#Clouded Views EP

[artcallednaturalviews]

Eat Your Seasons A jock strapping eaten education Deep Seed Arcade Girls Eat your meats corn and cheese Pink Floyd Welcome to the machine I used to have a lovely beating heart Type O Negative I Don’t Wanna Be Me I can listen to the album all for a day Pinback Devil You Know The slapping of the missed cause Primer 55 This Life In a retrospective perception of war Napalm Death Twist The Knife (Slowely) Eat your What you can! From Rounders Last Pokers scene For 9 ep of mood tunes From passageways they take me Conan Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom Those from a long time ago Carl Orff Carmina Burana All musical cinema Eat your For a 9 play through Musically speaking Always worldly the listening Faith No More The Real Thing Dug outs and endless Take it to the bat Home runs throughout the playlist A jock strapping eaten education eat your meats corn and cheese I used to have a lovely beating heart I can listen to the album all for a day the slapping of the missed cause in a retrospective of war from the passageway they take me those from a long time ago always worldly listening Eat your All musical sinema Dugouts and endless

[lumibuns-blog]

Guys new ep dropped and my obsession is fueled

First "date" with Satouru Gojo

Shoko is incredibly confused when she walks into your dorm and sees you in a cute sun dress getting your hair put up all cute on a Friday right after class.

"Yo y/n ya going somewhere?" She says lazily

"Oh yeah Gojo invited me out to get some sweets with him today" you beam

Shoko is no longer tired

"Wait wait wait you're what?!?" She stammers grabbing your shoulders

"Like I said Gojo invited me out to get some food" you repeat

"Wait so...Gojo...Gojo Satouru...invited you....on a date?!?!" She said in disbelief

"It's not a date Shoko, and why is this such a surprise" you giggle

"It's just that Gojo is so....bleh and you...you're...we'll just look at you" she says gesturing to your cute outfit and adorable smile "Oh my god I've gotta tell Utahime" she exclaimed pulling out her phone

Within minutes Utahime was informed on the situation and breaking down your door

"Y/N YOU CAN'T, NOT WITH AN IDIOT LIKE HIM" she yells

"You guys" you say blushing "thank you for worrying about me really, but there's nothing to worry about. Gojo might be a bit childish but he never makes me feel uncomfortable and he's definitely never mean, really he just makes me laugh" you say beaming just thinking about him, you have to remind yourself it's not a date.

'Wait' Utahime and Shoko think simultaneously, are you getting special treatment, why is Gojo not being an ass to you specifically??

Shoko pulls her senior down to whisper in her ear "look I know he's an idiot but you should see the way he looks at her, let's let them give it a try. I don't think it will go bad"

"Fine but if anything happens to her I'll kill him myself"

"Good luck" Shoko chuckles

The two decide to let you go on the date after all and as they watch you walk out of the Jujitsu tech campus gate they can only hope he doesn't mess everything up.

Minutes, then hours pass, as the sun dips below the clouds your friends still wait for you.

"He better not think about doing anything funny" Utahime grumbles

"Hey give him some credit" Shoko responds

Suddenly they see two shadows walking into view, one much taller than the other.

"FINALLY GOJO IF YOU EVEN-" Utahime is cut off by Shoko's hand covering her mouth

"Just look" she smiles

They can clearly see Gojo smiling from ear to ear, peering at you from over his sunglasses as he hands you another mochi from the package. You're smiling up at him, eyes closed without a care in the world as you take the mochi and have a bite before handing it back to him insisting he try. He blushes and looks away before taking the treat from you and plopping in into his mouth.

He looks at the way the setting sun illuminates your face and tucks a piece of your hair behind your ears to see more of your gorgeous face. You two look at each other like you're the only people in the world.

"Will you allow it??" Shoko questions

"Maybe"

*my inbox is open<3*

[physics-of-one-piece]

Doflamingo's Day Trip to Punk Hazard

Clear the way. The King of Dressrosa is leaving the royal palace in a flair of absolute style for urgent business on Punk Hazard.

Better hold onto his coat for dear life, because this man is FAST. I recommend wrapping your arms around his neck, I would not trust that coat regardless of how it sticks to him. His arms aren’t in his sleeves, that is a death game I do not want to play. So, arms around his neck. Take a nice little inhale of his royal cologne probably worth more than your civilian life if you’re feeling brave. Maybe nuzzle into him, get comfy, you know. It’s gonna be a trip. You won't have the time to breathe. At least the view will be nice, both at the sea and the... Pilot.

Okay. Ready? (Dear God, look at the size of his shadow, holy hell)

Go!

AND HE’S OFF!

Welcome to Doffy's Physics Lab. Let’s calculate how fast Doflamingo flew from Dressrosa to Punk Hazard.

Things to note:

1) The One Piece world is much bigger than Earth. It’s not possible to calculate how big it is. 100 times big is too big, two times big is too small, but Oda put the bottom of the sea at 10km, which is the same as the depth of the Earth’s sea. See the confusion?

2) Law slowed him down by giving him the ultimatum and taking Buffalo & Baby 5 hostage and no clouds.

First, we need the distance.

We can calculate the distance from Punk Hazard to Dressrosa using the SAD tanker. It’s mentioned in the manga it takes a day to reach Dressrosa by ship from Punk Hazard, so that’s 24 hours. A cargo ship goes 25 knots per hour. 

nautical miles = 25 knots • 24 hours

= 600 nautical miles

We need to turn them into kilometers. 

1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometers

kilometers = 600 • 1.852 kilometers = 1111,2 km ~ 1111 km

Keep in mind, the One Piece world is bigger than ours. This can be considered a short distance for them, but long distance for us. For real life example, London and Berlin are 1,100 km away from each other. The flight takes 1 hour 40 minutes by plane.

Next, we need time. Some people will hate that I use anime time, but for Punk Hazard, it isn't that big of a stretch to use it as a guide. Also, the fact the Straw Hats had a party and ate makes me think there was no way they were at the coast for a full hour before setting sail. Nuh-uh. They'd be sliced if they had stayed that long. But I'm also aware real-time probably happened faster such as a fight, so we're gonna cut the time of the ep where Nami & Usopp beat Baby 5 & Buffalo in half.

Doflamingo set off to Dressrosa at Ep 620, landed on PH in Ep 624. If we go and calculate when he made it to Punk Hazard by making it 18 minutes for each ep (counting 11 mins of 624, half-cutting 621, and counting only last minute of 620), it would be under an hour. That’s already awesome. He’s one of the fastest fliers in the series.

Let’s first focus on those 2 last minutes of Episode 620. 

At 21:25, he leaves the royal palace. At 22:23, he is already over the sea. That’s 58 seconds it takes him to cross over Dressrosa. Thankfully, the fandom did the size of Dressrosa already. 

The diameter of Dressrosa is 50 kilometers. The area is 1,960km². 

That is not even the size of Madrid (Madrid is smaller). So, he’d fly across Madrid like NOTHING.

To put Dressrosa as a comparison with the real world, it is the size of Kuiu, an island in Alaska in United States.

Here it is. It’s a shame Kuiu is so thin, but the length isn’t a bad thing to have. That’s what we need. Length.

Okay, the royal palace is at the center of Dressrosa. That means we go 50÷2 to get the radius.

That’s 25 km. Not meters. Kilometers. 

Okay, so, I mentioned Madrid. Do you all want to know the  area and diameter of Madrid, the capital of Spain, the biggest city in Spain? 

😁😁

It’s 606 km². The diameter is 27 km. The radius is 13.5 km. He’d cross all over Madrid within 30 seconds maybe.

🙂🙂

(Screams)

Haha. Ha. 

If anyone wants to know, Dressrosa is, thankfully, NOT bigger than Spain. Spain is 500 times bigger than Dressrosa. 

All right, let’s calculate how fast Doflamingo is moving to get from Dressrosa and already be out at sea within 58 seconds. We’ll add about a kilometer so the sea is the only thing beneath him as shown in the anime.

We’re using the simplest formula here.

speed = distance/time

We’ll put distance into meters because we have seconds here, not hours.

26 km = 26,000 m

speed = 26,000 m/58 seconds

speed = 448,27 m/s (1470 feet/s)

Let’s convert it to km/h

448,27 m/s • 3.6 = 1614 km/h (1002 mph)

Hahaha, holy FUCKING SHIT. That's jet speed.

I TOLD YOU, HANG ONTO THAT COAT FOR DEAR LIFE, I TOLD YOU.

Dressrosa to Sea = 1614 km/h (1002 mph)

Okay, he broke the sound barrier. If anyone wants to know, you break the sound barrier after your speed passes 1239 km/h (770 mph).

He covers 26 km within 58 seconds at 1614 km/h speed. He covers 448 meters per second. He is moving at jet speed here.

Okay, now comes the Sea to Punk Hazard. Doflamingo has cleared 26 km of the 1111 km so that leaves him with 1085 km to cross.

Here are the minutes. We now won’t count the 2 minutes from 620 because he passed that area.

9(split in half bcs of the fight)+18+18+11= 56 minutes

speed = distance/time = d/t

Speed = 1085 km/0.933 h

Doflamingo’s Speed = 1162 km/h (722 mph)

And there we go, he was flying at 1162 km/h.

Not breaking the sound barrier but it makes sense by what the anime showed.

One thing to note is this includes him saving Buffalo & Baby 5 at a point where Law made sure behind where they came from there are no clouds for Doflamingo to use. He loses about 4 minutes with Law blackmailing him and then he has to take a detour which takes him 11 minutes. We can’t know whether the Straw Hats talking at the Sunny was happening at the same time as Doflamingo landing at Punk Hazard, so we’ll give him those 11 minutes because there are no clouds.

That’s 15 minutes he loses, which makes it 41 minutes. Without Law interfering and the clouds not being there, he would have arrived at Punk Hazard within 41 minutes.

So let’s calculate that.

