Their Nightmares
Original artist: 扣扣子太菜了 (kou kou zi tai cai le)
Source: here
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[ Marius ]
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Game of Thrones Daily

#extradirty
Three Goblin Art
Sweet Seals For You, Always

izzy's playlists!

Kaledo Art

Andulka
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"

shark vs the universe

titsay
noise dept.
we're not kids anymore.
Show & Tell
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
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Monterey Bay Aquarium
d e v o n
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$LAYYYTER
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@amara-ciara
Their Nightmares
Original artist: 扣扣子太菜了 (kou kou zi tai cai le)
Source: here
🍒 Please do not repost! 🍒
[ Marius ]
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(anime screenshot style version of this)
“This is Spoogi ❤️”
(Source)
@umbralaperture when work hands you an assignment and you squint at the screen like a villain in a game “Are you challenging me?”
I've been listening to barbs song for hours now and I'm loving it more and more!
Can't wait to see eng subs for it 🥺
by 파파제이@jennygin2
[CN] Love’s Alpha PV
🍒 Translation under the cut! 🍒
Date summaries: Gavin l Kiro l Lucien l Shaw l Victor
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Tears of Themis: Ancient China Event SSR Translations
Event PV
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When they mimic the mascots
Original artist: z只想睡觉可以吗 (z zhi yao shui jiao ke yi ma)
Source ll Permission
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You, Me and You?!
Note: they are all wearing towels in this 😅
It's still within SFW I think🤣
This is for the peeps at mind palace (the discord group I'm in) . I tried my best guys 😂
*********
(A relaxing soak on the hotspring under the starry sky with the person you love sounds romantic, but how did it turned out like this?)
*********
Vyn: Rosa, are you OK.
Rosa had her eyes closed when she heard his velvet voice near her right ear. She was immersing herself from his sweet voice when she heard the familiar voice again but this time on her left.
Vyn? : are you feeling light headed, perhaps my love?
Vyn?? : perhaps the heat is too much for her.
Vyn??? : maybe we should get her out for now.
Now she is hearing his voice simultaneously in front and at her back. Rosa is confused, is it really because of the heat?
Before she could ponder on this bewildering situation, she felt him caressing her softly, soothingly on her right shoulder, her left, her back? and touching her cheek?
Rosa:??..??..?!!!
Rosa abruptly opened her eyes, and what she saw confused her further. It was supposed to be just the two of them, that was the plan, but can someone explain to her how something like this could happen!
Here she is surrounded by the familiar scent, a familiar face. Something that belongs to the one she loves. But the only problem was instead of 1 there are 4 of him.
Vyn1: Love, do you want to get out of the pool for now?
He was holding her right hand, caressing it softly, trying to reassure her that everything was fine.
Vyn2: please don't hold yourself back. Tell us if you're feeling unwell.
Vyn3: We worry about you.
Both of them kissed her hand and forehead. It was just a brief kiss, barely there but it made her shiver a little.
Vyn4: Rosa, are you perhaps--
A finger touched her neck, tracing from there down to her shoulders ever so slowly.
Vyn4: not feeling light headed because of the heat--
His other hand is roaming her left shoulder, tracing little circles
Vyn4: but thinking of something else?
He whispered directly to her ear.
Rosa: "hhhmm" she moaned a little.
(Silence)
Rosa: No it's not what you all think!!
Damn, she realised what she have done and tried to remedy the situation, but it's already too late. She heard light chuckles.
Vyn3: it looks like we we're just excessively worrying
Vyn2: You're right (closes his distance) but I think we should still pamper our dear Rose.
Damn what did she get her self into.
Vyn1: come Rosa, you should still atleast get up. Sit at the edge of the pool.
She turned her head and saw this vyn with worry on his eyes. Even though she was a little hesitant, she still complied. They are still vyn.
Not the wisest decision she had made, for this made it possible for their little scheme to succeed.
Vyn: how are you feeling my love?
Vyn: are you comfortable?
Vyn: should we do more?
Vyn: tell us, we won't know unless you voice it out.
Rosa: Vyn, please ~
She was overwhelmed by all the sensation they are giving her. They are caressing, touching her. Softly and slowly, just like the way he had molded their cherished cups.
She can hear them saying something, but she is to far gone to understand. She's feeling dizzy, oh my gosh is she overheating. Is it the hotspring or this atmosphere they are in. Who knows, the only thing that matters is the present. The them right now.
Rosa: I love you. Vyn, please~
Vyn: Rosa, are you alright?
She opened her eyes. She's in their hotel room. Only the two of them.
Rosa: Vyn where are the others?
She inquiries. He tilted his head in confusion.
