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exouniverse · 5 months

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The Ultimate Party Planner/Partner

Pairing: chanyeol x gn reader

Genre: fluff, established relationship, shared birthday.

Warnings: none (but if you find anything, please let me know)

Summary: As you two share your birthday, Chanyeol and you make a playful bet—who can throw the best party for the other? With the help of the EXO crew, the competition is on. But as your care for one another makes your relationship reach new heights, you prove some bonds are stronger than any challenge.

Word count: 8,8K+

A/N: Ah it feels a tiny bit overwhelming to have posted this fic too late, but as I was saying… my life is a little chaotic right now with so many events and projects coming. I also couldn’t shorten the story so I had to keep writing until it felt right, and here it is now. But I’m so happy with the result, so yay! I had so much fun writing it. Happy (late) birthday Chanyeol!

Divider credit to @k1ssyoursister

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD

Chanyeol was easily lost in thought whenever you laughed. Your smile and laugh only brighten his days, lifting his spirits like a sunny morning after days of unstoppable rain. He had tried to deduce why so many times now, but it was hard to define. All he knew was that he wanted to witness it and be the cause of it as much as possible.

A voice called his name, sadly breaking his daydreaming about you. The voice came from Baekhyun; he had that signature smirk that usually meant he would drag him into some sort of mischief. “Earth to Yeol, come in, Yeol!” Baekhyun chuckled, snapping his fingers in front of Chanyeol’s face. “You back? Back me up, please, huh?”

“No, don’t!” Your voice pulled him in, and he smiled back at you.

“What’s going on? Should I back you up?” he asked you, making Baekhyun groan.

“You’re lost, Chanyeol-ah! If you back Y/N up, you’ll lose.”

You laughed again, and he was almost hypnotized, but Baekhyun looped an arm around his shoulders. “It’s true!” he exclaimed at you. “Don’t be cheeky, Y/N! He planned the best party of the year, right, Chanyeol-ah? I know that ‘cause it was mine.”

Chanyeol blinked in confusion; your laughter was still ringing in his ears, the melodic sound echoing in his mind. “Best party this year?” He wondered what the two of you could be talking about.

“I’m just saying, Jongdae’s party was so good that people still talk about it. I get calls from your friends asking for the DJ’s number and where to get the cake I bought for the party, and the venue has had a boost in bookings.”

Baekhyun almost accepted his defeat as Chanyeol became lost in you; he rolled his eyes dramatically and groaned loudly beside him. “Please, Yeol, I know you’re hopeless when it comes to Y/N, but try to keep up.” He smacked Chanyeol’s back, making him huff in pain.

“As I was saying,” Baekhyun continued, shooting you a playful glare. “I was telling Y/N here that you are the best party planner I know, but then this cheeky one here is claiming the title.”

“I can do better; I have done better, as stated earlier,” you kept teasing.

Chanyeol’s brow furrowed as the pieces slowly came together. Baekhyun was right in advocating for him, but you were only challenging the both of them. His competitive spark ignited as the cheeky grin on your lovely lips heightened his devious mind.

“Is that so?” He addressed you directly now, his eyes full of amusement, matching your cheekiness. He shifted in his seat, already plotting the best bet for you. “Jongdae’s party was legendary; I give you that. You helped enhance it a lot, but if you think you can outdo me, you’ll have to prove it,” he taunted with a mischievous wink.

You offered a daring smile; this bet was on. You would never back down from a challenge, and it intrigued you to know what he was plotting in his mind.

“Whose birthday is next?” Chanyeol asked Baekhyun, still holding your gaze.

Baekhyun attempted to check his calendar, but he quickly deduced the answer. “Yours, both of you,” he revealed. Baekhyun was enjoying it too much; at least his friends weren’t too cheesy about their budding relationship, and he could have fun with them.

“Oh, what a coincidence!” Chanyeol exclaimed, tilting his head to the side.

A knowing smile spread across your lips as comprehension dawned. "Double coincidence," you agreed, breaking eye contact shyly. Chanyeol found the action unbearably cute and almost faltered along with you.

Before you could give everything away, you looked at Baekhyun. "You might end up calling me to plan your party next year after all," you teased, confidence undimmed.

Baekhyun laughed heartily at your bold statement. "This is going to be good,” he said as he started drumming his fingers on the table. "May the best party planner—and partner—win!"

Just then, the doorbell rang, making you all jump in surprise. All of you almost forgot you were expecting Jongdae to arrive. Baekhyun jumped from his seat. “Right, my house, I’ll go get that.” He strode off down the hall, leaving you two at the table amidst excited chatter over the party competition.

“Are you ready to lose, hotshot?” you exclaimed as you looked back into Chanyeol’s piercing look. “Wait till you see what I’ve got up my sleeve.”

“I know you better than anyone; prepare to have your mind blown away.” Chanyeol grinned, excitement buzzing through him at the challenge before them. But more than that, he has a chance to impress you—to see that beautiful smile light up for him. This was a challenge he fully intended to win.

A comfortable silence fell as you both speculated on each other's potential plans, sizing one another up. You'd always loved this competitive side of Chanyeol, this fiery spirit that refused to back down. It only made defeating him all the sweeter.

Soon enough, Baekhyun returned with Jongdae in tow, interrupting your stare-off. "Alright, lovebirds, break it up. Dae, you're just in time,” he playfully raised his eyebrows, creating anticipation.

“Why? What’s going on? Why are these two looking like they could set each other on fire?”

“They’re planning each other’s birthday party as a challenge.” As Baekhyun quickly filled Jongdae in, you shared a secret smile with Chanyeol, amused by the situation you got yourselves into because of both of your competitive natures.

“Another challenge?” Jongdae asked. “Weren’t you two challenging each other on Overwatch a couple of weeks ago?”

The two of you laughed, reminiscing about your late nights playing at his house. “I won!” Chanyeol exclaimed, punching the air.

“I’ll need a rematch soon, though,” you requested, smiling at Chanyeol and reaching for his hand.

“These two live for a challenge; just look at them. This is going to be epic.” Baekhyun nudged Jongdae.

“What is the prize?” Jongdae asked an interesting question, causing both of you to look at each other curiously.

Baekhyun was faster than you with his answer. “Bragging rights as the ultimate party mastermind?” he suggested.

Jongdae let out a low whistle. “High stakes. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.” He looked at Chanyeol. “You’d better bring your A-game. Y/N’s a fierce competitor.”

Chanyeol chuckled and squeezed your hand. “Oh, don’t you worry, I know this one like the back of my hand.” Turning to Jongdae and Baekhyun, he said, “alright, gentlemen, I’m gonna need all the help I can get if I want to truly wow our Y/N here. Who’s with me?”

“What?” You exclaimed. “Help?”

“Okay, fair play. I think we could raise the stakes even more. What do you say we open it up for the rest of the gang, have them choose sides?”

“Chanyeol,” you said too quickly before you comprehended his request. “Wait… I like how that sounds.”

Chanyeol chuckled at your flustered reaction, loving how easily he could rile you up without trying. Opening the competition up to the members was surely going to make it even more entertaining.

Leaning in close, Chanyeol dropped his voice into a playful whisper. “Don’t worry, jagiya, I’ll still go easy on you.”

You rolled your eyes, interlacing your fingers with his and squeezing tightly. “In your dreams. Just you wait, I’ll get the best on my team.”

Chanyeol only laughed at the lovely gleam in your eyes. “Guys, you’re with me, right?” He asked, looking back at his friends.

“You got it, Yeol!” Baekhyun shouted and went to encourage Chanyeol, massaging his shoulders a little too harshly and giving you an apologetic smile. You just giggled as you squinted at him, while Chanyeol frowned, trying to hide the pain from Baekhyun’s pressure on his shoulders.

Jongdae smiled sheepishly, hesitating. “We can assemble the teams tomorrow after our meeting,” he suggested, earning time to share his decision.

“Yah, Jongdae! How are you not joining me immediately?”

“Sorry Chanyeol-ah, I believe in Y/N’s fierceness,” Jongdae said as he offered a high-five your way.

Chanyeol chuckled good-naturedly as Jongdae sided with you, not surprised at his choice. Your competitive fire and passion for planning are unmatched, and you two have known each other long enough after all—it was no wonder he wanted to join your squad.

Still, it stung a little to lose one of his closest friends so early in the game. He turned on his best puppy-dog eyes, pouting playfully. “Dae, you wound me.”

You only grinned, giving Jongdae’s shoulder a proud pat. He chuckled and shrugged at Chanyeol. “I’ve always had a soft spot for this silly troublemaker here.”

You looked back at Jongdae, still not fully understanding his words. “I’m gonna try to take that as a compliment.”

Baekhyun smiled at his team leader with pride. “We’ve got this, Yeol. We’ll get the members on our side easily.”

Chuckling, he offered a thankful nod for the vote of confidence, but his focus remained on you. Your smile almost sent him into a trance again. This was sure to be epic, and somehow he knew that no matter who emerged victorious, the real win would be to keep on witnessing your happiness and celebrating one more milestone with you by his side—sharing his birthday date with you was so exciting.

You stared at the screen showing the floor numbers going up to Chanyeol’s apartment. The excitement built up with every change, and you almost jumped out of the elevator when the doors opened to his floor. Every step you took was even more confident and joyous as you walked down the hall, giddy with anticipation for the fun you will all have assigning the teams for the challenge.

Your heartbeats speeded up as you heard the door opening just after one press of the doorbell. Chanyeol must have been as eager as you to begin the selection and see you again.

His smile was so bright when his eyes met yours. You embraced him in a warm hug and searched for his gaze, planting a tender kiss on his lips.

“Aw the lovebirds are too cute.” You heard Jongin’s voice behind Chanyeol. He was carrying a bowl full of popcorn, stealing some before anyone could.

“Jongin!” You shouted, moving away from Chanyeol to wrap your arms around the loveliest of the members. You had missed him dearly and didn’t know he would come.

“Oh, careful, the popcorn!” Jongin exclaimed, chuckling. “Aw, it’s so nice to see you, Y/N,” he squeezed you back.

“I was replaced so quickly,” Chanyeol commented, looking at you with a pout, jokingly.

“No, just in time. Otherwise, I would call it all off, and I can’t let that happen; I need to win this,” you smiled mischievously.

Chanyeol recovered his smile and wrapped around you again, resting his head on your shoulder and offering Jongin a small cheeky grin.

“You two are also crazy,” Jongin giggled.

Minseok’s voice called you all to the living room. You grinned as you slipped into the soft slippers waiting by the door, always so thoughtful of Chanyeol. Interlacing your fingers with his, you pulled him eagerly into the living room—Jongin trailing behind you as he kept stealing popcorn.

The joyful chatter and laughter welcomed you, and your smile only grew at the familiar faces gathered there already.

You quickly made your rounds, greeting each member with a tight hug. It had been too long since you had seen them all together. The energy was soon filled with anticipation for whatever was coming their way.

Once you settled beside Chanyeol on the couch, you started, “well, I believe it’s time to announce the reason why we gathered you all here.”

“Yeah, I didn’t say much before our meeting,” Chanyeol continued. “Y/N and I are—“

“Getting married?” Baekhyun interrupted, throwing the obvious cheesy joke, but he still managed to surprise Junmyeon and Sehun. The former had a surprised yet alarmed look on his face, while the latter was pure confusion, possibly even hurt that his hyung didn’t tell him before everyone else.

Chanyeol shook his head, shooting Baekhyun a playful glare before continuing. “Not quite yet… though who knows what the future may hold…” He trailed off meaningfully, giving your hand a gentle squeeze.

You could feel the tips of your ears heating up at the implication; its meaning was not lost on you. You cleared your throat, regaining focus, as you recollected your thoughts to explain to the group the playful challenge that brought you all together that evening.

Gasps and cheers erupted at the revelation, drawing a small giggle from both of you. You knew you had chosen the right people for the task. Scanning their lively faces, you witnessed their spirited encouragement for you both. Your gaze then met Chanyeol's, his eyes twinkling with amusement and affection as he squeezed your hand in support of addressing the lively crowd. Though nerves fluttered at the challenge before you, his encouraging smile steadied your resolve to see this joyful contest through.

Chanyeol pulled you closer to peck your cheek once the members awaited for you two to start the recruiting. His mischievous mind was already plotting ways to convince the members to join him. “The winning team gets bragging rights until the next get-together. Possibly some other goods and favors during the planning. So what do you say—who wants a spot on the champion squad?” Chanyeol rallied.

It almost seemed like cheating because of how he talked too convincingly, so you nudged him, trying to tickle him and throw him off his game. He did bring some arms up and laughter from the rest of the members.

“Not fair using gifts to get them on your side; you cheat!” You accused him playfully.

Chanyeol was still laughing on mute with your tickling. He managed to grab your wrists, struggling to catch his breath between giggles. “All’s fair in love and party planning, jagi.” Those dazzling eyes of his seemed to sparkle even brighter with amusement.

You couldn’t help but melt a little at his smile. Leaning in, you pressed a swift peck to his lips before pulling back with a shy smile as you heard the members’ whistles and teasing cheers. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Park,” you whispered.

Sehun made a weird, puking sound. “Ugh, you two, my eyes hurt! I might need some new sunglasses if you want me on your team.”

You flashed him a playful grin. “Aw, I think Sehunnie is only sour ‘cause no one’s showing him any love,” you teased, earning some laughs from the other members.

He scoffed, feigning his usual cool disinterest, but it was almost evident that suppressed laughter was hiding behind his irritated gaze. You were the only person in the world that Chanyeol knew that could withstand teasing Sehun and emerge unscathed. He took a little advantage of this fact and drew you closer, casually draping his arm around your shoulder. With a mischievous gesture, he pressed a smacking kiss on your cheek, causing you to squeal and playfully swat him away.

“You’ll always be our favorite maknae,” Chanyeol declared cheerfully.

Sehun simply rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. “Yeah yeah, just save the PDA for later, you saps. I really want my new pair of Ray Bans… and celebrate you two,” he mumbled the last words, but the slight quiver at the corner of his mouth betrayed the levity he was trying so hard to conceal.

The members erupted into renewed laughter and chatter once more. With your guidance, the debates over team selections began soon enough. Baekhyun, already on Team Chanyeol, was trying to win Kyungsoo over to their side.

You nudged Jongdae, your partner in crime, and he sat down next to Kyungsoo, offering a fist bump. Hesitating at first, he looked between Baekhyun and Jongdae with a flustered smile. Kyungsoo looked back at you and then at Chanyeol, a smirk forming in his mouth. It was a battle of looks, but an important one if any of you wanted to secure the Ace member you two seemed to have thought of. With his incredible knowledge and skills with food, he was surely the member you would fight over in the most passionate way. The rest of the members couldn’t help but notice the gazing battle before them, expectantly waiting for the outcome.

Kyungsoo seemed to find out in that moment that he could be the MVP you two were looking for. He held his gaze with Chanyeol, but his smirk didn’t fade away as he responded to Jongdae’s fist bump request. “This is the winning team,” he decided. “I’m with Y/N all the way,” he said, looking back at you with an honest smile yet offering a mischievous wink.

A collective gasp rose at Kyungsoo’s declaration. You caught Chanyeol’s gaze with a smug grin, already envisioning the victory feast you would have in your hands with Kyungsoo on your team.

However, Chanyeol wasn’t giving up that easily. “C’mon, Kyungsoo-ya, with those skills of yours, you’ll be our real MVP. We’ll have a whole spread just for you.”

Kyungsoo was not that convinced yet, but it seemed his resolve did waver when Baekhyun began pleading unashamedly. “Please, please, please. You’ll have whatever you want. I won’t bother you in the least; you’ll have all the calm you—“

Amused with Baekhyun, you had to intervene, sliding in on Kyungsoo’s other side and resting your arm on his shoulders. “Don’t listen to their lies, Soo. You know I’ll treat you like the king you are, right, Jongdae?”

Your right-hand man chimed in effortlessly. “Only the finest ingredients and treatment for our Soo.”

The members were more than entertained by Kyungsoo’s recruiting between you and Chanyeol. A wholehearted chuckle rumbled from Kyungsoo’s chest as he patted your hand. “Flattery will get you anywhere, I see. Alright, consider me recruited for Team Y/N!”

Chanyeol shot a playful pout at you, which you returned with a wink. “Thank you, Soo! I promise you a sweet victory over those two.”

“Traitor!” Baekhyun crossed his arms theatrically. “You’ll pay for your betrayal with mediocre snacks.”

Kyungsoo simply raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “If you’re that worried, maybe you picked the wrong team.”

Laughter rose up at the cheeky retort. You simply beamed, already buzzing with plans and partnerships. With Kyungsoo secured, you only had a couple of key members left to convince.

You scanned the circle, looking for Junmyeon, who stood on the other side, observing the exchanges with fond amusement. But in that moment, Jongin caught your attention as he raised his hand to speak up. Chanyeol encouraged with a nod of his head, and everyone turned their focus towards him. “How will you know which party planner truly wins if the other ends up having the best party either way?”

A collective murmur of agreement resonated through the group. Jongin had a valid point, prompting you to share a meaningful look with Chanyeol as you pondered over the dilemma. He grinned suddenly. “I’ve got it! We can’t plan and ask for each other’s input or interference, so until our day, we reveal the parties simultaneously without seeing each other’s plans in advance.”

You snapped your fingers, reading his mind. “And we nominate an impartial judge to decide which event was better planned and executed overall. No bias from us at all.”

“They are so in sync, these two.” Baekhyun seemed to be in a full-on teasing mood, beaming at the shared love in your gazes.

“Baekhyun-ah, you’re going to make Sehun puke for real,” Chanyeol said between giggles.

“You two could seriously stop with the PDA though,” Sehun snarked, rolling his eyes while he hid a smile.

“They are cute though,” Minseok commented.

You took a deep breath to stop your laughter, thanks to their chatter. “Anyways, great catch, Jonginie. You might be team captain material after all.”

He ducked his head shyly, but his eyes shone with pride. A hush fell as all eyes turned expectantly back to you and Chanyeol.

“Then what do you say, Nini? Care to join my team?” Chanyeol asked.

Jongin gave it a small thought, looking between you two. “Yeah! Peer pressure and all,” he chuckled at Baekhyun’s crazy look directed at him.

Chanyeol’s smile shined bright. You beamed at him, letting him win this one. “Sorry, Y/N, but I promise to make sure you love your party. Count me as some kind of ally on the other side full of clowns.” Jongin offered you an apologetic bowl of popcorn.

“This is some type of scheme; look, Chanyeol!” Sehun said after witnessing Jongin whispering at you. Jongin just walked towards Chanyeol as he giggled.

“I take it you’re joining Chanyeol,” you assumed, playfully squinting at him.

“Well, the decision is really simple… you have a cool and fun advantage, but I really want those Ray Ban sunglasses, so I’ll remain loyal to Chanyeol hyung.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, almost regretting his bribing, but he was securing himself a fun team for the party planning. You darted your eyes back to Junmyeon and Minseok; there had to be a way to get both of them on your team.

Junmyeon still watched on serenely, taking in all of the energy, while Minseok conversed quietly with Kyungsoo. You were so proud of your team, sneakily drawing the best members to side with you. You focused on Junmyeon, flashing a charming smile. “Leader-nim, you haven’t committed to a team yet. Care to lend your impeccable taste and wisdom to Team Y/N?”

Chanyeol cut in swiftly. “Hyung hyung! You know you want to be where the fun is; just come over here!”

Junmyeon chuckled. “Both sides make compelling cases…” His eyes twinkled playfully.

Minseok spoke up suddenly. “I’m team Y/N! I’m convinced by your amazing recruiting skills, that can only translate into great leadership.” He winked in your direction, accompanied by a bright smile. “Also, you might need some muscle,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows as he playfully showed his biceps, only to shy away with a giggle.

You pouted, moved by his encouragement. “Thank you so much, Minseok! You’re the obvious wildcard with all of your talents.”

Chanyeol could only beam at the entire interaction. He really wanted his hyung on his team, but seeing how you managed to convince him, he just let it be. Witnessing how his friends accepted you was worth more than anything; the respect that Minseok’s words had for you was quite moving.

“Are you not pitching in, jagi?” you asked, and he simply shook his head. “Well, Junmyeon. You’re a package deal, right? Minseok chose Team Y/N; are you in too?” You held on to Jongdae’s arm, expecting the leader’s answer.

“Don’t forget about me, hyung! We got this, but we need our fearless leader.”

Junmyeon’s smile was unbreakable. “You two are meant for each other, no doubt, huh?” He looked at his hand, pondering for a little while, until he met your hopeful gaze with his signature calm. “I believe in Team Y/N.”

His words sparked elation among your already lively squad. He approached cautiously, but you enveloped him in a tight hug, feeling his quiet laughter rumble through his chest.

Pulling back, you searched for Chanyeol’s eyes across from you. He was so pure, smiling like that, radiating pride and joy. Crossing over to him, you extended a hand, which he delicately grasped, tugging you in as he wrapped his arms around you. You felt the soft wool of his sweater against your cheek, and his heartbeat resonated in your ears louder than the cheers from the members around you two.

Chanyeol's bright eyes crinkled into crescents as he tapped your back gently. "You pulled a great team together, congrats!" He giggled softly into your embrace before reluctantly letting go.

You met his shining gaze, getting lost in the warmth and affection reflected there. Leaning in, you pressed a swift kiss to his awaiting lips, eliciting whoops and hollers from the members watching on. As you broke apart, grinning like fools, his hands lingered on your arms a moment more before dropping away all too soon.

"May the best team win, Yeollie. I'll see you at the finish line!" With one last grin, you turned to rejoin your squad, heart soaring.

This challenge lit a new fire within you. With the inspiration of your team and Chanyeol's love and support behind you, there was no way you could lose. The party was sure to be one for the ages.

You and Chanyeol sat side by side under the dark blue sky; your crocheted blanket that he gifted you once when you were just catching feelings for him was over the two of you. Winter felt nearer every single night because of how cold the evenings were becoming, yet it occurred to you both to go out and see the city view from the rooftop of your apartment’s building, with Namsan Tower in the distance perfectly adjusted in the landscape.

Comfortable silence embraced you as you reflected on everything that brought you to this specific moment in time together. The past couple of days were surely fun to spend with his dear members. You had missed each other though, so you decided to have a night in to distract you from all the planning and dedicate time to each other.