41 minutes= 0.683 hours

1085 km/0.683h

His full speed without being slowed down by his adopted nephew blackmailing him and kidnapping his scientist to destroy his entire business would then be:

Full Speed (without being slowed down) = 1588 km/h (987 mph)

That's 441 meters per second. That’s four soccer fields he crosses within a second.

Damn. And that’s his casual speed. Broke the sound barrier again.

He is faster than a plane, planes go 600-800 km/h. 

To put into perspective just how fast he is even at that speed, a car takes 10 hrs at the distance (From Berlin to Slovenia) of 1,090km. He literally crosses the length of entire Europe within 56 minutes based on anime time. And that’s him slowed down, according to anime time. The fastest flight from Berlin to Slovenia (1,091km distance) takes 3 hours by plane.

When he found Buffalo & Baby 5, they were away from Punk Hazard. This is important cus he got angry then. That means he SPED up.

So, now we have his descent speed to cover. You know, when he lands like a boss. Yeah, that.

Doflamingo’s Descent Speed

Okay, Doflamingo wears bright colours (white, pink, vermillion) the dominant colours are white and pink. From the front, you’d see about 40% of white and 60% of pink bcs of the way his coat hangs on his shoulders, it makes him look even bigger when he is big enough already like dear God, this man gave me heart attacks 90% of the time.

Why are his clothes important? Because of the sunlight reflecting off his clothes, therefore creating the reflection that causes the marines to see him as a spark, like a star in the daylight. The brighter the clothes, the more reflection which has a possibility of creating the spark in the sky (again, the sparks in the sky are caused by the object shining or you know, being ON FIRE bcs it’s falling down the atmosphere)

We’ll put his magnitude to +10. Humans can see the faintest star when its magnitude is +6. The more negative the magnitude, the brighter sth is. The Sun has the magnitude of -26. Magnitude isn’t important, though, except…

This means we can only see him coming when it’s too late. The anime showed this as a star gleam which I understand, to show just how FAST he is coming. They showed it in daylight, daylight has apparent magnitude of -26. This is a known thing, but when you see something like that, where there is that bright of a spark in the sky and next second it lands in front of you… its speed is 360,000 km/h. He is the only warlord you can see coming at you BECAUSE he wears bright clothes. Is that good or bad? Who knows. 

Doflamingo seems to first be flying at 20ish degrees downward toward the shore, but in the last moment (ten meter from the ground or less) he makes his approach a full horizontal one, because he whooshes past the marines in a full horizontal, linear direction and then does that epic landing.

For now we’ll focus on the descent speed, which includes his linear speed when he whooshes past the marines (in the anime when he whooshes past them he is not visible to them, he leaves blurs). 

I don’t want to fuck with curves. There’ll be tangents and there’s no need for them. I don’t think his strings even let him make a curved downward descent? He can do curves turns, but I don’t think he can do descents? It’s up for debate.

Okay, so let’s say Doflamingo is about 100 meters high in the sky. He reaches the ground within 0.05 seconds in the anime. Not even 1 full second, oh boy, fluffy man is FAST, GODDAMN. My eyes just bulged out of my head. Okay. Props to the anime team, that is a great show of his speed right there by making it last such a short time. 

Also, they never see him completely until he lands. We, the viewer see him, which means he is at maximum 4.8 km away (this is how far the human eye can see).

That means Doflamingo passes 4.8 km within 0.05 seconds.

I’m scared to calculate this, to be honest. This will be… this will be fast.

Let’s convert kilometers into meters to make our life easier. We get m/s and then we’ll convert them to km/h.

Buckle up. Keep a death grip on those feathers. Doflamingo hasn’t landed yet.

4.8 • 1000 = 4800 meters

descent speed = 4800 m/ 0.05 s

Descent speed (m/s)= 96 000 m/s (314 960 feet/s)

And into kilometers

Descent speed = 356,600 km/h (221 580 mph)

O.O

Holy fuck.

Yeah, crazy fast. You know, it makes sense now why G2 Luffy (who we’ll put moves at 2,400 km/h based on jet speed) was nothing in terms of speed. Damn.

Okay, so… this speed has not been achieved by any atmospheric or orbital aircraft, so I genuinely have nothing to compare it to. This is the velocity of objects in deep space like gravitational slingshots.

Okay, let’s put it into Machs. Fastest Mach we know of is Mach 30. Okay.

Formula is:

Mach number = speed of the object/speed of sound

Speed of sound is 343 m/s.

Mach number = 96 000/342

Mach number= 279.3 Mach

Doflamingo’s descent speed is Mach 279.3

No wonder he’s a blur. No wonder they only see him as a fckn spark in the sky. 

He didn't simply break the sound barrier here, he left the sound barrier at the bottom of the sea.

And he’s landed.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting off this 3 meter ride. Yep. Hopping down. It was fun. The coat is really soft.

Thank you for the ride, Doffy. Please go 50 km/h next time.

Taglist: @fanaticsnail

(Let me know if you want me to tag you in my posts and if you want to be tagged only for particular characters, let me know that, too. Thank you all for the love and support, it's really taken me off guard. You're all so wonderful. Love you all ❤️)

[kandadze]

FoF rewatch ep 2: or, Heroes, assemble! (gifs and loose thoughts)

(The 30 images limit is annoying lol I have way more gifs I wanted to use but oh well.)

Having a spotty short-term memory really works in my favor lol I get to rediscover moments that I somehow forgot existed, like ZYZ fake-gagging at WX's endearment for ZYC (activating ZYC's Annoyed Cat mode). Just how the turntables, oh Great Demon...

(The way ZYC grabs his sword at the second sneeze...)

The vow scene establishes that not only is ZYC's Cloud Light Sword the only weapon that can truly kill ZYZ *dead*, killing ZYZ with it is also the only way to prevent a new malicious energy vessel from being born. Absolutely no pressure, ZYC.

It's fascinating that even at this very early stage, ZYC's hate is not *blinding*. It's intense, enough to squeeze tears out of his eyes (also can we just appreciate how openly ZYC expresses his emotions? He seems so closed off and stiff otherwise, and at the same time ... ::gestures at his tears::) but it's not all-consuming. ZYC asks questions and listens attentively when the demon responds, even seems affected somewhat when ZYC mentions being a vessel for the malicious energy. At the same time, he won't hesitate to swear an oath on his very soul to avenge the deaths of his family. And ZYZ looks at him, his would-be executioner, as if he was his savior... Right from the get-go, we're being alerted that nothing is quite as it seems at the first glance.

There's a certain smugness to WX in her early dealings with ZYZ that grates on me just as much on the rewatch. Sure, there's the fact that she's smart and can hold her own against him, and watching them banter and call each other's bluffs is pretty delightful...

And then there's her threatening to kill herself just to get a piece of information that he already refused to provide and is not vital to the issue at hand. I can just imagine how utterly stupid and wasteful that must've looked like to him, even if he didn't already have a vested interest in her wellbeing. You're lucky that he does care (and that this particular cell wasn't blocking his powers, or at least not enough), girlie!

On the first watch, the scene with ZYC sitting at The Table of Brooding and looking at the tokens for the remaining members of the team with a clear apprehension was, at least to me, just pretty (look at that view! Look at his eyelashes! Ahem.). On the second watch you go, foreshadowinggggg!

The Table of Brooding *and* Poignant Conversations:

Our second glimpse at baby!YiChen and I realize that most of the memories we get to see of him are set in winter. It's a great touch, visually placing that sad, broken kid in a season that appears as dead, cold, and empty as his heart used to be; at the same time it seems to imply that even years later, a part of ZYC is still frozen and alone in that snowy landscape. ::hugs baby!YiChen::

This is such a great shot:

I unironically love how some things did not get any clearer on the rewatch, like the whole Ying Long prophecy/ curse is still confusing to me. If ZYZ is over 30,000 years old then that would mean that for just as long there was only one "evilest demon" to kill; if there was any other demon that was killed by a Bing Yi descendant *after* Ying Long, it should be recorded somewhere, but there's no mention of it ever (correct me if I missed something). Soooo the only "evil demon" killed by the Cloud Light Sword that we know of was Ying Long, literally in prehistoric times when the world was still being formed. And Fan daren is not of Bing Yi lineage... how does he of all people know about the prophecy in the first place? (did humans even have speech that far back? How was the prophecy even heard/ understood, not to mention recorded?) How does he know that it's accurate, and that it's a curse?

Even our swordsman appears confused, but at the same time what he mostly cares about is that, curse or no, it means he'll get to avenge his brother and father. Even if he finds it odd that the demon *wants* to die so much he goes as far as to extract an oath from him. (This surely is not a set-up for a tragedy of Greek proportions, nothing to worry about ZYC)

Another moment that I forgot about, which once again proves that this whole show is like getting lost in a gallery - there's stunning portraits, landscapes, and still nature wherever you look.

To continue with the foreshadowing, once we get to meet PSJ for the first time, she's, as someone already rightfully pointed out, *blindfolded*. It's an absolutely brilliant, if small, detail that means so much more once you get to know this character.

Case in point for Bai Jiu and his silver needle...

(Also, it just hit me that they show him seeing patients at the Jixin Clinic... can we say more foreshadowing???

Which actually begs another question... how has ZYZ *not* recognized the place??? Did he literally erase all of his memory of it - together with what happened here - from his mind?)

Even the way WX and ZYZ went about recruiting PSJ and Bai Jiu foreshadows what their respective dynamics will be - WX will flirt like whoa and PSJ might be a grump, but she'll be there to catch WX whenever the goddess needs her; and ZYZ, as much as he seems to enjoy teasing Bai Jiu, will remain endlessly patient and gentle with him at the same time.

(Bai Jiu could've had another, more mischievous elder brother in ZYZ is all I'm saying, had it not been for we all know what(s), as well as his hero-worship/ fixation on ZYC...)

