its own way, but I wish she'd consider my situation where I have to deal with Fuji-Nee 24-7.

Fuji-Nee was originally an acquaintance of Father's, and she's been coming to the house a lot since I was adopted. She started to show up even more after Father died, and she's now almost a dependent, eating breakfast and dinner here.

―――No. Maybe she's why I was able to make it on my own even after my father died. Fuji-Nee, Sakura, and I are now the residents of the Emiya household.

…But I'm the only one who knows that my father was a magus. It's said that magi must hide their identities. That's why I've been hiding the fact that I'm learning magic ever since I became my father's student.

I say I'm learning, but I can't even cast a single magic spell properly. With this kind of a skill, it wouldn't make much difference whether I hide it or not. But because it was how my father wanted things, I've trained secretly since then.

I finish breakfast and prepare for school. I clean the dishes with Sakura while listening to the news on TV.

"―――" Sakura is staring at the TV screen. Over the screen runs an exaggerated teletype reading "Gas Leak Accidents Continue".

It seems there was a big accident in the neighboring town of Shinto. It happened in a building in the business district. It seems a whole floor of people ran out of oxygen and fell unconscious. They've called it a gas leak, but this kind of accident is happening often recently.

"Are you worried about the news, Sakura?" "Eh? No, not really. I just thought it's near… Senpai, your workplace is in the Shinto area, right?" "Yeah, but it's not really a big place. I don't think an accident like that would happen there."

…But it's not a risk I can completely ignore. Gas leaks can happen in any building, and on top of that, it hurts to think that hundreds of people are suffering.

It's said that the accidents are happening often because of defective construction work during the rapid development of Shinto. Whether that's true or not, I certainly don't want any more victims―――

"…It is dangerous. We'll have to be careful here too." "Oh, don't worry, Senpai. I check the gas twice every time."

Sakura boasts with pride. "No, that's not the point." …Yeah, I've thought so before, but Sakura is a bit off too.

"Senpai, did you lock the back door?" "I did. I bolted it. Is there a problem?" "Not at all. Then I'll lock the front door now. When will you be home today, Senpai?"

"I think I'll be a bit late. What about you, Sakura?" "I'll be back at the usual time. I'll probably be here earlier, so I'll start getting dinner ready." "…Yeah, that'll help. I'll try to come home early too."

We lock the gate. Sakura and Fuji-Nee also have keys to my house, and the rule is that the last person out locks up. "Let's go. You won't make it to morning practice unless we hurry." "Yes, let's hurry then, Senpai."

We walk down to the town together. Passing the long wall and going downhill, we reach the residential district. My house is on top of the hill, far away from the center of town.

Going down the hill takes us to the residential district, and beyond that… We reach the crossroads at the center of this town.

From here, there are many roads: a big bridge leading to the neighboring city… …A hill road that leads to Ryudou Temple… …The residential district on the other side of town… …The shopping district Sakura and I always use… …And the school we're headed to right now.

We head for the school without stopping elsewhere. We don't talk much as we walk up the hill. Since it's still seven o'clock, there aren't many others on the road. Other than us, all you can see are a few others heading to their morning practices.

"Well, see ya. Have fun at your club." I part with Sakura at the school gate like usual. Sakura's in the archery club, so we have to part here in the mornings.

"……" But today, Sakura doesn't go.

"Sakura? Are you not feeling well?" "…No, that's not it, but… um, would you like to come to the dojo?"

"No, I've no business there. Anyways, Issei asked for me, so I have to go to the student council room today."

"…I-I see. Sorry for troubling you then." Sakura bows. "Hm?"

"I'll be going now. Please look forward to dinner tonight." Sakura runs off like she's ashamed of something. "…?" Hm? I wonder what that was all about…?

"Issei, you there?" "I am. You're a bit late today, Emiya." He must have been studying, as Issei looks up from the paper he's reading.

"Just you, Issei? Where are the others? Shouldn't they be here now as well?" "No. Unfortunately, our members are very businesslike. They have their set work hours, and they don't want to come in early or stay late." "That's why the student council president is doing the routine duties himself, huh? I guess this place has its own problems."

"No, it's the kind of trouble I like. You don't need to pity me." "Huh? Uh, no, I wasn't pitying you or anything." "Hm. I'm not happy about that either, but I'll pretend I didn't hear it. It still means that you care."

Issei, who is organizing the papers he was reading, is the big boss of this student council room. He's the guy trying his best to reform this lax student council, and he's been a friend of mine since first year. His full name is Ryudou Issei. Despite his old-fashioned name, he has elegant features and he's really popular with the girls. And he's also the student council president, so you'd think he'd take to it like a duck to water, but…

"Hm. Hot tea is certainly a good way to start a morning." He's just sipping tea like this, so he's not that firm.

As you can see, Issei has a plain personality. It's easily misunderstood, but he doesn't involve himself in love affairs nor engage in normal student recreations. It's because he's the successor of the Ryudou Temple, up in the mountains. He's fine with that idea, so there's a good chance he'll shave his head when he graduates.

"So, what am I doing today?" "Hm? Well, I'd like to let you sit down and take a rest first… but I guess we don't have time. I'll explain as we go, so bring your usual tools and follow me."

"Frankly, our school's budget is completely unbalanced." "I know. The athletic clubs are favored, so other clubs don't get much, right?" "Right. As a result, members of the other clubs are in trouble. I'm working hard to make the budget go to them, but I'm having trouble because it's not clear where the money's going. In particular, there's no solution for the shortages of heaters during winter."[l]

"I see. Oh, can you hand me the torque screwdriver? The biggest one. And the conductive wire too. …Yeah, I should be able to fix this." "Conductive wire? …Uh, is this it? Sorry, I don't know exactly.[l] Tell me if I'm wrong." "You're right. So, what was that about the shortage of heaters? Are there other broken ones?"

"Yes. In the 2nd AV room and the art club. The petitions requesting new stoves are multiplying." "But there's not enough budget to meet the demand, huh? As I thought, it's just getting old. Good thing it's not broken on the inside."

"…Hm. You think it can be fixed, Emiya?" "Yup. In cases like this, old things are nice because they're easy to understand.[l] It's just a shorted connection, so it should last the whole year if we replace that." "I see! Good job, Emiya. I'm always so pleased when you're reliable."

"You're wording it weirdly, Issei… Oh, I'll be finished soon, so could you wait outside for a bit?" "All right, I'll be out of your way."

Issei leaves the room quietly. …It seems he assumes that I'm going to do something delicate.

"…Well, it is delicate, but…" I place my hand on the old electric heater. Usually, even if you're used to fixing things, it's hard to figure out what's wrong with it just by looking at it. So the fact that I figured it out means what I'm doing is not ordinary.

I block off my vision and look inside the heater with my sense of touch. ―――In that moment… An image appears in my head.

"…There are two places where the wire's about to break… The pipe should last a bit longer… Insulation tape should be enough for the power cord…" …Good, I can fix this with the tools I have with me.

If the pipe were broken, it couldn't be fixed by an amateur. If that had been the case, I would have had to "strengthen" it in a very unamatuerish way. But in this case, just looking at it will suffice. That is the "magic" Emiya Shirou learned from Kiritsugu.

"――――All right, let's begin." I take the cover off and start to work. I already know where it's broken, so the rest is easy. "…Man. This is the only thing I'm any good at."