Noticing your boyfriend’s pensive smile, your heart grew curious, but it also swelled at seeing him so serene. You were sure this was what you wanted to see every single moment—the genuine purpose that had driven you all along. Yet pride lingered too in all of the plans already set in motion and the efforts of beloved souls. To call off the challenge now seemed unfair when the group had already rallied; you realized that harmony can rule where care guides the way.

Next to you, Chanyeol marveled at your radiant glow, shining brighter than any festivity ever could. He let out a soft sigh, quiet but content. He felt reassured that the thoughts occupying his mind lately were the right choice to make.

The chill night air nipped at his fingers as he gazed over the city, but his heart felt warm and cozy under the blanket with you. So much has changed since the days when a glance from you sent his pulse racing; now your mere presence at his side brings calm. Turning, he took your hand in his, rubbing gently to warm it.

You peered at his thoughtful face, exquisitely brightened by the moonlight and the city lights. There was a calmness in his eyes that you were just now discovering, but it filled you up with so much reassurance.

“So Yixing called me today,” Chanyeol started, whispering.

You stopped his hand with a squeeze and searched for his eyes with a small giggle. “We’re not supposed to share any insights, jagi.”

He chuckled, pulling you closer in a warm embrace. “I’m not, I’m not. He just wanted to say that he would come and be the judge.”

“Oh you couldn’t recruit the gentle heart of his,” you giggled.

He gasped and squeezed you tighter. “Don’t tease me, or I’ll look for payback.”

“Like I can’t take it,” you said daringly.

Chanyeol’s look was filled with mischief. Wrapping both arms snugly around your waist, he pulled you closer still until your faces were mere inches apart. “Oh, you think you’re so tough, hm?” he chuckled, low and rumbling.

Your entire body felt lighter somehow, and the smile forming at the corner of your lips was so genuine. You leaned and nuzzled his nose, getting a nervous giggle out of him. He was truly enchanted by this lighthearted side of yours.

Gathering back his courage, he tightened his grip on you, causing you to squirm and burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Your laughter proved infectious, and he eventually found himself lying down, clutching his belly. Following suit, you allowed yourself to collapse at his side, resting your head on his chest and basking in the warmth of his body and the melodic sound of his laughter.

As you gazed up at him, your eyes locked for a brief moment before you leaned in, bringing your lips together in a passionate kiss and indulging in a fleeting moment of fiery connection.

Breaking up the kiss, Chanyeol chuckled softly. “I have to leave; I don’t want to.”

It was impossible to hold back your laughter, knowing the feeling all too well. Reluctantly pulling yourself from his embrace, you took his hand and gazed into his eyes, alight with care and tenderness even when you knew he had to leave.

“Then don’t,” you whispered, a playful smile teasing at your lips.

He giggled in return, interlacing his long fingers with yours. “As much as I’d love to stay right here with you always, duty calls pretty early tomorrow morning.” He placed a quick kiss on your forehead. “But I will be counting the moments until I can see you again.”

When he allowed himself to be affectionate and lighthearted, you couldn't resist falling even more deeply for him. Standing up, you extended a hand to help Chanyeol rise to his feet, both of you reluctant to break contact just yet. He retrieved the blanket and guided you back indoors, never once releasing your hand.

Still filled with reluctance, you shared one last lingering kiss before parting ways. Closing the door of your apartment slowly, you couldn’t help but hope that he might change his mind and decide to stay. However, you knew that his care for you would remain, even when he was not physically there. Climbing into bed, a sense of contentment washed over you as you treasured the precious and much-needed moments of intimacy that you two had shared.

The next afternoon, you reunited with your team for the last in-person party planning meeting since they were all pretty busy with their work schedules.

The previous night had given you so much clearance about what you really wanted to do. The members had the best ideas, and you all had pre-planned some of them, so it was time to decide which one would take flight for the challenge and win that precious title. But your heart joined you slowly and changed your perspective.

It was Jongdae who noticed your pensiveness. Approaching carefully, he smiled at you. “Someone on your mind?” He whispered, aware of the echo that the meeting room he managed to get for you all created.

You chuckled silently, taking a look at the rest of your team busy on their notebooks and cellphones. “You could say so,” you whispered back at your friend.

“You know, Minseok and I managed to get in contact with a drone show service. We still don’t know if they would take it to the yacht party,” he chuckled, conscious of how all those words together sounded. Your team had some crazy ideas for sure, all for the fun of past full-on competitive brainstorming sessions.

Junmyeon walked towards you with a solution in mind for the games/gaming theme party idea you had between your options. “Y/N! My friend from the set design department has some chess pieces we can use for the decoration. They’re giant, wanna see—“

He also noticed the difference in your smile. “Have you decided on the 1 Billion Views theme?” he asked.

“Y/N’s gotten distracted by a little—not little, someone,” Jongdae taunted, projecting his voice to fill the entire room. The sound made Kyungsoo and Minseok look your way, eliciting affectionate coos and chuckles from them.

“Guys, it’s not—what you think, I mean…” you trailed off, giggling. “Come, let’s have a little chat,” you requested.

Minseok and Kyungsoo approached, sitting in front of you at the table. They waited patiently for you to continue while you peeked at their notes and yours, happy to have had the best party planning team on your side. You sighed, realizing there was something bigger calling at you from deep inside.

“I know I’ve delayed the decision a bit. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think… I think it would be best to keep it a little simpler.” The look on their faces didn’t change much; they were still paying attention. If there was any surprise in their eyes, they knew how to hide it pretty well.

“I have loved our interaction as a team; I couldn’t ask for a better one. There’s just a little something, a little voice that has been telling me to not go crazy with Chanyeol’s party.”

“What do you want to do then, Y/N?” Minseok wondered, showing you a caring smile. The rest of the guys had the same look, showing their care.

“We will probably not win this, but I don’t want all of those flashy things for his party. I want Yeollie's day to reflect all the love and joy he's brought to our lives simply by being himself. His generous spirit, his caring heart—that's what's most deserving of honor.”

“I’m in,” Kyungsoo encouraged.

You smiled at him, and the others agreed to the change wholeheartedly. “Yixing will be the judge; you can still win this,” Minseok commented, making all of you chuckle.

In another meeting room within the building, Team Chanyeol was enthusiastically planning your party, fueled by Chanyeol’s infectious energy. This fun team had all the chemistry needed for the best rave anyone could ask for, but they had been changing plans since two weeks ago.

More bribery had been required to get Sehun to agree to Chanyeol’s change of heart, but he eventually came around and eagerly joined his hyung in orchestrating the most endearing and romantic surprise for you.

As the meeting came to a close, Chanyeol felt his heart near-bursting with gratitude for his amazing team. They shed the initial rave plans, but their eyes still brimmed with enthusiasm, now transformed into a deeper purpose.

"Alright guys, I think that about does it for now," he announced, beaming around at their eager faces. "We've put together something truly special that I know Y/N will love."

Baekhyun slung an arm around Chanyeol’s shoulder, grinning mischievously. "And maybe if we play our cards right, a certain someone will finally work up the courage to—"

Chanyeol cut him off with a playful punch, feeling his cheeks flush at the implication. But maybe, just maybe, he had a point buried in his teasing. This night could be about new beginnings as well as celebrating what has already blossomed so beautifully between you and him.

Sehun must have sensed his distraction, clearing his throat loudly. “So, are we telling Y/N about this change or keeping it a surprise?”

Smiling softly, he shook his head. “No need to tell. I want it to be a complete surprise when Y/N sees what we’ve done. This isn’t about winning or losing anymore; I just want it to be special for Y/N.”

“I knew this was going to happen,” Jongin commented with a knowing smile on his face. “He can’t help it! He sometimes lets Y/N win at their challenges.”

“I don’t—“ He tried to object, but he knew that he had done it before. But you are unstoppable and a great competitor.

His friends couldn’t resist teasing him. "Alright, fine, you got me," he laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll admit Y/N is a tough opponent, and it's hard not to go soft sometimes with that gorgeous grin."

Baekhyun snickered gleefully while Sehun pretended to gag, earning a playful shove from Chanyeol in return. But beneath the humor, a warm fondness swelled in his chest at the thought of you—your smile, your spirit, the way you somehow always made him want to be better.

Sobering slightly, he continued. "Seriously though, guys, Y/N means the world to me. This is about showing Y/N how much I care."

Jongin shot him a knowing wink and a thumbs up. Chanyeol grinned sheepishly, nerves and excitement dancing hand in hand at the prospect. Then, shaking himself back to the present, he clapped his hands decisively.

He beamed at his teammates, his heart filled with gratitude and love. "Now come on, boys, we've got a party to prepare!"

A sense of excitement coursed through both of you as you walked hand in hand down the hallway. You heard how Chanyeol took a deep breath and felt his fingers tenderly squeezing yours.

His eyes had shined so brightly when he looked at you earlier. He stumbled, and his jaw nearly hit the floor. You were proud of yourself to be able to keep making him flustered. You couldn’t talk much either, because when you caught a glimpse of him across the room, your breath caught in your throat and your eyes widened as you smiled wider.

Part of you wanted to just linger in that intimate bubble you had created together in the hallway, but another part wanted to see what surprise lay behind the party room doors. Chanyeol had that look—the one where his smile could only form crescents on his eyes. You knew whatever awaited you inside would be magical.

Nothing could have prepared you two for the astonishing scene that greeted you as you entered. The love and warmth that flooded the room nearly swept you off your feet. You were overwhelmed with gratitude for each cherished friend and family member who came to celebrate this special day with the both of you.

Reluctantly letting go of Chanyeol's hand, you made your way through the crowd, embracing everyone with hugs and smiles. Their well-wishes and affection meant the world.

When you two finally reconnected in the center, you turned to Chanyeol with shining eyes. "So, ready for a tour of your birthday party?” You held his hand. “I really hope you like it; that’s all that matters to me now.”

The real reason for your words passed him by because of the excitement deep within him for his plans for your birthday party, but he nodded eagerly as he smiled warmly.

Yixing approached you both. “Is it okay if I accompany you two while you check the parties?” he asked a little bashful, knowing it would be awkward to have him around while you shared your feelings poured out in all of the planning choices for each of your birthday parties.

“It’s fine, Yixing! You’re the judge after all,” you accepted, offering him a kind smile.

As you guided them both, Chanyeol gasped in delight at each thoughtful detail in the decoration that your team came up with. The games he loved playing decorated the room, a star projector enhanced the mood, and food and drinks were inspired by the games he loved the most.

But it was the dance floor that truly left him speechless—an interactive mat where guests could join in the music. As he tested it out, his enjoyment enhanced as he heard songs from his favorite artists and games represented. The guests around him cheered at him, and he spread some high-fives.

“Y/N, this is too amazing! How did you manage to plan something so perfect?” He breathed, taking your hands in awe.

“Your friends were key factors in the planning. They had the craziest ideas.” Your smile radiated warmth, and Chanyeol wrapped you in a tight embrace. You saw your crew and mouthed a thank you towards them, in case you hadn’t said it enough.

You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. “There’s one last surprise,” you said, smiling back at Yixing.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened expectantly. “Show me!” he exclaimed excitedly, and you led him towards a red arcade-like machine decorated with musical notes, guitars, drums, and pianos.

Chanyeol had to hold on to you for balance because of the amount of joy that radiated from his face at seeing a familiar character on the screen—it was him, rendered lovingly in pixelated form.

“Y/N… is this for real? Does it work?”

“Yes, it does,” you answered, pressing the play button. “Minseok knew this game creator who helped us with this mini adventure game with you in it. I hope you like it.”

Heart swelling with affection, he couldn’t help but pull you into a tight hug, followed by a kiss on your forehead. “Are you kidding? This is the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me!”

You planted a kiss on his lips before your team approached to hear what Chanyeol thought about his gift. Chanyeol hugged each member, not being able to contain his euphoria.

It was his time to show you the party that he planned, but the game seemed too interesting not to play it right away. “Thank you all again. This is—this means the world to me,” he beamed, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “Do you mind if I play through just a bit before we continue?”

You couldn’t help but laugh brightly. “Of course, take your time! I’ll be waiting when you’re ready.”

With that, he eagerly ventured into the pixelated quests alongside his virtual self, grinning wider with each level completed. From the corner of his eye, he saw you chatting happily with Yixing and Junmyeon, radiating warmth and care.

The game ended all too soon, but he came out victorious. He took another look at you. The game was fun, but his plans were more exciting. Chanyeol approached your group with a smile on his face and tenderly held your hand in his. “That was even better than I imagined,” he sighed happily.

He turned to Yixing. “I believe it’s my turn now.”

Yixing smiled knowingly. “Cool! Let’s go check what magic you’ve conjured for Y/N’s special day.”

Chanyeol winked at you and led you to the other side of the room. You had peeked a little when you arrived and while Chanyeol played with the video game, but it was even better to experience it fully.

Light beams danced upon the walls, matching the colorful LED light decorations; all of the food and drinks glowed in neon-like colors, but it was the photo booth that surprised you the most.

“Care to try it with me?” Chanyeol asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

You nodded eagerly and stepped into the cozy photo kiosk. Chanyeol grabbed two flashlights and offered you one before he dimmed the lights down.

He kissed your cheek on the way. “Do you remember the light painting exhibition we saw months ago? It gave me an idea.”

“No way this works for real,” you exclaimed.

“I know, let’s try!”

You doodled around with the flashlight, but Chanyeol seemed to have something in mind based on how precise his movements were. As you exited the booth, Yixing took the photo strip with a sweet smile directed towards you two.

“You two are something else; you should check this out, Y/N.” Yixing handed you the prints.

Tears of delight pooled in your eyes as you finally saw what Chanyeol was so focused on drawing with the flashlight: “You’re my light,” writing each word in each picture and a heart for the last one. Yixing found it endearing that you also drew a heart for the last picture, with an arrow on the side pointing towards Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol…” you breathed, gazing upon him with all the affection overflowing your soul. Words could not capture what he meant to you and the magical moment you found each other in. Smiling softly, emanating that same light he described you to be for him, he stopped the little tear about to fall down your cheek.

A chorus of “awwws” caught your attention as Team Chanyeol approached behind you. Even Sehun was cheering for you, but he didn’t let go of the opportunity to playfully roll his eyes at you when he caught your gaze.

Their care for you in that moment meant everything. You smiled and joyfully welcomed Baekhyun and Jongin’s embrace. But Chanyeol softly pulled you close once more, needing more of your moment together. His eyes shone just for you.

“This is lovely, but we’re still in a challenge that needs to crown a winner,” Baekhyun teased, giving you a small wink.

“I believe the true winner is obvious,” you teased back, mirroring his gesture.

“I-I’m not ready… was I supposed to decide now?” Yixing asked, making you all chuckle.

Chanyeol placed a hand on Yixing’s shoulder. “Not yet, man. Whenever you’re ready,” he clarified. “But for now, let’s have fun!”

With that, Chanyeol and you made your way to the dance floor, dancing under the lights. Your friends gathered close, sharing laughter and jokes wherever you were.

As the music flowed through you, all else fell softly away; only the joy of the moment shared with the one you dearly considered as your person remained. Chanyeol's smiling eyes held galaxies of warmth within which you were happy to lose yourself time and again.

Letting go of the challenge and only planning the party to make Chanyeol happy made you forget about the prize. Seeing him happy and having the most fun he could on his special day with the people he loved the most was the reward you didn’t know you were looking for. Although the competition brought you all there, it was the bond you all shared that made each moment sweet.

Chanyeol and you were lost in competition over Tekken when Jongin approached and whispered something in Chanyeol’s ear. Jongin flashed a warm smile in your direction before making his way back.

You looked at Chanyeol, wondering what was going on, but he grabbed your hand before you could speak up. “Come,” he said softly.

Intrigued, you followed him to the opposite side of the room. Near the photo booth, there was some sort of window that he seemed to have covered so the light from outside wouldn’t enter the room. It seemed completely reasonable because it could have made it difficult for the light painting in the photos to work. But when he moved the curtain and opened the door—not window—a balcony with a set of stairs decorated with fairy lights surprised you.

For starters, you didn’t even know that your venue had a balcony. Jongdae and Minseok had come to check it out with Chanyeol because you had been busy that day.

Your heart fluttered, filled with expectations. You glanced back at him with questioning eyes, and his shined brighter than any light decoration in the room. The warmth of his hand holding yours was calming; his thumb brushed the back of your hand, inviting you outside with a little squeeze.

You followed him up the spiral stairs until you reached the rooftop. The view of a cozy seating area and the gentle, chilly breeze enveloping you caused you to seek out Chanyeol’s comforting presence, yearning for his warmth.

Chanyeol's secret paradise took your breath away. With lights glowing softly all around, it was as if stardust itself had sprinkled down upon that rooftop nook just for the both of you. It seemed like his message on the light painting photos was not at all random.

His giggle caught your attention, and as you looked at him, you realized you both had played the same game all along, but he still continued to amaze you, heart and soul.

“I had one last surprise, for your eyes only,” he simply said as he led you to the cozy nest of beanbags, his guitar waiting alongside your private feast. Joy and gratitude swelled within your heart.

“One last surprise, you say?” Smiling softly, you traced his cheek. “Yeollie, being here with you is the greatest gift of all. You’ve given me magic where I least expected to find it.”

His signature simple, nervous smile never failed to melt your heart. As he leaned to steal a kiss, you couldn’t help but grin at his adorable, flustered ways. “I… have something,” he said as he grabbed his guitar and gestured for you to take the beanbag next to him. “I’ve been working on a song for you.”

You settled in with eager eyes fixed on his handsome face. As he strummed those first soft chords, he captured your gaze, making you feel as if nothing else existed in the world besides the music flowing between you two. And when he finally started singing, his velvety voice and heartfelt words engulfed you completely.

You leaned into him, tracing patterns along his back while grinning at the way he watched you from the corner of his eyes, full of care.

The song drifted softly away, leaving only the sounds of the city below and your mingled breaths in the cool night air. You turned then to find Chanyeol watching you still, a question in his eyes that held its own beauty.

Reaching up, you traced the curve of his lips, feeling his breath hitch. "Chanyeol... that was the most beautiful song I’ve heard, and it-it means so much that you wrote it just for me,” you whispered, struggling a little to speak between tears of joy. “You’re my genius songwriter."

He hurried to dry your tears, making you giggle. The emotions were becoming clearer within you, and your palm found its place over his beating heart. His hand closed over yours and intertwined your fingers. “You have no idea how happy I am to see how much my song moved you, jagiya."

He lowered his gaze for a second as he took a deep breath before he looked into your eyes once more. “You are my whole world. And I love you, Y/N."

Joy overflowed within you as your heart swelled almost to the point of bursting. Hearing those words from him for the first time since you met him compares to nothing else in the world. Your heart found solace, and your face radiated a brilliance that outshone all the lights around you. Raising his knuckles to your lips, you met his expectant smile. "I love you too, Yeollie. With all of me," you whispered.

A gentle smile spread across Chanyeol's face as he gazed lovingly into your eyes. He reached up to cradle your cheek, brushing away the remnants of your tears with his thumb.

Leaning in, he planted a gentle kiss on your forehead before slowly resting his own against it, relishing the intimate connection. Your hand continued to rest firmly over his racing heart, filling him with a comforting warmth and deep appreciation for the love you both cherished.

"I meant every word, you know," Chanyeol murmured. "You truly are my whole world. From the moment I met you, I was a goner. Your smile, your laugh, your beautiful soul—you stole my heart completely without even trying."

Reaching up to cup your cheeks in his hands, Chanyeol sealed his declaration with a lingering kiss, pouring all of his adoration and passion into the tender moment you shared under the moonlight. In the warmth of your embrace, you both uncovered the ultimate reward that lay at the heart of your spirited party planning endeavors—it all began and concluded with love.

Epilogue

“Alright guys! Are you ready for the real party planning showdown between Chanyeol and Y/N?” Chanyeol announced, looking at all of the faces of his friends before him.

“I hope you don’t end up proposing this time or anything,” Sehun commented, and you threw a marshmallow at him.

“Behave, Sehun. We already know you love us; no need for snarky comments, dork.” You shut him up, earning giggles from the rest of the members. You glanced at Chanyeol and stole a quick kiss from his lips.

“Yixing, hyung, are you ready to choose a team this time? These two are fierce!” Jongdae asked him, knowing that last time he had a difficult time choosing between you two and ended up declaring it a tie. Considering what went down on your birthday, everyone accepted it. Yixing himself suggested making the challenge all over again so your own feelings wouldn’t get in the way and leave him with a tough decision.

“I’m really not sure, but this seems more fun than judging,” Yixing replied.

“This time it is my birthday, so I will be the judge,” Kyungsoo said, giggling at Yixing’s expression. “Don’t worry, hyung, just choose Y/N’s team!”

“Oh, oh, this judge has some strong bias; should we truly trust him?” Baekhyun pointed out teasingly.

Jongin was pure laughter beside you, while Minseok tried to intervene. “Kyungsoo knows what he’s talking about, but it could be fun switching teams for this challenge.”

“I would love to be on Y/N’s side this time around,” Jongin commented.

Before more silly debates continued, Junmyeon raised his hand, trying to calm everyone. “Guys, let’s start with the recruiting! We have a chef to impress this time,” he said calmly, draping his arm around Kyungsoo.

“Are you ready?” Chanyeol looked at you with a warm smile.

“Oh, you bet, jagiya!” you exclaimed, offering a fist bump his way. He responded and sealed it with a kiss on your knuckles.

Baekhyun cleared his throat and signaled for everyone to join his chant. "May the best party planner—and partner—win!" You all exclaimed in unison.

#chanyeol #park chanyeol #chanyeol fanfic #chanyeol fic #chanyeol fluff #happy birthday chanyeol #chanyeol birthday #exo #exo fanfiction #exo fanfic #exo fluff #birthday fic #exouniverse

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everlarkficexchange · 3 years

Text

On the Other Side of the Fence

Prompt 13: Katniss is “just one of the guys” and the only girl in school who’s never been asked for a date by any of these guys. One day she’s “discovered” by a modeling agency and whisked to the Capital. She returns 3-months later with a new look, new found confidence, and cash. How will Peeta deal with the new Katniss and all the attention she gets from everyone? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Author: @jhsgf82

Rated: T

Word Count: 5,713

Author Note: In-Panem AU, no games. The class distinctions between Seam and Merchant are still there but aren’t quite as prominent, so Seam and Merchant sometimes hang out together; although, some folks do still have prejudices. Also, Mr. Everdeen is alive! So, this became more about the childhood love story between Katniss and Peeta than the modeling, at least this part, but I hope you still enjoy my take on this prompt. This will be a Part 1 of 2, and it will be posted on A03 under my account as well as on the EFE A03 collection page. Edit by @mrspeetamellark. Thank you, thank you! I love the fan casts for older K and P!