Case in point, the whole scene of Bai Jiu arriving at the Demon Hunting Bureau:

Then we have this - hilarious to me - moment when we get reintroduced to ZYC via Bai Jiu's admiring eyes, but all ZYC seems to notice is ZYZ:

ZYC had Bai Jiu at 你好 (not that I blame him lol)

(On the rewatch, this totally reads as hero-worship/ teenage crush, and I love love the found brothers story we get with these two, and *also* can you imagine how much the shipping potential would've increased had we gotten an older Bai Jiu, as was supposedly planned? I guess even GJM was not able to make *that* happen...)

How fast does WX go from snickering at Bai Jiu to running to PSJ's side once the archer arrives?

(Love this outfit on PSJ, it's one of my favorite color combinations)

Our heroes, assembled!

ZYC and ZYZ, doing what they do best (lol, or at least one of the things they do best):

We also get introduced to ZYC's third mode, Petty Little Bitch:

And finally, sorry WX, but you're supposed to be the one with book smarts in this ensemble... Even on the first watch I knew that the way they were made to "sign" that martial order was sus af, but she didn't even blink, or look at the damn thing again till the hidden message started appearing?

Anyway, this is long enough as it is lol The first two eps were definitely building blocks of our squad. Time to raise the stakes in ep 3!

[yesterdays-xkcd]

'The sad thing is that I just wanted to talk about your poor smoke-bomb techniques.'

I am Not a Ninja [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[Cueball and Megan facing each other in the same panel.] Megan: We need to talk.

[Cueball turns to look behind him; panel pans back to show a (closed) window on the wall.]

[Cueball throws a smoke grenade to the floor.] POW

[Grenade fizzles and begins to emit smoke; Cueball and Megan both look down at it.] sssss

[Smoke cloud expands very slightly. Megan puts her hand to her face.] cough

[The smoke detector alarm above them starts beeping. Both look up.] BEEP BEE-

[Cueball and Megan look down at the grenade again. The alarm is still beeping.] -P BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-

[Cueball slowly backs away. The alarm is still beeping.] -EP BEEP BEEP BEEP B-

[Cueball unsuccessfully tries to open the apparently locked window. The alarm is still beeping.] Rattle rattle -BEEP BEEP-

[Panel pans back to the full view. Cueball looks back at Megan, who is now face-palming. The alarm is still beeping.] -BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP B-

[Megan turns and walks away. Cueball looks at the window. The alarm is still beeping.] -EEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-

[strangesthirdeye]

Little star (Ineffable husbands x toddler! Reader)

Summary: Just two celestial beings taking care of their toddler who is bored.

Warning: toddler, sweet, Aziraphale in shock, Crowley is chill, The age of the reader may be in 1 or 2 years, two hubby is romantic, fluff. Plants. Pretend that ep 6 never happen, Az and Crow is married!

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"She shouldn't be near any books here.. It's- It's dangerous!" Aziraphale reasoned with a worried expression on his face. Well, he tried to give an excuse so that his book wouldn't be damaged by you actually because he loved his book more than himself. Huh.

Crowley groaned. "Ngk- she wants your attention, Angel. You're always devoted to reading books. Just let her spend time with you if you don't want her near your books" Crowley picked you up from behind.

Your expression changed to stunned then you happily cheered as your daddy picked you up. You like it when your daddy picks you up. He is very tall and the moment he picks you up, you can see the view at your daddy's height. It is quite different from your papa. Papa usually hugs you tightly and it's quite comfortable and warm for you, making you always sleep in his arms. It is very comfortable like sleeping on a cloud.

"well, you see, Crowley. I have work to complete but not only just reading, but I need to settle a little message from Maggie about the black disk I ordered from her. It seems like the things I need will take a long time to arrived. Why don't you umm.. take care of her for a while after that we can enjoy hot chocolate together after I finish this work." Aziraphale suggested to his husband.

Crowley grumbled then adjusted your position in his hand that was about to fall. You smiled widely in Crowley's hand and rested your head on Crowley's shoulder.

"I'm bored" you said flatly then sighed with boredom.

"You better finish your work quickly, angel." Crowley muttered then walked into the living room of the bookshop with you in his arms.

Aziraphale just shook his head a few times then put on his glasses and continued writing a message to Maggie.

As soon as the two of you arrived in the living room of the bookshop, Crowley sauntered over to the couch and placed you on the couch. You sat up straight looking at your daddy with innocent eyes. Crowley just grumbled and slumped into the seat in front of you lazily.

You blinked a few times then grumbled like your daddy and slumped onto the couch lazily mimicking the actions Crowley was making. Crowley noticed what you did in front of him.

"You sure as hell are bored aren't you?" Crowley stated at you with a raised eyebrow.

"Papa doesn't want to play with me and you just sit on the chair. I am so bored" you complained in your small voice.

Crowley was silent for a moment. It's true tho. Crowley just sits around all day while Aziraphale is just busy with his book leaving you alone to play in the bookshop. No wonder you start showing your behavior to show that you need the attention of both of them. You are bored and they have no time at all to play with you. They were busy with their own affairs after Jim's case was over or should I say Gabriel's case. You love Jim not Gabriel. He's fun and a bit weird but fun to play with. He always treats you like a friend and sometimes Jim is a bit naive to follow whatever you say because to him you are a great friend. But after Jim's case is over, you have no friends to play with.

Crowley straightened himself to look at you with sympathetic eyes under his tinted glasses. "oh, Star. come here" Crowley opened his hand to you.

You quickly ran into Crowley's arms and hugged him tightly. Crowley's hands then hugged tightly around your small body and stroked gently. Crowley leaned his head and kissed your hair softly.

"Fancy a quick journey to the plant room?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Yell at them, Star. They're just stupid plants that don't know how to grow well" Crowley encouraged you, who was held by him facing the plant.

You grumbled angrily while swinging your arms in the air. "IS DAT A SHPOT?! IS IT? HUH?! YOU'VE MADE DADDY DISHAPPOINTED!"

"again, Star. Now they're afraid of you. Good!" Crowley grinned proudly. You are still in his arms facing the plants with a furious face.

"No more SHPOT OR I WILL BURNT YOU!" your face turned red with how angry you were.

Yup, you are indeed the daughter of Crowley and Aziraphale but more to Crowley when it comes to plants or how lazy you are. But your interests and things you like are the same as Aziraphale. Sometimes you are friendly with people you know and sometimes you are grumpy with strangers. So basically you are a mix of demon and angel as a result of Crowley and Aziraphale's miracle. Tadaa.

The plants there trembled in fear. You sighed heavily and looked at the plant with sharp eyes. If looks could kill, the plants there would have withered and died long ago. Crowley chuckled and turned your body to face him. Crowley then hugged you tightly and kissed your head.

"Good job, star" Crowley complimented proudly.

You looked at your daddy with emotion and pressed your face to his chest tightly with a thousand 'thank yous' to him.

"Crowley? what's that noise?"

Crowley turned and looked at Aziraphale with surprise. "well-"

"please don't tell me that you encouraged her to yell at the plant again." Aziraphale massaged the bridge of his nose.

"She's bored, Angel. It's not wrong if you want to spend time while she's bored, isn't it?" Crowley responded as he walked closer to his husband with you in Crowley's arms.

"no it's not wrong, dear. but you shouldn't encourage her to do that. It's enough for you alone to yell at the plants but not with Y/n. She should encourage the plants properly and not get angry at them all the time"Aziraphale advises Crowley.

Crowley grumbled and walked away with you in his arms. You leaning your head on your Daddy's shoulder lazily. Aziraphale sighed and followed Crowley from behind.

"it's seems to me that this little poppet is a bit bored, isn't she?" Aziraphale poked your cheek with his finger.

"No shit, Angel" Crowley cursed lowly.

You gasped and patted your daddy on the shoulder with your small hand. "Papa! Daddy said bad words!"

Aziraphale looked at Crowley with an unpleasant look on his face then took you from Crowley's hand and hugged you tightly to his chest.

'come on!" Crowley argued.

Aziraphale ignored him and cooed at you. "now then, Y/n. How about we go relax and drink hot chocolate while listening to classic songs.. what do you say?"

"Can I have marshmallows too, Papa?" you asked for permission while looking at Aziraphale's face with stars in your eyes.

"What's the magic word, dear?" Aziraphale narrowed his eyes at you.

"Can I have some marshmallows too, please?" you corrected.

"yes you may, my dear.. Good girl. let's go" Aziraphale praised you and walked towards the kitchen leaving Crowley there to make hot chocolate before he snapped his fingers and automatically the classic song started playing.

Crowley just stared. Then started following Aziraphale from behind.

"Can I have hot chocolate too? with marshmallows." Crowley said.

"magic word, Crowley" Aziraphale replied.

"oh, come on.." Crowley paused. "please"

Aziraphale looked at Crowley and approved. "very nice"

[telomeke]

VIU PREMIUM, VPN AND 4 MINUTES SPUN OUT INTO WEEKS OF FRUSTRATION

OK, so we got Viu Premium just to watch 4 Minutes (Sultrier Version) and then waded into weeks of frustration because all we could access was 4 Minutes (Vexed and Desexed).

Turns out different territories get different versions of 4 Minutes, and 4 Minutes (Starring Bible, Bas and Fuaiz's Butts) wasn't available in mine.

And let me tell you Ep.1 of 4 Minutes (Korn and Ton Kla are Sexless Virgins) was butchered to the point of lunacy – a whole 13 minutes lopped off, including (inexplicably) the conversation between Great and Korn, in which Great notices his smartphone keeps getting stuck at 11.00, and when we're shown Korn's distaste for cigarettes (and his surprising concern for Great).

And that was also when we're supposed to find out that they're stepbrothers with different moms! All missing from 4 Minutes (Fasai and Korn are Prissy Prudes Saving Themselves for Marriage). Insane...

