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impracticaldemon · 4 years

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Hey! So I haven't kept up with a lot of otome games and stuff, including some of the non-hakuouki stuff you are into, but I was curious about it? I wanted to know about whatever the Ikesen (ikemen??) series is, or what it is I suppose lmao? I assume mobile games, which is cool, I kind of want to look into some of those, but I curious about what were your favorites or your thoughts on them, etc.

Hi Miss P!

Just for context, I want to mention that I was a “non-mobile otome only” player until about 2.5 years ago. I was wary of mobile otome games for a few reasons, including *my* perceptions about (lack of) depth of story and characters, cost, and dependence on a server (i.e., you don’t get to buy and “own” a game). I took a harder look for two reasons: (1) seeing the artwork from more recent games; (2) discovering some favourite voice actors in the mobile otome world. Also, I just wanted to find more localized Japanese otome.

What have I played?

I have actively played all the (localized) games by Cybird:

Destined to Love (historical AU, Shinsengumi / bakumatsu era; thrown back in time; fated lover concept)

Midnight Cinderella (classic “you’re suddenly chosen to be the Princess” concept; setting is sort of mid-1800s, European-type country)

Ikemen Sengoku (historical AU, mid/late Sengoku era; taken in by Sengoku faction, become close to key leaders; thrown back in time)

Ikemen Revolution (fantasy, overarching framework based loosely on Alice in Wonderland; setting is Victorian-with-magic, not weird-drug-trip)

Ikemen Vampire (late 19th Paris, but focus is personal, not much political/historical; famous men now vampires; thrown back in time)

I have also played MLQC (from “Mr Love Queen’s Choice” - the worst localized title I have ever come across - I mean, it sounds ridiculous. The Japanese title is “Love and Producer” [ 恋とプロデューサー ] which is more accurate and less dorky sounding. This game is Chinese (not Japanese) but so popular that it has been translated into Japanese, Korean, and English. **Note that there is some debate as to whether this is an “otome” game.**

I haven’t played: Voltage otome games; Mystic Messenger; or any other mobile otome games.

How do they work?

Almost every game has these features:

you choose the love interest right after the prologue [completely different story for each guy, no common route]

total story length is approx. 26 chapters of 5 sub-chapters [or 13 chapters with 10 sub-chapters]

you are given 5 free tickets a day; one ticket = one sub-chapter

you can buy more tickets with real money by buying “gems” (or whatever the premium in-game currency is called)

you have a stamina bar that refills over time that lets you compete in simple, totally automated challenges versus other players for experience points (usually a straight comparison of your “beauty” score, where beauty is all about how nice your clothes are and what you own (cue eye roll))

you can buy more stamina with real money, but don’t have to if you’re patient (you recover 1 point per 3 minutes, or 20 points per hour)

you need a certain level of experience points in order to pass “intimacy” challenges throughout the story

you also need certain items or outfits to pass “attire” challenges - you can buy these things with in-game regular currency (you get a bit each day) or in-game premium currency

once you’ve read a chapter you cannot go back without re-reading from the start and using new chapter tickets [there is no save function]

there are dialogue choices that raise your affection points with the love interest (getting the maximum affection score by the end of the game usually gives you a nice bonus gift; a minimum score is required to complete the story)

EVENTS are completely separate from the main routes - you compete against other players for the highest event points in order to get coveted items (outfits, chibis, teddy bears, etc.) - you DO NOT HAVE TO play in events in order to enjoy or progress in the main routes

Favourite:

Ikemen Sengoku is hands down my favourite. I would recommend this to most Hakuouki players in search of some interesting historical otome.

not historically accurate (apart the obvious, the warlords presented did not all work or live together in 1582 as presented; the main AU premise is that certain key warlords didn’t die, and relative ages and relevant details have been adjusted to fit the overarching plot(s)), but captures a lot of historically accurate details

best protagonist (modern sensibilities, has a chosen profession she relies on, sense of humour, generally competent, spunky but not perfect

the modern-era physics grad student and history-buff-turned-ninja Sarutobi Sasuke is a wonderful person, character, and “narrator”

excellent sense of humour (game) - big selling point for me tbh, and the localization team has generally done a great job (translating humour is *hard*, and while the adaptation sometimes strays too far from the Japanese original, it’s generally very good)

all main routes are different (overall, the main story quality is very good and has plot to go along with the character/romance development)

character background and development is very good

variety of love interests, with non-love-interest characters still playing important and interesting roles [sadly, few-to-no developed female secondary characters; lots of bro/mances of different kinds]

main routes all have two different endings (moving toward three); the different endings span several chapters (not just an epilogue) and are reasonably distinct in most routes (but both are clearly happy endings)

dressing up your character turns out to be a lot of fun (apparently I have NOT gotten over playing with dolls, bears, or chibis, go figure)

special “events” feature all kinds of new stories, some more creative than others (imagine Hakuouki with frequent, official new content!)

Note: romance/sexiness level varies per route and character (Cybird provides some guidance on this in their route notes for most of their games); you generally have to pay to read more explicit stuff, but even then the level of implied/explicit varies - IkeSen is generally mid-range for Cybird for romantic/mature content in my opinion

Voice Acting: only a few voiced lines, but more are in the works - there is a PS Vita version of the full game with full voice acting; my attention was drawn by Toriumi Kosuke (Saito from Hakuouki) voicing Toyotomi Hideyoshi (but the voice is deliberately lighter than Saito’s sadly for me); there are a LOT of pro seiyuu in the more recent Cybird games (Hakuouki’s Kazama as Leonardo da Vinci in Ikemen Vampire is a treat for the ears, honestly)

Reviews for other Cybird:

I enjoy Midnight Cinderella for the sheer Princessy-ness of it all, and playing with dolls *ahem*. The main stories have both “personal development” and “political intrigue” style plots; however, this game is biased toward romance. There are a range of love interests, which is great - everyone can have their favourite(s). The top characters are “poster boy” (Knight Captain) Alyn Crawford (the guy you’d find on the box cover if there were one), (King) Byron Wagner, and (Duke) Louis Howard. Call them Classic Tsundere, Classic Kuudere, and Classic Appears-to-be-tsun-but-is-really-a-total-cinammon-roll Deredere.

I enjoy the characters and world design of Ikemen Revolution; would definitely recommend it, but feel more could have been more done with the setting and characters. Alice is my second-favourite Cybird protagonist. The character interactions are very good and well-developed.

Ikemen Vampire is very popular, and has a lot going for it, but isn’t my personal cup of tea. That said, I’m still playing, and I do enjoy various aspects of it - the characters and character interactions, for instance. If you’re looking for a more modern, sexy, gothic kind of feel to your otome, this could be a good choice.

I wouldn’t spend money on the Shinsengumi game, Destined to Love, for two reasons: (1) Cybird appears to have dropped the localized version completely (you can play all the main stories for free, one chapter per day, and you can buy old event stories, but there are no events or updates; (2) most of the stories have an unfinished feel to them, at least for me.

