#No he didn't let Irina show it on practice with him

[verkanicat]

yesterday they were blushing... Today they are already kissing... Imma stop right here and go get some sleep...

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

Criminal

Wednesday x Kitsune!Reader

Part One|Part Two|Part Three|Part Four|Part Five|Part Six|Part Seven

Eugene waves at you as you slid down the stair railing with your pack. Your smirk was wide as you land on the carpet with a muted thud.

"Eugene! You ready for the hunt?"

The boy nods as you both make your way towards Ophelia Hall. "Yes! I have everything we need. Snacks, extra batteries, some bug jars, just in case." He says with a wiggle of his eyebrow.

You let out a laugh, only to stop right in your tracks as the sight of Wednesday in a beautiful gothic dress steals your breath away. But the confusion set in when you register the fact that Tyler was next to her. In a tuxedo. You were too baffled to say anything, so Eugene piped up.

"Wednesday, what's going on?"

You shake yourself out of your reverie and spoke up as well. "Yeah, what happened to staking out the cave?" You couldn't look Wednesday in the eyes for fear of getting drawn in again. "I broke plans to join you on this."

Wednesday didn't answer. Her eyes just flitted awkwardly from side to side, uncomfortable in the situation. You and Eugene both took that as a sign. The bee boy looks at you dejectedly.

"I guess we'll have to check out the woods on our own."

"Don't! It's dangerous. Stand down."

Your arms cross. "You don't think we can handle it?"

"We'll all go tomorrow night. Understood?"

With that, she turns and walks away with her date. The burning feeling within you builds up as you glare at the duo's backs. Eugene just pats your back, drawing your attention to him.

"Let's go anyway. We'll show her how capable we are."

Your head shakes in reply. "Sorry, Eug. I don't feel like it anymore." Your eyes didn't move, even when Wednesday and Tyler disappeared from eyesight. "I think I'm gonna put my original plans back on the docket."

Finally, you turn to look at your friend.

"Rest for tonight. We'll hit the woods tomorrow, with or without Wednesday."

You walk away, getting ready for the Rave'N.

-----+++++-----

Your eyes burned slightly at the bright whites and blues of your surroundings. Wandering around, you weave through the crowd, greeting friends as you pass them. Soon enough, you're joined by your dancer friends. The group huddles together, debating on when to execute their plan. Before you could make a decision, you see your crush on the dance floor.

The movements caught your attention and suddenly, along with some others, you were staring. She seemed so unbothered by anyone else. The unnatural dance moves seemed to inspire you.

"I know when we should do this. Irina, go talk to the DJ. Everyone have their ribbons?" When everyone nods you give them a smirk. "Just like we practiced, guys."

The dance continues on. Wednesday and Tyler dance close until you suddenly pop up between the two.

"Having fun, lovebirds?" You blurt out with a wicked grin. Wednesday balks at you.

"Y/N? What are you doing here?"

"I told you. I broke plans to hang out with you. My plans are here."

"What plan? Pestering me? You do that regardless."

Your grin goes wider. "That's just a plus."

You whirl around Wednesday to stand behind her. Before she could move, she felt something tightened around her neck. The touch of fabric slide away, revealing a black ribbon in your hands. Backing away, you tie the ends of the ribbon together and wrap the loop around your wrists, binding them together.

With a record scratch, the song playing ends abruptly, only to have another start. Vocalizations begin as you continue your path backwards, eyes never leaving Wednesday. From other points in the crowd, your friends join you, wrists also bound, jerking them around at the last two beats of each measure.

The performance begins.

You and four others drop to your knees as the lyrics begin and you all start to pulse your chests, as if your hearts were trying to burst out. It's clear now that it's a choreographed dance as the crowd circles you to watch. Before long, you're back up on your feet, alternating between jerking moves and smooth transitions. Your eyes land on Wednesday's as you remove the ribbon around your wrists with your teeth and toss it to her before going full out on the dance.

The goth couldn't take her eyes off of you. The way you spun and whipped around with ease as you worked the crowd was fascinating. At the second chorus, the other dancers circled you while you knelt, she could see how heavily you were breathing. But it still wasn't a moment's rest. You were still performing as your eyes pierced through hers. When your solo came, the others dropped to the floor, hidden by the fog. Only their hands and legs were seen as they did their floor choreography.

Then the bridge to the final chorus began. Instrumental with the same vocalizations that happened in the beginning. All the dancers broke from the group, weaving in and out of the members of the crowd. You, on the other hand, inched over towards Wednesday with stuttered steps. Suddenly, you surged towards her and grabbed her wrist. You bring her hand to your neck. Her fingers reflexively curl around your throat as your fox eyes and fangs make their appearance to her for the first time. You stare into her eyes as the bridge ends.

"Deo mangchyeojwo" you say alongside the song before jumping back and finishing the dance at the last chorus.

The room erupts in applause as you hit the final pose, holding it to revel in the cheers. It wasn't until you felt a drop on your face that you dropped your pose. Looking up, more drops fell, leaving red streaks on your face. The sprinkler systems had been triggered, raining red on everyone.

Cheers turn into screams as people begin to scramble away, slipping and sliding as they try to escape the 'Carrie' recreation scene. Only you and Wednesday seem to be unbothered. Your attention turned to Wednesday when you hear her scoff.

"They couldn't even spring for real pigs' blood." She looks over at you. "It's paint."

You let out a soft laugh, your anger and jealousy ebbed for the moment, especially after the dance. "I'll getcha pigs' blood and redo this whole thing."

You and Wednesday ended up in the eye of the storm. Chaos reigned around you while you had just a moment to see the goth's lips quirk up ever so slightly at your words.

The sudden hit of a vision burst that bubble.

Worried that she may fall, you moved closer to Wednesday, but she recovered quickly with wide, worried eyes. She grabs your arms to steady herself before rushing an explanation.

"Eugene is in the woods. He's in danger."

With a nod you bolt out alongside the girl, hoping to the gods that you two will make it in time.

[panlight]

Didn't Alice make a scrapbook of Renameme aging? Couldn't they have just sent the Volturi that? Or have someone visit the Volturi and show Aro their memories of Nessie's aging and life? Because the Volturi don't show up for days, right? Or couldn't they have CALLED the Volturi immediately and told them the news? Damn, BD gets stupider and stupider the more that I think about it.

There are about 50 different ways they could have handled the Renesmee thing that would have made more sense than what went down. Alice shows the baby book. Carlisle goes to Volterra alone and lets Aro read his mind and see what happened. They call the Denali during Bella's pregnancy desperately hoping they know something, so then Irina isn't surprised to see Renesmee later, etc etc.

I mean, she had a heartbeat? And brown eyes? She's warm to the touch? And has rosy cheeks? That alone proves she's not a vampire, I don't know why you even need a dozen witnesses to watch her grow. You could fake the eye color with contacts and put blush on her but the heartbeat is pretty much impossible to 'fake.' Everyone would hear it, and they'd all know what it was. Problem solved?

Also, if Bella could see the color of Irina's eyes from that far away (that's the only reason she knew it was Irina--the only golden-eyed vampire she hadn't met yet), then Irina should have been able to see Renesmee's eye color and flushed skin and . . . whatever. What. Ever.

And why was Renesmee like 2 months old and they Cullens hadn't told the Denali about her yet? Aren't they 'family?' Why didn't they reach out to them initially? The Denali sisters are the only known vampires who sleep with humans, and while obviously it's not the same mechanics as male vampire/female human, they are also OLDER than any of the Cullens and might have heard about legends or something that could have been helpful. Hybrids weren't illegal so what was the risk in talking to the Denali about Bella's pregnancy? Then Irina wouldn't have even been a problem, she'd have already known.

