#Miniature Doppelgängers

[ngdrb]

The Curse of Seraphina's Dollhouse

My latest book

A child receives a beautiful dollhouse that mimics her shown home, but the miniature versions of her family start to behave increasingly ominously.

[rikosseen]

Lookism x Reader: Family

Anon ask | ft. Goo Kim and Jake Kim

You let out an exasperated groan, slapping your forehead as your mischievous little Goo pulls down his father’s pants, cackling like a villain in the making. Your husband screeches in indignation and, without missing a beat, hoists the child upside down by his ankle.

“YOU LITTLE BASTARD!” he roars, dangling his pint-sized doppelgänger like a ragdoll.

“Jonggoo, put him down,” you command, unimpressed.

The blonde man glares at you, but instead of complying, he only tightens his grip.

“Jonggoo,” you repeat, tone sharper now.

With a dramatic huff and a self-important scoff, he begrudgingly sets the child down. Your son immediately runs to you, giggling and sticking out his tongue at his father. Goo scowls, feeling betrayed, and pulls his pants back up, glaring at you as though you are the one at fault here.

.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore,” Jonggoo sniffles, a pitiful, wounded expression on his face.

You glance at him, utterly baffled. “What are you on about now?”

“That! That thing! You love him more than me! This is favouritism!” he howls, pointing an accusatory finger at the innocent child. Your son, completely unfazed, is happily waving around a small figurine, blissfully unaware of his father’s melodramatic tantrum.

The moment Goo spots the figurine, his face pales, and he springs forward, clearly horrified by the sight of it being in the hands of another. You exhale a long, resigned sigh, one that mixes both pain and mild amusement, as you watch your husband wrestle with the tiny tyrant. If Goo wasn’t already a source of constant chaos, now you have a pint-sized clone of him who, if anything, is even more devilish. And, as Goo himself has pointed out, it’s you who clearly favours this miniature menace.

You can’t help but smile as you sit back, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle of Jonggoo Kim being completely outwitted by his own child. It’s moments like this that make life so much more amusing. Who could possibly complain?

Jake is absolutely thrilled to have a little version of himself running around the streets of Big Deal. It fills him with such pride, it almost brings a tear to his eye whenever she helps out at the shop, or when she eagerly volunteers for something even slightly daring. Every time he watches her, he’s convinced that you two should have another. Maybe even enough to form a soccer team—though he’s not ruling out a whole army of little ones, just in case.

You chuckle at his enthusiasm, but turn him down, mostly because you can’t help but adore the way Jake pouts when he doesn’t get his way. He’s so genuine, so open with his feelings—it’s impossible not to find it completely endearing. The way he wears his heart on his sleeve just makes you smile.

.

As you continue chopping garlic, you feel Jake’s arms slip around your waist, pulling you into his warm embrace from behind. Your body relaxes, and your features soften even more at the contact. A weight tugs at Jake’s leg, and the two of you look down to see your little ray of sunshine, your sweet bundle of joy, brightening up the morning. Jake lifts her up with a grin, showering her with kisses, and you hurry to wash your hands so you can join the fun.

Your daughter giggles and squirms in his arms, trying to wriggle free as she laughs, “Daddy, stop it!” Her voice is full of delight, but Jake just grins even wider, continuing his gentle assault of tickles and kisses. The whole house is filled with laughter, the kind that makes your heart feel so full, you think it might burst from happiness.

As you finish drying your hands, you glance over at the father-daughter duo, both of them smiling so brightly, wrapped in their own little bubble of joy. Watching them together, you realise that even though money may be tight and life isn’t always perfect, this little family of yours is everything you could ever need. That kind of love and happiness? It’s truly priceless. You can’t help but smile, thinking: who could possibly complain about something this perfect?

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Mega CD - Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Title: Sonic the Hedgehog CD / ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグＣＤ

Developer/Publisher: Sega CS3 / Sega CS1 / Toei Animation / H.I.C. Co. Ltd. / Sonic Team

Release date: 23 September 1993

Catalogue No.: G-6021

Genre: Action

Two years into the Mega CD's life, Sega gave us Sonic fans a game to enjoy. Directed by the real creator of Sonic (Naoto Ohshima), and introducing such fan favorites as Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, it has become something of a cult classic, partly because of its release on the expensive add-on that most Mega Drive owners did not have access to, and partly because of its visual style and gameplay that makes it stand out from the other classic games in the series. According to Yasushi Yamaguchi, Sonic CD's story takes place between Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

CHAPTER 1: Little Planet - Story

The text for the story is taken from Sonic Origins.

For one month out of the year, an enigmatic miniature celestial body called the Little Planet appears over the enormous Never Lake. Both a place of beauty and wonder, it is said that time moves freely on the planet and that entire sceneries can change in the blink of an eye, all because of the mysterious secret they hold, the seven mystical Time Stones. It is said that whoever possesses these gems will be able to freely move through time, just as the surface of Little Planet does. Almost expectantly, the news of such a place grabs the attention of Dr. Eggman, the mad genius who desires nothing more than world domination. Journeying to the Little Planet, Eggman immediately begins turning it into his personal fortress, littering the landscape with his mechanical genius. Powered not by animals but by the essence of flowers, he sets his army to tear the planet apart so he can claim the Time Stones for himself.

As fate would have it, Sonic the Hedgehog, the speedy blue blur who has stopped Eggman time and again, was also intending on seeing the small, miracle planet, oblivious to the fact Eggman had already beaten him to the locale. Learning of the news that Sonic was fast approaching, Eggman only smiled, excited to put his latest and greatest invention up against the hedgehog, confident that he would finally be able to defeat his archenemy once and for all... What might have otherwise been another simple fight against the genius scientist was immediately complicated by another layer that Sonic only discovered once he set foot in Palmtree Panic. Amy Rose, Sonic's biggest fan and self-proclaimed girlfriend, had been doing what she often did, playing around in an attempt to look into the future. The cards telling her that she had a "destined encounter" with Sonic at Never Lake, she journeyed herself to the Little Planet, immediately becoming excited once she spotted her blue idol. None too pleased with Amy's appearance, she may have been nothing more than a slight bother if not for Eggman's intervention.

At the outskirts of Collision Chaos, Sonic received his first glimpse of Metal Sonic, a robotic duplicate that Eggman created specifically to counter Sonic's every move. In the blink of an eye, the robot snatched up Amy, disappearing into the horizon. Now Sonic must not only stop Dr. Eggman and grab the Time Stones before he does but save Amy Rose from the clutches of his metallic doppelgänger.

"No problem! With a little courage, you can do anything!"

CHAPTER 2: Gameplay

Though some of the terminology is switched around, the basic premise of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog titles remains: to traverse a series of obstacles and enemies within a given level under ten minutes, generally from left to right. While loop-de-loops, spikes, Springs, and an assortment of other standard Sonic elements return, there are enough unique elements to this installment of the platformer series which makes it stand out from the quartet released on the Sega Mega Drive.

Instead of the usual Zone and Act nomenclature, stages are referred to as Rounds which are split into three Zones; the third Zone is significantly shorter than the other two but features a boss encounter with Dr. Eggman at the end. While Sonic the Hedgehog and its Mega Drive sequels had very straightforward battles with the doctor, the fights with him in CD are varied, taking fewer hits but being significantly more complicated and difficult.

