#;we have a lot of rules in our party but the most important is 'friends don't lie.' never ever. no matter what. (character study - lucas)

[zedweek]

Zedweek 2024 Prompts!!!!!!!

Day 1: Dec 2

ZSMA:  It’s the anniversary of the series that started it all! Spanning four years, Zedaph’s Super Minecraft Adventure showcases Zed’s growth as a creator and contains countless silly moments! Farms and western villages, breakups and singing and time travel! Whether you embrace a younger Zedaph, a best build, or a favorite moment, it’s a blast from the past!

Free space: We know that Zed’s earliest series is also one that many haven’t seen, so this day is also open to anything that anyone wants to make! Get crazy with it! The only limit is your own imagination!

Day 2: Dec 3

Hermitcraft 5-6: Caves of crystal and bases galore, we’re going back in time! Featuring lovely characters such as Worm Man and Zedeath, season 5 and 6 give a lot to work with! The rise of the gaming district and the iconic Is That Sheep Looking At Me? entertained the Hermits, and our hero still found time to try his hand at aerial livestock delivery! The following season saw a Jack (Er. Zed?) of all bases, with 5 in total, but no one official base to call his own. Truly, the season of embodying what it means to be a hermit!

Hels: From the mind of Hermitcraft’s own Welsknight, Hels has taken the fandom by storm with its intrigue and possibilities. Explore what Zed’s own Hels could be like, create an elaborate theory where he is a Hels, or where he doesn’t have one at all! If anyone would transcend the rules of the universe to relax and simply share a meal with Evil Xisuma in the most dismal part of the universe, it’s surely the birthday boy.

Day 3: Dec 4

Hermitcraft 7-8: Settling into the Hermitcraft server, seasons 7 and 8 pushed our existing knowledge of Minecraft! From the Cave of Contraptions to the Sciscraper, Zedaph made it his mission to discover the secrets of Hermit psychology as well as some of the most useless functions in the game! Hang out for a round of golf or come up with an even less efficient contraption! There’s plenty of time for a new completely ethical experiment; the moon isn’t getting any bigger…Right?

Oddity:  Zed’s brain and body don’t quite work like anyone else’s, but that’s all the more reason to love him! This is a day to embrace everything that makes Zed peculiar, or to enjoy the peculiarities that he loves right back!

Day 4: Dec 5

Hermitcraft 9-10: Up for a challenge? This pair of seasons has plenty! Try your hand at an advancement or gamification, or design one for our guy! From falling at world height to cheeky spying to getting his friends caught on fire by an angry furnace, these seasons bring plenty of fun! Maybe get a little meta yourself and add a sneaky game to whatever you create!

Death: It’s a well-known fact that Zedaph toys with the cycle of death and life! To me, this seems like a great day to celebrate the way Zedaph celebrates death, whether it be his hundredth demise, making a game of ushering souls, or testing the limits of respawn! 

Day 5: Dec 6

Create: It’s important to properly enrich your Zedaph by letting him play with wrenches and gears with his eccentric friend every so often. Bite into a honeyed apple and feel the rush of being catapulted! Or catapulting your friends! Catapult everything!

Alternate Universe: Put this boy in a situation!!! Get creative and share the role another Zedaph plays (heh) in your story, whatever it may be! Alternatively, try and stop Zed from falling into another universe all on his own. He’s got portal technology, you know!

Day 6: Dec 7

Kris & Jack:  As long as I, Ell Cillpiines, am running this event, there will be always be a KnJ day. This is a day to appreciate Zed’s second channel in all of its filmy frenzied goodness and cast of characters! (D.I.)Why? Because a world without Kris & Jack isn’t a world I would want to be in!

Kris & Jack but in Minecraft this time: oooh you wanna think about them so bad

Day 7: Dec 8

Birthday!!!!!:  It’s a Zelebration! Grab a noise-maker and join the party however you see fit! Happy birthday, Kristopher Zedaph Plays!

[somewhere-at-the-burrow]

hi!! I have a question if that’s okay!

How is house rivalry at Hogwarts? Is there a lot of house pride/division between the houses?

Also during quidditch season, do people know the players of the teams (kinda like football)? (do people root for individual players?)

I’m so interested in how the vibes would be during quidditch season and if people get really intense into showing house/team/player pride bwjahshd

THANK U FOR SHARING ABOUT YOUR DR YOUR POSTS ARE ALWAYS SO LOVELY TO READ <333

yes of course! i love answering questions and they are always welcome!!

for house rivalry, it is very toned down during the average school day than what it is portrayed in the original series. now that I've gotten into advanced level classes, there are students from every house in my classes and it is very standard to have good friends from every house! the school also has lenient rules about sitting with other houses during meals, and we usually only have to sit with our assigned house during important meals (start of term feast, meals with speeches, etc).

however, when it comes to quidditch, everything gets so crazy. even with the teams in the League, every person usually has a team that they root for (sometimes from where they are born) and it is very common to see students wearing team merchandise or sporting a team pin on their school bag. it can start some great conversation and there are even mini-clubs and friend groups that are formed over the obsession of a certain League team!

quidditch at Hogwarts probably has the wildest division between the teams / houses, but only if your house is playing, usually. for example, the Gryffindor vs Slytherin game (which is the first in the season) is one of the most highly anticipated and conflict inducing games of the season, i'd say. the weeks leading up to this game are full of older students dragging the newer students to the practices to watch, and even those who swear they hate quidditch seem to make time for it. it really joins us all together, and I especially love how in my desired reality the winner sometimes throws a party and everyone is invited. I can't wait for the season to start again so I can experience it firsthand!!

also, there are definitely "quidditch celebrities" at Hogwarts. because the sport is so vital to student life at hogwarts, if you are on the team it is kind of an automatic popularity marker. even the substitute players who don't join in the actual game very often are so well known and the team really is like a family. one thing that is so similar to the franchise is how popular the seekers are. students band together to cheer for their favorite players, but i've noticed that the seekers / captains are the most anticipated members of the season. in my DR, gryffindor and ravenclaw are opening up the spot for new seekers this year and the speculation has been INSANE. people are so eager to see how this season plays out, as Cedric Diggory and Elsie Smithey (the slytherin seeker) have stolen the hearts of everyone in the castle and those two are pretty unbeatable.

(( i scripted that I would become the gryffindor seeker I AM STRESSING SO BAD))

as for house pride, everyone takes part in creating banners and creative posters, and dressing up for games is an absolute must. in addition, I also own some things for different houses, as it is so common to support the other teams if yours is not playing! it all depends on how the season works out in your team's favor, so some students change what team they cheer for each year IT IS SO FUNNY.

I hope this answered some of your wonderings!

thank you so so much for the ask <33

[lucascsinclairs]

Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things 2 | Chapter Five: Dig Dug

"We have a lot of rules in our party. But the most important one is: Friends don't lie. Never ever. No matter what."

[msfantasy-comics]

The Perfect Match

Roy Harper x Reader

Summary: A head cannon in which you are Roy’s perfect match.

Masterlist - Tip Jar

Independence

Throughout Roy’s developmental years, he was always treated with excessive handholding, rules and over exertion of authority.

This has led Roy to feel resentful of constraints.

In his former years, Roy relished the freedom and exercising autonomy through the Outlaws.

Roy really appreciates the sense of freedom you give in your relationship.

Roy: “Would you be upset if I cancel our date tonight? Jason’s back in town.”

You were fully dressed up, ready for your hot date.

Y/n: “Nope.”

And you really meant it.

You took advantage of your hot fit and took yourself on a date.

The flexibility you give him is one of the key factors to your loving relationship.

Adventurous Spirit

Given Roy has spent most of his free time training and practicing the art of archery, Roy needs a romantic partner who shares the passion of adventure.

Roy: “Wow… I never seen anyone shoot the ground when the target is only 5 meters away.

Y/n: “I was just testing the bow resistance…”

Roy: “Uh-huh…”

Whilst you may not be the most talented archer or most fit individual. You are always keen to try and participate.

Your enthusiasm to do better is infectious and Roy just loves and appreciates your willingness to try and do better, especially when it comes to his interests.

Y/n: “Roy did you see, did you see?! I hit the outer ring!”

Supportive and Empathetic

Roy has had to endure many hardships throughout his developmental years which has plagued him every so often during his adult hood such as;

Addiction issues - not only does Roy have past entanglements with addictions which leads him to live a clean life. He had developed a critical eye for intentions, as a trusted friend was the cause to his addiction. Now, Roy analyses everything for deeper motivations. That’s just the result of the trauma and it’s a the reality in which you had accept. Whilst it can be insulting and exhausting to be under the microscope, you always speak your mind freely and bluntly.

Relationship dynamic of being in a team - it’s a struggle for Roy to build trust in others due to his past experiences. He has trouble letting people in, but once your in, you most certainly not getting out. You appreciate the value in which Roy holds you and makes you feel extra safe and comfortable knowing that Roy, no matter what, will always be there for you.

Responsibility as a hero - Roy has had to endure the heavy burden of protecting society as nothing more than a well trained human. Society is never short of criticism and Roy is hard on himself enough as it is. This can lead to feeling emotionally and physically strained. Roy cannot handle the criticism of his short comings when it comes to his romantic entanglements too.

Roy: “Y/n, baby, I’m so sorry I missed your birthday party, it’s just, this woman, and her child-“

Y/n: “Roy! I had the best birthday ever! I took lots of photos, so you could see it all when you finished your patrol. But we can do that later, do you want me to draw you a bath? Have you eaten yet?”

Roy: *pant* “aren’t you-“ *pant* “upset with me?”

Y/n: “Don’t be a silly goose, I know you wouldn’t miss anything intentionally, must’ve been really important. We’ve been together for years, think I don’t know you by now?”

Sense of Humor

Even in the hardest of times, it’s at times easier to just have a laugh.

Roy appreciates that you don’t take difficult situations to seriously and just have a laugh with him.

Roy thinks your extra-adorable since you kept notes on his funniest one-liners.

"Some days, I wish I was a firefighter. All you have to worry about is fire."

"We're supposed to be professionals, yet here we are, running around in spandex, talking to ourselves."

"All these costume changes, and I'm still trying to figure out my life."

In a crowd full of hero’s your laughter amongst the dead silence is always appreciated.

[lucassinclaer-archive]

We have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is: Friends don't lie. Never ever. No matter what.

[angrybell]

He’s so appalled he’s done…. Absolutely nothing.

Jews get harassed and attacked at rallies. Biden does nothing.

Jews get harassed and attacked on campus. Biden does nothing.

Jews get harassed and attacked at their synagogue. Biden sends a tweet.

Why is the majority of my community supporting this man and this party? He’s never been a real friend. He hates Jews when they defend themselves. He likes us as victim, but not enough to do anything tangible.

Has Garland been ordered to prosecute s1985 cases, treating these pro “Palestinian” thugs like the KKK as they should be? No.

He wants to import more of them.

He wants to reward their terror by supporting an independent “Palestine”. The only people who will profit from this are the terrorists who want formal recognition because it affords them more protections for when they launch their next 10/7 style attack.

So why are we supporting this man? He’s not good for us.

Oh that’s right.. Trump. Did Trump permit pogroms? Did Trump undercut Israel trying to destroy a terrorist organization?

No. He did worse. He said mean things.

Don’t tell me that Biden did things better than Trump. Most of Biden’s successes are continuations to Trump’s policies. Most of the failures are Biden’s personal or party initiatives.

Do you not see the absolute insanity?

I get that many in the community are unable to override three or more generations of indoctrination that American Jewish protection can only come from the Democrats. It makes absolutely no sense historically when you consider that the Democrats were the ones who

Was the party of the KKK.

Strictly enforced the immigration quotas against the Jews before and during

Did not criticize Hitler for his treatment of the Jews and other minorities by the Nazis

Obama embraced and provided funds to nations, most notably Iran, who had committed or orchestrated acts of terror against Jews in Israel and around the world. He then tried to make it possible for them to construct nuclear weapons through a deal that perversely was sold as a deal to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons.

Have continually elected openly antisemitic members to Congress for the past decade.

Biden has tried to prevent Israel from rescuing American and Israeli Jews held by Hamas by establishing a “red line” when it comes to Rafah.

Our allegiance to the Democrats is a poisonous inheritance of our ancestors. Back in Eastern Europe, the socialists were the only ones not likely to participate in the pogroms while the Russian and Austrian-Hungarian Empires existed. And because of that, Jews were attracted to that. Yes, there are some aspects of their program that agrees with Jewish culture, but many of those same areas can also be found with conservative movements as well.

