#Video Surveillance near me

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[gloomwitchwrites]

Tattoo Artist Simon "Ghost" Riley x Female Reader

Chapter Specific Warnings (per the warnings MDNI): canon-typical violence, swearing, angst

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: Part Twenty-Five of Ink & Needle

Price reveals three possible locations. Task Force 141 infiltrates.

Chapter Twenty-Four // Chapter Twenty-Six

ao3 // main masterlist // ink & needle masterlist

Knuckles pop. Joints crack.

Simon is primed—nerves and muscles alive and firing.

Ready for action.

Ready for blood.

His old life is returning. Not as fragments but through muscle memory. The training never left. It still dwells within him, twisting around tendons and bone like vines strangling a trellis, awakening to revive the man that once was.

"Tell me what you see, Simon."

Captain Price's voice comes from behind, drifting around Simon like lingering cigarette smoke and dirty snow. Silently, Simon observes the spread of information before him.

"These are the possible targets?" asks Simon, his gaze moving from picture to picture.

A small burst of air before the balaclava becomes steam. The abandoned barn they’ve set up shop in is fucking cold even with the generator-backed heaters turned on. But the cold hardly bothers Simon. His bad knee might not like it but the ache is easy to ignore.

On the wall is a massive map of the world. There are pictures of people and places pinned in various locations. Some of the people are crossed out—marked dead. Others are untouched or painted over with a question mark.

"Yes," affirms Price. "Anything familiar?"

Simon shifts his attention away from the wall and to the table in front of him. There are more pictures here—more documents.

A muscle in his neck spasms. "No," growls Simon. "Walsh likely abandoned his old haunts."

Price shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Two pictures of Walsh stare back at Simon. One is an old photograph from before. Walsh's skin is perfect here—free from burn scars or blemishes. The second photograph is newer but slightly blurry. Walsh wears a black jacket, hood up, face in profile. Even with the burn scars, his face is unmistakable.

"Walsh is prone to paranoia," says Simon, bringing the newest photograph closer. "He had places even I didn't know about."

"That's my point," replies Price. "Walsh trusted you. And yet he still didn't tell you everything."

We are gardens now.

The two of us.

It's easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.

Simon's fingers twitch with the urge to crush the photograph. Shoving the compulsion down, Simon returns the picture of Walsh to the table. Focusing on the massive board before him, Simon observes each marked location, his mind flipping through the rolodex of information he obtained during his infiltration.

"What makes you think it's one of these three?" asks Simon.

He lightly taps the picture in front of him. It's an aerial photograph of a series of warehouses near the Port of Felixstowe. There are two other ports marked including those of London and Liverpool.

Unease slides like sludge in Simon’s stomach. “Not only are these major ports, two of the three are fucking tourist attractions.” Simon turns on Price, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can tour a naval vessel and then board a cruise ship in a single day at Liverpool. London is the fucking same. Walsh isn’t making moves there.” He points at the picture of Felixstowe. “This is the only plausible of the three. Privately owned. Recent docker worker strikes.” Simon drops his arm. “But I don’t fucking believe that for a bloody second.”

There are other ports marked across Europe and the United States. Walsh likes to move around, never staying in one place too long. Sometimes he’s moving drugs. Sometimes he’s moving weapons. Using the same place of entry is risky with dangerous cargo.

"We have surveillance," replies Captain Price.

Gaz hands Soap a laptop. Johnny takes a seat and taps away at the keyboard, bringing up several video feeds.

"This one is for Felixstowe." Johnny allows the feeds to run for a bit before clicking over to a new set. "Liverpool." He switches again. "And London."

Simon shakes his head, noticing nothing in the grainy footage. "It's too close to home. Too busy. Too regulated."

Price's face remains impassive. “Look closer." He glances at Soap. "Roll them again."

Simon steps up directly next to Johnny's shoulder. Placing one hand on the table, Simon leans in. Johnny pulls up the surveillance feed near Felixstowe first. As it plays, a tiny twist of anxiety curls in his stomach. Are his eyes going to shit?

"You see it now?" asks Price.

"No," says Simon sharply.

Johnny loops the feed and points. "Here, Lt."

Squinting helps but hardly makes things any clearer. "Zoom in."

Johnny pauses the feed and enlarges it enough to give a more focused picture but not enough to render the pixels worthless. From the back of an SUV emerges a man that looks like Walsh. With him is—a woman?

Like a punch to the solar plexus, the wind is knocked out of Simon.

Is that you?

"You see it, Lt?"

"I see it," growls Simon. "Show me the next one."

Johnny repeats each surveillance feed, pausing and zooming in. There is a woman emerging from an SUV in each one, that is unmistakable, but is it you? That part is unclear. The videos aren't distinct enough to show details.

"We think this is her," says Price.

"In three different places?" asks Simon, skeptical.

Hope is a fragile thing. He wants to cling to it, to imagine that this is you he's seeing in all three feeds, but he cannot allow himself to latch onto an idea that may not hold any reality.

The middle of Price's brow creases. "You need to look again, Simon."

Simon slowly straightens himself. All of this feels like a game—Walsh's game.

"The timestamps don't make sense," growls Simon. "They're not even hours apart!"

"Exactly," says Price, stepping closer. "All of them are the same. Except one." Price lightly squeezes Johnny's shoulder. He brings up the first video feed again, the one from Felixstowe. "This one is different," murmurs Price, his gaze focused on the computer screen.

The feed plays and Johnny pauses the image. A small light flicks on in the dark recesses of Simon's mind.

"You see it now, Simon?"

"I see it, Captain."

Of the three, the woman is always alone in the Liverpool and London feeds. In Felixstowe, she isn't. In Felixstowe, there's a man grabbing her upper arm. A man that looks very much like Simon's enemy.

"We don't have confirmation," continues Price, already seeming to know exactly what Simon is thinking.

It doesn't fucking matter if they have confirmation or not. This is a lead. This is something.

"We've already sent recon teams," adds Kyle, breaking his silence.

The pity isn't there anymore. There is only grim determination. They've seen Simon at his lowest, and yet that doesn't matter. They're doing this to take Walsh down but they're also doing it for him.

Gaz glances at the map but he addresses Simon. "Walsh wants us to focus on Felixstowe." He turns attention to Simon. "Which is why we sent recon."

"And recon said different," replies Simon.

Kyle winks. "Exactly."

"Felixstowe is staged." Price moves toward the map. "But Liverpool?" Price turns back to Simon, with a smirk. "Want to know who funded that little transfer for Walsh?"

Walsh has always moved behind the scenes. He always lurks in the dark. Pockets are lined and Walsh obtains what he wants. At its core, big business is greedy. They’ll happily look the other way if they can get what they want and get away with it.

Some of the earlier unease melts, adrenaline replacing the anxiety.

Simon’s question is immediate “Did you bag the fucker?”

“I have a tail on them as we speak.”

“Good,” growls Simon. “Walsh with them?”

“No.”

Even better. It means Simon can deal out his own justice.

Simon exhales, trying to find a sense of calm amongst all this new information. "All I want is Walsh.”

I just want her back.

Simon wants that fucking wanker alive. He wants Walsh to squirm. To suffer. To feed the man his own teeth before making him choke on them.

But even that won’t satiate what Simon truly desires.

You. Only you.

In his arms again. Warm and safe and all his. To know that you will never come to harm again.

Price’s smirk becomes a genuine smile. They’ve been after this man for fucking years, and now Walsh is truly in their grasp.

Nodding toward the map, Price gestures toward it. "Our best guess is this warehouse near the Port of Liverpool."

"Why?" asks Simon. “It’s a haven for tourist.”

“It caters to tourist and occasionally houses the Royal Navy just as much as it brings in and sends out goods.” Price exhales. “It’s busy, yes. But it’s unsuspecting.”

"It's also the only place we've seen Walsh arrive to and leave from," adds Kyle.

Simon shrugs. “Could be a distraction. Make it obvious so we aren’t looking at other possible targets.”

“Could be,” replies Price casually.

“We’ve got him, Lt. And not on surveillance footage.”

"The recon team did," continues Gaz. "Real subtle, too. Like he didn't want to be seen."

Diversion has always been Walsh's specialty. His most devoted followers will do whatever he asks from shooting up a corner store to acting as a body double. The man is a manipulator. A friendly face that says exactly what you want to hear to reinforce your own confirmation bias.

He does it all in the name of power and personal superiority.

Simon turns toward Price. "Are we going after that warehouse?"

Price nods. "Tomorrow."

Darkness is a friend.

A companion. A trained beast. A silent killer.

Simon looks into his scope, checking and rechecking the perimeter of the building. Soap has already disabled the surveillance camera on the western side of the building. To the person watching, they're seeing a continuous loop of nothing.

The building itself isn’t one of those boxy metal buildings you find all over the States. This warehouse is old, made from brick and stone, built when ships were still only made of wood. Marked as a historical location, and yet currently closed to the public.

How bloody fucking convenient.

While the night is cold, the port isn’t empty. There are no cargo ships unloading but there’s a docked Destroyer all lit up across the River Mersey. Tourists and locals move along pedestrian areas, and the nearby arena is awash with light as some musical artist performs.

Life moves. Uninterrupted.

As it should be.

And not one of those souls realize what lurks in the dark.

“Soap. We ready to breach?” comes Price’s voice over comms.

Johnny’s answer is laced with slight static. “You have five minutes until the loop ends.”

Price turns back to look at Simon and Kyle, silently pointing in the direction of the door they’re entering the building through. Johnny is on the roof with two members of the recon team sent earlier.

With rifles raised, the trio move silently across the concrete. Price forms the front while Gaz and Simon take the sides and back. They stay on a swivel, watching Price’s rear as he approached the door.

“Three minutes, Captain,” comes Johnny’s voice over comms.

Behind Simon, there’s a clink of metal meeting metal. Something rattles. Then a soft creak as the service door opens.

“We’re in,” replies Price.

Price eases the door open. He keeps his gaze forward, hand coming up to signal that everything is clear. Simon enters behind Price with Kyle on his heel.

“There are three down the hall,” crackles Johnny’s voice over comms.

Price, Gaz, and Simon move silently down the tight hallway. One side is solid brick, the other treated wood. They pass breakers and switches but no doors. There are a few wall hangings but they’re for the workers who would handle the upkeep.

At a tight turn, Price presses himself against the wall. Simon and Kyle crouch as Price eases a small handheld mirror around the corner. There are only a few feet of hallway remaining before it meets a door that says “EXIT.”

“Where are they, Soap?”

A pause. “Just outside the door. Left.”

Price turns the corner and stops at the door. They form a line, switching off night vision. The door opens, and Price is moving. Simon is right behind him, blood roaring in his ears as he follows his captain.

Simon’s finger hugs the trigger.

A muted pop leaves the chamber.

Dark red bursts in the dim light, painting the wall and nearby mounted lamp. The three men never had a chance. They don’t even make a sound as the lead penetrates their heads and explodes in their skulls.

Price’s voice greets Simon in his earpiece. “Clear.”

“Two near the entrance. Follow the lights.”

The building is utterly silent. It’s all exposed brick and pipes. Distantly, Simon hears water dripping, but it is otherwise quiet like a slumbering monster.

Walsh is here. He fucking has to be. Simon senses it in his gut.

Price takes the two out near the entrance, Simon following behind with an extra bullet for each just to make sure.

