#yesterday I played among us with my siblings

[xdacted]

The art of sibling hood

Paring: sister!Reader & Charles Leclerc

Warnings: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort

Word Count: 3,815

Status: Complete

***Request made by reader***

Summer break offers us a sliver of peace. 

No teams are calling, no coaches screaming, no clients to take care of - there is nothing but family. For a few weeks out of the year, all we have is each other. I can’t ask for anything better. 

We all gather at our mother’s house, hiding away there with her. It’s nice, to all be under the same roof again, we haven’t been since Lorenzo first moved out. It only worsened when I decided to take my training to France. 16 years of living under one roof was gone in an instant. We had lived together our entire lives until that point. 

It was like losing a piece of myself. 

But then, after the sadness rolled away, I was filled with so much joy. To know that both Charles and Arthur were chasing their dream, to see them every weekend battling it out on the track. Though my mother refused to watch, I always did. 

But there is always more I want to know, more I want to see. I can’t help myself from asking questions. The countries they see, the people they meet - it’s a world I’ll never know. I almost got involved, my father put me in karting as a child, but it was never my passion. Not the way it was with Arthur and Charles. I found my calling in school. 

At six, I was sitting among my classmates in the gymnasium, watching as our instructor introduced the sport of fencing. He was trying to start a club, with a school as small as ours, it wasn’t very likely to happen. 

He brandished the swords, explaining the rules. My friend, Anies, had fallen asleep on my shoulder, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I was transfixed, hooked. That day, I ran home, with the club papers in my hand and begged my parents.

At first, Papa was hesitant, telling me that this sport was a fighting spot - I wasn’t a ‘fighting girl’. But I pleaded, hooking my arms around his neck and staring up at him. This was my dream. Fencing was racing to me. Fencing was everything. 

What I didn’t understand was that fencing was also incredibly expensive. With two children karting and one in fencing, I remember the night I caught Mum and Papa talking it over, they couldn’t afford it. 

I was lucky enough to be given a scholarship by a fencing club, I would have the funding to chase my dream. Arthur, however, was not so lucky. I remember how he cried, screaming and howling into his pillow. He mourned the loss of his sport, but he was never angry. Just sad. 

I shake off the memories when Charles calls my name. 

“What?”

He looks at me, staring at me from his seat on the floor, arms holding his knees close to him. He and Arthur are playing some card game they explained more than once - but I have never cared to learn. Arthur glares at the cards below him, flipping them over in his hand.

He laughs, “I asked how training was going?”

“Good,” I burrow further into the couch, pulling a blanket across my shoulders, “When I go back, I have a tournament in Italy.”

“Well,” Arthur huffs, still fixed on the game, “You’re already a World Champion - Ugh! Charles, you’re cheating! This is why I hate playing with you!”

Charles throws his hands up, turning to Arthur with an indignant expression, “I am not a cheater. I am a man of honor, you just suck.”

With a curse, Arthur throws his cards down. 

He stands, “You’re a cheat and you know it.”

“You just don’t know how to lose.”

Arthur throws himself beside me, moving the pillows so he can lean against them, crossing his arms in front of him. I don’t have to hide my laughter, I let it slip from me. The laughter is easy, the tension from yesterday gone. Charles had still been insistent on apologizing, even when I told him to just drop it. 

My brother is one of the kindest people in the world. 

“What about you?” I dare to ask, offering Arthur some of my blanket, “How’s Ferrari treating you?”

I don’t need to ask because I already know. Even from across the world, every Sunday, I watch him. Every Sunday, I watch my brother get into that car and put his life on the line. And every Sunday I watch Ferrari screw him over. My teammates were getting far too tired of my outbursts. 

Charles clears his throat, looking down at the cards scattered across the floor. He sweeps them together, shuffling them, “Fine.”

“Fine?”

I’m stepping on thin ice. My brothers like to assume that when it came to racing they knew everything, but I had grown up around this. My father was a racer and now my brothers were racers - it was in my blood. I had just chosen not to pursue it. 

“Yes, fine.” He pushes himself up, standing and walking to the edge of the couch. 

“If you say so, brother,” Charles opens his mouth to speak, but the sound of the doorbell cuts him off. 

He practically leaps over the couches, nearly tripping over the carpet, to throw the door open. My mother hardly has time to scold him as she steps inside her room because cheery voices are ringing out through the house. 

“Hello!”

Lorenzo comes bounding from upstairs and Arthur rolls off the couch, kicking the blanket away from him. The three women who step inside the house bring the light of the shining sun with them. 

“Girls!” I cry, it has been so long since I’ve last seen them. 

Carla sees me first, throwing her hands in the air. She pushes past Arthur to sweep me into a hug. The position is awkward, as her body curves over the couch and I attempt to reach up to her, but I can feel her laughter vibrate within her chest. 

“Did you get in today?” Her eyes are shining and the glasses perched atop her head threaten to fall, “Why didn’t you text me?”

“I wanted to surprise you, of course!” When we pull away, Charlotte and Alexandria are right beside us. 

“We need to get breakfast while you’re here,” Charlotte says, pressing her hands together. It isn’t so much a request as it is a plan in motion. 

I just nod along. I look around, my brother’s waiting behind them with crossed arms and a less-than-pleased expression. 

“What?”

“They’re supposed to be here to see us.”

“No,” Charlotte says, wrapping her arms around me, “We’re here for her and of course - Pascale.”

“Hello, dear,” Mum says, Carla placing welcoming kisses on her cheeks. 

I turn to my left, Alex having taken a seat in the open space that Arthur left. 

“Hey,” I whisper, pulling her close. 

“Hi,” She whispers back. 

There’s something different. I can tell when she hugs me, pressing a kiss on my cheek. When we pull away, there’s a glow to her skin and a twinkle in her eyes. 

“Is there -?” 

Charles is draped across her in a second, gentle hands on her shoulders, “She is my girlfriend. Please, do not be selfish.”

Alex only rolls her eyes and I can’t help but follow. 

What a drama queen. 

__________

I watch Charles and Alex as Mum bustles around the kitchen. It’s little, but something is different. I can feel it. Something about the way Charles has an arm curled around her waist or the way she clings to his arm. They keep eyeing the rest of us, Alex turning around to whisper in his ear. 

Hm. How strange. 

Alex was quite shy, this much became evident when I first met her, but she was by no means afraid of the family. Just a few weeks earlier she had come to visit me in France, we spent the day together and had been texting each other constantly. 

What could it be?

I met her eyes and she sharply turned away from me. 

A secret then. 

Papa liked to say that I inherited Mum’s gift for reading people, especially my brothers. Even when we’re separated by seas, I know when something’s bothering them. I know when something is wrong. 

But this - this was different. 

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. 

But, my mind can help but wonder, what if - no. Could it be?

“Arthur.”

He hardly looks up from his phone, “Hm?”

“Wanna make a bet?”

“What kind of bet?” He asks, still scrolling. 

I lean in closer, “I think Alex is pregnant.”

Arthur nearly drops his phone. He whips his head over to look at me, mouth agape, “What?!”

“Sh!” I smack his arm, he is going to give us away, “You’re so loud…”

“Why do you think she’s pregnant?” He whisper-shouts, “That’s crazy. Charles would’ve told us.”

“Maybe he’s going to tell us tonight,” I shrug, pulling away from him. 

“Are you in or out?” I crossed my legs, my gut feelings were always strong. I’d guessed many things over the years and felt a change within the people around me before they told me. I’d known Charles got signed to Ferrari before he told us, or that Arthur was going to be moved to F2, or that Lorenzo had met someone new - all of these things, I’d felt. All of these things I guessed. 

Maybe I was a bit psychic. 

“You’re on,” He stuck his hand out, “€10?”

I scoffed, “That’s nothing - €100.”

“You could be wrong.”

“I could be right,” I looked down at his waiting hand. 

“€50?”

I slapped my hand in his, “€50 it is!”

“You’re going down,” He whispered, squeezing my hand. I kick at his shin.

“Ow!”

“That’s what you get, dumbass.”

“LANGUAGE!”

__________

Dinner is an easy affair. The time ticks by slowly, but none of us mind. Warm and laughter fill the house, everyone staying at the table after the food has long been eaten. Stories are tossed around and jokes float about, it's peaceful. 

A peace that’s so very addicting. 

Here, I can forget that I have to leave in only a few days. I can tell that the boys forget too, throwing themselves over Mum and the table. Arthur laughs so hard that he snorts and Lorenzo’s jokes have Charles reduced to tears - it’s all so nostalgic. 

As we eat, I can see Charles and Alex glance at each other, watching as he scoops her hand in his. She whispers something in his ear and he nods. 

Before I know it, they are both standing. 

“I,” He clears his throat, “I have something to say - well, we do, actually...”

“Well,” Alex begins, a bright smile pulling over her face, “Charles and I are expecting a - a child.”

The table erupts into cheers and exclamations. Mum drops her head into her hands, and before we can rush over, she looks up with tears in her eyes and a dazzling smile on her lips. We stand to offer them hugs and kisses, pats, and words of encouragement. 

“I told you!” I cry. 

Arthur lets out a loud groan, pushing his face into his hands, “Why?”

Confusion is written across their face and I can only laugh

I hold out a waiting hand.

With another groan and a roll of his eyes, he shoves his hand into his pockets, pulling out the €50 I’m owed. The bill is crunched and he drops it into my palm with little fanfare. 

“This is so unfair,” Arthur throws his arms around my shoulders, “How could you have possibly known?”

“I just do,” I shrug, looking up at him with a smile, “I’m just that good.”

“I knew it,” Carla giggles, “You are a psychic.”

I lock eyes with Mum over the table, she flashes me a smile.

“Of course,” I say, “I learned from the very best.”

__________

The ocean calls our name, the lull of the tides and the crashing of the waves. Such a beautiful song and we can do nothing but dance to it. With the sun shining down on our backs, we pile into Charles’s boat, clinging to the railing as we push away from the dock. The salt of the air tangles in my hair, and gentle winds give us a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, the sea was calm. What more could we ever ask for?

We spend the day lounging about the boat, pushing and shoving each other in the water. I manage to convince Charles to let me take the smaller boat out for a spin, with Carla clinging to the seats, and Charolette cheering us on from the deck above. I can’t help but dissolve into laughter at his face, twisted with worry. 

The water is cool against our heated skin, it invites us in for more. The longer we stay, the more we forget about the world that surrounds us. It is nearly enough to make me forget about my flight in only a few days. I will have to leave and this will all become a memory. 

But what a beautiful memory it will be. 

I can’t dwell on my thoughts, because Charlotte demands that we all jump. There is little fanfare for Charles and Lorenzo as they practically wrestle to the sea below. Arthur grips my hand as we jump, throwing ourselves into the Moncao air, caught by the arms of the sea. 

It is perfect. It is home. 

When the sun begins to dip in the sky, my mother draws herself up from the couch and claims that dinner will not ready itself. The others agree and begin to shuffle off but Carla and I are the last to get back from the boat. Though Charles has always held the title of ‘captain’, I have always maintained that the sea is but a little requirement for boating. We stayed behind to just lounge about in the sun, only coming back to the house when she got a frantic call from Arthur, telling her to come back. 

“What’s…” The words die in our throats when we see Alex huddled in the corner, sobbing into her hands. Charlotte stands over her, rubbing a reassuring hand over her back, whispering something into her ear. 

Before we can say another word, Arthur and Lorenzo interrupt us. He pulls us into a corner of the house, wiping his hands on his shorts. His eyes dart around the room, lip caught between his teeth. 

“What happened?” Carla demands. 

“It - it was the press,” Arthur manages, “They got pictures from earlier, on the boat.”

I need to hear little else. I dig my phone from my bag.

Finding the photo doesn’t take much work. It’s there as soon as I open Twitter, Alexandria and Charles standing on the balcony of the boat. Her hands on her stomach, nothing there to show - not yet - but the implication is enough for the media to run with. 

I can hardly breathe. 

Anger coils tight within me. 

Fucking vultures. 

Carla gasps from beside me, pressing a hand to her mouth. The headlines make my stomach turn. Far too atrocious to look at, I shove my phone back into my bag. Carla is quick to slip from beside me, rushing over to the couch, and dropping to her knees beside Alex. 

Haven’t they gone through enough? Have people not thrown Alex into the fire already? Had they not already ripped her apart? I remember the articles and the tweets when their relationship went public, the look of sadness on her face. People hated her simply because she loved Charles. How they got together and why they got together was no one’s business but their own. 

“Where -” I cut myself off, dropping my voice lower, “Where’s Charles?”

For a moment, Lorenzo doesn’t answer me, phone in hand. I can’t tell who’s calling, but the grave look on his face is all I need to know. He shakes his head, dragging a hand through his hair. 

“He’s outside,” He whispers, sparing a look over at Alex, “He stormed out and won’t come back in.”

“Of course! He’s upset!” I hiss, this was private. This was personal. The media has taken that away from him. 

Lorenzo holds his hands up, “I’m not saying he shouldn’t be - I’m not saying that I’m not,” He sighs, “But this is more - this is more than just…”

He looks away, rubbing a hand over his face, “He can’t run from this now.” 

I turn away from Lorenzo and the tears begin to gather in my eyes before I can gather the courage to force them back. I wrap my arms around myself, afraid that I might throw something across the room. 

This wasn’t right. 

Summer is our time. 

There is never any anger, never any sadness. That’s the world that waits beyond the walls of our home, that is the world we leave behind. We shut it all out because summer break is just us. I don’t realize that I’ve begun to dig my fingers into the flesh of my arm until Arthur yanks my hands away. 

He doesn’t say anything, just squeezing my hands in his. I can’t look at him, but I feel his gaze on me. When he releases me, my hands drop back down to my sides. I suck in a large gulp of air, trying to calm the pounding of my heartbeat. 

Before I can make my way to Alex, Charlotte stops me. She holds her hand up, a sad smile on her face. 

‘We’ve got it,’ She mouths, ‘Go.’

Her eyes flicker to the terrace, doors closed tightly. I can see, in the shadows of the darkness, Charles. 

“I’ll be back,” I whisper, reaching out to squeeze Arthur’s shoulder before I walk towards the doors. 

I gently push them open, waiting for Charles to scream out that he wasn’t privacy, that he needs space, but he never does

I step through. 

Charles stands out on the balcony, hands clutching onto the terrace railing. He stares into the swaying trees of our backyard, the melting sun casting a glow around the shadow of the house. Though the wind blows, there is no twinkle of windchimes. There is no echo of laughter or memory of youth, there is nothing. The light from the entry room spills across his back, but he doesn’t turn. 

The silence is thick, sitting heavily atop the both of us. With his back turned to me, I can’t see his face. There’s a selfish part of me that never wants to. I never want to see the pain and anger on my brother’s face. I never want to watch his heart fall apart before me. He is my family, an extension of myself. 

“Why can’t they just leave us alone?” 

His voice is hardly above a whisper, nearly consumed by the distant sounds of the city, but I hear. It cuts through the silence, piercing it with ease. There is sadness in his voice and I can feel the tears burn once more. His shoulders slump forward, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. For a movement, I fear that he might collapse. 

I take a tentative step forward. 

My brother is many things. Charles is competitive and rash, he is hard-working and self-deprecating. But he is also kind and forgiving, with a smile like the sun and a laugh like the sea. He is good. Our Papa used to say that Lorenzo and I got all the anger and bite, as it never seemed that Charles could hate, to be spiteful. 

