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casuallyimagining · 2 years ago

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The Roommate | myg

Min Yoongi x reader

Summary: After years of living apart, Yoongi is finally reunited with his favorite roommate. And he’s excited to introduce him to his new favorite roommate. Word Count: 1,877 Genre: Slice of life, fluff Warnings: none

Notes: Thanks to @daechwitatamic for beta-ing and to @joheunsaram for the banner.

Part of the Long Term Couples series. Read more here.

You could feel Yoongi’s nerves from across the room. He sat on the couch, attempting to watch the Trailblazers/Clippers game. The game was still in the first quarter, but he seemingly hadn’t watched any of it yet, his eyes darting back and forth between the tv and his phone. He looked up briefly as one of the LA players scored on an easy lay-up, but immediately, his focus shifted back to his phone.

“We’re sure Geumjae said 11:30?” he asked, dark eyes finding you as you sat beside him on the couch.

You handed him a peeled tangerine. “Yes, love. You triple-checked.”

You leaned into him gently, still careful of his shoulder despite the fact that it had been months since he’d had to wear the sling, and weeks since he’d had much trouble with it outside of therapy. He huffed, slinging an arm over your shoulders. He barely acknowledged the tangerine in his hands, and you took it back from him, splitting it into tiny segments.

“Relax,” you said softly. “He’ll get here when he gets here.”

“I know.” Yoongi’s voice was a little sheepish, and he nuzzled into the side of your head slightly. “I’m just…”

“Nervous?”

“It’s been a long time. What if he doesn’t remember me?”

“He’s a dog, love. Everything’ll be fine.”

Silence fell, and Yoongi’s attention finally found the basketball game on the tv. You forced individual tangerine slices into his hands in an effort to keep him from obsessing over the time and his phone. Geumjae would arrive soon enough. It was a little amusing to see him this nervous–Yoongi was rarely nervous about anything–and part of you wondered if he had ever been this nervous about anything related to you. You doubted it. He always seemed to have himself together with you.

But you kind of understood it, too. Pets hadn’t been allowed at the dorms for more than visits, and your old landlord would have kicked you to the curb the second he found out that you’d had a pet in your apartment. So Yoongi hadn’t been able to really have his dog for something like two years. But now that the two of you had your own place? He’d called Geumjae immediately.

The door buzzed, and Yoongi jumped to his feet. You watched him practically fly towards the front door, his fingers hitting the intercom almost violently.

“Let hyung upstairs!” the voice on the other end called, the jovial tone evident even through the slight distortion of the speaker.

The intercom beeped as Yoongi let Geumjae in.

You’d met Geumjae only once before this, when he’d brought you and Yoongi dinner shortly after his shoulder surgery. He’d insisted that he’d wanted to come on his own, but you both suspected that really, it was Yoongi’s mother’s doing. He seemed nice enough, though, a little more social than Yoongi, but you would never confuse him for an extrovert. But he was kind, and he’d forced Yoongi to let him pay for the meal you’d shared.

Not even five minutes later, the doorbell rang, and once again, Yoongi was nervous dancing his way back to the foyer. The family resemblance between the brothers was almost uncanny. Geumjae had the same button nose and cat-like eyes, and his face was just as round as Yoongi’s, though his jaw was slightly more pronounced.

Yoongi cooed as soon as the door opened, and you could hear the jangling of a dog leash even before you saw Holly. When you rounded the corner into the entry, Geumjae smiled at you from the doorway. Yoongi hadn’t even let his brother the whole way in the door–he’d sat down on the floor right there beside the shoes, caramel-colored poodle jumping all over him. Your boyfriend was just as excited, playfully pushing Holly this way and that, getting the pup riled up and laughing as he jumped back and forth around his legs.

“I hate to rush off,” Geumjae said to you, stepping carefully around Yoongi and Holly. He handed you a paper bag. “I have to run to a meeting. But this is all of Holly’s stuff. Toys and things.”

“Thanks. For this and for taking care of Holly. I know it means a lot to him.” He waved you off like it was nothing.

“You shouldn’t work so hard, hyung,” Yoongi admonished playfully. He didn’t look up from playing with the pup, who was now very enthusiastically chewing on his hand. “It’s a Saturday–you should have the day off.”

Geumjae looked at his brother, his eyebrows disappearing somewhere around his hairline. “You’re sure this is my brother?”

“Ha-ha,” Yoongi deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

“I’ll see you guys later, yeah?” Geumjae ruffled Yoongi’s hair as he stepped around him and into the hallway. “Later, bro.”

“Bye, hyung. Thanks again.” Yoongi scooped Holly up into his lap, and the pup gave a small bark as Geumjae shut the door. It clicked shut, and Holly wiggled his way out of Yoongi’s grip.

It was then that it seemed that the poodle noticed you, trotting in your direction, nose to the ground. Holly sniffed your feet briefly before jumping on you, his tiny paws resting on your shins just under your knees as he attempted to both investigate you and get your attention.

“Holly, down,” Yoongi scolded, holding his hand up.

After a second, the pup listened, sitting down in front of you. His little butt wiggled with every excited wag of his tail, his little feet tapped against the wooden floor of the entry. You knelt and sat, too, mirroring Yoongi’s position on the ground, and it was barely a second before Holly was on you again. He climbed into your lap, sniffing your arms, your face, your hair. His tail smacked you in the arm the entire time, his little body happily wiggling as he sniffed. His nose was cold, and the short fur on his snout tickled your skin.

Yoongi’s phone pinged, and you heard him groan, your focus going from the overly excited poodle in your lap to your boyfriend. He frowned at the notification, typing out a quick response.

“What’s up?” you asked. Finally, Holly seemed to be content with you, and he hopped off your legs. You could hear his nails clicking on the floors as he moved further into the house.

He sighed and leaned back on his hands, craning his neck to see where Holly had gone. “They’re moving the deadline for that Samsung thing.”

“You have to go?” He nodded. You could see the sadness in his eyes, even though he’d never actually outright admit it. You were planning on relaxing this weekend, taking things slow with introducing Holly and just hanging out and enjoying time with each other. “Take your pain meds before you leave just in case.”

“Someone’s going to send me my files so I can at least work from here. But yeah.”

He stood, reaching out his arms to help you up. You grasped his hands, his calloused fingers wrapping around your wrists as he pulled you to your feet. His arm wrapped around your waist as soon as you were standing, preventing you from going anywhere. Not that you wanted to. He was warm, and his arms seemed to slot perfectly around you. You ran your hands up his chest, playing with his hoodie strings as he gently swayed you back and forth.

“I’ll be quick,” he promised, kissing you quickly. “A couple hours at most.”

“Sure, sure.” Not that you didn’t believe him, but you’d been here before. Now that his shoulder was starting to feel better, he was starting to fall back into his old habits. He got so engrossed in work that often, he’d forget to eat. It was why you’d made it a point to bring him dinner on Fridays when you started dating, and why you’d stay on the phone with him into the wee hours of the morning just to make sure he actually went to sleep in a proper bed, not just his studio couch. “Do what you need to do. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

“Let me know if Holly gives you trouble, okay?” You agreed, leaning in to kiss him twice before letting go of his hoodie.

He left you in the living room, poking his head in to see what Holly was up to before leaving a lingering kiss to the side of your head and disappearing into his office. Holly looked up at the sound of the door closing, his little brown eyes finding you a moment later.

“Guess it’s just you and me for now, bub.” You plopped yourself down on the couch and began to look through the bag Geumjae had given you.

It was hours later when Yoongi emerged from his studio. His shoulder hurt from being hunched too long over his equipment. He massaged what he could reach of his shoulder as he made his way into the living room. Even though it was only mid-afternoon, the house was quiet. He could hear the tv in the living room, but other than that, nothing.

He poked his head into the living room, not wanting to disturb anything. You were curled up on the couch, a blanket draped around you. One of your hands was visible, tapping away at your tablet resting on the arm of the couch. Of course you were working. He chuckled silently and rolled his eyes. As much as you scolded him for working, you were nearly just as bad. You always had some new project for your students–some new song to arrange or work on. He couldn’t see your other hand until he stepped closer. It rested on Holly’s back, the poodle sprawled out like he owned the couch, his little head resting on your lap. Gently, you twirled some of his fur around your finger.

“Hey,” he said softly, attempting–and failing–not to scare you. You and Holly both jumped at his voice. He smiled, feeling a little sheepish. “Sorry.”

You shook your head and beckoned him closer. “You’re done already? I thought you’d be in there for at least another hour.”

“Nah,” he scoffed, resting his hands on your shoulders. He leaned down until he was hovering above you, his hair–which had steadily been getting longer–fell into his eyes. “Wanted to hang out with you too much.”

“Oh my god, you’re so cheesy,” you joked, closing your eyes as he kissed your forehead.

“And I’m hungry.” You smacked his arm–his right arm, always his right arm, never the left so you wouldn’t risk hurting him–but you laughed, pulling him in for another kiss, a proper one.

“Holly wants fried chicken from that place we got last time,” you mumbled against his lips. He could feel your smirk as you kissed him.

Yoongi laughed, kissing you again before he pulled out his phone to order dinner. This wasn’t how he’d planned this day to go. He’d wanted to get Holly setted, maybe take him on a nice walk through the neighborhood. But honestly? This was somehow better than any plans he could have made. You and Holly seemed so far to be natural pals, and really, what more could he ask for?

Part of the Long Term Couples series. Read more here.

#yoongi #min yoongi #yoongi x reader #min yoongi x reader #yoongi fluff #suga #suga x reader #bts yoongi #bts yoongi x reader #bts x reader #bts suga #bts suga x reader #bts

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arwenkenobi48 · 3 years ago

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More Pandæmonium Randomness

“Behold, Cerberus!” Lucifer exclaimed dramatically. The massive shadow slowly shrank until its owner entered the room. It was miniature poodle that looked like a tiny puff of white fur, but it radiated with an otherworldly hatred so intense it was palpable. In addition to that, the poor thing was donned in a little pink jacket, a pink studded collar and it had pink ribbons attached to its tail and head.

“That’s Cerberus!?” The humans almost burst out laughing. “Some Hellhound!” At which point Cerberus charged at them, barking and bearing its fangs with such ferocity that they all drew back in terror. “Arf! Arf! Arararaf!!!” Shrieked the evil poodle, leaping about like a demonic piece of cotton wool. “Cerberus, be nice,” Lucifer smiled affectionately, as if the horrifyingly decorative dog was an unruly child. When the yapping didn’t stop, Lucifer scooped up the dog in his arms.

“Sorry about that, mortals,” he said in a tone of false empathy. “Cerberus is usually very friendly.” Then turning to the dog, in a baby-talk voice “Yesh you are, you’re daddy’s sweet widdle baby aren’t you?” Cerberus stared at Lucifer for a second, then leaned forward and bit him on the nose. “YYYYOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!” Lucifer’s bellow echoed all throughout the nine circles.

————————————————————

Azazel pranced through the streets, feeling genuinely happy. He was wearing his favourite dress, the one that matched his alter ego, Princess Azalea. Singing jovially and conjuring up little spirits in the form of cartoon forest animals, he waltzed up to the steps of Pandæmonium. The doors of the massive mansion flew open. “Oh, no,” Muttered Leviathan. “I hate how chipper and positive he always is,”

Taking the hands of the nearest demon to him, Azazel spun around while singing Once Upon A Dream in falsetto. Mephistopheles, who was trotting by with some files, noticed this extravagant display and remarked “Someone’s on cloud nine this morning,” “Mephistopheles, my dear friend,” Azazel beamed. “You see before you the happiest demon in Hell. I’m engaged!”

Resisting the urge to ask why, Mephistopheles instead replied, in a rather nonchalant tone “My heartiest congratulations. And who, may I ask, is your future life partner?” “That’s the best part,” Azazel grinned. “Her name is Saphirah Morningstar!” Mephistopheles’ face went white with horror. Saphirah was one of Lilith’s daughters, making her Lucifer’s niece and by extension Mephisto’s niece as well. Azazel was about to be part of the Morningstar family.

Unable to process the terror of this revelation, Mephistopheles fainted in a heap. Azazel, oblivious to the can of worms he’d opened, shrugged and said “Oh, golly, he must be more excited about it than I am!” And skipped off on his merry way, singing Disney songs once again.