What worked, badly, for the Jewish community at the start of the 29th century does not work for us anymore. Remaining wed to the Democrats is like an abused spouse saying “they really will change this time.”

They’re not. They’ve promised to get worse.

So, are we going to vote for our own destruction? Or are we going to use our power and votes to support someone, or just as importantly to support someone?

I get that if you’ve gotten this far you’ve at least thought of something along these lines but then you get to the other option: Trump. He’s been more vilified than any politician in American politics in the last half century. He’s got a lot of faults. So maybe you’re not ready to vote for him.

Fine. At least don’t vote for Biden. And, if you live in one of the districts, don’t vote for members of the “The Squad”. Don’t donate to the Democrats or groups that are simply going to give it to Biden.

Otherwise, you’re saying you’re fine with where this heading. Another 4 years of Democrat rule is not going to fix the problems we’re experiencing. It’s going to make them worse.

[crowley-anthony]

laura’s 11k celebration (top 40 characters as voted by my followers) ✵ 35 ➳ lucas sinclair

↳ "We Have A Lot Of Rules In Our Party, But The Most Important Is, 'Friends Don't Lie.'"

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An interoperability rule for your money

This is the final weekend to back the Kickstarter campaign for the audiobook of my next novel, The Lost Cause. These kickstarters are how I pay my bills, which lets me publish my free essays nearly every day. If you enjoy my work, please consider backing!

"If you don't like it, why don't you take your business elsewhere?" It's the motto of the corporate apologist, someone so Hayek-pilled that they see every purchase as a ballot cast in the only election that matters – the one where you vote with your wallet.

Voting with your wallet is a pretty undignified way to go through life. For one thing, the people with the thickest wallets get the most votes, and for another, no matter who you vote for in that election, the Monopoly Party always wins, because that's the part of the thick-wallet set.

Contrary to the just-so fantasies of Milton-Friedman-poisoned bootlickers, there are plenty of reasons that one might stick with a business that one dislikes – even one that actively harms you.

The biggest reason for staying with a bad company is if they've figured out a way to punish you for leaving. Businesses are keenly attuned to ways to impose switching costs on disloyal customers. "Switching costs" are all the things you have to give up when you take your business elsewhere.

Businesses love high switching costs – think of your gym forcing you to pay to cancel your subscription or Apple turning off your groupchat checkmark when you switch to Android. The more it costs you to move to a rival vendor, the worse your existing vendor can treat you without worrying about losing your business.

Capitalists genuinely hate capitalism. As the FBI informant Peter Thiel says, "competition is for losers." The ideal 21st century "market" is something like Amazon, a platform that gets 45-51 cents out of every dollar earned by its sellers. Sure, those sellers all compete with one another, but no matter who wins, Amazon gets a cut:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital

Think of how Facebook keeps users glued to its platform by making the price of leaving cutting of contact with your friends, family, communities and customers. Facebook tells its customers – advertisers – that people who hate the platform stick around because Facebook is so good at manipulating its users (this is a good sales pitch for a company that sells ads!). But there's a far simpler explanation for peoples' continued willingness to let Mark Zuckerberg spy on them: they hate Zuck, but they love their friends, so they stay:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

One of the most important ways that regulators can help the public is by reducing switching costs. The easier it is for you to leave a company, the more likely it is they'll treat you well, and if they don't, you can walk away from them. That's just what the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau wants to do with its new Personal Financial Data Rights rule:

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-jumpstart-competition-and-accelerate-shift-to-open-banking/

The new rule is aimed at banks, some of the rottenest businesses around. Remember when Wells Fargo ripped off millions of its customers by ordering its tellers to open fake accounts in their name, firing and blacklisting tellers who refused to break the law?

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/10/07/497084491/episode-728-the-wells-fargo-hustle

While there are alternatives to banks – local credit unions are great – a lot of us end up with a bank by default and then struggle to switch, even though the banks give us progressively worse service, collectively rip us off for billions in junk fees, and even defraud us. But because the banks keep our data locked up, it can be hard to shop for better alternatives. And if we do go elsewhere, we're stuck with hours of tedious clerical work to replicate all our account data, payees, digital wallets, etc.

That's where the new CFPB order comes in: the Bureau will force banks to "share data at the person’s direction with other companies offering better products." So if you tell your bank to give your data to a competitor – or a comparison shopping site – it will have to do so…or else.

Banks often claim that they block account migration and comparison shopping sites because they want to protect their customers from ripoff artists. There are certainly plenty of ripoff artists (notwithstanding that some of them run banks). But banks have an irreconcilable conflict of interest here: they might want to stop (other) con-artists from robbing you, but they also want to make leaving as painful as possible.

Instead of letting shareholder-accountable bank execs in back rooms decide what the people you share your financial data are allowed to do with it, the CFPB is shouldering that responsibility, shifting those deliberations to the public activities of a democratically accountable agency. Under the new rule, the businesses you connect to your account data will be "prohibited from misusing or wrongfully monetizing the sensitive personal financial data."

This is an approach that my EFF colleague Bennett Cyphers and I first laid our in our 2021 paper, "Privacy Without Monopoly," where we describe how and why we should shift determinations about who is and isn't allowed to get your data from giant, monopolistic tech companies to democratic institutions, based on privacy law, not corporate whim:

https://www.eff.org/wp/interoperability-and-privacy

The new CFPB rule is aimed squarely at reducing switching costs. As CFPB Director Rohit Chopra says, "Today, we are proposing a rule to give consumers the power to walk away from bad service and choose the financial institutions that offer the best products and prices."

The rule bans banks from charging their customers junk fees to access their data, and bans businesses you give that data to from "collecting, using, or retaining data to advance their own commercial interests through actions like targeted or behavioral advertising." It also guarantees you the unrestricted right to revoke access to your data.

The rule is intended to replace the current state-of-the-art for data sharing, which is giving your banking password to third parties who go and scrape that data on your behalf. This is a tactic that comparison sites and financial dashboards have used since 2006, when Mint pioneered it:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/12/mint-late-stage-adversarial-interoperability-demonstrates-what-we-had-and-what-we

A lot's happened since 2006. It's past time for American bank customers to have the right to access and share their data, so they can leave rotten banks and go to better ones.

The new rule is made possible by Section 1033 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, which was passed in 2010. Chopra is one of the many Biden administrative appointees who have acquainted themselves with all the powers they already have, and then used those powers to help the American people:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

It's pretty wild that the first digital interoperability mandate is going to come from the CFPB, but it's also really cool. As Tim Wu demonstrated in 2021 when he wrote Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, the administrative agencies have sweeping, grossly underutilized powers that can make a huge difference to everyday Americans' lives:

https://www.eff.org/de/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/21/let-my-dollars-go/#personal-financial-data-rights

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

Image: Steve Morgan (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._National_Bank_Building_-_Portland,_Oregon.jpg

Stefan Kühn (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abrissbirne.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

 - 

Rhys A. (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/rhysasplundh/5201859761/in/photostream/

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[biblicallyaccuratecrow]

ouroboros rambles chapter 2

you guys seemed to like the chapter 1 rambles, so here is chapter 2!

[spoilers for isat and twohats below the cut]

i would like to start by saying that we all need more mirabelle POV fics in our lives. she deserves only the best.

I always really liked how Mira didn't just. get over act 5? like, the things that siffrin said were hurtful! yes! and she loves him! even after that! but it doesn't erase the pain and the conflicting feelings regarding it, especially because of the no-spoilers rule... which we will get more into i proMISE! in any case I was focused a lot on the fact that Mira post canon is dealing with a Lot, what with everyone still believing that she was chosen by the Change God and yknow. saving Vaugarde, and Siffrin's overall condition doesn't help! She wants him to be okay and safe, and she has already shown that she feels immense guilt over not being able to help siffrin during the loops, so I kinda leaned hard into that.

The entire party is about to be So Tired Of People.... especially The Introverts (Odile, Mira, and Siffrin)...

The fucking cart thing came to me out of fucking nowhere. I have no idea where or why that bit came around.

Siffrin sleeping habits analysis. siffrin sleeps all curled up like a cat most of the time? theyre small scrappy, but not really the most physically strong (before the loops), and i imagine more than a few years of traveling alone would train him to be ready to protect themselves however they can, even in their sleep. I think that this eases up a bit as they get comfortable with the party, which leads to them being able to sleep "normally". but of course, that is how they wake up in the loops. negative association and trauma from waking up back in the meadow..... i don't imagine they'll be going back to that any time soon.

I do have a Full Catalog of Siffrin's injuries (because im actually insane) but that will be talked about in my chapter 3 rambles. for now though, all im gonna say is that Siffrin definitely kept the stars hidden. In my headcanon, healing craft only works when you can actually pinpoint a wound, internal or external. I'm more inclined to believe that siffrin healed them up the best they could on their own after to hide them.

Ohhhh odile. my beloved. i have so many feelings about her and how she processes siffrin's issues postcanon. feelings i will not get into until next chapter. sorry lmaoooooo. All you gotta know for now is that once she starts seeing things, she can't stop. the signs appear everywhere, and she very quickly puts the pieces together from that point. All it takes is one domino to start the cascade, and Odile is the kind of person that WILL get to the bottom of it all, no matter what it takes.

Mira's guilt. Oh man. There are some ways in which her and Siffrin are very alike, and this is one of them. She's justified in being mad, yes, but that doesn't erase the fact that she doesn't want to BE mad. She hates it. because she knows now that siffrin was suffering. She defeated the king, saved vaugarde, but the cost was her friend's health and happiness. siffrin said that they were happiest they'd ever been with the party... and yes, siffrin loves them all deeply, but she never could have wanted that love to come at such a great price.

Mira has gotta be TIRED. girl healed siffrin a grand total of (checks my page of notes from act 5) six times. with very little cooldown. and that was AFTER deflecting the ONE SHOT KILL attack from the king (which, even with the carrot method shield, does at least 1/4 damage) and unfreezing siffrin....ough. let her rest!

i love torturing isa using his crush. its so funny. bro is a disaster. brain completely short circuits at the thought of siffrin in his clothes i can IMAGINE IT SO CLEARLY.... odile is gon abe homophobic soon /silly

Siffrin's wish... this scene was really important to me. Just for clarification (and this will become a LOT more obvious later), I don't really regard this scene as Siffrin getting over what happened? Because he definitely isn't. But they have already literally let go of their wish, and I wanted to explore a more… intentional version of that? its long-lasting effects are still there, mentally and physically. it doesn't just go away. But it has served its purpose and this is my way of showing the transition point from the loops and their future with their family.

Also!!! the idea of mourning something that no longer serves its former purpose, a life you cannot get back. Siffrin can never go back to who they were before their wish. They have been fundamentally changed as a person. And while the wish did bring good things, the flipside is that it also dismantled their entire worldview and life in its entirety. They died from this wish, suffered because of it, but the meaning behind it remains, and i think that this scene kind of shows the idea that siffrin still feels compassion for what it originally meant to them. its a bittersweet reality.

[eorzeanscholar14]

A Thematic Analysis of Dawntrail (and Endwalker BUT MOSTLY DAWNTRAIL)

SURPRISE I REMEMBERED THIS BLOG

Anyway, I was thinking about Dawntrail and how it's thematically similar to Endwalker while still carrying its own message, and I want to ramble about it.

This is going to be a LONG post, so the analysis itself is under the cut.

So. Dawntrail has been out for two, maybe three months now, and because of uni I've not been able to play FFXIV for a while, but that's given me time to digest the new storyline a bit and the themes that are present in the story.

I think I'll divide this post into sections, for easier readability, going from the background of both expansions (yes I will tag spoilers) to my thinking on it.

Part 1: Dawntrail's Story

THERE WILL BE HEAVY SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Dawntrail picks up pretty much where the post-Endwalker MSQ left off, with the party of the WoL and their friends (now featuring Erenville and Wuk Lamat!) setting off on a boat to Tural. A storm rattles them a little bit along the way, but most people end up being fine thanks to our intrepid heroes, and we make it to Tural no problem.

Once we're there, we go through the rite of succession, and Wuk Lamat learns a lot of things along the way, but mostly that in order to be a good ruler, she has to be willing and able to learn about the people she rules over, and be willing to listen and take action to help them with their struggles.

Surprising no one, she ends up becoming the new Dawnservant (and asking her brother Koana to help her, which I love) and her father, Gulool Ja Ja, steps down so she and Koana can begin ruling.