P.S. I’ve been listening to Ruelle’s “I Get to Love You” quite a bit while writing this, and it’s giving me major Everlark feels, particularly for this story, so let’s call it the theme song for this fic.

Part I

Peeta’s POV “Wait up, Katniss!” Peeta chased after Katniss as fast as his skinny twelve-year-old legs could carry him.

But Katniss Everdeen was like a bird, free-spirited and not to be caged, and when she set her mind to something, more than likely, she was going to do it.

Peeta loved that about her.

Today, Katniss had gotten it into her pretty head to climb to the top of the apple tree in his backyard. When she’d found out his mother wouldn’t be home, she’d thought it’d be the best time.

They played in secret, for Peeta’s mother had clearly expressed her dislike and distrust of Seam kids, plenty of times. Merchant Circle kids and Seam kids didn’t usually interact, but Peeta had no problem with those from the Seam, and he especially loved being around Katniss. He didn’t see the big deal, honestly. So what if they lived on the outskirts of town? So what if they didn’t have as much money‒Peeta was used to eating stale bread and leftovers, anyway. Not to mention, Katniss and her father’s squirrels had made many a dinner for his family. He wondered if his mother knew where they came from, for it was always his father or him who did the trading.

Peeta didn’t get to see Katniss as often as he would like‒he was almost always stuck at the bakery, and rarely unsupervised‒but times with her were his favorite times. Sometimes they were alone, which he preferred, but other times, they hung out with her small group, consisting of Thom, Gale, and occasionally, her sister, Primrose.

As if his life (or hers) depended on it, Peeta raced to catch up to Katniss. She was already three or four branches up when he made it to the tree. Unfortunately, he was running so fast that he didn’t stop quick enough, and…Thwap! He smacked his head against a low branch.

“Peeta!” gasped Katniss from her perch. “You okay?!”

“Fine!” he called up. He rubbed his forehead, feeling like a complete idiot. It smarted a bit, but his pride was far more wounded.

As if preparing her, Peeta shouted, “I’m coming up!” And then he reached out for the lowest, sturdiest-looking branch he could find. He wasn’t quite sure how this would work. He’d never climbed a tree before, and it looked tough. Katniss was small and nimble, but he was bulkier. He wasn’t completely uncoordinated, but he was much better at lifting things than doing anything requiring agility or balance. Even so, he had to try. And so, he found his footing and pushed himself up.

Turned out, his upper body strength (from lifting sacks of flour) came in handy in getting him up the tree. But there were two problems: One, his footing. And two, the relatively young apple tree wasn’t quite liking his size, and some of the thinner branches were bending under his weight.

“You’re almost there, Peeta,” urged Katniss, and all he could see was her encouraging smile. He reached out to take her hand for a boost but felt his shoe slipping against the bark. And then, his body weight and that thing called gravity were pulling him downward…

“Peeta!” shrieked Katniss as she reached out desperately for his hand.

But in those few seconds, Peeta knew he couldn’t grab hold. Katniss may be strong for her size, but she was tiny, definitely not strong enough to hold him up. If he did grasp her hand, he would surely drag her down with him, and he would never put her in danger.

Peeta dropped to the ground, left foot first, a sharp, white-hot pain shooting up his leg on impact. He groaned and fell flat on his back, his head smacking hard against the ground.

Katniss was down the tree in a heartbeat, kneeling beside him. A bright light silhouetted her; she looked like an angel. Was he dead? Or dying maybe? If so, hers was the last face he wanted to see…

“Peeta! Peeta! Peeta, are you okay?” cried Katniss. She was touching his shoulder and chest only as if she was afraid to go near his leg.

He murmured something and reached out to try and touch her, but his head was spinning and his vision was blurring.

Amidst the excruciating pain and confusion, he heard her muttering, “Oh no, oh no, what do I do?!” And then, she started to cry.

No, no, no. This was no good, at all. He couldn’t deal with Katniss crying. He probably had a broken leg; he didn’t need a broken heart, also.

“Don’t…” He attempted to reach for her again, and this time, he felt her take his hand in both of hers and rest it against her face, her tears wetting it. There was a persistent ringing in his ears, and then he passed out.

While he was unconscious, Peeta dreamed of Katniss‒of the first time they met. They were five years old.

Katniss’s father brought her by the bakery to trade, and while their dads were talking, he played with her. At first, she was shy, only peering out at him from behind her father’s legs, but he managed to convince her to come out.

She wore a red plaid dress, and her hair was in two braids. He’d seen her earlier that day in school‒his father had pointed her out to him and told him how he’d wanted to marry her mother but she’d run off with a coal miner (this coal miner, with the singing voice that made bird’s stop to listen)‒and he’d heard her sing. Her voice was every bit as lovely as they said her father’s was.

Once he got her to come out, they talked a little and ended up chasing one another around the bakery. Of course, his mother wasn’t home that day.

In retrospect, Peeta had been a goner for Katniss from the start, completely mesmerized by her singing voice and her beautiful gray eyes, which he got a closer look at in the bakery. Then there was her smile, which she didn’t give freely, but when she did, it was so worth the wait. She didn’t talk much, but he’d been able to get her to laugh that day in the bakery, and the noise, much like her singing, was music to his ears. Oh, and her braids‒he’d always been really fascinated by her braids.

Before she left the bakery, Peeta couldn’t help leaning forward and smacking his lips against Katniss’s, just to see what it would be like. He’d seen people kiss before, even his parents, though not often. It was weird when his mom and dad did it, but he liked it better than when they yelled at each other.

To his surprise, kissing Katniss wasn’t bad or weird. He liked it. And he wanted to try it again, someday.

After the kiss, Katniss’s cheeks were reddened, and she turned away from him, dashing back behind her father. He was so afraid he’d done the wrong thing and that she’d hate him forever, but when they went to leave, she smiled and waved at him.

Peeta came to with a start, jerking around and whimpering as he clutched at his throbbing leg. He realized he was in his bed, though he didn’t know how he’d gotten there. Also, he wasn’t alone‒Mrs. Everdeen was at his side.

“Peeta, honey, lie still. I have to set your leg,” Katniss’s mother spoke in her soft, doctor-like voice. She was a healer. He assumed Katniss must have gotten a couple of boys or a man, maybe her dad or his, to carry him to his room after his fall.

But where was Katniss? And was his dad here?

Before he could look around for them, Mrs. Everdeen told him she was going to give him some medicine to take away his pain. She injected him with something, morphling, he heard her say, and instantly, he felt his entire body relaxing. He looked over, then, to see Katniss entering his room and approaching his bedside, followed by her father. Her arms were folded, and her forehead was all scrunched up like how it got when she was really worried. Her eyes were puffy, too, and her cheeks were stained with tears; she’d definitely been crying.

Peeta raised his head and tried to smile and say something reassuring. “Kat…it’s…o-” But his words trailed off as a strange, dizzy feeling overtook him, and his head dropped back onto his pillow. Katniss came over and took a seat next to him, slipping her small hand into his.

This is nice, he thought.

But the euphoric feeling was quickly broken by his mother’s loud voice as she barged into his room. Uh oh.

His mother discovering the Everdeens in their home was bad news. She basically hated all the rest of them as much or more than Katniss, especially Katniss’s mother. Maybe it was because his dad used to love her?

“What’s this?! What have you done, you stupid creature?!” his mother screeched at Katniss.

Peeta’s eyes shot to his best friend who immediately dropped his hand. He saw the look on her face; her cheeks had gone reddish, and her eyes were filling with tears, which she was clearly fighting back. She looked scared, upset, and angry.

Just another reason for him to hate his mother.

“Katni…” Peeta tried to say her name, to comfort her, but his words caught in his scratchy throat.

He tried again, but he was cut off.

“Listen here,” Mr. Everdeen’s voice boomed, loud and clear, “you will not speak of my daughter that way! I won’t allow it. My wife has been kind enough to help your son, so show some respect to my family.”

That should shut his mother up, Peeta imagined. Mr. Everdeen might be a friendly, quiet man most of the time, but he could be intimidating. So, Peeta didn’t expect his mother would say another word.

Mr. Everdeen placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Honey, fix up Peeta, then we’ll be on our way,” he said softly.

Peeta’s mother was silent after that; in fact, he thought she might have left the room. But he was in and out of consciousness, and next thing he knew, it was dark, and he was waking up in his bed with only his father beside him.

Groggily, Peeta asked, “Where’s Katniss?”

“She’s at her house, son,” his father replied, tucking his covers nearly up to his chin. “You should get some rest.” And with that, he was left alone in the darkness.

Peeta recalled his brothers stopping in briefly, and then his mother. He imagined she only cared about him being injured because it might hinder his work at the bakery. He was sure she’d still give him plenty to do, though. What did she care if he was in pain doing it?

His mother was mainly condescending, railing on him for being so stupid, which he expected and accepted, but what really made his blood boil was when she set in on Katniss.

“That’s why you don’t play with Seam children,” she chided, casting him a dark look. “They’re wild heathens with no regard for rules or safety.”

They’re kids, Mother‒just like me. They just want to play and have fun. They don’t want anyone to get hurt.

What his mother said next lanced his heart. “I forbid you to see that girl anymore.”

Peeta squeezed his fists beneath the covers. She really cared nothing for him, did she? Of course, if his mother didn’t care that he had a broken leg, why would she care if forbidding him from seeing Katniss ripped his heart out?

But it didn’t matter. There was no way he was going to stop seeing Katniss; nothing his mother, or anyone, could say or do would ever stop him.

Katniss snuck into his room later that night. She must have climbed the tree next to his window and crawled through. She was next to his bed rousing him before he even realized what was happening.

At her touch, Peeta woke. “Katniss, what are you doing here?” he hissed, trying to sit up.

She held out her hand as if to stop him. “I brought these for you, from my mother,” said she, handing him a small package. “Medicine for the pain and a salve for the inflammation. Instructions are inside.”

“Thanks.”

It sounded like the delivery came from her mother, and he didn’t think Katniss would have taken the items on her own without permission‒mainly because she probably wouldn’t have known what to take or what to do‒but he doubted she had permission to be here this late. He glanced at the clock. It was nearly 11 PM.

“Are you okay?” she asked, fidgeting with her fingers.

“Yes.”

“Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

“I’m so sorry.” He could see her eyes glistening in the moonlight. Was she going to cry again?

“It’s not your fault, and hey, it probably earned me some time off at the bakery. So, thanks.”

Most likely, he wouldn’t get any time off, though. Or, if he did, it wouldn’t be much. His mother would probably have him back to work as soon as he could move, but Katniss didn’t need to know that. He tapped her playfully on the nose, and she laughed a little.

“Katniss, thanks for bringing the medicine, but you better go. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Peeta sighed. He didn’t actually want to send her away; he wanted her to stay with him, forever.

Rather than listening to him, though, she did the exact opposite‒she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed with him.

Wow. Were wishes being fulfilled tonight?

Okay, so, Peeta had just discovered the absolute best medicine for any of his ailments‒having Katniss Everdeen in his arms.

“Am I hurting your leg?” she asked as she tentatively snuggled in closer.

“Not a bit.” He smiled. “That’s my good leg.”

“You sure? I could move.”

“Don’t you dare move,” he said, wrapping his arms completely around her and holding her in place. He kissed the top of her head. For a moment, he wondered if he shouldn’t have done that. They had only shared that one kiss when they were 5, and it had never been brought up since. She probably didn’t think anything about kissing him, anyway.

“Okay, good,” she said, shutting her eyes and resting her head and a hand on his chest.

He looked down at her. She looked so peaceful and seemed close to falling asleep, but he shouldn’t let that happen. If his mother found Katniss here in the morning, in his bed, they were both toast!

But it was too nice having her here, and he wanted to enjoy it for a little while longer. He took the chance to play with her braid, like he’d always wanted to, and she let him. It had just become his new favorite thing to do. Katniss always wore her hair this way, except for a couple of times when she had it down, and Peeta loved her braid. But he was also kind of curious to run his fingers through her hair while it was down. He imagined it would be so soft and silky.

“Peeta,” he heard her murmur just when he thought she was asleep.

“Yeah?”

“Your mother…she hates me.”

“No.”

“Don’t lie, Peeta.”

“Okay, maybe she does. But, remember, she’s not too fond of me, either.”

Peeta felt Katniss shake her head against him, and he gave a small chuckle. It was so sad, it was funny, in a way.

He looked down into her face; she wore a sad expression. “Heyy,” he soothed, stroking her back lightly. “Hey, Katniss, listen. I don’t care. Don’t give another thought to what my mother said, because it’s not true. Nothing she says means anything to me or matters, at all. You’re wonderful and amazing, and it wasn’t your fault I got hurt, and nothing anyone says or does will ever change the way I fee-think about you.”

How did he feel about her? He didn’t quite know the exact word for it, but whatever it was, it was pretty strong. Like right now, he could feel his heart beating wildly like it was trying to escape his chest. She always made him feel this way, as if his heart might run away or explode into tiny pieces.

Katniss softly sighed. “Okay, Peeta. If you don’t care, I don’t care, either.”

“Good.” He stroked her hair once, twice, three times.

They remained curled up together until just before dawn, and then Katniss slipped away. Right away, he felt the loss. Despite the discomfort in his leg and the fact that he barely slept, for he was either watching Katniss or the clock (in fear they might sleep too long and be discovered), Peeta had never known such a peaceful, wonderful night.

It took nearly two months for the leg to heal, and it did earn him some time off bakery duty, but as expected, his mother had him back to work soon, doing what he could while hobbling around on crutches.

On the bright side, Katniss visited him almost every night, sneaking into his room and into his bed, saying she was checking to make sure he was okay. Peeta got used to having her there, and he enjoyed it, yet he was surprised they were never caught.

Once he was healed, much to Peeta’s disappointment, Katniss stopped coming by; although, it might have had something to do with him suggesting she should stop. He hadn’t wanted her to stop, and he hoped it hadn’t hurt her feelings; he was simply worried they’d be caught and his mother would say more terrible things to her. He didn’t care if she said terrible things to him, but he never wanted Katniss to be called a name again or be made to feel bad, by anyone.

After that, Peeta had to be sneakier about seeing Katniss, and he did see her less. Seemed like, after he healed, his mother gave him extra work at the bakery, in theory, to make up for the time he’d missed. But no matter how much work she gave him or how often she warned him against having anything to do with the ‘little dirtbags’ (one of the kinder nicknames she attributed to the Seam children), nothing‒not even President Snow, himself‒could keep him from Katniss.

He did worry, though, about his mother trying to cause harm to Katniss and her family. She was surely spreading the incident around, making it sound like it was Katniss’s fault‒as if she’d bullied him up that tree then pushed him out or something. She was probably trying to gain sympathy from the townsfolk and hurt the Everdeens’ business, but Peeta assumed everyone would continue to buy Katniss and her father’s game. It was too good. And if not, they would be fine because her dad had his job in the mines.

Even so, Peeta sometimes hated the way things were. Sometimes, he even considered running away from home, off to the Seam or even beyond the fence and into the woods, with Katniss. On the other side of the fence, they could be together everyday and live happily without anyone’s interference.

It was a nice dream.

—–

The next summer, Katniss announced to Peeta that she was going to teach him to swim, and she showed him her father’s lake for the very first time.

“You ready?” she asked excitedly. She was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, he in just shorts.

He stared deep into her eyes, then nodded. “Yes.”

They waded out further into the lake until it was up past his shoulders and came to her chin. She went behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, and forget drowning, Peeta thought he would die right then and there, over this.

See, he’d been having…different sorts of feelings about Katniss lately, in the last couple of months… He cared so much for her, as always, but he’d also been thinking more and more about things like: kissing her, touching her, and feeling her pressed against him. He wished she’d sneak into his bed again, but he was also kind of afraid he wouldn’t keep his hands to himself if she did. He knew he would never hurt or mistreat Katniss, but sometimes, it was tough to think straight around her, and sometimes his body seemed to have a mind of its own.

It was frustrating.

Right now, Katniss was hugging him, and it felt nice. No, not hugging–supporting him in the water. But it felt like a hug, and he didn’t get them often, his father being so busy, and his mother, well, not being the hugging type.

Katniss’s hands briefly ran up his stomach, to his chest, and back down. It made Peeta shiver, and his breath hitched. And he had to wonder, did she get the kind of feelings he did, too?

“You okay?” she asked. He could feel her bangs brushing his bare back, tickling his skin a little, but in a way he really liked.

He tried to answer coolly, but it came out as a choked “Y-yes.”

“Okay.” Katniss shifted a little, instructing him to dunk his head and practice holding his breath. “I’ll hold onto you.”

“You won’t let go?” he asked. More so, he wanted the reassurance of having her there, because she emboldened him and made him feel safe, even if she was much smaller than him.

“Never, Peeta,” she assured. He smiled and rested his hands atop hers.

“Okay, I’m ready.” And with that, he dipped his head under the water.

Katniss was a good teacher, even if he was kind of a bumbling idiot when it came to the water. He’d never survive in D4. Not like he’d ever have any reason to go there. But they had fun, swimming around and splashing one another. Peeta even picked her up and tossed her in a couple of times, and she came right back at him, latching onto his shoulders and dunking him or wrapping her legs around his waist and climbing his back.

Peeta got better at staying underwater, and he took to swimming around her and tickling her beneath the waves‒in innocent places, of course, like her feet or her sides. One time, though, the water caused her shirt to billow up and he accidentally slid his hand across the bare skin of her stomach. It was so flat and smooth; it felt nice. For a split second, his hand took over before his mind could have any say in the manner, and he squeezed her side a little.�� Katniss sucked in a sharp breath and reared back. And instantly, she was throwing out her arms and kicking her legs to put some distance between them.

“Katniss, I’m sorry! Di-did I hurt you?”

She shook her head rapidly, but she could barely look at him.

Again, Peeta apologized while slowly moving toward her.

“It’s okay.” She swallowed. “I’m just…ticklish there.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Things were a little weird after that, and Katniss kind of kept her distance from him, despite Peeta apologizing quite a few more times. She finally told him to just forget about it.

But Peeta didn’t want to forget. He wished he could touch her anytime he felt like it, and that she would want that, too.

After their swimming lesson at the lake, Peeta started having dreams about Katniss, embarrassing ones. More embarrassing, still, was the way his body reacted to the dreams, even in his sleep. It was a bit upsetting, and she would be mortified if she knew. But he couldn’t seem to help himself. And it occurred almost every night. Peeta considered talking to his father about it, but that would be weird, and talking to his older brothers would be even weirder. But they were actually helpful in a way. Hearing them talk, he came to understand that it was normal to feel what he was feeling.

Those feelings continued‒oh, did they continue!‒and Peeta started to notice other girls, too, but none of them left any kind of lasting impression on him as Katniss did.

Was it normal for a boy to be so obsessed with a single girl his entire life?

—–

Eventually, Peeta decided he needed a distraction from Katniss, and so, he joined the wrestling team at 15. His older brother wrestled, and he’d always thought that was pretty neat.

Turned out, he was really good at it, even came in second in the school, only to his brother.

The wrestling built up Peeta’s body and his popularity. Although he’d always been stronger than most boys his age, due to working in the bakery, he developed, growing broader and stronger but remaining lean in the waist. He made more friends, and girls were starting to pay attention to him. Save for one‒the girl he’d noticed all along. Unfortunately, Katniss still treated him like her pal, and even worse, she was spending less time with him and more time with Gale Hawthorne…

Peeta didn’t like it.

But he supposed he couldn’t blame her; between wrestling and the bakery, he’d had next to no time for her.

Or, maybe Katniss was finally figuring out that he didn’t belong in her world. Not because she was a Seam girl and he was from town, but because, he didn’t seem to fit in with her and her friends. For instance, he wasn’t good at the same kinds of things as they were. It didn’t matter to Peeta, but maybe it mattered to her.

Regardless, if she would allow it, he would remain by her side, for always. Whether they were doing something he was good at or not, whether they were going someplace dangerous or unpleasant, no matter what, wherever she went, he wanted to go, too.

But over the next year, things began to shift between them. Peeta’s popularity in school only seemed to push Katniss away, and whenever he tried to remedy the situation, she either ignored him or flat-out made up an excuse. It was a crushing blow each time she did.

One day, a girl asked Peeta to go to the slag heap with her. He knew what that meant, of course, and he actually considered it, if only to give himself the chance to feel something for someone other than Katniss. But in the end, he just couldn’t go through with it, and he told her no. She was pretty, but if her name wasn’t Katniss Everdeen, then Peeta Mellark simply wasn’t interested.

That was the day it hit him‒he loved Katniss Everdeen. No, not just loved her; he was in love with her.

Maybe he should tell her how he felt.

But how could he? She would never reciprocate‒she didn’t think of him that way‒and he didn’t think he could take the rejection. Best to leave things the way they were because having Katniss as his friend was much better than not having her at all…

—–

Katniss’s POV (Age 16)

Several days later…

“So, where’ve you been lately, Peeta?” asked Gale. “Been wondering where the other half of Peetnip’s been.”

“Actually, we prefer Everlark,” said Peeta with a grin.

Katniss hugged her legs to her chest, blushing over the combining of hers and Peeta’s names, even though she knew it didn’t mean anything. Gale was just fooling around, and Peeta was playing along.

“Yeah, so what gives?” barked Gale. “You too good to hang out with us all of a sudden?”

“No, not at all, I-” Peeta glanced over at her. “I’ve just been really busy with wrestling.”

And his new friends…

And that girl…

Katniss was sure she wasn’t coming close to hiding the disdain on her face. Of course, she’d heard about that pretty girl asking Peeta to the slag heap. And it had hurt way more than it should have; she’d actually felt like a part of her died inside that day.

