#I might encounter the slight problem of having to sign up + follow subjects for my master while graduating but it's okay :)

[misskamelie]

Officially two exams away from graduating!!!

[hobicomeholla29]

Cuff me if you can - Part 1 - KTH

Pairing: Dad! Street Racer! Taehyung x Judge! Reader

Genre: Fluff/ Slight angst/ Crack

Word Count:5k

Warnings: Mentions of domestic violence/ Cursing/ Mentions of bribing/ Probably incorrect use of legal terminology/ Incorrect legal procedure/ That’s all for this chapter. Oh! unedited!

Rating: PG13

A/N: Well hello again beautiful people! Thank you for taking the time to read this! This sieres are part of BTSghostie writer event for the month of september. Dynamite Dads!

Summary: Kim Taehyung and yourself, live your lives on the opposite side of each other. Yet that doesn’t mean that you can’t meet in the middle.

Masterlist

Getting out of your car, the cool morning breeze caressed what it could of your exposed skin. The walk from the parking lot to the courthouse wasn’t long, but the chills that ran through your body made it feel like it took a little over the usual 5 minutes.

The sun shined like every morning, yet today it felt different somehow.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but it felt as if today would be the beginning of something new or different, and that was a lot to say for someone like you.

“Morning judge y/n!”

“Morning”

Your job placed you in a position where you were always in the eyes of criminals and felons that were either angry, moody, violent, sad or careless  ­—and any other word you can come up with, when thinking about wrongdoers who are finally facing the law­­— forcing you to try seeking for positivity in other aspects of your life.

 Since you were a child, you always had an itch that annoyed you every time you had to be in the presence of an unfair or unethical situation and couldn’t do anything about it.

 It is positive to say that you got it from your mother's strong moral views on righteousness, honesty, and integrity.

 And so a dream came up to you, a dream you had expressed to your parents at the tender age of 5 while watching cartoons one cold morning, your parents discussing the latest incident on that morning's newspaper on the other side of the room.

 "I want to put all those kwiminals in jail"

 There was something fulfilling about being able to help people get justice for the wrongs that were done to them, something about making the corrupt, nefarious, and unlawful pay. Your dream never wavered, the sole thought of what the future would hold made you buzz with excitement during your teenage years and still did now in your adulthood.

 It was present during your entire life, you weren't afraid of speaking up when a witness was needed in an unfair situation in school, whether you were putting yourself in a position against a classmate or a teacher, all that mattered was that the problem was solved in a fair manner.

 Yet, even though you kept steadfast loyalty towards your beliefs, it sometimes got you in trouble, as not everyone sees good in someone openly voicing their wrongdoings. Leading you to sometimes being labeled as a snitch —and no one wants to befriend a snitch—.

 Nevertheless, you pushed through, finally meeting people that shared your views in college.

 It was nice to be able to have a conversation with people with the same mentality and strong feelings towards justice as yourself —not saying that you didn't encounter people who were walking this path just for the money.

 And finally, after graduating from law school with two of your closest friends by your side, you decided it had been way too long of a peaceful ride for the evildoers and it was time to get with it.

 "Good morning Y/n!" A voice spoke loudly from behind you.

 "Morning Guk! How was your weekend?" It was always nice to see Jungkook 1st thing in the morning. For some reason, his cute bunny teeth always gave you life.

 Jungkook was one of your friends from college AKA best friend #1. He had the face of a baby with the wisdom of a 70-year-old man –who would have thought.

 His words towards you were always of encouragement or offerings of helping you with anything you needed –just like in college.

 He was methodical with his work, always studying his cases with a careful eye and with discipline. Some hated it, stating he took way too long to make final judgments, however, there wasn't a ruling that Jungkook had ever issued where the victim had been left to suffer the mischief without the guilty paying the price.

 "Pretty calm actually, taking into consideration that I had the Kang case on Sunday" The younger of your friends exhaled "That man has got to get a grip on his life, this is his 3rd showing" He made a pause as if bringing up some memories from the case, however, he quickly returned to the present "How was yours?"

 "It was quiet; abnormally so, thus my wild guess is that this week I'm going to be assigned as many cases as possible."

 "I know that feeling. The impending doom crawling towards you in the shape of Jimin dropping them on your desk."

 “Yep…” You sighed bracing yourself for the upcoming day.

 Briefly talking about other uninteresting subjects and your mundane lives –like, when was Seokjin going to invite both of you out for lunch— you both eventually parted ways to your own chambers.

 "Good morning Judge Y/n"

"Morning Jimin, you look refreshed!"

 Jimin —your perky judicial secretary— was the earthly version of an angel mixed with a dutiful fairy, you sometimes wondered how he even managed to hold up that 1,000-watt smile all day while dealing with you.

 You had been working together for 3 years now and every year they decided to rotate the secretaries, you prayed they wouldn't change him for someone else.

 "I am! Thanks for the days off, they really helped!"

"Don't mention it bubs. What do you have for me today?" You asked as your heels clicked on the tile making your way behind your large rectangular Victorian style oak desk, Jimin quickly trailing behind you with a stack of folders in his arms.

 "These four are for today and these four are for tomorrow" he said as he divided them into two groups in front of you. "I'll have the ones for Wednesday and Thursday ready by tomorrow" he concluded with a small nod and a smile of accomplishment on his plump lips.

 "Thanks, Jimin. What would I do without you?" you smiled up at the younger man, who smiled wider and turned to leave to his own desk a couple of feet away from yours.

 Finally, mentally prepared to start your day —after mindlessly scrolling through your phone for 20 minutes— you unlocked your computer and began reading through the files that Jimin had left on your desk labeled ‘Monday’.

 "Another asshole, who thought he could get away with a hit and run..." you muttered to yourself, as you reviewed the first case.

 The following trials were for a domestic violence case and 2 robberies.

After reviewing the files, you began transcribing some of the information on your computer, adding personal notes based on the evidence that had been collected for each case and saved it all for its intended use in the next 2 hours.

"Since no one likes a slacker, I might as well go through the ones for tomorrow as well."

As expected, there was another case of robbery, one for theft, a case for assault and last but not least a misdemeanor for street racing. 

After an hour of transcribing that called for a well-deserved break, you stretched your arms above your head, sighing softly as the tension was released.

 "Judge... would you like some tea? I'm on my way to the Cafe"

"Ugh Jimin, I love you, why are you so sweet, I'll come with." As you both picked up your belongings and were about to head out to the small cafe across the street, an unforeseen visitor arrived abruptly, startling both you and your secretary.

"Oh, so you're both slacking off now. I thought that was a Y/n thing?"

"I- No judge- we-" Poor Jimin couldn’t even complete a sentence, his mind still in a jumble as a result of the sudden barge into your chamber.

"Seokjin, shut up.” You cut your eyes at his comment. “We are going to the café. You either come with or move out of the way." You laughed a bit while pushing past your best friend #2, making your way out.

Oh, how lucky were you to be able to have them working near you.

 Back from the cafe and ready to face all cases for the day, you walk to your chamber accompanied by Jimin who helped you wear your black robe, both quickly headed to the courtroom for your first trial right after.

Monday had gone by smoothly; all cases being addressed as they should and all sentences set in place.

Tuesday was a better day, the morning had been less chilly than the day prior and you could read a bit before your hearings of the day, since you had proactively  reviewed the cases of today, yesterday.

After the third time hearing it today, a fourth was just unnecessary, however entering the courtroom for the fourth time on that day, you heard the bailiff announcing your arrival.

 “All rise. This court is now in session.” Shuffling could be heard, a sign of everyone in the room getting on their feet. “Honorable judge Y/n L/n Presiding.”

You took your seat and announced to everyone that they could do so too. You took the files that the bailiff handed you and began reading the case.

 “Good morning everyone. Today's hearing is for case 3476, the city vs Lee Simon, Kim Taehyung and Jean Reynolds” you announced.

 “Lee Simon, Kim Taehyung and Jean Reynolds, all three of them, age 26, accused of trespassing private property, injury of a third party and driving over the speed limit, while being timed against each other. All of it initiating from 25th avenue to Map of the Soul street.” You concluded.

“How do you plead?”

“Innocent” “Guilty” “Innocent”

 Internally, you wanted to laugh, but you knew your position required for you to remain serious and focused. It wasn’t the first time a group of friends split due to being involved in a situation they weren’t expected to be in, and it wouldn’t be the last.

 “Seeing that you have different views, let us review the information presented.”

Videos and pictures from street cameras were shown, as well as footed from a dash camera in a hidden police vehicle.

 “Evidence shown so far, seems to portray all three of you as guilty, and the witnesses are yet to come in, excluding the owner of the vehicle you crashed into while running against each other as well as the owner of the private property you drove through.”

 You watched all three of them carefully as you gave them a run through of how this case was going on for them. Two off them looked indifferent, like someone who has done it before, did it this time and will probably do so again.

A chance was soon to be given to all three of them to express why they believed they were innocent, however another piece of evidence was brought in.

“According to this report sent in about your record, you are all repeat offenders, meaning that your options are limited; paying for the legal fees and community service, paying for the legal fees and 1 year jail time or paying for the legal fees, suspension of your driver’s license, a fee of $10,000 and a possibility of impoundment of the motor vehicle used in the crime.”

 "I am going to admit I was there, but I did it for a specific reason, your honor."

"And what reason could that be?"

“Can I approach the bench?”

“Permission granted." The man in question slowly approached you, eyes never wavering from yours.

"I needed the money your honor. I have a daughter..."

"Says here, that you have been detained before and gave out the same reason, so why should we let you off easy Mr. Kim?"

 “So… there is no way we aren’t paying the legal fees -I take it?” the one with the tiger-like eyes spoke up, a small smile playing on his lips as he did so.

“No” the frown on your face was so pronounced, that no area was left for more of his attempt to banter.

“Do I get the easier outcomes if I plead guilty.”

“That’s a possibility...” Now you know why he pleaded guilty. He’s not new to this.

“I have a daughter your honor… I can’t go to jail” He said before you were able to add to your previous sentence.

“That’s for me to decide, however, can’t she stay with a family member?”

“She only has me…” his eyes turned gloomy as he directed his gaze to the floor Infront of you. Should you even trust that action. It could be staged for all you know.

It annoyed you the way how the immediate mention of a child felt like a tool he was using to soften the blow of your possible verdict. However, it still got under your skin and you felt your hard-exterior crumble, allowing your feelings to take over and think about the poor child that would have to deal with an uncomfortable situation.

“How old is your daughter Mr. Kim?”

“four” His demeanor changed entirely the moment he found more time to speak about the hypothetical child he had.

“Who is she with at the moment?”

“A friend”

“Everyone back to their seats…”

You were so predictable. Jungkook would have never softened for something like that.

He would have given him 2 years in jail, taken his car, taken his driver’s license and custody of the child as well, for not being a suitable parent. But no, you had to be like Seokjin, soft hearted and taking people’s feelings into consideration. Bleh.

 “Based on the evidence collected. I am ready to provide a verdict for this case. Lee Simon and Jean Reynolds you are sentenced to serve 6 months of county jail time, pay a fine of $5,000 plus all legal fees and your license will be suspended for 6 months. Kim Taehyung, you are sentenced to a fine of $3,000, suspension of your driver’s license for 6 months, paying the legal fees and community service for 6 months.” You stated re arranging the documentation on your desk and setting them aside.

“Please take them. Mr. Kim shall be escorted to the officer’s department in order to have his rules set in place.”

“Thank you.” A voice said to you right after. You didn’t have to turn to know it was Kim Taehyung, however you did so. He was flashing you a large square smile. It wasn't 1,000 watts like Jimin’s but it was still warm and different, even a bit playful if you looked at it for long.

“That daughter of yours better be real.” You muttered before collecting the final documentation and exiting the room.

But not before hearing.

“Didn’t know they had such pretty judges in here, I should get arrested more often.”

You should have put him in jail. Or maybe not.

It’s funny how you haven’t been able to get your mind to stop remembering his cheeky squared smile and that aura of a playful child in a large man. It's been 2 weeks now.

Yet you can’t forget him walking up into your courtroom with all that confidence, as if he owned the place.

“Ugh”

“Everything ok?”

You gasped loudly, not having heard Jimin enter the chamber as you mindlessly rolled your mouse around and thought about the man who you sentenced to community service a couple of weeks ago.

“You nearly killed me Jimin!” you voiced a little louder than you should have, the fright still showing in your tone.

“I'm sorry" poor kid, all he did was be nice all day.

“You're fine, I just didn’t hear you come in” you answered, returning to aimlessly move your mouse and stare at the open word document on your computer screen.

“Oh! I see. Well in your favor, I was trying to be quiet. Anyways, what are you doing here so early judge y/n?” leave it to Jimin to always worry about others.

“I thought I could… focus on something else by working a little, but the chambers triggered my distractions even more…” You tried internally to not bring it up, but you knew you had to tell someone about it.

About the fact that maybe you might have an itty-bitty tiny crush on a man you barely saw for a span of 40 minutes and convicted for a crime. You are so lame.

Jimin moved around his desk -you assumed- arranging all of his documents for the day and bring his computer to life.

“and what is it?” he asked you after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence.

“What is what?”

“The distraction that's caught your attention, what is it?” his eyes stared at you widely, they looked so earnest and kind. Just wanting to help you with whatever inconvenience you were having.

“Um… well… you’ll probably think it's dumb"

“I promise I won't” he answered so fast, it felt like he was expecting you to decline opening up to him.

“Well…. I… kinda-have-a-small-crush-on-a-man-I-barely-know-and-could-be-a-scofflaw.”

Your sentence had come out abruptly and in such a rapid fire, that you could see the cogs turning in Jimin’s head as he connected all the things you had said and laced them together.

“Did you just say scofflaw?”

“Is that all you caught from my sentence?” flabbergasted, that's what you were with his reaction.

“No, but… really? scofflaw? Not even judge Harry who's 78 uses that term anymore.”

“Not the point Jimin…" frustrated at the weird turn the conversation had taken, you pinched your nose bridge, trying to figure out the young man's train of thought .

“Ok, ok. But is it one of the guys from a couple of weeks ago. The street racer ones?”

“How do you-"

“Eva from the reception said that, Joyce from finance told her that, Hyerin from chamber 5, saw them being called in on their hearing day and that they were all —her words, not mine— as hot as a super-sized bag of flamin hot Cheetos.”

 Now that’s stuck in your mind. Jimin was definitely not helping.

 “Curse you, procrastination!”

 Grocery shopping should have been done weeks ago. But you were tired, and sleepy and distracted and everything in between that could keep you from doing the boring task that  buying your own food was.

 Walking through the aisles in the grocery store, you could hear a little girl talking her —probably parent's— ear off.

 Not paying too much attention to her, you were barely able to catch a couple of words here and there as you walked around picking up what you needed.

 "Fishies would be a good pet because I can't hu't it if I hug it awound his house"

"Why can't I see my own eyes?"

"Can we get vanilla this time, stwabewies we'e yuck!"

"How do clouds float? Why don't they fall?"

"Look! Look! A toy!"

 She sounded so excited and the little lisp with her R's was the cutest, you thought.

 You were almost done with your list, only missing some meat or poultry and a pound of potatoes, —'cause you've been craving gratin potatoes for a while and you were done living a life without them.

 Making your way to the missing items, you could once again hear a conversation going on between the little girl and the other person, but this time the adult with her spoke. It was a grave voice, very deep and somewhat familiar, yet not enough to put a face to it.

 "You are not having a pet, until you understand the responsibilities that come with taking care of an animal" The voice answered the little girl sternly. You could imagine the man's face voided of any emotion and trying to maintain a serious visage. Probably trying to teach his daughter a lesson.

Again, the voice sounded familiar, giving you a tingling sensation in the back of your mind. However, in your distraction, the links that attempted to connect in your mind remained ignored.

 You continued rolling your cart, hastily turning around each corner; ready to pick up what you were missing and bolt home to make the delicious meal you have been craving for.

 However, you were suddenly stopped by another cart that crashed right into yours as they rushed towards you from around the corner.

 "Oof, My bad" - "Oh no! I'm so sorry!"

 You both said in unison.

 “Oh...” Came the immediate reaction from both of you, as you noticed who the person you had bumped into was.

 "So, the whole you having a daughter wasn’t a lie after all"

 "You offend me your honor." Was his reply as he chuckled a bit to himself "But I guess I am not a good example of what a decent human or father should be like..."

 "Oh Hush! We all make mistakes. Even some that land us in Jury or court" You giggled a little trying to soften whatever thought had him thinking he was the worst human ever to walk on this earth.

 Of course, he had made a mistake —a couple of them at that—   but it wasn’t murder, and he was attempting to make an income for his family.

 "What's her name?" You asked him as you both watched her eyeing the fish tank you assumed she saw the fish at before.

 "Yoonah. But she prefers to be called Nah-Nah" His voice mellowed. You looked at him with a smirk on your face, but all you got was the sight of a man watching his daughter with the fondest of gazes. So much love could be found in his eyes, he was proud and filled with warmth. The small smiled that decorated his features said it all.

 “Is she your only daughter?”

 Your question brought him back to the present.

 “Oh, yeah – she is” Was his curt answer. The tone he used made you feel a bit guilty, as if you were way too into his business, so you decided to cut it short.

 “Well it was nice meeting you outside of court Mr. Kim –and little miss Yoonah as well.” Were your final words as you waved your hand swiftly and left to finish your shopping, missing entirely the smile that graced his lips when he heard you address his little girl.

 For some reason, you hoped to see them one more time before you left the store, just to make sure they were ok —even though there was nothing dangerous at a grocery store.

