#Bose Mystery

[70zcowboy]

Finding out that Jimmy’s actor is genderqueer is so cool. Jimmy says trans rights!!

[pygartheangel]

"Something Creeping in the Dark" (1971)

[blogmollylane]

Half way finished Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose

Starting to read: Almost Love by Louise O’Neill

[northwindow]

Do you have any light-hearted comforting reads? Feeling a little down

sure! i hope you’re feeling better soon. maybe you’d like one of these, depending on what you’re looking for:

if on a winter’s night a traveler by italo calvino is a really delightful escape. there’s a playfulness that drives this book, especially after a few chapters—it kind of reminded me of the feeling that i used to get reading lemony snicket as a kid

i always crave something funny when i’m feeling bad... priestdaddy by patricia lockwood, zambra’s chilean poet, happy hour by marlowe grenados?

the rachel incident by caroline o’donoghue is a new book that really charmed me, it’s a portrait of an early-20s friendship and an illicit affair set in cork, ireland. it’s literary-leaning of a beach read but it has that candylike quality (not every moment is breezy, but overall really fun)

i thought too much and not the mood by durga chew-bose had this lovely optimism in a genre that can be stereotyped as moody (personal essays). a clever and effervescent book that left me inspired to create things

i would not call her work lighthearted, but a novelist that makes me feel like you can face the most fucked-up challenges in life with moral strength and heart and humor is miriam toews. i would probably start with fight night for something on the lighter side of her spectrum. i might add banana yoshimoto on a similar note, some of her themes/plot points can be heavy and mysterious yet the books have this soothing effect on me, they feel colorful and warm. kitchen is a popular starting place and a quick read

[bluerskiees]

A TWISTED FAIRYTALE 🖤⛓

PART -01

˗ˏˋ Staring ˎˊ˗

Haitani Ran x Shimizu Y/n x Haitani Rindo

@rinrinmylove @sleeplessreader @trashmemebitch @ranmahaitaji @slutaholic69

˗ˏˋ 🖤 Synopsis ✦ ˎˊ˗

Y/n was an ordinary girl with a not-so-ordinary job. What's her secret? What's her past? What made her stand here, in this position? It's all a secret known to none. Everybody knows she's hiding something behind the sweet smile of hers. Is she actually innocent or someone worse? Mystery surrounds her just like the fog that surrounds bonten's company. What do u think happens when her 2 boses become quite intrigued by her, growing an unhealthy obsession over this innocent or not-so-innocent girl?

Tw : Bonten!Y/n, Female!Y/n, Yandere!Haitani brothers, Toxic parents, Abuse, Mentions of Eating disorders, Family trauma, Obsessions, Bonten shenanigans, Mentions of murders, Dark content.

Being a bonten executive sure wasn't easy. Especially when you're the new member who's quickly ranking up. Who were you? What were you doing before you joined bonten? Where were you from? It was a thing known to none. No one knew anything about you. Well, none except the higher officials at bonten.

Oh how the girls despised you— You were what they would call "Perfect" . A Perfect beauty, a Perfect lady, A Perfect wife material, A Perfect assassin, a Perfect spy, a Perfect hacker and the list goes on. Oh how lucky the said criminal organisation was to come across a young, beautiful yet smart and valuable Object.

Thats right, an object. You were used as an object for as long as you can remember. In your home, by your parents. In your school, by your friends. Everywhere.

Mikey found you when you were at the verge of dying. He rescued you from those monsters who you'd call "Family". It was then you decided to devote your life and soul to the man standing in front of you. You wanted to prove yourself useful to him. There must be an opportunity somehow right?. It was then Mikey was attacked. It was a sudden one so there weren't many people around to help. That day you proved yourself to be useful by taking several bullets for him. Mikey smirked As he knew he did an amazing job taking you in. Just like Sanzu was one of his most loyal dogs, you were one too.

You were considered incredibly strong and cold. But were you actually? Or was it your trauma? You don't know yourself. Truth be told, you were never a strong girl. You were the weak girl who cries for the slightest of scratch. But it all changed when your father died. Or— your mom killed him. That was when your mother started abusing you. Even though she killed your dad, she was the only family you had so you still loved her very much. But the cops had to find out and arrested your mom right in front of your eyes. You remember it as if just happened yesterday. The memory was fresh. You couldn't forget it no matter how hard you try. Afterall the ghosts of the past haunts you mercilessly and escaping them was impossible.

Walking to your office, the sound of your heels clicking the floor was heard by everyone causing them to drop the conversations they were having to bow down to you. You liked the scene. People bowing down to you. You were important right? That's why they're bowing. To show the respects they have for you. You're not worthless, you said to yourself. You're not worthless. You're not worthless. You're worthless. You're not worthless. You're worthless. You're worthless. You're worthless. There it goes— the screaming inside your head started once again. You wanted it to stop. "AHHHHHH STOP IT... 'M NOT..... WORTHLESS.....HELP.... PLEASE...." that was all you were able to scream before you broke down in tears hugging yourself for comfort.

“Hello, little flower.” you heard a new voice say, 'h-huh?' You say to yourself ad you didn't see the man coming. Turning back with teary eyes, puffy cheeks, pouty lips, mascara running down your face. God you looked like a mess. A pretty one, if I may add. "Shushhh now pretty girl, wouldn't wanna get you all worked up over nothing would we?" He saw the way you looked at him cluelessly. You looked very innocent. So fucking innocent that he'd let down his guard if only you weren't a bonten executive. There's no way you'd ve innocent right?......Right?

"Ah how impolite of me to not introduce myself, I'm Haitani Ran and this is my younger brother Rindo. Pleased to meet you princess". That's when you found another pair of Lilac eyes staring right at you soul. Quickly getting back on your feet, bowing to your seniors you managed to mutter a "Y/n ...... Shimizu Y/n". "Shimizu you say?.... ah what a nice name for a pretty nice lady. Shimizu.... innocent.... a name innocent just like it's owner.... " You heard him mumble something to his brother before you fainted in the arms of the elder Haitani.

"She's weak sir, looks like she didn't have a proper meal for atleast a weak." This confused the haitani's. You were rich enough to buy a whole 5 star restaurant, then why did u starve yourself? But they said nothing and only nodded to the doctor indicating him to leave. You sure are gonna get an earful from your seniors when you wake up. The older haitani went out to blow some smoke so the younger one was playing games in his phone untilhe heard you speak. "S-stop please....'m sorry... wont do it again...." Poor Rindo was confused, were you having a nightmare? He decided to wake you up because you were basically squirming around uncomfortably.

"Where am I?" You said, rubbing your eyes not looking at one of your seniors who was waiting for you. "Shushhh its alright Shimizu, you're safe, in a hospital " in the softest voice possible. That was when you looked at his face and man oh man it was Rindo. Rindo Haitani, the cruel executive who gets mad at— well everything.

You immediately said "You didn't see anything, bye" and ran out of the hospital, getting into a random uber and to your home. How were you gonna show your face to them the next day? You were supposed to look as a cold girl not pathetic like this.

The next day, you woke up, did your regular morning routine and checked your schedule to find out that you had no work other than kill some traitors with sanzu at noon and attend a meeting with the boss and other higher ups in the evening. Sighing heavily you drove off to to the headquarters only to find the haitani's at the reception signalling for you to come over. You sighed and let out a ❝ I don’t even want to look at you right now Haitani! ❞ and went to your cabin right away. The day has just started and you already feel like dying. Since you had nothing to do for a few hours, you decided to go to mikey's room and ask for extra work. Like hell you'd do, you just passed your time by watching a series you found on Netflix.

