#Day 111 of hiding from my friends

[mxtxfanatic]

Lan Wangji's Mementos Pt. 2

Lan Wangji's hoarding is not just exclusive to physical items, though, oh no. The man also has a stellar memory for the things Wei Wuxian has told him through their many encounters, even things the other man said casually almost two decades ago. This is especially true for things Wei Wuxian has told Lan Wangji about himself. Here are a list of immaterial things from Wei Wuxian that Lan Wangji has hoarded:

About his alcohol preferences:

Wei Wuxian raised his hands. “He didn’t let me in. Told me I had to remove the leg that had crossed the boundary. You tell me—how, exactly? So he suddenly floated over to me and asked me what was in my hands.” ... “‘Emperor’s Smile! I’ll give you a jar, and you pretend you didn’t see anything, ‘kay?’”

—Chapt. 13: Elegance III, fanyiyi

There was no need to open the jar to figure out what kind of alcohol was hidden here—as soon as [Wei Wuxian] smelled it, he knew it was “Emperor’s Smile.” He had had no idea he would discover one day that someone who was as much of a stickler for the rules as Lan Wangji, who had never touched a drop of alcohol before in his life, had in fact dug out a secret compartment in his room for the purpose of hiding the forbidden drink. The heavens had truly rewarded him with his reincarnation.

—Chapt. 11: Elegance I, fanyiyi

On the way back to the GusuLan Sect, Lan WangJi bought a jar of ‘Emperor’s Smile’ from Caiyi Town. The wine was fragrant. And mellow. It was clearly not of the pungent kind, yet his throat burned the moment it went down, on fire from his eyes all the way to his heart. He didn’t like the taste, but he felt he understood why that person liked it.

—Chapt. 111: Wangxian, exr

About his taste in food:

Lan WangJi didn’t say anything, so Wei WuXian took it as a silent confirmation. He sat down at the desk, “I wonder if that restaurant is still open. In the past, we always ate there, or else if we only ate your sect’s food, I might not even have pulled through those few months. Oh just look at this. This is what a sect banquet should really be.” Lan WangJi, “‘We’?” Wei WuXian, “Jiang Cheng and I. Sometimes Nie HuaiSang and the other few as well.” Sweeping his eyes over Lan WangJi, Wei WuXian grinned, “Why are you looking at me like this? HanGuang-Jun, don’t forget. Back then I’ve invited you to dine out together before. How passionately I tried! You were the one who refused to go. Every time I talked to you you’d glare at me, and everything you said started with a ‘no’. I’ve really met so many obstacles. I haven’t even squared things with you yet, and here you are unhappy. Speaking of it...”

—Chapt. 116: Banquet Extra, exr

Lan WangJi wasn’t someone who liked to decline things too many times, either. After some thought, he ordered. Wei WuXian heard him say the names of a few dishes monotonously and laughed, “Not bad, Lan Zhan. I thought you folks from Gusu don’t eat spicy things. You have quite a strong palate, don’t you? You want a drink?”

—Chapt. 74: Distance, exr

Finally, under all the pestering, Lan WangJi couldn’t keep his cool any longer. He held his hand, “I have already.” “Huh?” Wei WuXian was surprised, “You’ve cooked for me already? When? What did you make? How come I don’t remember?” Lan WangJi, “The sect banquet.” “...” Wei WuXian, “That night, the dishes I thought you bought from the Hunan place at Caiyi Town, you made them with your own hands?” Lan WangJi, “Mn.”

—Chapt. 125: Lotus Seed Pod Extra, exr

About common snacks from Yunmeng:

Wei Wuxian swam to the side of the spring and leaned against the limestone, his arm resting over it. “I’m always very loyal to my friends. For example, when I get a new book of porn, I’ll absolutely let you look at it first...hey, hey, come back! You don’t have to look. Have you ever visited Yunmeng? It’s a really fun place and the food’s really good. I don’t know if this is a problem with Gusu or the Cloud Recesses, but for whatever reason, your clan’s food is way too unappetizing. If you come to Lotus Pier, you’ll be able to eat all kinds of delicious things. I’ll take you to pick lotuses and water chestnuts. Lan Zhan, will you come?”

—Chapt. 18: Elegance VIII, fanyiyi

Wei WuXian spat out a seed, “It’s fun to think of [Lan Zhan]. You don’t even know—he’s just too amusing. I told him, ‘Your sect’s food is disgusting. I’d rather eat stir-fried watermelon peel than eat your food. If you have time, come have fun with us at Lotus Pier...'”

...

With no surprise, Lan WangJi spoke up. He called, “Brother.” Lan XiChen, “What is it?” Lan WangJi, “Have you had watermelon peel before?” “...” Lan XiChen, “Is watermelon peel edible?” After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi replied, “I heard it can be stir-fried.” ... The woman choked as she heard it, “So far?! You took a long time getting here, didn’t you? If you really want to eat lotus seed, you should go buy some in the streets. There are plenty.” Lan WangJi was just about to turn around when he heard this and stopped, “The lotus seed pods sold on the streets do not have stems on them.” The woman was amused, “Do they have to have stems on them? It’s not like they taste any different.” Lan WangJi, “They do.” “They don’t!” Lan WangJi insisted, “They do. Somebody told me they do.”

—Chapt. 126: Yunmeng Extra, exr

About his childhood:

Wei WuXian lowered his head for a bite, “Back in the days, I never had to pay for street food. I just grabbed what I wanted, whenever I wanted. I’d eat as I walked or just grab one and run. At the end of every month, the street vendors would go directly to Uncle Jiang with the bills.” ... He very much wanted to show Lan WangJi all the places he’d been to while growing up —where he’d played at, fought at, rolled at— and tell him about all the funny, terrible, mischievous things he’d done —the people he’d fought, the things he’d nabbed, the pheasants he’d chased. He would then watch for the slightest variation of expression on Lan WangJi’s face, anticipating his every reaction.

—Chapt. 86: Core Part 8, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

‘Lan WangJi of Gusu, Wei WuXian of Yunmeng, was here!’ Looking pleased, Lan WangJi finally took Bichen back. After a pause, however, he raised the sword to the wall again. This time, he didn’t write anything. Instead, he drew. With a few strokes of sword glares, two small figures emerged on the wall with their head snuggled close together, as if sharing a kiss. Seeing such refined strokes creating such vulgar imagery, Wei WuXian lowered his head and slapped himself on the forehead. Petty theft and vandalisms, writing and drawing on walls...... Now he was confident he knew what was going on— Earlier in the Lotus Pier, Wei WuXian had told Lan WangJi many stories detailing his youth and all the funny, crazy things he had done. With the Gusu Lan Sect’s strict sect rules, Lan WangJi probably had never had the chance to go wild like this while growing up. He must have remembered everything that Wei WuXian had told him, and was now reliving every single thing while drunk. This had got to be the case; even the contents of Lan WangJi’s doodles mirrored what Wei WuXian had told him!

—Chapt. 94: Sleeplessness Part 5, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Of course it did. Ever since age eleven, Wei WuXian had been stealing lotus pods and water chestnuts all over Yungmeng from every pond that ever grew them. He had washed his hands clean for years now, but since the need for sustenance arose for their trip, Wei WuXian had no choice but to return to his old ways. Lan WangJi commented lightly, “I hear that every lotus pond in the area belongs to someone.” “......” Wei WuXian laughed, “Hahahahahaha is that so? What a pity. You sure hear a lot of things. I’ve never even heard of them. Then let’s leave this place.” With his scheme foiled, Wei WuXian was of course too embarrassed now to drag Lan WangJi into juvenile delinquency with him. To have the righteous, exemplary HanGuang-Jun eat stolen lotus pods off someone else’s pond—it sounded too preposterous even to his own ears. Just as Wei WuXian was about to sheepishly steer them away, Lan WangJi reached out a hand and pinched off a lotus pod on his own. He offered the lotus pod to Wei WuXian and said, “Just this once.”

—Chapt. 90: Sleeplessness Part 1, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Pt. 1

[waltzingwithyourenemyattheball]

DESCRIBING YOU PERFECTLY: A PICK A CARD READING

Left: 111; Right:222

Disclaimer:

✨Take what resonates and leave the rest.

✨No one of allowed to copy my work under any circumstances.

✨Thank you for letting me read for you.

✨DM me for a personal reading.

🥀111🥀

Indecisive. Hates confrontation. Would rather keep harmony and peace instead of fighting. Community oriented person. Disappears for days at a time. Take a good time before making any decisions. Chidi from The Good Place, not in terms of philosophy but thought process. Likes to disagree in debate. Likes to have the upper hand. Good Consultant. Feels Stuck. Communicates in a unique manner. Exercises most probably yoga. Can do a head stand. Has more feminine energy. People like you. Needs an audience. Loves to entertain, joke around. Highly spiritual. Will meet soulmate/divine partner in this life if already hasn’t met. Potential to be a CEO/Leader. Will only do things when passionate otherwise lazy. Happy-Go-Lucky. Likes to end things on a good note. Protected divinely. Intuition works really good with people and their intentions towards you. Learned the art of going through life and problems lightly. Some of you broke a leg/fractured and have used a stick to walk around. Likes adrenaline, fast energy. Love Action Movies. Frequent Emotional highs and lows. Likes to be around people, admired. Ego. Likes many things, confused about which one to choose. Learn to be patient and wait for signs. Anxious. Analysis Paralysis. Brain Fog happens to much. Feels empty before they go to bed and the notifications stop. Has delayed uncomfortable feelings. Has issue with one specific authority, most probably male. 

Comment '111' to claim.

🌙DM to book a tarot reading🌙

🤍222🤍

Like money and sex. Falls easily into addictive behaviours. Would consider earning money illegally. Smokes especially cigars. Feels like it’s too late for them. Easily tempted. Been cheated a lot of times due to this by people you considered like brothers. People have keyed you into hating others due to envy/fulfilling own selfish motives. You are chained to the past. In the same industry/job/position for many years. Wish to change but you have grown comfortable, like you know the hang of it and don’t want to start at the bottom. Gullible with friends. Clever and Cut-Throat with enemies. Uses more force, less brain. Desire to be loved. Most relationships have ended due to miscommunication, you hiding things from them that they don’t like could be smoking etc. They don’t agree with your lifestyle and had enough so they left. Falls in love easily, would do anything for their partner. Can be obsessive in love, not easily letting go. Likes to talk. Wants to have a family someday with kids, this is very important to you. Opposites attract energy, you have attracted mainly people who are drastically different from you and it has ended up in distress, bad breakups. Fire and Water Don’t mix. One is  extroverted and passionate and  the other is introverted/imtimate. One likes PDA other Doesn’t. One things the other is not sharing their thoughts and feelings and feels rejected. Can say hurtful things while communicating. Expressive. Mainly sad because of emotional pain, have difficulty letting go/moving on.

Comment '222' to claim.

🌙DM to book a tarot reading🌙

-

EL TAROT

[guyswhoisleo]

rant post bcz wtf

uhhhh story from like, two weeks ago.

i'll make another post later Abt what's happening rn cuz there's more w diff peoples

This situation is pretty much over thank God but I'm still gon tell y'all. so there was this guy, call him E. E was pretty funny, I talked to him a few times before n stuff. But anyway, he started coming up to my friend group and me during lunch- oh cool he wants to be friends. so he's sitting there low-key lore dumping about his exes (I'm friends with them too????????) and I left my phone open on the table for a bit, because I like legit have nothing to hide so if smb grabs my phone I don't care as long as I get it back. right, so he grabbed my phone and put in his insta... oh okay... cool... that's fineeee......anyway I was okay with it because I was lowkey gonna ask for socials anyway so we can talk more, since I thought he was pretty cool (AS A FRIEND.) Okay so the next day there's an event at me school, he asks me to hang out with him during the event so I was like "OK!!" (oh how naieve...) but the whole time at the eveent he'd find excuses to like grab me and touch me...I was very much uncomfortable. and at one point he started talking about this one girl he messed around with,,,,then showed me her literal noodles. Okay for some bg, I barely talk to this girl but shes such a sweetheart and in a great rls. Now, when they were messing around, they were in middle school,,,they're juniors now. and he still has her noodles on his phone...like quick access too... ew. but I just kind of ignored it, he walked me to my sisters school to pick her up bla blah, we were talking and before then he didnt know i am not ciz...like at all #iheartbeinggenderfluid but before then he was so adament on being staight, like..... oh.! then when i finally told him to like, call me my pref name,,,,all of the sudden "Oh I'm actually a bit gay...I like a guy but its a very specific type,,," oh...! I asked him to tell me the type and I've never seen someone switch topics so fast. Anywho, my sister came out of the school (for some bg she has like scarily good intuition) and immediately hid behind me,,,looking back she is so righttt!111 But yeah. Fast forward a bit he's texting...nonstop... ok. but like, he'd tell me like "Youre the only person I talk to" and "I find excuses to talk to youuu" and just like general clingy shit, gn msgs with hearts- not weird until you remember I just met this guy three days ago. But yeah, we made plans to hang out and stuff because I was so insistant on giving him a chance but damn. Anyway he was doing that weird shit, being extra close, trying to find excuses to touch me...weirding me out. He even bought me candy (girl byeee but yeah) anyway I was like, nope, I cant be alone so I kind of bailed to a friend's house,, hoped for the best. Fast forward again like the next day he's texting me, I'm barely engaging in Convo cuz ik what's happening n shi (mind you I've told him about a GIRL I liked like...sm times...like he knows ion want him....) and like, in conversation there's this other guy I don't like, S, but S is a bit younger I know him through band, he's still in middle school. Now what I'm about to say is fucking insane-

Him- "What if we got S to make us food"

me- "he'd probs put motor oil in it lols" (joke cuz he works at an auto shop)

Him "wtf LMAO y?"

me- "js that typa guy ig lol"

him (Didnt text for a min)- "Nvm what I was gna say is gna make me puke"

me- dog what were you gonna say (paraphrased)

him- his hair

me-what?

him- like his other hair

me-WHAT.

so yeah a hs sophmore- supposed to be junior is talking about a middle schooler putting down there hair in food....as a joke. I never switched topics so fast cuz wtf. I told him it made me uncomfortable and stuff and then he just kept going so I blocked him.