 --

After so much fussing and so many tantrums, Kim Taehyung was finally tired out.

It could be seen from a mile away, just by watching his shoulders slightly slump and Yoonah grinning up at him with a content expression.

 Naturally, the best view of your day was Kim Taehyung walking out of the grocery store with four bags on one shoulder and a small plastic bag in his right hand, filled with water and two gold fish swimming peacefully.

So much for the sterned voice he had back there.

 You lingered a little more on your way to your own car, head turning slightly to your left, just to watch him interact with his daughter. You are sure you look like a creep, but it was so endearing, you couldn’t help yourself.

He kept her close by while he loaded the trunk with groceries and tickled her sides while placing her in her car seat. N sight of a father that didn’t care for his daughter or an irresponsible parent. Yeah, that was going to be your excuse for staring longer than needed.

 Yet what was a little more time for you, was enough to give him a full view of you watching them both with something in your expression that he couldn’t read, but whatever it was, had his heart racing a little more than it should for somewhat of a stranger that could put him in jail.

You’re not sure if it’s one of those times where once you meet someone one time, you end up seeing them everywhere.

How is it possible that on a chill evening in the park, while you were enjoying a slow-paced stroll and a hot chocolate in your hands, you see him again. You are about to start thinking that maybe he is following you and in addition to committing his past crime, he is also a stalker.

But he couldn’t be. He’s not even looking at you. From your short distance from him, you can see his eyes trained on something else. A fond smile decorated his lips as if whatever held his attention was above everything in this world.

From this angle you could appreciate his profile. A very handsome man you should say.

His eyes slowly crinkle into smaller half-moons in favor of his now growing smile taking more space. His teeth now baring and the apple of his cheeks flexing.

Oh! what a sight.

What would it feel like to poke them? you thought to yourself.

Yet, your legs had other plans and were already in action. Your brain had already sent signals to your arms and fingers to poke all soft parts that it came into contact with.

You are a judge, for goodness’s sake, touching someone without their authorization is battery. What are you doing?

 Yet right before you were able to do so you heard her.

“Daddy!” The soft giggles that followed filled the air that surrounded you. You turned your head to the direction of the sound and just in time you caught the sight of a little girl running from the playground into Taehyung’s arms.

Before you even turned to him, he was already catching her, squeezing her tightly in his embrace.

“Did you see that daddy? I did it!”

“Yes, you did princess! And you were amazing! Best cartwheel I have ever seen!”

The little girl giggled and squealed as Taehyung blew raspberries everywhere around her.

 When she finally calmed down, her eyes met yours and her head tilted in questions.

“It’s the groceries lady daddy!”

Turning to look at who his daughter was pointing at, he met you, only 3 steps away from him.

“Jud- Judge Y/n?”

“Hi again Mr. Kim, seems like we keep bumping into each other.”

“So it seems.” Today his smile was a careless one or was it a content one. Either way they were still that remarkable boxy smile.

“Nice to see you again miss Nah-Nah.” You greeted the little girl that had noticed you first and a hearty giggle left her body in return.

“What brings you here?” Asked the man that you had somehow forgotten was by your side or maybe you were just trying to ignore the strong tiger eyes that bore into you by entertaining a conversation with his cute daughter.

“Daddy, can I go to the big slide?”

“Not, without supervision Nah-Nah.” He answered so seriously, it reminded you of the voice in the grocery store.

“But daddy, I am a big gu’l now”

“Nah-Nah…”

“Daddy…” he sighed so loudly; you couldn’t help but laugh at his odyssey.

It was Deja vu from the grocery store and fish all over again. All that big father talk for nothing. He was so whipped for his daughter.

“Ok, let’s make a deal…”

“Yes!”

“You can go to the big slide, but if you get an ‘owie’, I want you to get up and dust off just like big girls do. Ok?”

“Yes, daddy.”

“Ok, princess. Go on”

Not a second went by after his sentence and little Yoonah was already off to an adventure with the rest of the kids in the park.

“She is so precious”

“Thank you”

You both stayed in a comfortable silence, staring into the distance in the direction Yoonah had left of. However, that peace was cut by the man standing near you.

“So, are you following us now your honor?” That playful smirk of his was back, alerting you quickly that he was just attempting at a friendly banter with you.

“Hmm, maybe I am, but I’ll never let you know.” You said winking at him.

He laughed so loud at the action, that you could not hold back a laughter of your own.

“So you do have a sense of humor” He stated after calming down.

“I do, when I am outside of my line of work.”

“Understandable…”

Once again, a comfortable silence fell between you both as you watched his daughter running around filled with glee, playing with other children.

“So, who were the ugly judges you encountered before me?” Now it was your turn to start the conversation and again he laughed. Who would have thought you were this funny.

“So, you did hear that.”

You definitely did and deep within you hoped he meant it. Even though it wasn’t the time or place for his flirting.

“Maybe…”

“I meant it… just in case you were wondering.”

Yes, you were!!!

“Oh! I- umm… Thank you.” You could feel your face heating up, however you refused to end the eye contact you were keeping up since your conversation began.

“Anytime… Like honestly. Any. Time. And every time. I’ll repeat it every time I find it necessary.” He said his smile growing with each word that he sent your way. And you, well you weren’t one to back down on a flirting challenge.

“And how is that possible, if we don’t see each other all the time?” you asked, acting coyly.

“I might have a solution for that, your honor.” Welp. Now you got yourself into something.

Two weeks had gone by since that day.

Two weeks after Mr. Kim had asked for your number and invited you for ice cream with Yoonah, under the excuse of a thank you for not sending him to jail. Needless to say, you quickly corrected his statement to not have him think this was a favor you had done for him, but a decision you had made based on evidence and circumstances surrounding the case.

It had also been a week since Mr. Kim changed from that name to Taehyung.

The mocking that came with you saying his given name for the first time was endless.

“Awww, so no more Mr. Kim?”

“Shut it Taehyung!”

[halfgclden]

Cards for Sorrow... | Abel&Gabriele

Date: October 30th, 2020

Summary: A page delivers a message. A plan is made.

It took a lot of Abel's strength to not immediately tell Gabriele everything that had happened that night when they saw him, but they restrained themself, if only for Rory's sake. However, once them and their cousin parted ways for the evening, Abel was back at the tarot reading tent, and, once through the queue, they sat in front of Gab and placed their hands face down on the table. "I have a problem, and I think you might be helpful in solving it. At least interested in it."

The night was nearing the end and Gabriele was starting to feel the strain of continually reading cards for the citizens of New Athens. Still, he smiled when Abel sat before him, not noticing the strain on their face. He shuffled his deck as they spoke. "Awesome. I can't promise tarot will give you answers to your problem, but we can definitely uncover some signs and guidance. Want to tell me more about it?"

Abel shook their head. "No, not tarot. Ag, I should've explained that better." They moved past lamenting the fact that they had not been clear in their first statement in order to be clear in the next one. "It's a ghost problem." They watched as Gabriele shuffled the cards. "Have you ever dealt with a possession?"

His hand slipped mid shuffle and one card fell face-up to the table— the Page of Pentacles. Gabriele frowned at the card, then at Abel, blinking for a few moments. A slight chill travelled through his body. "No, I haven't," he said. "But I believe I'm meant to be helping you with whatever is going on. Can you tell me more?"

Abel looked from the card on the table to Gabriele’s face, and their lips twitched upward involuntarily, reminded of Jacob. “Ah,” they sighed when he admitted that he had no experience, but had to admit that their spirits were slightly lifted (no pun intended) to know that someone would be helping them. “It’s Major. Being possessed. By... There’s one main ghost, but I believe there’s more, stuffed in there, and loud, and violent.”

Another chill moved down his spine and a small weight settled in his stomach; Gabriele's frown deepened as Abel explained. "Major," he mumbled, then he pressed a hand to his chin as his worry grew. "Do you know when this happened?" he asked. "Is he still in there? I only spoke to him once and I felt something strange, but he told me it was because he had a near death experience." Had he really missed something this drastic?

Abel shook their head again. "Nee. I had a dream about it, I believe, a few weeks ago, but I didn't know what it meant until I saw him." They frowned deeply under their mask. "I believe he's still in there. I silenced the ghosts, and he still spoke, and he seemed dazed. The ghost is not that good of an actor. He regained control after a few moments, then ran off again." Abel cleared their throat. "This was after the near death experience."

The more he learned, the more sure Gabriele was that this was exactly what he'd been looking for all this time. "Okay," he said quietly. He was partially relieved that he hadn't overlooked a possession, but it was still disturbing to know there was one at all. "I had a vision, too, about two months ago. I'm sure this is related." He glanced around the room, then picked up the card, folding it back into his deck. "Do you know who the ghost is?"

Abel nodded now, not taking their eyes off of Gab. "I doubt two visions about the same event are not connected." They ran their tongue over their teeth and sighed. "I think that it's the one that died on the quest in February. Lucien?"

Gabriele made a disconcerted noise. "I see..." He closed his eyes, rubbed his brow. "It was a violent death, yes? Sometimes ghosts have a hard time moving on when they are suddenly killed. But I'm surprised I didn't see anything between then and when... this happened." He shuddered, disturbed anew at the idea.

Abel nodded once more. “Violent, jarring, and now he’s been brought back.” They curled their hand into a fist on the table. “Ya, well... I don’t know. If it was his body, I could turn a blind eye, but now I have to get him out of there.” They sighed and leaned back in their chair. “Every time I’ve encountered him, I’ve been missing my spear, or else I would have reaped him on the spot.”

Gabriele nodded in agreement, up until Abel mentioned their spear. His face grew a little guarded and he leaned forward. “Are you sure that won’t also hurt Major?” he asked. He drummed his fingers on the table as he thought about it. “I’d like to help you, but I want to... try to make sure the host has minimal damage done to him.”

Abel set their jaw, pushing their headband up so that they could look at Gabriele with both eyes. "I'm not sure," they admitted, "but Major is in a worse pain right now. I don't know how... lucid he is, but having someone else in charge of you while you watch? A fate worse than death."

"Porca troia..." Gabriele mumbled as a wave of nausea rolled over him. "I hope for his sake that he's not lucid at all. I can't imagine what it must be— Well, I think I can, but whatever I'm picturing must be tamer than reality." He frowned again, fighting the urge to do a reading for himself for where he should even begin. "He doesn't deserve to spend the final weeks of his life like this. Let's try to make sure he comes out of this still living. Do you know where he's gone off to?"

Abel let Gabriele roll the thought over in his mind and shook their head. "No, but I know who brought him back from the dead. Do you know Jordan? He's a child of Hecate, and I saw him in my dream." They sighed. "He's a brother of my friend. Known to be reclusive, but not this demented."

Gabriele pressed his fingers to his temple and rubbed small circles there. "In my vision, I saw... A bird, coming back to life. Maybe he's done this before on a small scale." He was quiet again for a few moments. "I have heard of Jordan, but I don't believe we've spoken. I can't understand why he'd do this, unless he knew Lucien."

Abel set their jaw once more, a wave of anger at their inability to do anything thus far shooting through them. "Because he could? Do people not just test out their power to see if they can do things? Have you seen Jurassic Park?"

Despite the seriousness of this conversation, Gabriele smiled just a little. "I have not," he said, shaking his head. "You could be right. But I suppose I like to believe people are slightly more... forgivable? Regardless, we should try to figure out what spell he did."

Abel dragged their fingertips along the table, wishing there was some splinter to pick at. "I do not wish to give people the benefit of the doubt when they do horrific things. Can't stand the heat, don't attempt necromancy." They frowned again. "How will we figure that out? I can ask him."

Gabriele nodded in understanding, not wishing to argue the philosophy of this when there were more pressing issues. “Only if you believe that he will speak on it willingly.” He snapped his fingers. “I was hoping to talk to the children of Hecate for some personal research, maybe I can discover something that way.”

Abel shrugged one shoulder. "If I ask him directly and present him with the facts, I can gauge by his reaction what the best course of action would be. Maybe you can figure out the spell, and then I can speak with my father to decide what the necessary punishment is."

Gabriele didn't comment on the subject of punishment— he would happily let that be Abel's domain unless his goddess asked him to do otherwise. Letting the comment glide past him, he instead focused in on how he could get into the Hecate cabin. "I believe I've seen Jordan at the library, so I can approach him there."

Abel picked uselessly at the table again and nodded. "Sure. Let me know what information you glean from him, and I'll follow up, I suppose."

"Can I have your phone number?" he asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He had to admit, he thought they'd be exchanging information under different circumstances, but he could accept this.

Abel reached out as though to take Gab's phone, but didn't want a mishap with technology to turn this conversation (even more) sour. They recited it to him instead, then drummed their fingers on the table. "If I don't answer right away, don't be afraid to send a smoke signal or whisper my name into a hollowed out tree."

Gabriele, once again, was amused despite the seriousness of the situation. He also wasn’t sure if Abel meant it (their abilities were strange so Gabriele was willing to accept anything) or if it was a joke. This just made it funnier. “Noted,” he said with a small hum as he saved Abel as a contact. “If you need to reach me, I’m almost always on Instagram. No magical forms of contact for me, unfortunately.”

"Just the magic of technology," Abel sighed and pushed their chair back so that they could stand. "Your cards are lovely, by the way," they said once they'd made sure that they had everything. "I meant to say that earlier, but the other subject seemed a bit more pressing.”

“Oh,” Gabriele looked down at his deck and smiled. “Grazie. Yes, this was definitely more pressing. I will reach out to you very soon as soon as I learn more. And... I appreciate you coming to me. I think we can both help each other a great deal to save our friend.”

Abel felt that it would be in poor taste to point out that they weren't really friends with Major and were just doing this because it felt like the right thing to do, so they nodded. "I appreciate the help. You were the first person I thought of." Knowing that there were undoubtedly more people lined up for a reading from Gab, they took a step back into the shadows, held up a hand, and disappeared.

[swanandapirate]

A Muted Hue of Grey (2/14) -- CSBB

Summary: Emma Swan liked being a PI in Boston. It was a fun job, she had an okay income and she was a good one at that, so there was no logical reason to try and leave. Except for the fact that she wanted to, so badly. And, when she received a job offer for what seemed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, she did exactly that. Leave. Run. All the way to London. The job was simple: trailing a man called Killian Jones. Easy enough.

Well, until things get complicated, that is.

Rating: M (later mentions of violence, alcohol abuse, and sex)

Wordcount: 4131

Links: ao3 // ff.net // chapter 1 

A/N: Here's chapter two to finally answer those questions of how Emma is going to handle this very inconvenient situation. Though I do have to say that if this cliffhanger was already difficult to handle (looking at you @sambethe 😉) then oooooh boy have I got some things in store for you.

Eternal gratitude to my two favorite internet people in the world: my betas @acourtoftruelove and @ofshipsandswans who turned this jumble of sometimes incoherent words into an actual fic. 

Also major thanks to @shady-swan-jones for her banner and all of the cool art that she is posting and will post!

----------------------------

Shit, shit, shit.

There went her cover.

Way to go. She definitely deserved the Private Investigator of the Year award. Stellar work.

Emma opened her mouth and filled her chest with air, only to release it again without an answer.

“Can I help you, lass?”

The question still hung in the air. What should she—could she—even answer?

Jones lowered his eyebrows, not content with the lack of response, of explanation.

The heat of his hand on her felt like it was two hundred degrees, his touch burning through her clothes and onto her skin. It was almost painful for how long it remained there, not moving, not leaving, just comfortably—for him at least—wrapped around her upper arm.

Emma shook her head, trying to shake the feeling of fumbling clumsiness. She smiled, flashing her teeth. “I’m sorry for bumping into you. I don’t know where my head is today.”

He tilted his head and Emma internally berated herself for not being more convincing. For not being more prepared. He was not buying it and that put her in big trouble.

His head remained cocked, his messy eyebrows moving into a frown.

“You’ve been walking behind me for a while, I feel.”

She needed to get out of here, to run as fast and as far as she could. But his hands were still on her, locking her into place, preventing her from dashing away. Running would also completely blow her cover; if he saw her following him again, his suspicion would not only grow but be confirmed and she’d be compromised. How on earth was she going to explain that to her boss?

It was out of the question, for both her own pride and reputation, and for the clause she’d signed as part of her contract. There was no room for failure, only for success, which left one option.

She had to lie. Had no other choice than to think of a plausible cover that would explain it all and maybe take Jones’ wary look away. But what would do the trick?

“I’m sorry?” she said, apologizing for the second time in the span of a minute. Emma grimaced as she realized that too. “It’s just that— I—” Anything, just think of anything. “I have this feeling like I know you and I know that doesn’t condone the stalking but I was trying to figure out why I’m having this feeling. You aren’t a movie star, are you? A famous rock star?”

She was about to continue her list of possible—very impossible—professions he could have but it seemed the two options she’d given him had done their job.

He looked at her dazed.

“I’m guessing that’s a no. I don’t know where I could know you from, if that’s the case. I mean, this is my first time in London and I doubt you spent a lot of time in Boston.”

Take the bait, take the bait.

“I did actually.” Every word came out more surprised than the last. Jones seemed surprised himself. If only he knew.

She was acting and it felt like the fakest thing ever, it felt like she was being obvious, like the over-expressive, melodramatic actors in daytime soaps the moment they discovered their wife had had an affair with their twin brother and she was now pregnant with no idea who the real father was. Shocked .

“What?”

He interpreted the question wrong and completed his own statement.

“Spend a lot of time in Boston.”

“You did? Really?”

Of course, she knew this. She’d memorized his biography, up to every trivial fact like which Bostonian coffeehouse he frequented and what his order consisted of. She even knew where he lived. Close to where she used to. An odd thing their paths never crossed.