Soon the clock stuck 11.30 and you knew it was time to finish some people off. Walking to the basement sighing heavily, you found the scarred man leaning against a table visibly looking annoyed. "Took you long enough Shimizu". He was confused when you walked in, with a face looking so- innocent? Even though he believes in mikey, he wasn't sure if you'd be able to do this, in his way atleast. Pretending to not hear him, you continued to look for the perfect material to finish those traitors. How could they betray mikey? They sure didn't deserve an easy death. Grabbing a gun and Sanzu's katana, you started making your way to the damn traitors.

Stabbing the man in his right thighs with the katana, totally ignoring sanzu at this point you chuckled to yourself. "Thought you could get off after betraying mikey huh?" An amused smirk making its way to your lips. You took off the hairpin from you hair and stuck it directly on the man's heart. One hand gently ruffling the man's hair, the other one pushing the katana deep inside him slowly. You decided to ignore the man's screams just as you ignored Bonten's number 2. Just as you pulled out the katana and the hairpin, you punched the man hard, with a force that pushed him and the chair he was tied to on the ground. He broke some of his teeth, which you tossed over to sanzu for his valuable collection. You moved him slowly, softly, as if you were a flower. But then, the way you kicked him right in his injured stomach said otherwise. The gut-wrenching screams this man made, made you feel alive. You proceeded to stab him in the stomach continuously like a psycho, muttering something along the lines of him betraying mikey. You didn't even bother to check if the man was still alive by now.Handling the rest of the matter to Sanzu, you left to take a shower. Ain't got no time to waste on low-lifes like him.

Visualization for Y/n.

[bomikalover]

Scrapped Fanfic me and my friend Lee made called "Puree Passion." Wrote 3 chapters and decided to post one of them lol. LMK if you want the other two and I'll gladly post them! K Bye!

Chapter 1: Le début

It was a bright and breezy day on a regular Sunday afternoon at the beginning of summer. Bose walks into Man’s Nest with a grin on his face and a pep in his step. He was so joyful today, and no one knew why, which is one of the many mysteries of Bose O’Brien. The others sat on the Man Couch, curious as to why the young boy was so happy today.

“Someone’s feeling cheery!” Mika teased.

“It's disgusting.” Chapa sneered.

“Let the boy be happy!” Miles defended.

“So are you guys gonna ask me or what?” Bose questioned.

Bose joins the others on the couch.

“Do we have to-”

“What got your spirits so high?” Miles asked while cutting off Chapa.

“Ok, since you guys are dying to know…I got a summer job!” Bose exclaimed.

Chapa gave him a semi-smirk of pride, Miles applauded while cheering him on, and Mika flung out of her seat, jumping for joy, almost sonic screaming out of excitement. The others looked at Mika with confusion. You would have thought she was getting the job.

“Sorrieee, I’m just excited.” Mika says sheepishly while sitting back down.

Chapa leans over to Miles, whispering. “Some of us more than others.”

Miles cackles like a witch as Mika continues the conversation.

“Anyways, where are you working?”

“That's the best part! It's Hip Hop Paris!”

Mika’s smile faded. She must have been hearing things.

“Do you mean Hip Hop Puree?” Mika questioned.

“No. I mean Hip Hop Paris; Becky recommended it to me.” Bose answered.

“Becky? You mean Becky Butler? The Becky Butt!” Mika stressed.

“I thought she moved away?” Miles questioned.

“She did…to Paris!” Bose replied.

Mika sighs while rolling her eyes. It was already bad enough that he was going away to Paris for the summer, but he would be working with Becky. They all knew Becky was bad news…at least Mika did. She couldn't comprehend why Bose would ever listen to Becky…like it’s Becky.

“Not that I care, but why can't you work here in Swellview? You know at Hip Hop Puree?” Chapa asked.

“Well, Hip Hop Paris pays way more than Hip Hop Puree, and now that I'm getting older, I decided that I wanted to be more independent. All I know is Swellview, and this might be my one opportunity to get out of here.” Bose explained.

The others knew what Bose meant. Out of all of them, Bose will be the one stuck behind fighting crime with Ray. Not that being stuck with Ray is the worst thing in the world, but there are always better opportunities out there. Miles could sense the heavy vibe surrounding this conversation.

“Well, I'm happy for you. Hopefully, this is a small stop on your path to greatness.” Miles said.

“Yea dude, that's sick.” Chapa praises.

Bose smiles at his friend's support, but he looks over at Mika as her opinion means the most.

“So Mika, what do you think?”

Mika looks up at Bose, breaking out of her gaze. She plasters on a fake smile.

“Yeah, it's great.” Mika lied while nervously giggling.

Bose sensed something was off with her but brushed it off as he didn't want to upset her. Mika wasn’t just upset. She was confused, sad, and most anxious. Bose was going to work with her academic rival for an entire summer in the city of love. Yeah, no biggie.

“I’m so happy you guys are so cool with this, especially since I leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow!” The group screams.

Bose jumps back in his seat, not expecting such a big reaction.

“Well yeah. We’ve already gone through the first day of summer, so if I want to have a good head start, I need to leave for Paris tomorrow. I’m sorry, I didn’t know I would leave so soon either.” Bose explained.

The silence drew over the group. How could you be happy for your best friend but sad for yourself? Since they were 12 years old, this quartet is all they've known, and they wanted to keep it that way. But the other three knew that this would be good for Bose, even if it sucked for them. Chapa wasn't one to openly feel for people, but Bose was like a little brother to her. He drives her insane sometimes, but she would kill for him. She knew Bose could protect himself, but he was too nice to even hurt the meanest of people, besides villains, of course. So she always did it for him, not realizing how self-dependent Bose became because of it. Miles didn't like the thought of losing their best friend for a summer, but they knew they couldn't interfere with their friend’s path. If his path went to Paris, unfortunately, they couldn't stop him. Mika felt defeated. She’s losing her honey for an entire summer; even worse, he’ll be closer to Becky Butler. What if that vicious snake of a girl poisons her sweet Bosey with her malicious ways? Mika couldn't allow that to happen.

“Well, I'll gladly teleport you there.” Miles voiced.

“And we'll be there to send you off.” Chapa added.

“Yeah, we wouldn't let you go without saying goodbye.” Mika says while placing a hand on his arm.

Bose smiled as his friends were being really cool about this. It almost made him think that they were happy to see him go…but they still wanted him around, right? Bose was just overthinking; his friends were not his parents. They actually like having him around, unlike his parents, who don't even care if he moves to Paris for the rest of his life.

“Thanks, guys, you're the best. I'm going to go since I have to start packing, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Bose said while leaving down the tube.

Once Bose was out of sight, Mika slouched into the Man Couch.

“What’s up with you?” Miles asked.

“Isn't it obvious? Mika��s loverboy is leaving her for some chick in Paris!” Chapa pointed out.

“Chapa, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not in love with Bose!”

“Yeah, okay.” Chapa said while getting up from the couch to grab a snack.

“Chapa!” Miles warned.

Chapa raised her hands in defense while leaving the room.

“I'm just looking out for Bose; I know Becky, and she's bad news!” Mika warns.

“You know 14-year-old Becky, the one that moved away and you haven't seen since freshman year. We're going to be juniors now; maybe she’s different.” Miles argued.

“Once a snake, always a snake.” Chapa says, walking in while munching on Choco Crocos.

“Whose side are you on?” Miles asked.

“Nobodies, that's the fun of it.” Chapa joked.

The twins roll their eyes at Chapa’s teasing manner. Chapa was the best at stirring the pot; she couldn't care enough to actually pick sides. Plus, someone always ends up hurt when you choose a side, so she never did. Plus, she thrives on making things harder for people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bose packs in his room, and hears a knock on his door. It opens to Celia coming into his room.

“Oh hey, mom.”

“Bosey, what are you doing?”