One of the essential elements that make the Sonic CD experience unique is the use of the time travel mechanic. Always starting in the Present time zone, the player can make a Sonic jump between the Past and the Future by running across "Time Warp" plates, adorned with the word "Past" or "Future". In each of the four potential periods, one can jump to feature completely new art reflecting where Sonic is, with subtle changes in the layout. What may work as a quick way to blast through a Zone in the Present may be entirely impossible to get through in the Past, and vice versa. The "Time Attack" mode gives the player the option to run through any Zone as fast as possible, the best times being recorded in the Mega-CD's RAM. Probably why this game supports the Mega-CD Back-Up RAM cartridge.

Chapter 3: Soundtrack

Because of the game's presentation on then-cutting-age digital media, Sonic CD was the first in the series to take full advantage of high-quality, Redbook audio. Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata were the ones responsible for the soundtrack, creating a basic theme for the "present" levels and then remixing them for the "past," "good future" and "bad future" variants, altering the mood to reflect on where Sonic was now running but maintaining the basic elements of the core theme. It's worth noting that, though most of the songs are done in Redbook format, each "past" track is done in PCM format, similar to the style in the Mega Drive games. Very oddly the soundtrack is different in the US version, with Sega of America opting for a different soundtrack.

Verdict

So what do I think of Sonic CD? Easily the absolute best out of all the 16-bit Sonic games to me. Gameplay is debatable but I had gotten so used to the Time Travel mechanic that it's hard for me to go back to a Classic Sonic game without it. The soundtrack is absolutely sublime, especially in the Japanese and European versions. And the fact it is now in Sonic Origins, makes me so happy. Also, one note. The US manual for Sonic CD erroneously calls Amy Rose "Princess Sally". No idea where Princess Sally had any relevance in the storyline. Ehhh.....

[daydreaming-en-pointe]

A very Spidey Christmas - Hobie

Pairing: Hobie Brown x GN!Reader (1610!Miles, Gwen, 42!Miles, Margo, and Pavitr are here too)

Word count: 992

Warnings: One cuss word, usage of nicknames (peng, dove, my love) Hobie calls Miles ‘Peter Pan’ (not a warning per se but I just thought ppl might now understand it bc it might be a lil obscure or smth idk) slightly ooc Gwen, mild ghostflower/gwiles and some (subtle) prowlerbyte stuff <3

A/N: Can you tell I put the most effort into this 💔

VEE I USED YOUR GUIDE 😁 very helpful 10/10 would recommend so everyone go give it a read!

The sun was slowly sinking on the horizon, lighting up the frozen patterns inside the icicles hanging on the branches of trees as you finished determinedly constructing your snowman. Or rather, snow-building.

You had been hard at work for almost an hour now, and with the first traces of the evening starting to graze the darkening sky you stepped back to admire your handiwork, then decided to go over to everyone one by one to see their creations.

You had made an elaborately-designed snow-igloo, complete with miniature city built from snow surrounding it. You had painstakingly replicated the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building out of small sticks and carefully-placed blankets of snow.

Your pride and joy of your entire display, however, was the diverse cast of tiny snow-people that sat on the ceiling dome of the igloo in various candid poses.

Snow-Hobie was distinguished by giant boots and a leather vest, the spikes on his mask and shoulders - made from twigs that were meticulously selected - sticking out at random angles as he played his little guitar for his audience. Which was, of course, namely the snow version of you - sitting cross-legged in front of him, every bit as supportive of him as you were in real life.

Ballet slippers and a hood set Gwen apart from the others as she danced en-pointe on the edge of the igloo, the perfect muse for an artist’s sketches. You had managed to replicate Miles’ hairstyle to a tee on his snow doppelgänger as he sat with his sketchbook in front of him, drawing Gwen as she posed for him.

Snow-Pavitr hung off one of the lower levels of the igloo’s walls, a thin web connecting him to the ceiling as his hair - and the fabric of his dhoti pants - all flopped to one side. Snow-Margo with her Afro puffs and the tiny version of the other Miles with his Prowler suit and braids were engaged in a conversation on the other side of the igloo dome, random parts of machinery scattered around them as they compared notes on everything they knew about technology and tinkering.

You wandered over to where Miles was working away at his snow sculpture, looking over his shoulder at the sharp edges and added flair of various leaves, stems and flowers which made his unique art style all the more recognizable even off the paper.

“What’re you making, Miles?”

“Oh, hi, Y/N! I’m actually trying to build Gwen… I’m not sure if it’s coming out well though.” He sat back and rubbed the back of his neck as he critically examined his creation. You took in the petals forming her hood, the leaves wrapped over each other to form her chucks, and the stems woven together to imitate a web shooting out from her wrist. “Well, I think it’s really cool.”

“Wait, really? Miles, that’s so sweet! I’m trying to make you too!” Gwen, who was sitting only a few feet away, gave him a warm smile and Miles just about lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. You chuckled under your breath at his reaction.

“I made a dog!” Pavitr piped up, proudly gesturing to his snow-dog. “His name’s Gulab Jamun!”

He was unfortunately sitting right in one of the sun’s last dying rays, so the dog’s face looked a little bit like a melted candle, but everything else had turned out pretty well.

“Pavi, I think now might not be the best time,” Margo murmured with a soft laugh, crouching to look at his sculpture. “It’s a good dog though.”

“They’re so in love it makes me sick,” Miles remarked, standing and looking at Gwen and Miles skeptically with his arms crossed. Margo lifted her head to glare up at him and he raised his palms in mock surrender. Though the small, fond smile that tugged at his lips as he looked at the purple spidergirl didn’t quite escape your watchful gaze.

“Don’t worry about ‘im, Peter Pan! ‘E’s just taking the mick,” Hobie called out reassuringly to Miles, who was now frowning slightly at the version of himself from another universe. “Lay off him, bruv! Man’s trying his best, innit?”

You joined Hobie a few metres away from everyone, where he appeared to be taking a break. “‘Ey, dove!” He called, his eyes lighting up with a grin when he saw you. You went to sit next to him and he wrapped a long arm around you. “‘Ow’s it goin’?”

“It’s good! I just about finished.” You turned to angle your gaze down at his… sculpture? Was that the right word for it? Maybe the term abstract art piece fit better? “Hobie, love, what’s yours supposed to be?”

“Oh, it’s a me’aphor for capi’alism.”

“Did it… fall apart?” You asked carefully, not wanting to come off as rude but also trying your best to understand what was in front of you.

“What d’you mean, peng ting? I actually patterned up and made it as thought-provokin’ as I could,” He sounded so genuinely puzzled by your questions that you decided to stop beating around the bush.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Hobie, that’s a pile of snow throwing up a middle finger.” You leaned forward slightly to see his masterpiece - a deliberately messy pile of snow flipping the world off, complete with a Norman Osborne figurine drowning in the snow in the centre, it’s eyes scratched out in Sharpie with bold X’s. “And is that… an Osborne action figure? Is this supposed to be something about him drowning in money he doesn’t deserve or even need? And the snow is supposed to symbolize the money saying, ‘fuck the world’?”

“See, now ya got it!” Hobie said proudly, not at all offended by your confusion and slight skepticism. “Now let’s go inside, shall we? My fingers are startin’ to freeze.”

“Your fingers are always freezing. Honestly, you’re somehow always so cold it’s a wonder that you’re not perpetually an ice cube.”

“All I’m ‘earin’ is that you think ‘m cool.”

@vhstown @l0starl @tatumis-a @deritosmi @hobiebrownismygod @therealloopylupin2099

[the-peddito-and-doise-show]

Hello, Mr. Boise? Is your refrigerator running?