————————————————————

Mammon stepped out of the shower and shook the water from his scaly body. With a snap of his fingers, his servants were there at once, drying him off with the fluffiest towels you could ever hope to find, polishing his horns and de-misting his sunglasses. The Prince of Greed put them on and said: “Y’know what I want?” The exhausted lesser demons, completely desensitised to their master’s avaricious behaviour, asked “Yes, Lord Mammon?”

Grinning fiendishly, the Draconic demon said: “I want another sauna installed on the third floor. A much bigger one, too, with a posher, more modern aesthetic. And comfier seats. Get building, you two!” He pointed at two lesser demons, who scurried off to do his bidding. “And you two, bring me my suit!“ he commanded the others. “I presume it’s ironed to perfection this time?“ “Yes, Lord Mammon,” they both mumbled.

But just as Mammon was putting on his elaborate outfit, he noticed something. The trousers weren’t going on as easily as normal. “Maybe my legs are still wet,” he thought, and gave the hem a mighty tug. RRRRIIIIIIPPPP!!!! The trousers split and fell apart, leaving him half naked. “What the-!?” Mammon stared in horror and then realised they weren’t his trousers; they were two sizes too small and the brand wasn’t a designer one. He knew at once who was responsible. “MEPHISTOPHELES!!!” He screamed.

Meanwhile, Amon was pissed off, as usual. “For the love of broken bagpipes, where are my fucking pants!?” He growled, flinging the contents of his wardrobe left and right. “Is everything alright?” Mephistopheles enquired slyly. “Some bazooka-brained imbecile stole my pants!” Amon stomped his foot angrily. “Oh, dear!” Mephistopheles exclaimed, feigning a gasp of astonishment. “Now who could possibly do a thing like that, I wonder?”

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. Amon slowly turned and looked at him. “It was you, wasn’t it?” He snarled. “Who, me?” Mephistopheles looked offended. “What sort of depraved prankster do you take me for, my dear Amon? I have no desire to pilfer your legwear. Levi, on the other hand, has often expressed jealousy over your superior fashion sense, at least in conversation with me. He is the Prince of Envy, after all. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Once Amon found Leviathan, he confronted him about the incident with the trousers. Of course, Leviathan vehemently denied it, but Amon was ready to bash him to bits any way. “What in the Nine Circles are you bozos doing!?” Demanded Mammon, when he saw the slappy fight that was going on. “He stole my pants and won’t admit it!” Amon howled. “So they were yours, were they?” Mammon gasped. “Uh-oh,”

He held up their remains. “So you stole them, and you destroyed them too!” Amon yelled. “I put them on by mistake!” Protested Mammon. “Haven’t you got eyes? Or are those shades blocking your view?” Demanded Amon. “No, it was Mephistopheles’ fault!” Mammon insisted. “But he told me Leviathan did it!“ Amon gasped. The three brothers looked at each other and Amon realised he’d been taken for a ride.

Leviathan noticed Mephistopheles slinking past and pointed at him with a growl. Seeing the three angry dragons glaring at him, Mephistopheles smiled cordially. “Hello, gentlemen. You’re all looking exceptionally handsome this afternoo-“ “GET HIM!” Screeched Amon and they chased him down the hallway with a cartoonish zipping sound.

#pandæmonium #original intellectual property #lucifer morningstar #mephistopheles #mammon #Amon #leviathan #Azazel #Cerberus #imagines #prose #writing snippets #little sunshine

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excelsi-or · 4 years ago

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04/11/22 - can i hold your hand? (woozi)

w.c. 823 (fluff, who else hates parties with lots of people?)

A/N: So we’ve all had a few days to listen to the new mini album. What songs are you guys loving? I was really unsure about Left & Right when I heard it in the highlight medley, but I’m in. Like Hoshi said, the second listen really changes your opinion. But Kidult and Together are speaking to my soul. My, My is such a happy vibe. The album overall just gives me such satisfaction. It’s a good’un. xx

September 3, 2022

November 4, 2022

Jihoon’s smile is strained when she catches sight of him. She weaves through the crowd to reach him. He’d invited her to an after party and she arrived late with Seungcheol, because of work stuff.

Wonwoo catches her elbow before she can reach Jihoon. She looks up at her friend and smiles at his fluffy, curled hair.

“I like this hairstyle.”

Wonwoo’s smile is soft, his hand going to the back of his neck. “Really? Gyu suggested it. I wasn’t sure about it.”

She nods her head, ruffling the front of it. “It looks really good on you. Makes you look less… bad boy and more adorable poodle.”

Wonwoo’s eyes narrow. “Is that a compliment?”

“Take it as one.” She looks around for Jihoon, who she has now lost sight of.

“Is Seungcheol with you?”

“Oh, he saw a few friends when we walked in.” She stands on her tiptoes in the direction that Seungcheol had wandered off in. “He was wearing a ridiculous hat.” Said ridiculous hat comes into view. She takes Wonwoo by the shoulders and points over his shoulder towards it. “See it?”

It takes him a few seconds. “Oh god, what the hell is that?”

“Tell him to take it off. I think he’s going to talk to people.”

Wonwoo huffs and rolls his eyes, immediately disappearing into the crowd. Alone again, she searches for Jihoon. He’s standing by the fireplace, surrounded by people. His back is to the flames; as far back as he can go before his shirt ignites. Politely, she moves through the people, ducking underneath lifted drinks and around couples that refuse to separate.

When she reaches the fireplace, she catches wind of the conversation. Everyone there is hoping to collaborate with him. And Jihoon looks more than overwhelmed at the amount of people in front of him. She doesn’t recognize any of them from his company, and a couple of them are pretty big names, like Park Chanyeol.

Now, Jihoon is used to talking with people. He has plenty of friends he’s met through work. However, situations like this, he’s rarely left alone. One of the boys will be around to buffer or take over the conversation when he needs a break.

So when Jihoon catches sight of her again, his shoulders relax. With a few more niceties, she makes it to his side. The conversation is still about him, but the people are slowly shifting towards discussions about ways they can collaborate together.

Jihoon looks to her. His eyes seem exhausted, though he bears a smile. For anyone who doesn’t know him well, his uncomfortable smile and regular smile are quite similar. But there’s an ease to his regular smile, one that reaches his eyes. His facial muscles right now look as if they’re struggling.

“Can I hold your hand?” he whispers.

She nods her head and his fingers fumble for hers before latching on. His palm is clammy.

“Do you guys mind if I steal Jihoon away for a second?” she asks.

The group laughs jovially, probably a little drunk on whatever is in their cups and waves them off.

“Don’t have too much fun!” one of the guys shouts after them.

Without letting go of his hand, she pulls him through the party to the door. The hallway is significantly quieter than the rest of the penthouse, though there are people constantly moving through the space. Gently, she pulls him towards the wall so that they’re out of the way.

“You good?” she asks. Her thumb rubs back and forth gently across his skin.

Jihoon closes his eyes and takes a couple deep breaths. “I forgot how much I hate parties.”

Her grip loosens, but Jihoon doesn’t let go of her hand. She sips her drink that she’d been given as soon as she’d walked in.

“You’re not going to—”

Before Jihoon can finish, she’s pulling a face.

He chuckles and leans his head and shoulder against the wall. “Can we go home?”

“I just got here,” she retorts. She looks down at her dressed up self. “I even dolled up for you.”

Jihoon tips his head back in frustration. “And I appreciate it. You look beautiful, but I realize I hate this.”

“How about we stay for an hour? We dance so that we don’t have to mingle with other people, and then we text the others that we’re going home early.”

Jihoon pouts. He’s not a fan of dancing either.

“We can’t exactly stay in this hallway for an hour,” she chuckles. “Come on, my love, dancing with me for an hour can’t be that bad.”

Sighing, Jihoon trails after her. “Of course it’s not.”

“Just an hour,” she promises. “I’d much rather be on the couch watching movies with you, but I don’t want to waste all the effort it took to dress up.”

Jihoon offers a soft, tired smile. He squeezes her hand. “Okay, jagi, sure.”

Next: December 12, 2022

#woozi imagines #woozi scenarios #woozi #lee jihoon scenarios #seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #seventeen #tabilrn #svt

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fireslostchild · 4 years ago

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Quiz is here

Mephistopheles.

Whoop-dee-doo: you mask your hurt with a dramatic and performative veneer. Conflicted and complicated, the demon Mephistopheles is one of the most enduring characters in literature. They (he she or it, depending) is part lawyer, part devil, part servant, and part gay-best-friend. Mephisto is undeniably queer, whether that's expressed in the demon's shifting gender presentation or varied romantic attractions; they go by many names, and are unable to be pinned down into anything easily defined. Sometimes they are wisecracking prankster, a court jester, a jovial fool. Sometimes they are a hurt and beaten once-proud fallen angel. Sometimes they are a literal poodle. Depends. If you hold a piece of this character in your heart, you likely see relationships as transactional, constantly assessing the friendships you hold to see who benefits from them. You like to know key facts about other people, and you can be charismatic and enticing - but whether that's genuine, only you know. Well-known characters that fall into the Mephistopheles archetype include Hannibal Lecter (NBC Hannibal), Crowley (S*pernatural), Gaunter O'Dimm (The Witcher 3), Lord Henry Wotton (Dorian Grey), and Erik (Phantom of the Opera).

Tagged by: @zerfallen

Tagging: ...No one? Hahah

#Quite interesting #I'll be honest and say I didn't have much of an idea of what I was getting into but fucking hell

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dedicca · 6 years ago

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30. “Yes.”

Yuuri was trying to do too much. Between working two jobs and school he didn’t have a moment to rest. His backpack was slipping off of his shoulder, his textbooks were cradled in one hand, and his other held his keys. Renting the attic in an old century home wasn’t ideal but it was all he could afford.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri noticed the mailbox at the side of the house was full. Flyers and coupons were overflowing from the black box and it looked like the rusted old thing would fall from the weight of it.

Pocketing his keys, Yuuri walked over to the mailbox, cursing his roommates for not emptying the junk mail sooner. Juggling the items in his hands Yuuri opened the mailbox and collected as much of the papers he could manage.

Yuuri was trying to do too much. He dropped the flyers, his textbooks, and his backpack. He swore as he bent down to collect the papers before the blew away in the wind. His jeans were a little too tight from his crappy college diet and Yuuri felt it, even more, when he leaned over to pick up the fallen flyers.

From behind him, Yuuri heard someone clear his throat before a jovial voice ask, “Do you need some help?”

Yuuri’s glasses were falling from the bridge of his nose, so he used the back of his hand to adjust them as he turned to look up at the stranger. He recognized the stranger immediately as his attractive neighbour with the adorable poodle. His neighbour had waved and smiled at Yuuri before but Yuuri had never bothered to introduce himself. He was always in a rush, running late for a shift or school to ever really talk to his neighbour in the weeks since the man had moved in. Before Yuuri could tell the man he was ok, his neighbour had bent down to help collect his fallen mail and textbooks.

“Anatomy and physics? Are you a medical student?” The man’s blue eyes shown with glee as he picked up Yuuri’s anatomy textbook and skimmed the pages. The poodle at his neighbours’ side sniffed Yuuri’s physics textbook before scrunching his nose and taking a few sets back. Yuuri never related more to a dog than in that moment.

“Yes.”

His neighbour smiled at him. “You want to become a doctor?”

Yuuri blushed looking down to collect more flyers. “That’s the plan anyways.”

“I believe in you! With all the nights you stay up studying and how hard you work I’m sure you will.” The man beamed and Yuuri looked at him confused.

“How do you know that?”

“Your bedroom faces mine and you tend to leave your blinds open.” The man’s smiled dropped as a blush coloured his cheeks. Yuuri’s eyes widened as the man quickly amended, “But it’s not like I watch you through your window or something. That would be weird.”

“Oh.” Was all Yuuri could manage as he collected the rest of the flyers and reach for the textbook in his neighbour’s hand.

“That really came out wrong,” The man pleaded. “Please don’t think I’m some creeper. My names Victor.” Victor held out his hand before realizing Yuuri’s hands were too full to shake.

“I don’t.” Yuuri laughed. “Mine’s, Yuuri.”

NSFW-ish after the undercut.

A few weeks had passed since Yuuri met Victor. It was a Friday night and Yuuri was spending it alone in his bedroom studying for midterms. His roommates had all gone out to a party that night leaving Yuuri the house to himself. Since Victor had mentioned Yuuri had a habit to leave his blinds open Yuuri had made more of an effort to keep them closed. However, after so many hours of being cooped up in his stuffy bedroom, Yuuri walked over towards the window to open the curtains.