Katniss wasn’t sure why, but lately, she’d been thinking about Peeta a lot. About old times. When he fell out of the tree; when they slept in the same bed; that summer at the lake…

How had things changed so much between them, and somehow, not at all? Part of Katniss wanted so badly for things to always stay the same, but another part of her kind of wished that things could be…different between Peeta and her.

She shook off her thoughts and turned her attention back on Gale.

He was looking as skeptical as her over Peeta’s excuse. Not for the same reason, probably. It was because Peeta was a merchant’s son. And that meant Gale was always paranoid that Peeta was only pretending to be their friend for some ulterior motive not yet revealed, or that he’d ditch them all at the first opportunity. Honestly, Katniss was surprised Gale had even accepted Peeta into their circle in the first place. But, as with her (and everyone), it had taken him some time.

“Seriously, man, it takes up almost all of my free time. And then there’s my…” Peeta stopped short.

“Your mother,” Gale finished for him.

“Yeah.” Peeta looked to Katniss then, probably because he knew it was a sore subject for her. Katniss glanced away.

Peeta’s mother. As much as Katniss disliked her, Peeta still seemed to care about what she thought, even if he said he didn’t.

Not that she could blame him. Angering his mother was dangerous, and she wanted him to be safe. Simply associating with her, as Peeta was doing now, could earn him a beating. And Katniss felt constant guilt over it. He shouldn’t be here now; she should tell him to stop coming, once and for all. But she just…

“Katniss, who’s that man leering at you?” Gale’s voice broke Katniss’s train of thought.

“Leering?” She blinked several times in succession. No guys ‘leered’ at her. Guys barely even knew she existed, aside from her small group‒and they didn’t exactly think of her as a ‘girl.’ She was just one of the guys; she’d never even been asked on a date. Not that she’d want to go on one…except maybe with…

Shaking off the ridiculous notion, Katniss shielded her eyes from the sun and looked over. Gale was right; the man was actually staring at her. He was an older man, wearing dark, fancy clothing and gold eyeshadow. He definitely wasn’t from around here.

“I don’t know.” Katniss shrugged. “Never seen him before in my life. And he’s not leering.”

“Nah, I think he is,” Gale smirked. “He’s looking pretty hard at you, Catnip.”

Katniss’s cheeks flushed. It felt so strange and uncomfortable having a man, any man, look at her that way as if he was evaluating her…

“Well, all I know is, he can’t be from District 12,” remarked Gale. “Look at those fancy clothes.”

Her old hunting partner had read her mind, and instinctively, Katniss looked back at Peeta for his take on the matter. Peeta didn’t even seem to notice her; he was focused on the man, and he seemed none too happy about the situation.

The man with the gold eyeshadow came over then, and he introduced himself to Katniss. His name was Cinna, and he was from the Capitol.

The Capitol. What could a man from the Capitol possibly want with her?

“I’m sorry to stare, but let me explain,” said Cinna. “I’m a stylist in the Capitol, and I’ve been searching for the perfect girl to model a new line of clothing I’m designing.”

Yeah? And what does that have to do with me?

He was going to have to spell this one out for her.

“I think you’re it.” At his words, Katniss’s eyes widened. She glanced back at her group, the entire lot seeming as thunderstruck as her. “Miss…?” He extended his hand.

“Katniss Everdeen.” She accepted his hand and shook it.

“Katniss, what a lovely name. May I call you Katniss?”

Numbly, she nodded.

“Well, Katniss, you’re just what I’ve been looking for. That skin, those eyes…I could do wonders with your unique look.”

Katniss blinked several times, opening her mouth and closing it like a fish out of water.

“No offense,” she finally managed to say, “but I think you have the wrong girl. As you can see,” she motioned in presentation of her dirty clothing and disheveled hair, “I’m no model.”

Cinna grinned. “Not yet, you aren’t, but that’s where I come in.”

Katniss couldn’t understand it. What was this man thinking? People from the Capitol were known for their exotic tastes, but this was a bit much. So what if he thought she had nice skin and eyes? Couldn’t he find plenty of other girls with far better skin (that wasn’t caked in dirt and the faintest hint of coal dust) and with much more alluring eyes. A unique look? Well, the Capitol was full of people like that, wasn’t it?

“There must be better choices than me in the Capitol,” she spoke her thoughts aloud.

“Yes, well, I want a girl who’s real,” explained Cinna. “An ordinary girl. One of the people. From the districts, not some fashion icon from the Capitol. I’ve worked with plenty of those, and they’ve left me…wanting.”

Katniss stared blankly at the man before her.

“Just think about, Katniss,” he said, taking her hand and patting it gently. “It would only be for about three months, and it would pay a lot of money.”

Money? Her eyes lit up at the magic word. Now that the mine was temporarily shut down after that accident, her family could certainly use the money, but a model?! She couldn’t be a model. And the thought of leaving behind her family and Peeta…well, she didn’t like it one bit.

Katniss glanced back at her blue-eyed boy with the bread, who seemed perturbed and maybe a little sad. Their eyes met, and pleadingly, she stared into his, hoping for a silent answer. What do I do?

#jhsgf82 #567inpanem #prompt 13 #Springtime edition 2021 #submission

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goopyartiste · 3 years

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New Years Kiss

Summary: Sero, after getting rejected, finds a new way to spend the a New Year’s party, especially if he found a special someone to help clear his head and begin the year anew.

Pairing: Sero Hanta x Reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: None at all (except extreme fluff)

A/N: OKAY SO I KNOW I DIDNT DO SOMETHING FOR CHRISTMAS AND I STILL HAVENT FINISHED THE 100 EVENT, BUT THIS IDEA CAME TO MIND AND I REALLY WANTED TO FINISH IT! other than the fact that i meant to have this done by new years eve, new years day seems better and not to bad 😗 so we’ll just post it now. better “late” than never.

Sero had never been rejected before, mainly because he never tried to ask someone out. Going to a party was not the way he insisted on making himself feel better, especially not how he wanted to spend his last night of the year, more so after getting rejected by a girl from the general studies course. While he sat moping around his dorm, his friends couldn't stand to see him so distressed considering he was usually one of the more jovial, laid back of the bunch. His usual confidence wavered, jokes didn't land well. Sero’s groove was thrown off, and his friends were determined to fix him. It was Mina’s idea to take him to a party, one that Kirishima and Denki agreed with wholeheartedly. Using her relationships from her old school, she reached out to a friend of hers that she managed to stay in contact with. Considering her luck, Mina hoped her friend would at least introduce Sero to some different people and hopefully make him forget about the one girl that turned him down.

As the group individually began getting ready for the New Years’ Eve party, Sero couldn’t help but be nervous. As someone who rarely feels the usual nerves others feel, this was a strange new sensation for him. Could it be caused by feeling rejection from the first girl he asked out? Or was it some late reaction to something prior? He really had no clue, but man did he not want to find out. Sadly though, Sero was quickly brought out of his daze by frantic knocking at his door. His friends stood on the other side, already decked out in their black and gold glory with cheesy accessories signifying the start of the next year. Oh how he wished he could share in their excitement, but he could at least make an effort to pretend to be happy, especially for them. As they walked along the halls of the dorms, all was quiet. Instead of teasing or banter, Sero was pensive, stuck in his own thoughts and in his head to make sense of the world around him. Everyone was quick to realize how much a good party could help bring up his spirit, especially one where he didn't really know anyone.

The party, however, only really served to make him even more of a downer, sticking to becoming a wall flower instead of his usual antics of recording whatever stupid thing Denki was doing at that moment or shamelessly daring Kirishima to do some idiotic dare. Mina tried to get him to dance, while Denki performed some stunts that he knew would ultimately cause chaos. All this for their friend, who clung to the wall with an indifferent look on his face. That is, until someone caught his eyes.

You floated past him, like an angel coming down from up above. The body spray you had spritzed earlier made his way up his nostrils and into his lungs, filling him with the scent of you. To say Sero was enamoured was an understatement. He blamed his quick infatuation on his broken heart, but the only way to really find out was by talking to you. However you didn’t turn to him. Instead, you made your way to his friend, a certain bubbly pink haired student.

Sero couldn't help but stare. To him, it seemed like you were the only person in the room, brightening it up while only serving to draw him closer towards your blinding light. His heartbeat rang loudly in his ears, almost drowning out the boosted bass of whatever party song was currently playing as it seemed to match the beat of the blaring speakers, the thumping and bopping only adding to his shaken demeanor.

Sero had to talk to you, he just had to.

He shifted his body, moving away from the wall and slowly walking towards you and his friend. One step. Two steps. It was all so sudden for him. Wasn’t he just moping about some girl? Why was he falling for someone so quickly? A third step. Then a fourth. What if he didn’t know what to talk to you about? What if he just made a fool of himself?

Soon, he found himself at least three feet away from the pair, already drawing the attention of his eccentric friend and yours. One look from you was all he needed to be sent into a stupor, feeling the air in his lungs leave him. He subtly gulped, clearly a little nervous but retaining some level of confidence, although he could chalk that up to the energy drink he took before this. Sero could have stayed admiring you for who knows how long if Mina hadn’t spoken up.

“Sero! It’s good to see you walking about!” Mina started, clearly yelling in an attempt to be heard over the booming music. “This is my old friend, Y/N! We used to go to middle school together. We were just catching up.”

You looked at Sero once again and stuck out your hand. “It’s good to meet you Sero. I’m Y/N! Hope you’re enjoying the party so far,” You responded, quickly introducing yourself to the stranger.

Sero was taken aback, a little scared that his voice might fail him, yet he pushed on through. Taking your hand, he flashed one of his signature smiles before replying, “Well it's been a pleasure to meet you. Y/N sounds like a lovely name, and suits you well.”

You slowly felt your cheeks begin to redden and flush with heat, although you quickly chalked it up to the cold winter weather. The two of you took a few moments of silence together, almost as if trying to determine what made both of you so special and intriguing to the other. Well, at least that was the plan until Mina spoke up and startled the both of you.

“I see both of you are getting along well! I’ll leave you to it!” she exclaimed, before running off in Denki’s direction.

In an attempt to ease the blossoming tension, Sero popped a question, too desperate to stay with you that his thoughts jumbled as he asked, “Ah- um… so do you want to go dance?”

His face felt hotter as soon as the question left his mind, already wondering why his mouth had to speak faster than he could think. However, you quickly alleviated his nerves by your quick answer.

“I mean, sure! It seems like fun,” you began before you grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, “Come on! We don’t want to miss any good songs now don’t we?”

The night seemed to pass in a blur, Sero quickly forgetting his past worries and anxieties while you began to fill every small corner of his consciousness. Your confidence and spunk drew him towards you, almost as if you showed him how to be someone else free from his own worries. He almost forgot about the ticking clock counting down the passing minutes until the start of the new year. He almost forgot about his friends, left behind in the kitchen doing whatever they thought was fun. But he never forgot you and your face, like sickly sweet and viscous honey trapping him. He barely even noticed you dragging him to the balcony as the countdown signified one minute left.

With labored breathing and a creeping soreness spreading, both of you let the coolness of the snow fill you up. You both chuckled, already breathless for dancing and drunk on euphoria. From inside, the cheers and yells of people counting down with the timer rang out into the open air.

Five. You took Sero’s hand, interlacing it with yours as he looked up at your face.

Four. He moved to grab your other hand, but you didn’t let him.

Three. You instead gently placed it on his cheek, caressing it softly and running your thumb across.

Two. Sero looked at you quizzically, almost as if trying to trick you into thinking he didn’t know what you were about to do.

One. You closed the gap between the two of you, except instead of your lips finding his, they found his other cheek. The cheers of friends and strangers clashed with the mellow and tenderness of your kiss.

As you pulled away, you began to speak.

“There. Maybe if you’re lucky, you might get a kiss somewhere else later on.”

Sero grinned, simply savoring the atmosphere, “Does that mean I get to take you out on a date?”

“I mean, if that’s your way of asking, then I guess I’ll have to say yes.”

Sero didn’t know where this new year was going to take him. He didn’t even know if this year would be better than the last. But at least he did know that with you alongside him, it was bound to be a new adventure he would be willing to take.

Taglist (Open!):

@peach-pops @kirislut @deephasoceanmagic @katsushimaa @hannahalanib1 @estridries @art0saurus @yee-harr @shoutamajiki @spookykiri @animatedarchives @meliorist-midoriya @sugas-sweetheart @suggiebabe @justamultifandomfan16 @ohno-grapes

#sero x reader #sero hanta x reader #sero fic #sero fanfiction #sero hanta #mha sero #bnha sero #mha x reader #sero x y/n #sero hanta x y/n #bnha x reader #sero fluff #Stories from the Galaxy; — 🌌

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glittertomb · 4 years

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My tricks for long winters with seasonal depression

❄️vitamin d3, honeys! it’s essentially a sunshine pill and you are a cute little plant that needs to be taken care of *boop*✨🌿🌼

❄️speaking of being a plant, hydrate so you don’t die-drate! I know it’s basic, but so many problems can be fixed with water~ fill up a couple of bottles and bring them to bed with you so you don’t get dehydrated if the executive dysfunction sets in and you have a hard time starting your day~ herbal tea is another great way to get your water, but caffeinated tea will just dehydrate you further! 💦☕️🥥 and if you can, treat yourself to some potassium-rich and super-hydrating coconut water

❄️keep in touch with yourself by writing your moods and feelings in a diary 📖💻📒 (be kind but honest about what’s going on and brainstorm things that might make you happier, like a cleaning project or singing along to a guilty pleasure from middle school)

❄️take st. john’s wort to lift your spirits 🍃🌿 (and it comes as a tea!)~ it can decrease the effectiveness of some prescription medications so do your research first

❄️seek out free or affordable counseling in your community 🏥 (in most US states, you can dial 211 to talk to someone about your local mental health resources, and if you’re low income, have a history of abuse, or struggle with addiction, there are often free alternatives to expensive therapy sessions)~ we can all benefit from having someone to talk to, so don’t wait if you need help! i let my guilt of “taking advantage” of a free program keep me away for years from a service that was made to support people like me.

❄️take ashwagandha to stabilize mood, decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and regulate body temperature~ I have been able to handle anxiety with much more grace and ease ever since I started regularly taking ashwagandha, and it can even boost brain function and improve memory too! 🧠💪🏻😺

❄️adopt a pet project to distract yourself from thinking about the void! some ideas are: collecting collage materials for future art projects, making a hand-written book of your favorite quotes and decorating it with stickers, ridding your closet of clothes you haven’t worn in years, making a list of your top 25 favorite songs, organizing your spice rack by color or your books by genre, or learning how to cook your favorite meal that you usually go out to eat 🥘🍲🍝

❄️protect yourself with immune boosters like elderberry, echinacea, chaga, reishi, and vitamin c~ nothing is worse than feeling physically ill on top of feeling emotionally unwell, so don’t forget to use nature as your armor during cold season! 🌳💪🏻🦠~ if you do start to feel icky, take zinc at the first sign of a cold to shorten its duration (my grandma swears by this, and you gotta trust my cute lil Finnish grandma)

❄️diffuse mood-boosting essential oils~ my favorite blend is grapefruit, orange, bergamot, vanilla, lime, lemon, cinnamon, and ginger 🍋🍊~be careful when diffusing because some essential oils are harmful to pets, particularly tea tree and thyme, but in my experience, citrus oils have been safe (eliminate the cinnamon from my blend to make it dog-friendly)

❄️plan fun winter activities with your friends like art nights, book clubs, mutual binge watching, pizza or taco nights, board game tournaments, D&D campaigns, poetry circles, jam sessions, fort building, or just video game hangouts📚📺🕹try to think of fun *substance free* activities cause there are already plenty of opportunities to booze your way through the season

❄️romanticize winter the same way we do other seasons! 🌨☕️🌬🍂🍜🕯 spring may be budding blossoms and summer may be lakeside sunsets and autumn may be swirling leaves... but winter is cups of cocoa and softly falling snow and colorful scarves and beautiful patterns of frost on your windows and snuggling under 4 blankets and tip-toeing in slippers and hot bowls of soup and guilt-free days of watching cartoons in bed! Remind yourself of the beauty around you, even when things feel bleak or lonely.

Sorry I neglected to post this earlier and I hope these help! 💕 Princess Laue

#personal #mental health #winter #herbs #essential oils #depression

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phoenotopia · 4 years

Text

2019 December Update

The game is officially playable from beginning to end!

That battle has concluded...

Soon begins the war! But first, a brief reprieve for the holidays.

And I must throw in the usual caveats. We're still playtesting, we're still polishing, we still gotta get age ratings, more red tape, etc etc. And most importantly, we need to figure out the launch strategy. Think Megaman, charging his shot for 5 and a half years... We're not allowed to miss at this point. It has to HIT.

Luckily, we're in a relatively stable position where we don't have to rush the game out immediately. It's not LAUNCH or STARVE - it's... take some time to aim a little. We don't want to launch in the shadow of a bigger behemoth game, and we don't want to launch completely unknown either. We have to build up the game's media presence, which has been neglected so far. I know it's annoying to have to continue to wait... but please bear with us a little longer!

Here's what we've been doing for the past couple months.

---------- THE SCRIPT ----------

The script sits at over 80,000 words. I didn't realize the significance until a teammate told me that that's actually as long as a novel! I looked it up, and sure enough, it's a little longer than the first Harry Potter. But unlike Harry Potter, hardly any of these words are wasted on, pffft, narration. It's all juicy dialogue!

(Some of the game's golden nuggets of dialogue)

There was actually a lot of mundanity getting to the end. Pirate, acting as my editor, caught tons of errors and inconsistencies. One of the most recurring issues had to do with capitalization. I like to capitalize things, often inconsistently. Some common questions that arose:

Why is this text highlighted yellow, and this one highlighted blue?

Why is this monster name capitalized, but this monster not?

Why is this item capitalized, and this one not?

... and so on!

All very mundane issues, but all very necessary to tackle. And there was a TON of 'em. (em vs 'em was another thing we had to make consistent). I actually did some research to see what capitalization rules Zelda had. From what I could tell, when it comes to animals and monsters in the Zelda universe:

All monsters are capitalized

All regular animals are not capitalized

The Cuccos are special, and ARE capitalized

(a collage of Zelda pictures I assembled to study)

In the Zelda universe, all regular items are lowercase, but highlighted blue when mentioned in a quest context (e.g. "butter", "hylian wheat"). Items can be uppercase, if they are special named items (e.g. "Sheikah Slate"). We adopted similar rules as Zelda in some cases, and deviated in others. For instance, in the Phoenotopia universe, there isn't a clear distinction between animals and monsters - that fish monster is really just an animal that happens to be the alpha predator in its natural habitat. So most entities are lowercase, but "big deal" entities can be uppercase.

(we made a formal document to consult whenever a question regarding capitalization arises)

---------- A SAMPLING of QUEST AND CHARACTERS ----------

A lot of new quests have arisen in our great writing effort extending over the past several months. And with it, new characters, big and small. I'll tease a sampling of some of them here (warning: some light spoilers ahead):

My favorite new quest is undoubtedly our game's new "Trading Quest". This one takes inspiration from the Zelda series - the trading quest similarly has you roaming the world and its towns in search of needy people who desire a particular item. Deliver them the item they desire, and get a new item. Do this 10 times, and the ultimate weapon awaits you at the end.

I tried some things to vary up the formula. Some NPCs don't reveal what they need right away - steps have to be taken to get them there. It's also possible to go down the wrong route in the sequence, and have to double-back. We try to keep it interesting.

---------- LOOT PLACEMENTS & GAME BALANCING ----------

A great effort was also spent towards balancing the game this past 2 months. Because even one good healing item, easily obtained, can throw the game's whole difficulty off-kilter. And this same principle applies to other areas, like the money economy and player powerup options. Altogether, they form a very delicate ecosystem for enjoyment.

One of the recent things I did for this game was put down exactly where each heart ruby, energy gem, and moonstone could be found. And this was actually a rather involved process because you have a limited number of rewards to distribute (you wouldn't want the final max HP count to be a weird number like 297). Put too many rewards in the beginning, and the late dungeons would have no rewards to offer. Put too much in the end, and the inverse happens.

I found myself going back into earlier areas and plundering their rewards to fill the later areas. And then to ensure a relatively even spread of rewards within each area themselves, I drew crude maps of the dungeons & their reward spots, so that they could be studied from a bird's eye perspective.

But it was still not enough. With NPC quests and towns also taking up their own allotment of the rewards, I found myself running low on things to distribute. So I went back to the books and upped the number of rewards across the board. Before there were 44 Heart Rubies to collect - there are now 55. Before each Heart Ruby boosted your max HP by 5, but now each one now boosts your max HP by 4, so your final max HP count would still end up the same. It's kinda similar to what happened with Twilight Princess, where they broke with tradition and made 5 heart containers required to gain a new heart instead of the usual 4. Overall, the final tally for treasure to find is:

55 heart pieces

30 energy gems

108 moon stones

Who's crazy enough to collect them all?

---------- BADGES / ACHIEVEMENTS ----------

As one of the game's finishing touches, there's a menu for BADGES - they're this game's version of achievements. This is an ongoing task that we hope to stamp out this December. A few favorites of mine from the original flash game will return ("Pillow Connoisseur" is among them).

(The menu looks like this before any badges are earned)

I allocated slots for just 33 badges, so we're selecting the badges very carefully. We got rid of most of the fluffy ones that appeared in the flash game - we wanted to reduce the number of badges that you would earn automatically for just playing the game (so no more "1st boss", "2nd boss", "3rd boss" achievements). We're aiming for a healthy mix of easily earned badges, hard earned badges, collectathon badges, secret fun badges, and so on.

The badges have another twist - they bear miniaturized portraits of characters from the game! In the initial brainstorm mockup phase, I wasn't really fond of the badge designs. You got a medal of a heart because you collected some hearts, and you got the medal of a moonstone for collecting moonstones, etc. It just seemed so... expected.

(various badge mockups)

How could we engage the players on a more fun and deep level? The idea came - what if we attached pictures of the people you meet on your journey? And these people's stories and character would have a connection with the achievement? That could keep the player guessing which character would come attached with an achievement, or even reveal a hidden detail about the character you didn't know.

---------- MUSIC ----------

Will has just one more task to do. And that's to recut the song for the trailer. One of our other goals for this December is to make a really good trailer... again. There's actually 2 other trailers we cut and never made public for reasons. Maybe I'll talk about them one day in the post-mortem.

