#When you call something treasure you say it with a capital “T” and you protect it with your life

[olibensstuff]

NAMI IN THE STRAW HAT WHAT IF I CRIED

[katara0524]

Impromptu Ramblings about the NEO:TWEWY Demo

In case y'all weren't aware, I've been a pretty big fan of TWEWY for a couple years now, and with the sequel coming out next month, the excitement I feel for this game is greater than ever :) I played the Demo for the first time yesterday, and following a couple views of some livestreams of others playing it, I felt like sharing my (very ramble-y) thoughts prior to the release of the full game. This post WILL contain spoilers for both TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY, so if you want to avoid those from now on, please block the tags: #twewy spoilers, #ntwewy spoilers, #neo twewy spoilers, #ntwewy, and #neo twewy ^_^ Oh, and if you wanna keep up with any other posts I make about my experience with this game, please refer to the tag "kat plays neo twewy" :)

-First things first: I have not watched the Final Trailer and I don't plan on doing so to avoid spoilers, especially after the pre-release era of KH3 where a lot of the later trailers spoiled a lot of the endgame content. That being said, I've seen some minor screenshots from the final trailer including what many believe to be characters from the original TWEWY, namely Shiki and Joshua. That is all I know about the Final Trailer and I would very much like to remain as blind as possible going into NEO :)

-The very first cutscene was quite ominous in the sense that this game is likely going to be about "changing fate" (a recently common theme in Squeenix games, which I do appreciate), perhaps leading off from the end of A New Day in the OG and trying to stop an Inversion of Shibuya. Also worth noting that A New Day had similar aspects in which the main character experienced "future visions" of tragic events, although in A New Day these events were not able to be changed, while in NEO it seems like one of the main "powers" our protagonist has is specifically to rewrite these events and avoid a "bad ending." Very interesting indeed!

-I really like the revamped comic book style dialogue scenes, it's much more fluid and modern, which is an excellent direction for the series to take!

-I would love to have an actual PokemonGO knockoff of Final Fantasy creatures, please Squeenix that would be incredibleeeeee

-Also the LINE stickers??? Are so cute???

-I would just like to point out that Fret is an absolute treasure throughout this entire demo, he's hilarious and I will protect him with my life

-UHHHH don't like that Fret picked up some Reaper Pins just out of nowhere.....or the fact that they're apparently popular all over Shibuya.............did y'all not learn anything from the OG game or what lmao

-Okay so when I first got the "curry or ramen" scene and heard NPCs talking about the new curry place replacing the old ramen place I became IMMENSELY distressed that Ramen Don was totally cut from the game because....well, Ramen Don is a King okay?? But I'm glad to learn that no, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, he's still in business and he's the one opening the curry restaurant lolol. PHEW, crisis averted!

-.....I don't like the sudden appearance of a Wall Reaper and being able to read NPC thoughts. Wtf happened when they left the ramen place??? Are they playing the Game alive somehow?

-Okay so I have my own theories about this "Swallow" character and what they're up to but considering this is only the Demo and I still Have No Idea What's Happening, I'm just gonna say that I think Swallow intentionally led Rindo and Fret to the Crossing so they could join the Game. I mean, add in the fact that Swallow still communicates with Rindo during the Game and you've got yourself a suspicious character right there lol

-"Hey they're shooting off fireworks!" Fret honey that's not fireworks oof (see also: "*laughs* I'm in danger")

-WOOOOOO way to traumatize Rindo right off the bat like that LMAOO

-The visuals for the intro are VERY GOOD, the song is pretty decent until it gets all "screamo" (which I absolutely cannot stand sorry lol)

-Shoka is every Customer Service employee ever and I respect that

-Susukichi went from being "meh" to "WOW THIS GUY IS FUN" in the span of 10 seconds and I also respect that (he is also built like an Absolute Unit which is hilarious)

-The Wall Reapers (and just Reapers in general) seem.....way nicer and more helpful this time around?? Like in the OG the Wall Reapers were SO RUDE gfhjgjdfkhn and yeah I'm sure we'll get some like that but the juxtaposition of the first Wall Reaper in the OG compared to the first one in NEO is insane.

-The puzzles are quite a bit more entertaining this time around even if it's generally the same "fetch quest" formula lol

-"Rindo's Group" way to go Fret HFKJDGHSDFKJ mans really left the default name in there lmao

-OKAYOKAYOKAY so to those who aren't aware I am a MASSIVE SIMP for Sho Minamimoto, he's my absolute favorite and I think about him daily. HIS INTRODUCTION IS. INCREDIBLE. I LOVE IT SM.

-GOD hearing him actually SPEAK FULL SENTENCES is just SO SURREAL I love this sm

-Also the remix of his theme???? NEO TRANSFORMATION????? IT'S SO GOOD????????? It's like gone from a Boss Theme to a more triumphant sounding theme and I am HERE for it (every version of Transformation is just INCREDIBLE and getting a new one is even better)

-I Love Him, Your Honor

-Also idk how exactly but it's kinda weird seeing Sho in the OG vs NEO, cuz while he's mostly the same Insane Math-Obsessed Catboy, he's.....calmed down quite a bit?? Like OG made a whole point of how poorly he cooperates with others (not to mention just being completely unhinged and trying to kill everyone), whereas here in NEO he's......actually kinda working with others??? HELLO???? Sir what happened to you and Neku during those 3 years I would love to know all about it

-I guarantee you Sho is still probably scheming shite and will likely pull some total insane BS later down the road, and I am very much looking forward to that. Also, is he looking for a certain Pin or something??? Cuz he keeps talking about different Pins and even mentions "this is just another Psych Pin" like he's actively looking for a Pin to do something with. Maybe it also has to do with the "latent powers of Players" thing he mentioned as well??? What is this dude UP TO oml (also is he in contact with Neku at all?? they're both technically fugitives at this point right?? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER A NEW DAY I AM BEGGING YOU)

-I seems like Sho ALSO has an idea of what's going on in this specific game (even if he won't admit it straightforward). Per his quote "The game's 142,857. Factor it out," he's essentially saying, "This game is a neverending cyle, figure out how to get out of it" (or at least that's what I got from his "cyclic number" nonsense lolol)

-I do like how Sho mostly stays out of sight until he's needed for a battle or assisting with a mission, that's kind of on par with his whole "uncooperative" quirk from the OG, plus he might literally have to stay out of sight of other Reapers and Players considering he's likely breaking the rules of the Game (not surprising considering him and Neku broke practically every rule in the book during OG)

-The nicknames for Sho- I can't- They're so FUNNYYYY GFHJSDFKJ

-He goes from being called "Pi-Face" and "Tabooty" in OG to "Mr. Minami" and "M-Teezy" in NEO LMAOO

-(Wowee I just realized I've been mostly talking about Sho oopsies sorry y'all, this is what I meant by thinking about him almost daily he is THAT much of a fav of mine ghfkjsd)

-Okay RIP Fret and Rindo for not getting literally ANY explanation as to how the Game works OOF, that is kinda cringe that whoever gets the Pin earns points, not whoever erases the Noise (which like I understand but also URRRGGHHH I WANNA SEE THE SQUAD SUCCEED)

-"I should be going home now it's getting late" Oh you sweet summer child-

-Also love the mention of parents in this game???? KH you could learn a thing or two from TWEWY (poor Rindo's mom fhgjkdh)

-KUBO IS HILARIOUS I SUPPORT HIM AND HIS GROSS FACE (also thank you Final Trailer thumbnail for spoiling my suspicions about him very cool smh)

-Kaie is a LAD I also support him, go King type those funky texts I believe in you

-FRET PLS STOP SCANNING FHGJKSDHKJFGHFKJ he's like me when I scan in OG during Weeks 2 and 3 and see Taboo Noise coming after me ghfjdshfj

-Also Rindo can you stay off your phone for TWO SECONDS ik you're trying to figure things out but Fret is a jelly boi and I don't want him to be upset with you my guy

-Sho being an actual sorta mentor to the kiddos?? Who are you sir this is so unlike you ghfgskj what happened to the guy who tried shooting children in the face 8 times over LMAO (granted he's probably just using them but it's still nice to see him actually cooperating and sharing knowledge with the kiddos aaaaa)

-EYO EIJI OJI THE TIKTOK INFLUENCER IS BACK LMAO

-hgjkfshgkjf "we aren't glorifying capitalism on my watch" THATS SO FUNNY TO ME GFHJFSDGHJKS (also an all-orange ensemble is disgusting you deserve jail for one thousand years fkn Cheddar Goldfish Cheezit ass woman)

-WICKED TWISTERS NAME DROP EYOOO we love to see it

-gfhsgjf Poor Rindo embarassing himself for the sake of the Game that's incredible

-R e t u r n t o M O N K E. That is all.

-Dialogue during boss battles is HELLA cool i love that

-HHHHH THE KANON SCENE MADE ME A N G E R Y FRET STOP SIMPING MY GUY says the girl with a Literal Simp Encyclopedia and simps for pixels on a screen daily

-Can't wait to see the other Reapers :eyes emoji:

-CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NAGI MY BELOVED YEAHHHH WOOOOOO AAAAND that's about it for the demo lolol, I absolutely CANNOT wait for next month, this game is gonna be INCREDIBLE holy hell Prepare for more simping, more screaming, and more vibing from Yours Truly :) I fully intend on sharing more general thoughts like this on both Tumblr and Twitter so it's not just reblog-retweet-reblog-retweet with the occasional comment fhgskjd

If you wanna witness my insanity up close and personal I have a Square Enix Discord server called Sea Side Dreamers! You can look it up on Disboard, or you can add me on Discord @Katara0524#9244 for a direct link :) We have topics about Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, NieR, and ofc TWEWY (as well as other topics!), so if you want some good ol' chaos and chitchat, you're more than welcome to join!

[dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt]

How are Jesse and vrox? I miss them

:’) They’re doing great Nonnie!! Just for you, here’s the SFW alphabets I wrote for them (belong the cut because they’re a tad long):

VROX:

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Vrox is very physically affectionate. Cuddling, putting his head on his partner’s shoulder, holding their hand, kissing them no matter where they are, wrapping his arms around their waist, playing with their hair, getting them in a headlock, he’s very touchy.

B = Best friend (Who is their best friend? How did the friendship start?)

Vrox doesn’t have any best friends, he has a lot of friends but the way he feels for them is kind of equal all-round. If he had to choose, he’d say Jesse is still his best friend.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Vrox is big on cuddling. If he and a partner or even a friend are sitting or lying down together, he will cuddle them. One of his favourite positions is lying with his head or his feet in his partner’s lap.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Vrox considers himself settled down. His and Jesse’s apartment is his home base that he ranges from, at the end of the day he can always come back and be disgustingly domestic and cute. He thinks cleaning is boring but he genuinely enjoys doing the dishes, because he can blast whatever music he wants and sing to it loudly and nobody is allowed to complain because he’s cleaning up. He’s not bad at all at cooking, he’s just lazy and prefers eating cereal.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He’s not great or very considerate at it. He’d probably just very clearly drift away and ghost them, until they confront him or he finally bites the bullet and breaks up with them. He’s very blunt, even if he tries to say it kindly (or not, depending on why he’s breaking up with someone) and his break-ups usually lead to fights and yelling.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Vrox is a very loyal person, but he thinks legal binding is stupid, a waste of time, and shallow compared to how he feels for his partners. He really, really doesn’t see the point, but he would go through with it if his partner wanted to, and yes he would end up crying.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He’s never really gentle gentle. He’s either rough or he’s playful or he’s intense. Varying degrees of asshole, from endearing to picking a fight. But that just means that when he is gentle, it means something much more.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He likes hugs, but he prefers giving them. His favourite hug is coming up behind someone, wrapping his arms around their waist and resting his head on the top of theirs or on their shoulder, depending on how tall they are.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Often. Vrox isn’t one to curb his emotions, if he’s feeling a lot of affection, he’ll say it. In a new relationship he says it pretty quickly and casually. Vrox feels anger very intensely, but he feels love just as fiercely.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He’s the most jealous in his trio, but he’s still not that bad. He tends to act it up sometimes to be dramatic. It’s not very deep, just little flashes of “I want them, not you” but nothing bad, and he gets over it quickly.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He’s very passionate, he goes for it without any insecurities. Sometimes he can go a bit too hard a bit too fast, but it’s not too bad.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Vrox is great with little kids, he’s the guy who waves or makes funny faces at babies in stores until they laugh. He doesn’t desperately want kids of his own, though, and teenagers tend to rub him the wrong way – he likes to be the most sullen, angry thing in the area at all times.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Vrox really doesn’t mind early mornings, but that will not stop him from complaining loudly through yawns. He likes having a long lie-in, conversation and cuddle before he gets up. Most of the time he showers early.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Normally there’s some kind of music and bad dancing, maybe chill binging of a show or movie, making dinner in the messiest way possible. Also, sex of some kind, he has a high libido and he just likes being close to those he loves. If not, definitely cuddling or sweet touching.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Vrox really can’t hide his emotions or secrets if he tries. Pretty much what you see is what you get. He will open up willingly more and more as the relationship goes on, though, about his frustrations with himself and how he wishes he didn’t have this emotion management issue.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

I know this may come as a shock, but Vrox is the least patient person on earth. Unless someone really can’t help it, then he’s a bit more considerate… but not by much.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about their partners? Do they remember every little detail they mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He tries, but sometimes info just doesn’t stick in his brain. He will occasionally forget anniversaries, but for some reason he’s better at remembering tiny insignificant details.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in their relationship?)

With Jesse, it was when he first met him, and when they had their first kiss. Nothing had ever calmed him down so quickly in his hound form and he never would have thought he would be worthy of someone like Jesse. He cried after their first kiss and just held him through the rest of the night, treasuring every second. He never stopped.

With Dante, it was when Vrox comforted him after a PTSD episode. Despite his sulking and annoyance at Dante for being so tough on him, he knows Dante only does it to keep him – and those around him – safe and that he just wants to help him. Being able to be there for him in a moment of rare vulnerability really impacted Vrox. It was also a good reminder to him that he wasn’t the only one struggling.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect their partners? How would they like to be protected?)