"Hahah. Veryyy funny, 🅱️uddy. Maybe have an actual question next time."

—————————————————————

BOOM!

> A massive explosion had erupted, leaving a large hole in the wall—as a particular group of dauntless & daredevilish blue doppelgängers (and one green glum gal) escaped out through it.

"Good job, gang! We’re one step closer to getting our show back on track!" Doisey once again hopped up and down cheerily, happy that he was able to help his bestest friends. Dorigin: "WOO-HOO!—hey, wait a minute… is it just me, or are we’re in another different place this time?" Doise-Chan: "Yeah, he’s right; it’s all gloomy and dark! How am I supposed to do my stunts when I can’t see where I’m going?" Doisette: "Why the hell are you worrying more about not doing your stunts instead of, oh, I don’t know—trying to FUCKING find the OTHERS?" She retorted, as both Doise and Dorigin covered Doisey’s ears (despite the miniature version of Doise not having them in the first place). Doise-Chan jumped. "EEP! Sorry, sorry… I’m not in my right mind right now…"

>> Suddenly, an abundant amount of miniature versions of Doise that were clearly bombs (judging by the lit fuses on their heads) came running towards them down the hall—except the fact that they didn’t look like Doise at all. They had the skin color of The Doise’s nasty nemesis, The Noise, but the strangest thing was that all of them were wearing brown jumpsuits instead of blue or yellow ones. "YYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGG!!! IT’S A STAMPEDE!" Doisette: "ITTAI NANI?!" Dorigin: "YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEE—wait, doesn’t stampedes usually consist of frightened animals?" Doisette: "WHO CARES ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW?! WE’RE ABOUT TO BE SLAUGHTERED LIKE ANIMALS IF WE DON’T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!"

[letsgethaunted]

05: What's Haunting You? (Alternate Timelines, Doppelgänger Encounters)

Welcome to our fifth and final installment of a series we’re calling “What’s Haunting You?”, a Miniature Haunting brought to you by Let’s Get Haunted.

On each Friday of this Spooky Season, Nat and Aly will be bringing you short, scary, non-fiction stories as told by the folks who experienced them firsthand. On this week’s episode: a Canadian woman driving down the highway at night experiences a glimpse into an alternate timeline. Then, an Australian woman has a terrifying encounter with her doppelgänger in a bar.

Come join us on this trip through the LGH archives as we dare to answer the question, “What’s haunting you?”

[wolpromptaday]

#WOLpromptAday

March 8, 2024

-For those who travel with NPC Mammets.-

Does the NPC who your mammet resembles ever get embarrassed by their miniature doppelgänger? Has your WOL offered to hide it while they’re around? What reason does your WOL have for choosing that one over a generic minion? ‬

[metvmorqhoses]

Can you make some Artemis Apollo siblings headcanons??

I don't really find appropriate to produce "headcanons" about gods, but what I can do is telling you some pretty unknown mythological facts about them paired with my own personal, scholarly deductions:

Apollo and Artemis were often described carrying matching gold and silver weaponry. It's a common misunderstanding though, even amongst experts, to assume that Apollo was the one wielding the golden weapons and Artemis the silver ones. Actually, in many different texts we find the exact opposite: Apollo is often described carrying a silver bow and quiver while Artemis is seen carrying their golden counterpart. The same thing happens for their swords. My personal belief is that the actual mythology wants to imply they were actually constantly carrying each other's weapons as a symbol of closeness and unity.

Every day at dusk, when she had exhausted herself with terrible huntings, Artemis returned home to Apollo's palace at Delphi, hung her bow and quiver at the entrance, and went spend the evenings with her brother in music and merriment, actually leading herself the chorus of the Muses and their dances.

Apollo and Artemis, according to the Orphic tradition, were actually born in Hyperborea, a faraway Northern land of eternal spring and bliss, unreachable from land, sky or sea and that only Apollo's swans chariot could find. According to the myth, they returned there every year for six months to live in heavenly delight.

Artemis was the one who built Apollo's very first temple, a miniature thing made of honey and swan feathers.

Apollo's favorite thing was spending his days hunting with his sister, to the point of becoming furiously jealous of having been replaced by Orion - thing that lead to the hunter's death.

Artemis was the firstborn and the one who delivered Apollo into the world.

Apollo and Artemis' loves always ended up in tragedy. It's also interesting to notice they always fell in love with doubles of each other. All of Apollo's female love interests are basically Artemis' doppelgängers, wild and untameable maidens, while Artemis' (Orion, or even Endymion) bear close Apollonian characteristics.

Artemis and Apollo, just born, went together on a quest to slay the dragon Pithon.

Apollo and Artemis share the majority of each other’s epithets.

[juniperleafdelivery]

character has a friend/SO who enjoys making little dolls. 50% are miniature versions of the character :D dealer's choice

Anubis

He enjoys knowing someone else who also likes making dolls. Finally, someone who doesn't think his hobby is weird! cough cough sable

If you want, Anubis can always give you some tips. He'd also ask if you wouldn't mind making doll versions of his pets. If you did, the reviews would be very mixed.

Death would love his mini doppelgänger. War would be indifferent, but likes seeing his brother happy. Anubis's cat, Twine, would... not like their doll version. You would very quickly find doll Twine's remains.

Alphys

She thinks they're super cute. If you ever made a mini Alphys, she would definitely give it a nice spot on her nightstand next to the Undyne one if you ever make her too hsjdkd

If you don't mind, Alphys would love to roleplay with the dolls. She can finally... reenact her favorite animes! Yea! (She's using it for her fanfiction lol. Sometimes having a visual helps!)

Mettaton

He finds all of your creations adorable and will cherish any that you gift him. Whenever you visit, you'll find all of the dolls scattered around the house. Even in the strangest places. Seriously, open the fridge and you'll find mini Mettaton staring back at you.

He'll even gift you some Mettaton figurines too! (Limited edition, only friends get this special deal lol)

Jackdaw

Oh my gosh he is terrible. There's mini Jackdaws in the weirdest locations: the bathroom, bedrooms, taped to the windows, in the garden, in the sink, on the toilet seat... everywhere actually.

If you give Morpho and Mockingbird dolls too, you'll find some... interesting scenes around the skeletons' house. Which involve doll Morpho or Mockingbird strangling doll Jackdaw. Fun!

Morpho: HUMAN, MAY I ASK YOU SOMETHING?

You: What's up?

Morpho: PLEASE STOP GIVING MY BROTHER MINI VERSIONS OF HIMSELF. I CANNOT STAND FINDING A TENTH VERSION OF HIM IN THE BATHROOM.

[namedofficiallynotfakeman]

So I got to thinking and thought of some killer ideas, heh, anyways let’s start with my favourite one

The Betrayer

A former survivor getting tried of being abandoned on the hook and being left to be sacrificed. So one round, they break down the hook they’re stuck on and becomes one with it. They’ll have wooden sticking out of some limbs, a chain that goes through the chest and various body parts with the actual hook for the weapon.

The power will be Survivor Instinct. They can do most things that a survivor can like run and pull down pallets, but they can leave scratch marks as well. But there is a cost, there’s a point limit to being able to use Survivor instinct, you’ll start with 10 points, which is the cap, and the only way to gain more is failed skill checks by survivors.

The perks could be.

Machine Worker. “As a survivor they learned to train on how generators work and how they fail.” Generator regression increases by 5/10/15% and the next survivor who tries to fix it immediately gets a skill check.

