#a mistake i make every 6-8 months and then i wonder why i don't use pinterest more often

[inkfox]

made the classic mistake of going on pinterest (in hopes of finding inspiration for a summer linen suit) only to be distracted by the sheer amount of ppl stealing my tattoo design

[stormoflina]

Rant over footy twt. It's long and boring, feel free to skip this lol

Why do we have to be so freaking reactionary? I held my tongue over this, for my own sanity. I try to not get too worked up over football, but just can't anymore lol.

In a spawn of like 3 months, we went from this, just over our midfield players:

- Dominik has a great start, runs the show with 10 men down multiple times, has two beautiful goals, literally runs the most and the fastest, takes on the workload of 2 players, covers for Trent, performs well in a new role, despite being a natural 10, despite being new in the PL-> he is the next Gerrard, the signing of the summer, the best midfielder in the PL, our own KDB regent -> his incredible form drops slightly a bit, but he still performs decent, and does his magic in Hungary -> why can't he show up in Liverpool the way he does in Hungary, he is actually shit, he is not creative, he doesn't have any G/A, didn't worth the money we paid for him, should be benched, all he does is looking into the cameras he is a narc and a flop, he can't even take a free-kick -> gets moved forward for like 10 minutes, does well in attacking role (wonder why) manages to score -> now people are saying he should play LW, bench Lucho and put Dominik there, he is a better finisher than Nunez (..) and saying Cody (!!!) should play his role in midfield instead, because he is just soooo good in the attack.

- Alexis has a bit challenged start in a completely new role, doesn't hit the ground running at first like Dominik does, but still provides very decent stats -> therefore he is a flop, absolutely shit, should be sold and get out of the club, he is not a natural 6, never will be, but Dom, Grav, Elliott and even Trent starts over him as an 8, he was an absolute waste of money just because he is a "wc winner" -> scores a beautiful goal, suddenly he is the best midfielder in our team, he is clear of Caicedo, he should start every game and look at his stats, despite not being a natural 6 he is actually a very good DM, we don't even need to buy one in January, Mac10 will carry us. -> finally plays in his position, but has a game where he comes down with an injury, plays +60 minutes despite that, performs well, but nothing too flashy. Literally gets bullied and attacked every second he plays, as if the other players are trying to take him out -> Endo is clear of him in DM, but he is not good enough in the 8 position, bench him, he's too short anyway.

- Gravenberch is an unnecessary signing, he must be bad, we don't need him, who cares -> has a couple of good performances in the EL -> he is so good, so silky on the ball, he never does backward passes unlike our other midfielders, he should start in the PL -> he starts in the PL, has a good first half, he is our best signing this year, he is so much better than Szoboszlai or Macallister, he starts over Curtis Jones,he only passes forward, that's what we like to see, he is going to be our best midfielder since Gerrard -> makes a mistake, has a less impressive second half in the SAME match, he is actually so shit, someone sub him off and bench him, CuJo is so clear of him, we should have never bought him, he is so lazy, he doesn't track back or tries to defend, sell him.

- Curtis Jones is going to be a Liverpool legend, his control on and off the ball is amazing, he is the missing piece to our midfield, he is finally getting the recognition he deserves -> gets a red card, misses 3 matches then picks up an injury, out for a couple of weeks -> has his first match back after missing out many games against City, doesn't drop a world class performance and dribbles past Rodri, he is so washed, he should be playing for Blackburn not Liverpool, English tax, Scouse tax, Gravenberch should start over him, Curtis is slow, ruins our attacks, at least Gravenberch tries to go forward, all Curtis does is just slow down the ball -> actually nevermind, Gravenberch had a shitty second half, Curtis is so clear of him, he actually puts in the work and tries, he never stops fighting, he lives and breaths liverpool fc, he has insane control on the ball and creates harmony in our midfield, he should start

Rant over. 🫣

[returntosaturn271995]

Monday, September 18th: I wonder if life smokes a cigarette after it fucks me?

Not to be a cliche, but I'm PMSing, hormonal, and irrationally annoyed at everything and everyone.

I am not in the mood to do any of the following:

1). Self-reflect

2). Be nice to guys who hit on me even when I'm wearing my "Gay for Soccer" defense hat

3). Facetime with my dad's mom

4). Stretch my stupid calves before my stupid run

5). Cook for myself

6). Answer email

7). Make a second-round FF roster

8). Smile

So what's a girl to do? I'm going to drag my moody, insubordinate ass through my routine. Dropped off my FP, threw my bedding in the washer, and did a load of dishes. Now I'm making grilled cheese with tomato, bacon, and Monterey Jack with broccoli on the side.

After eating I feel: Slightly more human, pleased with my use of vinegar with the cherry tomato, going to answer some emails

After answering a few emails I feel: More confident/relaxed

After realizing that it would cost $700 to expedite a new passport/I have no idea where my future is headed: I'm about to fucking cry

Made the mistake of calling Mom: I'm actively spiraling. Telling her negative things makes them real.

Added 10 pop culture influencers to FF: Ugh I feel like shit. Going for a run like an idiot.

Made bed: Fuck my life

Stretched before running: bleh, unflexible, may need to redownload daily yoga with all of the money I don't have.

Run: This was my longest run to date (2.63 miles, was it fast? No. Was I still proud of myself for starting? Especially on a day that sucks so god damn much? Yeah, actually. Little bit.)

Meditated on Beach: The theme was nostalgia for a place you can no longer return to. Which is silly, because I absolutely can return to bed whenever I'm feeling grumbly af. Don't feel like sleeping though. I feel like screaming into a void.

Cold shower, threw on a big comfy Stanford T-shirt: pleasantly tingly skin, feeling calmer. Might roll a joint and patiently wait to see what happens.

Ordered Chick-fil-A: I've said it before I am not superwoman.

Did get a decent amount of shit done today. I enjoy fresh sheets. Could have called in sick but I didn't. Could have done a lot of a fucked up shit but I didn't. My legs look great. I have good friends to complain to. Not craving alcohol at all.

Text-out-of-context:

"Why are white people afraid of being a minority? Does America treat minorities poorly or something?"

Real life: Everyone is on strike, including my guardian angel (Hey gorgeous, can you help a sister out? I know you work in mysterious ways but I gave up drinking this month so I'd love a straightforward blessing if you got one. Someone hot falling in love with me. Donald Trump going to prison. Job security. A passport process that doesn't take 3 months.)

I'm going to read, smoke some CBD, and eat. Just gonna focus on this day, this week, this year only. Every day is worth living.

Even when you don't super-duper feel like living it. One day I'll be too old to work, to run, or bend over the dish rack. One day I won't be able to call Mom.

I'll be a little better tomorrow. I did okay today.

Mondays, amiright?

[queenquid]

I posted 15,122 times in 2021

88 posts created (1%)

15034 posts reblogged (99%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 170.8 posts.

I added 826 tags in 2021

#genshin - 321 posts

#jujutsu kaisen - 97 posts

#hxh - 95 posts

#hades - 63 posts

#acnh - 54 posts

#fav - 53 posts

#ref - 38 posts

#skyrim - 37 posts

#personal - 35 posts

#mdzs - 33 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#also every scorpio is in a secret club with each other and we all want to participate in a battle royale to determine which of us gets to be

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

i was literally just in the chat saying i was a crybaby and now im fully sobbing to the farley song that adam sandler sang on snl when i dont even KNOW them like that

5 notes • Posted 2021-08-04 07:41:18 GMT

#4

See the full post

7 notes • Posted 2021-04-26 01:45:10 GMT

#3

Hello! I dont know if your requests are open but I RRRRREALLLY like your divorce fic! Would you mind including childe in your next one? Maybe do a cheating fic where the trigger for y/n cheating is seeing xiao piss in the piss corner ? Tysm!! Have a good day ^^

Lily I'm gonna break ur 5'0 ass like a toothpick

7 notes • Posted 2021-07-29 02:30:46 GMT

#2

hiiii i saw ur fic and i was wondering if i could request kaeya x reader but y/n is really insecure cuz she's a little on the chubby side? and kaeya and her get into a fight abt it cuz y/n thinks she's embarrassing him and he says some hurtful things....then y/n runs into the street and gets hit by a car and when kaeya is holding her he says he's sorry and cries a lot? ive been going through a hard time and that fic would really cheer me up xoxo ur the best!!!

kaeya is a known FATPHOBE so he'd probably be HAPPY if she died. I hope you KEEP going thru a hard time and then CHOKE on a PRETZAL

8 notes • Posted 2021-07-26 00:50:57 GMT

#1

Divorce

Please do not read / interact with this unless you're in malex's genshin server. This is a joke between friends.

As you stared down at the official form, you briefly wondered if you were making a mistake. Maybe, Diluc didn't want this..? You glanced at him and saw his face, unmoving, stoic. Your heart broke again. He didn't care if you stayed or left. He didn't love you the way you needed. You signed it. You were legally divorced.

___________

6 MONTHS LATER

"Baby...... open pleas.e. the doooorrrrr! I need you!" Sighing, you made your way to the front door where Diluc was once again drunkenly knocking.

"What do you want, Diluc?" You could hear him slump against the door.

"Come back to me... we need a.. no you I mean you're m.." You didn't hear the rest as he mumbled but you assumed it was the same as what crap he'd been spouting the past several months. You were shocked the first time you saw him drunk, and were deeply worried. However, it just kept getting worse and now he was at your door around this time almost every night. In the past, you might have relished his attention, even like this, but you were looking for something real. You didn't want to be with someone who only looked for you when he was drunk. He never contacted you during the day, never looked for you, never even apologized. You assumed he was embarrassed or angry, but you didn't have the energy to care anymore. You'd spent so many years trying to pry open his shell that you weren't really sure he had one. That's why you'd left him. Other people in Mondstadt thought you were crazy. Leaving Master Diluc, leaving his money, his stature, just because you didn't feel loved. People scoffed, mocked you, whispered as you walked by. But even though he wasn't quiet, no-one ever mocked Diluc for drunkenly harrassing you. They murmured how callous you were, how cruel, to still be cold to him.

You flung open the door and Diluc tumbled to the floor. He was completely passed out. After dragging him to your couch and tucking him in with a blanket, you broke down and started crying over him.

"Please stop drinking Diluc... don't do this to yourself anymore..." You fell asleep holding his hand, sitting on the floor beside him. He was gone when you woke up.

___________

ONE YEAR LATER

"Hello y/n. It's nice to see you again." Startled, you turned around and saw your ex-husband Diluc standing behind you in the market.

"Diluc, Hi. It's good to see you!" He was standing so far away from you, you had to raise your voice a bit. He stood awkwardly for a moment before nodding his head and starting to walk away.

"Diluc." He stopped immediately at your voice and turned back to you.

"I just wanted to say... I heard that you stopped drinking. I'm really proud of you." He stared at you so intensely that you wondered if you had said something weird.

"Thank you. I... didn't want to worry anyone anymore." He looked at you with that strange look on his face again, but turned away again and briskly walked off. 'He was asleep that night, wasn't he? Did he hear me crying for him? He never says anything. I'm not a mind reader!' Irritated, you threw some more vegetables in your basket and tried to forget the encounter. Behind you, Diluc turned back and watched you for a few minutes more.

____________

5 YEARS LATER

"Diluc, hi!" Diluc, your ex-husband, turned as you stood in the doorway of the Cat's Tail. You were surprised to see him in any bar, let alone a different one from his own.

"What, um, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for a meeting about distribution, and you?" You paused to answer, but before you could your fiancee Arthur walked up.

"Oh, Master Diluc, it's very nice to meet you!" You watched Diluc's face completely slacken and he stared blankly.

"Ah, Diluc, um, this is my fiancee, Arthur." There was a long pause before Diluc gave a short nod, and quietly walked out of the bar. You sighed heavily and massaged your temple.

"Sorry, Arthur, I didn't think he'd ever be in here."

"It's ok, my love, he would have found out eventually." You nodded listlessly, before stroking your stomach. You thought again, about Diluc, the enigmatic hero of Mondstadt, someone you used to love deeply and knew better than anyone. But still not enough. You allowed yourself to wonder what a baby between you and Diluc would've looked like. Perhaps it would've had his brilliant red hair. A pang in your heart forces you to stop the train of thought, and putting a smile on your face, you head to the nearest table with Arthur.

_____________

10 YEARS LATER

"Y/n. Nice to see you." You turn and face Diluc. You noted the light greys beginning to form at his temples and think of your own grey streaks.

"Diluc, it's been some time! How are you doing?" The two of you chatted aimlessly for a few minutes. He was still the same man you met and fell in love with all those years ago, you thought. And the same man you divorced.

See the full post

37 notes • Posted 2021-07-26 00:35:04 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[ishotforthestars]

Hej💜 I've become a huge fanfiction lover in the last 10 months since joining the fandom and I'm curious about comments and commenting! I don't write myself but I try to leave comments as a little thank you for getting to enjoy the art. So I decited to send some questions to the writers I follow here. No pressure to answer ofc I'm just curious, I adore you writers 🦋

1. Do you often leave comments or kudos on stories ? Why/ why not ?

2. What do comments mean to you?

3. What are your favorite type of comments to receive? Long and thoughtful ones? Favorite parts or lines? Praises? Asdfghjkl? Guesses or hopes for the future?

4. Do you reply to comments? Why/why not?

5. Has there been any negative comments? How did you deal with that ?

6. Are there comments that are not necessary negative but you just don't enjoy?

7. Do you ever get nervous how people are going to receive something you are writing? How do you deal with that?

8. Has there been a moment when someone interpreted your writing in a totally different way that you intented or misunderstood you in the comments? How did that make you feel ?

9. Do you ever go back to your comments? Are there comments that stayed with you?

10. Is there something you wish us non-writers would know regarding writing or commenting?

If you are a writer and I didn't ask you, please answer anyway if you feel like doing that! I only follow so many ( and also wanted to ask this anonymously because I'm shy hah). I'm so thankful for all you wonderful writers out there, this fandom is full of super talented people 💜

Hej!! Thank you so much for the ask and the questions, it was fun answering them! <33

I try to always leave a little something if I've enjoyed a fic. Sometimes I don't have time so I'll just leave a kudos but I do intend to always comment!

I could say that I write for myself (which I do!) and that validation isn't everything (which it isn't!) but it's also such a serotonin boost getting to see how people respond to your writing and hearing what parts they liked or resonated with. I love comments, like an infinite amount, it means so much for motivation.

This is such a difficult one because I honestly love all of them. I think my all time favorites might be when people kind of live-tweet their reading and share a line and their reaction to it. So that or maybe comments with favourite lines which I also absolutely adore 🥰

I try to reply to all comments! It's a nice way to interact with the readers and just let them know how grateful I am to have people show interest in my little words

I've actually never gotten any negative comments, apart from the occasional yelling in caps lock at cliffhangers and such, which is completely valid of course! I'm super grateful for this fandom being so positive and supportive over all, we don't really do negativity on creators here, which is amazing

I don't think I've gotten any myself that I haven't enjoyed but sometimes I see comments on other people's fics where the writer might have gotten a minor detail wrong and people feel the need to correct them, sometimes in a not so constructive way, which always makes me feel a bit icky. I think most writers do quite a lot of fic research but it's hard to get every detail right. If it feels important enough to mention a mistake or a detail that's wrong in a fic, maybe ask first? or at the very least try to phrase it in a good way

All. The. Time. I'm super nervous everytime I submit something, especially for chaptered fics (like play my song) where people have actually committed to reading like 30k already and I really want to be able to live up to the expectations and give the story the ending it deserves. I have a habit of reading through things like five extra times before pressing submit just because I get a lil nervous 🙈 But I try to keep in mind that ultimately I write for fun and for myself and as long as I enjoy the chapter or fic myself, that's the most important part.

Hm, not any major ones I don't think, I think my writing is pretty straight-forward most of the time. One thing that came to mind though is how many people in the comments for the earlier chapters of 'play my song' were thinking along the lines of how Simon had to have figured out who Wille was already. Originally he wasn't supposed to figure it out on his own, but inspired by these comments there were some changes made to the main plot line and I think it turned out a lot better that way!

I do! I actually have like a little collection of screenshots of my favourite ever comments and sometimes if I feel low or uninspired I go back and look at them and it never fails to make me smile

Hm no, nothing groundbreaking really, just that writing takes a lot of time so sometimes it's hard to stick to an update schedule when life gets in the way. And comments mean so so much, all the lovely readers leaving little comments are what's keeping writers inspired and motivated so thank you and keep up the good work! ❤️

I'm super curious about other people's responses to these so all my writing followers, consider yourselves tagged if you're up for it!