(Oh, and they kill Valigarmanda, a Tural Vidraal that not even her father could kill, and thoroughly smoke both Bakool Ja Ja and Zoraal Ja in the trials after that. Zoraal Ja then disappears and eventually opens the gate to and enters the golden city.)

Things are peaceful for about a day. During that time, the WoL accompanies Erenville to Xak Tural so he can visit his home, and they help settle matters in Shaaloani first.

After that, though, a weird sphere pops up over Yyasulani, and airships are seen heading towards Tuliyollal. Erenville and the WoL rush back, only to find a bloodbath, and Zoraal Ja battling his own father, covered in strange technology.

Zoraal Ja wins, and Wuk Lamat grieves for her father, promising to avenge his death.

She follows Zoraal Ja's airships into Yyasulani, where she and the party discover a changed world - and meet Queen Sphene, the ruler of the land and Zoraal Ja's Queen of Reason. The new world is called Alexandria, and she leads them on a tour of it - but something is... off about the whole place.

Eventually, Sphene reveals herself to be the big bad, and we defeat her, but Wuk Lamat promises to help Gulool Ja, Zoraal Ja's child, take care of the citizens of Alexandria as if they were her own.

Part 2: Dawntrail's Important Themes

Ok, so why the overview? Well, because it helps me keep the story somewhat straight, and lets me dig into some of the most important moments in it.

The first happens in the first part of the story, and it's about accepting differences in each other's culture, and learning to live in harmony with those around you. That's literally what Tuliyollal was built on, remember. And we see Wuk Lamat learn this lesson in a number of different ways throughout the rite of succession - she grows as a person because she allows herself to learn.

If you ask me, we should all strive to be more like Wuk Lamat in that regard.

The second happens right in the middle of the story, and Wuk Lamat is not the focus of it at first, but her brother, Koana, is. He is the first to recognize his faults, and work to overcome them, turning them into strengths. In turn, Wuk Lamat follows her older brother's example, even going so far as to ask him to serve as Dawnservant alongside her.

No one is perfect for one role alone - but if we collaborate, we can achieve great things. And while this has always been a theme of FFXIV, it really shines in the newest expansion.

And finally, some new old themes to consider:

Grief, but also remembrance.

This is the one I'm going to talk most about, so buckle up.

We first see the theme of remembrance in the Yok Huy, who do not have gravestones, but rather epitaphs that depict a person's life story, that they may always be remembered. They preserve important historical events in the same way - through murals and epitaphs, such as the discovery of the golden city.

And the near extinction of their people.

People, mind you, who they are still very much grieving. After all, a LOT of people died when the Yok Huy traveled to Xak Tural. In fact, we can see this plain as day in the Chirwagur population - they still believe the Yok Huy should be the overlords of the land, although they lack the strength to do anything about it and mostly just keep to themselves. And some people do that in grief - they cling to what once was because it brings them comfort in a time where there is very little to find in their life.

You know where else we see this?

Alexandria.

In fact, that's the whole concept of the Endless right there. They are AI that wear the faces of departed loved ones so that they may be eternally remembered, never forgotten, never dying, living in a veritable paradise.

A paradise that is at least partially based on Alexandria before the Electrope Wars.

In fact, Sphene did not become Queen of Alexandria until the Electrope Wars, so really her whole existence is an example of clinging to the past.

Part Three: What Does This Have To Do With Endwalker?

Boy oh boy, am I glad you asked!

In Endwalker, the Ascians have brought about the end of the world. Everyone is scared, and they don't know what to do, and then Radz-at-Han and Garlemald nearly fall to ruin. Many people die, and many more are actively grieving.

Ourselves included.

At this point in the story, the WoL has seen MULTIPLE friends die in front of them (although really only Moenbryda is brought up time and again, but she wasn't the only one - remember Minfilia, Ysayle, Haurchefant, Papalymo? Heck, even ARDBERT, who at one point tried to kill us and later helped us kill Hades.)

How everyone handles grief in Endwalker is different - some give in to despair, and become monsters themselves. Others try their best to hold out hope for a brighter tomorrow, like those in Radz-at-Han, and Garlemald, and Sharlayan.

Yet others actively do something with their grief, channel it into something useful - like the WoL. Of course, they literally travel to the aetherial sea, confront their grief head on in the form of the souls of their dead friends, and then beat the crap out of the last remaining Ancient who may as well be a god at this point so they can use her last bits of aether to power their ship to travel to the end of the universe and battle the literal embodiment of despair. And we can't all do that. But the message is the same no matter what: No matter how grief affects you, things can and will get better, even if you have to try and try and fail again and again to make it so.

Also can I just talk about that last fight with Zenos really quick? Because to me, that symbolizes the WoL finally letting go of what haunts them. Zenos, to me, is the shadow that haunts the Warrior of Light - literally. Not only is he our mirror, in Endwalker, he is a metaphor for grief, and how it never truly leaves, even when we've made peace with it.

And considering the real-world events going on at the time of Endwalker's release, this makes sense. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, death tolls were climbing by the day, and many people were losing hope.

Part 4: How Does THAT Tie Into Dawntrail?

In talking about how Dawntrail and Endwalker are similar, we need to also consider the real-world events around the time of its release.

COVID-19 is still a very real threat, and ruins if not ends many people's lives daily, no matter how much we pretend it's gone away.

In multiple countries, there are elections being held that could determine whether certain groups of people even get BASIC RIGHTS, and in multiple other countries, people are being massacred for (from what I can tell) no other reason except genocide.

While Dawntrail begins as simply a new beginning to a new story, it ends as a reminder of the previous expansion's message - and a new addition to it.

Those who have left us are not truly gone, so long as we remember their stories. They can't come back to us, but they can stay in our memories until we ourselves pass on, and in that regard they never truly leave us.

[claudiajessies]

GET TO KNOW ME ☆ [1/∞] favourite male characters » lucas sinclair

we have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is, 'friends don't lie.'

[celestialtarot11]

Virgo risings and their angular houses 🪴🌱

Angular houses are the most important in an astrological chart. It represents our fundamental core selves, the parts in which we work with consistently in life, and what we value the most. Angular houses show huge change and how it plays a role in our life 💌 often deals with external change impacting us and our growth!

Virgo rising ♍️- Ruled by mercury, wherever your mercury falls in your chart is the most important! It’ll tell you more about yourself, and how you’re perception of the world is influenced by external circumstances. Virgo risings are reserved, yet extroverted around the right people. Funny, witty, outgoing, intelligent and detail oriented. Maybe they do not say a whole lot, but when they do, it’s powerful. As an earth ruled rising, these natives value their time, health, energy, and do not like to be rushed. These natives could’ve had a huge family, with a lot of siblings because mercury tends to do that 🤣 Virgo’s are here to understand the material world and the spiritual side. To explore both worlds, and bridge the gap between them. Their sister sign is pisces, whilst pisces is connected to the ethereal realm, so is virgo but in a different way. Their body is the gateway to understanding spirituality and wellness. Virgos take care of their health a lot because it connects them to the vital parts of themselves. Connecting to their body is a massive part of their healing 🙌 virgo risings can pick up a lot of energy, but it manifests in physical sickness and detriment. Which is why it’s important to nurture and cleanse their body and energy field.

Sagittarius 4th house ♐️- These natives come from a diverse background! Most of the time Virgo risings have a diverse family origin, or they find out they are a part of a different ethnicity at some point of their lives. Virgo rising could’ve grown up with parents who had higher education, but if not they at least stressed the importance of it. Whether it was through grades, exams and extra curricular activities, the parents stressed an importance of it. Virgo risings could’ve felt pressured into doing well, or pursuing higher education because the people around them did. Parents could’ve been critical of Virgo risings in their school years growing up too. If not, the parents knew the value of hard work and dedication to pursuing higher knowledge, and wanted the virgo rising native to continue that 🤗 Growing up family life could’ve been huge on parties, family events, and at some point maybe there was an adoption! Family could have also been invasive in the virgo rising natives life, and at some point the native tried to escape this. Either through running away, taking alcohol or weed as a form of escapism. In some natives, Sagittarius in the 4th signified losing a home, and being put into CPS, child services. So the child moved from place to place, never truly understanding family ❤️‍🩹 if not, the virgo rising had a parent that moved around a lot, and never got to settle in a place properly. Virgo rising’s understand what it’s like to lack, therefore they grow up wanting to make sure everyone around them has what they need. Hence why they are so detail oriented, because often times virgo risings aren’t cared for the way they need. They don’t want others facing the same pain. Later on in life, Virgo’s will learn to prioritize themselves and their mental health ❤️‍🩹

Pisces ruled 7th house, descendant ♓️- With pisces here, Virgo’s want someone who’s emotionally available and spiritually present. Someone who can also take care of their body, and also show them the way to spirit. They want someone easy going, relaxing, and gentle. Too much of the people around them may have been critical, and focused on the material realm. Virgo wants balance by inviting a spiritual partner, and someone who makes space for dreams 💘🤗 a long term best friend. Virgos maybe have trouble showing up in partnerships securely, because they can get lost in their fantasies, so much to the point they neglect reality. They neglect the truth of reality, meaning they impose their expectations and fantasies onto their partner. While it’s okay to have fantasies and desires, projecting that onto your partner is unhealthy. Virgos are learning how to let people show up the way they chose too, whilst also wanting their dreams to come true. Neither should be neglected, dreams and a partner/friendship. With pisces here Virgo’s are learning to have boundaries in partnerships, not to lose themselves. They are intuitive when it comes to the people around them, which is why it’s incredibly important to choose their relationships wisely. Virgo risings can easily take on the energy of another and need someone who can take care, and maintain their own energy field 🙌🤍 in business and negotiations, Virgos are the type to have their partners present first, and negotiate after the fact. They are fluid, open minded, and think abstract. Which is why virgo risings do great in negotiations and presenting new ideas, because they dream big and see things from a different lenses. Their ideas are unique, abstract, and yet appeal to everyone because Virgos tap into the collective 🤝 the business collective that is. They somehow intuitively understand what people want and need in business, and deliver it with their ability to communicate! They could be a party planner, decorator, consultant, writer, journalist! 💌

Gemini ruled 10th house ♊️- Finnicky and everchanging is how people would describe virgo risings. Virgo risings like to explore career paths, and have an abundance of different jobs. They like mental stimulation in their jobs, and prefer jobs/career paths where they can speak and mentally stimulate others, or write and publish their fantasies. They turn their thoughts into reality. People see these Virgo rising natives as charming, witty, open minded and attractive! I saw someone say in esoteric astrology it’s believed Gemini is ruled by Venus, so if I take that into consideration, these virgo risings know how to partner up and use their words to draw people in! Especially in their business. They get smarter, and efficient at organizing their thoughts and appealing to others in conversation, which is why people want to have them. By understanding the mind, a conversation with a virgo rising feels like breath of fresh air. Gemini in the 10th house can also indicate a Father who was mentally stimulating, liked philosophy or shared his random musings to the virgo rising child. Which inspired the virgo rising native to carry that in their job/career. Their father could be apart of the virgo risings career life, or at least offer a helping hand. But often, gemini start from nothing to reach the top. It’s very likely virgo risings had no one, and nothing to start with when it came to making money, and landing a successful career. They had to figure it out on their own, and yet people wouldn’t guess that because of virgo risings ability to connect with others still 💘 Career paths include: writer, journalist, teacher, tour guide, events manager, psychologist

Thank you so much for reading! 💘🤗💌 I hope ya’ll found this resonated and please feel free to comment, like & reblog! 🤝🤍 pleasure doin business with ya’ll.