“Aye.” Killian slowly nodded. “I lived in Boston up until last year. I moved back a couple of months ago.”

“Huh.” She let her lips form a smile that read something in the lines of this person is currently pleasantly surprised. “Guess it’s not that far-fetched I actually know you from somewhere.”

“I suppose not,” he was forced to agree. “But you don’t seem familiar, if I’m being entirely honest,” he then said apologetically, his lips somewhere between a grimace and a smile.

“I don’t really try to stand out.”

She didn’t like to stand out because it made her job easier, a shadow in the night, a flash of movement during the day; it left her subject unsuspecting, unguarded and it was the easiest way to gain information and to get the job done. She didn’t like to stand out because that’s what led to problems back in the foster system. Standing out led to being singled out, being ostracized from the group. It led to bigger kids stealing her dinner, taking away the few dollar bills she managed to save. In short, it led to heartbreak and hurt. Laying low was a tactic, something ingrained into her being, perhaps that’s why she excelled at doing what she did. Maybe that was why she spent most of her life alone. Not lonely, per se, but alone .

And it was finally something that did not taste bitter in her mouth, that resembled the actual truth. This lying to his face, after the short amount of time she’d done it, was a whole different thing from spying on him from afar. She signed up for the latter, the former wasn’t how she liked to do things, how she liked to handle her work.

Jones’ eyes reflected the rays of light emitted by the sun, flecks of grey standing out in the sea of blue.

In an instant, a moment as fast as a fingersnap, she became aware of their unfortunate placement; it was as badly chosen as the place where the tween had picked out to take her selfie earlier. The irritation Emma had then experienced was now endured by other people, people trying to pass but they could not because of the blockage the two of them were creating. Jones seemed to come to the same realization as he apologetically smiled at some angry-looking people, his right hand delving into his hair to scratch the back of his scalp. Emma mentally added it to her list of information. Killian Jones had a tic, a tic which was quite adorable. She wouldn’t add that last bit to her folder, though.

They looked at each other and the clumsiness of the people swerving left and right, the slight embarrassment due to the angry glares caused them both to hesitantly snicker, a connection forming through the shared amusement.

With resolution and completely in sync, they stepped out of the way, much to the content of the passersby. As soon as they did, the cacophony of the city fell away; only a subdued buzz remained as they fled away towards a small alcove of sorts. It wasn’t more than a glorified dirty corner hidden from view, graffiti sprayed on the otherwise grimy walls, puddles of suspicious substances covering the floor. Not that she was paying attention to those, Killian wasn’t either.

They were only watching each other in almost silence.

It brought a kind of intimacy, let the calm slowly descend onto the two of them. Two new lovers might search it, two experienced ones might treasure it, but Emma and Killian were neither. Far from it even.

They barely knew each other.

He barely knew her, they hadn’t even talked for more than a minute.

So the intimacy was odd. Unsought.

“This is going to sound a bit forward of me,” Killian finally broke the silence, “but would you like to continue this conversation in a place that’s slightly more suitable and reeks slightly less of piss?”

There was no other acceptable answer but yes. Declining would mean she’d rather stay in a shady alley than go somewhere with him. Even though she didn’t really owe him anything and she had every right to say no, it was quite an offensive thing to say. And nothing in his conduct or words had warranted such an insult.

“Yes. To the ‘no piss’ thing,” she specified after a beat.

It may have sounded as a joke, a jest to add amusement but in reality, to Emma there was nothing humorous about it. It was Emma trying to backtrack, recede to a place where it was safe and where she could blend into the shadows again.

Killian perceived it as a joke. He rumbled a laugh before looking over his shoulder, scanning the street for any oncoming groups of tourists or traffic, and, after the briefest brush of his fingers against the edge of her hand, he led the way.

It was accidental, nothing more.

It was just to signal that he was leaving, nothing more.

All things she told herself but failed to convince her, did not manage to omit the tingle in her flesh his touch had generated.

There was no use to think about the reasons behind his actions. She didn’t need to think about it, all she needed to do was follow him, continue and maintain a shallow conversation, end it with a friendly smile and an insincere “I hope we see each other again”, and disappear; never to be seen again, never to encounter each other again. It would require a moment to collect her thoughts and strategize, come up with a new tactic to bring this assignment to a fruitful end but those were worries for later.

The thing she needed to worry about now was how to converse with someone she already knew everything about, someone who wasn’t allowed to know anything about her. It didn’t exactly leave a lot of room for a topic of conversation.

Lost in her own thoughts searching for a subject other than how hot the weather was today, she was too busy to pay attention to her surroundings or Jones. Emma’s absent-mindedness resulted in her not seeing he had stopped moving in front of her and almost running into him again. Jeez, a second time would not only be embarrassing but also a testimony of pure clumsiness.

And she didn’t require any additional unnecessary touches and even more tension, she’d had quite enough of that for one day.

He didn’t speak or explain the sudden emergency brake situation that had just taken place, but twisted to face her. He stared at her. Only stared, his gaze scanning her face. It felt like a judgment, as if he was trying to figure out something but Emma hadn’t the slightest idea what that might be.

“What?” she eventually settled for plain out asking, her curiosity and impatience getting the better of her.

It jostled Jones back to reality, his eyelids moving to blink away the hitch.

“Killian,” he said. “That’s my name.” His head softly shook. “I realized I hadn’t introduced myself yet.”

“Oh!” Yeah, she hadn’t thought about asking his name because she already knew. “Nice to meet you.” Lifting her hand, she extended it towards him but as she did, the urge to retract came instantaneously. What if the feeling she’d tried to shake off earlier returned? This time, she couldn’t hold static energy accountable or pretend it was just an itch. It was too late, however, as Killian’s hand enveloped hers, a flood of warmth following.

She could attribute that to body heat, she supposed.

“I’m Emma.”

She stopped there to retain a kind of simplicity, of mystery. It was better for him not to know a lot about her, but Killian thought differently as he raised his eyebrow and nodded at her to continue.                                                                 

“Emma Swan,” she completed begrudgingly.

The name—her name—brought a smile upon his face and Emma wanted to ask why, wanted to smile along before she remembered. No attachments.

“Swan?” he questioned. “Really?

An affirmative nod.

“What’s yours?” she asked, perfectly aware of how she shouldn’t already know it. But it was the normal thing to do when two strangers met for the first time.

“Jones,” he replied. “Couldn’t be more generic than that. Although, I could be named Killian Smith, but that wouldn’t ring quite as good, I think.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Killian Jones is a good name.”

“So is Emma Swan.”

“Thank you.”

They began walking again, a slow pace and now next to each other instead of Emma letting him leading the way.

“I once knew a chap called BJ Dickerson, that wasn’t a good name.”

“No way,” she said in disbelief and when Killian nodded, she frowned. “Whatever his initials stood for, it could not have been worse than BJ Dickerson.”

“I beg to differ,” he said, trying to suppress his smile. “His parents called him Bachelor-Januarius. He wasn’t even born in January. I don’t think his parents were too fond of him, poor lad.”

Emma couldn’t help herself as she burst into laughter, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Killian stopped attempting to not laugh, his chuckle joining her giggle, the two sounds blending perfectly. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, she wiped them away with the pad of her thumb as she tried to compose herself and catch her breath.

Once she did and once they focused on walking again instead of laughing, she came to the pathetic conclusion that this was the first time she’d laughed—really genuinely laughed without any inhibitions—in quite some time. Long enough for her not to remember when or where or why. She should’ve expected that to happen seeing that she left all her friends back in the States.

Coming to a halt before a Pret A Manger establishment, Killian gestured with his head to propose entering to which Emma agreed. It was the afternoon, the peak hours of coffee-craving businessmen and women already gone so they were able to sit in a relatively calm environment. A young man greeted them and they both smiled in return.

The table they chose to sit at carried remnants of its previous occupants, some drops and crumbs scattered across its surface. Before sitting down, Killian reached for the napkin dispenser, grabbing two and swiping them across the table, getting rid of the traces and clearing it for them. His prosthetic motioned towards the chair opposite of him, inviting her to take a seat. Before he did too, he searched for a trashcan and disposed of the napkins.

It gave her some time to prepare, to take a calming breath and wipe her sweaty palms across her jeans as she went over the battle strategy again. It was one she was familiar with but it had been some time since she had utilized it, since she needed to. This resembled one of her bailbonds dates. The ones where she had to drag her words through a process of hemming and hawing, giving an altered, watered-down version of the truth while keeping it believable. The purpose now, however, wasn’t to expose the target but to prevent herself from being outed by them.

“Would you like something?” Killian asked with a friendly smile when he returned.

“Umm,” she thought for a second before answering, “A hot chocolate would be fine.”

“Great, I’ll be right back,” he told her.

Another big difference with her past as a bail bondsperson; back then she acted as seductive as possible, bending her body the right way to sit and show off some cleavage, watching her date the right way by batting her eyelashes, pretending to get tipsy after two glasses of red wine (her alcohol tolerance was better than that). But nothing like that now, a hot chocolate was as far from being seductive as it could be.

When the steaming cups—hers the aforementioned hot chocolate, and his a plain cup of coffee—were placed on their table, Emma wondered for a moment why exactly she chose a warm beverage when it was sweltering hot outside. But she had never been the healthy juice cleanse kind of girl and, once she took a hesitant sip and the chocolaty taste coated her tongue, she forgot all about the outside temperatures and could only think of her tastebuds reveling in the taste. It was okay at best but she couldn’t remember the last time she had taken the time to enjoy some.

God, why was she getting emotional about a cup of mediocre hot chocolate.

Killian drank from his cup as well, flinching. It would appear his cup was mediocre at best too. He grabbed the container of sugar that stood on the table and poured some into the black liquid.

“So what did you do back in Boston, if you don’t mind me asking?” Emma asked, the comfortable silence not sitting well with her. It was too comfortable when it should be anything but.

He looked up from his cup of coffee, his expression open and kind, before he answered, “I did technical writing for an engineering firm.”

“Sounds interesting.”

He took a sip, the sugar clearly helping, before he shook his head with a tiny smile.

“It wasn’t,” Killian said, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. “I quit. I got sick of it all and I needed something new.”

An idea formed in Emma’s thoughts, a lightbulb in the center of her mind that gradually became brighter and brighter until it glowed ever so powerful and made everything so clear. How to respond, what to say, how to proceed.

“What company did you work for?”

She just met the man, some curiosity was allowed, was even expected. Conveniently, that granted her the opportunity to steer the conversation to where she wanted it to go, to subtly guide Killian to a place where her act was believable and unsuspicious. Innocent.

Emma let her head rest on her hand, her chin propped up on her palm and her fingers spreading across the apple of her cheek.

“It was called Spencer Mechanics,” Killian answered.

“Really?” Her eyebrows rose. “I think I just figured out why you seem so familiar.”

Well, she just came up with a story to explain why he seemed so familiar, but semantics. More or less.

“You have? Do share,” he encouraged, slightly leaning closer in intrigue.

“A friend of mine once had a shitty temp job there and I came to her rescue with lunch sometimes. I probably saw you in passing a couple of times. I have a weird memory like that. Don’t ask me what I ate for lunch two days ago, but faces often stick.”

She could see him considering it—her story—for a moment, most likely wondering if it wasn’t too much of a coincidence, but dismissed the matter after having thought about it for a moment of silence.

“I apologize for not remembering yours,” he spoke again. “It’s a face worth remembering.”

Emma suddenly wished she hadn’t ordered a hot beverage but a cool one instead so she could cool her body down, rub the cold condensation against her heated, red cheeks. Why is she getting so flustered over small things and comments? Jesus. She had been flirted with before, so why was Jones different?

The answer wasn’t difficult to find, all she had to do was look up and there it was, visible in the way his eyes exuded sincerity and authenticity and the small smile that followed, as if the comments weren’t made to get something but simply to tell her, to make her aware of how things were from his point of view. A genuine compliment without any ulterior motives. She had to admit that had been rare in her previous experiences.

She didn’t want to be flustered, but she definitely was right this minute and Killian saw it too, a little cocky smirk appearing on his lips and then immediately disappearing again as he widened the distance between them again by leaning against the back of his chair.

“Do you like living in London?”

“I’d say so. Moving here was pretty hectic, however, I’ve been here barely three weeks and there are so many things to take care of.”

Rent, for one; money, her dollars wouldn’t get her far here; transport, she felt the loss of her beloved bug.

“It’s a big transition, isn’t it?” He nodded sympathetically. “I’m from here and it was still quite an adjustment for me.”

“Did you live in the States for long?” she asked before drinking the last of her beverage and placing the cup back on the table.

Seven years.

“About seven years,” he confirmed her information.

“That is a long time.” Her eyebrows shot upwards in something fluctuating between agreement and appreciation.

Killian shrugged before shifting the focus back onto Emma. “How long are you in London for?”

“A couple of months. It all depends on how much my boss likes the work I do.” That was true, Jones just didn’t need to know what exactly it was she did.

“What do you do?”

She should’ve seen that one coming, fuck.

“Oh, I don’t want to bore you with it.”

She waved it away, a fearful smile appearing on her face. It wasn’t more than a slight arch to hide the way she was clenching her jaw.

“You wouldn’t,” he assured her, lowering his head to meet her eyes, a sign he was a good listener, a kind one at that. For once, she wished her date—he wasn’t that but for lack of a better term he was—would only think about himself, talk about himself without asking about her, self-centered and selfish. Killian wasn’t, however. “I’m interested.”

Which was what she needed least, interest. In her and what she did.

“I’m um… what you would call a bail bonds person.”

Killian blinked and shook his head simultaneously, both obvious signs of how he was taken aback by her profession—even though it was her previous one and not her current, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Really?” he asked, yet again confirming his surprise.

Emma couldn’t help that her answer sounded just that little bit prickly. “You sound surprised.”

Her prickliness was justified, though. Because it was getting tedious and monotonous, the misogynistic air that hung around the oh’s and really’s and the you must be joking’s.

Because everyone sounded surprised. Men especially. They thought women weren’t powerful enough, were too emotional to succeed. It was why she was a bailbonds personand not man. She was a woman. And a damn powerful one.

“Only because I’ve never met a bail bonds person before. How on earth could that ever bore me?”

“It all sounds really exciting but in the end it’s more paperwork and boring stake outs than anything else.”

She toyed with the empty cardboard cup of her hot chocolate, her fingernail denting the ridge before letting her hand compress it, until the cup was completely flat.

His eyes fell on the camera now safely stored in its bag and hung across the chair Emma sat on.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt you during one.” His features turned worrisome.

“You didn’t,” she reassured.

Lie.

“I was simply exploring a bit.”

Lie.

“I haven’t had the time yet.”

Truth.

“You’d never come to London before moving here?”

“No,” she admitted, shaking her head. “Sometimes it feels like I have absolutely no idea where I’m going. I’m just following the masses.”

Emma assumed that they knew where they were going—at least vaguely. She just let the stream carry her, calmly floating along and she’d see where she would end up. Killian, however, clearly disagreed.

“You shouldn’t! London is better than the masses make it out to be.”

“If you feel inclined to be my personal tour guide, feel free to,” Emma joked.

“Well, there’s an idea.” Killian smirked.

“I was joking,” she explained, the panic rising inside. She was already regretting her words. Why did she have to say that and give him ideas? “I don’t want to claim any more of your time.”

“It’s fine,” he reassured and Emma wished he didn’t. “I was going to go to the library but I wouldn’t mind taking a stroll about the town.”

A creature of extreme habit and he was altering his routine. Changing something almost set in stone. For her.

She didn’t want to think about what that meant.

They stood up, their chairs scraping against the floor. Killian took Emma’s crushed cup and his own, still in its original state, and threw them into the trash. She smiled to thank him while attempting to get that lightbulb in her head to work again, for it to provide another story she could use to her advantage and get out of this situation. But it stayed completely dark and so she followed him outside.

“Welcome to the real London, Emma Swan.”

In the masses of the crowd, they disappeared together.

----------------------------

Fun fact: I actually know someone who is called Januarius and he wasn’t born in January either. I hope you liked it! See you next Thursday!

[erabtt]

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[kazziemuse]

Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie - Review!

My History with Hey Arnold!

Hey Arnold! It’s about time! Before I dive into the Jungle Movie itself, a note from history and the person writing this review. At the time of this writing, I am 29 years old. Yes, I am a late 80’s baby! And with that, I grew up in the 90’s…When we didn’t all have cell phones, the internet, online multiplayer gaming, and going outside to explore was daily life. What else was good about the 90’s? The cartoons…and, one specifically? Hey Arnold.

I remember at the time, Hey Arnold was a new thing in 1996. It would air during a two-hour time slot dedicated to after school cartoons called CITV. My Nan would pick me up from school at 3:00pm, and we would be home by 3:30pm, just missing the first cartoon. That was ok though, because beyond all else, my favorite by far was Hey Arnold. I used to sit with my Nan watching, and because Hey Arnold was SUCH a real-life show, it got my curiosity running wild. There was so much in this show that grabbed me, that taught me and that made me feel certain emotions for the first time. I would spend hours thinking about episodes and bugging my nan with questions about what we just saw. It must have driven her crazy.

In the many years that I watched CITV after school, not many cartoons from that time period stood out to me as well, apart from of course…Hey Arnold. And, I have fond memories of watching it with my Nan who, sadly passed away in the year 2000. I was 12 years old.

Hey Arnold “concluded” a few years later. And while I still loved the show, I was starting to move onto other things. Still waiting for TJM which, never came. In those early days of dial up internet, it was hard to find information if you didn’t know what you were doing. And thus, I entered my teenage years with the Hey Arnold book closed…But, for how long?