[bobasheebaby]

Grey’s Anatomy Prompts

I’m going a tad stir crazy, so I decided to make a prompt list of 80 Grey’s quotes I love. This may have been done before but I don’t care. It’s mostly angsty prompts and it’s long as hell. (Break at 15)

1 “When I met you, I thought I had found the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I was done. So all the boys, and all the bars, and all the obvious daddy issues, who cared? Because I was done. You left me. You chose Addison. I’m all glued back together now. I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke.” —Meredith Grey

2 “Don’t let what he wants eclipse what you need. He’s very dreamy, but he is not the sun—you are.” —Cristina Yang

3 “Your choice, it’s simple: her or me? And I’m sure she’s really great. But I love you. In a really, really big pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window, unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you. So pick me, choose me, love me.” —Meredith Grey

4 “If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you’re scared that it’s not the right thing. Even if you’re scared that it’ll cause problems. Even if you’re scared that it will burn your life to the ground, you say it, and you say it loud and you go from there.” —Mark Sloan

5 “It always feels like there is just one person in this world to love. And then you find somebody else, and it just seems crazy that you were ever worried in the first place.” —Lexie Grey

6 “Don’t let fear keep you quiet. You have a voice, so use it. Speak up. Raise your hands. Shout your answers. Make yourself heard. Whatever it takes, just find your voice, and when you do, fill the damn silence.” —Meredith Grey

7 “Not everyone has to be happy all the time. That isn’t metal health. That’s crap.” —Meredith Grey

8 “Breakthroughs don’t happen because of the medicine. Real breakthroughs happen because someone is scared to death to stop trying.” —Derek Shepherd

9 “We don’t get unlimited chances to have the things that we want, and this I know. Nothing is worse than missing an opportunity that could have changed your life.” —Addison Montgomery

10 “And if you can't do it, if you aren't willing to keep looking for light in the darkest of places without stopping, even when it seems impossible, you will never succeed.” —Amelia Shepard

11 “Oh screw beautiful! I’m brilliant! If you want to appease me, compliment my brain.” — Christina Yang

12 “You were like coming up for fresh air. It's like I was drowning and you saved me.” — Derek Shepard

13 “The only time I don't feel like a ghost is when you look at me, because when you look at me, you see me. You see me. This is me.” — Owen Hunt

14 “It's good to be scared. It means you still have something to lose.” — Richard Webber

15 “You are my person. You will always be my person.” — Christina Yang

16 “It doesn't matter how tough we are. Trauma always leaves a scar. It follows us home, it changes our lives. Trauma messes everybody up. But maybe that's the point. All the pain and the fear and the crap. Maybe going through all that is what keeps us moving forward. It's what pushes us. Maybe we have to get a little messed up, before we can step up.” — Alex Karev

17 “Please, don't chase me anymore, unless you're ready to catch me.” — Callie Torres

18 “Change … we don’t like it, we fear it. But we can’t stop it from coming. We either adapt to change, or we get left behind. It hurts to grow. Anybody who tells you it doesn’t, is lying. But here’s the truth: Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes, oh, sometimes, change is good. Sometimes, change is … everything.” — Meredith Grey

19 “Intimacy is a four letter syllable for- here’s my heart and soul, please grind them into a hamburger and enjoy. It’s both desired and feared. Difficult to live with, impossible to live without” -Meredith Grey

20 “You can have the worst crap in the world happen to you and you can get over it. All you gotta do is survive.” -Alex Karev

21 Walk tall. All you can do is be brave enough to get out there. You fought. You loved. You Lost. Walk tall.” -Mark Sloan

22 "Just because people do horrible things, it doesn't always mean they're horrible people."-Izzie Stevens

23 "I am woman. Hear me roar." - Miranda Bailey

24 "I love everything about you. Even the things I don't like, I love. And I want you with me. I love you and I think you love me too. Do you?" -Jackson Avery

25 “If you want crappy things to stop happening to you, stop accepting crap and demand something more.” -Cristina Yang

26 “You didn't love her! You just didn't want to be alone. Or maybe, maybe she was good for your ego. Or, or maybe she made you feel better about your miserable life, but you didn't love her, because you don't destroy the person that you love!” - Callie Torres

27 I am not an ugly duckling. I'm a swan."-April Kepner

28 “Okay, here it is, your choice... it's simple, her or me, and I'm sure she is really great. But Derek, I love you, in a really, really big 'pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window', unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you. So pick me, choose me, love me.” - Meredith Grey

29 “I’ve had to give up things but what I’ve learned is that I don’t need much. I don’t need much to be happy.” -Arizona Robbins

30 “I need the day off. For drinking.” -Addison Montgomery

31 "It turns out sometimes you have to do the wrong thing. Sometimes you have to make a big mistake to figure out how to make things right. Mistakes are painful, but they're the only way to find out who we really are." -Denny Duquette

32 “In the beginning everyone is there, but then they forget.” - Amelia Shepherd

33 "Knowing is better than wondering. Waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying." -Meredith Grey

34 “You have to go back to the beginning to understand the end.” -Teddy Altman

35 “Yeah we’re friends…I mean right now I’d probably say you’re one of my best friends.”-George O’Malley

36 “I’m just gonna feel bad that I made it so you can never love again” -Jo Wilson

37 "The future is the home of our deepest fears and our wildest hopes." -Owen Hunt

38 “There’s a land called passive agressiva, and you’re their queen” -Derek Shepherd

39 “Let’s play a game of whose life sucks the most. I’ll win. I always win.” -Meredith Grey

40 “I take things personally. I get emotional.” -Lexie Grey

41 “Stop looking at my like that. Like you’ve seen me naked” -Meredith Grey

42 “Pretty good is not good enough, I want to be great.” -Cristina Yang

43 "Don't let fear keep you quiet. You have a voice so use it. Speak up. Raise your hands. Shout your answers. Make yourself heard. Whatever it takes, just find your voice, and when you do, fill the damn silence." - Meredith Grey

44 “Let’s just make-out on the couch.” -Nathan Riggs

45 "Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we're wired that way. Because without it, I don't know; maybe we just wouldn't feel real. What's that saying? Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop." -Meredith Grey

46 “Deal with your jealousy. Deal with your shortcomings. Don’t put your crap on me.” -Stephanie Edwards

47 "I know I'm not a lot of things that you've gone for in the past - I know, but I would never leave you. I would never hurt you. And I will never stop loving you.." -George O’Malley

48 “Sometimes you have to be a shark.” -Lucy Fields

49 “Don’t look at me like that. Like I’m damaged goods. I’m still me. I’m still here.” -Adele Webber

50 "More tequila. More love. More anything. More is better." -Meredith Grey

51 "More tequila. More love. More anything. More is better." -Meredith Grey

52 "For a kiss to be really good, you want it to mean something. You want it to be with someone you can't get out of your head, so that when your lips finally touch you feel it everywhere. A kiss so hot and so deep you never want to come up for air. You can't cheat your first kiss. Trust me, you don't want to. Cause when you find that right person for a first kiss, it's everything." -Alex Karev

53 "You can't be an ass to me all day and then expect me to give you respect." - Lexie Grey

54 “Some days, the whole world seems upside down. And then somehow, and probably, when you least expect it, the world gets right again.” -Meredith Grey

55 “Shut up. Dance it out.” -Cristina Yang

56 “We may only be together five minutes every two months, but when we do we will savor every second. We know how valuable those five minutes are.” -Ben Warren

57 “There comes a point when you have to suck it up and stop whining and start living” -Callie Torres

58 “Please don’t give up on me. Promise. Promise me you won’t.” -Arizona Robbins

59 “Bad things happen, but you have to move past it. Leave it behind. The sooner, the better. Or it’ll eat away at you and stop you from moving forward.” -Miranda Bailey

60 “This is the way the world changes. Good people, raising babies right” -Catherine Avery

61 “The problem is we are human. We want more than to just survive. We want to love.” -Lexie Grey

62 "There's a club. The Dead Dads/Moms/Parents Club. And you can't be in it until you're in it. You can try to understand, you can sympathize. But until you feel that loss... My dad/mom/parent’s died when I was AGE. NAME, I'm really sorry you had to join the club." -Cristina Yang

63 “I’m going to die because these people aren’t properly trained” -Derek Shepherd

64 “I believe if you were dead, the world would be a better place” -George O’Malley

65 “You think you broke me, NAME? You’re the one who put me back together.” -Mark Sloan

66 “I want so much for you. For both of us. So much more than this. More than being stuck with someone who feels stuck. I want you to feel free.” -Callie Torres

67 “Every kiss before the right kiss doesn’t count anyway” -Derek Shepherd

68 “The expected is what keeps us steady. It’s the unexpected that changes our lives forever.” -Meredith Grey

69 “Promise that you’ll love me, even when you hate me.” -Meredith Grey

70 "The problem is, fairytales don't come true. It's the nightmares that always seem to become the reality." -Meredith Grey

71 “How are you fine? How are you just completely fine? I am ruined, okay? I am dead, I am wrecked." -Cristina Yang

72 “I didn’t like teenage girls when I was a teenage girl.” -Cristina Yang

73 “So you fight. Until you can’t fight anymore.” -Amelia Shepherd

74 “Don’t analyze everything. Just do it.” -Alex Karev

75 “Some lies aren’t lies. They’re love.” -Meredith Grey

76 “That’s where love exists, in delusional fantasies.” -Meredith Grey

77 "Friends are the family we choose." -Meredith Grey

78 "Don't ever date a man who can't handle your power." - Meredith Grey

79 "It’s not hard. It’s painful but it’s not hard. You know what to do already. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be in this much pain." —Miranda Bailey

80 “You’re my heaven. But maybe ... maybe I’m your hell.” — Denny Dequette

[more-better-words]

Tagged by @tara-stofse!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

Let's go from oldest to newest, shall we?

1) There was a reason why the inn was the only place in Candlekeep alcohol was allowed. - Prohibition (Baldur's Gate)

2) Rain drummed steadily on the thatched eaves of the cow shed, and Dreppin glanced warily at the woman who had ducked under them beside him, waiting for the storm to pass. - Bigger and Better Things (Baldur's Gate)

3) Kelsey Coltrane was bored. - Destiny (Baldur's Gate)

4) The temple of Lith My'athar had been dedicated to Lolth once, but when the Seer and her ragged lot had come, they had quietly repurposed the building, making it a place for the worship of their Lady Silverhair instead. - In a Strange Land (Neverwinter Nights)

5) We got drunk the night Monika died, Dietrich and I. - The Hornet's Nest (Shadowrun: Dragonfall)

6) Blitz leaned over my work bench, dangling a memory stick in my field of vision. - Bootleg (Shadowrun: Dragonfall)

7) I woke up early, and rolled out of bed carefully to avoid disturbing Zee. - Coda (Shadowrun: Dragonfall)

8) They sat against the wall of a little used balcony on the second story of the temple of Rillifane, watching the stars appear one by one in the gray-violet sky. - Venturing the Uncharted (Baldur's Gate)

9) Arberrang was alive, which was more than anyone could have hoped for even a month previous. - Every Step of the Way (The Banner Saga)

10) They were returning to their office above Mrs. Pomligan's when Fleet made a passing statement of appreciation regarding a dark blue overcoat in a shop window. - Small Vase Enthusiast (Victoriocity)

11) Archibald Fleet didn’t smile. - All in the Eyes (Victoriocity)

12) The case itself had been a success. - Meeting in the Middle (Victoriocity)

13) Well, thought Clara Entwhistle as she tumbled over the railing onto the terrace below, that could have gone better. - The Direct Approach (Victoriocity)

14) The bikers had made several mistakes. - Lay Down the Beat (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency)

15) The attack came on suddenly – the collar of her jacket was a chain, choking her, bruising her flesh – and even though she had tools now, even though she knew what to do with the pain and the fear, there was still that instant of panic, that moment of oh shit oh shit as her brain scrambled to process what was it was seeing and feeling. - Part of the Design (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency)

16) This was when they were most themselves, when they didn’t have to be anyone else. - The Haven (Shadowrun: Dragonfall)

17) Ericka’s boots were missing, but the panic passed as soon as it was appeared, replaced by an entirely different emotion, when she realized they had been slung into the branches of a nearby tree, entirely out of her reach. - Thieves (Neverwinter Nights)

18) The talent night was a chance for the luminaries of Darrowby to shine, each in their own unique way, with songs and skits and recitations. - A Red, Red Rose (All Creatures Great and Small)

19) Later, Juliet would wonder if there had been something subconscious in her choice of footwear that afternoon. - The Tightrope (Psych)

20) "I could shoot him. I will shoot him." - It's a Process (Psych)

Hmmm. My goodness, I like to open things up with a declarative, don't I? As for favorites (favourites, for my non-American friends), I think I like #5 and #13 the best. Of the lot of them, those two do the best job of setting the tone of their respective pieces.

Consider yourself tagged if you see this post!

[warningimmental]

You made your choice. It's not to be a mother so....... Congratulations you're free!!!. Your Wish came true.

Yes this is public so people can see.#TRUTH

***See below as im not repeating again and again.***

My side of life.

P.s

Yeah I'll be fine. I always am in the end.

( Heres what needs to be said and has been said so not to repeat myself. From in PMs )

Sad thing is she knows ill forgive her just like I forgave dad and EVERYONE and EVERYTHING else. I care so no one else has to. I'm the one who picked up the pieces of everything but was tormented daily. She wonders why I was the way I was it was due to parenting and fobbing me off to anyone who would take me.

Anne and Bob should of kept me. They couldn't have kids they could of had me though. (neighbours I adopted as grandparents no blood but love ) My father was a shit most of my life my mother was everyones mother bar mine. They kept me quite with gadgets and as long as I went to school fed and watered job done.

Favourite quote was "it's your fault" and dads was "your making me ill"

Christ for someone who knows everyone elses business she never saw what was happening to her own daughter.

29 years im done. Sick of being a leighton.

I said Stockholm syndrome I loved my captives just happened to be the people I called mum and dad....

I still love them both but what I was "known as normal" was not remotely normal.

Eg. I was appendicitis and born 8 months in mum had no clue and I was "hiding" behind her ribs. It's medically impossible.

Not to mention lived in New York every other year from age of 6 months till I was 13. Dad would take me over and over and over mum came ONCE for my 13th.

I have no memories of New York. It's kind of a huge thing and place to have been wiped out of a memory.

Now im clear-minded im having pseudoseizures because my subconscious doesn't want me to remember what happened.

What mother would let a new born or toddler a child that can't speak fly to the other side of the world to only be with men. My dad and my fucked up uncle who sends stuff to "favourite" niece

I've tried so hard to get better and it's not even my family who acknowledged it.

There's so much you don't know.

She used to have me go in the house before her in case dad had killed himself so id find him first from the ages of 7 onwards. When dad past I went behind the curtain first. So I kept the is see him first. On 29th April 2018

I was always on eggshells she would say people die of lack of breath so EVERY NIGHT id check on mum and dad every hour. She would hold her breath to screw with me. Then say im not dead go to bed.

The house was toxic. For once in my life im actually sane.

She is not who you think she is.

If I've lost my mind it's because my environment sucked. I'm finally out. Sober can think clear and don't harm because I don't have to deal with the toxicity that I dealt with ALL my life.

If I told you everything you wouldn't believe me. Which is fine know one does because but it's true.

Always ask why or what causes someone to go off the rails and self destruct. I never felt safe, I was always told I was a mistake and everything was my fault. As long as I kept the family secrets mum was happy.

Dad was toxic. Mum the same. She wants drama so I finally said enough.

When I say mum knows everything I mean she saw it all and NEVER had it stop or put me safe. I can finally talk now dad is gone. I could write every TRUTH down and write a book. People would wonder how the hell did this girl cope and live to tell. I lived because I care about everything and everyone else. But im done now.

I doubt you'd believe me if im honest. My inbox is full of people defending her and my dad. If only they knew. its been a long time coming but im finally speaking out.

I know people don't understand but I don't want to burden with it. If You like my mum and dad id rather I let you keep the illusion. I know it's out there now that's enough.

If you want to see my life keep reading otherwise STOP HERE.

I'm fine and im safe finally. I just needed more as a child than fear of what should of been my safe place a home.

I don't want us to be strangers to the people who read this and thin sarahs lost it.

I don't want to cause a riff, I just couldn't not say it finally. Mum says always go to counselling but I couldn't. I couldn't tell anyone the truth about dad or mum. Or the truth on why I had to have a very intrusive operation due to assault by 3 at Halloween party. Mum now knows that. Dad was arrested for hitting the wrong lad. Dad and mum would have gone down for murder if I spoke out.

On the other hand there was also my home life in general. I was made to stay quiet about having a revolving door of strangers. Huge boozy parties after a night out. Mum and me being treat like muck on a shoe.

A abusive uncle who would have me and my cusion be "kissing cusions" .Every night when I was 15 to 26 I drank took sleeping pills and hid away in my room self destructive harm anything so not to deal.

I look like wolferrines attacked me because of the arguments or threats. Mum couldnt leave the house quick enough. I gave up on a career to care for my dad but I was always looked down on.

****** golden girl. left was I was guilt tripped saying "your still dads girl you won't leave me" while dad would cry. Every night.

Mum swears I was an appendicitis 8 months in term. I'd be handed to anyone and everyone. Every year or every other from birth id end up in america. Mum would say her holidays where when me and dad would leave. From 6 months old id always go back and forth to New York. I couldnt talk yet "apparently" begged to go with dad.

Mum would say after blazing rows im leaving.

Then just walk out the door. I was left with a highly angry father and confused were mum had gone and if she would come back for me. I'd stay up all night waiting. I'd hide crying and scream in a pillow so not to be to loud so dad didn't shout.