But that's not all. For some reason, when they truncated the action somebody forgot to tell the subtitlers, so the visuals became totally out of sync with the dialogue transcribed onscreen (often feeling like they were – haha – from four minutes in the future).

Which only added to the general sense of disorientation, what with all the flashbacks and flashforwards, while watching the narrative unfold. 🤣

So I went and got a VPN, and to my great chagrin switching the location to Thailand didn't help either, despite us having subscribed to the much vaunted Viu Premium previously ("Priority Viewing" indeed, oh go fuck yourself).

The irony of signing up for Viu Premium, and then being told you can't watch 4 Minutes (Set in a Universe Where People Smoke and Drink) unless you sign up for – guess what? – Viu Premium. Like, is this Be On Cloud or Kafka?

So the upshot is that Viu Premium is tied to location, and if you sign up for Viu Premium in a territory where 4 Minutes (Ton Kla Likes His Eggplant Raw) isn't showing, well you're just gonna get 4 Minutes (Everyone Holds Hands on Their Way to Sunday School).

And we did just what I think Viu was wanting us to do – we signed up for Viu Premium again, but with the location set to Thailand this time. And only then could we access 4 Minutes (Bible Bottoms While Bas Bares His Butt in Every Episode).

So there you go. I suffered the agony of a sexfree 4 Minutes so you don't have to. I hope my learning journey helps you, dear BL fan presently condemned to watching 4 Minutes (the Convent-Approved Version). You're welcome.

‌

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD Opening Artwork – Hidden Meanings

The created artworks used for the opening scenes of LBFAD (Love Between Fairy and Devil) are unique and have many hidden layers of meaning! Sheer genius on the part of the artists and designers :D Here are my interpretations of these stunning works of art.

Image 1: Bone Orchid (image above)

Although I’ve posted stills, each image actually moves. Here, flowers bloom on the Bone Orchid and leaves grow on previously bare branches around the sides. This is the original form of the Bone Orchid prior to DongFang QingCang (DFQC) transforming it into a bracelet for Xiao Lanhua (XLH) in ep. 9.

The two parts of the Bone Orchid, the crescent-moon-shaped bone and the vine of the orchid plant wrapped around it, each represent DFQC (the Moon Supreme) and XLH (who was disguised as an Orchid), and their close bond. This is a new magical artefact that DFQC created from his blood in ep. 9 (similar to Lady Yan creating the Heart-hiding hairpin). That he chose to give it a form symbolising a bond between himself and XLH is deeply significant! Consciously, he may have meant their connection through the one-heart curse, but subconsciously he already had deep affection for her by this time.

Orchid flowers blooming on the previously bare vines of the Bone Orchid represent the blooming of their love for each other. (As their love blooms, XLH bonds with the Bone Orchid to the extent that removing it would end her life by ep. 29). It also refers to the many times that XLH makes flowers bloom when DFQC does something to make her happy :D The leaves growing on the bare branches around the sides of the image symbolise XLH’s resurrection of DFQC’s Tree of Emotions and his healing process. The Bone Orchid represents the love between our Fairy and Devil which is the central theme of LBFAD, so no wonder it is the first image we see!

Image 2: Xiao Lanhua

Here XLH first transforms from an orchid flower tethered to its stem, into human form as a young and innocent girl. The white swirls around her represent her usual spiritual powers (not her green Goddess powers). When she uses her powers to repair destiny leaves, etc., her energy appears as white light (important note - we see a different type of energy later in the opening artwork!) The pink tinge to some swirls represent her femininity and affection. XLH appears weak and vulnerable but her love and tenderness are the most transformative force in the series. Her reflection in the water below shows an orchid plant only, not a girl – this symbolises the illusion of her orchid form in hiding her true identity.

Image 3: Haishi Rescue

In this scene from ep. 3, initial obstacles to their love are presented including their power differential (symbolised by her small size within his giant hands), his view of her as an object and his underlying lack of emotions. The city of Haishi is below, the giant Sun made of DFQC’s formidable Hellfire is to the left, and the floating debris represents the destruction DFQC has wrought and is trained to continue to wreak. His mission is to destroy Shuiyuntian and conquer the three realms.

XLH looks vulnerable, her cloak resembles an orchid petal, and white/pink swirls of feminine energy again surround her. However, DFQC has just saved her life and continues to shield her within a protective bubble – an important ongoing dynamic of their relationship.

Images 4-7: Flashback

Images 4-7 are artistically presented as a series of opening doors, like opening the pages of a history book. They are a flashback to events 30,000 years ago and set the scene for current events and obstacles to the love between the OTP.

Image 4: The Two Tribes

The two different tribes that our OTP belong to are presented. Shuiyuntian is light and airy, and floats above the clouds with dozens of golden birds flying in the sky. They are the emblem of Shuiyuntian (as the crescent moon is for the Moon tribe) as shown by the golden bird brooches worn by celestials. Similar to Shangque transforming into a black dragon, the true form of some celestials may also be of golden birds and they can transform into this form. The position of Cangyan Sea below Shuiyuntian, the darkness in which their people live and their comparative lack of manpower (there is only one black dragon in the image) suggests that they are oppressed by Shuiyuntian.

Image 5: Battle of Two Tribes

Prior to Lady Chidi’s sacrifice, the people of Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea fight each other, their forces coordinated by Lord Dong and DFQC. This is the culmination of a hundred millenia of warfare between their tribes. Again there is only one dragon, and Lady Chidi in the forefront leaps into Cangyan Sea territory to confront it. Her red cape traces her active path through the battlefield. White and red swirls of energy (+/- blood) emanate from her.

Image 6: Lady Chidi’s Sacrifice

After invading Xuanxu realm of Cangyan Sea, this is the pivotal moment where Lady Chidi explodes her spirit to seal the 100,000 soldiers of the Moon tribe. Red blood sprays from her body and her earth magic envelops the Moon Tribe soldiers, sealing them within the earth. Her sacrifice foreshadows XLH’s own sacrifice in ep. 31.

Image 7: The Capture of DFQC

After the sealing of his soldiers, a weakened DFQC with white hair is suspended within the circular Haotian tower, his arms and legs magically bound. Magical glyphs surround him to seal him in place, representing the magical seal of the Haotian matrix.

Image 8: Xiao Lanhua of Arbiter Hall

Back to the present - the series opens by introducing us to XLH of Siming Dian (Arbiter Hall). The archways in this image are similar to the archways in the lower level of Arbiter Hall. Vines grow around the pillars, symbolising that XLH’s primordial spirit is connected to the plants at Arbiter Hall. The trees behind her may represent the nearby Shuyu Forest that she frequently visits. As XLH moves to the right, new white trees start to grow in front of the black trees, demonstrating her ability to create new life and make plants grow. White swirls of her spiritual energy again surround her.

In line with her selfless and giving nature, XLH offers up her spirit! She does this four times in the series: 1) In ep. 1, she offers up her life and spirit to protect Changheng, whose destiny leaf had changed and was destined to have his body and spirit destroyed (more detail here). 2) Also in ep. 1, she fuses part of her spirit to DFQC’s, restoring his spirit and body and giving him a part of her spirit (which he later extracts in ep. 33 to resurrect her). 3) In ep. 31, she sacrifices her life and spirit to protect DFQC’s life, to resurrect everyone that died on the battlefield and free the 100,000 sealed soldiers of the Moon Tribe. 4) She promises the Great Turtle in ep. 33 that she will sacrifice her spirit to defeat Taisui and bless the Three Realms. XLH’s fate to sacrifice herself is another obstacle to her and DFQC’s love for each other :(

Image 9: DFQC’s Tree of Emotions

Thanks to XLH’s resurrection of his Tree of Emotions in ep. 1, DFQC begins to grow beautiful glowing golden leaves on its previously bare branches, symbolising his breathtaking transformation.

Image 10: The Great Turtle

I believe this is another flashback. At the end of XLH’s first life in Xishan, her parents disguised her as an orchid plant with no human form. At this time between her first and second lives, she meets the Great Turtle. The orchid flower sprouting from her hand is the new form she transforms into, and orchid petals float around her during her transformation. The Great Turtle calls XLH an old friend in ep. 9 as they have met before – in this scene.

To the left of the image is a crescent moon with a dead tree growing on it. This symbolises DFQC (the Moon Supreme) and his Tree of Emotions which was dead at that time 30,000 years ago. There is a wisp of haze around the tree indicating that it has the potential to regrow. Despite XLH’s destiny to sacrifice herself for the Three Realms (which she might have discussed with the Great Turtle here), DFQC is waiting in the wings to change her destiny!

Image 11: Our Fairy and Devil

XLH gazes upward in hope, while DFQC’s eyes are closed and his head bowed, portraying both his reserved nature and that initially he was emotionally closed off, aloof and distant. The asymmetric gold crown that DFQC wears indicates that this scene is from after their return from the mortal realm back to Cangyan Sea – XLH also wears Moon Tribe attire.

On the Bone Orchid between them are flowers in full bloom, representing their love, which is now in full bloom :D Also between them is DFQC’s Tree of Emotions, now fully regrown with gorgeous white blossoms similar to the scene where he sits beneath his tree in ep. 24.

Despite the beautiful development of their love and of their characters, war between their two tribes is imminent. The image of Shuiyuntian between them sports a red flag, indicating their impending invasion of Cangyan Sea. Cangyan Sea is outnumbered, represented by one dragon vs. dozens of golden birds, and they face annihilation at the hands of Shuiyuntian D: Another reason for DFQC to bow his head, as he faces both the destruction of his realm and the loss of his love at this time.

Image 12: Peace Reigns

Just look at the swirls of energy emanating from XLH and DFQC as they float in a boat along the Oblivion River! There are again white swirls for XLH, but DFQC has red and gold swirls for Glazed Fire!! This scene occurs after DFQC’s return at the end of the series! :D The red belt around XLH’s waist is reminiscent of blood pooling from her wound in ep. 31 when she stabs herself with the Zhengying sword. This image (and the opening theme song Jue Ai, “Farewell Love”) pays homage to both her sacrifice, and DFQC’s sacrifice in ep. 36 which produced his Glazed Fire. Only through both of their sacrifices, were they able to bring about first a ceasefire to war, then lasting peace between Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea, breaking through a hundred millenia of unending conflict!