Vyn: my love we are the only ones in this trip. Are you perhaps still feeling a little disoriented? You did faint in the hotspring.
Rosa: so it was all a dream?
She whispered, flushing red at the realisation that all of that were her dream.
Vyn: a dream? Perhaps you could share the details with me. You did have an interesting reactions while you were sleeping.
Her eyes widen, he was smirking. Damn, how much of it did he heard.
Vyn: should we perhaps recreate some of them?
Nonetheless, the night is long. And the two them explored the wonders this moment, in each others company.
__________________________
I'll admit half way through writing this I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. What a mess 😂
A Vyn Fairytale: The Dragon and the Rose Knight
Written for @thenovelartist as part of Themis Typewriter Secret Santa Event
I hope you like it! I've agonized about how to go about this prompt until I got Vyn's new SR "Snowy Fairy Tale". The idea of falling asleep to Vyn's storytelling is just...aaah *melts into a puddle of uguu*
Happy Holidays :3
A warm fleece blanket, a mug of hot cocoa, a comfortable sofa and a Vyn to cuddle with.
Rosa deeply breathed in the scent of cocoa intermingling with the fresh pine that came from the tree, which she and Vyn had hauled into the winter cottage rented for the holidays.
"Vyn," Rosa said, content, as she snuggled even closer against Vyn's warmth underneath the blanket. "Don't stop talking. I really like the sound of your voice."
Vyn let out a soft laugh as he adjusted himself on the sofa to let Rosa rest her head on his shoulder. "Shall I practice my presentation for next week's convention then?" He nuzzled her hair. "I rather liked the companionable silence we share from time to time, but I can talk more if you like."
Her nose crinkled. "Not that!"
"Haha, I jest, I jest," Vyn said as Rosa playfully swatted his thigh. "Well then, how about I read you a story?"
My heart can't take all this fluff!!!!!!
Broken Wing
WARNING:
Mention of depression and death.
Death, maybe? We don't know.
Angst
No beta read too sleepy 😔😢
______________________
"Rosa can you hand me the -" is he an idiot? how can he forgot that she isn't here anymore. Moron!
Knock, knock
"Artem is it a good time?" The sound of Celestine's voice, drag him out from further berating himself.
"Yes, it all good, you can come in". He says while tyding up his documents.
"I seem to have heard you mentions Rosa's name a while ago" she inquired. He knows she didn't mean any ill will, but this made him a little bit irritated.
"Yes, I seem to keep forgetting that she's not in the firm right now." a minute pass by, but he didn't hear any reply from her. He looked up, but regretted doing so. There was Celestine, looking at him while frowning, her eyes held pity and sadness.
"Artem are you still-"
Bang she flinched hearing the sound of his fist hitting the table with such force.
"Celestine" his voice had a hint of threat.
But all Celestine can see was a wounded beast. She sigh, but still proceed with her sentence, she knows he needed this.
"Artem, you need to let it go and move on. It's already been half a year. Please stop torturing yourself over-"
"STOP! STOP!" He is raising his voice at her right now. His words and behaviour indicating that he doesn't want this conversation to continue.
She sigh again "Atleast go home and take a proper rest. You've been holed up in your office for 3 days now and burying your self at work ever since-" she stopped herself, agitating him further isn't good right now.
"what I'm saying is, I'm ordering you to take a vacation. And no, there is no room for discussion. I'm expecting your travel itinerary 2days from now at the latest."
And with that she turned her back and exited his office.
He rubbed his face with his hand. He was frustrated, but he still packed his things, there is no arguing with Celestine once she put her mind on things. Better to listen to her for now.
____________________________________
"Why are you doing this!" He can hear a womans scream.
He knows this voice. Of course he did. It was the voice of the only person that mattered to him more than anything or anyone before.
"Why, why do you keep on getting in between us Mr. Wing!" tear drops are cascading her face.
She's crying, and all because of him. He tried to reach out, to wipe the tears but his body made a different move. He grabbed her shoulders and shakes her.
"Wake up Rosa! He's not the person you think he is. How can you trust someone with such an obscure background! I tried investing his origin but no information can be gathered from before he arrived at Stellis. This only further proves that he's hiding something, that he is not a trustworthy man. He's not worthy of you. "
(Stop you idiot! Stop it! Can't you see you're only pushing her away from you) He tried to slap this version of himself awake, to make it see the signs of her drifting away. But unfortunately, what he was thinking and what he was speaking was totally different.
"His only manipulating you. This," he waves his hand at her. "This feelings you speak of are only ideas that he planted on you. You're only blinded by his act. You should snapped out of it Rosa! "
(the one who needs snapping out of is you dumbass!! Stop this!) he screams and screams inside. Begging this version of himself to not agrevate the situation further, but to no avail.
