#I'm actually not that surprised that he's in a foreign production

[octuscle]

Sustainable changes

Nicolas had just been promoted to Senior Product Manager. But the condition was that he had to take a foreign assignment for two years. He had reckoned with Germany, the USA or maybe Japan. India would also have been okay. But he was supposed to go to Turkmenistan. His employer had just bought a large agricultural cooperative there, which was now to be converted in the direction of ecological and sustainable agriculture. On the one hand, this sounded like a completely unknown field of work. Nicolas had previously worked more in the consumer goods sector. On the other hand, anything that bore the label "sustainable" was naturally a career driver at the moment. So he took a cautiously optimistic approach.

Once Nicolas arrived at his new workplace, the optimism quickly evaporated. He had arrived somewhere in the middle of nowhere. There was no office building, there were only barracks. Mostly not air-conditioned. He had expected to be put up in some hotel. But he had been given a room with a farmer. Toilet in the yard. Bathroom was an outdoor shower served from the cistern. He felt infinitely silly in his outfit.

In the first service meeting, a colleague asked him if they could tweak Nicolas's resume a bit for the presentation to the workers. It might be good for his credibility if they could give him some local roots. Nicolas was tired. The trip had been exhausting. He remembered his parents' Russian gardener. A picture of a man. Former combat swimmer. And of the Turkish cook. So he answered, one may mix in there with pleasure something Russian and Turkish. The main thing was that he was allowed to retire now.

The night had been hell. It smelled like a pigsty in his room. And he could hear the pigs too, as if they were sleeping in bed with him. There was no hot water to shave with. And company policy forbids the use of shower gels containing microplastics without functioning wastewater treatment for environmental reasons. So all he can use is a bar of curd soap. When introduced to the staff, he looks appropriately a bit bedraggled. One of his colleagues asks Nicolas to say something in Russian. He has to think a bit. His grandmother sometimes spoke to him in Russian. But it's enough for a "I'm happy to be here and look forward to working with you. The employees cheer for their new boss.

Before Nicolas takes a shower the next morning, he drives the pigs out of the barn. If he's going to share the roof with them, he might as well make himself useful. His hosts invite him to breakfast. The conversation in Russian is still a bit bumpy. Nikolai hasn't spoken his father's language for years. And his host family, of course, actually speaks Turkmen. But with hands and feet it works. And so it goes on in the office. The team meeting was supposed to take place in English. But the interpreter dropped out. With every hour it gets better. The memory of his father's language comes back.

At breakfast, Nikolai realizes that he understands Turkmen better than he thought. It definitely works out that his hosts ask him in their native language. But he prefers to answer in Russian. Nikolai speaks it again as fluently as he did when he lived with his father in the Sevastopol army barracks. At work, they discuss the tasks for the next few days. Nikolai considers the projects for preventing soil erosion and unused surface water runoff to be urgent. Everyone passionately discusses the possibilities of transforming agriculture to get by without artificial irrigation. But Nikolai realizes that it will be difficult to irrigate only naturally in the desert.

The next morning, Nikolai surprises your host family with a few words of Turkmen. With his fluency in Russian and Turkish as his mother's language, it's not that hard for him to learn the language. On the job, they speak almost only Turkmen anyway. Today, his job is to drive the fields and inspect and document the environmental damage. Nikolai doesn't even need to shower for that. It will be hot anyway. And air conditioning is only for wimps. The point is to save energy wherever possible. In the afternoon, he gets a call from headquarters. They are very pleased with his work on site. It is clear that the project would not make an economic contribution. But the advertising impact is enormous. Whether he is interested in accepting a junior director position at the headquarters in Paris.

Nikolai turns his camera, bares his left breast and says in broken French that his heart beats for his new home. He won't leave until the desert blooms again.

[fatherramiro]

I was thinking about 1899 and depictions of grief, and something kind of jumped out at me. In the first few episodes, we have a LOT of discussion of grief -- one of the key scenes is Eyk describing feeling stuck after his family died to Maura after he says he's taking the Prometheus back to Europe -- and obviously the entire simulation is a product of Maura being unable to process her grief of losing Elliot. And that got me thinking about the other characters and their reaction to the loss of their loved ones, which of course got me thinking about Ramiro. I know, big surprise.

There's a lot of death in season one, and a lot of characters lose their loved ones in horrible ways in front of them. Tove loses her entire family, Ling Yi loses her mother and Olek, Jérôme and Clémence lose Lucien, and Ramiro loses Ángel. But of all the death scenes, Ramiro is the only character who is given a moment to say goodbye to the person he loves most; you could argue that Tove is allowed to say goodbye to her parents, but I'd argue those scenes are very different. Even Maura isn't given a real goodbye scene with Eyk when he dies, even as she demands that Sebastian bring him back. But Ángel's death is an extended scene where he apologizes to Ramiro and Ramiro begs him not to go, where their affection for each other is re-affirmed. Depending on if you're watching the English dub (or using English subtitles on a foreign language dub), Ángel even tries to say he loves Ramiro as he dies.

And look, it's interesting to me that Ramiro and Ángel are the ones given this moment, because I think it puts the Ramiro/Ángel love story in the same sort of narrative importance conversation as the Eyk/Maura/Daniel triangle AND because of what it says about Ramiro. I've talked a bit about the framing of Ángel's death and Eyk's death before, but it's worth pointing out again! Ramiro's reaction isn't to beg Ángel to come back, he says "don't leave me" as Ángel is dying and accepts (however much it hurts) that he's gone when he's gone. And afterwards, Ramiro remains the only character who when faced with the spectre of a dead loved one actually questions it. No one else -- not Eyk, Clémence, Jérôme, Ling Yi, or Tove -- question when they see someone they loved and lost appear. Ramiro actually says "why are you alive" in shock. Now, he still goes chasing after Ángel's voice (twice) but he still seems confused as to how his dead boyfriend is talking to him. I talk a lot about Ramiro being main character coded, or that he's more important to the narrative than one might assume, but it is still important to point out that he's given this beat that no one else is allowed. In a show about grief, this matters. There's so much fun narrative importance or uniqueness given to Ramiro, which I am happy to list off if asked but that starts with him being a key player in every episode without fail, and I think this is just another example proving there's something going on with him as a character, and with the Ramiro/Ángel love story, that we just don't know. I'm not going to say we're never going to know, because I'm pretty sure we'll get some 1899 resolution some day, but for now it's unclear. But still, it's clear there's something going on with Ramiro that was going to be so, so interesting.

[mythica0]

part 2 for shady? Dev grows actual confidence and tickles his dad back? (I don't like dale I'm not saying his stoopy name)

Rebellious

🎂: Fop; a new wish

🧁: Dale

🍫: Dev

Summary: Dev works up the confidence to tickle his dad back.

A/N: once again this is probably OOC for Dale but whatever. Enjoyyyyy

Rebellious

Dev was still thinking about the events of the previous day.

His dad had brought him into the office, and then instead of grounding him or something, he had tickled Dev.

It was a welcome surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. His dad usually wasn’t big on physical affection, especially towards him. He was used to being treated as a product rather than a person. But something must’ve changed yesterday.

Dev usually wouldn’t dare to do anything that could be seen as rebellious, but the aforementioned events made him feel like he could. As well as the fact that it inspired him to be more mischievous.

Dev decided that he was going to get some revenge. Hopefully his dad wouldn’t kill him. So, after school, when he got home, he went up to his office. Dale was working and not paying attention to his surroundings, which was perfect.

Dev snuck behind his dad, making sure to be really quiet. He waited until he was sure he wouldn’t accidentally cause actual damage to his fathers work, and then latched on to his dads sides.

“WHahahat thehe! Dehehev? Whahaht ahare yohou dohoing?!”

Dev giggled mischievously. “Revenge!”

“Ihim tryihihing toho wohork!”

“Hey, you could probably use a break!”

Dale’s systems were very shocked, he hasn’t been tickled since he was very young. It was such a foreign feeling. Electric sensations zapping through him, causing him to laugh without his permission, doubling over.

“Stohohop ihihit, kihihid!”

“Nope, I’m not satisfied with my revenge yet!”

Dale reasonably could fight off his kid with ease, he was much larger and stronger- being an adult. But he was debilitated by the laughter that poured out of him. He was also encouraged to let it happen by the happy face of his son.

Dale slid off his chair, thudding on the floor. Dev stopped for a moment. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeheah.. I’m fine.”

“Phew.” He breathed a sigh of relief before continuing, crawling onto his dad’s waist and poking at his tummy. “That means that I can continue!” He snickered slightly.

“C’mohohon, Dehehev!”

“What’s the problem? Is the famous Dale Dimmadome weak to some tickles?”

“Ohoho gohohod nohoho!” His face burned red, and he covered it with his hands.

“Yeah, how’s it feel, huh?~ tickle tickle tickle, dad~”

His mostly golden teeth showed through his hefty laughter, shaking his shoulders with the force of it.

“Stohohop ihihit! Thahahat reheally tihihickles! Hohoholy-“ he had to stop himself from cursing in front of his kid.

“Oh does it? I had no idea!” Dev’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Plehehehease Dehehev!”

Hearing the near desperation in his dad’s voice, Dev decided to wrap it up.

“Alright, one last thing and then I’ll let you go,” Dale didn’t know what to expect, until he heard a large breath in.

And before he knew it- “PBBBT”

“CrahahahAHAP! NOHOho!” Dev hopped off his dad, a smug look on his face.

Dale stood up and dusted himself off(despite there not actually being any dust.) “geheez kid, that was a lot.”

His smug grin grew wider. “I know, thank you!”

Just as he turned to leave, Dale grew a smug look of his own. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“B-back downstairs?”

“You really thought you could get away with that? Oho no, you’re in for it now.”

Devs face grew nervous and giddy at the same time.

“I’ll give you 10 seconds to run”

———THE END————————————————

[farfromstrange]

Total Eclipse Of The Heart | Matt Murdock

Pairing: Matt Murdock x f!vampire!Reader

Masterlist ° Parts 1 , 2

PART THREE: There is a lot about the mythology behind vampires to be found on the internet, but is it really true? Matt finds the mystery woman that has been turning his head and she once again makes him question everything he stands for, including his religion.

Warnings: Description of vampirism, mentions of death, mentions of blood, religious imagery & symbolism, blasphemy, dark themes!, not proofread

A/n: IM BACK WITH THIS STORY Y’ALL! This is actually pretty tame compared to the rest. Anyway, after I don't know how long, I have finished the chapter for this series. It's shorter than what I usually write, but I'm saving space for the smut. It's coming, I promise. If I'm correct, it might actually start happening in the next chapter, but it could also be the one after that. We'll see. I don't have a schedule for this story and I don't have the time to update regularly, so just lay back and be surprised by random updates!

18+ MINORS DNI

Vampires - (in European folklore) a corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.

A person who preys ruthlessly on others. 

That’s how Google defines it. 

He wasn’t sure what the internet would bring him. He wasn’t even sure what he was searching for when he activated the text-to-speech function on his laptop very late at night as he sat in the complete darkness of his apartment, his figure only illuminated by the red light of the obnoxiously large billboard outside the windows, a light he could not see. He only heard the faint buzzing over the beating of his own heart and New York City screaming beneath him. He tuned it out, focused on what he found most important, and dove into the world of mythology and science - because how else could he explain the strange woman that seemed to follow him anywhere? 

She had him in a chokehold. Every time she was around him, he felt compelled to follow her. He felt drawn to her in a dangerous way that seemed almost magical. Matt Murdock didn’t believe in magic, he didn’t believe in the reality of mythology. He believed in facts, and there was the fact that superhumans existed, the Avengers taught him that much, but who this woman was exceeded what he chose to believe. It was unholy, ungodly, and a sin in the eyes of the God he worshipped. She couldn’t be what he suspected because if she were, he would have to take God’s word and put an end to the creature that she was. 

