#I spent more time admiring the building than the exhibits

[miguelhugger2099]

You Know Where to Find Me

Summary: Miguel is from another planet, fascinated by the stars and nothing else. On Earth, he learns the water might be interesting. A/N: this is so niche i can't find any alien miguel fanart Alien!Miguel x Mermaid!Reader, Fluff, No Warnings

Humanity loved space, so much so they spent trillions just to find other living sentient creatures just like them. After generations and some centuries, Humanity had managed contact with aliens!

Quickly, and by the grace of the universe, humans and aliens had begun to coexist. It was often that humans would visit the aliens home and aliens to visit Earth. 

Miguel wanted to visit Earth. He loved space as well. A little alien mind that adored the stars and always felt that he was meant for greater things. It’s not that he didn’t love his home planet, but he couldn’t wait to learn and even live with other aliens!

So when he arrived, he did everything he could to learn about Earths space program. Another highlight was that his planets astronomy was still a few centuries behind, so going to Earth was the best choice—and the only one. 

Miguel had gotten along with everyone—his bright mind and leadership skills made everyone admire him! His curiosity knew no bounds! In fact, he grew fond of teaching others about space. So in his spare time, he’d work at a planetarium in Nueva York—one of the only cities in the world that held the largest building that was dedicated to the study of space. 

Despite his unusual appearance, small antennas on the crown of his head and no pupils—his eyes shaded a soft red— his people looked “human enough” for them to be integrated into human society without any problems. He supposed he got lucky—he didn’t like to think of how humanity might’ve reacted to something stranger. Luckily his sharp ears could be hidden behind his curls and his little lisp from his fangs was deemed cute to others—which he’s on the fence about.

He had heard of a new exhibit opening up after a certain discovery humans found within the Earths ocean. Miguel had basically tuned out whatever his colleagues chatted about, especially if it had nothing to do with whatever he was interested in.

However, to his horror, when he passed by the new exhibit during its construction he had found a human body in the tank of water. He hurried out to find security or to call an ambulance—something—to help the poor soul that had fallen underwater. If he knew anything about humans, it’s that they couldn’t breath underwater!

A colleague had seen Miguel’s frantic behavior while shaking a security officer to call for help. The sight was amusing since Miguel was taller than the average human man.

His vacant red eyes found hers. “Jess!” Jessica walked up to them with worry. 

“What’s going on?” 

Miguel breathed in deeply. “There’s—there’s a human! In—in the—they fell!”

“Fell where?” She asked, her tone becoming serious. 

“By the new exhibit! I don’t know how they got there but they fell—I think—and they had their eyes closed!”

Jess became more alert. Civilians weren’t allowed in that section yet and the construction guys weren’t stupid enough to not be able to swim out of a tank.

“Show me.”

Jessica had a bit of a hard time keeping up with Miguel, his long legs taking giant strides while his antennas curled and his ears turned downwards.

Miguel shows her the tank. “Here!”

Inside was definitely what seemed like a human woman passed out in the water. But Jess instead sighed in relief. She places her hand on her chest and laughs which makes Miguel’s antennas curl even more, making it look like a rams horns and his skin turns pinkish. 

“What?” 

Jess giggles after calming down. She taps the glass with her knuckle and falls out your name.

The ‘human’ inside was actually you. Your eyes opened and you give Jess a pointed look. You swam up to the top of the tank which gives Miguel a better look at the tail that was hidden behind a giant sheet of cloth. 

You popped up at the top and leaned on the railing with a glare at Jessica. “I told you not to tap the glass!”

Jessica gives you a grin. “Sorry. One of us thought you were a human drowning so I just wanted to show him that was not that case and to pay attention more to our meetings.”

Miguel’s skin turns a darker shade of red, his antennas uncurling and flops in front of his forehead. Your eyes meet his and he feels the embarrassment running through him.

Not only had he embarrassed himself during his job—but in front of something pretty like you. He glanced between your eyes and your tail, gulping down his nerves and placing his hands behind his back. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled out.

“Miguel, this is our first volunteer for our new exhibition. Since the discovery of mermaids and mermen, this gal,” She places a hand on the glass with a mention of your name. “…is now a part of introducing humanity to the wonders of the sea.”

“I’m a party animal.” You tell Miguel, resting your cheek on your arm with a smile. 

“She’s joking.” Jessica says but he can only stare at you, engraving your smile in his memory. 

“Now that we know a human isn’t drowning, can you go back to work?” Jessica pats his shoulder as he makes her exit. Miguel turns to see her leave and looks back to see you still staring at him.

“You’re not human.” You observe. 

“I’m not.” Miguel clears his throat and approaches your tank slowly. “I’m from Retha. A neighboring planet a couple light years away.”

You him in thought, pretending to know what light years are.

“Didn’t expect to see another alien here.” You splash your tail, a few droplets hitting the ground. 

Miguel tilts his head, one antenna following him. “Alien? But aren’t you from Earth? Just…in the sea?”

You shrug, hanging your arm out. “I’m in a tank, aren’t I? I’ll never be considered like the humans.”

Miguel watches your dive back in the water to rehydrate yourself before popping back up. 

“Miguel. My name is Miguel.” He says, placing a hand on the tank and looking up at you. You smile and dive back in the tank so you can be face to face. You place your hand on the tank where his hand was at. He knows your name, you don’t need to repeat it.

You watch as he turns his head, a soft muffle of talking and you assume he’s heading back to work. He gives you another glance and you puff out a small bubble of air to make a heart in the water and waving him goodbye. His cheeks flush red and he nods, turning away and leaving.

He feels interested in learning about the water this time around. His curiosity knows no bounds.

#miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x y/n #miguel x reader #atsv miguel #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x you #miguel spiderman #miguel spiderverse #miguel ohara #spiderman 2099 #miguel x you #miguel x y/n #spiderman 2099 x reader #spiderman 2099 x you #miguel o'hara imagine

[ququb444hm]

thanks a lot, cupid

part 02 / surrounded by homosexuals ☆

masterlist

warning(s): possible typos, profanity

let’s give a little context, shall we? currently, we are set a few months prior to the present timeline– yn’s sophomore year, nearing the end of sophomore year to be specific. she and keiji have been dating for 5 months, and today is the annual art exhibition of yūgen university, a day where all the art students gather their most prized and successful art pieces for the public to view and even buy off during the auction portion of the event. as joyous as this day should be, yn’s mind clouded with thoughts regarding her boyfriend.

keiji was great! he was sweet, thoughtful, evidently handsome, and universally, an ideal boyfriend. but… recently the spark seemed to die out. with promised dates being frequently forgotten and feelings bottled within the two individuals, until they decide to burst and drench the couple with a bitter taste, yn was beginning to think it would be a good idea to break up.

this takes us to a gloomy yn who just finished getting ready for tonight's event, waiting for her brother and his girlfriend to make their way from the downstairs flower shop to the apartment above. identifiable voices followed familiar footsteps up the building’s stairs. “you ready, picasso?” tetsurou chimed, head peeking through the rails.

cecily followed suit, giggling about, “ohh, you got the name right this time!”

“what can I say, I support the art community.”

“yeah, I'm ready.” yn answered, walking over to the two.

“oh wow,” cecily awed, staring at the younger girl. “you look great, peach. let me go freshen up, I’ll meet the two of you in the car. give me five minutes!” in a hurry, the oldest of the three swept over to her bedroom to get dressed as the kuroo siblings grabbed their belongings before exiting the premises.

“keiji texted me,” tetsurou mumbled, opening the car door for his sister. “said he can’t make it to the exhibition.” the second half of the sentence was almost inaudible if not for yn’s perked ears.

“for some reason that doesn’t surprise me.”

“tried to see if it was a surprise and he was just saying that to catch me off guard, but apparently he forgot about today and accidentally scheduled something else that he can't reschedule.”

“how romantic. well, that adds more reasons why we should break up.” yn murmured, picking up her phone to check if keiji decided to text her the news himself, “did he say anything as to why he couldn’t tell me any of this himself? or was it the usual use tetsurou as my personal messenger?”

as a response, tetsurou passed his phone over to yn with the screen showing his conversation with keiji.

please tell yn for me I don’t think I have enough courage to do so myself. I’m sorry.

the car ride to the university was quiet despite cecily’s attempts to try and get the siblings into a conversation. once parked, the three made their way to the art building to transfer yn’s paintings to the place the exhibition was being held where a crowd of friends and family of other art students awaited to enter.

“holy shit. the crowd seems bigger than it was in freshmen year.” mori gasped, fingers fidgeting with his nametag.

ignoring the whole relationship situation, yn couldn’t help the growing feeling of excitement for tonight's event. her art occupied a huge chunk of her heart and soul. she spent laborious days, weeks, and months on her paintings. sure her boyfriend who she was going to break up with couldn’t make it and somehow talk her into not breaking up but! her friends, her brother, and proud administrators who have actually supported and encouraged her passion were with her, and that’s all that mattered.

the event itself went smoothly. various compliments and pictures with admirable professionals struck yn’s heart with pure serotonin, “If I died right at this moment, I swear I would die with no regrets.”

“that’s a lie. you’d die a virgin which is lame.” rin interjected,

“nothing wrong with that.” koushi said matter of factly.

“says the non-virgin.” tooru smirked, earning multiple gags from the group.

rin rolled his eyes at the couple, “first of all, ew. second, the auction is starting in fifteen minutes, mr. vanderaz said to start putting the things you wanna auction off into the stage room.”

“oh! I need help moving my things then,” mori exclaimed, “see you there, yn!” he gave his best friend a quick hug before dragging rintarou, tooru, and koushi over to help him.

“alright! which pretty paintings do you want moved over to the stage room?” koutarou beamed, ruffling the girl’s hair.

“oh, these three please!” yn answered, pointing over to the three beside her, “also, I really gotta make a quick phone call, I’ll meet you guys there?”

cecily, who yn informed about her thoughts regarding breaking up with keiji, quickly understood what was happening. “meet you there, peaches.” she gave a reassuring kiss on the girl’s cheek before going over to tetsurou and koutarou to help carry the canvases.

quickly making her way outside the building to a secluded bench, yn dialed keiji’s number half hoping for him to pick up, half hoping that maybe she wouldn’t have to hear his voice and cry because she hated ending things, especially a 5 month relationship. A few seconds passed before the overfamiliar calming voice of keiji akaashi was heard on the other side of the line,

“yn?”

“hey, uhm are you busy right now?”

“…kind of? not really, why what's wrong? how’s the art exhibition? I’m sorry I couldn’t make it…”

“It’s fine…I mean no it's not fine-”

“what do you mean? did you get hurt?”

“no, no that’s not what I meant. I was referring to you not coming…I actually called because I wanted to talk about us.”

“oh.”

“keiji… you’re a great guy but these few months have been really emotionally draining for me and I just don’t think I can do this anymore. you haven't been keeping your promises and with all the small arguments we’ve had recently, I just…I think it would be best if we…if we broke up.”

“…”

“keiji? keiji please respond. this is really hard for me too and I just really need you to say something. anything. please.”

“I’m sorry for all the hurt I’ve caused you yn…I’m sorry.”

the sound signaling the call ended echoed throughout the empty night, drowning out the bustling noise from the inside of the building and it wasn’t until the soft pitter patter of rain that yn realized she had been holding in bulky tears that now streamed down her face, warming her cold cheeks.

a few minutes passed until someone noticed yn’s absence and went to look for her. finding the crying girl outside and alone made the heart of the individual ache. slow, quiet footsteps made their way to the bench, stopping in front of the girl. no words were exchanged, just pitying eyes and a warm embrace.

“thank you, kozu.”

part 01 ugly and bitchless <- | masterlist | -> part 03 stuck w me

note(s): none of the pictures used are mine!!

#🐈.thanksalotcupid #kozume kenma #kenma kozume #kozume kenma x reader #kozume kenma x fem!reader #kenma kozume x reader #kenma kozume x fem!reader #kenma x reader #kozume x reader #smau #kenma smau #haikyuu #haikyuu smau #haikyuu!! #haikyuu!! smau

[robertlaskarzewski]

Sixteenth Week

Hi, my name is Robert Laskarzewski, and I am currently a sophomore at the Darla Moore School of Business studying International Business and Marketing. I’m a part of the International Business Responsible International Leadership (RIL) program and will spend the Spring and Fall semesters at the ESSEC Cergy campus. I was born and raised in California, about an hour away from San Francisco. I chose to attend the University of South Carolina specifically because of the RIL program and the amount of time abroad that was offered. Once I was accepted, it was an easy choice to pursue my studies there.

On Sunday, I went to the Museum of Inland Water Transport, a museum located only a 10- or 15-minute train ride from my home station of Cergy Prefecture. Once I got to the Conflans-Fin-d’Oise station, I had to walk around 15 minutes to get to the “downtown” (or oldtown) section of the city, which is called Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. The museum itself is situated in an old chateau owned by nobles in a bygone era. Behind the museum is a large open space with a large series of lawns and park space that overlook the Oise river.

On Monday, I spent a little bit of time in Paris before stopping at the Maisons-Lafitte RER station (and eponymous city). I walked around the city and visited the standard issue Chateau of the city before trying to walk through the Forêt domaniale de Saint-Germain to get to the city of Achères (and take the train from the Achères Ville station back to Cergy). I was misled by Google Maps as I was told that it would take around 1 hour and 15 minutes, but it ended up taking me more than twice that time. It was an enjoyable walk nonetheless and I passed by some German bunkers dating back to World War II.

On Tuesday, I had one final class (People & Organizations) this week where one of my finals was assigned to groups and then that was it for all in-person classes. All that’s left is turning in this final and then an in-person test the following week.

On Wednesday, I simply walked around Paris admiring the city in all its glory.

On Thursday, I again visited the city of Achères, trying to give it a second chance after not being left with a very good first impression. Alas, this second chance was unable to grant it any luck. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much to see or do in this city and it has been relegated to its role as a residential area for people working in or around Paris.

Friday, I decided to go and finally visit the city of Auvers-sur-Oise, the city where famous painter Vincent Van Gogh spent the final years of his life as well as the location of his final resting place. The city was very quaint and quiet with few tourists to hinder the authenticity of the small village, likely what had drawn Van Gogh to spend his final days (in peace and away from the bustle of the city).

And finally on Saturday, I visited two museums – the Museum of Romantic Life and Museum Cernuschi. The first of which is an area where two buildings form a perimeter around a central garden area where you’re able to get coffee or tea from the location’s coffee shop. The location was very pretty, however, it was really quite touristy which made it a bit of a bother to visit. Inside the permanent exhibit building, there wasn’t much to see (in my opinion). Afterwards, I stopped by a café for a coffee and croissant before heading to the Museum Cernuschi, a much more regal building in which the collections of Asian art and artifacts are displayed. All (or most) of the pieces originate from a French man who visited Asia and sent back close to 1000 different parcels of goods to be kept and/or displayed in his house (which is now the site of the museum). Although the exhibits were interesting, half of the exhibits were closed due to work being done on them.

[questwithambition]

Natural History Museum, London

#I spent more time admiring the building than the exhibits #museum #science #architecture #beautiful #aesthetic #dark academia #London #buildings #questwithambition #photography #light academia #England #travel

[kibleedibleedoo]

For the romantic prompts.. “You can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep lying to yourself.” with our lovely RA? 🥰

It's ok if I do a totally self indulgent response right ? Because I'm totally gonna imagine this scenario with me in it.

Lord only knows how you got the job. You were wildly unqualified but apparently degrees didn't matter to the boss if you had a niche obsession.

Richard had first met you wandering around the tower of London. He had been there researching a new film he was trying to produce when he noticed you babbling away spinning wild stories of court romances and drama to the person you were with, reeling off fact after fact but in a way so entertaining he couldn't help but follow you from room to room occasionally looking at the brochure to check if you stories were founded in truth. It was only when you noticed your friend not listening that you stopped mid sentence that Richard felt comfortable enough introducing himself. You knew who he was however it seemed he was just as amazed at your story telling as you were at his.

Over a tea pot in a cafe around the corner he spoke of his plans. The movie would be his first produced by white boar films so he would be working with a bare bones crew. He needed help with research and based on the fact you knew details that weren't even on the exhibits he trusted that you knew how to research and help him translate the facts into a story worth watching.

Over 2 years later you now raised a glass to toast the cast and crew at the premiere after party. You found yourself becoming fast friends with the actor come producer and he seemed more than happy to receive your input on things that were outside of your speciality. This film was like your baby and it was bittersweet releasing the film for the world to see. Without this film you were back to being Y/N, plain old Y/N. Someone that Richard wouldn't keep around now that your use was gone.

" - and to Y/N without her this film would still be a vague idea in my head. You found the frame around which we were able to build around together!" He stared at you with those icy blue eyes watching as your cheeks flushed.

"TO Y/N" the crowd chanted and cheered, the sound of clinking glasses was almost deafening. Richard seemed to glide towards you ignoring the crowd. He stopped close enough that you could feel his breath against your neck.

"I couldn't have done this without you." His glass clinked with yours as he pulled away, still dangerously close. Your heart thumped in your throat as you admired the genuine smile of the man who you had frequently thought about at night. In your fantasy this is where you'd kiss him. But this was not a fantasy this was real life and the handsome man before you had kissed the likes of Ann Hathaway why in Earth would he choose you.

Even just that thought stung and you felt your need to distance yourself before you truly had your heart broken. All that time spent in your head you failed to realise that he kept looking at your lips. His attraction to you just as strong if not stronger than yours to his.

"I uh I think I need to go outside for some air." You breathed taking a step back.

"I can come with if you'd like?" It sounded vaguely like a plea but surely it couldn't be.

"No it's okay. I'm sure they'll never forgive me if I stole then man of the hour." With that you sped toward the door placing your half finished glass on a waiters tray hoping that the tears welling up in your eyes hadn't given you away. Once out of the door you sped up again until you were practically running down the beautifully decorated hallway.

"Wait" a firm hand grasped your arm bringing you to a halt.

"Please let me go" you whispered as he pulled you into a strong embrace.