That said, DTL isn’t bad if you’re in the mood to read some different stories about Hijikata and the guys (plus there are more love interests from the anti-bakufu side). Hijikata and Saito have a similar feel to them, Okita and Yamazaki have definite similarities as well; I enjoyed Sakamoto more in DTL than in Hakuouki,and Katsura is nice. Takasugi has a route if you’re okay with a rougher version of Hakuouki’s Okita - just be prepared for sarcasm and a very aggressive edginess.

Non-Cybird:

MLQC is a lot of fun as a deck-building game and has the most innovative story - character development aside, it’s a mix of modern China (the main plot is set in a fictional Chinese city) and increasingly sci-fi elements as you slowly learn more about what makes the protagonist and the four love interests different. There is a fair bit of grinding if you want to read more chapters and upgrade your cards, which are needed to pass challenge points in the story.

This game does not follow the usual “common route then pick a route” progression of most otome games. Also, you don’t have choices that affect the main route progression (there are choices that affect each love interest’s affection level, though). You fully control which cards you develop (since some resources are scarce unless you throw money at the game), and you’ll probably develop one or two guys’ cards over the others. Since each card provides you with a four-part story “date” (mostly implied romance, some more, some less), it’s up to you how you progress.

The art is gorgeous, the story is great, the translation is… not so good but better than many Chinese games… the English voice acting is quite good. You can also download the Japanese voice acting in a number of places.

This is not the kind of otome/game you play to get an Otomate (Hakuouki, Code Realize, Collar x Malice) kind of experience. But there are a lot of good qualities. One of which is that it’s the easiest of the games to play for free. Also, they have a “post whatever you want” policy. Which tells you just how popular the game is, since people throw money at it anyway!

~ Imp

PS This is already longer than intended, but there’s a lot more I could write. I’d be super happy if you (or anyone!) had follow-up questions about the mobile otome experience or specific games.

#otome games #mobile otome #asked and answered #otome reviews #and a lot of general comments on how it all works #long as usual XD #miss-perkey #thank you for asking!#cybird otome #ikesen #ikerev #mlqc #midcin #ikevam

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prohibitionprincesses · 4 years

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New Money

Manhattan, New York

The proverbial Cinderella Story is the very definition of the Roaring Twenties, as young Cindy Tremaine is about to find out.

By the late 1910s, poor Cindy is struggling to maintain the hope that she promised her parents she'd never give up, as she is worked to exhaustion by her abusive stepfamily. With the limitations placed on both the poor and women, she knows that her only realistic way out of this hellhole is through marriage. With her natural beauty and charm, she’s confident she could score a wealthy man, if she just had some way of worming herself into one of those upper-class social gatherings...and into something nice to wear. It seems impossible... But then Cindy starts to notice some surprising upgrades in her stepfamily's lives. She's carrying and cleaning luxury items that would be pricey even for her filthy-rich relatives. Without revealing how much she's learning, Cindy gradually worms information from her stepmother and stepsisters about how they're affording all these things, and becomes familiar with the growing system of Credit—"Buy now, pay later." Credit Unions have been opened since the early 1900s, and as of 1914, Western Union and some department stores have begun issuing the first ever credit cards. The doorway Cindy needs to set her plan in motion has just opened before her, like magic.

While out running errands, Cindy looks around and realizes that social mobility is exploding all around her. Immigrants are fleeing persecution and starting new lives here in America. The African American community is undergoing a cultural revolution of art and music. The number of high school students in the country has doubled, and more and more of them are going on to college. To top it all off, women are finally about to win the right to vote.

Relying heavily on the advice of magazine columnist “the Fairy Godmother,” Cindy learns that the most important thing in winning over others is “it,” and all “it” is, is confidence. Clara Bow demonstrates on the silent screen, and Cindy practices dancing to the radio whenever her step-family isn’t looking (much to the chagrin of her rodent friends, who scramble to get out of her way). “It” finally all pays off when the most eligible bachelor in Manhattan throws a Gatsby-worthy New Year's ball at his mansion, on the eve of Prohibition. This December 31 of 1919, Charles "Charming" Prince's courtyard is lined with pumpkins full of alcohol that will only be legal for a few more hours. The party is a wild display of extravagance and decadence that Jay Gatsby would envy. But the most enthusiastic dancer is a girl who no one knows. She must come from an incredibly wealthy background, with all her extravagant jewels and sequins. She belts it out on top of the pumpkin kegs to the roaring cheers of guests and servants alike, kicking her heels in a pair of art-deco glass shoes. The smitten heir jumps up onto the pumpkins to dance with her, and suddenly Cindy forgets all about money.

In the crowd below, Cindy’s stepmother narrows her eyes suspiciously, while her two daughters burry their heads in some pumpkin kegs.

Before Charming can get the girl’s name, the clock strikes midnight…and an ambush of FBI agents burst from their hiding places around the mansion’s grounds, hollering, “This is a raid!” Prohibition is now officially in effect. Feathers and sequins fly through the air as guests tear across the courtyard. Coppers are hacking the pumpkin kegs to pieces with axes, spilling their contents onto the brick paths below. Cindy’s stepmother tries to bribe the police lieutenant, while the stepsisters catch booze from the wrecked pumpkins in their bucket hats. Charming searches frantically for his dance partner, but Cindy has already taken off in her rented limo.

The next morning, no one from the party seems to know the mysterious woman. Did 200 drunken dancers all hallucinate the same girl?

Then, finally, among the overturned furniture and smashed pumpkins, Charming’s butler finds an art-deco glass slipper—the largest purchase on Cindy’s new credit card.

A/N: Like most of these will be, this one is just a touch-up of an older version of the picture, with a new background. While one might think Snow White should be the first in a Disney princess series, I chose Cindy, thinking of the New Year's Eve scene in the first episode of "Boardwalk Empire." Her AU story is based on the silent movie "It" (1927) staring Clara Bow. Cindy’s headdress was inspired both by Daisy’s from “The Great Gatsby” (2013) and a Disney figurine of an Art Deco Cinderella. www.yourwdwstore.net/Disney-Sh…

UPDATE: I've changed her glass slippers to have an art-deco style. I have no idea why I didn't do that in the first place.

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soundofseventeen · 5 years

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Cinderella (Joshua Hong)

Here is part 1 for the series! I hope you enjoy them! I of course had to start with my favorite fairy tale, because why not?

Master List

*Fairy Tale*

“So, how is the fair maiden enjoying the evening?” Joshua asked, walking around the castle gardens, step in step with you. You never imagined this when you came tonight, simply just wanting a night to yourself to have fun. The whole evening almost didn’t happen when your Fairy Godmother showed up and performed a little magic, turning you into a princess of your own. Granted, you weren’t a princess, but you sure felt like you could be.

“She is. Is the kind gentleman enjoying the evening as well?” You asked, nudging his arm with your elbow. He let out a shining smile, one you almost didn’t believe was real. Whoever this guy was, he sure was pretty damn charming.

“He is, very much.” He replied, looking around the gardens. “I never imagined tonight would go like this. I thought it would be like every other ball I’ve been to.”

“So you’ve been to multiple?” You looked at him, and he nodded his head.

“Oh yes. They’re all the same though. Fairly boring. Unless some other of my friends are there, then something chaotic is bound to happen. Otherwise, just…” He looked over at you, watching him as he talked. “...They’re never like this.”