He watched as her face shifted from grief to that of anger. She slapped the hands that was holding her shoulder. Her eyes burning with fury.
"The one who should wake up and snapped out of this is you Mr. Wing." there was bile in her words. "I've already chosen, and I choose Vyn, not you." she shakes her head.
"Clearly, the one who is blinded is you. Blinded by jealousy, disguised as worry for my safety. I tried to ignore the signs, the whispers from people that you were doing all this to spite Vyn."
Fresh tears are falling from her eyes again, but she wiped it instantly before he can do so.
"I have enough of this Mr. Wing. You have no right to keep on demonizing my Fiancé in front of others and especially to me. As you've said, you have no information regarding his life, but that is not the case with me. I know him better than you, or anyone for that matter. So all this slander is only letting people see this unsightly jealousy that you have."
Her words were so sharp that it cut his heart into a million pieces.
"This is the last time that let you off Mr. Wing, there is no next time." her tone was firm "Goodbye, Mr. Wing."
She turned her back to him. He tried to stop her, but his body won't move. All he could do was scream her name, but she never glance back at him.
_____________________________
Ring Ring
He woke up at the sound of his phone ringing. Damn, it was that dream again. This dream has been haunting him ever since the day she had quit Themis and decided to marry and relocate to Svat. To be with Vyn. He rubbed his face.
He always feels anger, disappointment, helplessness, powerlessness and remorse every time he woke up from this. Anger at the man who took her away from him. Disappointed that she couldn't see that he only wants what's best for her. Helplessness and powerlessness to stop her from going away. Then remorse when he finally reflected that the blame was not on them but to himself.
He should have been rational and not mixed-up his bias toward the man. Or maybe he should have man up and told her that he have loved her for so long before she got taken away. He was a coward and an idiot for thinking that even if he didn't move now, she would always be there, waiting for him to finally gather his courage.
Ring Ring
He heard his phone ring again. He picked it up to see who was calling.
"Celestine" he murmurs. "Why are-"
"Artem, I told you to give me the itinerary for your vacation, it has already been 3days. Don't tell me you've been doing nothing but hole up on your home depressed." he can hear the worry on her voice.
"I'm still undecided as to where to go. But I might give it to you at the end of the day or maybe tomorrow." he scratch his neck. Truthfully he would rather just bury himself on work, but of course he could not say that.
"I see, I'll trust you on this. Just-" she was hesitating "just please take care of yourself more. "
"I know, thank you for always looking after me."
She let out a small laugh "Of course your like a little brother to me. I'll get off the phone now. Eat, rest and unwind. Bye!"
"Goodbye, Celestine" after that he ended the call.
________________________
Truthfully, he was driving without any destination in mind. But he still ended up at the western part of long beach. The place where the former NXX headquarters were located. He just stayed in his car, looking at the victorian styled house for hours. Hoping to catch a glimpse of her silhouette. But obviously there was nothing there. She's already in a land far away from his reach.
He continues his drive and ended up at cloudbreak mountain. They've traverse this mountain road. Memory of her comforting him about his teacher came flooding his mind. He speed up. He need to chase away this memories.
He was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he was late to notice that he had missed his chance to turn on the corner. He tried to salvage the situation but he still ended up crashing on the railings.
Crash, thump
"aw" he groaned from the impact of his head hitting the wheels. Blood, too much blood. His dizzy and vision is getting hazy.
Is this the end for him? Artem wonders. Shockingly he wasn't afraid of his looming death. The only thing he is feeling was sadness.
"Rosa, I love you and I'm sorry"
He said this as his vision is becoming dark. He can hear sirens, but he doesn't really care much. Slowly he closes his eyes, a single tear drop rolls from his eye.
*******************************
Finally, finished. (flops on bed)
Dammit, this really didn't let me sleep until I finished writing him. (screams at the void)
I can finally sleep 😭
Marius: I crave for sweet stuff.
Luke: Here, have this Snickers bar.
Marius: Thanks.
Marius: ...
Marius: I crave for sweet stuff.
Luke: DID I NOT GIVE YOU A CHOCOLATE BAR JUST A MINUTE AGO?
Artem: It is not sweet enough I think.
Luke: YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH SUGARS AND CALORIES ARE IN IT?
Artem: You are really troublesome, Marius. Take this pack of candies.
Marius: Oh, this is good.
Marius: ...
Marius: I crave for sweet stuff.