Always the first to take the blame, always the first to vouch, always the first to arrive, always the last to go. 

My brother is good. 

And the world is cruel. 

“Charles,” I whisper, he doesn’t turn.

I reach for him, my fingertips barely grazing the fabric of his shirt, “Charles.”

He finally turns, biting his lip, tears in his eyes. The words die in my throat. There is nothing I can say to fix his pain, nothing I can do to take his unhappiness away. It kills me. They may be my older brothers, but I have always been fiercely protective of them. To hurt them was to hurt me - and to hurt them was unforgivable. 

And Charles. 

Charles, who flew through the night to catch my competitions. Charles, who cheered me on, even if he knew nothing about fencing. Charles, who always had an extra Paddock Pass for me. Charles, who always let me have his last cookie or pastry. Charles, who held me when I wailed for weeks after Papa’s passing. Charles put the money he earned in Formula 1 into getting Arthur back into carting. Charles, who always called to scream ‘Happy Birthday’ in my ear. 

That Charles. 

My brother Charles, would forgive. He will see it as a mistake, he will blame himself. In only a few hours, he will make a statement and tell the truth - because that’s just who he is. 

I throw my arms open and catch him as he falls into them. 

He doesn’t cry, not at first, just clinging onto me. But then, the moment that Alex’s cries drift onto the open terrace, he begins to weep. He sobbed into my shoulder, pressing his wet face into the fabric of my shirt. He clutches my hand, and I can do nothing but hold him. 

I hold him and let him fall apart. 

From over Charle’s shoulder, I see Arthur peeking out at us. He wrings his hands, twisting his fingers around. He can’t sit still, pacing around the room, brushing Carla away when she tries to calm him. 

I gesture for him to come and he does. 

Before I can say a word, he’s wrapping his arms around Charles, burying his face into his back. 

“We’ll fix this,” He mumbles, “I - I don’t know how, but we will.”

Charles doesn’t speak, he just searches for Arthur’s hand blindly in the pile of libs and holds on. It’s all we can do. I feel like I am 15 years old, losing our father again. It feels just as it did then, unbearable. But we do just what we did then, we hold each other. Clinging onto the only people that we have known since before we knew them, the only people that will love us even when no one else does. 

The only person -

Lorenzo is there, strong arms trying to tuck us all into him. I can feel his warmth against my back and push my face into his chest. 

“We’ve got you, Charlie,” He says, “We’ve got you.”

We do. 

We always will. 

_________________________

A/N:This work has been cross-posted on Wattpad and AO3. All are under the name XDACTED. Thank you for reading and feel free to request fics about any of the drivers <3

#f1 fanfic #f1 x reader #female reader #formula 1 #one shot #fluff #charles leclerc #f1 fluff #ferrari #charles leclerc imagine #arthur leclerc #lorenzo leclerc #leclerc family #sister reader #formula one fanfiction #formula one x reader #f1 2023 #f1 summer break #hurt/comfort #sibling dynamics #siblings being siblings

[game-set-canet]

can I please have where reader wins Wimbledon and Carlos was watching and then he celebrated with her please

Nothing is more important than Wimbledon

Pairing: Carlos Alcaraz x f!reader

category: fluff

warnings: none

Author’s Note: it turned out way different than I intended 🙈 but i hope you like it, lovely anon 🤗

* Y/N = your name

MY MASTERLIST

(not my gif! credits to the owner/creator!)

♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦

You wrap your towel around the back of your neck and breathe in and out slowly as you look over to your box.

The box is filled to the very last seat.

Your mother looks like she is on the verge of tears, your father has his face buried in his hands and your younger siblings are hopping up and down in their seats. Your aunt seems to be talking to your physio without a dot or comma, your manager looks like she's about to throw up from nervousness and your coach is shifting restlessly in his seat. And you aren’t sure, but it looks like your grandmother is already crying.

In the first row of your box – right between your mum and your coach – is Carlos. Of all those in the box, he looks the calmest and most collected. But you remember very well his nervous stuttering before the match when he tried to find words of encouragement for you - and he had demolished his sunglasses in the tiebreak of the second set when you had the match point against you. So he just looks calm, but he's definitely not.

You’re just one service game away from winning your first ever slam. Just one service game and you would win Wimbledon. Your hands are shaking, and you nearly spill some water from your water bottle.

“Focus! Let’s play point by point!”, you talk to yourself while getting up from your bench to get back on court, “You got this, Y/N. You got this!”

You see Carlos muttering something - probably a "Vamos!" - and forming a heart with his hands while you wait for Iga to get into position.

No matter the outcome of this final, you definitely have the best cheerleader in the world.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Your coach was the first to embrace you, you can hear him crying tears of joy: “I knew you'd make it! I knew it!”

You can hear the crowd cheering and clapping, you feel the whole stands vibrating.

You feel Carlos' hands wrapping around you and pulling you close. He isn't crying, but you have never seen him smile so broadly. It’s hard to understand what he’s saying - people are chanting your name all over the stadium.

“Te amo!”, you kiss him briefly but effusively.

Your head is spinning, and you only now notice that your siblings are tugging at your shirt, waiting impatiently to be hugged too.

But you don’t want to let Carlos go. You want to say like this: hugging him tight, feeling his hands around your waist.

Just like yesterday.

Yesterday’s evening and last night were the worst ones of your life. You were so nervous because of today’s final. You couldn’t eat or sleep.

But Carlos was there for you. He talked to you. He encouraged you.

And when he no longer knew what to say, he just held you.

You fell asleep in his arms with his fingers lovingly stroking through your hair.

The night before the US Open final was the same but in reversed roles. You held him until he fell asleep in your arms.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

The interviews and the trophy ceremony pass by as if in a frenzy. You hope you said the right things, thanked everyone in the interviews and speech and congratulated your opponent and her team - you can't remember it at the moment.

By now, not only your team, but also a group of your friends are present, who have congratulated you effusively. Carlos' brother Alvaro and Juan Carlos Ferrero are also among the well-wishers. The latter commented on Carlos' half-filled champagne glass with a frown and a reproachful look - although he didn't say anything.

Later, you are still sitting together as a group - you have postponed the big celebration until tomorrow. You don't want to celebrate without Carlos, but he would still have to play tomorrow. Now Carlos and you are sitting together on a narrow couch, he is showing you the countless photos he has taken of you with the victory trophy.

Your younger sister - who has been busy building a pyramid out of tennis balls - suddenly raises her head and looks at Carlos for a long time.

“You know, now you also need your final exam tomorrow!”, your younger sister suddenly grins at Carlos.

Your boyfriend chuckles softly and gives you a quick sideways glance before he answers: “Is that so?”

“Yeah!”, your sister nods weightily and points a finger at you, “Otherwise she would be more successful than you!”

You slide an arm around Carlos’ neck and look down at your sister: “But he already won the US Open last year, and I didn’t?”

“Yeah, but this is Wimbledon.”, she shrugs, “Nothing is more important than Wimbledon.”

Her serious expression makes you laugh, and Carlos asks with feigned bewilderment: “And what happens if I don’t win tomorrow?”

Your sister raises her eyebrows, she sounds like it goes without saying: "Then you are not worthy to be her boyfriend."

After saying this, she gets up and disappears over to your mother.

Carlos and you start laughing at the same time.

“Wow, no pressure than, huh?”

You lean against him and rest your head on his shoulder: “Yeah, her standards are quite high for a nine-year-old…”

Carlos lets himself sink further back into the couch and pulls you with him.

“And what about your standards?”, he hugs you while saying that, “Would you still love me if I lose tomorrow?”

“Well, I think you make quite a good cheerleader…so, yeah, I think I’m going to keep you.”

He starts laughing and softly shakes his head: “Wow. I kinda expected a “I’ll love you no matter if you win or lose”.”

“Oh, come on!”, you smack his chest playfully, but you snuggle closer to him again, “You know I will never ever let you go!”,

His hand strokes your back in large circles, his voice sounds teasing: “Never?”

“Nope. Never.”, you lift your head to look him in the eyes, “But I’d appreciate it if you would win tomorrow’s final.”

“Yeah, me too.”, he sighs loudly and whispers, “Do you think I can do it?”

“Yes.”, you cup his cheeks with your hands, “Yes, you will do it.”, you smile at him, “And tomorrow evening we gonna celebrate both of our titles. Together.”, you press a quick kiss on his lips, “And we will do stupid and cheesy photos together. And my god, the press will write even cheesier articles about us…”

Carlos returns your smile and nods slowly.

“Can’t wait for that!”, he says before he kisses you softly.

♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦

tagging: @bluetackbaby@lxndonorris @fedalev

#Carlos Alcaraz x reader #Carlos Alcaraz x you #Carlos Alcaraz imagine #Carlos Alcaraz fanfic #Carlos Alcaraz fic #tennis imagine #mira's imagine #my writing #my imagine #tennis imagines #tennis fic #tennis fics #tennis fanfic #tennis fanfics #tennis fanfiction #tennis fanfictions

[starry-nights12]

Play Among The Stars

Read on AO3

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Relationship:Ekko/Jinx (Timebomb)

Word Count:2,227

Tags: Angst, Established Relationship, Firelight Member Jinx, Bittersweet

Summary:

"Am I your girl?" Jinx asked softly.

Ekko sat and stared at her for a minute.

The two cities was on a verge of civil war, Enforcers invaded The Lanes looking for her, and riots happens were an almost daily occurrence.

The world as they knew it was shattered because of her actions.

Author's Note:

As kids, Jinx and her siblings going out to do jobs while Ekko usually stayed behind.

Now as adults, Jinx takes Ekko to Piltover for the first time.

I completely forgot about this idea until I talked to @redrum-alice. Go check out their art! It's amazing🫶♥️

Thank you @su-univeralai for beta reading!

Fic's Playlist💚💙

It's been a few months since Jinx bombed the council chambers.

The Enforcers and residents have been on high alert ever since, never knowing when the blue-haired menace would strike again. 

Her wanted posters were plastered everywhere in Piltover and Zaun, yet no one has seen her since.

A new, bigger barricade was built on the bridge. There was an influx of Enforcers patrolling the streets below and terrorizing The Lanes on a daily basis.

Unbeknownst to them, a monkey mask and owl were in the shadows peering over the edge of the highest roof.

Jinx chuckled as she zoomed in on them with her lens, she lightly smacked his arm. "Look at those dumbasses," her mask distorted her voice to be more high-pitched and robotic.

"Sooo busy monitoring the potential terror from below that they're clueless from the threat from up above."

Ekko hummed in agreement, "I remember. You told me that after you bombed the Enforcers, you strolled in to get the gemstone." His mask contrasted with how his voice modulator deepened his voice.

Jinx guffawed. "I did! Those dummies were so cocky by not adding extra security to their prized possession. But I showed them!" She bragged.

"And that you didn't have a disguise," Ekko added.

Jinx shrugged, "I already use spray paint to draw and trademark my work. There was no way I was gonna let some chump claim the biggest robbery in history."

He pursed his lips and faintly nodded as if to say, 'Fair enough'.

He stared up at the sky. The stars and moon were much more visible on this side.

Jinx took off her mask, inhaling deeply with a sigh, "Breathe in that fresh, Piltie air, Little Man. This was what you've been missing." She stretched her arms out and twirled.

Ekko did the same, their air was more breathable than the dense smog they were used to inhaling growing up.

He clenched his fist and glared at the sky. They've turned something as simple as clean air into a fucking luxury.

Her magenta eyes always glowed softly in the night, with small blue veins around the corners.

When he thought she died on the bridge a part of him died too. They were a permanent reminder of how even though he kicked the bomb, he failed to save her. Again.

You should have done better. She almost died. If you were successful then she wouldn't have needed shimmer to save her life.

Fuck, If you could have found another way of convincing her to leave Silco then we would have still been friends. We wouldn't have fought on the bridge in the first place.

Jinx's giddy chuckling brought him out of his thoughts. "You think I've become their version of the Boogie Man?"

The corners of his mouth twitched, "The Boogie Man?" He repeated wryly.

"Yeah, like," she stood upright with her arm behind her back.

"Listen to your parents, kids," She said in a gruff voice, wagging her finger as she paced.

"Do your chores, eat your vegetables, do your homework, and go to bed on time. Or else the big, bad Jinx will crawl through your window and get ya!" She snickered then cracked up.

She wore a wide, playful smile. He loved the small gap in her teeth and freckles adorning her face. It was adorable.

But back to the topic at hand, it made Ekko scoff.

Just yesterday while out in the market gathering supplies, he and his brothers helped intervene with Enforcers harassing a vendor and his family.

"I think they've been using us Zaunites as monsters for their bedtime stories for years. They just have a name and face to it now," He said.

"Besides, they're more a threat to us than anything. They've always been."

"Exactly!" She pointed at him. "They never cared about us. They've always ignored us until I made it known that we can fuck their shit up. We can ruin everything just like they did for us."

We.

He didn't doubt that someone from the Undercity could attempt to start another revolt on how mistreated they'd been for decades.

It just so happened that the one who lit the fuse was his best friend.

Ekko sat down with his arm on his knee, "Do you ever regret it?"

Jinx's eyes momentarily widened before they narrowed at him, "Why would you ask that? I know you aren't going soft on the Pilties."

His lips curled, and he wrinkled his nose, "Of course not."

"I know you wouldn't. But why would you ask that? I'm just confused."

"It's just that if you didn't, you wouldn't be a fugitive. You'd be free."

She would have liked that.

Her and Ekko, hand in hand without a care in the world. They would be able to go on dates like everyone else - doing a little PDA while they were at it.

They would have been able to go to more places than their Firelight base, shimmer raids, her hideout, and now atop a rooftop in Piltover.

She frowned then sat next to him, "It's true. I do miss being able to wander around like I used to." She linked their arms and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I wish we could go on dates in public. You wouldn't have to worry about being arrested with me," She murmured then sighed softly.

She shook her head and quickly licked her lips before she got her answer out. "But, I don't regret killing them. Those bastards had it coming for years," She affirmed.

"If I didn't do it then someone else in The Lanes would have. I just happened to be the one brave enough to do something about it.

They don't treat us like people. They've always treated us like abused animals. They watch us struggle through cages, laughing at how uncivilized we are compared to them," she squeezed his arm tightly.

"They've enjoyed our suffering for too long. Enjoyed keeping us in check about who really is in charge of everything. There's only so much a person can take before they snap." 

Her eyes seemed to glow brighter. Her lips pulled back into a snarl and her nostrils flared as she breathed heavily.

He didn't say anything for a minute and stared at her.

There was a threat of civil war between the two cities. Enforcers have flooded The Lanes determined to find the domestic terrorist. Riots between them and Zaunites were an almost daily occurrence.

He had one or three drinks - he loved his people, but sometimes he wanted alone time to de-stress - he was leaving the bar when he saw them.

The two women were searching for her.

Caitlyn relayed what happened at the canary, her hatred for Jinx was evident even under her calm tone. Her eyes were determined as she informed him about what happened.

They were a stark contrast to Vi, who had acquired bags under her eyes with her hair slightly mussed. She asked if he had seen her little sister anywhere.

Jinx told him about the tea party. He told them he hadn't seen her since that night on the bridge.

It was to protect Jinx.

It was also to keep both women safe from her.

The consequences of Jinx's actions were the reason why their entire world was on the brink of collapse.

Her heart stalled when he removed his arm.

What did I do wrong? Is he mad at me? Disappointed? I’ve never seen him disappointed in me before. There's no reason for him to. Is there? He wanted to know how I felt, and I answered honestly.