“Well, I’m glad I could change your view.” You smiled, looking around the gardens.

“You must have been to several yourself?” He asked, and you started to shake your head, realizing he gestured to your dress.

“Oh… Well, not really. My family doesn’t really do the… Royal… ball thing…” You laughed, thankful that Joshua laughed as well. “Technically I wasn’t even going to come.”

“So why did you?” You thought about your answer for a second, trying to figure out what a usual response would be.

“Well, I thought it would be a fun experience. A nice night off. Plus it’s always interesting to try and see the prince. He’s practically a myth.” You added on, causing Joshua to raise an eyebrow.

“Oh really?” He chuckled, causing you to roll your eyes.

“But alas, that shall have to wait for another day. I have yet to even see the prince here, and at this point it would take a miracle to run into him.” You commented, causing Joshua to blush.

“I think the odds are in your favor with this one.” This time you laughed, turning to look at him.

“And what exactly do you mean by… Is that the time?” You said, spotting the clock tower behind Joshua’s head. He gave you a confused look, looking back at the tower himself.

“Yes? Why, do you have somewhere to be?” He joked as you started to panic.

“Yes, actually. I’m so sorry, but I need to leave.” You started to run back towards the castle, stopping and running back to Joshua, who was frozen confused. “Thank you for tonight. I don’t think I could have had a better time if I actually met the prince. I loved everything.” You said, then turning and running away again. Joshua stood frozen in place, trying to figure out what just happened, before turning and running after you.

*Today*

“Miss Y/N, I can’t figure out this problem.” One of your students said, pointing to a math problem.

“Okay, let’s figure this out…” You said, looking over the work they already did. You offered suggestions, eventually leading to the correct answer. The student thanked you, walking back to their desk. You smiled, continuing to grade some homework. Soon the bell rang, causing small chaos in your room as students packed up their bags to go to their next class.

You leaned back and sighed in your chair, finally hitting your free period. You stretched your arms above your head, not noticing your coworker practically skipping into your room.

“Did you hear?” You opened your eyes, sighing at her.

“Hear what?”

“We have a new teacher.” She said, sitting on your desk.

“Oh? Another one for you to flirt with constantly?” You teased, poking her leg.

“Hey, he will eventually fall for my charms.” She said, pointing at you.

“I still don’t know why you want to go out with him so bad. Minghao has shown literally negative interest in you.” You shook your head, and she rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. New. Teacher. Fresh. Meat.” She said, emphasizing each word.

“You’re gross.” You said, smirking at her and looking back at your papers.

“I’m just saying… You’re single… He might be single… If I can get Hao to date me, we could double date…”

“You know, I have a lot of grading to do.” She rolled her eyes, and you rested your head on your hand. “And I imagine you do too?”

“But it’s all projects…” She whined, and you sighed.

“Hey, you picked to be a science teacher.” She stuck her tongue out and walked out of your classroom, finally leaving you in peace.

You continued to grade assignments, slowly starting to hum. You smiled to yourself, realizing you were humming that song from Cinderella, shaking your head at yourself. You looked up at the door, seeing no one in the hallway, and then at the clock, seeing that there was still about 20 minutes until the next bell rang. You started to outwardly sing as you graded, smiling to yourself.

You looked up as someone knocked at your door, eyes going wide at the guy standing in your doorway, smiling at you.

“Oh, I’m so sorry…” You said, standing up as he walked in. “Uhm… Can I help you with something?”

“Not really, I was just looking for you. I wanted to come introduce myself.” He said, smiling at you. “I’m Joshua, I’m the new English teacher.”

*Fairy Tale*

“So you spent the entire evening with a girl, she suddenly fled a little before midnight, and you couldn’t catch her, only finding her shoe?” Seokmin asked, looking at his friend.

“Yep.” Joshua said simply, looking at the glass slipper in his hand, trying to figure out exactly who his mystery princess was.

“And you have no idea who she was or where she was from?” Jeonghan asked from the other side, looking between Seokmin and Joshua.

“Nope.” Joshua sighed, setting the slipper down and standing up. “I’ve never seen her before in my life. Trust me, I would remember her if I had.”

“Yeah, that seems about right.” Seokmin commented, shaking his head. The three sat in silence for a couple seconds, when Seokmin stood up suddenly. “I have an idea!”

“Please share?” Jeonghan said, staring at Seokmin with wide eyes. Joshua stared at him as well, curious as to where this was going.

“You have her shoe!” Seokmin said, as if that answered all of their questions.

“...Yes, that is true?” Joshua furrowed his eyebrows, still confused.

“You make an announcement that you have the shoe, then ask her to come and try it on! If it fits, it’s her!” Jeonghan and Joshua stared at Seokmin, not fully following his logic.

“Do you realize how many girls in this kingdom would fit in that shoe?” Jeonghan said, half laughing. “Besides, I thought she was a princess.”

“Part of me thinks she wasn’t. I don’t know, there was just something about her that wasn’t… I don’t think she’s a royal…” Joshua said, thinking over Seokmin’s idea.

“Well, that doesn’t solve the fact that multiple girls in the kingdom could have that shoe size.” Jeonghan countered.

“Josh, you remember what she looked like, right?” Joshua nodded his head. “Then it’ll be easy! Once he sees her, he’ll know!”

“Why don’t you just ask your father? Or the Grand Duke? Surely they would be able to help you.”

“Because if she’s not a princess, they won’t approve.” Joshua said, looking at the shoe. “I’m gonna do it.” Seokmin cheered and Jeonghan sighed.

“Okay, well I have to go anyway. Fortunately, I know where my princess is. Good luck buddy.” Jeonghan patted Joshua’s shoulder.

“I still can’t believe you’re making her do all the wedding planning.” Seokmin shook his head, teasing his friend, who gave him a look that showed it worked. “How can you just sit while she does all that work? It’s exhausting enough for two people.”

“Once again, she won’t let me help! She wants to plan the whole thing herself. I’ve thrown thousands of parties, why won’t she let me help with this one!” Jeonghan whined, causing the other two boys to laugh.

“Probably because you keep referring to your wedding as a party.” Joshua laughed, suddenly excited about his new plan.

*Today*

“You’re Joshua?” You said, staring at the slightly (very) attractive man standing in your doorway.

“Yes. Today’s my first day, actually.” He said, walking up to your desk.

“Well, welcome.” You smiled, walking around your desk to shake his hand. “I hope you can feel at home here.”

“Thank you, I hope so too.” He grinned, taking his hand away from yours.

“So you were looking for me, then?” You asked, and he nodded.

“Yes, the secretary at the front desk said you were one of the best teachers here. I thought you could maybe give me some tips. I’ve never actually taught before…” He admitted, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course! I’d be happy to help you. We can meet up for lunch if you’d like. I’ll try to get one of the other teachers to come too. He’s the art teacher here, and he’s been here forever.”

“That would be amazing, thank you.” He looked at the clock, sighing. “Well, I shall continue my rounds of introducing myself. I’ll see you in an hour then.” You waved as he walked out of your classroom, then stopped in the doorway.

“Yes?” You asked, already humored by him.

“It’s just… Have we met before?” He asked, and you looked at him.