“Packing?” The boy questioned as if it wasn't obvious.

“Yes, I see that. But why?” Celia questioned.

“I'm going to Paris, remember? I told you two weeks ago!”

“You did?”

“Mama, I literally told you about how Becky was helping me find a job, and of course, you weren't listening.” The boy complained.

“I was listening!” Celia argued.

“Oh really, where am I working?”

The mother was stumped. She was listening, but Genuine Moments was on, so she might have blocked Bose out just a little bit.

“Umm, a surgeon?”

“Really? A surgeon? At 16? I'm pretty sure that's illegal, mama.” The son stated.

“You got a driving license at 12, so anything is possible!” The mother debated.

Bose rolled his eyes in annoyance, an emotion he’s portrayed more as he got older and more aware of how irritating some people could be…including his mother. He loves her, but she could be a little dim sometimes, and that’s coming from Bose, of all people.

“Look Mom, I’m going to Paris to work at Hip Hop Paris with Becky for the summer, and I leave tomorrow. Whether you care or not.”

“I care, Bosey, I do.”

The boy scoffed as he went to his dresser to get more clothes. The mother knew she wasn’t the best parental figure, but she did love and care for her son. She just needed to show him that.

“Bose, sweetheart, I’m sorry for not listening to you, but trust me, I’m trying my hardest to be better. Because I love and care for you, you deserve to go to Paris and begin your journey of becoming an independent young adult.”

Bose smiled at his mother’s efforts. He knew she was trying her best, and he wasn’t always the perfect son either. The boy walks up to Celia, engulfing her in a hug. The mother hugged back. Her baby boy was growing up on her.

“You’re gonna do great, Bobo; I just know it. I’m gonna miss you, but I know you can handle yourself. Try not to get into too much trouble; I know your job is to save lives but think of this summer job as a vacation, ok?”

“I will, thanks Mom.”

And there’s her sweet Bosey. The duo breaks apart from their hug.

“You’re welcome. I have got to go with Vicey on some business trips, so I won’t be here to send you off. But I love you so much, Bobo, and be safe.”

“Of course, love you too.”

The mother places an arm on his head, caressing it before smiling and making her exit. Bose keeps packing his bags with a happy heart, knowing his friends and family are supporting him.

The next day came rather quickly as the kids already stood outside Swellview Airport to send Bose off. It was bittersweet, they didn’t want to see him go, but it was time for the baby bird to leave the nest.

“Thanks for coming guys.” Bose thanked.

“Of course.” Chapa said.

“We wouldn’t miss it.” Miles voiced.

Mika was relatively quiet for obvious reasons. She still wasn’t grasping the fact that Bose was actually leaving for Paris. She was more focused on figuring out a loophole that could keep him here, but she kept drawing blanks. She watched as he briefly talked with Chapa and Miles, hugging them separately before moving on to her. He stood before her, smiling gently, but his eyes spoke volumes. He was going to miss Mika the most, to no one’s surprise. Everyone knew how bad the duo suffered when being separated. During the Thousand Pranks War, Bose couldn’t help himself and snuck out to Mika even though their cities warred against each other. Mika being from the rival town and pranking Bose herself, should have been enough to push Bose away, but it didn’t. He stayed by her side. It was even worse when their moms kicked them out of Danger Force. He only saw Mika in school, which wasn’t much since their schedules differ and they both have extracurriculars. But even then, he sat with her every lunch, walked with Mika to her locker or class if he could, and even got to school extra early to spend time with her. He always made time for Mika. And Mika never shoos him away. So being countries apart might be challenging, but I doubt Bose O’Brien would let that get in his way of making time for Mika Macklin and staying by her side…whatever way he can.

“Hey.” Bose said.

“Hi.” Mika voiced.

They both had so much to say, too much, actually. Mika teared up, with Bose looking back with teary eyes as well. Mika wraps her arms around Bose’s torso, her head against his chest, and Bose’s arms around her shoulders. They would have had more time to depart if Miles could teleport them there, but of course, Becky got Bose a first-class flight there and will be waiting for him at the airport. Bose swayed them slowly, neither having the courage to let go. Their friends watching them felt for them, knowing how important they were to each other. Chapa looks at her still outdated phone, checking the time.

“Bose, you have to go now if you still want to catch your flight.” Chapa announced.

Bose went to let go, but Mika squeezed harder.

“Don’t let go, not yet.” Mika whispered.

“I wish I could hug you forever, but Chapa’s right. I got to go.”

The duo gradually loosened their embrace, Bose taking hold of Mika’s hand with his own.

“I’ll call you as soon as I get situated in Paris.”

Mika smiled, squeezing Bose’s hand right before he let go.

“Alright, I’ll see you guys.”

Bose grabbed his suitcases, giving one last look to his friends, Mika’s lasting the longest. Then he turns around, strolling towards the airport and farther away from his home. Chapa walked over to Mika, putting an arm over her shoulder. She knew her friend needed some comfort right now.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA Demonstrates ‘Ultra-Cool’ Quantum Sensor for First Time in Space

Future space missions could use quantum technology to track water on Earth, explore the composition of moons and other planets, or probe mysterious cosmic phenomena.

NASA’s Cold Atom Lab, a first-of-its-kind facility aboard the International Space Station, has taken another step toward revolutionizing how quantum science can be used in space. Members of the science team measured subtle vibrations of the space station with one of the lab’s onboard tools — the first time ultra-cold atoms have been employed to detect changes in the surrounding environment in space.

The study, which appeared in Nature Communications on Aug. 13, also reports the longest demonstration of the wave-like nature of atoms in freefall in space.

The Cold Atom Lab science team made their measurements with a quantum tool called an atom interferometer, which can precisely measure gravity, magnetic fields, and other forces. Scientists and engineers on Earth use this tool to study the fundamental nature of gravity and advance technologies that aid aircraft and ship navigation. (Cell phones, transistors, and GPS are just a few other major technologies based on quantum science but do not involve atom interferometry.)

Physicists have been eager to apply atom interferometry in space because the microgravity there allows longer measurement times and greater instrument sensitivity, but the exquisitely sensitive equipment has been considered too fragile to function for extended periods without hands-on assistance. The Cold Atom Lab, which is operated remotely from Earth, has now shown it’s possible.

“Reaching this milestone was incredibly challenging, and our success was not always a given,” said Jason Williams, the Cold Atom Lab project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “It took dedication and a sense of adventure by the team to make this happen.”

Power of Precision

Space-based sensors that can measure gravity with high precision have a wide range of potential applications. For instance, they could reveal the composition of planets and moons in our solar system, because different materials have different densities that create subtle variations in gravity.

This type of measurement is already being performed by the U.S.-German collaboration GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on), which detects slight changes in gravity to track the movement of water and ice on Earth. An atom interferometer could provide additional precision and stability, revealing more detail about surface mass changes.

Precise measurements of gravity could also offer insights into the nature of dark matter and dark energy, two major cosmological mysteries. Dark matter is an invisible substance five times more common in the universe than the “regular” matter that composes planets, stars, and everything else we can see. Dark energy is the name given to the unknown driver of the universe’s accelerating expansion.

“Atom interferometry could also be used to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity in new ways,” said University of Virginia professor Cass Sackett, a Cold Atom Lab principal investigator and co-author of the new study. “This is the basic theory explaining the large-scale structure of our universe, and we know that there are aspects of the theory that we don’t understand correctly. This technology may help us fill in those gaps and give us a more complete picture of the reality we inhabit.”

A Portable Lab

About the size of a minifridge, the Cold Atom Lab launched to the space station in 2018 with the goal of advancing quantum science by putting a long-term facility in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit. The lab cools atoms to almost absolute zero, or minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 273 degrees Celsius). At this temperature, some atoms can form a Bose-Einstein condensate, a state of matter in which all atoms essentially share the same quantum identity. As a result, some of the atoms’ typically microscopic quantum properties become macroscopic, making them easier to study.