"What's wrong Y/N? What can I do to help?" His grip loosened on you as you nuzzled into him, his cheek coming to rest against your temple as he rubbed circles on your back.

"This. I want this." You finally admitted your feeling out loud. "I want you but I can't compete with those beautiful women out there, they are all so smart and talented. And now that we are done with the film you don't need me anymore." You were now fully sobbing, makeup be damned. Richard took a step back now holding your shoulders so you couldn't run away again.

"You can't keep doing this. You can't keep lying to yourself Y/N. You are stunningly beautiful, amazingly smart, and incredibly talented. You were the only person in that room that I wanted to spend my evening with tonight."

"Please don't." You begged barely above a whisper.

"I'm not allowed to tell the woman I'm head over heels in love with that she's the most beautiful one in the room. That I would rather be spending the evening talking to her than all the other producers, directors, and actors in the world." His hand now came to cup your cheek and you leaned into the caress as he wiped some of the tears away. "I will always need you. Be that in the form of you telling me that the shape is wrong for the corset in the era we are filming or you being by my side laughing and joking at the end of the day. I need you, I want you. Now that I've found you I couldn't imagine life without you, film or no film." His face was tender as he looked at you and for the first time you could see the love that you held for him reflected back at you.

It felt like an eternity passed, his thumb gently caressing your face and your hands resting on his chest. Both staring at each other. Neither wanting to break from this moment. In reality on a few seconds had passed.

"May I kiss you?" Richard whispered, daring to lean in closer.

"Only if you mean it"

"Oh I meant it." He smiled kissing you in a way only a man consumed my love could kiss.

An - little bit of angst little bit of fluff all nerd and anxiety. Hope you enjoyed

#kilby writes #richardarmitage #richard armitage #Richard Armitage x reader

[liyuesbian]

✧ pygmalion!au [ningguang]

notes: btw idk how commissions from museums work i just made the process up LMAO and this one's kinda angsty? i mean, it is the pygmalion greek myth so iykyk. also, i describe this figurine of ningguang here but w/o the colour... i've linked it in case any1 needs the reference. (btw, this is not set in ancient greece specifically)

only yesterday had you been commissioned by an art gallery in the capital to create a piece for their up-and-coming collection titled desire, love and identity. yet here you are, slaving away to make the perfect image you had in your head come into fruition. your vision is exquisite once sketched on paper—you can't find any faults in it so you take the risk.

as soon as your chisel meets the marble, a feeling so invigorating dominates your body. no further references are necessary as you place your trust entirely on your hands, coarse from the labour. you find such mindless toil addicting and you work day and night, only stopping for a half-baked meal and the odd collapse into bed.

for months, love streams out of the tips of your fingers and through your sculpting tools to arrive at the stone figure. you sincerely hope the intimate emotion has been reached.

when you finish, you wipe the bead of sweat running down your forehead, rest the other palm on your hip and take slow steps backwards all while maintaining eye contact with the statue. a wave of sweet relief hits you and you fall to the floor, uncontrollably sobbing into tired hands that still grip the hammer and chisel.

it's beautiful.

you stagger, struggling to get up with your bruised knees while clumsily wiping the tears off your stained cheeks. setting the instruments aside, you lift your head to admire your handiwork up close. a woman made of stone sits elegantly atop an oriental chair, crossing her smooth, white legs over each other. her left elbow is propped on the arm of the chair while on the other side, a long smoking pipe is balanced between gloved fingers. around her lies an assortment of objects: a vase containing scrolls, a floor lamp, and a charmingly decorated folding screen.

you see, you had already thought it all out. you'd imagined ningguang's preferences for a life of luxury, her affinity for constructing and sprucing up interiors. she would be a master of the trades and a woman who likes to keep an air of mystery around her. and like how you increasingly project her to be more of a person than she ever will be, there is a creeping concern in the corner of your mind that you will lose your rationality just as quickly.

the sculpture's body is clad in a qipao with a slit that reveals alabaster skin below the waist. the dress—embellished with patterns and neat linings—hugs her figure and shows off a lean build. the extensive train and sleeves of the fabric are shaped curvaceously to mirror the flow of a waterfall. and her face. the section you strived so hard to refine. she stares at you with an imperious expression and a hint of a smirk. her gaze, so piercing, makes you avert your eyes in shyness but you find yourself gravitating back to her profile.

you muster up the courage to draw closer to your creation and unconsciously stroke her cheek with your thumb, captivated. if she were an empress, you'd be a common peasant—undeserving of setting your sights on such a goddess. you can feel your soul being sucked into eyes devoid of emotion—of anything, actually. after all, the woman sitting before you is not a person but an inanimate object.

the weeks following the completion of ningguang—which is the name you've picked up the habit of calling her—are spent in said lady's company. every minute of every day, you surround yourself with her presence as if she is your closest friend. you eat with her, tell her your troubles, even going so far as to decorate her with various types of jewellery and bringing her gifts you think she'd like.

"thank you," you whisper. "for always listening to me." in truth, you're always so immersed in your work that you forgot what conversations could feel like. though, you fear your art would never be on par with something so transcendent ever again.

you become curious, wondering what she would be like if the nymph in front of you were not just a figment of your imagination.

you perch yourself on top of ningguang's stone-cold lap and trace the contours of her visage. you inspect each crease on her lips and the minuscule crinkles in her eyes, applauding yourself for the well-crafted details. you don't know what possesses you but you close your eyes and press your lips against hers, hoping that once you open them, a living being would erupt from underneath the marble. but, of course, as soon as the light hits your retinas, ningguang is as unmoving as ever.

realising what you've just done, you drop off of her thighs and laugh anxiously. however, you could've sworn that you had felt warmth in the lips of your beloved muse.

"i've finally gone mad!" you cry aloud.

hell, you say to yourself, is it even possible to fall in love with such an... an artefact? you dismiss your glaringly obvious infatuation.

"nonsense," you mutter under your breath, sensing your heart breaking slightly. how can something so painfully humanlike also not be human at the same time? you must've caused a tremendous atrocity in your past life to have made the gods harbour a grudge against you. of all things, you'd never have guessed that a lifeless piece of art would be the object of your desire.

you can't bear to look at the handcrafted lady any longer and with an anguished face, cover her with a large cotton cloth. the plan was to wait until you could hand the statue over to the curators and try to ignore its existence until then.

for a few days, you act according to the plan, going about your daily routine but eventually, your stoic demeanour crumbles. you lock yourself in your room refusing to eat or believe that your affection would never be returned.

during the hours of sunlight, you weep under your sheets, drowning in self-inflicted sorrow. and at night, you do the same, lamenting over the loss of what could've been your true love. she would've been so perfect in your eyes, your other half, and the only one who could calm this growing turmoil!

the reality pains you. hence, you do the only thing you can do: you pray. you pray to the gods for a miracle, that the light of your life would stride into your room and pull you from the depths of despair... but she never does.

your last day "cohabitating" with the sculpture has arrived and for the first time in—what felt like—an eternity, you open the doors to your workshop. taking a deep breath, you unveil the stationary maiden.

it's still as beautiful as you remember.

you give it a sad smile, wanting to get its departure over and done with. you manoeuvre about the room to prepare the things for the movers who're due to come in a couple of hours. while you go down your little list of errands to be done, you cough and bat away the smoke—wait, the smoke? frantic, you spin around, eyes darting everywhere in search of its origin until they land on the smoking pipe you so intricately moulded for the commissioned piece.

it's strange, you don't recall colouring the statue. and how on earth is smoke coming out of the pipe? suspicious, you approach the motionless entity and almost stumble when you spot its chest rising.

oh lord! — i really must be descending into madness! you clutch your head, clawing at your hair in hysteria.

"stop, please don't hurt yourself." the sound of a low, worried voice penetrates your ears. you shut your eyes tight.

"no, the gods have cursed me! i mustn't listen to your poisonous words!" you exclaim. your state of agitation is alleviated when the woman caresses your tensed arm.

"what has happened to you? i haven't seen you lately either." the tone is more soft and more tender than you had imagined. you release your grip.

"is it really you, ningguang?" your voice cracks at the end, and the woman you sought after witnesses your features twist into an expression of longing and hope.

"yes, my darling. i dare not go anywhere else."

helplessly, you rush to cup her face to check for heat, for the blood traversing under her skin—anything that would prove that your sweetheart is truly alive and breathing. and when you do get the confirmation, you beam, trying to withhold tears born from elation.

you bend down to kiss ningguang, who is still seated on the chair, once, twice, and three times to rid your scepticism. oh, deities! she's real.

"i love you," you declare.

"i know." you watch as the same creases you'd etched on the corners of her eyes spread into a loving half-moon shape and you kiss her again.

you reach a conclusion: you couldn't give away your lover—let alone a live person—to be displayed as part of a museum exhibition so when the workers arrive, you hide your muse away in another room. you apologise profusely and spin a lie, rambling on about how you had nothing to relinquish for the piece you had prepared had been oh-so-viciously stolen by a mob of trespassers!

the movers share with you their sympathies and ask what the work of art looks like and maybe they could sort something out with the authorities. nodding, you recount—so ardently—the details of your divine maiden. you feel heat rush to your face, chuckling when you realise that you'd run your mouth for too long.

in response to this, the two labourers exchange dubious looks as they peer at the static sculpture standing in the middle of the studio—its appearance unmistakably matching your elaborate description.

#ningguang #ningguang au #ningguang angst #ningguang x reader #ningguang headcanons #genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin angst #genshin headcanons #genshin au #pygmalion au #ningguang imagines #genshin imagines

[mandoalorian]

I Believe In Love [Maxwell Lord x F!Reader] — Twelve: Family

Summary: When you find your calling to leave Themyscira, you venture out to the World of Man with intentions of helping and healing a very specific person’s relationship with his son. You’ve heard his voice before, but only in dreams. You’ve felt his pain and anguish and you’ve never been able to relate to anything more. But things don’t come easy for you, and they certainly don’t come easy for him either. [This series contains spoilers for WW84 and is my interpretation of what happens after the movie ends].

Warnings: THE FINAL CHAPTER! very emotional, new beginnings, bullying mention, poverty mention, abuse mention, allusions to pregnancy.

Word count: 3000>

REBLOGS APPRECIATED.

Masterlist 

Previous - Chapter Twelve - Epilogue [coming soon!]

“I don’t know if I could do it,” Maxwell sighed, pacing around in anxious circles. He looked different, in his denim jeans and khaki-green cable knit sweater. It made a change from the oversized powersuits he once donned. Alistair was sat at the dining room table, colouring in, and Max was having a nervous breakdown about getting his haircut. “I’ve had the blonde in for so long.”

You smiled, running your fingers through his shaggy and unstyled hair. When it wasn’t perfectly coiffed, it was wavy and glossy, and smelled distinctly like the freshest green apples. “It’ll be okay. Think of it as washing away all the terrible things that went on in the past and starting anew. Like… turning over a new leaf.” 

You made a very good point. Maxwell knew he had to suck it up and just do it. It would be okay. He didn’t have to be Max Lord anymore, and he didn’t have this television persona to live up to. His main focus now was just being a father, and that’s all that mattered. All he needed to be, was himself. Maxwell Lorenzano.

“Daddy look!” Alistair smiled, waving around the piece of paper he’d spent the morning drawing on. It was stained slightly from his breakfast, and crinkled in the corners for where he’d applied slightly too much pressure when colouring, but all-in-all, it was perfect. Maxwell took the artwork and looked closely at it. Another typical family portrait of you, Alistair and Max. But this time, Maxwell was doting brown hair, and it reminded him of his younger days when he was first starting out as a businessman. “This is how you’ll look when you come home from the salon!”

“Wow Alistair, I love it!” Maxwell praised, unable to contain his grin. He held the portrait to his face and showed it off. “What do you think?” he asked you. “Do you think I’ll look good with the brown hair?” 

You giggled and nodded your head, before pressing the palm of your hand flat against Maxwell’s chest and brushing your lips against his. “You’ll look so handsome, I’m sure.”

“Ew!” Alistair cried, pulling the paper from his father’s hand as you kissed him softly on the lips. The curve of Max’s nose nudged against yours and he laughed at his son’s reaction.

“Alright,” you said, pointing your finger. “You better go. Don’t want to miss your appointment.”

Maxwell nodded and took a deep breath. “I’ll see you in a few hours.” he announced.

The second Maxwell left the house, your stomach began to twist. You’d been living at Lord manor for a month now but truthfully, it felt like a lifetime. It felt like you had always been there. You were adjusting to your new life pretty well, but this morning sickness that you had started to get was an unwelcome experience. Amazon’s never got ill, so this was brand new to you, and you weren’t enjoying it one bit.

You rubbed your stomach and took a sip of the glass of water that you’d been nursing. Sliding down to sit next to Alistair, you watched as he finished his drawing, adding a few final perfections. Once it was done, you hung it to the refrigerator and praised him for his hard work.

“Ali, why don’t you grab your shoes and we’ll have a walk down to the Smithsonian?” you smiled, grabbing your jacket that was hanging over the kitchen door.

“Ooh! Is there a new exhibition?” He enquired curiously, hopping onto his feet and fastening his shoe laces.

“I don’t think so,” you admitted sheepishly. “I have to go meet with some friends.”

Taking the bus was a new experience for both you and Alistair. Joe, Maxwell’s driver, would normally drive Alistair around to and from places. But not today. The bus was slightly smelly and the seats were sticky, but by the looks of it, Alistair was having the time of his life. He pointed out the window, grinning, and talked to you about all the different D.C. landmarks the both of you passed as you were driven into the city centre. He might have only been six years old, but that was six years of living in the world of man. You’d only been here for a month, and so Alistair could teach you a lot. 

Driving past the park, Alistair gasped, and shuffled into your body. “That’s the park where we first met,” Alistair pointed. You narrowed your eyes as you took in the sight of tall green trees and shrubbery. He was right. “Do you remember that day? You were wearing an awesome superhero costume like something out of my comic books. And you wore a tiara, and I asked if you were a princess. And you scared my bullies away, and helped me look for dad.”

“I remember.” you smiled, ruffling Alistair’s dark hair.

You remembered asking Alistair what his father looked like, and the only thing the boy could say was ‘strong, cool, and the best dad in the world’. Counting your lucky stars, you were so thankful you had found your forever family. You had come so far from that moment.

“Did you ever tell daddy… about those bullies in the park?” Alistair asked you hesitantly, his voice suddenly small and timid.

You pulled off him and looked him in the eyes. “No. Why?”

Alistair paused for a moment and glanced back out the window. “I was afraid he’d be disappointed in me.”

Your heart shattered in your chest. “Ali,” you said quietly, tears threatening to prick your eyes. “Your father could never, ever be disappointed in you. You know that, yes?”

Alistair nodded his head silently.

“He loves you so much,” you continued. “And the whole bullying thing… I think he’d understand better than anyone else.”

You remembered all the visions you had of Maxwell, even seeing him as a child at one point. You remembered him wearing rugged clothes that were too small for him and how he was picked on for his broken shoes. 

“Really? You think so?” Alistair asked.

“I know so,” you confirmed, pressing a kiss into Alistair’s hair. “Those bullies will never amount to anything if they continue doing what they’re doing. But you are so much better than them. Stronger. Your power lies in your heart, and in the truth, and in love.”

Alistair smiled. “You’re a real hero, aren’t you?”

“We’re all heroes.”

————

Yourself, Maxwell and Alistair loved trips to the Smithsonian. Diana always organised special access for the three of you, to go after hours when the entire museum was empty. Alistair was admiring the fish in the aquarium, when you noticed Barbara and Diana, and waved them over.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today.” Diana smiled.  

“It was sort of an impulse thing,” you explained. “Uhm, actually, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

You pulled Diana to one side and left Barbara with Alistair. “Remember how you said ‘I owe you one’, since I like… got your girlfriend to renounce her wish and kinda helped you save the world by destroying the second dreamstone?” you grinned, trying to hold back a laugh.

Diana rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “What are you plotting?”

“Max has been… worried, to say the least. We’re going to have to sell Black Gold and it’s a real shame because-- he worked so hard on it. We have some money and well, I haven’t exactly ran this by him yet but I was thinking about investing what we do have into the Smithsonian. Just like what Maxwell promised to do in the first place.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Diana sighed. “The gemology department is doing just fine.”

You shook your head, your smile only growing. “No Di, that’s not what I was getting at. How would you feel about… expanding the gemology department?”

“I’m not quite sure I follow…”

“I’ve heard Barbara talk about how there’s a lack of space to facilitate all the rocks and stones the Smithsonian keeps bringing in. She has a real fear that the entire paleontology department could be shut down and replaced with something else.” You sighed, running your fingers through your hair.

“That’s true…”

“So what if we use the Black Gold building as an extension for the Smithsonian, and have it specialise in all these fancy rocks and gems and stones. We could transport everything over and then we could utilize the leftover funds that Maxwell has, to keep all the palaeontologists and geologists employed. Hell, with a whole new building, we could even create more jobs for people. It would also mean that we wouldn’t have to fire Max’s old employees and-- Oh Di, I just know Max would love it. He really does have a passion for gemology. And his son, Ali… he has an interest too.”

“So I heard,” Diana rolled her eyes, but, to be frank, she liked what you were getting at. An expansion wouldn’t exactly be a bad thing… “It’s a big responsibility though, and it seems you haven’t even spoken to Maxwell about it. You would get funding from the Smithsonian as an institution, yes, but… it would still be Max’s business. Do you really think he could handle that? After what happened to his last business?”

“He’s smart,” you assured her. “And he’s a good businessman. He knows all these things I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Last time he just got unlucky. But this, this could really be something great. We have the building, and the passion, and enough money to get started. Please Diana… I know you could make this happen. Please.”

Diana spent a moment pondering the possibilities before shrugging her shoulders in defeat. “Alright,” She sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

You grinned and squealed excitedly, wrapping your arms around your half sister and squeezing her tight. “Thank you Di!” She laughed and rubbed your back before you pulled off her. “Oh, and Di… there’s one more thing.”