Since this may be the last conventional update, we wondered with which song to best leave the audience. And we decided that the most suitable song is "Sanctuary". It's a song that the player will often encounter often when they happen upon a quiet resting place in the world.

There's a little story behind this song. Two and a half years ago, I linked Will the Earthbound song, "Buzz buzz's prophecy", and told him, make a song like that!

In response, Will made "Sanctuary".

Give it a listen HERE. What do you think? Did Will hit close to the greats?

---------- FAN ART ----------

Three fan arts have come in the last couple months. I display them here proudly:

Another submission by Cody G! Gale looking shy as she flashes the V sign for the camera. I like how Cody G's art is continually evolving. Note the additional detail on her eye, and how her hair is drawn extra fluffy. Very nice!

Shafiyahh is another consistent contributor, and made one in the spirit of Halloween. I really like their costumes! Gale as an angel, and Lisa as a demon, fittingly captures their relationship, since Gale is the responsible one and Lisa is the troublemaker. So cute!

A contribution from a new artist, Negativus Core! Wow, Gale looks so bada-- here! We often forget about Gale's tough side due to the cutesy graphics. This is probably how her enemies see her. And the gummy (slime) is a cute touch!

---------- FINAL NOTES ----------

Similar to last year, this will be the last update for a while. If things run too slow, I'll post a status update come end of February 2020.

It's possible, and this is a BIG IF, that something notable happens sooner than expected - like we're going to a con or we have reason to drop the trailer sooner than later. If so, this blog will update earlier than expected. BIG IF. Otherwise, it's end of February till next you hear of us.

The game's development has reached a new uncharted territory. We're going to take the time and figure out exactly what our next steps are. In addition, we'll still be doing some playtesting and script polishing. And we'll be taking a break too. It is the holiday season, things move kind of slow around this time of year. We'll enjoy the company of our family and friends.

Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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redthreadoffate · 4 years

Text

(infinity) days of snow // c. 2 [tom hansen]

a repost, originally posted in my former writing blog

ship: tom hansen x oc

warnings: swearing; edited thrice in a span of…a few minutes so mistakes may be present

notes: i really enjoyed writing this before, super fun

summary: after summer is autumn, .after autumn comes winter. and during winter, there is snow.

(856)

During one of their coffee breaks, Tom notices that she isn’t as lively as usual. “Ava, what’s wrong?” he asks. “Are you having a bad day?”

She shakes her head and takes a sip from her tea, which he should’ve known was the first sign. She only has tea when she’s stressed. “No, it’s just that…my old friend is coming back tonight and we kinda left things in awkward terms.”

“Oh,” is all he says. “What happened?”

“Um…we were close, questions were asked—the question was asked and…um…I declined the offer.” She shrugs. “We never really had much contact after that…because I’m not sure of how it’ll work out so I’m really nervous.”

“It’ll work out,” he encourages. He shouldn’t have. He really shouldn’t have. Because once they’re back in the office, once Tom steps out of the elevator, whispers and chatters could be heard all around him. He asks Butch what’s happening. “Is something wrong?”

“Zachary Williams is coming back, Tom. And we all know what that means,” he smiles, “wedding of the century!”

“What wedding?” he asks. There’s a small smile on his face; he’s never been fond of weddings but he has imagined himself as a groom in more than one occasion.

There are cheers and claps coming from near the door. There’s a sharp-dressed man with dark hair and blue eyes. Handsome. People are shouting “welcome back” to him. The man smiles sheepishly as he acknowledges the ones around him. With careful and confident strides, he stops in front of Tom’s desk.

“Are you Tom Hansen?”

“Uh…yeah. Can I help you?”

“I’m Zack Williams. I heard you’re close to Snow.” There’s a pause and Tom can figure out why. “She isn’t in her office upstairs. Her dad didn’t notice her slip away and her secretary won’t give me proper answers. Would you happen to know where she is?”

Tom shakes his head. She hasn’t IM-ed or texted him. “I’m sorry, no.”

“Oh, I see. I also heard you two have dinner together almost every night,” the man says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, “do you mind if you bring her to Sundae’s Best tonight? The restaurant near the theatres in—”

“Yeah, I know where that is,” Tom cuts him off gently, “and sure, I’ll bring her.”

“Thanks,” Zack smiles, “thanks a lot, Tom.”

“He introduced himself as Zack to you, Tom,” Sasha says as she fans herself with her hand, “that’s big. He must really want you to bring Miss Lanché to Sundae’s Best. He introduces himself as Zachary to everyone who isn’t in the same status.” Butch jokes that Zack could have him murdered if he doesn’t bring Snow to Sundae’s Best. He doesn’t want to take the chance. Zack Williams really looks like someone who could do that.

When he meets up with Snow for dinner, he suggests that they go to Sundae’s Best. She tells him that he doesn’t like the place because it’s too expensive. “Did Zack put you up to this?” she asks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he murmurs.

“If it was him, you have to tell me, Tom,” she demands, “I don’t know how to answer him yet. I can’t…Tom! Is it Zack?”

“Yes,” he answers, finally, “but you can’t back out now.” They’ve stopped right in front of the store and Zack waves at them from behind the glass door. “What did he ask you, Ava?” She doesn’t answer, instead she takes a deep breath and enters the building. Tom follows and he’s surprised to see some of his co-workers but he sits on one of the stools beside Butch. “What’s happening?”

Sasha appears and begins to squeal. “Oh my god, it’s happening! It’s happening! We’re getting an answer!”

“Who is Zack Williams anyway?” Tom asks.

“Zachary Williams, is only only the heir to the Williams fortune! They own the Kipping Bank!” Sasha replies.

“So I’m no match for him,” he mumbles dully.

Butch turns to him. “You like Miss Lanché?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Tom,” Sasha says in a whisper, rubbing Tom’s shoulder sympathetically. “I…I…well, for what it’s worth,” she begins to bite her lip, “I’ve always thought that Miss Lanché had a thing for you. I think she rather fancies you more than she ever fancied Mr. Williams.”

“That doesn’t boost up my spirit at all, Sasha. And awhile ago you were cheering for him,” Tom reminds her sourly. “Or are you sorry for that, too?”

She frowns. “I was just…they were the power couple, Tom. They’re meant to be together.”

“Save it, Sasha,” Butch snaps, handing Tom a beer. “Drink. It might help.”

Tom rolls his eyes but takes down a huge gulp, not minding the burn that goes down his throat as the liquid passes by.

“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, I’d just like to make a little speech for the most beautiful woman in here.”

It’s Zack and Tom can’t look away from the scene playing in front of him. Snow is standing awkwardly in the middles of the room, facing him, with Zack beside her and looking at her like she’s the best the best thing in the world. And for Tom, he can’t blame Zack because she probably is the best thing in the world.

“Snow, three years ago I asked for your hand in marriage. You didn’t accept because you said you that you needed time. I was heartbroken. But I respected your decision and gave you the space you wanted. So I went ahead to Europe despite being so angry at myself because I haven’t won you over and I just kept wishing that I had you waiting for me here as my future wife. I hope the time we spent apart from each other was enough for you to think…and ask you again. I love you, Snow. I have never stopped loving you. I would think about you every day. You’re amazing. Simply amazing. I’m not telling everyone here our story for sympathy, but I wanted them to hear our journey.” He gets down on one knee, reveals a black velvet box from his vest and asks, “Will you marry me?”

Snow doesn’t reply at first. She looks around her and then, their eyes connect. Her eyes are pleading but Tom doesn’t falter. Looking down at the man, she says, “Yes.”

*~*

(857)

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks her.

Snow had the decency to visit him in his apartment the next day, and he’s not sure whether to be happy or not. He had wanted to talk to her since last night but never had the guts to call her, and he’s also…hurt. It’s like his ex-girlfriends (and not so ex-girlfriend) all over again. Except he and Snow never had a romantic or sexual relationship.

“I didn’t think it was important.”

His voice rises, “I’m your…” and then stops himself, “your best friend. You could have told me you had a boyfriend who’s out of the country.”

“He isn’t my boyfriend,” she corrects.

“Right, he’s your fiancé now.” He rolls his eyes.

“Yes, he was my boyfriend but we took a break when he asked me to marry him because I didn’t feel the connection. I thought that there was someone out there for me. I love Zack, I really do, but not in the same way as…not the same way I love you, Tom.”

“You picked him last night.”

“Because you said you don’t feel the same way!” she snaps. “Why are you so mad? He was also my best friend before but it changed when he left. There was awkwardness and no sense of closure. He asked me to marry him three years ago and I declined.”

“If you knew he was coming back then you should have never told me that you loved me.”

“But I did and I still do! I thought you felt the same way, that’s why I told you. When you told me that you didn’t feel the same way, I didn’t want to tell you about him right away because I didn’t want you to think that you might have just been a scapegoat! And then it just slipped my mind, but I found out that he was coming home earlier than expected and I just panicked.”

“Well I love you!” Tom shouts.

She stands still. “What?”

“I love you,” he repeats. “I love you, Ava! And yes, I admit, this whole argument is my fault, I should have told you sooner that I love you. I fucking love you, Ava! And now that you have…that,” he eyes her engagement ring, “and him….”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

*~*

(745)

“I think I love her,” Tom says to his sister. They’re in the diner and he’s telling her all about Snow. Rachel seems happy for him and she urges him to tell her. “Do you think it’s too late, though?”

“She’s still with you, isn’t she?” Rachel confirms. “She hasn’t told you about some boy she’s seeing, right?”

He searches the back of his mind for an answer. “You’re right. I’ll tell her.”

*~*

(747)

He’s being blocked by a stack of boxes inside the elevator. The men pushing the cart had apologized but the people inside were squeezed like tuna in a can. That’s when he overhears some gossiping workers.

“Miss Lanché is hanging out with that architect a lot.”

“The cute one?”

“Tom, I think is his name. I think they make a cute couple, don’t you think?”

He feels himself smile at that.

“But she can do so much better,” the same person continues.

He frowns.

“I agree. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s the heiress to this company and she’s rich. She can have any man she wants and she’s going to get it with someone who’s not even in the highest position in the architecture department?”

“But I heard that Mr. Lanché is close to Tom. Surely he doesn’t want his precious daughter to marry someone of…lesser status, right?”

The elevator dings and the doors open. He hears their voices begin to soften and he deducts that they’ve gotten off. Their words continue to ring in his ears and infiltrate his mind.

That night, he calls Rachel and tells her what happened. “They said that!? Those bitches.”

*~*

(903)

Their relationship was never the same. They constantly tried to avoid each other. Once, he was on a blind date with a woman. It wasn’t a disaster until the very end; he called the wrong name in bed. He even said ‘Snow’. This caused the woman to make him leave right away. Talking to Paul and McKenzie didn’t help either. Rachel was helpful but she wasn’t always present.

Just a week ago, the newspapers, tabloids and especially magazines, have been posting pictures of the newly engaged couple. Many journalists have tried setting up interviews, but with Snow living a private life and Zack busy, all were turned down. Tom hates seeing headlines and pictures of them together.

Tonight is the annual winter ball and Tom had tried his hardest to look his best. He wanted to impress people, to show them that he can just be as good looking as Zachary Williams. Last year, Mr. Lanché had informed them that his daughter wouldn’t be able to make it due to her illness; now that he thinks about, Tom hopes that she wasn’t too sick.

When he reaches the hotel, cameras are flashing around. Last year, he had Butch and Sasha walk the red carpet with him. This year, he knows how to handle it and he swiftly gets inside the building. In the ballroom of a lavish hotel, Tom sticks mostly to Butch and Sasha.

“Do you know when they’ll be arriving?” he asks.

“Miss Lanché always makes an entrance, her gowns are to die for,” Sasha fawns. “I wonder what she’ll wear tonight.”

After about half an hour, the doors open, Sasha squeals, and in comes Mr. Lanché in a custom suit, with a tie that that matches his wife’s blue dress. Zack is also with them, and his tie is silk silver. And then there’s Snow. Her dress is silver with beautiful, elegant patterns all over it. There’s even a snowflake that hides her cleavage. At first glance, it looks like a skimpy, narrow, off-the shoulder dress that reaches the floor. But upon closer inspection, Tom sees that the skin that is revealed at the topmost of her body is being covered by sheer material. Her hair is down, with ringlets around her shoulder, and her make-up is not at all exaggerated.

“Are you going to just stare at her,” Butch starts, “or are you actually going to go talk to her?”

Tom does manage to talk to her. It’s already eleven when he gets the chance, though. All she did so far was socialize with the elite and talk and dance with Zack. He spotted her leaving the room and heading to the restroom. “Ava!” he calls out when they’re alone.

She turns around. “Tom.”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Sure,” she says, “what’s up?”

“Um…first, you look very beautiful tonight.”

She smiles. “Thank you, Tom. You look very handsome yourself.”

Taking a deep breath, he says. “And…I don’t want you to marry Zack.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“I love you, Ava. And…I can tell that you don’t love Zack.”

“I loved him before, Tom,” she says, folding her arms in front of her, “I can love him again just as much, maybe even more. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to check my appearance.” As she starts to walk away, he can’t help but tell her one more time about how beautiful she looks. “Thank you.”

*~*

(1385)

The day of the wedding.

He had planned on not going, to spare himself, but Butch and Sasha had made him go. Paul and McKenzie thought it was a bad choice until they thought of an idea. It would be embarrassing from the beginning, probably be the laughing stock if it failed, but hey, if it works, then it’ll be all worth it.

Even if it’s the most beautiful wedding he’s ever gone to, even if it took months for this to happen, and Snow’s dress is as beautiful as she is, and maybe the cameras around the church would make things more nerve-wracking, he didn’t want to back out.

So as the priest says the words that he’s been waiting for, Tom jumps up from his seat, pretending that the wedding is a disaster and that the cameras all over the place would not face him and dare put his name in the headlines next to the wedding of the century’s or that Zack and his family could probably declare him missing in a day, and exclaims, “I object!”

Gasps could be heard all around. Snow and Zack turn to look at him with wide eyes. Snow begins to shake her head, wanting to save him from embarrassment, most likely.

“I’m not rich, I’m not the heir to some company and I may not be as good looking as the groom,” he starts, swallowing down his pride, “but I work hard, I’m educated and I love you, Ava. I should have told you sooner, I know I should have and we could have saved ourselves from this, but I was terrified. I didn’t…I didn’t want to be turned down because I wasn’t worthy of you. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re the heir to one of the world’s biggest companies even when you want to be a teacher.” He smiles when he sees her smiling. “In society’s eyes I’m not worthy of you, but I can prove to you that I am. I can and I will.”

She smiles wider. He grins. It doesn’t even take her a second to decide as she quickly turns back to the man in front of her. “Zack—”

“Save it,” he stops her, “let’s not go through the drama. I should have known something was up when you hesitated to answer my proposal.”

“Zack, I’m so sorry.”

He shrugs and kisses the top of her forehead. “This doesn’t mean that I’m burning and drowning at the same time inside.”

She frowns as he casually steps down and moves pass everyone. His parents run after him but not before they give evil eyes at the bride. Cameras flash and murmurs can be heard. She lowers her eyes for a moment before walking down as well. She stops in front of her parents and gives them a pleading look.

Mr. Lanché smiles at her. “Just because I’m your father and I own a company doesn’t mean that I’ll stop you.”

“He must be really worthy if he had the courage to stop a wedding that’s being watched by millions,” Mrs. Lanché adds.

Snow hugs them both before running to Tom who had been waiting for her in the aisle. She jumps and he catches her effortlessly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he responds. “It would’ve been easier if you broke off the engagement,” he jokes.

“And give you an easy time? I don’t think so,” she says. She smiles and kisses him.

*~*

(2480)

Three years of dating all leads to this.

It’s snowing outside and Snow had thought of building a snowman, just for fun. They’re now on the body, with Tom handing out buttons that had fallen off shirts for Snow to press on their masterpiece. “There’s one more,” he says.

“We don’t need more,” she argues and then looks at the man, “do we?”

“He needs a heart,” Tom continues and hands the item in his hand to her.

“If you say so,” Snow says smiling and begins to put the round item on the man made of snow. But as she does, she looks at it first and then gasps. “This isn’t a button, Tom.”

He shakes his head and gets down on one knee. “Ever since you came into my life, everything’s changed. You’re my good luck charm, if you didn’t notice. And I tried my best to show you how worthy I am to be yours and for you to be mine. Now that my position in your family’s company is more secure,” he had just been promoted to president of the architecture division, “and I finally realized why all my past relationships didn’t work, and why winter is my favorite season,” he kisses the back of her hand, “it’s because of you. You know I love you. I love you so much. And I would love to come home and call for my wife.”

“We work in the same place and get off at the same time.” She giggles.

He smiles. “Then I get to say, 'I get to go home with my wife’ every day. And I think we’re ready to have Casey and Spencer, too, don’t you think? I know I’m ready to teach Casey all my tricks and spoil my princess Spencer.”

She laughs. “Does that mean I’m the less-fun parent?”

“We can be both.” He chuckles. “So what do you say? Will you marry me, Snow?”

She grins. “Yes, Tom. I will marry you.”

Despite his bad luck with…life, in general, Tom finally did get a happy ending.

*~*

(1)

#500 days of summer #tom hansen x oc #tom hansen #misc: cherish writes

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voicesfromthelight · 5 years

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The Story of “Abuela,” Simon, and Millicent: On Astral Party-Crashers (and How to Avoid Them)

Today, to celebrate the Halloween/Samhain season, I’d like to explore the somewhat spooky phenomenon of astral party-crashers.

Astral party-crashers are spiritual entities that sometimes pop up in mediumistic settings - or in your home! - who have no readily apparent association with any individual in the room, but are drawn to present themselves out of curiosity, benevolence, boredom, or, in some cases, energetic hunger stemming from unresolved issues that keep them hovering close to the physical plane. Luckily, the intrusions of astral party-crashers have been fairly infrequent in my personal experience. However, when I have encountered them, the evidence has been strong enough in terms of physical manifestations of synchronicities, etc., that I think it’s important for students of mediumship to know that they exist, and plan for them without apprehension.

Much of the work of a competent medium consists of understanding how to attune oneself to the spirit world, and receive accurate, verifiable information from it. However, far from being one uniform field, the “other side” is a multifaceted realm: a spectrum of different frequencies. Different types of entities dwell in different “layers” of the spiritual plane, of varying densities, much like different colours of light occupy different ranges on a spectrum of wavelengths. Accordingly, the emotional, spiritual, physical and energetic qualities of a medium determine which frequencies they are able to attune themselves to most easily. This is why Lorna Byrne speaks to angels, Jessyka Winston works with her Lwa, Tyler Henry passes messages between people and their dead loved ones, and I communicate most easily with Salvador, Natalie and my other guides, who dwell in a layer of the spirit realm somewhat higher in frequency than the astral. The reason I refer specifically to astral party-crashers when talking of this subject, is that the entities in question will usually pop up because they dwell in the frequency band commonly known as the astral realm, which is closest in density to that of the physical plane. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the types of ghosts who would cause physical hauntings, but I do find that they seem to have an easy time firing off synchronicities that manifest in the physical realm. Although they are usually harmless, and easy to miss altogether if one is not psychically open, if you find yourself frequently bumping into astral party-crashers, it may be an indication that your baseline energy level and psychic protection measures could use a boost.

The first time I bumped into an astral party-crasher was a bit over a year ago. The incident started on the same day I spoke about in my piece on clairaudience, during a time when my mediumistic ability was going through a bit of a spike. I had been working on a film set in Harlem that day, and took the opportunity of being in a neighborhood with a large Latino population to visit a local botánica. Salvador and Natalie are quite protective of me, and have more than once shooed me away from dabbling in working with any spirits outside of my circle of personal guides. However, I was curious to see the place, and wanted to buy a candle.

The botánica was a large space, with hundreds of different candles of all colours to choose from, soperas, and a plethora of pre-packaged oils and incenses for every magical purpose, stacked on shelves that reached from the floor to the ceiling. The energy there felt a little scattered to me, but not uncomfortable. I chose a candle for myself, and went home happy with my purchase.

The next day, as I was tuning into a channeling session, an unfamiliar spirit popped up and greeted me. In Spanish. Which I barely speak.

“¡Hola, Emily!”

Somewhat taken aback, I asked whom I had the pleasure of speaking with. “Soy Abuela,” she replied. (“I am Grandmother.”) She then switched to English, and went on to give me specific instructions on how to burn my candle for best magical results, and which herbs would work best with it. (Damiana and vetiver, on an alternating basis, she said.)

My psychic protection practices always include specifying whom I wish to communicate with before my channeling sessions, so when “Abuela” declared her presence, I was a little suspicious, but also, I admit, somewhat intrigued. If she was who she claimed to be, it seemed someone’s magically savvy grandmother had followed me home from the botánica, wanting to teach me her craft. I wasn’t so sure it was something I should be getting involved in, but appreciated her attention. I thanked her for visiting me, and said goodbye.

Abuela turned up again intermittently in my sessions over the next couple of weeks, and I remained somewhat wary of her. Salvador told me that she was harmless, but there were other incidents not directly associated with her - not all of them pleasant - that had me a bit on edge. My energy around this time was running low due to working very long hours on film shoots, and once in a while, I would notice astral level spirits that needed to be crossed over tagging along with me from my excursions out into the city, or otherwise subtly tugging at my spiritual sleeve. A woman from a small Finnish village I had never heard of before wanted me to warn her relative about a fire hazard, giving me her full name and place of residence. A gay man from a few states over wanted me to take a message to his husband. After sending them home, I would usually end up googling their obituaries, and try to find clues as to how to address their various requests. I attempted to make the most of it and gather at least some kind of mediumistic evidence. However, I knew in my heart that working outside of designated “office hours,” and being vulnerable to astral interference, was neither smart nor sustainable.

Because of these incidents, I began working long-distance with a shamanic healer and psychic named Joy. Joy, who specializes in working with other practitioners, was helping me tune up my psychic self-care and patch up my energy field to stop uninvited energies from seeping in.

At the end of my first phone session with Joy, I described some of the latest incidents of tag-alongs I had been experiencing. I mentioned my encounters with Abuela. Joy said that it was probably fine, but if she hung around much longer, it might be a good idea to ask her if she needed some help to move on.