He came across an article that seemed ridiculous to read. Even saying the word sounded foreign to his ears as he asked Google to search for one species specifically, one that was not supposed to exist, only a product of centuries of retellings and then the modern media that twisted the picture. 

She wasn’t supposed to exist. 

“In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighborhoods they inhabited while they were alive.”

Deaths in the neighborhood. The suspected drug overdoses left the victims bloodless and caused some to go crazy. The injection sites were not often on the neck but on other body parts as well. All of that happened under his nose in Hell’s Kitchen, his home, his turf, his neighborhood. 

“They wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or dark countenance, markedly different from today’s gaunt, pale vampire which dates from the 19th century.”

He couldn’t see her but he doubted she looked like that and still appealed to the eyes of human men. At the gala, the men present had practically devoured her, but she had only had eyes for him. In a room full of eligible bachelors and people looking for a quick fuck, she had chosen him. He wasn’t supposed to feel so warm when thinking about her. Her hands were on his body, her distinctive scent, and the lack of a heartbeat. He wasn’t supposed to be aroused by thinking about where her hands had wandered before and the promise of doing it again. And he wasn’t supposed to want her after what she did to the fisherman only the night before. 

“Vampires are typically said to be of pale skin and range in appearance from grotesque to preternaturally beautiful, depending on the tale. Another frequently cited physical characteristic is the inability to cast a reflection or shadow, which often translates into an inability to be photographed or recorded on film.”

Preternaturally beautiful. It was as if there was no other word that could have explained her better. She was beautiful, a temptress, the snake in the garden of Eden that drove Eve to her certain demise, and Matt wasn’t sure who he was in this scenario - was he Eve or was he God? Was he going to bite the apple or was he going to serve justice for the cruel acts of the devil? Or perhaps he was a secret third option. Maybe he was the Devil standing behind the snake that was Lilith and they would both fall to their demise. He was no saint, he was merely one of God’s disciples, and he had sinned enough for a lifetime. 

“A bloodsucking creature that rises from its burial place at night, sometimes in the form of a bat, to drink the blood of humans. By daybreak, it must return to its grave or a coffin filled with its native earth.”

He brought his research to work that morning, determined to figure out what he was dealing with. With his headphones in it seemed as if he were working on the legal files Foggy left on his desk, while in reality, he scouted the internet for information on a topic that first suggested to him the Twilight Saga on Netflix.

“Tales of vampires are part of the world’s folklore, most notably in Hungary and the Balkan Peninsula. The disinterment in Serbia in 1725 and 1732 of several fluid-filled corpses that villagers claimed were behind a plague of vampirism led to widespread interest and imaginative treatment of vampirism throughout western Europe.”

“Who are you?” he wondered. “What are you? Where did you come from? Where can I find you?”

“A person may become a vampire in a variety of ways, the most common of which is to be bitten by a vampire. Other methods include sorcery, committing suicide, contagion, or having a cat jump over a person’s corpse. Some people believed that babies born with teeth or on Christmas or between Christmas and Epiphany were predisposed to becoming vampires. While vampires usually do not die of disease or other normal human afflictions, and they are indeed often said to have faster-than-normal healing capabilities, there are various methods for their destruction. The most popular of those include a wooden stake through the heart, fire, decapitation, and exposure to sunlight. Vampires are often depicted as being repelled by garlic, running water, or Christian implements such as crucifixes and holy water. In some stories, vampires may enter a home only if they have been invited, and in others they may be distracted by the scattering of objects such as seeds or grains that they are compelled to count, thereby enabling potential victims to escape.”

“What are you doing?”

Matt flinched. Out of shock, his hand got caught in the cord that attached his headphones to his laptop. He hurried to press pause before his friend could hear the ridiculous research he was conducting, but it was too late. The automatic voice sounded in the office and he wished the floor would open up and just swallow him whole. 

“These “undead” creatures cast no shadow and are not reflected in mirrors. They can be warded off by crucifixes or wreaths of garlic and can be killed by exposure to the sun or by an oak stake driven through the heart.”

Finally, he managed to press the spacebar to shut off the narration, but Foggy was already laughing by then. 

“Are you researching vampires?” he asked, holding his stomach. “Are you in a vampire cult? Is that why you keep coming to work with bruises on your face? Is it some kinky shit you’re too embarrassed to talk about? Because if so, you’ve got a real issue, dude!”

He slammed his laptop shut before Foggy could steal it from him. “No,” he was quick to answer. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Adjusting his glasses, he pulled one of the files from the stack on his left. If he appeared to be busy, maybe he would leave him alone. 

“C’mon, Matt, don’t be shy. Tell me! If it’s a girl you’re doing this for, maybe I can help. I could help you train your mojo, y’know. Or I could play wingman. If it’s a cult though, I’m out. I don’t like vampire cults. They’re disturbing.”

“It’s nothing,” Matt waved him off. “I was just… doing some research. Doesn’t matter. I’m done.”

Foggy wiggled his eyebrows. “Are you sure? A vampire chick would be crazy, man, but it would be hot. I assume she’s hot. Is she hot?”

“This is not about a girl!”

“You sure? You can tell me. I’m your best friend. Well, I’m your only friend, not counting Karen because you do not want to talk to her about this kinda stuff, trust me-”

He sneered, “Just drop it, Foggy.”

The man raised his arms, turning around to face the door. “Alright, keep your secrets, Bella Swan,” he said. “I won’t judge you. Yet. That might change in five minutes.”

Matt chuckled, although it was fake and a little over the top. “Get out,” he said with as much love as possible. 

Finally, the door fell shut and he could breathe. Not only did he embarrass himself in front of his friend but he almost blew his cover. He had to be smarter about this. If she was what he suspected her to be, he needed to be more cautious. She could cause all kinds of destruction. If she was this willing to hurt an innocent man, she wouldn’t hesitate to wreak havoc on his life, too, if he didn’t do what she wanted. And he didn’t want to lose his friends to a blood-sucking monster that had no right to exist. 

He set his mind on a new mission: find the strange woman and confront her before she could tear his dear Hell’s Kitchen apart. 

Dawn came soon enough and on the other side of town in the small abandoned church that they claimed, her coven started to wake from their sleep. She didn’t have to research her favorite object’s species - she knew humans inside and out. After all, she had been one of them a long time ago. 

When she woke up from her slumber, he was the first thought on her mind. It was getting sickening, this need for him. She yearned to touch him. He occupied every living brain cell constantly, and she couldn’t get his handsome face to fade from her vision. He was always there, every second, every day. Perhaps she was getting sick. Perhaps she had a tumor (that wasn’t possible) and she would pass away. If she had been human, that would have been a rational fear, but she wasn’t and so she had to admit to herself that she was not only infatuated with the stranger, she was obsessed. And perhaps her feelings were a little confused because he was simply different from any other man she had been infatuated with before. He was different from the men she had wanted before. Her mind reacted much differently than it usually did, and so did her body. She had never craved to tell someone the truth to the point they understood fully until he came along, and he screwed up the plans she made for her residency in New York. 

Part of her was screaming to leave. They could start over somewhere. There were several identities left that they could use, but with everything that was going on around them, they were bound to stay, and she was bound to suffer through wanting him until she could finally have him. Though she feared that even then she couldn’t let that peculiar creature go. And she didn’t even know his name. 

Well, that was until Talon came strutting into the main room with a brown folder in hand. She half suspected it to be the record of another victim, but she had prevented that the night before. No, what he was holding was much more precious and she considered giving him the kiss he had been craving for so long. But she wasn’t one to give in. The poor man didn’t deserve to be played with. He was one of them, after all. 

Holding a mug filled with a mixture of coffee and some leftover B-negative blood, she took the file that was handed to her. “What is this?” she asked. 

“The information on the man from the gala,” said Talon. “I thought you said that-”

“Huh.” She licked her lip, set down her drink, and resumed opening the documents. “I didn’t think you’d find him this fast.”

“The guest list was exclusive. It wasn’t that hard.”

“You’re right, I should have given you a more difficult task. My mistake.” Her tongue dripped with the venom of sarcasm. 

When she flipped the file open, she was met with the face she adored so much. She sucked in a breath of approval, tracing her finger over the man that was Matthew Michael Murdock, Columbia graduate, and attorney at law in his little law firm in Hell’s Kitchen. Partners with Franklin Percy Nelson and working alongside their paralegal Karen Page, who was just as beautiful as the rest of the group. 

“Gotcha!” she murmured with a smirk resting on her red-tinted lips. “Now you only have to find me…”

“Why don’t you visit them?” Talon burst her bubble. 

She looked at Matthew’s ephemeral face, then at the man before her. “They’re humans,” she deadpanned, “They don’t work at night unless they’re healthcare or security personnel. Lawyers qualify as neither.”

“If you want a taste, you could just visit him at home.”

“If I want a- Talon, seriously, did you eat your own brain for breakfast? I require an invitation to enter anyone’s home because I am a vampire. You are a vampire too, which means you cannot enter someone’s home without an invitation either. Do you really think he would let me in after I dug my teeth into an innocent man’s throat and almost tore his neck apart right in front of him?” She cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t fucking think so.”

He pouted. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, just get out of my face,” she said. 

“Yes, boss.”

Without a heartbeat, she was hard to track. He roamed Hell’s Kitchen for a sign of her, but she was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t at the docs or in dark alleyways. She wasn’t hunting in the woods like an animal. He preyed at places he thought she would appear. She never came. 

But this pull kept him connected to her, and so he soon found himself walking to the border of Hell’s Kitchen, far away from the city center. He could smell her miles away. She tainted the air with her scent, drawing a line toward her whereabouts. He followed that line until he reached the huge metal doors of the abandoned church he had only read about once. 

Carefully, Matt pushed his hand against the cold material. The lock gave in. The cold air hit the lower part of his face. The stone radiated little to no heat and the curtains on the colorful windows offered no entrance for sunlight. At night, they were open, and the paintings were as clear as day in the light of the chandelier. During the day, they kept them close. 

Vampires are allergic to sunlight, he remembered reading. It still felt like a fever dream. He couldn’t believe that he would even suspect such a thing. He was delusional, sick even. He wanted to know, but he was also afraid to take the first step into the walls of God’s house. It was no longer holy; the building had been tainted by the demonic possession, children of the Devil. 

He clutched the crucifix around his neck tightly, and then he dared to enter.

She stood at the altar, having smelled him long before. A chuckle passed her lips and she turned around, her eyes sparkling like those of a viper, and her voice sounded like the song of a thousand sirens trying to draw him under their spell. 

It was working. 

“This isn’t going to hurt me, you know?” she said. 

Matt licked over his lips. “Oh yeah?”

He stopped clutching the golden cross dangling from around his neck, building the perfect contrast to the crimson of his leather-clad suit. The irony of the Devil’s horns paired with the religious piece of jewelry went straight past him, but never past the woman standing right before him on the steps of the small, abandoned chapel in the heart of New York City.

“Aren’t vampires supposed to burn at the sight of a crucifix?” He realized that burn might have been too strong of a word. “…or something equally as dramatic?” he added, the hint of a dark smirk gone lost in his voice.

She chuckled. The sound bounced off the high walls decorated with poison ivy and cobwebs, and the cracks in the stone were proof of the significant age of the catholic landmark. “That’s what humans like to believe,” she said. “In your pretty little heads, it goes something like this: If the sight of Jesus on a cross can make the undead shake in their boots, God must surely be stronger than the evil lurking in the dark. I would know, I used to be like you once. A long time ago. But no, that’s actually a common misconception. The only emotion this crucifix elicits in me is pure, unbridled rage.”