“Uhm… I don’t believe so?” You laughed, and he looked at you a second more, then shrugged.

“My mistake. I’ll see you at lunch.” He smiled, officially leaving the room. You tilted your own head, now wondering if you did know him from somewhere. The ringing bell brought you back to reality as students entered your room.

*Fairy Tale*

“How was the ball girls?” You asked your step sisters, pretending to clean some dishes. You managed to make it home just before them, thankful that your dress had turned back to its original shape. Despite your breathing from running, you had no signs that you left the house. Well, aside from the glass slipper you still had.

“Awful.” One of your step sisters said, pouting as she fell into a chair.

“We barely even got to see the prince, let alone get him to fall in love with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You said, thinking instead about the kind gentleman you met rather than listening to them.

“We only saw him at the very beginning, and then at the end.”

“It was crazy, it was almost like he was chasing after someone at the end of the ball.”

“What?” You asked, that part striking something in your brain.

“Yeah, he was chasing some princess just before midnight. She must have turned him down or something. What a pity.” Your step sister continued to pout.

“He did?” You looked at them, both giving you confused looks. “I’m just… I’m curious. You know, since I missed the whole thing.” You gave a half explanation, which seemed to satisfy them.

“Yes. We didn’t even really see her though. Whoever she was, she managed to worm her way into his heart rather quickly.”

“Gorgeous dress though.” One sighed, daydreaming.

“Oh my gosh…” You said, connecting pieces.

“Apparently he found one of her shoes. Can’t be that rich of a princess if she can’t even afford shoes that fit.”

“Excuse me.” You said, standing up to leave the room. You heard your step sisters start to whisper about you, but you couldn’t be minded with that.

You just spent the night swooning the prince.

*Today*

“So, Joshua,” Minghao started, looking at your new coworker. “Where did you teach before this?”

“Oh, I actually didn’t. I graduated a while ago, but I hadn’t been able to find a job anywhere. I was actually shocked when they offered me this one.” He laughed, looking between you and Minghao.

“Interesting. We’ve been looking for an English teacher for a while. I wonder how you never found this before.” Joshua shrugged.

“Who knows. I got a call this morning asking if I could come in and they just… offered me the job.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do wonderful.” You said, smiling at him. You two made eye contact a little too long, causing you to clear your throat and turn to Minghao. “So, Hao, how’s your dog?” To your surprise, Minghao sighed.

“She ran away this morning. I let her out to get some fresh air, and normally she stays in the yard, but when I went to bring her in before coming to work, she wasn’t there. I was late this morning because I was looking for her. I have no idea where she went.” Minghao said, causing you to pat him on the back.

“I’ll keep an eye out for her.” You said, earning a small smile from Minghao.

“What kind of dog is she?” Joshua asked, and Minghao sat up a little more. “You know, in case I see her, maybe I can help too.”

“She’s a dalmation. She had a blue collar, but her last tag broke off, so there’s just a blank one on there right now. Responds to Perdita.”

“Hopefully we can find her soon.” Joshua said, and Minghao nodded. He looked at his watch, standing up.

“Oh, I have to go. Our crazy coworker is about to go on lunch, and I don’t think I can handle her today.” Minghao said, giving you a slightly apologetic look. As he left, waving goodbye, Joshua turned to you.

“Crazy coworker?” You chuckled to yourself, waving him off.

“One of the science teachers has a huge crush on him. She’s convinced they’re meant to be.”

“Oh, okay.” Joshua said, slightly amused.

“Yeah, so if she asks, you’ve been in a relationship for years. Otherwise you’ll be her next target.” You teased, and Joshua officially let out a laugh.

“So what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you in a relationship for years?” He asked, and you immediately saw where this was going.

“No, not really. But I’m not really looking. I also have a thing about… coworker dating.” Joshua just let out a laugh, nodding his head.

“Good to know.” He looked at your for a second, then looked at his phone. “I, have a meeting with the principal. Thank you for lunch.” He smiled, getting up to leave the room.

*Fairy Tale*

“Sir!” One of the guards ran up to Joshua and Jeonghan, stopping them in their tracks.

“Is something the matter?” Joshua asked, confused by the urgency of his guard. The kingdom was at peace right now. The guard took a second to catch his breath, then stood up to face Joshua directly, a smile on his face.

“We found her.” Joshua was confused for a second, then the gears started running in his head.

“What?” Joshua said, feeling excitement growing.

“The girl with the slipper. She has come forward.” Joshua looked to Jeonghan, who just grinned at his friend.

“What are you staring at me for?” Jeonghan said, pushing Joshua’s shoulders. “Go!” He laughed, Joshua immediately running down the hall, the guard following behind him.

The carriage ride to her house couldn’t have been more than a half hour, but to Joshua it felt like a million years. He had never been this nervous, and he had been to war. His heart began to race as the carriage started to slow down, his hands shaking in his lap. What if you didn’t want to see him? What if this feeling was entirely one-sided? What if it was just the magic of that evening that created this feeling?

He still exited the carriage, smiling at the cottage in the woods. He knew you weren’t a princess. He was starting to think of a way to convince his father and the grand duke, but then stopping himself before his mind went too far. He couldn’t let himself plan too far ahead until it was certain you wanted to be with him too.

One of his guards knocked on the door, and Joshua couldn’t help but hear faint singing from an open window above him. Was that the voice of his love? His attention was brought back down as a door opened, revealing an older, strict looking woman. After a brief discussion, he was brought into the house, and led into a living room, where two girls were sitting.

Neither of which were you.

“Hello Prince Joshua.” One of them stood, approaching him.

“Hello.” He greeted, slightly deflated.

“I believe you have my slipper?” She grinned, and Joshua shook his head.

“You’re not her.” He said, looking at her. “I’m sorry, but you’re not the girl from that night.” The other girl stood up, walking towards him.

“Of course she’s not. It’s because I am.” Joshua looked to her and let out a sigh.

“No, you’re not either.”

“But I have this?” She said, pulling out an identical glass slipper. Joshua’s eyes widened, causing the girl to grin.

“Where did you get this?” He asked, looking at her.

“It’s mine.” She said simply. The gears were running inside Joshua’s head, looking around the cottage.

“Are there any other maidens in this house?” He asked their mother, who had a panicked look.

“No, nope. Just us.”

“What about staff? Surely with a house this size you must have someone on staff.”

“Nope. It’s just us three.” She smiled a slightly creepy smile, which caused a guard to adjust his stance between Joshua and the woman.

“I heard singing before. It sounded as though it was coming from upstairs.”

“One of my daughters must have left a music box open. They were so excited for you to be here, it must have distracted them.” Joshua looked at her for a second.

“Well, thank you. I’m sorry this wasn’t more successful.” He said, about to leave.

“Wait, your highness.” His guard stopped him. Joshua turned to him, and the guard simply put a finger to his lips. “Listen.” Joshua gave him a look, but stood silent. There was that voice again, singing a different song. Joshua felt his heart grow again, turning to the woman, who had a terrified look on her face as she looked up the stairs.

“If you wouldn’t mind investigating the voice.” He turned to the guard, who nodded and walked up the stairs. “We wouldn’t want the music box to be overworked, would we?” He asked the woman, who just stared back at him. “I’ll be outside.”