Diana tilted her head and gazed at you with fresh bewilderment. Looking around the museum to make sure no one was around to hear what you had to say, you leaned into the Amazon and whispered a confession you’d been keeping to yourself for the past month. 

————

Maxwell sat in the chair and frowned upon seeing his reflection in the mirror. “What can I do for you?” asked the stylist as she smacked her lips on a piece of gum. Max wasn’t sure if he could really bring himself to do this, until he remembered your words. This was ‘turning over a new leaf’-- a new start and fresh beginnings. 

“Uh, a trim please,” Maxwell requested before taking a shaky exhale. It was now or never, he just had to take the leap. “No, that’s not everything,” he sighed. “Could you perhaps take the blonde… out of my hair?” The question left his lips with an air of unsurity. Could one even do that? Take the colour out of hair?

“You want the colour stripped?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest. Maxwell supposed that was one way of putting it.

“Yes, I do.” he confirmed.

The stylist processed Maxwell’s words for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. “As you wish.”

As the stylist wrapped Max’s shaggy golden locks into foil, he closed his eyes. He’d come so far since the whole dreamstone debacle. His whole life had been a rollercoaster of up and down events but now, finally, things were evening out for him -- in the best way possible. He’d fallen in love and secured his family and home. The only thing he was mildly worried about, was the issue with Black Gold. But he knew that he’d somehow figure it out, especially now that he had you by his side to help him.

He’d always seen himself as an independent man. He fought hard to be as successful. He escaped his hometown, his abusive father, he ran away from poverty and was discriminated against by upper class white businessmen who told him he could never amount to anything. He proved all of them wrong. Because now, he had everything he could ever want. He didn’t need stacks of money or material possessions when he had you and Alistair. Maybe he wasn’t as independent as he once thought he was. Maybe, just maybe, he liked the company of others. He liked having you and his son around.

In his fight for wealth and success, he’d lost everything that mattered the most. But most importantly, he had lost himself. Maxwell swore that he’d never let that happen again.

As the stylist removed the silver foil from his hair, Maxwell nervously anticipated the result. His once bottle blonde hair was now a chocolate brown colour, and it reminded him distinctly of his youth. Max couldn’t help but feel like he looked younger, and he wasn’t going to complain about that. 

He just hoped you liked it as much as he did.

————

“I just don’t understand why mommy is taking so long,” Alistair grumbled as he and Barbara waited outside the ladies restroom. “And why did auntie Diana have to go into the toilet with her?”

Barbara stifled a laugh. “You’re inpatient, just like your dad.”

Impatience must’ve run in the family because you were sitting on the toilet seat, tapping your food as anxiety flooded your body. You didn’t expect to be this nervous. You’d wanted a child for so long -- in fact, your whole life to be exact. But now that there was a chance of it actually happening, you were beyond terrified. Maybe it was the fact Maxwell didn’t know about your symptoms, but you knew better than to feel alone. You were never going to be alone.

“How long left?” you asked Diana, who checked her wristwatch. It was an antique from the early 1900’s, something very special and something she kept very close to her heart.

“It should be ready now.” she told you, handing you the stick you had just peed on.

“I don’t want to look.” you squirmed, covering your face with your hands.

“Wow,” Diana hummed, her jaw parting slightly when she took in the results. 

“Wh-- what is it?” you asked, nervously.

“You’re pregnant.”

————

When Maxwell came home, you were shocked to say the least. His brown hair was absolutely gorgeous, and it suited him better than you’d expected. The deep shade was identical to the colour in his sparkling eyes. Jokingly, he tossed his hair and you let out a laugh.

“I was right,” you giggled, running your fingers through his locks. “So handsome.”

“I love it daddy!” Alistair cheered.

“Thanks buddy,” Maxwell grinned. “I like it too.”

Taking a deep breath, you took Max’s hand and pulled him into the living room, shutting the door behind you. It was quiet in there -- the perfect place to tell Maxwell your news. It had been a nostalgic day, and even standing in the living room reminded you of the time Max first brought you home. 

“Is everything alright?” he asked you, slightly concerned. But your warm smile soon eased him. You felt the need to wrap your arms around him and envelop him into a hug. Max had taken a big step today, and you were proud of him, but now it was your moment. It was now or never.

Harnessing every ounce of confidence within you, you took his hands and looked him in the eye. “Max, I’m pregnant.”

Max’s brown eyes widened and he was completely lost for words. “I-- you-- you’re--”

“Yes.” you smiled, taking his hands and placing them on your stomach.

His shocked expression turned into an elated grin as he processed the good news. “You’re really--”

“I am.” you confirmed.

You didn’t think you’d ever seen Maxwell so happy in your life. He wrapped his arms around you and held you so tight, like he was afraid to let you go. He swore in that moment he would never leave you, or his growing family, ever again.

This was it for him.

This was the start of Maxwell Lorenzano’s new life.

————

THE END.

————

Author’s Note: “I won’t cry” she says while sobbing into her Google Docs document. Thank you all for reading I Believe In Love. It’s a story I have wanted to share with you since I saw WW84 in the theatre, and I just can’t believe it’s finally over. This fic will always have a special place in my heart. The themes and plot points mean so much to me, but not only that, I’ve had the most amazing feedback on this fic and I will honestly cherish that for the rest of my life. I poured my heart and soul into writing I Believe In Love and it honestly one of my biggest comforts. I want you all to know that an epilogue is coming and if you have any requests for these characters I have created, feel free to send them my way. I adore my Amazon Goddess!Reader and I would absolutely love to continue their story at some point in the future. If you’ve followed me on this journey over the past four months, all I can really say is thank you. I love you so so much.

————

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#maxwell lord #max lord #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #maxwell lord x reader #max lord x reader #jose pedro balmaceda pascal #ww84 #pedro pascal smut #ibil

[justanotherblonde23]

When Marcus Met the Doctor

Author’s Note: Hey there Internet friends! So my buddy @autumnleaves1991-blog had asked me for a follow up on my original Marcus Moreno story. She was wondering how Marcus met the future Dr. Moreno. It was in an ask, but I can’t find it to save my life. I’m posting this on my iPad because my laptop isn’t playing nicely today, so I apologize if the format seems a little odd. I’m still learning! I gave the reader a last name and a nickname so I didn’t have to use y/n but I didn’t give any descriptions about physical appearance, so I hope you’ll be able to see yourself here. Please let me know what you think, I hope you enjoy - Kat

Warnings: swearing, single parenthood

Tags: @autumnleaves1991-blog @madness-roses @bisexual-space-slut @dindjarindiaries @frannyzooey @zeldasayer @cinewhore @revolution-starter @mrschiltoncat @softpedropascal @paniclana @jollyrancher87 @hdlynnslibrary @maybege @corrupt-fvcker @cyaredindjarin @scribbledghost @woakiees

Marcus was at his wit’s end. He’d been a single dad for all of three weeks after his wife decided that she wasn’t invested in being a mother or having a spouse that occasionally saved the world. What was he supposed to do with a kid that just turned 7, a two-month-old baby who started showing signs of powers, and a full-time job as one of the Heroics? He’d been up all night with the baby, Jules, because every time she woke up, she’d inadvertently started throwing things around the room...with her mind.

He had been around children with powers before, sure, but he had never encountered a child this young having powers begin to develop. Hell, his oldest, Missy, hadn’t even had her powers show up yet. He knew that each child was different, but this was way out of his league. He knew how to handle children; he loved children, especially his children. A powerful infant was not in his job description. He needed outside assistance, and he needed it yesterday.

It was a blustery Saturday, so he bundled himself and the kids up, making his way to Heroics HQ. There had to be someone there that could help. Walking into HQ was like walking into a completely different world. Uniquely powered individuals in multicolored hero outfits, scientists in lab coats, executives in suits, and a myriad of others all spent their time hustling and bustling through the gigantic building. In the middle of all this was Marcus, a dad in jeans, a grey V-neck, converse, and a leather jacket holding a bundled up super powered baby in the crook of his arm, with his hand gripping the small hand of his inquisitive little girl. He sighed, making his way to the building’s science and medical wing, trying to find the proper hallway and office number.

Finally, he found it, office 22A, the person who hopefully had the answers he needed for baby Jules. He knocked; he felt awkward just rushing in even though technically had an appointment. He hadn’t expected the door to be opened by the most beautiful woman that he’d ever laid eyes on. She smiled kindly, gesturing for him to enter. He couldn’t help but take in her appearance as he guided himself and Missy into the office. She was dressed professionally, wearing a pencil skirt, blouse, and heels topped with a lab coat, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her eyes shone with both care and enthusiasm; a soft smile graced her lips. He watched as she grabbed Missy’s hand, setting her up with toys in a corner filled with all sorts of things children loved. She was so gentle with the little girl, giving all of her attention to the child. Once Missy was situated and happily playing quietly, the woman turned her attention back to Marcus and Jules. She said something to him, but Marcus just stood there, blinking, a mixture of exhaustion and admiration rendering him speechless.

“Mr. Moreno?” a gentle voice inquired, her hand on his bicep snapping him out of his reverie.

Marcus blinked, shaking his head, willing himself to be in the present. “I’m so sorry, I’m completely worn out. Between work, the baby, and Missy, I’m just barely pulling through on my own. You can call me Marcus, by the way, Mr. Moreno just seems so formal.”

The kind smile was back as she led him to a couch at the back of the office, where they both sat down and got comfortable.

“So, Marcus, I hear that you are here to see me about your little one here. My name is Dr. Johnson, but mostly everyone around here calls me Iris. Please tell me what’s going on with the baby, and I can see what I can do for you.” She sounded so confident in her ability to assist him, not even knowing what the problem was yet.

“Iris? Is that your name?” Marcus accidentally wondered aloud.

The responding light laugh that Dr. Johnson gave him sounded like a perfect melody. “No, that’s not my name, just a nickname. One of my secondary abilities is a bit of telekinesis. When I activate that or my other abilities, my eyes turn well the color of irises, and the name just stuck.”

He nodded, absorbing the information while rocking Jules in his arms. She was dozing at the moment since this would ideally be her naptime. He studied her face, looking for what, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t even know where to begin, how to ask for something he wasn’t sure there was a solution for. It hit him then how young she was. How was someone so young supposed to help him?

“I sense some hesitation in you. If you have questions or concerns, I’m happy to address them. I want to be able to help you, but to do that, you also need to trust me.”

Marcus shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. He didn’t want to be rude or demanding, but this was his baby they were talking about here. It was his job to keep Jules safe, it was just him now, and he couldn’t stand the idea of her in any type of danger simply because he couldn’t figure out what to do about her powers.

Iris put her hand on his, causing him to look back at her again.

“Yes, I’m quite young, I just turned 28 last month, but that doesn’t make me any less qualified to help you and your baby girl. My greatest ability is my mind. I have nine doctorates, working on more as we speak, which doesn’t include my medical degrees. I am a doctor of pediatric medicine, as well as a surgeon for both children and adults. I’ve worked on most of the heroically enhanced beings that work here, you included, although you were unconscious at the time. I invent most of the tech that you and your fellow Heroics use every day. Those katana blades of yours, those are my work. As a father, I know that you’re going to be hesitant to allow anyone to help your daughter, especially someone who is young, like me. I assure you, Marcus, that my young age is made up for by my vast set of experiences. I would argue that I’m the best suited for this job out of anyone. Please, let me help you so that you can take care of your children to the best of your ability. Give me a chance here; I promise you won’t regret it.”

He had been expecting her anger at his hesitance, not her understanding. He was sure that he was about to be yelled at for doubting her. Instead, she calmly explained exactly who she was and why she was his best bet. Fuck, she was brilliant and willing to help. He needed to give her a chance and let her see this through, no matter how nervous he was.

“Iris, I apologize; I shouldn’t doubt you or your abilities. I’m pretty new at this single dad thing, and I’m just trying to take care of them the best I can. I’ve been doing mostly consultant work from home, but that’s only a temporary solution. I just-,” his voice broke, tears filling his eyes.

A tear dripped down his face, but the doctor caught it with her thumb, smoothing it away. She had tears in her own eyes, threatening to overflow. She enveloped him in as firm of a hug as she could with baby Jules still in his arms, letting him lay his head on her shoulder and permitting him to feel. All his sorrow, worries, and fears flowed out of him through his tears. Fingers carded through his hair, a hand rubbed soothing circles on his back, her words of comfort whispered in his ear. Marcus, you’re not alone. There are people who want to help. It’s okay, let it all out. He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but by the time he finished crying, he felt safe and cared for, something that he hadn’t felt in a while, not since far before his ex had left.

They spent the next half hour discussing what abilities Jules had exhibited so far, what Marcus’ concerns were, and what he needed to be a functional parent. He explained how the baby started showing signs of power less than a week after she was born, how she seemed to be able to move things with her mind, but that he wasn’t quite sure because, well, Jules was a baby and he was sure that she didn’t even realize she was doing it. He was worried because as time went on, the objects kept getting larger. Last night, somehow, she had moved the crib in front of the bedroom door when she woke up in the middle of the night for her bottle. He had ended up having to take the door off its hinges to even get into the room. Hearing his baby crying and not being able to get to her had scared him shitless. He’d ended up staying in the baby’s room all night to make sure nothing else happened.

As they talked, Jules had woken up and was beginning to fuss. Iris ended up taking the baby, giving her a bottle, and watching her abilities while still listening to Marcus. She was so good with little Jules, holding her, gently stroking her hair, whispering comforting words when she would get fussy. He saw books begin to float off the shelf in his peripheral vision, he got up to try and put them back, but Iris’ hand shot out, stopping him. She smiled up at him, raising a hand and pushing them back in place with her mind.

“I think I have something that will help.”

She stood up, still holding the baby, and went to her desk, grabbing a tiny silver cuff. She pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, bringing up various holograms all around the room. Marcus almost jumped out of his skin when she began to talk to an AI, sorting through her research until she found what she was looking for.

“This is my own design, it’s basically a bracelet that will contain Jules’ powers and abilities while she wears it. It’s waterproof, tamper resistant, and will only open with either your fingerprint or my own. As she grows, we’ll change the cuff size and lessen the suppression. When this little lady is old enough, the cuff will come off altogether and she will have full access to her abilities. The suppression will not cause her any harm or pain, I’ve made sure to try it on myself long term to be certain. This allows you to keep her safe without working yourself into exhaustion. We can meet a few times a month to assess her progress. This should help you all get into the groove of things, Marcus.”

He took the cuff, studying it, rolling it over in his hands. It felt like regular metal, nothing special. He titled it to see the inside. There were tiny sensors evenly spaced throughout and something that was blinking green. This was far beyond his paygrade as far as technology went. The fact that the woman in front of him invented this and was willing to use this to help ensure his baby’s safety was not lost on him. He was grateful that she had a solution, hopefully it would help.

“It won’t hurt her, right? I just want to make sure. Has this been studied long term? Are there any side effects?” he enquired, trying not to get too excited.

Iris shook her head as she lightly rocked Jules in her arms. “I’ve used this on myself, as well as some other children that have had their abilities show up a bit too early. I haven’t seen any drawbacks or side effects of the cuff so far, but I want to have you bring Jules in at least once every few weeks so that we can keep her closely monitored. You’ll also have my number, please feel free to contact me day or night if you have any concerns or if anything goes wrong. I’m here to help and it’s my main priority to make sure that this sweet girl can learn and grow safely, without the threat of her powers going awry. This problem is one that we can solve, Marcus.”

He nodded, her words were reassuring to be sure. Since he became a single father, he hadn’t really trusted anyone with the safety and wellbeing of his little girls besides himself. It was difficult to reach out and allow someone to help solve a problem when the one person he had trusted the most had shattered him. Iris was giving him a solution, she was asking for his trust in her and her science. He could do that for his kids, he had to.

Marcus handed her back the cuff, allowing her to delicately put it on Jules’ wrist. It didn’t even phase the baby one bit. She kept on as if nothing had changed at all. He let out the breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding. She seemed absolutely fine, content to be rocked in the good doctor’s arms. She handed her back to Marcus, allowing him to cradle his little one close.

The two adults scheduled baby Jules’ followup appointment for the next week so that they could see her progress and give Iris a chance to check the data and run some tests. They spoke for a few more minutes until Missy came up to get their attention.

“Daddy, I’m hungry.”

Iris got down on Missy’s level so that she could look her in the eye. “You did so well today, Missy. Thank you so much for playing quietly while your daddy and I talked about your baby sister. I’m very proud of you.”

Missy broke out in a huge grin, throwing her arms around the doctor’s shoulders.

“Will we get to see you again? Can I come and play here more soon?”

Iris returned the hug, smiling fondly at the little girl. “Your sister has another appointment here next week and you are more than welcome to come and play in my office again. It was very nice to meet you. I think your daddy will be taking you down to the cafeteria here for some lunch, how does that sound?”

Missy nodded enthusiastically, grabbing her father’s free hand and tugging him along.

“Thank you so much, Iris, I really appreciate all the time you’ve given us today.”

“The pleasure is mine, Marcus, really. I’m here to help.”

There wasn’t much more to be said as Marcus was dragged by Missy out the door and down the hallway, chatting about what type of lunch they were going to eat. The doctor stood in the doorway, watching the little family leave, happy that she could be of assistance. She liked Marcus, he seemed to love his children a great deal and was a good man.

As they got in the elevator, Missy’s sweet voice said, “Daddy, I like that doctor lady, she’s so nice. I hope we get to see her more. She’s so pretty!”

Marcus had to agree with his daughter, he liked Iris, too. He felt a tug in his gut telling him that he should get to know her more, that she was someone truly special. He decided then and there that he would try to make that happen.