Vyn: *throws a bottle of high fructose corn syrup at Marius*
the nxx team visits the philippines 🇵🇭 part 2
they still have weeks before the official investigations, but one of the most crucial people involved is hosting her birthday party—and it's the only shot the nxx has before said person leaves the country in a few days.
happy 72nd birthday to grandma ellen! this one's for you, lola. you asked me last time if i'd bring home vyn and marius from hoyofest, but... i didn't wanna end up in jail for stealing them!
PART 1: The Airport
PART 2: PH Public Transport aka where Vyn Richter's Elegance is Put to Test
nose flaring and eyes in a deep glare, artem wing only clicks his tongue in dismay as he glanced at his wristwatch for the nth time now. “we're late. we're going to be late.”
“very late,” says vyn, arms crossed. “did you not hear what the driver said last night, artem? from here to our destination, it will take us two hours. two hours.”
artem casts marius a sideward glance. “it's not marius's fault that our service is late,” he tells vyn, “it's on them and not us. we can look for alternative ways, like public transport—”
“no.”
“what?”
“i said no.”
“why not?” asks artem, his face inquisitive. “the service will be here in an hour. by then, the event will be over. we have to get moving.”
vyn nonchalantly fixes his collar and finds an empty couch to rest on. “ah, but did you not know of how... arduous public transport is in this country?” he tilts his head to meet the lawyer's already-tired eyes. “it is not the best of public transports, artem. i do not wish to find myself sweating and inhaling smoke inside a cramped public jeepney—i think i would go mad.”
one hour later.
“well,” whispers artem, “are you mad yet?”
vyn cranes his neck to the side, his immaculate handkerchief pressed against his nose and mouth, almost suffocating him as he tries to not ‘inhale smoke from vehicles’. and with an almost inaudible voice, he shoots artem a deadly glare. “fuck you, artem.”
they all end up in a public jeepney, after all.
the space inside the jeepney was indeed too cramped for him—for anyone, actually—because the vehicle only has a 12-person capacity and yet it has twenty passengers aboard. the work of magic, really.
the absolutely pissed-off psychiatrist only has half of his butt seated; his other hand is gripping tightly onto the metal bar above his head like his life depends on it. still, these did not stop him from sitting cross-legged.
“vyn, will you be okay?” asks rosa, who is sitting beside him. “do you need water?”
vyn gently shakes his head. “you need not worry, rosa. i am doing just fine.” no, i am not. goddammit.
rosa peeks at the lawyer on vyn's other side. “how about you, artem?”
“i'm fine, don't worry about me,” he smiles, his eyes lingering over hers for a little while before he spares the other nxx members a pitying glance. “vyn, rosa,” he says, “i... i think we should treat luke and marius after we get this mission done.”
“that is unfortunately true.” vyn peers to where artem is staring at. “i never thought i would be so grateful i was seated here.”
and why is vyn so grateful? it's because he's inside, sitting peacefully; and even if he's sweating and hot and irritated, it's all fine—as long as it's not him outside the jeepney, standing and miserable under the heat of the sun.
aka luke and marius.
in the philippines, this is called “sabit sa jeep.”
aka this picture right here:
yeah, this one. happens all the time, especially when it's rush hour on a weekday and all public transportations are packed. some passengers will have no other options but to cling onto the jeepney like this. remember to hold on for dear life, yeah?
luke and marius are definitely like that.
“oh apat pa, apat pa, aalis na,” the jeepney conductor had announced back in the transport station. four more, four more (passengers); the jeepney will be leaving soon.
vyn had his brows in a stormy frown. “let us just wait for another one,” he'd told the team, “i simply do not wish to force myself into this cramped—”
“just fucking get inside, vyn,” said marius. “this is the last jeepney right here. there are more passengers in line behind us, so—”
when vyn richter had caught sight of a massive wave of desperate passengers literally racing towards the jeepney, he had no choice but to grab onto the steel bars and pull himself in. goddammit (2).
artem had let rosa hop in first, and he'd followed suit. indeed, the space was confined, with little to no seats left. wait, actually, there were no seats left. but with a few magic words from the jeepney conductor such as “oy, usog usog na lang para makaupo yung iba, aalis na” which meant “oi, everyone, move so that the new passengers can sit. the jeepney's about to leave”, artem and the others were able to sit with half of their butts on the jam-packed seats.
rosa had covered her mouth in both worry and amusement when she'd seen marius and luke clinging on the edge of the vehicle's roof because there were no space left inside.
“l-luke?! marius?!”
marius had only winked at them, his signature smirk plastered across his lips. “eh? don't worry about us, missy! we'll be okay! besides, i think i'll only bump my head when i hop inside this thing...”
“yeah, watson! you stay put, we'll be fine!”
of course those two kids were fine. they were having the fucking time of their lives.