Vrox is protective… of everyone. If a stranger is harassing another stranger in the subway he will shove between them, if somebody is being really rude to a retail worker he will call them a dickwad. Even if it makes the situation worse, he just can’t let it go. He likes taking the spotlight off the person being attacked: he’d rather the situation escalate at him, rather than them. God help if somebody he actually cares about is being harassed. As for being protected, it makes him feel special, safe and loved.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He usually forgets anniversaries until the last minute when he runs and buys a gift. If you want to see Vrox panic, just ask him “do you remember what today is?” and he’ll shit himself. With dates he’s more casual but he always makes sure his partners have a good time. He likes giving gifts and seeing people’s faces light up, so his loved ones expect a few gifts every few months. If he sees something that even vaguely reminds him of them, he’ll buy it in an instant. 

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Let’s be honest, Vrox can be difficult to love. He has mood swings, days where he’s inexplicably furious, he can be lazy and too blunt. However, he is aware of all of these things and actively working every day to get better. His bad habits include: forgetting to vacuum until the dust bunnies start unionizing, being a few minutes late to everything, and liking mainstream pop music.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s a pretty vain bastard. He knows full well that he’s hot despite all his scars (and, frequently, bruises) and he capitalizes on it. The reason he’s late to most appointments is he’s trying to get his hair to sit exactly right (fighting a losing battle, his hair obeys no man, woman or person.)

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without their partners?)

Yes. He’d still have his friends and family that is the pack, but without Jesse and Dante he might have become a nightmare.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He wears his partners’ clothes when he’s feeling very unstable, to try and hold onto the thought of what matters most to him.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Jesse using up all the hot water with his longass showers annoys him. Dante being such a bossy, demanding asshole annoys him even more. In general he hates people who pity him or act like he’s delicate or like he’s going to blow up at them if they don’t step carefully around him.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

He usually sleeps on his stomach with his pillow in a death grip, or spooning.

JESSE:

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Jesse’s very affectionate with both words and physical touch, but the peak of his affection lies in very companionable, warm silence. He wants his loved ones to know how much he loves them all the time, with many small touches, gestures and words. He’s very encouraging and he likes holding hands – he’s gotten more comfortable doing it in public, too.

B = Best friend (Who is their best friend? How did the friendship start?)

Practically the whole pack is his best friend, everybody adores him, and he has a lot of human friends, too. He gets along great with a hound named Taylor, another named Lisa, Heath, Noah, and he’s friends with June, too. But he still considers Vrox his best friend, because that’s what they were before they started dating and that’s what they still are.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He loves cuddling, he’ll almost never protest it, but he does need his space sometimes, especially if he’s trying to concentrate on something: for example, he really doesn’t like being touched or held while he’s trying to sleep, it distracts him too much.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He feels very happily settled down. The only nagging detail in his 1910’s brain is that he’s not married yet. He’s a very good cook, since his mum and dad taught him well, and he’s very diligent with cleaning. His spaces are messy, but they’re never dirty.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He’d think about it very long and hard, and then have a heartfelt conversation with his partner and pray that it ends cordially because he never wants to hurt somebody he loves or has loved.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He is a very devoted person and was raised with a much stricter commitment policy by his parents and society at the time. When he loves somebody and he can’t imagine life without them, he’ll start to think about marriage – even just for the thought. Tying the knot is the dream.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Jesse is a very sweet person. He’s very considerate and he never wants to hurt anyone – but he’s not above playfully teasing, punching people’s arms or ruffling their hair.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He enjoys hugs a lot, he just needs to be alerted to when somebody’s going to hug him. (If Vrox is going to hug him from behind, he’s gotten in the habit of tapping Jesse lightly on the shoulder before he grabs him.) Despite the fact that he’s pretty lanky, he gives beautiful hugs, you can just tell how much he cares about you through the hug.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Jesse was reserved with those three little words for a long time, but through his years with friends and partners he’s relaxed with it a lot more. He still never wants it to lose its meaning, though, it’s never just a throwaway thing to him.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He felt a lot more insecure at the beginning of his relationship with Vrox, and because of that they opened their relationship very slowly. Now he’s very comfortable in himself and knows he’s irreplaceable, jealousy is mostly a bad memory.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He’s a very safe kisser, he knows what he’s doing and follows his partner to match their mood. He often cups his partner’s face or plays with their hair or strokes patterns on their skin while he kisses them, it’s very cute – also when he’s really having a good time he won’t be able to stop smiling which interferes with the kiss in a very cute way.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He feels very awkward around babies and very young kids because he never knows how to deal with them, but he’s very good with teenagers.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Jesse likes sleep-ins, but he also doesn’t mind getting up early – despite falling asleep late the night before. He takes most of the early shifts for his work, so he eats breakfast, has a shower, then he kisses his boyfriends goodbye and off he goes.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Jesse is a massive night owl and he’ll often stay awake till 2AM or later. He has a lot more energy at night so expect him dancing feverishly in his socks to music in his headphones while he does chores he neglected during the day.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Jesse doesn’t hide the things that happened to him, but he also never tells anyone unless they ask. He’s pretty open about his emotions, though, he knows that keeping secrets in any relationship is bound to end badly so he never lets things sit and rot, he’ll always communicate his feelings.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Jesse is a painfully patient person. He won’t lose his cool with anyone – except bigots. Unreasonable people who are just filled with hate and don’t want to learn anything or respect other people just existing? He will need to be held back.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about their partners? Do they remember every little detail they mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He remembers most things, big and little, but if he’s stressed or busy things will slip a bit.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in their relationship?)

With Vrox, it was the first night he did karaoke with him. The pack’s a bunch of idiots so they hold karaoke nights in the communal area. Jesse was still very much in his shell, but Vrox got him up on stage. Vrox was in a super good mood that night too: he didn’t try to pressure Jesse, he just told him it’d be fun with a big genuine smile and Jesse trusted him. They sang together and hammed it up in the most dramatic way possible, and Jesse was shocked by how much fun he had. It was the moment he realized he didn’t have to have his guard up around everyone, and that he genuinely liked Vrox – despite having some reservations about this abrasive white boy beforehand.

With Dante, it was when Jesse was feeling very, very low again – the lowest he’d felt since he killed himself. Dante noticed and reminded him that he was here for him, and Jesse finally took a big step and opened up. Dante dropped everything to listen and comfort him about it. It was the first time somebody had really been there for him since his parents died. He trusted somebody for the first time in a long time.

(Note: Dante dropped everything for him because he still felt guilty about not being able to be there for him when he first arrived in Hell. It had been a busy, bloody night with a lot of new arrivals, and unfortunately Jesse slipped through the cracks and had to deal with his shock, confusion and despair alone. Dante will never forgive himself for letting that happen to him, even though it wasn’t his fault.)

The first time he kissed them both were also very, very big moments for him. He holds them close to his heart.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect their partners? How would they like to be protected?)

Jesse is very protective. He doesn’t really care what people say or do to him, he’s very used to it, but if somebody goes after anyone else, he’ll be furious. Even though both his boyfriends are bigger and scarier than him and they can take care of themselves, he’ll still try and put himself between them and the aggressor – whether to defend them or try and deescalate the situation. He picks a surprising amount of fights for such a sweet guy.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

What makes a date enjoyable to Jesse isn’t the location, it’s just spending time with his partner. His dates are chill, intimate and fun. He doesn’t often get gifts for his partners, but when he does, he makes sure they’re really special. Anniversaries are important to him – but again, he doesn’t like to make a massive deal of it, he just wants to enjoy his partners’ company.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

See, letter S. He tends to get into heated arguments and not caring when the situation escalates to dangerous levels, even if he could be hurt. He uses up all the hot water in his showers, but that’s more because he has to take proper care of his hair. He can put others’ problems and emotions above his own. There are random bits of dried paint around the apartment because he zones out while he paints, gets up to get something, and forgets that he has wet paint on his hands. (Yes he has gotten paint in Vrox’s hair before and yes Vrox screamed like he was shot, to which Jesse reached out without even looking and put a big blue handprint across Vrox’s face.)

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He keeps himself looking presentable because hygiene and ‘good impressions, not just the first one’ were always drilled into him by his parents. He used to have a lot of dysphoria surrounding his appearance but since he transitioned he’s learning to be confidant and that he looks handsome and hot as fuck, as Vrox and Dante keep reminding him. He also knows that if he flashes his dimple at someone, he’ll always get what he wants because it’s just that cute. He does kind of hate his borderline baby-face though – it makes ordering drinks and getting into clubs hell.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without their partners?)

He wouldn’t be incomplete, but he definitely feels more with his partners. He’d still have a ton of friends and lovers and fuck buddies without them, but he wouldn’t feel this specific love that makes him feel more than anything else.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

His favourite food is Skittles. Vrox doesn’t understand how he can like them better than M&Ms. This petty argument has been going on for years now.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He hates that Vrox has to be caged so often, but that’s more because it makes him sad than anything else. Dante not taking care of himself and then ending up in a PTSD stress mess because he doesn’t chill and look after his own mental health frustrates him, mostly because Jesse has to pick up his pieces and help him be put back together again.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He normally sleeps on his side with his arms wrapped around himself, kind of curled up. He has nightmares often.

[randomfandomimagine]

Soul of a Warrior. Chapter 6: Light & Dark

Fandom: The Witcher

Ship: Jaskier x Nissa (OC)

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AO3

Please reblog and leave a comment, it would make my day!

A/N: As well as updating on Thursdays, I will be posting new chapters every Sunday from now on, so stay tuned twice a week 😉 Also, remember that feedback is very much appreciated 🤗

The next day, we have entered Redania and are nearing Rinde. The Pontar river flows next to us, and I gleefully watch it as we advance on foot. I am elated to be closer and my mood only improves with the company. It feels like a new beginning.

Jaskier’s voice fills the silence, as it couldn’t be other way. This time he timidly sings lyrics to a new song he’s in the process of composing.

“What will you do?” Geralt speaks, and I realize he’s looking at me. “When we reach Rinde?”

“Oh” The question surprises me a bit, so I absently look at Pal while I think of an answer. “Well…”

“She will stay with us, of course!” Jaskier answers, forgetting about his music. “Right…?”

I shrug a little, a bit conflicted. I am quite comfortable with them now, and I certainly enjoy their company. The thought of leaving them behind saddens me, but perhaps the best thing would be to spend some time alone, reflect and allow myself to heal. The loss of my home town is still an open wound, and it feels too early to move on.

“M-Maybe…?” Pal reciprocates the stare when I look at him. If only he could tell me what the right thing to do is.

“It’s fine” The witcher nods slightly, pulling Roach along himself. “Think about it”

“Yes” I smile, knowing the choice is still a bit far away. “We haven’t reached Rinde yet in any case”

I turn at Jaskier, who slides the lute to his back. His eyes are glued to the ground and he absently kicks a small rock of the many that cover the ground at our feet. As though he senses my gaze, however, he lifts his head up. I smile a bit at the sight of his lively blue eyes, and he sweetly reciprocates the gesture. Somehow, his expression is asking me to stay, to remain by their side for just a bit longer... and I want to comply.

As we walk, I step onto a small stone that rolls and makes me lose my balance. Jaskier next to me is quick to wrap an arm around me even though I quickly recover.

“Wow, careful!” He smirks when I hold on to him out of sheer surprise.

“I’m… fine…” I blink repeatedly, flustered by the sudden closeness.

“Leave her alone…” Geralt tiredly says. I have to purse my lips not to laugh at the face Jaskier makes in response.

“I’m being considerate, Geralt, I don’t want her to fall in the water!”

I snort when I look at the big space that separates us from the water. In reality, I was nowhere near falling in.

“You don’t think me capable of the terribly hard task that it is walking?” I tease him, tugging at his hand that settled on my waist and trying to get rid of it. He doesn’t leave off.

“He’s just looking for an excuse to touch you” The witcher mutters, deadpanning as usual.

“I-I-I…” The bard stutters, gawking at his friend. “Excuse me! I’m just trying to…”

“Stupid bard” I chuckle when he starts blushing and playfully wrinkle my nose at him.

“Oi, it would be a real shame if you actually fell in the water” Jaskier pushes me slightly and I yelp and cling on to him. That only causes his smirk to grow. “Not so cheeky now, eh?”

His hand squeezes my waist and I shrink against his side. Jaskier’s eyebrows arch in curiosity to my reaction and I bit my bottom lip.

“Watch your hand” I only say, maintaining eye contact.

“It is on your waist, no lower” He defends himself, intently watching me as if wishing to read my thoughts.

I don’t respond, only push against his chest ever so slightly in order to put some distance between us. His expression suddenly changes, from confused to absolutely thrilled.

“No…” Jaskier shows me a mischievous smirk. “Are you ticklish, my dear Nissa?”

My cheeks burn. The twinkle in his eyes confirms that I am in fact blushing.

“N-No…”

“Yeah you are! Oh, this is brilliant!”

“Don’t you dare, Jaskier”

“Or what?”

“I am warning you”

I lift a finger up, but my quivering lip makes the threat slightly less menacing. Ahead of us, Geralt sighs very loudly. He is mumbling something to Roach, and I manage to catch a few of the words he says.

“Why me…?”

“Ah!” I yelp when Jaskier roughly squeezes my side. “Hey!”

“I thought you weren’t ticklish” He smirks still, squeezing again.

“Stop it!” I squirm to try and get away from his grasp. “Jaskier!”

When he holds me with both hands and starts tickling me without mercy, I let go of the horse’s reins. Giggling and struggling to breathe as his nimble fingers attack me, I shrink over myself and push my shoulder against his chest. Jaskier only giggles as he watches me squirm. To lock me in place, his arms push me against his torso. In that position, I have no escape as his hands continue squeezing the ticklish spots in my sides. I try to push myself off him yet again, squeaking and laughing breathlessly and without remedy during such torture.