“And you think I’d believe that?”

“I would say take a look in the mirror, but,” she clicked her tongue, “I don’t think you are going to see anything. Not because the mirror would be empty but because you can’t see. That’s important to clarify.”

He chuckled. “Okay, I get it. You also have a reflection. You know, you could tell me anything you want, but that still doesn’t make me believe you.”

“You don’t have a choice though.”

“Oh, I do. I always have a choice,” he said and his conviction was adorable. 

“What, you want to throw garlic at me next?” The silence told her that he played with the thought. “Sweetie,” she cooed condescension in its rawest form, “That’s not even going to leave a rash. Don’t like the smell or the taste, but then again, I do not require sustenance, so nobody cares that I don’t like garlic on my food.”

“So, no fear of crucifixes, no allergy to garlic and you have a reflection. Is anything they teach us about vampires real?”

“Fair question, but no. No matter how badly you want those myths to be a reality, they’re just myths. Stories. Retellings. Children of the human imagination.”

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”

“Classic literature without meaning,” she said. “But it’s a good book, nonetheless.” He could hear the smile in her voice, which was about the only thing about her that was audible to his ears.

There was something terrifying about acknowledging the existence of vampires. They were dead, abominations, creations of Satan – vampires were unnatural, born from the deepest, darkest pits of hell. It was everything that he gathered after hours of research, and somehow it still wasn’t enough because she simply didn’t fit the picture he had drawn up in his mind of what a vampire would be like. 

Her lack of bodily functions made it almost impossible for him to anticipate her behavior and it had him right on the precipice bothering on insanity.

“How did you know?” he questioned next. 

She frowned. “That you were the man from the gala?”

Matt nodded. 

“I can smell you,” she stated. “I can smell you and hear your heartbeat, that’s how I knew. And you smell oh-so-sweet. I could never forget that smell.”

He wanted to wipe that smirk off her face. She played with the same weapons he had. Her ears were as good as his and she could smell him the way he smelled her. Terrifying, he thought. She was everything he stood against and yet she was the most alike to him than anyone else.

“You figure out my name too?”

“Yes.”

“That I’m blind?”

“Blinded as a boy, lost his father young, grew up in a catholic orphanage. Graduated top of your high school class, then the top of your college class. You became a lawyer. You fight for justice. But then at night… oh, at night, the devil comes out to play. Daredevil,” she dragged out the word, “The man without fear.”

His tongue poked the inside of his cheek. “You did your research, huh,” he said. “You know everything yet nothing at all about me.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Oh, I did my research too, alright.”

“Well, that was terrible research. Half of what the internet says isn’t true anyway.”

Scoffing, Matt chose to ignore the sheer mockery in her tone. He hated how comfortable she was around him. She had all the advantages and he was naked before her. For a man without fear, he sure was shaking in his boots just thinking about her, but it wasn’t just fear. Matt was excited. His body vibrated with the thrill she sent down his spine and he swallowed the urge to strut up to her and pull her against him, do all the lewd things she had on her mind and that projected onto him. 

But he didn’t. Instead, he asked for her name. She complied, of course, saying her name in the sweet poisonous tone she always used. It was a beautiful name, made for her even. He would never tire of hearing it. 

Eventually, after her name vanished from where it had hung in the atmosphere for him to taste every last sound of it, she spoke again. “You’re very educated, Matthew. I’m impressed. I like that I can talk to you on an intellectual level, although that outfit of yours is a disgrace hiding behind my favorite color,” she said. 

“Why,” he challenged her, “because blood is red?”

“Perhaps, or maybe it’s just because red looks good on almost everyone.”

He scoffed.

“Dear Matthew, I know I’m currently breaking your mind, but fear not! I don’t want to kill or eat you. Not your blood anyway.” 

Her eyes trailed over his body. Needy they were. Aroused, even.

He caught up on it. The longing glance, the lick of her lips, letting the saliva drip from her tongue to her bottom lip. He didn’t need to see to imagine her wild eyes undressing him.

“What do you want?” he asked. The last thing he wanted was for her to get the wrong idea.

But that dangerous woman already had the wrong idea. In her head, it was the right one. An attractive man entering her temporary stay… she would be the last person to say no to that.

“Nothing,” she stated. “I don’t have an ulterior motive. I know you want to have a reason to hate me other than the fact that I stand against everything your little catholic heart stands for, but I can’t offer you that.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Myths, novels, folklore, and everything else that even remotely borders on fantasy is something that feeds your human brain with things you understand. You want to believe what you know to be true to justify my untimely death if you were to drive a stake through my heart or something equally as dramatic. That way, you wouldn’t have to feel guilty for murdering me, but since you can probably tell that there is a faint heartbeat in my chest, it’d still be murder.”

“Untimely? I doubt that a vampire’s death could ever be untimely.”

“Three and a half centuries is pretty early for my species. Equals about the age of twenty in human years.”

“I don’t understand,” he expressed, desperate and he looked so small then, standing below her.

“My advice,” she said, taking a step down from her pedestal, “delete everything you think you know about vampires from lore or mythology and start making up your own mind.“

“Why?”

“Ask yourself this instead, why not? Why believe anything you can’t prove to be either false or true just because you have a gut feeling, or your worldviews are different? Isn’t that called prejudice?”

“Prejudice?” he said. 

“Yes. I know big words too, Matthew. I mean, I am very old.” Her smirk told him she took this anything but seriously. “Well, you are Catholic,” she said. “Catholics thrive off of prejudice.”

Matt shook his head. “You have no right to judge me.”

“I’m not judging you. I’m simply telling you to open up your mind to the possibility that there might actually be a power that’s even stronger than God. Just the possibility. Consider that. Rethink the world, rethink your religion, even. Rethink everything and reconsider what’s important. Once you’ve done that, come back and have tea with me. If we’re still not on the same page then, you may drive that stake through my heart after all. I know you want to. God knows you want to. The only person who doesn’t know,” she said, tilting her head to the side as if she was talking cutely to a child, “is you, Matthew.”

“Deal,” he spoke before his brain even got the chance to think about it. “But don’t think for a moment that you’re in control of me. I can make my own decisions, and if I end up deciding to get rid of you, that’s my choice too.”

The vampire shrugged. “That’s fine by me. I do not fear death in the way you humans do.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” he chuckled breathlessly, “When I’m done with you, you’re gonna wish I’d been so merciful as to kill you.”

“Feisty, I like it.” A smirk danced on her lips in a heated rendition of salsa. “I look forward to talking to you again, Matthew.”

Her heels sounded faintly against the stone floor as she disappeared into the darkness of the abandoned church walls.

“You’re going to sleep in your coffin now?” he couldn’t help but toss after her.

The sweet sound of her usually so dooming laugh filled his ears. “Bed, actually,” she said, not even raising her voice from wherever she stood to stop and listen to him. “Coffins are so eighty-seven.”

Matt shook his head. He had always feared the creatures of the night, like the sisters at the orphanage told him to, and the priests at church always taught God’s disciples to be weary of Satan because Lucifer hides behind the most beautiful faces. The snake lurks in the dark and every person, male or female, represents Eve in the Garden of Eden, submissive to the silver tongue of the devil. That’s why you have to be on the lookout, they told them. He’s in people you don’t expect, and the creatures of the night wait for you to let them in so they can corrupt you.

Somehow though, this one was different. She was much different from what he expected and somehow, that intrigued him more than it scared him. She could have killed him but she didn’t. She could have eaten him but she didn’t. She had the opportunity, yet she chose not to.

He left the church instead of following his instincts to trap her and lock her away. He left and he decided to rethink everything as she told him to.

What could possibly go wrong?

[papirouge]

Ah yes, because we all know that Russia bombed the equivalent of 2 H bomb onto Ukraine in the span of a few weeks, precisely like Israel did. No mention of the (illegal) use of white phosphorus, which is known to have terrible effect on the environment. That's totally a normal "war" stuff that happened before and that we should just gloss over like we did before :) .....NOT.

The "exceptional" treatment for Israel is simply on par with the exceptionalism of this war. Pulling out a whataboutism about other countries, or the Russia-Ukraine war is stupid considering that either Ukraine or Russia has yet to showcase the same casualties as Palestine does.

"how many country has YOUR country set off" that precisely because people acknowledge that their country has a hand in this conflict (sugaring Israel with their taxpayer money and weapons) that they're doing the most against it, genius🙄 And you know what happened when Westerners said that this conflict is actually also our business because that's our money that goes wasted onto it? we've been told that we're just clueless goyim and that we are forbidden to have an opinion on it lmao Because Israel spilling goyim blood to have their fanatic millennialist Gret Israel way is totally not goyim business...ofc So what's the truth? should we stay in our lane or not? how? we've been boycotting but even that has been a problem for Zionists too somehow (we'll get back to it later on this post). At this point whatever we do or say will never please you because you're just mad we stopped drinking the Kool-Aid.

btw, it's funny to see yall suddenly whine about the delusional left saying that the hostages are "crisis actor" when the ones who've been consistently saying that the victims in Gaza weren't real and made up an entire HASHTAG #paliwood to mock them(!!) were Zionists.... interestingly no Zionist complained about people making a "trend" off tragedies, like they do against pro Palestinians...what a load of hypocrites lel Actually Zionists were the one insinuating that the hostages were actors for displaying signs of sympathy for their captor and not being enough mad at them lmao ....Something-something...every accusation is a confession LOL I'm not saying that there's no delusional conspirators in the left/anti Zionist side though, only that acting like the left had some sort of monopoly in denying basic reality to fit their narrative is straight up dishonest. Never forget that the ones who came up with the "crisis factor" talking point were CONSERVATIVES, to act like mass shooting were psy-op and that no kid died in Sandy Hook to remove from their side any responsibility regarding their loose gun control policies. The same right whose antisemites constantly fly under your radar, and that you lazily label as "leftist" just because they're against Israel....

Behold, LEFTIST anti Zionist MEME 🤡

Interesting how I never see you guys seethe about the actual antisemitism of this flock of guys🧐 it's like, the left had to bear the whole responsibility of the rise of antisemitism on its shoulders.....why?

"focus on their own shit" You mean, those civilians precisely did by doing what they could do at their own level such as boycotting, something that Zionist lobby also tried to make it illegal(??). Zionists made fun of protesters protesting IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY against their own government, saying how useless they are and hop they're more of an inconvenience than a "real" protest. Like sis, if you want people to "focus on their own shit", keep that same energy for Israel and tell them to stop trying to interfere onto foreign country politics (trying to make the ban of Israeli products illegal) & assaulting them! So yeah, don't be surprised that people start to get scared of Zionism. Which btw already did a handful of victims already...even in the West :

"Zionism will kill us all". If you can use Islamism like a boogeyman to say it will "kill us all" (in the West), don't be surprised we pull out the same energy for Zionism who also kills ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"harass and threaten people in other countries" lmao you mean like those two Israel agent did by assaulting US citizens on their own soil? 🤡

the same US citizens who hound their own officials to stop funding this war, and you know who's still making fun of them?? ....Zionists (look at the comments)

but yeaaaaah anti Zionists are totally not doing shit and are just lazily harassing people online. Tell me you have no idea what you're talking about without telling me you have no idea what you're talking about.