Next monday I'm at school telling my friends, he's glancing at me, texting a mutual friend like "Ik she's laughing at me..." (misgendering me again btw.) like yeah.... you were being weird I'm telling my people to cope???? like dawg. and my one friend A, his ex, showed me a SS from when they dated and when I tell you this was like wtf I could have screamed. So the ss basically was him telling her he doesn't like boxers because they "squish his junk" and leave shit stains.... EW??????????? that creature liked me??????? oh hell no. but then he got one of his friends to give me a (very poorly, like 1st grader shit) handwritten note. There were sm spelling mistakes and the handwriting was almost illegible, but it was just him begging me to unblock him...I promptly ignored him. thank God now he's finally leaving me aloneee'

but at one point ik he was like, telling one of our mutual friend's the story but some weird fuckassery version of it,,,even though I legit showed and sent her ss but wtvs

her and I r still friends

idk bout them tho

[landscaping-your-mind]

We return you now to a safe place. The Street Cleaners have passed. Street Cleaning Day, as so many other days, is behind us. We emerge from hiding spots, from secret locations, from places under other places. We step out into the street, and it is as though it is brand new to us. Certainly, it is cleaner now, but that is not all. We have survived all the way from birth to this very moment, and we look at each other, and some of us start laughing and others start weeping and one or two of us break out into a wordless humming song, and all of us mean the exact same thing.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 15 — Street Cleaning Day)

Somewhere the tiny people of the city below have arrived in Night Vale, and are beginning their war against us, having already shown themselves capable of murder. Somewhere a man in a tan jacket is whispering into the ears of our mayor, and we do not know what agenda they pursue. […] This all happens, somewhere else. But here, Carlos and I sat on the trunk of that car, his car, looking together at the lights up in the sky above the Arby’s. They were beautiful in the hushed twilight, shimmering in a night sky already coming alive with bits of the universe.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 25 — One Year Later)

But.... In spite of all this, coach al-Mujaheed called a pep rally last Friday, in a gesture of support for Malik Herrera. This, as any time, is when we should join as a town, despite the game that never was. […] Everyone was sad, and everything was perfect. We stayed late into the night under the fluorescent corona of the bleachers, eating damp barbecue, wearing our orange ponchos, and telling those tales we wanted to tell to those loved ones who have left us, telling them instead to those who we currently or may eventually love. Tears were hardly noticeable on our rain-streaked cheeks by the time we said our goodbyes.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 56 — Homecoming)

And they both take the hand of the person they love, and Amber smiles at Wilson and Wilson smiles at Amber and everyone smiles at everyone and at everything and no one is okay, exactly, but we’re outside and we’re smiling and that is a kind of perfection of its own.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 57 — The List)

Night Vale isn't a single unified thing that can love or be loved. It's just the name slapped onto a set of borders and rules that some old bureaucrats [..] devised centuries ago. But they don't live here anymore. We do. I do, and I can make it worth it. I can’t just leave it, I have to live it. Live it and make it better. For myself. For Carlos. For my friends. […] And for you, listeners. We will together celebrate another homecoming game. We will together survive another street cleaning. We will together… well we will see.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 70B — Review)

Our reality is badly damaged, and the only thing keeping it together is our acknowledgement, finally, of this strange town that we live in. No more denial. We must see ourselves clearly or risk losing ourselves forever. Angels are real. Our town is a deeply weird place. We know and acknowledge that it is a deeply weird place. There are dotted lines and arrows in the sky. And I love my family, and I love my brother Steve. He was right about everything. He always has been.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 110: Matryoshka)

This is my work, listeners. My work is to speak to you all. To talk you through the day. To murmur you into the night. Settling in to be another clear and pretty evening here in Night Vale, this weird, weird town. I hope all of you out there have someone to sleep through it with. I know I do.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 111 — Summer 2017, Night Vale, USA)

Carlos and I hold each other through the town, passing two teenage boys dressed in scraps of of airplane upholstery, gripping tightly each others’ faces. We help a lost toddler find his parents. We clear broken glass from streets. We walk home. We shade our eyes from the setting sunset which kindles through a hilltop cleft. We talk nonstop about today about tomorrow about yesterday about every possible moment, just talking, and talking, because we almost lost our talk forever. We do not hear the returning echo of sirens across the valley. We do not hear anything but ourselves. Stay tuned next for a silence that is all your own.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 167 — Echo)

And I say: “Look at the clouds in the sky. They mean nothing, and yet they are there and they are pretty. Isn’t that nice?”

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 181 — C****s)

The day after Valentine’s we said “it’s over” but we did not believe it was over. We believed it would never be over, that we would always be living the same sad and terrifying minute, breathing the same stale air thick with our own fear. But we were not in that moment anymore. But we were, some part of us, still. The day after Valentine’s was a rebuilding, a recovery, a return to form, a back to business. Bury the bodies and stand up the fences, it’s time to move on.

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 202 — The Day After the Day)

“What do we do now?” I asked him. He smiled, “First we go home, eat meals together, remember that we are a community, and that we are better together than we are alone.”

(Welcome to Night Vale: Episode 230 — Carlos, Explained)

[typosandtea]

With Artfight very soon I though it was about time to post about some of my ocs!

Introducing: Murphy!!

SKETCHS HERE!!!

Nora Murphy is a whole 5ft of mutant soldier trauma and caring.

The short:

S:5, P:7, E:8, C:10, I:3, A:7, L:2

Toughness, Lifegiver, rad resistant, refractor, admantium skeleton, animal friend, inspirational, local leader, rifleman

BOS main, contractor for the minuteman, deacon only minor contact with the railroad, hates the institute

Good, helps people, very anxious, terrified of becoming a monster. Unlucky.

Is a mutant: can fly, quick heal / tough, but needs to eat a lot, restricted to night by being nocturnal, shunned by many

Companions: Danse and Preston mostly, sometimes nick, befriends all of them at least a bit.

Heritage: white Australian

The long: Lore \/

The long:

Fallout 4 ‘Sole survivor’ oc, but in my Mutant AU where vault 111 was a dual experiment creating super soldiers by forcing animal DNA on people with some twisted results (Murph is very lucky to still look mostly human with wings), basically fallout 4 but with a bunch of extra side quests to fight or help her old neighbours in various states of mind.

She is Australian! From NT, Which kinda sucks in fallout universe since most countries had fallen well before the bombs ever fell, Australia was absorbed by USA for its abundance of uranium and strategic proximity to china! She and Nathan (Nate) were accepted as military refugees into the us army about 2065, where they were in power armour core together her as a soldier and him as a mechanic. They were married shortly before where they both get injured in an explosion, Nathan much more so as Murphy was in power Armor at the time. They are discharged, Nathan for injury and Murphy for being pregnant with Shaun. Bombs fall etc.

She is mutated with sooty owl DNA by Vaulttec in an attempt to make an extremely mobile stealth night operative, which didn’t go entirely to plan! While she hardier than normal, capable of flight and is reasonably stealthy she is also now limited to night ops by being nocturnal, daytime is way too bright and painful for her to be in without eye protection! She also struggles to be awake in the day. She also has other negatives from the mutation such as lost intelligence, needing to eat way more food, being smaller than she used to be, and being shunned or shot at. The mutation forces each of the residents to cocoon and liquify into their new forms!

She has so much military trauma, from being in the Aus army when they get demolished by china and then by USA fighting china to take control of Aus, by being acquired by the us army, being a ‘volunteer’ for the power Armor testing, seeing fellow Aussie soldiers get treated poorly in the army, having to participate in the mandatory war crimes, her and Nathan getting badly injured in anchorage, the horrors of war etc.

Personality wise she is very people oriented and will put people before the goal often, extremely charismatic which is the only reason she hasn’t been shot multiple times by just about every faction 😅. Very anxious even before being mutated, but is positively a nervous wreck now, is ok at hiding it. Soldiers training helps a lot to shift into mission focus but is not sustainable in the long term as she finds out! Worries about being a mutant and is terrified of becoming, or being seen as a monster so she is very restrained in her combat, how she moves and speaks, rarely yells or fights first. Will go out of her way to help people as has become the go to helper for many people against her will such as the minuteman, the other mutants and various other people she has helped. She has a very broad definition of person much to Danse’s + the BOS’s chagrin. Has multiple mental breakdowns throughout the story. Privately thinks she deserves to be hated and hunted from a combination of BOS rubbish, military trauma at the awful things she has done as a soldier both pre and post war, and just all round ruined self esteem. Banter is a core part of her speech, if an Aussie is mildly insulting you they think you’re neat!

Pre war was 5’6”, post mutation is 5’ with 15’ wingspan, is not happy about suddenly being a lot shorter. As a morning person naturally the shift to nocturnal is extremely difficult to her, dislikes having to wake people up constantly and feels bad about it. (She feels bad about everything really). Jury-rigs some aviators goggles sunglasses so she can tolerate the sun slightly better, is not a fan of the day anymore, feels too exposed and dislikes flying in the sun.

BOS as feels the familiarity of being as soldier as that’s all she’s ever been for the past 17 years (her perspective excluding the ice nap). Unknown to her, Danse is instructed by Maxon after arcjet on to recruit her so they can study her, and use her as a political pawn with the minutemen and mutants, because by the time she goes to Cambridge she is already reasonably well know and tentatively liked in the commonwealth. (Don’t worry I love both Danse and Maxon as characters so they are not reduced to 1 dimensional jerks!) over time though she befriends Danse as he is assigned to her as her ‘sponsor’ (observe her for study and make sure she makes BoS friendly decisions), mixed feeling in the BoS when she is made knight by Maxon to say the least! over time she becomes a great friend and asset to the BoS and Maxon realises one day the he no longer intends to go through with his original secret plans.

Since she spent so much time in power armour prewar, and Nathan was a power armour mechanic, she knows quite a lot about it! And is very unhappy that she physicaly cannot wear it anymore!

Physically she is small wiry and very hardy from the mutations. Though she can’t wear armour due to its weight and her small stature so she needs to be tough! Important appearance features are she is short, lots of freckles, gap in front teeth, rather flat face, prominent eyebrows, eyes that are too big and yellow from the mutation, shoulder length thick light brown hair that’s messy or braided, she is lean, pear shaped, and has a wide gait. Prefers baggy clothes and will layer over the vault suit / bos uniform. She rather suntanned / leathery and freckled from spending a lot of time outside pre war. She has a prominent set of vertical scars over her left eye from anchorage. She has barbed wire tattoos around her arms above her elbows on both sides. wings connect to her body like having a second set of shoulders.

Absolutely has no cold tolerance from the double whammy of being a Northern Territory Aussie (winter is like 17c here) and cryosleep trauma! Layers clothing wherever possible. Being very cold brings bad memories.

Left leg gets messed up in a nasty fight later, can’t really run much anymore, so is a lot more reliant on flying and her friends, scar on her stomach from stacking it badly on her bike as a kid.

Despite being highly charismatic keeps messing up and emotionally hurting her friends (everyone needs to grow as a person in my fanfic I’m trying to write and that includes messing up in relationships and subsequently repairing the relationship stronger)

Uses laser rifle from Danse that’s modified to be scoped and extra light, carries a combat knife on her person at all times out of habit, before meeting Danse was using 10mm but prefers long range without power armour, which she can’t wear anymore. Her and Sturges whip up some rudimentary comms for her, which later she and danse improves so she can use them in flight without the wind noise making her illegible.

Tends to horde / carry / eat any food she finds since she needs to eat so much and doesn’t want to be a burden on anyone else, most of the time her very limited caring capacity is atleast half food. Has very few clothes because of the time and effort required to modify them, gets a modified bomber jacket later and basically never takes it off again cause bloody hell Boston is cold compared to Aus.

[dfroza]

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures

for the 23rd of August 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New Covenant) of the Bible

[The Letter of 2nd Peter, Chapter 3 • The Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 21]

along with Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms with Proverbs 23 and Psalm 23 coinciding with the day of the month, accompanied by Psalm 65 for the 65th day of Astronomical Summer, and Psalm 86 for day 236 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

A post by John Parsons:

Shalom chaverim. From our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Eikev) we read: "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to *fear* the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to *love* him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deut. 10:12-13).

Ultimately we must make the choice whether we will respect life or not, since that is the question set before us... In this present world, God "hides" so that people may seek him (Isa. 45:15; Matt. 13:10-15). The voice of conscience may be suppressed and the revelation of nature ignored; moreover, some things are perceived only if they are looked for in the right way, for instance, the Divine Presence is not apprehended apart from humility and reverence. We must "make room" for wonder; we must open the "eye of the heart" to see what is greater than our everyday vision. "It is good to look at the sky often, as this helps develop the awe of God." Indeed the word for fear, yirah (יִרְאָה), is connected with the word for seeing, ra'ah (רָאָה). When we really see life as it is, we will be filled with wonder over the glory of it all. Every bush will be aflame with the Presence of God and the ground we walk upon shall suddenly be perceived as holy (Exod. 3:2-5). Nothing will seem small, trivial, or insignificant. In this sense, "fear and trembling" (φόβοv καὶ τρόμοv) before the LORD is a description of the inner awareness of the sanctity and eternal significance of life itself (Psalm 2:11, Phil. 2:12).

Connecting with God is paradoxical. We find verses that teach both the fear of the Lord (i.e., his majesty and transcendence), and others that teach the love of the Lord (i.e., his kindness and immanence). We are drawn to God in adoration, appreciation, wonder, and love, and yet we are compelled to shrink back because of His overwhelming power, glory, holiness, and radiance. Therefore we see “the disciple whom Jesus loved” both leaning on his chest but also falling on his face in "dreadful adoration" (John 13:23; Rev. 1:17). Only when these heart attitudes are combined is the heart balanced. But the fear of the Lord is primary (see Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:7, 9:10), and when we walk in it, we are released from the common fears of men by apprehending a far surpassing power that overrules all things. Again, it is a paradox: if we fear lesser things we lose sight of the awe of God; but if we first revere God, we will lose sight of lesser fears.