What was their plan, keep her hidden from even their best friends forever? Did they have a plan? I know there was a concern that if the Volturi found out about her, Aro as a collector would want her because she was so 'lovely' and 'unique' but like honestly other than him being curious about hybrids in general, Renesmee's power is pretty useless to him. Why would he need/want someone who can show people her thoughts via touch? It has no practical use, it pretty much exists to be precious and twee (and so no one has to wonder what the baby wants/needs).

The whole Renesmee/Volturi plot just felt so forced/contrived (Irina just happens to show up when Renesmee is leaping 15 feet into the air to catch a snowflake? Um okay), and it felt like the start of a totally different story than the end of Bella's story. It honestly should have ended with Bella becoming a vampire and adjusting to that (and being a mother I guess) and then a FUTURE book could have tackled the Renesmee/Volturi misunderstanding or whatever.

Things felt Done: James, Victoria and Laurent were dead and Bella was a vampire. Le fin. The whole thing with Nessie and the Volturi felt tacked on like "oh I guess we need some kind of a plot?? This will do."

[lightsburnbrite]

The Inevitable End: Part 3

Leon stopped by Serge's apartment after practice one evening to pick up some paperwork and ended up staying to talk. They both looked up as Marissa let herself in.

Stopping short, Marissa glared at Leon. "Uh, you have a lot of nerve being here."

"What?" He looked back at Marissa, genuinely puzzled. "What did I do?"

She scoffed as if he should have automatically known what she was talking about. "You were a complete jerk to Lilli. Honestly, how dare you?"

"How have I been a jerk?" He was getting defensive now. "Ok, I blew her off once, which was shitty of me, but it's not like I've treated her any different than she has treated me."

Marissa cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing his eyes as if he was annoyed that it even needed to be said. "Your friend, Irina or whatever, she sent me a DM saying that Lilli has been trying to get her foot in with-"

"Ok, first, Lilli doesn't need your money or whatever else you what to think to boost your ego." She shot him a look that was just short of a glare. "Second, Irina is the one who wants some sort of internet fame and I think it's appalling that you'd take the word of a stranger over one of your close friend's partner."

Scratching his eyebrow, Leon shrugged. "I mean…I don't know."

"Well, it's not like that matters anymore." Marissa basically dismissed him. 'I'd be surprised if she'd still want anything to do with you."

"Maybe I should call her and clear things up." Leon was mostly thinking aloud but that didn't stop Marissa from responding.

"No," She shook her head emphatically. "No you will not, just leave her alone, ok?"

Leon gave a noncommittal nod but soon said his goodbyes and excused himself. He was supposed to meet some friends for dinner but cancelled when he couldn't shake a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. It didn't click in right away but he soon realized it was guilt over the way he had treated Lilli. Obviously he didn't want to exacerbate the situation but he at least wanted a chance to clear the air with her. He decided to give it a couple days before he got in touch, he'd apologize first and if all went well, then he would pursue an attempt at a relationship. Suddenly, what seemed like the perfect opportunity presented itself.

Lilli glanced down at her phone and rolled her eyes when she realized Leon was actually calling her. She swiped the bar at the bottom of the screen and sighed before she spoke. "So, when I said please don't text me anymore that didn't mean to call instead."

"I know, Lil. It's just…I was hoping you'd give me a second chance?"

She hesitated for a moment. "What do you want, Leon?"

"So I want to start by saying that if you can't, it's ok, but I had surgery and I was wondering if you'd be willing to take me home from the hospital and maybe hang out at my place for a bit?"

Lilli pressed her lips together and forced a smile. "So your idea of an olive branch is me taking care of you?"

"I was kind thinking that showing myself in a vulnerable position would be the olive branch." As soon as he spoke, Lilli knew the exact face he was making, down to the puppy eyes and slight pout. When Leon started again, his tone had shifted to a more serious tone. "I really fucked up by not taking what we had seriously and not treating you the way you deserve to be treated and if we're being honest, I genuinely miss you."

This time she sighed. "I don't know, Leon. I appreciate that you want to make things right but-"

"It's ok, I get it Lil. I just needed to let you know that I can't stop thinking about you." 

Covering her eyes with her hand, Lilli shook her head. "Don't make me regret this."

She could almost hear his smile through the phone. "You won't, babe. I promise."

Once Lilli realized she'd be driving to Ismaning, she almost called him to say she'd changed her mind before rationalizing that 30 minutes or so wasn't that bad of a drive. After following the areas to the designated area for visitor parking, Lilli wandered up to the front desk.

"Hi." She waited for the attendant to acknowledge her, something which took longer than she'd have liked. "I'm looking for Leon Goretzka."

The attendant gave her a sardonic smirk. "You and about a dozen other girls." She straightened up and then went in to what seemed like a well rehearsed discourse. "We do not comment on whether or not someone is a patient at this hospital."

"It's just-" Lilli held up a finger and stoped herself. "Sorry, give me a minute, please."

Stepping away, she pulled out her phone and called him.

"Babe!"

Lilli cleared her throat. "First, not your babe. Second, I'm here but they won't let me up so…do with that what you want."

"Ok, Lilli." There was humor in his voice even though he had been chastised. "Would you be willing to wait a couple minutes while I send someone down?"

She let out a sigh as she tilted her head back, eyes toward the ceiling. "Yeah, I'll wait."

Within moments, a nurse appeared. "Lilli? Come with me."

Lilli glanced back at the attendant, resisting the urge to smile I told you so.

They walked silently down the corridor to an elevator and waited. The nurse broke the silence. "I'll be changing his bandage, It will be good for you to watch so you can help him at home."

Lilli decided not to correct the nurse, not feeling like explaining anything of their situation. As soon as she saw him laying in the hospital bed with his knee bandaged and propped up, she was hit with pangs of sympathy. She wanted to make him scoot over so she could just lie down and cuddle him.

Leon beamed a smile at her and gestured towards a nearby chair. "Thank you."

The nurse disappeared but soon returned with a cart containing a tray and a few different sealed packets. She tapped under Leon's knee, encouraging him to lift it slightly. "This needs to be kept clean and dry for 72 hours post surgery. After that you can shower as normal but do not submerge your knee for at least two weeks."

The nurse began removing the compression bandage followed by the layers of gauze. She pointed to the row of six white, paper like pieces covering the incision. "Leave the Steri Strips in place, they're there instead of stitches to keep the wound closed. Put the clean four by fours, these gauze squares, back over top and replace the bandage."

Leon watched the nurse, but he kept one eye on Lilli, who was also watching intently. Once the nurse had left, Leon turned back to Lilli. "Um, they said I could go home soon. I thought we could go back to my place and order some dinner, maybe watch a movie?"

"I think we can do that." Lilli's expression was unreadable but Leon could tell she was keeping her guard up. 

Eventually, the nurse came back with an orderly who was pushing a wheelchair. "Alright, you've been cleared to go home. Hermann here will take you down to the lobby."

"Should I go bring my car to the loop?" Lilli spoke up now, her caretaker tendencies taking over.

Once Hermann parked the wheelchair and handed Leon his crutches, Lilli hovered right behind, opening the passenger side door and taking his crutches before closing it once he was settled. Leon put his address into the maps app on her phone and Lilli laughed to herself once she realized they lived relatively close to each other. He directed her to his guest parking spot and again, Lilli hopped out first, opening the door and handing him his crutches. She walked next to him, matching his pace, until he stopped at a door.