“We’re coming up on your right, Captain.”

Johnny appears with one member of the recon team. The other remains on the roof, keeping an eye for any incoming vehicles.

“The bunker is through here,” says Johnny, aiming his weapon at the floor.

“The door is in the bloody floor?” asks Kyle.

Johnny crouches, his gloved hand gently probing the wood. They all watch until his hand pauses, his fingers lightly pressing downward.

There’s a hiss, and then Johnny is lifting, revealing a ladder and a dimly lit hall that Simon cannot see the end of.

Price squeezes the shoulder of the soldier from recon. “Keep a lookout here. Radio if you hear or see anything.”

“Yes, sir.”

Price releases his shoulder and descends first. Johnny heads down next followed by Simon and then Kyle.

They’re going in blind. They do not have the plans or layout of this part of the building. The strangest thing is that it looks brand fucking new. It doesn’t make any sense.

Walsh doesn’t build. He utilizes what’s available and goes from there.

There’s only just enough light to see by and there are no doors except the one at the end of the short hall. They might find a maze. They might find a singular room. There could be walking into a trap or nothing at all.

Simon isn’t sure what worries him more.

But you have to be here. Somewhere.

Price counts down starting with three fingers. At one, he raises his rifle and kicks in the door, charging forward. Heartrate spiking, Simon heads in after him, finger tight on the trigger, ready to burst skulls and shatter bone.

The adrenaline peaks, swarming Simon’s senses.

And then it comes crashing down.

As if falling from a great height, Simon is presented with an entirely different outcome.

The firing end of the rifle drifts downward, his gaze focusing on the singular object in the entire room. It’s a box. A metal tackle box like you’d take on a fishing trip. Above it is a bulb hanging from the ceiling. The light it emits is warm and low like it’s been on for years and is just about ready to give out.

Price, Johnny, and Kyle all walk the perimeter of the room.

“It’s solid fucking concrete!” shouts Johnny, his steps increasing as he drags one gloved hand along the wall.

Price slowly spins. “What the fuck is this place?”

“It’s not a storage warehouse,” says Kyle. “There’s nothing here.”

“A hideout, then?” suggests Johnny. “A bunker?”

“Then where’s the bloody bed?” replies Kyle, voice rising slightly. “There isn’t even a table!”

Simon’s focus is narrowing to a pinpoint.

The tackle box is a deep forest green, the handle black, the latch gold.

He takes a step toward it.

“Don’t touch that, Simon.”

Simon ignores Price’s command. He moves closer.

“Simon!”

“Lt! Don’t touch it!”

It’s a game. This is all Walsh’s game.

Simon comes down to one knee beside the tackle box. It’s old—a little banged up. Somehow, he recognizes it.

His gloved thumb brushes over the metal latch.

“Simon!”

It’s Johnny, but Simon is already moving—already releasing the latch and lifting the lid.

Memory resurfaces, and cold dread twists Simon’s stomach. Scratched into the interior of the lid is a name.

It’s Simon’s father’s name.

The tackle box is his father’s, a relic from a time when there was no abuse and no alcohol. Simon remembers going on fishing trips as a young boy carrying this exact box even though he was far too small to hold it properly. He’d always walk leaning to one side due to the weight.

Then it collected dust in a closet as his father became a monster.

But the box isn’t empty.

There are no fishing hooks or plastic dividers. All of that is gone.

In its place is your hair.

Not much, just a cleanly cut portion no larger than Simon’s pinky. It’s neatly tied with red string. Beneath it is a filmy scrap of paper.

The words face him. Clear and obvious.

She’s not here. Try again, friend.

“Simon.”

A crater in the Earth opens up, swallowing Simon whole. He is descending, falling through an endless hell. Spiraling down, down.

“Simon.”

Johnny’s voice is a distant thing. It’s trying to penetrate, to worm inside and pull Simon out but his mind is flipping.

She’s not here.

Your lock of hair is delicately tied, a regretful solace that rings out into Simon’s subconscious.

Try again, friend.

“Simon!”

Following his name is a rattling of gunfire. It’s not distant. Just over his shoulder. In Simon’s earpiece, someone is rattling off a series of numbers and positions, but Simon isn’t paying attention.

You are not here.

You are—elsewhere.

Lost.

In a place where Simon cannot tread.

An instant passes. Then another. The darkness around him transforms, flipping end over end until everything that Simon knows about himself slips away.

You were supposed to be here. He’s supposed to find you. To bring you back.

But this is a task that Simon clearly cannot handle.

Fingers claw up his esophagus, creep over his tongue, and press against his teeth. It emerges, breaking joints, allowing the darkness Simon feels to burst forth and wrap around him, enshrining him in a bloodlust he hasn’t felt in years.

The rifle tip rises. Simon is running on autopilot, allowing Ghost to take over, to consume every ounce of sanity.

Price, Soap, and Gaz are holding down the door, firing at an enemy that Simon cannot yet see.

His feet are not his own. His hands belong to someone else.

Charging forward, the firing end of the rifle explodes. The enemy on the other side are surprised by his sudden appearance. They faulter for a second, their eyes widening slightly in fear. But it’s enough.

It’s enough.

They are cut down, reaching out, hands pressing against the holes in their bodies as blood pools on the floor.

Simon unloads until he’s empty. Reloads. Empties again.

“Simon!”

The rest of his team follow, but Simon is hungry. A blood beast.

When the lead isn’t enough, he uses his hands.

There are bodies all around him, a trail for Price, Gaz, and Soap to follow.

On he moves, devouring. Slicing and gutting until the blood of his enemies begins to soak into his clothes.

He doesn’t remember ascending. Doesn’t remember resurfacing only to dive right back into the void. With ears ringing and a hint of metal on his tongue, Simon destroys everything in his path.

He is aware of Price, Johnny, and Kyle. They move around him, guns high, picking off everyone they can. Simon moves from enemy to enemy, uncaring of how he kills them. He breaks bones. Breaks teeth. Breaks soul. He stabs and slices, relishing in every anguished sound they make.

It is only when so many have fallen that Simon digs in, wanting to draw out a final blow as if the man before him is Walsh and not a nameless crony. The man sobs, his eyes replaced with Simon’s burrowing thumbs.

“Where is she!” screams Simon. He doesn’t even recognize his own voice. “Where the fuck is she!”

The sob becomes a garbled cry. Bloody. Crimson pools and dribbles from the man’s open mouth.

“Tell me where she is!”

Unresponsive. Dead.

Simon slams the man’s head against the floor.

But it isn’t enough. It will never be enough.

A strangled scream is ripped from Simon as he repeatedly bashes the man’s head into the floor.

Hands are on him, grabbing at his arms, tearing him away. Simon swings, clipping Johnny in the chin.

“Enough!” Price wrestles Simon to his feet, pushing him hard against the wall. “They’re dead, Simon.”

His head pounds, the balaclava moving rapidly into and out of his mouth as he gasps for air.

You’re not here.

You’re not here.

It’s all slipping away. Piercing and sharp and yet so dull that Simon begins to feel numb.

“Simon,” murmurs Price, the middle of his brow creasing.

Try again, friend.

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[storgicdealer]

taking this out of tags RIGHT NOW

tags by @navy-leader

this. makes me go fucking insane. continuing

im still going fucking insane about my last tags

there's NO possible way of victim not seeing something that was streamed on alans channel and respectively streamed in the outernet. its canon that avm original was streamed there. even if it wasnt every episode of avam it is still there. victim lives there and knows what outernet has (and most likely knows about oranges and cg existence. not their powers but existence from at least an avm original episode)

and given that vic learned about chosen and that he was wanted. that victim KNEW about their existence and chased after them. that he had seen something that made him realize that chosen inherently had ties with alan??

one of my thoughts is that only specific stuff is accessible to outernet in canon. maybe not even the whole content of vids. (though the avm original was sixteen minutes and in "the king" it is seen that the video streamed is also sixteen minutes) which could explain how victim only knew a small bit of stuff and didnt just see the a bit of a whole thirty minute willingly and went "well thats all i gotta know about it".

its likely victim accessed chosen(and possibly dark) videos streamed and connected the dots by recognizing alan, similar methods of torturing chosen and the interface of alans pc.

(since its canon victims torture is on youtube and possibly chosens its kinda fucked if they accessed it as well. which perhaps made them even more vengeful)

thought. was showdown something that was streamed or something that was uploaded on youtube? at least the beginning of it?? and victim knew only bits of it???. it could be possible that victim knew about chosen&dark place of living and darks technology. from just bits of information and his company couldve investigated it? but ultimately didnt find chosen nor dark there. and therefore placed a damn bounty on chosen. and they mightve used leftover darks technology there for their own shit. victim knowing about darks tech and possibly small pieces of the showdown could also be explained that he didnt seem to mind the events taken before yellow coded the cursor into the outernet when going through chosens memory. but it does make me think whether victim knew that the cg went back to the pc and therefore didnt place wanted posters of them ??? did he know about darks death and therefore didnt place wanted posters of dark?? wouldnt he try any means to find how to get to alan? is it possible that only the cursor and tscs awakening parts of the showdown video were erased and vic, again, wanted to see more to it (i had a thought that he couldve known what is up with the showdown due to having surveillance technology but im doubting it because chosen and dark lived really secludedly from the city).

but in case the showdown was somewhat seen? by other sticks? and vic couldve known about darks and chosen terror shit from other sticks/a news outlet? oh my god i just realized something

so theres a comic about me wondering how did sticks treat chosens&dark terror in the internet and possibly outernet too. that dark blasted a whole fucking beam in the sky near the stickcity and it wasnt unable to be seen. could victim see that???? could he connect the dots that it was hollowheads power??

the rocket logo. dude. i JUST THOUGHT about it yesterday. and it made so much sense to me

my possible thought was. that victim did escape alanspc through the ip/pc sky. somewhat. in one way or another. and it was the reason why a rocket was picked as the corporations logo.

a rocket is something that is able to literally fly to the sky. to access the higher parts of the world. the ip/sky part of it that had a wormhole to alan in it. the person victim chased after.

and given that rocketcorp specializes on tech. another reason to it besides victims knowledge and ability to use it before and deciding to bring it into the outernet and devote a whole company to it. a rocket is literally something that is made of technology. and since they had to chose a logo that symbolizes tech

victim chose something that represented his goal.

fucking insane about it

i basically treat it as a base for my theories that victim established/reformed a corporation that used internet technologies he himself brought into the outernet (in one way or another). but his company is widely known as a regular tech company that produces all different kinds of it. including domestic stuff like tvs and surveillance cameras and also weapons. but due to technology and digital stuff literally forming the internet and outernet itself they also act as some force in the outernet that upkeeps and protects its citizens. since theyre the only ones with that kind of power

and all these projects that cover many areas of technology that are made by them are used to cover their shady underground shit like. the box and torture and victims true goal (which i believe he could be secret about even to his mercs and colleagues)

and that the point of victim bringing internet technology there. his whole plan of revenge.

it is done in order to protect his kind from something that he experienced. giving them a mean to defend themselves. ESPECIALLY after knowing cursors of users can be manifested in the outernet and damage sticks.

and he is the kind to be ruthless about it if it means creating safety. something he lacked.