Quantum properties include sometimes acting like solid particles and sometimes like waves. Scientists don’t know how these building blocks of all matter can transition between such different physical behaviors, but they’re using quantum technology like what’s available on the Cold Atom Lab to seek answers.

In microgravity, Bose-Einstein condensates can reach colder temperatures and exist for longer, giving scientists more opportunities to study them. The atom interferometer is among several tools in the facility enabling precision measurements by harnessing the quantum nature of atoms.

Due to its wave-like behavior, a single atom can simultaneously travel two physically separate paths. If gravity or other forces are acting on those waves, scientists can measure that influence by observing how the waves recombine and interact.

“I expect that space-based atom interferometry will lead to exciting new discoveries and fantastic quantum technologies impacting everyday life, and will transport us into a quantum future,” said Nick Bigelow, a professor at University of Rochester in New York and Cold Atom Lab principal investigator for a consortium of U.S. and German scientists who co-authored the study.

More About the Mission

A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL designed and built Cold Atom Lab, which is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. BPS pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations that are not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomena under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth. 

IMAGE: NASA’s Cold Atom Lab, shown where it’s installed aboard the International Space Station, recently demonstrated the use of a tool called an atom interferometer that can precisely measure gravity and other forces — and has many potential applications in space. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[headoverheelsforramsey]

The Ring Fiasco

Book : Open Heart (post series)

Pairing : Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Meera Bose)

Summary : When Ethan misplaces his engagement ring, Meera and her girls come up with a plan to teach him a lesson.

Category : Fluff

Warnings : None

Rating : General

Word Count : 2041

Trope : Friends Intervene, Jealous

A/N : This fic was originally written in August of last year, but I was waiting for CFWC's you go girls event to post it and then accidentally deleted it while making space for notes during finals week. 🤡 So I wrote this very quickly and on very less amount of sleep, so please be kind. Participating in @choicesficwriterscreations You Go Girls Event, @choicesflashfics Week #31 prompt, which will appear in bold and @choiceschallenge-may2023 : Engagement. Happy Reading. ❤️

Meera stood near the nurse's station, not so secretly watching her fiancé talk to an overly friendly woman. She forcefully tore her eyes away or she might just blow up from jealousy.

“Damn Bose, if you wanna stalk someone atleast don’t make it that obvious,” Jackie handed over her tablet and stood beside her.

“Ooh! Stalking? Sounds fun! Who is the target though?” Sienna followed shortly, smiling at the nurse at the station and picking up a patient report.

“It's nothing guys,” Meera sneakily looked up at Ethan and the mystery woman, but it was enough to draw the attention of the two other doctors.

“Yikes!” Sienna remarked, as the woman in question laughed at something Ethan had said, playfully hitting his arm.

“Jeez, go easy on the PDA, the man has a ring on him,” Jackie followed.

“I know!” Meera sighed.

"But who is she?" Sienna asked, quickly stealing a glance.

"That question has been burning in my mind since morning!" Meera replied. "Who is she and why the hell is she flirting with my fiancé?"

"Should I reverse image search her?" Jackie suggested, "because it looks like the identity of this mystery woman is eating your soul."

"Who, she?" a third voice made Meera look up, she was greeted with Tobias' smug face. "That's Dr. Emily Chester," he informed.

"Who?" the girls said, collectively.

"Professionally or personally?" Tobias asked, but Meera's glare didn't make him wait for an answer.

"Both. Got it. Professionally, she is one of the biggest names in endocrinology. Personally?" Tobias deliberately stopped enjoying Meera's agony a little too much. "She was at Hopkins, a couple years junior to us, and she had a huge thing for Ethan."

“And?” Meera pressed for more information. “What about Ethan?”

“In true Ethan manner, he didn’t reciprocate her feelings, too heartbroken over she-who-shall-not-be-named and walls too high and thick to let anyone else in.”

“But what is she doing here?”

“I hit up Kyra, apparently, she will be joining as an attending, as Dr. Stanley is stepping back to go into research after receiving a grant from NIH,” Sienna informed. “She was supposed to join from Monday but decided to come in today to settle in before starting work, Ethan is showing her around.”

“Nice! She hasn’t changed at all,” Tobias smirked and was immediately met with three angry glares, “I… I think I’m being paged… be right back,” Tobias exited.

“The settling in excuse is utter bullshit!” Meera said.

“Agreed! She just wants to get into his pants,” Jackie stated.

“Jackie! Don’t say stuff like that!” Sienna reprimanded.

“What? It’s the truth!”

“Don’t listen to her! Kyra texted she can cut their tour short and get Ethan back in the office under the ruse of a meeting,” Sienna showed Meera her phone. “What do you say?”

“I don’t know Si, it seems a little far fetched, and besides I trust Ethan,” Meera looks at him once again, enthusiastically speaking about the latest testing technology, completely oblivious to the flirtatious looks he receives from his audience.

“You are a better person than I am,” Sienna squeezed her hand.

The familiar sound of a pager made Meera look down, “I gotta go, my intern’s paging 911.”

The remaining two doctors get to work, and shortly after Ethan walks up to them, Emily Chester following him like a puppy.

“Good morning Dr. Varma, Dr. Trinh,” he greeted.

As Jackie fixed him with a stone cold glare Sienna put on a fake smile and greeted him back.

“I was meaning to introduce you to Dr. Emily Chester, the newest addition to our Edenbrook family. Dr. Chester, this is Dr. Varma one of our finest young attendings and Dr. Trinh who is already board certified in internal medicine and is now pursuing a fellowship in pediatrics,” as Ethan made introductions, pointing to each of them, both Sienna and Jackie noticed something unusual. They looked at each other making sure that they weren't imagining things.

“I thought I saw Meera here?” Ethan asked.

“She is busy, you know saving lives, managing a team being freaking awesome,” Sienna blurted out.

“What she means to say is Meera has a consult,” Jackie tries to avert, “and so do we. So if you’ll excuse us.”

With a small smile and a curt nod the two of them disappear around the corner. Ethan stares at their retreating figures, confused about what just happened and amused at the very weird conversation he had.

“Did you see it? Please tell me I’m wrong,” Sienna said.

“Nope. You are correct, it's missing,” Jackie replied.

“We need to find Meera ASAP.”

The two of them didn’t have to wander the halls of Edenbrook much longer as Meera’s angry Ramsey-like voice blared through the hospital floor.

“The incompetence is unacceptable! You work with literal life and death, so you can’t afford to make mistakes,” Meera shouted at an intern who seemed like she was about to cry.

“I’m… I am… sorry Dr. Bose,” she mumbled timidly.

“Sorry? What am I supposed to do with your sorry? Apologize to that man’s wife and kids…” “Okay, that's enough,” Sienna stopped Meera before she could continue with her rage fest.

“I think Dr. …,” Jackie glanced at the intern’s ID badge, “Baker has learned her lesson, and we can continue with our day.” With that she dispels the crowd that had formed.

“That was very unlike you,” Sienna said, worried.

“And very like Ramsey,” Jackie added.

“I don’t know guys, Emily Chester just doesn't feel right to me, and I might be taking it out on the wrong people,” Meera sighed.

“Yeah about that…” Jackie shared a look with Sienna, “we found out something.”

“Ethan doesn't have his engagement ring on him.”

“Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”

Jackie and Sienna quickly update Meera about all the incidents and their findings.

“But why?” Meera asks, hopeless.

“Told you men are no good,” Jackie says and quickly receives a nudge from Sienna.

“Look we don’t know, but I believe there is an explanation,” Sienna consoles her fellow dolphin.