That's right. Emiya Shirou has no talent for magic. Though it doesn't make up for it, I think I'm quite skilled at visualizing structures like I did just now. In fact, when I first figured out a structure and reproduced it, my father looked surprised and said "what a useless ability".

I guess my strong point isn't a useful ability. According to my father, it's already a waste of effort to perceive the structure with my eyes. For a real magus, there's no need to understand every corner of a structure like I just did.

They say that the battle of the magus comes in reading the center, the core of things instantaneously, and changing it faster than anything else. That's why reading the structure is a wasted effort, as even if you do understand the structure, all you can do is determine where magical energy could be more easily transmitted.

So all in all, it turns out that my strong point is just in fixing things like this. I don't have to open them up to look for damage. If I can quickly search for broken parts and have the skills to repair them, most things can be fixed. Though, that's only the case for simple things that can be fixed with "amateur knowledge".

"―――Done. On to the next one…" I pack away the conducting wire that I used and go out into the hallway with screwdriver and wrench in hand.

"Issei, the repairs are done." ――――But. In the hallway is someone else apart from Issei, a girl.

"――――" I'm a bit surprised. The person talking to Issei is Tohsaka Rin, from class 2-A. She's a lady who lives in a big mansion on top of the hill, a perfect honor student. Good looking, smart, athletic, and faultless. She's intelligent, well mannered, and modest about her looks. People say she's the ideal woman.

So it hardly needs to be said that the guys at my school treat her like an idol. Though in Tohsaka's case, she's so perfect that she's considered unreachable. It's commonly believed that only teachers and guys like Issei can even talk to her.

…Well, to be honest, I'm a guy too. So I'm one of Tohsaka Rin's admirers.

"……" Tohsaka looks at us as if she's in a bad mood. It seems to be true that she and Issei don't get along.

"Ah, sorry Emiya. I'm the one who asked for help, but it seems like you're doing all the work. Forgive me." Wow. Issei's an amazing man, talking like that and ignoring Tohsaka.

"Don't worry about it. So, where next? There's not much time left." "Yeah, the AV room is next. It seems it's been working badly for a while, but now it finally died."

"It can't be fixed if it's dead. It would be quicker to just buy a new one." "…True, but it'd help if you could take a look at it. It might be dead to my eyes, but only faking it to yours."

"I see. Well, let's take a look." There's only about 30 minutes left until homeroom. I'll have to hurry if I'm going to fix it.

I start for the AV room with Issei. But it's impolite to ignore her completely when we've met like this.

I turn back to Tohsaka, who's standing in a daze. "You're up early, Tohsaka." I make an honest comment, then follow Issei.

"We barely made it. Thank you, Emiya. I caused you trouble again. I would be a failure as a friend if I made you late doing things for me." "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal for me to be late. Though I guess it would be for you to be…" "Indeed. Well, I'm glad we made it." Issei heads to his seat, relieved.

It's exactly eight o'clock. The first homeroom bell has rung, so Fuji-Nee should be here in about five minutes.

"―――Phew." I'm a bit out of breath since we ran here from the AV room. Taking a deep breath, I head to my seat.

"You're so noisy in the mornings, Emiya. I was wondering what you'd been doing since quitting the club, but all you've been doing is helping out Ryudou? It's not my concern, but don't do anything to bring the club into disrepute, okay? You're pretty uncommitted after all."

Matou Shinji, a friend of mine from middle school, is standing in front of my seat. As you can tell from his last name, he's Sakura's brother who's one year older than her.

"Yo. Is the archery club doing well, Shinji?" "O-Of course…! There's no point in telling an outsider, but it's been peaceful since a certain attention-hog left. We'll do well in the next competition!"

"I see. Mitsuzuri must be working hard." "Huh? You're talking rubbish. The archery club is doing well because of me. You're just an outsider, Emiya, so you'll just embarrass yourself if you talk like you know about it."

"I see, I'll be careful. But I won't have any concerns with the archery club since I don't have any business there." I put my bag on the desk and pull out the chair.

"What's that about? You're saying you're not interested in my archery club?" "I said business, not interest. It'd be weird to go there when I'm an outsider, right? But tell me if something comes up. I'll help if there's anything I can help with. You weren't good at fixing the bows and bowstrings, right?"

"Oh, thanks. I'll call you if there's any work to be done. Though I don't think that'll happen."

"Yeah, that's good. You're not captain material if you leave work that needs to be done. Don't give Fujimura-Sensei too much trouble. She's scary when you piss her off." "…! Huh, mind your own business. You're an outsider, so keep away from the dojo!"

Shinji returns to his seat in his usual manner. …Hm, he seemed even more irritated than usual today.

"What a guy. How can he talk like that when he's the one who drove you out?" "Oh, you were here, Issei?" "What do you mean!? You're so cold, saying that to a friend who was listening in out of concern!"

"Hm? Why would you do that? I'm not doing anything that should make you worry about me." "Idiot. Of course I'll worry about you. You're the sort to lose your temper easily. Some people would cheer if you beat Shinji up, but all the girls would condemn you. It's not good to let a friend get into a situation like that."

"I see. You're right now that you mention it. Thanks, Issei. I don't think it'll be a problem, but I'm grateful for your concern." "Yes, well, as long as you understand… but it's strange. You lose your temper easily, but you're tolerant of Matou." "Yeah, that's just his style. You get used to it if you hang around him for a long time."

"Hm, I see." "Yeah. If you understand, go back to your seat. Fujimura-Sensei will fly in here any second now." "Haha. It's more like her to come floating in than flying in."

The homeroom bell rings. A homeroom teacher usually would come five minutes early, but our homeroom teacher isn't like that.

For class 2-C, homeroom starts one minute after the bell rings. Right when we hear… "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late…!" And Fuji-Nee runs into the classroom.

"All right, I made it! Good morning, everyo―――" Wham! Fuji-Nee falls over with a terrible sound.

"――――――――" The classroom is filled with silence, in contrast to the clamor from a second ago. A sudden change of atmosphere. Just as you'd expect from Fuji-Nee. Her nickname of "human jet coaster" isn't just for show.

…But that really was a bad hit. Fuji-Nee is still on the ground, having hit her head on the platform. You can't see her expression with her head facing the ground, so it gives you a bad mental image.

"…Hey. Front row. Wake her up." "…What? I don't want to. I'm scared she'll bite me if I go near her…" "…She's not a Mimic or anything. She won't go that far." "Hey, if you're saying that, why don't you do it?" "Uh, I'll pass. I'm not used to this." "Me neither! And why would you make a girl do it? A guy should do it!"

The front row is getting noisy. As we're in the middle rows, we can't tell what sort of state Fuji-Nee is in. We can't tell, so we all stand up to look.

"Hey, she's not moving. Has she passed out?" Someone asks. If so, the problem would be how to get her to the nurse's office.

Everyone here is a warrior who has been with Fuji-Nee for the past year. They probably want to get out of the habit of taking their teacher to the nurse's office.

"Fujimura-Sensei…? Um, are you all right?" A brave female student calls out to her. Fuji-Nee doesn't even twitch. A sense of worry runs through the room.

"…That was a bad fall. She hit her head right on the platform. She'd have to be invincible to come out of that without a scratch." "Hm. How about getting her for our baseball club?" "D-Don't even joke about that! The day she's in charge of us, we'd get into the regionals!" "Fujimura-Sensei, Fujimura-Sensei…! It's no good, there's no response…!"