I was told my face doesn't fit. My nick name was ferret face or panda. I would hurt my self so not to hurt others. I wanted and trained to be a counsellor so one to understand what I did wrong and two and most importantly to be there for the people who needed support.

I went to rehab to be identified when found so my parents wouldn't have to. If it wasn't for craig I doubt if be here.

Craig saved my life. Mum has always put others before me or ignored it so it didn't exist.

Important in here (ears) none important (over your head)

I was terrified everyday of my life. I loved and do love my parents it's just I can't stay quite any longer.

Money or game consoles chocolate sweets where hush money. Dad would buy crates of spirits and beer and supple my / his pills so I was always foggy minded.

I'm finally sober clean and harm free my mind is the most composed it ever been.

No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

Mum is a star and has a heart of gold to others but from age 7 onwards everyone else came first.

I pride my self on protecting, comforting trying to be there and support everyone, hell even risked my life enough times to save some. because I never had it. No one to fight for me protect me.

I wanted parents love encouragement happy I archived or even tried. But it never came.

Even my graduation was ruined.

I wasn't allowed to get a job they made me be sick and have PTSD mum still to this day loves to make me jump. I have terrifying nightmares.

I'd hear conversations no child should hear because they either didn't notice I was there or care. When ***** killed him self when *** did when dad tried and I was left with a random man being told "your dads took to many sweets"

The same man who later tried it on with me sending dirty pictures or dads other "mates" who would try there luck. I gained a shit ton of weight 21 stone so NO guy would come near me because the strangers who would come to the house used to try and feel me up or perv if door was unlocked as I was a kid.

She saw everything but wouldn't believe it. Or me. I phone our ***** one night years ago because she said I could and she yelled at me because she had work. I was silently screaming for help.

It was only at dads funeral she saw and realised and was so genuinely sorry for not believing me the night I phoned.

I wish every single thing I've said and keep telling was a lie but it's not it's 25/26 years of fear.

I'm 29 now. For the first time in my life im not on eggshells. I have a safe home. I can lock the door and not fear.

I wish these were lies I swear!!!!! I do but there not.

Yet NO ONE will even consider it's the TRUTH.

[chippokenabokura]

Hello, I hope this message will not bother you if you already have tons of them ^^ I was just wondering if you intended to continue your translation of World Trigger. Also I wanted to thank you for your "accurate" translations for all this time (I think I discovered you like 2-3 years ago by chance ... I don't even remember how). Thank you again. A French World Trigger fan.

Short answer...yes >.> Long answer, the past month or so have been a busy one (I was on holiday for a chunk of it etc.) hence why I haven’t posted these earlier, but you guys aren’t here for excuses. I’m glad you like my translations! And trust me, compliments are never a burden XD This goes out for all the other nice messages I received as well, thank you so much everyone for taking time out to write such nice messages

Also, congratulations to the World Trigger anime for getting a continuation! So far there hasn’t been much official information about it, though the key poster having Hus in the Tamakoma Second uniform is pretty suggestive, I thought. But they’re getting a stage at AnimeJapan 2020 on 23rd March, so hopefully we learn more then.

Now on to the translation!

World Trigger Ch188 ‘Hus 9’, Ch189 ‘Amatori Chika 8′  & Ch190 ‘Yuba Squad 3′ Translation

For this post I have all the chapters that have come out until now:

Panel 1

*wind howling*

Panel 2

Osamu: Chika! Kuga!

*clatter clatter*

Yuuma: We’re fine

Panel 3

Yuuma: Chika protected us with Shield

Panel 4

Osamu: I see…!

Osamu: Alright…first, let’s move!

Panel 1

Osamu: Why did Meteora explode?

Osamu: Did you see anything?

Panel 2

*tap*

Chika: The cube was shotChika: From the back…

Panel 3

Osamu: The back…which means from the south…

Osamu: Were we seen by Yuba squad’s sniper…!

Panel 4

Chika: I’m sorryChika: I…

Osamu: I was the one who gave those instructions

Osamu: It’s my mistake

Panel 1

Osamu: But thanks to you, Chika, the two of you finished up with no injuries

Osamu: We’re seeing the result of your training

Panel 2

Chika: …

Panel 3

Fujimaru: Well done, Tono!

Fujimaru: Your quick wit worked, didn’t it!

Tonooka: No, I didn’t finish her off, can’t really say that…

Panel 4

Tonooka: I’ll keep following Tamakoma

Tonooka: Watch for a chance and try one more time

Panel 5

Osamu: Kuga

Osamu: Can you go take down the sniper in the south?

Panel 1                      

Yuuma: If the sniper shoots one more time for us

Yuuma: I don’t know where he is right now

Panel 2

Osamu: That’s true…

Osamu: Yuba squad’s sniper…Tonooka-sempai

Osamu: Gave the impression of being quite a cautious person

Panel 3

Osamu: If I send Kuga to search for Tonooka-sempai

Osamu: But he stays hidden during all of it

Osamu: Kuga won’t be able to fight during that time

Panel 4

Osamu: …alright

Panel 5

Osamu: Let’s aim towards where Hus is together with the three of us!

Osamu: If there’s a place where the line of sight from the south is cut offOsamu: Kuga will split from us there and hurry to save Hus!

Panel 1

Osamu: Me and Chika will hide ourselves first

Osamu: And then set up at a spot where Chika can support you with her sniping!

Panel 2

Osamu: And take care not to have Ninomiya-san’s group catch up to us!

Panel 3

Yuuma: Roger

Chika: …roger!

Panel 4

Osamu: It’ll take time, but we don’t have any other choice…!

Osamu: Hus…!

Panel 5

*crash*

Panel 1

Mizukami: What was that big one jus’ now?

*wind howling*

Oki: Looks like Amatori-chan exploded

Minamisawa: Seriously!?

Mizukami: But she ain’t dead

Panel 2

Usami: Meteora was shot by Tonooka-kun’s snipingUsami: But with Chika-chan’s Shield, those three are okay!

Hus: I see…Hus: Understood

Panel 3

Hus: It’s predictable that Chika would be marked

Hus: Was my judgement too optimistic

Panel 4

Hus: ShioriHus: Give me a detailed map of these surroundings

Usami: Roger!

Panel 1

Ouji: I said a bit about this earlier

Ouji: But with this kind of meleeOuji: The more you’re on the ‘inside’ the more of a disadvantage you have

Panel 2

Ouji: Because no matter how skilled

Ouji: It’s hard to be on guard for 360°

Panel 3

Ouji: But on the flip sideOuji: Surviving this far makes Huston a badass

Ouji: You could say as well…

Panel 4

Kurauchi: …losing a leg

Kurauchi: Makes the situation a fair amount more difficult

Panel 5

Kurauchi: Since he has to stop moving and concentrate trion on defending

Kurauchi: There’s no opportunity for him to demonstrate his inherently high attack power

Panel 1

Sakurako: So you mean that he has his hands full with defence

Sakurako: And no chance to counterattack…!

Panel 2

Konami: Though there is still a chance for him to take advantage, more or less…

Konami: Since those surrounding him are all ‘enemies’ as well

Panel 3

Sakurako: …!

Sakurako: …by which you mean…!?

Panel 4

Konami: If Hus goes down like this

Konami: Ikoma squad has the advantage with numbers and location, rightKonami: Yuba squad’s gonna do their best to not let that happen

Panel 5

Konami: And on the other hand, Inukai-sempai

Konami: Is okay with the current situation continuing until NInomiya-san’s group arrives…

Panel 1

Konami: The ones doing the surrounding all have different opinions too

Konami: Hus should know that too

Sakurako: I see…!

Panel 2

Kurauchi: The more damage Agent Hus takes

Kurauchi: The more the surrounding sideKurauchi: Is conscious of ‘after Agent Hus is taken down’…Kurauchi: I agree that has merit

Panel 3

Sakurako: Which means, taking advantage of that psychologySakurako: There’s a chance Agent Hus could survive…!?

Panel 4

Ouji: No

Ouji: Now that’s not going to happen

Panel 1

Ouji: Even if they’re calculating the pros and cons at the back of their heads

Ouji: The upper B-ranks are not so soft thatOuji: They would let Huston escape

Panel 2

*machine whirr*

Panel 3

*bang bang bang bang bang bang*

Panel 4

*machine whirr*

Panel 1

*bang*

*light light light light*

Panel 2

*impact impact impact impact impact*

Panel 3

*impact impact impact impact impact*

Panel 4

*bang bang bang bang bang bang*

*dash*

Panel 1

Minamisawa: Hus-chan went that way!

Panel 2

Mizukami: OK, Ah see him

Panel 3

Inukai: You can’t get away with that foot

Panel 4

*impact impact impact impact*

*impact impact impact*

Panel 5

Sakurako: Agent Hus begins his attempt to break through

Sakurako: The mid-range group tightly keeps him in place!

Panel 1

Sakurako: Agent Hus is surrounded once more!Sakurako: Is the difference in mobility having an effect!?

Konami: …ah jeez, it’s making me anxious…!

Panel 2

Konami: Don’t put on airs

*mumble mumble*

Konami: Hurry up and use your ‘secret weapon’…!

Panel 3

Kurauchi & Ouji: ‘Secret weapon’…?

Panel 4

Sakurako: By ‘secret weapon’Sakurako: You mean something like a trump card…!?

Konami: I don’t know, I’m not saying, I won’t tell you!Konami: Because it’s a ‘secret weapon’!

Karasuma: …

Panel 5

Kitora: Karasuma-sempaiKitora: By ‘secret weapon’, she means…?

Karasuma: It’s about Viper

Panel 1

Kitora: …!

Kitora: Making everyone think the bullet he has is Asteroid, but actually…

Kitora: Viper…!

Panel 2

Karasuma: Hus is pretty skilled

Karasuma: Not as much as Nasu-sanKarasuma: But he can draw the trajectory properly every time

Panel 3

Karasuma: No matter the opponent, he should able to get them the first time

Panel 4

Kitora: It’s true…with that trion amount

Kitora: It’ll be a fatal wound for anyone…!

Kitora: …but

Kitora: In that case, then why…

Panel 5

Inukai: I wonder why he’s not using his ‘secret weapon’?Inukai: Hus-kun

*wind howling*

Inukai: You’ve got something up your sleeve, right?

Panel 1

Inukai: There’s no need to be reluctant in the final battle, right

*wind howling*

Inukai: Keep going like this and it’s gonna end without it being used?

Panel 2

*bang bang bang*

*impact impact*

*light light light light*

Panel 3

*clang clang clang clang clang*

*whoosh*

Panel 4

Karasuma: Yuba squad isKarasuma: Moving as if they’re splitting the work of taking on Ninomiya-san’s Fullattack strategy between the two of them

Karasuma: Thanks to their countermeasures against Ninomiya-san, they’re somehow getting through this

Panel 1

Karasuma: Ikoma squad is…

Panel 2

Karasuma: While the attacker presses forward

Panel 3

Karasuma: Mizukami-sempai supports him, the same as usual

Panel 4

Karasuma: And then…

Panel 5

*rustle*

Ikoma: Senkuu…

Panel 1

Hus: Escudo

*machine whirr*

Panel 2

*bang*

Panel 3

*bang bang bang bang*

Ikoma: !

*thump*

Panel 4

*wind howling*

Sakurako: Escudo as a catapult!?Sakurako: Captain Ikoma is tossed into the air!

Panel 1

Kurauchi: So he can even activate Escudo with his foot

Panel 2

Konami: A chance!

Panel 3

Ouji: Take down Iko-san

Ouji: Or aim for withdrawal

Panel 4

*bang*

Hus: Slip through this boxing in!

Panel 5

Ikoma: …kogetsu

Panel 6

*fwoosh*

Panel 1

*turn*

Panel 3

*slice*

Hus: !

Panel 1

Satori: Acrobatic Ikoma Senkuu!

Arashiyama: He can hit a mark like that

Panel 2

*bang*

*impact impact impact impact*

Sakurako: The breakout with Escudo Catapult is halted by Captain Ikoma!

Panel 3

Sakurako: And furthermore, Agent Hus loses his right foot too!

Panel 4

Karasuma: …I seeKarasuma: So that’s how it is

Panel 1

Inukai: The angle of the Escudo used for that big jump just now…

Panel 2

Inukai: At the end of his jump would be…

Panel 3

Ouji: It seems that Huston

Ouji: Wanted to use his ‘secret weapon’ on Ninomiya-san

Panel 4

Ouji: In fact, in the first placeOuji: ‘Huston will defeat Ninomiya-san’

Ouji: Was that Tamakoma’s scenario, I wonder?

Panel 1

Yuba: Obishimaa!

*wind howling*

Yuba: When Hus falls, the 2nd round is gonna start immediately!

*rustle*

Panel 2

Obishima: Roger!

*wind howling*

Obishima: I’ll move to make sure I’m not surroundedObishima: While trying to create an opening in Ikoma squad!

Panel 3

Mizukami: Hus shoulda lost quite a lot of trion by now, butMizukami: Don’t let ya guard down

*wind howling*

Panel 4

Ikoma: Not an opponent ya can let ya guard down with even if he’s on the verge of death anyway

Minamisawa: True!

*wind howling*

Panel 1

Inukai: Even if Hus-kun was to fight Ninomiya-san

Inukai: Ninomiya-san will probably win, but…

Panel 2

Inukai: …risk

*wind howling*

Inukai: Need to be eliminated as much as possible

Panel 3

Computer: WarningComputer: Serious trion leakage

*wind howling*

*crack*

-

Panel 1

*wind howling*

Panel 2

Sakurako: There are cracks in Agent Hus’s combat body…!

Ouji: It’s finally reached this point

Panel 3

Kurauchi: The amount of trion Agent Hus can use in a counterattack

Kurauchi: Is running low too

Panel 4

Ouji: If Huston is taken down

Ouji: The match might move all at once

Panel 1

Inukai: Hus-kun acted as if he’s aiming for Ninomiya-san’s group

Panel 2

Inukai: There’s the chance that those 3 from Tamakoma are heading your wayInukai: So please be careful at least

Panel 3

Hiyami: The one who went after Tamakoma just now should’ve been Tonooka-kun

Hiyami: So it might be better to move in secret right about now

Panel 4

Ninomiya: …understood

*shoom*

Tsuji: Roger

Panel 1

Hosoi: Ninomiya-san and Tsuji-kun jus’ disappeared!

Panel 2

*wind howling*

Mizukami: Can’t take it easy anymore, Ah see

Panel 3

Sakurako: The enveloping formation slowly pressing in!

Sakurako: Which team will bring down Agent Hus!

Panel 4

Ouji: Probably Ikoma squad

Ouji: Yuba squad should be letting Ikoma squad take HustonOuji: And taking advantage of that opening

Panel 1

Konami: Will Yuba-chan use such an indirect move?

Panel 2

Ouji: It’s not Yuba-san’s way

Ouji: It’s Kandata’s way

Panel 3

Obishima: I will make Hus-sempai move and put him in Ikoma squad’s crosshairs!

*rustle*

Panel 4

Yuba: Don’t press in too deeply!

*bang*

Panel 5

*wind howling*

*impact impact impact*

Panel 1

*machine whirr*

Panel 2

Obishima: Escudo!

Obishima: Under my feet!?

Panel 3

*bang*

Obishima: !?

Panel 4

*impact impact*

*crash*

Panel 1

Yuba: That car with Escudo…

*rustle*

*ka-wham*

Yuba: Obishimaa!

Panel 2

*rattle rattle*

Obishima: …I’m fine!

Panel 3

Inukai: Yuba squad’s co-op has broken down

Inukai: In that case

Panel 4

*ratatatatata*

*impact impact impact*

Inukai: I’ll have to put on the pressure, won’t I

Panel 5

*machine whirr*

*impact impact impact impact impact*

Panel 1

*light*

*wind howling*

*rustle*

Panel 2

Ikoma: Senkuu Kogetsu

Panel 3

Sakurako: Once again, Ikoma Senkuu!

Panel 4

*shine*

Panel 2

*machine whirr*

Panel 3

Satori: Fullguard!?

Panel 4

Arashiyama: The Senkuu was a fakeout!

Panel 5

Konami: …here!!

Panel 1

*turn*

*light*

Panel 2

*bang bang bang bang*

Panel 3

Ikoma: …!

Panel 1

Sakurako: !?

Konami: Viper!

Panel 2

Computer: Combat body active limit reached

*crack*

Ikoma: Kai!

Panel 3

Minamisawa: Yes, yes!

*reveal*

Panel 4

*wind howling*

Minamisawa: !?

*turn*

Panel 5

Minamisawa: Are you Nasu-san!

*rustle*

Panel 1

*machine whirr*

Panel 2

Minamisawa: !

*impact impact impact impact*

Panel 4

*wind howling*

Mizukami: Finally

Panel 5

Mizukami: Checkmate

Panel 1

*impact impact impact impact*

*bang*

Panel 2

Computer: Combat body active limit reached

*crack crack*

Computer: Bailout

Panel 1

*bang*

*bam*

*wind howling*

Sakurako: Captain Ikoma and Agent HusSakurako: Bails out one after the other!

