#I've moved succesfully!

[braceletofteeth]

On the very first day at my new place, the bag that had my laptop inside fell HARD, from a counter straight to the floor—but because SFH taught me well, I had it wrapped up securely, and it's still working fine, thus saving me from the same fate as Jongwoo.

[jensthwa]

mountebank chem pt. four teaser+moodboard (JYH x reader).

this mini series is part of the love's an uncharted path universe ★.

status: wip (i still have a bit to go, sorry ya'll). chapter title: i love you, i'm sorry. word count (so far, more to go): 15.8k teaser word count: 1.2k posted: 01/26/2025 taglist: @kyunlov, @tinyelfperson, @ultrapinkvoidbouquet, @kyeomooniee, @fairylover68, @sushiinmidnight, @qveenbunni, @potatomountain, @svintsandghosts, @blue5ummer, @fancypeacepersona, @hyukssunflower, @i-love-ateez, @alsomimi, @e3ellie, @st3ft0n3s, @hotteokkay

notes: hey everyone... how ya'll doing... OKAY, SO. I've been writing like crazy these past couple of days and I explained it in a post before but I just want to let everyone know that I'm a little busy with life, finding a remote stable job (or a job at all at this point) is a little hard, especially when the only thing you do succesfully is being a writer lmao. so I've been focusing on that instead of this but!!! I'm almost done with this chapter. I do think we're getting a chapter five, a shorter one, just to kind of explain how everything goes after the end of chapter four and that's going to be cooking as soon as this chapter goes live! ANYWAY. I wanted to give you all a little teaser that covers a little of what's to come in this one. it's my favorite one so far, too, so I'm really looking forward to you reading it!

remember that I have a permanent taglist form! that way, i can tag you in all my future works <3 also, if you'e reading this on the tags, here's my main masterlist and the mbc!masterlist if you want to catch up!

thank you all for being so patient and into the teaser we go.

Making a mental list to organize and prioritize everything you need to do, you barely register footsteps echoing in the long hall. You should’ve, because it’s lunchtime and there’s no one on the floor, but you don’t. 

And so when the person you least want to see comes through the door and lets out a heavy sigh, you turn to him like he grew a second nose over the course of the twenty minutes you last saw each other. 

“I hate it here, I truly do.” 

It almost makes you want to laugh, but you remain stoic as you move through the office. You take a few boxes and you put them down on the floor until there’s some light leaking through the window and illuminating the space enough for it not to give you a headache as you work. 

Sitting on your brother's chair, barely sparing him another glance before turning on the desk computer and pulling up an empty document. You click and tap a few meaningless things: You pick the font, you mess with the font size for a second before setting it back to its default. Anything to help you look busy and not like your heart is going a million miles per second. 

“Can I help you with anything, Yunho?” 

Blurry, in the background, you can see him look around the office, probably taking the mess in. He moves too, walks until his expensive shoes are tip to tip  with a literal mannequin resting against the wall. 

You stop paying attention as you write the date and the proposal title. Something simple, something that both your father and the CEO of the dumb not-approved-by-you company that has you in this predicament can understand. You hate to say that you assume they’re not very smart if they put out such a dated and non profitable idea for their company. 

Still, you try to address Yunho like nothing’s bothering you and like you’re not nervous you two are in a room alone after everything that went down. 

“You can ask Seonghwa what that means,” you start, sighing like his friend and your brother are hopeless. Because maybe that’s what they are. “They’re not running any ideas by me even though I’m the one that spends the most time in this office, so.” 

“Hm,” he starts and you can hear him walking around, but your focus is now on the first few words of the proposal. You realize there’s really nothing you can start before speaking with marketing and so you open the notes app, to have a list of ideas to run through them at least. “Thought you worked from home.” 

“I do. I have an office three floors down, too.” It’s easy sharing information with him now, especially if it means there’s something to talk about that’s not… Well, the kiss. “I hate it, it’s in a corner and people can see into it. It’s easier to work here.” 

“And Soohyun hyung doesn’t mind?”

“Considering he’s never here, I doubt it.” 

“Cool, cool.” 

There’s something in his tone that makes you want to look up, lump in your throat growing in size enough for you to cough it away. You don’t look up, you can’t look up even if you’ve misspelled the word rebrand like four times already. 

But then the light you managed to cast onto the space disappears completely. You feel something besides you, the soft material of an expensive suit blazer grazing your arm and cheek. You see veiny, masculine hands secure themselves around the arms of the chair before he’s turning you to face him. 

You gulp. 

He’s leaning down close, closer than he should be, closer than what he’s allowed to be considering anyone can walk in on you. You’re flushing, you can feel the redness creep up your neck and heating your ears and face before you gather the courage of raising a questioning brow. Yunho stays silent, his eyes scanning your face and briefly landing on your lips before returning your stare. 

“Can I help you with anything, Yunho?” You ask him again, quieter this time, voice trembling a little. 

“Princess,” he starts, the corner of his lip raising just a little, like it’s funny he has to say what he’s about to say, “are you ghosting me?” 

Shit. 

“Why would you— Why would I—,” a nervous chuckle abandons you and then you huff, trying to seem offended at his accusation, “W-what do you mean by that?” 

Leaning into your space a tiny bit more, he repeats “Are you ghosting me?” 

Creasing your brow, you straighten in the chair but do nothing to pull him away “No.”

“Then what about the ten messages I sent you and you left on delivered?” 

Faking a surprised gasp, you move to take your phone out of the pocket of your jacket and unlock it to swipe through your messages “You did? Oh, my God, I’ve been soooo busy.” 

“You’re shit at lying to me.” 

“I’m not lying to you—” 

“Are you okay?” 

Your eyes snap from the phone to his face, genuine annoyance creasing your eyebrows this time. 

“You don’t have to ask me that everytime you see me, Jeong.” 

“But are you?” He asks as you finally find his chat and open the messages you dreaded to see the entire time that passed. There’s a few of them practically begging you to speak to him, one apologizing for the kiss and the other ones you don’t even see because Yunho is taking the phone from your hand and placing it on the desk next to you. “I mean, what happened didn’t trigger anyth—” 

You hate he’s this considerate with you, even after you clearly walked out of the situation with a poorly formulated excuse.

“What happened was a mistake.” 

Yunho physically deflates and lets the chair go, the tension on your shoulders lifting a little now that he’s not as close. 

“What?” 

“It was a mistake, we shouldn’t have done that. We’re professionally obligated to work together, fake all of this together, so it shouldn’t…” You pause and consider for a bit before doing something you never do: take the blame “I shouldn’t have. I apologize.” 

Letting out a breath, you turn the chair and delete the misspelled rebrand to write it the correct way, heart too weak to even look at his reaction. It doesn’t matter anyway, you’re never doing anything like it again. 

You hear him shuffle with the boxes at both your feet and, from the corner of your eye, you see him turning away from you and then back, hands on his hips “I don't think it was a mistake.” 

“Well, it was.” 

“I liked it.” 

That brings out a genuine, short lived laugh out of you “Thank you, I’m a great kisser.” 

You open your brother’s email and pretend there’s an urgent matter inside the contents of one of them until Yunho’s hand closes over yours, over the mouse. 

“Y/N.” 

There’s a lot of things about Jeong Yunho you hate: The swoop of his hair when there’s no gel on it, the free aspect to his nature you’re never going to get even if you try to, that one time he called you an ugly giant after wearing platforms for the first time ever. 

And the sweetness of his voice when he says your name, the plea you hear on it and the shudder it brings to your spirit. It shakes you, it moves you to look at him again, to actually take his feelings into consideration. 

He’s staring at you with so much hurt, it makes your heart sink into an abyss of guilt. 

“Hm?” 

“I think I like you.” 

Oh.

Well, well, well... If it isn't the enemy turning into a potential lover time. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THE TEASER. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

© jensthwa, 2025.

[divorcedwife]

So, I've followed you for a while and love your art, but I gotta know, what's with the chess thing? Chess is rad, but I would love to know why you love it. - Cheers

um, lots of reasons i guess! the design of the board and pieces are really simple and recognizable, you can redraw them in any variant or aesthetic you can think of and it will work. i also like the black and white, and the fact that you can re-cast it as any two colors - i like limited simple palettes, so i approve of just two. when i first drew my pawns, i mostly stuck to the shape of the pieces, but when i drew chess fashion, i was more inspired by how the pieces move + their rank in the hierarchy, which is another thing i like in chess. every piece is unique in how it moves, where it starts on the board, what it protects, how early or late it's used, and these are all storytelling tools to the mentally deranged

also it's fun to play :-) playing chess and planning out different branching strategies and succesfully laying out traps and so on, it feels extremely nice. even losing is interesting, i like to look back at my mistakes and i learn a lot from that, so it never feels wasted

[the-universal-sun]

Could you write some baby regressor Stan with cg Ford or Fidds? Tyy

I've never written about baby regression, and I'm not the most well versed in it, so forgive me if this is short. I still hope you enjoy this nonetheless, and thank you so much for your request!!! I really wanted to see more of CG Fidds, so I wrote exactly that!!! Please let me know what you think!!!