"Hey, why don't you wake her up since you're in front of her?" "What!? No way! If she's really dead, I'll be killed!" "But things could get bad later if we leave her like that." "But no one wants to go near her." "…I guess it can't be helped. We'll have to do… that." "Yeah, that." "All right."

All our hearts become one. …Well, not Shinji and I, because we're too scared.

"One, two… wake up, Tiger!" Even though everyone said it at the same time, it's only as loud as a whisper. The "Tiger" part is especially quiet. But still… …A twitch. The silent Fuji-Nee reacts.

"Whoa, she moved!? It's working, everyone!" "All right! Continue the punishment!" Everyone must be stressed from the impending exams. Even though they shouldn't, they repeat Fuji-Nee's nickname while waving their arms.

"Wake up Tiger, it's morning!" "Sensei, you're a tiger if you don't wake up!" "Don't give up, Tiger! Stand up, Tiger!" "Yeah, wake up, Sensei! Then you'll be a true Tiger!" "T-i-g-e-r! T-i-g-e-r!"

"Gahhh!! Don't call me Tiger…!"

A roar of lightning. She stands bravely as if the fall has done nothing at all.

"…Huh? What are you all doing? You can't stand up in middle of homeroom. Come on, sit down and I'll get started." Fuji-Nee stands before everyone in her usual manner. …It seems all memories from the moment she entered the classroom have fled her head.

"…Hey, it seems Tiger doesn't remember what happened." "…Lucky. We're really fortunate this morning." "…Well, I don't know if we can call it 'lucky'…" Everyone returns to their seats, chatting.

"Huh? Did someone just make fun of me?" "No, we didn't. Maybe you imagined it?" "All right, good. Then I'll start homeroom, so listen up."

Fuji-Nee starts homeroom slowly. She chats in between the announcements, so we don't get through it very fast.

"So everyone, please note the curfew.[l] It's at six o'clock, so people with club activities shouldn't stay too late either." "What? Six o'clock is too early, Taiga-Sensei. Can't the athletic clubs be exempted?"

"Nope. And please address your teacher as 'Fujimura-Sensei'. I'll get mad if you call me that again." "All right, I'll be careful." He sits down again, not showing any signs of listening to her.

…How stupid of him. Fuji-Nee gets mad when she says she will. It makes no difference that he's a student and she's a teacher. He doesn't realize that she just gave him a final warning.

"Well, that's it for today's homeroom. Let's meet again in English class in third period, everyone!" Fuji-Nee leaves, waving her hand.

She's the teacher responsible for class 2-C, Fujimura Taiga. Her nickname is Tiger. You might doubt it, but it really is her nickname.

People like calling her so since she has a name like "Taiga" even though she's a woman. But Fuji-Nee herself hates the nickname. According to her, it's unfeminine. But she's that kind of person, so I think it's her own fault she has an unfeminine nickname.

"We're starting class. Day monitor, the bows." The teacher for the first period enters as Fuji-Nee exits. It's like this every morning, as Fuji-Nee continues homeroom until the very last minute.

And the classes end like every other day. There are many kinds of students: ones that go to clubs, ones that hurry home, and ones that stay in the classroom for no reason. It looks like I won't be in any of those categories.

"Sorry, Emiya, about the rest of the repairs… do you have time today?" "Well, I do have plans, but…" It's not like I'm just playing around. After all, the main reason I quit the archery club is because I wanted to prioritize work.

It's already been five years since Father died, and I decided to start working to pay my living expenses. If you work a lot, there are some jobs you just can't refuse.

Today's an example. They're restocking inventory at work, and they asked me to come if I can as any help is appreciated. But it's certainly not something I have to go to. They're probably just having people come in because they want to party after work.

"――――" There are two options. I―――

[handelplayssims]

t’s day 2 of the catch-up days. Kiara’s awake and has a little time before school starts...and she wants to be inspired. Welp. Let’s just do some pre-school yoga then. And now everyone heads off to school and work, and Kiara gains a liking for wellness. Ahp, and Santiago has to go to work as well. Sorry dude, would remember to wake you up and hour beforehand to get needs taken care of but forgot. At least it’s just food and bathroom, things fulfilled at work.

Kids are back from school and Kiara has gotten her B-grade again. Nice nice! Santiago also returned from work. His whim? To crush the dreams of a toddler! Very rude. We’ve invited a friend over as a part of Zayne’s coming home from school though sooooo, we’re holding off on that. Instead, it’s time to write! Oh wait, can���t do that. So instead I’m going to do something I’ve long been thinking about. I’m going to upgrade the bathroom plumbing. Toilet, sink, bathtub. They all need to break less often so we’ll work on that this evening. Meanwhile, Ashlynn is crashing right into bed. She had little sleep thanks to that bar night so she’ll need it.

Oh huh. Santiago has a tense moodlet from the visiting kid but not the one of his own. I guess that’s a way to ensure that he’ll not be tense all the time. Zayne asks Santiago for advice on becoming a ninja and...I still don’t get how getting a ninja outfit affects empathy. ...I really should take away that positive sentiment. Hey, Santiago! Time to be an annoying git towards your kid! There we go! Festering grudge! Good for me! So next is solving hard problems, aka homework time for Zayne and Kiara...wishes to get to know Zayne. Huh. Well, let’s work on her homework as well. Alongside Zayne! Again, I do find this cute, the two siblings getting along together in a sort of “we are suffering under our annoying parents” solidarity. Oh he yelled at her because he’s now mad thanks to his dad. Aww. I had them take moments to themselves, had Zayne play with the cat and then had him apologise to her. And then I had her send him to bed.

Aww. She’s being the fun mom in the midsts of their parents being bad. Aww. To bed with her. And then time for-

Neighborhood Watch!

Windenburg: The Keves Team moved out.

FAREWELL MY XENOBLADE TEAM! Farewell and may the hands of death avoid ye!

Emilia Lucas in the Lucas household is now a Freelance Programmer in the Freelance Programmer career.

Britechester: The Allen household moved out.

Well that’s consistent at least. Anyway, another day! And the next day! SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! It’s 3AM and Ashlynn has finally woken up from her slumber, in massive need of the restroom and food. And one of her whims is asking for snack! Ha! Well, I’d be more of a “eat ice cream” gal but the whim in particular is about quick meals. But hey, after some yogurt, we’ll go and make some! Kiara’s up and energized. Let’s make a high-energy protein plate for breakfast. Good way to start the day, with asparagus, eggs and beef! Meanwhile, Santiago and Ashlynn are flirting. Good for them! And they had a -ahem- time before work. So now it’s just casual hang out before work begins. Hopefully it doesn’t break today and if it does, I do have saves. So let’s go on patrol.

We’re at Evergreen Harbor today at the apartments. Hooooo boy. At least it isn’t storming like last time. Because I mostly blame the crash on the stormy weather and staying out overtime. And we got some fights not long after settling in! Yes! Good! And no crashing! Woooooo! We’re in the clear! Next stage is catching a criminal! When we initially loaded in, we got info on clues for who committed the previous crime. Now it’s a matter of catching them.

So materialistic male. Got it! We got Jing Fen the professor and Karter Cain, former maid! Ohohohoho. I can just check the wiki for Jing’s info to help narrow this down! But I better do this properly. All of the men around here have long-sleeved shirts and slacks. Annnd there we go. It’s the teen I didn’t recognize. Got the materialistic trait off of him. Hooray! We ruined a teen’s life with a criminal record! Yaaay! Now we just get to hang out at the station.