Distant Energy Healing Service🤍

Paid readings 💗

[britcision]

By the way in light of today’s events I’d like to remind my fellow Canadians to sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up, and get some goddamn legwork in, because we’re at most a year out from our own next election

And voting goddamn Pierre in will be at most marginally less stupid than a second Trump term, so let’s take the important lesson here:

Nothing is safe, nothing is assured, and there’s no point thinking “oh no one would actually want that”

Clearly, some people will happily watch the world burn just to spite their “enemies”, not even for any benefit to themselves - and they live in every country on Earth

We have our own homegrown Trump supporters and we all know who they’ll actually vote for, so unless you want a real quick karmic turn around, stuff any moralizing back in your pants and do something useful

We have less than one year til our next election, Canada

Goddamn Pierre is leading the polls

We will have our own far right, extremist courting bigot at the head of our government unless we actually do something

Make sure your friends are registered to vote

Make sure everyone you know has a way to get to the polls, or to get an early voting ballot

Make sure you are registered to vote and have a way to get to the polls, because you know who votes every time, at every level? Bigots and assholes, and they will win if you do not show up too

Vote just so that one of them has no voice, if nothing else speaks to you

If you can, and someone close to you is a fan of the Conservatives, ask them what they think about his ties to Christian nationalists - not aggressively. Pretend you’re considering him, and you value their opinion, but you have some worries

Then lay out your concerns one by one. The goal isn’t for them to immediately swear off him and change their minds, it’s to make sure all his shady bullshit gets into their head and make them actually think about it

If all they have are justifications like “well all the parties are the same”, well, they’re not

Only one party thinks trans kids should be outed to potentially unsafe homes

Only one party thinks climate change is a good thing that we should be speeding up

So you gotta show up to vote in every single election, at every single level of government, because we’ve just had a crystal clear reminder that democracy only works when everyone participates

Bigots and assholes will put themselves in at every level to slowly take power and change the landscape until they can sweep a national election, and they will change every rule they can to make that sweep happen

One big dramatic vote for the federal government is not enough; you have to do the work or they’ll just keep coming back

Times are rough as fuck right now and we have a cost of living crisis, and for a lot of people who aren’t terminally online that means they’re more worried about putting food on their table tomorrow than a bunch of hypotheticals that might hurt people they don’t know and will never meet

That is a good and normal human survival instinct - there’s no point stockpiling food for the winter when the wells have all dried up and there is no water. One of those problems is more immediate

Moral superiority is alienating and will encourage people not to listen to you, so leave that at home too if you actually want to do anything useful

Anyone I catch bloviating, I’m going to assume you want an ego boost more than you want actual change

Have an outburst, get it out of your system, and then remember it will happen here too

It will be your friends, your coworkers, your family, people you love

Because when people are scared, they get angry, and if someone gives them a target for their fear and pain and say “hey just get rid of that guy and it all goes away”, people don’t go with it because they’re bad people

They need to be reminded to think, to realize that conservative blowhards do not care about them and will sell them for parts for a dollar fifty, and they need to see an actual alternative

A plan that will really make things better, for them personally

And, yeah, plot twist, better human rights protections? Will do that. Better labour regulations? Far more effective than building walls.

And, shit, especially with the latest listeria adventures in Every Goddamn Brand Of Eggs And Chicken Ever Apparently?

Remind them how much more deregulation will hurt them than price increases

Cuz yeah, it is hard to put food on the table right now

But at least most of the food will not kill you! And probably has 0 human fingers in it!

(And hey you’ll probably want some decent healthcare available since, again, Goddamn Everything Has Listeria I Guess)

Show them how Conservatives will materially, demonstrably harm them

Fuck, use their bullshit against them; convince THEM there’s no one worth voting for and they should stay home, then get your goddamn ass out there and vote

[gvtted-ratz]

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Tippler Pigeon

Edward Nashton/The Riddler x M!It/Its!Reader

Last Edited: 09/09/22

TW: stalking, brief mention of sexual activities

Requested: No.

Word Count: 1,735

AO3 LINK -> HERE

Living by the Iceberg Lounge has very few perks. Most were cons, with all the rich filing in to get their daily drops along with sex. Who cared if their partners were at home, working hard to take care of their kids? They were busy partying, giving away valuable information to anyone attractive enough to so much as flutter their eyelashes at them. Maybe even let them feel that person up and the secrets spill from their lips faster than a pigeon can fly off in fear of being hit with a pipe by some shitty kid. There is also the constant harassment from the drunkards and those high off their tails whenever you leave your complex.

The information is a perk though; probably the only pro there is to the place. And to get any info, you have to be able to either be employed at the club, be one of the awful rich folk, or pay off one of the employees that work there. The waitresses were the ones to get the most info and the best bet. They’re there for money; half of them hated the club with their entire being but it was the only option they had left. But there was a major con. If either of you are found out, you both get killed. That’s why it is usually best to find someone trustworthy, someone who can lie as well as keep their cool. Despite all this, you weren’t one for this. The data collected from there would sell for a pretty buck but your life was more important. People would do anything to keep their secrets under wraps. That included the orchestrated murder of people.

Your neighbour did seem to like the club though. Many pictures of the lounge, as well as the mayor, Don Mitchell. There were other people, you’re sure, though you were never able to see them. Whatever information he was getting his hands on, it would lead to his death if anyone reported him. You don't know him well but the idea of him dying is unsettling. He fits into your schedule; he is part of the routine you follow, even if he doesn’t know. Seeing him at all, was just normal. Not seeing or even hearing him for an entire day made it feel like everything was wrong and it made doing things extremely hard. His presence is deeply engraved in your daily routine that, with him suddenly being gone, it comes crashing down around you. Thankfully, he hasn’t ever disappeared for long. He’s never been gone for longer than a day. The few times he does leave for an entire day is awful and takes a lot of reassurance from yourself and even some promises to go to the place you really want or get an item you’ve been saving up for; that usually helps you create a new routine, just for that day until it all goes back to the original.

For the past few weeks, you’ve felt eyes on you. Which is odd since you haven’t had anyone over except a coworker who usually comes uninvited. She couldn’t be the one though since, knowing her, you weren’t much for holding her attention. She only ever came over to force you to watch movies you absolutely hated because she needed someone to annoy while all her other pals were busy. Despite that, she’s fairly nice despite only ever needing you when her friends are all off doing something without her.

Still, she’s ruled out. She maybe visits once a week and has nothing to gain from watching you. The only other people you can think of is your neighbour and the extremely creepy lady a floor above you. She’s touchy and always trying to get people to let her inside their apartment. You didn’t doubt she had at least one harassment charge on her record. You rule her out as well, making note of how she has always said you were “too weird” or “clearly mentally unwell” from the things you do.

That only leaves your neighbour. The man that’s been gathering extremely dangerous information on people. As far as you know, however, he's never even noticed you. You barely glance at each other whenever you walk past each other. Neither of you say hello or make eye contact; you’re practically strangers. But he’s the only one that makes sense. With all the information he’s gathering, he must be wary of those on his floor or those he sees often enough. You happen to pass each other everyday. And if that’s the case, how is he watching you? There’s no cameras beside your phone and computer. Your doors all remain shut and any window is covered with curtains as well as locked tight. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s just paranoia. Hallucinations even; from lack of sleep, stress, or even depression.

No matter what it truly is, you just try to ignore it all. This leads to you working late at the gift shop job you’ve taken up in the museum. There isn’t much to it. There’s a few plushies, some knickknacks, and other miscellaneous items. Other than stocking, scanning items, and possibly helping out customers, there isn't much to it. Tonight is like any other with you stocking the shelves and organising items. Very few entered at this time. Though Gotham never seemed to sleep, it didn’t mean people are looking to go to a museum or gift shop to look around or wander about. Or, that’s what you had been thinking.

“I have a question, if you don’t mind answering,” A voice says from beside you. You face the voice, stopping your hands from placing another plushie on its rack. The person standing there is your neighbour. His eyes seem to glow green despite there being no way they could. He had never shown any signs of being inhuman or an enhanced human.

“Uhm… Sure. Ask away,” You tell him, turning away to continue placing the plushies away.

“Have you seen anyone dressed in black and clearly trying to hide their face here?” It’s an odd question but you don’t have to give it much thought.

“I’ve seen some kids, mostly. Like those alt ones. Or scene. Emo,” You tell him, straightening out the row of plush hippos. It’s odd to even see your neighbour here since you knew that, if he wanted info, it would haven’t come from asking some employee at a museum. Especially if it’s about someone’s likes or dressware; not like you cared about what those kids or even adults dressed like. So far, the nicest ones had been the ones that dressed differently and showed off their interests with the colours, outfits, odd items, pins, and bags. Not just nice, but also polite. Many seemed overjoyed to hear you compliment their styles.

“Did any of them seem very familiar? Like maybe you’ve seen them on television or in papers?” He presses on. You only shake your head, turning to him.

“Not really. As far as I know, they’ve all been polite and interested in the artefacts, history, plushies, and pins… Besides, wouldn’t you have gotten that stuff already?”

“What do you mean?” Interest suddenly peaked, he looks at you like you’ve just told him the most interesting fact he’s ever heard.

“Well… I mean… You’re my neighbour. The data I’ve seen you get usually is done by yourself. Getting your own pictures and probably hacking and stalking,” You ramble, straightening the magnets and making sure each one is placed correctly. “It kinda reminds me of a Tippler Pigeon .. I mean, you do. With how active they are. From what I've read, they can have an in-flight of about fourteen to nineteen hours; maybe even twenty-two hours… And you’re always active. Always getting data, then working, and then going out at weird times for more data; that’s just a guess though… And they’re really intelligent.” You inhale before continuing, “you have to be pretty smart to get all that info on your own and to even understand it all. Clearly you have a lot if the stacks and stacks of papers you’re constantly bringing has to say anything. And they’re also pretty. And you’re pretty but like, in your own way. Not the bird way or whatever toxic stuff they say about the weird ‘pretty’ being bad to men…”

You turn to look at your neighbour after your ramble, seeing if he’s tuned you out at all. You weren’t expecting him to be staring at you with utter adoration and large eyes behind his glasses. It seems he had been absorbing all the information you had been spouting passionately. His smile is full of glee and he’s practically buzzing with excitement. “Something wrong?” You ask as he continues to stare.

“No! No, no! Nothing! I never thought I’d hear such passion from another person… Especially about me,” He tells you, grabbing your hands in his own. You flinch in surprise but don’t pull away. You’ve never seen your neighbour so happy. “Maybe… Maybe you can help me with my research? Help me with the pollution of the city?” His breathing is laboured slightly, though you don’t put much thought into it.

“... Is there a leak somewhere? Is our water safe? The pigeons?” You ask, concerned. You haven’t heard of any pollution lately but you wouldn’t put it past the higher-ups to try and cover that up.

“Not that kind… A different kind! You’re clearly smart… Such a smart man…” He sighs that out before speaking again, letting out a high pitched, child-like laugh. “We could help the city..! Clean up and make it better.” You blink slowly, thinking of his offer. You’re not sure what pollution he’s talking about or how you’d exactly be helping the city. But you do know that, he’s been nothing but nice so far, not even being angry at your info dump or rambling. So, with the decision in mind, you give him a small smile and a nod.

“Alright. I’ll help you however I can.” With the response, he becomes more giddy with happiness and tightens his hold on your hands.

“GREAT! This is great..! We’ll make such a good pair, you and I!” He lets go of your hands, demeanour still happy before bidding you goodbye.

“... What a cute but odd guy… “ You mumble before getting back to work.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Their Song (Killshot, Part 4.)

Description: The occupation as a member of SAS came along with many restrictions and rules one had to follow to a dot. It could get even more intense for a soldier carrying a lot of trauma and not enough self-love, if any at all. Thank God, this lonely soldier meets a lonely florist one day, and as they say - animals have the best judge of character.

Part Summary: While Ghost was trying to process the new information during his military duties, Cassie had a different idea on her mind - inviting you both to join the party during the upcoming karaoke session.

A/N: Okay listen, I know we're here for our boy Ghost and his story, but come on - we can not ignore how fine of a specimen Captain John fucking Price is. Like girl, don't even pretend you wouldn't be smitten by this charmer. He's the catch, the moment, the stunner. I wanted to write a chapter that focuses on the relationship between other characters too, so expect some bonding between Johnny, Cass, Nelly, Gaz and Price. Cuz we love good friendships and happy families. The chapter's ending is heavily influenced by Saturn and Turning Page by Sleeping at Last.

Warnings: Strong mentions of anxiety, reader getting hammered, usage of alcohol, and smoking (both mentioned and active), Simon Riley secretly having the voice of an angel. A lot of '...' is used in emotionally heavy moments. Mentions of various pop songs - it's not important, you can imagine singing any song you'd like - the only song I'm adamant about is Meet Me At Our Spot (by the Anxiety) being their song because the entirety of the story is built on it.

Word count: 9.5K (i have no apology)

Tagging: @poohkie90​

Master list: H E R E | Ghost's tapes: P L A Y L I S T

Cassie did as she promised - after Simon texted her the address, she was at your flat within the next 15 minutes. The traffic was usually clogged at this hour, but she did her best. Simon couldn't appreciate it enough. "... And I've cooked some vegetable broth for when she wakes up. Think it's a bit strong, but whatever. It'll get her back on her feet.." - Simon explained to Cassie as he walked through the flat, explaining what went down that evening. The woman listened intently, nodded, and hummed when needed. - "Promised her I'd wake her up when it's done, but she looked miserable the last time I checked on her."