The light in Victor’s bedroom was on giving Yuuri the perfect view into his neighbour’s house. In one corner of the room sat a medicine ball, yoga matt, and weights. The image of Victor doing yoga in the middle of the hardwood floors made Yuuri smile. On the other end of the room peaked the end of what had to be Victor’s bed adorned with a hot pink duvet and a tall dresser. Just as Yuuri was about to walk back to his desk he saw Victor’s door open to reveal his neighbour walking into the room in nothing but a towel.

Yuuri felt his jaw drop as he took in the man’s wet hair and athletic figure. From even this distance Yuuri could see Victor was lean and toned in all the right places. It didn’t seem Victor had noticed that Yuuri was creepily watching him as he walked towards his dresser and pulled open the top drawer. A small voice in his head told Yuuri to close the blinds and get back to work but he didn’t move. Yuuri watched as Victor took something from his dresser and tossed it onto the bed. As Victor’s hands went to remove the towel Yuuri quickly shut the blinds and cursed.

It was totally wrong for Yuuri to watch Victor in the privacy of his bedroom. It was a complete invasion of Victor’s privacy. Yuuri had done the right thing by closing his curtains before his neighbour was totally naked. He knew this, yet for some reason Yuuri found himself opening the blinds again a crack to peer into Victor’s bedroom.

At first, the room seemed empty. Victor was nowhere in sight and for a moment Yuuri felt disappointed. Loud music began to play from his neighbour’s house and Yuuri rolled his eyes. He really needed to study and he didn’t want to walk over to ask Victor to turn it down. Yuuri considered packing his bag and heading to the library for the night. It was a Friday after all and Yuuri didn’t want to put a damper on the start of Victor’s weekend. Just as Yuuri was about to turn to grab his things Victor walked into the middle of the room dragging a plastic chair in nothing but a black thong.

Yuuri felt his jaw drop again, wider this time as he watched his neighbour sensually sway to the beat of the music. He didn’t question why his very attractive neighbour was hovering over the empty chair giving what appeared to be a lap dance. Yuuri only watched Victor’s hips grinded and thrusted in time with the music.

Now Yuuri was certain he really should look away. If Victor caught him staring, there would be no way he’d ever be able to face Victor again. He’d have to move. He’d have to find new shitty roommates to live with. He knew he should just close the damn curtains. But really didn’t want to. As if his neighbour could hear his thoughts Victor’s gaze met Yuuri’s.

If Yuuri wasn’t frozen in embarrassment at being caught he would have bolted from the window. The song changed but Victor’s hips never stopped moving. In fact, Victor was still looking at him, his gaze burning as he continued to sway. He danced as if he’d known Yuuri was staring from the beginning and his smile said that he was enjoying it.

Yuuri felt the need to pinch himself. Surely this had to be a dream. There was no way his deliciously attractive neighbour wanted Yuuri to see him practically naked, grinding on a chair, in the middle of his bedroom. Victor smirked as he walked towards his window and slid it open. When Yuuri didn’t move Victor shouted for Yuuri to open his window.

It took Yuuri’s numb fingers a few moments to unlock the window and slide it open but when he did Victor said, “It took you long enough to notice me. Wanna come over and study some anatomy?”

I have a few of these in my inbox but feel free to send more! Prompt List

#yoi #prompt list #nsfw-ish

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sonic-elements · 3 months ago

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Resistance Members

I will admit that as a Sonic fan i will admit that sonic Forces may have its flaws (Don't @ me) but i do love the Avater mechanic, and i decided draw all the ones i made myself in my own style.

Dogs (Sleuth The Hound & Jovial The Poodle)

Wolves (Risk The Timber wolf & Kay-9 The Wolf)

Hedgehogs (Hip the Hedgehog & Adept The Hedgehog)

Cats (Veil The Panther & Vogue The Cat)

Birds (Scope The Cardinal & Glide The Canary)

Rabbits (Wary The Rabbit & Skit The Rabbit)

Bears (Clunker The Bear & Fray The Bear)

just for some fun ^w^ hope you like them.

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dancingbaek · 7 years ago

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Dog-Walker | Jongin Drabble

Jongin is a brat and doesn’t want someone he doesn’t know taking care of his dogs.

I really don’t know what to label this, but it’s just under 1000 words so we’re gonna say it’s a drabble

“Mom!” Jongin’s whining is practically ceaseless. He doesn’t want to get angry with his mother but at this point, he just can’t believe she actually followed through with it. It’s like she didn’t care about the welfare of his children at all. He told her not to do and yet she did it.

“Jongin.” She sighs, shaking her head at her youngest and only son. Twenty-three years old and yet he’s about to throw a tantrum like he did when he was a kid. “Your father and I are getting old and we are busy. We don’t have time to take your dogs on walks every day.”

“Then take them to church with you.” He huffs, crossing his arms in his seat, knowing his argument is pointless.

“I am not taking your three poodles into a church of God Kim Jongin.” She scolds, shaking her head. “If your father were home right now he wouldn’t be taking your attitude.”

That quiets him down, enough to take a couple mouthfuls of the rice and chicken she’s prepared them for dinner. It’s the first time he’s been home in a month, and what was supposed to be an exciting and love filled day was soiled by his sour attitude. A dog walker. His mother has hired a dog walker. Monggu, Jjanggu, and Jjangah were being walked by a complete stranger right now and Jongin didn’t even get to feel their excited little paws against him because the stranger had taken them for their walk before he had arrived.

“You couldn’t have even gotten some we know to do it?” He questioned, his thoughts spiraling him back to his sour mood. “You know Monggu is stronger than the others, what if this person is weak and lets go of him?”

“Jongin.” His mother put down the spoon she was about to serve him a second plate with. She fixed a serious expression on her son, making sure he knew how much she didn’t find his whining amusing. “She is a respectable young woman who moved in next to us a month ago. She is nice and helps your father around the yard when she has time. When Jjangah got out three weeks ago she was the one to find her. She’s doing a much better job than we could.” “Jjangah escaped and you didn’t tell me?” His jaw drops open, completely missing the point of his mother’s little speech.

“Not another word about this Kim Jongin, and I mean it.” Her word is final, so Jongin shuts his mouth and focuses on the food set in front of him. His favorite chicken suddenly is bland and tasteless, the lemonade set in front of him just serving to parch his dry throat instead of being a sweet treat.

“Sorry mom.” He finds himself murmuring after a minute of silence, and the hand that ruffles his hair gently lets him know she’s forgiven him for his bratty behavior. The tension that accumulated since she informed him of the stranger taking his dogs dissolved the smallest bit, but he still picks at his nails as he thinks of everything that could go wrong. Dognapping, for some reason, was highest on his list of worries.

Suddenly he hears his father’s voice outside, laughing as he greets someone. A dog barks and he shoots to his feet, going to shove on some shoes before he’s pushing open the door to leave his childhood home. Outside his father stands, looking tired from a long day at work, but the smile he wears is genuine and the laughter he had heard was jovial.

“One, two, three…” Jongin counts under his breath as he surveys his children. His baby girl Jjangah has her pink leash on, JJangu has his blue one on, and his eldest Monggu is even wearing his white one. This stranger even listened to his mother, who had undoubtedly told her about Jongin’s need to assign leashes to his dogs. Speaking of the stranger…

His eyes follow Monggu’s leash up to where it connects with a smooth hand that is immediately engulfed under a maroon sweater too big for the person wearing it. He sees a young woman standing beside his father, engaging him in mindless chatter about how the walk had gone. His normal attention to his three kids would have allowed him to pick up on “Jjangu almost age some trash, the little brat” but the quickening of his heartbeat deafens it out. His father chuckles again, presumably agreeing with the woman, when her gaze turns to meet his.

“Oh!” His dad says, turning to face his son. Jongin manages a weak smile as they approach him, and he drops to his knees to try to split his attention between the three dogs. Monggu licks at his face while Jjangah goes straight to rubbing against his hand, Jjangu opting to rub against his knee. Jongin chuckles due to his dog’s affection at the same time as the stranger.

“It’s really obvious they love you.” You speak, voice coming out calm and sweet. Jongin looks up to see a smile teasing the edges of your lips, and he finds his heartbeat picking back up. Standing quickly to his feet, he bows to you as much as he can in the limited space he finds himself in. You bow back, before he offers his hand to you. You take it, and Jongin feels how cool your hand is in the dropping temperature of the evening. Cold hands, warm heart, Jongin thinks offhandedly.

“My name is Jongin.” He says, and mentally winces. You probably already know that. You don’t laugh at the obviousness of it, only return the favor.

“I’m ____.” You respond, and Jongin begins to think that maybe this whole dog-walker thing isn’t too bad of an idea.

#kai #jongin #exo #kai one shot #exo one shot #kai fluff

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vetpedrodiaz · 5 years ago

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¿Qué razas caninas son las más inteligentes? [15 de las razas caninas más inteligentes]

Se les conoce como “los mejores amigos del hombre” porque son animales muy cariñosos, fieles e inteligentes, pero hay que reconocer que algunos son más que otros.

BORDER COLLIE

Originalmente los Border Collie eran una raza que se dedicaba al pastoreo, hoy en día son unos excelentes animales de compañía y son la raza de perro más inteligente. Viven trabajar, por lo que necesitan hacer algo para que sean felices: sacarlos a jugar y a pasear para que corran, hagan ejercicio… etc. para mantenerse saludables. Son reconocidos por su velocidad, agilidad y obediencia. Adiestrarlos es un verdadero placer; aprenden muy rápidamente trucos y obediencias. Son muy leales.

2. CANICHE O POODLE

El Caniche o Poodle está en el número 2 en la lista. No te engañes, esta raza es absolutamente brillante. Usados como perros de caza y también como perros de vigilancia y rescate. Les fascina estar alrededor de las personas y son muy protectores. Solo llegan a pesar 5 kilos y son perros alegres, juguetones y muy activos. No se distraen fácilmente y son muy receptivos a la hora de adiestrarlos. Son metódicos, energéticos y excelentes con los niños, aunque si no se les adiestra y socializa correctamente pueden llegar a ser destructivos.

3. PASTOR ALEMÁN

El Pastor Alemán es de los perros más inteligentes, guardianes y fieles que hay. Además son perros cariñosos y protectores, son muy valientes y empleados como perros de rescate, usados en cuerpos especiales como la policía o el ejército. Se trata de una raza capaz de aprender rápidamente y de seguir instrucciones a la perfección, eso sí, como perro doméstico requiere de atención y ejercicio para mantenerse en buen estado.

4. GOLDEN RETRIEVER

Los Golden Retriever se pueden confundir con el labrador, ya que son parecidos. Son encantadores, preciosos y brillantes. Famoso por su obediencia y su capacidad de aprender nuevos trucos, es una de las razas más usadas como perro guía y para ayudar a personas con minusvalías, por lo que además se trata de un animal con un temperamento estable y muy fiel. Un perro ideal.

5. DÓBERMAN PINSCHER

El Doberman Pinscher es un perro alemán. En el pasado, eran entrenados para ser perros policías, perros de vigilancia, y perros guardianes. Aunque ellos pueden ser entrenados para ser feroces, la mayoría son amables y dóciles. Han sido usados en hospitales para ayudar a recuperar pacientes bajo terapia. Son un poco crueles por naturaleza, pero se puede confiar en que ellos te protegerán. El Doberman es valiente, cariñoso, vivaz, decidido y elegante. Con una expresión decidida e inquietante, tienen carácter enérgico, orgulloso e impulsivo, y siempre que reciba un buen adiestramiento se mostrará estable, asentado y sociable.

6. OVEJERO DE SHETLAND

El Ovejero de Shetland es un perro muy inteligente, tanto, que muchos incluso aseguran que lo son tanto como los humanos. Estos perros se originan en Escocia y son usados para pastorear ovejas. Los hay de tamaños más grandes y más pequeños, son muy enérgicos y tienen muy buen oído. Son muy bonitos, buenos guardianes, fieles y cariñosos; un excelente compañero.

7. LABRADOR RETRIEVER

Al igual que su primo el Golden Retriever, el Labrador es un perro de apariencia amigable y adorable que resulta ser un animal perfecto para tareas de rescate y para guiar y ayudar a personas con alguna minusvalía. Es un estupendo compañero para los niños porque es divertido y aprende con mucha facilidad órdenes o trucos. Necesitan hacer bastante ejercicio porque tienden a padecer obesidad frecuentemente. Muchos de estos perros son usados por la fuerza pública como detectores de bombas y drogas. Definitivamente son muy inteligentes.