Gosh. This was supposed to be a date. Talking about the state of affairs of two stupid cities is definitely not romantic.

Her worries were quickly dispelled when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him.

Maybe they should have waited. Then it would be that person's problems instead of Jinx's. But even then, she would still be wanted for murdering those Enforcers.

Ultimately, he couldn't change the past. He had to live through the present.

Despite everything that was happening, he loves her.

He was in love with her since he was fourteen, and he loved her now. No matter how messy things were, he would forever be thankful to have her back in his life.

She glanced at him and gently knocked her knee against his. He spread his legs to make room for her, she moved to sit in between them, resting her legs on top of his.

Her hand cupped his nape and the back of his head as she pressed their foreheads together.

"Am I your girl?" She asked softly.

He always thought he would die with his unrequited crush. He was too nervous to tell her as kids, then everything in their lives fell apart.

She wanted him out of her life, so they went their separate ways.

They only met each other on the battlefield. He knew it was foolish, but a part of him still longed and cared for her.

But seven years later, the impossible happened- a miracle if you will. They were currently entranced by the other's presence. 

He cradled her cheeks, his thumb rubbing comforting circles. "You will always be my girl. Nothing will ever change that, Jinx. I promise," He asseverated.

She leaned into his touch and smiled, her eyes softening.

She already knew the answer, but her heart swelled with pride and filled her with such an immense amount of warmth in her entire being from hearing him confirm it.

She brushed a stray dreadlock from his eyes and pushed it behind his ear. She ran her tongue slowly across her lips.

She darted her gaze into his eyes, he closed them, his heart pounding in anticipation as he waited eagerly for her.

She placed her soft, purple lips tenderly around the edges of his mouth and lingered.

A decidedly pleasant shiver ran down his spine as her tongue slowly glided across his lower lip.

Her teeth caught onto his lower lip, gentle tugging switched to lightly sucking them. He felt her smirk on his lip as she drew out a quiet moan from him.

She had barely done anything, yet excitement burst within him as it was the first time they kissed.

It didn't matter how many times they did this, he always craved her. His heart, mind, body, and even his very soul belonged to her.

She was alive.

She was here.

And she loves you.

She wants you as much as you want her.

Only her.

She released his lip, faintly brushing hers against his.

He leaned in to finally connect their mouths, but he opened his eyes when she covered his mouth with her hand and wore a cheshire grin.

"You gotta admit though, I came up with the best date idea," She boasted.

He suppressed his groan of disappointment. She can be such a tease when she wants to be.

He rolled his eyes as he held her wrist to move her hand away. He let out an amused huff, "Alright. No need to make it a contest."

"Because you'd know I’d win." She gently wiggled his wide nose in between her fingers and then flicked it.

She giggled as she got up to stand and slapped a hand over her mouth to conceal her startled laugh. Ekko had smacked her ass as payback.

She glared at him over her shoulder. "Stop you perv! Gods," She chastised playfully, swatting his hand away.

He chuckled mischievously, biting his lower lip that failed to restrain his cheeky grin.

She shook her head and tittered. She's been rubbing off on him.

"Piltover this," she held her right hand and moved her hips in that direction. "Zaun that," she held her left hand and repeated the action.

"Forget about them!" She clapped her hands then spun around in his direction. "I feel like dancing!"

"But there's no music."

"Yeah, there is. Our voices can make music. It's called singing!"

He snickered, "Fair point. What did you have in mind, Sugarbomb?"

"Hmmmmm...." she pressed her finger against her lips, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

A grin broke out and she clapped her hands together. "I got it. Hold on," she cleared her throat and hit her chest for good measure.

"Fly me to the moon. And let me play among the stars," she gestured to the sky.

"Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold my hand," she offered her hands.

Ekko held them and she helped him stand. She placed her hands on his shoulder as he put his on her waist.

"In other words," she looked at her boyfriend expectantly.

Ekko chuckled softly. "Baby, kiss me," He sang.

Jinx stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

They continued like that, singing to each other while swaying gently.

They got lost in each other's eyes and never wanted to be found. 

Everything and everyone disappeared. Nothing else mattered because they were the only people in the world at that moment.

They could momentarily forget the harsh reality of the world as they danced.

They were a couple enjoying a romantic night under the moonlight and stars.

Two lovers.

A woman with her man.

A fugitive with her harborer.

#timebomb #ekkojinx #ekko #jinx #frelight jinx #arcane #arcane fanfic #fanfiction #my post #my fics #my writing #angst #gift fic

[dailylesliec]

[TRANSLATION] Leslie's Everything: Tell-All Interview

Upbringing

— First, please allow me to ask you about your upbringing. My family was a textbook example of a middle-class family in Hong Kong. My father was a famous tailor who made clothes for Marlon Brando, Alfred Hitchcock, and WD Hamilton among others, so he earned quite a lot of money for some time. Since my father had come from the Mainland quite recently, he was still distrustful towards Hong Kong in general, so he brought all the money he had earned back to Mainland China and saved it there. Unfortunately, in the Cultural Revolution, all his property was taken away.

— What was your father like? I don’t really recall much about my father because I never lived with my parents. They were busy with work and rented a place somewhere near Central, where they worked. All of us kids lived at our grandmother’s home.

— So would it be accurate to say that you were loved most by your grandmother growing up? Because my grandmother was already quite old, the person who took care of me was a nanny called “Luk Jeh” (lit: Sister Six)* . She was probably the person who understood me most when I was young. * T/N: “Jeh”, lit. sister, is a common term of endearment / politeness for an older woman you are friendly with in Chinese.

— What was “Luk Jeh” like? She’s the greatest woman I have ever had the fortune of knowing. She gave all her love without ever asking for anything in return. She treated everyone like that, but she was especially kind and loving towards me. Regrettably, I’ve never met any woman like her for the rest of my life.

— And her elderly years? After she got old, she lived alone in the house I bought her. She passed away in 1990 in her eighties.

— What’s your most vivid memory from your childhood? When I was six, my grandmother passed away. My grandmother already couldn’t move her feet a few years before her death, so she just sat on a chair the whole day. She would only return to her bed to sleep. When I arrived home that day, I found that she had passed away sitting on the chair. I still remember that scene like it was yesterday.

— What about your brothers and sisters? I was the youngest out of ten brothers and sisters. But two of my brothers (the third and ninth oldest) and one of my sisters (the fourth oldest) passed away when they were little, so there were really only seven of us. I have the same birthday as my deceased brother (the ninth oldest), so they all said that I was his reincarnation. However, even though I had a lot of siblings, the age gap between us was so big that we didn’t really play together. My father wasn’t the kind of man who liked having kids around and my mother was very busy, so I  wasn’t very happy as a kid. If you asked me to recall some happy memories from my childhood, I wouldn’t have anything in mind.

— What were you like as a child? I was a bit odd. I wasn’t that childish - I didn’t speak a lot and I was never noticed by the people around me. My family wasn’t especially large, but when we had guests they never noticed my existence. I’m not sure whether I was just born this way. I was very alone and never had anyone to confide in, so maybe that unknowingly shaped my personality.

— Didn’t you play with the kids next door? My parents were very strict. My parents banned me from playing the fun things that the neighbours’ kids liked to play, such as flying kites and milk caps. Back then, you could tell whether a family was sophisticated based on the games their children played. Perhaps my parents didn’t want people to think of us as unsophisticated and lower-class.

About his parents

— It seems like you don’t have many fond memories of your parents. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Our bond was just too weak. There was only one time where my father stayed at home for five days during Chinese New Year. On three of those days though, he was drunk and asleep. That’s my only memory of us living together, so I don’t really understand the familial bonds and love of a regular family. In fact, when I grew up, I was more like a friend to my parents rather than their child.

— When did your father pass away? 1989, the year I left the music industry. When my father passed away, I was touring for “Final Encounter”, so I couldn’t even see him for the last time. It really wasn’t meant to be for us.

— What memories do you have of your mother? In comparison to my father, my memories of my mother are more vivid. In 1988 my mother came to live with me and we lived together for half a year. But… how do I say it? I was used to living alone and my mother and I never had that close mother-son bond, so we couldn’t feel that kind of familial love for each other right away even though we moved in together. I kept trying to close the distance between us and connect with her emotionally, but in the end I could only give her money and material things, so my mother didn’t really seem happy.

*Interviewer’s Note: Leslie’s mother passed away on 18 Oct, 1998*

At that time my mother’s relationship with my father was worsening and she was quite emotionally unstable. Even though she loved my father dearly, he often ignored her. Anyone who was not my father couldn’t make her happy no matter what they did. Even though I tried really hard to cheer her up, I still couldn’t heal the wounds in her heart.

— But you still had a special kind of bond with your mother in contrast to your father, didn’t you? Yes. For example, I always thought it was my father who wanted me to study abroad in the UK. I only found out from my uncle after my mother’s death that she fought for me to go there. My uncle told me that my mother begged my father many times to let me go to the UK… So even though my education wasn’t perfect, the person who let me set up such a good foundation was still my mother.

— Did you think about your mother after she passed away? To be honest, I thought I would just move on after my mother died. But when she actually passed away, I started thinking about a lot of things. I didn’t recall my memories and experiences with my mother - rather, I realised the importance of my mother’s existence in of itself. My birth, the things that bring me joy, sadness… really all kinds of things… I got all of these from my mother when I thought more about it. That’s why I’m really grateful to her.

— Do you ever regret not doing more for your mother before she passed away? *brief silence* …Personally, I feel that I did my best to do everything I was able to do, so I don’t really regret anything. If you asked my mother, she would most certainly be satisfied with what I did too.

Maybe I'm a bit traditional. I’m a strong believer in things like destiny and fate. For my mother and I, we didn’t realise the importance of our existence to each other until a few years before her death. But when we both understood that, it was already too late. She wasn’t able to be my “Ultimate Partner”, but I guess it was just meant to be that way. We couldn’t change it. There was no way to.

First loves and life as a student

— Who was your first love? What was she like? It happened when I was thirteen. To be honest, I’m not even sure if that counts as my first love. She was a very fast runner and was always training. Good looking, slim and looked a bit haughty. I liked those girls when I was younger. Not long after we met though, I left for the UK and nothing really happened between us after that. Three years later I came back to Hong Kong and met her again. The two of us went to Macau together to have some fun and it was there that I had sex for the first time.

— You were sixteen when you lost your virginity? Wasn’t that quite young for your time? Hm, I guess so. But at that time we felt that we loved each other so we just naturally took that step.

— “At that time”? Does that mean you later found out you didn’t actually love each other? Put it this way. We slowly found out that we didn’t look at problems the same way or have the same worldview. Eventually, she got married to one of my classmates and they even had kids. We bumped into each other last year, but we just chatted for a bit before going our separate ways.

— Do you still think about her a lot? No, no. I think she lives overseas now. Either way, even if I saw her right here right now, I don’t really have any special feelings for her anymore.

— You must have been very popular with the girls when you were still in school. You mean me? *very blunt* Not at all. I didn’t even think about if girls would like me. Even though my friends and classmates really wanted to win the affection of girls, I didn’t really feel that way. I was just really invested in sports like netball and volleyball.

— Are you an introvert then? Maybe. At the very least, I’m definitely not an extrovert. *laughs*

Dream Job

— As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? I actually had two dreams. First, I wanted to be a doctor. But I inherited shaky hands, so that was out of the question. I also wanted to be a pilot, but I was scared, so that was out of the question too. *laughs* Even now when I’m on a plane and there’s turbulence, I get scared.

— And now? What’s your current dream job? I want to be an interior designer or some kind of art critic. I’m really interested in that kind of stuff. Also, I really really want to be a very talented pianist. The piano really is an amazing invention. If you’re stressed, you can just play the piano and all your worries go away.

I especially want to play the piano because I compose my own songs now. But I guess if I was actually able to play the piano, maybe I wouldn’t be able to compose songs freely! 

— It’s not too late to start learning how to play the piano! No, no. I couldn’t before, I can’t now, and I can’t in the future… my left and right hand aren’t the same. When I was 22, I had two tumours on the back of my left wrist and the bone of my left hand. I even had surgery done for it. Because of this, my left hand slowly became smaller and couldn’t exert much force. I did a lot of stuff to keep it balanced with my right hand and it looks mostly normal now, but my left hand is still quite weak.

Studying in the UK

— You went to study in the UK when you were only 13. Did you want that for yourself? Or was it just your parents’ wishes? Of course I wanted it for myself. I had good grades in primary school, but they slid straight down when I got to secondary school because I was terrible at maths. In secondary school, there was algebra and all kinds of weird stuff. The material suddenly became much more difficult. I was always a humanities type of guy. I excelled in subjects like literature and music, but I was horrible at science subjects and maths. I wasn’t good at theoretical and sciencey stuff. I heard that the maths was much easier overseas: Oh, so there’s a way out! That’s what I thought at the time. *laughs*

— And was the maths in the UK really easy? Yeah. Even I managed to get by. My best subject was English Literature. I was the best at it in my grade and even got a prize for it.

— And which writer did you specialise in studying? DH Lawrence and Shakespeare. I loved reading poems even when I was in Hong Kong and I even won prizes for reciting them in a few competitions. I’m the type of person who’s really good at distinguishing between what I’m good at and what I’m bad at.

— You mentioned earlier that you want to be an interior designer. But wouldn’t that be difficult if you’re not good at maths? Yeah. Honestly, I’m really interested in architecture and design, but if you actually let me design a home, it might all fall apart really quickly. So if I were to actually become an interior designer, I can only work on the decorations and arrangements. *laughs* Stuff like this piece of furniture should go here, that kind of furniture should go with this decoration… That’s about the extent of my capabilities. I’d get in trouble if I did anything else. *laughs again*

— I noticed that you didn’t study literature in university. Yeah. I majored in textile management. That was my father’s wish. As a father, it’s only natural for you to want your children to learn something related to your own career. Unfortunately, half of my father's body became paralysed because of his drinking habits before I could graduate. I was therefore suddenly told to come back to Hong Kong, so that ended in failure.

Becoming a singer and idol

— When you came back to Hong Kong you joined RTV (now ATV)’s singing contest. What was that like? ​I often sang at the place my friends worked at when I was in the UK. When I came back to Hong Kong, I found that English songs were quite popular so I wanted to see if I could break into the industry. To be honest, I was half goofing around. I never thought about becoming a singer.

— But you got second place and signed a contract with RTV… I did, but I didn't become popular instantly. From 1977 when I debuted until I released “Monica” in 1983, I was pretty much a nobody. During that time I sang English songs and wore jeans and sweatshirts, but the trend back then was for people to wear suits and sing seriously. I was young and had a baby face. Maybe I just didn’t fit the requirements for an idol of that time.

— Do you have any unforgettable memories from that time? Oh, I have a lot. I can think of one incident that was the most painful - no, miserable for me. One time, I was a performer at a concert where a lot of famous singers were performing. When it was my turn to go on stage, I threw my hat into the crowd. No one caught it - in fact, they tossed it back! That was so cruel. *laughs* There was a time when I had to go through stuff like that. Now I’m almost nostalgic for it, but I was pretty incensed about it back then.

— On the other hand, you started playing major roles quite early on in your acting career. Were you always interested in becoming an actor? I’ve always been interested in acting. I was lucky that as soon as I started out, I was already playing the main characters. If my memory serves me well, my first movie was released in 1979. It was a comedy with some… slightly sexual parts. But because I didn’t really have a choice in the roles I played, I took on all sorts of roles. I was young and wanted to earn some money, so I just acted in everything. Even though I can’t be proud of some of my parts, I don’t regret anything. That’s how people mature along with time.