"That's very nice of you." - Cassie smiled, putting her coat away as she was making herself more comfortable - she packed fresh homey clothes and the most basic hygiene she could need in case your flu got even worse than that. Living alone wasn't easy and sometimes, you needed someone to rely on - Cassie, still considering you one of her closest friends, was glad she could be that someone for you. - "She's lucky someone's looking out for her like you do.

"The least I could do, really." - The man grunted, putting his jacket on. No matter how much he liked being around Cass, he wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. He was barely containing the urge to beat Billy to a pulp and he didn't want to direct these intense emotions towards Cass or, in the worst case, you. - "Bonnie's also taken care of, took her for a walk, and checked she had enough to drink and to eat. Would be wise to walk her in the morning, though." "Aye aye, captain. Stop worrying - you keep on forgetting that I live with Johnny, I know how to make shit work." - The blonde nodded, smirking at all the concern she could see in Simon's eyes. - "I'm sure both of them will be alive and well tomorrow morning if you'd like to check on them. Or, you could cancel your plans and hang around? I'm sure Y/N would be delighted to see you when she wakes up." "Can't. It's urgent." - Simon dismissed, looking around for the last time. The peaceful image of being able to put his shoes in the same shoe rack was smushed by all the anxiety and hatred he was feeling. It felt as if this image flashed in his head years ago, not a few hours ago.

Cassie was waiting for Simon to make sure everything was okay - it was hard to say what was going on inside his mind, but there had to be something. Yes, she and Johnny caught the wind that your chemistry seemed to be flowing well - especially after you disclosed to her that Ghost visits you nearly every shift, spending your lunch breaks together. She wouldn't have suspected the two of you were at this stage, though. Cassie was... Genuinely happy when she heard Simon was at your place, taking care of you when you got sick. The two of you were one of the best people she had gotten to know - and from what little Johnny told her about L.t., neither of you had the best of luck with the people who hung around you. Cassie wasn't sure who it was when it came to Simon, but in your case, Billy was the prime example. She hated his guts ever since you introduced them on one of your shifts. The guy gave her the chills even though she mostly liked everyone - that was a major red flag.

Therefore, the knowledge of the two of you... Spending time together, getting to know each other... That was something that made Cassie smile. "Hey, Si?" - She asked when Simon finally walked to the front door, ready to leave the apartment. "What is it?" "Hope you didn't forget about next Saturday?" "How could I? You and Johnny keep bugging me off about it. Price also chimed in today." - Ghost reiterated with irony, sending one of his famous wink in Cassie's direction. - "Can't wait." "Take care, big guy."

For the next few hours, Cassie and Bonnie dozed off while watching the Bake Off - the two were splayed on the couch, nuzzling together. Bon usually slept in your bed (you even bought the doggie stairs for her since she was too small to hop onto it), but since your door was shut tight and there was a new strange human friend to hang around, she gladly spent the night with Cass. It could be around four in the morning when you woke up, setting on a journey to take a piss, have some veggie broth, take some painkillers, and then, go to sleep again. As you noticed Cassie messaging her eyes (the creaking of your floorboards woke her up), you thought you'd simply made her up. The last you remembered, Ghost didn't have long blonde hair and a petite figure. She frightened you when you walked back into the living room - the girl was standing in the small kitchenette area, heating up the broth while making you both a cup of tea.

"Mornin', sleeping beauty." - She hummed as she stretched her back, yawning as she did so. "Hi." - You muttered back, coughing right after. - "What are you doing here? When... Did you come?" "Around 8? Ghost had something going on and couldn't stay, unfortunately, so he called for backup. I'm the backup." "Figures. So sorry to bother you, but I'm good, Cass. Bet you'd rather be doing anything else than hanging around with me right now." "Shush, Y/N. I'm glad to be here." - The woman answered, sending you one of her heartfelt, genuine smiles. Damn, she was still the same sunshine you remembered. - "On a different topic, I hope you're hungry. The broth smells so damn good." "He promised to wake me up when it's done. Bet the plans came out of nowhere." - You assumed, putting on a sweater to try to fight off the chills. You were so cold that your teeth kept on clattering.

"Does sound like Ghost to me." - The girl answered, snickering. - "He checked on the flat at least four million times before he left, though, so you can be sure we're safe and sound here." "Were you cleaning up?" - You wondered, noticing the folded clothes - furrowing at the sight of your coat also being neatly folded. Whoever was cleaning up your kitchen was a damn genius. All of the appliances suddenly seemed pristine, even those that you struggled to clean for years. Everything was organized in a way that simply made sense. It was hard to explain, but the newly given order made your kitchen three times nicer. Also, all the mess laying around the flat, that you've been planning on cleaning the entire week, was neatly put on the coffee table for you to organize - along with that fucking photo... And that fucking letter. "No, me and Bon dozed off after McAvoy went on a tangent about his dough being a bit too wet." - Cassie admitted honestly, putting a mug filled with hot tea in front of you. You didn't flinch away from the sight of the photo and the letter lying on the coffee table, your expression devoid of emotion.

Ghost, you realized, your expression slowly drowning in worry and horror. Did Ghost see it? Did Ghost read it? Of course he did, you didn't bother with picking up the photo even though you knew it was lying under the fridge. Why would you? But what about about you now? You were in so much trouble, if Billy gets to know, he'll come and... You had to almost slap yourself. Billy wasn't there to do shit anymore. You were safe. As you sat there, frozen in place, you realized you weren't even mad at Ghost - it felt so freeing for someone to know. To know what you're going through, to see it all on paper. You should've been raging, you should ask Cassie to call Ghost's sorry ass so you could talk with him about who gave him the right to fucking snoop - and instead, you were so fucking grateful. A huge portion of the weight was lifted off your shoulders, realizing there was someone you could confide in regarding what Billy said... You could tell Ghost about everything Billy had done to you.

Sure, most people didn't like Billy, but none of the said people knew how bad the situation truly was. Others could see only how he treated you in public - how he talked about you as if you were a pet, something he had to take care of, something so annoying he hated it with every fiber of his being. What they didn't know? About everything that had happened in your old apartment, about what went down behind the closed doors. None of them knew about the numerous emergency visits, about all the 'stairs you've fallen off', about the holes in the walls, about the broken furniture and dishes. The people around you, except your mum, didn't know. The fact you didn't file a report against his ass was astonishing - you had plenty of chances to do so. The doctor who treated you anytime you came in asked multiple times if you'd like to share something with him - you could see it in his eyes - he knew. But you never did. You were too scared. So scared you fled one day.

You should've burnt both, the photo and the letter, just like you promised your mum. Instead, the evidence lay right there, on your coffee table, and someone whom you trusted dearly was aware of your struggle.

"You alright?" - Cassie wondered, watching your distressed expression. "Hm?" "I'm asking if you're alright, been silent for the past couple of minutes. You're looking like you've seen a ghost." "I'm pretty sure he's asleep by now, but okay." - You answered, your sass making Cassie snicker.

After you've both eaten a bowl of that delicious fucking broth (it was the best you've had in your life), chatting about everything new in your respective lives, Cassie fished out a package of butter biscuits from literally nowhere. Later, she admitted she found them in the pantry - this made you smile. While biscuits weren't your go-to snack, you could appreciate them - Ghost thought of everything. He bought utensils, medicine, actual food and even snacks. If God finally decided to answer your prayers for a guardian angel, Ghost was it. "'s the tea okay?" - Cass wondered, sitting opposite you with a croaked smile. Bonnie was lying by her feet, hoping Cassie would drop at least a crumble of cookies by 'accident'. "Best I've had in years. Poured your heart into making that cuppa, didn't you?" "You bet, love. Anywho, Johnny and I were wondering... What you're up to next Saturday?" "Nothing I can think of. I'll probably have a spa day with my mum. Hadn't taken her out in a month." "Would you like to come to a karaoke with us? It's in the evening, so you'd have plenty of time for your mum and yourself." - Cass asked excitedly, her eyes glimmering with hope. - "Everyone's wondering if you'd show up!"

"Uh-uh, they surely are." - You reiterated uncomfortably. It was hard to believe any of the people surrounding Cassie would genuinely want you around - you could say Cass was enthralled by the prospect of having you join their little crew, but the rest? "Not this again, girl. For starters, Johnny is talking my ear off regarding you, constantly asking if I've invited you yet? What did the bonnie say? You hadn't asked her? Shite, hon, pick up the phone and do it right now!" - The way she horridly imitated Johnny's accent made you genuinely laugh. - "Nelly asked countless times if you'd join our brunches and hangouts, she hadn't talked to you in years. Kylie will be there. Gaz promised he'd stop by for a drink, and Price... Girl, you'll love Capt'n Prize. He's easygoing, fun and very easy on the eyes." "Cass! Behave, you have a man at home." - You exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief. "What?! He's one handsome bloke, a high-ranking geezer in the military, too - I won't be denying he's handsome. If you think I'm wicked, you should hear what Johnny says about the guy! You have no idea how many times I've had to listen to Johnny's rambling about John's pecs." - With this, you both giggled until comfortable silence fell over the room.

"So... Are you coming?" "I... I don't think it's appropriate. You guys seem like a good party of friends, I'd be your plus one - the new weirdo on the block. Yannow what I mean?" "Except you wouldn't be, dummy. C'mon, everybody wants you to come. Ghost even said it's his only condition - you wouldn't wanna let the guy rot at home now, would you?" "He said that? You're committing emotional extortion right now, Cassandra." - You tried to circle around, but Cass' knowing smile revealed she was seeing right through your bullshit - she knew well to keep Ghost's wish under wraps until the last moment. It was nice watching you get excited, giddy up and grin a bit. She didn't answer your question, just smiled - "Well... If that's the case, I might drop for a glass or two." "I'm so happy to hear that. Wear whatever bloody hell you want, we don't care, just feel comfy and come in a good mood. The drinks are on us, we'll only need help with the rental. Also - we need to sing a song together." "No way Cass. You remember how bad I am at singing, right?" "Bull-fucking-shit. It's gonna be so epic. God, I can't wait."

Well, no matter how much you tried to resist and how you planned on shutting Cass' request down, by 9 p.m. on the following Saturday, the two were yelling some pop-song lyrics into the microphone with a drink in your hand. Holy fuck it felt wonderful to let all the worries and burdens go, even for one evening.

The week leading up to the karaoke session was a doozie for both you and Simon. He contemplated asking Cassie for your number, to call you, text, check on you - he'd been scheduled to look after rookie training in a boot camp a few miles away from London, unable to make it back even for a small chat. He vanished into thin air at the worst time - he acknowledged but couldn't do anything to let you know. The man wished to let you know he wasn't mad and that he certainly wasn't going anywhere - but opening such a sensitive topic with the victim of domestic abuse was very tricky. Of which he was aware, as he also fell into this bracket. At times, Ghost wished he'd be better at conveying emotions and more approachable to open such topics. Although everything that happened during his life, he'd considered himself a good listener - he highly doubted you'd simply spill the beans about the darkest time of your life when you meet up next time, let alone acknowledge he snooped in your private matters without your permission. Were you mad at him? How much will you tell Ghost off when he makes it back home? Will it lead to a well-deserved argument? It should, right? The thoughts about you and William consumed Simon's brain during each second of the service, turning him into an anxious ball by the end of the week.

Not that you'd be faring better than Simon. If it was possible, you were doing even worse than he was - what was wrong? Where was he? Was he okay? Did the letter make him change his mind? Did Ghost draw false conclusions from it? Each day at work, you hoped to see the man approaching in the distance, carrying two cups - this would be the first sign that everything was okay. You wished he'd drop by for a chat, even if you'd awkwardly sit around in silence. Being unable to see him was killing you - only on Thursday you learned about his minor deployment. It didn't ease the stress much, but at least you knew you weren't the cause of his disappearance.

Cassie and Johnny, thankfully, pulled through. The night Cass stayed over, watching you, rekindled the long-lost friendship and fueled it with a new flame. This one was gentler, not all-consuming - it wasn't the spontaneous friendship of two kids but rather a meaningful adult connection you felt you were missing. Your mum was over the moon hearing that Cass invited you for a karaoke - as you told her about Johnny bringing you breakfast the following morning put a gentle, knowing smile on her face. The two started texting you whenever they felt like it, ranging from 'How you doing' to 'Look what a weird strange thing I found in the store today'. Johnny even came on Friday to have lunch with you - he'd been just dismissed from the base (he had to sign some new payment estimates and take a picture for his personnel folder), sending warmest regards from Ghost. This boosted your mood immensely, turning you into a brand new person.