8. PAPILLON

Son despiertos, atentos, de reacción rápida y con apariencia adorable. El Papillon puede ser pequeño pero su comprensión es tan destacada que figura como la octava raza entre los perros más inteligentes. Es muy activo y es perfecto para obedecer órdenes, aprende rápidamente y se adapta con facilidad a la vida en un espacio relativamente pequeño, como un apartamento. Estos perros también son considerados como un símbolo de elegancia.

9. ROTTWEILER

A pesar de su mala fama o su apariencia, estos perros no solamente son de las razas más inteligentes, sino que también son de los más dóciles y cariñosos con las personas. Los Rottweiler suelen utilizarse como perros policía debido a su mandíbula y dientes fuertes. Antiguamente se les usaba para cargar madera u objetos pesados. Son excelentes guardianes, racionales y equilibrados. Si se le educa bien, con cariño y ejercicios, como cualquier otro perro, será un estupendo compañero y no supondrá ninguna preocupación para nadie.

10. PERRO DE GANADO AUSTRALIANO

No hace falta ir a Australia para encontrar a este perro. Se les conoce por su gran inteligencia y muchos se les entrenan para arrear el ganado (de ahí su nombre). Llevan arreando al ganado desde el siglo XIX y hoy en día siguen haciendo lo mismo. El Perro del ganado australiano es muy activo y le gusta mucho tener siempre algo que hacer. No es un perro para tenerlo en un piso o en un patio encerrado, podría crear problemas. Les gusta la convivencia y la presencia de alguien.

11. SCHNAUZER MINIATURA Y MEDIANO

Schnauzer es una raza canina que se originó en Alemania. Los schnauzer fueron criados para perseguir y cazar. Originalmente el schnauzer pequeño se utilizaba como un perro de establo, y fue el celo con el que cazaba a las ratas y ratones lo que le valió el apelativo de rattler (ratonero). Amigables y cariñosos, los schnauzer se llevarán bien con los niños, y otros perros, siempre y cuando estén correctamente socializados y entrenados. Son protectores, energéticos, y alertan a los miembros de la familia de cualquier peligro potencial. Siempre están alerta, son excelentes guardianes, aunque su naturaleza vigilante puede llevarlo a ladrar persistentemente.

12. BORDER TERRIER

Los Border Terrier son una excelente mascota. Buen carácter y excesivamente cariñosos con su amo, también demuestran ser un buen guardián del hogar. Excelente con los niños, les gusta mucho jugar. Bueno para el apartamento o casa. Debe ser mantenido dentro de la casa ya que le gusta hacer huecos en la tierra. Se le debe llevar a hacer ejercicio con mucha frecuencia ya que es muy activo.

13. SAMOYEDO

La raza canina Samoyedo ha tomado su nombre de los pueblos samoyedos del norte de Rusia. Estos pueblos nómadas de pastores de renos criaron esta raza para ayudar con el pastoreo, tirar de trineos y para mantener a sus dueños calientes por las noches durmiendo a su lado. Un nombre alternativo para la raza es Bjelkier. Debido a que es muy juguetón lo hace un perro poco recomendable como guardián. Puede ser un buen perro vigilante, ya que ladrará cuando algo o alguien se acerque a su territorio. Si se le socializa bien es un buen perro de compañía, manteniendo un carácter jovial hasta edad avanzada. Conocidos por ser un tanto necios a veces o difíciles de entrenar, deben ser adiestrados con paciencia y perseverancia.

14. COCKER SPANIEL

El Cocker Spaniel inglés es una raza de perro originaria de Gales. Fue desarrollada con la finalidad de perseguir a las gallinetas arreándolas de sus escondites en los arbustos. Es un perro recomendable como mascota de compañía para aquellos que disfrutan del campo. También está el Cocker Americano, que fue traído desde Gran Bretaña. La variedad estadounidense llegó a ser tan diferente de la británica que se le consideró, oficialmente, una raza distinta más adelante. Es uno de los perros de compañía más populares del mundo, su tamaño es mediano y su evidente inteligencia lo convierten en uno de los favoritos de toda la familia.

15. LULÚ DE POMERANIA

El Pomerania o Pomerano (también conocido como Spitz enano alemán o Lulú de Pomerania) es un perro de la familia Spitz, que recibe su nombre de la región de Pomerania Central, en Alemania oriental, y se clasifica como perro toy (juguete) por su pequeño tamaño. Los antepasados del pomerania eran perros de trineo. Es un perro activo, independiente, que se adapta fácilmente a la vida urbana y es excelente para el campo. No obstante, puede que no interactúe bien con niños pequeños, ya que debido a su pequeña talla puede ser lastimado con facilidad. Es un perro de carácter fuerte, como todos los spitz, por lo que no tolerará maltratos por parte de los pequeños, y podría llegar a morder o mostrarse asustado e inseguro en esos casos.

from WordPress https://patitasarribamexico.home.blog/2020/04/10/que-razas-caninas-son-las-mas-inteligentes-15-de-las-razas-caninas-mas-inteligentes/

#Sin categoría

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cynwriggles · 7 years ago

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There is a lab in the class who is the fucking coolest. The owner is also really cool and is just a jovial sort of dude who is training his dog (Fergus) for hunting and we talk about Alaska and dogs and he is so dog savvy. Like he talked about greyhound racing with awe instead of disgust and was going on about poodles and how they were amazing gun dogs although they were too smart for their own good. He is so cool. He gets that dogs need work and he just works so hard with Fergus he is an inspiration like GAH. In short Fergus and his owner are just great sports who do their best and know each other's limits.

#on another note someone asked if i was margos daughter because i looked like i knew what i was doing so that was a plus

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lykegenia · 7 years ago

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Zutara Week Day 6: Soulmates

Only one day left of Zutara Week! Thanks for the amazing response so far on my ZKWeek story A Life, Together, which you can find in its entirety here.

@zutaraweek

ZKWeek Day 6: Soulmates Words: 2779 Summary: Katara and Zuko find themselves needing to get away from a party. After a year apart, they learn to reconnect. Read it on AO3

Yu Dao’s main plaza glittered under moonlight and the paper lanterns that imitated it. Every few heartbeats, the people gathered in the large, open space were gilded by vibrant flashes of colour as fireworks – developed especially from Fire Nation knowledge of gunpowder and Earth Kingdom familiarity with mineral dyes – exploded in bright, dazzling flowers that bloomed and wilted in the same instant. Toph’s metalbending students had constructed hanging sculptures for the occasion, and their abstract forms reflected the shine on the nobles’ jewellery and fine silks, while all around the low buzz of conversation reflected the easy-going nature of the gathering. One year on from the war’s end, and everyone who was anyone wanted to be seen celebrating the peace.

After almost a whole year with little company besides the avatar, however, Katara was finding the press of people a little overwhelming. The food was good, a mixture of cuisines from all over the world, but there were only so many canapes she could stuff into her mouth before it could be considered rude. King Kuei’s rice wine did a better job of relaxing her enough to mingle, but even the warm tingle it sent through her veins grew cold when she turned from a conversation with a handsome young Earth Kingdom noble to find Aang pouting at her over a plate of melon slices carved to resemble flowers.

“Why weren’t you watching me juggle with Bumi?” he asked.

“I thought I saw someone I knew,” she lied. “I wanted to talk to them.”

“You should have waited for me, we could have gone together.” He tried to reach for her hand but she found she needed to adjust one of her hair loopies instead. Truthfully, she had long since grown fed up of standing on the sidelines, watching him pander to his fans.

“I don’t need you to be with me every second, you know,” she told him uneasily. It had felt good to just get lost in the crowd. “And you’re not the only thing I think about.”

A year travelling with him, following while the rest of her friends got on with their lives – it was beginning to wear thin. She had indulged his crush when the world needed him to defeat the Fire Lord, but they had succeeded. That’s what this party was all about, a celebration of the world’s desire and newfound ability to move on, to achieve progress held back by a century of war. True, she had seen some wonderful things since the day Zuko was crowned and they set off pursuing rumours of other airbenders, but she regretted that Aang had mistaken her wanderlust for a desire to be closer to him, as more than friends. Spirits, he was still a child compared to her. Aunt Wu’s prophecy had never said anything about that.

“Katara,” Aang said, “You know you’re my forever girl. Let’s just –”

But the wine had gotten to her temper. “I need to get some air.”

And now she was stood at the edge of the plaza, lurking in the shadows like some would-be assassin, trying to unscramble her thoughts into some semblance of order. Everyone else seemed to have what they wanted – Sokka and Suki were rebuilding; Toph had recognition for her talents as an earthbender, and had even made amends with her parents; Iroh had his teashop. Why couldn’t she have what she wanted?

She huffed. What even did she want?

“Is it bad that I’m happy to find someone else not enjoying themselves?”

“Zuko!”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked. “This particular patch of shadows seems good for getting away from unwanted attention.”

She made room for him against the wall, trying not to stare. Even a year had made a difference to his appearance, filling out his shoulders, adding an inch or two to his height. His face had lost some of its roundness, too, as if the golden crown pinned to his topknot had chiselled it away, and with sudden force she remembered watching him train with Aang on Ember Island, when the sun baked everything so hot they had had to strip off their shirts to stay cool. She wondered if his muscles were still so defined under his layers of silk, or whether a year of politics had softened them away.

The thought made her cheeks burn and she turned away so he couldn’t see, suddenly self-conscious. Aang had said she looked pretty before stepping out tonight, but then, she often got the impression he complimented her because he thought it was what she wanted to hear, rather than because it was his genuine opinion.

She realised neither of them were speaking.

“It’s been a while,” she ventured.

“It has,” he replied.

“How’s Mai?”

“We broke up.”

“Oh.”

“I saw that argument you just had with Aang. How are things between you two?”

“Strained.”

“I see.”

He leaned back against the wall, running so hot she could feel the warmth of his body even across the careful distance that separated them.

“So,” she tried again, “what has you running away from the party?”

Zuko groaned and shot her a wry smirk. “Uncle has decided to play matchmaker on my behalf, and half the Earth Kingdom is indulging him. All that perfume was beginning to give me a headache.”

“You’re definitely safer here, then,” she teased, trying to squash the sudden squirm in her stomach that felt a lot like jealousy.

“Only as long as nobody finds us.” His eyes went wide, his cheeks darkening as a hand anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t think – I hadn’t realised what this might look like.”

It took her a second to catch on. “Oh!”

“Um… if you’d rather I go, I wouldn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea…”

Aang, she realised – he was talking about what Aang would think catching them alone together, as if they weren’t just two old friends getting reacquainted, as if she wasn’t a free person who could do what she liked.

“I don’t care what people might think,” she growled, giving into the impulse to grasp Zuko’s wrist. She was her own self. She could do what she liked. Anything she liked. The certainty of it bubbled into recklessness beneath her skin. “Let’s go somewhere.”

“What?”

“If we throw on a couple of cloaks nobody will know who we are,” she said. “We could go anywhere.”

“Maybe you can,” he replied, though he had yet to pry himself loose of her grip. “I’m the fire lord. I have dignitaries to meet, and foreign policy to talk about, and –”

“A raging horde of earth Kingdom noblewomen eager to get their claws into you,” she teased. “C’mon. We haven’t had a chance to talk for ages. I’ve… missed you.” She was almost too shy to say, to admit it out loud, but she had, sometimes more than she ever thought possible for the man who at one point had been the face of her enemy.

Zuko seemed just as stunned by her confession. His mouth hung open as if to say something, but when the words wouldn’t come he shook his head and sighed.

In what seemed like no time at all, they were ambling down a cobbled street far away from the glamour of the party, wandering without any particular destination in mind. There were few other people out so late at night, so they were free to talk and laugh about anything that took their fancy, without fear of recognition. Katara was amazed by how easily they slipped back into their old rapport, talking about everything from flying lemurs to the consequences of the Fire Nation’s late rainy season as if the past year hadn’t happened. She found it refreshing to air her opinions on politics and the state of the world’s recovery, and she appreciated the thoughtful way Zuko listened to her stories, the quiet giggle they shared when she told him about the adventure with the sandbender chief’s white poodle-pony.