“I… I can help,” the intern from before said shyly.

“Not now Baker!”

“I mean I… might know why Dr. Ramsey didn’t have his ring on.”

The three older doctors stare at her.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear.”

“Spill. Now,” Meera said.

“Okay,” the intern takes a deep breath before steading herself, “I had to call a code blue on the third floor today, and I panicked. There weren’t any attendings or senior residents nearby, so Dr. Ramsey came in. I saw him removing his ring before slipping on gloves and taking over CPR.”

Meera visibly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“See! I told you there was an explanation,” Sienna chimed joyfully.

“But why hasn’t he put it back on?” Jackie retorted.

“He might have just forgotten. He is the chief, cut him some slack, Jackie.”

“It might be a mistake,” Meera said thoughtfully, “but he needs to learn a lesson. Baker, did you see where he put the ring after removing it?”

“In his pocket!” Dr. Baker replies without wasting a second.

“Good! Get me your intern friends, I have a plan,” Meera smiled mischievously, the wheels of her brain already turning.

Later that day Meera crossed the atrium, she looked at her watch, according to the intel she had collected from Kyra Ethan was supposed to be here any minute. Five minutes later she spotted him descending the stairs, undoubtedly followed by none other than Dr. Emily Chester. They make eye contact and Ethan smiles at her, taking long strides to reach her. Meera looks over to Baker from the corner of her eye, who was hiding in plain sight. It was time to set her plan in motion.

“Hey! I have been trying to catch you all day, where have you been?” Ethan said, holding Meera’s hand.

“Hi, I know, it’s just been one of those days,” Meera replied, smiling.

“Anyways, I wanted to introduce you to Dr. Emily Chester, world renowned endocrinologist and a fantastic diagnostician as well.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Likewise, Dr.?” Emily looked at Ethan to complete introductions.

“Dr. Bose. Our best diagnostician, head of the DT, my favorite mentee, and my fia…”

Right on Meera’s signal, a horde of interns led by Baker swarm Dr. Chester.

“OH MY GOD! Aren’t you Emily Chester?!” one said.

“You are literally my medical hero,” another one added.

“I am so fascinated by your latest paper,” a third joined.

As the crowd separated Dr. Chester from the couple Meera takes advantage of the chaos and stealthily picks up the ring from Ethan’s pocket.

“What is wrong with them?” As Ethan is about to reprimand the interns, Meera brings his attention back to her.

“Babe don’t you think you are missing something?”

Ethan’s brows furrow, he thinks about all the important birthdays and anniversaries, date nights and meetings, when unable to come to a conclusion he follows Meera’s gaze to his fingers and notices the missing ring.

“Christ!” he curses under his breath. “Listen rookie, trust me this was an honest mistake…” he searches for the ring in all his pockets.

“Looking for this?” Meera holds up the ring in front of him.

“Look, Meera I am deeply sorry, I meant to put it back on after running a code and one thing happened after another and it slipped my mind. I am extremely sorry, it won’t happen again.”

“I know babe,” Meera smiled. “But I’m not about to hand it over to you that easily.”

“Don’t do something stupid rookie,” Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose very familiar with the mischievous gleam in his fiancée’s eyes.

Meera went down on one knee, holding the ring in hand. The entire hospital had been gushing about Meera’s reverse proposal to Ethan by the dreamy Lake Louise a couple months back, so when given the chance to witness it in person and with the power of the Edenbrook rumor mill, quite a crowd had gathered around, clicking pictures, cheering and hooting.

Ethan shaked his head, a smile lining the corner of his mouth.

Meera looked at Emily, enjoying the look of pure disbelief and surprise on her face.

“Dr. Ethan Jonah Ramsey, will you let me be a colossal pain in your ass for this lifetime?”

Ethan joined Meera on the ground, “a hundred times over.”

They kiss with the Edenbrook crowd going feral. Everyone comes up to them to congratulate the happy couple.

As the crowd thins out Dr. Chester speaks, “well I guess congratulations are in order, “ she smiles politely. “But I’ll have to say, I had never imagined Dr. Ethan Ramsey would tie the knot.”

“I agree with you Chester, I had never imagined myself as well, but what can I say she brings out the best in me,” Ethan replied grinning ear to ear at Meera.

“So when's the wedding?”

“In a month,” Meera informs.

“In a month!” Emily shouts, surprised, “don’t you think it’s too soon?” She looks at Ethan, convinced that he has been wrongfully roped into a marriage.

The couple chuckle, a knowing look between the two, “we have been engaged a long time now,” Ethan said.

“This is the third proposal between the two of us. I just meant to include our Edenbrook family and that also means you, now that you are supposed to join us as well,” Meera fixes Emily with the most innocent smile and earnest look.

Dr. Chester matches her smile, “well, then I won’t keep you two from your celebrations. I’ll sign the papers on Monday, Eth…,” she stops, quickly rectifying herself, “I mean Dr. Ramsey.”

As Dr. Emily Chester moves away, their friends surround them.

“That was one hell of a way to prove a point,” Sienna declared.

“Yes you might have just peed all over him to mark your territory,” Jackie joked.

“Great idea!” Meera exclaimed. “Let’s save that for when he misplaces the wedding ring!”

As the entire group breaks into laughter, Tobias says, “you are in for a rollercoaster ride, my man!”

“I know, but she is so worth it,” Ethan says, kissing Meera, deeply.

Thank you so much if you have read till here, it means the world to me. Hope to see you go on other different adventures with me, Ethan and Meera, till then sending love and hugs your way! ❤️

Perma : @starrystarrytrouble @quixoticdreamer16 @coffeeheartaddict2 @liaromancewriter @tessa-liam @gryffindordaughterofathena @crazy-loca-blog @zahrachoices @bex-la-get @potionsprefect @schnitzelbutterfingers @a-crepusculo @custaroonie @aishwarya2 @jamespotterthefirst

Ethan x Meera : @jerzwriter @wanderingamongthewildflowers @takemyopenheart @mvalentine

+ @openheartfanfics , @choicesficwriterscreations , @choiceschallenge-may2023 , @choicesflashfics

Please let me know if you want to be added or removed. 💜

[anikasenkujo]

my mind forgot you, my heart couldn’t.

shyna/shy • 29 • she/her • indian • main: @jotatetsuken • minors DNI • in character asks (ICA) and oc asks are welcome • PFP: @ponury-grajek • tags navigation • byf/dni • AO3 carrd for all of shyna’s OCs and their Stands (thank you cherry for suggesting the carrd idea 💗) • to go through them in depth, read under the cut

Anika Sen: Banner — @iceicewifey (Hashtag: #anika sen)

Toyhouse | Carrd | Introduction | Stand: Dangerous Woman | Voice Claim | F/Os: Jotaro Kujo, Noriaki Kakyoin | Lore M.List | Jotanika

Karan Bose:

Toyhouse | Carrd | Introduction | Stand: Industry Baby | Voice Claim | F/O: Shinobu Kawajiri

Rhea Singh:

Carrd | Introduction | Toyhouse | Stand: Drops of Jupiter | Voice Claim | F/O(s): Gloria Costello, Weather Report

Serena 'Rosso Vino' Vitale:

Carrd | Introduction | Toyhouse | Stand: Fields of Gold | Voice Claim | Reference Sheet | Main F/O: Illuso (Headcanon Name: Marco Farrbi)

Dawn FM Records [WIP]:

About Dawn FM Records | About Abel Mac, the founder | The Murder Mystery | Morioh Melody MixUp, music festival in Morioh

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

‘Suspect’ Season 2: Dominic Cooper, Tamsin Greig, Eddie Marsan & More Join Channel 4-Britbox International Drama Series

By Jesse Whittock

November 15, 2023 7:20 am

Dominic Cooper, Tamsin Greig and Eddie Marsan are among the names joining Anne-Marie Duff on season 2 of Channel 4 and BritBox International drama series Suspect.