In Jewish tradition, seeing the Presence of God in all things is called "yirat ha-rommemnut" (יִרְאַת הָרוֹמְמוּת), or the “Awe of the Exalted.” We might get a sense of this reverential awe when we behold the canopy of stars in the night sky, or when we look down from atop a mountain peak, or when we catch site of a spectacular sunset. Or we might experience it during the birth of a baby or the death of a loved one... This sense of awe or “transcendent mystery” is also called yirat Adonai (יִרְאַת יְהוָה), the “fear of the Name.” It presents a holy hush, a feeling that you are standing before something utterly wonderful, sacred, set apart, mysterious, and profoundly significant; it both attracts yet causes you to tremble...

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Deut. 8:6 audio:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/deut8-6-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/deut8-6-lesson.pdf

8.21.24 • Facebook

from Today’s email by Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

[tech-obssessed-shark]

MY FAVORITE SONGS SORTED BY BPM

Organized by Name/Artist - BPM

(Under cut)

Oh Actually/1 Trait High- 69

Homage/Mild High Club- 73

Sweet/Phemiec-73

Ghost Town/The Specials- 74

The mind electric/Chonny Jash- 75

The Mind Electric/Miracle Musical- 77

I wanna tell you a secret/Junie and TheHutFriends - 78 Eventually/Tame Impala- 78

I dropped out/And The Kids- 78 

Mama’s Boy/Mama’s Boy- =

Ammonia Baby/Junie and TheHutFriends- 80

Alien Blues/Vundabar- 82

Nothing Man/Sodikken- 83

Cupid/Jack Stauber- 83

Ruler of Everything/Tally Hall-83

Long Long Time Ago/Jack Conte- 84

Make The Grade/Jack Conte- 85

You can't hide/CK9K- 87

Hey kids/Molina– 87

I’m gonna win/Rob Cantor- 87

Feel Better/Penelope Scott- 87

Blah Blah Blah/The Oozes- 90

Long Time Friends/The Living Tombstone- 90

Sunflower/Michele Leigh- 90

The woods/San Fermin- 92

Simple Science/Cricket!- 92

Lay Down/Mother Mother- 94

Drown Me!/Junie and TheHutFriends- 96

It’s Been So long/The Living Tombstone-  96

Goodbye to a world/Porter Robinson- 96

Hayloft/Mother Mother- 96

Crutches/Drive45- 96

AngstMode3000/Junie and TheHutFriends- 96

Soul on Fire/Mystery Skulls - 96

Nothing’s New/Rio Romeo- 96

Over and Over/Rio Romeo- 96

Wrecking Ball/Mother Mother- 97 

Stuck Inside/Black Gryph0n- 97

Boi Cha Cha/Junie and TheHutFriends- 97

Leviathan, the Girl/Phemic- 97

Dog Years/Afternoon Bike Ride, Middle School- 97

Self Esteem/AJJ- 97

Locket/Crumb- 98

Lucky Day/11 Acorn Lane- 99

Icicles/The Scary Jokes- 100

For the departed/Shayfer James- 100

Saint Bernard/Lincoln- 100

Adapt/That Handsome Devil - 100

Bloody!Bloody!/Junie and TheHutFriends- 101 

Hollywood Endings/Jack Conte- 101

When It Rains/Junie and TheHutFriends-102

Something Stupid/Frank Sinatra - 103 

Five Nights at Freddy’s/The Living Tombstone- 103

Problems/MotherMother- 104

Pantsuit Sasquatch/Molly Lewis(Pop)- 106

Wonda/Caravan Palace- 106

This comes from Inside/The Living Tombstone- 107

End-world normopathy/Ghostandpals- 107 

Dead Weight/Jack Stauber- 108

Bonnie’s Mixtape/Griffinilla- 108

Memento Mori/Fish in a Birdcage- 110

Die in a fire/The Living Tombstone- 110

Nothing Critical-/Cloudeater 110 

Vacillate/Oliver Buckland- 110

Artificial Sweetener/Drive45- 110 

Imaginary Friend/ABSRDST- 111

Oleander/Mother Mother - 112 

Maniac/Caravan Palace- 112 

A Man Without Love/Engelbert Humperdinck- 112

The Family Jewels/MARINA- 112

Kids/???- 113

Girls/Marina- 114

Bad Things/Cults- 114

Candle Queen/Ghostandpals- 115

Hullabaloo/Rare Americans- 115

Freezer Burn/T1lt- 115

Crucified/Ghost- 116

Circus/Brittney spears- 116

Highway to Hell/AC/DC- 116

Notion/Rare Occasions- 116

Michelle/Sir Chloe- 116

Coffee/Jack Stauber- 116

Brass goggles/Steam Powered Giraffe- 117

Copacabana/???- 117

Fifteen Minutes/???- 117

What’s in the Closet/11 Acorn Lane-117

Hansel/Sodikken- 118

The Fool/Roan Martin- 118

Watermelon/???- 118

Absence/Rio Romeo- 119

Money, money, money/ABBA- 120

MEGALOVANIA/Toby Fox- 120

Moonsickness/Penelope Scott 120

Honey I’m Home/Ghostandpals-120

Buttercup/Jack Stauber- 120

Nunemaker’s Parable/Everybody’s Worried About Owen- 120

I am not a Robot/Marina- 120

I created a monster/???- 120

Lights Off/Ace of Hearts- 120

Easy to Breathe/Jack Stauber- 120

Mister Money Bags/Jack Conte- 121

Dumb Dumb/???- 122

Crucified/Army- 122

Human Leather Shoes for Crocodile Dandies/Caravan Palace-122

Hermit the Frog/MARINA- 122

Egg and Soldiers/???- 123

The Distortionist/Ghostandpals-124

The Water’s Fine/???- 124

Are you satisfied/MARINA- 124

As the world caves in/???- 124

Hand Me my shove, I’m going in/Will Wood- 125 

I’M SANE/AXIE - 125

Nightmare Parade/FAKE TYPE- 125 

Love I Need/The Living Tombstone- 125

Redmageddon/Sodikken- 126

Beatophone/Caravan -126

Let’s Do It/11 Acorn Lane- 126

Love Me Click Me/11 Acorn Lane- 126

Ellen/Oprah/Adam Neely, Jessica Kion, Ben Levin- 126

Watch Your Back/Junie and TheHutFriends - 127

Labyrinth/???- 127

Oh No!/Marina- 127 Clash/Caravan- 127

Weird Science/???- 128 

Dog of Wisdom(Blue Verison)/The Living Tombstone- 128

Animal/The Living Tombstone- 128

Crown/Limbo- 128

You Make Me Happy(Electro Swing Remix)/11 Acorn Lane- 128

Freely Tomorrow/???- 129

Getting Bigger/The Living Tombstone- 130

Hungry for Another One/Jt Music-130

Dinner is not over/Jack Stauber- 130

You weren’t meant to see that/???- 130 

Welcome to Freddy’s/Madame Macabre- 130

Smile Ukulele/???- 130

Chamber of Reflection/Steezy Knicks- 132

Gretel/Sodikken- 133

Simon Was/???- 133

Queasy/Drive45- 134

They’ll keep you running/???- 135

1000 Doors/The Living Tombstone- 135

My time/Bo-en- 135

Ruler of Everything/Chonny Jash- 136

Chickens/???- 136

I wanna haunt you/???- 137

Off with his Head/Jack Conte- 137

Follow Me/Dream Valley Music- 137

Little Clown/Phemiec- 137

Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land/MARINA- 138

Bloody Nose/Jack Conte- 138

Fighter/Jack Stauber - 139

Feel Good Inc/Gorillaz- 139 

Burning Pile/Mother Mother- 140 

Aftermath/Caravan Palace- 140 

Something for your mind/???- 140 

Arms Tonite/Mother Mother- 140 

Crash/Neovaii - 140 

Honeywell/???- 140

No wind resistance!/Kinneret- 140

Eighth Wonder/Lemon Demon- 140

Still Life/???- 142

Carousel Waltz/Jack Conte- 142

A Million Gruesome Ways To Die/Billy Bust Up- 142

Tetractys/Oliver Buckland- 143

Murders/Miracle Musical - 144

RAT/Penelope Scott- 144

Goose Goose Revolution/The Living Tombstone- 145

Charlie’s Inferno/That Handsome Devil- 146

Princess Andy/Petrojvic- 147

Body/Mother Mother - 148

TERRIBLE THINGS/Axie- 148

Savages/That Handsome Devil- 148

Are we having fun yet?/???- 150 

Breezeblocks/???- 150 

Take A Slice/???- 150 

Under My Skin/???- 150

Cheeseburger Family/Jack Stauber- 152

The Comfort of a Laugh Track/Roar- 152

Squid Melody/The Living Tombstone- 153

Microchip/Oliver Buckland- 153

Dog Nightmare/Jack Stauber- 154

As Your Father I Expressly Forbid it/Lemon Demon- 155

Poison Pop/???- 157

Leopard/Jack Stauber- 158

Shutup You’re Stupid/That Handsome Devil- 158

There’s something happening/Jack Stauber- 159

Chosen/The Living Tombstone- 160

Bring Her Along/Joe Harley- 160

Idwtgtbt- 160

Everything I own/Drive45- 165

The Worlds Dumbest Puppet Show/Caroline Konsnar- 165

Like a Match/Jack Conte- 166

Join Us(And Die)/Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals- 166

Along Came A Spider/???- 166

Like a Star/Mike Krol- 169

Cabinet Man/Lemon Demon- 172

Poor Grammar/Roar- 172

Push/Jack Conte- 174

Getting Better/nelward

My Ordinary Life/The Living Tombstone- 176

Mr. Blue Sky/Electric Light Orchestra - 178

Dopamine high score/LeGrand - 180

I Got No Time/The Living Tombstone- 180

Twist the Knife/That Handsome Devil- 182

I can’t handle change/ROAR- 184

Just take my wallet/Jack Stauber- 184

Eat You/Caravan of Thieves- 184

Community Gardens/The Scary Jokes- 190

[anotherferalrat]

Is it just me or like...

No one knows what to do with Diluc

So he's like shipped with everyone?

[dahbeez]

1. "You're such a dork."

2. "Get over here, you doof."

3. "Cheeky."

4. "You're so needy."

5. "Kiss me again."

6. "You're so adorable!"

7. "Look at you... goodness, you're so cute!"

8. "I'm just so happy!"

9. "I can't stop smiling."

10. "I like that you make me laugh so much that my cheeks hurt."

11. "You are being extra sweet today."

12. "Oh, look at you!"

13. "Your eyes are so pretty."

14. "I'm really happy that you're here with me."

15. "Thank you for staying with me."

16. "I don't think I've ever loved someone this much before."

17. "I feel like I'm in the clouds when I'm with you."

18. "You're like my hero/heroine."

19. "I'm gonna tickle you if you don't come over here."

20. "My, oh my. You are such a beautiful creature."

@drink-it-write-it​

21. "Go with me?" "As long as you hold my hand."

22. "Is there a reason you're blushing like that?"

23. "Have you seen my hoodie?" "Nooooo..." "You're wearing it, aren't you?"

24. "OH you're jealous!"

25. "Can we stay like this forever?"

26. "Please just kiss me already."

27. "I think you might be my soulmate."

28. "Sleep over? Please?"

29. "Are we on a date right now?"

30. "I think I'm in love with you."

31. "Are you flirting with me?" "You finally noticed?"

32. "Am I your lockscreen?" "You weren't supposed to see that."

33. "I wish we could live together already."

34. "They're so cute when they're asleep."

35. "I just wanted to let you know that I think you're beautiful."

36. "Quit touching me, your feet are cold!"

37. "Sharing is caring, now give me the hoodie!"

38. "Give me attention."

39. "You met me yesterday." "Yes, and I would die for you. Next question."

40. "She's hiding behind the sofa."

41. "Did you just hiss at me?"

@wishiwasanavenger-archive​

42. "Have you kissed anyone before?"

43. "Can I kiss you?"

44. "You're not hurting me, you're not heavy. I've got you, love.” 

45. "I look at them and I just... it's like when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes."

46. "I don't... I've never... been in a relationship before and I'm going to make mistakes... I just need you to tell me. I need you to talk to me."

47. "You didn't tell me your friend was cute! Now what am I going to do?"

48. "You give me a reason to be better, to do better."

49. "God, you are so fucking cute."

50. "I love you, but I need you to go away because you're really bloody distracting and I have to pass this test tomorrow."

51. "Oh no... they're cute."

52. "I can't talk to cute people, okay? I don't know how to flirt!"

53. "God, I love your face."

54. "Don't look at me, I'm a mess!" "I love it when you're a mess!"

55. "Please do your homework for me...? Just one time." ... "I said one time, y'know... you didn't have to start studying. Not that I'm not proud or anything."

56. "I'm already home."

57. "Your comfort and happiness is more important to me than some stupid dinner."

58. "Stop moving! I'm going to have to start counting all over again!"

59. "I just thought that since you weren't feeling too good, this would help."

60. "I'm not kissing you in the rain! We'll catch our death!"

61. "Would it help if I stayed?"

62. "I apologise sincerely if my beautiful/handsome face has kept you up all night."

63. "God, you're pretty."

64. "Calm down, it's just a chocolate bar!"

65. "Please, tell me you brought a toothbrush?"

66. "You take the bed, you need it more than me."

67. "You're so warm!"

68. "You're freezing, Jesus!"

69. "You always look beautiful."

70. "Your hands are so small!"

71. "Sometimes I just want to cuddle, okay? Is that so bad?"

72. "Now I know where half my wardrobe went."

73. "Here, let me just–" 

74. "You're really special to me."

75. "That tickles!"

76. "We only have one room left for the night..."

77. "Naps are life, okay?"