Rounding a corner, they came upon a teahouse lit with green lanterns to show it was still open for business. Zuko pulled his hood lower over his face when the man standing by the door spotted them and waved them over.

“Perhaps you are looking for some entertainment this evening?” he asked jovially, thrusting a leaflet into Katara’s hands. “It’s going to rain later – better to be inside enjoying hot tea and a good show than to be caught out in the wet!”

Katara chuckled despite herself, knowing a little rain was no problem for a master waterbender, and looked down at the square of paper in her hand.

“Love in the Time of Badgermoles,” she mused. “What’s it about?”

“It is a timeless tale of love, loss, and revenge,” the seller informed her eagerly. “It’s a well-known Earth Kingdom story. Certain to not disappoint. And the tea’s good,” he added, beaming.

Katara turned to Zuko. “Well?”

He gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “We’ve come this far.”

After paying the seller for their entry, they slipped into the teahouse and found a couple of quiet seats at the back. The place had drawn a good crowd, many of them obviously locals, going by how they laughed and joked with the actors, who were putting the final touches to their elaborate makeup. A young woman bustled over to them to take their order (a pot of jasmine tea for Katara, oolong for Zuko, with a plate of sweet rice balls as a side. In the dim warmth of their corner, they were content to remain silent, enjoying the anonymity and the cosy ambience that let them take advantage of it.

The lights in the teahouse dimmed. The actors packed up their makeup cases and mirrors and took their place on the stage. One, dressed in a robe of white and red trimmed with gold to match her beaded headdress, perched on a stool behind a guzheng and plucked a chord with metal-tipped fingers. Whatever conversation was left in the audience stilled immediately.

“The misty bamboo divides two nations at war,” trilled the actress plucking at the strings. “Oh will this war ever end?”

The play was nothing like Fire Nation theatre, with its acrobatics and flashy special effects, but it had an understated elegance that kept the audience enraptured. The narrator playing the guzheng unfolded the story with a masterful combination of words and music, mesmerising to the point where it was easy to forget the stage was so small there was only room for two actors at a time.

“The girl sits and picks flowers on the mountainside,” the narrator sang. Another actress painted white with a pure pink blush across her cheeks danced an imitation of strolling through a meadow. “And then suddenly…”

Somewhere off-stage, someone banged on a wooden block, and a spotlight rose on an actor in youthful garb who appeared from behind a curtain. The two circled each other, talking, accompanied by wary notes on the guzheng, and Katara found a smile growing on her face.

“What is it?” Zuko asked in her ear.

“The Cave of Two Lovers.”

At his blank look, she explained about the cave they had found while running form Azula, and about the tomb she and Aang had found inside. On the stage, the two lovers parted to opposite sides of the room, looking back wistfully. She remembered the glowing crystals lighting the ceiling and couldn’t help but think of another glowing cave, a lifetime ago now, that might have had such a different outcome. Her head tipped against Zuko’s shoulder, succumbing to the soporific effect of the warm, cosy dark of the teahouse. Her heart fluttered when, instead of pulling away, he leaned in as well and settled his cheek against the top of her head with a sigh.

The play went on. Shu’s father forbade him to go to the mountain to see his lover, and Oma’s sister followed her to try and discover her secret.

“It’s becoming too dangerous for us to see one another,” Oma lamented. “I would run away with you but for the duties to our families.”

When the actors found the badgermoles and ‘built’ the cave, something familiar tugged at Katara’s heart. “And now no one will ever part us,” promised Shu.

Zuko’s hand found hers under the table, and gave a comforting squeeze. The rest of the audience was enraptured and didn’t notice, but Katara felt tears prick her eyes because she knew what came next. She squeezed Zuko’s fingers back.

The final act of the play came to an end with a heart-wrenching monologue from the actress playing Oma as she held the ‘dead’ Shu in her arms. In the play, he had refused to attack her village for fear of hurting anyone she loved, and had instead gone to find her. In a fit of rage, his father killed him just as he caught sight of his love.

“I will find you in the next life, my dearest,” Oma promised, rising to her feet, “and we will be free of this awful shadow of war. And until we meet again, I will end the conflict that has taken you from me.” She raised her arms, letting her long white sleeves trail their full length to the floor, and flicked them out in a show of pretend earthbending, while rattles played off-stage and drums banged to an impressive beat. All the other actors shuffled to the floor in front of the stage and pleaded with her to stop the mountains moving.

“Behold, on that mountain I will build a city,” Oma proclaimed, with a sweeping gesture behind her. “Never again will our two people fight each other.”

The stage lighting snuffed out, but none of the audience started to move, so Katara held in her need to stretch and kept watching. A spotlight rose on the narrator, still plucking her guzheng, and what followed was a lengthy epilogue about the bureaucracy of the new city, and Oma’s long years of good leadership being a model for what kingdoms should be.

When it was over, Katara clapped along with the rest of the audience, turning only to find that Zuko had been dozing, and that her movement jolted him awake. She felt her breath catch on the little grunt he made as he shifted into a better seating position, even though he untangled their fingers so he could rub the sleep out of his golden eyes.

“All those Earth Kingdom girls really got to you, huh?” she teased.

“Ugh, don’t,” he groaned, stifling a yawn. “Just thinking of all the apologies I’m going to have to make tomorrow…”

“Was this a mistake?” she asked, her heart clenching. “I should have thought – it was wrong of me to ask you to come.”

“Hey, no.” He laid his hand on her shoulder. It burned through the fabric of her clothes. “I enjoyed this, and I enjoyed the company more, so don’t be sorry. I’m glad you persuaded me to come.”

“I enjoyed it, too,” she replied.

The sound of a cleared throat startled them. The same waitress who had brought them their tea was standing by the door, politely impatient, a sweeping brush in one hand. All the other patrons had already filed out, and the other servers were starting to clean the room. With bashful smiles, Katara and Zuko stood up and gathered their things, though she noticed a dull clink of gold and the outrageous tip he left in the teapot before he followed her out.

It had started to rain.

“It’s a good thing I have you with me,” he joked, taking her arm in a courtly sort of way while she bent the water away from their heads. “Shall we get back to the party?”

“I suppose we should.”

Sokka would be wondering where she was. Aang would be, too. It was ironic, really, that the peace celebration had kept her so on edge, and that leaving it had the opposite effect. As they began to walk away, she chanced one last look at the teahouse, its lanterns now extinguished, its windows dark, and frowned. For a few hours, she had been free of all doubt, free to be herself, and in that time she had felt the most at peace she had since being a very small child. Now though, all the insidious voices in her head came crowding back. Why couldn’t she have what she wanted? Perhaps the better question, she thought as she glanced at Zuko, was why it was so difficult to ask for it.

#zutara #Zutara Week #Zutara Week 2017 #ZKWeek #ZKWeek 2017 #my writing

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rikirachtman · 7 years ago

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Did you know that American POW officers used Van Halen's song Panema to torture prisoners of war in Iraq?

>Panema

But yeah that’s really bizarre to me. I always hear stories of Guantanamo Bay playing Metallica or Drowning Pool at loud volumes to torture people, which makes sense because they’re loud and angry and screamy, but…Panama? No matter how loud you play Panama, David Lee Roth is never going to be scary (his voice, anyway; his face and stage mannerisms are terrifying)

Unless they just play it over and over again to drive them insane Negan-style, in which case that’s absolutely monstrous because Panama is very high on the “this isn’t a BAD song necessarily, but Jesus I don’t want to hear it more than once a week” list (a list which is topped, undoubtedly, by Livin’ On A Prayer, a song that would probably somehow continue haunting me even if I lived out in the woods without a radio or internet. Like, Jam Bun Jovial and The Poodle-Hair Five would schedule a concert right outside of my shack just to make sure I can’t possibly escape from that four-minute arena rock anthem until I pass on)

#Anonymous

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emm-doubleyou · 8 years ago

Text

BONES 12x02 Recap: The Brain in the Bot

With the mystery of The Puppeteer gearing towards a resolution at the end of last week, the second episode of the season was back to the typical Bones style of storytelling. But there was mention of Zack, just not prominently sprinkled throughout the episode. No hour of this show is truly stand alone. Every episode builds on the previous. And every episode illustrates the profoundly remarkable development of these characters.

The opening scene depicts a “traditional” body find at the Virginia Regional Dog Show. I put traditional in quotes, as there is usually nothing traditional about body finds. Two canine participants escape from their owners, as I suspect their olfactory receptors sensed a rather potent set of human remains. How could they resist? The dog owners are horrified. And I presume there is not enough time to visit a groomer before the competition. I absolutely love dogs, but I will never understand show dog grooming trends. That poor poodle…

Have I mentioned that car scenes are among my very favorite? I will undoubtedly be repetitious here by saying that I will never get enough of car scenes featuring Booth and Brennan. And the two of them had some really wonderful ones in this episode. Booth and Brennan are in the car heading to the crime scene near the dog show. Booth calls Brennan “incredible” for already putting together such a robust case file without having ID’d the body. But these are not case files. They are files she has pulled from the archives. Given Zack’s recent disclosures, she has begun reexamining the evidence from the lobbyist case. Booth is proud of her, and assures his wife that she is doing the right thing. In true Brennan fashion, she responds “I am simply looking for the truth.” But so far, the evidence is inconclusive. Booth comments on the volume of files she has assembled for the case. But the other files are actually for Brennan’s “surprise party.” I’m about as confused as Booth at this point. “Bones, you do know you’re not supposed to plan your own surprise party.” When has Brennan ever been conventional? Okay there have been a few instances in her history. But in this case, I shouldn’t have been at all surprised that she would plan her own party. “The traditional custom is illogical. Being startled is unpleasant, while engineering a surprise for others is proven to be quite pleasurable.” She is truly a gem. Also, I actually agree with her. Though, birthdays have never been my favorite thing. Moving on.

Booth really just wants to know what Brennan wants for her birthday. Even before she answers this question, I predicted the answer. Brennan has never been interested in presents, at least not in the traditional sense. She has treasured gifts given to her by Booth in the past. And this is because they meant something more. They were not particularly valuable in the monetary sense. But the thought and intention behind the gifts is what ultimately rendered them irreplaceable- Jasper and Brainy Smurf certainly could not have cost more than a few dollars. Though Booth has surprised Brennan with a few more conventional gifts in the past, including the lingerie and the necklace. But what do you get someone who has everything and wants nothing? Booth would eventually figure it out. But not just yet. Brennan lets Booth know that her party has a “strict no-gift policy.” But it’s a milestone birthday, and Booth cannot just let it pass without getting her something special. She assures Booth that she has everything she needs. And I believe that. Because she once said she wouldn’t travel to any other moment in time. And because she also realized she did not need a bucket list. She’s genuinely happy. She loves her family and her life. And while she wishes the lives of herself and her family were threatened a bit less, it’s a life she would not trade for anything. I did enjoy how Booth wanted to get her a “chunky stone necklace.” He knows her taste, for sure. He brainstorms other types of gifts he could give her. He throws around the idea of going to a concert. “The Tuvan Throat Singers already passed through town last month.” “Not quite the concert I was thinking of, Bones.” I love them. Could you imagine these two at a concert together? I’m going to pause here and think about that.

At the crime scene, Hodgins seems to be having a good time scraping evidence off the poodle. The dog’s owner is not quite as jovial. She begs Hodgins to be careful with the dog’s fur. Cam and Brennan examine the body, and Brennan determines the victim is a male in his 40s. Cam finds it strange that there is a piece of plastic fused to the victim’s wrist, but no evidence of burnt tissue. “Huh...almost as mysterious as Dr. B’s birthday party.” Cam wants a hint on the dress code for Brennan’s surprise party. “Yes, wearing clothes would be advisable.” Knowing what I know now, Brennan really kept this secret well. Brennan’s acting has certainly improved. She gives Cam a sly smile after that statement, which affects me more than it should. Because Brennan is teasing Cam. And there was a time when she was 100% no-nonsense at a crime scene. Actually, both of them were. It’s always the little things for me. Booth comes back to the scene, as he has found a pipe on the trail. Hodgins asks for any leftover marijuana, and Booth shoots him a perplexed look. But Hodgins only wants to take it back to the lab for a forensic workup. Meanwhile, the poodle’s owner is growing more impatient by the second. She is panicking about the blood fused to her dog’s coat. Brennan instructs the woman to be patient, and Booth tells her they are trying to solve a murder before dismissing her completely. But she’s still worked up. And promises “hell to pay” if the blood turns her dog’s coat pink. Hodgins is fed up too, and attempts a quicker approach to gathering the evidence off the dog- shaving the off. However the owner was not going to let him butcher her dog’s coat. She sprints down the hill and tries to pry the electric razor from Hodgins’ hands. And poor Hodgins accidentally shaves off one eyebrow. He asks if it’s as bad as he thinks it is, and his colleagues just stare at him in wonderment. Yes, Hodgins. It’s not great.