Stitches and Bones. “Healing yourself is a must if you want to survive so let’s fix that.” Basic attacks slows down healing by 10/15/20% for 20/30/40 seconds.

Betrayal Hook. “The hook an old enemy who punishes, now a great friend who helps.” When someone unhooks, their aura is revealed for 10/15/20 seconds.

The Momento Mori is impaling the survivor with the hook and miniature entity appendages take them away. Like killing with via the normal way but faster and no stationary hook needed.

The location is a must. Due to change of survivor to killer, the entity has created a realm for The Betrayer to stay in. The name is Romantic Cliff, where all lovers are usually betrayed. A small to medium map with one or two small buildings. The centre piece is the cliff it self with a broken down wood arch and a single beam of sunlight on only that with rain everywhere else on the map,

The Doppelgänger

A killer who goes by many names and faces, now works under the entity to seek their true face. A mysterious figure wearing a darken attire, not even their face is shown. The weapon shall depend on the map, in the lockers. It can be a dagger or a hatchet.

The power is Stalker’s Wish. The last person they attack will become their new face. They’ll look so much like them but something will always be off, different clothing or hairstyle. They’ll even sound the same until they pick up a weapon, then they’ll mimic the Trickster or Huntress. No, the weapon can’t be thrown. When there is one survivor left, they will turn into a random survivor.

The perks could be.

Always Watching. “You and I are the same, so we know where we are.” Can see the aura of the last person hit for 5/10/15 seconds and the survivor can see the killers aura for 3/6/9 seconds.

Obsessive Sight. “I see you. I know you. I AM YOU!” When the obsession is hit, you can see their aura until they heal or your ability is used.

Dead Identities. “I can’t die so neither will they.” When there is one survivor left, the entity show that someone is alive and won’t reveal the hatch is open for 20/25/30 seconds.

The Momento Mori is the killer embracing the survivor and switching bodies or something similar.

The Gemini

Two friends struck by an insane man to become one, the entity keeps them alive even if they wished they weren’t. Their flesh is mangled together, skin tones clashes with scars connecting them. They connect around the waist and lower abdomen, they don’t too far apart at the upper end due to two of their arms being conjoined. The weapon they use is a surgical knife with an eye attached with a string.

The power is Stitched Senses. Using this ability will allow them to see the aura of all survivors but will be unable to move, this will have a 10 second cooldown.

I don’t have any perks for this one. I now have perks.

Doubled Suffering. “Spread your everlasting pain.” Status effects last 10/15/20% longer on the last person you hit.

Blood Transplant. “The blood of two needs more to survive.” Bleeding lasts 5/10/15 seconds after the survivor heals.

Played God. “All doctors love to play god.” When a survivor is in 8/9/10 metres of your terror radius, they’ll scream

The Momento Mori is making a large cut somewhere and drink the blood… I based that on Blood Transplant.

[honestgrins]

Totally inspired by "Demonology" & "A Night at the Museum" w/ their talking paintings. Caroline was Klaus' wife/lover/gf back when the Originals were human. She was away tending to her sick mother when they were turned & was killed by vengeful village people or Mikael before Klaus could turn her. He painted her & through some magic, she literally lives on through the paintings. Whether she can come back to life is up to you- maybe linked to his curse? Kinda want a reaction from the scooby gang

Still Life

Klaus glared at the painting, beautifully framed with all the care he held for the subject - but she was not where she belonged. This particular canvas meant to show a relaxed picnic, his wife reclined on a warm blanket in an idyllic meadow.

However, she seemed to have wandered off without a word of warning. He hated when she did that, though it was no surprise given the appearance of yet another doppelgänger.

“Caroline,” he called out, reaching into his pocket for the miniature she sometimes occupied on his travels. When it, too, lacked her visage, he growled at his phone. Since the advent of the certain technology, her passive aggressive fits were at least easier to track. “You know this isn’t my fault!”

Her silence was answer enough, and he scowled as he flipped through the app where he could stream the live security feeds he left with all her portraits. To his great alarm, though, she didn’t seem to be present in any of them.

“Missing something?”

Before conscious thought, Klaus flashed toward the intruder, his grip on the younger Salvatore’s neck frantic and punishing. “What did you do?” he seethed, nails digging in like claws.

“Let him go, Niklaus.” Betrayal was hardly a surprise, not from his siblings. But to risk Caroline, Elijah must have truly lost his mind. Still, he waited patiently for him to release Stefan before continuing. “She is safe, and that need not change.”

“You trapped her somewhere.”

Shrugging, Elijah moved to pour them all a drink, the nonchalant behavior enough to make Klaus’s blood boil. “The Bennett witch is quite adept at improvising, you’d do well to ensure she remains employable. She enchanted a sketch the Gilbert boy made using Caroline’s likeness, and it was enough to hold her safe until you agree to our terms.”

“She said to tell you she’s on Elena’s side, and her vote counts as double,” Stefan added, concern heavy in his expression.

Klaus shook his head, helpless. That sounded like her, even if he didn’t want to believe it from her captors. “I will not negotiate until I have my wife back.”

To leave her as a mere sketch by such a green boy, the disrespect.

With a grim frown, Elijah crossed his arms. “You know I wish no harm to her. Upon my word, trust that she is secure and in good company. She’s quite content for the moment, brother, and it will be over as soon as you can promise no further pain to Elena and Mystic Falls at large.”

He grit his teeth, hating the corner he’d been pushed into. “Trust you?” His brother had handed Caroline over to a nuisance and expected trust. Truthfully, he’d never forgive him this, and a part of him will always suspect the gambit again - just another reason to ensure he freed her from the half-life they’d managed so far. “Let me see her,” he urged again, despite the weaker position. “Then we can talk.”

Ideally, the Bennett witch would also be there. If she was as good as Elijah said, maybe she would be the key to protecting Caroline forever.

[watermelonoperator]

I finally finished my first attempts at painting miniatures

2 doppelgängers and a beholder zombie. I was a bit limited on the BZ because I don’t have a whole lot of colours and only one size of brush but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, the blood in and around the mouth and on the teeth is a nice touch I think 😁

Tagging @fresno-nightcrawler because I know she’s as big of a d&d nerd as I am (possibly more of a nerd 😜)

[iris-west-allens]

First off, chapter 2 of Darling In the end we become what we pretend to be is totally the cutest thing I've read in a while. I'm not just saying it. I mean it. The way everyone keeps saying they are the perfect couple is giving me serious feels. I laughed so hard in certain parts because who thanks somebody for kissing them and then the other says that's what friends are for. And then she's trying to banish images of her and barry's baby but ends up thinking about it. That was hilarious.

(Cont) “Secondly, Barry notices she's worried about something and in order to comfort he says the exact thing she's been trying so hard not to think about? Poor Iris almost had another heart attack and she keeps trying to catch him looking at her when he thinks she's not looking but she doesn't want him to know she's definitely looking. I loved the college administrator. She's the best!!!! I'm totally loving this story. This is an incredible masterpiece. Well done dear.

This is the last four today I promise you but I just have to say I'm genuinely in love with this story. I can't wait for the next update. Okay,I'm gonna go scream somewhere.”

Heyyy! ❤️ 1) The “What are friends for?” awkwardness bit was inspired by how, uh, ‘smooth’ Barry was in the Season 2 club scene where he asks - casually, as one does - what Iris thinks their Earth-2 doppelgänger selves are doing. And Iris - because this is absolutely the kind of nonchalant conversation you have with your completely platonic best friend, obviously - doesn’t hesitate for a second to say they’re probably Netflix and chilling, duh.

