#it's true perspective counts that has always been true but you cannot perspect your way out of misery from external sources

[jenflirts]

mending my broken heart

pairing: tara carpenter x fem!reader

theme: angst :)

summary: maybe you're the one...

warning: profanities, grammar, no ghostface and cheating

a/n: based on my feelings :) | enjoy.

Falling for someone isn’t for weak people,

Nor being attached,

Nor loving someone.

These are the feelings that will make you mentally and physically weak, just because you would do everything just to have them, just to give them all your attention, love, and hell, even your soul, but why isn’t it for the weak? Well, only emotionally controlled people can survive these challenges. These are the obstacles that we face when we’re in love and this makes us vulnerable.

We’ve always thought that if a partner loves or falls for you it means they’ve accepted your flaws, insecurities, clinginess, stupidity, good days and bad ones, but sometimes don’t you think that they accepted that because they needed too? Out of pity? Or sometimes just to play you cause they’re just bored. I’ve always thought about falling in love and being vulnerable to a person, but then my overthinking mind stops me from doing so.

Yeah, taking from my perspective—a person that’s been played and got attached too many times just because they showed affection—I’ve been hurt so much that I don’t even count how many times that they scarred my heart and still gave them another chance. I did everything I could just not to fall for someone, but I just can’t stop myself ‘cause it feels like an addiction I cannot control. I keep thinking about the past relationships I had and even thought about the times that I let my heart heal and mend it by myself and yet, I keep longing for the wrong people and their fucked up affections.

And then there’s Tara, the girl that makes me feel special, the person that let me believe that love is worth waiting for, and love really does exist. Tara is the type of person that would really make you fall in love with her and not in the bad way, but because she’s the type of girl that you’ll feel comfortable to be around with, rides with your antics, will help you in any possible way, and makes you love your true self.

Tara and I have been dating for almost 2 years and the truth is I’ve fallen deeply in love with her, she already accepted my vulnerability and I accepted hers so there’s really no turning back. I’ve thought about these feelings thoroughly ‘cause I don’t want to hurt her nor she wants to hurt me, I’ve always wanted to feel vulnerable around someone I trust and love the most ‘cause I don’t want to let people see my true facade. Tara saw something in me that people don’t and she’s been helping me to cope up with that.

Everything has been great ever since I dated Tara.

December 09

It's our finals and both of us are stressed out since both of us picked a hard course and I actually want to do something special for her since it’s our anniversary so I’ve prepared dinner, movies and gifts just to surprise her. I went home earlier than she did so I could prepare the things I wanted to give and the words that I wanted to say; Thankfully, Sam and Mindy helped me to do everything.

“Minds? Do you think Tara would like it if I gave her a promise ring on our anniversary?” I asked the girl as we strolled through the jewelry shop. She stopped her tracks and looked at me surprised “A promise ring? Really? Doesn’t that curse relationships?” She asked as she glimpsed the rings.

A promise ring breaks relationships? Now what kind of fuck-mind would believe that. “And where did you get that information? Is it one of those crazies at the uni?” I joked.

“I’m just telling you that rings don't mean forever,” she said. That’s actually true, but I’m not gonna listen to her and Tara deserves a promise that I will love her forever so I picked out the ring and necklace for our anniversary tomorrow.

I helped Tara go inside our apartment and took the blindfold off. She engulfed me into a hug and kisses all over my face. "Tara, we need to eat" I said as I put her down on the floor.

Everything went smoothly and both ended with a promise to love and hold forever.

December 14

The day that feels eerie and gut wrenching, it feels so slow and bothering. "Minds, Tara hasn't texted me for the last few weeks and it's concerning me" I said as I tossed her my phone to check Tara and I's conversation.

"She also hasn't been going home" I added and groaned loudly.

"Yeah, I noticed that. You didn't confront her about this? But I always see her at the uni tho" She said.

Is Tara avoiding me? Did I do something wrong last week? Did she do something wrong? Did something happen that I didn't know? A lot of things suddenly hits me, I thought about everything that I've done last week ago, but nothing really came into my mind.

It's already past midnight and I'm still going on about Tara. I heard the door open and keys tossed on the counter. I went outside and checked if Tara's here or just Mindy wanted to crash by.

"Tara? Baby? Where were you?" I asked as I sat beside her on the living room coach.

"Sam's and did some thinking, so can we talk?" she said.

Why does it feel so suffocating? The way she looks at me feels so different; it feels empty and drained. I nodded and sat in front of her.

"For the last few weeks I've been isolating myself to you and it felt different after what I did. It's been perfect for the last 2 years and I loved every single moment that we've done, but I think we must part our ways and fix ourselves" She cried.

What? Just like that? After 2 fucking years? She's just going to throw it all away? I was too stunned to speak, my brain was spewing out words, but my mouth can't function properly. I felt my eyes stung and tears rolled down on my cheeks.

"So? That's it? Gonna throw away our 2 year relationship out the fucking window like its nothing? Damn Tara, I don't know what to say nor to react" I said as I wiped the tears that keep continuing running down on my cheeks.

She doesn't say anything, but her eyes tells me differently like she's guilty for not telling me the reason why.

"Tara, what's the sudden break-up? what's the reason? 'cause I know for a goddamn fact that it's not about self improvement shits. Tell me so that we could fix it" I assured her

She shook her head no and keeps sobbing uncontrollably. I went to her and wiped her tears; I held her hands, "Love? what happened? tell me so we could fix it" I said as I gently squeeze her hand.

She slowly stopped crying and let me wiped her mascara tear-stains. "It was at Wes's parties and you were studying for your final lesson at that time. Amber snuck me out and helped me unwind by bring me to Wes's parties then I got drunk and I couldn't control myself and so did Chad" she explained.

I couldn't believe it.

The love of my life, cheated.

The girl that I trusted the most, cheated.

I felt my whole world fell apart. It feels like my heart just shuttered into pieces, it feels like there's a new cut to it. I feel betrayed, angry and disappointed all at the same time.

I stood up and went back to my seat and comprehend what just Tara said. I can't do this right now, my mind is all over the place.

"babe? hey? I thought we were gonna fix these" she said

does she really think there's something to be fix? I gave her my everything and this is how she repays me. cheating on me with my other best friend? damn, that's another form of betrayal.

"tara, get out. I can't right now. I just want to be alone for a moment"

She doesn't understand what pain I'm going through right now.

After Tara closed the apartment door, I tried smashing everything so that I could somewhat calm down.

I sat on the living room floor and thought about the things that I have done on why Tara have to do this. Wasn't I enough? Am I that easy to replace? Is our relationship just out of pity? There's so much unanswered questions that I have on my mind, but right now I just want to be alone and mend my broken heart.

I thought she was the one that’s going to help me mend up the open cuts that people leave on my heart, but I would never predict that she was going to leave a big one.

(part 2 of my lovely, jenna is on-going)

#Spotify #tara carpenter x fem!reader #jenna ortega imagine #jenna marie ortega #jenna ortega #jenna ortega x reader #tara carpenter x female reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter x reader #wlw #wednesday addams x reader #wednesday x reader #vada cavell #vada cavell x reader

[fipindustries]

one of my favourite cliches is when the protagonists go to an expert of some kind (usually a scientist) because they need them to help them do something really important, which they have some vague idea might be really hard but once confronted with the expert they explain that it is flat out impossible. and the way they do this is by giving the problem a very specific technical name. and this is brilliant from a worldbuilding perspective because it showcases that this is an established problem in the field which experts have been working on for a long time and whose constraints and key difficulties have already been chartered and specified.

like for example:

Doctor! we need to stop that star from exploding and destroying the world! stop the star from exploding??? you are talking about total negantropic collapse! the sheer density of the neutron flow required for that would be staggering! and that's not even getting into the fact that you would need a diamonoid titanium frame just to hold the entire thing! no! it's impossible! noone has ever succesfully done it before!

another instance, with a more fantasy flourish:

Grand Magus! my friend is dead but his soul holds the key to the further veil, without it we cannot vanquish the dark lord! do you realize what you are asking me for, child? this wouldbe a necro-thaumargic ritual, the darkest of all incantations, it cannot be done without sacrificing another soul, wise men across the ages have tried to pierce the veil but noone ever did with their spark intact, what you ask cannot be done!

obviously the heroes will either bring up some new thing the expert didnt count on like one of the characters has a special ability, or some special knowledge or access to a certain resource that changes things.

...you say that it's never been done before and that might be true doctor, but they didnt have this! oh my god! that is an Iaxting crystal! where did you get this? nevermind that, can you use it to increase the neutron flow? well... if we take into account the excess radiation and use a palladium core to channel the whole thing... we just might have a chance to do it!

another way is that while the scientist is complaining one of the characters says something random that just happens to trigger a train of thought in the expert which ends up with the expert finding a solution but im always a bit bothered by this because its hard to believe that noone ever thought of that before.

But grand master, we must at least try, otherwise this whole quest might have been pointless and all those lives would be gone like sand in an hourglass ...what did you just say? uh... s-sand in an hourglass? sand... yes... YES, why didnt i see it before! sand! the spirits of time dont care about life or death! to them every soul is just one more spark lost amidst a billion others! so we can tune into a specific soul and then we can sift through it until we manage to make it flow back into here just like... ...sand in an hourglass? precisely! my sweet child, thank you so much for this! we will bring your friend back in no time!

the worst possible way that this tends to be solved is that the heroes will just give an impassioned speech about how important it is to solve the problem and how many lives depend on it after which the expert will just try really really hard motivated by some righteous cause which will allow them to finally think of a solution when noone else did before. that's just lazy.

#writing #i love coming up with these stupid little vignettes #they come so easy

[rawmeknockout]

Hope I can squeeze one last request in before they close. Could I get Starscream fucking reader and Bee's ghost shows up, reader can't see him but Starscream can so he just decides to put on a grand show for the very flustered Bumblebee please?

//boy this was a doozy to write sorry if its not that hot or doesnt have a ton of tasty details i was more focused on trying to fit two perspectives in one ficlet//

You're so incredibly tight around Starscream, mewling and moaning under him, just like he remembers. When he had been Air Commander, with his trine by his side, and you as his newest little 'project'. An apprentice. He had been insulted at the time that Megatron would insist he teach you: a quivering new seeker with not an ounce of promise or potential. It was up to Starscream to make you, build you up, show you how to use the wings you took for granted.

That had been centuries ago.

What he had once seen as an insult is now a gift. Even with a crown on his head, you're his only true supporter. Power was supposed to fix everything, but it has only made life worse for Starscream. But, even here, you are still by his side. He's lost his trine, his chance to lead the Decepticons, the chance to put Megatron in his place, but you are still here. If only he had known so long ago how pivotal you would become to his sanity. You used to cling to his side, like he would protect you from the harms of the world, and it had felt all too good to be liked.

Starscream grants you gentle kisses down your neck cables, hissing when your pointed digits dig into his wing joints. You're the only person he can trust, the only person he can count on to have his back.

Then, there's that tell-tale shimmer of light. Starscream almost misses it, he's so used to seeing Bumblebee, but his optics snap up to catch the shocked, nearly flustered look on that little bug's face. He's stock-still, not even the twitch of a door wing, optics darting from your writhing form to Starscream's face. Star keeps optic contact with Bumblebee as he fucks you harder.

If only they had met under different circumstances, if only Bee were more than a hallucination. But at least he can't leave. He knows that the real Bumblebee would never befriend him, guide him, but he likes to delude himself into thinking there may be two people he can trust. There's always the chance you could betray him. It's low but not none. Bee cannot do that now. Bee also can't touch him, something that Starscream has mourned on more than one occasion. He tries to shake it off, it's not like this Bumblebee is anything more than a figment of his broken psyche.

Bee's mouth is unfortunately dry, but he doesn't dare move an inch. It may break the moment, startle Starscream out of their intense stare-down, and the heat with which he pins Bee to the spot makes him feel seen. For once in a very long time. He wonders if his own optics betray his desire to touch, to be in the moment, perhaps squished between those two seeker frames. Can Starscream see that? His ghostly frame, so detached from the physical world he longs for, heats up in a way he thinks it shouldn't. It only worsens when his gaze darts down to your body, wriggling and bucking on Starscream's spike. Bee can only imagine what it must be like on top of you in the same way.

When your servos skitter over Starscream's turbines, digits sinking into vents, Star leans over to kiss you feverishly. Only breaking optic contact with Bee at the very last moment. If only he could have the little yellow bug here, where he could touch and love and taste the only mechs he hungers for. Just for now, it's satisfying enough to make Bee squirm on the spot.

#txt #asks #transformers #valveplug #smut #starbee #tf idw #tf mtmte #transformers mtmte #transformers idw #starscream #tf starscream #mtmte starscream #idw starscream #bumblebee #tf bumblebee #idw bumblebee #mtmte bumblebee #reader insert #reader imagine

[letters4amira]

06th March, 2023 ; our second eclipse

But over time, you showed me the true beauty and power of love. In a million subtle and not so subtle ways, you let me know that love doesn’t have to be confined to grand gestures. Rather, it can manifest itself through everyday acts of kindness, compassion and affection.

My love,

When I first met you, I had no idea what true love felt like. All I had were half-baked notions of what it should look like from movies, books and other people’s relationships. I was unsure of whether this intense emotion was something I was capable of.

I learnt that love means cherishing every single moment we spent together, both big and small. It’s a commitment to accept and support each other through all the highs and lows that life throws our way. That it’s not a superficial emotion but one rooted in trust, honesty and a mutual understanding of our relationship.

I long for you.

I am lost in longing as I think of how it feels to be in your embrace. With every caress of your hands I feel the warmth spreading through my body, bringing with it an intensity that fills me with desire.

I am yearning for your touch, craving it more and more with every second that passes. The thought of having you explore my body is electrifying, sending tingles down my spine as I imagine how it will feel. Your touch alone has the power to set my legs trembling, an uncontrollable force taking hold as pleasure courses through my veins.

I ache for you to show me the heights of pleasure that I have yet to experience. To fill me with a love and longing that I have been searching for. You have become a part of my heart and soul, a craving I cannot control and no longer try to resist. All I can think of is having you closer, closer to me. I want you and all the things you can make me feel.

I think of you.

In those short, seemingly insignificant moments between each second of my life, my thoughts naturally drift to you. Those moments are fleeting, but to me they represent a bond that’s stronger than I ever could have imagined. Even when we’re not together, your spirit lives in the spaces between seconds of my life, comforting me and inspiring me to be better.

Every time I am counting down to the start of a new day, the finish of a long project, or even the beat of a favorite song, I am reminded of you. In those times when my mind races ahead, sometimes to doubt, sometimes to anxiety, it is you that brings me back to the present. Even in the hard times, your presence gives me peace, providing the assurance that I can always be brave enough to push through.

No one else fills these spaces the way that you do. You may not even realize it, but it is in these silent moments between seconds when my love for you is most strong. Although it’s true that words fail to accurately convey the importance of this bond, my heart is brimming with admiration, gratitude and awe that someone like you could ever exist in my life.

I love you no matter what.

Even though we've had our share of fights and misunderstandings, it has only brought us closer together. Despite our moments of tension, I always manage to find a way to stay connected with you. Our arguments are proof that we are not perfect and we both make mistakes. Despite these shortcomings, I love you and your flaws unconditionally.

At times, I may feel frustrated and let out my anger, but deep down I still have the utmost respect for you. Through the struggles, I have come to understand and appreciate you for who you are and for that I'm thankful. No matter what we go through, I will always have a deep love and respect for you.

I have realized that I have become more open-minded and understanding as a result of our misunderstandings. We've had to compromise and see each other's perspectives. In our discussions, I have come to better appreciate what's important to you, and you have been understanding of my needs as well.

My love for you has never wavered, even when the conflict between us arose. Our willingness to continue the fight to love each other and keep working at our relationship has been worth it. It's something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I love you beyond our fights and misunderstandings.

It has been 2 years already, my love. My love for you remained constant as the sky above.

Happy anniversary baby! I hope to spend my lifetime with you. I love you so much wifey <3

My heart will always belong to you.

always,

mtcd

[floopers]

Fires Within

series: gbf pairing: none word count: 1916 rating: G summary: Perhaps somehow even now, when Michael is no longer bound to her element the same way Wilnas is, they continue to affect each other.

[AO3]

wanted to just write something between wilnas and michael

The smell of char and smoke isn't unknown to Michael but it's all she's smelled for the past hour or so. Even standing outside Uriel's restaurant, the air is thick with it. Michael wrinkles her nose, wishing she had Gabriel's wisdom to have taken the first chance to run, or gone with her under pretense to pick up drinks for them all.

Somehow though, the smell inexplicably grows stronger, and Michael's question is answered just as Wilnas bursts out of the entrance of the restaurant, the chime at the top rattling loudly from the force. The smoke seems to engulf him like a blanket, billowing out behind him but now that he's outside, it all dissipates outward... in Michael's direction. Her nose wrinkles. She glances inside, just in time to see Raphael placing a box down to keep the door open. Their gazes meet, and he subtly shifts the winds to blow the smoke away from the restaurant. She gives him a nod of thanks and turns her attention back to her current companion.

The grin on Wilnas' face can only be described as cheerfully positive even with all the char and smoke on him. Despite all his failures, he's still shining, still bright, maybe a little too bright for Michael.

"There you are, Michael! I was wondering where you had gotten up to!" he says, his voice loud as always.

"It was... a bit too stuffy for me inside."

"Ah! I apologize for all the smoke!" His grin seems to grow bigger. "Cooking is such a new interest for me that I might have grown too enthusiastic for it! I swear to replace Uriel's tools once I finish practicing! His guidance has been very helpful! Thank you for introducing him to me!"