Pal suddenly nudges Jaskier, quite angrily, to push him off me. I see Geralt returning to our side as he notices the scene. In the meantime, I struggle to catch my breath when his attack ceases.

“Wow, little horsey” The bard immediately lets go of me, backing away. “Calm down there”

“It’s alright, Pal” I am moved that he tries to protect me, even if Jaskier could never actually hurt me.  I try to comfort my horse, caressing his neck, but he’s still a bit rattled. Pal nudges his head towards Jaskier again, causing him to yelp and step further back with an exclamation.

“Jaskier” Geralt calls him, and even if he’s leaning forward, he isn’t quick enough.

Jaskier loses his balance and falls into the water, yelling in surprise. He sinks into the river for a moment. We stand by until he scrambles to his feet once more. The water luckily only reaches up to his chest. His brown hair looks black as its dripping with water and sticking to his forehead. His expression is indescribably hilarious.

“My lute!” The bard suddenly shouts, frantically sliding it over his chest and analyzing it. He sighs in relief when he checks his most precious possession is intact. Wet, but intact.

I cover my mouth, torn between laughter and concern. When Geralt offers him a hand and pulls Jaskier out of the river, I lean towards the amusement and start giggling. Even the witcher next to me clears his throat to hide a chuckle.

“Go ahead, Nissa, don’t be shy!” Jaskier throws his hands up in exasperation, splashing water everywhere. “Enjoy my misfortune!”

The sound of his soaked clothes dripping water on the ground only causes me to laugh harder. I take a moment to recover and then place a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” I feel the need to ask, but he gasps in outrage.

“No!” Jaskier shouts dramatically. “I could have died, and my lute!”

Geralt shakes his head in amusement and continues walking, taking Roach with him and telling her how he will treasure this moment forever. I myself approach Pal, but he’s carefully watching the bard. Trying to make amends, the horse gently pushes his head against Jaskier’s shoulder.

“No, no, no” He wiggles his finger at the horse. “Don’t give me that now, you beast”

I grin as I watch the two interact. Pal tries once more. In the end, Jaskier sighs and caresses him between the eyes to settle a truce. The horse leaves him with one last nudge before returning by my side.

“He was only trying to protect me” I conclude as Jaskier frowns and watches his lute attentively. “You were attacking me after all”

“Yeah, yeah…” He mumbles, carefully wiping water drops from the instrument.

I grin and walk ahead, leaving Jaskier to his resigned mumbling and concentrated cares towards his beloved lute. Geralt is smiling a bit when I catch up with him, and his grins only widens when our gazes meet and finds that I am trying not to keep laughing.

_

Rinde is a welcome change from the extremely silent atmosphere that has gloomed over us for the past few days in Vizima. The city is bustling with people, activity and movement. There is a small market at the capital and so we indulge in curiously taking a look at the items displayed: clothes, food, herbs, jewelry, weapons… all kinds of goods.

Jaskier’s mood has improved in these few hours that it has taken us to arrive. After his clothes and hair have dried, he is back to his usual chatting and occasionally calls to show us something that catches his eye. He tugs at my wrist and takes me with him everywhere he goes. Though I laugh a little at his behavior, I manage to get rid of his grasp after a while. He is too preoccupied with curiously eyeing some poetry books to notice.

I absently wander around the market and stop before a stand displaying dresses and riding wear. All my belongings burned in the fire along with everything else in Vizima, and I wasn’t cautious enough to take any money with me. Nonetheless, I eye a comfortable looking pair of breeches and a tunic.

Although Geralt and Jaskier look slightly disheveled themselves, I honestly feel absolutely disgusting. After all the activity, my clothes are full of dirt, dust, blood and sweat. So is my skin, and I could certainly use a change of clothes. Nonetheless, it will have to wait until I can earn some coin.

The witcher suddenly halts next to me and picks up the very garments I watch. Geralt hands me the clothes, but I don’t take them and instead watch him, baffled.

“I don’t carry money with me…” Still not moving, I watch his outstretched hand.

“Just take them” He pushes them towards me and tosses a coin to the seller.

The man doesn’t have a problem taking the payment and letting me take the clothes. I myself don’t feel as willing and stand there in shock.

“Take them” He insists. “Or I throw them away”

“T-Thank you, Geralt…” I whole heartedly say, clutching them against my chest.

“Aw, that’s sweet” Jaskier rests an elbow over my shoulder, watching his friend. “See, Geralt? You’re soft, don’t deny it”

The mildly friendly expression in the witcher’s face fades instantly as he turns to the bard and glares at him. Jaskier doesn’t bat an eye and instead continues speaking.

“Here, look” As he cheerfully takes Geralt by the arm, the witcher pinches his nose in exhaustion. “I found something incredible”

I curiously follow after them, arriving to another stand. This one is full of beautiful jewels sparkling under the afternoon sun.

“Look, Geralt!” He repeats, holding up a gorgeous silver necklace with emeralds incrusted on it. The witcher glances at it with disinterest, even if Jaskier is watching me with the corner of his eye anyway. “Doesn’t it remind you of someone’s eyes?”

I giggle at his poor attempt at subtlety. Geralt grunts in aggravation. Although I open my mouth to speak, our candid moment is interrupted when someone starts shouting at us.

“You, mutant!” The seller is eyeing Geralt. “Get out of here, away from my wares!”

There is a short pause in which we gawk at the man. Then comes the retaliation.

“Oi!” Jaskier harshly drops the necklace. “What did you just say to him?”

“You heard me!” The man insists, shooing us with hand gestures. “Off you go!”

“Alright then” Jaskier hands the witcher his beloved instrument. “Geralt, hold my lute”

Unfazed by the bard’s outburst, he only holds him by the back of the doublet and pushes him away of the stand. Jaskier complains, though he is forced away from the confrontation. I want to retort back myself, but I am so shocked and outraged that the nasty words I want to dedicate that man are stuck in my throat. In any case, I open my mouth to produce any sounds. I will not let him berate Geralt in such a way.

“I… H-How dare you?!” I only manage, glaring at the man. My body is burning with anger. I kick the base of his rickety stand. “You should learn some manners, you-“

I advance towards the idiot, but the witcher makes me stumble as he drags me away from that spot as well. He has lifted me off the ground, leaning me against his side and easily carrying me away from there as though I weigh nothing to him.

“Your merchandise isn’t even that great, you pathetic excuse for a jeweler!” Jaskier continues confront him, earning an angry glare from the man. “You absolute buffoon!”

“Jaskier…” Still carrying me, Geralt hauls the bard around by the doublet.

The two of us exchange a helpless look as the witcher defuses the situation. Several pair of eyes watch us, accompanied by hushed mumbling. Once we are slightly calmer and far away enough from the marketplace, Geralt lets both of us go.

“That man deserved to get a piece of our mind” Jaskier angrily fixes his doublet.

The witcher only shakes his head. He ignores it when the bard vehemently nods back.

“If you are to travel with us, you can’t react like this” His golden eyes move from me to his friend. “You too, Jaskier”

The aforesaid mumbles under his breath, and although the words are unintelligible, I gather by the way his gaze is directed towards the man still that they are not kind words.

“Are you truly alright with this?” I demand to know, staring at Geralt.

“It isn’t the first time” His lips form a thin line, though he seems calm. “And it won’t be the last”

“You amaze me, Geralt” Jaskier takes a deep breath. “I could just punch him in the face and break his teeth”

“Hm…” He only replies. “We should search for an inn”

Trying to forget about that incident, I touch Geralt’s arm as soon as he lets go of me. Nearly sarcastically, he pats my hand. He doesn’t seem surprised nor bothered by such treatment, and it breaks my heart. One gets used to everything, it seems, even to insults. All I hope is he isn’t starting to believe in the veracity of those insults. Or that he has already.

Jaskier dramatically sighs when Geralt leads the way. My feet drag across the ground as I follow them. That interaction feels like a glimpse at what travelling with them truly is like.

“I suppose we should all rest for a bit” Pointing a thumb over his shoulder, the bard directs us to the closest inn. “We could all use a bath and some food, I am hungry”

Jaskier doesn’t wait for us as he now leads the way towards the establishment. Silent, we follow in tow.

A question hangs in the air, though neither of them says it. We have arrived, we have found a place to stay, and the dilemma lingers in my mind even if I don’t address it either. I haven’t decided what I will be doing, but surely it can wait for a few hours more, just until we get some well-deserved rest somewhere other than a forest or out in the open. Big decisions should be taken on a full stomach and a rested mind.

As we near the inn, the hubbub of voices from inside reach us before we enter. Geralt and I stop for a moment to secure the horses outside.

“You two go ahead and rent the room” Geralt is eyeing a notice board right outside the inn.

“Right” Jaskier casually walks in.

I stay behind for a moment. The look in the witcher’s eyes makes me suspicious. Is he trying to leave us alone? Before he can confirm it with an indecorous comment, I follow after the bard.

The environment is loud and lively. It smells like ale and sweat, yet somehow it feels vaguely familiar and welcoming. Too many years working in a tavern, I suppose.

Jaskier is already leaning on the reception table, talking to the woman behind it. I walk toward him. He sinks his hand on his pocket and I pout at the sight.

“Not you too…” I mumble as I stand by his side, resting a hand on his arm. Jaskier only grins and says nothing.

“Thank you, darling” He is telling her now. “You have the cutest nose, by the way”

I scoff at how he flirts with her, though he completely ignores me. The woman doesn’t seem too impressed in any case. That doesn’t erase that stupid grin from his lips.

“Jaskier…” I tug at his arm, but he shakes his head.

“Ah-ah” Dragging two coins over the counter and closer to the inn keeper lady, he then turns his body to me, nearly challenging me to change his mind. “No complaints”

“I feel terrible…” I feebly lean on the column behind me. “First Geralt and now you… You’re being too kind, and I have no way of repaying you…”

Jaskier looks at me, and I can feel how his eyes struggle to stay on mine. I cock an eyebrow at him and he grins innocently.

“Oh, I’m sure you can think of some ways to make it up to me, Nissa” The way he arches his eyebrows is suggestive to say the least. I shove my palm against his shoulder to erase the expression off his face. “Ow, alright… sorry…”

“To your left” The inn keeper woman hands Jaskier a key.

“Ladies first” He motions forwards, so I take the lead to where the rooms are. Walking to our left as the lady said, I talk over my shoulder to him, glancing ahead to watch where I’m going.

“I do appreciate what you’re doing” I tell him, earning a beautiful smile from Jaskier.

“You’re very welcome” After a few more steps, we reach the door and he unlocks it with the key. “I’m always more than happy to aid a damsel in distress”

I gawk at him in false outrage and he chuckles, opening the door for me and allowing me to step in first.

“Thank you, Jaskier” Before I come in, I leave a soft peck on his cheek. "Truly"

It’s hard not to notice how he freezes in the spot. His fingers briefly brush against his cheek there where my lips were. The bard is flustered enough to awkwardly clear his throat and take several seconds to follow after me, closing the door behind him.

“R-Right… I, uh…” As I plop down in the bed, I watch him. Jaskier trails off for a moment before he recovers his train of thought. “I… also asked for warm bath water”

“That’s lovely” I say, bringing my braid over my shoulder and starting to undo it. I absently hum a melody, that which he has been singing, as it is stuck in my head.

Watching me in silence, Jaskier sits in the other bed, facing me. His fingers fidget with the key. I avert my eyes and lowly sigh in relief when my tight braid is undone. It doesn’t help with feeling tired and filthy, but at least it’s not tugging at my scalp anymore.

“Can I ask you a question?” He suddenly utters, blinking as though his eyes are on me yet not actually seeing me.

“Of course” I reply, absently carding my fingers through my tangled hair. “What is it?”

“Do you… believe in destiny?”

“Oh… I… Well…”

“Yes?”

A dreamy and thoughtful look takes over him. I struggle to voice my thoughts on the matter. I never did believe in it, but it isn’t quite as simple as just that.

“I can’t afford to” I finally reply, shrugging a shoulder when he frowns. “If it’s set on stone, I feel as though mine is quite cruel”

“Right… I suppose…” Jaskier glances down to the rusty key between his fingers.

I can tell the moment is quite tense now, so I pipe up once more to remedy it.

“Why do you ask?” I show him a smile as soon as our gazes meet. “Are you still thinking about your new song?”

That seems to liven him up immediately. His deflated posture fixes and he grins brightly once more.

“I am, actually. Though I’ll admit: I am quite stumped with this one” He lets out an exaggerated sigh, as though he were heaving his final breath. “I can’t find the right words”

I think of something to say, but he is already standing up. Jaskier shows me a charming and flirtatious smile as he moves from his bed to set with me in the other. Our sides brush together as he places an arm over my shoulders.

“Would you like to be my muse, Nis?”

“Don’t start, silly”

“You’re the one that kissed me!”

“On the cheek”

“You still kissed me”

“It was on the cheek!”

He lets out a chuckle that I find too adorable. I refuse to fall for his charm again and so I push him away. Leaving him lonely, I stand from the bed and tower over him. His eyes resemble those of a puppy dog as he looks up at me.

“I am taking a bath” I hold a hand up before he can say anything, which he was, judging by the way his lips started moving. “You may keep any related comments to yourself”

“Or what, my lady?” When he tilts his head, the hair falls over his eyes but he doesn’t move it. “You will have our trustworthy witcher beat me?”

“Or I can do it myself” I smirk and turn around, denying him the chance of a witty response.

_

The shift of temperature is shocking at first, but I relax into the warm water and sink further into the bath. It seems to magically untangle all knots in my muscles. A deep sigh escapes my throat. I needed this.

Although the noises of the inn sound muffled through the walls, the silence is slightly overwhelming. Being used to Jaskier’s voice proves bothersome when presented with its absence. With his absence in general. Even with Geralt’s absence despite his usual silence.

It is the first time in nearly a week that I am actually completely left alone. No matter how much I appreciate their company, it now allows me to breathe and think more clearly. The decision at the back of my mind arises with the reflective mood I am currently in. As I absently scrub my arms with soap, I consider the possibilities.