As always, I am open to helpful advice!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

     "Why hello there, Lil' Man, did'ya have a nice nap, baby?" Fiddleford cooed down to Stan from his chair sat next to the couch. It was around four in the afternoon, a bit late for one of Stan's naps, but Fiddleford thinks he's feeling smaller than usual, and he wouldn't blame him. He had such an overwhelming day yesterday, his coffee spilled, customer after customer screaming in his face for hours on end, and his shower went ice cold after just five minutes, nothing went right for his poor one yesterday, so Fiddleford was gearing up for a quiet day with lots and lot of cuddles, and it was indeed quiet, but the energy was off, Stan was off. He didn't play around like he usually did, no coloring or block building, he layed there or clung to Fiddleford and dozed off, only watching the television when a bright cartoon aimed at...very young children came on. The behavior was so similar to his Tate when he was very young that Fiddleford treated Stan that way. And it didn't seem like Stan was much inclined to argue

     Fiddleford smiled and booped Stan's nose as his boy blinked sleepily up at him from the couch, his little Teddy clutched in one hand and his worn quilt in the other. He smiled back at Fidds, one hand reaching up and grasping at his nose in an attempt to recreate to boop, the grasping just made Fidds laugh gently as to not startle Stan. His Little Man just airily laughed with him, his blanket on a course to his mouth before being redirected by Fidds with a "No, baby, that's for sleepin', not chewin' on, I've gotcha something better," he pops Stan's pacifier in his mouth, hoping to satisfy that urge to chew on something. He then helped Stan sit up, steadying him as he tries to heave him off the cushions and into the old wheelchair Fiddleford had been using to move Stan around for the parts of the day he wasn't in the mood for walking-as much as he loves his boy and loves to care for him when ge gets like this, he can only carry him around for so long before his back starts hurting, and he doesn't want to slip a disc with Stan feeling this young-cushioned with pillows and blankets to make it comfortable. With a "heave ho", Stan was succesfully placed in the wheelchair, happily too, as evidenced by his giggles and babbles. Which, Fiddleford loves hearing, his boy's happy babbling is like music to his ears. He rolls Stan from the livingroom to the kitchen, where he had a still warm sippy cup of milk waiting at the table. He briefly considers buying a bottle or two and modifying the lids to fit Stan's mouth before dismissing the thought as something to bring up when Stan's out of his fuzzy headspace.

     "Alright now, Papa's got some honey milk for your tummy, Lil' Man, nice and warm. Just let me hold it, m'kay?" Fiddleford feels his heart about melt when Stan just looks at him, wide eyed and happy, before opening his mouth and letting his pacifier fall on his lap. He just picks it up and sets it on the table before smoothing Stan's hair back, scratching the nape of his neck and earning another giggle. He's had to think about how this will go down during Stan's nap. He would've done it with Stan layed all snug in his lap on the couch, holding the sippy cup for Stan to sip and whatever pace he wanted, but Fidds didn't want him to be on the couch all day, knowing laying down after drinking the milk would put him right back to sleep. He then considered just sitting in a chair and having Stan on his lap as he holds the cup, but dispite Fidds being a good 3-4 inches taller, he would still have to have Stan scoot down until he was on the edge on his knees, which would be uncomfortable for both of them. So he'll just have Stan stay in this chair, bracketed with pillows and blankets, as Fidds sits on the arm of it, holding his sippy cup and petting his hair. It's not as cuddly as he wants, but this is what'll do...maybe they should get a bigger and comfier chair...

     Fiddleford brings the sippy cup up to Stan's mouth, tilting it forwards just slightly as his baby latches on and starts to sip at the sweet and warm milk, wishing there was a way he could capture to dazed look on Stan's face and the soft snuffles he makes as he drinks, the way he grips his plush, crushing it to his chest. As unprecedented as this day may have been, Fidds wouldn't have changed it for the world, there is no place he'd rather be in this moment. He's here for Stan, through the good and the bad, for when his mood sours and his mind goes hazy, for when his thoughts tilt on the side of childish. He's here for his boy, thick and thin, rain or shine, small or big.

[decepti-thots]

while i'm talking about Whirl, one thing i've been meaning to talk about for ages just in a 'i am aware some people may not actually know this, and it hardly gets mentioned in fandom' is that Whirl in Interiors talking about briefly trying to change his name when he was a flight instructor at the flight academy is a reference to a passage in Bullets, which is in retrospect very obviously him:

Jetstream had taught him to recognize his inherent worthlessness. In front of the other cadets he'd always been supportive, but in private he would berate him for showing off and for getting ideas above his station. “You think you're something special?” he used to say. “You think you’re better than the rest, better than me, just because you can turn a few tricks? On a good day - on your best day - I’d say you were unremarkable.” Rotorstorm’s only response to Jetstream’s verbal abuse was to make jokes. If you can make light of the situation, he'd think, it can’t be as bad as it seems. Over time, Jetstream’s verbal abuse... evolved. On one occasion, Rotorstorm was pushed against a wall. On another, he was punched to the floor. Before long, he was on the receiving end of sustained and entirely unprovoked beatings. The worst day of Rotorstorm’s life - worse than the day war was declared; worse than the day of the Simanzi Massacre - was the day the IAA installed a Cryogenic Regeneration Chamber. He couldn't remember what he’d done to deserve that night's battering, but as he lay on the floor of the aircraft hangar, his torso freshly pummeled, his spinal strut bent at a right angle and his face reduced to a shallow bowl of oil and splinters, he saw something he would never forget: Jetstream was standing over him, fists clenched and head cocked, coolly appraising his options. And the look of exhilaration on his face as he wondered where to place the next punch had been terrifying. Rotorstorm had passed out before Jetstream had finished shoveling him into the CR Chamber, and had woken up the next day without a single scratch on his body. Jetstream had left overnight; he moved to a training facility in another province and later changed his name. Since then, Rotorstorm had seen him only once: he'd been sitting in the front row when Rotorstorm had been awarded the Novic Medal for Outstanding Valor, and he’d been clapping and cheering more loudly than anyone else.

and this is a really fascinating thing to consider for me because if you just describe the whole thing briefly in the abstract, it's gonna likely sound like one of two things:

whirl tried to turn over a new leaf with a new name, and it worked for a time but ultimately he couldn't and went back to his old life

whirl tried to turn over a new leaf with a new name, but he couldn't and was just as much of an aggro wildcard as ever so gave up

but this is... kind of not either of those, including the last one? whirl IS acting like the violent, bitter, unpredictable asshole we come to meet in MTMTE and know he was during the war, to an extent, but he's also clearly succesfully keeping up something of a facade of really inhabiting that 'not Whirl, nope, i'm a Normal Flight Instructor' in public. it's only to rotorstorm he's not, seemingly. (and even then, the way rotorstorm describes him here is... really cold and deliberate in a way that feels kind of different to what we see later.)

obviously it's. i mean it's SO deeply unpleasant, very effectively communicated in terms of how awful and traumatising that kind of thing is btw a+ but also Jesus Fucking Christ, but it also suggests to me a very specific experience Whirl is having in this period of his life that isn't quite either of those obvious choices. pokes at it. god. what the fuck is going through your head you terrible helicopter you.

[placeholdercornerworks]

In a fit of inspiration at @searivermountain 's , @idanit 's and @a-case-of-the-ace 's AU posts about Jeeves and Wooster living in their respective countries, here are my two (albeit rough and unpolished two cents) about Jeeves and Wooster if they were living in the Kindgom of Italy.

I'm rewinding the actual OG setting by a decade or so as such, we're talking of the turn of the century here, 1898-1912.

First, a few setting points:

• I imagined them living in Turin, initially this was because it tied well with other plot points (Such as chuffy owning his seaside vacation houses(?) on the coast of Liguria and still being able to put Rocky "abroad" in France). Historically you could explain it by saying his parents moved there shortly after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 because they saw it as a reason of prestige, perhaps some aunts followed suit, so on so forth.

• To elaborate on Rocky, the equivalent of them going to America in S3 of the show would be Bertie residing in Monaco and Jeeves doesn't get sent to scout New York for Rocky's aunt, but rather Montecarlo.

• To move back to Turin, while gents clubs similar to the drones did exist in Italy at the time, it would have been much likely for them to meet at a cafe since many known groups in Italy organized in such way (e.g Varied well known turn-of-century writers often ruinited at the Giubbe Rosse in Rome and the "Macchiaioli" artists often reunited at the Caffè Michelangelo in Florence)

• The Ganymede however would have operated in a way closer to that of gents club.

• Bertie, such as his standing commands, is gonna get promptly shipped to study law at the University of Turin cause I swear it's lowkey a recurrent fact with many of the wealthier authors I studied, it was "the thing" much.

Now, before I get onto miscellaneous trivia and ramblings and such, my two thoughts on their alternative names.

• The direct italianization of Reginald is Rinaldo, which I'd be keen on keeping (alternatively Raimondo has practically the same etymology and derivation), for surname, upon learning that Jeeves derives from Genevieve, which was the patron of Paris, I've decided to give him the surname Parisi, for the sake of the assonance.

• For Bertie on the other hand, the direct italianization of Betram is fucking Beltramo and I am in fact not keeping that so to remain on something similar sounding, he's Bernando now cause calling his Alberto keep the Bertie bit feels weird. As for surname, I'm similarly going of assonance, but with his original surname and as such I'm calling him Vistarini.