And Barry, hopelessly in love with Iris but also just hopeless in general goes, “Ha ha sounds nice...I mean for THEM.” Like, honey, no. There were so many good follow-ups you could have chosen and that...was not one of them.

2) The college administrator is us. We see Barry and Iris together looking perfect enough to be the miniature couple on a wedding-cake topper and we’re just like....So, have you guys thought of kids? 3) I actually cut a couple paragraphs out of both those scenes that I’m trying to add in the remaining chapters instead. I have about 5 deleted scenes so far but I’m trying not to keep you guys in slow-burn suspense too long and wrap the story up. 😂

4) You won’t have to wait long, Chapter 3 goes up tomorrow! It’s definitely the longest chapter yet, mostly because the plot called for some angst but I wanted to make sure you got enough fluff to balance it out too. And it’s got two moments in it I’d really like to see actually happen on the show.

5) Thank you for sending me these three asks! 💖💖💖 You're the best! Remember that episode that showed Barry all happy about being targeted for robbery after he got his powers? And he’s just standing there, being absolutely delighted, looking like the exact human version of the 😃 emoji? That’s me rn. Your asks are what’s getting me through the final editing and polishing on Chapter 3 before tomorrow.

[sciencespies]

5 mind-bending numbers that could reveal the secrets of the universe

https://sciencespies.com/physics/5-mind-bending-numbers-that-could-reveal-the-secrets-of-the-universe/

5 mind-bending numbers that could reveal the secrets of the universe

From the exceedingly big to the unfathomably small, cosmologists are trying to unravel a bizarre set of figures that may reveal what happens inside a black hole, why the Higgs boson is so light and the chances of you having a doppelgänger

Physics 9 August 2022

By Antonio Padilla

Christian Gralingen

IT CAN often feel like our days are governed by numbers in the most mundane ways. They tell you that you are going to be late for work, how much interest you are paying on your mortgage and how old you will be when you finally pay it off. But numbers can also be exhilarating. For me, as a cosmologist, the most fantastic numbers have meaning far beyond the scope of our humdrum daily lives. Some are indescribably small, others incomprehensibly large. What unites them is that they can reveal the secrets of how the universe works, and – most excitingly – the deep and meaningful mysteries that continue to confound physicists today. Here are five of the best.

10-120 : Why is the vacuum energy so small?

To appreciate how small this number is, imagine shrinking a person to the size of a proton, and then again by the same ratio, and again, a total of eight times. The miniature human left would now be 10-120 times its original size. This is many orders of magnitude smaller than the Planck length, a fundamental unit of distance at which space, in the classical sense, ceases to make sense.

In nature, exponentially small or large ratios between sizes are rare, and when they happen, physicists are hardwired to seek an explanation. Of course, there are no humans 10-120 times the size of a typical person, but this minuscule number does appear when we compare observations to our best and most well-tested theory of the universe: quantum field theory. More specifically, it crops up when we start thinking about vacuum energy …

#Physics

[letsgethaunted]

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What’s Haunting You? (Alternate Timelines, Doppelgänger Encounters) Photodump

HAPPY NOVEMBER, HAUNTIES!

Welcome to the photo dump for our fifth ever installment of a series we’re calling “What’s Haunting You?”, a Miniature Haunting brought to you by Let’s Get Haunted. This marks the end of W.H.Y. for 2023. Let us know if you’d like more in 2024!

On this week’s episode: a Canadian woman named Emma confronts flashes of an alternate timeline while driving. Then, Australian Hauntie Tem does us the favor of telling us her doppelgänger story (featured in a listener story earlier this year) in her own words!

Come join us on this trip through the LGH archives as we dare to answer the question, “What’s haunting you?”

Image 01: Well, What’s Haunting You? Image 02: Driving on a highway in the rain Image 03: Confronting your doppelgänger

[tappity-tap]

“Family Matters”

RENRUKI WEEK 2017 Day 7 - Happy Family

”Always together...we were like family.”

Story Rating: G+ Warnings: Some suggestive content, language. Summary: As days go by, we’re gonna fill our house with happiness. The moon may cry, we’re gonna smother the blues with tenderness. When days go by there’s room for you, room for me, for gentle hearts, an opportunity. As days go by, it’s the bigger love of the family.

“But…I wanna go with Mommy and Daddy.”

Renji chuckled and adjusted his hold over the course of his next few strides. “Sorry, kiddo. We talked ‘bout this, remember? Only Shinigami’re allowed to go to the Livin’ World.”

Like a nostalgic vision from the past, Rukia’s childish pout glared back at him. Well…almost. The chin wasn’t quite right and the hair was completely wrong both in color and style. But other than that, the tiny girl he held in his arms could’ve easily passed for his wife’s doppelgänger back when she was a child, right down to the way in which she hunched her shoulders and gave a grumpy huff.

“No fair,” she grumbled, now deliberately refusing to look at him as if her defiance would somehow change things. By maintaining a fixed stare on Soukyoku Hill off in the distance she was trying her very hardest to keep a steeled face, he knew, but even before her lower lip started trembling a small trickle of moisture was already making its way down her flushed cheek.  

“Oh…now…Ichika…” Renji halted and sighed helplessly as the tears flowed faster and bouts of sporadic hiccupping began, all the while praying no one would notice.

No such luck. On a sparsely populated street like this, a tall man with bright red hair standing awkwardly in the middle, sobbing child in one arm and a large satchel in the other, easily stood out. Several curious onlookers turned their way as they passed, a few even offering him sympathetic looks before hurrying on. Those Renji felt obligated to acknowledge and his unfortunate response came out as somewhat of a painful grimace.

Of course he hated seeing his precious little girl upset like this, but what could he do? It was completely out of his hands. Deciding who could and couldn’t leave Soul Society was and had always been up to the Central 46, and he highly doubted they would change the policy now for a two year-old. Even if said two year-old did happen to be the child of two of the Gotei 13’s strongest lieutenants.

Unfortunately, explaining this to her, even in the simplest of terms, wasn’t enough. Being so young, the scope of her worldview just hadn’t yet expanded beyond their immediate family, the Kuchiki clan, and Mommy and Daddy’s friends who played with her sometimes. As far as she understood, whenever there was something she wanted or needed, no matter what was wrong, her parents would always be there to make it right. To her, they could do anything!

Yet now her father was telling her this was a problem he wasn’t going to fix? In her eyes, it meant he could but didn’t want to. Which of course, was not true, but imagined or not, the guilt of being at all responsible for what she saw as a devastating betrayal by her beloved Daddy still tugged painfully at his heart. So much so that Renji was half tempted to start crying right along with her until a gentle voice at his side spoke up in his defense.

“Shhh…Daddy knows it’s not fair, sweetie. And it makes him very sad that we can’t bring you this weekend.”

Wearing that affecionate, beautiful face Renji loved so much, Rukia reached up and tenderly rubbed Ichika’s back. Despite 17 inches of distance separating their statures, he wholly felt every drop of soothing warmth she emitted towards their distraught daughter.

“But you know what? If you keep working hard at your lessons, you’ll be enlisted as a Gotei Apprentice soon enough. As seated officers, Daddy and I can request special permission for Apprentices to accompany us to the Living World.”

Giving a small sniffle, Ichika clumsily rubbed her leaking eyes with one chubby fist. “Then…I can go, too?”

Rukia put on an encouraging smile and squeezed the foot dangling down closest to her. “I promise…when you’re an Apprentice, you can come with us any time you like,” she vowed.