Returning home is obviously not one of them. I am forced to move on one way or another, but there are many ways to do so. Rinde seems as good place as any. The important question is… alone or with them? This newfound quietness and tranquility is comforting, yet I am unsure that I would grow used to it, that it wouldn't turn into a curse soon. After I lost Kader, Hana was always by my side. I hadn’t been truly alone in my life, and neither did I want to. Moments of isolation? Of course. A lifetime of loneliness? Absolutely not.

I wince when the bar of soap presses against a superficial wound that I had forgotten about. On the outside face of my arm, the cut I earned on the mountains remains. It is nearly completely healed , but it will leave a small scar. Despite how harrowing those events were, my mind clings on to the positives of our endeavor. The way we protect each other, Geralt’s reluctant smiles and hums of amusement, even his grunts of annoyance and glares. Jaskier, of course, is in my mind as well. The way his lively blue eyes land over me, his bright smile, his ubiquitous voice, whether singing or teasing or rambling.

The water feels slightly cold now, and so I busy myself with actually taking a bath rather than mindlessly sitting in it. Once done cleaning the remnants of dirt, blood and sweat from my skin, I move on to my hair. As my hands move automatically, I imagine how different my life would be without them. And I can’t stand how empty it would feel. Not long ago, they were completely strangers. Geralt was nothing but a witcher, a mutant I was too afraid and distrusted of due to past experiences. Jaskier was only a meddling bard who could be too talkative and annoying at times. Yet now…

I tried to pretend like I was conflicted, though there was honestly no choice to make.

_

The new clothes fit me quite well, and are definitely an improvement to my old and tattered garments, even if they are slightly too large, especially the tunic that nearly poses as a dress reaching my thighs. I have to tight my belt around it so it comfortably clings to my waist instead.

When I return to the room, Jaskier is gone. One of the three beds is occupied with saddlebags that I recognize from Roach’s mount. Geralt must have passed by, probably preparing for a witcher job or something of the sort. I notice Jaskier’s lute is nowhere to be seen just as I recognize the sound of his singing voice through the walls. Of course he’s out there singing.

Exiting the room, I walk into the common area where the music fills my ears. At that moment, he is playing a cheerful jig that has some people quite entertained. I quietly walk to a side of the establishment and lean on a column. When I pay attention to the lyrics, I cross my arms and shake my head in disapproval for the song’s childish sexual content, even if it pulls a chuckle out of me. I watch him fondly as he performs, standing on a table. He is wearing his white undershirt that suits him so well. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing his forearms as they move at the rhythm of the tune. His eyes vividly wander around the room, squeezing every ounce of excitement that his music produces in the room. They suddenly fall over me. His entire face lights up as he grins bright and winks an eye at me. I smile back before I can realize I am.

Just then, Jaskier finishes the song and lets the last note ring dramatically. A few of the people applaud and go over to leave some coins in the open case of his lute on the ground. With a theatrical bow, the bard thanks them and prepares to play another song. Quite briefly, his gaze returns to me as he strums the first chords. I laugh when I recognize it immediately and mouth the words along with him.

“When a humble bard…” We both grin at each other from opposite ends of the room. “Graced a ride along…”

People easily catch up as well, starting to loudly sing the infamous song. This is distracting enough for him to get quite into his performance, drunken in his success as everyone is soon loudly chanting along. I myself tap my foot with the catchy rhythm.

He thrust every elf

far back on the self

high up on the mountain

from whence it came

He wiped out your pest

got kicked in his chest

He’s a friend of humanity

so give him the rest

A pang of guilt suddenly stings me in the chest. My grin fades away. I had never noticed certain aspects of the song. Now they seem quite disturbing.

I understand that Jaskier wrote that song for Geralt, to rid him from his awful fame as the butcher of Blaviken. I used to believe it as well, which didn’t help me in trusting him. Now that I know him personally, though, I realize how unfair that title was despite not having witnessed the events that developed. But Jaskier’s lyrics paint the elves in a bad light, and it upsets me. The bard had only been charming, sweet and playful towards me. That side of him is now revealed to me, almost like it wasn’t there before. Faced with the truth, I lower my head and exit the inn. The contrast of the silent night is jarring.

Just as I plop down in the wooden platform outside of the building, everyone starts loudly singing the chorus. Toss a coin to your witcher, o valley of plenty… The voices are too distracting as I try to wrap my head around these astonishing contradictory feelings.

The cool night breeze is refreshing, seemingly clearing my confusing thoughts. I had everything completely wrong, didn’t I? I believed Geralt to be an emotionless mutant who only cared about coin and I realized he could be even more human than some men. I thought Jaskier was pure and untainted, but he had a darker side as well. Nonetheless, why does it bother me so much? I was just starting to see him as a friend rather than a stranger. That was just what he was now, a friend if anything at all.

I absently look out to the horizon, shaped by the buildings that stand in the way and shadow the beautiful colors of dusk as the sunlight caressing my face slowly fades away.

“There you are” His voice next to me makes me jump slightly. I didn’t realize the song was over. “What’s the matter?”

“You startled me” I mumble, surprised by my racing heart.

“Not that” He sits by my side and tilts his head to establish eye contact. “You walked away in the middle of my performance”

“Oh, that…”

“Yeah, I feel quite hurt” I reluctantly smile when he presses a hand against his chest.

“Jaskier…”

“I thought you enjoyed my songs”

“And I do”

He knocks his knee against mine, and his voice acquires a more serious tone now.

“Tell me, Nissa” I glance at him, only to find with such a tender and innocent expression that it moves me.

My doubts seem to vanish, but the song still echoes in my mind.

“When did you write the song?”

“Oh” Jaskier straightens up, proudly. “When I first met Geralt in Posada, we-“

“It’s not true” I interrupt him, knowing he might start rambling, as he does.

“Pardon me?”

“That’s not what happened with the elves”

His moment of pride vanishes as he averts his gaze. Just as I thought.

Our encounter with Yaevinn burns fresh in my mind, as I am sure it will for a long time still. And although I wasn’t there with them that other time, I know Jaskier’s song wasn’t quite truthful. Just the fact that he called the elf an ‘it’ gave me a hint. Sadly, I know why he wrote it like that. And he himself explains as he opens his mouth and replies.

“No…” Jaskier absently pinches the strings in his lute to avoid my gaze. “Filavandrel let us go, just like that”

"Then ‘it’ showed mercy” I shake my head, looking up at the stars that timidly shine over us. “Why did you write the song like that?"

I notice him frowning at my disappointed tone. However, he shows me a sarcastic smile and tilts his head in consideration.

"Would you have liked a song about the grief of the elves, humanizing them?"

"Yes, of course! It would have been more beautiful and more real than this lie"

"Well, you're not like everyone else, Nissa"

I stare at him, properly seeing this darker side of him. During all this time I had only known the gentle Jaskier, the kind man that comforted me when I lost everything, who did his best to make me smile, or fluster me with his flirting and teasing. It wasn’t until I heard his famous song again that I realized about his cunningness.

“How do you know so much about elves, in any case? Beyond… you know”

“My brother told me, he was well traveled”

“He must have been insufferable”

I open my mouth in outrage, but his playful smirk lets me know he’s not being entirely serious. Acknowledging his attempt to lighten up the mood, I chuckle.

“He could be at times” I nudge Jaskier, elbowing him in the ribs. “But then again, so are you”

The bard winces, pushing a hand against his chest in heartache. I laugh again, and he can’t help but to smile at the sound.

“There is more to life than fame and fortune”

“Oh, is there now?”

“Yes, do you realize that?”

“I’m starting to, my dear Nissa” Jaskiers reaches out to push my long dark hair behind my ear. I become flustered. Even if the gesture is quite chaste, against all odds, it makes me shiver. I watch him expectantly, waiting for him to do something else. To say something cheeky or do something cocky. Soon enough, he does, yet not in the way I imagined. “You look prettier”

“Prettier?”

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re always pretty” He smiles, nearly bashfully. “But now, under the moonlight... you are absolutely glowing”

The compliment is genuine, devoid of any of his usual flirtatious tone. To further baffle me, Jaskier averts his gaze as though he doesn’t deem himself worthy of contemplating such beauty.

I look at his hand placed between the two of us. My fingers move, considering resting against his. However, Jaskier suddenly stands up.

“Ah, Geralt” He mutters, causing me to look up and forget about it completely.

The witcher has indeed returned. He gives us a side glance as all signs that he recognizes our presence. Then, tightly pursing his lips, he moves on to where Roach patiently waits outside the inn. He picks something up from the saddle and saves it in his pocket.

“What is it?” Jaskier asks, hovering behind him. Geralt sternly pulls at Roach.

“It’s not an ordinary vampire” I frown in confusion until I remember he’s returning from a witcher job. “It’s a bruxa”

“A what now?”

“A bruxa, Jaskier. They are very powerful vampires”

He blinks repeatedly, watching me in awe. When he quickly turns to Geralt, however, the smile that nearly reached his mouth vanishes. I understand why, as I wasn’t used to seeing that intensity in his golden eyes either.

“Huh… Watch out, Geralt, Nissa here might steal your job”

The bard’s attempt to lighten the mood fails miserably as the witcher ignores it. He moves with adamant determination, and we quietly follow behind him. I take Pal with us too. To our surprise, the witcher doesn’t oppose.

_

The outskirts of Rinde are isolated and eerie. Only a few lonely trees fill the vast wasteland around us. The ground under our boots is soft, covered in green moss and dark brown soil. The temperature drops the more we distance ourselves from the city.

Although Geralt has now voiced his annoyance with us following after him, we make a strong case saying we are a team and have his back... despite the fact that neither Jaskier nor I are as skilled as a witcher, or even as a warrior, especially in the bard’s case. None of that matters, at least three pair of eyes see better than two or one.

I jolt up and cling on to Jaskier’s arm when an unnatural sound floats around us. No matter how embarrassed I am by my gesture, he seems to reciprocate. Seeking my comfort as well, his hands seeks my own.

“W-What…” He gulps, squeezing my hand tight. “What, uh… What the hell… Was that the…?”

“Yes” The witcher dryly says, taking ahold of his silver sword. It glistens with some sort of oil. “Stay here”

We are more than happy to follow his instructions, but as soon as he takes one step, they are rendered useless. We aren’t any safer staying here.

A man runs our direction, waving his arms and calling for help. His attacker soon appears amongst the darkness of the night, lunging at him. It is a pale creature, looking as though it tried to resemble a woman with dark hair but failed miserably. If that was an actual woman, she would be deadly ill and deranged.

Geralt yells and wildly swings his sword, but it’s too late. The bruxa is already feeding on that poor bastard, devouring him alive with visceral hunger. The witcher cusses loudly. Feeling light-headed at the sight, I turn my head in the other direction. My stomach turns and I feel sick. There’s so much blood. Jaskier has the exact same reaction as we both face our backs to the cruel violence. Our palms urgently press together. The man’s screams only worsen our state. The metallic sound of Geralt’s sword slaying the bruxa’s flesh is just as harrowing. A deafening screeching noise follows. The three of us groan in unison, gritting our teeth as the shriek resonates in our very bones. I stick to Jaskier’s side, clutching his hand as I wait for it to end. Two thuds distract us from the unsettling feeling that has nestled within us. The sound has fortunately stopped.

“Fuck!” The gruff voice says not far from us. The both of us run to the witcher just as he collapses on the ground. Our hands drift.

“Geralt!” The creature has bitten through his thick leather pauldrons, and his black clothes are now stained with crimson blood. I grimace when I notice a good part of his neck skin is missing, revealing even more blood. My eyes then move to the figures on the ground.

The poor man is now dead, lying motionless on the ground. Blood covers his corpse, and his skin has brutally been ripped out in several places. The bruxa, although managing to injure Geralt before being slayed, now lies dead as well. The sight is absolutely ghastly.

I tremble slightly while Jaskier tries to pull the witcher to his feet. I am about to do move to help when I hear that hissing sound once more. The bruxa is still alive. It has killed a man. It has hurt my friend. Suddenly I am filled with anger and move on an instinct as I shout and pull out my dagger. The creature hisses defiantly when I face it.

“Nissa, no!” An urgent tug at my wrist sends me stumbling backwards.

As I recover my balance, the witcher sends one of his magical signs to the bruxa, that goes flying backwards and away from us.

“Get to the horses” Geralt brushes Jaskier’s hand off his arm. “I’ll be there in a moment”

“But-“ I stupidly mutter, eyes darting from him to where the creature disappeared from.

“Now!” It is thanks to his command that Jaskier pulls at me to do as we were asked.

“We need to get him some bandages” He reminds me, still tugging at me. “Nissa?”

Nodding my head, I realize he is right. Even if he says it in a desperate attempt to divert my attention from the deathly peril the witcher is currently in, I resign myself to go with Jaskier and reunite with the horses.

My bones seem to bounce with how violently I am stepping as I run. My heart beats in my throat. When we finally reach Pal and Roach not far from us, I hurry to search the saddlebag. Pal stirs, perhaps sensing my restlessness. I cling on to the bandages as soon as I find them.

“You have been traveling with him for a while” I mutter to Jaskier as my fingers struggle to fasten the bag closed. “How do you not have a nervous breakdown worrying about him?”

“Sometimes I’m just in as precarious situation as he is, to be honest” He chuckles, leaning a hand on the saddle. It is shaking lightly.

“That’s not funny” I glare at him, playing with the gauzes in my hands.

“You usually laugh at my jokes…” Jaskier defends himself, shrugging one shoulder.

“Not when… when... Melitele, that was… so violent…” I gulp, scrunching the fabric I hold. “And Geralt…”

My friend stands before me, resting his hands over mine so I stop tightening them more and more. My knuckles have turned white from how much force I inflict upon those bandages.

“He will be alright”

There is a tired yet uplifting look in his eyes when they lock with mine. I heave a trembling sigh, glancing down to his fingers over mine. They are warm and comforting no matter how lightly they lean against my skin.

