#I’ve waited for this reveal for 6 M O N T H S

[kyri45]

PREV / ALL / FIRST / NEXT (ISAT Sky: Cotl!AU!)

Outside space and time… we might find unexpected answers

[honeybunnybeez]

If you are still doing the alphabet thing can I please get a c!quackity? It's okay if not, dont worry!

SFW alphabet:

C!Quackity

♡Reader is Gender Neutral!

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Lord we know this man is quite the flirt in some way. He's pretty affectionate with you in front of others and almost has little shame with it.

In public, he likes to hold hands or put his arms around your shoulder or waist, depending on how tall you are compared to him.

In private he's pretty playful, calling out your name out of nowhere only to tackle with you a hug and kiss you. He totally keeps you on your toes when at home.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He's a very teasing best friend, constantly joking around with you. Also the best friend people think you're dating before you actually date because of how affectionate he is with you.

You two probably became friends during the presedential election and remained friends since you decided to oppose Schlatt with him and Tubbo.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

My man likes to properly cuddle with you whenever you two have some quiet time alone. His favourite way to cuddle you is by laying on top of you while you stroke his hair or wings.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I would think that he would, most likely after being satisfied with whatever he plans on doing in the server.

Oh my god but he would be so bad at doing chores with you. Washing dishes? Yeah- that's gonna be a 1 hour ordeal as you two have a water fight. Cooking? Food fight. Sweeping around the house? Broom fight- you two keep telling yourself you won't do it again but you do-

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

(Me, having a minor flashback to when he told Eret he didn't like him at all) OKAY- So, depends heavily on the situation. It could either go smooth or just break both your hearts.

If it was just the relationship not feeling natural, he would break it off to you the nicest way he can and would still really wanna be friends with you. He can't cause chaos without his buddy after all.

Oh but if it was because of something bad either one of you did, he would definitely say things he doesn't mean. Things that would break both your hearts. Yeah, it would take a while to ever mend your relationship if that was the outcome.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He has like 2 freaking fiances and 1 (or 2?) ex(es?). (Karlnapity sfw alphabet soon? Maybe-) He's down to get engaged with you for sure.

Okay but he seems to like getting engaged really quickly too- So you'll have to tell him straight up that you need to see where this goes with him. Maybe give like a time period of 6 months or more to see if you two could really live being each others for the rest of you lives.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Emotionally, he is a little rough. He forgets his limits at times and will sometimes say hurtful things to you by accident in the heat of the moment. He'll apologize profusely though when he catches his mistake and sees the way your eyes stare at him with such hurt. He tells you he doesn't mean it and he truly doesn't, he'll feel guilty until you forgive him.

Physically, he is pretty gentle save for his few tackle hugs and kisses. He just loves you a lot and sometimes can't contain it well.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He loves hugs if it's you giving them. He needs to get a hug from you everyday and if he doesn't he gets super whiny and will even whine in his 'auto tune' voice until he gets them. He likes to hug you from behind, and sometimes his wings cover the both of you as he asks you, "Guess who this iiis!"

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

The first time he ever genuinely said I love you was when you had to help him clean his wings after a bad fall of his. He had never let anyone close to them before and so him thinking he could trust you not to hurt him was something that made him realize that he truly did love you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He's not a very jealous person, being a very affectionate and handsy person himself, but if you and him don't hang out with one another as often as you used to he starts to whine for your attention until he gets it.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are very hyper and almost silly.

He likes to kiss your whole face, planting them in quick succession everywhere to make you laugh.

He likes when you give him long kisses on the lips. Especially if it's during a calm moment. It makes his heart flutter.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Oh he can definitely hang with kids and in return kids love him and his chaotic childish nature too, but he doesn't plan on having any of his own, at least not early on in your relationship. He'll have to think about that for a while.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings are the only time you can find him calm, you usually wake up earlier than he does and he always looks so peaceful while he lays on your chest with his wings laid out like a second blanket.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights are filled with mindless chatter between the two of you. Rarely do you guys ever remember what nonsense you two were on about before bedtime. All you remembered is shared goodnight kisses and cuddles.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Oh, after all the stuff he's been through he doesn't trust anyone easily anymore. It will take him quite a while to fully open up to you about all the negative things he feels or thinks about. Just take things slow with him and don't push him to say what he doesn't want to, that already wins you his favour.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Okay this seems like a wild card not gonna lie. I feel like if it involves his plan to gain power in the server and you're against the idea he has he gets very frustrated. You'll have to be quick and tell him that you say that because you're concerned about him and his safety.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Besides dates, his memory is a little hard for me to describe. He remembers a good amount of things about you but things you mention in passing are forgotten until you bring it up or until he sees something that suddenly reminds you of it.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

It was when you properly sat down with him and preened his wings one day when he was way too tired to do it himself. The feelings of your fingers through his wings were like absolute heaven and he forgot how good it felt to have someone do it for you. Safe to say, he got pretty addicted to you doing it to him after this event.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Although he may seem outgoing and like he doesn't care much, he is rather protective of you, making sure you don't accidentally communicate with anyone he isn't fond of.

He would protect you by warning you of others, telling you who is safe to turn to and who isn't safe to turn to. He even tells those he can somewhat rely on to make sure you're protected when he's away. If worse comes to worse he'll protect you physically as well.

He needs you to protect him mentally and emotionally. He feels like everyone he trusts eventually betrays him and he can't have that with you. He needs reassurance that you won't leave him like the others would or do.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He would put in a bit of effort to make it special but not a whole lot, he wants it to be fun but natural too. Though you can always gurantee that he'll serenade you during your dates or anniversaries, the music he plays for you is silly sure but they're also super heartfelt with effort put into it.

In everyday tasks he isn't very helpful, running off to cause chaos more often than not but if you do need help he'll always be there to lend a hand. He often times fetches (or steals) things you need too.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He doesn't know when to quit when it comes to wanting to take over the server. While you know how he truly is, it unsettles you a bit how he's able to manipulate others at times. You totally gave him an earful when he went to fight Technoblade because you knew, as much as you loved your boyfriend, that no one would actually be able to kill Technoblade that easily.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Schlatt made him feel very insecure about himself and even though he knows thay bastard is full of shit and burning in hell, he can't help but feel disgusting at times. Hug him and tell him that he's very handsome and adorable the way he is and that Schlatt shouldn't be talking when he looks like a wine mom on her last line.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He would feel so lost without, having no support would make him act even more irrational and could also get him killed pretty quickly. You're his voice of reason to a certain extent.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

I've written this before but he likes to make nests out of your pillows, sheets and clothes. The mood strikes him at times and you two will just spend the whole day chilling in his little nest while you preen and baby him.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He doesn't want someone who leaves him when the situation turns sour, he doesn't want a partner who would leave him behind easily. Most importantly though and as unhealthy as this is, he most likely doesn't want a partner who wishes to have more power than him.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He sleep talks and mumbles and that's fine and all but he sometimes he accidentally switches to his 'auto tune' voice and it scares the shit out of you if it's in deep or demonic mode.

A/N: Oh my lord I finally managed to post a c!quackity related thing-! Thank you so much anons for your patience and I hope you all enjoy this! I'm so sorry if this isn't very fluffy but I wanted to mix in a little canon compliance in it too for future angst projects. He was a really interesting character for me to re-study again!

(Requests are open and anon is on!)

[seostudios]

Can you make sfw a-z for Mark Lee too? 🥺

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Mark’s is such a cutie but he’s more private when it comes to being affectionate so the PDA would be casual like handholding, cheek kisses here and there or back hugs but once you two are in private he’s so annoying all he desires is your touch. ALWAYS. ON. YOU. not even in a sexual way just as a cute way where he needs to have his hands on you while you cook clean or scroll through Instagram.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Your friendship is pure. Honestly like very silly though, Mark and you would be those friends that would match their outfits and give each other dorky gifts on random holidays + SLEEPOVERS!! At first, you two would’ve just been acquainted through mutual friendships but after finding common interests you’ve grown to hang out without Hyuck. ;)))))

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

GOD... Mark loves cuddles but unlike Yuta he’d actually be less affectionate before bed; he’d be on his phone but when he heads to bed his arm is almost wrapped around your waist and you have your drool all over this boy.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I see Mark as the type of dude to get into a relationship with someone who’s looking for something serious while he’s just looking for a fling. Soon after he’ll realize and settle down with you or let you know it’s not what he was looking for. 

CLEANING AND COOKING........Mark knows how to clean up but when he’s gotta cook I’d say just let him take a longer shower while you stir something up.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Sweetly, in person inside the studio. Letting you know how worth it you were; would love to remain as friends and good luck

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Mark strikes me as the type of guy to believe in love at first sight so if the chance rolled by and he went <3_<3 at you he’d wanna marry you but he wouldn’t let you know until u guys got into the serious part-

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

emotionally he’s very gentle. Mark will tell you when he’s upset, happy, excited, nervous, he likes to open up to his loved ones so he doesn’t feel like he's ever hiding things. physically he treats you like you’ll break any minute but not in that way. he’s gonna take care of you, praise you, baby you as much as you baby him. 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

LOVES HUGS. he’s usually giving you backhugs stuffing his face into the crook of your neck but he enjoys any contact

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

6 months into the relationship he’ll drop the bomb

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

A jealous Mark is just a cute Mark. He won’t get jealous often since he noticed some of his past partners seeing it as no trust, but in reality, baby is just scared of losing such a gem like you. He’ll actually get touchy and whine in your ear while back hugging you.. like “y/nnnn baby can we go :(”

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are sloppy most of the times but when you two are actually being adorable he’ll be soft and give you a much of quick kisses on your face and finally a big passionate one on your lips.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Great honestly awkward but he’ll just be like “I’m Mark,” then the kid would murmur something and he’d be like “BABE DID YOUS EE THAT#$%^”

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Honestly,he would love to sleep in and just snuggle with you but getting up showering and making breakfast motivates him a lot more than you think.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He’s the type of boyfriend to ACTUALLY Netflix and chill. Sad but cute, watching Jurassic Park while he has his arm wrapped around you or cuddling in bed is a #MOOD to him. (His words not mine!)

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

The first thing he’d focus son once he actually takes your relationship seriously is opening up to you. It’d be hard but he’d make sure to slowly let you figure him out.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

I’d say he as a lot of patience especially with you but there may be times where it’s overwhelming and he just can’t contain himself but will never forget to bring himself back together right after

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?)

He wouldn’t remember anything lmao he loves to figure things on the way but he won’t forget important things

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He thrives for your matching anything. He likes to match with you (phone lock screens to clothing)

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He’s protective but he would know when to, he wouldn’t assume and bud into something. Mark doesn’t like being protected but he will get scared of tiny things like a spider and make you swoop in there to rescue him.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Babyboy tries he’s so sweet and thoughtful with everything although the dates to a simple clothing shop seem thoughtless he’d take in all your wishes from previous dates and sleepovers a simple “oh I’ve always wanted to go to blank” and it’d be stuck in his head forever until he’s taken you there. anniversaries are extra AF it’s all about you just whatever u want. But.....everyday tasks he’s so lazy so you’d let the baby sleep while you cook or clean.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Honestly you love everything about him even if he gets a little loud sometimes he’s cute so it’s all OKAY!

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Everyone has concerns about their physical appearance but with enough reassurance it’s all okay, I think Mark even with how perfect he is has his doubts at times but you know how to make him feel better and it always works and actually makes him love you even more than before each time.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes, ofcourse. You are his other half at this point, he can’t get an simple decision like which shirt to wear in the morning without asking for an opinion from you. Not that he’s dependent he’s just values your opinion alot.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

baseball player mark is THE best

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Greed. He doesn’t find it cute or adorable, it comes off as selfish and self-absorbed to him.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Konglish + Snuggling into your neck

a/n: I WROTE THIS IN THE CAR FKPD[K

[throwingideasatthewall]

Clone Wars     Shadow      Warriors

            Seas 4

Oh    this-   just    screams      edgy        ...   Whelp

So is Jar      Jar an     adult,       now,?            (Asking because before his    characteri         zation was force of nature to child

Now he    seems to have his own    personality.