"I am glad to hear that," she answers, wincing slightly inside. It is partly true; she had intended mainly for the crew to come here to Uriel's restaurant to eat up and relax after their days-long mission of fighting on what the others call the ancient battlefield. The history of it is not lost on Michael, faintly aware of the War even when she'd been acting as primarch. It feels strange now to be on that same battlefield though.

"How many attempts does that make that now?" she asks. Uriel and he have been at it for what feel like hours now. Michael had been sitting inside at first with the rest of the crew but left to excuse herself for a bit. She had meant to come back in but Gabriel had come from her studio to join her. She'd taken one look inside the restaurant and shut the door, turning back around to stand next to Michael instead. Gabriel had left after a while, saying she would pick up drinks for them, and Michael waited for her outside, but it's been quite some time now since Gabriel has disappeared.

Wilnas holds up one of his mighty hands, counting off. Then he holds up his other one. "Uh, too many to count!" he concludes with a laugh.

"How do you do it?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Michael halts. She hadn't meant to speak that aloud. "Forgive me for speaking so frankly, but you have failed several times and yet, you're able to laugh it off and continue. Does that not sting your pride?"

"Yes!" Wilnas pumps a fist. "As I am the very embodiment of fire itself, my fires burn hotter than anything else in the skies! And yet, even with this strength, I cannot use it to do something so simple as cooking! Not even something so easy as raw meat can be spared from the fate of cinders!" And despite his words, he laughs without a care in the world.

"And yet, you still continue."

"Because I must! How else will I get better if I do not?" His expression turns oddly grave for one such as him. "You understand it, as a being who will also live for along time, that our perspective of time in this world is... much different than a mortal's. A decade will go by in the blink of an eye for us but for a mortal, that is a significant fraction of their life. In my journey to master this art of cooking, it may take me decades, centuries, or perhaps even millennia! I am afforded this time but a mortal is not. And they know all too well, that their time here is limited and devote themselves to their craft, unknowing of what their future might bring. The fire inside of them will either become snuffed out, or it may grow into a wildfire!"

Michael listens to him ramble on. What he speaks is true, yes. She thinks of Falsch and the decades he'd spent wallowing by himself while his friends moved on without him. To Michael, twenty years is... merely a drop in the ocean. To a mortal, twenty years is... nearly a quarter of their life gone. And still yet, despite all the shortcomings, the fire inside of him continued to burn and led to giving Michael an incredible experience. It is this passion that makes mortals so different from primal beasts, those created with roles and purposes in mind.

"You know, when I manifested in this world, I nearly destroyed a whole town. I had burned most of their fields and they lost much of their crop. They needed food and nourishment, and I could not provide that for them no matter how much I wished. Thus, my wish to learn this art of cooking became born." He holds out his hand, an ember flickering within his palm. She's standing next to him but she can feel the sheer heat radiating from it. Michael can tell how different this flame feels from hers, as if the world has borne this one instead rather than conjured. To her though, it is a mild warmth; to anyone else, the heat would no doubt lick at their skin in uncomfortable heat.

"Fire is known for being ferocious and unkind, yet still the mortals have sought to tame our wild infernos. In this, they even create their own flames and they've advanced their lives to today!" The grin comes back to his face, his eyes sparkling with unbridled curiosity. It reminds Michael of the time she had taken her job with children, how curious their eyes had looked. Perhaps that might be the perfect comparison, given Wilnas' only recent manifestation and his fascination with everything in the skies at this current moment.

"I believe cooking is one of the most impressive feats that the mortals have done, do you not think so?" He turns to her suddenly. Michael expects him to continue but she realizes he's waiting for an answer. She ruminates on it.

"I suppose it is because... to eat something delicious is one way to feel alive," she says. It makes her think of Azrael's obsession with bean cake—ah, could it truly have been something so simple? Gabriel often tells her how much she thinks too much on a subject and that is more than true right now. "We do not need to food to have any particular taste to derive sustenance from it, but when you share food with those you cherish, it is... a wonderful feeling."

Wilnas dwells on her answer before he nods furiously. "Yes, that's exactly it. When you toil through the act of preparing the food, you think of those that would taste it. When it is those you cherish, you prepare the food according to their tastes. To spend all that work and seeing others enjoy your hard work is also a reward in its own right!" He clenches his fist, the ember disappearing in a puff of smoke. "It is not needed to be done, and yet the mortals continue to evolve this aspect of their lives. And to them, even the simplest flavor can bring such joy to the mortals! It fascinates me!"

"To be able to eat delicious food everyday is a luxury to some mortals," Michael murmurs. Wilnas nods in agreement, his somber look returning to him.

Perhaps it had been through him the reason she feels this way. Perhaps somehow even now, when she is no longer bound to her element the same way Wilnas is, they continue to affect one another. It feels strange to think so when compared to him, the time she has spent in her role is a mere fraction compared to his. She is certain though, that they both feel that same fire, that same desire that burns inside of them that tells them... how fascinating the passions of mortals are... so fascinating that they both cannot help but want to chase after it for their own reasons.

"It sounds like they've gotten the situation under control now." Wilnas turns his head toward the inside of the restaurant. Michael wonders what's even happened inside, for them to push Wilnas outside while Uriel and Raphael took care of... whatever it'd been. She hopes that nothing has happened to Uriel's kitchen. "Perhaps by the end of the night, I will be able to have an edible meal!"

"I wish you all the luck in the world," Michael tells him. "But please take care not to burn down the restaurant. I also reside here as well."

"Oh? You should have thought to mention that! I will do my utmost to protect your home!"

Somehow, even with his assurance, Michael doesn't feel relieved. It's Uriel's restaurant she's more worried about, in any case. She hopes Gabriel will hurry back so if anything does happen, she can at least douse the entire building if need be. Michael gives him a nod and sends him on his way, leaning back against the wall once more with her arms crossed. She can hear Uriel inside again and it isn't long before Wilnas' hearty laughter joins in.

Michael sighs and looks up at the sky. To continue to fail and keep going... it is still something she needs to learn to do, to remain persistent. Setbacks sting her pride far more than she likes to admit. Sometimes, being in battle itself is easier than... everything she's had to deal with.

Seeing Wilnas persist though... it gives her inspiration too. She had meant to take a break for a day after their grueling mission but now she's feeling inspired to pick up her acting books tomorrow, return back to the theater as soon as possible to learn from the teachers there. The fire inside of her has been lit again.

"Mika, I'm back—oh? What are you smiling about?" Gabriel comes into view then, that teasing smile on her face as always. "Did seeing me put you in a good mood?"

Leave it to Gabriel to pick the perfect moments to come back. Or... perhaps, she'd been watching them, she wouldn't put it past her as well. As much as Gabriel trusts in her to find her own way, she also knows Gabriel does worry for her too. Michael only sighs before letting out a small smile.

"I've just had... a productive conversation. I feel motivated again," Michael says. "You've got those drinks you said you'd get, right?"

"Right here," Gabriel says, lifting up a bag. She watches Michael for a moment though, and her eyes crinkle. "I'm happy for you," she says afterward, and Michael lets her own smile grow in response.

#gbf #granblue fantasy #michael (gbf) #wilnas (gbf) #writing floops #meant to have more gabu but that apparently didn't turn out the way I wanted it to

[jonathankatwhatever]

It’s 12 Dec 2023 and I’m suddenly nervous there’s a plot to take my house, that a deal has been done for the buyer to forfeit and pick it up from the bank for cheaper. It would be blatantly illegal to do this, but that’s where my mind just went. Other than that, this morning was the best experience on a very good Extent, meaning on the 1-0Segment created spectrum.

It’s weird thinking we can explain basics like a spectrum. Leaf blowers are death. I hate them. Must take a break.

Am incredibly nervous and don’t know why. Can’t focus. Will do something physical until this passes.

It’s 12 Dec 2023 and I’m suddenly nervous there’s a plot to take my house, that a deal has been done for the buyer to forfeit and pick it up from the bank for cheaper. It would be blatantly illegal to do this, but that’s where my mind just went. Other than that, this morning was the best experience on a very good Extent, meaning on the 1-0Segment created spectrum.

It’s weird thinking we can explain basics like a spectrum. Leaf blowers are death. I hate them. Must take a break.

Am incredibly nervous and don’t know why. Can’t focus. Will do something physical until this passes.

———————

Incredibly attractive to feel your nervousness. I can’t tell if it’s dread or excitement, if it’s a heart attack or a chest swelling. I am uneasy. Feels like a victory to get that out.

Maybe I can do some work. What is the next question? We need to look at where we are. We now have a double map, one of Triangular and one of gs, meaning we map Triangular to gs and gs to Triangular. The way I picture this is like a rotating view in which the same scenes flash by except things change at each visible frame. So I see a motion picture reel, meaning the film is orthogonal, so it is ‘behind’ the shared 1-0Segment of the bT’s of a Hexagon. You can see frames per second because the Informational Limit translates the concept of a Hexagon into a Triangular, so we increase the n-gon to the IL because that is a specific amount short of enlarged SBE, meaning a big 3. That reaches the question of why, and the answer thus far has been that this allows injection of meaning within the conception of SBE, which is literally the identity return of 1-0-1. That’s as close as we can get to 1Space, that it radiates meaning into the construction of our existence.

So that map. I see how it works making gs because the Triangular is continuous ‘underneath’. I’m not sure how to move across Triangular when it’s not fD or HG. That is, these represent the inversion of an End over a 1-0Segment and the inversion of a 1-0Segment over an End. That leaves the moves to the side, to the connected bT’s. My God, you’re dumb. You keep forgetting that makes fD’s, and you’re seeing the Between perspective, meaning you’re looking across whatever is Between on the 1-0Segment over which the Ends of the fD are inverting.

We were doing this in the morning. This is the image of the 2 to 1 in bT, meaning the 1-0Segment dividing the 2bT is forgotten by treating the 2 1-0Segments as sliding over each other, meaning as their own 1-0Segment. This is obviously true in 1Space because we’re manipulating infinities and a segment of 2 segments has the same uncountability as any other segment. We did a lot of work about infinities, demonstrating that gs construction generates the countably finite and the finite out of the uncountable through the operations of D-structure. I’m hearing a song counting countable infinities. What does that mean? I think it means that the real number continuum itself can’t be counted, only its countable image, and I don’t know if that makes any sense at all. That is, if we count line segments, we attribute uncountability to them by identifying what cannot be counted, so there is always something beyond which cannot be counted. And one of the main lessons of grid squares is dimensional construction, so the connection is now obvious and this must be true: it’s the dimensionality of numbers being constrained by the construction process which generates them.

This goes a long way toward resolving an old question, sort of a chicken and the egg of gs construction, that when you imagine real numbers and the continuum, then you can take the general and abstract or the specific and increasingly concrete, like in some identifiable series that converges or which can be cut off as it diverges. When said like that, the question mostly goes away. Cut offs get into I//I.

Can we in 2 minutes connect I//I to these maps? That is the process. What you mean is more the mechanics. Okay, what are the mechanics? Well, we have a Triangular pyramid with 4 sides because we’re constructing D4 with grid squares, and I see that rotating so it is orthogonal as the projection. Or rather, the projection to the grid square is now orthogonal to the gs. Okay, that freed up some visualization.

I’m seeing the layers of gs connected Bip to corners of the other layer. So we have this projection of the pyramid, and the layers or sheets are separated by the height of the pyramid, which in unit terms would be the nSquare 1/2Square or .5Square. We did this work and showed how it defined a 1Square over the inversion of the pyramid, so the nSquare over the inversion space is a 1Square. You see the versatility of the nSquare concept because a 1Square is obviously not just a gs but something which constructs out of pieces of gs. That is of course incredibly important, and I’m so dumb I didn’t realize it until I’d typed the words. This actually constructs 1Squares as opposed to 1gs, and it does so off the Bip and thus in any direction allowable, meaning like it can be orthogonal because that’s an acceptable pathway.

That brought together some old and some newer work.

I need a break. Our car’s ABS light is coming on. Just before I can afford to fix it. Arghh.

[shawnjacksonsbs]

"Negative Nancy finds his way out!"

Or

"Negative Nancy for the win?"

You pick the title that best suits.

'Cause I'm still better than I was before I started.       11-19-22

 "Minimize unnecessary risks. All actions have consequences. Thinking realistically will help us determine what those consequences could be. This is particularly important when our actions affect others. The old motto, “expect the best but plan for the worst,” has merit. By thinking that way we minimize unnecessary risks. It gives us a goal, with a plan to reach it. Here’s the good news: You & I need a sense of hope in order to succeed. Here’s the bad news: Hope is not a strategy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Show us what needs to be changed. People who rely solely on hope for their success, rarely make change a high priority. If we only have hope, we imply that success is out of our hands. It’s a matter of luck and chance—so why bother changing. There’s nothing like reality staring us in the face, to help us see what needs to be changed. Change alone doesn’t bring growth, but we cannot have growth without change." - J.D.

You’re not a prisoner of your circumstances. You’re a prisoner to your interpretations - of your circumstances. (Paraphrased that bit, but for good reason)

Our interpretation of life will always lean one direction or the other based on our reflection and presentation.

Negative Nancy agrees that being real isn't being negative, and frequently, it does offer hope for more optimistic futures.

I have a couple of colleagues that used to call me "Negative Nancy" when I was being realistic. I brought experience in certain areas that I've lived, seen, or been involved with in the past, like wording on contracts, drawings, proposals, credit card processing paperwork, etc, and in the field to the table as real. Holding out for things in our scope, I felt was necessary and definitely not negative.

A couple of times things bit us in the ass because we didn't have safe guards in place. It happens. We made it through, but . . .

Those things didn't happen because of my "negative" perspective. They are real things that can happen any day to any person.

Being real.

Being real isn't optimistic or pessimistic by nature. The way we share our perspective can be. I believe that's on us.

I still find for the most part that my life, my inner "me" stays content and grateful over all. I still have bouts of frustration and/or worry, but they are limited in size, quality of life, and length of time.

2 big things on my heart as of late;

One is my business succeeding, which I'm hopeful is going to do better than just being "ok".

And two, limited funds for the holidays, because of the heavy financial hit I've taken between the "fire/move" and being forced out of the old job, and starting up this new one.

Granted, I know all the things we tell ourselves, and others; "It's the thought that counts", "We just want you there", etc, etc.

All of which are true, and I know this, but it still stings a bit if, and when, you can't provide the things you had in mind. . .

My point is that I know it's going to be ok.

Absolutely know it!

I'm still going to present my mindset in the same light as I always do, - I am grateful for everything and every person in my life, and that I still GET to live . . .a far better life than I will ever believe I deserve to be.

I don't share enough about hope in my writing anymore. I sure used to.

Did I become complacent in how I know in my heart things will always work out?

Even though I believe the universe reciprocates kindness and gratitude doesn't mean that hope doesn't still play a huge role in it. Huge!

I think . . . .

As long as I'm not relying just on hope, like he said in the quote.

I have to be part of the hope process, part of the change.

Realizing that my company won't succeed without fences installed which doesn't happen unless I dig the holes IS putting effort into my hope process.

Right?

My holiday situation isn't much different. How and what I choose to focus on, will rule the day.

Doing my best to make sure others feel loved is the goal right? I can do that with my eyes closed.

Things are just stuff unless they are filled with love. I probably can't eliminate stress completely from the holiday season, but I bet a $100 right now, that the only disappointment I will feel after, is from it being over.

A true metric for success is what??

You tell me, because I already feel successful. I almost always feel successful.

It's all in the approach I suppose. It's helps me find my way out almost every, single, time.

Remember to share your love and your laughter with the world around you.

Be kind, or at least civil when dealing with, well, with anyone really.

And know that hope isn't evil or fake. It helps us to hold on long enough to feel . . .better(?) . . .Or get to the other side of -whatever-, to a place that we know will get better. Take part in the process though.

If you are fortunate enough to be surrounded by loved ones this Thanksgiving, please realize the "fortune" you have, not everyone is so lucky.

It's time to start saying "Happy Holidays" again. Almost time to wake up the grandkids to start the day.

Until next week;

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." - Booker T. Washington

[shahzaibislam]

What Acupuncture has to offer you

Colling wood acupuncture is an ancient practice that has been used for centuries to promote health and well-being. Acupuncture needles stimulate pressure points in the body, promoting the release of endorphins and increasing blood flow. This can help relieve pain, improve digestion, elevate mood, reduce anxiety and strengthen the immune system.

Acupuncture is also said to promote overall vitality and well-being. There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture, making it an increasingly popular treatment option for a variety of health problems. There is a large body of research supporting the use of acupuncture for a variety of conditions.

The World Health Organization has compiled a list of conditions for which acupuncture has been scientifically proven to help: - Pain — tennis elbow, joint sprain, sciatica, rheumatoid arthritis, post-surgical pain, toothache and TMD pain, low back pain, headaches and migraines, facial pain, knee pain, neck pain - Gynecology — primary menstrual pain, labor induction, correction of breech presentation, colic - Cancer treatment — side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, low white blood cell count - respiratory — allergic rhinitis - cardiovascular — hypertension, low blood pressure, rehabilitation after stroke - Psychiatry — depression, depressive neurosis after stroke - Gastrointestinal — nausea and vomiting, morning sickness, dysentery, biliary colic, stomach pain (in gastric ulcers, gastritis and stomach cramps) The 5 Chinese medicine substances that determine your health.

In my first two blogs on this topic (here and here) I laid out the basics of nutrition in Chinese medicine, now I’m going to delve a little deeper into the subject. It’s worth it though — once you understand the basics of Chinese medicine as it relates to food (and herbs using the exact same system), you’ll develop a deeper understanding of how your body and mind are affected by what you eat. I find that I naturally let this guide my food choices. Another benefit of understanding Chinese medical nutrition theory is that it complements Western ideas of nutrition, but there is little overlap. You will gain a different perspective on nutrition that can only enhance and enrich your understanding of the role nutrition plays in your health and well-being.