#marcus moreno x y/n #marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno #we can be heroes #pedro pascal

[dubububbles]

SHINee scenario: Dates

(can u work ur magic and write sumthin about going on dates? tnx :>)

Requested by anon

- I’m sorry for being very slow with the requests. I’ve been having a hard time writing lately 😓 I’m still very unsure about this but I hope it’s okay! Otherwise, I can make a part two later on when I’m back on my feet. Also, thank you so much to those who helped me with ideas! ❤️🙏

Onew:

When both you and Onew had a day off at the same time you decided to make the most of it and go on a date. Normally you would do something simple, such as going to a cafe, having a picnic or simply strolling around downtown. However, for some reason, your boyfriend suggested visiting the city Zoo and since you didn’t have a better idea you agreed. 

It didn’t really strike you as a common place for a date, but rather a place for families, but that thought changed when your boyfriend turned into an excited child at the sight of live animals and you couldn’t help but find it adorable. 

The two of you calmly walked around the whole zoo to examine each animal and talked about anything and everything in the process. You were also enjoying the fact that you could share some fond and harmless skin-ship, such as holding hands and exchanging small kisses every now and then. In addition, your boyfriend made you laugh with some of his silly antics, which you could never grow tired of. 

It was a very wholesome date and although it was more fun and chaotic than it was sweet and romantic you didn’t mind it one bit since it was spent with your favorite person on earth. 

“Today was really fun.” You told him as you were heading for the exit and expected him to respond but instead he simply smiled and gripped your hand a bit tighter as he headed in a specific direction. It didn’t lead to any of your apartments and when you asked him about it he simply stated that it was a ‘surprise’. 

After a brief walk through a small park and up a steep hill you eventually reached a small viewing spot where you could gaze over a large portion of the city below and it was indeed a spectacular sight. 

“Wow. It’s really beautiful.” You managed to utter in a mix of surprise and admiration. 

Your boyfriend simply agreed and led you both over to a bench where you could sit down. “I like this place.” He expressed in a calm voice and went on to explain how he came across it and also his wish to show it to you. His words made you smile as you held onto his hand with both of your own and fumbled with some of his fingers, as you tended to do subconsciously at times. He hadn’t told you but it was something he was actually rather fond of. 

The two of you spent the rest of the afternoon at your new location, watching the city turn dark as the sun set, before you headed home. Your boyfriend walked you the whole way, as he always would, and outside of your apartment building you shared a long hug and a sweet kiss before ultimately letting go of each other. He then uttered the words ‘Let’s meet again soon’ with his usual bright smile as he waved and watched you get inside safely. 

Jonghyun: 

After dating for a little over a year you and Jonghyun both decided to take some time off work and go on a trip together. The location was Tokyo, Japan and it was only over the weekend but it gave you a couple of days of pure freedom to spend however you liked. 

Since it was early spring you decided to visit a large park with a botanical garden on your first full day. The weather was perfect and you could roam around peacefully to examine the beautiful flowers and large cherry blossom trees that had just begun to bloom. It was a very simple but romantic idea of a date that you both enjoyed. 

Moreover, walking around holding hands and taking a closer look at the different plants, you found a patch of grass where you could sit down and eat some snacks that you had bought beforehand. 

It would evolve into a deep conversation which would then be followed by some harmless cuddling. At first it made you feel a bit shy, as there were many people around and you weren’t always comfortable with PDA but your irresistible boyfriend assured you no one was watching. In addition, he also flashed one of his very enchanting grins which made you want to roll your eyes in a playful fashion. 

In the end, you were able to relax and simply enjoy your sweet moment. None of it was actually new but it still gave you a sense of butterflies in the pit of your stomach. 

After talking and enjoying each other’s company for some time you decided to explore the rest of the park and also take a bunch of pictures before ultimately leaving. Though, your day didn’t end there. You spent the remaining time exploring the city, doing some shopping and also having dinner at one of Jonghyun’s favorite restaurants, as it wasn’t his first visit. 

All in all, it was definitely a very calm and romantic day but you preferred it that way and any time spent together with your amazing boyfriend was always wholesome. 

“I love you.” The words came out randomly as you were on your way back to the hotel but he didn’t seem to mind. He simply chuckled in a surprised fashion before returning them in a loving tone. 

“I love you too y/n.” 

Key: 

Since you and Key had been together for a long time you were both comfortable in your relationship and didn’t often go on traditional dates or make grand plans just the two of you. Instead, your idea of a date was simply doing something together that you would both enjoy. 

On a weekend when you were both free you decided to do just that and since you were both interested in art you agreed to check out a new exhibition at your favorite museum. 

Despite it being a weekend it wasn’t overly busy and you could both walk around calmly, hand in hand, and examine the new art. In addition, you also decided to visit some old favorites and went to the part of the museum dedicated to the painter who sadly lost his life too young. Vincent Van Gogh. You had already seen his works several times but there was still something about it that would pull you in. 

“Wow. Van Gogh’s art is really beautiful, no matter how many times you see it.” You exclaimed in slight awe. 

At first Key was silent, almost as if he was thinking something over, and then turned to you camly. “Sure they are but they aren’t as beautiful as the art whose hand I’m currently holding.” 

His suddenly flirty words and teasing smirk certainly made you blush but you then nudged his arm and fought your urge to roll your eyes at his cheesiness. Though, it would be a lie to say you didn’t enjoy it. Especially when his eyes also sparked with sincerity, which made you all the more flustered. 

Later, as you both exited the museum your boyfriend suddenly tugged you and started walking in a different direction, stating something about ‘wanting to take you somewhere equally beautiful as the painting you had admired’. 

You didn’t question him and as you realized where he was taking you your face instantly lit up in surprise. 

“Namsan tower?” 

He nodded in response and kissed your cheek before you headed towards the cable car that would take you to the top of the mountain where the tower and observation deck was located. 

As it was late afternoon you could camly stroll along and watch the sunset together. It was a very romantic end to an otherwise casual date but it was just the way you both preferred it. 

Minho:

After a busy week you and Minho were both excited at the idea of meeting up in your favorite part of town and enjoying a fun night out in each other’s company. 

It was something you did ever so often as opposed to having indoor dates at home and this particular night you decided to visit the cinema to see a movie together. 

By the time you arrived your boyfriend was already there waiting for you close to the entrance. Despite it being a casual date he appeared to have dressed up ever so slightly and looked as handsome as ever. It made you smile as you made your way over to greet him the way you normally would, with a hug and a quick but sweet kiss, before you made your way inside. 

The movie in question was a good one. Minho had picked it, thinking it was something you would enjoy, as it had an exciting love story plot, and he wasn’t wrong. Though, even if it had been uninteresting it wouldn’t matter as you simply enjoyed being in his company. 

Later, after leaving the cinema and getting something to eat you decided to roam around the city, as you often would, and ended up at an arcade. It wasn’t a surprise since you were both fond of games and became competitive as you were put against one another. At times you would find yourself stuck in there for hours on end, competing while having fun and simply forgetting about time. This time was certainly no exception. You tried out a variety of games, where you beat him at some and then giggled at his sulking face. 

You spent most of the evening there until you finally decided that enough was enough. It was already rather late at that point but before calling it a day Minho suggested walking along the han-river since it was a rather beautiful sight at night and you also knew it was something he really enjoyed, so you agreed. 

“Did you have fun today?” He questioned out of the blue after walking in silence for some time but you didn’t hesitate to nod in response. 

Although you could both be romantic you could also enjoy a casual day like this simply playing games and having fun. In fact, you enjoyed it as much as going to a fancy restaurant or having a cozy night at home. 

You definitely wanted to do it again sometime very soon. 

Taemin: 

Although you and Taemin had been dating for a while it was still unknown to the public and anyone outside of your close circle of friends or family. Therefore, you rarely met up outside just the two of you and if you did it was always in a remote place or late at night to avoid anyone possibly spotting you and making a story out of it. It was tough at times, as you would find yourselves spending a lot of time apart, but you knew that it was for the better. 

After you planned to meet up one night Taemin picked you up in his car outside your apartment building and then drove off to one of your usual places. 

You were both wearing casual clothing rather than being dressed up but neither of you put much thought on that. Instead, you focused on actually spending time together and being able to talk and catch up on everything that had happened since you last met in person. Your relationship was rather simple in that sense.

At your chosen location, a small beach by the river, you both walked around freely for a bit before you found a place to sit down. It was completely vacant, since it was nighttime, and you could cuddle and watch the night sky together without the fear of being spotted. 

It was a simple but wholesome date where you shared some food you had brought along and shared endless conversations about your lives or whatever was on your minds. Of course, you also used the opportunity to share some skin-ship. 

“We should meet like this more often.” Your boyfriend expressed along with a small sigh as he hugged you tightly in a search for warmth. “I really hate it when we are apart.” 

His sincere words made you smile. Especially as they were followed by him sulking, which you couldn’t help but find cute. 

“Then let’s make more time to meet up. It should be okay as long as we’re careful, right?” 

He nodded to show he agreed and then stared at you for a moment while smiling It sort of made you feel shy, almost to the point that you were blushing, and you ultimately uttered a brief ‘what?’ to find out what he was up to. 

At first he shrugged so you expected him to mumble ‘nothing’ in return but he didn’t. Instead, he raised his hand to gently poke your cheek with his index finger. It definitely puzzled you, until he suddenly uttered his new favorite English word in a playful voice. 

“Adorable.” 

Since it wasn’t the first time he used the word, and probably not the last, you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Although it was done in a fond fashion, since despite him being annoying you still loved him more than anything. 

#SHINee #SHINee reactions #shinee scenarios #shinee drabbles #onew #SHINee Key #kim jonghyun #choi minho #lee taemin #5HINee

[tiramisiyu]

Tears of Themis: Lu Jinghe’s Birthday - 6.13 “Decision to Compete”

Translation Masterlist

Event Story: 6.13 Decision to Compete | 6.15 Personal Instruction | 6.17 Building Block Dolls | 6.19 Participating in the Competition | 6.21 Birthday Celebration

Event Story Interviews: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Art Gallery Boss: Young miss, all pieces displayed at the Rembrandt exhibition this time are priceless authentic versions. Your request is very…

MC: But he really is my very special friend. Just like you, boss, Rembrandt is also the artist that he holds in highest esteem.

Not long ago, I found out that June 21 was Lu Jinghe’s birthday. To give him a birthday surprise, I came to Stellis City’s antique art gallery, where they were about to hold an exhibition on authentic Rembrandt works. 

With Lu Jinghe’s current identity, if he were suddenly appear in a well-known art exhibition, aside from garnering attention, it might also cause additional problems. So, letting him enjoy the works of the artist he so admired without disturbances should be an excellent idea. After a sincere, long conversation, the boss finally agreed to rent out the venue for me before the exhibition opened.

Art Gallery Boss: You absolutely must be careful – do not bump into or damage them.

MC: I will be careful, don’t worry.

After confirming the venue, I opened my notes, checking over the other things I needed to prepare.

MC: Cake… I’ll order taro mousse, but what should I give as a gift? Watches, leather belts, ties? Lu Jinghe definitely isn’t lacking on these.

I logged into the shopping app, and “Today’s Main Recommendations” on the gift recommendation page caught my attention.

MC: These are… building blocks?

On the product pictures, hundreds of building block components piled together, creating a flowing, miniature city. In an instant, the scenes of what happened at the Lu Mansion played in my head…

--

Three days ago.

 Lu Mansion

Lu Jinghe: Careful!

In the Lu Mansion, gift boxes of all sizes were piled up, making it easy to trip if one weren’t careful. Good thing Lu Jinghe caught me in time.

Lu Jinghe: Jiejie, you’re too careless.

MC: It’s clearly because you have way too many gifts here. So is it almost your birthday? Otherwise, why would so many people give you gifts?

Lu Jinghe: Sure enough, I can’t hide anything from you. There’s still over half a month until my birthday, so those people came running over in a rush.

MC: “Those people” are…?

Lu Jinghe: Past business targets, children of other major families, plus some entertainment stars. Lots of people want to get in on the Lu family’s good graces.

MC: (As expected of Lu Jinghe – even his birthday’s got to shake up all of Stellis City.)

Seeming like Lu Jinghe had seen through my thoughts, he laughed quietly.

Lu Jinghe: So… shouldn’t you also send me a gift?

MC: Lu Jinghe, you’re not lacking on gifts, are you?

Lu Jinghe: For those sent by others, of course I’m not lacking on them. But ones sent by you…

MC: Ahem ahem.

After receiving Lu Jinghe’s hint, I faked a cough. Turning my head around, I saw the “main offender” that had just tripped me. This was a meticulously-wrapped box of building blocks, with modern-looking buildings printed on top, with “limited edition” written on in conspicuous text.

MC: Lu Jinghe, you play with building blocks?

Building blocks were a toy invented by the Austin family. They became popular worldwide as soon as they were launched, and now have nearly a hundred years’ worth of history. If they didn’t suit someone’s tastes here, toys like this would not appear here.

Lu Jinghe: I have played with them before – someone probably remembered that up until now. Although, I haven’t played with them in a long time.

MC: Why?

Lu Jinghe started to speak, then stopped, a troubled look emerging in his clear eyes.

--

Building Blocks Room

MC: So many… did you build them all?

Lu Jinghe took me to a room on the second floor of the Lu Mansion. What appeared before my eyes were innumerable building blocks models. From rich, colourful flower fields to the little roads of a foreign country’s streetscapes – there was even a proportionate reconstruction of Stellis University.

MC: Amazing! You must have spent a lot of time to make so many works, right? You’re so talented, so why didn’t you continue?

Lu Jinghe: Because…

Lu Jinghe walked to the French windows, sinking into a short silence. Golden sunlight shone on his side profile, creating a dappled light effect.

Lu Jinghe: On certain levels, I can no longer continue creating with building blocks…

MC: (What… Certain levels means…)

Lu Jinghe: My mother passed away right after I was born.

Lu Jinghe slowly began to speak, his voice quiet. I suddenly regretted asking a little.

MC: If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t need to force yourself. Everyone has their own secrets.

Lu Jinghe: It’s fine. I have no secrets in front of you.

Lu Jinghe’s words were indescribably gentle, but my heart felt like a little like it had been yanked.

Lu Jinghe: Though I lost my mother, my father and older brother loved me dearly. Compared to others, I’ve never been lacking in anything. I even had more than them. Until I noticed that for both oil paintings or building blocks, I couldn’t create anything related to “family”…

MC: (How could that be… Speaking of which, “Z” has indeed never made anything related to “family”.)

Lu Jinghe: Are you feeling sympathetic? Looks like not being able to create “family” is no big deal, because it’ll at least make you sympathize for me.

MC: … Lu! Jing! He!

I faked anger, but my sad feelings had been swept away by Lu Jinghe’s seemingly joking words.

Lu Jinghe: Alright alright, don’t be sad. I thought about it after – perhaps I can’t create anything with a “family” theme because I’ve never had a major female figure around me, ever since I was little. If…

MC: If what?

Lu Jinghe: Ahem ahem… nothing.

MC: …

--

After coming back to my senses, my fingers slid over the screen.

MC: Since Lu Jinghe likes building blocks, I’ll send him a building blocks set as a gift. Although… which set should I send?

--

Home

To find a suitable gift set, I looked up lots of information online related to building blocks after getting home. Among them, an article titled “The first Stellis Building Blocks Competition will be held soon” caught my attention.

MC: Building blocks creator Mr. Austin’s out-of-print posthumous work – the “Future” series’ first public reveal; only one set worldwide. Cabin in the woods, a glass flower room, and an open-air art studio that faces the mountains. This work is called… “Future Home”?

Note: “Home” and “Family” are the same word in Chinese.

MC: (This set… looks like one that Lu Jinghe would like.)

I couldn’t help thinking of joining the competition, but I froze after scrolling to the next article.

MC: “Z” will appear at the building blocks competition as an evaluator, and many fans have signed up… “The Shepherd Girl” may become a competition topic.

MC: (Lu Jinghe’s going?!)

The theme of this competition was “World-Famous Artworks”, where people were to reconstruct world-famous artworks using building blocks. With Z’s works being so famous, becoming a topic of the competition wasn’t out of the question.

MC: (If he really is an evaluator, my participation will definitely be exposed, and I won’t be able to give him a birthday present.)

But would Lu Jinghe really appear in public under Z’s identity? Though this might be something made up by the hosts, I still decided to call and ask Lu Jinghe, just in case.

Lu Jinghe: Hello?

MC: I-it’s me.

Lu Jinghe: What’s the matter, did something happen?

MC: Nothing, I just wanted to ask – do you know about the building blocks competition being held next month? I heard that “Z” was going to be a competition evaluator.

Lu Jinghe: There’s actually this sort of news, huh. The host probably was probably afraid of being low on hype and let out fake news. If you’re suddenly asking this… did you want to participate? Then I can teach you for free.

MC: (Since Lu Jinghe’s not going, getting taught by him is indeed the best introductory method.)

MC: Is that alright?

Lu Jinghe: Of course. If you need it, I always have time. Besides, after today… Z’s appearances may become very rare.

MC: ?!

MC: I-is it because of Pax?

I brought up the guess I had. Sure enough, Lu Jinghe signed almost inaudibly on the other side of the phone.

Lu Jinghe: Yeah, balancing studies and Pax already expends too much of my energy. After graduating, similar impediments will only continue to increase. To an artist, it’s really easy for these sorts of conditions to cut off creativity, so…

Lu Jinghe’s voice had an exhaustion in it that was impossible to ignore.

MC: Lu Jinghe, if you’re working too hard, you can stop for a bit and rest.

Lu Jinghe: … I understand. But unfortunately, no one will give me time to rest. Before being “Z”, I am first and foremost Lu Jinghe of Pax.

--

After hanging up, Lu Jinghe’s words echoed in my head.

MC: So many people clearly like “Z”. Can Lu Jinghe really give it up?

MC: Right! It just so happens that lots of “Z” fans will be participating at the building blocks competition. I should gather some things that they want to say to “Z” and give them to Lu Jinghe! Even if he really can no longer create in the future, the fans’ encouragement would be memories worth treasuring.

--

That night, I submitted a registration form on the building blocks competition official site, as well as an application to interview the participants to the hosts. After registering, a participant list, including methods of contact, was sent to my inbox.

MC: (Next, I’ll practice building blocks as I interview people for what they want to say to “Z”.)