(violence and oppression cant be solved with peaceful talks kind of mentality)

im fucking INSANE about this right NOW.

also. another thought

giving the possibility that victim "fell down" from the ip/sky. him providing the internet with basically "divine power" that regular kind of outernet sticks didnt have. him trying to protect outernet sticks from danger and death.

makes the interpretation of victim with angelic/halo symbolism in the fandom so much more sense. and so fucking amazing. oh my god i NEED to make something about this idea.

tom you opened a whole different dimension to my thinking and it fills in the holes ive thought about. im going to be so fucking insane and annoying about this.

pinning this. im

(go to tags here if you want to see my another idea of victim that is so fucking. mind changing to me)

[mailjeevasfan]

dating dn characters would include… ❦

(hopefully going to write more fics soon but i <3 unleashing my headcanons)

-gn!reader

-kind of angsty but also cuteness <3

-misa amane, light yagami, L, matt, mello, near, matsuda

༺♡༻

misa amane

- would always be very romantic and would want you to be the same.

-always there for you and wanting to do things for you

-she’d be worried that if she wasn’t constantly doing things to benefit you and you’d ofc reassure her that you didn’t need that. you’re with her because you love her for who she is and that’s all that needs to be said

-she’d always want to dress you up in all sorts of different styles. she has a varied fashion sense and an extremely expansive wardrobe that she wants to put to use. she may even help you find your own style

-crazy about pda but not in a weird way. she wants to show u off and hug u and be near u all the time

༺♡༻

light yagami

-honestly i can’t help but see him as a romantic guy. the only thing that turns me away from this hc is how busy he’d be, whether he’s assisting in the investigation or anything similar

-but i can easily imagine him buying u flowers often and all the cliche romantic stuff like that. it could definitely be construed as him trying to maintain his image as a normal guy but i’m sure we’d like to think it’s because he wants you to know how much he cares and thinks about you.

-pre timeskip, he would 100% help u with ur homework. study sessions would be the norm with you two, and no matter how hard you tried to affectionately get him to yourself, he’d be determined to finish helping you

༺♡༻

l lawliet

-after establishing your relationship, he did everything he could to try and understand the social norms a little better. he can use basic communication with other people and would be capable of making friends, but he’d never been in a situation like this.

-he’d do the typical cheesy romantic stuff at first but you could tell he was unsure. you explained to him that there’s so specific way to do these things and that he should do whatever he feels comfortable with.

-he’d probably continue to be cheesy and romantic at times in a more teasing way when you were alone, but his main love language is acts of service. he’d do things for you to lift some weight off of your shoulders and be more affectionate in private.

-in time he’d become a lot more comfortable with the relationship, especially considering you’re someone he trusts which isn’t a common thing for him.

༺♡༻

mello

-again, it’d probably take him a while to warm up to romantic gestures and stuff like that. the difference is that mello may never fully become super affectionate.

-he may be an emotional person, but it’s very hard for him to communicate his feelings to others. he’d have to trust you a lot to be in such an intimate relationship with you and he knows he can confide in you, but you’d need to help him out a LOT.

-you accept him for who he is and he knows that too.

-after a long day you’re always there to supply him with endless chocolate and random activities to chill him out. you’d watch movies and just cuddle together until you fall asleep.

-you also understand that he needs to be alone sometimes too. in general, you’re his break from a very chaotic life in the best way possible

༺♡༻

matt

-you guys would just be the most chill and friendly couple ever. i feel like dating matt would just be the most comfortable thing ever you’d just be best friends but much more affectionate in the best way

-playing video games together and having lazy days all the time would be the focal point of this relationship. it would be an interesting contrast to matt’s occupation and hobbies. one minute you’re just eating junk food and playing games on the couch and suddenly matt is monitoring 56 surveillance screens and hacking into a database for mello. at this point it’s the norm and he even trusts you to help

-i hc that matt has adhd and can get depressed sometimes, and you help him out of these periods. you recognise when he needs to get out and do something. however, you’d never make a big deal about it unless you had to be a bit more blunt. in the end, he knows that you want the best for him and he trusts you enough to let you help him.

༺♡༻

near

-like L, he wouldn’t be used to the norm of relationships. tbh i feel like he’d be anxious, even if that is uncharacteristic.

-he’d probably remain his usual stoic self even after things had become more comfortable, but all in all he’d be a sweet partner.

-i also think that even though his main love language would be acts of service and stuff like that, he’d love to have you close to him all the time.

-on that same note, i think he would be very protective. he’d be worried to get you mixed up in some of the dangerous things he’s involved in

༺♡༻

matsuda

-SWEETEST BOYFRIEND YOULL EVER KNOW (it goes without saying tbh)

-he would be such a hopeless romantic, super cliche in the best way possible. always getting you flowers or other cute gifts like that and acting very chivalrous but in a relaxed way.

-he would also need reassurance quite a lot. he’s incredibly overlooked at work and isn’t taken seriously most of the time, so you’d need to make sure you told him often how great he is. his self esteem can be low at times but you’d help him through it and it’s what makes him love you so much.

༺♡༻

[universal-genious]

A Comprehensive Guide To My Rat Hierarchy

Greetings and salutations!

Strap in and get comfy. You're all about to receive a detailed, informative, and fascinating lecture on the details of my rat creations. Let's begin.

My rats are organized in a hierarchy, based (loosely) off of a system of monarchy. The progression goes as follows:

The Commonality

The Gentry

The Cavaliers

The Vassals and

The Knave.

They are not organized by importance, but rather by size, ability, and threat level.

Below is a diagram illustrating examples of each tier of the Hierarchy (save for the Knave, but we'll get to him later):

Now, let's take a closer look, shall we?

First, of course, shall be:

The Commonality

These little darlings are primarily lab assistants, but they're also built for surveillance and the relaying of messages.

Their mechanical eyes are capable of capturing photographs and video footage, and then projecting the images holographically - perfect for delivering asynchronous villainous monologues!

The Commonality are also very fast and agile, able to climb up and burrow through just about any material, from metal to solid rock. They can be quite the stealthy little fellows!

Next, let's take a look at:

The Gentry

The Gentry are built for low-risk combat, but when deployed in packs, they can pack quite a wallop! Their teeth and claws can deliver a considerable amount of damage on their own, but what really sets the Gentry apart is their ability to wield electricity.

The Gentry have artificial nervous systems consisting of live wiring, which carries an electrical current through their bodies - note the electrodes in the ears and tail. However, what you don't see upon first glance is the electrical generator hidden within the jaws of the Gentry. Upon opening its mouth, a Gentry can release a powerful surge of lightning, much like the breath weapon of a dragon!

And aren't they just adorable?!

Onwards and upwards, we have:

The Cavaliers

These beautiful specimens are especially skilled at hunting and tracking, built with heightened senses of sight, smell, and hearing, as well as the ability to see in infrared waves. In other words, there's no use hiding.

The Cavaliers are also built for speed - those long, slender limbs allow them to gallop at speeds matching those of Acinonyx jubatus! What's more, they're the perfect size to be mounted, making them excellent for a quick and theatrical getaway.

Now, here's something especially interesting. The Cavaliers are always deployed in pairs. Specific pairs. Each Cavalier has a companion, with which they are psychically linked. They can sense each other's every move and thought - the ultimate hunting partners! Additionally, if one Cavalier in a pair is incapacitated or seriously injured in combat, the other receives a surge of power as a defense mechanism.

Moving right along, we reach:

The Vassals

Positively petrifying, aren't they?!

These magnificent beasts are easily my most formidable creations yet. If their cleaver-like tails don't get you, their claws and teeth certainly will!

When developing the Vassals, I began using a mutation serum of my own concoction, which came with a few unexpected (but welcome!) side effects. Firstly, due to the monstrous origin of several of the serum's ingredients, the Vassals are the only tier of the hierarchy that require sustenance. And let me tell you, they have got some impressive appetites! A Vassal is capable of digesting just about anything, organic and inorganic - but they especially like any variety of fresh meat. This has been quite the asset, actually - if I need someone to disappear, the Vassals are on the job!

Secondly, you may notice the viscous, black fluid weeping from their faces. This is entirely normal, I assure you - just another aspect of the serum's mutation. The Vassals are constantly exuding a highly acidic and toxic excretion - don't worry, it doesn't bother them in the slightest. You, however...let's just say you don't want to be anywhere near the stuff.

Finally, the mutation serum also allows the Vassals to heal from injuries at a remarkably accelerated rate, making them even harder to take down! This also allows a Vassal to open its jaws to an unnaturally wide extent, hence the scar tissue around the mouth. I rather like the look of it - look at those friendly smiles!

Last, but certainly not least, we move on to:

The Knave

Knavey here is my primary method of transportation. He's just a tad larger a school bus, making him ideal for transporting myself and an assortment of the rats for missions of all sorts!

Knavey's been fitted with claw-like appendages on both of his tails, as well as on the end of his "tongue", for lack of a better term. Said "tongue" is entirely prehensile, and can extend to nearly three-quarters of Knavey's body length. As such, Knavey is excellent for retrieving heavy cargo, and for capturing live cargo!

And, with that, my hierarchy draws to a close.

Thanks ever so much for reading - I do hope you all found this informative! I certainly had fun writing it.

Ta-ta for now!

~ Niles Genious Tolliver 🐁⚡

[fogwitchoftheevermore]

(context for watcher/listener!sausage can be found in the “videos” tag on my blog if you want it, but this ficlet can be read without said context)

- - -

“Y’know, of all the Hermits I was expecting to be pulling me into a dark corner tonight, I did not expect you to be first, Grian! I love the initiative!”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Grian says in a voice near a hiss. He’s got Sausage by the wrist, leading him into a small area of the upper floor of the tavern in Sanctaury that does look like it was built for the exact purpose Sausage is implying. Grian decides to ignore that as well.

“What are you doing here?” Grian’s straight to the point. He always has to be, with these Things, if he doesn’t want to get trapped in a loop of slant rhyming pleasantries.

“What do you mean?” Sausage asks, shaking his wrist out of Grian’s tight grip and leaning comfortably against the wall. “This is where I live. It’s my home. If anything, I should be asking you mysterious strangers what you’re doing here, but I’m sure you’ve heard that question enough for one day.”

“You know exactly what I mean.” Grian crosses his arms and tries his best not to look petulant, but he sure feels like it. “I thought They’d given up on trying to snatch me back, so why would They send you of all people? What’s your game?”

Sausage laughs, honest to god laughs, like he can’t believe Grian’s even asking him such a question. Grian thinks it’s a reasonable question, in this scenario, but what he thinks and what’s reasonable rarely seems to matter with these things.

“They didn’t send me,” Sausage looks him up and down in that way that makes Grian have to physically stop himself from curling inwards. This is why he never talks to Them. “Nobody sends me anywhere, they don’t tell me what to do and I like it that way! I just do my own thing. Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

“No you’re not! You’re not- you can’t be! That’s not how this works!” Grian begins to notice that he’s no longer whisper-shouting and starting to just-normal-shout and takes a deep breath, trying not to draw the attention of his friends enjoying themselves on the floor below. And, realistically, in the other dark corners Sausage seems to have built into this place.

“That’s exactly how this works. You didn’t think you were the only person who’d left, did you?”

Grian opens his mouth, closes it, and thinks. In hindsight… yeah, he had kind of assumed he’d been the only person who’d left. Not for lack of trying, probably- but They’d tried for so long to get him back, kept him closely surveilled even when They’d accepted he was gone- surely some people had caved to that pressure eventually. When there was no sign They’d ever let up, ever let you go… he could understand eventually letting it overtake you.