Only by creating peace are they finally able to be together happily. The boat is deeply significant for our OTP - there are three situations where they are alone together in a boat during the series. XLH reminisces fondly about this in ep. 24, and Siming sends a boat for DFQC (and fireflies for Changheng!) as a sign that she knows their most significant connections to XLH. To the bottom right are the peaceful waters of Cangyan Sea with the watchful eye of a black dragon at rest. To the top left is a peaceful Shuiyuntian with Yunzhong’s watchful “Eye of Heaven” (seen in ep. 14) accompanied by a flower in bloom, symbolising peace and prosperity. The positions of each are in poetic parallel to image 4 which showed conflict – the defensive black dragon in image 4 is now restful, and the golden birds also seem to be resting :)

Here is a link to my article: How Immortals age in cdramas – clues from LBFAD

All of my LBFAD articles can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[razzellyn]

The ask disappeared but uh... I think it was from @gweebis ? Idk i forgor I'm sorry :(

But here's

Music 'n Talkin'

In which the reader and the bot's sneak out in the middle of the night and hang out!

• Mega Trucker

• Phoenix Fire

• Shadow X

• Fleta Z

• Wild Guardy (i kept forgetting him 💔)

(Odd choices of bots ik)

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Mega Trucker:

• The two of you always hangout somewhere FAR from civilization. Not that it's 'romantic', but because your music playlists are louder than a night in the weekend.

• The hangout usually consists of loud music, loud talking, and some crazy breakdance from either of you.

• Oh it's always a blast! For you two. Sure, the two of you almost got caught and confronted, but somehow everyone believed your lies. (No they didn't.)

• One time the two of you were having too much fun, half of a neighborhood could hear your music. Good thing the cops didn't find out, not even Blue Cop!

• Sometimes, your little hangout session can get tiring. Too much dancing and talking loudly is extremely tiring you know?

• So, as a way to cool down, you two cuddle. Totally normal friendship cuddling. The two of you just lay on the ground, watching the stars and talking, less loudly this time.

• At one point you two slept on the ground, hugging each other. Safe to say, Mega Trucker doesn't actually mind!

• Not without being slightly flustered, but he wouldn't pass on a cuddle. He actually really likes it!

• Perhaps the two of you could just... cuddle? Not after a tiresome dance off, just regular, totally friendly cuddle! He would like that.

Phoenix Fire:

• You weren't expecting Phoenix Fire to be up and about especially late at night. But you're not complaining. His company definitely made your nights better than alone.

• The two of you started off being quietly awkward with each other. Not knowing what to talk about while also being terribly tired.

• Overtime, you gradually learned how to keep the conversation going. He seems to really enjoy his job. Even with his fears sometimes taking over him.

• You find that he's very VERY talkative. Even in the dead of night. He is quite literally a golden retriever. Somehow always full of energy.

• You talked about your past once and now he seemed persistent in finding the whole story. Practically begging you to tell him all about your adventures. Even if there's none.

• Remember, it's still nightime. Despite your or his interesting stories, the two of you are... probably sleep deprived.

• Once you were just talking your mind off, and he was dozed off without any of you realizing. He's a bit sheepish once you wake him up, apologizing to you over and over before you told him to just rest.

• By rest, you meant sleeping together. Not that. Just you leaning onto him as he leaned against a wall or.. tree or whatever. You two just sleep like that.

• This went on for too many times to count, resulting in either of you sleeping on accident before the other sleeps as well. You woke up with a hurting back though, good luck with that.

• At least he's kind enough to help you relax. Basically massaging you, like Blue Cop in that one scene in eps 2. (Can everybot do that?)

Shadow X:

• Totally didn't stalk you in the middle of the night. It's not creepy if you're friends. Definitely creepy if you're not though.

• You told him that his rotors were quite loud, especially at night, telling him that he'd need to get to your hangout place by foot. Guess what he did?

• Nothing. Still using his vehicle mode. He pisses you off that it's endearing in a way.

• Hangout usually goes with you two laying on the ground, stargazing as you two talk. What's surprising is that, he's actually willing to have a deep talk with you.

• Still sarcastic about it though. Just less annoying.

• Other times he'd take you out on a ride. Letting you sit in his cockpit as he flies over the buildings or clouds. It's a great view actually. Perhaps that's why he flies so often.

• He's still energetic. Despite being in the dead of night. Surprisingly though he actually isn't THAT annoying around this time. Probably because he's tired.

• Sometimes you've even slept in his cockpit. He doesn't really mind it, it's actually quite peaceful to him.

• Though he will wake you up once he's nearing your house. He doesn't plan on letting you sleep in his cockpit all night.

• If he ends up sleeping however, he's still going to sleep even if you force him to wake up. He's probably in a position too comfortable for him to bother sleeping properly.

Fleta Z:

• His music scared you at one point. Who wouldn't though? A random flute being played in the middle of the night? Horror film right there.

• Fortunately you start getting used to his music. Even finding it soothing, especially at night.

• Your little hangout session is really peaceful! You two just talk about whatever that comes to mind and laugh at jokes you come up with.

• He's much more silly now that you've learned more about him.

• Sometimes you two watch videos on your phone. You've even shown some video games! Man, he's seriously interested in that.

• Other times the two of you just started stargazing. Moongazing. Cloudgazing. Whatever there is in the night sky.

• If the city starts getting a little too loud at night time, say some type of celebration, the two of you move a little closer to the forest. You might even come across Dexter!

• Whenever you two hangout, Fleta Z would tell you to go to sleep. Perhaps even try to make you sleep by playing his flute, surprisingly it works.

• He'd lull you into a near-sleep state with his flute, gently bringing you to rest as you lean against him.

• His presence is really calming for someone his size, even more surprising how gentle he could be with your sleeping form.

• You're never gonna catch him sleep though. Good luck if you're trying to.

Wild Guardy:

• You're surprised he's still awake he's surprised you're still awake.

• The hangout usually goes like this: Awkward silence. Comments on today's events. Talking smack about some bot. Comfortable silence. "So how's your day?"

• It almost never changes. 'Almost', because now he stopped talking smack about other bots and that left you confused for a bit, but it's a nice change.

• The two of you weren't exactly the most 'social' when compared to the others. Yet somehow it's as if you guys haven't run out of topics for a conversation.

• It's surprisingly a 'fun' talk with him. Probably because you're both tired and could careless about what you're talking about but it's honestly just his presence in general.

• He's actually a pretty chill guy. You just gotta get used to him. Sure he could be a bit puzzling at times, but that's just one of his... charms?

• At some point you two just sit around, comfortably enjoying each other's presence in the dead of night. Except for Wild Guardy.

• He was, surprisingly, the first one to sleep on accident. He's too tired to realize, since he's passed out, so you just let him be. Then he wakes up and realized he left you alone and slept.

• He apologizes to you first thing in the morning.

• Other times you're the first to sleep on accident. He wakes you up as gently as he could be, which is not at all gentle, but he's working on it. Perhaps he could just let you sleep on his thigh? Perhaps. Probably not though.

[gateau-au-earl]

kuroshitsuji s4e1/ED thoughts

ok yall now that it has been over 24 hrs and I've seen the ep over three times, I have THOUGHTS. mostly very positive, everything was beautful to look at and the 1:1 comparisons between the manga and the anime made me very happy as a veteran kuro fan that had to live through the mess of s1 and s2 plots (even tho they might have a sentimental place in my heart just because of nostalgia).

but i wanted to come on here and yap about the ending theme and how it encapsulates sebastian and ciel's complicated and very interesting relationship. idk abt yall but im a big fan of the op and ed this season!

first things first just to get this outta the way, I dont interpret them as a ship so please dont come in here with that interpretation 👁️ I'm serious .

that being said -

the ending theme is beautiful in both its animation and what it says about the butler and earl's relationship. I'm just gonna get the gushing outta the way first but it was aesthetically GORGEOUS in its animation. the way ciel fell so gracefully and the colors with SID's music is cinematic perfection. the change in animation style is very easy on the eyes as well! gg cloverworks animation team!

this has been marinating for a while, but what really gets me is the scene where ciel falls. he is falling into darkness, when it suddenly becomes lighter, with the sun illuminating the clouds. sebastian "saves" him and they fall together across this very pretty backdrop.

the demon might've caught him, but that doesn't prompt him to rescue ciel, to stop him from falling to his death.

sebas instead gently takes ciel's hand to guide him there. he gives ciel a false sense of security, of trust, catching the boy when he's at his darkest place, but instead of saving him, he drags him to down to his hell. he is deceiving ciel with a beautiful view and promises in their contract that will ultimately hurt ciel. its cruel and will only lead to pain for our earl.

sebas is a demon (obviously) who is leading ciel to his doom, but the path they take is twisted and tragic but strangely beautiful like the gorgeous sky in the ED.

ciel enjoys the power and omnipotence he has with sebastian, knowing full well the demon is leading him to his demise. he knows that this relationship will end him being sebastian's dinner. ciel knows he can't trust sebas, but does anyways because sebas is the only person who can't hurt him until he inevitably does.

the fall might result in an ugly death, but the view is pretty nice on the way down. the beautiful sky colored with deception, manipulation and misplaced trust.

yeah, sebastian will end up hurting ciel the most at the end, but the boy doesn't care at the moment. sebas is the only ""person"" who knows him with all the ugliness of his past, yet still protects him, serves him, and doesn't treat him like a helpless creature. so ciel is forced to place trust in a fundamentally untrustworthy creature knowing he is inches away from the demons bared fangs.

sebastian helps him survive his living hell now and get what he needs to get done, so he doesn't care what happens after. his descent to darkness becomes much more beautiful as a result.

shippers may have one interpretation (which I'm NOT a fan of...), but this is how I see it, and I think it makes this ending all the more impactful and tragic. but here I am, and I'm enthralled by the beauty and can't look away.

anyways, thanks for reading my brain dump, and looking forward to ep 2 folks!!! hope yall liked my micro analysis/semi organized gushing, and r enjoying this kuro renaissance as much as I am! here's a professor michaelis for reading this far

[kiwibeanv]

Tormenting Chuuya with Situations #2

Summary: S3, EP 35 Cannibalism (Part Two) - Chuuya getting snatched by Poe's book. And you witness it.