Which is fine   if you want to change some details for the sake of a    better story,      (Or to simply      explore         a new       angle,).    Aesthetic

     Just.            need to make sure I’m holding them to the right standard,

    Okay,

   That-         was    relatively     adult,

  Mm

   Um.

   I

 Aight        .           .       Well-

   Wait 

    Did they just call Jar Jar     away from      Cou-ncil-

    .         I mean they are clearly    trying       which          is   some thing       I do       give credit   for-

   Though                The             Tone              Is            Robot-                 Ic-

       (Though that might be int-         entional since it seems to be hinting that this lady is practicing some kind of         mind tricks on him

   (Aka, he’s doing it         under           tox, because we don’t do suspension of choice in     dra-         mat         ic       Me-     -dia,

 S’up

 What?

  I-

  -

   H-elp

Screw my own   accou-   -ntability     -      See that was the correct   -amount of   emotion-

.        Okay        -         Right-

  Sus-       (pic)

    No one noticed the obvious people right there?

  Like not even      Mr. sus         there?

[or are they just so    kind that it’s like   oh yeah we were just talking hate speech     but go right ahead?

Logic?

 There

  Yeah    some shit is definitely going on,

   For sake of argument*     sake, i’m just going to assume that his reaction to      toxic    behavior

*Account     ability-

 Any way

  I-

  I’m still      going to try,

  Despite  you clearly saying you want understood

   Because assumed authority        - and assuming you know better than a person about themselves

     Is totally ok-

     - In this         society

-[Cries        in       sad    “accountability,”     -of-      war,        ]

  Whelp,

  In-    flue-     n      -c      e

 Still an  adult-

  Okay-

 Imagine    it was just a normal necklace     and he pulled that shit-

[Ok for the sake of argument I’m going to assume the necklace is symbolism for toxic influence,

  Being around it         enabling]

  It-         -       His voice voice dropped like         - 6 octaves

     Also I swear if they try to   excuse him      for his actions-

     No

    Mind over matter     -Okay, so they’re not excusing him for his   -actions,

   Me-          an         -       OK so it’s not naturally evil it    just comes down to the users      so that dude was still totally responsible,

  Didn’t    change    - much

    -     Ha-Ha

  Actual     gas     -lighting”

    Also     persuade,            -             Okay,     good not excusing him       from his actions,      -      Thing

The   gaslighting goes deep      -      Also isn’t the Darkside supposed to be      negative over involvement?      -       Aight-         -       -           A-lone

  Oh yeah that’s a great idea let’s just let the  dude that just got gaslighted and completely fell forward go back into the person who did it,

 👍

     Genius     

    (This Jedi Council is fucking                  brilliant)

     Gas-       Light-         Ing

(Note;      Confronting the gas lighter is never the way       to do it       (Inter-             Gen-)          (Excluding accountability of the abuser     (Gen-break           Venting Pro-      Ced- u        re)

 [as you’re usually too angry     to let them get a word in edgewise        And remain;           in control)

  With inter- gen productivity,         They are possibly given       five warnings before         Being          Kick        ed-]

   For the sake of argu-       ment as well       as simplicity-

    We’re stick       -ing with        bas-         ic-

    If someone’s acting toxic        with you, you         reflect and you don’t have to         hang out with anyone         you don’t want to,

    Logic

   This dude      is very clearly making it obvious that    he’s willing to listen to this person,

 And, enabling

“Cl-”

See he’s gaslighting him again      because   he thinks he can get away with it,

With no   accoun-       tability-

 (Or the small bit      this society      believes      in     which is    jail,”

Wr-

Oh!

 Is he a     Gungan      Jedi?

  Also,

  You Don’t  

    SAY!

(The repeated Gaslighter      who has shown multiple times to be     toxic,       Was toxic,    (And prepared to use any means to      subvert the         will? 

Prize  for the  most   in  competent      Je      di

 Like,        Serious-         (Really had to put those two    accoun  t-      ability- cells      to good -    use-”

(For   matting       issue-)

  The writer just saving us the effort of him coming downstairs -all feckin- weird, and the   obvious    “should’ve seen that coming,     “

   ?             ha-ha

    What?

Oh yeah       no the creepy magical stuff wasn’t enough of a      fecking clue in-

  Appar-

   Whelp-

  He   snapped out of that quick-

  Like didn’t even need a      reverse- mind trick

   Good for      him-

   And - actual-     nar-    rative-        -

   Whelp,

   Wreck-ing      -house

       Okay, but how do you think this is going to look to the general public like two Jedi,( very good at persuasion -    mind tricks’ -just showed up, now they’re leader and said Jedi are wreck-ing one of their minster’s houses-  

     One who could’ve     feign-           ed lack of support for the        war

     Like if this is a     set up-  

 the chips-      are about to fall,

 Da-

Okay, seriously how obviously evil,    was this person?

Like we have a weird creepy room,     The robots apparently hanging from the    chandelier    (eck)         And      the knife

   Like if this person      ever-       went-   through a checkpoint

   Also,        Oh-

    That-

   (That     really        does not      look good,)

    Bo-ss

   Yeah,       she clearly has    medical experience,

 (Also yeah    that’s really going to make it    better-”

 Oh yeah the    senator was      seen trying to clean up the      evidence-

    Well the Jedi ran out     full sword’s- a blazing

    (Instead of you know the       Senator chasing after him,         While the peacekeeper stayed behind and tried to        tend to the person,]

   Great     -        -       Or    Not-

Well- tensions    just got raised,

  Of,

 Ai.     Ght, 

 Whelp,

(Okay, no way he’s totally not dead      but sure-)

 A-i-

  -

 Whe-

   That-       sucks-          -         Un-     Con-cious

    That-   doesn’t tell me anything else-

   Like;        Critical      condition?

   D-usk

   Li-terally       no one else?

    (Like don’t get me wrong I’ve been a pretty big Jar-jar fan ever since the change-)

   But really, the Senator, the person that spends the most time away from your - planet

   That’s the person,     they trust the most?

  Ai-

  Hm-

Oh yeah just put on the deadly leaders hat-

   The rese-mblance-

   Not really?

   I mean all humans technically    look the same-

  But-

 Pretty sure Jar jar is a lot      scrawn-         thin        -er

    Also if they’re not going to listen to him as him       they’re not going to listen to him      as he pretends to be their (dead) leader

Also, please don’t go with the      liar revealed plot,

    Yeah no, they have completely different kind of light.   tones,

     The face structure-

    Co-mpletely         different-

     -

   Nope

 -Dead

 Di-ssent

  Agree

   I-

   OK yeah I’m just gonna go over the fact, that as previously state,  I am not a huge fan of the liar revealed plot-

    -or lying

  (No because it’s- unrealistic-    - or there’s anything wrong with it

  -people do lie

     -maybe because of how overdone and             poorly done it’s been,

             -With the liar getting off Scott free without any                  weight

               But I really don’t like this               plot-

-And    the   skip    button    maybe   used     ad-     nausuem-   -

       [Well- shit       [for reference; I was using the skip button ad nausuem when I randomly stopped at the part      with    Greivous

        Things just got a whole lot worse]

         [Tumblr             Refresh]       -

   Any        Way,

   Aww,     That’s kind of nice the    friendship and reliance       the dude has on      Other-        Half            -         Yes        ‘Boss       Leoni’        when someone gets         tox         you leave-        - In a      - relation          ship-  

      Also yeah he’s definitely not       ‘Boss         Leoni’            -            He would’ve stayed and tried to take the    tox

 (Aka Jar-jar is less ena-     bling, les-        tox-     And     Doesn’t       Take        It        For          Much        More.            Than            He            Has               To,

        (He’s   les   -s

      Dyfun.  -c)

      Okay

       Good            Job     -     Also - yeah   how’d you manage that         -         That-

Didn’t get   car   ried up the chain of   com-     mand-        -            Then again Gri-   evous has shown to be a pretty   shit boss.     -      So I can’t blame these guys    for being like yeah compl-      ete stranger     I will totally      take a nap       -right    ,now-         -      You        kinda      have      sticks-        -    [The rain is   really    nice,]

[is this the first time we’ve seen them use active     particle effects      for the camera?

  Either way       it’s really        nice            -

Oh,

They’re    

electric     sticks,

That makes   sense

[- bet     ter      for      Figh     t-      In-       g-

Stop one     1v1     -ing-        It

    I

  W-h

   Again this is what happens when you 1v1 it    and    don’t assume accountability-     - -   

 [Don’t fight a metal cyborg with metal sticks when you’re not prepared to take it, full way,)

   I-

  [I feel like this is supposed to be some    big build up but they only shared like one scene where dude was completely silent,]

  Like,

   Sacr-ifice

    Die to take someone out with you

[Great

  Now

   Ouch]

   Are   they actually going to kill off      grievous because this isn’t look-ing    too    - good      -         Shit-

 Dude-      is still not dead-       -       How?        -          Whelp-           -          Oh,    hey      where the fuck    did you come      from,

 I-           Ack.      Br-u-      Tal

W-el

 -       Un         -         M           -              Plan-

“ damn it        he messed up the       script-,           -Pal   - patine

     Cap-

    Prison   break-

   Also yeah     that’s probably like        a vacation    for him-

 Given     how toxic these assholes     are           -            Ex- change           -           Damn             Ship      per-

      Also screw the 150 or how many other                 sena   -tors        -       Only     Amidala           -      matters          -          A-       ight-     -      Also, dude knows where everyone’s      lair,      Is,

 Like he pissed off Grievous with    -his

 Now he’s just chilling in this      dude’s    sipping earl gray       Or-      Some        Shit-

  Him

  Okay

 Getting a little    ahead of yourself     episode-       -       O k

    I

   Hearing this,  Skywalker doesn’t immediately run back      shout        -ing      nope-        - -       Because, to my knowledge the speaking at      room volume,

  Not    whispering        and the distance        isn’t enough to      -explain it             -            Ai          -   -           Wel-             -      There goes one        min-ion-             -             Droids are apparently    expensive enough to      chastise    Grievous          over-

  But sen-tient - beings are        a dime’     a ‘dozen-

    (Also    gaslighter’s.     don’t give a shit about        you     dear,       God,

  The Painful     dramatic-        irony-

 *tra-      gic-      Wh-      -Oa

 Ai     -     Ri-

  An

  Wh-     -elp,

   You know if it wasn’t for the exposure     earl-        ier   

I would assume they would think that the Jedi was just killing all their Im-por-        tant- elected officials

     Why?

     Wh-at

    He’s right.    -         But dude- that’s pretty      ham fisted-

   I mean-

  How many episodes          (and       possibly        seasons-)      do we have to            go-            - -     Anakin-       is a dick    to lanterns-       -        Also the random theme of the     bots-      coming out of nowhere-    continues-       -     St     -op-          -        Wh-       elp-

    .

    ?         (He          live?)

      I-

      ?

  Good           Play-

     Ah-

    To-

       Oh, yeah,       He’s alive we’re not going to bring that up in any      mention-able way?

      Ike

    Wh     e     l-      p

     Oh           -     That was   -nice-

   You deceived everyone and lied to all          our people,  you’ll make a great      leader,

   Or a great council/    committee leader considering that they do have an open position          ,            Best

I like that they had one bad ass fall and had it replace-d by Dooku being particularly bad-ass       -          In his      place-

In the trade off near the end really speaks to the     frag-ility of war

   I thought-

   It was pretty al-right    Though it really did seem like     - they were trying to build up to something but the structure unfortunately        just didn’t support it,

   Which is unfortunate because they do seem like      bits- that could’ve been nice

   Like Jar-jar being a constant       peacekeeper-

   The underwater        nations-

     Wars be-           tween          - Those               Dude’s

   And that    general guy      -        Who seems to be like he was supposed to be this     - really big deal

 [probably intended to do something      massive in the previous       arcs,]

    But, here,    all he did was that one scene,

    [Would’ve worked better if he was like this Re-       Public Gen-       Er          Al-

    To the      shark guy-

     And Akbar,

     Was just like the resident         enforcer-

     Or something to do with the       prince

    I think it would’ve really worked better with the concept of        ‘being taken’        under,               As well that possibly being a good contrast between     Jar Jar         binks          And        Char-        If Jar- jar got promoted-        With Char being eager at first but then realizing he just         can’t-          And Jar- Jar being reluctant at first but realizing he      can-

   [Note; assumed authority is bad,         Just- some people are better at using it for venting         than others)

   Nope boomers vs throw-         it-back, boom-

       I-

     And it really did feel like this episode       -should’ve been the split one 

   Nearing the end- it started to feel like the 1st-       part of a second ep-

    Which is fine

    Just cut-        of-

   Episode all around being al-right, with just several parts that didn’t make quite sense including the emphasis on the general for that one scene,

[crxwleyscorner]

SFW alphabet-Victor Zsasz

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

⤵

Gifts,lots of 'em.He mostly gets you food,here and there a few bouquets.You could tell him to stop but would he?No,he loves spoiling you 

B= Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend

⤵

Extremely loyal and fun to be around.Movie nights are every night 

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

⤵

Might not seem like the type at first,but he loves cuddles.Prefers being the big spoon because he always wants to be the one protecting,doesn't move a lot in his sleep so good luck trying to get up before him 

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down?)