Panel 2

*whoosh*

Panel 3

*machine whirr*

*impact impact impact impact*

Panel 4

Mizukami: If Obishima-chan’s there, then that means…

Panel 1

*turn*

Mizukami: Yuba-san’s over here

*rustle*

Panel 2

*wind howling*

Panel 3

Mizukami: Oh my…

Mizukami: This’s no good

Panel 4

*bam bam bam bam bam *

*impact impact impact impact*

Panel 1

*wind howling*

*bam*

Sakurako: Agent Mizukami, stuck between Captain Yuba and Agent InukaiSakurako: Also bails out here!

Panel 2

Sakurako: This is Yuba squad’s point!Sakurako: Captain Yuba’s quick draw wrested away the point!

Panel 3

Sakurako: Tamakoma Second, Ikoma squad, and Yuba squad

Sakurako: Have all earned 1 point!

Panel 4

Sakurako: So Agent Hus’s ‘secret weapon’Sakurako: Was Viper!

Konami: That’s rightKonami: Though I was so nervous when it looked like he was going to go down without using it

Panel 1

Inukai: Hus-kun’s ‘secret weapon’ was more or less what I expectedInukai: Though the keenness of his proficiency was above what I had thought

Panel 2

*smoking*

Inukai: Now I need toInukai: Make sure not to die before meeting up

Panel 3

*sigh*

Panel 4

Hus: Stopped at 1 point, huh…

Hus: ButHus: I did the minimum that needed to be done

Panel 5

Hus: No…Hus: There’s one more thing to do

Panel 1

Osamu: Hus was taken down…

Yuuma: Well, can’t be helped

Panel 2

Chika: Hus-kun was…

*badump badump*

Chika: Hus-kun was taken down…

Panel 3

Chika: The same as that time

Panel 4

Chika: Because I couldn’t do it well…

Chika: Ah

Panel 1

Hus: Chika

Hus: It’s Hus

Panel 2

Chika: !

Hus: My bad I couldn’t let you shoot like we practiced

Panel 3

Hus: I died

Panel 4

*twitch*

Hus: On the actual battlefieldHus: If Chika doesn’t shoot the enemy

Hus: There’s a chance Yuuma or Osamu could die

Panel 5

Chika: Again, it’s my…

*tighten*

Chika: My fault…

Hus: That’s why, Chika

Panel 1

Hus: I leave Yuuma and Osamu in your care

Hus: In my place

Panel 2

Chika: …!

Panel 3

Izumi: Hmmm…

Izumi: Now hasn’t this turned into an intense development

Izumi: Tamkoma Second

Fight. And prove yourselves.

Panel 1

Izumi: Yo, Kyousuke

Panel 2

Izumi: Didn’t this turn out interesting

Karasuma: Izumi-sempai

Panel 3

Karasuma: You’re not in the upper seats today

Izumi: It’s the special final match after all

Panel 4

Izumi: SoIzumi: How is it, your ‘disciple’

Izumi: Isn’t he troubled with his big game piece taken down

Panel 1

Karasuma: I wonder

Karasuma: He’d been thinking of various strategiesKarasuma: So I think he’ll be alright though

Panel 2

Karasuma: If I have to say, the one I’m worried about is…

Panel 4

*impact impact impact impact*

*bang bang bang bang*

Panel 1

*bam bam bam*

*whoosh*

Panel 2

Minamisawa: Uwah, not good, not good!

Panel 3

Sakurako: With 2 people taken down all at once, Ikoma squad has sudden reversed into a crisis!Sakurako: Will it develop into the 2 from Yuba squad chasing after Agent Minamisawa

Panel 4

Ouji: They would want to take down Kai-kun in this sceneOuji: But they wouldn’t want to let Sumi-kun get away either

Panel 1

Yuba: Wanna turn Minamisawa into a point hereYuba: But if we let Inukai go, Ninomiya squad’s gonna fucking complete the set unscathed

Panel 2

Ouji: Times like this

Ouji: If Kandata was hereOuji: Is what you start thinking…

Panel 3

Obishima: …Yuba-san!

Panel 4

Obishima: I’ll defeat Minamisawa-sempai!

Obishima: Please chase after Inukai-sempai!

Panel 1

Yuba: …aalriightYuba: Go, Obishimaa!

*rustle*

Yuba: Don’t forget the advantage of range!

Obishima: Roger!

Panel 2

Sakurako: Yuba squad splits into two here!

Sakurako: Can it be said that they’ve made a slightly momentous choice!?

Panel 3

Kurauchi: I believe these movements have been seen by the 3 from TamakomaKurauchi: But on Yuba squad’s side, Agent Tonooka is still marking Tamakoma

Panel 4

Kurauchi: Depending on who Tamakoma makes a move on

Panel 5

Kurauchi: The flow of the match will change, it seems

Panel 1

*rumbling*

Panel 3

*ratatatatata*

Panel 4

*impact impact impact impact*

Fujimaru: Distance 20!

Panel 1

*bam bam bam*

Panel 2

*impact impact impact*

*bang*

*fwoosh*

Panel 3

Sakurako: Captain Yuba’s bullets have caught Agent Inukai in their grasp!

Konami: Yuba-chan’s faster in close range

Panel 4

Inukai: A shootout’s bothersome, as expectedInukai: Let’s devote ourselves to running

*wind howling*

Panel 1

Sakurako: Agent Inukai shows movements that aim to outrun by using obstacles!Sakurako: …on the other hand, is Tamakoma joining in from the opposite side!?

Panel 2

Osamu: We’ll aim for Minamisawa-sempai’s group

Panel 3

Osamu: Because there’s the risk of an induced explosion like beforeOsamu: This time you can’t use Meteora

Osamu: Instead, our move will be using Hound to unbalance the opponentOsamu: And me and Kuga taking them out

Panel 4

Chika: …right, got it!

*machine whirr*

Panel 5

Tonooka: She’s alone now

Panel 1

Tonooka: Tamakoma’s gone towards ObishimaTonooka: I’ll aim from the back

Fujimaru: Roger!

Obishima: Roger!

Panel 2

Chika: Hound!

*machine whirr*

Panel 3

Tonooka: Now this isn’t gonna be Meteora, right

Tonooka: But this time…

Panel 4

Tonooka: I can aim for the main body

*bang*

*light*

Panel 1

*clang*

Panel 2

Tonooka: !

Panel 4

Yuuma: He took the bait

Panel 5

*wind howling*

Chika: …found him!

Usami: Changing to Sighted Guidance

Panel 1

*light*

Tonooka: Uwa, they got me

Panel 2

Tonooka: Her left hand side was open

Tonooka: Because she wanted to narrow down the direction she’d be sniped from, huh

Panel 3

*bang bang bang bang*

Panel 4

*bang*

Panel 1

*whoosh*

Tonooka: !

Panel 2

*crack*

Tonooka: Oh my…

Panel 3

*bam*

Panel 1

Sakurako: Agent Tonooka bails out!

Sakurako: The one who nabbed him was Ikoma squad’s Agent Oki!

Panel 2

*rumble*

*badump*

Panel 3

Yuuma: Oh?Yuuma: Did Chika’s ones hit?

Panel 4

Osamu: …noOsamu: It was Ikoma squad’s point

*phew*

Panel 5

*gasp*

Panel 6

*shake shake*

Chika: Wrong, wrong…!

Panel 1

Chika: Next time

*step*

Chika: I’ll hit the mark…!

Panel 2

Konami: That Okky really hid himself well…

Kurauchi: An ambush that put Agent Tonooka to shame

Panel 3

Ouji: I wonder if he had been marking Tono-kun since the Big Meteora Explosion?

Panel 4

Ouji: Because it gets scary later on if you lose Tono-kunOuji: So I understand how he feels

Panel 5

Mizukami: Oki-kun?

Mizukami: Ya couldn’t use those skills ta save us?

Oki: Well, it seemed snipin’ was bein’ guarded agains’ on that side

Panel 1

Oki: Kai

*wind howling*

Oki: If ya run that way, Kuga-kun’s probably there

Panel 2

Minamisawa: Uwah, then

Minamisawa: Would a one-on-one with Obishima-chan be better?

Panel 3

Minamisawa: I’ve only got one arm so it’s pretty tough though!

Oki: Brin’ her this wayOki: Ah’m on my way too

Panel 4

*light*

*wind howling*

Panel 1

Oki: !

*machine whirr*

Oki: Hound!?

Panel 2

Oki: I’ll lead it on then in the opposite direction…

*light*

Panel 3

*turn*

Oki: !?

Panel 4

Oki: Wrong, these’re

*zoom*

Oki: Composite bullets

Panel 1

*impact impact impact impact impact impact*

Panel 2

*bang bang bang*

Panel 3

Oki: I can’t, I can’t, seriously I can’t

*rustle*

Oki: Ninomiya-san’s

Panel 4

*bang*

Panel 2

Oki: Eh, no way

Computer: Combat body active limit reached

Panel 3

Sakurako: Ahhh!?

*bang*

Sakurako: Agent Tsuji had gone on ahead!?

Panel 1

Sakurako: A flash of Kogetsu!

Sakurako: This has become Ninomiya squad’s first point earned!

Panel 2

Kurauchi: This has…

Kurauchi: Really taken me by surprise, speaking personally

Panel 3

Kurauchi: When Captain Ninomiya shoots Composite Bullets, he always

Kurauchi: Had either one to guard him, was my impression, so…

Panel 4

Ouji: Okky probably thought the sameOuji: He sure is composed

Panel 5

Sakurako: …!Sakurako: And on the opposite side!Sakurako: This is…

Konami: Yuuma!

Panel 1

*machine whirr*

Panel 2

Sakurako: Tamakoma Second’s other ace!

*wind howling*

*rustle*

Sakurako: Agent Yuuma encounters these two!

Panel 3

Obishima: Kuga-sempai…!

Panel 4

Minamisawa: …ahhh ahhh

Panel 1

Minamisawa: Kuga-chan showing himself means…

Minamisawa: It’s that pattern with Mikumo-chan in hiding?

Obishima: …!

Panel 2

Obishima: That’s true…if that’s so

Obishima: It’s 2 vs. 1 vs. 1…!

Panel 3

*whirl*

Panel 4

Sakurako: Tamakoma Second, who wants 3 more points for a sole no.2 seat!

*rustle*

Panel 5

Sakurako: Swoops down on Agent Obishima and Minamisawa!

*machine whirr*

Panel 1

*bang*

*light*

Minamisawa: Ugh!?

Panel 3

Minamisawa: Eh~…

*crack crack*

Minamisawa: Just nowMinamisawa: Didn’t it feel a bit like it’s gonna be us two working together…

Panel 4

Obishima: Sorry!Obishima: I want points!

Panel 1

Sakurako: Oh!?Sakurako: Agent Obishima’s Blind Shot has taken out Agent Minamisawa!

*bang*

Panel 2

Konami: Ngh…

Ouji: A good judgement, Obi-nyan

Panel 3

Sakurako: Now then, two teams who both want points!

*wind howling*

Sakurako: Will this become a clash that breaks up the future to come!?

-

1. Any other manga (and I do still do this with World Trigger sometimes), I would have thought this starting placement means Tamakoma 2nd will definitely join the expedition as a team because otherwise we won't get to see them work together. But this IS World Trigger, famous for so many instances of 'oh I kind of wanted to show this but I lost my chance oh well' :/ And Ashihara has said before that he sets up chara positions on the map so he can get the match result he wants without compromising the characters' abilities, so it could very well be that he deliberately surrounded Hus with enemies because he wants him to go down before Tamakoma 2nd can fight as a team and eliminate their chance to go on the expedition as 'Tamakoma 2nd'...

2. I always forget Minamisawa and Hus are the same age and then we get something like 'Hus-chan' ._.

3. Apropos of nothing, I think Ouji's face hearing Konami spoil Hus's 'secret weapon' is hilarious

4. In conclusion, one thing I always love about World Trigger fights is how everyone is always learning new things, or changing up their tactics. It's never just our protags learning about their opponents, thinking up countermeasures and maybe having the opponents counter with countermeasures of their own. So often, World Trigger opponents will do something different right out the gate because the situation calls for it and it makes the fights so exciting.

Coming up next, volume 21 extras! Let’s see how many I can churn out before more chapters drop next week.

[sammypompeius]

Thanks @letysssssss for tagging me! Sorry it took so long ^^

1. What's the funniest word you can think of (in any language)? Pterodáctilo ( pterodactyl in portuguese ) - don't ask why.

2. You get to hang out for a day with a person who's not alive anymore. Who do you choose and why? Honestly? I'm going through a list of famous dead people bc I can't think of anyone 🤷‍♀️ ... Leonardo da Vinci seems really cool!!! FUCKING FREDDIE MERCURY idk

3. Do you like your name? If not, which name would you like to have? It's pretty weird and I've had some weird conversations talking about it (letys if you wanna know about it message me hahaha) but I like it ^^

4. How would you solve the trolley problem? (Rough explaination if youre not familiar with that, ask google if you want more/better infos: there's a trolley on a railway track that is going to run over five people. You can pull a lever that will switch it on a track where there's only one person. What do you do?) UHHHH I every time I answer I change my mind, if I was living it I would probably run over the 5 bc I wouldn't have the strength to do it but rn I chose pulling the lever.

5. What's the most hideous piece of clothing you've ever seen? Sorry to disappoint but I can't think of anything really hideos I've ever actually seen.... there probably was something, but I can't think of it. BUT:

Yes, I googled ugly clothes and was not disappointed.

6. What would you say to your 13 yo self? "Man, you are really annoying Idk if you already started beating yourself over it. Don't overestimate your place in people's lives, doesn't mean you shouldn't appreciate those people but you aren't so naive to think who says they won't leave are telling the truth, I know you pretend you believe it but it's life kiddo. It ain't such a big deal you honestly have a perfect life so don't be a bitch and complain. Idk why we have such a hard time making connections and letting things go, and we have never been through nothing really bad why do we feel so fucked in the head? I figured we are just drama queens and that seems right hauwjbwiwhw question: you think about ******? idk when it started and I haven't figured it out, wish me luck"

7. If you could live somewhere else, where would you like to live? Some random small town in Canada.

8. What's your opinion on geese? I just think they're neat. They make me think of a place I used to go sometimes with my family so good stuff hahahahah

9. Do you think everyone deserves a second chance or are there lines that can't be crossed? I think everyone can try to amend for their mistakes, give themselves a second chance no matter how bad they fucked up or if amending means staying in prison (idk), but for other people to give who wronged them second chances is up to them.

10. What's your favourite book you read as a child? The seventh tour is the only book not being fairytales that I remenber reading as a kid and I loved it but I only ever got to book 4 I think (I don't remember at all actually)

The questions now! ^^

1. What's your toothbrush's colour?

2. If you had to choose one of your 5 senses wich one would you lose?

3. Is there any youtube video you could watch for 30 days straight without getting tired? If so link it.

4. Choose: travel to the top 5 places you want to see in the world or only to the top 10th of that list but with whomever ( no limit of quantitie of people ) you want .

5. If you could change something in your past would you?

6. Night or day? Why?

7. Use 3 GIFs or photos to explain how you've been feeling the last month.

8. What would you want for a gift at the moment? What would you have wanted 5 years ago?

9. Say something you did in the past that makes you cringe and something you're proud you did.

10. You can meet your 5 favorite fictional characters or 15 real people of your choice (dead or alive anything counts) what do you choose?

I tag the wonderful:

@celisart @my-mom-says-ive-got-talent @my-arttt @see-0-through @hotdiddlydean

If you don't want to do it please don't feel obligated to and if you want me to stop tagging you in this things let me know!!!

[tothelasthoursofmylife]

I posted 67 times in 2021

27 posts created (40%)

40 posts reblogged (60%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.5 posts.

I added 97 tags in 2021

#reblog - 22 posts

#progress updates - 14 posts

#malady 4 updates - 11 posts

#cedric - 11 posts

#cloudia phantomhive - 8 posts

#kuroshitsuji - 8 posts

#useful - 6 posts

#fanfiction - 6 posts

#undertaker - 6 posts

#other stuff - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 120 characters

#(also the original was tagged with charlotte and henry omgg the best version of this those idiots got married first too)

This is so fun! It shows perfectly how goddamn long Malady 4 was XD

(The top #5 posts are under the cut because they are so long! #2 is the first Malady 4 update post - meaning most of the notes are just me reblogging it again and again and again... XD)

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

With the month creeping towards its end (already??), I decided to split Part 3. I don't think I can finish the whole thing, and I don't want to rush anything. Also, splitting it would make it easier to go through and edit and so. I also really want to finally get something out, so a split made the most sense to me. And I wanted to do shorter (partial) chapters anyway.

So, there will be a Part 4 (will this ever end??) which may (?) come relatively soon (= not almost a year later like last time, I promise) afterwards as it's Camp Nano next month.

And the first draft of Part 3 is done :) I hope I can finish revising it by the end of the month^^

6 notes • Posted 2021-03-25 23:46:45 GMT

#4

Today, the course-period of my semester has ended. I have to write two essays which are due in April and sometime else, so I will do my very best to finish and get out Malady 3 in March!!

(Omg, then, it will have taken me over a year to finish what is (basically) a single chapter??? :OOO)

If March passes without an update, I may have passed myself. Which won’t do because I have books to read.