Notes: *Second person point of view. *Gender neutral. *Another drabble with my merc reader that I'm working on. *More warmed up to the PM at this point. *Collab with Monocle

The war between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia had only begun. Both sides wanting to save their leaders from death. Their current solution, to kill the opposing head.

The Port Mafia had numbers, that for sure. Within a matter of a few minutes, they had already surrounded the agency building. Another squad was dedicated to protecting Mori. However, even if the ADA didn't have numbers, they had strength and cunning thought. That was already proven with Tanizaki's illusion ability and their more recent attack at the front.

You were brought in to support the conflict, despite not wanting to. Really, you were just there for the show but a certain ginger just has to drag you along. But once again, you were part of the Port Mafia. You have to step in and help.

So there you were with Chuuya's men, just taking a drag of your cigarette. Shit went south at the agency building and Chuuya arrived back with his squad. The scrunched eyebrows and the focused eyes he had, you know that he's stressed.

"Outsmarted huh?" You ask as you relaxed in your standing position.

"Damn right," Chuuya replied with an annoyed tone. "You better do your part. I don't want you standing on the sidelines."

"Oh I'm doing something. Guarding this part of the building. Don't want a sneak attack ya know?" You take another drag of the cigarette.

Chuuya narrowed his eyes at you but he got a call. Some of the ADA members attacked the front. The high pitch of his voice was just more signs of his stress and saying he'll be right there.

"Go along~ You don't mind me keeping some of your men?" You say as you crossed your arms, keeping the cigarette in your mouth.

Just as Chuuya turned around to say something to his squad but a boy's voice called out.

"I can't let you do that, fancy hat boy."

At the bottom of the stairs stood Edogawa Ranpo. Alone but determined. You knew already not to underestimate anyone from the ADA, no matter how innocent they look. Everyone had eyes on him. Ranpo claimed that he could stop Chuuya. You just stood a few steps higher than Chuuya.

"Are you serious?" Chuuya asked. "I know you're integral to the Detective Agency, but I don't think you can put up a fight."

You muffled a scoff and glanced away. The ginger was already underestimating Ranpo, despite the ADA's strong pushback. But you weren't going to speak up.

Ranpo grinned and revealed his determined green eyes. "But you've lost to Dazai before, haven't you?"

You could hear Chuuya growl and a red aura lit up on him. A strong force hit the ground and caused a cloud that obscured him.

"Want to see what it's like to be crushed by gravity?" The Port Mafia Executive threatened.

You rolled your eyes at his dramatic reaction. Of course he's trying to put on a show. To hide his height and seem like a dangerous big dog. Though that didn't make Ranpo back down. He snickered and smirked at Chuuya.

"Nothing is impossible for the great detective," Ranpo said.

Chuuya shot up into the air with his ability. He came charging down fast like a meteor descending into the earth and making that odd shriek that gradually increased in pitch.

You raise your brow at his stunt. "Motherfucker…" you mutter to yourself. You were more surprised that even that didn't make Ranpo back down.

"Do you like mystery novels?" Ranpo asked aloud.

Ranpo brought out something and when Chuuya's fist made contact, a huge yellow swirl was circling around Chuuya. He was stuck in the air. You didn't even bother to listen Ranpo's words. You were more amused that Chuuya couldn't take his hand back to resist.

Within a matter of seconds, the two disappeared. All that was left behind was a book. Your cigarette dropped from your mouth. The Port Mafia members was paralyzed in shock. A raccoon came and took the book in it's mouth.

You picked up your phone and contacted the PM.

"Um… Hey…" it was hard to find the right words without sounding unbelievable. "Chuus… disappeared like a ghost."

The racoon started to run away. You had to act quick or else you would lose your lead on Chuuya. You turn back to the PM men and shut the phone.

"Stay back and guard this," you commanded. "I'm getting our exec back."

You followed the raccoon back to a building. It ran up to a tall man with brown, fluffy hair. He flinched back when he saw you.

"W-What d-do you want?" He asked as he took the book back and clutched it to his chest.

"Look, all I want is the small, fancy man that your book snatched up," you say as you put your hands up. "I ain't picking a fight. Just a temporary truce until I get my chihuahua back."

The man paused to think. He could see you weren't trying to hide your hand behind your back or reach for anything. He relaxed his posture.

"Fine…"

The two of you went to some other secluded location as you waited for the two guys. You figured out that this man was Edgar Allen Poe, or Poe for short. The raccoon was named Karl and spent a good time with him. Even if he was more focused trying to write his mystery novels. In a week, Ranpo was out. The war between the ADA and PM died down. Even some of the ADA came by but Chuuya hasn't came.

You were sitting on a chair in boredom. It has been a month since the incident. Dazai was sticking around the room for some reason.

"Hot damn, I'm gonna think he's not gonna get out at this point," you sigh as you leaned back lazily.

"Well I can always keep you company!" Dazai chirped and came close to you. "Plus, I rather have him stuck there."

You crossed your leg over. "Yeah well, not like I can leave him. The PM will have my ass if I come back empty handed."

"I could have your ass. Or you could quit the Port Mafia," he smirked at you.

"I'd be shot on sight," you scoffed.

"I know someone who could help~"

Just then a yellow light lit the room. A silhouette ascended from the book. The familiar hat outline and his coat fluttering were distinguishable. You both knew it was him.

Chuuya was panting lightly and turned to observe his surroundings.

"Well fun's over," Dazai deflated and put his hands in his coat pockets. "The world was better without him."

"Hah?!" Chuuya perked up with a scowl on his face.

"Let's go home, I'm fucking bored," You took Chuuya's arm and dragged him away.

"Oi! Let go! I'm not a damn child!!"

"You act like one!" Dazai added with a snarky smirk.

Chuuya growled at him and you covered his mouth and dragged him back to base.

[giggly-squiggily]

Take It All Back (Black Clover)

Okay so...I don't know how to explain this one kjarkjajkrjek I had a really bad case of Zorafin on my hands and needed to write it out! The ship has taken me by the jugular and I'm okay with that lols. I hope you like it!

CW: Swearing, Angst, Black Clover Ep. 87 spoilers!

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@duckymcdoorknob @rachi-roo @imjusthere07

Summary: Finral's having severe self doubts about himself and his place in the Black Bulls. He finds comfort and something more from an unlikely source.

Finral would call his self-confidence a work in progress.

There were days where he thrived, pulling out all the stops during a practice session with the Bulls or saving the day with his portal magic just when they needed it. There was a rare but special tug of pride in his chest when that happened.

Then there were days like today where that tug of pride felt more like an anchor in his chest, dragging him further and further down his high and reminding him of all his shortcomings. “You’re nothing more than a taxi.” “Who would ever want you? Your own parents didn’t even want you!” “You’re a waste of space in the Bulls. You’re nothing without them- a living breathing parasite-”

“Boo.” A finger jabbed his hip from behind, making him jump forward with a startled squeak. “Did I scare ya?”

“No- I just make that noise in my downtime.” Finral grumbled as he turned around, finding none other than Zora Ideale before him. Something about the masked redhead made his spine tingle, sending goosebumps along his skin beneath his long sleeves. “What do you want, anyway?”

“Oo, someone’s grumpy today.” Those damn eyebrows- he looked so smug! “What’s the matter? Captain got you delivering toilet paper to him again? You’re kinda like a delivery man.”

Nothing but a taxi.

He was wounded, and it must have shown on his face by the wide eyed surprise Zora wore. “Shit- sorry man. I didn’t mean to cut you.”

“No- no, it’s not-” Finral willed his face to neutral out, trying to force the stinging behind his eyes back. “You didn’t do anything wrong; I just…” Something hot ran down his face. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

“Finral…” Zora looked alarmed, reaching out.