Right after we ended our call, I decided to check my Instagram account to wind down from the session. As I opened up the app, through a slip of my hand, I unintentionally ended up on a feed that was not my own - which is something I rarely explore. And there, one of the very first posts that popped up was not a photograph, but one that only showed a screen capture of this text, in bold letters:

“¡SOY ABUELA!”

I do not recall hearing from her since.*

Perhaps the strangest incident I ever experienced of astral party-crashing happened in connection with a séance I attended a while ago, which I briefly outlined in my recent post on “getting the wires crossed.”

At the time, I had been shopping around for a new psychic development circle to join up with, and visited one I had been to once before, a few months earlier. I had already had some misgivings about the way the circle had been conducted before, but publicly announced séances are surprisingly few and far between in New York City, so I decided to give it a second shot.

As in most message circles, the protocol at this one consisted of the leader of the circle taking us through a series of meditations and psychic protection practices before moving on to passing messages to those present. However, my alarm bells soon went off, when after our initial meditations, during a quick break, the somewhat grandiosely inclined leader started to explain that there were demons attracted by the spiritual light generated by our circle, attempting to interfere. As he began to give a graphic description of the “demons” he had seen, I covered my ears and walked out of the room. (For the record: If you ever see anything menacing during a mediumistic meditation, unless you are specifically doing some kind of shadow work or banishing, the last thing you want to do is to feed it with attention and anchor its energy down through verbally describing it.) I did not care for the man’s foolish attempts to impress the novices at the event, nor was I intimidated by what he had said, but decided to let go of my reservations to get my own mediumistic practice time in.

When the break ended, I returned to the circle, and we moved into the section of the séance where messages would be delivered. As I meditated, I became aware of a middle-aged, stocky man, wearing leather boots and a cap. I heard the name “Simon.” He seemed to be a farmer. I placed him to have been alive around the 1970s. I did not recognize him, but he reminded me a bit of a character I had seen bizarrely stomp through a precognitive dream, the previous summer, flashing a set of very unlucky Tarot cards at me before declaring, á propos of them: “Nobody wins!” - the night before my fiancé had broken up with me. Then, in my mind’s eye, I saw a slender woman with long, brown hair. Her name was Millicent. She was wearing something that looked like a prairie dress. Perhaps a hippie. They seemed to belong together. I jotted down all the details, anticipating the end of the circle, when I could speak up and find out whose dead relatives I had brought through. They certainly weren’t mine.

The leader of the circle worked his way around the room, delivering messages to each attendee in turn. Then, he turned to me and said: “When I tune into your energy, I am aware of two spirits. There is an older man, whose name is either John or Simon. I’m not quite sure. And a woman with an M name. She comes across as a hillbilly. I think she’s Irish.” I concurred that I had picked on those exact two people, but my ancestral roots went back exclusively to Eastern Europe and Finland, and I definitely did not have any relatives from Ireland named Simon or Millicent. Surely they were there for someone else! However, nobody in the room recognized the rustic duo any better than I could.

The séance eventually trailed off, and I noticed that the leader never formally closed the circle. This worried me somewhat, but I told myself it wasn’t a big deal. I also wondered what exactly was going on with Simon and Millicent. Why would two such random characters show up for me, when we didn’t seem to have any direct connection? Still, for all my concerns, I was happy that the session had resulted in the information I had received on them being corroborated so closely by the other medium.

That night, as I was falling asleep, something very unusual happened. Right as I was dozing off, in a hypnagogic state, I heard a male voice loudly say my name in my right ear, almost as if it was physically coming from outside of my head. (Usually, when I receive clairaudient information, the impression is one of simply having a verbally expressed thought, and it feels like it is situated more near my left ear. Furthermore, it almost never happens unbidden.) “Ugh.” I thought. “Here we go. Someone followed me home.”

Life went on as normal for a while. Salvador confirmed to me the next day that the problem had been that the séance had not been closed properly, and I should avoid that particular circle in the future. I tried to shake off the incident.

About a week later, I met up for coffee with a dear colleague, and as we were catching up on what had been going on in our lives, I shared with him the strange story of Simon and Millicent. By then, I was laughing about it, and my friend was also amused.

Towards the end of our visit, we stopped by a large bookstore to look for some inspiration for a project we were working on together. My friend took the opportunity to visit the restroom, and as I was waiting for him, my eyes wandered to a book sitting on a stand in the children’s section: “Dear Mili,” read the title. It was a book illustrated by the illustrious Maurice Sendak, author of “Where The Wild Things Are.” I had already had several other, sweet little synchronicities happen that day, and so, my first thought was “Hey! My spirit guides must have wanted me to see this, since they always call me Dear Emily.” As I leafed through it, I discovered it was a somewhat creepy little story, discovered in the early 1980s in a letter written by Wilhelm Grimm to a young girl in 1816. The story made me somewhat melancholy, but the pictures were beautiful. I texted a picture of the cover of the book to a friend of mine who not only had been one of my first mediumistic clients, and was quite familiar with the lingo my guides use, but had also been at the séance with me where Simon and Millicent had made an appearance. “Look what Natalie sent me!” I captioned my photo.

Then, I opened the book up to its dedication page, and my jaw dropped open.

“For my sister, Natalie.” - M.S.

M.S. - Millicent and Simon?

Barely believing my eyes, I texted my friend a second photo of the page.

A moment later, she replied:

“Wait. Dear Mili - MILLICENT?!”

And that, as they say, was that.

These two incidents of astral party-crashing illustrate well some of elements that can contribute to being vulnerable to psychic interference. They can be summed up fairly simply:

Attempting mediumship when energetically run down either through physical tiredness, negative emotions, poor diet, illness, or while under the effects (or after-effects!) of mind-altering substances such as alcohol or drugs. (Yes, this includes cannabis for most people. CBD, however, is usually fine, as it isn’t psychoactive.)

Not practicing proper psychic self-care through meditation, energy-clearing, and psychic protection. This includes not only your personal energy, but your personal living space, as well.

Dabbling in practices that are not aligned with your spiritual integrity.

Spending time in places with negative energy, that attract low-vibration entities. These can be spaces associated with addiction, abuse, or violence. This doesn’t mean mediums need to avoid such spaces altogether, of course, but energetic clearing is doubly important after being exposed to that kind of energy.

Focusing on images, thoughts, or stories that invoke fear or unease. Don’t watch horror movies before doing a mediumistic session! At least give yourself a few days to detox.

Asking for trouble by intentionally invoking fear-based entities. (Duh.) Just don’t. It’s not worth it.

Being afraid of the spirit world, and of one’s own mediumistic tendencies.

Not properly opening and closing your mediumistic sessions.

On the other hand, my guides have a slightly different take on the matter. From their perspective, every experience is an opportunity to learn something new. So, here are some points that my guides conveyed through clairaudient dictation around the time that Abuela was visiting me. (Parts of this were cited in an early post on this blog about empathic vulnerability.)

Question: “Why are uninvited energies interfering with my mediumistic sessions? Am I not strong enough to keep them out?”

“Your guides know when an energy can be helpful even if you yourself have not set up the meeting. Even if you are being told something you think you do not want to hear, the energy itself may have something useful to tell you. Have no fear. You are in good hands. Wear an amulet if you think it will make you feel more safe, but this is not necessary or helpful if you do not trust your guides to help you. Call your guides to help you raise and strengthen your energies. Allowing the information that comes through to reach you as just that, information, and not as an energetic intrusion, will give you the best access to knowledge of all stripes.

Allow your guides to act as informed gatekeepers and let in the spirits covered in your opening prayer. [Being very adamant about proactive,] careful vetting places an undue burden of self-protection on the practitioner. If you feel unsafe or drained, plan ahead and look to your sources of strength to hold you in a higher vibration. Ask the lower energies to step away. You are safe […] Do not succumb to the influence of fear. You are OK. Pay attention to any disturbances in the atmosphere of your home, Work to become a better arbiter of your own boundaries. Nobody can enter your awareness [unbidden] if you have placed high enough barriers on your consciousness.”

All of this can be summed up into the principle that the stronger your connection is with your personal team of guides, and the better care you take care of yourself as well as your environment, the less vulnerable you will be to interference. Lately, I almost never experience these kinds of incidents anymore, and when they are about to happen, Salvador and Natalie will quickly warn me and nip them in the bud. The bottom line is, these are not things to be feared. At the limit, I would use this information to encourage my readers to treat themselves with love, self-respect and kindness, stay true to themselves, and build a strong relationship with own protectors.

Have you ever experienced an astral party-crasher? How did they make themselves known? How did you deal with it? How would you deal with it if it happened again? Let me know!

------------------------------------------------------

* In case you are wondering if this was a result of an algorithm being triggered by my phone “spying” on my conversation with Joy, I can only say that it wasn’t the first time that Spirit had used social media for synchronicities. The first time my guides gave me a timeline for an event using astrological timing, citing only the symbols for Venus and Scorpio, I had no idea what it meant - until I opened up Instagram after the session. The very first post on my feed was captioned with a long piece on the astrological implications of Venus shortly moving into Scorpio. There was no technological record of my channeling session to feed into any algorithm at that time. I also had never had any interest in astrology until that moment.

#spirit communication #astral #mediumship #psychic #medium #psychic medium #ghosts #hauntings #haunted #psychic protection #energy healing #spiritualism #seance #witchesoftumblr #witches #spirit guides #channeled messages #synchronicities #entities

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daryljdugdale · 4 years

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THE WACKIEST OF RACES ! PART 1

Having had a couple of days to take stock and reflect I thought I’d write down my thoughts on our epic road trip through Spain and France. A lot of you will have been following the trip in real time through TC’ s postings on Facebook, apologies if some of what I write is therefore repetitive but I feel there is a need for the experience to be in one place for posterity. The facts- we travelled over 2,500 km in 36 hours, we spent around € 700 on diesel and motorway tolls, £ 500 spent on ferry trips one of which was cancelled, Smithy slept most of the way, waking up periodically for his wee and his poos, we had about 5 hours sleep between leaving Orgiva Monday morning and arriving in Folkstone on Tuesday evening, oh and we didn’t row once. Alongside these facts in addition to our raised anxieties and a sense of fear and the unknown there were incidents of comedy, it was an adrenaline boosted experience the opposite of mindfulness. It all started so well leaving our finca at 8 am, we met our friend Kenny who had agreed to house sit indefinitely and handed him the keys. It is quite strange to reflect that just 24 hours earlier TC and I had woken up and made the most difficult decision to leave our place and within an hour of that we had found some one to house sit, look after the land and the chickens. The speed of the arrangement and the kindness of people summarizing the spirit of our community in Orgiva. We then drove 15 km or so to Durcal to visit the vets in order to get Smithys pet passport signed off and his anti worming tablet administered, a key requisite for him to cross borders. As we arrived we were stopped by the police wearing face masks and gloves and questioned as to our movements. Having prepared my Spanish for this possibility I answered “ nosotros vamos a ingleterra, tenemos un ferry en Francis la jueves” to which he responded in perfect English “when are you going?” Clearly in times of national emergency we all become fluent in one another’s language. We were waved on and at that point we wondered how many more times our journey would be interrupted by road blocks . The vet signed Smithy off but appreciating our journey may last longer than the four days we’d planned, and the anti worming tablet has to be taken no more than 5 days before crossing any border he put the next days date in his passport and gave us the medication to self administer. Im not sure of the legality of such a process but it’s flexibility was reassuring to us. As we drove through villages heading towards Granada we noted how empty the streets were. Where usually Spanish would be sat at tables eating their toastada and drinking their cafe con leches, there was nothing. It felt very unnerving and added to the apocolyptic aura surrounding us. As we headed north towards Madrid and a CV hotspot we put together a plan. We had booked a ferry from St Malo in France for Thursday evening. Tonight we thought we’d try to get as far past Madrid as we could and try to head for the city of Burgos in Northern Spain. We had previously stayed at an aire there which had been nice. It was also only about 3.5 hours from the French border so in that sense was reassuring. From there we would head through France Tuesday and Wednesday aiming to be close to St Malo Thursday morning. At this point we thought we might even enjoy the road trip. There was almost a sense that a small amount of mindfulness might present itself on our journey. We shared the driving as we headed north. I would do two hours and we’d stop for refreshments, and then TC would drive two hours and we’d stop. The journey was accompanied by music and a suggested playlist on CV from my brother, which included tracks like Fever, Toxic and It’s a tragedy! The roads were definitely quieter and as we passed Madrid there was definitely a sense of rapid movement by cars and lorries although not the usual levels of traffic we’re use to experiencing. The weather began to turn and sunshine we’d been experiencing as we drove through Andalusia and Granada provinces was replaced by dark clouds & cold

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copper-wasp · 5 years

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Cor Leonis x Reader: Sun, Moon & Stars

More sweet, sweet, mature Cor lovin' for y'all :)

I kept editing this for some ungodly reason, and I'm still kind of meh about it, but here it is anyway....

Posted to AO3.

Rating: Explicit

Words: 3697

“[Y/N], someone’s here to see you,” you heard Cor’s deep voice say as you pushed a pin into another location on the map of Insomnia for the Glaives to clear.

Turning, you expected to see a scout with information or your best hunter back with supplies; instead, an older, but still instantly recognizable Prince stood in front of you. Dropping the remaining pins in your hand, you vaguely heard them hit the floor as you blinked hard, making sure he was actually there.

“Noctis?” you asked with a shaky voice, hand blindly reaching in front of you to steady yourself on the edge of the table.

He smiled softly at you, “Hi, [Y/N].”

Looking over at the Marshal, he gave you a reassuring nod before turning to leave you with the now King. Quickly making your way around the table, you threw your arms around his neck, pulling him into a crushing embrace. Ten years since you’d seen him. Even longer since he and his friends would help you with hunts that were a little above your pay grade at the time.

He hugged you back, gently stroking your hair as you squeezed your eyes shut, trying to stop the tears that were forming. You pulled away to get a good look at him, your hands still on his shoulders.

“Wow, kid, you grew up,” you commented with a watery voice, tugging gently on his beard.

“And you still look exactly the same, old lady,” he replied with a chuckle. You pursed your lips at his nickname for you (a ridiculous one as you were only seven years older than him).

“Ah, there’s that nickname I missed so much. I knew there was a reason I liked you,” you teased, trying to keep the mood light. If you started crying, there was no way you would be able to stop. Noctis gave you a sad smile, and you pulled him into another embrace. You couldn’t care less that you were hugging the King, he was still that twenty year old brat of a Prince whose bluntness eventually won you over. Or it could have been due to the fact that he saved you from being gored by a freakishly large spiracorn while you were out hunting together. Either way, he was your friend in addition to being your King.

Finally releasing him, you watched as his eyes trailed over your uniform. “So, you’re helping the Glaives now?” he asked, moving to brush some dust off of your shoulder.

“Mostly,” you replied, bending to pick up the pins you had dropped earlier. “The Marshal kind of took me under his wing after the sun left us. He doesn’t let me go out too often though, says I’m too valuable to lose,” you said, doing your best impression of the Immortal, rolling your eyes for extra effect.

That earned you another smile from Noctis, who agreed, saying that sounded like something Cor would say. You placed your left hand on the tabletop, leaning into it as you looked him over. Noctis’s gaze had traveled to the thin silver band on your ring finger and he looked back up at you in surprise.

“You’re married?” he asked incredulously.

You flushed, not meeting his eyes. “I, um, yes. I am.” You shifted your weight nervously, moving your hand to cover the ring with your right hand. “I may have married Cor,” you said with a grimace, flicking your eyes up to meet Noct’s.

He barked out a laugh, and you cocked your head, giving him an unimpressed look.

“You married the Marshal? You’re not serious?” He stifled his laugh when he saw the look on your face. “Oh, you are serious. You really married the Marshal?”

“Yes, Highness, I really married the Marshal,” you repeated, slowly, to make sure it stuck.

“And it was a sad day when we heard she was off the market,” Gladio said, strolling past the two of you, book in hand as usual.

“Thank you for that ego boost, Gladiolus.”

“Any time, beautiful,” he said with a wink, shrugging at Noctis’s disbelieving face as he made his way to the kitchen area.

“I thought the Marshal was only in love with his duty,” Noctis commented, swinging his head around to spot Cor speaking with Ignis a few yards away.

“Well that much is still true, but I am proud to say that I am a very close second,” you joked, grinning at him. Looking over at your husband, he caught your eye and you motioned for him to come join you. Excusing himself, he walked over to you both with his normal commanding gait.

“Something wrong?” he asked, looking between you and the King.

“His Highness here doesn’t believe we’re married,” you stated, grabbing his hand with yours. You showed the hand to Noctis, a matching silver band on Cor’s ring finger.

“It’s nearly seven years, isn’t it?” the Marshal asked you and you nodded.

“Had a hell of a time finding someone to perform the ceremony,” you commented, looking into your husband’s gorgeous eyes. There were a few more age lines around them compared to when you first met, but they still burned with an intensity that you fell in love with over and over again.

Cor reached up to place his hand gently on your cheek before leaning in to capture your lips with his. It was a chaste kiss, but every time your lips met, you still got a rush of heat throughout your body, like he was kissing you with fire, his mouth always able to warm you up, even if you were chilled to the bone.

“Okay, okay, I believe you. Keep your tongues in your mouths,” Noctis said playfully as you pulled away from Cor’s kiss. He pulled you close to him, placing one more gentle kiss on your temple, his silvery-brown beard scratching against your cheek.

“If my wife is finished with you, I do have something to discuss with you, Highness,” Cor said, looking between the two of you.

“Yes, dear, you can steal him away. I’ve got others to catch up with,” you replied, as Cor raised your hand to his mouth, gently kissing the back of it.

You sighed as you watched the two of them go, unable to stop a creeping sadness from filtering into your brain. Luckily, a blonde ball of happiness trotted over to you, ready to talk your ear off. If anyone could raise your spirits, it was Prompto.

~~~~~

Because no good deed goes unpunished, the King and his retinue were roped into various favors, leaving you little time with your old friends.

The Marshal decided to join them in destroying the remaining Imperial bases blighting the Crown City, and you spend the hours he’s gone on edge, anxiously waiting for his return. Though he is the most capable soldier you have ever known, the thought of losing your husband, when you had so little to begin with, was terrifying. Your relief when they returned entirely unscathed was palpable, and you refused to let Cor out of your sight for the rest of the day.

You were slogging through cataloguing a box of supplies later that evening, when you felt a gentle hand on your shoulder. Expecting to see a Glaive, you were pleasantly surprised to find Noctis instead.

“Highness,” you said in greeting, setting down your pen and paper. “Did you need something? Or did you just want to see my pretty face again?” you joked, motioning for him to sit at an empty chair across from you.

Noctis smiled at you, taking the proffered seat and immediately resting his head in his hands.

“Long day, huh?” you asked, looking at him solemnly.

“Yeah, something like that,” he replied, fixing you with a stare. You knew that look; it was the one he used to give you when there was a niggling question he wanted to ask, but was unsure of how to bring it up.

“Out with it, Noct.”

“Huh?”

You pursed your lips at him, raising an eyebrow. He sighed, leaning back in the chair. “Just ask whatever it is you want to ask; let me guess, how did the Marshal and I end up married? Or is it how I managed to survive all this time considering I used to practically have a death wish? Or maybe it’s-“

“Have you ever thought of having a family?” he interrupted, meeting your eyes again with a solemn gaze. Your mouth was still open mid-sentence, his question not being at all what you had expected.

“A family? Well, yeah, I guess I have,” you replied, hands fidgeting in your lap. “But a world without a sun is not exactly the best place to have one.... And Cor and I, well, we aren’t exactly of a prime parenting age anymore....” You trailed off, looking at your shoes, wondering where this was coming from.

“I was terrified to marry Luna,” Noctis began, “I knew what was expected of me, but I spent my entire life doing the exact opposite of just that, and it was hard to rationalize that I couldn’t be selfish this time, not when there was another person involved. I was finally coming around, even making plans in my head of what our lives would be when we were together, and it all ended in a second.”

You could hear the rawness in his voice, and you tried desperately to keep your composure. You scooted your chair over to him, placing your hand on top of his on his leg.

“Her sacrifice brought me here, so I could finish this,” he said, looking back up at you. “When I end the scourge, I hope you’ll consider having what I couldn’t.”

You furrowed your brows at him as he squeezed your hand in his. “There’s something you aren’t telling me, isn’t there?”

He refused to meet your eyes, just letting his thumb slide over your knuckles as you sat in silence. The creeping sadness was back, unease building in your chest and you swallowed hard, Noctis’s unsaid words coming to be realized in your head. You wanted to say something but you couldn’t, voice failing to work.

He closed his eyes for a long moment; a small smile formed on his lips when he opened them again. “I could demand that you have a baby, if you’d prefer?”

Wiping an errant tear from the corner of your eye, you playfully punched his shoulder before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

“Giving me orders now, huh?” you croaked, forcing your vocal cords to flex. “You should know that doesn’t work on me, King or not.”

He chuckled, grabbing both of your hands in his once again. Your thumb brushed over the ring he wore, and he tensed. You squeezed his hands reassuringly and he met your eyes, but it seemed like he was looking through you.

With a final, wistful look, he stood, straightening his clothes and taking his leave. You watched him until his still unruly head of coal-colored hair disappeared around a corner.

~~~~~

There were some benefits to being married to Cor Leonis, one of them being that you and he had a small private room at the base, tucked into a corner away from the main area. A former storage room, it was tiny, but with enough space for a bed to fit the both of you and a trunk to hold your clothing.

Your brief conversation with Noctis was weighing on you. The thought of children, of a proper family, well, it seemed like a pipe dream; the Marshal and your fellow Glaives were the only family you had, but they were the family you chose, and you were happy with that. Now His Highness had pushed that earwig of a thought deep into your brain, and you couldn’t help but imagine a surly little boy with steel blue eyes and your narrow chin, or an adventurous girl who looked exactly like you with the exception of having her father’s nose. You saw them playing outside in the sun, freckles darkening on their shoulders and cheeks, their knees and palms covered in scrapes.

“Cor?” you asked, turning into your side to look at him. He was on his back, an arm thrown over his eyes. He quickly dropped it back down to his side and turned his head to look at you.

“Yes, darling?” he answered, arching his back to relieve some tension.

“I think our King ordered me to have a baby with you,” you said softly, eyes flicking up to meet his.