— Are there any of your movies that you wouldn’t want to watch again? No, actually. But when I see some of my older films, I feel bad just thinking about my situation at the time. Back then, I never had over HKD$1000 in my bank account. I kept thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a thousand dollars…”

— Didn’t you feel disheartened during those seven years of being a nobody? To be honest, I never found that period long. The reason I say this is because the entertainment industry at the time didn’t really have anyone who became a star the moment they debuted. It was practically common sense that it’d take ten or so years to become a star.

— So did you believe that one day you’d become a star too? Hmm, how do I say this? Even though I wasn’t totally sure that it would happen, I was always waiting for an opportunity to arrive. The stars at the time like Sam Hui, Roman Tam and George Lam influenced me heavily too. In Hong Kong though, it’s impossible to become famous or popular just by copying others. You can’t become a star without your own speciality or being unique.

— Were you influenced a lot by Japanese idols? A lot. I feel like I’m more influenced by Japanese singers than local ones. Hideki Saijo, Kenji Sawada, Mayumi Itsuwa… and especially Momoe Yamaguchi, all influenced me heavily. My version of her song, “The Wind Blows On” was certified gold. “Monica” did even better and was certified platinum. To me though, “The Wind Blows On” was more impactful. That’s why I put the gold record in my coffee shop as a decoration.

— From that moment onwards, you became an extremely popular idol. What was the life of an idol like? I was much busier back then than I am now. As someone who was both acting and singing, my work was mostly for my singing career. Also, the need to win awards was much stronger… like a “hungry artist”. Whatever opportunity arose, be it an advertisement or a performance overseas, I would take it. At the time I was just constantly in an emotionally taut state. An idol’s life isn’t as happy as people think it is. To satisfy the audience, you have to constantly be charming and handsome. For the audience, for your fans… I kept thinking like that and slowly lost my sense of self. It was like I wasn’t myself anymore.

About Mr Tong

— Do you think your personality is suitable for being a celebrity? I think so. I’m not really a fan of a fixed work schedule and job, but in this industry, the people around me all help me and I decide the rules for my own game. Of course, as an idol, sometimes your privacy gets violated which isn’t a pleasant feeling. But I’ve never liked jobs with rigorous schedules. As an artist, as long as you put out good work, you can create the rules. That was really attractive to me.

— Are you bothered by gossip? I’ve gotten much better at dealing with it. I think it’s because my fans don’t believe in all those unverified news articles springing up everywhere - rather, they believe in me and my integrity. People who believe in gossip won’t believe me no matter what I say.  So there’s really not much use in being bothered by gossip. In the end, people will believe what they want to believe.

— Even though you say that, it must make you uncomfortable. They have no right to say those things… Well, of course I’ll feel uncomfortable. When talking about my mother’s funeral a while ago, the press chose to put the spotlight on Mr Tong (Daffy) rather than my mother’s death. I thought that was really unfair and it showed no respect for the dead. Even though I’m an artist and it’s only normal for people to write about me, I can’t tolerate people writing all kinds of rubbish about my siblings and my friends. They shouldn’t be the target of the media’s abuse. I really want to protect them, and I feel that I have the ability to do so as well.

— To you, what’s Mr Tong’s position in your life? He’s my best friend. I can tell him everything. He’s like a little brother to me. We’ve known each other since we were young, my mother was his godmother [Interviewer’s Note: In China, apart from biological parents, people have the habit of getting godparents 乾爸媽 for their children’s future. People treat their godparents like their own relatives.] Especially after his family moved to the US… he was just like a member of our family.

I think I’ll be indebted to him for the rest of my life. Before I became famous, I urgently needed a good amount of money because of a certain incident. I think that was the toughest time of my life. He didn’t say anything and just found a way to get the amount of money. That was worth months of his income. I only heard through the grapevine later that he ate only the cheapest takeout for lunch every day afterwards because of how costly it was for him. He was the only friend who treated me so well in my hour of need. So I’ll always treat him like my lifelong friend. He’s not just one of my friends. To me, he’s a very special, very important friend.

— The media has been speculating a lot about your relationship with Mr Tong. What do you think about that? I really hate it. I’m okay with it, but he’s just a normal guy. Yet the reporters chase him all around Hong Kong and take all kinds of pictures. It even disrupts him from doing his job… I really feel ashamed about it.

It’s the same for my brothers and sisters. Don’t write all kinds of rubbish just because one of my siblings is getting divorced. I’m alright with the press writing whatever about me, but I really don’t want you all to write about my family and friends. That’s just not fair!

On dating and marriage

— Let’s talk more about you. People say that a big part of your charm is your mysteriousness… That’s because I don’t talk about my personal business in public and I rarely make news for the press. How meaningless would it be if I just exposed everything about myself? Of course, I’m not saying I shut myself in at home every day and hide from everyone. The reason why I opened up a coffee shop was so that I could create a place where I could meet my fans. As long as you bump into me, I’ll sign an autograph for you and we can even take pictures together. My door is always open.

However, I don’t want to publicise my home, my life, and my friends and family. I just want to keep my privacy. There’s always someone asking, “Don’t you want to get married?”! That’s my own personal business. I don’t think there’s a need for me to answer that question. ​ — But as your fans, it’s only natural for them to care. They’ll think, “Why can’t, or rather won’t, a guy as charming as Leslie get married?” Do you really want to know that badly? *laughs* To put it simply, I’ve never had any dreams about getting married. I don’t dare to believe in marriage. There’s a lot of divorcees in my family. My parents didn’t have a good relationship and I grew up seeing multiple of my siblings going through divorces. So I’m not really confident in the idea of marriage. I don’t have a good impression of it. So maybe I’ll never get married (asks the interviewer) Are you married? Do you have a good relationship with your husband? Have you considered getting a divorce? (asks very quickly)

However, although I may never get married, I still care a lot about my family. Ever since I was young I didn’t really have a relationship with my home and relatives, so now I really care about “home”. I only put things I like in my home - I want to create a space where it’s okay to relax.

Above: Leslie Cheung and Teresa Mo for All's Well, Ends Well (1992)

— Have you really never thought about getting married? I have! That was when I was still very young. I think at the time I was only 22. She was a little older than me and we considered the idea of marriage very seriously. But out of the blue, she suddenly started acting very oddly and it was like her wires were crossed. I didn’t really know why, and at the time I was still young; in short, it was a really difficult ending.

— So you never seriously considered getting married after that? I didn’t. It’s almost definitely because my standards are too high. I’m really strict towards myself and everyone else. A normal person might be satisfied with 70% perfection, but I’d only be satisfied at around 95%. So something that’s normally satisfactory becomes unsatisfactory in my eyes. Tong always tells me, “You’re a perfectionist. Even if it’s really great, you’re still not satisfied, so I really pity you.” But when I look at him, even if it’s something very small, he's really touched and happy, so sometimes I really envy that. But I still can’t lower my standards.

— Even towards women? Hmm, you could say that if I like someone, I’ll have a lot of expectations towards them, which ends up in disappointment. I’m scared of that kind of disappointment. Besides, I’m 42 now - I’m at the age cap for liking someone! Even if a 20-year-old girl was in love with me and I liked her too, considering my age and my own personal stance, I know we can’t end up together based on feelings alone. Problems regarding the future, our environment… there are just too many problems to consider. As you get older, apart from becoming more demanding, you also lose more of your passion and vigour, so it’s kind of difficult.

— Even though you say that,  there are definitely plenty of women who like you. I don’t know… at this age, you can’t just fall in love! For example, if a girl told me “I love you,” I’d have to think: “Huh. Why is that?” *laughs* Really! I get scared just considering things about the future. Because for two people to coexist together, apart from love, you have to understand each other in all aspects, such as your personality, way of thinking, lifestyle… Take me and my mother as an example. Even though we’re mother and son, living together suddenly after being apart for so many years and trying to understand each other was really difficult. Of course, it’d be best if we could love each other from the bottom of our hearts and fully understand each other…

— It seems like your emotional state is really important in making a decision like this. Of course. As long as your hearts and souls are connected, even making love isn’t important. Of course, I don’t want to deny its importance either! *laughs*

— May I ask who you love most right now? Talking about who I love most… probably myself. If you’re talking about people other than myself, I guess you could say that as long as I truly like them, it doesn’t matter whether they’re male or female.

— So you’re bisexual? I’m trying to say that if someone loves me and I love them back, their gender doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter how I say it, I won’t be able to find that kind of happiness anyways. If you’re okay with both men and women, your chances are doubled. What’s not to like? *laughs*

As a superstar

— In “Farewell My Concubine” and “Happy Together”, as well as your provocative dancing in red heels during your 97 concert… These are a series of explorations past your own gender. Are you trying to send a certain message? No, they don’t have any special correlation. I’m not trying to send any particular message either. In “Farewell My Concubine”, Director Chen Kaige told me I had been mostly playing handsome young men. I had a pretty stable image, so he wanted me to be able to play a cute woman too as an actor. As for “Happy Together”, it was because homosexuality was a hot topic back then, so I thought maybe it’d be interesting to play a gay man. 

​For my concert, it was because I needed a little excitement. That wasn’t my idea though - it was the designer in charge of costumes and arts. David Bowie’s feminine performance on stage had a huge impact, so he said it would be very meaningful to do it in Asia too.

Actually, our original intention was to do Beijing Opera. But the clothing and makeup would be quite a hassle, so we wanted to find something that could replace it. We thought of putting on red lipstick based on the theme of the song “Red”, but the Hung Hom Coliseum is huge. You wouldn’t be able to see the lipstick all the way up in the spectator’s stand, so I just wore red heels instead.

— Watching your concerts or films makes people feel you’re very self-absorbed*. Are you that way in real life as well? I do play a lot of narcissists in my films. For myself, how do I… *thinks for a rather long time* In my movies or concerts, I hope to show the audience the best me. But outside of work, I don’t even look at the mirror, and I don’t really care about my own appearance. At the very least, I’m not the type of person who likes hanging their own photos in their home or in the shop. * T/N: The word used in the original is 自我陶醉 (literally drunk by yourself). It does not necessarily have a negative connotation and is used to refer to when someone is very absorbed in what they are doing, and is enjoying it a lot. The term can also be translated as narcissistic depending on the context.

— But objectively you are quite handsome. What do you think when you see your reflection in the mirror? “Wow, he’s so handsome!” *laughs so hard he bends over* No, no, I’m just joking. You can’t really judge your own appearance objectively.

​Think about it, it’s just a face you’re used to seeing since birth.

For a long time, people who don’t know me well have said I’m “pampered”, “cool”, “efficient”... to be honest, that’s not even true. I just like saying whatever pops into my head, so people think I’m a stuck up guy. Chinese people generally beat around the bush and avoid directness to be polite. For a guy like me who just says everything directly, it’s easy to get into trouble. But I guess that has nothing to do with being self absorbed.

— People describe your charm in a lot of ways, like “cute”, “handsome”, and “sexy”... which word makes you the happiest? Coming from my fans, it doesn’t matter if the word is cute, handsome or sexy - I’ll be happy either way. But if it’s someone who knows me well, then I won’t be happy with any of those words. There’s nothing worth being happy about when you’re only praised for your looks.

— So what descriptor makes you the happiest? “Good fellow”, probably? Among all the words of praise, this one moves me most.

— Is Leslie Cheung the superstar actually you? Or is it a persona you've played as and released to be a marketable product? Oh, this is a difficult question. I don't really feel that I'm consciously playing a role, so I guess it should be me. There's no gap between me and "actor Leslie". *asks the interviewer* Don't you think that's my worth in a film? Also, I feel like the potential and talent needed to be a star are qualities that I possess.

Actually, people are just like kaleidoscopes. It's impossible to only show people one side of yourself. But whether it's fans or the media, they tend to only look at one side of us and make judgements based on what they look at, which creates all kinds of misconceptions. The fans tend to only like looking at the almost mythical parts of their favourite celebrities. The media also tends to make mountains out of molehills when they don't have the full picture. But the truth is, those are only variations in the pattern of the kaleidoscope.

— You could say that the job of a superstar is to sell variations in the kaleidoscope’s pattern, so it should be quite high-stress. What do you do when you feel that your stress has reached its limit? Yeah, so it’s actually really important to relax yourself. For me, I choose to go on holiday. I go somewhere no one knows me. Lately I’ve fallen in love with hot springs.

— You already have things that most people want. Positions, reputation, money, beauty, charm… If there’s something missing, what would you say it is? *thinks for a moment* Maybe education? Because I quit halfway in university. It would have been nice if I studied more during that time. If it’s possible I’d like to study all the way up to a doctorate. There’s too much that can only be learnt during your student days.

As an actor

— Do you like rewatching your own movies? Or do you not really watch them? Mm, I probably count as the type that doesn’t really watch them. Because when I watch my own films, I keep thinking things like “Oh, that’s not quite right”, or “If only I acted this way in this scene”... I mind a lot.

When I’m acting, I’m really immersed so I don’t have the time and energy to look at it objectively. After doing it all in one go and looking at it afterwards, my flaws are very obvious from a third person perspective. From a mental health perspective though, it’s not really good to dwell on regrets about something you can’t change.

— So far among all the roles you’ve acted in, are there any which you can say you interpreted flawlessly? *No hesitation* No. For all my films, if I rewatch them, I always think “I would do better if I did it now…”

— Your acting skills have clearly matured over your career, especially in romance scenes. Is this a result of gaining experience or because you consciously put in work on these scenes? Really? I got better at romance scenes? *laughs* If so, personal experience would certainly help, but it’s more that I slowly matured through constantly acting. Your acting skills are like a deposit book. If you keep putting in money, one day you’ll reap the rewards. When a melon is ripe, it falls off its stem… the time each person takes to get there is different, and of course some people never get there at all. It’s not just personal hard work, many other factors like whether you can meet a good director are all really important.

— Not just your romance scenes, there’s something unique in every way you move on the big screen. Even if it’s just your silhouette, people know for sure it’s you. Is the way you carry yourself something natural or is it a conscious effort? I never consciously thought about that. It just came about naturally. I don’t think there’s any particular “method” of acting, you’re not consciously doing this and that. I just do what I think is the most natural thing to do in that scene. In other words, I do what I think that character would do. I’m just recreating those movements.

Some actors have their best angles figured out and work out how they are best captured on camera. But I don’t really enjoy consciously acting like that. My expressions and movements are the best when I just act like myself. That’s the most natural.

However, when you keep reshooting a certain part, like the opening and ending of a certain shot, it’s easier for the editors if you do the same thing every time. But repeating the same movement over and over again really bores me, so I start trying out some different interpretations.

If the acting is very successful, the director is only human. They would also think that it’d be a waste to cut out that scene even if they have to change what they originally had in mind. What the audience sees is made up of all the best shots.

— Either way, there’ll still be a marked difference in the performance of a good actor and a bad actor. Well, of course. Talented actors or actors of a high calibre make you forget their acting. You feel like they’re just being themselves. That’s because they’re unique and not an imitation of someone else - that's why they’re convincing.

In comparison, those “average” or untalented actors are often unwilling to challenge themselves so while they don’t make huge mistakes, they also can’t make the audience feel the character fully. They make no attempt to be unique and instead subconsciously copy people around them.