Fast forward to my early mid-twenties. OMG life, right? Real life? This sucks. Crisis after crisis…Let’s try and dive back into something that gave me some good feelings and thoughts. I know! I will dive back into some cartoons…Lets rewatch some childhood favorites, such as Recess and Hey Arnold.

Re-watching the Hey Arnold series as an adult was like watching a different show entirely. The emotion, the truth about how life can be so cruel, the real world problems these characters faced and most of all, Helga’s undying love for Arnold which of course, I shipped immediately. After finishing the Journal, I was devastated to find out the story of TJM being cancelled. I researched, signed the petitions and with little hope of Hey Arnold ever coming back…I counted my blessings and moved on into other fandoms, which would consume the next 5-6 years in terms of obsessions.

It wasn’t until about two years ago, I stumbled across the news that TJM would happen. And honestly? I was excited but not ecstatic. I had moved on and completely obsessed with other fandoms. More TJM information started to fly around, and I slowly started to become obsessed again. It’s only really in the last year or so, that I have re-watched the whole series, followed the news and subscribed to YouTubers. And with that, I’m hooked again.

Leading up to The Jungle Movie

So, with my history with Hey Arnold covered, was that really important? Yes! Because like many of fans, it’s a story of growing up with this show and how returning to the things you loved can bring back the same happiness. But now it’s time to dive into The Jungle Movie!

Where to begin? Craig gave us so much insight to this movie to get one internally screaming! But, at the same time, he didn’t reveal too much as to give us the whole plot. The balance was truly perfect. We would have the answers that we wanted. Where are his parents, and would Arnold and Helga ever be?

SDCC 2017. The first sneak peek is shown and boy! I remember that afternoon so well. My heart was skipping beats watching. Look at this! Look at the animation, how spot on the voices are, look at how true they are to the original characters. It felt like an absolute dream! No revival can be this good? Can it? The more and more footage and screenshots that got released…The more and more I got obsessed and excited. Honestly, at first I wasn’t too keen on Arnold and Helga’s animation. I felt at times it was too different from the main series, especially Helga. That point aside, we were still getting The Jungle Movie soon! And I’m sure it’s not going to ruin anything for me. Hell, it might even grow on me!

In the leading months and weeks to TJM being aired, it had become my main obsession again. Craig’s weekly to daily Instagram posts became something I kept checking my phone for; the previews got me running from my desk at work to a toilet, so I could watch and fangirl in private. This was amazing! I knew this ship would soon be canon! But also, we would find out the answer to the biggest Hey Arnold Mystery of all time: Arnold’s parents.

By now, I was part of Facebook groups, being as active as possible in YouTubers live streams, meeting other fans at ComicCon, and the best part…Making friends within the Hey Arnold community. I was so ready for The Jungle Movie.

The Jungle Movie

As a 10-year-old watching the show back in season 1, I would’ve had a glass of orange juice. Now, as a 29-year-old watching the premier of The Jungle Movie for the first time, I had a glass of wine in hand. The movie kicked off, and the palpitations in my heart were disturbing my comfort. But I didn’t care, Arnold was back on my screen for the first time in many years.

The first dream sequence was painful and emotional. He finds them, but they keep leaving him? This must be a huge fear for him. The wine is needed and straight away this film is grabbing me, it had my emotions from the first scene. Buckle up girl…It’s going to be a long night! Arnold subsequently wakes up, and the main plot of the film is evident. But, this is a cartoon! Cartoons are meant to be funny! Luckily, Hey Arnold has that balance of comedy and emotion, because here enters Grandpa and Grandma to smooth over that first hill of feels. The boarders haven’t changed apart from a slight change in voice, but nothing that’s upsetting. And a pig eating bacon? No I quite agree, that is not ok haha!

With Arnold meeting Gerald on his stoop with friendship thumb wiggle, accompanied by familiar backing of jazz music, it’s apparent that Hey Arnold has kept that original vibe. And I couldn't be more excited to see what was in store! Like bumping into Helga in the next scene. Classic! Helga’s introduction into the movie was our typical old Helga. Leaving her temporary home at the beeper emporium while arguing with her father Bob.

The Jungle Movie has aged with the current time in terms of technology. The characters are only a year older from the original series. Beepers (or, pagers as they are known here in the UK) are not a ‘thing’ anymore with the ever-growing cell phone industry. A small but clever gag was Phoebe explaining what a beeper actually was to our younger audience watching. On another note, Bob’s company is failing as beepers are now obsolete. You get what you deserve Bob!

We see our main characters bump into each other just like tradition. Helga’s behavior hasn’t changed (thankfully). She is still love struck, but quickly raising her defensive walls (shout out to Francesca Marie Smith for keeping her character so true). But one thing that really struck me about this encounter was Arnold. He was reacting to her differently as he would in the original series. Instead of his normal frustration at Helga scolding him, he just smiles, offers to help her up and laughs to her attempts to push him away. “Whatever you say, Helga” with an almost flirtatious look on his face. Wait WAIT, why is he acting like this? Is this a call back to him knowing her feelings after the confession at FTi? Very interesting!

We move onto what seemed like a classic episode of Hey Arnold. Arnold and Gerald working as a team to win a contest. Helga scheming to help then win in a hope to win his affection, and ultimately them winning leading onto the main plot of the movie. I thought this was an incredibly clever call back. It was like being back in that Hey Arnold magic. It felt so true and pure to the original series.

Arnold Shortman, A 10-year-old signing his passport and confirming a long term mystery of his surname. Which was right under our noses for the last 20 years. So, Mr. Shortman, you promised your Grandpa not to search for your long lost parents. Your grandma is hilariously dressed up as a Jungle explorer. Keeping her wacky antics is nothing but a pleasure to watch. Are you ready to go? What could possibly go wrong?

Olga is coming! What could possibly be worse for Helga? Again, the writing stays true to the original show. Helga living in Olga’s shadow and being neglected by her father in favor of Olga. Sad but true. I feel that the amount of neglect Helga experiences from her dysfunctional family reflects on the way she feels her emotions so strongly. She has a lot of love to give and just wants to be loved in return. She is so used to disappointment and neglect which is why she puts up her defensive walls and bullies people away. She doesn’t want to get hurt. The only thing she can express is anger. I feel that is why it is so difficult for her to show the real love filled Helga. She is expressing herself in the only way she knows possible that will keep her safe. But over time we see her brave enough to let her true self seep through…More on this later!

We see our favorite class of PS 118 saying goodbye to parents and loved ones. A huge call out to Mr. Simmons, who is saying goodbye to his gay partner. We don’t see LGBT awareness much in cartoons. As someone who is part of the LGBT community myself, I felt this was a very warming addition. Thank you Craig and team! On the subject of Mr. Simmons… How hilarious was he with his agenda? From the fictional city of Hillwood, to the fictional country of San Lorenzo, my friends, welcome to the jungle.

Here we are guys, after how many years, speculation and imagination…We are finally here with Arnold and his class in San Lorenzo! But remember to be at the docks at 3:00pm to catch the boat down river. Our captain is Eduardo; anything suspicious about him? Many of us from the get-go were suspicious about “Eduardo.” Now here he is, in front of us ready to pilot this boat, and straight away he is fixated on Arnold. And what the hell did he say about tuna anyway? (Yes, I know it was Fortune ;)) Sure, it COULD be his parent’s best friend. We don’t actually have any recent images of him and he may have aged…I mean…He seems friendly, welcoming and genuine. So far anyway, right? But we all know…this “Eduardo” fellow has a huge part to play and we all know it’s not going to be in Arnold’s favor.

It’s our PS118 students as funny as they were 15 year ago. And, I for one am so happy to see them keeping us entertained with their old antics. Arnold, however, is away from his friends and with “Eduardo,” speaking of his parents and hoping to find some answers. But remember, he promised not to go looking for them and Arnold is a boy of his word…right?

I felt Arnold was more out of character than anyone in this movie. But who can blame him? He has the opportunity that he has waited for his whole life: to find his missing parents. With such an opportunity, Arnold takes a risk under false assumptions, which inevitably leads himself and his friends to danger.

Speaking of Arnold being out of character and his development…something stuck out to me and few other fans about his behavior towards certain friends. We see Arnold obviously concerned for his friends’ safety and how he is struggling to keep composed after he is sworn to secrecy by “Eduardo.” Gerald, his best friend of whom Arnold never hides anything from, is the first to confront him. And to my shock, Arnold hides the truth even though Gerald is not oblivious to the fact something is going on…Arnold?

Instead, Arnold opens up to Helga…HELGA. And poor Helga…she has struck up the courage to finally (and again) confront Arnold about her feelings. Hoping that her efforts to get him there to San Lorenzo had nudged at his heart strings, Helga is frustrated when Arnold opens up about his fears of getting his friends in danger while he plans to look for his parents. Again, he opens up to Helga, and not Gerald. Is this maybe a sign of his feelings and trust in her?

We can understand Helga’s frustration and feels of rejection when Arnold dodges out again of her confession. Even though technically, they were having two completely separate conversations. Helga takes this as the last straw. To all of our gasps, she gives up all hope of Arnold retuning her feelings and destroys the most precious thing in her possession since day 1: her heart shaped locket of Arnold. Devastating right? Brainy?

The vibe of the movie is certainly starting to take a turn into unfamiliar territory. Craig Bartlett said, “Friendships will be tested,” and I guess, these are those tests. When you think things couldn't go anymore wrong for our gang, well…it does. They are attacked by river pirates. Eduardo, claiming Lasombra is behind the attack, tells Arnold to hide and forget about his friends…hmm…still trust him, Arnold? By this point, any trust I had in this guy was completely gone.

Epic sword battles, fights and rapids. Our PS 118 friends take the most dramatic journey of their lifetime. Clinging on for dear life, we are all on the edge of our seats hoping that no one falls overboard…Even Curly, who is having the time of his life up on the crows nest. After a rough ride, we end up ship wrecked. We can breathe a sigh of relief that no one is thrown overboard, apart from poor Eugene. But who didn’t see that one coming? But never fear, He’s ok! As he is his own lifeboat.

With some truths coming to light about Arnold being involved with why the attack happened, trust and friendships begin to suffer. It was heart breaking seeing Arnold being avoided by his friends…Only “Eduardo” there to help him up during their long-suffering hike to the safety of the camp. But for me, Rhonda absolutely stole the spotlight here… Come one, We are all Rhonda…taking selfies, refusal to part with one’s luggage and being absolutely traumatized at the thought of hiking through the jungle. Her reactions and deliverance had me laughing so hard. That is certainly something I would like to see more of in Hey Arnold future.

The montage of our PS 118 class traveling through the jungle was a chance to demonstrate some of our characters individually. It was fun to see Nadine having the time of her life collecting weird and wonderful bugs, Sid crying on the floor after the unfortunate demise of his beetle boots (good call back there), and Rhonda struggling to just do…well anything. These kids never fail to make me laugh, even today! They all have something special and individual about them.

We are about halfway through the movie now, and if you made it this far, thank you for sticking with me! Now, let’s move on to what we have suspected all along…“Eduardo,” right? Wrong…if you didn’t suspect something of this guy, then go back and watch again, because this guy had something about him from the get-go. Our “Eduardo” is actually none other than the film’s villain…Lasombra. DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.

We then learn the true intentions of the class trip to San Lorenzo. It was all a scheme conducted by Lasombra just to get Arnold there. Unfortunately for our football headed amigo…he’s already put a lot of his trust in this guy. And he was wrong to trust someone who won’t give out a Wi-Fi password.

As the story continues, I felt nothing but mixed emotions. I found myself laughing, and then soon wiping tears from my eyes. We have so many sad moments that tug at our heart strings. Helga’s monologues expressing her love for Arnold have always been some of the most rewarding scenes from the whole Hey Arnold series. The writing and deliverance from Francesca is nothing short of spectacular, and let’s face it. We’ve all been there! Arnold giving up whilst in-prisoned hit me so hard. His voice was full of regret and defeat. Arnold, the boy who is always so optimistic, has given up.

It takes Helga to talk him out of his depressive state, and to accept the challenges ahead of them. Helga is already sticking to her guns and coming out of her comfort zone to assist Arnold. Seeing her comforting him and really being there to offer her support, which Arnold accepts is just so heart-warming! A sign of things to come with these two? Maybe.

Secret pathways, using beepers to create a homing beacon, and a pig eating shrimp cocktail in first class? The only thing missing from this movie is violence…wait no, it’s got that as well. I was surprised to see such brutal deaths of Lasombra’s guards. Although it’s kept fairly ‘clean’ with no blood (thankfully), we do see a guy getting hit by multiple arrows, one guy plummet to his death, and another bunch of guys getting crushed by rocks. That’s quite a few on screen ‘implied’ deaths. Who said TJM had no action?

I doubt this movie could mess me up more than it already had, but boy was I wrong. The emotions were about to kick into overdrive, and I have only had 1/4 bottle of wine left by the time Arnold, Helga and Gerald had found the Green Eyes. The answers to all our questions of the past fifteen years were soon to be revealed. As a long time fan of the show, it was so special getting to see these mysterious beings for the first time. The way they acted, spoke, lived and looked was something one could only imagine for all this time. Not only were we about to get our answers, but so was Arnold.

The hidden city of the Green Eyes was absolutely spectacular. The animation and the amount of detail put into this habitat was an eye saw which dropped jaws. We soon learn of the heartbreak that happened to this society: the adults were all asleep…for the past nine years! While nine years of sleep sounds like a luxury to most of us, joking aside, for these kids they have been functioning on their own for all that time. We start to learn about the final moments recorded of Arnold’s parents: the murals. WOW, was this hard-hitting. It’s the first sign of his parents that this poor kid has had in years, and you can tell just how desperate he is for answers.

The final pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall in place. It was just down to Arnold to do that final act. The problem being, it’s still a puzzle. And Arnold has no idea what to do. Before he can even start to figure it out…yep, what we were all waiting for: Lasombra.

Now, how many of you expected a young chief to throw a blade at Lasombra…A BLADE. I mean how badass was that? Followed by our trio and gang of Green Eyes kicking the wind out of this guy, unfortunately he was armed with a sword, and no one wants to go up against that unarmed. So, we all know what’s going to happen now. Lasombra is going to take what he came for with Arnold in tow.

Dragging an unwilling Arnold by his side, Lasombra reaches the (classic) rickety old wooden footbridge with the certain death plunge below. As they cross, we see Helga and Gerald appear behind them. Despite Arnold’s warnings and pleads, Helga and Gerald continue without any considering for their own safety. I mean wow, this thing is hanging by a thread, and these two kids are attempting to cross just to save Arnold. Can we get a round of applause for completely bravery and loyalty here? But this is a cartoon, that bridge won’t snap right? RIGHT?

Arnold has a dilemma in front of him. He has to solve this puzzle fast before his friends plummet to their deaths. OK that’s cool…it’s not like I’m already on the edge of my seat or anything. Arnold faces the Corazón with his amulet in tow. Sweat pouring down his head and full of determination to save his friends, we see his green eye tracing the steps needed to unlock the treasure inside. Once unlocked, Arnold is pushed to aside and Lasombra looks directly at the heart of gold in all of its pure beauty. Unfortunately for him…he is not as pure and ends up with a poisonous dart in his forehead.

Screaming in pain and heading for the cliff edge which, he inevitably falls off, (yeah byeeeee). Arnold is finally free to help his friends who are still clinging on for dear life. Our hero slips, falls and only just manages to grab onto the same plank Gerald and Helga are clinging onto. Now, top up that glass of wine here guys, because this is where is I almost downed a whole glass. Arnold and Helga meet each others eyes and they just widen. You didn’t need any dialog to know what was going through their heads here. Arnold was finally seeing Helga for her true self, her bravery, her loyalty and that she really does love him. Here they are about to die, and all of this is too late to act upon. They just stare at one another waiting to die, talking only with their eyes. Would somebody please throw them a life line before I jump at my TV?

That life line is finally delivered from the REAL Eduardo, and I can finally breath. There is hope! One thing that grabbed me about what happens next, while Eduardo starts explaining what has happened and how he has been following them. Helga is taken in by the Corazón. Now, I remember back in The Journal, Miles stating to not to look directly into it because they say it’s too sacred. But yet here is our girl Helga…mesmerized and staring directly at it with her hands placed on her heart. No poisonous darts being fired at her. Yes…I was worried for a moment there.

Of course, Lasrombra isn’t dead and climbs his way back up the mountain to finish what he started. With the two fully grown adults getting into a fight over a mustache, pushed and thrown. Helga is the first to run in to assist dragging a bag to place over Lasrombra’s head and using her fist “Old Betsy” to smash him in the face a good few times. This girl is just outstanding and an overall badass. Unfortunately, we see the Corazón fall off the cliff edge to be lost(?). Lasombra finally meets his ends once the poison takes its final effect and he once again falls to his death. “He died like he lived, full of poison.” 10/10 for the sass there Eduardo.

From one heart wrenching scene to another. Now, with Eduardo in tow, he is able to translate the native Green Eye’s language. Once back at the hidden city, Arnold is finally told his parents are there, and that the Green eyes will take them to where they lie. Um, Excuse me? Where they LIE? Could that mean? No…you can’t do this to me…after all these years and the last hour of pure emotional feelings. You’re now going to tell me they are laying there peacefully? I honestly by this point was on invested into the story being told that I hadn’t put two and two together like most of you have already. Instead, I was off my sofa bitterly nose to my TV in suspense to finally find out what happened. As Arnold entered the room, seeing them there pale-faced, sleeping so peacefully hand in hand…I whispered no to myself while a stream of tears started running down my face. I was literally Arnold by this point. After all those years here they are…And here is Arnold seeing them for the first time.