TL;DR : you guys never beat the every accusation is a confession allegations

[avhies20]

Since the year is ending, I'd like to talk about my top 5 favorite shows of this year. There's a lot of really good show releases this year, but these are the ones that I personally loved. [Alt text are available in the images]

5. Interview with the Vampire

This is such a good adaptation. The writing, production, and casting is phenomenal. Also, I'd like to say props to them for acknowledging the issues Louis would have experienced during that time period. It brought so much depth to the character. I also love how Claudia came into the picture. That was a change that I personally loved more than the book version. The performance of Bailey Bass as Claudia made it even better. I think her episode was my favorite. It really showed how disturbing and tragic her situation was. I'd also like to appreciate Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson's electrifying chemistry together. Both of them made Louis and Lestat's story more interesting for me.

Lastly, I am beyond happy that they made this show so gay. Like they fully embraced it, without shame. I love this show for it.

4.1899

As a long time Dark fan, I was so excited for this show. Although I admit, I wanted more from it. Still I enjoyed watching this season and I truly believe that things would get even better once we get to the next season (if there is one 👀).

What I loved the most from this is the fact that the characters are speaking in different languages and are from different countries. Like they really spoke their native languages instead of making them just speak in english with foreign accents. Because of that we got to see the characters navigate their way through the language barriers and build meaningful connections.

Now I'd like to talk about what distracted me the most... Eyk and Maura's chemistry. There's just something about them that I really really dig (Angst? Longing? Them being so touchy together? All of the above?). Although, I'd like to say I still like Daniel. I feel like the whole story behind him would be heart breaking.

3.The Sandman

This was my most anticipated show for August, it was like an early birthday present for me. I truly enjoyed this show, especially Tom Sturridge's performance as poor little meow meow, baby girl, blorbo Morpheous. The way he made his eyes teary-eyed all the time is such a perfect acting choice. Kirby Howell-Baptiste also delivered as the lovely Death. She really made the character as loving and caring as possible. Watching her sibling dynamic with Sturridge as Dream is all I've ever wished for. Mason Alexander Park of course brought Desire truly come to life in this adaptation. I hope we get to see more of their performance next season.

My favorite episode would probably be episode 4 to 6. Those three episodes are a package deal considering the themes that they handled. Also, I'd like to acknowledge the wonderful surprise episode 11. I am totally in love with how they gracefully and respectfully they handled Calliope's story. They gave her agency and respected her as an actual character. I also loved the short interactions she had with Morpheus, especially the "you came" ...."you called" scene, that was so jdkfjeifjbcisibsjsjk ( I can't describe what I felt but I was a mess when that scene came up).

2.Severance

Wow, this show was a last minute watch for me and it was so good it made my top 5. This show had such a good mix of mystery, sci-fi, tension, drama, and a little bit of comedy. I also did not expect to love the characters of this show. Each of the characters had something equally interesting going on, it wasn't just the protagonist who had something to do. Honestly, I'm surprised with how well they fleshed out the characters, even though they're still in season 1.

What really cemented this show in my top 5 is its finale. My gosh, it was so thrilling and suspenseful. I also think that this show's finale is an example of a cliff hanger done right. They answered some questions, left out some unanswered ones, and ended the finale with a bang (not an action packed scene, but enough to make you stand up the couch and scream "NO! that's it!?).

I think this show has a potential to be one of the best sci-fi tv series of all time if they do it right until the end.

1.Andor

This year I thought my top favorite show would be The Sandman, but Andor came in and landed right at the top. I'm not even a Star Wars fan, just a casual viewer, but this show was excellent in a lot of ways. This show at its core, is a well-done spy thriller set in space. It's got 12 episodes with 4 different arcs that truly delivered. This show also managed to tackle social and political issues of today, with such care.

This show also had incredible production, writing, direction, set design, vfx, editing , and the soundtrack is *chef's kiss*. It is such a high quality show. I hope they get a lot of praise and awards because this show really deserves it. Also, this show is so quotable. I can't even pick a favorite because they're just so many.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about Cassian's development here because the finale came full circle. Episode 1 Cassian and Episode 12 Cassian had such a stark difference. I cannot wait where his arc is going in the next season. I hope we get to see something about his sister, because I want something happy for him at least.

[clatterbane]

Final major quest item obtained this morning: Swedish bank accounts in my name! (Now that I am equipped with the national ID card and everything.)

Like when I moved to the UK, I ended up with a joint account with Mr. C and AFAICT a second sole account. He actually did most of the talking (in Swedish), which was just as well since I also couldn't hear jack shit over the background noise.

Since my unemployed foreign disabled ass is piggybacking off his existing relationship with the bank, it is set up with a limited debit card for at least a while until they have established that money is indeed going into the account regularly. I'll have to double check the restrictions, but it'll be great to have any usable local cards at all.

I was half-afraid going in that they were just going to nope out of giving me any account whatsoever, but that turned out not to be an issue. It was more an appointment to finish up paperwork and get things set up.

I've basically been avoiding using the British accounts as far as possible, even before the pound tanked so hard recently. The extra fees are bad enough, and it's apparently a rather expensive PITA to try to keep those topped up now just for extra fun. Being able to do basic dailystuff like order groceries on my own again will be super welcome.

I can't do much with the new account(s) until I do get and activate the actual debit card, which should apparently be going out sometime this week. But, it's a huge relief to eventually get set up with a bank on this end at all.

Plus, there's this! 🥳

BankID is finally enabled, and duly activated/logged in on my phone by the SEB person with her magic QR code!

(Yeah, the app wouldn't let me even screenshot the main screen utterly devoid of sensitive info, because security.)

Which, in turn, finally unlocked one more sadly important bonus item!

Yep, I finally have access to the health system portal! 😎

You need a 1177 account (which of course relied on BankID for verification 🙄) in order to interact with medical services online, like, at all.

Which means I shouldn't have to rely on Mr. C nearly as much to generally run interference and make a bunch of phone calls to handle things that the vast majority of people just take care of online, to the point that they're always surprised when that's not an option.

I can now actually see my prescriptions (plus how many refills are left, which is oddly not printed on the labels!), and put in requests. Test results should be accessible too, besides being able to book my own appointments and various other online requests and communication with doctors' offices. It should now also be set up to notify me of appointments through both SMS and e-mail, because I'm semi-paranoid.

So yeah, I'm relieved that it did turn out to be such a productive morning. I'm currently too brain fried to try and accomplish any more adulting right now. Current plan: grab some lunch and try to chill for a while! 😮‍💨

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Second Review of FACE

This one is more positive?

Face-off is my least favorite track. Jimin's singing reminds me of the way recent YG idols sing. The beginning actually reminds me of Love Scenario. The songs sounds very generic to me and I can't hear Jimin in it. Even the way he sings is different but in a bad way. The chorus is better than the verses but I still don't enjoy the song that much. It's not bad, but it's not great. Also, the opening instrumental is cool, but going from that to Jimin cursing and talking about drinking felt more pretentious, less clever. 7/10

The Interlude is so unnecessary. I hate the sounds of Jimin breathing, drinking, the glasses clinking, the alcohol behind poured. It's like bad ASMR. 5/10

Like Crazy would be a lot better without the actors' voices at the beginning and end. Again, hearing them whisper in my ear is like unwelcome ASMR. I can't get into the song. It's very catchy for sure, since I keep hearing it in my head, but it's not catchy in the sense that it makes me want to listen to it. I don't like the sad yet euphoric vibe. The song needed something extra, something more fun. 7.5/10

Alone is the most vocally interesting song maybe, but I'm not sold on the chorus. The verses are okay, but I don't like the choir (?) in the bg? And it's too short and doesn't go anywhere. The production, in true Hybe fashion, makes the song sound more soulless. It reminded me of the production in LSF's songs. 7.7/10

SMF is by far the best track on the album, excluding Letter. It's hype, somewhat original, catchy, and the choreo is catchy too which helps the song be catchier. It's the only song I listen to randomly. 8.5/10

Letter is super sweet and Jimin-like. It's my favorite song after SMF and Jungkook's vocals are a gift. 8/10

I said this before, but the album lacks an identity. Jimin sounds like he's trying to be edgy, and, yes, I know that sounds pretentious, but I don't know how else to express that. Cursing is great, but there are plenty of ways to express anger and negative emotions that don't evolve cursing. At least curse creatively. I don't know who Jimin, the soloist, it. This album has confused me. I thought I knew the kind of image and sound he wanted, but I don't. The album surprised me yet it didn't clear things up. It didn't actually tell me anything about the kind of sound and image he wants to have now. You have someone who chose to promote like a regular idol releasing music that is really generic idol music that is, nonetheless, packaged as deeply personal (and it is to him but I don't see it) and transcending the kpop sphere. I don't even know how to describe it but I need more albums to figure out what he truly wants to do musically (if he even knows). I guess it's natural that chapter 2 is showing BTS in a new light and sometimes the members feel foreign to us because they're sharing different parts of themselves and we're seeing them in a different context.

Overall, 7.5/10? Not the most solid debut. I think I would've enjoyed this album more if it wasn't his first one. Sorry for the inadequate review.

[floatyhands]

So, instead of being productive, I decided to check out the first issue of the 1980s wuxia manhua series Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword by Hong Kong comic artist Ma Wing-Xing. It's nominally set in early 20th century China and the USA, and follows the exploits of Hua Yingxiong/Hero Hua (yes his name, 華英雄, literally means Chinese Hero), a martial artist dude and blacksmith's son who possesses the heirloom Blood Sword/Crimson Sword (赤劍), called so because it gleams a dazzling crimson red once it tastes blood.

This opening issue involves him avenging his (very badass in their own right) parents by fighting and slaughtering the greedy tycoon and the (perhaps a bit cartoonishly racist) western imperialist who killed them, then becoming a wanted man and fleeing to the US, meeting cool villains and really cool allies along the way. Oh, and fighting sharks and meeting a guardian water god.

(That other guy is NOT the water god)

That being said, I'm not sure I'd... recommend this to anyone. Not until I understand it better anyway. The aggressive Chinese patriotism might have had its place back in the 1980s, but its treatment of the topic of racism is pretty questionable. I know it's basically a given at this point that any Chinese martial arts story which features foreigners will inevitably result in an arrogant foreigner underestimating the hero (usually for being Chinese) getting the lights kicked out of him by said hero, proving that Chinese martial arts is thus superior after all, but the emphasis on avenging national pride, means we get a black antagonist (長人, "Tall/Long Guy") behaving exactly like the pure evil white ones and assuming he's physically and culturally superior... Except he's also extra threatening because he's Really Tall and Long-Limbed. At least he actually fights honorably, unlike some of the white villains? There's some outdated racial language as well. Then again, with a title where the hero is literally named Chinese Hero, I'm not quite surprised, so if you do read, do so with caution.