This led you to Saturday night. Everyone invited to the karaoke was pretty neat, you had to admit. Nelly, just as Cass solemnly swore, was over the moon when she saw you approaching the table, squealed, and immediately pulled you into one of her bear hugs. Kylie, even though you didn't remember her, was easy to be around - she had a nice aura surrounding her as she sipped on her margarita. Gaz, Kyle to you, was another member of Johnny's squad, you've learned on your way to get a drink. The gentleman got on his feet when you announced you'd like something to drink, offering to accompany you. There was something about his careful tone, gentle smirk and slightly narrowed eyes. While you perceived Johnny as an unstoppable force fuelled by sweets and coffee, Gaz seemed calmer, like cold gauze treating a burn or the soothing smell of air after rain. You loved his aura - every bit of energy Kyle offered, you took with a grateful smile.

John Price, Capt'n Prize as Cass dubbed him, was every bit like Cass painted him out to be - even more than that. It was hard to believe he was real at first - men like him usually ended up on the cover of Sears. Your eyes were there for Ghost and Ghost only, but damn, John was ridiculously easy on the eyes, charming, and attractive - a fucking stunner at his finest. When you got over his ridiculous attractiveness, there was everything else about John Price. There was something about his sharp wit, rascalous grin and devious jitters in his eyes, something about the way he insisted on joining him on his smoke breaks. The guy was a good listener, sneering and gruffing upon hearing your jokes and stories, his eyes not leaving you for a second. If you weren't smitten with your masked soldier, you'd beg Price to give you his number by the end of the night.

Ghost was running late ('Don't you worry 'bout the boy, lass, he's alright', Price informed), and after Gaz brought you your third drink, singing sounded like a good fucking idea. Not too much later, you and Cassie were jumping on the impromptu stage, dancing to some sort of British electro-pop, grinning from ear to ear - Ghost was standing in the shuffle door of your reserved lounge, watching you two enjoying the moment. He'd imagined how to explain his late arrival and the fact he was gone for a week, but the moment you sent him a smile and waved at him, already a bit tipsy, all the excuses dissipated into thin air.

You looked so beautiful when you were having fun - all the worries and everyday problems disappeared with a wave of a wand (more probably a microphone, that was), and alcohol gave you the long-lost courage and love for life. Ghost had seen you happy before, yes, but he hadn't seen you entirely carefree yet. "Thank you, Lucky Voice, thank you! We'll be here all week!" - Cass cried out drunkenly, bobbing a curtsy to the entire table of drunkards watching you. "The hell we won't, the rental price is insane here, lass!" - Johnny protested, making Cass laugh. Kylie and Gaz got up, preparing to sing Abba's 'Super Trouper' right after your tremendous performance. Even though Ghost would love nothing but listening to them, he couldn't miss how you approached him, your legs unsteady and uncertain.

"Hey there, stranger." "Hey, love." - The man whispered, growing soft upon looking at your flustered face. You were a bit sweaty from all the jumping, but you still looked so fucking good. So fucking good that Ghost had to do his best not to kiss you right off the bat in fact - it was a tough week and you were finally there, in front of him, close enough he could feel your warmth on his skin, close enough to be hugged, kissed and cherished... Your presence felt like a fever dream. He'd been sacked at the boot camp, looking over rookies, and following orders while having you and William on his mind all the fucking time. One moment, he swore he'd kill the guy the next chance he got; when he blinked, memories of you suddenly appeared, plastering yourself all over his brain, smiling sweetly at him. He's been missing your presence, the unmistakable charm you were bringing to the world... It was a week since he'd been under your spell and there was no other place in the entire world he'd rather be than at the karaoke bar, right by your side. "You're looking... Rough." "Am I now?" "Long week?" "Fuckin' tell me about it." "The boys mentioned. Wanna grab a drink and go for a smoke break? I'm fresh out of mine so I'd appreciate both - some booze and fresh air." "Would be my pleasure."

Asking him about all the details he'd been willing to share, the two of you grabbed a drink and ventured in front of the karaoke bar for a bit, lazily shuffling back into the rented lounge. Even though you tried your damnest to prolong the moment you were having with Ghost, Johnny ruined the intimacy the moment he saw you approaching - the guy jolted over to you, grabbing you by your elbow with great care. "We're gonna sign, bonnie lass, me 'n you. Price found the perfect song for us." "Did he now? That sounds menacing." "It'll be in good fun, c'mon. Be a good sport for me, eh?" "I would never turn you down, Johnny. I'm just worried about which tune Price picked out, 's all."

"Give me your drink. I'll fetch it to the table." - Ghost offered silently, melting at the sight of you and Johnny giggling like two little kids. With a sorrowful smile, your glass ended up in Ghost's palm - you wished the moment would've lasted longer, that you'd have longer for listening to him rambling about everything and nothing. You missed him. "'m sorry." - You added, stopping in your tracks. Johnny halted alongside you, watching the two of you ogling back and forth, Simon's eyes boring into you with unmatched intensity. If you'd let him, his eyes would probably devour you whole. Johnny let out a quiet whistle, waiting for you to be done with your small moment. Cassie proclaimed how she's positive Simon is into you and that you might be interested in him... But seeing it unravel in front of his eyes was adorable.

Your eyes never left Simon's face, your palm gently holding onto his forearm. You were standing inappropriately close - Simon could feel your breast bumping into his arm each time you took a breath. If you were anyone else (Nelly, for example), Ghost would've already shown you out of his personal space - but the guy did nothing, even took an almost unnoticeable step closer. The bloody bastard that reached an impressive 6'4 in height seemed to grow smaller and gentler in your presence, his eyes filled to the brim with warmth and adoration - why two you weren't dating yet was beyond Soap, truly. "Nothin' to be sorry about, love. You go and enjoy yourself now, yeah?" "I'll catch you later."

Moments later, you found yourself in a fit of laughter over Johnny's interpretation of 'California Gurls'. You loved everything about it - the false confidence he radiated despite not having any semblance of musical hearing, his inability to match his tone to the note progression and his horrible timing. The chorus, however, was something to behold - neither of you tried to sing, knowing the chorus by heart (thanks to this song being in the radio on a fucking loop), you simply yelled it into each other's faces, bouncing around and hyping each other up. Price didn't even cover the phone - he immortalized each second of your moving performance, sending it to Cassie the moment he ended recording. Cassie and Nelly were crying, losing it the moment you did your best to imitate Snoop Dog - Gaz appeared to be severely traumatized, cracking a grin when the hellish screeching finally stopped.

"Bloody hell, this was one of the best decisions of my life." - Price muttered, drying his cheeks. He meant it, none of them laughed this hard in the last few weeks. Cass was dragging him to sing their rendition of Take Me Out. - "I'm playin' this on your bloody wedding, sarge. Stellar." These two picked out Franz Ferdinand as their band of choice, dramatically portraying each lyric - alcohol and good company always made John pipe down, relax and sometimes, on extremely rare occasions, do rather silly and inappropriate things you wouldn't see a military skipped doing... Just as jumping around to the riff of 'Take Me Out'. "That's my fiancé! I taught my bonnie lass to listen to good fucken' music!" - Johnny explained, listening to the opening chords. You knew it, of course, it was well-known, but Johnny's sudden burst of pride made you stare at him with mouth agape. Thankfully, Kyle and Ghost to the rescue.

"Johnny can get a wee bit patriotic." - Kyle explained as the Scotsman jumped around in the rhythm, making you a bit terrified. "Uh-uh." - Ghost nodded, confirming. - "Hates us 'fucking lunatics', meaning Brits, according to his own words. Everyone except you and Cass according to his latest statement. Love that about the chap, though." "What does patriotism have to do with... Fucking anything?" - At that moment, Johnny started screaming the words with the same "grace" he sang California Gurls with. It looked both scary and funny at the same time. "The band is Scottish, you see?" - Kyle explained. "Heard him swearin' he'd plunk any uncultured swine who'd tarnish their rep." - Ghost added, taking a good swing of his whiskey. "Hillarious..." - Kyle added, clinking his glass with yours, kicking all the remnants in. "Scary." - You hummed, moving out of the way for Kyle to comfortably leave the table.

"On the topic of Johnny... Looked good out there. Didn't know you're such a talented singer." - Ghost murmured as you watched the trio, enchanted with how silly they acted. "You're fucking with me now, aren't you?" "I'm serious - wasn't as bad as I expected. Enjoyed every second of your brilliant performance." "If you enjoyed that, your musical hearing is fucked, buddy, sorry to inform you. Anywho, what will you sing?" "Oh, I'm just here for fun and banter. I don't do singing." "Don't be a party popper. C'mon." "And have you poking fun at me for the rest of my life? No, thank you." - Thankfully, he was saved by Nelly - she was asking for help with moving and assembling some furniture at her new place. Both Gaz and Ghost agreed to take a look at it whenever she needed them to.

His streak of not 'taking part in singing at karaoke' was challenged not even two hours later. The party had moved from drinks to shots - you were more courageous, not taking no for an answer. You, Cass and Nelly even had the first round of ugly crying of the night under your belts, crying about how you should've rekindled the friendship way sooner - at this, all the gentlemen decided to go for a smoke break, leaving Kyle behind as your nanny. As soon as Price got back, you were on his ass - sighing about him being one of the most handsome blokes you've ever met. Price could only choke out an amused: - "Why, thank you, miss." - before laughing his ass off at your drunk expression. You were standing in front of Simon now, your palm extended to him, chin risen ever so slightly. The expression you had was dangerous - determined and cocky.

"You need anythin'?" - Ghost prompted, grinning at the sight. He'd downed two glasses of whiskey by that point, the bourbon delicately burning in his chest. "Yah. You, me, the stage, now." - It wasn't a question nor a wish, it was an order. Simon's eyes narrowed as he smiled, darkening ever so slightly. He liked it when you were bossy. Cass, unbeknownst to your knowledge, bumped Johnny's shoulder, the duo now shamelessly staring at you. The rest of the table was engaged in a conversation as Price and Kyle told the ladies some of the less confidential stories. "I don't do singing, already told you when you asked." "Too bad I'm not asking. Move your ass, I spent ten fuckin' minutes looking for our song." "Our song?" - Simon whispered, all the air suddenly kicked out of his lungs. Of course, he knew what song you had in mind - the one playing when he worked on the chicken broth. Ashamedly, Simon had to admit he memorized each word, each chord because he had it playing on a loop in his headphones before going to sleep. "C'mon, mate. Make an exception, just for once - won't kill ya to sing. Poor lass barely hit the right keys." - Soap chimed in, his strong Scottish accent overwhelming the conversation - everyone's eyes were on you now, waiting for Simon to finally take your fucking hand. "Shit was kinda blurry, 's right." - You admitted, still waiting for Simon to take your hand. It wasn't a shame to admit you barely recognized a from m at this point, the alcohol kicked in big time.

His palm caught yours, slipping around it like a glove... As if your hands were moulded to be held by this, fitting like two pieces of a fucking puzzle. Getting you onto the improvised stage was a task in itself - you've stuttered on your way up and if it wasn't for Simon's hands catching your shoulders, you'd fall square on your face. "Who's singing Willow's part?" - Simon wondered as you offered him his microphone - your eyes darted next to his head as if you were trying to determine which of the Ghosts in front of you was the real one. "You, duh. Bet you're rocking luscious, beautiful curls under that mask 'f yours." "Fuckin' close 'nough, I guess." - The guy laughed, shaking his head at you - your drunk form was absolutely fucking adorable. If he'd have to describe it, you looked like a mischievous little devil. "Hit it, Jack!" - You exclaimed, pointing in Johnny's direction - Cassie was kneeling in front of the table with her phone at the ready, determined to catch every second of what was coming. Fuck, Simon realized, he'll have this on his plate for the foreseeable future. "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" - Soap answered with matching intensity, saluting as he his 'play'. The known base filled the silent lounge, having everyone staring at you with their breaths batted - you were swaying in the rhythm, your moves far from graceful but you were clearly enjoying yourself, lost in the moment.

You didn't know what you were expecting - Simon was a well-built man with 6'3 height under his belt, his voice naturally guttural and gruffly, clouded with a thick British accent. While you braced yourself to hear the most horrible hellish screeching imaginable, Simon's singing almost gave you a heart attack and swept Johnny off his drunk feet. Ghost sounded like an angel. All of you stared at the man in disbelief as he poured his fucking soul into the lyrics, hitting each fucking note perfectly. His interpretation of your favourite song was what you wanted to listen to over and over, selfishly wishing you'd record it. Simon had to poke your shoulder to make you realise it was your turn to sing - hastily, you joined him during the chorus, surprising your small audience even further.