Filming on the drama’s second run is underway, with Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point, The Lazarus Project), Eddie Marsan (The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Ray Donovan), Celine Buckens (Showtrial, The Ex-Wife), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy, For Life) and Gina McKee (Bodyguard, Our Friends in the North) joining Cooper (Preacher, Mamma Mia!), Greig (Friday Night Dinner, Belgravia) and Marsan (The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Ray Donovan).

Duff (Bad Sisters, The Salisbury Poisonings) stars in the series as Dr Susannah Newman. In the eight-part series, she is on a desperate quest to track down a self-confessed serial killer before he kills again that night. When a mysterious new client Jon (Cooper) admits under hypnosis that he is a murderer and intends on killing another young female that evening, Susannah knows he must be stopped at all costs.

I’m so pleased to be returning to Suspect to be able to dig deeper into the character of Dr Susannah Newman,” said Duff. “Expect lots of twists, turns and revelations alongside more questions to be answered. I can’t wait for viewers to see what we’ve done with the second series.”

Suspects comes from Professor T and Before We Die producer Eagle Eye Drama and is written by Joy Wilkinson (Lockwood & Co, The Watch) and David Allison (The Couple Next Door, Marcella). It is for UK network Channel 4, whose outgoing Head of Acquisitions Nick Lee bought it, and co-produced by BritBox International for the U.S. and Canada. The eight-part drama is being distributed internationally by Fremantle and will air in 2024.

Ben Wadey, Channel 4 Drama Commissioning Executive said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Eagle Eye Drama again to be bringing back Suspect for a second series. With Anne-Marie Duff returning as Dr Susannah Newman plus a truly spectacular ensemble cast that includes Dominic Cooper, Tamsin Greig and Eddie Marsan, Channel 4 viewers are truly in for a ride when this hits our screens.”

Reemah Sakaan, CEO BritBox International and executive producer added: “I am absolutely delighted that such a stellar ensemble cast is joining the incredible Anne-Marie Duff to tell the next chapter of Suspect Season 2. Joy Wilkinson and David Allison have delivered brilliant scripts and I know our BritBox International viewers in the US will be gripped from start to end.”

Carolina Giammetta (Before We Die, Hollington Drive) will direct. Eagle Eye’s Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino are the executive producers and Dylan Rees (Heartstopper, Alice & Jack) is the series producer. Sakaan and Stephen Nye are the executive producers for Britbox International, which acquired the series following a deal brokered by Fremantle’s Lisa Honig, EVP Distribution North America.

Suspect is adapted from the Danish original Forhøret (Face to Face), which was created by Christoffer Boe and written by Christoffer Boe and Anna Juul. The original series was produced by Miso Film, a Fremantle company, and executive produced by Boe, Jonas Allen and Peter Bose who also serve as executive producers on Suspect.

The series has been produced in association with Happy Duck Films and the Belgian Tax Shelter. Fremantle handles global sales.

SH is not in “Suspect” 2 in association with Happy Duck Films🦆 his character seems to still be in a very deep stage of coma since Suspect 1 💁‍♀️

The interesting thing is there are various British actors who have played relevant character parts, a competent group to work with Happy Duck Films. The actors who pivot from films to TV or the other way around are large. As you can see there are plenty of choices.😉

Dominic Cooper is so talented, he's very witty. So a perfect package! his Ian Fleming role was his best.

[bomikasbaby]

CHAPA’S ARRESTED, MIKA’S STILL FIGHTING CRIME‼️ oh yeah and miles started a cult, Bose talks to goats, ray has a girlfriend BUT THERE ARE MYSTERIOUS NEW VILLAINS?!!??!

[blogmollylane]

Currently reading: Blink by Niamh O’Connor

Newly acquired: Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

Death of a Cyclist

It's a minor miracle that director-writer Juan Antonio Bardem got his Spanish masterpiece, DEATH OF A CYCLIST (1955, TCM), past Franco’s censors with only a change in the ending. Though that blunted the film’s critique of the country’s upper class, it makes the picture even more powerful as film noir. A couple driving along a country road hits a man on a bicycle. Although he’s still alive, the woman (Lucia Bose, the iciest femme fatale this side of Gene Tierney, only without the overbite) insists they leave. We then discover they’re illicit lovers. Her co-star, Alberto Closas, is an adjunct math professor thanks to his influential brother-in-law. She’s married to a wealthy industrialist. For the next nearly 90 minutes, they’re dogged by guilt and paranoia, particularly when a hanger-on (Carlos Casaravilla) tries to blackmail her into having sex with him because he knows about the affair. Bardem creates an upper-class society of privileged fools and sinners. One woman invites Bose to take part in a canasta tournament to benefit “poor children, or stupid children, or something — but it’ll be fun.” When a guilt stricken Closas tries to visit the dead man’s widow, the contrast between the haves and have-nots is painfully obvious. Bardem’s cameraman, Alfredo Fraile creates some stunning deep-focus shots that up the paranoia or emphasize Closas’ isolation. With its stark images of the couple against the country sky, the picture has been compared to the work of Michelangelo Antonio, though his films wouldn’t have been shown in Spain during Franco’s reign. For me, the stronger influence appears to be Luis Buñuel. Bardem’s cutting between scenes is often disorienting, as when he cuts from the couple watching horses train at a racetrack, playground of the rich, to clowns performing in a circus or from Casaravilla playing piano at a party to hands clapping rhythmically at a flamenco performance. There’s even a hint of satire in the cutting when Bardem goes from a Catholic mass (where the illicit lovers have met to discuss the accident) to a tight closeup of a young man’s rear end as he practices for a track meet. How he got that one past Spain’s censors is a mystery.

[weekend-conspiracy-theorist]

A continuation.

When Stephanie Brown was fourteen, dressed in green tights and red body armor, she was on a short solo patrol when she caught sight of movement in her periphery. She caught sight of it again a block later and knew, in her bones, that she was being followed. Whoever it was was doing a good job of matching pace with her, anticipating her movements while keeping a careful distance.

So she ducked down one alleyway and then doubled back, cutting sharply towards the path her mysterious stalker was taking. Stephanie placed herself in their path, just ahead of where she expected them to come bursting out of their own alley, and she bent down to pretend to adjust the laces on her combat boots.

The fall of her cape obscured the motion as she silently grasped the brick on the ground next to her left foot, and quick, quiet footsteps suddenly rounded the corner. Stephanie came up swinging.

The black-haired kid who'd been following her went down in a heap. He'd looked up at her with big blue eyes, blood leaking out from between his fingers, and wheezed out, "I thibk my bose is broken."

It was love at first sight, more or less.

When Tim Drake was fourteen, he was hot on the trail of the freshly-minted Girl Wonder, and she broke his nose. With a brick. (Six years later, she still refused to apologize.)

He'd explained, begrudgingly, that he was just trying to take pictures of her being a hero, and she'd gotten them milkshakes from McDonald's and helped him shove the napkins up his nostrils.

"I can definitely get you some good shots," she told him. Her blonde hair had way too much hairspray in it to waterfall down over her shoulder when she leaned forward, smiling so big that he knew her eyes must be sparkling behind the lenses of her domino mask, but he liked the way it spiked around her headband. She looked cool. She was cool.

Tim, on the other hand, was having to eat his milkshake with a spoon to not put too much pressure on his tender sinuses. He was also, occasionally, holding the cup up against his aching face.

"I dob't thingk Bahman's gonna 'prove of you posin' for pictures," he had pointed out.

Robin's grin had only gotten bigger. "Who said we were gonna tell Batman?"