“I gotta go! Erm, important business; bye!” He whirled around and ran, opening a portal as he did. Zora’s cry for him to stop was the last thing he heard before the magic closed out all sound, including the weak sob he made.

~~~

Weak. Pathetic. What kind of senior bull member was he to suddenly start crying in front of the rookie?

Finral slumped in his bed, the sentiment pulsing through him like a wound as he glared into his wet pillow. He’s not usually so quick to tears- and when they did come, he learned to hide them well. What the hell happened out there? Why of all people did he have to start crying in front of Zora?

Was it too late to fade away in the walls? He supposed he could do a Gordon; become so quiet and soft spoken he’d be nothing but a ghost.

…He really shouldn’t view his teammate like that.

Before he could wallow in shame further, someone knocked. Slow and heavy; not like Vanessa’s quick and playful ones- nor were Magna’s aggressive banging. This was the kind of knock he wasn’t familiar with at all. “Hello?” He called out.

“Hey…it’s me.” Zora? Finral felt his heart drop into his stomach, a surge of anxiety hitting him so strongly he felt nauseous.

“H-Hang on!” He called, running to the bathroom with shaky legs. Splashing water on his face, he tried to wipe away his earlier tears, cringing at how red his eyes looked. Fixing his hair, he straightened up, smoothing out his shirt and taking a quick breath. It was what it was.

Opening the door, he put on his best smile, the one he used to charm the ladies in town. “Hello there, Zora. How can I help you?”

The second he met Zora’s eyes his confidence crumbled. Green irises took him in, from the wetted down hair to the fragile smile to the shaky pose. “Hey…can I come in?”

“Sure! Sure, have a seat!” Finral stepped back, trying to breathe. God, this was falling apart faster than he planned. “Your probably wondering why I ran away-”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s my line.” Finral blurted out, then froze, embarrassed. “Wait- huh?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that- the delivery man thing.” Zora ran a hand through his hair, the tops of his cheeks heating in shame as he looked away. “I hadn’t realized how it came out. I’m really sorry.”

“...I…” Finral gaped, looking for words. He was the one that was supposed to apologize- a senior Bull running away from his rookie over a dumb comment; how unprofessional of him. That’s what he figured Zora came by for; not this! “It’s okay, really. You don’t need to apologize-”

“I made you cry.” Zora looked angry, but not at Finral. “I hurt you.”

“...No, no you didn’t.” Finral sighed, gesturing for him to sit down. “It wasn’t you that made me cry, I’m just having a bad day.”

“My comment didn’t help.” Zora argued, no heat in his tone. Finral shrugged, a tired laugh escaping.

“No, it didn’t. But I forgive you.”

Zora nodded, something like relief passing over him. “Do you…erm, do you want to talk about it?” He seemed so awkward then, like it was new territory he was crossing. It was new for Finral too.

At first, he didn’t say much, just reiterated that he was having a bad day. But after a gentle push from Zora, he let it go. He found himself talking about his insecurity and how lately he felt as if he’d contributed nothing to the team. How he could easily be replaced by a speedy broom and a map, and how while he was making some progress in using his spacial magic for more than transportation, it wasn’t enough to justify his place in the team.

At some point, Zora had moved over so he was sitting beside him on the bed. Now he was supporting him, an arm rubbing soothing circles against Finral’s back as the other sniffled out the last of his pain, wiping at his tears. He didn’t push for details, nor did he give any commentary; he just sat there and listened.

Finally, when his tears came to an end and Finral could somewhat breathe again, Zora hummed in thought. “That…sounds like literal hell.”

Finral snorted, oddly comforted by Zora’s way of words. “It is. But it’s not the team’s fault. No one makes me feel this way, it’s just my own stupidity.”

“You’re not stupid. You're the farthest thing from stupid.” Zora cut in firmly, taking Finral by surprise. “Don’t call yourself that.”

“But it’s true. Why else would I feel the way I feel?” Finral shrugged, something bitter in his gesture. “I’m in a team surrounded by amazing people, and yet here I am wallowing in self pity. Surely that makes me seem pathetic, doesn't it.”

Zora stared at him, stunned. Then he glared, a look so ferocious Finral felt taken aback. “How dare you.”

“Huh?”

“You dare talk bad about the Finral of the Black Bulls in my presence?” Zora raised up some, eyes glistening with unreadable rage. “A man with such brilliance for strategy and a kindness you can’t find anywhere else- and you dare call him pathetic?”

“Zora, what the hell are you saying- whoa!” Finral yelped when he was pushed back into the bed, the redhead hovering over him. “Zora?”

“I’ll make you pay. Take it back right now.” Zora growled. The mask made him even scarier, yet Finral felt no true malice in his presence. Was he braver than he thought?

“I don’t know what you’re going on about.” Finral decided after a moment. “But as your senior Bull member, I will not acknowledge your threats. I ref-ehehehehehehehehehehehe!” He couldn’t finish his statement before fingers found his ribs, worming gently along the warm fabric of his tunic. “Zohoohohohora, whahahahhait!”

“I told you to take it back. You’re gonna apologize for saying such foul things about Finral or I’ll make you!” Zora was inches from his face, fingers carrying on their game as he walked them up and down the other man’s sides. This close, Finral could see the truth now. Zora was far from angry.

He was looking mighty mischievous.

“Noohohoohoho way! Thehehhehey’re true! I knohohohow- I ahahahham him!” Finral giggled out, gently swatting at Zora’s hands as they moved to his lowest rib set. “Thehehehehy’re faahahha-AHAHHACTUAL!”

“Impossible- you can’t be Finral! The Finral I know would never call himself those things. He’s not a parasite, he’s not a taxi, and he certainly isn’t a pathetic person! He’s great- he makes good coffee in the morning and listens to me ramble about stupid shit throughout the day- and he doesn’t care if I nap during practice!”

“I dohohoohoohohoho chahahahahhahre! Yohohohohou juhuhuuhuhust doohohohon’t lihihihihisten!”

“Hm…yeah, you got a point.” Zora mused, moving back to his highest ribs and making Finral squeal. “But mine still stands- you're a great guy. I’ll ask one more time before I go all out; take that bullshit back.”

“Eheh…ehehehehe….heheh…” Finral gasped for air when the tickles came to a pause, weighing his options. He knew where this was going; and he knew if he did as demanded, Zora would keep his word. He could be spared.

But…

“Nohohooho way! I mehahhahan it!” Finral raised his chin, firm in his decision. The look in Zora’s eyes did funny things to his stomach. Seems like they were on the same page now.

“Oh do you?” Zora raised a brow.. His smile was particularly dangerous as he pulled Finral’s arms up and over his head, pinning them in place with a single grip. “Shame.”

The next few minutes were a blur in Finral’s mind. The second those dastardly fingers touched his armpits it was all over. “AHEHAHAHAHHAHAHA! OOHOHOHOOKAY OHOOHOHHOKAY I TAHEHEHEKE IT BAHAHAHCK! I TAHAHHAHAHKE IT BACK PLEAHAHHAHAHSE!”

“Hmmmm….okay.” Zora decided just as Finral grabbed his collar; yanking him down and throwing him off balance. The redhead shot his arms out, stopping a full blown collision.

“PLehehehase!” Finral gasped, slowly coming too as the tickles faded. “Please….oh, hello there.” He felt himself flush for a new reason: Zora's face inches from his own.

“Hello to you too. Come here often?” His voice was a husky whisper, blue eyes like the deepest part of the ocean as they gazed down into Finral’s. He even had long lashes!

Finral always liked long lashes.

He felt his breath catch, eyes starting to droop as Zora reached up for the corner of his mask-

A bang on the door drew them both apart, Zora shooting up in a daze and leaving Finral feeling somewhat cold. “Finral- whatever your doing in there, hurry up. We got a mission.” Captain Yami’s voice boomed even through the thick wooden doors. Footsteps faded soon after, sobering the younger man.

“Shit- I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened-”

“Nah, you're fine. I came here to comfort you and-”

“I dragged you onto me! What kind of guy am I-”

“No complaints here.”

That last part stopped Finral in his tracks. “What?” He blinked, staring at the redhead.

“No complaints. In fact-I wouldn’t mind if we picked this back up after your mission.” Zora waggled his brows, a gesture so cheesy Finral couldn’t help but laugh. “Interested, teleporter?”

It all felt like a blur, this whole thing. One minute he was wallowing in self-pity, the next he was being comforted AND tickled to death by the strange redheaded mage before him. And now…

“Are you…asking me out?” Finral tried not to sound so unsure. Zora only smiled at him.

“Would you say yes if I was?”

Finral considered. Then he raised his chin stubbornly. “Not like that. If you’re gonna ask me out, do it right. Like this.” He stood, standing tall before the older man and putting on his best smile. “Would you go out with me, Zora Ideale.”

“You stole my line.” Zora sounded almost breathless, shaking his head with an easy grin. “Sounds fun. Yes, I will.”

Thanks for reading!

[marshallpupfan]

New Marshall Pics! (Season 11, Ep. 11)

A new episode aired today, so... have some pics!

The first segment - "Air Rescue: Pups vs. the Hum-Cloud"

Surprisingly, this segment popped up an hour early on the official PAW Patrol Youtube account (still requires a Canadian VPN to view). Some of us got a peek at the episode before it aired! Can't complain about that!

In any case, I thought this segment was fun, with some good humor and an alright mission. Some folks were concerned it sounded too similar to the first theatrical film, but I can assure you, it's not... especially since ended up being a rather different sticky situation, and I'll leave it at that. Zuma fans will also be pleasantly surprised to hear that he got called in as a first responder, which I thought was cool. A little odd though that Rubble was absent for like 95% of the segment... I'm not sure what's up with that.

But yeah, I enjoyed this one. I'd say it's probably my second favorite of the Air Rescue content, behind last week's Rocket-Powered Pogo. Not an all-time classic episode or anything, but still good!

And segment #2 - "Air Rescue: Pups Stop the Mid-Air Magnet"

This one was a little weird. I mean, the first segment was, too... but this one, even more so. The whole dilemma started because Uncle Otis wanted something to pick up his tools... all three of them. A little excessive there, don't you think? lol

Otherwise, the so-called Ground Crew got plenty of action in this one, including both before and during the mission. Strangely, while Rubble was largely absent for most of the first segment, this time it was... Chase? Granted, he had a role in the mission, but before and after that, he was just nowhere to be found. Again, what's up with that? Either way, I felt this segment wasn't as good as the first, but I still enjoyed it well enough. Not the best nor worst way to send off Air Rescue.

That's all for now!

[ephysalis]

My friend and I just finished our rewatch of Star Trek: TOS. What a fun, fun trip it was.

Purely for my own enjoyment, here are the 10 Star Trek: TOS episodes I liked the most. Heavily steeped in my love of retro cheese and B-Movies.

10. Arena

The Kirk vs A Lizard episode. The rocks are very obviously foam, the fight choreography is peak Trek and the lizardman wears a go-go dress lovingly crocheted by meemaw. At the end a bedazzled space twink shows up. A classic for a reason.

9. The Corbomite Maneuver