The both of us look behind Jaskier when a figure makes his way closer to us. Geralt drags his feet over the ground as well as his sword. His free hand is putting pressure on the wound and his jaw is tightly clenched. Once again, I forsake the comfort Jaskier provided me with and run to the witcher.

“Are you alright?” I anxiously ask him as I stop before him.

“Never better” He sarcastically grins at me.

“Don’t give me that, Geralt” Making sure not to touch his wound, I push down on his shoulders to save the height difference.

The witcher grunts in annoyance despite letting me move his hand away. I exhale in anguish when I closely look at the wound. Forgetting about the nasty sight, I fold some of the bandages and push them against his tore skin. He grunts again.

“At least Nissa makes a good medic” Jaskier hesitantly watches over my shoulder. I don’t pay attention to him in favor of the injured witcher.

Using the remaining bandages, I wrap them around the folded ones and tightly tie them over his shoulder blade to keep them in place. That should hopefully stop the bleeding.

Not waiting for my blessing, Geralt then walks past me and closer to Roach. He doesn’t speak to address what happened. He seems eager to leave. He doesn’t speak at all.

_

Geralt hasn’t said a word. Something tells me that man wasn’t the only victim he witnessed at the hands of the vampire. That explains the gloom expression he bore when he quickly returned to the inn for supplies.

“I… Geralt…” Jaskier tries. His voice quivers as he closely watches his friend.

“Fuck off” He replies, not bothering to glance at us. There is anger in his voice as well as in the way his hand aggressively pushes against the wound on his neck.

Jaskier and I exchange a concerned look in response to his stubbornness. Geralt drags himself to the room, with us closely behind.

“You need to talk to us, back there…” When we reach the door, he quickly turns to us. That is enough to silence me, given the dangerous glint in his eye.

I freeze as I hold his gaze. He doesn’t say anything else, only stomps into the room. Trying to follow after him in order to comfort him for his certain distress, I take a step. Jaskier pulls at my arm just in time to avoid me getting hit with the door as Geralt slams it closed.

“We should leave him alone” Jaskier speaks next to me, voice gloom. “Give him a moment…”

“No, he’s clearly upset!” I turn to Jaskier, who sighs. His brow is furrowed in worry.

“Trust me, Nissa” Slightly defeated, he lets go of my arm. His gaze drops, even if he briefly lifts it back up in hesitance. “It’s best if we give him some space”

I feel too restless to do nothing, so I reach out for the doorknob. Jaskier is quick to hold my wrist before I can turn it.

“I just told you-”

“I’m talking to him”

He shakes his head, pursing his lips tightly.

“That’s not a good idea, love” Jaskier gently tugs at my hand, but I am not convinced. “You haven’t seen him when he gets like this”

“Well, I’m going to” Giving up to my stubbornness, he lets go of my hand with an exasperated flourish and gestures for me to be his guest and give it a try. I pause to take a deep breath.

I knock on the door and wait, earning no answer. At least that’s better than being yelled at again. Jaskier and I exchange a glance, and he nods encouragingly at me. Cautiously opening the door and peeking inside, I find Geralt facing his back to me as he sits on the bed.

“Do you mind if I come in?” I utter timidly, but he doesn’t move.

Hoping I’m not tempting fate, I step inside and close the door behind me. Jaskier is already walking away, resigned to patiently wait for me while I try and talk to the witcher. The room sinks into silence when the commotion of the tavern is muffled by the walls. I open my mouth, only to close it again. Words rarely escape me, but I am timorous of saying the wrong thing.

“You don’t have to, but…” I believe that’s a good start when he lightly turns to me. “But I’m here if you want to talk”

He is clutching his shoulder dripping with blood, forcefully pressing the bandages against his wound to stop the bleeding. My words make him frown thoughtfully.

“I know I can’t save everyone” Geralt speaks in a monotonous voice, still not facing me.

He did speak, however. A feeling tells me I’m on the right track, so I try to say something more. Nonetheless, I dare not to walk closer.

“I’m not Jaskier, I know when to shut up” I joke, smiling at him, but he only dips his head.

Geralt might not be the bubbliest person, but I know in other circumstances he might have hummed in amusement to my silly little comment. Instead of holding it against him, however, I lean on the door behind me, resting my hands between it and my back. I am willing to stand there in silence for as long as he needs to. All night if necessary. Even if he didn’t say a word after that. I just refuse to leave him alone. Unless he asks me to.

“There were more people there” To my shock, he speaks again. “Many more”

I hope I manage to conceal my surprise when we lock eyes. Geralt is clenching his jaw in annoyance, but for the first time I can read the genuine emotion and regret in his eyes. He is unwilling to voice the effect it had on him, though he does not need to. He doesn’t have to keep speaking for me to understand how much it weighs on him. However, he continues to talk. And I listen in silence.

“I wasn’t fast enough” He tightens his fists. His voice sounds deeper than usual, if that’s possible. There is a certain pain in it that makes it sounds hoarse and broken. “When I got there, the bruxa was already shredding them to pieces”

I grimace at the mental picture, furthermore when the images of what I witnessed vividly return to me. However, I remain faithful to my purpose here.

“You did what you could, Geralt” I watch him intently, but he averts his gaze. “It was not your fault, you… you did your absolute best”

The witcher doesn’t reply, and quits glancing in my general direction from the corner of his eye. Seeing that my words aren’t quite having the desired effect, I slowly approach him. He doesn’t complain about it, so I sit by his side, although not extremely close. I want to leave him a bit of space. The witcher doesn’t move nor respond. For a moment, we sit there in complete quietness. I hope my presence at least proves comforting to him if only by my moral support.

The door suddenly swings open with a creek, and I look to see Jaskier. Geralt doesn’t turn. The bard interrogates me with his gaze, so I nod. Understanding what I mean, Jaskier walks in. Before he can accidentally ruin all progress, I shove a finger against my lips. Obedient, he resigns himself to stand there quietly and leave it to me.

Geralt briefly sighs, looking away from both of us. I glance over my shoulder to Jaskier, who frowns slightly when we lock eyes. He nods encouragingly and I continue speaking.

“They may not realize it, but the world needs people like you” I cautiously reach out to rub his arm, but he pulls away. A soft yet deeply sarcastic chuckle leaves his lips.

“You are too kind, Nissa...” At least he’s saying something now. “I thought people needed me too”

“I-I don’t mean witchers” I correct myself, realizing my thoughts didn’t quite come through as I intended. “I meant good men, like you. Someone kind and strong capable of protecting them, not only from the creatures that witchers hunt”

“I’m not a human” He insists, seemingly sunken into a pessimistic state that will be hard to pull him out of.

“Well, still-“

“I appreciate the sentiment” His golden eyes seem darker than usual as he looks at me. “But what you’re saying is not true”

“It is to me” I timidly shrug to show him I’m being genuine, I truly believe what I’m telling him.

“To me too, Geralt” Jaskier slowly nods his head, trying to convey how honest he’s being.

I look at Geralt and catch a glimpse of the beginning of a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his mouth in the end.

“I… You better cheer up, grumpy” I pat his shoulder, also giving it a gentle squeeze to let him know that, while I am joking, I do mean my words. “Or else I will have to put up with Jaskier tonight on my own”

A proper smile, no matter how small, finally reaches his lips. Geralt nods his head in acknowledgement. Quietly, yet he does.

“Hang on a minute” Jaskier catches up to what I’m trying to do and joins in. “You are not ‘putting up with me’, alright? You are being blessed with my charming presence”

“Yeah” I wrinkle my nose at him. “Of course we are”

Jaskier purses his lips trying not to smile. A glint appears in his eye. Geralt only grunts. He is slowly returning to being himself.

“Now” I face Geralt once more, slowly approaching him to ensure it won’t bother him. “Let me take a look at that wound before you bleed to death”

He doesn’t complain when I stand before him, so I reach out for his wound. I gulp when I see the blood, and my hands are shaking slightly. No matter how many times I have watched Shani do this in Vizima, I haven’t treated anyone myself.

“Since when are you a medic, Nissa?” Jaskier sits down in the other bed, in front of Geralt.

“I’m not” I grimace as I watch the worrisome wound that won’t stop bleeding. “But I knew someone in Vizima who was”

I ask Jaskier to fetch me the satchel and he quickly does, returning to his spot in the bed after handing it to me. I gather some alcohol and bandages from it and return to putting pressure over the wound, waiting for it to quit bleeding.

“I often went to visit her and learned a few things about treating wounds” I continue in the hopes that my story is distracting Geralt. “Hana didn’t like that I spent so long around sick or injured people, though”

Their eyes are on me, which rattles me a bit. I try to focus on his shoulder instead. It is a hard task, as I hear the bard offering Geralt to squeeze his hand if he’s in pain. It is quite distracting when he chuckles as well, but groans when the witcher slaps his outstretched hand away.

When the wound finally stops bleeding thanks to my efforts, I drench the clean side of the fabric in alcohol and gingerly press it against Geralt’s shoulder. He groans but doesn’t flinch.

“Since you’re keeping me alive” He says, looking up at me. “I’ll share my coin with you”

“You’re keeping you alive, Geralt” I shake my head at him. “I’m only patching you up in any poor way that I can”

“I wasn’t asking, Nissa”

“Does that make me the group’s unofficial medic?”

“Yes” The witcher smirks. “Though you might treat Jaskier more often than me”

“Oi!” The aforesaid complains, pointing a finger at him in vexation.

Geralt rolls his eyes, and I have to grin while I continue my cares. I am suddenly enveloped by a feeling of warmth. I have seen the light and dark side of them, of their company and their endeavor. And with it all, I am certain that I have made the right decision.

Tag list: @x-joie-x​ / @x-jodi-x​ / @dancingwith-thesunflowers​ / @golden-guide​ / @alwayshave-faith​ / @this-is-whump-dammit​ / @legallyblindgamer727​ / @lilyevans1​ / @kingniazx​ / @molethemollie // Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list to be notified when I post next chapter!!

[stone-man-warrior]

December 10, 2020: 3:15 pm:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawman_theory

If you are learning about modern day terror pirates, Russian Mother of all Hoaxes and how to zoom around to see in with Cracker Jack Secret Decoder Ring w/Way-Back Machine Attachment, Global Domination Under the Cross, and Crewed Oil, then, you need to know the legend of the Strawman.

You need to go into the Russian Mother Hoax and fly around for this.

There is a Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, hates fire, won‘t go near a Bar-b-Que, bonfire, or ride a motorcycle without a spark arrrrrestor on it. He says he has no brains. Seems pretty smart to me, knows about fire science.

There is other kinds of Strawman inside the Russian Fractal of Lies.

One is the guy that is said to have access to some guns, if you need a gun, are not willing to go near the gun store, like a bar-b-que and a Scarecrow, then, you go see the Strawman, who is like a Martinizer at a Chinese Laundry, before the Chinaman was killed there, or, like a Amp Guru, can wave a magic wand, put a blessing, there could be some smoke, some guitar players could disappear when that happens. So, Gun Strawman is an important guy in the Russian Fractal Hoax Mother. Multi-Purpose, full service special cleaners, just go get a Big-Gulp, and a straw, at the craps table. “new shooter, comin‘ out!”

Then, there is that other, mysterious Strawman that I linked there.

That, is the Wikipedia Page is the Gnosis Version. It’s all sprinkled with bullshit, lies, deception, is like a treasure map for pirates, has secret messages for guidance in dense fog. There is way too much bullshit at the Wiki, so, we go this other way, towards the secret truth:

I don’t have all of the answers. I have some.

So, you get hauled into a courtroom somewhere, for some reason, could be a parking ticket you have to pay, or, could be car insurance you have to show, or some other small thing where you need to talk to the Courthouse Martinizer Dry Cleaner Amp Guru Power Circuit Mother of all Knowledge friendly Canadian Representative there at the front counter of the County Court House & Shipyard.

There, they show you some paper with your name on it. The reason you went there is explained in a receipt of some paper. The Court Magistrate Martian shows that your name is written in all CAPITAL LETTERS.

HEYSUES Q. CITIZEN

For instance.

“Jesus... is that my name? All Caps?” you say.

“Yes. That is your name. All Caps.” says the Magistrate Docking Clerk.

They explain:

“When you come to the courthouse, and then, after that, forever, you are hereby under Maritime Law, “Three Miles Out to See” they say. Your name is forever to be etched in all capital letters, even when you see it in other ways, it’s still always going to be all capital letters, because you came to the courthouse today, that’s why. So, that means that your name, as a Maritime Courthouse Subject, is henceforth a Strawman, your real ID is always Capitalized, for evermore, and you are under Maritime Law. So, pay your parking ticket at the cash register on the Starboard Side, and show your Auto Insurance Card to the people at the Port Side Shipping Lane as you exit the building”

Basically, that is “The Strawman”. All of that Wikipedia, is bullshit Gnosis they used to keep the truth under the plimsoll, out of view.

3:53 pm.

=============================

4:07 pm:

https://robertkeeley.com/

Bob Keeley. Comes from the email promotions at Hollywood Terror Choir Command HQ.

He is laying down some tracks here, there is some talk about the Strawman right there in that SYNTH-1, second from left.

Let’s have a look.

Let’s see... three areas, grey, blue, red... some knobs, different size ones... two kinds of switches... a BFK in the middle. (”Big Fucking Knife”, is also a Burger King Menu Item, subliminally... “Let’s go get a BFK, I’m hungry!)

The stuff is all arranged there nice and neat, looks cool, I want one.

There is something about those buttons there at the bottom in red... Idunno what it is, but looks kinda weird somehow, ... hmmmmmm... we can figure that out later.

Stuff like that, is often arranged with pleasing to the eye proven means developed by advertising experts long ago, helps to sell products when they look good, and the idea is mostly for the ad that is in the newspaper or catalogue for the products, is called CRAP.

If it looks like CRAP, it’s good, sell it.

C ontrast

R epetition

A lignment

P roximity

CRAP, those are the rules of advertising. Works with warfare too.