In the meantime: I shared some snippet-snippets before when I talked about last year’s July Camp Nano (here and here!) I have now hit 310 (???) snippets in my little collection (and almost a hundred pages!), so here's the continuation.

#286

“Considering how you are and that you inherited your god-awful job from your father, I’m sort of glad that I never got to meet him.”

#287

Milton flinched and his eyes widened. “W… why would you say this?”

#288

For a split second, a peculiar expression hushed over Wentworth’s face before it returned to its normal impeccably controlled, balanced state.

#289

“Something isn’t right,” said Cloudia and hurried to the storage room door.

“What isn’t right?” Cedric asked.

#290

“No, I cannot say I have. Why?”

Milton looked away to the open sea. “For no reason in particular.”

#291

Milton took a deep breath. “There is something I have to tell you.

#292

Please forgive me. You are supposed to be my confidante, and I am not supposed to keep any secrets from you.

#293

The light of the chandeliers nearly blinded her as it was reflected on the polished marble floor; still, she kept her head up high and did not make any mistakes as she was whirled around the hall, her hands clasped to his.

“How are you?” asked Milton, his voice a welcome softness in this world of harsh light and halting music. “I hope you are feeling better today. You have been so unwell lately.”

Cloudia nodded, her gaze transfixed on the stark white walls as they spun and spun across the ballroom.

“That is wonderful to hear, Cloudia,” he said, and she was sure that he was smiling. He always smiled when hearing good news, but Cloudia did not dare to look. Instead, she studied the odd, sharp engravings on the walls, watched the candlelight flicker on the ground, shine above their heads.

None of it was pleasant to see; only the fact that facing him would even more unpleasant kept her eyes there.

#294

“Untrained eyes are the easiest to deceive, Mylady. He was unwell, and I caught him. Would you have preferred it if he had cracked his head open on the concrete?”

“Obviously not.” Cloudia crossed her arms.

#295

“Milton, there is something that has been bothering me for a while, and I believe that you can help me with it.”

#296

Milton shook his head. “No, it’s not the same. He…”

#297

I would get married on my terms.

#298

“Countess?” Someone shook her. “You cannot sleep now. It’s almost time for the play.”

#299

“It is a little strange,” Milton said, drawing out every word slowly and carefully, at the dining table.

#300

Francis could feel his eyes on her when she entered the room. They always found her; and even if they were not in a crowded ballroom and his finding not a remarkable accomplishment, her heart still fluttered a little.

It did not quench her anger though.

She closed the door behind her and walked to the chair next to Alexis’ bed, perched on it. “Why didn’t you write that you are sick?”

#301

“This is more than I deserve, and all I have ever dreamed and wished for.”

#302

A life for a life.

Is this why I have always been so restless?

#303

“That sounds oddly specific,” Cloudia replied. “Did you ever do something whose outcome you did not expect?”

“Plenty of times.”

“And are you still blaming yourself for them?”

“Always and forever.”

“So you are giving me a piece of advice you have not taken yourself?”

#304

Milton moved slightly away from her, and Cloudia dropped her hand. He seemed to want to say something else, but then settled on a faint smile and, “You are probably right.”

#305

“So there are multiple shows?” Cloudia asked.

“Yes, one for each weekday. This one, however, is special as it is exclusive to Halloween.”

“Oh, we got lucky, Lady,” said Cedric, munching on his biscuits.

#306

It had been her fear once – to forget.

#307

I traded one prison only with another less conspicuous one.

#308

“But you would have asked,” said Milton, and it was her turn to be surprised.

#309

“‘Dia?’” Cedric repeated.

#310

He couldn’t find a face to that name.

7 notes • Posted 2021-02-26 20:10:10 GMT

#3

“I was sick of time, and forests too.”

Countryside, England, United Kingdom – February 1846

~Cloudia~

Keegan had not told me that someone else would be here too. I thought it would solely be the Disaster Trio and me.

And how odd it was that it was the man from the reception.

“Good thinking, Milt,” said Falk and walked to Milton to take the plate from him. “Someone,” he glared at Geoffrey, “has been monopolising the orange muffins.”

“I took them when nobody else seemed to want any,” Geoffrey defended himself.

“They were just brought out!” Falk yelled. “And you placed every single one of them on your plate. Were we supposed to steal them from you?!”

“A man has to eat to gain strength and height.”

“You are not even growing anymore! And why muffins? Eat vegetables and fruits if you need strength!”

“Eating baked goods is important too!”

“Eat as many as you want in your own time! This is a group setting, Bentley!”

“This is my own time, Flanagan!”

Falk wanted to reply something when Cadell walked to them and said, “Now, now, there is no reason to yell. Milt brought new ones, didn’t he?” He took the plate with the muffins from Falk, and from one moment to the other, the atmosphere shifted, brought about by them remembering that Milton was here.

“I am sorry for having yelled with you so close to me, Milt,” Falk said, sounding genuinely rueful.

“I am sorry for having been overeager with the muffins and making you head to the kitchen,” Geoffrey said, sounding similarly apologetic.

Cloudia could only blink in bewilderment at the strange scene in front of her.

I had only met Milton Salisbury once before. Of course, I knew nothing of him from the brief time we spent together at the Layton Art Gallery. Still, he did not seem like someone who would be associated with the loud, chaotic Disaster Trio, perhaps even be friends with them. Milton was so timid... he did not fit together with them.

However, while he seemed very out of place next to Geoffrey, Cadell, and Falk, he also seemed to have his place within this group.

Curious.

A faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes appeared on Milton’s lips. “It is all right, Geoffrey and Falk,” he said softly. Then, he turned to Cloudia. “Welcome. Mr Morrow, isn’t it? It is nice to see you so soon again. I am sorry for not having come to you immediately to greet you.”

“It is fine,” Cloudia replied. Only when the words were already out, did she realise that she had said them gently, involuntarily mirroring Milton’s tone and the tone Geoffrey and Falk had used when they had spoken to him. Keegan rarely spoke like that, and Cloudia was glad that no one seemed to have noticed the mistake.

What a slip-up! And I hadn’t even been here for an hour. I needed to be more careful and guarded.

“I also think that it is nice to see you again so soon, Baron Salisbury,” Cloudia continued, making her voice sound a little grumpier than before. Interestingly, all members of the Disaster Trio looked worriedly at Milton when she had finished speaking.

That faint smile from before re-appeared on Milton’s face. “Please call me ‘Milton,’ Mr Morrow. There is no need to be so formal with me. Especially not in such a setting.”

“Then, please call me ‘Keegan,’ Milton,” Cloudia replied.

Milton nodded, and then Cadell said, “How about we sit down and eat and talk a little?” He gave Cloudia a clap on the back and smiled at her. “Get to know one another a bit better before the hunt?”

It was certainly an odd conversation, being interspersed with Falk and Geoffrey’s bickering and Cadell’s attempts to calm them down. It was fairly one-sided with the Disaster Trio, mostly Cadell, asking Cloudia questions. Although Cloudia was not very keen on socialising, it itched her to talk more, to ask more questions herself, to contribute more to their conversation. Unfortunately, she was “Keegan” right now, and her dear cousin had never been particularly talkative. As a result, it felt as if Cloudia was not involved in a lunch conversation, but was rather being interviewed. And considering the kind of questions the Disaster Trio mostly asked – How long have you been hunting? What is your favourite part of hunting? Is it true that you are a master tracker? Etc. – she wondered if she wasn’t, in fact, being interviewed for something.

While everyone else was actively participating in the conversation, Milton was a silent observer. Cloudia kept forgetting that he was there until he asked someone of the Disaster Trio a question when they weren’t talking to her, enquiring about Geoffrey’s wife Hannah, Falk’s studies, Cadell’s insight on the last derby. He never asked her any questions. Cloudia would have felt insulted if she had not noticed how draining all of Milton’s attempts at light conversation were to him. If he barely managed to talk to people who were apparently his friends, she could not blame him for avoiding talking to her, a stranger.

Milton looked so sad and miserable while he was quietly eating and listening to everyone else talking. Still, when he spoke, he put on a faint smile and a soft, almost happy voice. Milton’s father had died two and a half months ago; the wound was still fresh, the grief still strong. Milton was struggling, he was trying, and Cloudia could not help but wonder why he was even here if he was doing so badly.

After two hours of painful conversation, it was finally time for the hunt.

Cadell led them outside. The servants had brought out the horses – beautiful animals; Cloudia could not wait to ride one of them but wished she could have brought Falada with her – and set out tables with the rifles. Cloudia took in everything and blinked in bewilderment when she noticed that there were only four horses.

“Cadell,” Cloudia said; he had told her that it was fine to call him by his given name, “aren’t we missing a horse?”

“We’re not, Morrow. Milt will not be hunting with us,” Cadell replied.

Cloudia must have looked very puzzled because when Falk looked at her he said, “Milt will participate in the hunt. He simply won’t hunt. He will walk around the forest and shoo animals in our direction to make things easier for us and ensure that everything goes well. Like carrying around extra ‘ammunition,’ helping us with our rifles if something goes wrong with them, or making sure that no animal will become a danger to any of us.”

“In the past, Milt hunted a few times with us,” Cadell continued with the explanation. “It’s only a bit more difficult for him, and he was always more comfortable in his unique position of ‘hunt guard.’”

“Why is it more difficult for him?” Cloudia wanted to know.

“It is more difficult for me because I cannot ride,” Milton said behind her, startling her and making her take a step to the side to integrate him into their little circle. “Animals generally dislike me. That’s why I could never learn it,” he answered her unspoken question as well. “And why there won’t be any dogs in this hunt.”

Geoffrey suddenly appeared and put an arm around Milton’s shoulders. “You can still decide to join on foot, Milt! Not that you get rusty. You need to practice! Practice! Keep practising!”

“Don’t push him if he doesn’t want to, Bentley,” snarled Falk.

“I’m not pushing him! It’s Milt’s choice! I am only saying he should not forget to practice! Even if he is already the best shot amongst us, he needs to practice to get even better!”

Cloudia raised an eyebrow. “Milton is the best shot amongst you?”

Looking at Milton, I would immediately put him on a list of “people who should never be given a gun.” But then, maybe if he was not in mourning, he was less anxious, less shaky?

Geoffrey put down the arm he had wrapped around Milton’s shoulders to give him a clap on the back. “Yes! Best shot I know even.”

“Milt never misses his mark,” Falk stated.

“If he were to actively participate in the hunt, none of us would have a chance,” Cadell added and smiled.

Milton blushed. “I am not that good,” he told Cloudia sheepishly. “They are only being nice.”

Cadell laughed. “That’s our humble Milt for you, Morrow.”

“Milt? Should I explain the hunt’s procedure or do you want to do it?” asked Falk, walking to the table with the rifles.

“I can do it, Falk,” Milton said, and Falk nodded.

“Milt better does it himself,” meant Cadell.

“Yes,” said Geoffrey. “No one ever understands your explanations, Flanagan.”

Falk glared at Geoffrey and Cadell, and Cloudia could see that he was restraining himself not to yell at them in front of Milton. Surely, he had done this a dozen times today already, but right now, he seemed to remember to hold himself back when Milton was with them.

Wordlessly, Falk handed something to Milton who thanked him and then turned to Cloudia. “This will be a rather unconventional hunt as none of us will kill any animals today.” He showed her the object in his hand: a dart with indigo fletching. “This is a tranquiliser dart. It is only strong enough to take down an animal. If a human gets hit or grazed by it, they will only get stabbed and nothing else. The dart’s dose works on all animals found in a regular British forest, from rabbits to wild boars and deer, and will work quickly, but not instantaneously. A hit animal, no matter the size, will not wake up for at least two hours. Of course, the hunt may take longer than that. Thus, some larger animals may wake up before the hunt is finished. The dart will stay in the animal and will be counted later. Please be careful not to shoot at an animal that has already been claimed by someone else.”

Milton touched the fletching. “The colour of the darts’ fletching will vary so that it is easier to discern who shot which animal and who got the most. After the hunting period is over, the animals will be located and counted. Therefore, it’s not necessary to take them with you. The larger the animal you ‘hunted,’ the more points you receive. Afterwards, the darts will be removed and the awakened animals will be let go.”

He gave the dart to Cloudia who curiously turned it around in her hand. “We also have darts in red, yellow, and blue if you prefer a different colour,” Milton told her.

“This one will be fine,” Cloudia said, and he nodded. Then, Falk handed Milton a rifle. “Of course, it would be inconvenient and potentially dangerous if one were to approach an animal and stab it with a dart from a close distance,” Milton continued and showed Cloudia the rifle. “These rifles were modified to be able to carry and shoot the darts. Except for that, they work the same as regular rifles. You will be able to hunt as always. The only difference to normal hunts is that tranquiliser darts will be used instead of bullets.”

“A non-lethal hunt. Interesting,” Cloudia said and took the rifle from Milton. She inspected it from all sides; it looked just like a regular rifle. Then, Cloudia put in her dart. Like he had said, it worked exactly like loading a rifle with bullets. This modified weapon could hold three darts, and Milton silently handed her two more indigo ones.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Cloudia. “Where did you get it?”

Cadell shrugged. “It’s something very new on the market, apparently. You can try it out, Morrow,” he replied and pointed at a tree that was only about four metres away from them.

He didn’t have to tell me twice.

Excited, Cloudia readied and raised the rifle and shot the tree with ease. She hit and the dart got stuck in the bark. This modified version worked surprisingly well. Shooting with it was a familiar, smooth process.

“It works like a charm,” Cloudia said and lowered the weapon. “Do you always hunt like this?”

Falk shook his head. “No. We usually use normal hunting rifles and bullets. Milt suggested we try something else this time.”

Milton fumbled with his sleeves. “I am sorry if all this is a bit weird to you,” he said to Cloudia. “I should have said something earlier.”

“No, it’s my fault here,” Geoffrey interjected, much to Cloudia’s surprise. “I invited Morrow. I should have let him know.”

“It’s all right,” said Cloudia. “While this is certainly odd, it is also refreshing. I do not mind trying out something new.”

Milton smiled faintly, and Cadell joyfully clapped his hands together. “This is good to hear, Morrow! With everything now explained, we can start the hunt.”

The rifles and darts were handed out – Falk received the red ones, Cadell the blue ones, and Geoffrey the yellow ones. As a start, everyone got thirty-six darts packed in a small bag. If someone were to run out of darts, they either had to return to the manor to get more or find Milton who would be carrying darts in all colours with him.

After the weapons, the horses were distributed. Out of fairness, Cadell chose not to use his personal horse today and instead picked a brown steed called Philippe which he had only ridden once before. Cloudia’s horse was named Domino, a white mare with a black mane and black spots. Falk’s was called Samson, and Geoffrey’s Major.

While Cloudia got ready and introduced herself to Domino by feeding her an apple, Milton gave her, much to her surprise, yet another item: a gun. England had notably very few large animals, and the animals that were larger like deer usually didn’t attack people. Milton explained that it was still better for everyone to carry an actual weapon for emergencies and emergencies only. With raised eyebrows, Cloudia accepted the gun.

Shortly afterwards when everyone was on their horses, Milton announced that the hunt would now commence and Cloudia alongside Cadell, Falk, and Geoffrey rode into the forest.

***

Every time Cloudia went hunting, she thought of August and the first time she had ever participated in a hunt. She heard August’s instructions and tips whenever she raised her rifle, aimed, and fired. He had taught her all she knew about shooting and hunting. He had been unsure whether he would be a good teacher; she had been sure that he would be. In the end, Cloudia had been right: August had been a wonderful instructor, and she would always carry his teachings with her – and the memory of that first hunt that resurfaced with every new one.

On horseback and with a rifle in her hands, alert on the wildlife around her, Cloudia was catapulted back several months into the past. A restless fifteen-year-old, eager to learn how to use a gun, to find something new to keep her busy and divert her thoughts.

It felt as if more time had passed since then, but it had not even been a year. Cathleen and August were married now. Cloudia now knew how to use firearms. But she was still fifteen, was still restless and trying to find new things to keep her mind and body busy.

Taking a deep breath, Cloudia pushed that thought aside and aimed at a fox. She hit and watched it fall down and asleep. Those tranquiliser darts worked very well. It was almost scary.

Cloudia looked at the fox for a moment longer and then rode on. The hunt energised her, filled her with excitement and adrenaline. She loved the feeling of wind on her skin when she rode and wished she could feel it in her hair too, wished she could take off the wig and let her hair fall loose. She enjoyed the hunt so much that, for a while, she forgot about the main reason she switched places with Keegan: the bandits in the forest. Cecelia had said that they had last been spotted around this area. So far, Cloudia had not spotted any of them or anything that indicated that they were indeed in this forest.

It was a pity that the bandits seemed to have left for someplace else, and I could not catch them anymore and annoy some policemen by doing their work for them.

At least, I could participate in a hunt and have some fun in that.