He stood outside the cottage, trying not to get his hopes up too high. Sure, the other slipper was here, but the voice could be coming from someone completely different. His heart began to pound again as he heard the door open, a little scared to turn around. He took a deep breath, forcing his feet to move as he turned to face you, a smile on his face as he saw you standing on the steps.

His princess.

“It’s you.” He breathed, and you made a small smile.

“Looks like you’ve found me.” You said, staying on your step. You were slightly embarrassed, standing in front of the prince of your kingdom in a torn dress with cinders on it. Joshua stared at you for several seconds, eventually coming back to reality and letting out a little laugh.

“I uh, I believe this belongs to you.” He said, holding out the slipper to you.

“Thank you.” You said as he walked towards you.

“It must be quite a story you have.” He looked at you, and you nodded.

“It’s… a long story.” You teased as Joshua gestured for you to sit down. Once you did, he picked up your foot, looking you in the eye.

“I look forward to hearing it.” He smiled, placing the shoe on your foot.

*Today*

You were packing up your bag, smiling at the end of another successful day of teaching. As you looked through your planner for the next day, there was a knock at your door, causing you to look up. Joshua stood in your doorway, a bag on his shoulder.

“I’m heading out. Is Minghao still here?”

“No, he left after last period to look for his dog.” You smiled, and he nodded.

“Okay. Well, I just wanted to say thank you again for today. I think I will get along well here.” He smiled.

“Anytime. Drive safely.” You waved as he left, sighing to yourself. You continued to read the plans for tomorrow, setting the planner down and picking up your bag. As you took a couple steps, adjusting one of the desks in your classroom, a warm breath of air flew past you. You looked to the windows, all of which were closed. You looked around confused for a second, then collapsed on the ground.

Slowly your eyes opened, looking around. You looked around the classroom, trying to figure out what was going on. You had vague memories filling your head, somehow from two different places. You stood up, looking around, trying to figure out how you got here. You could feel yourself starting to panic when you heard a voice from in the hall. You couldn’t quite figure out what they were saying until they were outside your door.

“Y/N.” You turned around, seeing Joshua standing in the doorway. You both stared at each other for a second, before you both broke and ran to each other, arms going around each other. “Thank god you’re okay.” He breathed, holding you close to him.

“Where are we? What happened?” You asked, looking around as your hugged Joshua.

“I don’t know. The last thing I remember, we were planning the wedding. Then I woke up in that parking lot. Are you hurt?” He asked, pulling back and looking you over a bit.

“Your highness, I’m fine.” You smiled, and he let out a sigh.

“Didn’t I say you can call me Joshua now?” He chuckled, holding your face in his hands.

“Is anyone else here?” You asked, looking around. He looked back at the door.

“Might as well find out.” He said, leaning forward to give you a soft kiss, then taking your hand and leading you out of the classroom.

#seventeen au #seventeen fic #seventeen fluff #seventeen oneshot #seventeen x reader #seventeen series #joshua hong #joshua au #joshua fic #joshua fluff #joshua oneshot #joshua x reader #fairy tale au #fairy tale series

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incorrectikemenrevolution · 5 years

Text

So it’s officially been a year since I first started playing Ikemen Revolution and let me tell y’all it’s been a real journey. I wanted to write about my experience with the game and how it’s impacted me.

I played otome games before but not for very long beucase of how hard it was for me to play for free back then. I played Midnight Cinderella, Blood in Roses, and a few others that I don’t remember the names of. Because I couldn’t play for free very well and didn’t have the money to put into the games I stopped playing and deleted all of them from my phone. However, when looking for some new games to play my App Store reccomended my Ikemen Revolution. I was hesitant as I had not the best experience before, but I downloaded it anyways, expecting to delete it a few days later. Oh how wrong I was. I started getting really intrigued during the prologue. I thought the idea for the story was amazing and all the different people were so different and unique. I decided first to play Jonah’s route because he was the one who stood out to me the most, Ray in second.

When I first started playing I immediately fell in love with the game (and him). I devoted myself to figuring out how to make coins fast and free so my experience wouldn’t end miserably like before. After a lot of time, I was finally able to do so, and am now really happy with how I’m able to play the game without having to spend any money as I don’t have a lot (if y’all need tips I can give you some haha). Being able to play this game paved the way for me to get more games like Ikemen Sengoku, Destined to Love, Destiny Ninja 2, and to reinstall both Midnight Cinderella and Blood in Roses.

By gettin so invested in these games I was able to make this account and meet other people who have also enjoyed these games. The community of people I’ve met have been so wonderful and there is no negativity within anyone. Everyone here is so happy to play these games and every piece of news or art gets people so excited. A community where everyone is always thinking positively is something I thought I’d never find through any fanbase, so thanks to all of you for being amazing people.

Another thing is that these games have helped me through so many hard times. I’ve been through many poor experiences recently but knowing that I have these games to turn to and all of these different characters that, even if fake, show me so much love and appreciation has made even my worst moments better.

I guess I’ll finish this by saying thank you to the developers of all these games for giving me and everyone the opportunity to play these amazing games for free. I know how much it’s tempteing to make the players pay you, but you’ve valued the players’ enjoyment over their money and showed us how much you care and want us to enjoy your products. Thank you Cybird.

I want to encourage y’all to also share your experiences with the game, as it was kind of therapeutic for me to do so haha. I hope y’all have also had the same good experiences as I have

#otome #otome game #ikemen revolution #ikerev #ikemen kakumei #jonah clemence #ray blackwell

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corisanna · 5 years

Note

When you're designing and/or naming the witches the characters face (not the witches they themselves turn into, like Alexandria), what inspires you to make them what they are (a poisonous tree, a... pumpkin lady..., etc.), and do you try to do what the show did by tying those witches to what the characters fighting them are going through?

She short and unsatisfying answer would be “context, whim, and extensive word/concept association.”

Getting into the thick of it, it all starts with questions:

Which characters are going to be fighting it? What are those characters’ skillsets/strengths/weaknesses? Do I want them to have a hard or easy time of things? What would be hard/easy for them to handle? Is there some kind of shout-out I’m in the mood to make?

Cynthia, the Pumpkin Witch, was the first I made. In that case, I started backwards: I wanted to make a Witch labyrinth based on one of Hachi’s Vocaloid music videos because when I first saw InuCurry’s art in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei I thought of Hachi’s vids. My favorite was “Mrs. Pumpkin’s Comical Dream,” which appears to be about a train crash with multiple fatalities. “Aha, that’s macabre enough for a labyrinth,” I said. The labyrinth I made was kind of a love letter to that song/video. Some of it overflowed into Beatrix and Isidora.