So, those other three items are much easier to see the CRAP than the SYNTH-1 is from Bob Keeley, but, the CRAP is there. There is one place where the CRAP is not there, and that is with those two buttons on the bottom in red with the BFK between.

Let’s look at the other parts of the thing first.

Three triangle arranged knobs in a field of grey, with a bigger knob to the upper right in a blue box. Some houses in a neighborhood with a 7-11 on the corner. The houses are tract houses, all the same. The people go to the corner store, get too much good stuff, and a Big Gulp, then go back home.

Those guys on the bottom in red though... they are right there, looks kinda weird, like they are baby sitting the neighborhood.

Maybe that big knob on the corner is the courthouse, and those knobs in the grey are the whole county, all arranged in a triangle of three-ness.

If so, who are the guys in the red zone? They are at the Burger King, have sharp stuff, lots of electronics there, “Wave Generator”, it says. (have you been to the 7th Street BK?. Kiersten Nielson of DHS was killed in defense there. Don’t go there without first understanding all about Bob Keeley.)

Those two buttons in the red area, one is round, port holes are round. That round one is the kind you have to stomp on hard to make it switch, is indestructible, made special for stomping on, has two positions.

That other one, has three positions, is kinda whimpy, easy to roll over, it’s called a Rocker Switch, is rectangle shape, looks like a smart phone video on the vertical setting, sort of, or Picture Window w/three different ways to let the air in, shows waves, air waves, sound waves, electronic current waves, ocean waves, people in the stands at a football game doing “The Wave”... (sorry, fractal decoder glytch happened, too many waves)

The red is below the Plimsoll.

Ok, now we have some sheets to the wind in the Fractal Viewer.

Bob Fuller, Fulltone. He makes stuff that is absolutely indestructible. There is no junk at the Fultone shop, it’s all built like a battleship. Robert Fuller is that round button in red.

Even looks like a battleship at the Fulltone shop, Venice/Santa Monica area of the Pacific Coast.

https://www.fulltone.com/

You need to go there, take a ride in a stealth dingy around there, quietly, Bob’s have the best electronics, swords, RADAR, SONAR, and the took over Raytheon in Colorado a long time ago, so, they have more and better equipment than does the US Military there, I am not exaggerating. The people from that part of the Russian Hoax Fractal Mother invented Raytheon, way back in the early 1970′s when Raytheon was just a maker of SONAR fish finders for fishermen, and somehow that invention was souled to the US Defense Department, probobly when Ronnie Reagan (Raygun) became US President, he was SAG President at the time he was “Elected”.

Conclusion:

The SYNTH-1 is a Aircraft Carrier, the three knobs in grey are Flying V’s on the flight deck. That other bigger knob in blue is the Flight Control Tower. Those buttons on the bottom in red, are distributing Chum into the water. The Chum is the US Navy after those two Bob’s w/BFK got to them.

Those other three items in the Keeley ad are supporting members for the shipping and warfare concert, are like USO shows featuring Bob Hope aboard ship for entertaining the US Crew during war-time.

The brought with them:

Pretty Girls

Coffee Maker

Ammonium nitrite

Lots of electronic equipment, cameras, recording gear, boxes to carry all of that, helicopters were provided for transportation to and from the boats.

The Bob Hope Traveling US Takeover Show was given special protective crew assigned to them for USO shows.

This part of the Fractal Hoax of Russian Lies is deep.

It goes to HWY 111 in Palm Springs to a house with a pool that is also a fish aquarium for big fish in the California desert. More available w/personal interview please from nsa or other Global Security persons.

NOT FOR HIRE. FOR FREE.

5:17 pm.

========================================

5:35 pm:

I have some glue for sticking together puzzle parts from Burger King to Dairy Queen, it’s Royal Glue, very expensive HMS Glue.

You go inside either of those two places, and the same condition can be seen.

Walk through the door, look to the left. There are some booths there by the big window. One of the most central of those booths, at either place, is going to have some stuff on the table, but there is no one there, just some personal items on a table.

no matter who you are, that is going to be your stuff after they kill you there. Part of the set-up is some personal items on a table at the Royal Take-Away.

I have seen many ways that stuff is arranged and used. There are too many ways, and can always change to suit the HMS Hamburger.

At Burger King, the items are almost always electronic items, a computer lap-top opened up and running is there on the table, maybe some reading glasses, and a smart phone on a small stand like a little tiny tripod for smart phone video conference is there on that table. You go in, make your order, there is always confusion, they don’t hear what you said, explain you can have super size, or something for free, or some problem is happening with the Burger King Order Taker’s Electronic Headset, one that has three blinking lights on the wrap-around microphone part, red, green, more red color lights on it, all blinking near that representatives mouth. That is when two thugs come into the store there, as you are mesmerized by the blinking lights, and are confused about why is the order taker talking to the people in the Drive Through when you are inside the store at the front counter.

The people who came in behind are releasing a lot of nitrous gas, you see them, hear that that are talking about you as if they know who you are, and they call you by name like a old friend just happened to come in there as you are ordering. That’s when the front counter person w/blinking mouthpiece shoots the .25 custom made gun. The people behind who say they know you, are there to offer some “help” first aid in the parking where there is a Pontiac Catalina 1968 V-8 400 Big Block 4 door waiting.

That is when all of that stuff on the table is going to be your stuff. no one knows what the heck is on that hard drive or in that phone, as you disappear into the parking with your new friends.

Same thing at Dairy Queen. The difference is that the items are not electronics on the table, it’s a motorcycle helmet, and there is a Green Harley Davidson out front, has a Tractor Seat Saddle, is for a “Loaner”, no room for female on the Bitch Seat at the Dairy Queen.

I don‘t go to the Dairy Queen very often, just enough to pick up some Royal HMS Glue to put hear in noble size globs.

I do know more about the Burger King though, sometimes, I just go there knowing that someone has to do some national security, so, I go there, to do that... all I need to do, is light a Bic Lighter, then go home and have a Whopper.

Please send help.

Please send US Military.

Bring your own Hospital

Please send some medical services to Oregon.

no help has come. There are no signs of helpful people to be found anywhere.

=============================

6:31 pm:

By the way, the Department of Motor Vehicle Attack Scenario is still open ended, has not matured or come to fruition as of today, but there is still much time for that, and, I’m reminded of the DMV and it’s Big Sister, DOT, every time I need to go somewhere.

Reminder: I renewed my vehicle registration tags online at the DMV renewal web page about two months ago, they sent a piece of 8.5 x 11 inch paper with some vehicle information on it, and instructions about where to stick it, on the car, with some tape.

There are no provisions for tinted windows, so, that is part of the “Custom Tailoring Penguin Tuxedo” terror. I have a no provisions car, came that way from the Russian Hoax Fractal Factory when they killed my mom in 2010.

The information, as you may recall, is that the DMV ran out of proper, license plate tags, and, they explain, the paper is to be applied to the car per instructions, there is a expiration date for the replacement temporary paper that is different from the exportation date of the tags that I paid more than $100 for, but did not get yet. The expiration date difference can be Fractal RUsian Hoax Mother Zoomed over to the Covfefe Trump terror, when “Fe - Fe = 0 Fe”, and the 0 is silent. Bad news to see that on there like that. It’s presidential Terror Comm, where the “math makes a difference”, and is “silent but deadly” because that is the goal of DOT, “dead motorists can‘t make exhaust noise”.

The set-up includes Fractal Russian Hoax for making bait to lure and capture some real police, who were told that I drive a pick-up truck with no tags on it. The thing about that, is that I do have a truck but am not using that as of this writing, and for quite some time, but can only afford to insure one vehicle at a time. Sometimes, I insure and drive the truck, sometimes a car. The registration for both, I always keep fresh with online registration because there is no way to survive a physical visit to the DMV anymore, and there are special dead-lines for using online registration, so, I just pay registration for both online all of the time so that I won‘t have to become V-8 at the DMV because of the dead-line for waiting too long made me have to go in person there to the DMV.

The tags come in the mail, if they don‘t run out of them, but, I don’t put the tags on the vehicle that I am not insuring to help keep the Three Boys Towing terror away, they steal registered licensed cars & trucks first, then the expired tags ones later on after the all of the registered ones all are stolen first. It’s like they do with the killing the disabled and elderly people first, because those people have some things like Social Security income and Medicare insurance that is useful to the terror army right away. The income and Medicare is like a fresh set of tags on a good car like that, just get in and drive it like you stole it.

But, the tags are tucked safely away, in a complicated filing system I use for terror information, very complex and sophisticated system.

So, real police are told that I sold the truck tags to someone else, just because they are paid for, but are not on the truck. It’s not insured, can‘t afford to insure both, so, that’s why, foools.

now, they are waiting to see if I am going to put the truck tags, that some think I sold and don‘t have, onto the car, because that paper replacement “Stick it where?” thing came for the car, and looks fake.

If I call DMV, the message recording always says the wait time is about 45 minutes for someone to answer, they are experiencing heavy call volumes, they say. That wait time is more time than a phone battery will last, so, you have to stay tethered to a battery charger for that call, if you want to ask about when the real tags might be sent to the house, so that I could  be ready to get them from the mailbox before Clyde Baum does. He is famous for stealing my mail, and has a lot of expensive stolen cars & trucks that all need fresh registration tags so he can drive them.

I don‘t have my tags yet. They ran out of tags at the DMV.

Meanwhile, the DOT with help from a armada of HMS Eleanor Rigby Pirates from l O Downing Street are murdering many hundreds of thousands of US Citizens while the real police are chasing around some tags and worried about if I drive a pick-up truck or a passenger car.

7:02 pm.

================

Reminder:

Google is a major part of the Global terror take-over. They have all of the very best computer engineers. Many of the engineers are kidnapped people who have the kinds of skills that the Vatican needs, so, they are chained up to a server in Hillary Clinton‘s basement, or equivalent, and, they have taken this account, all 750 or something like that, entries here, and made a searchable database of the information, all is cross-referenced to pertinent other information contained within here, and, also, is cross referenced to a Russian Mother Hoax Version of lies that were already told about the existence of this account, to help them keep the lies all in a line that is workable for making more lies and capturing federal officers at the same time.

As I said before, those officers also need to make a similar searchable database from the raw information that this account contains. But first, you are going to need some computer engineers, those guys are like what happened at nasa to the rocket scientists, they were tracked down, captured, and are at Space X and Space Force terror cells now, in Hillary’s Server network. So go find some of them, to make a database, searchable, like Google already did.

That bearded freind over at the Monroe’s I have been reporting a little bit about, is a Google Computer Engineer from Bad Guy Auto at Three Pines & Russell roads, so, they are like Johnny on the Spot when I write new entries.

Also, Gnosis sometimes is a giant DELETE button.

Don’t discard or discount the truth, that Google+ was a social media platform of many millions of peoples accounts. The whole fucking thing was completely erased just because of what I had written down there at the time.

Google+ was Deleted because of the truth I wrote threatens not only the existance of Google, but threatens the existance of Great Britain and the Vatican if the information were used to stop the terror those people are advancing towards Global Domination and complete and utter control of everyone and everything that will remain on earth after they are done with the Cleansing part of the slaughter.

Google+ deleted all of the information contained within many millions of accounts. I am sure there was much eye-witness of terror written down besides :mine.

8:42 pm.

[dfroza]

At the closing of an ancient Letter

Paul gives instruction on our conduct while here in this world, because it all matters.

Today’s Chapter of the Scriptures from the New Testament is chapter 6 of Ephesians

[Love in Our Families and Workplaces]

Children, if you want to be wise, listen to your parents and do what they tell you, and the Lord will help you.

For the commandment, “Honor your father and your mother,” was the first of the Ten Commandments with a promise attached: “You will prosper and live a long, full life if you honor your parents.”

Fathers, don’t exasperate your children, but raise them up with loving discipline and counsel that brings the revelation of our Lord.

Those who are employed should listen to their employers and obey their instructions with great respect and honor. Serve them with humility in your hearts as though you were working for the Master.

Always do what is right and not only when others are watching, so that you may please Christ as his servants by doing his will. Serve your employers wholeheartedly and with love, as though you were serving Christ and not men. Be assured that anything you do that is beautiful and excellent will be repaid by our Lord, whether you are an employee or an employer.

And to the caretakers of the flock I say, do what is right with your people by forgiving them when they offend you, for you know there is a Master in heaven that shows no favoritism.

Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.

Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.

In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One! Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken Word of God.

Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers. And pray also that God’s revelation would be released through me every time I preach the wonderful mystery of the hope-filled gospel. Yes, pray that I may preach the wonderful news of God’s kingdom with bold freedom at every opportunity. Even though I am chained as a prisoner, I am his ambassador.

I am sending you a dear friend, Tychicus. He is a beloved brother and trustworthy minister in our Lord Jesus. He will share with you all the concerns that I have for your welfare and will inform you of how I am getting along. And he will also prophesy over you to encourage your hearts. So may God shower his peace upon you, my beloved friends. And may the blessings of faith and love fill your hearts from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Abundant grace will be with you all as each of you love our Lord Jesus Christ without corruption. Amen!

Love in Christ,

Paul

The Letter of Ephesians, Chapter 6 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the first chapter of the book of 2nd Kings where Elijah was confronted at the command of King Ahaziah:

After Ahab died, Moab grew rebellious and revolted against Israel.

One day, King Ahaziah had an accident in Israel’s capital city, Samaria. He tumbled through the network shading and decorating his upper room and fell ill. While he was bedridden, he called for his messengers and sent them on an errand to Philistia.

Ahaziah: Ask Baal-zebub, Ekron’s god, if my health is going to return after this injury.

Elsewhere, the Eternal One’s messenger spoke to Elijah the Tishbite.

Eternal One’s Messenger: Get up, and intercept Ahaziah’s messengers. When you meet them, ask them, “Why are you going to ask Baal-zebub, Ekron’s god, about the king’s healing? Do you carry this message because you believe Israel has no God of its own?” This is the message of the Eternal to Ahaziah: “You have made your bed, and you will lie in it. You will never leave your bed in your upper room; it will become your grave.”