78. "I don't think I could love you anymore than I already do."

79. "I had the weirdest dream..."

80. "I got you a trophy, it's only plastic, but it's for being the best human I know."

81. "Someone keeps leaving love notes in my locker and I don't know if I should find it endearing or creepy..."

82. "I love your voice."

83. "Put me down! I can walk!"

84. "Can... can you come over?"

85. "You're the best."

86. "Can you please stop biting your lip, it's distracting."

87. "I thought you liked love songs!"

88. "I know you're not a fan of Valentine's day... I just thought that maybe I could change your mind..."

89. "You're my favourite know-it-all."

90. "That was the least romantic proposal in the entire history of proposals."

91. "I never knew you were a romantic at heart."

92. "I made it. For you. I know it's not the best, but..."

93. "Let me carry that."

94. "How do you know my favourite drink?" "I'm observant."

95. "We've known each other's for years and I don't think we've ever had a proper conversation."

96. "You're the clumsiest person I know, how did you survive past childhood?"

97. "It's always time for a milkshake."

98. "You know, humming the James Bond theme tune defeats the point of sneaking."

99. "I think your cat wants to kill me."

100. "Where have all my jumpers gone?"

101. "I don't get paid enough for this shit."

102. "Oh my God, I love you."

103. "I told you to bring a jacket."

@writings-of-a-hufflepuff​

104. "Is that my shirt?" "You mean our shirt?"

105. "It's you, it always has been."

106. "You're everything I could've wanted and more."

107. "Kiss me."

108. "Home stopped being a place when you entered my life."

109. "You should probably go home." "But I'm already home."

110. "You're an idiot." "But you love me."

111. "I'd do anything for you."

112. "You took all the pillows so I'm using you as one."

113. "Stop moving and let me braid your hair."

114. "I'm so proud of you."

115. "You are my family."

116. "I'm right here."

117. "Can you just please hold me?"

118. "I'm pretty sure they're my soulmate."

119. "This reminded me of you."

120. "Your hair is really soft."

121. "Are you blushing?"

122. "Can I stay here tonight?"

123. "Because I love you."

124. "Make a wish!"

125. "I love seeing you smile."

126. "You're just a softie."

127. "You are crushing me right now."

128. "Darling I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen."

129. "Take my hand. Just trust me."

130. "You're the only thing that matters."

131. "Did you know that you talk in your sleep?"

132. "Hey, look at me. Focus on me, alright?"

133. "Why can't I get you out of my head?"

134. "Don't let go."

135. "Stay."

@blisfvll​

136. "You smell really nice."

137. "If you steal the blanket, I'm going to put my cold feet on you."

138. "You're comfy."

139. "But I want to hear you sing."

140. "Don't get up – I'll do it."

141. "Care to give me a back scratch?"

142. "Your bed head is really cute."

143. "How about a kiss?"

144. "Uh oh, I know that look. What do you want?"

145. "Are you really flirting with me right now?"

146. "I like the way your hand fits in mine."

147. "You have something in your hair, umm... do you want me to get it out?"

148. "It's nice that your voice is the first thing I heard today."

149. "This movie is really scary, but you're into it so I'm trying not to cover my face the whole time but– WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"

150. "Wait, don't pull away... not yet."

151. "Half the time I get too embarrassed to say anything."

152. "No, it's fine. I can wait until you're done talking to them."

153. "No, like... it's just, I can't believe you're actually wearing my clothes."

154. "I've been trying to get ready for like an hour and an half because I know you're going to look so good and I need to try and match up."

155. "I wanted to say 'I love you' for the first time without stuttering, but that failed."

156. "We could order pizza and just stay like this all day."

157. "It's not a double date. We're just third and fourth wheeling."

158. "I remember practicing how to ask you out in the mirror..."

@marauder-exe​

159. "It's not funny!"

160. "That wasn't suppose to happen."

161. "Hurry back."

162. "I can't take you seriously."

163. "Problem solved."

164. "That was embarrassing."

165. "It's freezing in here."

@love-me-a-good-prompt​

166. "I love you, baby."

167. "Hey, cutie."

168. "I promise to love you for the rest of my life."

169. "You're my world."

170. "I don't care if you're sick, catching a cold from kissing you is worth it."

171. "You are so perfect."

172. "Marry me?"

173. "You're the best part of me."

174. "Stay here with me. For the rest of our lives."

175. "I'm speechless, you're so beautiful!"

176. "Come here, I need to hug you."

177. "When everything's wrong, it's you that makes it right."

178. "You're the one."

@raggedy-dxctor​

179. "Well, it's the thought that counts." "Wait, no, don't take my kisses away from me!"

180. "Oh, you've started stealing my socks now?"

181. "You owe me a kiss."

182. "How did you get in here?"

183. "That's not even fair."

184. "You promised me a cookie!"

185. "Ew, that is so sappy, I might vomit."

186. "You're not very intimidating."

187. "That was, by far, the stupidest thing you've ever done."

188. "Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer."

189. "Why the hell is there glitter everywhere?"

@whcczes​

190. "I'll feel much better if you let me walk you home."

191. "Apparently, all our friends have a bet going that we end up together."

192. "You make me feel alive. For the first time ever, I feel like I can breathe."

@moanlightlust​

193. "It's two in the morning and you want to cuddle?"

194. "You shine so bright it's intimidating. I love it."

195. "I'm here."

196. "What's your name again? Sorry, I just got that super weird feeling that we only see in movies, you know? Like, the whole world stopped turning and all I could see was you."

197. "I was born to be yours."

198. "Isn't it a bit too cliché?"

199. "So, you're just kissing strangers for no apparent reasons?"

200. "You'll always be my favourite person."

201. "You're making it weird, stop making it weird."

202. "There's nothing I love more than running back into your arms."

203. "I'm yours. Forever."

204. "You always know how to cheer me up."

205. "I... I lost the ring."

206. "Will you be mine?"

207. "Darling, you look perfect tonight."

208. "You saved my life."

209. "Don't give me that look. No... NO! I said no puppy dog eyes! You know I can't resist them! Argh, fine!"

210. "I missed you and your bad puns and even your horrible cooking and the way you fit perfectly against my body when we cuddle. I just really missed you."

211. "We're a team, remember?"

212. "There's no place I'd rather be than by your side."

213. "Your smile brightens the whole room."

214. "I kinda adopted a puppy behind your back... don't be mad! Look at those cute fluffy paws!"

215. "You're burning up. Guess I need to activate my nurse mode."

216. "I love you. As in more than friends, more than best friends and more than super extra best friends."

217. "I love you just the way you are."

218. "We need to kick his ass, no questions asked. You in?"

219. "Hot chocolate and cuddles? Kisses?"

220. "You make me feel pretty."

221. "You'll always be my best girl."

222. "Never hide yourself from me."

223. "Babe! There's no toilet paper!"

224. "I'll never give up on you."

225. "Do you feel that shirt? That's boyfriend material."

226. "That prank went so wrong."

227. "Care to dance, my love?"

228. "AH! You're stuck with me!"

229. "You're too good to me."

230. "Is it that time of the month?"

231. "Can I braid your hair?"

232. "It's okay to have doubts, as long as you don't let them overwhelm you."

233. "Come here! I can't stand to be so far away from you!"

234. "I got you."

235. "I wanna fall asleep next to you every night and wake up every morning with you by my side."

236. "Stop, I need to finish this!"

237. "I just wanna binge watch The Office, but it's not the same without you."

238. "Because I care about you!"

239. "I just wanted to impress you."

240. "I love you even though your breath stinks right now."

241. "Did you just puke on me?"

242. "We should get drunk and do stupid things."

243. "I always know what you're thinking about, babe. You're like an open book!"

244. "Could you sing to me?"

245. "I, uh, could you... could you play with my hair, please?"

246. "Nooooo, don't leave! I'm cold!"

247. "I think you're suffering from a lack of vitamin me."

248. "A mistletoe? Really?"

249. "Will you join me, love?"

250. "I have feelings for you."

251. "You are the reason."

252. "Take my hand, I wanna show you something..."

253. "You have a lovely name."

254. "You're my everything."

255. "You do know a lot about my blushing schedule."

@voilawind​

[defilerwyrm]

heyyy tom, it's been a while! hope you're good <3 for the fic writer ask meme: 11, 17, 85

Hey Cap’n! It’s been the usual rollercoaster, but more good than bad. My worst days are behind me, even when I have particularly bad ones now. Hope you’re good too 💜

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

Hmm lemme think. Recently I did some math and realized that, according to D&D, a giant eagle’s flight speed is NINE MILES PER HOUR, because D&D is not written by people who know things. For reference, a golden eagle soars at an average of 120 mph while hunting, which is 528 ft/turn as movement, or 1,056 ft with the Dash action. A raven’s average flight speed is 25 mph, which means their movement speed should be 111 ft/round (222 with Dash). That’s over twice the D&D statblock’s movement speed (50).

Players, harass your DMs into giving your familiars a flight speed of 110 today! Flight is really goddamn fast! Surely there will be no repercussions to this, like a cockatrice pulling up on your ass from 200′ away in a single turn

I worry an awful damn lot about research—or, more accurately, I am very damn concerned with it, because I value accuracy and verisimilitude highly, and also I have a fairly bad case of OCD.* I once spent a week researching the movements and events of the African Front in WWII for a single scene in a Stucky fic I ended up not finishing. That sort of thing. My longer fics should come with a bibliography.

17. what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

Oh NO a question that asks me both to remember things and then pick a favorite, my Achilles’ heel

I am going to cop out just a little and use the line that made tens of thousands of people shriek in delighted, outraged horror:

He makes a good king.

85. what would be on a moodboard for your current wip(s)?

The Son and the Heir: silhouettes of one man reaching for another who’s turned away; a cat curled up on a desk strewn with books and pages of notes; a hot tub in the dark; a cold, empty bed in a finely-finished but dark room; a flower budding out of snow; a certain quote and response about trying friends sometime

No Maker Made Me: a trans flag with “TRANS RAGE” in ragged letters; a lump of clay; dark hands grasping light hips; a close-up of a person’s pelvis with their hand shielding their genital region from view; the quote, “Will you do it? I will help you;” a transgender symbol and a male symbol interlocked at the rings, painted on a bare masculine chest

Sowing the Seeds I’ve Taken: a dark, dingy alleyway; a very old condemned church; a group of street sex workers in shadow, overlit by harsh lamplight; a string of sausages hung out to dry on a back porch; scattered coins on cobblestone; the lyric, “I define myself by how well I hide”

[send me a number (or a few!)]

*For those who don’t know me, I do not mean “haha I just have to make my bed every day, I’m so OCD teehee,” I mean I was diagnosed with OCD (among many things) by a renowned neurologist after a long battery of tests when I was 13

[hwanhd]

hi everyone, red (21+, they/them), here with my lovely boy, klein lee hwan! he's been a trainee for 4 years overall (2 years in an old ent, and another 2 to current in kiss studio) trainee number #111! below holds information about him + possible threads! (as i havent work on a plot page yet) dossier / plot page / playlist / moodboard

klein lee aka and now is being addressed as lee hwan, is born from new york! around four years old, his family moved from the states and to seoul due to his father shifting jobs and hence needing to migrate

hwan is a child actor, having to act at the age of 3 in an american's children show (think: barney and friends, life action blues clue) and around 5 y/o after migrating, he got a role as a child actor for a korean saeguk drama where he was the younger ver of the male lead but unfortunately theres been a lot of bad comments tw: racism, verbal abuse / whereby he's been told he's too 'mixed' to act in a saeguk while citing his awkward acting + bad korean pronunciation. (mind you, hwan's first language is english)

due to this backlash and as a fragile child, hwan went into hiding/became a shut in for 2 years but while he was in isolation, he discovered the world of soundcloud and rapping, hence making it his interest!

when his 2 years isolation ends in 2017, he uploaded his first original, 'child'

around jan 2018, he's scouted thru his soundcloud to audition for kiss studio. march 2018 is his when he started his journey as a trainee.

he's currently four years and 9 months into his training period.

his goals aside from debuting is to be able to compose professional for his future group and solo debut (eventually and hopefully!!)

here comes the plots i may interested to connect with!!

childhood friends whom was his first friend after moving to korea! coincidentally said friend wanted to be an idol/artist first while hwan was into the acting industry... years down the line they meet again!

someone whos seen him act and is nosy to ask what had happened to him (which hwan does not mention as its still a sore memory to him even after all those years)

fellow 'oldie' trainee line, even if they arent in the same label, perhaps they came across each other in music camp?? idk

friendly rivals from trainee days till present (or actual rivals ((that could possibly debut together))) tho preferably if they are in the same labels but not necessary

a muse?? perhaps hwan's first crush in his early years of being a trainee??? or someone hes just fascinated with and had treat him with enough kindness for him to write songs about and of and for. (alternatively: your muse whom he writes about has discovered his lyrics/composition. and extra alternatively: if instead of knowing the song is about your muse, ends up teasing about mark possible crush on other people).

first's, trainees dont date but somehow your muse is acquainted with hwan and are both curious teens since they're both around the same age. behind closed doors, they tried kissing and experimenting but the relationship never worked out. (alternatively: if they were found out and one of them had to transfer labels, or other bad consequences. or the better ending, is that the both agree to put the curiosity to a stop mutually). (and if they ever met again down the line, would they regret seeing each other??)

older training period muse who gets jealous over hwan (i.e: inferiority complex/out of spite/feeling like the company is treating hwan better)

and lastly for now, a friend who he can do crazy things with (i.e: with hwan being homeschooled and then completely dropping out in junior high before he joined kiss studio, is then dragged by your muse in school uniform to muse's school to experience hwan's first step into an actual school), or if your muse ever finds hwan in the act of weakness and would comfort him and see thru his mental illness (and relapse from recalling his childhood)

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for September 18 of 2023 with Proverbs 18 and Psalm 18, accompanied by Psalm 90 for the 90th day of Astronomical Summer, and Psalm 111 for day 261 of the year (with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 18]

Whoever pulls away from others to focus solely on his own desires

disregards any sense of sound judgment.