We begin with the five basic substances:

1. qi or life force 2. jing or innate essence 3. xue or blood 4. shen or spirit 5. jin ye or body fluids

Qi is usually translated as energy or life force, but these terms do not give the full meaning of the word in Chinese medicine. A good way to think about qi is in terms of function — when we have enough of it and it flows properly, our organs function properly. We digest and absorb our food properly, we have healthy and regular bowel movements, our mind works properly, and our heart and lungs have no problems.

However, when our Qi is low, our organ function decreases, we become pale and weak, we get tired easily, we lose our ability to digest and absorb food well, our immune system suffers, we become short of breath easily and our voice becomes quiet. Our tongue becomes swollen and pale and our pulse becomes weak.

In addition, qi can become stagnant, which means that it no longer flows properly. We get a feeling of pressure, tightness or oppression, especially in the chest, we get areas of pain and we become tense and anxious.

How Chinese Herbal Medicine Can Help You While acupuncture is well known in Canada, Herbal medicine Collingwood has always been the backbone of Chinese medicine. The true transformative power of medicine lies in the herbs and the formulas made from them. Refined over millennia by millions of doctors on billions of patients, herbal formulas are precision tools that improve health and well-being by gently but powerfully bringing the body into harmony and homeostasis. When your body is in harmony, disease cannot occur.

Part of the brilliance of the Chinese herbal system is the seamless integration of diagnosis and treatment. The foundation for this is pattern recognition; the practitioner’s job is to understand how the patient’s symptom picture fits together, and from there, select the formulas that address those patterns.

This pattern recognition is the basis of Chinese medical diagnosis and the basis of treatment. All treatment — herbs, acupuncture, qigong, diet — is based on an accurate diagnosis that determines exactly what is going on in the patient’s body and mind.

It is often said that Chinese medicine treats the pattern, not the disease, while Western medicine treats the disease. To a medical practitioner, a migraine is a migraine, but to a practitioner of Chinese medicine, a migraine can be caused by a number of different patterns — it could be too much heat or too much cold, or it could be a problem with the circulation. Each pattern then leads to a different formula, so for example, two people with migraines will often have very different formulas.

What is a formula, you may ask? A formula is a series of herbs used together, and can be a combination of 2–20 or more herbs. On average, a formula consists of 7–8 herbs, each of which addresses a different aspect of the patient’s condition. For example, promoting and protecting digestion is central to Chinese herbal medicine, so all formulas contain herbs that are good for the digestive system.

Traditional Chinese medicine collingwood Which herbs are included then depends on what condition is being treated — if there is inflammation in the stomach or lungs, Lu gen/Phragmitis rhizome might be chosen. If there is a urinary tract infection, he might use Zhu Ling/Polyporus mushroom, which is used to eliminate inflammation and infection in the bladder. If the person suffers from lack of energy, ginseng and licorice are often used.

[aquagenesis]

it's gonna be funny cute and quirky all through whenever i go back to school i can already tell because people are gonna be like "do you really think a crazy person could be a therapist" and it's like yeah i do because there's finally going to be someone who knows what they're talking about. i've already heard all of these lines unfortunately i already took like 5 years off to train in the wilderness of depression to realize it's going to be sooooo much funnier when my patients improve without internalizing everything they do is wrong because they're just broken and need to accept that before they can move on. why does everyone want to default to the most painful setting in everything why can't we just tell people life sucks and they're right but what's important is knowing you personally do not suck and there is always something to look forward to and do so you can make that one day the best day.

#🌵.txt #oversimplification aside it seems much more ideal than saying yes things may seem unfair but what if that's a you problem #it's true perspective counts that has always been true but you cannot perspect your way out of misery from external sources #it is coming from within and so we must go within to fix what is broken #not break it all down and try again like come on man. these are people you're talking to.

[qingxin-dream]

Written in the Stars

a/n | what if you consulted mona after she saved you from your first encounter with scaramouche? i had to do a bit of research into astrology and tarot cards for this one, so i hope it’s correct!! this has been an idea in my drafts for a while, and somehow in the past few hours i wrote way more than i intended lol. (art credits: @/Fauzan Nata on artstation).

warnings | none

genre | slice of life

word count | 1k

pairing | scaramouche x reader

⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩

After your initial encounter with the deadly Harbinger Scaramouche, there’s no doubt you joined your astrologer friend Mona afterward as she tried to piece together the stars of the harbinger’s constellation. Imagine the dimly lit room of her cobblestone cottage in Mondstadt, illuminated by the swirling aura of hydro elemental energy as Mona turns the gears of her astrological map.

Scaramouche was such a unique, foreign name to your lips. His entire demeanor was unlike anything you had encountered thus far—a beautiful ornamental hat of scarlet red and deep midnight adorning his indigo hair, white and lavender tassels blowing gently in the wind, sleeves embroidered delicately with cool hues, and that gorgeous veil that trailed his form.

Every time Mona thought she was making a breakthrough, she sighs in increasing frustration as none of it made any sense.

Eventually, you both settled on doing a Tarot reading of your fortune in relation to this dangerous harbinger who nearly took your life. Perhaps at the very least, Mona could offer her expert astrological advice with a quick reading of the Major Arcana cards as you continue on your journey.

Carefully, Mona reveals your cards one by one: Justice reversed, The Lovers, The Moon, The World, and The Tower. As each card is flipped, you are too distracted by the beautiful design on the cards to see how Mona’s face falls into an abyss of conflicted feelings.

She clears her throat, attempting to maintain her professionalism, and reads your cards to you.

“Justice reversed indicates what is happening at this moment. The true meaning of these events is yet to be revealed. There is no way to fully understand the situation without patience. So, you should be open to hearing other’s perspectives.”

You nod to encourage her to move forward, not necessarily impressed by the vague interpretation that your first card provided.

“Next is The Lovers, which can guide you through this predicament with ease. This card has many sides to it. Some believe it represents the difficulties or the aura of romance. The Lovers means you should choose your own path to happiness. Make compromises and avoid choices you don’t want to make.”

“Hm, that’s odd. So you’re saying the cards think there’s romance involved?” you query with a look of disbelief. “Surely not. He tried to kill us!”

Mona shook her head. “I simply interpret the connotations of the cards. It is up to you to decide what to take to heart.”

“Moving on,” she says hesitantly, eyeing you, “The Moon will show you what is to be learned from your encounter with Scaramouche. Typically this card is associated with dreams and visions, yet we cannot always control the outcome. It advises you to trust yourself and your instincts, but don’t try to defy your destiny. Take things as they come.”

“The next card shows what is leaving you at this time. The World refers to wisdom and how your motivations are in line with the divine powers. Even if you fail, all will be made right. In this case, you will no longer have this blessing within you.”

You frown, “The favor of the Archons is leaving me? I’m not even sure how many of them even know my name, Mona.”

The young astrologer folds her arms, cupping her chin between her thumb and index fingers. “It could be the Archons. It could be Celestia. It could be the will of the universe. Regardless, (Y/N), I think The World is telling you tread carefully. The choices you make could be permanent, irreversible, and perhaps even draw the ire of fate.”

“The final card foretells the near future. It is The Tower, which describes revolution and chaos. It will be brief and instantaneous, but forever change your path moving forward. Expect drastic transformation.”

Your mind is a mess trying to make sense of Mona’s reading. A million questions and mixed emotions bubble inside you, nearly making you nauseated. You swallow thickly and ask Mona what all of this actually means.

“Simply put, (Y/N), the cards were able to determine that your connection with Scaramouche is nowhere near its end. In fact, many of the cards indicate dramatic change in your relationship, which will challenge your integrity and test your friendships. They recommend sticking to what you feel is right and true to yourself,” she summarizes succinctly, shuffling away her cards in an organized fashion. “But…”

You give her a look. Mona has that familiar intonation in her voice, a teasing, playful air with a dangerous edge ready to poke and prod you endlessly. You’re absolutely clueless to the intricacies of her astrological studies, so Mona basically has you wrapped around her pretty little finger with every mystical prediction and calculation she makes. She loves to take advantage of your cluelessness too often.

“But what?” you reply, slightly annoyed. “What’s that expression for? Mona, you know I rely on you for this kind of stuff! Just tell me.”

She laughs, stowing away her cards and astrological instruments, before turning to you. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think the dramatic change the cards were alluding to is of the romantic type.”

Jaw immediately dropping, you flipped out, jolting out of your chair. “Mona Megistus!”

“Yes, that’s my name,” she smugly responds, watching you unfurl into a flustered mess. “Don’t wear it out, now.”

“You’re crazy! I think the cards are lying,” you stutter out incredulously, pointing toward the innocent box they sat in on her shelf.

Mona simply hums in laughter. “You’re the one who picked the cards! While I am deeply troubled by the idea of this Fatui man being in love with you, if fate ordains it then so it shall be.”

“This is ridiculous,” you huff, red in the face from your outburst and from pure embarrassment. “Lemme try again and I’m sure I’ll pick different cards.”

“What’s done is done, (Y/N),” Mona giggles, shaking her head at you. “Anyway, you can repay me for my services with lunch from Good Hunter~”

You were never quite sure if Mona was being truthful or teasing, but decided to drop it to go have lunch with her in downtown Mondstadt—completely unaware of the Fatui agents scattered throughout the city, silently keeping an eye on you at the request of a particular Sixth Harbinger.

check out my masterlist if you enjoyed, please & thank you

#[opulent dreams].✿ #genshin impact #genshin #genshin imagines #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact fatui #genshin x reader #genshin scaramouche #genshin kunikuzushi #genshin mona #scaramouche x reader #kunikuzushi x reader

[kamotoshi]

safe [chōsō x reader]

pairing: chōsō x fem sorcerer! reader

genre: fluff with (seriously faint) hints of angst

warning(s): contains manga spoilers for chapter 62!

word count: 2.3k

overview: after spending many years as a sorcerer, you’ve believed certain things to be true. but a chance meeting with a curse that’s developed into a deeper relationship changes your perspective.

notes: want some listening music? here are two songs that helped me write this: summer fling by kang + effervescent by toonorth

A quiet, but gasping breath fills your lungs with a pocket of cold air when you wake from a dead sleep with a start. Instinctively, your hand flies in front of you, directed towards the doorway to obliterate whatever intruder you automatically assume has roused you from your deep slumber. However, much to your surprise, you’re completely alone. Rubbing your eyes, you turn your head towards the alarm clock on your bedside table to check the hour.

Ah, it’s that time again.

With a gentle sigh, you slide out from beneath the warm covers, causing your skin to break out in a wave of goosebumps at the chill in your room that you throw on a sweater and pants to combat before heading to the kitchen of your small but cozy living quarters. Sleep refuses to relinquish its grip, and you ungracefully bump into a few surfaces in the process of preparing two, hot cups of tea and finding a blanket to drape around your shoulders.

The rush of crisp air that greets you when you finally make your way outside of your abode livens you up a bit, though, and you wrap your arms around yourself to retain as much warmth as you can. Following the stone path decorated with glowing lanterns brings you to the front gates of your school—a place you know to visit whenever you wake up with such a start in the dead of the night. The drinks in your hands radiate heat that staves off the bite of the cold as another gust of wind howls past you.

In the darkness of the night, only lit ever so faintly by the twinkling stars in the sky and the waning moon, your eyes search for the visitor who seems to have fallen into a habit of making their presence known around the same time on every odd evening. Sure enough, the thumping of heavy boots against the stone walkway winding near and through Jujutsu High’s campus draws your attention to a tall figure wandering around nearby. The baggy cream clothes draped over his body beneath a vest the hue of blood instantly give away his identity, along with the dark, spiked hair gathered neatly atop both halves of his head.

Before his name can leave your mouth, he turns around to face you, as if he senses your presence the same way you sense his on the nights that he chooses to visit. It’s almost as if he uses some unseen force to disturb you from your sleep so he can steal away anywhere from a few minutes to hours of your time. Of course, this possibility would seem at least the slightest bit insane to an average person, but, for you—a jujutsu sorcerer—it cannot be discounted for the sole reason of what your visitor is: a special grade curse.

Wordlessly, the man you’ve come to know as Chōsō after a twisted event that led to many more spontaneous encounters such as this approaches you. His dark gaze skims over your figure before settling on your own, making your heart thud gently in your chest. Placing his hands in his pockets, he glances at the drinks you’re holding and asks, “Will you come on a walk with me?”

As a sorcerer, it should be second nature to meet the request of a cursed spirit with a no followed by a prompt exorcism. However, in all the times that he’d come to visit, he hadn’t appeared to do so out of ill will or inclination to get some sort of revenge. He’d always sat on the outskirts of the campus or walked around the lush forest surrounding it with you, making as much or as little conversation as you’d liked. In spite of how powerful you knew he was and the nature of his being, you didn’t feel particularly put off by him. In fact, you often found yourself thinking about him and when he’d stop by next more than you probably should.

Slowly, you nod, passing him one of your mugs so the two of you can be on your way. “Thanks.”

The sky above is surprisingly clear, given the school’s location in Tokyo, aside from a few, lingering clouds that float past the moon on their way around the part of the world you call home. It’s oddly peaceful considering your company for the evening. But you’d never really felt uneasy in his presence to begin with. And you certainly don’t feel threatened now, with the way he only seems focused on trying not to spill any of the tea you’d so kindly prepared for him as the two of you traverse a dirt path near the school’s grounds.

It's also a bit ironic, you think, that the route you seem to have fallen into the habit of taking leads you near one of the many, small shrines—gems hidden amongst the forest’s depths—but he appears to have just as much of an affinity to the location since he never suggests going elsewhere.

Beneath the gentle, pale glow from above filtered through leafy branches extending over you, Chōsō’s features take on a soft, almost peaceful appearance. He seems to bask in the symphony of crickets singing as he takes a deep breath and sits down on the grassy hill directly beside you. His dark eyes dipping down to the lip of the mug in his hands before shifting over to meet yours catches you off-guard since you hadn’t realized you’d been watching him so attentively.

“Hmm?” he wonders and takes another sip of his tea. His voice and your own pounding heartbeat are the only things you can hear above the sea of noise.

Inquisitively, you ask him a question you’re sure he’s used to hearing: “Why do you keep coming here?”

He sighs and glances at the grass beneath the two of you before answering, “I get overwhelmed.”

“Overwhelmed?” you echo.

His head bobs in a slow nod as he tilts it up towards the sky once more, making his dark eyes twinkle in spite of the hint of sadness that seems to be lingering behind his gaze. “I’m always expected to do things. To pay the price of being granted my life here. And sometimes, all I wanna do is just sit and look at the sky.” There’s a small, but undeniable ache of empathy in your chest as you allow your eyes to flit over every feature of his face, searching for the words he’s not saying. But with his straightforward, unabashedly honest manner of speaking, it’s unlikely for him to leave you wondering.

After taking a drink to fight off the chilliness, another question leaves your lips. “You could go anywhere to cloud watch or stargaze, though. Why come all the way here?”

“I want to.”

Your fingers tap against the ceramic of your mug. “But being here puts you in a lot of danger. Why would you want to go somewhere like this to escape?”

Without a hint of hesitation, his dark eyes find your own once more as he states, “Because you’re here.” A moment of silence passes between the two of you filled with the ceaseless chirps of crickets during which you attempt to mask any effects of your racing heart and the heat crawling up your neck at his confession. However, the shock that strikes you like lightning must be written on your face, since his eyebrows furrow slightly with confusion at your reaction, and he adds, “I thought I made it clear I come here to spend time with you.”

For a few seconds, your lips make quivering, unsuccessful attempts at forming words your vocal cords won’t allow you to voice before you direct your attention to the mug in your hands filled with tea, instead, and try to regain your composure enough to speak. “W-Well, I knew that, but why?” is all you can inquire with a quiet murmur.

His chest rises and falls in a deep, shuddering breath as a cool gust of wind whistles through the trees. At first, you wonder, with the slight glossiness to his eyes and his sudden inability to meet your gaze, if his emotions are the source of the tremors you notice in his jaw. However, the realization that he’s cold soon reaches you at the sight of his arms folding across his chest. Wordlessly and without thinking, you close the little distance between your bodies and drape part of your blanket around his broad shoulders.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, uncrossing his arms so one of his hands can hold the side of the blanket you’ve given him while the other plants itself on the grass behind you. The unexpected warmth radiating from him that seems to engulf you in the tight space you’re now sharing makes it hard to resist the temptation of resting your head on his shoulder.

“I miss my brothers,” is the gently spoken truth that leaves his lips, “I wanted to give them a better life. My failure to fulfill my role as their older brother is something that weighs heavily on me, even though I know they’d tell me they forgave me if I had been there in their final moments.”

Following his moment of vulnerability, the two of you find enough courage to make eye contact, and you struggle not to lose yourself in the seemingly endless depths of his midnight-colored irises. With your faces mere inches away, you’re granted a closer look at him than you’ve ever had before, and it seems, from the way he’s watching you so intently, that you’re not the only one enjoying the unexpected intimacy of the moment.

The muscles in his neck tense with a thick swallow before he continues, “But when I’m here with you, I feel like it’s okay that I’m still alive even though they’ve passed. You don’t look at me with hatred in your eyes or expect anything from me in exchange for my existence. You accept me as I am.” Another gentle breeze dislodges a few strands of hair tucked behind his ear that you naturally move back into place for him before your hand warm from the drink you’d been holding comes to rest against his cheek. “Why?”