⤵

There's really no such thing as "settling down"in a town like Gotham,but he does really enjoy just being home with you,he is a great cook and makes chores much funner than they are.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

⤵

Would most likely be very cold about it,no matter what the truth is he would act like he doesn't care,ends it simply and quickly 

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

⤵

Victor isn't a traditional guy so if he were to get married it would probably be your wish.Not that he wouldn't enjoy it he just thinks there are much better than ways to spend money with the person you love.As of how quickly?It would take at least 5 years to propose,in a place like Gotham it's hard to just trust someone after just 1-2 years of knowing them.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

⤵

Physically he knows how to be rough,but if he saw that it was hurting you,he would stop.Emotionally?Not the most gentle,he himself has seen and done a lot of messed up stuff so it would take some explanation for him to understand why a certain thing upsets you if it doesn't him,but he tries 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

⤵

Even though cuddles are all night,every night,he isn't a hugger,it just always feels strange to him.If he does hug it's usually because you were feeling down,he does like back hugs though,those happen more often.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

⤵

He would fall in love a lot earlier than he would realize it.You would have to say I love you first for him to realize that "Hey this feeling I've had is love huh".It would take 6 months to a year 

J= Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

⤵

It's no surprise that he's an extremely confident man,if he saw someone else flirting with you he would just enter the conversation very casually and kiss you or hold you in a way that says back off.There are times though when he sees you happily participating in the flirting where he would get jealous jealous.Those times he would give the other party the worst death glare of even give a threatening comment,to which you would need to respond by bringing him to the side and letting him cool down,which he usually does fairly quickly because he doesn't want to upset you and sees that there was nothing to worry about.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

⤵

Kisses all over baby.He is the kind of person that would give a thousand tiny ticklish kisses all over you before it turns into a full make out session.He loves it when you kiss him behind his ear and on his scars.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

⤵

He would rather not be around them but if needed he is extremely fun and playful,would probably give the kids all the junk food in the world and make schemes with them to prank you.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

⤵

He is a morning person and is usually the first one up.You two make breakfast together which is always a fun way to start the day.He knows how to be grumpy when he gets up but a few kisses always fix that 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

⤵

If he didn't have work that day you two would have a fun night out,visit a club,bowling alley,cinema,just something out of the house.If he did have a busy day it would be spend with you two just watching a movie and stuffing your faces with food 

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

⤵

Reveals things slowly,he is an extremely secretive person.You have been dating for months under the impression that he doesn't have an extended family when boom he goes to visit his grandma.He just loves surprising you with little facts whenever you think you 100% know him,truth is you can never 100% know him.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

⤵

Remembers everything,every little detail.The best thing is when he brings something up that you've been rambling about a month ago,really makes you feel good and listened to.Will still forget the milk when grocery shopping tho.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

⤵

He adores dancing with you,whenever he catches you dancing on your own he gets the biggest smile on his face,because of this his favorite moment is when you two were moving in and decided to have a little dance off in the middle of your new empty living room.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

⤵

The most protective man you'll ever meet,which seeing where you two live isn't weird at all.Makes you keep weapons almost everywhere "in case",will make it very clear to anyone and everyone that if they even look at you in the wrong way they would regret it.You really can't do much to protect him since he's a pro at protecting himself.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

⤵

As I said he loves getting you gifts,but he prefers the little trinkets rather than big gifts.Saying that he still goes all out on your anniversary,would spoil you to no end.He tries to bake you something which always ends being a big mess but it's the thought that matters.He makes an effort to leave a little note everyday to make you smile,he's romantic that way.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

⤵

Definitely the scars,you would have to work really hard to get him to talk about them,let alone stop making them,so that's why you try to do your best to look after him and make sure none get infected.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

⤵

He loves being in style but honestly couldn't give two fucks about his looks,he dresses good mostly for himself.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

⤵ 

Victor isn't the type of person that would feel incomplete without you,he doesn't need you to live,rather wants you to make that living better.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

⤵

He loves rom-coms and cartoons,those always get a giggle out of him,especially enjoyes them after a hard day.That's not to say he doesn't like horror because he does,but people don't usually think the would like something as light and stupid as cartoons.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

⤵

He hates disloyalty and being lied to,it's s big deal breaker.If we're talking about a general pet peeve he hates people who are grossly messy eaters.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Because of the way he was trained and his job he's extremely alert always,so that means he's an extremely light sleeper,also the kind of sleeper that keeps a gun extremely near him while sleeping.

[robinsdoghouseofwhump]

Blackfire

Part 6 with @fallingstormphoenix! I've been having soooooo much fun writing with him. Believe me, we've been writing boatloads of stories for a few weeks now. Without further ado, Occuldous and Arron!

Occuldous slept for only a few hours before the nightmares woke him. He doesn’t cry out, just curls up under the covers, trembling. 

"O-Occie?" The sound of the demon's voice echoed in the room. "C-can I sleep with you? I ummm… don't have to if you don't wanna."

 Occuldous poked his head out and nodded. Arron! The company would be good, it might stave off the nightmares and the things in the corner of his vision. He scooted over to make room for him.

The demon smiled, sitting down and crawling under the covers next to him. "Nightmare again? I have those too." 

 He nodded and curled up beside his friend. I missed you so much. I thought a lot about here when Hugo had me. It hurts less when you think about good things. 

"Do you umm… wanna talk about it?" Arron looked down. "I-I'm sorry you don't wanna talk… I didn't mean to make you upset."

 I’m sorry, I can’t. words aren’t for me… I’m sorry...  He leaned his head against his arm, his broken horn digging into his shoulder. He hoped that Arron would understand, he wasn’t mad at him, he was just scared and hurt and he was trying to be good.

"Uhm… uh.. Q-Quin says hi…" Arron smiled a little and handed him the stuffed animal, "I'm sorry you had a bad dream. Can I make it better?" Arron paused… for a moment. "My umm… my third master hated it when I talked too… i-is that why?"

He held the stuffed animal close to his chest and nodded. “W-words a-a-aren’t f-f-for m-m-mut-ttts.” He stuttered, shaking from the effort of speaking. He cringed, covering his head with his arms and trembling violently. 

"I-It's ok, you aren't a mutt! Y-you're my friend Occie!" Arron leaned in and wrapped his arms around him hesitantly. "F-friends can talk."

 Occuldous shook his head, pressing his face against Arron’s shoulder. “I-i c-can’t.” He whimpered. Master will be mad. He’ll hit me and cut me, and drown me. W-words aren’t for mutts. I-I don’t deserve to speak, I-I’m j-just a tool. 

"I um… I love you Occie. Thank you for being here… I missed you." 

Occuldous nodded and hugged him tightly. I missed you too. I’m sorry. I-i-im trying! I’m trying! 

"Do you wanna go back to sleep? I can stay with you, to keep you safe." 

 He shook his head and pointed at the window. Outside? Please? The stars should be beautiful tonight. 

"Outside? Ok! Can you walk?" 

 He nodded, getting up slowly, leaning on the bed for balance. He leaned his head on Arron when he came over to him. Thank you. It hurts, my legs hurt. 

"Do you need help?" Arron asked, looking at his friend worriedly.

Occuldous nodded, please?

"Hold on then," The demon smiled as he grabbed the other's arm tightly, leading him out the window and up the roof. 

Occuldous leaned on him, starting up at the sky, his freckles starting to glow faintly. He sat down slowly and painfully, then waved for Arron to sit beside him, which the demon happily obliged to. 

"Pretty huh?" Arron laid down next to the starwitch, letting the night air overtake his body. "What's your favorite constellation?" 

He pointed at the Big Dipper, tracing along the handle to the North Star. He then traced the same constellation along his collarbone, looking up at Arron happily. He touched Arron’s temple carefully, giving him the chance to pull away. 

“Thank you.” Occuldous nudged the thought into Arron’s mind. Directly under the starlight, he was able to channel the energy straight into some of his newer abilities. He didn’t have the energy reserve to be able to do it on his own anymore. 

"W-woah, you can talk like that?" Arron said, startled. "Is that new?" 

 He nodded. He took Arron’s hand in his own, once again giving him the chance to pull away, and carefully scratched it with a fingernail, leaving a tiny line of blood on the back of his hand. He closed his eyes and concentrated, then very gently placed his hand over the little wound. His palm glowed faintly, and when he pulled away, there was no evidence of the scratch at all. He smiled at him proudly. 

“You can heal too!?” Arron pulled away, then thought for a moment. “Th-then why are you hurt still?” 

 He shook his head and placed his palm over a small, partially healed wound on his own broken arm. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his palm glowing again. There was a crackling sound, his eyes filled up with tears and he started trembling, then pulled his hand away. The wound was deeper and his bone was bent at a painful angle. He whimpered,  holding his arm close to his chest, keening softly. If he tried to heal himself, it would only undo anything that his body had already done.

“N-no! Don’t do that Occie! Please don’t hurt yourself! Please!” Arron panicked and grabbed the boy’s arm. “I- I can make it better, kinda….” The demon produced a black flame, it flicked around his fingertips and was devoid of any light. “L-let me do it, please Occie?” 

Occuldous whimpered and pulled away, scared of the flame. No no no no, please don’t burn me. 

“I-it won’t hurt! See?” The demon took the flame and let it engulf his arm, earning a sigh from Arron in response. “It’s just super warm, like when its summer!”

 Occuldous offered his arm hesitantly, whimpering softly.

The black flame danced over his arm, the warmth was comforting for a moment then became unbearably hot. Occuldous let out a cry of pain and scrambled away from Arron. 

  “PLEASE DON”T HURT ME!” The thought is loud and sharp, ladened with a lifetime of pain and fear, crashing it’s way into anyone nearby’s head with the force of a tsunami, followed with a telepathic shriek of terror.

“Ah! Wait! No!” Arron pulled back. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” The demon was knocked down from the splitting headache penetrating his skull, struggling to stop himself from screaming. 

Occuldous scrambled away as fast he could, hiding behind an AC unit on the roof. He held his injured arm close to his chest, keening painfully. 

-

Bang 

Screaming 

"What the hell?!" Abel looked up at the ceiling, where the sounds were coming from. "Arron?! Occuldous?!" The angel ran to the window and climbed the fire escape. 

Occuldous was huddled behind the AC unit, having a panicked meltdown. Abel could feel the fear rolling off him,and every few seconds he was struck with telepathic broken-off panicked pleas for mercy.

“Please don’t drown me, please, beat me, b-brand me, break my legs, m-my arms, f-fingers again, please J-just not d-drowning. I’m s-sorry so so sorry Master, I-I’m b-bad, I-I did bad!” Occuldous’ thoughts pleaded, interspersed with wordless whimpers and sobs. 

"Occuldous…." Abel walked over and crouched in front of the boy. "I'm here little one, what happened?" The angel looked down and saw the burn marks on the Starwitch's arm, noticing the distinct patterns on it as he turned to Arron with an angry, almost fiery glint in his eyes. 

 Occuldous whimpered, pressing his body against the AC unit, trying to hide from him. 

  But went Abel turned towards Arron, his body went tense with a protective instinct. Abel could easily kill his friend for this, and while he knew, in a way, that he wouldn’t, he could still feel the anger and his guts twisted in fear. 