“Is that so?” he replied, not bothering to hide his amusement. You nodded, scooting over to rest your head on his bare chest. Your fingers moved to trace slow arabesques over his pectorals and abdomen, and you tilted your chin to kiss him softly on his jaw. He wrapped an arm around you, rubbing along your back soothingly.

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it,” Cor said, and you made a little noise in disbelief, your eyes widening. You were about to reply, but he plowed right along, surprising you even more. “But I think that my time to be a father has passed.”

It was true that Cor was not the youngest man anymore, but his mind was still sharp, and his body looked the same as it did ten years ago, all lean, defined muscle that made you nearly drool. Sometimes you still couldn’t believe that this stunning man was your husband, that he had chosen you of all people, a brash and quite often reckless hunter. You dipped your hand down past his navel, feeling him tense as your fingertips skimmed over the waistband of his pants.

He sighed contentedly, pulling you closer to him, and you hooked one of your legs over his, rut hung up his pant leg to touch his skin.

“I understand why you’d say that, but now, entirely the fault of Noctis, I’m thinking that maybe it’s not too late.... I love you, Cor, and I think you would be a wonderful hard-ass of a father to our poor, unfortunate child,” you joked, nuzzling into his neck.

He chuckled, tilting your chin up to give you a languid kiss on the lips, his hands moving to slide under the hem of your shirt. You made a satisfied noise against his lips, enjoying the warmth from his fingertips as they traced over you skin. He raised your shirt up past your shoulder blades, and you shifted to let him pull it over your head. Cor moved your body on top of his with little effort, capturing your mouth in a heated kiss.

“I love you too, [Y/N],” he mumbled against your lips once you broke apart. “You would most definitely be the fun parent.”

You smiled at him, cupping his face in your hands. Cor was weathered and worn, his skin marred with scar tissue, evidence of the long, hard life he’s lived. He was the most handsome man you had ever seen, even so long ago when you were a naive twenty something killing beasts for sport, punishing your body purely for the thrill.

The first time you had kissed, terrified and exhausted after a daemon ambush on a supply run, he made you feel whole, like he was your own personal sun, full of warmth and light. He had quickly pulled away from you, mumbling a stuttering apology against your lips, but you grasped his shoulders and pressed your needy mouth to his, already desperately craving more of his kiss.

Speaking of kisses, Cor was currently working a line of them down your neck, sucking a bruise onto the sensitive skin at the junction of your shoulder and soothing it over with his tongue. You felt his cock harden against your thigh, palms slipping beneath the fabric of your shorts to squeeze your rear.

You made a pleasured noise at the contact, grinding your body down on top of him, earning you a soft groan, music to your ears. You rolled off the Marshal to remove the last of his and your clothing, taking a long, greedy gaze at his naked form, his flushed length standing proudly before you, just begging to be ridden.

You moved to straddle him again, letting your ass rub delightfully against his cock, your slick spreading over his stomach. He reached up to massage at your breasts, teasing your nipples into pebbling, rolling and tugging them between his thumb and forefinger.

You looked down at him, a flush high on his cheeks, already breathing heavy through parted lips.

You smirked, rubbing your sex against him. “Are you gonna put a baby in me, Marshal? Gonna follow your King’s orders?” you asked as his hand trailed down your stomach to part your folds, finding your clit with a practiced ease. His thumb rubbing fierce circles against you, you moaned, trying to stifle it by pressing your closed fist against your mouth. Your room was by no means soundproof, and you didn’t want to confirm what the Glaives already speculated that you were doing at the moment.

“Why don’t you let me inside you and find out?” he rasped, trying to urge you to raise your hips.

“So impatient, my love,” you replied, followed with a lusty moan as he continued his assault on your pearl. “But I suppose I’ll be kind and give you what you want.” You leaned down to capture his lips, teasing his tongue with yours. Sitting back up, you grasped his length, smearing his precum over the head as you lined him up with your wet, welcoming entrance.

Twin moans of pleasure sounded in the room as you seated yourself on him, taking his entire length in one fell swoop. Cor let his eyes close, his hands moving to squeeze the supple flesh of your hips as you rested your palms on his chest.

You started to move, slowly rocking your hips on top of him, focusing on the slide of his cock against your walls as he filled you completely. He thrusted to match the movements of your hips, making you speed up whether you wanted to or not. You moaned out his name, squeezing your thighs around him, sounds of your coupling a gentle white noise.

“I will never get tired of this view,” Cor said with a grin, his eyes glued to where you were joined, flicking up occasionally to meet yours.

“Think you could... nngh... touch while you look?” you asked, panting, feeling your husband thrust up into you hard, continuing to match your rhythm with ease. He had seven plus years of practice, after all.

He licked his lips, trailing his hand torturously slowly back over to your bud, thumb barely even ghosting over the bundle of nerves. He flicked his eyes up to meet yours, irises practically swimming with joy as he teased you.

“Cor,” you whined, scratching down his chest. “You’re such a tease....”

He cocked his head, giving you a smirk. Touching where you were joined, he gathered some of your slick on his thumb, at last pressing it against your swollen bundle of nerves. Cor resumed his earlier ministrations and you stifled a powerful moan, spewing out curses under your breath instead, pleasure erupting at your center, the dual stimulation from his cock and thumb driving you closer and closer to your climax.

A hard thrust and a perfect circle to your clit and you came hard, clenching around him, biting your lip painfully to keep from making too much noise. You fell forward onto his chest, felling him press a gentle kiss to your forehead as your climax slowly ebbed away. He rolled you onto your side, hooking your leg over his hip as he continued to drive into you, his movements giving you little pleasurable aftershocks from your orgasm.

Cor pulled your body flush to his, kissing you desperately. He mumbled sweet words against your lips, his hands coming to rest on your lower back, angling your body so he could thrust even deeper into you. He was close, his breathing ragged and eyes closed, his brows furrowing with every other thrust.

“I love you,” you whispered, kissing down his jaw, feeling his hands press tighter against you as he climaxed. With uncoordinated thrusts, Cor emptied himself into you, the feeling of his seed filling you up absolutely sublime, considering it had been years since you ran out of condoms, and you always found yourself either wearing or swallowing his release.

Placing your hands on either side of his neck, you peppered his face with soft, sweet kisses, delighting in the feeling of his stubbly facial hair on your skin. He gently pulled out of your sensitive cunt, moving your tired leg off of his hip with a caress. He shifted to his back again, pulling you with him, strong arms holding you tightly in his grasp, as if you’d float away if he let go.

You smiled against his chest where your head was laying, listening to his rapid heartbeat slowly return to normal. You scratched at his scalp lazily with one hand, knowing he loved it, and he let out a long breath, tilting his head against your fingers.

Breathing deeply, you let your eyes close, sleepy and sated, squeezing your arm around Cor’s waist. “Goodnight, Cor,” you said softly, snuggling as close to him as you could.