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“official” lyrics [bolding the bits I used; also ref unofficial lyrics in the video]

The jacaranda's blooming, an impolite exchange of speeches Where shall we go? A merrily weeping song Jack laughed, "Leave your heretical feelings behind!" Give me chocolate, a beggar's weeping song A scarecrow suddenly shaking with sobs Prejudiced against pumpkin pie Oh la lu la lu la, will you dance with me? The moon's still sleeping ("You called? You called?" asks Turnip-Head) See? Now all the caskets are gone How boring I'm sensitive to fake magic and power lines Said the witch glaring beneath the overpass Jack got all huffy, "Keep your obscene emotions!" The datura bloomed as if to spite me The goats are up to something... Waiting for the train Let's hold hands, two may pass Wandering home through the [subway tunnels] (Superior, inferior, a pile of corpses?) See? In the swarm of ants at the swap meet The moon's still sleeping "Hey! Mrs. Pumpkin! I'm here to escort you home!" When did this night destroy my dream? I want to stay here and dance! Derangement like a dream (Inferior, inferior, a pile of fools) The joy I spit out lit up by the lanterns Oh la lu la lu la, will you dance with me? Not that I expected an answer ("Too bad! Too bad!" says Turnip-Head) See? Now all the caskets are gone How boring In the settled mud Waiting for morning in the thicket On the train

So I tossed bits from the words and the visuals together. I needed more material, so I played word/concept association.

Pumpkin, dancing, having to leave a dance led to Cinderella. That’s why the lanterns are glass slippers with embers (cinders) in them and where the clock/midnight/bell-tolling theme came from. I think I slapped fairy wings on the scarecrows as a reference to the Fairy Godmother.

From Cinderella, I Googled Cindy and Cynthia. I focused on Wikipedia’s disambiguation page for “Cynthia.” The two things that stuck out were the bizarre fame of a plaster mannequin named Cynthia in the 1930s (if I got drunk you could probably convince me to research and argue that she was an early example of both a meme and viral marketing) and the butterfly subgenus commonly called painted ladies. So there were the mannequin and butterfly wings. I thought that was batshit enough for one labyrinth. I named the turnip-head scarecrows Jakob because Jack(-o-lantern) is short form of it and jack-o-lanterns are/were turnips as well as pumpkins. I think I named the dancers Charles and Charlene for the Charleston dance but I’m not sure now.

I knew I wanted this Witch to be more tricky than powerful in a way that Karin and Yuzu would have extreme difficulty taking down without help or foreknowledge. I decided to have the actual weak spot be high and distant because the twins (at that point of the story) are weak at ranged attacks and Homura is basically the queen of ranged attacks. All the obstacles and enemy abilities were created by working backwards from the weak point by thinking of ways the girls could get to it and conjuring up ways to cut off that option or make it a trap.

So. There’s the Pumpkin Witch.

I have a post about Beatrix somewhere in my Infinity tag if you want to see the process for that. My starting point for it was the girls’ cover story that they met at the botanical gardens in Tokyo. So I knew I wanted a plant/garden theme. When I thought of “dangerous plant” I thought of “poisonous plants.” For me, that brings to mind the story “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” I went wild from there. The woman in that is Beatrice. That made me think Beatrix, which made me think of The Bride in Kill Bill. I researched minutiae about Kill Bill characters and found a scrapped concept for Gogo Yubari to have a twin named Yuki. There was my batshit homicidal magical girl.

It all depends on what hole I need to fill, really. Then it’s the equivalent of a wiki walk of word/concept association.

I hope this makes sense and isn’t too rambly.

#As N Approaches Infinity #my writing #fanfiction #Madoka Magica fan witch

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alecmagnuslwb · 4 years

Text

New Year’s Eve: Chapter Five

Read it all on AO3 or previous ch. 1, 2, 3, 4

One magical night, five intertwining love stories, all culminating at midnight with just maybe some confessions and kisses as the clock strikes.

This chapter: We’ve almost hit midnight! But first, Clary just wants her dad, Luke, to be happy, but he’s stubborn as ever about trying to track down a woman he met last New Year’s Eve that could very well be the woman of his dreams. Free tickets to a party from Maia’s boss could change it all though.

***

3 P.M., New Year’s Eve

Clary leaves Rebecca to her sulking with a kiss to the forehead and a wave back to Helen who’d lost their game of rock, paper, scissors battling who would be in charge of keeping an eye on their forlorn friend for the evening.

She knows her dad will give her hell for walking the few extra blocks to his apartment in the freezing cold, but the hours just late enough that the subway is a mess of tourists and locals and she just doesn’t have it in her to deal with it all.

The cold breeze is a pleasant sting against her bare skin her big puffy coat covering her slightly fancier than necessary for an evening in with her dad and girlfriend dress. The walk is like any New York walk bumping into strangers and receiving no acknowledgement that it happened, but Clary loves it. Loves the feel of the air, loves that this New Years is her second one with girlfriend Maia and she’s been thinking more and more lately about spending New Years with her forever.

It’s not a completely solidified plan in her head, definitely not one she’s dared speak aloud to anyone yet, but it’s there at the edges all the time these days. Maia is it for her. She knows it. Feels it in her bones, but she wants any sort of proposal that she makes to be perfect not just a thrown together idea form the corners of her brain. It needs to be spectacular just like Maia herself.

She pulls her coat a little tighter around herself just feeling warmer from the thought of proposing to Maia one day as she gets nearer and nearer to her dad’s home. Maybe she’ll finally talk to him about it, maybe she’ll finally convince him to go for it in romance as well.

***

Luke places the prepared elements for their dinner in the fridge with a smile as his phone dings, his daughter informing him she’s just a few blocks away. He frowns then realizing a few blocks away means that she probably walked all the way here in the bitter could which means he’s absolutely going to need to scold her.

It’s just him, her and Maia, who he’s got a strong feeling will be his daughter-in-law soon enough, tonight and he couldn’t be happier for it. Last New Year’s had seen Clary off with Maia and Luke alone in his apartment that still screams of every second of Clary’s childhood. He’d had to get out before he got too emotional, landing in a random diner a few blocks away. While sitting there watching drunken party goers swing by the windows a coffee cup in his hand and piece of warm pie in front him, the bell on the door had rung and the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life had walked in.

She was dressed to the nines, but not like she’s was heading for a party more like she was heading into a battle in the boardroom. She was confident and strong, and Luke had never had such a strong reaction to just the sight of someone. One accidental fumble in her heels, which is a thing he assumed was rare for this beauty, and Luke’s quick reaction to catch her lead to soft smiles and shared coffee and long conversation.

It was the closest to a date that Luke had been on in years and definitely the deepest connection he’d felt with another person in twice as long. But then like Cinderella or a mirage that was never even there the gorgeous woman disappeared after a phone call just before midnight, slipping off in to the night with a bright smile and a look that had Luke thinking she hadn’t talked to someone and connected like they had in a long time either.

He sat in the booth with a no doubt dreamy look on his face for a good twenty minutes before he realized they hadn’t even exchanged names, let alone numbers. The look faded from his face at the realization and in the past year, far more than he’d like to admit he’s found his mind drifting to an image of dark eyes and dark hair in a complicated updo.

He’d likely never see her again, but he had the memory, the image and that was always nice to think back on. However, he’d made the mistake of telling Clary about the encounter and while she’s respected his wishes to not overhype the chance encounter, he has a feeling she won’t be as inclined to let it lie on a night like this.

***

“Hey kiddo!” her dad’s deep voice rings out as soon as she’s opened and closed the door to his apartment, her childhood home, shoving the key back in her pocket. His head peeks around the corner smiling wide when he sees her.