Structured like so many other Trek eps (ship gets in predicament, Kirk must pull a solution out of his ass in the 11th hour) but with great twist ending that blew my mind. Showcases Kirk's brand of cleverness very well.

8. Turnabout Intruder

The last episode of the series has a fascinating plot: one of Kirk's ex-girlfriends forcibly switches bodies with him. There's a lot of unfortunate gender discourse but if you decide to view the whole thing as a typically 60s trans allegory, it becomes fascinating. Spock recognizes the captain through a mind meld and defends him in court. Good times.

7. The Cloud Minders

The best episode of season 3 imo. Beautiful painted backgrounds and amazing retrofuturist interiors. The story is a really solid metaphor for classist oppression right until you learn the workers actually ARE violent and stupid because of some gas in the mines. Still loved it.

6. Operation: Annihilate!

The crew visits a planet decimated by alien parasites that look like flying rubber pancakes. Spock gets got and it's very tense and dramatic. Good Spirk vibes, plus I love it when my blorbos suffer.

5. The Way to Eden

The Enterprise picks up space hippies trying to find a fabled paradise planet. The costumes and songs are super enjoyable. A shining example of an ep that was probably extremely cringe back when it aired but has aged like a fine, campy wine.

4. The City on the Edge of Forever

Ok this one isn't underrated, everyone knows it's good and they're correct. Kirk and Spock get stuck in the past together and it manages to be incredibly gay despite Kirk literally dating a woman. Excellent story. Spock wears a beanie.

3. The Trouble with Tribbles

Another one where I agree with the general sentiment: it's silly and fun and I will never tire of seeing Shatner buried in furry little potatoes. The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" is a hilarious sequel.

2. Amok Time

The Spirk episode that started it all, featuring a fascinating look into the mix of uptight decorum and violent heritage that makes Vulcan culture so compelling. I did particularly enjoy the extremely awkward conversation between Kirk and Spock about "Vulcan biology" at the beginning. "It happens to the birds and the bees..."

1. The Devil in the Dark

Shatner's favorite ep and also mine. The acting is on point and seeing Spock yell "JIM!" with obvious concern on his face is just 👌🏻. I love the retro cheesiness of the paper mache caverns and the alien who looks like a lasagna; I love how testy Bones is about having to do first aid on said lasagna; I love the horror-like story structure and overarching message about understanding others. 100/10.

[gatheredfates]

FIVE SONGS I'M INTO RIGHT NOW ✧˖°.

I got tagged by @hylfystt to list five songs I'm into right now! As I wanted to wait until I listened to the new Bad Omens album (because I knew the songs would rotate rent free in my head) I can update accordingly. ✨

ANYTHING > HUMAN - Bad Omens & Erra

This life was all it had to be. Designed, but not for you an me. I never needed you to be anything more than human.

IT'S GOOD. IT'S SEXY. BEST SONG OF THE ALBUM. It's sooo industrial and I love it.

celestina [hushed] - Crywolf & Emalyn.

Hold my life until the beating of your precious heart decides to kill. I'll bleed for you, love.

I used this song for my Alaice edit! I love how soft/ethereal this version is. (There is also a new Crywolf album next week and I... am not ready.)

notre dame - Paris Paloma

I rarely go down there, the view's just so beautiful from here and I can see everybody at their worst points. At their worst points.

I had this song pretty much on repeat for the entirety of last week; it has no right to be this longing and this pretty.

And So My Heart Became a Void - Ursine Vulpine & Annaca

Now we're standing in the sunlight and I can't bear the sight of you. Oh, my lover, what's on your mind? You're caught between two ways of life, a way for you to find the light. One day we will reconcile but that will have to wait this time.

The whole Solace EP gives me huge Azem/Emet vibes (or, really, Azem/Any Ancient) but this song in particular just HITS right. It's love, loss and longing in a way that feels so grandiose and otherworldly, but you can still relate to the intent behind it even if it feels beyond you. I love it.

The End - Halsey

When I met you, I said I would never die. But the joke was always mine 'cause I'm racing against time. And I know it's not the end of the world, but could you pick me up at eight? 'Cause my treatment starts today.

I've been a Halsey fan for years and, as someone who has cared for people with chronic illnesses (mental & physical), as well as battling with my own... yeah. It hits a certain way. If you're going through the same, it feels very cathartic.

Tagging: @mist-touched, @clouds-of-reveries, @redmoonwanderer, @ser-corviknight, @abalathia,

@hazelkjt, @candycryptids, @riftdancing, @clockchimesthirteen, @atupda & you!

If you'd like a chance of being tagged, you can like my permanent interaction call here!

[timid-raccoon]

New Year's

Another New Year’s Eve had come and gone without you. I still remember our first one, just shortly after we had met. I remember you looking at me across the small crowd with that dazzling smile, cheeks rosy from the cold and the drink in your hand alike. Your warm eyes sparkled with the fairy lights that were wrapped around the pergola on our mutual friend’s patio. This was the night we shared our first kiss, under the flashing lights of the fireworks illuminating the night sky that mirrored the fireworks erupting in my chest.

A quiet walk home, memories of a lost loved one, and a snowflake.

Author's note: This is the first fic I’m releasing into the wild, so please be nice, but also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as this isn’t exactly beta read (other than me sending this to my sister and her saying she liked it). I recommend listening to the piano versions of the EP “One” by Sleep Token - especially “When The Bough Breaks” - while reading, which can be found here. 

Crossposted on AO3

Word count: 1.1k

I buried my head deeper in my scarf, pulling my shoulders up to shield myself against the cold gust of wind that tousled my hair. The fingers gripping my umbrella were starting to go numb despite the thick gloves I was wearing. The walk home was quiet, the fresh snow that was softly crunching under my feet laying a silent blanket over every sound, swallowing and muffling it. Hardly anyone was out on the streets – people were surely still sleeping or nursing their hangovers from partying until the early morning hours. It was only just after 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day, after all. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp winter air through my nose to help wake me up, having only gotten a few short hours of sleep myself. The smell of the softly falling snow filled my lungs and I opened my eyes again, blinking into the bright white morning light as I exhaled a cloud of condensation.

Another New Year’s Eve had come and gone without you. I still remember our first one, just shortly after we had met. I remember you looking at me across the small crowd with that dazzling smile, cheeks rosy from the cold and the drink in your hand alike. Your warm eyes sparkled with the fairy lights that were wrapped around the pergola on our mutual friend’s patio. This was the night we shared our first kiss, under the flashing lights of the fireworks illuminating the night sky that mirrored the fireworks erupting in my chest.

It was only a few months later that we decided to move in together. From the very beginning, everything with you had just felt right. When Steven had first introduced us, conversation was immediately flowing easily, skipping the superficial small-talk and cutting straight to the deeper questions that life and the universe held. I was captivated by your intellect and the way you expressed yourself, going from profound philosophical musings to sarcastic remarks without missing a beat.

With you I had felt like a queen. You were very attentive, always making a point to remember every detail about what I liked or disliked, knowing what I needed before I even said anything. Like how once we had settled in our cozy 2-bedroom apartment with a small balcony and a beautiful view of the sunrise from the kitchen window, it was only natural to you that we would adopt a cat, just because I had mentioned once that I was bummed I couldn’t get one because my own 3rd floor studio apartment was too small for an indoor cat. When we went to the shelter just to look, it was love at first sight. He came straight up to us, happily meowing and pushing his head into your hand as you squatted down to pet him. I thought I might dissolve into a puddle at the sight. The two most beautiful creatures I had ever laid eyes on right before me – one with long auburn hair held up by a claw clip, eyes shining in utter adoration, the other mostly grey with barely visible tabby markings on his back, a white moustache, and the biggest blue eyes, purring contentedly. We took him home the next day after getting all the essentials and named him Frodo.

Sometimes you almost felt too good to be true and I was honored you had chosen me out of all people to do life with. The most mundane things turned into cherishable memories just because I had you by my side. Even the one New Year’s Eve we spent at home just the two of us because you were sick, cuddling on the couch with Frodo and watching old movies, felt special.

On our last New Year’s together I didn’t know you would be ripped from me just shortly after, leaving your own dreams and aspirations unfulfilled, leaving me and your friends broken and empty.

On that final morning when I left for work, I didn’t know I would never again come back home to you greeting me with the lightest of kisses on the tip of my nose, like you always did, making me scrunch up my face with a smile. Frodo kept searching the apartment for you for weeks, meowing at the front door, like he would when you were gone on tour, but this time I couldn’t console him by assuring him you would be back soon. Your office chair became his favorite place to nap in.

Nicholas and I still hung out every now and then, even though I only knew him because of you, him being your long-time best friend. We didn’t see each other often these days with you gone, but when we did it was always like greeting an old friend, being connected by the grief and pain we felt and a mutual understanding for it that was always there, without having to say a word. Even two years later I still saw little glimpses of you in him, tiny mannerisms and phrases he had picked up from you and I was sure you had left the same imprint on me for Nicholas to see. He knew, New Year’s was still just as hard for me as it was for him, that day being the last time he had seen you, so when he had asked me to come over for a small party with his closest friends, a sense of gratitude had flooded me. I wouldn’t be alone, I would be with people who understand, celebrating life in all its beauty and all its darkness.

I had left Nicholas’ place before most of the others had woken up, after roughly cleaning away the worst of the mess in the living room quietly, carefully stepping over the sleeping bodies on mattrasses on the floor and giving the still sleepy host a quick but tight hug goodbye, putting all my appreciation for him in it and promising to text him when I got home okay. The night had been fun, but with my social battery drained and the weight of everything still heavy on my heart, I just wanted to get home, take a hot shower, and spend the day wrapped in a blanket, cuddling Frodo.

When I arrived at the door of my apartment building, the snowfall had subsided and even the sun tried breaking through the tiny patches of blue in the otherwise still overcast sky. As I fumbled for my keys in my deep coat pocket, a lone snowflake flurried its way under my umbrella and landed right on the tip of my nose. A warm shiver spread through my body and I closed my eyes, scrunching up my face.

“Hi Noah,” I breathed into the air with a soft smile on my lips.