[the-firebird69]

This place is a concentration camp and think about it it's run by this idiot and it's done before and screwed tons of stuff out by doing it and exposed us to everybody I've been Arnold's wrong, and on a few points but he's not as long as Tommy f it's really wrong though and I don't think he's right about what he's saying and our friend says he's stupid okay he doesn't know the math and Ben Arnold doesn't know cuz you didn't have to learn it and he was right but who cares he's still doing it wrong and really it's basic basically human nature that they don't understand it's so weird sick as a cat or something it's like no no we humans looking it like this.. I'm actually laughing a little cuz there's a lot of people with this wacko s*** he comes up and says not really and you're freaking nuts and they don't get it some get it later and kill themselves and it's just a nightmare here this is so dumb I don't think any of us are going to make it I'm going to crap ass bastards really quick... I don't know what this guy the guy's problem is yeah I do been Arnold has been this way for a long time he ain't changing I ain't getting stopped by extortion and it's cheesy and cheap I've been helping doing things to make it look different and his kids are picking it up this is the most and really we're not going to be strong enough to do the job and he's right and I don't think the foreigners can and this guy's dead he's almost gone I don't know what to tell if people they probably have to run this experiment on Ben Arnold and unfortunately our son is saying he probably picked up on you guys saying it and they looked at it and said we said it here Daddy this is us saying we're going to run it because we can't tell I'm going to see which way you go and why so he started doing it a little and I can tell that he's just old contraire guy about everything and it's not really helping them and anyone can sit there and say that stuff like John remillard and ruin everything I went out of this these people need to make products and nobody wants him to make anything and Ben Arnold wants to get more isolated this is giving me the creeps

Mac

There's a lot of loss today and the morlock last a lot and the max lost a lot they went down there and was surprised it's like what are you surprised about it you can't get Intel what are you a kitchen appliance what are you going to do without people with a kitchen appliances you're not the ones with the ships and you're delusional you said that to Ben Arnold and it turns around and says I'm going to get you said you're fired everything you do is backwards your kids can try and survive but you're not trying and you're done you're more evil than he'll ever be the sack of crap. What's your horseshoe now we're going to go after this guy we heard his s*** today with our son and he's a mean piece of s*** and he just wants to use low-level extortion he has no savvy no plan he's not worth talking to and he's running our son around and our son says he's going to be one of the biggest because Tommy F got me money and he's the worst and finally identified him there's some others doing it some foreigners who feel that they would never chance like Garth and he's out in his crew their s*** but you can get him to do the job this has been Arnold guy won't do anything and his kids hate him we hate him. They might follow him are there other clans because these guys f****** suck the guy that helped him with the saddlebags it's going to try to help for a long time and suddenly turned into a massive a****** the other day but he hasn't been for ages and it's not true they have it too really but other clans don't not as bad but really these guys don't want to get them anything he got him something that can't get anything else and nobody in his helping him who is the clan of his but t and we noticed that Tommy f is going down and they're seeking out his matrix and people are finding them and they hate him and they're going to burn him permanently out of the like 4 million small matrix facilities which are like a billion square feet or smaller half of them have been discovered out of the medium ones which are around 3 billion square feet and there's about 1 million of them 1/3 has been discovered all over the planet pretty much everyone knows and the large ones there's probably 200,000 no there's 3,000 about 1/8 of them and discovered and the word is out they're huge ones and out of the very huge there's one it hasn't been breached but it's talked about and it's in Australia and there's probably about 20 of those now people are going after these and very hard and they're going after him and pulling their people out and they're killing off all the clones they found out it's an engine and the Mac idiot then Arnold is real slow to react and he's going to be behind the eight ball and not have stuff my daddy's mad and livid and says we're going after those things to 3 hours and to free hours and we'll have more people and stuff that they have and these idiots can't even get it out there so slow and dumb and it's true too so we have some game now and the ships are still prepping to launch they've almost got them already it's going to be a few days or less and boy is this aggravating are these people are toddlers and you can't treat us this way we're going to prove it I didn't tell you that we have to take over these ships before they launch I'm going to send in the order he said they're too big and everyone is they'll never know it

Thor Freya

Olympus

Wow this is great I've got a lot going on in my life and I do see my husband saving me I saw him do it today and they had it ready and they knew about it but it's right on it and I do understand it

Hera

Zues

We're closing in on Ben Arnold and his and we're going to start beating them up we're going to take them to court and boy they're the worst these people are obnoxious and other clans will support us

Olympus

[theorist-influencer-untitled]

8.18.23 Friday

12:21 am

Just got back from Montana again... After work, I saw a stray dog outside the building... I feel sad and I pity the dog coz he is just wandering without an owner to take care of him....

Yesterday was a new day and today is an another new start... I need to focus but I still feel panic... Here we go again but now I have to stay in the call center, for a long while... Yeah! I need money but I will feel bad and mad if I can't do this job... I had have "brain freeze" coz I'm fucking tired and thinking of my side by side or left and right credits.....

Well, good thing that Uncle Jun sponsored a meal and Uncle DD managed some important fundings here in the house....

Me? I need to pay my credits... I badly need to keep this job angels...

Still, sorry wave 468 of Iqor...

Procrastinating... It is...

Mystery there...Mystery here.... I know it is "Procrastinating" and everything here...

Me and Mia we talked about me? If I want to have a baby? I said why not if the right one comes but I want it on a well-planned... But I told Mia that I was once married and with that xpartner for almost 3 years... I said I wasn't ready to get pregnant and he must respect that... I have my own values and I was never a judgemental...

My original upbringing was conservative but my adoptive mother who raised me here, in this old house my Aunt Teresa ( the younger sister of my biological mother Beth ) told me it was an ideal thing to walk in the aisle before getting pregnant and before having sex... That was the ideal thing but there were some point of our lives that she told me that if you wanna have sex with someone, you must tell us ( my family)...

Then, I had bf's and I planned not get pregnant... Coz I'm not ready and financially we were not ready...

Mature couple can decide,like what I posted on my previous post here... Getting pregnant,having baby is an additional to your relationship but it is not the measurement of being together, not the measurement of your connection as couple.

I told Mia, I don't wanna put a period on that issue now but I feel that I'm not ready coz I really feel fat and ugly and old. I feel so conscious on my feet, I feel awkward showing my blemish butt... I wanted to flatten my tummy....Things that I need to fulfill... I don't know...

I wanna fulfill something....I told her I wanted supposed to be to have an american beauty baby but I wasn't lucky to meet anyone or a foreigner who is really an English speaking and I don't know... On the other angle, I wanted to gain friends, I wanted to join dog show, I wanted to be productive as individual... But I wanted more in life but this is my life now....

I wanna chill for now and this job in the call center this is a big challenge for me... I have to do this or I will feel bad and mad and will feel hurt that why other people can do it and why I can't....It is a major and serious challenge for me to do this job... I need help angels... I need help,oh! GOD... I need help to do this job in spite of the stress that it can give you everyday...

11:02 am

Still,having the windblow trap...

What else to share... It is a new day today...Thank God!!! In a lil while will be bound off to Montana..

Our Friday attire today is "going back to school". I'm thinking what to wear.... Surprise!

It is really funny to be in the call center, once the approved account made by some powerful people, the world inside is really funny or fun coz it is like a make-believe... But me? I was really a middle-class but our life these days is really on a downhill... It is just funny...

One thing you will notice that your account is approved by the upper original management of call center, they will really made the ac on its full power that you can actually feel the chill coz it is too cold and you will probably think that snow can fall down there in iqor...

Congratulations!!!! Wave 468 you are confirmed! BUT! Procrastinating it is...

[giurochedadomani]

THAT’S HOVIK KEUCHKERIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kanjukucompany]

【A3! Translation】 Sumeragi Tenma SR: Complete Satisfaction (1/2)

PART 1 / PART 2

i don't want to talk about how many times i had to pull for this backstage

(translation under the cut)

Igawa's Manners Course

Staff: Cut! Oh, that was great!

Staff: Let's take a break!

Hiro: You've gotten better at responding to my adlibs.

Tenma: It's because you took them in a direction that made it easy for me to respond to. It was pretty fun.

Hiro: That just means you're able to play along with my antics, Tenma. I actually thought I was being a kind of unreasonable.

Tenma: I knew you were doing it more than usual... So that's why.

Tenma: Well, now we've gotten more opportunities to work together, I think I might have a better grasp of Hiro-san's tempo than before.

Hiro: You're quick-witted, alright.

Tenma: Thanks... Speaking of wit, there's this thing I wanted to discuss with you.

Hiro: What is it?

Tenma: Recently, I accepted the role of an elevator boy for a department store. We're going to be unveiling some new White Day cosmetics, but...

Tenma: Even though there's going to be some prior practical training, I'm having trouble imagining elevator boys in the first place.

Hiro: Wouldn't it just be the same as an elevator girl?

Tenma: I'm not that familiar with elevator girls either.

Hiro: ....Seriously. I'm starting to feel a very sobering generation gap...

Tenma: I've only ever seen elevator boys in hotels, and I never really gave them much thought until now.

Hiro: I definitely used to see them in department stores, but they must not be as common nowadays.

Tenma: I don't remember much about them. I'm sure it was glamorous, though.

Hiro: ...Hang on, have you never been to a department store? No, I wouldn't be surprised if you had some type of foreign businessman...

(hiro's imagination)

Foreign Sales Manager: Sumeragi-sama, I've been expecting you. These are the new products.

Tenma: Thank you. ...Heh, these are nice. I'll take all of them.

Foreign Sales Manager: Understood. I'll prepare them for you.

Tenma: Yes, please do.

Hiro: ...You seem like you'd have something like that.

Tenma: What are you imagining! I usually just go to department stores to shop!

Tenma: Jeez...

Tenma: Anyway, I'm guessing the job is just to put people in an elevator and guide them around. Is that right?

Hiro: Asking an actual employee would probably be best... But I'm sure there's also a customer service aspect to it too, not just guiding them around.

Tenma: I see. The request also has us promoting the items too, so it's not exactly the same.

Hiro: Manners are particularly important there. Why don't you ask your manager? He's pretty experienced in that department.

Hiro: The job's different, but both require a lot of consideration and care. Managers are like a culmination of that.

Tenma: Got it.... I'll ask Igawa about manners.

Tenma: Thank you for the advice.

Hiro: Tenma as an elevator boy, I'd like to see that. Well, good luck.

Tenma: Yeah.

Igawa: Thank you for your hard work today, Tenma-kun! Everyone on site was raving about you!

Igawa: Now, I'd like to take a moment to explain your schedule for the coming months.

Igawa: Your next film location will be here. As for your co-stars--.

Tenma: (Until now, I've always taken these discussions for granted...)

Tenma: (Confirming all of my future plans in advance via a quick meeting during my free time... This is exactly the type of 'consideration and care' I'm looking for.)

-

Igawa: ...And that's it for your schedule.

Igawa: As we confirmed earlier, you have an upcoming job as an elevator boy--.

Igawa: I'll make sure it doesn't interfere with your next job, so please rest assured.

Tenma: .....

Igawa: ...Tenma-kun?

Tenma: Yeah, sorry. Thank you for the schedule review.

Igawa: Did you have any issues with it?

Tenma: No, it doesn't have anything to do with what we're currently talking about. Well, sort of.

Igawa: What is it?

Tenma: During a film break, I asked Hiro-san about the role of elevator boys.

Tenma: Even though I'm going to get some hands-on practice, he thought I should study the manners required for the job, too.

Tenma: He mentioned that my manager, you, might know a few things about taking care of others.

Tenma: Again, thank you for all the fine work you do.

Igawa: Tenma-kun...!

Igawa: Well then, let's study manners that could be useful in this request together!

Tenma: Let's.

[vannybarber]

The Prenup: Final Chapter

Summary: After four years of being together and finally being engaged, Chris wants you to sign a prenup.

Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings: angst, swearing, chris getting his ass handed to him, a lot of pain.

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four

You lied.

You didn't come back the day after. Or the next day. In fact, you stayed at the hotel for almost a week. You didn't stay in the same clothes of course. You went out to buy everything you needed. Clothes, hygiene products, prenatal vitamins. You were the saddest and most ridiculous thing to walk this earth.

Lisa and Scott eventually came over with your permission of course. You couldn't say no to them. You weren't upset with them.

"How've you been, sweetie?" They both look for your answer, trying to read your face.

"To tell you the truth, I actually feel like an asshole. I honestly realize how immature I was. Chris definitely was, but I was stooping to that level myself. But I won't admit to him just yet. I want him to recognize how immature he was too."

It was crazy to even hear it from your own mouth. But you had time to think it over. You recognized how stupid you looked living in a hotel because you couldn't put your immaturity aside.

"Well this might be a shock to you, but I had a talk with him also and it might've did something." You make eye contact with her and your eyebrows jump. Indeed, you were surprised. She continues.