A fool never delights in true knowledge

but only wants to express what’s on his mind.

When wrongdoers arrive, disgrace is right there with them,

for shame is the companion of dishonor.

Words bubble up from waters deep within a person;

a stream gushes from the fountain of wisdom.

It is wrong for a judge to show partiality to the guilty

or to rob the innocent of justice.

When a fool’s lips move, a fight breaks out;

it’s as if his mouth is begging for a beating.

The mouths of fools are their destruction,

and their lips entrap their very souls.

Whispered gossip is like a delicious first course:

it is devoured with pleasure and penetrates deeply.

Those who slack off at work

are no different from vandals.

The Eternal is known to be like a sturdy watchtower;

those who do right flee to Him for protection.

The rich think their wealth is their sturdy fortress;

they imagine it to be an invincible wall of security.

A proud heart precedes destruction,

and before honor is humility.

To respond to a matter before you hear about it

shows foolishness and brings shame.

The human spirit can endure a long illness,

but who can survive a crushed spirit?

Clever people go after knowledge to obtain it,

and wise people attune their ears to hear it.

The right gift at the right time can open up new opportunities

and gains access to influential people.

The first ones to tell their side of a story seem right

until cross-examined by their peers.

Casting lots can settle conflicts

and decide between powerful opponents.

Winning over an offended brother is harder than breaching a strong city’s defenses;

such fights are as tough as the iron gates of a castle.

Good words satisfy like a fine meal;

yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.

Words have power in matters of life and death,

and those who love them will savor their fruit.

The man who finds a wife finds something good,

and the favor of the Eternal is indeed his.

The poor plead for help,

but the rich respond harshly.

Someone with many so-called friends may end up friendless,

but a true friend is closer than a brother.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 18 (The Voice)

[Psalm 18]

For the worship leader. A song of David, the Eternal One’s servant, who addressed these words to the Eternal after He had rescued him from Saul and his other enemies.

I love You, Eternal One, source of my power.

The Eternal is my rock, my fortress, and my salvation;

He is my True God, the stronghold in which I hide,

my strong shield, the horn that calls forth help, and my tall-walled tower.

I call out to the Eternal, who is worthy to be praised—

that’s how I will be rescued from my enemies.

The bonds of death encircled me;

the currents of destruction tugged at me;

The sorrows of the grave wrap around me;

the traps of death lay in wait for me.

In my time of need, I called to the Eternal;

I begged my True God for help.

He heard my voice echo up to His temple,

and my cry came to His ears.

Because of His great anger, the earth shook and staggered;

the roots of the mountains shifted.

Smoke poured out from His nose,

and devouring fire burst from His mouth.

Coals glowed from Him.

He bent the heavens and descended;

inky darkness was beneath His feet.

He rode upon a heavenly creature, flying;

He was carried quickly on the wings of the wind.

He took darkness as His hiding place—

both the dark waters of the seas and the dark clouds of the sky.

Out from His brilliance

hailstones and burning coals

broke through the clouds.

The Eternal thundered in the heavens;

the Highest spoke; His voice rumbled [in the midst of hail and lightning].

He shot forth His arrows and scattered the wicked;

He flung forth His lightning and struck them.

Then the deepest channels of the seas were visible,

and the very foundations of the world were uncovered

At Your rebuke, O Eternal One,

at the blast of wind from Your nostrils.

He reached down His hand from above me; He held me.

He lifted me from the raging waters.

He rescued me from my strongest enemy,

from all those who sought my death,

for they were too strong.

They came for me in the day of my destruction,

but the Eternal was the support of my life.

He set me down in a safe place;

He saved me to His delight; He took joy in me.

The Eternal One responded to me according to my goodness;

I kept my hands clean, and He blessed me.

I kept the ways of the Eternal

and have not walked away from my True God in wickedness.

All His laws were there before me,

and I did not push His statutes away.

I was blameless before Him;

I kept myself from guilt and shame.

That’s why the Eternal has rewarded me for my right living;

He’s rewarded me because He saw my hands were clean.

You are loyal to those who are loyal;

with the innocent, You prove to be innocent;

With the clean, You prove to be clean;

and with the twisted, You make Yourself contrary.

For You rescue humble people,

but You bring the proud back in line.

You are the lamp who lights my way;

the Eternal, my God, lights up my darkness.

With Your help, I can conquer an army;

I can leap over walls with a helping hand from You.

Everything God does is perfect;

the promise of the Eternal rings true;

He stands as a shield for all who hide in Him.

Who is the True God except the Eternal?

Who stands like a rock except our God?

The True God who encircled me with strength

and made my pathway straight.

He made me sure-footed as a deer

and placed me high up where I am safe.

He teaches me to fight

so that my arms can bend a bronze bow.

You have shielded me with Your salvation,

supporting me with Your strong right hand,

and it makes me strong.

You taught me how to walk with care

so my feet will not slip.

I chased my enemies and caught them

and did not stop until they were destroyed.

I broke them and threw them down beneath my feet,

and they could not rise up again.

For You equipped me for battle,

and You made my enemies fall beneath me.

You made my enemies turn tail and run,

and all who wanted my destruction, I destroyed.

They looked everywhere, but no one came to rescue them;

they asked the Eternal, but He did not answer them.

I beat them to sand, to dust that blows in the wind;

I flung them away like trash in the gutters.

You rescued me from conflict with the peoples;

You raised me up to rule over nations.

People who did not know me have come to serve me.

Strangers come to me, afraid.

As soon as they hear about me, they serve me;

Strangers who have lost heart

come fearfully to me from behind their high walls.

The Eternal is alive! My Rock is blessed,

and exalted is the True God of my deliverance—

The God who avenged me

and placed the peoples under me,

Who rescued me from all my foes.

Truly, You raised me up above my enemies

and saved me from the violent ones.

For this I will praise You among the nations, O Eternal,

and sing praises to Your name.

He is a tower of salvation for His king

and shows His enduring love to His anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 18 (The Voice)

[Book Four]

There are endless reasons to praise God, and many of them are included in the Book of Psalms. Book Four (Psalms 90–106) is made up of songs that praise and celebrate God for His creation, strength, work in history, and kingship. Although these songs are written to honor God, many require something from us. Throughout these psalms is the Hebrew word hallelujah, translated “Praise the Eternal!” That’s not just a passive verb, as in, “Praise be to the Eternal”; it’s an active imperative! We are commanded to praise Him. We are commanded to join angels above, people below, and all creatures in praising Him!

[Psalm 90]

A prayer of Moses, a man of God.

Lord, You have always been our refuge.

Our ancestors made You their home long ago.

Before mountains were born,

before You fashioned the earth and filled it with life,

from ages past to distant futures,

You are truly God.

You turn people back to dust,

saying, “Go back to the dust, children of Adam.”

For You a thousand years is like a day when it is over,

a watch during the night;

there is no difference to You.

You release the waters of death to sweep mankind away in his slumber.

In the morning, we are blades of grass,

Growing rapidly under the sun but withering quickly;

yet in the evening, we fade and die, soon to be cut down.

For Your anger has consumed us.

Your wrath has shaken us to the core

and left us deeply troubled.

You have written our offenses before You—

the light of Your presence shines brightly on our secret sins,

and we can’t run or hide.

For all our days are spent beneath Your wrath;

our youth gives way to old age, and then

one day our years come to an end with a sigh.

We may journey through life for 70 years;

some may live and breathe 80 years—if we are strong.

Yet our time here is only toil and trouble;

soon our days are gone, and we fly away.

Who can truly comprehend the power unleashed by Your anger?

Your wrath matches the fear that is due to You.

Teach us to number our days

so that we may truly live and achieve wisdom.

How long will we wait here alone?

Return, O Eternal One, with mercy.

Rescue Your servants with compassion.

With every sun’s rising, surprise us with Your love,

satisfy us with Your kindness.

Then we will sing with joy and celebrate every day we are alive.

You have spent many days afflicting us with pain and sorrow;

now match those with years of unspent joy.

Let Your work of love be on display for all Your servants;

let Your children see Your majesty.

And then let the beauty and grace of the Lord—our God—rest upon us

and bring success to all we do;

yes, bring success to all we do!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 90 (The Voice)

[Psalm 111]

Praise the Eternal.

I will thank Him with all my heart

in the presence of the right-standing and with the assembly.

The works of the Eternal are many and wondrous!

They are examined by all who delight in them.

His work is marked with beauty and majesty;

His justice has no end.

His wonders are reminders that

the Eternal is gracious and compassionate to all.

He provides food to those who revere Him.

He will always remember His covenant.

He has shown the mighty strength of His works to His people

by giving the land of foreign nations to them.

All His accomplishments are truth and justice;

all His instructions are certain.

His precepts will continue year in and year out,

performed by His people with honesty and truth.

He has redeemed His people,

guaranteeing His covenant forever.

His name is holy and awe-inspiring.

Reverence for the Eternal is the first step toward wisdom.

All those who worship Him have a good understanding.

His praise will echo through eternity!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 111 (The Voice)

[kanerallels]

Heyy, I saw your prompt list— could you maybe do Mackelena (with a side of Philinda and Huntingbird, if possible) and soulmates? Congrats of 111 followers!!

Thank you so much!!! I hope you enjoy this-- it's my first AOS fic so here goes nothing!

Pairing: Alphonso Mackenzie/Elena Rodriguez (minor Philinda and Huntingbird)

Word Count: 3,143

Tags/Warnings: rated G (for giant simp, which Mack is, good talk), character death mentioned, as is divorce

For most of his life, Mack had believed in soulmates. He’d grown up being taught that he’d meet someone, and when they first touched, their respective soulmate marks-- for him, a mark on his right hand, very dark brown streaked through with honey-gold-- would light up, and they would share a Moment. A brief snippet of time from the future that would show them their life together, if they chose to move forward with their relationship.

Some didn’t. Mack knew people who hadn’t stayed with their soulmate. But he’d seen, overwhelmingly, that when a person found their soulmate and stuck with them, they were far happier than if they didn’t.

He’d always thought that the only woman he’d ever be in a serious relationship with would be his soulmate. But then he’d met Nicole. The two of them had fallen hard and fast, and even now, after their divorce, Mack would never say he regretted it. Regretted how it ended, yes. But he had loved Nicole, even if she hadn’t been his soulmate.

Some days, Mack wasn’t sure if he’d ever find his soulmate. But he was fine with that for now, fine working at the mechanic shop that he co-owned. He had friends around him, and he visited his brother whenever he could. So he’d wait, and that was okay for now.

There were days, though, when he wondered. Was there really one woman waiting out there for him somewhere?

The sound of arguing broke Mack out of his musings, and he looked up from the car just as Fitz stalked into the back of the garage, looking irritated. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he said, “I’ve had about enough of this, it’s your turn. Have fun.”

“Have fun with what?” Mack asked, wiping his hands off on the rag he had resting next to his toolbox. “Something wrong, Turbo?”

Clearly trying to calm himself, Fitz took a deep breath and pointed over his shoulder. “There’s an irate customer out there, demanding that we hurry up and fix her car. I tried telling her that we’ve got a queue and we’re going to start on hers soon, but she didn’t exactly give me a chance. She wants to talk to the mechanic who’s working on her car.”

“Which name is that?” Mack asked.

“Rodriguez-- she’s on your list, I think.”

“Great.” Suppressing a grimace, Mack set aside the rag and headed towards the door that separated the garage where they worked and their main office. “I’ll be back in a minute or two.”

“If you’re lucky,” Fitz muttered.

Ignoring that, Mack stepped through the doorway. He spotted the customer almost immediately-- a Latina woman with dark brown hair braided back from her face, dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans. She caught sight of him and stomped up towards him. “Oh, you must be the turtle man who’s working on my car,” she said, her low voice furious.

One of Mack’s eyebrows shot up, despite himself. “Turtle man? We’ve only had the car for a couple weeks.”

“Yes, and I need it fixed,” the woman said emphatically. “Fast, so why don’t you get a move on? If I’d known you were going to take all year--”

Holding up his hands, Mack said, “I understand you’re upset, Ms. Rodriguez. But one of our best workers quit last week, and we’re having a hard time catching up. Obviously we’ll get your car done as soon as possible, but there are a few other cars before it. I should be done with them over the next few days, and I will personally make sure that your car is taken care of. Does that sound fair?”

Ms. Rodriguez eyed him for a moment, looking skeptical, but then let out a sigh. “Okay. I’m-- I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were short-staffed.”

“Nothing we can’t handle, it’s just a little backlog,” Mack assured her. “But I promise you, Ms. Rodriguez, your car will be one of the next ones.”

“Good to know,” she said with a nod. “And you can call me Elena. I mean, it’s the least I can do considering I kind of chewed out your friend back there. And you.”

Releasing a chuckle, Mack said, “Fitz can handle it. You can call me Mack, and we’ll call you as soon as your car is ready.”

Shaking her head, Elena said, “Oh, I don’t think so, Turtleman.”

“Sorry?” Mack asked, caught off guard.

“After how long it’s taken already? I’m coming back here to make sure you don’t start ignoring me again. I’ll be back in two days. See you then.”

With that, Elena breezed out of the office, leaving Mack with his mouth open as he stared after her. Huh, he thought, eventually turning to head back to his work. It looked like he’d be seeing a lot more of this Elena.

Sure enough, Elena was back two days later, just as Mack finished work on the last car and had started an assessment to see what was wrong with Elena’s. The short answer was, he soon learned, everything. This car was not going to be a short project.

When he told Elena that, she just shrugged. “Guess you’ll be seeing me a lot, Turtleman. Get used to it, and get to work.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mack said, hiding a grin as he headed off to find his toolbox.

~ ~ ~

“Soulmates definitely aren’t real,” Bobbi told him.

Mack raised a skeptical eyebrow at his friend. “What makes you say that?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink. They were at a bar, celebrating the promotion Bobbi had gotten at her job-- although Mack had a feeling there was another reason they were here. He’d known Bobbi long enough that he could figure it out when there was something she wanted to tell him.