Ichika finally looked back to Renji in a silent plea for reassurance; It was up to him to bring it all home and thanks to Rukia’s efforts he knew exactly what to do.

So in one smooth motion, he set Ichika on the dusty road and knelt before her as close to her level as he could get, though there was still over a foot of growth required on her part before seeing eye-to-eye in this position would be remotely possible. Gently, with the comforting touch he’d acquired from fatherhood, the few stray tears that had been missed were expertly brushed away without a trace. He discretely wiped his damp thumb on one pant leg and grinned.

“Hey…Mommy’s right, ya know. You’re doin’ real well with your lessons,“ Renji declared. Just thinking about it triggered a small rush of pride to well up in his chest. “‘Fact…I’d figure you’re a lot stronger ’n we were at this age.”

Her downcast eyes lifted immediately. “Really…?”

Renji grinned wider and poked her shoulder. “I’d be shocked if they didn’t come knockin’ down our door beggin’ ya to join up by the time you’re six.”

He was saying all this now to make her feel better, of course, but it actually wasn’t a lie. Even before she was born everyone had been certain Ichika would inherit at least some of her parents’ talent, so as soon as she could stand and hold a (wooden) sword on her own Rukia insisted they begin training her. During the first lesson it was confirmed that yes, she did indeed possess remarkable reiatsu and spiritual capabilities when she shocked both of them by producing a perfectly formed miniature orb of energy after seeing the technique demonstrated only once.

True, Mommy and Daddy probably should’ve said something before now. But thankfully, the pep talk had done its job. Like a rainbow breaking through storm clouds, a hopeful smile finally emerged.

Rukia adjusted the two bags slung over her shoulders (her own plus Ichika’s) and joined them on the ground. “But for now, Ichika, your job is to be a good girl for Oji-sama while Mommy and Daddy are away at Ichi-nii and Hime-chan’s wedding.” She swept aside the wisps of red hair framing Ichika’s round face. “Can we count on you to do that?”

The simple action had brought into prominence the sole hair-related genetic trait Ichika received from her mother: One small lock in the middle of her forehead that stubbornly sprang back into place almost immediately. With determined confidence, the fully formed miniature Rukia puffed up with one final sniff and gave her parents a grand nod. “Mm!”

“‘Atta girl!” Renji wrapped one arm around her and pulled her in close. “Now how ‘bout we get a move on…don’t wanna keep Oji-sama waitin’, do we?”

“N-nooo-oo!” Ichika shrieked and giggled at the flurry of kisses and playful noises assaulting the top of her head. Only when Renji was satisfied that all traces of the previously unhappy mood had been destroyed did he release the squirming toddler-now sporting a cheeky grin topped off with a lopsided ponytail-and stand back up. While brushing the dirt off his clothes, out of the corner of his eye he saw Rukia give an exasperated huff and reach out to quickly fix the destruction left in the wake of his affections before following suit.

The final leg of their family trek to the Kuchiki estate was completed hand-in-hand with Ichika happily trotting between Rukia and himself (uncomfortably hunched, of course, but he was used to it by now). Once they were mere steps from their destination, however, Ichika wrenched out of their grasps and ran ahead through the entrance gate, calling out, “Seike-san! Seike-saaan!”

Just inside, Byakuya’s personal attendant stood waiting for them on the paved walkway. At the sound of his name, he looked up and caught sight of the little girl happily bounding towards him. The old man’s normally serene expression instantly blossomed into a warm smile.

“Why, hello there, Ichika-sama!” Seike bent over to greet her with a respectful bow of his head once she had skittered to a halt. “And what brings you here today?” he asked curiously, though Renji knew he was actually fully aware of the next six days’ arrangement.

“Well. I’m here staying…with Oji-sama!” Ichika announced proudly while rocking back and forth with her hands wringing together in front of her.

“Are you now?” Seike adjusted his glasses with a very convincing look of surprise on his face.

“Yes! Because…Mommy and Daddy are going to the Living World.” She pouted and gave a dejected sigh. “But I can’t go, too.” To cap off this display of misery, she sagged her shoulders low and ground the toe of one sneaker into the stone path.

Renji nearly snorted out loud. That kid could really lay it on thick when she wanted to…and it wasn’t hard to guess who she got this from.

But ever the good sport, Seike played along with Ichika’s antics and let his face fall into a sympathetic frown. “Oh, no…I’m very sorry to hear that.”

Satisfied that she’d suckered him in with her little performance, Ichika instantly recovered with a screech of laughter and clapped her palms together. “It’s okay, Seike-san! Because guess what?” She cupped her hands around her mouth and leaned forward to tell him in a loud whisper, “I’m gonna be a Shinigami soon!”

Somewhere behind him Rukia let out a stifled cough, which Renji immediately recognized as not an actual cough, but her polite attempt to keep a laugh suppressed.

Oh boy…

When he had said “by the time you’re six” what he meant was “probably in four years,” so definitely not anywhere near “soon.” And when that did happen, as Rukia had stated, she would be enlisted in the Gotei as an Apprentice, not a full-fledged Shinigami.

But rather than put a damper on the bubbly mood they had just managed to bring out minutes earlier, Renji simply kept his mouth clamped shut and shrugged to himself. She’d learn the differences eventually.

“Ahh! Is that so?” Seike chuckled with a knowing twinkle in his eye as Ichika grinned at him and gleefully twisted herself from side to side, “Well, I have no doubt you will make a fine Shinigami, Ichika-sama!”

If there was one worldly concept Ichika had actually grasped in her short existence, it was the polite thing one should say in response to a compliment. She giggled and hid her mouth behind her fingers with a squeak of “Thaaank you!”

“Rukia-sama. Renji-sama.” Seike straightened and acknowledged the two of them. “Byakuya-sama is taking his daily walk through the gardens. Please follow me.”

Impatient as always, Ichika did not comply and instead darted around Seike to make a beeline for the grove of trees in the distance. When she spotted the familiar figure among them, strolling over the koi pond’s painted bridge, her face lit up with a gasp of excitement and she sprinted towards it as fast as her little legs could carry her.

“OJI-SAMAAAA!!!”

Byakuya, looking oddly relaxed in casual garb of light blue and grey with freely flowing hair, waited patiently until she was thundering over the wooden planks before crouching down to meet his niece. Ichika took a flying leap into his outstretched arms and flung her own around his neck in the biggest, squeeziest hug she could muster. He returned it in kind and held tight as the rest of the adults joined them on the bridge.

If someone told Renji years ago that this sight would become a commonplace occurrence, he would’ve most likely laughed in that person’s face. And then told them to go home and sleep it off. Even now, after witnessing the captain fully (and dare he say it…happily) accept his daughter’s enthusiastic greetings many times over, Renji was certain he would never, ever get used it.

“Hello, Ichika. You look well.” Still on one knee, Byakuya held her out at arms length and looked her up and down. “That’s a very pretty…” he frowned slightly, “garment…you have on.”

Her face brightened at the intended compliment, nonetheless, and she cheerfully informed him, “Thank you, Oji-sama! It’s from Ishi-san!”

Rukia, having just given Ichika’s overnight bag and a few last minute instructions to Seike before he took it into the house, walked over and knelt beside Ichika with a hand on her shoulder. “Ichika, why don’t you tell Oji-sama what those are?” she suggested after noticing the puzzled look on her brother’s face.