Leon unlocked the door and pushed it open. "So, this is home-ish."

"Ish?" Lilli took a few steps in and looked around. It was an obviously modern build with an almost entirely open floor plan and stark white walls. Her mind immediately went to work on what she would change before she cut off that train of thought.

Leon shrugged. "It's home in Munich but I still consider Bochum to be home. So, yeah. There's the sofa and tv and the kitchen. The bathrooms and bedrooms are down that hallway."

"It's nice." Lilli smiled, unable to think of something else to say.

He gave a little nod, an understanding that she still wasn't convinced she was making the right decision. "What kind of movies do you like?"

"Definitely nothing romantic." She scrunched her mouth into a frown. "And no blockbuster action movies either."

Leon laughed as moved to the sofa. "That's a start at least. Here, you choose."

Lilli joined him on the sofa, leaving a respectable distance between them, and started scrolling through the different streaming apps before landing on Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin.

Leon would glance over at Lilli periodically and smile at the look of confused skepticism.

"Well, that was…" Leon hesitated, trying to find the words he wanted to describe the movie they just watched.

"Go ahead and say it," Lilli laughed at herself. "It was awful. Sorry I chose it."

He shrugged. "I mean, it wasn't that bad. But you could always redeem yourself."

"How so?" She raised an eyebrow, allowing herself to be just a little flirtatious.

"We can order some food and then watch something else." Leon offered a hopeful smile as he shifted himself to a more comfortable position.

They ordered from Bombay Tandoori  and hoped that A Quiet Place Part II would be a better film choice.

Lilli actually allowed herself to stretch out a bit as she yawned. "I think I might slip into a food coma. That's the best chicken tikka masala I've ever had."

"Yeah, you did good kid." Leon glanced back over to her and smiled. "D'you wanna stay tonight?"

As soon as he said it, he realized it was the wrong thing to say.

Lilli stood and folded her arms across her chest. "I still don't want to have sex with you."

"No, I know, you've been really clear about that." He shifted, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "That's not what I was implying."

She scoffed. "Right. So you'd like me to believe that there was no one else available to help you and that is the only reason you asked me here."

"Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not interested in having a relationship with you, but I didn't try to trick you into coming here." Leon held his eyes closed for a few seconds longer than a blink. "I wanted to be around you, not somebody else." 

Lilli covered her face with her hands and shrugged before letting her hands fall to her sides.

Leon gave her a minute before he started again. "Can we give this a try?"

"Before I give you an answer," Lilli sat back down and let her knee rest against his uninjured one. "Do you understand why I'm upset?"

He gave a slight nod. "I was using you for sex. I mean, I didn't think it was worth my time to get to know you but I've realized that I was wrong about that and I want to fix it."

"Ok," She made sure that her body language wasn't coming off as defensive as she currently felt. "How do we do that?"

“Will you let me take you out on a date?” Leon bit his bottom lip and Lilli had to look away. “Like dinner and a movie? Or a club if that’s more your thing.”

Lilli put her eyes back on Leon. “Can I think about it?”

He initially hesitated which caused Lilli to raise an eyebrow. “I mean, yeah of course-”

“But?”

“No ‘but’, I was just…I would prefer it that…if you’ve already made up your mind-”

Lilli nodded. “I haven’t. If I knew that I didn’t want to, I would say so. I need you to understand that it’s going to take me a little while to fully trust you.”

This time he smiled. “That’s really helpful, Lil.”

Leon stood and gingerly made his way to the entryway. It was almost like a crossroads of sorts, go straight to the door and leave or turn right and stay in his guest room. He was also fully aware that if Lilli chose to leave he probably would not get another chance with her. “But in all seriousness, it’s late and you are welcome to stay in my spare bedroom.”

After a moment's pause, Lilli nodded. Leon got her settled in the guest room and gave her an old shirt of his to sleep in. After she pulled the shirt over her head, Lilli brought the neck of the shirt up to her face and breathed in the faint scent of his laundry detergent mingling with his cologne.  Of course she'd offer to wash and return but she was secretly hoping he'd tell her to keep it. The bed was comfortable enough, but she found herself starring at the ceiling, her mind unwilling to shut itself off.

The softest of knocks rousing him from his sleep, Leon sat up slightly and grunted. "Hmm?"

In the dark, he could just make out the outline of Lilli in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," Instinctively, Leon moved over so that there was room on the bed next to him. After he did it, he realized what it probably looked like to Lilli but much to his relief, she sat down.

"When you said that I'm not the type of girl you take home to meet your parents, it struck a nerve."

"Lilli," Leon propped himself up on his elbow.

"No," She turned towards him and rested her hand on his cheek. "It's ok, just let me finish. I haven't had that type of relationship. I've never stayed with anyone long enough to meet their parents and it made me start to think that maybe there's a reason for that. Maybe there is something wrong with me."

Leon sat up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest. Resting his head against hers, he inhaled deeply. "There's nothing wrong with you. I said that because I thought you were just interested in me because I'm…I need to be careful about who I let into my life and there was the thought in the back of my mind that you were only interested in me because of my public profile."

"That's the last thing that interests me about you." Lilli closed her eyes. Letting her head rest against his shoulder, she was already starting to feel the tension leave her body.

Moving himself over slightly, he leaned over and brought their bodies down to the mattress. Leon sighed, gently running his fingers along her side. "I regret not doing this."

"Doing what?" Lilli's voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and already heavy with sleep.

"Just staying with you after we had sex. I shouldn't have left." He kissed her forehead, draping his arm over her hip. "I'm sorry I didn't stay."

[hawksward]

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Ch. 1: Push/Pull (Childe/OC)

Since being granted a vision at the tender age of 10, Irina has owed her life to the Tsaritsa and dedicated herself to rising through the ranks of the Fatui. In becoming a top-ranking diplomat she's received her easiest assignment yet: ensure the 11th Fatui Harbinger remains ignorant of La Signora's plan to obtain the gnosis of Rex Lapis. A simple task for someone who's made a career out of lying.

Unfortunately, even the simplest tasks can go awry when feelings get in the way.

Rating: E (For eventual smut)

Warnings: None that I can think of for this chapter, there will eventually be smut

Banner credit goes to @shinsotired because I'm incapable of art.

Prologue:

Cold. She couldn’t remember the last time she wasn’t cold. At first, the nerves in her fingertips were screaming, the skin exposed through the holes in her worn gloves. But now it was different.

The cold had faded into warmth as she laid on the ground in the alley. At first, it was uncomfortably hot. So hot she wanted to strip off her already thin winter coat and hat. But now it was pleasantly warm. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way.

But it wasn’t right. It couldn’t be.

The snow seemed to fall in waves, flakes occasionally falling into her eyes. The girl flexed her fingers before closing her eyes, they were becoming harder and harder to move.

I’m dying

The thought echoed in her head. She couldn’t decide if she was scared or relieved. If she died there would be no more suffering. Tears slipped out of her eyes, freezing on her cheeks.

I can’t. Not here. Not like this.

She curled herself into a ball. Clenching her fists as tight as she could to stay awake. She desperately tried to conserve what little body heat she had left.

The voices were faint at first, two men engaging in idle chatter as they strolled through the alley. One man’s footsteps stopped short when he saw her, much to the dismay of his partner.

“Leave it Misha. Street kids die every day here.” His foot pushed her from her side onto her back. She could barely open her eyes, any energy she had for defiance long gone. She immediately knew the man by his mask. Fatui.

“She’s holding something.” Misha reached down to pry open her clenched fist.