And now, miscellaneous trivia, lo and behold!

• Newts, or more specifically, a specie of newts known as the Italian Crested Newt, is more of a thing in central to southern Italy, so Gussy hereby has a thing for eels here in Italy, which were more common in bodies of water in the North.

• Bertie being interested in aviation!!! It was very much the next new thing so he'd often muse to Jeeves about his curiousity towards the inner workings of this jolly contraptions, tried to operate a plane once, crashes it in 50m, but if you were to ask Jeeves he'll succesfully find the right guy with the right plane to give him a ride to give Bertie aerial photos of the city he's much excited about.

• Jeeves seemingly knows every literature known to man and he's ready to counter-prove or counter-quote a statement with an appropriate literary quote. This is more instinctive musing but I feel like Bertie would often make paragons to the plays of Alfieri and Goldoni, or alternatively, Latin stuff and he'd surely have studied it majorly in uni.

• Additionally I think it would be highly funny to have Jeeves and Bertie discuss Parini, il giorno specifically.

• God blast d'Annunzio also cause Tuppy would 100% be keen on comparing is love-unfilled existence to the banes of a d'Annunzio protag, he thinks himself the next embodiment of Andrea Sperelli and Bertie is just "Heh, silly Tuppy"

• This applies generally but lots of theatre going involved, they have stayed over in Milan before to catch premieres at The Scala and one of this baboons surely said they were gonna find themselves a girl like Eleonora Duse

• The cast of the drones routinely gets dragged in honor fencing duels over this or that offence or this or that woman and Bertie is frequently dragged in under the excuse "Oh, come on, the other party has never seen me before, you can go in my stead!", he miserably fucking fails and on the other hand this is another venture in which jeeves excels

[jynxpsiche]

Hello!!👋🏾 could I perhaps request dad!lemon headcanons or a one shot?

A’RIGHT! I👏🏻AM👏🏻IN👏🏻! We also need Dad Lemon, it’s important for our hearts!! <3 <3

Against my morals

💌. Summary: during a mission, Lemon had to help a lost child find her mother…

or

…Lemon meets his future girl and kid.

💌. Warning: fem reader, slight use of y/n, slight canon gore, swearing, made up names. English is not my first language!

The sultry summer air hit the crowded Italian city hard. Tourists filled the main streets and numerous alleys of the famous city of art.

Enthusiasts of Italian and Renaissance architecture stopped to observe the beauty of the period names and to learn more about their history.

But that was certainly not what Tangerine and Lemon were there for.

As usual, the two were in the beautiful city of Florence for a job, so they had no time to waste with visits or verses of amazement at the Renaissance beauties.

“Remind me, why do I have to do this?” Annoyingly asked Lemon through the phone, his eyes cautiously scanning the whole perimeter.

“I reckon you had lost a paper scissors stone match. Am I wrong?” Said the brother on the other end of the phone in a knowing tone but also teasing him slightly.

“I wasn’t ready.” “Oh you weren’t? Well, too bad. Your fuckin’ fault, not mine.” Tangerine blurted out acidly. It was too early to deal with his brother's complaints.

Lemon huffed audibly, continuing to look around as if searching for something. Or rather someone.

With the phone still close to her ear, Lemon's attentive gaze scanned each and every face. One by one.

“Since you decided to fall asleep soundly like a baby yesterday, here's what you have to do.” Tangerine's voice partly awakened him from his trance-like state.

Lemon only hummed in response, his gaze still fixated on the big crowd of people.

"Apparently, our target is young woman, name's (Y/n). I've sent ya a photo of her. Be careful and don't fuck it up, Lemon." Tangerine hang the call harshly, his tone clearly expressing his earnestness.

Lemon slipped the phone into his jacket pocket after rolling his eyes at the last words spoken by his brother. He knew that Tangerine actually cared about him, but he also wanted to prevent the customer from becoming dissatisfied.

Not only would it have been unprofessional on their part, but they might have lost their skin as well.

His phone buzzed again and with a soft groan he picked it up again and noticed that this time it was a message. The target's photo.

Why would someone kill a woman, he thought with furrowed eyebrows, often lifting his head to scan the people there, unless she's a killer or a heartless bitch.

But just looking at the photo, Lemon came up with the conclusion that his target wasn't a Diesel at all. But a job was a job, so he had to finish it as fast as possible.

Only when his eyes locked with a particular figure, he took action. Swiftly and quickly he moved across the large crowd of people without tearing his gaze from the spotted target.

It was the same woman from the picture and he had to follow her in order to complete his job succesfully.

The female moved smoothly and gracefully among the tourists and Lemon almost lost her in the crowd a couple of times. Almost.

Then, when he was at her heels, just a few inches divided them, his phone rang. Lemon cursed silently, hoping that the woman hadn't heard him. His pace slowed down a bit and he picked the call.

"Bruv, have you found the target yet?" Tangerine's voice reached his ears and his face wrinkled into a sour expression.

"Almost had her, if you hadn' fuckin' called..." mumbled quietly Lemon into the phone, his tone mostly stern and irritated. He liked to finish things quickly, so he didn't have to lose unrequired and precious time.

Time he surely could be spending watching Thomas and Friends.

"Don't get your fuckin' panties in a twist. I'll call you every twenty minutes to cheek up on ya." The other referred solemnly in a flat tone.

"Look how you're enjoyin' giving me orders sittin' comfortably at a fucking bar--" he spat out in a sarcastic tone, lightly envying his twin.

"Stop actin' like a fuckin' baby and move y'ass." His brother argued back, ending the call brutally, leaving Lemon with his sour expression.

He knew his brother was simply concerned about him, but stressing him out like that wasn't healthy at all!

Only when the call ended, the man spotted the woman enter an small alley almost hidden from view. It was common to find such alleys in Italy, but these were so intrigued and intertwined with each other that they formed a real maze.

Closely Lemon chased the young woman and he plainly was astonished by her speed and grace. Her body moved so graciously and freely that she could even be compared to a nymph.

Her pace slowed as she approached a doorway. The man copied her movements, staying hidden behind a wall. Her figure now motionless, as if waiting for something. Lemon noticed how her gaze often fell on her wristwatch.

Undoubtedly she was waiting for someone.

This was his moment, he thought with a determined look on his face.

He studied the area well to make sure that no witnesses could make the job more complicated.

With a plush but quick step, Lemon approached the young woman, gun ready in hand but still concealed in his jacket.

Let's make this quick, he thought.

When the distance had shortened considerably, Lemon kicked out his gun and aimed at the woman's head, never slowing his pace.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

He froze on the spot. A child's voice reached his ears out o f the blue, his gaze widening at the sight.

From the main entrance of a building, a little girl happily skipped towards the woman, engulfing her legs in a tight embrace. Lovingly the woman patted the little one's head.

But by now Lemon was too close, and with confident gesture he had already removed the safety catch. The sound made the woman turn her head.

Swiftly she covered her daughter eyes by bringing her face in her lap. Her facial features were twisted with hardness and solemnity.

No words left her mouth, her rosey lips into a thin line.

Although his face did not show any other feelings, Lem could not help but be impressed. Surely he had been left speechless by such a majestic figure.

Quickly the man lowered his weapon.

“Woah woah woah! No one told me ‘bout this!” He spat out anxiously, seemingly not expecting such a plot twist.

The woman took a step forward, hiding the little one behind her. Her gaze fixed on the man.

“The Rider sent you, didn’t he?” Her rigid tone sent chills down Lem’s spine. And this was the first time in his life. Not even the unbearable anger of his brother.

But Lemon didn’t answer.

“Look” he sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose “just…please wait here love.” Hurriedly he grabbed his phone and typed a number.

“So? You done?” Tangerine’s bothered voice echoed through Lem’s head. “We hav’ a problem bruv.” “Fuck hav’ y’done?” His dark eyes darted from the child to the woman.

“There’s a child.” “What d’ya mean a child?” Lemon exhaled loudly “There’s a child with the target.” The phone line fell dead silent.

Then a heavy sigh.

“We can’t do it. It’s immoral.” “I know it’s immoral. What should I do?” Suggested Lemon, never tearing his gaze from the woman.

“Just—“ but Tan’s voice was harshly interrupted by a loud bang resounded in the alley, shortly followed by another and another one.

Lemon cursed under his breath and with quick steps he urged the couple to follow him closely.

His eyes were pleading them to follow him.

And without breathing out a sentence, they followed the gentle sour fruit.

Lemon opened the large door of the building with a well-aimed kick, managing to open it with a sharp snap and without attracting attention. "Move move!" he silently whispered, urging them to follow his request.

When they managed to lock the entrance they were met with an almost silent building, afternoon sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, giving the room a hint of mystery. The outside shots muffled successfully.

Hastily Lemon loocked at the woman, his breath shaky from the sudden running. "'S there 'nother way out?" He panted out, catching his breath as best he could.

Nervous eyes moved from one part to another of the building, her mind clearing retracing the blueprints of the apartment complex. Then her face lit up.

“The garage! This way!” She whisper-yelled, already moving to pick her daughter up. But Lem’s hand stopped her. “Let me.”