Occuldous growled a little, the first aggressive sound Abel had ever heard from him. “Don’t hurt him!” The piercing thought was more like a command than a plea.

Abel quickly grabbed the boy's chin and tipped it to make their eyes meet. "Don't. I'm not gonna hurt him. Tell me what happened. Now." Abel's voice was calm, but hard as a rock. "I want words." 

 Occuldous whimpered now that the attention was back on him. He tried to explain, his thoughts tumbling over themselves. “I-I-i was s-showing h-him my magic, s-sorry, I-I’m sorry s-so sorry. I-I-i h-hurt myself, h-he w-wanted to h-help…” 

"Occuldous, do you know what angels are really good at?" Abel frowned at the boy, still upset. 

 Occuldous shook his head, but Abel caught flashes of him imagining awful things like being sent to hell, or dismemberment, or being torn from his physical body. 

"You're lying to me little one, aren't you?" Abel looked at the boy with piercing blue eyes. 

 Occuldous’ eyes went wide and his already pounding heart starting beating so fast Abel could see his veins pulsating with his heartbeat. “I’m sorry! I’m n-not lying, I’m not I’m not…. I-I hurt myself, h-he w-was trying to help! H-he didn’t mean it…”

"Did he burn you? Why did you hurt yourself?" Abel grabbed the arm, now slightly charred on the wound. 

 Occuldous let out a little sob of pain at the touch but didn’t pull away. He put his hand on an old healed scar on the same arm and concentrated as hard as he could through the pain and fear. His palm glowed and he pulled it away after a moment, revealing a fresh-looking knife wound. He looked up at Abel, hoping he’d understand. He was quickly weakening and Abel could no longer hear his panicked thoughts. 

"Occuldous, you don't do that to your body." Abel picked the boy up gently. "Don't do it again ok? Or I will have to punish you." 

 Occuldous whimpered and nodded obediently. 

"Arron, you're in big trouble young man. You're gonna help me fix him." Abel carried the boy down to the fire escape. 

 Occuldous whined softly and pressed his face against Abel’s chest. He was tired, so tired. He just wanted to sleep. He worried he would not be allowed outside at night anymore and all his powers would slowly fade away. He feared that maybe Abel would be so mad at him now he would send him back.

"Shhh, go to sleep bud, it's ok. I'm right here." Abel smiled at the boy as he carried him to his room. 

 He let his eyes close but all his fear and pain wouldn’t let him actually sleep, so he just slumped in Abel’s arms, limp and quiet, in hopes he could let the dark swallow him before anything more painful happened. 

"What can I do to help bud?" Abel laid the boy down.  

He offered his broken arm to him. It was what hurt the most. 

"Ok, let me see." The angel gently took hold of the charred and broken arm, earning a few keens and whines in response from the boy. "I'll try to heal it, but I don't know if it'll work or not." 

 Occuldous whimpered and pulled back a little bit. He didn’t know if the angels magic would interact badly with his own.

"Hey, its ok bud, don't worry." Abel's fingertips glowed with white light as he went to work on the arm.

He was flinchy but didn’t pull away. The surface wounds healed and his bone started to as well, with a wet crunching noise that pulled an exhausted raspy scream from Occuldous.

"Shshsh… almost done, I know it hurts baby." Abel managed to get the wound closed up and he let go of the boy. "There, all better."

 Occuldous curled up, trying to hide under the blankets and pillow.

"I think its bedtime again little one. You seem exhausted."”

He whimpered softly and nodded under the pillow.

“Ok, then let's get you to sleep.” Abel slowly let his hand rest on the boy's forehead. Sleep Sleep Sleep. 

Occuldous recoiled from the invasion of thoughts but quickly slumped and was snoring in seconds. 

"Good boy, sleep well little one.

 

 Occuldous slept through the rest of the night, peaceful under the influence of the angel magic.

[writingmessynaruto]

Conflict & Characterization Exercise / Challenge (Mostly) for Screenwriting

(Note: This exercise can also be performed on written narrative forms like fiction, but it is probably best utilized for visual forms like film/screenwriting. Still, fiction is welcome!)

The art of introducing conflict indirectly is probably one of the most useful tools to a writer of any story form. Sometimes, conflict can be introduced directly, but other times, this isn’t appropriate, or it’s far too on the nose. If you have a character that is avoiding their conflict, or if you don’t want your story to just dump exposition everywhere, then you may want to work on revealing conflict in a more indirect way. This flatters the reader and makes for very smart, realistic storytelling.

One way to practice this is to write a character with an internal, chronic conflict into a setting that has nothing to do with that conflict.

First, you need a chronic conflict. This is usually something internal, but it doesn’t have to be. Chronic just means ongoing, continuous. This is the conflict that has been present in the character since before the story’s beginning. Going back to my previous post, in the movie clip of Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, Bill Murray’s character’s chronic conflict is his loneliness, mainly due to his failing marriage.

But, instead of setting that scene in a more direct way, such as Murray walking in on his wife, or catching her on the phone with another guy--he’s at a pool party. He’s performing a mundane task. He’s jumping off a diving board. How he does it is so telling of what he’s feeling, of what his inner conflict is. Certainly, Wes Anderson is very stylistic in his portrayal of this idea, but the basics are obvious to us, even through such an indirect means.

So, here’s the formula for this exercise:

Chronic Conflict  +  Unrelated Setting  =  Scene

You can come up with this yourself, but you want the setting to be as random and unrelated as possible. If a character just got dumped, they can’t meet their ex randomly; they can’t be stuck alone on Valentine’s Day.

I’ve also made a list of possible things prompts for this exercise below (keep reading). For funsies, you can use these if you’d like! Also, if you want me (or anyone else) to comment or give critique on your exercise, reblog your response to this!

Directions: Use the first letter of your Tumblr username, and the date (number) of your birthday to choose your prompt. If you want to do this multiple times, you can pick a random letter & number out of a hat or something.

Try to make your scenes as indirect as possible; do your best not to TELL us what the conflict is, and instead use your setting/task to SHOW us what the character is going through. Don’t directly inform us that Bob just went through a divorce as he orders a latte; show us how a divorced man would ask for a latte. How many ways are there to order a latte? See if you can come up with a way that really indicates the conflict as well as possible.

(Note: If you want to do this in a fiction format, you may. If you want to write a screenplay but don’t know how, feel free to write out a simple narrative summary or outline of the scene.)

CONFLICTS:

A - A man feels like a bad father.

B - A person with a very religious family background is losing their faith.

C - The CEO of a large company feels lonely.

D - A woman feels unattractive.

E - A man is unsatisfied with his job.

F - A person just got fired from a job they loved.

G - A person feels unloved by their parents.

H - A woman doesn’t want to be a mother anymore.

I - A person feels guilty for not wanting a relationship with their father.

J - A man is in a loveless marriage.

K - A person has just learned their spouse is cheating on them.

L - A woman going through a divorce.

M - A person feels replaceable and forgotten in their family life.

N - A boy can’t make friends at college.

O - A person wants to have sex with someone other than their current partner.

P - A loved one in this person’s family has died recently.

Q - A girl feels lonely at school.

R - A man feels unattractive.

S - A woman is unsatisfied with her job.

T - A person is deeply attracted to someone that isn’t their partner.

U - A person’s parents think they’re a disappointment.

V - A person is still grief-stricken over the death of a loved one, years later.

W - A guy got dumped by his partner.

X - A person wants to cheat on their spouse.

Y - A person’s best friend moved away.

Z - A man wants to be polyarmorous but they’ve grown up believing it’s wrong.

SETTINGS / TASKS:

1 - Buying a pretzel in the mall.

2 - Walking around an amusement park.

3 - Catching a taxi.

4 - Asking for directions to a location.

5 - Waiting for the bus.

6 - Hanging out at a pool party.

7 - Exercising at the gym.

8 - Picking out a book from a bookstore.

9 - Buying a snack at a movie theater.

10 - Doing laundry at the quarter laundromat.

11 - Buying a coffee.

12 - Copying some documents at the office.

13 - Working as a nurse in a hospital.

14 - Walking through a craft store.

15 - Going to an ice cream shop.

16 - Going clothes shopping.

17 - Ordering at McDonalds.

18 - Getting lunch in a cafeteria.

19 - Walking to school.

20 - Buying balloons for a birthday party.

21 - Walking a dog.

22 - Going to a restaurant with family.

23 - Buying take out Chinese food.

24 - Grocery shopping.

25 - Looking at the shark exhibit in an aquarium.

26 - Ordering a popsicle at the beach.

27 - Buying shoes at Walmart.

28 - Looking for the flight terminal at the airport.

29 - Busing tables at a restaurant.

30 - Getting a haircut.

31 - Playing tennis.

[the-elemental-sides]

An Hour Left (Steampunk AU)

As previously stated, @fangirltothefullest’s Steampunk AU shot me through the heart. It’s five in the god dang morning and I just spent several hours writing about Automaton Virgil’s sad, slow winding down. I creeped on some of the worldbuilding given in the asks and tried to make it as accurate as possible to what we know! Warnings: Angst

Taglist + people asking to be tagged in fics: @alix-the-skeleton, @generalfandomfabulousness, @theevelynefurlongposts, @waxydoll, @aphandgflover, @ryuity, @veryvirginvirgil, @starlight-sanders, @gaylotusthatexists

6:00 PM

It’d been three days, now, since the five of them came to the junkyard. It had been so long. He was running out of time.

What started as brief stutters and drooping movements—passed off as aftereffects of the fire—became Virgil stumbling and shutting down completely in the middle of a ballet routine he’d started to cheer up Patton. In a panic, Patton had managed to jumpstart him. His key was gone, and it was undeniable that he couldn’t stay awake much longer. But he was still ticking.

“I have a little time,” Virgil mumbled. They’d hauled him into a big curved piece of metal that formed a comfortable den. His movements were stiff and conservative. But talking, as long as it was in low tones that didn’t rattle his system, didn’t waste as much energy.

“I have a sleep mode. Could save my energy. But no matter what, think I have...one hour left.”

“Just one hour?” Patton said. He and the others kneeled in front of him. Deceit was lopsided. Logan would need help standing up.

“I’ll make it midnight.” Virgil’s mouth curled into a wry smile. It was too much effort to change back, so he left it there. “That’s fun, huh? Devil’s hour or something. Keep you on your toes.”

For the next six hours, Virgil dozed. The evening passed.

12:00

At the stroke of midnight, Virgil’s eyes cracked opened. Logan and Roman were already kneeling over him.

“Virgil, Roman has something to tell you,” Logan said promptly. Roman nodded enthusiastically and opened his mouth.

“I heard...rattle, rattle, scrape?”

“No—Roman, I told you, use the hand signal system I designed for you. You’re only going to corrode your voicebox.”

Roman rolled his eyes, but he switched to fingerspelling his message. Logan patiently translated every letter.

“S-O-R-R-Y—Y-O-U-R-E—B-R-O-K-E-N. A-D-M-I-R-E-D—Y-O-U-R—D-A-N-C-E. S-H-O-U-L-D—H-A-V-E—G-O-N-E—B-A-C-K.”

“No, no,” Virgil said. “You couldn’t have done anything different. Look, Logan went back, and we saw how that turned out.”

“Yes, well,” Logan said, touching his armless stump.

“It could have been a lot worse for you than a couple of cracks and a broken voicebox.”

Roman nodded, but his eyes were sad. He lightly swatted Logan’s shoulder and started signing again. “H-A-D—T-O—B-E—V-O-I-C-E.”

“Yeah, of course it had to be, huh? I miss your singing too.” The Maker never liked it when he sang during parties because it took attention away from himself. Man, if Roman could sing now, they’d really be able to stick it to him.

Roman tried to hum a note—anything—but all Virgil heard was more scraping. A puff of smoke wisped from his mouth. Logan shook his head. “That’s enough. We can’t have two automatons breaking in one night.”

“Wait,” Virgil said after Roman had been shooed off to rest next to Deceit. “Logan?”

“Hm?”

“If it comes up—if there’s a choice—make sure you get fixed before me.”