— You’ve played many roles alongside several prominent leading ladies. As you continue to play these roles, your partners get younger and younger. It may not look like it but there’s actually an age gap between the two of you. Do you feel the age gap between you and your costars? Yeah, it’s like that now. *laughs* To be honest, lately with my costars it feels more like I’m teaching a student rather than acting with them. In fact when actually on set I become a teacher completely. *laughs* However, even though I feel the age gap between us, I have a baby face, so it also looks unnatural if I act alongside the actresses of my generation. I guess it can’t be helped.

On the movies he's starred in

— Which one of your starring roles was the hardest to play? *thinks for a moment* Ho Po-Wing in “Happy Together”. I was feeling unwell* during the shooting and I had to arrange all kinds of things for my upcoming concert which made me really nervous. Wong Kar-wai’s the type of director who doesn’t prepare a script and there were all kinds of problems. It was especially difficult to make Ho Po-Wing, whose personality is horrible, a charming character. I was really worried about that. * T/N: Leslie had amoebiasis during the filming in Argentina after eating contaminated food. ​ — You still pulled off the role successfully though. You were even nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award and Golden Horse Award for Best Actor. That was really unexpected. I didn’t really think I was the main character in “Happy Together” so I didn’t think I was qualified to be nominated.

— Do you think you were qualified for the award for your roles in “Days of Being Wild” and “Ashes of Time”? The panel decides who gets the awards. I can’t really judge whether I’m qualified to get a prize. If there’s any film of mine which I think should be qualified to win something, it would probably be “Farewell My Concubine”. It won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. I was also really delighted to hear that it was a critical success in Japan.

— Was it easier to play Cheng Dieyi in Farewell My Concubine compared to Ho Po-Wing in Happy Together? Yeah. I liked Dieyi’s personality more too and we had more in common, especially his dedication and meticulousness towards art and love. I felt that really deeply. It was difficult to grasp the Beijing dialect and learn Beijing Opera though. But overall in all aspects, it’s an unforgettable film for me.

— “He’s a Woman, She’s a Man” is a film portraying the workings of the entertainment industry. Fans think that Koo Ka-ming (Sam) is actually a depiction of you… Not at all. I can’t write songs and I can’t play the piano either. *laughs* I guess we behave similarly when we’re single… Looking inward, if there are any similarities, maybe it’s in our living habits and worldview. We're more stubborn about that. As for some other aspects, some of those are just my own personality peeking through. Like the scene where I’m very scared and stuck in the elevator. Actually, that was just my real reaction when imagining the incident occurring to myself. Did it look real?

— I see. So that scene was just you. I always felt like that fear seemed too real. *laughs* Now that I’m talking with you though, I do feel that you share far too many similarities with Sam Koo. Hm, really? Okay, maybe a bit. *laughs* But to be honest, rather than Sam Koo being like me, Sam Koo is like the director Peter Chan. ​

Directors and Actors

— Speaking of Director Peter Chan, I wanted to ask you about the directors you've encountered. You worked together with Chen Kaige in "Farewell, My Concubine" and "Temptress Moon", so I suppose he's one of the directors who really appreciates your talent. He does like working with me. The script for "Temptress Moon" was written after I was chosen to play the lead role. A so-called "tailor-made" script for me.

— There are rumours that you were originally going to star in “The Emperor and the Assassin”. I was invited to, but my schedule didn’t allow for it. The shooting would take around a year but I had a world tour going on, so I couldn’t give him that much time. There’s also another reason. The main character of the film was a tall, strong, broad-backed guy in Chinese people’s imaginations… I’m too far away from that kind of image.

— The roles you play in Wong Kar-Wai’s films and Tsui Hark’s films are totally different. Is this because the two directors have different impressions of you? Maybe it’s because they’ve observed different parts of me. Besides, the content of their films is quite different. Wong Kar-Wai’s films are in a unique, perhaps “dispirited” or nihilistic world. Even though the time or location of his films varies, the world he’s trying to create is always the same.

Comparatively, Tsui Hark’s movies always have some kind of hidden philosophical or political thought. Even if the movie is very dark, there’s always hope and light somewhere. Do my roles reflect the differences in their films?

— It was quite shocking to see that you didn’t need guidance from the director (Jacob Cheung) on the set of “The Kid''. Instead, you mulled over and interpreted the role yourself. Is this the norm for you? Pretty much. Directors rarely adjust my acting. That’s why some people can’t stand it when they work with me for the first time. Generally, directors think that acting is something the director arranges for you.

But to be honest, once they start filming, they begin to recognise my acting and usually take my opinions and advice into account. Of course, people don’t think the same way, and my opinions may not be the same as the director all the time. But I’m dedicated to every role I play, and I always hope that I can make a good film. That’s definitely something I share in common with the director.

— In terms of acting skills, you don’t really need a director… How could I? It’s impossible to imagine not having a director. Think about it - no matter how good actors are, they’re always in first-person perspective. An expert looking at you from a third-person perspective and correcting your technical errors, which is the director, is absolutely necessary. Of course I might disagree with the director, but that’s a really important part of making a good movie.

I’m a really lucky actor in that I’ve worked with a lot of great directors. John Woo, Chen Kaige, Wong Kar-Wai, Peter Chan, Jacob Cheung… all of them are excellent directors. The fact that they think I’m a good actor makes me happier than anything else.

To be honest, how good a film is rests almost entirely in the director’s hands. The director is the lynchpin. A movie is a treasure chest and the director is the key. Whether you can unlock it and get the treasure depends totally on the director. That’s why my goal for now is to become a director.

About the future

— Have you already begun work on your directorial debut? I’m working on it. If all goes well, I should be able to start filming in the spring (1999). I haven’t really decided on the contents though.

— As a director, who would you consider picking to be the female lead? Karen Mok or Shu Qi. Karen is a really good performer and an actress with a bright future. Shu Qi isn’t just beautiful, she’s sexy too, so I think she’d be a good fit for a romance movie. They both have great potential.

— Your fans worry that you won’t act anymore once you begin your directorial career. How will you divide your time among directing, acting and singing? I think I’ll reduce my activities as a singer. I want to do music when I’m relaxed and not churn out albums regularly like I do now. Maybe just once or twice a year. I want to really feel the joy of making music and sing for the people who truly like my songs.

As for directing, I want to focus on only being a director at least for the first one or two times. Later, when I’m getting the hang of it, I’ll decide whether I want to continue being an actor. If it’s all smooth sailing, I could be an actor and a leading man like Robert Redford.

— That’s certainly comforting. As an actor, are there any roles or films you’re interested in outside of Hong Kong films? Jack Nicholson’s role in “As Good As It Gets”. It’s really easy to hate that character, but his character is actually really kind-hearted. I think it’d be interesting if I could play that kind of role.

— There’s another role in “As Good As It Gets” - the gay artist with a very special personality. What about that kind of role? *laughs* No way. I don’t want to play that kind of role. *laughs*

— So on the flip side, what kind of roles wouldn’t you be willing to play or be able to handle? The kind of roles that Jackie Chan plays. *laughs*

— There’s a rumour that you won’t act in comedies anymore. Is that true? No! I love the flow of comedies and I might act in one some other time. If I get used to being a director, I might even film one myself.

— Lastly, please tell me something about your first musical, “A Chinese Ghost Story”, which is scheduled for next year.  I’ve never done a musical before so I’m really curious about it too. Challenging myself to try a new thing really excites me. If it’s a success, I feel unprecedented joy. The reason why we chose “A Chinese Ghost Story” to be made into a musical is because of its visual effects. Musicals are a product of blending your hearing and sight. I hope the music and visual effects can complement each other and elevate the musical.

— Will there be a performance in Japan as said before? If possible, we’d like to do it. But unlike movies, there are no subtitles, so the language barrier might be a problem.

— Even if there’s a language barrier, we will still be able to enjoy the performance. Please make the Japanese performance a reality. I’m really happy to hear that. Whatever happens, I hope it’s a successful musical. I’ll try my best, please remember to come watch it then! * T/N: The “A Chinese Ghost Story” musical never happened due to investors’ uncertainties regarding the economic state of Hong Kong at the time, among other reasons. You can read an archived article about it here.

Leslie's past dream home

In the interview, Leslie spoke many times about “home”. Since his childhood, he dreamt of having a carefree, stable home. Leslie, who is interested in interior design, finally helped to design his own home and created his “dream home”! Unfortunately, once he moved, the media surrounded his home. Even tour buses stopped by, which led to the house being sold not long after him moving in…

I wish to have a place where I can’t be disrupted, and I can relax myself… saying this, he reveals part of his dreams and thoughts.

Personal Information

Helping you to understand more about Cheung Kwok-Wing

Place of Birth: Hong Kong

Blood Type: O

Nickname: 哥哥 (Gor Gor, lit. big brother)

Where the nickname came from: His costar in “A Chinese Ghost Story”, Joey Wong called him that. After a while, everyone around him started calling him Gor Gor

Favourite flower: Orchids, because they bloom for a long time.

Favourite food: Seafood, especially lobsters

Least favourite food: Mexican food *scrunches up his brows – it tastes terrible!*

Favourite colour: White, black and grey

Favourite car: Porsche Range Rover

Current car: An ink-green Range Rover

Traits when driving: Drives safely (He says that, but he’s actually a speeder)

Interests: Painting appreciation and watching films. Also interested in antiques

Biggest fear: Flying, especially in turbulence. A bit scared of heights and is also claustrophobic

Things he hates: Gossip including people who spread gossip and people who like gossip

Favourite book: “Dream of the Red Chamber” and books about interior design/decoration

Favourite author: Ba Jin (巴金)

Favourite movie: Gone with the Wind

Favourite actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro

Favourite actresses: Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh (says while laughing: they’re not trendy anymore!)

Favourite directors: Akira Kurosawa, Bernardo Bertolucci, Li Han-hsiang (a HK director active in the 50s-70s)

Favourite singers: Barbara Streisand, Elton John, Boyz II Men

Buying clothes: Buys them by himself. Usually buys underwear through mail order.  

Favourite brands: Jil Sander

Favourite animal: Dog

Pets: German Shepherd “Bingo” (Bingo is his third dog, he also had another shepherd dog in Canada)

Religion: None

Rules of living: Be patient, be genuine with your friends

When alone at home: Reads a book or watches TV

What he looks like asleep: Naked. It’s best to wear nothing when you’re sleeping!

How he sleeps: Usually on his back

Falling asleep: Quite easy. As long as he doesn’t have too much on his mind, he can fall asleep very quickly

Waking up: Decent. Might be an “early bird”.

Bad habits: Doesn’t really have any significant bad habits

Superstitious: A bit

When is he superstitious: Greeting people at home and paying respects to the Buddha in temples. That kind of thing.

Where he washes first when showering: His head

Favourite part of his face: Chin (the fortune teller said it was a chin which foretells making many good friends in his later years!)

Least favourite part of his face: Left eye. It usually has a double eyelid, but it becomes a triple eyelid when he’s tired

Favourite part of his body: Doesn’t have a favourite

Least favourite body part: Legs

Why it’s his least favourite body part: They are too short. It would have been nice if he was just a bit taller (By the way, he says his height is 175 cm)

Your personality: Ever-changing

An animal you’re most alike to: A wild monkey

Reason: Likes being carefree and spontaneous, doesn’t like feeling tied up

Happiest thing in his life: “Farewell My Concubine” winning the Palme d’Or

Saddest thing in his life: His parents passing away

If he was reincarnated, what would he want to be: A human

If he was reincarnated as an animal: A bird then

Would he rather be male or female: Male. Because in this world, men can be independent

If he was a woman: He wants to be a woman who is very rich or a very talented woman so he doesn’t have to be ordered around by men and can live an independent life

Interviewer/Writing: Shima Chitose Translation: Me (@dailylesliec on Twitter/Tumblr) Do not repost without credit. If you like this translation, consider following me or buying me a Ko-fi. Taken from the Leslie's Everything / Leslie 的所有 fanbook.

#leslie cheung #dailylesliec translations #張國榮 #leslie's everything #leslie 的所有 #장국영

[twilightmalachite]

2×2 - Children on the Streets 8

Author: Akira

Characters: Yuuta, Shinobu, Nagisa

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Ughh, anyways! I’ll complain about this stupid program’s direction later. For now, we gotta do the job required of us to do!"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Chinese Restaurant

The next day, inside Chinese restaurant ran by Master, the Aoi brothers’ benefactor…

Nagisa: …Yesterday, we received a strange message from the missing Anzu-san, along with a package.

…To summarize, it was about how the bad guys were going to attack this restaurant today.

…The identity of these bad guys are a mystery, however. But we have been given weapons as a means to oppose them.

Yuuta: Yeah. That’s what was inside the package Anzu-san had mailed us, right?

But what is this, a water gun? This isn’t child’s play, I don’t see how something like this can hold up against something like real thugs…

Shinobu: So that’s why, this is probably all part of the program, de gozaru.

This is staged, a fun event to give the show a boost, de gozaru!

Even though it was supposed to be an “Experience Living On The Streets”, we ended up living comfortably here—

Yuuta: Meaning extra production was put in to liven up the program.

Nagisa: …I think it was an appropriate change. We would have become exhausted if we had stayed like that.

…I’m a little relieved, though.

…I suppose that means the reason Anzu-san and Hinata-kun disappeared is due to this extra production.

Yuuta: Although we don’t know exactly why they did, that does seem to be the case. Especially since the police don’t seem to know why either, when I reported it to them.

Good god. And here I was worried because he disappeared without saying a word. Wish he at least would have explained himself!

Well, I knew it, anyways! ‘Cuz there’s no way Aniki would disappear without my permission!

So of course it was just part of the program, some surprise prank!

Shinobu: Even though you were utterly pale with panic yesterday, Yuuta-kun. ♪

Nagisa: …Yeah. It was painful to watch.

…Hinata-kun really is an important person to Yuuta-kun, isn’t he?

Yuuta: Y-You’re wrong! Forget that! I don’t know what got into me yesterday!

Shinobu: Even if we forget it, it was all filmed crystal clear yesterday, so—

It’s possible it will be used in the broadcast and remain in the viewers’ memories forever, de gozaru!

Yuuta: Gah, I’ll have to hound the program’s production team to make sure that doesn’t happen! I can’t have a lifetime’s worth of shame eternalized on film!

Shinobu: Fufu, but on the other hand, there’s been rumors of a rift of sorts between 2wink due to your unusual behavior, so it might be effective in dissipating those suspicions, de gozaru.

Like, “Whaaaat, he says a lot, but he really does love his big brother, doesn’t he?”

Yuuta: No! You misunderstand! Nooo, I don’t want to be reduced to a cheap plot like that!

I can’t stand reflecting the world’s ideal that “it’s only natural twins and siblings are close! ♪” anymore!

Shinobu: Well, I do understand how it can be tough to have ideals imposed onto you, de gozaru.

It wasn’t as much the case for me, but… Everyone else in RYUSEITAI seemed to be having a hard time with expectations of the ideal “ally of justice” being imposed onto them.

Nagisa: …It is an idol’s job to live up to expectations.

…I too follow Ibara’s direction and act like I am a top idol, even if it is unbefitting of me.

…Prior to only a few years ago, I was among the many other people who didn't even know the basics of being an idol.

Yuuta: Ughh, anyways! I’ll complain about this stupid program’s direction later. For now, we gotta do the job required of us to do!

We’re professionals!