“luke, take a video of me!” says marius, grinning like a kid who had snagged his favorite toy. his locks of midnight blue appeared more dazzling underneath the blazing sun, constantly blown by the wind. the von hagen boy feels only oozing happiness; probably the happiest he's been aside from [redacted—let's not spoil ourselves yet]. “oh, pax would be so jealous, they'd wish they're part of the nxx.”
“hand me your phone!” luke laughs, his coral eyes sparkling with thrill. “come on! let's record a vlog!”
luke and marius take a bunch of photos and videos along the way, at the same time marveling at the thrill of it all—of the slight danger that comes with standing outside the jeepney with only its roof and metal bars as their support system, of the balmy winds touching their face, of the cacophony of vehicle sounds and busy streets alike ringing in their ears.
minus the pollution.
and the impossibly stressful ph traffic.
the jeepney's about to turn left, but a van is blocking the way. the traffic light's flickering green. “what's this van doing here? we're stuck,” marius asks luke.
“this is an intersection. we're on the left side, and we should be heading left as of now, since it's greenlight,” says luke, “i think this van's heading to the right, but for some reason it's in the wrong lane. that's why it's not moving. right side's on red light.”
marius grimaces. “oh, goddammit.”
“oh, goddammit,” curses vyn, fingers stressfully rubbing his temples. “i did not know that van's driver stooped this low in terms of stupidity.”
“should we get the plate number?” artem asks, reaching for his mobile phone so he could type it down. “we should report it.”
“i think we should just let this go, guys...” rosa interferes, her features a bit worried. “it's fine. we're not that late yet. let's not stress ourselves, please?”
vyn does his best to calm his overwhelming irritation. “ahem,” he clears his throat, fixing his glasses as he flits his gaze to rosa, “... all right, dear rose. just this once, we will let this through. is that right, artem?”
artem coughs and looks away, trying to calm his bundle of (stressed-out) nerves. “fine,” he responds quietly before he glanced at his watch. “vyn, i think we'd make it to the party on time.”
“really?!” rosa blurts out excitedly. “oh, thank god. all our efforts wouldn't go to waste!”
(except for artem's efforts to not wear a suit or turtleneck and instead dress himself with something light, like a cotton shirt—because even if he's naked he's still sweating as fuck. that's how scorching hot it is in this country)
outside, marius and luke find their own little entertainment, like the kids they are. “luke! here's mine. DNBI.”
luke removes one hand from the jeepney's roof to rub his chin. “DNBI? hmm... you're not cheating, aren't you?”
“what? of course not! i play fair and square, luke pearce!”
luke's coral eyes light up in victory. “aha! i see it! ‘do not block intersection’,” he claims, pointing at the yellow sign. “that's five points for me, marius. now it's my turn. this is a tie breaker.”
marius huffs and rolls his eyes. “it took you ten seconds before you found the sign. that shouldn't be credited.”
“saying something, von hagen?”
“pfft,” says marius. “cheater.”
“whatever you say,” luke chuckles, eyes scanning the area. “marius! LRFP!”
marius instantly scrutinizes the surroundings, desperately searching for whatever it is luke decided to throw at him. the moment marius recognizes the tarpaulin, he knew victory is to be his. “luke, you dolt. this is too easy, even for you,” he smirks, “i see it right here. leni robredo for president! I WIN!”
luke only frowns and mumbles, “... i knew i should've gone with the BBM one. dammit.”
the jeepney comes to a halt. four passengers hop off the vehicle. artem calls for luke and marius to take the extra seats inside. finally!
the moment luke and marius take their seats, three street children pull themselves inside the vehicle. and they have... instruments with them—little makeshift drums and tambourines made from metal bottle caps, and a pair of maracas. a thin girl, around six, walks inside the jeepney to hand out small envelopes where passengers could slip some coins and bills.
people call them the badjaos, also known as sea gypsies.
when vyn catches sight of marius staring at the kids’ makeshift instruments, the psychiatrist shakes his head and whispers, “marius von hagen, don't you dare—”
“hey you, kid. hey, hey,” he calls, “pssssst.”
“goddammit, marius!”
the little boy looks at marius, his features plain and unbothered; he doesn't respond, only looking back at the young von hagen.
marius gestures to the drum the kid's holding. “can i borrow your instrument?”
“as if he could understand you,” chimes vyn. “did i not teach you about the barriers of effective communication, marius?”
“drum. drum drum.” marius points a finger to the little boy's makeshift drum. “can i borrow?”
the kid stares at him for a long while—then shakes his head.