#Tears of Themis #tears of themis translations #lu jinghe #marius von hagen #tot translation

[aja154ever]

Haikyuu To the Top New Year’s Online Event! Inarizaki High School Special Team Meeting~ Karasuno Still on to the New Year’s Vibe~ 01/10/2021

The report is late, but still posting this for the record!! It’s long and detailed but the talks were really interesting so please read until the end! I promise, you won’t regret it! I also put Haikyuu pictures for easier understanding (but no seiyuu pics from the actual event besides those from the official accounts).

The event was held on 1/10 but there was an archive viewing on 1/23~24 so I watched it again <3

The event starts with a prerecorded video of a mini skit by the voice actors. The video shows the Inarizaki members at the club room at the start of the year (not animated, still images only moving once in a while).

Atsumu: I won this year, Samu! I got more New year postcards than you!

Osamu: But you’re also including the ones sent from business establishments! They don’t count!

Atsumu: Doesn’t matter! They’re addressed to my name, anyway! You’re just a sore loser!

Suna enters the room and they notice that he seems to be happy. Osamu assumed that it’s probably because he got a lot of money from New Year, but warns him that if he spends too much, Kita-san would scold him telling him to save money properly.

Atsumu: Ah! Must be nice to be you, Suna! Because we’re twins, we have to divide and share the money we get from our grandparents! I envy you!

Osamu: *sighs* If I were an only child, I'd get to buy delicious stuff and enjoy all the food by myself!

But Suna clarifies that it’s not because of the money he got why he’s happy, but actually because he got “excellent luck” from the fortune this year.

The twins didn’t expect him to bother about such things, and they said that they don’t actually believe in that because as twins they’re often told to share the same fate.

Kita enters the room and everyone greets him a Happy New Year. Kita greets back and tells them to get ready for the meeting and the practice. Osamu suddenly asks a question before they go though.

Osamu: I heard from Aran-kun before that Kita house’s “ozouni” (Japanese soup with rice cakes traditionally eaten during New Year) is really delicious. Is that true?

Kita: Ah well, it���s made by granny after all, so there’s no way it’s not.

Osamu: Please let me eat that next time!

Atsumu: That’s unfair!!! Let me too!

Kita: *chuckles* Oh, you’re pretty enthusiastic about this, huh. Well, it’s good to properly eat such food during New Year after all. I’ll let you next time.

Twins: Thanks a lot!!

Osamu: Ahhh~ Can’t wait to eat Kita house’s ozouni!

Suna: Osamu, you really do like eating, huh.

Kita reminded them to not get carried away and take care of their bodies. They then go to proceed with their meeting.

The seiyuu event starts with the Inarizaki members greeting a Happy New Year. They’re also happy that Inarizaki is the main focus of this event.

For convenience, they’ll be referred here as follows.

Miyano Mamoru (Atsumu’s seiyuu) - Mamo

Kabumoto Hideaki (Osamu) - Kabu

Nojima Kenji (Kita) - NojiKen

Shimazaki Nobunaga (Suna) - Zakki

They’re all wearing Inarizaki-themed kimonos for the occasion and showed it off with the camera tilting down to up, focusing on each of them, as they also turned around.

Kabu is wearing a matching arm warmer, which he mistakenly calls “warm armer” (Mamo corrects him laughing), that volleyball players apparently use during games. He also shares that he spent the New Year alone (due to the pandemic situation), meanwhile NojiKen went to the Haikyuu exhibit during the holiday and was really impressed with the experience.

There were also seiyuu events held last year but since the anime was still ongoing at that time they cannot fully talk about everything, but now they can go talk without any hesitation. This is also the first time that the four of them gathered for a Haikyuu event.

Zakki has been open about his love for his team in past events and this time he also expressed that with a full smile.

Zakki: I’m really very happy (that we’re all here)! *cute mini jumping/shaking gestures* Ah, i LOVE Inarizaki! I REALLY love this team, it’s the best! Even if I knew that we’d end up losing, I still felt like we were definitely gonna win.

Mamo: But we did lose

Zakki: Don’t say it!

The MC of the event entered afterwards and the seiyuus formally introduced themselves one by one (they almost forgot lol).

Karasuno was then introduced. They also appeared in a mini skit first.

Hinata arrives at the gym first. However, inside the gym Mt. Fuji appeared out of nowhere. He was surprised for a second, but then thought that he’d go climb it anyway. 

Kageyama enters the scene chasing a flying hawk.

Kageyama: Oy boke! Hinata! Catch that bird! Fly!

Hinata jumped and jumped but wasn’t able to catch it.

Kageyama: Oy! How dare you let it go! What was with those little jumps anyway? You wouldn’t reach it with that!

Hinata asked what was that all about and Kageyama said that the hawk matches Mt. Fuji. And with that, Hinata realizes that the only thing lacking for a good luck charm is an eggplant (“nasu” in Jpn).

Hinata: Kageyama! “Ore ni nasu!” (Tr: “Bring the eggplant to me,” but this is a play on the “Toss to me” line which sounds similar in Jpn “Ore ni tosu!”)

Kageyama refused, complaining about it and they started to argue.

The sound of alarm suddenly rings. Hinata wakes up from the dream*, and heads out to go to practice.

*Hatsuyume - the first dream of the year deemed to be important in Jpn culture. Dreaming of Mt. Fuji, hawk, and eggplant is particularly considered to be lucky.

The Karasuno seiyuus then join the rest in the studio saying their greetings.

Murase Ayumu (Hinata) - Ayu

Ishikawa Kaito (Kageyama) - Kaito

Haikyuu Back to the Top!

The seiyuus selected their most memorable scenes from the season.

Ayu and Zakki apparently chose the same: Hinata’s “Nice receive” scene.

Zakki particularly loves the silence that follows after the receive, and Kageyama’s “Nice receive” (he claps when it was shown on the VTR). 

He loves Inarizaki and really wanted to fight and win with them and felt very frustrated when they lost, but he can’t really help but admire this Karasuno scene. The people who were watching the game couldn’t believe what happened that everyone’s feelings synced and they all fell silent. The silence held so much meaning, he thinks that the events and all the drama that occurred for them to reach this turning point gave the scene life, despite the lack of sound, and it was really beautiful. It’s a scene made by everyone. It also happened that he was at the studio during the recording and he saw how Kaito and the director gave so much thought about how Kageyama would say the “Nice receive” line to Hinata.

Ayu adds that the Inarizaki match is indeed very important to Hinata’s growth and this scene is a testament that Hinata’s path was right, and all his efforts weren’t in vain. He also likes the monologue by Japan National Team coach Hibarida in this scene, saying that Hinata’s life as a volleyball player which would still continue from then on, was acknowledged.

Mamo and Kabu’s chosen scenes were also shown together - Twin’s Quick.

Kabu chose the last quick of the game, while Mamo chose all.

For the first quick, Mamo especially liked the moment when it zooms to Atsumu. The reverse quick was also impressive. 

Mamo: *pointing at the VTR* Isn’t this amazing? This is reverse, you know!

Kabu still doesn’t want to believe that their last quick got blocked.

Mamo chose all because of the build-up and growth that happened during the match. The quick attack was something the twins just tried on a whim, but their guts, playfulness, and talent were really amazing.

The last quick was particularly memorable to Kabu because Osamu can be seen as the more reserved of the two, and while the twins carry the same thing inside them their approach and expression of things differ. But in the last scene, Atsumu and Osamu gave their all and really synced 100% perfectly.

Mamo adds that the first and last quick had the same lines, but the tension was very different and he really liked the juxtaposition. As the actors they were also carried away and really let their voices go all out in the last one, and he even thinks that Kabu and him synced perfectly that their voices sounded very alike.

On the other hand, the Karasuno members were also asked for their opinion.

Kaito: Aahhh, no matter how many times I watch it, it’s really amazing. And because it’s the quick attack that we’ve been doing ever since, I still feel irritated, like *points at his face* this area below my eye really twitches unconsciously. That’s our attack! Don’t do it!

Ayu agrees and says that he really likes that last rotation in the game, that if it weren’t for that rotation, if it weren’t Kageyama and Hinata there, Karasuno would not have been able to block that attack. As he also shared in the Jump Festa last time, it’s theirs and they’re the ones who knew it the most so it’s only perfect that they were the ones who were able to stop that.

The next scene shown was the one Kaito picked which turned out to be unexpected to everyone - Atsumu’s happy scenes compilation.

Kaito explains that they might think that he’s just fooling around, but he actually has a serious reason for choosing this. Kageyama and Atsumu are both setters with similar personalities, they love volleyball, and are very straightforward to their dreams. And while he does like Kageyama’s demeanor, he admires Atsumu’s attitude towards volleyball so much.

Kaito: “I’m having so much fun right now!!” The way Atsumu expresses that, as a human I want to work and live a life like Atsumu who enjoys doing what he loves so much, and is able to openly express it to the world. Atsumu’s way of playing volleyball, those smiles, the voice that holds all the experiences he’s had - i REALLY like them.

Mamo was glad and grateful with the compliment and agrees, sharing that sometimes at the end of a hard day’s work he’s also like Atsumu who’d go tell himself, “Ah! Ain’t today’s me so amazing?!”

He says that Atsumu is so carefree and thinks that there’s nothing wrong with expressing how he feels at the moment, especially when he’s strong because he’s doing his best everytime. It’s the result of his efforts and he takes pride in it. That is why he can express that smile that loves volleyball very much.

The last scene was the one NojiKen selected - Kita’s “Aren’t my teammates amazing?” scene (starting from the “I don’t have any regrets” line).

While watching the VTR,

NojiKen: Ah, I’m gonna cry..

Mamo: This scene would really make you cry… I did cry during the recording.

Kabu: Aran-kuuunnn T.T

NojiKen: It’s very admirable.. Ah, I really wanted them to win..

Mamo: Ahhhh... He’s the best captain...

NojiKen shared that he was torn between choosing this scene or the scene when Kita got his uniform. During the recording the seiyuus, just like the Inarizaki team, fought with their all, only thinking about victory despite them knowing the end result.

So when the team lost, he really felt so frustrated and if it was him, he’d really want to shout and cry. But Kita-san doesn’t have any regrets, and his choice of words here showing the maturity of his heart really struck him.

NojiKen: Kita-san wasn’t crying in the scene, so during the recording I shouldn’t cry too. But after that, I did cry a lot. I think that in the corners of Kita-san’s heart he was really frustrated but hid it, and when he was left alone, he probably shed tears, too.

Mamo: Ahh, what a really nice talk this is..

NojiKen: So frustrating..

Zakki: I really wanted us to win..

For the next corner, the seiyuus were asked (beforehand) to

describe the Karasuno team and the Inarizaki team in one word.

Their answers were compiled and due to the short time allotted for discussion, only a few answers were discussed.

NojiKen: Karasuno = Turkish ice cream

They’re like that ice cream that unbelievably stretches a lot which he likens to Karasuno growing and improving consistently physically and mentally. Moreover, when you buy the ice cream, the vendor usually won’t hand it to you right away and you’d keep chasing for it, and just like that, Karasuno is a team that isn't easily “captured” by their opponents.

Zakki: Karasuno = Sticky sticky love volleyball (they were laughing at Zakki’s lack of vocabulary)

Zakki also defended his answer that well, Karasuno is sticky and stretches out too that no matter how far the opponents go they will stick to them persistently. And because they are sticky, no matter how much they stretch out they won’t get cut easily amidst difficult situations, remaining connected. And because they love volleyball, they don’t stretch out in pain, but happily.

Inarizaki = Go go go head-on love volleyball

Inarizaki has overflowing spirits and potential and they always go for any challenge, almost without limits. He thinks that if Kita-san wasn’t there to steady the hold they’d go flying too much and even collapse somewhere. And of course since they all share that love for volleyball, despite the differences they are able to face everything head-on.

Kaito, to Zakki: You’re saying something so good but because of the word choice it gets negated!

Mamo: Karasuno = comrades; Inarizaki = family

Inarizaki gives off a strong family vibe not only because the twins are literally brothers, but because of the role of each member like one is a responsible parent (Kita), an older brother (Aran), an inexpressive cheeky little brother (Osamu/Suna?), etc, and he likes it. Whereas Karasuno are more like comrades in arms fighting together.

Ayu: Inarizaki = Despair

This team has a lot of potential and it’s as if they don’t have any weaknesses. They can stop the good momentum of the opponent to get back on track, and when the momentum is on their side they also have Kita-san who can prolong that despair. He says that when he first read them in the manga, he was like “it’s impossible to beat them!”

Kaito: Inarizaki = Growth period

Inarizaki is always ever-growing all the while they're having fun, and that road to “ripening” is unstoppable, making this team a formidable opponent.

The next corner featured fortune-telling by a tarot card reader named A.M., which was then revealed to be Ayumu Murase. In private life, he revealed that he enjoys tarot card reading and does it almost everyday. He drew the cards of the other seiyuus beforehand to determine their luck in “battles” this year.

Since this corner isn’t about Haikyuu, I won’t report it in detail.

Basically they were ranked based on their luck, and Ayu explained the readings for each one of them.

Kabu

Mamo

NojiKen

Zakki

Kaito

Since Kaito ranked the lowest, he was given a lucky item - a golden volleyball.

New Year Postcard Pick up Corner

After that, they proceeded to the New Year Postcard Pick up Corner, where cards sent from fans were displayed on a board. This was led by Ayu and Kaito and two cards were picked which contained greetings and questions from the senders.

1st card - Share a moment when you felt like you got hooked on your job again (just like Haikyuu characters did to volleyball).

Ayu and Kaito both answered that it was getting to work in Haikyuu. Kaito expounds that Haikyuu reflects real life as they don’t always win, despite being the main characters. They continue to grow as actors too, and when they get to meet one another in the next seasons they all get to enjoy the new battles they face together.

2nd card - What do you think is Kageyama’s weakness?

Kaito thinks that Kageyama may be seen as strong but he’s not a perfect setter and is continuously supported by the people around him.

Meanwhile, Ayu thinks that as a setter Kageyama may be seen as smart who is good in studies as well, but then the fact that he’s actually just on the same level as Hinata in studying, is cute.

M-1/K-1/S-1/H-1 GranPri

The event then proceeds to the “Grand Prix” program, where three selected scene cuts (VTRs) for each character are shown. Each seiyuu would vote which scene they think represents the character best. After the initial voting, they’d engage in a discussion stating the reason for their choice (though because of time restriction not everyone can speak) where they can persuade others to change their votes. After that they make a final vote.

Miya-1 GranPri: Osamu

Scene 1: from Ep16

Scene 2: from Ep21

Scene 3: from Ep22

Initial Votes:

Zakki

Mamo, Kabu, Ayu

Kaito, NojiKen

Discussion: Kabu remembers that he wondered about how Osamu would talk in this scene, as he’s frustrated but chose to say such words. He talked to Mamo about it and since Mamo/Atsumu would strongly say his lines, Kabu/Osamu also settled to assert his point with more conviction (”Let me finish what I’m saying!”).

Since Kabu discussed his experience that way, other seiyuus were easily convinced to change their answer to 2. Though NojiKen states that his favorite number is 3 that’s why he voted for 3. (So yeah, this didn’t turn into a discussion at all lol)

Final votes: 2 - everyone

Miya-1 GranPri: Atsumu

Scene 1: from Ep4 

Scene 2: from Ep21

Scene 3: from Ep24

Initial Votes:

Kaito, Kabu

Mamo, Zakki, Ayu

NojiKen

Discussion: Kaito had a hard time choosing but ended up voting for 1. He says that scene 1 definitely gave a strong first impression of Atsumu. He got disappointed in Kageyama because he didn’t get thrilled on his by the book’s way of playing volleyball. Mamo adds that when they recorded this Atsumu really appeared as a strong, mysterious senpai character, and Kaito who watched it, honestly said that he’s scary. Kaito adds that there is more impact because he was on the receiving end of those words.

Everyone was a bit silent and looked like they got convinced of Kaito's answer, but Zakki begged to differ. He says that because of scene 1 being scary, people would wonder what kind of person Atsumu is, and once they see scene 2 they’d understand where he is coming from. They’d see that Atsumu is a very earnest person who goes straight forward to what he wants and has to do. In an instant, all of Atsumu’s appeal/charm as a person, as a player is shown.

Zakki: Won’t everyone begin to like Atsumu because of this scene?

NojiKen was about to defend his answer, apparently he has a proper reason this time for voting 3, but the time limit bell rang before he had the chance to do so.

Final Votes: 2 - Zakki, NojiKen, 1 - the rest

Kage-1 GranPri

Scene 1: from Ep7

Scene 2: from Ep19 (Kalm Kageyama)

Scene 3: from Ep24 (Setter Dump)

Initial Votes:

Kaito

Ayu

Mamo, Kabu, NojiKen, Zakki

Discussion: NojiKen says that scene 3 exhibited Kageyama’s sharp intellect as a setter that thoroughly thinks about the strategy. Kabu adds that with this, he thinks Kageyama was able to get even with Atsumu from the goody two-shoes remark.

Ayu thinks that scene 3 was indeed impactful on the opponent side (that’s why all Inarizaki voted for it), but for a teammate the presence of a ‘Kalm Kageyama’ is impressive as it shows a different side of him when playing so he went for 2.

Kaito finds scene 1 a very important turning point for Kageyama as Hinata makes him a king. A king is someone who can’t exist without his own people, so a king only becomes one because he is chosen. Up to now Kageyama has been nothing but a lonely king, so that act from Hinata for the first time ever officially made him the King of the Court. And from that, scene 2 is born showing a King, and then scene 3 shows that this King can also act like this.

Final Votes: 2 - Kaito, 1 - the rest

It was a surprise that after everything Kaito said, he ended up the one changing his answer but he didn’t give any explanation about it.

Suna-1 GranPri

Scene 1: from Ep19

Scene 2: from Ep19 (the old man discussing Suna’s ability)

Scene 3: from Ep20 (Suna wanting to find Kita’s weakness)

Initial Votes:

Mamo, Kabu, Ayu

Kaito

Zakki, NojiKen

Discussion: 

Mamo: 3 is Kita-san’s scene!