“It doesn’t make any sense, scientifically,” Bobbi explained. “And it’s definitely not logical. I mean, touching someone and you see the future? It doesn’t really make any sense, Mack.”

“Maybe not,” Mack admitted, deciding not to expand on his own theories in that area. “But there’s a lot about love that doesn’t make sense, and it’s not like the whole world had one mass hallucination.”

“Maybe not,” Bobbi said, sounding skeptical. “But unless you can provide me with a scientific explanation for it, I’d say it’s a load of bull.”

“Uh-huh,” Mack said. “So the soulmate thing had nothing to do with the fact that you’re back with Hunter again?”

“Of course not--” Bobbi stopped. “Wait. You knew?”

“Didn’t take much to put it back together,” Mack said wryly. “You only take me out for drinks out of the blue like this when you need to tell me something important, and it’s usually about you and him. Also, he changed his Facebook photo to you and him again.”

“Wha-- I told him to be subtle!” Bobbi let out a groan, burying her face in her hands. “He is so typical.”

“So, you are back together,” Mack said, and he saw a small smile start across Bobbi’s face.

“Well… yeah. We are. We’re taking it slow, and he’s at least trying to not make soulmate comments-- but that’ll last.” Giving him a sideways glance, Bobbi asked, “How do you feel about this?”

“What, you and Hunter?” Mack took another drink to avoid answering right away. “I’m happy for you two, obviously. I just don’t want to see either of you hurt again. I’ve had to bail Hunter out of too many drunk tanks for that.”

“I know-- that’s part of why we’re taking it slow this time,” Bobbi said with a laugh. “For your sanity.”

“My sanity appreciates the effort, but I’m not the one in the relationship,” Mack pointed out. “It’s up to you two, not me. But seriously, I am happy for you guys.”

“Thanks, Mack,” Bobbi said. “By the way, I might have asked Hunter if he’d meet us for dinner nearby.”

“I had a feeling there was another part to the plan,” Mack said. “Well, if you two are paying, I’m in.”

They made their way to the restaurant where Hunter was waiting, and had just settled down at the table with him and were starting to flip through the menus to order when Mack’s phone buzzed.

“Ah-- hang on one minute,” he told them, pulling out his phone and checking it. He was pleasantly surprised to see it was a text from Elena, who had gotten his phone number the second time she’d come by the garage, in order to ‘make sure he was keeping on task’ in her words.

The text held an image of a turtle, and the words, at the zoo earlier. I think I found your long lost brother.

Mack found himself grinning as he texted back, For someone who wants their car fixed fast, you’re not very nice to the guy fixing it.

Elena’s response was quick. What, are you gonna not fix it now? I found your long lost brother! Mack chuckled as her next text came a few seconds later. Besides, you’re too much of a softie to refuse to finish the job for me.

Guess you know me too well, Mack responded.

Well enough to know you’re a softie.

Shaking his head, Mack put away his phone and looked up to see Bobbi and Hunter watching him, both wearing sly grins. “Who was that?” Hunter asked, innocence dripping from his tone.

“Just a friend,” Mack said. He knew better than to give Hunter too much information when he was in a mood like this. Grabbing his menu, he flipped it open and started browsing, ignoring the sly looks that Bobbi and Hunter exchanged. He was going to get interrogated about this, he knew already. But there would be nothing for them to find out. Elena was just a friend, after all.

~ ~ ~

“By the way, soulmates are definitely real,” Phil Coulson told him.

Mack gave him a surprised look as he took the paper bag from the older man. He’d stopped at Phil’s coffee shop on the way into work, as he did from time to time, and was picking up coffee and desserts for the shop. “Why do you bring that up?” he asked.

Shrugging, Phil said, “Something Bobbi and Hunter mentioned when they were in here yesterday.”

“Let me guess-- Hunter brought up him and Bobbi being soulmates again?” Mack said, grinning wryly.

“Surprisingly, no,” Phil said as he rang up his bill. “They were discussing you. Hunter is under the impression you’ve met your soulmate for some reason, and Bobbi was telling them that they don’t exist.”

“Huh. Sounds about right,” Mack said, trying to hide his surprise. Although it shouldn’t shock him that Hunter immediately made the leap from “texting someone he likes” to “he has a soulmate and hasn’t told us”. Bobbi would probably handle things a little more cautiously, thankfully. “Looks like I’d better tell him he’s wrong.”

“Really? No one yet?” Phil asked.

Mack shrugged as he handed over cash for the order. “I have no idea who she is or where she is. I have been married before, but I guess that was part of why we didn’t last. Part of it, anyway.”

Nodding, Phil said, “I know the feeling. I was in love quite a few times before May and I finally met.”

“Really?” Mack said in surprise.

“Sure. Just because there’s one specific person out there for you doesn’t mean you won’t be attracted to other people. It’s normal.” Putting the cash in the register, Phil said, “But there’s something different about the woman who’s the one for you. I could tell right away that she was special. Just took a while for us to realize just what was different.”

“What he’s not telling you,” came the voice of Melinda May as she came in through the front door, a duffel bag over her shoulder, “is that it took us two years to finally figure out that we were soulmates, and it was only because he’d just been hit by a car and I had to give him CPR.” She held up one hand, stained a sunny yellow.

“We all find love in different ways,” Phil said, giving May a soft, loving grin. “How was class?”

“We’ve got some new idiots to beat up on,” May replied, moving behind the counter to drop a kiss onto her husband’s cheek. “And Daisy kicked a practice dummy through a wall, so she’s getting even better.”

“My wife and daughter are terrifying,” Phil said, grinning even wider. “Here’s your change, Mack.”

“Oh-- thanks.” Pocketing it, Mack gave May and Phil a nod before heading out the door and down the street.

It only took him a few minutes to walk the short distance back to the garage, and when he got there, he found a familiar, slight figure waiting for him next to her car, with a sly grin on her face.

“Late again, Turtleman,” Elena teased him as Mack set the paper bag down on the nearest clean surface.

“I’m pretty sure you’re always here early, Yo-Yo,” he told her.

“Yo-Yo?” Elena lifted a curious eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, cause you keep coming back here.”

“You’d almost think you minded me showing up,” she teased as Mack pulled open the paper bag and pulled out two disposable cups of coffee.

Handing her one, he said, “I don’t mind.”

The smile Elena shot at him was brighter than the sunshine coming through the window in the corner, and it warmed Mack as he got to work.

~ ~ ~

“Hey, Mack?”

Mack looked up from his work on Elena’s car to where Daisy was sitting in the back of her dad’s 1962 Chevy Corvette, which he affectionately referred to as “Lola.” However, Lola needed a little work done, so Phil had relinquished the car into Daisy’s hands, and she’d brought it to Mack for him to look at.

“What’s up, Tremors?” he asked.

Daisy didn’t respond right away, fiddling with the edge of her jacket as she bit her lip. “Do you believe in soulmates?” she blurted out.

One of Mack’s eyebrows shot up, and he almost asked what prompted the question-- but stopped abruptly as he remembered what day it was. A year to the day since Daisy’s boyfriend, Lincoln, had died when a robber had broken into his house and shot him when he’d tried to protect Daisy. The man had been arrested, but Mack knew that only soothed part of the pain for his friend.

“I do,” he said cautiously-- he’d never learned whether Lincoln was Daisy’s soulmate or not. Regardless, he decided to speak the truth. “I believe in soulmates. But I also believe you can be truly, deeply in love with a person who’s not your soulmate. It doesn’t make them any less important to you and your life.”

Daisy jerked a quick nod, staring determinedly up at the ceiling. “He wasn’t mine,” she said suddenly. “Lincoln. May and Dad already know, but I just…” She trailed off, blinking hard.

Mack nodded slowly. “Maybe he wasn’t. But I knew Lincoln. He was happy with you, and he loved you. In the end, that might matter more than being someone’s soulmate.”

Taking a deep breath, Daisy nodded. “Thanks, Mack.”

“Any time, Tremors.”

They dropped into silence after that, until Mack heard someone knock on the office door. “Hey, Mack!”

Mack felt a smile crossing his face as he moved from behind the car to see Elena strolling towards him, hands in her pockets. “Hey, Yo-Yo,” he said, and Elena returned the smile.

“You know, the nickname is growing on me, Turtleman.” Turning her gaze to the car behind him, she said, “So? Do you have good news for me?”

“I do,” Mack said, patting the side of her car. “After almost a month of work, I finally finished it. Your car is finally fixed.”

A grin flashed across Elena’s face. “About time-- but thank you. I owe you. Literally and figuratively. I probably owe you for all that coffee you bought me.”

Waving a hand, Mack said, “Don’t worry about it. I was happy to do it.” He paused, the reality of it finally hitting him. If his work was finished… he wouldn’t be seeing Elena again.

No sense in moping about it, he told himself sternly. Grabbing the keys from the table next to him, he dropped them in Elena’s outstretched hand. “All yours,” he told her.

Elena nodded, stuffing the keys in her pocket. “Thanks, Mack.” She paused for a second, then extended a hand to shake.

Mack blinked in surprise-- he hadn’t expected such a formal goodbye. But he went to shake her hand, and it was only as his fingers were curling around hers that he noticed the dark blue soulmark on her palm.

A flash of light radiated from their hands, and Mack felt himself transported away from the garage:

He was sitting on the couch in his apartment, leaning back and relaxing. He could hear voices in the kitchen-- a man’s baritone, and Daisy laughing-- and music was emanating from a radio a little ways away.

A soft noise from next to him caught his attention, and he glanced over to see Elena, curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest as she hummed along to the song. Mack wrapped an arm around her and dropped a kiss onto her forehead, and she let out a soft noise. “Te amo,” she whispered, and Mack felt a smile pull at the corner of his mouth.

“Love you back,” he said as a wave of contentment swept over him.

Mack’s eyes snapped open and caught hold of Elena’s. To his shock, a slow smile was spreading across her face. “I knew it,” she said.

“Oh, you knew it?” Mack said, trying to steady his voice. “How exactly did you know it?”

“You’ve got your mark on your hand, too,” she said with a shrug. “Other than that… put it together, Turtleman. I wasn’t just hanging around here waiting for my car. Well, other than the first time.”

Mack felt a smile start to grow on his own face, and then another voice broke through his thoughts.

“Holy. Crap.”

Both of them looked at where Daisy was still lounging in her dad’s car, her eyes wide and a huge grin on her face. “This is awesome,” she said.

Mack exchanged a look with Elena. “I’ll call you?” he offered, and Elena snorted.

“Knowing you? I’ll call you first, Turtleman.” Shooting him a wink, she turned and strolled out of the garage, a spring in her step. For a long minute, Mack watched her, feeling himself grinning like an idiot. Then he turned back to his work, making a mental note to learn Spanish.

[clonewarsarchives]

SCORE DE FORCE (#111, SEPT 2009)

As composer of the soundtracks for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series, Kevin Kiner has become the most prolific musical artist in the Star Wars universe since the great John Williams. Words: Scott Chernoff

When Kevin Kiner created the score to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars theatrical feature, he became the first person to compose the soundtrack of a Star Wars movie besides his idol, John Williams.

However, this wasn’t the first time Kinder had built upon the work of the legendary composer. Twenty years earlier, one of his first composing jobs was on the TV series Superboy, for which he adapted the classic Superman movie theme, originally composed by Williams.

“That was ‘my first foray into really emulating his style,” Kinder told Star Wars Insider about the TV series that pre-dated Smallville as the first live-action glimpse into the Man of Steel's early years. “He did such a fantastic job on Superman: The Movie, and I wanted to carry that forward in the TV series. I did 100 episodes of that show, and it really got me into orchestral scoring.”

Two decades later, Kiner is back wielding the baton, composing and conducting the music for The Clone Wars, another TV series whose music springs from the iconic work of John Williams.

“He has always been my favorite composer, and he continues to be,” Kiner says. “I think it’s for the same reasons that make him so special to George Lucas, in that he has a way of bringing a very legitimate classical sensibility to a film score. I'm emulating John, but I don’t want to be a clone of him—pun intended. I have my own voice.”

Indeed, the music of The Clone Wars uses John Williams’ memorable musical cues as a springboard to an ever-expanding universe of soundscapes and melodies.

“George was very clear on every planet having its own ethnic identity,” Kiner says, explaining that each environment seen on The Clone Wars has a distinct musical flavor. “On Ryloth, the clone troopers stumble across a little girl, and she’s quite frightened and hides in a little cave. There's a very tender moment where they make friends with her, and I used this West African flute as the main melody instrument. It's extremely expressive, and it has a very earthy kind of sound to it. We still have the orchestra in the background, but it’s very simple—the strings are supporting the melody of the flute. Whenever we go to Ryloth, we'll hear that style.”

Kiner says the different cultural influences have taken The Clone Wars to new musical frontiers. “The balancing act is bringing out the magic but not being dopey. In this day and age, we've all heard ‘space music,’ so you don’t want it to be a cliché. That’s where that ethnic element is really cool, because it opens up a lot of worlds where you can have something that’s magical and exotic sounding, hopefully bringing goose bumps and a feeling of mystery and wonder—but it’s earthy and cool at the same time. It’s not your typical space music.”

Kiner is something of an expert on space music. His repertoire is heavy on sci-fi, having composed music for such TV series as Stargate SG-1, Invisible Man, Super Force, The Visitor, the campy sitcom Out of this World, and even the most recent Star Trek TV series, Enterprise. That makes Kiner one of the few artists to traverse the galaxies of both “Stars”: Trek and Wars. “I guess maybe a part of me should be fighting with the other part of me,” he jokes.

Those credits tell only part of the story, as Kiner’s background is remarkably diverse. He started out “as a rock ‘n’ roll guy,” he confesses, playing weddings in his youth with a band before moving on to the guitar chair in the UCLA jazz band during college, and then touring the world as an arranger for live acts like The Supremes.