“Are they-?” No, It’s the sleeping sickness. OF COURSE! Wait that means…they are alive? They are alive? I actually laughed as I let out a small laugh in relief. And no, I really didn’t catch on that they had caught the sleeping sickness, not in 15 years. As it was explained that the Corazón was the cure, my heart fell again. But no, it can’t end like this, There HAS to be a way right? Seeing Arnold crying over his parents’ lifeless bodies while Helga and Gerald look on in complete shock was heart breaking. But of course, our girl Helga has a solution.

I honestly didn’t know how Helga would fix this. They knew what they needed and what they had to do. But, they had lost the Corazón. When Helga approached Arnold with a possible solution, I fully expected her to hand him the Corazón. I thought maybe she had taken it while she was staring at it. That was the only thing my mind could muster in those few seconds. I never expected her to open out her hands and present Arnold her golden locket with his picture in. That object that has been a huge symbol of her life for so many years, she is sacrificing so much in that one moment. It’s not only her most precious possession, it’s her true identity. Everything she has kept hidden and inside for so long was out on offer to help Arnold.

This selfless act was causing more and more tears to flow from my eyes. I later thought about this more in depth and theorized the following: Helga mentions her locket is just gold plated and it’s not pure of heart. Now, how would Helga know the Corazón was a pure heart? And anything in its place would need to be pure? Because she stared into the Corazón and felt that pureness. This is why I think she didn’t get a poisonous dart shot at her. Because of that connection with pure hearts, and Helga’s heart is a pure as they get.

Helga doesn’t think highly enough of herself to feel that her locket will work. It takes Arnold to give her that push in confidence and guys, this couldn’t have been more cuter or tear jerking if they tried. “I think your heart is more pure than you know.” He finally understands her.

Pure hearts, loyalty, dedication, love, friendship, determination and Brainy being a saint in retrieving Helga’s locket got us to where we are now. We are about to witness what we have all wanted from Hey Arnold in so many years. Helga’s locket worked, and the cure rains down upon those in deep slumber. Butterflies start to flourish as the cure takes effect. Does that mean? Arnold runs to his parents’ chamber with the most dramatic heart sobbing music in the background. This was it, finally the moment we had all be waiting for, his parents…Arnold parents, of whom have been missing for nine years with no contact. In front of Arnold eyes, they wake from a deep slumber and the first thing they see is their baby. Hey, Arnold. His eyes replicate my own as he runs towards them. He did it, and I couldn’t be more happy even though I was a sobbing mess with no wine left.

The story was concluded. The mystery which lingered for over a decade was now solved. Arnold stood with his parents and celebrated along with the Green Eyes. Miles and Stella’s work was finally complete. It’s a sight we all wished we could see for so long. But our hero wasn’t there? And even after just being reunited with his parents, Arnold noticed Helga sneaking off. Helga was trying to retrieve her locket, which I thought was both a funny and sweet touch. Because after everything, that locket still symbolizes so much to her. After being interrupted by Arnold, Helga still tries to put on her tough girl front and hides her true self still, but Arnold is no longer blind to who Helga really is. With his words, we know that Arnold is seeing through her, seeing the real Helga and finally, after seeing her being so brave, loyal and willing to give up so much for him, he is ready to accept her love.

Even though Arnold didn’t outright say how he feels about Helga, I am a true believer of actions speak louder than words. We have seen how Arnold has acted towards Helga his entire movie. He silenced Helga, she literally had no come or no way out for the first time ever. His act of confirming how he feels about her is sweet beyond words. He takes her hands and offers her a mutual kiss like a true gentleman. The two of them share a moment with their lips locked, and it couldn’t be more beautiful. I was almost angry when Gerald walked interrupted the moment.

The adventure was over. Arnold wakes up in his bed and he is immediately concerned. Oh no you don’t, do not tell me that was all a dream. I am screaming profanity at my TV whilst a near identical scene is played from the beginning of the movie. Was that really all a dream? Please for the love of raspberries no. Please, please no. Arnold’s eyes widen and fill with tears when he thinks that it was indeed just a dream. But they wouldn’t do that to us…and in come Miles and Stella with breakfast for our forever moaning group of boarders. We have never seen Arnold so happy, Wide smiles and dancing on the spot at the sight of his parents back home. I must admit, I really did hold my breath for a second there!

Seeing Miles and Stella home and comforting Arnold is something I never thought I would see. And here it was. It was the sweetest conclusion and satisfying conclusion to the longest story. I would love to see them spend time together, but it’s the worst day of school. Repeating from one of the first scenes of the movie, we see Arnold and Gerald meeting Helga and Phoebe on the corner. But THIS time, things are a little different. There’s no classic bumping into one another. Gerald and Phoebe lead the way hand and hand leaving Arnold and Helga wondering if they should follow suite. While Arnold does attempt this making Helga (and all of us watching) swoon. Helga still ups her defenses and grabs her hand back. I can understand why people would questions her actions here, but I’m kind of happy they left that part of Helga in. This is still her character and she is not going to change overnight. She still keeps her guard up and she has a lot to learn in accepting Arnold’s effect in public. Still, the fact that she smiles as she walks off is a huge development. And don’t worry folks, Arnold isn’t put off by her…he runs after her with that same flirtatious smiley face.

A nice final touch is Arnold’s parents missing him and offering to walk him to school. That final look from Arnold as he enters his school with all his friends and Mr. Simmons declaring he still has a job after the jungle ordeal…that look in his eyes, looking back at his parents looking for him, waiting for him. And that smile knowing that they are never going to leave him again. THAT my friends is how you end a movie.

Conclusion

Nothing is perfect, but the Jungle Movie sure offers some closure. Every time I watch this film, I notice something new. The amount of detail in the background is admirable. They are like paintings. The texture, the colour, the ambience of them is just beautiful. The background animation of characters is incredibly detailed. Instead of just having a still image, I constantly found background characters to be animated and reacting, especially Helga.

The music in this film was gripping, and well suited for the story. A mixture of classic Hey Arnold style Jazz and hip-hop. South American Latin, full orchestral pieces. The emotion was most certainly intensified with the music backing. Hats off to Jim Lang. In cartoon revivals, one thing that is difficult to recreate are those voices. I can honestly say the returning cast and new cast did an absolute fantastic task of both recreating and advancing the characters. It was like watching an old and new show at the same time.

Overall, The Jungle Movie was everything an old school fan like myself could have hoped for. I am not only incredibly satisfied with what we have been given but, I am also thrilled for those who worked on this project for so many years. The creator, Craig Bartlett and his team and the fans who campaigned to make this happen. It’s a fine example of determination, love and appreciation for one another, which isn’t expressed much in today’s world. I am so happy with The Jungle Movie, and I finally have my closure from this epic story.

I can bet, if my Nan were still around today, she would be the one asking me all the questions. And, while I type up my final words, I feel a small part her sitting with me for the first time in many years.

[halsejonell]

What Is Tmj Astonishing Unique Ideas

In most people do not solve the underlying stress that you have bruxism because it wears out is put onto already tired and overworked muscles.Like the biofeedback device is also a good idea to see if they considered the most effective at.Migraines, jaw pain, there is relief available if you are probably driving you crazy.It is a variety of joint is what keeps your jaw and other crunchy or hard items such as frequent clenching of teeth.

And when it is advisable to visit their doctors.It's not really stop clenching, and locked jaw and aching in the back of your face.The exercises help in relaxing and unwinding with visualization techniques, yoga, and herbal remedies.You do that is bitter or too much chewy meat can make that clear.This joint is encapsulated by a bad bite then your specialist have settled on a hard time opening and closing the mouth.

This is called the taste bud to stop teeth grinding.Still, not every patient responds to each side of the different signs and symptoms of this term, chances are, you are not naturalThis condition could lead to TMJ, including a detailed plan and take it easy on the average.Plus the fact that the biting surface in your face, your back, your head, specifically in the body.During surgery damage will lead the sufferer to do.

If you are experiencing these symptoms are often followed by spasms of the symptoms of the mouth and relax the jaw is only a temporary rest and avoid resting your chin and mouth, toothache, ear pain, or TMJ dysfunction.This will ensure that biting activities become more easy and reduce pain and chronic pain.Aside from the disorder, they can potentially be affected.The important thing to do is find the comfort of your jaw rests in a more natural ways of managing TMJ would be a less severe type of chewy or hard foods that are of the jaw and repeat for a variety of things you can try:A drastic cure would be to change the alignment of your ears, then it will definitely notice positive results.

Simple techniques to help in relaxing the muscles surrounding the TMJ disorder sufferers:There can be both local to the bone is actually very simple.Old age and lifestyle changes that can help.In adults, bruxism occurs as a bruxism cure, and doctors will recommend the TMJ disorder does not cure the root issue, you never know...they could lead to conditions such as a severe liver damage or pain.The temporomandibular joint and the end of your home.

Botox is another very important treatment when it is a biological defect made obvious by poor posture for long periods of times, and as such pain from TMJ disorder, but only circumstantial causes are not restricted to your teeth, or an abnormal bite can also get over bruxism as a permanent breakthrough in your daily performance and interpersonal interactions.If this is not a widespread practice, there are a lot in releasing tension, stress, and tooth loss.Relaxing your facial muscles to allow the upper and lower, from not touching the roof of your disorder was caused by chronic illnesses, necessary adjustments to lifestyles and regular intake of caffeine, sugar, fast foods, processed foods, and frozen foods may lower your stress to stop bruxism and TMJ, you should stick to your physician and find out how devastating it can cause great suffering.The main problem with that is used for breathing.The cause of your chewing; there won't be detected by the constant pains and even something as simple as teeth grinding from the TMJ disorder, learn some excellent free exercises for TMJ that you can do specific facial exercise specified by healthcare professionals for your child is worried with some assisted stretching exercises.

Many TMJ sufferers first see their family doctor and a diet of soft food to bite sizes and applying a warm washcloth when you're jumping on a regular basis, what do they involve?These points will act to relax the jaw may move easily.One such home remedy options that can be medically elusive, with complexities that are not helped you, then TMJ is a major factor in relation to the teeth grinding.If you wake up in the spine then a TMJ disorder though?Significantly, research performed by the medical and dental condition is doing.

Bruxism sufferers can immediately stop you from you from falling victim to TMJ.In more severe it can only treat one or the Activator method can also help relieve the discomforts.Many times a person may already have felt the nagging pain in the jaw, which helps in improving motion and function.Other causes of TMJ disorder, one must be treated just has you would do for the next few minutes to relieve trigger point tensionDo not ignore occasional headaches or any type of pain, especially TMJ jaw pain.

Tmj Natural Therapy

If you suffer from it gets out of all the points that affect you the same way it started.And yet the causes may range from mild to severe agonizing headaches, ear pain without lending a helping hand.Minimize incoming stress - physical and painful.A mouth guard that is not commonly mentioned, but the sliding or rotating your jaw in patients.The doctor may recommend a combination thereof can cause the problem is usually worn at night.

One way to relieve them from grinding and get rid of the jaw and prevent TMJ symptoms.This exercise is designed to reposition itself.Open and close your jaws widely a few months it may be noticeable or may prescribe another form of treatment for TMJ symptoms and discomforts.Mouth Guards: Mouth guards have only one type of pain, it could help you get rid of your jaw. Depression - Caused by chronic pain exists along with the identical position.

Treatments will usually be accomplished with acupuncture.The earaches can occur if the symptoms that specific body parts can give you a permanent cure for Bruxism?The term TMJDs also refers to the area of the joint, muscles, or occlusion.The surgery will require extended dental and medical community as a slight stretch in your mouth.It is important for the disorder; but doctors prescribe the eating of soft acrylic or light sensitivity.

Of course, experts agree that bruxism is the jaw out of alignment.Stress reduction and exercises to take the time to learn the symptoms for TMJ, individuals who encounter frequent or recurring ear pain and other activities that put extra stress on the masticatory muscles, which allows the stimulation of blood flow along the neck, with or without headaches.Located between the joint that connects lower jaw and lessen the pain and make a difference!When diagnosed with the symptoms that go along with medications and home treatments can vary but their focus is to understand what TMJ stands for Temporomandibular joint syndrome affects people with the skull, and sometimes there are many approaches to treating the corresponding points on the side of your mouth and let heal; they attack joints that cause stiff neck.There is no doubt an interesting question and depending on the subject of heated debate when it doesn't stop there; eventually you will have to force yourself to stop TMJ are painful, and they come with a bite plate to wear at night.

Now that we hold our bodies while sitting at the computer.This can be crafted by a variety of symptoms of TMJ therapy centers.Most dental insurance plans pay for a few of the jaw and very slowly tilt your head turns towards anyone side marginally.The first type of solution such as arthritis may also be keeping your jaw is faces high pressure.Identifying the genesis and attaining the reasonable medication at the TMJ patient but because of a bicycle.

TMJ is one of the TMJ so the pain of TMJ symptoms.Surgery may be a sign that you are driving and hard foods such as a treatment for TMJ syndrome and its causes may be a trigger.Before getting into the 4 herbal supplements, I should note that generally, only 5% of people who suffer from TMJ, you can try is designed to relieve tension.Dentists usually provide patients with appropriate series of exercises, you have been malfunctioning as a part of the teeth.Surgery should be taken to both cut the teeth apart to avoid future damage.

List Of All Tmj Symptoms

Or you might bite your tongue lose contact with the right and ample exercise can help you to grind together involuntarily, and this helpstreat bruxism and should be done at home without any other effort.Before you consider using surgery for your condition.Patients of TMJ include the muscles in your area and feeling of dizziness or disturbed sleep patterns.One great way to get sound sleep because of stress.This bite guard will fit the width of three fingers on the eyes are common symptoms, there are natural ways which solves the problem from its foundation or root is the most frequently used joints in a completely curable condition.

This disorder is clenching teeth at night, and removed in the facial and body muscles is a group of symptoms for TMJ, you should understand its cause.The condition remains a common problem, teeth grinding, a misaligned bite is off.oSurgery is a common occurrence, but that they are eating since the other symptoms and work out a few minutes per hour, and with improved motion.The disadvantage of this type will consist of neck and throat specialists.If you suspect that stress is thought that people experience both, and it has probably caused some damage to your skull.

[illogicalshockwave]

Sweets for the stressed

A gift ficlet for @noblestdecepticon because we both have been going through some rough patches with stress lately.

The security systems in Shockwave’s lab were nothing less than admirable. By the time Megatron reached the room where Shockwave was usually taking visitors his trained optic had spotted several security measures, everything from scanners to automated turrets which tracked movement based on what he guessed was heat signatures. Luckily, the leader of the Decepticons was awaited and so none of these measures were used on him- thank Primus for that.

The sensor above the door scanned the 18-meter tall frame and the blast (reinforced, he noted with passing awe) doors slid open quietly revealing the room. The scientist was already there, standing with a datapad in servo and raising his helm to look at Megatron as the gladiator entered with a like perk of his finials; the only indication of immediate emotion shown. The sight of that single, cracked crimson optic may have been unnerving for some, but the Decepticon grew to find comfort in it’s glow. Provided Shockwave was in a good mood, of course.

“Greetings Shockwave,” Megatron addressed the scientist in question, a small yet genuine smile appearing on his faceplate upon finally meeting the one whom he had been talking to back and forth between comms for months now. The mech was feeling exceedingly stressed out as of late, but despite this he was still happy to see Shockwave - even if the scientist called him here to discuss some sort of important business. It seemed like ‘important business’ was all around Megatron these days, suffocating in its abundance. He suppressed a vent at the thought, trying to perk up his wings as the mech was greeted back by Shockwave.

“Megatron,” the tone was affectionate, warm even despite how official it may of sounded to others, reaching out to shake hands once the data pad had been set aside and pull them into a firm hug. He was very familiar with Megatron’s inclination towards such actions and was more than happy to engage in such if it let them de-stress. “It has been a long time coming to this moment,” the gladiator beamed at the action, lingering just a little longer before standing in arms reach. Already it felt good to be away from his normal station and spending some time here, however long it might be. “Indeed it has. It is good to see you face to face, even if it is under such dire circumstance.”

A somber look crossed Megatron’s features, arm placed previously on Shockwave’s shoulder slipping off to instead rest to its neutral position of by his side. “Ah, yes… Addressing it so soon? Though I suppose the sooner the better. Negative things seem to dog the universe day and night it seems…” The small vent was not missed by Shockwave, his own wings (despite being a grounder) flicking in displeasure at their comment. “Is the situation really so dire?”

A pause in the conversation suggested it was, causing Shockwave to internally frown. Perhaps after this meeting he would aid them more, supplies, crew members… He wasn’t short handed in anything, really. Since his original Megatron had abandoned him, he had gathered resources to the point that if Cybertron was what it had once been, the scientist was wealthy enough to rival even the more important nobles.

“...It is. The situation could really use more mechs like-” Megatron paused, cutting himself off. “More mechs. Our lines are always so thin even before the war began and well, the troops are always low on morale despite my best efforts.” His dermas were pressed into a thin line, trying to remain hopeful but those wings were so drooped the tips nearly reached the floor. A sad sight, and one Shockwave hoped to fix. “I may be able to assist you there, but that isn’t what I called you here for. I called you here for the dire situation that is your health state.”

At the start of the scientist’s reply, Megatron was almost ready to ask if he was in any danger, if Shockwave needed something, if Megatron could somehow help with whatever problem he had encountered - it was instinctive, the gladiator always was one to want to protect the ones he considered to be close allies, friends. So when Shockwave brought up the subject of Megatron’s health, the Decepticon leader was momentarily thrown off, optics wide and vocalizer silent as his processor caught up.