His fingertips ghosting along your own neck and cheek leave sparks of electricity on your skin in their wake. But you manage to organize the thoughts threatening to escape your mind at the tenderness of his touch enough to whisper, “When you fought with me instead of against me, I realized that maybe the way I’ve been taught to view the world we live in isn’t entirely accurate. You risked your life to save mine. You defied the rules about the world I once thought were true. And because you showed me that you cared about my life, I want to do the same for you.” A hint of a smile playing at his lips brings a warmth to you that you don’t think even the heaviest of blankets could provide. Taking a deep breath to slow your heart—which had been racing since he’d locked eyes with you—you ask, “Is that why you want to come here?”

“Hmm?”

“Because you care about me?”

He nods earnestly as his thumb skims over your cheekbones, and the adoration glimmering in his eyes like the stars in the night sky above brings your face closer to his. With a timidness you wouldn’t have expected from him, his lips meet with yours in a short, fleeting kiss, as if he’s testing the waters. The way you chase his after they separate, though, serves as a silent confirmation and has him deepening the kisses your lips return to his to share. Given his relatively blunt yet quiet personality, you’re pleasantly surprised by the slow, sensual manner with which his lips move against yours. You’re sure the two of you could remain in this secluded part of the woods forever, under the cover of the shadows masking you from the pale moonlight as you lose yourselves in the moment, but the reality of the situation marks its painful return when you pull away.

“I care about you a lot, and I want to see you more often,” he breathes, “But the last thing I want is to put you in danger. That’s why I’ve been visiting every once in a while and in the middle of the night.”

Moving your hand to his shoulder to rub it gently, you murmur, “I know; I want to see you too, Chōsō.” In an instant, his arms are around you, pulling your body flush against his, and the action fills you with a bittersweet feeling, since this is only the first time you’ve been so close to him, yet you’re unsure of when you’ll get to share more affectionate moments with him like this one. “We’ll find a way to make it work,” is the promise you whisper into his neck while he nestles his face in yours.

After a few, long moments of silence have passed during which your mind exhausts itself by tirelessly attempting to form solutions to an issue you never could’ve imagined you’d have in your lifetime, you start to relinquish your grip around Chōsō. He, however, isn’t ready to do the same, and refuses to budge.

Instead, he answers your curious hum with, “I’ll let you go back to bed soon, but is it okay if I hold you for a little longer?” Even though fatigue is starting to settle in, you consent and wrap your arms around him once more, resting your head against the side of his and nestling your face in his hair as you let your heavy eyelids close. “I’ve just never felt this way before.”

“Which is…?”

Your heart flutters against his chest in cadence with his own against yours at his answer.

“Safe.”

#jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #jjk spoilers #choso x reader #chōsō x reader

[anashins]

No Talking in the Library || Taeyong

"Losing my virginity? Better say taking someone’s virginity. Triple check."

There are still so many things you want to do in your last semester before graduation, and Taeyong is willing to help you.

_______

Skinny dipping

Partying all night long

Drinking hard shots

Dancing on a bar counter

Playing spin the bottle

Getting completely drunk

Attend an illegal rave

Kiss s/o I just met

Ditch classes

You inhaled deeply and tucked the sheet back into your dress’s pocket and out of your sight, your thoughts revolving around the last point you’ve written again.

Losing my virginity

You were already a few months into your last year of university and yet you still felt like you hadn’t experienced everything a normal college kid should have once done in their young lives.

That you hadn’t really lived so far.

Looking at your friends, they had left you behind a long time ago in the first semester already when it came down to checking off bucket lists. It wasn’t like you were too shy or stayed away from parties and boys, though. The opportunity just had never arisen, and only now you realized that it probably never would if you wouldn’t take fate into your own hands.

You were sick and tired of waiting for the perfect moment and the perfect guy.

Looking at your watch, you realized it was nearly time for your next class and that you slowly had to get going.

Passing by different bookshelves, you were pondering whether to still search for lecture here in the library to read through the weekend in preparation for the project you had to work on the next week, but you quickly resisted the urge to do so as you had already collected enough and headed straight to the door.

“Watch out!” you still heard before the next thing you felt was pain crippling your face.

Only the break of a second was needed before numbness turned into pain and shot through your nerves that even reached the tips of your fingers with the root of the ache being your nose.

“Oh my god!” you squealed and brought your hands to the middle of your face while tears welled up behind your squinted eyes.

“I’m so sorry!” a male voice said, full with panic.

When you dared to open your lids, you looked into the eyes of the guy who had banged the entry door right into her face.

“You nearly killed me!”

“I’m so sorry, y/n!”

When he mentioned your name, you turned keen-eared. Blinking through your tears, you slowly started to get a sharper view of the boy in front of you as well. Just slightly taller than you, dark hair, and an expression as shocked as yours.

You just didn’t know his name anymore.

“Does it hurt that bad? Shall we go to the ward to get a cooling pad or something?”

You shook your head and slowly brought your hands down again. The guy had a hard time biting down the smile that threatened to slip off his lips. With care, he touched your arm in a comforting gesture to reassure you.

“I’m sorry, but you totally look like Rudolph the reindeer now.”

You sniffed. “Yes, thanks to you!”

“Okay, that’s true,” he admitted and retreated his hand. “How about I make it up to you, hm?”

“Uh…” You stared at him, yet you still weren’t able to classify his familiar face.

“Hey!” You suddenly got interrupted by the library’s supervisor, a middle-aged woman who was always wearing a frown and owned the hearing of a bat. “No talking in the library! Go inside or leave, but this door has to be closed, understand?”

You nodded, and the guy made a move to pass by the librarian, but not without whispering to you “Come here!” before you disappeared into the library again, the door closing shut behind you.

Having you by his arm, he dragged you along the rows of bookshelves until he found a quiet corner in the very far back of the library. All the while when you were looking at his back, you tried to remember where you knew him from.

And then it suddenly came into your mind.

When you opened the group convo with your friends, his face would appear right next to the unsaved contact that your friend Johnny had added two days prior.

It was Lee Taeyong.

Johnny, Ten, and Jaehyun’s new roommate who you had also met once before at Johnny’s birthday party last week.

“Hey, at least your nose is not red anymore, huh?” he laughed when he came to a hold.

“Banging a door into my face again, Taeyong?” you asked back. “I have to admit, this is kind of a weird way to hit on a girl.”

“You know my name! Admittedly, even just now I wasn’t so sure whether you remembered.”

“That was true, but once the pain vanished and I looked at your back, that scene seemed very familiar to me.”

He grinned. “Johnny’s birthday party, yes, I banged a door into your face back then as well. I’m sorry, I am actually a gentleman, I just didn’t have a chance to prove it yet. I hope this isn’t becoming our thing now.“

“You mean… you banging doors into my face? I hope not, because you actually seem like a nice guy, and otherwise I have to do a runner right now. I’d like to live a few years more.”

“My roommates wouldn’t like the thought that I scared their friend away, so let’s keep this a secret, alright?”

He winked and you laughed. You liked his humor very much and were wondering why you two hadn’t talked before at Johnny’s party.

„Oh, what’s this?“

Taeyong lifted his hand and picked up something white from the floor. He inspected his finding and then frowned. The next moment, he presented something to you that hadn’t been supposed to get seen by anyone else aside from you. The sheet. Apparently it had fallen out of your pocket while hurriedly walking!

You blushed up to her ears and snatched it out of his hand. “Don’t read this!”

He shrugged. “Well… it was quite hard not to miss the significant writing while picking it up, so…”

“Ugh…” You rolled your eyes into oblivion and wished for a hole to appear right under you to vanish in there right now.

You felt your ears burning and a hot flush running down your back as you remembered the last point you had written down. A stranger knowing about your virgin life! Embarrassing!!

“Do you… actually mean this?”

“Mean what?” you questioned with a shaky voice.

You hadn’t heard the slightest tone of mockery in his voice, you then noticed, and when you dared to look at him again, his gaze was even radiating curiosity, far from scorn.

“The points on this list.”

“Please don’t make fun of me!” you defended yourself. “You don’t know me or why I did this in the first place, so…”

You wanted to quickly pass by him and escape from the scenery, but he grabbed you by your arm and made you stop.

“What I know,” he then spoke, “is that you’re a kind and funny girl, apparently looking for the full college experience, am I right? I would never make fun of someone for that.”

“Okay… thank you. And I’d prefer if you won’t tell anyone about that.”

“That’s a given.”

“So… having checked off anything yet?“

You shook her head, suddenly feeling a weird knot in your stomach. “I just made this today. But now that someone knows about it, it’s probably ridiculous.”

“I don’t think that it’s ridiculous. You just want some fun, what’s so wrong about that?”

You hadn’t looked at this from another point of view, but now Taeyong was giving you his perspective. And he sounded so nonchalant and positive about it that you suddenly didn’t feel as exposed and embarrassed as before.

“You know what I think?” he then blurted out.

“What?” Now, you grew curious.

“I think you need someone to guide you through it, and many more experiences. Go hard or go home.” He grinned. “Someone who’s done all that already.”

“And you’re such a person?” you challenged.

“Let me see.”

Taeyong took the sheet from you again and read through the list. “Skinny dipping? Check. Partying all night long? Every weekend. Drinking hard shots? Also every weekend. Dancing on a bar counter? Double check, except for that one time I fell off. Playing spin the bottle? Boring, but check. Getting completely drunk? More checks than I can remember. Attend an illegal rave? Double check. Kiss someone I just met? I’m not counting this one anymore. Ditch classes? At least once a month. Losing my virginity? Better say taking someone’s virginity. Triple check.”

“Okay I understand!” You yanked the paper out of his hand again. “You probably had a few years to experience all this, and I only have the rest of my senior year left.”

“Why the rush?” Taeyong asked.

Reluctantly, you answered, “I’m leaving the country for my PhD.”

He nodded. “I see.”

Folding the sheet in your hands, you tucked it back into your pocket. “But please don’t tell the guys, I haven’t opened up to them about my future plans yet, but I want to tell them personally when the time is right.”

“Of course.” Taeyong paused. “Well, then what’s stopping you from joining a party with me tonight to get started?”

“The fact that I barely know you yet?”

“Hm, of course, you’ve got a point.” Taeyong pursed his lips and seemed to ponder over something. “Why haven’t we really talked before though at Johnny’s birthday party?”

“I really cannot remember what happened after you’ve banged the door into my face.” You chuckled. “I probably went to cry in the bathroom and then we’ve just lost sight of each other, because you haven’t found a weird sheet from me like today.”

“So… Since you only could remember me just now, we can technically say we’ve just met, right?”

“I’d sign that.”

“Great.”

You barely had time to wonder why he was grinning from ear to ear yet again when you felt Taeyong’s lips on yours the next moment.

They were soft and warm, his movements gentle at first, and he tasted so fresh and minty, and a little bit sweet as though he had drunk some fruit juice just before. Very summerly, and very manly.

His sudden kiss had left you speechless as well as motionless in the beginning, but you, now in high spirits, started to take pleasure in this act not long after his first move as you leaned against him and were welcomed with open arms.

Taeyong was a very handsome guy, there was nothing to deny about that fact, and he was a good kisser on top of that.

His hands made your body angle so that he could circle his arms around your waist and pressed you firmly against him. With your hands, you wandered upwards and sunk your fingers into his fluffy hair just in the moment Taeyong made you part your lips to deepen the kiss with his tongue.

Of course you had kissed boys before. Just because you were still a virgin didn’t mean you had never made out with someone.

But you had never made out with someone this good before.

Although you had gotten a door into your face shortly before, you weren’t so sure whether it was truly only the aftereffects of a possible head injury or Taeyong’s uninterrupted, passionate and oh-so-good kissing or both that got you feel so lightheaded and dizzy.

But what you knew was that you were enjoying that kiss very much.

And that you wanted more.

And Taeyong apparently as well as he proved it to you when his hands curved against your buttocks, and he gently shoved you backwards until your back rested against the wall behind you.

With his fingers, he felt the tender and glowing skin under your shirt’s bottom hem, massaging the spot there lightly as your hands simultaneously grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him so close to you that no sheet would fit in the slit between you two anymore.

Secretly kissing in the library hadn’t been written down on your agenda, but you took whatever you could get to make your last semester a memorable one.

This was so fun to you that you started to think that this bucket list that you had made wasn’t that much of a bad idea after all if every single one of the experiences would leave you that excited as kissing Taeyong.

When you parted, he was still wearing that grin that now seemed more sweet than smug to you, and you joined him.

“Kiss someone you just met? Check.”

“Well, then our meeting here didn’t go to waste after all,” you concluded.

Admittedly, you wanted more. And by the way Taeyong looked at you, still so turned on and dreamy, he didn’t seem to loathe that idea as well.

“How about putting another point up that list?”

“Such as…?” You tilted your head.

“Making out with someone you’ve just met at a party?”

You playfully looked away as though you were in deep thoughts, but to you, the answer was clear the moment he had proposed the idea to you. “I think that’s an experience I shouldn’t miss as well.”

Just as Taeyong let out a relieved laughter and leaned in to you again, you heard a familiar,

“No talking in the library!”

In front of them stood the librarian with the worst timing ever.

“Technically, we weren’t talking,“ Taeyong cleared up cheekily as he withdrew from you, and you nodded in approval.

The librarian though looked confused.

The wink Taeyong shot into your direction was only visible for you, and you blushed faintly as you agreed, “Yeah, we were anything but talking.”

„But I heard you!“ the elderly woman scolded.

“Well, we did something much more fun than talking,” Taeyong explained, but before the librarian could chide more, you laughingly escaped to the outside.

„So about the party…“ he then started as the library’s door closed behind you. „Since we’re technically no strangers anymore…“

You rolled your eyes, but smiled. „Perhaps, I’ll come to the party.“

„And then move on to check off the other points?“ He smirked.

You stuck your tongue out at him, but were really looking forward to tonight.

#taeyong #lee taeyong #nct scenarios #nct imagines #taeyong scenarios #taeyong imagines #taeyong x reader #taeyong fluff #nct127 scenarios #kpop scenarios #kpop x you #kpop x reader #nct taeyong #taeyong au #my writing #imagine

[pumpkinpaix]

this is gonna sound so harsh but im legit tired of chinese diaspora people who think that bc they are of chinese descent and they have pleco they can act like voices of authority in the fandom. if modao is the 1st chinese book you have read pieces of with a dictionary, if you have never interacted with the actual chinese fandom, you are not part of the intended audience and your biased opinion is not the One And Only Valid Truth 🍵

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree | this is really hard for me to express in terms of an agree/disagree axis lol

genuinely cannot tell if you’re trying to shade me here anon lmao 😂

this got long and rambly (of course) asldkjfslj. i would love to make the excuse that it’s bc i’ve got a migraine and had No Sleep but. let’s be real i’m always like this.

ok i’ll start with where i agree: i don’t think anyone has the right to act like an ultimate voice of authority in fandom. i think different people with different backgrounds have varying realms of expertise and they should be respected when they share that knowledge, but that the instant someone starts to use that kind of power as a weapon against people they personally don’t like, i think they forfeit that privilege. no one has the one and only valid truth about a piece of media because that’s fundamentally impossible. i have definitely interacted with diaspo who behave like their heritage gives them some kind of incontrovertible authority over everyone else, and they’re fucking insufferable and often rather cruel, even/especially towards other diaspo. meet me in the denny’s parking lot and fight me for real. i’ll kick ur ass. >:c

however, I also think it’s true that there’s a lot of dismissal of heritage fans in this fandom, if that makes sense, from both sides of the equation: non-Chinese fans ignore our cultural hangups because they’re inconvenient, and non-diaspora disdain us for being not Chinese enough. that puts a lot of us in a position of feeling disrespected just for being who we are, or having our very real knowledge and unique experience as individuals devalued because of it.

regardless of my identity, I have formally studied a lot of things: literary translation, media analysis, the politics of oppression, film critique, religious studies, philosophy, four foreign languages etc. and that is all knowledge that I had to work for, and work hard for. I do have a certain measure of authority on all of these subjects over a layperson (to varying degrees), and there are going to be times when i will be more correct than someone who disagrees with me -- but I’ve also absolutely experienced people talking over that specialized knowledge because of who I am, which is, to be clear. extremely infuriating and hurtful. like, i have cried so much about it in the last 18 months. people see my racial and cultural identity before they see anything else, which is understandable to a degree, but upsetting when it becomes the basis for how my work is judged, whether positive or negative. i don’t want you to trust me blindly because i’m abc. I want to you to trust me because you have examined my work critically and judged it to be trustworthy!

so i guess this is getting into the strongly disagree part of the answer: i’ve been speaking a lot with other diaspora fans lately, and it’s been simultaneously hugely relieving and also really saddening. relieving because oh thank god someone else Gets It, and saddening because pretty much all of us, no matter what kind of diaspo we are (north american, european, SEA, taiwanese etc), we’ve all experienced a lot of pressure in this fandom, from non-Chinese, Chinese, and other diaspora fans alike. we’re all acutely aware that we are not modao’s intended audience because being diaspora vs being “from the mainland” or whatever, are actually quite different things, but modao still feels close to home. even if it was not written FOR us it is still familiar to us.

and, because so many of us are multilingual and multicultural, we end up being the bridge between the “actual” chinese fandom and the english-speaking fandom, which is largely made up of non-chinese. (sidenote: I hate it when people say things about being “actually” any identity because it’s almost always for the exact reason you brought up: to use heritage as street cred. it’s like damn, being “actually” chinese doesn’t make ur opinions any less rank. sure you might be “actually” chinese, but do you have basic reading comprehension and literary criticism skills? no? ok then sit your ass back down) many of us are most comfortable in english! so we produce our content in english! but we also DO often have a somewhat privileged access to the culture that underlies mdzs and can explain it in a language that other non-Chinese fans can understand. so it’s not surprising that people flock to us for answers to their cultural questions. and like. if we think we know the answer, it’s natural for us to try and help. this is fandom! we’re here to have fun and find community! and it is definitely a little bit nice to have my culture treated as something desirable for once instead of just like. a weird exotic curiosity that no one really cares too deeply about. and, since a lot of us are able to do things that non-Chinese fans can’t (research in chinese, for example. ask family members for help and more information etc.) we end up just having more information to share.