“no?” asks marius, his lips now curling into a devilish smirk. scheming smirk. “how about...” his voice drops lower, his hand reaching to his pockets to get sum bills.
blue fucking bills.
blue bills aka the largest amount of money in the ph
“how about...” he trails, then snaps his fingers, revealing not just one but two blue bills sitting between his thumb and index finger. “this?”
marius gets the makeshift drum, everyone.
*insert romantic rail (me) getaway*
marius only winks at vyn, his smile a reflection of his victory. the psychiatrist shakes his head in dismay and shame.
yk what, luke gets jealous and tries to borrow the other kid's drum, too. but seeing how marius gave the little boy two blue bills, luke has to step up his game, yeah?
so the great detective pearce gives the other kid three blue bills instead, and gets the second makeshift drum for himself.
the first boy shoots marius an empty glance, and the young von hagen immediately knew what the kid meant. one more bill. “all right, all right,” he says, “here's the extra bill for you, kid.” damn you, luke. you spotlight stealer.
luke and marius hit the drums. they sing their hearts out and rosa joins the fun, and later on artem finds himself suppressing a smile, his heart pounding in amusement, relishing this genuine moment they all share. vyn, on the other hand, already has two research studies in mind.
he doesn't show, but vyn is enjoying himself, too. seeing the team like this, having the time of their lives... everything is worth it, after all.
maybe because luke and marius are too handsome and too energetic to watch that the passengers begin slipping a few bills inside the envelopes, while the others (mostly girls) secretly take videos, secretly squealing and getting all the butterflies. they need to get these men's social media accounts asap.
the little girl holding the maracas sits on the jeepney floor in front of rosa. “ate,” she calls, handing over the maracas.
“ate,” vyn repeats. “it means big sister, or if another girl is older than you. a sign of respect, rosa.”
“oh? they have that too?” marius butts in, his face elated. “jiejie, noona, oneeee-saaan,” he teases, “now i'll call you ate, too! ate rosa, ate rosa...”
“marius, shut the fuck up.”
“vyn, what did i ever do to you?”
“i have a long list of the things you did and the things you still do to me, von hagen.”
the heated exchange comes to a halt when they see rosa—cheeks flushed—accepting the maracas from the little girl. “thank you so much,” she smiles, “what is your name?”
the girl only looks at them dumbfounded.
“ro-sa,” says rosa, pointing a finger to herself. “i am rosa. ro-sa. and you are?”
the girl's face lights up. she also points a finger to herself and smiles, “nina. nina.”
“nina?”
she nods excitedly. “nina.”
“nina, this right here—” rosa gestures to the older lawyer, “is artem. ar-tem.” then she nudges vyn on her side. “this is vyn. vyn.”
the girl nods. “artem,” she says, pointing at the male lawyer, then turning her attention to the psychiatrist. “vyn. vyn.”
“that's right. very good,” artem praises her, the grin on his face too conspicuous. his cheeks are faint red as he hands the little girl a bag of biscuits and bread (supposedly his snacks; the breads he made himself). “here, take this. you must be hungry?” he asks, his hand making a circling motion on his stomach.
nina frowns, nodding. it's true she hasn't eaten anything at all. when nina takes a bite from the sandwich, artem feels another smile tug on his lips. good. eat up, little girl.
the other two kids signal nina to hop off the jeepney. marius and luke has collected all the envelopes already and hands them over to the kids. “thanks for the drums, kiddos,” says marius, and the little boys, even if they don't understand, smile and salute the young von hagen before they left the vehicle.
nina follows suit after she mumbles her thanks to rosa, vyn, and artem, who gave her five blue bills before she left the jeep.
“if only we weren't in the middle of a mission, i would've...” whispers marius, “done what i could do to provide for them.”
as someone who hasn't seen yet the trenches of the slums, of poverty and its deep, it was all too heartbreaking for marius to see those kids leave while he does nothing.
“we're here,” artem informs the team. then there's silence. “ahem,” he clears his throat, “w-who's gonna do it?”
luke raises a brow. “do what?”
“stop the jeepney.”
“stop the jeepney?”
“yes...”
rosa turns to luke. “yes. i was told they say ‘para’ to tell the driver to stop—”
“STOOOOOP!”
vyn sees to it that he's the first to hop off the jeepney, saving himself from further shame. “i swear to god,” he mutters to himself, “i will kill you, marius von hagen.”
the nxx team reaches the party on time. in fact, they are five minutes early. but it seems like—
“it's five minutes before the party starts,” says luke, confused. “where are the guests? this place's fully decorated already.”
artem looks around. “don't you think we're in the wrong place?”
“no, the address says it's here. and look, it's “happy birthday, grandma ellen” on the stage. it's elena alegria we need to interrogate.”