Shinobu: It’s a little funny in a backwards way, de gozaru, but you’re right.

According to Anzu-dono’s explanation, the job required of us to do is what is called a siege battle—

We protect this restaurant, which has become our precious home, from assailants, de gozaru.

Yuuta: And we’ve been given weapons to do that, huh? Well, water guns.

Nagisa: …So we just need to shoot whoever attacks us with these?

…Ibara likes these. It’s one of those “survival-games”, right?

Yuuta: It’s reminding me a bit of zombie movies. It’s like a classic case of barricading yourself in something like a shopping mall and fighting off the monsters that attack you, isn’t it?

Shinobu: Most zombie movies end with total annihilation, so this is a slightly ominous analogy to make, de gozaru…

Personally, it reminds me of the siege battles of the Sengoku period, so I’m getting kinda excited, de gozaru!

Loyal ninjas would put their life on the line for the sake of their lord—Hehehe! ♪

Nagisa: …There are even shuriken for weapons, in fact.

Shinobu: Ossu! This must be a message from Anzu-dono giving me approval to fight as a ninja, de gozaru!

Hehehe, Anzu-dono always makes my dreams come true…♪

Yuuta: It’s not really a shuriken, more like a shar-shaped water balloon. Doesn’t it seem like it’d be hard to use? Won’t it just be easier to shoot with a gun instead~?

Shinobu: No! This is a playful performance for the program, here I shall put romance first!

Nagisa: …Oops, it looks like our time is running short as we’re talking.

..It’s nearly the time that Anzu-san has predicted for the attack.

Yuuta: In the end, Aniki never returned, huh? According to Anzu-san, it seems like he's with her, but…

Stupid Aniki, what is he doing… Well, I’m relieved to see it was a staged disappearance, and not some sexy scenario or anything like that.

Lately, I don’t know what Aniki’s thinking, it makes me uneasy from time to time.

Nagisa: …Fufu. I have a feeling that Hinata-kun may be thinking the very same thing.

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

#2×2 #2x2 #nagisa ran #yuuta aoi #shinobu sengoku #event #translation

[thelostjournals]

The hope that turned into a dragon

This is the story of the constellation's dimmest star and how it

We both hesitate to call it dying. But maybe this is what death is.

Maybe we'll learn more with time, as we decipher the stories of the other stars. For now, here it is:

Like steps polished by the feet of generations, like pebbles shaped by shapeless water, stories and constellations smoothen with time.

I had two stars very close to each other: my darkest and my second-brightest. Siblings, convicted by the lines the mortals drew in their minds, to be ever distant.

The dim star, they used to say, shines from a deep abyss that separated the observatory from the rest of the city. The abyss was as deep as the sky seen from the observatory was high and as dark as the sun was bright. But in every darkness, they said, there is a light, no matter how weak.

The smallest star wasn't the smallest; she was just the farthest from the Earth. I am vaster than the mortals imagine; that at least didn't change with my ascension.

The furthest star missed the mortals the most. She yearned for them for eons, feeding on the stories told about her, stories of hope and dim lights that are enough, and ached to live on the small rock that was so far from us.

Each story made her heart wider, the gas that was her body spreading in the emptiness of space, blooming into a nebula, until all that was left of her glorious, shining body, was a hot, hard heart among colorful clouds. There was no light in it anymore, and the nebula, beautiful as it was, wasn't visible to the mortals not yet.

Mortals stopped telling stories and the farthest star was no longer a symbol of hope.

It broke her.

I watched it, I felt it, the hard, hot iron heart crack open. I felt the dragon coming out of it. I felt her spreading her wings because, for a short while, they were also mine.

Then she flew towards the planet she longed for, the one that believed her to be hope incarnate, and she was no longer mine. She was her own.

The star was no more, and the imaginary abyss was no more. My stories became ones about a city on a mountain, the observatory just a place on the mountain peak, accessible to all who had the stamina and wits to climb through my districts.

I was smoothened.

The Flicker and the Fade is harder for me to play than You Are a Beacon. The prompts are more, well, nebulous (I won't see myself out, this is my blog, sorry), and imagining stars is harder than imagining people. Also, I decided to use watercolor paint while playing this game, and I'm not good at it. This project is all about doing imperfect experimental things, about being playful, not professional but nobody said it comes easy.

The fact that my father was a physicist and that I remembered that hey, stars have life cycles, I need to research it, or he will come back from the dead to haunt me, didn't help.

I like the fact that the game is challenging, but also makes playing it way slower. Especially since I want to write it only when I feel like it.

So, I struggled with this first star, yesterday I even left writing mid-entry not knowing where I want to take the story, and then, a few hours ago I saw the sentence "I promise not to make boring art" somewhere and I asked myself what would be the least boring and most wacky thing to happen and the first word I thought of was dinosaurs.

Of course, the star changing into a dinosaur didn't fit the world tonally, but the dead star's core being a dragon egg is, at least to me, SUPER COOL. So here we have it.

This is the second entry in my playthrough of The Flicker and the Fade, a beautiful yet challenging game you can find here: https://nyessa.itch.io/the-flicker-and-the-fade

The playthrough is a part of an impromptu worldbuilding project my "let's play a lot of solo journaling games" turned into - hence the intro, which is written by a character from the previous game, You Are a Beacon (to be found here: https://radiantfracture.itch.io/you-are-a-beacon). You can read the whole playthrough in previous entries.

#solorpg #journaling games #the flicker and the fade #indie ttrpg

[lilyoffandoms]

Blades Drabble - Tyril x OC (Maiele)

For day two of the May @choicesmonthlychallenge (siblings | truffle | "make me"). The prompt was really just an excuse to write these two and the siblings are more background noise.

Warnings & A/N: No warnings. I was rereading @missameliep’s fic, In Your Arms, yesterday and the part of the rings got me thinking about rings and what human traditions Maiele brings into their life having grown up among only humans, and well, a morning warmup drabble happened. General. <200 words.

The kids feet were pounding loudly overhead as they played some game. Probably with the play swords and knives Mal had given them on their last visit. Daenarya had told Maiele that he did it just to see Tyril’s face when they started playing with them. At this point, they were used to the noise and the chaos and Tyril had moved anything of value up or into off limit rooms so that nothing was damaged.

A crash sounded upstairs and Nassandra called out, “It’s fine. I got it.”

At least nothing too damaged, Maiele thought.

“They are fine. Nassandra is responsible. She’s a mini you,” he teased.

He pulled Tyril closer as he felt him shift to go see what had happened. They were sitting on the couch in the library, Tyril’s back resting against Maiele’s chest. Maiele absentmindedly twirling the ring on his finger as he sat with his eyes closed listening to Tryil read.

Tyril stopped reading and set the book down watching as Maiele twirled his wedding band around his finger. A human tradition Maiele had insisted upon and one that Tyril didn’t quite understand at first but had grown to love. Especially when he was reminded by the sight of his ring on Maiele’s finger and what that meant. How they had ended up here, together, with a house and family of their own he would never quite figure out and he knew he would never grow tired of it.

He leaned his head up to look at Maiele. Still sitting with his eyes closed, his arms wrapped tightly around Tyril.

“What?” Maiele asked a small, contented smile on his lips.

Tyril set the book aside and turned to kneel between Maiele’s legs to better see his face. He placed a kiss to Maiele’s lips and felt him smile into it.

“What I do to deserve that? Not that I’m complaining,” he asked as they parted and his eyes opened.

Maiele wrapped his arms around Tyril’s waist and pulled him down into his embrace. One hand cupping his cheek and the coolness of his ring reminding Tyril that he belonged to him and him alone. Maiele pressed his forehead to Tyril’s and placed a soft kiss to his lips in return.

He pulled back and Tyril settled against him, resting his chin on Maiele’s chest, and looking up at him.

“So? You gonna answer my question?” Maiele smirked.

“I love you.”

“I hope so,” he teased. “But for the record, I love you, too,” he said into a deeper kiss.

Another crash sounded from one of the first floor rooms and Maiele laughed as Tyril groaned, “Why?”

When they heard only silence Tyril got up and walked quickly from the room.

“You love it,” Maiele called after him.

“That is debatable,” Tyril called back.

Maiele only chuckled as he heard the boys feet scamper up the stairs and Nassandra’s voice, calm but exasperated, telling Tyril exactly what had happened.

——————————

Choices Tags: @storyofmychoices @peonierose

Tyril Tag: @voseho

#blades of light and shadow #tyril x maiele #tyril starfury x oc #post canon #my drabble #choicesmonthlychallenge #i like to live dangerously and so do not edit forgive me any mistakes #my oc: maiele nightbloom

[alojadojeck]

Autobiography

"Self"

My name is Jeck Alogado on October 28,2005" grade 12 Student in 8 years old. I was Romsion tock acidemte stund Humss at Gomeral pantaleor My pavent name's have 5 sibling any SHS in cavite Imus, and emeliyor Bobby clayculo and I'm a younges V. Hojado

there's a lot of things Friendly guys protect my For at hove But that I like oud don't want influence bud. I am becave I'd pesther be I don't like barkada because guy thest at home thay out sich - My hobbies is playing chess puthermore my saccuand abbies is reading book every day.

Biography

"My friend"

my friend andrew he is my younger friend since we are 5 years old, andrew lives in guinbirayan romblon he has four siblings andrew is the eldest among siblings, andrew had a ch

my friend andrew he is my younger friend since we are 5 years old, andrew lives in guinbirayan romblon he has four siblings andrew is the eldest among siblings, andrew had a child early at the age of 16 because also because of his mother's negligence because Andrew came from a broken family when he was young his father left him immediately, Andrew had a wife earlier than his uncles and aunts, when we were children Andrew always catch fish in the sea every four o'clock in the afternoon and we play with it because it used to be our only toy, when I went home to Romblon and saw Andrew we both went to the sea where we played and we remembered things that we used to plact.y with and we had a good time talking. Like his mother, Andrew had a child early. my ild early at the age of 16 because also because of his mother's negligence because Andrew came from a broken family when he was young his father left him immediately, Andrew had a wife earlier than his uncles and aunts, when we were children Andrew always catch fish in the sea every four o'clock in the afternoon and we play with it because it used to be our only toy, when I went home to Romblon and saw Andrew we both went to the sea where we played and we remembered things that we used to plact.y with and we had a good time talking. Like his mother, Andrew had a child early. my

Personal narrative

"Smiling air"

I had salty air cond thed shore were always love the sounds like music the Smells of the ocean, The of the waves to my soul. As fcrasheshing agant te a chiled my family wald take summer vacations to the black, and those memories still feel like they happened It was loats trerrifying yesterday. One particular summa stands out Ge summer I learned to suim Lrogmanner the out in font of me at the like an Save endless blive painting Tags: I wandel bir peding the wish of the colol water apart ay

Futhermore den the wave dne day, everything devened. A storm willed turn into menstreers boust. the sky und weled with of I know Kerosity I had to kame in qud chees quew dark, and the Sky que plat sut shivers dua ay spine. I was M Fears nee Again

Yeous passad Gunter. the taught me Ear hood on hell C and I found by of cean had been a abut bravery, resillence louking part & my hourt out of mer Sack of teacher and the the horizon the familiar expane 4 Frioul dallenge. It had I realised that the and I waad days carny piece of it

Reaction to personal narrative

(Sabac personal narrative)

"The way of life"

My initial reaction to this passage is one of confusion and sadness. The author describes feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed by life, yet also acknowledges the support and concern of their family. The imagery of a dark cloud hanging over their goals and plans is striking, and the repeated mention of tears and fragility adds a sense of vulnerability. The mention of a looming threat or hidden danger adds tension to the narrative. Overall, the emotional turmoil and inner struggle portrayed in this passage evoke a sense of empathy and concern for the author's well-being.

( Self obituary)

I am the youngest among five siblings, and I may not be the smartest but I am good at strategizing when the time comes. My achievement has been winning championships in the field of chess, nearly five championships in the Romblon tournament. I was extremely happy during that time. If I had only five days to live, I would do what I want. I would go to our province and rest in our expansive land filled with mango trees, surrounded by greenery and flowers. The view from our house overlooks the wide expanse of rice fields. If I were to pass away, I would go to the place where my father is, a place filled with memories we created together. And if I were to die tomorrow, the only thing I would tell my parents is to never forget me.

It feels good to reminisce. And finally, if I were to leave this world, I would tell my loved ones not to forget me and to remember the kindness I showed them. That's the only good memory I wish to leave behind. I have one request: I hope that my dream house in Romblon will be completed, as it is my father's dream house and is gradually being worked on. If I were to pass away, bury me next to my father's grave. That's all I desire when I am gone. Thank you.

Memoir

As I reflect on my time in grade 8, one memory that stands out the most is the first time I drank alcohol. It was a thrilling yet terrifying experience that ultimately taught me valuable lessons about self-control and responsibility.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a weekend evening and my friends and I decided to sneak some alcohol from a relative's stash. We thought we were being rebellious and cool, but in reality, we were just naive kids looking for a way to fit in.

As I took my first sip, I felt a rush of excitement and euphoria. The taste burned my throat, but I pushed through, wanting to prove that I was tough and could handle it. However, as the night went on, the effects of the alcohol started to kick in. My vision blurred, my speech slurred, and I felt completely out of control.

That night was a wake-up call for me. I realized that alcohol is not something to be taken lightly and that it can have serious consequences if not consumed responsibly. I made a promise to myself to never let alcohol control me again and to always be mindful of my actions.

Looking back, I am grateful for that experience as it taught me important lessons that have shaped me into the responsible adult I am today. It was a defining moment in my life that I will never forget.

Facial recognition

This is my sister, Ate Jade Alojado, who is not just a sister but sometimes serves as a parent for us. She is the second oldest and I am the youngest. She has beautiful eyes, a bit chubby, and a sharp nose like our father, who also has a sharp nose. She is now 26 years old and stands at exactly 5 feet tall. She is intelligent, from grade 1 to grade 10 she was always top 1 in honor. Wow, maybe that's my sister. Ate Jade has a sharp nose like our father, who also has a sharp nose, almost Korean-like. I have nothing else to say about Ate Jade's personality other than what I have already mentioned.

Literary journalism

President Rodrigo Duterte is a controversial figure in Philippine politics. Known for his tough stance on crime and his outspoken and sometimes inflammatory rhetoric, Duterte has drawn both praise and criticism from various sectors of society.

Duterte's rise to power was largely fueled by his promise to eliminate crime and corruption in the Philippines. During his campaign, he vowed to wage a brutal war on drugs, which he believed to be the root of much of the country's social and economic problems. Since assuming office in 2016, he has launched a bloody crackdown on drug dealers and users, resulting in thousands of deaths and widespread human rights violations.

While Duterte's tactics have garnered him a loyal following among those who believe in his no-nonsense approach to governance, they have also drawn condemnation from human rights organizations and the international community. Critics accuse him of condoning extrajudicial killings and undermining the rule of law in his pursuit of a drug-free society.

In addition to his controversial stance on the drug war, Duterte has also been criticized for his often sexist and misogynistic remarks, which have offended many women both in the Philippines and abroad. His crude language and derogatory comments about women have raised questions about his commitment to gender equality and respect for human rights.

Despite these criticisms, Duterte remains popular among many Filipinos, who see him as a strong leader who is willing to take bold action to solve the country's problems. His tough-talking style and brash demeanor have endeared him to those who are tired of traditional politicians and their empty promises.