I think this sometimes results in a tendency for fandom at large to put heritage/diaspo fans on pedestals and tout them as authorities (or use our conflicting viewpoints as ammunition in fandom drama) when the diaspo in question have repeatedly stated that they should not be taken as authorities on something -- and then, once you reach critical mass, your reputation starts to precede you, and I think there’s a lot of misconceptions of how a lot of diaspo act in this fandom simply because of that phenomenon. most of us know that we’re not ultimate arbiters of some kind of cultural gateway, and it can be very tiring both to be treated as such when we insist we are not, and then punished by other people who assume that we acted like we were.

i don’t think there’s a benefit in trying to keep en fandom and cn fandom totally separate, and I also think it’s unfair to consider the cn fandom the “real” fandom. i think that way lies deeper misunderstandings, gatekeeping, etc. i think we can definitely acknowledge the differences between them, but i think trying to make meaningful connections between fandom circles is really valuable! i don’t think i’ve ever made it a secret that modao is my first cmedia fandom? so it’s also the first time i’ve had reason to interact with chinese fandom, which has been super enlightening and interesting! i’ve made some super cool friends and learned a lot about how fandom works in china, how it’s similar and how it differs from the fandom i’m familiar with.

and then, kind of circling back around, there’s also a bit of a sense like, okay, so if diaspo don’t belong in the CN fandom, but we can’t talk about our own culture with some degree of confidence in EN fandom, then like..... where do we go...? if we see EN fandom doing something that contradicts our cultural knowledge, do we just. not say anything? do we not count unless we’ve already ingratiated ourselves to CN fandom? that’s probably where the core of my strong disagreement comes from, because criticism of diaspora fans as like, acting above their station so to speak, feels just like a tired continuation of the same shit we’ve had to deal with for our whole lives, being told we’re not good enough for anywhere and that we should just be quiet and keep our heads down and get over it. that our opinions, despite coming from a unique perspective with a unique relationship to the subject in question, are less valid or real than “actual” chinese people, you know? and sometimes i see that and im like lmfao just sneer at me for being jook-sing and leave then if you’re so eager to think of me as lesser.

so yeah, basically im of a few minds: true! diaspora fans don’t get to throw their weight around just because they’re diaspo. they don’t get carte blanche to act like bullies or try to shape the fandom to their own personal liking and crusade against people who disagree with them. they don’t get to pretend their heritage makes them superior to everyone else, and i think western diaspora especially need to be careful when asserting any kind of moral lens over the text to acknowledge that we have our own biases to interrogate. i am not immune.meme etc. on the other hand, this vein of criticism tends to put all diaspo in a bit of a double-bind, and also, however unintentionally, plays into the general, continuous trend of dismissing diaspora for being diaspora, and i’m really not about that. i don’t think that’s the motivation behind opinions like this, but i do think that when the basis for the argument hinges on the idea that diaspora are not “real” chinese, no matter how much I too have beef with certain diaspora fans, the argument needs to be revisited. 

(ko-fi)

🍵 ((un)popular) opinions meme

#Anonymous #asks and replies #cyan gets too deep in the weeds #race #chinese diaspora #statistically average #mine #mymeta #mdzs #ummmmm #politics #?? #opinions meme #ask meme

[nobodyfamousposts]

Missing - Part 4.1

Remember the something bad coming I mentioned before?

This is that.

Fencing practice the next day had been a bit more intense. Fortunately, Kagami had been a perfect opponent to go all out with. She seemed to notice his emotional state and reacted in kind. Which he appreciated, certainly. Adrien had needed to work off the stress and anxiety from the previous incident with Lila.

It hadn’t helped that Plagg had also been unusually agitated that morning. He wouldn’t say what was going on, but he had told Adrien that they needed to see Master Fu immediately.

Plagg...had never gotten like that. Adrien didn’t understand what was going on, but whatever it was, it seemed quite serious. So he had bit back any complaint about the early morning or his schedule and attempted to reach Master Fu by phone. Unfortunately, it had gone to voicemail after several rings, and they couldn’t be sure if it was that Fu had been asleep or otherwise occupied. While Adrien had offered to find time to go to Fu’s place that day once there was a break in his schedule, Plagg insisted that whatever was going on couldn’t wait, and had decided to go to the man’s home himself.

Adrien wasn’t about to refuse Plagg if he felt it was truly necessary to go, but he felt anxious without his kwami and he still wasn’t back yet. He only hoped that there wouldn’t be another akuma attack before he returned.

He hoped everything was okay…

But at least Kagami was there. Both to challenge him physically and to support him when he explained what happened afterwards.

“So you came clean to them?“ Kagami asked, seated on a bench in the locker room as she listened to Adrien talk about what had happened.

He nodded, coming back to the present and admittedly still somewhat shaken from the entire ordeal the day before. “They deserved to know.“

“And how did they take it?“ While he certainly warranted some reprimand for the poor decision he had made on the matter, he did not deserve to be ostracized or blamed for the mess. Lila’s actions were her own, and while each of them held responsibility for their part in falling for her manipulations and the weakness that allowed her to get as far as she did, ultimately Lila was the only one to blame for her actions. With everything so recent and still so raw, the last thing they needed to have happen was for someone else to be made a scapegoat, which was still a possibility now that Lila was no longer present to take the brunt of their anger. Kagami knew the class was made of generally kind souls, but people could do regretful things in anger.

She for one was not inclined to sit by and allow him to be made into the villain for a situation he was not fully responsible for, and her tightening grip on her foil was indicative of that.

“They weren’t happy with me. They still aren’t. And I don’t blame them, really.“ He admitted. He had been kicking himself ever since his initial talk with Nino for...a lot of reasons, really. Having friends really helped with getting insight and other perspectives. And helped him notice things he hadn’t before.

“But what it comes down to is that even if we knew or suspected that Lila wasn’t being honest, none of us truly realized the depths of just how manipulative she could be.” Not until it was all laid out for them at any rate.

“Even when she snuck into your house and sent out that picture?“ Kagami asked, keeping her voice level.

He winced at the memory of the cause of her akumatization. But still...

“That was rotten of her, and I warned her afterwards.” He took a breath, realizing that his school friends hadn’t been the only ones hurt because of this. This just served as another reminder of his failure to act. “I should have done more then. I’m sorry, Kagami.”

She frowned, not necessarily pleased, but not angry either. “What was the reasoning then?” She asked. Because even if she didn’t agree with it, she knew he at least had some view that led to the choice he made.

He winced. “Honestly, that was the sort of thing I would see of a more extreme fangirl. But lying to police to try and keep someone from getting help is a whole new level of low. And one I thought she actually would not stoop to.” He frowned, looking up at Kagami. “Does that make me foolish?”

“Yes.” She replied bluntly. “You at least knew that she was capable of underhanded things. And when you know a tiger’s stripes, you should know what to expect.”

He winced and looked away, guiltily. “I know. Or—I didn’t? I just...”

She decided to take pity on him.

“That said,” She added, drawing his attention back to her. “While you may know a tiger’s stripes, that does not necessarily mean you would be able to see them in the wild.”

He smiled bitterly. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”

“Yes.” She admitted bluntly. “But that doesn’t make me wrong.”

He sighed. “I still should have done something then. I knew she was capable of bad things. There was no excuse for not warning anyone at least.” He gave a sad laugh. “I can’t even imagine how Marinette must have felt when I told her to leave things alone.”

Adrien hesitated, coming to a realization.

“I think I’ve been doing that a lot...” He admitted. “I did the same thing to her when it came to Chloe when she was being her worst.”

“I cannot speak regarding Chloe.” Kagami stated, and she couldn’t given her limited interaction with the bratty daughter of the mayor. Anything she had to say about the girl would likely be far from helpful and only get them off track. “But if I may ask...why keep putting it on Marinette then when you knew she wasn’t in the wrong?“

He shrugged, despondent and uncertain.

“I just felt safer with her.” He answered.

He was used to being friends with Chloe. Where he had been expected to give her what she wants. Whether it was completing whatever task she demanded of him or tell her what she wanted to hear.

Telling her what she wanted to hear...even if it wasn’t true.

But Marinette...

“I knew Marinette would listen to me. And she’s been good with reaching out and giving chances.”

When two parties were arguing, one of them needed to be willing to offer an olive branch if they were to reconcile and make things better. But so far, Marinette was the only one he could see in that role. The only one capable of it, to be honest.

Heaven knew how often she intervened for their classmates. She’d stood up for them, but she had also been willing to put her own feelings aside to come to a compromise. After all, she had helped Chloe more than once. Even in spite of everything Chloe had done.

“My thoughts were that if I could get Marinette to listen and agree, others would follow suit. And there could be compromise. But that was an unfair burden to keep putting on her and I ignored that there were times she shouldn’t have had to be the one to reach out first. And when Lila came along…”

He shrugged, helplessly.

“In a weird way, I thought I was supporting her by encouraging her to not fight back.”

That turned out to be a mistake. One that had hurt everyone.

It was never that she didn’t matter as much as anyone else, or that she was less important than keeping the peace. It was just that out of everyone, she was the only one who would take that first step and he knew that. He knew it wasn’t fair to keep putting such responsibility on her. But there was no one else he could count on to help or mediate things. And he just didn’t want the class to fall apart.

He kept telling himself he would make it up to her and that he would support her when she needed it, but he wasn’t the most observant of people and Marinette always seemed so strong, like she’d never needed his help.

“I wasn’t being fair to her.“

The fact that he knew Marinette could handle things did not necessarily mean that she should be expected to be the one to have to, or that he should expect her to.

Kagami hummed to her self, thinking for a moment.

“Did you consider that the longer Lila Rossi was allowed to continue on, the more hurt other people would be once her lies were revealed?“

He winced.

“Or did you think they would be revealed at all?“

He sighed and slowly nodded. “At the start, her lies seemed frivolous and only meant to make herself look better. I had figured that either she would get comfortable and stop, or that people would lose interest in listening to her.”

She nodded, considering. “It was a reasonable assumption, albeit an erroneous one.“

He looked away and nodded. “It was a mistake on my part for assuming that much. I wanted to believe that people can get better and learn from their mistakes. And I keep wanting to give second chances, even in situations where I really shouldn’t.”

He knew now that Lila went beyond that.

“Why I let it happen was a combination of a lot of reasons really. I thought she would quit on her own. I thought people would get tired of listening to her. I thought that she would come clean herself. I thought, if nothing else, people would catch on to her lies. I had so many reasons behind my decision, but at the end of the day, it was the choice I made and I will never know what would’ve happened if I had simply told someone sooner. Maybe this could’ve been avoided.”

“But there’s no point lingering on the possibilities of different decisions now that the moment for them has passed.“ She pointed out.

He gave her a slight smile at that. “Yeah. While we all feel bad about it, wallowing in that isn’t going to change anything at this point. We’ve decided to keep our focus on trying to find Marinette. And if nothing else, the reveal of Lila will ensure she can’t sabotage our efforts anymore.”

“Has there been any luck?“

“Alya said she found something. Nino and I are going to talk to her tonight to go over what she’s learned. Maybe she found something that could help?“

“How are things with them?” She asked.

“They’re doing all right. Better than they were with Lila around. The others were really forgiving.” More than he honestly felt he deserved.

Kagami seemed satisfied with that. “They are good friends. If you try to talk to them, they will listen.”

He frowned, a bit frustrated but it seemed to be mostly with himself. “I know.”

She rested a hand on his shoulder. “If there’s something wrong, or if something is troubling you, then you should be free tocommunicate it. If nothing else, it can allow you to get a second opinion on a Point of concern. And in many cases you can share information that other people may not know.“

He smiled at her gratefully.

She smiled back.

“One of the common mistakes in fencing is to hesitate and miss an opportunity to act. Once the moment is over, it’s too late. But if nothing else, you at least have the knowledge for next time.”

“I know.” He agreed. “It’s why I want to help find Marinette. I want to be able to apologize to her in person…and reassure her that things will be better now.”

He clenched his fists.

“She deserves that much, at least.”

Because she was…

To him she was…

Kagami nodded in understanding.

“Marinette is a good friend.” She stated. “If there is any way I could help, I would like to try.”

He smiled.

“Thank you, Kagami.”

______________________

Another day came with another search party. The available classmates gathered in another attempt to try to locate their missing friend. Unfortunately, life goes on even when it feels like the world should stop turning. As such, not all of them were able to make it this day.

Adrien had fencing, and with his hectic schedule and strict expectations, he couldn’t afford to keep missing appointments or he’d lose any freedom to help in the search. Max was busy with a project and was thus unable to join the group on what was steadily becoming a new after school activity of searching the city for any clues. Nathaniel needed to do chores and help his dad at home. Mylene wasn’t feeling well and nobody wanted to risk her coming down with a cold or other illness. Kim had swim practice followed by a date, and it didn’t feel fair to make him give up something positive that made him happy on a search that would likely leave them all feeling drained and depressed.

Chloe was...well, Chloe. And while she had been surprisingly willing to step up and pull a major victory against Lila when it mattered, that one good deed didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t still her usual self absorbed self. And it certainly didn’t mean that she was willing to traverse around Paris in the cold for who knows how long on behalf of someone she has expressed nothing but dislike for. She made it clear she would be spending her afternoon in warmth and comfort.

Sabrina, naturally, went with her. Though she had wished the group luck with their search.

This left Alya and Nino, along with the members of Kitty Section for the search. To Alya’s surprise, this meant they were joined by Luka as well.

“Luka? You helping out as well?” Nino greeted.

Luka hefted his guitar on his back and nodded. “ I heard you were looking and I wanted to help out anyway I could.”

In normal circumstances, Alya would be gleeful at the show of concern by a cute guy for her friend and the sign of at least one of her ships moving forward. But as sweet as the gesture was, it was really just a reminder of the fact that her friend was still missing, so whatever joy she felt was short-lived.

She shivered.

Chloe did have a point though. As it was getting later into the year, the days were getting colder. It only made her all the more concerned that her friend could be out on the streets in winter.

It was all the more reason to find her sooner. And she straightened, bringing out her phone and planning to do just that.

Alya had spent most of the night and well into the early hours of the morning going through the data Max gave her regarding Marinette’s phone.

What she found was....strange.

The phone itself was gone. Possibly turned off. However, the signal was still there. It was blurry. Seemingly fading in and out, inconsistent, and frequently moving. But it was there.

The data showed the status of Marinette’s phone and its location over the past weeks. Which was…weird, to say the least. The signal was abnormally weak. And didn’t seem to stick to one set location which she would have expected if the phone had been lost. No, if anything, it seemed to be...almost roaming?

Which didn’t make sense. If she was kidnapped, the kidnappers surely would have tossed the phone. And if it had just been left somewhere while being left on, it still should have run out of battery by now.

Instead, it just...sort of kept cutting in and out at random. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it.

But what had caught Alya’s attention was just when and where this strange status first started, which she had decided would be the location of their search for the day.

The others followed her, letting her lead the way while they chatted amicably with one another. Alya only half paid attention to what they were saying, her focus primarily on her phone and the map it was showing.

“It’s getting colder out, huh?”

“Anyone want to grab a hot chocolate after this? Maybe just as a pick me up after the search?”

“That sounds nice! What do you think, Juleka?”

“I’m in.”

“Hey Luka, is it really a good idea to bring your guitar out here for this?“

“It helps me think. And besides, you never know when it might be needed.“

“I guess.”

Alya, for her part, only half minded the conversation behind her as she led the group to the last known location of Marinette’s phone before it started doing...this. This strange fuzzy image that didn’t seem to be all there.

Unfortunately, the map icon was only able to narrow down the location so much. She was able to find the general area Marinette had been in last, but the specific place...

She looked around.

Strangely, the map led her to a somewhat out of the way area. It was a normal street. Shops of various kinds were lined up along the sidewalk. There wasn’t much that stood out. This was a simple district with no real landmarks. There was no real draw. No tourist attractions. No fabric stores either to garner Marinette’s interest.

So why come here? What had she been doing? And where did she go?

“Does anything stick out to you guys?” Alya asked as she glanced around, trying to find anything that could indicate where Marinette had been.

The others started looking around as well, but for all intents and purposes, it was just a plain street. The split up amongst themselves to go into the shops and ask around for clues. But none of the stores seemed like places where Marinette would go. And none of the workers inside had seen her. Though if they had, there was no way for her to have stood out to them enough for them to recall her weeks later.

“Not with the akuma attack, anyway.” One clerk stated. “It was a distance away, sure, but still close enough that we all shut down and hid out in our stores.”

Alya had nodded in understanding. Because honestly, while Ladybug and Chat Noir did a great job stopping the akumas, the fights could take them all over Paris in the span of an hour. Even if a battle was on the other side of the city, there was no telling where they would end up by the end.

She thanked the man for his time and left the store. Nothing she didn’t already know, but still, any information was useful. Something about it had nagged at her, though, so she wrote it in her notes all the same.

“Any luck?” Ivan asked, causing her to look up at the assembled group. Nino had been chatting with Ivan while Luka had taken to strumming on his guitar while they waited. Rose and Juleka were talking to someone at a nearby kiosk, possibly to purchase one of the charms.

Alya shook her head, regretfully. “Nothing on my end. At least not anything new. How about you?”

The boys shook their heads sadly. Alya couldn’t help the disappointment at that.

“Do you think there’s something we missed?” Ivan asked, trying to be hopeful.