“Virgil, that’s preposterous. It’s just an arm, I—“

“Logan, I heard it,” Virgil said, cutting him off sharply. “The screaming. I heard it.”

“The screaming,” Logan said, his arm drifting up to touch his stump in a, well, robotic motion. “You mean when….”

“It hurt, didn’t it?”

“...It did.”

“It’s not supposed to be like that.”

“It’s not.” Logan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Virgil, I wouldn’t be telling you this if you—I—I would not reveal this information under normal circumstances, but it hurt. Truly, a lot. It’s the first time I ever felt anything like that. And...I’m frightened. We’re automatons. We’re not supposed to feel.”

“Then get it fixed,” Virgil said, eyes narrowed on Logan’s face. “...You keep touching your shoulder. Does it still hurt?”

“Yes,” said Logan. “It does.”

12:20

Virgil couldn’t move his head. He almost wasn’t aware of it at first—Patton had a light touch—but the healer was kneeling behind him, screwing around with his back.

“You’re not gonna fix it, Pat,” Virgil said, his eyes flicking to the right. “The key’s melted. Gone.”

“There must be a way,” Patton murmured. “We could rewire the system...find another key…”

“In the junkyard? We’re lucky we found me a cozy spot to die on.”

“Virgil!”

“I’m kidding,” Virgil said quickly, feeling Patton’s fingers grip his shoulders tightly. Patton moved into his field of vision, his eyes wide and scared. “I know I’m not really dying. I promise. I was joking to cope.”

Patton released him. A few seconds too late, he smiled shakily. “That’s our Virge.”

“You just focus on fixing up the others,” Virgil said, his gaze drifting to the star-filled sky. Silver lining: less robots to fix. Logan and Deceit and Roman could get all the attention they needed.

“Virgil?” Patton said after a little while. “Want me to keep looking at your back?”

“You know what? Nah. Could you just stay here for a little while?”

“Of course, kiddo.”

Patton scooted into his little enclave and leaned his head against Virgil’s. With great care, Virgil lifted his arm, inch by inch. Finally he managed to drape it over Patton’s shoulders.

“Now don’t get into too much trouble while I’m asleep,” said Virgil. “I won’t be able to talk you out of your bad ideas.”

Patton chuckled a little. “Like the time Roman wanted us to learn swordfighting and rebel against the Maker.”

“Or the time Logan tried to organize a union for the factory workers behind the Maker’s back.”

“Remember when you broke your foot doing ballet for the first time?” Patton asked. “You were so gloomy. You’d been built for one thing and you thought you failed at it!”

“I should have expected that, trying to make that landing.” Virgil’s eyes dropped to his ballet shoes. They’d somehow survived all the bits of jagged metal junk lying everywhere. They were a bit dirty and singed but unharmed. “Wonder if I could make it now.”

“That’s the first thing you’ll do once we get you a new key,” Patton said. “A big ol’ grand jeté all the way across the junkyard!”

“I’ll plan on it.”

A shadow fell over them, temporarily blocking out the stars. “Hogging Virgil in his last moments, are you?” a voice asked.

“Deceit!” Patton said. “What are you doing up?”

Deceit’s legs were bent at a funny angle where the joint and shin were missing. He shrugged casually—and very carefully, so he didn’t throw off his precarious balance. “Oh, you know. I was feeling better. Wanted to pitch my two cents in to the Virge.”

“Have a seat,” Patton said, patting the ground next to them.

“Actually, Roman needs your help,” Deceit said, gesturing over his shoulder. “Says his voicebox is acting up.”

“Again?” Patton hesitated. “Virgil, I…”

“Patton, go. I’ll just talk to Deceit for a little while.”

“All right.” Patton stood up. Virgil’s arm fell limply to his side. “Now don’t tire him out too much, Dee.”

“Who, me? Never.”

12:45

With great care Deceit lowered himself to the ground. His mobility was completely shot. Even worse off was his face. Half of it was simply missing, revealing the paneling and the glaring yellow pilot light beneath.

“Feeling all right?” asked Deceit.

Virgil took a bit to respond. He focused sluggishly on Deceit. “Oh yeah. Just...Tired.”

“Humans,” Deceit muttered darkly. “And they say we’re the heartless ones.”

“Hey, don’t bum me out now,” Virgil said. “I’ve got what, fifteen minutes?”

“More than that, I hope.”

Deceit leaned against the wall next to Virgil and stretched out his legs. Parts of them had been stripped away entirely, leaving only wiring. His left kneecap was missing some screws and rattled loosely every time he moved.

“The face I don’t mind,” Deceit said. “Maybe it’s even a good thing. No one wants to mess with a demented automaton. But my legs…”

“They’ll find a way to fix you.”

“Oh, I’ll get in line for it, I suppose. There’s too much for Patton to fix all on his own. By the time he sorts out one of us we’ll have all run out of gas. It’s just...frustrating. Because I can’t protect you.”

“That’s about how I feel,” said Virgil.

“Virgil, tell me,” Deceit said, turning his face to him. “How calmly are you taking this really?”

“I’m holding up,” Virgil answered.

“Well, that’s not vague at all.”

“No, it’s just...if I panic now I’ll just shut myself down.”

“You’ve had plenty of time to panic the last three days.”

“I guess I got it all out during the fire. I’m just glad all five of us are here. Together.”

“Together,” agreed Deceit. “Missing an arm, a voice, a face, a life…”

“Don’t put it like that,” Virgil said. “I’ll be asleep.”

“Of course.”

“It’s a standard procedure for windups. I heard it’s even recommended to let us wind down every year to let our systems reset. Of course, not like the Maker paid any attention to that, he just wound me tighter if I was acting funny…” Virgil’s voice trailed off. “Deceit.”

“Yes, Virgil?”

“Don’t tell any of the others this. I don’t know how they’ll handle it. But—I’m kind of scared, okay?”

“You, scared? Color me surprised.”

“I know, just—Deceit, am I ever going to wake up?” Virgil’s eyes met his, a note of panic in his low, slurred voice. “Deceit, will I ever be able to wake up again? Will it still be me?”

Deceit placed a tattered, gloved hand on Virgil’s shoulder. His exposed yellow eye glinted in the dark. “Don’t be silly. Of course you will,” said Deceit. “You have my word, all right?”

12:59

All four of them gathered around Virgil now, whose eyes moved in slow motion, slipping between the faces of his friends. “You all look so sad,” he said, his voice so low it was barely understandable. “Jus’ sleeping.”

“Of course, Virgil,” Logan said softly. All their eyes were so shiny. Automatons didn’t cry, right? They should probably get that checked.

“Take care of...”

Something ticked once and then stopped. Good. That noise had been getting annoying. What was it, anyway?

Oh. That was him, wasn’t it.

It was a little rude to stop in the middle of a sentence but Virgil couldn’t bring himself to care. He was so tired. He’d close his eyes just for a second

1:00

[tagsecretsanta]

From Vikapediathat

to @wonderavian

I do not own this piece of art/fiction. @vikapediathat  is the original creator and has agreed to this being posted on this blog for Secret Santa 2017.

Prompt 2: Alan and Snow

————————————————

Title: The Chill That Can Touch A Warm Heart

————————————————

Sometimes, just sometimes, Tracy Island is just too hot and humid to do the most basic of actions as the heavy air made one feel gross.

Other times, deep space is just too cold and boring making one go slightly insane.

So Alan knew, when waking up to another day, he had probably drawn the short straw. Would it be a feeling gross day or a slightly insane day?

However, there are days that no matter how much action he doesn’t see, how much rescuing he doesn’t do, Alan savours every waking moment: The snow missions.

The sun combating the white cold sheet draped over every mountain and rolled across the horizon is a sight he believes is the most beautiful. Well, except for seeing a planet from orbit that is, but snow comes very close! Speaking of space, Alan is primarily the astronaut of International Rescue, he doesn’t get to go on missions to Mount Everest or the Southern Alps; that goes to Scott and Virgil, and Gordon if it’s serious. So it’s the days where the missions are super duper, really, incredibly serious that Alan is needed for a snow mission; his favourite kind of day.

————————————————

Days such as Tibet’s December 2058 avalanche that buried a helplessly small village more than 6 feet under snow are those incredibly serious snow missions. All communications and scanners were lost from the earthquake beforehand and it was the boys’ jobs to dig survivors out of the snow. This avalanche was Alan’s first snow mission, probably his brothers’ thousandth time (totally not exaggerating) and he kept his excitement under subtle smiles of joy.

During the trip half way across the world, Alan pictured stepping out of Thunderbird 2 into Tibet. He had a strong belief that the cold was going to hit him like the way Thunderbird 3 experiences the temperature drop during launch breaching atmosphere. After all, space and snow had record temperatures under absolute zero. It would be a refreshing change from island weather, or endless stars light years away, and he was ready.

As Alan stepped out of Thunderbird 2 just outside the subdued village, he was in shock: snow was warm, warmer than space. This was either because he was restless with excitement during Thunderbird 2’s flight, or that his uniform mesh was twice as thick as his brothers to balance his body temperature in deep space, or both! He was calm and unnerved by the paper-like qualities of the snow: thin sheet, loud when tampered with and pure white that it almost hurt the eyes. If Europa didn’t hold alien life, then Jupiter’s coldest moon had nothing to play against Tibet’s picturesque snow.

Even Gordon shivered violently after he fell into a 2 feet deep hole the avalanche had covered, a clever trap Mother Nature laid for hunting these rescuers. They all fell into these frozen pits sometime or another, but Alan’s body felt no need to shiver. This feeling of dropping into the cold matter would become useful to help dig out the men, women and children succumbed to the collective particles of ice. Scott sped the digging process up another way; using Thunderbird 1’s retro-burners to melt the snow. Alan was amazed by the way the snow turned from something so strong and chilling in numbers, to a bubbling warm liquid mess in mere seconds. Ice and snow were stone-cold strong but also fragile like a glass window: astounding, Alan could say the least. Thanks to Thunderbird 1, Alan was able to firmly set his feet on the roofs of the first couple houses; hearing the cries of an alive family underneath.

The rescue was a success, as per usual, no deaths but some medium cases of hypothermia which called for some extra blankets or an hour in the Thunderbird 2’s heat bed. Thunderbird 2 managed to transport the small village into the safety of Tibet’s Capital City, Lhasa, where all 75 villagers would be able to seek refuge. A good rescue Alan would never forget, not only because of the faces of joy the villagers wore when Alan found them, but because he finally experienced snow for himself. It was so close to drawing with the views from orbit, so close.

————————————————

Alan loved that first snow mission, that memory. The other few snow missions Alan’s had haven’t exactly embodied that same feeling, that same experience, he had in Tibet. But now, he was stuck with a scorching hot December day on the island. No iced water, swimming or shade could cool him down. All Alan wanted to do was jump out of Thunderbird 1 into Antartica as a counter attack to the equator’s summer. But it was not meant to be, as Thunderbird 1 was busy saving a group of rock climbers in Australia.

The boiling summer days turned into humid summer nights where Alan’s family was too tired to talk because it was the most hectic time of the year, Christmas rescues. Gordon was asleep before he hit the reindeer pillow. Virgil could do was space out to the Christmas tree lights, just in case there was another rescue. Scott groaned from his sore muscles as he tried to fill out remaining paper work at Dad’s desk decorated with red, gold and green tinsel. Even John cut communications for the night because he just wanted some peace and quiet. Alan had been quiet all day, now he was bored of the peace.

But there was always Brains to talk to, he was always upgrading MAX when he had the time. And Alan was right, down the main hangar Brains was upgrading MAX’s coffee machine.

“How about I taste test?” Alan asked, seeing Brains’ hands shake uncontrollably.

“T-t-t-t-that w-would be g-g-great Alan, t-t-t-thanks. F-f-f-four cups i-i-i-i-is enough c-c-caffeine for m-m-m-me.” Brains answered, stuttering way more than usual.

Brains really knew how to code a good coffee and MAX was looking like he needed a double shot himself. Seeing the milk swirl around on top of the liquified coffee beans reminded Alan of melting snow revealing the real ground underneath. Then with a little mix, the snowy white milk blended and disappeared. A sad thought but it gave Alan an idea.