On the platform, Brennan observes evidence of post-mortem blunt force trauma and fractures to the legs. Angela receives a call from an unknown number and chooses to ignore it. Brennan posits that the body could have sustained such intense trauma after death by being dragged. Daisy takes this moment to ask Brennan if she would serve as her reference for a position at the NFL- NOT to be confused with the National Football League. Now that Daisy has finally completed her doctorate, she has applied for a job at the National Forensic Lab. Brennan agrees to be a reference, but advises “Dr. Wick” not to get her hopes up. “In light of your young age, landing a job of that status would be a long-shot at best.” Angela points out that Brennan got her job at the Jeffersonian when she was still in her 20s. Actually, if my math is correct, Brennan was in her early 20s when she first came to the Jeffersonian. “Yes. But that was clearly an exceptional circumstance.” She really is just telling the truth. And obviously Brennan believes Daisy is an exceptional intern as well- Again, based on what we know now about the ending. At that moment, Angela ignores yet another call. I wouldn’t point this out, except it becomes more relevant in a few scenes. The unknown number has now called Angela three times at this point. That’s about when I would block a number, but I suppose it’s a good thing she did not.

Hodgins ascends the platform and is ready to share that he pulled prints from the pipe found at the scene. But the ladies on the platform cannot look at him without laughing. Poor Hodgins. “You’re...asymmetrical.” Apparently Angela told Hodgins that his missing eyebrow was barely noticeable, which makes me love the two of them even more. Hodgins attempts to continue explaining his findings, but the rest of the team cannot hold it together- especially Cam and Brennan. Long story short, the person smoking the pipe in the woods was likely there when the victim was killed. And I can hear Brennan’s laughing still echoing off the walls. Bless, Emily.

Aubrey corners a man stumbling down the street named Randy Stringer. He claims he did not call an Uber. But Aubrey assures him he’s not Uber. Randy was in the woods the night the victim was killed, and the pipe found near the crime scene belonged to him. Randy was arrested twice for selling LSD and once for assault with a deadly weapon. He denies selling drugs, but he does sell sausages? All he witnessed that night in the woods was “a dude” walking around with a flashlight. He attempted to explain when and where he saw said “dude.” And FOX got a nice Sunday night Animation Domination shout out. Randy asks why he’s being questioned, and Aubrey informs him about the body dump. Randy then spouts off some nonsense about Mother Earth. This man just seemed far too random to be completely innocent in all this. And Aubrey looks so done.

Brennan enters Angela’s office to check her progress on the facial reconstruction. But this case did not require any reconstruction. The victim could be identified by the piece of metal on the his wrist. It was a “skin mounted bioelectronic fitness monitor.” Hodgins chimes in on how Angela can find the ID using this monitor. But Brennan is surprised and seemingly delighted to see that Hodgins has somehow produced a new eyebrow since last she saw him. “Sorry to ruin your laugh fest there, but yeah!” He constructed the eyebrow using hair from his beard. This man is as precious as anything. Brennan and Angela try to keep from laughing, as the eyebrow still does not quite look normal. Hodgins is frustrated that he has not managed to shut down the ridicule yet. Suddenly, Angela’s phone rings yet again. Obviously, it is not a prank call and not a wrong number. She picks up the phone and tells the mystery caller on the other line that she has no debt and is not interested in buying a cruise. But mystery caller must have said something to pique her interest. And also incite a bit of confusion. She asks if the caller is sure that they have reached the right person. She exits the room to talk, and leaves a seemingly perplexed Brennan and Hodgins behind. Brennan takes that opportunity to shift focus back to the case. She was unaware these types of biometric fitness devices were available to the general public. Hodgins hypothesizes that the victim may have had some sort of occupational connection to the tech world.

Angela returns to her office and with a look of pure astonishment on her face. “You guys are never going to believe this, but I just won a MacArthur Fellowship. You know, the one that everyone calls the ‘Genius Grant.’” Hodgins is absolutely thrilled for his wife. “That’s unbelievable.” Brennan agrees with that assessment. To her, it is “truly” unbelievable. She explains that it’s one of the most prestigious awards a scientist can get. “They said my work with the Angelatron was groundbreaking.” Hodgins goes onto say “I always knew I married a genius.” “Technically you did not. Though Angela is incredibly talented.” Angela is a bit put off by Brennan’s lack of enthusiasm. Hodgins tells Brennan that Angela is her best friend and she should try to be happy for her. And she says she is happy for her. She just never imagined Angela would achieve this honor “let alone before I did.”

Here’s the thing: The way this scene seemed to be playing out at this point, well, let’s just say that we have seen that particular storyline before. I had ample time to think about this storyline between the time the sneak peek came out and the west coast airing. There was once a time when Cam won the Outstanding Women of Science Award. Brennan struggled with the fact that she was not the recipient. It’s not as though she discounts Cam’s intelligence or contribution to forensic pathology. But in her mind, objectively speaking, she is the most outstanding. Whether or not you think it’s right, you really have to attempt to understand her perspective. It’s obviously not her intention to come off as jealous or bitter, by any means. This is her friend and her colleague. Brennan only works with the best in their field. And she knows Cam is certainly that. A conversation with Booth would make her reconsider her stance on the award.

Booth, do you think I'm being small-minded about Cam getting the award and not me?

Yes.

What?

You might want another answer, but I can't give that to you.

But I'm clearly the best scientist.

And are you a worse scientist because Cam's getting the award?

Of course not.

See? Yeah. So you're just being petty because you want to win.

I thought you would take my side. I am on your side, okay? I'm on your better side.

Booth can see and read people. He understands their motivations. And what’s most impressive is his understanding of Temperance Brennan. That’s a tough nut to crack. But he knows how her mind works (for the most part), and he’s not going to tell her what she wants to hear. He’s going to tell her what she needs to hear. And it’s effective. Brennan is truly exceptional in so many ways. She is the best in her field. And she is one of the best scientists in the world. She is still exceptional even if someone else is honored. I am about to go off on a major tangent here. But I can relate this to Meryl Streep and the acting world. That woman has been in countless films and has hundreds upon hundreds of nominations. She is arguably one of the greatest actors of this particular generation (some would disagree, I happen to believe she is brilliant). But she cannot win every single award. In fact, she will be the first to tell you she is the biggest loser in the history of the Academy Awards. Does that make her any less exceptional? Absolutely not. With Brennan, she is still the queen of forensic anthropology. It’s not a bad thing to have someone else recognized for their invaluable work. Whether it be Cam or Angela or Hodgins. They are all exceptional at what they do. That is why they all work at the Jeffersonian. Brennan knows this. It’s ultimately why she apologizes to Cam and supports her as the award recipient. Though when Cam surprises her with the announcement that the three Jeffersonian women + nine other exceptional women of science would be honored, Brennan is stunned. And she is duly impressed at the credentials of the other women who agreed to be in this rather unconventional spread. All of them are brilliant. And all of them make key contributions to their field. It’s important to celebrate different people and different achievements so as to encourage more people go get into science.

My reasoning for bringing the past up is that it would be a recycled storyline to have Angela receive an award and make Brennan react poorly to it. It would also be a gross example of regression for this character. It’s not as though I knew in that moment that it was all a ruse to throw Angela off the trail. But I did know that it was going to play out in a different way. We are much too eager to jump to conclusions sometimes. I simply was not willing to believe Brennan had not evolved past these feelings. In that moment in season 9, she learned. And she grew as a result. She realized that it was okay for others to receive accolades. She can still certainly believe she is the best. But how many times has Angela and her brilliant technology helped crack or solve a case? Bones has taught me several lessons over the years- not to jump to conclusions, look at all the evidence, and that sometimes it’s okay to rely on your gut. The evidence tells me that Brennan has evolved since season nine. And also that she is a constant surprise. And my gut tells me there is something more to this story. This was a very roundabout way of getting to this point. But that’s how I reacted to this particular scene. On a semi-unrelated note, it’s also how we should approach teases and certain spoilers. I think there would be an overall reduction in blood pressure levels if we did.

Angela refocuses her attention on the Angelatron, as it has come up with an ID from the fitness monitor. It belongs to a man named Ian Goldberg, who Hodgins recognized. He built robots to help children on the Autism spectrum. The three of them watch one of his videos featuring AMI, a robot, interacting with a young boy. “There’s someone who deserves the genius grant.” The trio cannot understand why someone would want to kill such a kind-hearted man.

Booth and Brennan are back in the car on the way to visit the victim’s work. I did find it strange that the two of them were listening to the radio, since we never really hear them do that when they drive. But I suppose I didn’t think too much more of it. Booth notices that Brennan has been quiet during the ride, and asks if she is at all upset that Angela won the “McDonald’s award” But Brennan claims that she is not the slightest bit jealous. She is still quite focused on planning her surprise party. “It’s not every day that one turns 40.” I grew considerably more curious with every mention of this party. But it should be no surprise to anyone that Brennan was going to make sure everything was planned and perfect, down to the very last detail. Daisy calls with evidence that indicates someone punched the victim repeatedly in the back of the head. Booth calls it a “rookie move.” Daisy figures that whoever punched the victim must have sustained a serious hand injury.

After Brennan hangs up with the lab, Booth asks her about Social Cybernetics. He makes a Star Wars reference, which of course goes right over Brennan’s head. She talks a bit about the work Ian Goldberg did with robotics. She explains that he created complex systems designed to emulate the human brain. Booth believes that it’s insane to think that a robot’s brain could come close to a human’s. “At the end of the day, humans have something that robots will never have...a soul.” “The existence of a soul has never been proven with scientific data.” But Booth begins to explain that you don’t prove the existence of a soul. He’s interrupted by a very familiar tune. And even louder, he tells Brennan that a soul is “something you feel!” And now I definitely recognize the song. “You hear that? That’s our song!” Their song. I may melt. “You hear the soul in that?!” All Brennan can do is look on at her goofy husband and laugh, with so much love and adoration twinkling in her eyes. Booth begins to sing along to Hot Blooded- and while I consider it to be the most adorable sound in the world, I’m not sure he would win a Grammy for his performance. That’s what makes it so endearing. Brennan continues to smile the brightest and most dazzling smile I’ve ever seen. She’s utterly charmed by this man. And I am charmed by them.

I do believe my reaction to this scene upon first viewing was a series of offensively loud shrieks. There is something so special about a Hot Blooded moment. Sometimes it’s hard to believe there have only been (now) four of them. Because it seems as though it has been such a constant over the years. I am about to go off on yet another tangent…

The Hot Blooded phenomenon began in season one with Two Bodies in a Lab. Booth and Brennan were still getting to know each other, and this was also the first time Booth had been in Brennan’s apartment. He was there because he refused to let her out of his sight- someone had tried to kill her. They shyly interact and discuss music. Booth is surprised to see that his partner owns so much jazz, and she explains why she loves it. He looks dazzled already. And then he finds a CD, which excites him. He puts the disc into the player (this was 2005, iPods were a thing, but not everyone had them…) and Foreigner began to ring out from the speakers. Booth started dancing and singing, and then Brennan joined in. It was the beginning of them. And if we ignore the fact that Booth was blown up in the next minute, it’s such a sweet moment.

The second occurrence of Hot Blooded was in season five. Booth and Brennan were recovering from that fateful night outside the Hoover when Booth asked Brennan to give “them” a chance. She couldn’t. She didn’t believe she had the kind of open heart required to be in a relationship with this man. She could not give him all that he needed. And she couldn’t risk her friendship with Booth. That friendship was the most important thing in her life. If they took that next step, she would surely ruin it. And he would leave her. Because everyone eventually leaves. Booth stayed because she asked him to. And because I think he couldn’t actually bear to leave her. He only decided to go back to the Army at the end of the season when finding out that Brennan was leaving. I never look at that time as awkward. They were both in pain. But Booth was there for Brennan. And she was there for him. And during this particular case, they were able to engage in a carefree and somewhat nostalgic moment. Hot Blooded began to play at the “fantasy camp” and Booth is energized to hear “our song” playing. He convinces Brennan to go up on stage with him and sing. And they do. It’s an emotional marker of where they are in their relationship. But it’s also a vital component of their story.