Luka frowned, playing a few notes on his guitar, a bit harshly in apparent agitation. It was probably his method of coping, Alya rationalized. A part of her wished she had some reassurance to give him, but she was feeling despondent herself. Whatever boost she had gotten from seeing justice served with Lila was starting to falter, and she didn’t know how much hope she’d be able to hold on to for her best friend.

“Hey guys!” Rose came running over, looking excited. Juleka followed along silently behind her at a somewhat slower but still faster than usual pace. “That guy selling charms said he saw Marinette that day!”

That got their attention as everyone perked up.

“Really?”

“Where?”

“It was right before the akuma attack.” Rose explained, practically bouncing as she told them. “She was looking at the charms at his kiosk and mumbling about different designs for them, so they had gotten to talking a bit.” She frowned, looking concerned. “But then they heard the akuma alert. The owner was shutting down his kiosk but pointed out the direction he saw Marinette run.”

Juleka reached out, pointing towards a gap between two particular stores. “In there.”

Alya turned to look. The stores in question were both the tallest buildings on the street, standing at four stories with a clear alleyway between them. They didn’t have much in the way of decorations, but with the awnings and balconies, did appear to provide cover. Maybe Marinette had hid in there during the fight?

The alleyway itself was empty. Other than a fire escape on one side, a dumpster, and a fence blocking the way through, there didn’t seem to be much else of notice. And the dumpster had to have been cleaned out in the weeks since Marinette’s disappearance.

Nino heaved a sigh of relief when Alya told him this before he could attempt to dumpster dive for clues. He wanted to find Marinette, sure. And he certainly would have been willing to loot a dumpster for her, but that didn’t mean he wanted to.

The group spread out along the alley, continuing to search for clues. While not searching within the dumpster itself, Nino and Ivan had gone so far as to lift the dumpster enough for Rose to do a quick search beneath for anything. Juleka checked the fence for any holes or ways through. Luka stood near the entrance to the alley as a lookout in case anyone noticed them, absently picking at notes on his guitar.

Alya, for her part, tried to check the fire escape. Was it reachable from the ground? No, it was at least a story up and the ladder leading to it wasn’t lowered if it was even there at all. Maybe if Marinette had stood on the dumpster? Hmm...what if there was a way to check for height on her map?

She pulled out her phone

And immediately froze.

There, on her phone’s map, was a blinking, fuzzy icon. The one that had been indicating Marinette. At some point without realizing it, she had switched from the image of Marinette’s last placement to the current. She saw her own indicator with her picture, as well as those of her other friends with her.

But amidst her searching, the icon symbolizing Marinette’s current location on her map had been moving.

It was moving here.

And suddenly...

It had stopped.

It...was here.

Marinette...it said she was here.

Alya froze.

She couldn’t breathe.

She couldn’t even move her body from her spot. At most, she was able to move her eyes, searching wildly for any trace of her best friend.

But...nothing.

Why was it saying she was here?

“Marinette?!”

All other sound ceased. The others turned to her, but she didn’t even notice because it was here! The signal was right here! Marinette was here!

But…she wasn’t.

It was just herself. Just Alya. Just Nino. Just Luka and Rose and the rest of Kitty Section. Just them. Just random people passing by on the street.

No Marinette.

But…

A quick glance to the phone showed it was still there. So Marinette had to be here, right?

But why?

Alya looked around frantically, calling out in desperation.

“MARINETTE?!”

Silence.

A few strange looks from the people nearby.

Not even her friends dared to speak.

And on her phone, the icon symbolizing Marinette’s signal started to fade and drift away.

Alya stared at the icon. Wishing it back.

“Babe…” Nino tried, approaching her cautiously. “What was that?”

She bit her lip.

“I…don’t know?”

______________________

Oh.

The music stopped.

Whatever strands of melody and lingering echoes of the tune had since faded from the rooftop where she stood.

It had been a beautiful melody. Something gentle and kind in its own way. And while she knew better than to take a break, she had a strange inclination to listen to the sweet yet heartbreaking tune while it lasted.

…it just hadn’t lasted very long.

The loss felt…sad, in a way. She couldn’t help but feel that it had been cut off all too soon.

And the silence bothered her.

It seemed…stifling, almost.

She shook it off.

It was time to go anyway. She had spent too much time here as it was. And she still needed to…do whatever it was she was here to do. Continue searching the city. Keep an eye out for any akumas. Be useful. Stay busy.

Until she could go back to wherever she had been before, at least.

She sighed and threw her yo-yo. As she approached the edge of the building, she allowed the low murmur of background noise and city life to erase that gnawing emptiness. She swung off, leaving the sounds of shouting behind her. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound important.

Back to work.

______________________

Evening came all too slowly for Adrien. The rest of the day seemed to drag on and made him all that much more eager for the end of school. And wasn’t that an irony that he actually wanted to be out of school for once?

But the only thing he was more eager about than school was his friends. And Alya seemed to think she had a lead on Marinette. If she had anything, he wanted to know. If there was even a chance, he’d happily take it if it meant getting to see her again.

Unfortunately, their differing schedules made meeting difficult. Alya had wanted to share her info with Nino, and knowing how affected Adrien was by everything, Nino had insisted Adrien be there as well. But Adrien had practice and lessons after school. And Nino and Alya both had obligations at their respective homes.

It had been decided that they would do a phone chat later in the evening. After Nino and Alya’s younger siblings were put to bed and when Adrien’s schedule was clear.

He was practically vibrating out of his chair with nervousness the longer he waited for their video chat.

“Boo!”

So much so that he actually fell out of his chair when Plagg returned.

“Plagg! Where have you been?!” Adrien demanded as he pushed himself up. He was of course happy that he had returned, but really!

The kwami snickered at Adrien’s expression. Could anyone blame him? That was hilarious.

...but back on point, Plagg remembered his news and quickly got serious.

“I couldn’t find the Guardian.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Did something happen to him?”

Plagg shrugged. “I don’t know. He could just be out running errands or something. We’ll need to try again.”

“I could try calling him now.” Adrien suggested. If he had just been busy when he tried before, then surely it would be all right to try again to reach him now? And as long as he had his phone, Fu should be able to get his call. Though in that case, Fu should already have known about his earlier call, right?

Adrien bit his lip in worry. So much had been happening lately. Marinette disappeared. The whole thing with Lila. Ladybug was...apparently in a bad mood for some reason. Now Plagg was agitated and they couldn’t reach Master Fu.

He took a breath to steady himself. They weren’t sure Fu was actually unreachable yet. He needed to call him first. And if that didn’t work, he could have Plagg lead him to the man’s place to check up on him.

Still...he couldn’t help the anxiety he was feeling, and it only seemed to be getting worse.

BRIIIIIING!

“AAH!”

As was evident when he panicked at the sudden alarm from his phone. So much so that it took him three tries to grab the phone as he kept dropping it due to his frantic fumbling. Ignoring Plagg’s commentary, he looked to the screen and saw it was a video call request from Alya.

Oh right. The video chat with Nino and Alya. It was supposed to start now. He had just gotten distracted.

He took a breath and answered the call.

“Hey! Hi! Hello! Glad you made it!”

Honestly, he could have smacked himself.

Somewhere off to the side, Plagg was snickering. On the video, both Alya and Nino seemed to be smiling at how frazzled he appeared. Adrien himself was much less amused.

“Did you find anything?” He asked, only partly to distract from himself.

Mostly because he was hoping for some news. That their excursion earlier had been successful. That they’d found something on their friend. Preferably the friend in question.

But their downhearted expressions told him the answer before they even had to say anything. The explanation that followed was short but detailed, and only seemed to further his confusion. Given their expressions, Adrien was sure that Alya and Nino were in the same boat.

“It was the weirdest thing...” Alya trailed off in a mutter.

“I’ll say.” Nino added with a laugh. “You were kind of freaking out. We all panicked when you started shouting.”

In any other instance, Alya might have been offended. As it was, though, she was quiet. Remaining deep in thought and seemingly oblivious to her boyfriend’s attempt to distract from her.

But Adrien noticed.

“Alya? What’s up?”

A moment of silence followed as she attempted to gather her thoughts.

Then...

“I have a theory.“ Alya started, looking apprehensive.

Adrien perked up. “A theory? What of?”

Nino, for his part, found in realization. “Does this have to do with what happened earlier?“

She nodded. “I’d been following her cell phone signal. After…” She hesitated for a second. “Well, when I was Lady Wifi, I managed to track Marinette’s phone signal and that same signal is on my phone now. But something isn’t right about it.”

She lifted her phone to the screen so Adrien could see what she meant. Sure enough, there was Marinette’s icon active on the map, but...it looked strange. Distorted. He struggled to tell that it was Marinette’s picture there at all.

“It’s been like this for a while. I’ve never seen any case like this, and there are no reports online of anything similar. Plus given how it’s been moving around…” She pulled her phone back and shrugged. “I think magic may be involved.”

Adrien straightened. “So you think she might have been akumatized?”

She shrugged. “Near as I can figure.“

Nino frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense. Hawk Moth can only akumatize one person at a time.“

Well, that wasn’t quite true, Adrien realized. There had been the Scarlet Moth incident when he had caused a mass akumatization with that illusion. Then it happened again that time Marinette had been expelled thanks to Lila’s schemes.

He bit back the rush of resentment and guilt at the memory to focus.

Could Hawk Moth akumatize more than one person at once? There had been the young twins who became Sapotis and when Alya and Nino became Oblivio, but those were cases where two people were essentially one akuma. And even in the case of multiple active akuma like the time Lady WiFi, Reflecta, and Princess Fragrance came after him thanks to his cousin, they all still only shared one akuma. Purifying that had been enough to restore all three, and in this case, he and Ladybug had already done that. So if that was the case, Marinette should have been restored as well, even if they hadn’t fought her.

“Could he have made Lady WiFi if Marinette was already an akuma?” Adrien asked.

“He’s akumatized more than one person at once though. There was the incident with the scarlet butterflies. And then there were also the time with my sisters.” Alya argued, remembering the same incidents Adrien had.

“And when Adrien’s jerk of a cousin caused you, Rose, and Juleka to be akumatized.” Nino added.

Alya groaned. “We just don’t know the extent of Hawk Moth’s power.”

Adrien nodded at that. Of course it was possible that Hawk Moth had discovered some new ability. But his power seemed to follow certain rules and have at least some limitations, so it didn’t make sense that he could suddenly do this.

Or why, for that matter? Hawk Moth did show some capability for planning—Scarlet Moth was proof of that. But what could he possibly gain from keeping Marinette as an akuma for this long?

But...hadn’t he targeted her before?

Adrien bit his lip.

There was too much uncertainty.

He sent a glance to Plagg, who saw his look and shook his head in response. The kwami looked particularly annoyed at the current train of the discussion. Clearly they were on the wrong track.

Adrien took a breath. “I don’t think that’s it. If it was Hawk Moth, what would be the purpose? We all know Marinette is gone now and would be looking for anything that could be behind it. If he had the ability to akumatize multiple people back to back, why use it like this? It doesn’t add up.”

“I don’t know if it is that Hawk Moth akumatized her.” Aly admitted. “It’s just that it has to be magic. There’s no other way to explain it. I mean, it’s not just Marinette that’s gone. Her cellphone…” She hesitated. “It isn’t stable. It’s there, but...not? And she was there today. I know she was.”

She had to give Max credit for his capabilities. The data was extensive and thorough despite the clear limits. And quite advanced. She hadn’t known it was possible to get as much data as he had, or even that it existed. But it was helpful to her search, and that was the important thing. With it, she was able to glean information. And slowly, a timeline started to form.

As did a theory.

“So her phone signal is still there, but she isn’t. And it’s been like this since...“

Since Marinette went missing.

The same day she disappeared, the biggest thing that happened that day was—

“The akuma.” Alya whispered. She frowned as she switched her browser on her computer to the Ladyblog and started looking through the archived footage and documentation of that attack.

There was an akuma attack that day. Someone feeling forgotten and overlooked was given the power to erase others.

She had watched a video of one such unfortunate victim. The poor guy didn’t even have a chance to wince at being hit. He just vanished the instant the attack made contact.

“But if Marinette was akumatized,” Nino continued, “why would Hawk Moth even make an akuma like that? If she’s not doing anything other than making herself disappear...that’s not useful for him, is it?”

Alya frowned, looking over the data again. “It’s not, no.”

Adrien also wasn’t convinced. From Plagg’s expression, it seemed he had some idea, though now wasn’t the time to press him. He’d have to wait until after the call was over. “It’s also much quieter, isn’t it? Every akuma up until now has been immediate and noticeable, otherwise Ladybug and Chat Noir wouldn’t know to come out and fight it, and Hawk Moth wouldn’t have a chance to target their Miraculous. The only exception was when Sabrina was akumatized the first time to be invisible, and even that was only for a couple of days.”

Nino shrugged but appeared to agree with him. “It’s been a couple of weeks since Marinette disappeared. If it was an akuma, wouldn’t we have noticed one by now? Akumas are generally fueled by emotions. They aren’t subtle.”

Alya looked back at her phone, reviewing the timeline. “But if she isn’t an akuma herself, then the only other option I can think of is that she was hit by that erasure akuma last month.” She shook her head, incredulous. “But that can’t be right. The Miraculous Cure would have brought her back, wouldn’t it?”

So caught in the discussion between his friends, Adrien didn’t see how Plagg looked stricken.

“It’s never failed before.” Nino stated.

“But what else could explain the state of her phone signal? It should either be there or not at all.

Adrien paused, tilting his head thoughtfully.  “That’s not normal.” He agreed.

“It does indicate that whatever happened to Marinette, it must be magical. And the only one with any sort of power along those lines would be Hawk Moth.”

“But why?”

She sighed.

“I guess that’s the question, isn’t it?”

None of them noticed Gabriel standing outside the door. Or the expression of dawning horror.

________________

Gabriel felt numb in a way he never thought he had been before.

The missing Dupain-Cheng girl? An akuma?

No. That was impossible.

Even if he was capable of akumatizing more than one person at a time outside of the Scarlet Moths, he would still have known. He would have made contact with her. And from his experience with his powers, he would have a link to the girl.

There was nothing.

But the only other explanation…

An official victim of an akuma attack. Someone that the Cure didn’t bring back.

How was it possible?

He entered the office in a daze. Nathalie followed him closely  in worry, but he barely took notice. He just shut the door quietly behind him once they had both entered, then leaned against it. He felt shaky. Off balance.

He had gone to his son’s room to see if he had access to any of the pictures or footage from the fashion show. Or if that journalist friend of his still had her video. Just...anything.

Audrey had called him in such a rage that day. Somehow, the shipments of her latest issue of Style Queen never made it out. Her attempt to recover the issue failed due to multiple holes and entire blank pages where pictures and articles should have been. So she had reached out to him through Nathalie, demanding his involvement and taking his attention away from his duties as Hawk Moth. At the time, he had begrudged her the missed opportunity at another akumatization.

But now…

“That can’t be right.” He murmured to himself. How could this be? How was this even possible?

“Sir?”

“The blank pages and missing pictures were those of myself and my son, as well as any of my son in that hat.”

“The one from the contest?” Nathalie asked, uncertainly.

“Made by a Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A girl who it seems is also missing. And has been for some time…”

He looked to his computer, wondering if he could pull up the information or if that would be gone as well. He had thought it a simple error at first, but the more he searched, the less he found. And now, after hearing his son’s conversation...what else could it be?

“But the Miraculous Cure restores everything.” He continued, almost monotone. “That’s what it does. That’s how it works.”

She hesitated.

“Maybe…not this time?”

He felt unsteady as he made his way to his desk. Perhaps he actually was, as Nathalie had quickly moved to his side to help him to his chair. Given how he felt, he could only assume he probably looked ready to fall over.

“Sir?”

It…it shouldn’t have happened. The Miraculous Cure always undid any damage of the akuma battles. It rebuilt any damaged or destroyed property. Healed injuries. Brought people back from any sort of unwelcome fate. It restored people from being half-melted ice cream sculptures, for crying out loud!

For anyone to have just…NOT been saved was unheard of.

Gabriel had thought he had been prepared for this. But now that he was actually experiencing it, he was…left shaken...

He had known going in that casualties would be a very real possibility, but had reassured himself. It was for the greater good. His family was worth it. Everything would work out in the end. He could just use the Wish to change the world and make it so that none of this had ever happened.

And then Ladybug had appeared with the power to restore things and he was only further convinced. There wouldn’t be any long term damage. No one would be really harmed. Whatever happened could be fixed.

No one would die.

It became almost like a game. He could go all out with little concern for the consequences. If he lost, Ladybug would just use her Cure to fix everything and he would get another chance to try again. And if he won, he could correct things himself.

As such, he ceased to worry about the “what if’s” and focused solely on his goal.

But now a child was gone. As good as dead. Possibly worse.

And this time, magic wouldn’t bring her back.

For not the first time since he had started on this path, Gabriel wondered if it was worth it.

Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng was an aspiring designer who showed great promise. From his limited interactions with her, he could see she had passion—both for her art and in her life. He had been impressed with what he had seen of her capability, and her level of care for his son was secret only to Adrien himself.

And now she was gone.

And Adrien…his own son was suffering for it.

He had heard from Nathalie how Adrien had been worried for her. How he had gone so far as to go out and search for her in some futile hope of finding her. How he had held onto that hope, trying to reassure himself each day that she would return safely.

Adrien…truly cared about this girl.

He wondered if it was any different to how he felt about Emilie?

What would he think if he learned the truth? If he discovered who Hawk Moth really was? If he knew his father was the reason his friend had been erased.

It was…too much.

Was this a sign?

Was this an indicator that he was going too far?

He should stop. Before more people were hurt. Before his son discovered the truth. He should…

He should stop this.

…

And yet…

Gabriel clenched his eyes shut.

…he couldn’t.