“Hey Brains, any way you could build some machine to make it snow on the island?” He queried.

“A-a-a-alan, are you serious?” Brains replied, “The heat of the sun would make the ice melt in minutes.”

“So… would it be possible at night?” Alan asked again.

“W-Well, the h-h-humidity would m-make it melt much s-slower; So y-yes it would be p-possible.” Brains answered, the caffeine’s effects starting to wear away, back to his normal stuttering self.

“So, you can make a snow machine!” Alan exclaimed.

“Y-yes but w-why would we ever need o-one?” Brains questioned him.

“Well… it’s festive. Christmas always has snow, Grandma Tracy likes to go the extra mile with decorations. Christmas is her favourite holiday after all. And besides, snow is cool; literally.”

“I-I’ll see what I can d-do without creating c-complications to any ships l-launch.”

Alan smiled from ear to ear. “You’re the best Brains! Grandma’s gonna love it,” then he walked off back to his room for a good nights sleep. “And I will too.” He thought.

The next day went like clockwork; Alan failed to stay cool and was only needed once for a mission in orbit (some ship was flying out of orbit and needed to be dragged back, no biggie). The next night, the boys crashed on the couches and were ready to get some shut-eye -until Brains ruined their plans with a remote in hand.

“G-Gentlemen, Grandma Tracy and K-Kayo, Alan gave me a r-request last night for a final t-touch to our Christmas d-decorations that will certainly l-l-lighten your mood.” Brains declared from atop the lounging area. Alan’s eye lit up and focused intently on Brains.

“Brains, if it’s more fancy lights around the island, can it wait until after we get some rest?” Scott cried out.

“N-Not at all Scott, Alan has c-challenged me to do the i-impossible and I s-s-succeeded.” Brains replied. Virgil and Gordon stood up with their groaning joints and walked over to Brains.

“Overcoming the impossible is what you do best, Brains.” Virgil told him.

“So this is going to be very interesting.” Gordon finished.

“So stop stalling and show us the new decoration!” Grandma Tracy passionately ordered. Glancing in Alan’s direction with a smile on his face, Brains pushed the button. A whirring sound was heard high up into the island, but moments later the magic began.

White specks began to fall onto the roof of the villa, the leaves of the palm trees and the balcony of the lounge. All had their own unique design and chilling to the touch. Alan wanted to be the first outside with his close-first favourite particles of ice, but Grandma Tracy bet him to it. He wasn’t mad about it though, this was the happiest he had seen her.

“Oh I’ve missed this! I haven’t seen snow since... since... oh I don’t know when but that doesn’t matter.” She told her family with laughter to follow. The rest of her family joined her as the snowflakes made their hair white and the rest piling into little ant-hill sizes of soft slowly melting snow.

“Congratulations Brains, you’ve done it again.” Grandma Tracy acknowledged.

“D-don’t thank me, t-thank Alan for a-asking me t-to build this f-f-for you.” Brains replied. In a blink of an eye, Grandma Tracy’s arms were lovingly squeezing the life out of Alan. A few seconds later, and a bit of wheezing from the youngest, Grandma Tracy spared him.

“Thank you Alan, I’ve missed snow so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.” Grandma explained, obviously holding back a sob. Alan looked up to the starry sky now speckled with even more shining white stars that covered any trace of his own tears. He wanted to create snow for himself, using his Grandma as an excuse. But now she was overjoyed with the greatest present he incidentally gave to her.

Seeing her smile like a little kid as the snowflakes decorated her body made snow and space tie for second.

“Trust me, I’ve missed snow too. Merry Christmas Grandma.”

[p0tat0-g0ddess]

I’m Not Sick Chapter 3

oh look an update after like 6 months

I’m Not Sick / rated K(G) / hurt/comfort/family

Wu woke up the next morning very warm.

It took him a few minutes to discern the source, but soon he discovered heat radiating from the child curled up next to him. A hand pressed to his forehead revealed he was far hotter than he had been the previous night, and he was shaking as he clutched the blanket around himself. That couldn’t be good.

“Morro?” Wu shook his shoulder gently, trying to wake him. The boy didn’t move. “Morro, wake up.” He shook him harder. This time, Morro shifted, whimpering slightly. His eyes cracked open a slit, and he whispered,

“S-Sensei?”

“Morro, how do you feel?” The blond man asked, a hand still pressed to his burning forehead.

“C-cold…” The child huddled farther into the blankets. “…h-hurts…” Oh dear. He was getting worse.

“Can you get up?”

“N-no…”

“Alright. I need to take you to a healer.” Wu sat up, wrapping Morro up in a blanket and scooping him into his arms. He would have to carry him all the way down the mountain. Setting him down again, Wu dressed in his robe and ate quickly, trying to coax a bit of food and water into Morro as well (with limited success) before picking him up and starting the long walk down to the village. He started to tire about halfway down, and stopped to rest for fear of dropping his precious cargo. He took the opportunity to check on Morro, who was still burning up and shivering despite the blanket wrapped snugly around him, and had fallen asleep a little ways down the stairs.

“Morro?” Wu nudged him awake again, and the dark-haired child blinked his eyes open, squinting in the bright light.

“S-Sensei?” He stuttered, fear in his voice. “W-where are we?”

“I’m taking you to a healer in the village below the Monastery.” Wu stroked his hair.

“Y-you’re t-taking me t-to the village?!” Morro yelped, sounding suddenly terrified. “B-but the b-bad kids a-are there!!”

“Bad kids?” Wu echoed, confused.

“Bad kids, w-would hit me a-and s-steal my f-food.” The child stammered. “D-don’t bring me th-there…”

“I’m not taking you anywhere near them. I am only taking you to the healer’s house, then back up to the Monastery.”

“B-but S-Sensei-!”

“Morro, listen to me.” The blond man put a hand under his student’s chin, tilting it up so he would look at him. “You are in no danger, understand?”

“N-no! S-Sensei, they’ll c-come and h-hurt me!!” Morro was clearly addled by his fever; his eyes were darting back and forth and his breathing was fast and uneven.

“Morro, do you think they will attack me?” Wu asked, trying to reason with him.

“I… d-don’t think so…”

“Do you think I will leave you?”

“…n-no?”

“Correct. So you are not in danger.”

“I… I-I guess…” Morro’s eyes began to slip closed again. Wu reached down to pick him up again, but stopped when his student’s eyes popped open. “B-but w-what if they d-do attack y-you??” He stuttered in a panic. “They’ll m-make me h-hurt… a-and y-you!!”

“Morro, I think I can fight off a bunch of kids.” The sensei picked him up again, but he started to struggle weakly.

“N-no, S-Sensei, please d-don’t b-bring me th-there!!” The black-haired child started to cry. “P-please, please, p-please d-don’t…”

“Morro, you are sick. Very sick.” Wu said firmly. “If I don’t take you to the healer, you could die.” Morro’s breath hitched, and he looked up at him, wide eyes swimming with tears.

“D-die?”

“Yes.”

“D-don’t wanna die…”

“Then calm down and let me take you to the healer.”

“O-okay…” Morro was silent for the rest of the walk down, sniffling quietly from time to time. When they entered the village, he buried his face in Wu’s chest, squeezing his eyes shut as his breathing quickened. Wu took him directly to the healer’s house, rapping on the door before entering without waiting for an answer. As he pushed the door shut behind him, the healer, Emily, came into the room looking cross – probably due to the fact that he had entered without waiting for permission.

“Wu.” Her voice softened slightly when she caught sight of the shaking bundle in his arms. “What’s going on?”

“This is my student, Morro.” He lifted the child slightly. “He came down with something unexpected yesterday morning, and quickly acquired a high fever and a bad cough. This morning, he refused to get out of bed, and halfway down the mountain he became convinced that if I brought him here he would be attacked.” Morro appeared to be asleep now.

“Oh dear. Bring him here.” Emily lead him into the next room, where she gestured for him to lay Morro on a clean table. The sensei complied, and Morro whimpered slightly in his sleep as the healer unwrapped the blanket, laying a hand on his forehead. “He certainly has a high fever.” She murmured. “Misako,” she called over her shoulder. “Get me a damp cloth.”

“Yes, Mother,” a musical voice replied, and Wu felt himself blushing slightly. He had nearly forgotten that the healer was his crush’s mother.

“It’s Morro, isn’t it?” Emily asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah.” He nodded quickly.

“Morro.” The healer shook Morro’s shoulder gently. “Wake up, I need to talk to you.” The shaking child stirred, and his eyes opened to peek up at her. After a moment, he gasped, shying away from her.

“Morro, it’s alright.” Wu put a hand on his other shoulder. “She is the healer. She can help you.” Morro calmed, nodding a bit.

“Can you tell me where it hurts?” Emily asked softly.

“My chest w-when I c-couch, a-an’ my throat when I talk…” The boy whispered in reply.

“Have you been coughing a lot?”

“Not… t-today… l-last night yeah…”

“But your chest still hurts?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you feel cold or hot?”

“V-very cold, t-too c-cold…”

“Alright.” Just then, Misako entered the room with a folded, damp towel. She smiled at Wu when she saw him, but it turned into a frown when she caught sight of Morro.

“Who’s this?” she asked as she handed her mother the cloth.

“My student. He’s very sick.” The blond man clasped his hands in front of him, turning back to the child on the table and watching as he flinched when the cloth was laid on his forehead.

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to keep him here tonight.” Emily said, wrapping the blanket around him again. “I’d like to give him some medicine and keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, but only ask long as I stay as well. I promised I wouldn’t leave him.”

“Yes, that’s fine.” Emily gave Misako a look, as if to say ‘don’t try anything’, to which the brunette huffed in reply. “Take him down to the room at the end of the hall, Wu.” The healer nodded in the direction of the door at the end of the room. “There’s a bed there – only one, I’m afraid – where he can rest. Keep him awake for a few minutes longer, though, I need to get him to drink some water and herbs.” Wu nodded, gathering Morro into his arms and carrying his pupil out of the room, down the hall, and into a small room with a window and a bed. He laid the shaking boy down on the bed, saying quietly,

“Morro, don’t go to sleep yet. Emily has some medicine for you, alright?” Morro hummed in acknowledgement, snuggling into his blanket as Wu pulled another one over him. The blond man continued speaking quietly with him until Emily got back, nudging him or asking him a question to keep him awake. When the healer finally came, Morro was sitting up a bit, looking around with half-lidded eyes.

“Drink this.” She handed him a cup of green-tinted water, hovering near him as he took a sip to catch it in case he dropped it. When he swallowed it, he made a face.

“Tastes bad.”

“It will help you not be so cold.” She told him. “Drink it all.” He frowned, then tipped it up, downing the rest in two gulps and sticking his tongue out when he was finished.

“Ew.”

“Good job.” Emily praised, taking the cup back. “Now you can sleep.” The black-haired child nodded, scooting down so his head rested on the pillow and closing his eyes. After a few moments, his breathing evened out. He was asleep. “How old is he?” The healer asked quietly.

“Seven or eight. I’m not sure.”

“Where did you meet him?”

“He was one of the orphan children who used to dig through the trash outside the Monastery for food. I started leaving out better food for him, and I gained his trust enough to convince him to live with me. I’ve been teaching him.”

“I see.” Emily stood up. “I can get you a blanket and pillow if you wish.”

“I would like that.” Wu nodded, watching as she left the room before turning back to Morro. Poor boy. Where had he even picked up this illness? One of the other children he fought, perhaps. He hoped he would recover soon. Wu had heard of illnesses that, if not cured fast enough, left permanent affects such as blindness or deafness, neither of which would be good for Morro, a budding ninja. Emily was a good healer, he tried to reassure himself. She would be able to heal him.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

[christianmarkchristian]

N A K E D in H O L L Y W O O D

my autobiography, to be published daily or weekly,  AS IT IS WRITTEN. 

BEYOND SELF PUBLISHING: this is a 100% OPEN BOOK PROJECT 

-where I publish (share) AS (not after) I write, allowing readers to experience not just an autobiography but the experience of WRITING the autobiograpy as well.

on TUMBLR will be the BOOK in progress and eventualy, finished.

on FACEBOOK will be daily or weekly chapters/installments.