In conclusion, President Duterte's presidency has been marked by controversy and division. While he has made some progress in addressing crime and corruption in the Philippines, his methods have sparked widespread criticism and raised serious concerns about his commitment to human rights and the rule of law. As his term continues, it remains to be seen how history will judge his legacy as a leader.

References:

- "Duterte's Drug War: The U.S. Must End Its Complicity in the Philippines" by Phelim Kine (Human Rights Watch, August 2020)

- "Outrage at the colorful language of the Philippines' Duterte" by Michelle FlorCruz (CNN, September 2016)

[feetfingers]

OOPS!!! Haven't posted yet, maybe this blog will be abandoned just like my diaries 😭

---------

Sunday, October 22 2023

-Played among us for the first time in months. Was fun, became imposter and won! I hate being imposter haha, usually leave when I become imposter but decided to stay for once, glad I won!

-Played Roblox for the first time in months! I played the fashion game where you design clothes, was fun, but sadly people don't like my designs :<

-Read a fanfic that was recommended to me! 8/10 btw, fun read, but confusing. The events didn't connect well with each other, which was confusing because I had no idea what was happening lol. Still a fun read, I liked the concept

-Ate chicken for dinner!!! It was ok, my siblings complained because it was kinda hard. I didn't like it because it was kinda oily. It was alright, 5/10

-Ate cheese and bread for breakfast!!! I love cheese

-Trying to find out whether or not I already payed the artists I commissioned lol

-Went to church

-Replied to Friend Swee's message

---------

Saturday, October 21 2023

Forgot to post on this day!!!

-Learned how to count to 10 in Spanish and Bisaya

-Downloaded L change the world pdf, I didn't finish it, decide to watch the films first. Read the first few pages tho, L in a bear suit!!!

-Finished ep 4 of the Death Note jdrama, L and Light shower scene!!!!

-Bonded over Death Note with Ray!!! Found out she's a Death Note fan. She's a Kira supporter tho, and I'm pretty sure that's a red flag, so uh not sure what to do about that 😭

-I don't remember anything else from yesterday 😭

-------

This is why I need to record my days, I'll forget them the day after! Which is sad

#stuff about my day #My October 2023 #Friend Ray #Friend Swee

[harrison-abbott]

gift for the kiddos

It was my niece’s birthday and I was invited to the party. I’d bought her this collection of kids books that I liked when I was wee, when my father used to read them to me. And my brother, my niece’s father, also had that same thespian charm and so I hoped it would be a good set of gifts.

The stap of my bra had died. Snapped, rather, yesterday: and I only remembered when I made to put it back on. And all of my other bras were in the washing basket and smelly.

So I went down to the supermarket to get a new bra for the day, knowing I should have had all of this convenienced by now. In the supermarket I went to the clothes section promptly and I bought a packet of my size. These days I avoided the mirrors and when I was buying clothes items I didn’t test them in the changing rooms for this reason; as I used to be pretty chuffed with my appearance, but I wasn’t in modern days, had lost confidence. And perhaps physical beauty or non beauty is among the most fickle of judgemental aspects, if you think of it: how people can like you for your looks one moment, and the minute your facial structure alters, they lose intrigue, or if you put on a little wait or your hair goes grey, or if simply the depth of eyes goes spoiled and is no longer novel and thus not as gleaming.

When back at home I showered and as the water flumed over my body I worried how my brother might think of me when I arrived and what he thought of me in general. You know, that classic comparing yourself to your sibling, disorder. That historic fallacy which all of us do, if indeed we have siblings. Even if we look at it objectively and we’re in the green light, we still feel threatened that their feats will put is in the red.

I put on the new bra after the shower. It wasn’t comfy. But I put this down to my mentality.

And I had to be there at the house within two hours. So I ate half a sandwich and then headed out. Took the train. With my bags filled with the gifts for the kiddos. And I’d gotten a posh bottle of wine for my bro and his wife.

My brother’s wife didn’t like me that much and I’d never really understood why and my tactics around her had always been to simply be polite and conversational and this tactic had never quite worked for some reason and my brother was deeply embarrassed when I was near her and acted in this macho bully big bully older bro way in a jokey way and so I took the regressive edge and laughed along with his shit banter in order to try and appease her. It was quite like being under a rude assistant manager at work who you have to nullify in order to keep your peasant position.

When I knocked on the door I waited fifty seconds and then she opened the door. She was a very pretty lady indeed. And her smile had nothing behind the shiny teeth; nor did her short hug give off any animalistic warmth.

When my brother saw me he said “Hey Sis!” in this singsong bravado and it was obvious he’d been drinking.

The children were playing videogames in the living room. My niece was watching and I went up and said happy birthday to her and she looked uncomfortable and didn’t respond and her brother, my nephew, was shooting zombies on this big flatscreen. Strafing zombies with a machine gun. And I wondered why my brother had let them do this, bought them this game, that was so gory and tacky and crude … But, who was I to judge, without any kids myself.

#writeblr #creative writing #prose #stories #writers on tumblr #short fiction #fiction #short story #tumblr writers #flash fiction

[sky-reezing]

Spoken by T.D.JAKES

Spoken by T.D.JAKES

what is something you'd suggest

To add to our daily routine

To empower ourselves?

Quiet.

we're too busy

we are so busy

that we don't notice that we're not productive.

busy does not mean that you are producing

we are just spinning our wheels

and the great

thinking and progress

That we've made in this country.

Steam engines, telephones,

automobiles, all types of things

spacecrafts were done by people

who had moments to think.

we're moving so fast and at breakneck speed,

and if we get a free moment

we're on Twitter

and Facebook and everything.

it's the death of creativity.

And I would challenge people

to go back to meditation and

if you're spiritual, go back to prayer

if you're not, just go back to just laying

still for a moment to clear your head

to hit the reset button,

because we are starting every day

with the burdens from yesterday

assaulting us in today.

Let's put a comma between all of it,

shut it all down

and you'd be surprised what you can hear

when you shut up.

Too many times,

we have spent so much Focus

on teaching you to be good seed,

that we haven't taught you

the power of good soil.

And so, when we come to soilish issues

the seed ignores the soil.

We flick the channel,

that has nothing to do with me.

we close our eyes

because we have been taught to be good seed,

but we have not been taught to pay attention

So and yet the Bible is clear.

Jesus says the sword with false sowing seed

and in some fell by the wayside.

Some fell among rocks, some fell among stones.

The whole text is about environment.

Look at you and look at your environment.

have you been positioned

to flourish?

positioning has a lot to do with flourishing,

to be in an environment,

in a family that supports you.

My sister and I were talking the other day.

I was telling what an amazing person

she is that all of our lives together

and all the things that God did in my life,

not once in all of the years that I've known her

and she was there when Mama had me.

Have I ever known her to be jealous of me?

Not once, not ever

she has always been my cheerleader

my greatest fan.

And she said, how could I be jealous of you?

You're my brother

I said,

A lot of people have siblings that hate them

That I'm jealous of them.

That hope they talk

And some of my development has to be

That God planted me in an environment of people

that supported me

my brother, my sister, my mother,

my father, they all supported me.

You can have good seed,

but if you've been in bad soil,

people who hated you,

environments that denied you,

education that underserved you,

communities that limited you,

mentality said poisoned you.

Oh, do you hear what I'm saying?

if your soil wasn't right,

it doesn’t mean that you're not right.

But if your soil wasn't right,

it's going to affect how you root

and how you grow.

And you might grow a little bit.

The Bible says you can grow for a while

but then the will choke you out all the rocks

will not have enough soil

for your roots.

Are you blaming God for something

you ought to be blaming the soil for?

you cannot take a

peach seed and planted in a teaspoon of dirt

and expect it to grow.

Though the teaspoon of the dirt

is the same size as the peach seed.

it will not grow

the seed will only grow when it is planted

in something bigger than itself.

And I want to know

where are you playing it this morning?

Are you planted

in something bigger than you

or have you always been planted in teacups

surrounded by low dirt, little resources,

small-minded people,

narrow limited places,

that never let you stretch

to reach your capacity.

Sometimes you got to go where the corn needs.

To be planted

is Destiny concealed.

To have increase its Destiny reveal.

So, when you plant a seed, you don't plant it

as if the planting were the final destination.

You plant it and you can't see it anymore.

Is Destiny is concealed.

In the hopes

that ultimately

it will become a stalker or of corn

or an apple tree or whatever it was you plant it.

And in between,

the destiny concealed and the

destiny revealed

is something we call watering.

And I thought

as dynamic

as the text may be

to Grumble with the notion of being planted

and to Grapple with the notion of having increase

seems totally irrelevant

if we don't stop by the station of watering.

Because watering is the last step

before increase.

It is the transition point

between what is concealed and what is revealed.

And without the benefit of watering,

The destiny will die in the ground,

Never reaching its potential

simply because it has never been watered.

And I thought I would ask you this morning,

have you ever been watered?

I'm reading somebody's mail right now.

you come out, embrace what I'm about to teach.

If you don't understand,

that you have been planted,

you didn't grow wild, you didn't just happen.

you weren't just an afterthought

you didn't just come to be.

you were planted.

the sperm cell that created you out swam

all of the millions of other cells

before you had a Bible.

before you had a Bible

before you had a hymn book.

you were already in a fight

and that cell outswim all the rest

because you have been planted

well, I want to make the distinction

about being planted

because the active planting can be confusing

to the student who has not watched,

because planting looks no different from burial.

in order to do either one of them

you got to do some digging.

And once you dig down in the ground,

Both of them are conceal.

but one of them has a destiny

and the other one does not.

You bury the dead to get rid of the body,

but you plant a seed

so that it can go through a transformation

of coming back up greater than it was

when it went down.

Oh, good God, of mercy so good, humble

I'm so good

come over here

say it again.

When you plant a seed,

you're not bearing it to get rid of it.

you're planting it.

so that it can go through a metamorphosis

and come back up

better than it was when it went down.

how many people in this room

have come up better than you were?

I'm better

I'm better

I'm better than it was when it went down.

it was good for me that I've been afflicted.

so had I not been afflicted

I would have never known the glory of God.

I'm better for it

I didn't like it, but I'm better for it

I couldn't see down there, but I'm better for it.

You see I was planted in a dark place

where my sight didn't work for me.

but I'm better for every time you

go through some dark and you can't see your way out.

Remember, you've been planted, not been buried.

and when you come up,

I'm coming up

I'm coming up

write yourself a note

I have not been buried.

I have been planted.

I may be underground

but I'm not buried in this mess

I'm planted in it

I'm planted in it

and if I'm planting it

expect me to come back up again.

making your relationships count

because everything is about relationships.

first of all, your relationship with God,

that's a very important thing to have

because as long as you know

that there's somebody in charge,

you don't have to bear the brunt

of the responsibility and the weight

of what's going on in your life.

you can talk to the boss.

number two, enjoy your relationship with yourself.

if you don't like

you it makes it hard for me to like you.

because people when you

walk into their atmosphere,

they draw you into the cosmos of their own drama.

And if they're full of drama without you,

when you come in

you become

caught up in the Cyclone of their drama.

enjoy your relationship with yourself,

and then anybody else who comes.

they enter into a party you

already started

you understand?

Yeah, yeah, and

I’m just saying, yeah

And then relationship with your kids,

The relationship with your spouse,

The relationship with your friends,

Taking time to enjoy the relationships

Because there is no fruit.

Nature teaches us that there is no fruit,

without relationships,

you cannot be fruitful by yourself

in business, in home, in life, in church.

I don't care what it is

you are no more than the relationships

you surround yourself with

And make sure that though the good one

[bestfriendforhire]

Children of BFFH, Entry 177

 As I looked across the campfire at the other kids and ate my breakfast—a delicious feast by any reasonable standards—I thought over my dad's words from last night.

 My family came to this land after hearing that there's far more wild game on it than anywhere else near our home.  Our plan had been to hunt to our hearts' content.  When Crazy had stopped us, we transformed instantly, our senses screaming for us to run, but the woods had turned to a nightmarish barrier with no gap to flee through.

 Last night, Dad had looked me in the eye and asked if I heard of the great gathering this year where all therianthropes had gathered to show our strength in competition and to attempt to work out some of our differences.

 "The boss those people speak of so regularly is the one who had arranged that meeting.  Did you hear anything about it?" he had asked me, speaking somberly.  When I shook my head, he went on to say, "There was a werecat there who is said to be part demon.  On her own, she could kill every last pack on this green earth in under a minute."

 I had snorted, knowing he was joshing me, but my dad's face never broke into a smile.

 "She works for the Boss.  I had my doubts too till I witnessed these people today.  They might not be as strong as people claim, but there's no denying they're powerful.  If half the things I've heard of the Boss are true, he'd still be the most dangerous man alive.  They say he's a good man, but make sure you don't cross anyone who works for him, Ben.  I mean it."

 As I nodded, Mom had spoken up.  "That Cosette woman is a vampire.  I smelled it on her, but she can stand in sunlight.  Only the eldest vampires are said to do that."

 "That little one, Valeria, claims to be over five hundred." I had informed them.

 "If they say the sky is violet and the moon is cheese, accept it in your heart as a fact.  We cannot make them our enemies." stated Mom encouragingly.

 My family had gone to bed early last night, but the conversation kept playing out in my head.  My parents had taught me to be proud of my heritage, being part of a strong pack, but the things I had seen the other children do seemed all the more frightening to me in the morning light where I could clearly see some of the inhuman signs on some of them.

 Messy's eyes shone with golden light, and her movement was too graceful. I was willing to believe she was an actual angel after last night, creating things from nothing.  If this Boss had demons working for him, why not angels as well?

 Crazy was equally graceful, but her eyes were a normal blue, not even especially light or dark.  At a glance, she could pass for human more easily than Messy, but that scent she gave off was frightening.  I quickly looked at my food when her piercing gaze met mine, and I had this strange concern that she might know my thoughts.  Who knows with these people?

 I tried not thinking about anything for several minutes, but nothing that came to mind was too far off from what I had thought of them yesterday.

 Four was obviously a good guy, but his purple eyes were a bit strange now that I thought of it.  He and his siblings also had that graceful way of moving that even put werewolves to shame.

 I smiled to myself and remembered to take another bite of food as I realized all of these kids look like they had won the genetic lottery.  Where was the one with a squat nose, beady eyes, and a big scar?  Did any of them have any scars?

 Aid was a little freaky at hide-and-seek yesterday, moving as if he knew where everyone was more often than not.  Luce was far too bright for her age.  Well, they all seemed to be weirdly smart too.  Even Aspy—the most normal-seeming among them with his child-like enthusiasm—spoke like some type of little genius when I had asked them about their schooling.

 The more I considered the kids, the more I wondered if the Boss was doing some sort of genetic experiments.  I'd have to ask my parents about the idea after we are well away from here, which would be a few days at least.  My parents had taken over a week off work for our trip, but the actual duration was left up in the air, not wanting to take a long trip if the hunting was poor.  As things were, I doubted my parents would leave without permission, which felt wrong to me, but how could I blame them when any of the children were more than a match for the three of us.

 I was confident in my ability to outrun some of the kids after watching them sprinting to safety during our game of hide-and-seek, but I was also certain that many were holding back, maintaining their human-ish pretense.  Even the slower ones hadn’t simply run in straight lines.  They had all moved evasively, as if keeping trees between themselves and pursuers was the most natural thing in the world, and I was fairly certain most of them were skilled in gymnastics as well.  There had been numerous times throughout our game where someone dodged, rolled, and sprang to their feet as smoothly as if they had done it a thousand times.