Stopping meant letting go of Emilie. It meant giving up on ever getting her back. Of ever making their family whole.

If he gave up now, that would make all he had done for nothing—including the child’s loss as well.

He was not completely heartless. A missing child would no doubt cause quite a bit of turmoil. It was no wonder Lady WiFi hadn’t listened to him, being too intent on searching for her friend. The feelings that had drawn his akuma to her...similar to the growing feelings settling on a number of Paris’s citizens.

Worry, sadness, fear, anger…all were emotions that would make perfect targets for his akumas. In any other circumstances, he would see fit to use that. However…given his part in this matter, the very thought of using the loss of a child to his advantage—especially when it was his fault—made him feel ill.

He would avoid targeting her friends or family. He owed her that much.

But he…he had to continue.

He had to make it worth it.

Once he saved Emilie, perhaps he could even use the Wish to bring back Miss Dupain-Cheng as well?

Then maybe…

Maybe they would forgive him someday.

________________

Sure enough, a few days later it all came to a head.

When Adrien arrived in class that day after yet another failed attempt at contacting Master Fu, it was to a group of some of his classmates looking particularly concerned and surrounding an upset Juleka. The girl wasn't crying, but she looked to be close as Rose kept an arm around her shoulder and was trying to whisper words of comfort to her. The only ones not present were Max and Nathaniel.

"Don't worry.” Rose reassured her. “I’m sure they've just been misplaced somewhere."

Juleka shook her head firmly. "No. I keep them on my wall. I never move them, but they're just gone."

"Maybe your mom or Luka moved them?" Kim suggested.

"Not without telling me. And I asked them. Neither of them knew anything."

Adrien grew more concerned as he approached the group. "Guys, what's going on?"

Alix glanced over to him and answered. "Juleka's photos are missing."

That was a surprise. He knew how much actually appearing in a photograph meant to the girl. It would have to be upsetting to her to lose any of them.

"They were all the ones from the class photograph.” Mylene explained. "Remember? The ones we took in the park.”

Adrien winced internally before nodding. He had remembered full well that entire incident...and the akuma she turned into because of it...and the heels (god, the heels). They had taken quite a number that day and Juleka had seemed so happy when she went home with copies in hand. "Do you recall where you last left them?"

Juleka appeared more morose. "They're on my wall. They're always right there and I can't miss them. I put them up immediately after getting home and haven't moved them since. I know I saw them there yesterday, but when I got up this morning, the wall was completely blank."

"That's really weird.” Alya chimed in. "And you're saying no one moved them?"

Juleka shook her head.

The other classmates glanced to each other, appearing more uncertain. Adrien himself started to gain an unsettling feeling.

"I keep them all posted on a board in my room. They're right there and I can't miss them, but when I looked this morning…” She shook her head.

"I never move them."

"Maybe it's a prank?” Kim asked, but he sounded uncertain. If it was a prank, it was a cruel and rather pointless one.

Alix seemed to share that sentiment. "It's not a funny one. Who would even do that?"

The group looked around at each other. They were really the only ones who even knew Juleka's "curse” or about the pictures. But each of them simply looked confused over the matter.

"It couldn't have been a prank.” Ivan insisted. "Luka would never do that and their mother would punch out anyone who tried."

Mylene frowned, considering. "Juleka's house is a boat. One housing three people and isn't that big that someone could sneak on board without being seen."

“It’d be a pointless thing to do—sneak onto a boat just to mess with pictures and nothing else.” Kim noted. “Was anything else missing?”

Juleka shook her head. “Not that I know of. Just my pictures.”

"It's okay." Rose said, trying to be cheerful and calm her upset friend. "I have a couple extras of the photos we took in my notebook. We can copy them and replace the ones that went missing."

It wasn’t quite the same, but it was a suitable alternative for now. So with a solution to the more immediate problem at hand, Rose shared a bright smile that Juleka tried to return—albeit with a much more strained and shaky one. Rose didn't comment, instead going to her desk and pulling out her book bag.

“I keep them right in—”

The others looked over in confusion as Rose suddenly cut off, her expression turning confused.

"Rose? Everything okay?” Alix asked, growing worried at the prolonged silence.

Rose bit her lip and turned back to the group. "Did one of you maybe already take my notebook?"

Confusion seemed to be the theme of the day, as the classmates again glanced at one another before looking back to Rose.

"I'm not mad or anything!” Rose said, attempting to reassure them. "Since it's for Juleka, but if you already have it, I'd like to know where it is."

"Wait...are you saying your notebook is missing, too?" Nino asked.

Rose bit her lip, uncertain. "I don't—I mean, I guess so?"

"That's strange." Adrien said with a frown. He turned to the rest of the group in growing concern. "Look around. Is anyone else missing anything?"

The rest of the class searched through their bags, but fortunately, no one else seemed to be missing anything.

“That is odd. First Juleka’s pictures, then Rose’s diary? Why those things?” Alya wondered. She muttered to herself about an akuma and checked her blog to see if anyone had posted any similar cases on the matter.

The rest of the class took it upon themselves to try and offer some reassurance to the two girls that their items would be found.

“Maybe we can check the cameras?” Ivan suggested.

“That’s a lot of footage to go through though.” Nino pointed out.

“I bet Markov could go through it pretty quick.” Kim replied with a grin.

Adrien looked around at his classmates. It was good to see them mostly recovered from the ordeal with Lila and trying to help each other. But he couldn’t shake the feeling something was strange.

He could almost get a sense for it before he was interrupted by the timely yet untimely arrival of Max.

Kim smiled in relief at the sight of his friend. “Hey, Max! Buddy! Think you and Markov could give us a hand with a little investigation? Rose and Juleka seem to be missing some things and we figured maybe you could help!”

Max, for his part, looked concerned and a bit guilty. "I'm sorry, but Markov and I are already busy trying to assist Nathaniel and Marc. It seems that somehow, their collaborative comic has been erased."

Multiple gasp and moans of horror and disappointment filled the room at that. Everyone really enjoyed that comic and they had been really looking forward to the next installment.

"Do you know what caused it?" Mylene asked.

"We've been doing everything we could, but we haven't been able to find anything about the comic in the computer. I suspect it may be a virus of some kind, but there's no trace of anything of the sort. We're trying to help them work this out. They had gotten a lot of work done on this comic and I'd hate to see it lost."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're amazing when it comes to technology." Kim said with a grin, fully confident in his friend's capabilities.

But Max didn't look enthused. "I'm not so sure. Markov can't find any trace of an outside program or of the comic even being there.” He waved his hands. “It’s like it just…vanished!”

Adrien frowned. Three things in one day. It…couldn’t just be coincidence, could it?

“Can it do that?”

“Not like that. Not normally.”

"This is strange.” Mylene said anxiously, gripping Ivan’s hand. “A lot of things seem to be missing."

Alya frowned, looking at her phone. "Speaking of strange things, I just got a hit to the Ladyblog. It's Marinette's parents. They want to talk to Ladybug and Chat Noir as soon as possible."

Several of the classmates perked in surprise.

“Could it be an akuma?”

“Do you think they’re okay?”

“Did they find something about Marinette?”

“But why call for Ladybug and Chat Noir then?”

“Huh? Hey, Adrien, where are you going? Class is about to start!”

Adrien barely took notice. He was already out the door.

______________________

If he hadn't already received the message, Chat would have known immediately that something was wrong. Rolland and Gina Dupain were present at the bakery. He knew little regarding the Dupain family, but he had been under the impression that the two were not on good terms. But they were actually working together without issue, with Gina working the counter and Rolland working the kitchen with nary a grumble regarding the bread.

When Chat arrived, Gina immediately called for Tom. And within seconds, he was quickly rushed in by the much taller man, who…did not look well.

The giant, kind bear of a man looked like he had aged since the last time he had seen him. Not to any great or unnatural extent, but it was clear that stress had impacted him.

Losing a child would do that to you, he realized. But whatever else was going on was certainly doing him no favors.

"Thank you for coming." Tom said with clear relief as he opened the door.

Chat nodded in return as he entered. "It's not a problem. But your message sounded urgent. Has there been any word on Marinette?" Like hopefully that she returned and the bakery was closed so the parents could smother her in affection?

He was hopeful. He was a hopeful guy.

Tom shook his head. "I don't know how to explain it. It's best if you see it for yourself." With that, he led the way through the back. Chat followed with some growing trepidation and jumped when he entered the living area.

Sabine was there. Her gaze practically snapped to him the instant he appeared, though she didn't otherwise move. The woman was sitting on the couch, clutching a box of what appeared to contain an assortment of clothes and dolls. Marinette's things, he realized. But why? Comfort, perhaps?

But Sabine didn't look sad or in need of comfort. If anything, her expression made him wary to approach her. She looked upset no—not just upset, but downright angry. She was on guard and watching him with a strange sort of hypervigilance. Like she'd literally bite his hand off if he got too close. He had no doubt that magical suit or not, the woman probably could.

Chat had thought the grandparents had looked particularly tired. Like perhaps they hadn’t slept in a while. But Tom and Sabine both looked like they had slept even less.

For her part, Sabine’s eyes narrowed at him and she pulled the box closer to her and as out of his sight as possible. It bothered him, because it was strange for someone to be clutching a box like that. She wasn't looking to the things inside for solace, she was warily watching everything else around her.

Something was wrong.

More wrong, he amended.

"We noticed it after a few days, but we didn't know what to think." Tom said, softly as he continued to lead the hero up the stairs and through the house. "It looked like some of her things had been moved around. At first we thought that maybe she'd found a way back home. Or that she was trying to communicate with us somehow. But... “He opened the door and allowed Chat into the room.

When Chat finally entered Marinette's room, he couldn't help feeling bewildered.

Was it always this empty, he wondered? He glanced around at the different areas of Marinette's room, noting the differences and the overall"¦lacking. The walls were missing pictures. There was nothing on the desk. The mannequin that was normally adorned with the beginnings of some sort of outfit or new piece wasn't even present, leaving a sadly empty space in the room. There weren't even the knick knacks or textiles or yarn or cloth pieces that he remembered seeing previously. It looked like a room. It even looked like someone lived in it. But it was bare of a lot of what made it Marinette's.

Tom looked around the room in growing dismay. "It's getting worse."

Chat blinked in confusion. "What?"

"The posters are gone now. So are the gloves she had been working on. Several of the pictures changed before they disappeared." Tom looked to Chat, eyes begging for an answer. "We checked frequently, but bit by bit, they were gone before we realized it. It's like they're just...”

"They're fading." Chat realized in growing horror. He'd started to suspect, given Juleka's pictures and Rose's diary, but this confirmed it.

This wasn't natural.

Marinette didn't run away. Nothing so simple could explain what he had been seeing so far. No human could pull this off, and he knew Marinette was far from the sort to even try, no matter the reason. This was magic, he was sure of it.

"Sabine and I have been taking shifts. Whenever we looked away, something else was gone. So we just...” He shrugged helplessly before gesturing down the ladder.

Downstairs. To where Sabine sat hoarding a box with all the ferocity of a dragon guarding its gold.

He understood now. Marinette's mother wasn't holding onto Marinette's belongings out of missing her child, she was literally trying to keep them from disappearing!

Her room. The pictures. The notebook. The comic. They were all connected by her influence. Everything Marinette owned or had a part in was starting to fade away. Her parents figured it out and they were trying to protect what was left of their daughter.

He clenched his fists.

He had to talk to Ladybug.

______________________

How frustrating.

It had been weeks, but Ladybug had made little progress in her self appointed mission to track down Hawk Moth. And it had been vexing, especially given his recent silence. Other than Lady Wifi, there hadn’t been any other akuma attacks. Even in spite of the more despondent atmosphere she had noticed around the Francois Dupont school as of late.

He must be planning something...

Surely there had to be some minor issue he would consider escalating to akuma-worthy. That incident in the park with that strange old man certainly stood out in her mind as one such missed opportunity for the supervillain.

...who even was that man? He acted like he knew her and was spouting...the strangest things.

Who she was before she became Ladybug? Someone beneath the mask? He ‘knew’ her?

Ridiculous.

Clearly he had been suffering some ailment when he happened upon her.

She sighed.

It was unfortunate really. For a brief moment there, she had almost thought the man had known something valuable. He had seemed so earnest. And she could almost swear he seemed...familiar? Like she had met him somewhere before.

She rubbed her head, trying to recall. It wasn’t just this time or the one incident before. Maybe she had rescued him once? Maybe he was one of the civilians she had chatted with on some previous occasion? And that could be how he thought he knew her?

Maybe...

“Ladybug! LADYBUG!”

At the sound of someone calling for her, she stopped and turned around to see Chat running towards her. She was glad to see him again, but from his expression and the way he was running, it looked like this wasn’t a social visit.

“Chat? Is everything all right?” She asked once he had finally reached her. “Is there an akuma?”

“No! I mean yes! I mean—not exactly!” He shook his head. “Sorry, just…”

She couldn’t understand him through his babbling. Ladybug frowned and held her hands out, gesturing for his silence to get his attention.

“Chat, calm down and breathe. Then tell me what is wrong.”

To her further annoyance, he took a deep—somewhat exaggerated breath. If nothing else, however, it did serve to get him to settle and be able to speak normally.

“Listen, I think something may have gone wrong in the last akuma battle. Well—not the last one, but the last last one.”

…semi-normally.

At least she could understand him, at any rate.

Still, that was concerning. “What do you mean?”

She had stopped that akuma, hadn’t she?

“A friend of mine disappeared after that battle and never reappeared. Now she’s missing.”

“You mean that Marinette girl? Chat, it’s likely she may have run away.”

“NO. She didn’t. I was worried about that at first, but she wouldn’t and I was right. Other things are disappearing now! Everything of hers or that she had a hand in is literally fading away! She had to have been hit by that erasing akuma.”

“That’s impossible. The Miraculous Cure fixes all the damage caused by an akuma fight.”

“But Marinette hasn’t returned!”

“Then maybe she wasn’t involved with the akuma fight at all.”

“Her things are disappearing! Anything that reminds people of her are suddenly vanishing if people aren’t constantly watching them! That’s not normal! That’s magic.”

“Did you actually see anything disappear?”

He paused.

“Well—not directly myself, no.” He admitted, rubbing his head. “But a lot of people have said things are disappearing. And they all seem to be things she had some involvement or influence in.”

Marinette had come up with the idea for Rose’s journal after Chloe had insulted it. She had helped Juleka break her curse and take all those fun photos to make up for the class picture. Marc and Nathaniel’s comic only got started because Marinette had introduced them. And from what he saw at the bakery, the effect was expanding.

He froze, a creeping realization sinking in.

If it was expanding, just how much would be gone?

“But if you haven’t seen it, then how do you know that it’s an akuma?”

“But they said—”

She shook her head. “Chat, it could just be coincidence. People misplace things. Lose things. Throw things away and forget about them. It happens. That doesn’t make it noteworthy and doesn’t mean it’s magic. Sometimes, those things are just gone.”

“But they—”

“You have to face facts, Chat Noir. If she’s gone, she may not return.”

He’d had enough.

“What is WRONG with you?”

He had plenty of times where he felt annoyed or angry with Ladybug. When she rejected him. When she kept secrets. When she didn’t seem to take him seriously. Looking back, those instances seemed so incredibly petty compared to how he felt in this moment.

Never had he ever wanted to shake her the way he did now.

“A girl is missing! She is literally fading from existence and you don’t care!”

“Chat, you don’t even know that’s actually the case! There are other things to worry about right now!”

“This is a person’s LIFE AT STAKE!”

Ladybug simply looked unimpressed. “Everyone’s life is at stake against Hawk Moth, Chat! And you would have me put him on hold just for one person?”

“She isn’t just one person!”

She was a person! She had a name! And a family! And friends! And a dream! She was an up and coming designer! Jagged Stone’s artist! Their class representative! His classmate!

She...

She was his...

Now Ladybug looked almost...sad? Disappointed?

“You’re too attached to this girl to think about this objectively, Chat. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgement. As a hero, you need to be impartial.”

He grit his teeth.

He wanted to say something.

He wanted to say so much.

But instead, he turned tail and stormed off.

It was Ladybug. His partner. The person he would follow in any crisis. He knew to an extent that she had a point, because yeah, he had a tendency to act on his emotions rather than think things through. But...she sounded like she didn’t care.

What else could he do?

So he ran away.

But Ladybug...

She simply stood there. Her head tilted in confusion as she watched him go. She watched for a minute before she shrugged it off and turned away. She didn't try to go after him. Not once did she call out to him.

Her partner was running away from her...

...and she just let him.

______________________

Tom knew something was wrong.

It had been a busy day in the bakery. Despite the circumstances in the current situation with her daughter being missing, they couldn't just keep the bakery closed. After all, Marinette had to have a place to come back to at some point. And they needed to keep living.

But that didn't mean it wasn't hard.

Tom and Sabine had been torn. In their current state, they were hard pressed to keep the bakery running and also focus on efforts to find their daughter. It was even worse now that they had distinct reason to believe magic was involved.

It had been fortunate that both Gina and Rolland had been willing to put their differences and issues aside to come help. They had been a substantial support during this time. When Tom had reached out to them, Gina had cut short her trip to Peru to fly back to Paris and assist, mentioning using her connections to deal with some of the cartels in the area known for human trafficking on the chance they happened to be involved. And Rolland had taken to the traditional methods of posting Marinette’s MISSING picture at various locations.

Seeing the current situation with the parents, both had gone so far as to agree to help in the bakery. Gina had agreed to manage the storefront while Rolland had taken to helping in the kitchen. Surprisingly with minimal complaint about the bread. And even willing to close his own bakery in the meantime.

He was still difficult, but it was clear the man was trying. And he was more help than not.