It was love at first sight, more or less.

"This is going to calm down eventually, right?" Tim asked, dryly. His phone was sandwiched between his ear and his shoulder as he juggled leftover takeout containers and kicked his fridge door closed with the heel of his left foot. "I've had three different vigilantes crash my stakeouts over the last two weeks. Robin gave me a shovel talk at katana point, even though, A) you broke up with me, and B) our entire romance practically happened before he was born. Then Nightwing wanted to know if that story about you egging Boyfriend's car was true--"

"It is."

"Not the way you tell it."

"I saw the tears with my own two eyes, Boyfriend. You ain't foolin' me."

Tim dumped the remains of his beef fried rice into a bowl and scooped some sesame chicken on top of it. "I'm not having this argument again."

Stephanie laughed, the big, delighted one that meant she was throwing her head back and scrunching up her nose, and at least three-quarters of Tim's annoyance faded away, just like that. Still, for the principle of the thing, he added, "I can't believe you blew up our spot on a whim. We'd obfuscated the details of our friendship for six years. World record holders of lying to Batman."

"Naw, I bet Nightwing's still got a couple secrets packed away with his pixie boots." A pause, then she admitted, "Maybe nothing this big, but Wing's definitely got some secrets. Besides--" the rasp of fabric on fabric as she rolled over in her bed-- "it's your fault for not telling me you hired a fake authority figure in your life, again. I couldn't help it. There was no hiding my reaction."

Tim rolled his eyes, sticking his spoon into his mouth as he transferred the bowl of Chinese food to the microwave. "I still don' ge' wha's so funny," he said around it. He pulled out the spoon, brandishing it as he switched ears with the phone. "It makes perfect sense. I need to have five years working as a Private Investigator on the record before I can get a license. I also need to be twenty-five. I am also not willing to actually work for another PI and end up spending the first couple years fetching coffee and reading police reports instead of solving cases."

"So obviously, you hired a fake boss through a shell company, gave him a fake PI license, and then had him hire you," Stephanie said, still sounding like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"Again, I don't understand why you're laughing. Alvin Draper may not exist, but he has a totally real PI license; the State of New Jersey just didn't know they were giving it to him." Tim shut the microwave, punching in 3:00 and hitting start. "You know I don't need any more training. You were my tutor for The Art of Private Detective Work 101 through 401, Batman Edition."

"All I really had to do was smuggle you the course materials," Stephanie pointed out. She sounded fond. "You taught yourself."

"Nah," Tim said softly. "We taught each other. Everything always makes more sense when I'm working with you."

Stephanie huffed a quiet laugh. "Don't get sappy on me now, Boyfriend," she cautioned. But she sounded a little sappy herself. She cleared her throat, audibly rolling over once more, and asked, "So who was number three?"

"Number three what?" Tim asked, distracted, as he poked at his leftovers to make sure they were warm the whole way through.

"The third vigilante who crashed one of your stakeouts. You said Robin wanted to threaten you-- right of passage, by the way-- and Nightwing wanted to get the dirt, but who was number three?"

"Oh." Tim grimaced. "Batman."

Stephanie sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Shovel talk part two?" she guessed.

"Uh, no, actually. He never actually said a word; just posted up by a gargoyle on the apartment building next to the one I was set up on, and brooded menacingly in my direction for like four hours."

"Drama queen."

"I got sick of it, eventually, so I ordered a pizza up to the roof of that apartment and told them I'd pay cash on delivery."

Stephanie sounded giddy. "You're kidding."

"What? I knew he could afford it."

She burst out laughing again, that bright Robin laugh that Tim had developed a Pavlovian response to sometime around the third time he'd heard it, and he smiled to himself as he dug into his dinner, letting her laugh herself out.

"I'd feel bad for the delivery guy because he looked like he was about to shit himself when he realized he was looking at the Batman, but I'm also pretty sure he's got the greatest pizza delivery story of all time now. And Batman didn't grapple over to my roof to lecture me or anything, so he must have taken it in good humor." Tim paused, wincing, and added, "Relatively."

He'd been typing up the case report at the office a few days later when a pizza guy showed up with two mushroom-and-black-olive pizzas, to be paid cash on delivery. Tim didn't even like mushrooms; he'd just chosen them because he knew from Stephanie that Batman did.

He didn't have to say anything else for Stephanie to guess the implications. After all, she'd been Batman's Robin for over four years. "B-man always gets the last word," she said dryly. "Even when you think you've gotten away with it, suddenly a week later he'll launch a new offensive."

"That's consistent across identities," Tim muttered. Wanye Enterprises was good at coming out of things with the upper hand; he remembered his dad complaining about it more than once as he worked late into the night in his study, quietly existing alongside Tim as he did homework while sprawled across the couch on the other side of the room. Tim had even experienced it a couple times himself, too, although he'd never really had much involvement in Drake Industries' day-to-day operations.

He had kept just enough of his inherited shares to be able to throw his weight around when he needed to, making sure that DI was earning itself a reputation as a generous and ethical place to work. But Tim certainly didn't work for DI; his time-- and his passion-- were entirely invested in Red Bird Investigations.

"As Vicki Vale has learned time and time again," Steph agreed.

They fell into companionable silence for a minute, Tim putting his phone on speaker and dropping it onto the kitchen island next to where he was sitting, cross-legged, to dedicatedly work his way through his dinner. Stephanie had been intending to catch a quick nap before she jotted out on patrol until he'd called, but he knew she'd have hung up on him by now if she really needed the sleep, so he didn't worry too much about it.

"You know we wouldn't have been able to hide it much longer anyway, right?" she asked, finally, and Tim made a noncommittal grunt. She huffed, and he knew the noise went along with a roll of her eyes. "It only took you like six months of working as a PI before you sought out the Red Hood. Did you really think you were going to stay under the rest of the Bats' radar for long?"

"Over eight months, actually, and yes," Tim said stubbornly. "Practically anything else I could have taken to you or Black Bat. But I was working in the Alley, and everybody there looks to Hood for guidance in one way or another. I kept getting stonewalled. Conversely, I have no reason to seek out Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batwoman, the Signal, Bluebird, or anybody else I'm currently forgetting."

Actually, Tim was pretty sure he'd end up working with the Signal eventually. As a perfectly legal PI-in-training (so long as nobody looked too deeply into Alvin Draper), Tim didn't limit himself to either daytime or nighttime investigations, and Signal was intelligent, competent, and fun to hang around. But there was no reason to think Signal would assume there was anything unusual or Bat-related in Tim's past; they'd already run into each other a few times during the Robin Gang era. Tim Drake was just another piece of the Gotham scenery for him.

"Yeah, and that works great, until Commissioner Gordon or one of the GCPD detectives you've been working with decides to ask Batman about you," Stephanie pointed out. "You're already starting to make a name for yourself, and Batman doesn't just ignore the presence of new players on the board. There are other private investigators around Gotham, and he has files on all of them. That's pretty much what I stumbled onto Hood and Oracle throwing together, anyway."

"So, they'd have figured out that Alvin's a sham," Tim sighed. "But--"

"I know I'm usually the first person to extoll Batman's flaws--well, okay, the second. Jason is the first. But they don't call him the World's Greatest Detective for nothing, Boyfriend, and even the surface level of your existence is pretty fucking weird. Sure, there's nothing about 'Drake heir turned private detective' that screams 'I knew Robin when she had pigtails,' but he was definitely going to start digging, and it was going to be obvious eventually that we knew each other. And maybe," Steph said, pitching her voice over his next protest, "if you were about to get sucked into the collective Batfamily's orbit, I didn't want to have to pretend not to know my best fucking friend as well as I do."

Oh. Well, Tim wouldn't have enjoyed that either.