Thanks to the generosity of their friends in the Living World, Ichika’s wardrobe from the time she was born boasted a mix of modern Western and traditional Soul Society clothing so she, unlike a good majority of people in the Seireitei, was equally comfortable sporting either style. Now that she was old enough to voice her own opinion on the matter, she would frequently switch between the two depending on what she felt like wearing that particular day. More often than not, on the days she wore human clothes one of them (usually Rukia) ended up having to explain the various pieces of her outfit to friends and colleagues.

“It’s…they’re, um…” Ichika’s face scrunched up tighter than the time Rangiku gave her some sour candies to try in her effort to remember what Ishida had said when he presented them to her. It was understandable if she’d forgotten; Her birthday was over a month ago and the excitement from opening a whopping 127 presents in total had left her dazed and reeling by the time she was finished. So as Renji expected, it took some quietly murmured prompting from Rukia before she came up with the answer.

“Ohhh…veeerrr…Oh! Over-alls!” she proclaimed happily and lifted up the bib to show off the flowers neatly embroidered on the dusty pink denim.

After a brief examination of the bold designs, Byakuya closed his eyes and nodded his head in understanding. “Ah, yes…overalls. They suit you nicely.” He stoically straightened himself and then his haori. “Now then, Ichika, shall we see how the fish are doing today?”

Ichika’s eyes widened. “Are they in the water now?” she asked in a hushed voice.

A hint of a smile crossed Byakuya’s face. “Yes, they are in the water, as always.”

“So we can see-we can please see them?” Ichika corrected herself mid-sentence even though she wasn’t posing this as a question of permission, so there was really no need to.

“If that is what you desire.” The smile was no longer merely a hint now.

Ichika drew herself up and nodded. “Why yes, I do desire…that…” With Byakuya in tow, she marched over to the railing and tried to peer around and over the banisters, but unfortunately her tiny size meant she lacked the height necessary to obtain an unobstructed view of the pond. She looked up at Byakuya with a disappointed frown. “Ummm, it’s not working, Oji-sama. I’m sorry…we can’t see the fishies today.”

Laughter was another thing Renji never thought he’d witness coming from Kuchiki Byakuya, but there it was.

“Do not worry, this is a simple fix,” Byakuya assured as he lifted her high up into the air. Once he had one arm wrapped securely around her torso and the other pinning her lower half in place against him, he allowed her to put her hands on the railing and lean forward so she could peer into the pond. Ichika flailed and squealed with delight when she spotted several brightly colored fish circling in the water directly below her.

“Nii-sama.” Rukia took the opportunity to step forward and bow deeply to her brother. “Thank you so much for allowing us to leave Ichika in your care.”

“As I have told you before…there is no need for thanks.” He calmly watched Ichika puff out her cheeks and smack her lips in imitation of one of the fish as if she was trying to commune with it, then added, “I am not bothered in the slightest.”

Whether this was true or false, it was still rather impressive how unfazed Byakuya seemed by Ichika’s determination to destroy his carefully put-together appearance. Maintaining such poise while keeping hold of a wiggling toddler whose wild thrashing threatened the likelihood of a whacked nose or eye and every sporadic kick sent crumbs of dirt tumbling down his pristine clothing had to require extreme effort on his part, but he never let it show. No…Oji-sama’s adoration for Ichika outweighed whatever inconveniences she wrought upon him, and he would endure it all without complaint for even the tiniest sliver of her happiness.

“Well…needed ‘r not, we’re still grateful knowin’ she’s in good hands while we’re gone. Puts our minds at ease, ya know?” Renji told him with a nod of his head-a much more casual gesture than he would’ve normally dared to attempt. However, in this rare instance, formalities had no place in an acknowledgement of understanding between equals: Two men, driven by their devotion to a pair of sisters, each entrusting the other to protect what was most precious to him and the woman he loved. It was the one bond they shared as brothers-in-law that was built on true mutual feelings, and one that Renji didn’t take for granted.

Despite never openly admitting this to him, Byakuya knew. And ever a man of restraint, the look he returned was brief but just as steadfast in its recognition. “Yes, of course. Be sure to give my sincerest regards to Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime on their marriage.”

Renji nodded again, this time with all due respects as subordinate and family member in place. “Will do, Captain.”

Byakuya lowered his head to address Ichika, still deep in “conversation” with her fish friends. “Ichika, it’s time to say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy.”

Ichika looked up and waved vigorously. “Goodbye to Mommy and Daddy!” she chirped with enough cheerfulness to fill the space between those rosy cheeks with the widest, brightest smile possible.

“Bye, kiddo. We’ll be back to getcha in a few days, okay?” Renji couldn’t help chuckling as he stepped forward and lovingly ruffled her hair. This was done quickly, though he felt a strong reluctance to remove his hand once it made contact. She was a troublemaker for sure, but it was indisputable he and Rukia had made a kid that was too damn cute for her own good sometimes.

“Okay, Daddy!”

Looking slightly teary-eyed, Rukia reached out and gave Ichika’s ponytail one last motherly fix. “Goodbye, sweetie. Have fun, and mind Oji-sama. We love you so much.” The kiss she placed on Ichika’s forehead lingered slightly longer than usual.

“Yes, Mommy,” Ichika mumbled when Rukia finally pulled away. A shadow of a pout crossed her face and it made Renji’s heart drop several centimeters in anticipation for that day’s second round of devastated tears. However, within seconds the threat had faded and her attention was already back to the fish, drawn by the sounds of playful splashing.

Rukia stayed rooted in place, watching with pursed lips and furrowed brow, until Renji gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine,” he murmured as encouragingly as he could. Whether this was meant to reassure his wife or himself was unclear even to him, but it worked well enough for her to nod and accompany him off the bridge and down the garden path without hesitation.

“Ah, Rukia…Renji…” Byakuya’s voice called after them just as the two of them were about to step out of earshot.

They turned back immediately to find Byakuya hadn’t moved at all from his spot on the bridge. In fact, he didn’t bother to look up as he stated, with utmost nonchalance, “You will have a fair amount of time to yourselves this week. It would be wise to make the most of it.”

The effort it took Renji to force out a smile made his face feel like it was cracking in half. “Ah…y-yeah. That…good. Good thinkin’, Captain!” He kept it up so long one eye started twitching.

Yes, there was the other thing he would never, ever get used to: His captain doling out advice on his love life in the form of some sophisticatedly subtle innuendo.

“Of course! Thank you, Nii-sama!”

And it had completely flown over Rukia’s head, as usual.

“We should really take Nii-sama’s advice, though, Renji,” Rukia said once they’d passed through the gate and left Byakuya far behind, “We are arriving earlier than necessary and staying through the weekend.” She put a finger to her lip and furrowed her brow in thought. “Perhaps a day of sightseeing in the city would be…”

Renji’s loud burst of laughter cut her off. “Rukia…yanno that ain’t at all what he meant.”

“But what else would he mean by ‘make the most of-‘?“

“Look…what’s the one thing we never get to do…’an I mean really get to do anymore? Think about it…he knows damn well that the next few nights’ll be just you ‘an me in a fancy ass hotel room…alone…no distractions…no chance our kid’ll come burstin’ in at the worst-ahhhh, you’re gettin’ it now.” Renji smirked at the color slowly filling Rukia’s cheeks. “Honestly, should just skip the subtext next time ‘an say flat-out, ‘Rukia…Renji…enjoy those uninterrupted, uninhibited maritals while you can!’”

She stared at him, aghast. “Renji! He wouldn’t…you can’t be serious...”