____________________________________________________________

PART 1

WHY WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY? Of course, its about the life of Christian Mark Christian but I intend to go into deeper themes as well:

1. God. If you are averse to God or Judaeo-Christian concepts about God, I hope you will not be “put off” by occasional references I will have to make in the course of remembering my life. My plan is not to be IN YOUR FACE about God but spiritual seeking has always been a huge part of my life and to omit this part would be to make the whole story a big lie.

2. VALUE - how we value our lives and our identity is critical to me and my development as a man. There is a fine line between thinking we are “so great that someone needs to write a book about us” and “our lives dont matter.” I have struggled GREATLY my whole life with feelings that my life isnt important, that I dont matter, that Ive been rejected and abandoned. Writing this will be the greatest therapy I can imagine. Writing this is telling myself, reminding myself, that I AM IMPORTANT and SO ARE YOU. 

3. Autobiography in the age of Interactivity. I’m not sure how many projects like this have been published online or in print but the thought occured to me that an autobiography can be, for the first time in history, more than a “book;” it can be an interactive EXPERIENCE. I can include links in my writing that take the reder to the places I am referencing. 

4. “To know is to love.” Honestly one thing that has always frustrated and disappointed me is that I feel like many or even MOST people “dont get me.” 

Too often I hear the word “weird” to describe me, when I would prefer to hear “unique” or “unusual.” I really am not even a fan of the word “eccentric.” 

Was Steve Jobs “weird?” Was Van Gogh “weird.”? Is Elon Musk “weird?” 

My feeling is that “weird” is considered a negative connotation or description, one I do not want and one that is hurtful when used to describe me. I dont feel like anyone who really knows me would ever call me “weird.” So,one huge function of this book is to eradicate the word “weird” as a description of Christian Mark Christian, once and for all and replace it with UNIQUE or RARE.  

Yeah, through no choice of my own, I’ve endured some things that are not typical of most lives. 

My dad’s suicide and that, co-inciding with the loss, at the same time, (divorce) of my Step-Dad. 

Millions have lost a Dad or a step dad through divorce or suicide but not as many have suffered both losses in the same year. 

Genius level IQ at age 7. 

Grew up around the world. 

Shared a 2-bedroom apartment with my Mom, until I got married at age 44.

Living with my ex-wife in an apartment in Hollywood, in an effort to heal and reconcile. 

Yeah-these are not typical of todays American “man”. I’m not “proud” of these things; nor am I ashamed of these things; I never planned on my life going the way it did. 

Regardless-when I became a Christian, at age 36,when I was “Born again,” I Iearned that God (if you choose to believe) “makes all things new” and “uses everything-even negative things, for eventual and ultimate good.” 

Regardless of the pain and tragedy I’d experienced, I was taught that it would all be used in a positive way, in time. 

Maybe this BOOK is that “positive way.” Maybe some who can relate will get a degree of emotional healing by reading; thats certainly my hope. 

But “to know is to Love.” I feel confident that many of my friends, in reading this book, will get to know me much better and in that, will be able to love me more. And who doesnt want to be loved.... and loved some more?

____________________________________________________________

part I

I was a second and final son, born seven years after my brother, into a USAF family, in Altus, Oklahoma. WWII was far enough behind but had left scars on my pilot Dad's psyche.

James (Jim) Charles Ralph, my Dad, dreamed of being an artist/illustrator for Foote, Cone & Belding, a top advertising agency. His creative dreams were cut short when the US let go of an isolationist foreign policy, geared up for war and he was drafted as a 19 year old, into the skies over his ancestral homeland (Germany.) 

As I understand it, Pearl Harbor "woke" us to the need to become involved again in foreign wars. Isolationist foreign policy would become a relic of the past; we quickly entered a war on several continents. 

Dad had grown up in Glendale, CA. a suburb that has since become a major Armenian cultural enclave in L.A. Ironic that I sit here typing this around eighty years later--a few miles west in another little enclave (part of Hollywood) officially called "Little Armenia." It really shows me that the themes and threads and patterns of life are stronger than we might think. In my case, I’ve been told that  the Apple hasnt fallen far from the tree.”

Armenia was, historically, the first place in the world where the name "Christian" was used to denote a follower of Christ. My primary care physician is Armenian and I am friends with several Armenians, so there seems to be a connection here, maybe one that will be explored in more depth as I write this...

-or maybe not.

The marriage was tempestuous. Jim, returning from the war and stationed at McDill AFB in Tampa, was driving a convertible and, the story goes, saw my Mom, Terry-a pretty young teen who modeled fashions for a local Department store. He was a handsome "flyer" or "Airman" and she fell for him, unaware of a Church background that would eventually drive a wedge between her his family.

  My paternal Grandmother, Carolyn Care, was a devout "Christian Scientist” as my Aunt still is, at age 90-something.

She would insist that my Mom, who was a typical American mainstream Protestant Christian, submit to her and the Churches doctrine. "Science" is about the idea that all things are merely the projection of "mind" and that evil or sickness cant exist unless we agree with it and "project" it (wrongful thinking) on ourselves. I always questioned this growing up. Even at a young age, I sensed something about it I had trouble with. Later, as an adult who accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior through various “Word of Faith” ministries, I saw that there was at least partial truths in “Science” even though I still could not follow Mary Baker Eddy’s doctrine in it’s entirety.

Apparently, several months pregnant with me, my Mom contracted pnuemonia or a similar ailment. Carolyn insisted that Terry not see the physician at the Altus Air Force base hospital but turn to a "Christian Science" practitioner instead. Rebelling finally, my Mom went to see the doctor at the base. He supposedly told her that, had she waited even another day, she might have lost the baby (me.) 

Only a few years later, at a Base in San Antonio, Texas, the troubled marriage fell apart with my Mom falling in love with my Pediatrician. I had asthma, most likely something that was brought on by the stress of my parents troubled marriage and she routinely brought me to see him at the base. Regardless of whether I chose to make these things a focus or no

t, they did shape who I choose to be today. I was raised from age 6-7 to 18, by a Pediatrician step-Dad (with my Mom) but my Paternal families Christian Science also had a strong influence on my thinking. 

It was an incredible duality and one I'm doubtful that many (or any?) others have experienced: a parental control and influence struggle between the ideals of Big pharm/modern medicine and "christian science," between the medical establishment and the "alternative healing" movements that originated in Christian metaphysical camps in19th century America.

Today, Health Care is probably the biggest debate in America. And the debate rages around the same two poles- alternative healing vs traditional medicine. Having deep experiential knowledge of both, puts me in a very unique position. Seeking, finding and practicing right doctrine ("righteousness") is central to my life and you can see why: wrong doctrine might have aborted me before I was born. RIght doctrine might have saved my life. The truth about God, his Love and his healing power, is not just "armchair theology" or something I engage in on special Holidays; its always at the core of every decision I make, every day of my life.

PART II

After surviving my Moms sickness and coming into this world as "Mark James Ralph," my first memory of infancy comes from our two story home in Cambridge, UK. where we moved when I was about 2?

My Dad was stationed at Alconbury AFB, about 25 miles away from Cambridge. I actually remember climbing out of my 2nd floor crib and crawling down the stairs, into the living area where my parents and 8 or 9 yr old brother were gathered!

Eventually I started walking and my best friend, a Brit, Andrew lived across the street.

We lived near open land where some Cows lived. I remember a Harvester machine that was called a “Combine” for some reason that I dont know.  I guess seeing it up close-the machinery, the complexity, the sheer power. The blades and the wheat being “threshed”. -All biblical themes, impressed me greatly...

We lived in a suburb of Cambridge, near some farmland and near a stand of trees called "the woods." 

My first "naked" (sexual) experiences were in Cambridge. I saw a male cow on the other side of the fence I was standing by, attempting to mate, jump up on top of a female cow. I was only a few feet away, on the other side of the fence--what the male cow did was so sudden, so unexpected and seemed -I dont have the word for it- not "brutal" (because it was "love" but invloved thousands of pounds of weight and muscle that could have killed a small child had I been involved!) but maybe just “alarming.” I was only about 4 or 5.

Now I’m going to bring up some very personal, private things that most people only reveal to their therapist. They may or may not end up in the final edit however I feel obligated, because of the name of the book-obligated to include them here...

I also initiated a "curious" childhood intimate encounter with Andrew in my bathroom at that time. I mention this only to bring up the topic of gay indocrination. I have no idea why, to this day but this "gay" encounter did not result in my growing up gay.

A few years later, in Wichita Falls, Texas, I initiated another "curious" encounter with a girl my age. We knelt down beside the wheel well of a car in the parking lot of our Apt complex, "TheTimbers" in the dark, at night, where I lifted her skirt to investigate her private parts.

She seemed to go along with it; at least there were no protests, as there had been none with Andrew. Apparently, I preferred the "female" more than the male because I never again had a sexual encounter with a male. Interesting that I remember Andrews name but not the girls name! Is this kind of thing just wired into our DNA? I think so.

I'm not sure what this says about the "born gay" issue but there it is... The result (I think) of these encounters, was this: even as a very young child, I had strong sexual urges which I had no trouble acting on when the opportunity arose. I dont remember sexual feelings ever becoming obsessive ( a good thing) but they were for sure there.

On another note, I remember walking off with Andrew (I think) into the local "woods." Woods is a cool name that has returned as the Church (M O S A I C) I attend locally uses the word in place of "Hollywood." They have several Campuses and use the term "The Woods" for the Hollywood Campus.

Andrew and I apparently, around age 4-5? decided to go on a hike into the woods one day, without telling anyone. My parents (not sure about his) were pretty upset. When I returned, they were happy I was safe. I never did anything so "adventurous" again. I think that was because I didnt want my parents to be so stressed.

I also remember a somewhat traumatic event around the time I was in my crib: my brother had caught a minnow, in a local stream. He had kept it in a jar aqaurium placed on my windowsill. The disturbing thing was that the fish jumped out of its "cage" (the jar) one day and out the window, falling two stories to its death on the concrete (or something hard) surface below.

By age 4 or 5, I had already seen and/or experienced both sex and death. Hollywood, here I (decades later) came.  

Part III

Ahhh, England. I have such fond memories of the years I spent there as a child-truly formative years and I am so deeply thankful that my formative years were spent there. To my best recollection, I spent my 2nd, 3rd and 4th years in Cambridge. 

When I began to speak (at a precocious young age) I spoke with an English accent. I remember my Mom dropping me off at "Shrubbery School" for the first time and the fear of abandonment I felt.I remember my first teacher, a wonderful Lady named "Mrs Clark" and how I related that to a candy bar that existed around that time, known as a "Clark Bar." 

My Mom dropped my off in our English Sports car-I think it was red, a "Sunbeam Alpine." That car was shipped all the way to Texas eventually and my Mom kept it even through her divorcing my Dad. Cambridge was rich with experience and wonder. I cant imagine a more perfect place for my early years and it left a deep appreciation for Brits in my soul, still there to this day. I would go so far as to even call myself an "Anglophile."

At school, we memorized the multiplication tables and began to learn the alphabet-at age 4! When we moved to San Antonio, TX, -when I was five-the school system there wanted to place me in Kindergarten! 

Thank god for the Mt Olive Lutheran School (off the 410 "loop") -where my parents eventually enrolled me. They were still not as advanced as Shrubbery School back in Cambridge, did but at least a better option than public schools.

My mind is flooded with lush beautiful imagery from Cambridge: 

-my Mom riding horseback in the countryside with her Horse riding club 

(and how later that might have played a factor in two girls I was attracted to and a novel "Diana" that affected me deeply in my teens) 

-My brother Christopher playing "conker" with Chestnuts tied to sholeaces! (only the brits would devise a game like this!)

-My brother relating a Jaguar or some other sports car "flying" by his school at some increditble speed. The drama and awe with which he related this formed in me an early apprecation for fast cars,one which has continued to this day.

The "punts" on the Cam river and the gorgeous Colleges in Cambridge, that all seemed to be named after Jesus or Mary! 