“Did- did you leave, too?” Grian doesn’t remember the last time he saw Sausage’s face. He didn’t know him back then, of course. He probably would’ve connected the man with the person Pearl so often spoke about sooner. But he knows it’s been a long time, maybe even longer than the last time Grian had gone There. He doesn’t think Sausage had been There, that day. This might explain why.

“Eh, not quite?”

“What-“ Grian flails, both mentally and with his arms a bit. “What do you mean not quite?”

“Exactly what I said! I was never- it’s complicated, y’know?”

“Explain. Now.”

“Well, uh,” Sausage seems to flounder for the first time since this conversation started, which Grian is choosing to take as a victory. “Look, I wasn’t- they didn’t pick me. For this, or for anything, ever. Sometimes things just happen and you get yourself into a place you shouldn’t have and then… they can’t get rid of me, I can’t get rid of them, it is what it is.”

Grian stares at him for a long moment. Really stares at him, in the same way Sausage had looked him over earlier, in the same way that makes you feel like you’re under a microscope. Judging by the sudden nerves in his eyes, Grian can assume he feels it too. Grian remembers his face. That had been the first thing he’d noticed, when the Hermits had arrived. It had been a long time since they’d seen each other, but Grian knew his face. And now that Grian was studying him, really trying to remember… he’s not sure he quite likes what memories he’s dredging up.

“What are you?”

“Grian!” Sausage’s voice drips with mock offense as he puts his hand up to partially cover his mouth. “We only just met, do you think that’s polite?”

“Answer the question,” Grian sighs. How Pearl deals with this man on the regular, he doesn’t know.

“Well, if you insist.” Sausage sighs, somehow even more exaggerated than his previous movements. “It’s just… if you’ll believe it, it’s somehow even harder to answer the first question.”

“It shouldn’t be,” Grian says. “They’re two very different People, you know.”

“But they’re the same species, when it all comes down to it. Like, you might be very different than a chicken, but you’re both birds in the long run.”

Grian pauses, fanning his wings out a bit behind him as he considers. “I don’t think that metaphor’s quite landing the way you want it to.”

“No, me neither. Anyways, let me continue.

When they don’t pick you, things go a little differently! You don’t get sorted onto one side or the other since, well, you’re not really supposed to be there? So I’m… whatever I want to be, really. I think I’m feeling like more of a Listener, today, but we’ll see how the mood shifts.”

Grian flinches at the Name, on instinct. He doesn’t know how to feel about that, so he files it away to be dealt with at a later date. As for the rest of what Sausage said-

“What?”

“You heard me.” Sausage shrugs. He’s so nonchalant, Grian thinks he might strangle him, if not for the worry that that’s exactly what he wants out of this, somehow.

“Did I? Did I hear you?” Grian wants to pace, but that requires leaving the security of the corner, so he forces his feet to root themselves to the floor. “I thought- I thought you had to- if you wanted to change sides, I thought you had to-“

Grian closes one eye and takes his thumb to it, twisting the finger into his eyelid. The gesture seems to get the point across.

“Well, that’s the funny thing about this, actually.” From the way he’s been talking, Grian assumed Sausage thought this whole thing was funny. He restrains himself from saying that out loud if only so Sausage will finish his explanation.

Sausage reaches up to his left eye, pulls his eye lid back a bit, and unceremoniously pops out his prosthetic eye.

“All these processes and rituals actually have a lot of loopholes.”

Grian doesn’t know what face he’s making, but it’s enough to make Sausage giggle while he pops the eye back in. Because of course he does. Because this how his day is going, apparently. Walk through a weird portal in his basement and wake up in a world filled with his friends who don’t recognize him and also a guy he only ever saw There, who he was never supposed to see again. Sure. Of course he’s laughing about it. Grian thinks if he was a slightly different person, he’d be laughing too. It is, undeniably, absurd.

“Well, I think we’re done here then!” Grian would probably object if he weren’t so shocked about the loopholes. As it is, he just stands there a bit stupidly.

Sausage turns away to return to the party before turn around again for just a moment, reaching over, and ruffling Grian’s hair. That shocks him enough to shake him out of his stupor and swat Sausage’s hand away, though not before his hair is suitably messed up.

“What was that for?!”

Sausage smiles as he reaches up to rough up his own hair as well. “I assumed you didn’t want your friends asking questions about why you were dragging me into a dark corner, you know?” Sausage even goes far enough to pull his shirt a bit out of where it’s tucked into his pants, because of course he does. Grian tries not to cringe, but Sausage is right about this one thing. It is the easiest way to dodge any questions about where he’d gone off to- at the expense of the many knowing looks and teasing remarks he’ll be getting from the other Hermits instead.

“Have a good night, Grian!” Sausage calls over his shoulder as he turns to leave for real this time. “And remember, drinks are on me for all you guests tonight! You look like you need it.”

[bathomet-writes]

a view to a thrill

summary: It’s been months since the Kraang attack on New York, and Raph has been acting a little strange lately. He’s been doing something in secret, that much Leo knew. And tonight, his brothers are gonna get to the bottom of it!

relationship: Raph x F!reader

warnings: romantic, fluff, humor, secret dating, forehead kisses, sfw

word count: 4,033

author's note: this is a request for @/snipersiniora!! enjoy!!

It’s been months since the Kraang attack on New York. After all the clean-up and recuperation efforts, the city was mostly back to normal. A new normal, anyway. 

Leo sat at the kitchen island, munching on the last slice of leftover pizza as he thought about all the changes he and his family had been going through lately. 

They had all talked about and dealt with most of the fallout of the Kraang. It was hard, but necessary. Leo hated having to watch all his brothers live through each of their experiences all over again, every time the subject was seriously brought up. The healing was almost harder than the pain, weirdly enough. 

Shaking his head, Leo tries to stop himself from spiraling back down that rabbit hole. He didn’t like how conscious of his own emotions he was becoming. It made him jumpy, on edge. 

It also made him a lot more hyper aware. Not just of himself, but of his brothers too. He found himself becoming much more of a helicopter parent of sorts. It came with being the leader, he supposed. Didn’t make it any less annoying. 

As he swallowed the final bite of pizza, Leo’s thoughts went to Raph. 

“Where is that guy anyway?”

It wasn’t like Raph had to be at the lair the same time every night. He was free to do whatever he pleased! But it was nearly 7 PM, and Leo hadn’t seen heads or tails of Raph all day. 

Going out on ‘solo missions,’ volunteering to grab pizza, take out, what have you. Raph had a clever excuse for every time his brothers asked where he was going. Leo noticed that he was taking longer and longer to come back each time, but that wasn’t enough of a reason to be suspicious. 

In his lab, Donnie was casually checking in on everyone’s pins during a break from his video game when he saw it. Raph’s little red icon was nowhere on the map. Was his tracker glitching out or something?

“Not possible,” Donnie seethes. “My tech is immaculate.”

He zoomed out to get a wider view of the sewers. It was only a 10 mile radius, but surely Raph was somewhere around. 

Nothing. 

He zooms out again, looking at a 15 mile radius. 

Zip. 

“What…?”

He didn’t usually keep tabs on his brothers like this, but Donnie was starting to get worried. Quickly, he taps into the city’s surveillance systems and gets a complete view of New York. Far off on the other end of town, near the docks to be precise, Donnie saw a red dot blinking away. 

“Ah. He’s probably busting up a mafia ring or something. Yeah!” Donnie nods to himself. 

Couldn’t be anything else. 

Suddenly, the blinking stops. Donnie scrambles to the edge of his chair to grab at the computer screen. Raph turned off his GPS…

“Okay, that’s it.”

In the rec room area, Mikey had been pacing around for a while. With board games and phone in hand, he was starting to panic. Tonight was supposed to be family game night, and Mikey was the only one who showed up. Even Splinter bailed on him, having accidentally passed out on his bed after dinner. 

“This is so not cool. I had the games picked out and everything!”

Right as Mikey drops the box of Scrabble and the container of dominos, Donnie storms in. 

“This is ridiculous.”

Mikey spins around, equally exasperated. “You’re tellin’ me! Can you believe it?”

Leo had sauntered in as well, his curiosity piqued when he heard the commotion all the way from the kitchen. Crossing his arms, he leans up against the entryway. 

“It’s so frustrating. Is it so much to ask for a little communication? A little honesty?”

Donnie and Mikey approach, nodding their heads furiously along with their brother. 

“Right!”

“Precisely!”

The three of them stand there for a second, in total silence. Leo slowly blinks his eyes open. 

“What are we talking about? I mean, I know what I’m talking about.”

Donnie points at his wrist. “I’ll tell you: Raph, our brother, has just turned off his tracker. How did he even do that? It’s subcutaneous!”

Leo clears his throat with a furrowed brow. He was just going to ignore the fact that Donnie somehow managed to implant tracking devices inside all of them. For now. 

“He couldn’t have chewed it out. Mine’s all the way back here!” Mikey spins around, grabbing pitifully at the back of his neck. “Dang, almost.”

“Wait— He what? Lemme see that.”

Leo grabs at Donnie’s wrist, scanning over the map display. “You didn’t happen to—“

“Near the docks, I already committed it to memory.”

Donnie gives his brothers a haughty grin as they applaud his excellent memory. 

“Impressive!”

“Very sneaky,” Mikey smirks. 

Then, Leo brings them all in for a short conference. 

“Okay, it’s clear to me now that Raph is most certainly hiding something. He’s not in trouble, or else he’d be calling one of us. Right?”

Mikey whips out his phone and dials Raph. “Let’s see…”

They watch with bated breath as the line rings. Raph wouldn’t ignore a phone call from his youngest, goodest brother, would he?

“Hey, you’ve reached Raphael! I can’t come to the phone right now—“

“HYAH—!” Mikey tosses his phone against the wall. “Not the voicemail!”

This wasn’t like Raph at all, they wonder to themselves. 

Surely he, of all people, would want to keep his loved ones close after the invasion. He didn’t have to stay put in the lair all the time, but he could have at least had the decency to keep his tracker on. Leo nods, making the executive decision. 

“Then it’s settled.” He pulls out his portal lying sword and slices through the air. “C’mon.”

Leo calmly walks through, with Mikey and Donnie following close behind. 

Raph’s been doing something in secret, that much Leo knew. And tonight, his brothers are gonna get to the bottom of it! 

—

Quietly, Raph hops in-between shipping containers. He was running late, so he resorted just to using his ninja skills to get him to his destination. 

He didn’t even check his phone when he felt it buzz. 

“No time! Can’t talk!” He speaks to the inanimate object before stowing it away. 

Finally, he sees it. Albeartoland!

Raph zeros in on the silhouette of the roller coaster in the distance before flash-stepping. It wasn’t like he would be breaking in, there weren’t exactly any security around the place, but Raph tried to creep in as stealthily as he could. 

It was never in great shape before (the Mad Dogs made sure of that when it first opened), but Albeartoland was officially closed after the invasion. The NYC Clean-Up Project just didn’t have it in the budget to refurbish a dilapidated amusement park. 

The rides were all mostly destroyed, the main roller coaster barely being held together. The ferris wheel was somewhere in the ocean below the pier, most likely. But what didn’t rely on electricity was still intact. 

Carnival games, abandoned food stands, and walkable attractions. It wasn’t ideal, but Raph hoped to himself that they would be enough entertainment for tonight. 