And with a quick motion he picked the little child in his arms, placing gently his hand on her head to cover her from the gunshots outside.

The woman observed the whole scene with wide eyes, clearly not expecting something like this from a contract killer.

Only when shaken off by her dozing state, she guided the man towards the secondary exit.

They both were running, leaving the gunshots behind.

“I’m Lemon by the way.” He panted out in a rather quiet tone.

The woman looked at him and sent him a faint smile. “(Y/n.)” she answered.

I know, he thought, smiling back at her.

The couple was now walking peacefully, long away from the sudden accident. The small girl was fast asleep in Lemon’s arms and even if the mother proposed to take her from him, he always refused, not wanting to wake her up.

But in reality, Lemon was just enjoying this moment. He didn’t know how or when but the small child already occupied a soft spot in his heart.

No words were shared between the two, they simply enjoyed the animated atmosphere given by the young tourists enjoying their night.

The two just kept walking at a slow pace, neither of them wanting to part ways. They finally got along.

Lemon discreetly shot her a glance, trying to memorise her beauty before being called back by his brother.

He still didn’t receive any calls from him. And it was quite strange. But he didn’t worry much since he knew that Tan was safe and sound at the hotel.

It was still quite late.

Only when they reached another apartment complex, far from the other one, they both stopped. Their eyes immediately locked together.

The woman spoke first.

“Even if you tried to kill me…I wanna thank you for your help. And for saving both me and my daughter.” She kindly thanked him, this time flashing him a sincere smile.

His heart skipped a beat.

“Killin’ a mother is against my morals…so if the client isn’t satisfied, he can go fuck himself.” He simply answered in a hush tone, aware of the sleeping child in his arms.

Slowly and gently, the mother picked her daughter, who slightly stirred a little and the returned back to sleep deeply.

(Y/n) flashed him another smile and then turned and walked towards the building’s front door. But she was stopped by Lemon’s voice.

“Wait!” When she faced him again she was met with a slight nervous Lemon. Confused she tilted her head, waiting for him to continue.

“Can I…hav’ your number…?” He quite timidly asked, rubbing his neck in attempt to maintain his cool and calm himself.

She faintly chuckled, sending him a teasing look.

“Since you knew so much about me, I think it won’t be hard for you to find my number…” she teased him “…but if you can’t, you at least know where I live.”

“Goodnight, Lemon.”

He sighed amused, a small grin on his face.

“Night, love.”

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

any updates on the house? please tell me all the carpet has been succesfully removed. i've never understood why first world western countries carpet their floors. they seem like a hassle to put up, a hassle to clean, a hassle to mantain and a hassle to remove

Making tiny progress. Working towards getting my mom moved in and that's slowed up my painting and carpet removing.

Right now I'm just tired and doing a little bit of a depress

[ask-captain-anya]

Hi Anya!

It's been another crazy week, but the dust is settling a bit (literally)

You jest, but I'm sure Curly likes you more than just a formality. He's a humble guy, and even then his words for you sparkle. I can't find the setting in my phone to turn that down! If I can read that much over text then surely you must feel it tenfold in person

What's it like being in his place? Aside from odd. Didn't you have your own place before..? I can only imagine, with how long each voyage was, that being back on Earth alone is enough to unsettle you, so moving into a home that you've never even visited before... I mean, it's lived in. It has history. But then, most houses do, don't they? The furniture leaves, the wallpaper changes, but the foundation stays the same. The most significant difference between a home that's new and a home that's yours is time and a toothbrush. It will feel like your home with a little love and patience.

Curly's told you that I'm a Martian scientist but we've been so caught up in philosophy that I haven't shared too much!

I've actually been studying two things simultaneously: Martian evolution and genetic modification of Martian organisms.

For starters, we've been mapping whole genome sequences of both extant and extinct species of Martians. We've been using our new information to continuosly update the Martian phylogenetic network. This allows us to accurately and reliably define and classify species, study convergent and divergent evolution, adaptations, etc, and - most importantly - select suitable species for genetic modification. We've then been creating recombinant DNA (using molecular cloning) and using it to modify select Martian and Terran organisms for bioremediation and artificial synthesis of chemical compounds.

One of the projects in the past (way before I started my internship) was modifying Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a bacteria that can switch between 4 methods of metabolism, to increase its energy output. That bacteria is now used for our back-up power generation in the event of an emergency...

We recently had a monumental breakthrough with our research: we've managed to create an organism that can sustainably synthesise water from scratch. If succesfully applied, we'll no longer rely on bi-annual shipments to replenish water supplies. With our chimeras, we could accelerate the colonisation of humans on Mars. Heck, we could even change the relationships of all extraterrestrial colonies with Earth, no longer relying on external aid - humans could expand beyond the Milky Way.

Can you imagine what the future would look like?

-xoxo, Pheobe

P.S. ask Curly about the sugar

Pheobe! Hey!

I'm glad you're finally back, I hope you stick around longer this time, haha.

Staying with Curly is something, it's a lot quieter than I guess I was expecting. I didn't have a place before.. Well, I did, but the lease ran out and I was going to get a new lease. But.. That didn't work out at all.

Now, Curly is working and I'm laying in bed answering texts from strangers because it's quiet. It's always quiet.

Sometimes I hear noises, footsteps maybe. But we live on the first floor and the sidewalk isn't that far from my window, so I try not to be bothered by it. I still feel like a guest. I don't like to feel like I'm overstepping by existing in his home. Our home. See how weird? Haha. Overall, it's nice.

Living with Curly is very, very nice.

But wow! That's so exciting. I had been keeping an eye on all the announced species over there. I am particularly fascinated by the moral and ethical conversations that are surrounding the idea of keeping a martian species as a pet. Are we allowed to keep species from a planet we technically don't own, coupling with the argument that we do not own Earth and therefore should hold no claim on our own species as well. It's fascinating reads- Er, listens, I suppose.

I am amazed by your leaps and bounds. Being able to synthesize water would be a worthwhile investment! I do hope you remain ethical, at least as much as you can while retrofitting organisms to the wills of our very hands, haha.

I love how far we've come, I just hope we don't push too far.

Keep up the exciting work! I hope to hear more about this soon!

With Love, Anya

[yaynotgaybutbi]

OFMD SEASON 2 REWRITE??? (not really)

I am not mad at the ending. Through the years, I've learned that it's not me writing the shows and I just have to trust the creators to respect their story.

But I am mad at the pacing. The episode felt like a scene pack on youtube. Important bits and nothing else.

Now imagine:

2x08 - The crew trying to get out and talking their emotions through in the cell (mirroring the earlier episode where they tried and failed). Stede motivating (succesfully this time) Zheng. And Ed looking for Stede. All this ending with the Stede and Ed reunion.

2x09 - Finfing the crew, Zheng and auntie reunion, the planing, the battle, ending with Izzy dying (with the whole crew having more screentime to actually express ANY feelings at all).

2x10 - The funeral , grieving and the silent decision to stay while the crew sails on, Lucius and Pete wedding. We see longer shot of the crew being great at running that ship and then the suprise cut to Stede and Ed staying.

This way we would have gotten time to process, to grieve, to move on. The episode wouldn't be so jarring and uncomfy and divisive.

Idk, I've just been thinking the last few days WHY the ending didn't hit and I really think that the pacing and lack of space fucked it.

And I don't know if this was a financial issue or time issue or pressure-from-the-above issue or just simply a decision, but fuck, tv shows are being so fucked over now by not having enough space and time for their own story.

Anyway, have a nice day, stranger <3

[ash5monster01]

Lessons of You Part 4

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x FemReader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of depression, future smut, broken reader, 18+

Summary: Blake Parker was used to running. When life got hard, she’d run. The idea of sticking around to end up broken was scarier then she’d like to admit. So she hid away, cut all ties, and lived contently on her own. She was done running because no one could find her there. That is until a Navy Pilot runs into her life, and she learns allowing yourself to love can be scary, but hiding from it can be even worse.

word count: 2,350

Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Final

Masterlist

Blake hadn’t intended to ignore Bradley. That night that they kissed, they took a break to eat pizza, start the movie, and end up making out on the couch like teenagers all over again. Every part of Blake yelled at her to let him stay the night but she didn’t want to move too fast. Letting people in wasn’t something she could just do, she had to build up to it. So Bradley left with a dopey grin and a few purple marks on his neck, completely forgetting to ask for her number. Blake figured he’d stop by on his morning run yet he never seemed to go by. So she figured he had gotten what he wanted and left. No use texting him now.

This was exactly why she didn’t let people in. True intentions are never easy to see, and most of the time they end up hurting you. So better off to be alone, and grocery shop for one person. It was cheaper that way anyway. Who needs to know someone’s favorite kind of cereal when all you have to do is buy your own? So Blake didn’t even flinch as she grabbed the Fruity Pebbles without glancing at another box in the aisle.

“Blake right?” the brunette girl stopped to see a dark hair girl, she wore sweats and a workout shirt. Her hair pulled tightly back in a bun. Blake quickly searched her mind for how she recognized this girl. Then it hit her.

“Phoenix right?” Blake asked and the girl chuckled softly.