Her palm was soaked in blood around an object she knew she wasn’t holding before. Although she couldn’t quite make out what it was from her angle, she noticed the man’s eyes go wide.

“How many street kids do you know who have been blessed by the Tsaritsa?”  He plucked the object from her hand and held it to the lamplight. A cryo vision.

“What’s your name, child?”

Her voice came as a whisper

“Irina”

Ch. 1:

The wind in Liyue Harbor was far milder than the chill winds in Snezhnaya. The boat journey was amicable, albeit long, and she would be in Liyue for the foreseeable future. Even from the docks, she could tell. The whole city was in chaos.

Only a day passed since the Rite of Descension, a disaster of epic proportions, and it was clear there were still no answers.

Irina leaned over the side of the boat, watching the fish scatter as the anchor plummeted into the sand below. Men hurried into the boat the moment the gangplank fell, eager to unload the crates of liquor shipped from the motherland.

Pushing herself off the rail, Irina made her way down the gangplank. She knew next to nothing about her assignment. Only that Rex Lapis was dead and there was now a sea of red tape between the Tsaritsa and the gnosis.

“I trust you’re our new diplomat?”

Her attention was brought to the man before her. He had half a head of height on her with bright auburn hair and even brighter blue eyes. It was clear from what he was wearing that he was Fatui.

“Yes. I’ve been sent by Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, to aid in the issue with the exuvia.” She held out her hand for a handshake only for the man to hold her hand to his lips, placing a small kiss before releasing.

“I’m Childe. We’ll be working closely together while you’re here in Liyue. Not like I needed the assistance, I have the situation under control.”

She wasn’t surprised that he was less than excited for her arrival, she didn’t climb through the ranks to take easy assignments.

“Aster.” It was an alias of course, she couldn’t remember the last time she used her real name. “You must be Tartaglia then. Don’t mind me. I’m here to help grease the bureaucratic gears. I won’t be interfering with your bank loan operation.”

Irina knew that the Northland Bank was a large source of revenue for the Tsaritsa in Liyue. She also knew that their interest rates and collection practices were less than ethical. Not like it was any of her concern.

The smile on Childe’s face faltered for only a second, but it was enough to betray his false hospitality. He was a harbinger, most Fatui agents and diplomats alike wouldn’t dare talk to him in that manner. But most diplomats weren’t hand chosen by the Tsaritsa herself.

“Well Aster, I’m sure you’re tired from the journey but why don’t I show you around and get you acquainted with the members of the Northland Bank, where you’ll be stationed. As your superior officer allow me to give you the grand tour”

His words weren’t lost on her. Although she wouldn’t be reporting to him on her assignment she needed to appear like she was. She couldn’t have him asking questions.

“Of course, Lord Tartaglia ” the words rolled off her tongue like venom “Please lead the way.”

——

It was clear from the endless amount of stairs he had her climb to the Yujing Terrace that he was looking to torture her. Nothing about the tour was optimal and only served to exhaust her further.

“Don't tell me you’re getting tired already!” Childe was beaming from ear to ear

She wanted to stab him. They had gone back and forth to a new landmark, each somehow across the city from the other, for the better part of 3 hours. And while she was in shape, she didn’t have an elite soldier’s stamina. Nor did Childe have to make the trek in heels.

“Of course not, I’m ready to experience all the city has to offer” She put on her most charming smile. She wouldn’t let him best her, especially not so early in the game.

Childe laughed before waving her over to the nearby railing. The view from the terrace was beautiful. From the top of the city was a view of the harbor. The streets below just beginning to light the lanterns for the night.

“I see you know how to make an impression” Irina smiled to herself as she drank in the view.

“What can I say? I have many talents.” He leaned against the rail, his eyes trained on her. “One of them is sensing bullshit. So why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.”

Irina raised an eyebrow, turning her attention to the man before her. “I’m here because the Tsaritsa is unimpressed at how long it’s taking you to complete your mission. Signora obtained her gnosis within a week of arriving in Mondstat.”

“Signora didn't have to contend with a dead Barbatos.” He countered

“If you think you can do this on your own then by all means be my guest.” Irina pushed herself off the rail, “But as of today all matters dealing with the Liyue Qixing will be handled by me. If you take issue with that you’re free to look through the paperwork I brought with me.”

Childe had no retort, but it was clear that she struck a nerve by comparing him to Signora. It didn’t matter. She would complete her mission as soon as possible and then leave Liyue for her next assignment. which would hopefully not involve the 11th harbinger.

“Well then. Allow me to escort the lady to the Northland Bank. Ekaterina has prepared the small office for your arrival.”

——

Childe didn’t lie when he said the office was small. Her office was a glorified storage closet on the upper level of the bank, barely large enough to fit a reasonably sized oak desk already stacked with paperwork. She knew when she wasn’t meeting with the Qixing she would be expected to help out with administrative work for the bank.

She didn’t expect for her superior  to drop all of his work on her as well.

Before he left for the night he tossed a map her way, a large red x marking where her accommodations would be. She was mildly surprised he hadn’t offered to walk her to the inn to keep tabs on her. Then again the Fatui presence in the city was nothing to scoff at, someone would see her eventually and most likely report back.

Thankfully the inn wasn’t difficult to find, centered in the middle of the merchant district. Accommodations weren’t large by any means, but the warm wood and red bedding were lush and inviting.

What little luggage she brought on the boat was tucked away in the corner, next to a small bathroom. She never carried much, even a small suitcase seeming excessive after growing up with nothing.

Irina glanced at the clock sitting on the dresser. Currently 11 pm. She needed to be at Liuli pavilion in 3 hours. She changed out of her clothes for something that didn’t scream ‘Fatui agent skulking around at all hours of the night’.

��-

Liuli Pavillion definitely looked closed. Irina passed maybe two people on her way from the inn to the restaurant, both of whom were definitely too drunk to remember anyone who passed them by.

Irina checked her surroundings before knocking on the door twice, followed by a brief pause, followed by four more times. She could hear footsteps coming from inside before unlocking the door.

“Can I help you? We’re closed” a middle-aged man looked her up and down, a scowl on his face

“I’m here with the jueyun chili order.”

“Already got it last week.” He barked

“Yes, but this order is a special delivery from Qingce Village.”

The man gave a curt nod before stepping out of the way. The windows in the restaurant were tightly drawn shut, locking in the dim candlelight. Irina made her way to the voices coming from the adjacent room.

The room held a small square table, one seat was filled by a dark haired man in an expensive looking suit. The other was filled with none other than the 8th harbinger herself.

Signora.

“You’re late.” She didn’t bother to look up as she took a sip from her glass of wine “Sit down, we don’t have much time.”

Irina sat down as the man from the door placed a glass of wine in front of her. She took a small sip, locking eyes with the dark haired man across the table. Was Signora going to make an introduction or not?

“This is my subordinate, Aster. She’ll be your point of contact for all things related to the contract” Signora began “Aster, this is Zhongli, you may know him better as Rex Lapis”

Irina nearly choked on her drink. She knew the anemo archon, Barbatos, had taken on a human form before having his gnosis taken. But she never imagined she’d see another archon in the flesh. The Tsaritsa living among her people wasn’t exactly common.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.” She wasn't sure how to respond. Clearly he didn’t want many to know if he was going by a different name. But was it alright to treat him like a normal person?

“None of that. In this form, I am simply Zhongli, consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.” He gave a small, polite smile before sipping from his wine “Not to mention going forward we’ll be colleagues.”