Cloudia shot a few more foxes, some rabbits, and while pursuing a deer, she ventured deeper and deeper into the forest. In the beginning, she had sometimes spotted Falk, Cadell, or Geoffrey, though never Milton; she wondered where he was and how exactly he was fulfilling his duty as “hunt guard.” Now, following the deer and eventually losing it, Cloudia realised that she hadn’t seen anyone in a long while and that she might have ridden too deep into the forest. Not knowing if she was even allowed to go that far away – no one had told her, and she had forgotten to ask –, Cloudia made Domino turn around. As soon as they were moving back towards Beaumont Manor, Domino got frightened by something. Cloudia tried to calm her down, in vain, and was thrown off the horse and landed hard on the ground.

***

Nanteuil-la-Forêt, Marne, France – June 1848

~Cedric~

Cedric had never been a morning person. His perfect mornings entailed sleeping in and having breakfast in bed when it was time for lunch. However, because of his various occupations, he had learned to get up early and get ready quickly. Therefore, when Jacques woke him up at six in the morning, Cedric’s body was surprisingly ready for the day even when his mind was not. After visiting Cloudia, he had managed to sleep for about ten hours which was a good amount, but they did not quite even out the hours he had spent sleepless and tormented. At least, they would be enough to allow him to wander through the forest to get to the Clockmaker.

As soon as Jacques was gone – he still had preparations to do before their departure – Cedric groaned yet again and got out of bed. He washed himself, got dressed, packed his bag while he thought how he had been unable to have a proper conversation with Cloudia again. They were always broken up, and he had become thoroughly annoyed at this circumstance. This time, he had apparently even fallen asleep in her room and been brought to his later. Cedric could barely remember what little they had talked about yesterday, though he remembered the disorientation and disappointment he had felt when Jacques had woken him up. The little time he had spent with Cloudia had been blurred by his sleepy brain.

At least, while Cedric might not be a morning person, Cloudia was one. It was a little after six o’clock, and the chances were high that she was awake right now. Jacques had said that he might need a while to get ready. If Cedric hurried, he could visit Cloudia before they left.

Cedric fastened his hairband and grabbed his bag before he strode out of his room and to Cloudia’s.

Jacques could take all the time he wanted.

Smiling, Cedric opened the door to Cloudia’s room – and was met by Lisa. Only by Lisa.

Oh, for Heaven’s sake.

Lisa grinned at him. “If you’re looking for Lady Cloudia,” she said while dusting the room, “she has been gone for hours. Mr Kamden left Al and me notes to say that they would go to Nanteuil-la-Forêt.”

“For hours?” Cedric exclaimed. “It’s six o’clock! What could they want that early there?”

She shrugged. “Don’t ask me. The note wasn’t very detailed, but I guess they wanted to investigate some more?”

Cedric rubbed his face. Of course. Cloudia usually got up early to get work done or finish a book. This case was keeping her busy and bothering her – and if she had left in the dead of night, she had likely thought about catching the culprit when they were about to claim their next victim. Of course, she had thought that.

Cedric sighed and let his eyes wander through the room – and seeing the seating area, his memories from yesterday flowed back and with them came a healthy blush. Thankfully, Lisa had turned around to dust a vase, and he was still conscious enough to understand that he had to leave before she saw him in his current state.

“Well. Bye then, Miss Greene,” Cedric said and hurried out of the room and to the kitchen. He needed to eat, needed to go somewhere where he likely would not run into anyone he knew – not when his face was still burning red.

The kitchen was busy at this hour with cooks and kitchen helpers hurrying around to prepare breakfast. Cedric watched them work for a moment before he turned invisible and sneaked inside, taking some food here and there. Then, he teleported himself out of the building. Perhaps it would cause a bit of confusion, but he did not think of that. All he could think of was Cloudia’s warm hand in his, her hand in his hair, her face so close to his…

Cedric groaned and leaned against the château’s façade, turning visible again when he was sure no one was around. He put an arm over his eyes and breathed the crisp morning air in and out.

“I do not care about this case, about this mission. I am only here for…” I couldn’t believe that I had said this out loud yesterday! Could not fathom what was happening to me.

At least, I had broken off my sentence. God, at least, I had broken off my sentence…

Cedric slid to the ground, repeating the words in his head that had been crossing his mind and lips for quite a while now: “I am not in love with the Countess.”

He took out the food he had stolen in the kitchen and ate a croissant to divert his thoughts. Although Cedric had not eaten anything since yesterday’s late lunch, the knot in him did not let him feel his hungriness much. He pondered over contacting Cloudia via the skull pendant necklace but dismissed the idea. Maybe it wouldn’t be good to hear her now – even if it wasn’t her voice, it was her words, and that might already be too much for him to bear right now when she wasn’t actually there with him.

I was a mess.

“You look like a mess,” Cedric heard the one voice he did not want to hear in this very moment. Naturally, as the universe seemed to have taken a dislike to him, Cecelia was here and no one else.

Cedric stuffed the rest of the croissant into his mouth and looked blankly at Cecelia who had appeared at the exit, a small bag in her hand.

“Good morning, you mannerless idiot,” said Cecelia, grimacing.

He kept on chewing. The flaky pastry crumbled in his overstuffed mouth and bits of it got stuck on his face and fluttered onto his clothes.

“You are disgusting.”

He kept on chewing and chewing.

Cecelia sighed and asked with a wicked smile on her face, “Did you sleep well, Not-Kristopher?”

He kept looking at her blankly. She shrugged.

For a while, no one said a word. Then, Cedric swallowed down his croissant and asked, “What are you doing here so early, Cecelia?”

Cecelia raised an eyebrow, and Cedric sighed. “Good morning, Cecelia. What are you doing here so early?”

She smiled. “I am waiting for my carriage to get prepared and my luggage to be brought out. I planned to head out a little later. However, I woke up early and have been overflowing with energy all morning – it is terrible. I hope this goes away soon. At least, leaving early means arriving early and having more time for myself there.”

Cedric blinked at her. “You are going somewhere?” “Couldn’t you have done this sooner?” he wanted to add but held himself back.

“Yes, to Paris,” Cecelia told him, and he stared at her.

“To Paris? Since when?”

She rolled her eyes. “Since we planned this trip, Not-Kristopher. I don’t have to disclose all I do to you if I don’t want to. But don’t worry: I am not following Milton. I am going there because the Williams marquessate owns two properties in Paris. After Michael’s death, they were given to his brother. However, one of them is not an old family house but a home Michael purchased specifically for him and me. While that house belongs legally to his brother, it is mine in any way. I am managing it. Richard does not dare to touch it; it is his in-name-only. I haven’t been at this house in a long time, so I am heading there for business reasons.”

“Oh, dear God, you have relatives?” Cedric exclaimed.

“Of course, I have relatives. Who did you think the current Marquess Williams was?”

“Honestly, I do not care for such things.”

Cecelia rolled her eyes again. “Michael has a younger brother and sister who are both married. Richard has a young son. Arabella is expecting. I have plenty of relatives.”

“Oh, dear God, you are an aunt?”

She sighed. “We always have the most pleasant conversations, Not-Kristopher, don’t we?” Cecelia reached into her bag and held out a daguerreotype to him. It showed an uncharacteristically friendly-looking Cecelia in front of a quaint house, her arms linked with a bespectacled smiling man.

“That’s Michael?” Cedric said, squinting at the picture. “He looks like a perfectly normal man. Not evil at all. He seems so ordinary.”

“I didn’t invite you to comment on Michael. I am showing you the house.” Cecelia glared at him. “And no, while he was indeed a normal person, he was certainly not ordinary.”

“Well, Michael’s on the daguerreotype too,” Cedric replied. “You look like such an uneven match.”

Cecelia huffed and put back the image. “And what are you doing here, Not-Kristopher?” she said, a sudden edge to her words.

Did I accidentally say something that upset her? What exactly was it and why did it upset her? I had to find out.

“Jacques said that he would meet me at the front entrance,” Cedric told her. “I am waiting for him. When he arrives, we’re heading to the Clockmaker – wherever that person lives.”

Cecelia chuckled. “The front entrance you say?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re waiting for him there?”

“Exactly.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, ri-” Cedric’s face sagged. “I’m at the wrong entrance, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” Cecelia said with a grin. “This is theback entrance.”

With a groan, Cedric stood up and brushed the croissant crumbs from his face and clothes. “I’ll go then,” he said and hurried around the building and to the front entrance. Cedric had rounded the corner to the entrance when he spotted a carriage in front of it. He slowed down and walked towards the door. Jacques was nowhere to be seen, but Milton was sitting on the steps to the entrance, reading a book.

Milton looked up and smiled at Cedric. “Good morning, Kristopher,” he said and put his bookmark into his book and closed it. “How are you? Did you sleep well?”

“Good morning, Milton,” Cedric replied. “I can’t say I slept particularly well, but I did sleep for a decently long time, so I am doing fine.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Cedric looked around. “What are you doing here anyway, Milton? I mean, sitting and reading here.”

“I am waiting for Bram. A few things still needed to be arranged. I wanted to do them; however, after yesterday’s storm, Bram insisted that he will do it and that I should get some more rest.” Milton gazed up to the sky. The way the wind gently played with his hair and the sun illuminated his hair and eyes, made his facial features both soft and refined, he did remind Cedric of a faerie. “Today, the sky is clear though,” Milton said dreamily, “and it is so warm despite the early hour. It seems that it will be a lovely day today.”

“Is that why you have been reading on the steps instead of in the carriage?” Cedric asked.

Milton smiled at him. While he was always restless, he had been on edge yesterday, his nerves pulled tight, ready to tear at any moment; he had seemed so lost, had been suffering yesterday. He had been so damped, all smiles that hadn’t been fully lit. Today, Milton was back to being the radiant Milton Cedric knew. Barely knew, but still. And Cedric was relieved because of that.

“Exactly, Kristopher,” Milton said.

“What are you reading anyway?”

Milton held up his book. There was no title on the cover, and noticing his mistake, he turned the book to show Cedric the spine instead which held the author’s name and title in gold capital letters against a brown background. “Dombey and Son,” Milton said at the same time as Cedric read the title for himself.

“Ah, the Dickens novel the Lady still haven’t got around to re-read,” said Cedric. His eyes wandered to the bookmark sticking out of the novel. “Interesting. I thought you would be like her and simply memorise the page number.”

Milton put the book back on his lap. “I do memorise the page number as she does,” he told him. “Using a bookmark is an old habit. I like the reassurance and ease of one.”

Cedric nodded. “I see.”

“And speaking of Lady Cloudia,” Milton said, his eyes shining brightly in the light. “I don’t think you aren’t confident at all. However, you should try to be more confident when it comes to her.” He blushed and worried at his sleeves. Before Cedric could respond anything to his off-throwing words, Milton glanced at Cedric’s bag and clothes and asked, “Are you going somewhere too?”

Cedric blinked at him. “Uh, yes. I promised Jacques to hike through the woods with him today. To explore the area. He said that he would meet me here.”

“Through the woods?” Milton gazed at the forest around them before he turned back to Cedric, looking very concerned. “We wandered through it a few days ago. Please take care when you go there and always be alert.”

Cedric blinked at him. “Sure. I will take care.”

Despite the reassurance, the concerned look didn’t leave Milton’s face. It only did when he craned his head to the door the very moment Wentworth appeared there with a bag in his hand.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” he said, bowing his head to Cedric. Cedric returned the greeting, and Wentworth turned his attention to Milton who had stood up, book in hand. “I am all done, Master Milton. We can leave now.”

“Thanks, Bram,” Milton replied.

Wentworth walked to the carriage, placing the bag inside it, leaving the door open, and sitting down on the coachman’s seat.

“Wentworth will drive the carriage?” Cedric asked Milton. “Isn’t he a bit too old for this?”

“It may seem so, but I assure you, Kristopher, that Bram is still perfectly capable of driving a carriage,” Milton told him. “He is very fit for his age. And we do not want to inconvenience any servant here to bring us to Creil. It is such a long drive.” He looked over to his butler and then back at Cedric. “I must say goodbye now. We will see us again in a few days or a week, Kristopher. Good luck with your hike, and take care.”

Cedric nodded. “Goodbye and thanks, Milton. See you in a few days or a week, and take care of yourself too,” he said and then suddenly remembered Milton’s words in the kitchen. “I wish you all the best that you are fast enough for whatever you have to do.”

Milton’s eyes widened in surprise, though it lasted only a moment before his surprise was replaced by sadness. “Thank you, Kristopher,” he said, his voice heavy. “I’d give anything to ensure that I will be.”

Milton got into his carriage and closed the door. Cedric waved at him, and he waved back. Then, Wentworth set the carriage in motion, and Cedric watched them drive away and vanish from his sight. He kept looking after them even when they were long gone.

Sometime later, Jacques arrived, happily clutching the straps of his backpack and saying that they could now leave.

***

~Cloudia~

Cloudia woke up to the moon hanging bright and almost full above her. Denis had taken off the wagon’s roof, and she and Kamden had not bothered to find and put it back. Thankfully, it had been a good choice: After it had stormed all day, the rain had stopped before dinner. Since then, the clouds had vanished and never returned, and the sky was now clear and dark and full of stars. They could only hope that the clouds and the rain wouldn’t return later.

Gently, Kamden helped Cloudia to sit up. He had driven with special care, and Cloudia had been able to sleep soundly the entire drive. She still hadn’t got a lot of sleep; nonetheless, she felt energised and ready to go to Nanteuil-la-Forêt.

It was the same energy that had been filling me all night, that had not allowed me to sleep and brought me here.

“Have you slept well, Cloudie?” Kamden asked and softly kissed her head.

Cloudia smiled. He always did that when they slept and woke up in the same place or when he was there when she woke up. “I did. Thanks, Kam. I needed that extra bit of sleep.”

Kamden squeezed her hand. Then, they got out of the wagon, bound the horse to a tree, and left it there with some food before they headed towards the village.

“What do you plan to do in Nanteuil-la-Forêt?” Kamden wanted to know.

“It’s so early in the morning. I hope it is early enough that the murderer hasn’t struck yet,” said Cloudia. “Then, we could hide and patrol the village and make sure everyone stays in their homes and the killer cannot act – unless they’ve spontaneously decided to break into yet another house. We may even catch that pesky killer. Imagine if they hadn’t claimed another victim yet and we could catch them red-handed. A dream.”

He nodded.

“Of course, I doubt it will go that easy. Still, I hope at least nobody died this night yet.”

“It will be fine,” said Kamden and then hesitated to continue. “Unless the killer is a… a something.”

“Like allegedly in those killings from 1841?”

“Yes. Ever since I heard about those killings, I cannot stop thinking about them. It is such a terrible tale.” Kamden looked at the forest surrounding them. They were walking on the street that ran through it, divided the forest into two parts. In the darkness of the night, the trees that rose left and right to them seemed to have gained height; their branches and crowns seemed to bend and reach to one another, trying to close the gap between them and swallowing Kamden and Cloudia up in the process.

It was curious how the absence of light could distort a picture in such a way.

“Many of them happened in or around forests,” Kamden continued and shuddered.

Cloudia linked arms with him. “You know very well that there are no such things as ghosts or phantoms or monsters, Kam. The killings surely happened, but they must have been so horrifying that, in their minds, the survivors and those who knew about them turned the monstrous murderer into a true monster. It’s easier to imagine someone who does such atrocious deeds as something other than human than to accept that it was indeed a human like you and me who was capable of such bloodshed.”

Kamden took a deep breath. “You’re right, Cloudie. Of course, it couldn’t have been an actual phantom or ghost or shadow. Those men came to my bookstore only a few weeks ago: Their story is still fresh in my mind.”

She patted his arm. “When we are back home, I’ll help you research those killings. To get some closure for you and those men if we can find and contact them. And to get some closure for me too because I cannot believe that I’ve never heard of a crime of such calibre before.”

Kamden kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Cloudie.”

Cloudia smiled at him. “You’re welcome Kammie,” she said and then withdrew her arm from his and took his hand. “Come, we are wasting time; we need to hurry.”

Cloudia had hoped and wished that four o’clock would be early enough that the murderer hadn’t killed anyone yet and she would have the chance to apprehend them. However, when she and Kamden entered Nanteuil-la-Forêt and walked through the narrow streets, she noticed a commotion in the distance and her heart sank and anger rose in her. Cloudia hurried through the streets, following the voices. Kamden was close on her heels.

The voices led them to the cemetery which consisted of a small old stone building surrounded by gravestones in all shapes and sizes and framed by a stone wall.

How very kind of the murderer to kill their victim here.

Kamden and Cloudia entered the graveyard and saw Yvette talking to Alain Descombes and a man Cloudia had not seen before. Next to them laid a body covered in dirt. While Cloudia couldn’t understand their conversation as they were in the other end of the cemetery, she noticed Alain reaching out to Yvette, and Yvette immediately stepping back before he could touch her.

She and Kamden were only a few steps away from Alain, Yvette, and the unknown man when they finally noticed them and stopped talking. They turned to them, and Alain was the first to talk. “M Gauthier, M Fouille, what a pleasant surprise. You have come right on time.”

Cloudia glanced at the body to their feet. The victim was a boy around Gustave and Dominique’s age with dark hair. “I would not say that we have come right on time, M Descombes.”

“You are at least right on time to look into the next murder,” said Yvette and wrapped her arms around herself. Interestingly, she wore proper clothes and did not look like someone who was ripped from their sleep in the dead of night; Alain didn’t look like that either.