"I know you guys will be able to resolve this. But you need to try. You've have been together too long to let this get in between you two. I think he finally understands." She sets her hand on yours, which was placed in your lap.

He finally understood? You had to see this for yourself. You hoped to everything that she was right. You actually wanted to fix this and he needed to be on board and feel the same way.

It occurred to you after some time that his points were actually valid. It was just the way he came across is all. You were in your own feelings and took it really personal, which was understandable, but you got stubborn. Even though he got a prenup for his own reasons, you felt as if he didn't love you as much as you love him.

This could all be fixed, but he needed to set some boundaries with Megan. He had no choice. Wait till she finds out about the baby. Evidently none of the other Evans' knew about the baby because it was never brought up. You secretly thank Chris for keeping that between you guys, even though he was most likely still upset that you weren't gonna tell him about the baby right away.

You both are grown ass adults and you're having a child together. This bullshit needed to end.

"Oh my gosh this is great !! All my shit talking did some good." Lisa clears her throat at him. "Along with Ma's great advice of course." You just laugh. You loved your family.

"I think I'm ready to see him. Scratch that. I am ready to see him. I want my fianceé back." You smile and grasp your hands together. You don't think you've ever seen them smile so hard.

"Oh yeah we know you're pregnant." You stop smiling and stare at Scott like you've been caught in the cookie jar. "You know Chris can't keep his big mouth shut." Well that's a Gemini for you.

"Now its really important that you solve this. You're bringing another life into the world!" Lisa exclaims. "Plus I'm gonna have another grandbaby!!"

You giggle and shake your head. "Well we need to head over there right now then!"

Little did you know Chris was on the exact same page as you. Down to every line and every word.

He has always been indecisive and this situation really forced him to take some responsibility and rethink his behavior. You had all the reason to feel the way you did, his intentions clearly being missed by you. Whatever they even were.

He also decided that he was going to set Megan straight about his personal life and respecting you. You were his future wife. And now that you're bringing a baby into the world, she definitely needed to be put in check. He can't even believe how he allowed her to disrespect you like this.

Now he only hoped that you'd want to sort this out and forgive him. He needed you no matter what he said. He did make up excuses because your relationship was too good to be true. He's never had a connection like this before. He never allowed it, but clearly it was for a reason because it give you a chance to come in his life and completely change it for the better.

When he had gotten home from visiting you, his feelings were all over the place. Upset that you didn't come back with him and guilty for making you feel the way you did. He just felt like he was doing the right thing because Megan told him to. Deep down inside, he really didn't even want to get the stupid prenup anyway.

"So where's Y/N? Is she okay?" Shanna asked for everyone. They all expected you to come back too. They didn't know you were this stubborn.

"She's alright. She said she wasn't ready to come back just yet. Which I completely understand. But I feel like a failed once again." He slumps on the couch and lies back. "I don't deserve her at all."

"Now Chris, you know what you have. And what you have is good. Better than anything you had before. You two were made for each other. You're a hard head and I know you're not giving up this easily" Lisa says to him, taking a seat to his right.

"You know she's pregnant." He really shouldn't have said that and he knows it, but he can't keep a secret to save his own life. Everyone in the room gasps. "I found the tests in the bathroom. If I didn't go in there and discover them myself, she wasn't planning on telling me yet."

"Well she probably wanted to fix this before adding more on top of it." Scott adds. And he was absolutely correct.

"Well I'm happy for you! But I you still have this going on." Lisa's voice goes from excited to monotone. She's super happy, but she wished this could have been evented at a much better time.

"Well this could've made things better...or worse." Chris throws his NASA cap on the couch angrily.

Carly speaks up.

"You and Scott should go visit her. I doubt she'll turn it down."

"Yeah Ma. We should see where her heads at. Maybe her mind will change with our advice" Scott agrees. He loves you as a sister. Anything threatening that would have to be put to death immediately.

"Guys, I don't know about that. She seemed pretty definite on how she felt." Chris didn't want to make it worse than what it was, but he always found a way to do that anyway.

"Chris come on" Scott drags out. "We have to try."

"Y/N is a smart girl. She knows what she needs to do and it will come to her. I know it'll work out. And when it does, you'll realize your love is inevitable." Lisa smiles knowing she is absolutely right.

Now she just waits for it all to fall in place.

You were currently outside in the driveway of your house. You drove back there in your car with Lisa and Scott behind you. When you arrived, you hopped in her car to discuss how this was going to go.

Looking at the property, you admit missed your place, but you allowed your infantilism to get in the way.

"Okay he's in there, but he doesn't know you're coming back." Scott speaks lowly from the back seat.

"Wait you didn't tell him?" You snap around mystified. Why did they not tell him?

"Because we wanted it to be a surprise. Well I wanted it to be a surprise." He corrects himself when Lisa throws him a look through the rear view mirror.

"Well um okay. Then this just has to play out itself. Hopefully he's happy to see me..?" You were unsure yourself. The little intimate moment you had before he left couldn't dictate how he'd feel now.

"I'm positive he is, but you won't know unless you get up in there. Go ahead! We'll get your stuff," Lisa encourages. You think she's more excited than anyone. You thank her with a kiss on the cheek and high five Scott then head out of the car. You walk up the driveway to the front door. You didn't get the key out your bag so you rang the doorbell.

A few moments, the door is jerked open. You automatically know he didn't even look through the peephole before he opened the door. He needs to stop doing that.

You appear in his vision and he pauses.

"Y/N? Baby?" Incredulity is all in his voice.

"Yes, that is my name." You giggle. "Can I come in?"

"Uh of course! You live here, ya know." He steps back so you can walk inside. Walking through the threshold, you look around the house as if it was foreign to you. For whatever reason, you expected some dramatic changes. One thing that didn't change is his shoes in the middle of the floor. His bad habit.

"Chris what did I say about your shoes in the walkway?" You scold him and move them to the corner with his others. You can't count how many times you've almost fell face first because of his shoes in the way and truthfully, you not watching where you're going.

"Sorry I forget a lot" he says sheepishly with a tiny smile on his face stopping behind you. This makes your corners turn up as well.

You stand facing him and him facing you. Neither of you say anything. You can't tell if it is because you don't know what to say or that you just really missed each other's faces. Before you do speak, Lisa and Scott are inside with your things.

"Oh guys just put that stuff on the couch. Thank you again!" You point to the sofa, absentmindedly moving closer to Chris.

"We need to talk." Turning back to him, you nod. You remember why you're here in the first place. You needed to put an end to this.

"Right. Patio?" You always go out there to have conversations or just to chill with each other. He nods his head and turns to his family.

"We're gonna go outside and talk for a bit. Okay?"

"Oh yes take all the time you need," Lisa exclaims, shooing you both off. Scott is grinning himself. You just smile and walk to the back door onto the patio. Chris follows quickly behind.

Once you both get outside, you sit down. You wouldn't say it was awkward, but there was definitely some tension. You decide to break it.

"I'm really sorry, Chris."

"Baby I'm so sorry."

Guess he wanted to as well. You were about to talk, but he spoke up first.

"I want to apologize first. I was completely wrong here. I was being an asshole and I deserved everything you said to me. And everything Scott said to me as well." He rolls his eyes at that part. You could only imagine the dragging Scott was giving him. "I allowed Megan to disrespect you and that was a dick move. No one should allow their partner to be treated like that. You're were going to my wife and I stooped that low. I'm truly sorry." He searches in your eyes for something to let him know that you forgave him, knew that he was really sorry at least.

You look away about to let the flood come like Noah and the Arc. You've been waiting to hear that for a while and you knew he meant every word. But now it was your turn. Clearing your throat and wiping your eyes, you speak up.

"This isn't completely your fault, baby." You take his hands in yours. "I am also guilty as well. I acted so immature and didn't even truly try to resolve this because I wanted to victimize myself the whole time. Although you were acting like a huge dick, I still played a part. I am so sorry for not planning on telling you about the baby. That was unfair of me. I know that you love me and that I am important to you, so if you still want me to sign the prenup, I'll do it."

Hearing the words come from your mouth surprised you both. He didn't think you'd ever give in and you sure as hell were making sure you wouldn't. But here you are agreeing to it because you love him that much and wanted to make him happy. Your relationship would work so it would never come to be used. You had strong faith in that.

"That's another thing." He shakes his head and you're now confused. "I don't want you to sign a prenup. We're not doing that. I already plan on talking to Megan about it. And I'm going to address her on knowing her place working for me. Since you know that I love you, so fucking much, I don't need to worry about money. Nor a divorce. Like Ma said, we were made for each other and I'll be damned if I let you get away from me."

"So no prenup?" You needed to hear it again.

"No prenup, love." He grins at you, squeezing your hands. You pull from his grip and jump up busting out random dance moves. His mouth is ajar.

"No prenup! Ain't signing no prenup! Lalalalalaaaaa! No prenup!" After your little dance number, you sit back down with no shame. You needed that.

"I'm glad that you finally came to your senses, Christopher. Your mother taught you well" you say in a pompous manner. He just can't help but laugh. You truly were something else.

"We have a little one coming soon and we have to be out best selves for them. Pinky promise each other that we never ever argue and not fix it in a matter of 25 minutes ever again?" He holds out his pinky finger waiting for yours.

"I promise." You wrap yours around his and grin. "So we're good?"

"Well there is one more thing." He stands up and reaches in his pocket. He pulls out your engagement ring and gets on one knee. Just when you had no tears left to cry.

"Y/N, baby, will you be my fianceé again?" You laugh breathlessly and nod your head.

"Yes, you meatball!" He slips the ring back on your finger and you jump in his arms. Almost knocking him over, he grabs your face and kisses you. You wasted zero time kissing him back because you needed it. It had been so long.

Finally pulling away and balancing your breaths like you just ran a 5k, you both make eye contact and burst out into laughter.

"Come on. Let's go tell them." He grabs your hands and you rush inside the house. Heading into the living room you see them both watching with anticipation.

"So?" Scott speaks and they both stand up.

"Guess who's getting married ?!"

HELP-😌 im so proud of myself. i decided to end this with a nice fluff. it was well deserved. i read you guy's comments and it influenced how i wrote it. some of you mentioned immaturity in y/n and that was really valid. and the point about the prenup making sense.

thank you so much for reading. i am honestly so grateful that you guys liked it. i didn't expect it to blow up like it did. im crying now so bye ✌🏽🤧❤

tags:

@mayafatimakhan @attitude-times @shawn-youth @traceyaudette @kyraroseficreblogs33 @radi0active-thoughts @youthought-iwasa-nicegirl @ohbarracuda @katelyneannxo @jennamarieee623 @craycraycraic @ilikeurdad @captainson-of-coul @joanne-stan @ilovetheeagles @cristinagronk16 @kelbabyblue @onyourgoddamnleft @jessycatth @misz-adrii @geminievans1 @saltyflowermakertaco @a-moment-captured @harrysthiccthighss @dauntless2022 @allboutdatmarvel @ineedpineapple @illyrianprincess @ladycumberbatchofcamelot @thesecretlifeofdaydreamss @marianas-studyblr @obliviatevamps @thevelvetseries @coffeebooksandfandom @shamelessfangirl-3 @quietmyfearswith @kissme-hs @lvgllre @arabescapr @careless-intuition @lady-x-red @donutloverxo @princess-evans-addict

[ravysu]

Sannin headcanons and thoughts

The last thing I would like to post for the sannin week. It is still 24.04 here! :D @sannin-central

This is long. Spoiler alert. Mostly Orochimaru, some Tsunade, a little of Jiraiya (because his story is pretty clear and spoken and idk what I can add). Also I recommend to read this meta about Orochimaru, it has influenced me a lot and has some good points. Sorry for any posible grammar mistakes. Also I really should put here a lot of references to the manga or anime but it was something that was piling up for a year and I'm soooooooo lazy. After all, those are just headcanons. Also: Im not excusing Oro's bad stuff here, Im trying to understand the reasons.