Your singing wasn't bad, but not Grammy-worthy either - and yet, hearing you two harmonize was magical. Soon, you'd forget about your friends at the table, staring at each other while singing your hearts out. His eyes hadn't moved from yours, the man sang each line as if he meant it - it made your heart beat heavily in your chest. For Simon, it wasn't just singing - each line of the song had a meaning. It was one of his silly little wishes it could become your reality where you'd met earlier in your lives. In this universe, you'd be just two young adults falling in love, meeting up so you'd forget all about the stress and anxiety tying you down in each other's arms.

In that reality, Simon could be enough for you and you'd be enough for yourself. You wouldn't feel the need to stick around guys who weren't good for you, you wouldn't receive extortive mail, and you wouldn't be alone. He wouldn't cover his face because he couldn't stand to look himself in the eye, neither because he was protecting his identity. In this reality, William wouldn't exist. You'd have your spot in each others' arms, falling asleep feeling safe. In this reality, you could lead a happy, day-to-day life. There was a small moment when the song finished, a glimpse of a second when Simon almost kissed you. Your expression was adoring, glimmering with happiness and pure, unconditional love - the microphone dropped by your hip, and you were staring into his eyes, taking a small step closer. The whole moment was ruined by Nelly getting up, clapping and whistling cheerfully, others following suit - not bad for Si's karaoke debut, Cassie had to admit.

As you stumbled away from Simon's reach, you stumbled on your feet again, falling flat on the ground this time. - "Fuck." "Aight, missy, 's 'nough for you tonight. I'll take you home, yeah?" "Noooo, Ghoooost..." - You whined dramatically as he helped you over to the table, sitting you down. - "The party just started, man. We can't leave now." "You tell that to your toilet later. Price?" - Ghost called out, catching his skipper's attention. - "Can you look after Miss Diva for a second? Gotta go to the bog." "You got it, kid."

It couldn't have taken more than five minutes to take a piss, Simon rushed the entire process to be back as soon as possible. And yet, you were gone when he made it back - your coat disappeared from the hanger, your purse gone too. Jesus fucking Christ. You were giving him a run for his money. "Where is she?" - Simon demanded, burning a hole in Price's forehead. Five fucking minutes. He was meant to look after you for five fucking minutes. "Y/N got some sort of a text and said she has to leave immediately. Who am I to stop her? She's an adult. Can make her own bloody decisions." "I was just about to walk her home." "Then you should've said so. Hadn't caught that." "Right."- Ghost fumed out, turning to Cassie. - "Can you give me her number?" "Yeah, of course, let me text it to you. Want help with finding her?" "You go and enjoy the rest of the night." "Si!" - Cassie cried out as Simon turned on his heels, following him immediately. - "I'm sorry, but John's right. We weren't listening in and Y/N's a grown-up..." "It's fine, Cass. I'll find her."

You couldn't have made it far - in the state you were in, on your wobbly and unsteady legs? No way in hell you'd make it even around the block. What worried Simon, however, was the park to his right hand. The man hoped you had enough reason not to walk through it. The first thing he heard was a hiccup before you drunkardly mumbled your name, doing your best impression of being sober. "'s me. Where have you fuckin' disappeared to?" "Me? I know a lot of mes, sir. My mum told me not to talk to strangers. S-Stranger fuckin' danger an' all that, yannow?" "It's Ghost, Y/N, you slipped out of the karaoke bar. Where the hell are you, woman?" "Awwww, hiiiii. I didn't know *hiccup* you had my number?" "Got it from Cass. Can you spill the tea?" "'m on my way home." - You explained as if it weren't obvious. - "The mood for partying kinda dropped to zero, decided I gotta go check on my adorable little doggo. I missed my sweet little princess." "That's all sweet. What do you see around you?" - Thankfully, you were drunk enough not to catch onto his plan of finding you and started to talk about your surroundings. For once, Simon was grateful for drunk people being gullible and honest.

"Trees. Lots of 'em. 's kinda dark around but I'm pretty sure some food *hiccup* in the distance. Yep, right up the vein!" "Dearie, don't say this sort'f stuff so loud, yeah?" - Simon asked, turning on his heels towards the park. He could hear you giggle on the other end, the sweet sound making him grin. - "What's that about?" "Dearie is cute 'n all, but I like it when you call me love. Makes me weak in my knees 'n all." - You admitted, stuttering over your words as you tee-heed again as if you told Simon some well-guarded secret. As if Simon didn't already know. "'kay love, tell me more about your surroundings, I'm on my way to get you. Can call you love for the rest of the night if you'd fancy that." "Ohmygod..." - You sighed swiftly, chuckling at the prospect ahead. Ghost tenderly whispering 'love' the whole night sounded like a fucking dream come true. - "You'd *hiccup*... You'd like to do that?" "Wished to do so for the longest time, love."

"I can see a bistro and some... Fuckin' statue. Whatever the fuck that's *hiccup* supposed to be, it's scary." "Any benches in the area?" - Even though your description was far from eloquent, Simon knew the place you had in mind. It was a small takeaway coffee selling baked goods and hot drinks to go. He hadn't visited it, but Cass mentioned it here and there because it wasn't far from her workplace and she enjoyed going there on her lunch break. The statue, if he wasn't mistaken, was representing either Shakespeare or Peter Pan, but Simon was unable to recall it correctly at the moment. As he suspected, you didn't get far at all. "Quite a lot. Fuck, I think it's some sort'f a square or somethin'." "Sit down for me, love, I'll be there soon. Stay with me on the phone for now, yeah?" "But I miss Bonnie soooo much, Ghost, I just wanna..." - He could hear as you struggled to sit down and fell onto the bench beats later. It was hard to make out what you precisely wanted to do to Bonnie, but he could hear some humming and kisses here and there. - "She's home all alone, my poor baby." "Not for long now, I swear, we'll take off as soon as I find you. How you're feelin'?" "Haven't thrown up yet. 's a good sign, no?" "Look at you. Quite impressive given everything you've poured down your throat." "I can handle my *hiccup* fuckin' alcohol." "You sure can..." - Simon answered breathlessly, finally reaching the spot - he could see your silhouette splayed all over the bench, your coat undone, your purse lying right next to you. - "You sure can, love." - He said as he approached, having you sit up straight faster than lightning. Your expression started beaming with blissful happiness the second you laid your eyes on him.

"Hi, Ghost!" - You squealed, shoving the phone into your purse, not caring to end the call. - "You look good tonight. *hiccup* Have I told you that already?" "Not that I can recall, no. Lookin' beautiful yourself." "Now you're just making shit up, I'm fuckin' wasted, dude. Drunk people never look sexy, 's what I always said anyway." "You look amazing all the time, love, without a fail. C'mon now, let's get you home." "You mean that?" - You whispered, your eyes glued to his as he helped you to stand your feet. Without his arm around your waist guiding you forward, you'd be fucked. Everything was blurry and multiplied, you couldn't say which trees were real and which were just a fragment of your imagination. "Never meant anything more in my life. Even in the most worn-out sweatpants you own. Let me take you home now, you sexy beast." "Never say that again. Sexy beast? Love's so much better. Jesus." "Your wish is my command, ma'am." - Ghost muttered sweetly, leading you towards the bus stop. Both of you were laughing, you were right - 'sexy beast' was the most horrid-sounding pet name that ever graced Simon's lips.

As mentioned before, Simon hated being the centre of attention - everything about that made the hair on his arms stand in pure displeasure. He hated when people stared at him, fearing that he was a threat; he just wished to blend into the crowd and remain unseen and unnoticed. Let's just say... That being unnoticed in a packed double-decker in central London with a giggling, drunken mess in his arms was near impossible. For once, however, Simon wouldn't change for the world - it was endearing to feel you grasping his jacket, nuzzling yourself closer so you wouldn't fall on some stranger in such a confined space. Watching and feeling your head leaning to his chest with a confined smile, taking a relaxed breath - smelling him and listening to his heartbeat. He'd imagined this so many times. Even though the circumstances were far from perfect, everything about it made Simon happy. He'd come to rescue you from any party you'd go to just to feel the fuzzy warmth bubbling in his chest again.

When you finally arrived at your flat, the first thing you did was turn into a whiney mess - instantly, you were on your knees, your clothes leaving very little to Simon's imagination. You burrowed your head in Bonnie's fur, sobbing uncontrollably. As he locked the door behind you, Simon simply hoped it was happy, let it be ugly, crying. "She's... She's so perfect." - You sobbed, pulling Bonnie close to your chest as you looked up to Simon, your make-up absolutely ruined by that point. The dog was clueless and didn't know what was happening - it simply licked your chin feverishly, welcoming you home. - "She's the best thing in my life right nooooow..." - And now, you were whaling. Great. Drunk women were the most ferocious and dangerous creatures in the universe - Simon was adamant about that. - "I love her soooo fucking much." "Absolutely correct, love, she's our perfect little girl. How about we clean your face and change you to more comfortable clothes?" Simon whispered, pulling a strand of hair behind your ear.

Seriously, he needed you to change your clothes ASAP - he'd love anything else but watching your figure and curves (the current view alone was bringing Simon many indecent thoughts)... But drunk fucking wasn't something Riley would be interested in - if the two of you were going to have sex, it would be sober and with full consent. The man prayed to whatever gods up there to make you change into the baggiest sweatpants and shirt you had lying around to cool off his libido. As you crawled out of your bedroom in a Bristle Bears jersey with biker shorts under, the crisis was, thankfully, averted.

Twenty minutes later, you splattered over your sofa - the TV was playing in the background as you sat with your face turned to Simon. He gently ran at least the 20th makeup wipe over your face with the utmost gentleness he could muster, concentration knitting his eyebrows together. He even took the liberty of making you a cup of tea, God bless him.

The window was crooked open, the rest of his cig slowly burning out in an improvised ashtray you crafted for him. That was when Simon noticed yet another wave of tears in your eyes. "What is it, love? Did I poke your eye on accident?" "No, that's not it. Thank you for being so nice to me." - You sobbed, first tears rolling down your cheeks. Simon sighed, doing his best to keep his inner peace balanced - seeing you cry for the millionth time was both soul-crushing and tiring at the same time. "'s nothin', trust me. What's goin' on in that noggin of yours?"

"You." - It was just a whisper, but it made Simon straighten up - his head slightly tilted this shoulder, his eyebrows cocked in confusion. - "Ehm, I meant, your face. You're being so nice to me, take care of me even though you don't have to, spend your free time in that damn flower shop with me even though all I can offer is my company..." "But your company's enough for me, trust..." "... And I don't even know *sob* what you look like." - You whinced, wiggling away from his palm. You were doing your best to stop the childish tantrum, even bent your head backwards and tried pushing the tears back in. - "It just... Doesn't feel fair, yannow? I know you have your reasons for covering your face. I know I'm acting like an absolute asshole over something so minuscule right now. Do you realize how stupid I feel for crushing on someone whose face I hadn't seen? I'd recognize your eyes anywhere, but I'd like to see more. And no matter what, I can't stop wishing to see more, even though I know it won't ever happen. Like... You hadn't told me what your name is, I just got your number because you were pissed at me, you never talk about yourself, or share details... And me crying about it is the stupidest and most selfish thing fucking ever because I'm your friend, and I'm supposed to respect your fucking privacy..."

Simon didn't move for a few beats, tuning out whatever you were ranting about - not that he didn't want to listen, but because the simple confession stole his breath away. What did you just say? Crushing? You had a crush on him? Simon was ready to outright propose if you'd like to, right there on your sofa, to your whiney, drunk ass. Confirming you had true feelings for him was marvellous, stopping his mind from wondering whether just flirted around, making him out to be just a nice little distraction. You weren't. As he processed the information, he couldn't help but chuckle - the sound halted your crying and whining immediately. If you had asked him any other time, Simon would've most likely denied the request outright... But since you were both drunk, the liquid courage was making him less self-aware and more confident. Why not? Why shouldn't he just go for it? Take his chances with you?

"... And I even asked Cassie about you even though I knew I shouldn't... I'm such a fucking prick, bloody hell." "That's what you're cryin' your pretty eyes out about?" - Simon asked, completely detached from whatever you were going about for the last few minutes. "I mean... *sob* I know it's selfish 'n all, but I'd say... Fuck! Yannow, some guys on the telly said that non-verbal communication makes up to 70% of all human interactions." "All you gotta do is ask, pretty girl." - Simon murmured, his breath growing shallow - his heart was beating so fast as if it were to burst out of his fucking chest, pressure raising rapidly as he realized the insanity of what was he was about to do. He'd push the baklava off his face if his palms weren't a sweaty, trembling mess. "Ghost, I beg you - can I see what you look like?" "Take it off yourself, love."