“Listen closely because I’m only going to explain this once.” Signora reclined back in her seat, her fierce gaze not once leaving Irina, “The Tsaritsa has signed a contract with Rex Lapis for procurement of the gnosis. Since I can’t be in the city without drawing attention, you will be my proxy. You will tell absolutely no one of the contract nor about Zhongli’s identity. Do you understand?”

“Of course Lady Signora. I will maintain the utmost discretion.”

“Good. Since you’ll be doing it anyway, I want a report on anything you can discern from the Qixing as well.” The tall blonde woman stood from her chair, turning her back momentarily before returning her focus to Irina. “One last thing. If Tartaglia so much as develops an idea of what’s happening here consider yourself out of a job.”

Irina rose from her chair to give her a nod and a salute before the other woman left the restaurant. She had no intention of failing a mission, but it was clear that Signora would rip her entire life out from under her faster than she could blink if she did.

“Please, enjoy the glass of wine with me before you leave.” Zhongli motioned for her to return to her seat “We should get to know each other since we’ll be working closely together. Not to mention it is a vintage.”

[mantra4ia]

Debris 1x13 "Celestial Body": rewatch Reaction'd, questions and comments

So if all those people are experiencing emotional convergence, who are they converging from? Who's sending the emotional signal that the debris is channeling, or is it the debris manifesting it's "consciousness" in a way that we can understand it by way of human conduits?

Maddox is clearly trading debris pieces with Irina (perhaps the piece that he took out of storage off the books), and Irina is on the phone with presumably her handler/ boss to negotiate this trade. She gives him lateral (which I assume means latitudinal) readings and then he asks for longitudinal readings which we don't get to hear. They are: Lateral 105, 112, 115, 120, 113, 110, 109

What's the significance of these measures? Latitude goes from 0° to 90° from the equator, so that doesn't track unless the scene is cut wrong and they're meant to be longitudinal (E/W) readings, which go to 180° relative to the prime meridian. That would make more sense, because after Irina is done with the first set of readings, the unknown caller on the phone says "drop to level two for vertical" and latitudes are North/South.

If we're talking Western longitudes, notable landmarks include: Denver, Salt Lake City UT / Phoenix AZ / nearly Sedona AZ - aka where the telesphere went, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe/ Nevada border, Great Salt Lake, Alberta-Saskatchewan border, and the Utah-Arizona border.

Or perhaps they're not part of terrestrial measurement at all. The act of "lateral reading" could just mean verifying your sources/accuracy as you go, where as vertical reading is reading for content first to see if something is worth evaluating for sources.

However, if they are part of coordinates, then is the fragment that Maddox is trading with Irina a legitimate "mapmaker" piece like George previously said Influx was seeking? Ya know, when he lied to his daughter. Can a mapmaker piece track moving/animate debris akin to the telesphere? Are those black dust cloud beings George is running from made up of animate debris?

Bryan: After becoming a parent you're in a heightened emotional state, emotionally raw.

George: Higher highs, lower lows, the joy of having a child, the postpartum depression, and the fear of getting it wrong.

Me: Are we in a pensive, self-reflective mood, George? Are you practicing your pub trivia Bryan, delivering exposition, or are you speaking from personal character experience? Seriously, how would you know?!

John Noble as Otto, man why does he always make such a good villain?

What is with the cryptic vagueness when Maddox tells Irina, "You know I can't let you leave with that case right? I mean you know that. There's another door for you Irina, one that only you can go through." They seemed almost on good terms in a previous episode, like friends or something more in a past life "nice car, i almost left / no you didn't", he wouldn't kill her, would he? Or is it more like a code between them, a sort of "I'm being watched, take the back exit"?

Hey, so why is it that sometimes George's eye seems opaque and damaged from the debris implant, but then when he's talking to Finola after he distracts Bryan while being Debris whisperer, his eye seems fine? PS: I googled Tyrone Benskin just to see what he looks like when he's not playing George Jones and I didn't know he's a former member of Canadian Parliament. Don't trust the government, eh?

George: "You're such a compassionate person, you always have been. So much of your mother in you." That's the second time that Finola's mother has been mentioned in the series, back from the pilot. Is it a coincidence that the first piece of debris that chose to interact with Finola resonated her mom? More than just Finola's desire being reflected by the debris, but the debris emoting it's first impression of her as someone compassionate that it can trust?

It also raises my heckles that George repeats, almost word for word, something that Finola said in episode 3. "If we can't help people, we do not deserve this debris / if we don't use this debris on these people, we are not worthy to have it." Are father and daughter that ideologically similar, or has he been spying on her progress this whole time, or both?

George: "I took my life to allow myself a rebirth, I paid the price. I want you to know that not one day goes by that I don't think of you and your sister. I want you to know this." This coincides with my initial impression that George staged his death to get away from Orbital after he assessed how his research was being used/abused.

George: "You never wanted to go into the pool, I had to throw you in, and you kicked and screamed, but you always did better that way." Immabout to throw you George, just keep talking!!!! I'm sorry, this charicature of absentee father reminiscing about the good old days really ticks me off from personal experience.

Also, as a person with a disability, I am not particularly pleased with the use of Dario as a plot device instead of a thoughtful character with a backstory at this point in the show for 13 whole episodes now. Pretty pissed off actually, so they better do something phenomenal and pivotal with Christian Rose (Dario) in season 2 [maybe have his character interact with debris in a similar way to Caroline]. But that's another rant about ableism in screenwriting for another angry day....

George: "A telesphere was born yesterday. It came from a pocket dimension inside Orbital. I think it's birth may have triggered the debris." This is perhaps the one-ish episode that I find George remotely interesting and also infuriating, particularly because of the way he speaks, like he's finally taken off the guise of the old, well-meaning eccentric and turned into a sharp, cunning, and at times calculatingly ruthless individual. I find it peculiar that he says a telesphere is born. Makes me think that the debris is not just part of a spacecraft, but a hybrid of the beings piloting that craft.

I get tremendous satisfaction from Finola head-butting people. This should continue.

I'm not familiar with all of the work of JH Wyman to know if this is a running theme or an ongoing joke. But does he keep his writing staff in a constant state of starvation? Is that why pieces of debris are called "Nachos", and why Influx has "Beans" to shield them from debris side effects, and why Bryan is always eating junk food? Should I be worried about the writer's room and start sending them healthy snacks?!? Just give me an SOS in the credit roll.

Speaking of: is the "Bean" that Finola ingested a piece of debris? Similar to the pieces of debris that fused with Anson Ash? Will it impart some physical benefits to her moving forward?

"I won't lose you again...you belong with me." What are you talking about George Jones, you made the conscious decision to leave your family. You didn't lose Finola, she lost you. In this version of reality at least. Or (unscripted backstory) did Jones and his wife separate prior to her death / was Finola brought up mostly by her mother? That doesn't seem the case if she was buying her father birthday presents and took it upon herself to settle his affairs after his death.

Why do the Influx Operatives Otto and Anson have tattoos on their hands, but not Loeb? Is he like the low end of the totem pole FNG who hasn't earned his stripes, hence why Otto gives him s***: aka "Careful you cretin. All the finesse of a butcher."

What is the hierarchy of Influx anyway? Despite being an anti-government "for the people/ elevate the human consciousness" organization they do still seem to have a governing hierarchy and Otto and George seem to be on the same level, pretty high in rank / they talk with confidence to each other like they go back a while.

What is that weird thing that Otto does with his hands to Bryan's head? What are all the weird things Otto does, including his massacre at the petrol station? Ick.

Why is it that Leob and George are freaked out by the black smoke (debris particle?) man, but Anson and Otto aren't? They seem to see them(?), but don't overtly react.