“Yeah that’s my call sign. You can call me Nat” Blake nodded as she reached over to shake her hand. "Sorry for my appearance. We've been training so much most of us havent had a second to leave base"

"I'm assumng that includes Bradley?" as Nat nodded Blaked felt her stomach churn with guilt. She thought he was avoiding her but turns out she was the one avoiding him all along.

"He mentioned he hadn’t heard from you in a while. I'll be happy to report you’re alive" Nat teased, knowing how upset Bradley had been considering he made out with a girl he really liked just to be ghosted and not have enough time to go and see if it was true. The mission was approaching fast and no one had still succesfully completed the course.

"I know, I meant to text but I figured he'd stop by on my morning run and then it just left my mind" Blake semi-lied considering she was unsure how to approach the situation. If she reached out and apologized Bradley would assume she wanted to be more than friends yet at the same time, straddling the guys lap, and tasting every inch of his mouth arleady sent the wrong message.

"You should shoot him a text, I might strangle him the next time he asks me what he did wrong. Men think all women can help them with their problems, and try being the only one on base" Blake laughed as Nat said this, it reminding her how she used to be the one everyone went to for advice. Then she remebered that doesn’t happen anymore and her heart shattered once again.

"I could see how that can be annoying, I'll text him" Blake reached for her phone and moved to the message app to start a new conversation. Nat watched like it was her job to make sure she actually texted her friend.

Blake

I've heard through the grapevine

that someone can't shut up about me

<3 Blake

Bradley

It’s not my fault, normally when

I kiss a girl they can’t leave me alone

“You’ve got yourself one cocky friend” Blake chuckled as she looked at the text from the boy. She had barely looked up from her phone when a response came through.

“All pilots are cocky, if we didn’t have such big heads we wouldn’t be as aerodynamic” Blake laughed at Nat’s response, not minding Bradley’s cockiness one bit.

“Thanks for making me text him, I can be pretty stubborn about these kind of things” Blake said waving her phone as she set it back down in her cart, waiting a moment to text the eager boy back.

“No problem, I get letting people in is hard but if you were going to let anyone, Bradley is a good choice” Blake smiled and nodded before slowly starting back down the aisle.

“Oh wait, Nat?” Blake turned to see the girl stop and face her. “Do you know Bradley’s favorite cereal?”

“He likes Captain Crunch” she told her and Blake thanked her as she grabbed the box off the shelf. Nat watched as the girl walked away, a content smile on her face.

Blake

I’d love to prove you wrong but

I’d rather invite you over tonight?

Bradley

Be there in 20

Blake was halfway done unloading groceries when she heard the truck door slam. She had left the door open for him again so once he approached she could smile at him from inside as she continued to put stuff away. “Hey B”

“Hey other B” Blake grinned back as he let himself inside.

“I thought you were never gonna text me” he told her as he sat himself at the counter, content with watching her put groceries away.

“And I thought you gave up on your morning run” Bradley’s eyes widened as she said this. He never assumed that she would notice. Then it all made sense why she never texted, she thought he had ghosted her first.

“I wish that was the case, they’ve been making us train earlier in the day. No one really has a hang of it yet” Bradley wasn’t allowed to give much detail, but they’d practically doubled their hours trying to make it in time. It didn’t help that is was Maverick they were training with.

“Are you on a tight schedule?” Blake started to feel bad for making him leave base if he needed to be focusing on something more important.

“Kind of, we have a big mission coming up. I don’t even know if I’ll be picked though” Bradley shook his head, knowing him and Hangman were neck and neck when it came down to it.

“Should you have stayed at base, I didn’t mean to drag you away” Bradley immediately shook his head, wanting to reassure the girl.

“No, we have the weekend actually. Our last weekend before the big operation” Bradley didn’t want to explain that they were given the weekend for loved ones, a last opportunity kind of thing. The mission was one you could easily never come back from.

“So what do I have to do, to get you to spend that with me?” Blake asked and Bradley felt the tips of his ears heat up.

“You say the word and I’m here all weekend” he was already bummed about having no one to spend the weekend with. Now he would get to spend it with her.

“Stay all weekend?” she asked and Bradley grinned. Blake wanted a trial run, a two day trial run. Maybe she could allow someone back into her life for once.

“There’s no place I’d rather be” he smirked and Blake laughed as she emptied the last bag, setting the cereal on the counter. Bradley reached out and grabbed the box. “I love Captain Crunch”

“You can have some in the morning” the indication of him staying the night made his face redden some more.

“You sound like my Mom” he told her and she belly laughed as she finished putting away all the groceries. Bradley watched as she walked over to him, and he turned to face her. The minute her hips nudged with each of his knee caps his heart rate doubled in speed.

“I don’t need you spoiling your dinner” she told him and Bradley wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him in a hug.

“If you’re serving up dinner does that mean I get to serve up dessert?” Bradley asked, his face mushing into her neck as he fluttered kisses along the side. Blake hummed contently at the feeling.

“I guess that depends on how well you behave” she told him, hands running through the short strawberry brown locks.

“I don’t plan on behaving at all” he whispered into her neck, causing her to shudder as his hands firmly squeezed her ass.

“I expected as much” she told him as he pulled his face from her neck and looked her in the eyes. “But if you plan to misbehave, wait until I’m done cooking”

“I’m not that patient” he told her and she chuckled and shook her head before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, his mustache scratching her in the process.

“You’re a Navy Pilot, I think you can handle yourself for thirty minutes” Bradley had no argument against this as she removed herself from his grip and moved to the stove where she started to cook for two. Which when you think about it, isn’t much more than one.

“I’m sorry if you thought I was avoiding you” Bradley said as she continued to work on the dinner.

“I’m sorry for not texting you” she offered back and he smiled softly at her. If this was his last weekend of freedom he was glad he was spending it here. Without the crushing reminder of loneliness and his bitter feelings towards Maverick. It was just him and a beautiful girl, one he’d like to learn more about, and it was the best distraction he could ask for.

“It’s okay, but I was close to coming and knocking down your door considering you had my number and I didn’t have yours” Bradley teased and she shook her head, a dopey grin on her face. She liked having someone around that made her smile so much.

“It’s more fun that way though, knowing you have all the power” she gave him a pointed look, knowing she was mainly in control of this relationship so far, no matter what it was.

“I’m not used to passing over the reigns” he told her and she chuckled, turning to fully face him as she allowed the dish to cook.

“You’ll have to get used to it because I’m a leader, always have been. My cousins used to pick on me for how easily control came to me” Blake stopped suddenly, sucking in a sharp breath at the mention of her cousins. She hadn’t had a thought like that infiltrate her mind and so easily slip out to none other than a stranger. Bradley noticed this, how her lip slightly quivered, and she regained her composure. He thought to himself how in control she was of her emotions. She was right about being a leader.

“Your cousins, are you close?” Blake started shaking her head and turned back to her food. Clearly trying to find a way to escape the conversation.

“We were” she said sharply, fighting to keep her tears away. She never would’ve considered allowing someone in her life would make her so easily crumble to all the ways she worked to keep those kind of thoughts at bay.

“Is that because you left?” Bradley didn’t want to push, but if he had cousins he would do everything in his power to stay with them.

“No, they backed away long before I decided to take my own step back” it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him.

"Not to overstep, but if I had the choice I wouldn't of given up on them. Life takes a lot of turns, and people come and go, but sometimes youre lucky enough to have the ones who stay. If you ask me it sounds like you had the choice to stay and you left them" Blake felt the tears slip and she stepped back from the stove so they wouldn’t land in their dinner. Bradley had done nothing but offer her the truth, and he was also the first person to get through to her in a long time.

"Why is it you always have the perfect thing to say?" she asked as she quickly wiped her eyes and turned to face him again.

"I've been on my own a long time, not by choice. I spend everyday thinking about what my life would be if I still had my parents and Uncle Maverick" he told her and she drew her eyebrows together.

"You lost your Uncle too?" she asked and he shook his head.

"No, we had a falling out a few years back. Somet things you just can't come back from" he told her and she shook her head.

"Sounds like you need to take some of your own advice" she said squeezing his hand and for the frst time he thought about how he never gave Maverick a chance to explain. He never allowed himself to see how hard Maverick was actualy trying to fix things. Not only did Bradley lose his father but Maverick lost him too.

"I guess I do. Maybe the two of us just need to work on our people skills" he offered and she chuckled as she wiped away the remaining tears in her eyes.

"How about we start with each ottoher?" she asked, content on just being here with him because somehow he managed to comfort her despite only knowing him a few days.

"I'd love to work on my people skills with you" he said as he stood and wrapped his arms around her waist. Bradley gave her a quick spin, trying to lighten the sad mood they always managed to find with each other.

"I have a feeling you’re going to pretty good at it" Blake told him and Bradley chuckled and teasingly shook his head at the girl before pulling her to his lips for a real kiss. Never would he have thought book girl would be as amazing as this, if he could keep her forever he would.

Tag list: @emma8895eb

Comment if you want to be added to the tag list :))

[swordduels]

About Circe

Obs: My version of Circe is not 100% following the myths and poems where she appears. I've borrowed aspects and spun my own story elements. She's not evil or entirely heroic but have questionable moral. My version of Circe is much like the Greek Gods themselves, very flawed.

---

Name: Circe

Age: Appear as a woman in her 35-40's but has existed long before her name was written down in Greek poems.