Once he finally made his way to the entrance, he quietly surveyed the area. 

“She must have left already…” Raph sighs to himself. 

“Nope, still here.”

Suddenly, Raph twists around to see you standing just behind the front gate. You smile, giving him a small salute. “I wouldn’t give up after only…15 minutes of waiting?”

You glance down at your phone, checking the hour. “Plus, you actually gave me enough time to find the breaker. Maybe you can use your brute strength to kick it on and we can see if this place has any juice left.”

His spirit lifts immediately as he brings you into a spine-breaking hug. “You’re the best!”

You weakly fight back against his hold, blushing as he places a couple of smooches on the top of your head. 

“I know! Now put me down before you break something.”

He gives you one last kiss before setting you back down. His face was starting to heat up as well. 

“You’re right, you’re precious cargo.”

Chuckling, you lead him over to the power breaker in the center of the park. You didn’t really have any knowledge about circuitry, but most of the wires were either torn out or fried. Couldn’t hurt to try it anyway. 

“After you. I’m pretty sure you won’t get electrocuted…” You shrug, moving to the side to allow him to pull the main switch.

“Pfft, I’m sure it’s fine.” Raph spits onto the palms of his hands, rearing up to grab ahold of the handle. “Stand back, wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

You back away, putting your arms up defensively. “From the sparks?”

“No, from the gun show.” He smirks, flexing his impressive arms. 

You ogle him from afar as he pulls the switch up. With a loud mechanical sound, the power kicks back on and the park slowly begins to light up. You get momentarily distracted from Raph as the twinkling lights blink on around you. 

“Not bad, Red. You better start charging me admission.” You slink back over to him, letting your fingers walk along his toned muscles. 

In the distance, you swear you hear something. Maybe it was all in your head, but you swore you just heard someone vomit. 

“Hm?” You look behind you. 

Nobody. Weird.

You feel Raph begin to pull away from your touch, flustered at your compliment. 

“Ahaha…” He smiles goofily at you. “Why don’t we take a walk around? There’s probably a game that isn’t completely trashed.”

You glance back one more time before going to catch up with Raph. “Yeah, right.”

For a while, the two of you busy yourselves with trying out various attractions. The sledgehammer bell game instantly caught your eye. A test of strength would be the perfect thing to impress Raph, you thought to yourself. 

With a bit of swagger in your step, you make your way over to the game. “Check this out, stud.”

Lifting himself out of a toppled food cart, Raph looks up at you with a piece of funnel cake in his mouth. 

“Dude, how old is that?” You grimace as you lift up the hammer. 

Swallowing the rest, Raph wipes away the crumbs. “Tastes pretty old.”

He giggles watching your face twist with disgust. 

“Whatever. Prepare to be amazed!”

You lift the hammer high over your head before bringing it down. The rubber collides with the sensor, causing the dial on the machine to shoot up. It bobs a bit near the top before dropping to the middle, right around the ‘weakling’ marker. 

You stutter, feeling sheepish. “That…that one didn’t count.”

Before you know it, Raph walks up behind you and politely offers his hand. “These games are all rigged. Here, let me.”

Raph gives you that warm, confident look that always fills your stomach with butterflies. Blushing, you hand the hammer to him. 

“Well, you’ll probably just break it anyway. Go ahead.” You scoff. 

He squares his legs to about shoulder-length apart, almost like he’s about to tee off at golf. Raph takes his sweet time getting ready before finally hitting the sensor. 

Gingerly, he brings his arms up and taps the hammer. “Boop.”

You throw your head back, rolling your eyes. “Okay, wise guy. How ‘bout you try for real now?”

Raph tosses a snarky look your way, his fang poking out of his mouth. 

“If you say so.”

In a flash, you watch as Raph summons his mystic powers. His red, glowing arms expand out to grab ahold of the hammer. It was dwarfed by his large hands, but his grip remained tight. With a boost of speed and power, Raph reels back and practically smashes the sensor. 

The dial on the game goes much higher this time, unsurprisingly. Just when you both think it’ll hit the bell at the top, it sinks back down to the lowest marker. 

You blink, stepping forward. “What does that say…? Wimp?”

Smirking, you hear Raph shuffle next to you. 

“No. That can’t be right!”

“Oh yeah, you’re right. It actually says ‘Shrimp.’ My bad.”

Raph’s face breaks out into a deep red color before he shakes his mystic fist at the game. He sure did like to talk to inanimate objects a lot. 

“Callin’ me shrimpy, huh? You wanna go?” He growls. 

Then, he leaps up high into the air, locking his fists together. If the hammer wasn’t enough to prove his strength, his fists certainly could. 

You nonchalantly walk back a safe distance, watching him relentlessly smash the sensor with his massive hands. He moves on to just destroying the rest of the game in a blind rage, flattening the bell with a resounding crunch. 

With a dry chuckle, you walk back up to him after his mystic energy disappears. 

“You sure showed it who’s boss.” You kick at the remnants of the game. 

Raph pouts, folding his arms across his chest. “Serves it right.”

You have to stop yourself from ‘aww’-ing at his angry face. He was just too adorable! Thinking on your feet, you skip away from Raph. 

“Hold on!” You shout. 

You look around at all the nearby booths, digging through the rubble and debris. To your disappointment, there really weren't any carnival prizes left. All the plushies were either taken by young delinquents raiding the park or destroyed in the Kraang invasion, apparently.

You nearly give up before you walk past the last booth. There was exactly one Albearto plush left, hanging sadly on the side of the counter. You snatch it up and quickly try to dust it off. 

You tip-toe back up to Raph, plush hidden behind your back. He was still sulking, but he had moved to sit at the edge of the dock. His beefy legs dangled off the pier. 

You smile cheekily, poking his shell. “Since you did technically hit the bell, I think you deserve a prize. The law of the amusement park demands it.”

Raph peeks up at you, still scowling. “Whaddaya mean?”

You present him with the Albearto plush with a flourish. “Ta-da! I know you hate kinda hate this guy, but…”

Before your slightly embarrassed ramblings can go on, Raph takes the toy from you. His eyes go wide and watery at your kind gesture. 

“F-For me?”

You and Raph stare at each other lovingly. 

“You don’t need a carnival game to tell you that you’re literally the strongest dude alive.” You wink, moving closer to scratch underneath Raph’s chin. Right where he liked it. 

In the background, another voice calls out. It was…cheering?

There it was again! You spin around toward the source of the noise. Was someone following you? 

Raph’s contented sighs of happiness soon drown out your errant thoughts. You were just paranoid, you thought. Facing him again, you give Raph a couple more scritches. 

“That’s so weird.” You whisper. 

“Mmm…what is, baby?”

His cute pet name sends a bolt of lightning straight to your heart. You think it might actually stop beating for a second. 

“What did I tell you about calling me that?” Your eyeball twitches, trying to reign in your emotions. 

Raph sighs, lumbering to stand up. He moves your hands away so that he can slide his up to your face. 

“You said that you’d probably have a heart attack and die. But I think you were lyin’ to me.” He smirks. 

You tuck your head into your shirt collar, feeling positively bombarded with affection. Raph knew that whenever he called you that, you melted into a human puddle. 

“Stop! I’ll push you off!” You joke, playfully slapping his hands away. 

Raph laughs, moving away. “Okay, okay. Do you think the carousel still works—“

The wood plank Raph was standing began to creak and whine under your combined weights. Maybe the park was in worse shape than he thought. Suddenly, the edge of the pier shifts, the weather-worn wood snapping. 

All Raph can do is stare dumbly into your eyes as he starts to fall. Even his ninja reflexes weren’t quick enough to catch him. 

“Raph!” You shout, reaching your hands out to somehow catch him. 

Without even thinking, your body launches forward on instinct. You knew you didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, but you knew you had to save Raph. Even if it meant dislocating your shoulder. 

Your hands shoot out as you fall to the ground. The wood was weak, but it had you up. The splintered edge dug roughly into your stomach, but you didn’t care. You grit your teeth, feeling your hands grab onto something. 

Somehow, you manage to grab a hold of Raph’s wrist. 

Raph gulps, his voice shaky. 

“I thought you were kidding.”

You quickly grab him with your other hand, trying with all your might to pull him back up. It didn’t help that Raph weighed…well, as much as an insanely jacked mutant turtle weighed. 

“Shut up and get back up here!” You groan. 

You don’t even pay attention to the sound of something landing behind you. 

Raph strains a bit, but swings his other arm up. He catches the edge of the pier with his index finger and slowly pulls himself back up. 

“Thank God I didn’t skip arm day,” he hisses.

Finally, you pull Raph all the way up. Dragging you both over to the prize booth nearby, you pant and try to catch your breaths.

“T-Thanks,” He wheezes, grabbing his chest. “I almost took a swim.”

You bend down and lean onto your knees, shooting Raph an apologetic frown.

“Don’t thank me. You did most of the work.”

“You’re probably right, but your bravery was commendable. Well done.”

A nasally voice echoes behind you, giving you a half-hearted clap. Donnie walks forward, cocking his head to the side. He was sizing you up, analyzing your face. 

“Woah, who’s the babe?” Leo pops his head over Donnie’s shoulder, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 

You feel yourself start to sweat under their scrutinizing gazes. You definitely knew Raph had brothers, you’ve seen their blurry images on social media. But you’ve never officially met them. Raph and you have had many conversations about it, whether or not he should tell them about your relationship. You both came to the conclusion that, at least for now, it’d be best to keep it on the down-low. 

With the blue and purple-clad turtles eyeing you up and down, however, that might be a little difficult. 

You gulp. Time to make a good first impression.

“Hey, isn’t there an orange one?”

Well, maybe just an impression. 

“That’s me!” 

Mikey slides in and places an arm over your shoulder, bringing you into a friendly side-hug. 

Soon enough, the three brothers crowd into your personal space, trying to get a better look at you. Their heads press up against one another, making you snicker. 

“Uh, hello.” You take a step back.

“Wait—!” Raph marches over to stand in-between you and the others. “What are you bozos doin’ here?”

Taking the lead, Leo pushes himself forward.

“We’re just here to check up on our dear older brother. We didn’t look up your location and follow you all the way out here to snoop, because if you’re thinking that, you’re dead wrong.”

Raph narrows his eyes. He looks over to a meek looking Mikey and Donnie, waiting to hear their excuse. They didn’t even try to lie, simply shrugging to him. 

“You turned off your tracker. Could you blame us?” Donnie sighs.

“And, you missed family game night! We were gonna do our domino rematch like you promised.” Mikey’s lip quivers, giving Raph big puppy dog eyes. 

“That was tonight? Ugh.” Raph slaps his forehead. 

He did feel like he was pulling away from his brothers a little bit lately, but he was always sure to keep his schedule straight. There was family time, and there was you time. 

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t…” 

Raph looks back at you, politely standing off to the side. 

You didn’t want to interrupt, or accidentally say anything stupid. This seemed like a more personal matter between brothers, so you just kept to yourself. When Raph looks back at you, eyes searching for the right words, you bite at your lip. 

Quickly, you introduce yourself to Leo, Donnie, and Mikey.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take your brother away from you guys.”

Your heart was pounding in your chest as they looked at you curiously. You don’t know how else to behave in front of them, so you just bow. It’s a formal, almost awkward way to greet them. But how else could you react to meeting more of the people who basically saved the entire world from alien invaders.