“so where are the guests?” asks artem.
“are you the nxx team from stellis?” a voice comes from behind—standing behind them is a girl, perhaps around nineteen years old, wearing a floral dress. she snaps her fingers and laughs, “hello? you guys all right? still in a daze, huh?”
luke blushes. “y-yeah! we're the nxx,” he smiles, “we're only wondering where the guests are, since the party's almost starting.”
“oh, no, you're too early for the party!”
“the party is... at five o'clock. it's four fifty-nine.”
“don't you know about filipino time?” the girl asks casually. “if the invitation says five, it starts at seven.”
the nxx team visit the philippines 🇵🇭
the nxx receives a new case, but the incident's elements are to be found only in manila. two weeks before the investigations begin, the nxx team make certain to relish their long-awaited vacation.
PART 1: THE AIRPORT (Stellis, Ninoy Aquino International Airport)
PART 2: Coming soon!
as the mother of the group, artem picks them up one by one—luke, rosa, marius, and vyn, and drives straight to the airport.
no, no, that did not happen. there were a lot of stop-overs aka mcdonald's for the kids at the back. french fries, sundae, nuggets, iced coffee, you name them. artem gets a hot brew, of course. and as for vyn, well, he's one picky bastard and only wants his tea.
luke and artem double-check everyone's necessities: passports, tickets, valid ids, you name them. most importantly, health declaration forms, negative swab tests, and face masks.
they check-in their baggages and roam around the luxurious stellis airport since they're, you know, five hours early. only artem wing is to blame. but the kids enjoyed window shopping!
wait, fuck, no. it was no window shopping because the von hagen brat buys everything he sees. only vyn was able to stop his impulsive purchases with a single glare. they haven't even left the airport yet they have more baggage to carry.
as usual, only rosa, luke, and marius are giddy with their first flight together as a team! artem's preoccupied with the newspaper while vyn is reading a psychology book. you know, his usual thing.
flight is business class, courtesy by yours truly, marius von hagen. everyone has their own glass of sparkling wine except for vyn who chooses merlot.
seating arrangement: artem is alone, vyn is alone, both minding their own businesses; or maybe vyn only makes sure he's not bothered by marius. luke, rosa, and marius are seated across one another, eating pax's baked goods and some iced tea.
lots and lots of snoring. rosa is the loudest.
luke takes pictures of everyone when they are nearing their destination!
the moment they enter the philippines' airport, a guard approaches them. “ma'am, sir, you are required to wear your face masks and face shields at all times.”
“... face what?” says rosa. “they still wear face shields here?”
“yeah. but rules are rules, watson.” luke eyes the area, hoping to find a store so they can purchase face shields, but to no avail. “ah, i'm really sorry. i didn't know face shields are still needed here.”
“that's all right. i'll go look around, you stay here.” artem pushes his luggages to luke with a nod. “i'll be back immediately.”
as promised, artem returns with five pieces of brand-new face shields. everything's about to click into place now that everyone's wearing it already, but kids are kids...
“hey, that's unfair!” luke points to a little boy wearing a doraemon-designed face shield. “why is his face shield doraemon? i want that too,” he pouts, “this one's too plain.”
marius scowls, resting his hands on his hips. “well if you checked the rules and regulations thoroughly, i could've asked pax to customize our own face shields, luke,” he says, “and i would've designed my own!”
“hey, i'm not—” luke is interrupted by rosa, who's excitedly eyeing a particular store right ahead. “luke, marius! they sell decorated face shields there!”
so yeah. luke has a doraemon face shield, marius's has puppy decorations, while rosa bought (it was marius, actually) the floral one. the kids are so happy.
“... vyn?” artem asks, surprised to find vyn walking towards them. artem didn't even notice him leave. “where have you been? and you're... wearing a new face shield too...”
“yes, i am.” he adjusts his glasses, irritated. “all though i admit, this... face shield thing is quite uncomfortable to use. i cannot wear it properly with glasses.”
“you could—”
“wait, vyn, that's unfair! where did you get yours?” luke asks him. “yours look so... sophisticated. plain but sophisticated.”
rosa gasps in amusement. “woah! it does look expensive! and elegant! you look so luxurious, dr. richter.”
“why, thank you, rosa. i appreciate that,” vyn chuckles. “but i—”
marius snorts at the back. “pfft, his face shield looks like a fish bowl to me.”
“and you look ridiculous wearing yours.”
vyn's stare was icy, enough to zip marius's mouth, letting out a huff of disagreement instead. on the other hand, artem sighs, rubbing his temples. “i shouldn't have bought face shields if you're all going to buy new ones...”