So Elijah went on his way just as the Lord instructed, and he delivered this message to Ahaziah’s messengers. They turned back without completing their mission.

Ahaziah: Why are you back so soon?

Samaritan Messengers: A strange man met us during our journey and said, “Go back to the king whose message you carry, and give him this message from the Eternal: ‘Why are you going to ask Baal-zebub, Ekron’s god, about healing? Do you ask for this message because you believe Israel has no God of its own? You have made your bed, and you will lie in it. You will never leave your bed in your upper room; it will become your grave.’”

Ahaziah: Tell me more about this strange man who met you and gave you this message. What was he like?

Samaritan Messengers: The man was hairy and wore a leather belt.

Ahaziah: I know who this man is—Elijah the Tishbite!

King Ahaziah then dispatched 50 soldiers and their commander to confront Elijah. The commander approached Elijah, who was resting on a hilltop.

Commander: Hello there, O man of God! The king has a message for you. He says, “Come down from there!”

Elijah: If I truly am a man of God, then I’ll prove it: may a fiery blaze storm down from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers.

And as the words were leaving his mouth, fire rained down; and they were all burned up just as Elijah said.

Ahaziah then dispatched another 50 soldiers and their commander to confront Elijah.

Second Commander: O man of God! The king orders you, “Come down from there now!”

Elijah: If I truly am a man of God, then as proof may a fiery blaze storm down from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers.

Once again a fiery blaze rained down from heaven and devoured the 50 soldiers and their commander.

Yet again, King Ahaziah dispatched another 50 soldiers and a third commander to confront Elijah. When this third commander approached Elijah, he bowed on his knees, humbled himself before Elijah, and begged for mercy upon their lives.

Third Commander: O man of God, I beg you to cherish my life and the lives of these 50 soldiers. May your eyes perceive something worth treasuring rather than destroying, for we are all at your service. A heavenly fire devoured the first two commanders and their 50 men who confronted you, but please do not invoke the same fate for my life.

Eternal One’s Messenger (to Elijah): Follow this man down the mountain, and do not fear him.

Elijah did as the messenger had instructed, and he followed the commander down the mountain to where the king was waiting.

Elijah (to Ahaziah): This is the message of the Eternal: “You dispatched messengers to appeal to Baal-zebub, Ekron’s god, about your healing. Is it because you believe Israel has no God of its own to whom you can appeal? Because you did this, you will never leave your bed in your upper room; it will become your grave.”

Ahaziah met his death just as Elijah reported in the message from the Eternal. Ahaziah did not have a son, so Jehoram inherited the throne during the second year of the reign of Jehoram (Jehoshaphat’s son) in Judah.

Is not the rest of Ahaziah’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings?

The Book of 2nd Kings, Chapter 1 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Sunday, december 6 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

December 6, 2020

Eight Revivals

“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6)

The number eight seems commonly to be associated in the Bible with a new beginning, new life, resurrection, or renewal; “seven” being the number of fullness and rest, with the seven-day week used ever since the week of creation. The Lord Jesus Himself was resurrected, never to die again, on the eighth day—that is, the first day—of the week.

It is significant, therefore, that eight great spiritual revivals are described in the Old Testament—one each under Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It is even more significant, however, that each revival was centered around the Word of God. The first, for example, was based on the giving of the law at Sinai. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient” (Exodus 24:7). Then, much later when “Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD....And the word of Samuel came to all Israel,” eventually “all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:20; 4:1; 7:2).

Analysis of all of the other revivals will reveal that they also were based on reception and acceptance of God’s Word. The last was under Nehemiah. “And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God” (Nehemiah 9:3).

There were other ingredients in these revivals, but the Word of God was always the foundation, and there can be no true and lasting revival without it. This is why it is so important in our day, when the need for revival is so desperate, that we first get back to a serious study of the Holy Scriptures, believing and obeying as best we can all that is written therein. HMM

[skrisiloff]

Here’s what CEOs said on this week’s earnings calls

Each week we read dozens of transcripts from earnings calls and presentations as part of our investment process. Below is a weekly post which contains some of the most important quotes about the economy and industry trends from those transcripts. Click here to receive these posts weekly via email.

Earnings season started this week with a heavy emphasis on banks. The quarter was relatively good for financial services companies, and economic optimism is high. For now though, the immediate state of the economy feels less important than understanding the role that the incoming administration will have in shaping it.

Two key players in the administration’s economic policy testified before Congress this week: Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross. We picked out some key policy points from their testimony. Aside from tax reform, we think that Mnuchin’s second most important job could be housing reform. He is confident in that area and Fannie and Freddie need to be resolved in some way. He gave some high level thoughts on Fannie and Freddie before Congress. His most important comment in our opinion is that he wants to ensure that capital is still available to support the mortgage market in some way.

Janet Yellen also spoke this week and seems to want to continue to operate as if nothing has changed. She is communicating three rate increases this year, but also says that the Fed’s foot is still on the gas.

The Macro Outlook:

The optimism is palpable

“The optimism for positive change here at Bank of America and among our customers is palpable and has driven bank stock prices higher. We will have to see how these topics play out, but we are optimistic.” —Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan (Bank)

There’s a lot of optimism but not a lot of action

“there’s more optimism and positive commentary for a lot of our business customers. But we haven’t seen a significant change in utilization or actually take down of credit yet. So while the talk is there, the actual action is not yet shown itself.” —US Bank COO Andy Cecere (Bank)

“What I’m cautious about is nothing has actually happened yet, other than there has been a move in rates, right, and it changes sentiment. And I think we need to start seeing some of confirmations get through. We need to see real progress on tax reform. We need to see real progress on infrastructure, spending bills of state and local, and then all of a sudden, this thing takes flight, but right now, it’s just people talking about it.” —PNC CFO Rob Reilly (Bank)

Businesses may just be gearing up

“It’s really a big deal. Optimism is up. I have been talking a lot to clients and to our RPs, regional presidents in the last several weeks, including yesterday, and clearly, CEOs are optimistic. They are making plans to invest and we really think this is going to kick into a meaningful improvement in investment and job growth as we head into the second and third and fourth quarter…I met with some regional Presidents in person yesterday and got a real current update and the message was very, very consistent. They gave me a number of anecdotes in terms of individual companies that were already requesting loans to buy trucks to expand their plan to expand their inventory, etcetera. So it is, in fact, happening. It’s across the footprint.” —BB&T CEO Kelly King (Bank)

The administration wants growth

“The most important issue we have is economic growth…In 1984, we had 7% and in 1998 we had 5% and in 2005 we had 3%. That was the last time we had appropriate growth rates. I share the president-elect’s concern of low growth. Our number one priority from my standpoint is economic growth” —Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin (Government)

Growth means that the Fed may pull back faster than anticipated

“The Fed’s decision to raise rates in December and the signal of additional hikes in 2017 suggest that the long period of accommodative monetary policy in the U.S. may finally subside at a faster rate that many have had anticipated.” —Blackrock CEO Larry Fink (Asset Management)

“if fiscal policy changes lead to a more rapid elimination of slack, policy adjustment would, all else being equal, likely be more rapid than otherwise, with the conditions the FOMC has set for a cessation of reinvestments of principal payments on existing securities holdings being met sooner than they otherwise would have been.” —Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard (Central Bank)

A lot of banks are only counting on two rate increases this year

“we have built into our plans two rate increases in 2017, one in June and one in December both 25 basis points.” —PNC CFO Rob Reilly (Bank)

“I know there is a lot of work out there that have a June, September, December, we’re just using June, December projections right now.” —US Bank CEO Richard Davis (Bank)

But Yellen is saying “a few”

“as of last month, I and most of my colleagues–the other members of the Fed Board in Washington and the presidents of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks–were expecting to increase our federal funds rate target a few times a year until, by the end of 2019, it is close to our estimate of its longer-run neutral rate of 3 percent.” —Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen (Central Bank)

Growth probably also means more inflation

“I do think that if the economy holds out, which we are forecasting today that it will and business continues to travel which we are forecasting it will, that the opportunity to raise fares in that environment with a lower level of capacity offering from the industry is significant” —Delta EVP Glen Hauenstein (Airline)

“Inflationary pressures are expected to have an impact on annual merit, staff insurance, occupancy and marketing.” —Comerica CEO Ralph Babb (Bank)

“As for inflation, we expect 2017 inflation will be around 3%, which will equate to a cost that is significantly higher than the inflation was in 2016.” —Union Pacific CFO Rob Knight (Railroad)

But the Fed is still pressing on the gas pedal

“Right now our foot is still pressing on the gas pedal, though, as I noted, we have eased back a bit. Our foot remains on the pedal in part because we want to make sure the economic expansion remains strong enough to withstand an unexpected shock, given that we don’t have much room to cut interest rates.” —Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen (Central Bank)

International:

The administration is NOT going to push for a border tax

“He’s not suggesting a border tax. What he’s suggested is that for certain companies that move jobs, ok, that there may be repercussions to that. He’s not suggested in any way an across-the-board 35% border tax…he’s in no way contemplated a broad 35% border tax that couldn’t be further from anything that he’d possibly consider” —Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin (Government)

Trump’s comment about the strong dollar was not meant to be taken as a long term policy objective

“I think when the president-elect made a comment on the U.S. Currency, it was not meant to be a long-term comment. It was meant to be that perhaps in the short term, the strength in the currency as a result of free markets and people wanting to invest here may have had negative impacts on our ability in trade, but I agree with you, the long-term strength over long periods of time is important” —Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin (Government)

Wilbur Ross wants fair, sensible trade

“I am not anti-trade, I am pro trade but I’m pro sensible trade, not pro trade that is to the disadvantage of the American worker and the American manufacturing community. I think we should provide access to our market to those countries who play fair, play by the rules and give everybody a fair chance to compete. Those who do not should not get away with it, they should be punished and severely.” —Commerce Secretary Nominee Wilbur Ross (Government)

Ross talked tough on China

“China is the most protection protectionist country of very large countries. They have both very high tariff barriers and very high non-tariff trade barriers to commerce. So they talk much more about free trade than they actually practice. We would like to levelize that playing field and bring the realities a bit closer to the rhetoric.” —Commerce Secretary Nominee Wilbur Ross (Government)

Financials:

Financial services reform is probably not high on the new administration’s agenda

“based on what I understand, the administration that’s going to take office in a few days. The number one issues are health care reform, taxes and infrastructure and somewhere in the top five might be financial services, but it’s not the top three, a lot of financial services issues I think will be dealt with in the early part of the year but with some implications later.” —US Bank CEO Richard Davis (Bank)

Regulators have compiled a huge body of work over the last eight years

“the body of work that’s been created by the regulators whether it’s Basel capital ratios, the implementation of CCAR, stress testing broadly globally, the leverage ratios, the requirements around liquidity, all those things that were designed to address points to systemic risk, clearing, margin requirements, all of that data reporting, I think sometimes gets lost in the narrative and have to step back and look at the past eight years and realize that and it’s an incredible body of work that regulators, the industry participants and the clients have actually created.” —Goldman Sachs CFO Harvey Schwartz (Investment Bank)

The two areas that Mnuchin wants to re-evaluate are the Volcker Rule and regulatory burden on small banks

“The concept of proprietary trading does not belong with banks with — the Federal Reserve put out its own report that that rule has completely limited liquidity in many markets and the federal reserve is concerned that the interpretation of the Volcker rule does not allow banks to create enough liquidity for customers. That is something I would absolutely want to look at” —Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin (Government)

“My biggest concern and I fully support regulation for banks with FDIC insurance but my biggest concern is that this regulation is killing community banks, we are losing big community banking business.” —Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin (Government)

Mnuchin considers himself an expert on Fannie and Freddie and wants to see housing finance reform

“My comments were never that there should be recap and release. I have been around the mortgage industry for 30 years and I have seen this for a long period of time. This is an area I believe I have expertise in. For very long periods of time I think Fannie and Freddie have been well run without creating risk to the government and they played an important role…I believe these are very important entities for liquidity…What I have said and believe, we need housing reform…We need housing reform and a solution. The status quo is not acceptable of just leaving them there. There are two extremes on this and it is something I look forward to sitting down and talking with you. One, we don’t put the taxpayers at risk and two, we don’t eliminate capital for the housing market. I’m very concerned that middle of income people who need mortgage loans have access to the capital.” —Treasury Secretary Nominee Steve Mnuchin (Government)

Even if regulations go away the extra costs probably don’t

“There’s also a lot of regulatory costs that probably were missing from the industry historically. I’m thinking about to build an AML costs…I’m thinking about general compliance with consumer laws…We are done investing in that by and large, but I don’t think those costs go away, no matter nor should they, no matter what really happens to the regulation.” —PNC CEO Bill Demchak (Bank)

“Our compliance costs in the entire company are now in terms of FTE, there are over 7000 people of our 70,000 and that’s up more than twice what it was a few years ago…it’s not going to go back to where it was, it’s going to stay much higher because that’s the cost of running a high-quality bank.” —US Bank CEO Richard Davis (Bank)

Technology:

Wilbur Ross recognizes that technology is an important factor in the employment equation

“I think more research and development, more encouragement of technological breakthrough, is clearly an important thing, but at the same time, we need to protect our existing industries because they really are very much labor intensive. And I think we also are going to have to cope with the challenge that combined with the opportunity of some of the technological advances. For example, driverless cars are probably a very good thing. They seem to be, in any event, an inevitable thing, but that presumably will also lead to driverless trucks. Well, there’s something like 3 million american adults who depend on over-the-road trucks for their livelihood and it’s a pretty good livelihood…So I think what we have to do is to figure out how to make sure we get the benefits of the improved technology and yet cope with the dislocation that it inevitably will produce in certain of the industries. So I think that’s going to be a real balancing act.” —Commerce Secretary Nominee Wilbur Ross (Government)