“Thank you for saving New York. Not just from the Kraang, obviously…” You chuckle, looking at the ground. “But for all that other stuff.”

Suddenly, Leo breaks out into laughter. 

You straighten your back, looking even more awkward. Did you say something wrong? Did your bowing offend them somehow? Your mind raced as Leo continued to guffaw at you.

Suddenly they all realize, in their own unique way, that Raph had a girlfriend. A real, flesh-and-blood girlfriend!

Leo was a little surprised, but proud nonetheless. He was just relieved that Raph wasn’t hiding some deep, dark secret about moonlighting as a vigilante or something. 

“Holy shit! This one’s a card! Nice going, brother.” Leo playfully slaps at Raph’s back.

Donnie hangs back, seemingly trying to do endless math equations in his mind. If his brother had been dating, surely he would have seen all the signs? How did Raph manage to evade his expert perception for months?

“For no reason in particular, could you give me all of your personal information? Phone number, work place, social security number.” Donnie approaches you, notepad in hand.

“I’m gonna go with ‘no.’” You smirk, pushing him away.

Mikey was nothing but ecstatic! He jumped forward, wrapping you up in a big, cuddly hug. He was a little miffed at Raph for skipping family time, but how could he stay mad knowing that his big bro had finally found love?

“Welcome to our messed up family! Our dad’s a rat!”

You stumble a bit when he crawls onto your back, but you give his hand a friendly pat. “So I’ve heard.”

Raph watches with slight disbelief as Leo walks up and greets you as well. You all exchange your names and get all the pleasantries out of the way. 

Was it always going to be this easy, you meeting all of his brothers? Suddenly, Raph felt pretty bad for being so nervous about introducing you. Not that he didn’t trust you, or that the others wouldn’t, it’s just that he didn’t know how to navigate that part of your relationship yet. 

Then, Raph feels a pang of love deep in his gut. He knew that as long as he had his brothers and you, he’d be okay. He’d be more than okay.

“I didn’t know how else to react, okay? What, did you want me to say ‘thank you for your service’?’” You joke.

“Yikes, that’s worse.” Leo scratches the side of his head and laughs along with you.

Raph silently approaches, moving to stand behind you. 

“Sorry guys. I know I’ve been kinda—“

“Ah-ah. Say no more. We know.” Donnie waves him off with a lazy smile. 

“Yeah, you’ve only been dating for a couple of months. You were just taking your time!” Mikey flashes Raph a bright smile, giving him a thumbs up.

Then, you look back to Raph, quirking up an eyebrow. 

“Should we tell them?” 

Raph chuckles, a sweat drop running down his face. 

“A couple of months, a year, what’s the difference?”

The five of you stand there for a second. You could hear a pin drop. 

“WHAAAAAAT?” 

Leo, Donnie, and Mikey collectively scream, attacking Raph and tackling him to the ground.

You cackle watching them playfully fight with each other. Your life was bound to become a lot more messed up now, but that was just fine with you.

taglist: @saspas-corner

[atiny-for-life]

Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - Part 19

Masterlist

미친 폼 (Crazy Form) (Z-World)

Before we begin, I'd like to say that I'm writing under the assumption that Ateez are taking a backseat this comeback while the Black Pirates are leading the fight in the streets. This is based on the group's comments prior to the album's release, as well as last album's diary entries which left Ateez in a precarious situation that doesn't align with the happenings in this MV.

We open at night time on a shot of the Black Pirates (in marching-band-esque outfits reminiscent of Wonderland) and their fellow Revolutionists crouching in line in front of a structure which looks like two roofs lined up side by side where the dip between the two cradles the city skyline illuminated by a crescent moon (reminder that the nature of the Cromer‘s powers are affected by the moon cycles).

Keep in mind that Crescent Part 2 can be found on this album while the first part can be found on TREASURE EP.3 : One To All which includes 'Illusion' and 'Wave' - two songs heavily leaning into the concept of dreams and traveling into them by utilizing the Cromer‘s powers. This also aligns with the Alice in Wonderland themed promotions.

Regarding the latter: throughout the MV, you will see colors blur and get splotchy every now and again, indicating this is likely to be a dream transmitted to the citizens to fire them up for the upcoming main event of the revolution. This would also further support my assumption that we only get to see the Black Pirates here as they're the ones visiting others' dreams, not Ateez who seem to be unable to control this power fully and usually just end up in a shared dream among themselves.

Back to the MV: the captain begins to strut down the center aisle between the crouched rows like the runway model he is as he's instructing them to 'Get up'.

Once he's reached the front, everyone breaks formation and jumps right into the performance. The lyrics here already inform us of their intent - follow along, join us, put yourself first and stick it to the authorities.

Side-note: it was bugging me that I couldn't figure out what 9024 could mean so I dug a little and found an explanation by Reddit user " rowtyde37" who explains: "It's actually 90-2-4. So, it is the drums but they are telling you out the gate it's 90 beats per min, 2 quarter (4) notes (beats) each bar. Just a heads up on the drums coming to invade your space."

We cut to Yunho in comfy clothes and a headband back in the bunker who's sitting at a large table covered in blueprints as he activates a palm-sized Iron Man arc reactor looking thing that turns out to be a hologram projector.

Blue tinted holograms of the pirate ship's main mast, buildings, and pieces of teach are floating around him as he flips through them.

Throughout this scene, we regularly cut to Yunho dancing with four fellow revolutionists in a round underground space lined with doors (because he's the main dancer and he deserves this).

We cut to Mingi in a fully black getup with hat inside what looks to be a surveillance room situated in one of the rooftop-like buildings we saw at the start of the video.

His performance there is interspliced with clips of him outside in a suit as he's getting into a car and speeding through the city full of neon signs.

This maniac races into a black alley where he crashes his car straight through the wall of a small unassuming building which turns out to be a casino.

His idgaf attitude takes him straight to the bar where he pours himself a cocktail glass of milk which the bartender doesn't seem to mind.

Once his glass has been emptied, he opens the small metal suitcase near his elbow which contains another of the hologram projectors. I've rewatched the scene frame-by-frame and it seems the case was already there when he arrived so I'll assume the bartender is providing it to aid in the revolution.

This belief is reinforced when we get a shot of Mingi's empty glass filled with a stack of olives impaled by a black cocktail flag sporting the red encircled A representing both Ateez and Anarchy throughout this era.

Moving on to Wooyoung who's joining Yunho in the bunker, though in his own corner where he's surrounded by pieces of tech and holograms. He's wearing an oversized plaid shirt, glasses so large they're reminiscent of safety goggles, and black and silver gloves.

And honestly, I don't know how tech-savvy this little gremlin actually is since he's currently hammering a long-ass nail into the metal hull of some piece of equipment prior to chucking said hammer across the room with what seems to be a pout.

Said hammer shoots by behind Yunho, who's sitting several feet away, before it slams into something off screen and sets off a shower of sparks.

Yunho gapes at him for a sec before he throws up his arms ("The fuck, man?"), to which Wooyoung looks unfazed and points at him ("You asked me to toss it over, why're you mad?") followed by a half eyeroll and look away ("You're overreacting.").

Just then, a warning pops up on Yunho's holo-screen which causes Wooyoung to jog over as well.

We cut to a poker table where a game is in full swing and one of the player's is Jongho dressed up in a simple black suit. We're inside the casino Mingi literally drove into earlier.

The other two players seems to be some high-ranking officials in the military or police force, at least that's what I generally assume every time I see older men in uniform in anything. (In the Making Film, they simply call them "high officials from the Z-World")

Jongho proceeds to hold up the ace of Anarchy which causes one of the uniformed men to pull a gun on him under the table - an action both Jongho and Mingi are clearly aware of since Mingi steps up beside Jongho right away.

Without missing a beat, Jongho snatches up the gun hidden in the waistband of Mingi's pants and points it straight at his opponents. He doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Cut to Seonghwa set up right outside the heavily fenced off 'Area 08'. He's performing on a makeshift stage right by the gate, surrounded by warning signs telling people to stay away. The building behind the fence is covered in banners sporting the Black Pirates' Z-logo we've last scene in 'Bouncy'.

His audience is made up of fellow revolutionists donning all black robes while he himself is dressed in a flowy white shirt, silver jewelry and a black corset with matching pants. It's clear who's not afraid to be recognized by anyone who could be spying.

The next scene reveals that San and Yeosang are also joining him for this performance, though the scene is interspliced with fleeting clips of all of a larger number of Black Pirates performing together in a back alley lined with shuttered store fronts and neon signs.

It seems to be San, Yeosang, Hongjoong, Wooyoung and Seonghwa who we'll see again a coupla scenes later in the same room Yunho danced in earlier.

Cut to Yeosang and Hongjoong in yet another alley during daylight hours. They brought spraypaints and a skateboard.

It's quickly made evident why they chose to go out during the day for once - they plan to appear on the news.

As Hongjoong reaches the line "Crazy boys are getting crazier", the video takes on a familiar news channel framing. The classic globe logo in the bottom left corner runs through several random letter combinations (the channel has no clear name) until it transforms into the two words "Breaking News".

A recorded feed from the casino's surveillance camera pops up in the top left corner - the scene with Jongho and Mingi played out just last night.

Simultaneously, the news ticker at the bottom of the screen informs us that "The Black Pirates break into the Lounge".

Shout out to Hongjoong's black fingernail. (Join the Polished Man Campaign here)

After all the ruckus Hongjoong has already caused, he somehow manages to twirl in a circle as he shoots bullets from his finger gun into the air.

The power of his imagination is truly something to behold. However, it's far more likely that this is just another indicator that we're not in a regular world but rather a dream transmitted to the locals to fire them up for the upcoming revolution.

Either way, Hongjoong's goofy bout of wackiness alerts the authorities who begin to chase him down the alley which only seems to get him more motivated to dive deeper into a pool of mischief.

He hops onto a car surrounded by armed cops and begins to wiggle his hips to provoke them further. What a legend.

Cut to him spray painting a white line across a wall covered in their own revolution flyers before passing Yeosang who ends up with a white streak straight across his black jacket.

He throws up his hands as he looks after his captain ("Why would you-?")

While once again fleeing from the authorities, Hongjoong nearly collides with a black car which sped up to him. The scene transforms into a comic book panel (this is not the real world).

He rolls across the hood and lands on the other side, only to lean over the hood with a smirk. Another comic panel forms.

Cut to a maniacally laughing Seonghwa getting dragged along by his own audience.

This is closely followed by San showing us his signature peace/middle finger - the return of these gloves is unexpected but welcome, especially in such a idgaf, I'll do what I want MV.

Between group performance clips, we return to Wooyoung in the bunker where he's looking at a hologram of their pirate ship which we'll see again shortly. It has been missed.

We also get to see Yeosang spraypaint "Be Free" onto a shutter door (which joins a marker written 'We Know', referencing the first track on the album).

A scene later, we see the full picture - three shutters, all covered in their signature Z and those two red words: Be Free. The message that connects all versions of Ateez across the multitude of realities.

We return to Jongho in the casino who just fired off three rounds in quick succession while Mingi stands by to watch their maknae go rogue. He must be proud.

One of the bullets swishes past a sprinkler, setting it off, while another pieces the wall and destroys the TV in the neighboring room just as an Android Guardian was seen on screen. It's very symbolic.

Our Haribo walks off with a satisfied lil smirk as the sprinklers gently drizzle him.