Okay, you I understand a little bit more than Mio. Still disappointed in you Lanz. Anyway, time for that pre-made BLT. And then we fingerprint and search our suspect. Poor poor teen. Anyway, as soon as you get the work task day up to full, you can do whatever. Alas, it’s near time for the day to end though. I just decide to have Ashlynn spend these last few minutes boxing. And hey, job done! Now she’s an officer! A proper one!

Spice Festival is happening! It’s time for Kiara and her club to show up and show out! ...though it seems only she’s showing up. Man. What’s the point of having a club terrorize a festival if they won’t show up?! Anyway, let’s pig out on food! Kiara shall learn how to make Sweet and Sour Pork and a Chicken Burrito! Now let’s do what we’re meant to do! Being mischevious to adults! And the first person I find is...a landlord. Time to be mean instead! Also it’s past Kiara’s curfew. Which fine by me! I was meaning to lower her responsibility! Agh, Ali the Landlord left before I could get to disliked. Alas. So I guess it’s time to simply watch the street performers, which seems like Kiara’s thing. And then I had her try the free bubble blower. Didn’t work out well. All she got was uncomfortable moodlets.

This man just found the grills and made it his home and purpose to simply GRILL. Good on him. Anyway, festival is over but let’s hang out until everything despawns. By 3:30, it has! Let’s go home. Naturally everyone would be spawned awake but I wanted to see the energy levels for the parents. Because someone is going to tell Kiara off for being late! Might as well be Mom cop. Annd her responsibility is back up. Welp. Nothing for it but...skipping school! I immediately send Ashlynn to bed afterwards. Zayne needs a midnight snack and we do have ice cream for him. He...somehow managed to go to the restroom inspite of Kiara fixing up the bath that broke down. -shrug- And how he shall join in slumber. Kiara will also have some ice cream, clean out the toilet, because I noticed it, and then head to slumber as well. And after that long day, it’ll be time for-

Neighborhood Watch!

Yuki Behr in the Behr household has died. Shockingly, Yuki botched a repair and was electrocuted.

...n-no! No! Not my socially awkward vampire nerd Yuki! No! This is to the point of we’re going to go over and ensure an urn does spawn. She’s family. I played as her. And now she’s gone…

Maximiliano Miller in the Miller household has died. Maximiliano stuck a finger in a plug and electricity came out.

Jade Rosa in the Rosa household is now a Wave Watcher in the Lifeguard career.

...we’re taking a break to see if an urn spawns at Yuki’s home. And...no! No I’m not seeing anything at all… -sniff- It was more for Candy’s sake. Candy is still within a played household and all so… -sniff- Well, that’s a mood killer for this post. -sighs softly- I’ll see you all next time folks.

[dietcokeplease]

Bruh youre so fucking rude and if you hate me and my house so much just fucking LEAVE ALREADY

Also like nice job forgetting to remove me from the gc until AFTER you bitch about me

Like i fucking care, make me out as the bad guy to your friends as much as you want, i have receipts and im not the asshole here

This shit makes me wanna start a reddit so i can make a post on AITA and send it to yall lolol

"They treat us like squatters just cause we dont pay rent" UHHH number 1: not paying rent (or even contributing to the household in a positive way) makes you squatters lol, and number 2: we treat you like squatters cause you act like squatters

Like, youre not entitled to my kindness or charity, stop acting like entitled brats

I literally saved you from homelessness (by your own admission) by inviting you into my home rent-free, gave you your own spaces and helped decorate and shit and told you not to worry about money cause i wanted you to feel at home and be able to save money to get back on your feet, but also never imposed strict time limits on how long you could stay) and in return you treated my home like some shitty motel that you can just trash and not do anything to contribute to the household like you said you would

Nothing in this world is free, someone has to pay for it, so i end up paying for you to live here through utilities (which youve also raised significantly by never turning electronics/lights off and leaving the front door wide open all the time), ON TOP of buying you groceries, your medications, and a bunch of non-essentials like video games and shit cause you're depressed and apparently not being able to play the newest video game makes you actively suicidal

Ive also driven you to multiple dr appts on 3+ hour roundtrips, also on my own dime, and volunteered to give you weekly injections so that you didnt have to remember to take a pill every day

I put up with you being straight up rude to me (comparing me to your abuser all because i said i wouldnt go out of my way to fix a mess that you created, hello??) and this is the thanks i get??

Like, i even wrote out the nicest msg i could to be like hey pls stop being asshole roommates or you gotta go, with a detailed list of the shit you regularly pull, but i never sent it cause i was hoping that nicely asking about individual issues would be enough

Specific examples not included- REPEATEDLY using my nice steak knives as regular knives (for shit like peanut butter, cutting brownies, etc) and leaving them lying around dirty despite the fact that ive asked multiple times to AT LEAST clean them and put them away right away, vaping inside and allowing guests to vape inside despite knowing the STRICT no smoking rule, repeatedly using other peoples things without asking and not at least putting it back where found (perfume, toothpaste, cologne, socks, hair bleach etc etc), eating the last of other ppls food (one time i got a dozen donuts and ate two, then when i came back not even 6hr later, the entire box was empty and no one had said a word to me, i had bought them for my sister who was visiting, who didnt get to have any), using the last of the toilet paper and instead of letting someone know or getting more, using paper towels (like were you raised in a barn?? Paper towels cannot go in the toilet), losing the only garage key when you shouldnt have even had it with you in the first place, and more that i cant even think of rn

So if you "feel like [your] at war constantly" then maybe stop doing shit that you know is going to start fights, aka stop stomping all over my boundaries

[alexs-arcade]

hey idk if ur taking requests but i was wondering if u could do like a tasm! peter parker x m!reader where Y/N has a toxic household and goes to Peters house to stay the night a lot to escape his home and one night its rlly bad and one of them confesses feelings for the other?

I liked this request so much. I didn’t know if you wanted anything really specific so I how you like this. I'm so sorry this is late I've was busy and had to delay writing for a bit but thank you for being my first writing request.

Belonging

tasm!Peter Parker x m!reader

Warnings //TW & CW//: Abuse, vulgar language, child neglect, mentions of blood, manipulation, f-slur ! FEM ALLIGNED DNI I DONT WRITE THIS FOR YOU TO SEXUALIZE GAY RELATIONSHIPS!

Your earbuds were ripped out of your ears the sounds of screaming hits your ears.

"Are you listening brat!?!?! Jeez Y/n your father and I are talking to you use your damn ears!" Your stepmother screams in your face as your father smacks you hard outside the head.

You don't even move or dare look at either of them. You aren't scared you aren't hurt. You are angry but you know screaming back will only make them stay and scream at you longer. Heart racing you exhale and look at your hands trying not to scream back.

"I'm...sorry ma'am" you say head hung low as your stepmother pats you on the back.

"It's alright kid. You just need to listen. Now your father and I are going away for a week, so you'll be here alone. I want everything clean when we get home by then. there is ramen so don't ask to order out you don't want to be unhealthy. Also, If I see such as a piece of evidence that you brought a boy home you are out of here for good. F****t." She says in a fake tone of sincerity.