Sexuality: Lesbian.

Species: Human with magical abilities. Social status: Queen of her own island.

Nationality: Greece, I'll specify her origin once I've done more research.

Personality: Has a hot temper that makes her impulsive and clouds her judgement. She's prideful and hate being looked down upon. Likes treasures and a comfortable life style. Circe has a playful and sadistic streak when being angered. Because of it she creates gambling schemes for revenge that sometimes fail because of her own short comings. She take pride in her own decision making and view herself as a benevolent ruler despite the obvious hatred for men that often seep into her behavior, commentary and law system. She has a bias towards women as well as animals but can't stand being around kids. Circe's hatred towards men comes from her own experiences of creepy men who viewed her as a sexual object as well as how unfair her own community treated women.

Appearance:

Background: Circe came from a humble beginning and was taught magic by an elderly woman. As an adult she went against the Gods and Zeus himself started to fear Circe's growing powers would be used to overthrow him from his position as a leader. In order to get Circe under his control Zeus placed her onto an island with no way to leave. Around her spiritual neck was an invicible chain connected to the island's center. Said chain allowed her to move through the land and only above the highest mountain. She can swim towards the outer cliffs as well. If Circe for whatever reason tries to go farther away she'll start to suffocate.

The island: Finding the island is quite difficult as it floats around the tropical seas while being surrounded by a magical mist that obscure it's existance from mortals and non magical beings. (Yes I take some inspiration from both the Lost series and Rick Riordan's book series Percy Jackson). From time to time there are however people who accidently get stranded on the island and like Circe they couldn't leave. Every attempt to do so forced people back.

With time Circe became a queen of a growing community. The community became a culture with diverse customs regarding language, singing, dancing and other expressions. Women gained more rights than many countries in Greece allowed. Only men who were shown to do crimes became slaves. Everyone arriving to the island would get a job according to their skills and allowed housing. Those who showed open disrespect towards Circe face to face risked becoming an animal and in worst case slaughtered.

Powers: Her bread and butter is to turn people into animals with the snap of her fingers. She can communicate with animals and understand animal speach. Part of the communication ability is to order animals to do her bidding. For example, act as her eyes and ears or retrieve objects.

Another ability she has is to transfer her mind/soul into animals or humans where she will remain as long as the host accept her being there or she decide to leave on her own. While leaving her body it'll be defenseless against any and all attacks that may happen. If she has left her own body and someone succesfully kills it she is technically dead and will go through excuciating pain as the bond to her body is cut, but her mind/soul will remain in another body. She can't go back to her body and has to constantly move through different hosts to remain.

She has the ability to read minds but only as long the other person allows it.

She can move thing away with hand gestures or make items rattle through strong emotions but she's not overly skilled with transforming non living objects.

She can make plant life grow faster as long as she has water, dirt, seeds and warmth available. She can use spit instead of water or a fire instead of sunlight, when these things are lacking.

Many of her spells get stronger if she knows a person's name. Some are connected with gestures and spoken words. As mentioned earlier she snaps her fingers to turn people into animals but she can also affect emotions or give orders by clapping her hands. Circe often use mental spells with rhymes.

She can sense spells, heartbeats, scents and emotion from a distant. Circe can also sense memories in objects or places.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 17/11/2023

Beyond the Floating Isles

Season 4 Episode 2 Featured on: Summer​-​Colored Smiles ~ The SiIvaSummer All​-​Star Festival Collection

Ripped by redoxwarfare

Due to the absolute volume of rips per each album, a lot of my time listening to SiIvaGunner is done so rather passively. I'll chuckle with a joke I recognize, add tracks to "Banger" and "Vibes" playlists if I'm enjoying them, and continue with my day. Its only when I decide to just listen to those playlists in particular that my brain starts getting into gear again. Like...what *is* Beyond the Floating Isles even from? I knew it was an absolute vibe of a rip, yet knew nothing else about it. That was when my journey started - and my sudden, adoring infatuation with the band "Crying".

I only just recently turned 22 years old, and for a long part of that life, I didn't really...listen to music. I enjoyed looking up my favorite video game music, and Minecraft music videos were of course part of the collective childhood of my generation...yet the act of just listening to music for music's sake, the appeal of the creative medium, was somehow lost on me. There's likely something deep-rooted in my neurodivergent mind that explains this, but SiIvaGunner has as a result been a way for me to find bands and albums that I truly connect with - through the shared passion of video game music, I've been able to grow that emotional attachment to bands that I otherwise wholly felt like I lacked. The most prominent example of that is of course Maroon 5 thanks to channel creator Chaze the Chat's enduring passion for the band in the channel's first four Seasons: I've discussed in posts like Moves Like K.K. just how much that passion reflected back onto me, and its far from the only band I've gone through this with. It may sound silly to say, but these video game mashups and arrangements and meme edits have genuinely helped me grow attached to vocals and melodies and themes from the wider music industry that I never would've otherwise.

Which brings us to my most recent experience with this - Beyond the Floating Isles, and Patriot by Crying. After making more of an initiative for myself to listen to more non-VGM this year, and after having this rip sit in my playlists for years on end, I decided it was finally time to do my due digging. What I found was a band I'd never heard of before, with only one true album release, and a lack of any real activity over the last six years. Beyond the Fleeting Gales sits at just shy of 150 thousand views on YouTube - less than SEVERAL of the rips I've covered here on this blog, yet is one of my new all-time favorite albums yet released. Patriot may be the song covered in today's rip and the one I'm the most emotionally attached to, but the album in its entirety exudes a similar vibe that I'm absolutely enamored with - a vibe that redoxwarfare did an incredible job distilling into a rip. Float Islands was an excellent choice for a song to use for such an atmospheric, uplifting song as Patriot - the two themes have little in common in terms of joke-material, but its clear to me that Beyond the Floating Isles was not made with comedy as its main intent.

I have no connection to redoxwarfare - never spoken, not sure of which rips they've made prior, and no true image of their interests and goals as a ripper. Yet Beyond the Floating Isles speaks with so much intent and love - love for a band that feels destined to be forgotten, yet is adored by the few in the masses who have found them. And I extend my deepest, sincerest gratitude toward redoxwarfare for succesfully introducing me to Crying - even if its three years after the fact, I now finally see the Fleeting Gales, and beyond.

(no but seriously go listen to Crying i will break traditional post formatting just to give you easy access to it theyre SO GOOD)

[cornus27florida]

for neither can live while the other survives …

@alexandersimpleton @meritre24601 Time Fix AU summary!

The biggest problem in this Frederick rewind the past (Time Fix AU) fic is, he only know what he sees/heard/experienced until ep 145 - so that's means certain important CPC plot points that he not witness and unaware will be unknown to him + huge disadvantage that he didn't know what Leland planning. Basic CPC arcs where Frederick participates in order are as the following (crossed out if in canon, Frederick not there so he has no knowledge regarding about it):

Introductions up to Jamie's wake, and the day after (ep16) he returns to the past

Gwen's slumber party diverges to CPC learns the time curse that Frederick had from the letter [example of the 'cursed' letter taken from Spy x Family latest chapter]

3) The trip to the amusement park -> instead going to the site 'perfect relation-ship' with Jamie, here Frederick going to the Mirror House

4) Prez lecture, meets Aurelia and Renee changes to Frederick first meeting to CPC, instead much later on like canon + Frederick's day (ep33-34) will changes, I think idea that he try to explain his curse to his family sans Leland will be good

5) CPC outing lessons -> CPC learns more about the time curse, how it connected to Frederick and Gwen + meeting Princels, but have outcome that Orson geeking about ToRT with Fred + Balcony serenade, not sure how it goes bit it differs with canon because now Fred w CPC

6) Lance BD party - CPC got closed for a week because Prez got period and transformed to be were-spider atm

7) Aurelia's trickery not sure how to make new plan for her outing both Gwen and Fred from the club + Premonition, Frederick's initation, Whitney meets CPC early and reveals the truth about the curse name is "star-crossed lovers"

8) Potrait duel + moving the part of Pastel queen potrait mystery in here, comes quicker because deadline sooner

9) CPC intruder arc - the day when death premonition happen

10) Switching the order time of Gwen's dinner party and Jamie's art show event? Kinda interesting to add Beckett and Leopold in the dinner guests but is that realistic?

11) Calm before storm, countdown of less than a month for the "death"line - revealing truths about the Diary of Lilyth (Gwen's side to prevent her death) and Leland's Plan (Frederick's side to prevent his death, deeps in the hole)

12) The Gala, is the final arc in this time fix AU with;

good ending: they discover the nature of their death, succesfully thwarted it with capturing Leland with crime of faking artifact.

bad ending: their efforts fail, Gwen and Fred doomed to die

P.S: regarding "Star-Crossed Lovers" curse

Two lovers doomed to be kept apart no matter how hard they struggle to be together. It may be Fate, or fatally-Feuding Families, or it may be something as mundane as a few hundred miles' separation, but something will always be in their way. In modern times, the term "star-crossed" is often unknowingly misused to mean lovers who are meant to be together. It means just the opposite — the stars (i.e. destiny or the heavens) have ruled against them, or "crossed" their plan. It usually, but not always, refers to unlucky outcomes. Two lovers might be not together in life, but could be in the after-life after passing away together - now in term of this fic;

somewhere in the middle of the story, Whitney 'crashing' Frederick's initiation a.k.a the Slumber Party when Gwen giving miss princess P.A.N.D.A keychain to Frederick. Then..