“Sleep well, my love,” he replied with a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

~~~~~

It took a few practice sessions, but exactly ten months, twelve days, and four hours after the Chosen King of Lucis sacrificed himself to restore the sun, you welcomed a healthy boy into the new world. He was just as surly as you imagined, bright blue eyes, dark hair, an absolute spitting image of his father.

Your son had three very enthusiastic godfathers who argued over who got to hold him first.

It took less than a minute for you and Cor to decide what to call him.

You named him Noctis.

Thank you for reading!!

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#ffxv #final fantasy xv #cor leonis #ffxv cor #cor leonis x reader #smut #feels #older cor leonis

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drink-n-watch · 4 years

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I’ve never spoken about this before but did you guys know that Crow is the one that adds in all the links in these posts? Even when I’m the one hosting, Crow just goes through my paragraphs and adds all the relevant links without ever being asked and without ever even mentioning anything. He just sort of naturally does it. To help me out and give you all a better experience. Some people are like that. They gravitate towards helping whenever they can in any way they can. If the rest of us are lucky enough, we can meet someone like that. There’s a name for it…

Thank you Crow, I do appreciate these little things. I’m sorry it took me so long to say something.

You’re most welcome! I don’t even notice I’m doing it anymore; it’s kinda automatic. In the back of my mind, I worried that I was taking liberties with your text, which wasn’t at all what I intended to do! Glad it came across in the right spirit!

Oh, I’m bold, there will be spoilers, etc…

I’m writing this before Crow reads it but I bet he’s gonna hem and haw and play it down. Of course he is. He isn’t the sort to hoard credit. And he’ll find some excuse to blow it off, like say that I must be in a particularly good mood. And maybe I am, ‘cause this was a fantastic episode! Doesn’t change that I really appreciate what Crow does.

So, do I send the small, unmarked bills to the same address as usual? You were even more kind than usual, so I feel like I should include a bonus or something…

One thing I appreciate is when a series has some reverence for its own lore and history. This is why I love subtle throwbacks. Like the opening scene of this episode which recalled the first moments of the series. Just that already had me in a happy place. But when I saw that Froppy and Uraraka were in fact fighting and holding their own, well I just cheered.

It was fantastic to see the ladies front and center like that. And kicking behind at it! The scene was a short opening tag but it gave me all I needed. The action was fluid and fun to watch. The girls were efficient, powerful and worked very well together. And their mentor, Ryuko, who was on screen for less than a minute, somehow manage to come off as one of the best hero mentors in the series. She gave encouragement and tangible practical advice that was easy to follow and understand. Plus she let the students do the actual work but made sure everything was under control. I am impressed by this agency! One of the best pro heroes, possibly aside from Eraserhead, I’ve seen so far!

It was great to see Froppy and Uraraka again! Froppy was her usual cool, efficient self, and even though she was nervous, Urakaka showed how far she’s come in her training too.

I’d read some Tweets where fans were talking about Ryuko, and I tried not to pay attention because I didn’t want any spoilers. I came away with a vague idea that we should expect great things from her. Based on everything you noticed about how she handled herself and the students that were her responsibility, I think I see signs of greatness.

Or tragedy. They could be setting up a non-core cast member who we grow to love. Just before her final encounter with Overhaul. Seriously, the more I see of that guy, the more worried I become on behalf of our heroes…

That was a lot of text about the little scene before the opening credits. This episode wasn’t about the girls. And normally I might think that’s too bad. The fact that I don’t should clue you in on how this post is about to go.

If you remember, 3 1-A students had been contacted by members of the Big Three. Tsuyu and Uraraka by Neijire (who seems delightful) and Kirishima was contacted by the usually reserved Tamaki. It seemed odd from the start for someone so introverted as to feel the need to constantly hide his face to reach out to someone, and someone as loud and boisterous as Kirishima at that. Only it wasn’t, because as it turns out, Tamaki is smarter than me… But we’ll get back to that.

Tamaki is currently under the tutelage of pro hero and Totoro lookalike, Fat Gum, and he has enlisted Kirishima to join the agency. And what a time to be a professional hero! Behind the scenes Overhaul and Shigaraki seem about ready to strike a deal.

Watching these two together was chilling, but what struck me most was just how calm Shigaraki was. I thought the loss of All for One would have broken him, but it doesn’t even seem to have phased him. In fact he sounded more confident and mature than ever before. I have a feeling that’s a very bad thing…

I think his earlier encounter with Overhaul affected him quite a lot. I got the sense he actually felt responsible for the survivors like Himiko and Mr. Compress. Instead of hurling himself in a despairing fury, he’s regrouped and has begun to exert some self control. As you said, that’s a very bad thing!

In order to secure his place in this wild new world and protect his assets (I have a feeling this guy doesn’t really have allies), Overhaul has devised a plan which would let people considerably boost the power of their own quirks for a short period and also render other incapable of using their quirks for some time. Both through the use of drugs. A devious plan indeed. Super strengthened villains against powerless heroes. I guess we’re about to find out if the quirk makes the man.

Or woman!

But at least the heroes know about this plan now. Now that Fat Gum, Kirishima and Tamaki have been confronted by it. In their first actual chance to work as a trio, our heroes easily catch a group of villains trying to escape after a robbery. Well Fat catches most of them and Tamaki takes care of the one that manages to get through. It’s a very smooth operation, both heroes are obviously quite skilled.

Everything should have ended there. Bright headlines the next day and Kirishima feeling a little bummed he didn’t get to do anything. That was all it should have been really. It was dumb stupid lack of luck that made it so that one of Overhaul’s minions, some guy so far down the line that Overhaul’s probably never even herad of him, happened to be in the crowd of onlookers. Just some guy frustrated by his lack of power, bitter at the display of skill right in front of him, and possessing the one thing that could destroy that power, at least for now. A gun capable of shooting drug capsules. And one manages to hit Tamaki straight on. Of course there are two more Heroes there and Kirishima immediately jumps in to avoid Tamaki getting hit again. Kirishima’s hardening skills makes him ideal as a human shield and the second capsule bounces off him without having the chance to inject anything. This is when I started realizing Tamaki was smarter than me. Kirishima really is a hero, wouldn’t you say?

Yeah, and we see that in all its awesome glory in a few moments. He moved almost like Izuku, before he even received his Quirk, had moved to protect Bakugou. It’s not something he did to look good. It’s something he did simply because of who he is.

At this point the situation isn’t quite clear. The first batch of villains have been handed off to the police. The gunman has run off and Kirishima took to the chase. Tamaki seems unhurt so Fat is about to follow the other two but suddenly it becomes apparent that the boy can’t summon his quirk. It just won’t work.

I’ll give it to Tamaki, he was upset, of course, but he really reacted calmly all things considered. I must say, I like Tamaki a lot. The cast needed an Eeyore to even it out!

Not only that, but did you notice that Fat Gum listened to him instead of continuing to speed off? I’m really glad we got to meet both Fat Gum and Ryuko this episode. They seem like the middle class of heroes — people trying to live up to their calling and pass on their wisdom to the young ‘uns. Just good folk!

It will be nice to have someone like Tamaki to balance the relentless (and sometimes exhausting!) positivity from Izuku and even Mirio and Neijire (or maybe especially those last two!).

The focus changes to Kirishima and this minor villain. He’s just some guy with a weak quirk who saw his team of villains get taken down without being able to do anything. He’s a bad guy, for sure. He’s also just a guy who wants to help his friends and needs to get stronger to do so but doesn’t know how. His fears, and frustration perfectly echo those of every UA student. And Kirishima is a big softie, so his sympathies get immediately engaged.

But there’s a job to do and a confrontation to win, and villains don’t play fair — what would be the point? When Kirishima obviously has the upper hand, the other guy (I should really look up his name – I couldn’t find it; even in the Fandom Wiki, the closest think I could find was a page about Trigger, the drug) decides to play his trump card and injects himself with something that immediately makes him way stronger.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Utena, Crow, but seeing that guy with all the blades through him really reminded me of the symbolic imagery in that show.

It was impressive. Even more impressive with that it cut into Kirishima! I admired how calm he remained, even as the blades were cutting into him. His calm under pressure it going to serve him well!

So this is it. Big decision time. The proper thing for a student hero with no real practical experience would be to fall back and get reinforcements. That sounds reasonable. But there are bystanders around and this guy doesn’t look like he’s about to go peacefully anywhere…

I always liked Kirishima. I like nice guys and he was a bright smiley good natured type. I figured that’s why I liked him. Also I like redheads. That wasn’t it, though. I was a bit slow to pick up on it but, Tamaki knew all along. There are a few general types of heroes in My Hero Academia. The cool and reasoned ones like Eraserhead and Tamaki, the efficient result oriented, slightly power hungry ones like Endeavor and Bakugo, the practical ones like Uraraka and Froppy; and then there are the optimistic idealist dorks like Mirio, All-Might, Deku and… Kirishima.

This kid is a hero to the core and it’s completely unrelated to his ego or circumstances. He’s just an uncomplicated straightforward good guy. The type I scold for their lack of foresight and roll my eyes at their single mindedness; and hold in my heart relieved that there are still heroes out there. Determinators are not a particularly interesting character archetype but I don’t hate them. Not at all. I always liked Kirishima, this little sequence, made me admire him.

He not only stayed put to actively protect the bystanders. He tailored his attack to attract the villain’s blades! Sure, he had just powered up and was reasonably sure the blades couldn’t skewer him, but only for another 30 or 40 seconds. And he had no way to know for sure that his strength was enough. Yes, he was so dedicated to protecting everyone he just did it.

Did you notice the minor flashback we got? The one where he drew inspiration to charge “forward like a horse?” To me, it was the most astonishing thing I saw in this episode, and it ranks right up there in the whole series.

It was Bakugou! He actually inspired someone! I was absolutely astounded.

You what? The very few instances of Bakugo we’ve seen have been mostly positive. His presence also seems to have calmed down Deku and spur on Todoroki. I wonder if the writers are trying to make a tiny character rehabilitation.

Kirishima manages to hold his own but it takes pretty much everything he’s got. At the very end, Fat manages to catch up and cut off the bad guy’s escape. It was an exhausting fight but a very enlightening one. Not only did Kirishima get a chance to figure out what type of hero he wants to be, but it also got everyone a little closer to figuring out the villain’s plan. But is it already too late?

The first step to thwarting a trap is to be aware of the trap… I think I learned that in Dune.

During those last moments of the evening, Kirishima and Tamaki get to chat a bit. Tamaki clearly tells Kirishima how much he reminds him of Mirio. I don’t think Kirishima caught on though. It’s a nice compliment for sure, but coming from Tamaki it takes on a whole new meaning. Tamaki idolizes Mirio and considers him an example of what a hero should be. He didn’t randomly pick some loud first year to help with their internship, he chose someone who he thought worthy. And he is saying as much. Even if Kiri might not understand it just yet. I hope these two can partner up for a while. They make a good odd couple.

They’ve certainly learned that they can rely on each other. There’s nothing like a dangerous fight to learn someone’s character!

This whole quirk nullifying storyline has a lot of very personal implications for Deku. On the one hand he is potential the most experienced and best placed person to fight without a quirk, having grown up quirkless. On the other, gaining One for All is possibly the most important defining moment in his life, and losing it again might break the boy. Either way, it would make sense that having his quirk locked up would hit Deku drastically differently than anyone else. Man! I can’t wait to find out which way he goes!

I’m betting this is how it’d go: His emotional devastation would almost overwhelm him, even as his tactical mind was working out alternate solutions. Plus, there’s that burning desire in his very soul to be a hero. He charged that blob that was attacking Bakugou, after all! He’d end up being less effective but really well organized — while being depressed about it.

I know I was subtle about it but this was my favorite episode so far. I am pumped! What did you think Crow?

I thought it would be hard to beat the exhiliation I felt during Izuku and Mario’s confrontation with Eri and Overhaul, but you know what? Kirishima’s fight was vintage My Hero Academia. Not only that, but seeing some of my other favorite characters back in action was a joy. Outstanding episode over all.

I’m also dying to see what Ryuko’s power is!

me too

My Hero Academia s4 ep68 – I Want to Be Strong I’ve never spoken about this before but did you guys know that Crow is the one that adds in all the links in these posts?

#action #anime #blonde bishie #Collab #episodic #My Hero Academia #shonen

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precuredaily · 5 years

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Precure Day 113

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 15 - “Softball is the Bond between Mother and Daughter” Date watched: 12 April 2019 Original air date: 14 May 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/6udeh4g Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

Young Saki is always a win

Now that Michiru and Kaoru’s allegiance is known, we can see them truly playing their part as infiltrators. They spy on Saki's morning softball practice and comment on how silly and futile it seems. Gohyaan pops up and tells them to return to their fountain, but without even batting an eye they unanimously say “no” and walk off to class. During literature class, all of the softball players are dozing off, to the ire of the teacher, and an offhand comment from Mai that they’ll do well in the tournament tomorrow gets the sisters thinking.

[[evil thoughts]]

During the after school softball practice, they intercept Dorodoron before he can attack the Precures, and remind him that full-frontal assaults without a strategy are why Moerumba lost. They hint that the girls’ power as Precure seems to be connected to their moods and enjoyment, so Dorodoron decides to play coy and sticks a tiny pebble Uzainaa in her catcher’s mitt that will cause her pitches to go wildly off target. This works for a while and it really kills Saki’s spirit. That night at dinner, she has no appetite and goes to sleep early, until she has a nightmare about missing 100 pitches in a row and allowing the other team to win in a landslide.

She snaps awake at about 1 AM and realizes she’s hungry so she goes downstairs to grab something. Saki finds her mother in the kitchen, working on new confections for the store, and after some motherly prodding Saki unloads all her troubles. Mom reminds her that she didn’t start out great, and missed a lot when she was a child too. Her mother told her then that the most important things were to “Give it your all, try your hardest, and have fun!” and she reiterates that now. At the time Saki wanted to use her mom’s glove to see if it would help her, but of course she was much too small for it to fit her hand back then. Now, however, her hands are about the same size as her mother’s, and so Saori suggests her daughter try using her glove for the game tomorrow.

(as an aside, I realize I am very much underselling this scene, it’s a powerful moment, but in my effort to keep this concise I’m having to skimp on the details)

The next day Saki is feeling enthusiastic again after her mother’s pep talk and she eagerly chats with Mai on the trolley about getting to use her mom’s glove in the match. Dorodoron is riding on top of the train, somehow completely unnoticed, and overhears this, and he is not pleased. He intercepts the duo on a bridge and says that he’ll let them go and not fight them today if Saki agrees to use her own glove. This sets off some alarm bells in the girls’ heads and they go back and forth, trying to find out why he’s so adamant about this. Finally, when Saki refuses to use her own glove, he gets angry and releases the Uzainaa, growing it back to giant size, and then somewhat fusing with it (not pictured).

Saki and Mai transform into Pretty Cure and realize that this Uzainaa is what’s been throwing Saki off her game. Dordoron taunts her, assuming that her spirits will still be down and therefore Precure’s power will be lessened and he’ll have an easy fight. He didn’t count on his ruse being revealed, or the power boost they would get from their righteous anger at his foul play. The girls strike in unison, brushing aside his attacks and delivering strong counterattacks of their own, surprising the soft-spoken general. Bloom explains that, despite his efforts, she still has the support of her mom, Egret, and all of her friends and teammates, and the goal is to do your best and have fun, so she wouldn’t let him bring her down. The Cures perform Twin Stream Splash on the monster and Dorodoron beats a hasty retreat. After it’s gone, Bloom expresses her disgust at the underhanded tactic, and the camera pans up to show Michiru and Kaoru spying on them from above, looking disappointed.

possible symbolism: Bloom and Egret facing toward each other, while Michiru and Kaoru face away from each other

Michiru says that the Precure are unexpectedly strong, while Kaoru retorts that it’s more like Dorodoron is unexpectedly weak, but they both agree that Precure have powers they weren’t aware of and they’ll have to keep watching them.

At the game, Saki scores the winning strikeout on the opposing team and everybody celebrates. She goes hom and makes dinner for her family that night: a special omelette! Now, the usual trope for pink cures is that they can’t cook and their food tastes awful, so imagine my surprise when her whole family agrees that the dinner was really good! Happy ending!

Look at those Kiryuu sisters, they just arrived and they’re already changing the game. Kiriya spied on Black and White the same as Michiru and Kaoru are doing to Saki and Mai, but he did very little to help his sister in battle. On the flipside, Michiru and Kaoru are giving advice to Dorodoron about better strategies than just charging in and demanding the location of the Fountain of the Sun. Trying to throw Saki off her groove was actually quite clever, and it would have worked if he hadn’t been such a dunce about it. He could have easily hidden near the girls and had the Uzainaa jump from Saki’s glove to her mother’s, further wounding her pride and confidence, but instead he jumped out and made a very suspicious demand that led to his premature defeat. I feel justified in picking apart silly villain plans because, in this show and later shows, the villains can and have done better, even on the instances when they still ultimately lose, so it’s not just me being salty that the good guys always win because it’s a hero show. Certainly, Saki’s speech about being inspired by her mom and friends was powerful, but imagine how much more powerful it would have been if Dorodoron hadn’t played his hand so early. Then again, that he needed the Kiryuus to point him in the right direction says a lot about his competence as a villain as well. M & K’s scheming is fun, though, and I look forward to seeing what else they come up with. (I’ve honestly forgotten)

Also, the Kiryuus are the subject of a lot of interesting camera work. There’s that high angle, which is also meant to include Dorodoron, and there’s a low angle from his point of view:

Earlier when Gohyaan showed up to say hello, there was an extreme closeup on Michiru’s face showing her just barely moving her eyes and nothing else to acknowledge his presence.

Dorodoron isn’t exempt from the fun, he gets this one distinct shot that I really like:

For someone so timid he’s surprisingly expressive.

Saki gets to be the subject of some creative mood lighting and beautiful sunset animation.

I guess I’m a sucker for sunsets. There’s also these shadows that symbolize her sadness when she feels like she’s lost her skill:

And then the next day after talking to her mother, she’s bright and well-lit again.

Now, I’m going to cheat a little bit here, because I love pointing out poor-quality animation when it pops up. This following shot was only visible for a single frame before dramatically zooming out, so the low quality makes sense for the distance, but the split second that it’s there as a closeup..... it’s bad.

But as I said, their fight has some great synchronized action and that gives us shots like this:

It feels a lot more interesting than some previous episodes of the show. Y’all know I didn’t give Karehaan the time of day, and even Moerumba got a bit tiring. The villains themselves are endemic of my larger issues with the show: it was good but it wasn’t really doing anything. Now, however, we’ve got some much-needed intrigue and that’s helped the show a lot in this episode. As I recall, it only gets better from here, so I hope you enjoy coming on this journey with me.

The last couple episodes haven’t had much in the way of Saki’s catchphrase, so this episode decided to make up for it in spades!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 3 Zekkouchou Nari (from Saki) Saki’s mom also gets in on the fun with a “Zekkouchou Nari” of her own, and.... Saki uses her anti-catchphrase, “I’m in bad form!” twice!

Miracle Drop Count: 2

#Precure #Pretty Cure #Futari wa Precure Splash Star #FWPCSS15 #PCD113

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marystudies · 6 years

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A LONG ASS LIST OF TIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL: FRESHMAN TO SENIOR YEAR LETS GO

Disclaimer: This is just from my experience, so these might not all apply to you!

Freshman Year

ok, ok, freshman year can be scary but don’t let that get to you

dont worry about upperclassmen being rude/teasing you

it’ll most likely happen, but I’ve never seen an upperclassman tease a freshman with the intention to really hurt them

one day you’ll be them so dw

on the topic of upperclassmen, make some older friends!!! (through classes, sports, etc.) it’s so nice to have someone give you tips and help you through high school

dont expect your friend group to stay the same lol

BUT ITS A GOOD THING I PROMISE YOU

I was scared of changing my friend group, so even though I wasn’t being treated too well, it wasn’t until senior year when I really made a change and I wish I did it earlier

be open to meeting new people, everyone is scared just like you and looking for more friends

I don’t think its neccessary for freshman to become sUPER involved in clubs and all that but at least get a feel for whats out there

try out for a sport if you play one!

this goes for all of high school, not just freshman year, but I regret not being as involved as I could’ve been

Go to school events like football games and dances! School spirit is considered weird in middle school but its cool in high school

take your classes seriously, your teachers are right - high school is much harder than middle school (but it’s not too bad if you stay organized!)

my freshman year GPA was my lowest like english really caught me off guard (properly formatted, 5 paragraph essays being 50% of your grade??? a concept.)

so my cumulative GPA was brought down

I think most freshman don’t have access to AP classes to boost your GPA or anything, but if you’re looking to push yourself take an honors class or 2! (if available)

Sophomore Year

wooohooo ur no longer a freshman

I’d take at least 1 AP class if you can

my sophomore year I took AP Human Geo - which I really loved, and it also wasn’t too hard

a lot of sophomores take AP World which is a BITCH of a class

BUT I wouldn’t recommend taking Honors World because you don’t get the GPA boost, you don’t get college credits (unless you take the AP Euro test or something), and it’s almost just as hard

this is a bit random - but when you’re taking Algebra 2 (which was my sophomore year) PLS PAY ATTENTION math builds on itself don’t fuck yourself over

take the PSAT if you want (I honestly don’t remember if I took it freshman year too but eh), but seriously its not required

start thinking about college (I know it’s the last thing you want to do)

just little things like

when do I want to take the SAT/ACT?

would I like a small school or a big school?

What will I be able to put on my college applications?

like if you do community service through a club/church/etc then great!!! sports? YEs

can’t think of anything? Join a club! Try out for a sport (it’s not too late) Find something that interests you

you’re probably pretty situated socially now but never be afraid to get to know those classmates/”school friends” better!

Junior Year

so junior year is commonly thought of as the hardest year of highschool

which is partially true (we’ll get there later)

but anyways, seriously buckle your seatbelt and get ready to work your ass off because THIS YEAR COUNTS, LADIES AND GENTS

Take AP classes if available

I took AP Psych (WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND) and Honors PreCalc (coming from regular Algebra 2)

Psych gave me college credit and a GPA boost

HPC gave me a GPA boost for UCs

It was a bitCH of a class but it made AP calc a breeze

If you haven’t started already, start prepping for SAT/ACT and then take them

tutoring is very helpful, but it can be expensive

I’ve seen studyblrs post about free prep through Kahn Academy and other stuff, so you might have to do a bit of digging but there are tons of resources out there

TAKE PRACTICE TESTS

take one of each first - then focus on the test you did better on

one of my biggest regrets is taking SAT prep instead of ACT prep because my ACT (which I didn’t do specialized prep for) ended up equivalent to my SAT (which I did prep for)

the more you take em the better you get

Studyblr is gr8 for finding test taking tips

If you’re not happy with your score, just take it again! I only took each one once but most people improve their scores if they take it again

I recommend visiting a few universities when you’re on break! Get a feel for what you like and what you don’t like (size, location, public/private, etc) and what kind of school you could get accepted to

you don’t want to end up applying to a billion schools that you wouldn’t even want to go to

private schools like it when you express interest by visiting

so if you’re visiting, make sure you check in so you can be in their system

END OF JUNIOR YEAR - ASK FOR LETTERS OF REC NOW! BY THE FIRST WEEK OF SENIOR YEAR A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE ALREADY TAKING ON TOO MANY LETTERS!

Senior Year (buckle up this section is the longest)

but YAY UR A SENIOR

DO FUN SENIOR YEAR THINGS like my school has all kinds of events for seniors and it’s so great

Remember when I said junior year is the hardest? Yeah well no... 1st semester senior year is SO MUCH WORSE ur in for a lot of fun

Ok seriously - don’t let senioritis get to you first semester

Still take challenging classes! Schools are looking for progression in difficulty

Those mid year transcripts REALLY DO MATTER!

College apps, man

Make sure you’re communicating with your counselor to make sure you have everything ready and on track

like file the FAFSA and CSS (used for lots of privates)

tbh I didn’t think it would help me a lot but it (the CSS) actually did so just do it even if you think you’ll get nothing

Ok so hopefully at this point you have a feel for what schools you are interested in

Things to consider: location, price, size, public/private, difficulty of the application, ranking, program/major you are applying to, campus, overall vibe

I didn’t do any interviews but maybe look into it

Don’t get too comfortable and set reasonable goals - apply to several safety schools, a few good options/could go either way schools, but also a few “reaches”

ESSAYS

I’m no college counselor, but don’t just wing your essays without having an adult/professional look over them

I got lucky - my mom is a professional writer so my family didn’t pay for a counselor

Do your research - you can find so much information about what schools are looking for in essays

If an essay is “optional” DO IT it’s really not optional lol

Keep in mind - these essays are nothing like what you’ve been taught. You don’t have to (and often SHOULDNT) write a 5 paragraph essay with topic sentences relating back to the thesis and evidence, etc. its much more free

think “What is the story I am going to tell?”

get creative - this is hard and takes some time

Think: How am I going to separate myself from thousands of applicants? What is a story that ONLY I can tell?

DO EARLY ACTION FOR AS MANY SCHOOLS AS POSSIBLE!!!

such a relief to knowing you got in somewhere in like,,,, november

acceptance rates are higher for EA

the order from highest to lowest is ED > EA > RD

Early Decision scares me (schools will say they give equal scholarship consideration but lol thats a lie)

but if you have your heart set on a school go ahead

apply to other school just in case, you don’t want to get stuck starting all your apps when a lot of students have already turned them all in

Now that you’re done with applications (whew), the acceptances (and rejection) will start coming!! yay!

ok first for acceptances

those first acceptances are so cool like YAY YOU GOT INTO COLLEGE IM PROUD OF U

as soon as you get your first acceptances really start researching the school more and deciding if you’d REALLY want to go there or not

i know this is hard bc you haven't heard back from all your schools but it’ll make choosing a school so much easier

sadly, not all acceptances are happy tho

like I got accepted to my #1 school but they gave me no money so it was impossible to go

I was so emo for a couple days there

BUT! If you’re serious about it, try appealing for financial aid but keep your expectations low

ok now waitlists

these can be a bit nerve wracking

PLEASE apply for the waitlist right away

at some schools if you dont within a couple days, your application might get thrown out

aaaaand rejections

i dont have a lot to say about this but please dont be too hard on yourself

sometimes its just not meant to be and thats ok!

NOW PICKING A COLLEGE

def the most difficult and mentally draining part for me lol

make sure you really map out everything to consider

net cost (tuition, room & board, books, travel, personal expenses, etc.), size, location, etc.

I personally had this idea that I’d end up at a big school far from home but I’m going to a small school close to home and I’m still super excited!!! So make sure you give every school a second look

APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!

the essays aren’t usually too bad and sometimes you can just rework your college app essays

you can find them online, your school might have some (like PTA scholarships, band scholarships, etc.)

ok this is the time everyone really gets senioritis

i almost didn’t get senioritis at all lol just because slacking off stressed me out

but please be smart about it dont get rescinded

and lastly have fun! high school really does fly by, it’ll be over before you know it

#lol the senior year part is so much longer than the others #studyblr #high school #high school tips #study tips #studyspo #study motivation

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grimoiresontape · 6 years

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On Working Planetary Circlets

Since my earlier blogpost Circling Ways in Geomancy - which mused on employing cords, loops, and beaded 'circlets' as portable means of demarking ritual space and empowering magical operations carried out inside that space - I have been recommending and making these talismans for clients and colleagues more frequently. Many folks have asked for notes, suggestions, or advice on how to use such ritual tools more effectively, so it seemed high time to advance some fundamental practices, to parade a skeleton crew of brief sketches and recommendations from my own practices with these planetary circlets that have proved useful. I've started from simple notions and followed them up with a few proposals for enriching and complicating those elementary mechanics.

Shaping A Circlet I use circlets in my planetary magic for a couple of reasons. The most obvious employ the sympathetic morphology of the circle. The loop traces and reiterates the orbital movement and course of these heavenly bodies. The appeal to "the orbit and motion" of planets is a common feature of many of the prayers I use, and an obvious enervation of their virtues stirred by sympathetic linking to their actions. We remind the planet and its spirits 'you work because you move, and you move because you work'. A positive feedback cycle is looped. The circle is also evocative of planetary spheres: both their literal astronomical shape and the understanding of their celestial domains or layers to the cosmos-onion beyond the sublunary realms. To quote Ginsberg, it seems an 'ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night' is reified in the use of a circular planetary talisman.

Lest this begin to sound too idealistic - in either the general naive or strictly Platonic senses - I should also state that the other crucial feature of my circlets are four corner-points. These frame the circlet as also a potential cross. To call quarters and trace the circle as the magical reach of one's grasp - as a seat of power, a place of protection, or an epicenter of a crucible - is an old old magic. By "squaring the circle", by laying out that which represents the heavenly endless of pure planetary sphere and virtue (and abstraction) as a crux upon the earth, as a crossroads, we may ground that virtue in tangible terms. The crossed circle is an X that marks the spot, a glyph of Malkuth, and indeed the enfolded globe and crux of majesty and Venus, further offering us opportunities to explore the mysteries of creation, manifestation, craft, and Love. In the simple ritual gesture of laying out the circlet by its corners we reiterate and honour this awakening of planetary virtues into the physical world and into our work. This is the same principle at work in astrological sigil casting, in enmattering the empyrean, in the harvesting of the fruits of the stars, in the Moon pulled down into the still waters of receptive bowls. By these reasonings, I find it especially apt to incant specific planetary petitions and general prayers for success when squaring the circlet.

These are also the reasons I recommend these talismans to be made as loops with four corner-points, either in beads or knots. I find beads, especially stones ruled by the planet in question, to be especially effective. I recommend constructing your circlets on the appropriate planetary days and in the apt planetary hours of course. Once physically constructed they can be consecrated by a range of methods: asperged, fumigated, exorcised, oiled, and blessed to dedicate them further to their patron planet and thus yield themselves better storehouses and beacons of those starry potencies vivifying those virtues embedded in natural materials. Owing to the especially earthy, worldly emphasis of my geomantic practices I can also recommend burying them in soils gathered from appropriate planetary locations: graveyard dirts for Saturnine circlets, earth from public gardens for Venusian circlets, and so on. Such lists of astrological correspondences of place can be found in many astrological handbooks, such as William Lilly's Christian Astrology, which I made available here.

When I make my circlets I also ensure the various materia of these circlets - thread and smaller beads in appropriate planetary colours - are prepared for use through these consecrations. I cleanse myself with spiritual baths, asperge and fumigate my ritual space, call to my patrons, empower the ingredients, construct and the charge the circlets on their planetary altars, often leaving them on top of the relevant kamea. I may even burn candles on the mother-bottles of the planetary oils which I use to dress the newly born talismans to further empower the oil from mother to daughter.

A Portable Altar-space My previous blogpost on these circlet talismans emphasised my most common use of them: marking a space within which to divine. The idea of this is incredibly simple. Being empowered to lend planetary virtue to the operation at hand, one can employ a circlet of the planetary ruler of the day, or of the planet who governs the matter being divined upon. A Lunary circlet would be well-disposed for divination inquiring about the nature and meaning of a dream, for instance; or indeed for any works of divination on a Monday. This approach was developed from my geomantic divination practice, in which the planetary Ruler is appealed to before any reading can be performed. Again, for more on this I recommend at least the first part of my Circling Ways in Geomancy post.

The key for this kind of work is the "pre-loaded" empowerment of the circlet. One might therefore choose to fumigate or oil one's circlets in appropriate planetary materia before any or even every divination session, although I generally find feeding the circlets once a month is sufficient, assuming one keeps them "charging" on planetary kamea or wrapped in prepared fabrics with dried herbs, dirts, and powders.

Lighting the Way Perhaps the most foundational operation I can think to work a circlet involves candle and prayer. I consider this primarily an operation for the magician to receive or align with planetary virtue. The use of lamps and, later, candles to stand as a ritual instantiation of the light of a wandering star is itself an ancient practice, I claim no great invention of this technique. It can serve as a potent addition to devotional recitation of planetary prayers and offertory fumigations.

When one requires a boost of a particular planetary virtue - Saturn's cold boundary-setting to ensure you are more punctual, Mars' hot bold edge of competitive energy to emerge victorious in some form of conflict - you may set out the relevant planetary circlet, present a candle to the four corner-points of the circlet as one would to the four cardinal directions, and burn the candle in the centre of this demarcated ritual space.

The candle might be prepared through any usual means of further aligning it to the planet one is courting - dressed in an oil infused with materia ruled by that planet, carved with the glyphs and various characters of spirits who partake of that planet's forms and forces. Mihai Vârtejaru's Studies in Magic blog is a treasure house of grimoiric material on planetary characters one might use for instance, and he has handily compiled many of these sets of seals into downloadable pdfs. Beyond ways the candle itself is prepared, one might burn it atop a number square about which the circlet is laid.

At the risk of sounding like I am about to attempt to flog you penis pills, there is "one neat trick" for working circlets in this manner I would like to highlight. Looping the circlet in thirds maintains the relative cardinal directionality of the four corner-points. This yoking of Four and Three is, I find, philosophically potent and presents a variety of options for further prayer, reflection, and magical utility. Christian magicians might certainly honour the Trinity with, by, and through this looping; sorcerers inspired by Renaissance practices can certainly consider the triple layers of the universe - the elemental, celestial and supercelestial realms - mirrored in the very structure of Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy; just as more Hellenically-inclined magicians might call for the effects of the operation to manifest across their Three Worlds of Heaven, Earth, and Ocean. Sets of any number of parts can be employed to address every option, every path, every eventuality; from the Four Elements, to operations calling upon all Seven classical Planets. Triplicities, triptychs, and trinities are certainly no exception.

Charging Ahead Circlets can also be utilised to empower and themselves consecrate magical objects and materia, to bestow planetary virtues upon a container spell such as a charm bag, astrological sigil (more often a metal or wax medallion impressed with particular astrological characters than the modern DIY homebrew sigils popularised by Austin Osman Spare and later by chaos magicians), or even a new incense blend or herbal bath mix.

This can be done by simply laying out the circlet in the various manners addressed above - complete with planetary prayers - and presenting the object to the four corner-points. This works especially well with items that need to infuse, such as freshly constructed oils or steeping herbal baths and waters. For charging objects like charm-bags or other tools, the circlet might also house the waterbowl or pot by which one asperges and the censer for fumigating the object: the circlet demarcating a ritual space whereby blessing, consecration and empowerment may occur, running an astral current of the planet around and about the operation. Again, an ennobling cycle (you know, the opposite of a vicious cycle) might be created by empowering the objects used to empower one's tools and materials.

Geomantic Spell-craft My planetary magic is heavily informed by geomancy. By the understanding of this oracle, each planet rules two geomantic figures, which I often frame as the hands of the planet reaching down into the 'elementated' world, or perhaps better yet as the feet upon which the planet stands and moves across the face of that world. For instance, Jupiter's cornucopious Horn of Plenty distributes Gain (the geomantic figure of Acquisitio) on the one hand, and dispenses thoroughly jovial Joy (Laetitia) with the other. Each geomantic figure offers a particular expression of a planet's power in the world in a (once more for those at the back) grounded and worldly manner.

Just as the circlets can align and draw planetary virtue (indeed because they can do this) we can also use these talismans to direct planetary virtue: to put it bluntly, to launch spells. One form I find particularly effective is the use of tools and signs of divination as image magic. This might be as straightforward as empowering a particular Tarot card to act as a amulet. For example, one might charge an Empress card (as one would a charm bag or bath) with a Venusian circlet and then carry in one's breast pocket, close to one's heart, to bring Venus' blessings and protection; say if one were attempting to charm an audience or attract a certain kind of attention. But it might also involve setting a geomantic figure out in some form to attract that set of virtues and/or launch them into the world.

So within the field of one's Jupiterian circlet one might set out six candles in the shape of the geomantic figure of Acquisitio, a Fiery figure, in order to draw some kind of gain - money, opportunities, customers, or even knowledge or experience. These candles might be marked with the sigils of this figure, dressed in a Jupiter oil, and surrounded by Jupiterian materia, such as mint leaves and dirts from banks and lawcourts. This should be done in a Jupiterian hour, and perhaps done at an appropriate part of the dwelling, such as in front of the door to bring these Gains in. This is but one example of the use of the forms of the geomantic figures in spell-craft. Watery figures might be ensorcelled by arranging small bowls or cups; Airy figures by several charcoals burning incense in a figural pattern; Earthy figures through small piles or bundles of dirts and powders.

There is a lot to say about this approach to geomantic sorcery, from its occult philosophical foundations to particularities of expression and implementation, and from basic correspondences of plant and stone to multi-stage operations and further empowerments, but for now I hope you have a small taste of how a circlet can be used to begin your own experimentation into geomantic sorcery. For those who now feel they should learn some more about geomancy you can download the main early modern handbooks of the divination system here, or sign up to my Geomancy Foundation Course on this still-often-underappreciated oracle which begins in July (offered once more through those handsome chaps at Wolf & Goat), or you can purchase and download my new Geomancy 101 class-bundle...

I continue to tinker with and customise my planetary circlets, and will be continuing to sell them on my site. Don't hesitate to get in touch at [email protected] with any questions or custom design requests.

For now, I'll let Ms. Springfield play us out. Happy circling.

Round Like a circle in a spiral Like a wheel within a wheel Never ending or beginning On an ever-spinning reel Like a snowball down a mountain Or a carnival balloon Like a carousel that's turning Running rings around the moon Like a clock whose hands are sweeping Past the minutes of its face And the world is like an apple Whirling silently in space Like the circles that you find In the windmills of your mind

Dusty Springfield, Windmills of Your Mind

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