Zakki: And 2 is the old man’s scene!

Kaito defends 2 saying that core training is very hard and he looks up to Suna for being able to master that. But when he thought about 1 again, he says that 1 is indeed a good scene and considers changing his answer right then lol. Meanwhile, NojiKen actually wanted to choose 1 but Kita-san was in scene 3 so he voted for that.

Mamo: Well, that was Kita-san’s cute scene after all!

Zakki was about to explain about 1 but was cut by the time limit bell.

Final Votes: 4 - Zakki, 1 - the rest

Zakki explained that he likes 1 but the scene he liked the most was the exchange when Tsukki got back on Suna, so he chose 4. Mamo agrees and teases the staff that they should have chosen to put that scene in the selection instead.

Kita-1 GranPri

Scene 1: from Ep20 (scene cut starts from Aran and Kita going home until this “chanto yannen” scene)

Scene 2: from Ep20 (Kita analyzing the 2nd years one by one)

Scene 3: from Ep24 (“I’m a human invited to a monster’s ball.”)

Initial Votes:

1 - Mamo, Kabu, Zakki, Ayu, Kaito

3 - NojiKen

Discussion: NojiKen continues fooling around by choosing 3 even if he actually likes 1. Mamo says that he actually likes the scene before 1, the moment when Kita-san got his uniform and proceeds to tease the staff again to put that scene instead. But Kabu says that he likes that going home scene, surprised that Kita-san can laugh like that and Aran was also cute for getting confused at what Kita-san was talking about. Kaito adds that scene 1 also shows us the level of friendship that Kita-san and Aran have. Kita-san laughed but Aran didn’t look surprised, meaning that he has seen it before - Aran knows Kita-san’s smile.

Final Votes: 1 - everyone

Hina-1 GranPri

Scene 1: from Ep1 

Scene 2: from Ep13

Scene 3: from Ep24

Initial Votes:

1 - Mamo, Kaito

3 - Kabu, NojiKen, Zakki, Ayu

Discussion: Kaito was very hesitant in making a decision again but ended up with 1. Ayu starts the discussion saying that 1 and 2 are indeed very Hinata-like, but 3 left a big impression on him, seeing Hinata become someone who is able to give his teammates a moment to breathe in the middle of a game, showing how much he has grown. He was deeply moved when he read it in the manga and when he watched it in the anime again.

For a moment Kaito wanted to change his answer to 3, but then explains that 1 is the very starting line of To the Top. Because of that, not only Hinata but Karasuno was able to face and fight Inarizaki like this. Mamo comments on a different note. He wasn’t in the studio during the recording of 1 but when he watched it again now, he felt impressed and realized how along with Hinata Shoyo, Murase Ayumu the seiyuu has also grown a lot. That one short scene makes Ayu’s development very clear, for being able to voice act like that. Ayu was so happy and grateful he immediately changed his answer to 1. 

Final Votes: 3 - Kabu, NojiKen, 1 - the rest

New Year Postcard Pick up Corner 2

After the Granpri, they went to the New Year Postcard Pick up Corner again, led this time by Mamo and Kabu.

Mamo: Hi! We are Hyogo’s Miya twins!

Mamo reads the 1st card though there was no question, it’s from a mother writing about his 6-yr old son who loves Haikyuu, particularly Atsumu. Mamo is glad and thinks that people of different ages really do watch Haikyuu. Kabu adds that it would be nice if this can actually inspire someone in the future to play volleyball.

Mamo: Yeah, like hearing someone say that because of Haikyuu they became a setter, or a professional player.

2nd card - Do you have anything that’s like Kita-san’s concept of “Repetitive, Methodical, Thorough”?

Kabu answers that this applies to his work as a stage actor where they keep doing the same things properly everyday for months.

New year’s Play-offs

The next games that followed were more related to New Year but less of Haikyuu so I won’t be reporting them in detail too (also because it’s probably only funny if you get to watch them playing the game). The seiyuus were divided into two: Team Atsumu with Mamo, Zakki, Ayu, and Team Tobio with Kaito, Kabu, and NojiKen.

Game 1 - Guess the Situation of the First Dream: Sleep Talk Nuance Quiz

Mechanics: One of the members will sleep talk using a random line from the anime. There are four situations given where the line can possibly be used, and out of the four the other members will guess what kind of dream their teammate had. 

This game was played 4 times, with 2 turns for each team. Both teams won once.

Game 2 - Two-attack First Drawing

Mechanics: One member has to guess the word that his two other teammates will draw together. The challenge is that they can only draw using one pen stroke or without lifting their pen.

Each team only got one turn, and both didn’t get the correct answer.

With the two teams ending up in a tie, they were both declared winners and the prize is... Kita House’s Ozouni! A Hyogo-style ozouni was prepared for them. NojiKen led the serving of the food.

NojiKen: You have to do cooking properly, too. (“Oryouri mo, chanto yannen”)

The event now comes to a close. The seiyuus say their

last message to the fans.

Zakki: I hope it was made clear that this is how fun the atmosphere is during recordings. I really love Inarizaki and the Haikyuu team. I will continue to hope that there will be more chances to spend time with everyone again. Please continue supporting Haikyuu from now on too!

NojiKen: Due to the pandemic situation, voice recordings were taken separately, but still this kind of teamwork was born. During these hard times, please watch/rewatch Haikyuu a lot of times and exercise your hearts and mind. Thank you!

Kabu: I have been invited to participate in a lot of Haikyuu events since last year and then for the first time these 4 Inarizaki members have gathered, and I really had a good time. I hope you all enjoyed it too. Looking forward to your support.

Mamo: I’m really glad that I can experience youth again at my age through Haikyuu. With the current situation where the norm is no longer the usual, I’m really happy that we were able to finish and present this Inarizaki match to you, thanks to the efforts of all the staff who have carefully considered how we can work best while taking the necessary health precautions. From here on too, we will continue to bring entertainment to the fans like usual, and I’m hoping that we can work again and act for the future stories too of Haikyuu.

Kaito: Did you have fun watching, everyone?

*answers himself acting as a viewer* Yes! We had fun! Thank you!

Thank you for all your comments! It’s been more than a year since we started working for Haikyuu To the Top and despite all the difficulties brought about by outside influences (particularly the pandemic), I’m really happy that we are here now and were able to say, “That was fun!” with everyone. Let’s keep the flame burning for Haikyuu!

Ayu: As what everyone has also mentioned, the current situation has made me realize more the value of each and every episode we created. Precisely because the normal everyday things have ceased to become normal, being part of a work that can touch people’s hearts when they watch it and make them appreciate volleyball more, makes me feel really proud. I’m really grateful to the staff. Hinata and everyone’s path will still continue from now on and I really hope we can continue to work with this team until the end.

After their goodbyes, NojiKen was tasked to lead the last greeting as the captain of Inarizaki, which is the main in this event.

NojiKen: Thank you everyone for watching us ‘til the end. Thank you!

All together: Thank you!!!! *cute bye bye waves*

Photos/Posts from Official Accounts

And that’s it!! It was a fun fun fun 2.5 hrs event! I’m really glad that despite the current pandemic situation we can still have seiyuu events like this.

I just want to say that I’ve been watching Haikyuu all these years, but unexpectedly, the Inarizaki match is the moment I felt that I got hooked on Haikyuu *cries*

I just really really LOVE Kita-san soooo much, and the Miya twins T.T !!!!

I’m no longer active on tumblr nowadays, so may follow me on twitter instead @harukaja15

Though for long reports like this, tumblr is really perfect :)

For similar Japan-based original posts, you may follow me or track the #my original content tag on my blog.

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu #seiyuu #miyano mamoru #miya atsumu #shimazaki nobunaga #kabumoto hideaki #nojima kenji #ishikawa kaito #murase ayumu #miya osamu #kita shinsuke #suna rintarou #kageyama tobio #hinata shoyo #inarizaki #karasuno #seiyuu event #my original content

[tchallasbabymama]

M’Baku’s Love-Chapter 1

Hey y’all, sooooo this is inspired by Sylvie’s Love. It was such a sweet movie that made me feel all the feels, so I felt the need to write a love story for our Thicc Kang. Seriously, go watch it on Prime if you can. Let me know what y’all think, and check out my masterlist if you haven’t already! I have a few one shots and a series for both our king and our prince. 

This one’s on the shorter side, but enjoy!

Word count: 2992

When M’Baku integrated the Jabari into the rest of Wakandan society he had some concerns about there being some cultural friction. Having been separated for centuries, M’Baku assumed his people would have a hard time with adjusting to the new union, but as it turned out he didn't have to worry. Above all, he was worried about lowland Wakandans possibly subjecting his people to their prejudices, but it turned out that they have a pretty similar society to the Jabari and they meld really well. The different tribes of Wakanda all live in their separate provinces and have their own ways of living just like the Jabari, the only difference being that they interacted with the larger community that included the rest of Wakanda as well. 

The chief’s misconceptions and prejudices about the other Wakandans were soon wiped out and replaced with a love of his country. The whole of it, as opposed to just his domain. He even began to enjoy his trips to the city, still finding the advancements unnecessary but amazing nonetheless. Over time, he grew curious of the outside world after befriending Prince N’Jadaka. The prince would regale him with horror stories of life on the outside, some were personal others were from around the diaspora. 

However, M’Baku still couldn't understand the outside world, so King T’Challa decided  it would be best if he get to experience it for a while. At first, he was against it. Why would he want to experience such a horrible place? After much effort, T’Challa was able to convince him to spend three months in Oakland at the Outreach Center. At first, M’Baku thought the time span was excessive. He was Chief of the Jabari and had important duties to attend to, after all, he couldn’t just go galavanting halfway across the world just because he couldn’t grasp the concept of white supremacy. 

M’Baku made his way through the hallways of the royal palace and when he arrived at the large ornate door to the king’s office, the guards saluted him before parting and letting him pass. He raised his fist to knock when T’Challa spoke up from inside.

“Enter.”

M’Baku cautiously opened the door and looked at the king with confusion written all over his chiseled face.

“How did you-”

“The heart shaped herb gives me enhanced hearing among many other things. Come, sit down. How has the tour been so far?”

In addition to his time in the outside world, M’Baku had chosen to learn more about the tribes of Wakanda. He had spent one weekend a month with a different tribe to understand their way of life. He only just started but so far the river tribe was in the running for second favorite.

“It is going well, umhlobo wam. You all are not too different from Jabari, aside from the frivolous gadgets.”

T’Challa smiled at his stubborn friend’s unwillingness to accept their technology. Getting him to wear Kimoyo beads was harder than bathing a cat, but he eventually came around but only for communication purposes. Some Jabari, especially the younger ones took right to it, but most were still living their traditional lives. 

“I noticed the same thing when I stayed with you...the second time, clearly.” 

The two chuckled at the now fond memory of the king almost dying at the hands of his newly beloved cousin. 

“Clearly. So have you decided on a departure date yet?”

“Yes, I will be leaving with you and staying for about a week to check on the centers myself and help you acclimate. Obviously N’Jadaka will be there as well but I figured you’d want someone with you that’s a little more…”

“Level headed?”

“N-, well, yes, but also no. He is doing well at the Center, but he is still...himself.”

The prince was a wildcard. One you want to have in your hand, but a wildcard nonetheless. M'Baku  needed someone with a slightly longer fuse and a calmer disposition to show him around. 

“Well I would not have it any other way, he is quite entertaining at times.”

A grin creeped up the king’s face as he thought of how his cousin’s progress had allowed for the parts of personality that aren’t rooted in anger to shine through. 

“I agree. So, since I’ll be accompanying you we have to leave tomorrow.”

“I will alert my council.”

——————

The heat in California was marginally better than Wakanda, but still too high for M’Baku’s liking. He would have preferred to visit in the middle of their winter when the temperatures were milder, but anything over 60 degrees felt like a sauna to him. He also wasn’t used to having so much unprotected skin showing, but the weather called for his arms and legs to be free from fabric. His size and physique made him hyper visible and he noticed several of the volunteers doing double-takes as he and T’Challa walked through the halls of the Wakandan Outreach Center. He knew some of the attention was because the king didn’t visit often, but when he would catch eyes lingering on him he’d smirk and keep on moving.

T’Challa took him on a tour of the Center that ended with N’Jobu’s memorial in room 1401, which was preserved like a museum exhibit. The room stood as a reminder of Wakanda’s dark past, and a promise to never repeat it. M’Baku walked around the memorial, silently paying his respects to the murdered Wakandan prince and taking in the scene. The small plaques around the room gave visitors information about Prince N’Jobu, his family, his mission, and his death.  

“Why did you go with these instead of virtual pages? Or whatever they are called...” M’Baku asked.

“Holograms. I felt it would take away from the feeling of heaviness this room invokes on you when you enter. This memorial needs to be both seen and felt for it to be effective.”

M’Baku nodded slowly, eyes still roaming around the room.

“Come, my friend,” T’Challa clapped him on the shoulder. “You will have plenty of time to come back here if you wish. For now, let me show you to your office.”

“Office?” The two walked down yet another hallway and headed up to the top floor.

“Yes, you didn’t think this was a vacation did you?” The king chuckled.

“Well, no but I assumed it would be more study than work.”

“It is both. You will be our Jabari Ambassador while you are here. I would like for you to come up with a skillshare program that will allow for the kids here in Oakland to learn your ways. One of the purposes of our Outreach Center is to bring about cultural understanding between us and our diaspora siblings, who we are now referring to as the Lost Tribe at the prince’s request. For now, we just have Oakland but eventually I plan to expand the program. Shuri is over the STEM program, Nakia handles social outreach, and N’Jadaka keeps the whole thing running smoothly, and you will make sure the Jabari are represented in our curriculum.”

“It would be my honor to bring Jabari ways to the Lost children.”

“I’m glad, now here is your office,” T’Challa pointed to a corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the bay. “It is not a throne room, but it is quite nice.”

The king then took the time to show him the basic technology he would need to use and some of the more advanced technology at his disposal he knew he would probably never touch.

“You will have plenty of time to settle in tomorrow, for now I will show you your apartment,” T’Challa led the way back through the center and out to the car which took them about 10 minutes away to an apartment building. 

“Our buildings are much more impressive,” M’Baku remarked.. It warmed T’Challa’s heart to hear his friend refer to Wakanda proudly instead of just his own corner of the country, and he let out a chuckle. Things really can change…

“I completely agree, my friend.”

The apartment turned out to be a loft that was the perfect size for the large Jabari Chief. The high ceilings, the open space, the floor to ceiling windows, the exposed brick...M’Baku actually liked it. 

“Worthy of a chief?” T’Challa asked.

“That it is,” M’Baku said, walking around and taking in the space. The restaurant style kitchen was fully stocked with all his vegetarian favorites and some soon to be new favorites as well. He picked up a square package and stared at it in confusion, never having seen the meat-substitute before. “What is this to-fu?”

“It’s a very popular protein source made from soybeans.”

M’Baku nodded then moved to the living space, surprised to see a television, but the king explained he would need to stay up on current events, or maybe even watch a movie every now and then.

When T’Challa showed him the thermostat, he was so ecstatic he immediately put it on the lowest setting.

“I should leave before you freeze me out. If you need anything I’m just a kimoyo bead aw-,” T’Challa cut himself off when another, more important thought occurred to him. “Oh, I forgot to mention you’ll be getting an assistant. I sent three files to your beads, take a look and hire whichever one fits you best”

“Thank you, brother.” The two shook hands and saluted each other before the king left to give M’Baku his space. 

The chief admired the Jabari wood furniture and the furs on the couch, plopping down to try to figure out how to work the television. After some time, he found a news station and only lasted about 5 minutes before he needed to turn it off. Instead, he accidentally switched to a thing called HBO Max and clicked on a show where the main character looked familiar somehow.

“In West Philadelphia, born and raised,” the theme song played over and over and over as M’Baku binged his first tv show, laughing the whole way.

A few hours passed and he was brought back from tv land by a rumble in his stomach. Not in the mood to cook, he decided to explore the neighborhood and look for food instead. 

After just a few minutes M’Baku came to a stop in front of a place called Cafe V. He stopped to take a look at the menu in the window when he felt a small, or regular sized, person bump into his side. His eyes travelled down to see who would dare shove Lord M’Baku, Chief of the Jabari, when his eyes landed on a caramel-complected goddess with a bright teal fade. His face immediately softened as she stammered through an apology.

“I-I am so s-sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I got a text and, it doesn’t matter, are you ok?”

He struggled to find the words.

“Yes, are you? That was quite the impact.”

She was surprised by his kindness and gave him a smile.

“It was, wasn’t it?” The two shared a quick laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m running late to meet a friend...literally.” 

“Well I would not want to keep you, but please be mindful of your surroundings. I am sure everyone is not as nice as I am.”

“That’s for sure. Oh, and by the way,” she leaned in as if to tell him a secret. He leaned in to listen to whatever she had to tell him. “There’s a Black-owned vegan restaurant around the corner there.”

M’Baku’s eyes lit up, “Two things I love.”

“Black people and vegan food?” 

“Precisely,” a grin overtook his face and she couldn’t help but stare at his adorable gap. 

“Well I really have to go, nice meeting you stranger!” 

And with that, she was off before he could even get her name. The best he could do is hope she’d crash into him on the sidewalk again one day.

“I really hope she is more careful,” he said to himself as he rounded the corner to The V Spot.

——————

Monday morning, M’Baku arrived at the outreach center full of nervous energy. He had wanted to look nice for his first day, but his tunic felt like it was cutting off his circulation the closer he got to the building. When he finally arrived in his office, he found it full of royals. 

“Nigga you look uncomfortable as hell in that,” N’Jadaka was, naturally, the first to call out the obvious. Thankfully, the Queen came to his rescue.

“Stop it Daka, you’d look uncomfortable in Jabari attire,” Nakia said as she undid his top button. “There. Better?”

“Much. I did not want to ruin the look.”