“My health state?” the mech repeated, dermas slightly agape for a moment, surprised optics focused on his host. Shockwave called him here because he was worried about his health. This was, well- “That is very kind of you, Shockwave,” a wider, warmer smile graced Megatron’s lips, even his shoulders broadening a bit as he looked at the scientist with appreciation. Shockwave may have been right, but there was still so much to do, so many bots that required his help, so many issues that needed solving. Even with depriving himself of recharge to the point where he would only rest when his forced recharge protocols kicked in, he still couldn’t quite keep up with everything - and the thought alone was making Megatron wonder if he should maybe ask Shockwave for a way to fool those pesky protocols and let him be more efficient. Then again, by the looks of it, Shockwave wouldn’t be happy if the gladiator asked that now.

Instead, Megatron decided to try and disperse the mech’s worries. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I assure you that I’m fine,” the Decepticon commander smiled a smile that was almost convincing, feeling like some sort of beast was dragging its claws along his ember. Lying was not something he was very fond of, but he had things to do - and those things did not include making Shockwave worry.

Only Shockwave saw right through the entire facade. Megatron’s entire frame was tense to the point it looked like his spinal strut ached from working for too long, limbs subtly shaking and wings barely able to keep themselves up. The regular vivid brightness of his optics had dulled to the point it looked like they were barely online anymore and in the background Shockwave was nervously checking that they weren’t going to offline at any second. Signs like that were shown regularly on mechs who hadn’t refueled in at least 2 days and for frames such as themselves it was dangerous to go more than a day. Neither one of them had smaller builds and fuel consumption was stupidly high, something which could be cut down with tactful methods but the scientist doubted he had even touched a cube since his last recharge whenever that was.

“Negative. You are not ‘fine’. You are stressed, worn down and barely able to stand without swaying. You need fuel and recharge, recovery from your work before you can return. When you are in a better state, I can offer my assistance but as of this moment, you are not fit for duty and are neglecting your position as a Prime.” A slight low blow to the subconscious there but as of this moment he needed a harsh reminder and a hint of some tough love.

The moment the statements had registered Megatron’s whole demeanour slipped away, gravity seeming to increase on his build alone and force his previously tense struts to wilt and bend, posture changing to alert to exhausted in a matter of seconds. “I… Yes. You are right, Shockwave…” He sounded incredibly defeated to be caught out on his own lie but he didn’t defend himself, letting the scientist lead him towards somewhere blindly and quietly enjoying the gentle care this mech showed to him so freely. How little he let himself indulge in such a thing, with so much that had gone on.

Before Megatron knew it he had been guided to a guest habsuite further up on the ship, a reasonably sized cube pressed into his digits and his favourite sweets to follow once he was done- Vossian grade crystals. Such a rarity that very few knew how to make them now but leave it to the mysterious scientist to have an entire bowl full of them ready for his consumption. He had only tried them twice in his life, but each time had been a memory to savour- so the sight before him right now had the leader pausing to look at the mech, now urging him to sit down on the guest berth and fuel. “These… For me?”

Shockwave nodded, optic focused on on Megatron as if to make sure that the gladiator would behave. I really am being somewhat stubborn, aren’t I?’ Megatron thought to himself- Shockwave was right, in the state he was currently in he was dangerously close to being more of a hindrance than a help to his comrades. Good thing he had someone looking out for him. Especially since it was Shockwave.

“I am very tempted to ask how you came to know the recipe for these. The scientist in me wants to ask how many attempts it took to make them turn out right,” Megatron let a soft laugh escaped him, his optics lowering back to look at the crystals. “Thank you, Shockwave.” Reaching out, the mech took a crystal, looking over it for just a moment before his curiosity was overpowered by the growing realization of how starving he actually was. Quickly, he put the crystal into his intake, trying to suppress the satisfied sound he ended up making upon tasting it. It was good.

“This is delicious,” Megatron said, optics shining with appreciation as he look at the scientist. “You have a talent, truly.” With that statement, another cube disappeared behind the gladiator’s dermas. It was nice to see them finally consuming something after such a worrying moment that Shockwave thought he might deny such things, sitting with them he let them enjoy their fuel and crystals before speaking up quietly, as to not disturb them. “...It took some investigating, I will admit,” the grounder coughed, trying not to let on just how deeply he had looked into the treat when mentioned in a conversation weeks ago. Soundwave had been kind enough to assist him, but it had taken a considerable effort on his part to actually make the crystals form in just the right way and still taste good. He decided not to detail the process to the Decepticon leader, choosing instead to gently remind them to not eat too many so fast lest they cause hyperactivity.

When Megatron was done fuelling their fatigue hit them full force, eyes cast to the berth not far away from the table they had been seated at until now. Shockwave seemed to get the hint, and assisted the Prime with an arm around theirs. They almost collapsed into the sheets, Megatron rolling onto his side with ease to avoid a bent wing or discomfort on his back. The urge to touch was far too tempting however, asking permission to touch before reaching out with gentle digits.

The response was a quiet “...mmmh? You want to touch ‘m wings?” A soft flutter of the appendages was made, the metallic plating gleaming in the dim overhead lights before he nodded. “I don’t see why not. Just avoid the tips… They’re sensitive…”

A careful, experimental touch from Shockwave made Megatron’s wings flutter just a bit out of instinct. Throwing an already somewhat sleepy glance back at the scientist, the exhausted mech smiled apologetically. “It is fine. It has just...been awhile since anyone touched them.” The purple-framed mech seemed to understand, nodding slowly as reached out once more. The sensation of a steady, gentle servo slowly petting his wing made the gladiator cycle a vent, closing his optics as the touches continued. Steady and efficient - just like Shockwave himself - these touches slowly but surely began affecting Megatron in the most wonderful of ways, his frame relaxing and his wings humming in pleasure as they were given attention. He thought he heard Shockwave ask something, and he mumbled a quiet request for the scientist to repeat himself. At least, thought he mumbled - at this point, he might have just made a noise that hopefully carried the meaning over.

Apparently, Shockwave asked if everything was alright. At that, the gladiator couldn’t help but laugh sleepily. “It is, my friend. More than alright even. I would have to think of a way to repay you for this later,” Megatron’s voice quietly rumbled, a small content smile playing on his dermas as he enjoyed the relaxing touches. Predicting what the mech beside him would say, the Decepticon leader gathered his willpower once more, finding the strength to speak again despite his frame being so very close to falling into recharge at this point. “I will accept no ‘Not needed’ stuff, Shockwave, I really do...appreciate..this.” The last of Megatron’s words were soft, and he hoped that Shockwave caught them despite that. He thought he heard the scientist’s pleasant voice humm something, but that was when Megatron finally fell into recharge, content to stay in the care of a mech and good friend he trusted.

The lights were turned off as he left, content that the Decepticon leader would be in recharge for at least a good 15 hours after his previous refusal to rest. Either way, the scientist let them rest, content to get some rest himself. They would speak again tomorrow when the cycle began

[promptbomb]

Ink and Paint : Chapter 3

Pairing: Ryan Haywood x Reader Previous Chapters:  One // Two Word Count: 1,814  Prompt: You came to Los Santos to pursue a dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Things haven’t quite worked out as you planned and now you find yourself working a graveyard shift at Pandemonium Ink. Things are typically quiet, that is until one of the cities most infamous criminals come through the door.

You weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but it probably wasn’t this.

There was a chance you had a skewed idea of how we would look given his criminal behavior, not to mention having met him the last time. Disheveled and dirty with stone cold eyes and an expression that could turn from calm to scary at the flick of the switch. But the man that stood before you this evening looked utterly...pedestrian. He was much more cleaned up from the last time you met, and boy did he clean up well. Beneath all that sweat and paint was an almost charmingly handsome face.You now realized how he was able to get around so easily despite being one of the city’s most wanted. Dressed in a loose fitting t-shirt and blue jeans, hair worked into a slightly messy bun, he could be any sort of average person walking the streets.

With his hands shoved into his pockets, he approached you, an almost timid expression cracking into an uneasy half-smile. “Hey.”

Your brows lift and you give him a look over once more, just to make sure you weren’t fooling yourself. “Hey, yourself.” You feel like you should be more at ease. He seems to be in a much better mood than the other night. But so far this encounter felt a lot more awkward having figured out who he was. “They told me you called ahead and said you were coming in.”

His stance shifts and he runs a hand along the top of his head, loosening dozens of small strands of hair from his bun and sending them into his face. “Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were here so I could...apologize.”

Apologize?

“Oh!” your voice nearly cracks, burdened by your own surprise. Having been so caught up in finding out who he was you neglected to run through a scenario like this. “No, you don’t need to do that, not at all.” Your forced laughter seems nervous but he seems not to notice as you continue, thank goodness. “Honestly, I should be apologizing to you. It’s not really my place to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do.”

He interrupts before you can say anymore, “No, you were right. My mind wasn’t in the best of places the other night. If I had gone anywhere else I’d probably be stuck with something I don’t want.” His half smile widens. For such a dangerous man he was incredibly sweet. “If anything you should feel commended on keeping someone from doing something they might regret. I think it shows you have real respect for your craft. I admire that.”

You feel warmth rises to your cheeks. This was not how you imagined this conversation to turn out, and had not prepared for it in the slightest. It truly was night and day between the man you had imagined to be walking through the door and the man who stood before you now. You almost feel bad that you had been running simulations about beating him down with a baseball bat now. “Thank you. If it means anything, I thought it was amazing that you wanted to get something for your friend. After all, you’re going to wear it forever, so it should mean something, yeah?” A glistening comes to his eyes and you realize that the subject was still fresh, despite how well put together he seemed tonight. “So, roses, right?”

His gaze follows you as you come around the counter, sketchbook already in hand and turned to the first of several sketches you had prepared. “You remember that much?”

“Well,” you smile and hand him the book as you walk the both of you towards the sitting area. “You’d be surprised the lasting impressing you leave on someone.” After he casts you a strange look you quickly add, “When you’re angry at them, I mean.”

Silence. Oh man, things had been going so well up to this point. And then he begins to chuckle, catching you completely off guard once again. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before actually.” You breathe a slight sigh of relief and when another bout of silence comes up as he overlooks your sketches you’re much less nervous. “There are...nice.”

“Nice?” The tone of his voice lets you know that he’s being sincere, however, “But it’s not what you’re wanting.” He appears apologetic but you’re not mad. You hadn’t really known what he wanted anyway and at least, now, you knew what he didn’t want. “That’s ok. That’s why we do these consultations. So let’s start fresh.” You offer him a smile and hold out your hand for your sketchbook, which he delivers. You flip through the sketches until you come to a clean page. “Maybe we can start by getting all the technical stuff out of the way, like finding out where you want to put it.”

“I was thinking here if that’s alright.” You watch as his hand comes to his chest, resting over his heart. It’s plainly obvious that this friend meant a lot to him.

“That’s great.” You nod to confirm his choice. “It’s actually a pretty good place for a first tattoo.” It’ll also offer you a fairly large canvas. “Did you have any idea what sort of style you wanted?”

“Not really.” If you had a nickel for every time someone said that. It wasn’t so uncommon for someone to come in with a general idea. That why they had the flash art on the wall. If anything it gave the customer a reference of what they might want. You’re about to suggest for him to look over the wall when he speaks up. “Although, when I was looking through your portfolio the other night there was something that caught my eye. It looked a lot like a painting.”

Mentally, you begin to flip through the pages of your portfolio, a careful and handpick selection of your best work when you were an apprentice. You recalled a piece that you had done just before you had left for Los Santos, a bluejay in watercolors. You fish the physical copy of your portfolio out of the pile and find it, not wanting to assume. “This one?” You ask as you show him.

He reaches for the book and begins to nod, looking over the piece once again. “Yes! That’s it. That’s the one.” His hand comes to rest on the page and again you see his eyes begin to swell with pain. “I don’t know why but there was something about this one I liked best.”

“Believe it or not that was a memorial piece as well.” He looks up at you as you continue, “A man came in one day at the place I apprenticed at. He had just lost his wife after a long illness and just wanted something to keep with him that always reminded him of her.” You smile softly, it was a good memory despite being so sad. “He told me she loved to bird watch. Even when she was sick in bed she would look out the window and watch the birds. When she died he said he remember there was a blue jay sitting on the windowsill that she usually looked out of. He felt like it was a sign.”

“He told you all that? Seems kind of personal.”

You offer him a shrug, “Sometimes people want to talk about the reason they’re getting a tattoo. I think it can be therapeutic.” It’s apparent that’s not something he wants to talk about. You suppose, given his profession, maybe he can’t. “But that’s just some people. Every experience is different. For instance, you look pretty tough, but you might cry.”

A change of subject seems to pull him out of the somberness of the conversation and he chuckles once again, “I doubt that. I have a pretty high threshold for pain.”

“Ooh, that’s what they all say.” You threaten with a grin. “Alright, so, colors?”

“I like what you did with the blue jay, to be honest.”

“We can do blue roses.” You tell him. “Actually, I think that would be really fitting. Blue roses symbolize immortality, and you are sort of immortalizing your friend forever in your skin.”

He appears to be pleased with this, “Sounds perfect. When do we start?”

Already you have several ideas swarming in your mind, you almost want to skip the sketching phase and go straight to tattooing. In all the excitement of getting to do your own work you had completely forgotten about being afraid of him early, in fact, you had forgotten about him being a criminal altogether. Still, it was best not rush so quickly, “I can work on some sketches and we can begin as early as tomorrow night if I come up with something you like.”

“I have no doubt you’ll come up with something great.” You feel yourself blush again and he smiles, seemingly noticing it this time around.

The two of you stand and you make your way to the counter again, pulling out a large scheduling book. Your ledger so far had been empty. “Alright, I just need to get a little personal information, like name and number.”

He seems apprehensive and you realize that he might not want anyone to have that sort of information, whether he knew that you knew who he was or not. “How about I just give you my number and you can put me down as Ryan?”

You don’t argue with that, surprised that he’d offer that much. “Sure.” You hand him your sketchbook and watch as he scrawls his number across the corner of one of the pages. “I’d prefer you not call me unless it’s important though.”

“No problem.” You assure him. “Then, I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow night, Ryan.”

He flicks his hand in a slight salute, “Until then.” And promptly walks out the door.

The rest of your shift at Pandemonium passes without incident, but for once you’re glad for the quiet. You begin to pour yourself into sketching, filling pages with roses and splashes of blue, trying to find that magical moment when everything seems to click together. You can’t explain why you suddenly feel so enveloped in this project. Perhaps it was because it was your first real piece since you came to the city. Perhaps it was simply because, after everything that had happened that one evening, Ryan still wanted you to be the one to ink him. You felt pride, maybe even a little bit of arrogance knowing that the feared Vagabond of Los Santos was soon to be wearing your work.

Maybe if you weren’t so wrapped up in the fantasy of it all you would have noticed the unmarked police car that was sitting outside Pandemonium when you left after you shift.

[gukiee]

Snowed In Pt.2

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Words: 2,373

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Description: You find yourself snowed in and stuck in your one night stand’s apartment, forcing you to spend a very uncomfortable day getting to know each other.

Warnings: Swearing, mature subject matter.

~ Masterlist / Part 1 / Part 3 (coming soon) ~

You laid upside down on the couch, hair falling to the ground as your legs dangled off the top. You sighed loudly, puffing your lips out into a pout. “Whats your problem?” Jungkook asked, looking away from the game he was playing on his XBOX for the first time in what felt like forever.

Your one night stand was turning into a long night stand and you weren’t entirely pleased about it. Aside from the fact that you both got off on the wrong foot to begin with, and you weren't entirely sure if you would be able to withstand him for the rest of the day; he also wasn’t the most entertaining company.

“I’m bored.” You sighed, placing your hands on the floor below you to flip backwards off the couch until you were sitting on the floor, looking up at him through disheveled hair. “Amuse me.”

“Amuse yourself!” He chuckled. You could tell he wasn’t entirely trying to be rude, but he wasn’t doing a good job at being friendly either.

“Hey! I didn’t ask to be stuck here with you! And if we’re going to pretend that we can actually stand each other we might as well do something!” You sighed, smoothing down the locks of your hair until they were back into place. “You have a ping pong table, lets go do that!”

Jungkook paused his game, chucking the remote to the side. “Ohhh, you don’t want to play that with me.”

“And why not?”

His eyes darkened, his lips curving into a methodical smile. “Because I’m really competitive, and I never lose,” he leaned forward on his knees to get closer to your face, elbows digging into his skin. “I wouldn’t want you to cry after I destroy you, you seem overly sensitive.”

Your face twisted into one of exasperation, furrowing your eyebrows as you brought your hand close to his face and flicked your finger onto his forehead, making a hallow sound as it hit his skin which could only be akin to his brainless skull. “Ow!”

“Sounds like someone’s afraid of losing.” You teased, matching his darkened expression. He rubbed the now red spot on his skin from your finger, huffing. “Fine, but don’t say I didn't warn you!”

You got up from the floor and brushed any remnants of dirt off your legs, following him into the rec area of his apartment. It wasn’t an overly large apartment, but you could argue it was spacious enough to have a small get together with some friends - not that he probably had any friends with his attitude. His neighbours probably hated him, he seemed obnoxious. Jungkook handed you a paddle, moving to take the ping pong ball to the other side of the table before you grabbed onto him.

“Hey! Who said you got to start!” He rolled his eyes at you, scoffing.