 “Ben, we’re going for another swim.  Care to join us?” asked Layla, making me jump.  She had been incredibly elusive last night, never appearing until she wanted to be seen.

 I nodded, and waited for her to walk away before stuffing down the rest of my food.  As I changed, I realized I was looking forward to swimming, despite my thoughts.  What we had done yesterday wasn’t normal by any means, but diving between those floating globes of water had really been fun.  I tried holding onto a bit of wariness, but when Four smiled and explained the game of tag we’d be playing while swimming around, I couldn’t help smiling along.  These kids really were scary, but they certainly knew how to have some fun.

#Children of BFFH #Children #of #BFFH #Jovial #Times #Jovial Times #Fantasy #Fiction #Story

[hobbysognodilibri]

Heyy... Do you... By chance... Ship Shirabu x Goshiki..? 🥺👉👈

I really like them but I can't find much quality content for it... You said somewhere that you like a lot of different ships for haikyuu and I was wondering if this was among those...

And if you have any idea for their kids (I loved your next gen so far)

You don't have to if you don't want to obviously but if you do thank you!!!

Hey there!!!

Look, yesterday I started watching the 4th season again and I really got into this ship!!

So yes, I LOVE this ship!!! But I started actually shipping it like- yesterday.

I just finished creating their kids, which means they're not as elaborated as my other ones but I might get around to fix them when I have time (or when I get ideas)

As always I used this picrew for afab kids and this one for amab kids

.

1.Taka Shirabu Goshiki

Goes by she/her pronouns and is an asexual lesbian

Born on April 9th 2019

Is very confident in her volleyball abilities, which lead her to be a bit too cocky and hard to deal with. Is secretly a softie

Plays as a wing spiker for Shiratorizawa and is captain in her third year

Is in a relationship with Madoka, Konokomi's daughter

.

2.Tatsuo Shirabu Goshiki

Goes by he/they pronouns and is abrosexual (If you don't know it's the fluid sexual orientation)

Born on July 22nd 2021

Is really snarky and can be quite an asshole when you meet him but will actually fight anyone if they hurt someone who's close to him.

Plays as a setter for Shiratorizawa and is vice captain in his third year

Has a boyfriend but he's not among the characters I created bc he's not the son of any ship in HQ. I pictured him as not really being into volleyball but watching all of Tatsuo's matches (and also bringing out his soft side)

I might actually create and elaborate on said boyfriend if anyone's interested...

.

3.Hiroki Shirabu Goshiki

Goes by he/they/she pronouns and is omnisexual with a slight preference for boys

Born on April 9th 2022 (same day as Taka, they're happy to get two cakes each year)

Is a really excitable kid, always eager to play and prove himself (kinda like Goshiki) but tries (and fail) to hide it to look cooler like his siblings.

Plays as a libero for Shiratorizawa (so he obviously isn't gonna be captain)

Is not in a relationship (doesn't mean he isn't trying, poor baby)

.

Aaand... This is it! I really hope you enjoyed this, I sure as hell did!!

Have a nice day sweetheart! <3

#writing shit ig #haikyuu!! #my ocs ig #hq post post timeskip stuff ig #shiragoshi

[sleepdeprivedpeanutbrainedsimp]

T_T

#im kinda bored #im hungry #digitalart #digital drawing #ibispaintx #kirby #magolor #kirby return to dreamland #gijinka #yesterday I played among us with my siblings #I didn’t really have fun #i find the game quite boring

[acrossthewavesoftime]

A young Midshipman, c. 1790, British, cicrle of Louis Vaslet. Sold via Roy Precious Antiques and Fine Art.

Mon. 3rd—Rough. Tues. 4th—I got the better of my sickness yesterday, but there blew so strong a gale of wind that I was obliged to remain in my cot or in a corner behind the stove in the great cabin, to secure myself from falling. It was by persevering to go on deck and by eating salt beef, covered with mustard, that I soon became well. As my health amends my spirits rise, and I am rather diverted at the difficulties we meet with at dinner, when, in spite of all care, the dishes are often tossed to every corner of the room. The ship not having sufficient ballast makes her roll so unreasonably. I think I have great merit in beginning to write to you this early, in spite of rough weather. The children (Francis and Sophia) are well, but never appear to be safe except when in their cots, for the nurses are much indisposed and have very indifferent sea legs. I am learning to walk on deck, but cannot yet do it without leaning on the arm of a gentleman. Capt. Murray, who has been in France, plays at reverse, the French card game, with us. Sophia's amusement is seeing the poultry on deck, where a little midshipman carries her every day. The wind has for several days driven us to the southward of our course. It begins to blow hard again, so I must retire to my cot.

Taken from Elizabeth Simcoe's Diary only a few days into her journey to Canada aboard HMS Triton in October 1791.

I am quite excited that we have her diary as a source on life aboard a Royal Navy ship viewed from a woman's perspective alongside these fascinating (and funny) anecdotes she relates.

Given that Elizabeth Simcoe was herself remarkably not-really-tall (by estimations taken from having measured a then-extant garment owned and worn by Simcoe in the 1910s, she was just about 5'00"), which on occasion was even commented on or Simcoe guesstimated to be younger than she was by third parties, I don't think by calling the midshipman "little" she intends to comment on his height, and rather refers to his age.

It also speaks of some measure of trust on the part of the parents to let a near-stranger take their child on deck to play. One wonders if this young man, maybe a child as young as twelve even, had younger siblings at home and was experienced in handling toddlers.

Perhaps the midshipman missed his own siblings and was happy to take on the additional duty and sacrificing what was likely time off for him to spend it with a by all acounts particularly difficult, stroppy two-year-old?

Sadly, since Simcoe does not give a name and I have not found the crew lists for HMS Triton online, we may only guess at his identity; but regardless of that, this charming annecdote may serve as a reminder that contrary to the flippant stereotype of the sailor with 'a wife in every port', many men and boys, particularly during the long campaings of the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Britain was at war with France, felt the emotional strain of being unable to see their loved ones, and sometimes not even receive news from them for many weeks.

Although I cannot verify my hypothesis regarding this particular young man, one would hope that perhaps his time playing with little Sophia Simcoe brought him some measure of joy among the otherwise rather strict and somewhat rough life on board.

#midshipman monday #midshipmen monday #british history #history #naval history #elizabeth posthuma simcoe #elizabeth simcoe's diary #18th century

[greenygreenland]

Date: Jean Havoc x Reader (w/ Big Brother Roy Mustang)

REQUESTED

-PRETEND ROY IS YOUNGER FOR THE SAKE OF THIS ONE-SHOT (say, like 20-ish) -sorry this took so long. I had an internship and it got a little crazy

-idc about the timeline because this is a one-shot and i’m not gonna use my big brain lmaooo

Summary: Overprotective Roy? Yes. You’re dating Jean Havoc and your bro watches your first date from the shadows.

Nervous. That was the first emotion you felt when you stepped out of the front door. Today was a big day, maybe more so than you’d like to believe. The sun shimmered overhead, where the sparse clouds drifted lazily across the sky. “Bye, Roy,” you called. “I’ll be back around sixteen o’clock.”

Roy was your elder brother by four years. If a guard dog had a human personification, it would definitely be him. For all your life, he wrote himself off as the responsible sibling. He acted like his grades were better than yours, like he was the one to take out the trash, or finish all the dishes before cockroaches decided to make home in them.

Anyone would have thought that to be true. After all, Roy was young and rose up the military ranks at an alarming rate. But you knew better, along with his close colleagues. Roy was stupid, overprotective, and impulsive. He would do anything that interested him, and if it didn’t, he’d pay no mind to it.

You prayed your brother would pay no mind today.

The front door slammed open with a creak. “Where do you think you’re going?” Roy inquired. He squinted at you as if you were about to do something stupid. “And what are you wearing? I hope you have shorts under that.” You rolled your eyes and adjusted the purse slung over your shoulder. 

This sun dress was a gift from Jean for your (age) birthday. The skirt flowed in the passing breezes like a flower, illuminating all the vibrant colours under the rays of sun. It was a beautiful dress. If Roy thought otherwise, you’d make him understand. “It’s called a dress, doofus.” you sarcastically replied. “Not like you’d know when you only see Riza in the Command Centre. Poor you. Haven’t gotten the chance to see her in a skirt, huh?”

Roy averted his gaze to the sky with a haughty huff. “What are you talking about? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Heat rose up his cheeks. “If you’re implying I harbour romantic feelings for my First Lieutenant, then you’re--”

“A hundred percent correct.” you stated with a smug smirk. “I’ll be back around sixteen o’clock. Don’t burn down the house.” If Roy accidently did, you wouldn’t be surprised. He was the Flame Alchemist, and above all, your stupid big brother.

“Where are you going (Y/n)?” Roy called. You flung your hair over your shoulder with a bright smile that could have blinded even the sun. “A date, of course.” Okay, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to rub salt in a wound. What Roy didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. But then you saw look on his face. Nevermind, it was totally worth it to rub in his face: jaw agape, eyes as wide as saucers, and shoulders hunched down.

Ah, it was good to be you.

The city bustled with life. With the sun shining, and the beauty of living in your palms, you trotted down the street. There was nothing that could ruin your date.

"Jean!" Your tone was light as a laugh escaped your lips. "It feels like I haven't seen you in a while." 

Cherry red dusted his cheeks. He stuffed the unlit cigarette into his pocket and offered you a hand. In his other, he placed a single (f/c) flower between your hairclips. "I saw you yesterday," he said with a bashful smile. "What do you mean it's been a while?" You bumped shoulders playfully and intertwined your fingers together. "Hyperbole, Jean."

"Well, it's one hyperbole too many." He remarked with a grin. "Do you want to have sandwiches today or a hot meal?" You shrugged, leaning against his shoulder. It was comfortable to have him hold you like this as you made your way down the street. He always had this secure way of linking your arms with his.

Off to the side, Roy couldn't say the same. It wasn’t like he planned on following you. Curiosity just swept him out of the house. And besides, what you didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt, right? Right.

Roy wished Jean didn’t hold you like you were some stuffed animal. For all he knew, Jean was just playing you. It wouldn't be the first when he had over fifteen other girls in the past four months. If Jean broke your heart, he'd be sure to fry the man up to a crisp. "Damn him," Roy grumbled. He pulled down his fedora and adjusted the glasses over his nose. "What makes him think he can touch (Y/n) like that?"

You suddenly laughed loudly at some joke. “Stop!” you cried, playfully smacking his arm. “That’s the worst one I’ve heard all week!” 

Roy slinked out of the shadows with a low huff. He shouldn't have worn such a thick jacket. It had to be over twenty something degrees today. But that was no matter because you were being whisked away to the park--by Jean! Roy hurried down the street. Since when did you get lunch? And what was Jean going to do to you?

"The park's a good place." you noted. “Let’s go there.” The bag from Sally's Sandwiches hung from Jean's arm. It swung back and forth as he happily pranced along the street with you hand in hand. "Good thing I remembered to bring a blanket this time. We can sit under that tree."

Oh, what was Jean going to do to you? Roy couldn't stand the thought of you walking with him like that. There had to be an ulterior motive to this 'date'. Maybe Jean wanted to leech off you for money, or maybe he would try seducing you in the park? Roy shook his head. No, no.

Jean wasn't a bad guy. Maybe Roy was thinking too far ahead. But what if he wasn’t? What if Jean pulled some sneaky plan?

You crossed the street just as a car wildly swerved. Its tires screeched against the road like nails on a chalkboard, grinding against stone until it came your way. Roy frantically popped out of his hiding space. "What kind of idiot would--"

Suddenly, you slammed a hand into the ground. The stone transmuted, blocking the car from any unnecessary collisions. It smacked straight into the wall, smoke and steam rising from its engine. "(Y/n)!" cried Jean. "Are you okay?" He frantically placed a hand on either of your shoulders and looked you up and down. A smile rose to your lips. "I'm fine. Not even a scratch."

A sigh escaped Jean's lips. "That's good. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt." You placed a gentle hand to his cheek and pecked it (Roy wanted to gag). "I'm an Alchemist. It'd be a shame if I went down by a car."

"Don't joke about that," Jean chastised. He hooked his arm with yours again and led you away from the screeching onlookers and police. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Roy blinked. Did he hear Jean right? 'I don't know what I'd do if I lost you'? What was that supposed to mean? “Look at them, being all lovey-dovey...” Roy continued after the couple. They passed through a field of forest green grass, where flowers bloomed in straight, uniform lines all around. It was a beautiful spot to have a picnic. 

You swung your arm, hand in hand with Jean. The sun kissed your heads from the Heaven’s, illuminating a bright happiness Roy couldn’t look away from. Urgh. He wanted to kick something, or better yet, set a tree on fire. How could you two look so perfect? You were only (age) and that was far too young to be dating. 

Besides, you had a career in the military. If your little ‘relationship’ was sealed with a ring, you’d be separated. “Did they even think that through?” Roy grumbled to himself. He gritted his teeth together and ducked behind a bush. 

“Excuse me sir.”

Roy glanced over his shoulder with a false smile. “Ah, what is it?” A little boy ball up and down in his hand. The glare on his face could have been intimidating, but Roy was Roy Mustang. He wouldn’t let some kid look down upon him. “Are you lost?”

The kid clutched the rock so tightly his knuckles turned white. “My mama said to watch out for creepy people. I think you fit well, Mr. Pervert.” He took a step back and launched the ball at Roy’s head. “Take that!”

“What are you talking about?!” Roy exclaimed. He jumped out of the bushes and brushed the leaves from his jacket. Boy, it was getting terribly hot in the sweltering heat. Poor Roy found himself losing what little patience remained. “I’m not a creep, kid! Where are your parents? If I was a creep, you would have been kidnapped already. I’m just trying to make sure my sister...!”

At that very second, you so happened to come to a stop. At that very second, you so happened to stare. At that very second, you so happened to recognise a face among strangers.

Roy was royally screwed. 

The little kid pointed at Roy as if he were the most wanted criminal in all of Amestris. “Lady!” he screeched. “I saw this guy watching you since you got here! He’s a creep! Call the cops!” Jean squinted at Roy. At first, he actually believed the kid was telling the truth. What kind of normal person wore a winter coat, a fedora, and a pair of sunglasses if not to deal drugs in the alleyways?

“Hold up...” Jean blinked owlishly. “Colonel, is that you?!”

You released Jean’s arm. “Oh, it’s him alright.” A menacing glare rose to your face as you cracked your knuckles. What was Roy supposed to do? The wrath of his sister was not something he could brace himself for, especially when she could be just as impulsive as Edward Elric.

Roy waved his arms in denial. “I don’t know what that kid’s talking about. I just happened to pass by, and in the process, I ended up dropping my wallet, which turned out to be in the bushes, so--”

“Save it.” You cracked your knuckles and pulled on a glove. “It’s time to crank up the heat, because we’re having fried Alchemist tonight.”

Anger. That was the only emotion you felt as you chased your big brother around the park. Today was supposed to be a big day. You planned to walk around, maybe go shopping, and spend the night wandering around with Jean for a whole day. But no. Your stupid, idiotic, big brother had to be the creepy party crasher.

#FMA #fma fanfiction #fmab fanfiction #fmab roy #jean havoc #Roy Mustang #fma x reader #Fullmetal Alchemist #fullmetal alchimist brotherhood #Fullmetal Alchemist x reader #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood x reader #x reader #fanfiction #anime #fmab x reader