This allowed Tom and Sabine to be able to breathe. There were points where one or the other would have to go to the back when things got to be too much. From the normal stress of the job itself to the pitying looks and questions they would sometimes get. And now to try to keep count of what else of their daughter’s had disappeared when they weren’t looking. Which meant they had taken to shifts during the night as well in hopes that their presence would slow down the process.

Sabine had been quite focused on this for the past few days, willing to leave the majority of the bakery work to the other three. But one could only spend so long staring at a box and a slowly emptying room, and she had eventually agreed to Tom’s pleas to just try to return to a regular work day if only to restore a sense of normalcy.

...he should have realized something was up the instant she had agreed.

She had switched with Gina in working the front and dealing with the customers. Plastering a perfect smile and jovial tone, as if her world wasn’t crumbling. He was concerned with her state, but Tom had wondered if this wasn’t her way of trying to cope. Sabine had long had a way of being a pillar of calm in any storm, so he had decided to trust in her.

But then there were the more...delicate customers.

Enrique Arnette was never an easy man to deal with. Pretentious, high-handed, and with a need to be catered to in a way that rivaled with Audrey Bourgeois. He could be her brother, all things considered. They were both loud and full of themselves. Only she, at least, had the power and capability to back her.

Unlike Audrey, Enrique was just loud. Loud and entitled. He was well known for being picky and making specific demands that some questioned might be less about what he actually wanted and more about looking for a reason to get upset and cause a fuss. But Tom and Sabine's Bakery seemed to be one of the few places capable of meeting his picky and overly extravagant standards.

Usually, Sabine was more than capable of handling him or any other contrary customer.

But today...

"What is this? Are you supposed to be a bakery or a crematorium?"

It was like nothing she did was satisfactory.

It might have been the stress getting to her. Tom would have believed that.

Except that the smile on her face was like ice. And her eyes were like steel. When he tried to step in to take over handling the order, Sabine clutched the plate in an iron grip. And as she looked up at him, her gaze was downright unnerving.

"Let me handle this."

Tom didn't dare disagree. He just watched and waited anxiously to the side as Sabine continued to try and fail to fulfill his order.

It was too cooked.

There was too much syrup.

The fruit was mashed.

The design was poorly done.

As Enrique became more frustrated, Tom noticed how Sabine neither stood up to the verbal tirade, nor did she apologize.

And his wife's expression was a knowing one.

It was...unusual for her. If he didn't know better...or maybe because he did know better, he couldn't stop himself from wondering if it was intentional?

The way she was messing up the order so many times was not like her, to the point he could swear it was on purpose. And her attitude and responses, while not outright rude, were not customer-friendly and were certainly far from her norm.

Was she...trying to upset him?

"What kind of service is this?!" The man demanded.

Tom stepped forward. "Dear, why don't I handle this and you can take a break, okay?"

But Sabine didn't even look at Tom. Her gaze remained fully on Enrique.

"If it is so displeasing to you, perhaps you would find service more befitting of your station in a dumpster?"

Everyone froze.

Sabine was many things. Matronly. Firm at times when needed. Soft at other times when it isn't. Fully willing to stand up to people.

But she was never rude. And she would never insult anyone like this.

Enrique’s face turned red in growing rage.

"What did you say?"

“Are you deaf?” She asked him congenially in a tone and manner as if she was commenting on the weather instead of actively insulting the man. “Or is there as much trash filling your ears as there is your mouth?”

Tom gaped momentarily before moving forward to intervene. “Sabine, why don’t you just—”

“HOW DARE YOU?!” Enrique shouted, almost on the verge of a shriek. “I have NEVER been so insulted in my life!”

“Then clearly people weren’t trying hard enough.” Sabine shot back derisively. “If you aren’t going to take your needlessly complicated and pretentious order, then get out and let someone else.”

Gasps and murmurs resounded.

He turned up his nose. “I won’t pay a euro for that mess or your attitude! If anything, you should be paying ME at this point for the insult! And trust me, I WILL be making you pay!”

Shouts of alarm got Tom’s attention, along with the sound of wings.

“Oh no!”

And akuma had gotten into the store, no doubt attracted to Enrique’s indignation as it fluttered its way towards the irate man.

Except that in the second before the akuma could reach him and assimilate into his watch—

SLAM!

Sabine had caught the akuma in midair before it could reach Enrique, her hand covered in an old worn oven mitt.

Everyone jerked back in shock and growing horror.

But Tom just stared in sorrowful realization.

He recognized that mitt. It was one of the first things Marinette had made and gifted to her mother.

It was one of her few possessions that remained.

One that Sabine had refused to part with.

"No." He murmured. "Sabine. Honey, no.”

His wife couldn't hear him.

The glowing mask was indicative that it was already too late.

#missing #ml fic #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #adrien agreste #chat noir #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #Kagami Tsurugi #luka couffaine #tom dupain cheng #sabine dupain cheng #hawk moth #gabriel agreste #plagg #ml sad #ml angst

[tipsylorie]

Dream Project Pt. 3 {title in progress}

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

A/N: Hola everyone, here is part 3 but not yet proof-read. I hope you will like it nevertheless...

Word Count: 2.7K

THE NEXT DAY

Liviana drove herself to office due to the driver’s message early in the morning that says he will be late because of an emergency. Upon arriving the buildings parking lot, instead of her driver, it was her assistant who was waiting with a worried look.

“Why the long face baby boy?” This is the thought that has been running through Liv’s mind when she saw her assistant, and this made her laugh. It took a while for her to compose herself so with a long face, she just remarks as she exits the car, “Why the sad face Jer?”

“Why are you laughing though?” Jayceon asked with a growing grin, but Liv just dismissed it by saying ‘nothing’. So he continues to inform his boss, “It turns out that your driver for today had to rush her wife to hospital earlier so there won’t be anyone to drive you.”

“This won’t do, I have to get these cakes delivered and to check the situation in Paradigmia.” Liv said with worry written all over her face but then she suddenly smiles, “You do have a license, right?” She asked the young man who responses with a nod. “Then you’ll drive. I just have to get some materials in my office.”

Jayceon sees Liviana walking towards the car and anxious on how his driving should be. Because the only one who he was able to drive are his friends. Heck, his parents don’t even know that he can since he has always been provided with a driver and an assistant. It didn’t help either when Liv chose to seat beside him after she arranged the materials and cakes at the back seat. “Why are you sitting here instead of over there?” Jayceon nervously asked as he points to the back seat diagonal to the driver’s seat as where bosses should sit according to some according to etiquette.

“Well, I am not really used to passenger seat being vacant. Don’t worry Jer, this is perfectly normal and please just treat me more as your friend instead of your boss. It will be more comfortable that way.” Liv informed her assistant.

Jayceon smiles as he was happy hearing how humble his business partner is, so he proceeded saying, “Ok then Liv, buckle up and enjoy the ride!”

It was an internal chaos in Jayceons mind since he doesn’t really want to go to his habit of over speeding and to scare Liviana however his childhood acting lessons had paid off since he was able to act composed and relaxed while he’s driving his temporary boss. Okay, so if you’re wondering about Jayce’s early life, his mother well like all Asian mothers are, enrolled him in all extracurricular activities she could come across. Therefore, ever since in the age of 4 he had already experienced EVERYTHING, from sports to performing arts.

Upon arriving to the Academy’s main branch, Liv immediately went to her friend Anne’s office. “Annie! Been so long, I made you some cupcakes!” She enthusiastically greeted her friend.

Anne was a little bit puzzled by the sudden visit, “What’s up? Why the cupcakes?” She asked. However, Liv just gave her a questioning look as a response and it only dawned on her that it was their friend’s birthday. So, the look at her face was so funny as if she experienced horror while saying, “OH MY GOSH! How could I forget?”

“Don’t worry Anne. Just message her later or maybe give her a visit after your working hours. It’s just a 30-minute ride so… It’s up to you.”

“Well, if it is up to me, I will just take a half day off and go to her but yeah cannot do that because my boss would be mad.”

“Ha, I know what you’re trying to do, well just so y’know as your boss I would totally not mind however I know how keen you are with your work so I reckon that you will finish today’s job and just go to her later after working hours.” Liv said the last words with a tap on Anne’s shoulder then left her office.

As they left, Anne just snickered on how her long-time friend never failed to read her like an open book.

*

On their way to Paradigmia, they stopped at a gas station since Jayceon found the need to pee. So Liviana just waited in the car. Jayce always has the impulse to buy something since he finds this satisfying. When he was about to pay, only then he realised that he left his wallet in the car’s compartment that is in between the driver’s seat and passenger seat. So, he hurriedly opened Liv’s door side in a rush, and tried to open the compartment and reached it and however this fell on the backside and without thinking Jayce climbed on top of Liv and once he reached his wallet he exclaimed, “Yes! Finally got it!”

This woke Liv up and her eyes widened in surprise. Jayceon just froze and stared to her eyes, and he had the urge to gulp just to somehow slow the rapid beating of his heart. To snap him back to reality, Liv asked, “What are you doing?” in a concerned voice and was trying hard not to jump to conclusion since as far as she knows, the guy in front of her was gay.

Jayce or in Liv’s perspective, Jer stepped back to not cause any alarm and calmly said, “I was just trying to reach for my wallet,” showed the wallet in his hand, “because I have items waiting in the counter of that 7-Eleven.”  He pointed to the convenience store in the side of the car.

“Oh okay, but you know you could’ve used the other door, right?” Liv asked genuinely.

“I didn’t think of that earlier since I was in a rush. I am so sorry about that.” Jayce apologised. “I promise it won’t happened ever again!” He subconsciously emphasised as his eyes asked for forgiveness.

In Liv’s perspective, she cannot stay mad to this adorable guy in front of her. “Fine, just never ever do that again to me or to anyone ever again.” She informed her employee.

“Pinky swear! Brb just gonna pay for those food! Thank you, Liv!”

As Jayce ran back to the convenience store, Liv thought it was really odd for Jer to stare at her like that. However, she just dismisses this immediately and went back to her nap since she knows it will be a long day in Paradigmia.

“Hey,” Jayce said as he tapped Liv’s shoulder when he sat at the driver’s seat. “You want some peanuts? It’ll help to lessen your sleeping.”

Liv slowly opened her eyes and looked at the bag of peanut he was holding, “Yes, that would be great.”

As Jayce prepped himself to drive, he asked a last question, “What did you do last night that made you this tired today?”

“Well obviously the cake made me use all my remaining energy last night. I don’t know maybe I had a tiring dream.”

“You also believe that? Despite not remembering the dream?” He asked and she just nodded with a faint smile as a response. “So glad that I am not the only one.”

After few more minutes they finally arrived to the apartment of Julie. Liv asked Jayceon to grab the balloons she prepared at the backseat. “You had balloons? Why haven’t I seen it?” He asked in amusement. “Well, maybe I unintentionally intentionally hid it?” This just made the pair chuckle as the guy grabbed the balloons, the lady handled the cakes.

“After centuries you’re finally here!” Liv’s best friend, Julie exclaimed as she hugged her while holding the cakes.

“Careful! My masterpiece!” Liv yelled.

“Sorry but that will not even last a day in this household.” Julie rebuked. This resulted to the three of them laughing.

“Did Anne tell you she’ll be here later?” Liv asked her good friend.

“Yeah, she felt so guilty of almost forgetting and thanked God when you thought of leaving some of your wonderful cupcakes in her office and she has time to prepare.” Julie nonchalantly informed Liv.

“So, what do you prefer, stay here while we wait for her or let’s head now to the hotel I already booked for tonight?” Liv asked.

Julie replied after some thinking, “Well, I think my family will still visit here shortly to give cakes and such, so maybe wait for Anne in here.”

With Julie’s response, Liv faced her assistant and informed him, “So, if you want to take a rest you can go to the hotel first. I am sending you know the voucher for your room, and by just showing this to the reception, I think you’ll be assisted to your room immediately. Just leave the car and keys since we really do not plan to get wasted so I’ll just drive us there and I’ll just let you know once we arrived there. Is that okay?”

As Liviana is explaining her proposition, Jayceon cannot help but take notice on how she always has the tendency to worry about everyone around her ergo, planning everything tediously beforehand. He admires this but at the same time feel sorry for her since she has the kind of person who loves to smile despite the truth that deep inside, she is already drowning. He can see this because she tries so hard every single time as if it is always her life on the line. He wishes that somehow he can help her to loosen up a bit and be true of what she truly feels. (A/N: Jayceon has taken a lot of Psychology modules in undergrad as a hobby that made him enjoy analysing human behaviour and Liviana has been one of the most interesting person he has met.)  So after listening to Liv, he answered, “Yep, sure thing! That all sound great! So I guess, see you tomorrow?”

“Yes, Jer see ya! Thank you for the help. Ooh I almost forgot, I also set aside these cupcakes for you.” Liviana said as she gave the 3 pieces cupcakes in a sealed tray.

“Thank you Liv! Really appreciate it! Bye!” He remarked as he waved goodbye then got inside the taxi they messaged.

~Jayceon in the hotel~

Jayceon went to the counter which the receptionist immediately recognised him as his family being the co-owner of the hotel. In which he was greeted immediately with a bow and for the employee to immediately ring for the Executive Manager. Jayce then quickly tried to explain his stuation in the most discreet way possible. Telling him to stop his manager from coming because most probably him having prior commitments with his work. He just asked for the receptionist to give him the room stated in the voucher and instead to have Liviana Voss in the most expensive room available during her stay and charge her with only the amount the room she booked. So just like that, Jayce had his staff to put Liv in the Premium Suite Penthouse which is technically a room with rooms and a second floor that has a direct access to the rooftop.

Jayce was pretty proud with what he did especially on how smart he think it was. To have Liviana be one of the lucky winners in an online booking event that never existed. After feeling content, he took a nap to make sure he will not miss any updates from his “boss”. But didn’t miss the beat to take a taste of the cupcake after dinner. He can surely tell that it was made with love.

~Meanwhile in Julie’s Household~

“So, who was that guy? He looks so good! Do you have a thing with him?” Julie prompted with the question she has been holding until that guy left.

Liv answered with a grin, “I knew it! I can already sense your questions like once we both entered your house. And the answers would be: first us my assistant; second, yep he is but not interested with girls; and finally, I think no?”

“Omg, you do have! Spill!” Julie enthusiastically ordered.

“But it is your birthday! Why talk about me? We need to focus on you getting older!” Liv claimed.

Julie tried to explain, “Still, I am the birthday girl, so you need to let me use my power card for today of you to just share about this matter, please?”

“Fine! I love you so much that is why I am letting you use the card.” Liv gave in.

Julie was delighted with this by saying, “YAYYYY! BEST BDAY because of the BEST TEA!” But then suddenly interrupted with her family entering the house with their spare key. This made Liviana laugh so much that Julie’s family can see her almost rolling off the ground literally but thankfully she was able to stop herself. Julie’s family only stayed for like 2 hours since they also have some stuff already planned.

Once they left, Liv and Julie cleaned a little bit and wash the little number of dishes. Just right after they finished, Anne already arrived, and this made Julie happier since Liv can share the tea to the both of them at the same time. Liv’s narration went like this:

“Well, I was taking a nap since I was really exhausted with the baking and decorating so I really do hope you guys will love and like it. So, while napping I can feel that something is different, and I can see him staring at me adoringly? I guess, it was really weird because I felt something. It also feels like an eternity and still his position being on top of me didn’t change and remind you that the seat was declined so it was really awkward and I can also see his change in demeanour of somewhat being manly like more than so he normally is and he also gulped that really sent shivers to my spine. Just overall – WEIRD.”

Julie and Anne just looked at each other because they have the same idea. So Julie slowly proposed their idea, “Liviana, don’t you think it is time to consider that he is not gay? As we both can already sense with the vibes whenever the two of you are in a room, you guys act like high schoolers interacting with their first love like that is literally the aura the two of accentuates.”

Anne added, “Also this is nothing like the chemistry thingy back when we tried to ship you with someone in junior high instead this thingy right now is something that everyone can call sincere and genuine.”

Liv was really quiet with the insights her friends are telling her but all she managed to reply is a joke, “Okay guys, you two could really write a million-seller fiction right now.”

Anne just retorted as she and Julie are already used to their friend always being in denial which is the total hundred percent reason why she still never had any boyfriend, “Whatever Liv, just don’t tell us we didn’t inform you. I know that you know that there is a possibility with what Julie and I are saying. So please, don’t resist it anymore because you also need to find a partner too at some point.”

“Wow, our youngest just scolded me. Yes Ms. Annie, will do. So can we now finally celebrate Julie’s birthday?” Liv asked warily.

“YAYY!” The two girls exclaimed, and Julie shouted, “Movies and cupcakes!”

“Speaking of cupcakes, where did you put the cupcakes, I gave you Anne?” Liv asked.

Anne replied, “I have the half of them in my house and left some to my mother’s because you know how much she loves your cooking and baking!”

Liv responded, “Yes of course, I am glad she still does.” She asked, “Julie, what movie do you want?”

“Ugh please, let’s not do that, we will spend like an hour just looking for a movie, guys just pick a number up to 10.”

“Three!” Liv exclaimed.

“Five!” Anne yelled.

“Okay the Liv, just choose the eighth one while pressing the arrow down keys in the remote control.”

“We got, Force of Nature, a 2020 film. Is that okay?” Liv asked as she manages the TV.

“Yup!” Julie replied while she takes the cupcakes to a plate and placed the cake in her refrigerator.

“Sounds great!” Anne responded as she handled the flavoured drinks. They all agreed to get drunk once they arrived at the hotel.

After the movie, the cupcakes also ended. So they cleaned up and prepared their things for the second party in the hotel.

Re-blog for part four!

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#2pm #2pm imagines #lee junho #lee dahee #ceo #kpop headers #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kdrama #kpop industry #original fiction