Bryan: "It seems like we're entering some kind of new phase." Gee where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, the story of "Blackwater grandfather" and the black wind that they're still teasing endlessly while refusing to tether it into some kind of world building lore. Agggghh!

Lololol, Bryan and Finola's dynamic even in the midst of a very serious episode makes me laugh. "Devon Reese / two e's? / Two e's!" "This one smells like baby diapers. Almost as bad as the tech section of the plane/ You mean your section of the plane. / Almost." That zinger 👍

Paraphrasing Bryan: "[recapping, recap, and did I mention recap]...something about George doesn't feel right." Personal pet peeve: I HATE IT when episodes have intentional explanatory lines like this to point out the fact that we as audience are privy to information that the main characters aren't. Not only does it make the main characters seem less intelligent, it breaks the fourth wall a little bit and gives the impression that the audience, which is ahead of the plot, is not as intelligent and needs a reminder that we're ahead. Lackadaisical writing drives me nuts!!! I can't outright say that it's "bad" dialogue, but it's not a choice I would make if I wanted uninterrupted viewer immersion.

Finola: "My instincts are good" Me: You are an emotionally intelligent decision maker with gaping personal blind spots.

George: You belong with me, your father.

Finola: My father died six months ago, and you are not him.

Me: Chef's kiss 👏👏👏

Otto: "It would never have worked out with that girl [Finola], not in any iteration." Definitely makes me lean towards the fan theory that the alt!Finola in (presumably) suspensia in Sedona Arizona got plucked from another reality.

Surprisingly, the ending credit roll has no voiceover as all the previous episodes of the season have. Disappointed that there's no potential teaser to a season 2 if the show gets renewed. But I find it curious that the extras who were demonstrating emotional convergence were credited as: chess board persons. Not sure if that's relevant, but I definitely feel like this show is playing games with me and my emotions.

[tabloidtoc]

Star, May 10

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Meghan Markle having twin girls (oops!)

Page 1: Famous for doing his own stunts, Tom Cruise helicoptered in to the tiny English village of Levisham to film aboard, or rather hanging off of, a vintage train and along for the ride was his Mission: Impossible 7 costar Hayley Atwell, who was spotted running along the top of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway car and while the pair, surrounded by crew and tech experts, were total pros, it's an open secret on set that their romance is going strong and Tom and Hayley hang out non-stop when the cameras are off and are pretty much joined at the hip but not in a showy, PDA way; it's a very discreet thing they've got going on -- off-camera, 58-year-old Tom and 39-year-old Hayley enjoy quiet nights holed up in Tom's London digs, eating meals specially prepared by his private chef and they'll watch movies or read books or just chill out doing their own thing -- chilling out isn't Tom's forte, as audio leaked of him berating the film's crew for violating COVID-19 protocols, but things have calmed down considerably as the spy flick, due in theaters May 2022, closes in on its wrap date, but the ensuing publicity push will put Tom and Hayley's relationship front and center, but don't expect the devoted Scientologist to jump on any couches (a la Katie Holmes) announcing wife No. 4 as Tom has learned the hard way about putting everything out there and getting picked to pieces; this time, it's all about subtlety

Page 2: Contents, Cher got up and personal with the World's Loneliest Elephant Kaavan, who she helped relocate to Cambodia

Page 3: Brie Larson in a swimsuit with butterflies on it during a getaway to Hawaii, with headphones at the ready Brooke Burke was itching to cut a rug with friends before teaching a silent disco cardio party at the Rafi Lounge in Malibu, Maria Shriver and Christina Schwarzenegger enjoyed some quality time on a stroll in L.A., Boy George sporting a bold look on The Jonathan Ross Show in London

Page 4: In a recent interview, AnnaLynne McCord revealed a shocking diagnosis: for years, the 90210 alum has been battling dissociative identity disorder (often erroneously referred to as multiple personality disorder) -- she told Dr. Daniel Amen she is absolutely uninterested in shame about opening up despite the stigma surrounding mental-health issues because that's how we get to the point where we can articulate the nature of these pervasive traumas as horrible as they are -- for her part, the 33-year-old traces back her troubles to sexual abuse she suffered as a child and as had many of the 200,000 people diagnosed with DID each year, she suppressed those horrific memories and it was only within the past few years that they began to resurface, largely after she sought treatment for PTSD related to another sexual assault and she doesn't have any memories of abuse until around 5, then from 5 to 11, she recounts incidents throughout and then, when she was 13, she has a singled-out memory and it was at that age that she developed what doctors call a second personality identity: as Little Ann, the Georgia-born daughter of a pastor said she was balls to the wall, middle fingers to the sky, anarchist from hell who will stab you with the spike ring that she wears and that helped her survive her nightmarish situation -- ironically, acting created the same dynamic, making it sometimes difficult for AnnaLynne to let go of characters she'd played and all of her roles were splits but she didn't even realize she was doing it

Page 5: Jennifer Aniston wasn't exactly touched when Justin Theroux gushed about how much he still loves her in the issue of Esquire -- complaining about feeling like a hermit during the pandemic, 49-year-old Justin nearly got misty discussing FaceTiming and texting his ex, saying he cherishes their friendship and they can not be together and still bring each other joy and he'd be bereft if they weren't still in touch and he'd like to think the same for her -- but 52-year-old Jen, whose love life has been low-key since the pair's 2018 divorce, has stayed on good terms with most of her exes including Brad Pitt but doesn't want anything more than a friendship with Justin and sure, it's flattering but she's just moved on and wishes he would too, and that goes double for some of her friends who griped that Justin tried to milk Jen's connections to further his career -- in the end, Justin needs to know he's got no chance whatsoever of winning Jen back and she doesn't feel anything remotely close to passion for him anymore

* Roseanne Barr showed off her newly svelte frame on Instagram -- back in 1998, she lost 100 lbs after undergoing gastric-bypass surgery, but yo-yo'd over the next decades but now she's determined to keep the weight off by totally changing the way she eats and she's growing her own fruits and vegetables and has a whole new appreciation of food

* Five months after he entered the Federal Correctional Institution, Mossimo Gianulli finished up his stint at his plush Hidden Hills home and now, the 57-year-old, who along with wife Lori Loughlin, pleaded guilty to paying a $500,000 bribe to get their kids into USC, can't wait to get back to normal and his biggest priority, besides spending time with Lori and the girls, is to get out there on the golf course -- the designer, worth a reported $70 million, still has to perform 250 hours of community service while Lori, who finished up her prison stint in December, is chipping away at hers, doling out meals at L.A.'s Project Angel Food -- Lori and Mossimo have resolved not to dwell on the past and they want to move forward with a positive and grateful attitude

Page 6: Fans of Angelina Jolie's stunts in movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Mr. & Mrs. Smith are looking forward to her return to the screen as a wildfire fighter in Those Who Wish Me Dead and in the upcoming Marvel flick Eternals but 45-year-old Angie would rather be behind the camera and she explained the real reason behind her comeback is she loves directing, but she had a change in her family situation that's not made it possible for her to direct for a few years and she needed to just do shorter jobs and be home more, so she went back to doing a few acting jobs -- that change in her family situation, of course, is her divorce from Brad Pitt, ongoing since their 2016 split and with no bitter end in sight and it could drag on for years

* Catherine Zeta-Jones says it's no secret her 20-year marriage to 76-year-old Michael Douglas hasn't been easy and it wouldn't be normal if there weren't any ups and downs -- it's another Michael, her Prodigal Son costar Michael Sheen, who has friends whispering as both are Welsh and only a year apart, the two have been having a lot of fun shooting the serial-killer drama and they had never met before the series but they keep discovering how much they have in common -- while Michael, who has been linked with Kate Beckinsale, Rachel McAdams and Sarah Silverman, has been with Anna Lundberg for two years, friends can't help worrying because it's a little to close for comfort

Page 8: Star Shots -- Marlee Matlin kicked back during a portrait session in La Canada Flintridge in California, a loaded-down Irina Shayk in a Victoria's Secret photoshoot in NYC, Gavin Rossdale and his dog Chewy leaving tennis practice in L.A.