Whitney: This the first time I've seen someone with 'star-crossed lovers' curse.. you two fates are intertwined so tightly to each other.. Neither can live while the other survives...

Abbi: wait, why the curse's name is romantic? stars & lovers...

Syrah: Abbi no, is more omnious.. tragic even..

Monika: I remember this similar with the tale from my kingdom.. Orihime and Okibishi

Nell: This curse means both Gwen and Frederick should surviving their future together, or if can't will die together

...So, it's impossible for me to passed away without trace - because I will dragging Gwen to die together with me?

This indeed omnious, but I am kinda glad? This will make sure that Frederick won't thinks lowly about his life. He should survives so we could be together in this world...

#angsts with happy ending (hopefully)

[arainmorn-art]

Ooooooh gosh. Watching Enola Holmes now. I'm only on the first hour, ugh. Right after THIS SCENE. It was so cringy and laughable I can't. This scene is a pure mindless power fantasy. I'm trying to tell myself that it's just a movie for teenage girls, I shouldn't be nitpicky, the tone of the movie is not serious... but I'm reading the Youtube comments under this video praising the scene and I want to talk about it. I'm a girl, I've been doing martial arts (mixed aikido) for three years and let me tell you this scene was bad. You know... I hoped this movie would be about outwitting your opponents, using your brains as your biggest strengths as a girl in a Victorian era. But whom I was kidding, we have a Netflix girl power movie, so let's get rid of any common sense.

First of all, that man was clearly not trying to kill Enola with those gently tossing and barely punching the air around her he did. One of the first things my sensei and his sensei told me is that no matter are you a man or a woman you have not many chances against a person who really, really wants to kill you. Not just frighten and rob you, kill you. Even very well-trained people now that. And they want to tell us, that a 16 year old girl having just lightly sparring with her suffragette terrorist mom in the garden could stand against an adult hitman? For how long Hollywood and Netflix will tell teenage girls and young women this type of lie? Oh boy. Let's take a look at the Enola's fight. This stunt on 1:30 might look impressive, but it's a garbage. It reminds me of throw from aikido for competions, which is not for real street fights, it's for show, so it makes a good base for stunts.

Yes, the uke (attacker) clearly knows when and how to jump to minimize the pain when the force is applied to his wrist and elbow joints, but the thing is the seme (defending) applies the force to unbalance the opponent and then throw him (my English is horrendous now, I know). Seme also never gets on his opponent's line of fall, he needs to stay in the control of situation (at least in aikido). But I keep rewatching that moment in the movie and I can't fucking see the moment where Enola would succesfully unbalance her opponent to do this throw. She kicked him with an elbow in his lower ribs, which is not a bad move, but not enough to desorient him with pain or to get him to bend over, it was not a solar plexis. And then SHE FUCKINGS JUMPS. She does a fucking flip with her 40 kilo ass to not only fakely throw him off balance, but to make him jump up and then land neatly past her, not on her, because she literally dives under his falling body with that move. Props to the actor to fall so carefully and not hurting Millie. Ugh.

Second, a man can crush woman's airpipe and skull with his bare hands, and usually easily outrun her. Men generally are stronger and faster. It's just a man design, they are built differently. That's why female and male sport competions are separated. Buuuuuut "Enola Holmes"'s executeves want to tell us, that a half-drowned girl in a dress and a corset was SO fast, that an adult fit man without a dress and a corset had to JUMP to hook her leg with a cane and stop her. Alright, she dodges his next strikes, though honestly I hardly find it believable, but then he takes her and throws against the wall. In such situation an air quickly leaves your lungs and you 're not likely to recover quickly, you also might have a concussion. Besides the drowning that's another point where our heroine could be done. By the way, the drowning was a bit more convincing, but then they pulled that eye-rolling gotcha moment with tricking and winking. It still was possible not because the heroine is smart, but because the attacker was stupid and indecisive. And he keeps being like that. As soon as she was on a ground everything could be finished very fast like in these brutal first seconds from Lucy's video:

He could kick her in the stomach, in the face, crack her skull with his boot, break her ribs, broken ribs would pop her lungs, there'd be internal bleeding, noone is here to save her - it would be over. And since he also has a knife, oh geeeeeee. Why. Why the killer must be so confused about finding out she wears a corset, when HE IS IN THE RIGHT REACH TO PULL OUT THE KNIFE FROM THE CORSET AND SLIT HER FUCKING THROAT. The adrenaline must be pumping, even a semi-realistic burglar would not wait for Enola to unbotten her dress to show him a corset, for fuck sake. Ah, yeah, if he would be still stupid enough to not slit her throat right away he would say "Thanks for letting me know!" and stabbed her holding the blade vertically, not across.

This scene is not only child-friendly, it is very girl-friendly. Very clean (with a tiny bit of dirt to add some grittiness), very careful so main heroine wouldn't get any hits in the face as the face must stay pretty, very naive as if her fight mistakes, which were praised for making the fight more realistic and the character not Mary Sue, would not be deadly to her and also if the killer was not hardly dumbed and slowed down, oooh, with a little bit of pain on the actress face so you could worry for her and all this jazz. And gooooooooooooooooooosh how cocky Enola is here it's infuriating. At the end of this scene she was not outsmarting her attacker, it was a very dumb luck that he threw her in the barn with explosives. Honestly, to make this scene both more realistic and smart they should have create a thriller Alien-like scene where the protagonist must use her wit and knowledge (which are so often mentioned in this movie) to actually outsmart the hitman. What about her knowledge in chemistry? Or for Netflix writers it is only "Ha-ha, nerds do boom-boom with chemicals!"? Fine, do something more with explosives. Do something with her knowledge in physics. Do something other than using brute force! Because you clearly can't do it too!

Ugh, I'm tired and frustrated now. And I can't imagine why would they call her Sherlock's sister aside from marketing reasons. Marketing worked, I'm watching it. I hoped to look at Henry Cavill's Sherlock having Henry's charm and beauty and Holmes's intelligance, but this is not a Sherlock but a random quite dense dude from any other story and there's a microscopic amount of Henry's performance. And nothing of it is smart. A character's intellectual ability is directly related to the intelligence of the writer. And I can firmly say this whole mess is a popcorn pew-pew show in Victorian costumes, and not anyhow a Sherlock Holmes story.

Let's move on.

[pacinosgf]

many old guard stars have succesfully made the transition into the digital era, but barbara ann robinson is not of them: no social media team or presence whatsoever, though is known that she keeps a tight staff running anything related to her work. since she started dating a (younger) girl a few years ago, she has made some appearances on the internet: besides showing up on her girlfriend's account from time to time, barbara now has an instagram account from herself, where she posts videos playing bass and piano from time to time with the help of her beloved girlfriend. still, no one imagined she would show up in 2022 to talk about her only dig at a solo career for spotify, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the cult classic contemplations and ramblings.

     barbara ann: it's been 40 years since contemplations. that's more than half of my life. ( barbara chucks lightly to the camera, dressed in one of her famous flowy dresses and wearing her cowboy boots. ) so many things have happened since then. i've had girlfriends. i've broken up and reconciled with my husband. i've written some songs, we will get back to this. i've done some few shows. i turn 75 this year. it's been an eventful, mostly good, life. above everything, it's my life, and i think it's already obvious how much i like to ramble. i have always thought a bit too much for my own good, but it's important to contemplate from time to time, to remember where you came from and check where you are now. that's what i needed to do when i released contemplations. that was my remembering-and-checking moment.

     barbara ann: so, the first song is core. i had just come back from what you could call a nervous breakdown. i was desperately trying to get back on my feet, all i had to talk about was this solid emptiness inside of me. when i realized i wanted to do this record, and i wanted the theme to be, you know, my contemplations, i knew i wanted it to go from low to high. i start the record by saying that i know i ruined it all, that i couldn't face myself and that, well, if you are here you know it- that breaking up with brooke wellington messed me up. but there i was now, ready to accept the punch and move on with my life. the only thing that could truly make me feel better was reconciling with her, and that was not going to happen, so. i had to go on.