You nod and keep focus on the floor as you listen for their footsteps to leave your room and far enough away for you to close your door. Getting up from your desk and you abandoned your homework and music to sleep. You were hoping by tomorrow they will be gone, and you will have a nice weekend.

You were once again sitting at your desk finishing up the homework, your guardians oh so rudely interrupted last night, your phone buzzed, and you got the message you were dreading since life started to go south after your mother passed away.

I saw you have a boyfriend named Peter Parker. I want you and your shit gone before your father and I get home. You absolute disgrace to god! All my friends know I have a cursed and sinning son! said the message from your step-mother.

In quick thought you swiped off her contact and go straight to social media to see rumors that you were dating you one and only friend Peter Parker. Pictures of you siting alone together and giggling or where you are leaning on him when you passed out during science once. You were embarrassed, frustrated and so upset. You didn't know that to do. standing up and flinging your phone on your bed sliding on shoes and grabbing a coat you race for the door and booking it to Peters house. It was cold and pouring down rain not even your coat did any good on keeping you dry. Quickly reaching the block his house was on you saw him outside taking out the trash.

You yelled for him "PETER!" your voice broken from the tears and sobbing from all the overwhelming stress of the situation.

He looked up to see you and dropped the trash in the can and ran towards you. You look like you were in trouble or danger, and you truly weren't far from it. Peter didn't know you were a part of the LGBTQ+ community. What would he think? What if he found out you liked him through the rumors? Did he even know about the rumors? you stopped. everything was spinning the lack of a full meal due to your parents limiting what you eat and running made it worse. You stood there thinking panicking and crying non-stop. You didn't even know Peter was standing in front of you were so spaced out.

"Y/N? I need you to follow my breathing, okay?" He said taking your hand and put it on his chest and you mocked his Exhale and Inhale slowly.

You slowly followed his breathing. Your tears stopped flowing gradually. Taking a few more breaths before you noticed Peter was still holding your hand and your face flushed. You quickly pulled away and looked up and down the street before speaking.

"We need to speak about a serious rumor going around about us dating." You murmured avoiding looking Peter in the eyes.

"Oh. Well- I- come inside, I guess. Aunt May won't be home for a while so we can just sit in the living room." Peter replies leading you into the house and sitting you both down on the couch.

After a couple of minutes in silenced letting you fully recollect yourself. "So, what are the rumors you are talking about Y/n?" He speaks braking he silenced.

You steal a few more breaths of air before opening your mouth. "There is a rumor that...we are- dating." You tightly close your eyes anticipating the worst to happen.

Peter just chuckles. "It kind of makes sense with how we are always around each other. I can always tell them to sto-"

"What if I don't want them to stop!?!- I mean...shit" You didn't mean to say it. You were going to mention that your stepmother just kicked you out cause of the rumor and now you have nowhere to go but your brain had other plans.

Tears were making their way back to your eyes. How could you say that!?!? You know he would never like you like that. Your hands grab at the ends of your sleeves as you quickly get up to head for the door before you make a fool of yourself.

Peter leaps up as you try to rush for the door and webs it shut. You shoot your head towards Peter surprised that he was stopping you. He pulled you into a hug and rubbed circles on your back as you sobbed again.

"You know, I like you too Y/n. I just didn't want to lose you as a friend over feelings if you didn't feel the same." Peter whispers burring his face in your shoulder.

You decide to say what you planned before and acknowledge the confession once it is fully processed. "My stepmom saw the rumors and she is kicking me out...I'm so screwed."

Peter just held you tighter and keeps you calm before pulling away to kiss your forehead.

"Aunt May and I can let you stay here. I know it will be hard, but you at least would be away from them. I love you and I want you to know that I'm here for you. so just come stay with me." Peter says cradling your face wiping your stray tears.

you felt so safe.

you felt wanted.

you belonged.

[obeiii-mee]

Hey! I have a really loud and particular laugh that seems to carry quite literally throughout my house and there have been many times people have bought it up with me (I can’t help it my laugh is just loud & contagious!!). Could I request the bros reaction to MC who quite literally is unable to laugh quietly and ends up being heard through the whole of the house? Thank you!🥰

This is so sweet, geez imma get cavities. I also have a very loud laugh and I startle people a lot when I start laughing so I get what you mean!

These HCs are probably written a lot better because suddenly I’m full energy and motivation-

———————————————

The Brothers with an MC who has a loud and particular laugh:

Lucifer:

-He’ll never admit it but whenever you start laughing or even smiling, he can’t really stop himself from doing it too

-Like, he looks at you as you start cackling about a funny meme Levi just showed you and he’s holding back a smile-

-Because, even though you have such a loud and some would say ‘obnoxious’ laugh, he thinks you just sound so precious

-He really struggles to show that he’s not affected by you as much as he actually is

-Even if you start laughing at an inappropriate time, he’d likely not even tell you off properly

- Would never say anything of the sort to your face, but he low-key admires you

-He thinks it’s amazing that a simple human like you that has experienced so many horrible things every since they arrived in literal hell, can have the ability to laugh so heartily even now

-If you’re in public and start doing your boisterous laugh, he will keep a stoic expression on his face

-There’s a hint of a blush on his cheeks if you look close enough, though I doubt anyone is crazy enough to point it out

-In private though? Appreciate these moments y’all, because it’s one of the few rare times you’ll see him laugh freely

-Even when he’s around his brothers and trying to keep a straight face, you can see his lips threatening to curve upwards

-Basically, he thinks you’re baby and your laugh makes him feel at ease

Mammon:

-I head canon that he also has a very particular laugh because he gives off those kind of vibes

-He probably doesn’t even notice how loud you are when you start wheezing

-Normally, he’d join in and start laughing with you as the rest of the brothers take out their sound blocking ear muffs for the third time that day

-You two are loud ok?

-Poor Lucifer who not only has insomnia and is a workaholic, he also has two idiots giggling to themselves in the middle of the night

-When I said Mammon is trying to get a laugh out of you any hour of the day

-I mean any hour

-He will wake you up to just hear your voice and then proceed to run out as you start yelling at him

-Even if he were to notice it, the worst reaction you’re gonna get out of him is a bit of teasing

-“Ya sound like you’re dyin’ over there human. You alright?”

-When in reality, he’s even more smitten with you because your laugh is just another one of your amazing qualities

-Mammon does the stupidest shit in front of you to make you and hear you laugh because it warms his heart

-Even if he wouldn’t admit it, to you or to himself

-The only time he ‘doesn’t like’ it when you laugh is if you’re poking fun at him with his brothers

-That gets him all huffy puffy and sad

-For a minute, before he’s thrown himself onto you again

-Greedy for money and greedy for affection of course

Levi:

-ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap

-“YOU SOUND JUST LIKE THE MAIN CHARACATER’S LOVE INTEREST FROM THIS NEW ANIME I’M WATCHING! IT’S CALLED: PEOPLE KEEP TELLING ME I’M IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND BUT I’M ACTUALLY NOT, THOUGH WHOA THEY HAVE SUCH A PRETTY LAUGH!”

-Catch him rambling about it for five minutes straight

-Before stopping abruptly, flushing from head to toe and starting to stutter like he forgot how to speak

-This usually has you laughing again, in a more sympathetic and encouraging way and he just...dies

-He doesn’t like his laugh, at all

-He thinks it sounds really awkward and tense

-So he’s low-key jealous about your rather impulsive laugh because it’s so sweet??? And amazing and cute??? Just like you???