Ive already posted some hcs, here, here and here.

1. First if all, the chronology pic of sannin lifetime based on the info i found on naruto wiki and also some statements about wars from this post. It was tough considering what a mess naruto’s chronology is.

2. Sannin story shows what it cost to be a legend. They're like Team 7 but more realistic. Tsunade literally carried the war but left with nothing and developed a ptsd and have problems to just live on. Also anger control issues. I think she can be pretty bossy and stubborn which is not always nice. Jiraiya is the hero of the day but also very idealistic and can ignore some important details in the real word whether its the fight (he always injured during flashbacks maybe because each time he took too much to handle and on the one hand it's heroistic but on the other is a mistake that can lead your team to situations like in that Iwa cave) or your friends issues (I bet he saw what's going on but thought it's fine until Oro actually got red handed and left). He lives in his world and may have problems to get out to see it through someone else's shoes. As for Orochimaru, it seems like he was a normal guy for 20+ years (I mean, he didn't do crazy criminal shit and had something good in him and it was stated somewhere that it was his teammates influence. It is obvious they considered him as a friend, I don't thinks it was for nothing) but we mostly know his darkest side. Despite being a moster he is a human that have empathy and some ordinary human traits (man just decorates every bit of an environment he is in lol).

3. Tsunade was the leader of team Hiruzen.

4. Tsunade sometimes hit Jiraiya for some stupid things he did or said but never touches Orochimaru even if he did something same. Jiraiya complained about it once and almost got another hit.

5. Jiraiya had problematic parents that didn't care about him much and a lot of time he was wandering in the streets.

6. Judging by the look of Oro bangs and hair, he sometimes cut it off. A stress relief huh? And the fact that he doesn't do it now in Boruto..

7. It was shown that Tsunade and Orochimaru was acknowledged before they become a team. Maybe they did just before, or maybe some longer time before. I prefer the second option and hc that they met because both had no real friends - Orochimaru seemed weird and scary for everyone and Tsunade was Senju so everyone wanted to hang out with her but didn't really care. They weren't seen as what they were - people put the labels on them. But they didn't care about each other's labels and actually saw each other in true lights.

8. Tsunade knew it was an accident and it's not right but still she blamed Orochimaru for Nawaki's death for some time. It was something that seriously damaged their friendship and the team. Orochimaru was mad but also guilty, after all, he was responsible at least as a shinobi since Nawaki was under his watch. So he started to act cold and emotionless and was trying to distance himself from his teammates.

9. Jiraiya was in Ame while Dan died.

10. The whole his orphans mission was a bit irresponsible tbh. They already fought Hanzo and as he stated the conflict between Konoha and Ame is going to an end with Konoha's win. It's weird to stay here for three years in the middle of the war while there were other lands to fight. He left his teammates for some idea. Maybe that caused another crack in their team friendship.

11. If Tsunade would have find a way to live on with her trauma and follow the will of fire and stuff it would affect Orochimaru as well just as her grief affected him. It's like he would get an example that you can live on with this pain. So death isn't above human capability and we are not just the slaves of mortality (sounds stupid but i dont know how else to describe sorry). But as we know what he actually saw is that it broke her crucially to the point she couldnt be herself again. And so the death is above everything.

12. Oro wasn’t just acting as a cold pragmatic bitch in that cave but also tried to save Tsunade. Jiraiya knew it and that’s why he showed this sign to him like "I see what youre doing here" and that stunned Oro because he would prefer to look rather like a cold pragmatic bitch hehe

13. Just a thought. People in the village probably treated Oro as a foreigner or just wouldnt accept him because he looked so differently and had a weird attitude. That's why he sometimes didn't feel that Konoha is his home. After the wars where people were treated as means and tools, even the children, he himself developed this view on people - he dehumanized them and used as the means to his goals, just as his village did. Funny thing some people were straightly dehumanizing him too like Ibiki thought that he was a demon (tho he was a child). And he probably weren't the only one. Anyways the point is that it's logical that Orochimaru don't care about anybody but some few people, he's the product of his era. He's like Naruto that would chose the hatred way. But naruto had some good and understanding people around him and.. Orochimaru had them too, but match how Iruka treated Naruto and this Hiruzen's "I sAw tHe mAliCe in This cHiLd fRoM tHe BegGinNinG". And oro didn't even have a big ass evil fox in him. sry i hate hiruzen

ANYWAYS the moral of the story is not "go criminal if they hurt you" but always treat people like people. Waving my hand to Kant.

14. The reason why Orochimaru didn't pick some good morals to stick with through the hard times no matter what (like, idk, Jiraiya or Naruto) is because 1) I think he is/was pretty depending on people around him 2) the war fucked him and his friends up too much (Nawaki incident + Tsunade) 3) twisted addictions (though I don't think he's that sadistic, we never saw him torturing randoms just for fun, it was always some science experimental shit. He tends to get fun out of cruelty only when it's personal) that maybe developed as a way to sublimate anger and sadness caused by his parents loss (that's what they share with sasuke - unlicke naruto, they knew their parents and it's other kind of pain. Sasuke developed a revenge issue and Orochimaru - cruelty pleasure which... is kinda the same but less epic and more occasional lol).

15. Speaking of that, Orochimaru cared for Sasuke because he saw himself in him.

16. Oro hold grudges against Hiruzen for not choosing him to be Hokage not only because he was ambitious and/or egoistic, but also because Hiruzen was some kind of a father figure for him and his approval was important tho i doubt he was aware of that. He also probably could tell that Hiruzen was suspicios about him when he was a child and that led to many conflicts and was hurting as well.

17. Tsunade knew things weren't pretty with Orochimaru after the wars but she never expected them to be this bad. During the week that she was given in her arc she thought not only about how much she wants to see Nawaki and Dan again despite how wrong would it be but also was trying to bury all the good memories she had left of Orochimaru so it would be easier to kill him.

18. She poisoned Jiraiya exactly because she knew he would not let her do it. Jiraiya was always hesitant to kill and inclined to forgiveness, while Tsunade, as mentioned by Orochimaru, could be merciless (so much so that he was not surprised when Kabuto suggested that she wanted to use Jira for Edo Tensei).

19. That was one of her traits that scared Jiraiya and fascinated Orochimaru.

20. Remember how Oro grabbed Jiraiya's neck when the latter was trying to cover with hair jutsu? On the snake, in Tsnade's arc. Orochimaru could have easily kill Jiraiya by pulling the sword out of the mouth (arteries are right there) but he didn't. As well as he could kill Tsunade when she was still shaking - just aim for the neck or the heart. Instead, he just injured her lung and kicked her which is not a big deal for the kind of shinoby like her at all.. Also he helped Anko not accidentally kill herself but it would be way much profitable to let her do it. "Orochimaru has no feelings".

21. The reason he suddenly wanted to kill Tsunade instead of forcing her to heal his arms as it was planned (which is weird since it will not going to get him heals and he kinda said that he wouldn't want to kill her just minutes ago) is that not only she refused to help him (he thought he could work it out) but she also prefered the village over him (from his point of view). Out if everyone she was the closest to being able to understand him since the village caused her painful losses too but nevertheless she agreed to be on it's side.

22. He wasn't fighting her back in the end partly because he thought he deserved that. Somewhere deep inside hahah.

23. Tsunade got a fear to develop deep bonds so they probably weren't very close with Shizune (also the way she knocked her down in this hotel.. oh).

24. Orochimaru will be here when she'll die.

25. Orochimaru's eng dub to Tsunade: "I often wondered what it would be like to ring that pretty neck yours". No comments.

26. Orochimaru is either bi/pan or ace. Anything or nothing lmao

27. Hiruzen knew about at least some of the Oro’s illegal experiments and was okay just as he was okay with the Foundation all the time. Because it’s useful. Then he has discovered he went too far OR he knew everything and oro just became too inconvenient because of his methods. The way Orochimaru tells Sasuke about reasons they are well treated as the criminals is based on in his experience with Hiruzen.

28. As you may know the lyrics in Orochimaru’s music theme goes “don’t talk with the silence of the heart”. It was taken from one Indian song that also had lines like “don’t question life too much”, ”pain arose somewhere in the chest”, “don’t speak to the wounds of the heart”. Though I’m not sure 100% because I was translating it with some hindi dictionary with like zero knowledge of hindi

29. I like to think that this “silence of the heart” theme and the fact that he called his village a hidden sound village are somehow connected. The hidden sound is the possible explanation of all things waiting to be listened to but the truth is silent and you know it deep in your heart and it bothers you. The world is silent just like the life is meaningless but people can only hear. *Sigh* anyways

30. Orochimaru’s journey is the one about accepting death. When he saw Karin released her chains while was trying to get to Sasuke he understood that the death is a part of human’s strength.

Can’t wait to feel that everything I wrote is wrong or not enough or stupid and obvious lol. Anyways, it’s something that I wanted to share until I move to some other fandom.

[intothehawkseyes]

The Dancer in the Moonlight - Dracule Mihawk x Female OC/Reader (N.S.F.W)

hello, it's been 84 years... but i'm here to update this fanfic uwu

warnings: alcohol

word count: 3k

ao3, spirit (português)

if you are a new reader, you can find the first chapter here and welcome, i hope you enjoy it! to the older readers, i hope you forgive me for the late update and keep interested :( but the next chapter will be coming up sooner than this one and will be nsfw!

but, have a good read, and comments are greatly welcome and sorry for any mistake!!! <3

A legend was heard over the seas and on land about an event that changed the lunar cycle of an entire island. According to what was said, on a night of strong storm, a woman goes into labor at sea, alone, in a small sailing boat. Right after the first baby cry, the waves stop and the moon that lit up behind dense clouds begins to make room for the biggest star. Astonished, the island's inhabitants watch the postpartum woman return safely with the baby in her arms, while trying to understand how someone could survive in a small boat in the middle of a storm at sea, as they have never witnessed such a phenomenon. In addition to the miraculous birth, they also saw the sun entering the moon's front, leaving them even more open-mouthed. The most emotional ones say that the eclipse happened because the baby would be the “Heir of the Moon”, and the Sun was the first guest to visit her at her birth. And even within the legend, from that moment on, the location of the island simply disappeared from all compasses, preventing people from going after the truth, thus putting the child's safety at risk, as it was graced by a strange power coming from the Moon, and could attract a lot of malicious people. However, with the passage of time, the legend fell into the oblivion of adults and became just a story for children.

Even though there is no evidence as to the veracity of the correlation with the legendary island, as it is no more than a fictional story, there is actually an island named Gesshoku¹, which is well known for producing the best wines, and many believe that this one island is the same one present in the story and the speculation comes from the suggestive name that surrounds the natural satellite – so present in the legend – and the fact that it does not appear in any compass.

However, although it seemed complicated to go there, it is not difficult to find pirates who have visited Gesshoku Island, and it is said to be located on the edge of the Grand Line, at a point where the ocean waters are treacherous, making many vessels diverted to the Calm Belt, making the adventure extremely dangerous.

Regardless of what is real or fiction, whether there is any heir to the Moon with strange powers or not, I went to Gesshoku Island just for the wine.

Contrary to all the rumors surrounding arriving on the island at the risk of being thrown to a stationary place and loaded with kings of the seas, my trip was smooth, and I got there without any harm.