“Serge,” Yvette nodded to the unknown man, “just dug out Ruben and brought M Descombes and me here from the townhall.”

Serge stepped forward and held out his hand to Cloudia. “Serge Renou. I am the cemetery’s groundskeeper.”

Cloudia shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I am Jean Gauthier, Détective Vidocq’s assistant, and this is my colleague Grégoire Fouille. You may have heard that we are currently investigating the murders that have occurred here in the last few days.”

Kamden bowed his head to Serge, and Serge nodded at him and then looked back at Cloudia. “I did hear about it,” Serge said. “You are not doing a particularly good job.”

Cloudia smiled. “Would you mind doing it for us then? With all the hindrances that were put on our way?”

Serge scowled, and she kept on smiling. Cloudia turned to Yvette and Alain. “Please tell me: Who was murdered this time? What happened?”

“Ruben Fournier was murdered,” Alain told her. “Despite the curfew, M Renou could not help himself but check on the cemetery.”

“I was at home and remembered that I had forgotten my wallet in the mausoleum because I put all my things there while I work outside,” Serge said. “It’s interesting what you remember at the most inconvenient of times. I couldn’t remember that I’d forgotten my wallet before the curfew or even shortly afterwards: No, I woke up from sleep, turned around, and while I tried to fall asleep again, I remembered that I left my wallet in the mausoleum.

“Anyway, I pondered over whether I should go and get it or not. I didn’t know if the stranger was not only a murderer but also a thief. And didn’t he break into the tailor shop? Did he steal anything? Well, at any rate, I did not want him to get my wallet. I didn’t want some killer to get away with my hard-earned money. That’s why I went out despite the curfew to get it. I got it and wanted to quickly inspect the graveyard. That’s when I noticed that a part of the plot had been dug over – and not even well.” Serge pointed at a messy man-sized hole only a metre away from where they were standing. “I spend my life making sure the cemetery looks good, and then someone comes and messes it up. I started grubbing at that place to find out why someone did anything to it and eventually found Ruben Fournier’s body. After the initial shock and some hysteria, I managed to pull myself together enough that I was able to go to the townhall and get M Descombes and Mlle Guilloux.” Serge gazed at the corpse. “I dug him out as carefully as I could, but he had neither been put in a coffin or casket nor even wrapped in a cloth before he was buried. I grubbed out a knife too. I laid it down next to him. He has a wound on the chest. Maybe he was stabbed and buried with it and the knife eventually came loose? I don’t know.”

Cloudia took a deep breath.

Ruben Fournier – I had heard this name before. He was Gustave Beaubois’ best friend. I had wanted to talk to him.

And now he was dead.

“Thank you,” Cloudia said. “At what time did you return home yesterday, M Renou?”

“At about ten o’clock,” Serge replied.

“And when did you come to the cemetery to get your wallet and noticed the dug-over area?”

He pondered a bit and then said, “I noticed I’d forgotten my wallet at about two-thirty. It took a while for me to decide to go and get it and then to walk here… so I arrived at the graveyard and noticed the dug-over area at about… three o’clock? It didn’t take me very long to dig out the body: It wasn’t buried very deeply. Just two or three metres. I was quite shocked by what I’ve found, so I stood by the body for a long time doing nothing before heading to the townhall… No idea how long I just stood here though.”

“M Descombes and I just arrived here,” said Yvette. “Only about ten minutes before you came, M Gauthier, M Fouille.”

Cloudia nodded. “And the curfew is ten o’clock, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Did any of you see Ruben Fournier yesterday? If yes, do you remember at what time that was?”

“I haven’t seen him yesterday,” Alain replied.

“Me neither,” said Serge.

“I haven’t seen him as well,” Yvette said. “I was with you almost all day yesterday, and there weren’t many people outside in the heavy rain…”

“Very well. I have one more question,” Cloudia stated. “Mlle Guilloux, M Descombes, you look very prepared and awake despite the early hour. Could you please tell me why?”

“Yvette, M Guilloux, and I spent the night in the townhall,” Alain told her. “We stayed awake and ready for the next potential murder. When M Renou came to the townhall, Yvette and I went with him while M Guilloux stayed back – we thought that it would be better if someone remained at the townhall in case someone else needed our help.”

“I see.” Cloudia looked at Ruben’s dirt-covered corpse. “Please stay where you are standing right now. Grégoire and I will inspect the graveyard. Afterwards, we will carry Ruben Fournier’s body to the deadhouse to examine it.”

***

Serge and Alain had hurried to the hospital to get a stretcher. Now, Alain and Kamden were carrying Ruben’s corpse on it to the deadhouse, and Cloudia and Yvette followed them in silence. Serge had been dismissed and sent back home.

Kamden and Cloudia hadn’t found anything of note at the graveyard. The murderer’s footsteps had got mixed up with the footsteps of Yvette, Alain, and Serge. Even if they hadn’t been, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway: The ground had still been wet from the storm the day before, and no shoeprint had left any good marks. The culprit had most likely used a shovel that was kept in the mausoleum to grub the hole – the same shovel Serge had instinctively used to dig out Ruben. Again, there had been no sign of a fight. There also hadn’t been any sanding marks, meaning that Ruben had very likely been killed at the cemetery. What could he have done there?

The sky lightened up when they arrived at the hospital. The dark was streaked by light blue, by orange, by red, the night gradually rolling into sunset. As soon as they stepped into the hospital, Vivienne hurried to them. She guided Kamden and Alain to the deadhouse, unlocked the door for them. Together, Kamden and Alain transferred Ruben from the stretcher to a table.

“From here on, Grégoire and I won’t need your help anymore, for the time being, Mlle Guilloux, M Descombes,” said Cloudia. “You can return to the townhall – or, rather, return home to get some proper rest. We will seek you out again later.”

Alain and Yvette looked at each other. “All right, M Gauthier,” replied Alain.

Cloudia accompanied them to the exit, waved them goodbye. The sun had risen by now, bathed the sky in gold light. She closed the door when Yvette and Alain were out of sight. Cloudia headed to the deadhouse and when she was nearly by the stairs leading down to it, she spotted Corinne running upstairs with a tray in her hands. Corinne had been in a hurry yesterday too, and while nurses always fluttered through a hospital, Cloudia couldn’t help her curiosity and discreetly followed Corinne to the upper floor.

Downstairs, barely any rooms had been occupied; upstairs, none of them was – except for one in the far back. Corinne unlocked the door and vanished behind it. Cloudia frowned. On Corinne’s tray had been a glass of water and some medicine; she was delivering them to a patient, though what kind of patient had to be locked up?

Shelving this piece of information for later, Cloudia walked downstairs to the deadhouse before anyone saw her spying on Corinne.

Ruben Fournier, 18 years old. He was the eldest son of a blacksmith and the latest of the Nanteuil-la-Forêt murderer’s victims.

He was now lying on a table in the deadhouse, next to Nadia, Dominique, Gustave, and Marius.

Cloudia stared down at Ruben, at his pale face, the brown hair that stuck to his head, the eyes that would never open again. Vivienne and Kamden had cleaned him up a bit while Cloudia had brought Yvette and Alain to the door. On the way out, Yvette had told her a few things about Ruben: He had been Gustave’s best friend since they were little. They had been inseparable, and he had had a short temper and a tendency to get into trouble.

While Cloudia looked down at Ruben, Kamden got ready to examine the bodies. As soon as Cloudia had re-joined Kamden and Vivienne in the deadhouse, he had offered to fully examine Ruben – and do the internal examination for the other bodies. Since then, Vivienne had been dismissed with the task not to let in Laurent if he arrived, Kamden and Cloudia had put on aprons, and he was now preparing and arranging the tools.

“You don’t have to do everything now, Kam,” Cloudia said, not taking her eyes off Ruben’s corpse.

“It will be fine,” Kamden replied.

“We are talking about five bodies. And what time is it? Five-thirty?”

“It may be early, but I am not tired at all.” He took a deep breath. “I am positive that I can do this, and I am never that confident.”

“Lisa is not here.”

“While Miss Lisa may not be here, you are, Cloudie.”

“I can hardly replace Lisa in this matter. I am not trained in this, and I’ve only assisted you, watched you work four times before,” Cloudia reminded him, and Kamden walked to her and took her hand, squeezing it.

“Cloudie,” he said. “You may not be experienced in such work, but there is no one else more suitable to be my partner than you. We will be fine.”

Cloudia smiled at him. “You’re right, Kam.” She let go of him and put on some gloves. “Let’s do this then.”

***

With a sigh, Cloudia fell into a chair.

She and Kamden had worked for hours without pause. After externally examining Ruben, they had started to carefully cut open the bodies and take out the organs for inspection. They had quickly found their momentum, their tact and had been able to work swiftly, cutting open and examining one body before moving on to the next until they had finished inspecting and testing all five and returned the organs to where they belonged. It had taken a long time, but with the work done yesterday and the ease and quickness with which they had been able to work today, it hadn’t taken them as long as it usually would have.

And now, while Cloudia’s mind was tired, her body wasn’t.

My anger and frustration at this case must be keeping it running, must be pushing me to keep on.

Anger and frustration were boiling in me aplenty, mixed with curiosity and perplexity.

There was enough fuel in me, and I needed every drop of it.

Ruben’s stab wound had been the cause of his death. The knife was perfectly ordinary again. Again, there had been no signs that he had fought against his assailant.

Just like Nadia and Dominique and Gustave and Marius hadn’t fought back.

And just like them, Ruben hadn’t been drugged.

Cloudia discarded her bloodied gloves on a table and buried her hands in her pockets. She reached for the clover necklace in her right pocket and rubbed her thumb over it. They had tried to talk so often, their attempts had been foiled so often, and now, more than ever, Cloudia yearned to talk to Cedric. Cloudia contemplated reaching for the skull pendant necklace to contact him, but she didn’t know what Cedric was doing right now. Was he already awake? Was he going to the Clockmaker with Jacques? If he was currently heading to the Clockmaker, Cloudia didn’t want to bother him. It wasn’t an easy way, and Cedric had to look after Jacques. What if she distracted him and something happened in the woods?

She sighed and clenched her hand over the clover pendant.

Kamden finished his notes and then walked over to Cloudia, placing a kiss on her head.

Cloudia looked up at him and chuckled. “What’s with you today?”

“You… you ha-have been looking so crestfallen lately, Cloudie,” Kamden said. “And I wanted to cheer you up.”

Cloudia smiled at him and pulled him down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Kam.”

Kamden sat down on the ground in front of her. “Always, Cloudie.” He looked so strange right now: He was smiling and his eyes were gentle, but he had a bit of blood on his face and more on his apron, and he did not seem to mind this at all.

Cloudia took out a handkerchief and rubbed Kamden’s face clean. “I am always astonished how this does not faze you at all. Getting blood on you. Cutting open people.”

“They-they are already dead,” Kamden replied. “I do not mind handling the aftermath of murder.”

She shook her head and scrutinised his face to see if she had missed a spot. “You are supposed to be my normal brother.”

He smiled uneasily at her, and Cloudia put the handkerchief away. “I was surprised when you said you wanted to become Dr Alan’s apprentice when we were ten. You love your bookstore so much; you always said you didn’t want to do anything else.”

Kamden looked down at his stained apron. “I had assisted him a little in the years before – before I met you. Becoming his part-time apprentice seemed natural to me.”

“And I can understand that. But this?” Cloudia nodded at the covered bodies, pointed at his and her clothes. “In any other regard, you get so queasy, Kam. Yesterday, you were appalled when Lisa suggested that the murderer might have tried to crack open Marius’ skull like a tin.”

Kamden grimaced. “Do-don’t remind meee of that.”

“Sorry, Kam, but do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, but…” He paused, weighted out how to continue, picking out the right words and arranging them neatly in his mind. One could always see the gears turning in Kamden’s head. “This-this is part of what Dr Alan is-is teaching me,” he eventually said. “Just another… another bit of knowledge, another skill. I guess I-I simply got used to it because of that?”

Cloudia nodded. “And this skill came in very handy.” She stood up and held her hand out to him. Kamden took it, and she pulled him up. “Come. Let’s discard the aprons, wash ourselves, and go interview Ruben’s family and Dominique’s friends.”

She was about to turn and let go of Kamden’s hand when he tightened his grip. Cloudia looked at him in bewilderment.

“You have barely slept, Cloudie,” he said. “We have been in Nanteuil-la-Forêt since four. Now, it is almost one o’clock. And we have been working without pause for the last hours. You cannot keep this going.”

Cloudia’s gaze softened. “I appreciate your concern, Kam, but, strangely enough, I am doing well. I feel full of energy and can keep on going for much longer. And I cannot go to sleep now: I have a case to solve and a murderer to find.”

Kamden’s eyes widened a little. “You… you aaare feeling strangely-strangely energised too?”

She blinked at him. “Yes. I suppose it’s because I am very eager to bring this case to an end, but if you are feeling oddly vitalised too…”

“Ex-exactly. We are sleep-deprived – you more than me. We-we haven’t eaten yet. We haaave been working without pause for… for hours. We should be exhausted.” Kamden squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his too. He had become shaky just now.

“I have no idea what is going on,” said Cloudia, unease welling in her chest. “I am only full of energy. Otherwise, I am fine. And you?”

“Me-me too.”

She nodded. “That’s good. Whatever is going on, I doubt it’s something bad. We are fineafter all. More than fine even. Of course, the question of why that is has to be explored and answered, but that can wait until later. Working on this case can’t.”

“Cloudie…”

“Kam, I promise that, weirdly vitalised or not, I will go to sleep as soon as we have spoken to Ruben’s family and Gaspard and Enzo and we’ve returned to the château. I promise to look into what has happened to us later when we have the time for it.”

Kamden mustered her face. “Very well, Cloudie. I will come with you and help.” He took a deep breath. “However, I-I want you to promise me something else too.”

“What is it?” Cloudia asked.

“That you will eat something before starting the interrogations.”

She smiled and pressed his hand. “I promise that we will eat something before starting the interrogations. And now come – we still have a lot to do.”

***

~Cedric~

A long lane ran through the forest like a vein. Château de Charbonneau was located close to the forest’s lane but was still well-hidden from sight. To get to Nanteuil-la-Forêt, one had to get to that lane and then follow it through the forest, leaving it behind and walking down the path now surrounded by fields, not trees until the village was reached. It was a simple straightforward way. It was uncomplicated and, if one was not driven by Denis, safe as well.

To get to the Clockmaker, one could not leave the forest or take that secure lane.

His workshop was somewhere in the opposite direction from Nanteuil-la-Forêt and hidden deep within the woods. No easy path led there.

How did this Clockmaker even get any customers? Did he get any at all? Who in their right minds would wander through a forest for hours and hours to purchase a clock, and why? To find out how many hours they had been hiking through the woods?

Had people not heard of pocket watches? Or were the Clockmaker’s works that good?

Jacques led the way, consulting a map he didn’t let Cedric see and looking around for clues and waymarkers. Cedric did not like it at all that this was Jacques’ first time visiting the Clockmaker. He disliked forests; the risk of getting lost in one and never finding your way out was too high. And although he could simply teleport himself out of one nowadays, Cedric could not help but feel uneasy while they walked through the woods – especially considering that Jacques’ presence meant that he couldn’t simply dematerialise out of the forest.

I would have to hit him unconscious first.

“Did the Marquis say how long it will take us to get to the Clockmaker?” Cedric asked and pushed a branch aside.

“Grand-père said it will take about six hours.”

Cedric stared at him. “Six hours? This has to be a joke.”

“He never jokes,” said Jacques matter-of-factly.

“Couldn’t he have told us sooner?!”

Jacques shrugged. “I guess he did not want to scare us away? I cannot speak for you, Your Grace, but it wouldn’t have scared me. This mission is very important to Claudette, and I am honoured to be part of it. I am very energised today and ready to handle this journey, no matter how long it will take. Also, Grand-père didn’t tell me how to get to the Clockmaker until earlier either – that’s why you had to wait for me.”

“It wouldn’t have scared me away either,” Cedric said. “However, I would have appreciated knowing how long we will have to walk so that I could have mentally prepared myself and bid my farewells to my legs.” He clapped on his legs. “Goodbye, my friends. We had some fun decades together.”

Jacques chuckled. “You are quite fun, Your Grace.”

“Please just call me ‘Kristopher.’ I can’t do this if you call me ‘You Grace’ for the next six –”

“Twelve. We have to go back too.”

“– twelve hours or so.”

Jacques nodded. “Very well. You are fun, Kristopher, though don’t think I’ve forgotten that my cousin nearly died because of you.”

“It was an accident,” said Cedric, exasperated. “And the Countess is perfectly capable of getting herself nearly killed on her own.”

“Still, I got my eye on you, Kristopher,” Jacques said. “And on the map and the trees and oh!” He crouched down and looked at some flowers with yellow blossoms. He took out a notebook and quickly scribbled something inside.

“I’m sorry, Kristopher!” he said and stood up, pocketing the notebook. “I want to write down some things to show my father.”

“It’s all right,” Cedric replied.

“Thank you for being so understanding, Kristopher. Of course, that still won’t get you on my good side.”