“don't worry, artem! i will take care of this face shield you bought for me!” rosa, as usual, comes to the rescue. she wiggles the face shield in front of artem's face, making him smile. “that's a promise, okay?”
“eh? missy, no one really asked artem to buy those.”
“marius! von! hagen!”
“i was just kidding!” marius raises both arms in surrender. “thanks, man. appreciated.”
artem clears his throat. “you're welcome,” he says, before holding onto his luggage. “come on, everyone. our service will be here in a minute.”
the team walks side by side, but before they could even reach the exit, vyn calls for their attention. “you all go on. i wish to see something.”
artem glances at his wristwatch. “where are you going?”
“there.” vyn gestures to a nearby souvenir shop with a gloomy orange ambience filled with various kinds of merchandise ranging from clothes, jewelry, and even wooden sculptures. “do you perhaps, wish to join me?”
ha. of course they all do. vyn manages to talk to a saleslady, and upon the mention of pasalubong, vyn asks: “pasalubong? what does that mean?”
“it's a culture here in the philippines wherein travellers bring gifts from their destination to people back home,” she says, “it can be any kind of gift or souvenir, even food—all brought for your loved ones after being away for a long period of time.”
amused, vyn plasters a smile. “and i suppose this tradition brings families and friends more closer,” he tells her, “one way to strengthen their bonds. correct?”
the saleslady flashes a cheery grin, thumbs up as she excitedly nod her head. “yes! you got it right, sir!” a blush creeps across her cheeks. “oh, and, uh... you look so foreign. are you, perhaps, european?”
“ahem.” marius clears his throat behind vyn, pretending to look at the keychain products. “someone assist me?”
“the saleswoman is currently occupied, marius.”
“you're not even buying anything, vyn.”
“missy, don't mind him, will you?” marius smirks, dipping his hands in his pockets. “i'll buy all your keychains right here.”
“really, now?”
“mhm. you got it.” the young von hagen shoots vyn a slight glare. “what? did i interrupt your flirting?”
“are you daft?” vyn rolls his eyes, scoffing. “i was not flirting. i was merely asking. did that look like flirting to you, you brat?”
vyn grabs a handful of locally-made pastries, paying for them before marius could even swipe his card. honestly, vyn only bought it to piss marius off, but he never expected the pastries to taste so heavenly.
the pastries, namely: pastillas and polvoron. the nxx team has to get their sweet tooth ready when they return to stellis, because vyn aka the pastry chef will definitely try making these goods, even though they don't require ovens. just condensed milk and sugar.
“just condensed milk and sugar?” vyn's eyes are wide, full of surprise. “are you certain there is nothing more to it than those?”
pretty easy. too easy to make. therefore he'll do it and perhaps, add his own twists to said delicacies. he's a perfectionist, is he not?
oh, and by the way—artem is a few ticks close to scolding marius for purchasing almost the entire souvenir shop. marius says he bought the souvenirs as “pasalubong” to pax employees, and that's sweet, but goddammit, marius—the team hasn't even spent 24 hours in the state and yet they already got their hands (and bank statements) full.
their hotel reservation is at six in the evening, the suite only a few kilometers away from the airport. in stellis it would've been a twenty-minute ride, and clearly no one expected it, but...
“is artem... gonna hyperventilate anytime soon, luke?” asks rosa with a worried look on her face. “he looks...”
“don't look ahead, artem,” advised luke. “or else your mood will worsen.”
“marius,” calls vyn. “i think this is the perfect time to send your private helicopter.”
if you're all wondering about artem's mood...
ph traffic is a goddamn hellhole.
So I have been seeing this everywhere recently.
Do people actually know the difference between lean and thin?
Vyn is NOT THIN. He is LEAN.
A lean person has noticeable muscle definition and low amount of body fats. A thin person does not have muscles nor reasonable amount of body fats.
Note that Vyn has defined abs (not as protruding as Luke's but he has them), reasonably broad muscular shoulders, and also does sports (fencing, polo and polo is A STRENUOUS ACTIVITY, archery, outdoor survival and hunting events back in his home country). So, these sports/activities requires large amounts of stamina and strength, requires strong core muscles as well, obviously he will need to have a balanced diet to maintain the strength for these activities. I honestly do not know how do people come into conclusion that Vyn is thin because he does not exercise and does not eat regular/balanced meals.
This man simply has a smaller waist frame than the other three, probably is more like his mother. Just because of this, it doesn't mean that he is thin.
Add on: Comparing Vyn to Luke is like comparing an athlete to a military soldier.
Sincerely,
Someone who does work out frequently and has similar type of physique as him.