Activity in high tech industries is coming back after pausing in 2016

“the high-tech sector, I think after maybe pausing a little bit in 2016, it seems to be coming back at the year activity, etcetera, the California market, real state values remained strong in California both in Northern and Southern California.” —Comerica CFO Dave Duprey (Bank)

AI is a new computing architecture and that levels the playing field for new players

“AI is – this is new, so the all the algorithm or the architecture, they are all new. So the computing…basically it’s the playing field is level. It’s not as before, where the high component is computing. It has to be a certain architecture to get into this field. This is a leveling playing field, so many players are into this field. That is where the massive innovation can come.” —Taiwan Semiconductor CEO Mark Liu (Semiconductor Fab)

Healthcare:

Healthcare is driving labor cost inflation

“you heard the $35 million inflation on labor…it’s not really on the wage side of things, it’s on health and welfare side so medical inflation obviously there’s always going to be a little bit, little bit higher than we would like.” —CSX CFO Frank Lonegro (Railroad)

Industrials:

Low interest rates facilitate Trump’s infrastructure plans

“I think we’re fortunate to be coming to grips with infrastructure in a relatively low interest rate environment because that will facilitate getting a lot of projects done that could not be done in a lower interest rate environment because there would be a crowding out effect.” —Commerce Secretary Nominee Wilbur Ross (Government)

General industrial companies are still challenged

“We listen to our Regional Vice Presidents and what they’re seeing in the marketplace…what I would tell you is, the general industrial companies on our lists, they’re still challenged…if you sort of listen to some of our RVPs talk about energy there definitely is more of an enthusiasm”–Fastenal CEO Dan Florness (Industrial Distributor)

Materials, Energy:

The worst of the energy cycle is believed to be behind us

“We expect our provision to be lower in 2017 as we believe the worst of the energy cycle is behind us. Assuming energy prices continue to be stable, we expect non-accruals and charge-offs to remain manageable.” —Comerica CEO Ralph Babb (Bank)

Wilbur Ross wants to boost the fishing industry

“One of the things I’d like to try to help correct is we believe it or not, have a trade deficit in fishing of some $11 billion a year. Given the enormity of our coastlines and enormity of fresh water, I would like to try to figure out how we can become much more self-sufficient in fishing and perhaps even a net exporter of fishing.” —Commerce Secretary Nominee Wilbur Ross

Full transcripts can be found at www.seekingalpha.com

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Men’s Necklaces Are Going Mainstream. Here’s How To Wear Them With Style

https://fashion-trendin.com/mens-necklaces-are-going-mainstream-heres-how-to-wear-them-with-style/

Men’s Necklaces Are Going Mainstream. Here’s How To Wear Them With Style

Unless you raided your dear mother’s jewellery box when you were younger or ran around South East Asia on your gap year like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach, chances are, as a man, you’ve never thought about thrusting a chain over your head.

But with an ever-increasing roll call of the coolest men in the world now opting for the men’s necklace (Gosling, Hemsworth, Rocky – need we say more?) and shifting attitudes towards a much-needed blurring of the previously gender stereotyping in fashion (men wear watches, women wear jewellery – let’s all groan in unison) now is as good a time as any to experiment with a chain over your head. Here we take a look at everything you need to get started, from picking the right pendant and length of chain to how you can fit it effortlessly into your already assembled wardrobe.

Ryan Gosling

The History Of Bling, From Henry VIII To 50 Cent

Men weren’t always so averse to a bit of bling around the scruff. The ancient Egyptians were proponents, studding their sheet gold neck wraps and strung beads with amulets and talismans to protect and bring luck to the wearer. Men of the Renaissance period were also fans with the extremely wealthy lavishing all manner of plaques, chains and pendants upon themselves as well as stupendous gem-laden creations that would stretch to their shoulders. Don’t believe us? Check out Henry VIII in his famous portrait by Hans Holbein, sporting a herculean gold chain that would put Run DMC to shame.

RUN DMC

This male love-in with the necklace died out in the 1600s, but returned in the second half of the 20th century when chains once again went from pious symbols of religion to conspicuous signifiers of wealth. Dog tags, Elvis and disco played their parts, but it was in hip-hop fashion that necklaces became the ultimate symbol of decadence with artists punching through the social hierarchy, the ice hanging around their necks offering proof of how far they’d climbed.

In the last decade men’s jewellery has evolved again, now more of a fashion accessory than anything else. Necklaces have sashayed down the men’s catwalk for the likes of Prada, Balmain and Raf Simons in recent seasons. And from high to low, even those unlikely fellas from reality TV show Love Island have been dolling up their perma-tanned torsos with online jewellery retailer Jewlr reporting a 500 per cent increase in sales of men’s necklaces while the show was on the air.

Balmain

“Men wearing jewellery is definitely having a renaissance,” says Alex Simpson, founder of men’s jewellery brand Alex Orso. “There has been a 1990s streetwear revival in recent seasons, which has seen chains, pendants, medallions and rings rise in popularity. This has been picked up on Instagram and street style blogs, which in turn has influenced the styling of characters on mainstream reality TV to create a self-perpetuating trend which I don’t believe has reached its crescendo yet.”

Picking Your Metal

The first step to making like the Pharaohs and the catwalk waifs is to pick out your necklace – starting with the material of your chain and then the pendant to add the unique styling that has made them so popular. “A necklace should feel comfortable and casual almost like a family heirloom,” says Michael Saiger, founder and creative director of US-based jewellery company Miansai.

An oxidised sterling silver chain offers a more masculine and timeless vibe with the colour shade working best in winter months underneath tailoring and next to navy blues and grey. A yellow gold chain is brighter creating a contrast that really pops against black while complimenting warmer tones like orange and brown.

If you’re looking for a casual necklace to fit with a more dressed-down style, then consider waxed cord which especially suits the summer months and days flaunting around the pool while a beaded necklace might have worrying gap year connotations but can add bulk and width to a skinny neck while drawing attention to a sharp jawline (if you’re blessed with one) and works well in combination with other chains.

David Yurman

There are also plated metals to consider but Saiger recommends sticking to the golden two if you are concerned about your skin reacting to the chain. “It’s always best to stick with only sterling silver and solid gold if you have sensitive skin. Those types of metals are extremely fine, and will not react to your skin regardless if you sleep with them or wear them just for the day.”

Aside from the material, there are also different chain designs with the interconnected oval links of a cable chain being the most common. Different chain designs will alter the feel and look of the necklace like the bulkier mesh chain (several different chains linked together for a textured look), the sturdy curb chain (interlocked links designed to lay flat) and the ever-so-fancy Figaro chain (an alternating pattern of differently sized flattened links).

Alex Orso

Make The Pendant Personal

Now, you can of course just stick with the chain, but adding a pendant brings that oh-so-important personality to your look with the ability to turn heads and get the conversation flowing at a dinner party quicker than you can say “Jam Master Jay”. Proud wearer of the men’s necklace Ryan Gosling, has the tag of his beloved dog George attached to his chain, after he sadly passed away in 2017.

However, there’s no prescription for the pendant and it’d be foolish to just follow the lead of the celebs. Just keep your eye out for something that you connect with or can regale an anecdote through, whether it’s a letter or a diamond-encrusted dollar sign. “Ultimately any purchase is personal and based on a selection process,” says Simpson. “What are you attracted to? What complements your style? And what does it say to others about your character?”

Along with a personal touch, Saiger advises looking towards vintage designs in a pendant. “Something that merges the past with the present will always be in style.” For example, one of the key styles at Miansai is the rolled penny necklace which takes its inspiration from the old penny machines found in museums and amusement parks.

David Yurman

Also, note that particular pendants have different meanings. An anchor is an age-old symbol of strength with obvious ties to the sea, while a popular motif for Los Angeles based jewellery brand Nialaya is the Hamsa hand, which is believed to ward off evil spirits and bad luck in Middle Eastern and North African cultures. Other popular pendant styles are the holy cross with its connotations to Christianity, the skull which represents mortality and the feather which is the universal symbol of peace, pacifism and spiritual unity.

“In all scenarios, it must feel natural and should never make you feel self-conscious,” says Simpson. “Some pendants are quite bold or heavy, so it’s worth thinking about where and how long you might be wearing the product.”

David Yurman

Choose Your Length

The most common length of the chain is between 18 and 22 inches, which will sit just below your collarbone while a long necklace will be around 26 to 30 inches long with the pendant hanging around your chest area. A longer chain will help elongate the neck while drawing attention to a broad chest, while a shorter chain will be more readily visible. Anything shorter than 18 inches and you’re getting into choker territory.

“We offer two lengths of chain with the longer length having a more relaxed feel for a night out,” says Simpson, “while the shorter length is to be worn with more formal pieces like a shirt.”

It’s also worth layering multiple chains and experimenting with varying lengths at any one time, with beads working particularly well in a shorter length against a longer chain.

Daniella Draper

How To Wear It

“Long pendant-style necklaces work well over either a loose crew neck or a V-neck T-shirt so the pendant follows the line of the V,” says Sarah Gilfillan, founder of personal styling consultancy Sartoria Lab. When putting together your outfit and necklace, Gilfallan also suggests matching metals for a more considered and put together look. For example, if you’re stepping out with a silver watch on your wrist and a silver buckle around your belt, go for that metal in your necklace choice too.

When it comes to the rest of your clothing choices, the offbeat addition of a necklace suits a casual look such as a white T-shirt and leather jacket according to Gilfillan. “If you do want to wear it with tailoring, I’d go for an open neck shirt with a simple chain showing at the neck of the shirt. If you want to make more of a statement and go for full-on 1980s look, then wear your shirt done up to the top with no tie but with a chain or pendant that is worn over the top of the shirt. Also, ensure your shirt collar is fairly small and neat, and avoid button downs so your necklace can be the point of focus.”

And to kill off two trends with one stone, Gilfillan regards the men’s necklace as the perfect accompaniment to the laissez-faire attitude of a Cuban collar shirt. “The current open neck camp collar shirt styles are perfect for showing off multiple necklaces. Wear with an extra button open to show off those necklaces, and style with slim cut turned up jeans and trainers, mixing gold and silver pendants and chains together for a contemporary look”.

The Kooples

The Best Brands For Men’s Necklaces

Miansai

Hailing from Miami, the bling bling capital of the world, Miansai offers surprisingly subtle signature pendants on chains or waxed cord. Riffing on nautical themes that include anchors, hooks and long, lost treasure in timeless, elegant designs the brand is also favoured by the celebrity crowd with Hollywood actors Zac Efron and Tom Holland both spotted wearing it.

Buy Now: £115.00

Thomas Sabo

Since its founding in 1984 German jewellery company Thomas Sabo has become one of the leading brands in both women’s and men’s jewellery as well as having their designs legally protected worldwide so no-one can steal them for themselves. Its pendants aren’t for the faint-hearted mind, with Day of the Dead skulls and daggers aplenty as well as chunky and colourful beads.

Buy Now: £139.00

Topman

If you were a British teenager in the 2000s there is every chance you raided the Topman bracelet section during your lunch hour with the high street chains necklace range similarly easy to pick up. Inexpensive, stylish and in a range of sizes and designs they make for good layering options with your more expensive pieces or as an entry point if you just want to dip your toes in the trend.

Buy Now: £10.00

Tateossian

A London jewellery maker where the emphasis is on the men rather than the women, Tateossian has become the go-to place for luxury cufflinks in its 28-year history. That’s not to say it doesn’t make a smashing necklace, with some intriguingly unique designs including a diamond pill crafted in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation and tiny pieces of meteorite sourced from South America.

Buy Now: £295.00

Alex Orso

Minimalist masculinity is the name of the game for London jewellery brand Alex Orso. With pendants in bold designs from 22-carat bottle caps and Komodo dragon claws to polished stone shark tooths, Alex Orso takes a compelling shape and simplifies it for the man who wants to enhance his look, not complicate it. Each pendant comes with a brass chain which you can choose in a short or long style.

Buy Now: £115.00

Luis Morais

Wanting to ignite your inner Keith Richards hipster pirate? Well, a Luis Morais necklace is the one for you with the Brazilian jeweller’s rock and roll vibe favouring the boho beads, colourful skulls and mystic stones the rocker has built his look on.

Buy Now: $900.00

Emanuele Bicocchi

Of course no men’s style list would be complete without a tip of the hat to the Italians. And so we have Emanuele Bicocchi sauntering in for a welcome spritz of sprezzatura. Sterling silver reigns supreme in the Florence jewellery designers collection who has seen his quite gothic creations being worn by the likes of Zayn Malik and Russell Brand.

Buy Now: €149.00

Nialaya

A Dane in America, less a well-trodden Hollywood story trope, more the perfect setting for Jannik Olander to launch spirituality inspired jewellery brand Nialaya. Handcrafted in a Los Angeles workshop, religious imagery from the East features prominently in the designs (especially from Buddhism) which are bang-on for the cosmo gent who wants it to look like he found himself in the local temple on his backpacking tour but really never left the side of the pool.

Buy Now: $219.00

Northskull

Excuse the name, Northskull is not some Danish death metal group born out of the depths of hell, rather it’s an elegant jewellery brand just for us boys. Based in London, reasonable price points and straightforward designs make it an easy choice for those guys who want the designer look to slot into their daily wardrobe without having to shell out on overpriced rosary beads.

Buy Now: £220.00

Sif Jakobs

If you’re worried that the addition of a necklace will have you come across all wannabe show-off rapper, then take a gander at the Sif Jakobs collection of pendants and tell us there is no subtlety in donning a necklace. The Scandinavian jewellery maker creates all its jewellery out of sterling silver and focuses its design on a similar rectangular design spun through various different twists.

Buy Now: €129.00

Serge DeNimes

The fashion brand of Made In Chelsea star and menswear influencer Oliver Proudlock, Serge DeNimes draws heavily on Proudlock’s taste and penchant for boho-chic necklaces. Ever the pacifist, the feather is a recurring motif in Proudlock’s collection as is the patron saint of travellers, Saint Christopher.

Buy Now: £40.00