-But at the same time, it’s hard for him to be jealous of it when he loves it so much

-Why do you think he keeps coming to you whenever he finds funny memes or compilations online???

-“I don’t expect a normie like you to understand but look at this.”

-He gets a stupidly cute kick out of knowing that he is the one making you laugh

-I suggest trying not to laugh too much while he’s playing video games because your laugh distracts him so much

-And he will throw his headset at you

-Affectionately of course

Satan:

-He doesn’t give much of a reaction besides a quirked eyebrow and a quiet ‘Oh?’

-Sure, he doesn’t really like it when his brothers are being noisy either because they’re laughing too loudly or because they are fighting gladiator style outside his room

-But you’re the exception

-The only person in that household that could get away with interrupting his reading/work is you

-May come as a surprise to some, but sometimes Satan does get worried for you

-If he hasn’t seen you in a while he might start thinking that something is wrong

-But then he’d hear you laughing from downstairs and he’d smile and think “Eh they’re alright.”

-He thinks your laugh sounds so much more endearing than his own psychotic laugh 🥰🥰🥰

-Will throw one of his precious books at any of his brothers if they make fun of the way you laugh

-Basically, he has the biggest heart eyes for you but he’s too good at hiding it

-Laugh with him whenever something embarrassing happens to Lucifer and he will be so pleased and happy for the rest of the day

Asmo:

-“MC my dear, has anyone mentioned what a wonderfully charming laugh you have? And that says something coming from me.”

-Asmo also has a very noticeable laugh

-Not exactly loud but it could be considered obnoxious (to his brothers) and he giggles all the time when he’s very excited

-Having Asmodeous as your partner is basically the same thing as dating your best friend

-Despite being the Avatar of Lust, your relationship with him is super healthy and even he takes comfort in that

-You’d both be chuckling to yourselves in Majolish or something because this bïtch is hilarious if he wants to be

-“Oh my Lord Diavolo! MC, look! I found the perfect outfit for Mammon!!”

-And it’s a Disney princess dress the size of a fuckn toddler

-You guys laughed so hard you got kicked out >:(

-But you ended up buying that dress for Mammon anyway lmaoo

-Spending too much time with Asmo is similar to the whole “I’m trying to be quiet in class but me and my friend keep laughing every time we look at each other”

-The way both of you have to strain yourselves from full on cackling when Lucifer has a go at either of you 😌

-Except you seriously can’t laugh because you will be ✨murdered✨

-“What do you mEAN YOU DON’T LIKE YOUR LAUGH, YOUR LAUGH IS GORGEOUS! NOT AS GORGEOUS AS MINE OBVIOUSLY BUT IT EASILY COMES IN SECOND!”

-That’s the kind of hype he gives you all day every day

Beel:

-The first time he properly heard you laugh was when you started making puns and you were laughing like crazy at your own jokes (samesies)

-And he just loves seeing you this happy because he gets happy and then he doesn’t even want to eat anymore, he just wants to hug you

-“I like your laugh. Do it again for me?”

-Your heart went doki doki

-It’s common for Beel to make you all flustered without meaning to and then you nervously start laughing again because you feel so awkward

-BUT your face brightens up so much when you start laughing or even smiling and he can’t help himself from complimenting you

-Your joyous and loud chuckles always cheer him up

-To the point where he completely forgets how hungry he is

-Took you a while to figure this one out but his mood sort of changes with yours??

-If you’re visibly sadder than usual, he his morale is also surprisingly low and he starts eating more than usual

-In comparison to when you’re all bubbly and doing that beautiful laugh of yours and he gets like these butterflies in his stomach instead of the usual pangs of pain and hunger

-So now he just wants to hear your voice in general on repeat for the rest of eternity

-Im not crying you are

Belphie:

-“You’re too loud dumbass, I’m tryin’ to nap here.”

-Will deadass throw a pillow at your face if you wake him up

-Like hes so rude and for what?

-He loves you and your annoying as fuck laugh, he really does I promise

-It’s a special, unique part of you and all that sappy crap

-But keep it up and you will have a very cranky boyfriend to deal with for the rest of the month

-He can be such an ass at times if he’s in a bad mood

-“I should tape your mouth shut.”

-“Kinky-“

-“Shut up.”

-But as much as he hates being woken up by somebody else, he would much prefer waking up to your voice rather anyone else’s

-You usually wake him up in the mornings to get ready for RAD and you start giggling every time he pulls a face at you and complains that he doesn’t wanna

-“What are you? An alarm clock?”

-And then he just sort of pulls you to him and goes with a completely straight face:

-“You’re annoying but you can be my alarm clock if you want to.”

-He’s either flirting or is so sleepy he’s being unusually soft hELP

—————————-

Thank you for reading! And for all the reblogs and follows. You guys don’t even know how much I appreciate your support. Especially at times when I’m not as motivated to write and now that the fandom has fizzled out a bit.

Also imma have to make a master list soon or something

Al~

[cha-lyn]

A Series of Break Ins

bucky x black female reader

Summary: Someone breaks into your apartment

Warnings: break ins, lil bit of violence, wounds + blood

Words: 1617

A/N: Inspiration from @write-it-motherfuckers ( prompt is in bold somewhere below) :) some wonderful stuff on that blog

-------

January.

You lived in an old building in a shitty part of town. The loft kind that was once an office or a factory or something. Lots of windows. Terrible heat bill in the winter. You heard gunshots and fighting frequently. It wasn’t your dream home. No, your windows faced a manufacturing building with no windows. From your fire escape, if you stretched really far, you could cross the alley and touch the building. You only did that once though because the fire escape was rickety and not very safe.

That particular night, you were coming home from a mediocre date with a guy named Marcus. Usually you’d take a cab home, but your budget was tight this month. So you weaved through the alleys, the cold and the dark making you more jumpy than usual. You just wanna be home, with your warm fuzzy socks on and a glass of wine.

Your anxiety settles once you make it into your building. You take the steps two a time to your third floor studio. You open your door, shutting it quickly and leaning back against it.

That’s when the hairs on your arm stand up. Your eyes shoot open and your breath catches. Your kitchen light is on. You know it was not on when you left earlier. In your kitchen sits your first aid kit dumped out on the table.

You grab the baseball bat you keep next to the door and check every crevice of your home. Nothing.

You return to the kitchen, hesitantly. Next to the first aid kit is a napkin with a note: Sorry for the intrusion. I’ll replace everything I used. Thanks. - BB

You just looked at the note and blinked. Who the fuck had been in your apartment?!

The next day there’s a package outside your door containing the promised replacements from the stranger. There’s another note: Sorry again. -BB

You’re not quite sure what to do. Call the police? And say what- someone broke in, left no trace and then replaced what they stole? They would think you’re crazy.

February.

After the break in you upped your security. You got a deadbolt, a door chain, and a magnetic sensor on your front door that rang and alerted your phone when set off.

You felt pretty good about your upgrade… until it happened again. You’d come home late from drinks with a friend unlocked the door, then the deadbolt.

The light in your kitchen was on again. You grabbed your bat immediately, ready to swing on whoever was dumb enought to break into your house yet again.

“Whoa, whoa ma’am. Please don’t--” but you did. Whack him that is. Three times. And then a black gloved hand stopped your swings dead and blue eyes lock with yours.

“Holy fucking shit. B. B! It was you. Fucking Bucky Barnes broke into my house!”