These days, Kiner is perhaps best known for his collaboration with David Arnold on the music for the long-running—and very Earth-bound—hit TV series CSI: Miami.  “When I'm writing [for] CSI,” Kiner says, “it's just so different. It's more sound design and groove-oriented. It keeps me young and keeps my writing fresh, too.”

That freshness has informed Kiner’s work on The Clone Wars.  “In addition to the ethnic element, George wanted some of what I was doing in CSI: Miami. You can find some of those elements, but not overbearingly. It's a modern film score, but there’s a classical influence. Besides, it’s animation, and that’s always more difficult to score than live action. You need to be a little busier, and you have to move with the characters and tell the story a little more.”

Kiner describes the individual episodes of The Clone Wars as “little mini-movies. There's nothing like our show on television. Whenever I finish an episode, I just slump down in the couch in exhaustion like I just finished a feature. It’s not like scoring a television show, because every episode is unique unto itself.”

Kiner says each character provides inspiration for different musical paths. “When I first saw Luminara, I was really stoked,” he says. “Her theme is a melody that's one of my favorites, and anytime Plo Koon is in an episode, it’s fun. We always have Ahsoka Tano, and her theme is probably my favorite I've written for the show.”

Of course, Kiner is used to getting fired up by Star Wars. He was an instant fan after seeing the first movie in 1977, and since then, he says, “I went to every single midnight screening from Episode V on. In fact, I took my kids to the prequels’ midnight screenings, although I didn’t dress up the way [The Clone Wars supervising director] Dave Filoni did as Plo Koon. We’re all huge fans. I just got off the phone with Nick Anastassiou, who is an associate editor on the show, and we spent half an hour just talking about how much we love the show and how cool George Lucas is—seriously!”

So what makes Lucas so cool? “He loves to throw things out there that you wouldn't normally think of,” Kiner says. “Sometimes they work really well and they’re amazing. Other times they don't, but he’s not afraid to experiment—in fact, quite the opposite. He’s not afraid to bounce wild ideas, but he’s also smart enough to pull them back when they're not working. There's real genius in that, and that’s why everything’s so good.”

Kiner was impressed with how hands-on Lucas has been. “Initially, there was a tremendous amount of contact,” he says. “George would tell me what he was looking for, either emotionally or texturally. He even brought in a couple of tunes he was listening to and said, ‘Can we incorporate this kind of a sound?’ What was liberating was my first meeting with George after I had gotten the gig, and him telling me that he really wanted this show to have its own musical style. I didn't want to be constrained to just what the live-action features did. The way he’s challenged me is fantastic, and that’s my favorite part. That's the dream come true.”

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Kuro is a shepherd and there are rumours of vampires stealing the sheep. Mahiru offers to help him. (KuroMahi, Chapter 111 spoilers)

“Kuro!” Mahiru called his name from across the field and he waved to him. While he worked outside, Kuro could easily measure the time by when Mahiru arrived at noon to give him lunch. His sheep were usually skittish around others but they recognized Mahiru and they trotted towards him. He petted one of the sheep while he held the basket of food out of their reach. “I bought treats for you guys and you can have them after Kuro eats.”

“I thought only princesses in fairy tales had the ability to speak to animals. Though, you’re the nephew of the Count so you’re almost royalty here.” Kuro stood next to him and he slipped the basket from his hand. He was taller than Mahiru and he was easily able to hold the food out of the sheep’s reach. “Should you be here without a guard? The village is indebted to your family so no one will dare hurt you. It’s still dangerous for you to leave the castle though.”

“I’m fine, Kuro. You might tease me and call me a princess but I’m a man who can defend myself.” He said and he crossed his arms. Kuro only gave him a sly smile and the small tilt of his lips made his heart quicken for a few beats. Mahiru had to wonder if Kuro was aware of how his smile affected him. He knew his crush on another man wasn’t proper so he did his best to hide it. “You shouldn’t laugh or you won’t get the cake I made for dessert.”

He tried to jump and take the basket back from Kuro. He was thrown off balance when a sheep pushed at his back while he jumped. Kuro caught him against his chest and he wrapped his arms around his waist. He had called him a princess earlier but, with their bodies pressed close, Kuro was all too aware that he was a man. While Mahiru had a soft face, his body was lean and strong. He lifted his hand and gently brushed his bangs from his brown eyes.

“Kuro?” He whispered his name and his gentle voice brought Kuro back to reality. He quickly dropped his hand and he stepped away from Mahiru. If one of the villagers saw them, they would tell the Count and he wouldn’t be able to see Mahiru again. He was only a simple shepherd and his family wouldn’t approve of them being friends— let alone lovers.

Mahiru’s expression fell into disappointment and Kuro wished he could comfort him. He must’ve had the same thought as him because he pointed to a tree and said, “Do you want to eat in the shade tonight? It’s very hot today. For lunch, I cooked noodles so the heat won’t affect the texture too much. It’s a trademark food from my country and I hope you like it.”

Mahiru was from Japan but his father sent him to visit his family in London. His mother passed away recently and he understood that his father planned the trip as a way to help him. The memories of his mother were connected to their home in Japan and the constant reminder was painful for Mahiru. However, moving to London held its own troubles because he felt homesick. He was glad that he met Kuro who was able to make him forget his pain.

“Has the lord approved of the loan to help mend the fence?” Mahiru asked. He recalled how they first met when a sheep escaped the farm and Kuro was left to chase after it. The sheep almost ran into Mahiru but Kuro had saved him. Since that day, he would visit the farm to see the sheep and give Kuro lunch. “If the lord won’t provide the supplies, I can ask my uncle to speak with him on the village’s behalf.”

“The village is already indebted to the Germain family and I don’t want to be a burden to you. It might be troublesome but I can fix the fence on my own. I’ll start chopping wood for the fence tomorrow. You don’t have to worry about us.” Kuro reassured him with a smile. He took off his cape and he laid it on the ground as a makeshift blanket.

“You can tell me not to worry but that’s not an emotion I can control, especially when it concerns someone I care about. I wish you would allow others to help you more. The first few days I tried bringing you lunch, you said you were fine with an apple.” Mahiru sat beside Kuro and he opened the basket. He took out two cartons and he was glad that the noodles hadn’t spilled.

“Then, you saw me feed that apple to the sheep and you haven’t stopped mothering me ever since.” The memory made Kuro smile. At first, he was surprised by how forward Mahiru was when he approached him but he was glad that they became friends. He took the bowl he handed to him and tried to mimic the way he held his chopsticks.

In the corner of his eyes, Mahiru noticed how he struggled and he placed his bowl on the ground. He moved closer to his side to help him and he placed his fingers around Kuro’s. Their arms brushed together as he adjusted his grip on the chopsticks. “Put your middle finger in between like this. Now, move the top chopstick. This might take a while to learn but that just means I have to make you noodles more often so you can practise. Now, watch me.”

Mahiru picked up a cluster of noodles from his own bowl and he lifted it to Kuro’s lips. He leaned forward to each from his chopstick. As he pulled away, he noticed a small blush on Mahiru’s cheeks and he wondered what caused it. He offered to feed him so he thought he only meant it as a platonic gesture. Kuro started to blush as well when he thought it could’ve been romantic.

“I think I understand how to use chopsticks now.” Kuro turned his attention back to his bowl and he started to eat. He enjoyed Mahiru’s cooking and he would miss their small lunches after he returned to Japan. More than the delicious food, Kuro would miss Mahiru’s company. Would it be selfish for him to ask Mahiru to stay with him longer? “Do you need someone to walk you back to the castle?”

“I don’t need a knight to walk me home but it would be nice to have a stroll with a friend.” Mahiru couldn’t contain the excitement in his voice. He looked across the field to the sheep and the broken fence beyond them. His smile faded slightly and he turned to Kuro. “Are you going to try to fix the fence on your own? You’re always offering to help people and that worries me sometimes. I don’t want people to take advantage of your kindness and you won’t have any energy to take care of yourself.”

“The villagers took me in after my parents died. I owe them my life and I want to do what I can to repay them.” Kuro told him. The pain in his voice squeezed at Mahiru’s heart and he thought of what he could say to comfort him. He rested his head on his shoulder and he felt Kuro lean on him as well. “I don’t mind a little extra work. Someone has to do it afterall.”

“But not alone.” Mahiru lifted his head from his shoulder only enough to look into his turquoise eyes. His warmth was reflected in its unique colour. “We have only known each other for a month but I do consider you my dear friend, Kuro. Do you think of me the same way?”

“Of course,” Kuro nodded. He prayed that Mahiru wouldn’t notice that he was partially lying. He cared about him as a friend and far much more. In their short time together, Mahiru’s kindness and warmth stole his heart. He didn’t know whether he should confess to him considering Mahiru would return to Japan once Summer ended.

“Well, you should ask your friend for help.” Mahiru grinned up at him. “When are you planning to fix the fence or chop wood for it? I’ll sneak away from the castle to help you.”

“You’re the nephew of a Count and—” His words trailed off after he saw Mahiru’s frown. He thought of a compromise that would make him happy. “There are rumours of a vampire stealing the sheep at night. It’s probably nothing but I was planning to camp in the field to watch over them tonight. Do you want to help me? It’ll be difficult for me to stay up all night alone. You can slap me awake if I start to fall asleep.”

“I’ll come but how about we just take turns watching the sheep? My slaps are quite powerful.” Mahiru joked back. He liked Kuro’s dry humour. They discussed when they should meet that night and Mahiru almost felt as if they were planning a clandestine rendezvous. The thought brought a blush to his cheek.

“Mahiru, Uncle Touma is searching for you!” Someone yelled and they turned towards the voice. Kuro couldn’t see who the person was because he was shrouded in the shadow of a large tree. On the other hand, Mahiru appeared to recognize him since he waved back to him.

“That’s my cousin. I should go. If my cousin has come to search for me, it must be important. My uncle told me that my cousin has a rare condition so his parents don’t want to allow him outside of the castle. He’s the heir to the title of the Count of St. Germain so they’re very protective of him.” Mahiru gathered the bowls and then he placed them in the basket again. He took out the dessert he had been saving for after they finished and he handed the cake to Kuro. As he did so, he leaned forward to whisper into his ear. “I’ll see you tonight, Kuro.”

Amidst the silence of the night, Mahiru’s footsteps sounded like thunder to him. He glanced around the corner and he searched the hall for people passing by. He wanted to meet Kuro as quickly as possible but he needed to be careful so the staff wouldn’t see him leaving. Touma was more protective of him since his mother died and he wouldn’t approve of his friendship with a simple shepherd. His heart was racing throughout the short journey to the large doors decorated with two lions.

Mahiru slipped outside and he ran down the path with only the moon providing him light to see the way. He sneaked into the village often enough for him to make his way to the gate. The stone wall was a little taller than him so he was able to pull himself onto the top easily. He perched himself on the gate and he swung his legs over it to jump down. He was surprised to find Kuro standing on the other side. “What are you doing here, Kuro? I thought we were going to meet at the field.”

“It’s dangerous for you to walk in the dark alone so I came to pick you up.” Kuro told him and he reached up to help him down from the wall. His thoughtfulness brought a smile to Mahiru’s lips and Kuro was certain that it had the ability to brighten the night sky. The walk from the village to the castle was worth the effort to see his smile.

“Thank you, Kuro.” He whispered but the warmth in his voice reached him. While it was dangerous for Kuro to come to the castle so late at night, Mahiru couldn’t lecture him when he was happy to see him. He jumped down the wall and Kuro caught him as he did that morning. Mahiru allowed himself to linger in his embrace while they were protected by the night.

“I don’t know if those rumours of vampires are true but I’ll protect you.” Kuro’s fingers threaded through his hair for a moment before he pushed back the hood of his cloak. “You’re wearing two cloaks?”

“One of them is for you. Knowing you, you were planning to use the cloak you’re wearing as a blanket on the ground like this afternoon. You’ll be cold without a cloak so take this one.” Mahiru unclipped the long, white cloak and he draped it over his shoulders. He was taller than him so he needed to stand on his toes as he adjusted the cape around him.

“You’re always taking care of me.” His fingers trailed over Mahiru’s soft skin and then he cupped his cheek. The longing in his brown eyes drew him closer. “I’m going to miss you.”

“My father won’t take me back to Japan until Summer ends and that’s still a month away. Let’s not think of goodbye and focus on being together.” Mahiru gently placed his hand over Kuro’s so he wouldn’t let him go. “I live in Japan but that doesn’t mean I can’t see you in the future. I’ll try to come back and visit you as often as I can!”

Mahiru worried that his proposal was too forward, especially when neither of them had confessed their feelings. He let go of Kuro’s hand even as he dreaded the moment that he let him go. Slowly, Kuro pulled him closer and he pressed a tender kiss onto his forehead. Mahiru’s heart leapt in his chest. “Thank you.”

Kuro didn’t say anything further. He told himself he would confess his feelings to Mahiru next Summer when he gathered more courage. He took the corner of the white cloak that he had given him and he wrapped his arms around Mahiru’s shoulder so they could both be warm. They walked down the street with their bodies pressed close together. Mahiru leaned his head on his shoulder and he closed his eyes, trusting Kuro to guide him safely to the farm.

He sensed Kuro pause for a moment and he looked up at him. “Is something wrong, Kuro?”

“It felt like someone was watching us for a minute.” Kuro felt Mahiru stiffen slightly and he reassured him by rubbing his arm. Mahiru followed his gaze to the castle but he couldn’t see anyone watching them. He told himself that it was likely the night playing tricks on them. Kuro likely had the same thought because he said, “Maybe those rumours are true.”

“Don’t say things like that, Kuro. You’re going to summon vampires if you talk about them so much. That’s what my mother says about ghosts and it might apply to vampires as well.” Mahiru warned him. However, he couldn’t find himself afraid of vampires with Kuro by his side.