Gently scooping closer to him, you pumped your fingers a few times to stop them from shaking. Your adrenaline shot through the roof, and you started dragging your fingers on his shoulders, slowly working your way to his neck - giving him time to process your touch and get used to the stimuli. His body felt scorching under your touch, his pulse fast under the tips of your fingers. His eyes were closed, breathing unsteady, muscles tensed up unnaturally. You could see Ghost's palm clinging to the back of your couch, his fingers buried in with a force that turned his knuckles white. As you finally started peeling the baklava off, his body shuttered, leaning away from you. As if it was an unconscious reaction, Simon didn't spend any time before sliding back within comfortable reach, already missing the comfort of your touch. "You sure it's okay for you?" "Mhm. Just keep goin'. Don't stop - if you stop, it'll kill me, darling." - Simon muttered, securing himself in place. His leg was lazily thrown over your waist so you'd sit puzzled together, Bonnie sleeping wedged into the small space. He wanted you to see. Simon wished to look you in the eyes without covering his face. He finally wished you to experience and feel all the love and adoration brewing within him. "Okay."

Much to his dismay, you were taking your bloody time, tearing the material off so agonizingly slow - one hand was lifting the fabric, your dominant hand gently caressing every inch of the newly discovered skin. Your eyes tried to memorise it all in case you wouldn't see it again - the dent in his chin, his fawn stubble, the sharp outline of his jaw, sharp contours of his cheeks, his plush and full lips and even the ugly scar reaching from his upper lip to his left nostril. Your caresses worshipped his hooked nose, the sweet dark spots under his eyes, and all the freckles standing out on his upper cheeks thanks to the area being exposed to the sun more than the rest of his place. He could feel your touches moulding his skin gently, dragging your fingers on the ugly scar on his temple, carefully tugging on his soft dirty blonde hair - then, suddenly, the baklava was fully off. Simon felt it coming, but it still surprised him; so much so that he squished his lips into a tight line, as if he tried to hide from your eyes for even a second longer. Your hand discarded the baklava almost carelessly. Knowing you've thrown Simon's most precious shield on the ground left him utterly defenceless in your arms, at the mercy of your words and actions. And yet, there was no other place he'd rather be in the entire world.

"Ghost..." - Your voice grew meek with adoration and emotion, your palms still kneading his face. It was then that he finally allowed himself to peek at you, to see your expression. Your lips were parted slightly, your face flushed with heat, your eyes scanning him adoringly. Tears were dropping on your cheeks again. This time, Simon knew they were the result of the happiness you felt, therefore he didn't comment on them. Fuck, he felt like the luckiest and most handsome man walking the Earth.

"Hey there, dolly." - Gently, his lips brushed over the inner side of your palm before he leaned back into the touch. "You're so fucking beautiful. Bonnie, look." - Picking the dog up, you pointed at Simon's face and giggled, making Simon smirk right back at you. The dog yawned, licking its mouth and shaking its head - it wasn't interested in Simon's face to reveal in the slightest. - "He's perfect. Isn't he perfect? Tell him how fucking flawless he is, come on." "You don't mean that. That's the alcohol talking." - Simon chuckled while looking away from you, his Adam's apple bobbing as he forced a gulp down his throat. Embarrassment painted his cheeks bright pink. You made him blush, you realized, staring at him with your mouth agape. The triumph made you cackle.

The duality of Ghost left you speechless - a confident, 6'4 guy not to be messed around with the mask, snarky humour, and his physical presence overwhelming you every time. This Ghost? Giggly, happy, slightly drunk. You loved how comfortable he looked with legs puzzled around your waist, his right arm leaning into the sofa as he looked everywhere around the room instead of you. You adored every inch of his dark pink blush and the entire universe that exploded, establishing itself behind his eyes. So this was the man you loved, the one you pinned after for the last few months? You loved every inch of him. Even if he'd look utterly different, you'd still be enchanted.

"Piss drunk people are always honest." - You admitted, caressing his upper arm. Were you staring? Probably. Was it making Ghost uncomfortable or flattered? Hard to tell. Could you be stopped? No. When will you get another chance like this, to fawn over his beauty in its full glory? He was everything you imagined... And much more than that.

"... I really like it when you blush." - It was a careful admission, but you meant it. You put Bonnie down on your lap again, leaning your elbow into the couch right next to his arm, so you could stare at him more comfortably. "... And I really like you." - Simon spilt without giving it too much thought, immediately realizing what he'd just said. Well, as Price often said, in for a penny - in for a pound. This was the night of admissions and confessions... At least it was turning out to be. And each little confession felt natural, lifting heaviness off his shoulders. You knew. You must've known by now. And yet, finally admitting to it felt uplifting. "I just want you to know that if I was bold enough, I'd kiss you right now, Ghost..." "Simon." - The man whispered, shutting you off. Hearing his government name lit your face up. An amazed sigh left your lips as you connected his name to his appearance, burning it into the back of your head. - "It's Simon Riley... My name's Simon Riley. I should've told you way sooner."

"Oh, Simon, Simon, Simon, Simon..." - You chanted as if you hadn't heard a more beautiful word before. Biting your lip, your hand has risen to his cheek again, cupping it gently. Hearing his own name falling off your lips like that was heavenly. - "A name for an angel rather than for a Ghost. I like that name. It suits you." "I'm glad to hear that, ma'am." - Simon didn't like it. The name reminded him of his old man way too much, connecting him to a troubled family tree, to the people who turned him into what he was. He wasn't willing to ruin the moment you shared, however. If you said his name's nice... It must've been. "And may I?" - You whispered, staring at his lips. Simon licked his lips expectedly, nodding to let you know it's fine, that he wants it too. He put his hand on your waist, holding you in place as he scooped you closer - you were puzzling himself into his arms as if you belonged there forever, being that one little silly puzzle piece he'd lost before he was born. Your knees wrapped around his waist as you palmed his t-shirt, steadying your position.

You were both taking your time, giggling excitedly, blissed with disbelief. Your breathing was tickling Simon's face, making Simon's smile widen. Your eyes closed as you positioned your elbow around his shoulders, your nails gently scratching his scalp. So close... He was so close. Your noses bumped together, warm skin dragging across each other, your breath finally stabilizing as you got ready for the final stretch. Simon could feel your lips brush against his... But the kiss didn't come. It never came, in fact. The moment Simon opened his eyes to deduce what was wrong, a snore cut through the comfortable silence in your apartment. At first, it shut Simon off. He was staring at you, holding his palms on your shoulder blades, playing with the ends of your hair - until he started laughing quietly.

He wasn't upset, God forbid angry with you. You were trolled, in the end, drinking way more than you should - he half expected to be holding your hair for you by this point of the night. Even though you hadn't really touched the first base, this night turned into everything Simon wished for. This was just his luck - the lady holding his heart in a headlock dozing off before anything happened. "She's knackered." - Simon whispered towards Bonnie lying on the ground. The cutesy dog had no idea what he was saying, but she was excited enough to nuzzle and nibble on his ankle. - "I know, sweet girl, I know. Let me put mommy to bed, and then we'll set out for a walkie, yeah?" - The man ushered as he started folding you into his arms bridal style. Upon the word 'walkie', Bonnie growled and whimpered excitedly, almost wiggling her tail off. - "Hush, you little furry beast."

The duo spent half an hour walking outside on a cold night, Simon taking his bloody time smoking a few cigarettes to calm down. Bonnie was doing her own thing, carrying various sticks to him so they could play fetch. As soon as the door to your flat opened and Bonnie's paws got cleaned, the dog sped into your bedroom, nuzzling to you - all you did in response was throw your hand over her, grunting displeasantly. Before leaving, Simon quickly put together a note.

'Thank you for one of the best nights of my life. Prepared some coffee and painkillers for you on the counter. Text me when you wake up. Love, - Simon'

[brooklynislandgirl]

Dear Nonnymouse... Who sent me this:

it’s only friendly advice, but you’ll never get far in the star trek rpc with some of the people you keep around. {redacted} is fine. it’s the people close to {redacted}. one of them being the biggest issue. even if {redacted} is the only {muse}, i understand wanting to interact with the canon muses. her {muse} isn’t even bad. she is. it’s unsolicited advise, but it’s trying to warn you about someone in the rpc. you don’t need to be apart of her collection when there are a lot of us who would love to write with your oc. {redacted} only wakes up for popular canons. don’t let yourself be disappointed when she won’t give your oc the time of day.

this really is being sent with a true hope this finds you well and to help you in your future rp journey.

~*~ Howdy. First, let me explain. Normally I don't tend to respond to things like this but I feel there's merit in posting this just so that everyone can understand where I am coming from and we can all get on with out day. Also, I redacted the names and muse of the two people you specifically named in this PSA. Why? Because I do not engage in call out culture and I wish to be respectful to all parties involved in this. Secondly, I can only assume that you are both young and/or maybe wrote this on your phone, but I appreciate punctuation, complete sentences, grammar, the Oxford comma, capitalisation where appropriate, and the like. Call me elderly if you wish but as a librarian and a teacher, I can say that this almost hurt to read, though not as much as other anons I have received in the past. Third, you acknowledge that this is, in fact, unsolicited advice, and on that front you are absolutely correct. I did not ask for it. Where your advice fails is such: I. You assume I need a warning label about the people with whom I interact. I am actually quite capable of choosing with whom I wish to write, when and how according to our schedules and availability, the nature of what that writing entails, and other details that should matter only to my writing partner and myself. Whether canon or oc, whether rookie or veteran a mun, I will give anyone a chance on my blogs and with my muses based on their merit and not the gossip of others. II. You assume I want to 'get far' in the Star Trek rpc. Nonny, darling, understand this; I have a multitude of books, television, film and other mediums to which I have great love and respect, and am ever so happy to create a verse for should the opportunity arise. But I. Do. Not. Participate. In. Any. Specific. RPC. Mostly because they are little incestuous and toxic little echo-chambers that breed mostly only contempt and favouritism. Every single one I've come up against reminds me of high-school with cliques, tropes, petty squabbling, and other behaviour I find absolutely appalling. Really, honestly, y'all can miss me with this mess. III. You don’t need to be apart of her collection when there are a lot of us who would love to write with your oc. {These are your words, not mine}. I'm looking around here. I've seen exactly...none of y'all... following me out of the blue, knocking on my metaphorical door, engaging with me in any way to make this a valid point. The friends I make are mostly organic; if I see a blog where I enjoy the writing, I will read the rules and peruse the muse or muses that are available. I will follow and try talking via DM or discord, and work out what we're going to create. I take people who follow me at face value and offer them welcome, support, and my best efforts. Sometimes we are not compatible as people and that's fine. I feel that maybe this could be put under the first section but here we are. IV. Finally, we come to the most important address of this post. The specific Mun you oh-so-cordially needed to warn me about.

Seriously, it took me almost 4 hours to stop laughing about this. This mun has disappointed me. She has enraged me to the point of contemplating murder. She's also consoled me when my heart was broken. She's eaten at my kitchen table and made my husband laugh so hard I think a little beer came out of his nose. She's made me fall in love with things I vowed to hate, and we've given each other untold worlds and lives and loves over the years. There are things we will harbour grudges into the afterlife and beyond with one another. Even when we reach a point that we're contemplating what we would look like in prison orange, we still have each other's backs. We have also been friends for nearly a quarter century. This is no exaggeration.

We have written together, created communities, talked ad nauseam about via text/messages/on the telephone and in person for longer than a lot of people in these rpcs have been alive. We could fill my library with the amount of things we've ever talked and written about. There is nothing anyone can 'warn' me about that I don't already know. That same is true for people telling her things about me that they feel are valid.

So, in conclusion. Nonnymouse, you are swimming up some deep streams that you know nothing about, about people you've formed an opinion about without any substantial information to go on except for maybe some hurt feelings and jealousy, if I've read between the lines, and let's face it... You're not exactly Willy Wonka so the sugar-coating about being concerned for my emotional welfare and stability and wishing me happiness in my rp journey {which I've been doing just fine in for the last 8 years}, comes across as fake as William Shatner's toupee.

TL;DR version: Well aren't you precious. Bless your heart. <3

~Sincerly, Turtlemun.

PS: I promise if I have to do this again, I will decline being so polite.