He thought about what might've happened if Hood had tapped Batgirl in on the case Tim had brought to him, about working with Stephanie as if she was a total stranger and not someone he understood on a level deeper than he understood his own self. He probably would have given up within fifteen minutes, consequences be damned.

He took the out she'd offered. "'Best friends' is reductive," he said, a familiar mantra.

"'Platonic soulmates' would be reductive, Boyfriend," Stephanie countered automatically, a smile re-entering her tone. "But it's a little wordy to start calling you things like my phantom limb or the peanut butter to my jelly."

"Your brother from another mother," Tim mused.

"Hey, now, I know she wasn't in a great spot when your parents died, but I bet that Crystal would be happy to adopt you now if you asked."

Tim barked a laugh, caught off guard by the assertion, and Stephanie giggled, her voice growing faint amongst the rustle of her sheets. "Ugh, you wasted my prime napping window with your grumpiness. I've gotta go pull on the atomic wedgy machine so I can punch crime in the face."

Tim snorted. "I thought it wasn't that bad since the latest round of suit upgrades."

"It wasn't," Stephanie groaned. "But Cass has introduced a lot of lunges to our workout routine, and now the ass is getting snug."

"First world vigilante problems," Tim commented dryly.

"I'd wear a thong or something, but Bruce would find out somehow and I think it'd actually kill him." Tim choked on the last bite of his beef fried rice, but Stephanie just cackled. "I'd get blown up and the suit would get torn in a weirdly horny way, and then Batman would have a heart attack upon seeing my bare, burned ass waddling around the Batcave."

"Sticking out from under a piece of rubble," Tim suggested, laughter bubbling beneath the surface of his voice.

Stephanie wheezed. "Oh, god."

"Robin would have to go to therapy."

"Nightwing would just slap a hand over his domino so he couldn't see."

"Now that would be a picture I'd break out the film for."

"Shut up! I'm laughing too hard to get my body armor on."

"You started it." Tim yawned so wide his jaw cracked, and he reached up to rub at the hinge, grimacing. "That's the one downside of selling the manor," he added with a sigh. "No space for a darkroom in this apartment."

Stephanie snorted. "Isn't every room in that apartment a dark room?"

"You're just jealous of my blackout curtains."

"I'm really not," Stephanie assured him dryly. Her voice grew closer again, and the background static of speakerphone cut off as she picked her phone back up. "I gotta go, Boyfriend. Oracle wants to run over some stuff with me and the best Bat before we hit the pavement tonight."

Tim couldn't help the smile that slipped across his face as he hopped down from the counter. "Give Cassie my love. And ask Oracle to be a little less conspicuous next time she goes poking around Red Bird's systems--I know she was letting me see her in order to make a point, and I already knew that no matter how good I am, Oracle's better, but I do still have client confidentiality to maintain my plausible deniability about."

Stephanie let out a quiet huff of laughter. "I'll pass it along," she promised.

"Be safe."

"No promises."

"Break a leg."

"Two or three, even!"

Tim laughed, and Stephanie made an obnoxious kissing noise into the phone before she hung up on him. The screen lit back up, showing the nearly fifty minute call duration and the selfie she'd taken of the two of them at the lighting of the big Menorah on the Gotham University Quad the previous Hanukkah. The Menorah was in the background, two candles brightly lit, and the two of them looked windswept and red-cheeked. Stephanie had had to grapple them across the rooftops in order to make it in time to sing the first blessing, and they'd squeezed in together so tightly for the picture that Tim had been able to lick her cheek without moving. Stephanie's face was scrunched up in horrified anger, and Tim's was bright with laughter, his tongue still sticking out.

It was a good picture. It was a good memory, even if Stephanie had shoved him into a snowbank in retaliation.

Stephanie Brown had been the best Robin. Most people would argue--even Tim would have, years and years ago--but they were wrong. Batman needed Robin, and he was so fucking lucky he'd stumbled across Spoiler at just the right moment to keep himself from going down a dark path.

If nothing else, Tim mused, it was nice that he was now free to say that directly to Bruce Wayne's face some time.

[bluerskiees]

Synopsis : Y/n was an ordinary girl with a not-so-ordinary job. What's her secret? What's her past? What made her stand here, in this position? It's all a secret known to none. Everybody knows she's hiding something behind the sweet smile of hers. Is she actually innocent or someone worse? Mystery surrounds her just like the fog that surrounds bonten's company. What do u think happens when her 2 boses become quite intrigued by her growing an unhealthy obsession over this innocent or not-so-innocent girl?

ʕっ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ💗

Staring: Ran Haitani x Shimizu Y/n x Rindo Haitani

[ Shimizu - innocent]

[getmemymicroscope]

There are a couple of very real problems with this movie. First, having Vidya Balan play a role that feels, right from the beginning, very similar to her role in like Kahaani. Not the character itself, which they clearly try and make different, but just the whole thing overall. I mean, I don't mind the 'detective'/'investigating' thing (I mean, she did that in Bobby Jasoos too), but just from the beginnings, I was getting Kahaani vibes. Which is only really problematic because when you're getting that feeling, the twist in the end is very much of a letdown because, well, of course it would end like that. Second, god why does everyone keep saying 'AK' when talking to him? Clearly they're talking to him - this almost feels like when Alia Bhatt's character wouldn't stop saying Ranbir's character's name in Brahmastra. And worse, even, because this 'AK' thing is so tacky.

I think it's very telling that all of these stories/whodunnits feature a bunch of rich people who we come to realize not only have intense secrets, but also absolutely hate each other while pretending to be friends. Also, they all just really suck as people.

The Poirot-like "everyone gathers in the room" bit was interesting - on the one hand, I like how it ended; on the other hand, wow that was a lot of secrets to spill out at once. And that's after we'd already gotten the secret about fatherdom, and before we got the final couple of reveals. I feel like the tagline for this movie should read 'One Murder. Many Secrets' - I'm not so sure about the many "mysteries". Of course, the 'one" is also incorrect, so who knows. Maybe it is all just misleading.

I get why Vidya's character did what she did, and I did enjoy the very brief Shefali Shah cameo. But like, aside from them, I don't think any of these people are even partially likeable. Or, at least, once the motives are all on the table, it is... Well, maybe Gigi you walk away okay with, name aside. And Vidya's character isn't above this either; good motivations, questionable decisions. And heavens, she gets konked out like 3-4 times. In one night. She's gotta be more careful, for sure. I also thought for a brief second that Kay was cool, when she was like "I want to help investigate" - but then she essentially disappears for the rest of the movie. Also, she ends up being as not-cool as the rest of them.

That twist with Rahul Bose's character - the one that is suddenly revealed, not the one that he admits to everyone and they're just like "we already knew this" - feels like a pretty random twist that is just an attempt to Bollywoodize this and be like "yeah, everyone is connected." It's very dumb, and I get what they wanted to do, but I'm not sure using his character instead of just some other random, non-present person was really necessary. It just feels like a unbelievable twist, for many reasons, and then gets immediately dropped as soon as the scene is over too.

But hey, it's a whodunnit, and in a year full of 'meh' or worse Bollywood movies, we have yet another one that is probably firmly a 'meh.'

Too bad they can't make movies like this with, you know, likeable characters - but then, I guess if they were likeable, you wouldn't end up with a story like this anyways.

I know it's a storm outside, but how the fuck is it so cold inside that Vidya's character is perpetually wearing gloves and a winter coat while the other ladies are all fancily dressed in like gowns - and why is she dressed that way. It's never explained. I figured they would reveal some reason later (though, man, that would really have gone all-in on the Kahaani thing), but no, she's just always wearing it.

I would love to see a cat-and-mouse thriller between her character and Shefali Shah's character though. That would be hella exciting!