“Oh, but he does and I am, “ Renji snorted, secretly relieved that she was finally being let in on the indignity he’d been subjected to by her brother since the day they were married, “‘An seein’ how he is with Ichika, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s hopin’ to get a few more outta us.”

“A few more what? Children?” Frowning, Rukia shook her head from side to side. “I don’t think that’s…well, it’s not something I was…” she looked up at him suddenly, her eyes wide. “Renji…are you saying you…?”

“Oh, hell no,“ Renji answered with zero hesitation, “That one’s a handful ‘an a half as it is. Fuck me if there’s two ‘r three of ‘em runnin’ around.”

Rukia laughed with relief. “Yes. One is enough, I think.”

“Yeah.” Renji lightly rubbed her shoulder. “’Specially with your impendin’ captain’s promotion ‘an all.”

She sighed and softly grasped his hand. “That’s…still quite a ways off, Renji.”

“I know, I know,” he chuckled, “You wanna wait ‘til she’s gotten a little bigger, amirite?”

“Yes.” Rukia closed her eyes and sighed once again. “At least until she can take care of herself and help around the house, when both of us are busy. Once she’s an Apprentice that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Right…but just so ya know, I’m more ‘n willin’ to pick up any slack at home if ya take it now,” he said seriously, “Even if it means I gotta step down as Lieutenant temporarily. Or…not so temporarily.”

He knew he’d said the wrong thing when something inside Rukia snapped. She wrenched his hand from her shoulder and whirled around to face him. “Abarai Renji, how dare you even suggest such a thing! I will not let you give up being a Shinigami…and throw away everything you’ve worked for…just for my sake!” Her eyes blazed with anger.

Gently, Renji gathered up her shaking fists into his grasp. “Rukia…much as I love bein’ a Shinigami, it’s not what I’ve worked for. Not even close.”

“But…then what…?”

Renji gave her hands a pointed squeeze. “This. Us. You…’an Ichika…you’re everythin’ I’ve worked for. I trained ‘an got strong so I could give ya the life you deserve, ‘an be worthy ‘o standin’ by your side.“

Rukia’s hands wiggled apart and gripped him just as tightly. “You were always worthy, Renji,” she declared hotly, tears brimming, “You didn’t need to prove anything…I wanted you by my side.”

“Well…yeah…I know that now,” he scoffed (while trying very hard to contain the sheepish blush that suddenly popped up on both cheeks), “But geez, Rukia… bein’ a Shinigami is nothin’ in the long run. It’s just a position…a title. Give that up for you? Easy. Hell, I’d give up bein’ alive for your sake.”

Judging by Rukia’s sharp intake of breath, she was gearing up for one heck of a protest, so he pressed a finger to her lips before that could happen. ”Ah, ah…sorry…there’s nothin’ you can do to change that,” he told her with a firm nod of his head.

Despite the “sorry,” his words and the accompanying smirk he wore while expressing them weren’t the least bit apologetic. Why would they be? He wasn’t sorry for loving Rukia, nor the child she bore him, with every fiber of his being. And he certainly wasn’t sorry for swearing to his soul every waking moment that he would protect his precious family at all costs, would do anything for their well-being. She had to know by now he would never go back on the promise he made to her all those years ago as he held her close and shielded her from the slashes of Aizen Sosuke’s sword with his own body.

On the other hand, he knew by now that Rukia was just as fiercely devoted to their family, and he knew it was why she’d made a firm decision to hold off accepting the captain’s position she deserved and was more than ready to take on. Unfortunately no matter how hard Renji tried, or how much Rukia resented him for it, he would never be able to fully suppress the innate desire to do anything he could to make it happen. At any rate, her frosty scowl made it clear that she was also very much aware this was one of those arguments neither of them could fully win. Not when both were coming from opposite sides of the same exact place.

So, in lowering his hands, Renji silently telegraphed his concession and patiently watched her face sift through a wide assortment of emotions until it finally settled on defeat. She sighed heavily. “Fine. But I’m still waiting, Renji.”  With a haughty toss of her head, she spun and marched away, calling back over one cocked shoulder, “And there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

Renji caught up in less than three measured trots and casually fell into stride next to her. “Eh, I figured. Still worth a shot, though, right?”

Rukia deliberately rolled her eyes in the opposite direction with a huff. “You are so infuriating…”

After a quick visual scan up and down the street to make sure no one nearby was watching (all clear), Renji bent over and delivered a swift kiss her forehead with a soft, “Love you, too.” She almost got away with appearing indifferent to his affections but unfortunately for Rukia, pink cheeks weren’t as easily suppressed as glances and smiles.

By this time, they had arrived at the 6th Division’s Senkaimon and going through all the necessary checkpoint procedures meant their conversation was put on hold for several minutes. With clearance confirmed and Hell butterflies assigned, each slipped inside their Gigai and entered through the open portal into the Dangai.

“Anyways…I’m lookin’ forward to some quality alone time with ya once the weddin’s over,” Renji told her as they walked through the dark tunnel. He ran through a series of quick arm stretches to make sure his Gigai was properly calibrated, then patted his satchel thoughtfully, right over the pocket where he’d stuffed an extra item when she wasn’t looking. “Forgot to mention this before, but I brought a little somethin’ special I think you’re gonna like…”

He saw her perk up out of the corner of his eye, but refused to elaborate. After all, a little teasing now meant more fun in the bedroom later, where any seeds of anticipation he carefully planted would no doubt produce some very satisfying outcomes for both of them. So Renji turned his immediate attentions elsewhere, though he still kept a close watch on Rukia as her impatience steadily mounted in proportion to the length of his silence.

“And? Are you going to tell me what this ‘something special’ of yours is?” she finally demanded when the end of the passage lay directly before them.

Renji pretended to observe the Hell butterfly circling his head with great interest. “Now why would I do that when the whole point of showin’ it to ya is to getcha nice ‘an turned on?” he wondered aloud as innocently as possible.

Rukia’s eyes widened even further than they already had in the dim light. “I-is that so?” Flushed, she bit her lip and gripped her own bag tightly. “Well…a-as it just so happens, Renji…I may have…also…brought something…special…” she announced, staring very intently at the ground.

The doors began to slide apart then, slow and steady, just like the eager grin Renji felt spreading over his face. Things were definitely getting interesting. “Ohhh? Well, guess I’m really lookin’ forward to this week now,” he smirked, and in a bright burst of sunlight, the two of them happily stepped into the Living World together.

*looks at title and summary sheepishly* Did I do that...? B]c

No, even for the Abarais (and extended Kuchiki) not everything is happy happy joy joy all the time but families aren’t perfect, are they? What counts is making it work through love and patience, and knowing how to support one another. That, imho, is a TRULY happy family.

Two year-olds are the cutest little things on the planet. Many thanks to all the people who’ve ever uploaded videos of their toddlers to the internet and to Justin McElroy for creating “The Daddy and Charlie Show” and Charlie of course. I wouldn’t have been able to write little Ichika half as well if I didn’t have all this wonderful content to study.

Ichika got at least one birthday gift from every person they knew. Of course, family members gave her much more than that (eight from Mommy and Daddy, 15 from Oji-sama), however the big winner was, in a surprising twist, Captain-Commander Kyoraku with 19 presents and over a dozen party poppers. Her favorite present was a pair of (real) white rabbits, both of which she insisted on naming “Zabimaru.” This may have been because Renji recently showed her his bankai for the first time and she thought it was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen.

Oh, the “something special”? Hmmmm I wonder...