Page 9: Kelly Clarkson and her battle advisor Luis Fonsi on The Voice, John Stamos at the drive-in premiere of his new series Big Shot in L.A.

Page 10: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley toting her $3800 Bottega Veneta Shell bag in NYC, Niall Horan and Anne-Marie jumped into a classic Jaguar XK120 for a music video in Essex in England, Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci on the set of House of Gucci on a bicycle in Rome

Page 11: Jay Leno takes a selfie with a fan, Kate Hudson and her daughter Rani busting out some mommy-and-me moves

Page 12: David Beckham filming a commercial for Maserati, Kaley Cuoco working out with ropes, a windswept Olivia Culpo held on tight to pup Oliver while enjoying a sunset ride aboard a boat named after her dog, Miles Teller looked both ways during a cruise in his blue Ford Bronco which is the same car he flipped in a 2016 accident

Page 13: Garrett Hedlund hit the pavement in a jog in Hollywood, Johnny Depp got behind the camera at the photocall for his film Minamata during the Barcelona Film Festival, friendly exes Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry masked up for a walk in L.A.

Page 14: 2021 ACMs -- country celebrates its best in Nashville -- Elle King and Miranda Lambert kicked off the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards by rolling up in a hot ride before performing, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, co-host Keith Urban

Page 15: Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd performed together, Carrie Underwood

Page 16: Margot Robbie inline skating during a beach day in Malibu, Kate Beckinsale carrying her two cats and her dog as she tried to read, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend and their daughter Luna took a silly mid-game family selfie while playing Hedbanz

Page 18: Normal or Not Normal? A sleepy George Stephanopoulos was caught yawning on the Good Morning America set -- normal, Emily Blunt kicked back a little too much at The Jonathan Ross Show -- not normal

Page 19: With a $1400 rainbow Gucci sweater wrapped around her shoulders Selling Sunset's pregnant Christine Quinn with her dogs in L.A. -- normal, Chelsea Handler works out with her dog on her back -- not normal, Zach Braff stuck his tongue out as he took a silly selfie filming the Cheaper by the Dozen reboot -- not normal

Page 22: Fashion -- stars shine in metallic frocks -- Becky G, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Karen Gillan

Page 23: Miranda Lambert, Cynthia Erivo, Renee Zellweger

Page 26: Travis Barker didn't hold back in his birthday tribute to girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian -- sharing a series of sexy shots with 42-year-old Kourtney, including a NSFW video of Kourtney sucking his thumb and the rocker's risque pics quickly went viral, as did Kourt's TMI essay posted to her health and wellness site Poosh titled "Rough Sex: Love It or Leave It?" -- definitely leave it, if it were up to the pair's kids; 17-year-old Landon and 15-year-old Alabama, who are 45-year-old Travis' children with ex-wife Shanna Moakler, are mortified by their dad's behavior and like most teenagers, the two are active on social media and can't avoid the new couple's loved-up posts and Travis' kids are happy that he's happy, but the PDA is weird and takes some getting used to, while Travis' stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have a problem as the 22-year-old posted a heart-eyes emoji -- as for spending time with Mason, 11, Penelope, 8, and 6-year-old Reign, Kourt's kids with ex Scott Disick, the pair try to restrain themselves but still the lovebirds are happily oblivious and have a hard time toning it down and Kourt and Travis are just being themselves and going with the flow; they're in love and want the world to know it

Page 27: After 10 months of dating Australian model Vanessa Valladares, Zac Efron is officially back on the market -- 33-year-old Zac called it off with the 25-year-old after things got too serious, too soon and they spent every moment together and it was too claustrophobic for him, as Vanessa, who quit her job and gave up everything to be with Zac, became a fixture on set as he worked on Down to Earth with Zac Efron and he felt guilty that she was giving up her dreams and aspirations to be with him -- despite their split, Zac, who had put his L.A. home on the market and extended his stay in Australia after meeting Vanessa, has no plans to rush back to the States because he has made a lot of friends there and feels at home

* Like many planning their vows during the pandemic, Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost had to get strategic when it came to their big day -- Scarlett said they wanted it to feel like it had an intentional intimacy as opposed to being something that felt like they were restricted by all these things -- the intimate and small event the pair threw was at their $4 million Palisades, N.Y. home in October and the ultra-private pair kept their guests safe, and the guest list was tiny and it was understated but lovely, just what they wanted -- now Scarlett and Colin have settled in to married life and Scarlett and Colin both like to steer clear of the spotlight which makes them perfectly suited for each other

* Vanessa Hudgens revealed the surprising way she was introduced to boyfriend Cole Tucker, who she's been dating since November -- 32-year-old Vanessa and 24-year-old Cole met on a Zoom meditation group and Vanessa admits that the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop is just perfect for her and Vanessa and Cole, who debuted their romance on Valentine's Day, moved their budding friendship offline after feeling sparks via the virtual meeting app and they started communicating on their own and found out they have a lot in common -- now Vanessa, who dated Austin Butler for nine years before their 2020 split, is zooming ahead and she doesn't want to rush or jinx things, but she's saying Cole could be The One

Page 28: Cover Story -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Twin Girls -- it was a somber, but loving occasion as the royal family celebrated the life of Prince Philip and amid the pomp and truly touching moments, like Queen Elizabeth sitting frail and alone, viewers waited to see what would happen when Harry and Prince William reunited for the first time since Harry and Meghan stepped down from senior royal duties in March 2020 and just weeks after their bombshell TV interview rocked the monarchy and tensions had been running high before the funeral, but everything went better than expected as William and Harry bonded and united in grief at the loss of their beloved grandfather, the estranged siblings along with William's wife Duchess Kate Middleton, waved away their waiting cars, opting to walk the half-mile from St. George's Chapel to Windsor Castle together and the trio chatted easily as they strolled -- back home in Montecito, Harry has been by pregnant Meghan's side around the clock making sure she takes it easy and the couple are in full-blown prep mode and Harry has been helping baby-proof their mansion and designing the nursery and Harry's been on his hands and knees making the house baby-friendly and he's got the latest, state-of-the-art safety devices installed around the pool -- Harry's promising visit with the royal family has given him one less thing to worry about, but still he and members of The Firm will always have different perspectives and after dismissing William and dad Prince Charles as trapped by the monarchy, Harry was persuaded by Kate to take the first step and she went up to Harry to suggest he have a heart-to-heart with William and their father, then she stepped back; Harry felt nostalgic being back home and it's a work in progress -- Harry made headway with his grandmother as well as he and Queen Elizabeth had a private meeting and spoke for three hours and seeing Harry's face made her smile again and Harry loves his grandmother very much and he's promised to bring his kids back to England later this year and he wants the Queen to spend quality time with them

Page 31: The Home Birth Brigade -- Who needs hospitals? These fearless celebrity moms opted to welcome their babies in the comfort of their own homes -- Ashley Graham, Eva Amurri, Hilary Duff, Gisele Bundchen, Gigi Hadid