“Turning blue ruins the look, genius,” Princess Shuri chimed in. 

“Sister, he wasn’t blue...yet. If we hadn’t gotten here when we did the Jabari would’ve been out a Chief,” the king added. 

“Ha. You all are very funny. Are you done?”

“We’re just fucking with you, man. How you liking the loft?”

“It is wonderful. I am almost embarrassed to say I have watched the television for several hours. Have you ever seen the Fresh Prince of Bel Air? It is hilarious!”

“Aw hell yeah, that’s like thee funniest show hands down. You know what? While you’re here, I’m introducing you to alllllll the Black entertainment. You’re gonna love it, niggas stay laughing at something.”  

“Speaking of, I thought… that word-“

“You can say nigga. You’re a nigga too, my nigga.” 

T’Challa leaned over to M’Baku, “It is an adjustment, but the reclaiming of slurs can be a powerful thing for oppressed peoples. And it’s just so versatile.”

“What an interesting language…”

“Are we teaching an English class or are we meeting about curriculum…?” Shuri asked impatiently before her brother pinched her arm.

“Ouch! I’m telling mother.”

“Go ahead, I’ll tell her you’ve been sneaking out at night to hang with your little friends.”

Shuri shot her cousin a deadly glare, making him put his hands up in surrender.

“I didn’t say shit. He’s a walking lie-detector, I don’t know what to tell you.”

Nakia and M’Baku snickered at the situation they had no part in. Nakia, because she knew her husband had known for quite some time and would never snitch on his baby sister, but always had Dora following her at a safe distance. M’Baku enjoyed the moment because he and the Princess had a love-hate relationship and seeing her in “trouble” tickled him. 

The moment passed and the five of them moved to a conference room to discuss the upcoming summer. Shuri advocated for a nanobots workshop on weekends and Nakia laid out her plans for summer programs. The king and prince listened closely and N’Jadaka gave his input here and there. T’Challa mostly nodded along, as this was more so his cousin’s job than his. He just signs the checks. 

“...and Monaé just hired three new dance instructors because our classes are so popular with the community. She’ll discuss it in the Department Head meeting later-“

“Is that not what this is?” M’Baku asked, genuinely confused.

“If anything this is more of an executive meeting. We each oversee our departments, but have help running them. That’s who we will meet with in about 15 minutes.” Nakia responded, checking her beads for the time.

The executives finished their meeting just as other people started to roll in. Kitchen staff brought up some breakfast for everyone, and as soon as M’Baku stood to grab a bagel his knees nearly buckled. There she was, Miss In A Hurry herself. He tried to play it cool and keep his smile under wraps, but when she caught sight of the blinding whiteness from the other side of the room she recognized him immediately and waved. 

“Friend of yours…?” T’Challa asked quietly with a raised brow. The man had only been here 24 hours…

“She ran into me on the street the other day and recommended an amazing restaurant. I should go say thank you…”

“Yes you should...why aren’t you?”

“I-“

“Mhm,” T’Challa said before turning to the rest of the attendees. “Everyone, please welcome Lord M’Baku, Chief of the Jabari. He will be here the next three months integrating Jabari culture into our curriculum. As many of you know, the Jabari-“

M’Baku tuned T’Challa out, staring instead at the girl with the teal fade. The look on her face when the king introduced him made him want to go hold her. It was painstakingly obvious that she was embarrassed to have almost run over royalty. 

“-until we started the integration process a year ago. Now, Lord M’Baku you may have the floor.”

M’Baku cleared his throat and shook himself from his daydream. 

“Uh, hello. I am sure it will be a pleasure to work here with you all. I would like to meet with each department head at some point this week to discuss how to make your programs more inclusive of Jabari customs. We can start scheduling those after we are finished here.”

The meeting went on for about an hour with M’Baku and the department heads furiously taking notes. M’Baku was pleasantly surprised that he wasn’t the only one using a physical notepad and pen. He looked to the stranger from earlier and noticed her bright notebook with a multicolored neon leopard cub in the middle. The name on the side read “Lisa Frank”, but he wasn’t sure if that was her name or the artist. She used several different colored pens to take her notes, and the red cat eye glasses he didn’t see on her face the other day kept slipping down her nose. She was a colorful one, that was for sure.

By the time the meeting ended he still hadn’t caught her name, but he knew she was head of the Arts department and that he would meet with her the next day. He could wait until then.

Next Chapter

#cecewritessometimes #black panther fic #sylvie's love #m'baku #m'baku x oc #black!oc #thicc king

[mydriases]

Leona, Riddle and Vil with a painter s/o + unique magic

Anon asked: If it's okay I'd like to request headcanons for Leona Vil and Riddle where their artistic s/o asks if she can paint a portrait of them and it comes out wonderfully, showing beautiful details highlighting their best features not to mention in the painting it seems as if you could walkt into the painting (bonus points if her magic brings people into the painting if they touch it) have a good one

Don’t touch the paintings, kids.

Leona Kingscholar

It is a difficult thing to have leona stay still for a while, so it was a surprise for you when he agreed to be your model

You didn't expect him to fall asleep, though. Of course, you knew he had this rather useful ability to fall asleep at the speed of light but still

Anyway you could see the details of his face so it was fine for you

When you finished the paiting because your talent is to paint at the speed of light, you woke him up and of course he asked you to see the result

You said no because the beauty of the painting is in the details and your work was far from over.

The next day, you had covered the dry paint with a light veil so as to reveal it in a dramatic gesture at Leona's sight.

He had never seen one of your painting before, some sketches scattered on your desk had sometimes entered his field of vision but he paid no mind. He knew you prefered to exhibit your best pieces only and he respected that.

The fact that he had no expectations greatly amplifield his astonishment when he saw what you had painted.

The colours complemented each other harmoniously, and he'd never looked more attractive, he wondered if that's how you saw him.

Proud boyfriendTM , you may not have seen it directly but he would be so impressed !

He patted you on the head and complimented you till you collapsed of embarrassment/till your ego mutltipled by three. Usually the praise was hidden behind some sort of teasing so it was there but not so bluntly said, you probably never felt more pround of your work than when he praised it.

And he hadn’t even seen the best part yet !

“Come closer, you can touch it if you want ! You know, to feel the details and all…”

You didn’t tell him exactly what was your unique magic, he knew it was linked to painting of course, but he never thought that it would transport him into the painting in itself !

He was in his room, the same he was just a moment ago. But he knew, when he looked at the orange tone of the sky, that this wasn’t reality.

“Sooo, what do you think about this ?” you chimed, and Leona noticed he wasn’t alone anymore.

“Not bad, amazing if I’m honest. How long are we going to stay here ?”

“We still have a lot of time, we can’t leave this room but... “

There was a knowing glance from Leona as he walked towards you. In this place where no one could know how to reach you, you linked you fingers to Leona’s and prayed that your magic will be able to stay stable for what was going to come.

Riddle Rosehearts

The trickiest thing was to find moments to paint him since he always had something to do as the dorm leader of Heartlabyul. Thanks to Trey though, one day you were able to steal Riddle away from his duties.

You could see in his facial expression the sheer pleasure of being your model. The head held high, the features of his face frozen as if not to confuse you with a sudden change of expression. Once again, you realized how beautiful your boyfriend was.

He seemed to feel that your look lingered a bit longer than usual as he glanced at you, but you were already working again.

“Riddle ?” you interrupted him in the evening while he was working “Do you want me to show you something awesome ?”

“I’d like to but following the rule num-”

You were already gone before he could use the same old sentence to justify a decline. You knew he’ll be curious since you usually followed the rules in order to not uspet him.

You made him play cat and mouse: disappearing at each end of the corridor so that he knew where you were going but didn't catch up with you.

Then, when he reached the room where your painting was hanging, you were not there anymore. A single note was left next to the painting : “Touch it”. He did what was told as his portrait smiled at him.

The room was replaced by what looked like the area where the Unbirthday parties are held. Scarlet roses were more numerous than usual, making any other color that dared to compete with it pale, bland even. In the center, the table where he always sat was prepared, the silver cutlery shining brighter than ever. He saw your figure sittting in his place, you invited him to come closer with a movement of your hand.

“I tried to put more emphasis on red than I usually do, because it matches with Heartslabyul, you know ? But I may have went a bit too far. Now, everything seems dull in comparison.”

He came next to you and sat in a nearby chair while observing the surroundings.

 “I don’t think so. It was a portrait of me in the first place, it’s normal the main color is red. If we think this way, the dull colors compliment well the painting. Good job.”

You thought that his remark was really similar to the ones he would tell you when he was grading your  homework. Encouraging as always.

“Someday, I’ll able to build bridges between my paintings. Imagine ! One day, even if I’m from the other side of the world, we could meet in a nice place like there. Till then, you can come here when you want to be assured to be tranquil. Put your portrait in your bedroom to have a fast escape from the world.”

“I thought my magic was powerful but your is another kind of power, love.”

He kissed your forehead and took your hand, leading you to the gate of the garden. He understood that even though years will pass, even though your talents in your art and in your magic will improve ; he’ll still go in this place. You might try to replace that portrait -you’d call hideous- with a better painting, but Riddle will always be more attached to the first one you offered him.

Vil Schoenheit

You never should have asked him, he’ll never come out of the bathroom again.

“Vil, love, please I just need to wash m-”

“No.”

If he was going to be immortalized in your art forever, he might as well dress up to the nines.

He wanted everything to be perfect. Choosing the scenery up to the lighting of the room so his complexion would be magnificient.

You had to interrupt him to let him know that you'd already chosen the place where you're were going to paint him. To your surprise, he directly accepted and let himself be guided to the place you had chosen.

You blushed at how cliché all of this was : a field of mauve flowers just for the two of you. That seemed really romantic in idea but now that you were actually there with Vil you found that it was a bit too much.

Is there really a too much with Vil though ? As he sat down on the chair you had prepared for him, his silvery voice let you know that this place was lovely.

Vil once told you that he’ll never lie to you. So maybe he didn't mean what he said, but he certainly didn't mind the decor. Alright, no need to fret, it’s time to work.

There are chances that Vil would not like what you thought while you were painting him : the truth is, you almost forgot how beautiful this man is. When you see the face of someone everyday, no matter that they’re beautiful or unsightly, their face just become a part of your everyday. You could still see the delicacy of Vil’s features but you were used to it.

You didn’t observe him before painting him. Sure he spent a long time in the bathroom, as usual, however it was now evident that he couldn’t have shortened his preparation.

Maybe it was useless to paint him since he was already looking like the masterpierce you studied to improve. You couldn't honor such a face. Vil would see what you did of his perfect features and stay silent, because he told you he’ll never lie.

Watching him as his gaze was lost in the distance, you despised yourself for thinking that painting a person for whom beauty was a priority would be a smart idea.

“Don’t worry, love. I know your skills and there’s a reason I accepted to be your model. No pressure, I’ll be proud of you no matter what.”

Before you fell in love with him, it always surprised you how gentle Vil could be. After you became friends, he would often speak with you of his admiration for the Queen. You understood with time that he wanted the Pomefiore students to make as much efforts as she did and that was why he had such a severe attitude.

“Thanks, Vil. I'll paint your portrait with the utmost care.”

He chuckled and no birds could have created a more melodious sound.

The day after, once the finishing touches were done, you led him to your room and showed him his portrait. He stayed silent for a long minute, his eyes traveling every inch of the painting, gauging colours and shadow. He looked up at you and you patiently waited for him to say something.

Finally, one of his hands came and put a lock of hair behind your ear as he whispered congralutations to you.

Of course, you went in the painting with him. The flower field was now immortalized forever in this place, the edge of the forest standing as the only boundary between reality and the two of you.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #riddle rosehearts #riddle rosehearts x reader #vil schoenheit #vil schoenheit x reader #I was distracted by she ra #and forgot to post this

[teanicolae]

Tender Run Through Memories: You are crazy, my child. You must go to Berlin (2018)

extracts from a Berlin travel guide i worked on during my first internship. i was spellbound by Berlin’s entrancing mix of rich culture & gritty club-scene. i fell in love with the city, bit by bit, and i spent one month reviewing its art, museums and vegan food. during my time there, David Bowie kept ringing in my ears, as it was one of his soul-cities 🌼 you got the width of my tongue name on the sun 🌷 velvet goldmine, you stroke me like the rain, snake it, take it, panther princess you must stay 🦋

Feature: Introduction to Berlin

Much has been written about Berlin’s blend of history, outstanding culture and infamous nightlife. Proclaimed the capital of cool, Berlin is where you can “go to all-night parties, attend a screening of an arthouse film and an anti-Trump demonstration within 24 hours”, as The Times noted. Some talk about Berlin’s fall from grace, wondering if the city’s growing popularity diminished its authenticity and turned the city into a growingly expensive tourist trap.

From Marlene Dietrich, who sang “I still keep a suitcase in Berlin” with a piercing longing, to the rebellious singer Iggy Pop, who called Berlin his home, many artists have voiced their love for Berlin.

“You are crazy, my child. You must go to Berlin” (Franz von Suppé)

Affordable, buzzing, wild and carefree, Berlin is a symbol for tolerance and open-mindedness. Unlike other metropolises in Europe, it’s a place where you can relax. Berliners do not rush. They take their time, basking in the sun with their low-cut T-shirts and heavily tattooed arms, flicking back their occasionally bright-coloured hair.

Nights in Berlin are freaky, intense and fiery. The club culture is exhilarating; anything goes. Berlin is a techno capital: notorious DJs, outrageous raves and 36-hour long parties. There are plenty of clubs to choose from, perhaps the most infamous being Berghain, which pays the same taxes as theatres and concert halls, as it is considered to produce work of cultural significance.

It’s magical to lose yourself in Berlin’s night scene, in the hazy beat of electronic music and in the half-clothed masses. There is a strong sense of acceptance. You are free to be yourself. You won’t be judged.

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“Berlin, the greatest cultural extravaganza that one could imagine” (David Bowie)

Berlin is a home to artists and a paradise to emerging creators, who come here to pursue their dreams. There are around 20,000 artists living and working in the city, lured by cheap rents, the city’s libertine energy and the massive studio spaces. The street art mirrors the city’s fantastic art scene.

Berlin is bursting with culture and history. It has 175 museums, even more than New York. It’s an open museum too: from the Berlin Wall to Checkpoint Charlie and to the Nazi book burning site at Babelplatz, Berlin’s unique history can be seen by foot.

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“Berlin is cheap, but sexy” (Klaus Wowereit)

Berlin is the cheapest capital city in Western Europe. While it is getting expensive, perhaps because of its touristy appeal, it is the perfect place for backpackers, artists and adventurers for now. You can get a cup of coffee for €2, a lunch for less than €10, a pint of beer for €2-4, a day travel pass for €6,50 and a decent double room in a hotel for €50 per night. What is more, some of the attractions of Berlin are free, such as East Side Gallery, Raw Tempel and Yaam Beach.

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Paris is always Paris and Berlin is never Berlin! (Jack Lang)

Nonetheless, Berlin is constantly changing, you never know what to expect. You need to experience it yourself.

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Reviews: Art, Beauty & Vegan Food

Beyond Compare: How African and European Sculptures Carve the Essence of Humanity

There are few exhibitions as fascinating as Bode Museum’s “Beyond Compare”. “Beyond Compare” brings together, compares and analyses the sculptural traditions of two continents by displaying, side by side, 70 African sculptures, along with renowned masterpieces from Byzantium, Italy and central Europe.

Despite their radical stylistic differences, it is interesting to observe how the artworks touch the same themes. They illustrate the frailty of the human experience, exploring subjects such as death, beauty, motherhood, power, spirituality and love. Cultures apart, humans seemed to be moved by the same matters; it is remarkable to see the dainty, gothic sculpture of Madonna, Virgin of Mercy, appear next to a seemingly raw sculpture which represents a power figure from Congo. The second sculpture looks quite crude next to the carefully-carved Madonna, but both were made with the intent to ask for protection, to invoke forces that are beyond the physical world.

In the exhibition’s first slide, it is noted that the works displayed were made by human beings, and not by “cultures”, “tribes”, “ethnic groups” or “nations”. It is important to keep this in mind while strolling through the museum, as this exhibition is not an objective comparison between two different cultures, but a soft reflection of human nature.

Address: Am Kupfergraben, 10117 Berlin. Closest stations: Friedrichstraße, Hackescher Markt; Bus TXL Staatsoper, Lustgarten, Friedrichstraße. Opening hours: Monday – closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00; Thursday: 10.00 – 20.00. Prices: 12,00 EUR, Reduced 6,00. Website: https://www.smb.museum/museen-und-einrichtungen/bode-museum/home.html Contact: Tel [phone]

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Enjoy the silence in Museum der Stille

Museum der Stille (“Museum of Silence”) is a unique invitation to embrace the silence in the middle of the lively district of Berlin Mitte. It’s a small, free and beautiful exhibition of paintings and architectural models that illustrate different stages of stillness. It is lovely, subtle and, above all, silent. In the middle of the museum, there is only one piercing painting of a woman who’s gazing through you, with a simple wooden bench in front it. The walls are a deep, warm red and the light is dimmed. The profound silence makes the experience sincere and intense; you are struck by a strong feeling of here and now. While at the beginning you might be put off by the awkwardness of hearing your feet clumsily shuffling through the museum, you will gently ease into the museum’s serenity, if you let yourself. For once, you do not have to rush. It’s enough just to take it all in.

Even after leaving the museum and walking back into broad daylight, the spell of silence is not broken. You might be finding yourself humming Depeche Mode and thinking that they were right, perhaps. It is enough just to enjoy the silence.

Address: Linienstraße 154A, 10115 Berlin Closest stations: Oranienburger Tor, Oranienburger Straße. Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 14:00 - 19:00 Prices: Free Website: http://museum-der-stille.de/de/ Contact: [email protected] Tel: [phone]

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CWC Gallery: exploring the modern and the contemporary

If you have a soft spot for art, but find most museums to be too sombre and a little old-fashioned, CWC Gallery might just be the place for you. “CWC” stands for “Camera Work Contemporary” and, as its name suggests, it focuses on contemporary and slightly modern positions found in photography, painting and sculpture. The gallery is in the heart of the bohemian Berlin-Mitte quarter and, while stylish and elegant, it isn’t pretentious and it has an easy-going vibe. It’s also completely free!