When I hear Christians acting as though the intellect isnt important now, I cringe. Cambridge was the birthplace of intellectualism and Christian thought. C.S. Lewis lived and worked there. Christianity is the most advanced culture of philosophy and Academic systems. The fact that atheism largely eradicated these roots  in the 20th Century is a very sad thing indeed and something I hope my life can be part of reversing. For Centuries, being a Christian and being an intellectual, a thinker, were synonomous. While I appreciate experiential knowledge and mysticism, lets not throw out suc a glorious inheritance so easily.

."http://histclo.com/country/eng/pe/pe60johnsc.html

NOTES for more stories to come: 1. B-day in St Tropez, the large round tray of raosted nuts, possible topless female sunbathers. The back seat of the VW bug, winding through the mountains in South of France, then LifeCycling through the area as an adult working out "Spinning" Berchtesgarden, the Bus, the rock thrown down the cliff into the forest, the rock that broke something...My brother and the Jaguar going 100. Shrubbery School, the rubbish can, "conquer" nut game with chestnuts. My brothers weird hobby of using sewing kits to lower things out hotel windows, then later doing the same to recover bottle caps in San Antonio. The possibility of this project being a catalyst for restoring my relationship with my brother and even step-Dad. How God restores family. The "punts" on the river Cam, Wimpy Burges and Brits eating burgers with knife and fork. How I envisined "the states" and in my mind saw a Giant "steak. The pass-through window-a first architectural design feature. My first bike, how I copied Andrew and the bike had front wheel brakes, how we'd ride around the block. Snow, and my first snowman, snowball fights.going w my family into some woods where my Dad chopped down a Christmas tree. First Christmas's. Alconbury AFB, the hangar. I was impressed and it made my Dad look so cool. I felt bad that he had to drive 25 miles, that seemed so far. Our trips to London. FIsh & Chips. Sightseeing, the trains. The White cliffs of Dover. My favorite TV show about the creatures that lived on the banks fo the river.

Highlights of a life well and not so well, lived:                        

Lived in or visited: the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Texas, MS, NorCal, FLA, DC, Virginia, West VA, New Orleans, AZ, New Mexico, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, France. HIGHLIGHTS:

Celebrated my 4th B-day in the South of France. Crossed the English Channel age, 12 on a Hover craft

Visited (Hitler’s lair in Berchtesgarden) age 4.

Visited Monticello (Jefferson’s home) age 4

Crossed the Atlantic in a commercial Airliner several times, aged 4-14.

Skied in the Swiss Alps and Lake Tahoe, age 10-12.

Lived in a Penthouse on the Rhine river, age 11-12.

Rode the train from Wiesbaden to Stuttgart, Germany age 12.

Visited Castles on the Rhine river, age 11-13.

Flew, as 10 yr old passenger, in a small Cessna, from San Diego to Tampa.

Rode or drove from the South or Texas, to CA, several times age 10-30’s.

Crossed the Pacific (Hawaii) as an adult.Vacationed in Maui, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Switzerland, The Netherlands, London, Paris.

Attended several F1 “Grand Prix” races around Europe and Long Beach, CA and Autosports events, age 8-12, Around America. Won several non-pro autosports trophies, age 20-22. Won #1 Singles (Tennis) MVP Trophy in High School, age 18.  

Got to State Finals on HS Tennis team age 18.

Won several 1st place ribbons in Biloxi, MS Art Shows, age 17.

Was offered Art Scholarship to Ole Miss University, age 18.

Paid $5000 to write a Greek Comedy movie script (Middle Age)

Twice paid $5000 to paint oil portraits (Middle Age)

Starred in a Prime Time major News Network Reality Show (one episode) (Middle Age)

Enjoyed hundreds of hikes in Griffith Park and other local trails. (Middle Age)

Had two jobs as live-in Private Chef in a $1.5M luxury Homes (Middle Age) in the Hills, in L.A.

Was hired by Ben Affleck, given my own trailer and worked on an Oscar winning film (ARGO, as on-camera hand double/sketch artist) Middle Age. As a visionary: saw self driving cars, in 2002, mobile hands free phones in 1995, “Gravity” script, in the 1980’s, MTV music videos, at age 12, years before MTV, the Hyperloop in 1995. Written 12 feature film “spec” scripts (Young-Middle Age) Married 11 years, divorced and re-established financial trust with my ex wife, now close friends and writing partners with her. Have experienced total melt-down/destruction of a marriage and the total rebuilding of that friendship. Have been friends with a few celebs. (actors, singers) Partied in Hollywood clubs and luxury homes, all over Los Angeles, hundreds of times. 25--Middle age Attended numerous Pop Music or Rock concerts at almost every venue all over Los Angeles. Age 12-Middle Age Interviewed on a West L.A. Sound stage, along with 5 of my paintings, for a SHOWTIME 35 mm film doc on Marilyn Monroe that Premiered at the Palm Springs Int. Film Festival, age-30’sAttended the Premiere of that Film, in Palm Springs, where I enjoyed minor, fleeting celebrity status.My art appeared once, in PEOPLE magazine.

30’sI enjoyed backstage at a MOODY BLUES concert at Universal Amphitheater.

20’sI had a Publicist for my Art -30’s.

I’ve had front-row box seats at the Hollywood Bowl. Middle AgeI

met the Great-grandson of the founder of Hollywood. Middle age

I’ve visited or worked on, every major studio lot in Los Angeles and Hollywood. Young-Middle AgeI’ve enjoyed beaches in Maui, Los Angeles, Northern California, Mississippi, Florida and The Netherlands. 4-Middle Age I attempted to surf in Malibu. 20’s Been to Art Museums all over the world, including numerous visits to the Getty in Brentwood. 4-Middle Age Helped my architect brother flip homes many times in Los Angeles. 20’sDesigned many residences as an Architecture student/aspiring architect, in High School. Designed and contracted a hip, post-modern Silver Lake Laundry to Bathroom conversion, in budget. Middle Age Enjoyed hundreds of great shoulder/full body/foot massages Young-Middle age Swam in secluded pools on Maui -Middle AgeHad amazing revelatory spiritual experiences as a Christian 20’s-Middle Age. Attended/Worshipped Jesus at almost 20 different Church locations all over Los Angeles over 1000 times since 1993. Studied every major religion in depth 20’s-Middle Age. Sold almost 200 original paintings. 20’s Middle Age Had several one-man shows at Cacao, a popular West L.A. Coffee shop, owned by the Designer of iconic BigFoot Lodge in Atwater Village. 30’sCurated several group shows at Cacao. 30’s Participated in several ground breaking group show/parties at the infamous Black Cat Gallery in Mar Vista. Middle Age Been paid as: Photographer, Designer, Contractor, Writer, Musician, Oil Portraitist, Organizer and Chef. 12-Middle Age Worked on almost 200 professional movie, TV or commercial sets in a variety of positions. Middle Age Written, Directed and Produced several low budget short films and/or videos. Middle Age Created authentic food from many international cuisines. 30’s Middle Age Enjoyed about $5000-$10,000 in the finest restaurant cuisine in L.A., New Orleans, Germany, the Netherlands and France. 4-Middle age Briefly co-owned, with my then-wife, a catering company which catered several events. Middle Age Briefly co-owned, with a friend, a failed Hollywood event company. Middle Age.

[writer-itd]

While I wasn’t tagged by anyone, I saw this tag done by Sara @ the Bibliophagist, and it looked like so much fun! This was originally started by Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner!

AUTHOR YOU’VE READ THE MOST BOOKS FROM

I think, by now, that would have to be Sarah J. Maas or Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins more in my younger teen years, while I still read Maas today!

BEST SEQUEL EVER

Game by Barry Lyga – While I haven’t read this series in quite awhile, I remember being blown away at the time. This is definitely one of those underrated series. The ending of this book killed me.

CURRENTLY READING

The Pawn by Skye Warren – I downloaded this because it seems to be a smash hit in the world of self-book publishing. We’ll see…

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff – I saw a review awhile ago that got me interested in this, and I ordered it a couple of weeks ago and am just now getting into it. Boy, is it a monster, but it’s kind of addicting. So far, it’s amazing.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – I’m re-reading this for the third time as a buddy read with Sara!!

DRINK OF CHOICE WHILE READING

Hot mint tea!

E-READER OR PHYSICAL BOOK

Definitely the physical book. But, I recently purchased an E-reader, so I’m slowly getting accustomed to reading off of that, right now.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY DATED IN HIGH SCHOOL

Ha! I only seriously dated one person in high school, which was an actual disaster and has resulted in a crap ton of awful poetry.

That being said, I feel like Celeana from the Throne of Glass series would fit me, because I feel she’s the kind of girl who doesn’t like to send mixed signals and would tell me exactly what she wanted, and I like that.

GLAD YOU GAVE THIS BOOK A CHANCE

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo –  While not ranking among my favorites, was still one that I’m glad I decided to read after putting it off for so long.

HIDDEN GEM BOOK

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett – I honestly wasn’t sure I would like this one. But. It. Was. Amazing.

IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR READING LIFE

Probably when I realized that anyone can write a story…whether that be good or bad, but anyone, nonetheless.

JUST FINISHED

Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare – I’m actually going to be on a blog tour for this (official announcement soon)!

KINDS OF BOOKS YOU WON’T READ

I will give a lot of things a chance, but I tend to avoid nonfiction, and romance involving BDSM. But, recently, I’ve been really open.

LONGEST BOOK YOU’VE READ

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss – 993 pages of AMAZINGGGGGG

MAJOR BOOK HANGOVER BECAUSE OF

See above. How many more years until the final book, again? The entire series takes place over “three days” and it’s been 6 years since day two. Don’t worry, I’m not mad or anything. I understand genius like this doesn’t happen overnight. I’m still patiently waiting.

NUMBER OF BOOKCASES YOU OWN

Right now…zero. I just moved and all of my books (minus the ones I’m reading) are in boxes.

ONE BOOK YOU HAVE READ MULTIPLE TIMES

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – I know this book keeps coming up, but this is the only book I can think of that I’ve re-read. I typically don’t re-read.

PREFERRED PLACE TO READ

I used to read on the loudest school bus in the world, because I was always the last stop. So, pretty much anywhere, haha.

QUOTE THAT INSPIRES YOU/GIVES YOU ALL THE FEELS FROM A BOOK YOU’VE READ

I say, “You look great.”

She cocks her head at me. “Are you flirting with me, Jack Masselin?”

–Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

This inspires me to never write anything like this ever. It gives me “all the feels” to actually want to chuck a book into a paper shredder. (Check out my review here!)

READING REGRET

I don’t think I have one. I feel that any book you read, no matter how bad, teaches you something.

SERIES YOU STARTED AND NEED TO FINISH (ALL BOOKS ARE OUT IN SERIES)

Probably the Six of Crows Duology. (It’s still a duology, right?)

THREE OF YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOKS

It’s not like I mention these in every post I ever do, but (in no particular order):

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (looking at this old review makes me cringe at my old rating system. FIVES ALL THE WAY!!)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

VERY EXCITED FOR THIS RELEASE MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS

OH MY GOODNESS THE COVER WAS JUST REVEALED AND I WANT TO CRY BUT I LOVE THIS SERIES AND IT’S THE LAST BOOK AND I WANT TO CRY AHHHHHHH

Kingdon of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

WORST BOOKISH HABIT

I use a different bookmark for every book that I read, and I only put the bookmark in the very front of the book when I’m completely done with it. It’s, like, my ritual. It’s usually Walmart receipts, but still.

X MARKS THE SPOT: START AT THE TOP LEFT OF YOUR SHELF AND PICK THE 27TH BOOK

Ayeeeee, I don’t have shelves right now, but I can tell you every book that’s sitting on my table right now!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

YOUR LATEST BOOK PURCHASE

I actually bought all of these books together.

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

  ZZZ-SNATCHER BOOK (LAST BOOK THAT KEPT YOU UP WAY LATE)

It’s been awhile since I’ve stayed up really, really late reading a book. Maybe…

Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I hated it.

Notes:

Well, that was fun!! I’m not going to tag anyone, but please feel free to do this one, if you wish!

Best,

Daniel

BOOKISH A-Z SURVEY (Tag) While I wasn't tagged by anyone, I saw this tag done by Sara @ the Bibliophagist, and it looked like so much fun!