“Thank you for allowing me to join your trip to London, Uncle Toru. I can’t wait to show you the fields and I can introduce you to Kuro. This scarf I’m knitting is for him so, please, don’t mention it in front of him.” Mahiru made one final knot in the blue scarf and then he placed it in a basket. He covered the scarf and knitting material with a cloth to hide them. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed his uncle grin at him. “Is there something wrong, Uncle?”

“It’s great to see you smile and be excited again. After your mother… Your father and I tried our best to be there for you but I feared that we would lose your smile too. I will have to thank Kuro for being your friend during your stay in London. Should I also expect him to ask my permission to court you?” He said in a teasing voice and Mahiru’s face became bright red. Toru patted his shoulder and said, “I will approve as long as he makes you happy.”

“He’s a wonderful man.” Mahiru was relieved that his uncle accepted him while others would look down on him. They were alone in the carriage so he could speak more openly about his feelings without worrying someone would overhear them. “I’m making the scarf as a Christmas present for Kuro. It has been months since he sent me a letter and I’m worried.”

“Perhaps he wrote you a letter but it hasn’t reached Tokyo yet.” Toru suggested to reassure him. “The carriage will take us to the castle first but then you can ask the driver to take you to the village. It’s dark outside. Will he be working in the field you told me about?

“Before I left, I made him promise to think of himself more and work a little less. There is still a chance that he’s with the sheep.” Mahiru pictured him surrounded by sheep and relaxing on the hill. He wanted to see him as quickly as possible. “I’ll go to the village quickly to see if he’s there.”

The carriage stopped in front of the castle and Mahiru picked up his luggage. While he was excited to see Kuro again, he couldn’t leave his uncle and servants to carry the bags by themselves. He swung the bag over his shoulder and he took his sewing basket before he jumped down. Mahiru waved to the servants and footmen before he walked to the large door adorned with two lions.

He entered the castle and he scanned the foyer for Germain. Mahiru wanted to ask his cousin which room they were staying in so he could settle in quickly. Then, he would be able to see Kuro. He spotted him at the end of the hall and he called his name. “It’s nice to see you again. We have a lot to catch up on. Though, I have to settle in and visit the village quickly.”

“The village is gone.” His cousin spoke so curtly that Mahiru almost thought he misheard him. He turned sharply to face him and his heart dropped when he saw his grim expression. Mahiru felt as if the wind was knocked from his body. Had something happened to the village? Was that the reason Kuro hadn’t written to him in months? The questions made his fear heavier.

His grip on his bags disappeared but he didn’t hear them drop to the ground. Mahiru barely heard his own voice. “What about Kuro?”

“The shepherd you often visited?” Mahiru couldn’t find his voice to answer him and he could only nod grimly. In the back of his mind, he was surprised that his cousin knew about him sneaking into the village. He couldn’t linger on the question after he heard his next words. “No one in the village survived. He was only a shepherd to you so you don’t need to be so upset.”

Mahiru’s hand moved by before his mind fully processed his own intention. He slapped Germain across the face and his palm stung from the force. “Don’t talk about Kuro like that! He’s far more than a shepherd. He saved me when I was grieving and he was a hero to me. I can’t accept that he and his village disappeared like you claimed. I’m going to the village to search for him.”

Mahiru turned on his heel and he stormed out of the castle.

The Count watched him leave and he sighed heavily. He turned his head slightly to the man hidden in the shadows of the curtains. “I lied to him like you requested, Sleepy Ash. Though, I don’t understand your wish when he would’ve been happier knowing that you were alive.”

“He wouldn’t be happy. He’ll be horrified.” Kuro spoke to Count with his back turned to him. His attention was on the view outside the window where Mahiru was running down the familiar path. He opened the window and he climbed onto the ledge to jump down. A hand on his shoulder stopped him and he looked back to the Count. He could reach the confusion in his eyes.

Kuro pushed his hand off his shoulder and he said, “I don’t want him to see me as this monster but he’s still important to me. I’m going to watch over him. Afterall, I know the rumours of dangerous vampires stalking this forest are true. I won’t let monsters like me hurt him.”

With those words, Kuro jumped down and he followed Mahiru.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Iron 4 (Peter Parker x F!Oc)

Words: 2, 111

Warnigns: Mention of panic attack and child abuse.

Masterlist

Chapter 3  Chapter 5

"First try,” says Tony. He has cables running through his body that connect to buttons that he holds in his hands. Lily sits down on a bench. “Ten percent.”

Tony shoots off towards one of the walls behind him. Lily is startled on the bench, but she calms down when she hears Tony's complaints. She laughs when she sees one of the helpers spray him with the fire extinguisher.

"Don't laugh," Tony says and she covers her mouth, but keeps laughing.

"Are you okay?”

"I will be.”

While Tony continues with the design of the armor, Lily follows closely, thinking well about the next question, after all she only has twenty per day. From time to time, Tony explains the next step to her in detail and although he doesn't think she can understand, he can see she’s determined to know more. He even lets her use the holograms so that she can see the options for each function of some parts of the armor.

After several hours, Tony arms part of his right arm with one of the blasters. Without noticing it, Pepper enters the workshop with a small box, a cup with coffee and another with chocolate.

The redhead frowns when she sees her boss.

“I thought you would no longer build weapons. It's not good that Lily’s here,” She hands the chocolate to Lily. She leaves the rest on a desk. "By the way. Obadiah is waiting upstairs…”

“It’s not a weapon. This is a flight stabilizer. Completely harmless— and you said I should take care of her. So far we haven't had any problems,” He says, pulling out the frame. He presses a button and again is thrown backwards. The little girl can't help but laugh again. "I didn’t expect that.”

Pepper sighs and looks at the girl.

"Don't you want to do something else?”

"This is fun,”

Pepper nods and goes back to the first floor of the house.

Tony gets up and sets some things up.

"Wait for me here,” he tells her and leaves the workshop.

But since Lily now also has a door code -with the screen at her height- she doesn’t think twice to follow him, only that she decides to hide behind a wall.

A piano is played for a few minutes, until the adults begin to speak. Lily only pays enough attention to know that they are talking about Tony's company and someone brought pizza from New York.

“Let the engineers analyze that. You know, write up some specs..”

Tony repeatedly refuses.

"Okay, okay, I won't discuss this any more," says the man. "But I can't help but feel like they are watching us.”

Uh-oh. Lily tries to go down another step, but Tony's voice stops her.

“He's fine, kid. You can come out.”

She obeys. She walks slowly until she reaches Tony's side. Obadiah sighs.

"I thought you were going to take care of this.”

"I'm doing it. She's mine.”

“Very noble of you, but if someone finds out… The board would have another reason to kick you out, Tony.”

"What does she have to do with the board?”

"They want to declare you with post traumatic stress and with it, they could say that you need time with your daughter,” Tony doesn’t respond, he looks away. Obadiah nods and bends down to speak to Lily. "I'm Obadiah, your father's friend, but you can call me Obie,” he smiles tightly.

Unlike Tony's other friends. Lily has a bad feeling about Obadiah and somehow she thinks she has seen him before, but she doesn't know why.

“She's very cute, what is her name?”

"Lily. You're done?" says Tony fed up with the conversation.

Obadiah stands up and looks at Tony.

“I don't want to be the enemy and you know it. I just want to help you. In every way, Tony,” He says referring to both the reactor that Stark has in his chest and the girl.

"Yes, good. They both stay with me.”

"Okay, so this stays with me,” answers Obadiah taking the pizza box. "Well, you can have a piece,” Tony obeys and heads back towards the stairs. Obadiah lowers the box. "You can have a piece too, darling."

Lily takes one, but something about the movement brings out something on her neck that Obadiah immediately recognizes. After she takes the pizza, he slams the box shut. His body tenses and he observes the girl in detail. She looks at him confused.

"Are you coming, Flower?" shouts Tony from below. Lily reacts and runs towards the stairs.

Pepper doesn't know which part she is more surprised with, Obadiah's reaction to the girl or that Tony Stark already has a little nickname towards Lily. A very cute one.

She sighs hoping none of this ends badly.

***

"Day eleven, test thirty-seven. Configuration two point zero,” says Tony towards the camera. Lily watches him from her place behind the robot. “For lack of a better option. Dummy is still on fire safety,” He says looking at the robot near him. “If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire. I'm donating you to a city college.”

"That was not nice, he just wants to help,” the girl complains.

“It can also help in a university,” He replies. “All right, nice an easy. Seriously, just gonna start off with one percent thrust capacity. In three, two, one,” This time it works and stays in the air for a few minutes. "That was good.”

"At least you didn't crash.”

"Thanks, kid.”

"Okay, let's go up to two point five,” He turns it back on. Now the result is better. Tony clumsily hovers around his workshop. Lily looks at him and moves when the man approaches her. She winces when Tony flies over his cars. "Yeah, I can fly.”

"That was awesome!" She screams.

If Tony's ego was too high, he is now overcome by having a little cheerleader next to him.

"Let's do it right.”

Tony returns to the center of the workshop and little by little, with the help of some robots, they are putting together a golden armor. Lily sees every detail when Tony reviews each part.

"Let's make a flight attempt.”

J.A.R.V.I.S tries to warn him of the consequences of doing so, but the man doesn't listen.

"Wait, where are you going?" Lily asks.

“I'll be back in a few minutes. If Pepper asks, tell her it will take hours.”

“But-"

"See you, kid.”

The armor starts and leaves the workshop. She sighs and sits in one of the chairs in front of a desk. She looks around her and smiles when she comes up with something.

"I'm Tony Stark,” She says in a deep voice. "I have a lot of money and a lot of toys, but I won't let you touch them, Lily!”

She turns in the chair until she sees the box that Pepper had brought days before. She bites her lower lip and tries to break only a little of the wrap, at the bottom, but by a wrong move, she breaks more. All she can see is a crystal and something shiny inside of it.

She sets it aside, putting a few things in front of it so that the opening is barely noticeable. She knows it is not possible, but that will be a problem later.

She keeps seeing things in Tony's workshop. She stops when she sees several framed photos. One is Tony when he was a child along with his parents. Lily smiles, seeing that her grandfather, in that photo also has a mustache just like Tony now.

Another photo catches her eye. It's Tony with the man she met a few days ago, Obadiah. She makes a face remembering the bad feeling she had with that man.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a great crash, followed by two more, until the armor falls directly on a blue car. She walks over to see if Tony is okay.

"How was your flight?"

He sighs.

"It can be better.”

***

"Hey, Kid,” says Tony in front of a desk.

"Yes?"

"Did you try to open this?" He says pointing to the box.

“No," she lies.

“Hmm," Tony rolls his eyes and removes the wrap completely. He smiles at the words 'Proof that Tony Stark has a heart', his old reactor, his salvation in that difficult moment.

“Tony," says Lily approaching.

“What?"

"The man who came a few days ago…”

"Obie?" She nods. "What's wrong with him?”

"I don't like him.”

Tony frowns. "Why?"

"I don’t know.”

He rolls his eyes. He expected a better explanation than that.

"No, wait,” says Lily when she sees Tony wanting to get up. "I think I've seen him before!”

“Okay, you have my attention. Explain yourself.”

Lily looks at him nervously. She sighs.

“It's like I've seen him before, but I don't know from where. I don't like him and he acted strange when you left.”

"That makes no sense.”

"I know,” she answers. "But, when I saw it, I felt like he…” she stops a little, thinking well what she wants to say. Tony is officially her father, she doesn't know if the paperwork is that important or if they already did, but he already accepted it. Maybe it's time to tell him. "Sometimes I have nightmares.”

"As everyone.”

“Hey, don't interrupt me. You don't like it when I do it,” she says annoyed. Tony raises his eyebrows at her. "Those nightmares, sometimes they’re the same, it’s very strange and they feel real, that’s what I felt when the man saw me.”

Tony knows that Lily is trying to say more.

"What do you see in nightmares?"

"It's not what happens, it's how I feel. My mom, she told me that it's normal for me to feel this way, but it doesn't just happen when I have nightmares. Sometimes, I feel a… tingling, in my hands.”

The girl takes his hands, opens them palms up and with her nails makes curved lines, from the wrists to the tips of her fingers.

“This is how it feels and when I'm upset or I think someone wants to hurt me, I feel that. Not just from dreams,” Her breath shakes. “That is not normal, that does not happen to other people and I am afraid that it is something bad. Once— a— once…”

"Hey, hey,” Tony takes her by the shoulders. “Breathe. Breathe with me, Lily,” She watches him with teary eyes and obeys.

“Once,” she continues in a cracking voice. “Once, I felt the tickle and— My mom was yelling at me. I don't remember why, but she then she tried to grab my arm. The tickle went up and she removed her hand, very quickly,” She wipes a tear from her cheek. “Her hand was red and had blisters…”

"She must have grabbed something else before she touched you,” Tony says trying to find an explanation.

“No, she was on the couch and then she came over. I hurt her.”

The man sighs and makes a face. He extends his arms and surrounds the girl. She hides her face on his chest.

"I'm afraid of hurting someone.”

"You won’t do it. We’ll find out what happens.”

It's the only thing he can think of to say. He doesn't know if the girl is lying, he ignores the voice telling him that someone doesn't have a panic attack from a lie, but he doesn't know what else to do, at least for now.

***

After a few hours, Tony is surrounded by various screens and computers, making the necessary adjustments to the armor, while Lily watches TV— actually she just gets distracted by changing channels– only until she reaches a news channel, Tony asks her to quit.

A charity event in his name and he wasn't invited, nobody expects Tony Stark there, so he sees it as a perfect opportunity to surprise everyone.

“Hey, Kid,” He says to Lily making a sign for her to come closer. She obeys. "What you think?" He shows her the final design of the armor. "I feel like something’s missing.”

She tilts her head. "Maybe another color— Red!”

Tony smiles and looks sideways at the metallic red of one of his cars.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, add a metallic red,” He picks up a watch. "I have to go. I'll tell Happy to take care of you,” He says looking at the girl.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to an event, don't wait up for me," He says, leaving the workshop.

She shrugs and heads for the stairs. She thinks about everything she’ll tell Happy about the last days of work.

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