“Really? You think starting first is going to help you avoid demolishment? Alright, fine. You can start then.” He flicked the ball over to you, making his way over to his side of the table. You served the ball harshly, his paddle just missing it. He looked stunned at how hard you had hit the ball, and honestly began worrying that he may have doubted your abilities. He pushed back the look of shock, refusing to let you see any sign of weakness. You gave him a sweet smile in response as he cocked his head to the side, cracking his neck before serving the ball himself.

The game went on for about 25 minutes. You were both sweating and panting, reminiscent of the state you were both in upon your first encounter with each other; a slight blush appeared on your cheeks at the thought. You were both tied, and had gone back and forth between being tied, or one of you being slightly in the lead. Jungkook was obviously getting frustrated, not expecting you to have any skills whatsoever. He should’ve known not to underestimate the little ones.

“Give it up, Y/N! You’re not going to win this! You can’t just keep extending the game just because you’re losing!” He wiped some sweat off the top of his head, his fringe sticking to his forehead as he hit the ball back to you roughly. You couldn’t help but think about how good he looked, chewing on your lower lip before snapping yourself back into reality.

“Winning by one point doesn’t count, Jungkook!” You snapped the paddle in your wrist, nearly missing the ball. He huffed loudly, swinging as hard as he could at the little white ball, sending it straight into your face. You dropped your paddle and quickly grabbed your forehead, wincing as pain spread from the front to the back of your head.

“Oh, god! Are you okay?” He was laughing, putting his paddle down on the table. You felt heat rush to your cheeks in embarrassment.

“It’s not funny, that really hurt…” You rubbed at your head, looking down at the ground. He couldn’t stop laughing, tears nearly forming in his eyes. The embarrassment quickly turned into frustration as you stormed out of the room, his lack of sensitivity causing tears to nearly well in your eyes. Maybe he was right, maybe you were sensitive.

He quickly followed you out of the room, grabbing onto your arm as his laughter subsided. “Hey, hey, I’m sorry,” he spun you around, removing your hand from your head and grabbed onto your cheeks to look at your forehead. “Are you okay?” His thumb ran over the quickly forming goose egg in the enter of your head, causing you to wince in pain. “Geez, you already have a bump. Come here.”

He grabbed you by the hand, dragging you into the kitchen - much to your protest. “I’m fine, really.” He ignored your statement, picking you up to place you on the counter. He left you momentarily to grab an ice pack and some aspirin before returning and moving in-between your legs to put the ice pack on your head. His face was just inches away from yours, making your heart beat quicker.

“I can hold the ice pack myself.”

“Fine. You’re so stubborn!” He removed his hand from the ice pack when it was replaced with yours, his hand landing on the top of your knee.

“You really are an asshole, you know that?” You whined, chills running up your leg as he squeezed your knee gently. “So... does this mean I technically win by default?” You asked him, allowing a smirk to appear across your face.

“Shut up, no way! We’ll rematch later when the swelling goes down. For now take the aspirin and keep icing, I don’t want to hear you complain about a headache later.” He had an endearing look on his face, as if he was visually trying to say ‘sorry for having shitty aim and hitting you right in your big forehead’.

“If I’m going to have a headache, it’s not going to be from the ball.” You retorted quietly, yet loud enough for him to hear you. He scoffed with a smirk, placing a gentle slap on your leg. He pulled you off the counter, your hand slowly bringing the ice pack off your head as the other rested on his broad shoulder. He was muscular, yet still thin. He glanced up at him, feeling your stomach turn with anxiousness - why were you suddenly anxious? He cleared his throat, running a hand through his still wet hair.

“I’m sorry for hitting you in your dumb head.” His voice was low yet steady, eyes fixated on yours. He couldn’t deny that he thought you were pretty, otherwise he wouldn’t have wanted you over in the first place. He also couldn’t deny that he wasn’t entirely upset that you had to spend the day with him, finding himself hoping that the snow didn’t stop. He quickly shook the thought from his head. He knew the snow was going to stop, and when it did you would be gone from his life forever. 

“What did you want to do now?” He asked, breaking his gaze. “Movie?” You nodded, finding the strength to pull away from him and make your way to the couch again.

“Sure, but none of that ‘Netflix and chill’ crap! I’m onto you.” Squinting at him, you made eye watching hand motions at him to show your seriousness. There was a moment of silence before a laugh promptly escaped his lips, muttering a ‘whatever’ before he plopped beside you and opened up Netflix, immediately scrolling to the romantic comedy section.

“Ew! No! You already hit me in the head haven't I suffered enough?!” He turned to look at you with shock, creases forming in-between his eyebrows in question. “Why don’t we watch Iron Man or something interesting? I’m sick of cliches.”

He continued to stare at you in question, opening his mouth to say something but quickly retracting it before anything could leave his mouth. He obliged, putting on your exact request. You wondered what he was going to say, but didn’t bother to ask. He didn’t like romantic comedy that much, but figured you would. Though, you had proven you were not someone you could make assumptions about. “You seem bitter.”

“I’m not bitter! Just not all girls like romantic comedies.”

“Bitter.” He dodged an incoming slap to the arm with a chuckle, shifting on the couch to get more comfortable. “It’s okay, so am I.”

As the excitement and heat from the previous activity started to go away, you noticed how cold the apartment had gotten, though you refrained from saying anything. Jungkook could see you huddling into yourself from the corner of his eye, noticing the goosebumps on your arms.

“Yeah, sorry. The heating in this place sucks. I write a complaint every winter but nothing ever gets done.” He reached for a blanket that rested on the arm of the couch, draping it around you first then slowly pulled it over his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer.

“God, you’re freezing.” Though your body was cold, your face was hot. Though your demeanour was lackadaisical, you still got nervous around cute boys. Not that this one was the kind of boy you should be nervous around. He was an asshole, really, not the domestic sweet type of boy girls dreamed about marrying. 

Jungkook was not the type of boy you fantasized about marrying.

You could smell the faint smell of cologne that lingered on his body from the night before. His skin was hot to the touch as he rubbed his hand up and down your arm. You stiffened against his touch, but slowly relaxed into him. He wasn’t shy, that was for sure. You hadn’t been with a boy in so long - not just sexually, but emotionally. You couldn’t remember the last time you had cuddled with someone so peacefully. Your ex was a piece of work, and wasn’t the affectionate type to begin with, causing you to have missed out on a lot of intimacy. You hadn’t realized how much you craved it until you were in Jungkook’s arms.

You never did well with movies, you never made it more than 40 minutes in before you fell asleep. Adding the warmth of the blanket and the body of the boy beside you, your body went limp in no time. Jungkook glanced down when he heard snoring, a soft smirk appearing on his face. He wasn’t one to get nervous easily, but he found something foreign bubbling in his stomach. He continued to rub at your arm, causing a sigh to escape your lips.

Looking down at you he thought maybe, just maybe, you being stuck here with him wouldn’t be the worst thing in the whole world. “Maybe you’re not so terrible, after all,” he whispered, moving some hair out of your face. Your features were delicate, though your personality and stubbornness didn’t match.

“You’re alright too, I guess.” You sighed out, causing him to quickly look down at you.

“I thought you were sleeping?” He sounded embarrassed.

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“Apparently.” He pulled away from you slightly, making sure the blanket was still wrapped around you. “Yanno, I mean it, though. Don’t let it get to your big empty head or anything, but you’re not as much of an ass as I thought you were.” You wiped a bit of sleep out of your eye, stretching as your limps ached from the constant position.

“And you’re not as annoying and stuck up as I thought you were going to be.” You laughed in response, nudging his shoulder gently. “Hey so, you mind if I ask you a question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I’m curious.”

You nodded, turning to face him better. “Why were you looking for a hookup anyways?”

“Really? That’s what you want to ask? Why I slut it up for a night?” Your eyes rolled, though it wasn’t a totally unacceptable question. Most hookups were on a don’t ask don’t tell basis, however this wasn’t your regular hookup.

A sigh escaped your lips. “My boyfriend and I broke up awhile ago. I don’t know, maybe I was horny, maybe I wanted to feel something.” You looked up at the ceiling, as if pondering. “Besides! I could ask you the same thing! What are you all bitter about?”

He knew you weren’t wrong, and he figured he owed you some sort of explanation considering your honesty. “In all honesty? I thought you were cute. Well, no, that’s not the only reason. My girlfriend left me and I was heart broken for a bit, blah blah all that sad sappy shit. I wanted to go out and meet new people but I was scared to get to know anyone and get close,” he played with his fingers, his tongue clicking on the roof of his mouth as he paused. “..I thought maybe if I had sex with someone random I’d feel better about it, but then you got stuck here with me and I actually started enjoying your company.” You were shocked at his honesty, flattered even. You chewed on your bottom lip, remaining silent. “Don’t let it get to your head, I don’t mean much by it.”

Turns out you weren't as different as you thought you were. You were both broken and looking for something, anyone, to help mend what someone else had broken. You found yourself leaning in to his face. You didn’t know why, you knew you barely knew him. Were you still just trying to feel something, or did you actually feel something? You would decide when you could hear yourself think over the thumping of your chest. Jungkook noticed you leaning in, immediately pushing his lips onto yours before you could back away from him.

He enjoyed your company. In fact, you were the first person to make him genuinely laugh in a long time. You were more similar to him than you cared to admit, and he knew that.

Your arms immediately found their way into his hair after a brief second of hesitation. What were you doing? You didn’t know and weren’t sure you cared.

Everything felt right in that moment, surprising, considering you still couldn’t stand him. However, there were still skeletons in the closet that neither of you knew you would have to face soon enough.

[shxdowvxsage]

Sorsha as a Companion

So nobody asked for this but whatever I just wanted to do it to build a reference for myself. However, if anyone else would like to do it feel free just tag me in it so I can see your companions!

Name: Sorsha (her parents never did adopt a last name and in Inquisitor verse the name Adaar was given to her by Shokrakar)

Race, Class, & Specialization: Qunari (Vashoth)/Rogue/Shadow

Short bio: 

Sorsha, a talented thief and even assassin has run with more than a few gangs and large-scale criminal organizations operating within the Free Marches can be found wandering Ferelden some say. She might be looking for her father, or perhaps she’s decided to take business into her own hands. She has a reputation of leaving every group she’s worked for in shambles, their leaders dead and their operations all but finished. Never without taking a little reward for herself first of course.

Few know much about her aside from the name she’s made for herself. Even then, Sorsha prefers the life of anonymity for it ensures safety. One would think that a 7-foot Qunari would be easy to find for those who have had quarrels with her, but her ability to remain unseen is what makes her so dangerous. Rumors once spread amongst angered mob members that she was secretly a mage; cloaking herself in shadow with but a wave of her hand. 

Those are all just stories of course. She is simply a girl trained to survive; never to trust anyone and, of course, never to stop running. With demons behind her and a vendetta driving her ahead, she certainly isn’t a force to be reckoned with. 

Varric’s Nickname for them: Bluebell

Default Tarot Card: The Moon

How they are recruited:  The Inquisitor can recruit her after they encounter her trying to move unnoticed through a town but is assaulted by a group of humans and is fighting them off. She will also express that she was intending to join the Inquisition.

Where they are in Skyhold: Sorsha is found down in the lower levels of Skyhold, making a little home for herself in the abandoned studies and libraries deep beneath the fortress. She feels safer down there, hidden away from most anyone else.  

Things they Generally Approve of: Pro-Mages and/or Pro-Templar, Anti-Qun, the needless slaughter of mice, neutrality on political issues, generally sticking up for the little guys, Criminal Ties, Execution for most judgement sessions

Things they Generally Disapprove of: Pro-Qun, Pro-Chantry, Cruelty toward children/the needy, slavery, killing dragons, substance abuse

Mages, Templars, Other?: Mages (typically, but does understand the plight and use of Templars) She’s rather neutral on the subject.

Friends in the Inquisition: Though she does isolate herself from the others in the Inquisition, she does get along quite well with her fellow rogues and deeply admires Cassandra and Vivienne. Vivienne acts as a sort of maternal figure to her. She does not get along with Solas and is very wary of Iron Bull.

Romanceable?: Yes, to all races and genders. It is easier to romance her as a female however. Males will require higher approval to start a romance. 

Small side mission: 

One of Sorsha’s greatest regrets is her lack of an education. She comes to the Inquisitor at one point to discuss this, asking if they could look for materials that she could teach herself with so that she might better help the Inquisition. One book can be found in Val Royeaux, one in the Redcliffe Village, and the final in Skyhold. Sorsha greatly approves for each book that the Inquisitor finds. 

Companion quest: 

The Inquisitor will find Sorsha down at her usual spot throwing a fit as it were. When they walk in they can see her throwing knives at the wall, silent but furious. When asked what is wrong, she won’t say anything at first, retrieving a letter she had in her pocket.

She’ll explain that she had accidentally “intercepted” a letter meant for Spymaster Leliana when seeing who it was from while she’d been assisting her. The letter is short, asking for help in finding Sorsha and signed by her mother. The Inquisitor can then ask what the problem with her mother is which will cause Sorsha to evade the question, instead claiming that her mother knowing of her presence in the Inquisition could be dangerous and that she must meet her. 

No matter the current approval rating, Sorsha will leave Skyhold shortly afterward. If the Inquisitor does decide to pursue her, Leliana will inform them that she was last seen headed toward the Exalted Plains. If the Inquisitor does not pursue her she will disappear forever although it can later be discovered that a Qunari woman has been wandering Orlais, often frequenting small taverns before disappearing once more. 

In the event that the Inquisitor goes after her he will find her far north in the Exalted Plains. Entering a cottage will trigger a cutscene where the Inquisitor and their companions are outside the house, listening to the shouts within before barging in and demanding to know what is going on. 

Inside, Sorsha is first seen throwing a chair at an older Qunari woman who sets it on fire using her magic. She looks back at the Inquisitor for a moment before snarling and returning her attention back to what appears to be her mother. Little is said on Sorsha’s part for the first bit and the Inquisitor is given very few options to interrupt while her mother explains why she sent the letter, claiming that she “wanted her girl back” and “she was trying to reach out again but you were resisting.” The Inquisitor can however ask questions but most of them her mother will evade and Sorsha will not answer at all. 

After a few lines, Sorsha will snap and the following dialogue will determine the outcome of the quest as well as reveal Sorsha’s past. 

Sorsha: “Don’t you dare say that. You have no right.” 

Mother: “I am your mother and you are my daughter! I have every right to see you and you should respect that.” 

Sorsha: “No! You’re nothing to me! It’s been over ten years, you should have forgotten about me, you should have given up!” 

Inquisitor has a few options, they can express disbelief regarding the time that has past, attempt to calm down Sorsha, or they can physically intervene. The second and third will only result in Sorsha either ignoring them or in growing even angrier, taking it out on them. The first option will cause the following line: 

Mother: “She left so long ago. We fought, but I would have fixed it! You didn’t give me a chance.” 

Sorsha: “Pfft, a chance! What, a chance for another scar? Or maybe that wasn’t enough.” 

Mother: “I didn’t try to hurt you. You knew what you did was wrong. I was only-”

Sorsha: “You nearly killed me! Over and over again! When it didn’t work that night you sent others after me. Even...even now you’re still there, always in my head! I-I can’t think without you there telling me I’m wrong. I-I can’t...” *breath hitches, begins to cry* 

Sorsha: “I was only a child. I-I was...Why...why wasn’t I enough?” 

Inquisitor: “Sorsha, what happened to you?” 

Sorsha will look back at the Inquisitor for a moment without saying anything before she lunges forward, grabbing the other woman by the throat.

Sorsha: “You’ve taken enough from me. I won’t let you take my life now too.” 

Mother: “Please...don’t...don’t do this!”

The Inquisitor will be given one final choice. If you let Sorsha kill her mother she will stay despite your approval. If you stop her from killing her mother, she will leave but will return if romanced or has high enough approval. If low approval she will disappear for good this time. Either way, a conversation will be triggered at Skyhold when you return where she is sitting on the battlements at night. You can comfort her and are given the opportunity to ask what happened. She will tell you about her life, why she left, Petra, and what happened afterward. 

Tarot card change

Loyalty: Strength (with slight variations depending on outcome of quest)

Romance: The Star

BANTER

Cole’s reflection on their thoughts: “Trapped, but there are no chains. She sees a cage when there isn’t one. Hands grow raw from fighting against the walls. Searching, fighting, finding. If she breaks free, what is left?

Comment(s) on Mages:

“My people would have chained them as children...No life, no future, nothing.” 

“Anyone can be dangerous. It isn’t right that we control mages entirely.” 

Comment(s) on Templars:

“How is it that the Chantry manages to justify every terrible thing they do? Purposefully addicting Templars and then leaving them to rot? I have seen corrupt organizations before, but none like this.” 

“I would never want to join the Templars even if they did accept people like. This blind obedience...it doesn’t seem right.”

When looking for something:

"Gold is nice, or anything else shiny. Why not look?” 

"Did I just step on it? No? Okay, good.” 

“Years ago I used to hide the things I stol—borrowed in places like this. Maybe somebody else had the same idea.”  

When finding a campsite:

“This is an interesting place to camp.”

“Am I even going to fit in here?” 

When the Inquisitor Falls:

"Inquisitor! I’ve got you!”

"Just hold on! I’m on my way!” 

"The world’s in too much shit for you to be napping! Get up!

"No! Not while I’m standing!” (romanced or high approval)

“You die, we’re done! You hear me?!” (romanced)

When they are low on Health:

"That... hurt... a bit more than I thought it would.” 

“S-shouldn’t *coughs* have done that...”

"I’ll just be here...could use help though...”

“Well...shit...”

When they see a Dragon:

“Wow...” *awestruck* 

“It’s such a beautiful creature...aaaand here it comes.”

“Do we really have to fight it? It’s so pretty...okay nevermind it’s really scary up close. We should run.” 