“Hey, dad,” she says fondly moving forward directly into a warm hug. She’s barely seen him the last few months since he officially left the NYPD to pursue his passion of opening his own antique book store and she’s missed these everyday bear hugs.

Luke’s not her biological father, that was a man who left moments after Clary was conceived, but he’s her dad which is a million times more important. It’s been just the two of them for a long time now, her mom and Luke had married just before Clary was born and while Luke had taken to fatherhood like second nature her mom had never taken well to motherhood. That mixed with one too many secrets eventually tore them apart and when she left she took all her art supplies, most of her clothes and nothing else. It had been hard at first, Clary barely seven years old and not clear as to why her mom just never came back one day and Luke rocked by the fact a woman he’d fought so hard for just up and left him in the middle of the night, but they’d adapted. Clary and dad against the world.

Because of that fact his happiness has been just as much her priority as her happiness has been his.

Now they’re becoming a little family of three with Maia’s addition and it feels just almost perfect. Almost because she’s worried about leaving Luke alone. She’d moved out last year when her old freshman dormmate Helen had been looking for an apartment and now with her practically living with Maia and thinking about the future she’s worried he’ll get left behind with just his apartment and his store filled with old books.

Not that he can’t be fulfilled by those things. Clary doesn’t believe everyone’s perfect vision requires a romantic soulmate, but Luke’s always been one to have a pack. And with Clary all grown up and a lot of his friends scattered since he switched professions, he’s become a little solitary, a little lonely.

He could fix that with a little searching if he wasn’t so damn stubborn.

Which brings Clary to the immediate subject matter she’s officially allowed to discuss once again after a yearlong vow of silence.

“So,” she says pulling back from her dad’s hug to hang up her coat and purse. “How are we going to track down your diner dame tonight?”

***

And there it is. Not even five minutes after she’s in the door she’s bringing up Luke’s ‘diner dame’ as Clary had aptly titled her on January first.

“I thought we’d already talked about this,” Luke sighs turning to head into the kitchen. Clary follows him refusing to let this go.

“We have,” she smiles cheerily as she lifts herself up onto the counter next to where he stands. “But that was months ago, and I agreed to your yearlong embargo. I haven’t mentioned it to you, or to anyone, not even Maia knows, but guess what? The years up.”

“Look kiddo, it was a chance encounter,” he says leaning his hip against the counter to face her.

“Bullshit.”

“Language.”

“I’m 24 years old, dad I can curse now,” Clary glares before soldiering on. “It wasn’t a chance encounter you said it yourself. Look, mom left us twelve years ago, I know that’s not what’s holding you back and you can’t use the excuse of having a teenage daughter to care for or your hectic schedule as an excuse anymore. You’re literally your own boss, so what’s up dad? Why not go after it?”

Luke sighs crossing his arms as he contemplates how to explain this to his daughter. It’s not that he doesn’t want to; on some level he does. But he’s a big believer in destiny and fate and he thinks that there’s a reason they hadn’t exchanged names or numbers that night. That it just wasn’t meant to be in the same way that he and Jocelyn were meant to be just so he could end up with Clary in his life.

He doesn’t say all that aloud to Clary however she’ll just call bullshit again.

“I’m fine where I’m at, I’m chasing my dream career,” he says moving closer to Clary even with her lifted up on the counter he’s still got an inch or two of height on her so he leans down and kisses her on forehead the same way he used to every night before she went to bed. “And I’ve got you. And Maia and some good friends and that’s all I need. I’m okay, kiddo.”

Clary huffs as Luke moves away from her.

“I know that, dad,” she says with just a hint of a whine. “But I also know that your lonely sometimes and the diner dame could be the love of your life.”

Luke just chuckles, “I’m afraid that’s you Clare-Bear.”

Clary rolls her eyes, whether the action is directed towards the sappy sentiment or the nickname he’s not sure. Either way she knows he speaks the truth. While having someone would be nice, and while it being the mystery woman who’d captivated him last year would be even nicer, he’s content to let the world take its course. If he sees her again one day, he sees her and if he doesn’t his life is still full. One lingering regret of never exchanging names won’t damper the good he has. Even if he does think about all the time.

“If it’s looking like a creepy man stalker that’s holding you back I can totally do all the searching, I’ll even knock on her door and tell her who you are, let her come to you of her own free will,” Clary says swinging her legs out from the counter a bit when he backs away.

He’s not worried about that. Well, not a lot. He was a cop for a long time, he knows what a woman thinks when a man she met once turns up at her door. Stalker. And he knows who she calls, the cops.

“Thanks for the offer, but it’s okay, if it’s meant to be, it’ll be,” he says which seems to get her to drop it even though she makes a huffing noise of disagreement he’s familiar with hearing her entire life when she thinks he’s being unreasonable.

He switches the subject after that asking after Maia and talking about the new gallery show she has a few paintings in next month. He’s immensely proud of her even though she plays it all off like it’s no big deal. Conversation about his mystery woman fades as their time together carries one, one on one time gets rarer as she gets older and his life becomes a different kind of busy with running a small business. He wants to cherish tonight, not be bogged down by thoughts of a grand what if romance even if, thanks to Clary and the day itself marking one year since the encounter, his diner dame isn’t straying far from his mind tonight at all.

***

Clary lets it go after a while. Allowing Luke to deny that he wants to try and find her. It might be an impossible task with the minimal information he has, but Clary’s a stubborn sort who’d be willing to try if he’d just let her.

But for now, she drops it, content to spend this daddy-daughter time with him cheesy childhood nicknames and baking cookies like they did when she needed a step stool to reach the counters and all.

It’s a while later when she receives word from Maia she’ll be running late and that a pair of tickets to the Edom Records party are on their way to them. She tells Luke about the new plan, seeing if he’s fine with it.

“As long as you and Maia are happy, I’m happy,” he acquiesces with a broad smile that always feels like home.

She smiles fondly down at her phone as she reads the next text from Maia sending back understanding and strings of heart emojis that she knows will make Maia beam.

“So, when are you gonna put a ring on it?” Luke says not looking up from where he’s plopping cookie dough on the tray in front of him. Clary’s eyes widen looking up at her dad.

“We don’t even live together, yet,” she says even though she’s very much been thinking about putting a ring on it for months now.

“So, doesn’t mean you can’t put a ring on it,” he chuckles continuing his task.

And she loves her dad deeply, but she doesn’t want to talk about it like this, not just yet she wanted to bring it up first. Now, she’s decided she needs to find a ring first, then she’ll come to him for advice on how to propose. That’s her new plan. He can’t just mess it up with his unprompted put a ring on it comments.

“When are you gonna take a chance and find your dream woman?” Clary fires back and maybe it’s a little underhanded, but she’s not above annoying her dad when it comes to his happiness.

He looks up at that sharply, annoyed, but with an undercurrent of fond frustration.

“Touché,” he says holding up his hands in surrender turning back to the cookie sheet.

She chuckles knowing he’s not mad, but still wishing he didn’t have a stubborn streak a mile wide. A stubborn streak she inherited as well.

***

Luke straightens the black tie around his neck in the mirror. While their gathering at home was intended to be a semi-formal couch surfing, he figured a record company party required him to at least throw on a pair of black pants instead of the jeans he was wearing with his white button up.