Page 32: Kim Kardashian: Billionaire Bachelorette -- months after officially filing for divorce Kanye West, Kim is majorly ready to mingle -- Kanye's miffed that fans think he's the one who got dumped when he simply let her file first

Page 34: Not Boyfriend Material -- celebs share tales of dates gone bad, and guys who definitely didn't deserve a second chance -- Patricia Arquette, Mindy Kaling, Jenny Slate

Page 35: Awkwafina, Emma Watson, Kelly Clarkson

Page 36: For Mom -- for Mother's Day, express gratitude to the No. 1 lady in your life with the perfect gift -- Naomi Watts cofounded the ONDA Mama Box

Page 40: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- in honor of Earth Day, Alison Brie kicked off the second year of the Planet Oat Project by planting trees at Rancho Sierra Vista -- the 38-year-old also took to Instagram to bring awareness to the wildlife restoration initiative, noting that a startling three million acres of trees in California have been destroyed by recent wildfires

[mikosdreams]

HEAR ME

CHAPTER ONE: DISRUPTION

"Irina! Stop!" A male voice cries out as he walks away with fury, "I am sorry!" He pulls his pants on as he runs after her. Panic rippling through his skin, he was caught and now he is losing something he hoped he would never lose. The green highlights shine in the light of their star, the man pushes through the crowd. Desperate to get to the girl that he wanted to keep for his life, he looks around in pure panic as he loses her. His pale skin turning strongly yellow. The man couldn't find her, he couldn't fix his mistakes. Passers-by look on with disgust, smelling the guilt off of him. They understand what has happened and it is filling him more with shame, he didn't mean to fall into the seductor's hands.

Irina looks around in confusion, the surroundings were familiar yet strangely not. She turned a corner on a street yet she is standing in an odd looking kitchen, she moves across the tiles with caution. Her eyes taking in her surroundings quickly, making notes where a possible exit could be if in danger. Her spine stiffens when she hears gears being fiddled with then a creaking door, a tired groan sounded passed the threshold of the kitchen. Soon a man with thick glasses and sandy blonde hair appears in her line of sight, he stood there with his finger on the switch as a light came on. His eyes widen as he looks at the humanoid being in his kitchen, the tanned man blinks a few times.

"Who are you?" The man asks, slowly. Still, in shock about what he was seeing, the green-skinned woman looks around her and looks at the man once again. Seeing there is no way out, he was standing in the exit and entryway. "My name is Irina." She quickly states as she watches him carefully, confused about the man. The tall human smiles, little dips appear as his eyes bundle a tad under. "Call me, Woojun. Nice to meet you but why are you in my home?" Woojun asks as his hands finally rest beside him, "I truly don't know." She truly answers as she watches the man as he drags his feet to the cooler. "I know you aren't human, what are you?" He asks as he grabs a bottled soda and bottled water, he shuts the door and hands her the water.

She carefully takes the beverage and opens it, "Ulit. We live kind of like humans." She replies as she follows the man to his lounging space. "Why aren't you freaking out?" She watches him in pure confusion but also comfortable, "I see no reason to. You were in my kitchen like the neighbor's kid, if you had food in your hands I would assume you were just like in other kid coming here." Woojun responses as he turns on the television and sets back on the couch. "Is food a problem around here?" The Ulit asks as she carefully sets down in the chair beside the couch, "Yeah. I am a manager for a store and I take anything home the expires within a month of our chosen date. The kids take the back door and fill up a bag or so with the food from the garage."

To say she was shocked and sad is an understatement, a man providing for the neighbor because they are struggling for food is insane. This man shouldn't be doing that and being completely calm about a stranger in his house, "Do they came often?" She asks softly. Sadness wrappings its hands around her heart and tugging roughly on it, she wanted to scream out and yell. "They come every week or so, taking as much as their wagons will take and going home. Sometimes mothers come and take what they can that is on their list so they can save money. There is a single mother on this corner that makes just enough to have about twenty dollars left for gas, I take her any meats I have to her and let her pick first. She has triplets, they are only five." His eyes cloud with tears as his face contours in anger as he watches the news. "Does the government care? No. Does food stamps care? No, why? Because she makes too much money. I call bullshit." Anger laced his voice like nails in a bat, swinging wildly around the body.

A creak catches their attention, a small lad stands in the kitchen. His head moving quickly as if he is looking for something. "Hey, Minho." Woojun's voice breaks the silence as he stands up, "Looking for the garage key?" His fatherly voice spreads through the air as he picks up the small kid and picks up a key from the counter. "Yeah! Mom needs some food!" He says excitedly as he sets down on the floor and even the key, "Thank you, uncle Woo!" He unlocks the garage and turns the light on as he pulls out the list from his pocket. "Tell me what you are looking for?" Woojun asks as he follows the lad, "I need pickles and mayo." He said quickly as he heads off towards the further shelves. The older man opens up the cabinet and picking up a jar of mayonnaise, placing it in a box.

A gasp and a thud made Woojun look up, a mason jar of pickles roll on the ground as Minho look pass him with wide eyes. Turning around after picking up the jar, a chuckle leaves him as he sees Irina standing in the threshold and fidgeting. "Who is she? She looks so cool!" The kid practically shouts as he runs over to the foreign being, "Hi! My name is Minho!" He greets as she smiles at the kid. "Hello, Minho. I am Irina and you are adorable." She replies and lends down to pick him up. Her skin felt silky against his soft palms as he plays with her fingers, "Is this your wife?" Minho asks as he turns to touch her hair. Her hair was soft like fur, vivid in color like a flower. "No. no," Woojun replies quickly as the woman giggles as he fumbles for his words. "She is just my friend." He replies as the child looks at him with a face he couldn't explain, he felt he chosen the wrong words.

"Well, when I get older I will be your husband." The child states with confidence, buffing out his chest as he was set down on the ground. Irina bursts out laughing as she lends against the doorframe, "Oh you are too cute." She coos as she hugs the little boy. She lets him go as he finishes up getting what he needs as Woojun stood there with a contoured look she couldn't understand, "What is it?" She asks as she helps the boy place the box in his wagon and waves goodbye to him. "He assumed immediately you were my wife than immediately thinks he would be able to marry you. I don't think he understands he might never see you again, I don't even know when I will see you again if this isn't the last time." Woojun explains as he shuts the kitchen door and heads back to the living room where the muted television plays.

"I don't even know how I got here, let alone how to get back home." She explains as she sits next to him, "The last thing that happened was I was walking than I was in your kitchen, I don't know if I did it or if I made a wrong step." She frowns as she watches the man think, "So this wasn't on purpose, like at all?" He asks in a soft voice. "No, it isn't." She whispers as she watches his shoulders slump, "What is wrong?" She asks as she carefully rests a hand on his shoulder. "I thought just maybe you were here to help us, to show us what we are doing wrong." His voice strains as tears gather again as he leans back on the couch. "I thought maybe just maybe that something did hear me and gave me you. To help these families." He looks over at her, tears falling down his cheeks.

Her heart aches as she starts to wipe his tears away, "These kids, their families. I can't do this alone. There is so much they need, I don't know what to do." He mutters as he looks at the television. The president trying to control the disruption that was caused, the crowd being showed seeing they are angry. "Prices have gotten too high, everything is becoming too much and I am trying as much as I can but I feel as if I am doing nothing." He sighs as he turns the sound on the device on low. "So much chaos but even with so much chaos, you are doing something." She replies as she watches the man lends his arms against his knees, "Am I?" He asks as silence feels the room as the television speaks about upcoming struggles for kids and females.

∆ END ∆

¶ @queenqk