He nods and watches your face as it goes from rage to confusion and then back to rage. You let go of the bat and he puts it behind him. “Look, I am really sorry. I know this is probably terrifying--”

“Yeah ‘cause I thought you were a god damn serial killer--not an Avenger!” You plop down onto a kitchen chair.

Bucky stared at you amused. “This is not how I thought this would go…”

“Don’t you have some Avenger place you can go and get fixed up? Instead of breaking into civilian households?” you sigh irritatedly.

“No. For one I’m not an Avenger…. And uh, two… I got hurt doing something not necessarily sanctioned by the government.” Bucky looked up at the ceiling bashfully.

“My god, you’re doing vigilante shit,” you breathed out a laugh.

Bucky shrugged, “You could call it that.” He wrung his gloved hands together. “I should go… I’ll send you replacements for the stuff I used. ”

“Or you could just not break into my house.” Bucky chuckled, before climbing out the window. “You could use the door!’

The man has the audacity to laugh as he closes your window, “Thanks again, doll.”

You let out a groan, wondering why on earth he chose your apartment and why on earth you weren’t more pissed off about it.

March

You’re dead asleep when you hear a thud on the fire escape outside your window. Your heart thuds like a bass drum as scenarios of you being murdered flash through your head. A stabbing. A shooting. God, please not a strangling. Then there’s a persistent tapping. You pretend to still be asleep, holding your breath and not moving.

“I know you're awake. I need to .. uh utilize your first aid kit again. Please, doll.”

Relief hits you like a wave and you flick the light on and get out of bed. You open the window and Sergeant Barnes slips through the space, holding his flesh arm, but not really effectively stopping the blood.

The two of you stand there for a second, until you remember that you don’t sleep with pants on and awkwardly move around him to find a pair of shorts. You find him sitting at your kitchen table again, waiting for you to get the first aid kit, like he doesn’t have a goddamn metal arm on him.

“For fuck’s sake…” You pull it out from under the sink and set it in front of him with a thud. Bucky smirks sheepishly. “Did you get shot again?” you ask after a while. He nods once as he gets to work. “Aren’t you like... super?” He nods. “Won't it heal super fast?” He nodded once again. “So what’s the point of the first aid kit?”

“You ask a lot of questions,” he sighs irritatedly.

You narrow your eyes, “Oh dear, am I inconveniencing you?”

He stops and looks up at you through his dark lashes. “Sorry. I’m being rude. What's your name anyway?”

You roll your eyes, but you tell him.

He cleans after himself and then stands. “Thank you again. Y/n.”

You ignore the lil shiver you get when he says your name, “Is this gonna be a regular thing Sargeant?”

Bucky flashed you a charming smile, “Do you want it to be, doll?”

You cross your arms and set you glare, “You have five seconds before I get my bat.”

Bucky let out a very boyish laugh before dramatically making his exit via the window again.

Over the next few days, you consider getting locks for the windows, but for some reason you just don’t.

Two weeks later, you open your door, arms full of groceries, and find Bucky sitting on the floor of your kitchen once more, first aid kit open in front of him. You’re not even surprised really.

“Ah, Hello again. We really need to stop meeting like this.”

You scoff, “Maybe we would, if you would sTOP BREAKING INTO MY FUCKING HOUSE!!” You toss your purse on the couch.

Bucky laughs and the winces and groans. It’s then that you realize he’s very pale in the face and his flesh hand isn’t gloved it’s just dark with blood.

You drop the groceries roughly on the table, “Shit Bucky. Are you-- You’re bleeding a lot!”

“I’m fine, doll.”

“I don’t think you are….” You panic, reaching for your phone, but remembering it’s deep in your purse across the room.

“You gotta-- you’re gonna have to sew it up, okay?”

“Let me just call an ambulance,” you get up to get your phone, but he grabs your wrist firmly.

“No. You can do this Y/n. I’ll walk you through it.” Something in his blue eyes assures you. You nod and Bucky has you cut his shirt off before he leads you through the cleaning of his wound. Your face felt hot at the sight of his beautiful broad chest, despite the mess around you. Bucky guided you, wincing and jaw ticking as you closed up his wound. By the end, your hands are red and sticky and you’re quite nauseous, but you didn’t care. The color was already back in his face and the sparkle back in his blue eyes. “You did good, doll.”

“I can’t believe I did that,” you say breathily. Bucky smiled fondly at you. You get up, wash your hands thoroughly and gently help Bucky up and to your couch. “You want something to eat? Let me get you some water.” You don’t wait for an answer before going to the kitchen. You bring him a bottle of water, a beer, and left over orange chicken from last night’s dinner- he inhaled all three while you cleaned and sanitized your kitchen floor.

“I should head out,” he stood up stiffly, favoring his wounded side. “I’m sorry about all this…” he gestured towards his wound and then to your kitchen. “It won't happen again. I’ll get my own first aid kit.”

You shrug, “You basically bought mine with as much as you use it.” You stick your hand out. “Phone.” Bucky eyes you warily before obeying. “How about next time you need to use my first aid kit, you just call first?”

Bucky smiles a lopsided, goofy smile, as you put your number in. “I think I can do that.”

Three days later, Bucky calls you around 7pm. Thirty minutes later there’s a knock at your door - not your window.

“What’s bleeding now--”

Instead of beat up and bleeding, Bucky stands before you in a black button up with a bouquet of flowers and a bag of take out. “Hey doll. I wanted to really apologize for everything and try to make it up to you,” he gives you a sheepish grin.

You can’t contain your own smile. “Well, orange chicken and flowers are a good start. Come in.”

----

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@thefridgeismybestie

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[catwithangerissues]

𝐇𝐪 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞.

🌿 Hello! First post since the break baby! V glad to be back. Let’s start it off well, shall we?

-We all are brutally aware of the lack of representation in different fandoms and their writings- and while the Haikyuu fandom has been nothing but good to me personally, I thought making a mini series out of this could be a neat idea. The basic idea is take a hq character and write about the things they would do to help out/cheer up a significant other with a certain condition or disability.

- I marked each of the ones that personally affect me in my day to day life in case you’re interested.

- These are ways the hq characters HELP THEIR SO. This does not mean they treat them differently or lesser than others. Keep that in mind- scrubs.

- This by no means whatsoever fully encompasses what it’s like for any party involved to be in these romantic relationships- however, I do experience some of these conditions in my personal day to day and thought I did pretty well at writing those specifically. This does not mean I didn’t make mistakes in the rest, however. Please leave CONSTRUCTIVE AND NOT BLATANTLY RUDE CRITICISM if that’s the case. I did not intend to offend anybody, so keep that in mind.

Characters: Tendou Satori, Kita Shinsuke, Iwaizumi Hajime, Osamu Miya, Bokuto Koutaro, Hinata Shoyo, Tsukishima Kei, Sugawara Koushi, Suna Rintaro, Kuroo Tetsuro

Genre: Fluff/comfort

Warnings: mentions of blindness, deafness, eating issues, depression, anxiety, chronic migraines, wheelchair use, dyslexia, ADHD, and Insomnia. Established relationships.