He contemplates Clary’s earlier words as he looks himself over in the mirror. He is happy he wasn’t lying when he said that to her. He’s got a good life. A good family and good friends. But aside from some unsuccessful dates over the years he hasn’t allowed himself a chance at love since Jocelyn. The truth of the matter is Jocelyn leaving the way she did kind of messed him up and he’s never really faced down the fact that while Clary mattered most, his decision to never get too serious with anyone was also the fear that they’d just leave one day too.

He's had to time to cope and move past it, to see that Jocelyn always had one foot out the door in a lot of ways, but the lingering feeling still rests in the back of his mind.

His diner dame was an incredible woman who seemed different and more thoughtful just after a few hours of interaction.

“Dad, you ready?” Clary shouts from the living room. He shouts an affirmative back grabbing his coat and joining his daughter ready to spend a night watching her beam with glee at the woman he can’t wait to call his daughter-in-law one day, even if Clary shoots him down when he brings it up. He can wait. He can wait for a lot of things.

***

Clary manages to steer their journey to the party right past the diner he spent his last New Year’s Eve in and what they find is a little disheartening. A pile of rubble now sits where there once was a tacky little restaurant.

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Luke says pulling her into his side for a light hug.

“I should be the one saying that,” Clary says kicking at the fenced off area with a sigh.

Luke just shrugs, “Maybe, but it’s no one’s fault. Like I said, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

Clary lets out another little disappointed sigh, turning away from the scene before them and pushing back into the crowded flow of pedestrians her dad’s arm linked tightly with hers.

***

The Edom records party is mind blowing. Clary can’t believe Maia is missing so much of this. The food made by some fancy chef is the best food she’s ever eaten in her whole life and she sort of wants to find a way to get rich and hire him on as her own personal chef.

There are famous faces all around. Their table a mix of random executives and their dates who look bored. A feeling Clary cannot fathom as a handful of popstars walk past her table and she grips her dads’ arm so he looks. He just shrugs clearly having no idea who any of these people are. Clary just rolls her eyes fondly.

Time moves past quickly and soon Magnus Bane and his ridiculously attractive band are taking the stage. The show is lively and upbeat and while Clary has always enjoyed his music that’s a constant on the radio, the performance tonight might turn her into his number one fan.

The performance ends on a slow track that clearly means a lot to the musician, his eyes focused on a point, on someone across the room almost the entire time. Once the show ends a DJ takes over and Clary grabs her dad’s hand requesting a dance even though he knows he hasn’t had nearly enough drinks tonight to do much more than spin her around like he did when she was little.

He laughs doing just that making a comment about how she’s still a shrimp which makes her reach out and punch him lightly on the arm. When they spin back around her dad freezes and Clary turns, Maia and her boss standing in front of them.

***

For a second Luke thinks he’s imagining her. That Clary’s words mixed with a couple glasses of champagne and the fact that this woman hasn’t strayed far from his mind all year have officially caused him to hallucinate.

He speaks, not totally certain of what he says and then becomes aware that this isn’t a hallucination when he spots Maia, eyes wide her mind seemingly in overdrive piecing something together, which makes him wonder if Clary did tell her despite his embargo.

Then his diner dame is stepping forward and holding out a hand with an introduction one year in the making.

Maryse Trueblood. A name just as striking and beautiful as the woman herself. They hold hands after a greeting shake that lasts a little longer than intended smiling softly to one another as off to the side Clary and Maia shuffle away speaking to each other quietly.

He doesn’t know what to say now that they’ve exchanged names. There’s so much to talk about, so much to learn, so many small world connections to make, but he’s so frozen by the fact that she’s here. Really truly here. That fate or destiny or whatever it is that he believes in actually did want them to find each other again.

“Your hairs down,” is the thing he blurts out eventually and he wants to hit himself upside the head. The complicated updo he remembered from last year is gone instead her long hair cascades across her shoulders and frames her gorgeous face. “It’s a good thing, I swear.” He adds trying to make something good out of his blurted words. “You’re beautiful,” he tags on the compliment meaning it so very much and she ducks her head down with a blush.

She looks back up her dark eyes meeting his and he smiles what is no doubt a shy thing. He feels like a teenager with a crush again. It feels nice.

“We should probably talk,” she says eventually gesturing to an empty table nearby. He nods holding out a hand to her and pulling out a chair for her to sit once they reach it.

***

Clary is confused. Or at least she is for a few minutes until things start clicking in to place. Until Maia starts telling her about where she’s actually been all evening and what she’s been doing.

The irony of her dad being barely two degrees away from his diner dame all this time baffles Clary completely. Eventually Luke and Maryse slip away talking animatedly at a table nearby as she and Maia sway completely out of time to the music.

She smiles, can’t seem to stop smiling as she catches a glimpse of her dad letting out a big laugh, his head thrown back from the corner of her eye. She believed her dad when he said he was happy, but now looking at him, looking a way she can never recall him looking with anyone she knows he’s about to be even happier.

And, she thinks, as she pulls Maia a little tighter to her. She’s going to be even happier as well.

***

Before he knows it, it’s nearing midnight as the band, minus the lead singer, take the stage.

They’ve covered so much ground already.

“I’ll be honest, I figured you forgot all about me, that our connection that night was just a fluke or instant burn away chemistry,” Maryse said to start the conversation and Luke was baffled while he was hesitant to be that guy who sought out a woman he met once he could never forget her. Could never understand how anyone could forget a woman like her. The other aspect, the fluke thing had worried him, but the second their eyes met on that dance floor moments before proved him wrong. He felt that same spark he had that night when he caught her hand as she tripped and felt electricity run up his spine. He’d replied with just that, which made her blush.

They’ve explained how they thought about each other all year along, about how this is a first for them both in some ways and the first in a long time for them both in every way, about the crazy twists and connections they have to tonight and to each other by a string of people.

“It feels like we could have met years ago,” she says with a little sigh.

“We met now,” he says with confidence. “That’s what counts. That we did meet.” She smiles a beautiful, bright smile in agreement.

He laughs when Maryse cracks a witty joke about their situation in a way he hasn’t laughed with anyone but his daughter in years and as she tucks her hair carefully behind her ears the twinkling lights of the room sparkling in her eyes, he knows it’s impossible, but he thinks he might be a little bit in love with Maryse Trueblood already.

“Looks like my son and Magnus figured things out,” Maryse muses as she takes a look at the stage, the countdown moments from beginning. Luke nods only learning minutes ago that Magnus Bane and her oldest son are romantically involved. She gestures to the stage. “That’s my girl, Isabelle. She probably absolutely hates that she has to do this and wants to kill Magnus, but is happy for him and Alec simultaneously.” She chuckles fondly, just thinking about her kids lighting her up from the inside out. It’s a thing he understands and knows they have in common when he looks over and sees Clary still tightly embraced with Maia looking so content.

As the room begins to count down, they both stand raising the glasses of champagne they’d been given moments ago and joining in soft smiles on both their faces, their eyes never leaving one another.

#clary fray #luke garroway #shadowhunters #shadowhunters fic #claia #luke x maryse #maryse lightwood #maia roberts #midnight tomorrow!!

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