Between further performance clips, we return to Hongjoong who's being pushed onto the hood of a car by the cops who'd been hounding him.

He manages to free an arm and affixes a gadget that looks like another holo-projector onto the side of the vehicle which proceeds to eject a beam of light.

The activation signals Wooyoung in the bunker who looks up through a hologram circle. A pulse of light washes across the entire city, dousing it in darkness as a familiar pirate ship appears in the sky like a literal glowing ghost ship; it’s the hologram Wooyoung and Yunho had been working on this entire time.

The moon now appears full as the Black Pirates laugh and celebrate, smirking up to the sky, performing across locations, drinking in the casino/bar which leads me to reasonably believe they really did complete the mission between the two moon cycles but the way they went about it was different from the wackiness that took place in the dream world.

We end with them back at the double-roof structure before the screen cuts to black.

We've done it! Freedom has been achieved in Z-World! This may be the last time we ever see the Black Pirates since Ateez say their goodbyes and return back to the A-World in the Golden Hour: Part 1 - Diary Entries

However, the music video has not ended yet: a beat later, a shattered glowing Cromer appears on screen.

From it rises a bluebird, the one we've last seen in Halazia. It's holding a red pulsating object in its beak as it rises up to the night sky where a red full moon has risen. It's carrying the Sopro, the object created in Halazia and first introduced by name in the Golden Hour: Party 2 Diary Entries.

The next few videos will be about Halazia's Ateez - see you there!

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Yesterday, over 100 funerals were held in the small community of kibbutz Be'eri. Just one community. Hamas rockets were also fired yesterday at the kibbutz. We can't even bury our dead in peace.

At least 133 of the murdered were not Jewish. Yoseph Haddad, an Israeli Muslim Arab, gives his perspective:

This following pic is so on point for way too many people on Tumblr:

For the record, "It's wrong, but..." doesn't count as speaking out against the cold-blooded murder of Jews in their homes.

I'm writing about certain aspects less, but Israeli society has been FULL of beautiful gestures and acts of kindness. One example is a mother who had lost her only son to Hamas terrorists a few years ago, and who opened a free "supermarket" for Israelis running out of food and water, especially from among the evacuees. Another is a Bedouin family, who uploaded a video inviting anyone of the Jews who had been turned homeless to come and stay with them. These gestures from among the Israeli Arabs, Bedouins and Druze are the most beautiful ones to me. They're proof that we want and we CAN live here together, peacefully. Sadly, at least one such gesture was "punished." An Arab shop owner decided to donate 30 bicycles to Jewish kids from the south who had lost their homes. In retaliation, his shop was broken into, robbed, and then set on fire. What moves me the most is that even after that, he said he doesn't regret his decision, and will continue to contribute to Israeli society.

I want to say something about the warning that was given to Palestinians to evacuate the northern part of Gaza.

If Israel had started bombing that area with the intention of destroying Hamas facilities there, but without giving any warning, it would have killed a lot of civilians, and the reaction of the world would have been to decry Israeli actions. When Israel is giving them warning to move out, so that they're not killed in the bombings (and when they CAN return to their land once the fighting is done), Israel is still denounced, and I've seen people calling this by all sorts of horrendous terms (that don't actually apply). If Israel is being portrayed as evil whether we give a warning or not, what that means is that people are just not okay with Israel acting against Hamas in any capacity.

Except Israel doesn't actually have a choice. We tried to have one! That's what the border fence was for. We invested billions of shekels in building it. Money that could have gone to school, to hospitals, to rehabilitation programs, to all sorts of purposes that could have made Israeli society better, and save Israeli lives outside of the context of this conflict. Every Israeli patient whose life could have been saved if out medical system was better, for example, is one of the "invisible victims" of the conflict IMO. We spent so much money on the fence to stop Hamas, so that we wouldn't have to go into Gaza and fight to eliminate that organization. Such fighting would have ended in a loss of life for Israelis and for Gazans, so instead we built that fence. It was technologically the most advanced it could be. It still didn't stop Hamas. They built terror tunnels that brought them to the fence without being spotted on the surface, they had bombs that it seems they planted at the border during their "protests" near the fence, they had suicide drones that took out all of the electronic surveillance along the fence, leaving Israel "blind" as the infiltration of thousands of terrorists into its territory began, and they had intel on where the security forces are, to take them out first and leave the civilians vulnerable to rape, mutilation, kidnappings and murder.

In other words, there is no fence, there is no barrier that can stop Hamas. And without that, it's only a matter of time before carnage like this WILL happen again.

I am scared. For the families of the hostages, the thought of the fighting, where Israeli or Hamas fire might kill there loved ones, must be particularly difficult. Innocents will die on both sides when the ground action will start. That's always terrible, but for a country still counting and trying to identify its dead, that's a particularly gruesome truth. That we're sending some of our 18 year olds to die in order to keep the babies safe. Knowing that every one of these 18 year olds is somebody's baby. Every day, every hour that passes allows Hamas to dig in, to prepare and to lay traps for our soldiers. And yet the ground action has not started yet, because we want to give the Palestinians in the northern part of Gaza a chance to flee.

You can dislike the coming loss of life. We all do. I am shrinking with internal pain just thinking about it. But please stop painting the Israeli military reaction as if it's just a senseless revenge driven by blood lust. It's not. At least understand our perspective. To us, it's a fight for our lives. It's a fight for our lives that, no matter what, we will pay for with the lives of some of our loved ones.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[zerolostwalks]

Ten Minutes

(decided to take some of the thoughts I've been having over this @desceros fic and use them as sort of writing practice. Since I've been struggling with writing lately. It's not really a fic in and of itself , more like a free write to get me back into the habit of just letting myself write again.)

Ten minutes.

There’s a lot that he can get done in ten minutes. 

Hack into a building's security systems, see who’s badged through what required entry points. Tap straight into any video surveillance to get his own look at the situation. If none of that’s available he can go see what devices are currently active and utilize whatever camera feed or security data they may possess to get the info he needs. 

Hell, he can do all of that in under five minutes. 

That’s not even bragging. If anything that would be him taking his time or having a really off night. 

Yet, he hasn’t done any of it. As much as his fingers near painfully twitch at his side. Nails having formed new divots in the surface of the table he’d gripped too tight. All while his nerves relentlessly sound alarms in his mind. 

He waits, and watches the seconds tick by. 

Ten minutes, he had said. That was nearly four minutes ago. 

Six minutes left. 

He looks over his messages again. Rereads the attempt to calm his nerves though it does anything but. The typed reassurance completely negated by the very attempts to pass off the fear as simple paranoia. 

More time wasted trying to decipher all the undertones and implications. More seconds slipping through his fingers as he attempts to rationalize away his own sense of foreboding. 

Five minutes left.

Fuck it. 

The whole point of this whole endeavor in the first place was security. Him keeping watch. An extra eye.

What better way to do that than to do what he should have done from the very beginning?

He’s barely started when his screens go red. Panic button automatically prioritized over everything else. 

He doesn’t have time to languish in the guilt of not listening to himself sooner. Before he’s fully aware of it, he’s on the move. 

Blood boiling over. Jaw so tight it sends his ears ringing. 

He may very well end up killing someone tonight.

[washisart]

im having ginhelios brainworms at the moment and was wondering about your thoughts/headcanons on their relationship from ginkga’s perspective? stuff abt how he started developing feelings for helios and what he thinks of him and whatever else you’d like to ramble about :]

Helios is basically Gingka's rebellious phase but without going emo (it likes vanilla but rebellious, teenager things)

Though my yapping is a bit long but bare with me here. Mostly just headcanons and fill in the void in this ship that sorta stuffs.

Okay imagine this: post-Fusion and early-Master Gingka Hagane trying to swipe his emotions about his father's existence in his life under the rug with the bey battles and his new found fame as that poster boy. But now he learned a better way to hide it and make his positivity more believable: A new tactic to ignore the elephant in the room. After his father is alive, how could he stay mad? Yet deep down, he found himself outrageous for wishing his father stayed as a memory.

I think to Gingka, Helios is really special in a way. He sparks something in him-A desire to get to know someone more in such a short time. From someone who causes harm to his friends to someone he would literally do the extreme for a chance of survive.

When he found out Helios's supposed grandfather lied to him, he immediately see the similarities. They were driven by a bestowed responsibility. Gingka took to heart of his "mission"- defeating L Drago and Helios with restoring his civilization. And he saw how Helios retaliate to the lie. It sparks something, alongside hope in him. They have many thing in common! Helios's compassion is what solidified it. He said "I don't want anyone else experience the pain of our ancestors" and that's when he fell. His consciousness immediate trusting in Helios, even almost willing to let himself fall so his new found ally can live and save the world.

After destroying the meteor and on their way home, they spent time talking to together. The realization of how alone they were prompted them to open up to one another about their life, their desires and fears. Helios brought up the idea of him paying for what HE did yet Gingka told him he would defend him no matter what, even asking his father for help. Just so he can keep Helios free to slowly process everything a bit longer. That shaken Helios up a bit.

Thing happened, they bonded and started dating almost immediately after getting off the ship. It wasn't clear who confessed first, but it's clear that Gingka scope Helios away while he was kept under strict- surveillance for a week or two because of his grandfather's crime. This some what annoyed and amused Ryosei alot, seeing his boy talked back and disobeyed the adult, even him for his "friend"s sake.

You can see it in his eyes whenever Gingka looks at Helios. It marvels at the sun boy with affection. He wants Helios to spend his short free time get to know the "Earth" with his gang. But even Gingka didn't realize that he hogs up the guy's attention most of the time. They just slips and got lost in the crowd together, getting themselves a date at a near by fast food restaurant, walking along the shoreline and sharing tales. Gingka is sweep like a wind and Helios follows just right behind him, almost content to let himself be dragged everywhere on their little date.

It was a two weeks short they were together before Gingka continue the international tournament and Helios went his separate way to regain that sense of normality, yet they keep in touch with each other through video calls every weeks. There is that break up later up but I'm saving it for another post.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Content Warning for anti-Black violence and hate crimes.

As the Vancouver man targeted in a racist attack last year plans to educate others about hate, Global News has obtained chilling surveillance video of the incident. Survivor Willy Kabayabaya said he is still haunted by the assault. “It’s not really easy for me to sleep in the night,” Kabayabaya told Global News in an interview. “Sometimes the knife came into my mind and I wake up like at 1 a.m., 2 a.m.” The Vancouver father of three was waiting outside a building near Victory Square and talking on his phone on May 12, 2022 when a stranger approached him and began hurling racial slurs and threats, before pulling out a knife.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada

[okiecookie20]

EXO Theory Dftf (don't fight the feeling)

In this post I will try to point out and decode clues. I made some conclusions to arrange the eras in order. Let's start by analyzing the main theme.

• EXO was travelling to Exoplanet as seen in the dftf teaser pictures.

The word HISTORY is shown in several languages in the starting. The setting is similar to what we see in History mvs:

Exo evacuate EXOPLANET with the help of a spaceship. I believe that History, chronologically, happens before Dftf.

Here is Exo's Kcon Australia 2017 vcr which depicts their spacecraft was going to crash land.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EXOPLANET (@wearexolina_)

The bright Exo logo at the end might be a symbolic representation of exoplanet. The spacecraft crash lands on one of the other extra terrestrial planets on which Power takes place. Notice how the exos don't have their powers in dftf which they acquire in the form of orbs in Power mv. Hence, Power happens after Dftf.