Cedric groaned. He would have rather endured twelve hours of “Your Grace, this and that” instead of being constantly reminded of what happened in Wales.

For a while, they wandered in silence. Jacques walked ahead, and Cedric followed obediently, dodging and pushing away branches, taking care not to walk into stinging nettle, jumping over rocks and large roots. Milton had urged him to take care and be alert in the forest. It was indeed not easy to hike through it, but it wasn’t more difficult or dangerous than going through any other forest.

It must be in Milton’s nature to worry about everything and everyone – even if there was no need to worry.

And thinking of his words of warning, I remembered something else Milton told me this morning: “I don’t think you aren’t confident at all. However, you should try to be more confident when it comes to her.”

Sometimes, I had no idea what he was talking about, but his words made me think of her. I wondered how she was doing and felt a blush creeping into my face. Fortunately, Jacques had his back to me.

Jacques was a few metres ahead of him, and Cedric was walking around a patch of mushrooms when a familiar feeling ran through his body. It was unmistakable, albeit faint. Cedric stopped and gazed around, his heart beating hard in his chest.

Of course, at least one of them would be in the area. People had been dying daily in Nanteuil-la-Forêt for almost a week. It would have been strange if none of them had shown up.

But Cedric hadn’t expected to find one here– in the forest, quite far away from the village.

He spotted her and her tent on a small glade in the far distance. Far enough that the feeling was very faint; far enough that he would not have noticed her if the feeling had not alerted him.

And Cedric hoped that, unlike him, she hadn’t noticed that there was one more Grim Reaper in the woods with her.

Especially considering that Jacques was walking straight in her direction.

11 notes • Posted 2021-09-05 16:55:00 GMT

#2

Malady 4 Updates

Doing this again haha.

(Thanks for belated birthday wishes, by the way^^)

I hit ~10.5k. Maybe I'll get to 11k today, but let's see. I wrote the last bits without looking at my notes or taking a closer look at what I'd written before and I just realised that the only "Cloudia" part I've finished so far is the final 1843 one (⊙_⊙;) (I really thought I had finished at least one more, I-) And there's still so much to go (I'm like what 40/45% (???) done??).

20 notes • Posted 2021-07-12 19:23:41 GMT

#1

31 notes • Posted 2021-04-11 13:06:10 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[polkadotsockz]

I don't know why, but I've always liked these.

100 Things About Me 

1. What is your full name? Kimberly 

2. How old are you? 23 

3. When is your birthday? 12/12 

4. What is your zodiac sign? The charming and witty, Sagittarius 

5. What is your favorite color? Blacker than my soul 

6. What’s your lucky number? 12 (look at my birthday!) 

7. Do you have any pets? Two wonderful cats, Fuu (Fuu Kitty) and Archer (Archie) 

8. Where are you from? Connecticut 

9. How tall are you? 5′8" 

10. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Like 10, but I wear 3-4 of them regularly 

11. What did you last have for breakfast? Scrambled eggs and cold brew coffee

12. What was your last dream about? The last one I remember having was one in which I was in my high school cafeteria. For some reason everyone in my high school was invited to this wedding (don't know whose), and we all decided to get dressed at school. Now mind you, this took place in my high school but in the present day, meaning we were all adults. When I looked around, guys and girls were putting on their outfits, doing their hair, and doing their makeup. All the parents were there getting ready too. I remember getting upset because my parents brought the wrong dress for me. They brought the dress I wore to my cousin's wedding a few years ago, which is a beautiful dark blue gown. I was upset because I was afraid the dress would rip because of all the weight I've gained. (The dress actually did rip in real life when I wore it to my step-aunt's wedding a couple of months ago; causing me to have to borrow someone’s dress for the rest of the night). So after some complaining, I convinced them to stop back at home so I could get a different dress, and that's when I woke up. 

 13. What is the best thing about you? I always try to see the best in everyone, even if they've done me wrong. 

 14. Put shuffle on your iPod, what were the first 5 songs? 

      1. Part II - Paramore 

      2. ARTPOP - Lady Gaga 

      3. Dancing in Circles - Lady Gaga (really?! 2 in a row?) 

      4. But It's Better if You Do - Panic! At the Disco 

      5. Comedy of Errors- Alesana 

15. Favorite song? It typically depends on my mood, but the one that is most constant is “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. It’s pretty much the perfect song because a. it’s fun to sing along to, b. it’s fun to dance to, c. it has beautiful lyrics with a powerful message about self-love and self-acceptance, especially for the LGBT community.

16. Favorite TV show? Game of Thrones, by fucking far!

17. Favorite movie? the Harry Potter series

18. Do you miss anyone right now? I miss my Sammy and I miss my friends who I don’t see nearly enough

19. Do you want children? I think so, but I have promised myself that I won’t have kids unless and until I work out my anxiety issues because I don’t want to pass this along to yet another generation in my family.

20. Do you want a church wedding? Nah, I’d probably burst into flames up at the altar.

21. Are you religious? Nah, I like Satan jokes too much.

22. Have you ever been to the hospital? The last time I remember going was when I was 6 and needed 10 stitches on my head.

23. Have you ever met any celebrities? Sadly, no. I hold out hope that I’ll meet Lady Gaga. 

24. Baths or showers? Both! I only really like baths when I have a bath bomb/bubble bar, though!

25. What color socks are you wearing? None. 

26. Have you ever been famous? Nah, I don’t have the charisma or personality to handle that much attention.

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? Nah, I like my privacy tbh.

28. What type of music do you like? Lady Gaga, Paramore, emo/screamo that I’ve been listening to since middle/high school, occasional radio hits

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? No :/ I totally should have when I was home alone when I lived at my parents’.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two! My favorite is when I can lay my head on one, and hug the other one.

31. What position do you usually sleep in? I usually sleep on my side (fetal position)

32. How big is your house? Our apartment is a decently sized one-bedroom

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Eggs or rolled oats with fruit

34. Have you ever fired a gun? Nope!

35. Have you ever tried archery? No, but it sounds cool

36. Who is your celebrity crush? Lady Gaga cuz she’s actually perfect

37. Who do you look up to? Lady Gaga, because she isn’t afraid to be who she is and inspires others love and accept themselves. She is an extremely talented and accomplished musician, but retains such a humility and love for her fans. So basically, as I said before, she’s perfect.

 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 22 hours. When I was a high school senior, I got hooked on World of Warcraft, and I would do raids until 2 am (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays), and then wake up for school at 5 am. Thursdays were the worst. 

39. Do you have any scars? On my forehead from the 10 stitches I got as a child, and a few on my face from the chicken pox.

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? I don’t believe so.

41. Are you a good liar? I’m good at white lies (“I love that new haircut!”) but suck at lying about things that actually matter because I’m really bad at hiding my feelings.

42. Are you a good judge of character? For the most part. 

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? I like to pretend I can do a British accent, but it’s not all that.

44. Do you have a strong accent? Nah lol, just standard New England.

45. What is your favorite accent? British, Irish, Australian

46. Name all the countries you’ve been to? Not as many as I’d like! I have only been to Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and I took a cruise as a kid that stopped in Aruba, St. Martin, and St. Thomas. So basically, I’ve been around the Carribean.

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? I don’t know, haha. I’m too broke for expensive clothes, I’m a grad student.

 48. Can you curl your tongue? Kind of.

49. Are you an innie or an outie? Innie!

50. Left or right handed? Right, my left hand is useless

51. Are you scared of spiders? Yes, I hate all of them.

52. Favorite food? You can never go wrong with pizza

53. Favorite foreign food? Thai food is heaven.

54. Are you a clean or messy person? I can be messy with clothes, but for the most part, I’m a neat freak. I get anxiety if things are too dirty around the house.

55. Most used phrase?  “I’m too tired for life......”

56. Most used word? “Fuck”

 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? Probably like 30-45 minutes on average. I varies depending on how long my shower is, how much make up I’m trying to wear, what I’m doing to my hair, and if shaving my legs is part of the process. 

58. Do you have much of an ego? Most of the time I tend to be very hard on myself, so I’m gonna say no.

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? Don’t eat many lollipops nowadays, but suck!

60. Do you talk to yourself? All the time! I’m a great conversationalist.

61. Do you sing to yourself? All the time! Every car ride is a concert just for me.

62. Are you a good singer? I’m not too shabby. 

63. Biggest Fear? Failure, rejection, judgement.

64. Are you a gossip? I can be. I enjoy talking about others, but many times it’s not in a negative way. For example, if I’m worried about someone who isn’t really saying much to me, I may ask another friend what’s going on with them because I’m concerned...not cuz I’m trying to talk shit. I guess I should get better at direct communication, tho.

 65. Favorite character in anything? Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, ASOIAF

66. Do you like long or short hair? I like both, but I’m digging my ultra long hair right now cuz I had short hair for so long!

67. Can you name all 50 states of America? Probably, just don’t ask me where they all are on the map.

 68. Favorite school subject? English/literature all the way!

69. Extrovert or Introvert? Too introverted to handle.

70. Favorite hobbies? Reading, writing, watching movies/shows, make-up, spending time with my boyfriend and friends

71. What makes you nervous? Everything social, judgement, presenting in front of people, making decisions.

72. Are you scared of the dark? I used to be, but now I like it. 

 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? Not really. I used to correct peoples’ grammar/spelling mistakes, but then I realized what an ass I was being. I only really point out mistakes if I think the mistakes will negatively impact the person.

74. Are you ticklish? Yes, extremely and everywhere.

75. Have you ever started a rumor? I don’t think so.

 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? I guess I’m in a position of power/authority in my career. I never know what to do with that power, though.

77. Have you ever drank underage? Of course. 

78. Have you ever done drugs? I’ve dabbled in a few things. Weed is the only consistent one, and it’s hardly a “drug.” I’ve never done anything seriously addictive/dangerous like heroine or meth or something.

79. Who was your first real crush? This kid in my second grade class. He didn’t like me though cuz he was popular, and I was very unpopular.

80. How many piercings do you have? 5 - lobes, industrial bar, nostril, and navel. I want so so so many more though.

81. Can you roll your Rs? Spanish is my second language, so claro que sí!

82. How fast can you type? Pretty damn fast, actually.

83. How fast can you run? Fast if it’s for a very short distance. I have very little endurance, though.

84. What color is your hair? Naturally, I’m a milk chocolate brown. Right now, I’ve got about 2-3 inches my roots grown out, and the rest is a fading purple.

85. What color are your eyes? Dark brown.

86. What are you allergic to? Just pollen.

87. Do you keep a journal? I’ve always been bad at keeping up with journals. I wish I could find some old ones with my poetry.

88. What do your parents do? Dad: owns a little grocery store, Mom: works at a bank, Stepdad: works at an investment bank (stocks and such)

 89. Do you like your age? It’s okay. I’m getting old, though.

90. What makes you angry? Ignorance/ hatred: racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, etc. It honestly makes no sense to me how people can’t just love and accept one another and mind their own damn business.

91. Do you like your own name? I think it’s a nice name.

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? I’ve had many thoughts throughout the years. I’ve always been partial to gender neutral names like Alex, Riley, Andy, etc.

93. Do you want a boy or a girl for a child? One of each would work.

94. If you had to have someone narrate the story of your life to you when you died, who would it be? This is an odd question, honestly, I’m not sure.

 95. What’s the best thing you’ve ever won? I don’t really win things.

96. How did you get your name? My mom and dad were thinking “Nelly” but then my grandma’s best friend talked them into “Kimberly.” I feel that this is more fitting. 

97. Out of the original 151 which is your favorite Pokémon? I didn’t watch Pokemon.

98. What browser do you use? Safari cuz I’m a Mac.

99. Color of your bedspread? I think it’s purple right now.

100. Color of your room? White cuz I rent and can’t paint the walls

[daltonkbpk957-blog]

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t is clear that the need for instruction on lawn treatment is across the road and within the globe.

The typical garden cure strategy is five lawn solutions a yr for fertilizer and herbicides - weed Regulate. Throw in quarterly insecticide control to keep the bugs and spiders from the home in addition to a attainable four thirty day period program of mosquito remedies and what do you might have?

What about thirteen treatment plans a year of herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides. Nine or even more treatment plans a 12 months x The existing average life of a Canine - 12.five decades. Because of this a Puppy dwelling the common everyday living span would have approximately 162.5 exposures to avoidable poisonous chemical substances.

The garden folks say, "When it really is dry, it can be Safe and sound for your dog." The reality powering that assertion is not really to protect your Puppy. They endorse ready right up until the treatment has dried to limit their own individual liability In case your Pet dog walks from the therapy treated garden and tracks it into your yard leading to your flowers or greens to generally be killed.

On the lookout back again I'm wondering, experienced I entirely lost my thoughts to ever feel this complete rubbish? I'm a smart girl. I understand a lot better than that. People substances may possibly "dry" over the blade of grass (until eventually it rains) or leach into the soil, but the long term harm the harmful substances do in your yard's eco-system goes far beyond just your yard.

The science displays which the garden chemical compounds (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (two,4-D), four-chloro-2-methylphenoxypropionic acid (MCPP), and dicamba) remained detectable on grass for a minimum of 48 several hours right after software, plus the substances persisted even longer on grass under specific environmental ailments. [Resource: Science of the entire Ecosystem]

The detection of lawn chemical compounds during the urine of canine was common. Lawn chemicals had been also present in 4 of eight untreated yards suggesting chemical drift in the lawns of neighbors. [Supply: Science of the overall Environment]

In 2004, scientists from Purdue University discovered that Scottish terriers exposed to garden and backyard herbicides had a better event of bladder cancer (four-7x greater) than Scottish terriers not exposed to herbicides. This finding in a very breed that is certainly by now 20x far more very likely to create bladder most cancers is significant. [Resource: Purdue College]

Whenever your Doggy goes out onto the garden, the poisonous substances get in your dog's feet and legs. If they roll while in the grass, toxic chemical compounds are actually on their own back again! Your dog may also consume grass from time to time. Back inside of, your dog most likely licks their paws. "Remaining dry" won't change The reality that your Pet is ingesting poisonous chemical substances. The poisonous chemical compounds that appear from the blade of grass turn out in your Canine.

Even if you don't take care of your own lawn, your dog remains subjected to poisonous substances if they go right into a neighbors garden on a wander, going for walks by means of runoff from rain h2o or chemical drift.

The implications of both of these experiments for human well being are eye opening. These chemicals is often tracked within your residence. Would you like your newborn crawling on the ground your dog just tracked herbicides throughout? Just by holding or petting your Doggy you may be transferring these chemical compounds to you. How persistently did my Pet dog run across the property and I quickly picked them up and loved on them?

Let's take a look at the thirty normally utilized lawn pesticides (like herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides):

seven have strong inbound links to most cancers

ten are increasingly being studied for feasible one-way links to most cancers

13 are linked to birth defects

21 are connected to reproductive defects

26 are linked to liver or kidney destruction

15 are associated with neurotoxicity

eleven are linked to disruption with the endocrine (hormonal) system

Of those same pesticides, 17 are detected in groundwater, 23 have a chance to leach into ingesting drinking water resources, 24 are toxic to fish together with other aquatic organisms very important to our ecosystem, 11 are poisonous to bees, and 16 are poisonous to birds. [Supply: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/]

Remember that outside the house the couple of scientific tests you will discover not a great deal of scientific tests that hunt for the direct back links concerning pesticides, canines, and disease prevalence.

Still, pet dogs are Particularly delicate to pesticide publicity because they choose in more pesticides relative to their system excess weight than their human counterparts and they've much more direct publicity to the poisonous chemicals. When youthful they may have producing organ methods which might be much more susceptible and less capable of detoxify toxic chemical substances.

Not too long ago, a garden therapy corporation came to my entrance doorway and available an "all normal lawn treatment". I requested for the fabric Protection Information Sheets (MSDS) in the chemical substances they use. The chemical substances have been a similar listed in the best thirty pesticides in order to avoid.

Clearly "all natural" like a advertising slogan has not only hit the Doggy shampoo and food industries, it's got now also entered the lawn treatment method industry!

Further than Pesticides maintains the Pesticide-Induced Conditions Database that looks at serious globe exposure and eventualities that url human community health and fitness results to pesticides.

Be aware which the exposure of human beings to pesticides would possible be reduced compared to the publicity of dogs to pesticides as they may have far more direct connection with the chemically dealt with parts.

Still, the scientific literature documents elevated rates of Long-term conditions amongst individuals exposed to pesticides, with raising numbers of research affiliated with both equally precise health problems and An array of ailments (from thyroid dysfunction, Parkinson's disease and more).

So, what could you do If you would like that gorgeous eco-friendly lawn?

Use correct natural and organic lawn treatment methods.

Common garden treatment strategies use synthetic substances to deal with what we see increasing to the surface area while creating an imbalanced ecosystem beneath.

Natural lawn care seeks to do it yourself pet friendly lawn care provide the complete lawn eco-process into balance by focusing on setting up wholesome soil, which consequently grows nutritious grass that is naturally drought, disorder, weed and pest-resistant.

It may well have a couple of seasons on your yard to transition back again to balanced but each and every time the thing is your Pet stroll all-around inside your safe and non-harmful lawn you will end up considerably rewarded.