( pictures from the robinsons personal archives are shown on the screen, with home videos of barbara in her home studio and newspaper cutouts about barbara at the time of her mental breakdown and the end of midnight mayhems. )

     barbara ann: the second is don't tell me, the first one of many i wrote about brooke. you know, during my breakdown, i wasn't in the country, i was travelling. this is one of the first songs i wrote once i felt like myself again, probably at some european beach, while my husband pretended not to look what i was writing. it's me, finally letting some of this terrible pain crawl out of my body. if you don't know anything about the relationship me and brooke had, you'd think, by the lyrics, it was easier and ended better than it actually did. i still have this journal entry.

     barbara ann: this is where the fun starts, and the point where the rock fans who bought the record finally shut up about all my folk and country. success would be a perfect country song, but i wanted a contrast between the desperate lyrics and the dancing sound. i like to think some kids danced over my lyrics complaining about how terrible were the shifts as a nurse and how nobody but me believed that i could make it as a singer. it's a personal favorite out of the tracklist.

     barbara ann: here we come with success' sister, failure. thank god i became more subtle with time. also a rock song, now i admit that though i was in the top of the world at some point, i certainly didn't feel like it. i wasted that time worrying and once it was over i lost everything i loved. i had wasted all my years of hard work. when i listen to this one, i feel this sorrow all over again. it was not easy for me to admit that i had failed, that we had lost the war. but once again, the rythm distracts you from all that. failure is also an answer to brooke's playing your song, but i am only admitting this now.

     barbara ann: annie is my childhood nickname and the fifth song of the record. it's the longest one. my parents were odd and shy people just like i am, and though they mainly expressed their love through giving me a bed to sleep and food to eat, they were very loving. as a girl, me having to get married and leave home destroyed them. if it weren't the fact that i had to get married so i could study and leave my town, i would have stayed with them forever. it took me long to get used to the idea that my family would now be my husband's family and my only connection with the family i was born would now be my memories. i loved them. after my first tour with the band, i came back home all excited to share that happiness with them. they weren't so pleased.

( three pictures of young barbara show up on the screen. barbara as a baby on her father's truck, barbara studying as a well-behaved teenage girl and barbara smiling for the camera on the day of her wedding, just a few moments before becoming mrs. robinson. )

     barbara ann: the contemplations wouldn't be complete if i didn't come back to my childhood. i talk about running with the chickens all over our farm, about dreading my aunt's piano lessons, about being a young girl waiting for her lover to show up. about being a grown woman who had lived so much since then and wondering how that girl became this. i talk about how me and jim have been solid as a rock since the moment i agreed to be with him. i talk about how i never actually thought me and brooke would ever be over. i talk a lot. nowadays only jim calls me annie, since it's the person that has been the longest with me, and that's what i like about our relationship. he has seen and been through all the barbaras that i have been.

     barbara ann: i go back to talking about brooke with crazy on you. it's quite a sensual song. our relationship wasn't all about sex, but it was a big deal for both of us. brooke was, is, a free spirit, and it took me long to follow her steps and stop being so repressed. i think she would still call me repressed. but here i reminisce our nights on tour, when everything was so intense and hot and there was nothing we wanted to do more than to go crazy on each other. i try to sing like she does, i reference her song ash. i really did not want to be subtle.

     barbara ann: bait and love bites are sensual too, but in a different way. i acknowledge the complexities of our relationship, how one day we would be making love promises to each other and then the next day we'd say we were just messing around, and then the next we would break up. and repeat it all the next day. but it didn't matter, because we always came back to each other. even after all those years, if she called me, i'd drop anything to answer. i'm her bait. for love bites. and all.

     barbara ann: we get to moving on, where i finally collect myself and stop crying over brooke. it was hard, but i did. there is a point where you learn how to live with the pain and the simple things that suddenly seemed so hard to do become simple again. i'd never get over her, but for my own sake, i had to pretend i could. and so i did.

     barbara ann: it's a stroke of luck having myself again, i saw a girl in the street wearing this shirt once. stroke is my favorite song out of the released ones. it's me, being able to trust myself again, being able to live with myself again. i have the belief that you don't have to love yourself, but you can't make your own life harder than it needs to be. you have to at least be neutral about yourself, and i liked having myself on my side.

     barbara ann: the last one is call her. it obviously doesn't match the rest of the record, but i needed to add it, so entranced i was by amèlie bergstein's charm, whom i met at one of those boring hollywood parties. she flirted with me and said i should make a new record, i promptly told her i had a few song written down. it's also the only song out of the album that became a hit, the song to her, the song about her. i know for a fact she loves it.

     barbara ann: this is the official tracklist, the one i released way back in 1982. many songs were left out, and those, along some others that i have written over the years, will be released in contemplations and ramblings' special reissue for its 40th anniversary. i told you i had lived so much since then. ( barbara chuckles, and the camera lowers down to show the record cover she holds, a modern version of the contemplations one, with older barbara and her characteristic melancholic look staring at the camera. )

( once again pictures from the robinsons person archive show up on the screen, pictures taken since 1982. you can see barbara with her stepchildren, barbara and some of the girlfriends she had since then, barbara and jim at their ranch. )

     barbara ann: we start the new batch with bw. somehow someone leaked it and now there are dozens of audios of the song around the internet. i recorded it so it could be on contemplations, but i thought it was too heavy for the record. i still think it's quite heavy. it's another song that i wrote during my exile, and you can see by all the traces of sorrow and bitterness in the lyrics. it's bw for brooke wellington. i couldn't find a better name for it, but the lyrics made up for the lack of a creative name. i've never been more honest in a song. this kind of love i wrote about back then, which is the love we had, is not one you get over. i lost myself when i lost her, and i got myself back by accepting that i could not get her back, but daydreaming about it should be enough.

     barbara ann: on a brighter note, we have maybe love. it's about my husband. i've never written many songs about him, which i know upsets him and it's a flaw of mine. i was always very protective of our relationship, because i soon realized people understood brooke and dash's arrangement better than ours. brooke and dash were different people. they would scream and get their feelings out and they didn't care about anything as long as they were having fun. but me and jim worried, i felt bad because i loved someone else, he felt bad because he could never compare, we would suck it up until we finally exploded. but i also haven't written many songs about him because me and jim were real. solid. we existed in both of the worlds we lived. we were in the same band, but we also would go back home and do the groceries and i'd say that he had to fix the sink and he'd say i had burned the eggs again. the day-to-day mattered me. meanwhile, i had to resort to writing songs to talk about my relationship with brooke.

     barbara ann: anyway, maybe love goes back to our early days, as boyfriend and girlfriend, as newlyweds. i remember the anxiety i felt about finally becoming a woman, going from girl to wife in a night. i didn't love jim from the start, but i wanted to, and as we progressed, as i felt it was safe to trust him... well, after so many years, we are still together, you see.

     barbara ann: i sang this one in a midnight mayhems' concert once and it almost made it into the contemplations' setlist, but it's finally out. renegade is, obviously, about brooke, straight out of the midnight mayhems momentum. as i sang it and attentively watched her face so i could see what she was thinking, she held her head high and went on drinking her beer, left the stage a few times, didn't say much besides alright, enough with the moping. she had this thing about saying that she never needed anybody or anything, that nothing could ever affect her. we fought a lot about this. i wanted to be there for her, she wanted me to go easy and leave her alone. the drugs and the chaos gave her an escape from this life, while i wanted to pull her out of that. i couldn't accept to watch her destroying herself. sometimes i though she did it on purpose, kept fucking herself up so i would get tired of her or whatever. i couldn't understand her, she couldn't understand me. after i finished the song, just me, rambling alone on the mic and playing a made in the moment melody for five minutes, i remember dash said something like you are fucked up, barbara on his mic. as always, we aired the dirty laundry on stage. the only thing we did without a crowd, besides sex, was breaking up.

     barbara ann: his song is about the years me and jim spent apart. i wanted to free him from our relationship, so i said he was free to go, to meet someone nice and have a normal relationship as he dserved. i wanted him to do it. but he felt i was getting rid of him, so he got back at me. if you are here, you know what happened, i don't wanna talk about it, but the song is i what i felt during those years. i thought we'd never reconcile. i still haven't forgiven him for what he did. but then again, he will never forgive me for falling in love with someone else. we will have to keep on living this way.

     barbara ann: if it's been 40 years since contemplations, it's been a bit longer since the moment i told brooke i was leaving. we have done a few band reunions, we never had a proper relationship, but my love for her is still as strong as it was then. every girlfriend of mine has had to deal with her shadow, and i don't plan to get rid of it. this love keeps me grounded, as much i have suffered over it, as much as it is hopeless. as you age, you start to appreciate even the bad things that happened to you. i will always ache over the fact that we didn't work out, but at the same time it's such a beautiful feeling! i wouldn't trade it for anything. our love was fleeting and intense in a way that doesn't seem real. sometimes i wonder if she ever loved me too or if i simply want to believe she did. but what is the good in thinking so much? love is something to feel.

     barbara ann: and i do feel. i never buried brooke's ashes, you see. i kept the memories as my allies in life, close to me so i could dip into them whenever reality felt too much. ashes is a song i wrote for contemplations, but it never made into the final cut. i think i only recorded half of it back then. jim asked me to not release it, and though he gave me no reason, i felt obliged to comply. he had never felt anything so strong about my work to the point he couldn't simply ignore it. but we have accepted our problems since then, enough that i'm releasing it now.

     barbara ann: the same way i accept mine and brooke's relationship in ashes, i accept mine and jim's relationship in yosemite. we did good things for each other, we did bad things for each other, through affairs and children and breakdowns, we are the person each other wants to be with every day, and so we will, until we die.

     barbara ann: we finish with years, baby sister to annie and stroke. it's me, talking to myself, once again thinking about everything that happened in my life and who i am in this world. ever since i was a child and even after i decided to retreat from living in the spotlight, people have been trying to tell me who i am, who i must be, and their words were once my sense of self. this is the past. the best thing aging gives you is that you realize that nothing really matters in this world, but that you must engage with life anyway. before we even know it, it's over, but we once lived.

@gllianowens