The first floor is a homage to the 1990s that recreates the dreamy allure of the era. Wandering around, you are charmed by goddesses of the ‘90s: photos of the iconic Iman, Gisele Bündchen, Uma Thurman and Halle Berry, all captured by Micheal Comte, are plastered on walls. Their half-smile and bouncy curls will leave you longing. You can soothe your temporary nostalgia by moving onto the next floors, where you can admire a beautifully curated and impressive exhibition of modern works of art, some of which display a striking social commentary.

In the same building, you can also find quite an interesting permanent exhibition about The Kennedys, which explores the political success and the private life of John F. Kennedy. The admission fee is 5€.

Address: Auguststraße 11–13, 10117 Berlin Closest stations: Oranienburger Tor, Oranienburger Straße. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 -18:00 Saturday 11:00 – 18:00. . Prices: Free. Website: https://camerawork.de/ Contact: [email protected] Tel [phone]

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Yoyo FoodWorld: the oldest vegan fast-food joint in Berlin

Yoyo FoodWorld is a hip fast-food joint on the Gärtnerstrasse 27 and the first and oldest vegan fast-food in Berlin.

For almost ten years, Yoyo hasn’t been your typical fast-food. Its atmosphere is similar to one of a quiet, cozy indie bar. Indoors, the light is slightly dimmed and there are photos of famous musicians and philosophers plastered on the restaurant’s walls, along with cult film posters that would make any film student swoon. Soft rock music plays in the background. The outdoor sitting is just as delightful, as the area surrounding the joint is lovely and inviting.

The food is cheap, fantastic and sure to satisfy your cravings, as the options are varied. They have 3,50€ burgers, 6,50€ pizza, 5€ wraps, 6€ schnitzels, 5€ seitan Currywursts, 3,80€ sea food and meatballs at the price of 8 for 3,20€. All the dishes are deliciously vegan and would work perfectly as comfort food or hangover food. It’s also the place to take your friends to convince them that vegan food is tasty.

Another highlight is the toilet, which is exceptionally cool. It’s filled with queer stickers, feminist and political statements, colourful graffiti and carefully scribbled love poems; ideal for a quirky Instagram post.

Address: Gärtnerstraße 27, 10245 Berlin Closest stations: Samariterstr., Frankfurter Tor, Warschauer Str. Opening hours: Monday- Thursday 12:00 - 23:00, Friday - Saturday 12:00 - 00:00, Sunday 12:00 - 23:00. Prices: € Website: http://www.yoyofoodworld-berlin.de/ Contact: [email protected]

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Get fettundbetrunken at the Chaostheorie

Chaostheorie is the first vegan cocktail bar in Germany. Their slogan is “fettundbetrunken”: “fat and drunk”, so expect to find a perfect mix of cheap comfort food and funky alcohol.

Onto the first part of their motto, “fat”: the food is fantastic. From a veganized traditional cuisine to more modern dishes, the highlights are juicy currywursts, enormous doner kebabs, fries with dripping dips, pulled mushroom burgers and thick cheese meatball sandwiches. To sweeten things up, the selection of house-made cakes is flavourful to say the least. The Oreo cake, smooth and crunchy at the same time, is a popular favourite. The soft drinks are also a dream: creamy milkshakes, Snickers, Manner or Oreo flavored, and rich freakshakes. You can settle for classic options, too: late macchiato, hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, coffee with caramelized milk and hot applesauce with cinnamon and vanilla soya milk.

Now, onto the second part of their motto…”drunk”! You can sip traditional cocktails or try out the bartender’s specials: experimental and refreshing mixtures such as Julep Blue, bourbon, blue curaçao, ginger ale and limette.

The place itself is cozy: dim light, soft indie music, shelves stacked with books and a lovely photobooth perfect for making memories.

Even if you’re looking for a quiet afternoon with good food or for a tipsy evening, in Chaostheorie you can find the things you thought you’d never enjoy again once you went vegan.

Address: Schliemannstraße 15, 10437 Berlin. Closest Stations: Prenzlauer Alle, Stargarder Str., Schönhauser Allee. Opening Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed: 17:00 – 22:00; Thu: 17:00 - 23:00; Fri: 17:00 - 01:00; Sat: 15:00 - 01:00; Sun: 15:00 - 22:00. Price range: € (under €10). Website: http://www.chaostheorie.berlin/ Contact: 030/548 907 34; [email protected].

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Challenge yourself at the Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art

The Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art is a remarkable contemporary art institution located in the Berlin’s picturesque district Mitte. The building is a sight itself and it has a sophisticated allure, tall and elegant. The outdoor café has a lovely Parisian appeal and it’s where the hip tattooed artists you might have seen on Tumblr sip their coffees in the afternoon.

The works of art exhibited in the Institute are complex. You can marvel at political activist art, video art, visual art or interactive art. They’re also controversial, with people either excitedly praising them or dismissing them as meaningless. The exhibitions are divided into rooms: in some rooms you might be deafened by booming nature sounds, while in others you might be asked to take off your shoes and wander into an empty, soundproof room, where you’d be faced with a gut-wrenching documentary about the condition of the modern black artist. However, you never know what to expect, as the exhibits change constantly. Nonetheless, the works of emerging young artists are unique and do not hold the reassurance of traditional art: they challenge you and shake you. They draw out a strong response, be it positive or negative.

Finally, even if you occasionally roll your eyes at modern art, you should give the KW Institute a chance. At least one of the works of art displayed might move you.

Address: Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin. Closest stations: Oranienburger Tor, Oranienburger Straße.  Price: 16€ general entrance, 10€ reduced. Opening hours: Monday: 11:00 – 19:00. Tuesday: Closed. Wednesday: 11:00-19:00. Thursday: 11:00-21:00. Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11:00 – 19:00. Website: https://www.kw-berlin.de/ Contact : [phone], [email protected].

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Be Here, Be Queer at the Schwules Museum

The Schwules Museum is the world’s first gay museum, originally opened in 1985. It exhibits the violent history and the injustices the LGBTQ community endured in the past, as well as Berlin’s current queer life.

Schwules is not your typical queer museum. If you expect it to be bustling with colour and rainbows, you might be taken aback. To an extent, it is exceptionally colourful, with cheeky illustrations of young gay couples kissing, soft porn photos and neon slogans about love. But a more serious tone is predominant. The permanent exhibitions also depict gay history milestones, such as the feminist revolution, the composition of the first feminist songs of the German movement or the protests of a working group of lesbian teachers. In the middle of the museum, there’s a memorial dedicated to the LGBT people who were killed in concentration camps. Their names are written in blood-red. You will also shudder upon entering the museum, where you can see a lengthy list of countries where homosexuality is currently considered a punishable crime.

It is important to go to the Schwules Museum because you will be reminded of how painful history is and how the free world we live in required sacrifices. And how, for some, the world still isn’t free.

It is not allowed to take pictures, which at first might be quite annoying, as your initial impulse might be to want to immortalize everything. However, this might help you take in all the information and carefully weigh what you’re seeing.

Finally, is important to go to the Schwules Museum because you will be reminded of how painful history is and how the free world we live in required sacrifices. And how, for some, the world still isn’t free.

Address: Lützowstraße 73, 10785 Berlin Closest Stations: U Nollendorfplatz, U Kurfürstenstraße, Lützowstraße / Potsdamer Straße, Lützowplatz. Opening hours: Monday: 14:00 – 18:00, Tuesday: Closed, Wednesday: 14:00 – 18:00, Thursday: 14:00 – 20:00, Friday: 14:00 -18:00, Saturday: 14:00 – 19:00, Sunday: 14:00 – 18:00. Price: € 7.50 regular, € 4 reduced. Website: https://www.schwulesmuseum.de/ Contact: 030 69599050

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Sun and wholesome food at The Bowl

The Bowl, self-proclaimed a “clean-eating restaurant”, is the perfect place for a cozy lunch with your friends or for a breakfast date with a book. They only use fresh, seasonal, healthy and gluten-free products. Everything is fully sustainable and vegan. They even use natural sugar! And, truthfully, the food is indeed full of flavour and it leaves you with a sense of freshness. They have a great variety of bowls: from rich breakfast bowls filled with sweet fruit, raw chocolate and creamy soy yoghurt to lavish plates with roasted vegetables, mashed avocado raw crackers, zucchini and smoked paprika.

The desserts are a treat, as well. The highlights are the lush vanilla almond cake, with coconut blossom sugar, raw chocolate and coconut strawberry and bananenbrot, with grilled banana, granola, warm strawberry sauce and raw chocolate.

While it is a bit pricey, 6,50 € for breakfast bowls and around 10 € for the lunch specials, the naturalness of the food, its filling base and vitamin-rich toppings make it all worth it.

The dishes are perfectly Instagrammable and the colourful variety of vegetables and legumes doesn’t even need a filter. While enjoying your wholesome food, you can bask in the sun in front of the large windows and observe the buzzing Warschauer Straße, with hazy, synth-pop music unfolding in the background.

What is more, on the ground floor of the same building where Bowl is, you can find Veganz, a plant-based supermarket with an impressively wide range of products, from cheese and ham slices to cashew cookies, ice cream and the finest chocolate cream.

Address: Warschauer Str. 33, 10243 Berlin Closest Stations: Warschauer Str. Opening hours: Monday: 10:30-23:00, Tuesday: 10:30–23:00, Wednesday: 10:30–23:00, Thursday: 10:30–23:00, Friday: 10:30–23:00, Saturday: 10:00–23:00, Sunday: 10:00-23:00. Price: €€ Website: http://www.the-bowl.de/ Contact: 030 29771447

#berlin #berlinart #travel #travel guide #travel writing #vegan food #art #bode museum #museums #culture

[shreddies-scribbles]

Hermitcraft Stardew Valley Au

hopefully no ones done this already hahah

i didnt get around to everyone oof maybe one day 

some background under da break 

-Background- -Concorp is the Joja of this AU -Most people have lived in hermit town most of their lives -The hermits are just one big happy family :,) -Most hermits are based off characters in the game but moved around to suit them more!

-Characters-

Mumbo -Local electrician -Extremely shy at first -As you get to know him he opens up and you see his giddy side!! -spent sometime in the city to try and make a name for himself,,, which didn’t really go to plan,, Relationships -Grian (best friends, when they’re not working they like to explore the woods!!He knows it’s one of grians favourite things to do and doesn’t want to let him go into the woods by himself, who knows what’s out there!) -Iskall (friend, helps mumbo when he’s experimenting with new circuits) -Xisuma (childhood friends, X is the one who convinced mumbo to move back from the city to the valley)

Grian -Works part time in concorp -Only recently moved to the valley to get away from his past in the city -Is friendly to everyone but only considers a few people his good friends, has some trust issues -loves exploring the valley, he likes the difference from the busy city life Relationships -Mumbo (best friends, had known mumbo from his short time in the city, when he moved to the valley he felt mumbo was the only one he could trust) -Iskall (friend, mumbo has introduced the two, immediately got along as if they’d known each other their whole lives) -Scar (met the wizard on one of his adventures in the woods and kept pestering him until the wizard finally broke and showed him some magic)

Iskall -owns the general store, Sahara (calls it his mega store of doom) -knows all the towns gossip from “overhearing” conversations on his shop -everyone considers him the heart of the town, he can put anyone in a good mood with that contagious laugh!! -Doesn’t like concorp... wants to get grian to work for him instead to get him outa that corporate chain!! Relationships -Stress (Best friends, whenever they’re together they light up the room with laughter and good times B^) Iskall likes to visit her ranch and see the animals) -Mumbo (admires mumbo for his amazing wiring skills, a little jealous of mumbo, he gets to have the job iskall always wanted, but he won’t let that get in the way of their friendship) -Grian (from the minute grian moved into the valley iskall knew he wanted to befriend him, his gut told him he wouldn’t want to be on grians bad side) -Ren (used to be really close but drifted overtime)

Stress -Owns the ranch -mostly produces dairy products but has some chickens too -she doesn’t like being on her own, so she likes to surround herself with friends as much as she can Relationships -Iskall (best friends) -Doc (roommates, she’s renting out a spare room to Doc, she can see past his icy cold exterior and knows that deep down he does care about his friends) -Cleo and False (being so few girls in the valley they all stick together, they meet up at the end of each week to gossip about the boys)

Doc -Works full time at Concorp, absolutely hates it -was studying to be a scientist in the city, but when and experiment went wrong causing him to lose an arm he lost all motivation -he wanted an escape from the shame the city brought him and seeked a new life in the valley -renting a room from stress but is rarely there, most of his days start at work then bring him to the saloon -he wants more from life but doesn’t know where to start relationships -Ren (Best friends, they always crossed paths in the mornings until eventually doc decided to introduce himself, the two hit it off and now see the other a brother) -Stress (Roommates, get on better than you’d expect! doc admires her strength and power too pull through the hard times and come out on the better side) -Beef (Friends, when you spend most of your days in the saloon you get to know the bartender pretty well lol) -Etho and False (he loves hearing their story’s from the mines, he’d love to join in but is too scared to put himself into danger considering what happens last time he tried something risky)

Ren -Aspiring actor, he likes to write short story’s and get his friends to act them out with him -Twin brothers with renbob -He’s a bit full of himself but aren’t all actors ;) -but all of his talk of making it big time in the city someday he is front, behind all the boasting is a lot of doubt in his skills and as he gets older the more he puts off moving to the city to start his career Relationships -Doc ( Best friends, doc is the only one rens ever shared his worry’s with, but doc always supports his acting career and encourages him to take that leap and follow his dreams) -Renbob (twin brother although they couldn’t be more opposite, ren loves city life, keeping up on trends and success while renbob is all about being one with nature and doesn’t care about his appearance or how people see him -Iskall (used to be really close but drifted overtime)

Renbob -Works in the saloon with Beef -all about that hippie life -not really a major character but he’s there!! :D relationships -Ren (twin brother) -Beef (Boss, but they get along great)

Bdubs -Carpenter!! need a house built?? you’ve come to the right guy -very bubbly and eXTREMELY outgoing -has a very strict sleep schedule which leads to strict working hours to ensure all his works done for the day -when he first moved to the valley he set out on building a huge house with lots of spare rooms to have guests over or to rent out Relationships -Cub (Roommate, cubs renting out a room to do research on the local flora and fauna, they won’t really talk much but bdubs admires his brains) -Keralis -Etho ( Ethos guilds club house is near to his home and since they were so near each other they became good friends)

Etho -Owns the miners guild -expert at monster fighting, he has the highest number of kills in the whole guild! (there’s only one other member... but let him have this!!) -keeps to himself most of the time but wishes he was closer to more people Relationships -False (guild mates, he admires falses skill with a sword, he thought her everything she knows) -Bdubs (he kept starting conversations whenever etho saw him so they become good friends, it took etho a while to get used to his bubbly personality) -Beef (they have a mutual respect from etho being a regular at the saloon after a day of fighting in the mines) -Doc (they aren’t that close but doc likes to listen to his story’s from the mines)

Beef -Owns the saloon -a jolly guy who’s friends with just about everyone, he knows his regulars more than some people who’d only be at the saloon after a long day -an amazing cook, prepares all the meals by himself Relationships -Etho -Doc -Renbob (employee)

Scar -the wizard who lives deep in the woods -extremely isolated but longs for more friends but he knows it’s a dangerous idea considering how his last friendship turned out -spends most of his days brewing up be potions or researching new spells Relationships -Grian (tried to keep his distance but grian kept pushing to learn some magic, scar gave in and thought him a transportation spell) -Cub (former friend, scar had to remove cub from his life when he was using him for research)

Cub -A scientist from the city researching what the valley has to offer -reports back to concorp unbeknownst to the others -knows what he’s doing is wrong... :( and wants to change but doesn’t know where to start Relationships -Scar (former friend, when scar found out what cub was up to he banished him from his tower, cub feels awful and wants to fix this) -Bdubs (roommate, renting a room from him in the mountains)

Xisuma -the mayor -gets sick easily, why he always wears a mask -loves his town and community and will do everything he can to keep everyone afloat -tends to distance himself from everyone so he can keep up his image Relationships -Mumbo (childhood friends) -Keralis (wishes he didn’t get that job at concorp...it’s been changing him :( )

Cleo -aspiring artist, preferred method of art is sculpture -lives in a cottage in the woods to get inspiration for her art -holds art exhibitions in the museum when she’s low on funds Relationships -Joe (best friends, with joe also working in the arts they love to brainstorm ideas together) -Stress and False (girl time B^> )

False -Works part time in sahara with iskall -spends most of her time in the miners guild club house or in the mines -etho recruited her to join the guild after seeing her in action down in the mines -someday soon she’s going to outrank etho in terms of monster kills but etho won’t admit that ;) Relationships -Etho (mentor, thought her how to fight properly and protect herself in the mines) -Cleo and Stress -Doc (they aren’t that close but have a mutual respect for each other, they sit together in the saloon most nights with etho)

Joe -aspiring poet -writes beautiful poetry but always doubts his skills and never published most of them -lives in a small hut on the beach, the seas always been a huge inspiration to him -has a pet dog, but the dog doesn’t have a name, he’s just waiting until the dog introduces himself Relationships -Cleo (best friends, an unlikely pair considering cleos outgoing nature but they just go perfectly together) -TFC (sometimes when joe goes to the mountain for some solitude he sits with tfc and listen to his story’s from his life, this has inspired quite a few poems)

thats all for now heheh, if any of that don’t make sense it’s cuz i wrote it at like 1 in the morning 😳

#hermitcraft #grian #mumbo jumbo #stardew valley #hermitcraft au #stardew valley au #docm77 #rendog #stressmonster #xisuma #bdoubleo100 #ethoslab #iskall85 #goodtimeswithscar #hermitcraft sdv au #my art