The first thing I noticed upon arriving was the hospitality of the locals. Everyone always with smiles on their faces ready to welcome each foreigner who docked their boats and ships in the port. With me it was no different, something that was not always the case as I was usually received by crossed and contemptuous looks. Still, I left my boat moored in a strategic, remote corner, always on the lookout in case something went wrong along the way.

I went there with the script already decided. First I would look for an inn to stay in, and leave my little luggage and soon after I would go to a winery to learn more about wine making and only then would I go out in search of information about the place and its customs. However, the energy of the island, which I hadn't identified right away, meant that plans were all put aside so that fate would define each visitor's itinerary. I was no exception.

The first sign that my itinerary was not going to work was when all the inns and hotels were full, I only got a place very far from the central area, which made me frustrated, but the room was clean, spacious and quiet, so I stayed right there. The second sign was that the wineries were closed due to a pest that had spread to almost all the vines, resulting in a considerable reduction in the production of wines.

Maybe I should have checked out of the inn at that moment, but I insisted, because the trip, although calm, had been long and I wouldn't waste money and time like that.

Resigned, I stopped in front of a bar and for a quick glance I saw a rather presentable cellar. I entered. And it was in this bar that I would come to know the lady of my life and the one responsible for my misfortune, even if she wasn't aware of it at that point.

♚♛

I was just sipping the wine, alert enough not to be caught off guard, but not enough to pay attention to the unrestrained in and out of the bar. I just wanted to relax and enjoy the moment of peace presented to myself after so many setbacks. However, my peace was shaken when, in a fraction of a second, and in the rare glances I gave the establishment's door, my eyes caught the figure of a woman who entered the place. She would be just another random customer that would leave my mind the instant she was no longer within sight of my eyes if it weren't for her imposing way of carrying herself. Something about her made my eyes nab at her image, maybe it was the elegant way of tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, or the almost sensual way of crossing her legs – quite attractive, by the way –, and straightening her posture as she sat in the front chair at the counter after ordering.

It was involuntary the way I followed her every gesture with my eyes. I can't explain it, but I just couldn't take my eyes off that woman. She chatted amiably with the bartender, like good old friends, and my curiosity and desire to get closer to her only grew as she tilted her head back to laugh at something the man had said to her. She was unusually different from other women, who carried themselves in a restrained manner, always hiding their mouths with their hands when they laughed. But that stranger didn't seem to care what others might say, she acted spontaneously, in such a way that it would be impossible not to notice her. Despite the flashy aura emanating from her, I seemed to be the only one affected there. I reined in my instincts and turned my attention to my wine, which no longer tasted so good, still intrigued that I had been so uneasy in the presence of this strange lady.

Though I tried not to look at her too much, I still wasn't able to contain the urge to take a few furtive glances in the direction she was sitting and talking to the attendant, condemning me for acting like a fool because she didn't seem to have the same interest in me, since she hadn't even looked at where I was, as her friend had sometimes done.

But to my surprise, before I could leave my seat to settle my bill, she was quicker to get up, still looking at the bartender, and pointing to a bottle of wine that was in a prominent place, which was one of those that should be opened on very special occasions. Which seemed to be the case with her, since she said out loud – too loud – that this was a special night and that she wouldn't be tasting the wine alone. After that, she straightened her robes before grabbing the bottle and leaving the bar, this time holding my gaze with those unreadable eyes.

I was never a man to prioritize dating – that's not exactly the right word to describe my relationships with the opposite gender, although I kept my sex life active as much as possible. I've also never been stubborn about moving mountains to get someone. I have always been objective and valued for mutual interest. When I had the need to indulge myself sexually with a woman, I specifically went out looking for it. However, the instant that mysterious lady entered the same bar I was in, my focus completely changed. I felt an itch grow in my lower belly and a restlessness took possession of my being.

After she left the establishment with that bottle of wine, her words began to echo in my mind with an undertone of reproach to my fixation. Surely she would have a boyfriend or even be married, I figured. So I put it in the back of my mind, in a place with difficult access, and headed towards the inn to take a shower and then decide to go back to my house. This island had already brought me enough trouble and I wasn't about to face another one.

And once again something stopped my plans.

Along the way, I heard the voices of three children whispering to each other, as if they were deciding who would approach someone. When I get angry and turn around to tell the three of them to shut up, my eyes lock on the tiny figure of a girl of about nine or ten years old, and I completely forget the reprimand for being amazed at the child's stark resemblance to the woman from the bar.

"Hello you!!" she says in a small voice, forcing a sympathetic smile. “Today there's going to be a festival here, can you attend…?”, she tried to formulate sentences while nervously gesturing with her hands, which were holding a crumpled piece of paper. “Here! It's tonight, don't go away because there will be good wine!” she said before throwing the crumpled paper near my feet, which I assumed was so I could pick it up and read it, and run off with the other two boys who were with her. In the distance I could hear them questioning what their sister had seen in a man so terrifying that he had made her fall in love.

I would have ignored the paper if I hadn't overheard such a conversation. So I picked it up and stuffed it into my pocket and headed to the inn, this time succeeding in my goal.

♚♛

After my shower, I rested in the lounging chair while reading a book I had picked up in the small library of the inn where I talked about the island. A curious thing was the value they placed on their customs and pride in their local culture.

Although focused on reading, my mind diverged on how interesting was the existing variety of children's books about the child "Heir of the Moon" in all ways, illustrated, in comic book form, short stories, lullabies and etc., which made me wonder if Gesshoku Island couldn't really be home to such a legend.

But that aside, I finished reading the book and intended to take it back to the library. The piece of paper given to me by the child earlier fell with a photo of one of my overcoat pockets as soon as I picked it up. This time I paid attention to it. It was a pamphlet about the festival and information, no biggie. However, the possibility that that woman was there crossed my mind, and this idea only intensified when I noticed that the photo that had fallen next to the brochure, which I deduced had been purposely placed there, was of a young woman with unreadable eyes, the same ones that met mine at the bar.

Maybe a festival wasn't such a bad thing. I was there for the distraction, after all. With that in mind, I gained the inn hallway and headed toward the library.

♚♛

When the sun was already fading over the horizon, from the window of the room I was staying in, I could see a crowd taking on an increasingly voluminous shape. The winemakers were already preparing to open the best wines from their respective cellars to offer their customers and also juices for those who were not old enough to drink alcoholic beverages.

The festival took place once a year, from what I've read about the island's culture, and there was no specific day, just so that any obstacles would not prevent the event from happening – such as the last one in which a plague spread through the winery –, and so that the strangers present would not return home without knowing the most valuable thing the island could offer.

I stayed on the porch just as an observer, I wasn't in the mood to face that crowd of people, although I wanted to taste a good wine, I knew that place was exceptional for that. So I preferred to wait patiently for the right time and also when the excitement of the beginning of the party calmed down a little. Furthermore, the best wines would be the last to be opened, as it was a way of holding as many people as possible.

Between glances at the movement below, I caught the moment when the three children from earlier appeared in the crowd. With the same energy, but much more excited. Even though I was a considerable distance away, I could see them passing each booth to look at the treats while a young woman approached them to pay for what they ordered. And the lady was the same one from the bar, as I thought.

And that was my cue for me to enjoy the festival too.

Lucky for me, people were too busy enjoying the festivities and entertaining the festival's attractions. I was one more among so many people, and so I went unnoticed by any enemies who were there. With this feeling of tranquility, I was also able to enjoy it in my own way, in a more remote location.

After a while there, I was able to feel much more at ease. The island's atmosphere and energy were welcoming and made anyone feel at home. Maybe it was the way the locals treated the outsiders, with a lot of sympathy and smiles, or maybe it was the wine I had drunk but any irritation caused by the adversities throughout the day seemed to have completely disappeared and I tasted of a tranquility that only then I felt when I was in my house.

After just watching the coming and going of people, between sips of wine and another, my eyes caught the moment when a cluster of people formed around an enigmatic figure of a woman. Before I could think too hard or try to figure out her identity, the dancer began a shy, slow dance. The restrained gestures were encouraged by the small audience around her and they began to create a firmer and more precise form. The way that woman was gesturing was familiar to me, but I didn't try to remember as I wanted to watch it. I must admit that I carry a fascination with dancing with me, although I've never talked about it with anyone. It's really interesting to see how someone manages to use their body to express themselves, which was the case in the middle of the festival. The dancer in question seemed to have mastered the art of dancing and was in full control of every member of her body, as the dance had steps that only someone with a lot of training could reproduce, and these were performed with such skill that they looked as smooth as a feather. .

As I was far away, almost hidden in the dimness, the dancing woman had her back to me, so I only had a view of her back, which was covered in light, thin fabrics that reminded her of veils and that hid her body curves. But the feeling of familiarity only increased as the dance progressed to a climax, and at that moment the person turned and as if it were predestined, our eyes met and it was as if everything had cleared: it was the girl from the bar.

Even though her eyes were covered by a kind of transparent mask, I would have recognized them from yards away. And the moment she noticed my presence, her movements abruptly changed. If before they were firm and precise, now they seemed much looser and more sensual. The dance took another turn and my sanity was almost taken with it.

The dancer did not lose focus as she changed the tone of her dance, quite the contrary, the transition was made so smoothly that it was not noticeable. Still hidden in my personal space almost in darkness, my eyes followed her every movement of her hips and my mind immersed in nasty thoughts. Her silhouette wasn't well defined due to her fabrics, but that didn't stop me from tracing her in my imagination. She used her hands too, with her eyes locked on mine, gesturing as if inviting me to join her, and as soon as she changed direction, breaking our eye contact, and unpretentiously she moved and the fabrics fluttered so that I got a glimpse of her curves for milliseconds, but enough to take my breath away. She really knew what she was doing and used all her weapons to get what she wanted. I just let myself go.

However, her dancing not only caught my attention, but also some pirates present there, who began to direct her obscene words, which she didn't seem to hear, as she didn't change her way of dancing for even a second. I continued as a passive spectator, just watching the unfolding of the event, she continued the dance and I kept my attention on her, and the pirates too, until the point came that one of them dared to invade the dancer's personal space and from that what unfolded was very fast: a very loud popping noise and the power outage that lasted for less than thirty seconds, but when everything lit up again, the dancer was no longer on her stage and in her place only one purple pink smoke poured from the floor. It was a cheap trick, but it was effective because the pirates were like dizzy cockroaches trying to figure out where the woman had gone.

She had come towards me, I just felt her presence sneak past me leaving a trail of soft perfume and a touch on my hand causing a new shiver down my spine, out of the corner of my eye I saw her disappearing once and for all into the darkness.

Still a little dizzy from the alcohol, but much more sober than before, I made my way to the inn room where I would check-out.

I made the journey slowly, packed my things and took a new shower to chase away any traces of drunkenness and left the place after paying off the bill and headed towards the place where my boat was moored, not without first searching all the places in search of the woman who had disturbed my mind all day, not finding her. Resigned, I decided to leave.

I unhitched it and advanced the boat towards the ocean that would take me back home, but before I could make my way home I saw her finally. This time she was sitting on the dock, as if waiting for someone, and unlike the baggy clothes that hid her curves, she now wore a tight red dress, fully defining her voluptuous figure. Beside her was the bottle of wine she'd picked up earlier at the bar and two crystal glasses. I risked walking past her, and I didn't have to do anything to get her attention, because as soon as she looked at me and gave me a crystalline smile. Seeing her up close, she looked even more beautiful.

We didn't say anything, as if we understood each other mutely, she held out the wine and glasses to me and I picked them up and set them down in a corner of the boat and then it was time to put her there. I pulled her around the waist and now she was much closer to me and I was now able to see every detail of her face. As beautiful as the full moon that illuminated the entire island imposingly.