The third (and most recent before this episode) time Hot Blooded resurfaced was when Booth and Brennan were living together with a baby. They had just wrapped up a very emotional case with an adolescent victim. Before the boy died, he made a mixtape for the girl he loved. Brennan wondered why Booth never made her a mixtape. But she chalked it up to the fact that she is not a very romantic person. I actually would disagree with that. In the end, Booth finds Brennan playing “dancing phalanges” with their daughter in the kitchen. He tells her he has made a mixtape for her. “I find I think that is very sweet.” I’d be willing to bet that no one has ever thought to make her a mixtape before. Which makes me both sad that no one ever understood her enough to truly love her like she deserves, and thankful for Booth. Booth adds that it features their song. “What, we have a song?” “Every couple has a song.” And she finally realizes which song is playing. They dance around the kitchen with their little girl. And it is perfect. Because you think back to the previous times this song was played in the show, and where this couple was at that time. And how far they have come. And now, this fourth time. They are married. That little girl is nearly seven. They have another baby boy who is likely walking by now (we know he is highly skilled at utilizing a spoon!). Each Hot Blooded marks a significant time in Booth and Brennan’s story. I find that beautiful. So when I react to the inclusion of Hot Blooded. It’s not merely because it’s their song and it’s recognizable to me. It’s that my mind barrages me this montage of flashbacks detailing this couple’s beautiful journey.

Booth and Brennan arrive at the Social Cybernetics lab, where they come face to face with a robot named AMI- an acronym for Advanced Modular Intelligence. Both Booth and Brennan appear quite impressed with AMI. AMI assesses each partner's’ facial expressions. “Dr. Brennan appears 78% curious and 22% jealous. Agent Booth is 94% amused and 6% skeptical.” That seems about right. The woman showing them around is “100% nervous.” She claims it’s only because she’s being questioned by the FBI, which for the time being I believe. She tells Booth and Brennan that she and Ian had a “fruitful” working relationship, and that they would have likely reached singularity with their technology within the next decade- making these machines indistinguishable from humans. After watching Westworld last year, I’m not certain that’s the best endgame. Booth notices a man with a wrist brace, and questions him about it. The man claims it’s Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but don’t try to pull that with Brennan around. She semi-aggressively grabs his hand, and informs Booth that he has a Boxer’s Fracture. “You don’t need a robot to figure that out.”

Back at the FBI, Booth and Brennan interview Alan (the suspect). His injuries are an exact match for those found on the victim’s skull. Alan admits to hitting Ian, but not to killing him. Booth attempts to get Alan to admit to murder, but the man sticks to his story. Brennan notes that if one of her employees struck her in the back of the skull, she would have immediately fired said employee. But Alan claims he would have been too hard to replace. He is the best coder they have. Booth inquires as to where he was on the previous Friday evening. His answer- his desk as Social Cybernetics. Rather than waste their time on him, Alan recommends that Booth and Brennan speak to the “nuts” from “Stop the Robopocalypse.” I laugh about this now, but I’m sure it’s a very real fear, relative to the future and the advances being made in robotics. Apparently, Ian used to go onto this organization’s blogs and bait members into fights. This baffles the partners, as it seems out of character for someone who has dedicated so much of his time and energy to helping Autistic children through this advanced technology. Alan explains that while Ian was an invaluable asset to the field, “in reality the guy was a dink.”

Did he just say dink?

I think he did.

Cam finds Daisy in the bone room and asks if she has heard from the NFL. I find it really difficult to not to think about American football when this acronym is mentioned, even after having watched this episode dozens of times already. Daisy hasn’t heard from the organization yet, and cannot stop stressing over it. She’s concerned about what Brennan might say if they call her for a reference. Daisy wonders if she could call the NFL herself, and make Cam a reference instead. I know Brennan can be blunt. But let’s say we didn’t know how this particular story plays out. A reference from Temperance Brennan probably holds more weight than any other person in the world, no matter what words she uses to give the reference. Additionally, Brennan would not have agreed to give Daisy a reference if she believed she wasn’t capable of handling the job. And she would tell Daisy that- because she is blunt. But Brennan agreed. Which means that she likely had positive commentary relative to Daisy’s skills and intellectual acumen. Though looking at it from Daisy’s perspective, I know what it is to stress over a job like this. I understand how your mind will not shut off and stop worrying when you’re essentially in limbo waiting to hear about a position you legitimately desire. I’ve been there. It’s excruciating. You wonder if you should do something more. Should you follow up? Should you send another reference? It can drive you to the brink of insanity. But if Daisy could just breathe and think rationally, she would understand that it’s in the NFL’s hands now. And if it’s not the right job for her, then she will find something else.

Cam recommends that Daisy focus on her work in lieu of worrying. Daisy has found multiple incidences of blunt force trauma, but there is no rhyme or reason to any of the injuries. The trauma occurred both before and after death. Cam leaves to ask Hodgins to swab the skull, but she turns back to Daisy before she goes. “If the NFL doesn’t hire you, you’ll always have a job here.” Daisy smiles, though I think it would take her a little while longer to really process what Cam was telling her. These two make me so happy. All of their scenes together lately have been all too lovely.

Angela confirms that Alan was telling the truth about working on the Friday night the victim was murdered. Aubrey begins talking about robot conspiracy theories to Angela (who thinks AMI is actually adorable), and he is starting to sound a bit like Hodgins. “Wow, Aubrey, I never knew you were so paranoid.” They are interrupted by news that a member of Stop the Robocalpyse crashed one of Ian’s speaking engagements last year and struck him in the leg with a baseball bat.

In the Ookey Room, Daisy finds Hodgins creating a map. Ultimately, he wants to pinpoint the victim’s injuries to different locations in the woods. His explanation is a bit more complex and detailed, and Daisy listens intently. “I have to say, it’s good to see you back to your old self, Dr. Hodgins.” She doesn’t mean his eyebrow, nor his legs. She’s talking about his demeanor. She’s talking about that zest for life and passion for science. Hodgins is back. And it’s a wonderful sight to behold. She then asks Hodgins if he thinks she has a chance at the NFL job. Daisy really seems to be obsessing over this. Bug again, I understand. “The thought of not getting it makes me feel like such a failure.” This is not necessarily relevant to the point, but not getting a job does not make one a failure. And that’s not a reason to want a job so desperately- fear of failing. If that’s the most dominant emotion, the job is probably not the right one anyway. You want a job because it’s something you’re passionate about. Not because NOT getting that job would make you a failure in the eyes of your peers and yourself. Hodgins tells Daisy that while they have a history of getting on each other’s nerves, he truly believes that she is a highly skilled scientist. Daisy agrees, but notes that Brennan was younger than she is when she was running the Jeffersonian. “Yes, but life is not a competition, Daisy. Trust me, if I’ve learned anything being in this chair, it’s that happiness comes from accepting what you have.” Daisy is worried that all she has is “one big question mark.” Hodgins can certainly relate. He refocuses his attention on the map, and realizes that the killer could have purposely dragged the victim through the woods to obscure evidence.

While Aubrey and Booth are walking to speak to Matthew Coburn, the head of Stop the Robocalpyse, Aubrey brings up Brennan’s birthday. “You’re really not gonna get your own wife a birthday present?” But Brennan swears she doesn’t want anything. And Booth seems fine with that. I mostly just wanted to write the word “wife” because no matter how many times I hear it, I still need to pinch myself. Aubrey thinks it sounds like a trap. But Brennan is not like most women. She says what she means. And Booth knows that. When she says she doesn’t want a gift, she means it. And so he will have to think outside the box on this one. When they locate the suspect, he takes off running. And the two agents are forced to chase him up a fence, through an abandoned building, and finally catch him before he can jump another fence. Why do they always run? During an interrogation session, Matthew admits he never intended to hurt Ian. He was merely trying to smash his robot, but Ian stepped in to protect it. He explains to Aubrey that the government is weaponizing this technology. Aubrey is a bit confused, as Ian did not make weapons. He created these robots to help Autistic children. “So he said.” Matthew claimed that Ian was going to sell out to the highest bidder. On the night of Ian’s murder, Matthew was in his RV writing a blog post. Aubrey is going to keep this man in holding. But I’ve seen this before. The head of an opposing organization is never actually the killer in these tales. Too obvious.

Daisy is back in the bone room, this time examining the bones with Brennan. She is tense. And before she can even say anything, Brennan tells her that she has not yet heard from the National Forensic Lab. I like that Brennan can read Daisy. She knew exactly what she was thinking. Development. Cam enters with evidence that someone tried to rip the victim’s arms from his sockets. Brennan notes that a human could certainly not inflict that level of damage. But Hodgins has found evidence of AMI’s materials on the victim. Could AMI have killed her creator? There’s a frightening twist.

At the FBI, Booth and Brennan bring AMI in for questioning. Booth is a bit in disbelief that they are actually interrogating a machine. But Brennan points out that AMI is no different than they are. “That is not accurate, Dr. Brennan. Unlike you, my memory will never degrade with age.” Brennan’s reaction is adorable. As usual. AMI says she did not hit Ian. Not even by accident. Brennan asks AMI to share any memories she has of Ian from the previous Friday. But she has no memories of Ian from that day. Since she cannot lie, this is a very startling admission. Ian was seen programming the robot that day. As it turns out, someone deleted her memory. When Brennan asks who deleted the files, AMI shuts down completely.

Brennan returns to her office to find Max waiting for her. I already had a very sinking feeling about Ryan O’Neal’s appearance in this episode. He doesn’t show up for no reason. And sadly, I already figured I knew the reason why Max was there. She asks Max what he’s doing in her office, since her party doesn’t start for another seven hours. He just wanted to come by and have some one on one time with his “favorite” daughter. She is genuinely pleased to see him. And my heart aches that much more. Brennan has to continue working on the case, but he doesn’t mind. He only wants to spend time with her- it doesn’t matter how they spend that time. For a second, I thought maybe Brennan had figured something out. She asks Max if everything is okay. His answer does not have me convinced. But Brennan has a lot on her mind, and she believes him. Max heard from Hodgins that Angela won the MacArthur genius grant. “We’re all very proud.” Max tells her it’s normal to feel a little jealousy. She doesn’t have time for “such petty emotions” because of this case and planning her surprise party. This must be one doozy of a party. It’s taken a great deal of planning. Max wants to know if there will be dancing at the mystery party, as he has been taking salsa lessons. That’s a surprising admission, in my opinion. When people find out they only have a certain period of time left on earth, they sometimes try to fit in new experiences and learn new skills in the time they have left- like salsa. Brennan is amused that her father is learning salsa. “You have to live life to the fullest. None of us live forever, you know.” And it is at that point that I think most of our worst fears were essentially confirmed. Max continues dancing as Brennan works, and he makes her laugh. Please, stomp on my heart a little harder, show. Their relationship has evolved so much since we first met this man in season 2. And it took Max a considerable amount of time to earn his daughter’s trust. Where they are now is just astonishing. Because I can only think back to that time on the bench, with Max dressed as a priest. I don’t even want to think about Brennan’s reaction when she finds out what he is hiding. At this point I don’t know specifically what is wrong. I just know it’s nothing good. This is a man who understands that he does not have much time left. That much is obvious.

Daisy is second guessing herself while examining evidence in the bone room. “No wonder the NFL hasn’t called.” Brennan tells her to stop being so hard on herself. “So far, your work here has been perfectly adequate.” Brennan would have given Daisy a “solid B” had she been grading her. This does not assuage Daisy’s worry. She is capable of A+ work. Brennan knows this as well. But if she wants to be a lead forensic anthropologist, Daisy needs to be doing A+ work at every moment. Daisy is inspired to think more critically about the case. She realizes that the body could have been hoisted up into something after death. Brennan commends her discovery. A+ work, indeed.

In the Ookey Room, Cam is surprised to see Hodgins gliding over his map. “...or should I say Peter Pan.” Hodgins is a lot like Peter Pan, when I stop to think about it. Obviously he’s not stuck in some fairy tale. But there’s a part of him that never wants to “grow up.” He looks at science with a childlike wonderment. It’s completely pure. Sure, it’s nice to have money. But all he really wants to do in life is explore, and dream, and play. He does all this through his job- which has always been more than a job. Aside from a brief dark period, he has always been that way. In 11x18, he said he wanted to be someone who never stops looking. He always wants to be inspired to explore something more. He wants to perform experiments. He wants to play with bugs. He wants to build giant maps of the woods and glide over it with a pulley system he built. This is Hodgins. This is who he is. And like Daisy, I am elated to see him back to his old self as well.