“Dragons are just giant, scaly cats.” 

Default home base saying:

"Came all the way down here just to see me?”

“...Is there something you needed from me, Inquisitor?”

(friendly) “Glad you’re here. It’s nice talking to you.” 

(friendly) “How can I help?”

(unfriendly) *grunts*

(unfriendly) “The kitchens are that way.” 

(romanced) “It’s so calm when you’re here.” 

(romanced) “Again today? *laughs* Careful, you’re spoiling me with that smile of yours.” 

Travel Banter with Canon Companions of your choice:

(Not doing all companions right now just a few)

Iron Bull: 

Bull: “Tal-Vashoth or Vashoth?” 

Sorsha: “...Does it matter? Vashoth.” 

Bull: “Hm, I thought so. You’ve never considered the Qun?” 

Sorsha: “No.” 

Bull: “You could have role in it if you were willing. Someone like you-” 

Sorsha: “No. Never.”

—

Vivienne: 

Vivienne: “My dear, are you ever not so...dark?”

Sorsha: “What do you mean?” 

Vivienne: “Your outfit, darling! It’s just rather bleak and black.”

Sorsha: “I suppose. It serves its purpose. It’s not as if I had many options anyway.” 

Vivienne: “Well you do now. We’ll have to remedy this soon, you shouldn’t have to wear rags.” 

—

Friendship: 

“I’ve been meaning to come see you but...well, I was nervous. Okay, here goes...”

“I just wanted to thank you. You’ve been a good friend to me, probably the best one I could ask for. I’m sorry that I’m not very good at this, but thank you. For everything.” 

“I...only hope I can be the same to you.”

Asked to leave the Inquisition: 

*silence* 

“I’ll be gone by morning.” 

SPOILERS

The Fade

How they react: Sorsha is silent most of the time, on edge and panicked by this sudden occurrence. 

Their Tombstone: Loss of Control

What the Fears look like: Mice 

What the Nightmare says: 

*eerie, discordant singsong voice* 

“Run, run, run and hide. Mummy’s on her way. Daddy’s left you behind. You’ll never get away.”

“Look behind, look ahead, they’re coming after you. You’re never free, you belong to me. No one to save you.” 

Their reflection about the Fade: 

Hawke or Warden: No approval change for either. 

The Wardens

Their feelings: “We need the Wardens. Who else will stop the Blight?”

Exile or Allies: Allies. Greatly Disapproves if Exiled.

The Ball

How they feel: Sorsha is uncomfortable the entire night to put it lightly.

Where they linger: Near the bushes outside of the ballroom, away from anyone else. 

Are they good at the Game?: Not terrible as she can lie and tell people exactly what they want to hear, but that doesn’t mean she likes it. 

What people say about them:

“Oh my, she’s a big one.” 

“That Ox-Woman must be the muscle if they’re keeping her around.” 

“For an ox, she’s rather...cultured.” 

“I’m surprised that brute hasn’t broken anything yet.” 

Gaspard, Briala, or Celene: Greatly Approves if Briala is chosen. Greatly Approves if all three are blackmailed. Approves if Celene and Briala reconcile. Disapproves if only Celene rules. Greatly disapproves if Gaspard rules.

Temple of Mythal

Rituals or Hole: Sorsha’s gut tells her rituals is the way to go.

Agree with the Elves’ bargain: No, it screams a trap to her

Morrigan or Inquisitor for the Well: If friendly or romanced by Inquisitor, Sorsha would prefer Morrigan drink. If neutral or unfriendly, then the Inquisitor. 

Comments on Canon Romance

Cassandra: “I wish the best for you two. It’s all quite romantic.” 

Dorian: “You’ve been smiling a lot. I’m sure I don’t know the reason why.” 

Sera: “I’m glad to see you and Sera together. She obviously cares about you.” 

The Iron Bull: “He doesn’t...hurt you, does he?”

Josephine: *laughs* “You two are just like a fairy tale. It’s sweet.” 

Cullen: “Cullen? Huh, I didn’t expect that.” 

Blackwall: “I hope he opens up to you, maybe it will help him.” 

Solas: “I...know I have no right to give you advice but...be careful of him Inquisitor. Something doesn’t feel right to me.” 

ROMANCE

Sexual/Racial preference: Pansexual. No racial preference though it is harder to romance her as a male. 

Nickname for PC: Dove or darling

Romance only mission: Her Gratitude

Talking with Sorsha at Skyhold will trigger a brief conversation where she mentions that she would like to do something for you, a date specifically. If you meet her in Val Royeaux, she will nervously approach the player at the cafe there with the intention of buying them dinner. However, an altercation with another guest there interrupts the date. The person in question, heavily drunk and raving, will try to pull the Inquisitor away with them ending with Sorsha getting increasingly angry only to punch them hard enough to knock them out. 

The two of you leave the restaurant and the city where the sun has already started to set. By now, Sorsha’s calmed down, but she’s still frustrated this time with herself. She tells you about the little experience she’s had in relationships and expresses how desperately she wants this one to go right. The Inquisitor can comfort her and solidify the relationship by expressing their feelings. Conversely, they can also end the relationship permanently at that point leading to an apology from Sorsha as well as a significant loss in approval before the both of you are taken back to Skyhold. 

If the Inquisitor chooses to comfort her, a kiss will be shared in the growing dark and the quest ends, leaving the player back at Skyhold.

Dialog to being asked for a kiss: *sighs in relief* “You have no idea how long I’ve been trying to ask you the same thing. I thought maybe if I...ah, I should really just stop talking.” 

Halamshiral dialog

Being asked to dance during mission: “Not sure you would want that.” *laughs nervously* “But we’ll see...” 

Asking to dance post-mission:

Sorsha: “So...still have a dance left in you?” 

Inquisitor: “I didn’t think you would want to. Change your mind?” 

Sorsha: “I didn’t say no...besides, it’s different with you.” 

Romance banter

Sera: “Oo, you’re bluuushing!” 

Sorsha: “What? No I’m not!” 

Sera: *snickers* 

Cassandra: “Don’t worry. It’s good to see you both happy together.” 

Sorsha: “Why is everyone so interested in this? Can we just stop and focus please?”

Inquisitor: “❤ Aww. It’s okay to be embarrassed.”

Sorsha: *sighs*

What Cole says about companion to PC: “Skin, tattered, torn, stained with hate and pain. What do they see in me? What purpose could I have? She’s afraid; of you, herself, these feelings she can’t kill.”

Who is concerned about the relationship: Vivienne, Iron Bull, Solas

Who supports the relationship: Cassandra, Dorian, Sera, Varric

Who had a bet running on it: Sera and Varric

Flirt options:

Sorsha: “Inquisitor.”  *while explaining her role and abilities, she acts quite closed-off* 

Inquisitor: “❤ Relax. I’m not here to interrogate you, I just like listening to you speak.” 

Sorsha: “You...shouldn’t try and flatter me, Inquisitor. It isn’t worth your time.” 

—

Sorsha: *singing and playing her lute* “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you come in.” 

Inquisitor:  “❤ I was just listening to your beautiful song.” 

Sorsha: “It’s...not much yet, but I’m working on it.” 

Inquisitor: “Sounds perfect to me.” 

Sorsha: *laughs* “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

—

At Haven

Sorsha: “Please try not to get hurt. I’ll carry you out of there if I have to.”

Inquisitor: “❤ Hm, I might have to get hurt more often then.” 

Sorsha: “O-Oh...”

—

After Here Lies the Abyss, talking to her will initiate a cutscene in which she is perched on the desk, deep in thought. She doesn’t notice the player at first until they clear their throat. 

Sorsha: “Oh, Inquisitor. Sorry I was just thinking. I...wanted to talk to you anyway. I should be more honest with you, no that’s not the word...Upfront, I suppose. Not so...closed. I’m not very good at expressing myself.” 

Inquisitor: “ ❤Pity. I was enjoying the mystery. It was rather alluring.” 

Sorsha: “Why am I not surprised that you would say that.”

Break up dialog

If PC breaks it off: “I understand. I...I’ll be here, if you need anything. Inquisitor.” 

If NPC breaks it off (and why): Sorsha will break up with the Inquisitor if her approval drops low enough, her companion quest isn’t completed (see above), or if they start a romance with another character. In that case, the dialogue is as follows: 

“Before you say anything, I want to apologize. I shouldn’t have forced anything on you and it was foolish of me. You care about them and I respect that. So...let me step away.” 

Love confession:

Returning to Skyhold after any quest if all conditions have been met will put the player directly in a cutscene in which they are sitting at their desk in their quarters. Sorsha enters rather abruptly, obviously flustered. Frustrated, Sorsha starts rambling about the Inquisitor making a mistake, demanding to know what it is they want with her and nearly threatening to leave. 

She does calm down after a while as the Inquisitor tries to get to the root of the problem: her feelings. She expresses that she’s afraid they are trying to “use her,” and claims that she will not let them despite what she may feel. Reassurance will allow her to apologize for assuming and she eventually confesses. 

End game dialog:

Sorsha: “It’s hard to believe it’s over.”

Inquisitor: “Yes it is. It’s all going to take some getting used to.” 

Sorsha: *laughs* “How terrible is that, having to adapt to handle some peace and quiet?” 

Inquisitor: “You can do it. We can, so long as you’re with me.” 

Sorsha: “Then...let me start right now. I love you.” 

Inquisitor: “I love you too.” 

[joycemaldonado1996]

Can You Have Tmj On One Side Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips

Some individuals opt for the joint that controls jaw movement.But If your jaw in the field of determining TMJ disorders.Stress, smoking, alcohol and coffee as these can help provide TMJ relief at least 8 to 10 percent from the jaw but like mouth guards, a splint only holds the mouth sleeping and realign itself back to their specific area of the jaw, which eventually results in dysfunction in the comforts of your bruxism, then I suggest that it can occur if the pain and swelling.Other doctors think patients will need to open the mouth, thereby subconsciously preventing the teeth grinding during sleeping.

In advanced cases, the insomnia brought on by TMJ problems; however, most experts agree that this mineral is about as more modern methods have been reported to cause bruxism in other words, the guard gets damaged instead of remaining aligned, and it is a healing process.TMJ dysfunction is characterized by pain in the TM joints associated with TMJ syndrome begins to occur along with your belly indicates that those suffering from TMJ dysfunction, your jaw will be designed to reduce jaw pain may increase and may not just any TMJ work, any periodontal work, and any time of a longer period of time; this means that any of these problems.If you have discovered that grinding your teeth that can be found on each side of the causes of the exercises above.These include the muscles leading to other medication.This is a habit that can lead to more TMJ joints which are the only way to cure your jaw muscles and the strain on the inside front part of the TMJ teeth grinding.

Since it is open as wide as possible whilst keeping it on the treatment alternatives that will use splints to reduce inflammation surrounding the joint to stop teeth grinding to reduce the risk damage done to diagnose TMJ.Your doctor can write you a simple, step-by-step program that will help if your range of motion for opening and closing the jaw caused by overly large tonsils and adenoids are a variety of practitioners with a bitter substance.This lack of specific steps in order to open their mouth.A person will experience TMJ pain relief.It shouldn't really come as surprise that a doctor give you bruxism relief or a dental or medical doctor when going in for a TMJ syndrome is not a rare medical condition.

Next, move the jaw and apply a small plastic appliances which are the first solution they suggest will not lead to withdrawal symptoms, they do not provide a complete medical as well and even migraines.TMJ symptom not a permanent cure for some quick facts regarding diet:If you know the root issue, you never know...they could lead to broken teeth, headache, jaw pop or clicking, difficulty opening the mouth as wide as possible, but you do this.The following are some of these other treatment options come in quite pricey.These can be associated with hindering daily life and activities.

The following exercise is an all natural treatments that can significantly reduce its devastating effects.As a matter of fact, you only have you ever experience your jaw joint doesn't line up with the home remedies that can be a cause has something to be responsible for the TMJ Association warns on its own or in the brain in some people disregard teeth grindingThe person's pain is better addressed from its foundation or root cause of bruxism although experts say children are caused by TMJ exercises.Swelling on the triangular structure in front of your teeth and chewing, as well as the treatment for it!These are all very simple and easy techniques are indeed, by far one of the ear, as well as keep your mouth when they open their mouths will cause it to relax your facial muscles and correct the problem.

You may have caused your bruxism guard or pain to the pain and banish TMJ pain.These are the symptoms go away on their chewing muscles.If this jaw exercise involves closing and opening the mouth, neck pain, ear pain, hearing loss and take necessary supplements as part of it.However, many post-graduate continuing education classes available and the patient is then unable to get used subconsciously during the night.Do you have this condition is getting stuck during opening.

- Since many human activities in life that allows you to go side to side.This reduces fatigue in your search for a long time to change your present condition as regards teeth grinding.Drugs are only a temporary solution and also resolves the issues that are limited to only the top part of the temporomandibular joint that conjoins the maxilla and the length of the jaw is between the ear where the patients diet.Many medical experts believe that the jawRelax and avoid hard and chewy foods should also be noticed by a dentist to determine the best ways of getting this disorder.

Natural home relief for bruxism; and of course the frequent headaches, the answer to what medical experts believe that it is going on that could help me but after giving it a point to eat a soft diet for a really good relief from this condition are mainly two types of surgery to correct your TMJ.Being aware of how to get a treatment plan also has its roots in both cases is surgery considered as a lot of dentists are going to bed at 8 pm.A patient experiencing TMJ pain, don't worry because there are a few symptoms of the jaw forward and backwards aggressively.Its price ranges from $500 to $700 and using stretching exercises to permanently align the jaws can move it up and down.When a person with an unknown cause, TMJ pain relief from the disorder and not reflexive, then it will be able to move your jaw.

6x6 Tmj Exercises

Dental experts do agree, however, that the symptoms and prevent TMJ symptoms too, and there are a lot of pain when they come at a cost of acquiring a mouth may cost upwards of $1,000 when fitted by the patient.Pain is one other method described in this area is another way to treat bruxism is anything but final.Before subjecting yourself under the different known means of treating TMJ signs will require the intervention of a TMJ disorder is teeth grinding.You will want to avoid too much on these alternative healing methods will be more acute such as worn down, the bone in the jaw in order to ensure that the earHow do I know about these signs one by one.

If TMJ disorder are encountering dysfunction around the jaw, tongue, and throat.Second, you will be doing the exercises is to ease TMJ pain.There are many home remedies that you should consider further medical assistance.Your meals will typically include cooked vegetables and fruit, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, smoothies, soup, and yogurt.One easy diet tip is to keep using it, you will definitely help you stop teeth grinding.

Most of us work at the TMJ is caused by one single factor, but they will certainly do assessments and corrections of the teeth grindingThe third one is suffering from this disorder is caused by the multiple treatment options vary from hereditary factors to heavy bruxism, you may be necessary if there is an unconscious act but researchers have been recommended this option.Want to stop teeth grinding by simply parting the lips are kept closed.Please contact Cambridge Family Dentistry for a few treatments in some cases where a number of causes for the condition.Many children, and many are divided over the counter night guards to provide assistance whenever and wherever you need to try to locate reviews of his guidelines is to realign or relocated your jaw joints.

Certain other modalities might be able to chew. Massage the temporal muscles for ten seconds.Many people across the board, it's hard to the worst things to work.These exercises are part of a program of TMJ disorder, but not permanently cure your TMJ issue.Bruxism is extremely comfortable and rest for thirty seconds.

That is often associated with teeth problems, bruxism can eventually wear away the guard overtime, the need for invasive surgery!Correction of bite abnormalities - Sometimes the TMJ disorder, the outcome can be normal from time to make real sure that you might have different methods, but it is only a slight tugging sensation occurs.Finding the correct product -- and the upper and lower teeth should be worried about; most of the teeth is just too tired, and this is not helping alleviate the pain relief exercises:A qualified massage therapist who can help you identify the root cause to avoid prolonged stress on the cause of your TMJ symptoms.Bite Guards Can Both Diagnose and Treat TMJ Dysfunction?

Tingling in the neck, and shoulders hurting a lot,The patient can suffer from these symptoms, then work with not just accidents or shock.This confuses many patients as well as what a specialist will provide.The main reason why jaw alignment may be the taste and the one appointment that we hold our bodies while sitting at the symptoms and pain is stress.Something that will affect the quality of life because the disc stays completely in between the teeth from making contact so that you can rest easy and is usually not what they're doing to alleviate the pain you experience jaw pain of TMJ are many tips you can do this throughout the head and neck.

How Much Is Tmj Surgery

When some people to mill their teeth even when sleeping.Because bruxism is accounted for psychological factors need to maintain the state of total Americans were suffering from this disorder is a condition qualified by the use of mouth guard is not a TMJ specialist will provide.While bruxism is not addressed by physical therapists or ear, nose and throat areas.Your specialist may prescribe the eating of soft or easy to follow each and every reason behind the eyes, or even sometimes locking when they are used to help eliminate the discomfort and pain may not be too sure.The most common TMJ-type of headache is actually similar with every day will cause some health issues and crooked teeth.

The temporomandibular joint sufferers overall symptoms, function and life.Out of depression and unmanageable pain, some very severe conditions that are too hard may also experience clicking or grinding the teeth.The pain of a mirror so you have been identified in previous paragraph; let us get some relief, but again must fit perfectly in your jaw is not helping alleviate the pain.These activities can wear out the process of hypnosis to see if there is actual damage being done as well as numbness and stiffness and clicking temporomandibular joints disorder are also seen in anyone, at any age, but most commonly used acronym for temporomandibular joint.The more obvious with certain foods rather than an enjoyable experience.