- Tendou Satori with a blind significant other consists of his constant singing/humming around the house, or turning random household objects into makeshift instruments to both entertain you, and so you always know where he’s at and therefore doesn’t frighten you with his sudden presence. He reads things to you, usually describing various things you come in contact with in your day to day life that may not be so friendly to the blind. Letting you touch his face or body in order to get a mental image of his features, doing your hair or makeup and even picking an outfit if you ever ask, holding your hand and guiding you when you’re out or if you request it. He tries his best to continue learning new things to help out where he can, and the thought goes a long way. Bb Tendou ily

- *Kita Shinsuke being more than happy to spend quiet time with his deaf significant other, enjoying the process of learning sign language in order to surprise you, and communicate with you. He’s very thankful his grandmother taught him some growing up. He adores leaving love letters on your nightstand to find at random, and his gentle loving touches in the morning bring you to the day unlike an alarm. He enjoys laying you on his chest so you can feel his heartbeat, and always ensures he approaches you from the front, leaving soft touches on your skin as he twirls you around in the kitchen in the late evenings of your days spent together, smiling wide at the happy grin plastered on your face. This man is incredibly smart, and he continues to surprise you with new sweet gestures every single day.

(This one hits extremely close to home, so I apologize if it’s longer than the rest.)

- *Iwaizumi Hajime with a wheelchair bound significant other consists of many things. Like him happily pushing around your chair for as long as you’d like if you use a manual, or holding your hand as you drive around in your electric chair, always remembering to plug it in at night to charge too. He regularly finds extremely wheelchair friendly places to explore or visit, restaurants without stairs and large enough bathrooms and tables to make you comfortable, or parks and entertainment spaces where you can enjoy yourself without needing to worry about different terrain or judgmental strangers. Him always pressing the handicap door button for you, since he agrees that it’s incredibly disrespectful when more able people kick the button with their dirty shoe for seemingly no reason. It’s his willingness to carry you around bridal style all day if you get uncomfortable sitting for so long, or to give you a massage when you’re sore. Him giving you alone time when you request it, (because for some reason people think it’s okay to crowd wheelchair users all the time?), and chewing people out when they think it’s alright to touch your chair without permission. He does so much more, but unfortunately this drabble is getting a bit long. Though I’ll definitely be writing about this more in the future..

- *Osamu Miya is always mindful of his significant others eating issues, offering up healthy meals with portion sizes that your body both needs and enjoys each day. Making sure to text you a reminder to drink enough water when he’s away or working, or bringing you a glass randomly throughout the day while you were busy with your studies or career. He seems to always keep snacks he knows you enjoy in his car and office at work, and he always offers encouraging, honest advice about your progress and just how proud he is of you. 10/10 bb Osamu

- *Bokuto Kotaro with a significant other who struggles with anxiety, and his constant never ending support and reassurance. His strong arms wrapping around you in a big hug when you ask for them, his uncharacteristic whispers, usually of encouragement or funny stories to make you laugh and bring forward that beautiful smile of yours. It’s how he took the time in the beginning of your relationship to really ingrain the signs of your oncoming anxiety attacks into his brain in order to remove you from those situations as seamlessly as possible in the future. It’s his seemingly endless “I found a new thing that could help, baby! Wanna try?” phrases. How he bought weighted blankets and bubble bath in your favorite scent, and tea in your favorite flavor- always keeping them stocked in the house. It’s how he calls Akaashi at times to ask about what he does to help his own anxiety, and how learning about yours transforms his treatment towards his family, friends, and even shy fans who admire the loud boisterous man, but are too scared to approach him for the same reasons. It’s when he crouches down next to a small child and gently holds their hand, quietly telling them that it’s okay to be anxious sometimes and not to worry. (I went off here- oops)

- *Hinata Shoyo always being helpful and loving when it comes to your depression. Encouraging you every day and reassuring you that you’re doing so well. It’s him bringing you glasses of water or snacks throughout the day to ensure you eat and drink enough, and offering to take bubble baths with you and wash your hair if you’d like, since it can be hard for some to motivate themselves to do that with depression. Him helping you with work or studies in order to take some of the load off of you, even with his busy schedule. It’s how he cuddles you at night, if you’re okay with it, and tells you how proud and happy he is to have you in his life. Him being a ball of sunshine that makes you smile everyday, and taking you on dates he knows will bring happiness to your day. (I will be writing more about this soon too!)

- Tsukishima Kei is always helpful when it comes to his significant others dyslexia. Offering to read things for you, or helping to keep track of small details when you request those of him. He’s always there to comfort you when you’re feeling insecure, and he not-so-secretly really enjoys when you ask him to help with your work or studies, even when they have to do strongly with numbers or extensive reading, he enjoys spending the time with you, it feels intimate to him. Similarly, calming you down or comforting you whenever/if ever you become overwhelmed, or reading a book you seemed really interested in to you at night before snuggling up in bed.

- *Sugawara Koushi and his mix of calm and chaotic nature that pairs well with his significant others ADHD. How he’s always helping keep track of ideas and such, or just generally being a good listener. He knows how frustrating it can be to forget something important. He’s always so down for spontaneous shit too. Wanna paint a room at 4am? Let’s go get the paint. Want to bake cookies and learn the basics of guitar while you wait for them to bake? He’s got one around here somewhere. It’s how he’s thankful he chose being a school teacher as a career path, because keeping you on track for work and school/leaving little reminders to do those things becomes second nature for him. As chaotic as he himself is, he’s always there to comfort you when you’re feeling insecure, and reminding you to take your medication if you take any. He enjoys taking you on walks to clear you mind, and often goes out to buy you notebooks and sticky note to write things down for whenever he isn’t there to help you out. Suga bb ily you’re doing great sweetie

- *Suna Rintaro and his significant other with insomnia, finding himself thanking his professional athlete training schedule that keeps his own sleep on track unlike in high school, so he can drag you to bed and hold you close to him whenever you’re struggling to sleep. It’s him learning of all the different things around the house he can do to help, like making sure all the screens in your home have a blue light filter, and ensuring any caffeine or sugar are tucked away into the kitchen cabinets to avoid temptation. It’s him running you a hot bath with lavender or vanilla, and giving you massages when you ask for them, buying fluffy blankets and comfy socks for you occasionally when he’s out. Him being willing to stay awake all night with you until you fall asleep, or taking you out for a late night/early morning walk to the park, and his gentle morning touches that first wake you everyday.

- *Kuroo Tetsuro always being mindful of his significant other with chronic migraines. It’s him turning off all the lights whenever he starts to notice your signs of one coming on, and making as little noise as he possibly can when maneuvering around the house while you’re attempting to sleep one away. It’s how when you wake up he’s giving you massages and bringing you medication with a glass of water, if you take any. How he’s always ready to run you hot baths, or showers if you’d prefer, and making sure to keep the house stocked up on scented/unscented products that won’t aggravate your headache more. It’s him ensuring you eat and drink enough, and bringing you caffeine in the early morning hours to help keep the pain away. Him quietly bringing you hot rags to place over your forehead, and putting blue light filters on all the devices in the house. If they get too bad, he’s driving you to the doctors when needed, or just generally comforting you. His own busy schedule helps in dragging you to bed to get enough rest, and he can’t say he doesn’t enjoy helping you with your work and/or studies- the nerd in him just can’t help it.

🌿 If you guys enjoy this content, I will gladly write more! Please let me know what you think cause this has been racking my brain for a while🥴 I’ll be back to posting regular content soon if you haven’t seen my apology post for my absence/impromptu break for my mental health!

Reblogs are greatly appreciated!

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