Hodgins still has yet to figure out a pattern within his map. Cam goes to look at Hodgins swab results, and notes that they should help narrow down where the victim’s body was hoisted. Cam walks back over to the map and is surprised at how quickly Hodgins managed to make a nest. But it is not a nest. It’s Hodgins’ makeshift eyebrow. This show...Hodgins cannot get what he needs from this map. He has to go back into the woods (and now I want to sing Sondheim).

Angela finds out that Ian was the one who deleted AMI’s memory. She digs up a record of AMI’s neural network, and finds the last item recorded before her memory was wiped. It was a call from Ian, and he mentioned an address. The address in question belongs to something called Patriot Industries, which happens to be a warehouse in close proximity to where Ian’s body was found.

Booth and Aubrey are exploring the warehouse. They posit that perhaps Ian was selling his technology to a weapons manufacturer. But they couldn’t be more wrong. They open one of the many crates stored in the building, only to find a sex doll lying inside. They ask the manufacturer about his meeting with Ian. The agents bait the man into telling them what they want to know by implying that he could have killed Ian for his technology. But he claims that he and Ian were about to go into business together. “Sex bots are the future my friend.” I love this show. Ian was alive when he left the meeting. So where did he go? Who got to him? And why?

Out in the woods, Daisy and Hodgins are combing the area for any evidence they can find. Hodgins cannot seem to find a compelling motive for hauling Ian’s body so deep into the woods. But Daisy wants to take a break from the case and discuss something personal once more. She has been mulling over Hodgins’ words to her earlier in the episode- about accepting circumstances in life when things do not go your way. “And even if the NFL doesn’t hire me, I love being at the Jeffersonian and working with all of you.” Hodgins agrees. I know that staying at the Jeffersonian may not be ideal for her. She would never be lead forensic anthropologist so long as Brennan was there. She finished her doctorate and it was time to start her own career. But until she finds that first great job, the Jeffersonian isn’t such a bad place to work. It’s become her home as much as it’s been for any of the other characters. During her time there, she fell in love. She also lost that love, more than once. She gained a family. And that family has been there for her through it all. And they have been there for her son as well. It’s more than a job. She won’t lose that family by leaving the Jeffersonian. They will still always have those ties. And maybe it is a safety net. Who cares. Even if she went out on her own and failed, these people would still welcome her back with open arms. She will always have a place there. She will always have a home there. It just took a few words from Hodgins to make her realize that. Both she and Hodgins have lost so much recently. But they have found solace in this place with these people. They were able to heal because of it all. So I love seeing them share like this. But I always love Hodgins’ unique interactions with all the interns.

They find the tree where Ian’s body was hoisted. Hodgins realizes that it was also the spot where he was murdered. He finds a speaker made out of the same materials as AMI. So the robot is innocent. Whoever killed Ian must have hit him in the back of the skull with this speaker. What the two haven’t quite figured out is why the body was dumped a mile away.

While Brennan cannot detect fingerprints on the speaker, she does find evidence that Ian was stabbed in the neck with a very small knife. Brennan explains that this type of injury typically implies an attempt at decapitation. Booth has a realization in that moment. What if they weren’t looking for a brilliant computer scientist? What if they were actually searching for a “knucklehead stoner” who admitted to having a pocket knife earlier in the episode. And now we know who the killer is- Randy Stringer. Randy and Ian were taking LSD together the night he died. Apparently, he killed Ian over a gift. For whatever reason, Randy thought he was going to get a substantial chunk of change from Ian. And all he got was (this lousy) a bluetooth speaker. He was the one who came up with the idea of putting AI into sex dolls. And he should have gotten credit for his “brilliant” idea. This revelation not surprise me one bit. Another case closed.

That night, Booth and Brennan are back in the car presumably driving to Brennan’s surprise party at their home. Brennan is concerned that Booth lured Randy into confession by claiming they had conclusive evidence. When in fact, what they did have was not necessarily definitive. But Booth instinctively knew it was Randy. And he was right. He used his “gut” to feel out the situation. He notes that robots cannot do that. Before Brennan can continue arguing, Booth stops her. She doesn’t want to spend her birthday arguing about robots. He wants to give her his present. Brennan is not happy, as she specifically requested that there be no gifts. But when have Booth’s gifts ever been just gifts. They always hold a deeper meaning. Even if said gifts have no intrinsic value. He knows she’s going to love this present. “We’ll see.” She opens it up to find a letter approving a court date for Zack’s appeal. Booth wanted to go ahead get it on the books, though it is still a few months out. The reason for appeal lists that new osteological evidence is being considered. Brennan is concerned that she has no such evidence at this moment. But Booth has faith that she will find it. “I cannot embark on my research with the presumption of Zack’s innocence.” She doesn’t have to. She can embark on her research as she would any other case. Booth tells her once again that he has faith in her. And I may die from a heart attack. This episode contains so much sweetness. “But your belief in me does make me very happy.” Brennan may not rely on or even believe in intangible constructs such as the “gut” or faith, but Booth does. And so his faith in her means something to her because of that. With a huge smile, Booth tells her that he is glad she likes her gift. They are too perfect. Remember when Hot Blooded came on earlier in the episode? It’s not relevant to this moment but it’s all I can think about, apparently.

Brennan’s guests are waiting for her back at Booth and Brennan’s home. Angela is nervous about Brennan’s reaction to her grant. “She can be a bit competitive.” Hodgins claims that most people freak out when they turn 40. “Well my daughter isn’t like most people.” Truer words never spoken, Max. Christine announces that her parents are home. And the team doesn’t know whether to hide or not. No one knew what to expect from this party. No matter, Brennan opens the door yelling “surprise!” She instructs Booth and Aubrey to open the large box on the table to reveal three very different and distinct cakes. Daisy takes notice of the (American) football cake, and reads the message. It congratulated her for landing the job at the NFL. “Though I did not ask for your cake to be decorated in this manner.” I can only imagine the conversation she had with the cake decorator. Angela notices that there is a cake for her as well. And that’s the surprise. The party is a celebration for Brennan and all of her friends and family. The camera quickly pans to Max who has a very strange look on his face. He is likely feeling conflicting emotions- proud of his daughter for the remarkable person she has become. And devastated that he will not have much time left to see what extraordinary things she does in the future.

As it turns out, Brennan recommended Daisy for the NFL job. And she nominated Angela for the grant. Angela is shocked, as Brennan seemed to have made such a big deal about her not being a genius. Brennan gives the credit to her much-improved acting skills. I have to agree with her, finally. In the past, she wasn’t much of an actor. But she did an absolutely stellar job keeping these secrets. Even Booth was impressed. “That’s one of the many benefits of growing older, we grow wiser in the process.” The camera pans back to Max who is wearing a giant smile across his face. Daisy is growing emotional, as she is going to miss Brennan and the rest of the team. “You are a highly-skilled scientist, Daisy. You deserve all the success in the world.” Brennan and Daisy have come so far. And it’s really beautiful and rewarding to witness this moment.

With so little time left, I wondered whether this episode would delve any more into what secret Max is keeping. I didn’t have to wait much longer. Christine finds a hospital bracelet on the floor next to her grandpa. She picks it up and hands it back to him. He tells her it’s nothing, and quickly stuffs it back into his pocket. Christine isn’t at all worried. But I spent the remainder of this party crying my eyes out. Booth lights the candles on the cake, and everyone starts singing Happy Birthday to Brennan. She looks so unbelievably radiant in this moment. And Max looks haunted. He cannot even manage to continue singing with everyone else. He watches his baby girl blow out her birthday candles, knowing full well that this could be the last birthday he spends with her. And maybe, one of the last times he can be with her and her family. Flipping back and forth between a joyful Brennan (pun intended) and Max is one of the more emotional experiences I’ve had watching this show.

I do not know the exact details of what is ailing Max. If I had to guess, I would have to say that he is terminal. From what, I do not know. When he came back into Brennan’s life in season 2, it was a confusing time. She was so guarded, and couldn’t trust him. After all, Max and her mother abandoned her when she was just a teenager. Fifteen may seem old to some. But she was still just a child. She managed to survive on her own, but she shouldn’t have had to. That’s part of the reason Brennan was so vehement about finding Christine the right school. She wanted her daughter to have stability- a luxury she never had. But in season nine, Max does remind his daughter that her childhood wasn’t always so bad. If she can look beyond the painful memories, she can recall that her home was filled with love. She has always been different, and was treated as such in school. But at home, she was celebrated. She and Max always shared a love of science. Her life was enriched by this man. And the only reason her parents left was to save their children. So in time, she was able to forgive. Though she never forgot.

It took Max and Brennan so long to get to this place. And there have been little missteps along the way. But Max proved that he was not going to leave her again. At least not indefinitely. He went to prison to show her that he was here to stay. And while Brennan still couldn’t fully trust her father, she concocted an alternate story for the jury to save him. She couldn’t bear to let him go. Not after she just got him back. His resurgence may have reopened old wounds, but we know it’s better to feel sad than dead inside. She was learning how to open her heart and trust again. Booth helped her with that. Angela helped her with that. Max still engaged in some illicit behavior, but generally it was only in the interest of protecting his family. Max and Booth are alike in many ways. Maybe that’s why Max took an instant liking to his daughter’s “partner.” He could see this man was good for his daughter in so many ways. If only they could both see that themselves, they could be something wonderful- like he and his late wife. Max only killed to protect his loved ones. He has a clear conscience because he would never kill in cold blood. His kids were threatened, so he removed the threat. He’s a good man. Booth would have done exactly the same.

Thinking about where his daughter was when he reentered her life and observing her during her 40th birthday, there’s a stark difference. Of course she is still the same Brennan at her core. So much of her is the same as when we met her over a decade ago. But she has also experienced immense growth. All of these people with whom she has surrounded herself have changed her. New experiences have affected her. She has a family now. She has more love in her life than she knows what to do with. And she can trust that these people are here to stay. She no longer lives with a constant fear of abandonment. She is strong, yes. But she allows herself to feel. She took a chance on love. And while it has brought her some degree of pain every so often, it has enriched her life in such profound ways. Max sees what his daughter has done for her friends. This is the little girl he knew growing up. He has always known that she has such a kind heart and giving spirit. She just doesn’t show her emotions and relate in the same way other people do. But she found people who understand her and celebrate her in the same way he and his wife did when she was growing up. Max always knew that Brennan was special. And she is. He couldn’t be prouder. I almost want to say he had a “my work here is done” face on. I know that’s completely reaching, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. His daughter has it all now. And he can rest easy knowing she will be well taken care of when he is gone.

What worries me now is Brennan’s reaction to whatever Max is keeping from her. Logically, she knows that people die every day. Obviously she sees that on a daily basis. But her father- she lost him for 15 years. They are in a good place now. They are finally at peace. And now he’s going to abandon her again. At least that’s how I feel she may take it. Because even the most rational person can be affected by death in unpredictable and highly illogical ways. I am also going by the teases for upcoming episodes. Something is going to affect Brennan in a deeply emotional way. I don’t know if Max is going to tell her what’s wrong. Or if he’s just going to die without having ever warned her. I really don’t know. I am terrified of either scenario. I am terrified to see this strong and brilliant woman completely fall apart. When Booth or Brennan fall apart, I fall apart. But she will get through it. Eventually. There will be a beautiful resolution. Because that’s what this show is all about. It’s never death for the sake of death. It’s always an enhancement to the show. There is always a purpose. Both Brennan and Max will never regret the time they did have together. It was like bonus time when he came back into her life. Max surely wouldn’t have traded it for anything. And I assume this life with his daughter was more than he ever expected from her. In time, she will heal. But it will take time.

I believe we have one more lighter episode before the one that is going to set the next Big Bad killer arc in motion. I am looking forward to all of it. Every single moment. But again, can we slow down time? FOX should have aired an episode of this season once a month. Anyway, no use in talking about that right now. I am already too emotional over this episode’s ending. As I have posted this late, I’ll be back soon with the next one!

#bonestv #bones #12x02 #the brain in the bot #recap #thoughts #this was really late and i considered not posting it because who cares at this ppoint #but i was very sick and exhausted last week #so #i guess i'll post

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