Now I'll talk about two main theories which lead to different conclusions for this section of the storyline:–

#1 The Emergency landing promo pics show them on different planets each representing the 6 members' (no Yixing🥲) powers. The album logo shows a radar locating the 9 members. It is also present in the vcr above. As part of their promotions, they released a game called EXO Ship Saga in which each mem has a different planet. The theme seems pretty straightforward: they travelled to different planets, maybe used escape-pods because they were going to crash land in the vcr above.

This theory might be able to explain the story of parallel universes as well as the ending of Power with Baek falling in an ocean.

#2 After reaching the planet shown in Power, they were scattered to different cities on Earth (Pathcodes) as comets seen in the beginning of Dftf. As of now, many of us are confused which of these happen in the chronology (they land in cities or on planets). They must have tried to evacuate it since the Red Force has come to know they are all together and have acquired their orbs. Let's go with the second theory: I believe Pathcode comes after Power.

Why? Proof: in Tao's pathcode, he was reading a newspaper and it said that 10 comets were visible near earth (ot10 era) hence they landed in different locations in Pathcodes.

The comet Kyungsoo saw in Dftf mv could be the one appearing in Let me In and explains their isolation in Sing For You.

At the end of Dftf mv, they approach a portal and there is falling snow in space?! This could be another hint that Sing For You comes later in the story and not before Dftf.

• In Ep 02. One giant leap teaser video, Kyungsoo is the only one who looks back with a robotic sound. Also, he is the only member emersed in green light in the concept pics of Dftf. Smth definitely seems off but we'll leave it at that for now.

From 2:56, they dance in the spaceship with some blinking red lights behind. These could be cctvs as I pointed out in Rover (mini theory) and Obsession. In this era too they are under surveillance.

• SM included easter eggs from previous releases (code numbers) which means a lot as the group has matured artistically alongwith more involvement in production and shares a great bond with their fans (releasing this album for EXO-Ls with Yixing🐑 during the drought❣️).

There were other things I wanted to discuss but due to the confusing timeline I tried my best understanding plot holes. This mv is undoubtedly connected to many others and with the possibility of parallel universes, it has become complex.

Of course I asked more questions than solving them hehe but I love Exo. Do share your thoughts & THANKS FOR READING! Also, missing SeKai😭❣️

[gdenofa-blog]

THE HOUR OF CUTE

Prologue of Chapter One: The Idea

August 8th, 1995

Early morning, at the entrance of the quiet yet ominous packing room, the tall, bipedal toy agitatedly scanned his surroundings. Unlike this factory's other surveillance devices, the ones here could not be accessed. Though they were not as scrutinized, cameras were still cameras. Thus, the orangey and yellow-trimmed dog knew he had to be quick about this. A tool belt, strapped around a thin plush waist was an indication that he was supposed to be in this sector of the factory. But heaven forbid if anyone stopped him before he concluded this undisclosed task.

It was now or never.

Before the plush canine took another step, his large and floppy ears twitched at the sounds of small and squeaky whimpers. He peered down at the hundreds of small plush toys, trembling at his feet.

"Shhh, it's all right, little guys," DogDay crooned in a gruff and kind voice. "There's no one here yet. But we need to go. C'mon."

Gingerly, he ushered the mini critters across the huge room of shipping parcels of all sizes. They lightly strode and scurried to one very big crate in particular. It was lined with brown paper and contained proof of purchase. But contrasting from all the other boxes and crates loaded with vended toys ready to be sent out and distributed to retailers, this one was empty.

During the previous night, DogDay had marked the parcel ready; it was meant to be filled with an order for Playtime Co.'s aromatic toys of their popular mascots: the Smiling Critters.

But little was the awareness of the employees that this order was going to be living cargo.  

"Here..." DogDay removed the top lid of the wooden box, "I'll help you... Please, we must hurry."

As swiftly as he could, the lanky dog lifted and placed each small, sentient toy within the crate, one by one. Although this was extremely risky, his broad red-orange paws were gentle, for he neither wished to hurt nor startle any of the scared little beings.

Eventually, DogDay held the final critter, a tiny version of himself.

"Now, remember, when humans see you, stay still. You're ordinary toys, okay?"

The little dog nodded as did the others, sitting up in the broad crate together in each of their designated groups. However, when he was set down, he would not let go of the big paw.

DogDay groaned glumly. "I wish I could save more of you, but this retailer is strict. They rejected deliveries before. I can't risk you returning to this awful place."

The tall toy tried to move his arm, but the clinging little toy would not budge.

"Don't worry, I put in some air holes near the bottom, so you'll all have air and the trip's not long," assured the large dog hastily. "Just... please, let me go!"

Emitting tiny whines, the mini counterpart shook his head as small limbs began tugging with all their might.

He wanted DogDay to be in the crate, too.

With a pained sigh, the large plush canine bowed his head; one of his red-orange ears hung over the matching patch over a dark eye socket.

“I can't. I must stay. I have to help them. Get through to them."

Yes, time was critical, but this mini critter had to be consoled... They all did.

Kneeling and with a free paw, DogDay brushed the little dog's ear and spied a stitched number underneath.

"Listen carefully. I'm counting on you, little 1, to lead your kin to freedom. No more being controlled. Only happiness."

Peering through artificial eyes, the tiny toy gazed up at his mentor. Both he, DogDay, and the other mini critters wore unwavering, black, and toothless smiles. But the set expressions were a façade to everything this apathetic, immoral world harbored. The dread in this facility could practically be cut with a knife.

The little plush canine detected the edginess rising in the elder's yellow chest by the swaying of the big sunny zipper. He now knew. It truly was up to him.

After rubbing a plush cheek onto the big knuckles, the appointed little leader bowed his head firmly, granting DogDay his arm.

The tall toy chuckled weakly. "Hmm-hmm. Good boy."

He scuffed the top of the little dog's head, instigating a wiggling of a tiny orange tail. Then with a catch in his throat, DogDay regarded the other mini critters, adoringly.

"Goodbye, little guys... Thank- you all. For-For not wanting to hurt anyone."

The top of DogDay's ears lifted; brought back to the urgency by faraway yet heavy stomps. The mini critters started whining and fidgeting again.  

"Oh, no!" Getting up, DogDay grabbed the crates' lid and held it over the little rearing faces. "Please, stay quiet. Sit. Stay. Be good!"

The tiny toys hunkered down as the final view of their valiant elder was replaced with wood, followed by the sounds of a hammer impacting four nails in each corner.

Huddled with his fellow critters, the appointed leader detected the shifting sensation of being carried, then to a conveyor belt that brought packages to bay doors for pickup. And as the machinery took the toy evacuees to their chancy fate, DogDay could be heard, shouting over an incoherent but raspy voice.

"What am I doing? My usual free labor! What are you doing up here? ...I told you... I don't know where they are! ...No! No! ...I said I don't-!"

The rest of chapter one and the story are on AO3, Wattpad, and Fanfiction.

[beardedmrbean]

Police say they arrested the man behind a terrifying sex attack in the Bronx that saw him lasso a woman from behind with his belt before dragging her to the ground and assaulting her in between two cars.

The 39-year-old alleged attacker, Kashaan Parks, was arrested sometime early Saturday morning in the same borough, according to police sources. He's expected to face charges of rape, assault, and strangulation, among others.

Police shared disturbing video from the May 1 overnight attack late Thursday in hopes of catching the man responsible. It shows a man following a woman near East 152nd Street and Third Avenue in Melrose after engaging in conversation with her. He walks behind.

Then, he hangs a white towel or shirt over his face to mask his identity, takes off his belt and uses it to lasso her around the neck. He pulls back hard, sending her backward and to the ground, where she smacks her head on the sidewalk. The woman blacks out before the man drags her between two parked cars and sexually assaults her.

The man, identified by police on Friday as Parks, can be seen on surveillance video leaning over her and repeatedly looking around several times to make sure there are no witnesses, authorities say.

Police said the victim, who is recovering from the assault, told them she identified Parks by his distinctive teeth, describing previous casual encounters with him in the neighborhood. The NYPD released images of Parks as they continue their manhunt for him.

The victim approached NBC New York in the neighborhood and wanted to share her story in order to protect other women in the area.

"He choked me with a belt because he wanted to demand sex with me in exchange for money. And I said no, and I kept moving. So he grabbed from behind with a choking belt and dragged me to the ground over there by the cars and raped me," said the victim, who News 4 is not identifying.

She said the suspect didn't say anything before he launched his attack from behind. She blacked out for what she said was about 20 minutes before she got up and looked for help.

"I got up and I talked to some neighbors so they can give me some advice on what to do. So I went to the hospital and got a rape kit, and they gave me some shots and stuff. And then I went to the police precinct and reported it," she told NBC New York.

The victim said she's still fearful because the suspect is known in the neighborhood — and could strike again, especially given his alleged history.

"I've been worried, I'm scared beyond my life because he can pop up anytime and do something to somebody again," she said. "It's not the first time he’s done this to a woman. It’s like the second time to a woman he did that to."

An investigation by the Special Victims Unit is ongoing. Anyone with information on the man is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

FUCK…… YOONGI……… 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

gawd I shouldn't be this emotionally devastated in the middle of work, but I'm a bit of a wreck inside rn. I hope you're hydrating yourself and being kind to yourself bpp. Also:

https://twitter.com/DALGORANG/status/1650557955484581890

Reminds me of that joonie one. I hope they are happy and somewhat at peace together 🥲🥲

***

Anon, your link.

(Thank you for that)

Yoongi has saved so many lives with Amygdala. I hope he knows that. He’s such a gift to this world. There aren’t many artists who are as explicit as him in expressing what it means to live with the human condition. I’m not even trying to gas him up. Everything about this man moves me to tears if I allow myself to think about it too much. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write about him because it feels too much like writing a story I’m scared will end too soon, of writing about myself, about things I’ve seen in my own life. The violence in his speech, in his music videos, aren’t there for shock factor, they’re true to life for him and that both terrifies and encourages me to live as honestly as possible.

I really hope everyone who reads this takes time out of their day to watch the video for Amygdala, to read the lyrics, to watch the Burn the Stage episode he talks about his accident, to read his interviews on what Agust D represents for him. I hope people reflect on if his music has any application to their lives, and to follow through with whatever conclusion they reach.

Each member in BTS has a very unique story. Namjoon’s, Hoseok’s, Jimin’s Jungkook’s, Taehyung’s and Jin’s stories are nothing alike, but there are a few common themes with Yoongi’s. I’ve never seen a group of artists like them anywhere in the world, in any country or language. I feel blessed to know Yoongi exists, to know he’s in this group called BTS, and that in their short career so far they’ve created such an impressive body of work that shows what it means to be human.

I feel nothing but respect for Yoongi. For all the years I’ve known him, he along with Joon and Hobi have constantly impressed me with their resolve to live honestly, in spite of their very obvious weaknesses, especially because Korean society is extremely unforgiving, and even our wider on/offline culture is becoming increasingly vindictive and we’re all under near-constant surveillance. It’s becoming harder to live honestly in a time where something as simple as posting about giving your neighbour food is met with ridicule and judgement.

Anon, with the state I’m in, normally I’d stay away from this space, but the chibi pics made me laugh and ugly cry at the same time. Thank you.